!
Rachel met Tina at her car after school Monday afternoon. "Ready to go?" she asked, putting her backpack in the backseat.
Tina nodded, sliding behind the wheel. I'm so nervous," she confessed.
"Me too," Rachel agreed. "I don't really want to face him again."
"What do you think we'll have to do?" Tina asked.
"Well, Dad said we just have to get up there an answer questions from Clare, stuff about how we've been impacted, things like that."
Tina stopped for a red light. "Well, it's almost over, that's something, right?"
"It's something," Rachel said. "A few more days and we can just forget about it."
"I dream about it sometimes," Tina confessed. "Not every night or anything, but sometimes."
Rachel nodded. "Me too," she said quietly.
"That's normal, though, right?" Tina prodded. "I mean, that's ok, right?"
"I think so," Rachel said slowly, watching as traffic grew more congested the closer they got to downtown. "People keep saying we went through something traumatic and that it's normal to have an adjustment period to get over it."
Tina nodded thoughtfully. "I guess."
"It will probably get better after he goes to jail," Rachel said. "We won't have the sentencing hanging over us any more, we won't have to worry about seeing him. It should be better."
Tina turned her car into the courthouse lot and cut the engine. She took a deep breath. "Let's get this over with then," she said.
They had to check in at a desk in the lobby and they were given passes and directions to the District Attorney's office. They took the elevator upstairs and Clare met them in the lobby area.
"You're right on time," she told them. "My office is this way." They followed her down a long hallway and into a large office. She gestured for them to take a seat. "We have a lot of work to get done," she cautioned them. "Do either of you have experience with a sentencing before?" They both shook their heads. "Ok, a sentencing is basically like a trial format, except you're not cross-examined. You'll be sworn in, the courtroom will be set up just like a normal courtroom. You'll take the stand and the defendant will be in front of you. I'll be there asking you questions, guiding you through your statement."
"We have to face him?" Tina asked timidly.
Clare nodded. "Yes. Try not to let it rattle you. Our goal is to tell the story in the most compelling way, to evoke the most emotion from the judge, while still being truthful, of course." She turned to Rachel. "You're an actress?"
Rachel nodded slightly. "I can cry on command," she confessed.
Clare's eyes lit up. "Excellent. We can use that." The girls exchanged a look. Clare sighed lightly and put her hands on the desk, leaning towards the girls. "Listen," she said kindly, "the thing is, we need all the help we can get here. The maximum penalty for kidnapping is ten years. He pled guilty to two counts, so that's twenty years. Aggravated assault? Two to eight years. That's it. We need the judge to sympathize with you so he'll award the maximum sentence possible, twenty-eight years. We don't want to lie, but you girls have suffered emotional trauma from this, have you not? Not to mention your physical injuries and the impact on your families. It's my job to make sure this man is held accountable for his actions and the impact of his actions and to make sure he cannot do this to anyone else."
"Twenty-eight years," Rachel murmured. "That doesn't even seem like enough."
Clare nodded. "I know. An attempted murder charge would have been ideal, but I really don't think we would have gotten very far with it."
Rachel nodded. "I understand," she said. "My fathers weren't very happy you weren't pursuing it, but there was no proof he ever intended to murder us."
"You're smart girls," Clare said kindly. "You'll do fine, I promise. I just want to run through the questions I'm going to ask you, and then we'll go over your responses. Remember, honest but emotional."
!
Puck paced around his bedroom, trying not to look at the clock again. He knew it was well after 8:00. Rachel still hadn't called. She had promised him the night before on the phone and again today at lunch that she would call him as soon as she got home to let him know what was going on. He stopped pacing when he realized he sounded like a chick, waiting around by the phone. He rolled his eyes but glanced down at his phone again.
He was about to text her when his phone rang. Rachel. He picked it up immediately. "Hey, babe, forget about me?"
"No, Noah, we just got home." She sounded exhausted.
"How did it go?"
