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Sorry its been so long!
Posted: 31/5/13
Chapter 5
As soon as Santana got to school the halls were humming with the latest news. Santana had seen it all over Facebook the night before. Some of Quinn's neighbours who went to McKinley had seen the scene as Quinn's dad was arrested, and badly taken pictures and clips had been taken and commented on and shared all over the network in just a few short hours. So naturally everyone knew.
Santana was just happy that Quinn wasn't here; she imagined the uncomfortable questions she'd be bombarded with, especially with that cut and bruise to her face. With all the clips and photos Santana had wondered if anyone had even noticed Quinn, barely visible on the edge, make her escape. Everyone recording seemed too distracted by the man being tackled to the ground then dragged to the cars.
"Did you know about this?" Puck slid up next to Santana as she walked down the crowded hallways
"About what?" she just hugged her books closer and kept her sight forward. She was angry at Puck, like she was angry with herself for letting all this happen in the first place. At least she'd tried her best to fix what she'd broken.
"Did you know her dad was like that?" he asked. She wasn't sure how much he knew, she assumed she was the only one who knew about that physical violence, because she hoped last night was the only account of it.
"No... I just thought he was an ass" She really meant that. Santana then looked at the boy curiously, his head was down and his eyes distant "What's up Puckerman? You look guilty"
"I dunno... just thinking"
"Don't hurt yourself" she joked
"Shut up Lopez. I was thinkin'. What if Quinn just asked Berry for help, with her dad. Like to talk to her about it so she could get him arrested" he suggested, that wasn't an entirely stupid idea
"What are you sayin' Puckerman?" Santana asked as she stopped by her locker.
"What if..." he stalled as he glanced round them, he couldn't let people hear he actually cared "What if they weren't screwing and I just got Berry fired?"
Santana scoffed a laugh "You actually feel bad about that?"
"... I guess" he admitted after thinking shortly about it "do you think I should say sorry to Quinn?"
She almost said that Quinn wouldn't be in today, but managed to hold herself "If you think it will help" she shrugged. As she looked beyond the football captain she spied Brittany and Wheels on the opposite side of the hallway.
If Quinn could work things out with Rachel, when so much stood in her way, what was stopping her doing the same with Brittany? And right now was the perfect opportunity, everyone was distracted by Quinn and her dad, and Miss Berry being fired, for reasons that were now un clear. They wouldn't get much attention with the school abuzz with all that, would they?
After staring daggers into the back of Artie's head she noticed Brittany look at her, it was brief but she definitely looked at her. When the blue eyed girl looked back at her boyfriend with that smile all over her face Santana was reminded of why they weren't together.
Brittany was happy with Artie, and as much as Santana hated the boy she didn't want to hurt Brittany. What if she screwed up? Brittany had already told her she loved her back, but Artie was in the way and she'd have to hurt them both to get them to break up.
...
Rachel had spent most of the night awake, worrying that Santana would have the cops after her and they'd be surrounded at any moment, and she'd be dragged from Quinn. Her girlfriend tried to convince her that Santana wouldn't turn on her, not after everything they'd already been through, but that didn't help her relax any better.
Even with Quinn pressed against her like this, cuddled into her side, bare skin on skin contact she'd found it hard to sleep. She was so frightened of having Quinn taken away. She knew they shouldn't have got carried away last night too, they should have just slept, not got so intimate. Quinn had been so encouraging though, Rachel couldn't help but 'oblige'.
"Did you get any sleep last night?" she heard mumbled against her collar bone.
"Some" Rachel answered softly "How about you?" she pulled away just enough so she could turn and look into her girlfriends eyes.
"In your arms, I could sleep through anything" she sighed with contentment as she kept an arm firmly wrapped round Rachel's bare middle. She felt Rachel's body shake with a chuckle "What?"
"There you go with your smooth one liners" she sighed while inspecting the younger woman's face "Baby, your eye, we should get something for it" Quinn's lips curled slightly "What?"
"You called me baby" she tried to suppress a grin.
"Oh, ah..." she fumbled with her words and her eye contact on the blond still in her arms "I'm sorry"
"Don't be" Quinn whispered as she pusher herself up and closer to Rachel's lips to kiss her quickly "baby" she murmured mischievously.
