AN- This chapter has remained half complete for months, and I finally was at a place where I could write and it wasn't suffocating. It is a bit on the emotional side. Enjoy and I do not own Glee.

Rachel stared curiously at her mother from the back of the car. Her mother's behavior was off after their last visit with Doctor Grace Thompson. That had been more than a week ago as the doctor was called out of town for a family emergency. She noticed how her mother observed her far more often, and rarely left her to her own devices. She had preferred the solitude, but it seemed that despite her best efforts, her mother was equally determined that she not be alone for longer than five minutes.

If her mother was not there, then Lucas was. For Shelby had to run the occasional errand, and was slowly working out arrangements to begin teaching once more. There was a current sub in, but her mother had to keep sending in lesson plans. She couldn't avoid work forever as bills needed to be paid. The school was fairly accommodating for the time being, and understood that with their current circumstances, her mother did not feel comfortable returning.

The little girl would preferably choose to return to school instead of pacing listlessly around the house. She felt confined to her quarters much like Sirius Black in the Order of the Phoenix. She would rather be outside where she could at the very least experience the world and converse with people she was not related to.

Unfortunately her doctor believed that for the time being, it was necessary that she remain at home. Her mental state showed signs of severe PTSD, and Dr. Thompson was worried that returning prematurely to school could set off one of her triggers. Rachel frowned displeased by that tidbit of information as she desired freedom above anything else. She did not care if she had a freak out moment or not.

Her eyes lingered on the form of her mother as she prepared lunch in the kitchen. She could not help but glare at the woman for she was embittered that once again her plans to attend school were thwarted. Although, that still did not inform her as to why her mother was acting bizarrely. She was too anxious to ask the woman upfront as past experience with asking too many questions led to less than desirable outcomes.

Her eyes darted to the door where she spotted Lucas waiting. A frown marred her young face as she wondered what he could possible be doing at their house. It was a Friday and usually he did not visit on those days. She slipped from her chair and made he way towards the door. She did not know if he had rung the doorbell or not as her mother had music blasting in the kitchen. She could barely hear her own thoughts.

Rachel unlatched the door and pulled it open to reveal her biological father. It was still hard to come to terms with all the information that was unloaded onto her two weeks before. It was a major adjustment for her to go from having almost no parents to two over attentive/protective parents. She understood their reasoning, but she missed having some semblance of a life.

The only person her age she interacted with was Quinn. While her cousin was lovely and occasionally fun to spend time with, she missed her other friends. Santana and Kurt were not aware of her current situation as Quinn was sworn to secrecy. No one knew the true story behind Rachel's absence from school. It also hadn't been pieced together that it correlated with a certain music teacher's disappearance either, which could be considered a positive. She wasn't sure she wanted the other kids knowing who her mother is, or they might assume she was receiving preferential treatment. She couldn't help it if she was far more talented than the rest of her peers.

Lucas grinned at his young daughter. His breath was still taken away every time he glanced at her for she was far more beautiful than he had imagined. While she resembled her mother a great deal, there were pieces of him in her. She was a reflection of the love her parents once shared.

"Hey squirt," he teased her and ruffled her hair a little. She huffed as she straightened her hair. "You're ridiculous." He chuckled softly. It was easy to rile her up much like her mother.

Rachel stared witheringly at him. She perfectly coiffed her hair every day even if no one but her parents and therapist would see it. Today she had a lace braid on one side of her head. She knew it saddened her mother that she was unable to style Rachel's hair, and part of her felt like asking her. She was too scared.

"What are you doing here?" She asked rudely and without greeting him.

Shelby heard her daughter from the kitchen and scowled. "Rachel that was impolite. Apologize to your father." The mother demanded immediately.

Rachel grimaced but complied with her mother's wishes. She was the child in this equation and unfortunately had to listen to her mother. "I'm sorry for my uncouth behavior. I should have said hello first and then asked."

Shelby rolled her eyes as she knew that was Rachel's version of an apology. They would have to work on her manners and her social skills. She was certainly lacking in that department.

Lucas hid his smirk behind a cough for his daughter was certainly a pistol. "To answer your question princess, your mother invited me over for lunch. I'm leaving in a few days to report back to base. I was on leave, but now I have to go back to Virginia for work."

The girl frowned unhappily, not liking this turn of events. While it was still somewhat awkward with him, they were on the path to building a relationship. However, if he had to return to the navy then it could be months before she would see him again. That did not appeal to her in the slightest. "When will you be back?" Her tone had softened considerably, and she could feel tears pool in her eyes.

Lucas stared down at her and felt his heart break. He hadn't realized how difficult this would be for either of them. Their relationship was still tentative at this point. "Sweetheart, please look at me." He gently cupped her face and tilted her head up. "I'm actually on my way out. I have two weeks left, and then I will be back. I could never leave you. If you'd like I can call you everyday." He was hoping she would agree to this arrangement. He would miss her voice and fiery personality.

