this is like a one-shot, ten years after Sweet Vengeance. i mean, i did promise something, didn't i? anyway, read, ponder and enjoy.

people say i love you all the time - when they say, 'take an umbrella, it's raining,' or 'hurry back,' or even 'watch out, you'll break your neck.' there are hundreds of ways of wording it - you just have to listen for it, my dear.

-John Patrick, the Curious Savage

Crash. Clatter. Strings of colorful curses.

Normal way to wake up in the morning. Rachel rolled over in her bed with a smile, despite the disaster she was going to come across later. She didn't bother looking at the spot next to her because her wife wouldn't be there. Her wife would be out there in the kitchen probably nursing her already damaged leg – not that she's complaining because Rachel loved her damaged leg – or just scowling at the broken objects and stubbornly trying to make another simpler breakfast.

Rachel brushed her fringe back and opened her eyes; her smile stretching into a grin when she heard another noisy clatter and the curse words barely hidden by the sound of the running tap water. She released a grateful sigh, swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pulled herself to her feet. She licked her lips when she saw the pile of clothes she'd discarded last night in a hurry to get her wife into bed and properly ravish her and bring her to a sweet climax.

She lazily threw them in the laundry and grabbed a baggy shirt and a pair of shorts from the cabinet and threw them on. She stretched as she padded out of the bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen. Sure enough, her beautiful wife was sitting on the island, dabbing reddened gauze at her bleeding toe. Her longer leg dangling over the edge of the island.

The brunette snatched the gauze from her, threw it in the dustbin and grabbed a fresh one from the packet of gauzes. She rinsed it, ignoring her wife's protests and proceeded to dab at the blood gushing out of the toe.

"Good morning, Quinn. Nice of you to wake me up with a disastrous breakfast," she muttered and momentarily stared up at the blonde with a loving grin.

Quinn rolled her eyes and leaned back on her palms, knowing that she would not be the one to make breakfast today, as always. "Morning, Rachel. It's not like you're not used to it."

Rachel chuckled at Quinn's statement. She clicked her tongue in pride when the blood successfully stopped gushing out. She reached for a drawer and pulled out a Band-Aid. "Stop fidgeting," she admonished before she carefully wrapped it around the toe. "There, done. Stay here." She pointed in Quinn's face and went ahead to grab the broom and the duster.

"What? Not even a good morning kiss for your wife?" Quinn complained as Rachel dusted the fragments of what used to be two plates and a bowl.

Rachel smiled at that remark. She discarded the fragments into the dustbin. She put the broom and the duster aside. Then she put her hands beside each of her wife's thighs and leaned forward to give her a peck – which didn't stay a peck. Who was she kidding? This was Quinn Fabray she was talking about. She moaned when Quinn proceeded to wrap her hands around her neck and pulled her in closer to get a better kiss.

Rachel hummed when Quinn pushed her tongue in her mouth. They stayed in that position for awhile; a mess of gasps and moans and grasps. They pulled apart when air became a necessity. Rachel rested her forehead against Quinn's and waggled her brows.

"You sure are naughty today," she teased.

Quinn chuckled lowly and Rachel shuddered at the sound. "I'm sure it's just residual…sensations from last night."

"Keep talking like that and I'll make sure it stays residual no more."

The blonde raised a brow and chuckled in the same tone again. Rachel nearly growled and one of her hands unconsciously traveled quickly to her thigh and gripped tightly. "Don't you have to work?"

"Legend has it that I own that company so…" Rachel whispered in reply, shrugging. Her lips curled into a smirk when she saw how Quinn's eyes darkened at her words. "You wanna…fool around?"

Quinn responded with biting her lower lip seductively and wrapping her arms around Rachel's neck. Her legs locked themselves around her wife's waist. Rachel grinned. She took a firm hold of Quinn's ass and laughed when she yelped.

"You are in so much trouble," she growled and grunted as she lifted Quinn off the island top, slowly climbing upstairs to the bedroom and slamming it shut behind them.

I love you.

"You're gonna get fired from your own company if you don't get out of bed soon," Quinn said throatily, but she made no move to remove her head from Rachel's chest.

Rachel laughed softly. She herself made no move to try to remove Quinn's head from her chest or to stop stroking Quinn's hair because she knew her wife loved it and she never would stop Quinn from doing something she loved – including herself.

