Disclaimer: I do not own anything mentioned in this story.
A/N: Sorry to everyone for the long wait. Writers block hit this story hard, this is just a filler chapter. Thank you all for reading, review if you can :).
A/N 2: Some of you have probably noticed I have taken Quinn off of the characters listing. This is still a FABERRY endgame but it will not happen for many more chapters, I have to work in Rachel's abilities and how she evolves. Sorry to those who want Faberry right now but it will happen. So right now it is list as just Rachel w/ some PieBerry friend ship.
Chapter Nine
I was curled up in Tina's bed and had been since twenty-two hours ago. Tina would be home in maybe thirty minutes. I curl up tighter into a ball, my body racking with a harsh cough. I heard shuffling downstairs and then feet moving up the stairs. "Rachel, here drink some water." I drink the water Tina's mom had offered me. She moved my hair out of my face and I was to tired to flinch away. "I talked to your fathers, told them what happened to your phone. I convinced them to keep to their original schedule so that they wouldn't miss the funeral." I nodded and she smiled softly. "They'll be back Thursday afternoon or night with a new phone for you and a ton of fatherly love and worry." I cracked a smile at that as she gave me my antibiotics and I swallowed them.
She brushed the hair out of my face, her eyes bleeding worry and motherly love. She was like a mother I had never known. She got up and left leaving the water within my reach as she shut the door. I fall into a dreamless sleep, the fever pulling at me.
I awake to the door shutting softly. I blink to clear my vision and spot the sheepish face of Tina. "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you but I came in here to see how you were doing."
She sat down on the bed, near my stomach. "I think I may be getting better."
She laughs. "You think?" I nod and she shakes her head in disbelief before moving her hand to my forehead and hovering there, I don't flinch so she sets her hand onto my forehead. "You don't feel as hot as you did yesterday, so the pills are working. Have you eaten anything yet?" I shake my head in the negative. "Do you want something to eat?" I shake my head 'no' again, she smiles softly. "Okay." She looks at me. "Oh, I told Brittany that you were sick, she was starting to freak out when she didn't see you and I figured that she should know that you can't tutor her. She said she may stop by later."
"Thanks." I smile at her and grins at me before getting up.
"I'm going to bring you your other pill and some water." I make a face at having to take another pill and she laughs. Mom said to take a shower before you take the pill."
I sigh before I move to the bathroom. The water feels amazing as I wash away the sickness that clung to me since getting back from the hospital yesterday. I finish in the shower and get dressed in the bathroom. I wrap the towel around my head to keep my still wet hair from getting my clothing wet. I walk out of the bathroom and see that the bedding was changed and watch as Tina walks through the door. "Mom changed the bedding. She said you'd just get sicker if you stayed in the same sheets for longer than one night." She shrugs her shoulders. "I have no idea if that's true but here's your pill, mom told me to bring you down to the living room."
"Thanks Tina." I smile at her and she just shrugs her shoulders good naturedly before grabbing a quilt out of her closet. I take the pill with a grimace before following her to the living room. I sit down on the couch and Tina throws the blanket across me before sitting down on the couch. She turns a random tv show on and I slowly drift off to sleep curling on the cushion with the blanket.
Someone is shaking me and I groan before curling tighter into a ball. I hear Tina's mom. "Rachel, get up sweetheart, you need to take your pill and eat some toast." I mumble and can hear the laughter in her voice. "Come up and at 'em girl."
I open my eyes to her smiling face. "Wha time s'it?" My words come out mumbled and tired.
"It's nine thirty." I looked at her in confusion. "In the morning sweetheart, you slept on the couch, wouldn't move and only mumbled you were tired. Brittany stopped by to see you last night. I think you scared her when you wouldn't get up. Tina and the other girl, Santana, had to explain that you were just sleeping very heavily. Poor girl. You might want to call her later today and tell her you are alright." I nod tiredly as she hands me a pill and some water. I mumble out a thanks and she just laughs before taking the glass and telling me to go back to sleep. Her voice is full of motherly love and amusement.
I am shaken awake again except this time I am in someone's arms. Fever and drug induced I snuggle into the cool jacket and take a deep breath. My fathers scent of apples and cedar-wood fill my lungs comforting me. I am placed in a back seat and buckled in. I slump my head forward as I slip in and out of sleep. The door open with a creak and I am picked up again before I am placed on my bad. I snuggled into the blankets before I feel one set of chapped lips placed on my forehead then another set.
