A/N: This is a long chapter; it should probably count for two. It's also maybe a little complicated, but isn't everything. If it was easy then everyone would do it.

As always thank you for following along and for your lovely comments and reviews. They're the fireflies in the night that we all chase it seems. Sometimes we catch them and sometimes we don't, but it's always fun to see them twinkling there.

Mother Dearest

Rachel woke to the sound of Charlie coughing. It was a constant, nagging cough.

"Charlie?" Rachel said quietly.

It was dark and Charlie was facing away from her. She couldn't tell if she was asleep or not.

In what was taken as a really good sign, after consulting over her latest round of x-rays, Charlie's doctors had removed the chest tube earlier that afternoon.

They hammered heavily at Charlie about the need to cooperate with their treatment plan and do her breathing exercises. What's more they recommended she do it as often as every hour that she was awake for the next few days. Rachel could see her jaw tense and her eyebrow quirk as they chastised her.

"Hello, stubborn," Rachel thought quietly to herself. "Or should I just come right out and start calling you, Quinn?"

Her chronic, lingering cough was a suspicious sign that she still had fluid built up and deep breathing and coughing was the only way to keep it from turning into pneumonia. Yes, it was painful and yes, it was aggravating, but that was all beside the point. When it came up, Rachel noted that they were not at all pleased to hear that Jesse had made some sort-of arrangement with her regarding Charlie's breathing therapy.

"No, this most certainly is not something that your friend Rachel can take on herself. Frankly, I can't imagine why Jesse would even consider such a request. The more often you do this, the faster you'll be out of here. It's as simple as that."

They continued to point out that respiratory therapist like Jesse are trained and that Rachel, though no doubt capable, was not, nor was she licensed.

Charlie muttered something derogatory about needing a license to work a carnival midway game.

"Oh god," Rachel, muttered to herself and rolled her eyes.

"Besides, I really just don't like him," Charlie said, tossing all diplomacy right out the window.

"I'd dare say the feeling is probably mutual," her doctor remarked under his breath.

Rachel was silently begging Charlie to leave it at that and not elaborate as to why she didn't like Jesse. She didn't want her to give them any more ammunition for any medical fishing expeditions.

To her relief, Charlie huffed and brick walled on them about the topic. She instead asked if they could wrap her ribs now that the chest tube was out? They explained that, although it was more comfortable for the patient from a pain standpoint, it also led to a substantial increase in pneumonia. So, in other words, no.

There was no question now, it was now clearly the full-on Quinn Fabray death glare.

They suggested that she start sleeping on her right side. It would be unpleasant, but it would also help her work through the pain and further heal. They would also temporarily increased her pain medication at night initially to ease her discomfort.

There was no further discussion beyond that because Charlie had clearly checked out of the conversation at that point. Everyone in a white coat filed out the door, muttering under their breath, and left Rachel to deal with the fall out. It had been mostly grunts and eye rolls until the nurse came around with her latest meds. After that, Charlie was right on the edge of zombie. Her speech was slightly slurred and she was totally unfocused, but she was also pretty mellow and just fun.

She and Rachel shared a lackluster hospital dinner, Charlie poked and made fun of everything on the plate and tried to get Rachel to taste things for her first. Rachel finally took it away from and climbed into bed with her and they watched television together until Charlie fell asleep.

Then Rachel pulled out her master script and all the sides and director's notes that Tina had been bringing her and started making notes on her working master. Finally, she set everything aside and turned off the television and curled up behind Charlie and fell asleep.

Charlie's new medication also meant she could sleep through her coughing fits.

Rachel, however, wasn't so fortunate.

She ran a hand up underneath Charlie's shirt and touched her back. She felt warm, but not hot, and that could have been simply from Rachel sleeping pressed up against her. She'd been running a slight fever, but it had finally been normal earlier that evening.

Charlie was coughing again, harder this time. She rolled back, unexpectedly, and, more or less, collided with Rachel.

"Careful, sweetie," Rachel said, putting her hands on Charlie's back and rolling her gently back the other way.

"Sorry, dude," she muttered, sounding much more asleep than awake.

Rachel chuckled and shifted over.

"Sit up, sweetheart," she said, waiting to help her if she needed it. Charlie struggled upright and sat slow-blinking and not moving. Rachel couldn't tell if she was sleepy or medicated or both. She put her hand in her hair, ruffling it slightly.

