Do you want to keep her?"He asks, hope snagging in his voice
Quinn looks at her daughter in the hospital crib and then back at her daughter's father before she whispers
"No"
He deflates but then hears the rest of her sentence
"Do you?"
He thinks it over. They weren't even dating, he's on the football team and she's the head cheerleader. They're still in high school and Quinn is homeless.
They can't be playing family anymore.
Quinn breaks the silence when she asks him if he loved her
"Yes. Especially now"
They look at each other and Quinn is suddenly self-conscious of her sweaty hair, unwashed face and grubby nightclothes. Her slippers have a hole in the toe and she's pretty sure her painkillers are wearing off.
They're startled out of their moment when an older brunette woman asks them which baby is theirs
"Shelby? What are you doing here?" Quinn asks, her voice husky and tired
"I can tell now. Right there. She looks just like you" Shelby smiles and Quinn offers a small smile back
"Does she have a name?" Shelby asks
"No" says Quinn
"Beth" says Puck
Fifteen years later
Rachel and Quinn have been married for five years. They couldn't deny their feelings for each other after high school so while Rachel was attending NYADA and Quinn was at Yale, their friendship became stronger and stronger until they finally confessed their love for each other. Quinn would usually make the 120 mile round trip to spend time with her girlfriend while she was living with Blaine, Kurt, and Santana and then when Rachel was snapped up by Broadway producers to play Elphaba in wicked, Quinn was there for her opening night performance.
When Quinn graduated top of the class in law and psychology, Rachel was her biggest supporter.
And now, here they were.
5 years married, Quinn was a big shot lawyer who won whatever case was put in front of her, and Rachel was one of the highest paid actresses to grace the stages of Broadway.
They lived together in a small house with a small garden outside the city, just perfect for two people.
Far away from the night life, the sirens and the crazy fans.
So you can imagine the shock that floods through Rachel when she pulls into her driveway and spots a teenager literally sat on her doorstep.
The girl is reading a book but starts when she sees the car pulling in and fumbles as she tucks it back into the pocket of her oversized hoodie.
Her blonde hair is pulled into a high ponytail and her hazel eyes flicker nervously.
"Can I help you?" Rachel asks, walking towards the young girl
"I…um…" she stammers and Rachel fights the urge to roll her eyes
"Nearest subway station is a ten minute walk to your left from here. Bus stop is nearest the McDonald's on Lime and Garnet." Rachel says
"Oh um, thanks I guess but I'm not lost" the teenager mumbles
"Oh. Right, sorry, I thought maybe you were looking for directions. What can I help you with?" Rachel asks, still wondering if this was a crazed wicked fan
"I'm looking for someone. Miss Fabray. She's… we used to know each other" the girl replies and Rachel suddenly knows who's standing in front of her
"Beth?"she asks, as though she can't quite believe it
At this, the girl looks up at the brunette, who's hardly taller than her and her eyes fill with tears.
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh sweetheart" Rachel puts her arms around the young girl, the term of endearment falling naturally from her lips
"I know exactly who you are and I know who you're looking for"
"Miss Fabray, does she live here?" Beth asks
"She does. Her names Quinn. We'd better not have this chat here in the street, come inside and we can wait for her"
"Is that okay?" Beth asks
"I'm not sure but I'm sure as hell not leaving you standing out in the cold" Rachel laughs and beckons Beth inside.
Their home is small, yet spacious, tastefully decorated in shades of white, black and grey.
There are white rugs in the living room. Grey wooden floors in the kitchen, and black tiles in the bathroom.
Beth can't help but have her mouth hang open. Whatever she was expecting, this wasn't it.
Rachel bade her to sit on the grey sofa and handed her a glass of water and a plate of chocolate chip cookies.
"Go on. You look starving"
As Beth nibbled nervously at a cookie, Rachel made herself a cup of tea and looked at the clock: half an hour until Quinn was due home.
