Summary: Rachel has a secret and Quinn has figured it out - but will Quinn use this knowledge to exact revenge on Rachel for telling Finn that Puck was really the father or will she use her own experiences to help. WARNING - language and sexual content in the form of rape, also at some point possible reference to self-harm.
Pairing: Rachel/Quinn (friendship, could lead to more)
Notes: Well would you look at that, got some great feedback and a few hours later I have another update for you all :) See the power you guys have? LOL Anyways as promised I introduce to you the Berry's - I hope you like how I've portrayed them, a few people asked me that they not be mean as they feel they're portrayed like that far too much so guys I hope you're happy with this. Also I felt that some Quinn and Mercedes was needed so I hope you all enjoy what I've done.
Warning: Don't think there's anything to warn you about this time around.
Disclaimer: I own nothings, but the random ramblings of which occur in my brain. Glee and any other copyrighted content used belongs to their respective owners.
By Sunday lunchtime the three girls felt more comfortable around each other, they knew that from now on they would stick together. The previous evening had been spent very much the way Quinn and Rachel had agreed; they spent it on the couch watching musicals, Mercedes singing along to the songs that they had covered in Glee. They had hoped they would hear Rachel's voice but she stayed silent throughout, eyes clouded over with tiredness and emotions not even she knew what to make of.
As they sat around the breakfast island trying to figure out what to have for lunch, they heard the front door open.
"Rachel!"
"Baby we're home."
The voices carried in from the hallway, "Rae whose car is that out front?"
She didn't know what to do or say, everything had changed since she'd seen her dads on Friday morning before school, her throat felt tight and her mouth desert dry as she forced herself to speak, "I didn't think you guys were back until tonight?"
"Yeah neither did we," his voice grew stronger as he neared the kitchen finally appearing in the doorway, "but the traffic was pretty much non-existent."
Quinn and Mercedes looked at the surprisingly tall man before them, he was a good-looking man and the source of Rachel's tanned skin but clearly not her height.
"Hi there," he beamed brightly at the three girls, "Rae who are your friends?"
She glanced at the other two girls nervously, seeking their approval to introduce them as her friends, both of them smiled at her softly. She pointed at each girl, "This is Mercedes and this is Quinn Daddy, we're all in Glee club together."
"Great, it was a shame about Regionals but hey there's always the next time right?"
Quinn and Mercedes smiled nervously at Rachel's Daddy.
"Leroy," a much shorter man (definitely the source of Rachel's height) appeared beside the taller man, "are you scaring these poor girls? I'm sorry girls, sometimes he just doesn't stop and think before he opens his mouth." The bespectacled man smiled warmly, the smile showing clearly in his eyes, "I'm Hiram and motor-mouth here is Leroy."
Quinn and Mercedes couldn't help but laugh, apparently their little diva was very much like her Daddy.
Despite how much she no longer wanted her parents to be part of her life, her upbringing reared its head, "It's nice to meet your sirs."
Hiram feigned hurt, "There will be no sirs, you'll make us feel old!"
"I may be a motor-mouth," Leroy laughed, "but as you can clearly see Hiram is the drama queen."
Quinn and Mercedes were besides themselves with laughter, that old adage about the apple never falling far from the tree was ridiculously true, throw in Shelby's need to be the star performer and you could see all three of them in Rachel.
"What have you girls got planned?" Leroy asked.
"We were going to order a pizza or something and watch a DVD," Mercedes provided.
Leroy glanced at his daughter, "Does this mean your self-imposed hunger strike has come to an end Rae? Ow!" he glared at Hiram who had just jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow.
"Don't worry Mr. B, she'll eat," Mercedes said jokingly, "even if I have to force her. One skinny butt white girl is more than enough for me to deal with."
Hiram and Leroy laughed, "Ok well you girls have fun, we'll be upstairs unpacking if you need anything. Rae my wallet's in the hall, pay for the pizza with what's in there ok?"
"Thank you Daddy," she called to the retreating backs of her dads as they disappeared up the stairs.
Quinn and Mercedes turned to face Rachel, "You're dads are nice baby girl, you should talk to them."
"I can't."
"You've always said you're honest with them about everything though," Mercedes was truly confused, she didn't understand how Rachel could keep something like to herself for so long.
"I don't know how to tell them and I don't think I could do that to them," her voice dropped, "it would really hurt them if they knew…I can't do that to them."
"But they really love, they'd be there for you," Mercedes pushed, she knew that her and Quinn wouldn't be able to stay forever and she knew that the broken diva needed all the support she could get right now.
"Mercedes," Quinn shook her head, "your dads really are great Rachel. Now I'm not sure about you guys but I'm starving, can we please order pizza?"
Rachel gave Quinn a look that she hoped conveyed her gratitude, "Yeah I'm a little hungry myself."
