Author's Note: Believe it or not, I actually managed to finish chapter thirteen today and have planned out most of the major plot points for the rest of the story so I'm in a generous mood and thought I'd share =) I've done far too much adulting these past few days and there is more to come but I've also had some awesome ideas for more fanfics! I want your guys' thoughts on them so I'ma put a poll up on my profile and you can have a look and vote which I should work on next!
Thank you so much to all the lovely people who reviewed and favourited this story! They all mean so much to me and make me so happy. I wanted to give a special shout out to AngstyCanadianGleek for their awesome, kind, inspiring words and support. You always make my day, my friend. So thank you and I really hope you continue to enjoy the story.
Oh and there will be smut in later chapters, just fyi. In case anyone was wondering about all the teasing! There will most definitely be some pleasin' too ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing, except two very lazy kitty cats who have done nothing but sleep today while I've been busy doing shit. They could at least help, earn their damn keep, y'know?
Content Warning: Mention of murder, parental neglect/abuse, injuries/wounds and depictions of mental health.
Chapter Twelve
LeRoy stood in the living room door way, arms folded and a small smile on his face. His eyes were on the four sleeping girls who had laid claim to his couch. His own daughter sandwiched between the two blonde girls, with her face buried in the crook of Santana's neck. He had intended on speaking to the other three girls, he needed to know… more, everything… he wanted answers and to understand. But he did not want to put Rachel through any more than she already had been by making her re-live it all again. So once he had felt that his husband was stable enough and they had both cried out all they could, he had gone looking for the girls. He knew he was being selfish and putting a great deal on them, especially as they had all had an equally shitty week, but his only thought was to keep his daughter safe and away from all this now.
The moment LeRoy's eyes had landed on the couch though, he knew there was nothing more anyone could do tonight so it could wait. His little girl looked so goddamn content and at ease in amongst the Unholy Trinity that he would have genuinely considered not waking them up even if the end of the world was coming. The man disappeared from the room for a few moments returning with blankets which he carefully laid over the four girls. He placed a loving kiss to Rachel's cheek before stepping back. He noticed Hiram leant against the doorway watching him with a hand over his heart and a soppy smile on his face.
"Come on, dear, let's leave them to sleep, it's been a long day," Hiram held out his hand to his husband. "I think it's time we went to bed ourselves."
LeRoy accepted the hand and allowed his husband to lead him upstairs to their bedroom. They both did their usual night time routines but tonight they were quieter than usual, lost in their own thoughts. When Hiram finally slid into bed beside LeRoy, the taller man did not have his usual bedtime book out but was instead just staring up at the ceiling, hands clasped on his chest. Hiram propped himself up on his elbow and observed his husband silently. LeRoy sighed quietly and shook his head at himself.
Hiram's lips curled a little at the corner as he all but read LeRoy's thoughts. "I think between us we could probably get away with it. With your medical knowledge and my understanding of the law and judicial system we have perhaps a ninety percent chance."
LeRoy couldn't help the chuckle that came, his husband knew him ridiculously well. He couldn't get away with anything, not even his own twisted thoughts of revenge.
"But there's still a ten percent chance we will get caught and I won't gamble with our daughter's future, with her life like that," Hiram laid a hand over LeRoy's making the man look at him. "I know how angry you are, my love. I am too. Angry at that boy, at the school, at society, even at myself for not being there to protect her. I'm her father, I should have been there, it's my job."
LeRoy nodded thoughtfully but stayed silent, letting Hiram say what he needed to.
"And although that anger can be useful in getting shit done and keeping us motivated to change things… if we let it consume us and control us then we will lose everything that we care about in this world. I won't let either of us do anything to put our home, our lives, or our daughter in jeopardy." Hiram leant across and dropped a kiss onto LeRoy's lips. "Our family is strong. We are strong. So is our little girl. We can get through this if we just keep reminding each other every day why we're doing this…"
"For her." LeRoy cupped Hiram's face, thumb stroking the man's slightly stubbly jaw.
Hiram leant into the touch with a smile. "For our family. You are the most important people in the world to me, LeRoy. I know you're struggling but I am here for you, no matter what. As I know you're here for me. We can get through this together."