I awake groggily and look around the room. I blink in confusion at being in my room before I stumble to the bathroom to use. After I am finished and wash my hands I look at my reflection in the mirror. My face isn't as pale as it was but my eyes are still tired. I take in a deep breath and the air doesn't catch as bad as it did a few days ago.
I decide to take a shower to see if it will make me feel better. The steam does wonders for my lungs and body. I step out of the bathroom dressed in sweats and a long sleeved shirt. I move down the stairs and into the kitchen. There I find both of my fathers drinking coffee. I rub at my eyes and they smile at me. "Hey you hungry?" Daddy asks this and I nod as I sit down on the barstool.
Dad hands me something and I blink my eyes sleepily as I flip it over. It was a phone, exactly like the one that had been ruined by the rain and shower. I hit a button and it lights up. "We got it yesterday before we came home. Figured you would need it sooner rather than later." I thank my dad and open the phone up. All my contact information, what little there was had been transferred into it. My fathers were saints.
I thank them and daddy gives me some toast. I eat it slowly, letting my stomach adjust to having food in it. My fathers watched me before dad passed me a small glass of orange juice. I slowly sipped on it. "What time is it?"
Daddy answers me. "It one in the afternoon."
I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "I thought you weren't supposed to be home until later tonight?"
Daddy laughs and dad hits him on the arm chiding him. "Rachel, sweetheart today is Friday. We picked you up last night do you remember?" My brows furrow again in confusion and concentration. I shake my head no and daddy gets up a grin spread across his face before he kisses me on the crown of my hair. "You look a whole lot better sweetheart. Had your father and I worried."
I smile softly at him. "Sorry, I didn't know I would get sick." I blush and lower my head. I had never gotten sick before this.
He chuckles and dad lets out a half sigh half laugh. "Not your fault. Come on you need to keep resting." They both lead me to the couch and I am sitting on my daddy's left, my dad curling into my daddy's arms. I feel something bury itself in my chest. Not jealousy at their ability to show affection but something that felt like a painful searing white brand. It was despair. I would never have that, I could never have that. Tears fill my eyes but I quickly hide them, pulling my quilt around me and curling into it. Daddy hit play on the remote and Fox and the Hound begins to play.
I giggle at some parts before the world starts to slowly blur into nothingness.
I groan in annoyance as I feel something move me. I hear a chuckle as my body barely sways. I bury my face into the shoulder of the person carrying me. My daddy's scents fill my nose and I nuzzle into his t-shirt, seeking comfort when I am vulnerable. I am set on a bed and slowly the world bleeds to black again as I feel two pairs of lips brush against the crown of my head.
I groan as I wake up tangled in a quilt and comforter. I rush to the bathroom and as I am washing my hands I look at the time. It was 1:32 a.m. I slump back into my bed burrowing into my blankets before sleep overtakes my tired body once again.
I awake with a pleasant smile, my body no longer feels dead. I stretch, my muscles pulling in a pleasant way after being curled into my body for the entire night. I lay in bed for what seems like an endless amount of minutes before I slowly sit up, waiting for my head to protest. It doesn't. I take a deep breath, waiting for my lungs to struggle and fight against the air. They don't except for a small catch at the last second, almost causing me to cough.
I take a nice long hot shower again, letting the hot water work its magic on my body and my lungs. I let my hair hang damply against my baggy sweatshirt. My fuzzy socks cushion my feet against the hardwood hallway floors as I make my way downstairs. I hear a murmur of voices so I head to them. Both my fathers greet me with a huge grin. "Finally sleeping beauty. It's nearly noon."
I grin in an embarrassed manner before taking the toast my daddy offers me. I murmur a thanks and sit down at the counter. The second the toasted bread hits my stomach it rumbles in hunger, letting me know it needs more than just toast. My dad smiles at me before handing me a bowl of oatmeal topped with blueberries. I grin at the blueberries before I begin to eat. Muttering my thanks after my first bite. My body seems to perk up when the nutrients begin to flood my body.
We eat in silence, not the kind that is overbearing and feels like an anvil sitting on your chest. It is the silence that comes with a pleasant morning and not wishing to break the tranquil silence. A silence known by family members, close friends and significant others. Daddy breaks the silence a small smile on his face. "Drink plenty of water my dear." I smile at him and look at the clock.
