LaurenKnight13 I'm not quite sure why but I felt it was important that it was Santana, and not Brittany or Quinn who did the reaching out in this story. Although, there will be some Britt/Quinn moments too. I do want to showcase their friendship as well. I look forward to writing the rebooted Unholy Trinity +1. Beth was a tricky one. I'm glad you liked how Quinn handled it.
Fabraygron Thank you. :) I'm glad you like that idea. It's still a few chapters away but I've got some ideas already and I look forward to writing it.
LSpatz Yep. She's got issues. They both do. But Faberry is solid.
Harley Quinn Davidson Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
gllover22 Yeah, I'm looking forward to that too. It should be fun. It's tough for Quinn, but she's gettint through it. & maybe one day she'll be at peace with her decision and able to meet her daughter. Yes, Rachel is so good for her. They're good for each other.
wkgreen Emotional whiplash. I like that. :)
icesk8er I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. Thank you for giving it a chance. I hope that you continue to enjoy it as it progresses. I have a lot in store for these girls.
Chapter 27
Quinn didn't sleep for long. She was awake before Rachel's alarm went off. Though her short nap served as something of a reset button for the day, leaving her feeling not only rested and refreshed but light and devoid of her earlier tensions. That combined with the fact that Rachel was laying, sleeping peacefully in her arms had Quinn almost convinced that the events of the day were nothing more than the lingering remnants of a bad dream. She kind of wished that she could just lay here forever. No such luck however, a quick peek at the alarm countdown revealed that she only had five more minutes before the world intruded. With a sigh she reached out and snagged Rachel's cell phone, turning it off and placing it back on the table all the while moving carefully so as not to jar the sleeping woman. She could think of a few better ways to wake up then the shrill buzz of an alarm.
"Hey, Rach," she breathed softly into the other woman's ear as she ran a hand gently up and down her back. "Rach. Time to get up."
Rachel sighed and stirred in her sleep but did not rouse, instead burrowed further into Quinn's body. The act brought a smile to Quinn's face and once again the desire to just lay her forever surfaced but she pushed it aside. Duty called.
"Rach, honey. Wake up. Open those beautiful brown eyes for me." She continued to stroke Rachel's back and pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "C'mon, sweetie. Time to get up."
"Don't wanna."
She couldn't help but chuckle at the reply mumbled into the side of her neck. She didn't exactly disagree with the sentiment.
"And I don't want you to," she admitted. "But you've got a show, which I'm really looking forward to seeing you in. Not to mention the theatre full of fans who are-"
"All right, I'm up. I'm up," Rachel mumbled. "You play dirty, Quinn Fabray. Did you know that?"
"Hey, I play to win," Quinn said with a shrug. "And I make no apologies for that."
"I hate you."
"No you don't."
"No. I don't." Rachel heaved a sigh and finally raised her head from the crook of Quinn's neck and Quinn finally, after two days of being thwarted, got to experience the pleasure of Rachel waking up in her arms. She wrapped her arms loosely around Rachel's waist and turned her head to gaze at the other woman as she blinked, clearing her sleep blurred vision and brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead.
"Hey, there, beautiful."
Rachel's lips quirked in a faint smile as she shook her head. "Hello to you too, flatterer."
Quinn offered a quick smile of her own. "I feel a whole lot better. How about you?"
"Mmm, much." She brushed a kiss against Quinn's lips and then rolled off the couch to stand. Immediately Quinn missed the warmth of her body against her and reached for the afghan, pulling it over herself as a weak subsitute for the woman that had just left her arms.
Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and shifted backwards slightly, eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you just going to lay there and watch me while I get ready?"
That was exaclty what she was planning on doing. " Does you getting ready involve you getting undressed in any way shape or form?"
Rachel stared down at her, eyebrow quirked, lips turning upwards in amusement. "It does, yes. I need to get into costume."
"Then yes, that is exactly what I plan on doing."
