Chapter 2 is here! :) Thank you for the reviews and interest in this story! I hope you like this chapter too!

Rachel had never seen Quinn move as fast as she did when the fasten seat-belts light went off and they were cleared to get off the plane.

Before she could even think about standing up and grabbing her backpack, Quinn had snatched up both their bags and vanished.

Poof. Gone.

Confused, yet amused, Rachel took her time, politely allowing other people to pass her before she made her own way. Of course as soon as she was free of the throng of weary departing passengers she saw Quinn standing off to the side, shifting from foot to foot with a sheepish look plastered on her face.

"It's okay," Rachel soothed and slipped the pink backpack off Quinn's shoulder to put it in it's rightful place on her own. "I understand. Maybe we can get you something while we're in Lima to help with the return flight?"

"I don't want to think about it," Quinn said quickly, blushing all the way to the tips of her ears.

Rachel nodded and tilted her head up towards the terminal. "Shall we go?"

"Shall we?" Quinn looked at her from under her eyelashes and held out her arm. "Why yes, dear, I believe we shall."

Pleased with herself for having alleviated the moment of near panic and embarrassment, Rachel smirked and looped her arm through Quinn's. "How charming."

"Only for you."

They walked arm and arm through the busy terminal, sharing side long glances and laughing at their own playfulness. Rachel did a quick stutter step to match her stride to Quinn's, only to have to do it all over again when Quinn deliberately messed her up.

People stared at them, a few whispering to their companions, but no one said anything and no one approached them. Quinn was grateful for the peace, not sure how she would handle being confronted, or how Rachel would. Of the two of them Rachel was better at dealing with people, so used to the attention. A few Rachel Berry fans had come up to them at the airport and Rachel, ever the star, was thrilled. She'd signed autographs and taken the time to speak with each person. Quinn had never seen her more relaxed.

It had been easy enough to step away and give Rachel the moment – besides, Quinn was always careful with how much exposure she got around Rachel. Not that she was ashamed of their relationship or wasn't proud of Rachel, she just wanted to keep her media face-time limited. For her job. But in Ohio it was different, they were more likely to attract attention, negative attention, for being a same-sex couple than for Rachel's fame. A sad fact, but one they were both aware of; with her emotions so dangerously close to breaking through, Quinn was certain she would lose her temper or burst into tears at the slightest provocation. She wanted, needed, to avoid that – if only for Rachel's sake.

Though she felt she was on the cusp of shattering into a million pieces, Quinn smiled as she stretched out her gait and watched Rachel take huge, stomping, steps to try and stay in sync with her. There was no way Quinn was going to go out of her way to hide her relationship or ignore Rachel.

It wasn't until Rachel delightedly shrieked, "Dad!" that Quinn's smile fell.

Rachel took off, dropping Quinn's arm, and rushed straight into the arms of a short, bespectacled, man. He smiled so wide she was instantly reminded of Rachel's 'Broadway' smile, and her apprehension returned tenfold. She stood awkwardly, grasping her own forearm while watching the father-daughter reunion from a safe distance, not wanting to intrude... Or draw attention to her presence.

"Daddy!" Rachel cried as she caught sight of her other father walking into the airport. He opened his arms and staggered back a few steps when she crashed into his broad chest. Her giggles gave way to a squeal when he picked her up and spun her in a quick circle. "You shaved your head!" She touched her fingers lightly to the bared dark skin and scrunched up her nose. "Ew, it feels gross."

"That's what she said," Hiram chimed in. He winked at Leroy and they squished Rachel between them for a full Berry family embrace. "No, but you're right Rach, it's disturbing, but apparently when one starts to lose hair it's best just to shave it all off. Call me crazy but I would think some hair is better than none."

"Hush you, I'm trying to greet my daughter," Leroy said and swatted at him. "Also, could that count as a 'that's what she said'? Some hair is better than none?"

"Daddy," Rachel groaned and squirmed away from them. Leroy reached down to ruffle her hair but she dodged with practiced ease and held up both hands. "No, uh-uh, don't touch the hair. I know you're envious, but it's still off limits. And if either one of you says 'that's what she said' one more time I'm getting on a return flight right now."

"Listen to her, all grown up," Hiram said and pulled her back into him with one arm. "I miss the days of pull ups, weewoos, and Little Mermaid sing-alongs."

