*I haven't updated this story in forever because unfortunately life just gets in the way. I promise to update regularly and to finish this story. Please enjoy this new chapter*

Chapter 5

"Im sorry."

Will had once believed that he had heard it all, but it wasn't until that moment when he heard those two words come from her mouth was he truly taken aback. The two words believed to rectify and bring comfort, where nothing more than pitiful and heart wrenching.

"Rachel, no." Will said as he made his way quickly to the girl sitting alone and broken on the couch.

"I never, ever want to hear you apologize for this. Do you understand me?"

Rachel nodded her head never looking into his eyes, just down at her hands playing with the end of the hoodie's sleeves. Even when she felt him bring her in for a hug she felt nothing. None of the warmth that she remembers his hugs having, no security, no peace, it was just her buried into a person. That was all. Rachel pulled away slowly standing above Will.

"I need to take a shower." Rachel said never making eye contact, staring instead at the framed picture on the wall.

"Of course. How about you do that and I'll make you something to eat. You gotta be starving." Will replied as he watched Rachel begin to walk towards the staircase.

Rachel only nodded and continued her journey towards the upstairs bathroom, Will just sighed and made his way to the kitchen all the while trying to contemplate the next course of action.

Rachel shut the door behind her making sure to hear the click of the lock before she let out a huge sigh, she could begin to feel her body tremble as her feet shuffled across the cold tiled floor to the bath tub. As if on auto pilot, she started the hot shower and began to undress. Never trusting herself to walk near the sink or even look up from where she stood in fear that she would see her reflection. As she stepped into the very hot shower she couldn't help but wince at the stinging of her raw and battered flesh. Yet she never moved from under the spray, the hot almost scolding water cascaded down her body and all Rachel could do was stare at the black tile in front of her. Anger, hurt, betrayal, pain, confusion and pure hate, that's all she could register, these emotions resounded so loud she couldn't even think, couldn't even concentrate.

"He did this, he did this, he did this." Rachel repeated to herself as she tried to subdue her emotions. Suddenly she felt the anger and the hate build inside of her stomach. Her body began to shake and before she could register what was happening she was screaming this mantra as she began to tear her shower caddy from the wall.

Will was in the process of making a grilled cheese sandwich when he suddenly heard yelling and crashing coming from the bathroom. Turing off the stove he quickly made his way through the kitchen and to the stair case. As he approached the bathroom he could hear her scream, "He did this." as more things began to smash from inside. He tried the door knob, locked. "Rachel! Rachel honey open up! Rachel I'm going to break down the door...let me in" Will pleaded as he began to knock heavier. Finally with a firm hit of his shoulder he broke in.

The shower rod and curtain laying outside of the bathtub, broken shampoo bottles and glass from the mirrored walls littered the floor and now cowered at the bottom of the tub was a screaming Rachel rocking back and forth , the shower still running and her bloodied hands covering her head. Will quickly turned off the water and threw a towel over Rachel's back, trying to cover her.

"Rachel its ok your safe, your safe Rachel." he repeated as he wrapped his arms around the now frantically crying girl.

They sat there like that for at least 10 minutes before Rachel's tears began to subside, finally Will was able to help Rachel up and look away quickly as she pulled the towel around her whole body. Finally he picked her up bridal style and carried her out of the bathroom, as to avoid the sharp pieces of glass that lay upon the floor, to her bed and laid her on it so she could sit up.

"I'll let you get dressed, I'm going to start sweeping up the bathroom. If you need anything I'm only a door away."

Rachel nodded as she waited for Will to leave the room, Will opened the closet in the hallway to find a broom and dust pan and began to clean the mess that was the upstairs bathroom. As he began to put the shower curtain back up her heard her feet pad down the hardwood floor towards him.

"You didn't have to clean up." Rachel said softly, almost as a child who was just scolded.

Will shrugged his shoulders as he finished pulling the curtain across the bar, "It doesn't matter, It didn't even take that long really."

Rachel just hung her head, staring at her now bandaged fingers. "Thank you."

Will smiled softly, "No problem Rachel. Are you still hungry? The grilled cheese I was making is probably not very good right now. I can order a pizza?"

As much as Rachel wanted to say no, she could feel her belly lurch in hunger at just the mere thought of a cheesy slice of pizza. Begrudgingly she nodded her head with approval.

"Great! Pizza it is."

An hour later they were eating a large cheesy pizza with extra cheese and Ranch dipping sauce. They ate in silence mostly except for the occasional request for a napkin or another slice of pizza, as an old black and white movie called Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Boggart, a movie chosen by Rachel of course played on the big screen in front of them. Before the pizza had gotten there Rachel spoke with her dads on the phone reassuring them that she was ok and that Mr. Schue would stay until they could get a flight back.

Rachel couldn't help but feel a sense of relief when she heard Will tell her parents over the phone that he would not leave her alone. She looked over at the man sitting next to her as he took another bite of pizza, she could tell he wasn't as invested in the movie as he tried to look. She could tell he was thinking just as much as she was, and for this she definitely felt less alone and weird.

" Mr. Schuester , I just wanted to thank you for staying with me and for everything that you've done for me. Not only for just today but for everyday since I've known you. This was probably the hardest day of my life and if it wasn't for you..." Rachel paused as she swallowed back the lump in her throat and tried not to delve more into the scenario of what could have happened. "Just... thank you."

Will could only smile reassuringly as he laid his hand on her shoulder, staring into her dark eyes he could see the tears form in them, threatening to escape.

"Rachel, I will always do my best to be there for you. You are my student and friend and I will try to protect you no matter what. As I said before I am your number one fan."

Rachel smiled as she brought him into a hug, finally she was able to breathe again.