Well, nobody voted for the gender of the baby in the last chapter. So is it safe to say they're going to have a girl?

Current standings:
Girl - 11
Boy - 4

I'm hoping that posting this before the Championship round of football starts will help with the number of reviews :D All I have to say is. GO RAVENS! I don't see them beating the Patriots, but omg if they do look out Super Bowl! (Super Bowl is a trademark and I'm not trying to cause any issues by saying it lol)

Thanks to Jennception for proofing this for me. She found and pointed out a few errors in this chapter.

Oh, only two scenes in this chapter too, but they're long enough to end up with almost 5k words + my author's note of course. Just you all wait until next week and all subsequent weeks. Chapter 20 is the longest chapter I've EVER written. I know you guys and gals will be happy about it.

The First 24
Chapter 19

February 14 – 4:00PM

Quinn smiled when the light shinning in through the kitchen window caught her new bracelet. Whenever she felt herself slipping, all she had to do was look down. Strength was right there. It would always be with her. Rachel would always be with her. That thought alone brought a larger smile to her lips. Rachel was her angel – her savior. Without Rachel, she'd be dead right now. Just because she was too prideful to ask for help it caused her to lose her mind and nearly succeed in taking her life.

She placed her lips to the bracelet, the smile never leaving her face as she pulled a pan out of the cabinet. She already knew what she was making Rachel for Valentine's Day. Quinn hummed softly to herself as she started a familiar routine. It wasn't the first time she had made coconut portabella stir-fry for Rachel. It was the same dish she made the first time she cooked for Rachel. The first time ended up being a total disaster. Vegetables were overcooked… rice was still rock hard. It was horrible.

But, over the years, Quinn had perfected the recipe. She turned the stove on to begin her preparations. What she hoped though, was that she could finish before Rachel got home. As the stove heated up she dug through the refrigerator to pull out everything she purchased at the store after she left the studio. She hesitated for a moment when her hand reached out for one of the kitchen knives. Thoughts were running through her head again.

Quinn paused – she found herself starring at the knife she'd just pulled out of the block. It would be so easy right now. Rachel wouldn't be home for at least an hour. Her heart would have stopped pumping the blood out of her body by then.

"You're stronger than that Quinn. Don't bottle it up anymore. If you need to scream and yell… do it."

Emily's words played fresh in her mind. That coupled with a quick glance at the word 'strength' attached to her wrist helped her. "Fuck you Jim. You can't break me anymore." She found her voice to fight back against her rogue thoughts. Speaking up seemed to replace her bad thoughts with fresh, good ones. She refocused all of her attention on chopping the vegetables and finishing her preparations.

February 14 – 6:45PM

Finally. Rachel feared she'd never get off the set. Jason said he wanted to get out early, yet he decided to shoot an extra scene. In a way she was thankful, because that extra scene gave everybody the next day off.

All thoughts of filming vanished in an instant when she pulled into the driveway next to Quinn's car. The only thing on her mind right now, was spending the evening and the following day with her amazing wife. Rachel grabbed her purse before heading into the house. "Quinn?" The brunette called out once she placed her purse beside her wife's on the table. "Honey, it smells wonderful in here." She continued to make her way further into the house.

Quinn smiled from her place in the dining room. She stood just inside the doorway holding two wine glasses. One with red wine for Rachel, the other with cranberry juice to give the illusion. "Hello my love." She spoke when the brunette came around the corner. "For you."

The smile that was already on her lips grew wider until she took a sip from her glass. Her eyes shot open in shock before she quickly pulled Quinn's glass out of her hands. "You can't have wine Quinn! It's bad for the baby! What are you thinking?"

"Are you done?" One of the blonde's eyebrows rose at the smaller woman's reaction. "Mine's juice. Yours is the good stuff."

There was hesitation written all over Rachel's face. It wasn't that she didn't trust Quinn… she just questioned some of her actions. She took a quick sip from the blonde's glass before handing it back. "Alright… I just had to check." Quinn laughed softly before stealing Rachel's lips with her own. "I'll never get tired of that."

"Tired of what?" Quinn's hand came up to rest on the brunette's cheek before she kissed her again – harder than the first. She melted when she felt Rachel's free hand rest on her hip. A low moan rumbled in her throat when Rachel's tongue dared to trace her lower lip. Before granting it access she broke the kiss to smile at a breathless Rachel.