Rachel stomped her foot. "Can we please refrain from embarrassing me for just a little longer? You haven't even met Quinn yet. Surely you can hold off until we're in the car to spill all the childhood stories?"

The mood shifted so quickly Rachel was sure someone had set a fan on them to blow all the cold air from outside directly onto their party.

"Bring her over here then, which one is she?" Leroy asked. He glanced down at Hiram, shrugged, and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans.

"Quinn," Rachel called out and waved her over to the group. "Quinn, the tall bald one is Leroy, the short one with the awful glasses is Hiram."

Both men were so focused on Quinn they didn't even protest the description.

For Hiram, all he saw was a little girl, intimidating in her effortless good looks, but broken and fragile, in a way eerily reminiscent of Rachel. She had a vulnerability to her that he would spot a mile away. Suddenly those stories that Rachel had graced them with all those years ago, of the annoyingly perfect Ice Queen, made sense. People coped with their insecurities in different ways: Quinn hid hers behind a 'mean girl' façade. Pity welled up in him and he looked up at Leroy.

Understanding passed between them with that simple glance. Rachel had a way of bringing home 'strays', as Hiram called them. She was a protector, a healer, and it seemed her latest catch was standing before them.

Quinn approached them cautiously, never letting go of her forearm until it was time to shakily extend her hand. "Mr. and Mr. Berry, I'm Quinn Fabray. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Both men shook her hand with polite, if somewhat strained, smiles.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Quinn. Please call us Leroy and Hiram; it's confusing with all the Mr.'s thrown around. How was your flight?" Leroy said lowly, warmly.

Rachel's eyebrows lifted towards her hairline at the tone he was using, but she stayed quiet, snuggled under Hiram's arm.

"It was longer than I remembered," Quinn said with a grimace. Then she straightened, back ramrod straight, and reminded herself of who she was. Special Agent in Charge Quinn Fabray was not a coward; she was confident, well-spoken, educated, and she'd be damned if she messed up this crucial first meeting because she was feeling less than so.

Frowning slightly at the wall she witnessed go up in Quinn's eyes, Rachel sucked in a deep breath and decided to be bold. She un-tucked herself from Hiram and grabbed Quinn's arm with both hands, pulling it against her body. "Quinn's claustrophobic and we both forgot about it in our haste to leave this morning."

Hiram stiffened as Rachel kissed Quinn's cheek, holding her lips against pale skin for longer then he would consider a 'friendly peck'. Between that, the intimate way she was holding onto Quinn's arm and the way she used 'we' to describe their morning... He swallowed and felt Leroy's arm tense around him.

"Sorry to hear that, Quinn," Leroy said. "And I'm so sorry about your father. If there's anything you need you feel free to let us know."

Quinn nodded, wondering how many times she was going to hear 'sorry' in the next couple of days. "Thank you. Um, I'm just - I'm going to go get the suitcase, Rach."

Rachel tracked her movements and only faced her parents once she was sure Quinn was out of earshot. "I'm going to go ahead and guess that you have questions, based on the way you're currently gawking at me."

"I don't know how to - " Hiram started then waved his hand at Leroy. "How do I ask?"

"Sweetheart, are you dating Quinn?" Leroy asked bluntly, smiling guiltily when Hiram slapped at his arm. "What? That's how you ask."

"Quinn and I have been together for nearly a year," Rachel answered just as candidly. She'd been expecting dramatic reactions from them; after all she'd never kept her romances secret from them before. And this one was different, no matter how normal it all felt to her. However, her imagination didn't quite match up with the reality of her parents' reactions.

"What?" Hiram yelped, while Leroy's jaw fell open, and their eyes went wide. "A year? You've been dating another woman for a year and you didn't tell us?"

Crossing her arms, Rachel mentally prepared herself for the barrage of questions. She wasn't able to completely mask her wince in time and they both caught it.

"Where did I go wrong?" Hiram asked the airport ceiling and paced away from them, mumbling to himself.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Honestly, is your problem that I'm dating someone of the same sex or is it because I'm dating Quinn Fabray? If it's the former I'm going to have to cry hypocrisy on the top of my lungs."

