Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or its characters. I do own Rebecca Fabray & Tessa Brown.
Spoilers: current chapters of Is It Worth Giving Up? (#40 and before)
Rating: T
So, a little explanation as to what this is: this is the FIRST version of the chapter "Thanksgiving pt. 1". This is how I had originally wrote it. In this, Rebecca really does fuck up. She says things that she would never in a million years be able to take back or work to fix. I had it saved, and wanted to put it up to see what you guys thought.
Important note: Please read through as it not an EXACT copy of the chapter from Is It Worth Giving Up? There are places that are different, including the part where Rebecca reacts to Q being pregnant.
Enjoy! ;)
"Oh, come on!" She throws her hands up. "My baby sister was beaten by our father and no one told me or allowed me to visit until now, so excuse me, if I want to hug her and make sure she is ok, and would like to hear it from her that she is doing all right."
At her tone, Quinn immediately snaps her eyes down to the blanket currently draped across both her and Rachel. She hates that her big sister has been here less than 10 minutes and already, she has managed to both anger and disappoint her. The mention of her… jackass sperm donor… does not sit too well with her, either.
Seeing this, the look on the younger's girl face making her heart ache, Tessa finally steps in.
"Rebecca," She grits her own teeth, hand in a fire grip on her fiancée's arm. "I think it is best if you step back, give the poor girl some breathing room, and maybe start this visit over, with a more gentle and calmer approach." She says it in a whisper, but everyone still hears the no-nonsense tone. And Rebecca finally relents.
The two sit on one of the smaller couches. Rachel leans in to whisper something to Quinn and by doing so, uncovers both hands unintentionally.
"What the hell–"
"Lower your voice, Rebecca Annabelle!" David snaps.
"Right… sorry. What happened to your… to both of your… wrists?"
Santana snorts at this, covering it up with a cough when Rachel glares at her. "I didn't say a word."
"We had a little incident at school." Rachel answers simply.
Noah looks amused while Finn is guilty, and Santana and Brittany are trying their best not to laugh, especially at the now protective look on Quinn's face. Rebecca interprets this in a different way, however, and snarks,
"What? You touch her without the permission you always preach about getting? Good for you, Lucy, fighting back. That'll show'er."
Tessa can see this is going to go downhill very quickly. Quinn obviously has two dads and five friends who will all rip her fiancée to shreds if she snaps like that again, so she pops Rebecca on the back of the hand, adding in a stern voice,
"Lower your tone, and lose the attitude, Rebecca, or you and I will be going right back out that door we came through." She turns to Josiah and David. "I am so sorry about her. She is usually much better behaved then this. I would like to say it is her own nerves but…"
And David understands. It is all overwhelming for everyone. Rebecca has not seen Quinn since they were 9 or 10 years old, right before the car accident. And now, 5 years later, she finds out her baby sister was beaten by their… sperm donor…, is in the custody of her two uncles, and her – Russell and Judy have been arrested.
It is understandable, although, he cannot allow this house to become yet another place where Quinn is not able to relax and be comfortable.
"I do understand," He tells both women gently. "I cannot even begin to imagine what you are feeling right now, but I will not allow you to continually attack your sister or her friends. Rebecca, if you want to continue this visit, you will abide by the following rules – 1, her name is Quinn, please address her as such. 2, stop attacking my daughter and your cousin. They do, and always have had, a special relationship. And 3, lose the attitude, because if you continue to make Quinn uncomfortable, I will have to ask you to leave."
There is a silence for several moments as the two newcomers digest this, especially Rebecca.
Sighing, she says, "You're right – it is overwhelming and a lot to take in. I am sorry, Luce–Quinn. The last time I saw you was when you were all 9. You were perfectly safe and then the car accident happened, and Abby– well–… I didn't just lose her that day, Quinn, I lost you, too. So, please understand. I am not–… I don't mean to–… I'm just really happy to finally get to see you."
She at least gets nod to this, and sighs at it. She wishes Quinn would actually speak to her but… decides not to push.