"You okay? " she asked.

Charlie nodded. She turned and looked at Rachel.

"Why are you awake?"she asked, eyes half-lidded.

"Because you were coughing," she said patiently. "And then you rolled over on me."

"Sorry," Charlie muttered again, her eyes closing. She reached out for Rachel, but missed and kept pawing the air randomly.

This was drugs. Charlie was tripping.

"Charlie, just go back to sleep, " Rachel said, putting her hands on her to guide her down onto her back. It was just easier for both of them if she slept that way. She could sleep on her side tomorrow when Rachel was gone for the day. Rachel actually considered moving to the pullout so she could get some sleep and she wondered if Charlie would pitch a fit if she tried. Perhaps as drugged as she was, she wouldn't notice.

As if reading her thoughts, Charlie reached for her hand and pulled it across her chest. Rachel sighed and curled back up beside her.

Unlike Charlie, she was now wide awake and she couldn't shut her thoughts off. Besides generally worrying about Charlie, there was a lot on her mind.

She was going to have to start back to work, starting with a half day tomorrow. They had made as much leeway for her as they could and it just wasn't possible to go forward without her any longer. The production company had been very gracious and was making arrangements to let Rachel have full access to their helicopter services.

Still, it was still going to be a 50 minute flight each way. That was in addition to whatever time she need to spend in make-up and wardrobe as well as working however long hours there might be. She could very easily be facing 18-20 hour days. She was seriously concerned about being able to keep up that kind of grueling pace for very long. Normally, she was a beast when it came to endurance and stamina, but she was hardly at her best. She hadn't been sleeping or eating and was still dealing with the fallout of an emotional roller coaster.

Charlie being released as soon as possible would be the best solution for everyone. That would add at least four hours back into Rachel's day that she could put toward taking care of them both. Even though they were pleased with her progress, Charlie's doctors were still reluctant to commit to any kind of time line for her release.

Rachel had broached the subject with Terry and she reluctantly said that it could be as much as another week before they'd release her and that was barring any unforeseen complications. She also point out that Charlie's refusal to cooperate with their treatment recommendations wasn't helping matters either.

In fact, Terry told her, one of her doctor's was starting to view her behavior more as a possible symptom rather than just frustration and general petulance. Terry said he was ordering more tests in an first attempt to look for a physical cause for her behavior. This revelation caused Rachel's stomach to twist inside out, particularly in light of Charlie's latest confessions.

Terry could see that the news was particularly upsetting to Rachel.

"I can tell that's not something you're thrilled to hear," she said.

"She's just being a jackass," Rachel said, honestly. "But it's a very typical Charlie reaction to this kind of situation. She needs time and she needs space and they're just pushing all the wrong buttons."

Terry nodded, sympathetically.

"The more they..." Rachel stopped, trying to get herself back under control. "It's like an animal in a cage. The more they keep coming at her with this stuff, the more agitated she gets. I worry it'll become a self fulfilling prophecy. If they back her into a corner, it'll become a nightmare."

"This doesn't seem like her," Terry said. "At least not from what Mike has said. He's quite fond of her you know."

Rachel nodded.

"Everyone loves Charlie," she said with a knowing smile.

"I just feel very caught in the middle," Rachel sighed. "I don't know how to convince the doctors of anything and I can't get Charlie to calm down and...just behave. It's a very odd change of dynamic, I must say."

Terry laughed.

"I'm not sure her doctors would listen even if you tried," Terry said, hesitantly. "It's a bit of a God complex thing. Not to mention some of the … let's just say legal issues."

Rachel sighed deeply. She wondered when that matter might come up and she just let the subject drop.

Terry patted her hand, reassuringly.

"It'll be okay," she told her. "She'll be going home before you know it."

This was what had made her particularly tense when Charlie was going back and forth with her doctors in their latest discussion. She didn't want Charlie giving them any more cause to keep her here and every time she resisted them, she was doing just that.

Of course, Charlie was telling her not to worry about anything, that she was fine and that Rachel should stay on set and focus on her work. She should just come when she could, even if that meant only every few days, or worse case, not at all until she was released.

Rachel pretty much discounted that as an option immediately and had even rather pointedly told Charlie to stop suggesting it.

