Normally Rachel didn't allow herself to sleep in even on the weekends. 6:30 am was an average the time for Rachel's alarm to start hollering at the brunette to get up and hop on her elliptical. That was the normal occurrence but not this Saturday morning. No. See the night before Rachel had practically stayed up all night helping Santana finish her Government project and once she fell asleep around 3 or so in the morning Santana had snuck in to unplug the diva's alarm so she could sleep in. Now nearly noon Rachel still had her sateen duvet hugged to her chin dreaming away with a complacent smile on her face.
Her sister however was perched in her window to get a good look at the new neighbors moving in across the street. The loud grumbling and beeps of the moving van had awoken the Latina early that bright morning alerting her of the commotion going on a story below her room. Thus far all Santana had seen were movers in red overalls lugging heavy and expensive looking furniture into the enormous home. They might as well have been carrying in stacks of money on dollies by the looks of everything. Whoever these people were, they were loaded. And not Berry men loaded who weren't exactly poor. No, these people were like celebrity rich. Velvet couches, gun cabinets made of ivory and cured oak wood, a crystal chandelier, marble statues, along with other various items were just bits of the costly items going into that home. Watching it had peeked Santana's curiosity because since Santana had been adopted into the Berry family years, and years ago she had not once seen a family live in that home across the street. It alone was worth more than every house on the block with it's wrought iron gate, roman style pillars holding up the considerably sized veranda, the fountain in the spacious front yard being hugged by all different kinds of exotic plants, gold door knocker, and the 6 car garage. The brunette sisters had once snuck through the fence to have a picnic in the back yard near the marble tiled pool. Maybe a super star was moving in next door. That was the only idea that made sense to Santana seeing as no other person she could fathom who lives in Lima could afford a home like that.
Santana was just about to give up on her spying when a bundle of brown fur zipped out of the doorway of the new neighbors home to race across the street towards the Berry house. Following it in a panic was a stunning blond with the longest legs Santana had seen. Looking past the legs at her exquisite physique that was nicely on display thanks to the teen-she had to be around Santana's age-only being dressed in a sports bra and the shortest spandex gym shorts ever created. Thanks to her hair being tied up Santana got a nice look at her worried filled blue eyes and tightly drawn lips. She was gorgeous and just Santana's type. Well she would be if the Latina ever actually indulged on her lesbian tendencies. She still wasn't ready for that. She barely had come to terms with herself let alone try to get herself a girlfriend. The only other person who even knew about Santana's struggle with her sexuality was, of course, Rachel. Still something about this girl made the cells in Santana's body buzz with energy turning her into a jumpy, shaky mess. From above Santana looked on at the girl pacing at the Berry's gate, unsure about hoping the fence where her cat was trotting around in Hiram's flowers or going up to the front door to ask for permission to reclaim her pet. Santana decided to save her the trouble.
Her nimble fingers wedged between the frame and the glass to pull her window open enough for her thin, agile body to slip through onto the slanted roof. Once her feet touched the slatted roofing of the porch below it Santana scaled to the edge and jumped the couple of feet down. Simple enough task for her seeing as she had snuck out of her room like that for many years when she needed to just get away. The Berry men were understanding of it after Santana explained that she sometimes needed to go back to Lima Heights just to look around and see how far she had come. To think about what would have happened if Rachel had showed up that day. Her memories always led her feet back to the alleyway she called home and she would sit there to mull over her beginning. Plus her two years spent on the Cheerio's squad didn't hurt her ability to jump from so far up without injury. A dull thud echoed from under her sock covered feet when they landed on the lush grass below. Early morning dew that had been hugging each individual blade now soaked into the Latina's black ankle socks. Leroy would not be happy about the stains this would cause on the carpet in the entry way. She wasn't to worried, he was just a big ol' softy at heart especially when it came to her.
