The Way To Each Other - Chapter Six
Title: The Way To Each Other
Author: Sio & Maura
Rating: Hard NC-17
Length: Epic (230,271)
Spoilers: This is AU. Some mentions of Seasons 1 & 2 events though handled differently than in canon.
Pairing: Santana/Quinn
Summary: Santana's life is far harder than it appears to the average viewer. Her dad's in jail and her mom turns tricks in their old family home. Worst yet, Santana herself has to do the same to keep her mom alive and food in her belly. Can Quinn save her? Or will Quinn's domineering father ruin everything? For the Glee Bang
Warnings (highlight to read): talks of suicide, angst, language, graphic het and femslash sex, non-con, dub-con, oral, vaginal, anal, pedophilia, sex work, underage prostitution, abuse, violence sexual and non, minor character death, self-harm, drug use, disease - HIV
Chapter 6
“Yesterday around three in the afternoon, a fire broke out in the community of Lima Heights Adjacent in a foreclosed home. No one was aware of the fire until the house was fully consumed. Despite firefighters’ best efforts, the fire raged uncontrolled through part of the night and jumped to multiple buildings.” The red headed desk anchor shuffled her papers in front of a graphic of a burning house and Lima Heights Adjacent Burns in bold white letters.
“Investigators are not currently stating what the initial cause of the fire was, though inside sources believe that it to be a case of arson. So far, there appears to have been one death relating to the fire - a woman found severely burned past the point of recognition in a bed in one of the initial house. They are not currently releasing any details on this death or the fire, though we will certainly keep you updated as events unfold. Until then, this is Andrea Carmichael for WOHN. And back to Rod. Rod?”
“Thank you, Andrea. Tragic story, just tragic.” He turned to smile brightly at the camera, “Tonight in sports...”
Santana lay still watching the five o'clock news silently. She was on her stomach with her face smooshed into the rough leather of the couch, exactly where Sue left her several hours earlier when she ordered her to leave her room. Santana had yet to say anything to anyone but the few words she'd managed to Quinn the previous night. After Quinn left, she went mute, only opening her mouth to take her medications and to be force fed protein shakes.
Over the newscast, clips of the fire played, the entire house being engulfed in flames and firefighters trying to put it out. She watched her handiwork with no emotion. She watched the body bag rolling out of her home with no emotion. She heard Sue yelling at the maid and she blinked before getting up and moving to the room she had been designated clutching the stuffed lamb in her hand.
“Hi, Imelda.” Quinn murmured with a sad smile for the friendly housekeeper as she opened the door. “Is she any better?”
The woman shook her head, “No, Miss Quinn ,I’m afraid she’s not. She’s in her room now if you want to go see her.”
“Thanks,” she whispered, slipping into the house and down the hall to Santana’s temporary room. Knocking softly, she peeked into the room. “Hey, San...”
Santana waved her fingers slightly as she looked at the door blankly. She had the lamb clutched between her hands, her lips wrapped gently around the tip of its ear, sucking on it.
Quinn hated seeing her like that. Moving slowly, she came into the room. “Do you want me to sit with you for a while?”
The darker girl nodded slowly and shifted over slightly to let Quinn come and sit on the front of her. She watched carefully as Quinn moved into the room and closer to the bed.
Quinn sat carefully on the edge of the bed, moving so that Santana could put her head in her lap if she wanted to. She gently stroked her fingers over tangled dark hair. “I can’t stay for long, Daddy’s been on a rampage about something or another and he’ll flip if I stay out too long, but I wanted to see you.”
Santana slid over so her head to rest in Quinn's lap and she closed her eyes. She breathed softly as Quinn ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't been able to sleep. She was so tired, but every time she closed her eyes she saw her mom or remembered getting attacked. She brought the toy up and held it against Quinn so it would soak up some more of the familiar scent she had become dependent on.
Quinn smiled softly, reaching up with her free hand to gently stroke the lamb, accidentally rubbing a little of the lotion she used into its wool. “Is Mr. Lamb taking good care of you, San? He better be or he’s going to hear for me.” She leaned down to place a tiny kiss against her friend’s temple.
