AN: As always, thank you so much for the reviews and follows - it makes me a very happy writer. So, I pretty much have the plan for this story in my head, but this chapter was never part of that plan. After all the drama of the last few chapters and the angst still to come, I figured everyone (not least Quinn and Santana) could use a little respite. Oh, and I couldn't resist the Frozen references about a third of the way through this chapter. So, without further ado, here's chapter 22!
Chapter Twenty-two: Respite
"Q?" Through her tears, Quinn heard Santana's inquiring voice from the bathroom doorway. Despite Quinn's attempt to fall to pieces quietly, Santana had heard her fiancee's distress and come to investigate. "Oh, Q." Santana took one look at Quinn sitting crumpled in the bathtub whilst the shower jets cascaded over her shoulders and was at her side in an instant.
Quinn's stomach muscles hurt from trying to hold back all of the pent up frustration and despair that poured out of her and she couldn't stop the sobs that wracked her body, even as Santana wrapped an arm around her and held on tight.
How long they stayed there, Quinn didn't know - it could have been minutes or hours, although the water pouring from the shower head was still warm so it couldn't have been too long - but eventually Quinn was all cried out and despite an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion she actually felt relieved for letting go. Embarrassment was beginning to set in over falling apart so spectacularly and as she sniffled and raised her head from Santana's shoulder she was suddenly struck by the absurdity of the situation.
Water was pooling on the floor where Santana sat and the brunette's top clung wetly to her figure.
"San, you're soaked!" croaked Quinn, fondling a damp tendril of Santana's hair.
Santana shrugged. "So?"
"So, what are you doing just sitting there?" Quinn managed a small smile.
"I would've thought that was obvious," Santana replied with a low chuckle. "I'm trying to comfort you, silly. You feeling better?"
Quinn took a shaky breath and nodded. "I am," she said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go to pieces on you. My head's just spinning with all of this and I'm so scared I'm going to do the wrong thing and lose Beth all over again."
"Like I'd let that happen," scoffed Santana. Quinn's response was a pained expression.
"You can't just make everything turn out the way you want it to, San," she said sadly. "Life just isn't like that."
"Who says?" Santana countered, raising an eyebrow and smoothing Quinn's sopping hair out of her eyes. "You listen to me, Lucy Q! You can do anything you set your mind to. You're smart, beautiful, even ruthless when you want to be. When have you ever taken no for an answer? You wanted to reinvent yourself when you were fourteen, and you did it. You ruled the halls at McKinley. You faced down Sue Sylvester more than once. You wanted to be prom queen, senior year, and you won the ballot. You wanted to walk again after your accident, you wanted to get into an Ivy League school and you made all of those things happen." She grinned wolfishly. "You wanted me at Schue's wedding!"
"You were the one chasing me as I recall," Quinn told her, smiling despite herself.
"Oh please! You were the one batting her eyelashes and stroking my arm all night!" Santana insisted. "You were the one who asked me to dance with you."
"Hmm," murmured Quinn, closing her eyes as she remembered that night, the night everything had changed for her. "I did like the dancing."
"And the part that came after the dancing...?" Santana prompted.
"That was okay," Quinn said impassively.
"Okay?" Santana squealed. "Quinn Fabray, you are in big trouble now!" Before Quinn could stop her, Santana climbed fully dressed into the bathtub, water from the shower spraying everywhere, and Quinn shrieked.
"San! You're crazy!"
A devilish expression in her dark eyes, Santana grabbed Quinn around the waist and started to tickle every part of her fiancée she could reach. Tears of a different sort filled Quinn's eyes as she squirmed and wriggled under Santana's assault. She giggled and gasped, pleading with Santana to stop.
"San, please! I take it back. It was more than okay - it was magnificent, astounding, earth-shattering, insurmountable!" she cried as she struggled for breath.
"Quinn? Tana?" Beth's curious, sleepy voice sounded from the bathroom doorway. Hurriedly, Quinn turned off the water and grabbed a towel to cover herself. Santana was wringing out her dripping hair. "What are you doing?" the little girl asked from behind the shower curtain.
"Careful, honey, there's water on the floor," Quinn said as Beth padded barefoot up to the bathtub. She hoped that her eyes weren't noticeably red and puffy, she didn't want the little girl to know she'd been crying.
"You woke me up," Beth said accusatorially, rubbing at her eyes. "Tana, why are you in the bathtub with your clothes on?"
