I'd like to thank all the help I had with this chapter. I was a little nervous on this one, but I hope you like it. Please read and enjoy. :)
Chapter 37
"Quinn, you might not remember this, but…I wasn't the best dad to you. When you were younger." Russell said.
Quinn looked confused. "What? Dad what are you talking about? You like the best dad any kid could ask for." Quinn said
"That's very nice of you to say, Quinn, but I wasn't. At least not at first."
Quinn looks confused, but says nothing. Russell sighs.
"Quinn…do you remember what we told you? Why you…were the way you were?" Russell asks
"Uh yea, you said the doctor told you that you guys were having a boy, but later found out that it was just some messed up chromosomes, but dad I'm not seeing what that has to do with anything." Quinn said
"I was so happy that day." A pause. "I was gonna have a little boy. …" Russell smiles and continues. "Now don't get me wrong. I love you and your sister with all my heart and I would never want to replace you guys. It's just at the time it felt great that I was going to have a little boy I could teach how to play ball and fix cars and all those other things a father does with his son."
"When I got home that day, I didn't know what to do with myself. I had so many ideas for your nursery. I even went on a shopping spree. Your mother looked at me like I was crazy. When I came home with all those bags, your sister actually ran away from me screaming, 'Mom, dad's gone shopping. It's the end of the world as we know!'" Russell laughed at the memory. Quinn laughs too. "And then you were born…" Russell let's out a happy sigh. "…that was one of the happiest days of my life." Quinn smiles. Russell's face quickly turned from happy to thoughtful. "Then a month later the doctor us that you were really a girl." A pause. "We asked the doctor that if you were girl then why did you have a penis. He, as you know, told us that it was mixed chromosomes that messed with your anatomy, therefore you have a penis."
Quinn nods her head as her father continues his story.
"I asked if there was anyway of getting rid of it." Quinn gasps at the confession. "Your mother absolutely furious with me, but I didn't seem to care at the moment. I just thought I wanted either a boy or a normal girl. Not one of my best moments, I know." A sigh. "The doctor told us there was nothing they could do. At least not until you're of age, and even then it could mess up your reproductive process and you wouldn't be a normal girl. Right of the back your mother said absolutely not and that you were her little girl and that she would love you no matter what. I was a little hesitant though."
"Why?"
Russell breathe deeply.
"Well as you know I came from a really religious family." Quinn rolls her eyes.
Yeah, she knows. There is obviously no love lost between them. Her grandparents on her dad's sides weren't the best of people. They were stuck up religious people. Live life by the bible or at least how they saw the bible. Looked down their nose at anyone who had problems. Thought they were better than everyone else.
They also weren't on the best of terms with their middle son and his family. Russell was known as the rogue child. Instead of doing what was excepted of him, he did what he wanted. First because he didn't follow in the foot steps of his father and join the family business. Instead he joined the army, and after became a construction worker. No matter how many times he's told his parent about to good salary he makes, they still think he wasted his talent. Second the woman he married was not of a strict religious family, so obviously she had no morals and last but for them definitely not least, not only was his youngest daughter born with a penis, but both daughters were also interested in women. That was not alright with them. Quinn hadn't heard from her grandparents since her mother's funeral.
"After going through that, living how I lived with them, I didn't want my kids to be brought up like they couldn't be themselves or like they had no chose. Especially after seeing how your uncle Randy turned out. But when we find out about you, I don't know, it's like my upbringing came back and clouded my better judgment. I didn't know what to think or do. So I avoided you. I didn't hold you, feed you, I was hardly ever around you. Your mother was none to happy, so for the next 8 months I slept on the couch. My parents thought that I was doing the right thing. They just couldn't see how I could raise an abomination for a daughter." Yep, no love lost.
"I got so angry at how they talked about you and I defended you, but when I got home I still couldn't go near you. It was very hard and very confusing. Then one day, I realized that I couldn't just sit there and avoid you all your life for something you couldn't help or didn't ask for." Russell said.
"What happened?"
*Flashback*
Russell Fabray was sitting in living watching a basketball game on tv. Well at least it looked that way, but really he was in a deep thinking process. The sound of his wife walking down the stairs brought him out of his thought.
"Russell, I need you to watch Quinn for me while I go run a few errands." Judy Fabray said not necessarily looking at her husband. Nowadays she couldn't stand looking at him. She just couldn't understand why he was acting the way he was towards their younger daughter.
"Judy…" Russell tried
"Russ not now okay, I really have to get these done today, so I need you to pull your head out of your ass and watch our daughter. I'll be back in a few hours and relieve you of your so-called personal torture." Judy said annoyed
Russell felt his heart break slightly. He never thought of watching Quinn as torture, he was just confused.
"Judy…" he tried again.
