Faithfully
A/N: I got an amazing reaction to the last chapter! I am so excited that you guys are enjoying the direction I am going with this story. I plan on splitting the Lima trip into two parts, this will be the first. And after the second part, we should have maybe five chapters left in this baby.
Sad, I know.
Now, this is the part where I am going to shamelessly advertise a story that I reluctantly started, for some insane reason. Lol. I was sitting in class last week, and I started picturing the aftermath of Quinn's car crash. And then I pulled out a notebook and started to write. What happened from the four pages of notebook paper I used in class?
Stick Around For Just One More Drink. It's really good. I think I've gotten some really nice reviews for it. I think everyone that is yearning for the angsty outcome of the crash that is most realistic and not some bullshit that Ryan Murphy and his evil friends concoct to distract us from all the Faberry sexual tension, will definitely enjoy the direction that I am trying to go in.
With that being said, I think you guys should definitely check it out, and review and let me know how you guys like it. Seriously, review. They are my life! Which is why I enjoy reading the feedback for this story, you are all so passionate about it. Thank you for that. Every author on this site honestly strives to get as many reviews as possible because it shows how much people appreciate and enjoy the story, and it makes us strive to write more frequently and to write better. I commend those of you who take the time to read and comment, and favorite and put on alert, it is greatly appreciated and noted.
Enough of my long ass author's note.
BTW: This chapter is named after a rap song from the 90's that I love called, "Where I'm From", by Digable Planets, you guys should definitely check it out!
Disclaimer: Yeah...no.
Chapter 14
Everything was calm until they landed in Cleveland.
Quinn had been extremely peaceful and generally happy during the flight from L.A. She held Rachel's hand, and helped dodge paparazzi and laughed when Rachel videotaped the flight attendant demonstrating the safety cautions and procedures.
She complained about how she felt out of place flying first-class. But her protests were silenced when Rachel made her understand that she was worth everything, including first-class. She also made her understand that she was a bit of a snob when it came to flying and once she experienced first-class for the first time, she was never ever going back to coach.
Therefore, Quinn was forced into first-class, despite her humble attitude.
She had to admit that she enjoyed the constant glasses of champagne that were passed her way and the feeling of Rachel's hand on her thigh throughout the flight. She felt herself relax and the feelings of trepidation and fear were long buried deep within the confines of the clouds they were flying about.
Until they landed.
When they were informed of the touchdown at the airport, in Ohio, Quinn realized that she was in Ohio.
Again.
After years of never looking back, of dealing with the pain that one state had been the catalyst and bearer of, she was standing on the sidewalk of the airport with the sun shining down on her black sunglasses. She was standing there, waiting for a car to come to take them back to Lima.
This was something that was insanely surreal to her senses. She felt as if time had slowed around her and as she took in the different smells and sights of the cars and people bustling and shuffling around them in swivels of colors, the only thing she could think to herself was…
She fucking missed L.A. already.
She closed her eyes and breathed the air in through her nose, feeling her brain go a little fuzzy, and then she looked over at her lover who had joined her side, expensive luggage in tow.
"You alright, baby?"
Quinn offered a smile at the sound of the soft questioning voice, "Yeah, I just can't believe I'm back here."
Rachel grinned at her, before rising slightly to press a kiss to the tip of the taller girl's forehead. "I know, baby…are you nervous?"
Quinn took a heaving sigh before allowing a small smile to take up the expanse of her face. "A little, I just can't remember anything about this place that made me happy that didn't involve you…and even then what involved you made me unhappy because I had so many harbored feelings for you…so many." Quinn spoke taking her hand and lacing their fingers together. Rachel ran her thumb over the girl's hand.
"I know, baby. But it will get better…this trip is about you, seeing your daughter and finding happiness within yourself and this place. I just want you to be okay, that's why I am here. I'll always be right here with you." Rachel said and Quinn licked her lips before leaning down to capture the girl's plush lips with her own.
"I love you, so much, you have no idea." She muttered holding her face, caressing her cheek softly, and her girlfriend chuckled. "I think I have an idea."