Instead, she leans back against the couch, sighing, and trying to find something to talk about. Obviously, her baby sister is no longer the 9-year-old who loved recess because it meant she could do cartwheels with Brittany.
Now, she is older and in high school, and, like the smart girl she is, she probably has a million things that she is a part of at school.
After a few failed attempts, she finally asks what she thinks is a "safe" question.
"Well, what about cheerleading? You guys were so excited to join and follow Abby. Did you do it?" She lights up when Brittany nods. "That's great, Luce– sorry, I mean, that's great, Quinn. Are you the Captain? I mean, I bet you are. And you probably are great one at that!"
Silence…
"What?" She looks around. From Quinn, to Britt, to her uncles… "What did I say?"
And Britt, well, she looks wide-eyed to Santana because… why would Becca ask about Quinn being the Cheerios Captain? Unless…
She chances it by saying, "You–… You don't… know?"
Becca just kinds of chuckles, not understanding the severity of the confused look on the dancer's face.
"What? Are you Co-Captain or something instead? Aw, that's all right! No big deal. There's always next year!"
Her smile fades the longer no one says anything.
Josiah and David realize their mistake and…
"What is going on?" Then, joking because, god, who would think it was fucking serious, Rebecca asks, "Oh, Quinn, don't tell me you got kicked off the Cheerios! What'd you do, get pregnant or something?"
Silence… And she has never hated it more than at this very moment.
The realization sets in just about the time that Quinn raises her head and meets her eye, head-on.
"Oh, Quinnie," She breathes. "No. What–… How– You–… HOW, Quinn, how?! You're a Christian! You're supposed to wait until marriage for sex! You–"
"And YOU are gay. Which is against the Bible, but here we are."
Tessa literally chokes on her breath at those words. Not because of the rudeness or lack of tact but…
Because her future sister-in-law fucking spoke them.
"Yeah, well, I can't help who I love, Quinn! You can help it, though! You're 15, you can't be pregnant, no, this has– no– it– you–… This is a joke, right? You're messin' with me? I haven't seen you in five years, and you– this – is how you greet me back into your life?! No! This has GOT TO BE some a joke… right? Please tell me this is all a fucked up joke."
Tessa's language! is steadily ignored as Rebecca stares Quinn down, daring her to answer in the negative, to confirm what, to her, would be the worst thing ever.
"She is pregnant." Rachel states after several very uncomfortable moments. "And it is not a joke, and if you do not check yourself, I will go Lima Heights on your ass, and I grew up with Santana Lopez, so I know exactly how that works."
Santana woops in the background, adding, "It is very inappropriate to do so right now, but I am so giving you a high five for that later."
And…
Rebecca does not miss the smile on Brittany's face as she lightly backhands Santana in the arm.
It infuriates her.
"Is this all some sort of joke to you people? Do you find it funny? She is 15! She can't be pregnant! The baby will ruin her life! She will be stuck here in this loser town for the rest of her life!" And then, before anyone can say a word, she waves her hand between Noah and Finn, who are sitting in the floor, in front of opposites side of the couch.
"And which one of you two idiot boys knocked up my baby sister, huh? Or do you even know, Quinnie? Don't tell me – you slept with both of them and you don't even know who the father is! Come on! I think you should move in with Tessa and me."
At this, Quinn's entire body language changes. And the mood in the room shifts violently.
"Oh, you did not just call my girl a slut?! Please tell me I heard that wrong!"
Santana has to be held back by Brittany and Noah moves forward, not because of Quinn, but because he knows he will need to help Britt hold her back if she tries to lunge.
Quinn looks to Rachel, alarmed and panicked. This is one of her fears being shoved out into the open and…
"Rebecca…"
Josiah is the one to speak.
"We already discussed this. We have custody of Quinn, and this is where she is going to live."
But Rebecca is having none of it, and practically talks over him to make a very horribly wrong move with her next tirade,
"Come on! I am supposed to leave her here, where she is probably going to be convinced that she can have the baby? She can't have the baby! It will ruin her life! She can't go to school and raise a child and function like a normal person! She is already fucked up enough with all this stupid anxiety shit! She needs to give it up! Lucy, if you don't get up right now–"
Rachel is up. She switches spots with Brittany and stands in front them to where Rebecca is now towering over the younger girl on the couch.
