Disclaimer: I do not own Glee

A.N. A million thanks to all who continue to read/alert and review this story and have been waiting for this new chapter.

Thanks as always to xXLittle Rose AngelXx for being a super dedicated beta :)

Hiram was waiting for someone to wake him up, to tell him that he hadn't just been forced to sedate his only child. Rachel's screams had woken the whole house, as well as the officers who had been keeping watch and had rushed to see what the disturbance was. Once the sedative had taken effect, it took some time to convince Noah to leave Rachel's side so that Sue could treat the grazes that Rachel had left on his arms and hands in her struggle to fight the Finn of her night terror. He had only agreed when Brittany had promised to stay with Rachel and had begun to brush her friend's hair. "Go ahead, Noah; you need to look your best for Rach." Brittany would accept no arguments from him, so Noah let Sue wash and bandage his injuries, staying quiet the whole time, wondering how things had changed so quickly yet again.

Hiram came to sit beside Noah, to reassure him that the sedative wasn't hurting Rachel and also to ask if he had any idea what had made Rachel react so badly. "When Leroy was going to bed he checked in on you both and he thought you were sound asleep."

"We woke up. I'm not sure what time that was. Rachel seemed calmer, peaceful somehow, as if she had reached a decision on something important, like the time she chose Babs over Idina."

Noah wondered if he was being too flippant, too random, but Hiram understood. "And what was that decision?"

Noah hesitated; his conversations with Rachel were private and he didn't want either of her dads to question his motives, especially when they trusted him to share a bed with their daughter. "It's okay, son; Leroy and I know you have a close bond with Rachel."

"It's not okay" Noah burst out. "I should have known better than to kiss her, but you've got to believe I never meant to scare her, I swear."

"Noah, listen to me. It wasn't your kiss that made her scream out like that. It was like she was trying to find you. You have to know how important you are to her." Hiram's words failed to make on impact on Noah, who went on as if the man had never spoken.

"But I couldn't protect her. You must hate me. All I've done these last few years is cause her pain. What have I done?" Noah was shaking at this stage and Hiram knew that if he couldn't get him to take a breath, he too would need sedation.

Looking around to find his husband, Hiram instead saw Brittany exchange a few words with Santana and he watched as the girls swapped places and Britt made her way over to join him. She sat cross-legged in front of Noah and took his hand in her own. Hiram recognised the look on her face as what the gleeks had christened her "no-nonsense" look.

"Noah, you need to stop that right now. Do you want Daddy Berry to send you to sleep? He will if you don't take a few deep breaths and compose yourself. Rachel is safe, we're all here and none of us blame you."

"I shouldn't have kissed her, she's not ready. I rushed it and now look at her." Noah couldn't keep his eyes off of Rachel. "She's so small; she never stood a chance against him. Against me. I deserve more than these few cuts."

Brittany had heard enough; she hated that her beloved Puckleberry had faltered so soon, and she knew that Rachel's nightmare would set Noah back if she didn't do something to save the day. "You spoke, you kissed, and you went to sleep. How am I doing so far?" Ignoring the protest that formed on Noah's lips, she continued. "You tried to comfort Rachel when her nightmare started, tried to reach her but you couldn't. You were so focused on Rachel that you failed to realise that she was scratching you. You didn't hear what she was saying. Rachel was trying to get to you, not away from you. I'm serious, Noah. Ask Kurt, ask Blaine, ask Sue; any of them will tell you the same thing."

"You never lie, Britt. I'm sorry for upsetting you." His words were rushed in his panic to fix yet another mistake he had made.

"Noah, I hate that you think a Puckleberry kiss could ever hurt Rachel. Puckleberry is a wonderful thing, Noah; never forget that." The certainty in Brittany's voice was unquestionable, not that Noah would ever dream of contradicting Brittany.

Leroy was watching the interaction between the two teens in fascination. Noah's body was still once more; his eyes had lost their frenzied look, and overall he looked more in control of himself, though his attention was fixed on Rachel. Brittany wasn't finished; she knew that Hiram needed to know all that had happened so that he could treat Rachel correctly and could recognise the trigger if there was one. "Before you woke up, how was Rachel doing?"

