Quick shout out to all new readers, people who have placed the story on either alerts or favorites or both, and a big thank you for everyone who continues to read :D. Also, thank you to my Beta, Comegetit.
Just before the chapter I want to wish everyone to have a wonderful, relaxing weekend :D.
I do not own any Glee.
Chapter 37:
Rachel parked her Yellow Beetle outside of Hayley's house; both Quinn and Rachel then hopped out and made their way up to steps to the head cheerleaders front door. Rachel was taking both Quinn and Hayley to the airport because the girl's were on their way to Florida for Cheerleading Nationals. Last weekend Quinn played her last softball game for the year, winning by 3 runs, but unfortunately the team still didn't make the finals.
The blonde knocked on her best friends door and waited for Hayley to swing the door opened, "Hey," the head cheerleader said hurriedly. "I'll just go grab my bag."
The couple nodded and Quinn went to step inside but Hayley stopped her, "Don't come in… I won't be long…" the brunette stuttered out.
"Let me in, Hayls… It's okay," Quinn expressed, the blonde knew why Hayley didn't want her to come into her house, the brunettes mother must be home. Quinn hadn't seen Grace since the divorce, the blonde only coming around when Hayley was by herself.
Hayley just nodded and then looked at Rachel, "I'll just wait outside," the petite brunette expressed, she didn't want the head cheerleader to feel any more uncomfortable than she's already feeling, Rachel knew that Hayley could only tolerate Quinn walking inside her house right now.
Quinn followed her best friend inside the house and looked around, it was messier than she's ever seen it, "I haven't had time to clean…" Hayley trailed off as they walked up the stairs, "Exams and all…"
The blonde nodded and just followed her best friend up the stairs to the brunette's room, walking inside and watching Hayley grab the last of her things and placing it in her bag. The brunette's mother then walked up to Hayley's opened door, "Where are you going? Are you staying at Quinn's again?" the mother asked. Both Hayley and Quinn turned around to the doorway to see Grace standing there.
"No, mom… I've got cheerleading Nationals… Like I told you before," Hayley expressed.
"Well I'm sorry I forgot, Hayley… I can't remember everything," Grace voiced defensively.
"That's not what I meant, mom," the brunette said softly as her facial expressions turned down sadly.
Grace ignored her daughter and looked over at Quinn, "I haven't seen you here for a while."
Quinn nodded, "Yes, sorry about that, Mrs. Anderson."
"It's Mrs. Sutherland, now," Grace stated seriously, and then turned to Hayley, "Something that Hayley should also do."
Hayley huffed sadly, "Mom… You know I'm not changing my last name."
Grace just shook her head, "I don't know why not, Hayley… It's not like your father deserves it."
"He didn't do anything wrong to me, mom," Hayley stated seriously.
"No, he just cheated on me…" Grace angrily voiced.
Hayley rolled her eyes; she was so over this, "Mom… Get over it… Dad feels horrible for what he's done."
"Did he tell you that on one of your sleepovers?" Grace spat out.
"Actually yes!" Hayley said defensively. Quinn just stood their watching the mother and daughter start to raise their voice at each other.
"I still can't believe you're on his side, Hayley! After everything he has done to me. 21 years and he threw it all away… Rather going on business trips to sleep around, then be home as a family… Who has been the one that has always taken care of you, Hayley? Me! And what do I get in return, you choose you're father over me!" Grace yelled.
"I chose both of you! And you're not taking care of me now! I'm the one that has been taking care of you! Picking up your empty bottles, doing the cleaning and washing… Waking up every morning so you will go to work!" Hayley yelled back.
Grace rolled her eyes, "Just leave, Hayley."
Hayley just nodded and grabbed her things, "Come on, Quinn," the brunette said as she started to walk out of her room, "I love you too, mom," Hayley said as she looked at her mom angrily and then walked down the stairs, Quinn following behind her best friend.
The head cheerleader stormed out of the house and walked to Rachel's car, staring at the brunette just before she hopped into the backseat, "You're lucky you don't have a mother," Hayley voiced seriously and then harshly opened the door and got in, giving the door a slam as she closed it.
