Here we are again. I finally managed to write my ideas down and I hope the outcome is as satisfying as some of you expected. I must say that writing a new chapter for both this fic and "Play with fire" has been very challenging, mostly when I have another idea running through my head (I'll see when and how I'll be able to write that down as well, :P).

I apologize for mistakes, didn't proofread the chapter.

I surely hope you are still interested in this one, I know it's been a long time and some of you probably abandoned it. I'd be very thankful if you shared your opinions with me, through reviews and comments.

I thank you in advance for your patience and dedication.

Enjoy!

Warning: G!P Quinn. Don't like it, don't read it!

Flashbacks are in italics!

CHAPTER 10

Quinn and Rachel left their awake child with their close friends, needing to figure out what the next steps would be as Harmony had innocently put. Surely, the blonde would have not joined her assistant and sort of girlfriend in Los Angeles, not wanting to leave her daughter during her recovering time; but questions had been left open and only Rachel could help her figuring the answers out.

"Earl Grey Tea, with a few drops of almond milk." Quinn slid the cup of tea over the cafeteria table, sitting across from the brunette with her own cup of coffee.

"You still remember?" Rachel smiled lightly and took a sip, feeling the hot beverage run down her tight throat, relieving her of some of the tension accumulated there.

"You can't forget these things, you know that better than anyone else." The photographer ran a hand through her messy hair, giving it a wilder look that still amused the other woman, who inwardly reached out to fix an errant lock from her forehead. "What are we going to do about this situation, Rachel?"

"Do you mean, what Harmony asked?" The brunette looked up from her tea and met her ex's eyes with an equally confused look. "I don't think it'd be fair to keep you away from our daughter, as she heals, Quinn. She won't be able to move back and forth between my house and your apartment and it'd be too tiring for her."

"So, what do you suggest we do?" The photographer stirred her coffee and looked around the almost empty cafeteria.

"Would it be too much of an inconvenience for you to move into one of the guest rooms?" Rachel started tracing imaginary circles on the wooden surface, out of nervousness.

"No, of course not. It won't be much of a problem…" Quinn brushed her fingers along the singer's moving wrist, effectively stopping her movement. "But what about Brody?" She took a sip from her beverage, finishing it and sitting the cup on her left side.

"I will handle it, our daughter is my priority. If he doesn't like the arrangement, he can find somewhere else to live." Rachel pushed her own drink to the side and sighed in deeply. "Maybe it'd give us some perspective too…" She mumbled mostly to herself, but the other woman definitely heard that.

"Since Harmony is going to stay here for a few more days, I'll drop by my place and gather some of my stuff to settle in the guest room." The blonde stood up and threw both cups in the trashcan. "I need to call Marley and update her about the whole situation…"

"Are you...are you and her living together?" Rachel followed the blonde to the elevator, not daring to look her in the eyes and pretending to fidget with her own iPhone.

"No, we are definitely not there. I just want an update on the LA's meeting we had scheduled for this upcoming week., to make sure she can handle it alone." Quinn stepped inside the elevator and held the doors open for the brunette, who leaned against the mirrored walls and looked at the other woman.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to step into your private business with her…" Rachel stepped out of the elevator, with the blonde in tow, when she came face to face with Finn. "Is Harmony okay?" She looked worriedly behind the tall brunette boy, who nodded and quickly looked over to his best friend.

"Do you happen to have a moment, Rachel? There's something I'd like to share with you…" Finn said quietly, not knowing what to expect from the woman once the news of Brody's infidelity would have come out.

"Hmm, sure Finn...do you know what's going on?" She turned toward her ex, who obviously was as ignorant on the matter as she was. "Go ahead, Finn…" She looked up at the ex-soldier who sat on a plastic chair and looked towards the two women.

"When I went to retrieve some of your stuff, I found your guy in a sort of compromising situation, Rachel." He exchanged a knowing look with Quinn, who rolled her eyes at the predictable behaviour of that man. She had always had a bad feeling about that spoiled son of a bitch and she had been proved right, once again. "He was with another woman, in your living room."

"What?" Rachel fought hard to keep her voice down, knowing they were in a hospital. "Are you sure they were doing what...did you catch them in the act?" She whispered loudly, visibly shaken by the sudden revelation of infidelity.

"The aftermath, to be correct. I kicked them both out and I apologize for having crossed a line or something, but when that dumbass tried to hit me I saw red." He rubbed a hand behind his neck, hoping not to fall victim of her wrath. "He packed two bags and left, but I don't think he will be gone for long."

"The only thing I am mad about is not having kicked that asshole out of my house myself…" Rachel gritted her teeth and walked inside Harmony's room, leaving the two best friends alone and shocked in the hospital hallway.

