A/N: Something quick because I know that you missed me!

BomBom (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. The Teaching)

It was early morning when I woke up.

Most days, it was early morning when I woke up, which was a far cry from high school.

Back then it was torture but as a working/studying adult, it's the time that I cherish the most.

I stood over the bed that Quinn and Britt were laying in and bit down hard on my lip.

A big part of me wanted to wake them both up...just to make Britt talk about her next move.

But then my heart and my mind agreed that I needed to get away.

And so I put on my sneakers and shoved my phone in my sports bra before heading out for a run.

I needed to figure things out and I couldn't do that in this room.

Quinn wanted to come here and now that I got Britt to admit that she needed help...I was hoping that Quinn could take the next step.

And hopefully she could do it on her own because after last night, anything that I could say, might just make things worse.

I had set out for Central Park...ready to take a nice long run but then fate intervened.

Because just outside the hotel was Rachel.

She had no way of knowing that I would nearly collide with her.

But when she did finally see me and she looked scared.

Whatever Quinn had yelled at her must have been pretty explicit if her first reaction was to get pale.

"Hi Berry." I said with a genuine smile.

"Why are you here, in New York, I mean?" She asked as she stepped to the side of the sidewalk.

I moved to stand in front of her and ran my fingers through my hair.

"For Brittany...I came to step in...since nobody here seemed to give a shit."

I swear that I meant to say that nicer but I have never been one to mince words.

She probably expected it anyway.

"Says who? Last time that I checked, it was my name on the lease of her apartment and my name that her phone is under. If anything...it's you that hasn't really given a shit."

I wanted to slap her.

But I didn't.

All the facts that I had about who had helped Britt had come from hearsay and so really I had only assumed that nobody stepped in.

I could admit that...I was wrong...just not out loud.

"So you have been helping her?"

Rachel threw her arms up in frustration.

"It's what I have been trying to tell you and Quinn for months! I have been her biggest supporter and when Derek gave her the divorce papers a few days ago...it was me that held her as she cried."

"Divorce papers?" I knew that he left her but I didn't think that it was that bad.

"See what I mean...so now, tell me again, who doesn't give a shit about Brittany?"

I felt like an asshole.

Instead of running, Rachel and I ended up going to the hotel restaurant and grabbing coffee.

And it was then that I learned the history of my friend.

It seemed that Rachel had been keeping a closer eye on Britt than she had let on.

"So if you were helping out, then why did you just let Quinn curse you out like that?"

She stirred her coffee with slumped shoulders.

It looked like the world was sitting on them and for the first time in a very long time, I found myself feeling sorry for Rachel Berry.

"Honestly, I wanted so badly to just feel like she was here to see me. To visit. We were all so close at the end of senior year and to know that once we graduated we all scattered to the four winds makes me sad. And its my own fault because I basically shoved you out the door. Kurt and I have each other but that's not enough. I miss the girls. Tina hates me for yet again getting a part on off-Broadway that she was going for. All that I had was Brittany."

"Oh." I said as I reached across the table and rested my hand on hers. "Look, Rachel...me and Quinn...we are still here for you."

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee before pulling her hands into her lap.

"Like you were for Brittany?"

"Okay...I deserved that." I said feeling like she had slapped me.

"Look...she's sick. I have tried my best to help her but I'm not you. Nobody is. Derek was a good guy. I believe that he loves her and Nicky but she made it hard for him. She showed up at his job drunk, barefoot...went to work parties with him and got completely trashed. It just became too much for him, that's why he left and took Nicky with him."

It took everything in me to not let my jaw hang.

"Nicky isn't with Derek...he's upstairs."

It was Rachel's turn to look shocked.

"She took him? Well that explains...wow...not good."

"What are you talking about Hobbit?" I snapped.

"I'll ignore that. When did she take Nicky, exactly?"

"She showed up drunk at his daycare...they threatened to call the cops...her mom was in town for a work conference and so she was able to get down there before the cops could be called. That was two days ago...she called me just after getting Nicky. What am I missing?"

"Oh...so Susan has Nicky?"

"Yes."

"That might save Brittany in all of this."

"All of what?"

"Derek is out of the country on business this week. Nicky is supposed to be with Derek's sister in Staten Island. Brittany isn't allowed to have him...there's a protection order..." This time I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping. "And you didn't know that. This is not good."

"No shit."

"I'm going to call his sister..." She was scrolling through her phone but then I put my hand on her phone.

"Wait...it's been two days...can you just...let Britt see him before we take Nicky back. We are leaving today...and if things end like this before we leave...who knows how much more this could set her back."

Rachel nodded...but then looked at her phone.

"I'll text her at least...just to let her know that Susan had picked him up for me and I have him. In the mean time, lets just hope that she didn't call Derek."

And finally Britt talking about going to jail made sense.

Why hadn't I asked about that more?

God, just let this be okay.

A/N: I've been gone...I know. I'm back though...well until the funeral on Thursday...see what I mean...life has just been sucky! Lots of love! :) I'll come back for errors later...but you can ask me questions now.