Quinn gathered her books from her locker, she side glances Rachel's locker with a sigh.

The brunette would be back but it sucked not having her in school yesterday and now today but Quinn was happy with the knowledge that after that weekend, Rachel would be back that coming Monday.

Quinn logically knows she has friends in school and she shouldn't mop about just one person but it feels like she doesn't. She feels like her old friends are so out of reach with who she is now as a mother and only Rachel understands her.

She feels like Rachel literally is her only friend though she's only been living with the girl for almost two weeks and for most of it she was practically comatose on meds.

Still, there was something about the situation that made her feel like they've been living together for years. She couldn't wait to have the brunette back at school.

Quinn sighed than shut her locker and began making her way down the hall.

She was just passing Mercedes and Tina when she heard something that made her blood run cold.

"-And he was just parked there? Did he say why?" Tina asked.

"Girl, it's Puck, lord knows why that boy does anything." Mercedes replied.

Quinn stopped and turned to the two.

"Hey. Sorry but I couldn't help but over hear you mention Puck? What are guys talking about?"

"Oh, hey Quinn." (Tina)

"Hey, Quinn and nothing really, just Puck being a major creeper." Mercedes replied.

Quinn chuckled doing her best to sound casual. "What happened?"

"I don't even really understand myself. I was taking out the trash after dinner and that's when I saw Puck's truck parked across the street. I watched him for a minute and I guess he didn't notice me because I was standing at the side of my house, you know, where we keep the trash bins?" Mercedes asked rhetorically and Quinn nodded yes.

"Finn was with him and they were talking so I decided to check what was going on. Anyway, I get to the car and I hear them arguing over who gets to use whichever binoculars. When I confronted them they freaked out and looked.. I don't know, like they were up to something or whatever. So, Puck made some excuse about birds that didn't make sense because it was already seven o' clock. I thought it was weird so I left it alone. Then later that night before I went to bed I checked out my window and they were still there."

Quinn felt her insides knotting up at the retelling.

"But that's not the weird part. Artie says that Puck and Finn were parked outside of his house with binoculars too and Arties' dad had threaten to call the police if they didn't leave." Mercedes finished.

Quinn kept her face neutral as she furrowed her brow and let out a light chuckle with a shake of her head as if to say 'Idiots'

"Wow, so does anyone know why they're being creepers in the first place?" Quinn asked in false amusement.

"Not really but Artie did say that he over heard Finn talking to Puck about operation 'baby bottom' or something like that." Tina said with a chuckle.

Quinn laughed as well with a shake of her head and politely said her goodbyes and not to 'pay the fools' any mind, still keeping her composer as she exited the conversation.

The second she walked away her heart thudded madly in her chest. This wasn't good. This was bad. Very bad.


"This is bullshit!" Puck growled.

"Dude, chill. It's only been a couple of days-"

"A week Finn! It's been a week and still we don't have anything!"

"Yeah but we still have the rest of the list to go through. So far we've only scouted Santana, Britney, Artie, Mercedes, Gabrielle and Lucas' house. We literally have a bunch more to go through."

"That's not the point! The rent is due and I only have half of it! They already disconnected the internet, what's next the light bill?!"

Finn sighed. Lately Pucks been snapping more aggressively and has been going a little more extreme with watching houses. Last night he wouldn't even stop to get them dinner and Finn was hungry especially being stuck in Pucks truck for over two hours.

"I get it, I do but-"

"No, you don't! I have my own place, you still live with your mommy! It's harder than you think! you don't pay any bills!"

"Well, neither did you before, Quinn did." Finn grumbled under his breath.

"What'd you say?!"

Finn's eyes widened as Puck got in his face. "N-Nothing!"

"Look just-ask around. Ask if anyone knows anything." Puck said than stormed off.

Finn sighed tiredly. He was starting to feel like this was getting out of hand. He understood-at least, he thinks he does. He just hopes that it doesn't get any more worse than this because he doesn't think he could handle it.


Aggie sat across the desk with warm, soft eyes aimed on the one person she had been worried about for the last year. The woman with her brown eyes and shoulder length chocolate, silky hair.

It's a wonder the woman is able to even talk with Aggie after everything. The last year had been brutal and Aggie had fought tooth and nail to help put the woman before her back together but here she is looking just as fierce as she use to and now disgusted after hearing all that Aggie had to say about Lucy Quinn Fabray's situation.

"And this boy.. Puck, was it?"

Aggie nodded with a smile at the woman's obvious dislike of the name and boy himself.

"Yes, his real name is Noah Puckerman but Rachel and Quinn say he prefers Puck." Aggie replied.

"Good god, the name alone makes him sound illiterate."

