Hello readers,
If anybody is still reading this, feel free to shoot me, or something. I could blame the lack of update for however long (I'm too ashamed to check) to numerous things like my health (rubbish as always) and school (ignoring the amount of holidays I've had in between), but I might as well just be honest; my muse ran away. She fought her way through the jungle that is my back-garden, and fled over the fence... I'm not entirely sure that she has plans on coming back, so I finished this as best you could, because, after the incredibly positive response I got for this story, you guys deserve an ending, so here it is;
Enjoy!
Sadly for Quinn Finn's time in Mitchell was numbered to Saturday afternoon. He had to get back to Lima for Monday and preferably be in some state for school. However, Quinn cherished every moment with him so that it felt like a lot longer than a day.
After the performance both Dan and Quinn had decided to leave the café, there wasn't much else to talk about and Dan knew that Quinn wanted to spend time with Finn, after all Dan lived barely fifty minutes from Quinn where as Finn lived in another state. They walked side by side to the park, the silence was not quite companionable, but it was comfortable.
Once they were in the park Dan split off and began to talk to Mickey his head bent, voice low at a distance from the others. Laura took Beth to the playground, after a long argument with Quinn, and Quinn and Finn wondered off holding hands and talking about everything and nothing. Finn had been worried about what had happened, but Quinn had soothed any fears and said that nothing had happened, they'd talked, sung and then left. That was it. Now they were friends again. Finn had nodded, but looked a little concerned about it all. Quinn wanted Finn to believe that Dan was trustworthy and that everything would be fine, but she was aware that Finn barely knew him and that one of the first things Dan had ever said to Finn was that he hated him.
After that Quinn had talked to him about what everyone was like now that school was coming to an end and how they were all gearing up for the end of school. She couldn't believe graduation was that week. Meeting the New Directions again and all the drama with Finn had sort of blown all of that from her mind. He asked her again about her bringing Beth down to see Puck, Quinn was glad to see that he was relaxed about her building a strong relationship with Puck, and she said she'd been in touch with her friend's brother and he'd got her discounts and onto the flight, now all she needed was permission. She explained that if she had her way she wasn't just going to cut school like that and she'd like some permission first. They'd laughed at that.
Then they started to talk about their relationship once school had ended. They'd crossed the park by now. You could just see the playground and the faint outline of Laura pushing Beth on the swing and outside, leaning on the railings, she could see the distinctive long red hair of Dan next to Mickey. Quinn sat on the nearby bench and looked up at Finn. She was squinting slightly, the sun was shining brightly straight into her eyes. Finn took a step to the right and blocked it out, but she continued to screw her eyes up ever so slightly and frown.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Not exactly." said Quinn. Finn sighed and looked down at her.
"Well what's the little thing that might be bothering you?" She laughed lightly.
"You know we said we could handle this relationship and all." Finn nodded, a frown encroaching on his brow too. "I was just wondering… how."
"What do you mean?"
"Well we'll email and stuff, but we won't be able to… you know, have a physical relationship." Finn's eyebrows shot up. "I mean we won't be able to go out on dates and hold and hands and kiss. Or if the going gets rough at college you won't be the person I run to, because won't be there to hold me if I'm crying." Finn frowned.
"I don't understand."
"Don't you see, Finn, we don't have a very strong relationship, it's not like we've been dating for forever and now we're moving apart, this is new. We've only just got together and while I trust you I can't help worrying and wondering what's going to happen." Finn sighed. Great just what he wanted to talk about, not.
"Look Quinn, I get that we can't really be a normal couple, but, frankly, we've managed without that haven't we, and as for that stuff about comfort you've got your friends." Quinn cocked her head to the side and then shook her head.
"You missed the point but never mind, you're right."
"I am?"
"Yeah."
"Look I've been thinking."
"Really?"
"Shush, anyway I was thinking that maybe I could come up and spend some time with you this summer, 'cause I get that you work so you can't really come down to me so I could come to you, for part of it at least."
"Really."
