Twice the Trouble
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Glee or any of it characters.
Chapter 14
They all said their goodbyes and thanked the judges and Mr. Schue and headed off to Breadsticks. Only Mercedes and Lauren chose not joining them. Lauren had to get home and Mercedes said she had things to do. Everyone else was now seated finishing their orders and settling in to conversation around them.
Royal sat next to Shelby with Quinn on his other side and Judy beside her. Heather sat next to Rachel talking to her and Santana. "So, you girls must tell me what other secrets my boy has been keeping from us since his move. I know you know everything Rachel."
Royal huffed and Rachel laughed. "There's nothing to really tell you Aunt Heather. He's pretty boring."
"I am not boring." He looked to Quinn with his best puppy pout. "Am I boring Quinn?"
She just tapped her chin in thought. "I don't know, not really unless you get to talking about how to fix motor cycles. Other than that I guess you're not too bad."
He gasped and everyone around them laughed. Shelby reached over him to high five Quinn. "Good job."
Heather just clapped excitedly. "I like this girl."
Royal just blushed and looked down. Quinn nudged his shoulder and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Even with your moments of boring shop talk you are pretty great to hang with."
He looked at her and beamed. "Thanks."
Judy leaned over Quinn and smiled at Royal. "Quinn has her own moments of boring, don't let her fool you and don't get her started on a Harry Potter debate."
Quinn slapped her playfully and glared. "Hey, that is not polite dinner conversation mother."
Royal just grinned. "I don't mind her brand of boring. I can talk all day about the merits of the original Dumbledore opposed to the second."
Shelby barked out in laughter, "Since when Tigger? You hated the movies because to quote you 'the books were far superior. The movies were just a poor imitation missing out on some of the most important parts of the story.' I recall you only watching them because Tink liked them so much."
Royal blushed and Quinn smiled delightedly looking to her own mother. "See, he gets it."
They all laughed again and Royal and Quinn shared a smile. Judy grinned watching them interact. "So, you guys will be singing that song for Sectionals? I don't think I've ever heard that song until Quinn was rehearsing it at home for the competition."
Quinn had just taken a drink so Royal answers. "Yes ma'am, the theme is music in movies. That song was in the movie 'Once' that has also been turned into an off Broadway Play that hopefully hits Broadway."
Heather sat forward to look down at him. "Oh, that's one of the things we were celebrating tonight. It was picked up and will be opening in March next year at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre."
"Oh Ma that's amazing," He turned to Quinn and beamed. "Ma was one of the writers that helped adapt the screenplay from a movie version to a play version."
Quinn leaned forward. "Congratulations Mrs. Berry. That is very impressive. Royal tells me that you and the other Mrs. Berry are working a new play too."
"You can call me Heather dear, and this is Shelby. Mrs. Berry gets confusing and yes we are working a new play. I've just recently finished act one and Shelby is working her magic on the musical score."
Rachel looked to Shelby. "Have you got anything finished yet."
Shelby shook her head. "Not yet Tink, I would have sent it to you if I had. I had just gotten started on it the other day when we got the news about 'Once'. Then your daddy called to let us know about the competition and here we are."
"How long are you guys staying Ma." Royal asked.
"We'll be here through the weekend but we have to leave again Monday morning to get back to work. We have a lot of work to do for the new play and the guy in charge wants to see some real progress by the end of the month."
Across the table Leroy has pulled Rachel and Santana into a discussion about their song choice. "I must say girls I really enjoyed the song you sang. It seemed rather fitting for you Rachel. I'm so happy to be seeing the real you on a constant basis these days. I hated seeing you so unhappy."
Rachel blushed looking down. "You know why I did that daddy."
He smiled and grabbed her hand for a moment. "I know baby, that's why I'm happy to see you again."
Next to him Hiram was catching up with Marisol. "I haven't seen much of you since Alejandro passed. Whose office are you working in now?"
She just smiled. "I'm not in an office right now. I'm working the ER at the hospital."
He just looked shocked. "You are not. Oh Mari you are wasted there. Margie is retiring next month and you must come and work for me. I need someone I trust to run my office and every candidate so far leaves me wanting to cry. Please say you'll come in and apply. I promise you the boss will approve and hire you on the spot. Margie loves you and I do have some pull in that office."
