Title: Drawing The Line
Summary: Quinn's estranged aunt, Rachel, returns to Lima after being away for several years. The two spend more time together and become much closer with every day that passes. It's not long before Quinn starts developing feelings that she should not be feeling. Complications soon arise.
Warnings: Some angst in this chapter.
A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying the holidays so far! I know I am. And now, on with the next chapter!
Two weeks have passed since the day Quinn was forced out of her home. Russell still checks in with her frequently, which she truly appreciates. But there was still radio silence from her mother. She often found herself contemplating about trying to get in touch with Judy, but thought better against it. The dust was still settling.
And things with Rachel were...different, to say the least.
The air has definitely changed between them, and it's making Quinn seriously worry. The woman completely refuses to talk about what happened with Judy, which Quinn finds understandable. She knows what Rachel must be going through, so she's been giving her space.
So much space that they've hardly done anything physical. There's the occasional kiss, which is, nearly all of the time, initiated by Quinn. But nothing ever goes beyond that. It's almost as if Rachel feels awkward with her now.
And that doesn't bode well with Quinn. If her mother said anything to make Rachel doubt their relationship, then they needed to talk about it, and fast. Two weeks should have been enough time for Rachel to come around, but she still hasn't.
Quinn's mind keeps going back to the letter that she received in the mail earlier in the day. That was a whole other topic that she had to talk to Rachel about. But first, she needed to find out where they stood.
"Kurt said that he would pick you up in an hour or so," Rachel calls out from the bathroom, interrupting Quinn's thoughts. She comes out of the bathroom spritzing her wrists with a small bottle of perfume. "Is that okay with you?"
Quinn smiles and puts her book down next to her in the bed. She had been reading, or at least trying to with all that was going on inside her head. "Tell him I'll be ready."
Rachel nods and goes back into the bathroom. Tonight was the glee club's Regionals competition. And luckily, the higher powers decided to have it at the McKinley auditorium this year.
Since Rachel and Blaine had to be there an hour early with the club, Kurt agreed to give Quinn a ride since she no longer had her own car. Her father had offered to work something out with her so she wouldn't have to be without one, but she politely declined.
"Alright," Rachel comes out of the bathroom once again. "I have to get going. I'll see you there, okay?"
"Yeah." Quinn takes in the woman's appearance with her favorite black sweater and gray skirt, and her perfectly done hair and makeup. God, she was so beautiful. "I love you," she says suddenly.
Rachel looks away and clears her throat. "Love you too," she says as she grabs her purse.
Quinn sighs. As her girlfriend walks to the bedroom door, she softly calls out, "Rachel?"
The woman stops and turns around to look at her expectantly. Quinn hops off the bed and approaches her, taking her hands into her own. She doesn't know exactly what she was planning to say, so she settles for, "Good luck tonight."
Rachel looks up at her through her eyelashes and murmurs, "Thank you."
Quinn wants to lean in for a kiss, but doesn't want to face disappointment if it's not returned again. So instead, she presses her lips to her cheek and whispers, "I'll see you there."
Rachel pulls back and brings a hand up to softly cup the blonde's cheek. Just when Quinn thinks she's going to say something, she drops her hand and smiles before turning on her heel and leaving like she was before.
When she hears the blare of a car horn outside, Quinn knows that Kurt is there, so she rushes out of the house and gets into his waiting car.
"Sorry I'm late. I couldn't find my keys," Kurt apologizes as he quickly reverses out of the driveway and peels off down the street.
"It's no problem," Quinn says as she puts on her seatbelt. "We'll make it in time."
He nods as he focuses on the road. After a few minutes, he says, "You look stunning, as always."
"Thanks. You look...dapper?"
"I'll take it," he laughs. "Have you guys booked your flights for the wedding yet?"
Quinn shakes her head, "No, we haven't." Rachel hasn't brought up the subject at all. She wasn't sure if they were even still going. "I'll talk to Rachel about getting it done soon."
Kurt purses his lips. "I know she's got a lot going on. Especially after what happened with Judy," he says cautiously.
She whips her head to look at him. "She told you about that?"
"Well yeah. She cried to me about it at work the next day and told me everything. It was pretty hard on her."