It was true, Charlie would be perfectly fine here on her own. She was in the best and safest place she could be under the circumstances, but that was all completely beside the point. The real truth of the matter was Rachel wasn't even certain she could be away from Charlie for more than a day now and still function. The thought of a being separated for up to a week was just beyond her comprehension.

And that brought up an old sore wound. The realization that, at least for Rachel, there was no way their relationship could ever go back to being what it had been before the film project started. If she couldn't even fathom the idea of being away from Charlie for a few days it was clear there wasn't any way she could ever go back doing the long distance, see you when I see you thing again.

Whether she would admit it or not, Rachel was pretty certain that Charlie felt the same way.

If all that wasn't enough, Rachel was also wrestling with how to frame their relationship for the rest of the world. The irony that she was having these thoughts while sleeping pressed up against Charlie in her bed in a public hospital was not lost on her. Just good friends could only stretch so far before it fell apart.

Rachel knew that when Santana told them that they had been very lucky so far that she was telling the truth. Eventually their luck was going to run out. She had already accepted the reality that it was likely that someone – a nurse, an orderly, another patient – just a random someone was going to make a comment somewhere about the nature of their relationship and it was going to find its way into the press. And it was probably going to be sooner rather than later.

For her part, Charlie had always said that she didn't care, that it didn't matter to her. She still maintained that she would do whatever Rachel needed to do to protect herself. Yet the more Rachel grew to understand Charlie and the more she learned about Charlie's past, the more concerned she became that Charlie just wasn't really seeing the bigger picture. If there were things that she couldn't even bring herself to tell Rachel, what would it do to her to see those awful truths spilled out across a page for all the world to see and judge?

Though she still wrested with them, Charlie had largely overcome the demons from her past and reinvented herself. She had carved herself a happy, quiet, private existence with space all around where those things could be removed from who she was now and safely locked away from prying eyes.

Rachel's existence, however, was all about having eyes on, even when they weren't wanted. She really wasn't sure Charlie really fully comprehended what that meant. It was one thing to say, "Yes, I know, it's fine," but another to actually swim in the middle of the maelstrom. For Charlie to think that she could step into that and not find herself a topic of intense scrutiny just wasn't realistic. No matter how well concealed or how long buried, with enough people looking for them, things always found their way to the surface.

As resilient and strong as Charlie was, in some ways she had her moments where she was vulnerable and fragile. Rachel had seen Charlie's initial struggles to get her footing in the relatively sheltered atmosphere of the set and she'd shared the physical and psychological fallout that resulted from those struggles. She couldn't help but worry how Charlie would ever fare in Rachel's chaotic, no-holds-barred real world day-to-day existence. It had quietly occurred to Rachel today watching Charlie's dust up with her doctors that her real world was a place more suited to the likes of Quinn than to Charlie.

Charlie shifted in her sleep and Rachel felt her hand slide across her waist and her leg slip over between hers. This was the first time since her accident that she'd be able to move with so much freedom.

Charlie pressed herself against Rachel and groaned.

"Dude," she muttered. as her lips brushed against Rachel's cheek. "All those wheels spinning in your pretty little head are keeping me awake"

Rachel chuckled.

"That's the second time you've called me 'dude' tonight," Rachel said, smiling.

"Just an expression,"Charlie murmured. "You sure don't look like no dude."

"Mmm, okay," Rachel said. "Just checking."

Charlie buried her lips in the side of Rachel's neck. Rachel giggled.

"You don't taste like no dude," she said, kissing her way down to Rachel's shoulder.

"And you sure don't feel like no dude, " Charlie said, rubbing her hand across Rachel's stomach then sliding up her ribs and cupping a breast gently.

"Oh," Rachel said, surprised.

Her body immediately responded everywhere to Charlie's touch. It went from zero to overdrive in nothing flat. She put her hand over Charlie's.

"Definitely not a dude," Charlie said, squeezing. She raised up and covered Rachel's mouth with her own. Rachel whimpered and curled her fingers into Charlie's top and pulled on her gently, urging her to continue. Charlie slipped her tongue into Rachel's mouth and Rachel sucked on it, moaning quietly. Her fingers were now twisting in Charlie's hair. She wanted more.

There were squeaking footsteps outside in the hall. Charlie pulled away and moved back to her side of the bed just as the door pushed open and the night shift nurse walked into the room.

"Oh," she said, surprised. "Everyone's awake."

She laughed.

