I'm telling you all this now. I plan on keeping Judy around. In this story, the girls are going to need more than one mother figure, and I think Judy can be (and will be) redeemed.
The next chapter will be a little heavy, I touch on it in this one, but the next chapter will talk about sensitive things. I will add another AN at the beginning of 14 as a reminder, but please keep that in mind. As for this chapter, there are TW for abuse and if that bothers you, I can PM you and give you the outline of the chapter. Don't hesitate to ask.
Mistakes are mine.
-RCV
Quinn crawled towards the cabinets and used the edge of the counter to pull herself into a seated position. Her ribs, arms, and shoulders protested the movement, but she wasn't going to lie out on the floor all night. A bag of ice dropped into her lap, and she looked up at her mother. The woman's red-rimmed eyes did nothing but make Quinn angry.
"If you're here to apologize, save it for when my ribs aren't poking into my lungs. Okay, Judy?"
"I wish you wouldn't call me that."
"Well, I wish I had a Mother who protected me from her psycho husband, but I guess we can't both get what we want."
"He's just upset. You know he loves you."
Quinn scoffed. "He has a funny way of showing it," she said.
"Please, just give him a chance to calm down, and maybe we can talk about it again. He's worried you're going down a bad path with the people around you, and we don't want that for you."
"Give him a chance to calm down? Are you kidding me? He calms down, then what? More lectures? More beatings? Maybe a day or two in the darkroom to 'pray and ask God for forgiveness?' How about all three? Who knows, I even might get a chance to pick this time!"
The doorbell rang, and Judy gave Quinn a pleading look before she went to answer the door. Quinn reluctantly took the ice pack and placed it on her cheek, hoping to catch the swelling before it became too bad. She mentally hoped it was the police or some well-meaning neighbor, but in their community, no one said anything about what went down in the Fabray household. It was taboo to speak of it beyond the realm of head shakes and pitied sighs.
Then again, maybe Quinn would get lucky.
Judy opened the door, and her face screwed in confusion as she said, "Noah?"
Puck slipped past Judy with Rachel hot on his heels. Rachel stayed at the front door with Judy while Puck searched the living room before he walked into the kitchen. Quinn gave a short wave when she saw him, and Puck sighed. He dropped down in front of her and sighed.
"How bad?" he asked.
"I can breathe," she said flatly.
Puck nodded.
"You know where her room is?"
Quinn's head snapped to the side at the question. Rachel, metal bat in hand, looked murderous. Her eyes were practically black as they bored into Quinn. There was a moment that Quinn was afraid Rachel would snap and do something stupid like hit her mother, but instead, she repeated her question to Puck.
"Yeah, I know where it is. Why?"
"Throw some shit in a bag. She's not staying here tonight."
Puck shrugged in agreement and ran upstairs. Quinn was in too shocked to do anything but watch Rachel place the barrel against the side of Judy's head.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't knock you silly."
"Please, I didn't do anything."
"That isn't helping your case," Rachel said.
Judy held up her hands. "Look, take her. I won't fight you on it. She's better off with you than here," she said.
"Nice parenting," Rachel scoffed.
"It's true. Please, this is the only way he won't hurt her."
Rachel's hand loosened for a moment as the information processed, and Quinn held her breath.
"I see."
Judy gave her a weird look. "That's it?" she asked.
"That's it."
"You're not afraid of my husband? He's well-loved by the Lima Police Department. With one call, I can have you arrested for breaking and entering and add kidnapping to the list. You won't get a self-defense charge this time."
"I don't give a shit about your husband. If he wants to dance with me in courts, I'll be more than willing to meet him there. He's not the only one with a good relationship with a police department."
"Based on what I heard, I can't say it's too surprising a delinquent like you would have police connections. How you escaped prison is beyond me. You nearly killed that man."
Rachel hummed. "Self. Defense. And for the record, I would tread carefully with what you say as I am the one thing standing between you and a caved skull."
