Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story, none of the songs mentioned, or the tv show, nothing is mine.

A/N: Some of the characters are a little OOC. Also there is no slushying in the school. Also no Lucy Caboosey, they tied it in to glee but it isn't going to be in this story.

A/N: VOTE- BABY-GATE or NO BABY-GATE (AKA Quinn having Beth or not)

Chapter 4: Curse or Gift

Dr. Lechy continues to speak of side effects and I space out knowing my fathers will be taking notes and memorizing everything he says. The time seems to fly and as I look at the clock it says 5:27, we have been here for two hours. I turn to see my fathers and the doctor still speaking. I shift in my seat trying to get my fathers attention without actually interrupting them, finally my dad, Hiram looks at me, he smiles softly before speaking. "We should be done in about thirty minutes, you can walk around if you wish to, I'm sure DeLaney will be in checking on patients." I nod my head and stand up, excusing myself from the three of them both my fathers give me a soft loving smile and Dr. Lechy give me a smile that creeps me out, like i'm some toy or experiment for him to play with, my fathers do not see it due to the fact that they are looking at me.

I move to walk down the halls, staying away from the crowded places. I walk and walk listening for DeLaney's voice, I can barely hear her voice so I begin to head to that direction. DeLaney is a nurse that moves throughout the hospital like she was born to be there, she can work with any patient, deal with any wound, mental or physical. I hear her loud carefree laughter and I speed up until I look into the room she is occupying. An old man, maybe 70 or 80 by his facial structure and skin is sitting in the bed playing Candyland with DeLaney, as she moves her piece three place back the old man laugh gently and say, "I've won again Nurse De, if I didn't know you any better," he stops as a coughing fit over takes him, DeLaney smiles gently as she hands him a glass of water, after drinking he finishes his sentence, his voice a bit raspier, "I'd say you were letting me win, but seeing you playing many other games, I know Candyland just dislikes you."

Her laughter fills the room again as she hands him his glass of water, "Humphrey, you have got it right. Give me Risk or Operation and I'll beat you any day but give me Candyland and I fail."

Humphrey turns his head as he begins to laugh and spots me, "We Nurse I believe we've got a visitor." As DeLaney turns to look at me she smiles and Humphrey speaks again. "So lass what can I do for ya? Come to see me or Nurse De?" He smiles gently at me and I step further into the room.

"Well I came to see Nurse DeLaney after my meeting with my doctor but I wouldn't be opposed to see you either." I smile at him and he begins to laugh.

"I like you lass, you've got manners and are a little spitfire." He nudges DeLaney. "Though it would be nice if the nurse shall ever kindly introduce us." He grins as he says this and DeLaney laughs again.

"I suppose I could introduce you guys, Rachel this is Humphrey Reanes. Humphrey this is Rachel Berry." She smile at us, her smile threatening to break her face.

"Well Miss Berry it is a pleasure to be introduced to you." His eyes sparkle as he smiles and holds his hand out towards me.

I look at it before I take it gently, making sure my glove is secure in place, as I shake his hand I speak, "The same can be said about you Mister Reanes."

His laughter once again fills the room, "Well Miss Berry I suppose you could call me Humphrey, never did like being called Mr. Reanes."

"Then you shall call me Rachel." He smiles and starts to adjust the candy land board.

DeLaney looks at me. "Rachel I must be going, I have to finish my rounds, Would you like to keep Humphrey company?" At my nod she smiles and bids us both a farewell, she squeezes Humphrey's hand and my right shoulder softly.

"Well Rachel would you like to play Candyland or choose a channel on the television to watch." He watches as I sit down in the chair DeLaney had just occupied. I start the game and he smiles at me.

I growl in frustration as Humphrey moves closes to the end and I somehow move farther back. Humphrey shakes his head in amusement. "Just like Nurse De, eh?" Somehow he had managed to bring out my childish side and I stuck my tongue out at him, it only made him laugh harder. His laughter dies down as he speaks again. "So Rachel what is worse an old man beating a young girl at a game or a young girl beating the old man."

I huff and once again stick my tongue out at him before answering, "I suppose it would be cruel for me to beat you at a game but isn't it just as cruel for you to beat me at a game?"

