A/N: Okay. So I didn't get to update this morning like I had planned, so here is an extra long chapter for you. Hope you enjoy it. I had a lot of fun wrting it. Thank you so much for all of the input with who they should meet up with. I am workig on the one with her parents as we speak. Don't know if that will be in the next update or the one after.

Anyway, thank you all for the reviews and enjoy!

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"So, how long have you been out?" Kevin ask setting some of the bags down just inside Rachel's bedroom door before taking a seat on the diva's bed. He watched as Quinn slowly scanned the room in amazement that everything still looked the same from all of her MySpace videos.

"Three years."

The tall man nodded and followed with his dark eyes as she finished her inspection and sat down next to him with a light, nervous smile. "But you've known for longer?"

She hesitated and nodded. "I had a really good idea senior, an inkling late junior year."

"So, if you knew then, what took you so long to come out? Especially since your parents were out of the picture."

She nervously scratched her head and diverted her eyes to the floor across the room. "I hadn't actually admitted it to myself. I had some other issues I was trying to deal with and that was just adding to the emotional fire."

Kevin never broke his sight on her and she was beginning to feel the pressure of his stare. She couldn't tell if he was disapproving of her or just trying to get a read. He braced his heel on the bed frame and hooked his hands around his raised knee, softening his posture a slightly. He was reading her. "What type of issues would you allow to prevent you from being who you are?"

She didn't want to do this, but she needed to. This was for Rachel. Quinn may not have a family to answer to, but the diva did. "They were issues best dealt with on my own. Emotional damage. Proving to myself that I wasn't a disappointment like I had been told. Proving to myself that the bitch I portrayed myself as was actually the cause of a good portion of my unhappiness. There are still a few things that I am working on though."

"Like your daughter?" Quinn's eyes snapped to his, wide with nothing less than shock. "Has Rachel told you that we have contact with Shelby?" She was stunned but finally managed to shake her head. Why hadn't Rachel told her that? Kevin suddenly had a glint of guilt in his eye, seeing her reaction, and lowered his eyes from hers, shaking his head. "I mean, it's not like we just call each other up and chat for hours like old girlfriends, but it is about a half hour conversation once a week. Would you like to see a picture of her?"

"No!" Quinn sprang up off the bed, but held on to his arm that was reaching for his wallet. "I…I…I'm not ready for that." He nodded and returned his hand cautiously to his lap. She released his arm and fought to catch her breathing that was now panicked. "This weekend is about Rachel. That…I'm not ready to do both.

Kevin nodded his head once more as he watched the blonde woman fighting to keep the tears from falling while she stared at the spot on the mattress where he was sitting. He could tell that she wanted to know but was scared. "Okay. Well, if you change your mind, just let me know."

~/~/~/~/~/~

"Dad," Rachel's voice was pleading. It broke Elijah's heart not just to give in if it made his daughter happy, but happiness now could very easily turn into very public heart ache later.

"I'm just worried for you, Rachel. This is such an unexpected change."

"I know. It caught me off guard as well. But when I almost lost this because of my uncertainty, I realized just how much I wanted it. Dad, I really and truly love her. Just get to know her and you would even agree that she is perfect for me. She lets me rant and actually listens to it. She even provides feedback!"

Elijah ran his hand over his balding head and repositioned his glasses on his face. "that is a…unique quality."

With Rachel's flare for the dramatics, she threw herself off the couch and to her knees by his chair. Elijah rolled his eyes. No matter how old she got she still acted like the little diva who use to feign panic attacks when asked to mow the lawn. "Give this a chance. Your approval means so much to me."

He leaned forward and slumped his shoulders. "I know it does, and I will gladly see where this goes while you are here." He assured her as the shock began to wear off. "I am sure you have already thought of the repercussions and possible whiplash to your career…"

She nodded forcefully. "I know what I'm risking, but I need to know how this plays out. I don't want to have the regrets that Quinn had. We are waiting to come out publicly until we know each other better and are fully prepared. This vacation we are testing the waters of being in an open relationship in the confines and protections of a small town. As much as we are rushing into this, we really aren't."

Elijah sighed and stood, pulling his daughter into a hug. "So this is the secret Quinn was referring to in regards to her father?" The diva nodded and buried her face into his shoulder. "I wonder what he would say if I went into work Friday raving about my daughter finding this amazing, successful, beautiful, New York City photographer for a girlfriend."