Judy's face paled, and her mouth clamped shut, sending the house into silence. Quinn exhaled after the exchange. She couldn't figure out if she should do or say something in her mother's defense, but all she could come up with was white noise. It was fascinating, the way Rachel repeatedly tightened her hold on the bat, her face screwed up as if she were imagining swinging it hard enough to actually cave in her mother's skull. Quinn knew right then and there that the Rachel Berry from before was long gone. Heavy footsteps bounded down the stairs and Puck came back with two duffel bags in his hands and a book bag on his back. He bypassed the scene and went outside.
"Guess that's our cue to leave," Rachel said wryly.
"I will only give you one night. After that, you're on your own," Judy said shakily.
"No, you see, this is what's going to happen," Rachel started. "Puck and I are going to take Quinn to a safe location, away from you and your husband, and we'll make sure she's nice and healed by the end of the week. If the school asks, Quinn is at home sick. Say anything other than that, I'll tell some friends of mine what goes on in this lovely estate of yours. Do we have an agreement?"
Judy swallowed and opened her mouth to respond, but Rachel cut her off with a low growl.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I don't care if you agree or disagree. I only asked out of respect for your daughter. Regardless of what you say, what I laid out for you is what will happen."
"Why are you doing this?" Judy whispered.
Rachel lowered the bat and said disbelievingly, "Your daughter's right eye is swelling shut. She has her arm wrapped around her ribs, and it looks like her shoulder is hanging from her body. Trust me when I say this is the best choice you have right now."
Puck came back in and picked Quinn off the ground carefully. He sighed and said, "San's going to freak out when she sees you."
"She should be at home, resting," Quinn said weakly.
"You know damn well she won't stay there when she finds out what Russ did to you."
"A girl can dream."
Puck chuckled and carried her into the living room. "Come on, we shouldn't be here when her Dad gets back," he said to Rachel.
"With the rumors I've heard, I think maybe it's him who needs a good head-shot or two," Rachel grunted.
"Get in line," Puck snorted. "There are at least five people ahead of you who want that chance."
"I'll wait."
"Come on, slugger," Puck joked. "I think Judy knows better than to say anything. Right?"
"You know he won't let this go, Noah."
"He knows where I live."
Judy straightened, her face indifferent. "Fine. Take her," she said.
Quinn sighed at the comment and tucked her head into Puck's neck, deciding not to comment on the matter. Rachel took the bat and swung, connecting with the family picture hanging by the door. The sound made Judy lose her composure, and she rushed over, kneeling down to remove the image from the broken frame. Judy picked out the picture with trembling hands and Rachel sighed.
"This cold, heartless act you have going on? Drop it," Rachel said softly, bending down so that she was eye level with the woman. "I get it. He's your husband. You think this is his way of showing you that he loves you when the truth is the complete opposite. He doesn't love you. He likes owning you, making sure you stay in his perfect little box."
"You're wrong. He loves us," Judy said.
"Okay. You believe that. But know this, if you aren't careful, you'll lose more than a fancy house and a nice car."
"I d-don't know what y-you mean," Judy stammered.
Rachel leaned forward and whispered, "If you don't get your act together, I'll make sure you never see Quinn again. And that's a promise."
Judy's head jerked, and she clutched the picture in her hand. Rachel got to her feet as Judy started to cry. It was a surreal scene for Quinn. The only time she saw her mother cry was when Quinn broke her arm during a cheer competition. When Russell yelled at her for doing something so unladylike in public, the tears stopped, and Judy never cried in front of Quinn again. She wondered what Rachel said. Which is why she asked once they were walking down the driveway.
"I told her what she needed to hear," Rachel said coolly.
"Which was?"
Rachel hopped into the cabin of the pickup without answering. Quinn glanced at Puck, who shook his head and carefully put her in the car. Quinn decided to drop the conversation, but once she had Rachel alone again, she wouldn't give up without a fight.
Santana paced her room, waiting for her phone to ring, and she was so engrossed with waiting that she missed her father come into her room.
"What are you doing?"
Santana stopped and looked at her father. "What are you doing back? I thought you worked until tomorrow?" she asked.
