"No, sorry Brittany... Your man is out on the town." Santana said, filing her nails as she talked into the phone. The brunette looked up as the bell by the front door chimed. "Oh wait, he just got back. Here you go."
Sam flushed slightly when the woman wriggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Hey Sweetie, how are you feeling? Oh, good. I'm glad. I'll pick up dinner on the way home, text me if you need anything else."
The man rolled his eyes, turning away so that he could fully ignore the crude gestures Santana was making.
"Mhmm. I love you too, B. I've got to go now, I need to talk to the Sheriff."
Santana rolled her eyes and settled back into her chair as Sam hung up the phone. "You two are disgusting."
"Oh, hush. You and your lady are just as adorable." He said, plopping a large yellow bag down on her desk. As soon as the words left his mouth he worried that it was too soon to have said something like that.
The brunette remained silent for a moment, her eyes glued to her fingernails. "What's in the bag?" She asked suddenly, without looking up.
"The whole Misery collection, thought maybe seeing some of her work might help me to get to know her a little better... So I can contribute more to the search."
Santana made a small noise in the back of her throat and plucked one of the books from the bag. "Good luck. I knew her pretty intimately and I haven't been of much help."
Sam frowned, "No past tense... Okay? Maybe we're just looking at things the wrong way."
"Yeah... Right." Santana sighed, running her hand through her hand, "The local police are withdrawing from the investigation after another week... Then we'll be the only ones investigating."
Sam's frown deepened, "Who needs them anyway? They were ready to throw in the towel before they even took a look at her car."
Santana laughed bitterly, "They're just being realistic, Froggy Lips."
"You aren't giving up on her... Are you?"
The brunette chewed on her lip, "No, of course not. I just... I don't know what I'll do if they do find a body."
A pregnant pause lingered between the two of them before Santana slipped the book back into Sam's bag. "Go on, get home to your pregnant wife. She'll probably like these more than you will."
"Hey now, I resent that. Maybe I will even read them to her." He said with a wink.
Santana gagged, "Seriously, get out. You're disgusting Evans."
xxx
"I hope you like it... Vegan lasagna, inspired by my Grandmother's old recipe."
"It looks wonderful, Rachel. And so do you." Quinn said, accepting a roll from the brunette. "Do you do that with a lot of recipes?"
"Uhm, yes. I consider it a hobby of sorts." Rachel said as she took her seat, carefully folding her napkin over her lap.
Quinn smiled as the brunette's eyes flicked toward her before lowering bashfully. She had mastered the art of seduction in high school, enabling her to catch the attention of pretty much whoever she wanted.
The other woman was so shy and reserved that she didn't seem to know how she should respond. Quinn had her right where she wanted her.
She cut off a piece of lasagna with the side of her fork, smiling at the weight of Rachel's gaze following the food to her mouth.
Quinn groaned happily at the taste, pointedly meeting Rachel's nervous eyes. "This is amazing, some of the best lasagna I've ever had." She was a little worried that she might be laying it on too thick but she wasn't lying. Rachel was a very impressive chef.
Quinn took another bite before covering her mouth, "Oh, wait! We should have a toast."
"Toast?" Rachel asked, seemingly amused by the idea.
"Yes, to Misery and her miraculous return." The blonde said, her good mood finally tugging a shy smile from the other woman. "Here, let me pour you some wine..." Quinn said, biting on her bottom lip as she carefully poured with her good arm.
The deep burgundy liquid had reached about halfway when Rachel held up her hand with a chuckle, "No, no more... Thank you."
Quinn shook her head with a laugh before moving on to her own glass.
"To Misery." Rachel said lifting her glass, Quinn nodded and lifted her own. Their glasses let off a small 'clink' as they connected and Rachel brought hers to her lips.
"Wait!" The brunette's eyes flew open and she shot Quinn a confused look. "Let's do this right, do you have any candles?"
"Oh." Rachel said, blinking. "I don't know- I- Think so. I will go look." She stammered, rising quickly to hide the blush creeping across her features.
As soon as the other woman left the room, Quinn was pulling out the pouch containing the powder from her pills. She folded open the top and leaned over quickly to pour its contents into Rachel's glass.
