Chapter 21

She watched as Will placed Santana on a bier. Belle was already at another table working on a tea for Danni and Red. She wasn't trying to help Santana because she didn't know how. Quinn had already heard her voice that much. What she saw instead were two fairies and Emma trying to help her. Brittany was at her side, holding a front paw and petting the black furred Wolf, while whispering to her.

Emma had removed the arrow as soon as they got her settled. Santana had howled in pain, but Brittany's comforting presence calmed her while everyone was working on her. Quinn watched in horror as a foul smelling, silver ooze flowed out of the wound. Santana whimpered and Quinn wanted so much to be in her place.

She couldn't stand to see San in pain. It hurt her. Her body jerked each time San's did and it was almost like she could feel the pain herself. She knew that it wasn't true, but it didn't change the feelings for her.

Tink and Blue were currently running their wands over the wound, but it hadn't stopped bleeding. More silver poured from it, but it was starting to ooze bright red blood as well. Quinn felt her stomach lurch. She felt her body start to contort as the urge to puke. As she turned to let her body empty her stomach, she felt two hands, each different, one on each shoulder, touch her.

She turned to her right and met the soft eyes of Regina. She was giving her a worried look, but she pointed to Quinn's left. She turned to her left and saw Rachel there. She could see the worry and the anguish in her brown eyes. They mirrored her own.

"Rach…"

"Shhh…you came back. You both came back. She'll be okay. She'll be okay," Rachel told her as she pulled Quinn into her arms.

Rachel held her as she began to break. She'd seen so much in the last few days that she wasn't sure that she could ever be whole again. But having Rachel there with her, she thought that she might get through it. She turned to look at the bier that Santana's Wolf form over Rachel's shoulder. Her heart lurched into her throat, but Rachel didn't let go.

"She isn't going to die," Rachel told her flatly.

Quinn wasn't sure. She didn't know. Santana hadn't changed back. Quinn didn't know what that meant, but she didn't think it was good.

Then suddenly, she felt calm. She let go of Rachel and turned to see Brittany walking in the room. She brushed past Quinn and Rachel, touching them. She felt the calmness get stronger. She tried to think of why she was so calm, but she couldn't come up with a reason. She tried to think about what she and Will had been talking about in the wood, but nothing was coming.

Rachel leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "Brittany is an Empath."

She turned away from the scene before her to stare into her wife's eyes. Everything from the woods came back. The secret talks that she had with Will when she couldn't sleep, the shared looks as they worried about Santana's fate, suddenly things made a little more sense. Brittany was trying to keep them all calm so they could help Santana get better.

She watched as Regina pushed the fairies out of the way and began to exam the wound. There was a quickness in her actions that Quinn couldn't identify. It almost seemed like she had done this before…with Red…and she knew exactly what to do. Things materialized beside her. The fairies took her commands willingly as they worked to save the Latin Wolf.

And, all the while, Brittany was at the head of the bier petting Santana's head and holding a paw. Words were whispered, but they were so quiet that possibly San was the only one that could hear her. Quinn couldn't make out the words, but she knew that Brittany was telling San to hold on, they were caring for her and she would be fine soon.

The sickly smell that had been coming from the wound finally stopped. Quinn peered back around to see blood on the bier. Santana's body had phased back to her human form.

She pulled away from Rachel and stepped towards the bier. Rachel let her go. Regina met her eyes and held them. Quinn didn't break the gaze as she slowly continued to step forward. Regina nodded at her. She reached out for her friend, still holding Regina's gaze. Regina tilted her head towards Santana's hip. Quinn finally broke her gaze and look at the wound.

It wasn't as big as she thought it was. But, it still looked horrible. There was an angry fever around it. Black and silver lines, almost like veins, were running from the hole. She reached out to touch the wound but Regina stopped her.

"It's poison."

"Can you stop it?" Quinn asked her, tears filling her eyes.

"I can stop it, but she won't be unscathed."

