Okay, okay it's still Friday where I am so technically I'm not late! Haha thanks for bearing with me this week, folks - but finals are done and I am free until February! Woot woot! Thank you so much for your support on Chapter 15, it really got me through all of the craziness of the week :)
ALSO as some of you reminded me, I never said anything last chapter about the leaked BECHLOE KISS! If you haven't seen it, it's beautiful, and I cried. 2020 has been wild but jeez... there's something to be said about ending the year with a video we've been waiting years for.
Jody1990 - Last chapter was fun, and I think the remaining chapters will definitely be a combination of drama/angst and fluffiness. Oh, and this chapter, yeah... there's for sure drama ;) Thanks for your review and your continued support!
Guest (Dec. 11) - Oh my goodness, welcome! This is so exciting! Thank you so much for your kind words :') Even when I started writing the first fic in this series, I was worried that people weren't going to like it because Macy was such a big character, so I was even more worried that people weren't going to like this one because it is so OC-heavy. I am so glad that you are enjoying it, though, and think that their development has been realistic. Thank you so much for your review!
NJCE - Hehe Izzy is coming for dinner with the Mitchells... I wonder what will happen ;) I'm glad that you enjoyed last chapter, it was really fun to write. Skylar will definitely make another appearance :) This chapter actually has some of the Beca/Jordan and music things you were looking for, so I hope you like it! And OMG I completely forgot to say something about the Bechloe kiss being leaked - that was INSANE and I was SO happy. Ugh what a good day that was (and I for sure cried). Sorry that this update took a little while longer :( But I'm back now! Thanks so much for your review and your continued support!
Wolvezzz - Quinn is coming around :) I don't think I'm ready for this version of Beca and Chloe to be over yet either, so please either leave any prompts for one-shots that you would like to see in a review, or shoot me a PM! I'll say the same thing down below. And thank you so much for your kind words; they really mean a lot to me. I want to make sure I am portraying things as accurately as possible seeing how I don't have any personal experience with the foster care system, so hearing you say that means so much. I'm excited for the new story, too! It definitely won't be out until after the first of the year, and I even though it takes place post-PP3, there is definitely going to be some of that slow-burn aspect of Beca and Chloe's relationship, for sure. Thank you so much for your review and your continued support!
Guest (Dec. 13) - I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter! Quinn is starting to come around! There will be a few more flashbacks, but I will also be writing some one-shots/deleted scenes for this whole three-part universe after this story is finished, so if you want to see anything specific, please let me know! And OMG I completely forgot to say something about the Bechloe kiss being leaked - that was INSANE and I was SO happy. Ugh what a good day that was (and I for sure cried). Thank you so much for your review and your continued support!
Hopefully0308 - I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks so much for your review!
PPFan - I am so glad that you're enjoying the story! That really means a lot to me :) Thank you so much for your review and your support!
Hetwaszoietsals - Ah! You're back! Your reviews made me so happy ahaha. Quinn is getting there; yes, there were a couple rough patches, but we're on the other side now, and Jordan and Ava are doing well, too :) It's also really funny that you mentioned Izzy in a lot of your reviews, just because this chapter is basically all Quinn and Izzy, so hopefully you like that :) And thank you so much for your kind words :') I'm not sure if you read the responses to the other reviews in previous chapters, but I'm working on a new fic outside of this universe, and I'm going to be doing a one-shot/deleted scenes series for this universe and including the timeline of all three fics - so if you have any requests/prompts, please let me know (I did see your request for baby Rosie)! Thank you so much for your reviews and your continued support!
Just a little note before the start of this chapter: it is very Quinn/Izzy heavy, but it's necessary to set up for the rest of the story. Hopefully you all still enjoy it :)
Chapter 16
"Do you remember what this one is?" Beca presses down on one of the ivory keys, the vibration of the note filling the room.
Jordan's eyebrow furrows, listening intently as the note dies out. "C?"
"Close." She plays the note again, and then actually plays a 'C' so that he can hear the difference.
"D?"
Beca breaks out into a grin. "You got it!" Her heart swells with pride. They've been sitting here for an hour going over some of the basic notes on the piano, while Chloe finishes cooking the dinner they'll have once Izzy arrives. "And this one?"
Jordan thinks for a second. "B?"
Beca smirks. "You sure you haven't played the piano before?"
A short giggle flits past Jordan's lips. Beca has seen the way that he has looked at the piano in the almost two months he's lived with them. She has asked him on multiple occasions if he wanted to use it or learn how to play, and those instances only increased after Beca took him to the recording studio one afternoon. It wasn't until late last night and, eventually, this morning that he come out and requested not only for Beca to play, but to maybe show him a couple of things, too.
Last Night
The faint scratch of Beca's pencil replaces the sound of the piano in the living room, her posture bent over with concentration. Chloe is sitting on the couch, simply relishing in the sound of her wife's music, curled underneath a blanket and reading by the light of the table lamp. The kids have long since gone to bed, all four of them tired from a long week of school. There was also an increase in some of the anxiety in some of the kids – Jordan and Quinn specifically – and a little bit of excitement from Ava, as tomorrow night will be the first time that Izzy will be stepping foot into the Mitchell home.
Quinn grew quieter as the night went on, her small laughs becoming forced during dinner, until she retreated to her bedroom halfway through The Muppets, which was Ava's choice for the Friday Night Movie. When she left, bidding everyone goodnight, Chloe followed her upstairs, just to check in and make sure everything was okay. While Quinn didn't tell her much, all she said that was she was nervous for tomorrow.
Chloe did her best to reassure her, promising that everything was going to be fine. She told her that it wasn't like her and Beca were going to forbid Quinn from ever talking to Izzy again – that they both know how big a part of her life Izzy is. She told her that this was simply so they could get to know the teen who clearly means so much to Quinn. That if she means a lot to Quinn, then she means a lot to Beca and Chloe. Quinn had given her a small smile after that, and accepted the hug and kiss on the head from Chloe, before burrowing deep within her covers and willing herself to sleep so that it would be Saturday.
Neither Beca nor Chloe have heard so much as a peep from upstairs since they tucked the younger kids in (though Rosie was already asleep when the credits started rolling). Even if they are currently consumed with their own tasks – Beca with trying to find the right music for the lyrics Skylar sent her on Wednesday, and Chloe trying to solve the murder mystery in her novel before the protagonist does – they would hear if there was something wrong. Which is why both of their heads jerk upward at the first sound of the staircase creaking.
Beca lays her pencil down on top of the stack of sheet music on the surface of the baby grand – the one thing she splurged on when she got some of her first paychecks from her and Skylar's music. Chloe, too, closes over her book, leaning forward while they listen to soft feet padding down the stairs. Both moms narrow it down immediately; they know it's not Quinn, the footsteps are far too light for a sixteen-year-old, and they know it isn't Rosie, who tends to hop down the stairs more than tip-toe. So, they wait patiently for either Jordan or Ava to reveal themselves, and soon enough, Jordan is peering over the railing into the living room.
Chloe gives him a soft smile. "You okay, Jordan?"
The eight-year-old rubs his eye sleepily, blinking a few times in the bright light. "I can't sleep."
Beca watches him carefully as he shifts from one foot to the other, not quite making a move to come into the living room, but very clearly not wanting to go back upstairs. "I'm sorry, buddy. Is the piano keeping you up?"
Jordan immediately shakes his head, his hair still slightly damp from his shower. "No… I like it."
"Why don't you come sit down, maybe tell us what's on your mind?"
