Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update. I was on vacay with the family and the internet connection sucked. Anyways here's the next chapter, I hope you like it and I look forward to hearing what you think.
"Hey guys," Rachel beamed as she entered the VIP box at MetLife stadium followed by her wife who was pushing their daughters' stroller. Tina and Mike turned away from the glass glass doors that opened out onto a viewing balcony that allowed guests to view the game as part of the crowd if they so choose. Mike, who had been holding his three years old son Bobby up so he could see the entire stadium, placed him down on his feet and gripped his hand, approaching the other couple with his wife.
"Hey," he smiled as he stepped forward and shook hands with Quinn and they exchanged kisses to the cheek and then repeated the action with Rachel while Tina hugged Quinn in greeting. "This place is amazing, thanks so much for doing this," Tina said and Quinn just waved off her gratitude, happy to oblige. "It's great to see you guys again," she replied and then turned her attention to the little boy standing by his fathers' side gripping Mike's leg shyly.
"And you must be Bobby," Quinn smiled as she crouched down to his level. Rachel watched on with as she nestled Peyton in her arms. "Your Mommy and Daddy tell me you're a big Giants fan, so I hope you don't mind but I got you a little something," Quinn said as she grabbed a hold of the little gift bag that Rachel was holding out to her. Placing the bag on the ground in front if her, Quinn reached inside and pulled out an oversized toddler Giants home jersey with the number 10 on it. The number filled up with the signatures of the entire team.
The little boys eyes lit up at the sight of the gift he had been given and he reached out a hand and gripped a hold of the shirt, thanking Quinn with a bashful smile on his face. "You're welcome buddy," she smiled back, ruffling his hair before standing up next to her wife and turning her attention back to the grown-ups. "That's so sweet of you. We're never gonna be able to get that off him," Tina chuckled as she watched Mike help Bobby put his new shirt on for the game.
"Are you guys hungry? We can get the buffet brought in if you'd like," Rachel offered and everyone nodded their heads, watching as the brunette turned to the security guard standing at the door and requesting for him to radio in for their food. Mike had been distracted by making Peyton laugh, tickling her tummy and making funny faces. It was then he noticed the baby was wearing a tiny little Patriots jersey.
"Pats?" He said with a curious tone to his voice. From what he was aware of, the Fabray family were a New York family. Quinn nodded her head and then removed her jacket to reveal her own Patriots jersey. "My grandfathers' family are New Yorkers, but my grandmother and my mothers' family came from Boston. Everybody else followed everything to do with NYC but, being closer to my grandmother, I followed her Bostonian roots. Needless to say I've got Irish roots all around," she joked as she gestured to her fair skin.
"Irish?" Tina asked and Quinn nodded. "Both sets of grandparents are Irish American, according to my grandmother. She was really interested in genealogy so she studied up on both families." A knock at the door alerted everyone to the presence of the wait staff who arrived with a large trolley full of buffet foods including typical game day fare such as hot dogs, nachos, corn dogs etc and another tray carrying beers, wines, soft drinks, water and champagne.
"Guys you didn't have to arrange all this, it's too much," Tina said glancing at the trolleys and then at her friends. Rachel looked up from her place sitting on one of the comfortable leather couches facing the large window overlooking the football field. "Tina don't worry about it, just enjoy. Seriously dig in, the games about to start soon." Quinn stepped up to the drinks trolley next to the food and glanced at Tina.
"Sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. Sometimes I get carried away and forget that not everyone is accustomed to my lifestyle," she whispered, eyes gazing at Rachel briefly in remembrance of her own wife's sometimes discomfort at her vast wealth. Tina placed a placating hand on the blondes forearm and shook her head. "Quinn it's fine, really. This is just kind of new to us. But I just want you to know we really appreciate you doing all this."
At those words Quinn smiled and relaxed, turning her attention to the variety of foods and drinks. Grabbing some plates she piled various different foods onto them for herself and Rachel, a bottle of Budweiser and a vitamin water under each arm, and carried them over to the table in front of where the brunette was sitting and placed them down. Rachel thanked her with a peck on the lips as the blonde took a seat next to her and they both sat forward and tucked in.
Mike, Tina and Bobby took up residence on the couch next to them, Bobby wearing a bib to keep his new Giants jersey clean, and they all happily ate and drank while engaging in light conversation. Quinn really liked Tina and Mike. She could understand why they were two of Rachel's closest friends in high school, they seemed like really genuine, nice people. Bobby gazed up from his plate and looked over at Peyton, who was lying in Rachel's arms.