"She was coughing," Rachel said quietly. She tried to smooth her hair and make herself look less disheveled. Charlie had looked, more or less, disheveled for days so she didn't even bother. Rachel pulled the blanket up in front of her, painfully aware of how turned on she was and convinced it was obvious to anyone who might look at her. At the thought she felt her face go flush. Charlie rolled her eyes around to her and Rachel saw an eyebrow quirk up.

"Okay, still no fever." the nurse commented. "That's great. We'll just get this medication going and we'll be done for the rest of the night."

Charlie smiled and nodded.

She tweaked with Charlie's IV and then made a few more notations in her chart.

"Back to dreamland, kids," she said with a smile and walked out the door.

Charlie didn't even wait until it closed before she was back on top of Rachel, her mouth on hers.

"Dude," she muttered against Rachel's lips, licking, biting and sucking. She wiggled her hand back under Rachel's top, now annoyed with the IV line. She eyed it intently.

"Don't even think about it," Rachel said, kissing her way along Charlie's jaw.

Charlie laughed and pinched her hard nipple. Rachel groaned and closed her eyes. Charlie pushed her shirt up and closed her mouth around the stiff peak, sucking and grazing it with her teeth.

"God," Rachel hissed under breath, her hands in Charlie's hair.

Charlie licked and lavished her breast all the while fighting and pulling against her IV.

"We can't do this," Rachel whined, now trying to push Charlie away. "It's just too..."

"Yes, yes, let me," Charlie said. "I want this."

She reached her tethered hand down and squeezed between Rachel's legs. She could feel how wet she was even through the layers of fabric. Rachel grunted and her hips instinctively bucked forward into her touch.

Then, again, the squeaking footsteps.

Charlie groaned and moved away. Rachel rolled over onto her side facing away from Charlie. She curled herself into the blanket and screwed her eyes shut. God, now she was throbbing and miserable.

"One more time," the nurse said, talking quietly. Apparently she thought Rachel was asleep. She fiddled with Charlie vitals monitor and added something more to her IV and then made notations in the chart.

"I think that is it, really this time," she told Charlie, quietly. "Sleep tight."

Rachel heard her footsteps fading and the door open and close. Charlie moved up against Rachel and kissed her on the back of the neck.

"Come here," she whispered, but Rachel just shook her head. Charlie sighed.

She gingerly settled down on her side then put her arm around Rachel's waist and pulled her over into her. Pain flared everywhere. She grunted, winced and waited for it to ease. She swept Rachel's hair to the side and kissed the back of neck and down her shoulder.

"Let me fix it," she said, quietly, biting her shoulder.

"It's okay," Rachel said. "Let's just go to sleep."

"Sweet girl," she said, nuzzling behind her ear. "Let me touch you."

"Charlie," she said with a deep sigh. "I'm really just tired."

"Don't move," Charlie said up against her ear. "You don't have to do anything. Just close your eyes."

She slid her hand down Rachel's stomach and pulled the tie on her lounge pants. They fell loosely open and she slipped her hand inside and trailed her fingers over Rachel's panties. It was totally wet.

Rachel exhaled heavily and let her head fall back against Charlie.

Charlie worked her fingers beneath the waistband and trailed her fingers up and down, teasing, opening, sliding easily and coating her fingers, while lingering here and there.

The tension was already too much and Rachel had little patience for slow and soft. She reached down and gripped Charlie's wrist, tugging her where she needed her to be.

Charlie chuckled and sucked on the soft skin of her shoulder as her fingers busied themselves. Rachel's breath quickened and she writhed as Charlie hit everything just right: the right spot, the right tempo, the right pressure. Everything quickly built back to a single twisting, shuddering tense peak and then shattered with a gasp and a strangled moan into a thousand rippling waves. Rachel jerked and groaned as it all gradually melted away.

Charlie moved back and let Rachel roll onto her back and brought their lips together. Rachel traced her tongue across Charlie's lips and dipped into her mouth, teasing her. Charlie nipped at her and Rachel giggled and then hugged her. She pulled away and looked at her.

"I need you to... behave," she said, staring at her intently. "I need you to do just do what they ask and to just behave."

Charlie sighed.

"I know you don't like it," she said, stroking her face. "I know it's hard for you. But I can't be here and that is going to be agony. I have to at least know that you're trying. I mean, really trying. I can't do this unless I know that." Charlie leaned down and nuzzled her mouth.

