Author's Note: So... apologies for being gone for so long and leaving this hanging, believe me, it was not my intention! Also sorry it's so short, I just wanted to finally get this typed up and posted as I've had it handwritten and stuffed in the back of my phone case since before I even posted my last chapter and my case no longer closed so needed to thin it out!

But also, with all the bad shit going on in the world: the pandemic, the ignorance and hate, with the loss of Naya (which absolutely broke my heart!) and the anxiety and downward spiral of everyone's mental health... I wanted to keep on going with this story because that's what we all gotta do. We gotta keep on keepin' on and we gotta be looking out for each other.

A lot has been stopping me writing these last months, not least my mental health and the fact that I have very little sensation in most of my fingers and when I do it fucking hurts, and I've basically just been trying to get through each day. I just wanted to say thank you to every single one of you who has reviewed and read this, and my other work. You're all incredible. And I appreciate you so much.

I hope everyone is staying safe, looking after themselves and wearing a damn mask in public (if asthmatic, autistic, anxiety-riddled me can wear one, so can you).

Much love,

Maxx

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Content Warning: This chapter contains talk/mention of injuries, mental health issues and blood. Please look after yourselves.

Chapter Nineteen

Saturday Afternoon

"Finn, honey, was someone at the door?" Carole appeared in the kitchen, laundry basket in hand. She skidded to a halt when her eyes landed on her son and the tiny diva in an embrace.

Rachel shot away from Finn, a deep blush colouring her face. Finn only scowled at his mother once the dazed expression had slid off his face. In those few seconds Carole managed to arrange her features into something other than abject horror and worry at seeing her son with his hands on Rachel.

"Mom! You're kinda interrupting a big moment!"

"Don't be rude to your mother, please, Finn," The diva snapped as she straightened her clothing and turned to Carole with a slightly too-bright smile plastered on her face. "Hello again, Mrs. Hudson-Hummel. I'm sorry for disturbing you, Finn and I just had something to discuss-"

"Yeah, mom, we're back together again, isn't that awesome?" Finn moved beside Rachel and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder tightly, pulling her into his side and making the diva stumble.

Carole's eyes darted between them before settling on Rachel. "That's… that's wonderful, honey. Uh Rachel, sweetheart? Do your fathers know you're here?"

Rachel glanced up at Finn. "I haven't had a chance to speak to them yet. I wanted to, um," She cleared her throat. "Seal the deal with Finn before we made anything official with anyone."

Finn beamed. "So can Rach stay for dinner? Since she's my girlfriend again, and all."

"I think Rachel should be heading home to tell her fathers the-the wonderful news, don't you think?" Carole tucked the laundry basket under her arm and headed into the laundry room backwards, unwilling to take her eyes off them. "And anyway, these are your dirty boxers, young man. I'm your mother, not your laundry elf so come on!"

Finn grumbled under his breath, scowling. "Can you not talk about my underwear in front of my girlfriend please?" He hissed as he strode passed Carole and took the basket from her.

The slight stiffening of Rachel's spine and the flicker in her smile did not go unnoticed as Carole moved to the table and started clearing it for dinner. Rachel turned and set about helping.

"So… what brought about this… reunion then?" Carole asked, watching the diva out of the corner of her eye.

Rachel had been expecting the question and was, of course, prepared for it. "Finn and I are just meant to be. I tried to fight it but some things are just… right."

"I-I guess. But you're both still very young, don't be settling before you even know what is out in the world, Rachel." Carole smiled warmly, laying a hand on Rachel's own to still her for a moment.

Rachel nodded thoughtfully. "Is this about the unpleasantness between Finn and I these last few weeks? Because Finn explained it was all a misunderstanding," the diva squeezed Carole's hand before moving to set the table.

Carole still did not buy it. Something did not sit right with her – there was a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. All the things Santana had told them last weekend ricocheted around her head even faster than they had been doing for the last week. Clearly she wasn't getting anywhere so the woman switched tactics.

