Quinn Fabray

RACHEL: Rachel typically loves the early days of autumn. That time of the season when the days still carry the warmth of the sun but the hint of coolness slides in to break the humidity when the stars come out.

The stars are not currently out, unless one counts Rachel Berry as a star - which, of course, she does, but that's not the point.

No, the sun is still very much up and the humidity is still lingering in the late September air, causing the unattractive sheen of perspiration to linger on her skin from the sixty plus minutes spent sitting on an uncomfortable metal bleacher under the blazing sun at a soccer field in Montclair, New Jersey.

She isn't complaining though.

Much.

The joy of seeing Quinn's joy as they'd watched Beth's soccer game is enough to make the mild discomfort seem worthwhile.

The discomfort to come is still undetermined as they approach the Corcoran house for a post game victory lunch.

Oh, the things Rachel Berry does for love.

QUINN: Today has been a good day, so far. She can't think of a better way to spend it than with her two favorite people - Beth and Rachel.

After weeks of adjusting to her new medication, it finally seems to be working. As for her job, Quinn is currently looking for something else, but is well enough to tough things out at her current gig. She just wishes things hadn't gone sideways, even though it was relatively mild compared to other episodes.

But now she's feeling better, so Quinn jumped at Shelby's invite to see Beth's soccer game and lunch afterward. Rachel had been a little hesitant - things between her and Shelby still not great - so Quinn is grateful that she's here with her today. Beth is the most important thing, and she wants to share that with Rachel.

The car ride to Shelby's after the game is filled with Beth's enthusiastic chattering from the front seat, while Quinn listens with rapt attention. Her hand is encased in Rachel's though, trying to offer some comfort.

Short moments later, they arrive at Shelby's house. The car's barely parked before Beth is bolting toward the house, eager to show Quinn her new video game - something Shelby hesitantly allowed - and Quinn can't help but grin at the sight.

"Home sweet home," Shelby says before shutting off the car and exiting the vehicle, leaving Quinn and Rachel alone momentarily.

Quinn turns to Rachel and gives her hand a gentle squeeze. "You okay?"

RACHEL: Taking a deep breath, Rachel manages what she hopes in an authentic smile. "I'm fine," she promises, which is technically true.

She's a mature, successful, adult woman. She can manage a few hours in close quarters with the woman who birthed her.

Quinn's expression appears doubtful.

"Really," Rachel reiterates softly, returning her girlfriend's reassuring hand squeeze. "Today is about Beth and you. Shelby is just…Beth's mother."

The 'not mine' is implied.

It's a hard truth that Rachel has learned to live with.

QUINN: "Thank you," she murmurs, giving Rachel's hand another gentle squeeze. "Let me know if it's too much though; if you need to leave."

Rachel promises she will, and the pair make their way out of Shelby's backseat and toward the house.

"Quinn, Quinn, come look at what I made in Minecraft," Beth commands from the entrance, clearly impatient at her dawdling.

"Okay, Beth, just give me a minute, okay?"

"Fine," she huffs. "Meet me downstairs."

Quinn watches as she races down to the basement, which is essentially her second bedroom, and takes off her shoes.

Shelby offers her and Rachel a smile and ushers them further inside. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I'm okay," Quinn replies. "I should probably get to seeing what Beth has to show me. Rachel?"

RACHEL: She could so easily take the coward's way out and follow Quinn downstairs to see this 'mine craft' - whatever that is - Beth seems so eager to show her, but Rachel doesn't want to encroach too much into Quinn's time with her daughter. After all, she's barely more than a stranger to Beth at this point.

She's hoping that will change soon, but it's probably best to take baby steps. Rachel is all too aware that she can sometimes come on a little strong. There will be time during their lunch, with the buffer of two mothers, to attempt to get to know Beth better.

And, well, she is a bit parched from sitting in the sun.

So she tells Quinn, "You go on down," before she turns to Shelby with a polite smile.

"I would love some ice water."

She won't even demand that it be sparkling.

QUINN: Quinn hesitates at the top of the stairs, wondering if she should wait for Rachel, but Beth's insistent "Quinn!" has her feet moving, eager to see what her daughter wants to show her.

Rachel will hopefully be okay for a little while alone with Shelby.

Finally making her way over to the desk, where Beth is waiting excitedly (and impatiently), Quinn looks at the monitor displaying Beth's latest obsession.

"Okay, so remember how I started building things in Minecraft last time you visited?"

"Of course." Like Quinn would ever forget anything about Beth.

"I just finished making a soccer stadium. The one where Gotham plays."

"You made Red Bull Arena?"

"Yeah!" Beth exclaims, dark green eyes alight. "Come look," she continues, shifting her attention back to the screen and moving through the game to her latest creation.

RACHEL: She watches Quinn disappear through an adjacent doorway that leads down a hidden set of stairs while Shelby quietly directs Rachel to make herself comfortable. As if that's a thing that will actually be possible for her today.

