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Heres the next chapter. Its getting pretty intense now but this is nothing compared to whats coming. So enjoy and remember to review after :)

Chapter Ten

Nine year old Beth was nervous for her first weekend alone with her new step-dad. It wasn't that she didn't like her step-dad; it was that they didn't know each other very well and she knew it would be awkward.

"It will be a chance for the two of you to get to know each other better," her mom explained. "Just give it a chance." And because Beth trusted her mom she decided to take her advice and give it a chance.

Beth waved to her mom front the front porch as she watched the car pull out of the driveway. Jim was standing behind her, also waving.

"So what do you want to do this weekend, kiddo?" he asked.

Beth shrugged. "Whatever you want."

The two ended up ordering a pizza and staying in to watch scary movies. Beth decided maybe it wouldn't be too bad after all; Jim let her drink as many soft drinks as she wanted and he gave her an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert. He also let her watch the scariest movies she had ever seen. Beth was so into the movies and her extra food she didn't notice how many beers the man was drinking.

It was until midnight-the latest Beth had ever stayed up- that Jim decided it was time for her to go to bed. "Come on, kiddo," he said standing up from the couch. Beth was so tired she didn't object; she just stood up and followed him to her room, close behind because she was a little freaked out from the movies she had just watched.

He stopped at the door to her room and she peered into the dark abyss; she was not about to go in there herself because she didn't know what kind of killer could be hiding in there.

"It's too dark in there," she said shaking her head. "There could be a killer in there and I wouldn't even see him."

"I can see watching scary movies was a bad choice on my part," he chuckled. "Alright, I'll go in and check for killers." He turned the lights on and walked into her room. He looked under her bed, inside her closet, and in all her drawers to make sure there was no killer.

"See," he said, "No one is going to get you." Beth slowly nodded, still not completely convinced.

"Can you at least stand at the door while I change into my PJ's?" she wondered. Jim was big and strong and if anyone could fight off a killer it would be him.

He nodded and walked to the doorway. "I'll be the lookout." Beth gave him a gracious smile before walking to her drawer and pulling out her pajamas. The last thing on nine-year old Beth's mind was that if her step-dad looked in the mirror on her door he could see her changing; her mind was too filled with killers and ghosts that she didn't even notice the malicious grin that crossed Jim's face. Beth had also never been around him when he was drunk, so she had no idea he was at that moment.

As Beth began to put on her clean pair of underwear she suddenly felt a strong hand grab her small wrist. She screamed so loud she thought even aliens in outer space could hear her. Soon that strong hand covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. Beth knew there was a killer in her room. Where was Jim? He was supposed to be the lookout.

The killer used his other arm to grab her around her waist and throw her onto the bed. When Beth looked up she saw that it was no serial killer, but Jim. Her eyes went wide with shock, humiliation, and fear. She was lying on her bed naked, her step-dad looking over her with the greediest eyes she had ever seen.

'What are you doing?' she tried to say, but nothing would come out. As Jim bent down to touch her, she froze. Her body would no longer move or function, she was stuck. She knew there was nothing she could have done anyway because, as mentioned earlier, Jim was a big fellow and there was no way a little nine year old girl could fight him off. So Beth just lied frozen on her bed as Jim ended her childhood.

That night Beth learned for the first time scary movies were not always fictional and they didn't need a killer to be scary.

X-X-X-X-X

Quinn went to the TV room to give Ella and Ayden their snack. "You all need to stay in her and play for a little while," Quinn explained. "Mommy has some guests over and we have some things we need to talk about."

"Why was that girl so sad?" Ella asked, referring to Beth.

"Someone hurt her baby," Quinn answered. "But don't worry, mommy is going to help and everything will be better." Ella nodded and returned her attention back to the television.

When Quinn left the room and entered the hallway she couldn't help but feeling like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Ever since she had heard the news she felt as if breathing was a burden, something that had to be forced. She needed to get out of the house for a minute because if she didn't she was sure she would pass out.

She quickly ran to the back door, images of poor, crying, hysterical Beth running through her mind that she couldn't get out. The words her daughter spoke would never leave her mind: my step-dad rapes me, was on repeat in her head. All this was too much for Quinn, her stomach growing weaker and weaker until finally she leaned over the back porch and emptied the contents of her stomach. She sat down on the porch steps and breathed deeply, trying to control her shaking body. A few tears managed to escape Quinn's eyes and before she knew it she was flat out sobbing, just like Beth had been earlier. She knew this whole thing with Beth was her fault and had she not given her daughter up for adoption this whole mess would have never happened.

After she had been crying for a few minutes, Quinn heard the door to the house open. "Ayden, I'll be inside in a minute," Quinn said as she wiped her cheeks and turned around, but it was not Ayden who standing in front of her, but Rachel.