She lifted the glass, swirling its contents to help the powder dissolve more quickly. Once she was sure that Rachel wouldn't think something was amiss, Quinn returned the glass to the table.
A few minutes later, Rachel emerged from the kitchen, a single candle in hand. "If anyone had ever told me that one day I would be having a candle lit dinner with Quinn Fabray... In my own house, no less. I would have to check both legs to see which one was being pulled!"
Quinn laughed, waving her good hand at the joke as Rachel lit the candle.
"Will this do?" The brunette asked, waving out the match as she reclaimed her seat.
"It's perfect..." Quinn said softly, her eyes watching closely as Rachel grabbed her glass. "To Misery and Rachel Wilkes, who brought her back to life. And returned mine to me."
"Oh, Quinn... I get goosebumps every time I think about it." Rachel said, leaning across so that they could touch their glasses together. She gasped suddenly when her arm bumped the candle, knocking it over in the process.
Quinn watched in horror as Rachel's glass slipped from her grip, meeting the table with a dull thud. The wine spilled out onto the table cloth, successfully drowning the fire along with Quinn's plan.
"Oh my God, what have I done?" Rachel gasped, trying to sop up the mess with her napkin. "I am so sorry, Quinn... I ruined your beautiful toast."
Quinn could only stare wide eyed as the wine seeped deeper into the table cloth. The red puddle expanding slowly, growing larger with each passing second.
"Can you ever forgive me? Here, I -I can pour another one." The blonde continued to stare, blinking slowly when Rachel spoke up again. "Can we pretend this never happened?"
Quinn shrugged, a halfhearted smile pulling at her lips as she once again put her glass forward.
"To Misery."
"To Misery." Quinn echoed, before quickly draining her glass.
xxx
Quinn giggled loudly as Rachel lifted her out of her chair and back into bed. The blonde's hair, which had been pulled into a loose braid, was now quite messy.
"You drank far too much for me to give you your pills, Quinn. I may need to give you a shot in the morning... With all of the flailing that you are doing you are bound to be quite sore." The brunette mumbled as she tucked the other woman in.
"You worry too much." Quinn slurred with a chuckle, batting her fussing hands away. She squinted toward the brunette as a goofy smile encompassed her features. "You always worry too much, 'Tana. C'mere."
She tugged the other woman down toward her by the collar of her cardigan, ignoring the slight hesitation on the brunette's part.
Rachel's eyes widened as the blonde's lips met her own. And she was too distracted by the sensation for her mind to linger on the nickname Quinn had used.
Quinn brought her hands up to frame the other woman's face, her brow furrowing as she realized that something wasn't right. The lips against hers didn't taste right, didn't feel right.
The blonde broke the kiss suddenly, sobering momentarily in her drunken haze as realization dawned on her.
"Rachel... I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"There is nothing to apologize for, Quinn." The brunette breathed before leaning back in to kiss the other woman.
Quinn placed her hands gently against Rachel's shoulders, "I can't do this, Rachel. I'm married." She whispered firmly, watching closely as the brunette blinked her half lidded eyes.
A sharp crack broke the silence of the dark room and Quinn's cheek burned from the force of the slap.
"Can't because you're married? Who is 'Tana, Quinn? That doesn't sound at all like the name of your husband!" Rachel hissed before pulling the blonde to her and recapturing her lips in a bruising kiss.
Quinn's eyes burned, she didn't pull away for fear of being struck again. She didn't return the kiss, she instead remained still and let Rachel do as she pleased. She shivered, disgust twisting her stomach as the brunette's tongue forced its way between her lips to run against her teeth.
After a few hints, Rachel either got the hint or decided she was bored and pulled back slightly.
Quinn refused to look at the brunette and instead kept her eyes fixed on the dark wall over the woman's shoulder.
Rachel rose suddenly with a huff and stomped her way to the door, slamming it before she locked it angrily.
As soon as the other woman's heavy footsteps disappeared, Quinn allowed herself to break down. A loud sob ripped forth from her throat and her body was wracked with deep tremors. She felt disgusting and for the first time since kissing someone other than her husband, she felt like a cheater.
