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And I don't know how it gets better than this
The sounds of a door slammed shut and hurried footsteps across the apartment catches Quinn’s attention, who looks up from typing away on her laptop - perched on the kitchen island - and stands from her seat.
“Quinn, no…” Rachel comes into her view before she can even cross the threshold.
“Don’t start with me, Rachel.” Quinn squares her shoulders. “We’ve gone with your method and it is clearly not working, so we’ll do things my way now.”
“And what do you think you’ll achieve, huh?” Rachel crosses her arms over her chest and looks up at the blonde. “I know how upset you get and this is the last thing Lexie needs right now.”
“Upset? I am fucking livid, Rach.” Quinn shouts back in her wife’s face. “And I don’t know how you can really let this happen without doing absolutely a thing about it. You started a freaking petition to have vegan friendly alternatives at her school and you’re keeping quiet about this?”
“And what do you suggest to do, huh?” Rachel shouts back in her face. “Do you want to waltz back in there, with your head held high channeling your best HBIC pose and throw a slushie at whoever is bullying our daughter?” She pokes her in her chest. “Or maybe you want to kick their parents’ door down and have a smackdown? Tell me, Quinn, what do you want to do?” She gets in her face.
“I…” Quinn is at a loss of words. She drops her arms and looks down, a defeated look on her face.
“She doesn’t need any more anger or violence, Quinn.” Rachel takes a tentative step closer and when Quinn doesn’t back down, she drops her weight against her chest, holding her around the waist. “She needs her Mom to be there and to tell her it will be alright.”
“I know.” Quinn nuzzles her face against the side of her head and drops a kiss against her temple. “I just want to keep her safe. It’s all I have ever wanted to do. To keep you both safe.”
“And you do, baby.” Rachel nuzzles her face into the crook of her neck. “You make us feel loved and protected every day.” She grips her tightly and when Quinn does the same, she lets a weak sob out.
“I am sorry, Rachel.” Quinn curls her forearms around the back of her head. “I am so sorry for having put you through all of this when we were kids.”
“When will you ever stop apologizing for our past?” Rachel sniffles. “We have done bad things to each other but we are still here, aren’t we?”
“We are.” Quinn leans down to catch the tear trailing down with her lips. “What happened this time?”
“They pushed her inside the janitor’s closet and locked her in there.” Rachel whispers against the fabric of her sweater.
“Fucking bastards.” Quinn shakes her head. “For how long?”
“Two hours in the dark.” Rachel leans up to place a soothing kiss against the underside of jawline.
“She must have been shit scared.” Quinn looks down into Rachel’s eyes. “Who found her?”
“Jennifer. She skipped Glee.” Rachel cups her face and pulls her down for a soft kiss.
“And she would never skip Glee.” Quinn finds a reason to smile, even if lightly, and Rachel rolls her eyes at her.
“You’re just bummed she didn’t pick cheerleading.” Rachel pecks the tip of her nose.
“More like relieved.” Quinn tugs her closer and dips enough to peck Rachel’s lips. “What do we do?”
“I’ll get pizza and you check on her?” Rachel drops another soft kiss on her lips. “Deal?”
“Deal.” Quinn nods and slips out of her arms to go check on their 13 year old daughter.
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“Mommy?”
Rachel is surprised to see her daughter home earlier. She is usually not home before 5PM, after Glee and the Debate club, so seeing her walk through the door catches her attention.
“Is everything alright, honey?” Rachel throws the script aside and sets her reading glasses down. Years are going by and her sight is not as focused as it used to be.
“Is Mom around?” Lexie shifts on her feet, arms wrapped around herself. She is nervous and Rachel feels like watching herself in a mirror. If not for the dirty blonde hair and taller frame - inherited from Quinn’s side of the family - she would say it was her young self standing there.
“She is on her way home. Did something happen, Lexie? Are you hurt?” Rachel shifts forward but the younger blonde is quick to calm her down.
“Mommy, I am seeing someone.” Lexie takes a seat on the edge of the coffee table. “We…we have been dating - or I think we are - for a couple of weeks now.”