"I'm helping Quinn get clean," Santana told her without missing a beat.
"Oh." Beth seemed to accept this without question, as though it were a perfectly normal thing to witness. "Okay."
"We should get you back to bed," Quinn said, struggling to disentangle herself from Santana without losing her towel. "It's way past your bed time."
"But I don't want to go back to bed," pouted Beth, obviously worried she was missing out on all the fun.
"Hey, squirt?" Santana's eyes were glinting mischievously. "Did I ever tell you that I am a world champion tickler?" she asked conversationally. "It's true, isn't that right Q?"
"Uh huh," Quinn said with a nod. "It is true." She smiled at her fiancée. "I can vouch for that - personally." She gave Santana a pointed look.
Beth giggled uncertainly, not sure whether or not to believe Santana. Slowly, deliberately, the brunette started to climb out of the tub, wiggling her index fingers at Beth who screamed excitedly and tore off into the living area, giggling madly. Santana gave chase, leaving a trail of water in her wake.
"Santana!" called Quinn in amused exasperation, knowing she was going to have to be the one to clean up after them. She grabbed a dry towel and secured it around her midsection and squelched her way through the pools of water to the bathroom doorway.
"Oh Q, it's only water," Santana called back dismissively. "It'll dry."
As Quinn stepped into the living room she was met with an adorable sight. Beth was using the couch for protection, as she watched Santana carefully, a wide smile on her gorgeous face. Her pajamas bore several large damp patches from where Santana must have previously caught her. She was bouncing happily on the balls of her feet.
"You can't catch me!" she teased.
Santana held up her hands in mock defeat. "You're right, you're too good. I need someone slower." She leaned over the couch towards the little girl and whispered to her conspiratorially. "You know, Quinn is pretty ticklish, especially behind her knees. You want to help me get her?"
Beth nodded, blonde curls nodding and they both advanced on Quinn - the three of them falling into a messy, damp, giggling heap on the bed - until Quinn finally convinced them that she surrendered.
It took a long time to settle Beth down again after her excitement - Quinn delegated that responsibility to Santana whilst she mopped up their mess. Then she climbed wearily into bed and settled in to Santana's embrace.
"How you feeling now?" Santana asked softly, toying with Quinn's hair as they cuddled in the darkness.
"Honestly?" Quinn replied with a sigh. "Exhausted, confused, overwhelmed, terrified..." She paused and planted a gentle kiss on the exposed skin on Santana's shoulder. "But I'm not giving up. You were right, San."
"I usually am," Santana interjected, and Quinn gave her a small shove.
"Don't let it go to your head," she said drily. "Seriously, I need to believe that we can win this or else we've already lost. I'm going to fight for her, with everything I have."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," mumbled Santana, stifling a yawn. "I love you."
"Mmm, love you," Quinn reciprocated sleepily. Without any further conversation, she wriggled to get more comfortable, feeling safe, warm, and secure in Santana's arms as she allowed her exhausted mind to switch off and go to sleep.
The following day passed without excitement - Quinn tried to call Oliver to set up a meeting, but his phone went to voicemail so she left a message and tried to put it out of her mind. All three of them seemed to need a quiet day so Quinn and Santana stayed home and played with Beth, watched more hours of Disney shows than they'd ever thought possible, and cuddled on the couch while the little girl took an afternoon nap. Quinn vocalized her concern that Beth was a little old to be still needing a nap, but Santana was insistent that it was just a reaction to everything the four year old had been through over the last week. When she thought about it, Quinn tended to agree - after all, she was still pretty exhausted herself.
A broken night of sleep followed, Beth awoke in tears in the middle of the night following a nightmare and ended up sleeping in Quinn and Santana's bed again. New Year's Eve dawned bright and frosty, and Quinn longed to stay in bed and cuddle but Beth and Santana had other ideas. By now, Quinn was getting used to Beth being an early riser - the little girl woke up happy and energized, her nightmares seemingly forgotten. Santana, on the other hand, usually had to be dragged out of bed by Quinn and she would often spend the first hour after waking irascible and moody, but on New Year's Eve she woke up cheerful and bright, and she bullied Quinn into getting up far earlier than she would've liked.
They were just finishing up breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Quinn tensed up automatically, after all their last visitor had been Oliver Corcoran, but Santana was inexplicably beaming as she prodded Quinn into getting up and answering the door.
