hey guys! i'm sorry this took so long. my beta reader had something going on so don't blame her. we all have some ups and downs in our lives. this is considered the last chapter but i have an epilogue coming up. hopefully, i can put it up tomorrow.
oh and i apologize if the breaks annoy you but i feel like it's the right way to write the fight scene.
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"You're a maniac."
He chuckled and swaggered in, pushing the couch away as though it were made of flimsy cardboard. He grinned at her and bowed. "Thank you, love."
She clenched her jaw and fought a shudder. "Don't call me that."
"Oh believe me, Quinn, after this, I can call you whatever I want," he said with a wink and a cocky grin. "Now, now, let's get to business." He slapped his hands together and rubbed them like an excited kid. "Where is Rachel Berry? I gotta get rid of her so you can come to your senses. Then we can ride into the sunset and have our happily ever after."
Quinn put down the knife, drew her gun and aimed at his chest. She rounded the breakfast bar and pulled the safety. "You won't find them," she husked. "And we're not riding anywhere except to Headquarters. That is, when I'm done with you."
He stared at her for a moment before he broke into hysterics. He leaned forward and braced his hands on his knees as he laughed boisterously. She gulped. She knew what he was laughing about. There was less than fifty per cent chance for her to actually take him down. He was strong. He was stealthy. Hell, he was her mentor. She could only hope help would arrive before he managed to take her down instead.
"I've called for backup so don't get your hopes up," she threatened, her voice slightly shaky.
Dustin picked up on it and he sobered, shaking his head and clicking his tongue simultaneously. He sauntered towards her, showing no apprehension at being held at gunpoint. He stopped when the nozzle knocked against his chest. "Come now, Quinn. I'm not stupid. I've temporarily collapsed the system and cut through all their connections. Much easier to take out Headquarters than I thought it would be. They're pretty much in a blackout now. Frantic, might I add."
Santana looked down at her phone in frustration. She angrily pressed the buttons on the screen, calling Headquarters yet again.
"Damn it, the line won't pick up," she gritted between her teeth. She threw a bunch of keys at Brittany as they stopped in front of an antique shop. "Britts, open it up." She punched the numbers again and actually whined when she heard the same robotic voice telling her that the service was unavailable. She pocketed her phone and pushed both Rachel and Brittany in the antique shop and locking the doors behind her.
"Why are we here?" Rachel questioned frantically.
"I bought this place and sold it to an old man so he can think this is his antique shop. What he doesn't know is that this place is set up for use as a safe house, in case anything were to ever happen."
Dustin reached out to touch Quinn's face but she shoved him away, her finger at the trigger. "Don't touch me!" she growled.
He chuckled and held his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay," he said while chuckling. "I like it when you're feisty."
Tears rolled down her face as she stared at him. "I trusted you," she nearly wheezed. "How could you do this?"
It was as though she had flipped a switch. The grin swept off his face, replaced with a look of pure fury and twisted insanity. He swept out and hurriedly knocked the gun out of her hands before she could react. "I'm doing this because I love you!" he exclaimed. He held her wrists together tightly and loomed over her. "That bitch has done nothing but hurt you. I am helping you! I want you to open your eyes and see who it is that truly loves you! Me." His eyes widened a fraction.
She shook her head. She cried and silently begged for him to give up. She still had hopes that he would give up. She wanted him to give up. She didn't want to hurt the person who used to be her best friend. "This isn't love, Dustin." He shook his head at her words. "This isn't," she insisted.
Santana screamed and flung her phone across the room, her teeth bared in a snarl. She knelt to the floor and ran both her hands through her hair frantically. Her chest felt so tight and she fought the urge to cry. She'd never hated herself so much.
She rocked back and forth on her heels and whimpered again and again. Her best friend was out there risking her life to save their asses and all she was able to do was sit here and do nothing. She shook her head as her fingers clawed at her scalp.
"Santana?" Rachel choked.
She whined again and rocked harder. "How could I be so useless?" She slapped her palms against her head. "I can't do shit!" she yelled. She looked up to see Rachel's reddened eyes staring at her, her lips trembling. The dam broke and she wailed. "I am so sorry, Rachel."
Brittany gathered Santana in her arms, tears rolling down her own face as she shakily held the woman, and tried to shush her comfortingly, though she herself felt useless as well. Rachel choked and she shook her head. She sank to her knees and shook her head frantically like a madwoman while she held Santana's face in her hands.