Shelby slips out of the living room in the opposite direction of Quinn, presumably to the kitchen, and Rachel is left alone to gaze around the unfamiliar room, eyes skittering over multiple framed photos of Beth, both with and without Shelby in the picture. There's even one small one of Beth with Quinn.

It shouldn't sting as much as it does that there's not even a small hint of her own feeble tie to Shelby Corcoran to be seen here.

QUINN: "Oh, wow," Quinn says as she looks at Beth's Minecraft build. She's not going to pretend that she knows exactly what Red Bull Arena looks like, but what Beth has made is highly impressive. "It's perfect."

Just like Beth.

"Thanks," she replies happily as she zooms in on the field. "This is where I'm going to play one day."

"I have no doubt. You're an incredible soccer player."

"Did Mom tell you I'm joining a traveling team this year?"

"She might have mentioned it," Quinn answers. "But tell me more about it. Are you excited?"

RACHEL: "One ice water, as requested," Shelby announces as she reenters the room, offering a simple clear tumbler to Rachel with a polite smile.

Rachel accepts it with a quiet, "Thank you," and cradles it between both hands as she awkwardly stands in front of the sofa.

"You know you're allowed to sit down," Shelby points out, lips quirked in mild amusement as she lowers herself down on the soft, green cushions - the piece of furniture worn just enough to prove its use over the years.

The woman gestures encouragingly to the looming empty space beside her, and Rachel carefully sinks down with a barely audible huff of irritation at her own nervousness.

It's hardly the first time she's seen Shelby in all these years - not even the first time she's been alone with her - but it's the first time she's been invited into her home, and Rachel is keenly aware that the invitation only came because of Quinn.

"You have a lovely home," she blurts out inanely, though she's only seen the outside, the foyer, and this room so far. It's tastefully decorated, anyway.

"Thank you."

Shelby sighs then, shaking her head. "I should have invited you to visit sooner. It's just always so…" she trails off, at a loss.

"Uncomfortable," Rachel finishes for her, echoes of old disappointments bleeding into the word.

QUINN: "I'm so excited," Beth confirms with a smile. "I want to play all year, and I can on this team."

"I'm happy for you," Quinn says with a smile of her own. "Being on that team will only make you better."

"Did you ever play soccer?" she asks curiously.

"No, I was always more into cheerleading."

"Do you miss doing that?" Beth wonders, knowing full well Quinn gave up cheering this season.

"I do," she admits, "but it was time to hang up the pom-poms."

Beth nods in understanding before getting distracted by something on her screen. "Oh! Let me show you something my friend made."

Quinn grins at Beth's enthusiasm and looks on attentively.

RACHEL: A painful silence hangs in the air between them for a long moment, and then Shelby nods so slightly that Rachel would almost miss it if she weren't staring the woman down, daring her to disagree.

"I know some of that is my doing."

Some?

Rachel bites down on the inside of her lip to keep from scoffing out loud.

"But I like to think things are improving. And now that you and Quinn are…together…we'll undoubtedly be seeing more of each other."

Rachel doesn't fail to notice the slight hesitation in that sentence, and her hackles rise even more.

"Be honest with me, Shelby. Is Quinn's relationship with me going to be a problem for you? Because if it is, we very much need to reach a mutual understanding on how you're going to deal with that, because I'm not going anywhere."

QUINN: Nothing makes Quinn happier than seeing Beth happy. Being with her today is everything.

Although, Rachel is still very close to mind, and part of Quinn is wondering how things are going upstairs - wondering if she should try to coax Beth away from her game so they can rejoin Rachel and Shelby.

She knows this isn't easy for her girlfriend, but she hopes she's doing okay.

RACHEL: She watches Shelby's lips purse into a thin line and braces herself for the potential blow back. She should have gone downstairs with Quinn and avoided Shelby as much as possible. Now she's probably ruined this visit for Quinn and gotten herself banned from the Corcoran house forever.

But she needs to know if this whole complicated situation between Rachel and Shelby is going to cause more problems for Quinn in the long run.

"Sometimes I forget how blunt you can be."

Rachel clenches her hands around the glass, imagines shards of glass shattering under the pressure, concedes that she doesn't quite have the muscles for that; considers flinging it at Shelby instead.

(Only fleetingly and with no real intent.)

"Some people actually find forthrightness to be one of my admirable qualities."

Some people being mostly just Quinn, occasionally Kurt, and very rarely Santana.

Shelby chuckles without much humor. "I know you're a permanent part of Quinn's life, Rachel. I'm actually glad that you are. You're exactly the kind of stubborn and tenacious that she needs."

Rachel's eyes widen in surprise. "I am?"

QUINN: Quinn watches as Beth continues to show off her and her friend's Minecraft creations. It really is amazing what these kids are making.

"Do you know what your mom is making for lunch?" Quinn asks, hoping that Shelby remembered her telling her that Rachel doesn't eat meat.