"Well, she took it pretty well…" Quinn stared at her best friend, who sighed in relief and dropped his head against the wall behind him.

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"Are you really serious about this, Quinn?" Finn sat beside his long time friend, on the home-made swing in the Fabray's wide backyard, where they used to play when they were just kids.

"Never been surer, Finn. I already asked for her Fathers' blessings." The blonde photographer kicked some stones with the toe of her Blue All-Stars while holding onto the chains with both hands. "I have sort of mentioned it to her already, but it's not an official proposal. I want one that would deserve to be called as such; I am 25 years old and I got a steady job, there wouldn't be a better moment."

"I have faith in you, dude, and whatever you decide I will support you." He squeezed her hand softly before looking back at the Fabray's mansion. The house was always sort of intimidating to him and the Fabrays were definitely not the most welcoming and warmest family in the neighborhood, but Russell had been a second father to him teaching him all he knew now.

"When are you going back?" The blonde whispered sadly, knowing he was gonna be deployed soon.

"Couple of months, maybe I could be allowed to come back for the wedding. I wouldn't want to miss my best friend getting married." Finn stood up and tugged her on her feet, pulling him right into his arms. "How did you plan the proposal?" He whispered in her ear, having heard the back door open.

"McKinley's auditorium." She whispered back just in time to have the soon-to-be fiancèe join them. "Hey baby.." Quinn pulled back from the tall guy, who patted her shoulder and went back inside to give them some privacy.

"Planning to elope with Finn?" Rachel slipped her arms around the photographer's neck, who chuckled and pecked the tip of her nose gently.

"He is too tall for my liking." She lifted her off her feet and twirled her around, making the singer squeal in delight. "Our height difference, instead, is pretty much perfect." The blonde set her back on her feet and rested her chin against her temple, slowly swaying them to a soft music playing in her head.

"You can be such a smoothtalker, Fabray." Rachel nestled her head against the girl's collarbone, relaxing in her arms and following her lead. Never before she would have let herself go with someone like this. No worries. No fears. Just them.

"You love it…" Quinn mumbled with pride and kept on swaying them around the backyard in circles.

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When Harmony was discharged from the hospital, she was surprised to find a small pile of gifts waiting for her by the bed - courtesy of her "acquired" Uncle and Aunts; but the best and most welcomed gift was having her Mommy move back under her roof, albeit for a temporary time-slot. The brunette child had completely ignored the explanation coming from both of her parents, not wanting to think ahead and feel sorry and saddened by the fact her Mommy was going to move out as soon as she had healed completely.

"She is fast asleep, it was a long day for her…" Rachel walked inside the kitchen, finding Quinn washing their dishes from dinner.

"I am sure she is excited to have her friends over, tomorrow. She must have missed them." The photographer rinsed the glasses and set them aside, before moving to the half-soaped porcelain plates.

"We have a dishwasher, you know?" The singer grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and leaned back against the breakfast island in the middle of the room, staring at the back of her ex partner's head.

"I like washing things myself, it relaxes me." The blonde chuckled and rinsed the plates before turning around and playfully sending some water droplets in the brunette's face. "Oops!" She grabbed a towel and dried her hands, smirking at the shocked look on the other woman.

"You didn't!" She kept on staring at the blonde with her mouth wide open, as her hands held onto the opened water bottle.

"It looks quite the opposite, indeed." Quinn chuckled and reached with one hand behind herself, holding onto the flexible faucet, just in case.

"Expect a very cold revenge, Fabray!" Rachel quickly threw the content of her bottle toward the blonde, who moved to the side and managed to avoid some but, at the same time, opened the faucet that splashed both with cold tap water. "LUCY!" The brunette tried to hide behind her hands, but the water jet was too strong and the blonde seemed to have no intentions to stop anytime soon.

"It's just water!" She laughed over the sound of water hitting them both, making a mess in the usually pristine kitchen. When she decided to put an end to it, she pushed her wet hair back and looked back at the petite brunette, emerging from behind the marble counter as wet as a fish in a pond. "Gosh, you look like a cute wet kitten.." She walked toward the crouching diva, who pouted and grabbed the offered handkerchief.

"Thanks.." She started dabbing at her face, but it did not help at all given how drenched the handkerchief was. "It is useless, Quinn." She chuckled and handed it back, momentarily freezing at the feeling of their fingers brushing together. She locked eyes with the familiar hazel ones before her, trying to form any coherent word when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it.." She walked past the photographer who went to retrieve a mop for the wet mess on the kitchen floor.

Rachel, shaking her head in amusement, walked to the front door and, opening it, she found herself face-to-face with her ex-boyfriend. The brunette guy reeked of alcohol and was leaning heavily against the doorframe, making the singer roll her eyes and hold onto the door a little tighter to prevent him from entering the house.

