AN: Hey all, I hope you're well. I've been giving my eyes and brain a rest as I haven't been sleeping well, now that that's been said, I hope you will enjoy this chapter as we begin to wrap this story up. You may find yourself thinking but why...and hopefully I'll answer those questions again in the next chapter if they're not answered here.

Enjoy.

Chapter 20:

As Santana lead Quinn out of the now empty Berry house, Mike, Judy, and Maribel decided to do one more run through to make sure that everything was cleansed properly as it should be.

They found no more holes, no more cracks, whatever Rachel had done, it had done the the job.

"Well, I guess she did it," Judy said.

"Hey guys, look what I found," Mike said holding up a Ouija Board.

"Where'd you find that?"

"In the master bedroom, I was looking for cracks and found this against one of the walls,"

"Give it to me,"

Mike quickly did as asked as Judy was glaring intensely at him, although now that he thought of it, he realised that she was glaring at the board.

"What are you going to do with it?" Mike asked.

"I'm going to hit Hiram over the head with it, and then I'm going to burn it, and then I shall curse his stupidity," Judy answered.

"In that order?"

"In that order,"

Mike just gave her a nod as he took a step back, "I'm, uh, I don't know what to say," he said.

"Thank you Michael, but perhaps you should head off home now and rest, even a shade should rest no matter how much he thinks he doesn't need to," Judy said softly.

"I'm sorry about Rachel, and I'm sad because she was a good kid,"

"Me too,"

"Thanks for helping out,"

"You should thank Santana, she was the one who brought it to our attention on how to bring you back,"

Mike just nodded his head at that, "I'll tell her tomorrow, I think tonight it's best that I don't say thank you for bringing me back since Quinn is hurting more than the rest of us,"

Judy just nodded her head as she now wondered how she was going to be able to comfort her heartbroken daughter.

At the front of the house, Quinn was sitting in Santana's car gazing at nothing out the window with the Latina in the driver seat and unsure of what to say as she stared at the driver's wheel.

"You want to stay over with me?" Santana asked after some time.

"No, I'll be okay," Quinn answered hollowly.

"You sure?"

"Yeah,"

"Q, maybe Britts and I should come over to yours then?"

"She'll never know that I actually liked her back," Quinn said suddenly not answering Santana's question.

"She knew Q," Santana said with a level of certainty.

"No she didn't, I just couldn't say it and now I'll never get to,"

"But I'm sure she knew Q, sometimes you don't need to say anything,"

"And sometimes you do,"

Santana just sat back in her seat, "You know S, I'll never know if she truly forgave me for all the bullshit, I'll never know if she would accept my apologies," Quinn said.

"Q, she wanted to marry you and she said so herself that she wanted to be with you, that she was serious about it, she wouldn't have said that if she didn't forgive you," Santana said.

Quinn didn't say anything as she gazed out the window.

"Q, you're going to be okay, eventually," Santana said.

"I don't deserve to be," Quinn said plainly as she sunk a bit more in her seat leaving the Latina to sigh sadly at her friend.

Over the next few days life wasn't very easy; Quinn was almost on auto pilot, almost...she knew well enough that if she let her guard down there'd be other girls who'd try to take her position as top dog of the school and she wasn't going to have that happen, again. Bree was being a pain as usual but Quinn made sure she put that cheerleader in her place, at the bottom of the pyramid; and because of that the other girls learnt not to mess with one Quinn Fabray because no matter how down and out you thought she was now, she could still get you.

Santana was trying her best to be tough but her powers sometimes got in the way as she tried to adjust; something about Rachel's death and Cain's demised bothered her and she was sure that the event was far from over because as she had learnt, sometimes something that bad (even an event) leaves a wound that could get infested; so she kept her mind in tune just in case.

Brittany was sad because Rachel was gone, she wanted to see the girl again and sadly had to settle for the picture she took of Santana and Rachel together in a tight hug while Rachel was a child; which was now hanging on her locker door - Santana's too.
Because of the girls being so sad and depressed due to recent events, it wasn't long before the rest of the New Directions found out why.

