Chapter 13 – Is This Really Happening?
As Rachel approached the restaurant they agreed to meet at, she instantly spotted Quinn standing outside. The blonde had her hair up in a ponytail—much like she did when she was on the Cheerios—and was wearing a black dress that suddenly made Rachel second guess her own outfit. She, too, was wearing a dress, but it didn't look nearly as good as the one Quinn was wearing. Somehow, Quinn always had her second guessing her wardrobe even though she was far from the girl in high school who wore animal sweaters.
"Hello, Quinn," she greeted as she approached the other woman.
"Hi," she said, smiling, and then looking down at Beth. "Your dress is very pretty."
"Thank you," Beth said, sounding very shy.
"This place looks very nice," Rachel said, looking at the front of the restaurant.
"I've been wanting to try it," Quinn remarked. "I called ahead to make a reservation and to make sure they had vegan options."
"Thank you," Rachel replied. "Most people forget.
"It's hard to forget," Quinn said, smiling. "I remember the rant you gave Finn when he asked if you wanted a piece of beef jerky."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "I don't know why he could never remember. I discovered that he fed me beef while cooking dinner for me and I became violently ill when I found out what he did."
"That sounds like something he would do," Quinn said, shaking her head. "He always was a terrible boyfriend."
"Sometimes," Rachel agreed.
They stood silently for a moment before Quinn said, "Maybe we should go in."
"Yes," Rachel replied.
They walked into the restaurant and Rachel looked around. The inside was a little fancier than the outside suggested; it looked nice with its dark wood and deep red interior. There were also splashes of white around that lightened up the room a little.
"Fabray, party of three," Quinn said to the hostess.
"Right this way," the woman said.
The hostess led them through the restaurant to a table near of the back of the room. Rachel made sure Beth was seated before sitting down herself. As she was handed a menu, she glanced at Quinn; she was afraid things would become weird between them now that Finn had come up. It was something they had never really talked about and for good reason. The first time Rachel kissed him, he was dating Quinn, and the first time he truly broke her heart, he did so to go back to the blonde. Rachel always wondered if they would have become friends if it wasn't for Finn or if Quinn would have still hated her in high school.
"Did you ever decide on a class?" Quinn asked as she looked over her menu.
"Yes, Beth has attended dance class several times so far," Rachel answered.
"Do you like it?" Quinn asked, looking at the little girl.
Beth nodded and said, "Yeah."
"She's even made a friend," Rachel added. "There's this girl named Emma, who is around her age. A lot of the other kids are—" Rachel paused, trying to pick the correct word. "Well, they're rather pretentious, which they seem to get from their mothers."
Quinn eyebrow rose, but before she could say anything, the waiter came over to take their drink orders. When he left to get their drinks, she looked at her menu to figure out what she wanted.
"Do you know what you want, Beth?" she asked, glancing at the girl, who shook her head. "Do you need me to help you with it?" Beth shook her head again. "Okay, but let me know if you do, okay?"
Beth nodded and Rachel went back to her menu, immediately spotting a vegan eggplant parmesan that sounded perfect. It sounded so perfect that she didn't even bother looking over the rest of the menu.
"That was quick," Quinn commented when Rachel put her menu aside.
"I've been craving eggplant parmesan and they just so happen to have it here," Rachel replied.
Quinn smiled. "I'm glad I picked this restaurant, then."
"I know what I want," Beth said, putting her menu down.
Rachel didn't even have to ask what she was going to get. Her favorite food was pizza and any time it was on the menu, she wanted it. Considering this was an Italian restaurant, she felt it was safe to assume that there was a pizza product of some kind on the kid's menu.
"This place is nice," Rachel commented as she looked around. "Hopefully the food is as good as the decor."
"I've heard it is," Quinn replied. "This guy at work told me about it. Actually, he asked me out and tried to convince me to go by telling me how amazing this place is." Quinn shrugged. "It didn't help his cause at all, but the restaurant sounded good."
Rachel wondered if Quinn had a boyfriend and if that's why she turned the guy down. She realized she really didn't know anything about the other woman's life. She knew Quinn had a roommate and a little bit about her work and school, but that was it. Quinn was always a private person through high school—Rachel was fairly certain the blonde's two best friends, Santana and Brittany, didn't even know her that well—and she was apparently no different now.
"Why didn't you take him up on his offer?" Rachel asked, deciding to see if Quinn would open up at all.
"He wasn't my type," Quinn replied.
Rachel nodded; it wasn't a very detailed answered, but she knew it was the most she was going to get from Quinn.
Rachel smiled as Beth looked around, obviously excited to be at the theater. She had never seen her quite this excited before; she was definitely glad she accepted Quinn's invitation. She might be wary of Quinn and unsure about spending a whole evening with her, but if it made Beth happy, it was worth it.
