Chapter 3

It was early the next morning. Quinn had tried to stay away from Danni after the demonstration the night before but she was finding it hard in the large house. She could see her influence in everything. She didn't know why she felt, but she did. Sure there were no pictures of her on the wall, but she could see the resemblance between her, Regina and Emma. It was almost undeniable.

Then Quinn began to think about everything that Danni had ever told them about her family. Suddenly, she felt very much in tune with the slightly older woman. This house could have been the house that she grew up in Lima. On the outside there was so much love, but on the inside…she just didn't know and she realized that was what bothered her the most. She was comparing this house to her own childhood home.

She decided that she needed to clear her head, so she would go on a run. For her it made sense when nothing else about their situation did. It was a fall back from high school and being a Cheerio, but she had to admit that Sue helped them all face things in their way past high school. She never thought that she would think about Sue in a positive light considering all the horrors and strange tortures that she put them through, but she was actually thankful for it, now.

She went back into the room that she was sharing with Rachel. She looked at the brunette and smiled. How Rachel had convinced them all to pack she still didn't know? They had no idea what they were getting into. They just all packed a bag full of miscellaneous things and clothes, jumped into two vehicles and made their way to some unknown little town in Maine. She should be mad with both Rachel and Danni for doing this, but this was the closest thing to a vacation that they had had in years. She shook her head and grabbed her bag.

She changed into some shorts and t-shirt, before grabbing her Harvard hoodie on the way out the door. She looked left and the right to determine which way to go. The town was quiet. She knew from what Danni told her that there wasn't anyone there. They were all gone, but it didn't make it any less creepy.

She shook the thoughts from her head. She turned to the left. She knew that it was back towards town. She figured that it would be better for her run and she headed out.

She wasn't going down the lane that long before she heard the familiar clop, clop of another runner. She didn't turn to see who it was. She could tell by the gate. It was Danni because of all the runs they had gone on together in New York. She sighed but continued to run. She just hoped that the other woman would just pass her and let her run in peace. She knew that it might be a pipe dream, but she really didn't want to talk to Danni right now.

"Turn left at the end of the street," Danni told her catching up to her.

Quinn gave her a pointed HBIC look, but nodded anyway. She shook her head as she did in fact turn left at the end of the street. Danni never left her side, but thankfully she didn't speak either. They ran in that fashion for the most part. Danni would give her directions and Quinn would take it, begrudgingly. When they ended up at the wharf, Quinn couldn't help but wonder if it hadn't been by design. She knew that Danni knew the town when she didn't, but she was capable of pacing herself for a roughly two to five mile run. She did it all the time. All it did was make her wonder more about Danni's influence in their lives. Why did they follow her so blindly'? Why did they believe her so easily? Quinn didn't have the answers, but she stopped where Danni did and waited with her as they both stretched, not wanting to cramp as they walked slowly down the dock towards the water and some wooden park benches overlooking the Atlantic.

"You're angry with me," Dunn stated more than asked.

Quinn didn't answer as they neared the benches. She just took a seat on one and watched as the sun begun to peak over the water. The fog was just starting to lift off the water in the cove. It was surreal. It should be beautiful and on any other day it would be for Quinn, but knowing everything that she did now, it was almost horrific. She felt like she was in some sort of crazy fantasy movie with no way out.

"I get it."

Quinn turned to face her more fully, and said. "Do you? Do you really? Because I don't think you do."

Danni laughed slightly. She knew how Quinn felt about the truth, but she also knew that Quinn wouldn't have believed her either. It was a catch 22, but Danni took the road she figured would always cause the least amount of hurt. She'd had years to gauge people and their reactions. She knew that Quinn would be angry when she found out the truth, if she did, but she never thought about how much alike they were until she saw her sitting there on that bench at Storybrooke's wharf.

"I know you're upset and you have every right to be, Quinn. I would never try to tell you otherwise. Trust me when I tell you that I know what it's like to be lied to constantly, especially when other people think it is for your own protection and they are the ones closest to you. I didn't tell you because I didn't think that you would believe me. It was my choice and one at I stick by. But, I can tell you this much. I will answer any question you have for me, honestly and completely. Ask me anything. I don't care. You've earned the right."

Quinn took a deep breath and looked at her. She could see the same soft dark eyes that she'd known for the last few years. Her head was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that Danni lit her hand on fire and it didn't burn like the night before. She took another deep breath trying to center herself. She didn't want to go off on her, but she wanted answers.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you bother coming to Cambridge and telling me what happened lo Rachel if you could have been there for her after it all?" Quinn asked.