"Do it!" Quinn ordered.

Brittany even looked up at the strength of Quinn's voice. They had never heard her sound so forceful and commanding, except Brittany and Rachel when Quinn had talked to Finn. Regina nodded at her and the fairies took notice of this fact, both deciding to ask the Queen about it later. For now, everyone looked at Quinn like she had some sort of magical command and they obeyed. Rachel just watched in awe at Quinn in her armor, dirty and disheveled, as she reverted back into the HBIC.

"I'll need your help," Regina told her.

"Whatever you need," Quinn stated resolutely.

Regina nodded again. She turned to Tink and Blue and they resumed their magical healings. Regina stepped around the bier and pulled Quinn into another room. When they got in there, they noticed Will making the tea out of the Red Lion Wolfs bane.

Quinn cocked an eyebrow at the brew and Regina heard the unasked question. She shook her head negative and Quinn's heart broke. The elixir wouldn't help Santana now. She needed something else. She looked at Regina.

"She needs something that none of us can give her," Regina told her.

"Which is?"

"Elf blood," Regina stated handing her a dagger.

"Elf blood?"

"Yes, it has restorative powers against poison. Especially silver poisoning for weres. She's very lucky to have you as a friend, Little One," Regina said.

Quinn looked at her in disbelief. She tried to remember what Hori had referred to her and Santana as in the woods. It was something like can and siofa…

"Siofra…" Quinn said aloud unknowingly.

"Yes. You're from a high elf line. All the magical beings of this realm can see it. I don't know why I didn't see it earlier. The elves all live far from here, past the lands of Vulcannon, but you are here and you can help," Regina explained.

"How?"

"Prick your finger," Regina demanded.

Quinn lifted the dagger to her finger and stabbed her finger. The pain was instantaneous and she winced. She pulled the dagger away and showed her finger to Regina. The Queen smiled and reached out for her hand. Taking her hand with one hand, she turned back and grabbed a vial off the workbench of potions and spells. She squeezed just a little blood into the vial and capped it.

Quinn regarded the whole measure with intense curiosity. She didn't say anything, afraid that she might break Regina's concentration or something. Once Regina was happy with things, she grabbed Quinn and pulled her back into the other room. They both walked up to Santana.

"Hold her," Regina said to no one in particular.

Quinn reached out and held onto San's shoulder and hip. She turned towards Brittany so that she wouldn't see the nakedness of her friend, not the anguish that might cross Santana's face as they gave her the antidote. Brittany pierced Quinn's hazel eyes with her own blue as she also held Santana's shoulders. Rachel and the fairies, along with Emma, also helped to secure her to bier. Regina met Quinn's eyes briefly before walking around the bier to get closer to the wound on her hip. Once she was in place, she uncorked the vial and slowly dripped the oozing blood potion into her wound. Santana screamed and howled as she jerked and writhed beneath their hands.

After a few minutes, Regina told them, "Let her go."

They all did but Quinn. She would later realize and be grateful that it was only her that took the brunt of Santana's punishment. For when the young Wolf was released, she punch Quinn straight in the jaw before muttering a few words of thanks. Brittany and the fairies quickly covered her as Quinn stood there in shock.

Finally when she realized what happened, she turned to Regina, but addressed everyone when she told them, "I am going to take a shower."

Regina just shook her head and let her leave. They had completed their mission. They had gotten the flower. They'd saved not only Danni, but also Santana. She knew that she young girl was tired and trying to come to grips with everything that she had seen and done. Besides, Regina knew that it wasn't every day that you find out that are a mythical creature.

Quinn moved through the castle. She didn't wait to be dismissed. She didn't wait to see if Rachel was going to follow her. She needed to be out of the room. She sensed that Regina got that. She sensed that Regina got her. She wondered if they had more in common. She shook her head as she entered the rooms that they were using, silently thanking Regina that she'd conjured modern indoor plumbing.

