Author's Note: Hey, everyone! I've been holding back for a while now because I really didn't want to do that, but it's been bothering me a lot. I've finished writing this fic a couple months ago and I'm now working on editing it and correcting things and posting it here. So you see, it's not like I need feedback to inspire me to work on it, because it's basically all done already. But still, I need your reviews. This isn't a happy-go-lucky story. It gets dark sometimes, it has controversial subjects and I need the reviews to show me you're all on board with where this story is going. I hate complaining, but it makes me nervous to see that while the readers grow with every new chapter I post, the reviews are coming less and less frequently. It has honestly made me consider if I should continue posting. I don't mind if your reviews are just complains because then at least I get to know where I'm doing you guys wrong. Reviewing doesn't take a shred of the time I take writing and editing. I hope you all understand and help me out with this! :)

Rose Hill, 1780

Quinn had been buried in her office with Lewis all day and had already missed lunch. Days like those were becoming more and more frequent, and Rachel worried about Quinn. She was often stressed and exhausted when she came out, and she never talked to Rachel about business, like she used to before. When it was past dinner time and Quinn hadn't yet come out, Rachel decided to take something for Quinn and Lewis to eat.

Abbie prepared the food, and although Lou Lee had been the responsible for that kind of chore lately, Rachel decided to bring the tray herself. She supported the tray between the door and her belly carefully and reached out to knock on the door. In the seconds before she could do so, she was close enough to overhear the conversation that went on inside - and it made her swallow hard.

"They're just slaves, Quinn," Lewis said.

"I know," Quinn replied.

Rachel felt something on the pit of her stomach, but the second the knock on the door was heard, the conversation happening inside stopped.

"Who is it?" Quinn asked.

"It's Rachel," she said with a quivering voice. She regretted coming there, but at that moment her curiosity was spiked and she just had to know what they were talking about. "I've brought you some tea and biscuits."

"Come on in," Quinn said, and Rachel did so.

Quinn pointed to a small table on the corner, but never met Rachel's eyes. Her silence also bothered Rachel. The air in that room felt heavy and although Rachel felt uncomfortable there, she took her time organizing the plates and teacups on the table to see if they would start talking again and she would have a clue of what was going on.

"You may leave now," Quinn said. Rachel felt the air becoming even heavier. It had been a long time since Quinn had last treated her so coldly. It had been a long time since she did something for Quinn and didn't receive a thank you in return. She knew Quinn must have been stressed about the full day of work, but Rachel knew it wasn't just that. She had a bad feeling that just wouldn't go away, and she was rarely wrong about it.

"I'm gonna feed the fire first-" Rachel tried to say, but Quinn cut her short.

"The fire is satisfactory. Leave us," Quinn said firmly.

Rachel turned around quickly with her mouth hanging slightly open in shock, but Quinn avoided her eyes on purpose. Rachel had no idea what had been happening in that room all day, but she hated what it had done to Quinn. She left the room quickly, trying to hold back the tears that prickled in her eyes. She tried to make up excuses for herself, saying it was just the pregnancy making her too sensitive. But deep down, she knew better.

"Hey," Quinn said late at night, when she walked inside the room. Rachel was so tired and Quinn's voice sounded so soft, that she almost gave up on everything and let herself melt inside Quinn's arms. But she couldn't. She needed to stand up for herself. She wouldn't let Quinn treat her like that, not after everything and especially not now that she owned the farm and had no excuses of being pressured by other people, like before. "I've missed you," Quinn whispered near her ear, as Rachel pulled back the covers from the bed for Quinn to lay down.

"Did you?" Rachel said with an ironic scoff. "It sure didn't seem so," she groaned under her breath. Quinn must have felt her tension, because she took a step back immediately. Rachel thanked quietly, because only she knew how hard it was to control herself with Quinn so close behind her back.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asked, and Rachel scoffed again. It couldn't be that Quinn hadn't realized the way she had treated Rachel before. Rachel simply couldn't let it slip away by justifying to herself that it hadn't been on purpose. She couldn't let Quinn get away with it by just pretending anything happened. She had done that enough in the past.

"Please, Quinn," Rachel said with a shake of her head, fluffing up the pillows with a little more strength then it was necessary. Quinn stepped around her and sat on Rachel's side of the bed. Not that Rachel even intended to sleep there that night.