"So Beth, first thing first. I'm Rachel. I've known Quinn since high school and all the way through college. She's a lawyer and was in court today, so we've got about half an hour until she gets home. I want you to tell me why you're here, how you got here, and if you're planning on staying a while"
Beth sips her water and wonders where she should start
"Thanks for the cookie Rachel. I don't know what to say"
"Let's start easy then: why are you here?" Rachel asks as she puts her coffee down on the table in front of her.
Beth relaxes, that's the easy one
"Well, I'm here to meet Quinn. I know her from… when I was little"
Rachel wants to push this further but also wants to wait for her wife to come home before she does anything too intense.
Beth sits across from her, fiddling with a strand of her long blonde hair and pulls her hoodie tighter to her body.
Rachel pauses, thinking of her next move before asking
"How did you get here?"
Beth thinks for a moment and then says
"I got the bus to New York City and then the subway out to here. I walked from the station to your house this morning"
That takes Rachel off guard
"This morning? I only left the house at 10"
Beth nods lightly
"I know. I watched you drive away. Quinn was gone before you, so I didn't see her"
"So you've been hanging around our house since 10 this morning?" Rachel clarifies
"Yes" Beth whispers, trying to gauge the woman's reaction
"Beth, you must be starving and freezing! And it was raining earlier! Did you get wet?" Rachel asks
"My coat took the worst of the chill out until it got wet in the rain. My jeans are a little damp but I'm fine, honestly. I don't even mind" Beth replies but Rachel pays her no heed. She makes a second cup of hot tea, grabs a fluffy blanket and fires up the heat. Beth accepts the tea and the blanket, shrugging it around her skinny shoulders and pulling it tight against her.
"Rachel? Can I ask you something?" Beth asks and Rachel nods
"How did you know my name?"
And all at once, Rachel is fired back fifteen years ago to that day in glee club when Quinn tells everyone she's pregnant. Rachel remembers being horrified that Quinn, head cheerleader and president of the celibacy club, and Finns girlfriend was pregnant.
She was shunned, ostracised by everyone except the glee club kids who stood by her. Especially when she announced that she was giving her baby up for adoption.
Rachel was there when Quinn went into to labour and was there- in floods of tears- when Quinn returned home empty handed.
In the intervening years since, the pair have celebrated every single birthday of Beth's. They have pink cupcakes with candles and sprinkles. They write cards for her each holiday. They keep a diary every Christmas. All these memories flash before her eyes as she tries to think of what to tell Beth.
"I, well, I've known you since you were a baby." She finally decided to go with
"So you know my mom? Well, my adopted mom?" Beth asks
She knows she's adopted then!Rachel thinks
"Yes. So you know that Quinn is your…"
"My biological mother. I've known for a while" Beth finishes the sentence that the diva couldn't quite bring herself to say
"So why have you come here now?" Rachel asks and she sees the teen fold into herself even more than before.
"I. Um. Can we wait for Quinn to get here before I tell you that? I just feel like she'll understand"
Mentally kicking herself, Rachel agrees to wait for Quinn
"Rachel. Does Quinn talk about me?" Beth asks
In reality, Quinn finds it hard to talk about the little girl she gave birth to all those years ago and never got to see again.
She finds the mention of her name painful and before she went into therapy, found cases involving children at work to be intense.
Quinn loves her daughter, of course she does, but she finds it difficult to talk about her.
"Sometimes she does. She's told me a fair bit more than anyone else knows" Rachel says and Beth smiles at this.
Suddenly Rachel hears the door opening and the routine sound of "Rach? Are you home?"
"Wait here" Rachel says to Beth as she hurries into the hallway to greet her wife
"Quinn! You're early!" Rachel can't help but smile at her beautiful wife, her blonde hair is curly, her eyes are shining, and her dress is just perfect on her. She's breathtakingly beautiful and she pulls the shorter woman in for a kiss, which Rachel melts into.
