Chapter 14: Yero the Hero

"Mr. Pavers called."

Rachel looks up at her. Shelby eyes her carefully. She knows Rachel isn't actually suicidal, but the thoughts were there. And this could possibly be an upsetting topic. She doesn't really think this would bring back those thoughts, but it still makes her nervous. It probably always will, to some extent.

"Why?"

"Your father had a will. He left everything to you."

"Okay?"

"Mr. Pavers is going to hire a company to pack up your father's belongings and have them shipped to a storage unit here. We can go through them and you can decide what to you want to keep. He's planning on donating Leroy's clothes and selling most of his furniture. He'll pack up knickknacks, decorations, pictures, books, movies, and personal items like that."

Rachel nods and looks down. "Okay."

"They'll pack everything up in the next couple weeks and have it shipped. In a few weeks, we'll be able to go through it all together. Our spa trip is planned for the weekend after Regionals, but if you'd like, we can move it to after we go through your dad's things."

Her daughter's eyes dart around the room. Shelby recognizes that Rachel is trying to settle her emotions. "No, it's fine. We can keep our plans as they are. We'll go through his stuff after the spa trip."

"We can wait if you'd like. His belongings can sit in the storage unit until you're ready. We don't have to go through it right away."

"No, it's okay. It's just stuff." Eyes down. Biting lip. Fingers tapping.

Shelby sighs. "Rachel, I need you to be honest with me. It's not just stuff and it's okay to be upset about it."

"I'm…..it's not that I'm upset about it. It's just…..that's all that's left. His stuff."

"And your memories."

"I know. And I know they're not all good memories, but…he was my dad. I loved him. And I miss him."

She leans into Shelby. The mother wraps her arms around her. "I know, honey. I know."

After Rachel as gotten the comfort she needs, she pulls back. Shelby kisses her head before letting her go. Rachel smiles and turns to return to her seat. Yero sits up from his spot on the floor and gives a soft woof, his eyes intently on Rachel. Shelby tenses. So does Rachel. Her daughter turns back to her, tears in her eyes as her expression becomes pained. Shelby knows it's not the pain making her cry. This is an emotional response, and something that Shelby can actually help ease. She pulls her child against her in a firm embrace and buries her face in her hair, rocking her gently and humming. It ends quickly. Rachel presses her face into her neck and grips her back. Shelby rubs her back, letting her cry it out.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The cold air nips at her neck, making her wish she'd taken a scarf like her mom suggested. Not that she'll let the woman know she was right. Yero tugs on his leash and she speeds up to accommodate his eagerness to get to the park. She likes walking him. It's usually either fun or peaceful. Granted, having to pick up his poop in a little baggie and carry it with her is less fun. But worth it. They get to the park and she wonders if he's ready to be let off his leash in an open area like this. She trusts that he'll return to her when she calls, but how far will he go? Is she risking him running into the street? She decides not to risk it and keeps him leashed until they get to the actual dog park. Walking past some picnic tables, she spots Max hanging out with his friends. She smiles and waves. The boy eagerly waves back, a friendly smile on his face. Most of his friends do the same. Max is a freshman this year, so while it's neat that he's in the same school as her now, they don't see each other much. She has seen some of the other boys he's sitting with in the halls, so she assumes they're freshmen as well. She assumes the others are eighth graders who will join their friends at McKinley next year. She wonders how much of their enthusiastic greeting is because Max is sort of her friend and knows her and how much of it is because she's a senior girl. And while she's working on not being so arrogant, she is aware she's pretty. She grins and walks on.

The dog park portion is fairly small, but it's at least an area she can let him run free. She shuts the little gate and Yero sits, waiting patiently for her to unclasp his leash. Well, his excited version of patient; sitting in one spot, but shifting his feet eagerly, tail wagging, and letting out little excited huffs. The moment it's released, the one year old dog takes off. Yero bolts from one end of the gated area and back, his paws making an audible scraping sound as he changes direction abruptly. Rachel laughs. Oh to be a dog, thrilled beyond belief to get to run. Yero zooms back and forth for a while, then leaps at Rachel. She laughs again and lets him knock her to the ground. They playfully wrestle. Rachel drops her full weight on top of him.