Leroy sighed and ran a hand over his head, the same way he'd done when he'd had a full head of hair. "Rachel, we're just surprised. You didn't say anything to us about it and a year is a long time for you to hide something of this... - this magnitude. It's odd behavior for you. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Yes, like when you decided to have a girlfriend?" Hiram said, returning to Leroy's side. He took his perfectly clean glasses off and swiped at them with a cloth, still shaking his head. "Normally we get a phone call after a first date and you tell us every, single, infinitesimal detail."

"I didn't want to tell you over the phone; it didn't seem like the right thing to do because I wasn't sure how you would react. With the show and you guys not being able to come up... I wanted to tell you in person and we didn't get a chance to see each other all year." She shrugged one slender shoulder and cleared her throat. "I am sorry that it's taken so long. I wanted to tell you so badly, but I knew you'd be confused and I thought it would be rude to announce my relationship with Quinn over the phone."

"Rachel, what do you really know about her? I mean, honey, I agreed to let bygones be bygones about your past when she was your friend. But you're in what sounds like a pretty serious relationship with someone who didn't treat you very well for a lot longer than a year. You came home crying to us about Quinn on more than one occasion, and made excuses for her off and on. That doesn't sound like stable ground for any sort of relationship, friendship or otherwise, and it worries me. It sounds like you want to fix her, which is noble, but maybe you got caught up in that and confused your care for her for something more than it is." Leroy dipped his head and caught Rachel's glare. He held a hand to his chest and tried to smile reassuringly. "I'll agree that people can change, but you can understand why we're worried, right? You've never even mentioned being interested in women before."

"I understand and still can't believe you! How dare you belittle my feelings! I may be a drama queen, but I know my own heart. You know, I was expecting to have to defend my relationship to her family but not to you two." Rachel all but growled as she flung her hands into the air. "I never mentioned being interested in women because it never needed to be a topic for discussion before now. I didn't have a reason to bring it up and now I do. So here, it has been brought to your attention."

Hiram opened his mouth but Rachel held up her hand, effectively cutting him off. "I'm not finished. What do I know about Quinn? I know that she still kicks herself about stupid things that happened when we were teenagers. I know that she'll probably never stop apologizing for it either. I know that she's better for me than any of the assholes I've dated. I know that she's there when I need her, and that I'll never have to question that, or her devotion to our relationship. Quinn has proven that she will always choose me. I know that she loves all of the things about me that most people can't handle - including you two. I know that I love her and that she loves me."

Now Leroy acted like he wanted to interrupt and this time Rachel really did growl. "No, I'm still not done. You'll get your turn. Quinn is honest, courageous, caring, and everything I could ever hope to wish for. She took a bullet for me! I don't deserve her, and I'm blessed with her because she disagrees for some unfathomable reason. This weekend is going to be a nightmare; it's going to be hard enough on her, and that's without you adding to it. Thanks for that - I'm so appreciative of the fact that I get to add to the stress she's already under. So worry away, go ahead. Your concern or disapproval or whatever is not going to change the fact that I'm completely, head over heels, stupid in love with Quinn Fabray!"

Panting, Rachel finally stopped and glowered hotly at her fathers, daring them with a defiant tilt of her chin.

Hiram jabbed Leroy in the ribs with his elbow, too stunned at this point to attempt a response. Leroy cleared his throat.

"You're our baby, Rachel. We just want to protect you. That's all."

"You see that woman over there?" Rachel pointed over at Quinn who was off in the distance, intently scanning the luggage circling the carousel. "The pretty one who looks like her heart's being ripped apart? That's my baby, and you better believe that I'll defend her, fiercely, and without a second thought."

"Okay, I'm sorry - we're sorry, sweetheart," Leroy said. He cupped Rachel's heaving shoulders gently, genuinely apologetic for upsetting her so much. "We haven't given you a chance, you're right. It's a bit of a shock, that's all. You just dropped something pretty huge on us and we need some time to adjust. I'm not saying we approve or disapprove of Quinn. But maybe we could start over? Could you bring her back over here and we can try this again, the right way? Then maybe while you're in town we could have a family sit down and talk this out some more. I think once the shock wears off and we've all calmed down we could have a more open dialogue, but with a little less defensiveness from you? We're not attacking you, Rach, I promise. This is something for us to talk through."