"Yeah, I think. I mean I'd have to talk it over with mum, but I can't see why she'd say no." Quinn smiled. "I mean I'd have to drive but I don't see why that'd be too much of a problem, I've saved up quite a bit of money from working at Burt's garage." Quinn's smile was growing wider and wider. "Then maybe I could drive over in the other holidays, if there's time."
"Oh yes! Could you?" Finn laughed and she jumped up and threw both her arms around him. "Thank you Finn!"
"I haven't really done anything yet."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah I do."
"I love you."
"I do that too." Quinn laughed and kissed him on the lips.
Not that long later Finn stood by his car. To her friends amusement Finn had left it right outside the school. Why they found this funny Finn wasn't entirely sure, but then again Quinn's friends found a lot of things funny, most of which he didn't understand. Now he was nearly ready to leave and he felt like he had to talk to Dan. For the most part Dan had been quiet, either whispering with Mickey or not speaking at all. He didn't trust him, but then again Dan hadn't trusted him.
"Dan, can I talk to you?" the colour went from Dan's face remarkably quickly. Finn blinked, what did Dan think he was going to do, beat him up? Quinn and her friends all looked at Finn with varying degrees of alarm.
"Finn…" began Quinn in an unsure tone.
"I just want to talk to him." Finn reiterated, wondering whether there was something he didn't know, going by all the worried looks.
"Okay." Dan said, he squared his shoulders and walked off with Finn.
The two of them stopped 20 metres or so from Quinn and the others. Dan turned to face Finn, apprehensive yet expectant. Finn paused he wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to say to him. He didn't want to be rude, harsh or mean but at the same time he wanted to be careful.
"Finn?"
"Yeah."
"You gonna say anything?"
"Oh, um look I don't really get what's going on right now with… you." Dan raised his eyebrows at the bluntness of the statement.
"Well I guess that's okay seeing as I'm not entirely sure."
"Right, anyway the thing is, is that." Finn trailed off. What did he want to say? What did he want? He wanted them just as friends, that would make them all happy, right?
"Finn, are you okay?"
"Yeah. I got it, I got what I wanted to say." there was another pause.
"Am I gonna hear it?"
"Um, when we first met you said you hated me. You really didn't like me at all, you didn't trust me."
"God no."
"Right and the thing is, right now, I don't trust you."
"Fair enough."
"But you gave me a chance." Dan blinked. "So it's only fair that I give you a chance." There was a weird pause. "To fix your friendship of course."
"Well duh."
"But if you try anything I will kill you."
"And if you break her heart again I'll do the same."
"Good so we're on the same page."
"Perfect." There was another awkward pause.
"Should we go then?"
"Yeah you need to leave now if you want to get back in time."
"Okay." They walked back to Finn's car together in complete silence. The goodbye was quick. He kissed Quinn and promised to call the moment he got back. He hugged Beth, waved to Mickey, Laura and Dan and with a final 'I love you' got in the car and began to drive away. For once her friends remained tactfully silent as he drove off but they did observe her furrowed brow and knew that she was doing some serious thinking.
"Does he actually know where he's going?" asked Quinn suddenly as she watched the car. Her friends looked at her.
"What?"
"Well he only found the school by randomly driving round town and happening on Prom goers so I was wondering whether he actually knew where he was going." There was a long pause. "Oh Christ." Quinn pulled out her phone as her three friends dissolved into hysterics, once more.
"Right." said Quinn as she strode back to them. "He knows where he's going, now, I hope. I just have to keep texting directions." she rolled her eyes. Her friends just laughed some more, they had to admit that it was almost worth having Finn around for the amount of hilarity he seemed to bring.
"What did he want?" asked Laura as they began to walk, Beth strapped into her buggy quietly.
"He wanted to tell me that he was giving me a chance to fix my friendship with Quinn despite the fact he doesn't trust me because I did it for him." There was a long pause. "Then we threatened each other with bodily harm if the other did anything to harm you." Quinn rolled her eyes smiling.
"You know most of the time I don't know whether or not to be flattered that you care about me that much or not."
"Hey just think of us as your older brothers." Quinn frowned.
"That's disturbing, seeing as I'm older than both of you."
"Whatever."