He takes a deep breath, but there's barely any hesitation once he starts walking. Jordan climbs up onto the couch, crawling over to where Chloe is tucked into own corner, and slides under the blanket she is holding up. He curls into Chloe's side, the redhead bringing her arm down around him and slowly brushing her fingers over his forehead. It isn't very often that she gets this quality time with Jordan, as he typically sticks to Beca's side, but every minute that she does, makes her heart swell. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Jordan shakes his head, playing with the frayed edge of the blanket. "No. I never fell asleep."
Beca's expression softens even more. "You've been awake this whole time?"
"Yeah."
"Would this have something to do with Izzy coming over tomorrow?" Chloe's question is quiet, whispered into the living room, but Jordan's continued silence is enough of an answer for the moms. "We know why Quinn is nervous, but why are you nervous, love?"
Jordan takes a deep breath, his hand stilling as it relaxes against Chloe's stomach. "I dunno. She's never met our foster parents before."
Chloe nods, meeting Beca's eyes briefly before answering. "It's a big step. But we're excited. We know how important she is to you and your sisters."
Jordan doesn't contradict her, but he remains silent. Because, yes, Izzy is important to them, but they're missing the point. They've never introduced her to foster parents before because they don't know what will happen to them or what will happen to Izzy.
Or what Izzy will do.
In all honesty, that's what Jordan's most afraid of. Izzy can be unpredictable at times, and Quinn is the only person that Jordan has ever seen been able to calm her down or make sense of her actions. It's the exact same skill and ability that she has when dealing with him and Ava.
Then, there's the whole aspect of Izzy trying to drop off the face of the Earth so as to avoid being put into foster care. He's not sure how Beca and Chloe would react to that if they were to find out – maybe Beca would be understanding since she's been in foster care herself – but he doesn't really want to know. And he knows Quinn and Izzy certainly don't either.
Beca watches Jordan carefully, the way his gaze falls to Chloe's other side as opposed to looking more alert. He shifts slightly in his curled position and doesn't quite respond to Chloe's comment. "Is there something else, J?"
"No." Jordan stiffens under Chloe's hold, realizing how quickly he answered. "Can we talk about something different?"
Once again, Chloe looks over at her wife, concern etched in her own features, and Beca's reflecting back at her. "Sure, buddy. What do you want to talk about?"
He thinks carefully, not really wanting to talk about anything in particular, just something else to get him away from the topic about Izzy. Just because him and Quinn are getting along now following their fight the first time he brought up Izzy, doesn't mean he wants to risk making her mad again by saying the wrong thing. He turns his head so that he can see Beca. "Can you play another song?"
Beca's mouth quirks into a smile. She's seen Jordan's interest in music blossom over the last few months. He lit up the entire time he was with Beca at work, listening intently as she messed with the bassline of one of Skylar's track. She can also see him tapping his fingers along to the beat of whatever songs Chloe has playing in the kitchen while getting dinner ready, or to any one of the many playlists and mixes that Beca has made when they listen to them. When she asks him what kind of music he likes, specifically, he always responds with a shrug of the shoulders or a simple, 'all kinds.' But it's blatantly obvious how at peace he feels around music. Just like Beca. "You like the piano, too?"
"Mhmm." He nods sleepily into Chloe, his heartrate steadily returning to normal. "I was listening upstairs."
Chloe smiles softly down at him. "Beca's a pretty amazing pianist. I bet she could teach you a few things if you wanted."
Jordan sits up slightly, looking from Chloe to Beca, even though this isn't the first time this has been offered to him. "Really?"
"Absolutely. I'd love to." As much as Rosie likes to sing, she hasn't expressed much interest in learning how to play the piano like her Mama. She does love to listen to Beca play, though, as well as sing along to her accompaniment. "We can start whenever you want."
A genuine smile starts to grow on Jordan's face. "Can we do it tomorrow?"
Beca gives him a definitive nod. "Sounds like a plan."
He snuggles deeper into Chloe's side as Beca presses down on the first keys. Jordan closes his eyes, allowing Beca's playing and the soft brushes of Chloe's fingers across his forehead to lull him deep into sleep.
"So then, when you combine these three keys, you get a chord." Beca plays it easily, looking at Jordan's expression to see if he is comprehending what she is saying. The eight-year-old nods along, his small hands replacing Beca's, and presses down on the keys. The resulting sound reverberates through the room, and both of them can't help but grin. "There you go. That's awesome."
From where she is finishing getting dinner ready in the kitchen, Chloe calls, "it's sounding pretty good in there!"
"He's a natural!" Beca shouts back, winking down at the boy afterward. Heat rises to his cheeks as he looks bashfully at his lap, so much like Beca – both in interests and in personality – that Beca, herself, can't help but laugh.
When Jordan's mild embarrassment subsides, he tilts his head up so he can meet Beca's gaze. "When did you start learning to play piano?"
Beca tilts her head back and forth, humming softly to herself. "I think I was around five or six when I first started."
He runs his hands lightly over the keys. "How did you get started?"
"My mom actually signed me up for lessons. I had always been really into music, even when I was that young. So, when I started taking lessons, I just fell in love with it."
"Did your mom play piano?"
A snort escapes Beca's mouth before she can stop it. "Not even a little bit. But she loved music more than anyone else I know.
Jordan smiles at the revelation. He's noticed that Beca doesn't really talk about her parents – not that he can exactly blame her. But she talks about Macy all the time, and she even talks about Chloe's parents. It's pretty nice to hear about these sorts of things. To learn more about the person he has been growing so close to. "What was your mom's name?"
"Amelia. My dad's name was Warren."
Jordan falls silent, taking in the names and mulling them over in his mind. He wishes he could've met them.
Beca rests her hands on her thighs. "What about you? When did you start enjoying music?"
Jordan furrows his eyebrows, taken slightly aback by the question. "Um… probably when I was maybe six? Or something like that." He stares at where his fingertips rest on the keys, concentrating solely on that to keep him grounded. He inhales deeply; not that it's necessarily hard to talk to Beca about this stuff, more so because he's never really talked about it out loud before.
"I was in a foster home by myself… I think their names were either the Donahues or the Duncans – I don't really remember – but the mom and dad would always argue. Like, really argue, even at night when I was 'pposed to be sleeping." Jordan shrugs, keeping his eyes away from Beca as he continues. "They had a son named Jared who was a lot older than me – he was in high school - and he gave me one of his old iPods and a set of headphones. I couldn't buy any new ones, but I listened to the songs he had on there already, all the time. Even when I was falling asleep. Sometimes, I can still hear them when my head gets busy, and it helps me to get normal again."
Beca gives Jordan a soft smile, trying not to address his 'get normal' comment, even though there are few things that infuriate her more than her kids not thinking they are 'normal'. She's felt that way since Macy was a kid. "Music is pretty special like that. Sometimes, it can be exactly what you need, even when you don't know that you need it."
Jordan nods thoughtfully along with Beca's words. "Yeah. I like that." He lets out a small laugh, because, really, it's a little weird that he's only known Beca for a few months, yet she just seems to get it. Chloe too. They both just seem to know what he needs and when, without him even having to say anything. "Can you play another song?"
Beca ruffles his hair, the chocolate locks having been freshly trimmed this morning. "Whatever you want, bud. Any requests?"
Quinn listens from her perch on the stairs as Jordan asks Beca to "play the song from last night", before the talents of a much more skilled pianist fills the rest of the Mitchell house. She remains still, far enough up on the staircase so that neither Beca nor Jordan can see her from their positions in the living room – not that they are paying attention anyway.
Her heart had clenched when she started coming down the stairs and heard Jordan talking about the Duncan family. It was his first home without her or Ava, which, even though she's not sure Jordan believes her, killed Quinn. He wouldn't say a word to Quinn when they had their sibling visitations, and would only play with Ava, who had been two or three at the time. A few months after they moved into another foster home together – after Jordan's foster parents decided to get a divorce, and in the process, relinquished their temporary custody of him – he finally told her that he spent most of the time upstairs in his room, alone. The majority of his stay had been during the summer, too, so he didn't even have school to look forward to.
