Thanks for the reviews since the previous chapter: Guest, Ilianalovee, MovieNerd, boston blue, EAnIL, beachbum2960, Alex sweets, NZgleek91, Ranryuujin Omega, dsercas4, Gardenia2, General Mac, Tzel (Yes, you've made some fair points, but I feel Rachel isn't as sure as herself in this persona as Stark is all the time), VickiMadd, vanu, wkgreen, Cyan . me, Guest, Minichanz, coventgirlvampire, LoveSKINS94, Gleelover47, HiddenBetweenTheLines (x3) and nightcuddler (Sorry to disappoint :/).

And thanks to Tzel and Cyan . me for pointing out my slip up, I did mean Titanium not Aluminium, sorry it was a poor typing error. I'd just watched Iron man, then by the time i wrote that part an hour or two had passed and i managed to replace Titanium with Aluminium :/

Posted: 9/11/12

Fairchild

Quinn couldn't believe it, actually she could. She'd got out of work late and picked Beth up late meaning she hit traffic on the way home. So that was why she had only just got through the front door when the buzzer rang, letting her know Rachel was downstairs.

"Oh..." she trailed off before she could curse lightly with her baby on her arms. She looked round the apartment it was still a mess, she'd planned on having half an hour at least to quickly clean up, but none of her plans were going well lately. She went to the door and hit the button to switch the intercom on "Hello?"

"It's Rachel" she heard softly over the system. She just hit the door release button to let Rachel in then went back further into the apartment. She put Beth down in her high chair as she started stacking loose papers and envelopes onto the coffee table, then taking a cold cup of coffee she'd left there that morning over to the kitchen. She tipped the rest of the coffee from t he cup down the sink then left the cup in the sink with her and Beth's breakfast stuff from the same morning. She just hadn't had time to clean up properly that morning... or many mornings lately.

They'd planned for Rachel to 'hang out' at her place with her and Beth the Friday after the Saturday they spoke and became friends again. She had to stop her little tidy routine when she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Hey" Quinn greeted simply as she opened the door to her friend

"Hey" Rachel smiled back "I ah, I bought you a house warming gift... sorry it's late" she presented a small house plant in a terracotta plant pot. "I guess getting you something to look after was a bad idea, that's probably the last thing you need" she added like an after thought

"No, it was thoughtful" Quinn took the plant happily. She didn't have many visitors and no one had bought her anything either "Thank you, come in" she stepped to the side letting the brunette pass her. As she shut the front door she heard Rachel again

"Hey, you must be Beth" she then heard her daughter make some sort of babbly noise of approval.

She smiled to herself, she definitely liked this Rachel, she was far more relaxed than the old one. She liked the old one too but there was something about the new one. It was just a shame she'd had to go through something life threatening for the change.

"Sorry about the mess" Quinn said as she walked across the living room and placed the plant on the window sill. "I left work late, then hit traffic and haven't had a chance to do anything" she looked round and cringed at the mess

"Quinn, don't worry about it. You look really tired so just relax" Rachel told her as she stayed by Beth, the little baby in the high chair was holding onto Rachel's index finger, excited by the attention she'd been getting from the new face

Seeing Beth happy always bought a smile to Quinn's lips "I wish I could but I still need to-"

"Quinn, if I may make a suggestion" she asked before speaking her mind and possibly over stepping without warning

"Go ahead" the blonde sighed, what did she have to lose

"You go relax, take a relaxing bath or something. I'll look after Beth and clean up a bit, and then order us a pizza or something" She suggested, her finger still being gripped and her hand being shaken around by little Beth

"I couldn't let you do that" Quinn sighed, that wasn't fair, Rachel was the guest

"Don't you trust me? I can look after Beth for a little bit. We seem to be hitting it off really well" she looked back to the little blonde "Isn't that right Cutie?" Beth just made more incoherent babbling sounds "I'm only trying to help" she reminded her friend

"Are you sure? Because it would be really great to have just a minute to refresh"

"Sure, go for it" the brunette encouraged. "I've got it covered"

.

When a refreshed Quinn stepped out of the bathroom, re-clothed, she was surprised she couldn't hear any crying. Not that she didn't have faith in Rachel, but had Rachel looked after a baby before? She was just surprised Beth wasn't crying, or Rachel wasn't.