"Ok, I think. It doesn't seem too difficult of a process and Clare promised to be as quick as she could so we don't have to be there long."
"That's good," he told her. "So are you ready?"
She sighed sleepily and he could almost picture her curled up in bed. "As ready as I'll ever be," she said.
"Just remember, we're all going to be there," he said. "You won't be alone."
"I know," she said, and he could tell by her voice that she was starting to drift off.
"I'm gonna let you go, babe, you sound tired."
"No, wait, don't go yet," she protested. "Talk to me."
He smiled into the phone. "I can do you one better," he told her. He sang softly, "Where it began, I can't begin to know when, but then I know it's growing strong…"
!
Tuesday passed by in a blur and Rachel was pretty sure she couldn't tell you a thing she learned in any of her classes. She was distracted, her thoughts on the next day and what it would bring.
The entire glee club was coming, she knew. Some, like Artie, had gotten their mothers to call them in sick to school. Others, like Santana, just smiled wickedly and said they had it covered. Rachel appreciated the support, but at the same time, it made her nervous. She hadn't really discussed the ordeal with the rest of the glee club, not in depth. But she knew tomorrow they would hear the whole story, from both her and Tina. Everything was going to come out.
She knew realistically that her friends would not judge her for her actions. She had stabbed Ford in self defense and she knew that. She was well aware that if she had not stabbed the man, he would have stabbed her and probably Tina. And they'd be stuck there for who knows how long while he did whatever it was he had intended to do. She was surprised at the lack of regret she felt for her actions but she wasn't sorry for doing what she did. Her actions led to their escape and she would not apologize for taking her freedom back, hers and Tina's.
She slept restlessly that night, tossing and turning, her sleep plagued with nightmares of Ford's face. She dreamt of him in the shack, in the courtroom, in her house. She woke breathless around 3:00 and stayed in bed, staring at her ceiling until light started to shine through her bedroom window.
She took a quick shower and dried her hair before going downstairs. Her dads still weren't up so she turned the TV on low and settled in on the couch.
It was about an hour before she heard stirring upstairs and soon she heard footsteps on the stairs. "Good morning," Dad said, dropping a light kiss to her head. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Not effectively."
"What would you like for breakfast?"
Rachel shrugged. "I'm not really hungry."
"You need to eat," Dad cautioned. "It could be a long day."
"Whatever you make is fine." She heard him in the kitchen and she closed her eyes, listening to the comforting sounds of pots rattling and Dad humming under his breath.
She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until Daddy shook her gently. "Rachel," he called softly. "Breakfast is ready, darling."
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and followed him into the kitchen. Dad had prepared a huge breakfast, pancakes, a fruit salad, toast, juice. They ate quietly for a few minutes and Rachel was aware of the looks her fathers kept sending her way.
"So, honey, are you ready for today?" Daddy finally asked.
She shrugged, shuffling pieces of pancake around her plate. "I guess."
"What time is Noah coming over?" Dad tried.
"He said around eight."
Daddy glanced at the clock on the wall. "That's soon."
"We should leave soon after he gets here," Daddy said. "Court starts at nine and there might be traffic."
Almost as if on cue, someone knocked on the front door. Her dads both looked at her. "I'll get it," she said, rising to her feet.
She opened the door. It was Noah. She gave him a small smile. He stepped into the room, opening his arms, and she went to him immediately. He held her for a long time before she pulled away.
"Babe," he said, "you look like hell." She swatted his arm and he bent to kiss her gently. "Rough night?"
"Kind of," she admitted.
He put his arm around her as they walked back toward the kitchen. "Almost over," he reminded her. He greeted her fathers and sat down beside Rachel at the table. He watched as she picked at her breakfast some more.
"Would you like some breakfast, Noah? You're early, we have a little time," Daddy said.
"No, I'm fine," he said, still watching Rachel. "Babe, you need to actually eat some of that," he said.