"So Dan is everything okay?" Laura asked the question and three heads turned to her and the other three realised that they had sort of left her a bit out of the loop.
"What? Oh yeah, everything's fine, well not fine, but me and Quinn are friends again and I think that I might believe you." There was a silence as Laura digested the news.
"Well that's good." she said. "So no more fighting?" she asked hopefully.
"No more fighting." Dan reassured her.
"Good." then "You and Quinn really don't know the first thing about having an argument do you." and with their indignant protests and laughter the foursome and Beth, who was dozing, headed back to Quinn's.
Sunday passed by with nothing much happening, Quinn worked and then had her friends round and then worked some more and then relaxed with Beth. It seemed that all the tension with Dan had evaporated, though Quinn was sure that they were best friends because she reminded him of Amy she was just glad he was her best friend. Really did it matter why they were friends? They had each other, that's what mattered and seeing as Dan wasn't going to try anything it hardly seemed important. Well it was important, it was really important because there were times when Quinn would stare at Dan and try and figure out how well she really knew him but the fact was he was still here, he cared about Quinn, he cared about Beth and he wasn't about to walk out of their lives.
On Monday Quinn was nervous, today she was going to ask permission from Harris to skip a day of school. It was true to say that she got on well with her Principal, he had after all offered her the position as Coach, but she still wasn't sure what he'd say. She knew that most people attributed the alumni donations and the practical revolution in the clubs as her doing, and most people included Principal Harris, maybe this could be a favour in return. Though Quinn adamantly said she'd done nothing and that it had been everyone else on the teams work too.
"Ah Quinn, come in. Sit down." Quinn smiled and took a familiar seat opposite him. She'd been in his office a lot, not because she'd been in trouble, but because he'd taken a gamble, or so he thought, when he let them take charge of the club and he wanted to keep an eye on them, make sure things went well. They had been in his office to give regular updates and reports, weekly ones. Except in the run up to big events; like Nationals or the Championship game because then they were too busy stressing out and practising to update their Principal. Besides if he really wanted to know he could come and look.
"Now how can I help you?" Quinn took a deep breath.
"It's more a question of what you can do for me, if you know what I mean." Stanley Harris raised an eyebrow.
"Oh."
"I was wondering, well, I am going, I have everything prepared see, I just wanted permission."
"Sorry, I'm still not with you." Quinn took another deep breath.
"I was wondering if you would give me permission to miss school on Wednesday."
"I see, and why would I do that?" Okay that's good, thought Quinn, he hasn't shot you down yet, you might have a shot at this. Don't screw this up.
"Well you see, on Wednesday it's my old school's graduation."
"Ah."
"Yeah and I wanted to take Beth to see her father graduate." There was no response to that. Uh oh maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
"So you came to ask my permission."
"Yes."
"Interesting not many people would do that."
"Okay sir, I'll be frank with you. I have everything ready, asking you is a mere technicality at the end, just something to keep up appearances." Quinn swallowed, make or break that was. He's either going to yell or laugh. Trouble is it could be either and there's no way of knowing. Principal Harris threw back his head and laughed. Phew! That was far too close, I guess this means he'll let me go. He laughed long and hard, with that kind of deep laugh that echoed all the way up from his belly. Quinn was vaguely aware of his secretary peaking in to see what all the fuss was about.
"Well, when you put it like that I can't help but let you go. Every parent should be at their child's graduation, so I don't see why the child shouldn't be at their parent's. Off you go to class."
"Thank you sir.""No problem." Quinn left the office grinning to herself. Of course he'd let her go, Principal Harris was big on family, he had a large one and sometimes missed school for them.
"So?" Quinn was cornered at break by her friends to ask if she'd been given permission to go. Mickey couldn't ask her the lesson before because that bright teacher had had the sense to split the two of them up.
"I got permission!" she yelled.
"Yeah!" her friends punched the air with their fists.
"I knew he'd let you!" said Mickey. "He loves you!"
"And he's obsessed with his family!" added in Dan.
"Can't believe you get the day off." Quinn smirked.
"Well I'm just so amazing." they all burst out laughing.
"So it has nothing to do with graduation? You just wiggled your way out of school?" they laughed some more.