He laughs once again and I realize that I like the sound, it may be slightly raspy and sometimes break off into coughing but it is a sound that reminds me of my grandmother. "You make a valid point Rachel, I suppose both are quite cruel but just as fun."

Our Third game is interrupted as someone knocks on the open door, DeLaney enters with a sad smile, "Rachel you fathers are looking for you, it's time to head home, you guys can continue this game at a later date." Her sorrow filled smile turns mischievous, "Just make sure you take a picture of the board before you put it up, Humphrey here like to cheat sometimes."

"I do not cheat Nurse De, you just have terrible memory, and I look forward to seeing you next time, I suppose we could choose another game since you are as bad as our Nurse." He grins at DeLaney.

"I'll see you again Humphrey and no we shall play Candyland until you tire of it or until I win a game." I hear both DeLaney and Humphrey laugh.

"My dear I shall never tire of this game but alas we shall place it a hundred more times until you win." His eyes sparkle again as he waves goodbye to both of us.

As DeLaney and I walk down the hall, a smile is still on my face, Humphrey the kooky old man, had kept my mind occupied for lord knows how long and I actually had a fun time. I look towards the clock and see that it says 6:55. I gasp in shock before speeding up. I thank DeLaney for letting me play with Humphrey before I take off running down the hall. I had completely forgotten the time and Brittany's tutor session. I skid to a stop in front of my fathers. "Dad, Daddy, I forgot to tell you that I was tutoring Brittany at her house at 6:45, could you please drop me off at her house on the way home?"

My dad begins to speak, "Sweetie we just got done at the hospital, don't you think it would be a better idea if you head home and eat then get some rest?" I go to argue but my daddy interrupts me.

"Hiram, let her go, she made a prior engagement. Rach we will be there to pick you up at nine, make sure your phone is on because I know you forgot to turn it on when you left the doctors office and that's why you didn't answer our calls." I nod my head and thank them both as we hop into the car and I give them directions to Brittany's house. I give them both a kiss on the cheek, very quickly, before I run up to Brittany's door waving goodbye to them before I see the tail lights of the car disappear, I adjust my bags strap and knock on the door, I look at my phone and see that it is 7:04.

The door is open but instead of blonde hair all I see is black hair as a dark hand grabs me by my shirt and bag strap. I am pulled into the house and the door is slammed shut before an angry Santana, wet hair and a too big tee shirt over some very holey jeans with paint splattered across the legs, begins to advance on me, barefoot. "What the hell do you think you are doing here? You bail on Brittany without a notice and expect that it's fine for you to show up here? Brittany may forgive whatever excu," I go to interrupt her and tell her why I was late. "No shut your trap perra and listen! Brit may forgive you for whatever excuse you have but I won't forget this and I will kick your ass. Do you understand me?" I nod my head slowly fearing if I move to fast she will snap. "Good"

As she says this a red eyed Brittany walks down the stairs, in a pair of pajama pants with ducks on them and a long sleeve grey shirt with dark spots on the end of the sleeves, which she apparently wiped her tears off with, sorrow fills my heart at her face and she speak before she sees me, "Who are you talking to San?" She sniffs in sadness. "Is it the ice cream man becau-" She see me before she can finish her sentence. "Oh hi Rachel, what're you doing here?"

I look at Santana to see her glaring at me daring me to move or say something to hurt Brittany. "I'm here because we have a tutor session, I know I'm really late and I'm sorry for that, if you wish for me to leave I will, but I do want to help you Brittany, never doubt that."

Santana is still glaring at me but Brittany's face turns from sad to happy in a flash. "Okay lets go upstairs then cuz I have a lot of homework and my English teacher spoke to me and told me that I can retake my test if you help me! Isn't that exciting." I nod my head and she smiles before shooting up the stairs.

I am still pinned down by Santana's glare, "Get your as up there now, and if you ever pull a stunt like this again, i'll kick your scrawny smurf ass, do you get me?"

I nod my head but defiance swells up inside of me as I being to speak. "I would never hurt Brittany intentionally, I ran late because I lost track of time it happens to everyone even you, so don't threaten me for that. It was unintentional and I apologized."

