I know it's short, but this is just a filler as I'm going to be skipping ahead a few months. Feel free to shoot me for taking so long and putting up pointless chapters. =)
Chains of Love
Chapter Twenty-One: The Homecoming
In the early hours of the next day Rachel was up and moving about the room before the sun lit the sky with its warm red and orange glow. She had started gathering all of Quinn's clothing and possessions along with her own belongings, most of which was already stuffed somewhat neatly into the cases they were brought in.
She didn't want to be here any longer than she had to be and if it meant being up at the crack of dawn to ensure a quick departure then so be it.
Quinn had entered a deep sleep when she had coaxed Rachel to actually sleeping cuddled together and she hadn't woken since, not even when Rachel accidentally stubbed her toe on the corner of the bed post.
When everything was safely packed away, Rachel let out a sigh of relief. They were one step closer to being back in Lima, where she knew Quinn was hers and she was Quinn's. At least in Lima, the only person she had to be watchful of is Lord and Lady Fabray.
Looking over at her peacefully sleeping mistress, Rachel smiled sadly. She was already started to identify her feelings for the blonde as a deep love, but she felt that Quinn was going to take a little longer to come to terms with it, either because she was confused or because she was fighting to remain in control of herself.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed on Quinn's side, Rachel continued to look down at the blonde. Quinn always looked so happy when she slept, no facial expression was controlled and movement or sound calculated before acted on. Rachel liked to believe it was herself that Quinn dreamed of to put that happiness on her face, she would never ask of course, but she liked to think so anyway.
Her fingers moved of their own accord, moving swiftly to delicately trace the blonde features on her beautifully crafted face. Her eyes watered a little as she let that love wash over her; she let out a watery chuckle as she watched as Quinn's lips twitched a little as she skimmed her finger lightly of the plump rose coloured flesh.
Getting bored of teasing her sleeping mistress, Rachel gently climbed over the prone blonde and took her place beside her, letting out a quiet content sigh as she let her body relax into the comfy material of the bed. Her eyes closed as she cuddled into Quinn, falling quickly asleep, dreaming of her fathers and Quinn and the life she wished she could have involving all three.
Quinn had apparently woken in a playful mood, one Rachel hadn't witnessed since the morning before they left for Rome. She had attempted to wake her little brunette by peppering kisses all over the girl's face, but that hadn't worked. And the longer it took for Quinn to wake the girl, the more bored she became, which resulted in Quinn holding Rachel's nose, stopping all air from going in or out nasally.
Unfortunately Rachel was only aware of the latter technique of waking someone.
"You are horrid Quinn Fabray." Rachel sniffed, getting up and stomped over to her things and the bowl of water.
"Well being nice wasn't working." Quinn defended, trying not to smile so visibly, knowing it was going to set the small farm born girl off and even though she found an angry Rachel to be quite thrilling, she knew the events this trip had bought about were still too fresh.
"You don't try hard enough." Rachel whispered, but it was still audible to Quinn, who immediately detected the double meaning behind her words. It hurt, of course it did, but she knew she wasn't going to be back in Rachel's good graces just because she cuddled her in the night.
"I'm working on it." She answered moving towards Rachel slowly, as the girl summoned her to be cleaned.
As soon as she was done cleaning Quinn, Rachel tipped the water out of the window and refilled the bowl with the jug of water sitting beside the wooden chair. She went about cleaning herself, intentionally avoiding all eye contact with the blonde, who she knew was watching her with keen interest.
"You need to put some clothes on Quinn; your mother will be awake by now." Rachel said, whilst ringing out the sodden cloth on her hand.
"I need help." Quinn replied distractedly, her eyes were trailing all over the evenly tanned body in front of her, only then her ogling was halted as a pure sheathe fell over the skin, protecting it from further observation. The quiet huff of unhappiness that left Quinn, made Rachel smile inwardly, she loved seeing any and all effects she had on the blonde.
Tying the deep red ribbon around her waist, Rachel then moved confidently over to her mistress, who continued to stand bare in the middle of the room, watching Rachel's every move. Picking up the red silk cloth, Rachel moved back to Quinn and began to wrap it around her mistress, being very careful to remember to cover all the important areas and to then fasten it securely. The last item was the Fabray insignia broach that added an extra security to holding the dress together.
"Beautiful." Rachel whispered, her eyes trailing up from the metal broach where her hand lay to the hazel eyes of her love, eyes that looked back at her with a matched intensity.