She quickly checked on Danni, to see that there was no change. She was surprised to see that no one was in there, but then again she knew that she shouldn't be. They were all with Santana. As she turned to leave, she heard Danni whimper. She took this as a good sign and sat down with her for just a minute. She needed the quiet to clear her head.

She heard the door open. She looked up to see Will coming in the room. She had the brewed tea and some other vials on a tray. Quinn noted that she hadn't changed out of the tunic or leathers. They nodded at each other. Quinn stood up, kissed Danni on the forehead, and walked towards the door. She patted Will on the shoulder as she made her way out of the room.

She walked into the suite's bathroom. She bypassed the rooms that she was using. She didn't care about getting new clothes. She just wanted to wash off the last few days.

She got into the spacious multi-headed shower. She didn't care about the temperature at the time. She quickly bathed and washed her hair. Part of her was thankful that she was only watching dirt and grime flowing down the drain and not blood.

It wasn't that she wasn't willing. She was. She just wasn't ready to kill someone. She knew that it could have been a possibility. It had been weighing on her mind since they saw the Randae and the weight doubled as soon as they found the other knights. She stood under the spray letting the stress melt under the heat.

As the water started to cool, she reached over and turned it back up. She found herself leaning against the tile wall, head down as she let the water sluice over her. She tried to let her mind go blank but she was having a hard time.

She thought back to all the competitions that she'd done as a Cheerio. She thought about all the shit that she'd gone through in high school and college. Nothing compared to this. She could let the last few days go and pretend that it was a vacation. It was the knowledge that she was a supposedly a high elf and Santana was a werewolf that she couldn't forget.

She had just reached over and turned the temperature of the water up some more. She finally felt her muscles start to relax. She let her head hit the tile. As soon as it did, she felt two arms circle her waist. She looked down and saw the darkened arms of her wife wrapped around her.

She leaned back into the smaller woman's body. She didn't even suppress the moan that escaped. Rachel just held her tighter. She felt Rachel dropped her head against her back. Skin on skin, Quinn let Rachel help her.

"She's going to be fine, Quinn," Rachel whispered in her ear.

"I know that," Quinn replied.

"But, that isn't what's bothering you, is it?" Rachel asked her.

"No."

"Talk to me," Rachel demanded.

"I don't know what to say," Quinn replied.

"Tell me what happened."

Quinn sighed, but she didn't turn around. She didn't want to see the love, fear, hope, and worry in Rachel's soulful brown eyes. She knew that she would break further. At least with her head against the tile, no one could see her tears.

"Quinn..." Rachel started.

Quinn didn't answer. She just continued to let her tears fall into the water spray. Rachel pulled her tighter. She smiled a little at the deceptive strength of the diva. Let her head loll backwards, she felt Rachel begin to kiss her just below her left ear. She reached down and covered the tanned arms of her lover with her own, holding her close and hoping that Rachel understood how much it meant for her to be there with her like that. She dropped her head forwards towards the tiled wall once more as she tried to figure out how she was going to make atonement for Santana with everyone, especially Brittany.

She melded with Rachel, letting her wife's warmth envelope her. She lolled her head back, again, allowing it to rest on her shoulder. She looked up at the stony ceiling above the shower stall and wished to see stars. The longer she stared the more she swore she actually could.

"Make me forget this, Rachel," she pleaded.

Rachel wasn't sure how she wanted her to do that. There were plenty of ways that she thought might actually make Quinn forget everything, but she wasn't sure just exactly what Quinn wanted to forget. They seemed happy until Danni went into her fever. Quinn even seemed happy to be going on an adventure. But, the Quinn in her arms was not the same Quinn sent away from the castle. She could only wonder what happened on their journey.

"Rachel?" Quinn asked when Rachel hadn't moved or changed their positioning.

"Yes, love," Rachel replied.

"Make me feel alive, again."