Her face gets stonier. "I don't run late when it comes to Brittany, I am early for everything that applies to her and it may have been unintentional but I dropped her off here at 6:30 and when 6:50 came along and you were a no-show she called me and I came here, by seven she was crying because she thought another person had bailed on her because of the way she is, so don't tell me not to threaten you when I have every right to." I look at her and nod my head before I move to go upstairs she grabs my arm and I flinch, I move to pull my arm out of her grip but she doesn't let go. I pull again as she looks at me. "You're not even going to tell me the excuse for why you were late?"

"It is my business and mine alone now if you please, let go of my arm." She keeps looking at me with that look on her face, my whole body starts to shake wondering if the shirt is enough to keep her skin from touching mine at an extended period of time and what if there's a hole in it and we touch. All these scenarios start running through my head and my breaking gets heavier. "Please." I beg her, my voice shaking and that seems to do the trick, shock crosses her features. Her grip on me wasn't tight or anything, there was no pressure at all, it was just her hand wrapped around my bicep. I knew there wouldn't be a bruise or even a red mark, I knew she wasn't planning on hurting me, she had grabbed my arm to get my attention when I was leaving and keep it, but if she had kept a hold of it to threaten me or have leverage over me I had no idea. She goes to open her mouth and not wanting to hear an apology or anything coming out of her mouth I rush up the stair tripping on more than one of them but catching myself before I fell on my face.

I look around the hallway until I spot a door that says Brittany, I move towards it and as I go to knock, it is pulled open. Brittany smiles at me before pulling me into the room. "What took you so long down there, I know you couldn't have gotten lost."

I laugh softly. "No I didn't get lost, Santana and I were just discussing something." As her mouth opens a question forming in her eye, I speak before she can say a word. "So Brittany lets get to work on your homework then we can work on studying for your English tests and everything else." She nods happily and we begin to work. I work on my own homework keeping a close eye on her work as I finish mine.

Before I know it were almost done with all her work, and as we finish the last problem my phone rings. I look at it before I answer it. My father's voice is on the other end telling me he'll pick me up soon and I give an 'okay', I see that Santana was sitting in a chair by the desk and was watching us, curiosity fills me wondering if she had been there the whole time watching us. I say goodbye to my dad absentmindedly and help Brittany finish the last problem before I hear a horn honk. I mumble a goodbye to both of them before I grab my bag and move to head down the stairs, I feel Brittany's arms wrap around me once again and I barely hold my flinch in before I say goodbye and apologize for being late.

"Its fine Rachel," She reaches into my pocket and pulls out my phone, I jerk back in shock before I hear her cell phone ringing. "There now you can text me when you're going to be late and I can text you if I have a problem I need help with." She slips the phone back into my front left pocket of my sweat pants before she hugs me again and I mumble a goodbye into her long sleeved cheer camp shirt. I rush down the stairs and make it to my fathers car. I pull the passenger door shut and look up to Brittany's window, Santana's dark eyes are looking back at me, watching what I do.

I quickly turn to face the dashboard. My father turns the CD player on classical music and curiosity fills me as I wonder why he is listening to it. I lean back in my seat calm over flooding my senses as I relax. I open my eye and look around the car to spot a CD case on the floor of my dad's normally clean car, wondering what the title of the CD is we are listening to is, I grab it only for my dad to reach for it. I move it out of his reach and stare at him, my eyes daring him to try again. I look at the front and shock and anger fills me, across the front of it in Dr. Lechy script on a sticky note. "Classical music calms the mind of PTSD victims and minds of those who are mentally unstable. Play this in the car or around the house and it should help Rachel. P.S. playing this while she sleeps may also help with the nightmares as shown in new studies, take notes and let me know how it works -Dr. Lechy-

"Rachel, baby girl, don't be m-" His face has gone front shock and fear to pleading.

"What! Don't be mad that you're listening to Dr. Lechy?! Don't be mad that you're going behind my back without telling me?!" He opens his mouth. "NO! Listen to me for once. Every time he prescribes something to me there are no results, no matter the pill or treatment. Everything he prescribes or tells you to do does not work! Why do we keep going to him, I don't like him." I cross my arms in defiance and stare at him.

In an unusual twist my father has pulled the car over his voice is frustrated and raw and sad and so are his eyes as they fill with tears. "BECAUSE! He is the only doctor willing to continue to work for a cure, he is the only one willing to work with you. All the other doctor in Lima or the surrounding area have signed off on being your doctor! Nobody wants to treat you any more because they don't think they can help you but Dr. Lechy does think he can help you, he's the only one left. He is our last chance. Why can't you get that." I can hear the frustration and pleading in his voice.