A few hours later Rachel stood in the hallway getting ready to say goodbye to the girls that she was now pretty sure she could call her friends when her dads made their reappearance.
"Don't feel like you have to leave because we're back girls," Hiram spoke, "you are more than welcome to stay for dinner."
"Thanks Mr. B," Mercedes smiled, "but I think my mom will send a search party out if we don't get back soon."
"Thank you so much for the offer," Quinn smiled, her eyes never left Rachel's she needed her to know how much she wished she could stay there for her, "but I really have to go pick Beth up."
"Ok then girls," Hiram smiled, "well it was lovely to have met you. It's nice to have finally met some of Rachel's friends."
"It truly is a pleasure girls," Leroy chimed in, "feel free to come over whenever you want, you're always welcome here."
"Thank you again," Quinn smiled politely.
"Rae come to kitchen when you're done saying goodbye and we'll sort out some dinner ok?" and with that her parents left the girls to their goodbyes.
Mercedes pulled Rachel into a hug, "We'll see you tomorrow ok?" releasing the small girl she offered a smile, "We'll pick you up in the morning ok?"
"Ok," Rachel said sheepishly, "you really don't have to though Mercedes, my Dad doesn't mind dropping me off on his way to work."
"We'll pick you in the morning," Mercedes said pointedly.
"Thank you."
Quinn gently wrapped her arms around Rachel, "If you need anything, text me ok?"
"Ok," she whispered.
"I mean it sweetie," she gave the starlet one last gentle squeeze before releasing her, "I don't care if it's cos you can't sleep. If you need anything you just text me ok? If I don't reply and you need something call me."
"But…"
"Promise me?"
"I promise," Rachel whispered.
"Right c'mon on then mama, your baby girl is probably wondering where the hell we are," Mercedes opened the door and started towards the car offering Rachel a final wave, "see you in the morning baby girl."
Rachel stood in the open doorway until Mercedes and Quinn drove off up the road and then headed to the kitchen.
"Your friends seem nice," Hiram said, "can we expect to see more of them?"
"I hope so," Rachel said earnestly.
"Is Beth Quinn's daughter?" Leroy asked.
"Yeah she is, she's a beautiful little girl."
"Make sure you let her know that it's ok for her to bring Beth over with her next time she visits if she wants to," Leroy smiled.
"Thank you Daddy."
Quinn sat on her bed, Beth cradled against her delicate frame, whispering promises to her daughter, "Mommy loves you, I will always love you no matter what, ok? And I promise I will never, ever let anybody hurt you."
A tentative knock against her open door alerted her to Mercedes presence.
"Hey," she smiled at the girl she owed so much to.
"Hey, can I come in?"
"Course you can, it's your house."
"It's yours too," she sat beside Quinn, "I heard what you were saying to Beth."
"Oh," embarrassment began to creep up her neck.
"No one's ever gonna hurt this little girl, and if they ever did you know I'd beat them to death before they even had a chance to do anything else."
"Yeah I know," her voice was filled with sadness, "I just…I wouldn't want anyone to hurt her."
"You're worried that someone would hurt her the way Rachel's been hurt aren't you?"
"How can I not be? There's so many monsters in the world. Rachel's a good person, I mean yeah sure I'll admit I've never been her number one fan but I'd never wish that on her."
"I know that," Mercedes gave Quinn's knee a squeeze, "I don't think anyone would wish that on her…now all we gotta do is figure out how to help her."
"I don't know, this isn't something that can be fixed quickly," she stroked Beth's cheek with her thumb, "the next few months are gonna be so hard on her. It's not bad enough that she's been…" even she struggled to voice the word, "but to be pregnant because of it, I don't think I could imagine anything worse."
"We'll stick by here though right?"
Quinn nodded, "Definitely, she can't do this alone."
"Good," Mercedes paused, "I think we should talk to Mr. Schue."
"What? Mercedes are you insane? Did you not listen to me about how much we need her to trust us right now?"
"I'm not on about telling him, I think we should try and get him to cancel the assembly."
"Do you think he would?"
"No," Mercedes admitted, "but I really don't think Rachel wants or needs to be put in front of everyone right now."
"I know, I don't know if she'll ever truly want to sing again," the thought of that saddened both girls, "but for now I think you're right, we'll talk to Mr. Schue tomorrow."
Mercedes stood to leave, happy that they would be doing something that would hopefully help their distressed star, "Quinn, stop worrying so much about Beth. You really are a great mom."
Attention: Seriously guys thank you so much for all the feedback and please, please, please keep it coming, it really does help to get my brain thinking.
Erm...let's see what can I ask you this time...
Oh I know!
Would you like the Berry's to find out cos of something dramatic happening or would you like Rachel to tell them or would you rather they discovered another way?
Look forward to hearing your thoughts!