My face drops a fraction on a inch, soon I would have to go to my therapy session. Dad interrupted my thoughts, his eyes taking in my face. "You can stay home today, no need to risk getting sick again. Just go to Dr. Lechy on you normal days." He gives me a soft smile. "Skipping one session won't hurt."
A relieved smile stretches across my lips, my teeth peeking out in happiness. I still had to go on Monday but I didn't care. "Okay, i'm just going to stay here with you and daddy today." I pause. "Can I go to Tina's tomorrow?"
I wait with baited breath, I had sessions on Sunday but hopefully they would let me skip that one to.
Dad looks as if he is about to argue but catches himself. I look into his eyes hidden by his dark framed lenses. He sighs. "Yes, I suppose you can skip tomorrow session as well."
Pure unbridled joy fills me. Two lucid days without a therapy session. "Thank you." I smile at him and he smiles back at me, his defeated expression morphing into one full of love. Silence takes over the kitchen again and I keep eating my oatmeal humming softly to myself. Suddenly a harsh shrill ringing interrupts our comfortable silence.
I jump sending a spoonful of oatmeal flying to hit the wall behind me. Daddy looks as my dad as he picks up the phone. Dad closes his eyes in frustration as someone says something he doesn't like on the other end of the phone. "What do you mean you lost the Devonshire-Windsor divorce papers?" His voice is eerily calm. "You can't just misplace papers like that!" He gets up and paces.
A vein pulses on the left side of his forehead. He rubs his hand under his glasses before rubbing his eyes. "I will be there in a bit. Do not say anything to Mr. Windsor I will handle the speaking." The voice on the other line mumbles something. "NO! I don't care what you think, this was a top priority case and you lost the papers. This was meant to go into court in two days. Do you know how bad it looks on our firm for you to have lost the papers?!" The line sounds again over my fathers phone as my dad walks out of the kitchen. I hear rustling. "I don't care if he is there right now, you screwed up already. Send him to Matthews and tell him I will be there shortly."
Dad come back into the kitchen his briefcase in his hand and phone clutched in the other. "I'm going to get dressed then head out. Nowan lost some very important papers." He sighs. "Sorry to leave on you guys like this." He kisses my forehead without thinking about it before placing a kiss on my daddy's lips. I hear his feet running up the stairs.
Daddy and I wait for about two and a half minutes before he comes running back down the stairs, dressed to perfection. He kisses us in the same spots as last time. "I love you both and i'll try to be back as soon as possible." With the final words he is out of the house and his car engine sounds.
Daddy looks back at me before heading for the kitchen, I follow him.
The rest of Saturday past uneventful, daddy and I watched movies until dinner then we ate. We watched two more movies until dad came home. It was about 11:35 and he looked tired. He acknowledged both of us with a tired smile before he headed upstairs. I heard water running before it was drowned out by soft piano music. Daddy followed him up after telling me goodnight.
That was about five minutes ago and I sat watching some random movie about a princess finding love. I turned off the television and went upstairs. I dressed for bed and placed headphones in my ear drowning out the silence ringing in my ears. Slowly the music lulled me off to sleep
I awake groggily, my mouth feeling like cotton. I smack my lips a few times before yawning. I check my phone and see that I have a message. It was from Tina. 'I'm heading to library around ten, wanna come with?'. It was sent at eight this morning. I rub the sleep out of my eye as I look at the time, 9:32. I sit up and type a reply. 'Just woke up, but i'll meet you there.'
I throw the blankets off of me, grabbing my clothes before heading into the shower. I hit the music button on my phone. Songs fill the normal silence of a shower. I make it through two songs before I am out of the shower and drying my hair.
I get dressed in some dark jeans and a dark navy blue sweater. Black boots follow and then some black elbow length glove that go under my sweater. My wet hair starts to curl at the ends before I pull it into a messy bun, I throw a scarf around my neck before rushing out of the house leaving a note on the counter for my fathers.
The drive to the library is slow and boring. I make it and shut my car of. I look around until I spot Tina's car. I then look at the clock. 9:59. Tina always did have a knack for being early all the time. I get out of the car and move into the library. The smell hits me and it is as indescribable as it was the first day I came in here. Old books, new books ink and something that just scream 'library' filled my scent glands. I sigh in blissfulness. This place was a secret haven. A place to hide, whether it was real or in a book.