Quinn frowns and stares back out the window. Rachel can talk to Kurt about it, but not her? Of course he was her best friend, but it still hurts. "She never told me what happened," she murmurs.
Kurt is surprised at the statement. But then again, it's Rachel.
"You know that she's an idiot sometimes," he says.
"I didn't –"
"I mean, no offense to Rachel, but she's always been terrible in relationships."
"I'm just trying to give her space," Quinn says. "She'll come to me when she's ready."
"But clearly this is affecting you. And won't see that if you don't tell her. If you want to get through to her, you're going to have to force her to talk about it. She won't be happy at first, but it's the best thing for your relationship. Trust me, I've known her for a long time."
Quinn stops and mulls over his words. She then asks, "This stays between us, right?"
"My lips are sealed," Kurt smiles. "Is there anything else you'd like to get off your chest while I'm here?"
She sighs. There's a lot that she would like to get off her chest. She's been keeping so many things to herself since there was very few people she could turn to. Her best friend was on the other side of the country and her girlfriend was a brick wall at this point. "Sometimes I feel like she doesn't want me there."
"How do you figure?"
"I don't know," she stops to bite her lip. "Once in a while, I get the feeling that whatever my mom said really got to her and now she doesn't see me in a romantic way anymore. Like now she's just uncomfortable with me being there. I even stay in the guest bedroom sometimes because it can be so awkward lying next to her."
They pull into the school parking lot. Kurt kills the engine before he speaks again. "I think that if Rachel didn't want you there, she would have said something by now."
Quinn shakes her head. "Maybe just feels guilty that I have nowhere else to go at the moment."
"Well like I said, you need to talk to her about it," he nudges her. "Believe me, she's stubborn. You have to really push her."
"And what if she hates me for it?"
He sighs, "Quinn, be the selfish one for once. She could never hate you."
They both exit the car and make their way to the auditorium.
Kurt looks at her in sympathy and takes her hand. "Look at it this way: if you two can make it through this, you can make it through anything."
"I hope so," she mumbles.
"Whatever happens, it's going to be okay in the end."
They take their seats near the front. When she's settled, Quinn looks over at him and smiles. "I'm really glad that she has you in her life."
"Hey, I'm your friend now too," he smiles back.
"You're going to be a great husband to Blaine."
Before he can reply, he sees his fiancé as well as Rachel are walking through the aisle to take their seats next to them. He leans over and whispers, "And you're the only one that's ever had my approval for Rachel."
Quinn smiles to herself. She then turns to her girlfriend as she sits down next to her. "Is everything okay?"
Rachel nods, undeterred, "The kids are just nervous, but that's normal. They've got this."
She chuckles at her girlfriend's determination before focusing her gaze on the stage when the lights go down and the announcer introduces The Warblers.
Quinn thinks that The Warblers' performance was cute at the most. While they had quite an impressive acapella ensemble, they were lacking in creativity when it came to theatricality. She didn't think that they had much going on with their choreography and just kind of stood in the same general area.
The next group to go on was Vocal Adrenaline. And Quinn wouldn't admit it, but they completely blew her away. However, this made her incredibly nervous for the New Directions. Vocal Adrenaline's entire set was just one song, Bohemian Rhapsody. Their vocals and choreography were flawless. And their gymnastics were so perfect that they seemed like they could rival even Sue Sylvester's Cheerios.
She turns to look at Rachel, who looks just as nervous as she watches them. When their set is finished, the woman leans over and whispers, "I had no idea they were this good."
Quinn shrugs, "They were okay I guess."
Rachel looks at her and shakes her head with a small smile and makes Quinn's breath hitch for a moment. One of her favorite things is making her smile.
She turns to the stage again when the New Directions are announced. She feels Rachel nudge her and looks over at her.
"The theme they chose this year was 'Decades'. So we picked three songs from different decades," she explains.
Quinn nods in understanding and turns her attention back to them.
Their opening number is Don't Stop Believing, which makes her smile. She had always found it to be a classic and thought that the New Directions did it justice. When it's over, the crown roars in applause.
"Do you think anyone noticed Rory going sharp in the verse?" Rachel asks as she claps along.
