A/N: Sorry for not updating for a long time! But really, I'm continuing it now. 3

Sunlight filtered through the window of my room and I opened my eyes to sit up and stretch. I pushed the covers off of me, yawning. I hadn't taken any of my clothes off from the day before, so I stripped hastily and grabbed a skirt and sweater from my closet to put on. I combed my hair neatly and pinned back part of it, licking my lips as I recalled the events from the night before.

Quinn had looked so broken. There was something different, something that had made me want to break, too, and because of this I had forgotten every terrible thing she's ever said to me. All that had mattered was keeping her from falling apart even more. I couldn't help but notice she'd still said "parents", as if she still felt as if one day her mom might come walking back through her door. I checked my clock, its blocky numbers read 7:19. I smoothed my skirt and looked at myself in the mirror.

I was startled as my phone vibrated loudly against my wooden bedside table and I leaned to pick it up. It was a text, the sender of which was the very same blonde who'd been plaguing my thoughts ever since I'd awoken that morning.

The football field 7:45 –Q

I didn't question it. Instead, I threw on the closest pair of shoes I could find and made sure to tell my dad that I was headed out. He nodded over his paper and blew me a kiss as my papa leaned to kiss him on the cheek.

"Just be safe, Rachel." Leroy called and I flashed him smile.

"Of course, Papa."

The football field, located in the back of McKinley, was about 15 minutes away. By the time I had gotten past the main road, another five minutes, and pulled into the parking lot, it was close enough to 7:45. I figured Quinn would be there anyway.

I walked past the fence and onto the green turf of the field, looking for Quinn. I almost screamed when someone grabbed my shoulder. I whipped around to see Quinn smirking slightly.

"Quinn!"

"Calm down…"

At first glance Quinn had seemed to be as she usually was at school, mouth drawn into a smirk that seemed to taunt me just barely. But as I met her gaze, I realized that the raw pain that I'd seen the night before was still there, hidden behind her HBIC facade.

"Why did you ask me here, Quinn?" I was tentative, careful. I didn't want to come off too loud or false in her eyes. Maybe I wouldn't have, but I figured it wasn't worth a risk.

Quinn averted her gaze for a moment and took a breath, smirk faltering. "I don't really know." Her voice was soft, not harsh, but still clear.

I didn't say anything, only reached to put a hand on her arm hesitantly, and when she didn't yank it away, I sighed softly. She looked up again and met my eyes, took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes momentarily and opening them again. Quinn opened her mouth as if to speak, and I watched as she seemed to struggle to let out something.

A phone began to ring and she closed her mouth, reaching into her jeans pocket. Her eyes widened just slightly as she answered the call and I let my hand drop from her arm.

"Dad? I'm... out. Are you drunk? Dad, please. I-Dad?" Quinn took the phone from her ear. I noticed her were eyes glistening and she turned away from me.

"Quinn, what's wrong?"

"I've got to go."

"Quinn?"

"I can't stay. I have to leave. He's..." She trailed off and I didn't want to push it. I didn't want to push her.

I could only watch as she left me standing, wondering what she was going to say. It hurt to see her upset, but I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move.

When I got back to my house, I walked back up the stairs to my room, only to sit on the corner of my bed. I wanted to think. The call had obviously been from her father, and she'd seemed so distressed... She'd mentioned he'd turned to drinking. What had he said? It had been bad enough to bring her to tears.

The next time I saw her was a few days later, the first day back at school after the weekend. There was something hard in her gaze and when she met me at my locker, checking to see if anyone was paying attention.

"Hello, Quinn." I gave her a small smile.

She wasn't in her Cheerio's uniform, that was one of the first thing I noticed. She had on a long sleeved white shirt, her hair down. She had pants on. It was unusual, I hadn't seen her like that in a long time.

"Hi." Her voice seemed normal enough, but she still seemed off. A lot seemed off.

"Is there anything..." I brought my voice down a little bit lower. "You'd like to talk about? Or anything?"

The look in her eyes softened and she seemed to think about that for a second. Ever since I'd seen her the night she'd called me, she'd been seeming to do that a lot. Being careful about what she said, like she was either scared to say too much or scared I wouldn't be able to take what she was considering saying.

"Actually... Sort of. Just... come with me?"

The way she made it into a question made me feel that she was scared I'd say no. I let her guide me through the flanks of students to the bathroom. Again she took a breath and looked me in the eye.

"Rachel, promise me that you won't say anything about what I'm about to show you."

She was scared. She had a note of desperation in her voice. I nodded.

"Of course. I promise."

She lifted her sleeve and my eyed fell to her arm. I let out a gasp as I saw a few bruises, purple and almost tinging yellow.

"Oh, my God, Quinn... What happened? Did he hurt you?"

She pulled her sleeve back down and wet her lips. "It wasn't his fault. He was drunk. He didn't mean it, not like before." She seemed to realize what she'd said and she averted her gaze, muttering under her breath so that I could barely hear. "Shit."

"What do you mean 'not like before'? He's done this to you before?" I could feel an anger and a sadness and a pain all bubbling in my chest.

Quinn turned to the sink and planted her hands on both sides to push her weight on it as she stared down the drain. "He-No. I mean yes... I... He got so mad when he... It's nothing."

"Quinn, please, it's not nothing. You... You've got bruises, this is serious. He could have hurt you even worse!" I walked closer and put one of my hands over her's. "You're hurt... What did he do to you?" I could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes and one rolled free. I could feel my own eyes starting to sting. I couldn't see her like this.

"Nothing. I mean, he just... hit me. But he wasn't trying to- He was just drunk."

"He could do it again, Quinn..."

She wouldn't look me in the eyes. She had wanted to show me but she wouldn't let me help her. She had made me give my word I wouldn't tell, as much as I wanted to her dad locked up for hurting her, I didn't want her to feel like she'd been betrayed. She needed to get out of that house, at the least.

"Quinn, you can't stay with him."

"I know. But where the hell am I supposed to go?"

"Come with me! Just not with him, please... You have to understand that he's hurting you."

Quinn shuddersedas she took a breath. Her arms shook. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"You're right... I need to get out."

"Will you come with me? Stay with me?"

"There's no where else to go."

I watched her and she turned and actually looked at me. I saw she'd stopped crying and the pain was still there, but there was something else. Something hopeful.

A/N (again): I'm sorry for any feels that may or may not result in drowning. Really. :(