"Court got out early. I wasn't willing to hang around and give a million interviews. I just wanted to get home to you" Quinn smiles
"That's lovely but we have a guest" Rachel says and begins to lead the blonde towards their sitting room.
Mentally. Quinn is preparing for it to be Kurt, Blaine, Puck, even Santana or Brittany, but what she doesn't expect is to come face to face with her teenage daughter
"Beth?"
"Hi Quinn" the younger blonde replies with a nervous smile
"Can you please give me two minutes" Quinn says before she runs upstairs.
"Did I do something wrong?" Beth worries but Rachel tells her to sit back down while she goes to check on Quinn
Quinn is sitting on the edge of their bed, her head in her hands, trying to stop her tears. She had known that this day would come eventually but had dreaded it all the same. Her daughter was sat on their sofa. The baby she had given up wasn't a baby anymore. She was a fifteen year old girl who had tracked her down and found her.
"Quinnie? Are you okay?" Rachel asks, kneeling in front of her wife and taking her hands in her own
"She's here Rach. She found me and I don't know what to do or say or think! How did she find me? Why has she come here now? How did she get here from Ohio?" Quinn sobs as Rachel soothes her
"Beth will answer all your questions when you answer hers. She's more like you than you think she is Q, so why don't you wash your face, calm down, and come back downstairs to Beth?" Rachel suggests and Quinn nods.
Pulling herself to her feet, she gives her wife a quick kiss before walking towards their bathroom, and Rachel slips back downstairs to check on Beth, who is looking more frightened than before.
"She'll be right down." The brunette says warmly as they engage in meaningless small talk
"you're in high school now?" Rachel asks and Beth nods
"Yeah I'm a sophomore"
"What's your favourite subject?"
Beth thinks for a moment before deciding
"I love English , history and drama"
"Just like Quinn" Rachel smiles
"What do you do, Rachel?" Beth asks
"I'm on Broadway just now, I've been there for years" the diva says
"What show are you in?" Beth asks
"I'm just coming up to my two year anniversary of being in back to the future as Lorraine. Is this something you're interested in?" Rachel says as she reaches for her tea
"I mean, I love theatre but I get really bad stage fright. I can only really sing in front of my mom. My adopted mom"
Beth says sadly
"She is your mom" says a voice from the doorway and both girls jump and spin to face the older blonde.
"What?" Asks Beth
"She's your mom. I signed away my parental rights when I was 16. Beth, I'm glad you found me but I'm not your mom"
Quinn's voice trembles a little as she sits next to Rachel
"I know. I found the papers in my mom's dresser. I asked her about you and she said that you got pregnant as a teenager, gave the baby up for adoption and never looked back. Is that true?" Beth asked, her hazel eyes on Quinn
"There's some truth in it. I got pregnant at 16. We lived in Ohio, not the most progressive state and I was the head cheerleader and president of the celibacy club- I know. When my parents found out, they threw me out and never looked back, they thought I'd brought shame on myself and my family. When I gave birth, I knew then that I couldn't be the mother that you deserved- I was homeless!
So when Shelby approached me in the hospital andasked to adopt you, I couldn't really see a reason why not. She promised you'd be loved, cared for, and you would have a real shot at life." Quinn whispered, feeling like that scared sixteen year old again.
"Did you love me?" Beth asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer
"More than anything" Quinn replied, feeling fresh tears fill her eyes
The women fell into a silence, all of them wanting to ask questions but not wanting to break the silence quite yet. Beth was scared of the questions that Quinn and Rachel were planning to ask her and she was even more scared of the answers that she would give them.
Eventually, it was Quinn who broke the silence when her phone alerted her to a text message, after she read it, she turned to Beth
"Does Shelby know where you are?"
Beth was silent and Quinn sighed lightly
"You didn't tell her, did you?"
