Chapter 14

A/N: Hello everyone, I'm back! :)

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After breakfast and of course helping my mom clean up, Beth and I were on our way to Santana's. I wanted to see her soon. I needed to properly talk to her. Explain what happened with me last night. I didn't want to do that in front of my daughter but everyone seemed to have previous engagements that I just didn't have the heart to ask them to watch her.

Walking up to Santana's door I realized I wasn't even sure if the Latina was free today. I took deep breaths thinking about what I was going to say to Santana. Before I could calm my nerves enough to knock on the door there were already the sounds of knuckles meeting wood. I quickly looked down and saw Beth plastered with a wide smile looking at the door, impatiently waiting for it to open.

I was just about to warn her about not overwhelming Santana, when the door opened and I was met with brown eyes. Though they weren't the brown eyes I had hoped to see. I was seriously reconsidering this whole thing.

"Hi Sugar! Is Santi here?" Beth cut in before I could even string together a sentence in my head. She was swaying back and forth from her heels to her toes.

Beth was beyond eager as she had brought all her markers to get Santana to sign her arm.

"Hey guys, yeah she's here." She said still holding onto the door. Beth and I both glanced at one another, silently questioning what we should do. Sugar of course noticed. "Oh I'm sorry, how silly of me, c'mon in."

As we walked in another voice sounded from one of the rooms and was getting stronger as it approached.

"Hey Suga who was it at the door? Was is that son of…" she thankfully cut herself short, because I was pretty sure she was going to say 'Bitch' and I really didn't need Beth to start repeating the word. Her eyes quickly scanned over Sugar, grazed over Beth and, then stopped on me. She stood there, not quite believing I was there. I could tell she was trying to read the situation, if the reason why I had come to visit was good or bad.

"Quin and Beth stopped by." Sugar stated the obvious.

"Santi!" Beth ran over to Santana, making the latter draw her eyes away from me. "Look! They had purple!" She waved her arm excitedly in front of the Latina, while said girl crouched down next to her.

"Hey look at that pretty girl!" Santana said admiring the cast.

"Sorry Santana, we didn't mean to come unannounced." I finally seemed to remember I could speak.

"It's okay. We were just about to go for a run." Sugar spoke up for Santana.

It was then that I realized both women were sporting work out gear. Sugar was dressed in tights and a tank, while her hair was made up in a braid. Santana wore short running shorts and a black tank. Her hair was up in a pony tail. Her tan skin, toned legs. Wow she looks soo…

"Aw," Beth pouted. "But I brought the markers and stickers you sent me so you could sign my cast."

"Well who could say no to that adorable face?" Santana said with a smile.

"No no. Santana I'm sorry. We shouldn't have just come over like that. Its okay we can go. Come on Beth." I held my hand out for her to take. "Sorry Sugar, you girls can go on your run now."

"Hold on Beth," Santana said standing up and walking over to me. Taking in a deep breath I closed my eyes. I felt her waiting. Waiting for me to open them, and slowly I did. Compassion filled hazel eyes met sorrow filled brown. "Quinn, don't go. I- I'd really like to talk. Please."

It hurt to see her eyes that way. This wasn't completely her fault and she had the right to know. I found myself nodding. "Yes, talk. We need to talk. But.." I lowered my voice so only Santana could hear me. "I can't, not in front of Beth."

"Okay," she nodded. She turned around and looked towards Sugar and Beth, who were chatting happily about the stickers Beth had. "Sugar" was all she said and she seemed to know exactly what Santana wanted.

"You know Beth, I have an idea. Why don't you and I pick up my dog Precious? Then we can go for a walk to the park. I'm sure she'd really like you." Sugar asked Beth who seemed to like the idea.

"Really? Wait, but what about my cast. I want Santi to sign it." She said beginning to pout again.

"Hey pretty girl," Santana said couching down to Beth's height again. "Do you really think I'd miss the opportunity to sign your awesome purple cast? I think not!" The brunette said so earnestly that Beth began to smile. "Me and your mom are just gonna talk for a bit while you go have some fun with Sugar at the park and her diva of a crazy dog. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Yeah it kinda does," Beth said feigning disinterest.

"I promise that as soon as we get back, I and a marker are going to be all over that purple cast, you won't know what hit you." The Latina said pointing at said purple cast.

"Pinky promise?" Beth asked, holding out her pinky. Santana smiled and just as she was going to bring her pinky to close over hers, she quickly retracted it and said with such seriousness in her voice you'd think she was judge in the Supreme Court. "You have to be really really sure about pinky promises. Britt told me those are the most serious special sealed promises there are."

Her expression changed, matching Beth's determined one. The brunette held out her pinky, "Yes I Santana Lopez pinky promise."

Beth's eyes lit up, she quickly enveloped the tan pinky with her small one. Before Santana could pull away Beth spoke again. "No our thumbs have to touch, then it's a real pinky promise."

The brunette chuckled lightly before performing what Beth asked. "There, now it's official."

"Alright come on Beth." Sugar called from the door.