But it wasn't Finn's face that brought the sobering wave of guilt, it was Santana's.
xxx
That night was never brought up again, and after about a week, Rachel returned to her normal level of insanity.
Quinn continued to work on Misery's Return over the next three months. With each passing day, she felt her strength returning. The bruising on her legs had all but disappeared and they were much easier to move, more stiff now than excruciatingly painful. The stitches on her forehead had been removed a few days after her 'romantic dinner' with Rachel.
Luckily for Quinn, the brunette was too busy reading her quickly growing novel to ask for a second dinner. They did eat together on occasion but it wasn't nearly as intimate.
Around chapter twelve, Rachel had approached her with a wide, giddy smile. "This is the best Misery novel you have ever written, Quinn."
Little did they know, Sam Evans was working his way through the other novels.
xxx
Quinn jumped in her wheelchair as thunder clapped loudly outside and the blonde placed a hand over her chest. Her eyes moved to ward the window as her heart pounded beneath her palm.
She sat back and relaxed, her eyes watching the downpour outside. It was dark but the night sky lit up occasionally as lightning crawled across it.
After a while, Quinn grew bored of storm watching. She removed her right arm from her sling and gripped the typewriter tightly. The device was just heavy enough to lift as a form of exercise for her recovering muscles without too much strain. She did small rounds of reps every time she finished a chapter, building up the amount of reps every couple of days.
Quinn huffed and placed the typewriter back on the down at the sound of approaching footsteps.
The door opened suddenly and Rachel made her way into the room. Her slippered feet drug against the floor boards as she made her way over to the blonde's desk.
"Here are your pills." She said, her voice and expression devoid of emotion.
The blonde frowned as she took in the other woman's tired and disheveled appearance. Quinn's teeth worried her lip as she watched Rachel turn to leave.
"Rachel?"
The brunette paused by the door, her hand on the knob. She had turned her head slightly but otherwise remained facing the hallway.
"What's wrong, Rachel?"
The other woman turned back to the room now and shrugged. "The rain. Sometimes it gives me the blues." She answered, her voice low and empty. "When you first came here... I only loved the writer part of Quinn Fabray. But now, I know that I love the rest of her, too."
Rachel turned her red and puffy eyes to meet Quinn's, her frown deepening. "I know you do not love me... And do not say otherwise. You are a beautiful, brilliant, famous woman of the world and I am-" She paused a moment, staring at the floor and shaking her head. "Not the movie star type."
The brunette paused again, her eyes rising slowly to meet Quinn's once more. "You will never know the fear of losing someone like you, if you're someone like me."
Quinn shook her head, smiling gently. "Why would you lose me?"
Rachel's eyes fell back to the floor but they kept their unblinking quality. "The book is almost finished... Your legs are getting better... Soon you will want to leave."
"Why would I leave?" The blonde questioned softly, smile still in place. "I like it hear."
"That is very kind of you... But I bet that it is not all together true."
Quinn swallowed hard at the cold look that had seeped into the brunette's eyes. She was momentarily grateful when they moved away from her own to look back down.
The blonde watched as Rachel drew her hand slowly from the pocket of her robe. A shiver rolled down her spine as the light from her desk caught what she had clenched tightly in her hand.
"I have this gun..." Rachel continued in her monotone voice, Quinn's nerves frayed further as the brunette's finger teased the trigger. The gun clicked loudly but it was obvious that it was unloaded. Quinn relaxed at this but only slightly.
"Sometimes, I think about using it." Rachel raised her eyes again, instantly noticing the blonde's smile had disappeared. "I should go-" The brunette muttered, "I might put bullets in it." She said before closing the door behind her as she made her way back into the hallway.
Quinn exhaled heavily, her eyes wide. She struggled to catch her breath as the sounds of Rachel moving around in the house grew fainter.
The blonde looked up suddenly, her heart pounding in her chest as the brunette's footsteps approached her door.
To her relief, Rachel passed her room and made her way outside before slamming the front door loudly.
Quinn watched the brunette stalk her way over gravel toward her pick up.
As soon as the truck was out of view, Quinn unlocked the door and made her way to the kitchen. Her nerves were still frayed, muscles tense and jumpy.
