Sorry this update took so long, my laptop developed a nasty case of trackpad disease and had to get a new one so I couldn't access anything.
Also please be patient regarding the relationship between Quinn and Santana - the nature of the story bouncing back and forth means that though they are obviously endgame, the story not simply about them getting together - though they obviously will be soon!
Hope you enjoy the update, feedback welcome as always
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters
Chapter 8
December 2010, Columbus
Quinn's tongue poked out between her lips as she peered across the table intently, concentrating on the picture in front of her, looking for the right place.
"Oh my god, tell me Berry didn't get you actually doing that freakin' jigsaw!"
Quinn looked up to see Santana and Brittany. A big grin broke out across her face. She pushed her upper body back upright from where she had been leaning over the table; her mobility had improved and she kept her balance beautifully.
"Hey girls," she held on with one hand while waving at them with the other.
"I love jigsaws," Brit's eyes went wide. "Can I help?"
Quinn just waved at the table. "Go ahead, there's plenty to do. Just don't lose a piece, Rachel will have a seizure."
The edge all around was in place and there were piles of similar looking pieces where they had been sorted. It had taken a week to get just that far; they kept her really busy during the day.
Brit sat down and started trying to fit the pieces of a neon sign together.
Santana rolled her eyes before reaching down to Quinn for a hug.
"So I have half the guys in here helping me out with this. It's kind of like group therapy," she laughed.
Santana liked the sound of Quinn's laugh and it had been a while since she'd heard it. She softened.
"Did you have a better week this week?"
Quinn looked surprised. "Rachel?"
Santana shrugged, "She was worried about you; we all worry about you."
"Mom brought Beth twice this week so I'm happier. You can tell Rach the good news for me; I'm probably getting to come home at Christmas. They think I can maybe get away with just day therapy after that, which means I don't have to come back here either; I can do it in Lima."
"Oh my god! That's freakin' awesome."
Quinn shrugged. "They said I was almost ready. I have to be able to take a shower on my own without any help and then get in and out of a car and I can be released. They said I just need to come back for driver's ed training in a couple of months and for check ups occasionally. I'm going home at last."
—
Going home wasn't quite like she'd expected. There was a party to celebrate, just two days before Christmas and it made the holidays a happy time, but Quinn struggled too. Rehab has become comfortable and everything was laid out perfectly for someone in a wheelchair and her house wasn't. The rooms were filled with furniture and carpet and baby stuff, all at the wrong level, angle, thickness, etc. It became frustrating quite quickly and Quinn let it show.
If taking care of herself was hard, looking after Beth was even harder. She struggled still to sit without support and so changing diapers was hard. She tried all sorts of methods including the eventual winner which involved looping a wrap around herself and the back of her wheelchair so she could let her body fall against it without toppling over, thus leaving both hands free to change Beth.
It was all a bit trial and error at first and as annoying as it could sometimes be, Quinn persisted in trying to be a good mom to her baby daughter. The big difference now though, was that everyone knew and understood her a bit better. They didn't pull her away from it as a result, instead they were just there to help and support her. It was all a little overwhelming considering she hadn't really known them very long.
It took a while for her life to settle again. Each time friends came over, they helped make something easier. Finn and Puck helped move out most of the carpets and Sam's dad fixed hardwood flooring for them. Artie and his mom came over a few times to make suggestions beyond those the occupational therapist had recommended. A few weeks after she had gone home, Quinn finally declared herself ready to go back to school part time at least.
—
2020, Riverside, Connecticut
"She's really lonely. I feel bad for her." Quinn was used to Santana's insistence on standing beside her as she got into bed. It was their nightly routine. Once she was settled, her partner handed over the special pillow to wedge between her knees and helped to roll her on her side so that they would be facing each other in bed.
Climbing in the opposite side, Santana nodded and furrowed her brow. "I thought it was something like that. She seems a little different."
"How do you mean?"
A small shrug suggested the Latina wasn't too sure. "Maybe, I don't know, just quieter somehow. Less full-on. Rachel has always been full-on for the ten years we've known her and she just seems less so now. She seems less Rachel-like."
Quinn snorted. "That doesn't even make sense, San."
The Latina chuckled. "I know, but I don't know how else to describe it. She's definitely not herself right now."
"Do you think it's because she has everything she ever wanted and realises it's not what she thought it was going to be?"
"Maybe," another shrug followed. "I guess she doesn't have much to worry about professionally so she's turned her attention to her private life and realised she's been neglecting it."
Quinn was perplexed. She wasn't sure about the solution to what would become known as the 'Rachel problem'.
—
February 2011, Lima, Ohio
"Welcome back Quinn, we've all missed having you around," Mr Schue bent to give her a hug.
