Twelve long days had passed since Quinn's world was turned upside down by the arrival of Jordan. Twelve days of intense stares and awkward silence coming from Rachel and Beth. Both of them were still not able to cope with the new addition to their family.

Quinn was spreading herself thin. She had marriage counseling with Rachel, getting Jordan settled into his new life, and dealing with Beth fighting her about everything. While also working twelve hour shifts at the hospital. Quinn was both physically and emotionally exhausted from it all.

However, Quinn didn't pity herself for a moment and she didn't expect anyone else to. She was doing everything she could to make it all work. No matter how many nights she had to sleep in the guest bedroom or get the cold shoulder from Rachel she was determined to keep her family together.

The night Rachel broke down in Quinn's arms she agreed to try and work things out but only if they started seeing a marriage counselor immediately. The next morning Quinn hired the best marriage counselor in California and made sure to never miss an appointment no matter what.

Although there wasn't much to smile about in the Berry-Fabray household. Quinn got good news from the principal at Beverly Hills High. Jordan would be able to complete his senior.

"Thanks for the new clothes Quinn, you didn't have to spend all this money on me." Quinn and Jordan had just returned from the mall after buying school clothes.

"You don't need to thank me Jordan." Quinn assured him.

"You know, you say that a lot."

"Well I have to because you won't stop thanking me. I'm just doing my parental duties." Quinn countered.

"Either way, I appreciate all of this." Jordan thanked Quinn.

He opened his bedroom drawers to make a home for his new clothes. He wasn't going to mention it to Quinn but it would be the first time since he was eleven that he wouldn't have to wear hand me downs to school.

"So you've been here for almost two weeks now and you seem pretty settled in. So I just want to go over the house rules with you." said Quinn.

"Okay, I'm listening." replied Jordan. In his mind, going from living in group homes to now living in a mansion. There weren't any rules he wouldn't be able to follow.

"First things first, Rachel and I will always have the final say." Quinn began. "You are always welcomed to express your thoughts and opinions but at the end of the day what we say goes."

"Okay, sounds fine." Jordan acknowledged.

"Now rule number one. Curfew is at nine-thirty on school nights and midnight on the weekends. The first time you miss curfew you get a warning. The second time we take two hours off your curfew. The third time you will be grounded for two months."

"Sounds fair." Jordan agreed.

"Side note, do you have your driver's license?" A thought quickly popped into Quinn's head.

"No I don't." Jordan answered.

"Okay, no worries we'll work on that." Quinn made a mental note of it.

"Anyways, you will get a credit card which is only used for small purchases and in case of an emergency." Quinn added.

"I don't want one." Jordan responded almost instantaneously.

"Why not?" inquired Quinn. Not understanding how a teenager didn't want a credit card of their own.

"Don't get me wrong, it's nice to know I get to come home to this big ass house and wear these nice clothes. But I'm starting to feel like I'm taking advantage of you." Jordan answered honestly.

Quinn shook her head. "Jordan you're not taking advantage of me. I've been fortunate enough to not have to worry about money in my life and I want the same for you. Plus it will put my mind at ease to know you have money on you in case something happens."

Jordan sighed. "Okay but I promise I'll pull my weight around here. I'll even get a job after school."

Quinn shook her head again. "There is no need for you to do that. All I want you to do is focus on your schoolwork and getting your diploma."

"Are you sure?" he asked with uncertainty.

"Of course I'm sure. The only thing you need to worry about is being a seventeen year old kid." Quinn stated matter of factly.

"I think I can handle that." said Jordan. A radiant smile stretched across his face.

"Good." After everything Jordan had been through in his life, Quinn wanted to make sure that his new life with her was as easy as possible.

"Next rule is, clean up after yourself. Yes we have staff here that cleans up but that doesn't mean you should live like a slob." This rule was Quinn's personal pet peeve.

"Do not live like a slob, Check."

"And the last house rule. If you decide to bring over a friend of the opposite sex, the door must stay open. Not cracked but completely open." Quinn emphasized. She refused to be a grandmother at thirty-five.

"Now that's messed up. I already had plans to invite some cute girls over for a hot and heavy make-out session." Jordan joked.

"Haha very funny. There will be no make out sessions going on in this room or any other room in this house..well except for my bedroom."

