Chapter 14

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The news spread like wildfire. Rachel knew that it had spread so rapidly, because normally she was the last to know. Quinn Fabray was pregnant. Rachel had been looking for her all morning and she couldn't find her. She realized that she had no idea what she was going to say. Certainly it wasn't going to be congratulations. It also wasn't going to be a pity party. She was broken from her thoughts when she saw someone stalking toward her with a slushie in hand. She stopped mid step and closed her eyes waiting for it to hit.

But it didn't. Rachel popped open one of her eyes to see a sophomore baseball player drenched in the sticky mess instead. Rachel arched an eyebrow and side stepped around him unsure of what just happened. She let him stay in shock in his sticky shower. She continued down the hall toward second period and that's when she noticed the retreating blond at the end of hallway.

Santana walked with an intention after first period. She needed to talk to Rachel. She really needed to talk with Quinn. She wanted to avoid Brittany. Her head grazed the crowd and that's when she saw the tiny brunette. Her back was faced to her and she was staring at the end of the hallway.

"We need to talk," Santana practically hissed as she pulled Rachel to the side of the busy hallway.

"Yeah, we do," Rachel muttered. "Second period hasn't started yet and you beat the shit out of Karofsky already. I thought you were going to stop beating up people and demoralizing them."

"Well, Rachel," Santana replied with a bit of snap. "Can you think of a reason about why I would want to beat the shit out of him?"

Rachel saw and heard the rhetorical nature of Santana's question. She took in Santana's face and knew that Santana knew the answer. Rachel started to breath heavily; she was nervous. She was panicking. This wasn't how she wanted her sister to find out. She didn't understand, but all she felt was worry. She was overwhelmed.

Santana's angry brow softened when she saw Rachel's reaction. She grabbed Rachel and pulled her into the quiet of the choir room. Immediately, she pulled Rachel into her arms and close to her body.

"Rach, feel me breathe, follow my breath. You're okay," Santana's voice was so methodic that it was clear that she'd had to do this before. She felt Rachel physically relax in her arms. She didn't quite understand why Rachel was so anxious? Shouldn't she be grateful that Santana knew?

Rachel pulled away with an appreciative nod. Santana cupped her small face.

"What has he done to you?" her voice was in its rare gentle tone. Rachel looked away and down at the floor, trying to pull away from Santana's hands. Santana brought Rachel's eyes back to her. They were pooling with tears. "Rach, I need you to tell me what happened."

Rachel kneaded her lip between her lips. "I-I-I want to tell you at home."

Santana shook her head. "No, Rachel. You need to tell me here. I need to know. Karofsky said things to me and I need to know." She paused. Not wanting to form the words. "Did he rape you?"

Santana held her breath. To her shock, Rachel just shook her head. "No," she replied, her voice small. "But he tried."

Santana enveloped her into her arms again, cradling her head. She had let her down. She had let her dads down. She couldn't protect her.

"We're going to be late for second period," Rachel finally murmured.

"Okay," Santana said as she regrouped and pulled away. "We'll talk about this more later?"

Rachel nodded as Santana wiped her tears with her thumbs.

"I love you, monkey," Santana said gently. All Rachel could do was nod as she fixed her face. "I think I put the fear of God in him. So he shouldn't be coming near you again."

Rachel just nodded again as the two headed into the crowded but thinning hallway. They walked with the crowd toward their second period. Neither one of them noticed a pair of raged eyes watching them closely from behind.

….

Santana gazed idly out the window during math class. She didn't understand how everything had little gone to pot. Where had she lost control of it all? It wasn't even the end of the first quarter and her drama scale was outrageously high. She felt something hit the back of her head. She turned with fury and came face to face with Puck.

"Hey Satan," Puck leaned in from the desk behind her.

Santana gave a small grin. "Thanks for flushing, Karofsky this morning."

Puck shrugged. "I was bored this morning. Why not?"

Puck was attempting to be as bad-ass as possible, but Santana knew better.

"Keep an eye out for her okay?" Santana said propping her elbow on his desk. Santana looked forward at Ms. Heathway. She was turned to the board. "Listen, things aren't working out between me and B."

Santana was still looking away. She wasn't able to see Puck's momentary look of concern and surprise. He could see what Santana was doing, even though she couldn't. She was building up her wall again.