"Can I be there when you tell him?" Quinn asked jokingly. Both Rachel and Elijah turned to the taller pair descending the stairs and Rachel went instantly into panic mode when she saw Quinn's reddened eyes.

"Why were you crying?" She asked running to the blonde and glaring at Kevin. "What did you say to her?" His eyes widened in humorous surprise with the accusation.

Quinn cupped the brunette's face as she held her bay the waist. "He didn't say anything. We were just talking. Relax." She kissed the diva lightly and the tension fell from her shoulders.

"That's a neat little trick." Kevin noted, still on the stairs. "We usually have to wait an hour for her to finish ranting before we can get a word in."

Rachel rolled her eyes and Elijah smiled. Obviously there really was something between the two, but he was still concerned. "So, shall we go get something to eat for lunch? There is a new restaurant that just opened last month. It's suppose to be really good."

"So Breadsticks isn't the only place in town anymore?" Quinn mocked as she followed Rachel out the front door, her hand seemingly glued to the diva's hip.

"No. We have four restaurants actually." Kevin joked back as Elijah closed and locked the door. "Although three serve the exact same thing. They just have different colored carpeting inside."

~/~/~/~/~/~

Quinn had never felt so quickly at ease as she did sitting with the Berry Clan at the restaurant table. She had been a fumbling goof when she met Adrianne's family. Her sentences were jerky or too short or too long for appropriate conversation. Her hands shook so badly that she actually spilled her glass of wine all over the table. It was disastrous. Adrianne did her best to try and comfort her, but Quinn was so on edge that the brunette's reassuring hand on her knee caused her to jump out of her seat in the middle of diner, pulling all eyes to her. It still amazed her that somehow after all of that, Adrianne's mother absolutely adored her.

Now, sitting in the dimly lit restaurant, Rachel's chair pulled close to hers at the round table, she was relaxed and reclined and draped her arm over the back of the diva's chair. She was even comfortable enough to subconsciously allow herself to run her fingers up and down the back of the brunette's neck.

Kevin had a smile plastered on his face as Rachel recounted her surprise to Quinn's flowers and romantic text late at night while Elijah studied the blonde's fix and adoring gaze on his daughter. He was more and more approving with each smile and laugh that came from the tiny brunette.

"Holy freakin' Fabray…"

All four heads turned to study the figure approaching them with a cocky strut. Instinctively, Quinn's eyes started at the black high heel shoes and moved up to the exposed legs, perfectly shaped and perfectly fitted into the tight black pencil skirt. The white blouse followed the curves into the top of the skirt and was finished with a delicate belt. The blonde ignored the promenade cleavage exposed by the unfastened top button as her gaze continued up. "Oh…my…God…"

"Not quite, but close." Santana quipped as she came to a stop at the table, waving a smile of hospitability to the men before looking back to the blonde. "I never expected to see you again. It's been how many years?"

Quinn fumbled with her answer. She knew she could run into someone from school, but she wasn't ready for it. Especially not Santana. The two's rocky relationship was a constant fight for dominance that fell into a comfortable pattern at the end of Senior year. They weren't the best friends that would hang out every day, but they did have this silent understanding with one another that was uniquely theirs. "Too many."

The Latina narrowed her eyes but kept a faint smile on her lips. "Berry." She greeted.

"Santana." The two brunettes had run across each other occasionally on the diva's visits home. The most memorable was two years ago, just after Rachel landed her big role on Broadway. It consisted of eye contact, a quick nod of the Latina's head, and a 'good job, Berry'. It was all very Santana.

The Latina tilted her head and her smile twisted into a smirk as she noticed Quinn's hand stroking the diva's neck. "…holy shit…" Quinn stopped her finger but then realized they didn't need to be discreet and continued, broadening her strokes on the soft skin. "I have no words…I am in fact speechless." The Latina shifted her weight onto one foot, throwing her hip out. One arm was wrapped around her stomach supporting the elbow of the arm covering her moth. She wasn't laughing, just gaping. "I just…I can't….when?"

Rachel pressed a small hand to Quinn's leg. "Just recently. Only about a week."

"A week?" Santana yelled in a hushed tone. "Q, what the hell took you so long? I so caught you checking out her ass in Glee senior year. You wanted to hit it then!"