She set her teeth as she leaned up toward the counter, her arm stretched to its limit. Her straining muscles relaxed slightly as her fingers closed around the cool handle of Rachel's large chef knife. The metal gleams as it is withdrawn from the block and Quinn feels safer already.
She nods to herself as she carefully makes her way back over to her chair with the knife, settling herself in before placing the weapon on her lap. Once she is done and sure the light is off and the door is shut, Quinn made her way quickly back toward her room.
She was almost there when she noticed that not only had a light been left on but Rachel had left a large book out as well. It was splayed open across the coffee table with scissors and an assortment of newspaper clippings. The blonde's curiosity got the better of her and she turned her chair around to go and investigate.
She wheeled herself closer to the scrapbook, her brows furrowing as she placed it in her lap.
The page it was opened to contained news paper clippings about herself, the first one reading 'Where is Quinn Fabray?' The bold letters of the one below that sent a shiver down her spine. 'Quinn Fabray Presumed Dead' and 'Missing Author's Car Found Buried in Snow' were both laid out in thick, black ink.
Her eyes grew glossy as she caught sight of an obviously distressed Santana in the background of an attached image of her car being lowered to the road.
"She thinks I'm dead..." Quinn whimpered, her fingers brushing over the picture. "They all do."
She shook her head and gulped at the thought, closing the book so that she could look through it from the beginning. The crease in her brow deepened when she realized that she recognized the red cover.
Quinn stared at the whispy silver words that read 'Memory Lane', before flipping the cover aside to flip through the pages.
Most of the ones toward the beginning seemed normal enough, they documented Rachel's childhood.
Quinn paused a moment, taking in the sight of a much younger Rachel with her parents. The brunette had never mentioned having two fathers and she couldn't help but smile at the image. She wondered what her children would be like, if and when she and Santana had a family.
She shook her head and skimmed the next few pages, her eyes pausing on another news paper article.
Although the woman's name, Shelby Corcoran, didn't mean anything to her; the woman's picture did. She looked extremely similar to Rachel, their eyes and jawline especially.
Moving on to the next page, Quinn's eyes widened when they fell on two obituaries for Rachel's fathers.
The article attached said that they died in a freak accident. A car crash brought on my faulty breaks.
The blonde frowned and stared at the men's names. "Hiram and LeRoy Berry?" She said aloud, her mind buzzing as realization dawned on her.
"Oh my God." Quinn whispered, staring blankly at the line that read: '...Survived by their daughter, Rachel Berry.'
She knew she had recognized Rachel vaguely but now she was sure of it. She had attended high school with Rachel and Finn.
The other woman had always stared after her and her boyfriend longingly.
Quinn frowned remembering how badly she had treated the brunette back then. She found it shocking that the other woman supported her by reading her books and hadn't just left her in the snow to freeze to death.
"Let me guess, you were some snobby, privileged cheerleader." Santana joked, cuddling into the crook of her neck.
Quinn shivered at the other woman's touch. "Yes, actually. I was." She said, frowning slightly as she thought back to her high school years.
Santana sat up slightly and mirrored the expression, "It couldn't have been that bad. I'm sure that you won Prom Queen and you said you already graduated with your sweetheart on your arm." Santana said, mumbling the last part out with a pout.
"I did. And for the record, I wish that my sweetheart had been you... I would give you all of those years, if I could."
The brunette smiled softly, resting her chin on one hand and gently stroking Quinn's cheek with the other. "So why the frown, beautiful?"
The blonde averted her eyes, "I wasn't a very nice person back then..."
Santana shrugged, "Neither was I. The only straight I was... Was straight up bitch." She said, grinning and wiggling her eyebrows. "Besides, I'm pretty sure ninety percent of the population is angry, mean and brooding throughout high school."
Quinn full on laughed at this, "True. There was one girl in particular that I was cruel to though..."
"Why? Did you want up her skirt and she wouldn't let you?" Santana asked, smiling cheekily with a tilt of her head.
"Oh God, no." The blonde said, smacking the other woman on the arm. "Deep down-" Quinn rolled her eyes when Santana made the crude gesture of a 'v' over her mouth. "Deep down, I respected her. She was driven, knew exactly what she wanted and who she wanted to be. I think that was why I resented her so much."
