Hey Poetz, a bit of a silly question that I keep thinking abt, In the last DB fic I noticed Rachel was wearing black nail paint to match her pride shirt and was wondering what is Quinn's favorite color for Rachel to paint her nails? Do they ever paint each other's nails?
I had to reread that passage again. I can see how it could be taken as Rachel wearing the nail polish and holding the shirt, but it's actually Santana on this occasion.
However, Rachel is certainly the type who would paint her nails to match outfits or make a statement. She probably does red, white and blue in July, green for St Patty’s Day, red and green for Christmas, etc, so there were absolutely rainbow painted nails for Pride—or more likely pink, purple and blue.
I think Quinn is more the type to strictly match her outfits when the occasion calls for it. For instance, I imagine she had white polish on her wedding day, maybe even with some silver glitter to make them sparkle like her wedding ring. Rachel probably went with green to match Quinn’s eyes (and their wedding colors.) I’m sure that was one of Quinn’s favorites. Otherwise, I don’t know that she has a color preference, as long as Rachel keeps them nice and short. ;)
Pre-fababies, I imagine they might have painted each other's nails a few times, or at least painted their own together while they chatted about their day. Rachel probably even convinced Quinn to don the proper shades of orange, white, pink and rose for a Pride parade or two. Once their daughters arrive, though, I’m not sure either of them really bother to keep their polish updated unless they have an event to attend.
So, fun fact, the last ficlet, Ain't Trying to Mess with Your Self-Expression, originally began its life from Quinn's point of view.
It also began its life almost two years ago, but sadly hit a wall when I couldn't figure out how to best work in Santana on the back of Teresa's motorcycle. Clearly, I fixed that problem this year by rewriting it from Santana's perspective.
But since it still lives in my pending folder in its original form, I decided to post it here (still somewhat incomplete) as a post-Pride treat.
Under the cut...
xx
Rachel Berry is no stranger to Pride.
She will be the first to point this out to anyone and everyone who will (or won’t) listen.
She’s been attending various festivals and marches and charity drag shows since she was old enough to walk, courtesy of Hiram and Leroy Berry. Naturally, her very early experiences were appropriately G-Rated by all accounts. Her fathers might have made some questionable parenting decisions over the years, in Quinn’s humble opinion, but they’d certainly paid attention to that.
Quinn, on the other hand, is still fairly new to the celebration on the first occasion that she and Rachel have a reason to attend together—that is, actually together as a couple, of course, because Rachel certainly had dragged her to the march in Columbus, along with Santana and Brittany and Kurt, during that very first summer after Quinn had come out. She’d managed to get Quinn to a PrideFest once more during their college years, but after that, it became a matter of conflicting schedules and inconvenient romantic relationships with other people.
The year that Quinn moves to New York from New Haven is skipped because she’s still very much grieving her breakup with Sarah and not in the mood for any kind of celebration. Rachel is subjugated to swaying in the background of the Wicked ensemble on that particular weekend anyway, and she certainly doesn’t demand that Quinn attend any of the Pride events without her.
(Quinn will only later come to understand that Rachel Berry wanted her nowhere near the mass of potentially tipsy lesbians, both available and not, who might have thrown themselves at Quinn to help her get over her heartbreak by getting under them. Rachel will also only later come to understand this as well.)
It’s Rachel’s starring role in West Side Story that has them missing it the next June, though Santana does unsuccessfully attempt to strong-arm Quinn out to the festival booths during Rachel’s Sunday matinee. Rachel’s award-worthy pout is enough to disabuse them both from the idea.
“I don’t wanna attend without you anyway, sweetie,” Quinn promises, slipping her arms around her (brand new, finally) girlfriend’s waist. “You know I don’t really care about that stuff.”
It’s not that she’s in any way ashamed of her sexuality. It’s just that she doesn’t much care for the crowds and noise and crazy street parties. She's content to simply display a few rainbow pins and keychains on her bags and jackets and call it a month.
Rachel is not.
“It’s my first Pride as an actual member of the community, and I can’t even go with my gorgeous girlfriend,” she pouts, burrowing deeper into Quinn’s arms with a dramatic sigh. “I should just skip my shows and celebrate with you.”
“No, you shouldn’t. You’ve already missed enough of them for less than noble reasons,” Quinn reminds her with an arched brow. Those reasons had involved a bed and copious amounts of sex with Quinn, so she isn’t really complaining.
