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Posted: 15/12/12
Who Knew
It was Beth, although Rachel would have bet it was Santana, that woke them up later that day. But no it was Beth stirring again an hour after they settled in Quinn's room that woke them
"I've got her" Quinn said before Rachel tried to be perfect again. She pulled herself out of Rachel's arms and tended to her baby
After a few tiny whiny protests from Rachel, that Quinn wasn't ready to admit was adorable, Rachel decided to get up
"Fine" she sighed as she sat up and stretched "I'll get changed and meet you down stairs" she paused as she concentrated for a second "Sounds like Santana's up already"
"How can you tell?" Quinn furrowed her brow as she picked Beth up out of her crib
"I think I can hear her playing with fire" there was a sentence Rachel never thought she would be relaxed when she said.
Quinn tried to concentrate her hearing too but with Beth whining right next to her she couldn't hear it
"I'll meet you down stairs later, I can even take over looking after Beth while you come back up and change if you'd like" she offered
"Maybe" Quinn just nodded, she'd see how Beth felt about that idea later.
"Okay" Rachel kissed Quinn quickly on the cheek "I'm going to check on San and Britt first, make sure Fairchild is prepared for whatever trick Santana's learning today" the brunette chuckled as she slipped out of the room
.
When Rachel walked out onto the cold white floor she couldn't believe what she was seeing, Santana was throwing fire again, but not fire balls but constant 15 ft streams like from a flame thrower
"Wow, she's getting even better" Rachel murmured as she reached Brittany on the sofa
"She's amazing isn't she" the blonde was still in awe of the other girl. Rachel couldn't understand how Brittany could still find it entertaining, sure when Santana learnt a new trick it was interesting but to still be sat there with bright blue eyes... Rachel didn't quite get it
Over the past few weeks the extraordinary had become, well, ordinary.
Something did click for the shorter brunette when she was stood there. Brittany could just watch... she could watch what she wanted and absorb and memorise movement... but all she had was herself as protection... she needed more.
.
When Rachel returned to the living sector Santana and Brittany went too. Rachel went upstairs to change as she'd originally planned while Santana decided she'd rather harass Quinn who was feeding Beth in the kitchen area. She sat on a bar stool as Beth sat in her brand new high chair next to her
"So you and Berry get it on yet?"
Quinn didn't hear Santana and Brittany walk into the kitchen with the breakfast bar so she was a little startled, so much so she ended up dabbing food on Beth's cheek instead of finding her mouth with the baby spoon. Amazingly Beth just giggled while Quinn used the bib she was wearing to wipe the food away. Quinn then glared at Santana
"What is your problem?"
"I don't have a problem, you do if you won't just sort this shit out already-"
"Do you mind your language round my daughter" the blonde mother scolded as she tried to keep her voice calm and continue an impatient Beth"
"Not really" Santana just shrugged "Look the guy with the eye patch and his little helper spelt it out for you, you're supposed to like her, it's okay no one's going to judge and if they do who cares you just whack em' with mo-mol-mj-that damn hammer!"
Quinn sighed, it would be easier to just get this out of the way now "If you must know Rachel and I did talk"
"And" Brittany sat up straighter in the seat she'd taken at the opposite end of the bad
"We might be... an item now" she bit her lip and returned her attention to her daughter as
"Fina-fucking-ly" the Latina groaned loudly
"Ah, Santana, that sort of language is not to be used round young impressionable ears" Rachel scolded in the long winded way as she bounced into the room "Now what on earth called for that language?"
"Q just let us know you two are finally doing the nasty"
The mother suddenly sat up straight "No we're not" she jumped in "I said we might be an item"
"You two have to date, the Dictator-"
"Director" Santana corrected with a monotone drone
"-Said it was so, Quinn you're like sleeping beauty only your awake and your super powers were asleep until she kissed you and woke you up"
"Well when you say it like that..." Quinn said sarcastically
"What?" the blue eyed girl just blinked in response
"What do you mean what?" Quinn just asked back, as confused as Brittany probably was. The two darker haired girls just watched, part amused and part confused to
"You didn't finish your sentence"
"Yeah" Quinn looked at the other two for help but that were useless "I was being sarcastic" again Brittany just blinked and out of the corner of her eye she could see Santana smirking "I meant that saying my life is like a fairy tale makes it sound even less real" was that dumbed down enough?