Santana frowned and dropped her hand back to the bed as she watched pure regret engulf the other woman's features. "Hey, I'm sure she doesn't even remember all of that. She probably just brags to everyone that she knew the Quinn Fabray during her years before fame. Okay?
Quinn smiled with a nod and cuddled closer to the darker woman, wrapping her arms securely around her waist.
The blonde blink and flipped a few pages ahead, her hand trembling.
Her eyes widened as they fell on the photos that were carefully fixed to the pages that she paused on next. She had thought young Rachel's nose had looked different from than the older counterpart that she had known for the last few months. She hadn't thought about it at first, too focused on the fact that the brunette had managed to keep her fooled for so long.
The photos she was staring at now were before and after shots, documenting Rachel's cosmetic surgery. There were four in all, two from the front and two profile shots.
But to Quinn, the most unsettling part of the page was the photo taped to the lower right hand corner. She recognized it from their senior year book, it was a rather close up shot of her. The blonde frowned, tracing her fingertips along the hearts that had been hastily drawn around her picture.
She shook her head and flipped a few more pages, not wanting to dwell on the attached photo and how much Rachel's new nose resembled her own.
The blonde paused, a news paper clipping catching her eye. 'Top Nursing Student Falls To Her Death' and 'Classmates Shocked After Freak Mishap' sending another shiver down her spine. Her eyes scanned lower on the page to the next article which read 'Rachel B. Berry Garners Nursing School Honors.'
Quinn shook her head and fought down the fear beginning to prickle her skin. She skimmed more before pausing again, 'Rachel Berry to Head Intensive Care Unit.'Just next to that article was an obituary for their former high school Coach who passed away after a long hospital stay. And the one below that was titled, 'Used Car King Suffers Fatal Stroke While Hospitalized.'
The blonde's heart sank, she recognized the last two. Coach Shannon Bieste had been her gym teacher for all of high school and had been Finn's football Coach, she wondered if he even knew. If he did, he had never mentioned it.
The second, the Used Car King, was none other than Noah Puckerman. The man had been Finn's best friend, once upon a time. The two of them had stopped talking shortly after Quinn and Finn had started dating. Apparently, Puck had a crush on her and was angry at Finn for breaking their 'bro code.' Quinn had never really understood what the code was but she could tell that Puck was immensely hurt. She had been shocked, he was known for being a playboy but apparently he had truly cared for her. She swallowed thickly, turning several pages at a time just to get away from those familiar faces.
'Veteran Pediatrician Dies While in Coma at Local Hospital.'
'Berry Named County's Head Maternity Nurse.'
A few pages later, 'Baby Lucie Dies After Five Week Struggle in Hospital. Parent's Distressed Over Death of Child.'
'Second Newborn Death at Lima County Memorial'and a hand written note that read: 'Another baby.'
The trembling had increased in Quinn's hands, forcing her to turn the pages more carefully so they didn't rip.
'Nurse questioned in Hospital Infant Deaths' and 'Infant Deaths Return to Hospital's Nursery Ward.'
Quinn moved through two more similar pages before pausing on a rather large article with a picture of a wild eyed Rachel attached. 'Maternity Nurse Behind Bars, "Dragon Lady" Arrested in Recent Baby Deaths.' The blonde's eyes skimmed the title before moving back to the picture, the look in her eyes chilled the blonde to her core. It was the same look she had worn that night.
Unable to look at any more, Quinn flipped back to the articles about herself before abandoning the room.
She wheeled herself quickly across the hallway before re-locking her door, her unsteady hands giving her some difficulty. Once she was sure the door was locked, Quinn wheeled herself to the bed. She hoisted herself out of the chair and settled her body back against the pillows. Once she had given herself a chance to catch her breath, the blonde grabbed the knife from where it laid on top of the comforter.
Quinn gripped the handle tightly before slipping it into her makeshift sling. The fabric hid the blade from view but allowed her easy access to it should she need to grab it in a hurry. Once she had practiced removing it with both hands, she glanced toward the window. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled loudly as the storm continued outside.
xxx
"There is a justice higher than that of man, I will be judged by him." Sam read slowly, repeating the phrase to himself with a furrowed brow.