“Worth it,” Rachel murmurs with a wicked grin. “I suppose we can celebrate in private this year.”
And they do. Very enthusiastically.
Quinn really should have expected, then, that their first chance to actually attend New York’s massive PrideFest as a couple would become a Rachel Berry PowerPoint Presentation.
They’ve been together for a full year by this point. West Side Story had closed in mid-March, and other than a workshop that Rachel has gotten involved in that doesn’t really look to be going anywhere, she’s free of any obligations that would tie her up over the final weekend in June. Obviously, she insists that they’ll be going to Pride this year. She also insists on inviting Santana and Kurt to their apartment the weekend before the event to go over the game plan (that is, in fact, presented via PowerPoint) after enjoying a lovely brunch that Quinn prepares for them.
The presentation includes matching t-shirts handed out to Quinn and their friends—pink, with a cartoonish rainbow in the middle surrounded by the slogan All for Love and Love for All. The shirts take even Quinn by surprise.
“No fucking way, midget,” is Santana’s immediate response, and she tosses the offending garment back in Rachel’s face. “My pride style is sexy and available, not nerdy gay PSA.”
Kurt holds up the shirt to examine with a frown. “For once, I have to agree with Santana. This is very much not my style, and in any case, I’ve had my outfit for next weekend picked out since last year.” He, at least, neatly folds the shirt back up before setting it on the coffee table. “But thank you for thinking of us, Rachel.”
“Yeah, no thanks from me,” Santana scoffs before aiming an evil grin in Quinn’s direction. “But I’m sure Lucy Q’ll wear hers and be all matchy-matchy with you.”
Rachel’s big, sad brown eyes turn to Quinn, and well, what else can she do?
“Yeah, I’ll wear it,” she agrees with a resigned sigh, glancing down at the shirt in her hands. “It’s…cute.”
It’s decidedly not cute, but the instant smile and the many, naked ways that Rachel endeavors to thank her after Kurt and Santana finally go home are enough to ensure that Quinn keeps her word and wears the shirt to Pride.
And really, despite the too pink, too perky slogan plastered across her chest, Quinn does, in fact, have a good time there. She gets to walk around with her hand firmly attached to Rachel—her hand, her hip, her shoulder, her ass—and nobody looks twice at them except for all the people who do because they look so good together. She even manages to win Rachel a prize at one of the festival booths when she correctly completes a quote from Sappho.
Yes, she’s a literary nerd. Sue her.
Quinn honestly can’t explain why she’d believed the matching shirts would be a one time thing. She’s known Rachel Berry too well and for too long to fall victim to the assumption that an initial failure would dissuade her from trying again the next year.
And try she does.
Her newest show, Crazy For You, is, for better or worse, dark on Sundays, the day of the march, so Rachel is free to make a new plan and a new batch of shirts. These ones are black with a rainbow-painted silhouette of the New York City skyline across the front and a very small New York City Pride written underneath.
“It’s the official Pride logo this year,” Rachel informs them as she passes them out, once again on the Sunday before the event and after Quinn has cooked for them all. “You can’t object to that.”
“Oh, I think I can,” Santana argues, arms stubbornly crossed. She refuses to even take it from Rachel’s outstretched hand this time. “I’m not spending the day explaining to hot lesbians that, no, I’m not an official volunteer, so yes, I can very much ditch the festival at any time to finger them in a port-a-potty.”
Quinn wrinkles her nose in distaste. “Ok, ew.”
“Please tell me you wouldn’t actually do that,” Kurt begs, looking nauseous.
“Of fucking course not,” Satnana barks back. “I’m making a point. I’ll obviously finger them in the backseat of the Lyft to my place.” Her expression goes momentarily thoughtful. “Or their place. One and dones are easier that way.”
Kurt still looks a little ill, but he manages to smile weakly at Rachel. “I do like this one better. Maybe I’ll wear it as sleepwear to commemorate the event.”
“You’re supposed to wear it at the festival, Kurt!” Rachel exclaims unhappily, hands flailing mildly.
“It won’t look attractive under my white linen shirt, Rachel.”
“You are both exceedingly difficult.” She huffs her displeasure and stomps her foot lightly to punctuate her point, but that’s otherwise the end of it, and once again, Quinn is the only one to don the shirt for Pride, matching her girlfriend for the day.
(And yes, she does have to tell a dozen people that she isn’t an official volunteer.)