Without a word or a glance at the startled blonde Santana made her way over to the rather large tabby cat sniffing at Rachel's gardening gloves (pink with glittery gold stars on the backs-the Diva had demanded them when she saw them) lying near the lilies. The cat didn't seem to notice Santana's approach or didn't care enough to take notice of the way the Latina was advancing slowly in a crouch hoping not to spook it. It's only dismay was the quieted mewl it let out when Santana closed her tans hands around it's shoulders to heft it into her arms. God damn was it a fat cat. Turning swiftly Santana made her way back to the happy faced owner and plopped that cat into her arms.
Yeah Santana felt pretty badass. This should totally give her those good Sumerian points Hiram was always talking about.
"Lord Tubbington! Oh my gosh, no more field trips! You could have got shot!" The blonde girls pointed an accusing finger at her bored looking cat then smiled brilliantly when she picked her head up and reached out to place a soft hand on Santana's bicep, "Thank you. I'm Britney. Do you live here?"
After the initial shock of the light, warming touch still on Santana she cleared her throat to answer, "Yeah. Do you live over there?" Dumb question Santana, come on girl get it together! You've got way more game than this!
Undeterred by Santana's obvious distress over asking such a dumb question, Britney squealed in delight hopping around a bit much to Lord Tubbington's annoyance, "That's great! We can be friends! We just moved here from our last place cause my Daddy got a better job out here. Me and my sister Quinn and our Mama Judy and Daddy."
"Oh so there's four of you then?" The Latina peered over Brittney's shoulder at the massive house gleaming in the sunlight, "In that mansion?"
Britney was absentmindedly scratching her cats head between the ears, filling the air with a low gravely purr that reminded Santana of Hiram's truck when he started it up. All the attention the girl possessed seemed to be focused solely on her cat, specifically the front paw of the animal that the cat had protectively tucked against its chest. Sometimes Santana would begrudgingly watch Animal Planet with Rachel on the weekends while they nursed different flavored popsicles made from juice the Berry's made with, well, berries they grew in their own garden. Ever since Rachel had watched the Lion King she had been obsessed with wild animals, specially jungle cats. Their raw power and sheer dominance over their territory makes them of something of an idol to the little diva. Nothing bested them, nothing stopped them. No instead they ruled with their pure predatory adaptation that their prey couldn't escape if they tried. A lot of hours had been spent watching Lion's run wild in African planes, Jaguars dragging gazelles into trees to devour, panthers stalking silently in the shadows eyes gleaming, snow leopards expertly sprinting through the Himalayas with their specialized tails. All the while Rachel watched on, pink tongue darting out to lick at her frozen treat, eyes wide soaking in every informative detail each show had to offer. There was a particular show Santana recalled (because Rachel had cried) that a Bangle Tiger had injured itself, tucking its paw against its chest as it hopped around. Something about the way Lord Tubbington was holding himself that resembled the Tiger. Frowning deeply Santana reached out and, gently as she could, pulled the cats leg from its body to inspect it. Sure enough, a patch of fur was darker with a substance that could only be blood on it's somewhat mangled paw. The poor thing looked like it had been ran over.
A gasp reminded Santana of her company, picking her head up to see Britney in tears. Acting on impulse the Latina opened the Berry gate that Britney had her hip leaned against and ushered her up the path into the warm atmosphere of the Berry home. She was sure to get chewed out for allowing a stranger in but there was just something about Britney that Santana couldn't put her finger on that made her trust her. Inexplicably confusing, even to the Latina herself. Not to mention the complete utter distraught written all over the tall blonde's pensive features had twisted Santana's regrettably soft insides.