"Come on, Rach," Quinn whispered, trying to grab Rachel's hand. Rachel winced it back. Quinn looked genuinely hurt by her reaction and Rachel wanted to shoot her own heart for having so many controversial feelings. "Don't do that to me," she said, looking down to her hands.

"Don't do that you? Are you really serious, Quinn?" Rachel asked with an incredulous chuckle, shaking her head as she walked towards the dressing room - but Quinn grabbed her by the arm to stop her. It wasn't a strong grip and it didn't hurt her, but she hated it. It only reminded her of how ultimately, her will didn't mean anything as long as she was a slave.

"Talk to me," Quinn said, placing one hand gently on Rachel's shoulder. Rachel sighed. She didn't want to discuss. She just wanted the whole afternoon to never have happened. She only wanted Russell to come back alive so that Quinn wouldn't have to work so much anymore. So that she could have her Quinn back. "I don't want you to be mad. I need you to tell me how you're feeling, what you're thinking."

"Fine," Rachel spat, walking away from her and sitting down by the fire. Her belly felt heavier than ever and the small tugs at the pit of her stomach didn't seem to go away. "Why did you treat me like that when I walked into your office today? Why did you stop taking when I was there? Why were you so eager for me to leave? Why do you never talk about business with me anymore? What are you hiding from me?" She hated to feel like she was rambling, but once the first question came out of her mouth the other ones just slipped away.

"I'm sorry," Quinn whispered, and Rachel didn't know why, but she didn't quite believe it this time. "I was just nervous, Lewis was pressuring me into making a big decision. We're gonna have to change the way the whole farm works, because apparently we won't be able to produce sugar anymore. I just didn't want to worry you about all our problems, you know, since you're pregnant and everything." But Rachel shook her head. "What?" Quinn asked, looking surprised that Rachel hadn't simply bought her words.

"Something doesn't feel right," Rachel said with a small shrug. Quinn sighed and looked up to the ceiling. "You're lying to me, which is probably why you can't even look me in the eyes as you say so."

"Why can't you trust me?" Quinn asked, taking a step forward. Rachel rose to her feet and took a step back, but the tug in her stomach felt stronger and she had to hold herself onto the chair to make sure her body wouldn't curve forward to suppress the dull pain.

"Why am I still a slave, Quinn?" she asked. Quinn was drained of all color. It was the one reason that still made Rachel doubt Quinn. Quinn had changed absurdly, and proved it to Rachel everyday - but still. She wouldn't give Rachel what she wanted the most. "Your father isn't around anymore. There's no one to judge you or stop you from giving me my freedom."

Quinn stood still with the most terrified look, but didn't say a word. Rachel sucked her lips in, to avoid them from quivering and showing Quinn how hard she was trying to stop herself from crying, and nodded. Quinn still didn't say anything. Rachel took another step towards the dressing room, and heard the biggest splash sound as she felt water running down her legs. Her heart stopped.

"Oh my God, your water broke!" Quinn squealed, running towards Rachel and grabbing her both arms to give her support. Rachel's eyes were wide open and shock, but she was paralyzed. All of their discussion vanished away from her mind and she gripped tightly onto Quinn's arms. Their baby was coming. "What do I do?" Quinn asked. Rachel felt Quinn's body shaking, and it only made her more nervous. She had no idea what to do either.

"Go call Abbie and Dorea! They'll know what to do," Rachel said, twisting her face in pain. Suddenly she understood what the tugs in her stomach were all about, and felt the dumbest for not realizing it sooner. Quinn pulled her arms free from Rachel's grip and ran out of the door in a blink, leaving Rachel there alone. Rachel took a step back and sat back down on the chair by the fire. Her gown was soaked, but she was paralyzed by fear. She couldn't move. She could barely process her own thoughts inside her head.

Their baby was coming.

"Abbigail!" Quinn yelled as she rushed in the kitchen house breathless. "Rachel's water broke! We need your help!"

"Oh dear Lord, that's wonderful!" Abbie dropped the pan she had been washing, spilling water all over the floor - but they were all too excited to care. She quickly cleaned her hands on her apron and took it off, hanging it on a chair nearby. "Where is she?" she asked.

"Upstairs in my room," Quinn answered, her feet tapping on the ground anxiously. "Lou Lee, can you ask your mother to come too? Rachel asked for her. And please, tell Hank to run to Basseterre right now and fetch George!" she said. Lou Lee nodded vigorously, with the biggest smile hanging on her face.

