Author's note: This story is set in the Softer, Softest universe and takes place after the events at the end of part 3.
Secrets Now Revealed
Quinn's tears have just begun to dry when the sound of Rachel's garage door opening rumbles beneath them. She tenses slightly and takes in a shaky breath as she burrows her face against Rachel's chest, not quite ready to face her girlfriend's parents.
"It'll be okay, Quinn," Rachel promises for what has to be the tenth time today, running her fingers soothingly through Quinn's hair. "You can stay up here while I go downstairs and talk to my dads, if you want."
"No," she says, lifting her gaze to meet Rachel's and sniffling. "We should… we should tell them together."
"Rachel?" Hiram calls up the stairs, and Quinn hopes he stays down there. She's sure she looks a mess, and she'd like to freshen up a bit first. "You home?"
"Yeah, and Quinn's here too," she calls back.
"Hi, Quinn!" he replies happily, and Quinn can't help but smile a little. She just hopes he'll still be as enthusiastic once they tell him the truth about their relationship. Regardless, she knows he'll be more accepting than her own dad. Unbidden, thoughts of what happened mere hours ago come rushing back, sending a fresh stab of pain through her and wiping away her smile.
Quinn blinks, trying to keep the tears from falling. She's cried enough today.
"She says hi back," Rachel replies, her voice wavering a touch as she gazes sympathetically at Quinn.
Heavy footfalls make their way up the stairs then, and Quinn panics. Breaking herself out of her girlfriend's comforting embrace and jumping out of bed, she looks around wildly, trying to find someplace to hide. She's not ready to face Hiram or the inevitable questions. She's not ready to recount the events of this afternoon—it's still too raw.
But to her chagrin, there's nowhere to go except Rachel's closet, and given her claustrophobia, that's not really an option. Quinn stares helplessly at Rachel, but before her girlfriend can say anything, Hiram pokes his head into her room, concern etched on his face.
"Is everything okay?" he asks, eyes shifting between Rachel and Quinn and then back at Rachel.
Rachel reluctantly turns her gaze to meet Hiram's, and Quinn folds her arms protectively across her chest as she stares at the floor. "Not really, Dad," Rachel confirms quietly. "Something… something bad happened."
Even though Quinn isn't looking at Hiram, she can practically feel the shift in his demeanor—going from concerned to protective in an instant. "What happened?"
"Can we talk about it later? When Daddy gets home?"
Quinn feels Hiram's questioning gaze on her, but to her relief, he agrees. "Okay. I was planning on getting some takeout from Beer Barrel Pizza for dinner," he says. "I'll make sure to get an order of the spicy garlic parmesan wings. Sound good?"
A watery smile graces Quinn's face, despite everything. Leave it to a Berry to know her favorite foods.
"That sounds great," Rachel replies, and Quinn doesn't miss the note of gratitude in her voice.
Quinn swallows and lets out a steadying breath as she lifts her head to meet Hiram's eyes. "Thanks, Mr. Berry," she manages to get out before sniffling and wiping at her nose with the back of her hand.
"No need to thank me," he replies with an easy smile, but his concern and care is evident. "After all, you're practically family."
Her heart twists and swells simultaneously, and Quinn presses her lips together to keep from crying. To her mild relief, Hiram takes his leave then, thankfully closing the door behind him.
Immediately, Rachel is on her feet, wordlessly gathering Quinn into her arms, and Quinn holds fast to her as she falls apart again.
The wait for Leroy to arrive home isn't very long, but it's enough time for Quinn to gather herself and make herself look somewhat presentable. There's still so much uncertainty about everything, and Quinn's mind is a mess. She tries to draw comfort from Rachel's presence and the text messages from Kurt, Tina, and Mercedes letting her know to call on them if she needs anything—including a place to live. The fact that all of her friends and their families are so willing to open their home to her, while her own father…
"Girls!" Leroy calls out. "Dinner's here!"
"Ready?" Rachel asks gently, her eyes shining with emotion, and Quinn is momentarily struck. Her girlfriend always does her best to take care of her—to protect her—but it's clear what happened today has affected her more than she'll let on verbally.
Unable to stop herself, Quinn leans down and presses a brief kiss to Rachel's lips as she slips her hand into Rachel's interlacing their fingers. "I love you," she says, her voice still hoarse from crying.
Rachel smiles in return. "I love you too."
Quinn doesn't let go of Rachel's hand as they make their way downstairs. There's no point in hiding the truth anymore. Leroy and Hiram are in the process of setting the table and pulling out containers of food from takeout bags, but they immediately pause when Quinn and Rachel enter the kitchen.
In unison, Rachel's dads take in the sight of Quinn and Rachel's clasped hands before looking back up at them questioningly.
"Before we eat, I was hoping we could talk in the living room," Rachel says, which Quinn is grateful for. She honestly doesn't have much of an appetite, and she'd really rather get this conversation over with despite how hard it's going to be.
