Emerald Dreams
Later that afternoon, Clay Evans sat in his Stingray, resisting the urge to slam the horn down in euphoric impatience. "What's the holdup, Q? We'll miss our appointment," he moaned when she finally emerged on the porch and came down the steps infuriatingly slowly.
"These things are never punctual, baby," she laughed at his goofy pout. "You're acting like this is your first time at this."
He backed the car out of the driveway, smiling sheepishly; "Well, it's my first with you, it's exciting stuff." He pressed a kiss to her hand and continued: "It is my first time at the twelve-week check-up, actually."
"Really? Why's that?" Quinn asked.
"Lil took Sara for her first check because I had to work a lot harder in the early days. It sucked, but life got in the way," he confessed. "Kind of metaphorical for what happened a year after that…I quit on him, and his grandparents saved the day."
"Oh, stop it," she cut in firmly. "One doctor's appointment isn't a metaphor for anything, that's just life."
"You're amazing, you know that?" he said fondly as he circled the hospital parking lot.
"I try," Quinn smirked. "So when did you get to see Logan for the first time?"
"The day we found out he would be Logan." Clay smiled nostalgically; "Twenty weeks it was, I think, and I made a deal with Sara that I would get to name the baby if it was a boy."
"And so Wolverine was born because you're a ridiculously huge dork?" she guessed affectionately.
"You've got that right," he said, leaning across the gear stick to kiss her firmly. "A huge dork who is insanely in love with you and won't miss a single second this time," he promised. Clay raised a finger warningly when she turned to open the passenger door. "Don't move, missy!"
He walked around the car in five seconds flat and pulled open her door. "Overkill, honey," Quinn giggled when he offered her his hand. "I'm barely even showing yet."
"Humor me," he begged, and Quinn sighed and leaned contentedly into his supportive embrace as they walked towards the hospital entrance.
"I always do," she said softly. "I love you, my crazy dork."
"I'm glad because I love you more than anything," he said solemnly, kissing her hair.
"Stop fidgeting," Quinn laughed a little while later when they were seated in the waiting room of the maternity ward. "So nervous?"
"So excited," he corrected with a huge grin. "It feels like Christmas has come early, and it's almost Christmas for real, so that's saying a lot."
Quinn fingered the delicate silver chain fastened around her neck coyly. "Speaking of Christmas, this was what delayed our leaving the house," she confessed, lifting the chain over her shirt to make it more visible. Dangling from it like a pendant was the green power ring Logan had given Clay to propose with two years ago. "It's not just Christmas in December, remember this?"
Clay stared at her in awe; "Of course I remember," he said softly, fingering the ring gently. "Christmas was always around; this ring changed my life. I can't believe you kept it on the chain."
"You better believe it, mister," she said. "This thing is my lucky charm and always will be."
December 2016 – Two Years Earlier
"No James girl in Tree Hill will ever get married in anything but a custom-made Clothes Over Bros design," Brooke Davis vowed, beaming in triumph as she pinned the small veil into the bun on Quinn's head. Beyond the Scott mansion's guest bedroom door were the sounds of absolute chaos, but the fashion designer was focused on her task and ignored it. "Okay, open your eyes!" she demanded finally, grinning from ear to ear as Quinn opened her eyes and gaped at her reflection.
"Oh my God," she breathed in awe. "Brooke, this is amazing…thank you so much." The white, slim-fitting design fell just past her knees, and silvery sequins glittered in elegant patterns across the front.
"Who said second marriages are an excuse to look any less fabulous?" the brunette winked.
Quinn turned slowly and hugged her friend; "Trust me, my wedding to David happened so fast; it was nowhere near this fabulous."
"If I could make Peyton's pregnant ass look good back in the day, this was a piece of cake," Brooke shrugged modestly. "Knock your man dead out there, Q."
"I hope not," Quinn laughed. "I like my man alive, thank you very much."
"You two are legit survivors," Brooke sighed dreamily. "I'm happy for you."
Quinn smiled at her affectionately, but before she could thank her again, Haley flung the bedroom door open and barged in. "Quinnie, I have…oh my God!"
"You have God?" Quinn laughed as her baby sister smiled radiantly. "Come here, you. This dress is still a little stiff."
"Look at you," Haley said fondly, running her fingers across the sparkly sequins adorning the front of the dress. "So gorgeous, Clay won't know what hit him."
"That's the idea," Brooke cut in while Haley gave her sister a delicate squeeze so she wouldn't crush the dress.
"What were you saying before the dress interrupted coherent speech?" Quinn asked teasingly as the door creaked open carefully again, and a pair of brown eyes peeked shyly in on the girls. Quinn stared at her adoptive son, hovering nervously in the doorway. "Logan? What are you doing here, buddy?"
"That's what I was about to mention," Haley interjected. "His grandmother brought him down from the beach house and said something about how he desperately wanted to talk to you."
"Get in here." Quinn beckoned the six-year-old closer to her. "Is something wrong? You were helping your dad get ready at the beach house, right?"
Logan nodded mutely and shot Haley and Brooke shifty, nervous glances. "Could you girls give us a few minutes alone?" Quinn suggested, reluctantly meeting Haley's concerned gaze.
"Hurry," they urged together, shooting her half-done hairstyle furtive looks.
"Thank you," said Quinn and firmly shut the bedroom door on them to give the shy little boy privacy with her. Logan had perched on the edge of the bed she had so often occupied in recent years when she finally turned to face him. "You look adorable," she said conversationally, smiling at his miniature suit as she crossed over to the bed. "Missed a spot, though." Logan wriggled forward with a sheepish smile so that she could tie his loose shoelaces properly. "There we go. Now, will you tell me why you're here?"