I walk over to where I knew Tina would be. Books on the human brain were scattered around her. She was writing a papers based on chemical that affect the brain. This was a semester project, a presentation meant to be given in a few months. I smile as I think of how Tina likes to get everything done as early as possible. She doesn't like procrastination like most students end up doing.
I sit myself down on the chair next to her. She looks up briefly offering me a half smile and thrusting a book at me. I look down at it, it was about the nervous system. I look up at her and raise my eyebrows. "I need you to put it back on the shelf please. I've been here for twenty minutes." She looks up at me her eyes pulling into a pout. I laugh softly getting up and finding where the book is suppose to be.
I move around the library not really thinking before I find a computer in the back. It is cut off from the other computers and I look around it before I spot the printer. This was the computer to work on essays and print. Even though I can't think of anything to print I head towards it.
My fingers beat against the desk at an unknown beat before I click on the internet browser. My fingers, mind of their own, type in 'The ability to see someone's death by touch'. I hold my breath and then click on a random website mentioning sensing death before it happens.
I sigh in frustration, it was not very helpful on my condition. It was other peoples experiences and none were like mine. I click on another random site and it brings up clairvoyance. The ability to see the future. Nothing about touch and death seems to be in there.
I spend another hour or two clicking through websites and sighing in frustration. None of these sites are helpful. Haphephobia glares back at me from the screen. I wanted to see what the doctors have been calling my inability to touch people. My fear. It was haphephobia and is very rare. It was said that the inability to touch others would lead to isolation and depression. I let out a self -depriving snort. That was already happening.
"Haphephobia?" The voice sounds behind me and I jump out of my seat, heart thundering like a racing horse in my chest. My breathes stop before my lungs try to force oxygen to my racing heart. Body and brain sending fight or flight signals until I see the face and connect the voice to it.
"You scared me." Hazel eyes lighten in mirth and apology are framed by blone hair.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to." She shrugs her shoulders a lazy smirk settling across her face. Her eyes flick back to the screen. "Why ya lookin at that."
I open my mouth and almost tell her a lie. That my chemistry teacher was having us do chemical responses to phobias. She raise her left eyebrow a challenge in her eyes. She was daring me to lie to her. I roll my eyes and sigh. She already knew I was in therapy. "Its what my therapist say I have." I shrug my shoulder and she looks me in the eye.
"Do you think that you have it?" I look at her confused. What did she mean? The doctors said I had it and I guess I kind of do but what did she mean. She looks at me curious.
My eyebrows furrow as I answer her. "I-I don't know." I shrug my shoulders. "I guess I kind of do. I don't like to be touched most of the time." I pause as I look at her. "But its not like I don't have any human contact." I furrow my eyebrows as I think. I let people touch me sometimes, like Tina and Finn. I hugged my fathers just now starting recently. "I just don't like skin to skin contact."
She shrugs her shoulders, her lips turning up into a half grin, hazel eyes alight with emotion. "There you go. Not everything doctors say is true." Her grin widens. "You're not haphephobic. You just hate germy people."
That draws a confused contortion of my face before a laugh breaks out of my lips. "I am not germaphobic." I pause as I think. "Though I guess the gloves kind of make me look that way."
She grins before she pulls up a chair and sits next to me. Her arm brushes my but she doesn't even pause in her movements. She knows I fear skin to skin contact yet she doesn't make a huge deal out of it when her arm brushes against my clothed arm. Her eyes move down to my gloves. "Maybe just a tad. Though it'd look worse if they were hospital gloves." She grins at me jokingly and I return it.
"I do not think I could do hospital gloves. They feel weird and smell most of the time." She raises her eyebrow at me and I am shocked by the way it transforms her face. Instantly her face is changed from happy and teasing to downright mischievous. She looks as if she is holding in a comment.
I stare at her and a toothy grin spread across her face, her eyes alight. "Alot of things smell weird and feel funny."
I stare at her in confusion before it dawns on me. Laughter escapes from my mouth as I clamp my hand over it trying to stifle the sound. Frannie's laugh joins mine. The Fabray's were known as an extremely Christian and reserved family. Apparently that didn't include Frannie. "Frannie your horrid."
My laughter still bubbles out of my mouth like an open brook. "Horridly awesome." She winks at me pulling more laughter out of my body and hers.
Frannie and I fall silent as a voice interrupts our laughter. "Francine Fabray." Frannie automatically quiets her spine straightening until it looks as if she has a pole for a spine.
"Good afternoon Miss Duprey." Frannie smiles politely.