"I win!"

Yero's response to that announcement is to eagerly lick her face. She laughs and squirms, trying to hide her face from him. This results in her sliding off of him and Yero climbing on top of her, his tail wagging like crazy. He lets out a couple barks before going back to trying to lick her.

"There you are, under some dog like a bitch in heat. God, you really are easy, aren't you?"

Startled, Rachel stops laughing and sits up. Rick Nelson is leaning on the fence surrounding the dog park, a smirk on his face. It doesn't matter that he's wearing a balaclava. She knows it's him. Rachel grips the grass beneath her, trying to calm her suddenly pounding heart.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

"Why?"

"Funny enough, I'm looking for an easy bitch."

Mouth dry, Rachel stands up and takes several steps backwards. Rick jumps the fence in one swift move. Rachel backs up further, only stopping when her back hits the fence on the opposite side of the dog park. Yero has stood up as well, his body tense as he faces the teenage boy. When Rick takes a step towards Rachel, Yero growls. Rick pauses and glances at Yero hesitantly. Rachel takes the opportunity to grab her phone. Her hand hits her empty pocket and her stomach plummets. Her eyes frantically search the ground. Her phone is next to Yero. Shit. It must have fallen out while they were playing.

"You know, I've realized that you've been the cause of almost all my problems lately. A tiny, worthless thing like you."

"How is any of it my fault?!" She makes sure to talk a little louder than normal, hoping Max and his friends will hear and come investigate.

"Everyone loves you and hates me and I don't get why! You're just an ugly, Jewish whore. I'm a hockey star! I'm actually cool! I was popular! I still don't know how you fucked that up. Then, I make one joke about you and your boyfriend starts a fight with me. But somehow, I ended up kicked off the hockey team, losing my scholarship, losing respect around school, and losing some friends. How is that fucking fair?!"

He takes a step closer and Yero barks warningly at him.

"You're an arrogant jerk! You're cruel! That's why you lost everyone's respect. No one likes mean."

"What the fuck are you talking about?! We're teenagers! We thrive on being mean! It's how we establish order. Or it was before your gay club changed things."

"You mean when we stopped letting people be bullies? Created a safe environment with the support of the football players and cheerleaders?"

Rick scoffs. "Things were good before you changed them. I had it all! You're just a worthless bitch. So how did you change everything? You've got the whole school wrapped around your little finger. Why? Because they think you can sing? Because you nearly died? Because you're sick again? I have actual talent! I'm an athlete! But they follow you, not me!"

Fiyero's tail is tense and his ears are back. He's no longer growling, but he's low to the ground and ready to lunge. His eyes never leave Rick, watching his every movement. Rachel thinks she sees movement from the grove of trees near the dog park, but is distracted when Rick keeps talking.

"Hudson is supposedly the most popular guy in school. That pussy sings and dances on stage! How is that cool? It's pathetic. And again, you somehow have him wrapped around your little finger. You just have to look in his direction and he comes running. So I'm thinking, the only thing that makes sense is you must be amazing in bed, right? Why else would he be with you? Why else would Puckerman follow you around? You must be sleeping with all of them, right? And you must be good. Since you lost me everything, I think it's only fair if I get a little something in exchange." His grin curls her stomach. "Show me how good you are and why those guys practically crawl at your feet. Be a good little slut for me."

"Go fuck yourself."

"No, I'm trying to get you to do it."

"You're disgusting!"

Rage transforms his already unpleasant face into something even more unappealing. He looks demented.

"I'm disgusting?! You're the one rolling around with dogs, you bitch!"

Rick moves towards her, his body language angry and threatening. Yero doesn't hesitate. He lunges at the teenage boy, his jaw locking onto his arm. Rachel spins around and leaps over the fence. She hates to leave her dog with the bastard, but she needs help. She takes off running, but doesn't get far. The sound of Yero yelping and whimpering has her halting. Her heart leaps into her throat and she turns back. Yero is on the ground, squirming fiercely yet uselessly. Rick is kneeling on her puppy, his hands hurriedly tying his leash around his legs so he can't run. Rachel freezes, uncertain what to do. Help her dog? How? Run for help and leave Yero behind? That indecision cost her precious seconds. Seeing her dog incapacitated, Rick resumes his chase. He is leaping the fence when Rachel finally snaps out of it and takes off. Heart in her throat, feet pounding the frozen ground beneath her, she runs. She's not even cognizant of the direction she's going. She's just running. Away. That is her only goal right now. To get away from the monster chasing her.

