Title: You Hit Like a Girl (16/?)

Rating: PG 13

Pairing: Quinn/Rachel, Puck/Rachel Friendship

Spoilers: Season 1 Compliant, AU Season 2

Summary: The summer after her sophomore year, Rachel Berry has three goals: 1. Prepare for Glee 2. Befriend Quinn Fabray 3. Create a Lasting Romance with Finn Hudson. By the fourth week of summer she's completely failed two of them. Now what is she supposed to do?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Rachel wasn't sure how she felt letting a visibly disgruntled Santana Lopez into her house, but Brittany looked positively ecstatic. As soon as she stepped foot into the house, she wrapped Rachel up in a bone-crushing hug that was a little tighter and a little longer than normally deemed socially acceptable, although the brunette knew that most things with Brittany weren't necessarily socially acceptable.

Brittany smelled like lemon lime and warm cookies and it reminded Rachel of the many hugs they shared during Kindergarten, of singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in a round with Noah to a fidgeting Brittany at naptime because she couldn't fall asleep without a song about night, of always having a hand to hold, of belonging unconditionally. She'd never really realized how much she'd missed the other girl until this very moment and she was embarrassed to discover her eyes were burning a little. She was determined not to cry in front of Santana.

She pulled out of the hug and cleared her throat, ignoring Santana's heated glare. She didn't even have to look at the Latina to know it was plastered across her face. Over the years she'd gained a sixth sense for those kinds of things. It helped her to prepare for, and sometimes avoid, impending slushy attacks and other physical and verbal confrontations. In fact, she kept a list of all of the people who glared at her consistently, along with their different types of glares. Currently, the top three positions belonged to Azimio Adams, Quinn Fabray, and Santana Lopez respectively. Santana had six different types of glares that corresponded to levels of irritation or perceived offense. Rachel had named them "You're not Brittany so I don't have time for you," "Excuse you, you'd best step back," "What the freaking hell, Mr. Shue," "Those are my Breadstix!" "Brittany is mine!" and "You're about to find out what I do with the razorblades I keep in my hair." Currently the glare was vacillating between "Mine!" and "Razorblades" so Rachel took a slight step back and plastered a confident smile on her face.

"Brittany, Santana, welcome to my home! Thank you for coming to the impromptu Berry Family Football Extravaganza. Please remove your footwear and place them in the designated area."

Brittany's smile was nearly blinding. "I'm so excited we get to act like friends again! Do I need to take off my ducky socks? Mr. and Mrs. Quackers get cold if they don't have my feet to keep them warm. And what about the toe mood ring Santana got me?"

Rachel shook her head. "Oh no, only your shoes."

"Why didn't you just say so silly?"

Santana spoke up with a slight sneer, "Because Manhands doesn't know how to speak like a normal human being."

Rachel flinched. Brittany pouted, "S…"

Santana shrugged, "True fact. Stubbles probably spent her childhood making out with a dictionary."

Something in Rachel snapped then. She squared her shoulders and took a step towards the sable-haired girl.

"Not in my home, Santana Lopez! This is a safe space, my safe space, and I will not be subjected to your hateful, transphobic slurs or any other malicious names or comments. You don't have to be here. You could have declined the invitation…" Rachel glanced from Santana's disbelieving face to Brittany's pouting one and amended her statement, "…or maybe you couldn't, but don't bring your negative attitude to my family's celebration. You can keep our interactions to a minimum if you so desire, but you have Brittany, Quinn, and even Noah who can serve as very suitable buffers. That being said, I personally have nothing against you. While I'm wary because of our previous encounters, I respect your brutal ambition, your competency with song and dance, and your fierce loyalty to those you deem worthy and I would count myself lucky to someday be considered one of them. Until then, while you are here, you may address me as Rachel or Berry, and if you find those too difficult to pronounce it would probably be best if you didn't address me at all or just left. Do we understand each other?"

For a moment a tense silence settled between them as Rachel and Santana held each other's unblinking gaze and Brittany nervously shuffled her feet. Finally, the Latina blinked and nodded once, her face falling into a mask of indifference as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back.

"Sure, Berry, whatever."

Brittany beamed and bounced on the balls of her feet, "I'm so proud of you, S. I'll totally give you a sticker later."