He was six. Him spending all day in his room, having no one to talk to, never should have happened. It still makes Quinn's blood boil to think about it.
Quinn takes a deep breath, trying to clear the memories from her mind, and focus on the other task for the evening that has been weighing heavily on her mind since, oh, well over a week ago. She shoves her hands into the sweatshirt pocket – this sweatshirt actually being one that Chloe picked up for her at the store last weekend, and she can't even say that she doesn't like it – and finishes walking down the stairs. She comes to a stop in the doorway of the living room, a smile blossoming on her face as she sees how at peace her little brother is, pressed up against Beca's side, as her fingers travel the length of the piano. "And here I was thinking that my brother was the one playing and that he's some sort of kid prodigy."
Jordan grins up at her, and Beca's mouth stretches into one of her goofy smirks. "He probably could."
"No!" Jordan exclaims, laughing along at Quinn's reaction.
Beca doesn't let him fully get away from it, her hands returning to her lap. "Someday he'll be able to. I have no doubts."
At her brother's blush, she knows that her foster mom's comments are making him both embarrassed, but also perhaps a little proud.
Quinn allows the three of them to sit in silence momentarily, the only other sound being whatever Chloe is doing in the kitchen, before directing her attention back to Beca. "Would it be okay if I walked down to the bus stop to meet Izzy?"
Beca glances at the clock that hangs on the wall above the television, the hands ticking closer and closer to the five-thirty time that they had told Quinn to ask her friend about. Honestly, she hadn't realized how close to dinner it was getting. But that pretty much shows that she has succeeded in her plan to keep Jordan's mind occupied in the hours leading up to Izzy's arrival. Beca and Chloe had talked last night after they were safely in bed, away from the prying ears of their four children, about doing whatever was necessary to make sure they were all comfortable come tomorrow evening. So, when Jordan asked about having his first piano 'lesson' from Beca, Chloe was actually the one to suggest that they start in the late afternoon. Beca could play the piano with Jordan, Ava and Rosie would be able to entertain themselves, and Chloe could put the finishing touches on dinner and dessert.
Now, apparently, time has slipped away from all of them, as Izzy's arrival time grows nearer.
She turns back to the teen who is waiting nervously in front of her. They've been trying to trust Quinn, just like they asked Quinn to trust them, but it's not entirely easy considering the amount of times she did sneak out, prior to that talk of theirs. "Hey, Chlo?"
Chloe appears a few seconds later, wiping her hands on their dish towel – appropriately decorated with a 'Give Thanks' decal to match the other fall decorations around their kitchen, in preparation for Thanksgiving next week. "What's up?"
"What do you think about Quinn walking to the bus stop to meet Izzy?"
Chloe's eyebrows furrow slightly at her wife's question but picks up on what she's trying to say almost immediately. She directs her follow-up question to Quinn. "Which bus stop, love?"
Quinn picks at a hangnail on her thumb under the cover of her pocket. "The one over on Appleton."
Beca and Chloe exchange one more glance, before Chloe says, "Sure. But you're going to come right back here, yes?"
Quinn nods even though she wants nothing more than for this dinner to be canceled. Sure, she wants Beca and Chloe to meet Izzy so that they let her go and see her and maybe allow her a little more freedom, but she also doesn't want this entire dinner to backfire. Izzy's just as important to Quinn as her siblings are, and she's going to protect her as such.
"Yeah, as soon as she gets off. I just want to make sure she's able to find the house." While it's not exactly a lie, it's definitely not the whole truth. Most of all, Quinn just wants to make sure that she has time to talk with Izzy prior to throwing her into the Mitchell house. Afterall, she needs to make sure that she's okay – and comfortable – with all of this. It's not like they've ever done anything like this before.
"Okay. Sounds good. Do you want me or Beca to drive you there instead?"
Quinn shakes her head quickly, already heading toward the front door, and opening it without any hesitation. "No, that's okay, I'll be back soon. Thank you! Bye J!"
She doesn't wait to hear any of their responses, allowing the glass door to shut behind her, before she's making her way across the front lawn and toward the bus stop.
If Quinn is being honest with herself, she'd probably be in the same position that Izzy is in, had her mom not blown up their garage. It's not like they had ever suspected the fire to happen; Quinn was fully convinced that she would raise her siblings at their house on Pollard Street while Izzy lived in hers, and then when they both turned eighteen (or maybe sixteen or seventeen, who knew what was going to happen in the upcoming years), they'd get the hell out of dodge. They would take the kids with them, of course, but that was always their plan. They would be together. Always.
And from the time Quinn and Izzy met when they were seven, all the way up until Izzy had heard the explosion across the street from the confines of her attic bedroom and ran to make sure her best friend was okay, they were. They were together through Jordan and Ava's birth (with Izzy helping Quinn keep watch on the nursery to make sure there weren't any social workers coming to try and take away her siblings). They were together when Sandy would come over to visit with Amanda, those two women never being a good pair, but it didn't matter because it meant Quinn and Izzy could hang out far later than they were ever supposed to. They were together all through school, and of course on the days they skipped all together. They were together when Quinn was in the hospital following the fire. Izzy would visit for the majority of the day, only leaving occasionally so as to keep up the appearances of her actually having some sort of parental figure in her life.
There was very rarely a time when the two girls weren't side by side, and if they were missing their other half, most people that lived in the neighborhood would stop and question why that was.
All of that is to say that they weren't supposed to be forced down separate roads like this. Quinn wasn't supposed to be taken into DCF custody. Well, neither of them were – they made sure of that all throughout the years leading up to the fire – and if the fire hadn't happened, Quinn would have made sure that their living conditions were kept a secret from adults that just can't seem to mind their business. Besides the fact that being in foster care greatly diminished Quinn's ability to protect Jordan and Ava, it also greatly diminished her ability to take care of Izzy.
Suddenly, they had to make sure that neither Quinn nor the kids drew attention to Izzy where she was still living on Pollard Street with Sandy. It was hard enough for Quinn to keep in contact with Izzy when it was just her being moved from home to home across the state of Georgia – they both knew that if Izzy was moving, too, they'd eventually lose contact.
And who knew when they'd be able to find each other again.
So, what was once Quinn and Izzy's secret life, became Izzy's secret life. Quinn made sure that the kids knew, that under no circumstances, would any of their foster parents, any of the counselors they saw, any of the teachers or social workers – none of them – would ever find out about the conditions Izzy was – and still is – living in. It's what Izzy wanted, and, by default, it's what Quinn wanted, too.
They have been successful for the last three years. Now, without too much struggle, it seems, Beca and Chloe have managed to learn more about Izzy than any of the people in Quinn's thirteen other placements combined. Yes, some of that does have to do with the fact that Jordan told them where she was when she snuck out to her house, but it also has to do with the fact that they a) met her, b) saw her house, and c) saw her again when they got themselves arrested.
In reality, it's just as much Quinn's fault as it is Jordan's, and she hates herself for it.
But, regardless, here they are, with Quinn pacing the length of the Appleton bus stop, her heart leaping into her throat as she sees the five-forty-seven bus approaching. All she wants is for tonight to go well.
She needs for tonight to go well. Or she'll never be able to forgive herself for putting Izzy at risk. Ever.
The bus pulls up to the stop with a screech, Quinn scanning the tinted windows trying to see if Izzy is, in fact, in the vehicle. She wouldn't be surprised if Izzy decided not to show – she definitely wouldn't blame her.