Rachel smiled softly before it dropped again to concern "How is your face though?" her eyes searched Quinn's as if it would reveal the truth.
Quinn reached up and touched round her eye only to immediately regret it, she wrinkled her nose then regretted that when it just irritated the bruise again "Kinda itchy and when I touch it, it hurts"
"I'm not surprised" Rachel sighed regretfully "Come on, lets get up, we'll see what we can do for your eye" Rachel said as she slipped from the bed, gathering her clothes as she went
"Rach, I had ice on my face for two hours last night" Quinn moaned, mostly for the coldness she now felt on one side from Rachel's absence "All I need is a shower... a long shower with some company" she looked to the foot of the bed where Rachel was crouched, head only in sight as Rachel tried to re-clothe.
"No" Rachel told her sternly, with an attempt at an equally stern glare "you can have a shower but be quick. I want us out of here soon so we can get on the road" her anxiety was hardly subtle
Quinn couldn't help herself though "You're so hot when you're being bossy"
"Is this funny to you?" Rachel hissed, making Quinn just roll her eyes. She held the bed sheet to her front as she sat up and shuffled towards the foot of the bed
"Rach, no it's not funny. But I'm just really excited, we're free" she said softly down at Rachel
"We're not free yet. And we've got so much to do once we get there. I need to find a job and we need to find you a school-" Quinn pressed a finger to Rachel's lips to gently silence her
"I know, we need to find a place to live and jobs-"
"No you're finishing school first" Rachel jumped in
"I know but that doesn't mean I can't get a weekend job. But we don't need to worry about that this minute, let's just get there first, yeah?"
"Okay" Rachel nodded, trying to sooth the ripples of nervousness she felt in her stomach "Get dressed, or we'll never get anywhere"
"Fine" Quinn sighed, rolling away and over to where her clothes from last night had ended up.
Mostly dressed, Rachel got up off the floor and found her toothbrush on her bag before heading to the bathroom. Just before she stepped through the doorway she asked "Did you get any messages last night?"
Quinn rolled over to reach her phone off the bedside table. She sighed with relief when there were no icons indicating missed calls, voice messages or texts "No, no messages" Quinn let her know. No one breaking down the door and tearing them apart like Rachel had feared.
"Why are you still smiling like that?" Rachel asked suspiciously as she stepped back into the room and noticed Quinn still smiling to herself as she slowly got dressed.
"Just so happy" she shrugged
It didn't take them long until they were ready to move on.
"Are you ready?" Rachel asked as she finished zipping up her overnight bag that sat at the foot of the bed. The rest of her and Quinn's things were still in the trunk of her car.
Quinn glanced round them, making sure she hadn't dropped or forgotten anything "Yeah I think so" she then looked back to Rachel to see the woman already smiling at her. She felt it too, this felt like the big step, last night was a test and this was it. "In a few hours we'll be out of Ohio, on our way to New York city and freedom, where we can live every minute how we want"
"Together" Rachel tried and failed to suppress a stupid hopeful grin
"Yeah, together, forever" maybe it sounded childish to say that, this was no fairy story, but they lived on hope right now and the belief that they could make it. Not just to New York City but that they could make a life for themselves together, no Student Teacher line left to blur, they could just be.
"... Rachel?" Quinn asked timidly as she stepped round the bed and took Rachel's hands in her own
"Yes Quinn" Rachel asked worried as she looked up into hazel eyes with concern
"I love you" A smile tugged at Quinn's lips as if she was embarrassed to have been so worried to say I love you in an already fluffy moment like this.
Rachel felt the last of the tension leave her body "I love you too"
...
They'd been driving for 3 to 4 hours, they guessed. The journey had been relaxed, they kept the radio off and would just talk, talk about everything, sometimes their plans, sometimes milder things, stories of their pasts they hadn't already shared. Occasionally their hands would meet across the console and they'd savour and take comfort in that comfort.
The peace was disturbed when Quinn's phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket and read the screen that let her know who was calling "It's Santana"
"Answer it" Rachel encouraged quickly
She hit the receive button "Hello?"
