A/N: My writers block broke, well a little bit. And I came up with this; hopefully it's not as bad as it seems to me. Enjoy :) (also sorry for the long wait on the update)

Chapter 13

Rachel felt her heart hammer against her chest as she pulled into the Fabray's driveway. The brunette wasn't sure if it was the fear she felt as she drove up to the house that she knew Quinn was hurt in, almost every day or if it was still racing from the intense kiss that had been shared between them. Rachel finally settled on the decision that it was a mix of both and when she heard Quinn rustle in the seat beside her, her head snapped away from the windshield and she looked at the blonde beside her. They hadn't said a word about the kiss, in fact judging by Quinn's expression, with her eyebrows furrowed and her lips formed into a frown, Rachel assumed the blonde would never mention it again, and act as if it never happened.

"I should get inside..." Quinn whispered, breaking the thick silence that had fallen over them; the silence that had been there ever since they had fled from the auditorium.

The diva didn't want to let Quinn leave without discussing what the kiss had meant, and what it means for them and their friendship, but the timid part of her that had come out around Quinn, and Quinn's situation told her to shut up and let the other girl slip out of the car, without questions.

Rachel desperately wanted to know what the kiss meant to Quinn, if it meant something or was just a spur of the moment occurrence but she couldn't help but realize inside of her heart (which felt like it was throbbing with pain) that Quinn wouldn't be more than a friend in need. Quinn would never open up to the idea of actually being with her, especially while living under her father's roof, who would beat her just for having feelings for another girl. So Rachel did the only thing she could...

"You should. I don't want you to get in more trouble then you already are." Her voice was slightly weak, but she cleared her throat, hiding it well.

Quinn looked away from her lap, where her attention had been, and then up at her house and panic filled her when her eyes locked onto her father, who was standing on the porch, in front of the front door which was opened. His arms were crossed and he looked like he would punish her in any way he could, in a way that Rachel didn't even want to imagine, but she couldn't stop her imagination from venturing into the world that Quinn had been wrapped up in.

"Thanks for the ride." Quinn said. Her demeanour had changed greatly, the hazel eyes that glanced at her one last time had hardened and the blonde's body had tensed.

She watched as Quinn slowly opened the passenger door and slammed it shut behind her. She didn't look back at the car as she walked up the driveway, she didn't give Rachel a glance, or anything. Instead Rachel became a speck of dirt that was stuck to the pavement.

She took in a shaky breath as she watched Russell grab Quinn's arm and pull her inside. The diva slowly started her car, but as it began to run softly, the purrs of her car echoing in her ear she debated whether she should just drive away and let Quinn get hurt, or stay in case she needed to run inside and save the day. Her mind had made a decision, but her logic was making a different one. She was tempted to stay, to protect Quinn from any harm...but the logic inside her knew it was impossible for her to protect her. Quinn was stronger than her and she couldn't even protect herself from Russell Fabray, which meant one thing; Rachel was no match for him.

With a curtain of regret closing in on her, she put the car in reverse and pressed her foot on the gas pedal and backed out of the driveway. The secret was supposed to stay between her and Quinn, she had already told her dad, and that had broken Quinn's trust. Unfortunately she knew in her heart and mind that she couldn't save Quinn alone. Although the blonde had opened up to her, bled out all her secrets she knew she'd have to go behind Quinn's back, just to help her. The question was, how was she going to go about it? And who was she going to run to?

As the diva drove down the streets, and past her own house, she clenched her jaw, wishing things were easier. Without even realizing it her thought process had been way ahead of her, and made the decision before she was even aware of it herself. It was like her body was on autopilot and her mind was just the program that ran it, and her herself was lost in it all because she had no idea how she wound up pulling into the driveway she had.

She sharply cut the engine and took her keys out of the car and took in a deep breath. Rachel Berry was rarely nervous and rarely scared but right now she was nerve wracked beyond belief and slightly petrified. Before even moving from her seat she looked up at the house before her and mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen. She reached for the door handle and slowly opened it. She closed it quietly behind her and began to walk up to the front door, along the way she had wiped her sweaty hands on her skirt, nervously, while at the same time smoothing it down. She raised her hand and took in a deep breath as she knocked on the door.

"What did I tell you about hanging out with Rachel Berry!" Russell said, as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard in the kitchen. Judy had called for take-out, to strung out to cook or at least that's what she told them. They had ate most of the meal so far in silence, Russell hadn't mentioned anything about earlier, but he now had been through 3 cups of scotch, and was getting a new cup for his vodka.

"We were working out on our project; I needed a ride home..."

"I would have rather you walk then be in the same car as her!"

Quinn sighed, just wishing that this wasn't her life, and that everything would change. That Russell would get what he deserved, but she knew better and knew he wouldn't ever get what was coming to him, at least not anytime soon.

"It was just a ride home..." Quinn mumbled.

"So, it takes less time for her to rub off on you, for her sins and dirty ways to get to you. I don't want you around her Quinn. That's final. Tell Mr. Schuester you can no longer do the project with her, or I will march in there and tell him myself." He pulled out his chair, and sat back down in it.

