Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or its characters.
Spoilers: None
Rating: T for language. Angst warning.
Reply to reviews: (chapter 19)
chloe2007: Thank you for your review! Mr. Schue will be protective of the girls, including Quinn. However, it will not be him that she goes to live with. I decided a long time ago (three years, when I first started writing this), who she would live with. It was one of the first things I figured out. I think you'll like who her guardians become anyway, though. :)
GLEE111: Yes, they will tell Sue of the abuse as well as Q's pregnancy. But don't worry - I'm doing my version of Sue which will be protective/caring. The girls come first to how important her actual team is. So she won't kick Q off the Cheerios as much as let her go because she understands that such activity is not good for Quinn right now. :)
Gwennie49: Thank you for the review! My headaches are still there but I try to work whenever I don't have them. :/ I felt kind of bad for Noah because the girls just kind of... forgot about him and then they go and overwhelm him with details of everything. He will have his moment of anger - towards the girls, Russell, and just everything in general - as well as blaming himself.
** So the majority of you do want to see the Lopezes and Pierces reactions to everything. So I think I will write that as a standalone chapter, that way if it is not something that interests you, you can skip it. :)
Thank you to everyone who reviewed. And welcome to my new followers sdmwd1115 and Sci-FiJunkie.
Notes: Mike is going to be there when the girls reveal everything. This is because he and Britt teach dance to a class of toddlers/younger kids. And he needs to be in the know in case Britt ends up being absent from her class.
Notes 2: I don't want you to be mad at Finn. In the end, he is just as much a kid as the rest of them. He was being told to leave the Fabray house and at 15, he had no way of knowing what Russell was going to do. He couldn't have prevented Russell from hurting Quinn.
It's like Rachel said – Russell most likely would have hurt Finn as well. So please keep that in mind before you get mad at him.
Chapter dedication: chloe2007
Santana, Brittany, and Rachel tell Sue, Will, and Emma what has been going on. Sue is pissed off and puts the blame on herself. Oh, and Finn is told the baby is not his.
Two days later – Monday, November 9th, 2009
*Rachel's house*
Rachel wakes up 10 minutes before her alarm goes off. Normally, she would do a whole routine, including exercising on her elliptical.
However, she will not be doing that today. Not after the incredibly restless night that she, and Quinn, both had.
She sighs deeply and shifts to where she is facing said girl, who is laying on her stomach, next to her, finally sleeping.
Nightmares, being restless, and just being uncomfortable due to her lip and the cuts on her back made it to where Quinn had trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep for longer than a few hours at a time.
They told everything to Santana's and Britt's parents on Saturday, and also went to the police. The four of them went into an interview room and gave their statement as one, collective group.
A few officers then promptly went to the Fabrays's house and arrested both Russell and Judy.
Russell was denied bail after the Judge looked over the pictures of Quinn's injuries, and considered the seriousness of everything Santana, Brittany, and Quinn had told the police. However, Judy is out on bail but is not allowed contact with the Berrys, Quinn, or Santana and Brittany.
She claimed to have no part in Russell's abuse. However, she also made no clear move to get away from him and his explosive behavior. She could have chosen to send Quinn away - to Brittany's house, to Santana's house, or even to Rachel's house.
While Judy's claims of being abused herself were heard loud and clear to the Judge, he also told her that… well, she still had many opportunities to get out. It's not like she would have had nowhere to go, or that if she had gone to the police just once, she would have not been believed.
In fact, that IS all she would have had to do. Becca and Abby, for years, begged her to get away from him, to go to the police. They even threatened to take Quinn away themselves or to go to the police themselves.
Judy made her choice. It may not have been to take part in Russell's abuse towards Quinn, but it also was not to stop it, to protect her daughter, like a mother is supposed to do.
And that, she understands. So, that is why, when Judy served Russell divorce papers, she also signed a piece of paper relinquishing her Parental Rights to her daughter, Lucy Quinn Fabray. Russell Fabray's Parental Rights were terminated by the Judge.