"Oh, it's you," Quinn said as she turned her head back to face her large backyard. There was a trampoline, a playground, a pool, and a playhouse, everything a kid would ever want and another thing she knew Beth never got to have. She listened as Rachel's tiny footsteps were closer and closer before she joined the blonde on the porch stairs. Quinn tried to wipe her face a bit more, to make it seem as if she hadn't been crying, but she knew it was no use. She was an ugly crier and always had been; her face always becoming red and splotchy whenever she cried.

Quinn was surprised when Rachel grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "This isn't your fault Quinn," Rachel said as if she could read her mind.

"If I would have never given her up this wouldn't have happened," Quinn said, her gaze fixed on a leaf she was crumpling with her shoe. She didn't want to face Rachel right now.

"There was no way you could have known," Rachel reassured her. "You wanted her to have a better life so you did what you thought was best at the time, Quinn. You did the right thing; don't let this shield you from that realization."

"All these years," Quinn started, "I thought I gave Beth up because I wanted her to have a better life, but I was just lying to myself. I gave Beth up for selfish reasons because I know I could have kept her and she would have been happy and healthy." Rachel gave her a curious looks, but she just continued. "I never told anyone but right before I went into labor my mom came up to me and offered to make a nursery and help take care of the baby, but I turned her down. I convinced myself it's because I wanted her to have a better life, but the truth is I know I could've done it. My mom would have helped and there's no doubt in my mind Puck would have helped, too, but I was scared and wasn't ready to give up my youth so I gave her up instead. It wasn't until after she was gone and it was too late that I realized how much I loved her and wanted her with me." Quinn began to silently cry once more and Rachel began to absentmindedly rub her back.

"Quinn, you can't do that to yourself," Rachel said. "The past is the past and you will never get to go back and make that decision again, but you do get to make it right with Beth now, by being there for her when she's going to need you the most."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Quinn wondered. "I can't think of one thing I ever said to you that wasn't 'Man Hands' or 'Treasure Trail'."

Rachel sighed. "Like I said, the past is the past. There's nothing you can change."

"If it makes you feel any better everyday I think about how much I hurt you and I would take it all back if I could," Quinn said, blushing a little. She had never been any good at apologizing. "I was just angry…about everything and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

"Why thank you Quinn, that means a lot to me," Rachel smiled.

"So did you get a hold of Shelby?" Quinn asked trying to change the subject.

Rachel shook her head. "No, she's not answering her phone. Rehearsal's probably loud and she probably doesn't hear it. She'll call me when she sees she has like twelve missed calls." Rachel decided to leave out the fact she had called Beth's dad, too.

The two sat in silence for a few moments before Rachel's cell phone began to blast "Defying Gravity" in her hands.

"That's still your ring tone?" Quinn laughed. "It's been like sixteen years."

"It's a classic," Rachel shrugged before opening the phone to answer. "Hello, Shelby."

X-X-X-X-X

Shelby Corcoran was tired. She had had a long day at rehearsals and all she really wanted to do was go home and take a bubble bath. When she looked at her phone, though, she saw she had seven missed calls from Rachel. Knowing that meant trouble she immediately called the younger brunette back.

"Hello, Shelby," Rachel said when she answered.

"Rachel, have you been calling?" she wondered. "Sorry I didn't answer earlier but I was at rehearsal and I kind of got so caught up in the play I didn't hear my phone."

"Yea, that's okay, I, um, I think you need to get over here," Rachel said, her voice a little shaky which scared Shelby a bit.

"Where are you? At your dads house?"

"No, Beth and I made a little road trip," Rachel answered.

Shelby could feel a bit of anger boiling in her stomach. Had Rachel really taken Beth on a road trip without her permission? "Where exactly are you two?"

"We're in Cincinnati," Rachel answered, her voice almost at a mumble because she knew Shelby would probably be mad. "We came to visit Quinn."

That was a curveball Shelby had not been suspecting. She thought Beth and she had a good enough relationship that Beth could come and talk to her about those sorts of things. "Are you two in trouble or something?" Shelby couldn't seem to figure out why it was urgent she drive all the way to Cincinnati.

"I can't really tell you at the moment, but I promise it's important. Please, just come up here and I'll explain everything," Rachel answered. This answer did not make Shelby feel any better. She couldn't figure out what was so bad they couldn't even tell her on the phone.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Shelby said as she grabbed her purse. "Text me the address on my way." When Rachel agreed she hung up the phone and practically sprinted out to her car.

The drive was almost longer then Shelby could bear. Her mind kept racing to the worst possibilities she could think of, and she tried to get them to stop by turning on the music as loud as it would go, but the voices in her head were louder. What if Beth was in serious trouble and I didn't even known? Why didn't Beth trust me enough to tell me what was going on? All these thoughts were still shooting through her head when she finally arrived at Quinn's house.

Shelby hurried out of her car and knocked on the front door. She waited impatiently for a few seconds before Quinn answered the door. After crying Quinn had washed her face so it wasn't apparent to Shelby she had been doing so, but there was no mistaking the scared and hurt look on the blonde's face.