She laughed at his antics but shook her head. "Oh Hiram I don't know. I haven't worked an office in over a year. I wouldn't want to mess anything up for you. Ms. Margie would have my head."
He took her hand and smiled. "Just come by, fill out the paperwork and talk to Margie. Then you can put in your notice and come to the office for the last two weeks that Margie will be there and she can train you to the ways of my office. You'll be doing me such a favor not having to find a replacement that I can trust and I know you'd rather have the hours at the office and not the ER, those suck. Please Mari save my life."
She chuckled at his enthusiasm, remembering what Alejandro used to like about him so much. "I'll come in Monday and talk to Margie and we'll go from there?"
He just beamed. "Excellent, as long as it turns into you working for me it's wonderful. Thank you Mari."
"No, thank you. I'll be there Monday and we can discuss salary and everything else then and I'll let you know for sure."
He nodded happily and turned his attention to Rachel who called to him. Down the table all the other Gleeks and their families were talking and having a good time as well. Finn hadn't really wanted to come but Burt and his mom said that they were going and Kurt wanted to as well so he was kind of stuck. He just sat down at his end of the table and just watched everyone interact around him.
He watched as everyone at the other end of the table fawned over Royal and it made him sick. He hated that guy. When he caught Quinn calling both women next to them Mrs. Berry he figured out that not only was Rachel raise by gay people so was Royal. What really confused him the most was that they were all Berry. How did that even work?
Sitting for a few more minutes he just couldn't take his curiosity anymore and leaned forward. "So how is it that you are all Berry? I mean you have two dads Rach and Royal has two moms and if you are twins that's kind of sick isn't it?"
Everyone gasped at him and Royal stood. "If I was you Hudson I wouldn't insult my family. You have no idea what you are talking about so just drop it."
Finn just shrugged and continues anyway. "I'm just saying that it's weird that all of you have the same name. It just seems kind of insidious." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think that's the word." Burt finally came out of his shock and smacked him up side his head and Carol slapped his arm.
Royal growled but before he could say anymore Shelby put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back in his seat. "The nature of our family is quite frankly none of your business but I will spell it out for you so there is no confusion and you cannot spread lies that will have people looking down on my children."
She took a breath as Heather, Hiram and Leroy all moved to stand next to her. She pointed to Heather and Hiram. "Heather is my wife. Hiram is her twin brother. Leroy is my cousin and Hiram's husband. In order to have babies as close to our partners as possible we all decided that Hiram and I, through a doctor and insemination, would conceive what was to be their child. We were then going to have another for Heather and myself to raise later. Instead we got twins the first time out and decided since we each only wanted one child that we would each raise one of them. Rachel was born first and that was how we chose who got which one of them since Hiram and Leroy were to have the first child. So no, there is nothing incestuous about my children so back off young man."
Finn opened his mouth again and Burt smacked him in the head again then looked up to Shelby and the other parents. "I am so sorry. I don't know what has gotten in to him. That is actually a really cool story. It's nice that you had someone so close to your partners to help when you wanted to have a child." He looked to Kurt and smiled. "I kind of wish you had a sister now."
They all laughed as the tension is cut by Burt's genuine reaction to the story and everyone sat back down as Burt and Carol leaned in to speak to Finn harshly. Quinn rubbed Royal's back leaning into him. "Don't worry about him. That really is cool. I know you told me you had two moms but I really like how they got the two of you. It's kind of neat."
He leaned his head on hers and sighed. "Thanks, I always like hearing the whole story of how I, the accident, came to be with my moms. It's pretty awesome actually."
Shelby leaned over and kissed his temple. "You my love were never an accident. You were and always will be my special gift from god. You both are."
He just smiled and nodded kissing her cheek and squeezed his Ma's hand too. "I love you both." He tells them and they all settled back into conversation.
Rachel leaned over kissing Heather and rubbing Shelby's arm mouthing an 'I love you' to them as well then turned back to her own conversation.
Santana just watched it all in awe. "That is pretty amazing Rae." She leaned into her and whispered for only her to hear. "I never thought of using my brother or the brother of my future partner to help with having a kid. That's really cool."