"So you and Berry are the talk of the school" That was Santana's opening line, If Rachel strained her ears she could just about hear the girl on the other end of the line. She wanted to tell Quinn to put it on speaker but this was a discussion between Quinn and her friend, even in Santana was giving them instructions to head back so Quinn could be interviewed by police, Quinn could tell her that she didn't need to hear it from her old student herself.
"No surprise there then" Quinn sighed as she started to play with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
"But its not exactly how you think" Quinn could hear the smirk in Santana's voice, the 'I know info that you want' smirk "Everyone's now thinking you and Berry weren't screwing and that you went to her for help with the, ah, abuse"
Quinn sat up straighter in her seat "Really, that's good news right?"
"Well yeah, means you guys didn't do anything wrong, well people don't think you did"
"But we didn't do anything wrong, is it wrong to love someone..." Quinn's voice calmed and her words trailed off as Rachel placed a hand gently on her knee and gave it a soft squeeze.
"No I mean like the law and shit" Santana excused with the usual attitude, she couldn't possibly be nice even at a time like this.
"Where are you anyway?" Quinn asked.
"Well you two should know its lunch time already, so I'm in my car. Seemed like the only place no one would be able to listen in, can't have them all knowing the truth now can we?" Quinn just held onto the fact her old best friend acknowledged there was another person with her right now.
Quinn decided to move on to other important points "How did things go last night after I was gone?"
"Something kinda weird happened. I'd say guess but you'll never get it" There was that know it all smirk tone again.
"What is it?" The runaway blonde was too anxious to play a guessing game anyway. Rachel's presence reminded her though to stay calm, at least for Santana's cooperation, the girl did help them get away together.
"Your mom talked to the cops" She didn't really need Santana to tell her that, it was obvious her mom would have to as some point.
She felt her stomach drop and a chill run down her spine "Oh great, how quickly did she get him out of that cell?"
"She didn't get him out, she kept him locked up" Okay that was a surprise.
"You're joking, right?" Quinn scoffed
"Nope" She almost laughed "I came out of the interview room, by the way it had one of those one way mirrors in it, totally freaked me out. Anyway when I came out I saw Judes there, coming out of another room. We got talking while waiting for the cops to say we could go and then I drove her home... yeah that was weird"
"What did she say?"
"Basically she stuck to the truth, said he hit you, said he's been abusive before... please tell me it wasn't bad" Now Santana did sound human
"He... once or twice but just one strike and..." Quinn tried to wave it off, while the driver just started to feel sick. All that talk when they'd started this about how Quinn said they'd burn her like a witch for wishing for a different life, like her art and photography interests. She thought it was just poetic dramatics... but it was closer to the truth than she liked to think.
"You should have told me" Santana sighed down the phone
"Honestly I didn't think that much could actually get him arrested" Quinn mumbled
"Hell Quinn, I would have cut his balls off if I'd known" That made Quinn chuckle a little
"That's why I didn't tell you, you'd be locked up too" She told her friend with sisterly affection "So do they need to speak to me?"
"No" Santana said simply "At least not yet, as far as I know. If I hear something I'll let you know"
"Thanks San" She breathed a sigh of relief
"No probs Q" she shrugged though no one was there to see it "I'll keep you posted"
"You leaving me already?" she asked with a pout jokingly
"Yeah... um someone just saw me in the car, sh-they're coming over, I gotta go" she mumbled, Quinn guessed she was trying to hide the fact she was talking on the phone
"San!" Quinn raised her voice before her friend could go.
"What?" Santana almost snapped
"Just tell Britt how you feel, be selfish for once" despite the Latina's fiery personality when Quinn thought about it the girl cold be quite selfless, especially lately.
"Thanks Q" the phone line then went dead.
"Is everything okay?" Rachel asked while Quinn put her phone in her pocket
"Yeah everything's great" she smiled at the side of Rachel's head, the driver herself too cautious to tear her eyes off the road ahead of them, but she did reach her free hand across the car to quickly find Quinn's.
...
A Few Months later
"Hey baby I'm home" Quinn dropped her keys into the bowl on the small table by the front door, slipped her shoes off and dropped her bag next to them on the floor.
"In the kitchen" she followed her girlfriends voice to the room she mentioned "How was your day?"