"Surprise, Quinnie!" exclaimed Judy Fabray from the doorstep, smiling warmly at her younger daughter.
"Mom?" Quinn was stunned. "W-what are you doing here?" She allowed her mother to pull her into a tight embrace, and for once it felt so good just to let her mom hold her. She felt tears pricking the back of her eyes and blinked them away hurriedly. "Not that I'm not pleased to see you," she added and her mom chuckled. "Is Paul with you?" Quinn asked as she finally released her hold on her mom.
Judy shook her head. "No, it's just me," she said with a smile. "Paul said to tell you he's thinking of you though," she added. "You and Santana. Speaking of, hello dear."
Santana had sidled up to Quinn's side and it made Quinn smile to see the genuine affection in Judy's eyes as she greeted the brunette.
"Did you have a good flight?" Santana asked, taking Judy's arm and escorting her into the apartment.
Quinn frowned slightly at the question, and at Santana's lack of surprise.
"Wait, you knew?" she asked her fiancée accusatorially. Santana grinned at her.
"We wanted to surprise you," she said by way of an explanation. Any further explanations would have to wait it seemed, for Judy and Beth had just caught sight of one another for the first time.
Beth's reaction wasn't as extreme as it had been to meeting Oliver, but she did look at Judy with a heavily guarded expression, as she studied the older woman.
"Hello, Beth," Judy's voice was low, almost reverential as she swept her gaze over her granddaughter for the first time since the day she'd been born.
"Beth, this is my mommy, Judy," Quinn explained, as Judy knelt before the little girl so that she would be at eye level.
"Quinn's my baby," Judy confirmed.
Beth giggled and Judy's face split into a wide grin.
"What's so funny?" she asked gently.
"Quinn's not a baby," Beth said shyly.
"No." Judy considered this for a second. "But she'll always be my baby. And she's told me so much about you," she continued brightly. Beth smiled again and her tense shoulders started to relax. Without breaking eye contact, Judy stood up and brushed off her skirt. "For instance," Judy said, reaching for the tote bag she'd brought with her, "I hear that you just love the movie Frozen." Beth nodded eagerly. "And I know you have a favorite princess in Frozen too."
"Princess Elsa," Beth told her brightly.
"Hmm, that's what I thought," Judy said, as she pulled a blue, sparkly garment out of her bag and handed it to the little girl who squealed in delight.
"Quinn, Tana! Look! It's a Princess Elsa dress! Can I wear it?"
"Of course you can," Quinn agreed with a chuckle. "Maybe Santana will take you into the bathroom and help you wash up from breakfast and put the dress on?" Santana nodded and Beth beamed, hurrying to the brunette's side.
"Now?" she asked hopefully.
"Say thank you to Quinn's mommy first," instructed Santana.
"Thank you Quinn's mommy," Beth said happily, dashing back around the couch to wrap her arms around the older woman's waist. Judy's face lit up as though it was the most precious experience in the world, not caring that the four year old's fingers were sticky or that she was leaving toast crumbs on her expensive skirt.
Four hours later, the three women and Beth were walking through Central Park, enjoying the crisp, bright winter day. Beth was running ahead of them, dancing and twirling on the path, pretending to be Princess Elsa. Her beautiful dress may have been hidden under layers of padded clothes to protect her from the icy weather but it didn't matter, she could still be a princess.
"It really is a beautiful city," Judy mused, without taking her eyes of Beth.
"We like it," Santana told her, slipping her arm through Quinn's and keeping her close as they walked.
"So, Mom, you never really got around to telling me why you're here?" Quinn asked, smiling as she caught Judy's reaction to Beth's antics.
"I came to see you, darling," Judy said dismissively. "I thought I'd bring back the rest of the belongings you left at the house when you rushed back to New York, and I wanted to meet my granddaughter. Is that a crime?"
"Mom," Quinn said warningly at Judy's use of the word granddaughter.
"It's okay, I'm not going to use the term in front of Beth," Judy placated. "But Quinn, she does look so much like you at that age. She's perfect."
"Not so perfect when she's still going strong at ten o'clock at night and you're trying to get her to bed," commented Quinn drily.
Judy chuckled and exchanged conspiratorial glances with Santana that didn't go unnoticed by Quinn.