Rachel couldn't stop the question that slipped from her mouth, "A sticker?"

"For good behavior, duh," the blonde's brows furrowed, "Don't you give Q stickers? Or does she give you stickers? Are you both bad? Have you not even tried stickers yet?"

Rachel floundered. She wasn't entirely sure if they were talking about decorative adhesive strips anymore, especially with the smirk steadily growing on Santana's face.

She cleared her throat, "I believe it is time to move to the more populated areas of the house."

She motioned for them to follow her and the two cheerleaders linked pinkies.

She continued, "While I won't give you the whole tour, I would be remiss as a hostess if I didn't point out the locations of the restrooms. If you take the stairs and head to the left you'll find one in the second door on the left. There's also one on this floor straight down this hall. It's the door with the whimsical anchor on the doorknob. I'll take you to the living room where Quinn and Noah are waiting in a moment, but first I would like to properly introduce you to my fathers. Please be on guard, the chances of flaming kitchenware increases exponentially when they cook together."

She pushed open the swinging door that lead to the kitchen, calling out, "Dad! Daddy! I'd like to introduce you to two of my friends!"

Rachel never knew what to expect when she opened the door to her fathers cooking. Last fall it was the Flaming Cacciatore Incident, before that the Exploding Tofu-loaf, the Sizzling Kebobs of Death, and countless other accidents that taught her to be cautious. What amused and frustrated her most was that both of her fathers were excellent cooks on their own and she couldn't quite understand why together they usually turned into a disaster of epic proportions. She imagined it had something to do with the way they lightly bickered over who knew the superior blend of seasonings, kept nitpicking over each other's work, and eyeing each other in their respective aprons. Really, she half expected to walk in on them making out like teenagers sometimes. They might have claimed to be too respectable for such actions, but she'd seen her dad's hair looking suspiciously mussed several times. On one hand, she was very happy that her parent still loved one another enough to make goo goo eyes at each other. On the other, she was tired of pulling out the fire extinguisher.

Currently, her fathers were bickering over the correct composition of what appeared to be a salad while a pot of water grew dangerously close to boiling over on the stovetop. They turned toward the sound of her voice, her daddy noticing the water and quickly removing it from the hot burner. Her dad chuckled at him and bumped their shoulders lightly together as they stepped toward the three girls. They each wore their special aprons. Elias' was dark green with a large Green Lantern symbol across the chest. Hiram's mimicked a classic black tuxedo. He smiled warmly as he greeted them.

"Hello girls, welcome to our humble abode!"

Brittany pushed passed Rachel, squealing excitedly, "Officer Big Bear!" and threw her arms around Elias. He looked startled for a moment before chuckling deeply and returning the hug.

"I haven't heard that name in a long time," he said, "Brittany Pierce, you sure have gotten big."

"It's totally because I eat all my Flintstones and I spend at least fifteen minutes a day hanging upside down."

Hiram shook his head fondly, a bemused expression on his face, "I'm sure that's exactly it."

"Since I've been good, does that mean I get a sucker, Dr. Bear?"

Rachel watched with a small smile as they talked. She glanced at Santana briefly and then did a double take as she noticed the look on her face. Santana looked absolutely gobsmacked, or as gobsmacked as Santana Lopez could ever look. Her mouth hung slightly open and her eyes were wider than normal. Rachel wasn't entirely sure what had the other girl so bewildered. Perhaps it was Brittany's familiarity with her parents. While she and Puck had stopped 'dating' the blonde after kindergarten, Rachel and Brittany had continued to have dance lessons together until the third grade when the taller girl decided to focus on contemporary dance and Rachel stuck with ballet. Therefore, her parents had seen several years' worth of both girls' recitals until the two had drifted apart. But, then again, maybe it wasn't that, maybe it was the way Brittany had addressed them.

She leaned slightly toward the dark haired girl and spoke softly, "She came up with those in kindergarten."

Santana jumped slightly and turned to Rachel, "What?"

"Those names. She got a little mixed up referring to them both as Mr. Berry and Berry reminded her of bears, and, of course, Daddy is much bigger than Dad so he became Big Bear. I think Dad is lucky he was granted the name Dr. Bear instead of Dr. Little Bear."