Jordan shook his head in embarrassment. "You know, there is this line that's like right here." Jordan uses his hands to illustrate his point. "And here you are, just inching closer and closer to crossing it."

"Too much information?"

"Just a bit." Jordan answered sarcastically, an amused grin on his face.

Quinn loved the bond she and Jordan had established in the short time since his arrival. Their conversations and playful banter was so organic and nothing felt forced. On the outside looking in you would have never guessed that the two of them were strangers until recently.

"I'll leave you to finish putting everything away." Quinn stood up from her spot on the edge of Jordan's bed. "Do you have any concerns or questions about the rules?"

"Nope, everything sounds cool." Jordan responded as he continued to sort and organize his new clothes.

"Okay, I will be downstairs if you need me."

Quinn left Jordan's room and headed down the hall to Lily's nursery. Quinn wanted to see if the toddler had woken up from her afternoon nap. Quinn cracked the door open to the nursery and Lily was wide awake. The one year old was playing with a stuffed animal in her crib.

"Someone's up from their nap I see." Quinn lifted Lily out of her crib, cradling the small child in her arms. Suddenly an unpleasant but familiar smell hit her nostrils. "And you left a stinky present for mama."

Lily laughed showing off the few tiny teeth in her mouth.

"Okay, let's see how big of a mess you left for mama." Quinn put Lily on the changing table and unbuttoned her onesie to inspect the damage. "Oh my god. How is all of this coming out of your small little body..how is it all over your back?"

After surviving Lily's diaper change Quinn stopped by the twin's room to check on them. It was her day off and she was home alone with the kids while Rachel was working.

"Hey boys, you guys doing okay?"

Inside the room Lexington's eyes were focused on the TV mounted on their wall. A basketball game playing on the screen. While Liam was on his iPad watching his favorite musical The Sound Of Music.

"Yes mama." Lexington answered, his eyes not leaving the television screen for a second. Liam doesn't respond at all.

"Liam, are you okay sweetie?" Quinn asked a second time.

"Yes mama, my favorite part is coming up." Liam didn't want to be rude to his mother but he also didn't like to be interrupted while he watched his musicals.

"Okay, I'll leave you two alone. I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Both of them just nodded their heads. Their eyes never left their respective screens.

With Lily on her hip Quinn headed downstairs to the living room. It was the perfect afternoon for her to catch up on some episodes of Grey's Anatomy. On her days off, Quinn loved cuddling on the couch with Rachel and catching up on tv shows that they missed throughout the week. She wouldn't be able to cuddle with Rachel but at least she had Lily Grace to snuggle with.

When she stepped into the living room, Beth was sitting on the couch watching Riverdale on Netflix.

"I didn't know you were home." commented Quinn.

Beth rolled her eyes, already annoyed by her mother's presence. "I didn't know I had to make an announcement."

"Really Beth, how long are we going to go through this." Quinn stepped in front of Beth blocking the television to get her daughter's full attention.

"As long as you allow that kid to stay in our house." Beth switched her attention from the television screen to the iPhone in her hand. Beth wanted to avoid her mother's glance as much as she could.

"Jordan." Quinn emphasized, tired of Beth pretending to not know his name. "Is your brother and has just as much of a right to be here as you."

"Oh really, that makes a lot of sense. A child from a drunken one night stand is equal to the ones you had with your wife. Nice mama."

Quinn furrowed her brows. She was really tired of Beth's smart mouth.

"None of that changes the fact that Jordan is family. You will all get treated the same and no one is going to feel left out in this family."

"Whatever Quinn." Beth sassed.

Quinn had beyond reached her breaking point with Beth.

"Elizabeth Fabray. I don't care how upset you are, you will not continue to disrespect me. I am still your mother and I will not tolerate this attitude any longer." Quinn raised her voice but made a conscious decision not to yell at Beth in front of Lily.

"Next time, there isn't going to be anymore talking. I'm going to take away your phone and car for two months." asserted Quinn.

"You can't be serious." Beth finally took her eyes away from her phone and instead glared at her mother.

"I'm very serious. So either fix your attitude or deal with the consequences." Quinn said with conviction. She wanted to put an end to Beth's antics.

