Warning: Don't read if you are sensitive to rape, there's nothing graphic, but it is implied.
Reviews and constructive comments are welcome and appreciated. I don't own any part of Glee.
This is eventual Faberry, given the premise I hope everyone knows that it won't happen overnight.
I would love to know what you think about it so far, and if I should post more, or if it's too sad to continue.
Thank you to anyone who gives it a chance.
Prologue
It was pretty much like every other party that Noah Puckerman had ever thrown, with the addition of Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Tina and Rachel Berry. It had started with Finn. He told Puck that they should start including the Glee club in their activities. Sam had agreed and Quinn had said she thought it would be cool if they invited Mercedes, but no one else. Santana had turned down inviting any of them until Brittany had threatened not to come without Artie, at which point she had caved on 'Wheels'.
Mike had said he had already planned on bringing Tina, and had pointed out that if they invited Mercedes then they were definitely getting Kurt. None of them had counted on Kurt and Mercedes inviting Rachel Berry.
Santana had rolled her eyes when the trio had walked in the door as the party was already hitting it's stride. "Who invited Stubbles?" She asked from Quinn's side.
"Be nice, Santana. She's already here. And she's part of the club too."
"Well, if you haven't noticed, Frankenteen, this isn't a Glee party. There are other people here, we might have some sort of truce with them, but that doesn't mean that everyone here is going to be nice to them."
"Are you concerned, Santana?"
"Fuck you, Fabray. I could give a shit about them." Santana hated the way Quinn quirked that fucking eyebrow at her. "Whatever, just keep the dwarf away from the alcohol." With that she huffed off in search of Brittany.
"Berry looks kinda hot." Quinn and Finn both looked over and scowled at Puck.
Rachel felt a little bit out of place, both walking into Noah Puckerman's house and in the outfit that Kurt had insisted she wear. "Sup, My hot Jew?" Rachel blushed as Puck threw his arm around her shoulders. She had no idea why, but she always loved the way he seemed to swallow her up.
"Hello, Noah." She smiles up at him and wills her eyes not to look for Finn.
"Come on, I'm gonna get you all liquored up so we can make out."
"I am not going to make out with you, Noah."
"Come on it'll be fun and it'll make Finn jealous."
"I'm over Finn, Noah."
Noah shrugs and doesn't let go of Rachel as he leads her further into his living room. "It'll still make him jealous."
A few hours later, Puck had succeeded in his quest to get Rachel drunk and the girl was looking for him to save her from the leering glares of some of the football players, when she felt someone grab her by the arm and shove her in a closet. There was a familiar snicker and then she heard the door lock. Rachel pounded on the door angrily, but it was useless against the noise of the party. After about ten more minutes of yelling and pounding she sighed and made herself comfortable...
"Where's Man Hands?" Quinn looked suspiciously around for Puck.
Sam spoke up from his spot next to her on the couch. "I think someone said she went home." He handed Quinn a beer, but the cheerleader refused and looked around the room. Kurt was dancing with Mercedes, Brittany was in the corner making out with Artie, Asian Fusion had left an hour ago and finally her eyes spotted Puck and Santana arguing in the corner.
"Where's Finn?"
"Over there." Sam pointed, "It's not like the dude's hard to miss." Quinn shrugged, satisfied that Puck wasn't defiling the girl and leaned her head on her boyfriends shoulder, wondering slightly why she cared.
The party finally began to die down by two and by three the only people left were a few members of the Glee club and a few other kids who had passed out around Puck's living room and kitchen. Quinn was helping the boy go around the room and kick at all of them until they got up and made their way to the door. She was giving the kitchen a final sweep when she heard it. A small sobbing sound coming from the closet off of the kitchen.
Quinn slowly rounded the corner and unlocked the door, freezing in horror at what she found. Clothing was laying around her and her bra was hanging only by a strap on her shoulder as she scrambled to cover herself with her hands. Quinn spotted bruising on her neck and around her thighs and her eyes were bloodshot from crying. The blonde was in shock for a full minute until, for the first time since they had started kindergarten, Rachel Berry lowered her eyes in shame.
That simple action crashed into Quinn's stomach so hard she thought she was going to be sick, but when she turned away Rachel whimpered. "Please."
"I'm going to get help, Rachel."
When she pulled the door closed again, Rachel sucked in a breath of panic at the loss of light, "Don't go." Her voice was hoarse and Quinn's heart broke, she had never heard Rachel sound as small as she did right now.