To her relief, she's faster than him. She is steadily putting distance between them. Her arms pump, keeping her momentum going, her legs burn from the sudden sprint, but she keeps going. The sound of his feet following behind her urges her onward. She can't let him close the distance. Jaw clenched, Rachel urges her legs to move faster. The combination of the cold wind blowing against her and her own fast motion loosens her beanie. When she glances over her shoulder to gauge the monster's distance, it slips off her head. She snaps her head forward and turns, suddenly changing directions, hoping to lose him in the small grove of trees to her left. Without the beanie holding her hair still, it's flowing in her face, interfering with her vision. Rachel passes two trees, then turns and sprints, weaving between trees. The sounds of thudding footsteps seems to be coming from multiple directions, disorienting her. Where is he? She makes the mistake of turning to look while running around a tree. Her foot catches an exposed root and she stumbles.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

His legs are restrained. He whimpers and moves fiercely, refusing to give up. He manages to loosen them, but can't get his legs out. His back paws scratch at the part of the leash wrapped around his front legs. A sound pierces the air and he freezes for a moment, then quickly doubles his efforts to free himself. He loosens the binds enough to get his teeth on them. He tears at them viciously, shredding the material of the leash. He uses his claws and teeth, working as fast as he can. The second he's free, he's on his feet. He runs to the fence, jumps, and hits the top bar. He's knocked back. He growls, but quickly shakes it off. His head swivels around, trying to find a way out. The gate is shut. He needs to jump the fence. He runs to one end of the enclosure, spins around, and sprints to the other end. When he's close enough, he jumps. He easily clears the fence, but fumbles the landing, staggering. He rights himself and sniffs the air.

There.

He takes off running.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Rick juts his hand forward and it connects with her flailing arm, destroying the last of her equilibrium and she tumbles to the ground. His foot slams into her side and she cries out. It connects again, knocking the air from her lungs. She curls up to protect her center and he kicks her back. Three things happen in rapid succession: Rick pulls his foot back to kick her again, furious barking distracts him from following through, and someone tackles him.

Rachel sucks in a pained breath, refilling her lungs. The bastard has a strong kick. Max Gaither is on top of Rick, punching him furiously. Rick gets in one good punch, knocking the younger boy off of him and staggers to his feet. He pulls back his fist to punch Max again when one of the freshman's friends kicks the back of his leg, dropping him to one knee. Rick curses and turns to glare at the boy.

"You fu—"

He never finishes his statement. Yero comes barreling through the trees, the tattered remains of his leash dangling off of him. His incredible speed almost makes him look like he's flying. He dives at Rick, knocking him to the ground. Rachel sits up and Max and his friend step back, all watching in shock. Yero tears his coat, then his jaws clamp down on Rick's neck. Rick goes absolutely still. Yero doesn't bite hard enough to draw blood, but he clearly means business. He is holding him in a deadlock.

"Call off your mutt." Rick's command is delivered in a shaky whisper.

Rachel shakes off her shock. "He's not hurting you. He's keeping you still."

"But if you try to move….." Max lets the rest of his warning hang open to interpretation.

"And he's not a mutt." She feels the need to defend him. Max and his friends laugh.

Max holds out a hand to her and she accepts it. His eyes scan her carefully. "You okay?"

Shaking, she nods. "Yeah, I'm fine. We need to call the police."

"Done." Max points to a third boy standing several feet away, talking on the phone.

"Good. Thank you, Max. And Max's friends." The boys all smile and nod proudly. "Are you okay? You're bleeding."

Max touches his bloody lip, then grins. "Yeah, this is nothing."

"I need my phone. I need to call my mom."

"Where is it?" Max's closest friend asks.

"In the dog park. It fell out of my pocket."

"I'll go get it!" He takes off jogging.

