fic: you can't always get what you want
Title: You Can't Always Get What You Want.
Author: x_kathirose
Rating: PG-13.
Length: 1120 words.
Spoilers: Sectionals, just to be safe. Nothing major mentioned.
Summary: Quinn Fabray's life takes an unexpected turn.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, these characters are under Ryan Murphy's thumb, not mine.
---
Quinn Fabray had absolutely no idea what was happening to her. Here she was, pregnant with a bastard child her parents had disowned her over, kicked off the Cheerios and with no boyfriend - well, getting pregnant by his best friend had kind of ruined that relationship.
Her life was already far from perfect, and now there was one extra problem: she was in love. With a girl.
A girl named Rachel Berry.
It had started about a month ago. They had been practising a particularly tricky dance step - well, tricky for an unfit pregnant ex-cheerleader; damn these pregnancy hormones making her clumsy - and had fallen straight into Rachel, who had caught her just before she hit the floor. She'd looked up into those trusting dark brown eyes and that was it. She was gone. Swept away in a torrent of love. Just the thought of those slim tan arms wrapped around her made Quinn shiver and ache with longing. She tried desperately to get Rachel to notice her, but years of bullying meant that Rachel avoided her wherever possible. Quinn had no idea why she had ever tormented the brunette - she couldn't believe she'd ever found her annoying, or that she had insulted her on an almost daily basis - but she did know one thing. She had to make it up to rachel - whatever it took.
After two months of longing glances and steamy thoughts, Quinn's years of virtual celibacy (apart from that one embarrassing detour) and praying to the Good lord seemed to finally pay off. Fate handed her a golden opportunity and she knew she had to take it.
Quinn's third period class was film; she loved the elegant, smoky glamour of old Hollywood and she figured the class would be a breeze - how hard was it to point and shoot? Rachel was, of course, Mrs Lilley's star student, and Quinn had to admit that, whilst Rachel was first and foremost a singer, her acting and directing were also irritatingly good. Or, at least, they had been. Now, there was nothing irritating about Rachel's short films. They were direct, confident, intimate; Quinn watched the vivid brunette talk or sing, marvelling at her melodic voice, the disarming smile, the complete confidence in her own skin. Quinn desperately wanted to be as lovely as Rachel was.
It seemed a godsend, then that Mrs Lilley had dreamed up a new project for their course.
"I am going to partner you off, and you must make a film for your partner, telling them exactly how you really feel about them."
Mrs Lilley made a great show of pulling names out of a black top hat. Rachel was third on the register, and seemingly couldn't wait to find out the identity of her partner. Quinn smiled. She couldn't believe she had ever found the brunette's impatience annoying.
"And Rachel Berry's new partner will be.... Quinn Fabray!"
Rachel flinched and slid down in her chair as the class snickered, but Quinn sat up a little straighter, head held high. She knew exactly what she had to do.
The project wasn't due in for another six weeks, but Quinn set to work immediately. She asked Brittany to help - the blonde looked immensely pleased to be asked - but Santana needed a bit of bullying to be persuaded. Quinn didn't think she was imagining it that it was the mention of Brittany's name that spurred Santana to agree.
Two frenzied weeks flew past as Quinn researched, scripted and choreographed her film. For another fourteen days she rehearsed endless, adjusting the location, the outfit, the lighting; she needed everything to go exactly as planned.
It was a gorgeously sunny Saturday when Quinn set to work in Brittany's garden, armed with a camera and two of her best friends. She deftly set the tripod up and set the camera down on top. She moved all of the garden furniture off the dark grey stone patio, except her favourite pine chair with the red cushions. When she'd checked her make-up and arranged her hair to Santana's satisfaction, Quinn installed her two friends behind the camera and composed herself.
"Lights, camera, action!" squealed Brittany, who was having far too much fun for her own good. Quinn smiled as Santana gently placed her hand over the blonde's mouth and pressed record.
Quinn took a deep breath and looked directly into the camera lens.
"Rachel Berry, I know exactly what you think I think about you. You think I think that a grape slushee is your favourite type of moisturiser. You think that I think you dress like a grandmother; that you have no boobs, that you have man-hands and bad breath. I used to. But now... now I know that I was wrong. You're beautiful, Rachel, inside and out."
At this, Brittany pressed a button on a small CD player and music came floating through the summer air.
"I know that you prefer to communicate through song, so here's a message for you. I'm pretty sure that you orchestrated this for me and I thought I'd return the favour."
Santana and Brittany came and moved the chair Quinn had now vacated, and then came to stand behind the petite blonde girl. The three girls took a deep breath and began to sing, Quinn's silvery voice standing out.
"Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow.."
The trio sang their way through the whole song, dancing to Brittany's simple but elegant choreography. Quinn sang directly to the camera, pouring her heart out to the viewer. When the song came to a close, Santana and Brittany subtly disappeared from view, leaving Quinn alone.
"I'm so sorry, Rachel, and I hope the fact that I just embarrassed myself in front of a class who already think I'm a huge pregnant freak goes some way to making it up to you."
The record light stopped flashing and Brittany rushed forward to hug Quinn, being careful to avoid the baby belly.
"I always knew you were a nice person, Quinn."
The tiny blonde smiled and tenderly kissed the top of Brittany's shiny blonde head, looking at Santana over Brittany's left shoulder.
"Damn," the Latina drawled. "Guess me and Brittany have some competition for hottest gay couple of the grade."
Quinn smiled at her oldest and wittiest friend.
"Oh, I think you'll find that me and Rachel will have that position pretty well covered, thanks."
And when the dark-eyed brunette walked in on Quinn and Rachel making out in the girl's locker room after Glee practise three weeks later, she knew she had to concede defeat. After all, Quinn Fabray never could resist a challenge.