Quinn frowns. She doesn't even know who that was and as far as she could tell, they sounded great. "I don't think so."
Before Rachel can say anything else, they go into their next number, which is Don't Look Back In Anger with just two boys and two girls singing this time. Quinn thinks that they stuck more to a rock theme and have made excellent choices with the songs so far.
The song didn't call for much dancing, but she thinks they pulled it off quite nicely. And again, the crowd applauds enthusiastically when it's over.
The New Directions' final song is Beautiful Day. Quinn finds that it's the perfect way to end the set. By the time it's over, the audience is on their feet.
She can't help but notice that Rachel still looks incredibly nervous and takes the woman's hand in her own and gently squeezes.
After the judges make their decision, the glee clubs gather around on stage to wait for the verdict. Quinn notices Rachel locking hands with Blaine and everyone else in the club and feels Kurt latch onto her own arm. With how anxious she was, she could only imagine how Rachel must feel right now.
She sees the sighs of relief when The Warblers are announced as the second place winners, leaving Vocal Adrenaline and New Directions left for first. The crowd cheers on while the lead Warbler takes the trophy for them.
Quinn closes her eyes and she awaits the announcement, which seems to be taking forever to come this time.
But when it does, words can't explain the shock and disappointment she feels when Vocal Adrenaline is announced.
"Oh no," Kurt gasps.
She dares to look at Rachel, whose face instantly fills with heartbreak, along with Blaine and all of New Directions. But she quickly snaps out of it and ushers the kids off the stage.
"They're probably going to the choir room," Kurt says while he stands and tugs on Quinn's arm. "Come on."
By the time they get to the choir room, Rachel, Blaine, and the glee club are already inside with the door locked. Quinn glances through the window to see what looks like Blaine giving everyone a pep talk.
"After all of their hard work," Kurt says. "Those poor kids."
She nods her head in agreement, more concerned with Rachel than anyone else. She and Kurt then stand there in silence, waiting for them to come out.
After a while, the upset club starts filing out and Kurt takes the opportunity to slip inside. "Wait here," he tells Quinn.
The blonde nods and stays outside the door.
When he gets inside, he sees Blaine and Rachel talking quietly to each other. When she sees Kurt, she walks over and pulls him to the side out and of earshot of the remaining kids. "Can you give Quinn a ride home?"
He frowns, "What? Why?"
"Blaine and I kind of...need a drink right now."
He gapes at her. "Are you serious?"
"You can come too if you want. But I know you have work in the morning."
He locks eyes with Blaine and scowls before turning back to his best friend. "No."
Rachel is caught off guard. "No?"
"No," he repeats. "As in, you need to go home with your girlfriend."
She sighs, "Quinn will understand and –"
"Of course she would. But that doesn't mean that you should leave her alone."
When the last of the glee kids are gone, Blaine joins in on their conversation and says, "Look, Rachel is right. Tonight really sucks and –"
"Going out and getting wasted won't help you at all," Kurt interrupts. "Blaine, I promise, things will be fine if you just come home with me." He gives him the look that says no further arguing will change what he says. He then turns to Rachel. "And you will be okay as long as you go home with Quinn."
She opens her mouth to say something, but he stops her. "Trust me, if you don't get your shit together, then Regionals won't be the only thing that you lose."
She narrows her eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He folds his arms across his chest and nods his head towards the door, "I think Quinn's waiting on you."
They continue to stare each other down, Kurt daring her to say something else. After a moment, she walks past him and out the door.
She sees Quinn leaning against a row of lockers. When the blonde notices her coming out, she immediately walks over and says, "I can drive, if you want."
Rachel nods with a smile. "Thank you."
By the time they get to the house, Rachel's anger has built up so much that she storms inside fuming.
"Such bull shit," she shouts as she throws her purse on the couch and heads to the kitchen.
Quinn makes sure that the front door is locked and quickly chases after Rachel. She finds the woman in the kitchen pulling a bottle of vodka out of the freezer.
"I mean, Vocal Adrenaline I can understand. But The Warblers? Are you fucking kidding me?" she rants, more to herself than anything.
