Friday evening rolls around and before Quinn knocks on the door she can hear arguing.

"She doesn't want me so why do I have to sit with her. It's all fake and I hate it. I thought she liked me and to find out I'm ruining her life, so why bother. She can just go back to America. I don't care."

"Sweetheart you do care and I need you to know it wasn't about you. Everything you heard was because she was angry with me. She has every right to be angry with me. I promise you it had nothing to do with you sweetie. She loves you I saw it the moment she saw you in the shop. I've caused this pain and I won't allow you to shut her out. She has no experience of being a mother to you so she will make mistakes but please trust me. Quinn is a truly wonderful mother. When Jamie was born, she loved him to the moon and back. She loves you too so just give her the chance I didn't."

"Mum she hates you."

"Yes, that may be true but I'm not who she needs to love. Our relationship ended years ago. This is about you two." Rachel says her voice shaking ever so slightly it was one thing knowing your marriage was over but saying it out loud was harder than she cared to admit.

"Is she going to take me away from you. Would she do that? she said." Quinn's swallows hearing the fear in her daughter's voice.

"I don't know baby. You know I never lie to you; I think she needs time to decide what she wants to do. This is my fault and I have to own that." Quinn listens to her daughter cry and she does something she never thought she would. She takes out her key and uses one that had been untouched for 14 years. As the door opens, she sees the two of them embraced and she frowns.

"Let's talk" she says interrupting them her voice is calmer than before and it reminds Rachel of the woman she fell in love with. Quinn stands back and looks at her daughter.

"I'll be just upstairs okay give her a chance she's your mum too." Rachel says softly wiping her daughters tears.

"I'd like you to stay actually I want us all to talk" Quinn adds much to their surprise.

"Okay" she says sitting them all in the front room.

"Yesterday I acted horribly. My emotions over everything boiled over and I am so sorry you had to see that, Liza." She says using the name Eliza asked her to. "I can't quite get over the fact I've missed so much of your life. But I also can't let it ruin us now. My career will never be more important than you are however I do have a life in America one I enjoy. I have friends there and a family there."

"Do I have siblings or a stepparent?" Eliza asks and Quinn smiles and takes a seat.

"No, no I have a makeshift family. Not this kind."

"Oh."

"That being said your mum and I need to discuss a lot of things custody and rights. Our ways of working and our relationship. All of those things are going to be tough, and I would rather you aren't involved." Quinn decides to take Rachels approach honest and collected.

"You want a divorce; I know you two aren't going to magically get together."

"No, we aren't and it's not something to worry about because it's no change to you and either of our relationships."

"It will if you want me to move to America. I don't want to I won't. I'll hate you my friends and life are here." Eliza says her emotions boiling over a little, Rachel put her hand on her knee to calm her.

"Okay."

"Okay?" she Eliza asks.

"Okay I'll look into moving here." Quinn says.

"Really?"

"Yes, it will depend on a multitude of things, but I'll consider it." Rachel finally looks up at Quinn and breathes out it's a sigh of relief more than anything.

"We could summer in America" Eliza says and Rachel smiles at her daughter because she always wants to please people and she knows already that she loves Quinn. Their connection although only days old is growing every second.

"Looks like were making good progress already. I'll leave you two alone" Rachel says standing up.

"Can we talk after?" Quinn asks and Rachel nods.

"Of course, I'll be in my office." Rachel walks upstairs finally feeling some peace and just a little bit of hope that they can make this work.

2 hours later she hears the door open and Eliza strolls in. "I'm heading to Peyton's."

"Okay enjoy your evening. Bye love" she says kissing her cheek. She was proud her daughter spent more than an hour with Quinn it was progress for them both.

"Bye mum, bye Quinn. See you tomorrow." She watches Quinn stand in the doorway.

"May I?" She says as they hear the front door close.

"Of course," the tension is high, and the silence breaks them both they look at each other and both try to fill the silence.

"I"

"You"

"No, you go first" Rachel says. Praying this goes better than their last interaction but knowing that there is no way back for them anymore.

"I'm sorry for yesterday. It was out of line. I said some very cold and harsh things." Quinn admits slightly nervous and completely embarrassed as she thinks back.

"You did." Rachel agrees not willing to let Quinn completely off the hook.

"I didn't" Quinn begins but Rachel stops her.

"Don't please."

"What?"

"Don't say you didn't mean them. When you did. It's okay you can hate me. Let's just hide it from our daughter. To her can we please be united front?"

"Rachel, I didn't" Quinn starts but doesn't get to finish.