Quinn ran her fingers nervously over her forehead as Rachel blushed and her dads laughed. "She knew?" The diva asked as the burn of her blush began to subside.

"I wouldn't even admit it to myself, let alone tell anyone."

"Berry, she didn't have to tell me. It got worse as the school year went on. You had her hyperventilating during one rehearsal in the auditorium. She was so in to you that she forgot to breath and nearly passed out."

Quinn's eyes widened with embarrassment while Rachel fell a little further in love and Elijah watched her do it. Kevin leaned back in his chair and looked up to the Latina. "Can you join us? We have just been informed of this sudden relationship and are very curious to hear about Quinn. You know," He wiggled his eyebrows. "The kind of things she does want to tell us."

Santana beamed and grabbed a chair from the nearest table. "Lucky for you, they can't fire me, so I'm all yours. What do you want to know?"

Quinn dropped her brow. "You-"

"Own this place? Yes. Now stop trying to avoid the spotlight. We can discuss me later. I have this undeniable urge to embarrass the shit out of you right now."

"Santana," The blonde pleaded with her eyes but the Latina wasn't looking at her.

"I plan on releasing some of my frustration with you for just walking out of everyone's life seven years ago." The mood suddenly changed as Santana turned and locked onto Quinn's eyes, losing all sense of playfulness. "When you left, you didn't just leave your sorry excuse for parents. You left everyone. Hell, even Berry keeps in touch and we all tortured her in school."

Rachel ducked her head slightly. She wasn't expect this much of a reaction to Quinn's long awaited return. Quinn was expecting Santana to be annoyed with her, but now she was just furious with the blonde.

"So much has happened, Q. So much that you should have been here for. Not all of us were able to go travel the world and become some highly praised photographer. I'm happy you've made something of yourself because you needed it, but you lost a lot to do it. The worst part is, I don't even think you realized you had something to lose by doing it."

"Santana," Quinn's voice was hushed, trying to have a private moment with three sets of eyes on them. "I regret-"

"Regrets don't mean shit to the 'friends' who needed your support through their hard times." Santana stood up and returned her chair to the other table. "I hope you stick around long enough to run into a few more 'old friends'. Once you do…call me. I'm in the phone book. Exactly where I've been for the last seven years."

The table fell silent for a long time as Quinn watched the Latina disappear through the kitchen doors. With her pain ripping at her voice she turned to Rachel. "Do you know what that was about?"

The brunette cleared her throat and fiddled with the napkin in her lap. "Her mom died last year. Cancer. I sent flowers and my number in case she needed someone to talk to. She never called though."

"Look, Quinn," Kevin interrupted. "Life comes with regrets. The only thing you have control over is how you handle them when given the opportunity. You're going to be here for a few days, just give her a call when she's had some time to cool off."

Elijah nodded his head in agreement but neither said anything else until the food came. Rachel scooted her chair closer and wrapped her arms around Quinn's torso, kissing her repeatedly on the cheek as the blonde was lost to her thoughts. "I'm sorry. I should have told you about it. I wasn't thinking." The sadness in Rachel's voice broke Quinn from her trance and she pulled the diva close, kissing her on the forehead.

"No. It's fine. Not your fault at all. I should have known about it when it happened." She closed her eyes and inhaled the soft scent of Rachel's hair and thanked whatever gods that may be that Rachel was able to forgive her. "I'll talk with her before we leave, but right now lets just eat."

Kevin hesitated, looking at the blonde's meal. "She wouldn't, you know, like, spit in your food or anything?"

Doubt ran through her mind but she just shrugged her shoulders. She deserved it if she did.

~/~/~/~/~/~

The mood had lightened again by the time they got home due to a tweak of a smile Santana gave Quinn as they left the restaurant. The Latina didn't want to stay mad at her, she was just venting. And venting was something Quinn understood. Both Rachel and Santana had received most of hers in high school. There was hope they could work things out.

"What I am interested in hearing about," Quinn chimed in a wide smile as she sat on the Berry's sofa with Rachel's head in her lap and her fourth glass of wine in her hand, "Is this Chris. Who is Chris?"

"An ass!" Kevin bellowed from his position on the smaller couch, feet kicked up and fifth glass of wine in his hand. "He is a selfish, self-centered, self-assured, self-righteous, self-satisfied, son of a bitch."

