Chapter 21 - Confrontation/Ice Cream
A/N: Oh um what can I say? Umm writers block? Forgive me I'm trying to move this story along so just bare with me guys, thank you all for your wonderful reviews. You guys are all awesome :)
•••
Silence, that's what you could hear in the room; silence so thick and the tension in the air you can almost cut with a knife. No one talked the four people in the room just stared at one another, waiting in anticipation maybe someone will start talking but no one
Tired of the silence as well as tension around them, Jessie cleared his throat and the two Berries and his wife's attention went straight to him. He always did love the limelight. "Isn't this the part where y'all hug and cry and shit" he said with his broad smile.
Leroy glares hard at the imbecile that is his daughter's supposed husband before turning toward said daughter as his eyes shine with a questioning look 'really?'
"So how come you always used to tell me how you're confused as to who's your biological father when one is black" Jessie laughs looking toward Rachel, who darted her head slightly down.
"Boy don't you have some places to go?" Leroy seethes his temper getting the better of him. "Perhaps the garbage" he adds under his breath, he already didn't like Jessie as soon as he saw him.
"Umm Jessie why don't you go play chase or something so I can talk to my fathers" Rachel finally able to speak said.
Jessie looked between the three before rising up his hands in defence like "alright, cool. Whatever" and he left the room, the united fathers and daughter didn't speak until they heard the front door slam shut and Jessie left.
"Explain" Leroy starts immediately.
"Leroy" Hiram says glaring at his husband.
"No Hiram, I demand to know where she has been for the past five years, why did she leave that poor boy with their daughter or why she never ever bothered to contact us and now she's back and not alone with a husband? Husband Rachel" he was seething and Rachel understood why, he had the right to be.
"When I left here I went to New York, I stayed at a hotel with the money I had then I sold the apartment you guys brought for me because I knew you guys would come looking for me. I wasn't thinking properly then, I just- I was scared an-"
"And you think that poor boy wasn't? You practically left him to raise your child alone Rachel! He was scared too but guess what? He didn't disappear from the face of earth nor abandon his child!" Leroy roared interrupting Rachel's speech.
"Leroy please calm down" Hiram soothes gently trying to calm his angered husband, although Rachel did deserve an earful but not like this.
"I know! I know I messed up! But I want to fix this now I swear dad if I could turn back time to that night I would!" Rachel cries and Hiram almost hugged her while Leroy rolled his eyes in good measure.
"Fix this?" Leroy scoffs shaking his head "I wouldn't blame Quinten if he doesn't let you near that little girl" Leroy stated bitterly and Rachel whimpers at her dad's word.
Seeing how defeated and regretful his daughter looked Leroy calmed down even though Rachel deserved to feel those emotions she was still his baby girl and she was hurting.
"How did you even end up with that buffoon?" He questions "Married Rachel, married? A marriage that neither I nor your father approved of... I mean who even gave you away?" Leroy although more calm then he was, was still annoyed at the situation.
"Jessie and I weren't even meant to get married but after a pregnancy scare, we thought it best if we got married" she explained and Leroy rolled his eyes.
"Why are you back here of all places Rachel? What happened?" Hiram finally asked the question that's been running through his mind sine seeing Rachel at Isabella's party.
At hearing the question the brunette's eyes glister with tears, blurring her version "I" she choked on her sob.
At seeing the reaction on her daughter, Hiram moved from where she sat and sat down next to Rachel, smoothly ran his hand against her back trying to calm down her quiet sobs.
"Baby girl" he cooed looking up at Leroy for help "what happened?" He gently inquires.
"I can't sing daddy" the brunette whispers brokenly to her father's confusion.
"How do you mean baby, what do you mean you can't sing?" Hiram questions confusion fully laced in his voice.
"It was during my second semester when it happened, there was an audition for a small production of the remake of Annie and I got the part" she shudder taking a deep breath before continuing.