Sure enough, though, Izzy is the last one off the bus, her blonde hair woven into a long braid that goes down her back, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack. She's worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she walks down the stairs but lets out a puff of air as soon as her feet hit the pavement. With her head on a swivel, Izzy's eyes finally land on Quinn, a faint smile appearing on her face.
Quinn quickly crosses the remaining distance separating them, wrapping her arms around Izzy. Izzy, too, holds Quinn close. They haven't seen each other in weeks, and while that doesn't even compare to the months they had spent away from each other prior to Quinn moving in with the Mitchells, it's still a long time.
When the teens finally release each other, Quinn does what she always does: her eyes glance over her best friend, looking for any sign of injury or distress. It kills her to think that, when Izzy's smile doesn't reach her eyes, it's because of her and what she's asking Izzy to do.
"Thank you for coming." Quinn's sentiment is quiet, the only thing that she can think of to say right now.
Izzy shrugs, her hands returning to the straps of her bag as her eyes flick around the surrounding area of the bus stop. "I told you I would. When have I ever backed out on a promise?"
Quinn responds without hesitation, but she doesn't miss the hint – okay, perhaps more than a hint – of bitterness in Izzy's voice. "Never. But still."
Izzy wipes the palms of her hands on her jeans, "I told you I would be here, so I'm here." She lets out a short laugh, breaking some of the tension in her statement. "Doesn't mean I necessarily like it."
Quinn takes another look at the other teen, making note of the mildly blood-shot undertone in her eyes. She definitely smoked a little before coming, but clearly not enough to make much of a difference – her posture is far too stiff for that. "I'm not going to let anything happen."
Izzy forces a smile onto her face, bumping Quinn's shoulder lightly with hers. "I know. Sorry, I'm just sort of freaking out."
"Don't apologize." Quinn links her arm with Izzy's, starting to lead her away from the bus stop. "I'm sorry that I asked you to do this."
At first Izzy doesn't answer. The two of them simply fall into step beside the other, Quinn trying not to notice how heavily Izzy is currently leaning on her – both metaphorically and physically – as though trying to keep herself from curling into a ball and avoiding the whole situation. Eventually, though, (which, in reality, is only a few seconds after Quinn stops speaking, but her nerves and anxiety are racing as well, and the following silence seems to go on for years). Izzy speaks up. "I just don't get why you're so…okay with it."
Quinn's eyebrows furrow slightly, and guilt builds in her chest. "What do you mean?"
Izzy scoffs, shaking her head to herself, "Quince, when have you ever done what a foster parent has told you to do?"
Quinn falls silent, having asked herself that question many times over the last few weeks. It's not even like she had put up much of a fight when Beca and Chloe told her about their new 'stipulation.' She had tried, sure, but she stopped talking as soon as they told her to. "It's not just that…"
"Really?" Izzy turns to face her, "Because it's not like you've ever asked to come see me before. Now they're making me come over for dinner just so you can have permission to hang out with me? What the hell is that about?"
They've had this conversation before. Multiple times, in fact. The first time had been when Izzy laughed at Quinn's request when she had called to ask, before slowly quieting down as the realization hit her that Quinn was being serious.
"I told them that I would try, Iz. I told the kids I would try."
This time, Izzy actually does laugh. "Try? Why do you have to try? It's not like you're going to be staying with them."
"No, I know, but…" Quinn trails off, for reasons unknown to her. Because, really, she doesn't have an explanation to why she agreed to this. Not one that makes complete sense, at least. Because, yeah, she knows that they aren't going to stay there. She knows that they'll have to leave eventually. But it's good right now. "I don't know. The kids are safe here, they like Beca and Chloe. I promised them that I wouldn't do anything to mess it up."
"You sure that's the only reason?"
They start to come upon Beca and Chloe's street as Quinn squints in Izzy's direction. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Izzy holds up her hands in slight defense. "Nothing, just that everything that you ever do is for the kids. You've never looked at you getting kicked out of a house as 'messing up'."
Quinn stills, not necessarily denying what Izzy is saying. She ignores it, nonetheless. "We're good here right now, Iz. We're safe, we're close to you… Rachel pretty much told us that the next home we go to, we won't be together. And, I don't know, I need time to figure out what we're going to do once I turn eighteen."
"You really think you're going to be able to stay here for two years?"
A heavy sigh slips past Quinn's lips, this being yet another conversation they've had before. As much as her and Izzy have talked about leaving and never looking back, she knows it'll take a lot more than just having an idea. A lot more planning, a lot more time, a lot more of convincing (Quinn to convince Jordan, especially as he starts getting older, and Izzy to convince herself to leave Sandy). "I don't know. But I don't really know what else I can do."
They slowly approach the Mitchells' house, Quinn tugging Izzy gently towards it. "Well, you know that, whatever happens, we'll figure it out. Right? We always have."
Quinn nods. "I know we will." She bumps Izzy's shoulder slightly, coming to a stop just outside the Mitchell's front yard. "Well, here it is."
Izzy lets out a low whistle. "Look at you, Quince. Living large."
"Shut up." Quinn rolls her eyes with a half-smirk, knowing that she had the exact same reaction when she pulled up to the house with Rachel. "You ready for this?"
"As I'll ever be, right?"
Quinn glances over at her friend, sympathy leaking into her expression. "Izzy…"
Izzy just waves her off. "I'll be fine, Quince. We'll be fine. It's just dinner."
Quinn snorts, shaking her head to herself as she leads Izzy across the yard, figuring that that's as good of an answer that she'll get.
They approach the porch together, Quinn feeling as though she's tugging Izzy more so than them just walking beside each other. With one final deep breath, Quinn pushes the front door open.
Izzy and Quinn are barely over the threshold before they hear a screech from the direction of the living room. Ava sprints across the front entry way, launching herself into Izzy's waiting arms. "Izzy!"
"Monkey!"
Quinn watches fondly as Izzy swings her baby sister from side to side, peppering a squealing Ava with kisses. Like the monkey she is, Ava wraps her arms tightly around Izzy's neck and her legs tightly around her torso.
Izzy has always been amazing with the kids, and she doesn't necessarily need to be. Quinn, sure, if she hadn't liked kids prior to her siblings being born, she would have needed to adapt. But Izzy was never under that obligation. Yet, when Jordan came along, and then Ava, she embraced her role as a second sister or maybe even an aunt figure relative to the maternal role that Quinn adopted. If, for some reason, Quinn had to go somewhere without the kids or get something done, Izzy would take them for the day. The four of them would often have sleep overs, usually switching between the two houses, and tending to gravitate to the ones that their moms weren't in. Izzy has changed the kids' diapers, she's held them when they've woken up from nightmares; she's witnessed Ava's spells of silence and Jordan's outbursts of emotions. She has cleaned up skinned knees and braided Ava's hair.
As much as Quinn loves her best friend, she holds a special place in the kids' hearts, too.
Izzy's eyes flutter closed as Ava keeps her grip tight around her, continuing to sway back and forth. "I missed you, monkey."
"I missed you, too," she mumbles into Izzy's neck. The five-year-old can barely remember the last time she saw the teen. At least six months ago, if not more. Her and Jordan don't often get to go with Quinn when she goes to see Izzy, as much as they want to.
When Ava pulls away from the embrace, but not moving from Izzy's hold, Quinn watches as Ava's eyes look over the other teen much like her own did upon first seeing Izzy. It's interesting; she'll sometimes get comments about how Ava looks a little bit like her (not much, she gets most of her looks right now from her father), but that moment right there, when Ava checks to make sure Izzy is okay… it's like Quinn is looking in a mirror.
Ava doesn't say anything, though. Instead, she just wraps her arms around Izzy's neck and hides her face in her shoulder once more.