"Who knows you're going?"
"Finn, Kurt and Mercedes and her family. I'm staying with Mercedes."
"Oh not your boy friend."
"I'm taking Beth this time."
"Ah."
"So is it a surprise for Puck?"
"Yep."
"He'll freak."
"Completely, sort of the point."
"Do you think all your friends will graduate?"
"Well I was talking to San and she said that she reckons Britt flunked her exams."
"Oh."
"So what's she gonna do?"
"Just drop out, she's not going to repeat the year, she's just going to go with them to L.A."
"Oh yeah they wanna dance."
"Yeah, it's definitely what she's best at."
She finalised her packing for her and Beth that night on Monday so that she could leave immediately after school on Tuesday. She left their things in the boot of Laura's car so all she had to do was get a lift to her house pick up Beth and then her friends took her to the airport. Her plane left relatively on time at 6 and then she had to endure just about an hour long flight with Beth fussing. Beth was a very active child, she loved to run about and just generally move around which it was impossible to do on the plane. She also didn't take kindly to being shushed either and more than one person sent Quinn disapproving stares. The man next to her ignored her pointedly the entire way except when he told her to be quiet when she was trying to sing Beth to sleep.
Mercedes met her at the airport, Quinn was little sad that Finn wasn't there but at the same time she wasn't surprised. She was staying with Mercedes. Mr and Mrs Jones welcomed her quite warmly back into their home and had everything set up for her and Beth. She was beyond grateful for everything and just had time to repeat her thanks over and over before crashing out due to tiredness.
The next morning she was woken early. Very early. She would have been annoyed but she recognised the excited squeals as the ones that Mercedes had produced the morning of Regionals. Mercedes was up and running about the house getting ready. Mrs Jones, simply smiled at her when Quinn came down with Beth who also had been woken by Mercedes' squealing. They both rolled their eyes, but refrained from comment.
"So when do you graduate?" Quinn, who was trying to get Beth to drink her milk without tipping it everywhere, looked up at Mrs Jones.
"What?"
"When do you graduate?"
"Oh Friday."
"I see." Mrs Jones smiled at her and Quinn looked at her for another half a second before deciding the conversation wasn't going anywhere and turning her attention back to Beth.
"It's good to see you again Quinn." she said after a pause. "After you left there were a lot of tears and empty silences. I haven't seen Mercedes so happy in ages." Quinn turned back and smiled a bit.
"I'm sorry, I was just trying to do what was best for me." Mrs Jones nodded.
"Was it best for you?" Quinn slid into a chair, placing Beth's beaker back down on the table whilst Mr Jones came and fussed over her.
"Yeah I think it was. It was hard to go there, and it killed me to leave, but staying wasn't helping me at all. I was just deeply unhappy, and I didn't feel like I had anyone to reach out to. I'd turned my back on my own friends and I was too proud to turn back and say that I needed them." she smiled bitterly. "If it did anything for me at all it saved my view on humanity. It proved that I could have friends. That people cared about each other deeply, the amount of backstabbing that goes on in McKinley." she shook her head.
"So you were happy?"
"I was properly happy for one of the first times in my life. I felt good about myself, I had these three amazing friends, I had a glee club that worked in near absolute harmony and I had my daughter. Sure I was being worked to near death, but I had my friends there helping me out with the homework, making sure that I didn't over work myself." Mrs Jones nodded and smiled again.
"I think it's done you a world of good. You look better, Quinn, you look a lot better."
"I was pregnant last time."
"I think we both know that's not what I mean." Quinn laughed with Mrs Jones as they heard the continuous pounding off Mercedes' feet and Beth talking at 500 miles per hour to Mr Jones about a toy of hers.
Several hours later Quinn sat with the Jones family in the back of the auditorium watching the people in their year go up to collect their diplomas. Artie had been the first to go on, he'd wheeled himself in from the side and Quinn had helped Beth clap enthusiastically for him. In fact her daughter seemed to have as good eyesight as her as she called out the names of all the New Directions when they got on stage, including Rachel's. Not far away from her Quinn had spotted Shelby sitting a smile on her face. She heard Beth's cries and she looked and smiled at Quinn. Quinn waved to her and Beth clapped her hands in Shelby's direction, clearly wanting to go over there and hug 'Mummy Shell'. She stayed in Quinn's arms though and settled down to watch Sam, and Mercedes, and Kurt and Finn get their diplomas.