The following year sees Rachel happily in rehearsals for Funny Girl and, once again, free to make the attempt to wrestle her nearest and dearest into matching shirts. This time the pre-Pride gathering is a lunch at their apartment and includes Josie, who is freshly transplanted to the city, and Sarah, who Josie is officially dating by the time June rolls around, so there are two more shirts on the pile.
This one is white with All Pride No Prejudice written in a wavy curve of rainbow font.
(Quinn might be unusually amenable to this one by way of the literary reference alone.)
“Wow. You just don’t give up, do you?” Santana questions, looking almost impressed by Rachel’s tenacity this time around as she holds the offending garment between her perfectly manicured, black-painted fingernails.
“You guys wear matching shirts every year?” Josie asks amiably, neither her tone nor her expression betraying her true opinion on the matter—ever the lawyer.
Rachel’s fervent, “Yes,” is simultaneously drowned out by the loud denials from Kurt and Santana in stereo.
“They wear them,” Kurt clarifies, pointing between Quinn and Rachel, “and look utterly adorable doing it, but Santana and I have always declined.”
“As in, hells to the no,” Santana adds, tossing her shirt on the sofa.
Rachel lets out a huff of frustration. “I don’t understand why you can’t just participate for once.”
Santana cocks her head to the side, unimpressed. “And I don’t understand how a girl who grew up with two gay fathers that actually seem to have a modicum of taste inherited exactly zero sense of fashion from them, yet here we are.”
Quinn does not laugh, unlike Kurt, though she has shamefully wondered that herself from time to time. Instead she defends her girlfriend with a pointed scowl at Santana. “And here you are, raised by two perfectly lovely, gracious parents, and yet you inherited exactly zero manners of your own.”
“My manner is hilarious.” She gestures to the table. “And that shirt is hideous.”
Rachel shakes off the insult with practiced indifference, turning her attention back to Josie. “I trust that you’ll both participate, yes?”
“I’m not really planning to do any of the Pride stuff,” Sarah admits meekly.
“You’re not?” Josie asks with a slight frown.
“I haven’t before,” Sarah admits, shrugging.
That’s not entirely true, which Josie obviously remembers as well. “Quinn took you to Middletown when we were at Yale.” She looks at Quinn in question, her expression silently asking if she’s remembering correctly. “We all specifically stayed in New Haven after classes ended to do their PrideFest together.”
They had.
It had very much been Josie’s pleading suggestion to co-celebrate Pride and her graduation from Yale. She’d even convinced Megan and her then boyfriend to hang around their college town an extra week and come as allies.
“And then you ditched us twenty minutes after we got there for that brunette in your Political Anthropology class who finally realized you were bi and had been flirting with her for an entire semester.”
“Brenda Hoover,” Sarah murmurs under her breath.
Josie looks at her new girlfriend in surprise, probably shocked she’d remember that when she and Sarah had only interacted a handful of times back in college, and all through Quinn. Quinn figures it’s only because Sarah had shared a History class with the girl and thought she was kind of an airhead.
“Sarah and I left ten minutes later since neither one of us really wanted to go in the first place.”
“Some lesbians you are,” Santana taunts.
“It’s the crowds,” Sarah defends sharply. “They’re not really my thing.”
“Or mine,” Quinn admits, “but I’ve since learned to pick my battles.” She smiles lovingly at Rachel. “And I know I’m not getting out of celebrating Pride unless my girlfriend is working.” She lifts the t-shirt off her lap just enough to study the design on it with a critical eye. “And rehearsals apparently don’t happen on weekends.”
She loves having Rachel to herself on these weekends, but she really could do without the matching shirts.
“No, they do not,” Rachel affirms and then points decisively at Josie. “And neither do court cases,” she moves her finger to aim at Sarah, practically wagging the offending digit in her face, “or architectural…whatevers. You’re both coming with us, even if you won’t wear the damn shirts.”
They do not wear the shirts.
Quinn, of course, does.
Rachel is very good at arguing her case with lips and hands and other very persuasive body parts.
And, well, “I actually kinda like this one,” she admits with a one-shoulder shrug, walking around the Village with one hand permanently attached to Rachel wearing her matching shirt and a radiant smile.
She’d like it better in a different color with maybe a different design, but she does appreciate the nod to Jane Austen
“Of course you do,” Santana snickers at them.
“I’ll get you into one someday,” Rachel promises good-naturedly.
“You’d have more luck getting me out of the one I’m wearing right now,” Santana taunts with a wolfish smirk.