With Izzy completely consumed by Ava's welcome, Quinn is the only one to notice everyone else coming into the front entryway. She stands close to Izzy, a small smile on her face as Rosie, who had come in with Izzy, watches the scene unfold with excitement. Beca, Chloe, and Jordan, follow her closely, all three of them watching Izzy and Ava with identical expressions of contentment and taking in the adorableness of the interaction.
When Izzy finally opens her eyes to the rest of the room, she ignores all three of the Mitchells. Instead, her gaze lands on Jordan. "No hug from you, J?
Jordan, who had been staying back for fear the teen was hanging on to some animosity from when he told Beca and Chloe that Quinn was at her house, brightens immediately. He crosses the room – albeit nowhere near as quickly as Ava did – before wrapping his arms around Izzy's waist.
Izzy bends over, planting a kiss on the top of his head, and holding his body against hers. "That's more like it."
"Missed you."
Izzy smirks, running her hand tenderly over his hair. "I missed you, too, kid."
Quinn treads lightly, making sure that her siblings have gotten in their hellos. When Ava doesn't move from her position on Izzy's hip and Jordan wavers in between Izzy and Beca and Chloe, she breaks the sudden silence. "Iz, this is Beca, Chloe, and their daughter, Rosie. Uh, everyone, this is Izzy."
Izzy gives them a small wave, but before anyone has a chance to say anything, Ava is speaking up.
"Yeah, that's Rosie, she's my best friend like you're Quinn's best friend."
Rosie's grin lights up the entire room, and for a second, Quinn is pretty sure the mini redhead is going to burst. Unless it happened at school, Quinn is almost positive that this is the first time Ava's ever referred to Rosie in this way. She waves animatedly. "Hi!"
Izzy smirks, bouncing Ava slightly. "I've heard a lot about you, Rosie. Nice to meet you." She finally, much more hesitantly, addresses Beca and Chloe. It's funny, because this isn't even the first time she's seen Quinn's foster moms. But the first time was in the pitch black darkness of the middle of the night, and the second time was when Beca was in her pajamas and was being illuminated by the bright fluorescent lights of the police station. Not exactly the best first-meeting situations. "And uh, it's nice to um, officially meet you, I guess."
Chloe bounds forward, her hand outstretched, "It's great to meet you, Izzy. Did you find the house okay?"
Izzy reluctantly shakes Chloe's hand, not putting much effort into it at all. It's not as if she likes them – there's no point in faking it. "Yeah, it was fine." When Chloe steps back, she turns her attention back to Ava. "Have you been being good for Quince?"
"Mhmm!" Ava gives her a definitive nod, but instead of looking over to Quinn for her affirmation, she turns to Beca and Chloe. "Right?"
A sharp pang slices through Quinn's chest at the interaction. She knows she was expecting that more than Izzy was, though, because she turns around to face her with furrowed eyebrows when Beca and Chloe reassure Ava that of course she's been good. For some reason, Izzy seeing what she's been seeing the last few weeks, makes the reality of it sting a little more.
Quinn shifts awkwardly from foot to foot before asking, "Would it be okay if I took Izzy upstairs before dinner?"
Beca nods before Chloe has a chance to answer, the brunette clearly sensing the rising tension as well. "Sure. It'll be ready in what?" She looks at Chloe for confirmation, "ten minutes?"
"Okay. Ava, you coming, or do you want to stay with Rosie?"
Ava seems conflicted for a moment, glancing back at Rosie, before returning her attention to Izzy. "Can I sit next to you at dinner?"
A laugh escapes Izzy's control, the blonde nodding immediately. "I'd love that."
Satisfied with Izzy's answer, Ava slides out of her hold, and moves to stand next to Rosie. When Quinn takes Izzy's hand and tugs her in the direction of the stairs, it doesn't take long for her to follow, not saying anything to anyone else as she leaves.
Beca and Chloe are left in the front entryway after Quinn's rather abrupt exit, both women trying to figure out how this evening will play out. They exchange a brief, yet worried, glance, before Chloe claps her hands together. "Alright, do you three think you can set the dining room table? We're going to need placements, napkins, and forks and knives."
She gets three nodding heads in return, and now focused on their task, they easily move into the kitchen to get the required materials.
Once the kids are occupied, Chloe lowers her voice under the volume of the music playing from their speaker. "She seemed okay, right?"
"Who? Izzy or Quinn?"
Chloe stops for a second. "Both?"
Through a laugh, Beca gives Chloe's hand a squeeze. "I think they're both nervous, but it's going to be fine, Chlo. It's clear that she means a lot to all three of them."
"And Ava seems really comfortable around her."
"She does."
Chloe grimaces. "This is going to be okay, right? We're doing the right thing?"
Beca gives her a definitive nod. "We're doing the right thing, and it's going to be great."
With Ava, Rosie, and Jordan all working on getting the table ready, it doesn't take long. Within a few minutes, the trio is coming back into the kitchen, Rosie asking her siblings, "How come Izzy called Quinn, 'Quince'?"
Chloe turns around from checking on the dish in the oven while Beca stands in the corner watching the three of them carefully. Neither one of them have to answer, because Jordan easily takes over, climbing into one of the chairs behind the counter with the girls. "'Cuz her name's Quincy."
Rosie's eyebrows furrow. "I thought her name is Quinn?"
"Quinn is a nickname. I couldn't say 'Quincy' when I was a baby, so I started saying Quinn. But she was always Quincy to Izzy and her other friends from school, and to our mom." Jordan shrugs. "But me and Ava have always called her Quinn. And same with everyone else when we went into foster care."
"Oh." Rosie processes the information before nodding along. "That makes sense."
"How old were Quinn and Izzy when they met, Jordan? Do you remember?" Beca can't stop herself from asking. She doesn't want to go behind Quinn's back when asking for these types of answers, but she's also just trying to get some semblance of knowledge before dinner.
Jordan doesn't seem fazed. "It was before I was born. Izzy and her mom moved in across the street."
Chloe's eyes widen. "Wow, so they were little."
"Mhmm." Jordan shifts so he's kneeling on the chair. "I don't ever remember them not being best friends."
Quinn has seen Izzy be terrified before. She's seen it when Quinn's gone over to her house distraught, and when Izzy's gone over to hers in the same way. She's seen it when watching interactions between Izzy and Sandy. She's seen it when Izzy is telling her about something that happened while Quinn wasn't around, something that she is often reluctant to share out loud. But this kind of terrified; the kind where Izzy is staring down at the full plate that Chloe placed in front of her, one hand holding the fork and one hand on her lap, her thumb running over her fingertips. The kind where her leg is bouncing up and down and she has to force a smile on her face whenever Ava starts talking to her… it's the same kind of terrified that used to be on Izzy's face when they went to school. When a teacher would hold one of them back after class, or a guidance counselor would call them down to her office.
It's the fear of being caught. The fear of being found out. And it takes everything in Quinn to sit there and just give Chloe and Beca her own forced smiles of reassurance as the beginning of dinner starts off with a whole lot of awkwardness and a whole lot of silence, instead of wrapping Izzy in her arms and taking her back to Pollard.
She has seen the glances being exchanged between Beca and Chloe; it's not like they're exactly hiding them. But even Beca doesn't seem to know what to say or what to do.
"So, Izzy," Chloe takes a small sip of her wine, her dazzling smile shining through as she addresses the teen. "You and Quinn grew up together?"
Quinn notices immediately how Izzy stiffens, and is suddenly wishing that she had given Beca and Chloe some sort of guidelines to what they can and can't ask her. That would've been the smart thing to do, in hindsight, but here they are anyways, kicking off the conversation with a question that could lead right into the direction that Quinn doesn't want it to go.
Izzy pushes a piece of chicken around her plate, which tells Quinn that her stomach is in knots. "Um, yeah. We were seven when we met."
