Quinn and Sam rushed around the hotel room to pack what they could.
Their mother heard through word of mouth that they would be having company sooner than they thought.
Judy had texted the warning two hours ago and it had been radio silence from her since.
Its was four in the afternoon and Quinn wanted to be out of the room before night fall.
It didn't matter where they went. They just needed to go.
They couldn't get the money and before their mother left it was an all out sob fest and emotional turmoil.
Because that may very well be the last time they would see her if the threat was true which usually it is.
That meant Quinn would take her place and no one wanted that, especially her mother.
Judy must have known they wouldn't find him and as precaution three weeks prior got the papers drawn up and legalized that Quinn and Sam would have permanent guardianship over there siblings in the event that something should happen to Judy.
She had already took the necessary steps to emancipate the teens that summer just after their sixteenth birthdays.
It seems she was right in doing so because Friday morning would mark her death.
"Sam don't forget to.." Quinn began to instruct but she, Sam and the children froze as fear swept through them when a knock resounded.
Quinn's eyes shut as her tears welled then fell as soon as she opened them to look into the tearful sad but angry eyes of Sam.
Quinn swallowed thickly. They knew they had no choice but to open the door or it'd just be broken down by their threat.
Quinn nodded to Sam than her eyes swept over the kids.
Anguish filled her heart at the terrified tearful expressions.
Another knock resounded. Quinn walked to the door and lifted a trembling hand.
She swallowed thickly and with a heavy heart opened the door.
A gasp escaped Quinns lips.
"Wh.. What are you doing here?" Quinn asked breathelessly as the tension melted away slighty but she was still on edge.
"I'm here to speak to you privately." Rachel replied.
"Rachel nows not a really good time. I'm sorry." Quinn said hastely as she went to close the door but the brunette's strong hand stopped it from closing.
"Now is more important than you think Quinn and if I were you. I'd read between the lines and understand that the five minutes I'm requesting, is as close to a life line as your going to get." Rachel replied in a no bullshit tone.
It was clear to Quinn that no was not an option.
The blonde nodded."Five minutes."
"Less than." Rachel countered.
Quinn stepped out of the hotel room shutting the door behind her.
Rachel looked back and forth than stepped into the blonde's personal space.
Causing Quinn to step back on instinct and press her self against the door unintentionally.
The blonde's breath hitched at the proximity of the brunette.
As Rachel lifted her arm laying her palm against the wall and leaning into the blonde essentially blocking them from view.
Making it appear to the outside world that they were sharing an intimate moment.
"What are you.." Before Quinn could say any more she felt something firm placed against her stomach.
"Put that under your shirt and tuck it into your pants." Rachel instructed in a serious tone holding the blonde's eyes captive.
Quinn felt a shiver run down her spine at the unwavering stare and tone.
"What?"
"Do it now, Quinn." Rachel commanded and it was the first time the blonde noticed the urgency in the brunette's tone.
The sound causing her to do as instructed with out even checking what the hell it was.
Rachel than abruptly leaned forward placing a kiss to the surprise blonde's cheek.
Than slid to her ear causing a shiver.
Quinn felt her legs shake with the sign that they were about to buckle under the brunette's administrations.
"Now go back inside." Rachel said before pulling away and leaving a stunned and utterly breatheless Quinn in her wake.
Quinn's ashamed to admit that it took her a moment to get her brain to body function and remember they were in a rush to leave.
When she entered back into the hotel room Sam looked up at her.
"What did Rachel want?"
"I don't know she.. I.. Uh.." Quinn's brain was still hazy.
"Quinn!" Sam said getting impatient.
"Oh! Uh.. Nothing really. She leaned into me, pressed something into my stomach and told me to hide it in the waist of my pants.
"What?"
"I don't know.." Quinn said than pulled out what Rachel had passed her.
It was a brown paper bag folded over but clearly whatever the contents were was rectangular and thick.
"What is it?"
"How should I know."
"She didn't tell you?"
"No."
"Well, open it."