Leroy wondered if this was one of Brittany's random questions. After all, if Noah was also asleep, how would he know?

"Her heartbeat was racing, but her breathing wasn't. Like this afternoon at lunch. I don't think it was a nightmare, Britt. It was different but I'm not sure how."

"What else, son?" Hiram followed Brittany's example, speaking quietly to the boy whose own pulse had been a cause of concern mere moments before.

"Don't worry about using grown-up words, Noah."

"How did you know Britt?"

She just shrugged, urging him to continue; now was not the time to reveal her secrets. "I can't explain it. I just felt a change, like she was calling out to me and, even though I was still so tired, I knew she needed me to help her find her way. I opened my eyes and waited, I'm not sure for how long, but when she woke, she was my Rachel, my Ray, again."

"But?" Both Brittany and Hiram could tell that Noah was reluctant to continue.

"Rachel wanted to say something. To tell me something I've been waiting to hear for so long, but I knew it wasn't the right time, not with everything else and she understood. I swear I put no pressure on her."

As Noah's voice took on a slightly more agitated edge, Hiram hurried to reassure him. "Noah, it's okay. No one here thinks you would ever force Rachel to do or say anything against her will. Just before you went back to sleep, how was she?"

Noah took a few greedy gulps of air, trying to hold back the storm of emotions that were brewing inside of him. "Peaceful, at least at first, but even when she began to struggle it was different. Like she was winning somehow, and then she was screaming and I thought she was fighting me. Why else would she be calling my name like that?" Noah's voice caught as he tried to remember anything else that might help.

"I think you and Rachel should get more rest now, Noah. And if you promise to not worry I won't get Daddy Berry to inject you." Once again, Brittany was in charge, but Noah was only too glad to let her take control of the situation. Rachel had been trying to save him; she didn't need to wake up and find him gone. "Let's get you tucked up, then; we grown-ups are going to talk." It was yet another of Brittany's quirky yet insightful statements that no one would ever question or argue with.

"Ms Pierce has spoken; let's leave her to her work. We'll meet you downstairs." Leroy was glad to have something to do and he ushered everyone away from the room, leaving Brittany to the task, aided by a timid Kurt. Blaine and Santana had disappeared once Brittany and Hiram had begun their conversation with Noah, and Leroy was anxious to see how they were doing. The smell of fresh coffee and toasted bagels greeted him and he noted that the clock showed the time to be half six. Sue was just closing the front door, having delivered a warm breakfast to the officers and informing them that Rachel was fine once more but had suffered one of her debilitating panic attacks, this time in her sleep. Brittany arrived downstairs, Kurt having elected to stay and keep watch on Rachel and Noah.

"Am I right in thinking that this is not the first panic attack or nightmare Rachel has had?" Leroy was done waiting for answers, so the tone of his question was more sharp than usual.

"Rachel has flashbacks. It's like she gets lost in the past. It's not just last Friday, but other times when Finn may have acted out, though most of the time it's the first any of us have heard of the event." Blaine spoke for the first time; the sound of Rachel screaming and the pained look on Noah's face had shaken him and so he was eager to give Rachel's parents any information that might help. The time for keeping secrets was over.

"She's kept so much hidden to protect us; it goes back months and none of us figured it out." Santana's anger was back; how could they have missed so many warning signs?

"There has been enough unnecessary blame for one night, Santana; unless you saw first-hand one of Finn's attacks on our daughter, either physical or mental, there is nothing you could have done otherwise." Leroy would not allow anyone take responsibility for the actions of Finn, especially when the boy himself saw no wrong doings in what he had done.

"We've always been able to bring her back before. The only time she had to be sedated was when Mom and Ms Puckerman saw her Friday evening. It was the only way that they could see if she had any broken bones, and even then mom was worried about a concussion." Santana looked at Hiram, hoping he would not find fault with Rachel's medical care. They had acted as best they could in the circumstances. "We kept her clothes, got swabs and as much evidence as we could. Mom made sure it was all done properly. That had to help, right?" Santana felt as if she had developed word-vomit; all of a sudden she was trying to remember Lauren's instructions for channelling her desire to lash out into something productive and everything she had kept bottled up at Rachel's request was spilling out of her with no filter.