"Back up, Rebecca! And do not speak to her like that!"
"You are not the boss of me! You have always been a part of the problem. She was perfectly fine before she met you, and then you come into her life and fuck it up even more! She was FINE! And all you do is baby her and feed into this anxiety shit and–SMACK!"
Okay… so she is definitely going to regret that later. But right now, the adrenaline is coursing through her body and she can feel nothing but red hot rage.
Rebecca is stunned for about 4 seconds as she holds her cheek.
"Oh, you did not just do that!" The middle Fabray fumes and now, Josiah and David are up, ready to step in, if needed. She peers around Rachel again, directing to Quinn, "If you don't come with us right now, you will regret it! You know, maybe this is why dad beat you all the damn time and–"
She stops. Not because someone shouted her name or because Rachel slapped her yet again, but…
"REBECCA!"
Tessa has never once, in her entire life, raised her voice. But that last sentence? Those last 14 words that left her fiancée's mouth?
She is not having it.
Everybody goes completely silent. Totally, 100% stock-still. It is so quiet you could hear a pin, and…
"Lucy, I–"
Rebecca's eyes are wide and suddenly, her baby sister being 15 and pregnant is the last thing she is worried about.
Quinn, however, holds up a hand. And she stands from the couch. Rebecca tries to say something, but all she gets in response is her baby sister walking up to her, looking her directly in the eyes…
And then shoulder-checking her as she pushes passed her and Tessa.
The look in her uncles' eyes are something she will never forget. Pure, unadulterated disappointment. She knows it perfectly, having seen it only about 40 dozen times from her own… from Russell.
Josiah opens his mouth to say something, and Rebecca preps herself for the verbal lashing.
Him shaking his head, turning away, and walking off with David is worse than any lecture she could ever receive.
After that, Rachel walks over, and god, she thought Josiah's expression was bad?
Rachel's is absolute disgust. Her brown eyes are hardened into a forceful protectiveness. Then, she walks out of the room, as well. Noah and Finn follow close behind, with Finn (whose name she still does not know) pulling Santana along, and Rebecca can see, plain as day, that the tall boy is probably the only thing keeping her alive, because if he did not have a hold on Santana?
Then the middle Fabray would, most definitely, not be alive right now.
Noah does not spare her a second glance, but Brittany is the worst, though.
Rebecca thought the disappointment in Josiah's eyes, and the fury written on Rachel's facial expressions, was bad?
Well, the sadness and disappointment in Brittany's baby blues hits her square in the chest.
It's worse, when she says, "Abby would be so disappointed in you." The mention of Rebecca's big sister is like a punch to chest, knocking the breath out of her.
With everyone out of the room, and the temperature now icy cold, Rebecca closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and, slowly, turns around to face her fiancée. She opens her mouth to say something but Tessa simply holds up a hand.
"Don't." She looks as if she barely has a handle on her own anger. "Don't say anything. Because I am not going to even try to stop myself from replying with something I'd regret." She spits out that last word, – Rebecca gets the message – and then, she is gone. Becca hears the front door slam shut, and…
She is alone.
She makes her way out of the living room, down the hall, to the front door, silently leaving the house, and dragging her feet down the front walkway, climbing into her ex? fiancée's car.
She had high hopes for how this meeting was supposed to go: hugs, tears, a family reuniting. But she just had to go and fuck it up, didn't she?
Oooh… and there it is, folks. That is how Rebecca and this scene was originally going to play out. Really puts into perspective how she ended up reacting, even though she still slapped them, and still pulled Rachel's arms, huh?
I added the part after Rebecca's reaction to Quinn being pregnant, and her wanting Quinn to leave with her and Tessa. Some words/actions can never be taken back. This right here? This would take YEARS for Rebecca to make up to Quinn. Years that Quinn probably would never even give a consideration to…
Just a heads up, this chapter will be making an appearance in the sequel to the alternate prequel of this story that you all voted on wanting to read.
Please review and let me know what you thought! :)