The question shocked Danni. It wasn't the question that she was expecting. She knew that Quinn was protective of all of their friends. She'd proven it time and time again at the theater, on the streets and with the paparazzi. But, she'd always been especially protective of Rachel and more so as time went on and their relationship blossomed. Danni actually smiled at het' before she answered.

"Because she needed you," Danni answered. "I told you what happened in that alley and I know that you never told Rachel that I came to you. And, I know that because Santana didn't even know."

"I told you that I wouldn't tell them when you made me promise. I was already planning to get my MFA from Columbia. I had already been accepted. I hadn't told Rachel about it yet, though"

"I know that. I knew all of that. You told me. But, you have to understand what I was going through at the time I never told you my name that night. I came to you at Harvard and told you to go to Rachel, that she would need you and that I had to leave, that I couldn't do it, and she could never know that I came to you. I wasn't supposed to know about you. Santana let it slip and then I pressured her more about you after everything. When I was finally calm enough to leave her, I did. I couldn't stay, not in my state. I know that you don't understand that and I respect that. There was so much going on in my head that I had to deal with. When I left you, I came here. I figured I could come home. I was wrong, oh, so very wrong," Danni told her.

"What happened here?"

"Magic."

"You make sound like that is the answer for everything that has gone wrong in your life."

"Because that is the truth," Danni replied.

"That isn't the answer, Danni. You're using it as an excuse. What really happened?"

"You sure hut you want the long version of the story?" Danni inquired.

"I am Lit major, of course, I want the full story. We've got time, right? No one will be up for a while, so tell me what really happened to you. Make me believe you and then maybe, I'll talk to the rest."

"And, do what? Convince them to go back to New York. I am sure that after what happened last night. Rachel isn't going to let that happen. She is determined even more so now to go with me. Trust me when I say she isn't ready to deal with my reality. She thinks that she is, but she isn't. None of you are.

It is something that takes time for you to understand and come to grips with. I mean it isn't every day that you are told that fairy tales are real and that your friend is from the ever after you never read about. I mean the stories you learned are all true. They are bastardizations in order to help teach, but they are all based on the truth in go back far enough," Danni told her.

"You're serious about that?" Quinn asked.

"Yes, I am. Look I know that seems farfetched and insane, but it is the truth. I don't know how else to tell you about it," Danni stated.

"You lit your hand on fire. Anyone can do that, Danni. It is a parlor trick," Quinn stated.

Danni shook her head. She should have known that Quinn would have looked for the reasonable and most logical explanation to what happened the night before. She wouldn't go to the magic aspect without so ne help and they were alone. Danni knew that she should take the time now to make her understand, show her the truth, but she wasn't sure that Quinn could handle it on her own.

"Fine, let's try it again then, shall we?" Danni questioned.

Quinn pinned her gaze with the best HBIC look she could, but it didn't faze Danni one bit. She sighed as she lifted her hand out to Quinn, palm up, empty. She brushed her sleeve back and turned her hand over a couple of times to prove the legitimacy of the condition of her hand to Quinn. She nodded at Danni and waited. Danni took another breath.

"As you can see, my hand is empty. There is nothing in it. There are no tubes running down my sweatshirt. There is nothing coating my hands at all," Danni told her.

"Not that I can see no there isn't," Quinn replied.

"Then explain this," Danni slated as she snapped her fingers and fire erupted from her fingers before settling in her palms.

Quinn gasped. Her hazel eyes looked up at Danni's eyes and she saw them turning green. She chocked on another breath before she reached out her hand to touch it.

"It will burn you," Danni warned.

Quinn didn't care. She needed to process this information. She needed to know that it was real.

Her fingers felt the twinge of heat before they made it all the way to Danni's hand. She looked up again and saw the green fading from Danni's eyes. She recoiled back, a little more quickly than she would have liked, and she knew that Danni thought that she was scared.

"Can you do more?"

"More?" Danni asked with a very inquisitive look on her face.

"Yes."

"What would you like for me to do?"

"I don't know," Quinn answered truthfully

"How would you take us home?"

"Home?"

"Well, to the house on Mifflin Street."

"Okay," Quinn answered unsure if she really wanted her to do it. "I am not going to hurt you."