They shared a sweet kiss before Hiram settled into LeRoy's side, head resting on the taller man's shoulder. They laid in a companionable silence, listening to each other's breathing and heartbeats, letting the closeness sooth them.
"I'm going to speak to the girls tomorrow," LeRoy murmured.
Hiram moved to look up at him, words of protest on his tongue.
"Not Rachel, I promise. The other three-"
"The Unholy Trinity." Hiram interjected with a grin, making LeRoy roll his eyes but nod.
"I want to discuss Santana's plan of action visa vi the boy… as well as ask their intentions towards our daughter."
Hiram's eyebrows shot up and he sat up to look at his husband, his tone full of warning now. "LeRoy-"
LeRoy sat up too and held up a hand to silence his husband. "It is not that I don't like the girls, because I do. They have been looking out for Rachel when we couldn't, and she seems to have a great deal of affection for them. But after today's incident… I need to know. I need to be sure she is safe with them, that her heart, her mind and body alike are safe and that they know just how lucky they are to have her in their lives."
Hiram threw his arms around his husband and squeezed so tight. His heart ached with love for the man, he couldn't have asked for a better partner in marriage, in parenthood, in life… He just loved how fiercely protective and kind and generous LeRoy was in all aspects. He was such a good father and husband, Hiram trusted that LeRoy would always do what was best for their family.
"Just be gentle with them, Rachel will never forgive us if we scare them away!"
"If concerned, loving fathers are what scare them away then they were never worthy of our little girl to begin with, Hiram! And I will never apologise for wanting the best for her," LeRoy lay back in bed again, Hiram still in his arms, and settled in with a contented sigh. "But I have a feeling those three don't scare easily. Our daughter is a force to be reckoned with, if they're still here after all this I think she may have finally met her match!"
Hiram mirrored the grin on his husband's face. He snuggled into LeRoy's side again and reached up to bestow a goodnight kiss on him before stretching across to turn the lamp off.
Quinn woke with a start, heart in her throat as the remnants of her dreams clung to her still. Her hand immediately went to Santana's where it was slung across her chest, fingers finding the girl's skin warm and her pulse steady but strong. She drew in a deep breath to calm her racing heart and shifted so she could see her girlfriends, needing to see them with her own eyes.
Rachel had joined them at some point, it seemed, and was tucked tightly into Santana. Quinn's heart fluttered a little at how content the diva looked, and how those lines of worry and anger had finally faded from Santana's face – even if it were only for a few hours. It seemed Rachel was already a part of Santana's heart, Brittany's too as she noted the tall blonde's hand linked with Rachel's. But that wasn't a surprise, Brittany had been the driving force behind them getting to know Rachel in the first place, she had seen how unhappy and in pain the diva was and her giant heart and unending kindness would not be stopped.
A soft smile curved Quinn's mouth as she traced her fingers along Brittany's cheek, down to her lips, before she leant in and gave her a chaste kiss. She pushed her face into Brittany's hair and pressed a kiss there too. Quinn turned her eyes to Santana and a quiet sigh slipped from her. She wished she could get inside the girl's head and beat her darkness into submission for ever making the Latina think she didn't matter – then she would find Santana's father and do the same to that prick because he never gave a fuck about his daughter. At least Quinn's own douchebag of a father once loved her and cared for her, even if it was only because she was lying to the world and trying to be the daughter he wanted instead of who she actually was…
Quinn braced her arms against the back of the couch as she leaned in and nuzzled into the Latina's neck, breathing in deeply; Santana's scent always made her a little dizzy, always made her heart beat out of rhythm in her chest… When Quinn was sandwiched between her girlfriends, or wrapped up in them both, they always made her feel like she was finally whole again. The safety and understanding of Santana and the peace and happiness of Brittany balanced her out and gave her the strength to keep on existing and to love them with everything she had. She pulled back a little and pressed a kiss to Santana's jaw, then to her cheek and finally her lips. A smile found its way onto her face.