"Alright, let's go then!" Abbie said with a grin, holding the door opened for Quinn to walk by. "Lou, ask Dorea to bring everything we need. She will know what to bring."

Lou Lee nodded again and ran out of the kitchen house. Abbie and Quinn followed shortly behind and were back in the room in a matter of seconds. Quinn felt sweat dripping down her back and didn't know if it was due to all the running or out of anxiety. They opened the door to find Rachel curling up on the small chair by the fire, groaning loudly and with her eyes shut tightly.

"She's having contractions already! That's great!" Abbie said. Quinn nodded. She had no idea what it meant, but it sure didn't look great. She rushed to Rachel's side and placed a hand on Rachel's shoulder, but it didn't seem to help at all. She didn't know what she could do. "Here, take this watch Quinn. We need to time her contractions." Quinn nodded again.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! This hurts too bad, Abbie!" Rachel whined when the contraction went away.

"It's alright dear, it's only pain and it's only temporary. Think of the beautiful baby you will have by the end of this, okay?" Abbie said, with the most soothing voice. Rachel nodded with a precious pout in her mouth. Quinn dropped a kiss at the top of her head, and Rachel turned to her with a small nervous smile. Quinn smiled back. She hated to see Rachel in pain. She would trade it to be in Rachel's place without a second thought if she could do so. But she couldn't, and Rachel was strong. She could do it. "Perhaps we should try to walk to the kitchen house, so that you can lay down if you want it."

"She can lay down here," Quinn said, darting to the bed. She started to pull the covers all the way off and threw them to the floor.

"Are you sure, miss Quinn? It can get quite messy," Abbie said. "Besides, it can be good for her to walk. It can make things go faster."

"No, I'm sure. She'll be more comfortable here," Quinn said, walking back to Rachel's side and giving her arm for support. "Can you walk to the bed?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yeah," Rachel said with a nod, getting up with Quinn's help. "It's not really hurting right now."

"That's how it goes. You'll have a flash of pain for a few seconds and then go without pain for a small interval. The shorter the intervals get, the closer we are to meeting this baby!" Abbie said, and Quinn nodded. She remembered hearing something like that in one of her science classes, but she never really paid attention to those. "We probably still have a long way to go, so you should try to get comfortable. It would be good to get some sleep on those intervals too, so that you have all the strength you need when the time really comes," Abbie suggested. Quinn laughed nervously. As if someone could sleep while all of that happened.

"Do you want more pillows? I can get you more pillows," Quinn said, making a little nest of pillows all around Rachel and sweeping her hair out of her forehead.

"I'm okay, I guess," Rachel whispered, leaning back on the pillows and sighing heavily.

"Do you need some water? Something to eat?" Quinn asked. Rachel shook her head and Abbie patted Quinn's shoulder, in an attempt to make her calmer so that Rachel could rest. "I wanna help," Quinn whined. "How can I help?"

"Right now there's not much we can do but wait," Abbie said. "You're already helping by tracking the time, remember?"

Quinn nodded and grabbed Rachel's hand tightly. Rachel smiled at her and dropped a kiss at their intertwined hands. Quinn should be the one supporting Rachel, not the other way around - but she didn't complain at all.

Not much time later, Dorea arrived carrying a tall pile of clean towels and a water bucket. Rachel went through contractions gripping tighter onto Quinn's hands, but the intervals were still fairly long. Rachel managed to get some rest in between contractions, but Quinn couldn't even blink while sitting by her side. When George arrived, a couple of hours later, things finally seemed to be progressing.

"Oh God, another one," Rachel said, closing her eyes tightly and breathing heavily.

"Four minutes!" Quinn yelled to Abbie.

"How is everything going?" George asked rhetorically, opening up his bag and placing a few tools in the small bed side table. Quinn greeted him quietly with her hand and he waved back. None of them talked until Rachel's contraction had passed.

"Thank you for coming," Rachel whispered breathless when it was gone.

"How are you feeling, dear?" George asked with a small nod.

"In pain," she groaned. Everyone but Quinn giggled. Everyone seemed so calm and Quinn had no idea how they did it. "How much longer will it take?" Rachel asked.

