A/n I am very sorry about the long delay in posting this. It is a combination of slight writers block on how I wanted this chapter to go and internet problems. Another apology for not getting to repsond to the amazing reviews that have been left for this story. Thank you so much not only to those who have reviewed but to those who have also followed or favorited. You guys rock! This chapter focuses mostly on the family aspect of Quinn, hope you like it!
Megan couldn't help fidgeting in the front seat of the car as Quinn drove. She was on her way to meet his sister.
Not like that exactly, she told herself again and again. She's just going to see his niece's recital. Which in all honesty didn't sound much better to her. She'd never met a mans family before. Same thing went for bringing a man to meet her family. As silly as it sounded at 33 she'd never been in that type of a relationship with a man. Besides her parent's wouldn't have cared less if she brought the entire football team home as long as she didn't come home knocked up, even than they might not have noticed.
Even though she'd been born at the start of the hippie era her parents were far from the free love types that littered the country. Her dad had been a mean drunk who used the hippie movement to get a better high. Her mama was too worn out from her husband to pay any attention to her daughter. Megan grew up with a roof over her head and a hard knock every now and than to remind her to be grateful for it. From everything Quinn told her about Annie told her that Annie was everything her own parents weren't.
Megan glanced at Quinn, Rane, next to her in the drivers seat. She watched his fingers tap out a steady stacatoo against the wheel. From the tight grip that outlined his knuckles white she could see he was also a bit nervous. For some reason that calmed her. Sure they were re-defining exactly what they were to each other but they were doing it slowly. Megan was just going to the recital of a girl with a sick mother- she would do that for most friends.
You don't sleep with most friends. The traitorous voice in the back of her head whispered. She chose to ignore the little voice.
"Ms. Megan what do you do?" Lily asked from the back seat drawing Megan out of her thoughts.
"Well…" Megan stalled not knowing exactly how to answer. She definitely couldn't say she owned a titty bar but she didn't know if she should say she owned a bar in general. She looked back at Rane to see if he would help her.
"Ms. Megan owns a bar." Quinn said rescuing the nervous woman beside him. He glanced in the review mirror to see his niece nodding sagely.
"Mommy says only adults can go in bars." Lily said.
"Your mommy is right." Megan told her.
"Your work can't be very fun with out any kids." Lily told the older woman.
"You'd be surprised, many adults act like kids." Megan winked at the young girl.
"Mommy says that to." Lily commented, "She says that some, lots of men, never grow up."
"Well moms are usually right." Megan assured the girl while looking fondly at the giant of a man next to her. He turned to glare playfully at her. The three passed the rest of the ride moving between comfortable silence to answering curious questions from Lily in the back seat.
It wasn't until the pulled into the drive that Megan began to tense up again. Quinn noticed and reached over to squeeze her hand in a reassuring manner. Megan glanced at their clasped hands for a moment wondering at the sheer domesticity of it. More than anything the action made her more nervous instead of less. Lily unknowingly broke the moment by rushing out of the car calling out to her mother on the front step.
"Mommy! Ms. Megan said she'd come to my show tomorrow! She made me the prettiest dress!" Lilly yelled as she flung herself into the mothers arms hugging her tightly. Her mommy had cancer. Lily knew that cancer meant all the ladies at church whispered quietly over her head while they gave her extra cookies. She also knew cancer was the reason Mrs. Cobbs sometimes stayed with them, especially when Uncle Rane had to go away. Cancer also meant her mommy was sick a lot and could eat or play anymore. Sometimes Mommy couldn't even get out of bed. Either way Lily hugged her mother even tighter than normal now.
"Ms. Megan is here?" Annie asked surprised before looking up at the car to see a tall woman climb out of the front seat. The woman's long brunette hair was pulled back off her face in a pony tail. Annie watched as her brother climbed out of the drivers side of the car.
"We're back sis." He called out to her walking quickly up the drive, Megan trailing behind him. He pulled his sister into a tight hug.