Finally, the blonde's eyes landed on Rachel. She hadn't been lying earlier when she had admitted to her girlfriends about having a heart attack over finding Rachel in the auditorium like that. It was true that she did not understand or accept Rachel as readily as Brittany seemed to, nor was she as protective of or as enamoured with her as Santana seemed to be. But that didn't mean that Quinn didn't feel something for the usually loud and overbearing diva. Seeing the girl hurt had fractured something in Quinn, had activated her protect-and-kill mode that only ever came out for her girlfriends… she had wanted to kill Finn, but she had needed to hold Rachel and make sure she was okay even more so. Quinn did not trust easily, and she trusted people with her family even less easily.
She was willing to get to know Rachel more, she was willing to protect her and let her get close enough to maybe start understanding her family… Quinn could see how the diva affected Santana – the way the Latina couldn't relax until all four of them were together now, how Rachel's stern, no-nonsense, yet caring way seemed to get through to the stubborn Latina when the blondes just couldn't. She had also started to notice how all of them, not just Santana, affected the diva. It seemed Rachel was not immune to Brittany's intriguing charms and overt affection. She definitely wasn't immune to Santana's smouldering intensity - especially those dark eyes of hers… Quinn felt herself clench at that thought - and vulnerable confidence (a bit of an oxymoron, yes, but it was fucking true!) Nor did it appear she was immune to Quinn.
After their conversation outside the Home Ec. room all those weeks ago now, Quinn had begun to notice Rachel start to relax a little around her; the more Rachel relaxed, the more touchy-feely she had gotten with the blonde. And the more touchy-feely she was, the more Quinn was drawn to the diva. It wasn't the touching, per say, it was more the fact that Rachel was using it as a way to show Quinn she trusted her and wanted to be around her. For Quinn, actions spoke louder than words. Even so she knew they would need to have a conversation at some point. The Unholy Trinity had a lot to apologise to Rachel for, they knew a few weeks of being nice to the girl and looking out for her wouldn't negate everything they had done but they were trying. Desperate not to hurt the girl any more, or make the same mistakes over and over, they wanted to ensure they were all on the same page.
But that could wait a little longer. There was no rush, she just wanted Santana and Rachel both to take the time to heal properly. They weren't going anywhere. Quinn hesitated for only a split second before she pressed a kiss to Rachel's cheek, letting her lips linger there while she breathed the diva in. The blonde pulled back with a smile. Yeah, she could definitely see herself getting used to the girl.
Quinn's stomach growled noisily at her and directed her feet into the kitchen and towards the refrigerator. She froze with her hand on it. For a moment she had forgotten this was not Brittany or Santana's house; Rachel was not their girlfriend, she was only just their friend, so Quinn had no right to go raiding the Berry's fridge. She sighed and got herself a glass of water instead, jumping up onto the counter beside the sink to gulp down the liquid and replenish it with more immediately after to try and satiate her hunger.
Not long later Brittany appeared in the doorway, rubbing her eyes sleepily and stretching until Quinn could hear popping and cracking. She flinched but Brittany let out a satisfied sigh.
"Hey, Britt-Britt. You okay?"
Brittany shuffled over to Quinn, took her glass and chugged until there was nothing left. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before giving the glass back to Quinn. Quinn just chuckled and shook her head. Brittany slotted herself between Quinn's legs and encircled her waist with her arms. Quinn's breath hitched as their eyes met and Brittany leant forward to claim her lips in a sweet kiss.
"I am now," The dancer mumbled against her girlfriend's mouth.
Quinn's lips curved into a smile and she wrapped her own arms around Brittany's neck, kissing her back soundly. Before Quinn had become romantically linked with either of her girlfriends, she remembered Santana describing the way it felt to kiss Brittany. It hadn't been too long after Quinn had shown up on Santana's doorstep, a broken shell of herself – they had been laid in Santana's bed together, Quinn still not having said more than a few words, so the Latina had taken to just talking to her softly as she rocked them to sleep.
Santana had said she had been kissing Brittany for years, a fact Quinn was well aware of, but the feelings it gave her had never faded. It was like magic, she had said. Like summer break, sleeping in late, eating at Breadstix, singing a solo at a competition, falling into bed at the end of a long day, making love, driving in the car on a warm day with the windows down, going on a date, taking the first bite out of your favourite candy bar all rolled into one to make pure magic. Brittany never demanded, never pushed beyond gentle encouragement, never assumed anything. She didn't need to, not when she always just seemed to magically know things! And Brittany knew people better than they knew themselves, most times. Especially her girlfriends. She always seemed to know exactly what they needed.