Rachel stood at her car with wide eyes, Quinn walking up to the car, hearing what her best friend just said to her girlfriend, the blonde shook her head and opened up the backseat door and grabbed onto her best friends wrist and pulled her out of the car, closing the door behind her and then pushing Hayley up against the backseat door. "What the fuck, Q?"
"Apologize to Rachel, right now!" Quinn voiced angrily.
Hayley scrunched up her face confused, not knowing what she even said to the other brunette and then realization of what she said was shown on her facial features, she turned to Rachel, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to say that."
Rachel nodded, "I know, it's okay."
The head cheerleader then turned to look back at her best friend, "Sorry."
Quinn just shook her head as she released her hold from her best friend, "You can yell at me all you want because your mother was a bitch to you, but you will not say one bad thing to my girlfriend… You got it?"
Hayley just nodded, "I didn't mean it, Q."
The blonde nodded, "I know… But you have bullied Rachel far more than you already should have… She doesn't deserve it anymore…"
The head cheerleader just nodded. Quinn then looked seriously at her best friend, "Now… Are you okay?"
Hayley stared at her best friend and started to shake her head as tears started to fill her eyes, Quinn moved forward and wrapped her arms around her best friend, letting Hayley cry on her shoulder. "I'm over it, Q… So over it."
"I know," Quinn said as she held onto her best friend.
"I can't take her anymore… It's the same thing over and over again," Hayley sniffled in her best friends shoulder.
"She's gonna get better, Hayls… It's just taking her a long time to get through it… She doesn't mean anything she says to you," the blonde said as she released her hold from her best friend.
The head cheerleader nodded and whipped her tears away, "I know… It's just hard to remember mom the way she was before all this."
"She'll come back… Don't give up on her," Quinn said seriously.
Hayley nodded and then looked over to Rachel, "I'm sorry, again." Rachel just nodded and gave the head cheerleader a small smile, "Come on… I better take you two to the airport."
The head Cheerio hopped into the car and Quinn walked over to her girlfriend, "Are you okay?"
Rachel smiled and nodded, "You didn't need to defend me like that."
Quinn nodded, "I know I didn't… But I wanted to… It didn't upset you, did it?"
The brunette shook her head with a smile on her lips, "No… But I can stand up for myself if I need to, Lucy."
The softball player nodded and then leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her girlfriend's lips, "I know you can."
The couple then got into the car and Rachel started to drive them to Columbus airport.
Once they arrived at the airport, Hayley grabbed her and Quinn's bag, letting the couple say their goodbyes to each other.
"Have fun and good luck… Text me when your plane arrives and I'll pick you up in a few days," Rachel rambled out.
Quinn wrapped her arms around her girlfriends waist, "I'll miss you, baby."
"I'll miss you," Rachel said with a pout. "This is the first time we're going to be away from each other."
The blonde nodded sadly, "I'll call as often as I can."
Rachel slowly nodded, "I wish I could come."
"So do I… Next year I'll try con Ms. Sylvester for you to come," Quinn said seriously.
The brunette giggled, "Good luck with that, baby."
Quinn shrugged, "Worth a try, the worst she can say is no."
"You know that's not the worst she can say, Luce," Rachel said with a smirk and raised eyebrows.
The blonde chuckled, "Okay, you're right… But I'll still try."
Rachel smiled and nodded, "I love you, Lucy."
"I love you, Rach," Quinn confessed as she leaned in and planted a goodbye kiss on her girlfriend's lips.
As they separated the couple then looked over at Hayley, Quinn then moving to where her best friend was and grabbed her bag. "Good luck, Hayley," Rachel said as she walked over and pulled the other brunette in a hug.
"Thanks, Rachel," Hayley said as the two separated. The head cheerleader then looked over at her best friend, "We better head inside and meet up with everyone."
Quinn nodded and then looked at her girlfriend, "Bye, Rach."
Rachel waved as she got to her drivers seat open door, "Bye, Lucy," the brunette called as she smiled and hopped into the car, driving off as Quinn and Hayley watched her leave.
