fic: The All Star, Chapter 4
“Big Quinn!”
…That’s new. Quinn looked puzzled as she walked into the yard of Mia’s school. She spotted the teeny tiny brunette standing in a group of other children in her class with a teacher, looking up at her with wide eyes. “Since when am I ‘Big’ Quinn?” the blonde mused with a grin as she approached the girl.
“Since there’s another Quinn in my class and I didn’t want anyone to be confused,” Mia replied, pointing to a little girl nearby. “And cause you’re so tall,” she continued matter-of-factly. Quinn nodded as if it was obvious. “How come you’re here?
“Your mommy’s busy at work and asked if I could come get you. Are you ok with that?” Mia grinned, a smile that truly mirrored her mothers, and nodded wildly.
“I get to play with you all day?!”
Quinn chuckled and nodded. Suddenly bursting with excitement, Mia spun around and knocked on her teacher’s leg like it was a door. The teacher turned and looked down to the little girl and smiled. “Yes, Mia?”
“Big Quinn is taking me home today, my mommy isn’t here.” The teacher looked puzzled and glanced up at Quinn, who was blushing.
“Hi,” she said, extending her hand. “I’m Quinn Fabray, I’m Rachel’s…girlfriend?” Quinn paused before nodding weakly, deciding that, if for nothing else, she would get less of a hassle for picking up Mia if she was dating the mother, rather than just a friend. “Rachel couldn’t make it today, she asked me if I could pick Mia up.”
The teacher nodded and looked back down at Mia. “Mi, is this ok with you or do you want me to call your mother and confirm?” Mia shook her head with conviction.
“No way, I getta spend time with an all star,” the little girl responded. The teacher cocked her head to the side before Quinn, who’s cheeks were now tomato colored, lifted up the mini-Rachel and gave the teacher a look that said “I have no idea what she’s talking about,” and walked quickly out of the school yard.
“So you have a key to your place, right?”
Mia nodded. “And it’s on a Spongebob keychain.”
“Very impressive,” Quinn deadpanned.
“I cuhcur.”
Quinn’s eyebrows knitted together. “You…concur?”
“Of course,” the child replied methodically. Quinn couldn’t contain her laughter as she hailed a cab. Talking to Mia was always an adventure, to say the absolute least.
“So what should we do when we get home, hmm?” Quinn asked as the driver pulled away from the curb. “You don’t get homework, do you?”
Mia shook her head, her gaze locked intently at the scenery passing by. “Homework’s for bigger kids. I go home and read though.” Quinn nodded and looked out the window herself. “Unless you wanna play a game?” Mia asked hopefully and spun around.
Quinn nodded. “I could be up for a game.” She paused, grinning inwardly. “Unless you happen to like Scooby-Doo…” Mia’s eyes literally lit up.
“I-I do! Oh, I do! I love Scooby! DO YOU!?” Quinn nodded with a smile. “You’re the best!” Mia squeaked eagerly and lunged at the sitting blonde, hugging her torso tightly.
Quinn was taken aback by the display of affection. It reminded her of the after dinner moment from a few nights ago, when Mia had hugged her good night. She remembered what Rachel had said; that most of the time Mia was very shy, especially around women that she, Rachel, was dating. Yet here she was, hugging Quinn tightly for the second time in as many days. Quinn smiled warmly and wrapped her arm around Mia’s tiny body.
Surprisingly, though, this time Mia didn’t pull away. She kept her arm locked around Quinn’s waist and laid her head on the blonde’s chest. Quinn did nothing to stop it, rather she gently played with the soft brown hair on the girl’s head for the remainder of the ride. When the cab finally pulled up to Rachel’s house, Quinn lifted Mia up and out, giggling gently at Mia’s attempts at intelligent conversation.
Once inside the house, Mia pulled her shoes off and placed them neatly next to the door. Quinn observed the clockwork-like precision with which Mia functioned. After placing the shoes by the door, she took off her little coat, hung in on a low hook, took her backpack off, placed it the hook to the right of her coat, stretched lightly, and then bounded off towards the living room, where she promptly started searching through DVD’s to watch with Quinn. After popping a disc into the machine, Mia curled up on the couch, hugging a pillow. Quinn walked over and sat down next to the little girl.
