CHAPTER 8

(for the purposes of this fanfiction I am going to be making Lucy a little bit more verbose and well spoken even though she is almost 4 years old.)

Santana unlocked the door to Rachel's place, kicking it closed like she always does as she dropped her keys on the entry table. Swinging into the kitchen she startled a little bit finding Shelby in the kitchen cooking pancakes. She was hoping to find Rachel this morning. "Hello Shelby. Where's the squirt and Midge?"

Shelby smiled at the Latina as she flipped another pancake in the pan, "Rachel is in the shower and I think Lucy is still sleeping if you want to go and wake her up."

Santana nodded and immediately turned to head down to the little girls room. Pushing the door open slowly she peaked in and couldn't help but huff out a laugh. The child reminded her so much of Quinn it was uncanny. Finding her sprawled out on the bed with her head almost hanging over the side was so reminiscent of her former...nay still best friend. Time and distant didn't change that. She was absolutely the spitting image in so many ways. Moving up to the bed she bent over and started smothering the child's face in kisses. When she heard a grunt she laughed again and continued her assault.

"Auntie Sannnnyy stoooooop!" Lucy groaned, trying to roll away from her Aunt to no avail.

Santana grinned and laid one last kiss on the child's forehead, "It's time to wake up, mija. Your grandma has pancakes and I think I smell bacon."

That made Lucy open up her eyes, "Bacon. For me?" she rasped.

Santana couldn't help but laugh again. "Only if you get up. Want me to pick you out something fierce to wear for your day with me and Auntie Brittany?"

Stretching out her arms and legs she nodded and sat up. Watching her Aunt rifle through her closet she thought about last night with her Mama. She had finally met her Mummy. She was as pretty in person as all the pictures that everyone had showed her but it still made her so sad that she didn't seem to recognize her. "Auntie Sanny?" she whispered, trying not to cry again.

Santana instantly turned around to the tone of Lucy's voice, "Yes mija?"

"How come my Mummy didn't know me?" she asked, losing the battle to her tears.

Santana moved across the room quickly depositing the clothes on the bed and scooping Lucy into her arms. "Oh baby, she did know you. How could she not? You look and act so much like her."

"I do?" She sniffled.

"Yes! When I came to wake you up you gave me memories of all the sleepovers your mummy and Auntie Brittany had at my house when we were around your age. She used to steal the whole bed like you do." Santana stated, smiling when little Lucy giggled softly at that.

Lucy ran her hand under her nose and looked at her Aunt, "What else do I do that is like her?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

Santana couldn't stop from shaking her head a little and laughing, "She does that too," she huffed, touching her finger to the raised eyebrow, "She's almost famous for it. When we were in school everyone used to call it The Fabray Eyebrow. You know why I call you LQ?"

Lucy could only shake her head in the negative.

Santana smiled softly, "Little Quinn. Because you remind me of your Mummy."

Lucy was so happy to hear these stories. She liked to know these things about her Mummy. She liked knowing that she was like her in some ways.

"You are a lot like your Mama too, LQ." Santana couldn't help but add. Forging on when she saw that eyebrow raise again, "You sound just as amazing as she does when you sing. You can dance like her. You are so, so smart like her."

Lucy couldn't help but smile at this. She loved her Mama so much and she was proud that she could sing and dance like her. "I love my Mama."

Rachel wiped a tear from her cheek after hearing the exchange between the two and made her presences known, "Your Mama loves you so much, baby girl."

Lucy swung her head around to her bedroom door, "Hi Mama!" she grinned, showing off another feature that she inherited from her Mama. Her huge smile. Although this one was marred by a missing tooth that hadn't quite grown back yet.

Making her way into the room she took her daughter from Santana's arms and hugged her to her chest. "Did you sleep well, baby girl?"

"Yes. Auntie Sanny said that I sleep just like my Mummy. Is that true Mama?"

Rachel couldn't help but laugh at that, "Yes that is true, baby girl. The only time that you stay still is when you have sleepovers with me in my bed. But thats because you love our cuddles just as much as your Mama did." Rachel sucked in a shallow breath after divulging that as memories from her past started swarming into her head.