"She didn't need to know where I was going. She kicked me out!" Beth yelled, then clapped her hand over her mouth. She had said too much
"she's kicked you out?" Quinn repeated, confused as to why Shelby would kick out her daughter, considering she loved her more than anything.
"Yeah. We… had an argument. She told me to get the hell out. So, I packed a bag, got on a bus and…"
"And tracked down your birth mother" Rachel finished.
"Have you at least called to say that you're safe?" Quinn asked
"No. why should I?" Beth huffed and in spite of this, Quinn laughed
"God, you're so like me"
"Beth, please text your mom so she knows you're alive. She'll be worried sick" Rachel says and Beth reluctantly takes her phone out of her pocket and turns it on. As expected, the device lights up with messages and missed calls from Shelby, demanding to know where the teenager is.
Beth typed out a gruff message: "mom. I'm in New York. I'm fine, I'm with some old friends. Call you later. Beth" and promptly turned it off again
"Thank you. Now, have you got a place to stay while you're in New York?" Rachel asked and Beth shook her head
"Lucky for you, we've got a few spare rooms. I'll take you upstairs and you can unpack and shower if you like." Rachel offered, glancing at Quinn who nodded.
"Are you sure? I can always find a motel…" Beth started to say
"Not a chance. You might have travelled halfway across the country by yourself, but now that you're here, I'm making sure you're safe. Head up with Rachel and I'll make some dinner. What's your favourite?" Quinn said as the teenager got to her feet uncertainly
"Pasta. Any kind of pasta"
"Perfect. Lasagne, okay?" Quinn asked and both Beth and Rachel nodded
As Rachel and Beth climbed the staircase, Rachel thought about the logistics of having a teenager living with them overnight. Tomorrow was her day off and Quinn's case had finished ahead of schedule, so they could both be home for Beth the whole day, or at least until they could convince her to go back to Shelby.
"Here's the biggest guest room. Its also got a bathroom attached, so you can shower whenever you want to. You must feel pretty grubby after such a long journey on a bus and then the subway. You can put your clothes in the cabinet there as well, do you need a toothbrush or shampoo or anything?" Rachel asked
"I'm not sure what I need. Can I unpack and see what I've forgotten?" Beth asked timidly.
"Course you can, sweetheart. Oh, Quinn and my room is down the hall, first door on the left. If you need anything, day or night, don't hesitate to ask us. And I mean that. Even if you just want to talk." Rachel put her hand on the girls shoulder
"Wait. You and my… and Quinn share a room?" Beth asked, confused
"Oh! Did I forget to tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Beth asked
"Quinn and I are married. Five years strong" Rachel explained, showing the fourth finger on her left hand, adorned with a diamond engagement ring and a smaller, silver wedding band.
"Oh. I didn't realise" Beth said, feeling a little foolish.
"Is that okay? You don't have a problem with that?" Rachel asked, nervously fiddling with her rings.
"No, course I don't. I mean, you guys love each other, what's the problem with that?" Beth smiled and Rachel smiled right back, squeezing the younger blonde's shoulder and leaving her to unpack.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Quinn is trying to piece together the last couple of hours in her head. The daughter she gave up is upstairs in her guest room, having fallen out with her adoptive mother who has thrown her out of the house. Should she have let her stay? Is this against the law? Probably as she had signed away her parental rights, therefore she had no claim to Beth, but Beth had sought her out of her own accord, so Quinn wasn't in the wrong legally, as far as she could tell. They needed to establish why Beth felt the need to track down her birth mother, and why now?
"Quinn?"
The blonde jumped, and Rachel put her hand on her shoulder.
"Is she…"
"Unpacking. I might have to make an emergency trip to the store if she's forgotten anything. She didn't think we were married until I told her" Rachel smiled
"Did you tell her…"
"No. not yet. That's our news, not mine. It didn't feel right telling her without you with me" Rachel smiled and Quinn wrapped her arms around the diva and enveloped her in a tight hug to which Rachel reached towards the blonde and kissed her, which was only interrupted by Beth awkwardly clearing her throat.
