Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.
A.N. My thanks as always to all of you for reading/following and reviewing this story.
Thanks also to xXLittle Rose AngelXx for being an amazing beta.
Hiram and Leroy had just spent their first full night away from their daughter since she had been admitted to hospital. Rachel had insisted that she would be well guarded by Noah; that they needed to look after their own health; and that, while she appreciated having them by her side, she could see the toll the lack of rest was having on them. In the end, Leroy and Hiram had only agreed, and even then very reluctantly, when Sarah Puckerman had told them that she too was going to go home for the night. Neither of Rachel's fathers had slept all that well, both men half expecting a call from the hospital at any time, but as they prepared for the day ahead it seemed as if Rachel had had a peaceful night.
Leroy was just walking into the kitchen, where his husband was talking on the phone, when the doorbell rang. Wondering who could be visiting so early on a Saturday morning, he was both surprised and happy to see a group of Rachel's friends. Most were carrying large bags that appeared to be filled with art supplies and bolts of fabric, while, from his vantage point, Leroy could see that there were two boxes in the back of Mike's truck, their contents hidden from view. "Hey everyone, please come in," he greeted them warmly, moving aside to allow them cross over the threshold. "Why don't you leave your things in the hall? There is fresh coffee brewing and maybe you would like to tell us what you have planned." He knew from the look on Brittany's face that this was more than just a social visit.
"Should we have called ahead?" Santana asked, sounding guilty in case they had disturbed the men.
"Not at all. You know that you are always welcome here," Leroy replied quickly, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. "You know it takes me at least one cup of coffee to feel fully human."
"If you like, I can make you a proper breakfast," Brittany offered.
"I think that it's high time we cooked for you," Hiram said as he hung up the phone, pleased to see the gleeks back in the house for the first time in days. "Noah says hello, but wanted me to remind you that your project is only a surprise if Rachel doesn't know about it." At Brittany's frown, Hiram continued, "I think he only meant that he heard you in the background and I gather that you are meant to be somewhere else?"
"That's right; I told Rachel I was going to go straight home from the hospital, but I had to make sure everything was under control here," Brittany explained as she set about making a large bowl of pancake batter. Santana was setting the table, while Tina prepared fillings for the tasty breakfast treats. Knowing that there would be an explanation soon, Leroy and Hiram enjoyed the cheerful sounds that permeated through the underlying tension that still seemed to linger in the house. Truthfully, it was this atmosphere that had made them so reluctant to spend any unnecessary time in their home.
"So," Artie began, producing his trusty laptop and a sheaf of what looked to be blueprints. "We hope that you don't mind, but we had this idea, or rather we decided to expand on our original idea of redecorating the choir room."
"We thought we could make over the basement, make it less scary not only for Rach but also Quinn, Kurt and Noah," Mercedes spoke. "We can never take away their memories but we can hopefully give them a place that they can feel safe in again. Obviously, it is up to you both to approve, but we really wanted to get started so that it would be ready for when Rachel gets home."
"That is such a beautiful, thoughtful gift," Leroy said, once again thankful that Rachel had found herself this amazing group of friends.
"We got a lot of the basic supplies already and are ready to get started," Lauren told them. "And I know that Noah had already asked some of the boys to help him with a project of his own."
"Yes, he had mentioned it to us," Hiram told her. "I did order the materials but, with everything else, they haven't been collected. Would you like to focus on the basement for the time being?" He directed the question mainly at Mike and Sam, who agreed to his suggestion.
"Can I see some of your ideas?" Leroy asked, and soon the kitchen was filled with excited conversations, as the teens conferred with Rachel's parents on everything, from colour charts to whether or not it would be possible to knock down a wall and put in a new window (which was suggested by Brittany, who had a clear idea of exactly what she wanted).
"I don't think that we have enough time for that, B," Santana said. "Plus, the Daddies Berry would need special permission and we want this done as soon as possible."
Britt was not put out at all, merely pointing out that Sam's choice of purple would clash with the sofa they had already picked out, and so would he mind choosing another shade that would work!
