A/N: Wow really wonderful reviews, I loved each and every one of them. I hope you all like this one, it turned out a little different than I had originally planned. Anyway, as always feedback is greatly appreciated!
Quinn's heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the two people in front of her, she was relieved when she felt Brian's hand rest reassuringly on her shoulder. "Can we help you?" He asked, doing his best to hide his contempt for the cruel, judgmental couple standing in front of him.
"We came to see our daughter." Russell Fabray said gruffly, motioning his hands towards Quinn.
"Well, that's up to Quinn, if she would like to speak to you or not." Paul spoke up from his place behind Quinn and Brian, Rachel stood next to him, her heart pounding just as hard as Quinn's. Everyone glanced anxiously at Quinn, awaiting her response.
Quinn knew this confrontation had to happen eventually, so she nodded, unable to find her words, knowing if she opened her mouth to try and speak she would probably just end up crying. "We'd like to speak to her alone." Russell added as they were led to the living room. The Berry's looked at Quinn, once again letting her make the call, she nodded again and watched as Brian practically carried a reluctant Rachel out of the room.
"Quinny." Her mother began her eyes quickly filling with tears. "We've missed you so much."
She was quickly cut off by Quinn's father. "That's enough Judy."
Quinn worked hard to channel the cold, seemingly heartless head cheerleader she used to be. "What do you all want?" She worked hard to keep her voice steady, not wanting her parents to know how much of an emotional impact their visit was having on her.
Russell smiled arrogantly. "Well, you aren't pregnant anymore, and the word at the funeral was that you intended to give that bastard child of yours up, so we came to bring you home."
Right on cue Beth's cry echoed throughout the house, via the baby monitors Rachel insisted on putting in every room. Quinn began to get up until she saw Rachel appear at the entrance way, headed towards the stairs. "I'll get her." She shot Quinn a concerned glance as she went past, Quinn did her best to give Rachel a reassuring smile, not wanting her to worry too much.
Judy gasped. "Is that our..."
Russell cut her off once again. "You kept it?" Shooting Quinn a hateful look.
"Her. I kept her." Quinn corrected. She recognized the look on her father's face, it was the one he gave her frequently as she was growing up. It was a look that always made her feel ashamed, as if she were a bad daughter, a horrible Christian, and nothing but a disappointment. This time however, Quinn refused to allow the man who threw her out of his home when she needed him the most, to make her feel that way.
"How could you be so selfish? If you had given the little bastard up, the congregation may have eventually been able to forget about this debacle, now with it around as a constant reminder that will never happen." Russell slammed his fist down on the coffee table.
Judy cringed when she saw Quinn flinching in fear of her father. She knew her daughter must have been remembering every time that same fist made contact with her delicate skin. Judy turned around when she heard the sound of Rachel's feet on the floor and the tiny whimpers coming from the baby in her arms. Judy barely caught a glimpse of the tiny head of curls, as Rachel held the baby close on her way back to the kitchen, wanting to do anything she could to protect Beth form the horrid people who sat in her living room, wishing she could do the same for Beth's mother.
"Yes how could I be so selfish to not throw my daughter out like yesterday's garbage? Guess I don't take after you, dad." Quinn said bitterly.
Russell began to shake his fist, the vein in his neck bulging out in anger. "Go pack, you have thirty minutes. Bastard or not, our granddaughter will not be raised in a house of homosexuals; you will be meeting with Father Breeden, I don't even want to think about the horrors you have been subjected to in this house of sin."
Quin closed her eyes, praying the Berry's could not hear her father's awful words. "Well what I've been subjected to here has certainly not been anything like the way I was raised."
Russell smiled as he thought his daughter was finally submitting to him, just as he thought she should. "Good, now go pack, this house is making me feel filthy, you can practically smell the sin."
"I wasn't done." Quinn's voice raised. "Growing up you dangled your love out in front of me, always quick to yank it away when I did anything less than satisfactory. You were constantly using Bible verses to justify the hell you put the three of us through; you were our master and we were expected to bow down to you, and we did. We were all desperate for your love and attention." Quinn paused and took a deep breath before continuing, she had never spoken to her father this way before. "But here, with the Berry's love is given out freely, no conditions attached. These men have done more for me in two months than either of you did in fifteen years."
Hatred seeped out of Russell's eyes, there was no way he was going to put up with his daughter disrespecting him. He stood up and walked over to Quinn, bending over so she could feel his breath on her face, the smell of whiskey burning her nose. "They've brainwashed you, these faggots have brainwashed my daughter, and I will not tolerate it."
In the kitchen Paul and Brian sat quietly as they listened to Russell Fabray's booming voice criticizing them. Rachel paced anxiously, still clutching Beth close to her. "How long are we going to allow this to go on?" She asked, stopping her pacing so she could look at both of her fathers.
