It's now a week later and the Lopez family and Quinn are preparing for the trial.
Quinn has been extremely ill this past week, she's barely eaten and has been sleeping a lot, as well as staying clear of other people, including Santana.
The Latina hasn't exactly taken it to heart, knowing that this is how her girlfriend is dealing with the situation but this doesn't make her feel better.
Santana, Blaine and Maribel are waiting downstairs for Quinn, when Maribel speaks up, "Mija, go and check on her please?"
Santana sighs knowing that Quinn probably doesn't want to see her but makes her way upstairs anyway. She knocks on the door and hears a faint 'Come in.'
"Hey, you look gorgeous." She says breathlessly as she takes in Quinn's subtle dress but still beautiful.
"Thank you." She says in reply.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah." Quinn replies shortly, in a cold tone, with a HBIC face in place.
Santana just turns to leave and as she reaches the door, she hears her name.
"Santana.."
She turns around to look in the direction of her girlfriend.
"I'm sorry I shut you out this week, I just don't know what's going to happen and if he takes me away then I need to be used to you not being around."
Santana knows there is no point in arguing with her about this before they go to court, so she just nods and carries on.
Quinn blinks away the tears that have gathered, takes a deep breath and makes her way down the stairs so that they can leave.
In the car, Blaine sits shotgun with Maribel, leaving Quinn and Santana in the back. The blonde slips her hand into a tanned one and interlaces their fingers. Santana pulls her hand up to her lips and kisses her knuckles, before placing their hands in Quinn's lap and looks back out of the window.
When they arrive to the courthouse, there is reporters everywhere. This case has become quite the spectacle in the small town as Russell Fabray is quite a well-known and respected man.
Santana goes to step out of the car but Quinn pulls her back slightly by their hands, "Stay close, please?" She asks shyly. She knows she hasn't been a great girlfriend this week and feels guilty because Santana has been doing so much to try and help and she's been pushing her away.
But right now, she knows, that Quinn really really needs her.
"Always." Santana replies as she gets out of the car and walks around to let Quinn out.
She soon as the blonde steps out of the car, reporters are approaching them and camera flashes are coming from every direction.
Santana protectively wraps her arm around Quinn's waist and pulls her close, something the blonde is extremely grateful for.
They're all ushered into a big room and the lawyer meets them to discuss everything that's going to happen. He has met with them all through the week to go over potential questions and the best way to answer them so this is just a recap essentially.
Blaine takes the stand first, then Maribel, then the police officers, before Santana goes to leave the room.
As she stands up to leave, Quinn pulls her close, hugging her tightly and whispering an 'I love you' and giving her a chaste kiss.
Santana tells her she loves her too and not to worry and if she feels a panic attack start to arise when she's on the stand, to find her eyes.
Quinn agrees and reluctantly let's go of her.
Santana takes the stand and tells the judge and jury everything she remembers, from noticing the bruises on her arm from the age of seven, to seeing them again when they reunited but assuming they were from Finn, to dropping Quinn off at the door and seeing how Russell held tightly to her shoulder when she left and then knocking back on the door with Blaine.
She explains that they could see Quinn crying on the floor when Russell opened the door and the bruising already beginning to form around her neck and the redness covering her cheek, to which they showed the photos.
Santana openly tells the judge how she essentially charged into the house, taking Russell with her and what happened afterwards in regards to injuries he sustained.
She tells them how she and Blaine went to leave but was knocked unconscious and then waking up in the hospital bed.
The Latina is questioned thoroughly by Russell's lawyer to which she answers swiftly, having been prepared for this by Mr. Handle (their lawyer).
Russell's lawyer, Mr. Should, reiterates for the jury's sake, that Blaine and Santana are dangerous, to which Mr. Handle objects as it's speculation and that it was self defence.
There is no more questions after this and she leaves the stand and sits next to Blaine in the pews.
She awaits anxiously for Quinn to enter the room.
When she eventually does, Santana can tell that the blonde has been crying and only cries more when she recalls the abuse from years ago, to the more recent and then to the night Santana and Blaine were involved.
Mr. Should scrutinises her but she keeps her composure fairly well, only single tear slips every now and then.
She searches for Santana's eyes fairly often, who gestures for her to take deep breaths which definitely helps to keep her calm.
But something had to go wrong.
The blondes face falls and she is blankly staring to the back of the room and when Santana turns, she sees the face of someone that hasn't been seen since that fateful night.
Judy Fabray.
Quinn seems to lose track of what she's doing in this moment, because now she has two parents to worry about considering nobody has seen Judy since Russell was arrested.
Why is she here and what does she want?
She tries to regain focus and finishes her questioning on the stand.
When she is finished, court is adjourned for the day until tomorrow and they all get ready to leave, giving Judy time to approach Quinn outside the doors.
"Quinn, can I talk to you please?" She shouts.
The blonde grabs a hold of Santana's hand, not having heard her mothers voice in over 9 months.