"What is it, babe?" Brittany asked, a small frown playing at her lips.
The man blinked before turning his attention to his pregnant wife, smiling at the way she cradled her belly with her arms.
"Nothing, B. Just work stuff, sorry. I'll read more once I mark this down..." He said, reaching for the mostly blank scrap of folded tablet paper he used for a book mark.
"What do you think you've found? Do you really think that quote has something to do with Quinn directly?" Brittany asked, her own brow creased in confusion.
Sam chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully for a moment, "Not Quinn exactly... But someone who most likely knows her work, if they're quoting her."
"... I don't understand, who?"
The man fidgeted with the pen in his hands and Brittany rolled her eyes. "Unless you saw her while we were together, I don't care, Sammy. Now spit it out!"
"No, no. She was before you, Britt. I promise." He said, reaching over to grip her hand with his own. "I met her about five years ago, right after she came to town. Do you remember Annie Wilkes?"
His wife nodded, "She was Annie's niece, came up to take care of her. Apparently she fell ill while taking care of the farm."
"I always wondered why she stopped coming around town, she was so nice." Sam nodded in agreement and Brittany squeezed his hand to urge him to continue.
"Anyway, so... The first couple of times Rachel came into town... She seemed lost. I ended up having to pull her over for rolling through a stop sign, she seemed really nice and just confused. I felt bad. So I offered to take her for coffee at the diner and show her where everything was."
"Samuel! Taking advantage of the poor girl while she's new in town!"
He chuckled at his wife and shook his head, "It wasn't like that. We never ended up getting very close. She always acted strange when I asked about Annie and claimed I couldn't see her when I stopped by. She did admit to being a nurse and slipped up once while introducing herself to Blaine. Her last name wasn't Wilkes, it was Berry. She admitted to only being a family friend of the Wilke's and after she heard of Annie's heart trouble... She moved in to try and help ease her burden. We stopped talking around the time Annie died, she said that she felt guilty for not saving her. Being a nurse and all."
"Honey, this is a nice story but what does it have to do with that quote?"
Sam chewed on his cheek again, "I had been considering asking her out but... After she gave me the wrong last name, I looked her up. She had been questioned in court-"
"For what?" Brittany asked, wide eyed.
"Well woman, if you would let me talk, you'd know! The hospital she worked at had lost an alarming amount of infants in a short time... It was believed that malicious intent might have been involved."
"They think she killed babies?" Brittany squeaked, arms tightening over her stomach protectively.
"Yes, although she got off without charges and moved here shortly after. I didn't think much about it until now. I'm going to pull it up again tomorrow, if I can find it. She said this quote to interviewers outside of the courthouse." He said tapping the paper. "I'm going to double check but I'm almost certain."
A silence hung between them for a few minutes before Brittany exhaled nervously. "Are you going to tell Santana?"
"I don't know." Sam mumbled, tucking the paper between the pages. Now that he had said it out loud, he didn't want to read anymore. He just wanted to hold his wife and unborn baby and not think about it for a few hours.
xxx
Although she had desperately fought to stay awake, Quinn was in a light sleeping state when Rachel finally returned.
The sound of the approaching engine woke the blonde with a start, her eyes shot open as the head lights flashed through the window.
Quinn's fingers tightened automatically around the hilt of the knife and she tried to calm her racing heart.
The woman laid still, teeth grinding slightly as the truck door was slammed loudly. Shortly after, the front door was tugged open before it too was slammed shut and locked.
Quinn's body trembled without her permission as Rachel flicked on light the in the hallway.
She watched the small sliver of light between the floor and door as the brunette's footsteps drew closer. The shadows of Rachel's feet paused on the other side of the door but she never entered.
She stood there for motionless for a minute before finally moving down the hall and upstairs and once she was gone, the blonde released a shaky breath.
The TV was on several minutes later and Quinn licked her lips nervously before throwing back the covers. She removed the knife from her sling before stashing it between the mattress and box spring.