The best friends then turned to head inside the airport, Hayley turning to her best friend, "Lucy?" the brunette said with a smirk and a raise of one eyebrow.
Quinn turned and nodded. "When did that happen?" Hayley wondered.
"While ago," the blonde said with a shrug.
"Can I call you Lucy?" Hayley asked.
Quinn looked at her best friend seriously, "Absolutely not!"
The brunette chuckled, "Thought you would say that… I don't see you as a Lucy anyways."
Quinn smiled and nodded. "Do you feel like a Lucy again?" Hayley curiously asked.
The blonde looked at her best friend as her eyebrows crinkled in concentration, then she shook her head, "I only feel like Lucy when I'm with Rachel."
Hayley nodded, "Do you think you will ever want to go by Lucy again?"
Quinn started to smile at the thought and then nodded as she looked at her best friend, "I hope one day I will get there."
The brunette smiled and nodded, "Well let me know when that day comes so I can start calling you Lucy."
The softball player chuckled at her best friend, "You just told me you don't see me as Lucy."
Hayley shrugged, "Yes… But I'm sure when you want to start going by Lucy again, I'll start seeing you as a Lucy."
Quinn smiled at her best friend and then turned to look ahead as the two continued their way into the airport to meet up with their coach and Cheerio friends.
Sue Sylvester walked boldly up to receive the Cheerios National trophy, she had another National title under her belt and it surely wouldn't be the last one. The blonde lady refused to let any of the girls touch the trophy… It was hers after all… She was the one that put all the effort in… She was the one that made up the routine and grounded it into the teenage girls… This was her win… Or so she thought.
The Cheerio girls didn't care that their coach claimed the trophy before they put a fingertip on it; they were just all ecstatic that they won again… It's a lot of pressure to be under after all the wins the Cheerios have previously had.
After Hayley hugged her friends, the brunette received a tap on her shoulder and a blonde woman dressed in a floral dress stood in front of her. The lady stretched out her hand, "Hayley Anderson, my names Lisa Brown."
Hayley scrunched up her face confused but shook the ladies hand. "I'm the cheerleading coach from Stetson University in DeLand Florida… You have been captain of the William McKinley Cheerios for three years, is that right?"
The head Cheerio nodded, "Yes, that's correct."
Lisa nodded with a smile on her face, "Wonderful team to be apart of… Have you decided on what college you want to go to next year?"
"No I haven't, I'm waiting to hear back from a couple in Kentucky and some in California," Hayley address, having a feeling where this lady might be going with this conversation.
"University of Louisville?" Lisa wondered.
"Yes, that's one of them… But I don't think I'll be going," the brunette stated.
"Why's that, they have a flawless cheerleading team," the university coach added.
"I know… That's the main reason why I applied. But it's just too close to where I grew up and I want to get away from Ohio for a bit," Hayley stated politely.
Lisa smiled broadly handing over a booklet for Hayley to take, "Well if you're interested in living here in Florida, I'd love to offer you a scholarship at Stetson University, the Hatters would love you as a new addition to the squad."
Quinn turned around to try and find her best friend in the celebrations, and spotted her talking to an older lady. The blonde curiously watching on, wondering what was going on.
The blonde watched Hayley shake the ladies hand and turn around, the brunette spotting her best friend and walking over to her. Quinn stood there and waited for Hayley to make her way over. Once Hayley arrived the blonde spoke up, "Who was that?"
Hayley gave her best friend a small smile, "A Coach for a college cheerleading squad here in Florida… She asked me if I wanted a scholarship…" All the air that was in the blonde's lungs immediately escaped her body. "…And I said yes…" Hayley breathed out.
Quinn looked like she wanted to cry, but she instantly changed her facial features into a straight face with no emotions, "Congratulations," the softball player whispered out, and then turned and walked away… She walked away from all the other members of the Cheerios up on stage, still celebrating… Walking away in no particular direction… She just didn't feel like celebrating anymore… It wasn't something she wanted to celebrate… Someone else was leaving her…
Hayley ran after her best friend and followed her out of the stadium and across the road to the beach. The brunette watched Quinn sit down on the edge of the path that went onto the sand to the water.