"We can't know for sure. It shouldn't take too much longer though. You'll know when it's time to start pushing," George said, sitting at the edge of the bed. Abbie took a step back, giving him space to work, but he protested. "Where are you going? I hope you're not thinking of leaving me alone here. I'm fairly sure you have way more experience with labors than I do," he said. Abbie smiled, flattered. Quinn smiled, proudly.

"Do you want to try changing positions Rachel? Maybe lie on your side, so I can apply some pressure on your back when the contraction comes. Some people say it helps," Abbie said. Her tone of voice was much lower since George arrived. She was shy around him, although he tried to let everyone in the room comfortable.

Rachel followed Abbie's instructions and actually seemed to endure the contractions better as Abbie pressed her hands against Rachel's back. Quinn even tried to learn how to do it, but when Rachel screamed in pain she quickly removed her hands and let Abbie get back to it. The noise must have woke up Judy, who opened the door with a heavy frown.

"What is going on in here?" she asked, looking around to realize even George was in the bedroom.

"Rachel is in labor," Quinn answered without even looking at her.

"On those sheets?!" she yelled, her mouth falling half-opened. "Quinn, those sheets cost a small fortune! Get her out of there this minute!"

"Oh, no, not right now, mother. I am not in the mood for you. Get out of here!" Quinn said with a scoff and a shake of her head. Her mother stood by the door in shock. "Go!" Quinn screamed and Judy shook her head with a huff before leaving and closing the door behind her.

"I feel like pushing," Rachel murmured, sitting up and leaning against the bed frame. Quinn's eyes went wide. Abbie pulled Rachel's gown up and placed a sheet on top of her legs. Dorea brought the towels, handing one of them to George and placing the bucket of water near the bed.

"Alright dear, let's go then. I'm gonna count to three, alright? One, two, three… Push! Now, dear! With all your strength!" said Abbie. Everyone in the room seemed frozen as Rachel leaned forward with her eyes closed tightly. She groaned loudly and Quinn bit her tongue nervously.

Rachel pushed a few more times, but nothing happened. Abbie dipped her hand on water and moistened Rachel to see if it would help.

"Rachel, you're not using all your strength. Stop holding back, come on. It's not the time for that. We know you can do it, come on!" Abbie said firmly. Quinn was about to stand up and defend Rachel, but she had no idea what was happening. Abbie knew better. She was glad Rachel interrupted her before she could say something in the spur of the moment.

"I can't, it hurts too bad! It burns!" Rachel cried out, and Quinn wiped a tear from her cheek with her thumb.

"George, come on!" said Quinn. "Don't you have anything in this bag of yours to help her with the pain?" He seemed hesitant. Quinn glared furiously at him, pushing him to answer.

"I have some chloroform. It's used sometimes to help with the pain during labor, but the side effects-"

"I don't care what the side effects are, just give me some of that!" Rachel whined, shaking her head.

"Rachel, you could pass out. You wouldn't see your baby being born!" he said.

"Give me it!" she said in a scream that startled Quinn. George looked over at Quinn to see if he got her permission, but she only shrugged. She wouldn't be the one to disagree with Rachel. Not at that moment, when she had no idea the amount of pain Rachel was going through.

"Alright," he said, wetting a towel with the smelly liquid. He walked over near Rachel and handed her the towel. "Breathe in this before you push, alright? But come on, make this fast now. All your strength, Rachel!" he urged, and Rachel nodded, burying her face in the towel before starting to groan loudly again.

"Yes, Rachel, just like that! Keep it going! It's crowning!" Abbie said with an excited squeal. "Oh Lord, it has so much hair! Come see it, miss Quinn!" she said. Quinn shook her head. She was indeed curious, but she couldn't leave Rachel's side. Rachel gripped her hand tighter, and inhaled deeply into the towel before pushing again. "The head is out! Come on, Rach! Take a deep breath and give me one more push! One more and your baby will be here!"

Rachel seemed to be in another dimension. Her eyes were closed and it was almost like her body worked on its own. Her loud scream died suddenly, being replaced with a soft, sweet cry that filled Quinn's heart. She would never in her life forget that sound. Abbie passed the baby onto Dorea's arms, and Dorea quickly wrapped it with a towel and gently rubbed the baby's face clean before bringing it close to Rachel.

"What is it?" Rachel asked in a whisper, with her eyes still closed. Quinn had the biggest, most foolish smile hanging on her face. She was in love - with both Rachel and the baby.

"It's a boy!" sang-song Abbie. Quinn's smile grew bigger.