Chloe beams, and while Quinn knows that there is never any malicious intent in either of her foster mom's actions, she is so on edge right now that she can't help but be wary. "That's awesome. I met some of Rosie's aunts when I was around that age."
Izzy gives her a tight lipped smile. "Cool."
"Do you have any siblings?" At least Beca's question is a little less… dangerous. Quinn can't help but wonder if she's staying away from specific questions on purpose.
Izzy shakes her head. "No, I mean, unless you count Quinn and the kids." She winks down at Ava when the little girl grins at her, abandoning her fork and brushing her fingers through her short hair. "Do uh… do you have any siblings? Or any other, like, older kids?"
"I have a younger sister, and Chloe has four older brothers. We have fostered three other kids in the past, but Rosie is our only biological child."
"What happened to the three other kids you fostered?"
Quinn's eyes widen as Izzy asks the question, and by the look on her face, the question slipped out without much thought. Beca, though, doesn't seem thrown by it. She just gives Izzy a sad smile.
"They went back to live with their birth parents."
Izzy keeps her mouth shut at that, picking up her fork again and starting to actually cut off a piece of the chicken. Whether or not she's going to eat it is another story.
A silence falls over the table once more, and Quinn finds herself being eternally grateful for the soft music that is always playing when they eat. It makes it a little less awkward. Not by much, but still.
"Do you live far away?"
Both Quinn and Izzy raise their heads at the same time to look across the table. Rosie is waiting expectantly for an answer, her head quirked to the side from where she's sitting next to Jordan (there were only a few tears when Ava sat down next to Izzy instead of her normal seat next to Rosie). Her baby blue eyes, the same shade as her mother's, watch Izzy carefully, and Quinn knows that the gears are turning in that head of hers.
"Um… I don't know, like forty minutes, I guess."
Rosie purses her lips, bringing them to one side, before she turns her attention to Quinn. "How far is forty minutes?"
A soft chuckle emerges from Quinn's mouth. "I'm not sure, Rosie."
"But can you walk forty minutes? 'Cuz that seems like a lot. But you can't drive a car. So did you walk forty minutes to see Izzy?"
Both Chloe and Beca open their mouths to stop Rosie's questioning, but Beca beats her wife to it. "Ro, we're not going to talk about that tonight, okay?"
"How come?"
"Because we can talk about it later. Right now, we're just getting to know Izzy and Izzy is getting to know us, yeah?"
"Fine." Rosie sits back with a small 'humph' but perks up shortly after. "Do you like to read?"
Izzy gives her a small shrug. "Not really."
"How come?"
"I don't know… I guess it reminds me a lot of school and it bores me."
Chloe wipes the corners of her mouth on her napkin. "Where do you go to school, Izzy?"
Izzy's face pales as soon as Chloe asks the question, knowing that she shouldn't have said what she just did. She hesitates a second too long, so Quinn jumps in, hoping that it doesn't seem to suspicious. "She goes to Beverly."
"Oh, no way! One of my coworkers last year transferred to Beverly. Do you know Mr. Lee? I actually think he might've been teaching a few classes for the eleventh grade, but it might've been tenth."
Izzy's leg starts bouncing faster as she forces herself to shake her head. "Um… no, no I don't think so."
Chloe deflates slightly. "That's too bad. He's a great teacher."
Izzy forces yet another smile onto her face before averting her eyes back down to the plate. Quinn shifts in her seat to try and hide the fact that she reaches under the table to take Izzy's hand. She squeezes it once, feeling her leg slow down, before returning it back to her fork.
"Oh! Izzy, guess what!"
Glancing up in Jordan's direction, this time she answers with greater ease. "What's up?"
"Did Quinn tell you that Beca was nominated for a Grammy? Actually, three Grammys?"
Izzy's eyebrows crinkle as she turns to look at Quinn, who, did not in fact, mention this to her. Quinn does her best not to talk about Chloe and Beca with Izzy unless something happened. She'd much rather spend her limited time on the phone making sure that Izzy is safe and alright, then talking about her foster parents.
"No, she didn't." Izzy turns back to Beca, whose cheeks remain flushed. "So, you're, like, a celebrity?"
Beca shakes her head immediately. "Oh no. Not at all. I just produced an album that did well."
"But she's still the coolest." Jordan grins over at Beca while Chloe watches on fondly. "And she's teaching me how to play the piano."
Quinn can practically feel Izzy stiffen again as she watches Jordan fawn over their foster mom. Part of her feels guilty for wanting to get Jordan to stop. She knows that she has told Izzy about how the kids feel about Beca and Chloe, but again, watching Izzy see it for herself is making her stomach churn. Whether it be from guilt or from just general nerves of the situation, she's not sure. But she doesn't like it.
"The piano?" Izzy quirks an eyebrow.
Jordan doesn't catch the same tone in Izzy's voice that Quinn does, but Quinn notices it immediately. The questioning, the seriously? intonation. It makes Quinn watch her friend carefully, waiting and ready to steer the conversation in another direction if need be.
"Yeah, and Beca's really good. I learned the notes and some chords today. Beca said that I'll be playing songs in no time."
Izzy doesn't answer him, instead, she turns to Quinn, humor in her eyes. Quinn can practically read what Izzy is thinking: Beca this, Beca that, Beca said… Quinn just gives her a slight shake of the head, begging her not to draw attention to it.
This is what I've been telling you, she wants to say, the kids are happy here. I'm trying to keep it that way.
All Izzy does is roll her eyes, not addressing Jordan or Quinn's silent pleas.
To Beca and Chloe's credit, they do try their hardest to keep the conversation moving. They try and engage the kids; they try and get Rosie to talk about school. They ask Izzy questions that aren't too invasive and get one-word answers in return. It's not the easiest dinner in any way shape or form, and Quinn feels like she's on high alert making sure that Izzy can answer the questions and that she's okay, as well as ensuring that the kids are behaving themselves in terms of the information they're sharing. It's exhausting, and Quinn can't help but be grateful when Chloe brings the chocolate cake out and starts handing out plates because she knows the end of the meal is near.
Three bites in, with Izzy still poking hers rather than eating it (she ate about two bites of chicken, and Quinn could see Chloe trying not to be disappointed when her and Beca cleared the table), Ava looks up at Izzy from her other side. "Izzy?"
Izzy's eyes twinkle with genuine care, looking down at the five-year-old. "Monkey?"
"Can you come over all the time now?"
Izzy gives her a small smile, her back to Quinn, who watches the two cautiously. She's sure Beca and Chloe are glancing hopefully at each other, but she can't tear her eyes away from the pair.
Izzy takes a deep breath, giving Ava the truth because she has never – not once – lied to any of the Perry siblings, and she's not about to start now. "I'm not sure, kid."
Ava frowns, using Rosie's favorite phrase as a response. "How come?"
"Well," she gives her a helpless shrug, "You know I still live back at home, and that's kind of far away. And you guys have school and stuff… I can't just come over all the time, as much as I'd like to."
Ava looks even sadder at that, abandoning her slice of cake as she turns her complete attention to Izzy, seemingly oblivious to the fact that everyone else is watching them like a hawk. "But Quinn misses you."
Izzy gives her a light laugh in response, glancing briefly behind her at Quinn, who may or may not have some tears burning at the back of her eyes. "I miss Quinn, too. And I miss you, and your brother. But I'm not going anywhere, monkey. I'll still be around."
"But…" Ava trails off, a sure sign that she's thinking and battling with her own inward thoughts just like she normally is. Her face scrunches slightly, trying to come up with what she wants to say. Quite frankly, Quinn still finds it surprising that she opens up as much as she does around Chloe and Beca. It's just so unlike how she's acted for the five years leading up to moving in with the Mitchells. Yet she's shocked time and time again, because she really has grown so much in the last two months, that it amazes Quinn. "But… but what about when you're sad?"