She clearly isn’t taking Rachel’s playful threat seriously.
She probably should.
It’s hardly the last t-shirt that Rachel will design for them.
A little entry for Pride month. It's Santana-centric with a side of Faberry through the years, so if she's not your jam, you can skip this one.
Written in vignettes that bounce through a seven year period. The first one is set a year after Dazzled by Her Beauty and Her Crime and the last one before It's the Life We're Living Now.
Hey Poetz, the other day I was reading Where Your Heart Is Set In Stone, Rachel mentioned to Quinn not to throw her back out. What is it like when Quinn first throws her back out. Is Rachel around and I am sure she goes into panic mode when it happens. Are the kids around for this? Also how does Quinn manage, I am sure she hates feeling helpless? Thanks again for all you do poetz!
They were already having discussions about her back before Quinn got pregnant - before they got married in fact - so I imagine she had, at the very least, tweaked it pretty badly a time or two in the earlier days of their relationship. There's a reason Rachel got so good at those back massages.
From my own experience, the early stages were mostly smaller flare ups from overdoing the physical activity - being sore and stiff with twinges firing in the lower back and sciatica. Annoying and inconvenient, but fairly manageable with ice and heat and rest. There were a few of those with Rachel initially panicking that Quinn had fully re-injured herself before she calmed down and realized her girlfriend was mostly just uncomfortable, so she took to fussing over Quinn and making her lie down and use the ice.
I actually do think the first really bad one, where Quinn is in serious pain and can't move, probably happens sometime after she gives birth to Calliope. Like, maybe she goes gung-ho rearranging a few pieces of the furniture in the nursery because she doesn't love the layout now that there's a baby in there too, and she bends over and feels it pop and just can't move. So she has to call out to Rachel, who's thankfully home, maybe working on a song for her album - "Rachel. I need you to come here right now!"
And Rachel comes running, thinking something's wrong with their baby daughter, but no. Callie is beginning to whimper unhappily in her crib after being rudely woken up by her mommy shouting, but Quinn is the problem - hunched over the rocking chair in absolute pain.
And it's like, "Oh my God! You re-broke your back! How did you re-break your back? What were you doing?"
"Rachel. Stop talking," Quinn grits out. "Just...help me get to our bedroom so I can lie down. Then get me some ice and call a chiropractor."
And yeah, Quinn absolutely hates being immobile, no matter how temporary it is.
Hey Poetz, now that in DB they have bought a house. I imagine they will be buying a car soonish? What car do they end up getting? I could see faberry db with like a mom minivan. Also would they go electric or maybe a hybrid to save on gas? I would love to know how they pick the color. Did Rachel suggest yellow for her blossoming stardom?
They will, in fact, be buying a car soonish. It will make the house hunt seem like a walk in the park. They each have opinions on what kind of car they want; what color, whether safety or size or gas mileage and environmental footprint is more important. There will be numerous debates and PowerPoint presentations.
So, fun fact, I did actually do a bit of research on this last year because I at least needed to get an idea of what Santana is driving since the Fabrays keep borrowing her car. You know she would go for luxury and safety but also style with all the bells and whistles. No soccer mom minivans for her. Keep in mind, we currently exist in 2026 and the house is purchased in 2029, so exact makes and models and colors may change in three years’ time, but Santana bought an Audi Q7 in chili red metallic.
Quinn and Rachel do actually like Santana’s SUV. It’s got a good safety rating, seats seven, and is fun to drive. They agree that neither one of them would buy it in that shade of red, though jokes are made about getting Quinn back in cheerio red via their vehicle. The joke sputters out when Quinn reminds Rachel that she used to drive a cheerio red VW bug.
Rachel, of course, is laser focused on safety being the top priority, so minivans are absolutely on her radar - think Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey.
Safety is also a priority for Quinn, of course, especially after high school, but she, like Santana, is also looking for luxury and absolutely refuses to drive a minivan. (Hello Fabray vanity.) So they compromise by agreeing to look at the small to mid-sized SUV class of vehicles, and they concentrate on hybrids to satisfy Rachel’s need to be kinder to the environment. There’s a Mercedes Benz GLE and a BMW X5 on Quinn’s list, but Rachel thinks buying a Mercedes or a BMW is maybe a little pretentious (sorry Josie). Her list has a Subaru Forester (and jokes are made about lesbians and their Subarus also) and the Honda CRV, which is consistently top ranked for safety.
