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Chapter 8 – You Make Me Nervous

Rachel grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and then stared inside for a few moments. She really needed to do some grocery shopping; the fridge was nearly empty and the cabinets weren't much better. Kurt had cooked dinner the previous night, but they had mostly been living off takeout or going to restaurants the last few days. Her fathers were used to it, though; they both worked a lot, so they rarely cooked. At least when they came to New York they were able to eat at places other than their usual.

She smiled when she heard Leroy's laugh from the living room. Her fathers demanded she take them to the nearest toy store so they could buy some things for Beth. Once they were done there, they came home and Leroy immediately started assembling the massive dollhouse they bought her while Hiram and Beth did some finger painting.

Rachel closed the refrigerator door, realizing she was not going to find anything in there to eat and wondering if anyone else was hungry. It was almost lunchtime, so she knew she should probably go ask her fathers soon. They were just having such fun with Beth that she didn't really want to interrupt it.

"Rachel, your phone's ringing," Kurt said, bringing it into the kitchen.

Rachel looked at the phone; it was an unknown number and the call ended before she could answer it. She looked at Kurt and shrugged. "They hung up."

She set the phone on the table and started to walk to the takeout menu drawer, but the phone started vibrating on the table. She looked at the screen and it was the same number calling again.

"Hello, Rachel Berry speaking," she said, answering the phone.

There was a light laugh on the other end. "It's Quinn—Quinn Fabray."

"Hello, Quinn," Rachel said.

Rachel was surprised Quinn was calling. She knew the blonde said she wanted to meet up sometime, but she really didn't think she meant it or would follow through with calling.

"I know it's short notice, but I was wondering if you'd like to get coffee today," Quinn said.

"I, umm—" Rachel looked at Leroy, who was walking into the room. "I don't know; my fathers are in town and—"

"What's going on?" Leroy asked.

"Hold on a second, please," Rachel said into the phone before covering it with her hand. "A—friend is wanting to meet for coffee, but—"

Quinn wasn't a friend, but she didn't want to explain everything to them right now. While they never knew the extent of how miserable she was in high school, they had heard of Quinn Fabray. She had divulged some things to them, which included some of the emotional abuses the cheerleaders of McKinley—specifically Quinn and Santana Lopez—subjected her to.

"Go," Leroy interrupted. "If you want to that is. The three of us are here to look after Beth if you want to go."

Rachel paused for a moment and then said, "I can meet for coffee. Is 1:30 okay?"

Quinn told her the place and luckily Rachel knew exactly where she was talking about. They said their goodbyes and she hung up the phone with a sigh. She really didn't know if she was ready for this; the other two times she had no choice, but now that she knew she was about to meet with Quinn, she was a little nervous.

"Are you alright," Leroy asked.

Rachel hummed and looked up. "I'm fine." She looked at the time on the microwave. "I should probably get ready, though; I wouldn't want to be late."

Rachel had been staring into the mirror for far too long, but she couldn't seem to decide on an outfit. She currently had on a pair of jeans with a black tank top, but she didn't know about it. She looked at her bed and the four previous outfits she tried on. None of them seemed right and the rest of her closet wasn't fairing much better.

"Shouldn't you be leaving soon?" Kurt asked.

Rachel looked up at Kurt's reflection in the mirror. "Probably."

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, coming fully into the room.

Rachel sighed. "I don't know why I agreed to meet with Quinn, but I'm finding myself regretting the decision."

"Is that why you're staring into the mirror?" Kurt asked, sitting down on her bed.

"I'm trying to find something to wear," Rachel said, looking down. "She always made me feel bad about my choice of clothing in high school and I don't want to give her the chance to do it again."

"Do you think she'll say something?" Kurt asked.

"I would hope not, but I don't exactly know, do I?" Rachel asked.

"High school was two years ago," Kurt stated.

"I am well aware of that fact, thank you," Rachel replied.

"I'm just saying that I know you're worried about meeting Quinn, but high school was over two years ago," Kurt continued. "I'm not saying you should forget or even forgive everything she did, but there is a chance she is a completely different person now. People grow, they mature, and they see the error of their ways. You're all about second chances, so maybe it would be easier on you if you go into this assuming the best."