Quinn had always agreed with Santana that Brittany was everything that was good in this miserable, stinking world. That's why they both fought so goddamn hard to protect her from the bullshit and the awfulness of the world outside their little family. But it wasn't until Quinn had shared her first kiss with the dancer that she had really, truly understood what Santana meant about magic…
It had been on a Sunday during the summer, not long after Quinn and Santana had become something more - Brittany had walked in on the two of them making out and hadn't batted an eyelid. So when Santana had had to run an errand for her mom, leaving the two blondes alone, Brittany had not even hesitated in cuddling up to Quinn when she sensed the shorter girl's anxiety. Brittany had been so gentle and so sweet to her, she hadn't forced her to talk or do anything, they had just contentedly laid in each other's arms and watched TV.
"Quinn?" Brittany had given her a soft squeeze to get her attention.
"Yeah, Britt?"
"Sometime, when you're ready, I'd really like to kiss you." The dancer had sounded so genuine.
Quinn had almost cracked her forehead on Brittany's jaw when she whipped her head round to look at the girl, eyebrow raised. "You… You would?"
"Mmhm." Brittany nodded, such a serious look on her face. "And I'd really, really like to kiss you the way Santana was kissing you earlier."
Quinn had blanched at that. "Why?" It had come out as a whimper, Quinn's eyes now locked on Brittany's lips as they stretched into a beaming smile.
"Why wouldn't I want to? You're beautiful, inside and out. And one of my best friends. I love you and I love San, and I want us to be a family." Brittany had shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like she hadn't just set something life changingly huge in motion for them all…
Quinn hadn't even been able to put her thoughts in order, never mind any actual out-loud words, so she had done the only thing she could think of to let Brittany know she wanted the exact same thing. She cupped Brittany's face in a shaking hand and kissed her tentatively. The moment she felt Brittany cup her own cheek and kiss her back with a smile Quinn's world became brighter, her body felt lighter, and she knew she could face anything the world had to throw at her as long as she got to kiss Brittany every day of her life. It was like kissing pure sunshine and rainbows and all the good things in the world. And Quinn never wanted it to end.
Even now, months and hundreds of kisses later, Quinn still felt her entire being start to drift away as she kissed the taller girl. So when Brittany's hands slipped under her t-shirt and she flattened her palms on her back to pull them closer, Quinn was grateful for the grounding because she didn't want to fly away somewhere that she couldn't do this anymore. Quinn wrapped her legs around the dancer's waist and moaned breathlessly into the kiss, Brittany's tongue in her mouth now.
"Thought I'd find you two here," Santana's voice came from the doorway where she was leaning, watching the blondes with a grin. "This is becoming a habit of yours, I see, Q. Should I ask the Berry's to clear out so we can live out whatever dirty fantasy you have in mind?"
Quinn flipped Santana off behind Brittany's back but did not break their kiss, holding the dancer to her even tighter. This only made Brittany giggle and kiss her harder, sucking Quinn's tongue into her own mouth, making them both moan quietly. Santana chuckled and moved next to them, placing a kiss on Brittany's shoulder and one on Quinn's neck before carefully jumping up onto the kitchen counter too. Both blondes immediately untangled a hand from each other and found Santana – Brittany's hand gripping her thigh while Quinn's found the hem of her shirt and slid under to splay out on her back. Santana hummed happily as she leant back against the cupboard, eyes closed, and lost her fingers in Quinn's hair, nails scratching lightly against the blonde's scalp in the way she knew Quinn liked. The shiver and groan she felt run through Quinn at the contact made Santana grin and glow with pride. She loved that she could elicit such a response from her girlfriend with just a touch.
When Santana opened her eyes again, the clock on the wall caught her eye and she sighed. 2am. They should really go home. And eat. And she really needed to take her meds. She kissed her girlfriends again, leaving them to it, and hopped off the counter, heading back into the living room to collect their things. Rachel was still curled up on the couch where Santana had laid her a little while ago, with a kiss to the forehead and a blanket over her. The Latina stood for a moment, just watching the diva, her face softening as the girl murmured something in her sleep and yanked the blanket up to cover half of her face.
