AN 1: While I work on how I truly want Rachel to work through her emotions on the matter, I will mostly feature Quinn in this chapter as she wants to rip off the band-aid and not only tell Rachel the truth, but also talk to her parents about Francine and about her own personal identity.

AN 2: Sorry this took longer than expected. I've been tired and kept forgetting to come back. I am writing other stories when I lose my muse for any of my current ones and that's been happening. I know I have a lot to finish. Plus, I have part two of 'Wicked! What? Oh Dear Oz!', that I'm considering "publishing".
Anyway team, enjoy the chapter.
And for those stuck in lockdown, 'Kia Kaha, Be Strong'; we will get through this.
((I am still required to go to work at school, despite there being no kids, but that's working in East Asia for you, Lol - it's okay, I'm currently okay, just very tired)).


Chapter 24:

Entering the apartment was tense and Quinn didn't like it. This place was home, is home, and she knew exactly that what she was going to do next was going to take this away from her. Not that she could blame anyone but herself and she knew that.
And don't get her wrong, she loved her parents and grandmother, she really, really, does, how such loving people could have horrible children like her and Francine she didn't know; but she also liked this safe space where she could be with people who genuinely only cared about her and who she is...which right now, didn't feel so good because she felt like a monster.

Quinn sighed as she looked at Rachel as the two were sat on the couch before saying, "I'm so, so, sorry, but, I can't do this anymore, I can't,"

"Do what? This? Us?" Rachel asked.

Quinn nodded her head.

"Oh, okay," Rachel started.

"No, it's not, it's not what you think, I, Rachel, I'm a terrible person and I'm weak and I'm naive, and I, I just wanted my sister back and I, I lied, and, and, and..." Quinn stuttered.

"Quinn, stop, calm down, start again, why? Why do you want to stop this?"

"I, I don't want to stop it, but it feels wrong, and I, no, that came out wrong, no, I, I want to stay friends with you, but I need to figure myself out first, away from the lies and figure out what you mean to me, what everyone means to me, and I, I'm so sorry,"

"Quinn, having feelings and being conflicted is not something you should feel sorry about,"

"But I have to be because I lied to you,"

Rachel looked at her strongly and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Let me start from the beginning, okay," Quinn said as Rachel nodded her head and waited, "I have a loving family, well, mostly, you know that, my parents are amazing and my Grandma is wonderful, my grandfather, not so much, but oh well, and my sister Fran, well, she used to be so loving and caring, and I look up to her...looked up to her, she was always treating me well but one day something changed and I don't know why or how, but something in her just snapped, I was entering sophomore year in High School and she was in her final year, she got me on the Cheerios, and then something in her changed and she started to be cruel and mean, not even her own friends in the squad recognised her anymore, but I couldn't...or rather didn't, want to see it and I kept idolising her, I wanted to be just like her; powerful, strong, and then when she left school I had finally had this power of an ice queen and Coach Sue liked it and it made me feel validated and proud,"

Rachel just nodded her head as she kept listening, she started to feel a bit numb at this point.

Quinn finished by saying, "And recently it became worse, but she told me that she'd love me again if I dated someone and then brought them down, and she picked you,"

"Why me?"

"I don't know, but, she picked you,"

"How could you?"

"Because I wanted my sister back and I believed her when she told me that she'd love me again after I proved myself to her; but the more we hung out together, the more time we spent just the two of us, you and me, I couldn't, I just, it felt wrong, and Santana was right, doing this to you was low and stupid and it's wrong, and Francine doesn't care she just cared that she has power over someone,"

Rachel just looked at her, she knew that something was up, expected it, but she couldn't explain why it still hurt so much.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry, I really am, and I hope that one day you'll forgive for using you, but I had to be honest I couldn't lie anymore," Quinn said.

"Please leave," Rachel finally said.

"Rachel?"

"Quinn, please just leave, I need to be on my own,"

"I'm so sorry,"

"Sorry doesn't undo what you've done,"

"I know,"

"I'll see you around, just, just leave,"

Quinn nodded her head as she got up from the couch and walked out the door.

She sent Santana a text telling her that she had told Rachel the truth and that Rachel had asked her to leave; she also added that she wanted Santana and Brittany to be there for Rachel and to look after her while Quinn sorted herself out, knowing full well that it could be a very long time before she could be around the group again, let alone Rachel.

Quinn sighed as she also sent the text that she was going to talk to her parents come tomorrow, that this was something she knew she had to do and that she didn't want anyone, should there be anyone, to be around her for the next few days.

Her messages were left on 'read'; Santana never replied.


Morning came too soon for Quinn as she woke up and rubbed her eyes awake.

Her dream was mostly nothing and just the odd feeling of anxiety and regret.

She let out a sad sigh before she slowly rolled out of bed and trudged down the stairs to see her parents sitting at the dining table eating breakfast and making light conversation about nothing in particular.

"Mom, Dad," Quinn grumbled as she walked past the room and in to the kitchen to pour herself a bowl of cereal.

"Morning Quinnie," Russel said with a smile as he looked at her.