"Wait here. I'm going to go get someone who can help alright?" Softly spoken, gentle whispers Santana normally never used outside her exception of her sister came from her in that strained moment. The Latina was just simply not nice except to her family. She was a cold, calculating bitch whose fight swollen knuckles almost hit harder than her nasty insults. Almost. Wicked evil things came rolling off that tongue of hers. Words that wiggled in through thick ears, past hormone frenzied teenage brains at WMHS, straight down to their heart seizing it up in all different kinds of negative emotions. Insults happened to be Santana's specially but it also happened to be her plate armor separating her from the nasty homophobic, racist, undermining, hateful world out to get her and hers. Britney seemed to have some natural pardon to Santana's ruthless bitchness that made the Latina softer than chocolate in the sun.
"Don't go! I'm scared for Lord Tubbington!" Britney pleaded with wide, tear filled eyes effectively yanking at Santana's thin heart strings.
"I'll be very quick I promise. My Dad is a doctor. Not for animals but he may be able to help. I'm going to go get him. He's just upstairs. I'll be so fast you won't even know I was gone."
Britney sniffed looking adorably confused, "Are you, like, Flash or something? 'Cause it would be so cool if you were a superhero and that was your power." The Latina had no idea how to answer so just nodded before turned and sprinting up the stairs two steps at a time.
Hiram didn't usually work on the weekends so that he could spend time with his husband and his two daughters he loved with every fiber of his being. In fact Hiram had spent close to three hours in his bosses office fighting over getting the time off seeing as he was the finest surgeon in Lima. After much bickering though his boss had finally caved and Mr. Berry had come home glowing with his very signature smug smirk that, unfortunately, Rachel had inherited. Leroy wasn't so lucky, he usually always worked weekends with the exception of getting the occasional Sunday off. This weekend though Santana knew both her fathers were free all of Saturday and Sunday including Monday as well as Tuesday because it was Leroy's birthday Sunday and true to Berry fashion the party would last for days. Rachel and Santana liked to throw their fathers a separate party on the day of their birth then they would bid their fathers adue before bed and they would leave for two days to spend together. Neither girls asked what it was their fathers did nor where they went for fear of mental scarring that would last for life. Better left unknown for their sanity.
Needless to say, all those thoughts in place, Santana found herself quite surprised to find neither one of her respective parental figures in their room. The bed was neatly made as if no one had slept in it. All lights were off and the drapes were pulled shut over the windows. Confused Santana ticked off days on her mental calendar just to make sure that it was in fact Saturday and it was in fact her fathers birthday tomorrow and that she wasn't missing any vital information only to come up with all positives. Something was up. Maybe Rachel would know.
Turning to quickly in a hurry to get to Rachel's closed door Santana tripped over her own foot and came crashing down with a very loud thud closely followed by the clatter of a few pictures being knocked off the wall. None broke, thankfully. The only thing that was injured during the fall was a little rug burn on her chin and huge blow to her ever sensitive pride.
"Tana? Are you alright?" Santana looked up to see Rachel looming above her with a worried look decked out in her Barbra Streisand pajama bottoms and a black cami.
"Hey there Mini Me. I just thought I'd try body surfing on the carpet. Not working out as well as I thought it would."
Rachel chuckled quietly, her voice still thick with sleep giving it a low scratchy appeal that worked for her, "I would think not. Let's try to avoid it in the future for your health okay?" Chocolate eyes darted down to look at Santana's reddened chin that had little rivulets of blood pushing up through the wounded flesh. Always the worried Mamma Bear Rachel was. The smaller brunette helped her sister to her feet, carefully inspected the carpet burn as to be expected all the while Santana impatiently hopped from one foot to the other thoughts straying to the frantic blonde downstairs with her injured feline.
"Hold still! What's with you this morning? Have you been drinking Daddy's coffee again? You know how strong he makes it and how it affects you-"
"Rach where is Dad 1 and Dad 2? I need Papi's help."
The brunette blinked taken by momentary surprise, "Ah…they aren't in their room?" When Santana shook her head no Rachel's features scrunched up into further confusion.
"That is….strange. What…is that sound-is that a cat? And…who is singing?" Rachel turned her narrowed eyes at Santana who was distracted by Britney's soft voice wafting up the staircase, "Tana what is going on?"