"Tiring" she sighed as she wrapped her arms round the shorter woman
"You don't have to work on top of school you know" Rachel abandoned whatever cooking utensil she was using at the stove and turned in Quinn's arms to greet her with a kiss "Especially with finals coming up"
"I know but I want to work, with college next year-"
"We'll get a student loan" Rachel told her quickly
"Or I could take a gap year" Quinn suggested
"No, I don't want you doing that because that gap year might become permanent, and I want you to succeed"
"I know, I've heard the speech" Quinn sighed, dropping her head to Rachel's shoulder. Her eyes caught on what Rachel had been working on "What are you cooking?" it didn't mean to come out with a slight chuckle
"Um" Rachel looked back at the various pots and pans "Lets say its a surprise, in case it doesn't turn out how I wanted"
"Sounds great" she kissed Rachel on the cheek
"You go sit, I'll be through in a minute" Rachel told her before returning her full attention to their dinner. They'd made an agreement that on the weekends at least the first person in would take care of dinner, and that was usually take out on a Saturday like this day, but Rachel decided to do something special for her girlfriend.
Rachel was always being so good to her, especially when she tried to make a sacrifice for the older woman. She felt Rachel made sacrifices for them, but she wasn't allowed to. She'd even offered to pawn her camera to get them some money but Rachel wouldn't let her. That camera had taken her forever to save up for because she didn't even bother asking her parents for one, or for some money towards one. So there was no way Rachel was going to let her trade it for money for them, they could get money other ways.
That's why tonight Quinn was happy to have some exciting news for Rachel, she'd wait until Rachel was sitting though. She grabbed her laptop, another item Rachel wouldn't let her trade in, and switched it on. While she was waiting for it to start up Rachel joined her with a drink for her girlfriend.
"So anything interesting happen today?" Rachel asked casually as she sat down next to her. Quinn put her laptop on the floor and crossed her legs as she turned in her seat
"Well actually, you know how Saturday is open mic night at that coffee house" Rachel just nodded, yes she was aware of that since Quinn had been working there every Saturday and Friday night since shortly after they arrived in the city "Well I have a headache from that, but for the Friday night permanent line up, one of the regulars dropped out"
"Oh what happened?" Rachel leaned in interested
"She got snapped up by an agent, she wasn't even that good I swear" Quinn scoffed "Anyway, Tony, my boss said he's be looking for someone to take her place, and I said I might know someone"
"Who?"
"Really Rach?" Quinn furrowed her brow "You, silly"
Rachel's expression dropped and she leant away "No Quinn"
"Come on, all you'd have to do is sing something for him and it's yours, the pay isn't great but you'd get tips and they can be pretty great for singers. I know you've got two part time jobs already but you have a pocket on Friday nights, I work there those hours anyway so we'd get to spend some more time together" She's been rehearsing this speech in her head on the walk and short subway ride home to their apartment "I know you, you'll get seen by some scouting agent or director and before you know it Broadway here you come"
Rachel shook her head and went to stand up "It doesn't work like that"
Quinn grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to fall against her "Come on Rach, you don't need some fancy academy years ago to tell you when and teach you to be good enough. You're so amazing you can do it all on pure talent alone" Rachel, nearly sitting on Quinn's lap, went to say something but Quinn pressed a finger over the brunettes soft lips "And don't say you can't sing in front of people anymore, because you sang in front of me when you were in the auditorium all those times, and you sing in the shower even when I'm in there with you"
Rachel's cheeks flushed at that reminder but her expression remained stern. She took Quinn's hand and pulled it away from her mouth "Please Quinn, just drop this. I need to go check on dinner"
With sigh Quinn just let Rachel go. She'd try again once she'd let the idea sit with Rachel for an hour, maybe a day. She took her laptop off the floor and logged in, she then went straight to her email.
It wasn't long before a new email caught her eye. An Email from Santana wasn't unusual but an email with 'YOU GOTTA SEE THIS' in the subject box was a little unusual.
She quickly opened the email and clicked on the link she found inside. It took her to a news website local to Lima and its surrounding towns.
The Headline read: Mother Begs For Daughter To Return Home. Her eyes widened when she scrolled down a little and found a picture of her mother holding a picture of her "Oh my god" she shrieked as she scrolled down further and began to read "Oh my god!"