"Brody, what are you doing here at this belated hour of the evening? Did you run out of money to throw at strippers or whores?" Rachel raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the guy, who looked her up and down in a way that sent chiils down the girl's spine, not in a positive way.

"C'mon babe, haven't you missed me?" He stepped forward, brushing the back of his hand along her cheek but she just swatted his hand away and crossed her arms over her chest, not wanting to allow him inside the house. "So, it is true huh? You are fucking that tall douche who kicked me out of my house?" He raised his voice, barely noticing how Rachel winced at the sudden mood shift.

"It never was your house, Brody, and I've been such a fool for letting an immature prick like you to step foot in here, in the first place." Rachel stepped backwards and went to close the door in his face, but his foot prevented her from doing so. "Go home, Brody. Sleep this off, before you make an ass of yourself more than you are already doing."

"Listen, bitch, I am not going to leave until you get my freaking side of the story." He pushed with his strength, opening the door and making the woman stumble back and away from it.

"Leave. Now." Rachel stood her ground in the foyer and took a quick glance to the side, relieved to see the familiar blonde stand in the shadow, having her back. "I don't want you to cause Harmony any distress, so just leave. We'll talk when you have sobered up." She grabbed her phone from the pocket of her still wet jeans, hoping the bluff to call 911 would convince him to leave.

"What if she wakes up? It's not like that bastard child of yours doesn't know I've been screwing her Mom for months." Brody smirked and took a step forward. "Had you given me the chance to practice to make a baby, I wouldn't have gone search that somewhere else. You made me cheat, Rachel."

"Do you even hear yourself? I made you cheat? You couldn't keep your flaccid harness inside your pants and I am responsible for your immaturity? Grow up, Brody." The brunette brought the phone to her ear, ready to dial the emergency number when he reached out to take it away from her. He stumbled forward, grazing her wrist with his fingers when a punch sent him to the ground, agonizing for the pain in his jawbone.

"That's for badmouthing my child and for even trying to lay a hand on Rachel, asshole." Quinn stood between the two exes, towering the crouched man who moaned in pain while cursing her under his breath.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?" He stood up on unsteady feet, holding his jaw with one hand and rising the other fist in a sort of offensive mode.

"Wrong. This is my house. Rachel and I bought it together, while your daddy still cleaned your butt cause your potty training sucked, asshole." The blonde grabbed him from the front of his shirt and pushed him against the doorframe, making him stumble hard into it. "Listen up, little spoiled brat, if I ever know you still come here to threaten my wife, I'll have your balls ripped off and sent to your daddy as trophy, got me?" She pushed him out of the door, smirking at the fall he took down the porch's steps.

Having made sure he was not going to stand up anytime soon, she slammed the door shut in his purplish face...

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"Do you know that if we are caught trespassing, I might even get sanctioned cause I didn't go here?" Rachel followed her girlfriend down the empty McKinley's hallways, looking around to take a quick glimpse of the place that had contributed in getting her where she was.

"Don't be so scared...I used to rule the school." Quinn took a quick turn to the left and pushed a heavy metal door, having finally reached the "right" place. "Watch out, it's a bit darker than I remembered." She gripped the brunette's hand and led her down the stairs, toward the main stage where the Glee club used to perform. So many memories.

"We used to have some better equipped auditorium as well, no wonder we won 3 National Championships in a row." Rachel chuckled at the annoyed expression on her partner's face, who helped her up the stage and followed her. The blonde walked around the familiar stage, finally finding a lightswitch that could provide some illumination for the room, albeit not too strong to catch any unwanted attention. "Why did you bring me here, Quinn?" The brunette's smirk turned into a smile, as she approached the silent blonde.

"I didn't remember as soon as we met, but when we talked about our pasts it came to my mind." Quinn slipped her fingers through hers, tugging her closer to their foreheads could touch. "Your voice sounded familiar and it was not because you are Rachel Berry, the Broadway star. I had heard you before, during a School Choir competition." She leaned down to peck her lips softly and then trailed her lips upwards, to graze the tip of her nose with them. "We didn't place high enough to compete in the second round, but we stayed behind to listen to the child prodigy and future star, Rachel Barbra Berry."

"Such a stalker, Quinn Fabray." Rachel ducked her head in embarrassment and butted her forehead against the girl's chin, in a soft and playful way.