Her dads agree, and the four of them go to the living room—Rachel and Quinn taking a seat on the couch, while Leroy and Hiram each settle down in the chairs facing the couch. They anxiously look to Rachel and Quinn for some kind of an explanation.
"Like I said before, something bad happened today," Rachel begins, and Quinn presses her lips together and stares down at their joined hands in her lap. "We were at Quinn's house after school, and we were… we were kissing, but Quinn's dad walked in on us."
Quinn swallows thickly, as Rachel's words evoke the images in her mind and the absolute fear she felt during those moments.
"He… um…" Rachel's voice shakes a bit, and Quinn grimaces at the memory of her father grabbing her girlfriend and forcefully dragging her out of the laundry room.
She looks up then to see Hiram and Leroy sitting a little straighter, both looking worried and on the verge of anger.
"He what?" Hiram asks.
"He asked Rachel to leave," Quinn says quietly, recounting what happened but keeping the darker details and her father's ultimatum to herself. "We argued. And then he… he kicked me out and…" She lets out another shaky breath as she steels herself against the pain of what she's about to admit. "He disowned me."
Leroy's fists clench, and both men look furious.
"I've already told Quinn she can stay here," Rachel says resolutely, leaving no room for argument—not that there was ever one coming based on her parents' response.
"Absolutely," Leroy agrees while Hiram replies simultaneously, "Of course."
"Thank you," Quinn replies, feeling a small measure of relief, and Rachel lightly squeezes her hand.
"I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Quinn," Hiram says contritely but not without frustration. "I know there's nothing we can do or say to take away the pain you're feeling. But we'll do whatever we can to help, alright?"
Quinn offers them a grateful smile and nod despite feeling utterly heartbroken over her father's rejection.
"What about your mother?" Leroy asks then. "Do you think she'll be supportive?"
Quinn shakes her head and lets out a bitter laugh. "No. She… she does whatever he says." She's probably glad to be rid of me too, Quinn thinks silently. Her mother was always so ashamed of Quinn's condition and worried about people discovering how not normal she is.
As if sensing her inner turmoil, Rachel gives her hand another gentle squeeze. "Don't listen to those thoughts, Quinn," Rachel murmurs. "You're amazing and don't let anyone or anything make you think otherwise."
Quinn blinks a few times and takes a steadying breath, trying to focus on Rachel's words and push away those negative thoughts even though the feeling of dejection remains.
"I'm sorry," Leroy says apologetically. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"No, it's okay," she assures him, before sniffling. "You didn't know."
There's a lull in the conversation then, but the silence isn't uncomfortable.
"I know this probably isn't the best time to talk about this," Hiram says after a moment, his words making Quinn feel slightly anxious, "but I have to know, especially if Quinn's going to be staying here. Frankly, it would be irresponsible of me not to ask."
"What is it, Dad?" Rachel asks, a touch of worry coloring her voice.
"Are you two together?"
Rachel lets out a small sigh of relief, and Quinn feels the anxiousness that had started to creep in dissipate. This is the easy part. Wanting to take the lead of her girlfriend on this, Quinn glances at Rachel, whose lips curve up into a proud little smile as she nods in confirmation.
"How long has this been going on?"
"A little over a year."
Leroy looks a little hurt. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? Honey, you know that we would have been accepting of you—of both of you."
"I know, I just…" Rachel trails off, blushing. Quinn knows exactly why Rachel never told her parents—she didn't want them instituting an open-door policy.
"We're not out at school," Quinn says then, and it's not a lie. "And I was afraid of my parents somehow finding out if anyone besides our closest friends knew the truth." She lets out a shaky breath. "And now they know," she finishes, her voice cracking as a few tears escape, which she quickly wipes away with her fingers. "And now I don't have a home anymore."
"No, you do," Hiram says determinedly. "You have a home with us for as long as you need one. I mean that. The guest room is now your bedroom, and this house is now your home, okay?"
"Thank you, Mr. Berry," Quinn says gratefully. "Thank you, both of you."
"There's no need to thank us," he assures her.
"I hope you girls know that there's going to be an open-door policy from now on," Leroy adds, bringing some levity to the conversation and causing Quinn's cheeks to flush pink.
"Of course, Daddy," Rachel agrees a little sheepishly.
"Now that that's settled, how about we eat dinner in the den and watch a movie? Quinn's choice."
"That sounds perfect," Quinn replies appreciatively, soaking in the love and support that is being extended to her. Even though her own family sucks, she's lucky to have such a loving girlfriend with such supportive parents. She needs them now more than ever.
The following weeks resolve most of the uncertainty facing Quinn in the wake of being disowned. Of course, it hasn't been without struggle. Quinn knows she deserves better than her family's unconditional love, but that doesn't make their rejection sting any less, and each step in the process of getting settled in with the Berrys has left her feeling a strange mixture of relief and shame.
Rachel's parents took care of contacting Child Protective Services, which resulted in her own parents being charged with child abandonment. The Berrys have been granted temporary guardianship over Quinn, and her parents have been ordered by the courts to pay child support and keep her on their health insurance plan.
