A/N – Y'all are being so amazing with your reviews. It's nice to hear your thoughts on the story. Ok, so less fluffy romance and more…intense romance? I don't really know how to label the kind of romance I wrote in this chapter. You guys can decide for yourselves. Happy reading!
Chapter 11 – Scales And Arpeggios
"Exactly what kind of story are you telling my impressionable three year old granddaughter?" Rachel announced, having caught the tail end of Brittany's account as she shuffled back into the room.
Brittany looked up with a cheeky grin. "No worries, Rach. I toned it down but made it very clear your loose inhibitions made Quinn oh so very mad at you." The blonde laughed at the way Rachel scrunched up her face in recollection of that unfavorable memory.
"Mommy makes mama sleep on the couch when she gets mad," Shannon added her two cents with all the innocence of a child.
Rachel let loose an amused laugh. "I'm sure." She knew her daughter and knew that she had inherited Quinn's temper and picked up on Rachel's stubbornness. That made for an explosive combination when it came to arguments. She made her way over to the sitting pair. "By the way, your cranky half is looking for you," she addressed Brittany. She jerked her thumb in the direction of the door. "Something about stowaway ducks in your luggage." The diva grinned knowingly as the former dancer adopted a sheepish look.
"Right." Brittany stood and handed Shannon back to Rachel. "I'm going to go diffuse the bomb." She dramatically clutched at her chest. "Wish me luck!"
"Good luck!" Granddaughter and grandmother echoed in unison before dissolving into a fit of giggles at Brittany's theatrics. They each accepted a kiss from the willowy woman and two sets of eyes trekked her movements to the door before refocusing back on each other.
"Book?" Shannon inquired, leaning over the armrest to tug the scrapbook toward her. Rachel assisted and helped the little girl transfer the book onto her lap. She watched as her granddaughter opened its cover and began flipping through the pages, pausing every now and then to touch or stroke an item already talked about before her fingers stopped on the page they left off. "What is it?" the blonde asked tracing an inquisitive finger over the strange symbols fluctuating up and down the lines on the page.
"Those are music notes," Rachel pointed to the symbols. "This,' she gestured to the piece of paper glued to the page. "Is a piece of sheet music. It's the way musicians write songs and the music that goes with it."
"Oh." Shannon seemed intrigued by the treble clefts, semiquavers, breves and minims scattered in an organized chaos across the width of the page. "What song is it?"
Rachel hummed a few bars and watched as her granddaughter's face broke into a grin. "The Aristocats!" She immediately broke into song, Rachel humming the harmonies as she jiggled Shannon on her lap.
"I like that song," the little girl admitted as the impromptu singing came to a close. She hunched forward over the scrapbook. "Why's it in here?"
"It holds another special place in Grandma Quinn's and my heart."
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Quinn eyed the building looming in front of them. Imposing as it was in size, its walls desperately wailing for a new coat of paint, made the structure look more pathetic than threatening. To make up for its rather shabby appearance, however, the building's front yard was well kept with a rainbow array of flowers swaying gently in the wind.
"This is where you disappear off to on Wednesday afternoons?" Quinn's head was cocked in curiosity as she surveyed the scene in front of her, her face closed off from any emotion.
Rachel mashed her lips between her teeth and nodded cautiously. She clasped her hands behind her back as she observed the blonde from the corner of her eye. Quinn looked like an inquisitive puppy what with her head canted sideways, her eyes taking in her new surroundings. However, the palpable undercurrent of a repressed emotion emanating off the blonde had Rachel second guessing her decision to allow Quinn to share this part of her life.
"Why would you keep this from me?" Quinn finally allowed her hurt and disappointment to shine through via her voice. She stole a glance at Rachel and noted the way the brunette rocked back and forth on her heels, looking very much like a skittish horse.
"I…" Rachel was at a loss for words. It didn't happen often but when it did, it always sent her mind into a tizzy as it worked furiously to transfigure the brunette's thoughts into actual auditory sentences. The diva looked up the arching sign. 'Lima Children's Orphanage.' "I didn't know if you were ready," she finally confessed in a hushed whisper.
"Ready?" Quinn echoed, feeling quite lost at sea. She sought out large brown eyes for an answer, her own hazel orbs awash in confusion.