"I'm sure I have enough money saved to last us two lifetimes," Rachel replied.

Quinn huffed and lifted her head from Rachel's chest but quickly settled her chin on it instead; staring at Rachel with that content smile of hers that Rachel adored so much. "Your confidence is unbelievably sexy."

The entrepreneur grinned mischievously and without any warning, pushed Quinn onto her back and straddled her. "Well, thank you for the compliment, Miss Fabray."

"Mrs. Fabray-Berry," Quinn corrected without hesitation. "We're married, remember?" As if to emphasize her point, she lifted her hand to show Rachel her wedding ring which was identical to Rachel's of course.

Rachel grabbed the hand in the air and made to kiss the cold ring. "I'll never forget," she whispered and leaned down to kiss her wife.

I love you.

Thirty minutes later, after two more rounds of making each other reach the point of ecstasy; they finally dragged themselves from the bed and into the shower. Quinn sat with her back against Rachel's naked chest and lathered soap all over Rachel's arms.

Sure, the image might seem odd. But Rachel had always been the dominant one in their relationship. Not in that sense, but in a sense where Rachel would be the big spoon or Rachel would be the one with the big gestures or Rachel would be the one to have the bigger income in the house.

Quinn was willing to let Rachel be the dominant one, because Quinn was done with being the one to have to make decisions. She was tired from all those years of making decisions when she wasn't married and was in charge of the bakery. She still worked at the bakery, but she'd long since handed the reins to Santana. She was going to let someone take care of her for once. She was going to let Rachel take care of her. Their height difference didn't matter.

Before Quinn could finish covering every inch of her arms with soap, Rachel wrapped her arms around Quinn's stomach, tearing an adorable yelp from her. The brunette settled her chin in the crook of her wife's neck and shoulder, kissing the smooth and wet skin.

Quinn relaxed rapidly and leaned back, closing her eyes and sighing. These simple moments were the moments she enjoyed the most. She could alone with her wife and be at peace and feel loved even though no words were spoken.

I love you.

"I want a dog."

They didn't want children. They knew they wouldn't want children. Even when Rachel had promised that she wanted to raise kids with Quinn when the blonde was in the hospital, they knew they wouldn't have them. That decision was reinforced when they watched Brittany and Santana's brat, Joseph, prancing around and causing headaches for his mothers.

Besides, Artie had told them once that they it would be best if Quinn didn't get pregnant with her legs' current condition that wasn't likely to improve.

Rachel's spoon hung midair, the milk dripping from the edge of it. Quinn had that look on her face when she was serious and the brunette could see that she was dead serious. She shoved the spoon of cereal into her mouth and nodded.

"Then let's get a dog," she said with her mouth full. She could practically hear Santana making whipping noises in the background. "Come on. Let's go!"

She stood up and made her way to the walk-in closet at the front door, grabbing their jackets and coats and scarves. It was cold outside. She certainly did not want Quinn to get sick. She swung back around to see Quinn staring her wide-eyed.

"What are you waiting for?" Rachel said loudly so Quinn could hear from where she was. It was a mansion after all.

"I didn't mean now!" Quinn replied, her voice as loud.

"Why not? Consider it a gift. Come on, chop chop!"

Rachel could barely resist from smiling when she watched Quinn squealing quietly from there and literally jumped onto her feet. Quinn did her best version of 'hurrying' towards Rachel and let Rachel help her put on her jacket and her coat on. She turned around so Rachel could wrap her blue polka dot scarf around her neck.

"Oh bring the umbrella in case it rains!" Quinn said as she practically pranced out the door.

I love you.

Two hours into the adoption of their new four years old Golden Retriever dog, Rachel was sure they'd adopted the spawn of Satan himself. The second they let him off the leash, he'd already destroyed a decorative vase and trashed their DVD player.

"Hey, spawn! Come here, boy!" Rachel called, kneeling on the floor with his newly bought chew toy. She could hear Quinn making a disapproving noise from the couch. "What? Look at him! He's an evil spawn." The dog had already lumbered towards her and was sprawled across her lap, chewing the toy. "What are you gonna call him?"

"It's our dog, Rachel. We can decide together," Quinn said as she watched the two of them with a smile on her face.

