Chapter 17 – What Matters Most

The loud music filled the kitchen and wrapped around Rachel as she danced around room, making herself lunch. The beat was loud, just the way she liked it. She twirled over to the fridge and grabbed some turkey, tomato and lettuce, then spun back to the counter singing at the top of her lungs.

All of a sudden the music stopped.

Confused, Rachel turned around to see a pissed off Cassie standing next to the stereo, her finger on the power button.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" exclaimed the blonde lawyer, her blue eyes narrowing.

Rachel chuckled at her, then went back to making her sandwich. Not even her best friend could pull her down from this high.

"No, Rach, I'm serious. Why are you so damn happy? It's disgusting!"

The singer rolled her eyes. "Can't a girl in love be happy?" she asked.

"Not that happy," Cassie said, her lip curled in mock disgust. "You look like you did that night you tried speed for the first time. You were so tripped out."

Rachel groaned thinking about that particular night. It was years ago in Florida where the band decided to hit up a nightclub after one of their concerts. The music was loud, the lights were dim and there were drugs and sex everywhere. The band had just started taking off and Rachel wanted to immerse herself in the rock and roll lifestyle. Needless to say, she learned that night never to take drugs from random people. She was just glad Cassie had been there to make sure she didn't get herself killed. "Ugg, don't remind me. The headache I felt after that was worse than a hangover. Plus, I've never puked so much in my life! Never again!" She took her sandwich and a glass of juice over to the table and sat down.

"I'm betting your giddiness has something to do with a gorgeous blonde… well, not me - but the other gorgeous blonde," Cassie teased.

Rachel's face brightened even more. "Yes. It has everything to do with Quinn, if you must know."

"Uggg," Cassie groaned. "I have a feeling you two are going to be that nauseatingly cute couple no one can stand to be around for fear of getting a toothache."

Rachel laughed then took a bite of her sandwich.

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Rachel walked into Shelby's house and found her mother in the kitchen, stirring a boiling pot on the stove. Whatever she was cooking smelled delicious! Shelby had always been a wonderful cook and Rachel missed her mother's cooking now that she lived on her own.

"Hey, Mom," Rachel said as she walked over and leaned against the island counter.

Startled by the unexpected voice, Shelby whipped around, holding up the wooden spoon like it was a weapon. When she saw it was just Rachel, she brought her hand to her chest. "Rachel! You scared me to death!"

Rachel smiled slowly. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to."

Shelby wiped her hands on her apron and watched her daughter with interest. "How can I help you, sweetheart?" She slowly turned back to the stove and moved the pot over to a different burner and turned off the heat. She walked over and stood across the island from Rachel, giving the younger brunette her undivided attention.

Rachel looked up into her mother's matching chocolate brown eyes. "I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about the other night." She paused for a second to allow herself a moment to work through the pain that Shelby's betrayal had created in their relationship. "I know you were only honoring your oath as a doctor, as well as trying to protect Quinn and Jaxon. And I guess I can't be mad at the 'why' behind it all, but… it still hurt, Mom."

Shelby regarded her with a sincere look of regret on her face. "I know, Rachel, and I am truly sorry too. How has everything been going with Quinn and Jaxon?"

Rachel grimaced. "Jaxon fell and broke his arm…" Shelby's breath hitched in panic, so Rachel quickly went on, "… but everything is fine now. He has a yellow cast and is proudly showing it off to anyone who will listen." They both laughed. "But… when he was in the hospital, Quinn and I both realized what was most important in life. And we let go of all our anger and pride."

Shelby raised her eyebrow in surprise and smiled, hoping this was good news. "And…?"

Rachel smiled an identical smile. "And after a lot of talking, we realized that we both wanted the same thing – to be a family. So… we decided to start over and put the past behind us, because all it was doing was dragging us down and making us miserable. So, from now on, Quinn, Jaxon and I are going to be a family."

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Quinn had invited her over to have dinner with her and Jaxon and it was taking Rachel hours to decide what to wear. But when the time came for her to leave her house in order to make it over to Quinn's on time, she just grabbed the top outfit from the huge pile of clothes and raced downstairs and out to her SUV.

The small family sat together around the kitchen table eating dinner. Jaxon was eagerly eating his chicken nuggets, while Rachel and Quinn had grilled chicken. Rachel had to smile as she looked around the table. It felt so natural to be sitting here with Quinn and Jaxon. She was comfortable around them, it felt like this was always meant to be, just a normal daily routine of hers, sitting there and eating dinner with her family. And she couldn't have been happier.

"What are you thinking about?"