"You always make my heart beat faster." Quinn whispered back smiling down at her brunette. She lifted her hand to Rachel's and gently guided it across her skin till it rested just above her heart, letting Rachel feel the internal effect she had on her.
Glistening eyes flickered between hazel eyes and her hand on Quinn's chest, her own heart began to pump like it was trying to match the fast rhythm of Quinn's strong beat. As the emotion filled her, Rachel let a desperate whimper and pushed herself up on to her toes and pressed her lips against her mistress's, the delicious pressure and feeling behind it had Quinn whimpering back, as she quickly wrapped her arms tightly around her girl. Both girls were more than happy to drown in the other's affection.
Everyone was gathered in the great courtyard of the Roman palace, the cases holding all of the belongings were piled up to one side and was currently being loaded into one of the carriages. Lord Fabray had tried to refuse the young Caesar's offer to have his own royal carriages take him and his company all the way back to Lima, but the blonde royal was having none of it.
He had been hoping to catch Quinn by herself at some point before the Fabray's departure, but her disobedient slave girl hadn't left her side for in a second, and Quinn hadn't even spared a single glance in his direction since he had entered the courtyard.
"My Lord everything is onboard and ready to go." Noah stated, taking his place at Lord Fabray's side. He wanted to leave just as much as everyone else, especially since the gladiatorial tournaments were starting up soon, which meant Zizes was going to be in Lima and ripe for the picking.
"Very good, well my family and I thank you for your hospitality young Caesar. If you're ever in the area feel free to stop by." Lord Fabray said, although from the looks Lady Fabray was holding the very last thing she wanted was for the blonde young man to visit her home.
"It has been a pleasure to meet you all, my father sends his deepest apologises for not having been able to return in time." Sam replied, a slightly smile on his rounded face. He then turned to Quinn and spoke.
"May I have a quick word with you Lady Quinn before you depart...in private." He added when he saw that Quinn's parents and her troublesome slave hadn't made a gesture of movement.
Reluctant Quinn allowed Sam to lead her away, but not before she subtly gave her little brunette's hand a quick reassuring squeeze.
Frowning at the retreating pair of blondes, Rachel huffs and decides she'll wait for her mistress in the carriage, if Quinn was going to be around that pompous young man, she'd rather not have to witness it.
Noah followed his little friend to the large luxury carriage and assisted in helping her in. Neither were aware of a figure standing off to the side of the large fountain like feature, a figure that hadn't taken their eyes off of Rachel since they had spotted her. They could have sworn they were seeing a ghost, but everybody knows you can't see ghosts. Shocked eyes quickly transformed into a glare filled with intention.
Back with Quinn and his royal admirer, things were getting a little too intense for the female blonde.
"I know its short notice and quite soon, but we have something special Quinn. I would love for you to stay here, so our feelings can grow strong. I'll need a wife to help me rule Rome." Sam said a look of pleading in his eye.
Quinn stood wide eyed and very uncomfortable. She had been expected an apology of some sort, but instead she was getting possibly the oddest marriage proposal she'd ever receive, especially from someone with supposed intelligence.
"I'm sorry Sam, but I think you've been led astray somewhere along the lines. I like you, but not in the romantic sense and not only that, but I believe I belong in Lima. It's my home, it's been my family's home for several generations, and I couldn't just leave." Quinn replied with honesty. Had this happened a few months back, she might have considered it, but what would happen to Rachel, she knew Sam wouldn't accept her girl, not after last night debacle.
"Oh I see, I suppose now isn't such a good time. Please think on it, my offer still stands should you change your mind. I never met a woman like you Quinn and I don't think I ever will again. I'll say good day, but not goodbye, I shall see you again." Sam answered with a possibly charming grin; he nodded his head slightly and took his leave back into his palace.
"My lady, your father is becoming impatient." Noah stated interrupting Quinn's puzzled thoughts. She nodded absently and made to follow her ever loyal guard, movement to her right made her eyes flicker. She saw a slightly shorter than average man standing off to the side, staring towards her carriage with a creepy smile on his face. It made her brow crease, but she shook it off and continued on, and with the help of Noah she was seated in the carriage on her way home.
Somehow the journey back appeared to be faster than the achingly long time it took to get to the big city from little Lima. And nobody found any room to complain, especially since the carriage they were riding in had much comfier seats, even if there was less room to spread out. It went even quicker for Rachel, since she learnt from the last time that it was better to sleep during the journey to avoid any form of nausea.
It was the familiar smells of Lima that woke Rachel from her sleep, which she had unintentionally lent into her mistress during, surprisingly nobody, seemed to have actually taken any notice of the pair.