"No, Santana, you can't give up. You can't give up," she repeated. "Santana!" she shrieked. "Your best friend is right in there! The love of my life is right in there! There must be something you can do!"
"You won't find them," Quinn said firmly, and tried to accent her statement with a swift kick to Dustin's crotch.
His quick reflexes saved him and she ended up kicking the air. He pushed her back against the breakfast bar. Hard. The plates and silverware clattered and fell to the tiled floor. One of the plates shattered and a shard stabbed her, slightly under her shoulder. She grunted in pain.
"Tell me where they are, Quinn!" he roared. "Tell me!" He shook her and pushed her down, smashing her head off the top of the bar.
Rachel looked around her as though the answers might suddenly appear out of thin air. She was desperate for anything. She turned to Santana and handed the Latina her phone. Santana looked at her curiously.
"Call Puck! Or Sam! Call them!"
Santana shook her head and gasped for air. "It won't work, Rachel. They're too far away."
"Are the police lines down, too, Santana?" Brittany asked.
Santana looked up at her girlfriend, staring at her like she had just answered all of life's questions. "I never tried them! How could I be so stupid?" She was crying in frustration. Why couldn't she pull herself together?
Brittany pulled out her phone, dialing 911 and tried to comfort Santana at the same time.
Rachel resisted slapping Santana and went ahead to call the boys herself. She was choking on the lump in her throat and sobbing but she needed someone to help them. Help Quinn. She couldn't lose her. She covered her mouth with her palm and chanted mentally for someone to pick up the phone.
The line clicked. "Hello?"
"Marley?" Rachel breathed in relief.
"Yeah?"
"Marley, Marley, please. Is Puck or Sam there?" she said heavily, her voice thick with tears.
"Um, yeah. Hold on."
"Rachel?" Sam's voice resonated in her ear and she felt like he was a saint. "Rachel, is everything okay?"
She wheezed and sat down on the floor. "Sam, oh thank god. Sam, please, you need to get to Washington right now. Bring Puck. Bring the whole fucking team. Someone's here and he's at Santana's apartment right now. Quinn kicked us out and she's there alone fighting him. Please, Sam, you need come here now."
"Oh my god." Then she heard distinct voices in the background and some lady's voice announcing flights in the background. She frowned. "Okay, Rachel, hey, calm down, alright? Puck and Marley and I are here. We're in Washington now. We'll there as quick as possible. You just…stay wherever you are. Let us handle this, okay?"
Rachel nodded, even though Sam couldn't see her. "Okay. Hurry, Sam."
She mustered all her strength to push him back only to have him swipe a strong arm against her. He barely missed her ear as she dodged past him. She had barely moments to take a breath and steady herself before she felt herself lifted up in the air and thrown onto the floor. She couldn't hear him. She briefly touched her ear to realize that her hearing aid had fallen off.
"Shit," she whispered harshly as she felt dizziness swooping into her head. She leaped onto her feet quickly, ignoring the pain in her head and swung around to see that he had picked up the gun while she had been down. He grinned at her and waved it about, as though it were a prize.
"Dustin, you don't have to do this."
He shook his head and laughed. "Yes, I do. I have to do this so I can have you."
"Even if you do, you wouldn't have me completely. I don't have feelings for you, Dustin. Why can't you see that?"
They circled each other, keeping a distance. One was looking for opportunity to strike while the other was looking for the opportunity to escape. She paused when she backed against the breakfast bar, and released a hiss as the plate shard dug deeper into her shoulder. She saw the knife she had discarded earlier. She licked her lips and held a hand out at him, as if the action would keep him at bay.
"I'm not worth it," she added. Her arm crept behind her, hand inching toward the blade on the counter. She watched as he grinned; he must have thought she was surrendering to him. Her fingers wrapped around the handle of the knife. "Dustin, please."
He ignored her outstretched hand. "I have been right here, Quinn. I listened to you whine about that bitch. I taught you so many things I wouldn't teach others. I have been right here. Why can't you see that?"
"Dustin must have done something to the system at Headquarters. There is no other reason that I can't reach them," Santana gritted. She was sitting back against the metal door, her arms hanging from her curled legs.
Rachel paced back and forth, biting her fingernails nervously. Anxiety tore through each and every one of her cells. She'd been checking her phone every five seconds, praying for an update. It had been ten minutes since she talked to Sam and it felt like an eternity.