"Not now, Russell. Come on Jenny, we gotta go!" Judy calls out.
"Coming mommy!" A short blonde girl in blue capri pants and a blue and pink shirt came running out of the kitchen, toward her mother. "Bye daddy." the small blonde said as she and her mother walked out the door.
"See ya sweetie." Russell says.
Before leaving Judy turns to Russell.
"Russell, check on her." Judy said sternly
Russell didn't get to say anything before Judy walked out of the house.
A minute after his wife left, Russell paced nervously around his living room. It's not that he was afraid of his daughter, it's just…oh he didn't know. After more pacing, he decided to man up and go check on his daughter.
He went up to her nursery. In the room, he finds a 10 month old Quinn playing with a little basketball her uncle, Russell's younger brother, had brought her. She sure did loved that thing.
He stood at the door and watched her having fun with her ball, oblivious to someone watching her, just content to playing.
Quinn bounced her ball a few times before it rolled away from her. She tried to stand and walk to it, but after two steps she fell. She looked as if she was about to cry. It took everything in him not to go over to comfort her.
He must have moved cause Quinn's head quickly snapped in his direction. She stared at him for a while before a huge toothless smile broke out on her face. She let out a loud baby squeal at seeing her father. Russell couldn't the stop the smile from forming on his face.
Quinn began to crawl over to her father. When she got to him, she used his pants to help pull herself up. She looked up at her dad, and let out another cute baby squeal, bouncing on his legs, laughing. Russell laughs too.
Russell stopped fighting himself and lifts Quinn into his arms.
"Hey there Champ." Russell said "Can you forgive your daddy for being a big old poopy head and not being in your life like he should have?" Russell asks
Quinn just let's out a cute baby laugh.
"You don't even know what I'm saying do you?" Russell chuckles. Quinn just stares at him smiling and puts her hand in her mouth.
Suddenly Quinn stopped, and looked around the room, before pointing to something
"Ba"
Russell was confused. He had no idea what his daughter was pointing to or saying.
"Ba" She said again and Russell still had no idea what she was saying. Geez, where was Judy when you needed her.
Quinn got restless and started struggling in Russell's arms and whining.
"Ba"
"What sweetie? What are saying?" Russell asks
"Ba"
Still not knowing what she was saying, Russell put her down and let her guide him to it. Quinn crawled over to the basketball, which was not that far from where they were. She picked it up then turned back to Russell holding up the ball up and said something that really shocked Russell.
"Dada ba" Quinn said.
Russell was momentarily stunned. He couldn't believe what he just heard. His little girl just said dada. Now he's heard her talk a little bit. He knew she could say mama and apparently ball, but that's all. It hurt him a little bit when she didn't say dada, but he couldn't blame her. He hadn't been there for most her life so far, so why would he expect her to know him. But hearing her say dada brought tears to his eyes.
He was brought out of his head by the feeling of a ball being thrown at his head. Apparently Quinn did not like being ignored. Russell let out a tearful chuckle before picking up the ball.
"You wanna play with the ball? Here let's play with the ball." Russell said as he want to Quinn, sitting next her and together they played with the ball.
An hour later that's how Judy found them. A smiled formed on her face watching her husband and daughter playing with the ball.
*End of Flashback*
"Later that night I was so excited that I told your mother about it and you know what she said? She said "Russ, calm down. She's been saying it for a while now."" Russell chuckled"I was shocked when she told me that. And I felt like the world's shittiest dad. I avoided you and missed most of the important moments in your life for what? My parents' stupid religious beliefs? My not understanding of the whole situation? I swore to myself that from that point on I would be the best dad I can be and to always be there for you and to love you no matter what. And to never stop." Russell said
"Then why did you leave?" Quinn asks.
Russell sighs.
"Quinn, there's no doubt that after your mom…that after the accident that I…wasn't myself. The drinking, staying out all types of days and nights, coming home drunk, just to leave a few hours later to do the same thing all over again. I was just…I was hurt. I missed your mother so much that I didn't know what to do. I…I lost my way. Life just didn't feel the same without her." Russell tells her.
"So what? You decided to drink yourself into an early grave." Quinn said becoming angry.
"Honestly at the time…yes. Yes. I regret that now, but I did. I just didn't know how to deal with everything. Everything was just so out of control. I was spiraling out of control. I just couldn't deal… "
"That's…that's great dad. Just great." Quinn let out a bitter chuckle. "You know you weren't the only that lost her. You weren't the only one who was hurting. Did you ever think about how I felt? How any of us felt? We lost her too." Quinn raises her voice, tears of anger and hurt forming in her eyes.
"I know that, and I'm so sorry. I wish I could go back and change every stupid thing I did, but you know what, Quinn, I can't." Russell said with his own tears. "And then that night happened. God, I still cant get the look of you face out of my head." Russell said
Quinn looked at her father confused until she remember what night he was talking.