Rachel was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Quinn's voice. "Huh… what?" she asked as her eyes focused on the blonde.

Quinn smiled. "You looked dazed and I was just wondering why you had a dopey smile on your face?" she asked, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.

But before Rachel could answer, Jaxon began pushing himself out of his highchair.

"Me done," he announced. "Go watch 'toons, Mama?"

Rachel's heart melted at the little boy's big brown puppy dog eyes. She knew she was going to be a sucker for them.

Quinn inspected her son's plate and saw that he had miraculously finished almost all of his dinner. She decided he deserved some TV time before bed. "Okay, but only for a little while. It's bedtime soon."

Jaxon pouted, but quickly turned it into a smile because he knew that his mama would send him to bed immediately if he pushed his luck. He held his arms out to Rachel to help him down.

The singer lifted him out of his highchair, being careful with his cast, and set him on the floor. She watched as he ran out of the kitchen and over to the television.

Emotions flooded Quinn's body as she watched Rachel gaze lovingly at Jaxon. She was so happy that Rachel wanted to be in their son's life instead of immediately dismissing him like Quinn feared she would. And she felt gratitude that Jaxon really liked Rachel and wanted the older brunette to be in his life. Overall, she just felt an overwhelming sense of love. She felt the love pouring off Rachel as the singer watched their son, and when Rachel turned back to look at her, Quinn continued to feel that same love directed at her. She gave Rachel a shy smile, quickly standing up and gathering the dirty dishes.

After helping Quinn with cleaning up the table and kitchen, Rachel nonchalantly took Quinn's hand in her own and led them over to one of the couches in the living room. It was a little ways away from the television and where Jaxon was playing so the women could have a private conversation, but still be able to monitor the little boy.

Quinn's heart jumped when Rachel simply took her hand and she felt the warmth spreading up her arm at just that simple touch. When they got comfortable on the couch, she was happy that Rachel kept their hands entwined. It felt so natural.

"So…" Rachel began, softly stroking her thumb on the back of Quinn's hand. "Tell me all about our son; I want to hear everything."

Quinn smiled as she looked into those big chocolate brown eyes of Rachel's that perfectly mirrored her son. She knew she was in a lot of trouble with these two. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," Rachel said, then when she saw Quinn arch her eyebrow at her, she decided she better narrow her answer down. "How about… was he a good baby? Was he fussy or generally good-natured?"

"When he was first born, he was very good-natured and rarely cried except if he was hungry or wanted attention. Usually it was for the attention," she smiled.

Rachel chuckled. "Imagine that… Rachel Berry's son wanting attention," she said sarcastically, "who would have ever thought that?"

Quinn had to laugh too. Being in the spotlight was definitely in the Berry genes.

They sat and talked for a while, Quinn telling stories of Jaxon when he was a baby and then as he grew into a toddler. Rachel laughed and enjoyed hearing all about her son. She felt a small twinge of frustration knowing she missed her son's first few years, but she just kept reminding herself that she was with him now and that's all that mattered. She made sure to hold Quinn's hand the whole time, showing the blonde subconsciously that she would always be there. She wasn't going to abandon her new-found family for anything.

"When Jaxon had been walking for a few weeks," Quinn said, continuing her stories, "we were next door at Santana and Brittany's house having dinner. They have stairs that Jaxon wasn't used to having, but he saw a challenge and went after it. By the time I saw him, he was already at the top, sitting like he was the king of the castle taking his rightful throne high above everyone. After that, I knew he would accomplish anything he set his mind to. And he has so far. He's a little daredevil, but he works hard to be able to do the things he wants. He never backs down or gives up until he gets it right."

Rachel softly chuckled because of course her kid would accomplish his goals and prove to everyone that he was capable of doing whatever he set his mind to. She turned and watched as the small boy played on the carpet with some of his toys, the television just on for background noise.

Quinn went on, "But I'm not too worried about him. Shelby told me that determination in a child as young as Jaxon is a great quality to have. She said that her daughter was just like Jaxon and as she grew up she had a lot of obstacles, but she worked hard and accomplished her goals and became successful, so I hope he is just as fortunate."

Rachel's gaze snapped back over to Quinn at the mention of Shelby's name. She knew she had to tell Quinn the truth about her mother, but that could wait for another day.

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For the past several days Quinn and Rachel had been texting back and forth continuously, and when they had the time, they would be talking on the phone. The flirting between them increased each day, and Rachel was thoroughly enjoying it. She loved this playful side of the blonde and hoped it was a sign that they could progress further into their relationship. The singer had been busy in the studio and hadn't been able to visit Jaxon as often as she would have liked, but she had a plan that would hopefully make it up to her son soon.