When Puck got onto the stage Beth strained in her seat. She clearly wanted to be near Puck, to go to him. "DADDY!" she screamed at the top of her tiny voice. Puck, who was just about shake Principal Figgins' hand, looked up. His eyes searched for the source of the disturbance and when his eyes found Beth on Quinn's lap his mouth dropped open. He burst into a wide smile and shook Figgins' hand enthusiastically, still beaming when he left the stage.
At the end, just a couple of people after Lauren, they got up together. Shelby made her way across the hall and Quinn released Beth to her. She smiled politely at Mr and Mrs Jones and shook their hands as best she could.
"You brought Beth down for Puck's graduation." she said with a smile as they left side by side. Beth in between them, holding a hand each.
"Well I thought I should, it's such a special occasion. You only get one High School graduation so I figured that Beth should be their to see her dad." Shelby smiled at her.
"Yes, yes, I suppose it is. She was certainly excited to see him." Quinn nodded, a smile on her face. Puck rushing over, foregoing his mum and sister, and Quinn handed Beth to him, laughing at the look of pure delight on his face. He reached over and hugged Quinn.
"Thank you." he said, bouncing Beth up and down in his arms. "Thank you so much, and I have something to give you." he reached inside his gown to his trouser pocket and pulled out an envelope. Quinn took it, blinking.
"What is this?"
"It's money I've been saving ever since you said you'd taken Beth." he bit his lip, shrugging slightly. "I know you're proud, Quinn, but she's my daughter too." Quinn shook her head.
"No, it's okay…I'll set up a bank account and put this towards a college fund." Puck grinned.
"Cool, I can pay in every week or something." Quinn smiled at him.
"That sounds good." They continued to smile at each other, not sure what to say.
"Quinn!" Quinn turned around and embraced the rest of the New Directions who were all surprised to see her, barring Finn, Kurt and Mercedes of course. She even hugged Rachel, who just looked sad, and barely reciprocated. Quinn tactfully just gave Finn a hug instead of kissing him. She felt sad about leaving High School on bad terms with Rachel, but she guessed that in a little while, with Kurt and Blaine in New York, she'd forgive her. So for now, she settled for Finn's arm around her waist, Puck holding onto Beth and celebrating her friends graduation.
Quinn graduated Mitchell at the end of the week with Beth, Mrs Turner, Shelby, the New Directions, Mr Schue, Miss Pillsbury, Burt, Carole and Blaine in the audience to support her. She cried quite a lot as it happened, and performed with Living Chorus for the last time. She flat out refused to sing the only solo, forcing all those that were graduating to sing a line at least.
She'd sobbed into Mrs Bremmer's arms with Laura after the ceremony because it was all over, and, though she'd be coming back to teach, it just wouldn't be the same again. She didn't really know what to do right now. She had everything ahead of her, but it was like she'd lost a huge part of her. High School was…it was the best and worst. It was the first and last. It was being an adult and a kid. It was losing who you were and finding who you are. High School was just there. It was the solid thing in the four years of emotional and hormonal turbulence that marked the awkward transition from child to adult. It was a rock. Sharp and pointy, but the last thing standing between them and the wide, merciless ocean of life. It was all of that, and it had just been taken away.
She had one, thing, though, that remained, like flotsam in the water after a shipwreck. She had her friends. She had people, one click of a button away, that would come for her, day or night. She had people that had loved through the ups and downs. The heartbreak and the hate. Through all the trials and tribulations of being teenage mum. More than that, though, she had Finn. Someone who wasn't always right, who was flawed and faulted, but still, undeniably, perfect. She had Finn, and a family - both by blood, but mostly through friendship and love - so, really, what could go wrong?
16 Years Later
"Beth get off the phone!" Quinn called up the stairs of their two-storey, detached house in Lima, Ohio with a front garden, large back garden, garage and white picket fence.