"The night you came home drunk and almost hit me." Quinn said more to herself than her father.
Russell nods
"B-but dad, it was an accident. A-and it's not like you hit me."
"But what if I did? God Quinn you looked so terrified. That was a look I never wanted to see on my children's face. Especially if it is because of me. I didn't know what to do so I left. I thought maybe you could do better without me. Maybe stay with your friends or your sister. You didn't need a failure of a father dragging you down. So I got with my lawyer and we drew up the papers."
"Dad, I would never think that way about you. You're my dad and I love you. Failure or not." Quinn says with tears in her eyes. "And you were wrong. San and Puck's parents are great, but I needed my dad. I needed my dad to hold me when I woke up at night from a nightmare, crying cause my mom was gone and she wasn't coming back. I needed my dad there to tell me that everything would be okay. I needed you." Quinn cries.
"I know you never would. And I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me but…it's just…at the time, I wasn't at my best. I wasn't at my best to take care of you. And I knew there were others who could give you what you needed, so I took off. To get better. I had to get better. I wanted to get better. I needed to get better. For you. For your sister. For myself." Russell said
"What happened? When you left?" Quinn asks
"Well it didn't start out so great." Russell starts out. "After I signed those paper, I went into a depression. I went back doing the same thing. Getting drunk and getting into fights. One night, I got in a fight and it was bad. Ended up in jail." Quinn gasps. "Yep, drunk and disorderly conduct and resisting arrest…"
"It is a bad time to say that that is pretty bad ass?" Quinn said
"Quinn" Russell scowl
"Right. Sorry. Continue."
"Well, I know it sounds a little cliché, but at that moment I just knew that I had to get better. Not just for you, but for myself too. So after I was released, with the help from my lawyer and councilor, I checked into a rehabilitation center. They really helped me. We didn't have many privileges, that why I didn't email you much." Russell explains. "I stayed for about a year. After I was done, I thought about coming back to you, but my doctor said I should see if I was really ready to come back, so I traveled a little bit, but after two months I went back to Pennsylvia. Settle into the old house. I got a good job working on some construction." A pause. "It was great. Everything was getting better. I was getting better, but I was lonely, and I messed my girls. I really did want to see you on Christmas, but my job was doing this big construction on redoing this office for some big holiday party. Then on top of that, the owner invited us as a thank you and my boss said I had to be there. There was no getting out of it. " Russell said
"I understand, dad." Quinn asks
"I was so disappointed when I found out I couldn't see you guys. I was almost about to quit my job, but I knew I really needed if I wanted to be with you guys…"
"Wait, so does that mean you wont be staying?" Quinn asks.
"I'm afraid not Q." Russell said sadly. "At least not yet. There's a lot of construction being done in my area and not enough workers. And they need all the man power they can get."
After processing, Quinn slightly nods her head. She gets what her dad is saying. She's sad that he couldn't stay with her, but she's happy to have him back.
"Anyway, I after I got my vacation hours I hopped on the first plane here." Russell before letting out chuckle. "I've actually been here for about three days before I emailed you." Quinn looked wide eyed at this. "I was scared at how you girls would react. I didn't know if you would want to talk to me or hate me and never want to talk to me again. Then I just pushed all those 'what ifs' back and emailed you." A pause. "I had no idea you would answer. But I'm glad you did."
"Yea, I'm glad I did too." Quinn smiles at her dad. She was still hurt that her dad did just leave her like that all those years ago, but she understands why he did. Honestly, he had always been the best dad he could be. So to hear that he practically risked his daughters hating him just to be that great dad again and to be better for them meant a lot. How could Quinn not forgive him?
"God, Quinn I missed you so much." Russell pulls Quinn into a hug.
"I missed you too, daddy." Quinn whispers, content with being in her father's arms.
"M-Ms. Corcoran…my name is Rachel Berry and…I think I'm your daughter."
There was a deafen silence in the room. Neither woman knew what to say to the other. Both were in shock. Here Rachel was, standing in front of her mother for the first time in her life. She had so many questions, so much to talk to her about, but she didn't know where to begin.
Shelby was just as shocked. She couldn't believe it. Her daughter was standing there. Her little girl. She hadn't seen her since she was 3 years old.
After Rachel was born, Shelby didn't know if she could care for Rachel. Her Broadway career had just started to take off, she wasn't sure if she could care for a baby with a schedule like hers. So she gave Rachel's birth father, Hiram, full parental rights over her, together with his partner, Leroy.
