Chapter 6

Quinn took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and imagined Rachel and herself in a wide field where everything was nice and happy, and nothing was reality. Nothing was dead or dying and nothing was miserable. Rachel and herself could hold each other's hands without the slightest fear of humiliation or abuse by peers or family. The world was a safe place that everyone wanted to live on and nobody ever had to leave. Quinn was smiling. Then she opened her eyes.

Then she frowned.

Then she realized she was just imagining the scene.

In reality, she was standing at the front door of Rachel Berry's house, her hand hanging limp at her side because Rachel was slightly nervous, which prevented her from thinking straight. When this happened, she couldn't realize the pain that Quinn was feeling from the lack of contact between her and her love.

"Can you hold my hand?" Quinn asked delicately, too weak to actually look at Rachel. Rachel looked down at her hand and then took Quinn's in it. She looked up at Quinn, who seemingly relaxed at the touch, but tensed up once more once footsteps were heard approaching the door.

The door swung inward, revealing a short man who appeared to be Jewish. He was smiling at his daughter, and then turned towards Quinn. Clearly this man was less sociable then other parents – everyone knew Quinn Fabray. Except him. He didn't seem to have any clue who she was.

For once in her life, Quinn was happy about this.

"Daddy, this is my girlfriend." Rachel stated; Quinn was amazed how easy it was for her to eliminate any signs of fear from her voice. "My girlfriend, Quinn."

Hiram's eyes lit up – not with excitement or even anger, but with simple recognition. Quinn could tell that he knew who she was. That she was the one who made Rachel's life miserable for so many years. He nodded and smiled, extending his right hand, allowing Quinn to use her left – and empty – hand to shake his.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Quinn." He said as he firmly shook her hand. She nodded, unable to form words. "I'm Hiram Berry. You can call me Hiram or Mr. Berry or whatever makes you comfortable." His warm smile was unfortunately unrecognized by Quinn.

Rachel stepped inside, gently guiding Quinn inside after her. Hiram allowed his eyes to show a bit of worry – Quinn clearly was very intimidated by him, despite his stature. He stood about the same height as Quinn. Still, this was taller than Rachel.

"Would you like something to drink, Quinn?" Hiram asked before Rachel could.

Quinn opened her mouth, but upon finding no words were leaving it, shut it and shook her head 'no'. Rachel stroked the back of Quinn's hand, trying to assist composure of her girlfriend. Quinn finally looked down at Rachel, who gave her a look of reassurance. He blond understood this and gave a brief smile. Her daddy was accepting, that meant that Quinn was officially safe. But this did not give her a calm state of mind. She wasn't like some girls…or guys…she didn't just want permission to date someone. She wanted his/her parents to like her. She may not want to spend every day with the family, but she certainly didn't want to be a complete stranger in the Berry household. And the only way she could manage this is if…Leroy? Is if Leroy gave consent or at least did not hold a grudge against her for the pain she has caused her daughter.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked, putting her other hand on Quinn's arm.

Quinn looked down at the brunette. Her eyebrows knitted together. "Am I sure what?"

"That you don't want something to drink?" Quinn could see visible concern on Rachel's beautiful face.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure. Thank you for offering though." She wasn't sure if she should be thanking Rachel or Hiram or both. She ended up glancing back and forth between the two when she thanked.

"How are you doing, Quinn?" Hiram asked as he shut the door.

"I'm okay." About ten seconds later Quinn realized she was being rude. "How are you?" she then blushed slightly, feeling like she made an idiot out of herself.

"I'm very good. Thank you for asking."

"Welcome." Quinn mumbled under her breath. She wasn't sure if Hiram heard her reply, but then again, she couldn't even comprehend the situation. Her stomach was in knots. Knots made of butterflies. She felt sick. Like throw up sick. Her palms sweated. Her breathing couldn't find a steady pace. Her face burned. So did her eyes. She felt claustrophobic. She quickly realized all of these things within the same ten second period and immediately sprung up from the couch she didn't remember sitting on to ask where the bathroom was located.

"Uh, down that little hall and the last door to the left." Hiram responded, a seed of worry sprouting.

"I'll show you." Rachel popped up.

"It's okay. I'll find it." Quinn replied, gently patting her girlfriend's hand before pulling her own away.

Quinn felt Rachel's eyes on her back until she escaped from the room. She quickly found the bathroom and locked herself in it.

"Is she okay?" Hiram asked his daughter.

Rachel kept looking at the doorway Quinn disappeared from. "She's really nervous. She wants you two to like her." Rachel turned to her daddy.

"Is she…slow?"

Rachel swiftly shook her head. "No, she's in honors. She's really smart. She's just incredibly intimidated by you and dad."

"Why?"

"She feels so badly about what she's done to me. She completely melted down in school the other day. She was hysterical. So, can you please try and go easy on her. And if you can explain the situation to dad, it would really be nice." Rachel's eyes shined with sincerity.

"Of course, honey." Hiram smiled.

Rachel reciprocated the smile.

"Is she the reason you came to us Monday?" Rachel nodded. "She's quite a catch." Rachel ducked her head and blushed.

"I know." She turned her head slightly. She jumped up when she saw Quinn standing in the doorway. She smiled. "Hey."

Fifty-one seconds earlier.

Quinn took a deep breath and looked into the mirror. She looked horrible. Her eyes were turning red. She quickly doused her face with some water and dried herself off.

"Stop being so damn weak." She growled to herself. Her hands clamped onto the sink and she continued to take deep breaths. She looked up at her reflection. "For Rachel. This is for Rachel. She's too important to screw this up. Get it together Fabray. Her family is now. Rachel is forever."