Santana sighed and nodded. Tears slipped out of her eyes as she listened to her friend speak softly to her. She turned her head and tried to mask her crying as just needing to be closer, as she nuzzled into the girl's stomach. Her body racked softly with concealed sobs. Santana hated feeling like this but she couldn't break out of it. Her body was broken and everything hurt on top of the fact her mother was dead.
Quinn just held her, rocking gently and praying that somehow Santana would make it through this.
It’d been a long day.
She’d practically worn herself out trying to keep up with the demanding practice Sue had insisted on running them through and then to top it all off she hadn’t even had time to stop by and see Santana before she had to go home. It may have been nearly a month since her mom had died, but Santana still wasn’t speaking. It hurt Quinn to see her so despondent, but she felt that if she didn’t see visit her, no one would and that hurt even more. Even Brittany didn’t seem concerned about her extended absence.
So, tired, aching, and irritated, she dragged herself into the house. Only to be greeted with the sight of a stack of boxes in the living room and what looked suspiciously like her suitcase propped up against them.
“What’s going on?” She asked, confused, her gym bag sliding off her shoulder to thump against the hardwood floor. “Did someone order something?”
“Yes.” She heard the swirl and clink of ice against glass behind her almost before she recognized her father’s voice, turning just in time to see him take a drink of amber liquid, glaring at her over the rim. “As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Oh, really?” Quinn did her best to look interested, but all she really wanted was to drag herself upstairs and take a hot shower.
“Yes, really.” The glass, now empty, rapped harshly against the hardwood end table he was standing by. “I knew this would be necessary someday. The way you kept hanging out with that... that slut.” His lips curled into a snarl. “Now her whole damn neighborhood is going up in flames and people are dying and you still won’t stop associating with her!”
Quinn took a step back, eyes wide in shock. “You... you mean Santana? Daddy, what’s wrong? None of that is her fault. Why are you so angry? I don’t understand...”
“She’s a slut, Quinn. Nothing but a dirty little whore and no daughter of mine is going to associate with such trash anymore. Do you understand me?!” He was so close she could smell the whiskey on his breath, feel the flecks of spittle splatter against her cheek.
“But, Daddy,” Quinn whispered, cowering back from the bigger man, “she’s my friend...”
“Friend? Hmph. She’s just using you.” Russell sneered and turned away. “That doesn’t matter anyway. We’re leaving in a few hours.”
Quinn was shocked, she reached out for her father, begging him with her posture to make this stop happening. “What...? Where?”
“Vermont. You’ll be living with your Aunt Rebecca in Goshen from now on. More than seven hundred miles should be enough to keep you away from that bad influence you call a friend.”
“I... I don’t understand.” All she could think about was how much Santana needed her, how she couldn’t go away and leave her. “You... you can’t do this...”
“I can and I am, young lady.” He snatched up his glass again, “Now go upstairs and finish packing. We leave at ten and you had better be here or it will go much worse for you.”
Santana lay on the floor of Sue’s house enduring her physical therapy. Her hips seemed to be hurting more and more everyday and Sue had decided to up the intake of the sessions. She wanted to scream but nothing seemed to come out as she struggled to get through the pain.
“Focus!” Sue barked, her hand hovering just under Santana’s heel as she guided her through the straight leg raise, “You can do this. You’re not some pathetic weakling like the rest. You’re a warrior, one of my elite. Now show some fight, dammit!”
She likely would have continued in the same vein if the phone hadn’t rang. Imelda answered it, but quickly brought over anyway. Sue huffed and let Santana relax back onto the floor, snatching the phone out of her housekeeper’s hand. “This had better be good,” she growled into the receiver.
“Q?” She stood and turned away from Santana, “What’s going on? What? No, I haven’t heard anything of the sort. She’s fine. Of course she can stay here as long as she needs. I said that, didn’t I? Report, soldier! What is going on? That is not an acceptable answer! Q! Q! Dammit.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at it, “Damn teenagers. Nothing but trouble.”