Rachel pursed her lips as she considered his proposition. She had become accustomed to his presence in her life, and to not see him for two weeks was asking a lot of her. "I suppose I can agree to that. Are you sure you won't get tired of calling though?"

It was times like these when he was reminded of how vulnerable she was. Those monsters had done a number on her. She was timid and unsure majority of the time. It was new to all of them and they were discovering different aspects of their relationship all the time. It was hardest on her as she was only a child and didn't need people constantly shuffling in and out of her life at the moment. She required stability.

He kneeled before her. The pads of his fingers gently brushed her cheek where tears had spilled. "Rach, you are the one person in my life who means more to me than anything. I thought I had lost my chance to know you, and now that we are finally together, nothing will keep us apart. I love seeing your face. It brightens my whole day."

Her face brightened and he felt as if the whole room had lightened up just for him. "I mean that much?"

He pulled her small body into his strong, muscled arms and cradled her to his chest. "Oh baby you are everything." Rachel felt the release of her tears and she cried into his chest. Her arms tightened around his neck. She knew where he belonged in her life. The piece that didn't seem to fit in the beginning now had a place next to the other big piece.

"Thank you Daddy," she murmured, not much louder than a sigh.

Shelby watched from the entrance to the kitchen and her heart clenched at the beautiful sight before her. She never imagined that such a day could make her so weepy and emotional, but watching father and daughter connect for the first time was simply spectacular. She left them alone to finish their moment, while she finished up lunch.

Fifteen minutes later, the three were settled around the kitchen table. Rachel felt weird vibes radiating off both of her parents. Her curiosity was piqued. Something big was about to happen. She could sense it.

Shelby and Lucas exchanged a conversation with their eyes conveying what it was they were about to discuss. This was a family discussion, and as parents to their daughter, it required a united parental front.

"Honey," Rachel's head snapped up and she glanced between her parents. "Your father and I have realized that you've become restless being cooped up in the house all the time. We've discussed it with your therapist, and she agrees that perhaps it is time you spend some time with your friends. Your Aunt Judy informed me that Quinn was hosting a slumber party tonight, and that you are welcome. We thought it would be a good idea if you attended and accepted the invitation on your behalf."

The young girl gaped at her two parents. Her mouth opened and closed several times as she tried to figure out an appropriate response. A part of her was angry with her parents for accepting without discussing it with her first. She would've appreciated having some say in the matter. Another part rejoiced in the opportunity to get out of the house and spend time with her friends. However, a sliver of doubt persisted in the back of her head. It was the part of her that was terrified to leave her mother. What if she were kidnapped again? All sorts of possibilities ran rampant through her young brain that she could hardly keep up.

She bit her lip as she decided on her course for action. "Can I call you if I get scared?" She was going to do it. She couldn't remain afraid to leave for the rest of her life. How would she get to New York City if she acted like a baby at the prospect of spending time away from her mother.

Shelby smiled, pleased with her daughter. "Yes sweetheart, and you can call right before bed. I will only be a phone call away. If you want to come home, I will pick you up."

They talked out all the details and after lunch Rachel was sent to her room to pack. She vibrated with excitement as she sat in the back of her mom's Range Rover later that afternoon. She had never gone to a slumber party before. Before she moved, Quinn had invited her tons of times, but it was always met with a firm no. She hated having to refuse, but times were changing.

Rachel shifted uneasily as she came out of the bathroom in her pajamas. This would be the first night she spent away from her mother since having found her again. She was nervous to say the least.

"Cute pjs." Quinn commented once she caught sight of her newfound cousin. She sensed Rachel's uneasiness through her body language. Quinn didn't want her to uncomfortable.

The brunette glanced down and smiled. They were her favorite. The bottoms were rainbow colored shorts with polka dots. The shirt was a black tank with a rainbow and glittery lettering that said 'Eat Sleep Dance Repeat'. That was generally her life. She spent much of her time dancing with a four hour voice lesson every Saturday with her mother followed by more dancing. That was the one thing her mother and doctors agreed she could still do. She had private lessons with her instructor. She loved the freedom of dancing and using her body, not her voice to express herself. Her voice had failed her in many ways, and she found herself less interested in people hearing her perform.

"Thanks," she muttered, her cheeks reddening.

Quinn rolled her eyes at Rachel's awkward behavior. "Come on, my mom ordered pizza and San should be here soon. I even invited Brittany so you can meet her." Quinn grabbed Rachel's wrist and dragged her down the stairs.

Rachel chewed on her nails anxiously as every few minutes she peered over her shoulder to glance at the door. It would be the first time she had seen Santana in a month. Her mom was considering pulling her out of school and homeschooling her. However, Santana also had cheerleading and clarinet lessons that her mother forced her into.