"Sounds like my father." Quinn retorted and the two broke out in a rolling drunken laughter. Rachel roller her eyes in amusement, but also disbelief, that these two got along as well as they did.

"He wasn't that bad, just a little more arrogant than I like."

"So her was a boyfriend?" Rachel nodded, stealing a sip of wine from Quinn's glass. "The last 'disaster' as you put it?"

"She admitted it was a disaster?" Rachel cringed at the pleasure her father was getting from this conversation.

"What is all of this yelling about?" Elijah asked as he entered the living room with another bottle of wine for the already intoxicated duo.

"Honey, Rachel had finally admitted that dating the ass was a disaster. It's wonderful to finally hear. No more Mr. Well-when-I-did-this or Mr. You're-not-looking-at-me-enough. Bye-bye. Kick his ass out the door."

Elijah arched an eyebrow and handed the bottle of wine blindly to Quinn, which she gladly accepted. "He's had enough already. And Rachel," She lifted her chin to see the short man. "I'm glad you finally realized that, but it would have been nice if you could have done so before the two week long vacation that the two of you spent here."

"Oooooo, he was dually disliked." Quinn laughed into her glass before finishing what was left.

"Whatever, I'm sure Adrianne wasn't much better. She seemed like real bitch to me."

"Ex girlfriend?" Kevin asked pointing to Quinn with a furrowed brow but didn't wait for a response before he looked down to Rachel. "You've met her? Dish the dirt."

Rachel nodded. "She showed up at our shoot to reclaim Quinn, but I claimed her too. Adrianne was not at all impressed. But I have her now." She said, lifting her hands over her head to graze both side of the blonde's torso. "And the bitch is gone."

Quinn smiled softly. "She really wasn't a bitch. A little forceful at times, and self-assured. That came off a little bitchy, but she herself was not a bitch."

Rachel snapped her hands down to her side and scrunched her face. "Are you defending you ex girlfriend?"

"Were you not just defending your ex boyfriend?" Quinn spit back, looking down between her empty glass and the bottle of wine she was about to pour with a humored smile.

"That's different. There is no chance that Chris and I will ever get back together."

Quinn exhaled in a strange mixture of a scoff and a snort. "But you think I'm going to just finish with you and go running back to Adrianne's arms?"

Rachel turned her head to the side and mumbled. "Between her legs maybe."

"Excuse me?" Quinn froze in shock of the diva's comment, anger apparent on her face. "Are you frickin' serious right now? Did you seriously just say that to me?"

Rachel sat up but avoided Quinn's hurt gaze. "I know, I'm sorry. It was stupid and uncalled for."

The two men exchanged confused looks, oblivious to what was said by their daughter. From their view of the situation, Quinn's reactions very much mirrored her father's don't-ever-disagree-with-me tendencies, and their daughter was cowering for forgiveness. To say they were concerned was an understatement. Neither man liked Russell Fabray, and were now leery of his daughter.

Quinn stared hard at the diva for a moment longer before she gently put the bottle and glass down on the coffee table and excused herself from the room, walking calmly out the front door.

"Rachel, what just happened?" Elijah asked hoping for an explanation before he jumped to any conclusions.

"I was being stupid and let my insecurities get the best of me." She answered standing up to find her shoes. "I made a hurtful comment that she didn't deserve. I'm going to go talk to her." Rachel hobbled as she put on her last shoe and grabbed her coat on the way out of the door. She fixed the collar on her coat and jogged to the end of their driveway, looking in every direction for the blonde, but she was gone. She didn't even have a coat. The diva returned to the house and grabbed one of her father's coats and their car keys. "I'm taking your car."

What the hell was she thinking running out without a coat in late November? Rachel dialed Quinn's phone number as she pulled out of the driveway. It rang and rang and rang, finally going to voice mail. The diva instantly redialed hoping to aggravate the blonde into answering. Once, twice, on the third time the line picked up. "Quinn where are you? I'm driving around looking for you."

"Baby girl," Rachel froze and checked the number she dialed. "She left her phone at the house, Rachel." It was Kevin.

"Just call me if she shows up, okay?" She didn't wait for an answer and closed her phone, throwing it into the drivers seat. Even if Quinn was hurt by her comment, running off like this with the sun going down was ridiculous. As the diva stopped at a stop sign, she delayed and caught her breath, thinking of where the blonde could have gone. She wouldn't have gone to her parents house. She wouldn't have gone back to the school anymore. Santana's was too far away.