"Five more minutes!" called back her infuriated teenage daughter who had locked herself in her room since she'd gotten back from school, no doubt still fuming about finding Jed Lewis kissing Anna Garner in the art room supply closet. Needless to say that there had been a loud, public, break up that had caused Quinn, Will, Shannon, Sue and Emma to reminisce in the staff room later that day, after Quinn made sure that Beth was basically okay.
"Mum!" she was distracted from her oldest child by the pulling on her dress that told her Christopher had finished his homework. "Mum, I'm done, can I go out and play?" Quinn tore her gaze from the stairs and looked at her tall blonde son.
"Yes, but take your siblings."
"But, mum-"
"Play with them!" Chris huffed, folding his arms, and storming back into the living room, nose in the air. There was the sound of mildly raised voices which Quinn ignored as she checked the meal.
"Mum," said Chris in his whiny tone of voice. "Liam doesn't want to play, and I can't just play with Carrie."
"What's wrong with playing with your sister?" she asked, stirring the soup.
"Mum she's four, she can't catch a ball yet."
"Then teach her, dear." she said in a tone of fond exasperation. "Why doesn't Liam want to play?"
"He wants to read." said Chris in a tone of poorly concealed disgust. Quinn rolled her eyes to herself.
"Alright, get him reading outside."
"Why, mum?"
"I don't think he gets enough fresh air." Chris grunted something about "geeks" and Quinn gave him a disapproving stare.
"What have I told you about labelling people?" Chris sighed, pouting.
"That it's wrong." Quinn raised her eyebrow at the sulking nine year old.
"Hurry on, then. If your dad is back soon enough he might just play with you." Chris' face lit up, a smile stretching across his face, and he dashed from the room, calling out to his younger brother and sister.
"Hey mum." Beth came into the kitchen, blonde hair loose, dressed in cropped jeans and a flowing white top with long sleeves. Quinn looked at her daughter, noting that she looked incredibly happy for someone who had just broken up with her boyfriend.
"You look…cheerful?" Beth grinned at her mum, hopping onto the countertop next to the stove.
"I was talking to Cam." she said by way of explanation, and Quinn raised her eyebrows.
"How's he doing?"
"Good, he spoke to Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine…and he's living with his aunt and uncle. He said he'd be in school on Monday." Quinn smiled at that, glad he'd found somewhere safe. "Yeah, and talking to him put my drama in real perspective." Quinn nodded, reaching for the plates in the cabinet.
"That's good, so you're not too sad." Beth shook her head, kicking her legs back and forth.
"Um…I also told Cam that you'd talk to him on Monday about, you know, how you and Grandma and Granddad made up, eventually. Is that okay?" Quinn rolled her eyes.
"Of course it's okay, Beth, you know I always tell my Glee kids to come to me." Beth rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah I know…but, still…"
"Darling, I'll talk to him now, if you want?" Beth shook her head.
"Mum, no, I've told a thousand times that it's just weird." Quinn rolled her eyes.
"I'm just doing-"
"What Principal Schue did for you, I know!" Quinn shook her head as she began to lay the table. The front door opened, following by a string of swear words.
"Finn!" and Beth began to giggle as both women almost heard the wince. The front door slammed, and they heard Finn curse and apologise.
Finn Hudson stumbled into the kitchen, dressed in a football jersey and a tracksuit. His hair was messy and slightly damp, but he was smiling, despite the cut on his cheek.
"Hey Quinn, Beth." Quinn kissed her husband, briefly, on the lips as he went over to the counter to try and find the first aid kit.
"Hey Uncle Finn." said Beth, hopping off the countertop and kissing him on the cheek. "I've got the first aid kit upstairs…I had to bring it in for Flossie." she dashed out of the kitchen. Finn watched her go with a frown.
"I thought Jed was cheating on her." Quinn rolled her eyes and began to fill the glasses.
"He was…she found them." Finn looked even more confused.
"She's awfully happy."
"Yeah, but she was speaking to Cam a little while ago, and she got some perspective." Finn nodded, washing his hands in the sink.