As the kitchen clock chimed, Leroy told them that he and Hiram had some errands to run, but that the group could remain there and get started. Hiram suggested that Brittany get a few hours rest, the girl having undertaken what she referred to as 'Puckleberry Watch' the night before. In other words, she had arrived at the hospital to ensure that Leroy, Hiram and Sarah actually left, checked that Noah and Rachel were comfortable, and then had set about guarding them as them slept. "The basement will take some time to be prepped, and you did promise Rachel," Hiram said to her, noting Santana's grateful look at this comment.
With a reminder that that they would not be too far away, the men left the house and made their way to the office of the District Attorney, Christian Fox, for a meeting both men had been eagerly anticipating. The same sentiment was not shared by Will Schuester, who had spent an uncomfortable ten minutes sitting at the opposite end of a conference room, his attorney by his side, while at the far end of the room, Carole and Burt Hummel spoke quietly together. The couple had not said a single word to the former teacher of their sons, acting as if they were alone. Hiram and Leroy were led into the room by Mr Fox, the D.A. All three men felt the uneasiness of the other occupants, but aside from a nod of acknowledgement, silence remained.
As the Berries were seated across the table from the Carole and Burt, Ms Scott enquired if either she or her client were ever going to be told the reason why this meeting had been called. Mr Fox was quick to call everyone to attention, introducing the stenographer who would record all that was said, and then he pointed out that they were all being filmed. "This," he stressed, "is for the benefit of all present, so that there will be no misunderstandings at a later date."
Momentarily appeased, Ms Scott seemed to relax, though Will's anxiety was apparent from his body language; one of his hands clung so tightly to the armrest on his chair that his knuckles had turned white.
"I would like to thank you all for agreeing to be here, in what are very unusual but also very troubling circumstances," the district attorney said. "At the request of the Hummels and the Berries, it is proposed that a traditional court session be substituted for this meeting, where Mr Schuester's crimes and jail term can be decided on, in order that the victims' privacy will be protected.
"Now wait just a minute; what crime? What victims?" Will shouted, jumping from his chair.
"Mr Schuester, kindly remember your manners," Mr Fox spoke slowly. "You may feel as if you are being wronged, but I assure you that this is in your own best interests. If you will allow me to continue uninterrupted then I am sure that you will come to agree with me."
Looking very sceptical, Will took his seat, whispering frantically to his lawyer for guidance before politely asking Mr Fox to proceed, even if it took a lot of effort to keep his anger out of his voice.
"Mr Schuester, there are two charges against you and I feel that I should inform you that I am in possession of more than enough evidence to guarantee successful convictions on both counts should I be forced to take the more traditional route." Mr Fox took a sip of water, giving Will a few moments to absorb what he had just been told.
"My client would like to know what exactly he is being charged with, and why we are only hearing about this now," Ms Scott spoke.
"As I have stated already, this is unusual case. However, your client was warned twice about the very real possibility of charges being brought against him. To clarify: there is one count of supplying alcohol to a minor and one count of witness intimidation."
"This is ridiculous. It's a witch hunt, I tell you." Again, Will did nothing to try and hide his anger.
"Mr Schuester, I want you to listen to me very carefully," Mr Fox began, only for Leroy to catch his attention.
"Perhaps I can explain things a bit better to Mr Schuester," he suggested and, at Mr Fox's sign of agreement, Leroy turned to face Will. "From what I have heard, you became a teacher to educate students not only in your chosen subject but also about the wider world, to offer guidance and assistance as these vulnerable teens try to navigate their way through this stage of their lives. You use words like respect, tolerance, equality, freedom and family, while encouraging them to be themselves no matter what obstacles they may face. Correct?" Will flinched at the cold fury barely hidden by Leroy's speech and could only silently acknowledge the truth of his words. "And, in spite of your great intentions, your hopes to be a positive influence, you ultimately failed because you didn't choose to practice what you teach. I'm sure that you have, in your own opinion, justifiable reasons for why it was acceptable to treat my daughter as you did. I don't refer to the many times you made her feel selfish for wanting to excel at her chosen career, or for wanting to surround herself with people who would push her, keep her working hard to perfect her craft, strengthen her voice and who would understand her drive and ambition. Nor am I speaking about the times you tried to make her change, how many occasions you let her go home in despair because she saw in your eyes that she was not worthy of your time unless you had something to gain." Leroy paused as he remembered the nights he had found Rachel crying herself to sleep, after yet another 'life lesson' from Mr Schuester. "What I am referring to is the evening you saw fit to come to our house, even though you had been told to stay away. You came to our home, shouting abuse, causing additional distress for Rachel, because yet again you failed to see the real her. You act like you are a victim, yet saw no harm in approaching the real victim and triggering a panic attack that made her relive her horrific assault, an assault so brutal that she will never fully heal, no matter how many years pass."