"Thanks, it's great to be back." She glanced at the rest of Glee club, who in turn looked at her expectantly. "I guess you want a speech or something?" she shrugged.
A brief round of applause followed and she smiled at them.
"Okay, well I guess almost getting squished by a car has left its mark," she pointed down at her legs, "but I am back and believe it or not, this is the happiest day of my life. I really missed school and I'm sorry that I wasn't around for your amazing sectionals win." A little jealousy spiked her briefly. "Anyway, thanks for visiting me over the last few months, but please don't baby me now I'm back. I know I'll probably fall or drop stuff, whatever, but I want to be able to do things for myself so I hope you won't be offended if I ask you to butt out and let me handle it." She explained herself with a slight smile. "Obviously, if you find me stranded in the parking lot with my hands frozen to my wheels and icicles hanging off of my nose, feel free to give me a push."
The wheelchair wasn't so shocking anymore and the hand gestures were familiar, but they were all still a little quiet.
"That was a little paraplegic humor, help me out here Artie will you, tough crowd."
He chuckled and the others relaxed a little. "I'm going to help Quinn out with some wheelchair dancing lessons too, just so we can look neat and tidy on stage." Artie was sort of proud of himself. Quinn was a goddess and he was a geek, but she was looking to him for advice and support. He felt about eight feet tall, well he guessed he would if he knew what that felt like. She gave him the cutest grin.
"I doubt I'll be winning any awards for it, but I'm going to give it a go. That and tennis; apparently I'm pretty good."
Everyone laughed and then they all stood and crowded round to give her a group hug.
"It's really good to be back, you guys."
—
2020 Riverside, Connecticut
"Calvin, meet Rachel. She's my best friend from school," Quinn tugged Rachel to meet the tall man who had just stepped into the house. "Rachel, come say Hi to Calvin, he used to be my doctor but I fired him for being useless so now he's just a friend."
Rachel smiled at the request, but then looked confused. "What?"
"Relax, I'm joking. Not about him being my doctor but the useless part," Quinn shook her head. It had always been easy to catch Rachel out.
"It's nice to meet you, Rachel. I can't believe Quinn has been holding out on me about you for the last couple of years. If I'd known you were best friends I would have made her introduce us before now. I'm a big fan!" He flashed a big smile and Rachel blushed a little.
"I still don't understand but it's lovely to make your acquaintance." The singer extended a hand.
"Why don't you go through to the dining room and explain Calvin," Quinn greeted a couple more dinner guests. They were having a small party and she had invited some of her and Santana's friends.
He indicated for Rachel to go ahead and then held the door for her moments later.
"Quinn and I met when she came into the ER with a broken finger. She claimed to have done it rock climbing; I laughed out loud, so did she. Turned out she pinched her finger between the tire and the frame of her chair whilst hanging onto a tennis racket, but she had me fooled for a few moments." He pointed to a seat and took the one next to her. "I too like a game of tennis, so we chatted a while; I was interested to know how her version differed from the regular game. She invited me to her club one afternoon and proceeded to wipe the floor with me and we've been firm friends ever since."
Rachel smiled at the story. It was completely like Quinn to make a friend that way.
"If you get me drunk enough, I'll tell you how we became friends, it's not too dissimilar." The brunette poured a glass of wine for the doctor and when Quinn followed with the other guests, Rachel glanced up and waved the bottle.
"Just half a glass," the blonde replied.
"How's your finger?" Rachel grinned at her.
"That was like two years ago," she waved away the concern.
Santana brought more empty glasses over and placed them down.
"Save me from the tennis story again," she and Calvin kissed on the cheek.
"I love hearing him tell it," Quinn chuckled and soon the rest joined in. "But you really should hear how Rachel and I met if you want a real belly laugh."
Calvin glanced at the shorter woman. "Just how much wine does it take to get you really drunk?"
—
"Goodnight guys," Calvin waved at the three women lounging on the sofa. "I had a great time."
"So soon?" Santana asked him.
"I'm on duty tomorrow," he shrugged standing. "Someone has to man the ER on a Sunday."
"Why don't you just stay over?" Quinn asked. "We can make up a bed for you."
Calvin thought about it for a moment. He lived a half-hour away and he had just the one glass of wine earlier so driving home wasn't an issue. "I'd love to, really, but I suspect I would just drink more of your very nice wine and be late for my shift; people could die," he exaggerated.
Santana just laughed. "That statement just made you more of a drama queen than Berry."
"You're drunk!" Rachel protested.
"So are you!" the Latina argued.
"I confess I might be, but it is very good wine."