Beth visibly upset, jumped off the couch and threw her phone on the coffee table. "You know what, take whatever you want Quinn. I don't even care anymore."

Beth stormed out of the living room, her long blonde hair bouncing behind her.

"What was that about?" Rachel's low voice called from the other side of the living room.

Rachel had walked into the house just a few moments ago. By the time she got to the living room Beth was already storming out.

"I didn't even hear you come in." said Quinn.

Rachel walked over to Quinn and removed Lily from her arms.

"How was work?" Quinn followed Rachel into the kitchen. She looked down and her eyes couldn't help but wander. Rachel was wearing a skintight black jumpsuit that showed off her toned butt.

"Long day." Rachel kept it short and sweet. A distinctive change from the long wordy responses Quinn was used to. Short answers from Rachel were starting to be the norm.

"Well, Joselyn will be here soon to cook dinner so you can just relax. You look exhausted..I mean you don't look bad or anything. You actually look really good, it's just I know you're probably really tired." Quinn rambled.

"Okay." Rachel simply replied. Lily began to get fussy so Rachel bounced the one year old up and down in her arms.

"I can take her if you want." Quinn offered.

"She's probably just hungry. Have you fed her?"

"Not yet, I just got her up from her nap."

Rachel grabbed a jar of oatmeal out the refrigerator and a spoon before placing Lily in her high chair. Rachel took a seat at the kitchen table next to Lily.

"So, what was that about?" inquired Rachel. Still concerned about the argument between Beth and Quinn.

"Our daughter just refuses to give up on the attitude. I've reached my breaking point with her and her disrespectful remarks." Quinn informed Rachel.

"And what did you say to her?" Rachel questioned.

"I told her I would take away her cellphone and car if she didn't straighten out her attitude."

"Oh." Rachel simply stated as she continued to feed Lily. A disappointed expression written on her face.

"Did I say something wrong?" Quinn asked, analyzing the expression on her wife's face.

Rachel sighed. "Have you asked her even once how she's feeling? This situation isn't just hard on us it's hard on her too. She's fifteen years old and her life just got flipped upside down. This is not easy information to process and you threatening her won't fix anything."

Quinn nodded her head in understanding. Rachel was right, through all of this she never tried to have a real conversation with Beth. She was supposed to be the adult in the situation and yet she wasn't acting like it.

"I know you may not believe this but Beth really looks up to you. And it's hard when your hero let's you down." Rachel continued.

"And I've only made things worse. I've been so caught up in trying to keep you and Jordan happy that I've completely neglected Beth and her feelings." Quinn finally understood.

"I need to talk to her."

...

Quinn gave Beth's door a light knock. When she didn't get a response she cracked the door open.

She peaked her head inside and saw Beth lying on her bed with headphones in her ears. Beth was unaware that Quinn had entered the room.

Quinn tapped Beth on the shoulder and once Beth made eye contact with her mother she let out a loud sigh.

"Come to yell at me some more?" Beth took out her headphones and placed them on the bed.

"No, no more yelling. I want us to actually have a conversation."

Beth sat up straight in her bed, her back up against the bed frame.

"I'm sorry Beth." Quinn took a seat at the edge of Beth's bed.

"I haven't handled this the right way." Quinn began. "All of this is hard on everyone and I was considerate of everyone's feelings except yours.

Beth bowed her head and looked down at her fingers. Quinn lifted her chin back up. Wanting Beth to look her in the eyes as she spoke from the heart.

"I know this can't be easy on you, especially with the way I've handled things. The twins are too young to understand and Lily won't even remember any of this. You on the other hand have to absorb all of this." added Quinn. "You're still a child and I can't expect you to process and manage your emotions like an adult. It's not fair to you."

Tears began to gather at the corners of Beth's eyes.

"So, I want you to tell me exactly how you feel. Just let it all go, everything that you've been holding in."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm serious, let me have it. I promise I won't get upset." Quinn reiterated. She knew Beth would feel a lot better once she got it all out.

"Fine, I'll tell you exactly how I feel." Beth jumped off the bed and stood in front of her mother. A harden expression plastered across her face.