"I never said that you would," Quinn said defensively.

"Do you trust me enough to do this?" Danni asked her.

"I'll give it go," Quinn stated with her normal false bravado.

Danni laughed at her. She stood up. Quinn followed suit and wondered what Danni was going to do. Danni reached out and lifted her hands like for a hug. Quinn cocked her eyebrow at her.

"I'm going to have to hold you somewhat for this to work well," Danni told her.

"If you must," Quinn huffed.

Danni laughed again. She knew that Quinn was over-thinking things and slightly scared. There was more to the story that she didn't know. Danni knew that she would have to tell them all about it when they got back to the house. She would start over breakfast. Looking out over the water, she knew that Belle would be up and cooking soon if she wasn't already.

"Relax. It will be easier on you if you do. Now, look into my eyes and just relax," Danni told her as she held the writer close in her arms, but not close enough to be considered a hug.

Quinn did as she was asked. She let her body relax. She stared into Danni's eyes again and watched as they turned bright green this time. She cast a glance just to side of Danni's head and saw a plume of blue and purple smoke surround them. She wasn't sure if she should be scared, but when she saw Danni's smile, she let the thoughts go.

When she smoke cleared, she was amazed to find that they were in the kitchen of the house. Belle let out a small gasp, but she didn't stop cooking. Danni laughed as Quinn and Belle's eyes met and held.

"Morning, Aunt Belle."

"Morning, you two. Hungry? I'll have some pancakes ready in a few," Belle told them.

"I'm going to take a shower. I'll be back down in a few. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves. I am sure that Quinn has lots of questions for you, Belle. There are no more secrets between us, any of us."

Belle nodded at her. Quinn stumbled over to the table and sat down. Before she could say anything, Belle handed her a cup of coffee.

"Drink it. You're going to need it. If she's told you, then you are close enough to her that she trusts you with her life. You should be proud of that fact. There aren't many that she lets that close," Belle told her as she offered her cream and sugar.

"Are you really her aunt?"

"By marriage, yes."

"She has magic?"

"Just like both of her mothers," Belle answered.

"How old is she?"

"I really don't know. In your world, she should be only one. In hers, I have no idea. But for me, she is around twenty eight to thirty if l have to guess. You'd have to ask her though. I am not really sure."

Quinn nodded into her cup as she took a sip. She didn't know what else to ask. She could have all the answers she wanted and she didn't know what to say. Things weren't going to be easy between all of them. They both knew that, but Quinn knew that Belle was unerringly truthful. Quinn wasn't sure if she was ready for the truth, but there were things that she wanted to know, questions that she'd liked answered, and information that could explain so much. All she had to do was ask. She looked across the counter at Belle and picked up her coffee cup as she thought of the questions that she might want to ask now that she had been giving free rein.

Quinn sipped her coffee and watched the auburn brunette. There was a grace in her movements that reminded her of Danni. Quinn could see where she got it from. She still didn't understand how Belle was her aunt, but it didn't matter.

"She's different with you four." Belle said plating some pancakes.

Quinn looked at her quizzically. She sat the coffee cup down on the counter, but held it in her hands. She didn't know what Belle meant about Danni being different. Until yesterday, she didn't have a point of reference to say anything to the contrary. Now she wasn't sure she knew who Danni really was.

"Don't think about it too hard," Belle urged her.

"It is a little hard not to," Quin replied.

Belle nodded. She didn't understand completely because she'd grown up in the fairy tale. She didn't have to learn that the stories were true. She was sure that Coraline (Danni) hadn't give Quinn the full spectrum yet, but she knew that it would be coming. The four women would demand more answers and she knew that Danni didn't think that they were ready for them.

"Go easy on her."

"Easy on her? How am I supposed to go easy on her? The first book that we wrote together for Broadway wasn't a story, was it? It was really her life?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know what book you're talking about," Belle answered as she plated more pancakes.

"A book? It is what we call a play or the written parts of the play in theatre. Danni and I write books. Rachel preforms them. Brittany designs the dances and movements. Santana handles all the legal work and bookings. Then, Danni and I direct the play. We all produce it. We've become a little production company. Well, we're little but we've done a lot in the theatres," Quinn stated.

"If Danni is involved, then I'm sure that you have made a name for yourselves. She isn't known to back down from anything...most of the time. I think she gets that from both of her mothers."

"She loves them, doesn't she?" Quinn asked.

