A/N: Thank you for the reviews, very very nice. This is the last chapter, kind of. I know that really does not make since. This is the last technical chapter, I had begun writing two chapters, which were just little snippets of Quinn, Rachel, and Beth's lives throughout the rest of high school, as the sequel will take place following college. But I have not decided if I want to add those or not, let me know if you are interested in reading them. Also, I want to put out there that I would really like a beta for the sequel, so if you are interested please pm me. Anyway, hope you enjoy!
Two months had passed since Quinn's release from the hospital and the summer was beginning to wind down. Russell had plead not guilty, which meant the case would go to trial and Quinn would have to testify against her father. Russell was sitting in jail however, due to the fact he tried to leave the state after posting bail.
Rachel straightened her skirt as she sat down in the hard plastic chair, waiting anxiously for the man who had hurt the one person she holds most dear. Quinn would flip out if she knew Rachel was at the Allen County Regional Jail waiting to give Russell a piece of her mind, her dads would be upset as well, which is why no one knew she was on this mission.
She smiled to herself when she saw Russell walk in behind the clear plastic barrier that would separate them, his face was swollen and bruised, clearly men who abuse young women do not fair too well in jail. If one could even consider Russell Fabray a man. "What are you doing here?" He asked, giving Rachel a menacing look in an attempt to intimidate her.
Rachel rolled her eyes at the look of intimidation, there was no way she was going to allow this coward to intimidate her. "I have come to talk to you about Quinn. Although she has nearly fully recovered from the extensive physical injuries she sustained, by your hands, I fear the emotional ones may never heal. Especially if she has to testify against you."
Russell remained silent, but Rachel swore she saw regret in his eyes, if only for a second. "That does not explain to me why you are here." He finally said after a few moments of Rachel staring him down.
Rachel was nervous however she would never give him the satisfaction of letting it show. "She has nightmares, not every night, but at least a few times a week. She cries after she wakes, saying she can feel your hands gripping her frail arms and the pain shooting through her body as you slam her against the wall over and over again, reciting some bible verse as if that made it okay. Do you even realize you nearly killed her?" Tears escaped Rachel's eyes despite the fact that she had rehearsed this many times.
Russell showed no emotion. "There's no proof I did that, my wife and daughter are liars, they are trying to get payback for me kicking Quinn out of the house."
Rachel bit her lip, clearly the guilt trip she was attempting to take Russell on was not going as planned, thankfully Rachel Berry always had at least one backup plan. She was going to threaten the one thing Russell held most dear, his own welfare. "My daddy is a lawyer, I know how these trials usually work out. Who do you think the judge and jury is going to believe, the girl with the barely healed scar across her forehead, who will be sobbing on the stand, or the man she is pointing at when asked to identify her attacker?"
Russell shifted his weight , still trying to intimidate the girl in front of him with his menacing glare, not having much success.
"I already have the ACLU involved, they cannot wait to go to every news outlet in the country, telling them the awful story of the father who tried to beat his daughter to death because she is a single mother, and dating another girl." Rachel swallowed nervously, she knew Russell had no idea her and Quinn were anything more than friends. "In fact as we speak they are attempting to get the DA to change your charge from aggravated battery to attempted murder, which carries a sentence of life in prison. I believe this will also be considered a hate crime."
Russell's face reddened and the veins in his neck and forehead bulged as he clenched his fists. Rachel cringed when she realized that this horrifying look was what Quinn saw while the man who was supposed to love her unconditionally beat her to a state of unconsciousness. "My daughter is not a homosexual."
Rachel raised her brow and smirked. "Oh you are mistaken Mr. Fabray, trust me I would know, Quinn and I do share a bed you know." Rachel was lying, her fathers strictly enforced the separate rooms rule ever since catching them in that compromising situation and Rachel had been scared to let anything get too heated since then in fear of hurting Quinn, but Russell did not need to know that.
Russell stood up and slammed his fist against the plastic separating the two, causing guards to immediately remove him. Rachel just hoped she got under his skin enough to make him change his plea.
Rachel smiled when she arrived home and found Quinn snoring softly on the couch, a trait Rachel found adorable and one Quinn would never admit to doing. "Rachel Berry, get in here, now!" Brian hollered from the kitchen, where he sat with Paul holding Beth, who was now a four month old bundle of rolls and drool.
