Once the show was over, Quinn was immediately jumped upon by a beautiful blonde toddler.

"Kin, Kin." Beth called, clutching at her biological mother. Though Beth clearly remembered her and was delighted to see her, Quinn limited the time she spent with her daughter. It was selfish, really, because the girl adored their time together and Quinn should be able to give her that - instead hiding away to limit how often she'd feel that little sting in her heart that lasted always a few days after every visit.

"Hello there, baby." Quinn replied. Shelby had said that Santana and Quinn were both free to stay at her apartment, as long as they provided childcare for the period. Holding the tall four-year-old up, Quinn was happy to do the service - Santana immediately stepped in with her own arms outstretched to help hold Beth up, and it suddenly reconciled in Quinn's mind that maybe, just maybe, if Santana would be there to hold her in the coming days, leaving her daughter yet again might not hurt so much.

"Good evening ladies. I hope you're not getting Beth too excited, we're all going straight to bed when we get home." Shelby smiled, approaching the trio and pulling small mittens out of her purse as she did. "Come on, Beth, you don't want to break Quinn's arms, do you?"

Beth released herself to stand between her mothers, peering up from two feet high, "But mommy, I missed her. Why don't I get to see Kin and Auntie S-tana and Rachie and Kurt all the time?" The little girl pouted.

"It's grown-up reasons, Beth, I can't tell you." Shelby sighed, kneeling down to outfit the girl in her woolies.

"Can I ride on your shoulders?" Beth distractedly tugged at Quinn's long coat with the hand that Shelby had just released. Quinn smiled down at the little girl and looked to Shelby for confirmation, the older woman smiling sadly at her before beaming and nodding. Of course she could, Quinn needing to ask regarding her daughter also made Shelby feel bad, she wanted Quinn to be enough in Beth's life that she would be like a parent naturally - she wanted it for Quinn and Beth.

With Beth asleep, after requiring some dramatic recounting of glee club stories and a promise that the adults were going to bed right now, too, Shelby turned MTV on low and made some coffee to chat with her guests. Santana and Quinn had been bustling about organising themselves when Shelby had turned away, and by the time she returned with the coffee they had clearly finished - to Shelby's surprise they were instead situated at one end of a sofa, but Quinn sprawled mostly on top of Santana. Sure they were both sat on the sofa, but Quinn was positioned at such an angle that she had her legs diagonally over Santana's but also could tuck her head into Santana's neck if she wanted. Presently, though, they were looking directly into each others' eyes whilst continuing the conversation.

"Care to tell me about this?" Shelby grinned like the cat that got the cream as she placed the mugs on her coffee table and sat in the armchair to the left of the sofa. Quinn, who had to rotate her head 180 to see her, began to blush and so turned back into Santana's neck, the Latina now supporting her with arms looped around Quinn's waist.

"Um, yeah." Santana began, "We're, uh, engaged, I guess." (Quinn scoffing you guess? and gently hitting her ribs) "I mean, I proposed a couple weeks ago, and Q said yes, so. Yeah." When Santana was done stammering, Quinn turned back around to face Shelby, who was smiling with eyes alight.

"Aw, come here girls. I feel like a proud mama." Instead, Shelby got up herself to awkwardly hug the two and join their little pile before retreating to the adjoined kitchen again. "Of course, not your mother. I'd say I'm too young for that, but we all know that's a lie. And I have-" she reappeared in the lounge area "some cake. Congratulations. Aren't you two cute, have you thought about a date yet?" She finished, handing a paper plate with a couple slices of chocolate cake wrapped in saran to Quinn.

"Well-" began Santana, as Quinn said 'not yet', surprising the blonde who turned from Shelby to express the shock. "Yeah, Q-tip, I've had a couple thoughts. That's all. I was gonna say we could do it in New York, since I know for a fact it's actually legal here." Quinn laughed at the guilty look that had appeared on her fiancee's face.

"Oh, Santa, I thought you were going to say you'd booked it all without telling me." another burst of mirth escapes in one of Quinn's rhythmic but raucous laughs, "I'd have been after your hide, then. Oh, don't worry, it's fine that you've been thinking about it, I'm not desperate to know everything running through your mind." She finished slowly, in her high-pitched lilt, one sign that she was genuine - of course, there was no inflection in it that gave a hint at being more than just friends. Shelby, having known both girls at their most hormone-addled ages, picked up on this but didn't comment.

"So I guess you're just telling everyone for the time being, that's great." She smiled, picking up her drink, "Oh, shall we change the channel?", nodding to the control as '16 & Pregnant' came on, causing both girls to laugh.

"No, please, I love to annoy Rachel with this. It's like an in-joke. It's fine, we're talking any way." Santana added, leaning into Quinn as the taller girl's arms wrapped around her neck. They didn't spend long talking, of course, Shelby wanting to get enough sleep before being woken by a toddler terror, and warning the other women to do the same, leaving them to sleep on the sofa and a pull-out camp bed she retrieved from the ironing closet. And Shelby did find it odd when it was revealed to her in the morning that they had slept separately.