"So what does Santana think about this?" She watched the diva hesitate for a split second, her form going rigid and tension settling in her shoulders, before she rolled them quickly and continued gathering cutlery as if nothing had happened. "From the way she spoke it seemed to me that she really cares for you, and that you two were more than just friends-"

"No." Rachel spun on her heels to face Carole. Her voice curt, matter of fact – almost cold, making Carole shiver. "There is nothing between myself and Santana. Perhaps she wanted there to be and that's what you were picking up on. But no, Finn is the only person I want to be with."

Carole held Rachel's gaze for a long few second but the diva did not break. She was destined to be an award-winning Broadway actress and this was the most challenging role she knew she would ever have to play. Acting as if she loved Finn, as his girlfriend, as if his touch, his taste, his scent, his very breath did not make her skin crawl and her stomach turn would be a performance of a lifetime.

"Okay…" Carole finally conceded with a quiet sigh. "As long as you're sure, Rachel. I just want you, and Finn, to be happy and safe."

Rachel felt herself deflate now that she had made it through the interrogation, a sigh of relief slipping from her. "I appreciate that."

"You're a lovely girl, Rachel. You're so talented and bighearted. I don't want to see you hurt. I just…" Carole took a step towards the diva and cupped the girl's face gently, peering into her eyes to make sure Rachel heard her. "I don't want you to do something you're going to regret for the rest of your life. And I don't want to see you get hurt again. And... And I hope you know that I did not raise my son to treat anyone the way he treated you and Santana, and I will do my all to make sure it never happens again!"

Rachel swallowed back the lump in her throat. She willed her lip not to tremble, her eyes not to fill with tears but the motherly affection radiating off of Carole in that moment was too much. "I-I… Thank you for your concern but I promise you, this is what I want." Rachel managed a small, and thoroughly unconvincing, smile that did nothing to give comfort to either of them.

Before Carole could argue, Rachel's phone rang making them both jump. The diva gave an embarrassed laugh and pulled out her phone.

"It's my dad." She glanced up at Carole. "I should probably tell him the news in person."

Carole smiled kindly. "That's probably a good idea, sweetheart. But you're welcome here any time, okay?"

Rachel only nodded before turning and disappearing out of the house without so much as a goodbye to Finn. At the sound of the front door slamming, Finn re-emerged from the laundry room. His eyes scanned the room for Rachel but upon not finding her he turned to his mother accusingly.

"What did you say to her, mom?"

Carole's own gaze hardened and Finn felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"If that sweet girl, or any girl in fact, is going to be in your life then you and I need to have a conversation before things go any further!" She caught the boy by the elbow and marched him towards his room.

"Mom! You wouldn't do this to Kurt!" Finn whined.

"I would and I have. You're just lucky Burt isn't home right now or we'd double-team you like we did to your unlucky stepbrother!"

Friday Evening

Rachel's eyes flickered open. The stiffness in her neck told her she had been asleep for longer than she had intended to be. The day had drained her and the warmth of Quinn in her arms, the reassuring weight of the beautiful blonde against her body, the slow, steady breathing of her had lulled Rachel gently to sleep. Something felt wrong now though… Rachel blinked in the twilight of the living room. It took her sleep clouded mind a moment to realise that Quinn was no longer in her arms. She sat up, panic gripping at her chest until her eyes focused in on the two blondes curled up together on the couch – Brittany wrapped completely around Quinn, the dancer's chin resting on the top of the other girl's head.

Rachel's heart slowed. She stretched, grimacing at the knot in her neck. A cursory glance around the room told her that Santana was missing. She trudged through the house, peering in each room but coming up empty. She headed upstairs, ears straining to see if she could pinpoint the girl. Hoping against hope that Santana was still here and not… her throat threatened to close as awful thoughts bombarded her. She shook them from her head and moved with more purpose…

Santana sat, her arms wrapped so tightly around her knees, on Rachel's bathroom floor. Tears ran down her cheeks to soak into her jeans where she buried her face in her arms. Santana had long ago mastered the art of crying silently, hidden away so no one could see her splitting apart at the seams. She knew how to scream without making a sound, how to craft the perfect mask from the pieces of her heart and soul where they had shattered inside her… She even knew how to keep on breathing when she was drowning, suffocating, when her lungs and her throat hurt from strained gulps of rare oxygen.