But before Quinn could dwell anymore, a sleek black car pulled up to the front of the airport where they were waiting and a man, who could be identified as the driver, exited the car to take their bags and open the door for them.
"You just have to come back and rub it in everyone's face how big of a star you are, don't you?" Quinn said with a raised eyebrow, and Rachel feigned shock, as they stepped into the vehicle, resting on the sleek black leather of the car.
"I do not…okay maybe a little. But only for the look of complete and total guilt that crosses the faces of all the assholes that made my life a living hell while I lived here." Rachel said nonchalantly, watching the man shut the door.
Quinn kissed her forehead as they pulled off on their drive, "I'm sorry I was one of those assholes…I'll spend forever making it up to you, you know?"
Rachel laid her head to rest on the blonde's shoulder comfortably. "Baby…I forgave all of you, especially you a long time ago. I have no harsh feelings towards any of the people that threw slushies or called me names…we were in high school, and more importantly we were stupid."
Quinn lowered her eyes to watch their hands together, the colors of tan and paler toned skin mesh together and make something absolutely creative and interesting.
"You are truly a forgiving person, you know? I wish I could say the same for myself…but I just can't." Quinn said, breaking off her words.
Rachel bit her lip softly, "Quinn, you're angry, and it's lethal. So right now, your emotions aren't allowing you to forgive anyone for anything, and that is completely understandable. If I weren't so hard to upset I'd be the same way…"
"You aren't hard to upset, miss storm out of the room when someone insults Barbra Streisand?" Quinn teased.
"Because no one should even dare to insult the greatest entertainer of all time…ever!"
Quinn outright laughed at the serious and outraged tone her girlfriend's voice changed to, she couldn't even hold it in. She felt a light smack to her chest and she put her hand over her mouth.
"Quinn! It is not funny!"
"Okay, okay I'm sorry…"
They settled in silence for a moment before Quinn, decided that now was the perfect time to bring up the conversation that her and Santana had partaken in at the restaurant.
"Rach…if I started seeing a shrink, would you think I was crazy?" Quinn said after a deep, nervous breath.
Rachel sat up and turned to her blonde lover, "Are you seriously considering professional help?"
Quinn looked at the interested stare that her partner was giving her before she turned to the window of the car, staring out towards the passing buildings. "Santana, mentioned it to me. She even took the time out to give me a reference to a doctor she thinks could help me sort out all of the emotional bullshit I have going on in my fucked up life."
Rachel pursed her lips, "Quinn your life is not, fucked up. Your life was fucked up. And you haven't dealt with the emotional scars that it left on you…you're still somewhat living in the past."
Quinn watched the rays of sunlight beam down on the very road that they drove on and she ran her fingers through her hair, "You didn't answer my question."
"No, I think getting professional help is a wonderful idea…I was going to mention it, actually…I was just, scared." Rachel revealed slowly, grateful for the fact that Santana had taken the initiative to take care of her friend, because the brunette was confident that professional help was what Quinn needed.
"Scared?"
Her voice cut through the shorter girl's thoughts, and she nodded a little bit embarrassed.
"I didn't know how you would take it, Quinn. I didn't want you to think that I thought something was wrong with you…you know?"
"But something is wrong with me, Rachel." She said honestly, looking at the woman, and Rachel tilted her head at her.
"I am in need of serious help…I am not stupid to the fact that I need help…I realize how stubborn I am, and also how fucked up in the brain I am. I am not saying that you don't do enough, because shit…you save me every day, but I need someone else to guide me. Someone who doesn't know anything about me, someone who can tell me another path for my anger or whatever. Because I damn sure don't have any parental figures for that."
Rachel smiled at Quinn, wondering how long she had taken time to think over the fact that she needed help and how long it took her to accept the fact as well.
"So you want to do it?" the brunette said, questioningly.
"I'm thinking about it, I wanted to know what you thought first." Quinn said quietly, and Rachel beamed before resuming her position of laying her head on her shoulder.
