I don't know if I mentioned this but I am back in grad school! My classes are very, very writing intensive, but thankfully, they want us to explore all avenues of writing and I have one good one right here. Thank you all for your love and appreciation. I'm happy to be apart of such a great community of people.

There is a brief moment of derogatory language in here, very brief, but it's there so be on the lookout.

Love you all,

RCV

"So, it has come to this."

Puck and LJ glanced at one another in the front seat.

"Stalking a cop. Following his every move. Like a lion watching his prey in the Savannah."

Puck smiled but said nothing. LJ went back to drinking his coffee.

"Do we whack the back of his head with the butt of a gun? Do we tackle him to the ground and choke him out with our bare hands?" A pause. "Or do we wing it?"

Puck turned and looked at Tori, who was staring out the window with a mask covering half her face. Unlike the simple black masks that everyone else wore, Tori decided to carve a Joker-esque smile into the beanie turned mask. It was on brand.

"I feel like this is what my life has been leading up to, you know? The kidnapping of a cop just screams like something I'm destined for."

"Have you taken your medicine today?"

Tori looked at Puck. Her eyes were cast in the moonlight and for a moment, Puck got lost. He was against all forms of romance from his end, but those eyes did something to him. She cleared her throat, and he shook his head.

"Was that a yes or no?" he asked.

She pulled up her mask and blew him a kiss before replacing it and going back to looking out of the window. Puck blinked away the interaction and turned back around. LJ snickered.

"What?"

"Nothing," LJ said softly.

Puck frowned and glanced at Tori through the rearview mirror. She was staring directly at him, the light making her brown eyes stand alone in the darkness, and his stomach twisted. But the moment between them passed when headlights crossed over the car. Puck and LJ sunk down in their seat as Officer Simmons pulled into his driveway. Across the street, Santana was doing the heavy lifting of keeping Quinn stationary while Sue walked up and met Simmons as soon as he got out of his car.

"Good thing he lives in the middle of the woods," LJ muttered.

"Why?" Puck asked.

"So no one can hear him scream," Tori finished.

"John," Sue called out.

He jumped and slammed the door shut. Red eyes, jittery movements, Sue sighed. He was drunk.

"You shouldn't be driving," she said.

"Go to hell," he slurred. "I'm the law in this town and if I wanna have a few drinks, then fuck anyone who says I can't."

"It's not the drinking that bothers me. You could've hurt someone. What happened to the man that put the community before him? What happened to the man-

"Oh, screw you!" Sue stepped back at the outburst and John stepped forward. "You gotta lot of nerve showing up here acting all high and mighty. You're a lying, cold-hearted bitch who led me on like a dog and left me hanging for some redheaded carpet munching-

Sue pointed her finger in John's face and said, "You leave her out of this! You and I were already on the verge of falling apart long before Emma came into the picture. You were a dirty cop, John! You were arresting black people just for being in one spot for too long. You turned a blind eye when gay people were beaten and left for dead. You are the worst kind of man, the worst kind of husband, the worst kind of brother-

"Brother? I've protected Judy our entire lives! She's the one with the bleeding heart. Those niggers-

Sue couldn't take it anymore. She punched John and watched him crumple to the ground. He recovered quickly but before he could reach for his gun, another, smaller blonde blur tackled him back to the ground and fists reigned down on him before Sue or anyone else could react. John protected himself, but Quinn's anger and his inebriation, it was impossible for him to block every punch.

And it wasn't like Sue or Santana were all too quick to pull her off of him.

Eventually, Santana wrapped her arms around Quinn and picked up her with little effort, which reminded Sue just how much she put those girls through during training. Santana carried Quinn to the far side of the yard and Sue bent over her ex.

"Why did you send those men after Judy?" she asked.

John was delirious, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, and Sue lightly kicked him with her boot.

"Johnny boy, why did you attack your sister?" she asked.

"T-they told me too," he stammered.

"Who?"

John closed his eyes and Sue figured he was clamming up. She straightened and turned back to Santana and Quinn.

"Go get the others. She's going to help me get him inside," she said to Quinn.

"Why can't I help you?" Quinn huffed.

"Because you'll knock his head on the door frame a few times and then we'll have a dead body on our hands instead of a live one," Sue deadpanned. "We at least need to get some answers."

Quinn rolled her eyes and stomped off to the car where Puck and the Berry duo were waiting.

Sue held off until Quinn was far enough away before she asked Santana, "That was only the beginning, wasn't it?"

"Unfortunately. You're very lucky Rachel wasn't here."

"Why is that?"

"Rachel wouldn't have stopped her."

"That's a pretty bold thing to say."

Santana bent down and grabbed John by the armpits. "Remember that day after school? We learned fairly quickly that Rachel is possessive. She hides it, buries it even, but sometimes it comes out. She likes to make it known with touch, with bites and little smirks. Based on the way she acts about her siblings, she's extremely protective. Don't get me wrong. These are things Quinn and I appreciate, but she subconsciously expands that protection to our loved ones. If anything were to happen to you or Emma, you would see the exact same thing. Her temper is-" Santana stopped and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Let's just say that night at the diner was random, yes, but not at all unexpected," she finished.

"Should I be worried about you three?"

"What do you mean?"

"The tempers between you three can be catastrophic."

Santana kept her face blank and Sue said nothing as the others came over. LJ immediately went to help Santana while Puck kept his arms around Quinn. Sue got a good look at Tori's outfit and rubbed her temples.

"Why, girl Berry, are you dressed like that?" she sighed.

"Because I didn't want to get blood on my good clothes."

"And the mask."

Tori shrugged. Sue accepted the answer. The group trudged indoors and for a moment, the only sound was the wind blowing through the trees.