After a few minutes, Quinn noticed that Mia was slightly fidgeting with the pillow. “You ok, Mi?” she asked, concerned.
Mia looked into Quinn’s eyes. “I don’t like this one,” she whimpered. Quinn looked on screen at a rather ferocious looking monster. “I-I’m scared,” Mia whispered. “And w-when I’m scared, my mommy holds me…but she isn’t here…” Quinn frowned and opened her arms.
“Want me to hold you?” Mia paused and looked at Quinn skeptically. Quinn was confused where this sudden change of heart came from. Just an hour ago, Mia had practically been in Quinn’s lap, and now here she was, hugging a pillow instead. “Mia…did I do something wrong?”
Mia looked lost in her thoughts. “Whenever I hug one of mommies girlfriends too much, they leave. So maybe if I don’t hug you a lot, then you’ll stay,” she reasoned softly, more to herself than to Quinn. The blonde definitely hadn’t expected that.
“What do you mean?” she asked gently, turning more towards the child.
Mia sighed like it was obvious. “The grown up ladies that my mommy does dating with.” Quinn nodded, gesturing with her hands for Mia to continue. “When I hug them a lot, or like them too much, they always say to my mommy that I’m too much of a co-comm…commi’ment? Or I’m too serious. And then mommy gets so sad when they go away...and I’m not even serious.” Quinn’s face fell. The pieces all fit now.
For most women Quinn’s age, dating someone with a young child was a rather big commitment, especially one who was so affectionate. Quinn remembered that Rachel had said Mia was generally shy around her dates, but maybe it was just when Mia had epiphanies like this; she hoped that by being distant, and thus a non-factor in the relationship, she would be protecting her mom, and would get someone she liked to stick around.
“Oh, Mia,” Quinn sighed and scooted towards the girl, who retreated slightly.
“I don’t want you to go away, you’re such a good one, please sit on the other side of the couch?” Mia whimpered the plea. Quinn sighed.
“What if I told you that if I hold you now, I promise I won’t go anywhere?” Mia shook her head. Quinn thought quickly. “What if I promised, pinky promised, that I’m not going to make your mommy sad?” This made Mia think.
“But that isn’t like the other ones.”
Quinn knew it wasn’t the most appropriate question to ask, but she needed to know. “How many other ones have there been?”
Mia counted out four on her fingers and held them up for Quinn to see. “Mary, Adrianne, Chrissy and Naya. And I liked Naya cause it’s like Nala from the Lion King…but they all left. Just trust me, Quinn, I know how grown-ups work.”
Quinn sighed. She felt miserable. “Can I least put on a less scary one then? I don’t want you to be afraid.” Mia nodded, snuggling up next to the armrest, holding the throw pillow close to her chest. Quinn smiled weakly and hit the remote to switch episodes.
As the next episode progressed, Mia slowly sat up again, smiling at the antics on screen. Quinn liked to see Mia happy, but her head was still swimming with thoughts of the four women Rachel had brought home, introduced to Mia, and watched as they left soon after. It made the blonde feel sick that people could be so turned off by a kid. Quinn wanted to stick around, she enjoyed spending time with Mia, and she certainly enjoyed spending time with Rachel, now the question was whether or not Rachel wanted her around.
“Can I have a snack?” Mia’s question broke Quinn from her trance. She looked over at Mia who was staring right back.
“Are you allowed to have snacks before dinner?” Quinn decided it best to play it safe with whatever Rachel’s rules might be. She was determined to stay at this point. Mia nodded.
“I’m allowed to have an apple or a banana.” Quinn nodded and got up to fetch the child a piece of fruit. “May I have an apple, please?” the child called. Quinn nodded again and came back with a shiny red apple, which Mia gratefully took. “Thank you,” the girl said politely. Quinn smiled and sat back down, and was pleasantly surprised when Mia moved to snuggle with her.