Tears fill my eyes. "Then don't send me to anymore doctors, let me deal with this myself." I beg him to hear me to listen to me. "I'm getting better! I kiss you and daddy on the cheek and I hug Brittany, I held Tina's hand and shook Mike's and Humphrey's. Please just stop sending me to the doctors." Tears run down my face and my father moves his hand through his hair then removes his glasses to rub at his eyes. "Please dad. Please." He continues to rub at his eyes in frustration. "Please." Its barely a whisper but it spoke volumes, desperation clung to my last please.

"Damn it," I was shocked I had never heard him cuss before. "Rachel don't you understand we are trying to help you and until you are old enough to understand we will continue to help you even after that. You are sixteen you can't make decisions like this." He shoves his glasses back on his face and is staring at me in desperation.

My hands ball into fist of anger and frustration. "I can't make the decision on whether or not to be taking all these pills? But you can! This is my body and my life! You can't control it forever. Please for just once let me control what the doctors give me. Just once dad. Please." His hand slams onto the steering wheel.

"NO! You are not old enough to decide stuff like this, Dr. Lechy said if you don't have medicine then you will be placed in a mental hospital, these pills will help you stay out of there! Don't you understand! We don't want you to go there it will kill you father and I and it will kill your spirit and you. Take the pills and if they don't work we try more treatments until we find one that works." His eyes plead with me to understand. "These pills can save you Rachel just listen to your doctor."

"They won't save me they will kill ME! I've been on fifteen different pills in the last eight and a half years! do you know what that does to me, to my liver?" I stare at him trying to convince him to listen to me.

He sighs "Okay," hope fills me before it is crushed. "This is what Dr. Lechy talked about, he said you'd fight us and he said you'd argue convincingly and that we shouldn't fold because it would only make you worse, so Rachel I am going to listen to him. He offered to speak to you one on one, he is not only a doctor he is a psychologist so he can help you mentally and physically."

"No you can't make me go to him, you can't, daddy won't let you." Tears run down my face faster and I start to breathe heavier. "You can't, you can't, please dad you can't" He goes to touch my shoulder to comfort me. "No!" He flinches back in shock, never have I ever yelled or screamed at my fathers for trying to comfort me, I may have shied away but never have I yelled until now. I glare at him before I decide I don't want to ride home with him.

I move to open the door and he goes to grab my arm before I glare at him again. He relents and just stares at me. "Rachel what are you doing."

"Walking home, I can't be in this car with you any more so i'm going to walk home." I move to open the door again but he locks it.

"Rachel you can't walk home it is past nine, you will not walk home. So put your seatbelt on now so we can go home eat a very cold and very late dinner with your father then go to bed." He keeps his hand near the lock button I sigh and angrily move to put my seatbelt on. As he sighs and move his hands to the steering wheel I move into action. I know I'm being stupid and selfish but I can't stand being in the car with him another minute so the second my feet touch the ground I bolt across the road and between the house and through gardens. I hear his door open and hear him curse as he forgot to take off his seatbelt and moved to get out of the car only to be held back by the seatbelt.

I make sure I run in the direction of my house but that I never run in a straight line, I keep dodging between the house of Lima until I make it passed another two streets adjacent to the road I was just on, I am breathing heavy as I fall to my hands and knees on the sidewalk. I hear my name being yelled in the distance but I don't pay any attention to it until I see someone stand in front of me. I follow bright blue running shoes up pale legs over black running shorts and a grey tank top to hazel eyes and blonde hair.

"I'm guessing you're Rachel?" She looks familiar but I can't place her. I nod my head. "Well Miss Rachel," She offers her hand to help me up. "Fabray, Frannie Fabray." I grab onto her hand still breathing heavily. She pulls me up and makes sure i'm standing fine on own two feet, which burn with the force I used to run. "So you want to talk about why you're running like the devil is chasing you or why there is a man screaming your name?" I shake my head in the negative. "Okay, so would you like for me to walk you home or do you feel like eating ice cream?"

I stare at her in shock. "I don't want to inconvenience you."