He brought his glass cup up to his lips and took a long, steady sip. He was so used to the vodka, it didn't even affect him, didn't even burn his throat. His eyes locked with timid hazel ones, and daggers flew effortlessly from his stare, making them dig deep into Quinn's soul, all through a tiny look. A sharp shiver ran up her spine and she was the first to break the eye contact and look away, she wanted to play this game with him, but she wasn't going to. She looked down at her now empty box of Chinese food and carefully slid her chair out and got up from the dinner table.

"Thanks for dinner." She said to her mom, who in return sent her a smile which was full of apologies and a solid glance, that was full of fear. The blonde wanted to hate her mom, wanted to hate her more than her dad because she knew everything, and never said a word, never made an attempt to make it stop; instead Judy kept allowing her to feel the pain he inflicts. The ex-cheerleader didn't even look at her dad before throwing out her food container and then heading out of the kitchen, and carefully walking up the stairs. The minute she got to her room she closed the door behind her, locked it and allowed herself to fall onto her bed. She looked at her cell phone, and debated texting the one person she wanted to talk to the most, the one person she wanted to tell everything that had just unfolded to. But instead she threw the cell phone down beside her and closed her eyes, choosing the loneliness and solitude.

"You shouldn't be so hard on her Russell." Judy said, as she fixed the blankets and sheets on their bed.

"I'm only doing what's best for her. She doesn't realize how many people will bring her down, or what people will do. That Berry girl is bad news."

"Are you sure you aren't just judging Rachel because you don't like the lifestyles her fathers have?"

Russell looked up at his wife, his eyes narrowed and they darkened, not with lust like most people eyes would darken with but with a mission to hurt, a look to practically kill. Judy immediately shut her mouth, as if it had been sewn shut.

"I went to school with them, That Hiram ruined Leroy's potential, he was the best football player in the whole school, and my best friend, he always had the cheerleaders, the popularity, and the fame and he threw it all away for some sin. It isn't love, it's disgusting." Russell wrinkled his nose. "They raised her, showed her beliefs that aren't right, and she should know that loving like that is a sin."

"Russell I think Rachel Berry has became a very nice young lady. Regardless of how she was raised, she is her own person and-"

Russell slammed the cup he had been holding down on the dresser and it caused Judy to jump, and purse her lips together, to stop any words from escaping.

"'. Quinn will not hang out with her; Rachel is a bad example and is probably the same as her dads, disgusting."

Judy had no idea why, but she wasn't oblivious. She watched her daughter; she knew how Quinn looked at the other girl, the way Quinn would light up at the mere mention of Rachel's name even if her dad was cursing it. Judy had grown to know her daughter over the years, even if she didn't act like it, and instead acted like she didn't even know Quinn existed. But Judy chewed the inside of her bottom lip, trying so hard to fight back the words she wanted to say. Russell already got away with hurting her daughter, and cursing everyone in the neighbourhood or world to be exact, but one thing she couldn't stand was him calling love disgusting, regardless what form it came in. She couldn't stand him saying someone who is gay, was disgusting, because it was obvious to her that her little girl was very much in love with one Rachel Berry, and Judy knew Quinn was far from disgusting.

"I just can't have anyone near us, or in this house who-"

"Russell what if Quinn was gay, would you kick her out, just like you did when she was pregnant?"

His whole demeanour changed, he wasn't far from Satan. He rushed at Judy and before she had the chance to move his hand connected with her face, the slap echoing in both their ears. It wasn't the first time he had done it to her, however it was rare. Quinn was his target, but Judy mentally yelled at herself for crossing the line, for saying a word to upset him. Russell glared at her before pushing her back onto the bed and with that he stormed out of the room and made his way down the hall, his destination wasn't that far. Just a few doors down, and he arrived where he wanted to go.

He rolled up his sleeves, on his sweater and placed his hand on the copper doorknob and twisted it. The knob didn't budge and he swore under his breath when he realized that Quinn had locked the door. He clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it against the door, causing the blonde on the other side to spring up into a sitting position, her head immediately aching, from being scared out of a deep, yet restless sleep. She didn't even remember falling asleep.

The knocking continued and Quinn swallowed thickly. She looked at the door, and then the window. If she jumped, odds are she'd break something from the fall; she had no time to shimmy down the thing beside her window. However if she faced her dad, she could wind up breaking something as well. She hurried around her room, ignoring the loud bangs coming from the door. She grabbed her bag, and emptied the contents of her school books, and everything else onto her bed and rushed to her closet and pulled out some clothes, shoving them as best she could into her bag.

"Quinn Fabray open this door right now, or I'll break it down!"

The blonde didn't answer, she just continued to pack things into her bag, and once she finished she zipped it up and just as she headed towards her window, the knocking stopped and she took in a deep calming breath. The blonde was scared and slightly curious; she had no idea what he would do next. It had gotten to the point where she couldn't pinpoint his actions anymore, couldn't figure out what his next move was. She placed all her focus on her window and pushed it open with as much force as she could, her ribs hurting from the pressure.