And, there Rachel had her answer. Santana's near death and injury were plaguing her. Rachel knew that somewhere in Quinn's brain it had all been her fault. It didn't matter that San was better now or that she would fully recover from her wounds. Somehow, it was Quinn's fault that it happened and she needed to make some sort of penance for it. Rachel knew what she wanted then and she knew how to give it to her, but she wasn't sure that it was best option for the situation. This wasn't her trying to forgive herself for not wanting a relationship with her father or his family. Now, this was more than that. Everyone knew that Santana and Quinn were like sisters, more so than Quinn ever was with Frannie.

Rachel reached up and touched her cheek, but didn't let her go. She could feel the hot tears on Quinn's face. They were different that the temperature of the water. It was all the confirmation that Rachel needed. She knew what Quinn needed. Even if she didn't think it was the most appropriate way to grieve, Rachel understood it and was willing to help her.

She let go of Quinn's torso and pushed her roughly, front first into the tile. They were both glad that the tap was to the side of them. She didn't stop the water. She knew that the water was a screen for Quinn. It was something that she could hide her tears behind while she let herself go. Once she had Quinn in a position against the tile she liked, Rachel attacked her.

She stood on her tip toes and bit down at the junction of her neck and shoulder. She knew that it was part of Quinn's weaknesses and she knew that she needed to feel exploited. She laved the bite with her tongue as she rewrapped her arms around her. She reached up and took Quinn's bare breasts in her hands. She squeezed them harshly. She heard Quinn's rough intake of breath and she had to stop herself from asking the blonde if she was okay.

She ran her hands down Quinn's arms, pulling them backwards and placing Quinn's hands in the small of her back. She leaned forward and bit down on her earlobe. The unspoken command of don't move didn't need to be uttered. She saw Quinn shiver slightly.

She reached over and turned the water up again. By now, Quinn's skin should be blistered pink from the heat, but it wasn't. She was just deliciously warm and wet. Rachel reached out to touch her skin. She had to remind herself that it was okay for her to be rough and wanting. It was what Quinn needed. It was what she craved in this situation.

She raked her hands down her back. She smiled wickedly at the red marks that were forming and she knew that Quinn would be sore later. But, this was what Quinn desired. She needed to feel used and abused slightly. For Rachel, it hurt her to do it, but to see the calm in Quinn's eyes made it worth it.

She raked her fingers down again and Quinn couldn't help but moan. She leaned further into the wall, hiding her front from the rough torture of Rachel's nails. Rachel leaned into her, trapping her against the tile. There, she pushed her arms away and up onto the tile, stilling her movement by holding her hands flat against the tile under her own hands. She leaned into Quinn's body and kissed her skin from the base of her neck to the middle of her back, licking back up her spine, and finally settling on the spot behind Quinn's left ear.

Quinn moaned louder this time. She couldn't stop it, not did she want to either. Rachel was reveling in the way that her rough treatment was turning Quinn on. She knew that she needed to keep moving. She had to suppress the urge to take her in her arms and love her. There would be time for that, later, in their bed. Now, she needed to take Quinn with the fullest amount of desire that she could muster. She couldn't be lacking. She had to make Quinn feel every touch and make her feel alive with each of her kisses, caresses no matter how fleeting, and the roughness of her loving. Rachel knew that she was the only one that Quinn trusted with this and she loved her even more because of it.

She reached out with her left hand and put it between Quinn's shoulder blades. She pushed her shoulders and upper torso into the tile. Her right hand snaked down to her right hip and she pulled Quinn's lower body away from the wall. She knew that Quinn was off balance but she couldn't find the strength to care. She tapped her on the inside of her thighs and Quinn spread her legs.

Rachel had to bite back the moan in her throat. She never could take looking at Quinn, so deliciously open and wanting, without vocalizing her pleasure at the sight. But, tonight was for Quinn and she needed to keep herself in check. She took a deep breath. Reaching up, she slung her long brown hair over her shoulder, ignoring the water as it flowed over them. She stepped closer to Quinn and sighed.