"I think it is a wonderful idea, if you feel like you are ready for that sort of thing, Quinn."
Quinn raised their joined hands to her lips to kiss, before smiling. "If I decide to go, will you be there with me?"
"I'll be wherever you are Quinn, forever."
Pulling up to Rachel's house made Quinn realize something that she hadn't even let her mind consider when she was approached with the idea of visiting Ohio.
She completely forgot they would be staying with Rachel's parents.
And it wasn't the lack of privacy she was worried about, or the idea that they would be in Rachel's childhood home opposed to somewhere more glamorous, it was the fact that this would technically be the first time she would "meet" her girlfriend's parents.
She had been around them when they were in high school during their senior year, she had experienced them, and grown very fond of them throughout her close friendship with their daughter, but she had forgotten that now things were different.
Now she was dating their daughter, and even more importantly if they saw all the paparazzi pictures floating across the web of them leaving each others houses every other morning, they would know that she was having sex with their daughter daily.
To say in the least, it scared the living shit of the blonde.
You would think her fears of anything would cease since she was, in fact, a grown woman. And a grown woman shouldn't fear two men, who otherwise loved her before she had begun defiling their daughter.
But it was just that, when it came to them being Rachel's fathers, and her being their daughter she felt like she was violating her. She felt like she was intruding on her innocence, although the brunette lost her virginity their senior year…she still felt wrong.
And that made her nervous, it made her wonder if they were going to try and beat the fuck out of her with a bat and then hide her body in the back yard of their home to use as an example of future women who wanted a chance with the girl.
Either way, when the black car pulled up to the Berry residence and her girlfriend shook from the small nap she had been taking on the lap of the blonde, she felt like she was going to throw up a little bit, and the nervousness that she had since quelled at the airport returned.
"Mmm, we're here I'm assuming." Rachel said sitting up, scratching her head, still halfway asleep, and Quinn couldn't help but smile at the absolutely adorable way her girlfriend had woken from her slumber.
"Yeah," she spoke and although there was a smile in her voice, she'd be stupid to think that her girlfriend wouldn't pick up on the fringe of trepidation hiding underneath the tones of it.
Rachel furrowed her eyebrows, her awareness slowly returning to her. "What's wrong?"
"I - nothing." Quinn responded, failing miserably at hiding her anxiety at entering the home and Rachel crossed her arms looking at the woman with disbelief.
"You're seriously going to try to act like I can't tell something is up?" Rachel said with a slight laugh.
"Rachel, your fathers are in there." Quinn deadpanned as if she should have telepathic powers and understand where she was coming from.
Rachel looked at her blankly, "Obviously, since this is their home…I would like to assume that they are indeed inhabiting the place, otherwise they would be wasting their time and money."
Quinn shoved the girl slightly, "Shut up, they are in there. What if they hate me? What if they try to kill me because I didn't ask them permission to date you? What if they get pissed at us for not telling them first and tell you you're not allowed to be with me?"
Rachel scoffed at her girlfriend's unnecessary worried behavior. "Oh, please. Quinn they loved you before, and they loved you now. They were overjoyed to find out we were together…you have nothing to be worried about."
The brunette made to get out of the car, but Quinn grabbed her wrist, actual distress evident behind her hazel orbs.
"Rachel…we've had sex, they know. They won't want me to be with you after that, I fucked their daughter…I-I took your innocence." She rambled, and Rachel out right laughed before ducking to exit the vehicle and Quinn hurried out of her side to follow her girlfriend.
"Quinn, you're being ridiculous, I am a grown woman…and people were defiling me before I found you again, I think they have had time to accept that." She said, looking over the hood of the car at the blonde, who raced to her side and snatched her up by the waist, twirling her body to face her.
"Just how many people were defiling you, before me?" Quinn said, huskily. Her jealousy peeked, disguised as desire.
Rachel bit her lip, resting her hands on her lover's bare and tattooed arms, "Mmm, a few. Finn of course, and then I had a couple one night stands with a few women before you." She leaned her forehead against the girl's.