Rachel smiled with a nod. "It really is. Aunt Heather couldn't have a baby and dad had an accident when he was a child that made it where he couldn't have a child either so they decided to use Mama Shelby and Daddy for both couples. It's really great. Royal and I actually talked this summer and he told me that if I ever wanted to have a baby and use his sperm and my partner's egg that he would be ok with it but that if it was twins that I just had to deal with it."
They both laughed at that and Santana smiled. "That is really cool of him."
Food is brought out a short time later and they all eat shooting conversation all around. Rachel turned to Shelby who had asked her a question about sectionals and the theme and rules this year. "As Mr. Schuster has told us the theme is music in movies. What he didn't say is that not only is one of our songs required to be a duet or trio but two of them are and we also need a group number. There are no solos at the sectionals level this year."
Brittany's mom Whitney down the table spoke up next. "I wonder if he will figure out who came in second in the competition and use them as the second duet or trio."
Hiram shrugged at this. "We should ask. They all did so well, I'd be curious to see who was second."
The kids all shook their heads and Quinn sat forward. "I'll be shocked if the song we won with today is used. Usually our stuff is chosen a week or less before competition."
They all nodded at this and Royal sat forward. "I don't see Coach Sue letting that happen this year. I overheard them talking and she plans on being in the middle of everything this year. She said that all her top girls are in the club and she'd be damned if we didn't win Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals this year."
Rachel sat back and sighed. "Well I for one have no problem with her helping us as long as she reigns in her crazy and actually helps."
Things wind down once everyone finishes eating and eventually they all started heading home. The Berry's, the Fabray's and the Lopez's were the last to leave still talking as they walked out.
Rachel walked a little away from the others with Santana close to her. "This was nice, having dinner with our families. I also really liked you being here. I hate that you aren't able to come out with us when the study group gets together or we just hang out. I wish we could hang out more after school and on the weekends. I wouldn't mind Mateo hanging with us too if that's the only reason."
Santana smiled and nudged her shoulder. "A group of almost adult teens are not going to want my kid brother following us around everywhere Rae."
Rachel shrugged and looked down shyly. "I was talking about me San, not the whole group. I meant like you guys coming over on the weekends when your mom is working to hang out with me. I could care less if the others like it or not. You are turning into my best friend and I would like to spend more time with you. Besides, I really like Mateo. He's pretty cool for a little dude."
Santana looked into her eyes trying to determine whether she was serious or not. Seeing nothing but sincerity she nodded once. "Well, I can ask mom if she minds me taking him with me. I'm sure that as long as there's no alcohol and I promise to take care of him she won't mind. I just didn't want to irritate everyone by bringing the kid everywhere."
Rachel took her hand and pulled it to her chest. "If it means I get to spend more time with you then I don't care if you have to bring him every time."
Santana blushed lightly and turned to look as her mother called her over looking like she was trying to keep Mateo next to her and away from them for the moment then looked back to Rachel. "I'll talk to mom and let you know. I'd like to spend more time with you as well."
With that Rachel smiled and dropped their hands down beside her but didn't let go as she walked Santana to her mother. Once there she finally released her and leaned down to Mateo. "Have you had time to get your list done?"
Mateo nodded vigorously pulling a wadded up piece of paper out of his pocket. "Mami helped me spell some of the words."
Rachel took it and studied it seriously. She saw that he had put about ten songs down all from Disney movies and she nodded folding it back up and putting it in her back pocket. "This is a very doable list. I will do my best to prepare and be able to sing all of them but if not I do promise to sing at least 5 of them. How's that sound?"
Mateo launched himself into her arms and she hugged him close. "That is so awesome. Thank you Rachel."
"You're welcome buddy. If I don't see you before I'll see you next weekend for your party ok?"
He nodded again kissing her cheek and ran back to his mother's side. Rachel smiled at him and looked up to Maribel. "It was nice meeting you Mrs. Lopez. Thank you for allowing them to invite me to his party."
Maribel just waved her off. "Nonsense Rachel, you are welcome anytime and I wanted to thank you personally for helping Santi last night with her tire. Are you sure I can't pay you for the materials at least?"
Rachel shook her head. "No ma'am, I cannot take payment for something so small. I was happy to help. I just wanted to make sure they were safe."
After kissing her cheek Maribel ushered Mateo into the car and Rachel walked Santana to hers. "Have a nice night San and if you want I was planning on just hanging at the house tomorrow if you and Mateo would like to come and hang with me."