Dad laughed. "That's what we told her."
She glared at them all. "I'm not that hungry," she said. The rest of breakfast continued in silence and she knew it was her fault. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't get much sleep and I'm a little crabby. I didn't mean to snap at you."
Daddy looked at her kindly. "We understand, sweetheart. We're all nervous about today, but you'll do just fine and then you can put it all behind you."
Dad stood, putting his plate in the sink. "We should get going in a few minutes," he said. "Do you have everything you need? Do you have your sling?"
"It's upstairs," Rachel said, rising from the table. "Noah, will you come help me put it on?"
Puck followed her upstairs, leaning on her doorframe as she swept through the room, coming up with the sling. He settled his hands on her shoulders, gently running them down her arms until his hands were encased in hers. He tried not to notice she was shaking lightly. He tugged her forward gently and she rested her head on his chest. He felt every breath she took as she tried to calm the tremors moving through her body. He laced his fingers through hers and squeezed gently, trying to give her whatever strength he had.
After a few minutes she sighed and pulled away and he was glad to note she wasn't shaking anymore. She slid the sling over her head and he helped her gently maneuver her arm into it.
"Does it still hurt a lot?" he asked, stepping back to look at her.
"No, it actually feels pretty good," she told him. "But Clare wanted me to wear it. For sympathy, I guess."
He nodded. "It's a good idea."
He followed her back downstairs and her fathers were waiting by the front door. "Ready to go sweetheart?" Daddy asked.
She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be."
!
As Rachel walked into the courthouse, Noah on one side of her, Daddy on the other, she was struck by how different it was in the daytime. It had been nearly deserted the other night when she and Tina had been here but now it was a bustling hub of activity and she stepped closer to Noah to avoid getting separated. She felt him squeeze her hand and she squeezed back.
She followed her fathers down the hall to Clare's office, where she and Tina were supposed to me the DA before court opened for the day. Tina was already there with her mother and Artie.
She stepped forward, dropping Noah's hand, and embraced her friend. "Are you ready for this?" she whispered.
"Not even close," Tina whispered back, hugging her tight.
Clare came out of her office as the girls released each other. "Good, you're both here. Are you ready? We'll be going in shortly." The girls exchanged glances before nodding hesitantly. Clare gave them a kind smile. "I realize this is difficult," she told them. "You're both well prepared for this. I'll be as quick as I can and then you won't have to deal with this anymore."
"And Rachel's going first, right?" Tina asked.
"Yes, just like we practiced," Clare assured them. "I know it's not easy, but try to relax. Just pretend we're alone in my office, going over everything, just like on Monday. Don't even look at him. Just look at me, maybe the judge if you can, but don't look at him."
Rachel squeezed Tina's hand harder, trying to imagine herself sitting in a courtroom staring at the man who'd hurt them. She squeezed her eyes shut, remembering her dreams, trying to erase his face from her mind.
A hand cupped her elbow. "Breathe," a low voice ordered. She inhaled immediately, not having realized she was holding her breath. "Again." She repeated the action and focused on Noah's voice, his touch, his presence and warmth.
She opened her eyes and looked up into his concerned hazel ones. "Thank you," she said softly.
"Are you ok now?" She could hear the concern in his voice and even if she couldn't, the little crinkle around his eyes gave him away.
"Yes. Just ready to be done with this," she said.
"It's time," Clare said, her voice cutting through everyone's conversations. "Let's head downstairs."
They took the elevator downstairs, and they had to take two because of Artie's wheelchair. Rachel clung to Noah's hand the entire ride down and Daddy rested a gentle but steady hand on her shoulder.
The courtroom was emptier than she thought it would be. Some people were milling around in the chairs in the back and the bailiff was already standing at attention in the front of the room, but that was it. Clare led her and Tina to a small table set up on the right side of the room, in front of everyone else. She reluctantly let go of Noah's hand and took the seat Clare gestured to. Tina sat beside her.