They have pressed charges against Russell Fabray, and he was charged with a whole slew of things, including, but not limited to, child abuse, coercion, and putting Quinn's baby's life in danger, when he was "punishing" her, despite knowing she was pregnant.
She is lucky that, so far, this baby seems to be as strong as his or her mommy and daddy. They did an ultrasound, at the Clinic, and Jacob found that the baby had a nice, normal heartbeat, and is growing right on track.
The baby is the size of a fig, at 1.5 inches long and about a fourth of an ounce in weight. Quinn hits 11 weeks tomorrow, so she is just one week shy of being a solid three months.
Noah has been brought up to speed of what has happened. And he attended, for the first time, the ultrasound yesterday. Quinn wanted him there, and she knew, after being told everything, he would need to hear the heartbeat, to know, without a doubt, that his child was ok.
The girls are going to school today, although only until lunchtime. Miss Pillsbury along with Mr. Schue need to be brought in on what is happening, especially since Quinn is not going to be in school for a few days this week, and when she does go back, with her anxieties of Rachel leaving her sight, she may need to randomly leave class to see her.
And for this to happen, without her being scolded or prevented from leaving, there needs to be adults who understand what is happening right now, why she will need to leave, and why she may not be attending full days for the next couple of weeks.
Also, Coach Sylvester needs to be told because so far, she is unaware that Quinn is even pregnant. Quinn will need to be off the Cheerios for right now.
Monday morning is an… unusual one. It is somewhere between hectic and slow motion.
Santana, Brittany, and Noah stayed the night. As of right now, when they leave to actually go home is a TBD timeframe. None of their parents have the heart to make them come home, not only after what the Unholy Trinity has gone through the past 4 years, but especially after what happened to Q on Friday.
Rachel wakes up first, and she turns off her alarm. It's nearly 6 in the morning, but she needs to up, doing… something… so her mind won't wander to everything she, Santana, and Brittany have to do, and all before lunch.
Watching Quinn, she brushes pieces of blonde hair from her face, from where strands have fallen out of the French braid that Britt gave her last night.
She looks… about as peaceful as she possibly could. And it hurts her heart to think of everything her best friends have gone through.
She wonders how a father could do this to his little girl. Even without them telling her, Rachel knows she is her dads' whole world, and there has not, nor will be, one time in her life that they would hurt her intentionally, whether that be physically, mentally, or emotionally.
She knows Britt's parents, as well as Santana's mamí and papí, feel the same way about them. And Noah's mom loves him to death and has tried to show him that his whole life, to make up for the shitty father who left them both when the boy was just 4 years old.
So how is Russell any different? What about his brain and mind makes him look at Quinn, and feel no guilt over beating her, yelling at her, not loving her or… or protecting his baby girl?
Rachel gets out of bed, quietly and carefully, as to not disturb her bed partner.
She goes through the bathroom and to the guest bedroom, where Santana and Britt are on the bed, and Noah is asleep on an air mattress.
Rachel stands in the doorway and decides to let them sleep just a little longer since it is still two hours before they even need to leave for school.
She goes to take an extra-long shower, and afterwards, heads downstairs.
There, she finds her dads, Jacob, and a slew of fruits and vegetables on the counter.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Josiah greets, giving her a kiss to the forehead. "We have things to make smoothies. I'm sure none of you girls are going to want much to eat, but you do need something on your stomach. Would you like me to make you one?"
"Yes, please, Daddy. You are probably right; I know Britt, especially, will not want to eat, but at the same time, she will definitely need something to calm her nerves, and I'm sure Santana will eat only if she does. Will you make me a blueberry, strawberry, and banana one, please? I need to go back up and check on Quinn."
Josiah nods so Jacob gets the fruits washed and added to the blender. He makes Rachel's drink while David and Josiah hunt for enough "to-go" cups so the girls can take their smoothies to school.
Rachel does not find Quinn in her room, but she does not have to worry, as the bathroom light is on, and the door is open, and she can see Britt and San in the doorway.
She goes over. Noah is on the floor with Quinn, while the other two just stand by in case they are needed.