"When did you become the optimistic one?" Rachel joked.

"I figure if you're being the pessimistic one, I need to balance things out," Kurt said, smirking.

Rachel sighed. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right," Kurt replied.

"I should just go into this hoping for the best," Rachel said, running her hands down her top. "High school was a while ago and maybe she has changed. I mean, college is different, right? It's not a popularity contest like high school is, so maybe she has realized that there is more to life than being on top."

"Exactly," Kurt replied.

Rachel sighed. "What if she hasn't, though? What if she's still the same Quinn and this is all one big elaborate prank?"

"Elaborate prank to do what?" Kurt asked.

"I can only assume to humiliate me in some way," Rachel replied. "Isn't that what it was always about? To show me my place in the social hierarchy and to let me know I'm beneath them."

Kurt frowned. "But what would be the point in that now?"

"I don't know," Rachel said, throwing her hands up. "I don't know what's going on in the mind of Quinn Fabray and I doubt I want to know."

"You're being paranoid," Kurt stated.

"I know," Rachel admitted. "But I can't help it. You know what it was like for me; it's hard to believe she would ever want to be in the same city as me, and it's nearly impossible to believe she would willingly invite me out for coffee. I don't know what she could possibly want to talk about other than Beth, but Noah said she hasn't even mentioned her since everything that happened at the beginning of our senior year. That's why I am at a loss for why she would want to meet with me, which leads me to think it's for some nefarious reason."

Kurt looked like he was about to speak, so Rachel held up her hand to shush him. "Don't say anything. I know how ridiculous I'm being. I just don't understand why she's seemingly being nice to me. I don't think she's ever said anything to me that wasn't an insult in one way or another, and now she's inviting me to coffee. I know people change and she very well might be one of those people, but I'm still a little skeptical about everything. Given everything, I do believe I have a right to be paranoid when it comes to her; it wouldn't be the first time she has tricked me."

"I know, sweetie," Kurt said sympathetically. "And I actually believe a little paranoia is probably healthy in this situation. Now, for what you should wear, I think what you have on is perfect. It's simple and you look fabulous."

"Really?" Rachel asked, looking down.

"Really," Kurt replied. "You've definitely come a long way from plaid skirts with reindeer sweaters."

"Thank you, Kurt," Rachel said, smiling at him.

Kurt shrugged. "It's my job as best friend."

Rachel laughed. "You do your job well."

"Now, don't you need to get out of here?" Kurt asked.

Rachel gasped as she looked at the time. "I'm going to be late!"

"Have fun," Kurt said as Rachel kissed his cheek before running out. "If you need anything, just call!"

"I will," Rachel yelled over her shoulder.

"Are you leaving?" Hiram asked.

"Yes," Rachel said, grabbing her bag. "I shouldn't be more than a few hours. Are you sure you're okay to watch Beth"

"Of course," Hiram replied. "You take care of her every day; allow us to do it for a little while. Go, have fun, and really enjoy your time. Don't worry about us here, okay? Your father and I are more than happy to spend this time with our semi-granddaughter."

Rachel smiled at Hiram and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm really glad you two are here."

"I'm glad we're here, too," Hiram replied. "Now, go have fun."

"I'll see you later," Rachel said, heading for the door. "I'm going out, Beth! I won't be too long!" She looked at Hiram. "Don't spoil her too much while I'm gone."

Hiram laughed. "I can't promise anything."

When Rachel walked into the coffee shop, she looked around for Quinn, but the blonde was nowhere to be seen. She looked at her phone; it was two minutes until their meeting time, so she figured Quinn would be here by now. The other woman hadn't tried to call and there were no text messages, so she assumed they were still on. Rachel walked up to the line, which was luckily short, and waited to place her order.

She looked at the door every time the bell jangled, but it was never Quinn. She looked at the time when she finally got her coffee and it was five after. There were several tables open, so she took the one in the corner, sitting so she could see the door. She thought about taking the one near the exit, so she could make a quick escape if she needed to, but she figured it would be more private where she chose—though she didn't know if that was a good thing.