"Right." Quinn said as she fumbled for a moment still feeling the affects Rcahel caused.
Quinn looked in the bag gasped than froze in place.
"What? What is it?"
"Oh my god.." Quinn whispered.
"What?" Sam said as he stepped over just as Quinn reached in to the bag and pulled out the contents.
"No way.." Sam whispered his eyes bulged at the sight.
money.
Lots of money.
"I don't.. I don't.." Quinn tried but she was dumbstruck.
"Where? How?" Sam asked confused he couldn't actually articulate what he wanted to because he was too stunned.
"Don't forget why?" Quinn said staring at the cash.
"Hey, Q there's a note."
Sam said as he spotted a white paper with writing wrapped along with the money.
Quinn immediately pulled it out and began reading.
'Quinn,
This is 12,000 even. It's the 10 grand you need with a 2 grand interest should you need it.
Just so we're clear. I'm not taking it back even if you try to give it to me.
It's for you guys to handle your situation, that's it. No strings attached.'
Quinn. was. floored. Silence engulfed the room.
"I don't believ this." Sam said feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.
"We can't take this." Quinn spoke up.
"What?"
"We can't take this Sam."
"But Quinn.."
"No, we can't."
"Why?
"Because! For one, we don't even know where she got it from and for two, we'd owe her."
"Quinn, she said no strings attached."
"I don't believe that. Sam, it's 12 grand! Who just give away 12 grand!"
"Rich people do to charities all the time."
"We are not a charity."
"We might as well be!"
"Sam."
"No Quinn!Are you insane?! Our mother's life is on the line here! All of our lives are! Especially yours! And yeah maybe taking the money would be stupid of us since we don't know her but Quinn what other choice do we have?! Look at us! Look where we are and what we're about to do! We're literally about to run away with kids when we're just kids ourselves!"
"I know that! You don't think that I know that! I want to take the money Sam but what if we put our selves in an even worst situation?! We don't know what game she could be playing! What if..!"
"What if she's being honest, Q? What if there really are no strings?"
"Then I'd be constantly on edge that there secretly is."
"Come on Quinn.. At this point what other choice do we have.."
Silence engulfed them at Sam's words.
What choice did they have. When were they ever given a choice in this entire fucked situation to begin with.
Just than a knock was at the door and the two teens froze as once again fear engulfed them.
Quinn swallowed thickly.
"Who is it?" Quinn asked too scared that it was them or Rachel either way she couldn't seem to move her body to open the door.
"Times up Fabray." The deep voice came through the door.
Quinn's heart seized. She waved at Sam who quietly shuffled the kids to the bathroom putting all of them into the tub.
Than making the universal gesture of putting his finger to his lips for them to stay quiet as he quietly drew the shower curtain closed.
He poked his head back out and nodded at Quinn just when another knock only more firm and threatening resounded.
Quinn startled and with tearful eyes nodded at Sam and he mouthe 'I love you.' before shutting the door behind him.
It was an agreement they had to make but didn't like.
If it was true what their mother texted them than if they came for them before they could get away.
Than Sam was to hide with the kids until it was all clear to run away with them.
Because if Quinn tried to hide they would scour and search until they found her because she was the one that was suppose to take her mothers place.
Quinn took a shuddering breath and opened the door.
The tall broad man smirked and it made her skin crawl.
"So do you have it?"
"I thought we had until Friday." Quinn replied.
"Well, you know the boss man. He's not very patient."
Quinn felt her stomach turn.
She knew that Sam and the kids were safe in the bathroom as long as they stood quiet and he believed she was alone.
The only worry Quinn had was if the two month old woke up and alerted him to where Sam and the kids were hiding.
It was still light outside so she knew he wouldn't enter. It was also too public.
"I'll take that as a no. So you know what that means. Let's go." He reached for her arm but she stepped back and the sneer he threw her way made her stomach knot.
"But we have it." Quinn said immediately.
He stared at her searching her eyes as if he didn't believe her.
"Se..See! We have it" Quinn stuttered out.