Santana picked her tired head up and looked worried. "Q?" she mumbled as she looked to the older woman.
If Sue was surprised to hear Santana speak for the first time in weeks, she didn’t show it. She only frowned and shook her head. “I have no idea. She calls in tears, babbling about you having a place to stay or something or other and then hangs up on me. Me! She had better not think she will be getting away with such impertinence!”
Santana was worried and nodded before getting up and hobbling to her room. She had grabbed the phone on her way by and quickly dialed Quinn’s home number.
Russell answered the phone on the third ring. “Fabray Residence. Russell speaking. Can I help you?” He waited through the silence for nearly a minute before his patience started fraying, “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but if you don’t talk now, I’m hanging up!” Another minute of silence. “I can hear you breathing, you sick freak! Don’t call here again!” He slammed the phone down, making it jump out of it’s cradle.
“Who was that, dear?” Judy asked, swaying slightly as she came out of the kitchen.
“Nothing. Just some freak. You should get cleaned up and packed. We have to leave soon.”
Something was wrong. Santana knew it, so she grabbed her crutches and silently slipped out of Sue’s house. It took nearly an hour for the small broken girl to hobble her way to the Fabray house. When she finally got there, she leaned the crutches against the house and used her good arm to pull herself up the tree. The window was locked when she got up to it, so she tapped her knuckles against it trying to get Quinn’s attention.
Quinn was sitting on her stripped bed, her room bare of everything except for a single bag of clothes. She looked up upon hearing the tap, looking broken and lost, tears streaking her cheeks. When she saw Santana hanging in the tree, she scrambled across the room, unlocking the window and throwing it open. “Santana, what are you doing?” She reached out and helped her into the room, “You could get hurt even more out there. What if you fell!”
Santana hugged the blonde as she looked around the room. She pulled back and wiped her tears with her thumb. She looked at her and pressed her head to Quinn's. "Didn't answer the phone," she whispered.
“San,” Quinn breathed, hugging her and helping her sit down and take the weight off her hips, “you spoke.” After a moment though, her happiness from that faded and she took in a shaky breath, “You shouldn’t be here. I... I have to leave soon. He’s making me leave...”
"Leave?" she whispered, then shook her head and tightened her arms around the blond. "No," she whispered a tear falling down her face. "Can I come?"
Quinn shook her head, tears starting to fall down her face again. “No... I want you to, but he won’t let you. I’m sorry, San. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to break my promise.” She buried her face in Santana’s hair. “I’m so sorry.”
"Were... you gonna leave and not say bye?" she whimpered, pulling away and furiously wiping her tears. "I'll go.." she sniffled thinking she was being abandoned again.
“No! Santana,” her voice cracked as she reached for her friend, “I only just found out! He said we leave at ten. They packed all my things...” Her face crumpled, “I don’t want to leave, San. I don’t want to go to Vermont and live with my aunt on her farm...”
"We can go... run away!” she exclaimed. "Don't leave me, Q," she begged as she clutched her friend’s hand. She pulled the blonde towards the window. "We can go now."
Quinn didn’t move from the bed. Her shoulders slumped and she could barely raise her head enough to look at Santana. “Go where, San?” She sounded defeated, “I can’t take care of you when you’re hurt like this and how will we live? I don’t ever, ever want you to have to do what you’ve been doing. I don’t want to leave. I never want to leave you. Ever, San. But I don’t have any choice right now...”
Santana's hand fell and she looked to the ground. "Fine," she whispered, giving up as she heard Russell yelling at Judy. "Don't forget me."
“I couldn’t!” Quinn cried, finally standing up and pulling Santana into a tight hug, “You’re my best friend, Santana. My only friend. I could never forget you. I’ll come back. I promise. As soon as I can. I’ll come back and we’ll leave. Together. I promise. Please don’t give up on me, San. You’re the only one who ever believed in me...”
"Okay," she said again as she felt her heart breaking. "Te amo," she whispered against Quinn's neck.