They agreed that Shelby could stay in Rachel's life and visit whenever she like. She took full advantage of that the first few months of Rachel's life and visited as much as she could, giving her gifts like the cassette tape or her gold star cup that she now drinks out of faithfully. But sadly in the end, her schedule had become more demanding. Her visits lessened. Although she couldn't visit, Hiram and Leroy would send her pictures of Rachel as she grew up, but sadly those pictures stopped before Rachel turned 10. Hiram and Leroy tried looking for her, but always turned up empty. It was sad sometimes, especially when little Rachel would ask where her mommy was and they didn't have an answer.
Shelby took a good look at Rachel. She looked so much like her. From her eyes to her hair, to her cheek bones. Her eyes moved from her face to her swollen stomach. There was another shock.
"You're pregnant" Shelby didn't mean for it to be out loud, but she did.
Rachel looked up from her shoes to her mother, then down to her stomach and nods her head.
"Yes" There a strong tension in the air.
"Ahm…so Garcia, um what was that thing you wanted to show me?" JJ said trying to distract the blonde.
"What?" Garcia half paying attention, half waiting for something to happen.
"You know that thing you were talking about." JJ tried
"Jayje, what are you talking there is no thing. Now hush, I'm trying to see what's going on." Garcia not turning her attention from the mother and daughter.
JJ just breaths hard before grabbing the blonde's arm and pulling her away, letting the brunettes have their privacy.
"What? Jayje" Garcia tried to pull away
"Come on Garcia" JJ continues to pull.
"Aww you never let me have any fun." Garcia whines as the two blondes walked away, leaving the brunettes alone.
There was silence again. Shelby looked at her daughter before turning to the young man who had just joined the scene.
"Jesse, hold off my next performances." Shelby said never taking her eyes off the young girl.
"Yes ma'am" Jesse says before heading back on stage.
"Let's go somewhere and talk." Shelby lead Rachel to a secluded area behind the stage. They took a seat at the table that was there.
There a silence.
"So…how far long are you?" Shelby asks
"A-about five and a half months." Rachel answers shyly. Shelby nods her head
"Does the father know?" Shelby asks
"Ummm yes. She's aware." Rachel says.
"She?" Shelby said astonished.
"Yes, she's um intersexed." Rachel blushes.
"Oh"
Silence.
Rachel looked like she wanted to ask something, and Shelby could tell.
"Go ahead. Ask me." Shelby said gently
"Why did you stop?" Rachel asks. Shelby looks confused by the question. "Visiting? Why did you stop visiting?" Rachel clarifies.
"I didn't know you remembered." Shelby says.
"I-I don't. My fathers told me." Rachel said. It's true. She doesn't remember Shelby visiting her when she was younger, but when she asked her fathers about her mother they told her that she visit her all the time and that she loved her. She would ask them if she loved her why didn't she visit her anymore. It saddened them that they didn't have an answer. They themselves didn't even know why Shelby stopped contacting them. She just did. It was like she was wiped off the grid. For years they tried looking for her, but could never get in touch with her.
Shelby takes a deep breath.
"At first it was because of my schedule. It was hard to take time off for a vacation. But Hiram and Leroy would send pictures time and time again when I couldn't see you. After two years, I finally got time off and decide to make a surprise visit. But when I got there, I watched you guys through the window. You looked so happy. The three of you together. You didn't need me to be happy, I was just getting in the way. I would just going to confuse you by being there. So I broke all contact with Hiram. My play was moving to Europe at the time. At first I wasn't going to go, but after everything, I just couldn't stay. So I hopped on the first plane out." Shelby explains.
"Why'd you come back?"
"Would you believe I was home sick?" Shelby half smiled. "And I that I missed you guys. I wanted you guys back in my life. Even if I had to beg and plead for forgiveness. You were my only family. I came back to the states, but I couldn't find you. I guessed you moved, changed your number, something. I though it was because of me, not that I blame you. I took that as my punishment, and I mopped for days, months even. Then I realized mopping wasn't getting me anywhere, so I picked myself up. Started looking for other jobs, and figured that if you ever wanted to look for me, you would and when you did I would be ready."
"Are you?" Rachel asks
"Well I have to say I am a little shocked, I mean look at you. You're all grown up. And… pregnant." Shelby said. Rachel looked embarrassed. "I mean, h-how did this happen?"
"Well when to people get together…" Rachel began.
"You know what I mean Rachel." Shelby scolds.
"It was an accident. We were drunk and one thing lead to another. We didn't plan on this happening." Rachel explains.
"Well are you keeping it…"
"Him." Rachel says.
"What?"
"Him. It's a boy." Rachel says with a small smile. "And to answer your question, I don't know. I mean I want to, but…" Rachel trails off
"But what?" Shelby asks
"But I don't know about Quinn…"
"Quinn?"
"The father uhr mother…other mother… the one who got me pregnant." Shelby nods her head in understanding. "It's just I don't know if she wants to."
"Well have you asked her?" Shelby asks
Rachel shake her head. "No"
"Well you probably should."
