DameonCain They were. And they will be again. Don't worry.

Guest Yes, Rachel pushed and Quinn overreacted. It happens sometimes in relationships. Tempers flare, feelings get hurt and people react emotionally rather than rationally.

SuperGleek18 Yeah, a bit of a curveball for them. Like you said, they'll work it out. But yeah, it sucks in the meantime.

simx48 :) Even though you saw it coming, I hope that it was still entertaining to read. And that you like what happens next as well.

SuperNina Don't worry, I never leave them hanging for long.

CarolineSC I hoped it would work well together, the sweet/fluffy and then the tension. Glad you thought so. Don't worry, I'll resolve it quickly.

Fabraygron Glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy this next one as well.

Harley Quinn Davidson Thanks.

gllover22 I try to make it so that in each argument, neither one is completely right, and neither is completely wrong. They both made valid points. And they both had some flawed logic. They'll resolve it readily enough. And, I hope this chapter will answer a little bit more about Quinn's side of things.

LaurenKnight13 Yep, fighting already. Or, again. The ending was rough, but I'll get them past it quickly, don't worry. Hopefully this chapter will give you a bit of an idea about the Judy/Rachel dynamic. And there will be some more of the photo/facebook stuff, not just yet but soon.

wkgreen Two reviews :) Rachel's point has its merits but ultimately, yeah, she needs to let Quinn work out what she need and then be there to give it to her. And vice versa.

Chapter 36

Quinn quietly let herself into the suite. She could hear Lara and Olivia getting ready in the other rooms. The sounds of running water and muted conversation drifted out towards her from behind closed doors. She knew that soon she would have to announce her presence and begin getting ready alongside them, but first she needed a few minutes alone to regroup. The cab ride here had given her some chance to calm down but she was still reeling. She kicked off her shoes and crossed the carpeted room silently, then eased open the balcony door and stepped outside. A blast of cool morning air hit her face and she stood for a moment, eyes closed and basking in the sun and the sounds of the city below, before dropping down onto the padded bench that ran along the length of the wall. It was surprisingly uncomfortable, given the amount of cushioning both beneath her legs and behind her back. But Quinn welcomed the discomfort. It seemed fitting somehow. As if her outer, physical state should match her internal one.

What a mess this day has become, she thought, giving a heavy sigh and leaning her head back against the window ledge behind her. And, it had started off so promising. Waking up in bed with Rachel, watching the other woman's excitement at being the subject of some internet gossip. Getting a laugh and a smile herself over the photos, the comments. Over knowing that somewhere in this city, Kurt was spinning on his heels over this new tidbit of information. It had been amusing. It had been fun. They should have followed it up with some lovemaking, with breakfast and snuggling before Quinn had to be out the door. Instead….Quinn's thoughts trailed off as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and glared at it, as if somehow the device was responsible for everything that had ensued.

She thumbed it on and pulled up the missed calls log, staring down at the familiar number. She couldn't quite understand how her mother had seen the photos. Sure, they were on the internet, but only on Broadway blogs. And, a few minor tabloid sites. Who in the hell did her mother know that read Broadway blogs? And, tabloid sites. She just couldn't fathom Judy Fabray or any of her book club, church group, or bridge club friends reading those. So, how had she even come across the photos?

And, more importantly, why had she called Quinn? It wasn't the way they worked. When faced with indisputable proof of Quinn's sexuality, Judy Fabray was supposed to look the other way. She was supposed to stick her head in the sand and ignore the obvious signs so the two of them could keep operating under the status quo.

It was, like Rachel had said, unhealthy. But, it worked for them. It allowed them the semblance of a mother daughter relationship. It gave Quinn a place to return to on holidays. It gave her a sense of family, a feeling of belonging to more than just herself.

As dysfunctional as the connection was, Quinn would rather have it than nothing at all. Maybe it wouldn't matter to her so much if she had other family to turn to. If her father hadn't turned his back on her so completely, taking the rest of the Fabray clan with him. If her mother's side of the family hadn't closed ranks at the hint of a scandal, then maybe she wouldn't be clinging so firmly to such a tenuous bond. But, she'd lost everyone, not just her parents and her sister, but also the assorted aunts and uncles and cousins as well. Not that they'd been a particularly close, or warm bunch to begin with.