"We got into rehearsal and everything was perfect until the day of the production, I" she paused and her dads waited in anticipation "lost my voice, I couldn't sing and whenever I tried, I just couldn't so I had to be replaced and have a doctor check on me" she took a deep breath licking her dry lips.
"I was experiencing vocal cord hemorrhage, I did the necessary that was asked of me but still it didn't work. I had to get surgery and even if I did there was a chance I might not regain my singing voice and plus the surgery was highly experience so Jessie refused to pay for it" Rachel stayed with bitterness.
Even though Jessie did have the money at the time, he refused saying if Rachel gets the surgery and it doesn't work then his money will be going for waste she should just forget her dream of being on Broadway and focus on finding another career path. To say Rachel was broken hearted will be an understatement.
"Karma really is a bitch, I really shouldn't complain because I deserve it. I left my family to chase after a dream, I valued a dream more than my own family how stupid was I" She stated more than questioned and both Leroy and Hiram couldn't have agreed more.
"What you doing here; back in Lima of all places?" Leroy asks after not talking for a while.
"New York became harder for Jessie and I financially, we just couldn't afford it anymore since he got kicked out the production he was supposed to star in and basically every audition he went to refused him because well you've seen how he is yourself"
Jessie's attitude has always been a turn off to anyone even Rachel, she doesn't even know why she had agreed to date the boy after months of bugging her. She guessed she was trying to get over Quentin so she finally agreed to a date with Jessie. Biggest mistake of her life.
"Jessie chose Lima, he said it'll be easier" she shrugged.
"So you would have never come back if it wasn't for him?" Hiram questions with a look in his eyes.
"Of course I would daddy, my little girl is here and" she paused "Quinn" she adds afterward.
"Well you can forget about Quinten because I don't think that boy deserves you walking back into his life again after what you put him through" Rachel looked down at her dad's words knowing he was in fact right.
"I know" she whispers "I just want to get to know my little girl, and I want her to know me. I want to fix the mistake I did."
"Does Jessie know about Isabella or Quinn?" Hiram asks after a moment of silence and Rachel shook her head negatively and he sighed "he should" he said.
"I know Daddy I know" Rachel sighs.
"Now why don't we forget all of this sad saps and you tell us all there is about the city that is New York" Hiram said trying to lighten the mood and Rachel chuckles, even Leroy manages a chuckle, before diving into telling her father's all about New York. Well the good parts.
•••
"Hey Puck" Quinten sighs sitting himself on one of the bar stools as he watched his friend check off a few things on the list he held in his hand.
"S'up man" Puck asks putting aside his list "drink?" He asks knowingly at the distraught look on the blonde's face.
Quinn nods glad for how well his friend knew him. Puck pulled him a cold beer before placing it in front of Quinten, even though the club wasn't due to open until a few hours.
"So what's up? Talk to the Puckster" even though they in their early twenties Puck still somehow acts like his younger self "girl trouble?"
"Try girls, I mean the whole thing with Rach and then there's Jen. Man I'm stressed" the blonde haired man groans as his friend chuckles at him.
"You know I thought marriage life would be stressful but looking at you now? I'm so glad I got married" Puck stated with a grin.
"Can we all just go back to high school again?" Quinn asks hopefully.
"And miss out on this awesome job? Hell nah, I mean I own my own nightclub; I don't have teachers nagging me about homework and attendance. Life for me is awesome" Puck said with a smile on his face.
"Well lucky you" Quinten mumbles before taking a gulp of the rest of his beer.
"Oh come on man it's not so bad if you think about it. All Rachel wants is to be part of Izzy's life and despite you refusing you know deep down it's what's best for her. Every girl needs their mama, heck every boy needs they mama" he explained to his friend.
"What like you need your mama?" Quinten smirks as Puck glares at him.
"Yes so shut up, my mama is awesome" Puck exclaimed and Quinn bust out in laughter "and you're one to talk mama's boy" now it was Puck's turn to smirk as Quinten's face fell, making Puck bust out in laughter.
