In The Mood For A Melody (Prologue)
Title: In the Mood for a Melody (Prologue)
Author: kben
Rating: R
Length: 860
Spoilers: Through Sectionals
Summary: Quinn's the one to get out of Lima and head to New York
Prequel: Never Gonna Quit You Over Time
Prologue
If anyone had told sixteen year old Quinn Fabray that, in about ten years, she'd be a permanent fixture behind the keys in various Manhattan piano bars, she would have laughed and suggested the idea was nothing short of insane. By twenty-five, she was supposed to be college educated and possibly engaged (maybe even married) to some college-educated Christian man who garnered the approval of her father. Just like her sister.
Except, Quinn wasn't her sister. Not by a long shot.
Instead of the ideal Fabray high school experience, the younger daughter managed to get pregnant, date a Jewish guy, and discover that her sexual orientation was something her parents considered less desirable that the former two.
She'd given the baby up for adoption to a gay couple who lived on the Upper East Side. As in Manhattan. Quinn definitely wanted to make sure her baby made it out of Lima immediately after birth. And, she'd actually made the connection without the help of Rachel Berry. Not that the girl hadn't offered. But she was so wrapped up in Finn and Glee and beating Vocal Adrenaline, Quinn did the research herself.
It was an open adoption, to a Tom and Barrett McKenzie. One a lawyer, the other a professor, both looking to slow down their professional lives to start a family. Quinn thought they were lovely people and convinced her mother to meet with them. Judy Fabray wouldn't admit it out loud, but she found the McKenzies to be kind and generous people who would give her daughter's baby a good life. Instead, she simply said she was glad Quinn opted not to throw her life's opportunities away in lieu of single motherhood.
After the baby, she and Puck actually dated, officially, through all of Junior and most of Senior year. Then, one night, after Santana's Spring Break party, they'd ended up back at his house, since his mom and sister were down in Florida visiting Puck's great-aunt Edna, it ended.
“Did you just say Rachel?” Puck was still on top of her, though, even if she'd said what he'd just suggested she did, it hadn't stopped him from finishing the task at hand.
“What? Why would I?” Quinn's mind had wandered, but that was nothing new. Ever since they'd started dating, sex hadn't been a rare occasion, and some innocent internal fantasy had always been part of it for her.
“You totally said her name, right before you... you know.” He rolled off of her and flung his arm over his face.
“I... I'm sorry?” She didn't know what else to say.
“Look, the idea of you thinking dirty thoughts about Berry isn't exactly a turn off, but it is kind of a blow to my manliness.”
She pulled the sheet up over herself and turned to face him. “It's not you.”
“Yeah. Obviously.”
“No, I mean... this is...” Quinn exhaled and flung her head against the pillow. “I'm sorry,” she repeated, and moved to settle into him.
He didn't push her away.
A week later, word around school was that they'd broken up because he was going to school in California and she was headed for Columbia University. There never once was a single rumor about how Noah Puckerman turned Quinn Fabray gay because he wasn't man enough for her. Because, if anything, Puck had learned to keep his mouth shut about certain things.
Besides, Quinn's fascination with Rachel began long before Puck was in the picture, before they'd hooked up that first time at that party. Before glee. Before the baby. Well before that, she was torturing Rachel Berry for being different, for being a freak, for putting gold stars after her name. She felt compelled to push the other girl, to shove her hard and keep her at a distance. And then she realized that all that effort came from a place that disguised itself as hate, but it turns out hate and passion are pretty closely related.
Maybe, in some other alternate reality, once she came to terms with that and said something to Rachel, then the girl would smile at her and maybe they'd kiss and hold hands and become girlfriends. Except, that didn't happen. Not here. Not this time. Instead, life went on and Quinn kept her feelings to herself, deep down inside. Until they couldn't stay in any longer. And came out. During sex. With Puck.
Through college, they kept in touch, even though they sometimes went months without talking to each other. But they'd reconnect through email or Facebook or even, sometimes, the actual telephone. And they'd talk about music and bands and movies. The conversation would almost always roll around to Rachel. Puck knew Quinn was still harboring feelings for the girl all through the years, in a very painful, unrequited way. Quinn insisted the longevity of her emotions was based solely in the fact that Rachel was her first real girl-on-girl crush, that it was all just nostalgia.