"I'm serious," she said against her lips. "It's too hard. If you make me choose, I'll choose you. I swear..."

Charlie put a finger to her lips to stop her talking.

"Whatever it takes," she said and kissed her gently. "Spit, suck, blow, make balloon animals; I'll do whatever it takes."

Rachel laughed.

"But you have to promise me something," Charlie told her. "That you'll do what you need to do and if that means not worrying about every little thing and not dragging yourself back and forth then that's what you'll do."

"Being away is worse," Rachel said honestly. "I can't do that anymore. That's why you need to get out of here. I can make it work as long as I know it's just for now."

"Not a minute longer than it needs to be, " Charlie told her, rubbing her fingers across her lips. "I promise. But I reserve the right to hate on Jesse and let Quinn torment him at her leisure."

Rachel leaned up and kissed Charlie hard and bit her on the lip.

"What was that for?" Charlie asked, actually touching her tongue to her lip to see if she was bleeding.

"That was for Quinn," Rachel said.

"God, don't encourage that, " Charlie said, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, she plays rough."

Rachel kissed her neck and snuggled against her chest.

"I love you, Charlie,"she said, closing her eyes.

"Lucky me, " Charlie said, smiling and feeling the meds kicking in. Resistance was futile and she was tripping.

·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·:·

"Quinn, I know it's you," Judy Fabray's voice echoed in her daughter' s head. "I know it's you. I know it's you. I know it's you."

Charlie stirred fitfully in her sleep. She wanted to wake up but she couldn't, the drugs pinned her down/

"Quinn, I know it's you," she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder and shrugged away. "No, off!"

"Easy there. Don't listen to her, Chuckles," Quinn said, shaking her head. "Nothing's new, nothing's changed. She can't hurt us if we don't listen."

Charlie grunted and tossed. The monitor next to her came alive with new numbers as she struggled.

"Don't fight so hard. You're okay, Chuckles. She's just smoke, see?" Quinn swiped her hand up through the image of her mother and she fragmented and melted away like so much vapor.

Charlie relaxed and went still, her breathing slowed.

"She remembers when it's convenient, when there's something in it for her. Even if it's only redemption. Atonement needs to come at a price, Charlie-girl. Remember this? I know I do."

It was somewhere just like this. It looked and smelled like this place – cold, sterile, claustrophobic.

Judy Fabray stood at the reception desk, looking imperious and peeved.

"No, I'm sorry. There's apparently been some kind of mistake. That's not my daughter. I'm sorry, I don't know this young woman. I don't know who she is,"

"I don't know who she is," the words echoed around her from everywhere.

"She never looked back, Charlie," Quinn said, still not quite believing it even now.

"Mother, please, please! Please don't leave me here. Mother... Mom, I didn't do anything. I swear, Mom, I don't...I don't need to be here. Oh god, please don't just walk away from me. Don't leave me again. Please, don't...no, no."

There was no mistaking that it was Quinn's voice rising and spilling down the corridor. You could hear every gasp, every crack, every broken sob. It was heart-broken and laced with anguish, fear and pain. It was a child calling for her mother in desperation. Even nurses and orderlies used to such outbursts paused to look.

Heels clicking on the hard tile floor, they never faltered, they never slowed. Not when the anguished sobs began. Not when the hysterical screaming replaced them.

Not at all, not ever.

Then there was silence, broken only by the quiet, muffled crying.

"I remember, Quinn," she said, softly. "I remember, too."

She hesitantly reach out and put a hand on her shoulder, Quinn shrugged, but not hard enough to convince her she meant it. She rubbed her hand up and down her back, soothing.

"I thought I was broken before," she said, tearfully. "I had no idea there was anything more to take."

Oh Quinn.

"Please tell her. Please just tell Rachel," Quinn asked. "I need her to understand why. Right now she doesn't. She's afraid for you. She's afraid to leave you alone. She's afraid of what I might do."

"I will, I will, I'll tell her," Charlie said. " I'll make her understand."

Click.

Click.

Click.

Even now, Charlie could hear it. The steady staccato click of heels on the tile.

But she was wide awake. She blinked

Click, Click, Click. Click.

Surely this was a nightmare.

The door pushed open slowly and her worst fears were realized as a ghost from her past stepped hesitantly into the room.

Charlie gasped a harsh, ragged breath and moaned.