Hearing the sounds of Russell coming up the stairs, she urged Santana back into the closet. “Don’t try going out the window, you’ll get hurt. Just wait until we’re gone. I’ll come back for you, Santana. I promise I won’t leave you here. I’ll come back, I will.” She pressed a piece of paper into Santana’s hand. “That’s my aunt’s address in Vermont. Write me when you can. Please,please don’t forget me...”
Santana nodded and surged forward and pressed a lingering kiss to Quinn's lips. She didn't know why, or what she was doing, she just knew that it was the only thing that she wanted to do. She was losing the last person that meant anything to her and she was beside herself. Santana pulled away and hid in the back of the closet trying to hold back her tears as she heard Russell come into the room.
Quinn stepped back from the closet with her fingers lightly brushing over her lips and an expression of shock on her face that fell into even greater remorse as she realized she wouldn’t have a chance to ask Santana why she’d done that. To talk to her about what it meant. If it meant anything.
To ever actually talk to her best friend again.
Her eyes welling up with fresh tears, she fought to push down the pain gripping her heart and hide her tears behind the stoic mask she’d spent years developing. She spun away from the closet with one last look into the depths at Santana - etching the way she looked into her mind - and snatched up her bag just as Russell was coming in the door.
“You better be ready,” He growled, looking angry as he pushed into the room.
Quinn sneered, trying to hide how hurt she was to leave everything she’d ever known on his say so behind anger, “What does it matter if I am or not? It’s not like I have ever had any say in things in this household.”
He grabbed her arm, yanking her off balance. “You watch your mouth or I’ll show you just how little say you have.”
He pulled her out of the room and down the stairs, pushing her outside to the car where he’d already shoved her boxes into the back in preparation for the long drive to Vermont. Quinn could only look back at the house as they drove away, seeing not the formal white columns or the elegant brickwork, but the scared, broken girl hiding in her closet who’d given her the first kiss that might have actually meant anything in her life. She wish she had real parents, ones who actually cared about her so she could cry at how much she was losing.
Chapter Seven
Author: Sio & Maura
Rating: Hard NC-17
Length: Epic (230,271)
Spoilers: This is AU. Some mentions of Seasons 1 & 2 events though handled differently than in canon.
Pairing: Santana/Quinn
Summary: Santana's life is far harder than it appears to the average viewer. Her dad's in jail and her mom turns tricks in their old family home. Worst yet, Santana herself has to do the same to keep her mom alive and food in her belly. Can Quinn save her? Or will Quinn's domineering father ruin everything? For the Glee Bang
Warnings (highlight to read): talks of suicide, angst, language, graphic het and femslash sex, non-con, dub-con, oral, vaginal, anal, pedophilia, sex work, underage prostitution, abuse, violence sexual and non, minor character death, self-harm, drug use, disease - HIV
Chapter 6
“Yesterday around three in the afternoon, a fire broke out in the community of Lima Heights Adjacent in a foreclosed home. No one was aware of the fire until the house was fully consumed. Despite firefighters’ best efforts, the fire raged uncontrolled through part of the night and jumped to multiple buildings.” The red headed desk anchor shuffled her papers in front of a graphic of a burning house and Lima Heights Adjacent Burns in bold white letters.
“Investigators are not currently stating what the initial cause of the fire was, though inside sources believe that it to be a case of arson. So far, there appears to have been one death relating to the fire - a woman found severely burned past the point of recognition in a bed in one of the initial house. They are not currently releasing any details on this death or the fire, though we will certainly keep you updated as events unfold. Until then, this is Andrea Carmichael for WOHN. And back to Rod. Rod?”
“Thank you, Andrea. Tragic story, just tragic.” He turned to smile brightly at the camera, “Tonight in sports...”
Santana lay still watching the five o'clock news silently. She was on her stomach with her face smooshed into the rough leather of the couch, exactly where Sue left her several hours earlier when she ordered her to leave her room. Santana had yet to say anything to anyone but the few words she'd managed to Quinn the previous night. After Quinn left, she went mute, only opening her mouth to take her medications and to be force fed protein shakes.