"It will be me from now on, though. I am the only one allowed to defile you." Quinn spoke lowly, leaning down to kiss her girlfriend soundly, feeling her arm wrap around her neck as she pulled her closer by her waist, moaning softly into their embracing of the mouth.
"Ahem."
A slight cough could be heard and the two women broke apart, realizing that the driver had been standing holding their luggage. They both blushed at the intruder before turning to shut Rachel's door which they had been standing in.
"Rachel!"
As if on cue the voice of Hiram Berry echoed in the air and Quinn saw the man run from the steps of his home to meet his also running daughter in the middle.
"Daddy!"
Quinn, despite her nervousness felt herself lean up against the car watching the woman reunite with her fathers as if she was a little girl.
It was something that she knew she would never have. She knew that she would never get the chance to have that kind of relationship with her parents. They didn't even love her enough to come to her college graduation let alone write her a letter telling her we're proud of you. They wrote the final tuition check and gave her a starting balance of money to live on until she got on her feet and that was the last she heard from her so called "family".
This, however, was pure love.
Leroy exited the home a couple seconds later a lot more subdued than his husband and daughter who both seemed to be tearing up at the reunion they were sharing. And Quinn smiled at the way her girlfriend looked, animatedly talking to her father as if she was a little girl again. It warmed her heart considerably.
She felt that the right moment to walk slowly up behind the brunette, her fingers fiddling nervously behind her back as she watched them wipe each others happy tears away before Hiram's eyes found hers excitedly.
"Quinn Fabray!" He then surprised the blonde girl by reaching for her and pulling her into a tight hug that obviously reminded her of his daughter.
She couldn't stop the automatic terseness that took her over upon the first initial shock of the embrace, and then she relaxed into the hold and smiled, patting him on the back.
"Hi, Mr. Berry…it's good to see you." She said softly, and the man raised back, releasing his hold on her to survey her personality.
"You know to call me Hiram, and oh my look at you. You look absolutely beautiful…and I love the way you have grown into yourself…and the beautiful artwork on your arm, goodness me you have got to tell me all about that wonderful talent that you have acquired and how you turned it into such a lucrative profession!"
His excessive word use reminded her briefly of Kurt and then she realized where his daughter acquired it from. "Hiram, let her get into the house before you bombard her with your questions." Leroy's voice called, from the porch as he leaned against the banister with an amused look at Quinn's overwhelmed facial expression.
Rachel looked over at her girlfriend, taking her hand in her own, smiling.
"And you, young lady…no love for your father?" Leroy spoke and the brunette beamed letting go of her lover's hand briefly before striding to her father and greeting him with an equally tight embrace like she had given her other father.
"Hi, Dad."
Ah, that was the difference.
Leroy pulled her apart to look at her. "I missed you pumpkin. You have been keeping your skin very clean…you're practically glowing."
"I personally don't think that is because of her skin care, Leroy." Hiram said, with his hand resting on his chin and his eyes glancing to Quinn's in a mischievous, knowing way. He bumped his shoulder to hers and she smiled, scratching the back of her neck nervously.
Leroy, pulled his daughter to the side and smiled at Quinn. "I don't think you have formally introduced us to your, girlfriend Rachel."
"Shame on you, Rachel Caroline!" Hiram said walking to stand next to his husband. And Rachel rolled her eyes before stepping to Quinn's side once more to wrap her arm around her waist.
"Dad, Daddy, this is Lucy Quinn Fabray, my girlfriend." Rachel said, pressing a kiss to her cheek and Quinn was filled with nervousness at the title girlfriend, once more. Nevertheless, she put on her most honest smile and reached her arm out to shake that of her girlfriend's father's hand.
"Hi, Mr. Berry-"
"Oh, Quinn breathe…we're not going to bite. We know you, and you know us. I'm Leroy and that is Hiram, there will be no Mr. Berry business, now come in the house and tell us about how you and our daughter found yourselves dating each other." He said, pulling her to an embrace and she visibly breathed a sigh a relief at their comfort of her relationship with their daughter.