"All unpacked for the night?" Quinn asked
"I don't have any pyjamas, but I can just sleep in my t-shirt and underwear, I don't mind" Beth admits, almost embarrassed that she forgot her nightclothes but remembered her birth certificate and her phone charger.
"Not a chance. We can lend you something. Follow me" Quinn grabs hold of Beth's hand and pulls her gently towards their bedroom to pick out something more comfortable.
Their bedroom is gorgeous and Beth thinks it looks like a show home as opposed to a place that Quinn and Rachel actually sleep in, aside from the makeup and skincare products littering the dressing table. There are photos on the wall, of both women on their graduation days, with other people who Beth assumes are their friends, on their wedding day as both Rachel and Quinn are wearing matching smiles and white dresses, and a few shots of Rachel from some shows.
Beth figures out which side of the bed is Rachel's almost immediately, she has several books, neatly stacked on vocal technique, acting and reacting, and the art of relaxation. Theres a diffuser and some ordered essential oils, and her laptop is charging.
Quinn's side has books, though they're all works of fiction or historical fiction, she has a diffuser as well, though the oils aren't ordered like Rachel's are. Theres a little pot for her jewellery and a framed photograph. Beth walks over and picks it up to get a better look.
It's a photo of Quinn, looking very young, very tired, and very emotional. It's been taken in a hospital, as Quinn is wearing a gown. She's not looking at the camera, instead she's looking at a tiny little baby that she's cradling in her arms, wrapped in a pink blanket.
"You have a photo of me on your bedside table" Beth says aloud and Quinn whips round from looking in her wardrobe
"Of course I do, are you surprised?" Quinn asks, walking over to the teenager who is still holding the photo
"I didn't think you still loved me" Beth whispered, as she started to cry
Quinn didn't even think about what she was doing before she pulled the young girl into her arms and held on to her as if she couldn't bear to let her go. She just whispered "it's going to be okay. I'm here for you. Everything will be okay" over and over again as the teen sobbed into her shoulders. Quinn just stroked her hair and allowed her to cry until Beth's breathing began to regulate and she stepped backwards.
"I'm sorry, I don't usually cry like that. Ever, actually" Beth apologised, sniffling as she wiped her eyes
Quinn handed her a tissue and gently took hold of both her shoulders so they were looking eye to eye
"it's okay to cry Beth, god knows I've done my fair share over the years. But never forget that I love you. I loved you from the moment I found out I was pregnant and I never stopped. I might not have raised you, but you were at the forefront of my mind, always.
Nothing you can do or have ever done could cause me to hate you, and I mean that." Quinn promised and pulled the teen into an even tighter hug
Beth felt so overwhelmed by this admission. She genuinely thought that Quinn would be indifferent to her, perhaps a little residual love from when she was a baby, but she had never expected to still have such a hold on the woman who gave her life fifteen years ago.
"Quinn? There's something I have to tell you" Beth hesitated
"Are you ready to tell me?" Quinn countered
"not yet. I do need to tell you though" Beth admitted, not quite meeting Quinn's eye
"Whenever you're ready, you can tell me anything. Now, let's find you something to wear to sleep." Quinn smiled and found a pair of cherry print short pyjamas that Beth agreed to wear with Quinn also lending her a spare dressing gown and giving her plenty of towels.
The blondes then went downstairs as Rachel was dishing up the veggie lasagne and pouring glasses of lemonade from a glass pitcher, which they enjoyed in a comfortable silence with little conversation exchanged between them, which continued until they were all sat in front of the television until Beth cleared her throat.
"Quinn, can I tell you what I tried to say earlier?" Beth queried
"If you feel ready to tell me, then yes" Quinn agreed
"The reason my mom and I argued and that she kicked me out is because… because I'm pregnant. She wanted me to get an abortion and pretend it never happened, but I can't" Beth disclosed, feeling more tears fall down her cheeks, which were a bright scarlet.