"That's what everybody keeps telling me." Rachel says.
"Well it is some pretty good advice." Shelby smirks
Rachel smiles a small smile back. "But it's not just that, it's also…I'm to young. How am I suppose to support a baby when I can barely support myself. But it's just…I just cant see myself parting with him."
Shelby sighs loudly.
"What?" Rachel asks
"Nothing…It's just…God this is just all so wrong. This wasn't suppose to happen. Not to you." Shelby says.
"Oh"
"This just…isn't what I wanted for you. I didn't want you make the same mistake I did." Shelby said
Hearing those words knocked the air out of Rachel's lungs. "Mistake" she says in a broken whisper. "You think I was a mistake?"
Shelby looked up when she heard this.
"What? No, Rachel I didn't mean it like that. I just mean…I'm disappointed."
"In me." Rachel said with tears in her eyes
"No, Rachel. I just don't want you going through life with this burden hanging over your head." Shelby said.
"My son is not a burden." Rachel hisses.
"I didn't mean it that way Rachel…"
"Well how did you mean it." Rachel raises her voice.
"I just mean I don't want you to feel regret, like one mistake has defined your whole future." Shelby tries.
"Oh so you do think I was a mistake?" Rachel cries.
Shelby sighs. She just couldn't say anything right. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this.
"You know, maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Shelby says.
"What do you mean?" Rachel calms down
"I mean that maybe this was a bad idea." She gestures between her and Rachel. "This wasn't suppose to happen when we met again. Not saying I was expecting something cliché like running in slow motion, but this…this isn't right." Shelby said before standing up.
"Wait, I'm sorry I didn't mean to get upset or yell at you. It's the hormones. They make me crazy." Rachel cries.
"It's not you Rachel. It's me. I just don't think I'm cut out for this. Not yet. I just dont know how I can help you." Shelby says
"B-but I need you." Rachel says.
"You don't need me Rachel. You have your dads and this Quinn person. And apparently those two women over there." Shelby gestured over to JJ and Garcia standing a couple of feet from them, trying to look like they're not ease dropping.
"Please." Rachel tearfully whispers
"I'm sorry, Rachel" with that Shelby turned and walked away.
Rachel stood there devastated and crying. She couldn't believe what just happened. Her mother abandoned her yet again.
"Rach" she heard a voice call her. "You okay?"
"She left. She just left." Rachel says in a broken voice.
"Oh Rach…" JJ starts
"C-can we just go home?" Rachel asks feeling herself about to break down.
"Yea, let's go" JJ says softly.
The three woman walked out of the mall. Neither notice the tearful gaze staring at them from the stage.
Russell pulls out of the embrace and looks at Quinn.
"Wow. My God, look at you. You've gotten so old." Russell jokes.
"Hey! I could say the same thing about you old man." Quinn teases back.
"Oh I'm just kidding. I bet all of the girls are just clawing their way to get to you."
Quinn just shrugged, knowing that, yeah that's true.
"Yea, you can say that."
"So tell me kiddo, how's it been? How's life? School? Basketball?" Russell asks.
"Well first basketball is as awesome as ever. We just won our last game and we're two games away for the championship." Quinn said
Russell smiles at this. He still can't believe that his baby girl was not only the only girl on the boys basketball team, but also the captain. He had never been more proud that his little girl went after something that she loved regardless of the differences and how many people said she couldn't. He just really wishes he could have been there to watch her play. From now on, he vowed to be at every game and there for his daughter no matter what. He knows he's made that promise once and he failed her. He wasn't going to do that this time. Not again.
"School is okay. Still keeping my grades up. Um I'm in this club…uh glee club…"
"Glee club? What like singing?" Russell asked interested.
"Yep"
"You singing now Quinnie?" Russell teases.
"Yes, and it's not as lame as people make it out to be. It's actually pretty cool. And I'm a damn good singer." Quinn says.
Russell chuckles and holds his hands up in surrender.
"So is Noah and Santana in this club with you?"
"Yea. We were actually asked by a few kids to join to help them with numbers so they could compete. And you know me, never to back down from a competition." Russell chuckles, but nods.
"And Santana and Noah, how are they doing?"
"Oh you know. Puck's still the self proclaimed resident badass and sex machine…" Russell shakes his head and Quinn hears him mutter something like 'that boy'. Quinn chuckles before continuing. "And Santana is the same too, well except when she's tripping over her feet in front of Brittany."
"Brittany?"
"Yea, this girl Santana is head over heels in love with, but can't say more than four words to her before sounding like a dork."
"Let me guess…blonde haired…"
"Blue eyes, you know it." Quinn says with a chuckle.
Russell also chuckles "That girl and her blondes. Is it as bad as her crush on Jenny?"
"Worse."