"I'm on break."
"Must be a long break for you to be all the way over here," she said.
"Don't be such a smartass."
"Sure. Whatever you say, Papi," she said sarcastically.
Her father looked at her in so much shame. "I don't even know who you are anymore. You've changed, Santi. Ever since your Mom died, you've been-
"First, no. You don't get to come in here and give me the speech about that considering the last time I saw you was two weeks ago. Second, fuck off."
"See? There it is again! Ever since you started hanging with Russell's kid, you've been a completely different person."
"Her name is Quinn, and no, I am not a completely different person. You aren't here enough to notice nothing about me has changed! I'm the same person. I have the same routine. I wake up, eat, go to school, come home, watch TV, do homework, and go to sleep to do it all again the next day. You, on the other hand, go to work, fuck a nurse, do your job, fuck another nurse, sleep in your office, go out drinking and take home some random chick from the bar, go back to work, and then before you actually go save someone's life, you stick your dick in another random female."
Antonio stiffened and walked further into the room, his eyes blazing. "You ungrateful brat! If it weren't for me, you and your mother would still be in Puerto Rico. I saved you, both of you, and this is the thanks I get?"
"Don't get it twisted, Antonio. If it weren't for Mami, you would still be working back-alley clinics to put food on the table. Abuelo gave you the opportunity of a lifetime only because you got his daughter pregnant. If it weren't for me, you would still be in San Juan doing boob jobs in the back of a butcher shop!"
In hindsight, she should've seen it coming. The slap echoed in her bedroom, and Santana licked away the blood. She saw regret flash through his eyes momentarily before it was gone, and shortly after, so was he. She stood there, staring at the spot where he once stood and replayed the argument in her head. Knowing her father, he would probably pack a bag and disappear for a month, which was fine with her. She was used to an empty house, and if the last ten years hadn't changed anything, then why should it be any different now? Her phone rang, and Santana absentmindedly answered.
"Hello?"
"I have Quinn with me. We're on our way to Emma's house."
"How bad is it?"
"She's breathing."
"I'll be there soon."
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. See you at the house."
There was a pause. "Okay. See you soon."
Santana hung up. She walked over to her closet and grabbed a small suitcase. She'd stayed with Sue before for some kind of training, and she hoped the woman would let her stay at least the night. She heard her father stomping around downstairs and decided to sneak out through her mother's secret room. She would have to be careful about it, as Santana didn't want her father finding out about her secret habit. She snatched a jacket off a nearby chair and tip-toed through the hall. She ducked into her mother's study and slid the massive bookcase open.
"Gracias, Mami," she whispered.
Santana vanished down the back stairs and made sure she closed the bookcase before she left.
Emma stirred the pot of hot chocolate while Puck sliced up the pecan pie she'd stress baked. Sue was in the bathroom with Quinn, cleaning away the blood. Rachel was in the living room with LJ and Tori. Emma, while mindful of not burning the liquid, thought about how their lives were intertwining so easily and so quickly. One day, she and Sue are eating take-out and watching old Harry Potter movies. A few days later, they have a full house of teenagers all dealing with one or multiple emotional traumas. It was a lot, even for her. The back door opened and Emma paused momentarily to watch Santana dust off her boots and come inside.
"Did you make it here, okay?"
Santana gave her a look. "Since when did you guys have a fence," she asked.
"We left the entrance ajar for you," Emma pointed out.
"I didn't know that until after I climbed over the damn thing."
"Whose fault is that?"
Santana stuck out her tongue, and Emma smiled, going back to the hot chocolate. The Latina came over to Puck and kissed him on the cheek before she went in search of either Quinn or Rachel. When Santana was gone, Puck stopped plating the pies and said, "Her bottom lip is swollen."
Emma sighed and turned off the heat. "Don't tell anyone, or I'll lose my job and license, but I added Baileys to the mixture instead of regular milk. I have a feeling we might need it tonight," she said quietly.
Puck glanced at the pie and said, "We might need more pie too."