"Um... I don't know," Beth replies distractedly, eyes still glued to her screen. "I'm sure she made some kind of salad," she blanches, and Quinn chuckles.

"Just like Noah," she muses. As much as she and Puck butt heads, she finds his qualities that Beth has taken on to be endearing.

"What do you mean?" Beth asks curiously.

"He hates vegetables too."

"He's right; they're the worst! I eat them anyway though."

"Good," Quinn says, "we want you growing up strong, so you can keep kicking butt at soccer."

Beth sighs. "I know."

"Should we head back upstairs?"

RACHEL: A faint smile pulls at Shelby's mouth.

"I admit that I had my doubts when Quinn first mentioned she was seeing you. With the kind of success you've been having in your life, I wasn't sure you'd be willing to deal with all of her baggage."

Rachel feels mild offense at that on Quinn's behalf more than her own, but - well - Shelby isn't exactly wrong. It had been a question that Rachel had needed to consider as well before committing to Quinn.

"I'll be just as frank with you, Rachel," Shelby says, leaning forward. "Letting Quinn into Beth's life after everything wasn't a choice that I made easily, but ultimately, Beth deserves to know her birth mother." She glances away with a look of profound sadness and regret. "I don't ever want her to carry the same resentment that you do."

"I don't," Rachel tries to protest weakly, but she's cut off by a sharp look from Shelby - complete with a sad, pained smile.

"We both know you do. I might blame your fathers for some of that," she holds up a hand, preemptively stopping whatever protest she's assumes Rachel will make in defense of them, "but I signed that contract agreeing not make contact with you and then went ahead and did in anyway in the most spectacularly fucked up way imaginable. I was being selfish and not thinking clearly or doing what was best for you. And I don't think you can ever fully understand how sorry I am for that."

"Is that…" Rachel takes a shaky breath, staring down at her water glass so she won't have to meet Shelby's glistening eyes. "Is that why you decided you shouldn't have a relationship with me after all?"

She'd always assumed that Shelby had simply decided that Rachel wasn't the daughter she'd imagined and so not worth the effort. She'd never stopped to think at the time how Shelby had actually done some pretty questionable things to insinuate herself into Rachel's life against her father's wishes.

"I didn't know how to be your mother, and it hurt too much to try to be anything else." Shelby swipes at the tears that have spilled over her cheeks. "I'm fully aware that I just made everything worse by choosing to run away instead of fixing the mess I made. That's something I have to live with, but I hope it's never something that Quinn or Beth will have to experience."

QUINN: Beth shrugs, before perking up and smiling mischievously. "Do you miss Rachel already?"

Quinn shakes her head with a soft smile. Not as much as I miss you when we're apart. "Maybe," she says, before adding, "but I'm actually a little hungry." It's a lie. She could spend hours down here with Beth.

But she doesn't want to leave Rachel to fend for herself much longer.

RACHEL: Rachel sits with Shelby's confession - apology? - for a moment. She thinks about the last few years, peppered with stilted phone calls, and considers that it was Shelby who'd been the one to make that very first call. She wonders how much of that circles back to the missteps she's trying to keep from repeating with Beth.

She also thinks about Quinn - how she'd tried to run from her messes too and how that still weighs so heavily on her now.

"I know how much Quinn appreciates that you've made space for her in Beth's life, no matter your motivation for it."

Shelby brushes at her cheek again, her lips twisting into a wry smile. "Well, even though it is mostly for Beth, I have come to care about Quinn too. I meant what I said, Rachel. You're good for her. She needed someone who wouldn't leave."

"I won't'" Rachel is quick to confirm. She fidgets with her water glass, scraping her teeth across her lower lip as she considers her next words. "So I guess that means we'll be seeing more of each other as well. Maybe…maybe we can work on…cleaning up that mess we made."

"I'd like that," Shelby agrees softly.

QUINN: "Okay, let's go upstairs," Beth agrees. "But we're coming back later. I want to show Rachel Minecraft too."

"Of course," Quinn replies, getting up from her chair. "And maybe you can play drums for us too."

"Yeah!"

Quinn grins, so incredibly proud of her daughter.

"Race you upstairs!" Beth exclaims, suddenly bolting from her seat and running toward the stairs.

Quinn laughs lightly at the sight, already knowing who will win.

RACHEL: Rachel isn't naive enough to believe that her relationship with Shelby will magically transform into the mother-daughter one she'd once dreamed about, but she's hoping this might at least be a starting point for a less uncomfortable one.

Rachel is building a life with Quinn, and Beth and Shelby will be a permanent part of that. She needs to be able to coexist with Shelby without the resentment she's been carrying for years.

She's saved from attempting to continue the still awkward conversation by the thunderous pounding of feet on the stairs.

QUINN: "I win!" Beth crows from the top of the basement stairs as Quinn follows her. "Mom, Quinn's hungry," she says, turning her attention to the living room.

Quinn finally makes her way to where Beth is standing and takes in the sight of Rachel and Shelby sitting on the couch, praying that everything is okay.