"When I heard you sing, I felt so many butterflies in my stomach. I never felt something like that before, not for my past girlfriends nor for those women whom I had slept with; not until you came back into my life." Quinn brushed her lips against the girl's ear, who inadvertently stepped closer to her. "I fell for your voice that day, on that stage, Rachel and couldn't think of a better place where to stand, while asking you this…" The blonde photographer pulled back, dropping on one knee on the wooden floor and grabbing a velvet box from the front of her pocket. "Rachel Barbra Berry, will you marry me?" She looked up into her chocolate orbs, now filled with tears, and just smiled with hope…

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Rachel was having troubles sleeping. Her mind seemed unable to give her some peace, long enough to sleep for a few hours and rest after long and tiring days. Between Harmony's surgery and the recent breakup with a man she had wrongly relied onto, she had found herself unable to take a moment to herself and think things through. The events of just few hours ago still replayed in her mind and a strong feeling of both discomfort and dread took over her. Had not been for Quinn, what could have happened? Would have she been able to take care of Brody herself, protecting herself and mostly, Harmony? Had she been really so blind not to notice what kind of man she had brought into her daughter's life?

With those fears and regrets in her mind, she pushed the covers back and just stood up. Sleep would have had to wait. Her bare feet led her down the hallway, toward her daughter's bedroom. She peeked inside the room and smiled at the peaceful look on the small brunette's face, who was probably too tired and doped up to have heard the commotion from downstairs. She lingered in the doorframe a little bit longer, before walking down the marble staircase that connected the bedroom zone with the living room and kitchen areas. Her eyes lingered on the closed door of the main guest room, where Quinn had temporarily moved, almost tempted to go check on her too but she thought better against it.

Her feet padded down the cold surface, until finding solace in the wooden floor that covered 80% of the house, exception made for the Kitchen and Bathrooms. She had decided to make herself a cup of chamomile tea and started heading toward the kitchen, when soft noises caught her attention. Her ears peaked at the sound of something coming from one of the studio rooms, that they had agreed to turn into a personal gym. Her elliptical had been the first thing to move there, followed by some of Quinn's equipment like the Boxing bag. Curiosity took the best of her, so she just swerved in the opposite direction, mindful not to make any "crack" noise on the floor so not to alert the source of that noise of her presence.

Rachel reached the studio's door and lightly pushed on the not fully closed door. Once the door was ¾ opened, she found herself frozen in her step staring at the back of her ex's head. The blonde was clad in a wifebeater and shorts. Both her hands and feet were bare and just wrapped in some bandages, that probably prevented her from getting hurt after hitting the sack. Rachel spotted the earbuds, blasting music throughout the workout routine and shielding her from the world outside the "homemade gym" room without causing any bother to her or Harmony. The brunette leaned against the doorframe and stared at the girl with renewed curiosity. She admired the way her muscles moved under the strength of each blow or kick. Her body, despite not carrying the same agility from their youth, seemed firmer and more controlled. It felt like Quinn knew what actions would be triggered by her movements and yet, she didn't even need to think too much about it.

"Did I wake you up?" Quinn's smooth voice snapped her out of her trance, making her slightly jump and scaring the shit out of her. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were that deep in your little world." The blonde unwrapped the bandages from her hands and wiped the sweat from her forehead, with the bottom of her wifebeater. That movement exposed the woman's defined abdomen muscles, that had gotten even better since the last time she had seen them.

"No...I came downstairs to make some tea and then heard some noises." Rachel walked further into the room, closing the door behind herself not wanting to bother Harmony with their voices. "You are in a great shape. I wonder if i should start taking self defense classes, myself."

"If it helped making you feel safer, why not?" The blonde stretched her arms over her head, before reaching for her water bottle from off the floor, taking a long gulp. "I could ask Finn to teach some moves, if you want. He gave me few pointers that really help."

"I'd appreciate that, even if I am not one of his favorite persons." The brunette walked toward the boxing bag and trailed a finger over it, noticing the letters engraved on the leather, for the first time. "It doesn't look to hard…" She flexed her hand and threw a tentative punch to the bag, wincing at the hardness she came in contact with.

"Slow down, tiger." Quinn walked around the bag to grab her hand, carefully checking her knuckles. "You can't punch a bag like that, without risking to hurt yourself. As a beginner, you should either use gloves or at least wrap your fingers like I did. Do you think I did it so I could look like a mummy?" She chuckled and brushed her thumb over the back of her hand, before releasing it.

"You could show me the right way, one of these days." Rachel leaned against the bag and followed the blonde with her gaze, as she collected her stuff from the room.

"Gladly…" Quinn smiled lightly and draped her towel on her shoulder, as she moved toward the door to exit the room. "You still want that tea? I could use one, before I jump in the shower and try and catch some sleep."

"Gladly." Rachel chuckled in a mocking tone, making the blonde roll her eyes at her before walking ahead of her toward the kitchen room. Despite the circumstances, maybe living under the same roof was going to provide them with a chance to fix some of the many broken pieces left behind...

thoughts? comments?