There was never enough time to arrange anything. Rachel's only source of friendship came from her cousin. She rarely saw Quinn as it was with all of her appointments. She received counseling twice a week. She visited with a nutritionist/dietician every two weeks. Her pediatrician brought her up to date with her shots, and oversaw the rest of the healing process. The most embarrassing was when she visited a development specialist since her body suffered from malnutrition. Then there were her dance lessons.

Her parents and the specialist discussed ways to help her gain weight, which was the main priority in making sure she would hit puberty. There wasn't any right age, but they said that if she was still behind by the time she turned fifteen, they would discuss it then. At the moment, it wasn't a huge deal since she wasn't even ten yet.

"Geez Rach, what is wrong with you?" Quinn asked annoyed. She had been dealing with this since Rachel was dropped off a few hours before. The girl wouldn't talk except for a few words here and there.

Rachel's eyes darted over to where her cousin sat with her arms crossed. "N-nothing, I'm fine."

Quinn almost rolled her eyes at the obvious lie. Clearly Rachel wasn't fine at all if she was acting so weird. "I'm not stupid." The blonde muttered irritably. Rachel was starting to get on her nerves with her vague responses.

"No one said you were." Rachel retorted with a touch of annoyance lacing her tone. "God not everything is about you." She sniped. She was tired of her cousin complaining all the time.

"Excuse me?" She lifted an eyebrow at the brunette.

Rachel stood up angrily with her hands on her hips. "I said not everything is about you." She reiterated for the blonde as if she were talking to someone who was hard at hearing.

"Yeah well the only reason you're here is cause I felt sorry for you. You don't have anyone because everyone thinks you're a freak. I mean what kind of person doesn't hate the people who abused them?" Dark hazel eyes widened and then slowly filled with tears. "Wait… Rachel I didn't mean that." But it was too late, Rachel ran out of the house before Quinn could catch her. She just knew she was going to be in trouble for running her mouth once again.

"What's going on in here?" Judy asked as she descended the stairs.

Frantic green eyes connected with worried blue ones. "Mommy," she cried. "Rachel just left. I- I d-d-"

"Where did she go?" Judy grabbed her phone and began scrolling.

"We had a fight and we weren't nice to each other." She wasn't about to admit to her mother what she said to her younger cousin. She was rather ashamed about what she said.

Rachel didn't know where she was going. She just ran as fast as her legs could carry her. It took her a few seconds to process her surroundings, but it was the park a few blocks over from the Fabrays. She and Quinn used to play there a lot when they were children.

She shivered at the bitter sting of the cold against her legs. Rachel didn't want to go back to the house and climbed into the tube slide. No one would think to look for her there, and the tube would keep most of the could from hitting her.

Ben, the two of us need look no more

We both found what we were looking for

With a friend to call my own

I'll never be alone

And you my friend will see

You've got a friend in me

(You've got a friend in me)

Tears dripped down her cheeks without permission, but she kept singing. She thought Quinn understood, but maybe she was like everyone else. She judged her and thought she was a freak. Was it wrong not to hate Hiram and LeRoy?

Ben, you're always running here and there

You feel you're not wanted anywhere

If you ever look behind

And don't like what you find

There's something you should know

You've got a place to go

She wanted her mom, but how was she going to call her? Besides she would undoubtedly be in trouble if she returned. Her mom and by extension Lucas were the only ones who understood and never judged her. They listened when she offered anything, and their eyes were full of love and acceptance. They never told her to be sorry for her feelings. They were her safe place.

I used to say "I" and "me"

Now it's "us", now it's "we"

I used to say "I" and "me"

Now it's "us", now it's "we"

Sometimes it still felt like she was the pronouns "I" and "me" in regards to her friends. They treated her with kids gloves. Whenever Santana talked to her on the phone, there seemed to be this distance between them that wasn't there before. Quinn followed her around everywhere when they left either of their houses. Her eyes continuously lingered on her as if she feared something would happen if they were God forbid more than a foot apart.

Ben, most people would turn you away

I don't listen to a word they say

They don't see you as I do

I wish they would try to

I'm sure they'd think again

If they had a friend like Ben

She always wanted a friend like Ben. Ben understood and he protected. Rachel looked up the song and movie, and while she would never go through the measures that Ben the rat had, she knew the boy was protecting his friend. He was being a good friend. He listened and kept his spirits high.

She couldn't go back to her aunt's house. She knew her mother would ground her until the end of time. She didn't want to be in trouble. It was hard not to let her temper take over. There were so many emotions coursing through her at any given moment, and while she knew there were better ways to handle the situation, fighting was certainly the easiest.

With her knees pressed to her chest, she shivered as she felt the night air chilling around her. She had really messed up this time. She buried her face in her knees and cried.

AN- Poor Rach, doesn't know what she's feeling. She's alone and scared. Thoughts?