Courage - Prologue

Disclaimer: Don't own glee, otherwise no one would have graduated and no new people. Nothing against them, just really miss season two, although the Pezberry roommates is the highlight of the fourth season.

Enjoy and Review :)

Without any warning, the white old rusty window frame she had been leaning over slammed shut. Her fingers barely made it inside before they could be crushed by the force of the old women. Rachel jumped back, her hand flying to calm down her heart beating rapidly and using the seconds - that the older lady used to grunt at the teenage onlookers outside and closed the curtains as fast as you can blink - to compose herself. So when the simmering lady turned around she was met with the smug looking, pint-sized diva she always put up with.

"You" she raised a shaking finger in Rachel's face "Stay away from the window" she ordered, her voice cracking from her old age. Her pink skin now turning red with anger and looked like a squashed tomato caught up in the middle of an erupted volcano. The sight was very amusing to Rachel.

Swinging back on her heels she entwined her fingers behind her back and asked "Does that include climbing out the window?"

"Yes" the women clarified, only hesitating for a second "No going near the window includes no climbing out of there either"

"But..." Rachel continued to sway back and forth "What if I jumped out the window?"

"It's the same thing, girl!" the bulky women exclaimed. Her patience was on a thin line now and if it wasn't for the kids around them, staring noticeably at them, she would have brought her stick up and down on Rachel's hand brutally without a doubt.

"So no going near the window, climbing out the window, or jumping out the window?" Rachel repeated. The aged women just nodded in irritation. Kids with their blockheaded behaviour nowadays.

"Good, now you can't say you warned me" Rachel stated before she drew herself backwards, turned around and ran for the door. It took a matter of seconds before the foster home owner caught on to what she was up to. Yes foster home. This was a foster home, which Rachel Berry, the smallest but most rebellious child in there, was trying to escape from. Again.

As the lady trotted quickly across the room to the door, the other children made a mass of exodus to occur as they ran to their own beds. When Ms Clark was angry. She could get violent. But the violence wasn't as bad as clobbering them, it was just a firm smack on the back of their hands. Like the olden days when your parents were children. But it mostly only happened to Rachel. Because Rachel didn't think before she did stuff. Hence the situation they were in now.

"None of you even think about moving from your beds!" Mrs Clark turned around and shouted at them. She shut the door behind her and then turned round to be met with the younger, sneakier, (but unknown to anyone but Rachel) meaner version of herself.

"Aw, Kendra, I have a favour to ask you" 'Thank god for Kendra' Ms Clark thought. She wasn't sure she could keep up with the young active legs. Luckily Kendra was around her twenties. So that wouldn't be much work for her.

"Rachel has gone again?" Kendra asked. Her hand on her hip as she stared at the older women "We should seriously think about getting that restraining order" she mumbled mostly to herself.

"I need you to go after her" Ms Clark told her. As she gave her all the possibilities of where she could be; Kendra faked an interested smile. When inside she was thinking 'Lazy old witch, that little brat has a lot to pay for'

"Oh, and the first place I would check is the back of the RockStone wall, she always hides there" Ms Clark advised. Kendra nodded "I'll make sure I'll return her" Just don't hold your breath if you want her back in one piece

"Puck! Get your lazy butt out of the bathroom you big d-hey mom" Santana's sentence changed when she saw her mother come up the stairs wearing a stern expression "You better not think about finishing that sentence" she warned.

"What?" Santana drawled "I was just going to call him a dog" she said turning back to the new wooden white door they had fitted for all of the upstairs rooms some weeks ago. She knocked on it again, this time harder "Hey Puck, mom is coming into your room and she's looking under your bed" she teased.

And like an actual dog having his food taken away; he pounced out of there like a cheetah and bolted to his room "Mom don't look under the-" he stopped when he realised she wasn't in there. And he was out in just his underwear shorts, half of his shave done with shaving cream on one half of his face and his toothbrush in his hands as he was in the middle of brushing his teeth.

He turned around and yelled at Santana who he could hear laughing in the bathroom "You b-Hey dad!"

His father was reading his daily newspaper, walking into his room with a cup of coffee. He looked up at his son just in his underwear, half his shaving done and toothpaste still on his teeth, he shook his head; he really didn't want to know, and looked back down to his newspaper and started to read it again. Wondering how they got such weird kids. He was a straight A star student in school and so was their mother, he wondered if Santana and Puck had just knocked their head when they were younger, especially Puck.

Hearing footsteps coming towards the door, Santana sighed "What do you want Puck?"

"It's not Puck" the feminine voice replied.

"What do you want mom-I mean yes mother?" she quickly corrected herself. There was a party at Quinn's house this weekend and she couldn't risk getting grounded and not being able to go to it. She flicked through a magazine while brushing her teeth as she waited for a reply.

"I want you to get dressed quick today, we're going out" her mother stated. Santana just gave a "Uh huh" and she continued to read about the latest celebs and their diamond-in-the-rough lives.

"Am I coming?" Puck asked coming forward. His mother looked up at him and scrunched her face up "As soon as you have a shower and put some clothes on, and make sure you get that shave finished or you'll look like a complete buffoon"

Puck frowned but then couldn't help but smile and add "I'm sure it's pronounced buffalo"

Santana nearly choked on her mouthwash. Her brother was gullible, but he never stopped to amuse her.

"Just go get dressed Puck" Maria ordered knowing this would be another endless conversation. She really couldn't deal with it all today. She just needed her kids out and ready.

Santana finished off in the bathroom, made some quirky jokes at Puck until her mother shooed her away from him, got dressed into black skinny jeans, blue shirt and converse. Her brother dressed in something similar. Had breakfast, which resulted in Puck having to change again from pouring milk down his top, claiming to have 'missed the plate' and then they were ready. A good hour later.