"The rings," Logan said sadly. "Dad said my job is to protect the wedding rings."
"That's right." Quinn sat beside him carefully; "That's one of the most important jobs; we can't get married without the rings. What's wrong with that?"
"You didn't like my power ring enough?" he asked softly. "These new rings are so boring; they don't even glow in the dark."
"Oh, sweetie," she sighed, the problem crystal clear. "Hey, look at me, please?" Logan stared at her, his little lips quivering with childish rejection. "I love that ring, okay? That night in the tent started our family's future together. Trust me, nothing is more precious than the ring that started it all."
"Then why can't you use that one?" he pressed curiously. "It's so much cooler than these normal silver ones."
"I agree," Quinn assured him affectionately; "It's way cooler, no doubt about that." A quick glance at her reflection in the full-length mirror across the room gave Quinn a sudden idea. She gently squeezed Logan's shoulder, crossed to the dresser, and picked up the delicate silver chain. As he watched with adorable wide eyes, she slid the little diamond heart pendant Clay had given her for Valentine's Day the previous year off the chain.
She pulled the green plastic ring from one of the dresser drawers, carefully slipped it onto the chain, and then dangled it in front of Logan triumphantly. "I'll tell you what...see this? Traditional wedding ceremonies always involve four items for the bride," she explained; "Something old that's been used before in a previous generation's wedding, something new for a fresh start, something borrowed, and something blue." With that said, she fastened the chain around her neck and grasped the ring tightly in her fist. "I'm just going to borrow this and let it stay here, closer to my heart than anything else. That's where it truly deserves to be, understood?"
A slow smile spread across Logan's face at her words, and he walked over to her with his eyes practically sparkling. "Really? That's so awesome, thanks, Mom," he beamed and gave her a quick hug.
Quinn patted him lovingly on the back but then stepped back and eyed him solemnly. "There is one thing I need you to do for me in return, okay?"
"What's that?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.
"Give your dad a chance to prove himself," she said softly, and his smile faded. "Look, I know you've lived without a Mom or a Dad for basically your whole life and it's not fair. I know it's hard to trust him after everything you've been through and hard to understand…but the thing is, he's been suffering just like you. Try and believe how much he loves you. Can you do that for me?"
"At Doctor A's clinic, just before he told me the truth, I said finding each other would mean neither of us would have to be sad anymore," Logan confessed. "I don't like being sad…I'll believe, promise."
"Good boy," Quinn smiled. "Why do you still look so scared then?" Logan lowered his gaze nervously and mumbled something incoherent. "What was that?" she pressed gently.
"Your family is huge, right?" he said slowly. "What if…they don't like me?"
"Don't you dare worry about that," she said firmly, completely disregarding the condition of her dress as she drew the little boy into a tight embrace. "It's the first time your dad is meeting many of them, too. You're not alone, okay? And I know they'll love you anyway," she soothed.
"But how do you know that?" he asked apprehensively.
"Because I love you," she said simply. "I love you and your dad so much, and this is my happy ending. That will be good enough for them, I promise!"
"Where's your head, Quinn James?" Clay suddenly interrupted her thoughts, and she smiled as he rubbed the back of her hand in gentle circular motions.
"Just thinking about Logan," she said vaguely. "I hope he can stop worrying so much about everything one day, you know?"
"I hope so, too," Clay agreed grimly. "As long as he worries about something like losing us, I can't stop feeling how badly I screwed up with him."
"I wish you wouldn't," she sighed as a nurse stepped out of the nearest examination room and smiled at the waiting area full of expectantly waiting couples.
"Mr. and Mrs. Evans?" she called out, and Clay beamed at Quinn and helped her to her feet.
"Now, there are some words I never get tired of hearing," he grinned, ignoring her exasperated expression as he kept a firm hold on her.
"Save the overprotective attitude for when I'm that size," she said, nodding at a woman sitting across the room who looked ready to pop. "You're lucky I love you, Mr. Evans."
"There's no doubt about that," he said fervently and helped her lie back in the reclining examination chair. "But just so we're clear, I love you more."
"Not possible," she said softly, and when the nurse left the room for a moment to prepare the ultrasound apparatus, Quinn pulled his head towards her and captured his lips in a firm kiss. "Here's to us," she whispered and entwined her fingers with his, not letting go until the nurse returned.
At Tree Hill High, meanwhile, students were spilling out of the building with excitement typical to the end of a school day. Melissa Ryan scanned the sea of youngsters from her car in anticipation, feeling more hopeful than she had in a long time. Finally, Bobby emerged, slouching and still looking so miserable that her heart hurt. "Bad day?" she asked, grimacing sympathetically when he reached the car and tossed his school bag down on the back seat with a scowl before climbing in beside it.
"When it started with a broken Christmas angel and Dad being nasty, how could it become a good day?"
"Fair point," she admitted. "What if I told you I have an idea to make at least Christmas a little bit special?"
"How?" Bobby wondered skeptically. "Anything with Dad around is going to be miserable."
"Let me finish," she smiled mysteriously. "I called the clinic where Aunt Katie is staying today. How would you like to head to Atlanta this weekend, just you and me?" As she parked the car in front of their house, Melissa caught her son's eye in the rearview mirror and saw a flicker of hope for the first time that day. It was all the confirmation she needed to set her plan in motion.
A / N Major fluff alert to put off the angst as long as possible, enjoy all! xx