Over the newscast, clips of the fire played, the entire house being engulfed in flames and firefighters trying to put it out. She watched her handiwork with no emotion. She watched the body bag rolling out of her home with no emotion. She heard Sue yelling at the maid and she blinked before getting up and moving to the room she had been designated clutching the stuffed lamb in her hand.
“Hi, Imelda.” Quinn murmured with a sad smile for the friendly housekeeper as she opened the door. “Is she any better?”
The woman shook her head, “No, Miss Quinn ,I’m afraid she’s not. She’s in her room now if you want to go see her.”
“Thanks,” she whispered, slipping into the house and down the hall to Santana’s temporary room. Knocking softly, she peeked into the room. “Hey, San...”
Santana waved her fingers slightly as she looked at the door blankly. She had the lamb clutched between her hands, her lips wrapped gently around the tip of its ear, sucking on it.
Quinn hated seeing her like that. Moving slowly, she came into the room. “Do you want me to sit with you for a while?”
The darker girl nodded slowly and shifted over slightly to let Quinn come and sit on the front of her. She watched carefully as Quinn moved into the room and closer to the bed.
Quinn sat carefully on the edge of the bed, moving so that Santana could put her head in her lap if she wanted to. She gently stroked her fingers over tangled dark hair. “I can’t stay for long, Daddy’s been on a rampage about something or another and he’ll flip if I stay out too long, but I wanted to see you.”
Santana slid over so her head to rest in Quinn's lap and she closed her eyes. She breathed softly as Quinn ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't been able to sleep. She was so tired, but every time she closed her eyes she saw her mom or remembered getting attacked. She brought the toy up and held it against Quinn so it would soak up some more of the familiar scent she had become dependent on.
Quinn smiled softly, reaching up with her free hand to gently stroke the lamb, accidentally rubbing a little of the lotion she used into its wool. “Is Mr. Lamb taking good care of you, San? He better be or he’s going to hear for me.” She leaned down to place a tiny kiss against her friend’s temple.
Santana sighed and nodded. Tears slipped out of her eyes as she listened to her friend speak softly to her. She turned her head and tried to mask her crying as just needing to be closer, as she nuzzled into the girl's stomach. Her body racked softly with concealed sobs. Santana hated feeling like this but she couldn't break out of it. Her body was broken and everything hurt on top of the fact her mother was dead.
Quinn just held her, rocking gently and praying that somehow Santana would make it through this.
It’d been a long day.
She’d practically worn herself out trying to keep up with the demanding practice Sue had insisted on running them through and then to top it all off she hadn’t even had time to stop by and see Santana before she had to go home. It may have been nearly a month since her mom had died, but Santana still wasn’t speaking. It hurt Quinn to see her so despondent, but she felt that if she didn’t see visit her, no one would and that hurt even more. Even Brittany didn’t seem concerned about her extended absence.
So, tired, aching, and irritated, she dragged herself into the house. Only to be greeted with the sight of a stack of boxes in the living room and what looked suspiciously like her suitcase propped up against them.
“What’s going on?” She asked, confused, her gym bag sliding off her shoulder to thump against the hardwood floor. “Did someone order something?”
“Yes.” She heard the swirl and clink of ice against glass behind her almost before she recognized her father’s voice, turning just in time to see him take a drink of amber liquid, glaring at her over the rim. “As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Oh, really?” Quinn did her best to look interested, but all she really wanted was to drag herself upstairs and take a hot shower.
“Yes, really.” The glass, now empty, rapped harshly against the hardwood end table he was standing by. “I knew this would be necessary someday. The way you kept hanging out with that... that slut.” His lips curled into a snarl. “Now her whole damn neighborhood is going up in flames and people are dying and you still won’t stop associating with her!”
Quinn took a step back, eyes wide in shock. “You... you mean Santana? Daddy, what’s wrong? None of that is her fault. Why are you so angry? I don’t understand...”