"Honey, your Daddy and I love you more than anything in this world. We want you to be happy and if Quinn is the one who makes you happy, well, then we would like to be ecstatic for you. Can you give us the chance?" Hiram circled around Leroy and captured Rachel's hand warmly between both of his.

Rachel deflated, chin against her chest, and blushed crimson. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I think I've had all of that prepared for Quinn's relatives since this morning and it was waiting to leap out at the first opportunity. She's hurting and I want to make it better; the idea of someone, anyone, making her feel worse makes me so angry."

"You've always been, um, theatrical?" Leroy said and bumped the toe of his shoe against hers. "It's probably a good thing you unleashed it on us and not the Fabray's. I can't see any of them reacting very well."

"For all we know they're lovely people," Hiram said with a weak smile. Rachel leaned into him, burying her face in his chest as he kissed the top of her head and rocked them back and forth.

"Quinn's wariness about seeing them makes me believe otherwise," she said.

"Go get your girl, Rachel." Leroy offered. "I want to meet her properly; as your girlfriend."

They'd been on the road for all of ten minutes before Hiram couldn't stand the silence anymore. The tension was almost suffocating. In the rear-view mirror he saw Rachel sitting in the middle, wrapped around Quinn so thoroughly he had to wonder how she'd managed to do so with her seat belt on. Quinn had her arm around Rachel's shoulders, eyes closed and blonde head against the window, but he knew she wasn't sleeping. He caught sight of her thumb idly sweeping back and forth over Rachel's wrist, like she was comforting Rachel instead of the other way around.

Rachel met his gaze in the mirror and smiled so sadly it made him ache. Her expression clearly said, "see, Dad?"

"So, Quinn, where did you go to college?" Hiram asked, twisting to look into tired eyes when they blinked open.

"Georgetown University," she answered with a small, but proud, smile. "It's in Washington DC."

Leroy whistled appreciatively and peeked at the mirror. "That must have cost a fortune."

Quinn merely shrugged and her smile grew when Rachel craned up to whisper something to her. "Student loans, scholarships, and a god awful job paid the way. I'm actually glad to have worked my way through school, it was a good experience for me; I learned a lot about myself and it certainly made me try harder in my classes, even if I hated them."

"What did you major in?" Hiram asked. He didn't want to play twenty questions with Quinn, or seem like he was testing her in any way... but he sort of was. After all, she was dating his daughter and he and Leroy had an almost full-on questionnaire prepared for potential in-laws. He was fairly sure that Rachel actually had a typed up form for her dates to fill out. It was the Berry way.

"Psychology," Quinn beamed then, a full smile that nearly knocked the breath from Hiram and Leroy. Rachel smirked, having seen their dazzled expressions, and pressed a soft kiss to Quinn's throat. She knew what her fathers were doing and wasn't the least bit concerned about it. Quinn was going to blow them out of the water - in fact she would be surprised if they didn't demand that she marry Quinn.

"You're a psychologist?" Leroy asked, pleased with that career choice. He'd never said anything to Rachel, or even Hiram, but he'd wanted Rachel to settle down with someone like a doctor, or a lawyer. Someone educated and solid, who could put up with her antics and hold their ground during the inevitable tantrums - a psychologist would be perfect.

"No," Quinn shook her head. "No, I'm not a psychologist. I don't have my Doctorate, just my Bachelor's."

Hiram cocked his head and turned again, "Well the obvious next question is simple. What do you do for a living?"

"I work for the FBI."

Leroy's eyebrows shot up, comically looking like they were trying to flee his face entirely, and Hiram's jaw dropped.

Rachel couldn't hold back her laughter and Quinn's dopey smile only made the moment that much better. "You should see your faces!"

"FBI, the FBI?" Hiram squeaked. Never would he have guessed that. Quinn looked, well, she looked like a damn model, or maybe an actress. He tried to imagine her as an Agent Scully clone and shook his head when he couldn't quite get the mental picture to work. Rachel usually dated people involved in theater, in one form or another. Aside from the one guy whose name he couldn't remember, B-something. He'd been a half-assed artist – slash - musician who played piano in a bar.

"I wasn't aware there was another," Quinn joked. "I work out of the New York field office in the Violent Crimes Unit."

"She's in charge," Rachel crowed and giggled when Quinn rolled her eyes. "Just like always."