With shaking hands holding the brown paper bag up to him.
"My dad stopped by this morning and even gave interest." Quinn said.
He grabbed it from her and looked in to the bag with slight surprise taking hold of him for a moment before he pulled out his phone to call his boss.
"They have it." He said as soon as the line picked up.
The guy listened on the phone for a moment before replying.
"Yeah, apparently he was around earlier and get this. She says there's interest. I don't know."
He nodded silently than he turned to Quinn. "How much is the interest?"
"2 grand."
"2 grand, sir."
Again the man listened intently to his boss.
Quinn stood by literally trembling in anticipation of her outcome.
"mm hmm. Yes, sir." With that he hung up the phone and raised his eyes to Quinn.
"I guess todays your lucky day, fabray. If he comes back. You're to call immediately. Got it."
"Yes. Got it." Quinn replied immediately.
"Tsk. Tsk. It's a shame. I was very excited to see you." The man leered with a laugh and Quinn wanted to puke.
He walked away and she watched him leave.
When he began walking down the steps she followed with caution.
She watched from a far as he walked back to the black suv parked across the street.
When the suv pulled off Quinn ran back to their room shutting the door behind her.
Than ran to the bathroom scaring the crap out of Sam as she barged in collapsing in front of the toilet bowl.
Puking the little contents in her stomach up. The terror that she felt for those few painstaking minutes caused her stomach to churn.
She felt her hair being pulled back by Sam as he carefully rubbed her back.
Eventually she stopped and sat back against the tub for only a second.
Her eyes shutting against the cool porcelain of the tub.
Before his image invaded her mind and her eyes snapped back open. She jumped to her feet.
"Let's go. We need to get out ogf here."
"What happened?"
"I can't talk about it right now, Sam. Can please just go." Quinn said as she helped the kids out of the tub Sam following suit.
She strapped herself with the baby carrier and Sam help her slip the bundled up new born in.
They helped the rest of the kids into their coats.
Then gathered one duffle bag a large plastic garbage bag along with their school bags and the baby's diaper bag.
They shuffled out of the room with Quinn locking the door as they left.
She couldn't actually stay there and sleep. She knew she'd be on edge.
Sam carried the bags as Quinn guided the kids.
They began their trek. They had decided to go some where they felt they wouldn't be looked for.
Quinn was lost in her thoughts about everything that happened in under 30 minutes in that hotel room.
Where the hell did Rachel get that amount of money?
How did she know the amount they needed?
Why had she acted the way she had when she gave Quinn the money?
All those questions and more kept circling until Sam's worried voice pulled her from her thoughts abruptly.
"Quinn?"
"Yeah?"
"There's a van following us." Sam spoke nervously causing Quinn to also become scared.
"What? How long have they been tailing us?"
"For three blocks. I don't know maybe four?"
"Oh god.. Um.." Quinn's eyes began scanning their surroundings trying to figure out a way to lose them but it would be impossible.
There was nothing but stores and restaurants.
Most of them under the same thumb they were under.
No one would be stupid enough to help or hide them.
"What should we do, Q?"
Quinn finally resigned herself to the fact that there wasn't anything they could do.
They would be followed to the cemetery where they planned to hide for the weekend but now they were screwed.
"There's nothing we can do, Sam. " Quinn said as she stopped and turned in the direction of the all black van with tinted black windows.
Sam sighed also in resignation.
"Did you give them the money?"
"Yeah, I did. I though he left."
"Maybe they just wanted to make us believe they did." Sam said sadly.
Quinn nodded as the two watched the van slow down before coming to a stop in front of them.
Quinn had a scowl on her face HBIC style. Nothing happened.
"Well?" Quinn growled in anger at the van's driver side window.
"Quinn." Sam chastised nervously. "She didn't mean it." He said to the closed window.
"The hell I didn't! You got your money! So what the hell do you want now?!" Quinn was tired, angry, scared but it didn't matter because they just made it clear whether they paid or not they could still fuck you over.