“She’s a slut, Quinn. Nothing but a dirty little whore and no daughter of mine is going to associate with such trash anymore. Do you understand me?!” He was so close she could smell the whiskey on his breath, feel the flecks of spittle splatter against her cheek.
“But, Daddy,” Quinn whispered, cowering back from the bigger man, “she’s my friend...”
“Friend? Hmph. She’s just using you.” Russell sneered and turned away. “That doesn’t matter anyway. We’re leaving in a few hours.”
Quinn was shocked, she reached out for her father, begging him with her posture to make this stop happening. “What...? Where?”
“Vermont. You’ll be living with your Aunt Rebecca in Goshen from now on. More than seven hundred miles should be enough to keep you away from that bad influence you call a friend.”
“I... I don’t understand.” All she could think about was how much Santana needed her, how she couldn’t go away and leave her. “You... you can’t do this...”
“I can and I am, young lady.” He snatched up his glass again, “Now go upstairs and finish packing. We leave at ten and you had better be here or it will go much worse for you.”
Santana lay on the floor of Sue’s house enduring her physical therapy. Her hips seemed to be hurting more and more everyday and Sue had decided to up the intake of the sessions. She wanted to scream but nothing seemed to come out as she struggled to get through the pain.
“Focus!” Sue barked, her hand hovering just under Santana’s heel as she guided her through the straight leg raise, “You can do this. You’re not some pathetic weakling like the rest. You’re a warrior, one of my elite. Now show some fight, dammit!”
She likely would have continued in the same vein if the phone hadn’t rang. Imelda answered it, but quickly brought over anyway. Sue huffed and let Santana relax back onto the floor, snatching the phone out of her housekeeper’s hand. “This had better be good,” she growled into the receiver.
“Q?” She stood and turned away from Santana, “What’s going on? What? No, I haven’t heard anything of the sort. She’s fine. Of course she can stay here as long as she needs. I said that, didn’t I? Report, soldier! What is going on? That is not an acceptable answer! Q! Q! Dammit.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at it, “Damn teenagers. Nothing but trouble.”
Santana picked her tired head up and looked worried. "Q?" she mumbled as she looked to the older woman.
If Sue was surprised to hear Santana speak for the first time in weeks, she didn’t show it. She only frowned and shook her head. “I have no idea. She calls in tears, babbling about you having a place to stay or something or other and then hangs up on me. Me! She had better not think she will be getting away with such impertinence!”
Santana was worried and nodded before getting up and hobbling to her room. She had grabbed the phone on her way by and quickly dialed Quinn’s home number.
Russell answered the phone on the third ring. “Fabray Residence. Russell speaking. Can I help you?” He waited through the silence for nearly a minute before his patience started fraying, “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but if you don’t talk now, I’m hanging up!” Another minute of silence. “I can hear you breathing, you sick freak! Don’t call here again!” He slammed the phone down, making it jump out of it’s cradle.
“Who was that, dear?” Judy asked, swaying slightly as she came out of the kitchen.
“Nothing. Just some freak. You should get cleaned up and packed. We have to leave soon.”
Something was wrong. Santana knew it, so she grabbed her crutches and silently slipped out of Sue’s house. It took nearly an hour for the small broken girl to hobble her way to the Fabray house. When she finally got there, she leaned the crutches against the house and used her good arm to pull herself up the tree. The window was locked when she got up to it, so she tapped her knuckles against it trying to get Quinn’s attention.
Quinn was sitting on her stripped bed, her room bare of everything except for a single bag of clothes. She looked up upon hearing the tap, looking broken and lost, tears streaking her cheeks. When she saw Santana hanging in the tree, she scrambled across the room, unlocking the window and throwing it open. “Santana, what are you doing?” She reached out and helped her into the room, “You could get hurt even more out there. What if you fell!”
Santana hugged the blonde as she looked around the room. She pulled back and wiped her tears with her thumb. She looked at her and pressed her head to Quinn's. "Didn't answer the phone," she whispered.