He looks up as Rachel enters.
"Morning, JB," He greets tiredly. She grins at the nickname. It stands for Jew Babe, but since Quinn refused to let him call her that as kids, he shortened it to 'JB'.
"Morning sickness, huh?" She says back. He nods just before going back to rubbing Quinn's arms (since he can't touch her back).
"You two can use the hallway bathroom, if you want." Rachel tells the other two, and Brittany, who is practically dead on her feet, just nods.
She grabs a washcloth, getting it wet with warm water, and then turns and leaves the room, but returns only 5 minutes later, with her hairbrush in hand, and dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt that… belongs to Jacob?… and a pair of tennis shoes.
Santana looks at her confused, as this is not what they usually wear, seeing as they are on the Cheerios. Brittany just shrugs.
"We're not going to practice today, or, at least, I'm not. I just… don't want to. We're coming home at lunch, anyway."
Santana shrugs back, "Alright. I'll wear the same thing. Grab our toothbrushes out of there, Britt," She points to the cabinet. "We should go to the hall bath; I'm sure three is enough of a crowd in here."
The two leave and Rachel bends down beside Quinn and Noah after getting one of the small cups and filling it with water.
"Good morning, Angel,"
Quinn just gives a slight two-finger wave, as her eyes are closed.
"Here, rinse with this, and then when you feel like it, you can brush your teeth. Dad and Daddy are making us smoothies for breakfast, and I want you to have at least one. I know you may not feel like eating, but you do need something on your stomach, alright?"
She waits until Quinn is nodding before turning to Noah.
"You're staying home with her, right?"
He nods immediately. "You three are coming home at lunch?"
"Yeah, I do not think any of us can handle a full day. We are going to talk to Mr. Schuster and Miss Pillsbury. And we are also going to speak to Coach Sylvester, about Quinn being pregnant, and to tell her what has been going on. We need grown-ups – teachers – who understand and know what is going on, as far as being prepared to help us should anything happen aside from our regular schedule.
She notices Quinn watching her, and smiles gently. Her anxiety must be through the roof right now, as far as knowing Rachel is going to be leaving the house, and going to school, and probably being slushied, and not being able to do anything about it.
"I'm going to be ok, LuLu," She assures her. "We are going to be home within just a few hours, right at lunch. Okay? We have a lot to do, and probably will not even be in class, I'm sure. We are going to be talking with your coach, and Mr. Schuester and Miss Pillsbury. I need to speak with Finn, as well. Those four hours are going to go by so fast."
"And hey," She says when Quinn still looks anxious. "You can always watch a movie, one that is a few hours long. What about… a few Scooby-Doo movies, or even something that is longer like… like Titanic. That is, I believe, just over 3 hours long. And you enjoy it, don't you?"
Behind Quinn, Noah is shaking his head at that idea, trying to get Rachel to hush, but it's too late, and he facepalms, because he does not want to watch, of all things, Titanic, I mean, come on.
But, he also knows that if him watching it with Quinn is what his girl needs, then it's what is going to happen.
He uncovers his face when he hears Quinn giggling, and yeah, he is probably going to end up watching it with her.
Still, he wouldn't Noah Puckerman if he did not throw in a, "Thanks, JB. I really appreciate it."
:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/
It's a battle and a half, getting out of the house and to school.
Quinn has a panic attack, and that is almost enough to make Rachel just say screw it and stay home, but there are things that need to be done, and people who need to be spoken to, and it needs to be done as soon as possible.
The girls are all in tears by the time it comes to 7:40 in the morning. Noah has no idea what to do, or how to help, and Jacob can do nothing but pat him on the back and remind him that he is helping by just being here, staying with Quinn, so she is with someone familiar, someone she is comfortable around, while Rachel is gone for a few hours.
"I'm going to be fine, baby," Rachel stresses, trying to soothe Quinn, to calm her down, standing so close to her, that there is barely room for either girl to breathe. "I promise, sweetheart. I will be home before you even know it, I promise. I love you, Angel."
