Matchel Chapter 9

Matt held Rachel as she sobbed into his shoulder, she hated how pathetic she seemed, but seeing Karofsky walk out of her bathroom had scared her so much, her ribs ached as she shifted to get closer to one of the only two people who cared about her, the other, Puck was sitting at the end of her bed resting a hand on her lower leg "Rach it's over, I promise he's not coming back" he tried to assure her, rubbing her leg.

Rachel nodded miserably knowing that he was right but it didn't make her feel better "Where are my father's?" she asked, but depressingly not caring all that much, Rachel knew that her parents loved her, but not as much as they loved each other, she was home alone so much because they loved spending time alone together, and used the excuse of travelling for work to get away from Lima, where they had moved in the first place so that Rachel would have a 'nice' place to grow up.

"On their way babe" Matt assured her, even though they hadn't heard from her parents since yesterday, personally he thought it was rough how little time they spent with their daughter, and not fair on her, she may have this amazing home and three cars, but the one thing she needed, her parents in her everyday life they didn't provide.

Rachel sniffed dismissively and went to climb out of bed slowly, Puck hurrying to help her; they went down the back stairs of the house entering into the large kitchen, where Matt's mom was gleefully running around using the top of the range kitchen appliances and utensils to cook mammoth amounts of food "I love this kitchen" Lucy gushed as she whisked something in a bowl.

Rachel's kitchen stretched the length of the back of the house, with large French doors opening up onto her back garden; one end held a massive kitchen table in warm wood, the main part of the kitchen revolved around a large island where the stove sat, so that it was central to the room, meaning whoever was cooking could talk to the people who sat on the other side at the breakfast bar.

"Thank you Lucy" Rachel smiled "If you ever want to come over and cook in it feel free, especially if you're going to cook like this" she added as she took a bite of the lasagne that had been placed in front of her "I'm a firm advocate of take away usually, but it's so nice to have a home cooked meal, thank you so much" she thanked Lucy, who beamed with pride

"Oh it was nothing dear" she insisted "in a kitchen like this is cooks itself, now what type of pie would you like?"

"Anything, I'm sure it will taste amazing" Rachel insisted, Matt grinning as his girlfriend essentially made his mom fall in love with her, his mom had been a professional cook before his parents had divorced, now she only cooked for the him and his little brother, having given up her job to be home for her children, Lucy beamed again before hurrying to the fridge to pull out bowls of fruit and pastry she had made earlier.

After dinner Matt, Puck and Rachel settled down on the sofa to watch a film, Quinn insisting that she wanted to stay upstairs, not mentioning that she wanted to avoid being with Puck after their fight, and Lucy determined to cook as much as she could for Matt's little brother who was being dropped off by Matt's dad later, as well as avoid her ex husband.

Matt waited anxiously for his dad to drop off his little brother Kyle; it wasn't that he didn't love his dad, he was just very aware of his dad's faults, and they were mostly that he was very ignorant; he knew he would have a problem with him dating a Caucasian, especially one who had two gay dads. Resting his arm around his girlfriends shoulder he caught Puck's eye and pulled out his phone to text him

Remember my pops?

Puck nodded in response after reading the text, looking quizzically at Matt, not understanding the implication

He aint the most understanding, if he gives me crap about Rach don't go nuts

Puck nodded in understanding, Matt knew that when Puck let someone in he defended them against anything, and he had let Rachel all the way in.

It was about an hour later when there was a knock at the door, Rachel struggled up to answer it, moving slowly her right arm protecting her ribs, Matt following her hesitantly, Rachel opened her door, smiling as much as she could with a bruised and battered face, "Hello Mr Rutherford" she greeted

"Dad" Matt said adding a warning tone when he saw the anger flash across his father's face "Sup Kyle?" he greeted his little brother who was nine, Kyle hugged him tightly glad to see his big brother and get away from his dad "this is Rachel" he introduced her to his brother, who smiled shyly at Rachel

"Can I give you a hug?" he asked quietly

"Of Course" she smiled "you just have to be gentle, because I got hurt" she warned him hugging him as he wrapped his arms gently around her waist, looking up she could see the look of distaste on Mr Rutherford's face and Matt's anger "come on sweetie, your Mom has been cooking up a storm, let's get you some food" she said taking his right hand in her left to lead him into the kitchen, pointedly staring at Puck to follow her.