"You're pregnant?" Quinn echoed, feeling her stomach sink, it really was like looking at her fifteen year old self.
"Yes" Beth whispered
"Are you mad at me?"
Quinn took a breath before she hugged the crying teen
"Never. How can I be mad at you when I was in the same situation? Have you thought about all your options?"
Beth nodded and explained that she'd done some research into all her options but felt she couldn't go through with an abortion, she had considered adoption but worried that by carrying the baby then giving it away would be too hard. She wanted to keep her baby.
"Beth, you know we'll support you as much as we can, but you do realise how hard this could be for you and the baby, don't you?" Rachel asked, her eyes firm but kind.
"Yes. I know it's going to be expensive, time consuming, and difficult. But I really want to prove that I can do it" Beth replied
"Is the baby's father involved?" Quinn asked, only hating herself slightly for even asking, but then caught the look of shame that crossed her daughter's face.
"Not… not exactly." Beth mumbled
"And by 'not exactly' you mean…" Quinn pushed
"He told me that he would never want to be involved with me ever again. He offered to drive me to the abortion clinic and when I refused, he told me to get fucked and never contact him again. As far as he's concerned, the baby doesn't even exist" Beth sighed and picked at her nails, waiting for the women to tell her how stupid she was and that she's making a huge mistake, and she's a baby having a baby…
What she doesn't expect is both women to click their teeth, wrap her in a double hug and tell her that she deserves so much better than him.
"How did my biological father react when you told him Quinn?" Beth asked, and almost instantly, Quinn's demeanour changed. She drew into herself, and suddenly looked very young and very scared.
"Have I said something wrong?" Beth whispered, terrified of upsetting Quinn who shivered and took a deep breath, before nodding at Rachel before walking into the kitchen
"You haven't upset her. It's hard for her to talk about your biological father, it was a really messed up situation Beth, but it isn't your fault. I can tell you everything I know, if you like?" Rachel smiled sadly and Beth agreed
"We all knew each other in high school. Quinn was the polar opposite of most of the other cheerleaders and she was dating the quarterback. She's told you that she was the leader of the celibacy club, that was true, until your biological father came into the picture. The cheerleading coach at our school was a real tyrant, she encouraged bullying, decimated any and all self esteem of anyone, and hated the Glee Club Kids, like me. She also encouraged Quinn to diet and lose weight really unhealthily and obviously this weighed heavily on her mind. Then, she invited your biological father over to study one night, I think it was for a group project, and he brought wine coolers and they got drunk. She told me later that he made her feel like she was beautiful when she had felt fat and ugly. They had sex and made you. But when Quinn found out, she knew that there was no way she could have a baby, especially when it proved that she had cheated on her boyfriend with his best friend. It all ended up being revealed anyway, but Puck, your father, was an amazing father. Last I heard of him, he's serving in the military overseas. Never married and no other kids" Rachel finished, looking at Beth
"So, I was the result of a drunken night fumble?" Beth clarified
"No" said Rachel and Quinn from the doorway.
"You brought me so much joy and happiness while I was carrying you, you made me get healthy, I ate food so that you would grow and develop the way you should and I really looked after myself for the first time in my life. You made me a better person Beth, you really did." Quinn smiled, sitting next to them both.
Beth turned to Rachel before asking
"Were you there? When I was born?"
Rachel paused for a second before she nodded lightly
"I wasn't in the room but I was close by. I was one of the first to hold you afterwards though. Quinn was pretty out of it and everyone in our club wanted to hold you. You had been a mascot of sorts for the whole nine months" and Beth grinned at this.