"She took a bullet for me" rang in Hiram's head. He'd thought Rachel was just embellishing Quinn's love for her, not being literal. He swallowed hard. "You carry a gun?"

Quinn's smile fell, but didn't completely fail. She nodded. "Yes."

Tucked under Quinn's chin, Rachel's mirth left her and she shuddered as the memory assaulted her. She pulled her hand up and set her fingertips under Quinn's collarbone, touching the puckered scar hidden beneath her shirt. It was a constant reminder of how close they'd been to saying goodbye. She'd always hear the screaming, and remember the dark red against her hands and clothes. A lot of her memories had gotten hazy with time, but not that one – it was still sharp and clear, as though it had happened yesterday.

Quinn pressed her hand warmly over Rachel's. "I'm here," she murmured, low enough that only Rachel would hear.

"You've been shot," Leroy stated directly, recalling his daughters heated words. He kept checking the mirror as he drove, unable to turn as Hiram was to see the entire exchange between Rachel and Quinn. It didn't matter, he saw enough.

"It was my fault," Rachel said and clutched Quinn tighter.

"It wasn't your fault," Quinn disagreed, stroking her hand through Rachel's hair. "We were out at a karaoke bar, and Rachel had someone stalking her. She was singing something clearly meant for me and he decided if he couldn't have her, nobody could. I heard someone shout 'gun' and I reacted quickly enough to get in front of her just in time."

Rachel whimpered and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "That was the worst night of my life."

Hiram reached over and took Leroy's hand, his big brown eyes welling with tears. "That – I can't. Quinn, we didn't…"

Leroy tugged at Hiram's hand and caught Quinn's calm gaze and held it, hoping his sincerity and respect for her would translate through his reflection. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me for that," Quinn said, speaking to the top of Rachel's head. She lowered her cheek down to rest on ink-colored hair. "You never have to thank me for that."

Leroy decided, right then and there, doctor's and lawyer's would never be able to compete with Quinn. Hiram had his hand in an almost painful grip, so he wracked his brain for something to say that might liven the somber atmosphere of the car. "Rachel always did want to be a damsel in distress," he teased lightly and winked at Hiram.

Settling back in his seat, face stuck in a shocked expression, Hiram wiped at his eyes and pulled his glasses off to clean them again.

Rachel pulled away from Quinn and sniffled mightily before she smiled through pouty lips. "My knight in FBI issue body armor."

"Whatever you say, Princess," Quinn snorted, then laughed, and soon the whole vehicle was chuckling along with her.

"That is disgustingly cute," Leroy said. His grin widened when another thought occurred to him. "Say, did Rachel ever tell you about Waffelo day?"

Quinn arched an eyebrow and smirked when Rachel started to protest the topic change. "No, can't say I've heard of Waffelo day."

Leroy launched into the tale of little Rachel and her inability to say 'waffle' - much to Rachel's chagrin. But Quinn was smiling and laughing again, so shel couldn't bring herself to stop the embarrassing stories. It was worth the flushed cheeks to see Quinn engaged again, even if only for a short time.

The stories continued, and so did the laughter, but too soon they found themselves crossing back into a place both had sworn never to return to. Quinn's smile slipped and Rachel gripped her hand tighter as they neared the Fabray house.

The car rolled to a stop and no one moved for several, unbearably, long seconds.

Finally Quinn took in a deep, shuddery, breath, and shoved open her door. She recaptured Rachel's hand as soon as she was able and they stayed latched on to one another, even to retrieve Quinn's battered suitcase from the trunk.

Leroy rolled his window down and waved to get their attention. "Girls, look, if things - if the house is too crowded and you need to come stay with us, let us know."

"Thank you," Rachel said and dragged Quinn back to the side of the vehicle so she could kiss her Daddy's cheek. "You are the best Dad's a girl could ask for."

"We know," Hiram said. He blew her a kiss, waved at Quinn, and then they were pulling away. Leaving Quinn and Rachel standing on the sidewalk, staring up at the house with matching looks of dread.

"Whatever is about to happen, I love you very much." Quinn said before she started up the driveway, towing both Rachel and the suitcase behind her.

Rachel swallowed hard, then pulled her shoulders back and squared her jaw.

"I love you too."

TBC...