Santana slammed the door to Quinn's room open - stopping dead in her tracks when she found Quinn and Rachel cuddled up in bed. Santana had never seen Quinn not be sprawled out over every inch of the beds surface before. Many times they had fought over this when they had sleepovers. Because the blonde would move so much in her sleep that 9 times out of 10 anyone trying to sleep on the bed with her would end up on the floor. When they had made it to high school they had all come to an agreement that whoever house it was they would have the bed. But it looks like when you're really sleeping with the blonde she was too exhausted to move around. 'GET UP BITCHES!'

"Well LQ, let's get you dressed so your Mama can do something with all that hair!" Santana cooed. When Rachel set the girl on her feet Santana couldn't help but laugh as Lucy immediately stripped naked. Rolling her eyes good-naturedly at Rachel, she grabbed the clothes to help the tiny girl get into them.

Rachel giggled, "I am going to go and talk to Mum. Lucy please grab your brush and and your hair tie bag when you're done getting dressed." Making her way into the kitchen she smiled at her Mum and opened the fridge to grab some almond milk and a bottle of water. "Thank you Mum. I appreciate you making breakfast."

Shelby just waved her off, "I'm happy to help. What is the plan today?"

Rachel grabbed her daughters favourite Wizard of Oz cup and filled it with cashew milk before replacing the carton in the fridge, "Santana and Brittany are going to take Lucy for the day. They'll bring her and dinner back tonight. I have to go grocery shopping soon," Rachel advised as she set her daughters cut on breakfast nook counter, "Also, I think I am going to just nip this Quinn business all in the bud. Lucy deserves to know Quinn - no matter how I feel about how our relationship ended. Santana texted me last night and told me that she has Lucy's letters. If I know her like I used to, she's read them all already, so I'm going to the bookstore today."

Shelby could only nod. Her daughter was nothing if not determined. When she put her mind to something she went for it, no matter the consequence. She went after everything with a fervor that Shelby herself admired. "If you're sure, sweetie. I have to a few things to get sorted for the coming school year. But I'll be back around dinner time."

"You don't have to come back tonight if you don't want too. It'll just be me and Lucy anyways. I think she and I might just need a night to ourselves to connect again. All of this has been alot for her to absorb. We can meet you for brunch tomorrow."

Shelby could only nod as she set the platter of pancakes on the table. Rachel was right. Lucy had been blind-sided by the appearance of her other mother and hopefully things could be figured out if only for her sake. Although Shelby secretly hoped that romance was still in the air for her daughter. She had seen what Quinn and Rachel were like when they were together and that kind of love was rare.

"Gramma! I smell bacon!" Lucy yelled as she ran and slid into the kitchen on her socked feet.

Shelby smiled down at her granddaugher, "You do? I'm sorry your Mama ate it all!"

Lucy's jaw dropped to the floor before turning to her mother with outrage, "Mama! Sharing is caring."

Rachel couldn't help but laugh at the look on her daughters face, "Baby girl Grandma is just kidding. There is plenty of bacon for you to eat. Come into the livingroom so I can do your hair. Do you want french braid?"

Lucy sighed and took her Mama's hand, "Good, because I can't live without bacon. Can I have two braids Mama?"

Quinn sat back in her office chair and stared at the letters organized on her desk. There were 24 in total. All a window into her daughters thoughts, dreams, fears - everything. She knew that her daughter was bullied. Which enraged her exponentially. She also knew that Lucy loved to sing and dance. Which warmed her heart, she could just imagine her daughter being just as Rachel was at that age. She can remember Rachel when they were in elementary school, the diva would put on little shows during recess and sing and dance for everyone to see. Best of all she knew that her daughter was loved. Even if she wasn't there to share in it.

Quinn sighed and stood from her chair stretching out the kinks in her back and frowning when she tuned into some ruckus in apartment. Swinging her office door open with a scowl on her face she found Sarah, the head Pastry Chef and her dear friend, flipping something in a pan on her stove, "What are you doing in here?"

Sarah looked up at her friend with a smart ass comment on the tip of her tongue but the sight of her friend stopped her short, "You look like shit, Quinn. Haven't you slept?"