"They weren't even that good! At least six of them were off key at some point. And...Quinn, what are you doing?" she asks as the blonde snatches the bottle out of her hands.
"I don't think you need this," her girlfriend answers as she puts it back into the freezer.
Rachel groans and heads into the living room, where she plops down on the couch. Quinn is instantly by her side.
"I just don't understand," she sighs.
"I know. It's stupid, but it's going to be okay," Quinn says as she takes the woman into her arms.
Rachel pulls out of the embrace and rests her face against the palm of her hand.
"Hey," Quinn softly rubs her back. "Just tell me what I can do to make it better?"
"I just need some time to myself," Rachel sighs.
"I'm not leaving you by yourself."
"Quinn," she tries. "Please. Can you just give me tonight? This is just something else to add to the list of shit I can't deal with right now."
"And how many more nights are you going to need for yourself?" Quinn presses.
"You know all that's been going on," Rachel snaps. "You know how hard things have been for me."
"And you seriously think it hasn't been hard for me?"
She sighs, "Quinn..."
"My own mother won't even talk to me. And I have no choice but to live with a girlfriend that probably doesn't even want to be with me anymore," Quinn's voice cracks. This isn't the way that she wanted to bring it up, but she can't hold it in any longer.
"That's not true!"
"Isn't it?"
"Of course not!"
Quinn scoffs, "You could've fooled me."
"Look," Rachel takes her hand. "I know it's hard for you to understand what I'm thinking sometimes, but –"
"How can I when you won't even talk to me?" Quinn asks. "And some days you won't even look at me. Just tell me, Rachel. What are you thinking?" She gestures between them. "What is this to you now?"
"I don't want to break up if that's what you're asking," Rachel says softly. "And I don't mean to push you away. Even I don't know what goes on in my head sometimes. I'm sorry."
"I know you don't mean to. But that doesn't change the fact that you do. You're not the only one going through this. We were supposed to be in this together." Quinn stands and runs a hand through her hair in an attempt to gather herself.
After a minute, she says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make your night worse. I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I...we can talk about this tomorrow I guess."
"Quinn, don't apologize." Rachel reaches to take her hand again, but the girl steps out of reach.
"I was going to tell you, but I got a letter from NYU earlier." The woman holds her breath as she waits for Quinn to continue. "They're offering me the scholarship. And I'm going to take it. Of course, you don't have to go with me if you don't want to. I just thought I'd let you know."
Rachel doesn't know how to respond right now. All she can do is watch as Quinn retreats into the guest bedroom and shuts the door behind her.
She lets the new information sink in for a moment. Quinn was leaving. She was leaving for New York, and she felt so alone here that she was willing to go without Rachel.
She looks around the living room as painful memories begin to haunt her. From accidentally hurting her girlfriend after pushing her hard in this very room, to Quinn packing her things and leaving because their relationship was crumbling.
Rachel's worst side came out because that Marley girl had been getting in between them. And now, the only thing getting between them was herself. And she'll be damned if history repeats itself because she can't stop fucking everything up.
Kurt was right. She had bigger things to worry about than losing Regionals.
She quickly gets up and tries the guest room door, thanking god that Quinn left it unlocked. She peers inside to see the blonde already lying in bed, facing away from her. She crawls on the mattress and presses herself against Quinn's back, wrapping an arm around her waist and squeezing tight.
"Maybe we can look around for a place when we go up there for the wedding," she says.
Quinn frowns and turns around to face her. "Rachel..."
"I already told you, you're not going anywhere without me." For the first time in too long, she takes the girl's face in her hands and presses their lips together. "I love you."
The blonde regards her for a moment before clearing her throat. "I'm sorry for that…outburst. You're having a terrible night and you have every right to be upset right now."
"Don't be. I'm the one that should be embarrassed with how I've been acting."
"You know you don't have to stay in here with me," Quinn says. "I know you wanted to be alone tonight."
"It's okay."
She lightly tugs at her sleeve. "Don't you want to change?"
Rachel scoots back and quickly peels off her sweater and skirt before tossing them to the floor. She then crawls under the blanket and shifts closer. "I think I'll be fine as long as you hold me," she says.