"I'm going to get something to cover you up, Rachel. I promise I won't be gone long." The girl cried, but nodded and Quinn raced out to the living room. When she got to the living room she called out Sam's name and when he saw how hysterical she was, he dropped the cheerio he had been helping to the door and rushed to her side. "Quinn what happened?"
Puck saw the commotion and headed over to the pair as did Kurt and Mercedes, who had been helping Puck pick up some of the empties. Quinn was breathing heavily, trying to keep her tears at bay. "I need a blanket and someone needs to call the police."
"What the hell?" Puck asked as Sam went to grab a blanket.
"It's Rachel."
"I thought she left."
"She's in your kitchen closet. I think something bad happened to her." And before she could stop him, Puck raced into his kitchen.
"Berry?" Quinn rounded the doorway to see his face and hear Rachel's sob of shame as the pain of both shot through the kitchen. She heard Rachel whimper when he reached out for her and then Puck met her eyes for a split second and he ran for the sink. When his stomach was empty he reached for the phone and Quinn approached the closet again.
"I got sick, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Rachel."
"Well don't come in here!" Rachel's voice was over hysterical. "I don't want you to get it on your shoes!"
"I'll buy new ones." Quinn took tentative steps toward the small singer, tears threatening at the sight of Rachel trembling harder the closer the blonde got to her. It was only when Quinn had succeeded in getting the blanket wrapped around her that Rachel finally broke down and clung to Quinn as if her life was at stake.
Quinn tried numerous times to coax Rachel from the closet, to no avail, and the police found them there when they arrived. "She won't come out." Quinn whispered helplessly. She also wouldn't let anyone else in. Every time someone stepped into the closet to help Quinn get her out Rachel buried herself more firmly into the cheerleader's body and shook so badly that Quinn ordered everyone who tried to come in, right back out.
A few cops tried and Rachel pushed them further toward the back of the closet. After about ten minutes, and just as many freak outs, they heard a soft voice coming from the doorway. "Hey girls. I'm Detective Olivia Benson. Olivia." Quinn was relieved that the woman didn't try to breach the doorway. "Now I promise I'm not going to come in there until you tell me it's okay." Quinn felt Rachel relax against her and turn her head to peer at the woman in the doorway. The detective noticed how small the girl was and bent her knees to give the girl the upper hand. "Can you tell me your name sweetie?" She kept the same soft tone in her voice as she made herself comfortable in her new stance.
"Rachel." She said when the woman didn't push her.
"How about your last name, honey."
"Berry."
Olivia scribbled on a notepad and Quinn saw her hand it to someone who was presumably standing behind the door. "Who's your friend, Rachel?"
Quinn bit back the automatic response to tell the detective that they weren't friends. Rachel said it cautiously for her, "We're not friends."
Quinn watched Olivia give her a small smile. "Sorry about that, Rachel. What's your name, honey?"
"Quinn Fabray." More scribbling. "Rachel, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Rachel hid her face back into Quinn and the blonde felt her start to shake again. "It's okay, Rachel. We don't have to talk about tonight until you say it's alright, Okay? I was just wondering how old you are."
"Sixteen."
"And what grade are you in, Rachel?"
"I'm a junior."
"And what school do you go to?"
"McKinley."
"My partner's daughter goes there. She's a freshman. She's in the Jazz Band. Do you play any instruments, Rachel?"
Quinn raised her eyebrow as Rachel's grip on her arm loosened a little bit and the girl regarded the detective cautiously. "The piano, the guitar, the flute and drums." Olivia looked a little bit impressed as she continued asking the tiny girl question after question, using her name every time she asked and continuing in that soothing voice.
Quinn couldn't help wonder if her legs were getting sore in her current stance, but any sudden movements tended to make Rachel retreat, so she held steady and continued talking to the girl. "Rachel, I know you don't want to talk about what happened, but do you think I can come in there and get you?" Rachel whimpered a little bit, but didn't cling to Quinn nearly as fiercely as she had before. "I promise, it's just us in the house now and I'm gonna take you into the living room. Quinn can come too, if you want."
Quinn watched the detective looking at Rachel with pain in her eyes and felt the girl tense again. She was glad the the detective made no move to stand, she didn't want her to lose all the ground she had gained in the last twenty minutes. It was only when Rachel nodded almost unnoticeably that she moved slowly to her feet.
