AN: Hey guys, sorry for the delay with this one. It's been a big couple of weeks for us in the UK. With the new Prime Minister and then the shocking news of Queen Elizabeth II's unexpected death, it's been crazy!
I've actually just got back from my trip to London for Her Majesty's funeral and to pay my respects and realised I haven't updated in a while, so I thought I owed you!
Thank you for your continued support on this and the new reviews, they are deeply appreciated!
So with that said, on with the show..
After Russell's trial Quinn was in a secluded headspace. She finally had to accept that both of her parents were gone and this was a real life situation now, she wasn't just staying with the Lopez's for a while, this was long-term.
Don't misunderstand her, she appreciated all three Lopez's deeply but it's just not the same as having your own flesh and blood nurture and care for you, your own parents, who vowed to care for you for life.
Santana had been doing her best to keep her girlfriends mind occupied whilst also giving her space but after 13 days, she decided she needed to take more action.
She slowly entered their shared bedroom to find the blonde curled into the bedsheets, she sat beside the still body and ran her fingers through messy blonde hair.
Neither of them said anything for a minute but all the telltales of Quinn being awake were there, such as her breathing pattern.
"Q?" Santana whispered quietly, but received no response.
She released a small sigh before shifting her body beneath the covers and lying face to face, where she was greeted with uncharacteristically dark, tired hazel orbs staring back at her.
The Latina pushed a small strand of loose hair behind Quinn's ear and away from her porcelain cheek before resting her hand there.
"Hey pretty girl." She murmured and was rewarded with the slightest quirk of Quinn's lips, that resembled a smile.
Quinn moved closer, pushing Santana on her back so that she could curl into her side, with her head resting on the Latina's chest.
"Q.. I know you don't want to talk about it but I am really sorry for how this turned out. You deserve the absolute best and I'm sorry you fell short in the parent department but I promise you're safe here now and I'll spend my life trying to make you happy again." Santana spoke slowly and quietly as if she was trying not to disturb the peace within the bedroom.
"I'm not unhappy Tana. Never unhappy when I'm with you." Quinn replied after a few moments. "I'm just disappointed that I didn't help myself sooner, you know. My parents didn't love me as a child, why would I have thought it would get better as I got older."
"I don't know what to say."
Quinn turned over and propped her chin on Santana's sternum so that she could look up at her girlfriend. "You don't need to say anything. It's in the past now and I'm moving on. We're moving on. I have you now, you made it better, you saved me. You, Mama and Blaine, you saved me. You took me in, fed me, sheltered me and loved me and I couldn't have asked for anything else. I am so so grateful.
I guess I've just been processing, you know. It's over now. They're gone. These people who gave me life have left me to fend for myself, but that's okay, because it made me who I am. I'm okay Tana, honestly." She finishes with a small smile and Santana lent forward to quickly connect their lips.
"I'm glad to hear that and remember that it's okay to feel things, don't shut down. We're here for you. If you need anything, I'll do what I can, okay?"
"Okay." Quinn replied with a bright grin.
"Now, Lucy Quinn Fabray, would you go on a date with me?" Santana asked cheekily.
"Hmm.. I would but I'm sort of dating this really hot girl at the moment and she's quite possessive when she wants to be. I'm not sure she'd really like it." Quinn joked, giggling to herself.
"Is that right? Well what would it take for you to forget about her and date me instead?" Santana bantered.
"Considering I'm staying with her family and I wake up in her arms every morning, it would take quite a lot.. but you're quite cute, so I'll let you take me out once, no guarantees on a second date though."
"Well I'm one lucky girl to get to take a girl as gorgeous as you on just one date, so I'll take what I can get."
"Smooth Lopez. You almost had me swooning." Quinn said playfully. "But of course I'll go with you, when?"
"You know I can get you to swoon." Santana whispered, accompanied with a wink. "But get dressed, we're going as soon as you're ready."
With that, she rolled out of bed and over to the wardrobe to pick out some clothes, whilst Quinn got up and stumbled towards the bathroom for a shower.
"You're taking me roller skating?" Quinn asks curiously as they pull up outside the roller rink.
"I think that we need to just enjoy being kids right now. You've been through so much recently Q and I just want you to be able to forget about it for a while."
Just then, the blonde is slightly startled when there are bangs from either side of the car and Blaine and Brittany's faces are smiling at them through the windows.
"We need to just spend time with our friends and enjoy ourselves. Okay?" Santana finishes.