"That sucks, S," Puck said with a slight smile. "But what do you want me to do about it?"

Santana turned to look at Puck at that.

"Nothing, Puckerman! Clearly!" The bell rang and she popped out of her seat. Leaving Puck in her wake.

….

Blaine sat next to Kurt as he measured some solution into a cylinder. "So how was the rest of your night?"

Kurt shrugged. "It was fine."

"So, uh, Finn's your brother right?" Blaine's voice was casual and calm.

Kurt's head shot up. "How do you know that?" his question was more of a spat than anything else.

"I just saw him shooting hoops in your front yard when we pulled up last night," Blaine said with a shrug. "Was he pissed when he found out why you smelled like shit?"

"God! What's with the third degree? Do you live in a bubble world?" Kurt's tone was hushed.

"Um, no," Blaine said his voice still strong and at the normal conversation voice. "I'm just trying to get to know you, Kurt."

"Well stop!" Kurt said slamming his book shut. "You wouldn't stick up for me? Stop trying to pretend that you're all high and mighty." Before Blaine could respond, Kurt's hand shot up. "Mr. Jameson, I would like a new lab partner!"

…..

Rachel found Kurt huffing in the choir room at lunch.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked as she plopped next to him at the piano.

Kurt swallowed his frustration. "Nothing," he gave a fake smile. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. Santana beat Karofsky up this morning," she said matter of factly.

"I remember hearing something about that," Kurt said with a distant look.

"Kurt, are you okay?" Rachel asked concerned. "I mean really. Yesterday was absolutely terrible. I can talk to Santana and maybe –''

Something flashed in Kurt eyes. He began to pace as if he was about to break into an extravagant song.

"You think everything is so simple don't you?" Kurt grumbled. Rachel jumped slightly.

"Kurt, what's your problem?" she yelled defensively.

Kurt pretended not to hear her.

"That's great for you, Rach!" Kurt hollered. "Santana, finally going to stick up for you?"

"Kurt stop it," Rachel's voice warned, but was still quiet.

"No, Rachel! You are going to get out of here unscathed and I will continue to get brutalized. What are you going to do next year when Santana isn't going to be here?"

"Kurt, what's wrong with you?" Rachel stood up also, frustrated.

"Don't you fucking get it? No one is going to protect you!"

Something clicked in Rachel's brain. "I'm sorry that you feel so alone, Kurt." Her remorseful, honest tone didn't break Kurt. It angered him more.

"Shut up, Rachel!" Kurt used his hands and swiped all of the music on the shelf. Rachel knew at that moment that this wasn't at her. It was for him.

Kurt threw a chair across the room.

"Do you feel better?" Rachel asked as Kurt caught his breath.

"Not really," Kurt muttered "but it is for now. "So what are we rehearsing?"

….

Rachel left Kurt and arrived just in time for Spanish. Mr. Schuester had them split back into the groups they were in earlier that week. Rachel watched as Quinn gave a slight grimace. She sat down across from her.

"Are you okay?"

"Let's not do this, Rachel," Quinn said with a sigh.

Rachel opened her notebook trying to comply with Quinn's words. It barely lasted a few seconds.

"If you need anything," Rachel said putting her hand on Quinn's. "Let me know."

"Like I would need anything from you, Rupaul," Quinn hissed. "Stop this, and let's get this over with. What verbs are we working on?"

"Quinn, I'm serious," Rachel said reassuringly.

"What can you possibly do to help me?" Quinn asked her voice fiercely at first and then broken at the end.

"I could be there for you," Rachel said hopefully.

"Simple as that eh?" Quinn said with a small side grin.

"We can pretend it is," Rachel mirrored the smile back. "So these irregular verbs aren't that difficult. I think that –''

"I slept with Puck for all of the wrong reasons."

Quinn's honesty caught her off guard.

"I hear that's a theme with you Cheerios," Rachel muttered.

"What?" Quinn asked.

"Nothing," Rachel shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"Nevermind. You're right. Let's focus on this," Quinn said. She paused and looked up from her notebook. "Thanks, midget."

"That's not really a term of endearment you know."

"Maybe it is," Quinn whispered.

…

Kurt headed out to the courtyard for lunch. We he felt himself being pulled backward. He gave an angry sigh.