"I—"

"And this is my Santana!" Brittany proclaimed, bouncing back over and throwing her arm around the girl's shoulders and squeezing tight.

Said girl's eyes darted back and forth between the three Berrys. Rachel was intrigued by her sudden bout of strange behavior but shook the feeling off as she remembered her manners.

She spoke, "Dad, Daddy, this is Santana Lopez, co-head cheerleader and glee clubber. Santana, this is my dad, Dr. Hiram Berry, and my daddy, Police Officer Elias Berry."

Santana seemed to shake herself slightly, "Sirs," she said, offering her hand first to Elias who nodded in acknowledgment and then to Hiram who smiled widely.

"No need to be so formal. Elias and Hiram will do. It's a pleasure to meet you. You wouldn't happen to be Carlos' daughter would you? I hate to assume just because of the last name, but I would be very surprised if there was another cheerleader named Santana who liked to sing in Lima."

Santana's eyebrows rose, "Do you work with my dad? He mentions me?"

He nodded, "Oh yes. We might not work together all the time, but we speak at least once a week. He's very proud of you, you know."

Santana blushed slightly, "Thank you."

Noticing her slight discomfort, Rachel spoke quickly, "Well, I'm sure Noah and Quinn are wondering if I've been abducted by rogue Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses. I should show these two to the living room."

Hiram nodded, "Alright, pumpkin. If you need anything, just holler. We should be done before too much longer."

She nodded and started to usher the other two out of the room before her daddy's voice stopped her, "One more thing, Rachel."

"Yes?"

"You aunt will be here tonight."

Rachel swallowed the sudden knot that formed in her throat, "Thank you for letting me know."

She led the two cheerios towards the living room as her heart pounded so loudly that it seemed to have floated up near her eardrums. She felt little comfort in knowing that it wasn't anatomically possible. Her aunt was going to be here. Tonight. With Noah, Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. The secret she'd kept to herself for so long wouldn't just be her own anymore. How would she act? How would they react? Especially Quinn. And Noah. Quinn and Noah who had been left alone in the same room together for over fifteen minutes. How bruised would he be? What ruffled feathers would she have to soothe? Should she warn them about Sue beforehand? How would she even bring that up? And why was Santana acting so strangely? Was she plotting Rachel's demise after their verbal spat in the entryway? She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when they stepped into the living room.

"Superstar! What the hell took so long? Quinn was about to send out a search party."

She blinked before focusing on Puck and Quinn who, despite his claims to the contrary, both looked worried. Quinn especially, who was still in Rachel's spot, her eyes darting over Rachel looking for any sign of injury.

The brunette smiled reassuringly at her and then huffed at Puck, "As you can clearly see, Santana and Brittany arrived and I needed to introduce, or reintroduce, them to my parents."

She turned to Brittany and Santana, "You may sit wherever you please."

Brittany smiled and pulled Santana to the couch to sit next to Quinn. She threw out a quick "Hi guys!" before hugging the other blonde tightly.

Puck smirked in response, "Lopez. Brittany."

Santana rolled her eyes at him, "Puckerman. Q, you're lucky I'm such as supportive friend or I might not have come.

Quinn scoffed, "Please. As long as Brittany came, you would too."

Brittany leaned against the Latina, "She's totally right, S. I always make sure you come."

Puck snorted and Santana glowered at him.

"Watch it," she growled before turning to Rachel who was still standing, " Jesus, Ru—Berry, quit lurking. You're making everyone feel awkward. Sit down already."

Rachel inhaled sharply. Where was she supposed to sit? The Berry living room consisted of an armchair, a love seat, and a rather long couch. Puck was on the loveseat and the girls were on the couch. That left a spot next to Puck and Santana and a completely open space in the chair. The chair seemed awfully far away from everyone and she didn't want to feel pushed to the side in her own home. Sitting next to Santana, who still seemed slightly off, probably wouldn't be the wisest decision. She would be comfortable sitting next to Puck, it was made the most logical sense, but Quinn still got a bit twitchy when they were in close physical proximity to each other. She was getting better about it, but her instinctual urge to jerk the brunette away from him was still there. But the real problem that lay in Rachel choosing a seat was that Quinn was still in her spot, the blonde's lap was still her preferred spot, but she wasn't sure how she would react. While Quinn might be completely fine with being affectionate in front of Puck, she wasn't certain it was the same case with Santana and Brittany. She hesitated a moment longer, her eyes darting between the available choices before they caught Quinn's. The blonde's eyes reflected Rachel's confusion before widening as if understanding her thoughts and then shifted to reflect a softening and determination. The cheerleader tapped her fingers against her thighs, a teasing smile on her face.