They get to school, and Rachel knows it is only the fact that she is walking down the hallway with Sue Sylvester's two best cheerleaders that she does not get slushied.
Rachel's dads along with Brittany and Santana's parents are all meeting with an officer and Principal Figgins, while San, Britt, and Rachel go to speak with Coach Sylvester.
They have a bag with Quinn's cheer uniform and Santana is carrying her Letterman jacket. They head straight to Sue Sylvester's office first.
Santana knocks on the door with one hand, while the other is firmly gripped in Britt's hand. They enter when Sue calls out to do so.
The first thing she notices is that this group includes two of her Cheerios, with Santana and Brittany not even in their uniforms.
And her first reaction would be to scold them for it, however…
Rachel is with them, but Quinn is not, and suddenly…
She feels like there is no way she even comes close to being prepared for what they are about to say.
"We need to talk to you." Rachel tells her, and Sue puts her pen down, closes what she was working on, and gives the three her full attention.
"It is very important, however, we will tell you while also speaking with Mr. Schuester and Miss Pillsbury. Right now, we need to tell you something else."
Again, she nods. And Rachel looks down, then behind her at Britt and San, before turning back to Sue.
"Quinn is pregnant."
It's not what she was expecting to hear. The surprise of… of Quinn being the one to get pregnant keeps her from replying. Rachel nods to Santana, who steps forward with the bag.
"This is her uniform," It's unnecessary but… "I assume you do not want her on the team, so… there it is."
Rachel pauses here, for a moment, long enough for Sue to gather her thoughts.
She takes the bag, gripping the strap tightly. She then stands up, taking the three steps around her desk and to the shorter girl.
Sue looks her right in the eye, and right now, she couldn't give a shit about one of her Cheerios being pregnant because right now, the look in this girl's eyes confirms her worst suspicions.
But she needs to know. She needs to be sure, and so she looks Rachel in the eye, and she asks…
"This isn't why she is not here today, is it?"
Rachel does not falter. And Santana and Brittany watch them, wide-eyed.
"No. It is not."
That is what she was afraid, and now, as her protective instincts kick in, she asks, "He did something to her, didn't he?"
The young girl does falter this time, looking away. That's enough of an answer for her. So, she gives the girl a minute, and turns to the two Cheerios in the room with them.
Sue takes in their – well, really, Santana's – stunned expression. Brittany seems to know, or at least, understand a little of what is happening.
So, she asks, "What do you need?" And before anyone can answer, she adds, "I'm assuming it has something to do with the Letterman."
Santana is still… grasping for an explanation to her Coach's odd behavior, so Brittany steps forward, taking the jacket from her.
"We need Rachel to wear this. It's… it's Q's, and… we are going to call off the Slushy attacks, but we need her to wear it, to show that we mean business, and to let people know it won't just be me, San, and Q that they will have to deal with, if someone gets Slushy all over this."
Sue stays quiet for a moment but then nods, because right now, a non-Cheerio member wearing a Cheerio Letterman jacket is the last thing that she needs to worry about.
"You said you three had something else to discuss with me?"
And so it begins. She is led to Emma's office, this time as they walk down the hall, Rachel has Quinn's jacket on. They meet with Emma, and she goes to get Will, and also Finn and Mike, because it is important to Rachel and Brittany, that the two boys know everything.
*Emma Pillsbury's office – 2 hours later*
"I should have known." Sue spits out. "He called and demanded to know if… if I let them in your club." She directs it towards Will and no one at the same time.
"He sounded like so much more than a concerned parent. He sounded disgusted that I would even think to tell them to join that damned club!"
She is ranting but none of them understand what about except that it is about Russell because who else would the he be?
Sue directs her anger to Emma next. "We should have fucking something! I told you but noooo… there were no threats, no signs of violence. Well, fuck that! What about now, huh? What about now, Emma?"
The redhead looks away, knowing Sue is right – they had a chance to report his behavior but the stupid fucking rulebook says they had no grounds at the time.
Russell was just a simple, fucking "concerned parent" checking up on his daughter.