God, she was fucking smitten. But she genuinely couldn't find it in herself to give a fuck. The diva did things to her – not only to her body but to her head and heart too. And Santana would be a fucking fool and regret it forever if she didn't see this thing they had started through. No matter the outcome, she just wanted Rachel to be happy and safe.
With a heavy sigh, Santana grabbed their things and turned to leave. Her heart tugged towards the sleeping girl, her whole body ached to climb back on that couch and go back to sleep with the diva in her arms. But she was quite certain they had already over stayed their welcome and Rachel and her fathers needed some family time together. Plus she needed to go throw a bucket of cold water on her macking girlfriends and get them home before they got Santana riled up too.
"Come on, you two. Save that for when we get home," Santana dumped their stuff on the kitchen counter by Quinn and snaked an arm around Brittany, pulling her back flush against Santana's front. "We gotta go, Britt." The Latina breathed to the dancer, tongue darting out to trace along the outside of her ear.
It managed to distract Brittany into breaking her kiss with Quinn just long enough for Santana to tug the girls apart and snap them out of their haze of lust. Well, Brittany anyway.
"B-Britt?" Quinn panted, hands reaching for the dancer again.
"Come on, mi amors. Time to go home and go to bed," Santana helped Quinn off the counter and pressed a brief kiss to her lips as the blonde shook herself out of it finally.
"About fucking time, I'm starving!" Quinn grumbled, putting her jacket on and handing Brittany's to her as Santana double checked she had her car keys in her pocket.
"You're more than welcome to help yourself to anything in the fridge, Quinn."
The soft voice made the three freeze but sigh with relief when they realised it was Rachel and they hadn't woken her dads.
"Uh thanks, Rach, but we- we should probably take off." Quinn glanced awkwardly at her girlfriends, blushing as the diva's eyes didn't leave her face immediately.
"Oh."
All three girls felt their hearts sink at the pure sadness and disappointment distilled into that single word. It was like a fucking knife slipped between their ribs and straight into their still beating hearts, killing them where they stood. Quinn found herself taking a step towards the diva sub-consciously, as if she were magnetised to her all of a sudden. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her girlfriends both had the exact same reaction and it finally hit Quinn just how fucked they all were. She wasn't going to be able to fight this, there was no debating, no argument, no discussion to be had between the Unholy Trinity – they were already in this, all of them, and whether she knew it or not, Rachel held all the power here. Something that had Quinn on the very edge of panic, she needed to be in control as much as she could… but she did not go over that edge... A part of her somehow just knew that Rachel would not abuse that power, even when she did finally realise she held it.
Rachel was just like them – she was not the girl from the year before, she was fighting her own battle and just as lost and scared as they were. And the Unholy Trinity already knew the diva had a lot of love to give. They had seen it - it had been too much for Finn, and Puck, and Jesse; it had scared the boys and they had all left or avoided her or hurt her because of it. But it didn't scare the girls. Because they all loved just as intensely and completely as Rachel did, they needed and wanted things 'too much', they held on tightly and refused to let go. So no matter whether Rachel understood their family dynamic yet, whether she was okay enough to get close to someone again, whether she was far enough along in her personal journey… they would be there for her, waiting, until the day Rachel was ready.
"Y-Yeah, of course you do," Rachel shook herself, forcing a smile onto her face and pushing the panic that had been rising up her throat back down as best she could. "I didn't realise how late it is, I'm sorry. Y-You have lives and things to do… meds to take!" She gestured to Santana but couldn't seem to bring herself to meet the girl's eyes.
Silence hung about them, suffocating them, as Rachel stood there, eyes glued to the floor, her fingers knotting themselves together. The poorly constructed mask on the diva's face flickered, cracks slowly appearing the longer the three girls watched her.
"Rach…" Santana's voice came out tight and forlorn, her heart breaking right there in her tone.
Rachel blinked rapidly against the tears threatening to fall and turned her smile up another few thousand watts in a desperate attempt not to fall to pieces in front of the three wonderful girls, who had already done so much for her and whom needed to go and take care of themselves finally. "I'll see you all on Monday. Bright and early, okay?"