She laughs. "Sweet heart you aren't being an inconvenience to me, I usually run all through Lima when i'm home so it won't be a problem to take you to your house and I love ice cream so which is it?"

She stares at me curious. She wasn't being overly careful when she touched me and she wasn't judging me like the kids at school. I sigh, "I don't think I could keep anything down right now and my daddy is probably worrying about where I am. I think I would rather walk home and beat my dad there."

She nod, "Alright then lets go lead the way." I stare at her in shock. "Don't look at me like that, there could be dangerous folk about at 9:35 at night." I laugh before I begin to walk towards my house.

We walk in silence, not the kind where its awkward and begs for someone to fill the silence but peaceful silence of two people thinking. Before I know it we're almost at my house, its just ten feet away. "Thank you Frannie for walking me home. It was very kind of you."

She smile then hugs me tightly. "I know i'm just a stranger you met but everything will be fine Rachel, always believe that." With her last words she watches me walk into the house and waves at me before she begins to jog in the direction we just came from.

I turn on the hallway light and hear feet running towards me. My daddy's strong arms wrap around me and I squeak as I am lifted off the ground. My daddy is clinging to me, his arms are wrapped around my waist and I find comfort that he is not mad at me and I know he will side with me in the argument. Tears start to run down my face as I realize I just had a huge fight with my dad. I throw my covered arms around my daddy and sob into his chest. I feel him move us to the couch and hear as we sit down but I do not see anything through the tears except my fathers shirt. He is rocking me, it is soothing and I begin to fall asleep, despite my best efforts. I feel my father move his left hand, I shift slightly curled up in his lap, like when I was a small child. I hear his fingers on his phone before I hear my dads voice.

"Leroy is she home yet?" he sounds worried, his voice distorted due to being on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, she's asleep right now." He lets out a sigh after he says this.

"Thank goodness, did she say anything when she came home? Did she take the sleeping pill?" He sounds relived that I am home, and I bury my face into my fathers chest when he mentions the pill.

"No she didn't say anything, she cried her eyes out as I held her. No she didn't take the pill, she feel asleep in my arms. Why are you worried about the pill? What did you say to her?" He sounds exasperated as he mentions the pill and I can feel his worry as her finishes the last sentence.

"Because I am worried about her, if she doesn't take the pill she won't get any sleep. And we had an argument about Dr. Lechy. I will explain it all when I get home. I'm just glad she's alright. We will talk when I get home, I love you both." I vaguely hear the engine over the phone.

"We're both worried about her, she is sleeping perfectly fine right now. And alright we will talk when you get home. I love you and you know that she loves you, don't forget that." I hear my daddy sigh sadly over the phone.

"I don't know if she does any more, she was livid. I'll see you in a few minutes." My daddy sighs after dad hung up. He moved my bangs out of my face.

"We always will love you Rach no matter what." He sighs again before he pulls me tighter against his chest, I bury my face in his chest again, like when I was five and would have nightmares.

The world fades away into darkness until I hear the front door shut. "Leroy." My dad say this as he enters the living room. "Let's get her up to bed really quick." I feel my daddy nod his head. "We should probably give her the pill now before she wakes up in the middle of the night."

"No, she does not need it now because she is asleep, prosom is for insomnia. It helps her go to sleep not keep her asleep. We are not giving her this pill right now and that is final." I feel my daddy stand up and he move towards the stairs. He sets me in my bed when he makes it to my room. He kisses the crown of my head, mostly my hair. and tells me good night. I mumble something incoherent and he laughs softly so as not to wake me up.

I hear him leave the room but don't hear my door shut, I blearily open my eyes to see that the door is cracked open slightly, light from the hallway flooding into my room. I close m eyes again and give in to the darkness.

I don't know how much time has passed but I am woken up by something. I blink my eyes sleepily trying to figure out what woke me. Then I hear it arguing. I open my eyes wider trying to wake up more and focus on the voices that I can barley hear.

"Hiram do not force her into this if she does not want it!" I can hear my daddy's voice softly booming downstairs

"She has a problem Leroy, do you not understand that she has a problem that Dr. Lechy will help with! She will thank us when she is older." He mentions Dr. Lechy and I shudder in fear. His voice seems to plead with my daddy.

