An Entirely Different Song
"You're going to be amazing."
Rachel glanced back over her shoulder at her girlfriend and smiled. Quinn looked beautiful in her blue dress with her hair curling softly around her face. Those hazel eyes that she'd spent hours gazing into just to watch the colors change were now sparkling with affection. They'd only been together for just over three weeks, but Rachel knew without a doubt in her mind that she had fallen completely and totally in love with Quinn Fabray—was still falling, actually, and she didn't imagine that she'd ever stop.
Their public relationship had been labeled as the oddest friendship in the history of William McKinley High School, but they really didn't care. The curious murmurings had mostly died down after the first week when more interesting gossip appeared in the form of Ms. Pillsbury-Howell's crumbling, sexless, sham of a marriage. Apparently, Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry weren't nearly as interesting to talk about when they weren't tossing insults and slushies at one another. So Quinn continued to walk the hallways with her ice queen persona and effortlessly part the crowds with a glare, and Rachel continued to be jostled and mostly ignored, but she actually hadn't been slushied since Quinn had made it obvious that they were friends. Of course, it had only been three weeks, and she'd had similar reprieves in the past, so she wasn't really holding her breath that this was a permanent embargo.
In private, they'd dropped their defenses and talked for hours about anything and everything, discovering that they had more in common than they'd ever known, and that their differences were actually quite complementary. Until Quinn, Rachel hadn't fully realized how often she'd censored her vocabulary or given up on a conversation entirely because Finn just couldn't keep up with her, and she was so happy to finally have someone who could match her intellectually. Quinn satisfied her in ways that no one else ever had, and that wasn't even touching on the physical aspect. Rachel's plan to wait until she was twenty-five to have sex—completely amended. She was only waiting for Quinn.
That wasn't to say that they were rushing into complete physical intimacy, but kissing Quinn had quickly become one of Rachel's favorite activities—along with touching Quinn, being touched by Quinn, sliding her leg between Quinn's, and hearing Quinn moan her name. Generally, Rachel just enjoyed anything involving Quinn. Of course, with Rachel's inexperience and Quinn's bad experience, they'd established boundaries that they'd agreed not to cross—well, just one boundary, really—but that didn't stop them from exploring other ways to give one another pleasure.
For now, they were still treading carefully. They weren't even out to their parents yet. Quinn was terrified of telling her mother and possibly being kicked out of her house again, and Rachel had wanted her dads to get to know Quinn better and come to adore her as much as she did before telling them that Quinn was actually her girlfriend. And also because the minute her dads knew the truth, an open door policy would be strictly in effect, and Rachel had grown very fond of having it closed. Her room was soundproof, after all. She'd probably be sternly reprimanded once they found out, but it was so worth it.
Quinn was starting to really relax around Rachel's dads, and a relaxed Quinn tended to be very touchy-feely, so Rachel knew that she would need to sit them down and tell them everything very soon. Rachel had yet to even meet Judy Fabray. She was trying to be patient with Quinn, but her girlfriend's reluctance to introduce her to her mother was starting to become something of a sore point between them. Quinn claimed that she just didn't want Rachel to have to deal with her mother's unique brand of unconscious prejudice. The Berry name wasn't exactly anonymous in Lima, and Quinn's mother was aware of the gay couple and had been subjected, just as Quinn had, to Russell's homophobic slurs. Rachel had tried to assure Quinn that there was really nothing that her mother could say that she hadn't already heard, and she had promised to try and censor her own innate defensive responses, but Quinn just wasn't ready to deal with it. As far as Rachel was aware, Judy Fabray believed that her daughter had been spending all of her free time rebuilding her friendship with Santana and Brittany. It hurt, but she'd promised Quinn not to give up on her and it was a promise she intended to keep. She reminded herself once again that it had only been three weeks.
Rachel angled her head to peer out around the curtain, mentally preparing herself for her performance. She'd won the solo due to her superior talent, of course—and maybe because Quinn had done a little lobbying on Rachel's behalf. Okay, possibly it was more like subtly threatening their fellow glee clubbers into seeing things her way, but that was just a minor detail. Rachel was determined to win Regionals. She would not be denied for a second time—New Directions was going to New York for Nationals, and she was going to lead them there by blowing the judges away.
"Of course I am," she murmured, reaching back to grasp Quinn's hand.