Quinn speaks up from behind Izzy, starting to get slightly nervous. "What do you mean, Ava?"
Ava plops her hands in her lap. "She came over all the time when she was sad. I re-nem-ber."
Izzy shrugs, not exactly sure where the conversation is going. If she's learned one thing over the years, though, it's that when Ava actually sits down to talk with you, you shut up and listen to every single word that comes out of that girl's mouth and you don't just brush off what she's saying. "Well, that was a little different."
"How come?"
"I don't know… you were living with Amanda and I was living with my mom… the rules were different then."
"What do you mean?"
Izzy's mouth opens and closes, trying to find the right words to say. Words that she can break down so that Ava actually understands. She's also aware that everyone is watching her closely, so she has to choose her words wisely so that Izzy can keep everything away from Beca and Chloe, and not say anything that gets Quinn and the kids in trouble. "I mean that… when you were younger, you weren't living with all these different families. You were living with your own family that could decide when we could see each other."
At the end of the table, Beca frowns. She understands where she's coming from – where Quinn is coming from – but she doesn't like it. "Izzy, you are more than welcome to come over here whenever you want."
Izzy quirks an eyebrow in her direction. She's been trying, she really has, but after seeing how badly Quinn and her siblings are falling here, she can't help but get slightly defensive. If they can't see it for themselves, she'll help them see it, because she's their actual family. "Really? Where was that attitude when Quinn came over to my house?"
Beca falters, "That was… well, that was a little different."
"Why? Because she didn't have your 'permission'?"
Quinn lays her hand on Izzy's shoulder, eyes widening as she watches Beca tense and exchange brief glances with Chloe across the table. She lowers her voice, "Iz, what are you doing?"
Beca nods slowly, as though trying to figure out for herself what is happening. "Well, I mean, she did just leave... but we've moved past this, everything is fine—"
"Fine for you, maybe." Izzy can't help but let out a scoff, the flood gates that had been keeping her emotions at bay all night, quickly starting to crumble. "But, I hate to break it to you – they haven't had parents in sixteen years. They sure as hell don't need you telling them what they can and can't do."
The pressure in Quinn's chest starts to build, her head turning to try and take in everyone's reactions. Jordan is sitting stock-still in his seat; Chloe's mouth is slightly agape. Rosie is confused, and Ava has pulled her knees into her chest. Beca is staring down Izzy like her life depends on it but seems more shocked than anything.
Quinn begs her best friend, her eyes pleading and her voice coming out in a whisper. "Izzy, I don't know what you're doing, but please…"
Izzy turns to face Quinn, oddly looking the calmest she has all night. "You see what's happening here, don't you? You aren't their kid, Quince, and neither are you two." She faces Jordan and then Ava, both of their expressions saddened, and Quinn can see tears swelling in Jordan's eyes. "Just because you're living here for the time being doesn't change that. It hasn't changed that in the last thirteen or however many homes you've been in, and it hasn't changed now."
Chloe clears her throat, and without even looking at her, Quinn can hear the emotion in her voice. "Maybe we should just move past this topic, you know, take a deep breath, finish up dessert…"
Quinn nods in agreement, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
"Really?" Izzy eyes her carefully, conveying words that are just not coming across to Quinn.
"Iz, please, we can talk later…"
Izzy stares at Quinn as though she's a complete stranger, not being able to understand what she's thinking, which is such a rarity that it makes Izzy squirm. "You know I'm right, Quince."
Quinn flicks her eyes helplessly to her siblings, Jordan, especially, practically begging her to say, No, no Izzy isn't right. They are just as much a part of the Mitchell family as Rosie is. That they're going to stay there, and everything is going to be alright. That everything is different here.
But she can't. The words get lost in her throat, lost under Jordan and Ava's scrutiny, and buried under Izzy's.
And, apparently, that is just far too much for Izzy.
The blonde snorts, shaking her head to herself, before pushing her chair backward. She stands, and Quinn can tell that her mind is racing just in the way she stares at the ground, searching for what to say. "I'm uh, I'm gonna leave, but thanks for dinner, I guess."
"Izzy, where are you going?"
"No, Izzy don't go!"
Izzy plants a kiss on Ava's head, "I'll see you soon, monkey. Be a good girl for your sister. You, too, J." She doesn't so much as glance in Quinn's direction as she stalks from the dining room and toward the front door.
It takes a minute for Quinn to get her bearings, with Chloe turning her attention to Jordan, Rosie obviously confused, and Beca seeming unsure of what she should do or say, the situation having unfolded so quickly and so abruptly.
As soon as Quinn hears the front door open though, it breaks her from her spell. She's up and out of her chair without hesitation, moving quickly through the downstairs of the house and out onto the front lawn.
Quinn calls out to her best friend, the one with her head bent as she moves quickly across the grass. "Izzy, can you stop?!"
She waves her hand behind her, calling behind her, "I'm going home, Quinn."
"Izzy, what the hell is going on?"
"What is going on?" Izzy turns around, and for the first time, Quinn can see the tear marks on her face. "What is going on with you? Did you not just hear what happened?"
Quinn shakes her head, "It's more complicated than that, Izzy. I couldn't just give you a 'yes' or a 'no'. We were in their house."
"That's my point, Quincy! You never would have hesitated to agree with me in any of your other placements. All three of you are getting in way over your heads here and they are manipulating you into thinking they actually care! You just can't see it because you're so deep in it!"
Quinn rolls her eyes, ignoring the tight clenching in her chest at what Izzy is insinuating. Because no; Beca and Chloe may be different. They may be different than her other foster parents, but they aren't malicious. "They are not manipulating us, Izzy. What do you expect me to do? This is the first times that the kids have felt safe – actually safe – in a home. You want me to just take that away from them?"
"It'd be better than lying to them!" Izzy grips the straps of her backpack, shouting at Quinn even though they're only a few feet apart. "Something that you've never done before!"
Quinn crosses her arms over her chest. "They are five and eight years old, Izzy."
She ignores Quinn. "These people are changing you, Quinn, and you know it, too."
Quinn scoffs, anger rising. It's as if Izzy doesn't know that she's been saying this to herself for the past few months. Fighting with herself to figure out what she's going to do as she watches her siblings fall harder for the Mitchells, while trying not to get too comfortable with them, herself. It's the same internal battle she's had going since the first time she noticed that Beca and Chloe may be different. She should've known that Izzy would've picked up on it, but reiterating it, yelling it and putting it into the universe, is so not what she needs. "What do you want me to do about it, Iz?!"
"I want you to do the same thing you would've done had this been any other foster family! Leave! Call Rachel! Get kicked out! Don't bend to their every will! The same thing you have done before!"
"And risk having Jordan taken away again? Maybe Ava, too? No thanks."
"You know it's going to happen anyways! It's not like you're going to get adopted, Quince, and I'm not even sure when that started being your goal."
Quinn blinks a few times at the harshness of Izzy's statement. She knows her best friend is hurt, she knows how difficult it was sitting in there, not knowing what Beca or Chloe were going to ask, but still. Ouch. "My goal isn't to get adopted, Izzy. My goal has been, and always will be, to just survive the system. And more importantly, to make sure that Ava and Jordan survive, too."
"Even if that means abandoning everything you've ever believed? Everything you've ever wanted?" Izzy shakes her head to herself. "Everything that we've ever talked about doing?"
And just like that, Quinn understands Izzy's anger. She understands what her best friend has been trying to say. She understands where she's coming from.
It just about kills her that she didn't figure it out sooner.
"Iz… we still have a few years before we can even do anything."