Tina was the first, although that had more to do with the fact that the girls happened to be visiting her on the day that she woke up. Of course Mike decided to tag along, which probably wasn't the greatest idea. Tina had woken up in hospital and freaked out when she saw Mike. It took over an hour to finally calm her down enough so that they could all explain what had happened and Mike apologised for pushing her out of a window.

"Well, now that I know you were dead, I know it wasn't your fault, I'm sorry you experienced such a horrible death," Tina said as she looked at Mike.

"At least I get to be a blood drinking ninja who fights demons and bad things, that's pretty cool, though it sucks," Mike said back.

"So, where's Rachel?" Tina asked after a bit.

Everyone looked away.

"What?" Tina asked.

"Rachel's gone, she died fighting that thing," Quinn said before she burst into tears as Brittany got up from her seat and hugged the other blonde.

"What? No, that can't be,"

"It happened T," Santana said, "Quinn saw it herself, Rachel baited that son of a bitch and pulled him into the fiery pit,"

"She said she was poisoned, but she could've just waited, we could've done something, anything," Quinn said sadly and angrily.

"She knew what she was doing though Q, we know that, if she could see no other alternative," Santana started.

"But I need her and I want her back, I don't care if we pick up from where we left off or anything I just want her to be alive and breathing,"

"I know you do Q,"

"Can you see her Santana?" Tina asked curiously.

"No, her ghost isn't around, but I did read in one of the books that if you fall into the fiery abyss you don't ever come back out again because that place destroys everything there is about you, your body, your mind, your soul, everything that makes you, you, is destroyed," Santana answered.

Quinn started crying again as Santana felt bad about answering Tina without thinking about Quinn.

"I'm sorry Q," Santana said but the blonde said nothing.

-page break-

When everyone was officially back at school, there were some who were wondering why Mike was always in the shadows or inside, in fact, some even wondered why Quinn, Santana, Brittany, and Tina were all together in the library with him reading, always reading. But the new found group thought it important to always be prepared with each other so that if something were to happen they could deal with it.

The day that Glee found out that Rachel had died, everyone was glum - not even Mr Schuester could think of anything t cheer up his kids.

"Dude that sucks balls," Puck said as he pushed a chair with his foot in great anger, "Why? She was a good soul, WHY?"

But no one could answer him as Finn just had his face in his hands as he sat in his chair. He didn't want to talk because he was terrified of not being to stop his own tears.

"I can't believe that world is even real," Mercedes said, "I mean it was weird, you know? I can't believe she's gone,"

"I should've spent more time with her, maybe been nicer to her instead of pretending she was pain in the ass," Kurt said as he stared at the floor.

"All these regrets I feel you guys having, it's always too late when someone is gone," Santana said.

"Hindsight is a bitch," Quinn said quietly.

"Yeah, she sure is,"

"What do you think we should do about competitions, I mean I don't even want to think about it anymore," Mercedes said.

"Why? Because the voice is gone" Santana snapped.

"Not like that, it just wouldn't feel the same without Rachel being there, you know,"

Santana slumped in her chair again as Brittany patted her shoulder.

"I um, do her fathers know? Are they holding a funeral?" Mr Schuester asked, "We should do a memorial for her,"

"They're back tomorrow, Judy's going to tell them herself, I plan on being there just so I can get my mind in with her," Santana answered.

"Me too," Quinn said.

"Me three," Brittany added.

"I've got somewhere to be," Mike said.

"I'm going with you," Tina started as Mike looked at her strongly to stop talking, "But then again I'm healing, so,"

Everyone was quiet again before Mr Shuester sighed and said, "Maybe we'll resume next time when everyone takes the time to heal, okay,"

The crew agreed as they all began to disperse, except for Finn who was still sitting in the chair.

Quinn stayed behind too, "I'm sorry Finn, I couldn't save her," Quinn said quietly from the seat behind him.

Finn just sat up and turned to look at her, "If you did what you could then you did what you could, I just wish she didn't have to die," he said finally.

Quinn just nodded her head at him.

"I'm sorry for you too Quinn," Finn said.

"Why?" Quinn asked.