No instead she found her apartment better organised than when she left it and Beth and Rachel at the corner of the small table against the wall. Beth was still in her high chair, and Rachel was sat on the perpendicular chair feeding Beth with food from the jar. Quinn watched fondly, as she saw Beth eat, eat without forcing the food back out her mouth and down her chin onto her bib.

"Sorry" Rachel looked worried when she spotted Quinn watching her "I've gone too far haven't I?" she assumed

"No" Quinn breathed a laugh as she smiled at the scene

"It's just, you wrote Beth's schedule down" she gestured to the notes on the fridge "But I don't know about this" she held the little jar of food up for Quinn to see "I picked what was at the front, assuming that's what you'd feed her next"

"Yeah that's right" they both smiled as Beth waved her arms towards the spoon Rachel held.

...

Meanwhile across town in a flowery unicorn decorated bedroom Brittany's mind managed to wander despite the Latina Cheerio who was nuzzling her neck

"San? What are we?" the few words said in a questioning tone made the girl in question deflate against Brittany before she pulled away all together "San?" she heard Brittany ask again, sounding more timid than before as she Sat on the edge of the blondes bed, with her back to the other girl as she re-tied her hair into a high pony tail "What are we?" she asked again when Santana didn't reply. She reached out placing her hand on Santana's shoulder

"What Britt?" the Latina immediately regretted snapping and turning as roughly as she did when she saw Brittany recoil "Sex isn't dating" she muttered before turning away again. She felt the bed dip behind her as Brittany moved closer

"Why can't it?" was murmured over her shoulder "Why can't we make it so it is dating?"

"You wouldn't understand" she bowed her head and leant away a little

"I'm not stupid"

Santana could hear the pout in Brittany's voice "I know" she whispered back

"Is it just because you're scared? Scared what people will say and do if you want to hold hands with another girl and it mean more than being friends or hooking up to get attention from guys?"

"Britt-" Santana tried to stop her but failed

"Because I don't want any guys, not anymore. I just want you" the blonde told her, still over her shoulder as she tried to move closer "I get that you're scared. Quinn and Rachel aren't sharing sweet lady kisses but because that cheerio said they were Rachel got hurt. You don't want that to happen to you"

"No, but I don't want-"

"Me to get hurt either" Brittany finished for her

"Yes" Santana agreed, hinting a small smile. She finally turned her body fully to look at the other girl "How do you do it?" she sighed

Brittany just looked at her blankly "Do what? We didn't get that far-"

"No, no. How do you get in my head like that?" she asked looking at the girl fondly "Lately you've been more in tune with the stuff in my head than I have"

"I don't know" the blonde shrugged innocently "Maybe we're thinking the same thing"

Santana doubted it, she imagined everything was rainbows and unicorns in Brittany's head with a strange clarity where she could look at the world around her and believe anything was possible with no consequence. Brittany didn't stop and think of how they'd be treated if they walked down the school corridors holding hands. She just strangely knew that Santana was thinking about it, constantly. "Maybe" she just left the thought with that one word "I gotta go" she stood up abruptly and slipped on her shoes

"We didn't even get to cuddle, you promised we would this time" the blue eyed girl pouted again as she crawled to the edge of the bed where Santana stood. She sat up on the edge on her knees and took both of Santana's hands in her own "You did promise" she said again

"I know Britt, it's just I- I..."

"What?" why did Brittany always look so innocent, and why was t getting harder for Santana to make snappy bitchy comments all the time to her

She looked down at her hands connected with Brittany's, it was such simple contact but it meant so much and would change so much outside this room "I need some time to think about some stuff"

"Oh, okay... and then can we cuddle?" she asked hopeful

Santana couldn't help but smile by the simplicity of the request with the hopefulness in those blue eyes "Maybe" she answered honestly "But I gotta think first. I'll see you later" she hesitated for a moment before dropping a soft delicate kiss to Brittany's cheek. For once it wasn't a lust filled kiss leading somewhere and it wasn't a friend kiss, it was a little more than that. Santana hoped Brittany would understand that.

As soon as she let go of the other girls hand's, turned her back and started towards the bedroom door. She didn't look bag as she picked up her bag from the floor and made her quick exit, afraid of whatever expression would be on Brittany's face.

...