She smiles when the girl pulls her into her side and kisses her temple. After a minute, Quinn lazily runs her fingers along her shoulder.
A little while later, Rachel sighs. Quinn had asked what she was thinking and she deserves to know the truth. "Judy kept saying that I took advantage of you."
Quinn nods, "She told me the same thing."
"She said that it was sick for me to be doing this with you," Rachel continues. "And she basically told me that I need professional help because I'm insane."
"You know that's not true," Quinn says. "You're not crazy, Rachel."
"I know," she smiles sadly. "But for a minute there...I think I actually believed it."
"Is that why you were pushing me away? Because you suddenly thought being with me was wrong?"
Rachel squeezes her eyes shut. "I didn't even realize I was doing it. I'm so sorry, Quinn."
"It's okay," Quinn says soothingly. "What else did she say to you?"
"She said that hates me and that you were going to hate me too one day when you realize that I manipulated you."
"Rachel, that's just not true. You didn't manipulate me and I will never hate you for anything. And who cares if anyone thinks this is wrong? Because it's not. And we love each other too much for anything to break us now."
"I know, Quinn."
"Do you?"
She nods. "The thought of losing you again brought me back to reality. I don't care what anyone says anymore. I still love you and I always will."
"I love you too." Quinn softly strokes her hair. "Did anything else happen?"
Rachel purposely leaves out the part where she had the daylights slapped out of her. She knows that telling Quinn would only make the girl furious. And she's not going to try and turn her against her own mother.
"That's all that matters," she says. "You know, everyone tends to say really mean things when they're angry."
Quinn nods in agreement. "I guess that's true."
They both lay there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Rachel then speaks up, "Maybe she'll come around and be a part of our lives again one day. Or at least yours."
"We'll just have to see," Quinn sighs.
"We're going to get through this," she presses. "I'm going to be there for you. And I'm sorry for being such a dumbass lately."
"You're not," the blonde chuckles. "And I'm not perfect either."
"I think you are."
Quinn wants to argue, but she's silenced with another kiss, and she's not going to break this cherished moment for anything.
When they finally break apart, she says, "So, New York?"
Rachel beams, "I'm so proud of you! I knew you were going to get it."
Quinn blushes before clearing her throat. "The semester starts at the end of August. And I'm not exactly familiar with the area up there, so I thought you'd have the best judgment on where exactly to look for a place."
The woman nods excitedly. "NYU is in lower Manhattan, which is a great area. It's not only way cheaper than living in midtown, but there's lots of parks and places to walk around. Nature, Quinn! And you can get anywhere in New York in no time because there's so many subway stops and bus stops around there. I'll have to take you on the ferry because that would be fun. And on weekends, we can take the train up Long Island and explore all the little towns. And then..."
Quinn listens to her girlfriend go on and on about the wander that is New York for what seems like hours after that. But she doesn't mind. She's just so happy that Rachel is talking to her like this again. And she's never going to take it for granted.
The months leading up to Kurt and Blaine's wedding are complete bliss for Rachel. While she was bummed that she didn't have a glee club to coach any longer, she was able to spend more time with Quinn and she doesn't think she's ever been happier.
She can't believe that it's already been a year since she moved back to Lima, and nearly a year with Quinn on top of that. She wasn't expecting her life to be where it was now when she got off that plane. Yet here she was, sharing a life with Quinn, and about to start a new chapter together.
With the wedding just around the corner, they already had their flights and hotel booked. They were leaving the following Monday and would stay in the city all week until the wedding on Saturday, when they would spend a couple nights at the house belonging to Blaine's parents.
The plan was to use their time in the city to look at different apartments and decide on one to move into in August. After they got back, she would put her house on the market and hope that it wouldn't take long to sell. Sure, they were cutting it close, but Rachel wasn't too worried.
She figures she should definitely utilize her resources from the first time she lived in New York. And by resources, it was really only one person.
She takes a break from packing her suitcase and sits down on the bed, picking up her phone and scrolling through her contacts until she finds the number she's looking for. She then presses call.
After two rings, he answers, "Hello?"
"Finn," she says.
"Rachel? What's going on? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine and I'm not calling because of anything bad. Do you have a minute?"