The window finally opened and she threw the bag out first, and watched it as it fell with a thump, and a bounce onto the grass. She looked over her shoulder at the door, and sighed hoping he didn't come back. Quinn slowly stuck one leg out of her window and a sudden loud thump caused her to jump in shock, and her heart began to pound in her chest. She didn't even know how he did it, but the doorknob sprung off, and the door flew open. Her terrified eyes looked up from the swinging door, and met his angry, fiery eyes and her heart almost felt like a heavy weight that was stuck in her chest, and for some reason she was more scared then usual and her reaction was to run, so she tried to shimmy out of the window even more but he was quick and hurried over to her. His powerful and strong hands clasped the back of Quinn's shirt and he pulled her back through the window and carelessly let her go, causing her to slam into her bedroom floor, practically eating it.

"Get up!" Russell's voice vibrated off the walls, and it went right through Quinn's head; her headache expanding, making her head feeling like a 10 pound bowling ball. She slowly obeyed, going as fast as her body would allow her to do so. Once she gathered herself to her feet Russell raised his hand and backhanded her across the face. The slap echoed, but Quinn held back the tears. It wasn't new to her, she could stand it or so she convinced herself. Her body felt immune, but she could still feel the bruise forming, it was one hell of a slap.

There was a thick silence; no words even had to be said because Russell was just in the mood now. He was angry, mad and although Quinn didn't know what set him off or why he was punishing her, Russell himself knew and that was all that mattered to the man.

"Were you trying to sneak out of this house!"

"I-I was just..." She stuttered, but couldn't get anything out.

"I know exactly what you were doing." His voice was deep and full of anger and whatever other emotions he was feeling. He was also drunk, and releasing the effects of his alcohol. Quinn swallowed thickly she could now feel the fear as it grew from inside. Her body was showing it, but only slightly as her hands shook by her sides. She clenched them into small fists against her hips to prevent the shaking. The last thing she wanted to do was show her father any sign of weakness.

"You know better than to try sneaking out of this house young lady, where exactly did you think you were going!"

"I-I don't know."

Russell snickered and walked a little closer to his daughter, who walked backwards as he moved. She felt her back bang into the wall and she winced slightly at the pressure of it. Russell was now in front of her and Quinn looked around the room and she mentally cursed, because now she was stuck.

"So you were just going to run the streets?"

"It's not like you would give a shit. "

Russell took another step forward, and he bit his bottom lip in anger. His eyes narrowed and Quinn couldn't believe she just said that. She braced herself for whatever he would do next, but she didn't expect it. He raised his hand and wrapped it around her throat and her eyes widened. Of course, she only ever dreamed of him doing this but feeling his hand wrap around her throat and slightly squeeze was a lot more terrifying, then she thought it ever would be. She could feel the pain, and the bruising that was going to happen afterward. It felt similar to shreds of glass being brushed up and down her neck. It just hurt, and sharply tingled.

"If I ever see you trying to sneak out again, you'll wish you had never been born!" he screamed now, spraying slight spit as he screamed and Quinn closed her eyes tightly wishing it would just all end. Her fist at the left side slowly unclenched and she rested her open palm over her pocket where her cell phone was located because she had shoved it in there while packing her bag, the only person who came to her mind to contact was Rachel. She continued to hover her hand over her pocket, and just wished it was easier than this.

Russell continued gripping her neck and tightened his hand a little more and she felt herself swallow thickly, and said a goodbye to breathing as her breath was cut off. He could feel her swallow against his hand and before letting go he slammed her against the wall, and then ripped his hand away from her neck. She immediately raised her hand and gently rubbed where his had been, it didn't help at all because her neck just hurt more with the soft touch of her fingers.

He pointed his finger at her, opened his mouth ready to say something but he soon closed it and just stormed out of her room; slamming the door behind him. She flinched at the loud noise and took a few deep breaths, enjoying the fact that she could breathe again. She felt the phone in her pocket but decided against contacting Rachel, at least right now. Instead she slid down the wall and collapsed onto the floor. Her cheeks were already wet and stinging with salt water, and she had no idea when she started crying.

She sat there, huddled up against the wall, and curled into herself. She wrapped her arms around her legs which she had brought up against her chest. For once Quinn finally let herself go, she cried, and cried hard. She felt her chest burn with the pain of all the sobs and heavy whimpers, and her throat hurt from the power of all the slow oncoming tears and the raspy sounds made from releasing all the bottled up emotion.

Quinn shook as she released her fear, her sadness and even some repressed sadness from the past. She released her fear and emotions over finding out who she was, and her fear of falling for Rachel. She released anything and everything.

Rachel stood in the family room, of the person's house she had gone to. It was awkward, and silent. When the door was opened they had exchanged some limited words, and she was told to get lost but she finally convinced the other glee clubber to let her in, to talk about an emergency involving Quinn. Now neither one knew what to say to each other but Rachel didn't want to just jump into the conversation about Quinn's personal issues. The diva began to pace back and forth and she heard the other person clear their throat.

"Sit down, you're driving me crazy." The voice filled her ears and she obeyed, and sat down on a black leather arm chair. She ran her fingers up and down the arm of the chair, and took in a deep breath, mentally preparing for what she was going to say.