The young doctor smiled before Mia quickly snapped her head back and looked up into Quinn’s eyes, deadly serious. “You said pinky promise that you won’t make mommy sad, right?” Quinn nodded seriously. Mia held up a little pinky. Quinn locked her pinky with the child’s and squeezed lightly. “Ok then,” Mia declared and laid her head back against Quinn’s chest, curling up snuggly. Quinn beamed and gently placed a kiss on the crown of the little brunette’s head.
**
A few hours, just after the clock struck 6:30, Rachel walked in the door. “I’m home!” she called out as she hung her coat up above Mia’s on the wall.
“Mommy!” the daughter called out eagerly and sprung off the couch, charging towards her mother. Rachel beamed and crouched down with open arms. Mia hugged her tightly.
“Hi, munchkin,” she cooed, picking her daughter up off the ground. “How was your day with Quinn?”
“Ooooh! It was so fun!” Mia gushed. “Quinn likes Scooby! And, and, and guess what!? She can count so high!”
Rachel pretended to be shocked as she started strolling over to the living room, where Quinn was subsequently walking out from. Rachel couldn’t help but eye the blonde, she looked hot, as always. “How random… How high did you make her count?” Rachel asked skeptically. Leave it to Mia to challenge someone at counting.
“Mommy, you don’t get it. She got to over a hundred,” Mia deadpanned. Rachel chuckled.
“Well excuuuse me!” Mia nodded her forgiveness before turning her head to see Quinn walking towards them.
“Quinn! Tell mommy how high you can count!”
Quinn laughed. “I got to 112,” she replied.
Rachel laughed and looked at Quinn with sultry eyes. “What a turn on…” There was silence as Quinn and Rachel held each other’s gazes. Rachel bit her lip hungrily, excited for their date.
“What’s a turn on mean?” Mia’s question broke the sexual tension. Quinn started blushing.
“Don’t worry about it, Mi. Listen,” Rachel quickly covered. “Why don’t you go finish your episode of Scooby, and let me and Quinn talk, ok?” Mia nodded, smiled widely at Quinn, and ran off. Quinn watched her go; she was captivated with the child. Once the little girl had run into the living room, Quinn turned around to face Rachel, and instead was shocked as Rachel practically lunged at her, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.
Quinn stumbled back slightly with surprised, before closing her eyes and holding Rachel’s soft hips in her hands, kissing back with fervor. They stayed locked at the lips for several minutes, the tension literally palpable, before Rachel pulled back. “I had an idea today…” she husked. Quinn was panting, her forehead resting against Rachel’s as she nodded.
“What kind of idea?”
Rachel was panting too as she licked her lips hungrily. “A dirty one.”
Quinn grinned wickedly. “Oh yeah? Enlighten me, won’t you?” she growled, kissing Rachel again.
“I was thinking,” Rachel leaned up and kissed the blonde once more, “maybe once the sitter comes, we get a quick take-out dinner, go to your place, eat quick, then fuck like animals.” Quinn chocked on air at the blatancy of Rachel’s statement. “Sounds like you approve.” Quinn nodded eagerly.
“Let me go call Amy and tell her to get here soon.” Rachel nodded with a grin and went off to join her daughter while they waited for the intern.
**
A half hour later, Amy showed up with a box of pizza for herself and Mia. Rachel introduced herself and told Amy they would try to be back quickly, though Quinn was skeptical at how serious Rachel was when she said it. “Mia, come here baby, I want you to meet someone!” Rachel called out. The little girl walked out of her bedroom, clad in an oversized t-shirt with a big heart on it and PJ pants. “Baby girl, this is Amy, she’s going to be your babysitter tonight,” Rachel explained. Mia looked up at the intern, confused.
“Where’s Sarah?” the girl asked, concerned.
Quinn quickly swooped in, nipping what could have been a problem in the bud. “Amy’s a very good friend of mine. I told her how awesome you are and she practically jumped at the chance!” Quinn said with excitement. Mia perked up at that and smiled. “And, she brought you pizza.” That sealed the deal. Mia accepted Amy into her house, and with that, Rachel and Quinn took off.