AN: Thank you all so much for the reviews of the last chapter, I think that's the most reviews I've ever gotten on a single chapter! Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter - writer's block struck again and I'm still not 100% happy with it! Let me know what you think...
Chapter Thirty-One: Homecoming
To Quinn, the elevator ride up to Anabelle's hotel suite on the fifteenth floor seemed like the longest ride of her life. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her chest that she was sure that Santana and Anabelle must be able to hear every beat. Santana reached for her clammy hand and held on tightly, flashing Quinn a brilliant smile.
"You okay?" she asked softly, leaning in close to Quinn's side and bumping her hip against her fiancée's. "You're shaking."
"I'm good," Quinn whispered back. In truth, she was overwhelmed by a maelstrom of conflicting and confusing emotions. Beth was hers – she had a piece of paper in her purse to prove it and a part of her wanted to sing and dance and shout it from the rooftops, but would the little girl be the same child who'd been torn from her arms two months ago? Would she blame Quinn for letting her go? Had she already been irreparably damaged by all she'd been through in her short life?
As the elevator dinged to signal their arrival on the fifteenth floor, Quinn took a deep breath and stepped out onto the plush carpet in the hallway feeling her knees tremble with every step. Santana followed, wrapping an arm snuggly around her waist, and Anabelle led them to a doorway halfway down the corridor.
"This is us," she said softly before sliding the key-card into the slot and opening the door.
Beth was sitting on the floor playing with her dolls in a somewhat lacklustre fashion. She didn't even look up as they entered the room. Quinn could have cried when she took in the little girl's solemn and dejected posture, her small shoulders hunched and her head lowered so that blonde curls fell across her face and hid her eyes from view.
"Go on," Santana murmured encouragingly, pushing Quinn ahead of her into the room. She smiled reassuringly, and Anabelle nodded in agreement.
Quinn dropped to her knees just behind the four year old and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She felt the immediate tensing of small muscles beneath her fingers.
"Beth?" she said tentatively. "Baby?"
Beth's head snapped up as she recognized Quinn's voice and after a brief look of confusion flashed across her features, she flung herself into Quinn's arms with so much force that they nearly toppled backwards.
"Hi, sweetie, I missed you," Quinn said as she squeezed Beth's skinny frame tightly against her torso. "I missed you so much." She couldn't keep the emotion from creeping into her voice as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Tana missed you too." Out of the corner of her eye she caught Santana's smile at the use of Beth's pet-name for her, as the brunette came to crouch beside them, reaching out a hand to stroke Beth's silky blonde curls. Beth glanced up at her before burrowing her face against Quinn once again.
"I did," Santana confirmed, tears welling up in her eyes as well. Quinn couldn't help but chuckle. She glanced up at Anabelle who was smiling sadly.
"Do you want to come home with us?" Quinn asked gently. "For good this time?" Beth nodded vigorously, her head still buried in the crook of Quinn's neck. "We've still got your room all set up for you," Quinn continued, stroking soothing circles on the little girl's back. She hadn't been able to bring herself to unmake the bed or pack away the few belongings of Beth's that hadn't been shipped to Arizona.
Beth didn't speak but continued to cling on to Quinn for all she was worth. Eventually, with Santana's assistance, Quinn managed to climb awkwardly to her feet, Beth still firmly ensconced in her arms. She was concerned that Beth hadn't spoken yet but the little girl's body language was clear. She wanted to be with Quinn.
"I've packed her things," said Anabelle, who'd been silently watching the exchange from her spot by the door. She indicated towards a large suitcase next to the vanity unit. "There should be enough to keep you going until I can arrange to have the rest shipped over." Her voice cracked with emotion and Quinn was filled with empathy and respect for the older woman. She loved Beth enough to let her go, putting the little girl's happiness above her own.
"How can I ever thank you enough?" she asked hoarsely.
"Just take care of her," Anabelle replied, wiping away a stray tear. "Make her happy. Beth, you be a good girl for Quinn, okay?"
Beth nodded solemnly, without looking up. For the first time, Quinn suddenly noticed the other occupant in the room, a teenage boy who, to her shock, looked scarily like a male version of Rachel. He was small framed, slender, with large, chocolate colored eyes, tanned skin and ebony hair. Lucas Corcoran moved gracefully from his position on one of the room's two king-sized beds to stand next to his mother and wrap a comforting arm around her as his chocolate brown eyes studied Quinn and Santana inquisitively.