"I don't care, she will be our daughter no matter what, I will love her no matter her decision. She will hate you if you force her to do this." I hear his voice clear and then distant like he is pacing, I focus my hearing more and can hear the soft thuds of his feet against wood.

"No she will thank me for this, she never understood what was wrong with her! He can help her, don't you want her to get better?" He begs with his voice for my daddy to understand, to listen to him. I pray that my daddy won't listen to him, that he won't agree that I have to see Dr. Lechy.

"There is nothing wrong with her! Sure she hates to be touched, maybe she has a phobia but that doesn't matter!" My daddy's voice rises, anger and frustration taking over his normally calm demeanor.

"I want her to have a normal life! How can she have that when she can't be touched at all?! We can't hug our daughter, we can't kiss her on her head, we can't treat her wounds. We haven't been able to hug our own daughter since she was 8! It is tearing both of us apart and you know it! It kills you everyday she shies away from your touch every single fucking day! It kills me too!" Eight the lucky number of the age I foretold my aunts death. I haven't been that bad have I? I let them hug me, don't I? No I don't I shy away from touch.

"She is normal! How could you even say you want her to have a normal life?! How do you even describe normal? Huh Hiram? Normal would not be having two fathers? Normal is not something one can achieve, normal is overrated. How could you want our daughter, our special unique daughter to be normal! And it may kill me but I still love her, through anything that happens I will always love our daughter. And we are done discussing this, she is not going to therapy with Dr. Lechy." Normal? I let out a laugh, I am far from normal. I feel gratitude fill me at my daddy's last sentence.

"This is not over, I am her father, she is going to get the help she needs so desperately needs. We will go through with this to help her and that is final." My dad uses hi 'this is final' voice, the one that told us when his decision was final.

"So you're going to make this decision alone! Because you're her father, her father? I am her father also Hiram do not forget that! I will fight you through this whole thing I don't care the consequences she is our daughter and I will protect her no matter what." My daddy's voice turns angry and cold, he sounds like he is about to blow a gasket and I look around my room the dark shapes of it comforting me.

"I will do what needs to be done for her! Leroy what are you doing? Leroy!" His voice get high pitch and screeching as he screams my fathers name.

"I am sleeping on the couch, I can't do this right now, I can't lie in bed next to you knowing that you are going to force her into therapy. Good-night" Guilt fills my entire body at causing a fight between my fathers, one big enough to end with daddy on the couch. He didn't even sleep on the couch when he forgot their anniversary due to work.

"Leroy you can't sleep down here, the couch is-" I pull my blankets tighter around me as my dad's tries to reason with my daddy.

"Good-night Hiram." His voice say this is final and I hear my dad stomp up the stairs and slam his door shut.

I hear my dad go to bed. I lie in bed awake for I don't know how long until I see my door start to open. "I figured you were awake Rach," My daddy sighs. "Did our fighting wake you?" I nod my head slowly. "God I am so sorry, we didn't mean to wake you. How much did you hear?" Everything I want to say but I knew they were arguing long before I woke up. I can see his eyes and they look sad and resigned.

My voice is scratchy with emotion and sleep. "Enough, I heard enough."

He sighs again sadly. "God, Rachel I am so sorry, a child is never meant to hear their parent argue or fight."

"A child is not suppose to cause their parents fights either, I am so sorry daddy, I never meant for any of this to happen." He grabs my hands tightly and I squeeze his back.

"Rachel you have done nothing wrong, there is nothing wrong with you, understand that okay? I love you no matter what and I will fight your dad on this Dr. Lechy thing the entire way. I am on your side and I always will be. You can tell me anything and I will always love you. Trust me I will do everything in my power to help you." He kiss my head softly before he leaves the door cracked open. "Good-night Rachel, love you."

"Good-night daddy, love you too." I see him disappear down the hallway. I don't know how many minutes pass until I hear my father's door open, I close my eyes quickly and even out my breathing.

I hear my door open slowly and my dad resigned sigh. "Rachel, just know that I love you and always do what is best for you." I feel him brush my hair out of the way, "I love you Rach always." He kisses the crown of my head before leaving.

I sigh softly before turning on my other side. My eyes start to close on their own even as I try to keep them awake and before I know it the world is black.

A/N: So any thoughts? Sorry for the long wait, post as soon as I can.