Quinn sat there and watched the waves crash; it didn't take her long to be accompanied by her best friend. The blonde turned and watched her best friend come and sit down next to her.
Silence filled the pair until Quinn whispered out, "I am happy for you…"
The brunette nodded, but didn't turn to her best friend, "I need to get out of Lima, Quinn."
Quinn tore her eyes off the ocean and connect her hazel eyes with her best friends darker ones, "I just didn't think it would be so far away, I thought it would be Kentucky… That's like a four hour drive…"
"I was also considering California… That's far away from Ohio," Hayley added.
"Yeah… But I was trying not to think about that possibility, Hayls," Quinn said sadly. "And I thought you would choose Louisville because they have the best cheerleading squad," the blonde added, looking back at the ocean.
"College isn't about cheerleading for me… I just need to get as far away from Ohio as I can. I can't stand it there anymore," Hayley said as tears started to fill her eyes.
Quinn turned to look at her best friend, vulnerability was heard in her voice, "When I stopped playing softball… My best friends tried to be there for me, but because I was so distraught I didn't want them around… I didn't want their sympathy… I just wanted to be left alone. They tried to help me… They really did… But a couple months down the track, they started to stop… They stopped caring and they went on with their lives. I lost every single one of my friends… And when Wyatt passed… No one was there besides my family… They are the only ones that stayed." The blonde took a breath and looked straight into her best friends hazel eyes, "I don't want to lose you, Hayley."
Tears slipped out of Hayley's eyes, she moved closer to her best friend and pulled her in for a hug, "You're not going to lose me, Quinn… You have to trust and believe me when I say that…"
"I trust you, Hayley," Quinn said as she held tightly onto her best friend.
The Cheerios arrived back in Ohio and Ms. Sylvester watched as her girls all parted with their parents; Quinn and Hayley walked out of the airport in search for the petite brunette, the blonde couldn't wait to see her girlfriend, she needed a Rachel Berry hug right now.
But as the best friends searched the cars, they didn't find a Yellow Beetle waiting for them, however Quinn did spot Simon waiting at his car with a 'Fabray' sign. The pair started to walk over; the man dressed in a suit spotting them, "Ms. Fabray, how are you today?"
"Well thanks… I thought Rachel was coming to pick us up," the blonde said curiously.
Simon nodded, "Yes, Ms. Berry called your parents and told them she couldn't come pick you up today, and because they have decided to spend a couple extra days in Florida they called and asked if I could take you and Ms. Anderson home."
"Oh… Okay," Quinn said sadly.
The man nodded and then walked over and grabbed the two's bags. After he loaded the bags in the car, he turned to the two best friends, "I've been informed to take you to Ms. Berry's house…" He then turned to Hayley, "And Mr. Madden informed me to ask you if you wanted to be dropped off at the Madden household or your own home, I was given your address from Mr. Madden," Simon voiced politely.
"Oh… Ummm… Just take me home if that's okay," Hayley stated softly.
Simon smiled and nodded, then turned and opened up the back seat for the girls. Once the best friends hopped inside the brunette turned to the softball player, "This is so weird," Hayley said seriously.
Quinn just chuckled, "I'm use to it."
Once Quinn arrived at the Berry household she walked up the porch and knocked on the door, she went to turn the doorknob but it was locked, she didn't expect it to be opened as it was getting late.
Hiram swung opened the door and smiled at the blonde, "Hello, Sweetie… Congratulations on your win," the Berry man said as he pulled the blonde into a hug.
Quinn smiled in the hug, "Thanks, Hiram…" she expressed as she pulled back. "Is Rachel home? I got told to come here."
Hiram nodded and ushered the blonde in, "Yes, she's not feeling well today so that's why she couldn't pick you up."
The blonde nodded and then made her way up to her girlfriend's room, dropping her bag at the door and spotting her girlfriend laying on the bed, on her side in a fetus position. Quinn gave out a small knock and Rachel moved her head to the door, "Baby… You came…" Rachel whispered out as her lips turned up in a small smile.