Megan let Rane pass before continuing up the drive. She didn't want to interrupt family time and also she wanted a chance to see the only other woman Rane ever mentioned. He'd showed Megan a photo of Annie and Lily before. One he said had been taken a year before. The woman standing on the porch was a ghost of he woman in the photo. It looked like Annie had lost at least thirty pounds, her cloths barely hung on her skeletal frame. In the photo Annie had beautiful and thick dirty blonde hair now was so thin that Megan imagined that anymore lose would show her skull.
"Hello, I'm Megan." She greeted once she reached the stoop.
"I'm Annie. I'm glad you could come." Annie said studying the woman in front of her carefully.
Pretty smile, she noted while continuing her study, pretty girl she amended after she finished.
"I hope it's alright I did." Megan told her hostess. "Lily asked and I couldn't say no."
"I'm glad she asked you. Come on in," Annie told her gesturing to the house, "Mrs. Cobbs is making something wonderful for dinner. I swear we eat better now than before she came to help."
Mrs. Cobbs had indeed made something amazing for dinner but Megan couldn't help but notice that Annie barely picked at her food. Megan could also see that Rane noticed to. Lily kept up a constant happy chatter about her friends and her school but Megan clearly saw that the little girl kept glancing at her mother every few minutes. Still dinner went well and soon after Annie went to bed exhausted. Megan offered to do the dishes while Rane watched TV with his niece. Around eight o'clock Rane helped Lily to bed before joining Megan in the guest bedroom.
"Thanks for coming." He told her as he sat on the bed beside her.
"I'm glad I came. Your sister is wonderful." Megan said as she set aside the book she brought.
"She likes you." Rane commented off hand, "Lily too. She couldn't stop talking about the costume you made her." When Megan didn't answer right away he turned to look at her only to see her looking up at him, a small smile playing across her lips. "What?" he asked.
"Nothing." Megan said, "It's just different seeing you here. Another side of you, the family man side." She smiled at him, "I like seeing that side."
He leaned down to kiss her thoroughly on the lips. "What about this side?" He asked, rolling so he braced himself on top of her.
"Oh I think I like this side better." Megan answered adjusting herself to wrap her legs around his waist, "Although I think we are both wearing to much cloths for it." Her hands found the waistband of his shirt and she began tugging it over his head.
The next day dawned bright and early. Megan woke with her throat dry and parched around eight am. She pulled on one of Rane's tee shirts as they fell to her knee's and made her way to the kitchen to find water.
"Good morning Ms. Megan." Lily's voice sounded from the living room. Megan wandered in painfully aware she wore nothing underneath her tee shirt. She forgot that a child was in the house not to mention the child's mother.
"Good morning Lily." She said looking around, Lily was still in her night gown and sat on the couch with a cartoon playing on the screen. "How are you?"
"Good, I'm hungry though." Lily answered.
"Does Mrs. Cobbs make breakfast?" Megan asked unsure of what to do.
"Sometimes, when Uncle Rane doesn't. Usually Uncle Rane makes breakfast if I have school but I don't have school today and Mommy told Mrs. Cobbs that Uncle Rane was here so she should take a break. But I think Mommy's sick today." The little girl looked so lost and sad that it broke Megan's heart. This little girl knew her mommy was sick and not getting better but didn't know why.
"Well I'm pretty sure I'm a better cook than Uncle Rane. Why don't we find something to make for breakfast? Do you like pancakes?" Megan asked holding out her hand as an offering.
"Pancakes are my favoriteist." Lily insisted hopping off the couch and taking the out stretched hand.
"Good they're mine too." Megan told her as they walked into the kitchen. Between the two of them they managed to find all of the ingridents needed for pancakes and by the time Quinn came into the kitchen the pair of them stirred the mix covered in flour and giggling. Quinn exchanged a slightly worried glance with Megan when he realized that Annie wasn't there.
Sick. Megan mouthed over Lily's head so the child couldn't see. Quinn nodded and quietly slipped from the kitchen to go check on Annie.