"At least the cops are on their way. Rachel, you have to believe it's going to be okay," Brittany tried to soothe Rachel.
She finally released a loud, frustrated groan and stormed towards the door. Santana jumped up and dashed in front of her, pushing Rachel back with her body and wrapping her arms around the smaller woman as she fought against Santana's tight grip. Brittany rushed forward to help when she saw the wince of pain Santana made. They trapped her between them.
"Let me go!" Rachel cried, punching Santana's chest and pushing Brittany back. "Let me the fuck go!"
Santana's chin settled on Rachel's shoulder, her mouth against the actress' ear. "I can't, Rachel. I can't." Rachel ignored her and pushed more. "Rachel!" Santana snapped. "I promised Quinn, okay? I promised her we wouldn't go back for her no matter what. I can't break my promise to my best friend, Rachel, alright?"
Rachel ceased struggling and leaned her forehead against Santana's chest, her body shaking with the force of her tears. "I can't lose her," she choked out between sobs. She shook her head. "I can't lose her."
Brittany gently extracted Rachel from Santana's arms and wrapped her own around the petite woman. She ran her hands up and down Rachel's back, trying to provide even the slightest bit of comfort as the other woman cried in her arms.
"You were my best friend in the army, Dustin. I thank you for it. But I don't have feelings for you. I love Rachel. Only Rachel."
Dustin bared his teeth when Quinn straightened up shakily. "Then you leave me no choice," he snarled and raised the gun, aiming at her chest.
She raced towards him on instinct. A bang sounded, muffling the sound of knife tearing into flesh. Quinn's wide eyes stared right into Dustin's. With his arm around her waist and hers around his, they toppled over, falling together. Once again, her already painful head collided harshly with the floor. She stopped breathing for a couple of seconds as the plate shard dug deeper into her shoulder.
"I…love…you," Dustin croaked before he slumped completely against her, pushing the knife deeper into his chest.
She stared up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, her vision blurring at the edges. She could feel the bullet buried inside her. She panted for air but the large amount of blood pouring out of her felt like it was taking her air along with it. She had no more strength. She couldn't push Dustin off; his weight only adding to her cause of lost breath.
Her ears were buzzing. She thought she could hear her blood gushing inside of her body, her heart slowing down a fraction with each beat. She could Rachel's laughter, Santana's quips, Brittany's innocent statements; everything. They were so loud.
Her throat started closing up and she choked and coughed, tasting the metallic taste of her own blood. She laughed humorlessly. Was this how it was going to end? Was this it? Surprisingly, she was somehow glad. She had a happy time with Rachel. They laughed together. They made love. They reconciled.
The blur in Quinn's vision grew in its intensity until she could no longer see anything clearly. It was all fuzzy images. Three heads then appeared in her sight. She couldn't see their faces, but the blonde hair and the mohawk were telling enough. She couldn't figure out who the third person was though.
She coughed up more blood.
She couldn't hear anything. Her head felt woozy. Her pain was numbed.
She allowed herself to be consumed by darkness.
Marley stood outside the antique shop. Tear stains were glowing beneath the moonlight and she felt another wave coming. She choked and covered her mouth with her palm. She told herself that this wasn't the time to cry. She couldn't cry now.
She took a deep bracing breath. She squeezed her eyes shut to prepare herself and then opened them again. Moisture lingered behind her lids, threatening to spill. She raised her fist and knocked thrice in a uniform manner. She couldn't even smile when she heard the hasty clatter and other noises joining. Then the door was wrenched open to reveal Santana's frantic, tear stained face.
"Marley?" Santana queried and she stretched her head out to see if there was anyone else. Marley knew who she was looking for. The Latina looked back at her with a small smile which was an attempt to reassure herself. "Where's Quinn?"
Marley inhaled deeply and flexed her fingers by her thighs. "When we went to your apartment, the door was trashed. It's a mess. Quinn and Goolsby were both on the floor. He was lying on top of her. We knew he was dead." She gulped when she saw the horror making its way on Santana's face. "We pulled him aside and...Quinn was coughing up blood." Her voice cracked.
"No."
"She stabbed him, but at the same time," her throat clogged up and she cleared it. She could feel her own tears running down her face. She could hear Rachel's sobs growing louder behind Santana. "At the same time," she repeated, "he shot her. In the chest."