"There's no rush," Quinn insists to Shelby. "Whenever you're ready."

Hazel eyes shift toward Rachel then, trying to gauge her mood.

RACHEL: Her attention is caught by Beth and Quinn as they enter the room. They're both wearing nearly identical grins from their time together, though Quinn's takes on a questioning uncertainty when she looks at Rachel.

Rachel does her best to silently reassure her girlfriend through her own smile, hoping it's enough to distill whatever tension lingers in the air between her and Shelby.

Shelby draws in a breath and offers up her own smile. "It'll just take me a few moments to get everything ready."

QUINN: A sense of relief comes over Quinn at the smiles offered by Rachel and Shelby. She hopes whatever conversation was had was pleasant, despite Rachel's resentment toward her birth mother. It means the world that she's here today.

Shelby rises from her seat then, telling Quinn to make herself comfortable while she gets lunch ready in the kitchen.

Beth watches Quinn as she takes over Shelby's vacant seat on the couch before plopping down between her and Rachel, and looks at Rachel earnestly.

"Do you play any games, Rachel?"

RACHEL: Rachel taps a fingernail against her water glass, feeling unexpectedly nervous at the sudden attention of Quinn's daughter.

"Oh…ah…I played in a football game once," she recalls fondly, thinking of her singular high school foray into the sports ball.

Beth's eyebrow arches in a way that is far too similar to Quinn. Rachel can't quite tell whether that particular expression on Beth means that she's impressed or perplexed.

"But you probably mean video games," she realizes belatedly.

QUINN: Quinn smiles at the memory of Rachel suiting up in a Titans uniform junior year of high school. She idly wonders if Rachel still has it. It could make for a fun role play with her Cheerios uniform.

"Yeah, video games," Beth confirms eagerly, drawing Quinn's focus back to where it should be.

She knows what Rachel's answer will be, but she watches her girlfriend's interaction with Beth with rapt attention anyway.

RACHEL: Many, many years ago, Finn had convinced her to try her hand at Mario Kart. It resulted in a ridiculous argument, a broken game controller, and a mutual decision that video games and Rachel Berry do not mix.

Subsequent attempts at those little games on her cell phone have only reinforced that initial opinion.

Rachel feels her cheeks heat slightly, and she clears her throat. "I'm afraid that I'm not a gamer." She thinks that's the correct lingo. "At all."

QUINN: Beth pouts a little, but instantly perks up. "That's okay. Quinn says you're the greatest singer in the world," she leans into Rachel conspiratorially and adds lowly, "even better than my mom."

Quinn shakes her head softly, but she can't argue. She may have insinuated that to her daughter.

RACHEL: The flush on Rachel's cheeks now is purely from pleasure as she finds Quinn's sparkling eyes over Beth's head. There's a soft curve of her lips as she watches them, and Rachel flashes her a grin before turning her attention back to Beth.

"Well, Qunn may be a tiny bit biased," she admits, playfully ducking her head down to become Beth's willing co-conspirator, "but I was nominated for a Tony," that she unfortunately did not win, "so some might say I'm above average."

She's very much hoping for another nomination in the spring that will actually result in her finally bringing that coveted statuette home with her.

QUINN: "I wanna see you on Broadway," Beth tells Rachel, "but Mom says your show isn't 'age appropriate'," she adds with a huff, and what Quinn is sure is a furrowed brow. "Can we play together after lunch? You sing; I drum?"

That sounds like heaven to Quinn.

RACHEL: Rachel bites her tongue on the subject of age-appropriateness. One could argue her current show might be a bit heavy for an eleven year-old, but it's still far tamer than some of the shows that have graced a Broadway stage.

Rachel had been reared on musicals like Carousel and Oklahoma! She'd even seen Sweeney Todd by the time she was twelve!.

Though in retrospect, she might not have been the best example of a normal child.

So she lets go of introducing Beth to her Broadway career for now.

"I'd love to sing with you."

She glances up at Quinn again, grinning slyly. "Maybe we can even convince Quinn to play the keyboard."

She's certain Shelby must have one around here somewhere. Any music teacher worth her salt should.

QUINN: Quinn feels unexpectedly nervous at the prospect of playing piano, or well, a keyboard. It's been so long.

"We have a keyboard and a guitar along with my drum kit," Beth explains to Rachel. "Noah plays guitar with me when he visits." She turns to Quinn then, gazing at her questioningly. "Why haven't you played with me before? I mean, besides singing with me."

"I'm not very good," she admits with a self-deprecating smile.

RACHEL: "She's being modest," Rachel protests, her gaze moving between Quinn and Beth.

She remembers quite clearly their brief song-writing partnership. Rachel has always had only very basic skills at the piano, just enough to find the correct key and pluck out a shaky melody with half-assed, completely incorrect finger positions, but Quinn had clearly had professional lessons at some point in her childhood. She might be out of practice now, but Rachel is sure the muscle memory is still there.

