Okay so your reviews bought me back...lol i feel bad for not updating when you guys say such wonderful things!
Are you ready for an emotional chapter?
You better prepare for it because this update is full of it...OH and it mentions some violence so be warned!
I'm also changing the rating to M Just in-case :)
Hope you like it and please review!
I love hearing your thoughts on the story and its progression!
This chapter will hopefully answer some of your lingering questions so I'm gonna shut up and let you read!
Enjoy! :)
"Oh my God, Rachel I'm so sorry for dragging you into this!"
The brunette clung to the steering wheel as she came down from the intense adrenaline rush. Now that her body had cooled down, the jerking pain in her ribs stung and burnt like it was viciously being hit and torn at by a hammer. Not wanting to upset the blond further, Rachel bit her lip and tried her best to ignore the inhumane pain coursing through her torso. "You didn't drag me into anything. This is all my fault, if I hadn't taken you to the carnival in the first place then this would have never happened. You and Emily would still be safe here. I lead him to Lima Quinn, I'm so sorry!"
The blond silently reached forward and gently pried one of the Rachel's hands off the steering wheel. "He was already so close Rach, Mark always finds us, every time we try to escapes he always finds a way. Nothing else matters anymore, as long as you're with here. Thank you...for everything"
Rachel finally turned her head to look at Quinn who's tearful confession stirred something within her. Not quite trusting her voice to speak, Rachel softly smiled at the beautiful woman before intertwining their joined hands and slowly bringing them toward her lips as she planted a lingering kiss on pale skin.
Quinn's shy blush was enough to distract the brunette from the hammering pain in her body for the rest of the long drive.
"So where are we going?" Quinn broke the comfortable silence they had been relaxing in for the past hour.
Rachel smiled and squeezed her hand but continued to keep her eyes focused on the road. "I know this beautiful place I used to visit regularly when I needed to get away from everything. The owners are friends of mine so they let me stay there whenever I need too. The place is very secluded and hidden which is kind of perfect for us"
The brunette could see Quinn grinning appreciatory from the corner of her eyes. "It sounds just like what we need"
Their soft chatter eventually dissolved as the blond dozed off. The drive continued until the early hours of the morning and Quinn didn't stir until the sun came up. Thankfully Emily was still fast asleep, probably exhausted from the previous night of excitement she had experienced.
Rachel smiled at the girl adoringly before she felt Quinn's grip on her hand tighten again. "Good morning, you woke up just in time"
The blond sat up more comfortably and slowly rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before looking out the car window. "We're still in the middle of nowhere Rach" the girl replied sleepily.
The brunette lightly chuckled "It may look like that but there's actually a small town a few miles away"
Before Quinn could reply, the brunette slowed down before looking toward the blond with an excited grin and drove through what looked like a Forrest. "Rach? What are you doing? There's no pathway here"
Rachel stayed silent but the smile was still evident on her face. "Rachel! Where are we going? I really don't like camping and the Blair Witch Project kind of scared me off any—"
The rest of the sentence died in her throat as a beautiful cottage came into view. Her mouth hung open as she took in the elegant building and the mesmerizing lake it was built beside.
Rachel's eyes lit up and wondered toward Quinn who was still staring in disbelief. "It's beautiful isn't it?" the blond meekly nodded causing the brunette to laugh as she slowly came to a stop and parked in-front of it.
While Quinn's eyes roamed the area, Rachel exited the vehicle and retrieved her duffle bag from the boot before carrying a still sleeping Emily inside. The blond reluctantly tore her eyes away from the beautiful scene as she followed the two brunettes' inside. When Rachel emerged from the bedroom she had put the sleeping diva in, she opened her duffle bag and handed Quinn a pair of comfortable cloths.
The blond took the sweatpants and t-shirt gratefully as her gaze lingered upon the open cuts that were openly visible through Rachel's torn dress. "I thought you might want to change out of that dress" the brunette chuckled lightly while motioning toward Quinn's tight garment she had been wearing since the night before. "I'm going to go and get cleaned up" Quinn nodded understandingly as she watched Rachel leave the room
After the blond had shed her dress and changed, she walked around the house in awe and joy. There was no-way that Mark could locate them here. For once Quinn felt like she could sleep properly without worrying that her door would be broken down while she was least expecting it. Especially since Rachel was there with her, the blond felt safer than ever.
The shower had stopped running a while prior to her explorations so when Quinn twisted the knob to the master suite, she never expected to find a bra clad Rachel Berry on the other side.
The brunette in question, whipped around as a loud gasp filled the room, the girl was so focused on cleaning her wound that she hadn't noticed someone enter the room. Thankfully she wasn't completely naked, her short and bra had managed to leave her with some sort of dignity.
