**…Yeah, I know…I'm terrible.

CHAPTER 22: I Knew Lord Tubbington Was A Vampire

"Just tell her that I'm sorry and that Lord Tubbington is going to be grounded for like a gazillion years!" Brittany says, as we all stand outside, frowns on all of our faces.

"I will Britt, but don't worry, okay. Quinn isn't going to be mad at anyone, especially you." I reply, hugging the guilty blonde. San gives me a small hug and softly apologizes, before the couple walks to their car.

"Hey, can you tell Quinn that she can call me if she wants to go to the comic shop or hang out." Sam asks, with a small smile.

"Boy, are you crazy?" Mercedes questions, elbowing her boyfriend in the ribs. "Her pooch is lying on the surgery table!"

"No, I mean like if she needs a distraction, something to make her feel better, jeez!" He defends, rubbing his side. "It's what we do, like when she'd be all super depressed because Rachel used to reject her all the time, remember?" He explains, but quickly smacks his own forehead for his choice of example. "…No offense." He adds with a remorseful glance at me.

I furrow my brow in a bit of shame, but nod in understanding. "It's alright, I get it."

"Ugh, come on! Let's go, Sam, before you say something else…inappropriate." Mercedes says, rolling her eyes and tugging his arm. "Let us know how the surgery goes!" she shouts over her shoulder, as they walk away, leaving me alone.

I wait until they drive off. I wait another minute in the rapidly cooling air, hoping it isn't a bad sign of what's to come. Sucking in one last big breath, I exhale and feel heaviness in my chest. Re-entering the animal hospital, I wonder if he's still there. I wish that Judy came instead, or was at least here, but she's understandably stuck at work and is unable to make it. I almost feel bad for taking such a dislike to Russell. In all honesty he didn't hesitate when I called him to ask if he can leave work, at such short notice, because Quinn was so distraught. Still, I didn't think twice to excuse myself and walk everyone out, as soon as he arrived. I scold myself for my rudeness and turn to head back inside, hoping I don't intrude on a father and daughter moment. Once I'm down the hall, I carefully peek around the corner and into the emergency lobby.

"It's my fault; I should've introduced them properly. I should've waited to make sure they got along before just leaving them alone!" I hear Quinn say, as her father frowns at the sight of his Quinnie crying and wiping her tears on her sweater sleeves.

"It's not your fault, Q-"

"Yes, it is! I should've known better. She's just a baby and I wasn't paying attention. I'm so…I'm so stupid!" Quinn blubbers out.

"No you are not!" Russell says, hugging the upset blonde. The movement is quick and I almost miss it, but I see the small kiss he plants on Quinn's head, as he rubs her back. "You are far from stupid, Quinn. You are so smart and this…It was just…" He sighs and kisses her head, again, trying to soothe his little girl.

"I'm a bad parent," she mumbles into his shoulder.

The usually straight-faced man's frown deepens upon hearing the words, as does my own frown. He pulls out of the embrace and places his hands on Quinn's slumped shoulders. "That's not true," he says simply with a very serious look.

"Yes, it is," my girlfriend replies. The crack in her voice makes my eyes water and I almost – almost – shout out that she's the best parent ever, from my hiding place, but Russell beats me to it.

"No, it isn't. Quinn, I've seen you do outrageous things for Jr. Things that made me question your sanity quite a bit, actually, but did I say anything when you bought that vibrating seat, or that stroller, or even that car seat? Did I tell you that you were being ridiculous when you taped those foam bumpers along the backdoor and the front door because the wood and tile floors make her slide everywhere and she hits the door frames when she tries to run out? Then you went and put them on all the doors – just in case. Do you think bad pet-owners do those kinds of things for their pets? No. No they don't. And they certainly don't spend a whole weekend building little ramps for each stair because their pet isn't ready to walk down them, without getting scared," he says with a smile. "So, no…It isn't true. You are a terrific parent."

"Then why did I let her get hurt like that?" She says, unable to let go of her guilt.

Her dad sighs and hugs her, again. "There are some things that parents can't protect their babies from, Quinn."

"What do you mean?" She asks, looking up at her frowning father.

He gives her another squeeze, before releasing her and patting her knee. "I mean, no parent is able to keep their kids safe from everything…Not even the best ones," he further explains. "We can baby-proof or puppy-proof our homes. We can buy the best of the best, give all the affection and support they can handle – and then some, we can teach them everything we know, but we can't always be there to save them from all the doorframes and all their fears. We can't always be there to protect them from the other mean kids and the grumpy cats; and it's scary. Trust me – I know."

I watch as the man I thought to be emotionless, quickly wipe his eyes, as he sighs and continues.