"Oh god." Russell laughs. "So we're here talking about your friends and their dating problems but what's going on with you? You never told me how life was."
"Oh well life is…life's a little complicated at the moment." Quinn said.
"Complicated? Complicated how?" Russell asked
Quinn looked at her father. It was now or never.
"Well um you see dad…how exactly do I tell you this…" Russell cuts her off.
"Let's try with words that makes sense." Russell teased
"Okay well see there's this girl…" she is once again interrupted
"Ah ha I knew there was a girl!" Russell said proudly.
"No, dad not like that." Quinn quickly said.
"Oh?" Russell looked confused.
"Okay so, there's this girl. We've been friends for a while now, but that's it. Anyway, one night at a party, we were drunk and one thing lead to another and nowshespregnant." Quinn said that last party fast.
"She's what? Q, you're gonna have to say that last part a little slower." Russell said
Quinn took a deep breath.
"I said she's pregnant."
Russell was silent. Just staring at his daughter.
"Dad?" Quinn said a little scared. "Say something. Please?"
"Pregnant" Russell said
"Yes"
"Explain" Russell said sternly.
Quinn still looks scared, but clears her throat before explaining.
"Okay, it was at one of Puck's parties. I was drunk, she was drunk. She just had a big fight with her boyfriend. We danced and one thing lead to another, now she's pregnant." A pause. "And before you ask yes it's mine. I'm sure of that." Quinn said
Russell does a slight nod.
"Who's the girl?"
"Rachel Berry."
"Berry? Leroy Berry's daughter?" Quinn nods. "Good kid. I have to say, you couldn't've choosen a better girl to knock up." Russell said
"Dad I just want to you know, this wasn't planned…"
"Quinn…"
"It just happened. It was an accident…"
"Quinn I understand. Kids make mistakes all the time. It's okay." Russell said. "So what do you plan on doing?"
"I'm going to support her, and be there for her and the baby." Quinn said confidently.
Russell nods.
"And after the baby's born?"
Quinn was silent.
"Are you planning on keeping it?"
"Him."
"Huh?" Russell asked
"I said him. It's a boy." Quinn said with a small smile. Russell smiled back at her. "And I-I don't know. Rachel and I haven't quite talked about it."
"Do you want to keep him?"
Quinn looks at her father before answering.
"Yes" she whispers. Russell looks as if he is about to say something, but Quinn beats him to it. "Look dad, I know I'm to young to raise a child right now, but it's just…every time I think of giving the baby up or missing every great moment in his life…it hurts. I don't know why but it does. And I feel sick to my stomach. I know I haven't met him yet, but I love him already and I can't imagine giving him up. If I've learned anything from you, it's that I should stick by my family." Quinn says, a few tears fall.
Russell is a little stunned by his daughters passion, but nods his head.
"And how does Rachel feel about this?"
Quinn shrugs
"Like I said, we hadn't really talked."
"Well don't you think you should. I mean you guys should really discuss this each other. How far is she?" Russell tells her.
"About 5 and a half months."
"Yea, You guys need to talk."
"I know. I do it's just…I'm scared." Quinn whispers.
"Of what?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm scared she doesn't want to. I mean she her whole future planned out with Broadway and everything, she can't jeopardize that by raising a child. Plus…look at me. I'm a player. She ready thought I was going to take off after finding out about the baby, why would she want to raise a kid with me?"
"Cause you're loyal, and you're passionate and any girl would be lucky to raise a child with you. And kid or not, with hard work and dedication which I know that girl has…well I may not know her, but I know her father and if she's anything like him, she has dedication and with that she will get to Broadway. Now just talk to her. You never know her answer may very well surprise you."
"But what if she doesn't?"
"You'll never know till you talk to her."
"You're no help." Quinn pouts Russell chuckles.
Silence.
"I asked her to move into the house." Quinn said suddenly.
"What?"
"Well I just wanted to be there to help her, so I suggest she move into JJ's old room and I turned my old room into a nursery." Quinn explains.
"You're really serious about all of this, aren't you?" Russell asks. Quinn shrugs before nodding. "So are you and Rachel…together?"
Quinn shakes her head no. She doesn't know why, but she feels a little sadden by this, but she quickly pushes it away.
"I tried but she thought it was only because I felt obligated to because she's having my kid." Quinn said
"Well is it?"
Quinn thought for a moment.
"I don't know…I guess. I guess I just got caught up in the moment and thought it would be better if maybe we were together maybe."
"Well did you have any feelings for her before all of this?" Quinn thinks before shrugging her shoulders. "Quinn, you do know you can't force yourself to like someone right?" Russell asked.
"Yea, I know…it's just…like I said I got caught up in the moment. Anyway it doesn't matter anyway, cause right now she doesn't need any relationship drama on top of everything now. God knows she had it with Finn."