Quinn's train wasn't until the next day, and so she was there with the New York gang saying goodbye to everyone else (with Beth in tow, Shelby swearing off all duties and handing the child over to her until she left).

"Goodbye, Will." Beth said, attempting to high-five the glee club director from where she was being carried by Quinn, snuggled into the woman's chest.

"Goodbye, Beth. And say goodbye to your mommy for me, too." He smiled, before looking up to Quinn, "And goodbye, Quinn. Feel free to come back to McKinley any time you like, everyone else certainly makes liberty of that. You know, there's this one new teacher, young math teacher, he's very handsome. He's from Georgia, I'm sure he'd like you." Quinn blushed, and tried to think of something to say.

Lucky for her, Santana stepped in before it was necessary, "You know, if he were a she, I think Quinn'd like to meet him, too. Guess it's too bad, sweetie pie." Santana turned to Quinn, upping the saccharine on the endearment that Quinn's eyebrow raised at, and pecking her on the cheek.

Quinn just smiled, noticing Will's shock and using the hand not holding her daughter up to press against Beth's ear, subsequently causing her other ear to be pressed against Quinn's sternum - she didn't really want Beth to hear this when she wasn't going to explain - "Yes, Mr Shue. I'm - I don't know, actu- but I am now engaged to Santa - Santana. Lopez." The named girl waved ('smoooooth, Q') and Will looked upset.

"Oh, well. That's news, girls. Congratulations. And on coming out, Quinn. That's news, too. Wow. I will have to let Mr Thomson down easy for you, then. That's amazing, you've got to promise to visit now! Gosh." Will walked away, grabbing his coat and still a little dumbfounded, though his mood and expression had clearly lifted after a second's consideration.

Santana whispered in Quinn's ear, the blonde now releasing Beth's head, "So, are we surprised at his surprise, or?", making Quinn chuckle a little as they waved goodbye to Will, now leaving for his platform.

"Who's ringtone is 'Bitch', Santa?" Quinn shouts to the girl showering in the loft.

Instead, Rachel answers, "Oh, that's Sue. Only bitch bigger than Santana.", as she walks behind Quinn with her French toast.

Quinn looks shocked at the statement and turns to her friend, "You grew balls, Berry. Care to tell me when?" She laughs, not wanting an answer, and then answers Santana's phone.

"LOPEZ!" is screamed down the line, Quinn answering that it's actually her, "Oh, well that makes sense, little miss blonde butt-ache picking up for the Latin curse. Honestly, what has gotten into my Cheerios - just the other day one of my new squad announced that she wanted to wear pants for the routine like an obese libertarian squealer, and I've already had to drop three different girls for chopping their delicious locks shorter than William's attention span on Mondays but now, now, I hear word that Quinn Fabray has joined the ranks of the lady-loving cheer-ophiles who so rarely grace my team, from somebody else! You can layout and handspring with whomever you choose, baby baker, but how dare you, how dare you, my precious bottle-blonde protege, not tell me. I had to hear it as blind gossip in that god-forsaken stench pit of a staff room. Well I traced that rumour back to the source of one Mr William Schuester and now, now, he let that news out into the wilds of McKinley and through a blasphemous game of Chinese whispers, most likely maliciously organised by this preppy junior I call Asian 4, there are students who are claiming that my whole squad is one sacrilegious orgy of sapphic sodomy!"

"Hi, coach. Yes, I am getting married to Santa. But probably in New York so I don't think anyone from Lima will be invited." Quinn sweetened her voice like she always did when responding to one of her cheerleading coach's rants whilst simultaneously ignoring it.

"Well that's where you're wrong, sweet cheeks, 'cause I am going to be in attendance. You two are still my best captains, I'm just a little offended that you hid your gayness. I mean, honestly, by your senior year I didn't even expect it was possible for any more of your homo-tastic grade to not have jumped out of that pink closet to yet another Lady Gaga or Katy Perry song. Can you believe all that happened, I blame the influence of William. But, seriously now, tubbers, you did ask to join that singing club of Jews and losers - but to think my Unholy Trinity is really one unholy trinity."

"Um, thanks coach. Got to go." Quinn responded as Rachel began to lean closer and Santana emerged from the bathroom in her towel. Quinn tossed the phone back onto the table and looked nervously over at Santana, wiping napkins taken from McDonald's in her ears to dry them. She smiled at Quinn when she saw her looking.

"How're you doing, babe?" She asked, heart warm. Quinn blushed as the corners of her mouth also branched up into a wide smile, reaching her eyes before they dropped to look at where Santana was now trying to use a corner of the towel to dry her hair, revealing a length of burnished mocha toned thigh as she did. Of course, Santana noticed this, smirking, "I know I'm a hot piece, Q, whenever you want some you just gotta ask." She winked, Rachel gasping and pretending to look scandalised from where she was trying her very best to act casual with a take-out menu she was re-reading.

"Oh, Sue says she's coming to our wedding, by the way." Quinn called as Santana went to get dressed.

Yeah, four year olds are very good with language, I know four year olds. However, most also struggle with a couple letter and syllable sounds for ages. My sister had problems with some combinations you wouldn't expect until she was, like, fourteen. I also really liked writing Sue in this chapter (duh).