“San,” Quinn breathed, hugging her and helping her sit down and take the weight off her hips, “you spoke.” After a moment though, her happiness from that faded and she took in a shaky breath, “You shouldn’t be here. I... I have to leave soon. He’s making me leave...”
"Leave?" she whispered, then shook her head and tightened her arms around the blond. "No," she whispered a tear falling down her face. "Can I come?"
Quinn shook her head, tears starting to fall down her face again. “No... I want you to, but he won’t let you. I’m sorry, San. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to break my promise.” She buried her face in Santana’s hair. “I’m so sorry.”
"Were... you gonna leave and not say bye?" she whimpered, pulling away and furiously wiping her tears. "I'll go.." she sniffled thinking she was being abandoned again.
“No! Santana,” her voice cracked as she reached for her friend, “I only just found out! He said we leave at ten. They packed all my things...” Her face crumpled, “I don’t want to leave, San. I don’t want to go to Vermont and live with my aunt on her farm...”
"We can go... run away!” she exclaimed. "Don't leave me, Q," she begged as she clutched her friend’s hand. She pulled the blonde towards the window. "We can go now."
Quinn didn’t move from the bed. Her shoulders slumped and she could barely raise her head enough to look at Santana. “Go where, San?” She sounded defeated, “I can’t take care of you when you’re hurt like this and how will we live? I don’t ever, ever want you to have to do what you’ve been doing. I don’t want to leave. I never want to leave you. Ever, San. But I don’t have any choice right now...”
Santana's hand fell and she looked to the ground. "Fine," she whispered, giving up as she heard Russell yelling at Judy. "Don't forget me."
“I couldn’t!” Quinn cried, finally standing up and pulling Santana into a tight hug, “You’re my best friend, Santana. My only friend. I could never forget you. I’ll come back. I promise. As soon as I can. I’ll come back and we’ll leave. Together. I promise. Please don’t give up on me, San. You’re the only one who ever believed in me...”
"Okay," she said again as she felt her heart breaking. "Te amo," she whispered against Quinn's neck.
Hearing the sounds of Russell coming up the stairs, she urged Santana back into the closet. “Don’t try going out the window, you’ll get hurt. Just wait until we’re gone. I’ll come back for you, Santana. I promise I won’t leave you here. I’ll come back, I will.” She pressed a piece of paper into Santana’s hand. “That’s my aunt’s address in Vermont. Write me when you can. Please,please don’t forget me...”
Santana nodded and surged forward and pressed a lingering kiss to Quinn's lips. She didn't know why, or what she was doing, she just knew that it was the only thing that she wanted to do. She was losing the last person that meant anything to her and she was beside herself. Santana pulled away and hid in the back of the closet trying to hold back her tears as she heard Russell come into the room.
Quinn stepped back from the closet with her fingers lightly brushing over her lips and an expression of shock on her face that fell into even greater remorse as she realized she wouldn’t have a chance to ask Santana why she’d done that. To talk to her about what it meant. If it meant anything.
To ever actually talk to her best friend again.
Her eyes welling up with fresh tears, she fought to push down the pain gripping her heart and hide her tears behind the stoic mask she’d spent years developing. She spun away from the closet with one last look into the depths at Santana - etching the way she looked into her mind - and snatched up her bag just as Russell was coming in the door.
“You better be ready,” He growled, looking angry as he pushed into the room.
Quinn sneered, trying to hide how hurt she was to leave everything she’d ever known on his say so behind anger, “What does it matter if I am or not? It’s not like I have ever had any say in things in this household.”
He grabbed her arm, yanking her off balance. “You watch your mouth or I’ll show you just how little say you have.”
He pulled her out of the room and down the stairs, pushing her outside to the car where he’d already shoved her boxes into the back in preparation for the long drive to Vermont. Quinn could only look back at the house as they drove away, seeing not the formal white columns or the elegant brickwork, but the scared, broken girl hiding in her closet who’d given her the first kiss that might have actually meant anything in her life. She wish she had real parents, ones who actually cared about her so she could cry at how much she was losing.
Chapter Seven