Chibi-Kari: Don't kill me for this chapter, guys! Two more after this...keep up with the 10 reviews and you'll probably get them out this weekend! Sorry it took so long today. I was at the beach. I don't own...enjoy and tell me what you think!

Everything's gonna crash and break, but I know. Yeah I know what you got, what you want, what you need. Gonna be your savior.

-"Savior" Skillet

She wasn't sure what happened or how exactly it happened. Everything was blurry after the bottle at dinner. It didn't help that they had been able to score a few margaritas on the house, of course. Mixing alcohols never bode well for Rachel. That should have been a sign. Who even got margarita's at a pizza place? Wine was more of an obvious choice. But no, instead they went with margaritas. Wine and then mixed drinks were hell on her stomach, but the company seemed good at the time. Still...she should have known this day would be bad after the way it stated. Mr. Schue and then Jesse. That was an omen if anything was. She should have known, but she still didn't think it would prepare her for this.

The last place she had expected to be was sitting in the waiting room of a hospital with her buzz still raging. She didn't know what to do, but one wrong move and everyone would know. It would ruin everything. It would ruin everything she fought for and then she would have nothing left. Absolutely nothing. Where would she go from there?

Dry raves were myths and even adults knew that. She thanked God for that fact. No one had to justify what was happening. There weren't questions after the statement, "She just fell down while dancing. She started seizuring. I'm not sure what she took. I don't know what happened." There were no questions asked. The hospital really didn't care what the non injured did. They weren't dying, so it didn't matter. But Rachel cared. She was panicking and not sure what to do. When Ashley fell she had felt her heart plummet too. Ryan and Alicia were trying to calm down a completely distraught Damien. He was swearing up a storm and at one point tried to leave the hospital. If he didn't calm down soon they were going to call the cops and that would spell ruin for them. She couldn't get caught. It would ruin her chances at Broadway. It would ruin her future. She couldn't ask Alicia to leave and she couldn't make it home herself. She was feeling the familiar paranoia associated with her party cocktail. Everything was always good until it was bad. She needed someone to get her and bring her home. She couldn't be here. She'd find out about Ashley later. She would understand. Profession came first. Friends second. Ashley had made that clear to her that day.

She dialed the number before she even realized what she was doing. It was almost three am and here she was calling someone to pick her up. To hold her hand as they left. She didn't think she'd make it otherwise.

"Hello?" The voice was groggy and slightly worried.

"I need you to come get me." Rachel's voice was uneven and she could hear herself starting to slur the words in her panic. She wasn't sure how long she could wait.

"Where are you?' Came the quick reply and Rachel could hear them pulling on clothes.

"At the hospital." She quickly added the information necessary so that she could be found. She needed to be found quickly. She only could thank God that they were right around the corner.

"Give me fifteen." The line went dead, but Rachel found herself still nodding to the phone seconds later.

Luckily no one else knew the line went dead otherwise it would have been obvious the state she was in. She groaned as she placed her head in her hands. She couldn't do this. She couldn't sit here. Rachel tried to calm her breathing as Damien got out of hand again and their shouts rang through the waiting room. A nurse looked up from her station, alarmed. They were drawing too much attention to themselves. This wasn't good. Rachel needed to go home.

She jumped as a hand landed roughly on her shoulder. "Shelby." Rachel gasped out in relief. She glanced back over as the arguing reached a louder point. She shifted her eyes to the nurse who had picked up the phone and was speaking into it hurriedly, "I need to go. Please we need to go now."

"What happened?" Shelby's voice was calm as she helped Rachel stand.

"We need to go now before the police come. I need to leave. It'll ruin me." She raked a hand through her hair and felt some of the pieces pull from her scalp. Her hair hadn't had that healthy sheen for a few weeks now.

"Oh, baby." Shelby breathed as she wrapped an arm around Rachel's waist as she stumbled.

"Don't baby me. I just need to go. Please. I need to get home." Rachel fought the urge to break down into sobs. This wasn't what she wanted. She was confused, panicked, lost.

Rachel felt Shelby nod as they made their way to the elevators and down to the first floor. Just as they were stepping out several officers took their places. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. With her mother she just looked like a distraught child. They wouldn't think twice about her. She could leave and no one would remember her or be any the wiser.

She gripped her arms as the breeze cut through the near empty street. Shelby hailed a taxi quickly before ushering her into the backseat and rattling off an address. Rachel immediately knew it wasn't for her aunt's.

"Where are we going? I need to go home." Her voice was so small it even shocked her. She sounded as hurt and confused as she actually felt.

Shelby wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulder and pulled her close, "You're going to stay with me."

"No. I can't go back there and you have Beth." Rachel tried to pull away and shake her head.

Shelby just pulled her closer before turning Rachel's face up to look at her, "I can take care of both of you."

It was a simple statement, but it was everything she ever wanted. Everything she ever needed. She started sobbing harder than she could ever remember. Rachel felt wanted. She felt like she didn't need to take care of herself. She knew that for once in her life someone was going to take care of her. She needed that. She had never realized how much she needed that before. How much she needed her mother.

The end of the cab ride came quickly and they stumbled slightly as Shelby pulled her out of the car. Rachel flinched as she felt another arm snake around her waist. She looked over to find a familiar head of curly hair, "Jesse." Her voice was soft as he turned his eyes to meet hers.