With a shake of her head Rachel spun around and strode across the room. Quinn of course, watched her walk away. She rolled onto her side, tugging the afghan with her and got comfortable as Rachel opened the door to the small closet beside the vanity and after a brief glance over her shoulder, accompanied by yet another shake of her head and a small smirk, began to undress. Quinn watched in rapt attention, letting out a low wolf-whistle when Rachel was down to her bra and panties. She enjoyed the blush that crept up the back of Rachel's neck and across her shoulders.
Rachel re-dressed quickly, despite Quinn's groans of protest every time another layer of clothing was slipped over her bare skin.
"All right, I have to go, to finish getting ready." Rachel turned and closed the distance between them. "I'll see you after the show?" she asked as she knelt beside the couch.
"Yeah."
"Take your friends out for a drink. I'll meet you there."
Quinn nodded her assent and Rachel leaned forward, brushing a kiss against her lips. As much as she wanted to pull Rachel back into her arms on top of her and trap here there, never letting go, she refrained. Instead, returning the chaste kiss and keeping her hands to herself.
"See you later." Rachel rose to her feet and headed for the door.
"Hey, Rach."
She turned in the doorway.
"Break a leg, baby. I'm so proud of you."
Rachel's answering smile was beaming. Quinn didn't know if it was because of her words, or from the term of endearment that had slipped unbidden from her lips.
Thank you. Rachel mouthed the reply and then was gone, dissapearing down the corridor.
With a sigh, Quinn heaved herself from the couch and headed off in the other direction, quickly finding her way through the mazework of hallways that was both familiar and strange, eventually making it back to the lobby where she almost immediately spotted Lara and Olivia amongst the crowd. She wove her way around bodies to where her friends stood on the other side of the room.
"Hey." She sidled to a stop next to them, unable to keep the grin off her face when they both jumped, startled by her sudden appearance. "So, since when do you guys bring my girlfriend's flowers?" she asked, eyeing the bouquet in Lara's hand.
"They're for you, doofus."
Quinn smirked at Olivia as she took the bouquet from Lara. "I'm flattered, really. But you're not my type."
"God, you're annoying."
Lara backhanded Olivia across the stomach and then gave Quinn's shoulder a nudge. "Can't you two behave for even a minute, jeez. I'm so not sitting between you two, by the way. I want to actually enjoy the show."
Olivia snorted and Quinn rolled her eyes but they both muttered quiet apologies.
"Thank you, for the flowers," Quinn continued, catching first Lara and then Olivia's gazes. She had a feeling Rachel would appreciate this boquet much better than the one that she'd thrust at her when she'd been trying to make up from their fight.
"We figured you'd have enough on your mind that you wouldn't remember to get some."
They'd figured right. Though the tradition was generally flowers for opening night, Quinn hadn't been there for that. This was her first time seeing Rachel perform on the Broadway stage and it warranted something commemorative.
"Ow. Hey. What was that for?" She stumbled backward and rubbed at her arm where Olivia had smacked her.
"That's for not telling us that your girl was on Broadway."
"What? I told you."
"No. You told us Rachel was an actress. Not that she was a Broadway actress."
Quinn mentally replayed all of their conversations over the last couple of days and then smiled sheepishly when she determined that her friend was right. "Sorry. I really though I'd mentioned it."
"Really, Quinn? How do you forget a detail like that?"
"So, girlfriend huh?" Lara jumped in, diverting their attention back to Quinn's earlier comment.
"Yeah, well." Quinn shifted uneasily and ran a hand through her hair. They hadn't really discussed it yet but they were more than just dating. They were too serious to be simply seeing each other. They hadn't put a label on their relationship yet but in Quinn's head, the term just felt right. Not to mention the word had slipped seamlessly from her lips.
"You haven't actually asked her yet, have you?" Lara asked and Quinn shrugged
"I can't believe that you even do that," Olivia said, shaking her head slightly.
Quinn knew that it was something of an antiquated tradition. Yet she knew that she would ask. That both she and Rachel would appreciate the ceremony and symbolizim of her posing the question.
"Are you going to ask her to the sock hop?" Olivia continued. "Give her your letterman jacket and ask her to go steady?"
