A/N: So this scene is obviously not based on anything that happened on the show but my headcanon says that they at least had a conversation about the adoption, if not before then at least at some point after the fact. There's reference in "Original Song" to them bonding over the adoption, so in this world, where they're actually friends and Quinn lives with Rachel, then obviously this discussion had to happen.

Thanks to everyone who's read and responded. Special thanks to Happy Palm Tree for beta reading this for me.

Chapter Two

"You cannot be serious," Quinn says. She flops back onto the uncomfortable hospital bed. "Your mother, who's now twice rejected your efforts to get to know her, wants to adopt my daughter. In what universe is that a thing that you are okay with, Rachel?"

Rachel's pacing the room still sporting the gold dress and flats that they'd been wearing hours earlier at Regionals. They'd lost and poor Matt had been left there to accept their puny trophy by himself. Glee Club was done and that was a drama for another day. Right now her best friend was in dire need of her help. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm okay with it, Quinn, but Baby Beth needs a home and what's the alternative? Surrendering her to the state and from there to what? An orphanage? Foster care? That's unacceptable. She needs a stable home with a parent or parents that are going to love her, not just do the bare minimum for a government stipend."

"My mom said…"

"That you could bring her home," Rachel interrupts, "That the two of you can raise her. I know, you've said, but Quinn, never in eight months have you even mentioned the thought of you raising this child. From the moment you've moved in, it's been about finding her a good home, and admittedly, I got busy with all the Jesse drama and didn't push you to actually find her that good home. I'm sorry for falling down on my best friend duties like that."

"Rachel, that's not really your responsibility to…"

"Plus," Rachel not really even listening to her continues, "you said not even an hour ago that you aren't even sure if you're going to move back to your mother's house yet, which I think is wise because you don't know the situation with her and your horrible excuse for a father, you don't know what her financial situation is going to be, you don't know if her sobriety will last, and you have no clue as to what level of stability there will be there for you, much less for an infant. And while, of course, you could always come back home… that is to say, to my house, if things don't work with your mother. You don't want to be shuffling Beth back and…"

"Rachel!" Quinn finally has to shout to stop her monologue. Rachel stops in her tracks and falls silent, finally. "You're rambling," Quinn says, "that means there's something on your mind but you're avoiding talking about it, probably because you think it's going to upset me." Rachel folds her arms across her chest and sighs defeated, meaning Quinn's hit the nail on the head. "So are you going to tell me what it is?" Quinn asks hiking an eyebrow, "Or am I going to have to get out of this bed and come tickle you until you do?"

"Finn told me that he loves me," Rachel says eyes downcast.

"Oh, so that's why you're saying that you're okay with this," Quinn says.

"No, that's..." Rachel stops to take a deep breath before looking back up and continuing, "I'm saying that you should do this because it's the best option you have available to you. Now, that being said I may have also been hoping that my being supportive of this would serve to alleviate the sting of my desperate desire to date your ex-boyfriend."

"You can't just… negotiate one feeling for another, Rachel. That's absurd," Quinn said, "You can't buy forgiveness just because you have this fairy tale idea of getting the boy of your dreams and being best friends with the head cheerleader."

"It's not a fairy tale, Quinn," Rachel barks, "It's a girl who has been there for me for months and a boy who genuinely loves me."

"And that being there for you for months doesn't earn me any loyalty?"

"Yes, of course it does," Rachel says, "You think I'm not conflicted over this? Of course I am, but lest you forget this isn't the sacred rules of the sisterhood of women, Quinn. He didn't break your heart, you broke his."

"You think I've forgotten that? On today of all days?" That shuts Rachel up nice and quickly but that only makes Quinn feel even more like crap. "Look, Rachel, I know you said this was coming and I had time to like accept it or whatever but that doesn't mean that I actually did. I doubt there's ever going to come a time when I'm seriously, enthusiastically happy that you're dating Finn."

"I'm not asking you to be happy about it," Rachel says, "I just need you to accept it and promise me that it won't affect our friendship. Because...okay, I know I'm asking a lot here but please look at it from my perspective. How many chances at love is a girl like me going to get?"

"A girl like you?" Quinn echoes. "You mean someone who is beautiful and talented and caring and..."

"Obnoxious," Rachel cuts her off, "and headstrong and self-centered and short."

Quinn nods her head steadily, "You have many positive and negative qualities, just like every other person in the world, and might I add that you dating Finn would be the third boyfriend you've had this year which is three times more boys than I've ever dated, so please stop with the attitude that you have to take whatever you can get. I think the only thing I like less than the idea of you dating Finn is the idea that you think Finn is the best that you can do."

"Whether or not he's the best I can do, I have feelings for him and I want to pursue those feelings," Rachel says, "But I can't stand the idea of you moving back to your mother's and our relationship going back to the way it was. I don't want you to go back to having no outlet and resorting to slushies and cruel nicknames as a means to express yourself."

"Rachel," Quinn closes her eyes and sighs, "You and your fathers have shown me extraordinary kindness these last months, kindness I had no right to expect, so no matter what else happens I won't go back to being cruel to you, I promise."

"And our friendship?"

"I'll try," she says, "but I can't promise that."

Rachel looks at her silently for a long time, willing her to make a promise but eventually she understands that it won't ever come. "I don't want you to feel like I've chosen him over you and that you have to pack up and go back home before you're ready. I promise I won't invite him over while you're still living with us."

"I appreciate that."

"And what about Shelby?"

"You're sure you're okay with it?" Quinn asks.

"No," Rachel says figuring that it's now her turn to be 100% painfully honest, "Of course I'm not okay with my mother essentially replacing me but she's going to do it anyway, whether I object or not, whether it's your baby or not. At least this way benefits you in getting the adoptive family you need." Rachel determinedly fights back her tears on the matter. That's for her and her therapist to work out, not her newly postpartum friend. "And with any luck, Beth will inherit Noah's temperament and Shelby with pay for rejecting me."