Her torso is starting to hurt. She knows she'll bruise soon. She probably would have bruised even if she wasn't sick again. Rachel carefully walks over to Yero and lightly pets his head. He instantly releases Rick and looks up at her with a concerned whimper. Unfortunately, that's all Rick needed. He punches Yero's stomach and jumps up. Rachel stumbles back in shock. Rick takes off running with Yero in hot pursuit. Now that she's no longer in danger, she wants Yero back by her side, so he can be safe.

"YERO! Come!"

Fiyero reluctantly slows down to a trot. His head swivels between his retreating prey and where Rachel stands waiting for him. With an aggravated woof, Yero returns to her side. Rachel drops to her knees and hugs him tight.

"Good boy, Yero. Very good boy. I love you so much, Yero." She kisses his head, then starts petting him all over. Finally, her brave puppy relaxes and rolls on his back, requesting belly rubs, which she happily accommodates.

"It sucks he got away. Did you know him?"

Rachel nods. "That was Rick Nelson."

"Rick the Dick?" Max's eyebrows shoot up.

She grins and nods. "The one and only."

Max's friend walks over while putting his phone in his pocket. "The police will be here soon. Since he ran away, the lady said I could hang up. Um, I'm Rodger."

Rachel holds out her hand. "Rachel."

They shake. The third boy comes jogging back. Yero flips over, eyes wary. Rachel pets him and insists it's okay. He stays by her side. The boy, who introduces himself as Luke, hands over her phone. She calls her mom.

"Honey? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but…can you come to the park, please?"

"Did you have an attack?"

"Not exactly. I was attacked. By Rick."

"WHAT?! Are you okay?!" This is followed by the sounds of hurried footsteps on their wood floors in the kitchen, a door opening, and a being pulled on. Rachel can even make out Scott murmuring indistinctly in the background until her mom shushes him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. He's gone. The police are on the way." Actually, the police are here. Several officers are walking in their direction.

"Are you alone?"

"No, Max and his friends are here with me. They stopped him."

"Good. Okay. Good. Just….stay with them until we get there."

"Yes, mother." A roll of the eyes.

"Watch it, little girl."

"Sorry. I promise to stay with Max and his friends until you get here."

"Good. Just give us three minutes."

It actually only took two. Her mom must have put pedal to metal. In those two minutes, the police officers introduced themselves, then took their names before taking statements. One of the officers had done a double take when she'd given her name, but she doesn't know why. She certainly doesn't recognize them. Sure, one day people will do a double take upon hearing her name because they'll connect it with her Broadway career and collection of Tony awards. But right now? She's clueless. Her mother and Scott come hurrying over, interrupting her interview. They'd moved to the picnic tables to have a place to sit where the police could easily write. When her mom came running, the emotions Rachel had kept bottled up boiled over and tears spring to her eyes. She jumps off the bench and runs into her mom's arms. Scott wraps his arms around both of them. For the first time since the attack, Rachel finally feels safe.

Her mom pulls back enough to look at her, running her eyes along her. "Are you hurt?"

Rachel knows not to lie or hold anything back. "He knocked me down and kicked me a couple times, so I'm sure I have bruises on my stomach and back. But that's all. Max tackled him off of me before he could do anything else. Then Max's friend helped knock him down."

"Good. We'll have to find a way to thank them."

"That's good. But Yero did the most."

"Oh?"

She nods enthusiastically. "He—"

"Excuse me, I'm Officer Sutton. I was taking your daughter's statement. Do you think we could continue?"

They all nod and move to sit at the picnic table once more. "So you said you definitely recognized the boy who attacked you?"

"Yes. Rick Nelson was wearing a balaclava, but I knew it was him. Plus he talked to me."

"What did he say?"

Rachel glances uncomfortably at her mom and Scott before repeating Rick's words at a mumble. Scott looks angry, but he's mostly trying to settle her mother down, who is furious. The cop diligently writes it down verbatim.

"What happened next?"

"He jumped into the dog park with me. He started blaming me for everything that has gone wrong with his life, saying it's all my fault. He…..he, um…he…..he said….he thought…..the only reason my boyfriend is with me and my other guy friends are friends with me is because…I must…be sleeping with all of them." Her mom clenches her hand. Scott clears his throat. Rachel presses on. "He said that since I screwed everything up for him, I should…put out for him. He wanted something in return. I told him…..to go fuck himself."

