A/N1: Hello my incredible readers! This, unfortunately, is the last installment of My Only Exception. It has been amazing writing this story and I cannot believe so many people have followed and have continued to support me. Tori, you are my rock and without you I would not have had the motivation to keep going. When things got tough, you were there to snap me back into it with your witty humor and green dinosaur costume. Thank you, lady.
A girl with golden hair sat in her room one late night in December. Snow was lightly falling outside her window, covering the ground with a thin layer of white dust. She held Christmas card in her trembling hands. It was navy blue and bordered with snowflakes.
The picture was of a beautiful woman with long black hair holding a baby girl. The infant was smiling, her blonde hair now down to her shoulders, and her tiny hand latched onto the woman's arm. She was dressed in a red jumper with a beautiful clip pulling back her blonde curly bangs. They sat on the stairs leading up to their home. The woman had her lips pressed against the child's head.
A tear slid down the Quinn's face. She made no effort to wipe it away. Her hazel eyes gazed out the window and focused on the snowflakes dancing to the ground, a piercing white against the dark blackened sky.
Her heart ached with longing. Quinn took a deep breath, kissed the photograph and put it underneath her pillow.
"Goodnight, baby," she whispered.
The following day, when she was certain the house was empty, Quinn snuck into the sunroom of the Berry residence. Although she was given permission to use the instrument, Quinn always felt better playing knowing she was alone.
She sat gently on the bench and carefully pulled the cover off of the glistening keys. Her hand traced over each key as she let out a sigh.
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and the Berry's were currently doing some last minute food shopping. Quinn had insisted that she stay home in order to make sure that the dinner on the stove did not burn.
It was a lame excuse, but Rachel didn't push.
Her fingers began their motions, dancing gracefully over each key as the melody sang throughout the empty household. Quinn's eyes closed, her shoulders releasing the tension she had been feeling since she had received the Christmas card.
The keys rose and fell easily beneath the versatile digits, and her heart beat evenly as the notes rang in her ears. She was in control. For a moment, the world wasn't crashing down on her.
She could breathe.
Quinn didn't notice the front door open. Or the cool winter breeze that whizzed into the household.
The final notes played, and the house remained still, save for her shallow breathing. Quinn's eyes remained clasped shut, the image of a blonde infant forever inscribed on her eyelids.
As she opened her eyes, a lone tear escaped its hazel chamber and rolled down her porcelain cheek. Her foot remained on the pedal, her final notes still lingering in the air.
A tender hand caressed her shoulder. Quinn released the pedal creating a deafening silence.
In the distance, she heard the light patter of Rachel's fathers' feet against the tiled floor and their hushed chatter, but all she could really focus on was that hand on her shoulder, how that thumb traced circles into her tense skin.
Somehow, without Quinn even having to say anything, Rachel quietly sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around the now shaking blonde. Suddenly, she stopped holding back and let herself fall knowing that the Rachel was there to catch her.
"Do you think she knows that I- that I love her?" she choked out as she clung onto the smaller girl.
Rachel pulled back and brought Quinn's face into her hands.
"She will always know," she whispered back as she kissed Quinn softly on the lips.
-/-
Christmas at the Berry's was exhausting. They spent the entire day decorating their tiny Christmas tree with ornaments the family had purchased from their travels or had been made by a young Rachel Berry. They danced along to an endless track of Christmas music, until they were thoroughly worn out.
By the end of the night, with the music lightly in the background and Rachel in her lap, Quinn was more than content.
Until Rachel jumped out of her lap.
"Excuse me, everyone, excuse me! May I have your attention please? While I know it is customary to give gifts on Christmas morning, but I simply couldn't wait to give mine to Quinn," Rachel announced.
Before Quinn could protest, Rachel continued on.
"Daddy, if you wouldn't mind accompanying me on our piano," she said excitedly as she pranced over to the instrument.
The shorter man sat down at the piano and inhaled deeply.
"Ready, sweetheart?"
Rachel nodded with a nervous grin.
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is...
You
Quinn beamed at her girlfriend as she danced over to her and offered her a hand. She was pulled out of her chair and felt the music carry her to Rachel. As gracefully as she could, she twirled Rachel around her finger and laughed when she squealed with delight.
Leroy laughed heartily and got up to sing along with his husband. The house was filled with the music and laughter and love.
Unfortunately, the song came to an end and with it Rachel fell into Quinn's arms as they plopped down onto the couch.
"Merry Christmas, Quinn," she whispered.
Quinn smiled as she felt Rachel's warm lips on her own. Then she remembered her own gift and released the girl suddenly.
"Let me go get my gift!"
With that she bounded up the stairs and into her room. She whizzed past her bed over to her dresser and pulled out the neatly wrapped box.
She heard Rachel's infectious laughter travel up the stairs. Quickly, Quinn returned to the living room to find the brunette in Leroy's arms as Hiram tickled her viciously.
"Daddy stop you're embarrassing me in front of Quinn!" she shrieked as her face scrunched up.
The two finally surrendered and gave their attention to Quinn, who cleared her throat and walked over to Rachel.