"Come on, Rachel. Puckerman's been whining about this game since you left. You're going to need your optimum viewing potential so I can watch you kick his ass."

Rachel couldn't help the wide smile that blossomed on her face as she practically skipped over to the couch and sat down gently on Quinn's lap. Quinn's arms wrapped snuggly around her and pulled her just as close as before. It was just as magical the second time. Brittany cooed and Santana made a gagging noise.

Quinn sighed, "Can it, S."

Rachel fought the urge to stick out her tongue. Puck snickered and tossed the controller at her.

"Let's go, babe. Let's see if you can fight through your Fabray induced haze and actually win."

She scoffed at him, "Please, it's the only way you've been able to beat me. I believe the colloquial term I'm looking for is 'Your ass is grass.'"

Quinn squeezed her waist and chuckled in her ear. Brittany laughed loudly. Puck responded by choosing Sonja Blade purely to irritate her. Rachel chose Jax in retaliation.

Santana spoke up, "So Puck brought video games and we have to watch you play them? Does Berry even know how to play video games? That seems a little too 'average kid' for her."

Rachel retorted without taking her eyes from the screen, "I will have you know that these are my video games and—"

Quinn pinched her playfully, "Don't let her distract you. Santana, what Rachel means to say is that she and Puck are secretly ginormous dorks."

Rachel gasped dramatically and Puck scowled, "Badasses. How many times do I need to say we're badasses."

Brittany chimed in, "So, who are these characters? Why'd you pick them?"

Puck smirked and opened his mouth to respond but Rachel cut him off abruptly, "This is Jax and Sonja Blade, partners in a law enforcement agency who fight against—"

"Oh, so like your dad. Is that why you chose him?"

"I suppose, in a manner of speaking—"

"Do you think he'd give me a pair of handcuffs?"

Quinn pressed her smile into Rachel's shoulder and Rachel faltered, allowing Puck's character to get a hit in before she retaliated quickly, "I am quite sure that won't be possible."

Santana interrupted, "Actually, Berry, what's up with that?"

"Police officers are not allowed to give handcuffs out willy-nilly!"

"Not that. Your dad, daddy, whatever the hell you call him."

Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion even as she continued to beat Puck, "Are you referring to his apron? The color and logo refer to the superhero Green Lantern, more specifically John Stewart. Not only is he one of few black superheroes, but he is also from Detroit. My father loves most things from Detroit because of its rich multicultural history, sports teams, and because his grandfather originated from there. Or are you referring to his occupation? He originally wanted to join the armed forced, but as an out homosexual that was no longer an option. He chose to serve as a police officer instead."

"I'm not talking about that either."

"Then I fail to see the focus of your enquiry."

"He's black, Rachel. One of your dads is black."

Rachel froze. She wasn't sure if she was more surprised by Santana's outburst or the fact that the other girl had used her name. She turned slowly to face Santana and realized everyone else was doing the same.

"What the hell, Lopez?"

"Santana!"

"Well duh, S. Of course one of Rachel's dads is black."

Rachel shook her head as if to clear it before narrowing her eyes, "He is. Is that a problem?"

Santana backpedaled quickly, crossing her arms defensively over her chest, "What? No! It's not a problem. I was just really freaking shocked. You've never mentioned it before and they've never shown up to any Glee performances…"

"Is that why you were gaping in the kitchen and acting so peculiar? They've had a horrible string of luck with Glee. They've been called into separate work emergencies several times and the transmission on their car even went out once on their way to one of our performances. Also, I supposed everyone knew one of my fathers was African American. I highly doubt there are that many gay interracial couples in Lima. I even have pictures of them in my locker!"

"Well, I never looked in your locker."

"Why is this an issue?"

Santa scowled so Brittany rubbed her arm. "It's not an issue, Berry. It's just…I didn't expect it. I've always pictured both your parents as white or Jewish, I suppose, and fashionable. And neither is true. Though know I can see where you picked up your ridiculous fashion sense."