"Go on Dad" Matt stated when they had left the room

"You know what I'm thinking, especially now that I've seen those pictures" his dad snarled, pointing towards the family picture on the wall where Rachel sat with her two fathers and an unknown male "how could you associate yourself with this family? Despite their obvious wealth" he added sneeringly looking around "they are not good enough, you are too good for that girl, look what's happened already! She was attacked for flirting with every guy in school, she's a slut and a whore" he finished angrily, raising his voice towards the end

"Dad shut the fuck up" Matt said quietly but with anger "I have no ideas what you have heard about Rachel's attack, but she has never, never gone out her way to flirt her way through the male student body, and you calling her a slut and a whore is nothing but hypocritical when you think that the reason we are no longer a family is because of you and your man whore ways" he sneered "as to the fact that you think Rachel's wealth makes the fact that her fathers are gay better, is despicable"

"How dare you?" shouted his dad "you have no right to say those things to me, I am your father you will show me some respect" he demanded

"Maybe on the day you deserve it"

Rachel exited her kitchen moving as quickly as she could "Mr Rutherford leave" she ordered quietly but forcefully

"How dare?" he blustered again

"Yes Mr Rutherford I dare, and I ask you how dare you walk into my house and raise your voice? Not to mention insult me and my father's? So Mr Rutherford I tell you one more time leave, before I have the police visit again today" she said quietly, but in the same tone of voice which scared people bigger and scarier than her boyfriend's father.

"This isn't over Matthew" he promised before slamming the door closed behind him.

"I'm sorry Matt" she apologised "I just didn't want any more fights in the house today" she explained looking worried "I'm sorry I know it's your father and I shouldn't get involved I just I just had to....."

"Babe" he interrupted moving towards her quickly "don't say sorry for anything, you had every right to throw him out, and you did nothing wrong I promise, you saved Kyle from hearing us go at it again and my mom having to talk to him that's all, all good things in my book" he promised before kissing her quickly "now don't mention it again tonight alright? I just want to forget about him for the rest of the evening"

"Ok" Rachel agreed as he took her hand to lead her back into the kitchen "we should invite the glee club over" she said as they entered the kitchen "especially as your mom can't stop cooking" she added laughing as she found her kitchen table covered in food, where Kyle, Puck and Quinn sat eating.

"Are you sure babe?"

"Yes, they all keep texting me anyway, if they come over then I don't have to explain everything 8 different times, plus seriously your mom has cooked way too much" she added "and she's still cooking" she laughed watching Lucy rush around the kitchen, Matt grinned and Rachel went to call the Glee phone tree "they will all be over in ten minutes" she told them getting a bottle of water from the fridge.

The Glee club descended on Rachel's house within ten minutes them all coming in one's and two's, Artie whizzing around with Kyle on his lap, eating the amazing food that Lucy cooked, Rachel directing Matt and Mike to get her Xbox set up in the family room with Guitar Hero, the boys played excitedly as the girls sat on the large sofas, Lucy included.

"So how are you?" asked Santana quietly

"Sore" laughed Rachel "no I'm ok, better now that I know he's in jail, I just can't believe he justified what he did the way he did"

"I know its bullshit you're nothing like that" Tina agreed "so many other girls are but not you Rach"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders "nothing we can do about it now, I'm just glad it's over" she stated "now I just have to deal with my dad's late reactions" she added twisting her lips in annoyance, the girls looked at her quizzically all still working under the assumption that Rachel had this perfect home life, Lucy not adding her own opinion, knowing how rarely the Berry's were home.

"My dad's are not home very often when they do come home, it's not exactly relaxing" Rachel explained "when they get home they will flip out and say that they will stay here more and then leave within a week" she added wryly "ahh don't worry about it" she said dismissing her comments "let's just have fun"