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now, if you wanna get away from it all
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Judy Fabray needs a break.
She’s needed one for a long time.
When the girls were growing up, they’d gone on vacation every year to Disney, or Virginia Beach.
Somewhere nice with warm sand and rolling waves.
But maybe she wouldn’t like that these days—she can’t stand the heat anymore, but refuses to accept that, at forty-nine-years old, she isn’t exactly getting younger.
And she truly had hated having to dump sand out of her suitcase for weeks after they’d come back every year.
Or that time a five-year-old Lucy had shoved a fistful of sand into her mouth and coughed for hours afterward.
So, if she’s going on this hypothetical vacation, she thinks, maybe, she’d go somewhere cooler.
Like Maine.
Or Alaska.
She brings it up to Hiram in their pottery class at the rec center that week.
He suggests Hawaii, and she shuts that down quickly.
.
She’d become friends with the Berry men a few years ago, when their daughter, Rachel—a friend of Quinn’s in high school and, apparently, now again, too—had driven home for Christmas with Quinn.
She hadn’t been introduced to Leroy and Hiram at the same time, because, apparently, they’d split up four years prior. So, she’d had to have dinner in a restaurant twice that week just so they could meet.
After the girls had returned to New York, Leroy had called her up for brunch and she’d agreed.
Picking at his pancakes, he’d said, “I just get lonely,” and she’d nodded along because, even though she doesn’t regret her decision to kick him out, she does miss Russell on occasion.
It became a weekly thing, her brunches with Leroy.
And then classes at the rec center with Hiram because they’d bumped into each other in their Jazzercise class and hadn’t wanted to stop there.
This month, it’s pottery, which Judy has a knack for and Hiram, unfortunately, does not.
He threatens to quit every week, but she knows that he would never leave her to fend for herself amongst their other, mostly elderly, classmates.
.
“How about New York?” Hiram suggests, and it’s not that Judy hates the idea.
She just can’t imagine that sweltering, summer heat is any more bearable between tall buildings the breeze can’t push past.
But she would be able to see Quinn.
“Why New York?” she has to ask, though.
“I’m worried about Rachel,” he says, and she doesn’t understand until he explains it.
Apparently Rachel, who has always divulged every secret of her personal life to her fathers, has been more withdrawn these past few weeks.
“She’s been dodging my questions about dating,” he tells her.
And Judy understands that, for a couple reasons.
For one, Rachel’s divorce was only finalized a month or so ago—even if they'd been separated for longer than that--and who could get back up on the horse that early?
Hiram chuckles dryly when she asks that. He says, “Apparently Jesse can,” in reference to Rachel’s cheating ex-husband.
Judy scowls.
Men.
“I just don’t know why she wouldn’t tell me if she’s dating someone,” Hiram says sadly, hanging his head a little low.
.
Judy knows.
Judy knows because she’s always known that her own daughter—sadly—was always a bit too fixated on Rachel Berry.
All through her high school years, Quinn had complained about Rachel this and Rachel that.
It was something that, during Quinn’s freshman year when Judy was still adjusting to it being Quinn instead of Lucy, she’d had mostly ignored.
But then it didn’t go away.
So, years later, after Rachel’s not-so-triumphant return to New York, when her and Quinn had, apparently, reconciled, Judy hadn’t been surprised in the slightest when her daughter had said, “I’m in love with Rachel, Mom,” during their weekly Skype date.
Quinn had expected her to be, no doubt, from the stiff way she was holding her shoulders.
But Judy had just shrugged and said, “Okay,” and that was the end of that.
Judy had been there for all of Quinn’s griping when Rachel had started dating Jesse again a few years ago—griping that had reached a saddening crescendo when Jesse had proposed and Rachel had said yes.
Judy had attended the wedding with her daughter and held Quinn’s hand tightly when Rachel had said, “I do.”
And then she’d left the reception early, taking her crying daughter back to her apartment until Quinn finally spoken.
“I never told her,” she’d whimpered, wrapped in a blanket on her couch with her head in Judy’s lap. “I never told her how I feel—how I’ve always felt. And she-she…”
She’d started sobbing again and it had been all Judy could do not to join her.
Because what is a mother supposed to do when their baby is crying like that?
Needless to say, she’d done a dance slightly remniscient of a touchdown dance when Quinn had called her almost four months ago, telling her that Rachel had left Jesse, that they were getting divorced.
The reprise of said dance had been that much more elaborate and enthusiastic when, just a few weeks ago, Quinn had told her that her and Rachel were together—they were going to try this out.
Quinn’s video had been blurry, but she’d looked happy even from the other side of the webcam.
Judy had told her how proud she was of her.
Now, Judy’s guessing, from the depressed way Hiram is expressing his concern regarding his daughter, that Rachel has not told him the finer details of her relationship with Quinn.