Mimicking his husband's early actions with Noah, Leroy sat beside Santana and tried his best to let the girl know she had done nothing wrong. "It's okay. Your mom left us a letter; it's how Hiram knew about the sedation for Rachel. You did the right thing." At Santana's look of relief, Leroy went on. "I feel like a broken record here, but given the circumstances, I'll say it again. Not one of you is in the wrong. You have protected and cared for Rachel as best as you could. If you hadn't called us we would still be away from Rachel. You found a way to keep your promise and help her at the same time. There is nothing more you could have done." Seeing that his words were registering with the girl, Leroy asked, "This evidence you have - where is it now?"

"The physical evidence was handed over to the police - photographs and so on. Her swabs are being tested at the moment and then will be passed on to the police. Dr Lopez was trying to protect the chain of custody as much as possible," Sue answered. "Quinn and Brittany also saved Rachel's clothes which are safe and can be handed to the police in the morning, or I can go get them now?"

Leroy shook his head. "It was a good idea, girls, but I don't think the police can use them as evidence. If Sue has them safe I'll be sure to ask."

"Should we have done something with them? It's been so difficult thinking like an adult, you know?" Brittany was worrying her lower lip as she waited for Leroy's reply.

"Britt, you did great and we could be lucky enough that there won't be an issue about the clothes. It was wrong of me to be negative."

"That's fine, Mr B. We tried to remember everything from the classes you gave San during the summer. She said they were more reliable than taking advice from Horatio and his sunglasses."

Hiram burst out laughing which he turned into a cough just as fast. Sometimes Britt said the strangest things, but her heart was in the right place and he wouldn't alienate her or Santana for any reason. Brittany looked at him fondly, as if she were the parent and he was the small child that had unwittingly said something funny.

"Do you prefer Hotch and his team of crime fighters?" The question was asked seriously but somehow managed to lighten the mood in the room. "How long will Puckleberry be asleep for?"

"I'm not sure, Britt. I didn't give Rachel a full dose; just enough to allow her to sleep. Her nerves weren't able to handle much more. She needs as much quiet and rest as possible, but she also needs to be as coherent as she can handle or the sedative could backfire and lead to more panic attacks, which we don't want."

"And Noah?" Blaine wanted to know.

"That's even more difficult to predict. I just hope he stays asleep as long as Rachel does. They both looked worn out."

"What can we do?" Blaine was anxious to keep busy.

"The police will be here to talk to you all, though Kurt has to wait for his dad before he can be interviewed." The boy in question had been silent since arriving downstairs. He was trying not to freak out but her really needed his dad.

As if Leroy could read his thoughts, he addressed Kurt. "If you want to go home or even have you Dad come here, we can arrange it for you."

"Please don't think badly of me, but I just have to see him." Kurt couldn't bring himself to look around the room and see the disappointment on the faces of his friends.

"Look at me, Kurt," Hiram spoke quickly. "There is no judgement in this house. We are all family. If you'd like to call home to make arrangements, then please go ahead."

"Tell your dad that I can drive you to where ever you have to go," Sue offered, knowing that neither of the Berry parents would be leaving their daughter anytime in the near future.

"I can go with you, if you'd like." Blaine didn't want his boyfriend to be alone if he didn't have to be, but he didn't want to get in the way either.

"You are not abandoning any of us, Kurt, so make the call." Brittany made the decision for Kurt, going so far as to grab his phone and dialling Burt's number. She handed the phone back to her friend and pushed him out of the kitchen so he could talk in private. Blaine paused, not really sure what to do, until Brittany nudged him in Kurt's direction, who automatically reached for his boyfriend's hand. The call didn't last long; Kurt would go home for a few hours, spend time with Burt, and Sue would accompany him there, waiting outside the Hummel home just in case the family were called into the police station during the visit. Blaine decided to go as well, though he was prepared to wait in the car with Sue unless Kurt wanted him to join him inside the house. The less contact any of them had with Finn the better and Kurt had already been warned that he wouldn't be able to speak with Carole for the time being.