Quinn nodded and then moved to Rachel's bed, removing her jacket and shoes and then softly lifting up the covers and then moving in to snuggle next to the brunette, wrapping an arm around Rachel's waist and feeling a hot water bottle on her girlfriends abdomen. "Period pain?" the blonde whispered as she leaned over to place a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek.
Rachel nodded her head as she entwined the hand Quinn had wrapped around her waist.
"I'm sorry I didn't pick you up," Rachel said as she felt her girlfriend spoon in closer to her body.
Quinn leaned over and rested her head in the arch of her girlfriend's neck. "It's okay… Simon was there…" the blonde whispered out softly.
"I missed you," Rachel conveyed honestly.
"I missed you," Quinn whispered out softly.
Rachel moved her head to make eye contact with her girlfriend making Quinn lift her head up off her girlfriend's neck, "What's wrong?"
"Why do you think something's wrong?" the blonde wondered, still having her hand wrapped around the brunette's waist.
"You just won Nationals… Congratulations, again… You should be happy, but your voice sounds upset," Rachel said looking into hazel eyes.
Quinn looked away from her girlfriend and then connected her eyes back on brown, "Hayley's moving to Florida…" the blonde whispered out.
"Oh… Luce," Rachel sadly expressed, trying to turn around but her girlfriend stopped her.
"Don't… You're in pain… Stay," the softball player voiced concerned.
The brunette nodded, still having her face looking at her girlfriends, "Can I do anything?"
Quinn gave her girlfriend a small smile and leaned down to give her girlfriend a chaste kiss on the lips, then pulled back, "You're already doing it… I just want to lay down with you."
Rachel gave her girlfriend a small smile and then turned back to lay comfortably on her side, Quinn moving her head back to position it in the curve of her girlfriends neck. Silence filled the couple as they both snuggled up together, content to just have their girlfriend wrapped up against them.
Half an hour later, LeRoy knocked on the opened door and stepped in, "It's getting late… I think it's time for Quinn to go home… Did you want a lift, Sweetie?"
Quinn nodded and started to lift her hand off the girlfriends waist but Rachel held tightly onto their embraced hands, then moved her head to her father, "Can Quinn stay please? I've missed her."
LeRoy started to shake his head, "You know the rules, Rach."
Rachel pouted, "Please, daddy? We're not going to initiate in anything inappropriate… I'm on my period," Rachel stated seriously.
LeRoy cringed; Rachel saw it and rolled her eyes, "Daddy… I'm 16, I've had my period for 4 years… Stop being disgusted with a normal female life cycle."
Quinn gave out a little chuckle as she still held onto her girlfriend.
"This is something your dad and Aunt Louise handle… Not me," LeRoy said with a shiver.
"You're so gay, daddy," Rachel said with a laugh, LeRoy just smiled and nodded. Then looked over at Quinn, "You can stay the night… But the door stays open, and don't think that they will be any recurrences."
Quinn smiled and nodded, "Thanks, LeRoy."
The Berry man nodded and then turned and left the doorway of his daughter's room.
The blonde turned to head back to the curve of Rachel's neck, "I would have just snuck back in," Quinn whispered out.
Rachel turned her head and smiled up at her girlfriend, "I know… But I didn't want to have to wait… I want your arms around me now."
Quinn tightened her hold around her girlfriend's waist, "I'll have my arms around you forever… If you'll allow it."
The brunette moved her head up to place an innocent kiss on her girlfriends lips, "I'll always allow it, Lucy." Rachel then moved up to place another kiss on her girlfriends lips, "I'm glad you're home."
Quinn smiled, "I'm glad to be home," the softball player whispered out, honestly.
The couple repositioned themselves to get comfortable. Quinn resting her front against the brunettes back, holding protectively onto her girlfriend, her hand still placed against the hot water bottle, Rachel's hand was still entwined with her blondes. The blonde leaned in to place a delicate kiss on her girlfriends shoulder as the two slowly slipped off to sleep together… Both of them glad to be together… Both of them glad that they were in each other's embrace… Both of them glad to be home.