The detective took a slow step in while Quinn guided Rachel in a slow step out. She didn't put her hands on Rachel right away, instead coming up on Quinn's side and placing a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze of encouragement as she finished leading Rachel into the living room. "Rachel, sweetie, I'm going to get you some water, okay and then we'll talk some more, are you okay with Quinn?" Rachel nods. "I'm going to bring my partner back with me, but he's not coming in here, he's gonna wait right over there in the doorway okay?"
Rachel nodded numbly by the cheerleader's side and Quinn tightened her hold around Rachel's shoulder. When the tall detective came back into the room carrying a bottle of water Rachel cried again because she knew that she had to talk about it. Quinn watched the detective work in wonder. Olivia doesn't rush Rachel at all. She hands over the water and starts with a simple question. "Were you drinking tonight, Rachel?"
"Yes." She whispered.
"Do you remember how much? Were you drunk?"
"Probably."
"Okay. Do you know how you ended up in the closet?" She asked the question gingerly and Rachel tightened her grip in Quinn's hand.
"Someone shoved me in there. I didn't see who."
"So it wasn't the same person who hurt you?"
"No, he came later."
"Do you know how much later?"
"No. I was in there for most of the party. The music was still loud."
"Did you see his face?"
"No." Rachel whispered. "It was dark and the light blinded me a little bit. Then the door closed."
"Rachel?" The detective started in a soothing voice. "What happened after the door closed?" Quinn watched Rachel's eyes widen in terror and close, and when she opened them she was crying again.
"He raped me." Rachel said quietly. "I was tired, and he was too big, and I couldn't get him off of me. I tried to say no, but he put his hand over my mouth and whispered that we had to be quiet. I tried to scream, but the music was too loud. I said no, I said no, I said no..." Quinn met the misery in the detective's eyes with her own and pulled the rocking girl impossibly closer to her.
"Rachel, I've got you. You're safe."
"Rachel, honey, I have an ambulance outside to take you to the hospital. We need to have you checked out and I have some officers going to talk to your parents."
Rachel was reduced to hysterics at the mention of her fathers. "Oh my God, what am I going to tell them? They're going to be so angry with me." Rachel covered her face with her hands.
"I'm sure that's not the case, Rachel." Quinn rubbed circles on the girl's back until her breathing relaxed a little.
"Are you going with me?" Rachel asked the detective.
"I have to stay here for a bit, but I'll meet you there."
"Will you go with me?" Rachel turned toward a surprised Quinn Fabray.
"Uh, yeah, anything you need, Rachel." Quinn stood nervously and followed the detective and Rachel out to the ambulance.
"Miss Fabray." Quinn turned at the sound of her name in the detective's lips, she was holding out a business card. "I should be right behind you, but if you need anything at all call me." Quinn nodded and thanked her and climbed into the ambulance, taking a seat next to Rachel who immediately found her hand and gripped it in nervous fear.
Rachel wouldn't let anyone touch her until Detective Benson walked into the exam room and walked her through every step of her exam. Quinn stood awkwardly in the hall with their friends and the Berry's, all waiting to see Rachel. When the exam was over the Berry men went into see their daughter and the tall woman walked toward Quinn. "I have some questions." Quinn nodded. "Whose party was it?"
"Noah Puckerman's."
Olivia nodded, scribbling on the ever present notepad. "Did Rachel come with anyone?"
"Some friends from Glee Club. Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones."
"Did you notice anyone at the party paying any special attention to her?"
"Just Puck, but he's always that way with Rachel."
"Do you know who locked her in that closet?"
"No. When I looked for her later, someone told me that she went home. Rachel isn't really one of our friends so I figured she was feeling awkward and I believed them."
"You were the one who found her?"
"I was helping Puck clear everyone out of the house. I was in the kitchen and I heard crying coming from the closet." Quinn's answers were almost numb. "I called for Puck and told him to call the police. He went in to see what happened and found Rachel. He got sick in the sink and called. I went to cover Rachel up and sit with her, but I couldn't get her to come out."
"You guys aren't friends?"
"Not really. We maintain a truce."
The detective took a hesitated breath, "Quinn..I...She's asking for you. For some reason you've made her feel safe. That's a big responsibility and you're just a kid, so if you can't handle that then I think you should go home. Rachel only needs strength around her right now."
"I'll keep her safe." Quinn whispered with quiet conviction.
"Use that number of you need anything, if you remember anything, or if you hear anything." Quinn nodded, eyes trained on the woman as she disappeared down the corridor...