THE PAGEANT IS TONIGHT! And for some unknown reason, my excitement has given me the confidence to write another chapter! I'll do my best to make this chapter sweet and wickedly awesome!

Will woke up the next morning on Rachel's bed, his memory fuzzy from last night. What happened again? Suddenly, visions of Rachel packing and leaving with tears in her eyes flashed before him and he started to cry again. He heard the sound of slamming doors and he knew that her Dads were searching for her. He hopped off the bed and went into the hallway and saw her Dads running around the house screaming her name. Finally they saw him.

"Hey, little buddy, have you seen Rachel?"

He desperately wanted to tell them what happened last night so they can make sure she's safe…but of course, the downside of being a dog is that they couldn't understand just constant barking, and he had no idea where she'd be by now so he just shook his head.

There was a knock on the door, but they were reluctant to open it. They were too stressed on finding Rachel. Still, it was probably someone who knew about her whereabouts, so they went to open it….and were surprised to see…Rachel.

She was a total mess. Her hair was disheveled and her face was stained with tears. Her eyes even looked tired from lack of sleep. Her Dads cried out with joy and threw themselves at her.

"Rachel Barbara Berry, sweetie, why on Earth would you pull a stunt like that?"

"Do you even know how scared we were?"

Rachel burst out in a fresh wave of sobs. Will sat there patiently, happy that she was home.

"You only left last night…where have you been? And why would you do that?"

Rachel sniffed and wiped away her tears. "Well, I knew that I was affecting everyone and harming myself with the nightmares, so I thought if I just disappeared, everyone would be happy. And I also thought that maybe if I started my life over, the nightmares would go away. But the minute I walked out the door, I started to regret it but I didn't want to turn back so soon so I just kept walking…until I suddenly came across…his apartment."

Her Dads looked shocked.

"I went inside-"

"How did you get inside?" one of her Dads asked.

"He gave each Glee Club member a spare key in case we wanted someone to talk to or just to visit or whatever. Anyway, I went inside…it still smelled like it did the last time I went in there. I flipped on the lights and had an emotional breakdown."

Her Dad's nodded sympathetically as she paused to catch her breath.

"Everything was still in its place. I really don't know why no one's bothered to sell the house and his things because it's been weeks since the…accident. But it still looked the same…as if he still existed and he was just gone for the evening. Everything still worked, too. The electricity, the water, the TV…everything worked."

Will was surprised. Why didn't anyone get rid of his things and sell his apartment? Isn't that what usually happens when someone dies?

"I wandered around the house…my heart sinking deeper with every room I looked in. My heart practically shattered when I got to his bedroom. It hasn't been touched in weeks…yet it still looked occupied and neat."

She remembered collapsing on the bed, shaking with sobs and taking in his scent…still there on the pillows…and still smelling strongly of him.

"Well at some point, I wound up falling asleep. Then…I saw him in my dreams.

Flashback

Rachel awoke and found Will (the human not the dog) sitting on the bed.

"I knew you'd somehow find sanctuary here." He said smiling.

She sat up and threw her arms around him. "Will, I've missed you so much!"

"Why would you run away, Rachel?"

She looked down sadly. "I did this to help everyone. They were all starting to get sick of me blubbering and weeping. And I thought that maybe if I started over, the nightmares would go away."

He sighed and opened his arms so she could crawl into his embrace. "Honey, running away won't fix anything. Everyone needs you. You can't just turn your back on them. You have to go back home, Rachel, and go back to living your life normally."

She shook her head violently. "No, I can't do it without you! How am I supposed to go back to my normal life when you're not around anymore?"

"Rachel…think about the Glee Club. Nationals is coming up soon and they need a leader to help them through all this. Stop being so selfish and think of someone else for once!"

She sat there stunned.

"You need to get back on your feet. Do it for everyone…for your Dads, for the Glee Club, for Ms. Holiday…and mostly do it for me. You can do it, sweetheart, I believe in you."

He planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Can I stay here for tonight, though?" she asked.

He smiled. "Sure…you can use my place whenever you need to. Or at least until someone winds up selling my house, but yes you can stay here for tonight."

She lay back on the bed and he tucked her in the blanket. Then he kissed her on her forehead.

"Good-night, Rachel. I believe in you."

When she opened her eyes, it was morning. She got dressed, grabbed her suitcase and headed home.

End of Flashback

"Even if it was just a dream, he's right. We all need you to be strong, Rachel." One of her Dads said.

Will sat there confused but relieved. He didn't remember entering her dreams last night…but oh well, she was finally home.

"You're right…I'm going to take another chance at life. Go back to living it normally. I have to get over it. I'm sorry for running away and scaring you."

Her Dads hugged her. "It's okay, pumpkin, and we're proud that you're recovering."

Bum bum…the story ain't over yet…we haven't even gotten to the good parts yet…so you'll just have to wait. Next up…pageant time! (For me, at least…sorry readers!)