"Not really, I have nothing to say to you."
"Please Quinnie?"
"Don't call me that! You lost all rights to call me that when you left me! Abandoned! Where have you been all this time Judy? What did you think happened to me? 15 and left stranded by both parents!" She screams.
"Quinn, I've changed now. I'm sober and your father is gone. I want you to come home." Judy says extremely calmly.
"That isn't home! These people beside me, they took me in, they fed me and gave me shelter. These are my family, this is home." She finishes dragging Santana over to the car, with Blaine following.
Maribel slowly steps into Judy's space and leans in close, "She's just starting to be happy again. Stay away from her, she wants nothing to do with you. If you don't, you'll have me to deal with." She threatens as she walks away towards the car.
"This isn't over. I will get her back, I'll see her in court if I have to!" Judy screams back, but Maribel just keeps walking.
When Maribel gets in the car, Quinn is crying and the siblings are trying to comfort her, albeit, not very well.
"Quinn, come and take a walk with me." Maribel speaks up.
Santana and Blaine look at her curiously but nod towards Quinn.
"Go with her Lucy Q." Santana whispers into blonde hair.
They both exit the car and Maribel wraps her arms around Quinn's shoulders.
"Take deep breaths, you're alright." She soothes.
They eventually reach a bench not too far from the car and sit side by side and Maribel holds the blondes hand.
"I'm really sorry that this is happening to you Quinn. You are far better than any of them will ever be and I wish I could make it better. I love you like my own child now and the last thing that I want is for you to go back to them, if that's not what you want."
Quinn quickly shakes her head in response.
"I want you to just consider your options. I think that your mom is serious about trying to get you back and until you're 18 you're legally still under her and your fathers custody. If she takes us to court to get you back, there isn't really much we can do apart from use some information from this case about neglect.
On the other hand, you could get emancipated but that is something you would have to be dead certain about.
Or I could always foster you, but I think someone else wants to make you a Lopez eventually." She winks and Quinn blushes.
"I just want you to know that I am always here to talk to you, I love you like the others and I want you to feel safe with us, all of us. You're now my little blonde Mija."
They both laugh and Quinn throws herself into Maribel's arms. "I love you mama, so much. Thank you for everything."
"You don't need to thank me baby girl, that's what family is for. Now come on, let's get back because I bet Santana is going crazy in that car right now."
"I don't know how to fix everything with her. I've been horrible this week. How do I make it up to her?" Quinn asks tearfully.
"You know that she loves you more than anything and that she understands you're struggling and need space right now. Why don't you take her somewhere tonight, where nothing apart from the two of you exist?" Maribel replies with a wink and Quinn knows exactly what she's referring to.
They make it home and Quinn instantly packs the car with everything that they will need, blankets, pillows and some snacks.
Santana came home and went straight into her room, so that's where Quinn heads first.
When she enters the room, she sees Santana lying on her back with an arm over her face. She sits next to her on the bed, causing the other girl to remove her arm and then gently caresses her cheek.
"Hey lovebug."
Santana just smiles in response.
"Will you come somewhere with me? Please?"
"Where?"
"Just trust me." Quinn replies to which Santana nods and Quinn leads her towards the car, after saying bye to Maribel and Blaine.
As soon as they start heading in the direction, Santana knows exactly where they're going and when Quinn pulls up at the parking lot for the treehouse, she can only smile.
They gather the stuff from the trunk and begin to make their way down the path.
When they reach the treehouse, Santana let's Quinn climb up first, then lifts the things up before clambering up herself.
Once they're settled, Santana speaks up, "Not that I don't love it here but why are we here?"
"I feel like I just needed to be somewhere solely with you. No parents, no courthouse, no trial. Just me and you because I have not been good to you this week. You don't deserve that, you deserve to be treated the way you treat me."
"Quinn, you know that I understand you're behaviour this week. I don't think any less of you, yes it's been hard but I understand your reasoning, sort of. Apart from the been taken away part, I will never let that happen."
Quinn shuffles forward so that their knees are touching and cups both of Santana's cheeks, "I am so lucky to have you. You're the best thing to ever happen to me. I love you so so much." She says leaning in for a kiss.
The kiss lingers a little as they haven't really had any type of physical contact this week, not even cuddling whilst they have been sharing a bed, Quinn has been extremely distant.
"I love you more." The Latina replies.
Quinn just shakes her head. "I've bought some snacks, do you want anything?"
"No, thank you. But another kiss would be nice." She replies cheekily.
Quinn happily obliges and slowly and teasingly leans forward so that their lips graze.
Santana closes the distance and makes full contact. They kiss for a while until Santana lies Quinn down on a blanket they had layed out, with her head on a pillow.
Quinn moves her hands around the back of Santana's neck pulling her forwards to make the kiss deeper.
Gentle nips and licks are exchanged lovingly and everything is slow and tender.