"What?" Rachel huffed at Santana's not paying attention to her, promptly stomping her foot and folding her arms.
"Santana Maria Gabrielle Lopez! Pay attention to me! Who is down there!?"
"The new neighbor girl. Britney. Um something. I didn't catch her last name. Her cats foot got hurt and I was wondering where Papi was so he could help. But I can't find him and now your wasting my time."
"Okay first drop the attitude, who do you think your talking to right now? It's me. Second of all, why don't we go downstairs and you can keep her company while I look for our missing parents."
A small smile spread across Santana's face mostly because of Rachel's own attitude and her terrifying bed hair, "Sounds good."
The sisters walked beside one another down the stairs in silence though not because of discomfort just because Rachel was still half asleep and Santana's mind was completely consumed by the blonde waiting for her. With each step taken Britney's voice grew louder until they stood above her, watching her cradle her cat to her chest dragging her nimble fingers through his coat as she sang nursery rhymes to him. She was sitting criss cross on the floor directly in front of the door, waiting exactly where Santana had told her to. The voice falling from her lips wasn't exactly angelic or worthy of an Italian opera but it was sweet and thick like honey in it's raw innocence. Rachel was already thinking of ways she could train the girl to improve whereas Santana was just fighting not to smile like a dork because of how cute she was.
The song ended and Lord Tubbington mewled in protest which Britney seemed to sympathize with, shushing him with a kiss between the ears, "It's okay," She told him, stroking his fur continuously, "'Cause Santana's Daddy is going to make you feel all better. If you hadn't snuck off to smoke in the first place, this wouldn't have happened."
"Britney," Santana crouched to be at the girls height, "Why don't we go into the living room?"
Britney picked her eyes up, scanning Santana's face before lifting to look Rachel over. One of her thinned eyebrows rose in what looked to be either confusion or surprise neither sister were sure.
"Your not Santana's Daddy are you?" Rachel scoffed indignantly at the blonde's question.
"Don't be absurd! I'm Santana's sister. Rachel Berry. And you're a good singer but with my help-"
"Rach," Santana cut in, "Now's not really the time don't you think?"
"It is never 'not really the time' for singing Santana Lopez. I don't even know how you could say that!" With that Rachel stomped her foot loud enough to startle Lord Tubbington and stomped off towards the kitchen area.
"I think you made her mad." Britney stared in the direction that Rachel had just stormed off in, her face scrunched up like she was trying hard not to cry. Chuckling Santana helped Britney up and steered her towards the soft wine purple sofa in the next room over.
"She'll get over it. She always does," Santana dropped onto the couch beside the blonde, kicking her feet up onto the glass coffee table in front of it, "She has a flare for dramatics. But don't tell her a said that."
"I heard that!" Rachel disembodied voice shouted from the kitchen with more righteous indignation that before. Another chuckle tumbled out of Santana.
"No you didn't!" The Latina shouted back. There was a loud huff and some slamming of pots and pans before there was silence.
"You guys are funny." The smile on Britney's face was enough to light the entire room if it were dark. Something about it made a little shiver run through her. In turn the shiver made her scowl. She didn't appreciate run away emotions like that slipping from between her tight fingers.
"Well we've been called a lot but never funny. Thanks I guess."
There was an interruption of the sound of the front door opening and closing. The stomping of feet and the thud of boots and shoes being kicked off. The heavy steps of two grown men making there way into the living room. There stood Santana's fathers, both holding white paper bags with an insignia from a local restaurant printed on it.