Rachel looked down at the dog and watched as he sank his sharp tooth in the toy. She would bet a hundred dollars that the chew toy would be goners in no more than two weeks. "Let's just call him Spawn," she muttered, brushing her hand through his soft golden hair.

"Rachel!"

The brunette shrugged and gave her wife a helpless look. "Quinn, seriously, look at this dog! I'm not even sure it's a dog. I'm about seventy per cent ready to send him back to the adoption center and get another one; one that's mild and tame and won't eat my DVD player and smash my vase."

"Toto."

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Toto is an honorable dog who actually helped Dorothy in the Land of Oz. I'm pretty damn sure that if we landed in Oz ourselves, this thing would lead us to Elphaba and sacrifice us for food or something."

"It's only been two hours!"

"And he's already eaten the freaking DVD player!"

"We shouldn't have gotten a dog," Quinn grunted, collapsing onto her back on the armchair sideways.

"You wanted it!"

I love you.

"Oh Jesus, we just saw you yesterday and you managed to get a freaking spawn in one day's time?" Santana exclaimed, climbing as far back into the sofa as possible to get away from Spawn – yes, they agreed on that name.

"See, Quinn?" Rachel yelled from the kitchen.

Brittany swatted at Santana's foot and leaned back down to play with Spawn. "He's cute," Brittany commented and smiled at Quinn.

"Thank you, Britt," Quinn replied.

It wasn't odd anymore for them to see Rachel and Santana having the same opinion and the same with Quinn and Brittany. After ten years, they'd seen weirder stuff in their lives.

Rachel came into the living room, wiping her hands on the apron she's wearing as she looked around. A frown appeared on her face when she couldn't find what she was looking for. She directed an accusing stare at the Latina who was still trying to get herself as far away from Spawn as she could.

"Where is my godson, Santana Lopez?" Rachel demanded.

Santana stared at her for a nanosecond before she yelped when Spawn suddenly made a move to her. Rachel reluctantly smiled when Quinn burst out laughing at her sister's reaction. She didn't stop when Santana glared at her. Like they said, it wasn't odd anymore.

Brittany answered in place of Santana, "Blaine wanted to spend time with his nephew so we left Joseph with him."

"How dare he," Rachel grumbled and went back into the kitchen to check on dinner.

She was taking the lasagna out of the oven when she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her stomach from behind a very warm and comfortable body against her back. "What are you making?" whispered her wife into her ear.

Rachel grinned and leaned back to peck her wife before returning to prepare the lasagna. "You aren't blind, Quinn. And you know your favorite food." Quinn chuckled into her ear and a burst of shudders ran through the brunette's body. "How is it that you're so good at baking but you're so bad at cooking?"

"I have no idea. You'd cook for me anyway so who cares?"

"I'd love to have someone cook for me for once," Rachel quipped innocently.

"Well as long as you want to eat ugly and ew food," Quinn teased.

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "You might have forgotten but I'd eat anything you make."

I love you.

"Have you realized that you haven't told me you love me for the entire day?"

Rachel pulled her sweatpants on and walked out of the bathroom to see Quinn lounging on their bed, reading a John Green novel. The entrepreneur loved seeing her wife like this. Being comfortable and doing something she liked. It was a special moment itself.

"Well, neither have you." She climbed into bed next to Quinn and pulled the covers over them. She automatically put her arm around Quinn's shoulders when she leaned over to lay her head on her chest. "Where are you at?"

"They finally had sex," Quinn said dryly as she put in the bookmark and put the book on the bedside table. The blonde's arms slithered around Rachel's waist and snuggled into Rachel's warmth.

Rachel hummed and kissed the top of Quinn's head. "Do you wanna go to Anne Frank's house one day?"

"Are you gonna make out with me there?"

Rachel snickered. "Baby, I'd make out with you anywhere."

Quinn laughed and shifted so she could look at her wife. "Happy tenth anniversary, Mrs. Fabray-Berry."

"Happy tenth anniversary, Quinn," Rachel said and leaned in to kiss her wife's mouth tenderly.

This. This was everything. Nothing else. Rachel Berry only needed Quinn Fabray. Oh wait, Fabray-Berry.

I love you.

i am melting at my own story. are you melting? please say you're melting.