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It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Rachel decided to take Quinn and Jaxon out for a late lunch, and she knew exactly where she wanted to take them.

"I can't believe I've never been here before," Quinn said as they walked inside the door of a small diner.

It was quaint and very homey, not like the generic or chain diners that were all over LA. This one felt like walking inside your childhood home, where your mom was baking cookies and had dinner cooking on the stove. The atmosphere felt like a warm and comforting hug.

"This is my favorite place to eat when I'm in town," Rachel told her.

Right then a slightly robust woman with graying hair, probably in her early fifties, walked through a set of swinging doors that Quinn assumed led to the kitchen, and let out a loud squeal when she saw Rachel.

"Oh, bless the heavens!" the older woman cried as her hands shot up, covering her mouth.

Rachel got a huge smile on her face. "Hi, Auntie!" the singer exclaimed almost as loudly as the older woman and hurried over to wrap her in a huge embrace.

The older woman was holding Rachel tight, rocking her back and forth while a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oh, Rachel sweetheart! I have missed you so much!" She pulled away, but held onto the singer's arms as she looked her up and down, appraising the brunette like a concerned mother would. Then the woman's expression turned angry as she asked, "And why haven't you come to see me since you've been in town? And don't you tell me that you just got here, because I know from your mother AND the pictures I've seen in those trash magazines customers bring in that you have been in town for a while now."

A chagrined expression covered Rachel's face. "I'm sorry, Auntie, but my life has been kind of crazy lately."

The woman glanced over Rachel's shoulder to the beautiful blonde holding a little brunette boy in her arms, who were still standing just inside the doorway. "Oh, I have definitely heard about that," she said with a twinkle in her eye as she stepped around Rachel and walked over to the blonde woman and little boy.

When they had first walked into the diner, Quinn stopped in shock as Rachel was mauled by a strange woman. The two women were too far away for Quinn to hear what they were saying, but obviously they knew each other well. She held Jaxon tighter as the woman walked toward her. She looked friendly with big brown eyes and a warm smile, but Quinn wasn't sure how to react.

The older woman walked right up to Quinn and wrapped her in a warm hug, slightly smashing Jaxon between them in the process.

"You must be Quinn," she said, then her brown eyes flicked down to the little boy. "And you must be Jaxon." She reached out to touch the little boy, but he recoiled and buried his face in his mother's neck, slightly whimpering.

Rachel walked over and stood next to Quinn, rubbing her son's back softly. Jaxon relax a little when he felt Rachel's familiar touch. "It's okay, sweetie," she cooed in his ear. Then made the introductions. "Quinn, this is my Aunt Eva. Auntie, this is Quinn Fabray. And this is Jaxon."

"It's so nice to meet you, dear," she said, reaching out to take only Quinn's hand this time. She looked down at the small boy who was still buried in his mother's neck and smiled at him.

Quinn smiled, accepting the soft hand. "Same to you." She looked at Rachel. "You didn't tell me you had family, besides your mom, around here."

"Well, technically, Auntie isn't blood related, she is my mom's best friend. They have been friends since they were little, and I've known her my whole life. So I've always considered her my aunt," Rachel said.

"And I love Rachel as if she was my own child," the older woman said, giving the brunette a side hug. "Now… Let's get you three a booth and get you fed. Whatever you want is on the house."

Quinn looked at the woman in surprise as she set Jaxon down in a booster seat that a waitress had carried over to the table. "Oh, thank you."

"Enjoy your meal," Eva told them as she walked back toward the kitchen, discretely winking at Rachel over her shoulder.

Rachel smiled shyly as she settled into the booth across from Quinn.

The pair spent the next hour talking nonstop about everything and nothing, having fun with Jaxon and enjoying one another's company as they made their way through lunch and dessert. Jaxon happily gobbled up a tall piece of chocolate cake. His eyes had been huge when Auntie Eva brought it out and then proceeded to plop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top. Needless to say, he was one happy little boy.

It wasn't until the dinner rush started that Rachel and Quinn finally decided to leave, besides, Jaxon was starting to get antsy.

"Rachel dear, it looks like those baboons with cameras found you," Eva said as she walked over to their table.

The singer shut her eyes in frustration. "Thank you, Auntie." She turned to Quinn. "I guess we better talk about all this tabloid stuff."

Quinn nodded. "Yeah. I'm not exactly sure how to handle it."