"Did you know we actually wrote a song together back in high school?"

It's true that Rachel had overwritten their joint efforts with her own lyrics after the argument they'd had about Finn, but the melody of the song had already been composed by then, and that had been all Quinn.

QUINN: "What? No!" Beth replies, turning to look at Quinn excitedly. "That's so cool. Will you guys play it for me?"

"Ah, I don't know if I remember how to play it," she says bashfully. She really is rusty these days. "But I'm sure there's video somewhere."

"I wanna see it!"

"My mom might have a copy somewhere, but I'm not sure. Rachel, do your dads have it?" Quinn asks, shifting her attention to her girlfriend.

RACHEL: Rachel sends Quinn a perplexed look. "Well, obviously, my fathers have video, Quinn, but I hardly need to ask them for it. I still have my entire My Space videography saved in digital files. Do you honestly think I wouldn't have every glee club performance as well?"

Especially when one of them includes her very first original song.

She's mildly disappointed that Quinn wouldn't have already suspected that, knowing Rachel as she does.

She glances back at Beth with a smile. "I don't have it on my person at the moment, but we can have an entire McKinley High School show choir marathon if you like."

QUINN: "That sounds awesome," Beth says. "Next time you visit, bring your videos, okay?"

"We will," Quinn agrees with a smile, happy that Beth is looking forward to spending more time with Rachel in the future.

Granted, she should have known her girlfriend has a video archive of her own. Glee club was always a very complicated thing for Quinn, so they haven't revisited it much in conversation.

"Lunch is ready," Shelby interrupts from the entrance of the living room.

RACHEL: Beth practically catapults off the sofa at the prospect of food. It's the first time she's reminded Rachel more of Noah than of Quinn, and she huffs out a quiet laugh at the observation.

Quinn stands at a much more relaxed pace and offers her hand to Rachel. She takes it with a soft smile and a flirty,. "Why, thank you, Ms. Fabray."

Quinn's hand is warm and steady around hers, and she's grateful for the connection as she braces herself to make more small talk with Shelby. She's hoping they can get through lunch without any more tense moments so that happy sparkle stays in Quinn's eyes.

QUINN: They walk hand-in-hand, following Beth into the dining room, where Shelby has set the table for four. There's a spread of hummus and tabouli with pita wedges, alongside a giant bowl of what looks to be a Greek salad with grape leaves.

Quinn lets out an inaudible sigh of relief, glad that Shelby remembered to keep things meat-free.

Beth has already started piling up her plate by the time she and Rachel take their seats across from her.

"No, wait," Beth says, stopping what she's doing and looks at them expectantly. "I wanna sit next to both of you."

RACHEL: The announcement takes Rachel by surprise. She hadn't expected Beth to be so eager for her attention that she'd care about the seating arrangement.

The table is rectangular, large enough to seat six if there were chairs placed at the ends, but Shelby currently only has four chairs with two side-by-side at each long edge.

"Beth, we're not rearranging the table," Shelby chastises mildly.

Beth's lips purse into a thin line, and she looks ready to pitch a fit at her mother.

"Why don't you sit next to Quinn and across from me?" Rachel quickly suggests. "You can easily get both of our attention that way."

QUINN: Beth pouts a little but agrees with Rachel's suggestion. As much as Quinn wants to stay by her girlfriend's side, she'll never turn down the chance to be with her daughter.

They then rearrange seats until they're suitable to Beth's desire.

"Did you make this all yourself?" Quinn asks Shelby.

"Just the salad," she replies, helping herself to some tabouli. "The hummus, tabouli, and grape leaves are from Beyond Pita."

"I love that place," Beth says. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome. I know you like their food. And well, I thought Rachel might like it too."

RACHEL: Rachel has no doubt in her mind that Quinn would have reminded Shelby of her dietary preferences before committing them to this lunch, but it's still nice to know that Shelby had gone strictly meatless for her. She knows Quinn still enjoys her animal flesh and she highly suspects that Beth is no different. She honestly hadn't expected more than a salad.

She offers Shelby a grateful smile. "I'm sure I will. I practically lived on hummus and tabouli from this little Mediterranean cafe in Bushwick when I first moved to the city." She takes her own helping of the same as she speaks, recalling those early days. "I spent far too much money on take out until I actually learned how to cook for myself."

QUINN: "I was the same way when I first lived on my own," Shelby confesses. "I knew how to make a few things, but the convenience trumped that. Fortunately, Beth mostly eats home-cooked meals."

"As does Rachel," Quinn says. "I love cooking for her, but she's pretty good in the kitchen now. Her breakfasts are to die for."

"Can we go to your place for breakfast sometime?" Beth asks then. "I wanna see where you live."

RACHEL: Rachel glances at Quinn. The soft, hopeful smile on her face says everything.

She's very aware that inviting Beth to their apartment will also mean inviting Shelby, so it looks like working out her own issues with Shelby won't be mere lip service. She's going to need to put in the actual work.