"Quinn!" Shelby said as she forced herself through the door as fast as she could go. "Where's Beth? Is she alright?"

Before Quinn answered she led Shelby to the kitchen where Rachel was sitting patiently at the table.

"She's fine," Quinn answered calmly. "She's asleep in the living room right now."

"What is it? Why did you call me and ask me to come down here?" Shelby asked, still frantic.

"Maybe we should wake Beth up for this," Rachel suggested to Quinn.

"We probably should," Quinn agreed. The three girls all walked into the living room where Beth was still sleeping on the couch, although not peacefully. She was flailing around in her sleep and it was obvious to all three woman she was having a nightmare.

Shelby sat on the couch and gently began to shake the girl. "Beth, Beth wake up." It took a minute or two, but Beth finally woke up.

"Mom?" she asked confused. Her confusion built when she looked around the room and didn't recognize it. "Where am I?"

"You're at Quinn's house sweetie," she said pushing the sweaty blonde stray hairs off of Beth's forehead. Suddenly Beth remembered everything that had taken place in the hours before. She remember lunch with Rachel and the car ride to Quinn's. She remembered meeting Quinn for the first time, telling Quinn the truth, and drifting to sleep in her gentle arms.

"They called you didn't they?" Beth sighed. Even though she told Rachel she did not want her mom to know she had a feeling the brunette would call her anyway, and could she really blame her? She was sure Rachel and Quinn were really freaked out about all this.

Shelby nodded. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Tears began to form in Beth's eyes. She wanted to tell her mom, but she didn't want to say it again. Saying the truth out loud was the hardest thing she had ever done and she wasn't sure she was strong enough to do it again. One look into her mom's eyes and Beth knew she just had to tell her. "You know how you've been going to New York once a month since you and Jim got married?" Shelby nodded. "Well, on those weekends sometimes Jim would have a little too much to drink and he may have done some inappropriate things while he was drunk."

"Like what?" Shelby asked, wondering what any of this had to do with her daughter.

"Likeforcemetohavesexwithhim," Beth said so fast it seemed like it was one word, but it was a start. Tears fell steadily down her face.

"Baby, I can't understand you," Shelby said, but it was no use. Beth was crying so hard now there was no way she could talk. Shelby couldn't help but start crying herself, knowing whatever it was, was hurting her daughter. She began to rub her daughter's back for comfort.

"Beth, would you like us to tell her?" Quinn asked sweetly. Beth nodded and Quinn sighed, not really sure how to say this. "Beth has informed us that usually on those weekends, when your husband is drunk, sometimes he gets inappropriate with Beth."

"Wh…What do you mean inappropriate?" Shelby asked, stunned. This has to be some sort of joke. My husband? Inappropriate with my daughter? There is no way. Sure, Beth and Jim had an awkward relationship, but they always had. She always assumed it was because before Jim, Beth had never had a dad and didn't know how to act around one.

"Like he forces her to do stuff," Quinn continued, "inappropriate stuff." Shelby's mind began to spin and she felt as if she could pass out at any moment. There was no way this was happening in her own house with her knowledge. This had to be some sort of misunderstanding.

"Beth, Beth is this true?" Shelby almost collapsed within herself when Beth slowly nodded her head. She stood up and grabbed the table behind her for support because she surely couldn't support herself. The room started to spin and she felt as if someone had just dropped a brick inside her stomach. Tears began to well up in her eyes and she didn't know what to do. What could she say? What could she do? This had been happening for seven years, SEVEN YEARS, and Beth couldn't bother to tell her. Didn't Beth know if she had known the truth then Jim would have been out of the picture in a heartbeat and it would have saved her years of trouble?

"Shelby, are you okay?" Quinn said gently as she reached out her hand for support.

"Am I okay?" Shelby yelled. "Do I look okay?" She looked down at Beth, still sobbing as consistent as ever.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell," she said as she sat back down on the couch. She took Beth's hand and embraced her daughter so she was almost fully in her mother's lap. She began to stoke Beth's long blonde hair as she had done for so many years. She rocked Beth back and forth until she was finally able to calm down and form words.

"We'll leave you two alone to talk," Rachel said a bit awkwardly. Quinn nodded and the two of them backed out of the living room and back into the kitchen.

The two girls sat in silence in the kitchen, something Quinn was not used to hearing in her house. (Joe had come and picked up the kids while Beth was sleeping. She barely even looked at him when he came and Rachel noticed, but Quinn was thankful she hadn't actually said anything about it; she wasn't in the mood for that now).

"Wow, that was intense," Rachel finally said.

"That's an understatement," Quinn answered. They continued to sit in silence, contemplating the events that had just taken place when the doorbell rang and Quinn went to answer it.

For the second time that night Quinn gasped when she opened her front door; completely shocked as to whom she found. It was someone from her past, someone she never thought she'd see again, but ached to see everyday.

"Puck?"