"Sweetheart-" Aggie began in warning but there was a lilt to her tone that expressed her amusement.

"Okay, okay.. so he's the father?." Aggie nodded. "Alright so what exactly are you trying to accomplish here?"

"To put it simply, Noah Puckerman will never be granted custody and Lucy will have full guardianship over Charlotte and Beth." Aggie stated as if it was that easy.

"And how soon do you need this done?" The woman asked.

"As soon as possible, sweetie."

The woman smirked as she stood up and rounded her desk just as Aggie stood up. She wrapped her arms around Aggie and Aggie returned the hug.

"Consider it done, mom." The woman replied with a devious smirk.

"I know it will be and sweetheart do call your sister. She's been worried sick."

The brunette woman chuckled as she thought of the little power house.

"I know, ma. I've just been swamped with work. Tell Rachel I'll call soon."

"When exactly, you know your sister. She'll have my head if the call does not correlate with her scheduled availability."

The woman chuckled once again with a shake of her head, that sounds exactly like Rachel.

"Tell you what, have Rachel call me next Tuesday at 11 am. I have a hour window and remind her to be prompt and that if I'm going to be able to help Ms. Fabray get this taken care of sooner rather later than my time is going to be very limited."

"And your brother?"

"I'll call him too."

"Alright my darling, well call me when you are finished for the day."

"I will, I should be done around five. I'll be at your hotel by six for dinner."

"Okay. See you then." Aggie said as she pulled her only daughter into a motherly hug full of love.

"It's good to have you in the city again, ma."

"It's good to see you more, my darling."

The two released each other and Aggie could see the hidden depths of darkness in her daughters eyes. She wasn't only there to help Lucy with her issue.

She was also there to check on her daughter. The evening was sure to become emotional once they reached the more sensitive topics of the last four months of her daughters life but it was a mothers job to make sure her daughter was still on the right track.


Rachel sighed as she walked the aisles of the supermarket, it was now Friday.

She had decided to go grocery shopping an entire town over just to be on the safe side of life.

Because Quinn was at school, Charlie was at school and Aggie was currently in New York for the weekend getting assistance with Quinn's soon to be case.

She had her list, Jaxon in the shopping cart seat, Beth strapped to her chest in a carrier while going over said list.

Checking it off, not at all paying attention to where she was going. So much so that she accidentally ran into someone else's cart.

"Oh Moses, I'm so sorry! I did-"

"No way, Rachel?"

Rachel froze, her eyes wide and her jaw dropped as she stared into the eyes of one out of the two people she never ever wanted to see again.

"Christina.." Rachel breathe out still shocked as hell.

Christina sounded surprised for all of two seconds before she took in the small boy sat in the carts sit from behind and the obvious new born strapped to Rachel's chest.

"Oh my god, so it is true!" Christina's eyes were wide now. "You did get yourself knocked up?!"

Rachel's eyes bulged as they glanced back and forth.

"Let me see! Is it Brody's?" Christina asked eagerly stepping forward but Rachel knew what she was really after, the gossip. She gripped the cart pulling it more toward herself to shield her son.

"No!"

"No?!"Christina scoffed.

"What do want Christina, I have things to do?"

"I don't want anything you've got. It's clear you spread you're legs enough times to get knocked up twice or maybe you have a whole fucking litter!" Christina laughed darkly.

"Either way that's none of your busine-"

"You know, Brody told us everything."

That snapped Rachel's mouth shut as her eyes became feral and her body stiffened.

"He told us how you begged him for it and when he said he didn't want to be with you, you got desperate."

"You don't know anything!" Rachel spat.

"I know enough to know he wouldn't lie about something like that. Because you came to us needing to get lost because you were all whiny and depressed about-"

Rachel didn't let her finish. She whipped the cart passed Christina in a rush as her heart pounded and she could hear the flushing of blood in her ears, with Christina's shit eating laughter muffled in the background.

She doesn't even remember how she got both children in the car securely strapped in or how she got herself back on the highway.

Nor does she remember parking in her driveway a whole hour later. All she remembers are the words. She's also confused as to how Quinn is kneeling next to her.

She feels Quinn wiping her cheeks for her. The blonde's fingers moving in a swiping motion and she sees the worry on Quinn's face as the blonde speaks to her but she can't make out exactly what she's saying.

Is she crying? When did she start crying?

"Rachel, please! Tell me what's wrong!" Quinn tried again.

Rachel is staring at her with red bloodshot eyes. Her tears are coming repeatedly and Quinn isn't sure how long she's been sat there but when she pulled into the driveway five minutes ago Rachel was just there unmoving.

