Author's Note: Hello again! This is a sequel to my other story, Charmed. I've never written any Faberry before, but I couldn't get this story out of my head, so I had to write it. I'll probably alternate posting each chapter under different names depending on which characters are the most prominent.
"I think it's time we get going," Quinn said to Brittany. Quinn was holding her youngest daughter, Harper, who was passed out cold with her head on Quinn's shoulder.
"Of course," Brittany said. "I understand." Brittany laughed. "Like now, I actually do understand. I think San is in the nursery putting Nico and Olivia down for their naps. Do you need help getting everyone out to the car?"
"No, I've got it, Rach drove with us over here so she's gonna help me. Thanks so much for brunch, B." Quinn leaned in and gave Brittany a kiss on the cheek.
"Of course. You and the girls are coming over Friday night for dinner and games, right?"
"Seven, right?" Brittany nodded. We'll definitely be there."
"Of course. I know we've been so busy lately, but you know that we're always here, Q." Quinn nodded. "I'm going to go say goodbye to the girls, go find San." Brittany said, placing a hand on Quinn's shoulder and heading over to Rachel who was playing with Quinn's older daughters.
Quinn paused for a moment at the door of the nursery, wondering if she was ever going to get tired of watching this newfound parent version of Santana. She sat in the bay window cradling her daughter. Quinn strained to hear what she was saying but finally put two and two together as Santana played with her daughter's toes.
"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy went home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy went wee, wee, wee! All the way home." The baby was giggling with her big blue eyes staring wide at her mother. "You know, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my whole life," Santana said, wiggling the baby's feet and cradling her back and forth. "I used to think your mommy was the most beautiful girl in the world, but I can tell already that you're going to give her a run for her money."
Quinn lightly rapped on the doorframe. "Sorry to interrupt this unbelievably adorable mother-daughter moment, but I just wanted to let you know that we have to head home. This one is passed out, and Lily is grumpy because she needs a nap."
"Of course, Q. Are you going with Berry?"
"Yeah, she drove with us here."
"When does Justin get back?"
"Maybe three weeks? It's hard to say at this point in the season."
"You doing okay, Q?"
"Yeah…it gets lonely, but I should be used to it by now."
"Well, you know Britt and I are always here, Q," Santana said. God, Quinn thought to herself, it's like they share the same brain. Santana's next sentence was cut off by her daughter grasping at her necklace.
"Mama, mama," Olivia babbled.
"Oh my gosh!" Quinn said. Santana buried her head into her daughter's head.
"It's all she says," Santana said, smiling. "Mama and sometimes mom, all day long. She really looks like Brittany, doesn't she?"
"She does. She's beautiful, San."
"I know. Ok, so you get your girls home, and we'll see you Friday?"
"Absolutely." Quinn leaned over and gave Santana a kiss on the cheek. Good luck getting that one to sleep, San."
"Thanks Q. You know I'm going to need it."
Quinn was driving her Range Rover with Rachel next to her and her three daughters asleep in the backseat.
"How long has Justin been gone this time?" Rachel asked.
"Six weeks, so far. It's definitely not the longest he's been gone, but it's the longest since he said he'd stay around more for the girls."
"I'm sorry, Quinn," the two women sat in silence. Rachel finally broke it. "So…how absurd are Brittany and Santana. I think we need a moment to talk about that."
"Don't even get me started, Rach. I swear to god, if you told me in High School that one day I'd be watching Santana coo to a blond infant that she was even prettier that her mother, I would have assumed that you'd been dropped on your head even more times than I already had assumed you had."
"Thanks, Quinn."
"Oh, you know I'm just kidding," Quinn said as they pulled into her driveway. Hannah woke up as Quinn opened the door to the backseat, beginning her daily fight with the complicated buckles on carseats.
"Aunt Rach?" Hannah said, "can I go upstairs and watch Little Nemo? I'm kind of tired."
"If it's ok with your mom, it's ok with me." Hannah looked pleadingly at her mother.
"Of course, little girl. Rachel, can you grab Lily? She's passed out cold too." Rachel climbed in the car and carefully scooped the sleeping child out of the car. Once they got the sleepers upstairs and Hannah began her movie, Rachel and Quinn walked into the kitchen.