"Annie?" He called out quietly when he reached his sisters bedroom. Annie didn't reply but he heard the all to familiar sounds of vomiting coming from the connected bathroom. Quinn walked in to find his sister mid-heave bracing herself against the toilet bowl while trying to hold her hair out of the way with her other hand.
"Hey there," Quinn said softly as he replaced her hand with his own, gently collecting her hair from her face. "Rough morning?"
"Yeah, you could say." Annie rasped out before heaving again. Quinn quietly held his sisters hair as her stomach tried to rid itself of the medicine that worked to save her life. After a few minutes Annie nodded slowly, leaning away from the toilet. Quinn ran some water from the tap into the glass she kept by the sink.
"Rane," Annie said after taking a sip, "I don't want Lily to see me like this. Not today. Could you…" She trailed off looking up at her big brother.
"Yeah I can. Need someone with you?" He asked.
"I don't thin-" Annie was cut off when the water she just swallowed made a violent come back. Quinn immediately went to grab her hair in one giant hand while rubbing her back with the other.
"I'll call Mrs. Cobbs when you're done. She can stay with you during the day. Megan and I will take Lily out." He told her.
"I'm going to that recital. I don't care if I have to bring a bag to puke in the entire time. I'm watching her dance the Nutcracker." Annie said violently.
"Don't doubt you for a second sis." Quinn said. Neither of them commented that the reason Annie would face hell and high water to go tonight was because she might not have another chance to watch her daughter dance the Nutcracker.
Quinn helped Annie back to her bed and left a glass of water where she could reach it. He slipped back into the kitchen where Megan and Lily were finishing up the last few pancakes.
"Those look great Lil Bill, lets eat in the living room and watch Scooby Doo." He said.
"YAY!" The eight year old cried before grabbing her plate and racing off into the other room. Megan raised an eye at Quinn asking silently if Annie was ok.
"She's having a bad day." Quinn answered the silent question. "I'm going to ask Mrs. Cobbs to sit with her today. We'll take Lily somewhere else."
"Alright, do you have her dance teachers number?" Megan asked.
"Yeah, why?" Quinn all but snapped, "Annie says she's still going to the show.
"I know. I'll call her teacher to get a list of everything Lily needs for the show and how her hair needs to be done." Megan said calmly, "I don't want her to feel out of place if she forgets something."
"Oh, thanks." Quinn said awkwardly picking up the phone to call Mrs. Cobbs. Megan walked by before going up and her tiptoes to kiss him.
"There's a plate for you on the counter." She told him before following Lily into the living room.
That evening after dinner Megan helped Lily pull her hair back into the tight bun the girl needed to wear.
"Ms. Megan?" Lily asked.
"Yeah honey."
"Is my mommy coming tonight?" Lily met Megan's eyes in the mirror, demanding an honest answer.
"Yes she is. She told me herself." Megan told the girl truthfully. Annie had started to feel better as the day went on. She even joined them for supper before going back to lie down until the recital.
"Ok." Lily said, "Is she going to get better?" She asked still meeting Megan's eyes.
Megan stopped brushing the little girls hair in surprise.
"I hope so." She told Lily.
"Me too." Lily replied all to seriously. Megan quickly finished the ballerina's bun and rushed Lily to find her shoes and tights before helping the girl into her costume. Soon Megan found herself in the back of Annie's car sitting next to Lily.
"I'm glad you came Ms. Megan."
"Me too Lily, me too."
The recital passed without a single emergency. Annie managed to not get sick once and clapped louder than any other parent in the audience at final curtain. When the young dancers searched the crowds for friends and family Lily was rewarded with a huge bouquet of red roses. Lily had informed Quinn and Megan that the "real" ballerina's always got red roses on the three-hour card ride from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. They took Lily out for ice cream after and the little girl was so excited she didn't even notice her mother didn't eat anything.
Saturday night after Quinn and Megan arrived back in Baton Rouge they lay in bed together, once again the sheets tangled around them.
"We have to try talking before getting naked." Megan commented settling into her usual post sex position curled into Quinn's side.
"Nah, the naked parts fun." Quinn said smiling before turning serious, "Thank you." He said.
"For what?" Megan asked.