“Oh.” Rachel nods dumbly. “Is it someone from school?”
“Yes, we’re in Glee together.” Lexie blushes and Rachel beams. Glee is playing cupid again, even if it has taken more than just Glee for her and Quinn to find each other like that. But it all started from there.
“Tell me more.” Rachel reaches for her hands and squeezes them.
“He is on the basketball team, but he transferred just a few months ago. He didn’t participate in any of those bullying acts that you put an end to.” She is quick to clarify that and Rachel smiles. “He is tall. Not like your ex Finn tall, but he is as tall as Uncle Sam.”
“Should I remind you that I wasn’t the only one who dated him in this family?” Rachel huffs.
“But you’re the only one who looked like a Lilliputian by standing beside him.” Quinn’s voice startles them both. “Has the bi-monthly family meeting been anticipated? I thought it was next week.”
“It still is next week, Quinn.” Rachel tilts her head back to receive her welcome kiss. Two welcome kisses actually.
“What did I miss?” Quinn drops beside Rachel on the couch and reaches down to untie her ankle boots.
“Nothing.” Lexie looks away and then brings a finger to her lips, to signal to Rachel she wants to keep quiet.
“You were talking about someone. Who was it?” Quinn sets the boots aside and looks between her wife and daughter. “Girls.”
“You should tell your Mom, Lexie.” Rachel nods encouragingly.
“Tell me what?” Quinn furrows her brows.
“Promise me you won’t get mad.” Lexie looks between the two women.
“Fine.” Quinn crosses her arms over her chest. Every time either of them says those words, she knows she will get mad eventually.
“I am dating someone, Mom.” Lexie turns to the blonde who has her famous eyebrow raised, already. Speaking of not getting mad. “His name is Lucas and he transferred from Los Angeles.”
“No.” Quinn shakes her head.
“No?” Rachel looks at her with an incredulous look. “What do you mean by no exactly?”
“Just that, no. You just turned 15 and you’re not allowed to date anyone.” Quinn huffs.
“That’s unfair. You had boyfriends when you were my age. You had Beth when you were just a few months older than me.” Lexie looks at her mothers. “Mommy…”
“Quinn…” Rachel tries to reason with the blonde woman, who stands up.
“You’re right, it’s unfair.” Quinn looks at Lexie. “It may seem unfair now, but you’ll thank me when you won’t have to feel lost and broken thinking you have no future ahead of you, because you rushed into this.” She tries to cup Lexie’s face, but the blonde turns away. “You have a life ahead of you, Lexie, there will be enough time to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. But no one will ever give you back this time, when it could have been just you.” Quinn drops a kiss against her forehead and walks away, towards her studio room.
“I should have never told her.” Lexie wipes her cheeks angrily.
“She’ll come around, honey.” Rachel grabs her by the hand and tugs her to sit down beside her. “She doesn’t want you to make the mistakes she has made.”
“Beth is a mistake?” Lexie snuggles into her Mom’s arms.
“No, but the way she was conceived and some of the things that happened afterwards were. I think your Mom would have done things differently if she had had the chance to.” Rachel keeps her head against her chest and rests her chin against it.
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Quinn comes home and it is to her wife sitting on the couch in their living room, sobbing in her handkerchief and with a dozen of Kleenex surrounding her.
“Rachel, what happened?” Quinn drops her bag and keys and rushes to the brunette, who launches herself in her arms, clinging to her neck for dear life. “Baby, are you hurt? Is Lexie hurt?”
Shaking her head, she sobs against her shoulder and lets Quinn lift her back on the couch until they’re both sitting comfortably enough. “Lexie.” Rachel grips the front of her shirt, not wanting to separate from her.
“You’re scaring me, baby.” Quinn brushes her bangs away from her forehead but all she can feel are tears. She wipes her cheek with the handkerchief and presses her lips against her temple.
“Mom?”