"Because I know it must hurt like crazy to lose someone that you wanted to be with but never had a chance to because of reasons that suck for you, and now you'll never know what could have happened because she isn't here anymore,"

"Yeah, I, I just,"

"You would have been a great pair,"

"How'd you figure this?"

Finn just gave her a look, "I knew for a while now, even before Rachel became a kid but I didn't want to interfere,"

Quinn just gave him a sad smile.

Finally the day that the Berry men arrived back in Lima came.

Judy was waiting for them with Quinn and Santana, Brittany ended up having another engagement with her parents so she couldn't make it.

"Judy?" Hiram said as the woman looked at him.

"Oh, hello Judy," LeRoy said, "Where's Rachel?"

"We should go inside," Santana said as Quinn just looked at them.

"What's going on?" LeRoy asked, "Where's our daughter?"

"Inside," Quinn instructed sharply as the two men went inside and everyone sat down apart from Judy.

"Is it just me or does Judy seem very angry?" Hiram asked before yelling in agony, "OW, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, WHAT THE HELL?"

He soon looked up to see Judy staring at him angrily and in tears as she threw the Ouija Board into the fireplace, poured flammable liquid on it, then set it on fire before she turned and looked at Hiram again.

"What'd you do that for?" Hiram asked, "And why'd you burn that?"

"YOU, YOU INCOMPETENT FOOL, YOU STUPID FUCKING MORON," Judy yelled angrily as Quinn and Santana's mouths dropped at her curse word.

"Judy?" LeRoy started in annoyance that she swore at his husband.

"YOUR HUSBAND IS AN IDIOT,"

"Now Judy,"

"NO, you will let me finish this, I told you two, I told you to NEVER play with a Ouija Board or try and contact the other side, EVER, and you did it anyway, Rachel has been tormented by that thing ever since he opened that door,"

"What?" LeRoy said in shock as the colour of Hiram's face drained, "I thought you said you weren't using that board,"

"Well, I," Hiram started.

"You told me that it was an heirloom or something like that and you only had it for sentimental reasons, why'd the hell did you start using it?"

"I, I wanted to talk to my mother, I didn't think that thing would follow her,"

"Doors open themselves to more than just those you wish for," Judy snapped as she then went into some detail about what had happened while they were away, including how Hiram went behind his husband's back and got a DNA test for Rachel to test out who her real parent was.

The DNA part wasn't what got LeRoy first who just shook his head in disbelief; it was all the other things like the demon who was there (and he wasn't aware of him, surprisingly); and the fact that Rachel's powers were starting to become stronger, or that Hiram risked the life of their child because he was just scared of having a psychic daughter and ended up doing things he shouldn't have.
LeRoy just couldn't do anything or say anything for a bit. He should have known, he should have guessed but he always trusted Hiram too much; he knew that it was odd that Hiram had a Ouija Board, but he trusted his husband with the truth. He knew that the sounds he were hearing weren't just the walls creaking due to the age of the house it was the knocking of the damned and he felt so angry at himself for not even asking his daughter if she was okay because she always had a smile plastered on her face. He really did feel the fool.

"Where's Rachel?" LeRoy asked, "Where's my little girl?"

"She's gone," Quinn said quietly.

"What?"

"She fought that thing and she fell,"

LeRoy just sat back as the pain that his only child was gone started to sink in as Hiram blinked.

"You shouldn't have opened doors or locked Stoic away," Quinn said angrily at Hiram.

"Who's Stoic?" Hiram asked.

"Mr Tibbs, the demon who was always with her," Quinn answered.

"What? A Demon, are you crazy?"

"HE SACRIFICED HIS LIFE TO PROTECT HER," Quinn yelled, "And you didn't even listen to Rachel when she told you he was safe, her powers were growing beyond the limits that her necklace to contain and he could have helped her, but no, you had to be an idiot and over cautious that you damned him, and now she's gone because she snapped at the fact that her best friend died to protect her and you, it's all YOUR FAULT,"

Quinn lunged at Hiram wanting to slap him only to be held back by Santana, "Let me go Santana, he deserves it for what he's done, it's all his fault, Rachel would have been safe and alive and learning how to control her powers if it wasn't for him doing shit he wasn't supposed to,"

"Q, calm down," Santana started.