"Of that. Of your breathtaking kisses."

"I promise you can have more of them after dinner. Which is getting cold by the way." She stepped away to pull out one of the chairs. "Come on. Sit. Sit." Her heart melted upon hearing Rachel's soft giggle.

"What's for dinner?"

Once she had Rachel situated she lifted the lid on her place. "Bon appétit beautiful." She kissed the brunette's cheek before taking her own seat and removing the cover from her own plate.

"Is this what I think it is?" Rachel's eyes lit up as she reached for her spoon. Quinn only nodded. "Honey, you haven't made this in years." She dug right into her meal.

"Is it good?" She watched Rachel savor the first bite. So much so that she let out a moan. "I'll take that as a yes." Before she had a chance to dig into her own meal she spotted a spoon coming toward her. Without hesitation she opened her mouth to accept the food.

"It's delicious honey." Rachel finally took a moment to take in the dining room décor.

Quinn had spent the time that the dessert was in the oven preparing every detail. There was a white tablecloth covering the otherwise wooden table. The lights were out and the curtains were drawn. The only lights in the room came from the two candlesticks on the table and the small amount that tickled in from the hallway.

Quinn shifted her chair and plate closer to the brunette. For the next few minutes they remained silent as they shared bites of their food and random soft kisses.

"I did all of this… as a thank you." Quinn looked down at the table, suddenly feeling very shy about her words. "You've been so patient with me… so understanding."

"Quinn…" Rachel held up her hand to stop the blonde's upcoming rant. "I love you. And I'll tell you that every minute of every day if I have to. Sweetie…" she paused to brush some hair out of Quinn's face, "you don't have to thank me. Ever." She smiled softly when Quinn's eyes met hers. "You're so beautiful. Every day I wake up to see you I just keep thinking of how lucky-"

She was interrupted by a set of hungry lips on her own. Quinn was ready. She wanted Rachel. Her body wanted Rachel. Carefully pulling away, she stood up and took Rachel's hand in hers. Without a word she blew out the candles before she led her down the hallway and into their bedroom.

Rachel's mind was wandering aimlessly the entire time. She knew her wife. She knew what that type of kiss meant. That kiss in particular always came from a sexually frustrated Quinn. "Quinn?" She whispered, but her thoughts were cut short when the blonde's lips found hers – effectively silencing any further questions. She wasn't complaining. Over the past few weeks, things had progressed at Quinn's pace. No further protests left her lips once Quinn's tongue traced her lower lip eagerly seeking access.

Slowly, Quinn led Rachel toward their bed. Her lips gradually made their way down the expanse of tan skin that was Rachel's neck. She savored each of the moans and whimpers that her wife emitted. Rachel needed this just as badly as she did. Before Jim happened, their sex life was healthy, at least once a week. It always depended on their schedules. But after Jim… everything stopped. Now, as Quinn pulled Rachel's shirt off, she felt as if everything would go back to normal.

The brunette's eyes closed again as she felt herself being slowly lowered onto their comforter. Her body felt as if it were on fire. Every small caress of Quinn's gentle fingers on any exposed portion of her skin sent a very familiar and very missed chill down her spine – right to her core. She feared, that since it had been so long, she would explode with the simplest of touches. Her back arched up on its own accord when Quinn's lips traveled down her bare chest. She felt her wife pause for a moment, fingers coming up to unhook the bra that was in the blonde's way. Rachel shifted just enough to push the garment aside. Within moments, Quinn's assault on her skin continued.

Quinn carefully wrapped her lips around one of Rachel's rock hard nipples, her fingers toyed and plucked at the other. It had been too long. She hadn't realized how much she missed the feelings and the noises until she was experiencing them again. Her body shifted a little bit when Rachel carefully pulled her up for another kiss. It wasn't heated, or lustful. No. It was slow and romantic. This wasn't sex. It was making love. In her mind she heard Jim's voice taunting her again. He told her things about how nobody loved her, Rachel was only using her.

"I love you Quinn." Rachel's words were so soft that Quinn barely heard them. Those soft words pushed away any of her thoughts.