Rachel nodded and took a small step toward her girlfriend. "Every…every time we're out, be it at the mall or the park or simply strolling down the street…whenever you see a little girl you freeze." She quickly reached for Quinn's hand when she saw the blonde flinch. Tangling their fingers together, the brunette silently spoke through their physical connection that she was Quinn's anchor, that she would keep her grounded. "I don't even think you're conscious of your actions." Chocolate orbs, dull with worry, locked onto Quinn's hazel eyes. "Your face always goes blank and your eyes darken. You clinch your jaw until that muscle jumps out against your cheek." A small hand reached up to trace said area.
"I do all that?" Quinn asked in wonder. She always considered herself a person who guarded her emotions well but Rachel was fast proving otherwise. Perhaps, it was because nobody bothered to take the time to look.
"You do." Rachel played with fingers that were entwined with her own. Strong, supple fingers that never failed to send a tingle down her spine. "It breaks my heart every time," she admitted, her voice harsh with tears.
Quinn released a breath that she did not even know that she was holding. She moved until she was almost pressed up against the smaller girl and dropped her head onto Rachel's shoulders. Her entire frame physically slumped in relief as the brunette wound her arms around Quinn, pulling her into a warm embrace. "I love you, Rachel," the blonde spoke into the shoulder she was currently hiding her face in.
"Quinn, I love you." Rachel played with the locks of soft blonde hair teasing the nape of Quinn's neck. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. It was never my intention when I decided to neglect to tell you about this part of my life." When they first became friends and Rachel would always decline hanging out with the blonde on Wednesdays, Quinn never thought twice about it. She knew Rachel's extra-curricular activities outside of school were numerous. However, when they started dating and Quinn's curiosity got the best of her, it would always puzzle the blonde when Rachel would evade giving out a straight answer. Instead, she would always opt to saying things like "giving back to the community" or "playing my role of the good Samaritan." In the end, Quinn had concluded that Rachel didn't want her to be a part of her Wednesday afternoons. That conclusion had hurt.
"It's ok." Quinn gripped Rachel tighter to her. "We're ok." She brushed her lips over the soft skin she found peeking out from the collar of the brunette's shirt. "I love you."
"And I love you." Rachel pulled back to look into Quinn's eyes. "Are you sure?" Any flicker of doubt, any shred of hesitation and Rachel would have wasted no time in shepherding Quinn back to the car. She wanted to share this with Quinn, but not at the expense of the blonde's feelings.
Quinn sucked in a shuddering breath but nodded. What happened with Beth was done. It had hurt to give her up, indescribably so, but knowing that the little girl was going to loved and cherished and given a life she deserved helped to fill the gaping hole in her chest. "Let's go," she offered. She reached for Rachel's hand again.
Rachel smiled and lifted their joined hands to kiss Quinn's. "They're going to love you," she assured as they began to walk up to the front door. "I promise."
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"RACHEL!"
The petite diva planted her feet firmly onto the linoleum floor and braced herself as a redheaded blur ran straight toward her and all but bowled her over in an overly enthusiastic hug. Rachel staggered under the force and sudden weight of having someone literally throw themselves into her arms but she recovered quickly enough to wrap her arms around thin shoulders.
"Hello, Michael," the brunette murmured affectionately, nuzzling her cheek into the mop of soft ginger hair laying against her shoulder.
"You're late," the little boy accused as he stepped back and stomped his feet in disapproval. "Punctuality is everything," he mimicked in a mocking tone, obviously having heard the phrase directed to him by the diva herself.
Quinn made her presence known by bursting into laughter at the little boy's zeal. It quickly faltered however, when Michael turned his emerald green eyes onto her. "H-hi," she greeted, waving her hand lamely. Unconsciously she took a step toward Rachel for she was quite unaccustomed to being around children.
Rachel smiled fondly at her girlfriend's obvious nervousness and snaked an arm around her waist. "Michael, I'd like you to meet somebody. This is my girlfriend—"
"Quinn," Michael finished. He peered up at the blonde who fidgeted slightly under his intense stare. "She's pretty," he finally said, blushing slightly. "You were right, Rachel. Pretty like an angel."
Quinn blushed so hard that she was sure that her hair was going to catch fire. She turned an accusatory glare onto Rachel who simply shrugged and began leading Quinn into what she would come to know as the orphanage's recreation and music room. "I only speak the truth."