There were no epic smiles or witty comments. He just looked at her a moment before squeezing her gently. She understood. He finally saw a part of her again. In this wreck of a person he could pick out his Rachel.

"Why don't we put her on the spare bed in my room and open the adjoining door to yours." Rachel knew his tone of voice. It wasn't a suggestion.

"Jesse, I think-"

He shook his head slightly looking right over the top of Rachel's head at Shelby, "We'll both be there that way.

Shelby seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding. "I'll go talk to Will after we get her settled. Make sure he knows she'll be alright."

They walked hurriedly into the hotel barely glancing at the night receptionist as she came forward slightly. Jesse pushed the button to the elevator impatiently a few times before Shelby knocked his hand away. The doors opened slowly and Jesse had them through and pressing the close button before the doors had fully opened. Shelby eyed him slightly but didn't say anything. She had to hold her tongue tighter when she saw him shift and pull Rachel closer allowing her to lean back on him. She knew the two had dated, but she had always wondered how much of it was real. Yes he had told her in her car that night that he cared for her, but this was something else. For him to hold Rachel like that when she was in this state. When she was making obviously wrong choices spoke volumes. He loved her and Shelby could see that easily. It must have killed him to walk away. That was obvious by the way he was holding on to her right now, as if he was afraid she would slip away from him. It was unnerving that he felt so strongly about her daughter. She didn't remember feeling that much when she was their age. Hell, she didn't think she ever felt that much about a person that wasn't related to her by blood, or Beth of course.

Jesse pulled Rachel the rest of the way down the hall. They disappeared quickly into his room and Shelby suddenly felt uncomfortable. She was definitely leaving the door open now. Hell, when those two got back together there was going to be a constant open door policy. She loved Jesse like her own son and respected him a great deal, but she knew he did anything to get what he wanted and she wouldn't put it past him to try and trap Rachel.

She entered her room quickly and sighed in relief when she found his adjoining door already opened. Rachel was lying on top of the covers of the spare bed and Jesse was sitting on his bed just staring at her. It was obvious he didn't know what to do or say and he was scared she would somehow disappear.

She made her way into the room silently. Jesse flinched as she rested a hand on his shoulder, "I'm going to go talk to Will. I'll be back in a bit. Leave the door open and call me if anything happens." He nodded distractedly and she took it as a sign to leave.

Rachel seemed to be just staring at him from the other bed not moving. Jesse wasn't sure what he should do. Shelby's footsteps had long since faded out when Rachel finally said something, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Jesse wasn't sure he had ever known he could move that fast. He had her up and in the bathroom before he even realized he had gotten off the bed. She stood for a moment before falling to the floor and over the toilet. He would never do this for anyone else. Could never do this for anyone else. He pulled her hair back lightly as she emptied the contents of her stomach. He reached over with his spare hand and dampened a wet washcloth like his mother always had done when he was little, back before his parents decided he could take care of himself. Rachel flinched as he lifted her hair and placed it against her neck.

"She rested her head on her arms and rolled it to the side to look up at him, "My shoes are too tight."

He sat down on the cold tile floor and set to work removing them as quickly as possible. He would take care of everything she needed. It was all he could do. All he could give her right now.

"Are you done or do you want to stay here a little while longer?" His voice cracked slightly and it dawned on him that he had never in his life been more worried than right now.

She reached up shakily and flushed the toilet while trying to pull herself into a stand, "I'm alright now. I just need to rinse my mouth."

Jesse couldn't hold back the scoff, "You are far from alright." He pulled her off the floor the second time she collapsed and shifted her to the sink while turning on the water.

She reached forward cupping it into her mouth before spitting it out. It masked the smell slightly, but that seemed to be the last thing in his mind. He shifted her out of the room and back on the bed, lying her on her stomach in case she felt the need to throw up again. He didn't want her to aspirate. He had read a lot of kids in college did that accidentally after drinking. It was an awful way to die and he never wanted Rachel to experience it. He placed the washcloth back on her neck and pulled her hair over it. He looked down at her as she pulled her arms up around her face as if to block out screams. He waited a moment longer before quickly making his way into the bathroom for a cup of water. She needed to stay hydrated.

"Jesse?" Her voice was slightly panicked and he knew that she had opened her eyes and he wasn't there.

He willed the glass to fill faster, "Just getting you some water, Babe. Hold tight." His voice sounded tight and stressed to his own ears. He didn't feel comfortable when she wasn't in his sights. This had all happened when he wasn't watching her. Logically he knew he wouldn't have been able to change anything if she had decided to do this back in Lima, but deep down he knew that she wouldn't have done it if he was there.

Her eyes were wide, scanning the bathroom area when he finally was able to see her again. She was scared and the truth of the matter was that he was too. He was terrified. He couldn't let her out of his life again. He silently set the water on the nightstand next to her bed.

Her eyes met his and he felt relief. She was still there. "Thanks." Her voice was mumbled, but he knew she meant it.

He held her eyes and willed her to understand, "I do it because I love you, Rachel Berry. Don't ever thank me for it."

She nodded slightly before starting to sob again, "I'm scared, Jesse. I'm scared."

He didn't know his heart could break anymore until that moment. He walked around the bed and climbed in from the other side, pulling her into his arms. "I know. I know."

He couldn't do anything right now except hold her, but really that's all she had ever wanted.