Quinn Fabray walked out of the bathroom. She walked down the hall, hearing Rachel and Hiram talking. She stopped at the doorframe. Rachel's bowed head turned towards her, followed by Rachel jumping up.

"Hey." She smiled. Quinn smiled back. She walked forward and took Rachel's hand.

"I'm sorry about that." Quinn said, almost with a laugh. She sat down with Rachel on the couch.

Then they heard the doorknob twisting with a key inside. All three turned towards the direction of the noise, which was followed by the door opening and Leroy Berry walking inside.

"I'm home!" a voice echoed throughout the house.

"We're in the den!" Hiram returned, not as loudly though. Quinn's confidence was drained out of her. Her throat closed as footsteps drew closer.

"Good afternoon. Whose your friend, Rachel?" Leroy said as he pecked Hiram on the cheek.

"Um. Dad, this is my girlfriend." Rachel said, sensing Quinn's nervousness.

"Pleased to meet you…" his voice trailed off, leaving a fill-in-the-blank for anyone who cared to answer as he extended his hand. Quinn slowly accepted his handshake. She shook it and cleared her throat.

"Quinn."

"Pleased to meet you, Quinn." He said without any indication of anything Quinn should be scared about.

Then Quinn's honesty erupted. She didn't know what had gotten into her. Back when she was dating Finn or Sam she would have totally lied her ass off until she was exposed, but Rachel clearly had changed her. "I'm Quinn Fabray." There was a spark in Leroy's eye. "You probably have already heard of me. I…I used to bully Rachel."

"So you're that Quinn." Leroy's expression hardened. It wasn't showing anything. Quinn suddenly got more nervous. "And now you are infatuated with Rachel?" this is where Rachel got her vocabulary.

"Yes sir." Quinn replied, steeled herself. She didn't know what was to come net. But due to Rachel's stroking of the back of her hand, she expected something bad.

"Well. I suppose I must trust you if Rachel does." He didn't seem too happy about that.

"Th-thank you." Quinn's mouth was the Sahara. She uncomfortably swallowed.

"So, how long have you two been…you know." Hiram asked, trying to ease the tension that hung in the rom.

"We got together Tuesday." Rachel said, not nearly as enthusiastic as she had been the day before with Santana and Brittany; this didn't go unnoticed by Quinn.

"Quite a while it took you to tell us." Hiram joked; Rachel smiled, Quinn and Leroy didn't. Leroy didn't because he wasn't in a 'haha' sort of mood. Quinn because she had a poor sense of humor.

Rachel sensed the serious tone that the room was conveying, and looking over at Quinn, decided that enough was enough.

"We'll be in my room." Rachel said, standing up. Quinn followed the lead, not having the confidence to wave or say goodbye to the Berry men, simply trotting after her girlfriend, up the stairs and into the room with the gold star on the door.

Once inside Rachel's room, the door was shut and the door was quietly locked. Rachel laid down onto her bed and patted the seat next to her. Quinn clasped her hands together and almost-aimlessly wandered the few feet between the door and Rachel's bed, her feet never going straight. She had her lips pursed and eyes looked down on the ground. When she finally stopped at the edge of the bed, she remained motionless. She let the bed hold her weight. Rachel's eyes warily studied over the blonde's actions. Next, her hands released the other and her fingers slowly pressed into the bed comforter. She took the covering and pulled it up.

"What are you doing?" hysteria slowly boiled up inside Rachel over the disheveling of her perfectly made bed.

Quinn didn't say a word. She simply pulled up the blanket and finally, once the hem of it was in the air, started climbing onto the bed. One knee. Then the second knee pressed into the bed. The blond tried to keep a straight face, but a beam was slowly breaking through her expression. She then laid the blanket on top of Rachel, covering part of her torso and her left arm.

"Quinn?" it came out as a giggle, but a nervous one.

Quinn pulled the comforter to cover Rachel's entire body, save her head. Her body weight was then shifted from the bed to Rachel. She crawled onto Rachel and pressed her nose into Rachel's cheek. There was a pause in all action, then Rachel felt something warm and wet on her jawbone.

"Are you licking me?" Rachel's voice was incredulous, and she couldn't help but laugh over the situation. Quinn nodded, retracting her tongue. "Why?" Quinn pushed herself up just so she could look into Rachel's eyes when she said this.

"I was curious."

"Curious how I tasted?" Rachel snorted sarcastically.

Quinn shook her head, her golden locks tickling Rachel's face. "Curious how cutie-pie tasted." Quinn's grin was icing on the pie. Rachel couldn't help but melt at that cheesy joke. Quinn leaned down and pressed her lips to Rachel's jawline. And then moved over slightly. And kiss again. She left a trail of kiss-marks up Rachel's jawbone until she arrived at the brunette's ear. She lightly bit her earlobe; tugging at it made Rachel squirm.

"You like that?" Quinn whispered into her ear, sending shivers down her spine. The joking-manner in her voice was missed due to the hushed tone. Rachel nodded, desperately needing Quinn's red rose petals on her once more. "You do?" Quinn asked, her voice returning to normal volume, taking all the sensuality out of the moment.

I am so, so sorry. I don't know if you guys wanna hear what's been going on the last month, but if you do, here it is:

I couldn't think of anything to write for a week, so I started about May 7th. School's been a bitch, so I wasn't able to write much. Then, on the 14th, I wrote a shit load. It was really good too. Then my computer crashed the next day and I lost everything. It totally is trashed now, but I got a new computer the other day, so yay. But, I've also been super depressed recently. So, its been hard to do anything other than schoolwork. I was able to use my dad's laptop over the past week, so I was able to write this. I planned on making this longer. I really did, but I couldn't. I'm still in a Funk. So, I hope you enjoyed this.