AN: Small time jump to November, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I also forgot that technically Rachel's dads split up in series 6 but just pretend that didn't happen.
(Poll still on my profile for next fic)
This will be the last official chapter but there will be a short (or maybe not so short) epilogue that I'll post at the beginning of the new year probably which will take place a few years down the line when the girls are more settled.
Read and review :)
Chapter 27
Sunday
"Can we run through it one more time?"
"Rachel, I love you but my God it's not that difficult. We land at 10 this evening, we'll go into school to see people tomorrow then have dinner at Breadstix as we never got to do that when we lived there. Tuesday we'll spend the day with my mum, Wednesday we spend time with your dads then Thursday, Thanksgiving dinner with your extended family at your dads'." I sigh, having already repeated this information several times.
Monday
It felt weird walking through the doors of the new McKinley, not only because it was now a school for arts but because instead of staring wistfully at Rachel, I was now moving through the corridors with her hand in mine.
"Rachel! Quinn! I didn't know you guys were visiting."
We turn around and see Sam walking towards us.
"Hey, yeah well you came all the way to New York for our engagement party so it was only fair we returned the favour." I laugh. "Plus I don't think either of us have come home as often as we'd have liked to in the passed year and even longer for me."
"How's the glee club doing?" Rachel asks, stopping me from rambling any further.
I always feel awkward around Sam, seeing as we both technically dated him and were now standing in front of him engaged.
"Oh it's going well, we won sectionals the other day so I'm really proud of them. I'm just about to head to our last meeting before Thanksgiving if you wanted to see them perform?"
"We'd love to, I can't wait to see how they're coming along and catch up with all the kids that I coached last year."
I follow Rachel and Sam into the choir room and can't stop the smile that appears when I think of all the memories that come flooding back every time I step into the room.
"We have some very special guests today so why don't we head into the auditorium and show them what we've been working on?"
A few of the kids cheer and run up to greet Rachel and smile briefly at me before we all move into the auditorium.
I watch in awe as they flawlessly perform 'Sorry' by Justin Bieber and can't believe how far the glee club has come since I first watched them perform 'Don't Stop Believing' around 7 years ago.
Next, we visit Mr Schuester in his office.
"Rachel, Quinn, I heard the news, congratulations." He grins as he hugs us each in turn then gestures for us to sit.
Rachel sits down on the sofa and I sit next to her, resting my hand on her thigh.
"Thanks." I smile. "I'm ashamed to admit that we may not be sitting here together if it wasn't for you and glee, it really changed our lives and I don't think I ever really thanked you for it. So thank you."
"It was my pleasure Quinn, it saved me too and who knows where we would be now if Rachel hadn't complained to Principal Figgins about Mr Ryerson. I wouldn't have Emma, or Daniel, I'd probably be still stuck in a dead-end marriage with Terri and a baby she was claiming was ours whilst working a job that I hated."
I laugh at the memory of Terri breaking into my car and begging me to give her Beth.
"I am so proud of each and every one of you. Rachel, for making it onto Broadway and having the guts to go back to NYADA after everything that happened, Mercedes for saying no to all the sketchy producers and making her own way to becoming Beyoncé's opening act, Santana, Brittany, Kurt and Blaine for not caring what the world thinks and finding happiness in each other, as you two have done too and you Quinn, for graduating Yale."
The three of us catch up for the next half an hour before I finally get to take my girl on a date at Breadstix.
Tuesday
I spend the morning alone with my mother but neither of us brings up the engagement until Rachel arrives for lunch.
I'm upstairs in the bathroom when I hear the doorbell ring and my mother lets Rachel in.
As I come downstairs I find them stood by the front door still, Rachel's left hand in my mother's grasp.
"Isn't it beautiful Mrs Fabray?"
"Please, call me Judy, I haven't been a Fabray for years now, and yes it's wonderful. Let's see yours Quinnie." Mum smiles up at me when she spots me on the penultimate step.
"You haven't shown her already?" Rachel queries, greeting me with a brief kiss on the cheek.
"Um, no." I blush, finally showing off my ring.
"Ooh I don't know which one I like more."
"I do." I smile, admiring my ring once more.
We make our way into the living room and I suddenly realise that this is the first time that Rachel has been inside my childhood home and I chuckle nervously as she glances round at the ornate furniture.
"I don't know why she hasn't redecorated." I whisper to her as we sit down on the couch.