"Kurt, Blaine, please have some breakfast. You too, Sue," Hiram insisted. He wanted Burt to see that he and Leroy would take care of his son, just as Burt had looked out for Rachel.

Santana's phone began to ring. "It's Q; please excuse me for a minute." She left the kitchen to update Quinn on the arrival of Rachel's dads, explaining to her why she had not had the opportunity to call before. Quinn understood, of course. She wanted to know when she should arrive, having promised to wash Rachel's hair for her. When Santana raised the question, Leroy asked if he could speak to Quinn and her mother, so Santana handed her phone over.

The group going to the Hummel house was ready to leave, and the girls gave hugs to both boys. Brittany refused to let Sue leave without a hug of her own. "Yes, Britt, my phone is fully charged. You can call me if you need to," Sue assured the girl, knowing that she would have at least two messages before she reached her destination.

On their way out Sue told Hiram that the patrol officers were looking for him. It was almost time for the shift change so they were not to worry if they saw new faces outside, and to also remember that the replacement team would be in an unmarked car now that it was brighter out. Hiram thanked the men for their efforts and wished them a good rest after long hours spent cooped up in the squad car. He brought in their used cups and utensils from their breakfast, which Santana took from him and placed into the dishwasher. She then handed him a fresh cup of coffee, just how he liked it, and watched as Brittany led the man upstairs, where the sound of movement suggested that at least one half of Puckleberry was waking.

Leroy had already gone up but was waiting on the threshold of Rachel's room, watching as both she and Noah seemed to wake up simultaneously and tried to adjust to the half light in the room. For the time being they were in their own world, Rachel carefully examining Noah's cuts before lifting her fingers and sweeping a stray hair back into place in his Mohawk. Noah seemed content to follow her hand on its journey, his eyes checking to see if she was really awake, listening to her breathing for the smallest signs of distress. His assessment complete, he released a slow breath, tangling his fingers with hers and gently pulling her closer to him, placing chaste kisses on her forehead, the tip of her nose and the corner of her mouth. That last kiss seemed to spark a memory in Rachel's mind.

"Is it time yet, Noah?" she sounded so hopeful.

Even though his answer was not what she wanted to hear, he murmured, "Not yet, Ray. Soon, I promise."

Rachel accepted his words and offered him her free hand, which he kissed and placed over his heart.

"It's yours, Ray. Always has been." Noah hoped that this was enough to tide Rachel over until they were free to say what they both wanted to say.

As Brittany was not taking any chances when the future of Puckleberry was being decided, she led the Berry Daddies to their bedroom, knowing that Rachel and Noah would come looking for them. She was rewarded a few minutes later when Noah called out to her, and nothing could hold back Leroy and Hiram from going to Rachel. Remembering that their daughter would be easily startled, they managed to walk slowly into the room. She was still in bed, but Noah had arranged her pillows so that she could sit up in comfort.

"Dad. Daddy. You're really here? It wasn't a dream?"

"No, Star, we're here." Hiram sat on one side of Rachel, while Leroy hovered at the end of the bed.

"Rach? I'm going to bring Noah with me for a little while. He needs to get tidied up a bit. That's okay, right?" Britt knew that Rachel should spend some alone time with her dads and, while they wouldn't mind Noah being there, he needed to be made pretty for Rachel.

"Thanks, Britt. Take good care of him, though?" Rachel whispered.

"Of course, Rach. Do you need anything before we go?"Brittany replied

"I'll be okay with my dads here" was Rachel's soft response.

As Brittany led Noah out of Rachel's room, he took one last look at Rachel and stopped moving, noting the look in her eye. "Just a second, Britt." Brittany lightly tapped her foot at this delay, but her mild annoyance was forgotten when Noah removed his shirt and gave it to Rachel, who pulled it over her head and seemed to relax once it was on her. Another look passed between them and then both looked guiltily at Brittany's discreet cough. "Sorry," they both mumbled, and just like that the tension in the room was lifted.