Leroy was a whole head taller than Hiram, made up entirely of sinewy muscle that his shirt and track pants hugged closely. Dark eyes filled the utmost compassion and love matched his closely cut dark hair and soft coca colored skin. A wide smile that warmed Santana just seeing it was tilting at the corners of his mouth just a little due to his confusion at seeing one of his daughters and a mystery blonde sitting on his couch. Anyone who would see Leroy and just Leroy would assume he had once played football or perhaps been a kick boxer judging from his huge size but no one would guess that his favorite pastime was actually sewing quilts with his only slightly crazy diva of a daughter and fixing up old junk cars with his other older crazy daughter. Nor would they assume he was married to the shorter man standing in front of him.
Hiram wasn't nearly as bulky as his husband. Nothing but skin and bones but not in an unhealthy way the man just simply couldn't pack on muscle if he tried. And he had tried. So he had resolved to stick to his current state of being a small man. The little man's wire rimmed glasses sat on the edge of his only slightly larger than average nose which always led to irritate him. He would constantly have to push them back up. Behind those glasses warm cinnamon colored eyes wrinkled around the edges from laughing and smiling surveyed this strange scene. His light brown hair had been combed back to prevent the curls from taking over his whole head that morning. They had a mind of their own. He swore to it. Just like his husband Hiram didn't cherish quite anything as much as he did his children so much of his off time was spent with them. Rachel's plays, Santana's fighting competitions, Rachel's ballet, Santana's races. Family battles of different board games in the house and taking the girls to get their nails and/or hair done. Anything and everything for his children he loved to provide or share with them. Sometimes, rarely, he drew the line. Like when Santana asked if she could go skydiving to drop eggs on Finn Hudson's house and Rachel asked if they could fly to New York so Rachel could, as she put it, scope out the competition. Not that anyone would say it, but Hiram certainly acted the part of an overbearing loving worry wart of a mother. For the most part Leroy remained impassively centered in his daughters lived but he had his 'freak out' moments from time to time.
"Which one is your Daddy Santana?" Britney tilted her head, looking at both men as if they were a puzzle she just couldn't figure out.
"Ah." Santana gulped clearly uncomfortable with how this had turned out. She had wanted to ease Britney into the fact that she had two gay fathers seeing as most people would freak out and give her the whole homophobic speech that follows. Not saying Santana gave a shit about people like that because she didn't. But there was just something about Britney and she really didn't want to scare this girl off. A niggling part of her mind reminded her that if she was disgusted by her fathers lifestyle then she wasn't worth keeping around. And she agreed with that part to an extent. That didn't make it any less hard however.
Sensing their daughters distress the men shuffled awkwardly, looking at Santana as the Latina silently pondered the consciences of telling Brittney. True it was the Berry men's home and their not so much a secret that they were married, they both knew it was Santana's choice to let that not so much of a secret include this stranger. So they waited for Santana's decision.
A happy squeal from Britney interrupted all of their thoughts and drew every set of eyes in her direction. She was smiling from ear to ear, eyes gleaming with bright happiness.
"I get it!" She bounced in her seat as she spoke, causing Lord Tubbington to mewl lowly in annoyance at his owner, "They are both your Daddy!"
Both men and Santana stared at the blond like she had just said she was going to cook her cat for dinner. Jaws dropped, eyes wide, and breaths barely coming. At that moment Rachel walked into the room, a glass of green colored juice in her hand and a scowl that had been there before slowly melting off as she took in everyone's open shock and Britney's clear confusion at the shock.
"What's going on?"
"Ah," Santana floundered, caught off guard by Britney's insight, "Nothing. Yeah Brit. They are. This is my Dad Leroy and my Papi, Hiram. Dads, this is Britney."
"Britney Fabray." The blonde added helpfully.
Hiram glanced over his shoulder at his husband, raising an eyebrow as if to silently say he liked Britney then turned a bright welcoming smile towards the blond, "Hello Britney. It's nice to meet you. I don't recall ever seeing you around here before. Did you just move here?" As Hiram spoke Leroy collected the bags containing the Berry's breakfast from his husband and made his way into the kitchen, leaving a good morning kiss atop Rachel's head as he passed.