Rachel stood nervously in front of her father's, Beth squealed and reached out for her. "Oh no Beth, this one's in trouble why don't you stay here with me." Paul cooed.
"Where were you?" Brian stared down at his daughter. "And if you lie, no Quinn for a week."
"How could you possibly take Quinn away? She lives here." Rachel rolled her eyes at her daddy's ridiculousness.
"Just get to it Bri, so we can get to the fake tears and dramatic excuses."
Rachel scoffed at her dad. "I was doing an errand."
"Rachel Berry, we have a GPS installed on your cell phone, we know where you have been. You have no business going to see Quinn's father, we have talked about this, multiple times. He is a very dangerous man." Brian scolded, disappointment laced on his voice.
"Daddy I am appalled and saddened at your lack of trust in me, I believe this may call for another video blog-"
Before Rachel could begin her fake tears Quinn interrupted her, the commotion had woken her from her nap and she was standing in the doorframe unbeknownst to Rachel. "Why did you go see him?"
Rachel turned around quickly and she was unable to tell if Quinn was angry or just curious. She glanced at her dads who were exiting the kitchen, deciding it would be best for the girls to work this out first. They could deal with their defiant daughter later.
"Quinn, I wanted to help you. I know the thought of testifying against him terrifies you." Rachel stared at Quinn wide-eyed, confused as to why Quinn had begun to cry.
"My God Rachel, he could have hurt you, you should have never gone there I would have never forgiven myself if something happened to you. Did you really think you could convince him to change his mind? He never listens to anyone but himself."
Rachel felt the tears well up in her own eyes as she gently took one of Quinn's hands in her own. "Just like I can't possibly forgive myself for what happened to you? You could have died Quinn and it would have been all my fault."
"But I didn't. I'm still right here. Regardless, it wasn't your fault Rachel. You are the only person I truly trust, the only person that I know with all my heart would never hurt me."
Just as Quinn leaned in to press her lips against Rachel's, Paul walked in holding the phone out. "Sorry to interrupt." He said awkwardly, wishing it did not always have to be him who caught the girls in this position. "But it's for you Quinn, seems pretty urgent."
Quinn nodded and whispered thank you as she took the phone. Rachel eagerly snatched Beth away from Paul, smiling as she breathed the baby in, her sweet baby smell mixing with the vanilla scent of Quinn's perfume, probably from where Quinn had fed her earlier. Rachel anxiously listened as Quinn said a lot of okays and thank yous into the receiver. "Well?" Rachel asked as Quinn hung up.
"That was the district attorney, he confessed, which means I don't have to testify." Quinn stared at Rachel in disbelief. "What did you do to him?"
Rachel smiled, looking pretty pleased with herself. "Oh you know, just worked a little Berry magic."
Quinn cocked her brow. "Oh yeah? And what would that Berry magic entail?"
"I put my marvelous acting skills to work. I told him the ACLU was involved, and wanting to charge him with attempted murder." Rachel lowered her voice and diverted her eyes as she continued. "And I made him believe we were doing the diddly."
"Rachel!" Quinn squealed in embarrassment. "Why would you do that?"
Rachel shrugged. "Well it worked didn't it? Plus I know you want to do the diddly with me anyway."
Quinn's cheeks turned pink as she prayed Rachel's fathers were unable to hear their daughter's ridiculousness. "I told you to stop calling it that."
"You love it, just like you love me."
"Well...maybe." Quinn pulled Rachel and Beth close to her.
"Just maybe? Oh Beth your mommy is so mean!" Rachel lightly ran her finger over Beth's nose, causing the baby to giggle.
Quinn turned serious for a moment. "You do know much I love you, right?"
Rachel nodded amazed at how quickly her mouth could grow dry at the sight of Quinn's beautiful eyes burning into her own. "I think so. I know I love you and Beth more than anything."
Quinn leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on both Beth and Rachel's foreheads. "Rach?"
"Mhm?"
"Promise me we'll always be a family."
"I promise Quinn." Rachel's voice was barely a whisper. "You and Beth are, and always will be the most important things in my life, that is never going to change. Nothing will ever come before you two, no matter what."