"He's beautiful, Rachel," Quinn whispered. Rachel nodded, without opening her eyes, and breathed out heavily before staying still. Quinn looked around nervously, but no one seemed to share the feeling. "Rachel?" she asked, but Rachel didn't answer. "What is happening? Is it the medicine?"

"It can be. Or maybe she's just tired," George said with a small shrug. "She shouldn't be out for too long, let's give her a minute. Now let me meet this gorgeous boy," he said, walking to the other side of the bed, near Dorea.

"Would you like to hold him, miss Quinn?" Dorea asked.

"Me?" Quinn asked in startle. She wasn't sure she could. She was terrified of dropping him. Hurting him. He was too precious. But she nodded. She wanted. Dorea passed the baby onto her arms, and George stopped by her side to take a look at it. The baby stopped crying and squirming like magic. Like he recognized Quinn. "He looks adorable. Why is his face smashed like that?" she asked with a small giggle.

"Well, Rachel's belly isn't the most spacious housing. He was probably pressed against her. It should come back to normal in a couple days," George said, gently running the tip of a finger through the baby's hair. It was dark and straight, just like Rachel's.

Quinn tried to find more similarities between Rachel and the baby, but she couldn't. Aside from the hair, they looked completely different. Quinn had been afraid of that the whole pregnancy - that the baby would resemble its father and remind her everyday of what Rachel had gone through. But it didn't. The baby didn't look like Rachel, but it was okay. It was her baby, and she loved it from the very first cry. Quinn studied every single aspect of the tiny person in her arms. His little eyes closed in a straight line. His teeny tiny ears. His little tongue poking out now and then. He felt so soft in her arms. So vulnerable. She knew right then, she would give her life to protect him.

Rachel opened her eyes for a few seconds, murmuring she needed water. Abbie promptly gave her some, and she went back asleep again. Quinn was less nervous after she saw Rachel shifting in bed to lay more comfortably. It made sense that Rachel was tired after so many hours of pain. Quinn was tired herself - but it all seemed to go away now that she held the baby in her arms. George excused himself to go to sleep, and so did Abbie. Dorea offered to help Quinn put some clothes on the baby, and she accepted it promptly.

They walked in to the nursery. It hadn't been used since Quinn was born, but she had already made sure to get it cleaned up and filled with the baby's tiny clothes beforehand. Quinn picked a dark blue knit jumpsuit. Dorea showed her how to wrap the cloth diaper around the tiny legs. Quinn tried not to laugh about how ironic it was that the first penis she had ever seen belonged to her baby.

In a matter of minutes, the baby was all ready and wrapped up in a blanket. Quinn brushed his hair all to one side, making him look just like a tiny man. She grabbed him back in her arms and felt her whole body melting as he snuggled against her body. He blinked his eyes wide opened and moved his head from one side to the other, pushing his tongue outside. Quinn giggled.

"He needs to be fed, miss Quinn. He's looking for Rachel," Dorea said in a murmur. Quinn bit down her lip.

"Rachel is asleep," she stated the obvious.

"Do you want me to go fetch someone who can feed him?" Dorea asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't know if Rachel would be okay with that," Quinn pondered, looking down at the baby. He wasn't crying, but he sure wasn't happy and calm. Quinn didn't want to wake up Rachel, but she couldn't leave the baby to starve either. Dorea gave her the look that said the baby wouldn't wait, and Quinn sighed. "Alright. Do you think Lou Lee could do it? She had a baby recently. I think Rachel would feel better knowing it was her," Quinn shrugged. It felt like a big thing to ask someone.

"I'm sure she will be honored, miss Quinn," Dorea said, reaching out her arms to grab the baby. Quinn frowned. She wasn't ready to let go of him, but she knew there was no other option. "I'll bring him right back once he's done," Dorea said.

"Okay," Quinn said with a nod. "Don't take too long. I'm gonna be in my room, I'm going to check on Rachel," she said. Dorea nodded, and they went on their ways. Quinn's heart felt tight, letting Dorea go with the baby. Letting a slave go with her baby. She shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out of it. She knew she was being absurd and just reproducing the story she had heard her mother tell over and over. But it was different. She was different. She trusted Dorea. She trusted her slaves.