There’s probably a reason for that, but Judy can’t think of what it could be.
.
“How does that look?” Hiram asks and Judy, still throwing the bowl she’s making, tilts her head to look at it.
“Well, that depends on whether or not you meant for it to look like a foot.”
Hiram sighs, heavily. He attempts, with little success, to fix it.
“Do you want me to check on her or something?” Judy asks and Hiram looks up at her.
“Not exactly,” he says. “I was going to suggest I come with you, actually. Give my little girl a surprise or something.”
It sounds nice in theory, but a little creepy when she actually thinks about it.
“Besides,” Hiram goes on. “New York isn’t nearly as hot as Hawaii in the summer.”
And Judy feels bad—for him, for Rachel, for whyever Rachel feels the need to hide her relationship from her father.
She can’t help but agree for him to tag along.
When the class is drawing to a close, Hiram stands, suddenly, fixing his eyes to the back wall and staring there distantly.
“Are you alright?” Judy asks, but Hiram waves her off, as if shushing her.
He mumbles something that sounds like, “Of course. I really am blind, huh?” and then he gestures to his glasses.
Judy might have been able to appreciate the joke, had she heard him.
“Judy, darling,” Hiram says after a moment. “Now we’re definitely going.”
She smiles and claps her hands together, saying something about calling her daughter, but Hiram stops her, tells her not to.
“Why not?”
He smirks in answer and looks away and Judy turns to see where his eyes are going—half-expecting to see a camera over her head that he’s looking into.
There is none, so she looks back at him in confusion.
“Because I have a theory to prove,” he finally says.
She still doesn’t understand why she can’t call her daughter.
“Oh, it’s gonna be a surprise,” Hiram tells her when she asks. “Probably should have led with that.”
Judy nods. “Probably.”
.
New York is louder and more crowded that Judy would like.
She’s almost glad that she’s never come before—that Quinn has always insisted on coming to her for holidays—because this isn’t the vacation she had in mind.
“I don’t get why Quinnie would want to live here,” she says when they’re sitting in the back of a cab and sluggishly moving down the bogged-up streets towards Quinn and Rachel’s apartment.
That’s not true, though, because she knows.
Quinn had said, “Because Rachel’s in New York,” when Judy had asked why she accepted that job post graduation.
That hadn’t been a surprise.
And now Judy is glad Quinn took it, because look where they are.
She smiles, but it slips off her face when she hears Hiram say, “I think I might know,” under his breath with a chuckle that makes her a bit frightened.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asks, worried that the two hour plane ride might have gone to his head.
Hiram just smirks. “Oh, I’ll be okay.”
.
They end up sneaking into the apartment complex like they’re in a spy movie.
Meaning that they loiter outside until someone comes out and they can sneak in before the door shuts closed.
“We’re lucky they don’t have a doorman,” Judy says as they wait for the elevator.
But then she realizes that, if both of the girls are home, it’s possible they’ll be catching them in a situation that will be…awkward, to say the least.
And if Rachel has yet to tell her father, then Judy thinks she might not want Hiram to find out by him walking in on them in a…compromising position.
So, in the elevator she attempts to send a text with one hand, only to fail miserably and the panic sets in when they’re in front of the apartment door.
She realizes that, just inside, the inhabitants are, likely, unknowingly doing things they maybe shouldn’t be when there’s a parent invasion about to happen.
They have no idea.
That’s clear when Rachel answers the door with her shirt on backwards and her hair mussed up saying, “Dad? Mrs. Fabray?” in an obviously scared and worried way.
“’Judy,’ dear,” Judy corrects.
“We’re here to surprise you, babycakes,” Hiram says, smiling as he wraps his bedraggled daughter in his arms.
Judy resists the urge to head straight into the apartment in search of her own daughter. Based on the appearance of Rachel, it’s probably better to just wait this one out.
Finally, Quinn’s voice rings out from what Judy can only assume is the bedroom. “Rachel?” she calls, sounding aggravated. “Who is it? Hurry up.”
Rachel’s eyes go wide and she pulls herself away from her dad. “U-uh, Quinn? It’s…It’s our parents?”
There’s a loud thump from the bedroom, followed by a quiet, “Fuck!”
And then Quinn is coming out of the room looking just as unkempt as Rachel.
“Mom!” she says, when she reaches the door. “What are you doing here?”
“We came here to surprise you, Quinn,” Judy explains, but she makes sure to jerk her head over to Hiram so that Quinn might understand that this wasn’t her idea.
Quinn doesn’t understand, though, and she looks at Rachel. “Did you know about this?”
Rachel shakes her head. “I was just as surprised as you.”
They just stare at each other after that and Judy remembers that from when she’d first gotten serious with Russell—the silent communication.
She’d comment that it’s cute, but Hiram is clearing his throat and saying, “As great as this little reunion is, would you mind if we continue it in not-the-hall?”