"Well I'll find that out for myself tonight," Judy said nonchalantly, and Quinn stopped in her tracks.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Beside her, Santana grinned excitedly.
"Well, you two are taking the night off," explained Judy. "It's all taken care of. Dinner reservations, hotel room - my treat."
"We can't!" Quinn was anguished. "We can't leave Beth with you. It's too much. What if she has a nightmare, or... or gets sick?"
"Quinnie, let me do this for you?" Judy begged, reaching out a hand to touch her daughter's cold, flushed cheek. "Sweetheart, you look exhausted and if you're going to fight for Beth you're going to need your strength. Please?"
"It's one night, Q?" Santana cajoled hopefully. Quinn sighed.
"But..."
"Quinnie, I have raised two daughters," Judy said sternly, as they all watched Beth realize that her group had stopped walking and come running back towards them. "If Beth has a nightmare, I will comfort her, just as I did for you when you were a little girl. And if she gets sick, it couldn't possibly be as bad as when you were six and got the stomach flu. I've never known a child to throw up that much." She shuddered at the memory. "It wouldn't have been so bad if you would've made it to the bathroom just once. It was everywhere! Your bed, your clothes, my clothes. You even got it in my hair, and I think we had to throw out the hall rug."
Quinn chuckled, despite her anxiety. Beth came skittering to a halt in front of them, looking up expectantly, her hazel eyes shining brightly.
"So we have a deal?" Judy asked, as Santana nuzzled against Quinn's ear whispering promises of what she would do if Quinn said yes. "Beth and I will stay at your apartment and watch the ball drop on TV, if that's all right with you, young lady?" Beth nodded eagerly, completely non-plussed about being left with Quinn's mom. "And you girls will go out and have a lovely, relaxing night together," Judy said emphatically, her tone leaving no further room for discussion. Three pairs of eyes - blue, hazel, and mahogany - gazed at her expectantly and Quinn felt her resolve weaken.
"Okay," she agreed and then laughed as Santana squealed girlishly, picking her up and spinning her around before capturing her lips in a breathless kiss.
At seven o'clock Quinn stepped out of the bathroom, smoothing out non-existent creases in her dress and running her fingers through her hair to ensure that the silky tresses, flat ironed glass-straight, fell just right.
"Do I look okay?" she asked the room at large, but she only had eyes for Santana.
"Beautiful," was Judy's response.
"Like a princess," agreed Beth.
Santana merely smiled but it was enough for Quinn. She'd chosen a simple but elegant floaty purple dress that fell to just above the knee. A slender silver belt adorned her waist and she wore silver stiletto sandals, completely unsuited to a New York winter's evening, but that she knew accentuated her shapely legs. She'd kept her make up light, except for the extra layer of concealer to hide the shadows under her eyes, and a little lip gloss and mascara to enhance what she knew Santana believed were her two best features.
Santana, for her part, had poured herself into a figure hugging black dress that showcased her curves beautifully. Her shoes were red and black, shiny, with at least a five inch heel. Her hair was curled becomingly, flowing loose in cascading ripples down her back. Quinn thought she looked stunning.
"Are you ready to go?" Santana asked, biting her lip in anticipation. Quinn nodded, and after several hugs and kisses with Beth and Judy, and surprisingly no tears from the little girl, Santana picked up their overnight bag and they were all set.
"Don't let her eat too much junk food," Quinn was still calling when Santana dragged her into the elevator as Judy and Beth waved from the doorway.
The hotel Judy had selected for them was beautiful and grand, bedecked with sparkly silver orbs and strands of white lights descending from the high ceilings. Santana left Quinn in the dark and intimate bar area while she went to check them in and dump their bag in the room. Quinn sipped her martini and watched the dazzlingly dressed men and women go about their New Year celebrations while she waited for Santana to come back. She didn't have to wait long before the brunette sidled up behind her, pressed her torso into Quinn's back in the most delightful fashion, and purred in her ear.
"Is this seat taken?"
"Well, I'm waiting for my fiancée," Quinn said with a giggle, as Santana's teeth nipped at her ear lobe, "but she seems to have left me here all alone to get hit on by strangers."
Santana rested a hand on Quinn's knee, and slid it gently upwards, gathering up the soft chiffon of her skirt as she went. Quinn felt a shiver of unadulterated lust run through her at the sensation, and then she felt and heard Santana's groan as the brunette discovered the lacy top of Quinn's sheer stockings and the garter belt holding them in place.