Right now, it felt like the walls had closed in and were slowly crushing her. Everything hurt. Everything was dark. She had two paths to choose from – each as awful and gut-wrenching as the other. Give up Rachel and keep Brittany and Quinn safe or keep Rachel and risk all their safety…

How was she supposed to choose? She couldn't choose. Her nails dug into her forearms but the pain barely registered. She didn't even notice when her teeth broke the skin of her lip and her taste buds were flooded with the sharp tang of blood. This was on her. This was her cross to bear, her decision to make… The thought of hurting Rachel the way Finn wanted them to, the thought of sending the diva back into the boy's arms and having to watch him touch her, kiss her, treat her like trash all over again made her physically sick. It flooded her veins with hatred for the boy. He thought he was so god damn smart, so in control just because he'd used his popularity with the jocks and played on the insecurities and herd mentality of the Cheerios to get them on his side.

But the sight of Quinn being humiliated, degraded like that, the sight of Britney being hurt, her beautiful body being abused like that had broken something inside her that she didn't think could ever be fixed. Her family were everything. They understood her, accepted her, loved her when no one else did or could. When they were together she felt safe. She felt strong and in control. Her own blood family had taken and withheld so much from her over her short life that Santana constantly felt like she was playing catch up so she hung onto her girls so tightly. So afraid that they might disappear too… So afraid that they might realise how worthless and weak she was… that she couldn't look after them, couldn't protect them… what good was she if she couldn't even do that?

Santana felt the darkness surging behind her eyelids, the dark thoughts clawing at her mind, seeping poison into her soul as she felt her strength failing her. She didn't know what to do. Rachel was a part of them now. She couldn't care less that it had only been a few months since they had started getting to know the diva. She was in their hearts and lives now and it would leave such a gaping hole in them all if they lost her. So how was she supposed to choose? There was no way… just no way… Panic welled up her throat, blocking her airways and crushing her lungs so hard she felt like she was physically being crushed until…

Santana felt arms wrap around her, a warm, gentle body holding her close as lips pressed to her hair. Rachel murmured soft things to her and held the Latina as if she were trying to stick her pieces back together again. Santana froze. Here was another choice to make – one she had faced numerous times before: let someone in or shut down. Trust or lash out. The words "I'm fine" and "fuck off" were on the tip of her tongue. Fear was slithering through her body, her instinct to protect herself with sharp, cruel words and by running fast and far was almost overwhelming…

"I'm not going anywhere, okay? I've got you, Santana. You're safe, I promise."

No. She had come too fucking far, fought too fucking hard to let herself slip back into that old habit again. Images of her girls flashed behind her eyes – laughter, kisses, falling asleep together, secrets, singing, so much love…

Rachel let out a shaky breath when Santana suddenly unfolded herself and wrapped herself around the diva, pressing her face firmly into Rachel's chest and finally – finally – letting out a choked sob as she allowed her dams to burst, her walls to crumble and be washed away. Rachel only hugged her harder willing her girlfriend to feel her love and take some of her strength for once.

There was only so much a person could take and Santana had reached her limit. Rachel's entire being ached, hurt for Santana. The Latina had been protecting them for a long time. She had been their rock, their strength, but now she needed to rest and recover. All three of them did. It was up to Rachel to protect them now.

"I'm going to make this right. I promise I won't let him get away with this."

Santana gripped Rachel, digging her fingers in so desperately Rachel could almost feel the girl's pain through her skin. Her eyes flashed as she set her jaw.

"No one hurts my family."

AN: I know it's short, but I've been outta the game for a while and I had to type this up using dictation software cos my hands kill when I use them too much/for too long. So forgive any errors/typos!

Hopefully now I've finally gotten this out of the way I can get working on the next chapter, so wish me luck! Also, I do have another story (Pezberry) handwritten that I may try and get typed when I can (the supernatural-type AU I may have mentioned) so let me know if you're interested in that too!