She found herself sitting at the table in their kitchen hours later during dinner, as they both went on about how they had missed her after graduation.
"Quinn, we are actually very glad to see that you are okay…we wondered where you ran off to after graduation, and Rachel didn't have a clue." Leroy said honestly, and Quinn smiled shyly.
"I uh, kind of took off…I apologize for not at least coming by to say goodbye to you."
"Dad, Quinn was really concerned about getting out of here…as we all were." Rachel said placing a soft hand on the girl's thigh and Quinn smiled at her.
"Well, I am happy that you both found each other." Leroy said with a smile.
"Oh my, you should have seen our faces when we saw the pictures of you two! At first I was pissed, that my little Rachel did not call us to tell us that she had embarked on a new relationship-"
"He hates hearing about her from the media." Leroy cut in.
"Yes, I do. But then I saw who it was and I just couldn't contain my happiness, although I should have been told first." Hiram said indignantly, and Leroy rolled his eyes.
"He walked around here squealing for hours about how he had always known that you two would find each other again, and how poetically romantic it was." Leroy said sarcastically and Quinn smiled.
"It is poetically romantic, like a fairytale at the most. Excuse my husband he has absolutely no taste in romance, I however am a hopeless romantic." Hiram spoke happily, cutting his eyes at his husband who pressed a kiss to his cheek, before laughing.
"I'm sorry, honey I didn't mean to offend you." He said chuckling and Quinn couldn't help the laugh at their relationship and she briefly felt jealous at how well they worked as a family, and how well the three people she was sharing dinner with worked as a family.
"I am glad that Rachel found me," She said looking at the brunette who grinned.
"It was a chase at first. But eventually she couldn't resist my charm." Rachel smiled brightly, stating cockily.
"You mean the persistence, I couldn't resist how you started practically stalking me." Quinn countered and the brunette gasped at her girlfriend. The men laughed at the accuracy of the statement, knowing their daughter and her personality.
"I beg to differ! I am not a stalker, nor have I ever tried to stalk you!" She said, and Quinn kissed her forehead.
"I was joking baby."
Hiram sighed and smiled watching the two and he looked at Leroy who smiled back at him and it was all nice and relaxing until...
"Quinn, what are your intentions with Rachel?"
Quinn stopped in her tracks, the nervousness from earlier returning full force.
"Dad!" Rachel said looking pointedly at her father who looked back challengingly. "What? It's a completely sensible question."
"It is not!"
"Stop frowning so much, pumpkin, you'll get worry lines."
"Um, well…I," Quinn started, completely caught off guard by the question and she bit her lip, looking to the brunette, who looked as if literal steam was about to pour from her ears.
"Dad, you're freaking Quinn out, Daddy help me!" She said looking to Hiram who rolled his eyes, resting his chin on his folded hands smiling.
"Stop, being so dramatic, Rachel. It's a perfectly safe question."
And then, Quinn watched as Rachel did something she hadn't seen her do since their high school days.
She stood from the table, stomped her foot, and stormed from the kitchen perfectly as if she had flipped a switch straight from her high school persona. The two men chuckled as they heard her stomp up the stairs, and Quinn placed her napkin, on her lap, smoothing it nervously before looking at the two men.
"It's nothing to be nervous about honey, we're genuinely asking you how you feel about Rachel." Leroy spoke.
Quinn looked at sincere eyes that looked quite similar to her girlfriend's before staring at the two men, answering honestly.
"I'm so in love with her, it's ridiculous."
The two men, raised their eyebrows simultaneously at the blunt response.
"I…I've had a lot of really messed up things in my life…and I have found comfort in the love for your daughter for years. I have loved her for years. And I thought there was no chance in hell I'd ever get to be with her, which is a huge reason that I left so soon. I even got a tattoo done permanently to prove it. That's how much I feel for her…and when she came to California with the same intention of feelings for me, I couldn't have been happier. I haven't been happier than I have these past weeks with her, please believe me."