"I hate all of this! I hate that our lives are never going to be the same. I hate that mom is so sad and pretty much cries herself to sleep every night. I hate that we had a perfect life and now all of that is gone. I hate not knowing what's going to happen next. What if mom doesn't forgive you and you have to get a divorce. What if we only get to see you on the weekends. I don't want our family to be broken up and I hate Jordan for ruining everything. I know it's not right for me to say but it's how I feel. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I want us to be a happy family again." Beth let her true emotions out and the tears began to flow heavily down her cheeks.

"Come here Beth." Quinn stretched out her arms and surprisingly that's all she had to say. Beth fell into her mother's arms.

Quinn cradled Beth in her lap just like she used to when Beth was a little girl. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise. Your mom and I love each other very much and this is just one obstacle in our path. Your mom has agreed to go to counseling with me, which means she is willing to work things out. She wants to fix things between us. So don't worry your pretty little head about this anymore. We've always been a strong family and we will get through this."

Quinn kissed the top of Beth's golden blonde hair. Beth looked up at her mother and Quinn wiped away the tears that were staining Beth's cheeks.

"You okay?" Quinn asked her daughter.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Beth sniffled and wiped the rest of the tears off her face.

"I love you Beth."

"I love you too mama."

Quinn placed another gentle kiss on the top of her daughter's head.

"I'm sorry for what I said about Jordan." Beth added.

"It's okay. I understand why you think this is his fault but it's not. I am the one that deserves all of the blame. I lied to your mother and now I have to face the consequences. Jordan on the other hand is completely innocent in all of this. He's just a kid who wanted to meet his mother. He had no ill intentions when he came out here to find me." Quinn explained, hoping that Beth would understand.

"I know." Beth acknowledged.

"You should talk to him. Try to get to know him. He's a great kid and the two of you might actually get along." Quinn said as she ran her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"I doubt it..but I'll try." Beth wasn't looking forward to it but for her mother she was willing to give it a try.

—

…

THE NEXT DAY

"Rachel, you really need to bring Quinn with you tonight."

Rachel's publicist Cassandra had been pressing her client all day about the importance of bringing Quinn to the movie premiere.

"I'm perfectly capable of attending the premiere by myself, Cassandra. It's not even my movie."

Rachel had just gotten out of the shower when Cassandra called her. Soon her glam team would be over to help her get all dressed up for the premiere.

"Because Rachel, it's a movie premiere for possibly the most romantic movie since Titanic. Everyone attending is going to be there with a date and it will look peculiar if you don't bring your wife." Cassandra further explained.

"I'm married to a doctor Cassandra. I'm sure the press will believe me if I say she had some type of emergency surgery or something."

Rachel really didn't want to ask Quinn to go with her to the movie premiere. She still wasn't on good terms with her wife and she wasn't in the mood to put on the fake affection in front of the cameras.

"Rachel, you and Quinn need to be seen together or rumors will start to float. Once rumors start to buzz, the press goes looking for answers. So I need you to show up with Quinn tonight looking beautiful, happy, and in love. Can you please do that for me?" Cassandra begged. Rachel had revealed to her that Quinn had another child and Cassandra was in full publicist mode to control the narrative as much as she could.

"Fine, I'll bring Quinn." Rachel huffed. She wanted no parts of an awkward night but it's what she had to do.

"Thank you Rachel! Remember big smiles tonight and if you need anything just call me." Cassandra beamed from the other side of the phone. Relieved that she had convinced Rachel to see things her way.

"Bye Cassandra." Rachel ended the phone call. She was beyond frustrated and not at all entertained by the idea of playing the loving couple in front of the cameras. Unfortunately she had no time to sulk, the premiere was just three hours away.

Rachel checked around the house and was finally able to locate Quinn in her home office. Rachel tapped lightly on the office door before letting herself in.

Quinn looked up from her computer when Rachel walked in. "Hi."

"Hey." Rachel greeted back.

"Everything okay?" Quinn gave Rachel her full attention.

"Yes everything's fine. Are you busy?"

"Not really, I'm just doing some research." Stacks of paper and files were piled onto Quinn's desk.

"Well, if you're not busy, would you like to attend a movie premiere with me tonight." Rachel asked in a dry tone.

"You actually want me to go with you?" Quinn was taken by surprise at Rachel's request. Rachel still had her kicked out of their bedroom and barely said more than three words to Quinn at home.

