Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created in Glee. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is being intended. However, all original characters belong to me.

A/N: I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. It's a later update than I would like, but I have been very sick and busy with work. I would like to say, I love Brittany, I feel like her character could be the subject to this sort of situation because of how innocent she is. I'm going to be alluding more on her father and that he is very sick.

I decided to use this chapter to transition into a 'Night of Neglect.' Also, I did a quick edit to all previous chapters to work with the new way I decided to break up the chapters. (I dis like page breaks) text between two sets of … are flashbacks in time. IF THE TEXT IS LIKE THIS it is to indicate time progression of a scene or a moment.

The song to listen to with this chapter is 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' – U2

Title: Broken

Rating: T – language

Summary: There is a new faculty member at McKinley High School, she says she is there to help the students, but will her being at the school expose a heavy secret that has been weighing on Brittany for quite some time?

Chapter 6

Three knocks rapped against the choir room door. The handle twisted and Cynthia walked in. "Will, I need to speak with you." She ignored the questioning looks from her niece's friends.

"Yes, of course."

Mr. Shuester motioned for Cynthia to follow him into the choir room's adjoining office. He shut the door once they were both inside.

Silence.

"Dude, this totally has to be about Brittany." Everyone looked at Puck; he bobbed and rubbed at the back of his head.

"About Brittany, what about Brittany, this is first class I have with her during the day" Artie announced to the class as he stared out into the open space of the room. "Puck, what happened to Brittany?" His tone moved from irritation back to worry.

"Well, I don't know exactly what happened. I just heard she was in the hall with Santana when a teacher ushered her and Thomas to the office." He held up his hands out defensively motioning in the direction of Santana. "That's all I heard on the way here."

"Brittany was sent to the principal's office? Does anyone else find that odd," blurted Rachel.

Sam ran a hand through his blond hair, scratched at his cheek, and then answered, "Rachel has a point. Of all the people here Brittany is the last person I could see being sent to the office." His statement set the class loose filling the room with mumbled murmurs. Artie hands placed on the wheels of his chair began to roll out onto the floor, to address his classmates, Santana spoke up.

"We were talking. She ran into Thomas, he shoved her into a locker; she shoved him back, a teacher saw. That is all that happened." She glared at Rachel. "Don't you start with me hobbit, it's not like I could do anything to stop Mr. Mason and his awful comb over from walking them down to Figgins." She glanced at Artie making eye contact for only a moment. "Everything will be fine. She will pull her innocent school girl act, and be back here with us in ten minutes top. That is if she doesn't get lost on her way back to the classroom."

…

Fifteen – Twenty Minutes ago in Principal Figgins and Mrs. Pillsbury-Howl's Office's

"I didn't do anything. He pushed me," growled Brittany lashing out to Principal Figgins. Her left hand held a bag of ice to the back of her head. She could feel a large knot slowly begin to form within her numb scalp. She winced.

"Like hell you didn't!"

Brittany ignored Thomas, she grumbled.

"You wished to see me, Principal Figgins," asked Cynthia her head appeared only inches inside the office. She looked from Thomas to Brittany, and back to Thomas.

"Aw yes Dr. Kerklaan, if you would so kindly talk to Brittany. I can handle Mr. Smith." Mr. Figgin's raised a finger motioning for Thomas to sit still. "Also, just because she is your niece does not mean she will not face the appropriate consequences for the scene created today."

Cynthia nodded, pushed open the door, and motioned for Brittany follow her into Mrs. Pillsbury-Howl's office. Brittany rose followed Cynthia and sat in one of the uncomfortable white plastic chairs in the joining office. Cynthia shut the door, she took a seat next to her niece turned her chair slightly to face Brittany. "Brittany – what brought this on – I don't understand."