"Finn?"
"Her boyfriend…well ex-boyfriend."
"Wait Finn…as in Hudson. The boy who was always picking with you? You screwed his girlfriend?" Russell said a little more amused and proud than a father should be.
"Okay first, I didn't screw Rachel. We had sex. Screw sounds to derogatory. Rachel's to good for that. And second, guy was a jerk to her. Not saying that I did it intentionally, but he was still a jerk." Quinn says. "Anyway, she doesn't need any relationship drama right now. What she needs is a friend to help her through these emotional days, and I'm gonna be just that for her." Quinn said confidently.
Russell has a proud smile on his face or his younger daughter. "I knew your mother and I raised you right."
"Yea" Quinn smiles back.
"But Quinn just between us…do you have feeling for this girl?"
"I-I…I don't know. I mean she's really cool, despite what she says. And we have this awesome chemistry, but…dad you know me and relationships…"
"Yes…yes I do. I don't understand it, but I do know." Russell nods.
"Yea, so I don't know. Maybe. But I just don't want to think about that right now. I have other important things to focus on." Quinn said
"Well kiddo, looks like you have your mind made up…well for most things." Russell says.
Quinn nods.
Silence.
"So, I'm going to be a granddad. God I'm getting old." Russell jokes.
"Oh come on dad, you not getting that old." Quinn teases. "Plus you already have one grandson."
"Yes, little Henry. I cant to see him and your sister." Russell said
"Well you'll get to see them in a few. JJ just text me they're their way home now. Plus Emily's back so you can meet her too." Quinn said
"Wow really, what time is?" Russell checked his watch. "3 oclock, wow we've been talking a long time."
"We had a lot to talk about." Quinn said. They both get up and head to their cars.
"Oh wait I forgot something…" Russell said. Quinn looked and waited for her father to do what he forget. Next thing she feels is a hand hitting her upside the head.
"Ow! Dad, what the hell?" Quinn shrieks
"That's for not keeping it in your pants." Russell smirks
"I thought you were against hitting your children." Quinn pouts, rubbing the sore spot on her head.
"Love tap." Russell shrugs with a smirk
"Yea right, love tap my ass." Quinn mutters "And what is it with this family and hitting me in the head?
"Come on, stop lagging. We have people to see." Russell half teases half serious. Quinn ran to her car and they both left and headed to the Fabray household.
15 minutes later Quinn and Russell made their way to way into the house. It was just like Russell remember. When they walked into the house they were first greeted by a tall brunette sitting on the sofa playing with Henry.
"Hey Em" Quinn said
Emily turned from the giggling toddler to the two blonds standing in by door way.
"Oh hey Q." Emily smile to Quinn before turning her eyes to the blonde man standing behind Quinn.
"Oh Em, I would like you to meet, mine and JJ's dad, Russell Fabray. Dad, this is Emily Prentiss, your future daughter in-law." Quinn whispers the last part making Russell laugh.
"Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Emily. I've heard so much about you. And I see you are as beautiful as Jenny says you are." Russell says
Emily blushes a little. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, sir. I've also heard a lot about you." Emily says as she gets off of the couch with Henry in her arms, and reaches out her free hand for a hand shake.
"Oh put that thing away, and get over here." Russell pulls Emily into a hug, which momentarily stuns Emily, but she responds to the hug. "And enough of this sir stuff. It's Russell…or dad…which ever you feel comfortable with." Russell said quickly making Quinn laugh behind him.
"Um yes sir…I mean Russell." Emily says. The sound of a baby talking snapped everyone's attention to Henry.
"And who might this little skipper be?" Russell asked
"This little one right here is Henry. Your grandson." Quinn said.
"Th-this is him?" Russell asked shocked. Quinn and Emily nod their heads. "He's so beautiful." Russell said with tears in his eyes.
"Would you like to hold him?" Emily asks.
"May I?" Russell asks
Emily just smiles before passing Henry over to Russell.
Russell holds Henry with tears in his eyes.
"Hi there Henry. I'm your granddad. It's nice to finally meet you." Russell says. Henry looked at his grandfather and smiles. "Oh look at that he has his mother's smile. And look I think I see a little of you in him too, Emily." Russell says. Emily blushes a little, while Quinn raises an eyebrow at this. What was that suppose to mean?
"Daddy!" they heard a squeal from the top of the stairs.
"Jenny!" Russell smiles and holds his arms open for his eldest daughter. JJ ran into his arms.
"Oh my god I've missed you so much." JJ said with tears in her eyes as she was held by her father.
"I missed you too princess." Russell said.
"You, mister have a lot of explaining to do." JJ said as she pulled from the embrace and wiped the tears from her face.
"I know and I will." Russell smiles at his oldest.