Britney nodded enthusiastically, scratching her cat behind the ear, "Yes! We are neighbors!"
"Are we now?" Hiram gave his two daughters both questioning looks. Rachel just shrugged, clearly as much in the dark as her father was, and went to sit beside Santana. His other daughter, his troublemaker more like, also shrugged but for a different reason.
"Yup. Can you fix Lord Tubbington's foot?"
"Well," Hiram smiled warmly, pushing his glasses up his nose before he took a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of the blonde, "that depends. Who is Lord Tubbington?"
Britney held out her cat who was purring loudly, still favoring his wounded foot. Gently the blonde set her cat on Hiram's lap and took his wrist between her fingers so she could guide his hand to rest atop Lord Tubbington's head.
"He hurt his foot when the box people were moving our stuff into our new house." The seasoned Father looked down at the purring animal in his lap, twisting his lips into a thoughtful frown.
"Well, I can't say I really know what I'm doing because I'm more used to working on humans but I could give it a go. I'm going to take him upstairs into my bathroom so we can wash his foot with a few things. Can you help me?"
Britney beamed at the prospect, "Yay! Lord Tubbington loves baths!"
The man smiled warmly and stood, smoothing out of the contours of his shirt.
"I'll come too." Santana added a little to eagerly, earning an odd look from her father, "I mean just to watch you know. It's not like I give a crap or anything."
Brittney tugged on Santana's shirt lightly, gathering the Latina's attention, "You don't care if Lord Tubbington feels better?"
"Oh. Of course I do I was just…" Santana looked from Brittney's stricken face to her fathers amused one, huffing at her predicament, "Whatever. Can we go?"
Chuckling all the way up the stairs, Hiram led Brittney towards his room with a sulking Latina trailing behind.
Rachel, meanwhile, was settled on the couch comfortably sipping at her kiwi juice as she watched her sister go. Her entire morning was turning out awkward and aggravating. First her alarm mysteriously didn't go off this morning messing up her entire morning schedule. By the time sunlight bathed her face and she blinked awake in surprise Rachel had lost enough time that she hadn't been able to put in her allotted hour of exercise nor her morning hygiene routine save brushing her teeth and washing her face. Then before she could even consider getting dressed a terrible noise had startled her enough to bump her dresser and make her cellphone fall off onto her bare foot. The terrible noise turned out to be Santana uncharacteristically being clumsy enough to trip over her own foot and injure herself. Immediate worry had put Rachel's misfortune so far this morning in the recesses of her thoughts and the forthcoming worries were cleaning up her sisters chin that Santana, hopping around and darting her eyes around like a nervous criminal, hadn't given her the chance to do. As if that was bad enough when she came downstairs into the kitchen she discovered her favorite pomegranate cranberry juice was all gone! She didn't even bother thinking about meeting a stranger in nothing but pajamas and morning hair. Ugh, what Brittney must think of her!
Scowling into her drink Rachel made to pick up the remote, hoping that there may be a few musical re-runs on TV to cheer up. Her fingertips barely brushed the plastic when the doorbell sounding startled her. Who could be visiting at this time in the morning?
"Rachel honey could you get that please?" Leroy hollered from the kitchen.
"Sure Daddy!" Rachel made sure to find a coaster to place her drink on before hopping from the couch and padding over to the door half her size. To short to actually look through the peep hole to see who it was Rachel just swung the door open, huge Broadway smile already in place just in case.
Standing on the Berry stoop was a thin athletic blond not more than a few inches taller than Rachel. A curtain of glossy blond hair fell around the girls soft face resting against her shoulders, her bangs braided and pinned back behind her ear. Hazel eyes stared down at her with no readably emotion, no smile on her lips and no body language to speak for her. It was like a five foot odd number of inches ice block in a pastel blue sun dress with standing in front of Rachel and not a pale, gorgeous blond.