Quinn chuckled as she stepped closer and leaned down. "And so modest, too," she breathed against the shell of Rachel's ear, causing Rachel to shiver.
She turned a quirked a brow at her girlfriend. "I see nothing wrong with having confidence in my own talent."
"Well, you have it in abundance, baby."
Rachel frowned up at her. "I hope you are referring to the talent part of my statement, Quinn Fabray."
"Of course," Quinn promised with grin. Around them, their fellow glee clubbers were getting into their positions, and Quinn's eyes darted around the backstage area to make sure that no one outside their friends was really paying attention to them before she bent and pressed a quick kiss to Rachel's cheek. "Break a leg."
"I love that you're making an effort with the theater lingo," Rachel told her with grin, silently scolding her body for reacting to Quinn's proximity even as she involuntarily swayed closer.
A soft smile curved Quinn's lips as she gazed down at Rachel adoringly, and she seemed to hesitate for a second. "Rachel?"
"Yes, Quinn."
"I love you," she whispered.
Rachel blinked.
I love you.
Her breath caught and her lips parted, but no sound came out.
Quinn loves me.
She blinked again.
Quinn's smile grew. "Just thought you should know," she said, and with a final squeeze to Rachel's hand, she let go and hurried to get into her position just as the announcer was introducing them.
Quinn Fabray loves me…and…oh, my God…my cue!
On instinct, Rachel hit her mark perfectly, plastered on her show face and let her voice fill the auditorium. She had the lyrics and choreography down perfectly, and that was a very good thing, because her heart was singing an entirely different song with an erratic rhythm because Quinn Fabray just said I love you for the very first time! She would probably be very cross with her later for her questionable timing, but right now—Rachel was on cloud nine and she poured all of her own love and joy into her performance.
The roar of applause was a beautiful drug that rushed through her veins and added to the high that Quinn's words had already provided her. When she turned with a giddy smile to slip back into the group for the next song, her eyes immediately found Quinn, who was beaming at her with pride, and Rachel winked at her. She felt the energy around her building as they sang together, and she watched Brittany and Mike move with fluid grace across the stage. She surreptitiously grazed her fingers across Quinn's arm whenever the choreography brought them close enough to touch. This was special. This was magic. They were so going to win this.
Seeing the entire audience rise to their feet in a standing ovation gave Rachel chills, and they were all smiling and laughing and soaking in the accolades. She felt a sure hand settle onto her lower back as they filed off the stage, and she glanced over her shoulder to catch Quinn's eyes—she was glowing. "You were so incredible, Rach."
"We were incredible. We're going to win," Rachel promised, reaching back to grab Quinn's hand as they entered the green room to wait for the judges to deliberate.
The second they were all inside, Mr. Schuester was congratulating them with a huge grin. "I am so proud of you guys. You put your hearts and souls into that performance, and the crowd adored you. No matter what happens with the judges, you're all winners in my book."
"Screw that," Santana snapped. "I wants me that trip to New York."
"I'm with ya on that, sistah," Mercedes agreed, giving Santana a friendly fist bump.
Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's waist from behind and dropped her chin on the girl's shoulder. "You're so cute when you bond with our friends."
Santana bristled. "I'm not cute."
"You're freaking adorable," Quinn told her drolly.
"A big ol' cuddly teddy bear," Kurt added in amusement.
Santana scowled and attempted to lunge forward, but Brittany wasn't letting her go. "I love teddy bears. They're soft and huggable."
"You're killin' me here, Britt."
"I'll make it up to you later."
Puck grinned. "Can I watch?"
"In your dreams, Puckerman." Santana shot him a glare and turned in Brittany's arms, tugging her over into the corner of the room for a little privacy.
Mike and Tina were snuggled into one of the oversized chairs, and she glanced up and asked, "How long do you think it'll take until the judges decide?"
"I'm not sure, Tina," Mr. Schuester told her. "We just need to be patient."
Rachel huffed. She hated waiting. Glancing around the room, she saw that Puck was leaning against the wall talking with Artie, Mercedes had turned to Kurt and started chatting about the other teams costumes, and Finn was standing off to the side staring longingly in her direction. Quinn was frowning at his obviousness as she sat down on the edge of the sofa next to Sam and tried to pull Rachel down beside her, but Rachel had too much nervous energy to sit still. She smiled down at Quinn, but gently tugged her hand free and paced over to the door and peeked out, searching for any sign of the stagehand coming to fetch them.