"Hello, Quinn, " Judy Fabray said, letting the door close behind her.. "My goodness, I know it's you, but you look so... battered. Poor thing. I've been so worried about you, honey. Every since we read about your accident, it's all I've been able to think about."

The steady blip on the vitals monitor quickened as the physical effects of what was unfolding reeked its havoc and sent Charlie's blood pressure soaring and her heart beat was racing.

"Charlie?" Rachel said anxiously, frowning. Something was wrong.

She sat up and blinked, squinting to focus her bleary eyes. She looked over at Charlie, who looked like she'd seem a ghost. Rachel could feel Charlie trembling even before she saw it.

"I just couldn't believe it. I told your sister that I wasn't going to have a moment's peace until I saw with my own two eyes that you were okay. Oh, and here you are, sweetheart. You poor thing."

Rachel's head swiveled around as Judy spoke. She didn't need to be told who this was – it was written all over Charlie's face. How was she here?

"Quinn, honey," she said, her smile frozen so tightly it looked like her jaw might break. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your little...friend?"

Rachel wasted no time on diplomacy or formalities. She immediately slid out of bed and grabbed her robe. She slipped it over her shoulders as she stepped into her shoes.

"I'm sorry," she said, physically putting herself between Judy Fabray and her daughter. "But I'm afraid I'm going have to ask you to leave. She's not well and you are quite clearly upsetting her."

"Leave?" Judy said, with a shrill laugh. "Why don't be ridiculous. I just got here and I haven't seen my daughter in years. Quinn, will you please tell your little friend her that she needs to learn to mind her manners."

Rachel could hear Charlie's breathing had gone ragged and her teeth were actually chattering. Her hand was gripping the bed railing so tight her knuckles had gone white.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Fabray, " Rachel said, firmly. "I realize you've come a very long way and that you are concerned for Cha, for your daughter. But, I also think that you don't need me to tell you that she doesn't want to see you. You aren't welcome here."

"Quinnie," Judy said, starting forward but Rachel put her hand on her arm to stop her.

"Please don't make me call security, " Rachel said in a low voice. "Don't make this any more unpleasant than it needs to be for any of us."

She fixed Judy with a cold stare.

"If you care anything about your daughter, " Rachel continued. "You'll turn around and walk out that door right now."

"Quinnie, honey," she said, eyes beseeching. "Please, it's been so long. So much has changed. Can't we just put this all behind us now?"

Chuckles, nothing's changed.

"This is your last chance to do the right thing here," Rachel said taking a protective step back toward Charlie. She reached out her hand and pressed the call button on the side of the bed. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"Look," Judy said her eyes flashing hotly. "I don't know who you think you are, but you need to stay out of this. This a family matter."

Rachel heard a low rumbling chuckle from Charlie. She could feel it, that vacuum that sucked all the air from the room.

"God, don't you even...DARE to speak to her like that.?" Charlie asked, finally finding her voice again. She was shaking her head. " And what would you fucking know about family anyway? Tell me that?"

"Charlie, it's okay," Rachel said calmly. "Let me..."

"Quinn, why do you allow this insolent young woman to speak to me this way?" Judy asked.

"Her name is Rachel and she's more family to me than you have been or ever will be. Frankly, you should be thanking her," Quinn said, now finding her voice."She's the only thing keeping me from ripping your heart right out of your chest, you cold fucking bitch."

Judy gasped dramatically and clutched at her throat.

"Quinn," she whimpered, "How can you even say such a thing?"

"That's funny," Quinn said in a low hiss, climbing out of bed. "You certainly seem to know who I am today. The last time we saw each other you didn't. Don't you remember, Mother?"

"Charlie," Rachel said, "Don't, you're going to ..."

Quinn looked down at IV in her hand and then looked at Rachel.

"It's okay, sweetie," she said with a smirk. "This fucking thing has been in my way too goddamned much."

She pulled it out and tossed it on the bed.

Rachel groaned.

"No worries, pretty girl," Quinn told her, touching her cheek lightly. "Sorry about last night."

"Don't do this, Quinn," Rachel pleaded and she grabbed her bleeding hand. "Please just let me handle this."

"It's not your fight, Rachel," Quinn told her with a soft smile, reaching over and tucking her hair behind her ear. She'd been wanting to do that. "This has been a long time coming."