"Hello I'm sorry to bother you." The girls voice was odd but not disturbing. In fact quite the contrary it hummed sweetly like the buzz of a bee and was just as delicious as the honey they made. The corners of the girls mouth lifted into a grudging smile, forced politeness.
"It's no bother. Can I help you?" Rachel looked behind the girls shoulder, expecting to see others with her assuming that the girl was perhaps a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness coming to spread the good word. However nothing stood behind her except the Berry's front yard. Who was this girl? Some kind of ice block pretty scary lady.
"I'm Quinn Fabray and my family just moved in across the street," Quinn gestured behind her at the mansion glinting in the sun, "and I was just wondering if perhaps you've seen my sister Brittney? I can't find her anywhere and think she may have wondered off. She does that sometimes." Again another forced smile nearly split Quinn's lips with how tight it was.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Quinn. You have a lovely name. I'm Rachel Berry." Rachel thrust her hand out for Quinn to shake but the blond just looked at it with furrowed brows until Rachel awkwardly pulled it back, clearing her throat as she continued on, "She came over this morning with her cat Lord something or other and my sister invited her inside so that our father could take a look at it. He injured his foot and my fathers a doctor. They are just upstairs if you'd like you can go up there as well? They may be nearly finished by now but I'm afraid I'm not apt on how much time is needed to tend to an injured feline."
Quinn's perfectly manicured brow twitched ever so slightly, her lips turned down into an almost grimace. Something clouded her eyes, not exactly worry or annoyance but it almost looked to Rachel like fear. What she had to fear of Rachel's home she didn't know. But as quickly as it was there it pasted and Quinn was smiling with a bit to much enthusiasm once again.
"She's inside?" Quinn's voice had dropped to almost a whisper, as if she were afraid someone might hear their conversation.
Confused, Rachel nodded, "Yes. Would you like to-"
"No. Tell Brittney to get out here." Quinn paused, realizing that the reason Rachel looked shocked was due to the steel in her tone, "Please." She added much more softly.
"Are you sure? It's no problem if you-"
"Yes. Please Rachel. We-" Quinn paused, sinking her perfect teeth into her plump bottom lip before casting a furtive glance over her shoulder towards her new home, "We need to finishing unpacking her room and my father wants it done quickly. I can't go in because, well, my Father hasn't met your parents yet and he's…he doesn't like us going into strangers homes. I'm sorry."
"Oh," Rachel furrowed her brows, wondering why Quinn seemed to go from polite to angry to almost pleading in the span of five minutes, "Alright then. I'll be quick. Wait here if you'd like." Quinn's small nod was Rachel's only reply so she turned and hurried back inside, leaving the door partially open for Quinn in case she changed her mind.
As she took the steps two at a time Rachel pondered Quinn. The girl was strange. Otherworldly beautiful but cold as ice and…and there seemed to be something else to her. Something Rachel couldn't quite put a name to or put a finger on. But there was definitely something else.
Rachel moved quickly through her parents room to the master bathroom, knocking quietly on the door. It had been cracked so the light raps was enough to push it open.
Inside Hiram had just finished wrapping Lord Tubbington's foot with gauze and was now petting the purring feline atop his furry head. Brittney was beaming from her seat on the side of the tub and Santana was smiling up at the girl from her place on the floor. Rachel took pause for just a second to observe the smitten look on her sisters face, making note to bring it up later when they were alone.
"Brittney?" The bubbly blond as well as the other three occupants of the room looked in Rachel's direction, each giving various different smiles.
"Hi Rachel! Did you come to check on Lord Tubbington? He's feeling much better now!"
"Um," Rachel tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, nervously rubbing the hem of her shirt between her forefinger and thumb, "I'm glad he's better Brittney but actually I came to tell you that your sister Quinn is downstairs on the porch and she says you need to hurry home. She said your Dad really wants you to get your room unpacked."
The smile melted from Brittney face, "Oh. Quinn is down there?"