As Clare began shuffling through some papers, Rachel turned her head to see her fathers and Noah in the front row behind them, beside Tina's mom and Artie. Movement at the door caught her eye and she saw the glee club enter. They were dressed nicely, she noticed absently, in clothes appropriate for court. They smiled at her and Tina, taking seats in the rows behind her fathers. She took a deep breath and turned around in her chair just as the doors off to the side were opening.
She knew what she was going to see before she actually saw it. William H. Ford was led into the courtroom in handcuffs, accompanied by two officers. They helped him into a chair and removed the handcuffs, shackling his legs to a piece of metal bolted to the floor.
Rachel reached out blindly and took Tina's hand. She was unable to take her eyes off this man. He looked terrible. He walked in an odd way, kind of hunched over, as if the pain was too much to bear. The orange jumpsuit made his already pale skin look sallow and sickly. And when he turned to meet her eyes, he looked hollow and empty, almost as if he wasn't sure what was going on.
Rachel realized that he didn't look quite so scary anymore. His authority and power seemed gone and she wondered if anyone was obeying him in prison, the way he was used to. She didn't think so.
The judge entered and everyone stood until he told them to sit down. The judge detailed the charges against Ford and what the possible terms were. When he asked if anyone had anything to say, Clare stood up.
"The victims would like to speak, Your Honor," she told him.
He nodded once and Clare gestured to Rachel. She stood on trembling legs and made her way to the front of the room. The bailiff gestured for her to sit facing the courtroom and swore her in, having her place her hand on the Bible.
"Please state your name for the record," Clare said.
"Rachel Berry."
"Rachel, how do you know Mr. Ford?"
Rachel took a deep breath and tried to avoid looking over at him. "He abducted my friend and I and held us captive for several days."
"Tell me about it."
Rachel gulped, feeling her heart speed up. She glanced over at her fathers. "Tina and I were on our way home from school one night. Her car wouldn't start and we had to walk home. During the walk, Mr. Ford accosted us and held a knife to Tina's throat."
"And then what?"
"He made me tie Tina's hands with my shoelaces and then he tied my hands. He made us walk down the road to a van. He injected Tina with something and threw her into the van. I screamed and he slapped me and then drugged me as well."
"How did he drug you?"
"He injected me with something, the same way he did Tina."
"What do you remember next?"
"He put me in the back of the van and I felt very sleepy. The next thing I remember is waking up in the back of the van. It was completely dark and I couldn't see anything."
"Were you alone?"
"No. I called out and Tina answered me. We talked and tried to figure out how to escape. The van stopped eventually and he made us get out. We were at a little shack. He held the knife to my throat and gave Tina a key and made her unlock the door."
"The door locked?"
"No. Well, I don't think so. There was a padlock on the door and he made her open that."
Clare nodded. "Go ahead."
Rachel kept her eyes trained on her fathers. Dad was nodding encouragingly and Daddy looked like he was feeling everything she was. "He told us to go inside and sit against the wall. He gave us a granola bar to eat and then he drugged us again."
"With the needle again?"
"Yes."
"Did he ever say what it was?"
"No, but it made me very sleepy. It knocked me out almost instantly."
"What happened next?"
"The next thing I remember is Tina waking me up. She had looked around the shack and was telling me about it. We started talking again about a way to get out."
Clare paced in front of her and stopped, deliberately blocking her view of Ford. "Did you come up with any ideas?"
Rachel inhaled sharply. "Yes. Tina was going to lie on the floor and pretend to be asleep or passed out. I was in the bathroom hiding. Tina had managed to keep her car keys and we each had one. We were hoping to scratch him when he came in."
"You were hoping to overtake a man with a knife by scratching him with car keys? Did you think you could overpower him?"
Rachel shook her head. "No. We just wanted to surprise him, just long enough for at least one of us to escape and go for help."
"Did you carry out this plan?"