"God, Q," Santana whispered throatily, her lips against Quinn's neck. "Do you have any idea how hard it is not to take you upstairs and ravage you right this second?"
"Then why don't you?" challenged Quinn, biting down hard on her lower lip as Santana sucked on her pulse point and dug her nails into Quinn's thigh.
"Because I have plans for you, Ms. Fabray," Santana teased letting go of Quinn and slipping into the seat beside her. Quinn pouted at the sudden loss of contact, and Santana took her hand, stroking gently with her thumb as she reached over with her free hand to take a sip of the vodka cranberry Quinn had ordered for her. "I won't deny that you ending up naked and screaming my name is the eventual result I have in mind, but I intend to romance you a little first."
Quinn blushed, grateful that the mood lighting in the bar was set so low.
"Why Ms. Lopez," she said in a low tone that dripped with desire. "Anyone would think you were trying to seduce me."
Santana smirked at her. "Oh, Q, I'm not trying anything. I'm succeeding."
"I can't argue with that," agreed Quinn, laughing lightly as she swallowed the remains of her drink. "But I do have to tell you that I'm starving right now and if you want me to have any kind of stamina for what you have planed later tonight, you're going to have to feed me first."
Then it was Santana's turn to laugh. She took the empty glass from Quinn's hand and set it on the bar before helping her down from her stool. With Santana's extra high heels, the girls were the same height and Santana brushed her lips lightly over Quinn's tempting mouth.
"Let's go eat," she husked.
Two hours later, stuffed full of some of the most delicious food she'd ever eaten, Quinn was feeling relaxed and contented. Santana had slipped off her shoe and was stroking the back of Quinn's calf with her foot under the table. As they talked, the brunette continued to gaze at Quinn as though she were the most beautiful creature she'd ever laid eyes on and it was doing wonders for Quinn's libido.
Eventually, the conversation came around to Beth and Judy.
"I should call them," Quinn said, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. "Just to see how they're doing."
"They're doing fine," Santana told her firmly. "Judy said she'd call if there was a problem. What are you doing?" Quinn was pulling her cellphone out of her purse, ignoring her fiancee's attempts at reassurance. "Lucy Quinn Fabray, put that away! Do not make that call!"
"But..." Quinn began, but Santana was too quick for her. She plucked the phone out of Quinn's grasp and, with a flourish, she tucked it into her cleavage. "Santana!" cried Quinn plaintively. Santana smirked in response.
"You can have it back when you learn to do as you're told," she said.
"Hmm, I love it when you're forceful," Quinn said throatily. "But you really think I can't get it back from there?" She shook her head and chuckled. "Remember the other night when you told me I could make anything happen if I wanted it badly enough?"
Santana's lust-filled eyes darkened, her beautiful face flushing in the candle light.
"Speaking of the other night," Santana said softly, reaching for Quinn's hand across the table, "it reminded me how much I love to dance with you. That night, at Mr Schue's wedding, you asked me to dance. Now it's my turn. Quinn Fabray, will you dance with me?" She waved a hand in the direction of the crowded dance floor at the edge of the restaurant.
Borrowing a line from another of their former teachers, Quinn pushed back her chair and got to her feet and grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."
Quinn lost track of how long she spent swaying in Santana's arms on the dance floor, their bodies pressed enticingly close, sharing sweet kisses and innocent caresses as the band played.
Quinn did get her phone back eventually - shortly after ten the handset vibrated in Santana's cleavage causing a fit of giggles from both girls. Judy had texted to say that all was well and that Beth had finally crashed out on the couch. Quinn looked relieved as she relayed the message to Santana, and the brunette decreed that she was now deemed trustworthy enough to have her phone back.
The girls' initial plan was to stay at the party until midnight, but eventually their chaste contact wasn't enough anymore and it was driving them both crazy. As the countdown to the New Year began, they slipped away hand-in-hand, making a beeline for the elevators. When they heard the fireworks at midnight, they were somewhere around the fourteenth floor, alone in the elevator and Santana couldn't resist putting her hand up Quinn's skirt as she kissed her to welcome in the New Year.
AN2: I was going to continue this chapter with what happens when Quinn and Santana reach their hotel room but the chapter is over 4000 words already so I thought it would make it too unwieldy. Rest assured, the next chapter will pick up precisely where this one left off!