"Beth, be good and listen to whatever Sugar tells you." I said sternly to my little girl.

"Yes mommy I know, I will."

"You better missy." I kissed her farewell and sent her on her way. I mouth a quiet thank you to Sugar who only smiled kindly in return.

As soon as the door clicked shut and Beth was no longer heard I turned to look at Santana who was standing up against the wall. She looked so beautiful and sad.

"Quinn I'm…"

"Don't." I cut her off. "Ugh you're soo. I mean just look at how you are with my daughter." I began to get animated with my hands, throwing them up and down when I got worked up in true Quinn Fabray fashion. "It makes what I did, said, make me look like such an idiot." I began to say feeling immensely frustrated with myself.

"You're not an idiot Quinn. I am. That's what I wanted to say, that I'm sorry. That I shouldn't have done that. I crossed the line." She rushed out as quickly as she could, slowly stepping closer. Testing to see how I would react.

"No Santana. Let me finish. Let me talk please. I need to tell you something." She nodded, gently reaching for my arm. I let her pull me to the couch where she sat opposite me, giving me space she just seemed to understand that I needed. We sat silently, her patiently waiting for me to speak. Ugh this is going to be hard. Here goes nothing.

"Russell, my father," I elaborated. "He, he opened doors, he went to all my cheer competitions. He was the perfect gentleman. He was the perfect father. We went to church like every good Christian. He talked, he joked with everyone. He was wealthy, handsome, and a charmer to top it all off. Everyone liked him. He was the all around good guy." I shook my head slightly to myself. I finally looked towards Santana's expressive eyes, showing all the care I needed to continue. "Only he wasn't. He wasn't any of those things, not really. He was only that in front of people. It started off with my mom. He would beat her, but then he moved on to me. I took it, mainly because my mom did. She put on a brave face. We didn't have much of a choice. When the time came that I did get fed up, it only made matters worse. He soon started taking things from us, phones, computers, money, and food. We were at his mercy and there was nothing we could do. Hopeless doesn't even begin to cover what I felt."

I felt her gentle hand on mine again and I couldn't believe how stupid I was for reacting the way I did. Her touch was soothing beyond belief and I felt even worse.

"I should know, I mean I do know. You're nothing like him. I see the way you treat me, hell the way you treat Beth. You're so patient, and kind, and understanding, and compassionate. For that split second, for that stupid fucking lapse in judgment on my part, I reacted the way I did. I didn't have my money and I got freaked out that maybe I had lost my money. But then you smiled and kind of laughed saying that you had taken, though it wasn't literally, my money and I just.. It brought me back to when Britt would secretly bring me food. When Sam would try to give me some of his hard earned money. He always kept trying, knowing I wouldn't take it. Later I found out he was saving it for my mother and I." I smiled faintly remembering my two best friends. She began running her thumb over my knuckles.

"I reacted terribly Santana. Far worse than necessary, than deemed appropriate in a situation like this. I'm sorry for ruining such a wonderful night, because it was wonderful. You we're beyond amazing as always and I just fucked it up."

"Hey, can I talk now? Please." She said breaking her silence. I gave a small nod, staying clear from her eyes. She brought her thumb to my cheeks, wiping the silent tears I hadn't realized I was shedding. The action forced my eyes to hers and with a force that only came from the brunette sitting before me, my eyes could no longer look away.

"You're not stupid. I'm sorry I made you feel like that, that I made you go back to such a terrible place. I was trying to be gentlewomanly and it absolutely back fired. I don't blame you for ruining anything. This is not your fault. You can't always help what emotions win out. I know that pretty well myself. Please don't think that your feelings and any of this was stupid." She came closer and closer, finally resting her forehead with mine. "They matter and they are certainly not stupid to me. I can assure you that I will not be attempting any stunt like that for a long time. Well, until I know that you know deep down in your heart that you can trust me. I would never do anything like that to you Quinn or Beth." With each sincere word that escaped her lips, it was as though she was mending a crack on my shattered image.

I slightly nodded, looking into her eyes, letting her know I believed every word she told me.

With fire blazing behind her brown orbs that made them look chestnut, she closed the gap between us and her lips meet mine. It was a tender kiss, filled with promise and love. Her lips burned mine with passion every time they caressed. This woman was beyond any words I could come up with.

When we gradually broke apart, foreheads still resting on one another, I felt her chuckle before I heard it. I opened my eyes to see hers slowly open. She had her pinky out and said "I Santana Lopez pinky promise."

I pulled her close laughing into the kiss I took her lips into. But I made sure to wrap my pinky securely around hers and touching thumbs before I pulled her close. Holding her in an embrace that meant so much to me, I said two words.

"Thank you."

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A/N: I know you all probably hate if not are at least upset with me for not updating. I'm sorry people but I'm back and ready for more action. Thank you all to everyone who reads and thanks for the reviews!

loveheather: Thank you! I miss you too! I miss you all and writing this story.

Whatsvinyl, Jammy, and Ryoko05: I hope you all liked my explanation.

niccici30: Do not worry buddy I will not stop writing this story out of nowhere.