"Hi," Quinn said, offering him a tentative smile. Beside her, Santana was also doing a double take. Lucas must have sensed their surprise because his eyes narrowed slightly. Quinn attempted to surreptitiously elbow her fiancée in the ribs to stop her from staring, but it wasn't easy with Beth in her arms. "How do you like New York?" she asked politely.
"It's interesting," Lucas said, his voice smooth and almost melodious. "I'm hoping to come back here in the fall for college."
"Oh?" Quinn frowned slightly, remembering Oliver's rather pompous boasting that his son was destined for Harvard. "I thought your father said you'd been accepted to Harvard?" she asked curiously.
"Actually, I'm hoping to get into NYADA," Lucas told them and Santana giggled. Quinn shot her a warning glance as Lucas looked affronted.
"Some friends of ours go to NYADA," Quinn explained. "And Rachel, your… cousin, I guess?" She wasn't really sure how to describe the family relationship between them. "You remind us a little of her," she admitted, to explain Santana's strange behaviour. "You should look her up while you're here, maybe she could give you some tips? Santana can give you her number." She shot her fiancée another pointed look.
Obediently, Santana scribbled down Rachel's contact details on a hotel branded notepad, and after a few moments of awkward silence, Anabelle picked up Beth's case and handed it to Santana, wordlessly giving them permission to leave.
"Take care of yourself," Quinn said warmly to Anabelle, "and thank you. For everything." She turned to smile at Lucas. "And good luck with NYADA."
Anabelle kissed the top of Beth's head as fresh tears welled in her eyes. Beth turned her head slightly to peer at her through a curtain of blonde curls.
"Bye," she said in a tiny voice, barely audible. Her subdued attitude showed no signs of abating but Quinn could feel the tension ebbing from Beth's small body as she cradled the little girl in her arms. Santana stepped forwards to offer Anabelle a quick hug from both of them as Quinn's arms were very much occupied.
"We'll keep in touch and let you know how she's doing," Santana promised as Anabelle struggled to keep her composure. Then, she placed a hand on the small of Quinn's back and, moving somewhat awkwardly with the suitcase and Beth to carry they headed out of the room to take their little girl home.
It was one of the most surreal days of Quinn's life. More than once she had to remind herself that she wasn't dreaming, that Beth really was there and that she was hers for good. During the cab ride back to their apartment Beth remained silent but she did look up from Quinn's shoulder to watch the familiar sights of the city flash by, and once or twice a tiny smile crossed her lips. Her small hand played with Quinn's hair, wrapping it around her fingers and then watching the silky strands slip between them. Every few seconds she would glance up at Quinn or across at Santana, as if to check they were still there. She didn't let Quinn put her down until they were safely back in the apartment, then she ran to her bedroom to check if what Quinn had told her was true and her bedroom was still as she'd left it. When she returned to the living room, she padded quickly over to Quinn's side and wrapped her arms around her waist, the first real smile they'd seen that day lighting up her features.
"I'm so glad you're home," Quinn told her gently. "And you're home for good this time, I promise." Beth lifted her arms, silently asking to be picked up. Quinn acquiesced willingly, reveling in the familiar weight and warmth of the little girl. She carried her over to the couch and sat down to cuddle with her daughter and come to terms with the events of the last twenty four hours.
Santana leant against the dining table and watched them intently, her dark eyes filled with love and happiness. Quinn reached out a hand and beckoned to her, and Santana joined them on the couch, fitting her body snugly against her fiancée's as she curled her legs beneath her. Quinn laid her head against Santana's shoulder and breathed in the scent of her shampoo. Suddenly, the last few months seemed like a distant memory. She had her daughter in her arms and her beautiful fiancée by her side. This was her family, and she was never going to let anything break them apart ever again.
Later that afternoon when Beth was taking a nap on the couch, clutching her cloth bunny to her chest, Quinn and Santana unpacked the little girl's suitcase in her bedroom. This was the first opportunity they'd had, as Beth was reluctant to let Quinn out of her sight even for a moment, to the point where she'd started wailing when Quinn went to use the bathroom and it had taken several minutes to calm her down. Quinn knew it was a reaction to everything the four year old had been through, but it didn't stop her worrying.
"It'll take time, that's all," Santana said reassuringly as she smoothed out the creases in one of Beth's dresses and placed it onto a hanger in the room's small closet. "She needs to know we're here for her, for good."