"It's fine Quinn. Please now what did you want to discuss this evening?"

"Mainly Eliza. What's the rules bedtime, house rules, how is she doing in school, any goals?"

"Not custody?" Rachel asks knowing the conversation is far from sorted. She was surprised Quinn wanted to talk about this.

"No, I'd rather we do that in a few weeks." Quinn was trying to not ruin the lull the calm between their interactions she remembered her mum and dad and how toxic it was until her mum left. She doesn't want that for Eliza.

"Why?"

"Because I am still processing, and I'd like to know her exact needs before we agree that."

"Okay. Her bedtime is 10 on a school night 11 on weekends. She gets allowance if she does her chores."

"What's her chores?"

"She has to sweep the floors once a week, take out the trash every day, there's no swearing in this house, she is not allowed to drink, smoke or do drugs obviously."

"Of course. Has she ever?"

"No not to my knowledge her friends are all good people, and her best friend is Peyton. Our neighbour over there." Rachel points to the house opposite them.

"Guy or girl?" Quinn asks a look of concern on her face.

"Why?"

"Because sleep overs with boys I have an issue with. Unless he is gay." Quinn says ironically considering.

"That's a bit stereotypical. What if she's gay and Peyton is a girl?"

"Is she?" Quinn asks surprised.

"I don't know she has never brought it up either way." Rachel answers rolling her eyes, she knew Quinn would be weird about her daughter and rules around relationships.

"You haven't had that chat?"

"No, I didn't birds and bees our daughter she knows sexuality is fluid and that I don't care either way. She also knows about safe sex." Rachel adds to ensure Quinn doesn't remind her of the importance. They had always spoken about how Jamie would be raised knowing and being informed early on.

"Okay, she isn't though, right?"

"Having sex, no I don't believe so Quinn, you want to have that chat, don't you?" Rachel states knowing the answer from the look on Quinn's face. She knows exactly how this will go and it's going to be painful.

"Absolutely. She isn't staying with Peyton if she's having sex. I also want to meet Peyton." Those were fighting words and she wouldn't win that one. Rachel does Quinn a favor and warns her.

"Be careful she would choose Peyton over me so…" Rachel looks at her conveying the importance of Peyton and Quinn backs down a bit.

"She would choose her over me got it. What else?" Quinn asks.

"She's great in school very smart. She hated history and drama but now she doesn't take them."

"What is her focus?"

"Medicine she has wanted to be a doctor since she was 7. But her coach wants her to play football professionally." Rachel admits, she wants her daughter to follow her passion but also knows football for women isn't very lucrative and athletes do have a short shelf life.

"She's that good?" Quinn asks beaming the pride is clear.

"Yeah, she is. But it's her love and not her career choice. That may change. Who knows she is still so young."

"I'd like to start a fund for her university do you have a savings account or"

"Yes, I do. I'll add your name as a joint account holder." Rachel notes it down and Quinn smiles. "What?" Rachel asks confused it's the first time she has seen Quinn smile at her since the evening when she first came around.

"Just you and lists some things don't change." Rachel smiles softly but stays reserved only answering Quinn's questions and careful not to overshare or get emotionally invested in the conversation. She had learnt from their last two interactions although Quinn could let her walls down for moments of time it was not something she wanted a relationship with Rachel of any kind.

"I should get back to work. I have a ton of papers but here" she says handing Quinn a file.

"What's" she looks down and see the words divorce papers. "Oh. You drafted them." Quinn says shocked and uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I figured it would be best if I outline what I see as mine and yours and then I put in some standard custody terms but erm we can talk through them with your lawyers." Rachel answers honestly.

"There was no rush. We don't have to." Quinn starts but Rachel shakes her head.

"It's been 14 years, it's time. You made it clear you wanted this I'm just speeding up the process for you." Rachel was not going to fight Quinn or argue she knew it was clear what Quinn wanted.

"For me. What about you?" Quinn says surprised by the way Rachel was approaching this. She was clearly putting the emphasis on Quinn wanting a divorce and not this being mutual.

"I didn't ask for a divorce. Anyway, I really need to get back to that pile. I'll see you tomorrow at the game. Oh, and Quinn."

"Yeah."

"The key, keep it for emergencies. But I don't want you walking into the house I know its half yours and that can be settled in the divorce I'm willing to pay it off to you but please don't use those it's only going to confuse things."

Quinn nods and walks out of the house. The papers thrown into her car boot and long forgotten for the evening. She knew she hurt Rachel but to see this side of her the lawyer emotionless and forensic was something she never had experienced. It was chilling and not how she thought her evening would end.