Quinn looked at her dad and sister and smiled. She finally had her family back. Quinn looked around at her family and noticed something missing.
"Hey Jay, where's Rachel?" Quinn asks.
JJ pulls away from her dad, and instantly looks sad.
"Um something kind of happened at the mall…" JJ starts.
"What? What happened? Is Rachel okay? Is the baby okay? Where is Rachel?" Quinn begins to panic.
"Quinn…Quinn! Calm down. Rachel and the baby are fine. She's just in her room with Garcia. She ran into someone at the mall and…it didn't end to well…" before JJ could finish, Quinn was racing up the stairs.
Russell watched as his youngest ran up the stairs.
"It everything okay?" Russell asks concerned.
"I hope so." JJ sighs
Upstairs, Quinn goes to Rachel's room. What she finds nearly breaks her heart. Rachel was curled up in a ball…well as much of a ball as she could get without hurting the baby. Her shoulders looked to be shaking, so Quinn knew she was crying, and Garcia was rubbing her arm trying to soothe her, but it didn't seem to be doing much.
Garcia looks up and saw Quinn standing in the door way. Garcia leans over to whisper something to Rachel before getting up from her seat. She gave Quinn a pat on the shoulders before leaving the room.
"Rachel" Quinn says softly as she walks into the room. Her only reply was the sound of crying. "Hey. Hey Rach. What's wrong?" Quinn asks as she squats in front of Rachel. Quinn still only gets a response of tears. "Hey baby girl, talk to me. Tell me what happened?" Quinn asks softly as she moves Rachel's hair from her face.
"Sh-she doesn't w-want me." Rachel cries.
"Who doesn't want you sweetie?" Quinn asks concerned.
"M-m-my m-m-mom" Rachel gets out before crying more.
Quinn looked both shocked and confused. Did she just say her mom? Last Quinn knew was Rachel didn't know who her mother was. She's only heard her from the tape Rachel plays every night before she goes to bed.
Rachel must have saw the look of confusion on Quinn's face, because she began explaining.
"A-at the mall, th-they were having some Valentine's Day concert and she was there. My birth mom." Rachel says.
"H-how?"
"It was thrown by Vocal Adrenaline. She's their coach."
Then it donned on Quinn.
"Sh-Shelby Corcoran? Shelby Corcoran is your mom?" Quinn said shocked. Rachel nods and more tears come. "Ah baby, what happened?" Quinn asks as she caress Rachel's cheek while also wiping the tears away.
"I-I walked up to her and told her that I thought I was her daughter. She was shocked, but agreed to talk to me anyway. We talked, then she asks about my pregnancy. She said something and I g-got upset. She said that us talking wasn't…p-probably wasn't a idea. I tried apo-apologizing, but she just said that she couldn't do this and just took off." tears were streaming down Rachel's face.
"Oh baby I'm so sorry." Quinn said sincere.
"I-I just wanted to talk to her. Get to know her and have her in my life, but she didn't want that." Rachel cries
This really upsets Quinn. She is sadden by her friend's hurt. No one should ever hurt like this. Especially Rachel. Quinn had half a mind to go down there and give Shelby Corcoran a piece of her mind, but she knew she was needed here with Rachel. Quinn gets into the bed and holds Rachel from behind to comfort her.
"Sshh, it's okay, sweetie. It'll be okay." Quinn tries to comfort. "I'm really sorry that you had to go through that. And you know what it's her lost. It's her own fault that she wont get to know this wonderful and amazing person that you are. And you know what, if she's not gonna be there for you, you have so many other people who will. You've got your dads, Brittany, Puck, Santana, JJ,. Emily, glee club. Even my dad. And you know you'll have to fight to keep Garcia away." Rachel lets out a tearful chuckle. "And most importantly you have me and I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here for you. The both of you." Quinn says as she caresses Rachel swollen belly. "And you never know, maybe she'll come around. Just give her time. Until then you have me."
There was silence for a while, except for the occasional sniff.
"Thank you, Quinn" Rachel whispers. Instead of responding Quinn places a kiss on Rachel's head. She felt Rachel snuggle a little into her. Rachel's breathing soon evens out, and she falls asleep. Quinn soon follows her.
After a few minutes, JJ and Russell come to check on the girls, wandering what was keeping them so long.
They find them sleeping with Quinn spooning Rachel from behind with her hand resting on Rachel's stomach and Rachel's hand covering hers.
With one last smile, the adults leave the two teens to sleep.
"Told you." Garcia said to JJ with a smug look on her face. JJ just smiled and shook her head her friend. They all head back downstairs to talk and catch up and wait for the girls to wake up.
End of Chapter 37
Sorry. I know some of you…well most of you wanted no Shelby drama, but it kind of made sense right now, but worry not. Things will get better between Rachel and Shelby in do time. Just stay tuned. :)