Quinn sighed as she folded underwear and laid it neatly into a drawer. "I just wish she'd talk to us. She's said one word since we picked her up, San. One." Her brow furrowed in concern, and she sighed. "I hate Oliver for what he did," she said bitterly. "I know that's not very Christian of me but I can't help it. He caused so much pain. If it weren't for Anabelle, he would never have let her come back to us. He would have destroyed her rather than let us raise her."
To her immense surprise, Santana chuckled. Quinn raised a curious eyebrow at her.
"Oliver will get his comeuppance," she said lightly.
"What do you mean?" Quinn was confused.
"Oh, Q, for a lesbian, you have lousy gaydar," she explained, shaking her head. "Lucas? He makes Lady Hummel look macho. I'm surprised he didn't set off the sprinklers with the flames shooting out of him."
"Really?" Quinn was perturbed. "Wow, I feel bad for him. If Oliver treated us so badly because of who we are, how would he treat his own son if he found out?"
Santana crossed the room quickly to envelope Quinn in her arms.
"I love you so much," she murmured into the soft curtain of Quinn's hair. "I love how you care about other people. But don't worry, I think Anabelle's strong enough for both of them. She'll support him."
"Hmm, speaking of," Quinn said, relaxing into Santana's embrace, "I should call my mom, she's going to flip when she hears about this." She smiled in anticipation.
Santana pulled back slightly to grin at Quinn, as she looped her arms loosely around her slender waist. "Yeah, Judy will be thrilled," she agreed before planting a tiny kiss on the tip of Quinn's nose. "I can finish up here, if you want to go call her. We should call Rachel too, she should hear this from us."
Quinn made no move to break away from the brunette, instead she pressed her body flush against Santana's and captured her lips in a long, deep kiss that left them both tingling and breathless. "The rest of the world can wait a few hours," she whispered, unable to raise her gaze from Santana's already swollen and bruised lips. "I want to enjoy our family for a little while first."
"Sounds good to me," Santana murmured, wrapping a gentle hand behind Quinn's neck to pull her into another kiss. "And maybe tonight once Beth's asleep, we could practise making her a brother or sister?"
"I think you're lacking an important anatomical feature for that," Quinn told her with a giggle. "And I think we need to figure out how to be parents to one kid before we consider any more."
"Doesn't mean we can't have fun practising," Santana replied with a smirk, sliding her hand down Quinn's back to cup her ass, causing her to squeal with a mixture of delight and embarrassment.
Quinn's worries about Beth continued to dominate her thoughts over the next couple of days. She skipped classes to stay home with her on Monday but finals were due to start on Tuesday, so she couldn't put off her return to normality any longer.
Beth was sitting on the floor, silently playing with her toys whilst Quinn made dinner and Santana sat on the kitchen counter and generally got in the way - not that Quinn really minded. Santana was wearing a short black skirt that showed off her shapely legs beautifully and she was proving to be quite the distraction.
"She's still not talking," Quinn mused in a low tone so Beth wouldn't overhear. "I can't miss finals, San, but how can I leave her like this?"
"I'll be here," Santana said, but she didn't sound convinced. Quinn knew her fiancée was thinking about the previous night - Beth had been happily watching a feature length Sofia the First and Santana had drawn Quinn a bath, determined to get her to relax a while. Quinn had no sooner sunk her aching muscles into the hot soapy water than Beth had started screaming for her. Santana had tried to calm the little girl down but to no avail. Beth's tears didn't abate until she was back safely in Quinn's arms. She may have been almost five, but recent events seemed to have brought about an emotional regression.
"I know, I just hate leaving her when I know she's going to be upset," Quinn admitted with a sigh.
"Did your mom have any advice?" Santana asked her, leaning over to check the contents of the pan simmering on the stove. Quinn had spent a lot of time on the phone with Judy during the last couple of days. Just as the girls had predicted, Quinn's mom was over the moon to learn that Beth was home with them. She hadn't been surprised in the slightest when Quinn had explained about Beth's behavioural issues.
"It's only to be expected, darling," Judy had told her daughter when Quinn had confided in her. "She's feeling insecure, she's had six months of being moved from pillar to post, you can't expect her to recover overnight."
"She said the same as you - to give it time," Quinn explained as she chopped vegetables to add to the pan. "She said we should just act normal, and Beth'll talk when she's ready. I know she's right, but I can't help worrying. Hey!" Santana grinned as she munched on the slice of red onion she'd stolen from Quinn's dinner preparation. Quinn rolled her eyes. "If you think I'm kissing you tonight after that - you're going to taste of onion!"