"Cassandra wanted me to ask. She thought it would look suspicious if you didn't accompany me tonight."

"So this is just an image thing, you don't actually want me to go with you?"

"I was fully prepared to go to the premiere alone tonight before Cassandra's call." Rachel knew her answer would hurt Quinn's feelings but her anger wouldn't allow her to care.

Quinn didn't bother to hide the disappointment on her face. This was the version of Rachel that was becoming the norm. Cold, distant, and nothing like the woman Quinn married.

But Quinn swallowed her pride knowing that the way she was feeling paled in comparison to what Rachel was going through.

"I'll go." Quinn answered. "But can we at least go to dinner afterwards. That's all I ask."

Quinn didn't mind being used as a prop..as long as it came with some alone time with Rachel.

Rachel thought about it for a moment.

"Fine, we can go to dinner..I'm sure I will need something to eat after the premiere." Rachel said nonchalantly. She didn't want Quinn to see it as a small victory.

"Great." Quinn beamed. Rachel saying yes to dinner was a small victory.

"Well the glam team will be here in about twenty minutes so can you shower quickly and meet me in our bedroom."

"Of course, I'll meet you in twenty."

"Okay." Rachel said in a casual tone before she turned and walked out the door.

Once Rachel left Quinn leaned back in her chair, hands propped behind her head. Getting Rachel to agree to dinner after almost two weeks of the cold shoulder had Quinn feeling a little more optimistic.

Three hours later Quinn sat in the living room with the kids excluding Jordan. He was still avoiding Rachel and Beth as much as he could. Quinn had picked her outfit and got her hair and makeup done in an hour. Rachel was taking a bit longer than Quinn to decide what she wanted to wear.

"Are you and mommy going on a date?" Liam asked from his spot on the couch.

"No buddy, mommy and I are going to a movie premiere." Quinn answered.

"Oh I want to see the movie too!" Liam exclaimed.

"I'm sorry buddy but this movie is for adults only." Quinn explained.

"Is it because it's going to be kissing in the movie?" Lexington asked.

"Kind of..yes."

"Liam and Lex shush, mom and mama need some alone time." Beth interjected. She wanted nothing more than to see her parents mend their relationship and them going out together seemed like a step in the right direction.

"Whatever." Lexington sighed.

The sound of heels hitting the floor brought everyone's attention to the entrance of the living room.

Rachel was standing there in a skintight black and gold maxi dress. A long slit running up her dress exposed her tan legs and a deep plunging neckline slightly exposed her chest.

"Wow mom, you look hot." Beth complimented as Rachel stepped into the living room.

"Thank you sweetie." Rachel kissed Beth on top of her head.

Quinn couldn't take her eyes off Rachel and if Beth didn't call out her name she probably would have started drooling.

"Earth to mama!" Beth waved her hand to get her mother's attention.

"Oh sorry." Quinn snapped out of her trance. "Rachel you look really incredible."

"Thank you." Rachel gave a half smile.

"We should probably get going, we have to be in our seats in forty-five minutes." Rachel advised after checking the time on her phone.

"Yeah of course." replied Quinn, stealing another glance at Rachels dress.

"Kids, we will be home late tonight so Olivia will be here in about ten to fifteen minutes. Call us if you need anything and behave yourselves." Rachel specified.

Quinn and Rachel took turns kissing all the kids goodbye before heading out the door.

Their driver Marc was standing outside waiting for them by their black Mercedes-Benz. It was a twenty minute drive to the premiere, plenty of time for Rachel to give Quinn the rundown for the night.

"Tonight I need you to put on your acting cap. I don't want the press to get any indication that something is going on between us. So affection is acceptable and encouraged just for tonight. You think you can do that?" Rachel lectured. Since they had to pretend to be a happy couple, she wanted to make sure they did it right.

"Yes." Quinn replied. It wasn't an ideal situation for her but she would do what she had to do for Rachel. Plus she looked forward to being affectionate with Rachel even if it was all for show.

Rachel got on her phone and began replying to the many text messages that were popping up. For ten straight minutes Rachel didn't talk or even look at Quinn as they rode down the freeway.

"So, who's starring in this movie?" Quinn asked, unable to handle the piercing silence any longer.

"Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield." Rachel continued to look down, typing away on her phone.

"Love Issa Rae, this movie must be really good if she's in it."

"Yeah." Rachel still didn't look up from her phone and Quinn was growing frustrated by the lack of eye contact.

"Rachel, can we have an actual conversation? I know we are working through our issues but you won't even say more than two words to me. Can you please put your phone down for a second and talk to me." pleaded Quinn.

Rachel huffed and put her phone down on the seat. "I'm sorry this isn't easy for you Quinn and I'm sorry you are not getting the attention you want. But I'm not going to do things the way you want me to."

"It's not about me wanting things my way. I just don't understand how we can fix things if the only time you talk to me is in counseling. You won't even look at me." Quinn further explained.

"I won't look at you because every time I do, all I see is a person who lied to me for years. So I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings Quinn but I'm going to deal with this my way."

Rachel's frustration with Quinn had reached its boiling point. She'd been doing her best to keep their marriage intact by going to counseling and she was not going to be rushed or forced to do anything else.

"I'm sorry Rachel." Quinn apologized sincerely. She knew she was wrong for pushing Rachel.

Rachel didn't respond to Quinn, she just stared out the car window. Afraid that if she looked at Quinn she would begin to cry and she did not want to ruin her makeup.

Quinn picked up her wife's hand and delicately kissed the back of it, letting her lips linger for a few moments.

"I'm sorry." Quinn whispered into her hand.

Rachel didn't pull her hand away, the feeling of Quinn's lips was the just the comfort she needed in that moment. They rode the rest of the way in total silence and Quinn never let go of Rachel's hand.

—-

Rap music blasted through Jordan's headphones as he danced around the kitchen. Quinn and Rachel were gone, the twins were bowling downstairs with the babysitter, and Beth was watching a movie in the theatre. So Jordan decided he would cook himself something to eat. Quinn told them they could just order takeout but Jordan saw it as a waste of money since the whole kitchen was packed with groceries.

As he danced around in front of the stove he didn't notice Beth had entered the kitchen and was watching him from across the island.

Jordan spun around and almost dropped the food in his hands once he saw Beth staring at him.

"Oh shit, you scared the crap out of me."

"You know you shouldn't use that type of language, especially around moms." Beth advised.

"Yeah I know, I'm trying to work on it." Jordan said with uncertainty. Not sure as to how this interaction with Beth was going to go.

Jordan grabbed a plate out of the kitchen cabinet and began putting the fried chicken and fries on his plate.

"Did you really put ketchup on your chicken?" Beth pointed at the reddish colored sauce that was covering Jordan's food.

"It's called mumbo sauce. It's kind of like ketchup but more sweet and tangy. Back in Chicago we put this on pretty much everything but it goes best with chicken and fries."

"What's in it?" Beth asked, genuinely curious about the unique sauce.

"A lot of sugar, ketchup, some vinegar, soy sauce, paprika, and hot sauce."

"That doesn't sound like a good combination." said Beth, her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Here, try some." Jordan pushed his plate across the table so that Beth could sample the meal.

Beth seemed hesitant at first, although she wasn't vegan she tried to stay away from meat as much as she could.

"Trust me, this is going to change your life." Jordan encouraged Beth.

"Okay." Beth reached over and grabbed a piece of chicken.

Jordan watched as Beth took a slow bite and seconds later her eyes lit up.

"Oh my god." Beth stammered.

"I told you." Jordan nodded. Beth was giving him the same look he had the first time he tasted mumbo sauce.

"That's so good." Beth said between bites. She licked the corners of her mouth to get off the excess sauce.

"Life changing right."

"Absolutely." Beth confirmed. "You have to show me how to make this."

Jordan couldn't believe that Beth was actually being nice to him. Since he arrived Beth was nothing but rude to him.

"You seemed to have a change in attitude?" Jordan addressed.

"Yeah, I didn't think ketchup and soy sauce would taste good together but this is delicious." Beth licked her fingers.

"I'm not talking about the food..I'm talking about me. I've gotten nothing but death stares from you since I got here. Now you're actually having a civilized conversation with me."