I currently have them settling on a Volvo XC90, which shows up pretty consistently on the list of safest vehicles. The exterior isn’t flashy but the interior has enough luxury features to satisfy Quinn.
As for colors, I can absolutely see Rachel wanting something bright like yellow or neon green or orange, but sadly Volvo is a little mute on their color offerings right now, so it’ll probably be denim blue. Maybe in 2029 they’ll offer an olive green, to match Quinn’s eyes.
I just wanted to tell you how much I love your stories, especially the character of Teresa. I find myself coming back to reread them from time to time because I enjoy them so much.
While rereading, I noticed that it seems Teresa may have lost her mother, and it made me wonder about her life now. I would absolutely love to read a story exploring Maribel's role in Teresa's life after that, explore that dynamic has evolved and how Maribel fits into it.
Thank you for sharing your writing with us!
I’m glad you’re still enjoying the rereads.
Teresa did, in fact, lose her mother, Sofia, whose name she carries as her middle name and gave to her own daughter with Santana. My headcanon is that her mom passed away when she was around ten, so she's raised into her pre-teen / teen years by her dad and older brothers, though she was already a bit of a tomboy who got along better with the boys - at least until she figured out why girls made her feel so awkward and tongue-tied.
I think she definitely appreciates having a good relationship with Maribel Lopez. She was worried Santana’s parents wouldn’t like her when she got blindsided by that first, last minute visit from them, since she was really still just a bartender who occasionally managed to sell a painting or two. She’s certainly glad Santana has a loving and supportive mother that welcomed her into the family.
Hello, I’m French, and I’ve been reading your fanfictions for several years now. I’ve never grown tired of them.
I’ve never left a comment before, but today I wanted to thank you for continuing to keep this universe alive.
I always look forward to the next update with great anticipation. I think many of us read your work and truly enjoy it without necessarily speaking up.
Finally, I wanted to tell you how incredible your writing is. So, thank you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak up today. I do appreciate everyone who is still reading and looking forward to new installments after all this time, even though they are fewer and farther between. And I especially appreciate those who are reading in another language.
Hi again Poetz, I keep thinking about how now that DB faberry has a house, what would the aesthetic of their home be. What will be their color scheme. Also is there a way to bribe you into letting the faberry children have a puppy? Lol
The house really is a blank canvas, so anything is possible. Obviously, their daughters’ bedrooms will be getting a Teresa Rinaldi original murals on at least one of the walls. Calliope will probably ask for dragons since she seems to be going through a phase when they buy the house, but her mothers will surely talk her down to something a little fluffier.
I’m sure Rachel will want to add splashes of color to the rooms since they’re all pretty much plain white walls right now, but I’m not sure Quinn will allow her free reign with the color schemes. Since the house is finished in wood trim, I feel like Quinn is going to want to continue that with the furniture and go with warm, neutral colors.
And lots of bookcases.
But I’m sure Rachel will get her hands on at least one of those rooms and go crazy with the yellow or the pink.
Or, like, this:
Maybe that upstairs loft that Quinn isn't in love with will get the full Rachel Berry.
As for the puppy, maybe when Celeste is older. Quinn is now undoubtedly a cat person, but dogs are much messier beasties to have running around inside the house.
Hey Poetz, hope you are having a nice summer. I been thinking a lot about how everyone always talks about Rachel's favorite movies and never Quinn. In DB what are some of Quinn's favorite movies? Is Quinn a bit of a secret cinaphile? I could see her enjoying something along the lines of It's a wonderful life or maybe as a guilty pleasure Jenny's wedding. What does Rachel think about them?
It's been a dark, rainy spring for the most part, and I've been buried in work, but I am getting a little time off this week. Thanks for asking.
Rachel does mention in Don’t Want To Wake Up Lonely that Quinn loves the classic films from the golden age of Hollywood, so It’s A Wonderful Life is definitely on her list of favorite holiday films. She also likes those Hitchcock thrillers like Vertigo and Rear Window and basically anything with Katherine Hepburn.
I’m sure it’s unsurprising that she also loves all versions of the Jane Austen films (Emma, Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, etc.)
She’ll claim that musicals are Rachel’s thing and she just watches them to humor her wife, but so many of them are also Hollywood classics that Rachel knows she’s lying about that and secretly loves them too.