"She talks about you all the time," Michael pointed out exaggeratedly, half tugging and half skipping as he attempted to get Rachel to walk faster. "Quinn this and Quinn that," he bemoaned waving his one free hand about dramatically.
"Hush you." It was Rachel's turn to blush, her cheeks painting itself a rosy red as she opened the door and ushered Michael in. She watched as the little boy ran off to join his friends before turning her attention onto Quinn, who was taking in the contingent of milling children with comically wide eyes. "Baby?"
Quinn shook herself out of her reverie. She offered Rachel a watery smile. "Hi," was all she offered.
Rachel's brow furrowed. "Hey." She stepped forward and cupped Quinn's cheek. "Baby?" she repeated, her voice low with concern. "Talk to me."
Quinn leaned into Rachel's touch. "I'm ok. I'm just…adjusting." Hazel eyes observed the slew of kids playing and laughing in all directions. "How long have you been coming here?"
"The summer before freshman year," Rachel replied, a fond smile playing about her lips. She remembered that day well; she had been nervous, not unlike Quinn was right now. Rachel remembered being unsure if volunteering her time to be amongst children was the brightest idea she had. She was an only child after all and somewhat of a loner. Her people skills weren't exactly up to par. However, the minute she had walked into the building and saw all those smiling, eager faces, she had proceeded to spend the majority of her summer with what she had come to call her second family.
Quinn noted the content look on Rachel's face and smiled in turn. She was bending down to ghost a kiss over the smaller girl's lips when Michael reappeared in front of them and promptly diverted Rachel's attention onto him.
"Come on, Rachel!"
The girl in question shot the blonde an apologetic look before allowing Michael to pull her away. She hid a smile as she watched Michael cling onto Rachel's hand, tugging her toward the other children, talking a mile a minute. It was quite obvious to the blonde that the boy was smitten with the petite girl though who could blame him? The head cheerleader leaned against the wall as she watched her girlfriend be bombarded by all the children scattered across the room. Rachel was clearly loved and adored and by the she addressed each and every child with a hug, pat or kiss, the feeling was mutual.
Quinn languidly made her way over to her girlfriend, smirking a little when requests from the various children wafted through the air to tickle her ears.
"Are you going to sing for us today?"
"Will you play something?"
"Can we make cookies?"
"Star shaped cookies!"
Quinn laughed aloud at that last one. It quickly turned into a gulp when her resounding mirth caused every head to slant in her direction. She sought out brown eyes, her own hazel ones suddenly filled with panic.
Rachel simply held out a hand and Quinn latched onto it gratefully. "Guys, this is Quinn," the petite girl announced softly. "Can you say 'hi' for me?"
"Hi, Quinn," came a chorus of young voices.
Quinn smiled. "Hi," she replied, scanning the faces surrounding her and Rachel. Then she looked at her girlfriend. "So what's on the agenda today?" she asked, hoping to dispel some of the discomfort she felt.
"How 'bout we start with a song, hmm?"
Squeals and shouts of agreement rang out in the room. Rachel shook her head in bemusement and settled herself down onto the piano bench located nearby. Quinn joined her and fought the urge to laugh again when Rachel banged out a tune to "Scales and Arpeggios," a song made famous by the Disney movie, Aristocats. It was apparent that the song was a hit favorite amongst the crew because each child began to sing without the slightest hesitation. Her heart swelled with pride; seeing Rachel like this, in her element, all served to make Quinn fall a little harder for the smaller girl. Rachel never made any qualms about devoting her time to various charitable organizations. The diva, despite her tendency for being slightly spoiled and self-indulgent, had a big heart and moments like this proved it.
As Quinn added her voice to the song, she found her hazel gaze drifting onto the occupants in the room. She noted that many were under the age of ten and that there seemed to be more girls than boys. The latter observation had her swallowing hard. She continued to trek a visual path across the room when a lone figure sitting by the window brought her surveillance to a halt.
The little girl was curled up on a chair that seemed to swallow her tiny frame whole. It didn't help that she was sitting with her knees draw up to her chest, her arms wrapped around said knees. There was such a poignant sadness radiating off the girl that it was palpable to Quinn even from across the room. As Rachel launched into another song, Quinn couldn't help but stare at what her mind had dubbed "the girl by the window."