And, it wasn't like Quinn had been capable of opening herself up to other people at that point. Despite being surrounded by a dozen people willing to take her in, to take up for her, she hadn't been able to fully drop her guard and let them become her new family.

She'd been adrift. And then her mother had reached out to her, anchoring her somewhat. It was a shaky connection sometimes, but she'd been the only constant in Quinn's life since she was 16. Even when Quinn was pushing her away, rebelling and trying to find herself, her mother had always just been there. It might not have been the deepest of connections but it was still more than she had with anyone else.

And now her mother was jeopardizing it with a phone call. Quinn sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Why couldn't she just leave well enough alone?

Quinn stared down at the numbers on her screen, as if they could give her an answer. She wondered if she could just ignore the call. If she let some time pass, would her mother just drop the subject? If they spoke again in a few weeks would it be the same inane conversations that they always had? It was a tempting thought.

With a sigh, Quinn hit the call button and brought the phone up to her ear. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth and counted the rings, praying that it would go to voicemail.

"Quinnie?"

Her mother's voice came across the line and Quinn mouthed a curse, then took a deep breath. "Yeah, Mom. It's me."

"Hi, honey. I'm sorry, I didn't wake you with my call, did I?" Judy asked. "I know it's early, but I was up every morning helping Pastor Nolan redecorate the rec-center last week and now I just…can't seem to sleep in."

Quinn pulled the phone away from her ear and gave it a raised-eyebrow glance, mouthing the words, "what, the?" in confusion before returning the device back to her ear. She certainly hadn't expected chipper tones when making this call. "No, it's fine. I have to be up early for auditions."

"Oh, you're working on another play? That's lovely. I didn't realize that you were in New York though. You didn't move, did you?"

"No. I still have my place in Boston," she said. For now, at least, she thought. But she wasn't going to get into that now. "I've only been here for a few days," she continued. "We weren't expecting to move the project out here but we met an investor... It happened rather suddenly, not long after you and I last talked."

"Oh. Right. Right. Well, congratulations, Quinnie. This is a big step, right? New York."

"Yeah, it's pretty big," Quinn said with a light laugh. "It's not quite Broadway but still it's…"

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom." Quinn was more than a little confused right now. She wondered if it was possible that she was still asleep. If that was just some very vivid, very surreal dream.

Was it possible that her mother hadn't seen the photos, and this phone call was some weird, random coincidence?

"I thought that maybe you had moved to New York because of the Berry girl, and just not gotten around to telling me," her mother said, laughing lightly.

Quinn's breath caught in her throat and then released with a soft wheeze. Her grip on the phone tightened, then slackened, to the point where it almost tumbled out of her fingers. She fumbled it a couple of times and then brought it firmly back up to her ear.

"I know how busy you get," her mom continued. "Getting a hold of you sometimes…"

Her mother's words were surrounded by a faint buzzing in her ears. She shook her head, trying to dispel it, but only succeeded in making herself slightly dizzy.

"What?" she croaked. Her voice drowned out by her mother's continued speech.

"I think it'd be easier to penetrate Fort Knox than get you on the phone."

Quinn cleared her throat, and tried to puzzle out just what was happening here. Was she being punked? Was this some kind of weird, sleep-deprived or caffeine withdrawal dream?

"I remember her, from your glee club days. She was a lovely girl. A little…intense maybe, but very sweet. I didn't realize that you'd kept in contact with any of your high school friends."

"I didn't, actually. But I ran into Rachel here in New York," Quinn said, speaking for the first time since this whole twilight zone exchange had begun. "She's an actress, on Broadway."

"Yes. So I've heard. One of the ladies from my book club, Marge Galloway, you remember her don't you? You went to cheer camp with her daughter Vanessa?"

"Yeah, Mom. I remember her."

"Well, she works at the hospital with Rachel's father, Leroy. And apparently that man just goes on and on about her accomplishments. He's so proud of her."

"I can imagine."

"Needless to say, she's something of a celebrity around here."

That didn't surprise Quinn in the least. She might have stayed away from everything that had been going on in Lima since she left, but she knew that the town wouldn't have forgotten that one of its very own had made their way to Broadway. And, it explained how her mother had gotten hold of this particular tidbit of information. She was sure that Mrs. Marge Galloway hadn't hesitated to inform her mother as soon as she'd heard the news. What it didn't explain, however, why her mother wasn't freaking out at her about it right now.