The blonde jumped back when the black tinted window rolled down and revealed a stone cold face Rachel.
"Get in."
"Rachel? What are.."
Sam started but was cut off by Rachel.
"Questions later. We're running out of time. Get in." Rachel said with more authority as she pressed the button for the sliding van door to open.
Sam and Quinn looked at each other before ushering the kids into the van.
Rachel didn't wait for anyone to buckle in before pulling off.
She had been watching the entire exchange that happened with the big guy that came to collect.
She had already known they were coming to surprise collect from the Fabray's.
The brunette had been upping her surveilence and came across a good amount of info the last two days.
Seeing Quinn surrounded by a group of large men intimidating her made Rachel's blood boil and her protective nature to take hold.
She had barely slept a wink since that night.
She couldn't even if she wanted to.
She even stood in her car the last two nights watching guard over the motel should the men come when the Fabray's were sleeping.
To say she's cranky would be putting it lightly.
"Rachel how.." Quinn began only for a snippy Rachel to interrupt.
"Not now, Quinn. We will discuss this when innocent ears aren't around."
Quinn nodded and swallowed thickly.
She could tell Rachel was in a foul mood. The car ride was silent.
Though it was Thursday and a school night. The brunette was aware the Fabray's weren't planning on going to school the next day anyway.
Rachel figured somewhere far would be better efficient than her home.
She kept glancing in the rearview and side mirrors as if she were being followed.
Thankfully she wasn't but you could never be too sure.
Sam and Quinn were confused when they noticed they were pulling onto the high way.
"Hey.. Where are we goi.." Sam started to ask but again an agitated Rachel cut him off.
"Somewhere you two will be comfortable actually speaking to me." Rachel replied with a very tame bite.
Sam and Quinn looked at each other than down to the ground shamefully.
Rachel couldn't help how upset she was.
Watching that guy tower over Quinn made her growl in anger.
She couldn't really see Quinn perfectly through her binoculars but the size of the guy alone is intimidating so she's more than sure Quinn was scared.
Not to mention, the kids.
Now that she sees how young they actually are she felt disgusted and furious, that grown men don't have compassion in their hearts to see that they're terrifying and destroying innocent lives before they could even begin.
They drove for a little over an hour and a half before becoming surrounded by woods.
They drove up a dirt path until they reached a fence. Rachel punched in her code and the gate opened allowing her to pull through and continue on the dirt path.
Both teens jaw dropped at the sight of a beautiful wood cabin.
Rachel parked out front and waved the others out of the van.
"Follow me." Rachel instructed as soon as Sam and Quinn had the kids shuffled out.
Rachel walked up to the front door unlocking it.
Than flicked on the first light switch in the entry way brightening the beautiful living room.
Sam and Quinn were gob smacked at the gorgeous cabin.
Rachel motioned them to follow her upstairs.
They walked the mid wide hall and Rachel gestured to one of the rooms.
"There is an en suit bathroom in here."
"You can take some time to yourselves to talk or give the kids a bath and get them changed. When ever your ready, come down stairs and meet me in the living room. Dinner will be ready shortly." Rachel said before leaving the Fabray's alone.
Quinn turned to Sam and they were both thinking the same thing. They wanted to know what the hell was going on now.
They put the TV on for the kids and sat them on the bed.
"Ok, guys. Sam and I are going to talk to our friend. I want you to stay here and if you need us just yell for us. Don't wander around or anything ok?" Quinn said.
The kids nodded. Quinn ruled with a firm hand but gentle heart.
The kids listened to Quinn with full respect.
"We'll be back up to get you when dinner's ready." Sam added.
The two teens left the room in search of Rachel.
They found the brunette in the living room on her cell phone speaking French.
Quinn cleared her throst.
Rachel turned to her and gestured for the two to sit on the couch.
They sat and watched as Rachel spoke in frustration before ending the call.
The brunette sighed before sitting on the opposite couch.
A large oval coffee table separating the two.
Rachel rubbed her tired eyes. "I know you have questions but please understand that I'm limited on my answers."