"If your mother agrees, you're both certainly welcome to visit."

Rachel turns to Shelby then. "I usually have a Saturday matinee that might make breakfast a rushed affair, but I'm free on Sundays until six."

She's very aware that today, being a Saturday, would seem to contradict that, but Beth's games always seem to fall on Saturdays, so Rachel's understudy is getting her first curtain call today.

QUINN: There's a hint of hesitation before Shelby says, "That would be wonderful."

Quinn can't help but wonder if that hitch was because Shelby has always been the one to dictate the time and place Quinn can see Beth, or if it has to do with the uneasy nature of her relationship with Rachel. Either way, coming to their home turf would certainly signal a change.

Quinn welcomes it if it means Beth will be happy, so long as it's not too much for her girlfriend to handle.

RACHEL: "Awesome," Beth comments happily, oblivious to any underlying tension between the adults, but Rachel certainly hadn't missed Shelby's brief hesitation.

She really wishes it didn't bother her as much as it does.

"You can let us know when would be a good day for you," Rachel informs her evenly, putting the ball firmly in Shelby's court.

If anyone is going to disappoint Beth, it's going to be her.

QUINN: "I will," Shelby promises sincerely, and Rachel nods, before the four of them dig into their food.

Despite Beth complaining about having to eat vegetables earlier, she's clearly enjoying the salad Shelby made.

Conversation is light and mostly filled with Beth's chattering about school and the drum corps she's in, filling Rachel in on things Quinn already knows. She's pleased that Beth has taken to Rachel and wants to share and spend time with her.

RACHEL: It's a little surprising just how easy it is to engage with Beth. Rachel admittedly doesn't have a ton of experience with children, so she's been more than a little nervous to spend time with Quinn's daughter for fear of making a terrible impression, but today is going so much better than she'd anticipated.

Beth obviously reminds Rachel of Quinn - albeit a kinder, less brooding version of her - and there are little bits of Noah in there too, but the excitement that overtakes her when she talks about her hobbies, specifically the musical ones, strikes a familiar chord in Rachel. She used to ramble endlessly in much the same way when someone got her started on a subject.

Who is she kidding? She still does that.

By the end of their meal, Rachel feels like maybe this part of Quinn's life actually can fit pretty seamlessly into the part she's building with Rachel.

Beth is a great kid, and Rachel is actually looking forward to spending more time with her.

QUINN: As soon as lunch concludes, Beth is up and out of her seat, abuzz with the prospect of showing Rachel everything the basement has to offer - video games, musical instruments, and the prospect of a duet or trio.

Quinn encourages Rachel to go downstairs with Beth while she helps Shelby clean up. Rachel hesitates slightly before Beth's insistent calls have her feet moving.

Quinn smiles to herself at the sight before turning her attention to Shelby. "Thank you for having us over today. Lunch was delicious."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," she replies, picking up the now empty salad bowl. "You know you don't have to clean up. You can go with Beth and Rachel if you want."

"I know, but I want to help," Quinn argues, gathering the plates and utensils. "And, well, I need to tell you some things about my health. In an effort to be transparent and all."

RACHEL: So when Rachel contemplated spending more time with Beth, she'd assumed it would be supervised time with Quinn as a buffer. She wasn't expecting to be thrown into instant alone time with an eager preteen intent on showing her every single thing in her basement haven.

"And this is my brand new splash cymbal that Mom got me for my birthday this year."

Beth punctuates it with a crash of said cymbal that has Rachel wincing ever-so-slightly.

She's not a drummer. She'd messed around with Finn's kit back in high school, and he'd tried to teach her the basics, but her voice has always been her preferred instrument. This is obviously Beth's.

"Mmm. Impressive," Rachel compliments with a nod.

The red Yamaha set has a single bass with two floor toms, two mounted, and an array of shiny Zildjian cymbals in various sizes surrounding it. Shelby obviously spares no expense when it comes to providing for her daughter's musical interests.

True to Beth's word, there's also a basic keyboard over in the corner of the room and a pink electric guitar on a stand next to it. The sight makes Rachel smile fondly.

"Can you play?" Beth asks her, fidgeting a bit on the drum stool as she lightly taps one stick against the high hat.

"Very badly," Rachel answers with a grin, gesturing around the room. "I can butcher any song on every instrument you have."

Beth giggles at that, and Rachel laughs along with her.

QUINN: "Oh?" Shelby says lightly, but Quinn can feel the woman's attention intensify. Quinn hasn't been in the throes of an episode around Beth since senior year of high school, and she never wants her daughter to witness one now that she's older.

"I was having some issues recently," Quinn admits as they walk into the kitchen and over to the sink. "The lithium was helping some, but it wasn't enough. So my doctor made a change to my medication."

"What change?" Shelby asks, setting the salad bowl down on the counter, turning to fully face Quinn. "And how are you feeling now?"

"Feeling better now," she confirms. "It took a few weeks, but the vraylar seems to be working."