Rachel had been sitting down for several minutes when the bell jangled again and Quinn came in. The two locked eyes and Quinn nodding toward the counter, Rachel assumed indicating that she was going to get something first, so she nodded. Rachel watched as the barista seemed to flirt with the blonde if his body language was any indication, while Quinn's posture was ridged. When Quinn finally got her drink, she turned around, rolling her eyes at Rachel. For once, Rachel knew it wasn't actually directed at her, but the result of the barista.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Quinn said as she pulled out the seat and sat down.

"It's okay," Rachel replied. "I was nearly late myself."

They fell silent as they both sipped on their drinks. Rachel wanted to ask what Quinn wanted, but that seemed a little rude. She noticed Quinn's brows furrow a little bit, but as soon as it happened, her face was passive again.

"So, you said your dads are in town," Quinn suddenly said.

"Yes, they came for a surprise visit a few days ago," Rachel replied.

"Must be nice," Quinn said, taking another drink.

"Yeah," Rachel replied, detecting some sadness in Quinn's voice.

They fell silent again and Rachel played with the sleeve on her coffee cup; Quinn didn't look like she was going to say anything anytime soon, so Rachel said, "May I ask why you wanted to get coffee? I know you said it was to catch up, but we haven't exactly been friends, so I'm having a difficult time figuring out why you would want to meet here." Rachel frowned when Quinn started laughing. "May I ask what is so funny?"

Quinn laughed. "You're still the same. You know, with the way you speak."

"It happens more when I'm nervous," Rachel said with a shrug.

Quinn's eyebrow rose. "You're nervous?"

"You didn't answer my question," Rachel said, trying not to blush at what she just admitted.

Quinn took another drink and then set her cup down on the table. "Getting straight to the point I see. I want to know if I could see Beth some."

"You want to see Beth," Rachel repeated.

"Yes," Quinn replied.

"I was under the impression from Noah that you wouldn't want to be involved in her life," Rachel stated.

"Things change," Quinn replied.

"May I ask why you didn't try to gain guardianship of her when you had the chance?" Rachel asked.

"Because I didn't want her." Quinn shook her head. "That came out wrong. I mean that—I've spent every day since she was born trying to not think about her. I try not to think about what she looks like and how much she's grown and what her favorite toy is and if she looks like me. I didn't try to get custody of her because I was trying to pretend she didn't exist—to forget about her. But that all changed when I saw her. It's hard to not think about her when I've seen her."

"Did you know Beth and I were going to be at that restaurant?" Rachel asked.

Quinn shook her head. "No. I had no idea or I wouldn't have gone. That was all Puck's doing; I think he wanted me to see her. Believe me, I was completely shocked and didn't know what to do or say." Quinn let out a light laugh. "I tried to look unsurprised, but I was freaking out a lot."

"He does have a habit of doing that," Rachel replied.

"I know you don't really like me, but I'm not the same girl from high school," Quinn said. "I was pretty horrible to you and I'm sorry. I have grown up, though."

"Have you really?" Rachel asked.

"I like to think so," Quinn said, smiling slightly. "You have no reason to trust me, but I'm asking you to anyway."

"You can see Beth," Rachel replied. "However, it will be on my terms."

"Fair enough," Quinn replied.

"Beth has been through enough recently and I don't want her to get confused," Rachel said. "She lost her mom and I'm only a little better than a stranger. I'm sure it's confusing enough living with me and Kurt, but now all these other people are coming into her life. I don't want to keep you or Noah away from her, but I'm also trying to think of what's best for her."

"As you should," Quinn remarked.

"What I'm asking is that you don't let her know who you are," Rachel continued. "Don't let Beth know you're her biological mother. I'm already worried she's going to think I'm trying to replace Shelby, and with you, it would only make the situation worse."

"Don't worry, I have no intention of letting her know who I am," Quinn said, picking up her coffee cup again. "I just want to see her—get to know her."

"Then we're in agreement," Rachel replied.

Quinn nodded and played with the coffee cup sleeve. "So—how have you been?"

"What?" Rachel asked.

"I believe I said I wanted to meet for coffee to catch up," Quinn said.

"Yes, but I assumed that was just a ploy for what you really wanted," Rachel replied.