"You kids are going to be the end of me" Maria muttered under her breath.

"I'm pretty sure we are" Puck commented, kicking into his shoes he had only brought yesterday. Santana nudged him and then they followed their mother out. Their father was already in the car, he opted to that as soon as breakfast started, so starting the engine they were off. To where? They had an idea.

To see their brother.

Kendra found Rachel lurking around the RockStone walls like Ms Clark had said. She smiled in victory and started to walk towards the petite girl who wasn't aware of her presence yet. She stood behind her and waited for Rachel to turn around. When it didn't seem like Rachel was going to stop kicking the trash cans anytime soon she cleared her throat.

The smaller girl didn't even acknowledge it.

"Come on Rae, don't make this harder then it has to be" Kendra chimed.

"Go away" Rachel mumbled kicking the trashcan harder.

"No can do" Kendra stated taking another step forward "You have to come back sometime, you have no where else to go remember?"

"Shut the hell up!" Rachel yelled spinning around and throwing her hands up. Clearly not happy with this confrontation or whatever it was. She kicked the trash can again and this time it made a dent. Kendra tried not to flinch when Rachel kicked it once more and it went flying.

"Leave me alone!" Rachel growled.

"You need to come back Rachel, or we can call the police and they will do it" she threatened.

"Oh yeah? How are you going to do that with no phone?" Rachel challenged.

"You stole my phone?" Kendra questioned in disbelief. God all this alienated behaviour was reminding her of her younger days. She shook her head, trying to get rid of that thought and said "Last chance, come with me now or we can do this another way, a harder way" she blackmailed.

Rachel glared back at her. The wall just behind her seemed much more better then going back there. Finally she took in a deep breath and shook her head "No" she declared.

"Well" Kendra shrugged "Don't say I didn't warn you, police she's over here!"

And like that a herd of officers were quickly advancing on her. She took a step back, and kept taking steps back until she felt her back collide with the RockStone wall. She started to breath heavily. Until something in her mind just told her to run.

"Get her!" Kendra yelled in annoyance when Rachel managed to dodge away from them and run away from them all. The officers commenced and chased her like a cat chased a mouse. They were on to her. The troubled teenager knew it.

The roads became a blur in your vision when you were running so fast. Rachel could barely catch her breath now but she knew she couldn't stop and get caught. If she got arrested that wouldn't be good. But how did Kendra get them officers there so fast? Rachel was sure she took her phone and hid it somewhere she knew Kendra would never find it.

She didn't have much time to think about it because her legs were starting to feel enfeebled and wobbling. She nearly tripped over and she knew by the echoed voices they were coming nearer. Her jacket flew up in the wind. The officers were so close behind her. But suddenly she felt herself move onto something that didn't feel like the pavement anymore. It felt more bumpy. And she didn't hear the officers behind her anymore.

Well she did, but now they were yelling "Watch out!"

And suddenly, something heavy thudded into her which caused her to be knocked backwards. The force of the hit making her entire body fly off the ground and then suddenly she was back on the ground again. But now she was lying there.

"Oh my god! I didn't see her there, I swear, she just came out of nowhere" she heard a panicked women's voice above her. Then it was followed by an officer saying he knew it wasn't her fault. She was fighting to keep her eyes open, but all she could see was blurred faces, and feel pain.

"Come on stay with me" Suddenly one of the officers started to hold her. She guessed logically she had been hit by a car. And she was on the road now. Oh god, the pain was so much worse then getting arrested.

"No! No! Don't close your eyes!" the lady almost pleaded "Keep them open, the ambulance is on the way"

"Oh good" Rachel sighed. At least they weren't going to let her die. Wait-where was Kendra? She hadn't heard her voice for a while. It was unlike her to miss out a moment where she could feel the most powerful.

"Who are you?" the distressed voice asked stroking her hair. The police officers were blocking off the roads now while getting the crowed of onlookers to move away. She used this time to distract the girl from fighting unconsciousness "Rachel Berry" Rachel responded.

"Rachel, where are your parents?" the women questioned.

"They're dead" Rachel answered.

"Mom why are we here?" Santana asked from behind her mother. She was holding some red and yellow flowers and was standing in the middle of the dejected graveyard. It always creeped her out to be here, and her brother changed when he was here too.

"Mom-"

"Not now Puck" Maria snapped holding up her hand "San, pass me the flowers" she ordered.

Santana slowly stepped forward and passed her mother the wanted item. She stepped back afterwards and dared a look at her father who looked emotionless, but inside she knew he was still hurting.

Her mother bent down onto her knees and placed the flowers just in front of the gravestone. She brushed her hands ghostly over it before she sucked up a breath to stop the tears threatening to fall. They all just stared down at it, Santana felt numb. Puck felt sick but still showed signs of anguish. Their father just stared. His book and glasses hanging from his hands.

Maria sniffled and just nodded. She was growing to accept the past. Her guilty past that they couldn't have done anything about. If they could have they would have, if only they could try again. But then again, they wouldn't want a repeat of it all. Which is why they tries so hard with their other two children. They couldn't make the same mistake again.

She always thought what would have happened if there was three of them. Life would have been more tricky as they could barely dominance the two of them.

"Let's go" Maria ordered. Puck and Santana shuffled along, but there father stayed longer. When he was done, he walked after his family. It took strength to walk in. But it took courage to walk out.

Ricardo PuckleLopez

August 27th 1990-February 2nd 2012

A beloved brother, son and grandson,

forever will stay in our hearts.