"Thank you for telling me," Shelby replies sympathetically. "So no more lithium?"

"Not right now. I might end up going back on it once things are more settled. I think I went through too many changes too quickly."

"How is Rachel dealing with it?"

The question takes Quinn by surprise, albeit pleasantly. "As well as she can. I'm very lucky. She's been a godsend."

RACHEL: "Mom can't really play anything but the keyboard either," Beth reveals, absently twirling her drumstick. "She sings with me a lot though."

"Well, of course she does," Rachel murmurs with a faint smile. Shelby is a vocalist first and foremost. It's the one thing she and Rachel really have in common.

"You look a lot like her."

And that too.

"Oh, well…I mean," Rachel stammers out with hands flailing stupidly.

Beth rolls her eyes. "I know you're, like, my kind-of sister."

Well, obviously she would know that, between Shelby and Quinn. Rachel has a feeling there's more to Beth's observation though by the way she continues to swivel on her stool while her teeth gnaw on her lower lip in a nervous habit eerily similar to Quinn's.

"Is there something specific you want to say about that?" she prompts carefully.

Beth shrugs, eyes firmly on her drums. "Just…how come you never came over before?"

QUINN: "I'm glad," Shelby says. "I told Rachel this earlier, but I think she's good for you."

"Obviously I agree," Quinn replies with a smile. "I know I'm not easy, but Rachel is incredibly supportive."

"Good, that's what you need," she affirms. "And it seems like Beth has taken a shine to her as well."

Of course she has; she's my daughter, Quinn thinks to herself. "I'm not surprised. They're both amazing people."

RACHEL: How does Rachel even begin to answer that?

There's no tactful way to explain her tumultuous relationship with Shelby in a way that won't cast a dark shadow over Beth's view of her mother or of Rachel. The simplest explanation is that Shelby never invited Rachel to spend time with her or Beth, but then Rachel also never bothered trying to be part of their lives after Shelby's initial rejection of her twelve years ago.

Moistening her lips, Rachel takes a deep breath and plunges in, hoping she doesn't put her foot in her mouth.

"Well, Shelby and I…we…we never had the chance to build a relationship the way you and Quinn are doing now."

Beth's curious eyes come up to meet Rachel's.

"So, I suppose I didn't feel like I had a place in your lives until…well, until Quinn came back into mine."

QUINN: "Indeed," Shelby agrees. "We're both lucky to know them. I just wish things between myself and Rachel were better, but that's my cross to bear."

"If there's anything I can do to help, let me know," Quinn says, wishing Rachel and Shelby's relationship was more like her and Beth's.

"Bringing her with you today already has, so thank you. But I still have a lot to make up for."

RACHEL: Beth sits with Rachel's explanation for a moment before nodding. "I guess that makes sense." She graces Rachel with a crooked smile. "But it's still stupid that I'm only getting to meet you now."

A quiet chuckle slips out. "Yeah. I guess it is, but you know, you did actually meet me very briefly a few years ago."

Beth's eyes narrow in confusion. "I did?"

It had been mid-November, and Rachel had still been attending classes at NYADA. She'd been out browsing on Fifth Avenue and had run into Shelby and a bundled up Beth, apparently out doing some early holiday shopping in the city.

Rachel laughs again. "I think you might have been five and trying to pull your mother into FAO Schwarz because there was a giant SpongeBob in the display window."

Beth slinks down lower on her stool, cheeks tinting pink. "I don't remember that."

"I'm not surprised. You were very young and very distracted, and…well, Shelby and I didn't talk for very long before she ushered you inside and out of the elements."

QUINN: She's glad to hear Shelby is willing to put in the work. Rachel deserves that much if not more.

"Why don't we head downstairs now?" Shelby suggests. "I can finish these dishes later."

"If you're sure," Quinn says, and Shelby nods.

Quinn's not going to argue, eager to get back to spending time with Beth and Rachel.

RACHEL: The conversation with Beth is interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and Rachel turns in time to see Quinn's graceful appearance with Shelby on her heels. The soft smile on her girlfriend's face blooms brighter when she sees them together, and even Shelby seems more at ease than she had earlier.

Rachel glances back to Beth with a wink.

"It seems the rest of the band has arrived."

QUINN: "Yes!" Beth exclaims. "Now we can play something."

Quinn bites her lower lip nervously. She would do anything for Beth, but she doesn't want to disappoint her (or Rachel) with a subpar performance.

"What did you have in mind, Beth?" Shelby asks.

"Something by Taylor Swift. Maybe 'Love Story?' But Taylor's version!"

"I think I can manage that," Quinn says, knowing the song well enough, "but I might need to look at the chords online first, just to be sure."

RACHEL: Rachel supposes that she should have been expecting Beth to be a Swiftie. She's not opposed to the song request though she can admit that she was hoping for something that would have better shown off the full range of her vocal abilities.

She can also admit that would have been intended to impress Shelby more than Beth.