She closed her eyes, before opening them again, and saying, "I want to marry her, and have kids with her…I want to be with her forever, if that's alright with you. I promise I will treat her right, I know you have reason to believe I won't because I have fu-messed up in the past…but it will be different. I will be different."
She took a deep breath and folded her hands together, tense hazel pupils searching the men's for some sort of confirmation, or anything.
Leroy reached his hand out to place over hers. "Quinn…we have known you've been in love with Rachel since you stepped into our house for the first time. We were just wondering when you two would grow up and realize it."
Quinn looked at him, "You knew?"
"Oh, sweetheart, we knew how troubled you were…and we knew that someday when all of that was gone and out of the way you would sweep her off of her feet, we knew." Hiram said, smiling at the woman kindly.
Quinn looked at the two sincere men and laughed softly to herself. "Guess I didn't do a good job of hiding it, did I?" She said, and they laughed.
"No, but you definitely had our blessing regardless and you do now." Leroy spoke standing and Quinn stood as well, to be engulfed in another hug with the man, and his husband placed his hand over his mouth.
"Oh my, this is absolutely adorable, I am going to cry…let me get the camera!"
"Oh my god, Hiram…seriously?" Leroy said watching his husband run from the room excitedly, in all seriousness. Quinn laughed. The man looked at her and smiled.
"I think you have time to escape before he returns, and I think you may want to go check on the diva." Quinn glanced at the doorway her girlfriend had stormed from and smiled, "You think she's really mad?"
"Not now that she's been eavesdropping on the front step the entire time."
"Damn it!" A voice came from the hallway, and Quinn laughed shaking her head. "It never works, baby girl." Leroy said knowingly, tapping his head and winking at Quinn. Quinn took that time to walk towards her girlfriend who was indeed sitting on the front step of the staircase. She smiled at the woman who looked up with seemingly innocent eyes, before moving to sit next to her.
"Sneaky little thing, aren't you?" Quinn said, placing her hand on her thigh and Rachel looked down defeated.
"Well, I couldn't return after a perfectly executed storm out…that would have been absolutely ridiculous." Rachel said as if her girlfriend should have known.
"I apologize, I did not know of that information."
Rachel rolled her eyes laughing lightly, grinning at her girlfriend.
"Did you…did you mean all of that? What you said to my fathers?" Quinn looked at the expression that took over her lover's features. And she reached up with both of her hands to grip her face, before pressing her lips to the brunette's soundly.
"I did, and I will always mean it. I love you, Rachel Caroline Berry…and someday I'm going to make you my wife. I want to be with you forever." The blonde said softly against her lips as they stayed in their embrace.
Rachel morphed her lips into the blonde's more intensely than before at the words and raised her hand to cover hers over her cheek, smiling softly into the kiss. "I love you more than you can even concede, Quinn."
Quinn kissed her one last time, softly, before hearing a click. And they looked up from their embrace to see Hiram with a camera.
"Daddy!"
"I couldn't resist, you two are just so adorable!" He said in a squeal with his hand over his mouth and Quinn laughed, kissing her girlfriend's forehead. "Hiram, come on and leave the kids alone, goodnight girls." Leroy called, pulling his husband along and the two girls waved goodnight to the men, before standing themselves.
"I guess we need to get some sleep, then." Rachel said lacing their fingers together as they ascended the stairs.
"Yeah, big day tomorrow." Quinn said rubbing her hand on her thigh. She had been distracted from the anxiety she had about seeing her daughter for the first time the next day, but she was excited at the same time.
Rachel pulled her to her body at the top of the stairs, "Everything is going to be fine, Quinn."
Quinn smiled at the brunette. "I know, you will be with me?"
"Every step of the way."
A/N: I know it's sort of a filler chapter, but I just wanted to give you guys something because the next chapter is going to be loaded with a lot of things. It's going to be an extremely long chapter, next time. So get ready, peeps!
REVIEW!
-Mimi