Summary: Rachel has a secret and Quinn has figured it out - but will Quinn use this knowledge to exact revenge on Rachel for telling Finn that Puck was really the father or will she use her own experiences to help. WARNING - language and sexual content in the form of rape, also at some point possible reference to self-harm.
Pairing: Rachel/Quinn (friendship, could lead to more)
Notes: I warned you that you probably wouldn't get an update until today LOL I hope everyone had a great weekend. Time to find out what the Berry's think about the idea of Rachel getting an abortion and also what's Rachel going to do about school.
Warning: Hinted violence, mention of rape, language.
Disclaimer: I own nothings, but the random ramblings of which occur in my brain. Glee and any other copyrighted content used belongs to their respective owners.
Quinn and Mercedes sat downstairs in the lounge with the Berry's, Rachel was upstairs in the shower, Beth was in Hiram's arms cooing away blissfully unaware of the tension in the room.
"That's all she seems to do," Leroy said sadly, "it's like she can't get clean."
"She can't," Quinn's voice was filled with sorrow, "when I found her last week…she said she couldn't get him off…"
"I just wish we knew what to do…how to make it better for her." Hiram sighed.
"We need to talk to her about some…things, but she won't even look at us let alone speak to us," Leroy's voice broke, he wanted nothing more than to kiss away his daughter's pains.
"Actually Mr. B, there's something I need to talk to you about…" Mercedes spoke, "it's about Rachel and what happened on Thursday…"
"She told you about the examination?" the tall man was quite shocked, his daughter had said absolutely nothing when they were at the exam or on the way home, or since then.
Mercedes nodded, "She overheard the doctor talking to you and…she knows you're going to talk to her about having an abortion…"
Leroy pinched the bridge of his nose, he hadn't realised Rachel had heard the discussion.
"Did she say anything to you about it?" Hiram asked.
"She said she won't do it," her voice was filled with pain, she had desperately hoped that the star would, "she's really against it."
"I see…" Hiram was lost for words; he hadn't expected his daughter to see the pregnancy through.
"Maybe we should still try talking to her?" Leroy suggested, "Let her know that the option is there for her, that it's ok if that's the route she wants to take, that no one will judge her for it."
"She won't budge Mr. B," she let out a rueful laugh, "you know better than we do that she's stubborn."
"I don't understand," Hiram whispered.
Quinn watched silently as Mercedes tried to explain that their daughter was going to see the pregnancy through regardless of what anyone said to her.
"I don't understand it either," Mercedes' words were slow, "I don't understand any of this. She doesn't deserve any of this," tears were slowly beginning to make a bid for freedom.
"I know," Leroy sat next to Mercedes and gave the girl a hug, "she doesn't…she's always been such a good girl, my little star." He let the tears quietly fall, "I can't believe anyone would do this to her."
Hiram struggled to remain in control of his emotions, "It's not about that babe you know that. She's still a good girl and she'll always be our little star."
The blonde could feel her heartache for the pain the family was going through, "She's still Rachel, that's why she won't go through with it." The Berry's turned to look at her, she felt her heart thump furiously in her ears from their intense gazes, "Rachel said she wouldn't let him make her do that. She won't let him make her kill an innocent child…that's what she told us…She's still Rachel, she's trying to fight back and be the girl that's strong in her beliefs…she's just finding her way again…"
"That's my girl," Leroy sniffled, "always trying to do the right thing."
The foursome sat in silence, each dealing with their own pain that they felt for Rachel, each facing the guilt that in some way they had let the girl down, for not being their to protect her, for not realising sooner what she was going through.
"We still need to talk to her," Hiram broke the silence, "we need to discuss school."
"I can get compassionate leave this week," Leroy wiped at his eyes, "at least she won't be at home alone then."
"We can come visit after school," Mercedes suggested.
No one had realised that water had stopped flowing through the pipes, or that the sixth step on the stairway had creaked. None of them knew that she had been stood just outside the door.
"I want to go to school tomorrow," Rachel voiced quietly.
They all jumped, startled that the small girl was now stood in the doorway.
"Are you sure that's a good idea Rae?" Leroy asked.
"No one expects you to go straight back baby," Hiram added, "it's ok to take some time off."
"I know," she looked at the small girl sat in her dads arms, "I just don't want to stay home…if I go to school I'll have something else to focus on…"
Hiram and Leroy exchanged a silent look of worry, each of them clueless as to how to convince their daughter it was probably best that she stayed home so she could catch up on her rest, just for a few days.
Quinn and Mercedes noticed the looks the Berry's wore.
"We'll make sure she's ok," Mercedes promised.
"We really will look out for you sweetie," the blonde offered a Rachel a smile, "you're kind of stuck with us now."
Rachel returned the smile, it wasn't quite as believable as she hoped it would be but no one expected it to be either. "See, I'll be ok…Quinn and Mercedes say so." She nodded as if it was as simple as that. She could see that her fathers weren't quite convinced, "Dad…Daddy, if I stay home…I won't be able to go back…I want to try…I want things to go back to being…normal…"
"Ok baby," Leroy looked at his daughter and wished she could look at him, even if it was a quick glance, "if that's what you want?"
"It is," she whispered. She wasn't quite convinced it was the best idea herself, but she knew she couldn't stay at home all day alone with her fathers. They would never hurt her, she knew that, she knew they would move heaven and earth for her but the thought of being alone with two men regardless of who they were was so frightening it made her stomach tighten and twist in ways she never thought it was capable of. At least by going to school she would have women around her, granted the male population was still there but if it got too much she always had the option of hiding in the girls bathroom.
"Are you sure you'll be ok to go to school Rae?" Hiram tried to hide his reluctance to let his baby girl go back to school so soon.
"I'll be fine Dad," she lied, "besides I've got Quinn and Mercedes there with me, we have a lot of the same classes together."
"We'll take good care of her," Quinn promised.
"Did you want us to swing by in the morning to pick you up?" Mercedes asked.
Rachel's face flooded with panic, "Are you not staying tonight?"
"We have to drop Beth off at the sitters in the morning sweetie," Quinn could see the worries filling the chocolate eyes, "I don't mind staying tonight it's just we leave early for school so that we can drop Beth off…"
"Ok…" she tried not to let the fear that was seeping in to every fibre of her being show.
"I can look after Beth for you," Leroy piped up, "I'm going to take tomorrow off, I wouldn't mind looking after her. Save you the having to spend money on a sitter and having to leave early."
"That's very kind of you Leroy," the blonde smiled sweetly, genuinely touched by the offer, "but my mom pays for the sitter, it's her way of helping out."
"I understand," he nodded.
"You could come with us to drop Beth off if you'd like?" Mercedes knew how to solve problems; "We'd be able to stay tonight and in the morning we could drop Betty Boo off before school."
"I'd like that," Rachel smiled, relieved that she stood a chance of sleeping before returning to God only knows what at school.
Attention: Tada! Sooo...
What does everything think if gonna happen at school? (Wow that sentence couldn't be worse if I tried, sorry! Very tired!)