Rachel bristled and Quinn started rubbing soothing circles on her sides. "Well, I'm so sorry I don't conform to your preconceived notions. Also, I would like to point out that I'm a member of the Black Student Union and I know I've mentioned that before."

"I figured you were padding your resume."

Rachel huffed, "That's completely outrageous."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Lots of people do it. But my question is, is he your father? Because before I would have guessed the short Jewish one, but now that I've seen both of them I'm not so sure."

Brittany gasped, pulling away from her, "Santana! That's so mean! How can you say that? Both Dr. Bear and Officer Big Bear are Rachel's dads!"

Santana reached for her hand, eyes wide, "Britts, I didn't mean it like that. Of course they're both her parents. I was just asking if the big one is her bio dad."

Rachel could honestly say that she never expected to be having this conversation with Santana Lopez. Then again, she never expected to be dating Quinn Fabray either. She wasn't quite sure how to proceed. It wasn't exactly any of the other girl's business, though she did understand the curiosity. Once in a while, Rachel's own curiosity pricked as well, but she had ultimately decided not to find out unless medical emergency made it necessary. Should she tell them that she inherited her flair for dramatics from Hiram, along with the stubborn set of her jaw and her absolute love of pickled beets? Or should she mention Elias who, despite being over six foot himself, had a grandmother was barely over five feet, or how her eyes seemed to crinkle at the corners in the exact same pattern his did, or the fact that he had a mole in between the first and second toes on his right foot and so did she?

Rachel sighed, locking eyes with Santana, "Though you're not entitled to that information, I will share that I don't technically know. They haven't done a DNA test to my knowledge and, if they did, they haven't shared the results with me. Either I'm completely Jewish or I'm half Jewish and half African American. Either way, I was raised as if I belonged to both cultures. My fathers have taught me to respect and learn from both heritages. I've been taunted about both ethnicities by bigoted people because I was too Jewish, too black, or not black enough. Add that to the slurs against my fathers' sexuality and the implications about my own…"

She felt Quinn tremble behind her and Brittany was frowning. Puck looked grim and Santana looked focused. Rachel placed the controller on her lap and covered Quinn's arms with her own, squeezing gently.

She continued. "I'm trying to articulate that I could care less. I claim both of my father's completely and totally and it doesn't matter which one of them contributed to my biological makeup."

Santana nodded once and broke eye contact, turning her attention toward Brittany, but Rachel thought she saw something like respect flash through her eyes. She felt herself relax.

"Are there any other questions?" She asked good-naturedly.

Puck and Brittany both raised their hands. Puck nodded towards Brittany, "Ladies first."

The blonde smiled, "Are we only going to get vegetable for dinner?"

Rachel smiled back. "No. While I am a vegan, the rest of the family is not. And while Dad likes to eat kosher most of the time, Daddy and my aunts have no such preferences. The food tonight will be a mix of all three."

She supposed it was a bit funny that she could feel Quinn relax behind her. She looked toward Puck, indicating that it was his turn.

He leaned forward eagerly, "So your aunts are coming? The scary cool one? I thought Hiram's family lived clear in Indianapolis and that Elias' family didn't speak to you?"

Quinn spoke tentatively, "You dad's family don't speak to any of you?"

Rachel supposed her girlfriend was so tense because that was one of her biggest fears, being disowned from her family again. She felt like she'd had to reveal an awful lot of herself today, but knew she'd have to explain. She squeezed the blonde's arm again.

"Dad's family has always been 100% supportive, both of the homosexual and interracial aspects of my parents' relationship. My Oma Mina and Opa Asher are very loving people. There's also my dad's sister, Aunt Rebecca, and her husband, Uncle John, and their twins Leon and Gus, as well as various extended family members. You're more likely to meet them around Chanukah or Passover than today. As for Daddy, well, his family stopped speaking to him when he came out at seventeen. Technically, on his side I have two grandparents and five aunts and their respective husbands and children. Daddy actually went to Carmel High and most of his family still lives on that side of town. We rarely run into them. Unfortunately, they got to the Baptist church next to the synagogue we attend, so there have been a few incidents. Actually, Azimio Adams is my cousin, which I imagine is a big part of why he dislikes me so much."