"We could have prevented this! We could have stepped in like fucking adults we are, to-to… to save this child. But nooo. We had to do it by the book. Well, look where that got us! Quinn is sitting at Rachel's house, unable to come to school, because her goddamned father fucking beat the shit out of her."
"Fuck that!" Sue turns and storms out of the office, with Emma rushing after her, and Will jumping up to run after both of them, yelling out, "Sue, wait!"
It's quiet for a solid 5 minutes.
Mike is the one to break it. "Is… is all of that… is that all true?"
Rachel clears her throat, attempting to speak at least twice before she finally gets out, "Yes. It is."
"I should have stayed." Finn rasps out. "I–… I'm sorry."
Surprisingly, it's Santana that speaks next.
"I'm not saying you made the right choice to leave her there, Finn," He knows she is serious because she used his actual name, so he listens intently, taking in everything she is saying, "I'm saying you… you made the… safe choice."
She looks at him, and he sees in her exactly what he and the others are…
A scared little kid whose friend was hurt by one of the people who is supposed to protect her.
"There is no way to… to know what he would have done to you. And there is no way to know if you could have prevented what happened."
She stands up, pacing, turning back to him. "I don't agree with you leaving her there, but we can play the blame game all we want – we could have told someone months ago, you could have stayed or insisted Quinn leave with you, Emma and Sue could have called the police over… his… strange behavior."
"But I know, as much as I hate to… admit it, that… there is nothing we could have really done."
"So, don't blame yourself. You'll just run yourself ragged over the should'ves and could'ves."
With that, she turns and walks out of the office.
Finn looks to Rachel, trying his best to convey how sorry he is.
"I am so sorry, Rach." He whispers. "I–… I know that… that I am not the one to harm Quinn, but I feel like, if I hadn't of tried to force her to talk about the pregnancy. If I had–… If I hadn't been asking about what was going on between you and her and Britt and Santana then…"
Rachel looks up at this, realizing that, for the first time, she is hearing what happened… that night at Quinn's house.
"I… I was pressuring her about the baby. I thought it was time her parents knew!"
She knew about this, but it still angers her to hear it. To have proof that he was pressuring Q when she was not ready to tell her parents. Vaguely, out of the corner of her eye, she registers Mike tugging on Brittany's sleeve, and the two exit the room, leaving Rachel alone with Finn.
"I thought it was time. I… figured they could help, that maybe if… if they saw that we honestly did not mean for it to happen, a-and that I was willing to step up, to be a good dad, to help out, then maybe… maybe they wouldn't be mad, y'know?"
Rachel glances down at her hands, as she listens to this… this innocent boy plead with her, trying to explain his actions. He has no idea, no idea that he is innocent in this.
Not just in what happened to Quinn, but also with…
Well, with the baby.
She has to tell him.
"Finn…" She waits until there is a lull in his explanation. He looks at her. "There's something I… that I need to tell you."
He takes a seat, reading how serious she is from her body language.
"What is it?"
"It's about the baby," It's simple, but probably not the best thing to say because with what has happened to Quinn, the first thing to pop into his mind is…
"Oh, God. Did she–… She didn't lose the baby, did she?"
Rachel immediately shakes her head, "No, no, no. The baby is fine. Healthy, even. It's…" She licks her lips, pausing, gathering the courage, and just goes for it…
"The baby is not yours, Finn. I'm sorry."
Silence…
He blinks, shakes his head, and then…
Starts laughing.
"You–… you're kidding, right? I– No. No, because if the baby isn't mine then that means– and– but…,"
Rachel waits patiently.
"She cheated on me?"
It seems rhetorical, so she stays quiet, but does make eye contact with him. He gets the message.
"Who?"
"Noah." She figures there is no need for a last name. There may be three Noahs at their school, but one is a twelfth-grader and the other is a ninth-grader who transferred last week.
He falters, and…
"Puck? My best friend? That…"
He pauses, and something must dawn on him, because he is suddenly jumping up, and spinning around, and…
Rachel can't quite read the look in his eyes.
"Was she going to tell me?"
