Adalynn couldn't be more relieved when the doctor's told them that Quinn was alive. She had really thought she lost her for a second, and she didn't even want to think about what she would have done to herself to cope.
Quinn thought it strange the way her girlfriend was excited and insisted on wheeling her around everywhere, but she had to admit that it was a sweet gesture from her girl.
My sweet girl.
Down the hall, Bailey was walking with Finn and Rachel. The diva held Maya close to her as the oldest twin played with her brunette locks.
"So, how come the twins always come to school with you?" Rachel asked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. They definitely make the day more interesting."
"Sue pulled some stings last year so that they could come so they wouldn't have to be away from me while I'm at school all day. And Julian's been working so he can pay for all their needs, but he takes them some days when he can work around his work schedule," Bailey explained. "So, do you think if Quinn hadn't gotten into that car crash that you guys still would have gone through with the wedding?"
"Yeah, totally," said Finn. "But I'm kinda glad we're waiting. Now it doesn't have to be a justice of the peace quickie."
Rachel passed Maya off to her mom as they approached her locker.
"Mama," the baby cooed, placing her hands on Bailey's face.
"Hi, sweet Maya," Bailey smiled, kissing her daughter's nose.
"Seet? I seet?"
"Very sweet," the young mother said, kissing Maya's cheek.
"I was thinking since nationals are in Chicago this year, we should have the wedding someplace special, like on the pitcher's mound of Wrigley Field," said Finn. "Or someplace else," he said when he saw the look on Rachel's face.
"It's not that," the diva said. "It's Quinn. I can't stop thinking about her. She's–"
"Lulu!" Maya exclaimed. "Lulu ter! An Ada!"
"What's up bitches?" Adalynn greeted as she pushed Quinn's wheelchair up to the trio.
"Itches!"
"Adalynn," Bailey warned, shaking her finger. "Not in front of the baby."
"Where's your other half?" Finn asked.
"Ava's with Britt and San," said Adalynn. "It's technically their bonding time with her. I'm already planning on committing a felony to get her back."
"Ada, no," said Bailey.
"Ada, yes," the brunette scoffed, crossing her arms. "No body, no crime. Ava's practically my daughter now too, and I know she'd rather be with me than Brittana."
"Hi, Quinn," Rachel smiled. "We missed you so much."
"Don't," Quinn shook her head. "Don't. I could have easily become one of those creepy memorial pages in the yearbook, but by the grace of God, I'm here. Believe it or not, this is the happiest day of my life."
"Lulu appy?" Maya asked, looking up at Bailey and smiling as her mom nodded.
"Come on, Artie," Quinn said, turning to the brunette boy as he wheeled up to them. "I'll race you to the choir room."
"Wait, what about me?" Adalynn asked, calling after Quinn as she rolled down the hall with Artie. "Quinn!"
****
"Here's a lesson for your board, Mr. Schue," Quinn said after she and Artie finished singing I'm Still Standing. "Don't text and drive. Ever. It's the stupidest thing I've ever done... besides sleeping with Puck."
Adalynn smirked as she leaned down and whispered something in Ava's ear about Noah Puckerman, and the baby giggled.
"Uck ta fak," Ava laughed, clapping her hands together.
"Quit teaching my kids curse words," Bailey pouted as she leaned into Brittany.
"Quit telling them lies about me," Puck scoffed.
"No," Adalynn said before whispering something else to Ava about the womanizer.
"There's a lot of rumors floating around, so let's clear the air," said Quinn. "First of all, all my plumbing still works, which is awesome–"
"Get it, Adalynn," Puck smirked.
"Shut it, Puckerman!" Adalynn snapped.
"Don't talk about my sister like that," Kurt said as he glared at the mohawk boy, not at all in love with the fact that his little sister was sexually active.
"Hut it, uck," Ava said, scrunching her brows at Puck.
"–But my spine was severely compressed in the car accident, which basically means I can't move my feet or legs," Quinn continued, trying to bring the focus off of Puck's comment on her and Adalynn's sex life. "But, the good thing is that I'm starting to regain feeling, so with a lot of physical therapy, and your prayers, I stand a good chance at a full recovery. So no tears. That means you, Tina and Maya."
"Lulu," Maya sniffled, pouting as she leaned into Tina's chest.
"Oh, and I apologize for the number. My dance moves aren't as smooth as Artie's yet," Quinn said, sending the younger boy a smile.
"With practice, they will be," Artie chuckled.
The blonde was quiet for a moment before looking at her fellow Glee Clubbers and saying, "I promise that by the time we go to nationals, I'll be out of this chair and dancing on that stage."
Everyone clapped and stood up to go hug Quinn. Out of the corner of her eye, Bailey noticed the disappointed look on Artie's face and sent him a sympathetic smile.
****
The New Directions gathered in the back of the library for a secret meeting that Puck had called. Bailey sat next to Tina, and Adalynn sat on the floor in front of Quinn with her head resting on her legs as the older girl played with her long brunette locks.