"It's not fair." Brittany crossed her arms, the small spryly banged three year old showing herself behind closed doors to her aunt. She lifted her legs hugging her knees hiding the fresh tears from view. "This wasn't supposed to happen. I'm supposed to be his Little Bee. Did I, did Bethany and I do something wrong?" Brittany wiped at the stray tears, only to have them be replaced with new ones. "He forgot who I was." Brittany paused. "He has called me Cyndi for months now, but it's never been a big deal he never forgot me, completely." She let go of her knees placing her booted feet back on the floor. Her body slumped forward.

"He was having trouble with a program in his computer. I'm not that good with computers, but I know how to use Word. So, I went into his office to help." She gripped tightly at the plastic chair. "He yelled at me, all I said to him was I could help, and he yelled at me. Then he apologized and asked who I was." She sniffed. "I told him I was Brittany, his daughter; he looked at me like I was crazy." Her face quivered. "He said he didn't have a daughter. That he would remember if he had a daughter. I told him 'No, I'm your daughter, Brittany, and I have little sister, Bethany, you have two daughters."

Brittany gripped tightly at her shirt wrinkling it. "Then, he just blinked. He blinked, and he was back to normal. It was like what he did, what he said never happened." Brittany wiped her face once more. "Mom saw me crying in my room, she asked what was up." Brittany paused. "I couldn't lie, so I told her. There was so much arguing. He wasn't like this before, why does he have to be like this?"

"I know he doesn't mean and he can't help it, but it hurts so much." Brittany's resolve broke her body began to shake with emotion.

Cynthia rubbed lightly at her eye, took a deep breath, and pulled Brittany into a tight hug. "You have done nothing wrong. You, your mother, and Bethany have done nothing wrong. What is going on with your father it's no one's fault. Your mother is doing her best what is out there to help the situation, no one can -" She paused, tears forming once more as she spoke with her niece about her older brother. "It's – oh god – Brittany." For the first time in Brittany's seventeen years, her aunt was speechless. "I don't think this is something you should be talking about with me. You need to talk with your mother. She will understand, she is scared just like you, but if you want to talk to your friends about everything, she will understand.'" Cynthia squeezed Brittany for a moment more. "You should find another activity to do other than Glee that may help keep your mind off everything that is going on at home."

Brittany nodded with a forced smile.

"I need to call your mother."

"What? No, Cyndi, no don't call my mom. She's working. Please don't I can make it through the day."

"I have to; it's required that whenever two students are caught in a physical disagreement on school grounds that both students' parents be informed of the situation." Cynthia leaned forward grapping the black plastic box of a phone. She dialed the four digit code to North Elementary. "Yes, hello, this is Dr. Kerklaan at the High School, is Susanne Pierce available I need to speak with her."

…

Mr. Shuester opened the door to the small glass walled office. He watched as his students' animated conversation no doubt about Brittany come to a halt. He was quiet. He did not know how else to be. Cynthia walked out behind him. She smiled a soft smile.

"Thank you, Will, I know that will mean a lot to her." Cynthia smiled towards the class, turned on her heels and exited the choir room.

Mr. Shuester pulled his hand slowly down his face; his mind still processing the new information, the information told to him in confidence, he turned to the board. He took hold of a marker and began to write 'song suggestions' on the board. "Okay, I had planned on taking choreography suggestions down today, but with Brittany missing the rest of today and possibly the rest of the week. I think it best we focus on our first round of song selection for today."

A BLOND WOMAN, curly hair pulled back loose, opened the front door. She wore a pair of tempera paint covered jeans, a simple white button up shirt, and tight pinstriped black vest.

"ID please," asked a woman her focus on the twenty-one inch computer screen.