"Stunning example of patience there, short stack."
"What have I told you about the name-calling?" Quinn growled.
"It's okay, Quinn," Rachel soothed distractedly as she continued to bounce on her toes and stare out the door. "I really don't mind that one very much."
"See, Berry's cool with me, so you can sheathe the claws now."
Quinn shot Santana an annoyed look as she stood and walked over to Rachel. She laid a hand on her shoulder and attempted to gently guide her away from the door. "Come on, Rach. Come sit with me."
"Quinn…I'm perfectly fine where I am," Rachel whined.
"You're about ten seconds away from storming down the hall, finding the person in charge, and demanding to know what's taking the judges so long when we're obviously the superior team."
Rachel crossed her arms and pouted. "That's a gross exaggeration. I would never presume to mention our obvious superiority. It goes without saying."
Quinn chuckled softly and wrapped her arm more securely around Rachel, leaning down to purr, "Relax, baby" against her ear.
Again, with the shivers.
Rachel felt herself melt into Quinn's side—she was far too skilled at doing that to Rachel. Quinn maneuvered them closer to the sofa, but before they could sit down, the stagehand poked his head in the door and told them to be on stage in five minutes, and Rachel immediately tensed.
Mr. Schuester clapped his hands. "Alright, guys, let's go."
"Quinn," she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"If…if we don't win…I'm probably going to be very difficult to deal with for a few days. Or quite possibly a few weeks."
"I think I can handle it," Quinn assured her wryly.
Rachel sighed and nodded. "Okay. Let's do this." Then she lifted her chin, took Quinn's hand, and headed for the stage.
Gathered together between the other two show choirs, Rachel felt a calm come over her. Last year at this time, her life had been in turmoil in so many ways—Shelby had rejected her, Jesse had broken her heart, Finn had just declared his love, and the fate of their glee club had been hanging by a precarious thread. When they'd lost, it had felt like all of it had been for nothing, but this year everything was different. Even if they lost, they'd still have this odd little family they'd made, and most importantly, Rachel would have Quinn.
She wanted to reach out and wrap her arms around her girlfriend, but she knew that Judy Fabray was sitting somewhere in the audience, as was her daddy—alone tonight because her dad had disappointingly been called to the hospital for an emergency with one of his patients—and the guise of a platonic friendship could only extend so far in the face of their obvious need for physical contact. So she settled for standing next to Quinn and letting their forearms brush together as they waited for the results to be read.
"In second place…"
Rachel held her breath.
"The Dalton Academy Warblers."
And she exhaled, listening to the applause as the Warblers were presented with their trophy. She looked over to see the forced smiles on the boys' faces that couldn't mask their obvious disappointment. Blaine glanced over towards Kurt and shrugged slightly, and Kurt gave him a sympathetic smile.
"And in first place…"
Her stomach bottomed out.
"William McKinley High School's New Directions."
Rachel stood stock still, trying to determine if she'd really heard that, or if her continuous internal chanting of their name had somehow manifested into a very realistic delusion. The feel of Quinn's arms around her lifting her feet slightly of the ground, followed almost instantly by Puck's arms wrapped around them both from behind her, convinced her that she was, in fact, not dreaming the whole thing.
"Oh, my God, we won!" Quinn squealed.
Puck whooped, "Hell yeah! New York, baby," he growled, pressing a sloppy kiss to Rachel's cheek before he let them go and bounded over to give Artie a high-five. Quinn let go too as Santana and Brittany swooped in to sandwich her in a hug. Rachel giggled at the sight, but Kurt was pulling her into a hug of her own between himself and Mercedes.
"We did it, sweetie."
"We certainly did," Rachel managed through her happy tears.
"'Cause we are all that, girlfriends," Mercedes pointed out.
When they let her go, she found herself being turned around and lifted up off her feet into Finn's arms. "You were so awesome tonight, Rach," he told her softly. She gripped his shoulders and gave him a quick squeeze before she squirmed out of his arms.
"Thank you, Finn," she murmured uncomfortably. "So were you."
He grinned down at her for a second, then it fell away as his eyes darted over her shoulder. Quinn stepped up beside her and gently pulled her away from the boy, silently staking her claim. He nodded and stepped back. Rachel smiled sadly at him, knowing he still had feelings for her but unable to offer him any comfort.