"Yeah. I have a meeting to go to, but it's not for another fifteen minutes. So, what's up?"
She takes a deep breath to prepare herself, not sure how this conversation is going to go. She thinks that it's probably best to lay it all out at once.
"I'm moving back to New York in a couple of months. And I'm going to be in town next week to look for an apartment. And the reason I'm calling is because I would really appreciate it if you can ask your real estate friend to maybe help me out while I'm there. What's his name? Sebastian?"
"Sebastian, yeah."
"I remember that he hooked us up with that flat on 52nd."
"Yeah, that was a nice place. And he got us a steal on it too."
"Exactly. So can you ask him for me?"
There's silence on the other end, and she thinks that Finn is probably deep in thought.
"Why are you moving back here?" he finally asks. "I thought you hated this place and never wanted to come back?"
"Why does everyone think New York is like, the bane of my existence? I actually enjoyed living there."
"I know. But I thought you went back to Lima to be with your sister. Did something happen? Is that why you're coming back?"
She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Everything between me and my family is my business. And I'm moving back not because I'm running away again, but for completely different and private reasons. Can you wrap your brain around that?" she asks, a little too harshly.
"Wow, okay! Sorry. None of my business. Got it."
She immediately cringes, "I'm sorry I'm being rude. It's just really personal and I'd rather not talk about it with you."
"Yeah, I got that," he deadpans.
"But can you please help me?"
"Sure. I mean, I told you that you can still ask if you ever needed anything." She can hear the guilt still evident in his voice. "And I'll give Sebastian your number and have him set up a meeting with you. What areas were you looking into?"
"Lower Manhattan," she answers. "And thank you, Finn."
"It's no problem," he says. "And I should probably get going to that meeting before I get chewed out for being late again. So...take care, Rachel."
She nods. "Bye Finn."
After she hears the line disconnect, she places her phone down and runs a hand through her hair. This was really happening.
She walks over to the dresser to grab her purse, fishing around in it for a small bag. When she finds it, she opens the bag to pull out a small, black square box. Rachel then goes to sit on the bed again and carefully opens to box to stare at what was inside for what may be the hundredth time after picking it up earlier that day.
She feels her heart rate pick up every time she looks at it, just like every time she looks at Quinn. This was another thing that she never saw coming a year ago. This was really happening.
She suddenly hears the front door open and jumps up.
"Shit!" she hisses as she scrambles to close the box and push it back into the bag.
When she hears footsteps fast approaching her room, she panics and promptly shoves it into the bottom of her suitcase.
"Hey," Quinn says as she steps inside.
"Hi!" Rachel exclaims, standing in between the blonde and the suitcase. "How was work?"
"It was fine, for a morning shift." Quinn looks at her and frowns. "You're packing already?"
She rolls her eyes. "One can never be too prepared for anything."
When Quinn chuckles and goes to the closet to change out of her uniform, Rachel quickly zips the suitcase closed and places it on the floor.
Her girlfriend then emerges and walks over to pull her in for a sweet kiss. "I'm so excited," she says.
"Me too," Rachel beams. She knows that they weren't only excited for the trip, but for the move as well. "Trust me, you're going to love it."
"I know I will."
After a few moments longer in their loving embrace, Rachel pulls back and says nervously, "I hope you don't mind, but I talked to Finn."
"Finn?" Quinn furrows her brow. "Why?"
"He has a friend in real estate that can help us find a good deal on an apartment. And this friend, Sebastian, should be able to meet us and show us some places."
Quinn nods because it makes sense. "That would probably be helpful." She kisses her forehead. "And thank you for telling me."
Rachel smiles in relief. Everything is so much easier when they're completely honest with each other. "I love you, you know that?"
"Hmm," Quinn feigns contemplation. "No, I wasn't aware."
She rolls her eyes and takes her hand. "Well I do. Now come on and let's get you packed for the wedding!"
A/N: Songs used in this chapter are Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Don't Stop Believing by Journey, Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis, and Beautiful Day by U2.
I should probably note that there will be more time jumps as we approach the end of the story. I still don't have a final chapter total, but I'll keep you guys posted.
Next chapter is New York!