"A little bit," Quinn said, shrugging. "But that doesn't mean I'm not interested."

"I've been okay all things considered," Rachel answered.

Quinn nodded. "I was sorry to hear about Shelby. Did you two ever—were you close?"

"No," Rachel replied sadly. "We talked through email every now and then. The last time I saw her was over a year ago." Rachel shook her head. "Other than that, things have been going well. I just finished my second year at NYADA, and I've been doing well there. Last year I almost won the role of Fanny Brice in the revival of Funny Girl, but I lost out to some woman that probably slept with one of the producers because there was no way she was better than me. I deserved that part."

Quinn laughed. "I don't doubt that. I know I never said it before because I couldn't possibly say anything nice—how could I—but I've always thought your voice was amazing."

Rachel ducked her head, surprised by the compliment. She was used to people complimenting her voice, but it felt different coming from Quinn—from someone she was used to insulting her.

"I hate to run," Quinn sighed, "but if I don't go, I'm going to be late getting back to work."

"Well, we can't have that," Rachel said with a smile.

"I thought I would have more time, but it took longer than expected to get out of the office," Quinn said, frowning slightly.

"Where to you work?" Rachel wondered.

"At this small publishing company," Quinn said. "They do small orders for unknown authors. It's just a summer thing; one of my professors set me up with it."

"That sounds interesting," Rachel replied.

Quinn shrugged. "It's not bad."

"We should do this again," Rachel said. "Maybe some place that doesn't serve coffee, though."

"Not a fan?" Quinn asked.

"Oh, I'm a huge fan, but I recently started working as a barista, so I'm having work flashbacks just sitting here," Rachel said with a light laugh.

"Should I call you?" Quinn asked. "You know, if I want to see Beth?"

"That would be fine," Rachel said with a nod. "We can set up a time for you to come over or we could even meet somewhere."

"Okay," Quinn said, standing up. "Thank you, Rachel."

"You're welcome," Rachel said before watching Quinn walk away.

That went remarkably better than she thought it would. And she was also pretty sure that was the first time Quinn had ever referred to her by her first time. The closest she'd ever come before was calling her by her surname, but she was usually called by names that were a little more colorful.

Rachel slid the door closed and immediately noticed how quiet the room was. When she walked in, there was no one in the apartment but Kurt, who was sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Where is everyone?" Rachel asked.

"Your dads took Beth out right after you left," Kurt replied.

"Where did they go?" Rachel asked.

Kurt shrugged. "They didn't say."

"Shouldn't that be the type of thing you ask?" Rachel replied.

"Rachel, they're your fathers," Kurt said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like they're going to take her some place they shouldn't."

"I'm aware of that, Kurt, but shouldn't we know where she is going?" Rachel asked. "Or at least I should. I am the one responsible for her."

"I assume the meeting with Quinn didn't go well," Kurt said.

Rachel furrowed her brows. "What makes you think that?"

"You're lecturing me," Kurt stated.

"Sorry," Rachel said, laughing lightly. "Actually, coffee went fairly well; much better than I was expecting. Unfortunately it was cut short because she was a bit late and then she had to leave to go back to work, but she was—dare I say it—actually nice."

"See, there was nothing to worry about," Kurt replied.

"That's easy for you to say," Rachel said, rolling her eyes. "For all I know it could still be an act. Quinn has always been good at pretending to be whoever she needed to be to get what she wants."

"And what did she want?" Kurt asked.

"To see Beth," Rachel said, sitting down next to him.

Kurt nodded slowly. "Are you going to let her?"

"I am," Rachel replied. "I did tell her, though, that she isn't to let Beth know who she is. Maybe when Beth is older, but right now, I don't want her life becoming even more confusing than it already is. I won't keep Quinn or Noah away from her if they want to be in her life, but I also want what's best for Beth. So, for now, she can just know them as people we are friends with."

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Kurt asked.

"No," Rachel sighed. "but it's the best I can think of for now. I know they gave her up, but it doesn't feel right to deny them to see her. I know what it's like to be Beth, and if Shelby had wanted to see me, but my fathers turned her away, I wouldn't be very happy about it. I figure if they want to be in her life, they should be allowed to be in it."