Rachel self consciously wrapped her arms around her almost naked torso as Quinn eyes blankly stared at her body. "I know the cuts look painful, but they're really not that bad" When the blonds face contorted in disbelief and tears started streaming down her cheeks, the brunette knew something was wrong. "Qui—" Rachel's enquiry was silenced as her puzzled eyes followed Quinn's tearful gaze.
Almost instantly, realization hit her as her own eyes widened in fear and shock. Hastily grabbing the nearest piece of clothing she could find, Rachel shamefully tried to cover her body but it was too late. Quinn had seen it. The brunette couldn't believe she had forgotten to lock the door.
In that moment Rachel wanted nothing more than to drop dead. Quinn's sorrowful eyes had been what she wanted to avoid even from her own. Rachel hadn't changed in front of a mirror for years because the view of her naked body made her feel sick. The one thing she couldn't escape were the scars that had pierced her once flawless figure and continued to serve as a constant reminder of her pain.
Still shaking, Quinn approached the brunette slowly. With every step she took, the brunette immediately took one further away from her. "Rach, it's okay, please don't run from me"
Without warning, Rachel's feet stopped working and within seconds she found herself on the floor, desperately struggling to breathe as her limbs shut down. Quinn rushed toward her and as much as the brunette tried to run, her body was lifeless. She tried to push the blond away and scream at her for barging in but the only sounds she could make were strained cries as she unwillingly let Quinn help her onto the bed.
Rachel refused to look at the blond as she silently cried. Quinn's own salty tears fell onto the brunette's still bare torso as her eyes furiously scanned the various bullet wounds forever implanted in smooth tan skin. Without speaking, she kneeled in front of the still sobbing girl and encased both of her shaking hands within her own.
They both sat there softly shaking as they tried to get hold of their emotions. Rachel's vision slowly cleared as Quinn buried her face into the brunette's lap. Seeing how distraught the blond was slowly bought Rachel back from her painful memories that she had been darkly walking through in her mind.
"Quinn" she finally spoke through a painfully dry throat and delicately ran her fingers through soft golden locks. "Look at me please" she urged the still shaking girl who continued to remain speechless. A few moments passed before the brunette gave up on trying to persuade the other girl into meeting her eyes and gently backed away until Quinn's puffy face came into view.
"W-Who did this to you?" her tone was chilling and angry as her hazel orbs stared at the wounds again. "H-how could anyone do this to you?" her tone was now softer and disbelieving as she finally met Rachel's gaze. "What happened to you in New York?" her eyes were fiery and demanding as she waited for the brunette to answer the millions of haunting questions running through her mind. Rachel clenched her jaw and looked away but this time the blond didn't give up. She stood up from her position of the floor and softly caressed the brunette's face in her palms as she gently encouraged her to meet her gaze.
The broken and pained expression in Quinn's soft and caring eyes caught Rachel off guard. The blond silently pleaded for her to open up and for once, the brunette nodded and broke down as a fresh wave of emotions hit her. The blond gently cradled the crying girl in her arms and soothed her with loving words as she waited for her to open up.
Once Rachel had calmed down and fully moulded into Quinn's warm body, she for once, couldn't deny telling someone the truth. "I-It happened the n-night of my 21st birthday" she softly spoke as the blond gently ran her fingers through dark tresses.
"I left the bar and decided to walk home for a change...It was a beautiful warm night and I was so high on life. Everything was going perfectly and I was so close to getting my dream role on Broadway" the brunette paused to gather herself for the painful twist in the story.
"I was still a little drunk so I decided to take a different route and go through the shortcut. The streets were almost empty so I didn't sense any danger in walking through the deserted road. I must have been far tipsier than I thought because once we were out of view from everyone else, I heard faint footsteps behind me."
"I immediately turned around to see if one of my friends had decided to join me but it was really dark and there was no-one in sight. After self consciously gazing around for a few minutes, I gave up and carried walking toward my apartment"
"I thought I heard footsteps again but I dismissed it for it being caused by my paranoia or the large amount of alcohol that I had previously consumed. I stupidly didn't turn around again and as I approached the alleyway leading directly toward my home, the moment I stepped foot in the area, I felt a sharp pain pierce through my ribs"
Quinn gasped causing Rachel to stop and look up at the blond but she just shook her head and motioned for the brunette to continue as she absently ran her fingers over the scarred tissue. The warm touch both pleasantly surprised and distracted the brunette, however it also managed to give her the strength she needed in that moment of vulnerability.
"I immediately felt my shirt dampen and I was so obliviously in shock that it didn't occur to me in that moment that I was bleeding. That scar you saw on my back when you first walked in was the first stab wound that I felt." Even though Quinn tried her best to remain passive, Rachel could feel her body stiffen and her grip tighten around her waist. "You sure you want me to continue?" The blond nodded and tried her best to encouragingly smile.
Hesitantly the brunette cleared her throat and continued while keeping a close eye on the already distraught blond. "Just as the pain started to register and my mind started to make sense of what was happening to my body, my feet tried to run but instead collapsed under me. Before i could hit the ground, I felt someone grab the back of my neck and drag me into the dark alleyway. I hit the ground before I could try and pull away but it was too late."