"I think you actually bought the case for us at Christmas," Quinn acknowledged dragging herself back into her chair. She was the most sober of the three. "Don't kill each other while I show Calvin out."
He knew better than to argue with Quinn, so he waited patiently for her to arrange her legs in the chair and let her go ahead of him to the door.
"Did you really have a good time, the Robinson's aren't the most interesting conversationalists I know, but Ralph is sponsoring my gallery opening so I feel like I have to be sociable with them and they are nice."
"Quinn, I always have a good time here, even if I have to listen to Ralph droning on about exchange rate fluctuations or something," he gave a gallic shrug.
"Really?"
"Rachel's company more than made up for Ralph," he admitted. "I gave her my number, well actually I forced her to put it in her phone, mostly so I can just brag about it at work tomorrow."
The blonde laughed at her friend. "I think she enjoyed herself too so don't feel guilty."
His face lit up. "You don't think that by some small margin of remote possibilities that she would even be a teensy bit interested in a somewhat sleep deprived junior resident with promise?"
He received a gentle punch on the arm for that one. "Ask her yourself now you have her number."
"I will, don't think I won't. Even rejection by Rachel Berry would be treasured."
"Oh my God, could you be any more of a doofus? Go home now before you say anything else embarrassing," she teased.
"Goodnight, gorgeous," he bent and kissed her cheek and squeezed her shoulders.
"Drive safe," she insisted. "You only had one, right?"
"Before dinner," he acknowledged, well aware of Quinn's over-protectiveness when it came to driving.
She nodded and waved him out of the door.
Returning to the living room, Rachel was singing softly and Santana was snoring softly. The blonde rolled her eyes at the both of them.
"Come on the pair of you, to bed." She felt like the parent of wayward teens.
Santana woke with a start. "What time is it?"
"Early still but you're a little inebriated."
"What does that even mean?" the Latina looked confused.
"You're drunk," Rachel confirmed.
"God, it''s like spending the night with a thesaurus and a dictionary."
—
"Did you like my friends?"
"I did. The Robinson's are very sophisticated," Rachel agreed.
"In a really boring way," Quinn groaned. "Well actually Jessica's not so bad, just obsessed with hair and fashion, but according to Calvin, Ralph could be marketed as a cure for insomnia and he's going to prescribe an hour with some of his patients."
Rachel's face split with a huge grin. "He's very funny and I have to say, easy on the eyes in a very obviously Yale-like way."
"He's completely enamoured with you," she admitted, "though he went to Stanford actually."
"That's sweet, but I think he's much too nice for someone like me. I'd break his heart. And I hate to break it to you but there isn't much difference between Yale and Stanford."
Quinn's face fell and she shook her head. "Rach, what's going on? I remember you being this doe-eyed teenager who was just dying to fall in love and get married and now, I don't know, you sound so defeatist about relationships."
Rachel played with her hair to avoid eye contact. "You're just spoiled. Most people never have true love like you and San. The rest of us are just bouncing around from one relationship to another. I come across so many fake, plastic people that it's too difficult to try and spot the genuine ones anymore."
Quinn's brow furrowed. "You know what you need? You need to get away from all of that for a while and be with some real people until the cynicism washes off of you."
—
Rachel lay in bed and thought about Quinn's words. When had she become so cynical about love? She thought back to being young and optimistic. It wasn't actually that many years ago, but she had been burned. Finn was supposed to be back in Lima, teaching at McKinley; he was supposed to be there waiting for her to make her mark and return home in triumph to settle down and start a family. She was ready for that now, but he was gone and there was just the empty place in her heart that she couldn't find anyone else to fill.
—
"You okay?" Quinn was worried San looked a little green.
"I think I might puke and then be fine, well apart from the grievous hangover I'll have tomorrow morning. Why did you let me drink so much?"
"You're a grown woman and since when did you ever listen to me when it came to sharing wine with Rachel?"
Santana harrumphed and then ran to the bathroom.
Quinn just grinned and slid over into bed. It pained her to hear Santana puke, but knew it was probably a good thing to get it out of her system.
The Latina walked back into their room fifteen minutes later, large glass of water in hand and reeking of mouthwash.
"I'm killing Berry in the morning, just so you know," Santana dropped heavily onto the bed and groaned.
"I know you are," Quinn placated her partner. "And I forgive you for it," she rolled over with a little difficulty and placed a kiss on Santana's minty lips. "Sleep it off, love."
"Did Calvin and Berry get it off?"
"No he went home."
"Shame, they'd be good together."
"She says he's too nice for her."
"Berry's sad. I'm gonna kick her ass tomorrow," the brunette's eyelids fluttered closed and she was soon snoring.
"Of course you are," Quinn smiled to herself and let her own eyes drift closed.
—