Quinn pulls back slightly to breathe and softly says "Love me Tana. I've missed you so much."
They haven't had sex in over two weeks, which is the longest they have gone since their first time. Quinn was trying to put it off since she thought she would need to get used to it if she had to go home, but that doesn't mean that she's not missed it or thought about it.
She's actually craved the closeness and to feel loved but has pushed it away, along with any other feelings.
"Are you sure?" The Latina responds.
"I'm more than sure, I need to feel close to you."
By saying this, Santana understands what Quinn wants and needs. She needs this to last, for it to be tender and slow, like their first time.
She gestures to remove Quinn's shirt, to which the blonde sits up and raises her arms and Santana removes her bra at the same time. She takes a sensitive nipple into her mouth and grazes her teeth across the nub before licking it and then blowing cold air, making it extremely hard.
She then places small kisses across her sternum to her other breath and repeats the process.
When finished, the Latina kisses her way upwards. Up a pale neck and jaw and over to her ears, where she takes the lobe between plump lips and sucks, before gently nipping it.
Santana then makes her way towards inviting pink lips that she loves so much, Quinn's tongue swiping at her bottom lip and Santana eagerly allowing entrance.
Quinn then gestures for Santana to remove her t-shirt, to which she does teasingly and then unclasps her bra and slides it down her arms and discarded onto the growing pile of clothes.
They continue kissing until Quinn can't take anymore and is trying to remove Santana's trousers.
The brunette leans up and takes off her trousers, leaving her in her boxers. She then traces the band of Quinn's pants and looks up for the okay, to which Quinn nods.
She removes her bottoms, leaving her in just her panties.
Santana then kisses her way down a toned stomach and over her hip bones, nipping slightly as to get the other girl riled up. She teasingly runs her fingers on the inside of milky thighs until she can feel the arousal between the other girls legs.
She slowly pulls her panties down and off before settling between her legs and leaning down for a kiss.
Tanned fingers run up and down the inside of her thighs again, before two of them slip excruciatingly slow inside her entrance.
The Latina gives her a few seconds to adjust, as it has been a while, and then begins her pumps, making Quinn moan into her mouth.
After a couple of minutes, Quinn decides this isn't enough, "Baby, I need more. Please?"
Santana nods and slowly slips her coated fingers out. Quinn quite eagerly pulls down the other girls boxers, allowing her erection to spring free.
"Did you bring any condoms?" Santana asks.
"No, but it's okay. I want to feel all of you today, I need to."
Santana just nods and runs her wet fingers over her dick before lining up and running the tip through Quinn's slit, using her arousal as lubricant.
When she's satisfied and Quinn is practically shaking with anticipation, she lines up and gradually pushes in, making Quinn howl.
"Oh my god Tana. That feels amazing, I think you get bigger every time." She whines.
Santana stays still until Quinn moves and then she slowly starts to thrust.
They kiss unhurriedly and lovingly, Santana reaching out to find pale hands, that fit perfectly in her own, and linking their fingers, placing them beside a blonde head.
Smoothly, pulling out before gliding her way back in, having her girlfriend moan into her mouth, Santana realises that she loves being this close to Quinn and this is exactly what they needed. Not sex specifically, but the need to spend time alone and appreciate each other, something they have taken for granted recently.
Santana slowly releases one of Quinn's hands, so that she can lift one of her thighs and wrap it around her waist, allowing her deeper and Quinn to moan.
"Right there baby, oh my god right there."
As Santana repeatedly drives further into Quinn's G-spot, she feels walls start to pulsate, clamping down on her, knowing that the blonde is close.
She isn't quite there yet but knows Quinn will come more than once if she keeps going.
She continues to stay at this pace, while they still sensually kiss, breaking every now and then when one of them moans from pleasure or needs air.
After a few more thrusts, Quinn cums around her, squeezing her tighter than before and that brings Santana much closer to the edge.
She begins to move a little faster so that they can come together. It doesn't take much longer before walls are sucking her further in again.
"Cum with me Tana. Fill me."
Hearing this pushes the Latina over the edge and hot, thick cums spurts deep into her girlfriend. When Quinn feels it, that tips her over and she cums again.
Santana continues to slowly move until they have both come down from their high, burying her face in Quinn's neck so that she can place soft kisses to her pulse point.
The Latina lies down on top of Quinn, still inside her girlfriend, "I love you so much Lucy Q. No matter what happens, I always will and I'll always do my best to make sure you're safe."
"I know you will lovebug." The blonde replies, running her fingers through matted hair, "I love you more than anything."
With that, Santana slips her flaccid penis out, throws on her boxers, gives Quinn her shirt and lies down on her back. The blonde instantly snuggles in close and Santana covers them with one of the blankets.
"Thank you." Quinn whispers after a while.
"For what?"
"For loving me and being so patient."
Santana replies with a kiss to the head and they both fall asleep, wrapped in each other and it's the best nights sleep both of them have had in a long time.