"NO, I will not, I, Rachel's dead because he couldn't trust her,"

"Take Quinn outside Santana, Quinn, baby, please listen to me you have to calm down," Judy said as Quinn stopped and looked at her mother before exiting the house with Santana, still fuming.

"But she's right you know, we told you not to play with the Ouija Board, we told you that if things got worse to come and see us, if not me then Maribel or Alma, we would have helped you," Judy said.

"I just thought that with my mother having some knowledge, I didn't, I, I wanted the power thing to end, that's all, I thought she'd know what to do," Hiram stuttered but let out a breath at the same time.

Judy however didn't miss a beat, she saw a look cross Hiram's face and it was one that she knew well.

"I can't believe you, you monster," Judy hissed.

"Judy? What's wrong?" LeRoy asked through tears.

"You I can see pain, sadness, remorse, and regret," Judy started, "But HIM, I see only relief that Rachel's no longer here,"

LeRoy turned to look at Hiram's face and saw that it was so, "How could you?" he started.

"LeRoy, it's not that, it's just I didn't know how to handle her, her powers were strong, and scary, and," Hiram began.

"Do you NOT miss our child, HUH? A child that you refused the right to her own mother's arms because you were scared, a child who has gone through so much because you didn't listen and because I was foolish enough to trust you, I just, get out Hiram,"

"You can't be serious,"

"GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE," LeRoy yelled through pain and anger, "Get out and only come back when you've realised what you've done, Rachel is our child,"

"She's MY CHILD, not YOURS," Hiram snapped then clamped his hand over his mouth.

LeRoy just glared at him as he was reminded of how his husband went behind his back to test their daughter's parentage, "I beg your pardon?"

"I, nothing,"

"No, SAY IT,"

But Hiram said nothing.

"Not my child huh?" LeRoy said as he stood up and looked at Hiram strongly, "I was the father who had to put a band-aid on her scraped knees, I was the father who took her to lessons and hung out with her every day, I was the father who cradled her at night when she cried because of monsters and thunderstorms, I was the father who didn't even want to leave on this stupid business trip because I felt my child needed me more but you just couldn't be alone on this trip and Rachel was too kind to you and just smiled and said she'd be okay, I was more of a father than you and that's the truth, whenever Rachel cried, I was there, you just stood at the door, when Rachel first started moving things with her abilities, you ran to whoever it was who could suppress her for being who she was born to be, I would've encouraged her but no, I had to be the fool in love, the fool who trusted, I had to be the idiot who just didn't do what was right and necessary for our child and now our baby is gone, the little star that we always wanted is gone,"

"The child YOU always wanted," Hiram ended up saying.

"Get out Hiram," LeRoy said, "And stay away from me, and from the World that Rachel was in because all you brought was death and misery,"

Hiram just stood up angrily and grabbed his unpacked bag and slammed the door shut on his way out as he drove away.

LeRoy sat down again as he looked at Judy, "Was she happy with you?" he asked.

"Most of the time yes," Judy answered, "She was also staying with Santana and from what I heard was also very happy there,"

LeRoy nodded his head at that, happy that his daughter was at least a bit happy before the end of her short life, "I should prepare for her funeral, I should, I need to, her doll, where is it? I need to bury it with her, I," he started as he felt panic run through his body.

"LeRoy," Judy said softly, "Her body was burnt in the battle, there's nothing left, I'm sorry,"

"No, I need my daughter's body, and I will, I must bury her properly,"

"LeRoy you're going into shock, perhaps you should come and stay with us,"

"What kind of father am I? I should have listened more to her, I should've, I just, I,"

But before he could say more LeRoy's eyes, that had welled up during the course of the talk, bursts as he began to sob loudly and let out a cry as the reality that his daughter was never going to come home again sank in.

So it came to be that LeRoy stayed with the Fabray's for the next few months. He just couldn't be in that house anymore.