She dipped into her hand into her bag, rummaging through her belongings. "Oh no." Mrs. Peirce placed her large leather purse atop the receptionist's desk. "It's in here somewhere. It has to be." She began pulling an assortment of items from the inside: Kleenex, pens, a compact, a tube of lipstick, a picture wallet, and discarded coins piling each atop the desk. "Ooh oh wait." she paused. "I was in a hurry after Cyndi called, I set it on my desk, so I left it at school," she yelled out to no one. "I left my ID at school, but here's my driver's license, my passport, my library card, oh and this credit card has my picture on the back for an ID if you need that." She held out the credit card flipping it to the back, revealing a badly printed image. "If those don't work there is bound to be something else in here that should prove I'm Brittany Pierce's mother."

"No, no Mrs. Peirce its fine. Your driver's license will do," stated the receptionist.

"You're sure because I know I have something else in here that should work." Mrs. Pierce reached into her back once again.

"This is fine." The receptionist placed the license atop a scanner, pulled up long set of information, and looked it over as a temporary visitor's ID badge began to print. "Here you are."

Mrs. Pierce separated the sticker from the wax sheet. She stuck it to her vest. She slid all her discarded possessions back into her bag. She continued along the halls of McKinley High to the main office.

Brittany slumped quiet in a chair. She thought about waiting in Mrs. Pillsbury-Howl's office with Cynthia, but Cynthia had to work. So, here Brittany sat in the main office waiting for mother in an uncomfortable chair. She would look into the guidance councilor's office watch Cynthia as she spoke with an upset group of freshman. She wondered what it would be like at the school once Mrs. Pillsbury-Howl returned.

"There you are!"

"Mom… you didn't need to come pick me up."

"Don't be silly. Now you have a choice, I can take you home or you can come back with me to North and help me with the rest of my students. It's up to you, but it would be nice to have some help, and I know we haven't had time just the two of us in a while." Brittany smiled wide.

THE SUN HAD BEGUN TO SET; Artie rolled himself along the sidewalk up to the front door of the Pierce home. This time he was alone. He rang the doorbell. The door opened, Artie waved to his Dad who had dropped him off.

"Artie! Mommy, Artie's here!" yelled Bethany from the front door. She moved to the side letting him roll into the house.

Mrs. Pierce's head appeared from door way to the kitchen. "Artie, Brittany is in her room. We should be ready for dinner in about ten – fifteen minutes." Her head disappeared into the kitchen.

Artie gave her a smile. "You don't have to worry about me, not that hungry. I'll eat when I'm home."

"No, don't be silly. You are having dinner with us," yelled her voice from within the Kitchen.

BRITTANY'S ROOM WAS SPOTLESS. He hadn't seen her room this clean since the first time he has come over for their duet practice. Brittany lay across her bed stomach against the mattress. Her math book was shut with a spiral pad of notes lying atop. She flipped through the latest issues of Cosmo ear buds in.

Artie reached out he ran his finger along her smooth calf causing her to jump then yelp. "Artie, what are you doing here?" she pulled out the buds tossing them along the comforter of the bed. She sat up sliding herself to the edge of the bed.

"Just worried, I wanted to see if you were okay."

"You're sweet." Brittany smiled. She kissed his cheek then his lips lightly.

"Brittany. You can talk to me you know."

Brittany avoided the statement shifting herself from her bed and into his lap. "I have been thinking of joining another sport. Maybe track. Cyndi, she said I should try to keep my mind off it. Focus on something I would not normally do and might find fun."

"Off what?"

"I'll talk to you about it later Artie, I promise, just not here I don't feel comfortable talking about it here."

Artie nodded. He pushed at the wheels of his chair rolling him and Brittany out of her room and along the hallway to the kitchen of the Pierce home. "So wait, Cyndi wants you to do something you wouldn't normally do?"

Brittany bobbed her head against his neck as her body rested against his. "Yeah, do you have something in mind?"

"Yeah, yes Brittany I think I do. How do you feel about being the fourth member of The Brainiacs?" He watched hesitation ghost over Brittany's face. "Oh come on, you're smart, I know can do it."

Brittany lifted her head. "Could I have DOTS for every answer I get right?"

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think. Next chapter will be much longer and be filled with a lot of fun angst.