Miss Duprey, with greying brown hair and hard grey eyes looks at me then at Frannie. "Yes it would be a good afternoon if I didn't have two hyenas yacking by the printing computer. It is nice to see you again Francine but you must abide by the rules." She looks at me, her eyes narrowing as she tries to place my face. She just shakes her head. "Would the both of you kindly be quiet and move to another part of the library." We both nod and Frannie bids her goodbye.
I look at Frannie as I shut down the computer. She looks at me but doesn't say anything. As I make my way over to Tina, Frannie follows closely. I turn to look at her, ready to give her pay back. "So, Francine?"
She glares at me as we sit down near Tina who looks up at us both, smiling then getting back to work. "Shut it. Your last name is Berry and you don't hear me making fun."
She crosses her arm and raises her brow in challenge. I smile sweetly at her. "Sorry, your right." I pause and she looks at me warily as my smile turns sickly sweet. "I do apologize for my rude behavior Francine."
She growls, literally growls. Her expression morphs into one of annoyance as she glares at me. I hear a snort and turn to look at Tina who covers her mouth. Frannie turns her gaze to Tina. Tina smiles back before laughing. "I'm sorry, but you two are acting like children and its hilarious."
"Tina your my friend. You're suppose to take my side and not call me a child." Tina and Frannie look at me.
"You cuddled with my stuffed animal when you spent the night. Ergo you're a child." Tina looks at me mirth filling her features.
Frannie grins and opens her mouth to say something but I speak before she can. "That is not fair. I was sick and delirious." I feel my lips morph into a pout that causes Tina to laugh.
Frannie looks at me concerned. "You were sick?"
I smile sheepishly. "Yeah. I was out in the rain and got the flu along with pneumonia. I'm better now." I look at Tina a small playful glare on my face. "Just lost my dignity and my phone."
"I'm glad you feel better." She looks at me, tilting her head slightly. "I get the dignity part but what about the phone?"
I remember that I haven't texted her like I said I would. "Yeah." I rub the base of my skull and back of my neck, red tinting my cheeks in embarrassment. "I kinda got it wet. Really wet and just got a new one." I look at her. "Sorry for not texting you but soaking phones tend to be bothersome to use."
She laughs at that. "Yes they are plenty bothersome." She looks at me. "Do you get your phone wet a lot?" I shake my head no. "Just making sure." She fishes it out of my pocket before typing something in my phone. I hear a chirp before she pulls out her phone. "There now I have your number and you have mine." She pauses as she grins. "Just don't soak your phone again."
Tina snorts again as she looks between us. I stare at her confused. She raises her hands in a placating manner. "Sorry. Sorry, but you do tend to go through a lot of phones Rachel."
Frannie throws her head back and laughs as I glare at Tina. "I do not!"
This causes Tina to snort in amusement before Frannie quiets down. Tina holds up her hand in a fist before two fingers goes up. "There was this one and the one you ran over one." Another finger goes up. "Dropped one in the toilet." Frannie is hunched over, head in her arms as she tries to stifle her laughter. I open my mouth but Tina speaks before I do. "The garbage disposal." Frannie's laughter intensifies and I fear the librarian coming over here. "The two story drop." I cross my arms and open my mouth to explain. "The dropped in smoothie one." Frannie looks at me eyes watering and face tinted in pink as she laughs. Tina's face is serious. "And lets not forget."
I interrupt her. "Tina that one wasn't my fault, don't even mention it." I stare at her and she smiles as Frannie looks expectantly at her.
Frannie's eyes are alight with happiness and mirth as she questions Tina. "What happened?"
Tina looks at me then Frannie before looking Frannie right in the eyes her face a mask of seriousness. "She left it on a park bench where we saw a dog eat it." Frannie's eyes widen before she burst into laughter as I cover my face in embarrassment.
Tina begins to put away her books as Frannie continues to laugh. I just roll my eyes and sit there before I see the librarian coming closer. I nudge Frannie and she looks up before dragging both Tina and I out of the library. She continues to laugh. "Sorry, she would have told my mother if I broke the rules again and I don't feel like hearing my mother get onto me." She turns to look at me. "All the phone mishaps were true?"
Her eyes are curious. Grudgingly I nod my head and she tosses her head back to laugh as she clutches her stomach as we walk down the sidewalk.
A/N: Next chapter Dr. Lechy and more of his creepiness.