"Well, I didn't choose a fun jazzy song to serenade you with, but I hope this gift brings you as much happiness as you have brought me. I have never been so happy before, Rachel, and it is because of you and your fathers. And I can never thank you all enough. I love you Rachel, and I promise to love you as long as you will let me."
Rachel blushed as she took the small box from Quinn's shaking hand. She removed the paper meticulously to reveal a black box. When she opened the container, her breath caught in her throat. Lying inside the velvet box was a necklace, a silver chain with a single eighth note. Her eyes welled with tears. It was beautiful.
"I-," she stuttered, looking up at Quinn.
"Look on the back," she whispered.
Rachel turned over the pendant to reveal a scripted Q in a heart.
"Do you like it?" Quinn asked nervously as she avoided the now watery chocolate eyes.
"This is amazing, Quinn. I-I can't thank you enough," she breathed as she pulled Quinn close to her and squeezed her tightly.
Quinn let out a sigh of relief and relished in her girlfriend's warmth. They returned to their couch to endure a crazy game of karaoke by Rachel's ridiculous fathers, but Quinn didn't really pay attention. Her arms tightened around her girlfriend as she watched the madness with a quiet smile.
-/-
A woman peered through the window of a small household in Lima, Ohio. The snow was coming down hard, and the wind chilled her to the bone. She caught a glimpse of blonde hair. She moved so she could better see the girl. Through the foggy glass, the woman saw a tiny brunette curled up against a slender blonde, their bodies melding together into the brown couch. Two men laughed together as they danced around the living room; their laughter echoed in the woman's heart.
Finally, she got up the courage to ring the doorbell. She waited patiently at the door that was wrapped in a gold starred red and green wrapping paper. A puff of smoke released from her mouth as she exhaled into the cold air.
The door flung open, and the woman was greeted by a tiny, hyper, brunette.
"Hello! Merry-," she started but her face froze immediately as her body stiffened.
"Good evening, Mrs. Fabray," she greeted with indifference.
The woman took a deep breath.
"Is Quinn there?" she asked.
Rachel peered inside, her face softening at the sight of her girlfriend.
"Yes. What do you want?"
"How is she?"
Rachel put her hands on her hips.
"She is doing extremely well considering everything that has happened to her. Can I be frank?"
The woman nodded.
"I don't like you. You hurt Quinn. I don't like people who hurt Quinn."
"Listen, I know how much I have hurt my daughter. She is remarkable and I have let my faith and my ignorance get the better of me and now I have lost the only light in my life. Rachel, do you think I could speak to her for just a moment, please?"
Rachel contemplated this request.
"Give me a minute," she whispered and left the door open.
Within a few moments, a blonde beauty stood at the door with her mouth wide open.
"Mom?" she breathed as she gaped at her mother.
The woman gave her a weak smile.
"Hi, Quinn," Mrs. Fabray said softly.
"What- what are you doing here?"
"Well, I wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm fine, Mom. What's the real reason you're here?"
Mrs. Fabray sighed and rubbed her hands together.
"I made a mistake, Quinn, many actually. I do not expect you to forgive me, but just let me explain myself, alright? Let me try to apologize."
The blonde nodded.
"Your father was a monster. Every moment in that house I feared that man more than death itself. Do you know why? He knows things about everyone. People fear him because of the damage he could do if they were to get on his bad side. When I realized that you had become pregnant, I panicked. What was I to do? Tell your father? I was selfish and hid my knowledge from him to protect myself; when you finally told him, I played the part of the innocent bystander. It killed me seeing you leave, but I was weak and lacked the courage to stand up to your father.
"It finally dawned on me that I wasn't powerless. When I found out about the affair, I seized the opportunity to win you back and finally stand up for myself, for us. I was so set on us being a family that I forgot about how my coming back would affect you. My desire to be a normal happy family clouded my judgment and that is why I left after you told me that you are gay. It scared me, Quinn, but I soon realized how stupid I was being. I was letting fear control my life. I know it's too late, but I needed you to know why I did what I did. I'm so sorry, Quinn, for everything."
Quinn stood frozen in the doorway, the cold air rushing into the warm house, staring at her mother, the woman who had abandoned her twice.
She looked at her mother, really looked at her, and saw her for the first time. Her matching hazel eyes were glazed over with tears, and she was breathing heavily.
Her mother was scared, just as Quinn had been when she fell for Rachel. She had pushed Rachel away because she was afraid of what people would think, what her mother would think, what God would think. She had hurt Rachel because she was scared of what would happen if they didn't hate each other.
Quinn had been afraid of love, but Rachel had forgiven her. It was this same fear that had inhabited her mother a few months ago in the dimly lit hospital room on the eve of her daughter's birth. Now it was her turn to show the same forgiveness Rachel had shown her, the same forgiveness that saved her life.
She slowly took a step towards her mother and gazed deeply into her eyes. Then she wrapped her arms around the woman who began to shake with joy.
"I forgive you," she breathed.
Her mother's heart stopped momentarily.
"I love you, Quinnie," she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"I love you too, Mom."
They hugged once more before Quinn took the woman's coat and brought her inside to introduce her to Rachel Berry, the love of her life, the woman who made her want to be a better person, the woman who made her heart stop whenever she saw that sparkle in her chocolate brown eyes, the woman who was her only exception.