"Well…" Rachel took a deep breath. "First of all, I am so sorry you even have to deal with it."

Quinn smiled and took Rachel's hand in hers. "Rachel, I just got you back in my life. If I have to put up with camera flashes and annoying paparazzi in order to have you, then I will."

The singer was surprised by the blonde's answer. "But… I know one of the reasons you didn't want me in Jaxon's life was because of this circus."

"I know. And it will be a big adjustment, but I want you in my life."

Rachel felt a huge weight taken off her shoulders. "Thanks, Quinn."

"Come now," Eva interrupted. "Follow me, I'll take you out the back way." She led them through the kitchen to the back entrance, sending an apologetic look to Rachel.

"They're so persistent," the singer growled as she held Jaxon firmly in her arms.

"They just want to see who your latest conquest is," Quinn teased the singer.

Rachel just rolled her eyes. "Well, then they will be sadly disappointed because I am now and forever a one woman… woman," she looked back at Quinn with a confused expression. "You know what I mean."

Quinn giggled. "Yes, I know what you mean," she said, lacing their fingers together.

"Jaxon?" Rachel said turning to her son, making sure he was paying attention. When his eyes met hers, she went on, "When we walk outside, there will be people taking pictures of us. So you'll hear a lot of talking and noise and maybe see flashes of light."

He looked confused. "Why?"

Quinn took over explaining as best as she could, "Well, Jax, Rachel is pretty popular and a lot of people know who she is. They like to listen to her music-"

"'Chel sing pretty," he interrupted, grinning and pointing at Rachel.

Quinn chuckled. "Yes, Rachel does have a very pretty singing voice. But when we go outside, I want you to bury your face in Rachel's neck, okay? We just don't want anyone to take a picture of you."

"You want me hide?" he asked curiously.

Rachel grinned. "Exactly. We want you to hide. They can get pictures of your mama and I, but we don't want them to take any of you." She removed her baseball cap she had been wearing and put it on backwards on Jaxon's head.

Jaxon grinned and thought this would be a fun game. "Okay!" He immediately tucked his arms in and buried his face in Rachel's neck.

David, Eva's son, met them at the back door and offered to escort them outside. He opened the door for them and led the small family out and into the alley where Rachel's SUV was parked a little ways away.

Unfortunately, the paparazzi immediately noticed the women exiting the restaurant and eagerly ran over to them, cameras all flashing as they attempted to get a photo of Rachel and the mystery blonde.

Rachel led the way, gently keeping Jaxon's face in her neck, away from the flashing lights while the small boy just clutched onto her. David stuck close to the women and pushed their way through the crowd.

"Did ya have a nice dinner, ladies?" one of the paparazzi asked teasingly, coming to walk next to Rachel.

"Rachel! Can you please sign this?" a teenage girl yelled, holding out a magazine with New Directions on the cover, as a number of other curious people came over to see what all the fuss was about.

"I'm sorry, not today," Rachel told her as they got closer to her car. "Could everyone just move aside and make room for us? Please."

"Who's the blonde, Rachel?"

"Hey! What's your name?!"

"Is that your son?"

"Rachel, are you finally settling down?"

"Can I get a photo with you?!"

Question after question was hurtled at the couple. Quinn was in shock by all the craziness, but clung to Rachel's hand and stayed close as they finally reached the car and David opened the passenger door. Quinn quickly got in and David blocked everyone's view as Rachel handed Jaxon over to the blonde, making sure his face was still covered. David shut the door and guided Rachel over to the driver's side.

"Thanks, man," Rachel told her friend as she gave him a quick hug. She slipped into the driver's seat and let out a relieved sigh when her doors closed, silencing the yells of the paparazzi and fans and grateful the vehicle had dark tinted windows.

Starting the car, Rachel beeped the horn to make the group of people move out of her way and she slowly drove out of the alley.

"I'm impressed," Quinn smirked at the singer when they were finally on the road.

"What?" the singer asked, looking over to her.

"I could tell you were holding back your anger with them."

Rachel shrugged, "They usually don't bother me too much. But it's different now with you and Jaxon. Besides, if I had done anything other than just calmly get past them, it would probably get even more attention and the gossip rags would go crazy wild."

"Ah, smart," Quinn said, running her fingers through Jaxon's hair.

The little boy leaned back and looked at his mother with a huge grin on his face. "That fun!" he exclaimed. "'Chel, we do again?"

Rachel chuckled. "Unfortunately, Jax, I'm sure you will have plenty of opportunities to do that again. Now, hold on, I'm going to pull over up here so we can get you into your car seat."

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