"Are you serious?! You met Da Vinci?!" Quinn asked in shock.
"Yes, he was quite... interesting to say the least." Rachel replied with a chuckle.
Bailey is still sleeping, Caspian was currently still at Jaras and this is the first time Quinn and Rachel had been truly alone. They were getting to know each other.
"Wow, that's just so crazy to me. You don't look a day over twenty-five."
"The same could be said of you."
"Yeah but you're literally centuries old Rachel."
"True, I suppose in your world I'd be considered a thirty-four year old."
"Thirty-four?" Quinn shook her head. "I don't know how to understand your aging process."
"Well, take Bailey for example in her world she's considered a baby but in my world she's considered a teenager."
"So what is your world called?"
"Nacir Otuero."
"Nacer-"
"No." Rachel chuckled. "You must roll your tongue on the 'R' and pronounce your 'C' like you would when you say the word 'can'.
"Na-cir. Nac-ir-"
"Nacir." Rachel recited.
"Nacir."
"There! You see it's not that hard. Now try Otuero."
"Otuero."
"Good, now say it together."
"Nacir Otuero."
"Yes! You got it!" Rachel said with enchanted eyes and a blinding smile. Hearing the blonde say her native tongue just did things to her.
In her world someone like Quinn is considered to be royalty based simply on her intelligence.
Not to mention her beauty would give her high favor because in her culture, if you are as breathtaking as Quinn, it is believed that you are highly favored by the gods.
That's why Rachel could not believe how the blonde's husband acted at the restaurant.
If Quinn were in her world, the blonde would be treated like a goddess by her bond mate.
She would never have to lift a finger or strain her voice in outrage. She would always be catered to in every sense of the word.
To be honest, Caspian, Rachel, and Bailey knew the transition was about to happen.
They had just met with a mermaid who had received word about it. Any being from any other world were rushing to make it through the vail before the hunters descended.
They too were going to take to the skies shortly but Rachel spotted Quinn and froze on the spot.
The brunette felt an instant connection and the pull yanked at her to follow the blonde and her group, so she did.
That's how she ended up in the restaurant and she couldn't for the life of her move. She stared in fascination as she felt a low thrumming in her body that covered every nerve ending within her.
She turned to Caspian with confused eyes and she could see in his eyes he was just as confused as to why she had followed her.
To say Quinn altered the situation would be putting it mildly. The brunette was already on her journey for sometime now to find the 'bound one' centuries before the transition had been prophesied.
It was in the world of Heimsheer that she was told by a scryer that the bound one she seeks could be found in the world of earth. So she set for earth with Caspian and Bailey in tow.
She has yet to find the bound one and she only has six months left. Which is why coming in contact with Quinn was not what she needed.
She needed to focus on finding what she's looking for but she can't leave Quinn and Beth. She couldn't even if she wanted to.
She's still going to look for the bound one but she's decided she could look and still help keep Quinn and Beth safe.
"Tell me Quinn what do you do in your world? As in your profession?"
Quinn cast her eyes down in embarrassment.
"Oh I um, I have two jobs I woke for a market and I'm a waitress at Applebee's."
"Why do you look ashamed of that?"
"To be honest, those aren't what I had planned for my life and in my world I'm considered the lowest of the low, career wise."
Rachel furrowed her brow. "Why should you feel shame. Beth has told me how hard you work and how well you take care of her and your husband. You have no reason to feel shame, all work is noble especially when your heart is behind it."
Quinn flushed feeling flustered. She's never been told something like that before. "Thank you Rachel."
"You're welcome and I mean it. Just look at how wonderfully you're daughter has grown. She is strong willed, determined and though she fears something in the moment she stands her ground bravely and damn the consequences. You should be proud, you made her who she is today and I know this because she told me with her own words that your husband has no credibility in raising her. She said she is you inside and out and that's why she can't live in this world without you."
Quinn had silent tears running down her face as she stared at her daughters sleeping form as Rachel spoke.
The brunette kneeled before the blonde and took her hand. Rachel worked hard not to show what she was feeling. She felt a slowing current ascending up her arm the moment she took the blonde's hand and it began encasing her heart.
"Here let me show you."
Quinn furrowed her brow then gasped as in her minds eye she was hit with the memories from Rachel's perspective when they found Beth and herself in the snow.
She watched her daughter standing terrified while holding up a stick to defend her mother.
Slowly her minds eye played out everyday she had been sleeping.
What Beth said and did through Rachel's eyes like a camera would film a character saying their line up close to the screen when the character is suppose to be responding to their counterpart.
Quinn's tears were falling as she caught sight of herself and choked as she watched Rachel cut open her leg and Beth's wide terrified eyes.
She watched her daughter choke down her broth greedily followed by water. She could hear everything Rachel said to Beth and vice versa.
She watched as Beth slept and Rachel came over to check on her repeatedly throughout the night.
The brunette brushed her daughter's hair from her forehead and kissed her their feather light as she said: 'Sleep peaceful my brave one, your safe now.'
She watched night after night Bailey climbing on her as Beth slept and lit up like the brightest star covering Quinn's entire body as she helped heal her.