"What now?" he asked annoyed when he turned to face Harper and the hockey team.

"We're training some freshman that's all," Harper grinned. They dragged him over to the dumpster. Kurt let himself be lifted up and as he did he saw Blaine on the sidelines. Harper followed his gaze.

"Hey faggot!" Harper barked toward Blaine. "Want to join in the dumpster fun?"

Kurt watched as Blaine's face turned a sheet of white. He backed out slowly and headed out of sight just as Kurt was pushed into the dumpster. Kurt was right. Courage was easier said than done. He felt himself get dropped into the bags of rejected objects. Harper and his friends laughed and threw Kurt in the dumpster.

Kurt sat amongst the trash bags for a few moments. He was starting to accept that this was where his place was. Suddenly he heard quickened footsteps of someone wearing Mary Jane's. Rachel he thought with a smile. He could always count on her.

Rachel struggled to lift the plastic lid.

"Fancy meeting you here, stranger," Kurt said with mock flirtation.

Rachel gave a stifled laugh. "Let me help you," she said with a grin as she finally got the lid off.

Kurt leaned on Rachel as he hooped down from the dumpster.

"You're a lot of things, Rach, and consistent is one of them," Kurt said with a smile.

"Thanks, I guess," Rachel said as they started back toward the school.

"Nah, thank you," Kurt said as he wrapped his arm around her and they walked into the school. "Do you want to rehearse after history?"

"Sure, but it has to be quick because I have to meet Santana afterward."

…

The library had a dull roar sound of murmurs around in the air. Santana stared at the community college applications. She couldn't believe she was filling this out. She had out of state applications for Georgetown, Carlton, Oberlin, Washington and Lee, and Gettysburg. Now she was applying to a local school so she could stay close to home. Just in case. Her eyes shifted to the window.

"Can I talk to you?" Brittany sat down at Santana's table.

"No," Santana replied as she tried to gather her things.

"Santana," Brittany hissed. She paused when she saw what Santana was gathering. "Community college? San?"

"Don't, Brittany." Santana gathered the last of her applications. "I have to meet Rachel."

Santana started walking toward the door through the stacks. Brittany stopped her and pulled her into another stack.

"You can't just run away when I get overwhelmed. That's not how this is supposed to work."

"Look who's talking and plus there is no THIS," Santana whispered anxiously.

"But there is!" Brittany whispered just as intensely. "You just have to give me the patience to figure it out!"

"Well I'm not going to wait around for you," Santana spat walking away. Once in the hallway, she felt a hand on her arm and she was pushed against a locker of the empty hallway.

"Well that's too bad," Brittany whispered. She cupped Santana's face and kissed her.

Santana gave a small smile in the tracing the tracks of the kiss. Brittany grabbed her hand and Santana followed Brittany quickly toward the Cheerios storage area.

…..

"Are you sure you want to stay in here, Rachel?" Kurt asked as he grabbed his bag. "I mean school's out. Santana will be looking for you."

"I just need a moment to sing this one song." Rachel gave a confident nod. "It'll only take five minutes. Plus knowing Santana she'll be waiting at my locker already. It's not like there's anything else to distract her."

Kurt sighed. "Fine," Kurt walked up the aisle. "Call me when you get to Santana so that I know you're alive."

Rachel giggled. "Fine. See you tomorrow."

Kurt tugged the auditorium door behind him.

….

Santana was in heaven. Brittany kissed her lips softly and then moved delicately to her neck.

"Brittany," Santana mumbled. "The bell rang. I have to go. Rachel's waiting for me."

Brittany let her hand snake underneath her top.

"Just a few more minutes," Brittany whispered as she kissed gentle kisses on Santana's ear."

Santana let a small moan escape her.

….

Rachel stood on the stage. The last note that she sang rang out amongst the empty auditorium seats. She felt herself relax a bit. Suddenly, the stage lights went dark along with the audience lights and the main door in the auditorium slammed shut and locked with a loud click. Rachel felt her chest heave with every inhale and exhale. Her heart pounded. She wondered if she should try to scream or use her voice. She was standing alone, in pitch dark. Maybe she could sneak out the stage door. She glanced over her shoulder. The door was closed. She could only hear the sound of her ragged breath. Finally, a harsh and angry voice broke the silence.

"Manhands, you're hard to find."

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