Beth finished chewing the food in her mouth before she spoke. "Me being upset with you was just misplaced anger. I was really upset with mama and I took it out on you too. I just really don't want my parents to get a divorce because of all this."

"And that's the last thing I wanted to happen when I showed up. I just really wanted to meet Quinn, that's all I've ever wanted since I was five years old." Jordan confessed.

"You don't have to explain yourself, I get it." Beth threw her chicken bone inside the trash and washed her hands in the kitchen sink.

"So, what did your mom tell you about my mom when you were growing up? Did she say why she wasn't around?" Beth questioned. She was curious as to why Jordan's mom never contacted her mother.

"Not really, I guess I was too young to understand. All I knew was that I had another mom that lived far away. I didn't even know what Quinn looked like until my mom gave me a picture of her when I was ten."

"So how did you know that my mom wasn't just some deadbeat parent?" Beth continued to question.

"Because of the picture?"

"What do you mean? You can't tell from a picture."

"Of course you can, you just have to look at the eyes. I looked at Quinn's eyes and they were really kind eyes. No one with her eyes, could ever abandoned a child. Or leave them in foster care for years." Jordan elaborated. He's always had a feeling that Quinn didn't neglect him and after meeting her, he knew that feeling to be a fact.

"What was it like, growing up in foster care?" Beth felt like she was interrogating him at this point but she was intrigued by his story. Plus Quinn did tell her to get to know him.

"Honestly it was pretty terrible. I was constantly moving around and most of the time the foster homes I was placed in hated kids, they just wanted the check. Also, most parents wanted to adopt babies so I wasn't a very desirable adoption choice. So most of my time in the foster care system was spent in overcrowded group homes with a bunch of neglected kids who had issues that no one cared about. The moment I turned seventeen I was out of there and I didn't look back."

After hearing Jordan's story Beth felt terrible for the way she treated him. All he wanted was to find his mother and finally have a place he could call home.

"I'm so sorry Jordan. I feel like such a brat. Here I am treating you like crap and you've already been through so much." Beth sincerely felt bad for her actions the past two weeks.

"It's all good Beth." Jordan assured her.

"No it's not, I was wrong Jordan." Beth wanted to make it clear to him that she was ashamed of her actions. "I never took the time to consider what you went through before getting here."

"Thank you Beth. I really appreciate that." Jordan said, sending a smile Beth's way and she sent one back to him.

"So we're cool now?" Jordan asked. Holding out his fist for Beth to bump.

"Yeah we're cool." Beth bumped her fist against Jordan's.

"Now if I could just get Rachel to see that I'm not that bad, maybe she wouldn't hate me as much." Jordan didn't know how Rachel truly felt about him. All he knew was that Rachel pretty much didn't even acknowledge his existence. He couldn't blame her though after everything that was revealed.

"That's not true. Mom is the sweetest person on earth, she could never hate anyone. She probably just doesn't know what to say. I mean how do you start a conversation with your wife's long lost son." Beth explained. It was a really awkward situation for everyone involved.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Jordan agreed.

"Of course I'm right. So don't worry about it. Mom will talk to you when the time is right."

"Okay." Jordan nodded.

"Well I'm going downstairs to bowl with the little trolls, join us when you're done in here." Beth announced before strutting out of the kitchen and down the hall.

Jordan was left alone in the kitchen with his food and his thoughts. Beth's change of attitude and what she said about Rachel gave him a little more optimism. Maybe one day he could really become a part of their family instead of feeling like an outsider.

—

"Rachel! Quinn! Look over here!" Multiple photographers screamed over and over again as the married couple strolled down the red carpet. White flashes came from every direction as the two of them posed as the happy couple for every camera in sight.

Rachel and Quinn held on tightly to each other's arms as they walked down the red carpet. Wrapping their arms around each other's waist when it was time to pose for pictures. Whispering and giggling flirtatiously in each other's ears. They put on a show in front of the cameras and Quinn was enjoying every moment of it, even though she knew it was all fake.

"Rachel Berry, can we get a quick interview!" A young brunette reporter called out to Rachel from the fray of photographers and reporters.

Rachel walked over to the young reporter, hand in hand with Quinn.

"Oh my god, thank you so much for coming to talk to us." The young reporter couldn't contain her excitement. This was her first interview with a big time celebrity like Rachel.