When no one responded, Rachel made herself turn and start out of the kitchen towards the front door so she could let them out. Each step felt like she were trapped in quick sand, her feet being dragged under faster than she could move them. It was only by sheer force of will that she managed to make it to the door and turned back to look at the girls trailing silently behind her – each with such pained and conflicted expressions on their faces. Rachel fumbled for the front door keys where they hung on the hook, her fingers didn't seem to be working as she almost dropped them trying to fit them in the lock. She blushed at her clumsiness, aware of the three pairs of eyes watching her every move. She finally got the door unlocked and just as her hand gripped the handle, a soft voice behind her spoke up.
"Do you want us to leave, Rach?" Brittany took a step towards the diva's suddenly tense frame. "If you do, we'll go. We understand that you and your dads need some peace and privacy. But if you don't…"
Rachel turned to look at the dancer, her rich chocolate eyes watery with hopeful tears. "If I don't?"
Brittany smiled gently and closed the gap between them, her hands moving to cup the diva's face. "If you don't, just say the word and we'll stay. You just have to be honest and tell us what you want, Rach. That's all you ever need to do with us. Just be honest."
Rachel's hands wrapped themselves around the tall blonde's biceps, holding tight as if she thought Brittany might vanish. Her blue eyes were so sincere, so open and full of genuine affection that Rachel couldn't help herself as she raised herself up on her tiptoes and finally got her kiss. It was the sweetest kiss the diva had ever had. It barely lasted two seconds but she felt as if she had just eaten an entire bar of her favourite vegan chocolate. When she went to pull away, Brittany went with her and kissed her back, brushing her mouth so lightly against Rachel's own, once, twice, three times, that goose bumps appeared on both of them.
The diva pushed up into Brittany and claimed her lips properly, kissing her harder as the dancer held her close. "Stay," Rachel mumbled. "Please stay. I couldn't bear to lose you just yet."
Brittany pulled away, a little breathless. "You won't lose us, Rach. We're here for you." She wrapped the tearful girl up in her arms and dropped a kiss into her hair. She felt Rachel nod as she buried her face in Brittany's chest.
With a full heart and a stuttery sigh of relief, Brittany reached behind Rachel and locked the front door again.
"Well, well, well!" Hiram stood in the doorway to the kitchen, his arms folded across his chest as he observed the scene before him. "What's going on here then?"
The four girls were sat on the kitchen island - Santana and Quinn cross legged facing each other, a plastic tupperware container balanced between them as they ate from it, Brittany and Rachel sat beside them, mirroring them, as they ate from their own container. They had been chatting quietly as they dug in, the food still hot from the microwave. But upon the man's appearance everyone froze, forks midway to mouths or mid-chew.
"Umm hi, dad." Rachel gave an awkward wave of her fork, covering her mouth with her free hand as she finished swallowing her mouthful. "I'm sorry if we woke you, we were just-"
"Starving!" Quinn finished, shoving another forkful into her mouth before it could be taken from her.
"I thought I raised you better than this, Rachel." Hiram shook his head with a disappointed sigh.
The four girls stiffened as the man approached them to lean on the island beside them, his eyes focused in on his daughter.
"This is not how we treat our guests, is it? Eating leftovers out of Tupperware? With a fork? Sat in the kitchen? No, no, no!" Hiram slapped his hands on the counter. "It will never do! Rachel, the good china! LeRoy!" The smaller man spun as if he had known his grinning husband had been there the whole time. "Set the table! You three, go wash up for dinner please." Hiram shoo'd the Unholy Trinity off of the kitchen island and ushered them towards the stairs. "Dinner shall be served soon! This is our first meal together so we are going to do it right."
Hiram bustled about the kitchen, apron in place, as he reheated their earlier dinner and served it up on six plates. The Berry clan had the table set, drinks poured and plates set out before the girls returned. The Unholy Trinity, still speechless and a little apprehensive, allowed themselves to be seated around the table; Quinn and Brittany on one side, Santana next to Rachel on the other, and the Berry men headed up either end of the table. There was an awkward pause as everyone looked at each other.
"I apologise for how late this is, I can assure you we are usually much better hosts!" Hiram smiled, earning a nod of agreement from LeRoy. "But you all looked far too comfortable and content earlier so we did not want to wake you."