Kurt wandered over to talk to Blaine, and Rachel took note of their body language and thought that perhaps her friend's love life would be taking a turn for the better very soon. At center stage, Mr. Schuester was accepting their trophy with a huge smile, probably as much for the victory as for an opportunity to land another blow in his fruitless war with Sue Sylvester.
Quinn tugged discreetly on her hand, jerking her head in the direction of the curtains. Rachel allowed herself to be led past their teammates into the backstage area, and then past the stagehands and the members of the Warblers and Oral Intensity that were milling around, and finally tugged back into the empty green room. Quinn closed the door, gently turned Rachel, leaned her back against the wood and dipped her head to kiss her girlfriend almost reverently.
She pulled away ever so slightly, whispering, "I love you," against her lips before she recaptured them, stealing Rachel's breath with her words and her actions. Unable to resist, Rachel opened her mouth and met Quinn's demanding tongue with her own as she speared her fingers into silky blonde hair and tried to pull the girl closer. Quinn's hands slid down to cup Rachel's ass and lift, aligning their hips tightly together and making Rachel moan pleasure. She trailed her lips down a dusky throat and nuzzled the skin, nipping and licking and suckling as she pressed forward with her hips.
Rachel's fingers fisted in Quinn's hair as she tipped her head back against the door and gave her more access. Rachel's breath was coming in short little gasps and groans as her body started to overheat and shift eagerly against Quinn. Beside her hip, the doorknob turned, and the door moved slightly behind her before slamming shut again from the weight of their bodies. Quinn didn't stop kissing her until she heard the pounding next to their heads.
"Hey, chicas. If you're getting down and dirty in there you best be hosing off 'cause you're about to get busted," Santana grumbled, rattling the doorknob again. The door jerked a second time, and Quinn let go of Rachel to press her hands flat and hold it shut. "I know you're in there. Don't make me get Puckerman to break this door down."
"Why am breaking the door down?" Puck's muffled voice asked.
"'Cause Quinn and Rachel are totally having sexy times," Brittany told him.
"Quinn," Rachel hissed in mortification, ducking down and under her arms to escape from their compromising position. She hastily straightened her dress and her hair as quickly as she could as Puck's voice rang through the door loud and clear.
"Fuckin' awesome."
Quinn jumped away from the door a half-second before Puck laid his weight into it and came stumbling into the room—his momentum causing him to trip and land inelegantly on his knees at Quinn's feet. Santana doubled over with laughter in the doorway.
Puck looked around the room wildly, eyes landing on a slightly rumpled but completely dressed Rachel and a pissed off Quinn. His face fell. "Aw, damn it."
"You are such a pig," Quinn spat.
Brittany skipped over and wrapped her arms around Rachel. "I didn't get to hug you yet." She let go and rocked back on her heels, looking Rachel over. "You look hot all mussed up."
Rachel felt her face flame, and it only got worse when Santana sidled up to Brittany and said, "Nice sex hair, Q. Didn't know you had it in you."
Quinn flushed and attempted to fix her own messy hair.
"And I missed it," Puck complained.
"Missed what?" Mr. Schuester asked as he walked in the room followed closely by the rest of the club.
Brittany opened her mouth, but Santana was quick to cut her off. "Berry's obsessive-compulsive practice schedule for Nationals that we just have to dive right into," she said as she moved closer to Brittany and bumped their shoulder together.
"Um, yeah."
"Rachel, why don't you just enjoy this victory for awhile?" the man prompted. "We have time to prepare for Nationals."
She huffed a little at being made the scapegoat (again), but she couldn't deny that she was thankful Santana had stopped Brittany from announcing something wholly inappropriate to their teacher. "You're right, Mr. Schuester," she said sweetly, proud of herself for not choking on the words. She really did think the man was out to destroy her career.
Quinn shifted closer—her cheeks still pink and eyes dark with arousal. "I'm sorry," she mouthed with a sheepish grin.
Rachel couldn't help chuckling. Her body was still humming, but there was a certain humor in the situation. Getting caught in compromising positions was becoming an odd sort of hobby for them.
"Okay, guys. Gather up your things and be at the bus in ten minutes. We have a long drive back, and a trophy to add to the case."
"And a part-tay to be had," Santana chimed in.
Puck nodded. "Damn right."
Quinn grabbed her bag and Rachel's hand and started for the door. They only made it few steps before Quin was face-to-face with her mother. She instantly dropped Rachel's hand.