Puck's mouth dropped open, "No shit? Why didn't you tell me?"

Rachel smiled sadly, "That altercation didn't occur until sixth grade and we weren't talking then."

He nodded grimly and gave her a small smile, "Well, which aunts are going to be here tonight?"

Rachel fidgeted before grasping Quinn's arms tightly. Would the blonde ever want to hold her again after she found out her aunt's identity? Would Puck feel betrayed? Would Brittany somehow already know? She forged on.

"Well, when Daddy got kicked out a girl in his class and her sister adopted him as their own. They've stuck together ever since. He actually considered changing his last name to match them, but decided he was going to prove to his family that a Berry could be good, successful, and gay, which is also why Dad changed his last name when they married."

Puck nodded, "That's cool. What are they like?"

Rachel took a breath and let it out slowly. "Well, Aunt Jean is…cheerful, funny, loyal, and very insightful. She also has Down's Syndrome. And my aunt…my Aunt Sue is…"

"Hungry," A voice interjected from behind them.

They all jumped and turned to find Sue Sylvester standing in the entryway to the living room.

"Hungry and tired of listening to the painfully polite descriptions of those rotten Berrys. They're animals. Only animals throw their children out in the cold and leave them to die."

Rachel's throat felt as if she'd swallowed a roll of toilet paper. Quinn was squeezing her so tight it felt as if she would bruise, her knuckles white where they clutched at Rachel's shirt. Puck's jaw had practically unhinged and a strange gurgling noise came from his throat. Santana's eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets and Brittany's eyes were wide with confusion though a smile was slowly forming on her face. Rachel shifted as if to stand and Quinn made a soft whimpering sound. The brunette stilled and squared her shoulders.

"Aunt Sue, I'm glad you could make it. Is Aunt Jean in with Daddy?"

Sue smirked as she surveyed their reactions before focusing on Rachel and frowning slightly.

"It pains me to inform you that your aunt's caught a bit of a stomach bug. Apparently they recently hired a new piss poor excuse for a chef who probably hadn't even mastered the use of an easy bake oven and he gave your aunt food poisoning. I fired him myself and personally removed him from the building. She's sleeping it off now, but she wanted me to tell you she's proud and she hopes you can visit on Sunday."

Rachel wondered if the cook was still alive. Maybe. If he was alive, he certainly wasn't unharmed.

"I most assuredly visit on Sunday. I'll have to call and check on her tomorrow."

Sue nodded, "Excellent. Dr. Do-Little sent me to tell you the food is ready."

Nobody moved.

"Well, get a move on!" she barked and jerked her head to indicate that they should follow her.

Brittany bounced up dragging Santana with her. Puck glanced at Rachel, mouthing "Holy Shit" before he followed them out.

Rachel twisted so she could see Quinn's face. She was slightly pale, her brow furrowed. The emotions were swirling so quickly through her eyes that Rachel couldn't quite read them. The brunette could feel her eyes beginning to water.

"Quinn," she whimpered.

This seemed to snap the blonde out of her daze and something frantic and possessive crossed her eyes before she let go of Rachel's waist only to grab her head and pull her down for a quick, forceful kiss. Rachel brought her hands up and cupped Quinn's face even as the cheerleader pulled back, searching her eyes.

"Mine," Quinn rasped, "You're still mine."

Rachel's eyes softened. She didn't think it was a question, but she answered as if it was.

"Yes. And you're mine."

Quinn pressed their foreheads together and closed her eyes.

"Okay…Okay."

She took deep breath and let it out slowly before opening her eyes again.

"We can talk about proper communication later, but let's go. We don't want to keep them waiting."

Rachel nodded and brushed her lips against Quinn's forehead before slipping off her lap and offering her a hand up. The blonde took it and pulled herself up from the couch. There was a beat of silence, of stillness. Quinn stared at their still connected hands before straightening her shoulders and looking up, a familiar smirk on her face, one eyebrow raised.

"By the way, I believe you made it through practice in one piece. I had intended to keep my promise, but now I'm not so sure. I think you kind of owe me now."

Rachel spluttered as a blush stained her face. Quinn laughed, bright and genuine, tugging her out of the room. She didn't let her hand go.