She could hear her fathers' laughter just outside the door and then the sound of it sliding open. When she looked across the room, Leroy was coming in behind Beth with several bags in his hands. She wondered what else they could possibly have bought her; they had always spoiled her while she was growing up and now they were doing the exact same thing with Beth. She didn't necessarily think it was a bad thing—she thought she turned out alright—but she didn't want them to feel like they had to do it. They were already spending a lot of money helping her through school, and she didn't want them to think they had to spend more.

"You look like you've had a productive outing," Rachel said, nodding to the bags.

"This one is your father's," Leroy said, holding up the one in his right hand. "He saw a shirt in the window and just had to go in; three pants, four shits, two ties, and a pair of shoes later, we finally made it out." He held up the bag in his left hand. "Then he noticed a children's boutique across the street."

"Oh no," Rachel said, laughing.

"Needless to say, Beth has a bunch of new outfits for when she starts kindergarten," Leroy said, smiling.

"You know you didn't have to do that," Rachel replied. "And you know she'll probably have to wear a uniform to school."

"No, but we wanted to," Leroy said, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"How did your coffee date go?" Hiram asked, collapsing in the armchair.

"It went okay," Rachel said, shrugging.

She and Kurt both watched as Beth walked into her room; Rachel started to get up, but Kurt put his hand on her arm to stop her.

"I've got it," he said, getting up.

"I think she's just a little sleepy," Leroy said.

"Was it a boy?" Hiram asked.

"What?" Rachel said, looking at him.

"The one you had coffee with," Hiram replied. "Was it a boy? Is there a new romance in your life that we don't know about?"

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "No, no—nothing like that."

Hiram narrowed his eyes. "I don't know if I believe you." He looked at Leroy. "Do you believe her?"

"It wasn't a guy," Rachel reiterated. "It was a girl."

"And what is this girl's name?" Hiram asked.

Rachel hesitated for a moment. "Quinn."

"Quinn," Hiram repeated. "As in the reason you came home crying on more than one occasion during high school? The Quinn that stole your boyfriend, threw frozen drinks in your face, and set up an elaborate prank for you to win prom queen just to make you think everyone had voted for you, only to announce to the school that it was a joke."

"How many other Quinns do you know?" Leroy asked.

Hiram paused for a moment and then said, "Quinn Morgendorffer."

"I highly doubt our daughter met with a fictional, animated character," Leroy replied.

"To be fair, I did steal Finn from her first," Rachel commented. "But yes."

"Are you two friends now?" Hiram asked.

"No," Rachel replied. "She wanted to talk about—"

"Beth," Leroy finished for her.

Rachel nodded. "She asked if she could see her."

"And you said?" Hiram asked.

"I said yes," Rachel answered, looking to make sure the little girl was still in her room. "I know what it's like to not know someone and wish you did. I don't want Beth growing up, wondering where she came from. She deserves to know that her biological mother does think about her and wants to know her. That being said, I did ask Quinn to not reveal who she truly is—that can come later."

"That's probably a wise decision," Leroy replied. "She's had enough upheaval in her life over the last two months."

"Beth will think Quinn is a friend just like Noah," Rachel said. "It's not as if she will really ask about it, so I'll just save that conversation for one day in the future."

Leroy cleared his throat and Rachel looked over her shoulder to find Kurt and Beth coming out of her bedroom. Leroy sat on the arm of the chair his husband was sitting in and Rachel scooted over to make room for the other two to sit on the couch.

"So, what do we want to do?" Rachel asked, smiling over her shoulder.

"I vote we sit right here," Hiram said.

"I'd like to go out," Leroy said.

"I wouldn't mind an afternoon in," Kurt said, shrugging as he walked around the couch to sit next to Rachel.

"I think I would like to go out," Rachel said. "You're only here for a few more days and I think we should do something."

"That's two votes to stay in and two to go out," Kurt said, looking at Beth. "You're the tiebreaker."

"Would you like to stay in or go out and do something?" Rachel asked.

"I wanna go out," Beth answered.

Leroy smiled. "I guess it's settled then."