Author's note: I know, it's been forever since the last update. So sorry about the wait! I had actually considered ending this story with chapter 19, but upon further reflection, I thought it needed a little more. So here we are, finally, at the end.

Thank you to everyone who has read this story, and especially to those of you who have reviewed. I appreciate every single one of you. :)

And many thanks to poetzproblem for beta-reading this section. :)

Epilogue

"Ready?" Rachel asked, tucking Quinn's scarf into the front of her coat—Quinn's hands too shaky to do it herself—and gazing up at her intently.

Quinn shrugged a little. "As ready as I can be," she admitted.

Rachel leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, calming Quinn's nerves a bit. "For what it's worth, I think you've shown a lot of courage throughout everything," she said, reaching down and interlacing her fingers with Quinn's. "And I think you're very brave for going today."

"It's not like I have a choice," Quinn replied. "I have to be present for the hearing."

"If you had a choice, would you still go?"

Quinn paused to consider for a moment. "Yeah, I would," she said. "I'm a little afraid to see my dad again, but I need to do this. Not knowing what's going to happen to me and my family has been eating away at me." Quinn stopped to let out a steadying breath. Rachel gently squeezed her hands, offering her comfort. "I know that my family is messed up, and I know that the court isn't going to give us some magical fix, but at least now I'll know what's next."

Rachel's lips curve down into a worried frown. "I'm still afraid that the judge is going to make you go back to live with your parents. Or make you go live with your grandparents in Florida."

"That's not going to happen," Quinn said, although there had been a niggling of doubt in her mind, so her words were as much for herself as they were for Rachel.

Her caseworker, Holly, had assured her that the judge would most likely approve child services' case plan for her and her family, as it was clearly in Quinn's best interest. But until everything was finalized, Quinn couldn't rest easy.

"Ready to get this show on the road, kids?" Leroy asked as he and Hiram entered the foyer of the Berry home—Quinn's home for the last month, and, hopefully, her home for the foreseeable future.

"We're ready, Daddy," Rachel replied.

"Is your sister meeting us here or at the courthouse?" Hiram asked Quinn.

"The courthouse," Quinn confirmed. "Tom's driving her."

Frannie and her boyfriend had arrived from Chicago two days prior for the hearing, and the pair was planning on staying in town for Christmas—making their stay in Lima a full week. It was strange having her around after so many years, and Quinn knew they still had a lot to talk about.

But that had to wait for another time. More pressing was the hearing. In just a few short hours, the judge would make his ruling and decide her fate.

Quinn let out another steadying breath as she looked at Rachel and her fathers—momentarily feeling her anxiety give way to gratitude and affection, before the reality of her situation came crashing back down on her. She shook her head and gazed at the front door, thinking about what awaited her. "Let's get this over with."

"On November 4, 2010, Russell Fabray beat his 15-year-old daughter, Quinn Fabray, severely bruising her torso. Mr. Fabray also forcibly pulled on Quinn's arm, spraining her elbow. There were four eye-witnesses to the beating: Hiram and Leroy Berry, their daughter Rachel, and Noah Puckerman. Mr. Puckerman stopped it from continuing.

"Quinn was taken to St. Rita's Hospital where Dr. Gidwani diagnosed her with a sprained elbow. The doctor had also previously treated Quinn for bruised ribs. At that time, he saw many bruises and welts in different stages of healing, indicating that Quinn had been battered many times before.

"Mr. Fabray told CPS that he was only disciplining his child, who he said had been acting out—causing disruptions around the house and disobeying him. Mr. Fabray said that is how he himself learned to be obedient and a good son. Quinn's sister, Francine, who is now a legal adult and no longer lives with the family, claims to have also been subjected to Mr. Fabray's beatings while under his care."

Quinn clenched her jaw as she continued listening to the evidence that was presented to the judge by her caseworker. Her right hand was firmly clasped in Rachel's while her left was encased in her sister's. Her parents were on the other side of the courtroom, but she couldn't bring herself to look at them right now.

Feelings of shame ran hot through her veins as the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father was recounted in front of strangers and family alike. Hearing it out loud like this—so matter of fact—made it hit home even more. She never wanted to admit just how bad it had gotten, but there was no denying it anymore.

There was no point in pretending that everything was okay. Because it wasn't. It was far from okay and had been for a long time.