Where was the fire and brimstone? The tears and the lectures and the "good Christian girls" rhetoric?

"Anyway…you and Rachel, how long has this been going on? Is it serious?"

"Um…it's…pretty recent," she stammered. "But, it's serious." Quinn bit her tongue against her natural urge to gush when it came to the subject of Rachel. She still wasn't entirely sure this wasn't a trap.

"Well, congratulations, sweetie. I'm happy for you," her mother said cheerfully. "I have to admit, when I first heard the news, I was a little concerned."

And, here it is, Quinn thought, steeling herself for the oncoming onslaught.

"I mean, an actress, Quinnie? I know that she's up and coming, but it's not the most stable of professions. It's bad enough that your career is constantly in flux but building a relationship where both parties are…I'm not trying to disparage you but, I have to admit, I'd really feel more comfortable if you were seeing a doctor or a lawyer. Someone who's income is steadier. It would-"

Quinn's head was spinning trying to keep up with this conversation.

"I'm sorry," she broke in without thinking. "But, who are you and what have you done with my mother?"

Judy herself off mid-sentence. "Quinnie?"

"I'm just trying to figure out how you can be so gung-ho about my relationship with Rachel when….when…" she let out a faint growl of frustration at her inability to express herself. Her mother's apparent acceptance of her and Rachel was messing with her world view.

Her college years had been absolute hell as she'd stressed and worried about how to tell her mother. She'd been so scared at the thought of losing the only family she'd ever had. Worried to the point of physical illness over what her mother might say to her if she told. How many sleepless nights over the years had she spent, contemplating if it was worth it to tell her mother than she was happy and in love?

And Rachel. God. She'd flipped out this morning when she'd gotten her mother's phone call and had taken all her tensions out on the other woman. And for what? For nothing. To find out that the charade she and her mother had been playing for years was absolutely pointless?

"Oh, Quinnie," her mother sighed softly. "I have to admit, if you had come to me with your news even as recently as a year ago, I probably wouldn't have been very accepting of you. And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry that I couldn't be the mother to you that I promised I would be when you moved back in after…."

Quinn swallowed hard at the near mention of Beth. It was another topic that the Fabray women didn't discuss. "Yeah," she uttered. "What brought on this…change of heart then?" she asked hesitantly, not entirely sure she actually wanted an answer.

"Well, they hired a new stylist at the salon. Adamo. He's a gay. And he is just the sweetest man. He's been playing around with highlights and lowlights in my hair, and his work is just genius, Quinnie. Genius."

Quinn bit her lip against a comment and hummed softly in the back of her throat, indicating that she was listening.

"And, Nancy Marsh, from my bridge club? Her daughter is a gay as well. She and her partner just adopted the most adorable little Vietnamese boy. Nancy's been showing us all pictures for the past few weeks."

Quinn wasn't sure whether to be relieved that her mother had apparently been positively influenced by some kind of unintentional immersion therapy or annoyed that her former religious convictions had been subverted by the latest in a long line of ever changing country club social conventions.

Her mother had always been somewhat weak-willed. Easily influenced. That was why her relationship with Quinn's father had lasted for as long as it had. Russell liked having people under his thumb and Judy was most comfortable following someone else's lead.

This was just another example of that. She'd thrown over the harsh and unforgiving structure of their former church, the one she'd had to leave over the shame of divorcing her husband, in exchange for acceptance into a new circle of book club, bridge club and church socials.

It was pretty obvious to Quinn that the only reason she was being so accepting now was because her mother's new friends thought it was okay. Quinn wondered if her mother even knew for herself what she believed.

"Hey, mom?" she cut in before her mother could continue her run down of all the "okay gay people" that she now interacted with.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"It's getting late and I have to get ready for work. Can I call you back later?" She didn't specify when, and she hoped her mother wouldn't ask. This conversation was making her weary and she needed some time to regroup. Not to mention to wrap her head around the fact that, for the moment at least, her mother was not just tolerating but actually embracing, her relationship with Rachel.

"Oh. Of course, dear. I never meant to keep you. I just wanted to inquire about the photos that Marge and everyone else at the hospital have been all atwitter about. The two of you look very sweet together."