Santana was suddenly pushed aside and Rachel rushed out to grab Marley's arms, shaking her. Marley bit her lip at the sight of Rachel looking so devastated. "Where is Quinn, Marley? Where is she?"
"Puck went with her in the ambulance to the hospital. Sam's at the apartment with the police, analyzing the scene. I'm here to take you to the hospital." Marley lamely gestured behind her at the patrol car.
She gently grabbed Rachel's elbow and pulled her to the car, opening the backdoor for her. Rachel hastily climbed in, followed by Brittany. Santana went to the front passenger seat. Marley revved the car up and pulled out of the curb.
Rachel ignored the calls of her friends and jumped out of the car before it even stopped moving. She dashed through the emergency doors and screeched to a halt at the reception desk. She ignored the fact that people could recognize her. She ignored the fact that she looked incredibly hideous right now. All she cared about was the life and death of Quinn Fabray.
"I need to know where Quinn Fabray is," she demanded loudly. She could barely hear her friends catching up to her. The nurse looked baffled for a moment. Rachel slammed the surface of the desk. "Tell me where Quinn Fabray is!"
"Come on!" Santana urged.
The nurse nodded frantically as she checked on the computer. She cleared her throat and turned back to Rachel. "She was sent in twenty minutes ago. She's now in OR 4 on the fifth floor."
Rachel nodded curtly and dashed towards the elevator, pushing the up button countless times, muttering under her breath. She only ceased pressing when Santana gripped her wrist and held it in her hand. Santana draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.
"She's going to be okay. She's going to come out the operation room and you're gonna see her smiling and joking in no time. It's all going to be okay," Santana reassured. Unbeknownst to others, she was reassuring herself as well.
Her other hand was turning white with the strength of the tight grip she had on Brittany's hand.
Puck was sitting in the waiting room when they finally reached the floor. He had a forlorn look on his face. The second thing Santana saw was the bloodied jacket on the seat next to Puck.
"Puck!" Rachel yelled from the elevator and sprinted towards him. He looked up and stood, wrapping his arms around Rachel when she reached him. "Puck, how is she?" Rachel asked, looking up at him.
He shook his head. "I don't know." His voice was hoarse and soft. She'd never hear him talk like this before. "She's in the OR and I…I don't know."
"What about Goolsby?" Santana asked.
He stared at her and she could see the anger blazing in his eyes. "The task force took his body. Said they have to do an autopsy or something. If he hadn't been dead, I would have killed him myself."
"Why are you even here?"
"We were worried about Quinn. That Goolsby dude was nuts. Who could know what he could do? Sam and I had a bad feeling, and it just wouldn't go away. So, we left Kurt with instructions for the mansion and booked the first flight out here."
Rachel fell onto the bench and buried her face in her hands. She was torn apart with concern and fear. She could hardly believe this was happening. She didn't know it would end up like this. She thought it would end civilly. She should have known by the state of Quinn's previous injuries that Goolsby wasn't so simple.
Wait a minute.
Goolsby.
She shot up onto her feet again, startling her three other friends who were still talking quietly. Rachel licked her lips and took a deep breath, and swallowed. "Are you…are you…" she stammered. She closed her eyes and breathed again. She cleared her throat. "Goolsby?" she squeaked. They all had sympathetic looks on their faces. "Dustin Goolsby?"
Brittany moved forward and made Rachel sit down again, sitting down next to the actress. She wrapped her arm around Rachel's back and leaned her chin on Rachel's shoulder, as if it would ease the shorter girl. Rachel felt numb. She couldn't feel Brittany trying to comfort her. She only felt nauseous.
The looks on her friends' faces were telling enough. Once again, she buried her face in her hands, forcing the bile down. "Oh my god," she breathed. She brushed her hair back to the sides and stared down at the tiled floor. "Oh my god." She took a couple silent minutes to contemplate this new information before she shot out of the seat and sprinted towards the nearest bathroom.
"Rachel?" Santana and Puck called after her. Brittany gestured at them to stay put as she quickly followed. She gingerly pushed the door open, and made sure to lock it behind her. She grimaced when she heard the sound of Rachel retching in one of the stalls. Brittany sighed and pulled Rachel's hair back as she hurled into the toilet bowl.
The dancer understood how Rachel felt. Well, not the Dustin part. No one had ever betrayed her on that level before, but she could imagine what it would feel like. She knew that she would never understand how it felt until she felt it herself. But she understood the Quinn part. She understood it so much.