Quinn thinks it over quickly and appreciates the Latina's efforts to make her smile.
"Okay lovebug. But I'm not so good at this so don't let go of me." Quinn says firmly.
"I got you darling. I promise." Santana beams, quickly kissing Quinn's hand and climbing out of the car and running around it to relieve her girlfriend, then the four of them quickly make their way inside.
Soon, Brittany and Blaine are cruising effortlessly around the rink, doing tricks and racing each other while Santana tries to teach Quinn the basics.
Considering Quinn had never been to the fair, Santana doesn't know why she's surprised that the blonde doesn't know how to skate, this is clearly something else that the Fabray's never did.
When Santana was younger, Maribel loved to ice skate and so at Christmas time, Emilio, Maribel and Santana, then later on Blaine and his family, would always go to the rink and skate. It is something she loved to do as a child, she always thought her Mami looked the most free and beautiful as she gracefully covered the ice.
Snapping out of her walk down memory lane, she gently held Quinn's hips, keeping her steady, from behind. Quinn had her hands covering Santana's and she held tightly to them, ensuring that she wouldn't let go.
"Right baby. I'm going to push you forward a little, okay? We're just going to go slow, all you need to worry about is keeping your balance, I've got everything else." Santana spoke calmly.
"Tana, I'm really not sure about this. I'm not good at skating, can we just get off?" The blonde pleaded.
"Nope. Not at all. My girl isn't a quitter and by the end of the day, you'll be doing this. It's not hard to do, I swear."
Quinn took a deep breath before releasing her death grip on the Latina's hands. "Okay. You're right. I'm not a quitter. Let's do this, but please don't let go of me just yet."
"I swear Lucy Q. I won't let anything happen to you." Santana stated earnestly. With that, she started to slowly push Quinn, who wobbled slightly but managed to remain upright.
She pushed her for a couple of laps and soon the blonde found herself enjoying the sensation of breezing through the air. She was getting the hang of moving her legs now, even though Santana was mainly still pushing her, and was getting more confident with each movement.
"Yay Quinnie! You're getting it, keep going!" Brittany shouted encouragingly from the other side of the rink, while Blaine smiled proudly at her, for overcoming another of her fears.
They were smiling and giggling as they made their way around the arena a couple of times and Santana was slowly loosening her grip until Quinn was moving on her own and they were side by side.
Brittany and Blaine waited until the couple caught up and then Quinn and Brittany skated ahead while Blaine and Santana rolled leisurely behind them.
"I'm proud of her." Blaine started, looking over to his sister.
"Yeah me too. It's about time she took some control back, you know? Everything major that has happened in her life has been decided for her, I want her to know that from now on, it's going to be different." Santana explained.
"I know. She's fucking special S. I hope to god she doesn't lose herself because I have never met anyone that is more caring and loving than that girl, especially considering the household she grew up in."
"You're right, she's perfect." Santana stated, looking longingly towards her girlfriend who was carelessly giggling away with her best friend, finally looking free.
Just as they were rounding the corner, Santana spotted Quinn wobbling slightly as her feet got crossed and immediately rushed forward, throwing her body across the floor, just in time to break Quinn's fall as she toppled backwards.
They had managed to fall in an 'X' position and the Latina at the last minute had stuck out her hand in time to stop Quinn's head smashing against the hard floor.
Santana quickly and carefully lowered Quinn to the floor and scrambled from underneath her to above her in a matter of seconds. "Oh my god Q, are you okay?" She asked quickly.
"I'm fine Tana, thanks to you." Quinn replied before breaking out into a big grin.
Santana couldn't help but beam back as she continued to hover over her girlfriend still lying on the floor. "Why are you smiling like that?"
"You. You, Santana Lopez, are incredible. How did you do that?" Quinn asked looking adoringly into Santana's chocolate orbs, lifting her hand to softly stroke her tanned cheek.
"I'm not." Santana replied with a slight shake of her head before nuzzling into the touch. "But I did tell you I'd got you and I don't break promises."
They both laughed before Quinn sat up and slowly pushed their lips together. "Thank you lovebug." She murmured between quick pecks of their lips. "I love you."
"I love you too, baby love." Santana replied before they were interrupted by her brother.
"Come on love birds. Let's go get some food and a milkshake. I'm starving." Blaine laughed, knowing if he didn't break the two up now, they'd never be able to get in between them.