"Rachel I am so sorry" Quinn apologised Wide eyed as she took Beth out of Rachel's arms quickly

"It's okay Quinn" Rachel chuckled to try and ease Quinn's worry "Really, don't worry about"

"Yeah but she spit up on you, I should have warned you" the blonde mother cringed as she started towards Beth's Room "She needs a nap now anyway. I'll just quickly settle her"

Rachel just nodded letting her go then waited until she returned "Damn, I was doing so well" she chuckled again when Quinn came back into the room "I thought she liked me"

"She does like you" Quinn assured her friend, but then thought about it "At least I hope it means that... otherwise she must really hate me" she chuckled

"No one could hate you"

Quinn scoffed then raised an eyebrow as she asked "Really?"

Rachel may have smirked, just a little, as she said "Well no one could hate this new you"

"Hmm, well maybe" she mumbled "Anyway let me get you another shirt, you can clean up in the bathroom" she pointed to the door closest to the front door as she backed away to her own room to get that shirt.

Rachel went to the bathroom, she wasn't really that bothered at Beth for spitting up on her, she was only a baby and Rachel had been prepared for anything like this with the little girl around. She closed the bathroom door and stood in front of the sink so she could see herself in the mirror and see exactly how bad the damage was.

It wasn't that bad, she'd just bought up a little bit of her dinner down Rachel's front, by her shoulder. Rachel grimaced a little as she slipped her arms out the sleeves and rolled the black sweater up her so the baby sick was rolled inside the sweater, so that when she pulled it over her head she didn't wipe the sick onto her hair. Once she was free of the icky sweater she kept it scrunched up and squished it behind the tap against the wall.

She really wished she'd worn something under the sweater other than a bra this evening. Her device was hardly invisible even with the cover she'd designed for it that blocked the flare of light.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She felt good about life again but she still looked a little rough in the mirror. The scars that scattered her face were what she held responsible for her new rougher image; even if they were faint they were still there.

Her wandering thoughts were cut short when the bathroom door was opened "Rach, I got you-" the words died in her throat as Rachel turned to her startled. Quinn's eyes dropped lower, could you blame her, there was a circular black metal and plastic thing set high in her chest. She then realised what it was right next to "Sorry" she dropped her eyes to her hands and the blue casual button up shirt she was clutching "I didn't think you would take- um, here" she placed it on top of the laundry hamper in the corner by the door before quickly leaving again.

As soon as the door shut again Rachel seethed "Shit" she had some explaining to do. She wasn't sure why she'd removed the sweater before Quinn had given her the shirt anyway. She'd just been focused on getting the baby sick away from her. She grabbed the shirt and quickly slipped it on, it was like a flannel shirt but with a faint blue striped pattern. She buttoned it up quickly and left the bathroom to talk and try to explain to Quinn

She found the blonde sitting on the edge of the couch staring across the room blankly "Quinn, in there-" she started

"What was that thing?" Quinn asked out right, while still not making eye contact with Rachel

Rachel wasn't sure how she was going to explain, she didn't want to scare Quinn off, it was just a medical thing... technically. She made her way slowly towards Quinn, she sat down on the sofa next to her "When I was in that accident; it's kinda complex but my heart stopped. This is like a pacemaker, it keeps it beating"

"Why is it..." she bit her lip with worry as she still didn't look to Rachel "Why is it... out like that?"

"Well, it's not a simple piece of technology... it might need tampering with, by the doctors" if she said she'd made the one in her chest that would lead to more questions and maybe Quinn freaking out more, so she kept out the fact that she'd upgraded the original one.

"Okay" Quinn said slowly. Her mind was still trying to process what she'd seen

"Look I know it's weird, I'm just gonna leave, give you some space right now. I'm sorry" she stood up abruptly and as she started towards the door her leg caught the stack of papers on the coffee table onto the floor "Crap, I'm so sorry" she dropped to her knees and started picking up the things she'd knocked over

"No Rach, it's okay" Quinn dropped onto her knees too to help clear the things up too

"I just," she faltered as she placed a short stack back on the table, she then looked to Quinn meekly "it's not normal and I didn't want you to freak, so I haven't told anyone about it-"

"It's okay" Quinn reassured her, meeting her gaze as she added the last few things to the stack "And don't go. I was a little shocked" she laughed lightly "But its just a part of you, right? It hasn't changed anything"

"No" Rachel told her quickly while shaking her head "Not at all" 'well technically it hasn't' she noted mentally. Her eyes glanced away shyly, skimming across a newspaper on the coffee table that Quinn had just stacked there "It's just-" she cut herself off as she looked back at the paper "What's this?" She picked it up as she stood up properly.

