CHAPTER 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or it Characters. James, Marine, Nathan and Camilla are the creation of ddh1973

To the guest reviewer, General Berry has spent the last 14 years hearing his angel girl tell him how bad she was bullied. So when he sees it he will take care of it because he is a Marine and a grandfather. I'm sorry you think what was said to Santana was mean, but why does she always get a pass? She doesn't bully or embarrass RAchel in private. She doesn't deserve respect because she doesn't know how to give respect. Thanks and Keep on Reading

Honor the Tether! Remember the Drummer!

James had just turned away from Finn and was walking down the hall to where Rachel was waiting for him at her locker. His angel girl was getting a ride home from him because Hiram and Leroy had already left for a trip to Washington DC where they were going to spend the weekend and wait for the rest of the family to arrive. It wasn't everyday a man received the Medal of Honor, even if it was forty years after the event that it was for, well and another twenty for the second event.

Rachel's car, a classic 65 mustang he had rebuilt from the frame up, needed some work done to it and he wasn't going to let her drive it until it was fixed. That was the only reason he was taking her home.

He was stopped in his tracks by the sight of two huge teenage boys standing in front of his Rachel with two cups in each of their hands, getting ready to toss their contents in her face. They were both tall and big around the middle and wearing Letterman's jackets. One was white, the other was black and they both had the same viscous smirks on their faces.

In a swift move that showed just how well he kept up with training, James walked up and put a hand each of the boy's neck at a pressure point and gently pressed down. The cups in their hands instantly hit the floor and the both of them dropped to their knees, crying out in pain.

"Names, now," James firmly ordered.

"David Karofsky." His voice was full of pain at the pressure being put on his neck.

"Azimio Adams."

"Well, David, Azimio, this is your warning. If I get word that even one of those slushies you and your fellow classmates like to throw at my granddaughter and her fellow glee club members, I will have a conversation with both of your fathers. Then you will get to experience the same boot camp I put my soldiers through in Vietnam and during Desert Storm." James' voice was clam but had a menace to it. "Do I make myself clear or do you boys want to test me? Better men than you have tried it and failed. Picking on the Glee Club is over."

He released them and walked around the puddle of grape slushies that was lying on the floor next to Rachel. The second James had grabbed both boys she had ran over to where her fellow Glee club members were standing, including Finn who had heard the commotion and came back. James saw him there and turned to face him, a stern look on his face.

"Hudson, take me daughter home and stay with her until I get there." His voice ordered like he would give one of his soldiers before James turned and walked towards Mr. Figgins office.

Rachel gave Mercedes a pleading look, who returned it with one of sympathy before she walked over to where Finn was having a quiet conversation with Quinn, who wasn't angry the way Rachel thought she would be.

"Come on, Rach," he said to her. "I'll call you later, Quinn." Quinn didn't protest.

Finn and Rachel walked down the hall, leaving their fellow New Directions behind. They all noticed the tension between them and gave each other apprehensive looks before walking to their own cars. Left standing in the hall were Quinn, Sam and Puck.

Puck turned to Quinn, who had a look of indifference on her face. He had noticed over the past two weeks since she and Finn had renewed their relationship that they never looked at each other like boyfriend and girlfriend. It was more like how best friends regarded each other. Something was going on with them and he was going to find out what it was, even if he had to be an ass about it. Finn had been too quick to give into Mr. Berry's request to take Rachel home.

"You really don't care that your boyfriend has just walked down the hall with his ex and is planning on staying with her until her grandfather gets back, do you? What the hell is going on with you?"

"Nothing," Her voice was flat as she looked up at him.

"What is going on with you and Finn? You would be having a complete shit fit over Finn walking off with Rachel if something like this had happened the first time the two of you were together. You have only been back together since Valentine's Day, that was two weeks ago and you are letting him walk off with Rachel. Something is wrong with you and I'm not backing off until I found out what it is."

"Leave her alone, man." Sam stepped over to where they were at, irritated at Puck for being confrontational with Quinn. "She just watched Rachel's grandfather order him to take Rachel home after Karofsky and Azimio almost hit her with four slushies. He was just doing what he was asked to do."

"Are you stupid, or something? You weren't here when Quinn and Finn were a couple last year. She went ballistic when Finn started showing any attention to Rachel and now he is showing some kind of interest in her again and Quinn is acting all calm about it. There is something going on here, Quinn. I'm going to find out what it is, trust me."

Puck stalked off leaving Sam and Quinn alone in the hallway. He reached out to touch his ex-girlfriend on the shoulder to comfort her and she stepped back before it could happen, a hurt and devastated look on her face. She rushed down the hall towards the parking lot, leaving Sam to believe that she was more upset about Finn and Rachel then she had let on.

Finn parked his truck in front of Rachel's house and looked over at Rachel, who hadn't said a word since they had left the school. She was withdrawn and didn't seem to want to talk to him. She had been this way towards him for the past two weeks after he got back together with Quinn. Part of him wished he could tell her the truth of why he had reconciled with and forgiven his ex-girlfriend when he had been unable to do the same thing with her.

"You can wait downstairs in the living room for my grandfather to arrive. I'm sure you remember where the remote is, I will be in my room getting ready for Kurt to pick me up," she said to him before getting out of the truck and walking up to the house. He quickly followed her and stepped inside the house, closing the door behind him as she rushed up the stairs.

He walked into the living room and tried to watch a movie for about thirty minutes but all he could think about was Rachel. How hurt she had been the past two weeks and the only thing that had brought any semblance of a smile to her face had been her friendship with Mercedes and Kurt as well as her grandfather's arrival. It was only the sound of Rachel crying from her bedroom that made him get up from the couch and walk up the stairs to her room.