"Oh" Brittany gasped in realisation... although if she actually understood, Quinn would never know
With that out of the way Rachel closed in on Quinn and Beth "Hey lil' Bethy" Rachel cooed making the little blonde smile "So I was thinking" Rachel started as she kept her eyes on Beth "I'm living here permanently now... and its not like you can go back to yours with the damage-"
She stopped talking when Quinn gasped
"What's wrong?"
"I forgot about my apartment, oh god the holes in the walls" she cringed "What is my land lord going to say... if he can even get in contact with me, I haven't got my cell"
"I guess you're not getting your security deposit back then" Santana commented sarcastically, and Brittany giggled... so she did get sarcasm? Oh, the mess it Brittany's mind was too confusing.
Rachel completely ignored them and focused on calming her girlfriend "Don't worry, I technically did the damage, or Iron Girl did"
Quinn rolled her eyes "No you didn't"
"Ah yeah I did" Rachel replied with a smirk-y smile "It was my body and my suite that went through those walls"
"But I hit you which caused the damaged" Quinn softly argued her point
"Okay, okay we get it" Santana cut it loudly "You're gonna be one of those couples that won't let the other take the blame"
"It's my fault though" they both raised their voices at the Latina simultaneously as they said the same thing. Santana rolled her eyes while the two girls smiled at each other then giggled shyly
Brittany laughed too, not wanting to feel left out.
"Back to my point" Rachel urged "I was wondering if you'd permanently move in... I mean it was the plan anyway and Santana and Brittany spend way too much time here anyway but I wanted to make it official" she asked "Not that it has to mean anything" she added quickly
"No, no I'd like that, for me and Beth to make it official" Quinn glanced back at Beth then back to Rachel, shyly
"Great" Rachel grinned
"Oh vomit" Santana murmured
"Shut up San" Brittany muttered as she playfully elbowed the other girl in the side
...
Meanwhile, in New York City, in a tower that had questionable aesthetic appeal from the public eye...
"Sir it appears we have a visitor approaching the floor by elevator"
"Stop the elevator then, Jarvis"
"I can't sir they've over-ridden the security"
"No guessing who it is then" he muttered to himself as he pulled himself away from a sighing Pepper and put his tumbler with the amber liquid and ice on the table in front to them. He then straightened up and waited for the elevator
The elevator signalled it had reached the pent house floor and Stark was only half surprised when the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. himself stepped out
"Ah, Director Fury, and oh, Agent Hill?" at the nod from the agent the confident man continued "Any particular reason you two felt the need to disturb our afternoon"
"We need to talk" Fury said in his usual serious tone "In private" he added, glancing briefly in Pepper's direction
"I'll just leave you-" she started when Tony stopped her verbally
"No Pepper Stay" he said softly before hardening his tone again to the unwelcome pair "what is it this time, Antler guy back with his friends? Another world crisis need my help-" he asked cockily
Fury discretely rolled his good eye and was about to try and stress the seriousness for their need for privacy "No-" but the billionaire playboy philanthropist cut him off again with another wild guest
"Or how about how you've been taking my technology, a basic copy of Jarvis I believe and using it at a project somewhere in Ohio. Now what could you need that for?"
"I would really prefer we talk in private" Fury stressed
But Stark wasn't listening "Or what about the silver suit, the one just like mine is that the Ohio project its been all over a small time Newspaper, the Lima Post, maybe that's what you'd like to explain to me"
"Stark if we could please take this somewhere else" he tried another approach with another un-subtle glance at Miss Potts
Tony waved dismissively "Pepper's in on everything, just tell me" he said, not realising what he was settling himself up for
"Okay..." Fury eyed Stark carefully one last time before plainly stating "You're daughters alive" Tony just paused all movement and stared at him blankly
"Oh god" Pepper gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth as if trying to physically hold in words or maybe even the contents of her stomach if it suddenly rushed up "You have a kid?" she felt cheated on, though she didn't know the details yet
It felt like forever since he'd even blinked before he finally asked "Rachel's alive?" obviously he didn't sound like he believed the Director, but it was more of a concerned low toned disbelief than pure surprise.
"That's the project in Ohio, it's not one of ours" he walked over to Stark's holo-screens and attached a memory device. The files came up quickly on the see through screens, showing pictures of Rachel Berry and her suit designs "It's hers" he looked back at the man who'd just learnt his daughter still existed "We gave her a facility for safety and protection and we've spoken to her. The suite's identical in design to your early ones, she even has an arc reactor, almost exactly like yours"
That's when Tiny looked away from the pictures on the screen and met the Directors eye "Part of the suit or part of her?"
