Hi everyone, here's chapter 7! I'm glad you're all loving Quinn. Now that she has finally made an appearance in the story I can't wait to write more of her!
For those of you wondering about Finn, he'll be entering the story very soon, so keep your eyes peeled. I've also included one of my guilty pleasure ships into this chapter so look out for them too!
I hope you all enjoy. All mistakes are mine.
Quinn disappeared outside the cafe to make the call to Artie, hoping for the best. After three rings, her oldest friend picked up.
"Ms Fabray, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"
"Mr Abrams, your sleuthing skills are required for a bit of an emergency. Long story short, I'm with Rachel Berry and I need an address or phone number or anything for Finn Hudson. You guys were close, right?"
"Wow wow wow, Rachel Berry? Glee club Rachel Berry?"
Quinn laughed at Artie's high pitched tone he used when a) he was telling her some gossip, or b) when he was receiving some.
"Yes, Glee club Rachel." She laughed, knowing this phone call probably wouldn't remain as short as she hoped it would be.
"Ok, I have exactly 5 minutes until I have to leave to bring Aidan for a checkup. Tell me as much as you can. Go!"
"So you know how my friend Cora's daughter Violet was kind of staying with me? Turns out she's Rachel's biological daughter from when she and Finn got pregnant. Her crazy stepdad left her on Rachel's doorstep so now she's taking her in. That's the most shortened down version of the story I can give you."
She heard Artie let out a whistle through the phone. She didn't blame him, the whole situation was bizarre.
"Right, I have a lot of questions but I really need to make this appointment. I'm going to be a really bad father and do some digging instead of watching my son play with all the disgusting infected toys in the waiting room in the paediatricians and get back to you ASAP. Deal?"
"Deal." Quinn agreed with an eye roll and a smile. Trust Artie to get even more dramatic. She turned the volume all the way up on her phone and made her way back into the cafe to fill Rachel in.
"Any luck?" Rachel asked as Quinn joined her at the table. Her heart was pounding in her chest, as this answer could potentially reconnect her with Finn.
"He's on his way to a paediatricians appointment for his son but he's going to start searching while he's in the waiting room. It's just a waiting game now."
"He has a son?" Rachel asked. She obviously wanted to take her mind off Finn for a while, so Quinn filled her in on Artie while they awaited his call.
"Yeah, his name's Aidan. He's almost 9 months old. He married some guy you went to high school with. I'm not sure if you know him. Does the name Sam Evans ring a bell?"
Rachel's jaw dropped as Quinn spoke.
"Artie and Sam are married? I mean, they were close in school but I did not see that coming. It's actually very sweet though."
Quinn nodded in agreement.
"They're head over heals for each other. It's like something from a cheesy romance movie. Artie used to break our rule and talk about Sam all the time while they were still at school. They didn't start dating until college."
"That's insane! Do you keep in touch with anyone else from school?" Rachel asked. It felt nice to sit around and talk with a friend about simpler times. Of course she had Santana, but they didn't talk about school, or the past for that matter. It was a bittersweet topic for them both.
"Not really. Obviously I have two constant reminders of Puck, but we haven't seen each other since that day. Technically I didn't attend school with Sam, but I'm really close to him and Artie. I was never close enough to anyone else. How about you?"
"A pretty unlikely pairing, but Santana and I are best friends. She's one of the few people who stick by me through the pregnancy, the breakup, marriage, Bailey and the divorce. She deserves some kind of reward."
"I didn't want to ask earlier since you didn't mention it, you're divorced?"
Rachel nodded and smiled sadly.
"We fell apart without Bailey. I'm not sure if he was ever truly committed to us though. Bailey never really had a bond with him, then again, he was rarely home."
Quinn reached out and squeezed Rachel's hand. She could tell that it was a sensitive topic, which she couldn't blame her for. She couldn't imagine being in Rachel's shoes, living through the things she's been through.
Suddenly, her phone light up with a new message. Rachel quickly looked up in interest as Quinn unlocked her phone.
-Ok, I did that in record time. It's been 30 minutes, we haven't even been seen yet BUT I have info... I hope you appreciate this Q, I'm getting a lot of judgmental looks from all the moms because well, clearly I'm not a mom, and also I'm not clapping and cheering every time Aidan picks up a toy full of questionable stains.
-Ignore the moms, they're just jealous that your baby is cuter than theirs. It's mean but true. My godson could be a model. Spill the info! Rachel's on edge with her nerves here.
-Yeah, he's pretty darn cute ;) Anyways, I couldn't find anything for Finn, however I found an address for Kurt and Blaine (they're still married! That's dedication.) After some stalking I know that their parents are still married so that means their still brothers, is that ok?
-Perfect! You should work for the FBI Art. Send me on the address x
Quinn looked up from her phone and she was met with Rachel's hopeful gaze.