Santana nodded getting into her car. "I'll ask Mami and let you know. Good night Rae."
She waved her off and walked back over to Royal and their parents. When she got there she looked up at Hiram. "Thank you daddy, I heard you offering her that job."
Hiram waved her off. "Don't thank me. That woman is a wonderful nurse and I meant what I told her. She will be saving my life by taking over for Marge. I should be thanking you for telling me she was available. She will be a godsend to me. I just wish I had known sooner and I would have hired her then."
Rachel hugged him again anyway and they all headed to their cars to go home.
The next day Santana texted her that they were allowed to come over but they had to do their chores first and that she would text when they were on their way. Royal was off with Shelby and Heather this morning so Rachel decided to go out to her shop and work on her project bike until Santana text her again. She and Royal had been doing a lot of shopping at the motorcycle store in Columbus and on the internet and they now had almost all they needed to finish both bikes.
After putting on a tank, jeans and throwing on her coveralls she headed down to the shop. After deciding what she wanted to work on today she put her phone on the work bench and got started. As always once she got started she lost track of time and a few hours later when Santana texted that they were on their way over she didn't hear it vibrating on the bench over the radio she had turned on.
When they got there Hiram smiled figuring that Rachel got caught up out back and just sent Santana and Mateo back to her. Since the garage doors were wide open they had a perfect view of what she was doing long before they made it within earshot of the girl.
Santana was having trouble breathing. If Rachel decked out in leather on the back of a bike was sexy, her leaning over a bike fixing it with grease on her arms and face with her coveralls half on tied at her waist with only a tank top on her upper body was downright criminal. Santana whimpered at the sight. "Aye dios ayudad a mi corazon."
Mateo looked up at her strangely at the words and turned back to look at Rachel. "Hey Rachel, we're here."
Rachel looked up sharply and smiled walking over to turn off the radio and looked at her phone. "Hey guys. I'm sorry I didn't text back. I got to working and didn't hear it go off."
She looked at Santana sheepishly and she just smiled. "It's no problem Rae. What are you doing? That's not the bike you normally ride."
Rachel beamed. "Nope this is a 1940 Crocker. My other one and the one Royal drives are both 1946 Indians. That one over there is Royals project. It's a 1950 Harley."
Santana looked both bikes over pulling Mateo away from the tools. "These are so cool. I didn't know you fixed them yourself."
Rachel just shrugged. "Our Grandpa Berry taught us how to fix bikes when we were little. We actually helped him restore our Indians and he taught us to ride them and gave them to us on our fifteenth birthday. Daddy found this one in an old storage building he was tearing down and brought it home for me to restore. When Royal came to live with us daddy bought him the Harley to restore."
"Maybe one day you can give me a ride on the one you drive?" Santana asked as she looked around.
"Sure, anytime you want to. I even have a side car." She said eyeing Mateo not wanting to outright ask and upset him if he wasn't allowed.
"I'll ask Mami and maybe next time. For now what do you want to do today?"
Rachel looked down at herself and grinned sheepishly. "If it's ok with you I'll take you guys up to my room and let you watch a movie or something while I clean up real quick then we can discuss things to do."
Santana agreed and they locked up the shop and headed into the house. After getting them settled with her remote and explaining to Santana how to work the complicated system she ran to the bathroom and got cleaned up. Twenty minutes later she came back out dressed in clean jeans and a fresh tank sitting on the bed to put her shoes on.
Once she was done she leaned back on the bed next to Santana. "So, what do you guys want to do today? We can stay here and chill or we can go out and find something to do."
Santana shrugged. "I don't know it doesn't really matter. My plan for the day before you asked us over was just to laze around the house so I'm game for whatever you want to do."
Rachel smirked and leaned into her ear to ask her if the arcade was ok. "I didn't bring any money."
"That's ok; I invited you over and suggested it so it's on me. Come on it'll be fun." Rachel was bouncing in excitement and Santana found that she couldn't say no to the adorableness that was this girl.
"Ok fine but tomorrow you have to come hang at the house with us and let me cook you dinner to make up for it."
She thought for a moment then shrugged. "You don't have to make up for it but I will not turn down a home cooked meal either. That's a deal and if you're good I'll buy you both some really bad pizza at the parlor at the arcade."