The problem with nostalgia, however, is that it just grows stronger over time.
Author: kben
Rating: R
Length: 860
Spoilers: Through Sectionals
Summary: Quinn's the one to get out of Lima and head to New York
Prequel: Never Gonna Quit You Over Time
Prologue
If anyone had told sixteen year old Quinn Fabray that, in about ten years, she'd be a permanent fixture behind the keys in various Manhattan piano bars, she would have laughed and suggested the idea was nothing short of insane. By twenty-five, she was supposed to be college educated and possibly engaged (maybe even married) to some college-educated Christian man who garnered the approval of her father. Just like her sister.
Except, Quinn wasn't her sister. Not by a long shot.
Instead of the ideal Fabray high school experience, the younger daughter managed to get pregnant, date a Jewish guy, and discover that her sexual orientation was something her parents considered less desirable that the former two.
She'd given the baby up for adoption to a gay couple who lived on the Upper East Side. As in Manhattan. Quinn definitely wanted to make sure her baby made it out of Lima immediately after birth. And, she'd actually made the connection without the help of Rachel Berry. Not that the girl hadn't offered. But she was so wrapped up in Finn and Glee and beating Vocal Adrenaline, Quinn did the research herself.
It was an open adoption, to a Tom and Barrett McKenzie. One a lawyer, the other a professor, both looking to slow down their professional lives to start a family. Quinn thought they were lovely people and convinced her mother to meet with them. Judy Fabray wouldn't admit it out loud, but she found the McKenzies to be kind and generous people who would give her daughter's baby a good life. Instead, she simply said she was glad Quinn opted not to throw her life's opportunities away in lieu of single motherhood.
After the baby, she and Puck actually dated, officially, through all of Junior and most of Senior year. Then, one night, after Santana's Spring Break party, they'd ended up back at his house, since his mom and sister were down in Florida visiting Puck's great-aunt Edna, it ended.
“Did you just say Rachel?” Puck was still on top of her, though, even if she'd said what he'd just suggested she did, it hadn't stopped him from finishing the task at hand.
“What? Why would I?” Quinn's mind had wandered, but that was nothing new. Ever since they'd started dating, sex hadn't been a rare occasion, and some innocent internal fantasy had always been part of it for her.
“You totally said her name, right before you... you know.” He rolled off of her and flung his arm over his face.
“I... I'm sorry?” She didn't know what else to say.
“Look, the idea of you thinking dirty thoughts about Berry isn't exactly a turn off, but it is kind of a blow to my manliness.”
She pulled the sheet up over herself and turned to face him. “It's not you.”
“Yeah. Obviously.”
“No, I mean... this is...” Quinn exhaled and flung her head against the pillow. “I'm sorry,” she repeated, and moved to settle into him.
He didn't push her away.
A week later, word around school was that they'd broken up because he was going to school in California and she was headed for Columbia University. There never once was a single rumor about how Noah Puckerman turned Quinn Fabray gay because he wasn't man enough for her. Because, if anything, Puck had learned to keep his mouth shut about certain things.
Besides, Quinn's fascination with Rachel began long before Puck was in the picture, before they'd hooked up that first time at that party. Before glee. Before the baby. Well before that, she was torturing Rachel Berry for being different, for being a freak, for putting gold stars after her name. She felt compelled to push the other girl, to shove her hard and keep her at a distance. And then she realized that all that effort came from a place that disguised itself as hate, but it turns out hate and passion are pretty closely related.
Maybe, in some other alternate reality, once she came to terms with that and said something to Rachel, then the girl would smile at her and maybe they'd kiss and hold hands and become girlfriends. Except, that didn't happen. Not here. Not this time. Instead, life went on and Quinn kept her feelings to herself, deep down inside. Until they couldn't stay in any longer. And came out. During sex. With Puck.
Through college, they kept in touch, even though they sometimes went months without talking to each other. But they'd reconnect through email or Facebook or even, sometimes, the actual telephone. And they'd talk about music and bands and movies. The conversation would almost always roll around to Rachel. Puck knew Quinn was still harboring feelings for the girl all through the years, in a very painful, unrequited way. Quinn insisted the longevity of her emotions was based solely in the fact that Rachel was her first real girl-on-girl crush, that it was all just nostalgia.
The problem with nostalgia, however, is that it just grows stronger over time.