Soon, she found herself focusing on the soft, eager body below her own. Quinn carefully sat up on her knees, which were on either side of Rachel's hips, to unbutton her blouse. Their eyes locked as Rachel's hands snaked up under the clothing to get the first feel of Quinn's bare stomach in days. Once the last button was opened, Quinn threw her shirt to the floor. She wasn't thrown off by the feeling of Rachel's fingers digging into the skin of her stomach. Thankfully. She was going to be alright. She dipped down again to capture the smaller woman's lips gently.

Rachel could tell things were going to progress slowly. She was perfectly fine with that. Slowly, she allowed her fingers to travel up Quinn's bare back. Internally wincing every time she felt the ridge of a scar as she made her way up to the clasp of Quinn's bra. She opened her eyes to search for any discomfort. When she saw absolutely no hesitation in the bright hazel eyes above hers, she easily unhooked the bra and slid it's straps down Quinn's shoulders. She pulled it from between them and threw it toward the floor with the rest of their clothing.

"Oh…" Rachel moaned softly when their breasts came in contact with one another. Oh how she missed that feeling. Not counting the shower they partook in two days prior, the last time she felt Quinn's bare skin against hers was two days before she disappeared. "Please baby." She opened her mouth to moan but it was swallowed by Quinn's lips on her own again. Her back arched up to press further into the fingers that slowly trailed down her body. She couldn't help the shiver that traveled down her spine when those same fingers came to rest on the zipper on the side of her skirt.

As Quinn's fingers slid the zipper of Rachel's skirt down, she trailed kisses down her bare chest. She chose to forego her breasts, instead dipping her tongue into the brunette's belly button, knowing how much it drove her crazy. This was no different. The simple action drew one of the deepest, loudest moans she'd ever heard from Rachel. Quinn knew it came from the fact that she hadn't touched her wife in months. She felt guilty for not giving Rachel what she needed. She felt guilty for being broken like she was. When she paused for a moment, she felt Rachel's fingers glide soothingly through her hair. It was a silent command to continue, but only if she felt she could. And she knew she could. She wasn't panicking like she had in the past. Once the skirt was unzipped, Quinn took her time in dragging it down Rachel's long legs.

"Baby?" Rachel questioned gently when she saw Quinn hesitate some. "You don't have to you know." She sat up slowly and gently took Quinn's hand in her own. "Sex or not, I love you no less. You should know-" She was cut off yet again by the blonde's lips on her own. Deep down, Rachel could tell that her wife needed this. She needed to prove to her that she wasn't a complete lost cause. As Rachel sank back into the comforter, her arms wrapped securely around Quinn's shoulders. Her legs opened on instinct to allow Quinn space between them. There was a sharp intake of air through her nose when Quinn's hips pressed gently against her aching core. The roughness of Quinn's jeans added just enough friction to get her teetering on the edge already.

"So beautiful." Quinn whispered against Rachel's ear. Her eyes remained closed as her fingers trailed a well-known path up the inside of the brunette's long toned legs. She pulled away for a moment to look down into Rachel's darkened eyes. "I love you Rachel." Her words came out as she hooked her fingers in Rachel's red lace panties and began to slide them down her legs. She couldn't fight off her smile when the smaller woman lifted her hips – obviously eager to help rid the last bit of clothing from her body.

Rachel sat up in an instant when Quinn climbed off of her. She immediately thought the worst. That was, until she saw the blonde starting to reach for the button of her jeans. "Can I?" She slowly reached out her hand, allowing Quinn the chance to back away if she wanted to. Her heart rate quickened when, instead of backing away, Quinn stepped closer and rested her hands on Rachel's biceps. "You're so perfect Quinn." She whispered, kissing the skin just above the waistband of Quinn's jeans as she slid them down her slender legs. "I love everything about you." Her hands came to rest on the blonde's now bare hips as she placed several open mouthed kisses to the scars that covered Quinn's stomach.

"Lay back…" Quinn's fingers trailed up to run through Rachel's long brown hair before allowing her to lay back, her legs still hanging over the edge of the bed. She carefully knelt down on the floor – her fingers dancing up the brunette's long legs. Even after all these years, Quinn still wondered how someone so short could have such long legs.