Quinn couldn't help the smile that crossed her lips at the compliment. It was going to take her some time to adjust to this…new and improved Judy Fabray. And she wasn't entirely sure she trusted it to last. But she wanted to. "Thanks, Mom."

With a soft sigh and a shake of her head she disconnected the call. What a day.

Quinn shifted in place and peered over the heads of the crowd, staring intently at the stage door, willing it to be Rachel who stepped out every time it opened and letting out a soft sigh every time it wasn't. She glanced at her watch, wondering if maybe she'd missed her, before telling herself that she was just being impatient and then went back to staring at the door. It swung open again several more times, revealing a different once of Rachel's co-stars every time. Until, finally Rachel stepped out into the night and greeted the awaiting crowd with a large wave and a smile. Quinn let out a sigh of relief. Then watched with bated breath and a nervously fluttering heart as Rachel made her way through the crowd, signing autographs and taking photos.

Despite her anxiety over what kind of welcome she would receive once Rachel spotted her, Quinn still felt a swell of pride at the way Rachel worked the crowd. As Rachel finished up with the last of the fans, Quinn stepped forward out of the shadows and into Rachel's path.

"Quinn," she breathed softly and slowed to a stop several paces away.

"Hey, Rach," she said, hitching the duffle bag higher over her shoulder and taking another tentative step forward.

"I wasn't sure if you'd come."

"Of course I would. I'll always come to you." Though she meant it sincerely, she wondered if the words sounded as cheesy to Rachel as they did in her own head. She saw the faintest of smiles cross Rachel's lips and it was all the encouragement she needed to close the distance between them. She let her bag drop to the pavement at her feet and looped her arms around Rachel's waist. Rachel's arms went around her neck and she tipped her head up to meet Quinn's kiss halfway.

Quinn hummed softly in the back of her throat as she slid her lips softly against Rachel's. Grinning faintly when she felt the other woman's tongue sweep across her bottom lip she parted her mouth slightly and granted the other woman entrance. Flashes danced across her closed lids, and she knew that only a fraction of that was internal, the rest was coming from the interested spectators behind Rachel.

She let out a soft groan of protest when Rachel pulled away, but still managed to smile warmly down at the other woman as her eyes drifted open. Rachel was smiling softly back up at her as her fingers played lightly with hair at the back of Quinn's neck, but her expression was confused.

"I guess we need to talk, huh?" Quinn said, reaching up and pulling Rachel's hands down and away from her neck, only to clasp them in her own.

Rachel nodded.

"Can we get out of here then?" she asked, releasing one hand to reach down and grab her bag but keeping a firm grip on the other one.

Again, Rachel nodded, and tugged at Quinn lightly, starting them walking.

"I'm sorry about this morning," Quinn began. She knew that was the most important part of this conversation and she wanted to get that out there first thing. "I was freaked out about my mother calling and I took it out on you and I shouldn't have. And I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Rachel said. "I could see that you were upset and I shouldn't have pushed you so hard."

Quinn nodded. "Thank you. For saying that. But, we both know that in this case, I overreacted a little bit."

"A little bit?" Rachel gave her shoulder a soft nudge.

"Okay. So I overreacted a lot," Quinn said with a shrug, nudging Rachel in return.

"All right. Can we talk about why?" Rachel asked gently. Quinn took a deep breath and expelled it forcefully.

"I'm guessing that I'm messed up won't pass as an acceptable excuse?" she asked hopefully, mostly joking.

Predictably, Rachel shook her head. "Nope. Start talking, Fabray." She punctuated her command with a poke to Quinn's ribs.

"Okay." Quinn batted the hand away, then took a deep breath. "My Mom's call this morning threw me off guard," she began. "I honestly didn't think she'd ever see the photos. I mean, we're in New York and she's in Lima. Even if they did make their way around the internet, my mother and her circle of friends aren't really the Tumblr, gossip site crowd." She had certainly been wrong about that, though, now hasn't she? "And, even if by chance she did somehow see the photos. I didn't think that she'd actually say anything to me about them. That's just not how we operate. So, when I saw that it was her number, it freaked me out a little. And I took it out on you, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Rachel said, wrapping her free hand around Quinn's arm and hugging it against her body. "You don't have to keep apologizing for that."

Quinn brought her other hand up, laying over Rachel's and giving it a gentle squeeze. "When you called me out on it, I got defensive because I knew you were right. The way my mother and I go about things, it's not healthy.