Author: x_kathirose
Rating: PG-13.
Length: 1120 words.
Spoilers: Sectionals, just to be safe. Nothing major mentioned.
Summary: Quinn Fabray's life takes an unexpected turn.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, these characters are under Ryan Murphy's thumb, not mine.
---
Quinn Fabray had absolutely no idea what was happening to her. Here she was, pregnant with a bastard child her parents had disowned her over, kicked off the Cheerios and with no boyfriend - well, getting pregnant by his best friend had kind of ruined that relationship.
Her life was already far from perfect, and now there was one extra problem: she was in love. With a girl.
A girl named Rachel Berry.
It had started about a month ago. They had been practising a particularly tricky dance step - well, tricky for an unfit pregnant ex-cheerleader; damn these pregnancy hormones making her clumsy - and had fallen straight into Rachel, who had caught her just before she hit the floor. She'd looked up into those trusting dark brown eyes and that was it. She was gone. Swept away in a torrent of love. Just the thought of those slim tan arms wrapped around her made Quinn shiver and ache with longing. She tried desperately to get Rachel to notice her, but years of bullying meant that Rachel avoided her wherever possible. Quinn had no idea why she had ever tormented the brunette - she couldn't believe she'd ever found her annoying, or that she had insulted her on an almost daily basis - but she did know one thing. She had to make it up to rachel - whatever it took.
After two months of longing glances and steamy thoughts, Quinn's years of virtual celibacy (apart from that one embarrassing detour) and praying to the Good lord seemed to finally pay off. Fate handed her a golden opportunity and she knew she had to take it.
Quinn's third period class was film; she loved the elegant, smoky glamour of old Hollywood and she figured the class would be a breeze - how hard was it to point and shoot? Rachel was, of course, Mrs Lilley's star student, and Quinn had to admit that, whilst Rachel was first and foremost a singer, her acting and directing were also irritatingly good. Or, at least, they had been. Now, there was nothing irritating about Rachel's short films. They were direct, confident, intimate; Quinn watched the vivid brunette talk or sing, marvelling at her melodic voice, the disarming smile, the complete confidence in her own skin. Quinn desperately wanted to be as lovely as Rachel was.
It seemed a godsend, then that Mrs Lilley had dreamed up a new project for their course.
"I am going to partner you off, and you must make a film for your partner, telling them exactly how you really feel about them."
Mrs Lilley made a great show of pulling names out of a black top hat. Rachel was third on the register, and seemingly couldn't wait to find out the identity of her partner. Quinn smiled. She couldn't believe she had ever found the brunette's impatience annoying.
"And Rachel Berry's new partner will be.... Quinn Fabray!"
Rachel flinched and slid down in her chair as the class snickered, but Quinn sat up a little straighter, head held high. She knew exactly what she had to do.
The project wasn't due in for another six weeks, but Quinn set to work immediately. She asked Brittany to help - the blonde looked immensely pleased to be asked - but Santana needed a bit of bullying to be persuaded. Quinn didn't think she was imagining it that it was the mention of Brittany's name that spurred Santana to agree.
Two frenzied weeks flew past as Quinn researched, scripted and choreographed her film. For another fourteen days she rehearsed endless, adjusting the location, the outfit, the lighting; she needed everything to go exactly as planned.
It was a gorgeously sunny Saturday when Quinn set to work in Brittany's garden, armed with a camera and two of her best friends. She deftly set the tripod up and set the camera down on top. She moved all of the garden furniture off the dark grey stone patio, except her favourite pine chair with the red cushions. When she'd checked her make-up and arranged her hair to Santana's satisfaction, Quinn installed her two friends behind the camera and composed herself.
"Lights, camera, action!" squealed Brittany, who was having far too much fun for her own good. Quinn smiled as Santana gently placed her hand over the blonde's mouth and pressed record.
Quinn took a deep breath and looked directly into the camera lens.
"Rachel Berry, I know exactly what you think I think about you. You think I think that a grape slushee is your favourite type of moisturiser. You think that I think you dress like a grandmother; that you have no boobs, that you have man-hands and bad breath. I used to. But now... now I know that I was wrong. You're beautiful, Rachel, inside and out."
At this, Brittany pressed a button on a small CD player and music came floating through the summer air.
"I know that you prefer to communicate through song, so here's a message for you. I'm pretty sure that you orchestrated this for me and I thought I'd return the favour."
Santana and Brittany came and moved the chair Quinn had now vacated, and then came to stand behind the petite blonde girl. The three girls took a deep breath and began to sing, Quinn's silvery voice standing out.
"Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow.."
The trio sang their way through the whole song, dancing to Brittany's simple but elegant choreography. Quinn sang directly to the camera, pouring her heart out to the viewer. When the song came to a close, Santana and Brittany subtly disappeared from view, leaving Quinn alone.
"I'm so sorry, Rachel, and I hope the fact that I just embarrassed myself in front of a class who already think I'm a huge pregnant freak goes some way to making it up to you."
The record light stopped flashing and Brittany rushed forward to hug Quinn, being careful to avoid the baby belly.
"I always knew you were a nice person, Quinn."
The tiny blonde smiled and tenderly kissed the top of Brittany's shiny blonde head, looking at Santana over Brittany's left shoulder.
"Damn," the Latina drawled. "Guess me and Brittany have some competition for hottest gay couple of the grade."
Quinn smiled at her oldest and wittiest friend.
"Oh, I think you'll find that me and Rachel will have that position pretty well covered, thanks."
And when the dark-eyed brunette walked in on Quinn and Rachel making out in the girl's locker room after Glee practise three weeks later, she knew she had to concede defeat. After all, Quinn Fabray never could resist a challenge.