"After you were adopted, I went a bit… off the rails. I decided that I had made a terrible mistake and was determined to get you back, whatever the consequences." Quinn explained and Rachel tried to smother a laugh, to which Quinn narrowed her eyes and Beth looked between them, her brow furrowed in confusion
"She's not quite doing it justice Beth. She dyed her hair pink, got a nose ring, got a tattoo of Ryan Seacrest on her ass…"
"My lower back! It was on my lower back Beth. It's gone now anyway" Quinn cut in
"She's got different ones now instead" Rachel winked and Beth chuckled
"Appropriate ones. I promise" Quinn clarified and Rachel quirked an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Anyway, your mom refused to let me see you unless I cleaned up my act, so I did and got to spend some time with you before you moved away. I knew I had signed away my rights and the only way I could get you back was if your adoptive family was deemed unfit so that was my plan. Needless to say, it didn't work" Quinn went on and Beth nodded sadly.
"After I lost all contact with you, I decided that the best thing to do would be to get the hell out of dodge. So, I worked hard, studied even harder, and got into Yale via early admissions. Somewhere along there, I fell in love with Rach, and we've been together since then. She's helped me through all the bad times and held me when I've cried over this whole situation. She helped get me into therapy to process these memories and emotions and it's been a really long and really hard journey at times but I couldn't have done it without her." Quinn finishes, putting her arm around Rachel and squeezing her shoulder.
Beth considers this and wonders fleetingly what her life might have been like if Quinn had kept her. Would she still have gotten pregnant at fifteen? Would Quinn and Rachel have somehow fallen in love anyway? Then she jumps when Quinn continues
"I thought about keeping you, it went round and round my head for months, but I knew that I had to give you the best chance that I possibly could as your mom, and that meant letting you be brought up by someone else. Shelby… she wasn't a total stranger. I kind of knew her and knew that she wanted to have a family, so it wasn't a hard decision to make."
"How did you know her? Was she a friend of your family or something?" Beth asked and then watched as it was Rachel's turn to look mildly uncomfortable at the question.
"She was an acquaintance of my fathers. Dad and daddy knew her from way back before I was born and she's kind of been on the perimeter of our glee club for years. I dated one of her students very briefly actually." Rachel said, blushing lightly as Quinn rolled her eyes at her wife.
"Anyway, I think we're done eating. Why don't we get into our pyjamas and get comfy on the sofa? We can discuss this whole thing there" Rachel suggested and both Beth and Quinn nodded and helped clear away the dinner things before going upstairs to change.
Beth fumbled around in the bathroom, struggling to start the shower, wanting to feel clean before putting on Quinn's borrowed pyjamas and feeling pretty cold and grimy form her long trip. The shower was nice and warm and she washed her long blonde hair with the fancy products sat on the side, noticing that they made her blonde hair feel sleek and smooth and her skin felt fresh and cleaner than ever before. She wrapped a large towel around her skinny frame and padded back into the guest room that she was given. She dried herself off and pulled on the shorts and the matching top, and also put on a fresh pair of socks so she wasn't padding around barefoot. Her hair was dripping wet, hanging loose down her back, so she wrapped it up in a towel before heading back down the stairs.
Rachel flopped onto the sofa after lighting a few of the scented candles on the mantlepiece over the fireplace. Her hair was tied into two long braids and she was wearing oversized jersey and sweatpants which looked incredibly comfortable.
Quinn followed not long afterwards, sitting next to the brunette and pulling her into her arms for a kiss. Quinn's long hair was pulled up into a ponytail, she had taken out her contact lenses and put on her glasses. She was wearing a pair of pyjama bottoms in a tartan design and a white spaghetti strap top. She throws a blanket around her shoulders and plumps the cushions.
Beth isn't far behind, the cherry print pjs complement her skin tone and her hair is wrapped in the towel.
Rachel cleared her throat
"Now that we're all comfortable, Beth, perhaps you'd like to tell us a bit more about your situation?"
Beth sighed.