"No address or phone number for Finn, we have an address for Kurt and Blaine, who are currently living in Lima."
Rachel let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you so much Quinn, I guess I should start planning a trip to Lima."
Being back with Charlie and Dylan was nice. Violet knew it had only been a day, but now they knew she was safe with Rachel.
She spent almost the entire day laughing and filling her friends in on the past 24 hours, then repeating the entire story for Judy, before realising how long Lucy and Rachel had been gone.
"Do you know where Lucy and Rachel went?" Violet asked Charlie about halfway through the movie they were watching. It was already 7, and was pitch black outside due to the cold November evening.
"No, they've been gone a while though." Charlie replied, pausing the movie once she saw the strained look on Violets face.
"Vi, it's okay. They'll be back, I'm sure they're just talking things out." She tried to reassure her friend as her breathing became uneven.
"What if she changed her mind? What if she left?" Violet whispered, fighting the tears that had formed in her eyes. Rachel wouldn't, would she? No. She promised we'd work through everything together. She called me her daughter.
"Dylan, call mom and ask her to come home with Rachel." Charlie ordered.
Dylan pulled out his ancient phone which took a few minutes to turn on, but eventually got through to his mom.
"Mom, can you come back with Rachel? Violet's getting kinda anxious." He tried to downplay Violet's reaction to his mom, but he could read her face. She was scared Rachel ditched her here and ran. He tried to shake the thought from his head, reminding himself of all the good things Violet told them about Rachel.
"Sorry Dyl, we just lost track of time. Rachel- we need to head back. We'll be there in 10 minutes." His mom hung up the phone as he walked over to where his sister was sitting with Violet wrapped in her arms.
"They're on their way back Vi. Rachel's coming back, okay?" He attempted to keep his voice steady. He hated seeing her like this.
Violet briefly nodded her head, but couldn't convince herself that Dylan was right. What if Rachel dropped her off here and left? She knew it had only been a day, but she trusted Rachel. She opened up to Rachel. She felt safe, safer than she had ever felt with Graham. She wasn't ready for Rachel to leave.
"I didn't realise how long we've been out, Violet's getting worried." Quinn said as she hung up the phone. She began rooting through her purse for loose change to pay the bill, but stopped when Rachel put a hand on hers.
"I owe you a lot more than coffee and a few cakes. Consider this one of many more 'thanks yous' to come." She handed a twenty dollar bill to a passing waitress, telling her to keep the change. The waitress smiled gratefully and thanked the two girls as they collected their things and began making their way back to the apartment.
"I feel guilty for leaving her like that. I know it's going to take me a while to gain her full trust, but me running off on her probably won't help."
Rachel bit her lip, making a mental note to be more careful when it came to Violet in the future. She told her she'd always be there, leaving her with no contact for hours on end wasn't a good way to kick things off.
As the two continued walking, she set a reminder in her phone to order Violet a phone once they got back home.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Rachel. This is your first full day as, well, Violets mom. You're allowed to have some bumps in the road before you get to where you're going."
Quinn knew all too well what it felt like to mess up time and time again. Whether it be getting pregnant in the first place, or forgetting to pack extra diapers when the twins were younger, parenthood was never smooth sailing.
"Thanks, I know it'll be a while until she fully trusts me, but I want her to know I'm there, you know? Also, where does she go to school? She seems happy with Charlie and Dylan, so I don't want to move her, but I'm sure I live a little further away. I don't want her thinking she has to walk or take the subway."
"It's about 10 minutes from my apartment. I don't mean to pry, but do you work? Fitting drop offs and collections in around a work schedule can be frustrating. She's still welcome at mine any time. That offer will always stand to both of you."
Quinn knew she and her family would miss having Violet around all the time, but the more bonding time she could have with Rachel the better. Especially if Rachel was considering reconnecting with Finn.
"I might take you up on that offer. I haven't worked in... well, a while, but Santana, my publicist has wanted me to get back out there for a while. I'm not saying I'm going to jump up and start working tomorrow, I'm very comfortable in savings, but maybe when things settle down."
Quinn nodded, turning the corner to her apartment building. It was pitch black outside considering it was still early enough, and she could see he lights from her apartment shining out the balcony window that looked onto the busy street ahead.
The two made their way up the stairs, turning the key into the small apartment. To everyone's surprise, including her own, Violet raced out of the bedroom and ran into Rachel arms.
"I'm so sorry darling, I didn't realise it had gotten so late." Rachel mumbled into the girls hair. She was shocked at Violet hugging her, but wasn't complaining. Having her daughter hug her was the best feeling in the world. Something she hadn't felt in so long.
Violet pulled away, smiling slightly as her eyes met Rachel's.
"Thank you for coming back."
"Sweetie, I'd never leave you. Please promise me you won't worry about me leaving you. I never will."