"Thank you again for bringing us," Rachel said to Quinn. "Though, you really didn't need to pay for everything."
Quinn shrugged. "Don't mention it."
Rachel didn't know why, but the blonde insisted on paying for everyone at dinner. After some back and forth about it, she eventually relented and let Quinn pay for the meal. She knew Quinn could be just as stubborn as her—more so, really—and she knew they could be in the restaurant all night if she didn't back down.
"Can I go up there?" Beth whispered.
"To the stage?" Rachel asked and Beth nodded. "You can go look at it, but don't try to get on it, okay?"
Beth nodded again and hopped out of her seat. Rachel watched her closely as she walked over to it, but she didn't try to get on the stage. Instead, she stood near it, staring up at it.
"She seems excited," Quinn commented.
"I think this is the first time she's been to a Broadway show," Rachel said. "Unless she went with Shelby sometime. Kurt and I were talking only a week or two ago about taking her to one soon, but we couldn't decide on a show. He wants to take her to see Wicked, but I was afraid the flying monkeys would give her nightmares. She has them enough as it is; there's no reason to make them worse."
"She has nightmares?" Quinn asked.
Rachel sighed. "All the time. Some nights are worse than others; sometimes she'll make it through the night without having one, but they've been happening a lot lately. I don't even know what she's dreaming about, either. We've been doing everything her therapist says, but it doesn't appear to be helping very much. I suspect she's dreaming about the car wreck. I don't want to ask her, though, in case it's not that; there's no reason to unnecessarily bring up such a traumatic experience."
"Does she ever mention it?" Quinn asked, looking at Beth.
Rachel shook her head. "No."
"Does she ever mention her—Shelby?" Quinn inquired.
"She started to once or twice, but stopped," Rachel replied. "I tried to get her to talk about it at the time, but she just got really quiet and wouldn't say anything. I wish I knew what was going on in her head sometimes; she's just so quiet and doesn't like to talk about things."
Rachel glanced at Quinn, wondering if she should really be talking about this. She didn't want to flaunt the fact that she had Beth and Quinn didn't. Quinn may have willingly given Beth up, but it was obvious her senior year that she regretted it. When Shelby came to town with Beth, Quinn attempted to get her back by trying to make Shelby look like an unfit mother. Thankfully, Puck had enough sense not to go along with the plan and stopped it from happening, but it made Rachel wonder if she still wanted Beth. She knew Quinn wanted to be in the little girl's life—she did come to her, wanting to spend time with Beth—but she wondered if the blonde wished she had tried to get custody of her.
"I'm surprised you haven't taken her to a Broadway show yet," Quinn remarked. "I figured that was one of the first things you did."
Rachel laughed lightly. "I know, but there was so much going on that I honestly didn't think about it. Plus, she really didn't want to do a lot in the beginning, which I could understand. Her life went through an enormous change that would be hard on anybody. But she's opening up a bit more now and actually wants to go places. Just last weekend Kurt and I took her to Central Park, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty."
"That sounds fun," Quinn replied.
"It was," Rachel said, smiling. "Before summer is over, I hope to take her to the zoo, the Children's Museum, and hopefully a few more of the tourist sights. It will have to wait until after next weekend, though; we're going to Lima for the weekend."
"Me too," Quinn said. "I managed to get all next week off, so I'm leaving tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it; I hate going back there."
"Why?" Rachel asked. "I mean, I can sympathize, but I just—I don't know."
"You think I should like it there because I was so popular in high school," Quinn remarked.
"Yes," Rachel said truthfully.
"I probably hated high school just as much as you did," Quinn replied. "I always wanted to get out of Lima, but I didn't think I would get to. I thought I would have the same life as my mother; I thought I would marry some wealthy guy and devote my life to raising our children. It didn't really cross my mind for a long time that I could actually leave and have the life I wanted, not the life I thought I would end up with. Going back is just a reminder of everything—of that life I didn't want.
"Plus, my relationship with my mother is a little complicated. She wanted me to stay in Lima to go to college, but I wanted to get far away from that town, which she didn't understand. I think she resents me for being alone now, and she refuses to listen to anything about my life. Even when I tell her something important, she acts like it never happened. It's frustrating because she doesn't want to know who I am now; I try to tell her something important and she pretends we never had the conversation."
Rachel frowned. "That's terrible."
"It definitely makes visiting a little awkward," Quinn replied. "We basically talk about nothing except for things like my grades and if I've met any cute guys." Quinn rolled her eyes. "It'll be a week of awkward silence and her pretending nothing has changed."
"Well, you could bring her over to the cookout my fathers are having," Rachel said with a shrug. "At least there will be other people around to distract her."
"I might just do that," Quinn said, smiling. "I'll let you know if we're going to come, so you can let your fathers know."