"Yes. He came in and went to check on Tina. She attacked him with her key and I came out of the bathroom and attacked him. He threw me off and I hit the floor. I ran for the door but he grabbed me by the hair and pulled me back inside."
"How did Mr. Ford react?"
Rachel blinked against the sudden moisture in her eyes. She saw Quinn dabbing her eyes with a tissue and saw Santana staring daggers in Ford's direction. Matt and Mike both had their jaws clenched in anger. "He was angry."
"How angry?"
Rachel shifted her gaze to Noah. He smiled at her, nodding slightly. She took a small breath. "He was yelling a lot. He said that he had been good to us but we weren't obeying him and if we weren't going to listen then he wasn't going to be good to us. And then he stabbed me."
"Is that why your arm is in a sling, Rachel?" Clare asked kindly.
"Yes. The knife went deep into my shoulder. Luckily nothing was permanently damaged."
"What did Mr. Ford do next?"
"He went to the bathroom and washed the blood off his knife. He yelled some more and then he left. Tina tried to stop the bleeding in my shoulder and I fell asleep."
"How long were you asleep?"
"Not long, I don't think. Tina woke me up and told me I needed to stay awake. We tried to think of another plan to get out."
"Didn't you think that would be risky, considering how violent Mr. Ford became when you tried to escape before?"
"It was all we had," Rachel said softly. "We knew we needed to get out and we were willing to risk it, even if just one of us got out."
"Tell me what happened next?"
"It was early morning when we heard his keys in the lock again. We both pretended to be asleep. He watched us, but we stayed very still. He went into the bathroom and we heard water running. I followed Tina into the bathroom. We tried to be as quiet as we could. He was washing his face and the knife was lying on the sink. Tina was reaching for it when he opened his eyes. She grabbed it and we started walking for the door. He followed us."
"Go ahead, Rachel," Clare urged.
Rachel felt the tears spill from her eyes and down her cheeks. "I grabbed the door handle and opened the door. He grabbed Tina's wrist and squeezed. She held onto the knife at first but he squeezed harder and she dropped it. I dove for it."
"You went after the knife?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I knew that if he got the knife back that we'd never get away. That was our last shot," Rachel said, wiping at her eyes. The judge handed her a tissue. "Thank you," she said. She wiped her eyes before continuing. "I grabbed the knife. I was on my stomach. He dove on top of my, trying to get the knife away. He kept grabbing me, trying to turn me over so he could get the knife." Her eyes welled over again and she wiped at them furiously.
"What happened then, Rachel?" Clare asked softly.
"He was too strong," Rachel said, her voice breaking. "He flipped me over and I knew I couldn't let him have the knife. We were so close, so close to being free. So I stabbed him."
"You stabbed Mr. Ford?"
"Yes, in the stomach. He yelled and pulled back enough so I could get free. Tina and I ran."
"Where did you run to?"
Rachel shook her head. "I honestly have no idea," she said. "We just started running away from the shack as fast as we could. We came to a road eventually and we saw a car but the driver wouldn't stop. It was a long time before we saw another car, but the driver was very nice and she stopped. She let us in and called the police."
Clare resumed her pacing. "Rachel, how have you been affected by your abduction?"
Rachel took a shaky breath. "I have nightmares," she said. "Every night. They're always different but they're always about what happened. I have to wear this sling until a doctor says otherwise and I may have to have physical therapy to heal completely."
"How has your family been affected?"
"I think my dads were afraid to let me out of their sight," Rachel said with a small smile. "Everyone's afraid now."
Clare nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Thank you, Rachel."
Rachel looked up at the judge with swollen, tried eyes. "You may be seated," he said gently, gesturing to the table where Tina was currently sitting.
She nodded and stood shakily, forgetting to keep her eyes averted. She locked eyes with Ford and he grinned slowly. She jerked backwards as if he'd slapped her again, her breath coming in short gasps. She stumbled slightly once she'd reached the table and collapsed before she was in her chair.