Every day, Santana would kiss her goodbye and walk out the door in her suit and Brittany would just worry. Because Santana could easily offend anyone in her line of business and the people she could possibly offended tended to be very powerful and influential.
When Rachel was done, Brittany gently led her to the row of sinks and helped her wash up. She turned Rachel toward her and brushed her hair back. Rachel's averted eyes were red with tears. Brittany released a sympathetic sound and pulled Rachel in for a hug, which Rachel welcomed without any protest.
Rachel squeezed her eyes shut tightly and nuzzled into the fabric of Brittany's shirt. She wanted to feel Quinn. But Quinn wasn't here. Quinn was fighting for her life in the OR 4. Rachel knew Brittany wasn't Quinn. Her chest didn't feel as comfortable. Her arms weren't as accommodating. Their heights were so different. She knew.
Brittany kissed the top of Rachel's head and leaned her cheek against it. "It's gonna be okay, Rachel. It's gonna be okay."
The brunette didn't respond. She only tightened her arms around the dancer. She wasn't sure if she could believe Brittany right now.
It had been four hours so far. Four hours which had felt like eons. They were all in the waiting room, Sam joining the group not long after Rachel and Brittany had come out of the bathroom. Marley had called Kurt, who caught a Red Eye flight with Finn. All in all, it took them about two hours to reach the hospital. Santana tried to get Rachel to eat but Rachel didn't have the appetite. She was crying with Finn, and couldn't eat if she had wanted to.
In those four hours, Rachel had been doing nothing but reliving all of the moments she had shared with Quinn in her mind. From the moment they met, to the day they had fallen apart, to the minute they saw each other again four years later, to the hours they spent making love, and to the second Quinn had pushed her through the fire exit and told her she loved her.
Those moments weren't enough. They weren't enough. She needed more time with Quinn. She wanted more time with Quinn. She wanted to bring Quinn to Paris and kiss her at the Eiffel Tower. She wanted to go to Switzerland and eat chocolate with Quinn. She wanted to go to Italy and visit the beautiful churches with Quinn.
She had been waiting for her happy ending and she wanted it.
Quinn Fabray was her happy ending.
Rachel couldn't let Quinn Fabray be her tragic ending.
It was so quiet that she could hear the sounds of the doctors' hospital scrubs brushing against their owners as they moved down the hallway. She stood up and waited for Dr. Costner to make his appearance. Only he wasn't alone when he came. He was joined by another woman. They were both wearing bloodied scrubs and they looked haggard.
Rachel focused on their faces. The woman looked a little sorry. But Dr. Costner looked so sad and pitiful. And Rachel just knew. She shook her head and fell back into someone's arms. She didn't know whose and she didn't care. She could only shake her head and cry quietly as they stopped in front of her.
Dr. Costner cleared his throat and looked Rachel in the eyes. "Miss Berry, this is Dr. Altman, our cardiothoracic surgeon," he introduced. Cardio. Heart. Oh god. "When Miss Fabray was rushed in, her heart had already stopped for five minutes. We managed to get it to beat again. We found the bullet located right under the right atrium. It had taken out most of the epithelial tissue so we had to fix it. There were a number of complications when we operated. She crashed a few times. She went into V-fib twice. We still managed to save her. We fixed most of her heart. Some parts were just irreparable."
"Then why you look like that? You fixed her, right?" Santana questioned loudly. She tended to get loud when she was worried. "Dr. Costner?"
"We were able to repair a large laceration to her shoulder, and removed a plate shard, as well as a few smaller pieces of ceramic it left behind. We also found some internal bleeding. A CT scan revealed that Miss Fabray's brain was swelling, most likely the result of blunt force trauma obtained to the head at the scene. We managed to reduce the swelling. We did everything we could. It's very touch and go right now. Unfortunately, there is little to no brain activity as of now. If there is no brain activity in the next week," Dr. Costner drifted off. He smacked his lips and released a shaky sigh. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
Dr. Altman took over for him when she saw that he was unable to continue. "She is in a coma right now. With the injuries she sustained, I'm afraid it's likely that she won't wake up. If there is no change in brain activity in the next three days, we would recommend you to take her off life support."
Santana frowned. Her heart thudded heavily against her chest at the term. Life support meant she couldn't even live on her own at this point. "What do you mean?" she demanded for clarification.