"What's wrong?" Rachel was immediately back in the room and rushing to her side
With eyes still unbelieving and her voice verging on angry she read the article in front of her out loud. "Quinn Fabray, 18, a senior student of William McKinley High School in Lima Ohio has been missing for over 10 weeks. Her mother Judy Fabray pleads for her daughter to return to her
"Mrs Fabray said that her daughter ran away after a family dispute, one which later investigated resulted in the arrest of Russell Fabray, Judy's husband and Quinn's father. The last contact made by Quinn was her video interview, the tape for which could not be released to us"
'Well duh', Rachel thought. Both women were amazed however that they let Quinn complete her interview via webcam.
"Judy Fabray had this to say 'Quinn, please know I just want you home safe, we can sort things out and you and I can become a family again-'. Is she kidding!" she squeaked unintentionally "That woman wants me home? She didn't even say a word as I left she just stared at me, and now she's playing battered and alone mother to get me back!" she looked up to Rachel for some sort of support
"It's gonna be okay" Rachel said softly, meanwhile her heart was beating like crazy in her chest and her head was trying to be reasonable. She sat down on the sofa next to Quinn
"Oh god" Quinn face palmed "what if people here see this and tell the news people where I am, what if they find us?" she looked straight to Rachel again
Rachel's brain had finally engaged "Calm down Quinn" she wrapped an arm around her girlfriend as she looked at the report in front of them and saw the photo of the woman Quinn had called mother "it's a small news report, local to Lima and the surrounding towns, I don't think anyone here will read this page, and that picture of you she's holding isn't even a great one, and it's a really bad angle"
"Maybe I should dye my hair, or get funny fake glasses or something, or change my name" she rushed out her ideas
Rachel chuckled lightly "I think that would be more obvious to your current school associates" she felt Quinn lean against her a little more and let out a big sigh "I'm sure everything will be okay... but maybe you should call your mom, just to let her know you're okay and safe. You know how to withhold your phone number right"
Now it was Quinn's turn to chuckle at Rachel's not so subtle last comment "Yeah I know how" with Rachel's reasoning settling her she realised she could use this to her advantage "How about I'll call my mom if you audition to sing at the coffee house"
"Quinn" Rachel went to pull away But Quinn held on, wrapping her arms round the older woman "Come on Quinn"
"What? The food might burn who cares, this is more important"
"I'll think about it" Rachel half conceded which at least got Quinn to let go so she could go check on their food again. Quinn quickly abandoned her laptop and followed
"That's not good enough, calling my mom is a big deal, especially as I promised myself I'd never have to speak to her again"
Rachel kept her back to Quinn while she tired not to burn anything, including herself "I had the courtesy to call my father to tell him I was alive, and now we talk regularly"
"Yes but it I have constant contact with my mother she'll know we're together" Quinn tried to reason
Rachel tensed a little "Why would she know?" she tried to act nonchalantly
"What if she visited?" the blonde pushed "What if I couldn't help but tell her about the thing that makes me the happiest person on the planet" she stepped up behind Rachel and swept the hair back off Rachel's shoulder to expose her neck
"So I'm a thing now?" Quinn imagined Rachel rose an eyebrow with that question
"You know what I mean" She leant in and kissed Rachel's neck making her shiver
"I really make you that happy?" she smiled and leant back against the taller woman
"Yeah... and I'd be happy forever if you'd consider singing at the coffee house" her two arms wrapped themselves round Rachel's smaller frame "It could be your start Rachel. Just think that coffee house isn't far from time square, after that first night you stun some people who just thought they were there to see some second rate singing, then afterwards we'll go to Time square and you can just soak it all up. Seeing as I don't think you did enough last time" she teased lightly
"Okay" Rachel said softly, not sure if it was Quinn's words or gentle touch right now that was making her cave to her plan
"Okay? As in-"
"If I have time, I'll stop by and see if the position is still open" She sighed "And if I do that you call your mother"
"Deal" she kissed her cheek "How long is dinner going to be?"
"Not long, are you hungry?"
"Yeah... but tired too... might get an early night" she planted another kiss under Rachel's ear "hoping you'll join me"
"Quinn" Rachel sighed "What have I done to you?" she chuckled
"Made me happy"
Sorry again for the wait
I'll probably do another chapter if you're interested and hopefully it won't take as long to post.
Anyway let me know what you think...