Judy Fabray smiled and wrapped her daughter in a tight hug. "Oh, Quinnie, you were wonderful out there. I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, mom."
Rachel stood just behind Quinn and slightly off to the side. She'd felt a little sting of rejection when Quinn had let her go, but she wasn't about to let this opportunity pass without at least a formal introduction to Quinn's mother. So when Judy released her daughter, Rachel stepped forward with a friendly smile and subtly cleared her throat. Quinn glanced at her with a nervous frown, and Rachel raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"Um…M-mom," Quinn stuttered, then bit her lip and took a quick, shallow breath.
Rachel shook her head in disappointment, turned up the wattage on her smile, and extended her hand to the older woman. "Hello Mrs. Fabray. My name is Rachel Berry." Judy took her hand instinctively and gave it a firm shake. "I just want to say how happy I am to finally meet Quinn's mother. Your daughter has been such a wonderful asset to our team, and we are very lucky to have her." She glanced over at Quinn meaningfully.
Judy smiled kindly at Rachel. "It's lovely to meet you too, dear. You have a beautiful voice. I got chills listening to you sing."
Rachel beamed at the woman, tickled by the compliment. "Thank you, Mrs. Fabray."
"You said your last name is Berry?" she asked mildly.
Quinn stiffened beside Rachel and frowned at her mother. Rachel wanted to reach for her hand to reassure her that she was prepared for whatever her mother said, but she knew that wasn't an option. "Yes, ma'am."
"Are your parents here tonight?"
"Mom, please don't," Quinn begged softly.
"Oh hush, Quinnie. I know she has gay fathers. I'm down with that."
Rachel bit down on her lip to keep from laughing, both at Judy Fabray's attempt to be hip and the stunned look of disbelief on Quinn's face.
"You are?" Quinn breathed out.
Rachel smiled at Mrs. Fabray. "Unfortunately, my dad had an emergency and was unable to attend, but daddy should be here somewhere."
Judy raised a brow, and Rachel caught her breath at the resemblance between mother and daughter in that moment. "Is your daddy Leroy, or…ah…Hiram, isn't it?" she asked.
Momentarily speechless that Judy would even know her fathers' given names, Rachel could only inelegantly stutter, "Uh…Leroy?"
The woman smiled and nodded, and Rachel didn't quite know what to make of it, nor did she have a chance to question it further because her daddy managed to find them at exactly that moment.
"There's my little Ray of Sunshine," he shouted from halfway across the hallway, and she cringed at the broadcasting of his private nickname for her. In four long strides, he was in front of her and lifting her off of her feet in an enthusiastic hug. "You knocked them dead out there, baby girl."
Rachel couldn't help grinning and squeezing him for all she was worth. "Well, was there ever any doubt?"
"Never," he answered without hesitation as he set her feet gently back to floor. He took a half-step back, still grinning widely, and nodded a greeting at Quinn. "Hello, Quinn."
"Hi, Leroy," she said with a half-smile, then licked her lips and glanced nervously at her mother. "Ah…this is my Mom, Jud…"
"Judy McQueen," he finished with wide-eyes when he finally noticed the woman. "It's been what? Twenty-five years?" he asked her with chuckle.
"At least," she agreed with a cynical smile. "Hello, Leroy."
Quinn shook her head. "Wait, you two know each other?" she asked her mother incredulously.
"We went to high school together, honey. Although, we didn't really know one another very well," Judy admitted with an apologetic glance in Leroy's direction.
He shrugged. "We ran in different social circles. Judy was the head cheerleader and prom queen," he reminisced fondly.
"And Leroy was editor of the school paper and valedictorian."
Rachel gaped at her father. "I'm stunned."
"That I was valedictorian?"
"That you failed to reveal this pertinent information," she informed him in annoyance as she placed her hands on her hips.
The man narrowed his eyes on his daughter. "You want to talk pertinent information? Because I think you've been a little tight-lipped about a certain something recently," he finished with a subtle glance at Quinn.
Rachel swallowed thickly and looked over at her girlfriend to see the panic in her hazel eyes. Her instinct to protect Quinn kicked in and she lifted her chin as she met her daddy's knowing eyes. "I…I don't know what you mean."
"Uh huh. I think we need to find you some better acting classes, baby girl," he told her with a teasing grin.