The blonde simply sat there for a moment. Her fingers trailed dangerously close to Rachel's core. She was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of her wife. Biting back the last ounce of uncertainty she had, she lowered her head to place kisses along the same path her fingers had just traveled. She couldn't help the smirk that came to her lips at Rachel's hips lifting up eagerly. Quinn's fingers gripped onto the brunette's hips as her tongue darted out to get its first taste of Rachel in months.

She found herself pausing and pulling back for just a moment, despite Rachel's hips rising up in protest. Hazel eyes fell closed as her tongue darted out to savor the small amount of taste she'd accumulated on her lips. "Quinn?" Rachel started to sit up to see if something was wrong. When her eyes locked with Quinn's bright ones, she smiled reassuringly down at her before laying back. Quinn was taking her time and Rachel was perfectly fine with that. "Oh god!" Her back arched up the moment Quinn's skilled tongue went back to work on her overly sensitive core. It had definitely been too long and she knew she wouldn't last long.

"Rach…" Quinn bit her lip as she lifted her head. "You… you can touch me… if you want." She knew Rachel had been holding back, she was both thankful and upset for that. This wasn't just a moment of Quinn getting her wife off, this was a huge step for her, and if she couldn't have the whole experience, then she didn't want any of it at all. A loud, heavy sigh left her lips when Rachel's fingernails carefully scraped along her scalp before tightly gripping her hair. Her eyes closed as she dipped back down to go back to work. Rachel's finger's in her hair only sent familiar, welcomed jolts through her own body, into her core.

Rachel's fingers unconsciously dug into Quinn's scalp as she felt her warm, strong tongue back on her throbbing clit. "Fuck!" Her eyes slammed closed. She felt herself drift into a total state of euphoria. Just as Quinn's slender fingers pushed their way inside of her she couldn't fight it anymore. "Quinn!" She nearly screamed at the overwhelming sensation of her orgasm.

The blonde continued to lap at her wife slowly. Her slower, most sensual movements allowed Rachel a slow descent back into reality. "I missed how you taste." Quinn smiled to herself before she climbed up onto the bed and straddled her wife's hips.

"I just missed you." Rachel's hand drifted to the blonde's neck before she pulled their bodies flush together – their lips meeting in a battle for dominance. A moan rumbled in her throat when she got the first taste of herself on Quinn's lips. "I do taste good huh?" She giggled softly, especially when Quinn nodded in affirmation. "I love you Quinn…" Rachel pressed her lips against Quinn's neck before shifting to roll her wife onto her back. She slowly started to trail kisses down the blonde's exposed neck, smiling when she felt the skin below her lips vibrate.

Quinn's nails dug into Rachel's shoulders as her eyes closed. She focused entirely on the sensations Rachel was sending through her body. Each tender caress of lips to skin sent wave after wave of chills down Quinn's back. It was like they never missed a beat. Rachel wasn't treating her as if she was fragile. No. Rachel wasn't treating her like she was broken. No. Rachel was treating her as if nothing ever happened. There was something different though. Different than all the times they'd made love in the past. Quinn needed her wife and needed her touch, but everything reminded her of him. "Rach…" Quinn felt herself start to wince every moment Rachel's lips touched her skin.

No matter what she did, or how much she thrashed around below him, he didn't stop. All of her screams in his ear, all of the times she attempted to head butt him, only brought more pain upon herself. Instead of the gentle kisses he'd started with, he now sank his teeth into the skin near her collar bone. Her cries of pain were ignored. A familiar burning sensation started to cover her neckline. She was bleeding. She knew that feeling very well from the past two days. He bit a chunk of her skin off of her body.

Quinn's heart rate started to speed up. She was struggling to keep a steady breath as Rachel carefully pressed her lips against the rapidly fading scar near her collar bone. Rachel wouldn't hurt her. She knew Rachel wouldn't hurt her, but she still couldn't stop her body from reacting like it would. "Rachel…" She whimpered again. A whimper that was mistaken for a cue to continue. She loved how her body was reacting positively to all of the gentle caresses Rachel gave to her. She hated though, how her mind wasn't staying in the same reality as her body.

There was nothing gentle about it. She cringed at the feeling of his unshaven face on the inside of her thigh. "This is what all you little dykes want, isn't it?"

Quinn whimpered the moment she felt his unforgiving tongue and teeth on her clit. There was no pleasure in his actions. Nothing but pain. Everything about what he did was either too hard, or too rough.