Officer Sutton's lips twitch as he restrains a smile. Her mom kisses her cheek. "Good girl."

"But then he said 'no, I'm trying to get you to do it'. He charged at me, so my dog leapt at him to stop him. Yero was protecting me. I climbed the fence and took off running. Rick used Yero's leash to tie up his legs so he couldn't run after him then followed me. He caught up to me and knocked me down and kicked me a couple times. Max came running up and tackled him off of him. His friend kicked him in the leg to knock him down after he got back up. Max's other friend was on the phone with police. Then Yero managed to get free from his binds and jumped on Rick. He had his jaws on his neck. Not hard enough to draw blood!" She was quick to assure them. "Just enough to keep Rick still and get him to stop fighting. But I accidentally distracted Yero and Max punched him in the gut and took off running. Fiyero chased after him, but I called him back."

"And he returned after you called?"

"Yes."

"That's a well trained dog."

"Well he's my service dog, so he should be."

Officer Sutton nods and makes a note. "So you were walking your service dog in the park and were attacked by a classmate who has threatened you before."

"Yes."

"And your service dog, neighbor, and neighbor's friends managed to protect you and chase him off."

"Yes."

"If it's alright with you and your mother, I'd like to take some pictures of your bruises."

Rachel nods and removes her coat. She shivers hard while pulling up her shirt. Yup. She's bruised, as expected. Stomach, side, and back. Officer Sutton snaps a few pictures with the police department camera, then tells her she can put her coat back on.

"What happens now?"

"Now, we look at the statements from all four of you, then we go talk to Mr. Nelson and his parents. We'll keep you informed."

"How do I get a restraining order? I don't want him anywhere near my daughter ever again."

Officer Sutton nods and scratches his beard. "You can come down to the station and fill out a form. It'll then be sent over to the court to be signed by a judge."

"I'll do that later today. Right now, I'd like to take my daughter home. Is that alright?"

"Of course."

They don't go home right away. The police officers wrap up their interviews and leave. The kids and their parents remain. Rachel watches her mom hurry over to hug Max and thank him for helping her. The boy blushes furiously and stammers out a "you're welcome". Mr. and Mrs. Gaither come over to Rachel to check on her. They hug her. The parents of the other boys come closer and the group talks for a while. They discuss how to celebrate the boys being hero's. Rachel wants them to be rewarded and celebrated, but she's tired. She hopes they won't be upset if she doesn't join them. She leans into her mom's side and whispers about her exhaustion. Her mom immediately wraps an arm around her waist. The boys decide they want pizza and wings.

"Okay, I need to get Rachel home to rest. But I'm ordering pizza, wings, soda, and cheesy bread for you boys. I'll have it delivered to Max's house. Sound good?"

"Shelby, you don't have to—"

"Sydney, it's the least I could do. I'm happy to. Honestly."

The Gaither's relent and accept her offering. Scott shakes hands with all three boys and offers some free training sessions. The boys eagerly accept. The whole time Rachel has been scratching Yero's head. Rachel brings something up while walking to the car.

"We're going to reward Yero, right? I mean, he was my hero, too."

"Of course we are!"

"How about I run out and get a nice steak and a big bone for him?" Scott offers.

"He'd like that."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Rachel changes into comfortable lounge clothes and ices her bruises. She curls up with Yero and they watch "Balto". Rachel felt that Yero deserved to watch a movie featuring another heroic dog. Her mom spends a while on the phone talking to her lawyer, then her parents. When she's finished, she joins them on the couch. Scott went out to get Yero's steak and was gone longer than expected. He'd made a stop at Petco and picked up more stuff. Aside from the steak dinner, he bought Yero a new toy, some doggie treats, and doggie ice cream for dessert. When Scott returns, her mom heads to the police station to fill out a restraining order request. Fiyero is spoiled for the rest of the night. A delicious steak dinner, a nice big bone to chew, lots of pets, scratches, and belly rubs, a new toy to play with, and he really enjoyed the puppy ice cream. He is a happy boy, his tail wagging, tongue lolling, and his head resting on Rachel's lap. Despite all his special attention, he keeps looking up at her like she's his favorite thing every. She kisses his head and he responds with a lick to her face.