"I know you must have so much to ask, but could we just sit here for a few minutes, please?" Rachel asked. She was beginning to feel slightly overwhelmed, but didn't want to hurt her dads' feelings.

"Whatever you need, Star." Hiram checked on her pulse, which seemed much steadier, and her voice had lost its hysterical edge. Though quieter, Rachel sounded more like herself. Seeing that Hiram appeared satisfied with his quick examination, Leroy asked if he could hug her.

"Of course, Dad."

Leroy had noticed that one of Rachel's shoulders was tenderer than the other, if the way Noah held her was any indication, so he was careful to move Rachel slowly until she was secure in his arms. Hiram was holding Rachel's hand and the family stayed silent, each glad to be reunited at last.

"You're not angry, are you? With me or the others?" It was important to Rachel that her friends received no blame for any of the choices she had made.

"As much as we would have liked to have been here for you sooner, we understand." Leroy's voice mimicked his daughters, his answer just above a whisper.

"Who called you? It wasn't Noah, so who was it?" Rachel's questions continued.

"If we're not angry, you can't be, right?" Hiram asked.

"I want to say thank you, Daddy. I was trying to be brave. To prove that I could fix this but that was stupid. I'm stupid just like he..." Rachel cut herself off. Hadn't she decided to fight back, to not let Finn win? "I was irrational, not stupid."

"Everyone copes differently, darling. The brain can overrule every other sense, every other instinct. It does whatever it can to survive. There is no blame here." Hiram was proud of how Rachel had not given into the words that must have been a method of Finn's emotional abuse. It was a small victory for her and hopefully the first of many. Leroy wondered if Rachel had shrunk; she felt tiny in his arms. Maybe now he and Hiram were home they could get Rachel to eat more. "Do you feel hungry?" he asked.

"A little, I guess." Rachel didn't sounding convincing; it was almost as if she was saying what she thought her dads wanted to hear.

Both men had agreed not to push her to do anything she didn't want to. Brittany had other ideas. She hadn't risked her friendships with Rachel to get her dads home only for Rachel to continue to starve herself. With a knock on the door she let herself into the room. Noah was downstairs with strict instructions to eat all his breakfast, to call his mom and then to help Santana with the dishes or she would be very unhappy.

"Rach, I need to ask you something. I don't want to make you sad or scared so I've been waiting for you dads to get here." Rachel waited and Brittany continued. "I know you've been upset, but that's not the only reason you haven't been eating, is it? Blaine and I have made so many yummy meals for you but you never finish them." Rachel stayed silent. "Did he call you the three letter word?" Neither Leroy nor Hiram could doubt who she was referring to, but the rest of her question confused them. Rachel opened and closed her mouth trying to answer. "Do I need to call you Barbra? You know how I hate having to middle name anyone. Don't say sorry, Rach, just tell the truth."

"Yes." Rachel struggled to force the word out but was rewarded by one of Brittany's big smiles.

"I know you know this, but have just forgotten. You are not and never have been fat. Or ugly. Or stupid or whatever else that excuse of a human said to you." Rachel nodded, not able to speak.

The doorbell rang. "I'm going to let Quinn in and while she's helping you I'll be making your breakfast." And with that, Brittany jumped up, made a quick detour to the ensuite, then back to the bedroom, dropped kisses on all three members of the Berry family, before skipping downstairs where her greeting to Quinn could be heard by all in the house. Not wanting to spook Rachel, her dads continued to hold her, vowing to speak with Brittany about what other ideas she had concerning Finn's treatment of their little girl.

The next knock on the door heralded the arrival of Quinn. "Are you ready, Ray?" At Rachel's quiet yes, her dads gave her room to move slowly from the bed.

"Do you want us to wait, Star?" Leroy asked.

"I'm a bit slow getting ready, but don't go far please."

"Of course, Star. She's all yours, Quinn; we'll be in our room if anyone needs us."

"Actually, my mom is downstairs waiting to see you, Mr B." Quinn looked in Leroy's direction, hating to take him away from Rachel for even the smallest amount of time.

"No problem; I'll be there directly." Leroy's quick response and smile let Quinn know that he had been expecting to speak with her mother.