"That park!"

During one of their phone conversations between shows and shoots, Quinn divulged that she use to go to a certain park to think. When her mother was considering taking her father back she said she practically lived there. And when her mother actually did take him back, Santana had to throw her in the car and drive her home, otherwise she would have stayed there all night.

Sure enough the blonde was sitting on top of a picnic table as Rachel pulled into the parking lot. She sent her dads a quick text, grabbed the extra coat, and exited the car. "Quinn." The blonde got off of the table and began walking again. Rachel ran to catch up with her but always seemed a few steps behind. "Quinn, don't shut me out."

The blonde stopped suddenly, turned, and started walking towards Rachel, slightly startling the diva. "Why wont you let me in?"

"What?" Rachel was lost and Quinn was obviously drunk. The blonde waved off the jacked that Rachel tried to wrap around her.

"You obviously don't believe a single word that I have said to you over the last five days. I have confessed my deepest feeling for you, but you've only ignored them or thought they were just empty words. Rachel, I love you. I absolutely love you. I would never do what you accused me of."

"I know that."

Quinn shook her head. "No. You want to know that, but you don't."

"I do." She argued as they both stood in the empty park and the sun dimmed around them. Their puffs of breath were illuminated by the street lights as the began flickering on. "I said it because I was jealous. Quinn, she was your fist. To hear you defending her…I just, it makes me feel like I'm a second choice sometimes. I know that's not true, but-"

Her words were cut off by Quinn's lips on hers in a passion filled, lingering kiss that had Rachel gasping for breath as Quinn pulled away. "She left me because she was the second choice."

Rachel held Quinn's hazel eyes with her but never saw them. Every once of her consciousness was focused on the hands cupping her face. They were cold as ice but Rachel never felt the chill. They were smooth and gentle but Rachel never felt their couture of firmness. All she felt was tem pull at the deepest part of her being, screaming for her to release it to meet Quinn's. Her soul was begging for something only this touch, this connection could give it. Freedom, and escape from herself.

She pulled Quinn's hands away from her face and cupped the blonde's with her own, dragging her into a deep kiss, crushing their lips together with her force as their tongues felt everything they could. She needed more and apparently so did Quinn, who wrapped her arms around the diva's waist and pulled her flush against her, lifting her off the ground. The blonde's hands slipped under her jacket and flattened for the maximum amount of contact. Rachel's legs hooked around Quinn's hips for the same effect.

Rachel pulled away from the kiss, her forehead resting on Quinn's, and panted in whimpers. She felt as if her heart was going to rip out of her chest. It wanted out. She wanted to let it out, but didn't know how. "Just hold me." She begged as she buried her face in the crook of Quinn's neck and held tight.

"I will. I will, Baby." Quinn knew what she was feeling. It was something that words just couldn't explain. That need to just be absorbed into the other.

It was only when Rachel began to feel Quinn's muscles quiver that she let go. "You've got to be freezing. Here. Take the jacket." This time Quinn didn't argue. "I'm sorry I said what I said."

Quinn kissed her gently as the diva rubbed her arms to try and warm them up. "I just need to know that you trust me. This relationship isn't going to go anywhere, especially not with the media, if you don't trust me."

Rachel ran her eyes over her face. "Kiss me again." The blonde smiled and did as she was asked and pulled away, looking for approval. "Nope, do it again." Quinn smirked and slowly leaned in, teasing with her pace and watched as the diva's lids fluttered close as she prepared for the kiss.

"No."

Rachel's eyes snapped open and Quinn stood up straight. "What?"

"You kiss me."

"Are we back to this again?" Rachel asked with an arched eyebrow.

Quinn laughed and nodded her head. "Except this time, I already have the coat." She teased before running towards the car.

Rachel rolled her eyes and delayed in turning until she let out a sigh. "You can't get in the car. It's locked and I have the keys."

Quinn spun around in her child like jog, her blonde hair bouncing up and down behind her, and waved her hand in the air. "No you don't."

The diva instantly slapped her hand to her jacket packet but it was empty. "Sneaky little pickpocket." Rachel's snapped up as she heard the car door shut and the engine start. She would not. Quinn put the car in reverse and began backing our. "Quinn Fabray, get your drunk ass back here now!"