"Be that as it may, it wasn't my place to push you on it. Or rather, it wasn't the time. And it certainly wasn't the manner in which to present my concerns."

A smile played across Quinn's lips at the formal presentation of Rachel's concession. She knew that it was, in part, the other woman's natural inclination towards wordiness and eloquence but also a discomfort at admitting she was wrong.

"Even so, I shouldn't have walked out like that."

"No," Rachel agreed softly. "You shouldn't have. And, while I would like to be able to say we should promise to never fight again, I realize that is unrealistic," she continued. "We're going to have to learn how to fight, as a couple. We can't keep having arguments and then kicking each other out and storming off."

"Agreed," Quinn said. "Although, you have to admit, that's a big step up from name calling and slushies."

Rachel laughed lightly. "How big of a step is debatable, but yes, it is an improvement."

"So, what do you suggest?" Quinn asked. She was honestly curious as to what sort of solutions Rachel might have. And was more than willing to implement anything she might suggest. Navigating a relationship could be difficult and arguments were inevitable. Given their personalities, there was the potential for things to become explosive. They'd already seen faint hints of it, and they were just getting started. She could imagine how things would be a few years down the road, when emotions were even more invested.

Rachel shrugged, which surprised Quinn. She was sure, that with the suggestion, would also come some answers. "I don't know. What would you suggest?"

"Hey, don't look at me. This was your idea," Quinn said. "Why should I have any idea when you don't?"

"I don't know. I just thought you might. I guess we can start with, no more storming out."

"Or kicking out," Quinn added, giving Rachel a little nudge.

"But, also maybe no pushing an issue if the other needs a moment to calm down?"

"What, like a time out?"

"Something like that, yeah. Like, if one of us needs to we can take a moment and go into another room but we can't just end an argument without resolving it."

"Sounds fair," Quinn said. She hated being on the outs with Rachel. It had already happened twice and she wasn't sure how many more days she could spend feeling hurt and angry while some issue languished between them. "What else?"

"Hey, I already made my suggestion. Now it's your turn."

Quinn groaned and rolled her eyes, but genuinely did try and think of something. After a few minutes she shrugged. "Maybe we can look up suggestions online?"

"That big, Ivy League brain of yours and you're suggesting letting Google do the thinking for you?" Rachel teased, laughing lightly.

"Hey, it's late and I've had a long day. I'm tired and my brain stopped working properly hours ago."

"Aww, poor girl." Rachel rose up onto her toes and pressed a kiss to Quinn's cheek. Before she could pull away, Quinn brought her hand up, cupping Rachel's jaw, and turned her head, meeting Rachel's lips with her own. She nipped at Rachel's lips a few times as she stroked softly at the skin beneath her fingertips before pulling away.

Rachel hummed softly in the back of her throat and leaned into Quinn's side as they continued walking.

"Are we going to talk about your mother's phone call?" she asked, after a few minutes of silence.

Quinn bit her lip. "Yeah…about that…." She wasn't even sure what to say about the call, other than she was still reeling just a little.

"You know you're going to have to listen to her voicemail at some point, right?" Rachel asked gently. "You're going to have to call her back."

"Uh, I sort of already did."

"Did what?"

"Called her back. This morning after I left."

Beside her, Rachel tensed. "Oh?"

"Yeah. We…had a nice chat."

Rachel spun around to look at her, walking backwards in front of her and furrowing her brows at her. "What does that even mean?"

Quinn huffed out a soft laugh and shook her head. "It means that my mother and I had a…pleasant, if not surreal conversation about the photos of us online."

"Pleasant?" If anything, Rachel looked even more confused than Quinn had felt earlier today. "But I thought…"

Quinn couldn't help but laugh at how adorable it looked on Rachel. She took pity on the other woman though, briefly outlining the conversation to her.

"So, what does that mean?" Rachel asked, biting her lip and looking thoughtful.

Quinn shrugged. She wasn't entirely sure what it meant. She doubted that, just because her mother was now, through some weird twist of faith, accepting of her sexuality, it was suddenly going to lead to some new, deeper relationship between them. But then, she never would have expected that this morning's conversation would take place so, anything was possible she supposed.

"Guess we'll find out," she said, giving Rachel a gentle tug, pulling the other woman back towards her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder once she was at her side.