"Yes. She was going to–"
He cuts her off, realizing something…
"That's why she didn't want to tell them, isn't it? She– She was going to tell me, and that is why she did not want to tell her parents, because it… it would have been a lie. A lie that I was the father."
He steps forwardly suddenly, stepping into her personal space. He puts his hands on either side of the chair she is sitting in, and she has to lean back as he leans forward.
"You have to believe me when I say I didn't mean for him to hear us." Finn is saying, but Rachel is not quite listening, because she feels a presence behind her, and knows Santana is probably watching through the window of the office and is reading this the wrong way.
Finn is in her personal space, yes, but it is not uncomfortably so. She does not feel threatened or in danger, and Finn is not as angry as much as he is… just pleading with her.
So Rachel holds up a hand and hopes that the Latina understands she means it as a 'not yet' gesture on her needing to come in here.
"What do you mean, Finn?" She asks then.
He bows his head, shaking it.
"We were arguing in her bedroom. We weren't being loud, at least, I didn't think we were. I was trying to convince her to tell them about the baby. And I was asking about you an-and them talking to you. I was asking what their plans were. If they were just trying to get you to trust them, so they could hurt you even more."
"They are not doing that, Finn," She cuts in, but he is shaking his head already.
"I know. I know, okay? I know. She–… She told me. She said they were trying to get you to trust them. She said they wanted to start talking to you again. She said… She told me she wasn't ready to tell her parents about the baby, and…"
He stops, looking distressed, and Rachel feels her heart drop.
Finn steps back, beginning to pace around the small space.
"It all so fast. One minute it was just me and Quinn, and the next, her dad was storming in. He was all calm an-and… and quiet. Quinn looked so scared but I didn't understand. Okay?" Finn stops pacing here, looking at her.
Both are crying now.
"I didn't understand," He whispers. "He–… He asked if that was true. If… if they were talking to you without his permission and I thought that was weird, y'know, cause, why would she and Santana and Britt need his permission to speak to you?"
"But Quinn nodded, and… and he said she better answer him, verbally. S-So she did."
He looks at her. He sees the fear in her eyes and he realizes, he left Quinn with a monster, and Rachel must know this. She must know more details than he does about what was going on.
"She said she a-and Britt… and… and Santana were speaking to you. At lunch. And… then, he nodded. He just nodded." It's like Finn is speaking without even realizing it. He looks so confused, and it hurts Rachel.
It hurts because he is a kid. Just like the rest of them. And he has no idea, not really, of what is going on.
"He told me I needed to leave. I–… I should have… God, I should have done something! I should have seen it. I looked at–… at Quinn an-and she looked so scared but I was just confused and he was getting angrier and he was pulling on my arm and he was dragging me downstairs–…"
"She was begging him not to do it, and I didn't understand, but I think now I do. If I left, if I wasn't there, he could do whatever he wanted to her. She was begging him to just let us talk. To just talk it out. That's what she said. She just… She just kept saying – please, daddy, let's just talk about it."
It's silent, and Rachel is trying to get a hold of her emotions.
"I never should have left," Finn whispers. And it breaks Rachel all over again. "I'm sorry."
"Don't," She grits out. "Finn, look at me," When he is, she stresses one particular thing. "We don't know what he is capable, ok? You staying there could have made things so much worse."
Rachel sighs harshly.
"Finn, I know you are feeling a world of guilt right now, but the truth of the matter is… is that he could have hurt you also. He could have beaten you with that fucking belt. He could have punched you over and over until your lip was bleeding and you had bruises on your arms and face."
She swipes angrily at the tears spilling down her cheeks,
"Quinn is home with me. Quinn is safe now. That asshole has been arrested. He is going to go away for a very, very long time. What she needs now, is her friends and the family she does have, rallying around her with support. For the baby, for what she has been through. For what is to come."
"Okay? No more guilty feelings, Finn. Be thankful it isn't you that is in this condition. Give her the support she needs, if she asks for it from you. Okay?"
He nods, and he understands, he knows he is lucky, but he still can't get out of his head, he still can't get passed I shouldn't have left her there.