"Miss Fabray isn't breathing on her own right now. Life support is what is keeping her alive. If she were to wake up, the length of time to regain her strength and energy would be extremely lengthy. We know Quinn is a fighter, so we would like to wait, but at this time, we believe her to be brain dead."
"I am so sorry," Dr. Costner whispered, his voice cracking.
Rachel could only stare at him with reddened eyes. This was it. Her worst nightmare. It was happening. The next week would be the worst week of her life. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Her brain was blindingly white.
The arms around her tightened and she briefly looked down to recognize a pair of long, manly arms around her waist. They were Finn's. She looked back up at the doctors and released a laugh. She gulped and laughed again.
"This is a joke, right?" she laughed. "I mean, I know it's not April's Fool but this is a joke, right? You guys are playing with me. Quinn must've set you up on it. To see if I really love her. It's not very funny, doctor."
"Rachel," Finn said.
She began shaking her head and her body was vibrating with the force of her tears. "This isn't funny, doctor," she said heavily, pleading one last time for the doctors to tell her they were joking. "It's not funny!" she finally shrieked. She leaped out of Finn's arms and pounded her fists on Dr. Costner's chest. "It isn't funny!" she cried..
A tear slid down Dr. Costner's cheek as he willingly allowed Rachel to abuse his chest. He was devastated as well. Quinn Fabray was the most special patient he had ever encountered in his thirty years of practice.
Rachel kept shrieking and crying as she punched at Dr. Costner, ignoring her friends' and Dr. Altman's attempts to pull her off the man, but she wouldn't let up. If she kept punching Dr. Costner, Quinn would come out and rescue him. She would. She was that kind of hero. So all Rachel had to do was punch Dr. Costner.
A pair of arms slid around her waist and quickly lifted her off the floor and turned her around. She kicked at the air and clawed at the arms, shrieking for her captor to let her go, to let her keep punching Dr. Costner. Because that was the only way to get Quinn to come out and calm her down and chastise her for being so violent.
"Rachel!" Finn yelled into her ears. "Rachel, stop it!" His voice sounded thick with emotion. He was crying too, she realized. "Rach, come on! Stop it!" He squeezed her waist to emphasize his point. Gradually, she ceased screaming and struggling, collapsing back against Finn and weeping. She felt him kneeling down and lowering her onto his knee. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into him. "I know, Rach. I know," he shushed and rocked her.
He never would have thought he would have had two beautiful women sitting on his lap in two days time for two completely different reasons. He would give anything for Quinn to be able to be the one in his arms, laughing with him.
"I know."
His voice echoed in the room, resounding everyone's thoughts.
Only two people were allowed in the ICU at a time. Rachel, naturally, would be in there all day until visiting hours were over. She nearly threw up again when she saw the machines and the tubes connected to Quinn in the hospital bed.
As if to prove that Quinn had no brain activity at the moment, Dr. Costner opened Quinn's eyelids, shining his flashlight in her eyes to see if there was any pupil response. He shook his head and excused himself quietly.
"She's going to wake up for you, Rachel. She will do her best to wake up so she can see you again," Kurt said when it was his turn to see Quinn.
His words fell onto deaf ears. She didn't care what they said. All she cared about was Quinn. She had already made the decision to stay on hospital property over the next two days because she needed to be there when Quinn woke up.
They were probably arguing about her film or something but she couldn't bring herself to care either. She was too exhausted. She gingerly took Quinn's hand in hers, stroking the back of Quinn's hand with her thumb. She kissed the blonde's knuckles and propped her chin on their joined hands, staring at Quinn's face, willing her eyes to open.
"I will never sing again if you die on me, Quinn," Rachel said softly. "I swear I won't. So you had best wake up," Rachel threatened softly. She clenched her jaw and kissed Quinn's hand again. "Please."
She spent the rest of the day in the ICU until visiting hours were over. Dr. Costner had somehow managed to get her a bed set up in the hallway for her to sleep on. She slept for no more than three hours. She only ate because Santana was forcing soup down her throat.
Rachel's dads and Quinn's sister, Frannie, joined them the next morning. Frannie claimed that Quinn hadn't even told her she was back, or that she had taken a bodyguard position for Rachel. Rachel's dads refrained from admonishing her for not calling them about Quinn's reappearance in her life when they saw how forlorn and disheveled their daughter looked.