"Morning Quinne," Judy said as she watched Quinn sit down with her breakfast, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Quinn stopped and lookd at her mother and said, "Nothing,"

"Quinn,"

For the second time that morning, Quinn let out a sigh as she put her spoon down into the bowl and stared at it before looking up at her parents.

"I, I need to talk to you two," Quinn said.

"Oh, this sounds big and bad," Russel said as he gave Quinn his full attention, "Quinn, what happened?"

"I did something really bad and I need to talk to you about Frannie,"

"Okay, how about you finish your breakfast and we'll tak this to the living room?" Judy said softly, "I'll prepare some coffee,"

Quinn just nodded her head at that as she ate her breakfast.

When breakfast was over, Quinn walked into the living room see her parents waiting for her.

"Okay, well, when you're ready, okay," Russel said as he looked at Quinn.

Quinn didn't say anything as she sat down and looked at her parents before taking in a deep breath and saying, "Okay, um, three things, um, the first is, I, I,"

Her parents just waited patiently.

"I'm gay," she finally said.

"Oh I know," Russel said as Judy nudged him really hard, "Oh, I mean, uh, Oh No! How dare you?! How dare you be something God created you to be? Oh woe is me? How dare he?...was that okay?"

"Russel, she's being serious, this has obviously being bothering her for a while and she finally was brave enough to talk to us about it, don't belittle that," Judy berated.

"Good point, sorry Quinnie, I just wanted to make it light and help you feel at ease, I didn't mean for it to sound bad,"

"It's okay, Dad, I know you tried, and it makes me feel a bit better that you don't mind," Quinn said softly.

"HA! You see, I was fine," Russel said smugly before looking at Judy still glaring at him, "Darling, I was wrong, you were right,"

Judy just shook her head, "Quinnie, I'm so sorry if you felt that you couldn't tell us before, but it was brave of you to and we're so happy that you came to us about it,"

"I'm really sorry," Quinn started.

"Oh Sweetie, we could tell already that you and Rachel were together,"

"You did?"

"You two weren't that subtle, believe me, and we saw how happy you were together, bring her around as your girlfriend next time, okay, she's more than welcome into this family,"

Quinn just smiled sadly as she said, "Yeah, about that,"

"Oh dear, did you two break up?" Russel asked, "Darn, there goes my ship,"

"How exactly do you know that term?" Quinn asked.

"I heard Brittany mention once or twice before when you girls were hanging out and pretending to do your homework,"

"Oh, okay,"

"But seriously Sweetie, we're really sorry that you broke up,"

"It's all my fault,"

"How so?"

"Because I lied to her, I, I lied,"

Her parents just looked at her in shock.

"I, I need to explain," Quinn started, "Fran isn't who she says she is or shows she is, in fact, you got a taste of the real Fran when she left me all alone in that neighbourhood, she, she's changed and she is manipulative and cruel, and I, she has done some horrible things, not just to me, but to others in the school too,"

"Quinn, what are you talking about? This is Fran, she loves you," Judy started but Quinn cut her off.

"No, she doesn't, she just likes that she could boss me around, she is cruel, she says horrible things to me, she did horrible things, but I looked up to her and I wanted to be like her, she got me on the Cheerios, she told me to be cruel and strong in school because if I was kind like you two, people would walk all over me, that's what she told me, and then when she left, I was known as the Ice Queen, and I was cruel too, especially to Rachel, and I, when Francine came back, when you weren't around, she said all these horrible things before she enticed me with an offer; I enter into a relationship with Rachel, lie to her, and then break her heart in front of the whole school,"

"Oh my god, Quinn," Judy started.

"But I couldn't do it, Mom, I couldn't do it to Rachel, because the more time I spent with her, the more I felt things, and then I just, I, I feel so stupid and ashamed that I listened to Francine, and I'm sorry I never told you how she actually was, I'm so sorry, but I, I could't hide the truths anymore, I had to tell you,"

Russel just looked at her before saying, "Quinnie, I really need to process this, please, go to your room and stay there, reflect on what you've done, I need to talk with your mother,"

"Daddy, I,..."

"Now,"

Quinn just nodded her head as she went up to her room and shut the door.

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Russel looked at Judy and asked, "Were we so ignorant that we didn't notice this?"

"Yes, we were, and that's nobody's fault but ours, we chose to believe that our girls were good and loving, and we chose to ignore it when we noticed Francine's behaviour changing because we thought it was a phase, Russel, she nearly got Quinn killed," Judy said.

"I know, what are we going to do? We can't just cut her off, she's our daughter too,"

"I don't know what we did wrong,"

"We didn't pay attention to what could've been wrong, we just chose to believe that everything was okay,"

Judy sighed as she nodded her head.

"What are we going to do?" Russel asked.

"I think it best if we talk to Rachel, she must be hurting and she has no one," Judy answered, "I think one of us should go up and talk to Quinn and the other goes to see Rachel"

Russel just nodded his head at that, "But who should go to who?"

"I think you should go see Rachel, I'll talk with Quinn,"

"Yeah, okay, let's, let's go talk to the kids," Russel said as he got up and grabbed his car keys.


AN 3: And we shall end it there, team.
Remember to stay safe and wash your hands. Have a lovely day team.