Quinn looks up from her wife to see their daughter standing in the doorway, arms wrapped around herself and with her eyes puffy red full of tears. Rachel pulls back enough to wipe her runny nose, but her eyes are casted away from Lexie’s. From those eyes that remind her so much of Quinn.
“Can anyone tell me what’s happening here? Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?” Quinn reaches for Rachel’s hand, who just holds it in their lap.
“Mommy, please.” Lexie takes a step closer.
“No, Lexie.” Rachel sniffles. “I am not going to tell your Mom for you.” She kisses Quinn’s palm. “If you are old enough to do that, you can also tell her.”
“Tell me what?” Quinn furrows her brows. “What did you do, Lexie?”
“I…I don’t know how it happened, Mom.” Lexie wipes her cheeks. “I swear we…” The 17 year old blonde comes closer and that’s when it hits Quinn. Quinn looks at her and then back at Rachel, who doesn’t have to say anything to let her know she is right. After 20 years together, they know each other like their favorite books.
“You were right, Quinn.” Rachel sniffles and when Quinn cups her face, she is expecting anything. She expects anything but this.
“We’ll figure it out, ok? We are still here, aren’t we?” Quinn leans down to kiss her softly and Rachel takes a deep breath. For the first moment in what has felt like hours, she gives herself the luxury to breathe.
Rachel nods softly and watches Quinn go back to her feet. She watches her square her shoulders, put her imaginary armour on and dive head first in the battle, like the warrior she is. Like the protector she has chosen to marry and to have by her side.
“Mom, I am sorry.” Lexie sobs uncontrollably.
“Oh baby, come here.” Quinn has no time to open her arms that Lexie collapses against her, clinging to her like Rachel has done. She is holding onto Quinn, like a boat holding onto an anchor through the perfect storm. “It’s okay. It will be okay.” Quinn rubs the back of Lexie’s head and the blonde curls into her, the way she used to when she had nightmares and Quinn chased them away for her.
“What do I do, Mom? I can’t…” Lexie grips her so tightly that Rachel can almost feel the fabric of her tailor suit tearing.
“We’ll do whatever you want.” Quinn kisses her temple. “Was it…you wanted to do it?”
“Yes.” Lexie whispers back to her. “He didn’t pressure me.”
“Okay, that’s good.” Quinn looks at Rachel over her shoulder and she knows she has gotten this. She knows how to handle it. She had done it when she was on her own. She had done it when Santana had called her to get her ass back to New York to help Rachel dealing with it. She had done it with her college third year roommate.
“Quinn…” Rachel is standing now. She has gotten closer and when Quinn holds her hand out, Rachel takes it. She takes her strength. She gives it back.
“We’ll figure everything out, Lexie.” Quinn kisses their daughter’s head and laces her fingers through Rachel’s. “You’re not alone. Your Mommy and I are not going anywhere.” She looks at the woman she has married and she knows she has nothing to fear. Not with Rachel by her side.
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“I can still give Dean Marshall a call and get you a late admission, you know?” Quinn leans against the doorway of Lexie’s dorm room. Her room at Yale was bigger than this.
“Quinn, can you keep your animosity towards Harvard to yourself? We have heard enough about it for the past months and all the way from New York.” Rachel folds one of the boxes they have used to pack Lexie’s stuff.
“Fine, suit yourself.” Quinn raises her hands and looks away from the Harvard stickers hanging from the walls. She looks down at her Yale hoodie and grins to herself. Yale’s colours are better.
“Mommy, make her stop.” Lexie rolls her eyes at the blonde, who grins even wider when she raises her hoodie to reveal a t-shirt with a family picture printed on it. “Oh God, what’s that?!”
“Quinn, you promised me you wouldn’t show her until the very last moment.” Rachel throws a scotch tape ball at her head, but she dodges it easily.
“Tell me you don’t have one yourself.” Lexie turns to the brunette, who smirks.
“Ok, I won’t tell you.” Rachel undoes the buttons of her cardigan to reveal it. It matches Quinn’s.