"I actually have that transcribed in sheet music already," Shelby announces with a slight roll of her eyes. "Taylor is unsurprisingly very popular in this house and in my classes. It'll just take a moment for me to run upstairs and get it."

QUINN: Quinn takes a seat behind the keyboard and turns it on before switching on the small Fender amp alongside it. Having sheet music will definitely help.

She watches as Beth excitedly bounces on her drum stool. "I can't wait to play this with you guys and to hear you sing, Rachel."

RACHEL: "And I'm always happy for people to hear me sing," Rachel agrees cheekily, noting how Quinn laughs quietly at the confession. Her girlfriend is very aware that Rachel adores the spotlight, no matter how small.

She's not surprised to see two wireless microphones and an amp in the room, considering whose house she's in, and she wouldn't be surprised if it's also karaoke compatible with the flat screen television mounted on the wall.

Rachel picks up one of the microphones and turns on the amp just as Shelby descends the stairs again, sheet music in hand as promised.

QUINN: "Here you are, Quinn," Shelby says, handing her the sheet music.

Quinn briefly looks it over, noting how seamlessly Shelby rearranged the guitar parts for piano. She can do this.

"Are you gonna sing with Rachel, Mom?" Beth asks then.

"I think I'll just listen for now," she replies, taking a seat at Beth's computer and facing their little makeshift band.

RACHEL: Rachel doesn't know entirely what to make of Shelby's 'for now.' The one time they'd actually sung together had been less than ideal, and she's not sure how she might feel about a potential encore.

She can't escape the sudden image of Shelby critiquing their performance and then demonstrating the proper technique.

But ever the professional, Rachel shakes that off and turns to Quinn, who's still perusing the sheet music. "Whenever you and Beth are ready," she prompts.

Because, of course, Rachel Berry was born ready for every performance.

QUINN: She looks up from the paper in front of her to look at Rachel and then Beth. "I'm ready," she says, still a little hesitant. "Count us off, Beth."

Beth grins and smacks her drum sticks together in a steady 1, 2, 3, 4.

Quinn's fingers press against the keys, drawing out the arpeggios of the intro and waiting for the beat of Beth's drumming to kick in and anchor her.

RACHEL: Rachel hasn't heard Quinn play since high school, and while she's clearly a little tentative on the opening notes, she seems to relax into it once Beth begins to tap the cymbal. Rachel has the pleasure of watching them both play together for a moment, matching smiles on their faces.

It warms her heart and sparks a bit of wistfulness at the same time.

And then it's her cue to sing, and she finds the lyrics entirely too apropos.

"We were both young when I first saw you.

I close my eyes and the flashback starts.

I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air."

It wasn't a balcony, obviously.

It was a bleacher.

But she can still see Quinn in her cheerleading uniform and it brings a fond smile to Rachel's lips as she loses herself in the song.

QUINN: Quinn wonders if she'll ever get over how incredible Rachel's voice is. It soothes her in a way like nothing else ever has, especially when deep brown eyes lock on hers while singing.

"See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns

"See you make your way through the crowd

"And say, 'Hello'

"Little did I know."

Quinn remembers prom - remembers making sure Rachel was queen. Because that's what she was and is to Quinn.

RACHEL: It would be all too easy to sing this song entirely to Quinn, but Rachel is actually conscious of the other two people in the room.

In fact, she's duly impressed by Beth's drumming. The girl looks completely at home behind the drumset, her posture and grip relaxed in a way that makes her movements look effortless. If this is how good she is as a relative beginner, then Rachel has no doubt that in a year or two, she'll be posting videos of herself on Youtube playing complicated solos along with classic rock songs.

There's a huge grin on Beth's face as her gaze moves between Quinn playing and Rachel singing that Rachel can't help matching.

"It's a love story, baby just say, 'Yes.'"

QUINN: Quinn glances up from the sheet music, growing more comfortable with the chord progression, so she can meet Beth's gaze. Her daughter is definitely in her element right now, and Quinn is so happy to share this moment with her and Rachel.

They sound really good together, and as they enter the last verse and modulate up a half step, Quinn grins, once again looking toward Rachel.

RACHEL: Rachel makes a mental note to instigate musical collaborations with her girlfriend more often. She has a keyboard. Quinn is clearly far more talented than she gives herself credit for, and she looks so happy right now that it makes Rachel's heart sing.

She is aware at least fifty percent of that happiness is due to Beth, but regardless, Rachel is a firm believer in the power of music as emotional expression, and, well, Quinn should already realize that loving Rachel Berry means musical duets are mandatory.

She can't believe she's been so lax up until now.

Her gaze returns firmly to Quinn as she begins the final verse of the chorus.

"Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone.

I love you, and that's all I really know."

It's still far too soon for marriage, even by Sapphic standards, but the sentiment is the same.

Quinn will never have to be alone again.

QUINN: As their cover comes to a close, Quinn is overcome with emotion, feeling Rachel's words to her core and the love that envelopes her.