"Do you want a glass of wine, Rach?" Quinn asked, opening up the cabinet with the glasses. Rachel looked down at her watch. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry," Quinn said, suddenly feeling embarrassed and a little pathetic. "I forget that people have actual things to do in the evenings other than cook dinner and wrestle to get three kids to bed and settle into reality TV…"
"Stop, Quinn, you're rambling. You sound a little like me in High School. I have to be on set at 7am tomorrow, so I'm most certainly not doing anything tonight other than going home, ordering Thai, and going to bed. So I'd love to stay and have a home cooked dinner. And I would love a glass of wine."
"Red or white?"
"Hmm…red please."
"Are you still a vegan?" Quinn asked as she poured two glasses of wine.
"I am."
"I think I can work with that," Quinn smiled. "Remind me to wake the girls in half-an-hour. If they sleep all afternoon I'll never get them to sleep tonight."
"Of course."
"So, tell me everything about Spring Awakening? How's the life of a big movie star?"
"I don't even know where to begin!" Quinn smiled as Rachel began to tell what was sure to be a long-winded tale about her new job, and Quinn looked in the fridge, mentally putting together a vegan dinner with the food she had in stock. Quinn wasn't really listening to what Rachel was saying, but it was somehow soothing to both hear a familiar voice and have another adult in the house for once.
It was midnight, and over at the Pierce-Lopez's they had finally gotten both of their children to be asleep at the same time.
"Why'd you have to go and have twins, Brit?" Santana asked, yawning and curling into Brittany while they sat on the couch.
"All good things come in pairs San…like wings, and pants, peanut butter cups—" Santana leaned her head up and gave Brittany a kiss on the lips.
"Rhetorical question, B."
"I'm no longer respecting those."
"How can you no longer respect a figure of speech?"
"If you don't want an answer to a question, then why ask it?" Santana couldn't think of an answer that would satisfy Brittany so instead she just put her head back on her wife's shoulder and enjoyed the rare silence.
"It's nice that Rachel is spending some time with Quinn, don't you think, San?" Santana just grunted. "I think Quinn is super lonely lately. The only people she really hung out with were us and Justin, and we're so busy with the babies now…" Santana grunted again. Brittany took out her phone and quickly sent out a text message. She kissed her sleeping wife's forehead. "I think it's time I get you to bed…" she rested her head on top of Santana's. "Maybe I'll just shut my eyes for a second," she mumbled to herself and drifted off into sleep.
Rachel was awoken by her cell phone vibrating in her pocket.
Brittany Pierce-Lopez:
San and I are having Quinn and the girls over for a dinner
and games night on Friday, and we'd love if you could
make it. 7pm.
Sent: Monday, March 17, 12:03am
Rachel smiled; she'd been living in LA for two months now, and it was nice to have her old friends including her in their established lives in the city. She was about to type out a message to Brittany when something else in the text caught her eye. 12:03am…there was no way it could be 12:03 am. She had to be at work in 7 hours! She let her sleepy eyes take in the sight around her. The DVD menu for Toy Story was up on the TV. Harper, Lily, and Hannah were in their onesie pajamas, fast asleep all curled together on the ground. Quinn was next to her on the couch, her head on the armrest, snoring a little bit.
"Quinn," Rachel whispered, nudging her, "Quinn," she tried again, this time shaking her arm. Quinn slowly opened her heavy eyelids and smiled a little at Rachel.
"Hey Rach. What time is it?"
"Just after midnight. We must have all fallen asleep. I have to be on set at seven tomorrow."
"I'm sorry, Rach," Quinn said, sitting up and stretching her arms. "Let me walk you out."
"No, please, you have to get these two upstairs, I'm sorry I just sorry I have to dash and can't help you, but I really can't be late tomorrow."
"Of course," Quinn reached out and gently touched Rachel's forearm. "Don't apologize, thanks so much for staying for dinner and the movie."
"Of course," Rachel said, beaming, as she stood to gather her things. "I had a great time. I'll see you Friday at Santana and Brittany's." Before Quinn could say anything else, Rachel was out the door.
It only took her 15 minutes to get the girls in their beds. Quinn would never understand why children could be carried everywhere and never wake up. She tucked them in and brushed her teeth and hair and put on shorts and a tank top and crawled into her side of the bed. It was cold so she curled herself into a ball and felt a little like a bug in the middle of her empty California King. She missed her husband. It was nice though, she thought, as she pulled the blankets tighter around her body, to have a new friend. Well, an old friend, but a new one into this life. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of times when things were a little less lonely, and hoping, a little bit, that this restored friendship with Rachel might help.