She's not scared. She thought she would be, but she's not. What Rick was saying and threatening to do scared an disturbed her. But it'll never happen. For the first time in a while, she's glad she's never alone. While it wasn't planned for Max and his friends to be at the park at the same time as her, the fact that other people were there meant she had help to fend him off. She's positive that even if strangers had been in the park, they would have helped in some way. She's sure of it. And besides, she had Yero. Her service dog. Her protector. She is safe with him. This encounter makes her wonder if she should start training him to be without a leash so no one can tie him up again. She'll talk it over with people before deciding. The restraining order will be approved and he'll have to stay away. Maybe he'll even go to juvie for a while and won't be around to bother anyone. Surely he'll be expelled. She calls Kurt and tells him all about her afternoon. He's a wonderful audience, gasping in all the right places and gushing over Yero the Hero. After assuring him she's fine, she calls Finn. He's over at Sam's house playing video games with the guys, so he puts her on speaker so she can tell all of them what happened. They're beyond pissed. She has to convince them not to go hunt him down by pointing out that if they do, it could interfere with the police investigation.

Nana calls her, wanting to hear from her that she's okay. She talks to her grandmother for a while. They start out talking about the attack earlier today, but end up going off on various tangents; school, Regionals, Finn, her friends, her cousins, etc. It's really easy to talk to her grandmother. The older woman assure her they're all coming for Regionals next weekend and are very excited about it. Oliver has been bugging his parents, constantly asking when it is. Other than triple checking to make sure the doors and windows were all shut and locked, she feels safe and goes to bed feeling secure.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"He what?!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Officer Sutton explains again, "Rick Nelson has an alibi. His parents insist he was home the whole day. And since Rachel admitted that the person who attacked her was wearing a balaclava, she can't be 100% sure it was him."

"Yes I can! It was him!"

The officer shifts on his feet, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry. The other three boys admitted that since the guy was wearing a balaclava, they could not identify him. They didn't know who it was when they jumped in to help you. We have to go by the book. We have no proof it was him. There's nothing we can do."

"What about the restraining order?"

"Without proof it was him assaulting her, there's no guarantee it'll be granted. With the things that have happened prior to yesterday, they may grant it, but we can't be sure. It's up to the judge. We strongly recommended he stay away from Rachel, but…that's all we can do."

He makes a quick exit after giving the update. Rachel sits numbly while her mom and Scott heatedly discuss what to do next. Her mom even gets Uncle Burt on the phone to get his opinion. Rachel wanders out of the room. Nothing is being done. Nothing. He'll be back in school in a few days, once his suspension is up. If the restraining order isn't approved, she'll have no legal protection from him. The government sucks.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It's dark and cold, but he's sure he's right. And he is. Right on cue, Rick Nelson slips out of his house and stomps down the road. He follows at a distance, keeping to the shadows. He was not satisfied with the police's statement. He's giving this punk his own version of a restraining order. He feels a little ridiculous, but he went to Goodwill and purchased some sweats, sneakers, a beanie, gloves, and a balaclava. All of which he will be burning after tonight. Just in case. He waits until the teenage monster gets to a deserted portion of the street and speeds up. The kid glances back at him with a frown, having clearly heard his feet slapping on the pavement as he increased his pace. But he's dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He's wearing sneakers. It's cold, so a balaclava isn't unreasonable. He hopes. He guessed right. Rick shrugs and faces forward once more. Good. That makes this easier.

When he's nearing him, he suddenly sprints and slams into his side, knocking Rick past the tree line. He hits the ground with a shocked grunt. He grabs him by the coat and drags him further into the dark woods.

Rick twists, trying to pry himself free. "What the fuck?!"

"Shut up."

Once he deems them far enough in, he drops him. Rick scrambles to his feet and tries to take off. He catches him and slams him against a tree. Shaken, Rick stares at him wide-eyed, his breathing heavy.

"What? Is it less funny when you're the one being chased? I wonder why that is."

"I—" He punches him in the stomach and he doubles over coughing.