Brian sighed. "They are Quinn's parents, and if she wants to talk with them it is not our place to intervene." As much as he wanted to he, he knew he could no go in there and snatch Quinn away, forbidding her parents from his home or from seeing their daughter. He glanced nervously at Paul when Russell's loud, booming voice became low murmur, preventing the Berry's from hearing what he was saying.
Russell smiled at the fear in Quinn's eyes, sure she may have disrespected him, but she was obviously still terrified him and he relished in this fact. "You need to watch your mouth young lady and bring yourself down a couple of notches, I am your father and you will respect me. Get your bag packed and be outside in thirty minutes." Russell saw Quinn's mouth open in protest. "One more word out of that sinful mouth of yours and I will make these mens lives a living hell. I will use my influence and every connection I've got in every committee in this town to make those men so miserable they will have no choice but to leave, got it?"
Quinn nodded, she knew her father was not bluffing; she remembered how he ran the lesbian couple who moved next door to them out of town when she was ten years old. She remembered meeting their eyes as they watched a protest her father put together in the street in front of their home. Quinn would never forget the hurt in their eyes as they read the hateful signs her father had made. She never wanted Brian and Paul to feel experience that hurt because of her. They had done so much for her and Beth, so as much as she hated the thought of going with her parents, it was the least she could do for the family who had done everything for her.
Rachel handed Beth to Paul when she heard the front door slam, she ran up the stairs, desperate to talk to Quinn, to do anything she could to comfort her. Rachel was certain the conversation had not gone well. "Quinn?" She asked as she stood in the doorway of Quinn's room, watching in shock and confusion as Quinn rapidly threw her belongings into a duffle bag. "What are you doing? If you are under the impression my dads are going to kick you out because of the hateful words your father spoke, you are mistaken."
Quinn did not look up from her bag as she fought against her tears. "I know they wouldn't do that." She said softly. "But I'm moving back in with my parents."
Rachel furrowed her brow. "Why? Are they forcing you?"
"No." Quinn lied. "I want to." She was barely able to say those words, she hoped she at least sounded convincing.
"You're lying. What did he do to you? What did he say?" Rachel began to cry, not the diva-like tears she usually shed, these were pure, genuine tears, born out of sadness and confusion. "What about me? What about us?"
Quinn grimaced, Rachel's voice sounded so hurt, it was so soft and childlike, she knew she was hurting her and she hated that fact. Quinn abandoned her bag and went to Rachel, brushing the girl's tears away with her thumb before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm doing this for you." Quinn leaned forward so their foreheads were resting against each others. "Please know that."
"How is leaving going to benefit me in any way? Quinn please, whatever your dad said doesn't matter, my dads won't let him hurt you, or Beth." Rachel was desperate, she could tell by the look in Quinn's eyes that she was leaving by no choice of her own.
"I know you don't understand, there's no way you possibly could. Just know my leaving has nothing to do with my feelings for you." Quinn glanced at the clock. "We have to go."
"Will I be able to see you?" Rachel asked as she followed Quinn down the stairs to the kitchen, so she could get Beth.
"I don't know." Quinn answered honestly. Quinn did not know if she would be able to see anyone, it would not surprise her one bit if her father locked her in her room and threw away the key.
"Quinn, why do you have your bag packed?" Paul asked, shooting Brian a concerned glance. "Is he threatening you in some way? Please don't let him, we won't allow him to follow through on any of his threats."
Quinn managed a smile, she appreciated what Paul had said, but knew it was not true. If her dad said he would make their lives hell, Quinn knew he would and she refused to let that happen. She knew better than anyone how ruthless her father could be, and she would not inflict that onto the Berry's. "Thank you for all you have done for me, but I have to go with them, they are my family." Referring to those vile people as family made Quinn feel sick, her family was right there in the kitchen, the people outside might as well be strangers, sometimes Quinn wished they were. Quinn hugged the two men, thanking them over and over again.
Rachel took Beth from Quinn, whispering in the baby's ear how much she loved her, before strapping her into her car seat and giving her a kiss on the head. Quinn walked to the foyer, stopping before she opened the door to stare into Rachel's bloodshot eyes. "I'm so sorry Rachel." Quinn kissed Rachel deeply, inhaling the scent of her strawberry lotion and hoping to memorize the taste of her cherry lip balm.
Before Rachel knew it, Quinn's lips parted from hers and the blonde was out the door and slowly walking towards the black suburban parked on the street. Quinn looked back smiling sadly at Rachel, and giving her a small wave before getting into the suburban. Rachel waited for Quinn to jump out of the vehicle, running with Beth back into Rachel's arms. Rachel did not give up hope until the SUV disappeared out of her sight. All Rachel could do was stare at the empty street, feeling as if she lost Quinn just as quickly as she found her.