"Rachel?"

"Leave me alone, Finn." Her voice was full of pain and it broke him to hear it.

"Let me in. We need to talk about this."

"No, we don't. You said all you needed to say every time you smile at her, or you press your lips to hers. Message received Finn. Leave me alone."

"Rach, it isn't what you think it is. Quinn and I..."

Before he could finish what he was about to say, the front door opened and James' voice drifted up the stairs.

"Finn, Rachel, I'm back."

Finn walked back downstairs, knowing that Rachel wouldn't want her grandfather to overhear the conversation that they needed to have. There was something she needed to know about his 'relationship' with Quinn.

"Where's Rachel, son?" James asked from his seat in the living room.

"She went to her room as soon as we got here and has been there ever since."

Before James could respond, Rachel came rushing down the stairs wearing a new outfit having changed out of the one she had worn to school. It was a pair of jeans, a black cashmere sweater and a pair of leather boots. Finn's breath hitched as she glided down the stairs. She still was the most beautiful girl in the world.

She went over, gave her grandfather a kiss on the cheek. "Mercedes is outside waiting on me. We are going to meet Kurt and Blaine for dinner and to see a movie."

"Be home at eleven, angel girl."

"Yes sir."

Rachel gave her grandfather a hug before leaving the house without even looking at Finn. James gave him a stern look before starting to speak.

"Do you want to explain to me how you and my granddaughter went from being so in love this summer to you dating your ex again and Rachel treating you the way she did just now?"

"General..."

"I'm not telling you a thing about your dad until I hear the full story of why you and my angel girl broke up. Now start talking."

Finn sat there and told James the entire story from when he first joined Glee club until his supposed reconciliation with Quinn. By the time he was finished speaking James had a strange mix of anger and shock on his face.

"Are you trying to tell me that you broke up with my Rachel for kissing your former best friend who got the girl that everybody thinks you are dating again pregnant and you are guilty of the same thing? You cheated on Quinn with Rachel and lied to my granddaughter to get her come back to the Glee club. Then you accept a date with the two biggest tramps in your school before dumping Rachel to find your inner rock star. Then you are a coward and let that brat treat my angel girl like crap and that Mr. Schuester fellow to scream in her face. Finn, my boy, you are a hypocrite and a coward. I don't think your dad, may he rest in peace, would be very proud of you right now. Every Hudson I ever met was a leader. Stood up for those they loved. Never would have let their pride rule their life."

Sadness came into Finn's eyes at the thought of disappointed the dad he had never known. He thought about General Berry's words and realized that Rachel hadn't been the only one who had been wrong in that entire situation. He had contributed to events that led to their breakup just as much as she had. They had both been to blame for what had gone wrong.

"What was my dad like, Sir?" Finn asked quietly.

"Christopher Hudson was the most courageous man I have ever had serve under me. He faced any challenge head on and didn't care if it made him unpopular with the rest of his unit. He stood up for what he thought was right, no matter what the personal cost. He was also the most forgiving and least judgmental person I have ever had to pleasure of meeting. Now he wasn't a pushover but he didn't hold a grudge and was willing to work things out with whoever had hurt him. He told me he had to learn that lesson the hard way with your momma when he almost lost her because of wounded pride and anger and a vicious teenage tramp that caused pain and misery just for the sheer hell of doing it."

"My dad and mom had the same type of problem Rachel and I do?"

"You'll have to ask your momma to tell you the story but yes. He told me about it one night when I was telling him about my Camilla, may she rest in peace."

"General Berry, I have gotten myself into a situation with Quinn and I agreed to help her because she's my friend but now I am having second thoughts. And risking my safety, I may have wanted Rachel to feel the way she made me feel."

"Well, then I guess you are both a little mean. What's the situation and maybe I can help you out?"

"Quinn has not had it very easy since the birth of her daughter and giving her up for adoption. She pushed herself back into Cheerleading to try to get her old life back. She pushed the father of her child, Puck away and started to date Sam, my backup quarterback. A month ago, Puck decided that he wanted Quinn back and both he and Sam started to fight over her. Quinn freaked out and broke up with Sam. I was trying to get over Rachel and not succeeding very well when Quinn came up to me with a proposition."

"What was this proposition of Quinn's?"

"She wanted us to make everybody think we were dating again so she could get some peace and quiet from Sam and Puck while Rachel would back off from trying to win me back. How was I supposed to forgive her and have the space I needed if she wouldn't back off? Now Rachel thinks I am dating Quinn again and won't give me a chance to explain that I mainly agreed to this to help Quinn. She is falling apart over giving up her baby and her feelings for Puck, and he and Sam aren't helping. She is about to go crazy. My mom would kill me if she knew the truth and given her dislike of Quinn, she isn't very happy with me right now."

"I will help you with this mess you have gotten yourself in but you have to do something for me." James paused, taking in the teenage boy in front of him and knowing that his angel girl might hate him for what he was about to set into motion. "You have to take Rachel to the reception tomorrow night, the one that the town is giving to celebrate me being awarded the Medal of Honor. Since you and your mother will have to be there anyway, you might as well escort Rachel to the reception as her friend."

"How do I ask her when she wants nothing to do with me?"

Finn listened carefully as James detailed his plan and shook his head at how sneaky the whole thing sounded. But also there was the first light of forgiveness in his heart. He would have to make Rachel listen to him and hope she wouldn't throw them away for good.