"Coming with. I never could have done yesterday without your help." Quinn answered with blunt honesty.
"I'm sure you would have managed fine." Megan tried to brush off the meaning behind his statement. Soon they'd have to talk about what they were to each other but she suspected he wanted to have that conversation as much as she did.
"No I wouldn't have. I don't know how to do a hair bun, I never would have thought of flowers or calling her teacher or what ever the hell that game was you played with her in the park." Coming from any other man the admission might have been seen as weakness. Coming from Quinn it was nothing more than stating the facts.
"Pretend." Megan automatically named the game her and Lily played in the park. They pretended they were super secret spies hiding from the bad guys. Megan had played that game herself as a child whenever she went to the park alone to hide from Dad yelling at Mom.
"Either way, thank you." Quinn said again.
"Anytime." Megan said with feeling.
Sunday morning while Megan made breakfast Quinn used her phone to call the Mother Charter.
"Hey Clay, its me." Quinn said. He called at least once a week to check in even if he hadn't heard anything.
"Quinn good to hear from you. I need you." Clay said into the phone, "New Yorks got a problem. Need you to sniff out a rat."
"Breakfast is ready!" Megan called from the kitchen.
"Fuck," Quinn swore under his breath, "be right there Megs!" He called to the kitchen before turning back to the phone, "Long one?" He asked.
"Might be. I need the best though." Clay told him. For a moment Quinn didn't respond. He'd go, of course he'd go but he didn't want to leave Annie with just Mrs. Cobbs for that long.
"Fuck." He said again, "I'll head out there in a day or so. Got some things to tie up here with Annie."
"Take your time brother. Like I said I need the best on this one."
The two men said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Quinn walked into the kitchen where Megan scooped out eggs from a pan.
"Megs, I got a favor." He said.
"Hit me."
"I got an out of town job, might take awhile…" Quinn trailed off unsure how to ask.
"You want me to check on Annie." Megan said, saving him from asking.
"Yeah."
"Ok, if you arrange Mrs. Cobbs to be there during the week I can do weekends. Lola mentioned wanting to start bartending anyway. I'll do books and inventory Wednesday before we open." Megan said not bothering to look over from the pan.
"Thank you." Quinn said putting all his gratitude into one word. Sooner or later they'd have to talk about what they were and he'd have to tell her what he did but that could wait until after this New York job.
"Don't mention it." Megan said looking up to meet him in the eye. She knew she didn't love this man or his family yet but damn she knew she was close.
Thousands of miles away in California the President of the Mother Charter wandered into the Teller-Morrow office to find his lover buried in paperwork.
"What?" She snapped before looking up, "Sorry baby, thought you were that damn prospect again. Little fucker can't read a tow order yet. Don't patch him in. Stupid is only good for killing."
"A'ight. Think we can manage that." Clay drawled.
"What's on your mind?" Gemma asked seeing something was eating her lover.
"I think Quinn's shacking up with some bitch." Clay said.
"So? Who cares if he's got regular pussy around?" Gemma asked.
"If it's the right pussy it makes a man think, maybe change some of his ideas about things." Clay said pointedly.
"Baby we did what we did for the good of the club you know that." Gemma said.
"Yeah I do, but this pussy might bring questions we buried back to light." Clay commented.
"Watch him than. If we need to we'll figure out what to do about the bitch." Gemma said shrugging it off easily. Clay merely nodded. He walked back into the club house before picking up the phone and dialing *69. After a few rings a voice came over the line.
"Hello Megan Braddocks residence."
"Sorry, wrong number." Clay said before hanging up the phone. He filed the name away to think about later and went back out to do a routine oil change on a minivan.
A/n2 So those of you reading my other story Maybe This Time already know this but even if you do keep reading. When I'm in the states I'm a college student and work as a stripper. Recently I decided to start a blog about my experience dancing and why I do dance. So if you are interested in that you can find my blog at no the only story. wordpress. com just take out all the spaces. I'm also now on twitter, slowly figuring it out, not _ one _ story again take out all the spaces. Thanks!