Rachel furrowed her brows. What was it with these people? "Yes. She wouldn't come in so she's on the porch."
The color drained from Brittney's face, leaving her looking like a ghost of the girl she was before. Rounding the room with her previously bright blue eyes Brittney seemed to be trying to remember something or place her surrounding. Then, like a snap of the fingers, the girl jumped to her feet, scooped her cat into her arms, and brushed past Rachel to rush down stairs.
"Well," Hiram looked between his daughters, hoping to find some kind of answer there but found nothing but the same shocked stares left in the blondes wake, "That was…eventful."
"Wait!" Santana snapped her jaw shut, seemingly just now realizing Brittney had left. Scrambling to her feet Santana hurried to follow Brittney snagging Rachel's wrist on the way and dragging the surprised brunette after her.
They found the blond sisters on the porch, or rather, walking off the porch arm in arm. Both looked pale, paler than their already porcelain skin, and in a visible hurry to leave the Berry residence behind.
"Wait! Brittney wait!" The taller blonde took pause, halting both hers and Quinn's movement to turn and look at Santana on the porch, still gripping Rachel's wrist.
"Brit we need to go." Quinn's hazel eyes darted from her sister to the Latina to linger on Rachel a little to longer than the others then, scowling deeply, tugged her sisters arm. Brittney held still, waiting for Santana to go on.
"Want a ride to school on Monday?"
The taller blonde smiled sweetly but shook her head, "No that's okay Santana."
The Latina seemed to deflate, "Oh. Then…can I sit with you at lunch?"
Again Brittney shook her head, "No San."
Now Santana looked torn between wanting to cry or get angry, "Why not?"
"Because she's home schooled. We both are." Quinn all but growled, tugging at Brittney's arm more forcefully, "Brit please we are going to get in trouble!"
"Trouble? Why? For what?" Rachel finally stopped trying to pry Santana's tight grip from her slender wrist and tuned into the conversation. Warning signs were popping up left and right in Rachel's mind now, alarms blaring over the top of everything else. Something about he both of these girls and the way their demeanor would go from pleasant to frigid in a matter of seconds coupled with the way they were both terrified at the thought of each other being anywhere near the Berry house seemed odd. More than odd actually. But Rachel didn't couldn't place it. And now that they were talking about getting in trouble? There was definitely something going on.
"None of your business dwarf!" Quinn yelled more out of terror than anger. But only Rachel noticed. Santana took it for anger and immediately switched into the fiery pitbull who had found Rachel laying in the street all those years ago. The Latina dropped Rachel's wrist to move down the steps in front of Quinn, jabbing a tan finger into the blonde's chest.
"The fuck you just call her!? Bitch I knows you didn't just call her a dwarf! I knows you didn't or I would ends you. I would fucking ends you got that? And-"
"Lucy Quinn Fabray!" Both blonde's went ridged, their eyes grew impossibly wide with horror.
"Shit…" Brittney breathed out.
"I'm sorry…" Quinn whispered, looking over Santana's shoulder to Rachel.
Both girls simultaneously turned and ran-ran-from the Berry's yard across the street to where a tall, blond man with broad shoulders stood waiting on the porch. Sun glinted off a glass in his hand and his eyes, even from a distance, held malice directed at the brunette sisters staring with gape jaws at the three blonde's across their road. The large man finally turned his eyes from them to his daughters then, without a word, turned so they could slink past him into the house. He stood there for a moment longer to send one last look Rachel and Santana's way, toss back the rest of his drink and head inside. The slamming of the door reached their ears even from that distance.
"What…" Rachel started, thinking of the pleading look Quinn and Brittney had sent Rachel's way before they fled.
"…the hell?" Santana finished, wondering why the hell that man had been glaring at her.
Sorry it took me so long to update. I couldn't find motivation between being sick, having enough work to drown in, and taking care of my sibling. You can complain in a review if you'd like. Until next time.