"Daddy!" She was highly offended by his implication that her acting skills were in some way inferior.
"We will be revisiting this conversation later," he warned her, then turned to address Quinn's mother again. "I was sorry to hear about your divorce, Judy."
"Thank you for the sentiment, but there's really no reason to be sorry. Russell was…well…it doesn't matter anymore," she said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You have a beautiful, talented daughter, Leroy."
"Yeah, we like her well enough. We'll probably keep her." Rachel crossed her arms, tapped her foot and huffed audibly, and Leroy laughed at her antics. "We like Quinn, too. You've raised a wonderful young woman."
Judy's eyebrow arched again as she looked at her daughter. "Quinnie, you didn't tell me you that know the Berrys."
Quinn shifted her weight uncomfortably and glanced at the floor. "I…ah…yeah…Rachel and I are…f-friends," she stammered out, and Rachel pushed down her disappointment. She hadn't really expected Quinn to come out right then and there, but she was starting to hate the 'F' word.
"She's been hanging out with Rae at our house the last few weeks," Leroy informed her. "I hope that's not a problem for you." Rachel wondered if the other two women caught the very subtle shift in her daddy's demeanor that warned he'd have a problem with Judy if she said yes. Quinn's little hiss of breath and sudden nervous twisting of her fingers together told Rachel that her girlfriend, at least, had noticed.
Judy shook her head and smiled. "No, of course it isn't," and Quinn visibly sagged in relief, until her mother turned her attention back onto her. "I just thought you were spending time with that Lopez girl and the other one…Bridget, or…"
"Brittany, mom," Quinn answered automatically, her cheeks coloring in embarrassment as she attempted to dig out from underneath the little white lies she'd told. "I've been hanging out with them too…um…a little bit," she qualified, and Rachel silently groaned. A little bit really meant once. Every other time Quinn had told her mother she was with Santana or Brittany or both, she'd actually been with Rachel.
"Quinn, did you think I wouldn't let you spend time with Rachel because her fathers are homosexuals?" Judy asked in disappointment.
Quinn shook her head. "N-no." Her mother gave her a look—actually, Rachel noted with some amusement, it was the look—and it was just as effective on Quinn as her own was on everyone else. Quinn dropped her eyes. "Maybe?"
Judy reached out and cupped her daughter's chin, gently lifting her face. "Oh, honey. I'm not your father."
"I know," Quinn whispered. "I'm sorry."
The woman brushed at her daughter's bangs. "Well, now that you know I'm cool with the gays," and Rachel cringed, glancing at her father to see his eye roll, "you won't have to sneak around anymore." Quinn's eyes widened comically, and she glanced fearfully at Rachel, but her mother didn't seem notice. Leroy Berry, however, was clearly struggling not to laugh. "And Rachel," the woman continued with a kind smile, "you're welcome at our house anytime."
Rachel suppressed her own laughter. "Thank you, Mrs. Fabray."
"Call me Judy, dear."
"Thank you, Judy."
With a satisfied nod, Judy turned to her daughter. "Come on, Quinnie. I'll take you home."
Rachel frowned, and so did Quinn, who shook her head in refusal. "Oh, I…you don't have to. I can ride the bus with everybody else."
"You want to ride the bus?" her mother asked in disbelief.
They wanted to be together, snuggled close for the entire hour long drive back to Lima, just like they had been on the trip there. Rachel had informed her fathers days ago that they wouldn't need to worry about alternate transportation for her—that she was perfectly content to ride the bus with her teammates. Thankfully, Leroy took pity on the girls.
"According to Rachel, the bus is a rite of passage that promotes team bonding, but I'm guessing that the kids just want to celebrate the whole way back to Lima."
Judy looked at Quinn. "Well, if you're sure."
"Totally sure. I'll see you at home," Quinn promised with a smile.
Her mother kissed her forehead and then addressed Rachel. "It was nice meeting you, dear. I hope to see more of you," and Rachel blushed. "Leroy, it's been lovely seeing you again. Perhaps we could have coffee someday soon and catch up."
"I'd like that." He dropped a kiss on the top of Rachel's head and gave her another gentle hug. "I'll see you later, baby girl. And I'm sure I'll probably see you tomorrow, Quinn," he said with a wink, then turned to Judy Fabray and held out an arm. "May I walk you to your car?"