"Shut up. I don't want to hear a word from your vile mouth, you little piece of shit!"

He generously allows the kid to catch his breath before grabbing him by the front of his coat and slamming him back against the tree again.

"You will keep your distance from Rachel Berry. You will not touch her. You will not talk to her. You will not send her messages. You will not talk about her. Do you understand me?"

"She—"

Another gut punch. "Nope. That's talking about her. That's a no-no. All I need is a head nod to show that you understand."

Rick glares at him before reluctantly nodding.

"Good. Because if you come near her again, I will find you again. I will snap every tendon in your body. Do you have any idea how much a torn tendon hurts? It's agony. I will snap them all. And then I'll leave you on the ground without your phone. You won't be able to move. You'll only be able to lay there and cry…when you're conscious, that is. You'll have to wait for someone to find you. I wonder how long that would take. Who would come looking for you? How long would they wait before searching? I hope we never have to find out. Stay away from her."

Scott is shaking as he walks out of the woods. His stomach rolls. His thoughts race. Did he make a mistake? Did he go too far? Then he thinks about Shelby's reaction when Rachel called to tell her she'd been attacked. He thinks about the look in Rachel's eyes when talking about all the different things Rick has done to scare her. He thinks about how useless the police have been. His shaking eases, but his stomach still twists. Whether the little shit deserved it or not, he feels like a horrible person for punching and threatening a kid.

But it was worth it to protect Rachel.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

It didn't take long for the story to spread around the school on Monday morning. Not only did all of her friends know and discuss it, but Max's friends too. She guesses it's the talk of the middle school as well. Luke is an 8th grader and Max has other 8th grade friends. Max and Rodger are freshmen and they helped spread the story. Not to gossip or get attention, but to share how low Rick has sunk. Max's split lip is shown off with pride. He gets a lot of high fives, back slaps, fist bumps, and praise. Finn made a point to thank him and shake his hand. By the time Rick returns, he is the laughing stock of the school.

"Dude, you got beat up by a girl half your size, a couple middle schoolers, and a puppy?!"

This incredulous question is quickly followed by hysterical laughter. The laughter spreads. Rick stands in the hallway, red faced and glowering at the mocking from his peers. Rachel doesn't stick around. She doesn't want to be anywhere near him. She doesn't want to worry about his reaction to this. Chances are, his twisted brain will decide this is her fault as well.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Regionals is held at McKinley this year, which is convenient. Sue has people keeping an eye out for Rick, just in case he tries to get in to mess with them. She assures Rachel he'll be banned if he tries to enter the building. That helps Rachel relax a little more and focus on being excited about the performance. She sees her family when they arrive and gets to hug each of them before hurrying back stage to prepare. Mr. Schue and Sue turn on the fog machines. Once there's enough fog, they take their places on stage. Rachel takes lead, singing the opening lines.

"I came to win, to fight,
to conquer, to thrive,
I came to win, to survive,
To prosper, to rise

To fly
To fly"

Artie rocks his line "I used to think that I could not go on" and Santana and Blaine do an awesome job with their rapping. All together, each of their parts overlapping (Rachel's high 'Fly's, Mercedes belting, Finn's lines, and Artie, Santana, and Blaine with their solos and support) make it a fantastic group number and they all know it. The audience does as well, since they get a standing ovation. Thrilled and hyper, they hurry off stage. The girls, minus Rachel, remain and perform "What Doesn't Kill You (Makes You Stronger)" By Kelly Clarkson. Rachel stands side stage, watching her friends do a fabulous job. She claps and cheers along with the audience when they finish. The girls hurry off stage while Rachel walks on. Most of them grasp Rachel's hand or arm as they pass, making her smile widen. When she's alone on stage, she lets herself take a moment to just enjoy how wonderful it feels. She finds where her family is sitting just as the music starts.

"We could just go home right now,
Or maybe we could stick around
For just one more drink, oh yeah

Get another bottle out,
Let's shoot the breeze,
Sit back down,
For just one more drink, oh yeah

Here's to us, here's to love
All the times that we messed up
Here's to you, fill the glass
Cause the last few days have gone too fast
So let's give 'em hell
Wish everybody well
Here's to us
Here's to us"

She really does wish she could sing the original line "Cause the last few days have kicked my ass" because that's far more accurate, but she's satisfied with their edit. Some of her Warbler friends stand up and encourage other audience members to stand as well making her grin. She walks over to the side her family is sitting on and sings the next part to them.