Both Jaxon and Beth are asleep and Charlie doesn't get out of school until three which means Quinn only has forty more minutes to get Rachel and the kids inside before she'll have to get Charlie with Rachel's car.

"Quinn?" Rachel asks confused.

"Yes honey, it's me. Are you okay?! What happened?!" Quinn asked soft but urgently with worry.

"I.." Rachel's eyes left Quinn's face and stared over the dash board as her mind began taking her else where again. Quinn immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Aggie's number.

"Lucy my dear wh-"

"Aggie?"

It was the tone that did it. Aggie halted her movement and her smile slipped from her face as her wrinkles creased with worry.

"Lucy, what's wrong?"

Quinn shut her eyes at having an adult automatically know that somethings wrong and actually care to know what the problem is.

"It's Rachel-"

"How bad is it?"

Quinn's brows hit her hair line. 'How bad is it?' tells Quinn all she needs to know. This is a repeat occurrence but what exact type of the occurrence is it?

"I-I'm not sure. I came home early and Rachel was parked in the driveway crying and she's not talking."

Aggie shut her eyes and shook her head. Of all the days this could happen it had to be when she left for New York.

"Alright Lucy, listen to me." Quinn nodded though Aggie couldn't actually see it. "Rachel will move by your guide. Meaning she's not fully mentally present with you but if you take her hand and guide her she'll follow your lead."

"Okay."

"Are the children with you?"

"Beth and Jaxon are but I still have to pick up Charlie in a few minutes. Rachel's still in the drivers seat of the car."

"Alright all you have to do is tell her what you're going to do as you guide her. Sit her in the passanger seat than drive to get Charlie than when you get home again call me back."

"Okay."

"It's going to be alright Lucy."

"Okay."

Quinn was terrified and Aggie could tell. Quinn didn't know what was wrong with Rachel or what happened to cause this to happen. The kids seem okay but she'll have to check them when she gets back with Charlie.

"Rachel?" The brunette didn't move in fact it was as if she didn't hear Quinn at all.

Quinn licked her lips nervously before cupping the brunette's cheeks and slowly brought Rachel's face to face her own before speaking again. "Rachel, I'm going to need you to stand up for me okay?"

Rachel's tears continued down as Quinn stood up. She released the brunette's face than grasped her hands as she tugged them and just like Aggie said, the brunette followed. It seemed like Rachel was in a daze.

Quinn sighed with relief that at the very least she could get Rachel to respond in that manner. It was better than nothing.

The blonde escorted Rachel around the car than helped her into the passenger seat. She then rushed around to the drivers seat and pulled out of the parking lot and headed to Charlie's school getting there just as the bell rung signaling the end of the day.

Quinn hopped out of the car quickly and rushed over to meet Charlie, looking back and forth nervously. She still felt worried over Puck.

Charlie reached her and she hugged her before walking her briskly to the car. She got Charlie situated than immediately headed home with two sleeping infants, a quiet Charlie and a catatonic Rachel staring at her lap.

The moment they pulled into the driveway Quinn cursed herself as she realized she left her suv parked out side for all of Lima to see including Puck.

She pulled Rachel's car in the driveway first then ran back out to get hers. Once both cars were safely put away and the garage door was locked behind her, she began unloading the kids with worry glances thrown at a silent Rachel unmoving in the passenger seat.

She got all three children in the house and settled in the living room with Charlie on the couch, Jaxon in his play pin and Beth in the baby swing with cartoons playing on the TV, before heading back out for Rachel.

Quinn pulled open the passenger door then reached for the brunette. Rachel's body went on autopilot as Quinn navigated her through the house with quiet instruction.

Quinn sat Rachel on the couch in the living room and began removing her shoes. The brunette's eyes were unfocused as her mind conjured up the worst moments of her life.

One event with Brody that altered it forever. Brody. The guy she thought was her boyfriend. Christina's words mocked her and Rachel's brain took her down memory and before Quinn knew what was happening a sob so strong and so heartbreaking, tore it's way from Rachel's throat.

Quinn's eyes widened than fear took over as Rachel began sobbing so hard her body was quaking and trembling.

Charlie also startled and her small wide eyes began to fill with confused worry. Jaxon's little face contorted in confusion as he sat down and stared through the net wall of his play pin.

"Rachel?! Rachel what's wrong?! I don't understand!" Quinn pleaded but to no avail. Rachel just continued to cry.

So Quinn did the only thing she knew how to do in that moment.

She wrapped her arms around the brunette and laid them down across the large couch and cuddle the brunette. Rubbing her back and giving words of support 'I'm here.' and 'You're okay.' It went on like that until Rachel passed out in the blonde's arms.