Quinn glared at the red head harder, "Why are you in my house? Shouldn't you be down in the cafe baking up scones or whatever?"

Sarah's eyebrows raised at the blondes cheekiness, "What crawled up your ass and died? And why are you taking it out on me?"

Quinn's eyes softened. Sarah was right. "I'm sorry. I've just been... dealing with something unexpected."

"Well sit down and tell me about it. I've got your favourite going here." Sarah said, as she turned and pulled a tray of bacon out of the oven.

Quinn couldn't help but take a deep breath in as the scent of bacon assaulted her senses. Taking a seat at the island she could only sigh, "You might want to turn off anything hot, Sarah."

The pastry chef quirked her head in question as she quickly plated up two portions and turned off all the appliances. Sitting next to her friend she waited. She knew that Quinn would not talk unless she was ready. Patience was a skill that had been forced into her by the other woman over the last few years as it was in the red heads nature to force her will on people. Cutting into her pancakes she was bringing a forkful up to her mouth when the blonde finally spoke.

"I have a daughter."

Sarah's fork clattered back down to her plate, "Come again woman?"

Quinn sighed in resignation, "I have a daughter, Sarah. She's absolutely perfect. Stunning really."

"I'm sorry, rewind. How did this news come about? We've been here for two days? Also, I didn't know your soldiers marched?"

Quinn couldn't help but snicker. Sarah knew about her special plumbing so to speak because the redhead had kneed her straight in the junk one day by accident. There was no explaining it away as she was writing on the ground with both hands planted firmly between her legs in protest to the pain. "I saw Rachel in the shop yesterday. Well, your sister tipped me off that she was there, you know how Stella is about 'the' Rachel Berry..." Quinn lamented, rolling her eyes, "When I saw her it was like everything in my world melted away. All I could see was her. I was magnetized to her. My body started moving towards her without my conscious thought. When I reached her all I could say was her name and she looked up at me and I was rooted to the spot by those deep, gorgeous eyes of hers. God, they still melt me, Sarah. It felt like my heart started beating for the first time since I left New York."

Sarah could do nothing but smile softly at this description. Quinn had a deep way with words, which is evident by how she speaks, but when she speaks of Rachel Berry its like the blondes words are a the music to a synphony of love.

Quinn's cheeks flamed bright pink as she caught the look on her friends face, she got carried away again, "I don't even remember what she said to me because as I was looking her over I caught sight of a huge cast on her arm. I no sooner asked her about it then we were getting interrupted by a golden headed whirlwind calling Rachel 'Mama.' God... she's perfect, Sar. Absolutely perfect. When she looked up at me it was almost like looking in a mirror. She raises her left eyebrow just like me. Her eyes and nose are exact replicas of mine. The only indication that she is of Rachel is her stature and her rosy lips. Oh... and that big smile. That is all Rae."

Sarah was now wide eyed staring at her friend, "I hate to bring this up, but how can you actually be sure that she is yours? I know you said that she has the same colour eyes and shape of your nose. But how do we know that Rachel just doesn't have a type and banged another blonde haired and hazel eyed guy?"

Quinn swung around to face her friend with a ferocious glare aimed at the redhead. "She's a Fabray. I'm positive."

Sarah sighed in resignation, "What are you going to do? You still have to get this verified, Quinn. You can't just take someone's word for it."

Quinn continued to glare at her friend, "It's been done already."

Sarah screwed up her face at this news, "How? You met her less than 24 hours ago. Paternity tes..."

Quinn growled at her friend, cutting her sentence off, "I don't need a paternity test, Sarah. I can assure you she is mine. Here, I will show you proof." Jumping off her stool she marched back into her office and grabbed the photograph from her desk and marched right back out to her stunned friend. Placing the photo on the counter she pointed at it, "Tell me she's not mine." she ground out.

Sarah picked up the photograph and brought it up to her face to examine. Quinn was right. This child was hers. The tiny girl was basically her carbon copy if not for the mouth and slightly darker hair. "Shit." Was all she could get out as she raised her eyes to Quinn's, "What the hell are you going to do now?"