Quinn turned to see what her girl was doing since she had been perfectly still once she had fallen asleep, seeing Rachel all sleepy eyed and slightly wary made her smile at the young girl's cuteness. She suddenly came to the knowledge that she actually had no idea when Rachel's birthday was, she may have missed it already, and she prayed to the gods that she hadn't.
Rachel blinked the drowsiness from her eyes and started to focus more on what was happening outside the carriage. She watched as young boys wooed their future brides and old women fussing over their aging husbands, children running rings around their adoring parents. It made her think of her own father and how she wished she could at least know how he and Michael were fairing.
A slight pressure on her hand made her turn back into the carriage, she looked down at her hand and saw delicate ivory skin covering her own, following the limb upwards she saw the glittering hazel eyes of her love, Quinn.
"We're home." Quinn stated with a gentle smile.
Rachel smiled back gently and gave a returning squeeze to Quinn's hand. Soon enough the carriage came to a complete halt and the doors were being opened from the outside by the guards. Tiredly the occupants of the transportation began to file out and make their way into the very much missed Fabray home.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to see my pillows." Rachel laughed weakly, just managing to finish her sentence before a yawn attacked.
Quinn followed her pet slowly into the room and let out a chuckle, before frowning, as she then realised that Rachel hadn't even considered sleeping next to Quinn on the bed, especially when she herself had been looking forward to cuddling with her girl again in her own bed.
"You know Rachel; you can sleep in with me for tonight. You know in case it gets a bit chilly, winter will be along shortly you know." Quinn rambled, a subtly blush making its way over her cheeks.
"Okay Quinn." Rachel replied with a grin, she didn't need to be asked twice. Of course she knew her mistress was talking a load of horse crap, but she didn't mind. It was obviously hard for Quinn to ask for things like this sort without feeling uncomfortable and awkward.
Turning away from her mountainous pile of pillows, Rachel moved over to Quinn's large bed and started to pull the sheets back, so she could get in. Noticing that her mistress hadn't moved, Rachel looked over to her and saw her frowning.
"What's the matter Quinn?" Rachel asked with a sigh, she really just wanted to go to sleep and Quinn was either stalling or she was what Rachel had assumed she was; a goddess who needed no rest.
"Are you going to sleep in that?" Quinn asked the frowning still marring her face as she moved her hands up and down gesturing to Rachel's clothes.
"Why, do you want me to completely nude in your bed mistress?" Rachel asked cheekily, revealing in the blush that erupted over the blondes face and the panicking reaction that followed afterwards.
"What...no! I was thinking, thinking of your comfort that was all." Quinn babbled. When Rachel started laughing Quinn huffed, how she hated being laughed at. "You know what you can sleep in your own bed." Quinn suddenly announced as she started undressing.
"No! I'm sorry Quinn, I'll behave I promise." Rachel whined after jumping into her blonde's bed and buried herself under the blankets. If Quinn was being serious, she was going to have to physically move the little slave.
"You are such a troublesome brat Rachel." Quinn stated, looking at the lump that was moving around in the centre of her much missed bed.
"I am not." Was the muffled reply, and Quinn didn't have to see her slave to know that the brunette was certainly going to have that gods awful pout going on.
She was tempted to walk over there and bop the mouthy girl on the head, but since she couldn't actually tell which end was Rachel's head, she decided she would let it slide. Accidentally smacking the small girl on her rear would only set the pest off.
Not saying anything else, Quinn made quick work of changing and made her way to her bed. Roughly pulling back the sheets, she uncovered her pet, who squealed at her unveiling. Shaking her head and sighing Quinn got in and pulled the sheets back over her, covering Rachel once again.
Not having been kicked or ordered from the bed, Rachel scurried up from the centre of the bed and snuggled up close to her mistress, letting out a content sigh as Quinn wrapped her up in her comforting arms.
"Rachel?" Quinn whispered.
"Yes?" Rachel whispered back, her body relaxing and her breathing was started to show signs of her being almost asleep.
"When is your birthday?" Quinn asked, her focus on the dimming suns glow coming through her curtains.
"Start of spring." Rachel murmured just before her breathing completely evened out. Quinn groaned, her pet had been quiet vague, how was Quinn supposed to know what day was her girl's birthday. She was going to have to check Rachel's papers, even though she had wanted to learn about Rachel from the girl herself.
When she thought about it, maybe this way she could surprise her girl with something and actually have the time to come up with something that Rachel would love, without being pestered by the brunette about what she was going to get her.