Santana and Quinn blushed heavily, averting their eyes from the men, at having been caught in such an intimate position, especially with their daughter in amongst it. Brittany just giggled and shared a beaming smile with Rachel, who was only mildly blushing. The men laughed.
"What my husband is trying to say is… dig in and enjoy!"
They did not have to be told twice so for a long while the room was filled with the sound of cutlery clinking, chewing and light conversation. Compliments were immediately given about Hiram's cooking, especially from Brittany, but that was solely because Quinn had yet to take a breath in between bites otherwise she would have voiced her appreciation too. Hiram glowed with pride as the plates were cleaned and sighs of contentment permeated the air. He immediately got up and retrieved the rest of the leftovers from the kitchen and implored everyone to help themselves.
Santana looked about the table, a soft smile on her face, happiness radiating from her as she took it all in. Her girlfriends, well fed and smiling, chatting easily with the Berry men either side of them. Rachel more relaxed than the Latina had ever seen her, thousand watt smile lighting up the entire room as she joined in Quinn and LeRoy's conversation.
"So, Santana…" Hiram drew the Latina's attention to him, the kind smile on his face quietening her sudden fight-or-flight response at the man's tone. He had sounded horribly like her father for a moment, those words always being a pre-curser to an argument or him being disappointed in her once again.
Santana swallowed hard, sitting up a little straighter and forcing a tight smile onto her face. "What's up, Mr. Berry?"
A shadow of a frown flickered onto Hiram's face as he noted the sudden tension in the girl but he pushed it back. "Well I've had the good fortune to get to know the very lovely Quinn and Brittany here this last week but I feel like we've hardly had a chance to speak. I just wanted to get to know you a little, if that's alright?" The man watched her carefully, trying to get the right balance of fatherly concern and genuine interest about the girl.
Santana coughed awkwardly, her eyes flickering to Quinn across the table – who hadn't noticed anything – before nodding her consent to Hiram.
Hiram grinned. "I know you're in Glee Club with Rachel too, we heard you bring down the house with Valerie at Sectionals! Do you have a favourite song right now?"
Santana's chest puffed a little at the compliment. "Less of a favourite song but I'm still really into Paramore's Brand New Eyes album from last year. It's so different from their other stuff and I'm loving seeing them evolve and grow. Gives me hope, y'know?"
Hiram's mouth opened and closed for a few moments as Brittany beamed at her girlfriend. The dancer knew how much Santana despised talking about herself, especially with parental type people. She had also seen the panic in her eyes at Hiram's initial words and had known exactly what had gone through the Latina's mind but she had been so proud when Santana pushed through and opened up, even if it were only a little bit.
"I don't think I know Paramore," Hiram finally replied thoughtfully. "Perhaps you could introduce me to them sometime?"
"Sure thing, Mr. Berry. How about you? What's your favourite right now?" Santana asked, sitting back in her chair, a little more relaxed now.
"Ah now that is the question! I'm not quite as knowledgeable as my darling daughter, nor am I as musically forward as my fantastic husband, but I do have a soft spot for the classic rock!" Hiram grinned from ear to ear and set off listing his favourite rockers.
Santana couldn't help but mirror his smile and get a little infected by his enthusiasm, even divulging some of her own personal favourites in the category. To which Hiram got even more excited and their conversation spiralled from there. It wasn't until they somehow ended up on the subject of her family that Santana came crashing down and remembered who she was – pain, anger, selfishness, shitty family and all.
"Your family must be very proud of your incredible talent! Not to mention your big heart and ability to deal with dramatic divas!" Hiram winked at Santana as Rachel caught the tail end of the comment and turned to shoot him a good natured glare.
"Uh…" Santana cleared her throat. "I- uh- need some water. I'll be right back." She stood quickly, grabbing her glass and disappearing into the kitchen without another word.
The Berrys' watched her go with confusion, but did not miss the sad look of understanding that passed between Quinn and Brittany. Quinn made to stand but LeRoy was way ahead of her.
"We have dessert too, I'll go grab it."