But he takes a good look at Rachel. And he notices…
That same look in her eye. It tells him she is feeling exactly how he is, only, she can hide it better.
Or, at least, she thinks she is hiding it better.
"Y'know, Rach, if-if I can't blame myself, then… then you shouldn't blame yourself either. It–… I mean, you didn't know, right? You didn't know how much of a–… a monster her father was?"
She realizes, in the back of her mind, that monster is the nicest word anyone has used to describe the sorry excuse for a human since all of this happened back on Friday.
She smiles, although it is somberly with just a touch of… self-deprecation.
"Don't worry about me right now, Finn. I'm… I'll be fine."
He goes to say something, to protest but Rachel catches sight of the clock. They've been in here for almost half an hour, and it is nearly 10:30 by now. They have just over an hour to go to their classes, get their work for the next few days, and then call Rachel's dads to come and pick her and the girls up.
She stands, cutting him off by walking to the door and opening it, to see… everyone still there.
Sue is pacing back and forth, seeming to be speaking with Emma, and Will is standing off to the side, chipping into whatever it is they are talking about every few moments.
Mike is with Brittany in the chairs, and Santana is pacing in front of them. Everyone stops and looks at them when she opens the door. Brittany is up first, crushing her in a hug that she returns easily.
"Can we go home now?" The dancer whispers and she feels herself almost break, because the exhaustion in Brittany's voice is exactly how she is feeling, and right now, she wishes they had stayed home today.
But she just nods, and whispers yes, before she releases Britt, and is turning to the adults of the group.
"We will probably not be here for the next couple of days," She announces, and vaguely thinks there goes my perfect attendance. "We will be… well… there is going to be a lot going on, and school will be the last thing we need to worry about."
She gestures to Emma. "Miss Pillsbury, will you please write Michael and Finn a note for their classes they have missed?" While she is doing that, Rachel turns to Santana. "T, I am going to go to the restroom and wash my face. You two can call my daddy and tell him we are almost ready to go."
Santana nods but does not leave just yet, and Rachel turns to Sue and Will.
"What are you going to need from us, Streisand?" Sue asks, and for once, Rachel actually appreciates the nickname.
"I need to know that Quinn is going to be ok when she comes back to school." She gestures to the other two members of the Unholy Trinity. "They have a few classes with her, more than I do, however, due to whatever it is that has happened, we will need to be able to contact each frequently."
She sighs, sitting in one of the seats.
"We may have to go as far as rearranging our schedules to where she and I are in all of our classes together. If not, and I would be surprised if that has not been done already, but if it has not, I – we – need to know that she will be able to leave class, to check on me, or to go somewhere to calm down if she is panicking."
"We need to know that she can leave class without being scolded for it. We need to know that the four of us can call or text each other if we need to come together to calm her down."
Rachel rubs her face with both roughly, sighing harshly.
"I know it's a lot to ask. I know that it seems we may be… exaggerating what has happened, but I promise, we are giving every last real, and true, detail. And I do not think anyone, who has not been at my house this weekend to witness it, will understand when I say… she will drive herself to a panic attack if she is unable to see me, to touch me. To know, without a doubt, that those worries in her mind of me being hurt, are just simply thoughts that someone else has put in her head."
Rachel stresses each word she is speaking, making eye contact with Sue and Will, and even Emma, who had come out of her office to give excuse slips to Mike and Finn.
She knows they can try to believe and understand, but she also knows that until they see Quinn literally struggling to breathe because all her brain can think of is Rachel is going to be hurt if I am not with her…
Until they witness it firsthand, then all they can do is be sympathetic and, to the best of their abilities, let Quinn do what she needs to do, in order to keep calm.
But they won't actually know.
They all nod, and they say they understand, and that each of them will do whatever it takes – Emma will write Quinn and Rachel a note, they'll speak to Principal Figgins, who will tell their teachers that Rachel and the UT are allowed their phones in class (granted, their schedules have not been changed yet).
Will is going to try to accommodate then in the classes he has them in (Glee and Spanish).