"Please," scoffed Santana, unperturbed, "like you could resist me!"
Quinn stuck out her tongue in retaliation. A small giggle somewhere around waist height caught her attention. Beth had padded soundlessly into the kitchen on her bare feet, her bunny clutched in her right hand. She was looking at Quinn with a scandalized expression on her small face.
"What's up, baby?" Quinn lifted her up and set her onto the counter besides Santana. "You want a bite of onion too?" she teased, waving a slice in front of Beth's nose, causing it to wrinkle adorably.
Beth shook her head, biting her lower lip as she grinned. Santana plucked the onion out of Quinn's hand and munched on it happily.
"Gross," Quinn told her drily. This time it was Santana's turn to stick out her tongue.
Beth laughed again and the sound was music to Quinn's ears.
"You think that's funny?" she asked the four year old, unable to keep the smile off her own face.
Beth nodded. "You're not s'posed to stick out your tongue," she whispered, her voice hoarse from lack of use. Quinn and Santana exchanged excited looks, unsure whether or not to make a big deal about Beth's re-found voice. Apart from screaming Quinn's name in distress the previous night, these were the first words she'd spoken since she'd said goodbye to Anabelle. Instinctively, Quinn felt like the best approach would be to act as though nothing unusual had happened.
"You're right," she agreed, nodding her head. She swatted her fiancée with a spatula. "No sticking your tongue out!"
Beth squealed with laughter as Santana grabbed the little girl around the waist and held her in front of her as a shield.
"Oh, so I can't stick my tongue out but Quinn can hit me?" she asked as Beth wriggled excitedly. "I thought you were my buddy!"
"No hitting!" Beth told Quinn sternly, waggling her finger. Quinn chuckled.
"Okay, no hitting," she agreed. "But how about tickling? I do love tickling!" She threw the spatula aside and advanced towards Santana and Beth. The four year old screamed with delight as Santana heaved her over her shoulder and took off into the living room. Quinn gave chase and caught up with them in the living room, pulling Beth out of Santana's grasp, tossing her lightly onto the couch and tickling her ribs until the little girl begged her to stop, tears of laughter in her bright hazel eyes.
"Hey, kiddo," Santana said softly, collapsing onto the couch beside Beth. "Quinn has to go to school tomorrow to sit a test. Do you think it'd be okay if you and I did something fun together, just the two of us? Because I've missed you so much, squirt." She tousled Beth's curls affectionately.
A look of uncertainty crossed Beth's features and she looked at Quinn anxiously. Quinn dropped to her knees in front of her.
"I promise I'm coming back," she said softly. "I'll be gone a few hours, that's all. But Santana will be with you the whole time. Would that be all right?" Slowly, Beth nodded and Quinn beamed at her. "That's my favorite girl," she said brightly. "Now, how 'bout you come help me finish making dinner? I think you'll be better than my last assistant - she kept stealing my onions!"
With a lot of cajoling and cuddling at the start of each day, Beth handled Quinn's last few days at college without too much fuss. Each day she talked a little more, although she was still clingy whenever Quinn was home. On Friday morning, as Quinn cleaned her teeth at the bathroom sink, Beth stood beside her, feet planted firmly on the laundry basket so that she too could see into the mirror. Quinn spat out her toothpaste, immediately copied by her little shadow, and reached for her contact lenses from the unit by the sink.
"What're you doing?" Beth asked curiously, balancing precariously on one leg so that she could lean over to look at the small container in Quinn's hand.
Quinn showed her the tiny disc on the tip of her finger.
"They help me to see," she explained, before inserting the lens. Beth studied her face intently before looking at her own face in the mirror. She looked back at Quinn with her head slightly cocked.
"Your eyes are the same color like mine," she said innocently. She seemed pleased with this discovery, but Quinn was instantly filled with turmoil. She knew that sooner or later they'd have to decide what to tell Beth about her parentage, but Quinn hadn't expected the questions to start so soon. Of course, Beth didn't understand the connotations of what she'd just said, but it was a strong reminder to Quinn that she had some decisions to make. When would be the right time to tell Beth the whole truth? Would it help the little girl to feel confident that Quinn wouldn't leave her again if she knew? Quinn had an exam in an hour's time so she couldn't devote herself to those worries right now, but she resolved to discuss it with Santana as soon as finals were over.