"Dad, Daddy?" The men paused in the doorway, waiting to see what Rachel needed. "I love you both so much."

"Oh, darling, we love you too." Hiram's eyes were slightly glassy looking, Rachel's words tearing at his heart.

"Can you stay please?" she asked.

"Daddy will, just until I speak with Judy and check on Noah. I'll be back then." Leroy left Rachel in Quinn's capable hands and Hiram smiled at Santana, who appeared once she heard the door to the ensuite close. "We thought we might freshen Rach's bed."

Once again, Hiram was overcome by the compassion and thoughtfulness of the gleeks, and he set about helping her with the task, wondering how Quinn was getting on with Rachel. He would have been happy to see her just then. Quinn had run a bath and, as the steam filled the room, Rachel saw a message that Brittany had left on the mirror for her. "Never forget how special you are."

"Britt's work?" Quinn asked as she carefully set about washing Rachel's hair, noting that the bruises on her body were changing colour - a sure sign that they must be healing at last. Rachel never asked about them, so Quinn was never sure if her friend was truly aware of how she had been branded during Finn's attack. She certainly never asked to look at the pictures that Quinn insisted on taking each morning, just reminded the girl to ensure that whatever clothes she was to wear that day would cover any trace of her injuries. Helping Rachel out of the bath, Quinn wrapped her in two big fluffy towels and called for Santana to take over while she got fresh clothes for Rachel.

"Q." Rachel's hesitant speech halted her in her tracks. "Do you think… could you ask…" Rachel struggled with her warring emotions. She knew what she wanted, what would help her get through the day, but was concerned about how her request might appear to a stranger, to someone who didn't know her.

"A button down or a t-shirt?" Quinn asked, keeping her voice neutral. The decision had to be Rachel's.

"Whatever he can spare." Although she was still speaking quietly, Rachel sounded more certain of herself, as if she weren't going to allow any second guessing to keep her from what she needed. Quinn wasn't long on her errand, as once again Brittany's forward thinking and Noah's desire to do anything he could for his girl had meant that several articles of clothes belonging to Noah had been left ready for Rachel.

Hiram was also there watching with curiosity as Quinn put together an outfit for his daughter. "Do you think you'll take much longer?" he asked.

"With San's help, maybe thirty minutes," Quinn replied.

"I'm not rushing you. Leroy and I would like to speak with Noah; now might be a good time." Catching Hiram's meaning, Quinn gathered up her supplies and went back to the ensuite.

Some forty-five minutes later, Rachel was making her way downstairs wearing leggings and one of Noah's shirts that Quinn had turned into a dress. Her feet were bare and made no noise on either the stairs or the wooden floor in the hallway, so for that reason none of the three men in the sitting room heard her approach. Leroy was just releasing Noah from a tight hug and was almost knocked to his feet by his husband, such was Hiram's rush to embrace the teen. Noah, who although a good bit taller than Rachel's father, looked like a small boy receiving comfort, caught as he was in that reassuring embrace. There were tell-tale signs of tears on all three of their faces, but Rachel saw something else in Noah's eyes that had been absent for some time now. It was a cross between hope and peace and she could only wish that because of whatever her fathers had said to him Noah was finally beginning to forgive himself for his sins, real or imagined.

As was so often the case, Noah's ability to sense her presence kicked in, and he gingerly extracted himself from her father's arms, looking to find her. Neither spoke, just moved towards the other as if drawn by some unseen force, both assessing the other. A small smile found its way to Rachel's face, which was welcomed by all who saw it. Resting her head on Noah's shoulder, Rachel turned to her parents having reached a decision, "Dad, make the call. I'm tired of waiting. I'm ready to talk."

A.N. I'm very sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter, as I mentioned before Real Life is keeping me away from my writing. Also as the next few chapters are so important I want to take the time to write them to the best of my ability, which doesn't lead to speedy updates :(

Sorry also to anyone who's review I have still to reply to, I'm playing catch up at the minute but I will be in touch.

Pretty Pretty Please keep reading ;)

As always I welcome your comments/suggestions and thoughts, your reviews mean so much to me and help keep me going when the muse is misbehaving! ~Carrie