"He was towering over me and angrily screaming. I couldn't hear a word because my head was painfully throbbing and my ribs hurt so extremely that I couldn't breathe. After what felt like hours and just as i had regained my senses again, he pulled out a gun and pointed it toward me. I remember begging him to stop but he just laughed and shot without even hesitating"
"The first bullet got me just above my chest and I was so shocked that i didn't even notice the second one tearing through my stomach. The last thing I remember was hearing another gruelling gunshot before everything went dark."
Quinn's calm breathing was ragged as her jaw tensed painfully in rage. "I woke up in hospital a month later much to everyone's disbelief. They all thought I was going to die after my heart stopped twice and I fell into a deep coma. I was so relieved that they had saved me but after the third day I noticed something was terribly wrong with my voice. I was told to give it some time but after a few more days the doctor finally admitted that my vocal chords were ruined.
"The prolonged Intubation due to the several operations and coma I had been under had caused severe damage to my larynx and trachea. The only thing they could tell me was how sorry they were and that it was the only way they could save me. I told them I was already considered dead without my voice but he only shook his head and called me dramatic. I would have jumped out of bed and killed him right there but my whole body was numb and sore"
"So finally, after a few months my speaking voice was healing so I didn't have trouble talking but I haven't ever been able to sing since. You all know the rest of the story, I feel into a deep depression and disappeared for a while before I grudgingly learned to live with it and came back to Lima"
"The worst part of the story is that they never found who did it. The police searched for months but found nothing. I don't even know why it happened to me, it doesn't make any sense. My wallet was still with me so he clearly wasn't after my money. I just wish I could have seen his face. That's why I've always been so bitter; I never got any closure you know? If I had done something to deserve it then maybe I could live with the outcome."
Quinn was silent as she contemplated Rachel's words. "You could never deserve anything that happened to you Rachel. Not in high school and not in New York. You've always been the kindest person I have ever known. Even after all the horrible things I done to you, you still risked your life to protect me" The blond voice was shaky and full of regret and Rachel didn't miss the pained strain she heard as it faltered.
"Quinn, I forgave you for that already. Please don't be so hard on yourself. High school is already long forgotten. You're not the same person you were back then, none of us are"
The blond responded by holding Rachel impossible tighter as she buried her face in dark locks. "I'm so sorry for everything you have had to go through. If anyone deserved it, it would be me"
Rachel shot up at the confession "Don't you ever think that Quinn! Do you hear me? You're the furthest person to deserve anything like that. You've bought me nothing but happiness from the moment you and Emily walked into my life. I was a broken ghost before you moved here. I am so grateful that you came back because you have replaced so much missing pieces that I lost in New York. I don't even want to think about where I would be if it weren't for you"
"Rach...you've always meant so much to me, I'm so sorry for ever causing you pain because of it"
"Quinn, Please...I forgive you for everything but now I'm just waiting for you to do the same. You can't keep blaming yourself when forgiveness has been granted. Especially when you changed into a beautiful person both inside and out...unlike high school" she chuckled at memories of the teenage Quinn who was beautiful yet ruthless and malicious. The person she was holding now was a completely different person than the one she grew up with
"I'm going to kill him!" Quinn angrily whispered suddenly between sobs after Rachel's words had processed.
"Kill who?" Rachel asked obliviously as she awaited a different reply from the blond.
"Whoever done this to you, I'm going to find him and make him pay!"
The brunette chuckled at the adorable display of protection. "If you do then let me at him first okay?"
Quinn softly laughed and nodded in Rachel's neck causing the other girl to smile. "Thank him too okay? Because if it wasn't for that asshole, I would have still been in New York and we would have never crossed paths again"
The blond pulled away to look Rachel in the eye as she seriously spoke. "I'm still going to kill him" the brunette giggled again causing the blond to pout for a second before biting her lip and wrapped her arms around Rachel's still bare torso again. "I'm so glad you survived, I honestly don't know if i could have made it through this without you" she whispered in a moment of deep sincerity.
Rachel smiled and kissed the soft pale cheek.
"Mommy, where are we?"
Both girls sprung apart as Emily's sleepy voice drifted through the room. Rachel jumped off the bed and hastily put on a T-shirt before coming face to face with the tiny diva whom was looking back and forth between the two women in confusion.
Both gaped at the tiny brunette but couldn't find the words to explain. After several minutes of awkward silence Emily finally spoke again.
"It's about damn time!" she declared triumphantly while Quinn and Rachel Stared at her with wide eyes.
She frowned before looking between the two again."What? Why are you two looking at me like that?"
I'm honestly kind of nervous about what you all think about this chapter so please let me know your thoughts :)
P.S. There's still plenty of twists left ;)