"How is Cam? Kurt said he and Blaine were gonna talk to him last night, but Libby had fallen off the climbing frame, or something." Quinn nodded.
"Yeah, but she just sprained her wrist, and they've spoken to him now, and he's with his aunt and uncle and he'll be back in school by Monday." Finn nodded.
"Good, that night was scary…I mean they've only been friends for what? Twelve years?" Quinn nodded.
"Yeah, but he's safe." Beth ran back in, handing Finn the green bag.
"Sorry, but Flossie really needed it."
"Hey, it's cool. So, I have to ask, how much plastic surgery has Jed's new girl had?" Beth snorted whilst Quinn rolled her eyes.
"Surprisingly, she's only had a boob-job." Finn snorted and Beth began to drink the water as Finn dabbed antiseptic cream on his new cut.
"Beth, honey, would you go grab the kids? They're outside." Beth nodded and darted out the kitchen. Quinn watched her go with a wistful expression.
"What is it?" asked Finn, noting the almost sad look in her eyes.
"I just can't believe she's graduating at the end of this year." Finn moved over to wrap his arms around Quinn's waist.
"I know, neither can I. I mean, it's not the same, obviously, but I'm really going to miss her. At least she's going to New York, though, Kurt, Blaine and Rachel can look after her." Quinn nodded, about to say something when Chris came dashing in.
"Dad!" he exclaimed, and Finn stepped out from behind of Quinn and picked him up. Liam came in after that, nose buried in a book. Quinn always thought it was a little strange that her seven year old son spent all his time with his nose stuck in a book, especially with his gymnastic abilities.
"Liam, put the book down." Liam didn't respond. "William!" Liam jumped at the sound of his rarely used first name, and set the book down on the table. Beth deposited Carrie into her seat.
"How were your days?" asked Finn, tucking into the soup that had been spooned out by Quinn. Chris immediately launched into a blow-by-blow account of his day, with quiet input from Liam, and Carrie set about pulling the bread roll apart. Beth leaned across to her mum.
"Mum, dad said he could take me, Flossie and probably Cam to that production of Evita at the theatre on Sunday." Quinn frowned.
"What time?" Beth bit the inside of her lip, shrugging.
"I dunno, late afternoon or evening." Quinn sighed, loudly.
"What about Liam's competition?" Beth huffed.
"Oh, can't I miss it just this once?" Quinn gave her eldest daughter a disapproving look.
"Beth, can't you just go the weekend after? This is his big competition, he's never missed one of your concerts, and you're going to New York soon, there's only this and two others maximum left." Beth huffed again, but didn't argue with her mother, instead choosing to join her step-father in trying to get Carrie to eat her vegetables. Quinn hoped that that was resolved.
"Beth, are you okay?" Quinn had noticed that her daughter had been exceptionally quiet that evening. She hadn't complained when Carrie had refused to watch anything other than Happy Feet - a movie that Beth detested - and hadn't touched the bowl of popcorn that Finn had provided her with. She'd been on her phone quite a bit of the time, and had gone to bed when Chris had.
The mound of pink sheets shifted, and grunted. Quinn sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear, and moving to sit on the edge of Beth's bed. Her daughter was turned away from her, curled into a ball which was something she only did when she was ill or unhappy, with her hair draped across her face. Quinn moved to scrape it away, and Beth rolled into the pillow, burying her face.
"Honey, it's okay if you're crying." Beth rolled over then, tears tracing down her face.
"Mum…" her voice is broken, and cracking, and filled with helplessness and fear, and it breaks Quinn's heart. She scooped her up, forgetting that she's eighteen, and held her close, letting her sob into her shoulder. It reminded Quinn of the time when Beth was nine and they'd just brought Chris home from the hospital, and Beth had thought that Quinn didn't want her anymore.
Quinn felt the bed sink again, and knew that Finn had joined them. He would have finished putting Carrie back into bed for the fourth time, she loved getting back out of bed and playing on her brother's Nintendo when the lights were out. He would have seen them as he walked past to their room, and he'd come in to see what was wrong. He put a hand on Beth's head as she cried, and gently stroked her hair.