"Part of her" Fury confirmed
"Why does she need it?" he subconsciously trailed his hand up to his own arc reactor
"She was in an accident... she needs it to keep her heart beating" he told Stark, noticing the worry lines appearing ever so slightly on his face "All the information's here" he gestured to the screen "We'll be leaving you now, other people to contact" the Director started to head back to the elevator
"Wait, you come here and spend what? 3 minutes, to drop some bomb shell" Fury smirked to himself remembering some words like that being used before recently "and you're leaving again, what could be more important than explaining what the hell is going on?"
Fury stopped and slowly turned back to the agitated man "A threat similar to the one in this city two years ago. All the information you need is right there" he pointed back to the screens
"And why would they be back?" Stark yelled when he saw Fury about to walk away again "What would bring them back to earth?"
"Thor's daughter... Rachel's girlfriend" he jabbed that information in before he swiftly made his exit, Agent Hill on his heel as always lately.
Stark was frozen with that last titbit of information, his daughter had a girlfriend... that detail didn't bother him... it was just that fact that that girlfriend was the daughter of the Shakespearian speaking, hammer wielding, cape wearing, Demi God.
A bleeping noise from the computer diverted his attention from the closed elevator doors. He slowly wandered over to satisfy his curiosity.
Tony's eyes scanned over the various images that came up on screen, a year book picture from her sophomore year, a picture of her and a group of other teens, a picture of a mangled car, and a close ip picture of her silver suit, similar to his but with a more feminine shape.
Tony was so distracted he didn't hear Pepper step up behind him until she spoke "She's a teenager then?"
He sucked in a breath to control himself and hide all emotion "Yeah" he turned his head to look at her "She must be... 17 by now"
"So..." Pepper hummed out hoping it was enough to prompt an explanation
"It was way before I met you" he looked back at the screen "And it was pretty serious... me and her mother" he nodded to the screen as his eyes got that glassy look in them "But she... she passed away" he didn't say anymore and Pepper didn't ask. She just slipped her hand into his as he reached out with his other and touched the screen enlarging the group picture and simply looking at the girl he'd lost.
...
The five made sure to get some sleep that night for their return to school the next day. When they got to Quinn's door she gently gripped Rachel's wrist with her free hand to stop her from walking away
"Will you... um" she bit her lip holding back her shy smile "Will you stay with me tonight?"
"Yeah, I'd love to" she slipped her wrist out of Quinn's grip so she could take her hand instead.
When Quinn had put Beth in her crib, both teens watched as the little girl started to drift off
Quinn had to suck in a breath to prepare for what she was about to say. She felt wrong for doing this but she had to be honest "Look, Rachel, when we go into school tomorrow-"
"You don't want to be out?" Rachel asked already nodding her head in understanding
Quinn cringed but nodded too "I'm sorry"
"Don't be" the brunette smiled "We need to give it time right?" she asked with an encouraging nod
"If that's okay with you?"
"Whatever you want Quinn" that's when guilt struck Quinn to the core, Rachel was always trying to be too good for her
"I wish you weren't so cooperative all the time"
"I can't help it" Rachel shuffled sideways slightly, closing the already small gap between her and Quinn as they both still over looked the crib "I like making you happy"
...
The next morning and the four girls had returned to their normal routine for the sake of appearances... and to get a better scope of the current situations from a school perspective.
Azimio and Karofsky's dads had been killed, how were they taking it... did they even know... were they just 'missing' in their eyes?
They arrived together in Rachel's car, deciding it was easier to just stick together. Also the school already knew they were friends so there was no harm if they were seen together now anyway.
As they approached the main entrance together the clouds grew darker above them "Are you doing that?" Rachel asked lowly next to Quinn's ear
"Yeah sorry" she cringed "just feeling a little anxious after leaving Beth at the day care with everything going on"
"No, it's okay... if you want to get out of here..." Rachel let the half suggestion hang there
She glanced at Rachel and saw the worry on her face, the selfless worry "N-no" Quinn stuttered "Let's try and get through one day, at least"
"Okay" Rachel nodded as she anxiously gripped at her shoulder strap of her bag. Her anxiety suddenly faded when she felt a hand slip into her own. She looked down as her fingers entwined with the other girl's, then up to Quinn's face that displayed a small smile "Are you sure?"
"Yeah I'm sure" she nodded "It doesn't have to mean anything right" she shrugged
Rachel just smiled and nodded, not letting the hand holding mean anything while Quinn tried to do the same.
Because friends totally hold hands all the time, so tightly, right?
Shorter than usual I know
Let us know what you think...