And Sue is going to let Britt and San practice in their sweatpants, so they will have their phones with them at all times, in case they are needed as well. Santana Will be Captain for now with Brittany being her Second-in-Command.
As far as Noah goes, it honestly depends on if he will need to be included in this.
:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/:/
Rachel, Santana, and Brittany split up, going to each of their classes, to get as much work for today and the next several days as they can.
It happens almost immediately, and Rachel just has to… fucking laugh, because really?
Today of all days?
"Hey, loser! You really thought stealing a Cheerios jacket would help you escape being put in your place?"
And then… they dump it on her head. Its three cups today, all jumbo-sized. At least it's one flavor this time.
Apparently, Santana had not called off the Slushies yet. David and Azimio look quite pleased with themselves, having taught this "loser" a "lesson".
That is, until they hear a sharp, Hey! What do you two idiots think you are doing?
Rachel almost pauses in putting in the lock combo so she can get her Slushy-kit because that sounded a lot like…
David and Azimio's eyes widen, and they spin around, and the other students in the hallway freeze and also turn to look, because…
Holy shit, Coach Sylvester just called them out. She had somehow gotten her bullhorn and is using it right now.
"I'm guessing my Cheerios didn't yet get the message out," She says, but more to herself than as an actual question. And now, Rachel really does pause this time, to watch this unfold.
Sue nods once, then straightens up, and addresses not only the football players who just slushied Rachel but also the entire hallway full of students.
"Listen up, you worthless babies! You see this young lady right here?"
Eyes, dozens of them, suddenly on her, but for once she hates it, and wishes for a hole in the ground to open up and swallow her.
"I am sure you will hear this from Santana, Brittany, and Quinn, but I am saying it first – Rachel Berry is off-limits. You hear me? No more bullying, no more name-calling, and most importantly, no more slushying."
"You slushy her, you get that Cheerios jacket that I said she could wear, dirty, and it will be the last thing you do. And that is before you deal with me personally."
"Is that clear?"
There are murmurs and 'yeses' from almost everyone in the hall, although everyone is still wide-eyed and stunned, and Rachel turns and puts in her combo, and she smiles, because fuck, she is officially under the protection of not only Sue Sylvester's three best girls, but also… Sue Sylvester herself.
For the first time since it happened, way back in eighth grade, Rachel holds her head high and goes to get cleaned up in the bathroom with a smile on her face.
And that is where Santana and Britt find her 10 minutes later. They, – Santana, especially, – realize their mistake.
"Oh, fuck." Is the first thing out the Latina's mouth, when she and Britt arrive at the bathroom after getting a text from Rachel.
Oh, fuck is exactly right.
Because Quinn was promised that Rachel would be returned unharmed, and even though this is far from anything actually bad that could have happened, in Quinn's mind, that promise was not fulfilled.
"Q is gonna be so mad… and worried." Brittany says, wide-eyed as she realizes the full extent of that sentence.
"We really fucked up, didn't we?" Santana asks, although it is rhetorical because, duh, this is the farthest things from not screwing up.
"I'm sorry, Rach. We promised her that you would be ok, and then we go and forget to call off the slushies. I–…" She trails off, unsure of what to say, inwardly berating herself up for forgetting about the one main thing they came to school to do.
Rachel just looks at her through the mirror, and reminds them about them needing to go and get assignments.
There it is! I hope I did not disappoint. Sue was definitely pissed off about what happened. You finally got to know some more details about that night, like how Russell found about the UT and Rachel, and how he found out Quinn is pregnant. I kind of liked how I wrote Finn. He is going to be different, more understanding of things.
Also, if anyone has an idea for an OC, please let me know. I would love to know if any of you have an OC you'd like to see, in particular, an older and/or younger sibling. PM or leave your ideas in the reviews! (please include name, age, and who they are the sibling of - Noah, Finn, Mike, Britt, or Santana).
Next is GLEE111's requested chapter. Then a flashback revealing the true relationship between the Fabrays and Berrys. :)
Please review and let me know what you thought! :)