She watched Caspian kneel before her as he held his hands in a circle shape as he whispered an incantation as a purple light flowed from him.
She watched Rachel painstakingly feed her drops of water and her medicinal drops of broth with the patience of a saint.
She watched Rachel explain to Beth that she would be training her and why.
She cooed when Beth cried as Rachel washed her hair, thanking the brunette repeatedly and hugging her tightly.
Than she laughed when Beth's shocked face hit her mark with her tomahawked.
She gasped as she watched her daughter learn different fighting maneuvers epically failing repeatedly under Rachel's patient guidance, becoming frustrated until the day she did the combination with staff Rachel made her.
Almost catching the brunette's cheek but was stopped by Rachel's hand when she gripped the staff in mid air before it could connect with her cheek.
She watched and watched as her daughter built a beautiful firm relationship with this woman and Quinn could do nothing but melt.
Soon the vision was gone. Quinn's glassed eyes turned on Rachel and Rachel gasped in surprised when the blonde threw her arms around her neck and cried.
Not understanding just how much it meant to Quinn that she took care of her daughter to such a degree that her father had barely attempted to give her. Rachel took care of Beth as a parent would and she didn't have to.
"Thank you, god, thank you all so much for taking care of me and my daughter when I couldn't!" Quinn cried.
"You don't have to thank me. Beth is an amazing girl and I could not live with myself if I left her on her own."
Just then footfalls were heard as Caspian ascended the stairs. He had his hands full and Rachel stood up to assist him.
Quinn's eyes were wide as they laid out every thing. There were fruits, eggs, potatoes, and good lord bread!
He had what looked like blocks of cheese and as well as basket with what looked like a just freshy caught duck of some sort but also not a duck?
It has already been plucked and cleaned, ready to cook as a turkey looked when you removed it from it's packaging to prepare for thanksgiving.
He also had a sack with leather bound books. Three to be exact. He had five of what looked like large waterskins but at the same time they didn't look like waterskins because she could see through the skin? if it could even call them that, that had water in each one with a leather strap that hung each of them over his shoulder and across his chest.
There was a basket of different herbs and plants, amongst other things.
"Were you able to get the foglyle?"
"Yes, lady Margot says she expects to see you sooner rather than later. She says the bread is fresh so enjoy."
"Thank you Caspian."
Rachel smiled then took the bread from him as she pulled out a hand dagger and turned back to Quinn, breaking off a piece then spread what Quinn assumes is a buttery like cheese that had little specs of white and brown.
The brunette smiled and handed it to Quinn. The blonde smiled intrigued.
"What is the spread on the bread?"
"Kleinlut."
"What is Kleinlut?" Quinn said before taking a bite.
The blonde's eyes bulged in shock even if she wanted to she could not describe the flavors encompassing her being, literally.
It was like the food was touching every nerve in her body as euphoria filled her mind and her eyes rolled back.
The groan that rumbled in her chest as she chewed made Rachel and Caspian's eyes widen in surprise as they chuckled.
"Mmm! Oh my god what is this?!"
"Nothing from your world obviously." Rachel replied with a chuckle as she grab a fruit and held it out to the blonde.
"Here this will go pleasantly with it."
Quinn nodded and took it immediately and she tried to figure out how to eat it. It had skin like an orange but was silver in color but felt as tender as an aged plum but with a more mush like feeling to it's firmness.
"How do I eat it?"
"You bite it as you would an apple." Caspian supplied.
Quinn nodded then bit into it. Her eyes widened in surprise because as soon as her bite of it touched her tongue the firmness liquidized into to the sweetest taste of some sort of fruity water/juice. The liquid was this royal blue color.
"Wow..." Quinn breath as just that one bite seemed to quench her thirst easily. She felt her dehydration instantly vanish.
"If you think that's something wait until you try this guy." Rachel said with a smile, holding up the caught duck/turkey looking thing.
Blaine stood at the lip of the deep rotted oak tree. It was his turn to stand watch. He spent hours thinking about Kurt and as if by sheer will his eyes caught sight of a figure that looked just like his husband. He stood up straighter in alert.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh my... Ku-Kurt? Kurt!" Blaine wailed as he rushed forward running toward the man he he never thought he'd ever see again.
Sam and the rest of the group jerked up in surprise, all of the them stumbling to their feet in a rush. As soon as the clearing came in to view Emma gasped, Sam choked in emotion, Tina whimpered in disbelieving joy.
Kurt's head shot up in disbelief as his eyes widened in shock as he watched his husband run toward him.
"Blaine?! Oh god Blaine!" Kurt rushed out as he ran toward the love of his life.
Santana and the rest of them immediately began running too as they watched the other group rush from the hiding place.
As soon as Blaine reached Kurt they grunted on impact as sobs began escaping their lips as they held on tightly.
"Sam!" Mercedes cried as he scooped her up in his arms tightly.
"Emma! God Emma!" Will cried as Emma choked on her sobs as the two embraced.
"Mike, you're here! You're really here!"
"Tina thank god!" Mike cried back as he kissed her disregarding his pain in favor of trying to hug his wife one armed.