Quinn was struck with the mental image of offering Rachel her old Cheerio's jacket.
"Laugh all you want," Quinn said with a shrug. "But it works."
"You mean it gets you laid."
Quinn just shrugged, not wanting to dignify that with an answer. Mostly because Olivia was correct. She only had a handful of relationships under her belt, even fewer with another woman but in her (albeit somewhat limited) experiences, asking someone to be her girlfriend did in fact lead to some pretty amazing sex.
"Enough, you too. Let's just go take our seats. The show'ss about to start."
Olivia offered Quinn a smirk but let it drop and turned to follow Lara as she led the way inside.
"Here, I thought you might want this." Quinn looked down as Olivia thrust something into her free hand and realized a moment later that it was a program for the show.
"Thanks," she murmured absently as she settled into her seat and began to flip through it. She skimmed over most of the details, taking it in but only vaguely until she came to the cast bio's on the back and her eyes landed on Rachel's picture and the small blurb beside her name that listed her previous achievement. It brought a smile to her lips that Rachel still listed winning a show choir national championship as one of her achievements even now that she'd been in actual Broadway plays.
Her attention was diverted from the program however when the house lights began to dim. Quickly she tucked it under her leg and raised her gaze exepctantly towards the stage, preparing herself to be blown away.
"Wow. I just...Wow," Olivia exclaimed for the umpteenth time. They'd been at the bar for an hour and were three drinks in. Four if you counted the glass of wine at intermission. Which, given the way Olivia was swaying slightly in her chair and exlaiming exhuberantly, Quinn did.
"Your girlfriend is amazing," Olivia continued, once again. "And hot. Really, frickin' hot. I'm impressed. I've very, very impressed. I honestly didn't think you had it in you to land someone so hot."
"I'm not sure if I should feel complimented or offended by that." She turned to Lara, who was smirking in amusement and sippingly slowly at her own drink. "What do you think, Lar? Insult? Compliment?"
Lara's gaze slides past her though and Quinn cranes her neck to follow. She feels the grin that tugs at the corners of her lips upon sight of Rachel paused in the doorway, scanning the dim interior. She knows that it's big and dopey and Olivia will be teasing her about it for days on end but she makes no move to prevent it from forming as she stands, waving to catch Rachel's attention and ready to go fetch her if neccessary. Rachel's head turns, catching sight of the movement and an answering smile forms on her lips. Quinn takes comfort in the knowledge that she is not solely affected.
Rachel crosses the bar quickly, deftly dodging tipped back chairs and legs extended out beyond tables and in a moment is ensconced in Quinn's arms once again. The force of their bodies meeting sends Quinn stumbling a few steps back, the edge of their sturdy table halting her backward motion.
"Oh, my God, Rach. You were amazing." She wrapped her arms tightly around Rachel's back, lifting her up onto her tiptoes and then another inch or two off the ground with the force of her hug. Seeing her former classmate and current flame up on that stage had been surreal. She'd laughed, she'd cried. By the end of the show every conceivable emotion had been wrung out of her leaving her now feeling spent and paradoxically, amped.
"Hey, quit hogging. Let the rest of us get our congratulations in." Quinn snorted indelicately as Olivia nudged none to gently at her shoulder.
After one last squeeze, Quinn slid her arms from around Rache's back and pulled away. "Rach, you remember Olivia and Lara from the other night."
Rachel smiled widely at both of them and reached out to shake first Lara and then Olivia's hands. "To be honest, not very much no. I'm ashamed to admit that I was so taken by the presence of Quinn here that everything else about Friday night is a bit of a blur. Forgive me, but I'm uncertain as to which of you is which."
It had taken all of about ten ten seconds but Quinn could see that both of her friends were quite charmed. Which made her smile because Rachel had as much as admitted that she hadn't even been paying attention to either one of them when they were being introduced the last time they made. Neither of them seemed to care, however as they fawned over Rachel and her performance.
"Hey, guys. Why don't we settle in?" Quinn suggested with a vague gesture in the direction of the chairs that they'd vacated with Rachel's arrival. "Before one of those hyena's swoops in and steals our table."