"Don't make everything you've work so hard for be for nothing, " Rachel said, her eyes locked onto Quinn's. "You're so much better than all this now. Quinn, you were always better than this."

Rachel could see those wild hazel eyes change and soften. She knew she was getting through to her.

"Rachel's right, Mother," Charlie said, not taking her eyes off of the little brunette. "We don't have anything to discuss. I have nothing more I need to say to you."

"You don't mean that," Judy said, stepping forward. She put her hand on Rachel's arm with the intention of moving her out of the way. Before Rachel could react or even say anything, Quinn stepped around her and grabbed her mother by her arms. She drove her back until she was up against the door. Her eyes were steel and her lips were an angry thin line.

"I'm only going to tell you this one time," she said tightly. "Don't you ever put your hands on her again. If you even so much as look like you're thinking about it, I will show you a little lesson I learned from my father. I believe he may have taught it to you once or twice, too."

Quinn could feel Rachel's hands on her.

"Quinn," Rachel said softly. "Step back, just let her go and step away."

Quinn shook her head.

"Rachel," she said with a crooked smile. "Well, I can see it now. Just why she... yeah. But, no, sweetheart, no."

She turned back to her mother.

"Like I said," she hissed at her. "You should really, really be thanking her." She slammed her hand hard against the door over mother's head and Judy flinched.

"Does that sound familiar?" Quinn asked and then she smiled.. She let Rachel take her and hold her by the arm.

"I don't know why you're here," she said. "But I know it isn't to see me. What do you want?"

"We want... need you to come home, Quinn," Judy stammered. "There just so much since your father, it's so hard being apart as a family.."

"Bullshit, " Quinn spat at her. "He's been out of the house for years. You would know a fucking family if you ran them down in the street. You just don't want to deal with it all. Tough shit. Let precious Frannie deal with it then."

"She isn't... she doesn't," Judy struggled to find the phrase.

"She won't, "Quinn said with a laugh. "She's greedy and selfish and she won't. How fitting. You know what they say about apples and all that. It's only fair you should be left with the worm."

"Quinn, I thought you'd changed," Judy said, frowning. "I don't understand."

"What don't you understand, Mother?" Quinn asked. "I won't help you. Charlie won't help you. Sell the house, Mother. Take the money and go somewhere, somewhere that failed prom queens like yourself go when their tarnished princes finally meet their fitting tragic end. Sit and look at pretty water and drink yourself into a stupor every single day. That's your life, Mother. It's been your life so why change now?."

Judy glared at Rachel. Quinn laughed.

"Don't you even think about blaming this sweet girl," Quinn said, glaring. "She doesn't know your fucking black heart. She can't imagine the kind of twisted heartless bitch you really are. It's beyond her capacity to think that way of people.

Quinn turned and looked at Rachel and smiled at her. She leaned over, kissed her on the cheek and then winked at her.

"Charlotte would have loved her, Mother, " Quinn said and smiled when she saw Judy flinch. "But then, she always hated you, didn't she. Speaking of Charlotte, whatever happened to my trust fund, Mother?"

Judy turned pale and her eyes widened.

"I suggest you take your leave, Mother. I suggest you go back to your life, whatever it is now, and stay there," Quinn told her in a low threatening tone. "If you don't, I might be forced to have someone look into the matter. In fact, I might just do that anyway."

"I have no idea what you mean," Judy stammered.

"I wonder how what the statute of limitations is on embezzlement," Quinn said, her eyebrow raising. "Or would it be theft? Either way I can't see you making much of a go in prison at this point. I'll tell you now, don't bother wasting your one phone call on me. It think we both know that if anyone ask, I won't know who you are."

Judy just stared and clearly struggled to compose herself.

"Goodbye, Mother," Quinn said.

"Well," she said, "I can see my concern has been wasted here."

She turned and took several steps to the door. She stood with her hand on the latch.

"I must say Quinn, I can't really say I'm all surprised." she said, looking Rachel up and down. "It was just another thing your father and I always suspected about you."

Rachel quickly put herself between Judy and Quinn and caught the brunt of Quinn rushing at her mother. She held her tightly around the waist.

"See what I mean," Quinn snarled at her. "You should be thanking her, again."

She'll say something. She'll make some remark. Bullies always do.

"This isn't over, " she said, primping herself.

"Oh yes, Mother, " Quinn said, straining against Rachel. "It is."