When they go to pass Rachel, there’s only a little apprehension in the younger woman’s eyes.
Almost like she’d rather close the door on them.
.
Judy is offered Rachel’s room, while Hiram decides to bunk on the couch.
He smiles oddly when he draws the connection that Quinn and Rachel will be sharing a bed.
Rachel’s room is spotless—almost too tidy—when Judy drops off her things.
Quinn comes in and hisses, “Why didn’t you warn me?” just as her suitcase is being opened.
Instead of answering, Judy just says, “Why is her room so immaculate? Does she sleep in here anymore?”
The blush she gets in answer is enough.
“I didn’t think to warn you, Quinnie, because I wanted to surprise you. Apparently Hiram doesn’t know, by the way.”
Quinn huffs at this and sits down on the bed beside her mother’s suitcase. “I know,” she says. “Rachel hasn’t told him yet.”
Judy frowns. “Why not?”
Quinn says, “She has her reasons,” but she doesn’t seem to know what those reasons are, so that’s the end of that.
.
They go to dinner that night and Hiram grills Rachel on her personal life.
“Meet any nice-looking fellas lately?” he asks, and his eyes drift to Quinn, who is looking over her menu, as he says it.
Rachel doesn’t even look up when she says, “Um, no, Dad.”
Judy is confused when Hiram seems to like this answer.
.
“I think he knows,” Judy tells Quinn and Rachel that night, standing in the cramped hallway outside the bedrooms and bathroom to do it.
In the living room, they can hear Hiram snoring softly.
“What do you mean?” Rachel asks, looking panicked.
Quinn’s hand flies to the small of her back and she gives the shorter woman a reassuring smile.
“Well,” Judy says. “He wanted to surprise you for one. Didn’t want you to be prepared at all. I think he was hoping to catch you in the act or something.”
Rachel looks positively scandalized. “That is so like him!” she says and Quinn shushes her a little, whispering, “Inside voice, baby.”
“This is why I didn’t tell him,” Rachel whispers. “Because he—” She points towards the living room for dramatic effect. “—has been far to involved in my romantic life since he and Daddy…”
She doesn’t finish, but they understand anyway.
Judy nods to show that she does.
“That explains those weird little one-liners he kept saying after you answered him at dinner,” Quinn points out and Rachel’s eyes are narrowed into the darkness beyond the hallway, just past Judy’s head.
“You could just tell him,” Judy suggests. “He was worried about you, Rachel. I think he just wants you to be happy.”
“Or, we could mess with him some more,” Rachel suggests, grinning wickedly.
Quinn seems terrified by this, but, after a moment, seems to hop on board.
Judy can’t help it—she does too.
Hiram’s so easily riled up that she can’t see how this couldn’t be amusing.
So she asks, “What did you have in mind?”
.
Rachel’s version of messing with him involves Santana and Brittany for some reason.
They go out to lunch the next day and, apparently Quinn and Rachel have set this whole thing up, because it’s absolutely beautiful to watch.
Santana and Brittany are in on it, and smirk, knowingly, at their friends before they order.
As their waiting for their food, it starts.
Just inside of Hiram’s line of vision, Santana reaches over to Rachel, who is sitting beside her, and places her hand on Rachel’s thigh.
It’s just a quick dart, one squeeze—at least, as far as Judy can see from her seat beside Hiram—but it’s enough to nearly give Hiram a coronary.
His eyes bug out of his head and he’s sent into a coughing fit that it takes a while to recover from.
Judy looks over at Quinn, who is hiding her smile by sipping her glass of water.
When Hiram has finally quieted down, the next phase starts.
Santana excuses herself to the bathroom and, just two minutes after, Rachel does the same, following after her friend.
Hiram stares after her and looks like he wants to ask what’s going on, but doesn’t get the chance, because suddenly Brittany is standing and saying, “I’ll just go see if they need a hand in there.”
“Okay, what is going on?” Hiram asks once the blonde has disappeared, leaning over towards the Fabray women.
“What?” Judy asks, feigning ignorance.
Hiram looks frustrated. “That! Did you see that?”
Judy frowns, looking confused. “See what, Hiram?”
Hiram groans in frustration and covers his face with his hands just in time for him to miss Judy and Quinn looking at each other, shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
.
Quinn comes into Rachel’s room that night, laughing softly with her hand pressed over her mouth.
Judy is sitting in the bed with the lamp on, quietly flipping through Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit with wide, scared eyes.
She looks up as Quinn flops down on the bed beside her, still laughing.
“He just cornered me,” Quinn tells her, throwing her forearm back over her forehead.
Judy closes the book. “What did he say?” she asks, already smiling.
“He asked if Rachel was the salami in the middle of Brittany and Santana’s sexual intercourse sandwich.”
Judy snorts and presses her head into the headboard. “Dear Lord,” she sighs.