"I admit that I shouldn't have gone to your house that night and I shouldn't have spoken to her the way I did, in front of the club, but I was just trying to save Finn from having his life ruined by her lies," Will said, his voice trailing off at the outraged responses from the majority of the people in the room.
"Leroy? If I may," Carole spoke for the first time. "Mr Schuester, I am not sure why you think that you are my son's saviour, because you are not, but more importantly I can't believe that you still think that Rachel is lying. I am his mother, and though it pains me to say this out loud, the truth is that Finn attacked Rachel at least twice that we know of. You are not doing him or yourself any favours interfering in things you clearly don't understand." As Will went to interrupt, Carole spoke again. "No, I have had enough of this. We all have. Finn is going to prison for his crimes, and so are you. Now, you can go to court, have all of your secrets exposed, have the whole world learn that a disturbed teen exploited and manipulated you to the point where you traumatised an innocent girl and get the maximum sentence for the original charges, plus anything else that Leroy can have thrown at you. Or, you take the deal you are being offered, and never, under any circumstances, have any contact with any of our children, or our families." Carole's voice shock as she reached the end of her speech, but it seemed as if for once Will had actually listened.
"What are you offering?" Ms Scott asked.
"Six months and a thousand dollar fine for the alcohol charge. Two and a half years for the witness intimidation," Mr Fox outlined, "to be served consecutively and with the added inclusion of an agreement that Mr Schuester will not approach or attempt to make contact of any type with Ms Berry, her family and a list of other people associated with this case. Furthermore, he will not discuss or disclose any information regarding what has happened. The privacy of the true victims is to be protected at all costs and any failures on Mr Schuester's part will result in more penalties." Mr Fox was very businesslike in his manner, going through each point slowly, pausing in case either Will or Ms Scott had questions.
"If I agree, when does my sentence begin?" Will asked quietly.
"It will take approximately three weeks for all the legal aspects to be taken care of. You will be given a date to meet with a judge to formally enter your plea and be sentenced. This should give you enough time to put your affairs in order. Should you, for whatever reason, decide to turn down the deal, the process will take slightly longer. The no-contact order is in place no matter what decision you reach here today and it will be very strictly enforced. If no one else has anything else to say, then I think we should take a thirty minute recess. Mr Schuester, Ms Scott, you may have the room."
A knock sounded on the door, which opened to reveal an assistant of Mr Fox, who brought in a portable DVD player. Hiram took out a DVD from his jacket pocket, which he gave to Will. "Perhaps that might help you finally see the truth, even if I don't you think you deserve that privilege. I will, however, do whatever I have to in order to protect my daughter. You need to see these images and hear what Finn really thinks of you." With those final words, Hiram turned and walked out of the room, not allowing Will to say anything in response.
The teacher was in shock, trying to desperately make sense of the chaos that seemed to have taken control of his life. He really didn't want to watch whatever propaganda Rachel had convinced her dads to produce, but Ms Scott told him that it was in his best interests to appear cooperative whatever his personal misgivings were. The sudden change in his attorney's behaviour worried him, so, after taking a drink from his now-cold cup of coffee, he pressed play.