“God, you’re so embarrassing.” Lexie covers her eyes. “I should have taken Aunt Santana’s offer to take me down here, instead of you two.”
“And send you off to college with her sex talk? Hell no.” Quinn closes the door behind them. “I can just imagine all the bad jokes and awful advices she has in her book.”
“She has gotten me condoms.” Lexie nods to the box on the table.
“You better make good use of those.” Rachel nods.
“But not too quickly, okay? We don’t want any more white hair after that false alarm.” Quinn shrugs the thought off. “So, you’ve got everything with you?” She looks around the room. It looks like a closet has exploded in here, but Lexie will have time to fix it the way she wants.
“Yes, I think so.” Lexie rests her hands on her hips and surveys the room. The look she has reminds Rachel of when Quinn used to stand at the top of the human pyramid, looking down at everyone. She is really Quinn Fabray’s daughter.
“If you miss something, we can always take a trip back here. Right, baby?” Quinn slips her arm around Rachel’s waist and kisses her forehead.
“Or we can send it.” Rachel kisses her cheek.
“You’re no fun.” Quinn whispers in her ear and Rachel giggles.
“Alright, you two.” Lexie rolls her eyes at them. “You should go before it gets too dark.”
“Is she kicking us out?” Quinn raises her eyebrow at her.
“Politely, though.” Rachel chuckles and walks to the younger blonde, who just pulls her in a bear hug and buries her face against her shoulder, despite the height advantage. “Call us if you need anything, even just to talk about your day, ok?”
“Yes, Mommy. Love you” Lexie sniffles and holds onto her a little longer, until her turn is over. Lexie pulls back and looks at Quinn, who stands there and waits. It’s always been like that between them and she would never change a thing about it.
“Come here, baby.” Quinn huffs when Lexie almost tackles her to the ground. “My baby girl.” Quinn whispers in her ear and Lexie chuckles against her shoulder. Quinn rubs her hands up and down her back, while Lexie takes her time to burn the memory in her mind. It’s all she will have to hold onto, until Thanksgiving.
“I love you, Mom.” Lexie doesn’t say it often and Quinn never asks for it. She waits and when Lexie delivers it, the moment is even more special.
“I love you too.” Quinn kisses her temple lingeringly. She kisses it again and slowly pulls back, cupping her face to kiss her forehead and each cheek. “You’re extraordinary and no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“Eleonor Roosevelt.” Lexie looks at both of them and she pulls them in a group hug. It is quick but not less effective.
“We should get going.” Rachel looks at Quinn who nods and drops one more kiss against their daughter’s forehead.
“Call us and we’ll be here before you can even spell Broadway.” Quinn grins. Rachel rolls her eyes at her.
“She could do that when she was in the crib, Quinn.” Rachel takes her wife by the hand and tugs her towards the door.
“She got what I meant.” Quinn winks at Lexie, who chuckles and leans back against the desk, watching them open the door.
“I love you.” Lexie’s voice is sad, but not urgent. Quinn and Rachel stand in the doorway, to stare at the best thing they have ever done. To stare at the amazing woman they have raised.
“We love you too.” Rachel speaks for the two of them, but it is Quinn closing the door. She waits for the blonde to close it shut and then to tug them down the hallway, towards the parking lot.
“She’ll be fine.” Quinn’s grip is firm and Rachel has no enough strength to turn them back around and back into Lexie’s room.
“How can you be sure of that?” Rachel looks at the dorm complex, hoping to catch one last glimpse of the blonde at her window.
“Because she is our perfect thing.” Quinn stands in front of her and cups her face, before lowering her mouth on Rachel’s. “There’s nothing she cannot do or achieve, just like you.”
“Or you.” Rachel leans on her tiptoes to kiss her softly. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?” Quinn’s arms circle her waist, holding her upright against her.
“You make me want to dance with you in a storm, in my best dress.” Rachel pecks her lips.
“Well, maybe we can wait for the next storm and see where it’ll take us?” Quinn grins and twirls her around in her arms, making her squeal in delight.
THE END