Rachel smiled back. "I'm sure my fathers would love to have you; they're really excited about the cookout and want as many people as they can get."
"How much longer?" Beth asked, sitting back down in her seat.
Rachel pulled out her phone to look at the time. "Just a few more minutes."
"I don't wanna wait," Beth complained.
"I know," Rachel said, laughing lightly.
Beth sighed and Rachel smiled at how eager she was; it reminded her a lot of the first time her fathers took her to a Broadway show. She couldn't wait for it to start and was just as impatient as Beth.
"Thank you again," Rachel said, looking over at Quinn.
As they walked out of the theater, Beth was wide-eyed and bouncing around. Rachel smiled at the sight of Beth this happy and watched to make sure she didn't skip off too far ahead of her and Quinn. She could tell the little girl loved every second of the musical, often watching Beth instead of what was happening on the stage. Beth looked like she was in awe the whole time and Rachel thought it was amazing to see someone watching a Broadway show for the first time.
"I have never seen her this happy," Rachel said, smiling.
"It looks like you're going to have to take her to more shows," Quinn commented.
"Definitely," Rachel agreed. "Maybe we can see a few more before school starts; it'll be much more difficult to do through the school year, but I think it might have to be a regular occurrence."
They stopped just outside the entrance to the theater and Rachel looked down. She'd actually had fun with Quinn this evening and was sad to see it was over. It was something she never thought would be possible—enjoying an evening with the blonde—but it was nice to be around someone that wasn't Kurt. Don't get her wrong, she loved Kurt and he would always be her best friend, but sometimes it was nice to have a night out with someone else. It was just strange to her that it was Quinn that she was enjoying the company of; if someone had told her earlier in the year that she would be thinking that, she would have laughed at them.
"I know it's getting late, but would you want to get coffee before you go home?" Quinn asked.
Rachel looked at Beth for a moment and then nodded and smiled. "I think it would be okay. I don't think Beth is going to be tired anytime soon; she seems far too excited to go to bed."
Quinn laughed. "Come on, I know a place that we can walk to."
Rachel walked over to Beth and reached out to take her hand. As she followed Quinn, Beth skipped along beside her, jostling Rachel's arm with every skip, but Rachel just shook her head and smiled.
The walk wasn't very far, and when Rachel walked into the coffee shop, she looked around in great interest. It was very different than the place she worked; this coffee shop was much more relaxed. The baristas were wearing their normal clothes and most of them were covered in tattoos. There were beanbag chairs littering one side of the establishment, near a small stage. The tables and chairs were all mismatched, but were all painted bright colors. It was an interesting place, but it didn't seem like a place she could imagine Quinn going to. In fact, it seemed like the type of place she would hate.
"You're wondering why I come here, aren't you?" Quinn asked, watching Rachel.
"The thought did cross my mind," Rachel admitted.
Quinn laughed lightly. "Once you try the coffee, you'll understand."
They stood in line behind two women that were holding hands and a large man with naked woman tattooed on the back of his neck. Rachel tilted her head, trying to figure out what was in the naked woman's hand; it took her a moment to realize, but then she blushed and looked down to make sure Beth wasn't looking up. Thankfully, the little girl was looking around, not paying attention to the man with the obscene tattoo.
"Do you want hot cocoa?" Rachel asked.
Beth nodded as she continued to observe her surroundings and Rachel looked at the menu. The line moved quickly and Rachel was thankful when the man in front of them moved away. When they placed their orders, once again, Quinn paid for the three of them. Rachel tried to protest, but was immediately shot down. She huffed and crossed her arms, but it only made the blonde laugh, which was not the effect she was hoping for.
As they sat down, Rachel took a sip of her coffee and nodded in appreciation. "I definitely understand now."
Quinn smiled. "I was a little skeptical when my friend recommended the place, but now I come here any time I'm in the area."
"That reminds me," Rachel said. "Have you ever been to this bookstore called Wonderland?"
Quinn shook her head. "I've never heard of it."
"You should definitely look it up," Rachel stated. "I think you would really like it. I had this date yesterday and he took me to a poetry reading there. The date was a dud, but as soon as I saw the bookstore, I knew I had to tell you about it. They had all these old books, which I thought you would appreciate."
"Why was the date such a dud?" Quinn asked.
Rachel shrugged. "There was just no spark there. Plus, he said he didn't like music, which was an automatic sign that there would be no second date."
"How can anyone not like music?" Quinn asked, frowning.
Rachel laughed and shook her head. "Don't ask me." She sighed. "It's too bad, really; he was nice and smart and good looking, but there was simply nothing there between us."
"I'm sure there's someone out there who's perfect for you," Quinn commented.
"I'm beginning to doubt it at this point," Rachel replied.
"You shouldn't," Quinn said quietly.
Rachel stared at Quinn for a moment as the blonde looked away, and then looked at Beth. "How is your cocoa?"