Santana stood up and then helped Quinn back to her feet, she wrapped an arm around Quinn's slim waist and turned to leave but was met with an unreadable expression from Brittany.
"Are you okay Britt? What's wrong?" The Latina asked.
"Are you.. Are you some kind of superhero for Quinnie?" Brittany asked seriously.
Santana giggled before replying, "No Britt.." She began but was quickly cut off by Quinn.
"Yeah Britt, she's my hero." The blonde said before pecking Santana's lips once more and the three of them made their way off the rink to hand their skates back.
It wasn't that Quinn was claiming Santana, okay, she sort of was, and even though Brittany is her childhood best friend and she knows Santana wouldn't leave her, she doesn't know if the bubbly blonde is 'over' Santana, so she doesn't want to leave any cracks left unsealed, where the blonde may think of slipping in.
The four of them sat down to eat in a booth, Quinn and Santana on one side and Blaine and Britt on the other.
They quickly decided on what they wanted and the siblings left to go and order their food, leaving Brittany and Quinn at the table.
"You did great out there Quinnie, well until you fell I suppose, but at least you have your own superhero to catch you." Brittany rambles out.
"Thanks Britt. I never did anything like this with Judy and Russell so Santana is showing me a whole new world. I love doing these new things with her."
"I'm glad you're happy now. When we were growing up I had no idea how to help you mend the hole she left. But I'm happy things are better now." Brittany exclaimed gleefully across the table.
Quinn returned the smile before the other two rejoined them with the food and milkshakes.
Santana had of course got her girlfriend's favourite shake and extra bacon on her burger (she knows how to please her girl), and the four of them fell into casual conversation about mindless teenage things.
Once they'd finished eating, Quinn snuggled into Santana's side, who had her arm over the back of the booth, and she witnessed a few glances between Blaine and Brittany that seemed a little more than friendly.
They sat around for a couple of hours before deciding it was getting late and they needed to make their way home.
Quinn and Santana quickly said their goodbyes to Brittany and Blaine told them he'd be home as soon as he'd walked Brittany home. Santana had offered them both a ride but the pair were adamant they'd walk.
The two were almost silent on their drive home, content with just the contact of their linked fingers on the gear stick.
Quinn was lost in her thoughts of how lucky she was to have a girlfriend like she did and after everything they'd been through, they were still strong.
When they arrived home, they sat talking for Maribel about their day, waiting for Blaine to come home and once he had, they sat around for another 10 minutes or so before excusing themselves to go to bed.
They once again changed in silence, Quinn getting into her girlfriends boxers and t-shirt, while Santana wore the same and once they were both washed up, they slipped into bed, beside each other.
Both girls lay on their sides with their noses touching, staring into each others eyes.
Quinn was the first to break the silence, "Thank you for today lovebug. You're right, I really needed it. We really needed it." She whispered softly, cupping Santana's cheek and stroking it slowly with her thumb.
"You don't need to thank me Lucy Q. I'd do anything to see you smile again, you know that."
"I know. It's one of the reasons I love you so much." Quinn said, she leant in to connect their lips in a slow and gentle kiss.
They locked lips for long minutes, neither one wanting to break it. Santana shuffled forward slightly and Quinn rolled onto her back so that Santana was hovering over her, while their lips still moved in a practised rhythm.
When air was needed, they broke the kiss and just looked into each others eyes, nuzzling the others nose.
"Is it.." Quinn started, biting her bottom lip in nervousness.
"Go on baby." Santana softly cooed, lifting her hand to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her girlfriends ear.
"Is it okay if we just snuggle tonight?" Quinn asked lowly, avoiding eye contact with Santana.
The Latina gently grasped the blonde's porcelain chin and turned her face back to make eye contact. "Lucy Quinn Fabray, I will never make you do anything you don't want to do, okay? If you are uncomfortable or you want to stop, you tell me and that's it. No questions asked. It will never be a problem, you're safe with me. Of course it's okay if we just cuddle, I've told you many times, I'm not with you for the sex, it's fine if you aren't in the mood." She stated firmly enough that Quinn knows she serious, but not aggressively as to scare her girlfriend.
"I love you." Is how Quinn replied, pushing Santana into her back so that she can curl into her side, possessively holding her around the waist.
"I love you more pretty girl. Forever and always."
With this, both girls wrapped up in each other, they drifted off to sleep, but of course with these two, the bliss doesn't last forever.