"Hey, Beth, what's wrong darling?" Beth sniffed, and Finn reached for the tissue box on her bedside table, handing it to her.
"Yeah, tell us what's up, Drizzle." Beth gave Finn a weak smile at that. Finn had called Beth Drizzle less and less as she got older, but it was still his pet name for her whenever she was sad.
"I don't wanna leave." she said, sobbing slightly. "I don't wanna go, and I don't want you guys to forget me." Finn sighed, glancing at Quinn, and Quinn just hugged her daughter again.
"Darling, just because you're moving away doesn't mean you're going to loose us. I'm never more than a phone call away, and anytime you like you can get on a train and come back. Or I'll drive up."
"But all we talk about is how I'm going to move away, and it's my last of everything…it's like you can't wait for me to go!" Quinn sighed, shaking her head.
"I don't want you to go, Beth, you're my daughter, but this is what you want, whether that's what you feel like right now. If you really want this, than all I can do is support you." she shrugged.
"And sometimes distance is good." said Finn, leaning against Quinn. "It can make you appreciate things that you don't right now. You're gonna miss us doing the laundry, I can tell you that now." Beth chuckled.
"Right…I just- you'll be a complete family, and I'll be, just…"Quinn shook her head.
"Beth, remember when I got married?" Beth nodded. "I told you that I was not changing my name, simply adding Finn's, because you're my daughter too, just like your half-brothers and sister have half of your name…besides, family isn't in the blood, you know that, family is about love. My love for you, Beth, will never, ever, change. You are my daughter. You're my eldest child."
"Same, Drizzle, we're not blood relatives, but I love you just the same, always will." Beth smiled at him.
"Thanks, I guess, I just…I think I'm just upset over Jed, and people leaving me." Quinn kissed her daughter's forehead.
"He's not worth your time, sweetie, he's really not." Beth smiled, and lay down.
"Thanks mum, Uncle Finn." they both nodded, and got up off the bed. Quinn tucked her daughter in, smoothing the sheets, and wiping stray strands of hair from her face. Beth smiled at her again. "Night."
"Night, darling."
"Sleep well."
"Mum," Quinn stopped as she reached the doorway. "I'm going to come to Liam's show."
"Beth, you don't-"
"I wanna be there when he beats all the annoying Sophomores." Quinn smiled and Finn chuckled.
"That'll be a sight indeed."
"I can always get Uncle Kurt and Aunt Rachel to do it for me…can the others come to Liam's, though?" Quinn rolled her eyes.
"Of course, Puck, Flossie and Cam can come."
"Good." Beth yawned and rolled over. Quinn smiled at Finn as they stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly.
"Think she'll be okay?" asked Quinn as she leant against her husband's shoulder, lying in bed. Finn smiled down at her.
"Of course."
"Are you just saying that?" Finn paused for half a second.
"No, actually. Beth is just…I mean, I remember Burt and Kurt before he left, they danced around each other, pretending that it wasn't happening, and then it did…Kurt was crying as we helped him pack, and he called every day for a month, but he totally fits into New York, and so will Beth." Quinn smiled up at him.
"Right, okay." When conversation did not recur after several minutes Finn reached over to turn off the bedside light. In the dark, nestled against her husband, Quinn sighed in contentment.
"Love you." she mumbled into his shoulder, and he shifted, wrapping an arm around her tighter.
"Me too, forever." Quinn sighed, again almost frowning.
"Don't say that."
"Why not?"
"Because forever isn't always forever."
Okay, second author note, just to say if you're not shooting me for not updating than feel free to take aim over the cheesiness of the last sentence, I couldn't help myself, the opperunity was there, and I just had to take it! I know that this was rushed, and there slightly odd parts to it (or at least from my perspective) but I hope you've enjoyed the conclusion to my tale.
A big thank you to those that favourited, alerted, reviewed or just read it. Knowing that people are reading makes it far easier to keep writing (even if it's not the same story) which might be why I've written so much other stuff in my time away from this tale. Feel free to check out my other ones (updating wil naturally be erratic) and thank you once more for reading.
Bye!