The bar had been pretty crowded when they'd arrived and had only got busier since. They'd managed to snag a table but other had not been quite so lucky. There had been a group of girls eyeing them since they got there, as if just waiting for an opportunity to steal the much coveted seats.
"What are you drinking?" Quinn asked Rachel as she slid into what had been Quinn's chair.
Instead of answering, Rachel was immediately on her feet. "I'll get it."
Quinn gently eased Rachel back into her seat. "On me. I'll get this round."
Rachel looked like she was going to protest but after a moment she nodded. "Just get me whatever you're having."
"I'll be right back." She dropped a kiss onto Rachel's forehead and then began working her way through the crowd to the bar. She ordered 2 cranberry and vodka's, knowing that Rachel wouldn't like the Guiness she had been drinking. She'll feel like hell in the morning for mixing hard liquor with alcohol but not as bad as Rachel would feel if she forced herself to drink the meaty Irish beer that Quinn had developed a taste for after college.
It only took her a few minutes to get their drinks but the time she made it back to their table, Lara, Rachel and Olivia were throroughly engaged in conversation, laughing and chatting like old friends.
Without interrupting the conversation she set Rachel's drink in front of her and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. Rachel didn't even look up or pause in speaking but she closed her hand around the drink and reached out with her other hand to cup Quinnn's cheek for a moment in thanks before she shimmied past her chair to the vacant one next to the wall, being careful not to spill any of her drink down the other woman's back or onto the table as she moved behind her.
A moment later she was settled in, one hand curved around her drink to protect it from Rachel's enthusiastic hand gestures as she spoke, the other playing idylly with the fine hairs on the back of Rachel's neck as she got lost in the other woman's story. It was one that she'd heard the night they first met back up but Rachel had her captivated anways. Not so much on her words but on the cadence in which they flowed from her mouth, rapid and tumbling over each other when she got excited and slow and spaced when she was trying to build up tension.
Across the table, Olivia and Lara seemed equally captivated, although for entirely different reasons she hoped. They listened and laughed and offered up tales of their own from their experiences working in the theatre. Olivia had been acting since she was a kid, community theatre and local cable mostly. Even a couple of commercials when she was a teen so she had a lot of stories to tell. Lara, like Quinn had come into the theatre a little later in life. Though she'd been bitten by the writing bug in high school, around the same time that Quinn had been drawn into Glee. She spoke of her previous work with the same passion that Rachel talked about their show choir days.
Much to Quinn's chargin. She really would prefer to leave those days in the past. She hadn't liked who she was back then and there were so many things she'd done that she was not proud of. As much as she knew that who she'd been then shaped who she was now, she preferred not to dwell on them.
Or trot them out as fodder for bar stories.
Or maybe it was just that she was embarrased for her new friends to know the extent of her bad behaviour in her younger years. They knew she was a former cheerleader, a mean girl. That she'd had a messed up home life and gotten pregnant at fifteen, had given her daugher up for adoption and had spent the next to years in a bit of a spiral.
She hadn't however filled them in on the details of it, the name calling, the slushies, the reign of terror that was the Unholy Trinity.
Maybe she was just afraid that her friends would look at her differently if they knew the person she used to be.
However, she could tell how much Rachel prized those early days of Glee club, of how they all banded together and formed this tight-knit, if not dysfunctional family. So she sat silently by as Rachel regaled them with tales of slushie facials and being a Glee loser and various other high school horrors, staring into her drink to avoid any glances sent her way, unable to bear the idea of either Lara or Olivia's dissaproving gaze on her right now.
She was greatful though, when Lara announced she needed a refill and Olivia offered to come with her and get a round for the table.
"You're quiet tonight."
"Hmmm?"
Quinn glanced up as Rachel leaned into her side and tilted her head to rest on her shoulder.
"I said, you're quiet tonight."
"Oh. Sorry." She took a large swallow of her drink then took an ice cube between her teeth, crunching it loudly.