"Good," Beth said as she played with some of the sugar packets on the table.
"Just good?" Rachel asked.
Beth shrugged. "Really good."
Rachel took another drink of her coffee and looked at the time. She decided she should probably send Kurt a text to let him know they may not be home by the time he got off work but not to worry. Kurt tended to be a worrier, and she didn't want him thinking something happened to them.
After insisting they share a cab so it would be cheaper, they finally pulled up outside of Rachel's apartment building. She didn't understand why they went there first since Quinn's apartment was closer to where they were, but along the way, she realized it was probably because Quinn wanted to pay for that, too. Instead of arguing this time, Rachel just went along with it, vowing to herself that she would be the one to pay for everything if they ever did this again. She didn't like other people paying for her; even on dates she usually wouldn't let the guy pay unless it was someone she had been seeing on a regular basis for a long time.
"Would you like to come up?" Rachel found herself asking.
Quinn shrugged and, to Rachel's surprise, said, "Okay."
She didn't expect Quinn to accept her invitation—they had already spent the whole evening together and she expected the blonde to be tired of her by now—but she followed Rachel and Beth out of the taxi and walked up to the apartment with them. When she slid the door open, the lights were off, which meant Kurt wasn't home yet.
"Make yourself at home," Rachel said as she turned on the lights. "I'm going to get Beth ready for bed."
"I don't wanna go to sleep," Beth whined.
Rachel laughed as Beth rubbed her eyes. "You may not want to go to bed, but I know you're tired. Plus, it's way past your bedtime, and if you don't go to bed now, we won't be able to get up early and have breakfast before I go to work."
Beth crossed her arms but didn't protest further; Rachel shook her head at the sight and said, "I'll be right back."
Despite her initial reluctance to go to sleep, Beth nodded off quickly once Rachel began reading her a bedtime story. After pulling the cover over her feet, which she'd already kicked off, and turning on the nightlight, Rachel quietly left the room. When she walked into the living room, Quinn was sitting on the couch, looking at the book Kurt had left on the coffee table.
"Any good?" Rachel asked, sitting down on the couch.
"Not really," Quinn replied, flipping the page and then setting it down on the table. "I'd been thinking about buying the book, so at least I'll save myself the money."
"Well, if you change your mind, Kurt would probably let you borrow the book," Rachel said.
"Maybe," Quinn said, leaning back on the couch.
They set in silence for a solid minute before Rachel finally said, "I want to thank you again for tonight. It was a lot of fun and I know it's something Beth will never forget."
"I'm just happy you came," Quinn replied.
"Honestly, I almost said no," Rachel admitted. "I didn't know how spending the evening with you would go and I was a little apprehensive about it just being us."
"You don't trust me," Quinn stated.
"I—don't know what to believe about you," Rachel replied. "It's just hard to reconcile this Quinn with who you were in high school. I can see that you've changed, but there's always this voice in my head that reminds me of the things you have done in the past. I know it's not necessarily fair, but—"
"No," Quinn interrupted. "It's completely fair. I have done a lot of things that I'm not proud of, and most of them involve you. I will understand completely if you never trust me; if I were you, I know I wouldn't."
"I'm trying," Rachel replied.
"It's okay." Quinn shrugged. "You've already been more forgiving than I expected or deserved." She sighed. "It's getting late; I should probably go."
Rachel nodded as she stood. "For what it's worth, I want to trust you, and I do see who you are now."
"It's worth more than you know," Quinn replied quietly as Rachel walked her to the door.
Rachel stopped by the door and Quinn turned to her to say, "Thank you for coming tonight."
"I had fun," Rachel replied. "And I know Beth definitely enjoyed it, so thank you for inviting us."
"Do you think we could do it again sometime?" Quinn asked.
Rachel smiled. "I would actually like that."
"I'll call you next week and let you know about the cookout," Quinn said.
Rachel nodded. "Well, hopefully we'll see you there."
Quinn turned to leave, but then she turned back. "I, umm—"
Quinn paused and began to lean in; at first Rachel thought the blonde was going to give her a hug, but then she realized what was really happening and froze. The blonde paused just inches from their lips touching and Rachel hurriedly turned away. She couldn't quite decipher the look on Quinn's face, but her expression quickly turned emotionless.
"I'll call you," Quinn said, tuning away.
"Goodnight," Rachel automatically replied as Quinn walked into the hallway.
Rachel watched as the blonde walked away, wondering if she just imagined that or if Quinn Fabray really would have just kissed her if she hadn't turned away.
Well, so far I've managed to mostly keep up with where I am supposed to be, so maybe I won't have to alter my posting schedule. Plus, at least for the next few weeks, I'm only working four days a week instead of five, which should make it easier. I'll let you know if anything changes, but at least things are looking a little better about it.
Reviews are always appreciated.