Quinn also still has that thing for Emily Blunt, so she’s seen all of her films, including A Quiet Place. Rachel isn’t fond of that one - she’s so not a horror girlie. She also loves to complain about her wife’s celebrity crush and give Quinn a hard time about it, but she does watch most of those films with her - and not only to keep her from drooling over Emily.
Quinn didn’t really enjoy Jenny’s Wedding since she didn’t think the actresses had much chemistry or that the characters had a great relationship - she was also rooting for Riley in Happiest Season for the same reason. But I’m a Cheerleader and D.E.B.S. are actually her guilty pleasure movies, along with Imagine Me & You for very obvious reasons. She and Rachel have watched that one together a number of times.
In fact, a workshop for a musical version of that may or may not fall into Rachel's path in the very near future.
Many years after Glee, you’re still gracing us with your beautiful stories. I reread the DB series constantly, and I still get so giddy every time there’s a new installment. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Many, many years now - fifteen since This Kiss and fourteen since Finn Hudson stumbled into that line for Lucy Quinn's autograph and DB was born.
Things are much quieter around here these days, so it's always nice to hear from someone who still enjoys (re)reading the old texts.
Thank you for giving me a giddy moment with this message.
Summary: House-hunting is somehow both infinitely better and frustratingly worse than apartment-hunting had ever been. It doesn't help that they have two small children to juggle this time around and a relatively finite amount of time to sort out such a huge life decision if one of those children is going to be registered in a new school district before the official start of the next school year.
Part 51 of Don’t Blink. Set after the ficlet Young Foolish and Green and before I'd Search the Moons of Endor.
in don’t blink, does rachel ever get injured at the theater/during a rehearsal or performance? how does quinn react?
I obviously haven't committed a theater injury to the DB canon (yet), but I'm sure Rachel has, at the very least, come home with a sprained ankle or wrist from a badly executed dance maneuver in rehearsal.
Depending on the severity of it, Quinn might go Scary!Quinn on whoever let her girlfriend/fiancee/wife get injured. And she'd definitely be pissed if Rachel comes home in a sling or brace and Quinn wasn't called as soon as the injury happened.
Quinn didn't consider that physical injuries were a thing she'd ever have to worry about with Rachel's career, so she definitely gets an unpleasant awakening to that.
And Lord help everyone if Quinn ever gets a call saying Rachel's been taken to the hospital because she fell off a set piece (or had a set piece fall on her.) Quinn will never let her go back to the theater alone after that.
Hey Poetz! I’m sure you’ve been asked this before about DB but in regard to Quinn’s accident, how do they deal with the anniversary of that day, if at all?
Quinn does her best to just forget about it since it's in the past, but Rachel always remembers.
Every February 21st, Rachel will hold Quinn extra tight when they wake up in the morning and get really emotional every time she looks at Quinn and thinks about how that day could have ended. She'll kiss her girlfriend/fiancee/wife extra long and tell her how much she loves her and how blessed she feels to have her because she knows exactly how lucky Quinn was to walk away from the accident relatively unharmed and how lucky Rachel is to have her now.
I was just rereading Quinn’s pregnancy in DB, and I feel like we got to see a lot of Rachel’s obsessive protectiveness over her pregnant wife. But I feel like, when Rachel was the one pregnant, I could see Quinn being just as —or maybe even more— overprotective than Rachel was when the roles were reversed. I know there was a bit of this in some of the pregnant!Rachel fics, but I was just wondering if there were any specific overprotective habitsthat Quinn picked up when Rachel was pregnant, or even any particular moments?
You mean besides Quinn checking Rachel's blood pressure six times a day? ^_^
Rachel mentions in ATLFBU that Quinn directs her head-cheerio energy at Rachel whenever she thinks her wife is overdoing it. And if Rachel somehow resists the bossy direct approach, Quinn attempts to (not-so) subtly distract her with calmer subjects - or possibly seduction.
Quinn intercepts Calliope every time their daughter looks like she might jump on the bed with Rachel or get too rough crawling around next to her, and she absolutely won't let Rachel pick her up.
Generally, Quinn is a relentless guard dog when it comes to protecting her wife and unborn child. She even gets a little bitchy with anyone who might upset her wife. (RIP Nurse Cherry.)
I didn't get the chance to really explore that dynamic in more detail since I wrote Rachel's pregnancy as a series of vignettes that skipped forward a few months at a time rather than hitting every little change. But I imagine Quinn was constantly after Rachel to sit down and rest, and of course, she's even more vigilant with meal preparation to make sure Rachel is eating a well-balanced prenatal diet.