"We all know why we're here and the twins aren't," Puck began. "I've waited five years for this, so I asked Bailey to leave the littles at home because this is serious business."
"I miss Ava," Adalynn pouted, turning to hide her face in Quinn's legs as she hugged them.
"You'll see her soon, but this is more important," said Puck. "I want ideas for senior ditch day. Go."
"Oh! A Gershwin-Sondheim scavenger hunt," Kurt suggested.
"That sounds like touture," Santana scoffed. "Adalynn, tell your brother we want real ideas."
"Tell him yourself," Adalynn sassed as she turned to lay her head on Quinn's legs again, relaxing as the older girl resumed playing with her hair.
"Footloose movie marathon," Mike eagerly said.
"We could go to a concert," Bailey shrugged. "Or a museum."
"What about a nonalcoholic pub crawl?" Mercedes suggested.
"It's senior ditch day," Puck rolled his eyes. "Not senior citizens ditch day."
"It's springtime. I would like to see something give birth," said Brittany. "Especially since we were all at prom when Bailey did."
"Believe me, you wouldn't have wanted to be in that room," Bailey said, shaking her head.
"Quinn, I'm so sorry," Rachel spoke up.
"You better be," Adalynn scoffed, crossing her arms. "It's all your fault."
"Addie, be nice," Quinn whispered.
"No."
"Adalynn has a point, actually," said Rachel. "It was my wedding that you were going to when you got into your car crash, and you were answering my text message, and now we're all sitting here, and we're talking about this day that's supposed to be the most amazing and unforgettable day of our high school lives, and we're– we're completely ignoring the fact that she's sitting in that chair? It's not right. It's not right, and it shouldn't be like this."
"And here she goes with the waterworks," Adalynn grumbled, rolling her eyes as Rachel fought back tears.
"Artie's in a chair, and you ignore him all the time," said Bailey.
"This is the way it is," Quinn shrugged. "My accident, which Rachel did not cause by the way, Adalynn," she said, nudging her girlfriend with her knee, "does not define me or ruin our senior year. I meant what I said in the choir room."
"And I meant what I said when I told my dad I wanted a dog, but did he listen?" Adalynn mumbled as she twisted the ring on her finger.
"I'm not gonna dwell on this, and neither should any of you," Quinn continued. "Come here."
The blonde motioned for Rachel to come over and give her a hug. The diva sniffled and walked over, bending down to hug the girl in the wheelchair.
"Now, we are ditching as planned," Quinn said as they pulled away. "I think we should go to Six Flags."
Everyone gasped and exchanged excited looks, nodding in agreement at Quinn's suggestion.
"The Lady Fabray has chosen wisely," said Puck. "Six Flags it is. Meeting adjourned."
****
Adalynn was outside with Bailey and Artie to cheer on Quinn as she took on the steepest ramp at William McKinley. The songwriter gave the actress a Hershey's Kiss as they leaned over the railing.
"Ready?" Artie asked as he sat at the top of the ramp.
"I don't know," Quinn said, looking up at the ramp with wide eyes. "It's super steep."
"In fact, it's the steepest accessibility ramp in Lima," the brunette boy said. "I know. I've conquered them all."
"I think I'm just gonna go to the front of the school–"
"Lucy Quinn Fabray!" Adalynn called as her girlfriend tried to roll away. The blonde turned to look at her, hazel eyes laced with fear. "I believe in you. You can do it."
"I'm not gonna make it," Quinn groaned as she positioned herself at the bottom of the ramp.
"You will!"
"You can do this!"
"Do it for me!"
As her friends and girlfriend encouraged her, Quinn pushed with all her might as she rolled up the ramp.
"I'm... not... gonna–" the blonde grunted. "My... arms–"
"Are like iron!" Artie interrupted. "You can do it."
"We believe in you, Quinn," Bailey encouraged.
"Lean forward and push," Adalynn said as Quinn stifled a laugh. "Luce, push!"
"Don't make me laugh!" Quinn chuckled.
"Come on, you're halfway there," Bailey cheered, clapping her hands two times.
"You've got this!" Artie smiled.
"Push!" Adalynn said again. "Quinn, push!"
"That sounds familiar," the older girl chuckled.
"It's just like having a baby," the brunette shrugged.
"You wouldn't know!" Quinn laughed.
"Three, two," the juniors counted as the senior neared the top. "One, zero!"
Bailey, Artie, and Adalynn clapped as Quinn came to a stop at the top of the ramp. Adalynn high-fived her girlfriend before taking the handles of her wheelchair as Bailey took Artie's and the four friends headed inside.
"That was honestly one of the hardest things I've ever done," Quinn said as they went down the hallway.
"Until you go to Six Flags," Artie pointed out. "Look, I'm not trying to be a buzz kill, but going to an amusement park when you're in a wheelchair, especially if you're still getting used to it, can kind of be a drag."