“So, I told him that it’s been like that for a while, even hinted that Kurt was somehow involved.”
That’s what makes Judy really lose it and the laughter doesn’t stop for a long while after that.
“Serves him right,” Quinn says, still breathing heavily.
A few moments of silence, and then Quinn asks, “Was this the vacation you imagined?” and Judy turns to look at her.
“It’s a little less relaxing than I imagined, I have to say,” she admits. “And hotter.” Quinn chuckles. “But I got to see you, dear. That’s enough.”
Quinn smiles and tilts her head so that it’s pressed against Judy’s ribcage.
Judy just runs her fingers through her daughter’s hair until Quinn finally gets up to go to her own room a few minutes later.
“Quinnie?” Judy says before Quinn reaches the door and Quinn stops, hand on the doorknob. “I wasn’t like the mother in this, was I?” She holds up the book she was reading and Quinn grins, amused.
“No, Mom,” she answers. “You were nothing like that.”
Judy breathes. “Oh, thank goodness.”
.
It doesn’t last longer than the next afternoon, when Judy and Hiram decide to go out on the town together—let the girls do some relaxing.
Hiram doesn’t look at his daughter all morning, clearly still remembering whatever Quinn had told him the night before.
Rachel, having, likely, been informed by Quinn about the conversation, acts unaffected by the situation.
Still, they must be excited to be alone because, when Hiram and Judy go back up to the apartment to retrieve his wallet—which he had remembered having left behind in the living room right when they got outside—they’re nowhere to be seen.
But then, from the back room—plain as day—Rachel can be heard moaning loudly and then saying, “Fuck, Quinn, right there!”
Hiram, for his part, turns so red that Judy is certain he’s going to pass out and he quickly leaves the apartment, leaving the door open behind himself.
Judy, eyes wide in horror, manages to cover her ears, grab his wallet, and hurry out without hearing too much else.
.
“You lied to me,” Judy says, when they’re sitting in Central Park. “This is much hotter than Lima.”
Hiram nods. “Oh, yeah, no, it’s like being punished for your sins.” He’s silent, and then, “Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
Judy looks over at him. “I think she was just upset that you didn’t let her come to you with that information, that you tried to force it out of her,” she answers.
Hiram sighs. “But why let me believe that my baby girl is being passed around between her friends like a very popular bong?”
That’s an interesting image.
Judy frowns. “You’re very easily wound-up,” she tells him. “It was rather amusing.”
Hiram pouts in a way that looks eerily similar to his daughter. “Okay, fine, fair enough,” he concedes after a moment. “But…boy…what a way to find out what’s actually going on! That girl always had an extremely capable set of lungs.” He shivers in slight disgust. “How are you handling this?”
He nudges her shoulder as he says it and she realizes that he must think she only just found out when he did.
“I…um…Quinnie told me about a month ago,” she tells him and Hiram’s mouth drops open.
“Is there anyone that doesn’t know?” he asks, letting out a frustrated growl that earns him more than a few worried looks from passers-by.
.
Apparently there isn’t because, when he calls Leroy a few minutes later, Leroy is not surprised.
“Stop trying to pry into her life,” Leroy tells him. “This is what gets you into trouble.”
“Says you,” Hiram returns.
“Says everyone who’s ever met you.”
Maybe it’s meant to sound harsh, but it doesn’t.
At least not from where Judy is sitting beside Hiram, leaning towards the phone a little.
A frail smile graces Hiram’s lips and he says, “Well, I expect the low-down when I get back to Ohio,” he says. “From both you and J-Dog, here.”
Judy blushes.
He hangs up a moment later and, Judy’s not sure, but she thinks he looks considerably more calm now.
“J-Dog?” she asks and Hiram gives her a smug look.
“I thought it was fitting.”
.
They don’t end up telling Quinn and Rachel what they heard, even though Judy very much wants to.
They leave the next day without saying a word.
Judy’s sad to go—as loud and as hot as New York is. She’s sad when she hugs Rachel and then her daughter, tight into her chest.
“I’ll take you on a real vacation next time,” Quinn says during the hug. “Somewhere colder.”
Judy smiles and pecks her daughter’s cheek as she pulls away. “I can’t wait,” she says.
Hiram pulls away from his hug with Rachel saying something that sounds a little like, “I’m sorry.”
They leave a moment later and Judy blows her daughter a kiss that Quinn playfully catches and presses to her cheek.
In the taxi, Hiram says, “I knew I was right,” and Judy laughs.
“Sure, you did,” she says.
Hiram shakes his head. “I knew it all along.”
.
It’s not really what she had in mind and, yeah, she still needs a break—a real vacation.
Somewhere nice without the sand or heat or rolling waves.
Somewhere where Quinn can smile like she had these past few days, with ease, with Rachel.
Judy thinks that a hypothetical vacation like that sounds a whole lot better.
…