Her eyes slammed shut at the memory. Rachel was too busy peppering kisses across her chest and ribcage to notice the tears that had started to slide down her cheeks. Quinn's left hand gripped the sheets beside her for dear life. She needed to get through this. She… thought she could get through this. But the moment Rachel's fingers started dancing around on the inside of her thigh, she knew she couldn't. "Rach…" Her voice was nothing but a whisper. An unheard whisper. The moment Rachel's finger barely grazed against her outer lips her body went into full flight mode. She kicked herself out from under Rachel's body, scampered to her feet and started to back away from her.

"Baby?" Rachel stood up before approaching Quinn slowly. "Baby, it's just me."

"Don't…" Quinn slowly dropped to her knees in the middle of the bedroom as she was overtaken by memories and tears. It was two months already and she still remembered everything like it happened yesterday. There wasn't a minute that passed by where her memories dared to fade away. She was stuck with them, and always would be. "Just… don't." She warned again when she heard Rachel take a step closer.

"Quinn, please talk to me."

The blonde shifted enough to sit completely on the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest before resting her head on them. The simple position helped her feel a little bit more comfortable – she wasn't as exposed. Granted, she was still naked, but the important parts were covered. "Can I have a robe…" Quinn's eyes stayed trained on Rachel as the brunette grabbed the white cotton robe from the hook on the back of the door. Her body tensed when Rachel came within a few feet of her. "I can do it." She took the robe and tossed it over her shoulders.

Placing her own robe over her naked form, Rachel took a seat on the floor a few feet away from Quinn and just watched her. It had been over two weeks since the last time Quinn had a panic attack from memory overload. Memories that the blonde still wouldn't share with her. But she understood why she kept them bottled inside. She really did, because talking about them, meant acknowledging they were real. Even though everybody knew they were real, Rachel understood that sometimes pretending they weren't was a good way in coping with them. She hated being as helpless as she was.

"Can you just leave me alone please?" Quinn glanced at Rachel before looking back to the carpet.

"No, I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm never going to leave you alone Quinn."

Rachel's words just broke the blonde further. The harder Quinn sobbed, the closer Rachel dared to scoot toward her, until finally their knees were touching. "Don't ever leave me Rachel." Quinn cried on her wife's shoulder. "Please don't ever leave me." It was the one thing she was truly petrified of – Rachel leaving her because she's broken.

"Why would you think that sweetheart?" Rachel felt her own tears start to spill out of her eyes. Her wife was broken, and there was nothing she could do but just hold her. Hold her and wait for her to tell whatever part of her story she was willing to share.

"It just hurts so much. All of it hurts so much. Rachel I can't even describe it to you. I can't put it into words what I'm feeling right now." Quinn allowed herself to be brought to her feet. Her head remained against Rachel's as they covered the short distance to the bed to lay down. Nothing else was going to happen, Quinn knew that. But all that really mattered to Quinn in the end, was that she was able to give Rachel a release.

"Maybe Emily can help you find the words to describe it?" At first Rachel was a bit bitter toward the psychologist. But the more Quinn talked with Emily, the more she opened up with her. So it was a win-win all the way around. Quinn got her feelings out in the open, and Rachel got to learn more and more about what happened. The blonde just nodded against her chest – her entire body still shaking from sobs. "Just let it all out baby… I'm right here."

"You promise?"

Rachel let out a shaky breath before pressing a lingering kiss to the top of Quinn's head. "Of course I promise. Quinn Berry-Fabray, you're stuck with me." She smiled at the soft laugh she heard from Quinn.

"Good, I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Me either." She reached for the blanket to cover them up before closing her eyes and savoring the feeling of Quinn relaxing against her.

So. Okay. I'm planning a trip in the beginning part of may to visit a very close friend of mine. Baby Capri 1990, in Oregon. So... she recently asked people for help in her story, so I'm going to do the same. If anybody lives in Washington or Oregon... what should we do? She lives in a smaller town and we were hoping for some of the 9 days I'm there that we can go to a major city. Just for like 3-4 days. So, any help would be awesome!

Don't forget to review, only takes a few seconds, or minutes, depending if you decide to write me an essay (which I definitely don't mind).

See you guys next week. All you Americans out there, enjoy your NFL Championship Round!

Go Ravens! :D