Quinn hesitated, still half way out of her chair. But LeRoy was already gone so she just sank back down, hoping that the Latina was okay and could hold herself together just a little longer. If there was one thing that set Santana off, it was her parents. They had fucked her up no end and still continued to, and it didn't even seem like they gave a fuck, or really even knew they were doing it. Quinn sighed. At least her father was consciously an asshole and Quinn knew what his damage was. Santana's father was just cold and uncaring, her mother flighty and self-centred, for no obvious reason other than the fact that that's who they were.
Brittany's hand slipped onto Quinn's thigh and squeezed. The blondes exchanged a look, Brittany leaning over to give her girlfriend a chaste kiss. "Breathe, baby. She knows where we are if she needs us," the dancer muttered as she pressed another kiss to Quinn's cheek.
Quinn nodded stiffly, flashing Brittany a grateful smile, before going back to her food. Even so her anxiety rose and rose with every minute Santana and LeRoy did not return…
Santana stood at the Berry's kitchen sink, chugging a glass of water. When she was done, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and immediately refilled her glass. Downing the contents of the glass again, she went back for more. She had been hoping against hope that it would neutralize and push down the bile that had been steadily rising up her throat since the mention of her parents but it didn't seem to be doing anything.
A strangled sob ripped from her lips as she breathed in at the wrong time and choked on the water. She spat it out quickly, coughing as quietly as she could until she could breathe again. A soothing hand appeared on her back, patting gently whenever she coughed. After a time she managed to regain control over herself and turned to find it was not Quinn or Brittany as she had thought, but LeRoy stood behind her. He gave her a smile but it did nothing to negate the sadness in his eyes.
"Please forgive Hiram, he never meant to upset you with his comment."
Santana opened her mouth to deny everything but she just couldn't bring herself to lie to kind doctor. Instead she nodded and moved away from LeRoy to put her glass in the dishwasher, unable to meet his eyes again. She did not want to talk about her parents. Why could she not just have one day where they weren't fucking things up for her? Was that too much to ask for?
Thankfully LeRoy did not push. "May I take a look at your hand?"
Santana glanced down at her bandaged hand. She had almost forgotten about it amongst all the other pain going on in her body right then. She shrugged and crossed to him, holding it out. With a practiced ease LeRoy unwrapped the bandage and surveyed the damage. He tutted quietly to himself, the sound making Santana flinch – she knew disappointment when she heard it. Without a word, the doctor set about cleaning it again and re-dressing it.
"Whoever looked after you the first time did a good job."
"Quinn." Santana shrugged, a flutter of pride going through her at LeRoy complimenting her girlfriend.
LeRoy nodded. "Just keep it clean and dry, and change the dressing every day for the first week or so. I'll have a look at it again next weekend, okay? Just to ensure it's healing properly."
"Thank you, Doctor Berry," Santana mumbled. She took her hand back and turned to go. A firm hand on her arm stopped her.
"Santana, I…" LeRoy trailed off, swallowing hard as the Latina's conflicted gaze finally met his own. He did not know the girl well and he knew it had been an incredibly long week for her – evident from the deep tiredness etched into her face and the pain clouding her eyes. He also knew that she owed him nothing, that she had done more than enough already for the Berry family but still… he needed to know. And he knew Santana would be truthful with him, even if it hurt, even if it would make him angry or upset. She had promised only that morning, after all.
"You okay, Doc?"
The tall man had been staring at her like a deer in headlights for the past minute without saying a word, his hand still holding her in place. She had to resist the urge to pull away from him, fighting back the sickening déjà vu of all the times her father had grabbed her like this. LeRoy was nothing like that man.
Finally LeRoy seemed to snap out of it, clearing his throat awkwardly. He let go of her arm, muttering an apology as he did, before standing a little straighter, squaring his shoulders and holding her gaze with determination. "Santana, before anything goes any further and in light of everything that has happened today, I need to know what your intentions are towards my daughter."
AN: Sorry about the cliffhanger as per XD I'm starting work on chapter fourteen soon, so once that's done I'll post chapter thirteen for all you lovely folks! But maybe some awesome reviews would speed up the process? ;) or at the very least remind me to write instead of staring mindlessly at Netflix/Youtube!
Hopefully see you guys soon! Be kind to yourselves and keep on keeping on!
Peace out.
Maxx