love like fools ➙ glee

forty-eight ; hey, stephen.

author's note: hi, guys! just a heads up, we're skipping 3x03 (asian f) and going straight into 3x04 (pot o' gold). i couldn't really figure out how to fit alicia into it enough to justify an entire 4k+ chapter. any important events will be noted. <3 

. . . 

"I'm going to get Beth back."

Alicia startled, slowly glancing up from her plastic container filled with cold pasta. 

Maybe that should be explained. She didn't have the time to eat breakfast this morning due to oversleeping, and while Arabella insisted that Alicia needed to eat breakfast everyday, they had just run out of cereal. So Arabella had shoved a container of leftover, sauce-less spaghetti at Alicia in her haste to get out of the door this morning. 

Due to Quinn's alarming ability to speed, they'd arrived to school fifteen minutes early, and Alicia was halfheartedly stabbing her pasta with a spork found in the trunk of Quinn's car. Now here they were, sitting together outside of McKinley, while Quinn apparently decided to drop a bomb on her.

"Beth? Like, the baby?"

Quinn shot Alicia an impatient look. Alicia was accustomed enough to Quinn Fabray to not feel offended. "Obviously. Look, Shelby is an unfit mother. She's rude and patronizing, and she refuses to accept the fact that she isn't Beth's mom. I'm her mom."

Alicia hesitated, forgotten noodles twirled around the spork. "But Shelby adopted Beth. She's been taking care of her for almost two years already."

Quinn narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms. "So what? A year and a half is nothing. I bet Beth doesn't even like her. Look, I got Puck to convince Shelby to let us babysit later this week. I'm going to plant a bunch of evidence to prove she's an unfit mother, call CPS, and then get my daughter back."

Slowly, Alicia lowered her container. Dozens of students passed them, but right now, it felt like only the two of them. "Shelby adopted her," she repeated, softer.

"Jesus, you're like a broken record. I realize that, but it doesn't change anything. I never should've given Beth up for adoption. That's where everything in my life went wrong, don't you see it?"

Alicia paused. "Not really."

It was obvious that Quinn was getting angrier. She rose from sitting next to Alicia on the stairs, instead opting to glower down at her. "This is ridiculous. I thought you'd be more supportive. Even I supported you when you went running back to the New Directions. And Finn Hudson." Alicia flinched, but Quinn wasn't finished. "I've supported you through everything, I thought you'd do the same for me."

"I do support you. Your happiness, at least. But Quinn, I don't think this is really going to make you happy."

The look of betrayal on Quinn's expression felt like a blow to Alicia's chest. She'd never intended to hurt Quinn, but she couldn't bring herself to be dishonest with the other girl. There was a sinking sensation associated with Quinn's declaration, and Alicia couldn't repress it.

After a moment, Quinn snatched her bag from the steps, slinging it over her shoulder in a swift movement. "Forget it. You're clearly too busy obsessing over leading Finn on to bother to consider anything I'm saying."

Alicia paled. "I'm not leading Finn on."

"That isn't what it looks like." Before Alicia couldn't even begin to formulate a response, Quinn had already stormed inside of the school. Alicia stared after her, trying to process the sudden despair budding in her gut; both over Quinn's new plan and her parting accusation.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Alicia whirled around, nearly tipping her container of pasta off her lap. There stood Kurt Hummel, hands primly folded behind his back as he offered her a quizzical look. His gaze briefly flickered down to her pasta, and he squinted, not bothering to hide his judgment. But that was fine; she'd expected as much.