Almost immediately, the screen was filled with colour images of ugly, painful-looking bruises that marred Rachel's small frame. These stills were accompanied by a chilling soundtrack, as haltingly Rachel's voice explained just how each mark came to be on her body. Or maybe it wasn't Rachel, Will thought to himself. The Rachel he knew was vibrant and full of life; her speaking voice always had a melodic quality to it that hinted slightly at the rich, distinctive singing voice she had been gifted with. Whoever had provided the voice-over to the graphic photo show was broken, frightened and haunted - certainly not words he would use to describe Rachel Berry, the self-proclaimed future star.
Before he could share his thoughts with Ms Scott, the last imaged disappeared to be replaced by a brief video of Rachel talking to a woman who Will recognised. Even though his eyes were telling him that this was his lead singer, there was something seriously wrong with her and with the footage as a whole, but deep down Will struggled to acknowledge that the tiny voice belonged to Rachel. He experienced a brief flash of a forgotten memory, momentarily seeing Rachel in the choir room wearing an oversized hoody that swamped her figure, looking anywhere else but at Finn, and the tiny spark of doubt he had felt then came hurtling back to him now. Will was not given time to examine this sudden and unsettling feeling as, once again, the images on screen changed; a sulking, pouting Finn was talking to one of the detectives who had also questioned Will. The former teacher was too busy listening to what Finn was saying to pay too much attention to the fact that the interview was taking place in a hospital room.
"You asked to see me Mr Hudson?" Detective Oliver's voice was polite but lacking any real respect for the boy in front of him.
"Yes, I want to know what Mr Schue will be charged."
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"My mother told me that he was being investigated for what he did to me." Finn said slowly, treating the officer as if he were stupid.
"Yes, that is correct. Mr Schuester will be question again and possibly charged at a future date."
"Possibly charged? After what that man did to me? That's just not good enough, do you hear me?"
"Mr Hudson, there is no need to speak to me like that."
"There is every need. That man helped to ruin my life. He made promises that he didn't keep. He had one job – one – but even that was too much for that clown. I practically delivered Puck to him - all he had to do was kick the manwhore out of glee club - but oh no, Schue let his feelings for the ginger nutcase cloud his judgement and let the club think that they had any say in what happens in my choir room. I'm in charge. Me. Finn Hudson. Not Puck or Santana."
"Or Mr Schuester?" Detective Oliver asked.
"Him? He is the worst of the lot. I only joined his freak show because I could see how easy it would be to use him, to keep Sue busy so that she wouldn't pay too much attention to me. He believed everything I told him; it was so simple but when I really needed him, he let me be trapped. He didn't protect me. Now do you understand why he needs to be charged? If I'm going to be stuck in a jail cell for trying to claim what was rightfully mine, he needs to experience the same treatment so that when he gets out, his guilt at what he's let happen to me, will destroy him."
Finn continued to rant on screen for a minute more, but Will had heard enough and switched the DVD player off. Not fully able to comprehend what he had just watched - the juxtaposition of the anguished Rachel and the snarling Finn too much for his sensibilities to take in - he spoke softly to Ms Scott. "Tell them that I will accept the deal, that I will sign any paperwork I have to, but that I respectfully ask for some time by myself." The attorney went to seek out the District Attorney, putting her client's request for time to him, and with the families' agreement, Mr Fox accompanied Ms Scott back to the conference room.
Relieved that they would not need to see Mr Schuester again either that day or any other if that was their wish, the Berries and the Hummels travelled to the hospital, their next task still weighing heavily on their minds.
A.N. I know that some of you felt as if Mr Schue was getting away with his earlier actions so I hope that this chapter addressed the matter enough for you all?!
As is tradition some replies to those reviewers without PM available to them.
'SciFiGal63': Thanks for the continued support :)
'Guest': Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot.
'BT': Too much angst is never good, so I do try and balance it with Puckleberry magic ;)
'On-Eno': Noah's lost few minutes will be found next chp so no need to worry on that score. Leroy's foreit is kinda cute IMHO but I await your verdict!
'oxymoron8': Your question about Finn should be answered in the next couple of chapters.
'vanessaray': Thanks for the great grade:) If only I were still in school it might be an excuse for the slow pace of my writing these days. I think you will find the next chapter interesting based on a question you asked in your review.
I am looking forward, as always, to hearing your thoughts, suggestions and comments on this chapter. ~Carrie