She just hoped it wasn't too late to do something about it.

"CPS recommends that for Quinn's safety, she not be returned to her home. We feel that it is in her best interest that she remain in Lima so as to continue her studies and extracurricular activities at McKinley High. She has requested to remain with Hiram and Leroy Berry, who have maintained temporary custody of Quinn since the incident on November 4, and we feel this is the best option for her as well. We recommend counseling for both Russell and Judy Fabray with supervised visitation rights in place. We will maintain in close contact with the family and adjust the plan accordingly depending on what progress has been made."

This was it. Holly had presented her case plan, and now she had to wait for the judge to make his ruling.

Quinn closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer.

Bittersweet relief washed over her as the judge ruled in favor of CPS's case plan. She was quickly enveloped in a hug by Rachel, who soon passed her over to Frannie. Holly came over a moment later to talk to her and the Berrys, offering Quinn a sympathetic smile as she gently squeezed her shoulder.

Movement on the other side of the courtroom caught her eye then, and Quinn chanced a glance over, seeing her parents leaving the room. Her eyes met those of her mother, who offered Quinn a remorseful look as she discreetly wiped at her eyes. Hazel eyes then darted to look at her father. He didn't meet her eyes, but he looked angry, confused, and hurt—the latter two something Quinn had never seen him express before.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she watched them exit the courtroom, and the reality that this was what it had come down to hit her. She swallowed, trying to grapple control of the emotion that was threatening to bubble up.

"Hey," Rachel said softly, leaning into her slightly and grabbing Quinn's attention. "You okay?"

"I don't know," Quinn confessed quietly, unable to stop the moisture that formed in her eyes as she gazed down at her girlfriend. "It's weird. I feel so sad and angry, yet so relieved at the same time."

Rachel's arm snaked around her lower back, drawing her in for another hug. Quinn lowered her head, burying her face in Rachel's neck—breathing her in and trying not to cry as small hands ran up and down her back in an effort to soothe her.

Quinn calmed down considerably on the drive back to the house—Rachel's hand in hers a source of comfort. As Leroy pulled into the driveway, Quinn took a moment to stare at Rachel's house. This was her home now—officially. She didn't have to worry about being taken from the place and more importantly, the people, who made her feel safe over these last two emotionally tumultuous months.

"I hope Frannie and Tom like latkes, because that's what we're having for dinner," Hiram said, breaking into Quinn's thoughts.

She smirked. "Even if they don't, they'll end up loving them. Everything you make is delicious."

"You flatter me, Quinn," he replied, smiling at her before climbing out of the car.

As Quinn made her way out of the car, she paused, seeing Tom's car pull up to the curb. She hung back with Rachel, taking hold of Rachel's mitten-covered hand as she waited for Frannie and Tom.

"I'm glad your sister could come," Rachel said.

"Me too," Quinn agreed, wrapping her arms around Rachel and holding her close for warmth and for comfort.

Rachel let out a sigh and nestled her head under Quinn's chin. "I love you," she murmured softly against her chest, causing Quinn to smile as she echoed the words back to her girlfriend.

Tom and Frannie smiled fondly at the two of them as they made their way up to the driveway, and Quinn felt a small measure of relief that they were both so accepting of her sexuality and her relationship with Rachel.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute, Quinn?" Frannie asked as they started to head up the walkway leading to the Berrys' front door.

"Sure," she agreed before turning to Rachel. "Mind giving us a few minutes?"

Rachel shook her head, letting go of Quinn's hand and giving her a quick peck on the lips before following her fathers and Tom inside.

Quinn stepped onto the front porch and pulled her coat tighter around herself in an effort to get warmer. Her breath fogged in the cold air as she took a seat on one of the chairs. She watched Frannie do the same as she settled down beside her, and then, to Quinn's surprise, her sister pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket. "I didn't know you smoked."

Frannie shrugged, placing the cigarette between her lips and lighting up. "I know it's a bad habit, but it relaxes me," she replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Tom wants me to quit, but I can't seem to break it."

"I see."

They fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence for a few moments as Quinn watched Frannie seemingly gather her thoughts as she continued to puff on her cigarette.

"I'm sorry," Frannie finally said, her pale blue eyes mournful. "I should have come back to make sure that you were okay. I just… I was too afraid to see him again."