"Why, how gallant?" she gushed, slipping her own arm into Leroy's. "Of course, you may."
The girls watched their parents walk off together, then looked at one another. Quinn still looked a little dumbfounded, and Rachel could sympathize. Of all the scenarios she'd envisioned of meeting Quinn's mother, this one had never even crossed her mind.
"Rachel, I think your daddy knows about us," Quinn whispered shakily.
She sighed, "I think you're right. Which means he'll probably tell dad if he hasn't already and now the meticulously detailed presentation that I prepared on the subject is ruined."
Quinn stared down at her. "That's what you're focusing on?" she finally asked.
"Quinn, I had an entire page devoted just to creating the perfect atmosphere for the discussion, from food choices to floral arrangements to the appropriate ambient music," she informed Quinn, wanting to convey the gravity of the situation. She'd spend hours working on her plan, not to mention her speech, and now she wouldn't be able to use any of it. "I feel that I'm entitled to be a little disappointed," she pouted, crossing her arms.
"You're a little crazy. Completely adorable," Quinn added with grin as she reached out to pry Rachel's arm from its position and claim her hand again, "but crazy."
"Perhaps," Rachel shrugged, "but you love me anyway."
Quinn's breath caught slightly, and she nodded. "I do."
Her heart soared, so full of joy and love that she couldn't contain her smile. "I should be mad at you for choosing to tell me that right before I had to go on stage."
"But you're not," Quinn said confidently.
"No, I'm not."
Quinn nibbled on her lip as she gazed hopefully down at her girlfriend. "Um…is that all you're going to say?" Quinn asked after a moment.
"What would you like me to say?" she teased.
"Rachel," Quinn warned, then her voice went soft. "Please."
"I think the way that I feel about you is fairly obvious," Rachel assured her softly.
Hazel eyes burned down into hers. "Could you maybe make it perfectly clear?"
Rachel smiled, reaching up with her free hand to cup a soft, pale cheek. "I love you, Quinn."
Those eyes fluttered shut. "Say it again."
"I love you," Rachel repeated softly, waiting for Quinn to open her eyes again. When she did, Rachel saw the joyful tears glistening there, and heedless of anyone who might be watching, she pulled Quinn down for a brief, tender kiss. "I'm in love with you," she murmured after she pulled back.
A few tears spilled over Quinn's cheeks and she wiped them away with a watery laugh. "Yeah, that's never gonna get old."
Rachel giggled, and tightened her grip on Quinn's hand. "Come on, Quinnie. We don't want to miss the bus."
"Oh, God, please don't ever call me that."
As they made their way out to the parking lot, Rachel glanced over at her girlfriend. "I have to say, your mother was not at all what I was expecting."
"She's not what I was expecting," Quinn confessed with surprise evident in her voice. "I mean, whenever my dad started going off on one of his rants, she'd always just let him. The only thing she ever really said on the subject was 'love the sinner, hate the sin.' I'm still not sure how to take her attitude tonight."
"Perhaps you should open a dialogue with her," Rachel suggested.
"I'm not ready to come out to her, Rach. Maybe someday, but," she trailed off, jaw set and eyes far away.
"It's okay, Quinn. I'm not going to push you. I do, however, feel the need to point out that your reluctance to introduce me to your mother was completely unwarranted. Furthermore, it took her exactly ten minutes to invite me to your house, something that you have failed to do in three weeks," Rachel pointed out as she stepped up onto the bus, spinning around on the first step to look down at her girlfriend with a grin. "Needless to say, I expect you to make it up to me."
Quinn crossed her arms and titled her head. "And how exactly are you expecting me to do that?"
Rachel grabbed the handrail and leaned down. She ran her tongue across her upper lip and whispered, "I'm sure you can figure out a way to satisfy me," before she turned and bounced up the last two steps. She wasn't surprised at all when she felt Quinn immediately on her heels, or when she was hurried into a darkened seat and quickly wrapped up into her girlfriend's arms.
For the next hour, Rachel learned just how creative Quinn could be with her methods of contrition. It turned out to be a very satisfying bus ride.
A/N: I moved things forward a bit to progress the relationship. I did say I was trying to wrap this up, and it won't be very much longer. As much as I've loved writing this, I don't want to drag it on indefinitely just for the sake of writing. There are only a few plot points left to cover.
As always, thank you for reading and thanks to those of you who take the time to leave a comment.