"what do you want to know? Really not much to tell"
"Well, for starters, how far along are you in your pregnancy?" Quinn asked
"I… I'm not sure. Ten weeks maybe?" Beth mumbled and Quinn nodded lightly before continuing
"That's good. You've made it almost the whole way through your first trimester. Have you had any symptoms?"
"Um, I've had morning sickness. Cravings. My, um, my boobs are really sore. And I've been really tired" Beth listed, blushing furiously when talking about her boobs being sore.
"I understand. I'm also assuming you've skipped a period as well" Quinn stated and Beth nodded, still blushing a fantastic shade of pink.
"Have you had a blood test, Beth? It might be a good idea to book one if you haven't" Rachel thought aloud
"My mom took me for my blood test. She heard me being sick and took me to the doctors and that's how she found out. They said that because I' m under 18, they had to tell my parent or guardian. She drove me home, then told me to sit down and we would talk about it." Beth explained, curling her hands into fists.
"And then?" Quinn prompted
"She was nice about it at first. She sat next to me on the sofa and told me that she loved me and that we would get through this thing together and not to worry about it. And for a second I believed her, I actually thought that everything would work out properly. Then she got this look on her face and suddenly she stopped looking like my mom. She looked like… like my guidance counsellor or something, and she started talking about how lots of teenage girls get pregnant and that abortion isn't all that bad. I couldn't believe her! I got angry and said that I couldn't get an abortion, I didn't want one anyway, and she said 'You can give it up for adoption. Lots of girls do that too' and I just hate the idea of carrying them to give them up, I can't…" and Beth trailed off, fighting against the tears in her eyes
"Take your time, it's okay" Rachel assured her and coached the teen in some deep breathing until Beth felt she could continue
"Mom got angry when I said I wanted to keep my baby. She said I was too young to be a mother, and I couldn't even be trusted to walk home from school alone, never mind raise a child when I'm still a child myself. She kept saying that adoption was the best idea if I couldn't abort. Kept going on and on about how I'm throwing my life away and that my baby would make someone else so happy, just like I had made her so happy when she adopted me. I didn't know I was adopted until then. She threw all this paperwork at the table in front of me and I saw your name. Miss L Fabray, and I knew I had to find you. You'd understand. You do understand, right?" Beth finished, glancing up at Quinn
Quinn was a bit shocked. She knew obviously how Beth had gotten pregnant, but it was difficult to separate the tiny baby that she had held so briefly with the teenager who was now carrying a baby of her own in front of her. Thinking that her little girl was going to be a mother herself was frightening.
"Of course I understand. I do think that you've got a hell of a lot to think about, but we'll help you, won't we Rach?" Quinn elbowed the brunette who nodded quickly
"Absolutely we will. Have you turned your phone back on and spoken to your mom?" Rachel asked and Beth huffed, doing as she was told.
Immediately, a text popped up from "MOM" that read
"I know we've got a lot to talk about. Please call me back and I'll come and pick you up. I reacted badly. Let's sort this out. Love, Mom"
"See? She loves you and wants to support you" Quinn said quietly, wrapping an arm around Beth who cuddled into her for comfort.
"She might love me, but she doesn't like me anymore" Beth admitted, showing other messages that declared the teen to be a disappointment, useless and stupid.
"She's probably just as emotional as you are. If not more. She's also worried because she can't get in touch with her pregnant teenage daughter, who travelled clear across the country to meet a woman she barely knows to tell her that she's pregnant." Quinn and Rachel both smiled at Quinn's point and Beth mumbled "Touche"
"Look. There's more we need to discuss, but it's getting late and you look exhausted. Head on up to bed and we can figure this out in the morning. Jump into your bed and I'll pop in, if you like?" Quinn asked and Beth nodded, stifling a yawn as she made her way up the stairs.
"I'll get her settled and asleep, then you and I have some catching up to do, Mrs Berry-Fabray" Quinn's eyes darkened as Rachel walked up the stairs in front of her and she blew out the candles, dropping the room into sudden darkness.