Finn hugged Santana as the group began embracing one another in joy. The only person not running is Puck. He walked up with a casual smile not really interested in what was happening but pretending to be as Sam hugged Mr. Lopez.
Santana began searching with her eyes desperately for her wife and son.
"Britney?! Where's Britney and Brandon?!"
The group before her looked remorse. "I'm sorry Santana but she wasn't in any of our group." Emma said sadly.
"Sam, Tina, Blaine, and. Puck were on their own for god knows how long. Tina and Sam found each other and Emma and I found Blaine unconscious. Puck just joined our group a few days ago." Finn explained.
Santana bit her lip and nodded jerkily her father rubbing her back in support as her mother held Maggie.
"We should head back in. We were pretty loud." Puck said and everyone nodded to the truth. The couples that were reunited hugged and smiled as they cried.
Puck kept his eyes forward but didn't say anything else.
He knew he had seen Britney and Brandon but he also knows they'd ask him why he didn't help her?
Besides there's no way Britney and Brandon are alive. He saw how weak she had been.
If he had helped her she and the kid would have slowed him down and he would of ran out of his ration sooner.
There's no way he was going to put himself in jeopardy.
Besides Santana's the one that did say she was responsible for her own family when she trashed him for not going back for Quinn and Beth.
So with that said it's her own fault they're dead.
Beth groaned as her body ached to wakefulness. She heard a gasp to her left.
"Beth?! Beth, honey, can you hear me?!" Quinn rushed out as she leaned over her daughter.
"Mom?"
Quinn whimpered in tears as Beth's eyes fluttered open completely.
"Oh god, I thought I was going to lose you!" Quinn cried as Beth sat up then hissed in pain.
"What happened?" Beth asked groggily.
"You were shot with a poison arrow, don't you remember? Rachel, Caspian, and, Bailey saved us."
Beth's eyes widened as she remembered just what Rachel looked like. The blonde's head whipped around the room. She was back in the cave but the three in question were no where to be found.
"I... Where are they?"
"They went to get more supplies for Britney and Brandon."
Beth's eyes widened as she finally realized the two cots beside her.
"Oh my god, how-"
"Caspian had a vision-"
"A vision?"
"Yes, apparently he can see possible outcomes of the future. He saw Britney and she-" Quinn cut herself off swallowing thickly. "She was dead. He immediately rushed out to find her with Rachel but Beth she was out there for a while. She was suffering from hypothermia."
Beth gasped.
"Brandon was on the verge to it too but thankfully he wasn't as bad as Britney. She's been keeping him fed but she herself is malnourished. Rachel put them under a sleeping aid to help them rest through their healing. Bailey's been helping them to heal them."
"Bailey?" Beth asked confused and Quinn chuckled watery laugh. "Yes, apparently she a three hundred year old healer."
Beth's eyes bugged out her head. "She's four!"
"That's what I thought. They've been working hard to transform this cave into a hospitable safe haven for us. They've done nothing but take us and I am so grateful."
Just then footfalls were heard and a moment later the three in question entered.
"Well, well look whose awake. How are you feeling?" Rachel said as she hugged Beth.
"Other than the ache in my arm I feel fine thanks to you guys."
"It's good to see you feel better." Caspian said.
"Thank you."
Bailey stepped forward and hugged Beth tightly.
"So I hear actually speak and apparently way older than me." Beth said with a smile.
"Technically yes but in your world not so much. I am happy to see you feel much better Ms. Beth."
"Please just Beth and thanks Bailey. Thank you for everything you've done."
"You are most welcome." Bailey said sweetly.
"So now that you're awake, how about dinner. The three of of have spoken at length and we've decided that now that you have seen us in our second form. It wouldn't hurt to explain a few things. Not everything because we are not to speak on matters that humans are never to know about but what we want to share may help you understand what's happening better and how you can keep yourselves safe should for some reason we are separated. I'd also like to explain to you Beth what I have to your mother about the beasts you've been running from."
"Okay."
"However first we must take care of your comrades and then Quinn you will be next I'm sure Beth won't mind helping you wash then change. Then you we can all prepare dinner together."
"Alright." Quinn said in agreement. "I do have some questions and if you can't answer them that's okay."
"Okay then let's get started." Rachel replied.
Soon the small group began working on Britney and Brandon. Giving them sponge baths and redressing them etc.
Beth and Quinn weren't sure how long Rachel and the other two would be in their lives and they hoped separately that they'd be a permanent fixture but they both felt it wishful thinking.
They'd just have to appreciate the time they do have with them the best they could.
"Here you go Quinn." Quinn eyes bulged at the thermals and cargo paints and the North-Face coat, hat, gloves, and scarf. She could only wear one of the boots for now until her leg healed.
The blonde's eyes watered as she took them from Rachel.
"Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you."
"Just take care of yourself and that precious daughter of yours and that be thanks enough." Rachel replied with a wink as she stepped away.
Not for the first time did Quinn feel like her stomach battered with something and her heart began to pull with yearning. Her eyes followed Rachel across the cave as she began to work on Britney.