"Of course, it's no problem at all." Rachel's cheeks were starting to hurt from all the fake smiling she was doing.

"I'm Harper Rae from Unlock Hollywood and I would like to first say that the two of you look absolutely stunning." Harper complimented. Her eyes wander back and forth between Quinn and Rachel.

"Thank you so much." Quinn responded politely.

"That is very sweet, thank you." Rachel added.

Harper cleared her throat before speaking. "So, this is a fantastic movie about two strangers who fall in love through writing each other love letters. So my question for the two of you, if you could write a love letter to each other right now what would it say?"

"Wow that's a really good question." Rachel admitted.

Quinn thinking quick on her feet, spoke up first. "Well mine would say. Dear Rachel, I have loved you from the very first time I saw you. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew I would someday make you my wife. You are my soulmate and I don't mean that loosely. You are literally the other half of me and I will love you not only in this life but the next one as well. You have shown me the purest form of love and I am forever grateful to be loved by you. You are the river that runs through my soul and I love you more each and every day."

Tears began to form at the corners of Rachel's eyes after listening to her wife's words. Quinn took her fingers and gently wiped away Rachel's tears before they had a chance to fall.

"Oh my god Ms. Fabray, that was absolutely beautiful." Harper said. Tears had formed in her eyes as well but she quickly wiped them away, wanting to stay as professional as possible.

"I don't even think I can follow that." Rachel tried to play it off but in reality she just didn't think she would be able to talk about her love for Quinn. If she did she would just end up breaking down in the middle of the red carpet.

"That's okay Rachel, thank you both so much for taking the time to stop by." Harper thanked the two of them.

"Anytime." Rachel said politely before taking Quinn's hand and briskly walking away.

Quinn thought Rachel would have something to say but Rachel didn't say anything else to her for the rest of the premiere. She just wore a blank expression on her face the whole time. It was as if someone had turned a switch off in her head.

After the movie premiere Rachel kept her promise and went to dinner with Quinn.

Both Quinn and Rachel ordered a glass of red wine and once the waitress left an awkward silence fell between them. Rachel hadn't said much of anything to Quinn the whole night.

"So that was a really good movie, did you enjoy it?" Quinn asked, desperate to spark up some conversation.

Rachel took a slow sip of her wine. "Yes, it was very romantic."

"Did you-."

"That was a very romantic answer you gave during the interview." Rachel interrupted Quinn.

"Oh..thanks, I meant every word." Quinn proclaimed.

"I can tell." Rachel took a big gulp of wine this time. "That's why I want you to move out after the boys party."

Quinn leaned forward in her chair. "Rachel what are you talking about? You just told me you believed everything I said." Quinn was beyond confused.

"I do and that's why I need you to move out. If you can feel that way about me and still lie to me then how can I trust you? You had so many opportunities throughout the years to tell me the truth but you never did. The night we got back together I asked you to be honest with me and you deliberately chose to lie. How can I trust you now, knowing you lied to me for so long."

"Because I made a mistake Rachel. I made a really big mistake and I wished I was honest with you from the beginning. I just knew how much it would hurt you if I told you the truth. I didn't want to lose you again."

"We broke up Quinn. I would have been hurt at first but we weren't together at the time so I would have gotten over it." Rachel whispered, not wanting the tables around them to hear their conversation.

"I understand that now but back then I just didn't want to risk it. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you the truth but I love you Rachel. We've built such a great life together, please don't throw that away because of one mistake."

Rachel shook her head. "I need my space Quinn. I don't know for how long but right now I just need time away from you."

Quinn had told Rachel that she would give her space if she needed it. Now that Rachel actually wanted to follow through with it, Quinn couldn't think of a worst idea.

"Rachel, please don't do this." Quinn begged. She reached across the table to interlace their fingers but Rachel pulled her hand away.

"Quinn just stop." Rachel demanded. "I love you but I need space. I need time to feel and heal Quinn. You have to understand that. So please..either you leave or I will."

Quinn leaned back in her chair. She couldn't believe that it was actually happening. The perfect life she thought she had was slipping through her fingers and it was nothing she could do to stop it from happening.

"Fine..I'll pack my things tonight."

THANK YOU FOR READING! NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!