Eventually a good enough time passed that the blonde thought it was safe enough to make her call to Aggie. Quinn looked over at her sister who had calmed down as well and began watching cartoons again.

"Charlie?" Quinn whispered.

Charlie looked at her in question with a raised brow so much like her own.

"Pass me my phone, please?" Quinn whispered.

Charlie grabbed Quinn's phone from the coffee table and the moment it was in Quinn's hands the blonde was dialing Aggie's number.

"Oh thank goodness, how is she?" Aggie asked immediately.

"She's asleep but she had sort of a break down earlier, I think."

"How so?"

"I did what you told me to do when guiding her, long story short when I was helping her out of her shoes she burst into tears and was crying hysterically. She just fell asleep like thirty minutes ago."

Aggie hummed down the line. "Lucy, listen I know you don't understand why that happened but when she is ready to tell you she will but what I know I'm allowed to tell you is that Rachel has these episodes when something triggers it. She has something akin to PTSD and she can get trapped in her head when that happens. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you-"

"Oh no Aggie, it's okay. I'm just happy I got home when I did. I just.. I just wish I would have known about this sooner. I mean the kids-"

"Please Lucy, understand that under other circumstances you would have already known but nothing like this has happened since four months before Jaxon's birth."

Quinn's mouth fell agape with surprise. "Than why did it happen now? Do you think it's like what you said? Something triggered her?"

"Maybe but I have a feeling that if she's as bad as you say than it may be more like someone."

Quinn felt her chest tighten and fire burn in her belly with rage at the possibility of a person causing Rachel to have an episode of whatever this is. Quinn felt her need to protect fill her venomously.

"Whoever it is better stay away from Rachel or they'll have to deal with me." Quinn growled.


Rachel groaned as her head felt heavy and ached from the dull throb in her temple.

She felt confused at first when her eyes fluttered open and she was met with the sight of her living room ceiling.

Then all at once the events hit her hard. Her having a great morning with the kids as she enjoyed her last day of suspension.

Her choice of heading to Bluffton since it would still be far enough away to not run into Lima residents but close enough to get back in time to pick up Charlie from school.

She really was enjoying her day until she ran into Christina Morgan. She had no idea she would run into her there.

No one from that group were from that town nor would they be caught dead there so why did she have to be there?

Then Rachel remembered the kids and gasped as she sat up in fear but winced when her head pounded and she was hit with vertigo.

"Easy there.." Quinn spoke softly as she shut the book in her hands than placed it on the side coffee table and got up to sit next to Rachel.

She immediately began to rub the brunette's back and Rachel was assaulted with an overwhelming scent of what? She doesn't know but it smelled so good her head settled and the soft strong glide of the blonde's hand rubbing her softly eased her tightly coiled body.

"Are you okay?" Quinn asked.

Rachel raised her head and turned to her right to gaze into swirling worried hazel.

Quinn eyes softened at the swollen, puffy blood red eyes before her own.

"The kids?" Rachel's voice croaked.

"Are fine. They've had dinner and were bathe, they're in bed and sound asleep."

Rachel's eyes watered and her lips trembled as she cast her eyes away dropping them in shame. "..I'm so sorry.." The brunette whimpered.

Quinn watched with sadness as the brunette literally looked like her body was closing in on itself.

"Don't. It's okay, sweetie and everyone's okay I promise. Now, I don't know what happened and I won't ask but I want you to know I'm here for you. I'm here and I will listen with out judgement or expectation but if you don't want me here say so and I'll go upstairs right now and give you privacy."

Rachel shook her head and reached out for the blonde's hands.

"Please! Please just.. Please don't live me." Rachel whimpered out and you could hear her vocal cords shake violently as she fought with herself not to cry.

"Okay.. Okay, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Quinn assured as she gently released her hands from Rachel's trembling ones.

Than she checked to make sure the baby monitor and video cam monitors volume were up and all three children could be seen. Then she scooted back on the arm of the couch with a pillow and opened her arms.

"Come here." She said softly and Rachel's face crumbled as she crawled into the blonde's arms and began to whimper her cries of shame, hurt and gratitude.

They weren't as hard or as body quaking as the first time but it was so emotionally raw that Quinn knew it was a cry of a haunted suffering. An aged old ache that has been healing over time but never reached it's maturity of a puckered scar.

Quinn's eyes filled with tears because she still doesn't know what happened. She doesn't know the cause and she doesn't know how to make it better.

All she knows right now is that hearing Rachel Berry cry is going to become her undoing because she can swear that Rachel's pain feels like her own. Like they are now one.

One sound being of body, mind, and soul and it's painful and real and whoever did this will pay in the highest caliber if Quinn ever finds out who they are.