"Yes, very much. Why do you ask? Has she not talked about them?" Belle replied in question.

"No, she has been really quiet about her family life. Now, I guess I understand why. I mean, how do you tell your roommates that you are from a fairy tale?" Quinn asked and then paused before continuing. "She just seems so different here. Like there are memories that she can't escape in this town. Like there is a part of her here that she'd like to forget."

"There are," Belle replied, quietly, still making more pancakes.

"Like what? What happened here that so bad? Can you tell me that?"

"I died," Danni told her as she centered the kitchen, hair dripping wet from her shower.

"Danni?!" Belle stated seeing her standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"She wants to know what happen, Aunt Belle, and you told me that I should tell them. So, why should I spare her any detail? They want to know that truth about what happened to me. I'll tell them."

"You don't have to tell me," Quinn told her.

There was an uneasy alliance between them. Quinn could see a lot of herself and the inner introvert inside Danni. She knew what it was like to have a troubled childhood. She didn't need to hear about it. She lived it. It was another reason that she understood Danni and trusted her so easily. They had a comradery that many couldn't fathom and all because of their harsh upbringing, always having to be something that you weren't and striving to prove yourself is exhausting.

"If you want to know all the horrors of my life, Quinn, I'll tell them to you. But, I don't think that it should be over breakfast. It would take a few bottles of wine and lots of vodka or in Santana's case tequila. We can save that for another day."

"You still think that I am going to be able to convince them to go back?" Quinn asked.

"I am asking you to try."

"Well, we both know that it isn't going to work. You know how head strong Rachel is and forget trying to convince Santana. She'll demand to go just because you don't want her to. And, Brittany…she loves magic. She'll want to go just see if she can see a unicorn."

"Regina has a herd of them," Belle added, plating more pancakes.

Danni gave her a pointed look, but didn't say anything. She just watched as Belle grabbed another skillet and started preparing some scrambled eggs. She shook her head at her aunt. Belle had never been one to hide anything. Even growing up under her care, Belle gave her enough of the truth without coming right out and telling her that she was the crown princess that the Blackness was looking for. She'd figured that out on her own behind closed doors.

"Not helping…"

"What?" Belle asked, dropping more egg mixture into the skillet.

"See. Even she is wondering why you are putting up such a fuss about all of it. You might as well get used to the idea that we are going with you," Quinn told her and took another sip of coffee.

Danni groaned. She threw her hands up in the air. She knew that it was a long shot, but she was hoping that Quinn would take her side and help. She was wrong.

"Do you remember the song that Rachel sang to you before we got our first backer?"

"No?"

"I'll stand by you," Quinn answered.

As if on cue, Rachel, Santana and Brittany came into the kitchen humming and singing the Pretenders' hit. Quinn just smiled at her lover. She wondered if Rachel had been just been outside the kitchen listening right before she entered. Quinn joined them in the song.

Belle dropped her spatula and smiled. She could see the depth of love that these women gave her ward and she was appreciative of it. She knew that Danni needed a good support structure. She had spent so long trying to prove herself and trying to get the recognition that she so desperately wanted. She saw the same drive in Regina and Emma, but it was so much strong in Danni. She wondered if she would ever be able to completely repair the rift between her and her mothers. Forgiveness was one thing; letting it go was something entirely different.

"So you got some voodoo, no biggie," Santana told her when they finished singing, shrugging her shoulders at Danni as she walked around to the counter and collected a plate from Belle.

"Can you really show me a unicorn?" Brittany asked gleefully, slightly bouncing up and down in front of Danni, holding her hands.

"If she won't, Brittany, I'm sure one of her mothers, her grandmother, or I will," Belle told her holding out a plate for her as well.

Danni turned and scowled at Belle. Her own aunt was against her. She sighed.

"Get over it. You want a diva tantrum, I'll give you one. We've all thought about it. We want to do this. So you might as well realize that you aren't getting rid of us. You've done so much for us…especially me. Let us repay you," Rachel told her as she walked over to Belle to gather Quinn's and her plate.

Danni just stood there in awe as they each took their plates and sat down. She was outnumbered five to one and those were never good odds. She knew that she could just poof them all back to the loft in New York, but when and/or if she came back, they would never forgive her. She wondered if it was a risk that she'd be willing to take. It was, but she didn't know if she had enough magic to actually do it. She sighed. It was going to be a long day.