Judy gathered herself and turned the latch and was gone.

Charlie stood and watched the door close. She could hear the click of her heels as they echoed down the hall and quickly faded away.

Rachel held her.

"Charlie," Rachel said gently. "Look at me, baby."

Charlie tried to push her away, but Rachel held firmly. Charlie was shaking her head and trying to peel Rachel's fingers off. Rachel spun her and pressed her up against the door. She leaned into her, holding her there. Charlie was panting hard, her head was tipped back against the door and she was looking wildly around the room. Rachel stared up at her face, stroking her hand up and down her neck.

"Just breathe, sweetie," she said gently. "It's okay. It's over. She's gone."

Charlie laughed. It was manic, empty giggle that bubbled up from some dark, hurting place.

"I can't... breathe," she said. "I can't..."

"Look at me," Rachel said, firmly. "Look... at... me."

Charlie looked down at Rachel.

"I've got you," Rachel told her as she pulled her hand to her heart. "We know how to do this. Just breathe with me. Close your eyes and listen."

She held Charlie hand over her heart. She put her other hand on the door beside Charlie and leaned in so she could feel her breath against her face.

Charlie whined and struggled against her.

"Stop, stop," Rachel said, gently up against her ear. "Don't fight me. I'm going to get my way."

"I feel like I'm going to pass out," Charlie whimpered, but Rachel could tell she was breathing easier.

"Just try, baby, " she asked. "Just try. Here."

She moved her and away from her heart and put it under her shirt on her stomach. Just breath with me. It's easy. Feel it."

Little by little her breathing evened itself out. The shaking subsided.

"Down," Rachel said, and she carefully let Charlie slide down the door and sit on the floor. She knelt down beside her because she knew what was coming.

There was nothing left, except the tears.

Charlie burst into tears. Rachel gathered her into her arms and just rocked her.

"It's okay, baby," she told her. "She can't hurt you anymore. It's okay."

She let Charlie cry herself out, then she helped her up and made her get back into bed.. Against her protests she pulled the call button for the nurse. She made up some ridiculous story for how Charlie's IV line got pulled out and then stepped back so they could reattach everything again.

Charlie felt empty. She was limp and didn't have any strength or fight left in her. It all seemed like a dream.

Rachel glanced at the clock and reluctantly disappeared into the bathroom to get herself ready. By the time Tina appeared she was showered and dressed and had her things gathered.

"What's going on? " Tina whispered, glancing at Charlie.

Rachel just shook her head.

"Later," she said. "It was..."

Tina carried Rachel's things out the door. She waved at Charlie and she smiled weakly at her.

Rachel walked over to the bed. Charlie just looked at her.

"I don't want to go," Rachel said, dropping her head. Charlie shook her head.

"No, you go," she told her, squeezing her hand. "It's okay. I'll be fine. I'll probably just sleep all day."

Rachel wrapped her arms around her.

"Don't be afraid to leave me by myself," Charlie whispered in her ear. "I'll be here when you get back. We'll talk, okay?"

Rachel nodded.

"Don't cry, " Charlie said, frowning at her.

Rachel pouted.

"Here," Charlie said and pulled her close. She kissed her hard. It left her slightly breathless.

"Where did that come from?" Rachel asked, laughing.

"I told you not to mess with Quinn," she said with a wink and a sharp slap on the behind. "Like I said, rough."

Charlie pulled her close again and kissed her, softly, lingering, nuzzling.

"Go away, you bother me, "she said quietly.

Rachel nodded.

"Yeah, me, too." she said, kissing the corner of Charlie's mouth. " Be nice to be by myself for a change."

She kissed her again and backed away, biting her lip. She held onto her hand until it was too far and their fingertips fell away.

Charlie could see the tears shining. Rachel gave her a small sad smile and then turned and walked out the door. Charlie fell back into her pillow, closed her eyes and listened. She could hear her footsteps moving away.

When they stopped, she smiled. When they started back toward her she laughed. She was waiting when she came back through the door again. She hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek over and over again.

"I love you, sweet girl," she told her and kissed her mouth.

Rachel turned and ran back out the door. She didn't stop this time. She knew if she went back she would never be able to leave. She let Tina hurry her onto the elevator and stood quietly in the back, facing into the wall, trying not to cry. Tina just rubbed her back.

~~oOo~~