Hiram and he ended up divorcing. Why Hiram didn't fight for his marriage? Or why he didn't want to even talk about Rachel or their family was beyond LeRoy but right now he didn't care. Hiram didn't shed a single tear from what he had seen over their child. And yes, to him Rachel was his child, blood meant nothing if it stabbed you in the back as far as he was concerned.
He was her father, her daddy, and Hiram could go jump off a cliff for all he cared.

The memorial service for Rachel was small and intimate as was the funeral. Shelby was there too as she cried over the loss of her child. LeRoy had tried to return Mr Tibbs to her but the older brunette refused as the doll would hold memories of the daughter she should have gotten to know better.

LeRoy just nodded his head as he held the doll in his hands during the funeral but ended up not burying it with the things that represented Rachel. Quinn had quietly and politely asked him if she could keep Mr Tibbs and in the end he reluctantly said yes.

Hiram was a no show to either events.

Judy had to calm LeRoy down and said that it was Hiram's loss if he couldn't even mourn over the death of his own child.

"He is mourning, just not yet," Santana had said suddenly to the two, "In a few months he'll realise the gift he lost and the family he lost because he wouldn't own up to what he did and he will cry, a lot, reconciliation may be what he's aiming for after that but he knows it will be too late; at least for a long time,"

"You sure?" LeRoy had asked.

"Yeah, call it my gut feeling,"

And since then life went on. Where Hiram went, no one knew, but LeRoy decided to sell the house that he got in the divorce and he packed up and moved to Atlanta for a new job, promising to keep in contact with Judy and thanking her again for what she had done and tried to do for their family.

-page break-

It had been about five months now since the battle ended and the New Directions were now preparing for Regionals as they had won Sectionals. They weren't going to lie, they were worried about how they'd sound and do because usually Rachel was there to cheer them on or prep everyone. In the end they decided to do a medley of Michael Jackson, with Quinn of course laughing for the first time in a long time at how Rachel would probably comment during practice about how she didn't understand the appeal of Michael Jackson over that of Barbra Streisand and that comment made the others laugh too as they reminisced the times of when Rachel was there.

Over time, Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Tina, and Mike; under the supervision of Jenny, Judy, and Maribel, started doing investigation work and helping people out. Most of the time they could prove it was a natural cause behind a supernatural assumption, which was good for them, and every now and again they really were dealing with something from the supernatural. While cases were rare (mainly because they didn't always go looking for it); they were still there and always reminded the crew of the other world that existed in tandem with their own.

"Yes Santana I'm okay, I'm getting there, yes I'm doing my homework, yes I have the protective charm," Quinn said on the phone in a small annoyed tone, "God when did you become such a Mom?"

She laughed at Santana swearing at her and calling her a puta, "Okay I'll see you tomorrow, girl's night out? You, me, Brittany, and Tina, I don't know, a movie? Or we can look at that new case that Mom got, sure, yeah, okay goodnight, I'd like to sleep now, okay bye," Quinn said as she hung up the phone and gave a small laugh.

Santana really was becoming such a Mom - the Latina was constantly looking out for her and Brittany - and when she could Tina; although Tina now would just smile and say that she had her sexy ninja to protect her...with abs; as Mike and her began dating about a month ago.

Quinn just sighed as she started closing her curtains for the night as she looked out her window and into her garden. A figure caught her attention and began to panic as she realised that the figure moved a bit.

'No, no, not a shadow, I hate those ones,' Quinn thought to herself in a panic as she looked out the window again and saw that the figure was still standing there waving up at her. She blinked for a moment and then stood back. She soon recognised the shape and that made her panic even more, 'It couldn't be? No, it just couldn't be not after all this time, it was not possible,' she thought to herself as she tried to find protective charms.

She looked out the window again as she ran around her room only to see that the figure had disappeared. She stopped and rubbed her eyes thinking that she was reading far too much into things only to scream in shock and fear when the figure reappeared right in front of her face but outside her window.

"Hello there Quinn," the figure said as Quinn fainted and her world went black.

AN 2: Oh yes we're ending there. Lol. Next chapter will be in the works so keep your eyes peeled; and it will probably be the last chapter. Stay frosty.