Finally, she couldn't wait any longer. Her body and lust wouldn't let her. She reached between Quinn's thighs and touched her. Quinn's ass moved higher, trying to give Rachel better access. Rachel marveled at the sight, but she found her target. She let her finger graze across Quinn's wetness until she found her clit.

"This is what you want?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Quinn breathed, trying to ground herself in the feelings that Rachel was invoking.

"You want it rough?"

"Yes, please."

"You want it hard?"

"Please."

"What do you want me to do?" Rachel asked as she continued to let her fingers graze over her pussy and clit, tapping the latter every few strokes.

"Fuck me," Quinn begged.

Rachel didn't need to be told again. She dropped her head for a second and stared at the lusciousness of Quinn's ass before moving. Her fingers found their mark and dove right in. The warmth and wetness that greeted her caused Rachel to groan out a deep moan.

She felt Quinn at the intrusion. Her body clamped onto Rachel's fingers. She pushed Quinn more into the tile as she began to take her body. In and out she plunged. She listened carefully to Quinn's breathing and her body. She knew Quinn was on the edge. She knew how to read her like a book. And, when Quinn finally was on the precipice about to fall into oblivion, Rachel moved her left hand down and around her hip. She moved across her skin until her fingers found the erect and unhidden clit. She bullied it as she deepened her thrusts and pace with her other hand. Quinn's body sucked onto her fingers even more.

"YES!" she cried into the tile wall.

Rachel knew that she wasn't coming yet. She was enjoying the punishing movements that Rachel was doing to her body. Finally, Rachel showed her mercy. She leaned into her lithe form and began to kiss her back. But knowing that Quinn would need more pain than pleasure at the moment, she would kiss and bite each bit of skin that she could come into contact with. Quinn's body began to quake with the tale-tell signs of her impending orgasm. It was the only sign that Rachel needed. She quickened her pace. She pinched her clit hard. And, she found that spot at her shoulder, the tender junction where the cords of her neck but the muscles of her back and shoulder, and she bit down.

Quinn roared as she sailed into her orgasm, the pain and pleasure threshold blinding her to the world around her. There was nothing but bright lights and stars as she cried out. She didn't try to hide her pleasure. She called out for everyone and the heavens to hear her. The normal cry of ecstasy that Rachel was used to hearing had been replaced with a keening wail that was boarding on a mournful sobbing moan.

Rachel let her slump against the wall, wrapping her hands around her waist again. She held her tightly as the tears that Quinn had been shedding began to finally subside. Rachel let out a thankful sigh as Quinn's hands made their way down the tile wall and back onto Rachel's around her waist.

"Thank you," Quinn whispered.

"You never have to thank me for loving you, Quinn," Rachel told her, squeezing her tightly.

It was then that they noticed something in the distance. Rachel reached over and turned off the water so they could hear it better. After doing so, she could make out the faint sound of a voice singing.

Quinn turned in her arms. There was an unspoken look between them that they shared, knowing that they would talk about this later, but for now, they wanted to know who was singing. They knew that it wasn't Brittany or Santana. They knew their voices. And, it couldn't be Danni because Danni didn't really sing. She hummed or told them what she was looking for when it came to music and the songs for the plays.

"Who is that?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know. But, we need to find out. Come on," Quinn stated, stepping out of the shower stall and grabbing two thick towels.

They made their way to the doorway. Quinn cracked it just a little bit. That was when she realized who was singing.

"It's Will. She's singing to Danni. I didn't know she had such a good voice," Rachel stated.

"She's trying to communicate to Danni," Quinn replied.

"Huh?"

"She knows that Danni uses music to convey emotions and feelings. We talked about it while we were in the woods. But, you know that is why she is so good at the books for the shows. She is trying to talk to Danni in the only way that she can at the moment, through song. She is hoping that between it and the tea that Danni will wake," Quinn explained.

"Do you think that it'll work?" Rachel questioned.

"We can hope," Quinn answered feeling more like herself than she had in days.