"Okay fine, we both mama's boys" grumbles Quinn as Puck nods.
"I won't tell if you don't" he sticks out his hand and Quinn shook it to seal the deal "but seriously man, I know you're all stressing about it but you know deep down you know exactly what your decision is"
Quinn sighs at Puck's words, yes he was not yet 100% sure that he can trust Rachel to not run out of Bella's life again but he knew that sooner or later his daughter will need her mum and what's the worse could happen really? Rachel knew if she breaks her promise and runs again then that was it. No more chances with him, wait him? With Isabella not him.
"I guess you're right man" Quinn sighs as Puck just flashes him a smile.
•••
"Hey there" Jen says lighting tapping the wooden door.
Upon hearing the voice, Isabella turned away from her toys, a wide smile broke upon her face. "Jen!" the little girl exclaimed as she launches herself onto the older girl who catches her with ease.
"Whoa, someone's been eating they're veggies" the older brunette said with a laugh and Bella giggled.
"What you doing here?" She asks with big wide eyes.
"Well your daddy told me Mrs Murphy was babysitting you so I thought I would stop by and whisk you away and maybe we can go get say, ice cream?" She asks in a teasing voice to see how the little child was going to respond.
"I love ice cream!" Bella exclaimed, eyes wider than normal.
"You do? And say would your favourite flavour happen to be umm...chocolate?" Jen says in a playful manner, Bella gasps and Jen chuckles. Bells must be the cutest little girl she's ever laid eyes on.
"How did you know?" The small brunette asks amazed.
"Umm, lucky guess?" lies, she asked Quinten but the smile on Isabella's face was just to adorable "so how about we say bye to Mrs Murphy then go grab those ice creams?" Jen extends her hand out to Isabella who nods quickly taking the hand into her small one in excitement.
After saying goodbye to the middle aged woman, who had to call Quinten to confirm that he knew Jen and that he gave permission to take Bella had before she had agreed to let the small girl go with the older brunette.
Now both Jen and Isabella were sitting by the pond at the park, each with ice cream in hands as they watched the ducks swim about. Bella couldn't help but think of her Aunt Brittany who brought her here whenever she can to feed the ducks.
"How's your ice cream Bells" Jen asks after a few moments of observing her.
"It's fantastic, thank you Jenny" Bella replies flashing her small straight white teeth at the older girl.
Jen couldn't help but smile, when she was little her mum used to call her Jenny but as she got older she found the nickname to be annoying so she preferred it when people either call her Jen or Jennifer but when Bella says it with her adorable voice it was just the cutest thing ever that the brunette found she didn't mind at all.
"You're welcome sweetheart" she ruffles her bangs as Isabella whines, she still hates it when people mess with her hair she's like Uncle Kurt, he told her that hair was to precious therefore she shouldn't let people mess with it.
"Are you and my daddy going to break up?" The question was so out of nowhere that it took Jen by surprise.
"Umm n-no, why do you ask sweetie" although she was a bit worried at the question, she still tried her best to not show it.
"Because you weren't happy with him last night" the little girl shrugged before licking at her treat.
"Oh baby, you heard that?" Jen asks with a sigh, she should have known Isabella was going to hear that. "I'm sorry but I'm not mad at him anymore. We sort it out, I promise" she strokes the girl's brunette locks giving her a smile.
"Good, cause you make him happy and I don't want you two to break up, and I like you a lot" Jen was really touched at her word, this sweet little girl.
'Damn Rachel is so lucky to call herself your mum' Jen thought "I like you too Bells, very much!" she tapped at the girl's button nose like Quinn's.
"Of course you do, I'm adorable" joked the six years old and Jen couldn't help but laugh wholeheartedly because it was so accurate 'yes, yes you are'.
TBC
"Never Regret Something That Has Ever Made You Smile"