Quinn smiled sadly, feeling a little conflicted about everything. "I don't blame you. I had every intention of doing what you did—get out of here and never look back. And it's not like you didn't keep in touch with me."

"I know," she said. "But, Quinn, I'm… I knew Dad was probably hurting you, and I should have at least asked…"

"And I would have changed the subject," Quinn interrupted, shaking her head. "I don't like talking about it. Even this, right now, is really hard for me."

"I know the feeling," Frannie said, blowing out a long breath of smoke. "I mean, you know how it was in that house. We never talked about anything." Her brow furrowed as she took another drag. "I've actually been going to therapy in Chicago," she admitted, taking Quinn by surprise. "It's helped me a lot."

"That's… that's good," Quinn said after a beat.

"Maybe you could try it sometime. I mean, I know you have Rachel to talk to, just like I have Tom, but having that other perspective helps."

"I don't know," Quinn said, resistant to the idea.

"I'll go with you, if you want," Frannie offered. "Maybe that would actually be good for us to do once in awhile."

Quinn shrugged. "I'll think about it," she said, humoring her sister.

Frannie sighed and gave her a knowing look before taking another drag. "Either way, I'm going to make sure to come back to Lima more often. And you should come visit me some time. Chicago is awesome," she finished with a soft smile.

Quinn smiled in return. "I'd like that." She bit her lower lip, hesitating for a moment. "I really have missed you, Fran. I… I'm really glad you came back, even though I know it was the last place you wanted to be."

"Quinn, how could I not be here for this?" Frannie replied. "I didn't stay away from Lima because of you. I stayed away because of him." She cast her eyes down as she forcefully stubbed out her cigarette on the bottom of her shoe. After regathering herself, Frannie looked back up to meet Quinn's eyes. "But what's done is done. Neither of us can change the past. We'll just move forward from here, alright?"

Quinn nodded and smiled. "Sounds good to me."

"Come here," Frannie said, getting to her feet and opening her arms. Quinn's smile grew as she stood and stepped into her sister's embrace.

Later that night, after Frannie and Tom had left to go to their hotel, Rachel and Quinn headed downstairs into the basement to watch a movie. Wanting to keep things as light as possible after an emotionally heavy day, Rachel popped in her dad's copy of Dodgeball into the DVD player.

As they sat cuddled up together on the couch, Quinn quickly forgot about the movie, too focused on the girl who's head was resting in her lap. Her slender fingers ran gently through brunette locks—a soft smile playing at her lips. As she continued to gaze down at Rachel, she felt her heart swell with affection. "How did I get so lucky?" she wondered.

Rachel turned her head to look up at Quinn and smiled. "It might have something to do with how amazing you are."

Quinn's eyes widened in surprise. "Did I say that out loud or was that you being a little bit psychic?"

Rachel laughed a little as she moved to sit. "You were thinking out loud," she confirmed. "But I don't mind. It's nice to know you appreciate me," she added before leaning in to kiss Quinn, smiling against her lips.

"Of course I appreciate you," Quinn said after they pulled apart. She gazed intently at Rachel, growing a little more serious—wanting Rachel to know how much she meant her words. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

Clearly touched by Quinn's words, Rachel's eyes shined with adoration. "I could say the same thing about you. I can't believe I almost missed out on having someone as wonderful as you as my girlfriend," she said, shaking her head a little.

Quinn's lips quirked up into a smile at that. "Your stubbornness was a blessing in disguise. It's exactly what I needed," she said, wrapping her arms around Rachel. "You are exactly what I needed." She paused, searching Rachel's eyes. "And what I still need," she finished, capturing Rachel's top lip between her own.

Quinn then flicked her tongue lightly against Rachel's mouth, and Rachel's lips parted slightly, allowing Quinn to deepen their kiss as she fisted her hands in Rachel's shirt. Nimble fingers caressed the back of her neck, sending a pleasant shiver through her body as their tongues continue to brush against one another.

"I love you," Rachel said breathlessly as they pulled apart, her brown eyes shining with love and happiness and desire.

Quinn stared back, her eyes reflecting the same emotions. "I love you, too," she breathed out. "So much."

She leaned in again and closed her eyes—savoring the feeling of Rachel's lips moving against her own.

Quinn didn't know exactly what the future held for her and her family, but enveloped by the love and safety of Rachel's embrace, she knew she would never have to face it alone.