"Hey, is everything okay?" Rachel asked, her head popping back up again as she swung around to face Quinn.
Quinn nodded without meeting Rachel's eye. "Yeah. Fine."
"You know, I might believe if you could actually bring yourself to look at me."
Resisting an eye roll, Quinn turned halfway to meet her gaze with one eye.
"Quinn, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, persay," Quinn began slowly. "It's just...Can you maybe not talk about me in high school quite so much?" she finished off in a rush, averting her gaze. "Look, I know I was horrible to you. & it makes up a pretty significant chunk of your high school experience but..." she trailed off, finally meeting Rachel's gaze full on and hoping that her baleful gaze would convey all of the things she couldn't put into words.
"Oh, Quinn. I'm sorry."
Rachel's hand came up to cup her cheek, her fingers stroking gently for a moment before sliding to comb through her hair.
"I didn't mean to bring up painful memories. Or embarass you or anything I just...Lara started talking about her high school productions and I started talking about Glee and-"
"It's okay. I get it. Can we just talk about something else when they get back?"
"Of course."
"Thank you, Rachel."
Quinn reached up and clasped the wrist that was now resting on her shoulder, playing with a few strands of hair and, using that grasp pulled Rachel towards her until she could reach her lips.
Rachel sighed softly into the kiss and parted her lips. Of course Quinn took the opportunity to slip her tongue into the other woman's mouth and swallowed the faint moan that her action evoked.
A sharp clapping next to her ear had her jumping back. "Ow. What the hell?" She turned her glare on Olivia who grinned unrepentedly at them.
"Break it up you two. There will be no tonsil hockey at the table. You guys want to do that, get a room."
"But not ours," Lara was quick to interject with a point in Quinn's direction. "I know our hotel is just across the street but there will be no hanky-panky in the suit."
"Unless I'm in on it," Olivia countered.
Quinn hufffed out a laugh and shook her head. "You guys are ridiculous."
"I don't know," Rachel uttered, low enough that only Quinn would hear. "I could be persuaded into some hanky-panky right about now. Want to head back to my place?"
"You have no idea how good that sounds," Quinn breathed against her lips. "However..." She trailed off and pulled back, her eyes pleading with Rachel to once again understand. "Auditions start tomorrow. Early. And as much as I'd like to spend the night with you-"
"You need to be at the theatre not wearing yesterday's clothes or my ill-fitting ones."
Quinn nodded, feeling dejected and wondering why she hadn't thought to pack a bag so she could spend the night.
"And here I was hoping that we could spend the entire day together. Naked. In my bed. There are so many unspeakable things I was planning on doing to you."
Quinn let out a groan. "You're evil."
Rachel just laughed lightly.
"But we can spend the evening together, right? Auditions end in the early afternoon and then I'm meeting Santana, but I'll be done by dinner."
"Hey, don't rush through your meeting on my account."
"I would, in a heartbeat. But no, San has to get to work early."
"OK. So, you're stopping by when you've finished up with her?"
Quinn nodded.
"OK. I look forward to it," Rachel said, sliding from her seat. "I'll make dinner and we'll spend the evening together." She dropped her voice a little and leaned forward, her lips brushing the shell of Quinn's ear. "Naked. In my bed."
Quinn gulped back a moan as Rachel straightened up and turned to say her goodbyes to Lara and Olivia.
"Wait, you're leaving?" It took a moment for the situation to catch up with her but when it did she stood and laid a hand on the small of Rachel's back. "You don't have to go now just because-"
"I'm not. It's been a long day. I'm tired. And that drink hit me pretty hard. The bartender here has a pretty heavy pour." She kissed Quinn gently, sweetly and squeezed her side. "I'll see you tomorrow. Lara. Olivia. It was night meeting you. Best of luck with your casting sessioin tomorrow. We'll have to get together soon."
Quinn looked on, amused, as Rachel set up a get together with her friends for the following weekend, did another round of hugs and then headed for the door. As always, she watched her walk away, not caring in the slightest that she was in a bar full of people and her eyes were glued firmly to Rachel's ass.