Rachel and Emma stretched out on the couch together while Leroy bustled around in the kitchen. They hadn't exactly told Leroy the full story, but told him enough he wasn't asking anymore questions. The trio were keeping themselves busy by watching a movie they all enjoyed: Eat, Pray, Love.

"Okay! I have pizza and wine! The essentials," Leroy announced as he came in. "Rachel, you can drink a little."

Emma snickered. "Leroy, you don't have to pretend with me. I know you let Rachel drink her fair share of wine," she said. "And other things."

"I don't know what you're talking about. My daughter is underage and has only drunk wine during special events."

Rachel snorted. "If you count every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as special events," she said wryly.

Leroy shushed her and settled on the floor. "Hush and drink your apple juice," he chided.

Rachel rolled her eyes and grabbed her glass, laughing as Emma poured her drink into her glass.

"Okay, I'm not a wino," Rachel scoffed.

"I can't drink at the moment," Emma said vaguely.

Rachel frowned and Emma's eyes twinkled for a moment. Rachel squealed.

"No way," Rachel said. "How? When?"

"I'll tell you all later. Sue and I didn't think the process would go through, but it did. Just been waiting for the right time to tell her."

"What's with the conversation, It's movie time!" Leroy turned and saw the drink in Rachel's hand. "You heathen!" he added.

Rachel took a long sip and pointed at the screen. "Just play the movie old man."

"Old?!"

Emma rolled her eyes and leaned forward. She snatched the remote and hit play on the movie while Leroy bemoaned about Rachel calling him old.

Tori washed her hands in the kitchen sink very carefully. She made sure nothing splattered to the sides. She mouthed E.E. Cummings to herself. Steam rose from her fingers as she watched the soap and blood swirl down the drain. She felt that familiar sense of regret bubble in her stomach and she swallowed the urge to throw up. Contrary to what everyone assumed, she hated the other part of herself. The jokes were fine, they came from a good place, but the fire didn't. The fire that burned in her chest when she got angry almost always suffocated her. It made her scream, but when she released it, it made her feel empty.

A tear slipped down her cheek and someone turned the water off. She saw Puck standing beside her. He jerked his head towards the living room.

"We're just about done here."

Tori nodded quickly and replaced her mask.

"Are we leaving now?" she asked.

"Yah. Sue is staying behind with Quinn while he recovers and they said once they're sure he won't die in the night, they'll head back."

"Thanks."

Puck rubbed his face and said, "Knives, huh?"

Tori nodded.

"I dig it. Mine is fire," he said.

"What?"

Puck gave a small shrug. "Mine is fire. I don't do it here, too small," he said. "But it happens some times and I can't control it."

"Why are you telling me this?" she whispered.

Puck leaned back against the sink.

"Because I know what you're feeling right now," he said.

"Is that so," she sighed.

"Empty. Bored. Anxious. You want more, but there's nothing fueling the urge," he said.

Tori clenched her fists. "I'm not crazy," she muttered.

"I never said you were."

"Who cares? That's what everyone else thinks, and that's...what I want people to think."

"Why? I'm not a fan of having misconceptions about the ones I care about."

"You care about me now?"

Puck shook his head and pulled down his mask. Her hands trembled as he left her alone in the kitchen. Tori exhaled and that guilt in her stomach turned into something else. She cringed and left the kitchen. In that moment, Puck sparked something in her that she wished he would've left alone.

Quinn grabbed Santana by the arm before they left and pulled her into a hug.

"With all that's going on, I've let our relationship fall to the side, and I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. We've both been having some trouble and that's just life. But thank you for being a sweetheart about it."

"I want us to take Rachel out somewhere."

Santana pulled back and cocked her head. "Random much. Where?" she asked.

"Away from here. Just one day away from Lima would be good for us."

"Again, where? You have somewhere in mind. You wouldn't have asked if you didn't."

Quinn bit her lip and looked down. "I was thinking we take a trip to Cleveland. Make a day of it."

"Cleveland's almost three hours away. That's a pretty long drive to try and make at night."

"Well, you see, I was thinking that maybe we could spend the night out there. A motel or something. Nothing weird. I was planning on getting us a room. Nothing has to happen. I don't think it will. I don't want Rachel thinking something has to, you know? But sleeping with her and you would be great. Just one night, a room, and I-

Santana put her hand over Quinn's mouth and she said, "You're starting to sound like a broken record. I think it's a good idea. Let's run it by Rachel and we'll go from there."

Quinn nodded, relieved, and Santana smiled, dropping her hand.

"I know what you're planning. Be smart," Santana whispered.

"How did you know?"

"Because I would do the same thing."

She kissed Quinn softly on the lips. At that moment, LJ poked his head back in and made some sort of sound.

"Enough with the sappy romantic shit. It's late, I'm hungry, and Tori's getting cranky. Get a move on, Lopez."

Santana looked over her shoulder and said, "I'll kill you, Berry. I really will."

"You say that to all the Berry children. Now, kiss girlfriend number one goodbye and let's go so you can see girlfriend number two."

Santana scrunched her nose as Quinn laughed. She pushed Santana towards the door and Santana smacked LJ on the back of his head, but he took it in stride. He waved at Quinn, said goodbye to Sue, and shut the door. Quinn listened to them argue all the way to the car and Sue came up beside her.

"I have a friend driving in from Toledo. He'll be here in an hour," Sue said quietly.

Quinn gave a slow nod and said, "San knows."

"I didn't doubt it. LJ and Tori know as well. Puck doesn't care either way."

"It has to happen," she said.

"I agree. Come on, let's prepare the car. We should be home by midnight and by morning, he'll be out of our lives for good."