The longer Quinn stared, the more the girl reminded her of Rachel. With her diminutive stature and wavy chestnut hair, the blonde surmised that it was akin to looking at Rachel's younger self. It was also her place in the room; the girl was alone, separated from her peers. Ostracized. Outcast. The observation made the blonde's heart clench.
"Quinn?"
The blonde did not realize that she had even stood up. She looked down at Rachel who had worry radiating from her eyes. "I'll be back in a minute," she promised even as her own gaze flitted over to the girl by the window.
Rachel's eyes followed Quinn's. "That's Ashley," she divulged. "Her parents died in a car crash."
"Oh." Quinn mentally smacked herself for sounding insensitive but how was one suppose to respond to news like that? "I'll come back," she promised again before making her way over to the window. "Hi," Quinn cautiously made her way over to where the girl sat. When Ashley acknowledged her presence by looking up at her, Quinn felt her breath catch. Soulful brown eyes, so reminiscent of a certain diva, were awash with a deep kind of emotion far too mature for a child of her age.
Ashley simply dipped her head in acknowledgement before turning her gaze back out the window.
Quinn tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Can I sit with you?"
Ashley shrugged noncommittally causing the blonde to hesitate before she took the initiative and sat down on the empty chair opposite the little girl's. Quinn made sure to keep a good distance between naming, somehow instinctively knowing that Ashley would not welcome the blonde intruding in on her personal space.
"How come you're not over there singing with your friends?" Quinn asked, her voice soft.
Another indifferent shrug and the blonde could feel herself getting frustrated. Was this how Rachel felt when Quinn retreated into herself and bottled up her feelings? Now, she was getting a taste of her own medicine. Quinn tried again.
"Do you not like that song?"
A third shrug caused Quinn to almost collapse against the wall in defeat. Taking a few moments to compose herself, she leaned back and mimed Ashley's position before following the girl's gaze out the window. The pair sat in silence, though it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable. Quinn seemed to understand the girl's need for solitude though the blonde caught her staring at her with what seemed like curiosity ever now and then.
The head cheerleader's attention was momentarily diverted when Rachel's melodious laugh trickled over to the sequestered pair. Quinn allowed herself another smile at the sight of Rachel now lying flat on her back, with at least five little ones on top of her, all of them engaged in a tickle fight. Her attention moved back to Ashley when the girl shifted slightly to rest her head on the windowpane.
"Do you like to sing?"
A forth shrug. Quinn was nothing if not determined though. "How about if I go first?" she announced, undeterred when she received the same silent answer. The blonde took a breath, then cultivated her voice into a low and soothing melody.
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Quinn stole a glance out of the corner of her eyes. Ashley remained stoically unaffected but her posture seemed to slump a bit. The blonde edged a little closer before continuing.
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The blessed day
Dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Still no reaction. Quinn hummed a few more bars, her eyes never straying from their fixated spot outside the window. When she was done she sighed and stood. Just as she was about to make her way back to Rachel, a small hand touched her own. The blonde looked down at the unexpected connection then back up into Ashley's face, unsure of what to do.
"Will you come back?"
There was such a note of hesitant hopefulness that it broke Quinn's heart. Unable to motivate her vocal chords into producing a word, the blonde simply nodded. She curled her index finger over the hand Ashley had on hers and was rewarded when the little girl stroked her finger in return.
The moment was over when Rachel called Quinn's name. It was like flipping a switch; Ashley retreated back into herself and resumed her previous stance of looking out the window. Quinn sighed and made her way back to her girlfriend, though not without lingering glances at Ashley.
"Hey, it's time to go." Rachel wrapped an arm around Quinn's waist. "Are you ok?"
"I want our children to look just like you," the blonde blurted out before she could stop herself. She then looked down at Rachel in horror and utter embarrassment. "I…I…I didn't…" She couldn't even form a coherent sentence.
Rachel was shocked but the way Quinn was babbling herself into a waist deep hole snapped her out of it. She rocked up onto her tiptoes and brushed a kiss to the blonde's lips. "As long as they have your eyes, love." She giggled at the stunned look on Quinn's face. "Yes, Quinn. I want children with you too."
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A/N 2 – Song used is "Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.