"Maybe she still loves him."
"Or maybe she's still scared he'll come back."
"So, Judy, my dads mentioned something about you saying we were going to be engaged by the end of the year?" Rachel laughs after we've finished eating the lunch that my mother and I prepared this morning.
"Oh yes, I could see how happy you made Quinnie and I know she's been pining over you since the first day of high school so it was inevitable."
"Wait, you knew I liked Rachel?"
"Yes, you were always talking about her. Sometimes even in your sleep."
I blush furiously as beside me, Rachel starts giggling.
"I'm just glad your father never picked up on it. I'm sure he didn't though if he was as clueless as he claimed about the pregnancy."
We spend the rest of the afternoon talking whilst slowly making our way through a bottle of wine and I finally feel like I've got my mother back in my life.
Wednesday
"Show me the rings."
I laugh as Hiram grabs both of our hands before even greeting us properly and inspects our engagement rings.
"I should've seen this coming." Rachel jokes.
"Same." I laugh as finally Hiram comes out of his daze and pulls us both into a warm hug.
"LeRoy will be home shortly. He just got called into work briefly." He explains before ushering us into the house.
"Show me the rings."
This time it's LeRoy who grabs us as soon as he enters the house.
"You two are too alike." Rachel laughs.
Thursday
Having spent the night at the Berry's I wake up in Rachel's arms in her childhood bedroom and smile as I fully take in the wall of glee photos she has pinned up still.
I find it sad that I'm only in a couple and even then there are other people with us, usually the whole club.
As soon as she and I are dressed I grab her wrist and hold up my phone to take a selfie.
Rachel smiles naturally and I love the fact that she didn't use her showbiz smile.
"What was that for?"
"Well I realised we don't actually have a picture of the two of us, and now you do. Plus I think we should take these photos from here and put them up in our bedroom at home, along with this one."
"I like that idea, but I have other plans for this one." She explains, gesturing towards the picture that I've just set as my background on my phone. "We should use it on the wedding invites."
"I love you and your clever ideas." I smile, dipping my head to kiss her.
"Mmm." The brunette hums, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth as I pull away. "I love you too, but you get half the credit as you took the picture."
"So what's on the schedule for Berry Thanksgiving?" I ask, still grinning.
"Well, we usually just have a small brunch and not much else to eat until dinner. Family starts to arrive around 2 and we play some games while the food is cooking, and yes there will be turkey, but my dads still think I'm vegan so I wont be eating it." She blushes.
"Hmm, you little liar."
"It's not lying unless I state aloud that I am still vegan, which I never have so therefore it's more like... hiding the truth." Rachel reasons.
"Whatever you say." I wink before leading her downstairs.
The morning flies by and before I know it, everyone has arrived.
Rachel introduces me to her family and I smile every time she says 'fiancée'. I lose count of the number of times someone grabs my left hand though.
The doorbell rings and I look at Rachel confused, as I thought everyone was here.
"Could you get that please babe?" She asks, walking into the kitchen with a smirk before I could even ask who it was.
Sighing, I move into the hall and pull open the door.
"Mum?"
"Hi Quinnie, sorry I'm slightly late."
"I… I didn't even know you were coming." I laugh.
"Oh they did say they might keep it a surprise. Hello Rachel dear."
I turn to find Rachel behind me, a guilty look on her face.
"I hope you're not mad."
"Of course I'm not mad, it's adorable that you invited my mother." I smile, pulling her into a hug.
"Actually it was my dad's idea, but I did encourage Judy to come."
I finally greet my mother with a hug and then introduce her to everyone and she soon settles in talking to Hiram's sister.
"I love you." I whisper into Rachel's ear, hugging her from behind.
"I love you too." She murmurs. "And although you've already told me that today, I'll never tire of hearing it."
After a few hours of talking and games, we finally all sit down to eat but before we get to tuck in, Hiram announces that we're going to share what we're thankful for.
I groan silently as I'm extremely hungry but politely listen to everyone else until it's my turn.
"Well, I'm thankful for a lot but this year, I'm mostly thankful for second chances, as without them, I wouldn't be sat here with you all today next to my beautiful fiancée."
Rachel grins at me and as we all start to eat I can't believe how lucky I am, sat here between the love of my life and my mother, opposite two men who have accepted me for who I am.
I'm finally one hundred percent happy.