"See you in the morning, Man Hands." She muttered, smoothing the blankets back into place.
xxx
Thunder boomed loudly, stirring Quinn from her dreamless sleep. The blonde groaned and cracked her eyes open slowly.
She licked her lips and glanced toward the window to where she could see that it was still raining heavily.
Suddenly, the eerie feeling that she was being watched made the fine hairs along her forearms stand on end. Her eyes scanned the dark room and she let out a small squeak when she noticed Rachel standing at her bedside, opposite of the window.
Quinn barely had time to register the other woman's blank eyes before the brunette was lunging toward her.
The blonde hissed through clenched teeth as a needle was jammed into her arm and whatever was in it was strong. She tried to lash out as Rachel drew back but her arms were already growing heavy and uncooperative.
Quinn was left only with the ability to stare up weakly, completely at the mercy of the brunette.
Finally, she lost even the ability to keep her eyelids up. They drooped slowly before falling completely closed. Quinn panicked internally as her other senses began to give out. The last thing she heard before going unconscious was the sound of Rachel's retreating footsteps.
xxx
Quinn's eyes fluttered open slowly and she chuckled. She then blinked, chuckling more as her glazed eyes scanned the ceiling above.
"Quinn."
"Hmm?" The blonde hummed, slowly turning her head toward the voice.
"I know you have been out." Rachel said, her body jerking as she tightened something on the bed.
Quinn blinked and glanced down toward her chest, suddenly aware of the pressure stretched across it. Four thick straps- like the kind used to strap things to vehicles- held her flat to the bed.
Suddenly, a bit of clarity came back to the blonde, "What?" She squeaked, flexing her feet and wiggling her toes.
"You have been out of your room." Rachel stated simply, straightening back up.
Quinn laughed and shook her head rapidly. "No, I haven't!" She kept her eyes fixed on Rachel's as her hand snuck over the side of the bed, toward the knife.
"Quinn, my little ceramic penguin in the living room always faces due South." The brunette said in accusatory tone, the blonde blinked, sobering more.
"I d-don't know what you're talking about..." She mumbled, her arm reaching more desperately for the knife now. "Ceramic penguin? What?" She scoffed, shaking her head with a giggle.
"Is this what you are looking for?"
Quinn's head shot up at the question. She wasn't sure if it was the sudden movement or the sight of the knife in the brunette's hand that made her feel dizzy and nauseous.
"I know you have been out twice, Quinn." Rachel said, moving away from the bed and over to the desk. Quinn's body relaxed slightly as the brunette placed the knife down next to the typewriter.
"At first, I could not figure out how you did it." Rachel said, shaking her head as she turned back to face the blonde. "But last night... I found your key." She said, holding up the abnormally bent bobby pin.
"I know that I left my scrapbook out..." Rachel said, her voice almost a whisper as she approached the end of the bed. "I can only imagine what you must think of me." She said, wringing her hands against the metal bed frame. "I lied to you, about who I was... I was so surprised really, that you did not see right through my disguise."
"You got a nose job and moved to nowhere, Colorado." Quinn snapped sarcastically.
Rachel nodded and gave a small shrug. "That surgery was worth every penny of my Father's money... Although, they did hassle me an awful lot over this beauty." She said, tapping her nose with her index finger.
"They would not give me your nose... They said that I would need to have you come in, sign paper work and get your own photos done. So we found the closest match. It took months but as you can see, it was worth it." She flashed Quinn a smile, ignoring the blonde's disgusted grimace.
"You used your dirty money from murdering your fathers to get a nose job?" She asked, the brunette laughed.
"That and school. I did have a job you know, not all of us had a father that just bought us whatever we wanted..."
"That doesn't mean you kill to get what you want." Quinn said lowly, Rachel laughed again. The sound was lower this time, throatier.
"Have you ever thought about killing someone, Quinn?" She asked, eying the blonde from where she stood at the foot of the bed. Quinn remained silent, her jaw set to a hard edge. "The first time I killed... Well, I was seventeen. Finally had permission to stay out later and use the family car. You see... My biological Mother, Shelby, well... She was not a very good Mother. I fell ill in eighth grade, you probably would not remember..."
"I don't."