Izzy's green orbs start to glisten with unshed tears. "And what's going to happen if you suddenly can't do anything? I have a pretty strong feeling that picture-perfect Mrs. and Mrs. Mitchell aren't going to just agree to you taking the kids and moving into some apartment with me."
Quinn reaches out to Izzy, but the blonde just shakes her head, taking a step backward.
"Izzy, the odds of us being adopted by Beca and Chloe are so slim… it's not," her voice cracks, whether it be from trying to force herself to imagine a world where Jordan and Ava have to leave the Mitchells' or if it's from the look of betrayal on Izzy's face, Quinn isn't sure. "It's not like we can even start thinking about leaving right now. And I can't focus on that when I still have two years of being passed from home to home and needing to make sure that the kids are okay."
She watches as Izzy gulps, slowly nodding her head, though Quinn knows it's not necessarily from agreement. Izzy takes a deep breath as Quinn continues. "It's not like you can leave right now either, Iz. I know you aren't ready to leave Sandy."
"But I still have the option. That's the point."
Quinn's own tears start to spill down her cheeks, realizing, for the first time, that when Quinn went into foster care, Izzy's life changed more than she ever could have imagined. "I'm sorry, Iz, I don't –"
Izzy shakes her head, rubbing the skin underneath her eyes to get rid of the tear marks. "Don't be sorry, I'm just… I'm going to go back home."
"Iz—"
"It's fine, Quince. Just," she waves a hand at the house, "go make sure the kids are okay." She rocks back and forth on her feet, before making the split second decision to wrap Quinn in a brief hug. Quinn doesn't even get the chance to fully reciprocate it, and as soon as they separate, it's like her heart crumbles even more. "I love you, be safe, and I'll talk to you later."
She turns around so fast, heading back down the road, that Quinn isn't even sure if Izzy hears her return the sentiment.
Honestly, Beca's not sure how everything changed so quickly. One minute, they were having dinner – a semi-awkward dinner, but dinner nonetheless – with Izzy, and the next Izzy was accusing Beca and Chloe of overstepping, and then was storming out the front door with Quinn on her heels. Beca would be lying if she were to say she didn't follow after her foster daughter, standing by the window as she listened to the two teens yelling at each other in the front yard. She didn't catch all of it, especially toward the end, but she caught enough to know that something Izzy said made Quinn more upset than Beca has ever seen her.
Well, that, and the fact that Quinn came back inside and immediately ran upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her.
Chloe and Beca let her have a little while to herself. They tried talking to Ava and Jordan about what Izzy had said about them not being a part of the family – which made the moms have their own bone to pick with the teen – but they both seemed to be shut down. So, they let them go their own ways while they washed the dishes, and instead, decided they would reapproach the topic as they are tucking the kids in, before talking to Quinn afterward. That way, they can get the kids to bed, give Quinn some time to herself, and are able to give her their full attention once they start.
Chloe finishes the Magic Tree House book they've been reading to the three younger kids for the last few days, smiling down at Ava and Jordan, who are sandwiched between her and Beca, Rosie on Chloe's other side. "We're almost done with this one, too. Pretty soon we're going to have to get a whole bookshelf just for this series."
Rosie cracks a smile, but Ava and Jordan remain rather stoic, just as they had been through their bedtime routine.
Chloe takes a deep breath, meeting Beca's gaze across the bed. She gives her a small smile, a silent go ahead to the brunette, whose mind has been racing ever since Izzy said that Ava and Jordan weren't their kids. Beca, having heard the same sentiment about herself and Macy more times than she can count, needs to clear the air so that the kids are able to sleep tonight instead of getting lost in a cycle of self-deprecating thoughts.
She runs her fingers through Jordan's hair, the little boy relaxing in her hold. "Dinner was pretty intense tonight, huh, guys?"
Jordan gives her a subtle nod, while Ava holds Bunny tighter to her chest, leaning against Chloe.
"We know that what Izzy said must have been really, really hard to hear, especially because you guys care for her so much. But she had absolutely no right to say those things because they most certainly aren't true."
For the first time since they sat down on the bed, Jordan looks up at Beca, eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears.
"Chloe and I know that you have your birth mom, Amanda, and we would never want to replace her. But we love you two, and your sister, just as much as we love Rosie. It doesn't matter if you guys got here in different ways – you are just as much a part of this family as Rosie is, no matter what anyone says."
Chloe nods in agreement. "There are so many different ways to make a family, and we are so glad that you three have become a part of ours. And no matter what happens, that is never going to change."
Jordan grips Beca's hand. "I'm happy, too."
Ava, albeit slightly more quietly, agrees. "Me, too."
Rosie bounces a little bit on the bed. "Me, three!"
"Quinn?" Beca taps lightly on Quinn's closed bedroom door, Chloe standing right next to her, her hand on the small of her back. "Quinn, kiddo, can we come in?"
Chloe brings her own hand to the doorknob, twisting it without much warning. "Quinn, love, we're coming in."
Quinn is sitting on her bed with her back against the wall, staring off into her bedroom. Her eyes are red and puffy, her hair tied up haphazardly on her head, with soft sniffles emerging from her mouth. She runs her hands over her face upon seeing Chloe and Beca standing there, shaking her head. "I really don't feel like talking."
The two moms hesitantly approach the bed, Beca perching herself on the end of the mattress, and Chloe squatting down in front of the teen. "I don't think that's entirely true, Quinn."
Quinn pulls her legs into her chest away from Chloe's touch, a fresh batch of tears swelling in her eyes. "Really, Chloe, I c-can't talk right now."
Beca gulps, trying her best to understand where Quinn is coming from, and knowing that, had she been in this position when she was a teenager, she'd be acting the same way. But she's a mom now, and her daughter is – so clearly – hurting, and she wants to do everything in her power to take that pain away. "We aren't exactly sure what happened downstairs, or what happened with Izzy, and we're not going to force you to tell us…but it's clear you're upset, and that is the last thing Chloe and I want."
Chloe softens her voice even more. "That didn't really seem like a normal fight between friends."
Quinn crumbles even more, her eyes clenching shut as more tears stream down her cheeks. To the surprise of both mothers, she answers with a shake of her head.
"Oh, sweetheart," Chloe pushes herself off the ground, sitting beside Quinn on the bed, and pulling her into a hug. The teen stiffens at the beginning, but within seconds, she is relaxing into her arms. "From everything we've seen, it looks like you and Izzy are more like sisters than friends, and sisters fight. It doesn't make them any less of sisters. You both probably just need a little space to cool down, and before you know it, you'll be closer than ever."
Beca clears the tightness in her throat, trying her hardest not to feel the slightest inkling of success as she watches Chloe run her hand up and down Quinn's back, the teen never once making the move to escape her grasp. "I can't even imagine how hard you've worked to stay as close to Izzy as you are. That bond, the one that has kept you together even though you've moved so many times and lived in so many places, that's not going to crumble with just one fight, Quinn."
Beca moves closer, laying her hand on Quinn's shoulder, her heart breaking as the teen's sobs don't subside.
But for once, Quinn doesn't pull away.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm hoping to get the next one up by Monday, Tuesday at the latest :) As always, I look forward to hearing any comments/suggestions/predictions that you want to share with me!
Also! As I mentioned in some of the responses, I won't be making another full-length fic for this series once LULY is complete, BUT I am going to be doing a one-shot/deleted scenes fic for this universe. So, if you have any prompts/ideas/requests for one-shots that you want to see - spanning the time of all three of the stories (and after LULY) - that have been floating around in your brain, please let me know! Feel free to leave them in a review, through PM, and I'm also on tumblr with this same username (I'm not very active, but my inbox is open).
Thanks so much for sticking with me, everyone. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. I'll see you on Monday/Tuesday!