"And you want to always blame yourself. Parents always blame themselves for every little or big thing that happens to their babies because no matter how much we try to shield them from the bad things in life, we can't. Some things are just out of our control and when you see your baby, your daughter – Your Quinnie – crying because she ran into another doorframe or because someone made fun of her just for being herself, or simply because they can…It's one of the worst feelings in the world. It's even worse when you realize that you've hurt her just the same, if not worse; and all you can do is just…" He stops himself and chances a glance at his daughter, who stares back in understanding, knowing what he really means to say.

"I love you, Dad."

Russell breaks into a smile and lets his held-back tears fall freely from his eyes, as his baby hugs him; and with another kiss to the top of her head, I faintly hear him say, "I love you more, Quinnie."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"How long does she need this cone around her head, again?" Britt asks, pouting as she pets the sleeping pup, on the couch.

"Just until the cuts start to heal," I answer, holding my sleeping girlfriend, who is curled up against me.

"I'm so sorry, Rachey," the taller blonde repeats for the hundredth time.

I simply smile and shake my head. "It's okay, Brittany, really. You don't have to keep apologizing. These kinds of things happen and as long as Quinnie Jr. is okay, it's going to be alright." In truth, I'm not sure just how alright things can be. I don't know if the tears on Jr's neck will heal properly. I don't know if there'll be permanent nerve damage. I won't know until her follow-up; and I certainly don't know If Quinn will be alright if that possibility becomes a reality. I put those thoughts aside and in the meantime, I try my best to assure Brittany that it'll, in fact, be alright.

My friend doesn't look convinced, as she stares at the stitches on Quinnie Jr's half-bald neck. The two three-inch tears are stitched up. They would've been two simple bite marks, but in the desperate haste, both Brittany and Quinn pulled Tubbington and Jr. away from each other, causing the cat's teeth to drag down the puppy's neck. When they were finally separated, there was so much blood that everyone freaked out – no one realized how deep the bite was. "I knew Lord Tubbington was a vampire. I just knew it."

It's difficult to choose words carefully when speaking to Brittany. She's so impressionable and naïve that it's impossible to not feel guilty when you have to be honest with her. I want to tell Brittany that her stupid cat isn't a vampire; it's just a rotten mean old fleabag, but she's my friend, and I don't know the whole story. Maybe Quinnie was pestering the overgrown cat, maybe Quinnie tried to attack Tubbington first, though I highly doubt it. The point is – We'll never know. So, I find it best to keep my mouth shut and be grateful that Brittany insists on paying for the vet bills. I can't be mad at her, how can I when she feels so bad that she's come over here, own her own accord, to check up on us, so soon, and apologize again.

Quinn was already sleeping when she came by, much to Brittany's dismay. She had hoped to speak with my girlfriend and give her the bacon cupcakes she invented and a "big-Britt hug." Luckily, Quinn was spared having to eat one of the vomit-worthy cupcakes, in front of Britt – that wouldn't have made any of them feel any better.

Looking down at Quinn nuzzling my chest, I remember that Brittany still thinks my girlfriend is a real superhero. I remember that sometime, sooner than later, we will have to tell her the truth. I lift my head and see that my innocent friend has caught me admiring my sleeping Quinnie and has the sweetest smile on her face.

"I'm really happy for you, Rachy," she says, cradling the slumbering pup. "You really don't know how to give up and I think that's amazing…You and Quinn are like a superhero duo; together you two can do anything." She gracefully leans over and half hugs me, so she doesn't wake the Quinnies. She gently sets Jr. down and tries to kiss her head, but can't because she keeps hitting her face against the cone around Jr's neck.

I stifle a giggle and smile when she gives up and just softly pets the puppy's nose. She then turns to me and says, "Well, I better get going before the sun goes down and Lord Tubbington sucks Sanny's blood."

I nod and wave goodbye to her as she quickly rushes out the front door. I'm left with Brittany's words echoing in my head. Not the words about Tubbington being a vampire, that's ludicrous! I'm left wondering how devastated she will be when she finds out that Quinn's lack of super powers won't change, not even when she loses her virginity.

"Rach?"

I'm momentarily startled by Quinn's raspy voice, unaware that she's finally awake.

"Where's Jr?" She asks, suddenly very alert, as she pulls away from me and stops as soon as she sees the pup in a deep sleep, right beside us. I hear a sigh of relief push past her lips and her body relaxes, before she carefully picks Jr. up and motions for us to move up to her room.

Once inside, she places our puppy in her oversized pet bed and tucks her in. It's the first time that Jr. has drifted off without someone patting her to sleep. Nevertheless, Quinn pats her bottom a few times and sighs, knowing that the painkillers the vet gave her is what is making the pup so quiet, so out of reach.

It warms my heart the way she cares so much for Jr. It didn't surprise me that she took the accident so hard. Don't get me wrong, I care about Quinnie Jr. just as much; I just know that Quinn is a lot more sensitive than I am and it's harder for her to cover them up, at least when she cares so openly about something.