She closed her eyes when the paper was slid in front of her. It was an illusion, and if she closed her eyes, the paper would disappear and she wouldn't have to face this nightmare.
"Miss Berry," Dr. Costner coaxed.
She shook her head and turned away. Frannie was standing behind her. The rest of her friends gathered outside the ICU, watching from the open door. They all had the same sympathetic looks on their faces, though Santana and Brittany looked like they were in as much despair as Rachel.
"Why me," Rachel asked, softly, "Why do I have to make this decision?"
Frannie came up behind her and put a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder. She spoke quietly, trying to maintain a steady voice as she explained. "Do you remember, before you and Quinn broke up, having your will's drawn up? I remember, it was probably two or three years into your relationship, and Quinn pushed you into doing them 'just in case'. Well, she never had her will updated. You both signed Power of Attorney, and Health Care Proxy agreements for each other. Legally, you are the only one who can make this decision. I'm so sorry, Rachel."
Dr. Costner sighed. "Miss Berry, it has been a week. I am sorry but you have to make a decision. Miss Fabray has had no sign of brain activity whatsoever and we have decided to declare her officially brain dead." Rachel whimpered at the term. "As a doctor, I am not supposed to encourage or discourage you in any way. But as a personal acquaintance, I know Miss Fabray, however short our acquaintance may be. And I have seen how much you two love each other. I am sure Miss Fabray wouldn't want you to be this way."
"Stop."
"Even if you keep her here, life support is the only thing keeping her alive. She's only here physically. She isn't here completely, Miss Berry. Why would you want to keep her stranded here when you can let her go completely? So her soul can find peace somewhere."
"Please stop," Rachel sniffled.
"Rachel," Frannie whispered, squeezing Rachel's shoulder. "Rachel, I understand how you feel. Quinn is my sister. I…it's hard for me as well. But the doctor is right. And I'm certain my mom is up there waiting for her with a big plate of bacon ready so they could watch Alice together."
The brunette stared down at Quinn's unconscious form. Alice in the Wonderland was her favorite movie. She reached out to hold Quinn's hand with both of hers. "I'm not willing to let her go," she said.
"I know, Rachel. Neither am I. But there's no point of keeping her body here when she can't…wake up anymore," Frannie stuttered, inhaling sharply to keep the tears at bay. She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her sweater and squeezed Rachel's shoulder again. "Let her go, Rach."
Santana spun on her heel and ran, her palm against her mouth and bloodshot eyes as Rachel finally and shakily took the paper and pen from Dr. Costner. Brittany followed behind Santana, looking much the same. Kurt closed his eyes and crossed his arms, feeling the ache in his chest. Puck and Sam mirrored each other's position, leaning against the door frame with their hands in their pockets. Marley collapsed onto the bed and sobbed into her hands. Finn looked down at his shoes and shook his head, a lone tear falling from his eye.
They were all letting Quinn go.
Dr. Costner promised them all time to say their goodbyes. Mysteriously, Rachel had disappeared.
Marley was the first. She gingerly took Quinn's hand and sighed. She couldn't even talk for the first thirty seconds. "Quinn," she croaked, her voice hoarse from crying, "you have been a really great leader. I have learned so much from you, Quinn. You were also a really great friend. I am so thankful that I got to spend some time with you when you were stuck in bed. I had a lot of fun with you. Thank you, Quinn, for being a good leader and a good friend."
Finn followed. He stood at the foot of the bed watching Quinn's chest rise and fall from the ventilator. His face scrunched up in his effort to not bawl his eyes out, or kneel down at the foot of the bed to beg for her to wake up so they could play COD again. He would've let her win each and every round if she would just wake up. In the end, he didn't say anything, claiming he was thirsty as he headed for the elevator.
Kurt came in after Finn. He stood next to Quinn and cleared his throat. "I hated you," was the first thing he said. "I did. But you made Rachel so happy. I have never seen Rachel as happy with anyone else like she was with you. So, I couldn't hate you anymore. I'm very grateful to you for being so brave, to risk your life to protect her. I'm very grateful to you for being so devoted to Rachel, giving her the best love she will probably ever have. So uh…thank you, Fabray. I owe you."