"Of course not, well, anyway... The doctors at the hospital needed my records and my Father's did not have them. They tried to contact Shelby and she refused to accept their calls. Even when lawyers were involved to contact her, she refused to help. I almost died Quinn." She paused a moment, before continuing when the blonde barely batted an eye. "I decided that day that I hated my Mother and that one day, I would make her pay. I suffered from depression for most of my years in school. Both due to bullying and my Mother. My Father's were sympathetic for a while but they began to tell me to just get over it. That I had to move passed it if I ever wanted to be happy. Music had always been a passion of mine but I clung to it for dear life. It was literally the only thing that kept me alive before I decided to go to Medical School."
"My Mother's death was not as personal as I would have liked... But it worked out well enough, I managed to track her down through my Father's old adoption records. They had a pretty good relationship with her through the pregnancy but she cut them and me off as soon as I was born... It didn't take much to stage a fire and I had already established an alibi. No one even knew that I knew where she lived."
Quinn averted her eyes, the tendon across her jaw flexing as she tried not to think about what Rachel could do to her.
"My Father's were easily enough too, I have always prided myself on being a fast learner." The brunette said, smugly. "Anyway... Last night it all became so clear to me, Quinn. You see, I realized, all you need is more time. You see, the last woman who lived here... Annie Wilkes, she wanted to leave too. When her body got used to the sedatives... I had to find a new solution."
The blonde's chest began to heave, the tightness of the strap against her only made it more difficult to breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in, forcing her closer to the other woman.
"Eventually, you will come to accept the idea of being here with me, just like she did." She paused, reaching her right hand down slightly. "Quinn, do you know about the early days of the Kimberly Diamond mines? Do you know what they did to the native workers who stole diamonds?"
Quinn struggled against her restraints, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. "P-please, don't do this Rachel..."
"Oh, do not worry, they did not kill them. And I will not do to you what I did to Annie... You are far too special for that, Quinn. You see, Annie... She tried to get out, just like you. So I had to take an axe to her and remove her feet. After, I cauterized the wound with a blow torch from her barn..."
Quinn whimpered loudly, her face reddening as she struggled more valiantly against the straps. Tears began to fall down rapidly as the brunette paused, licking her lips before continuing.
"The operation is called hobbling."
Quinn watched in horror as Rachel lifted up a thick, rectangular piece of wood.
The brunette pursed her lips and leaned over the bed frame to slip the plank between Quinn's ankles.
"R-Rachel... Whatever you're thinking about doing, please don't." She had tried to ask calmly but a loud whimper erupted up her throat when the brunette lifted up a large mallet next. "Oh God, no, please no! Is this about Finn? You can have him, I don't care!" Quinn sputtered, lifting her head as high as she could from her pillow.
Rachel paused at this and chuckled loudly, "No, I do not care about Finn Hudson."
Quinn shook her head rapidly, "Yes, you do! You were always staring at him, at us!"
The amused smile left the brunette's lips as quickly as it had come. "This isn't about Finn, it never was." She answered coldly, moving around to the right side of the bed.
"Rachel, please don't do this... I'll do whatever you want, I swear!" Quinn begged, her fingers tightening into a fist.
"Shhh, trust me darling." Rachel whispered, bringing her arms back. "It is for the best."
The rest of Quinn's pleas were quickly over taken by screams as the mallet met bone. Her foot bent in at an unnatural angle as the ankle gave way.
"Almost done." Rachel breathed as she made her way around to the other side of the bed. "Just one more."
Quinn's screams quieted slightly until the mallet landed a second time with a sickening crunch. The blonde's head was thrown back, neck flushed and tendons protruding as she cried out.
She threw her head back and forth against the pillow. She would without a doubt be thrashing her entire body if it weren't for the straps holding her in place.
Rachel sighed as she watched the other woman writhe in agony on the bed. "God, I love you..."
Only got one or two chapters of this left, most likely one... Hope you liked this one though. I cannot say what fate any of the characters in this story will end up getting. I do have a general plan for the ending but that may change as I write. I will warn you though and I will also be adding this to the description, there will be character deaths. How did you guys like crazy Rachel in this chapter? I've been really looking forward to writing that whole scene. haha