"Baby want a nugget?" He asked, offering up one of his chicken nuggets in his hand. Tina and Mike chuckled at their son and Rachel awed at the gesture. "Peyton can't eat food like that yet Bobby but thank you for offering." Tina grabbed a napkin and wiped her hands, taking note of the stitches above Rachel's brow as thoughts of the fire came flooding back.
"God I've been meaning to ask, how are you?" She said placing the napkin down and edging towards the end of the couch. Rachel turned her attention away from the large scoreboard outside that was playing some music video for the latest tween idol and focused on her friend. "I'm good. I get the stitches out in a couple of days and the doctor says there'll be no major scarring." Mike dipped his head in understanding and Tina smiled at the news.
"I can't even imagine what that must've been like. You must've been so scared," Tina questioned and Rachel frowned in contemplation at the question, thinking back on how she felt that day. "No, I can honestly say I wasn't. I mean I've been in worse situations when I was in the army. The only thing I was really thinking about was getting Peyton to safety and getting to Quinn."
At those words Quinn slipped her arm around her wife, her hand resting on the brunettes' hip squeezing it lovingly. Rachel may not have been scared during the whole ordeal, but Quinn had never been more terrified in her life. And she wasn't involved in the incident. It still astounded her to this very day how her whole life could change so much in the span of a few years. For the longest time she had nothing in her life she cared about or that she feared losing. Now, her whole life was wrapped up in a beautiful fiery brunette and a small little human being wrapped up in a pink bundle. Her heart may beat strongly within her chest, but it was no longer her own, because it belonged to Rachel and Peyton.
"What about the media? There's been a lot about the fire, how did you keep everything under wraps?" Mike asked, genuinely interested. Quinn sat forward on the couch, picking up her beer and taking a swig before putting the bottle back down. "Usually I have that stuff under control. But I can't deny that luck played a part in keeping things quiet that day. A couple of well placed fire engines and medic trucks kept us pretty much out of sight of the paps and my friend Cassie and Brody, a detective in the police force who works alongside me, helped keep the press at bay,"
Before conversation could continue, the crowds around the stadium came to life as the two teams took to the feel for kick off, halting all serious conversation and setting Bobby into a frenzy of excitement. While Tina and Rachel chose to watch from the viewing window on the comfortable couch, Quinn took Peyton out onto the viewing box to experience the crowd with Mike and Bobby.
The tiny tot seemed taken aback for a moment, not quite sure how to react to all the new sounds and sights. But the soft cooing of her mothers' voice in her ear seemed to settle her as Quinn held her securely against her chest facing outwards so she could see everything. Sensing the perfect opportunity for a photo op, Rachel grabbed her camera from the bag hanging from her daughters' stroller and quickly snapped some pics of Tina and herself before walking outside.
"Smile guys," she called out, grabbing the attention of Mike and his son who both smiled for the camera and then pulled a few funny faces. Rachel then grabbed some shots of Tina and Bobby and then the three together before turning her attention to her wife and daughter. The sight before her was adorable. Peyton had a look of pure wonder and awe on her little face as her blonde mother gazed down upon her with a look that could only be described as joy.
"Smile big for the camera," Rachel said as she snapped picture after picture before Mike took control and snapped a couple of the family together. After that it was kick off and both Mike and Quinn became engrossed in the game, explains the rules to Bobby along the way. When half time eventually rolled around Mike and Quinn cracked open a few beers and engaged in chit chat while Rachel and Tina entertained the kids.
"So, do you know what caused the fire?" Mike asked, leaning back against the rail of the viewing box. Quinn leaned down, her arms resting on the rail as she gazed out around the stadium. "It's not what caused it I'm worried about. It's who caused it," she sighed, taking a swig of beer from her bottle. Mike frowned and turned around, taking up a similar stance to Quinn with his arms leaning on the rail.
"You think somebody did this on purpose?" He asked and Quinn shook her head in the negative. "I don't think, I know. Brody said one of the gas lines in the kitchen had been tampered with. It was just a matter of time before one of the open flames in the kitchen set of an explosion." Mike shook his head, shocked at the revelation. He recalled Quinn explaining that there were people out to get her but to see the actual extent they were willing to go to was horrifying.
"Well now I understand why you're so protective of your private life," Mike said turning his head to gaze inside the VIP box at Rachel and Peyton. Quinn turned her head and followed his line of sight, her gaze landing on her family as her heart swelled. It happened every single time and the feeling never got old, in fact it felt better and better each and every time. Finishing off the last of the beer in her bottle she turned to Mike, her voice quiet.