She didn't. She made Rachel job half way down the block and then preceded to ease the car just out of her reach every time she moved for the door handle. Quinn was definitely a playful drunk, but Rachel learned quickly and sat on the hood of the car so she couldn't drive anywhere.

"Get off the car." Quinn honked the horn.

"Let me in. Promise that you'll let me in." Rachel matched her gaze through the windshield and waited for her response.

Quinn paused in her thought. "Get off the car." She honked the horn again.

"Roll down the passenger window." The blonde arched an eyebrow in interest and rolled it down. Rachel climbed up the hood and swung a leg through the window, the rest of her body soon following. "Thank you." She huffed, straightening her jacket.

"That was like, really bad 80's action hero type hotness." Quinn beamed in her drunken stupor.

"You're drunk. You shouldn't be driving."

Quinn rolled her eyes and vibrated her lips together. "We are four blocks away. I'll be fine. Now, buckle up, Baby. Mama's gonna take you for a ride." Rachel did and Quinn crept the car forward slowly before slamming on the breaks. She started off again and slammed back down on the breaks.

"Are you trying to give me whiplash?"

"I'm being extra cautions. I'm drunk, remember? It would be really bad if I was swerving all over the road like this." Quinn playfully began swaying the car down the empty street at five miles per hour, and then slammed back down on the brakes.

"Just drive."

"Okay." As soon as she took off again, red and blue lights flashed into the car and the cruiser behind them ordered them to pull over. Quinn looked out the back window and then to the diva who was pressing on her temples with her index fingers. "I don't have my wallet."

Rachel looked to her girlfriend in disbelief. "You are drunk and driving a car that isn't registered to either of us, and you are worried about not having your driver's license on you. We're going to jail!"

Quinn's smile barely lessened until the officer tapped on the window for her to roll it down. "Good evening Officer. Is there something wrong?" Rachel slapped her palm to her forehead. What wasn't wrong?

"Oh my God."

"Oh my God." Quinn echoed.

Rachel removed her hand and looked to Quinn, confused. She leaned down to look out the window. "Oh my God."

"Oh my God." The officer echoed.

Quinn burst out in laughter and reached out the car window, pulling on the officer's uniform. "Look at you all dressed up. Who would have ever thought that Noah Puckerman would become a cop?"

"Are you…" He bent down to look at Rachel. "Is she drunk?" The diva bit her lips between her teeth in their guilt. "There are so many questions running through my mind right now, it's unreal. Her here…and you…how you are in the same car…I…" He stood up and raised his hands and shook his head in surrender to the layers of unbelievable.

"It's okay, Puck. Why don't you give us a call tomorrow and we can explain it all to you when I'm sober."

Please, please, please. Was all Rachel could think.

He bent back down. "Babe, as usual, you have piss poor timing. I have a rookie in the car who happens to be my boss' son. Just…" He hesitated looking back to the cruiser. "Let me just run your information and I'll give you a warning. He doesn't need to know you're hammered."

Quinn reached into the jacket pocket and handed Puck the wallet that magically appeared.

"So…you're a six foot tall black man?"

Quinn chuckled. "I'm surprised you didn't notice that when you took my virginity." Rachel couldn't help but laugh at that one.

"Funny, Fabray." He opened the door. "Lets go."

"Puck, are you serious?"

He helped her out of the car and the rookie emerged to help. "I can't even run you info. I have no choice. The kids a bit on an ass so just keep quiet. He wont speak to you but he will listen to everything you say." She nodded and pursed her lips as he turned her against the car. She shot him a questioning look over her shoulder. "Everything by the book, Babe. Including the frisk." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"What your hands, Puckerman." Rachel warned from inside the car.

"Don't worry, Rachel." He grinned as he playfully frisked the blonde, only touching the ticklish spots and her ass. "Because you're next. I'm assuming since this car has Ohio tags, it doesn't actually belong to either of you. Rookie," He called to the young kid who had been watching from a distance. "Put the babe in the car. We've got one more coming."

Rachel stepped out of the car and glared at him as he approached with a smirk. "Touch anywhere inappropriate and I will make sure you never father another child."

"You can't threaten a cop, Babe."

She put her hand to his chest, stopping him from getting too close. "It wasn't a threat. Believe me."