They had been talking quietly with Mateo not paying attention to them until the words arcade and pizza were spoken. "Are we going to the arcade Rachel?"
Rachel looked at Santana who just nodded then back to him. "Yes we are so you need to put your shoes back on and turn the TV off."
He cheered and moved to do as she asked. The rest of the day was spent at the arcade and on the go cart track and as promised Rachel bought them all pizza and sodas at the parlor. After playing all the games they wanted, they moved out back to play putt-putt golf as well. They all had a wonderful time and Santana just couldn't believe how great Rachel really was once you really got to know her. The more time she spent with the girl the more she fell for her and the harder it was to keep those feelings to herself.
Rachel was having a similar problem. Santana was so much fun to be around and the more she got to know her the more time she wanted to spend with her.
As they played the holes Rachel laughed at both of them. They were terrible but Mateo was catching on faster than Santana was. By the 5th hole she was ready to quit and just watch them.
She smiled as Rachel leaned over Mateo helping him line up his shot. "You just have to aim it to hit the side of the wall to bounce off and go in the hole."
The ball went in and Mateo cheered. "That's easy."
Rachel smiled and turned to the other girl, "Your turn San."
Santana huffed and got set up to take her shot. She had been doing terribly and this shot was harder than any other the others. She took the shot and it didn't even come close to making it in the hole and Mateo laughed loudly as Rachel tried not to chuckle as she grabbed her ball and walked up to her. "This game is stupid Rae. I'm never going to get it."
She just smiled and set up the shot again and pulled Santana back over. "It's not stupid you just need to understand it better." She put Santana in front of her like she had Mateo and helped her line up the shot speaking softly in her ear. "You have to look at it from a geometric standpoint. Trajectory and angles like billiards on a larger scale. I know you said you could shoot billiards so think of the turns and corners as other balls and you have to shoot off of the sides to make the pocket or hole around those other balls."
Santana tried her hardest to listen and pay attention, she really did, but the way Rachel was pressed against her, totally wrapped around her was so distracting. She almost missed it when Rachel guided the shot and the ball went in the hole. Mateo cheered for her and Rachel continued to lean into her still speaking quietly into her ear. "See easy?"
Rachel kissed her cheek lightly and Santana shivered as she moved away. "Ok I'll try that on the next one." She said with a blush and Rachel just chuckled knowing exactly what she was doing as she moved away with Mateo grabbing their balls and heading to the next hole.
Santana growled lightly to herself, 'two could play that game' she thought and followed after them. At the next hole she blew the shot again and turned to Rachel asking if she could help her again. Rachel just handed her putter to Mateo and stepped into her again. "You need to not hold your body so ridged. Loosen up a little on your grip."
Rolling her hips back into Rachel and loosening up her stance she turned her head toward her with so little space between their faces it would take miniscule movement to be kissing the other girl. "Like this?"
Rachel bites back a groan and gulps as her eyes drift to Santana's lips. "Uh… yea… li… like that."
Santana smirks turning back around and making the shot again. This one was successful and she rubbed Rachel's arm as she pulled away with a wink. "Thanks Rae."
The rest of the holes went this way with them flirting back and forth and playing with Mateo. They were having a wonderful time and at the end of the day Rachel drove them back to her house. They stayed for dinner with the family then headed home for the night. The next day once her own chores were done, she headed over and spent the day at the Lopez house having fun just watching TV and chilling out with Santana and Mateo.
Maribel arrived home right around the time that Santana finished dinner so she was able to sit and talk to Rachel and get to know her better. They both hit it off nicely. Maribel really seemed to like Rachel and Rachel thought the older Lopez woman was pretty awesome. When dinner was through Santana walked Rachel out to her car.
Rachel turned to Santana as she stopped next to the driver's door. "Thank you for dinner San and for spending the weekend with me."
Santana smiled and hugged her. "I had a lot of fun. Thank you for inviting us over and taking us out yesterday."
Pulling back she kissed Santana lingeringly on the cheek. "Anytime San, anytime. I'll see you at school tomorrow."
Santana blushed prettily waving her off with a see you tomorrow and watched as she pulled out and drove off. Neither saw the curtains move next door or the person watching them.
A/N: Ok my lovelies, up next Mateo's birthday and more drama at school.