"Rachel doesn't know that the fire was intentional. She's been through enough and I'd appreciate it if you could keep this between us," she pleaded. Mike gazed down into her hazel eyes, feeling conflicted about lying. He didn't want to keep the truth from his old school friend, but at the same time, he wasn't in Quinn's position of power. Who was he to dictate what was or wasn't the right call.
With a tip of his head he silently declared his intention to stay quiet. With that they returned to watching the game once Bobby made his presence known and cheered on their respective teams. The Giants had held the lead going into half time, much to Mike and Bobby's delight. However by the fourth quarter things had turned around, by which point Tina, Rachel and Peyton had re-joined the others outside.
Quinn grabbed a hold of her daughter and held her close as they all watched a sublime 60 yard touchdown pass win the game for the Patriots. Quinn softly bounced Peyton up and down, earning cute little laughter from the tiny baby who was feeding off her mothers' happy energy. Rachel managed to capture the delightful moment on video on her phone and was sure it would be the perfect pick me up to send to Quinn the next time she was having a tough day at work.
"I can't believe they clenched it in the last quarter. That's unbelievable," Mike said shaking his head in exasperation. Quinn just chuckled as they followed their respective wives inside to gather their belongings. Once Peyton was secure in her stroller, Quinn beckoned for her security guard, informing him to call her driver. Tina and Mike said their goodbyes, thanking both women for their hospitality as Bobby thanked them for his new favourite shirt. After the Chang's had left, Dave arrived to lead the girls down to their car and they set off for home.
Later that night, after a lovely dinner and Quinn serenading Peyton to sleep by swaying around the bedroom with her to Just The Way You Look Tonight, both Quinn and Rachel retired to their living room to relax with some hot cocoa. Quinn was sitting in the corner of the couch, her back pressed against the armrest while her wife was curled into her side with her head resting on the blondes shoulder with Quinn's fingers combing through her hair.
"Today was fun. It was nice hanging out with another family," Rachel said as she slipped her hand under her wife's t-shirt and massaging her fingers up and down the blondes' side in a relaxing manner. Quinn hummed her agreement as she pressed her lips to the crown of her wife's head and took a generous sip of her cocoa, licking the remnants of cream from the top of her lip.
"Oh I totally forgot to ask. The meeting with Bianca you had, how did it go?" She asked tilting her to the side a little so she could gaze down at her wife. Rachel bristled at the question. Truth be told she had been hoping her wife would completely forget because she knew the topic she had discussed with her boss would be like a red flag to a bull to her wife. Quinn frowned when she felt her wife stiffen at her question. "Rach," she said, coaxing her wife to answer. Rachel sat up, her gaze fixed towards the floor as her fingers nervously fidgeted together.
"Bianca, she uh, she had an idea for an assignment and she figured with my background that I uh, that I would be perfect for it," she said, her voice trembling slightly with nerves. Quinn sat up straighter, placing her mug on the coffee table and then focusing completely on her wife, her eyebrows furrowed, her posture giving away that she was getting ready to go on the defensive, either with Rachel or Bianca depending in the assignment.
"What kind of assignment?" Quinn asked. Rachel glanced up briefly at her wife. But upon seeing Quinn's steady gaze upon her she lowered her head again, preparing for what was to come. "S-she's considering doing a story on the troops in Afghan, and wants me to consider going on the frontline to do the article." Rachel whispered out the last part her heart thumping out of her chest as a deathly quiet silence fell over the room. Rachel hesitantly turned to face her wife, placing her hand on the blondes' thigh.
"Quinn say something," she pleaded. After a brief moment processing Rachel's words Quinn finally spoke up. "No," she simply stated. Rachel looked at her confused. "Excuse me?" She asked politely, wanting to know where the 'no' was leading to. Quinn shook her head as she stood. "No! You're not doing the article. Tell Bianca you can't do it," Quinn said, her voice rising slightly as she tried to control her emotions on the matter. Rachel sat up and moved to the edge of the couch.
"Well, I mean, can we at least discuss it," Rachel asked, a little annoyed that Quinn seemed to be taking the decision out of her hands. At those words Quinn turned on her and shouted loud to be heard throughout the whole house. "NO! You're not going to Afghan, you're not doing the article. End of discussion." Before Rachel can say anything else, Quinn shuffled barefoot across the room and left her wife sitting alone on the couch, watching her leave.
Ten minutes later, Rachel found her wife in their bedroom, sitting on the edge of their bed gazing down over Peyton in her crib. Closing the door behind, she sees Quinn visibly sigh as she moves across the room to get closer to her wife. Taking a hesitant seat next to the blonde on the bed, Rachel gazes down at the floor for a moment to collect her thoughts and then turns her attention to Quinn, whose gaze remained fixed on Peyton.