"We stuck it out this far together
Put our dreams through the shredder,
Let's toast, cause things got better"

And they did. They really did. Things got better. She has a loving home with a steady, supportive parent. She went into remission. It just….didn't last.

"And everything could change like that
And all these years go by so fast
But nothing lasts forever"

Also very true. Things changed quickly, in several ways. Both good and bad. The years are going by quickly. And nothing lasts forever. Her first battle with aplastic anemia. Her remission. Neither lasted forever. Even from where she's standing up on stage, she can see the emotion on her mother's face. Scott has an arm around her, but is smiling proudly up at Rachel. Rachel moves over to where the Warblers are sitting on the opposite side and sings the next part to them. The rest of the New Directions ladies come back on stage to sing back up and dance behind her. The boys enter from the balconies in the audience.

"Here's to us, here's to love
All the times that we messed up
Here's to you, fill the glass
Cuz the last few nights have gone too fast
If they give you hell,
Tell 'em forget themselves
Here's to us
Here's to us"

The boys begin harmonizing with her.

"Here's to all that we kissed
And all that we missed
To the biggest mistakes
That we just wouldn't trade"

Rachel belts the climax of the song, putting all of her emotion behind the words.

"To us breaking up
Without us breaking down
To whatever's comin' our way
Here's to us
Here's to us"

She holds the last word while the rest of her team picks up singing the chorus. She rejoins them halfway through.

"Here's to you, fill the glass
Cause the last few days have gone too fast
So let's give 'em hell
Wish everybody well

Here's to us"

The New Directions finishes the song strong, Rachel still taking lead. They finish to enthusiastic applause and know they rocked it. Laughing and proud, they hug and hurry off stage. They won. They weren't surprised, but they were thrilled. The Warblers were a close second. They did a fabulous job a s well. Rachel gets hugs and praise from all of her family members, making her feel warm inside. Ollie hugs her tight and chatters on and on about how amazing they were and she laughs, thanking him. Her family heads home to have a nice meal together, but understand that Rachel will be celebrating with her team. The New Directions invite the Warblers to join them at their bonfire. The Warblers may have lost, but they lost to National Champions, and friends, so they're not too upset about it. They accept the offer and the two teams head to their spot in the woods. They light the fire and dance, sing, and talk. The Warblers give them ideas for songs for Nationals and they all agree to go to the karaoke place at some point to sing together.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The bottle clanks as it falls over. Rick stumbles towards his bed, intending to flop down. He misses and hits the floor. Groaning, he curls on his side. The room swims and his stomach rolls. His foot hits yet another empty bottle, knocking it over. He'd love to be outside, breathing in the fresh cold air. He should be drinking in the woods, instead of in his stuffy bedroom. He doesn't want to risk bumping into that guy again. The guy who threatened him. Because of Berry.

Fucking Berry.

"Tha' bi'ch. Tha' fu'in bi'sh. Needs ta pay."

From his position on the floor, he spies a metal box under his bed, shoved up against the wall. It has been there since he found it in the basement. Out of sight, out off mind. Until now. He wiggles under his bed, pausing to swallow back his gin-flavored bile. Once his hands are on it, he drags it out from under the bed. He opens it, the hinges creaking and making his already pounding head spike with pain. He groans and closes his eyes. It passes and he looks inside. He'd decided against it. He really had. But they're all laughing at him. All of them. He is the laughing stock. The butt of all jokes. Bottom of the totem pole. It needs to stop. He needs to show them he's not to be messed with. They need to learn he's better than them. They all need to learn. They need to pay for disrespecting him.

Starting with her.

XxxxxxxxxX

A/N: Regionals is supposed to be exactly how it went in Season 3. I felt the songs were a perfect fit for this point in my story, anyway. Sorry about the delay, but life interferes. You know how it is. Unfortunately, I expect more delays. Everything is planned out, but getting it written how I want it is hard. Fun, but hard.