"Artie, it's senior ditch day," the older girl said as Bailey and Adalynn stopped pushing their wheelchairs so they could face one another. "It's the only senior ditch day I'm ever going to have."
"I completely agree, which is why I want you and Adalynn to come with me and Bailey on Friday. I promise you, it will be the most amazing, incredible, and inspiring ditch day ever."
****
****
Adalynn sat curled up in Quinn's lap on the bus ride home, tired from the day at the skatepark. Her arms were wrapped around the older girl's waist as her head rested on her shoulder. Her ankles were sore from roller skating for several hours straight – which was one of the only straight things she's ever done in her entire life.
Quinn protectively held her girlfriend close to her, tightening her hold for a moment or two whenever they hit a bump in the road. She lightly trailed her fingers up and down Adalynn's back, smiling softly as the younger girl relaxed and cuddled closer to her.
Before getting to know her, Quinn never would have pegged Adalynn as a cuddler. It didn't take her more than ten minutes into their first real conversation to realize that the brunette was a huge softie, which made Quinn fall for her even more.
On the opposite side of the bus, Bailey and Artie sat together, talking quietly so they didn't disturb their sleepy friend.
"I had a lot of fun today, Artie," Bailey said, sending her friend a smile. "I'm glad you suggested this."
"You're not bummed about not going to Six Flags with the others?" Artie asked, accepting a watermelon Jolly Rancher from the blonde. "That would have been more fun."
"I'll go next year," Bailey shrugged. "Besides, this was the most fun I've had in a while, and I loved getting to spend the extra time with you guys."
The bus came to a stop, and Quinn spotted Julian and Brittany with the twins. She gently nudged Adalynn to wake her up, but the brunette was out cold, soft snores escaping her lips.
"What did you do to my baby cousin?" Julian asked once they were off the bus.
"Ada," Ava said, patting her head. "Ada wakey."
"Ava, sweetie, let her sleep," Bailey said as she took her from Julian. "Ada's tired. It was a long day."
"Ada sleep?" the younger twin asked.
"Yes, so be respectful, okay?"
"No."
"I wonder who taught her that word," Brittany chuckled as she bounced Maya on her hip.
"No me," Maya said, holding up her hands in surrender. "Me goob."
"Alright, come here, sleepy head," Julian said as he carefully picked Adalynn up.
The younger girl whined in disapproval, but relaxed when she smelled the familiar scent of Julian's ocean breeze body wash.
"Youafuckingidiot," Adalynn murmured, turning her head into his chest.
"I know," Julian chuckled. "Let's get you home, Little Adalynn."
****
Adalynn made a soft groaning noise as she woke up, the mid-morning sun peeking through her usually closed curtains.
"Who turned on the sun?" she groaned as her eyes opened completely. She yawned, and furrowed her brows when she saw her brother crouching down on the floor in front of her bed holding up a small stuffed dog.
"Hello," Kurt said in a dorky voice. "I'm Margaret Thatcher Dog. My relationship with the queen was ruff!"
"You're such an idiot," Adalynn laughed as she sat up.
"Look what Finn won you playing Skee-Ball," the older boy said as he sat down next to his sister and handed the toy to her. "I know it's not a real dog, but at least it looks like one?"
"Thanks, Kurtie," the younger girl said as she took the stuffed animal from her brother. She yawned again and ran a hand through her hair.
"How are you doing?" Kurt asked. "I know these last couple months have been hard, and Quinn's car crash made things harder."
"I think I'm okay right now. My counseling sessions with Ms. Pillsbury have definitely helped." She paused for a moment and sighed. "I'm sorry for putting you through all this again."
"You have nothing to apologize for, Adalynn," Kurt reassured. "Don't even dare think for a minute that you're burdening anyone with this. That'll just make it worse. You're gonna be okay, and we're all here to make sure that you are."
"You sure I'm not–"
"Adalynn Emilia Hummel, don't even finish that sentence. None of this is your fault."
"I don't know, I guess I just... feel guilty? I guess? I know things got really bad last time."
"They did," Kurt nodded. "But we're not gonna let it happen again, okay?"
"Okay," Adalynn said, taking a deep breath to calm her growing anxiety over how her actions have affected her family. "So, how was Six Flags?"
"Loud," the older boy said, smiling when his sister did the same. "I love it when I get you to smile without even trying. I like it when you smile. It reassures me that you still have some light in you."
"It's there. It's just hidden under a layer of black clothing and my resting bitch face."
Kurt chuckled and pulled Adalynn into a hug. "You're growing up too fast," he pouted. "Stop it."
"No."
"Do you know any other words?"
"Yeah, but you wouldn't like them."
"Adalynn Emilia!"
"What, you asked!" Adalynn laughed as she stood up and went to get an outfit for the day from her closet.
"I shouldn't have," Kurt mumbled, shaking his head.
"Yeah, you made a mistake."