"So that's it, we don't even talk about things anymore before making a decision," Rachel said. Quinn inhaled a deep breath and the expelled it before reaching down into the crib and placing the pacifier back in Peyton's mouth. "Not when we're discussing the possibility of you returning to Afghan, no." Rachel huffed in annoyance at the fact her wife was still avoiding eye contact.
"So there's going to be no discussion about this whatsoever," Rachel asked and at this Quinn physically growled and stood up. "There's not going to be a discussion because it's not happening. I can't believe you would even consider it," Quinn replied, her voice harsh as her anger grew. Rachel leaned towards where Quinn was standing and angrily whispered her response. "I never said I wanted to go! But I thought at the very least I could discuss the idea with my wife to get her thoughts on the matter." At that Quinn dipped her head low, shaking it from side to side as she laughed off the comment.
"You want to know what I think. I'm wondering how my wife could possibly entertain the idea of returning to the place where she almost died," Quinn sighed, her watery gaze falling on Rachel who seemed taken aback by the statement. "How she could even remotely consider going back to the place that haunts her in her dreams night after night." Rachel felt a tear slip down her cheek as she listened to Quinn speak, silently berating herself for even telling Quinn the truth about the meeting. Before she could say anything her wife sat down next to her on the bed looking defeated.
"That night, the night I found you cowering in the corner of that hospital room in the middle of the night because you dreamt of a bomb attack, I promised myself I would never let you step foot back in that hell hole again. I promised that, I promised that after I forced anti-anxiety pills down your throat and held you all night just to get you to step trembling. To stop you feeling like your heart was gonna burst out of your chest and that feeling of suffocation that had an iron grip on you."
Rachel allowed a sob to escape her as she recalled that night in particular, that feeling of wanting to die. That fear, the dreams, the memories, they would always stick with Rachel. But part of her couldn't let go of that feeling of wanting to stand side by side with her fellow soldiers again. She couldn't explain it and to anybody who wasn't a soldier, who had never served, they probably wouldn't understand. Especially after everything Rachel had been through. But she'd be lying if she said she hadn't briefly considered the idea when Bianca initially spoke up about it.
"That place almost killed you Rachel. It almost took you away from me before I even had a chance to know you," Quinn whispered, her voice quivering as tears slipped down her ivory cheeks. " I wake up in the middle of the night, and I see the pain and sorrow marked across your face when you toss and turn in your sleep. I see you physically shake when you touch a scar and remember exactly how you got it. I see you fighting against yourself, telling yourself not to be weak when you slip a pill into your hand to cope with whatever it is that's eating you up in that moment."
Quinn lowered her head and wiped away the tear tracks on her cheeks as she took a deep breath, trying to reign I'm her emotions and failing. She could see in Rachel's eyes as she spoke that she had broken her down. That baring her anguish over Rachel's past was making her wife realise the truth. That the decision was no longer Rachel's and Rachel's alone to make. Reaching across, she gripped her wife's hand and squeezed it tight, locking eyes the brunette.
"You are my rock, the love of my life, the one person on this earth who makes me feel whole, who makes me feel, safe, cherished and loved so completely. I need you by my side Rachel. Peyton needs you. Please don't risk us, our family, for some stupid article because I can't lose you, I- I can't." At that Quinn's dam finally broke and the tears she had been holding back finally came free as she openly sobbed.
Seeing her wife break, Rachel reached over and pulled Quinn into her, wrapping her up in her arms and holding her tight. Rachel knew, she knew this was just about the article. It was about what had happened with the fire. Quinn hated the feeling of not being in control, of not being able to protect her family and she knew deep down that if Rachel were to ever return to the frontline for whatever reason, that everything would be out of her control. That she wouldn't be able to protect her.
In that moment she knew that no matter how much the soldier within her ached to aid her comrades, to show the world the real day to day lives of the soldiers who fight for their country, that she couldn't leave her family behind. She couldn't leave Quinn and Peyton behind, not for the army, not for her job, not even for a second. Running her fingers through Quinn's hair, she pressed her lips to her wife's temple and kissed it before kissing the shell of the blondes' ear.
"I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I'll call Bianca and tell her I can't do the article," she mumbled and she could feel her wife's grip in her tighten in relief at those words. "I love you Quinn, I love you so much. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please don't cry," Rachel pleaded as she rubbed her wife's back soothingly. Quinn eventually removed herself from the crook of Rachel's neck, cupped her face in the palm of her hands and kissed her for all she was worth, and they continued to hold each other until exhaustion overcame them and they fell into a somewhat peaceful sleep.