Violet nodded, and Rachel turned to face Charlie and Dylan, who had followed Violet out of the bedroom.
"I've heard so much about you two. Thank you so much for looking after her. I'll never be able to thank you enough."
Dylan nodded sternly, as Charlie nudged him with an eye roll.
"We've heard a lot about you too. Thank you so much for helping Vi out. If Violet trusts you, we trust you, right Dyl?" She asked, eyeing her brother.
He continued to nod, showing little emotion, yet Rachel did notice a very faint smile appearing on his lips. Right there in that moment, he reminded her of Noah Puckerman. Tough, but immensely loyal to the people he loves.
"Promise to let me know more about Lima. Whether you decide to go or not, I'll be there for whatever you need. And if you decide to go through with it I can take Violet anytime." Quinn promised Rachel as they said goodbye a little while later.
"Thank you so much for all your help, Quinn. I've missed you." Rachel whispered gratefully as the two hugged.
"I've missed you too, and I had no plans on going anywhere. I'm here as a fellow mom, a therapist, life coach, but more importantly a friend."
A year ago, heck, one day ago, Quinn would have never imagined herself hugging Rachel Berry and calling her a friend. But the annoying teenager she once knew had now been replaced with this new Rachel. The one who was looking out for Violet, the one she could call a friend.
"So you and Lucy know each other?" Violet asked nervously on the journey back home. The two had seemed happy when they were leaving, so Violet was eager to know more.
"Yeah, we went to high school together. We didn't exactly see eye to eye back then, but we've both grown up, I guess. I'm glad we've reconnected. It sounds cheesy, but it's nice to have a friend."
"Don't you have Santana?" Violet asked quietly. Santana and Rachel seemed close, but maybe she had read their relationship wrong.
"Of course, Santana's incredible. I don't know what I'd do without her. But she's been through it all with me. She still carries all the pain I do. It's different with Quinn. It's feels fresh, like a new beginning."
"A bit like us?" Violet smiled. That's exactly how she felt about Rachel. She still had her friends. She still had Lucy and Judy, but now she has Rachel too. Like a new chapter.
"Exactly like us. And no matter what happens, I'll be here for you. So no need to worry about me leaving."
Violet felt her face flush red. "Sorry, that was stupid."
Rachel pulled into a parking space once she reached her building.
"No, it's not stupid. You've had a lot of disappointment and heartbreak in your life. You had a normal reaction. I'm going to order you a phone online and put you on my plan so you'll always have a way of contacting me if you're worried. It's not just for that though, you're a teenager. Feel free to use it for whatever you like. We'll get Quinn's number, Charlie and Dylan's numbers, you can even put in Santana's number if you need it."
"Tha- that's too much. I can't let you do that." Violet mumbled, staring down at her lap. She had already been given too much from Rachel, and she knew for a fact that phones were expensive.
"It's not, and if it helps, don't look at it as a gift. If you're running late at school or something like that, you'll be able to call and text me. It's a way of being safe." Rachel smiled and stroked Violets cheek.
"Let's go inside, I have something to tell you about."
Once the two were seated in front of the fire, takeout boxes in hand, Rachel decided it was time to tell Violet what she had discussed with Quinn. She inhaled a mouthful of noodles, making another mental note to buy a cookbook. They couldn't live off takeout forever.
"So I was talking to Qu- I mean Lucy about something today. If you're not comfortable with me doing it then I can put it off for a while, but I'd love to hear what you think." Rachel explained.
"Ok." Violet replied, taking a mouthful of her own noodles, followed by a large gulp of water.
"I've told you about your birth dad, Finn, and how it's been a while since I last spoke to him. Obviously, you're his child too, so I should probably let him know you're living with me."
Rachel took a deep breath before continuing. Even the thought of seeing him again made her queasy.
"Lucy found out from an old friend that Finn's stepbrother, Kurt, still lives in Lima, where we're from. I'm considering flying out to talk to him and trying to get a contact for Finn, but I don't want to do anything without knowing how you feel."
Violet tried to hide her delight at Rachel's words. Like she had thought earlier, she hoped for a happy ending for her birth parents. Maybe this was their chance.
"I think that's a great idea." Violet smiled, causing Rachel to raise her eyebrows in surprise. That's not the answer she expected.
"Really? You're ok with it?" Rachel asked, still slightly stunned.
"Of course, if you think think it's what's best. I'd like to meet him someday, even if that day is many years away. I think reconnecting's a good idea."
Rachel moved her takeout box from her lap to the coffee table and wrapped her arms around Violet, planting a light kiss in her long chestnut hair.
"You're a great girl, you know that?"
Violet felt her cheeks turning bright red as she smiled, cuddling into Rachel's embrace.
"Thank you, Rachel."
"No, thank you. I guess I should start planning the trip."