Quinn's sure they just love that last part.
She wonders what she's going to tell Dr. Jalen during her next appointment. Of course, there's the whole issue of getting to her appointment and having to explain the reason for it, and it's something that has her stomach in knots. Even though Quinn knows she can trust Rachel's dads with the truth, it doesn't make the thought of coming out to them any less terrifying. But she can't put it off too much longer.
She finally musters up the courage on a Saturday morning while Rachel is out taking her weekly vocal lesson. She considers waiting for her girlfriend to return home, but Quinn's afraid her courage might all but dissipate by then.
Quinn finds Leroy in the living room, sitting in his favorite chair and reading what looks to be a biography on Raymond Burr. She hesitates for a moment, not sure if she should interrupt as nervousness starts to creep in.
Noticing her hovering in the entryway, he looks up from his book.
"Sorry, I can come back later."
"This book isn't going anywhere, Quinn," he assures her with a small smile. "What's up?"
"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."
"Of course," he replies, putting his book down on the side table next to him and giving her his full attention. "What's on your mind?"
She settles down on the couch across from him, smoothing her palms down the front of her sundress and trying to get her shaking under control. Leroy's brow furrows in concern, but he patiently waits, and Quinn is reminded of when she first told Rachel the truth about her condition.
"Do you… is Mr. Berry home?" she asks.
Leroy shakes his head. "He went to the supermarket before having to pick Rachel up from her lesson."
Quinn puffs out a long breath and once again considers waiting. "Okay. I… I guess you can tell him this," she says, deciding to just go for it. "I, um… I have a doctor's appointment in Columbus next week. He's a specialist that I go to every month. He's been my doctor since I was a baby." She licks her lips nervously and averts her eyes.
"Can I ask what your doctor specializes in?" he asks gently.
"Disorders of sex development," she replies unevenly. "It's… I was born a little different from other girls. My doctor says my condition is similar to congenital adrenal hyperplasia, but some other things about my… anatomy make it not exactly CAH."
"Is that the same thing as intersex?" he asks, completely free of judgment, just like Rachel was, and it sets her a little more at ease.
"Yeah," she confirms, finally bringing her gaze back up to meet his. "But I don't… I think of it more like I have a DSD."
"Okay," he says with a soft nod. "I'll admit, I don't know a whole lot about DSD. Is it okay if I ask you questions to help better my own understanding?"
"Sure, I guess," she agrees, relieved at how well he's taking this—how understanding he is. Of course, Rachel assured her of that, and Quinn knew that he would be, but there was still that fear—fear that he would be disgusted in some way, just like her own father is.
"And of course we'll get you to your appointment," he adds. "I'm assuming Rachel knows about your condition."
Quinn nods in confirmation. "She's the only one outside of my family who knows… knew, I mean, since you know too now."
"Your secret is safe with us," he promises. "Thank you for telling me and trusting me with something so important. I know that none of this has been easy for you."
"Thank you," she replies with a watery smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys. My family was never very understanding," she confesses, lips curving down, feeling a stab of bitterness. "They always wanted me to get surgery, even though my doctor says it's unnecessary and very risky. That's another reason my dad wanted me gone."
Leroy's eyes shine with a sort of anger and protectiveness that Quinn's only ever seen from Rachel before. "No matter what happens, you always have us. I promise you."
"Thanks," she says again, feeling very lucky despite the emotional turmoil she's been in.
The sound of the front door opening followed by Hiram's, "Lucy, I'm home!" interrupts them then. Seconds later, Hiram and Rachel poke their heads into the living room, grocery bags in hand, and Quinn watches Rachel take in the sight of her and Leroy.
Rachel frowns a little as she looks at Quinn. "Everything okay?" she asks, and Quinn realizes that she probably looks on the verge of tears.
"Yeah, everything's good," she confirms with a small smile. "We were just talking about my doctor's appointment."
Brown eyes shine with something that looks like pride before looking at Leroy, who has started making his way over to Rachel.
"Here, let me take those groceries, and I'll help your dad put everything away," he offers before turning to gaze at Quinn and smile at her reassuringly. "I have to fill him in on some things."
Hiram looks at his husband questioningly, but takes the cue and follows Leroy into the kitchen.
"You told him?" Rachel asks Quinn once they're alone.
"Yeah," she nods, shifting on the couch and gesturing for Rachel to come sit with her. Her girlfriend settles down beside her and snuggles into her side, intertwining their fingers together. "You were right, he took it great."
"My dad will take it well too."
"I know," Quinn replies, feeling like a weight has been lifted. "I'm so glad your parents are pretty much the exact opposite of mine and that I have all of you on my side."
"I think I can speak for us all when I say there's no place we'd rather be."
A soft kiss is pressed to the corner of her jaw, and Quinn closes her eyes, relishing this moment of closeness. For the first time since her father discovered Quinn kissing her girlfriend and her entire world was upended, Quinn finally feels settled.