When Rachel woke up, it was already morning. Quinn sat by the fire with the baby in her arms, gently rocking him to sleep. He was finally calm and content, and Quinn just couldn't stop looking at him. She felt like her heart was ready to burst with love. She wondered how was it so that she could love so much a baby that, in theory, had nothing to do with her - while her mother couldn't love her, a baby she had carried.

"How long was I gone for?" Rachel asked, rubbing her eyes and bringing Quinn back from her thoughts. She reached her arms out and Quinn walked towards her, sitting by her side on the bed.

"A few hours," Quinn answered, handing the baby to Rachel's arms. Rachel smiled softly and Quinn watched it as she fell in love with her son. If Quinn had loved Rachel before, her love had more than doubled now. "It's alright though. I took care of this little man," Quinn said playfully, poking his flat nose. "Lou Lee fed him," she confessed. "I hope you don't mind. He was really hungry and you wouldn't wake up."

"It's okay," Rachel said in a whisper, leaning her head onto Quinn's shoulder and grabbing the baby's tiny hand in hers. "I was actually thinking of talking to you about that. I wanted to know if it would be okay for Lou Lee to feed him everyday, so that I could go back to work already. I really can't stand to do nothing any longer," she said.

"Yeah, of course. I mean, if Lou Lee is okay with it, I don't mind. It's your choice," Quinn said with a shrug. "But don't feel pressured. I wouldn't mind if you wanted to just take a little time to enjoy him. I certainly wish I could do the same," she said with a giggle, caressing his cheek. "Isn't he adorable?" she asked.

"He is," Rachel said with an adoring smile. "I'm glad you think so," she whispered to Quinn. Quinn turned her face slightly and kissed the top of Rachel's head. "Why does his face look so funny?" Rachel asked with a scrunched up nose. Quinn giggled again.

"George said it was probably because he was all smashed in your belly," said Quinn. "It should be better in a few days," she said. Rachel nodded and kissed his tiny hand.

"I can't believe he's mine," Rachel said. Quinn smiled. "I can't believe he's ours," she completed. Quinn smile grew. She nodded. She couldn't believe either.

"I'm so proud of you, Rachel. I love you so much," she whispered, nuzzling Rachel's hair. "You were unbelievably strong. Thank you so much, for letting me be a part of this. I love you. Both of you, with all my heart," she said. Rachel nodded with half-lidded eyes in ecstasy. Quinn was just sure that moment would be forever marked in her heart as the best day of her life.

"I love you too," Rachel replied, leaving one small kiss on Quinn's shoulder. "Thank you for being there for me. I couldn't have done it without you. You're everything to me, Quinn," she said with a small quiver in her voice, as if it hurt to admit. Quinn bit her lip. With everything happening so quick, and their night turning so fast, Quinn had almost forgotten everything that happened earlier in the evening.

"Hey, about what happened before-" she was about to apologize again, truthfully this time, but Rachel cut her short.

"Forget it," Rachel said, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter now. Everything is fine. I just need to ask you one thing, Quinn. Actually it's-" Rachel took a deep breath, trying to find the proper word. "It's more than ask. I beg you. Let him be free," she said.

Rachel didn't have to say one more word. Quinn hadn't thought of that before. In fact, she had forgotten that regardless of who the father was, the baby was born to be a slave simply because Rachel was a slave. But she could do that. She could set the baby free. Deep in her heart, she wanted to do the same for Rachel more than anything, but she was paralyzed with fear. Regardless of how many times Rachel confessed her love, Quinn just couldn't bear the thought of having Rachel deciding to go away. But the baby, it was different. He could be free. It was the biggest birthday gift Quinn could give him.

"I will," Quinn murmured with a nod. She looked down to see a tear gleaming in Rachel's eyes as she smiled, and Quinn leaned forward to kiss her softly - but it felt too weird to do so in front of the baby, and she quickly pulled away. "I promise you. I'll sign his papers first thing in the morning after I get some sleep. But first, I need to know the most important thing," she said. Rachel looked up to her with furrowed eyebrows. "What are you naming him?" Quinn asked. Rachel looked down again and sighed with a smile, leaning forward to kiss the baby's forehead.

"Oliver," Rachel said. Quinn grinned and wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulder, bringing her and the baby closer.

"Hey Ollie," Quinn whispered. "Welcome to our little family," she said almost inaudibly.

Because as hard as it was for her to believe, that's what they were.

Quinn, Rachel and Oliver.

A family.