(And keeping a detailed log of every blood pressure reading of course.)
love the new db installment poetz! really interested to hear about how that brunch went after the ending, if you have any little tidbits to share
Thanks.
So, I actually had written a bit of the brunch, but I was struggling a little with Judy and just how 'Fabray-ish' she should be to Rachel, so I ultimately decided to make the ending point where it is now.
But I do, in fact, still have the rough continuation.
It's not complete. There would have been a few more snippish comments before Rachel ultimately excused herself to go get ready for her matinee, but you can enjoy the incomplete draft below -
xx
The diner Quinnie takes them to isn’t much to look at. There are a few outside tables set up under an awning, booths along the window and wall, and some limited counter seating. It reminds Judy of a diner in Springfield that she’d grown up frequenting, though ridiculously more compact in the way most New York City restaurants seem to be. The wait for a table is only ten minutes and the stilted smalltalk they make about Judy’s flight and hotel is nearly as awkward as the banal comments about the weather and city traffic they’d endured on the short taxi ride uptown.
They’re shown to a booth by a friendly-enough waitress and given menus that, while lacking a true brunch option, are extensive enough to allow them any combination of the vast breakfast and lunch items. Quinn orders a Western omelette with home fries and Judy opts to try the Eggs Florentine.
Rachel Berry, despite the large selection, requests oatmeal and berries made specifically with soy milk and rye toast with avocado spread.
The special requests seem rather fussy, but Judy chooses not to comment on them specifically. Perhaps the girl is lactose intolerant. Still, “You should really consider adding protein, Rachel. I’m sure the kitchen could prepare an egg however you like.”
“I don’t consume animal byproducts,” Rachel explains, “though I’m not quite as strict about it as I used to be. I never have managed to find a good substitute for cheese, so I’ve admittedly cheated here and there with non-vegan parmesan.”
“That seems…restrictive.” Judy turns her attention to her daughter. “How are you managing your dietary differences?”
“I can eat vegan food, Mom.” The corner of her lips turn up into a faint smirk as she glances over at Rachel. “Some of it’s actually not terrible.”
Rachel shakes her head indulgently at Quinn’s subtle dig. “Quinn has always been considerate of my preferences when preparing meals. She’s even found some delicious new recipes to try out.”
“Are you converting to veganism now too?” Judy isn’t sure she can handle yet another change in her daughter’s chosen lifestyle. There are too many favorite recipes she’d have to discard. How does one even shop for a vegan?
“Would it matter if I did?” Quinn challenges, mouth pulling into a tight line.
“I don’t expect Quinn to change her diet for me,” Rachel is quick to assure Judy. “I know she enjoys meat and dairy too much. I’m more than happy to compromise.”
Quinn smiles at her adoringly. “So am I.”
Judy sits back in the booth. “Well, that’s…good.” Compromise is always good, as long as Quinnie isn’t the one making all the sacrifices. “I suppose you’ll have to give me a list of what’s acceptable if you ever come back to Lima with Quinnie to visit. Although, I suppose your current schedule doesn’t really allow time for that.”
“It doesn’t,” Rachel agrees with a contrite smile.
“How long do these Broadway shows usually last?”
“Oh, it depends.” Rachel shrugs and begins to fiddle with her napkin. “West Side Story was initially contracted to the Palace Theatre for a six month run, dependent on profit of course, but good reviews and consistent ticket sales earned us an extension. Basically, as long as we’re still making money, we’ll keep running.”
Judy nods, taking in the information. “It seems rather tenuous. You could be out of work at any moment.”
Quinn scowls at her. “Really, Mother?”
“It’s unfortunately true,” Rachel admits, forcing a smile. “I’m afraid that’s the nature of show business, but I’m hoping my current success will translate into future opportunities.”
“Hmm. Well, you are a very talented singer from what I recall.” Judy can concede that point to Rachel Berry. “And I’m sure you’re prepared for whatever happens next once your show closes.”
“There isn’t a producer in this town who won’t jump at the chance to cast her,” Quinn says supportively, smiling at Rachel before she turns back to Judy. “Now can we be done interrogating my girlfriend about her future career prospects? It’s not like I need her to provide for me. I have a job of my own.”
“Of course, dear,” Judy allows, only a little censured by it. After all, it’s a mother’s duty to make sure her daughter’s partner is worthy of her. An unemployed actress certainly isn’t.
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