"How are you feeling?" I ask Quinn, kissing her cheek and tense jaw, as she watches Jr. sleep.

Her blurry eyes shift to focus on me and I know, instantly, before they even fall, so I catch the tears as soon as they slide down her cheekbones.

"Oh, Quinn…" I say, letting her fall back into me, as she tries to calm herself. "Baby, it's going to be okay. I promise," I assure; because it will be okay. If there's any permanent damage, we'll get through it together.

"I know," I hear her mumble against my neck; and I know that she's just tired and overwhelmed and needs a good night's rest; the short nap on the couch didn't soothe her worried mind.

I kiss the top of her head and the image of Quinn and her father sharing an embrace flashes behind my closed eyes. The way Quinn's body clung to him as soon as he rounded the corner and entered the lobby. The way Russell's face seemed to crumple when he felt Quinn's harsh sob hit his shoulder. It was a moment that seemed so out of place, considering the fact that I've never seen Russell show so much emotion at once. I walked away with the others, wondering if I should call my fathers back and ask one of them to come by, after all; but decided against it. I could do without being consoled. My main concern was if Russell's way of comforting his daughter was going to go over well. Much to my surprise, it did. When the surgery was done and the forums were filled out, the three of us left with lighter hearts and with Quinn cradling a passed out Jr. in her arms.

Since then I know Quinn's heart has regained its heaviness; I can feel it pound steady, but tired in her chest. Her body sags and I wonder what else she's carrying on her shoulders.

"Come on, baby," I say, lifting us up and directing our bodies to her bed. I let her lay down first, as I grab one of her large pajama shirts. She watches from the bed, but quickly looks away when I start to undress. I'm not offended, though; I know she's still ridiculously shy, even if it was just last night when she was fondling my bare breasts. I leave on my red underwear and put on the shirt I picked out, then slide into bed. She smiles when she sees that I have selected one of her many Superman tees and I kiss her curved lips, realizing just how much I've missed her smirks, in these past six hours.

"Nice shirt," she says, in her cute sleepy voice, and wraps me in her long arms.

Humming, I kiss her lips, again, "Now, your turn…"

She pulls back, a little, and makes a nervous sound. "What do you mean?"

I softly laugh and push some hair out of her eyes. "You're not going to wear jeans and a hoodie to bed, are you?"

She looks down at her clothes and pouts. "Oh yeah…Um, give me a sec."

Quickly getting out of bed, she rushes to her drawers and pulls out some pajama shorts and a tank top. She gives me a small nervous smile then makes room in her closet, before stepping inside. I laugh out louder than I intended, causing her to stop before sliding the door completely shut.

Sticking her head out, she asks "What's so funny?"

"Why are you trying to hide in the closet?" I counter, motioning for her to come back out. She shrugs in response, as she steps away from her hiding spot and walks toward me. "Quinn…You played with my boobs; I think we're past being shy around each other," I continue with a smirk.

She blushes at the memory of last night's fondling and allows me to pull her back down into bed, with her pajamas in her nervous hands.

"That was your body, though," she replies, avoiding eye contact, as she stares at the ceiling. I can tell it's her insecurity that is making her shy away from me. It reminds me that even though she's fairly confident at school, brushing bullies and insults off her shoulders like nothing, but it doesn't mean that she isn't afraid to be completely…Well, naked with me.

"You have a beautiful body, Quinn." She scoffs and sits up; I keep her from getting off the bed, by touching her forearm. "I mean it." The blonde doesn't seem convinced as she continues pulling away until she's sitting on the edge of the bed, her back to me and her abandoned pajamas. I move forward and rest my body against her; my lips kiss her golden mane and the nape of her neck. "Did you forget that I've already seen your most intimate place?" I whisper and smile when she shudders. "I saw your private and I am still here, Quinn. I'm not going to run away because of it. I'm not going to make fun of you because of it. How can I? It's impossible when I find myself becoming turned on at the mere thought of it. I love it, Quinn; and not just because it's quite the eyeful, but because it's part of you and I love you, Quinn…All of you." By the time I'm done talking, she's let me wrap my arms around her and she's leaning her head back far enough to kiss the side of my head.

"Really?" She asks, while dreamily staring at me, as much as she can, with her neck straining backward.

I catch her jaw with my lips and tug on her blue Justice League hoodie.

"Yes, really; now please change out of your normal clothes, Super Geek," I say shoving her pajamas back in her hands.

She stands and backs up enough to let me see her whole body. An appreciative smile spreads across my face; and it only gets bigger when Quinn starts playful winding her hips around and trying to imitate strip club music, while slowly slipping out of her hoodie...

/END CHAPTER\\

**Next is sectionals.