Quinn stood up too to see what had caught Rachel's attention "Oh that, it's the news paper about your accident, you didn't see it I'm guessing. Like you said your dads don't like you seeing the news"

"Right" Rachel murmured as she read over the fine print on the front page. She had her brow furrowed as she concentrated

"They said you were hit by 2 cars" Quinn said, remembering what was printed because she'd read it too many times. Every time she'd read it was as if she was hoping that more information would miraculously appear on the page, of course I didn't though

"It was 3" Rachel muttered nonchalantly

"What?" Quinn asked suddenly. There hadn't been any progress into the 'investigation', did Rachel know more? Everyone had assumed she didn't

"3 cars hit me" she thought back "There were 4 cars there but 3 hit me" she closed her eyes as she thought back to the night she'd wanted to forget, but she couldn't let go of it yet anyway, not until she'd got her revenge. "They got out after the collision, none of them hurt. They cleared the area of evidence then left me..."

"Rachel, I'm sorry I-I don't know what to say" she stuttered, a chill ran through her at the thought that it was planned and not an accidental hit and run. But why would someone want to hurt Rachel

"It's okay" she shrugged as she continued to read the short article

"Do the police know?"

"I don't know" she put the paper down again. The image of her mangled car on the front page was turning her stomach "I don't want to talk about it anyway"

"But Rachel-" the blonde tried; this was a big deal it couldn't be dismissed

"Please Quinn" Rachel asked gently "I just want to have a relaxing evening with my friend, I don't want to think about that"

"O-okay, but only if you're sure" Quinn checked

"I am" she didn't want Quinn to know anymore and she didn't want to think about it anymore. She planned on destroying some people. It was dark but she knew it was what she had planned. There was no other way it could end.

A buzzing noise from the door was a perfect opportunity to move the evening on "That will be the pizza, I'll get it" she grabbed her purse and headed out of the apartment down to the front door to pay.

She enjoyed the rest of her evening with Quinn, and helping Quinn settle Beth again after she woke up and started crying. But at the pit of her stomach an anger was brewing from the reminder of what happened. She'd been so preoccupied with her friendship she hadn't been spending as much time focused on the suit and the promise she'd made to herself.

...

"Okay Fairchild, running test one on the thrusters in boots and gloves" Rachel stood in the middle of the open space in the warehouse with her full suit on. After Quinn's she'd gone straight to the warehouse, it was late, or rather really early already so she didn't see the point in rushing home, her dads would already be asleep.

"Yes Miss" the computer voice sounded in her helmet and outside the suit within the base.

"Running power to thrusters at 5% and slowly increasing" she commanded the computer as she tensed her arms and legs preparing for movement "In 3, 2, 1"

And on her command the computer triggered for the thrusters to run. As the power increased she felt space between her and the floor. It wasn't easy, as soon as she was 1 ft of the ground she felt herself straying to the left "Note sensitivity" well that was obvious.

She changed the angle of her foot so she's gently move back towards her starting position. She then realised she was continuing to climb in height as the thrusters power increased "Cease increase of power"

She tried to get used to the movement, after a few minutes she imagined the thrusters like hover boots, not high powered thrusters. She managed to 'skate' back and forth across the room, getting used to control in a limited space. After 20 minutes she managed a figure 8 like an ice skater, only she was 3 ft above the floor.

"Okay Fairchild, we're now going to reduce power slowly, to 0%" and just like that her feet were back on the ground.

She'd also set up some targets on the far wall, opposite her computers and the stand that held the suit. She still needed to work on the machines that could help her get in and out of the suit

"Fairchild?"

"Yes Miss" The computer replied

"Stand by for palm repulsor testing" she commanded, in case the blast set off any internal alarms. She could only have a vague idea of exactly how this would work out

"Of course Miss"

"Power diverted to palm repulsors at 75%" she commanded and noted for her review later. She held a hand up, she stood about 50ft from her first target she'd set up. It was just a sheet of scrap metal, propped up with a crudely painted circle target on it "Here goes everything" one of her calculations had noted the power might destroy the suit, but that percentage chance was small.

She felt and heard, even from inside the suit, the palm repulsor in her right hand charge up before she was ready to release. She made sure to line up her hand with the target as accurately as she could, before she finally let the power blast from her hand with a squeaky electrical pop.

Her arm and even the suit wasn't that prepared as she was thrown backwards, through the air. She landed heavily and loudly on her backside, sat up in the suit. She looked across the warehouse floor to the target that was in shards thrown across the floor "Whoa"

She couldn't wait to try that again.

Let me know what you think...