Puck and Sam stood on either side of Quinn. Puck had his hands shoved in his pockets while Sam held one of Quinn's hands in his own. "You weren't supposed to die," Puck whispered. "You were supposed to outlive both of us because we're both idiots and you're just so smart. You were supposed to be the one to watch our backs." Puck's face crumbled and he lowered onto his knees. He rested his head against her arm and cried, "I love you, Q Fab. I love you."
Sam watched from his side and he shook his head. "I love you, Blondie," Sam whispered as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. He could almost feel her smacking him on the head and scolding him for calling her that.
They both walked out.
Santana dared the nurse to protest when she sat on the edge of Quinn's bed, pulling Brittany arms around her, seeking comfort. She reached out to touch Quinn's thigh. "The Unholy Trinity," she breathed with a watery smile, "starting together, ending together."
Brittany leaned down to kiss her girlfriend's head. Then she took Santana's hand, leading it towards Quinn's and enclosed their fingers around it. "Just the way it should be."
Frannie received a pat on the shoulder from Santana when she walked in. She sat on the chair Rachel had been occupying for the past few days, and daringly put her ear against Quinn's chest, listening to Quinn's heartbeat thumping. "I am so sorry for not being there when Dad was around, Quinn. I am so sorry for leaving you alone. I'm still surprised you forgave me and called me in the first place. Robert sends his love. He's on his way but we both know he won't be able to make it." She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, focusing on Quinn's heartbeat for a moment. She finally opened her eyes and stood up, lowering her head to kiss Quinn's cheek. "You're the best sister anyone could ask for. I love you."
Rachel was rushing down the hallway as Frannie came out of Quinn's room, a bouquet of gardenia in her hands. She halted and stood, staring at her friends and her parents and Quinn's sister all looking at her. She didn't know if she should be glad that it was her turn. The tightness in her chest only increased with each step she took, until she was finally inside and by Quinn's bedside.
She looked down at the bouquet of gardenia in her hands and then back up at Quinn. She stared silently at her for ten minutes, memorizing her every feature. Abruptly, she began maneuvering through the wires and tubes, climbing onto the bed and settling her body beside Quinn. She loosely draped an arm across Quinn's waist after she rested the bouquet on Quinn's chest. She brushed Quinn's hair back and stared down at Quinn's serene and pale face.
"They're your favorite, Quinn," she whispered. "The idiot downstairs didn't know how to make a corsage, and he didn't have a light green ribbon so I guess this will have to do." She rested her cheek against Quinn's forehead and closed her eyes, a small smile tugging on her lips. "That was one of our best nights together. The look on your face was priceless. You said that was the best birthday you've ever had. I wonder if it's still true." She opened her eyes, waiting – only to remember that she wouldn't be able to hear Quinn's voice ever again.
"You've saved me so many times. From the moment we met until…that day," she breathed. "You've saved me. And I just hate that I didn't get the chance to save you. I haven't saved you from anything, Quinn. I hope you don't hate me for that." She tightened her arm around Quinn's waist and shifted so she could look at Quinn. She braved a smile. "You…you made me so happy. And I'm glad we got to have make-up sex." She giggled at that, almost expecting Quinn to blush. "You will always be my happy ending, Quinn." She moved forward to kiss Quinn on the lips one last time. "I love you." She leaned back and held Quinn's face. "I look forward to seeing you again, darling."
Dr. Costner came in with a resident and an intern at 1:00 that afternoon. He stood on one side of the bed while they all stood on the opposite. He stared at them, waiting for the nod of consent to come. His gaze was directed at Frannie, because he knew Rachel would never be able to give him a nod, despite the fact that she was the one who signed the paper.
Rachel sat on the chair, holding Quinn's hand to her lips with her eyes closed. Frannie gave her sister one last look while she was alive, and then nodded. Dr. Costner bowed his head and began removing the machines sustaining Quinn's life. When everything else was off besides the heart monitor, he decided to stay behind.
They listened as the beeps began to grow longer, slower, and with more and more distance between each one, until it finally flat-lined. A long beep sounded. Dr. Costner weakly reached out to turn it off. He glanced at Quinn's family and friends before clearing his throat.
"Time of death: 1312."
okay, i know you all hate me right now. i kind of hate myself too. but i feel like this is the right direction to bring it. i guess i have to wear my Kevlar vest right now, huh? to be honest, i cried a little myself when i was writing this chapter. you can totally insult me all you want in the reviews. i will accept them as they come.
oh have you guys listened to Lea's single, Cannonball? it is epic. remember to pre-order her album on iTunes!