That Tuesday, Dani walks down the hallway to her Art class to only get slammed into the lockers.
"Listen here freak, and listen good." It's Brittney, "You will stay away from my girlfriend if you know what's good for you."
Dani snorts, "I'm not scared of you."
"Oh really? Ladies." The whole Cheerios team surrounds them, "Scared now?"
"You can't lay a hand on me." Dani's voice trembles.
"Stop trying to be brave, freak. We all know you are scared."
Breathing heavily as Brittney smirks, Brittney and the team begins to hit and punch Dani to a pulp. Once Dani is knocked out, they begin to kick her while she is on the ground.
The Art teacher walks out around an hour into the lesson, into the hallway and is shocked to see her favourite student knocked out. Immediately rushing to the phone she calls Santana forward.
"What is wrong, Ms. Harp?" Santana asks.
"Santana, I need you to stay with Dani at all costs. Do not move her at all, talk to her and if she talks back, keep her talking and aware." Ms. Harp answers.
"Okay." Santana nods confused.
"Go in the hall, you will see her." Doing as she is told, Santana covers her mouth frozen until Ms. Harp pushes her forward and closes the door.
Santana kneels down next to Dani and begins to talk to her.
"Dani, if you can hear me, it's Santana. I need you to open your eyes. Come on beautiful." Santana speaks gently taking Dani's hand in her own, "Please open your beautiful eyes, Dani. We need to know who did this to you."
Feeling Dani's hand tremble in her own, Santana smiles faintly.
"Come on Dani, I know you are incredibly strong. Open your eyes."
Watching Dani's eyes flicker, Santana continues to encourage her until Dani's eyes are open. Just then they hear running feet, making Dani whimper.
"Don't worry Dani, no one will hurt you again." Santana promises.
"Dani!" Dani relaxes hearing her mother's terrified voice, "Lopez, is she alright?"
"She's awake Coach." Santana reports as Coach kneels down next to her.
"Dani can you hear me?" Sue asks as Dani slowly turns her head toward her, "Easy honey."
Seeing tears in Dani's eyes and her chin quiver, Sue knows she is close to breaking down.
"Santana, could you give Dani and I a moment?" Sue asks stroking Dani's hair from her face.
"Of course. I'll go see Ms. Harp." Immediately leaving, Santana looks back at Sue pausing at the door to see Sue laying on the floor next to Dani whispering to her. Disappearing into the classroom, Santana knows Sue will find out who did this to Dani.
"Dani, who did this to you, honey?" Sue asks in a whisper.
"Cheerios." Dani croaks.
Shocked, Sue is beyond furious but she won't take it out on Dani, "Was Lopez one of them?"
"No. She was in the classroom. Brittney was the leader."
"Sweet Brittney? Dating Santana, Brittney?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"She knows I like Santana."
"She's off the team. Plus the Cheerios will be over. This has gone too far." Seeing her daughter is about to protest, Sue hushes her, "No, Dani, I made up my mind. I will make a new team and work them twice as hard. Will you help me?"
"What do you need me to do?"
"Well, we will be staying home for a few days until we come back but we need to make up a new routine."
"Mom, you get me to help you with all of your routines, what's so new about this one?" Seeing a smile forming on Dani's faces, Sue starts to laugh as the paramedics rush down the hall.
Inside the classroom, Santana guards the door, watching everything happen through the window. She watches the paramedics look Dani over before lifting her onto the stretcher. Seeing blood on the floor where Dani laid, Santana knows that the paramedics knows about it, but she couldn't help but feel scared for Dani. Watching Dani get taken away, she is surprised that Sue leaves Dani's books there in the hall.
Slipping out of the room, Santana picks up Dani's books before seeing a sheet of paper sticking out. Pulling it out, Santana smiles knowingly seeing a sketch of her name and Dani's in a heart with fireworks around it.
Folding it, Santana slips it in her pocket before taking her seat with Dani's books on her desk. Once class is over, Santana heads to her locker and puts Dani's books in her locker before grabbing her Science books and keeping her sketchbook. Pulling out Dani's artwork, she puts it up in her locker with a smile.
"Hey Santana." Brittney greets as Santana slams her locker shut.
"Why did you do that to Dani?" Santana snaps turning to her, "You do know that Coach cancelled Cheerios right?"
"The freak told didn't she?" Brittney snarls.
"Like Dani has a choice. She's in the hospital thanks to you. Ms. Harp, Coach and I were afraid she wouldn't wake up."
"So what? She is better off dead anyways."
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"She likes you okay?"
"So what, she is fourteen. I love you, Brittney, but now, I'm not so sure if I want to be with you if you are so scared of a girl liking me." Walking away, Santana sits down in her class early and begins to sketch in her sketchbook, thinking about a familiar pair of brown eyes and blonde with brown hair. By the time class starts, she looks at it to see she drew exactly the same thing Dani did but with Dani's name on top and her full name on the bottom.
Oh shit, I have a crush on Dani Sylvester. Santana realizes
~D&S~
At the hospital, Dani is playing her acoustic guitar for the little kids and teenagers older than her. Sue ran home and got her guitar before arriving knowing Dani would ask for it and beg until she got it.
Hearing her daughter sing for the other kids older and younger, while sitting in a wheel chair Sue smiles, nothing can stop Dani from singing or playing music.
"Hey Coach." Looking up, Sue is surprised to see the Glee Club standing there, and it was Santana who greeted her.
"What are you guys doing here?" Sue asks confused.
"Seeing how Dani is doing." Santana answers. Knowing Sue is looking for Brittney, Santana speaks again, "Brittney was with Principal Figgins when we got permission to come. Plus Brittney and I are broken up in my books."
"Who reported her?"
"I did."
Sue stares at Santana shocked as the younger girl bites her bottom lip nervously.
"Thank you." Sue nods, "It means the world to mean that you are willing to do this to protect my daughter."
"Dani is a very special young girl and she doesn't deserve what Brittney did to her. For that, I'm sorry. But I know Dani will come out stronger."
"I know she will. She will be terrified for a while but she will be stronger than before." They look at Dani who is softly playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while a little four-year-old sings it next to her with a huge black eye from child abuse.
Sue stands up and slowly walks over seeing Dani yawn, and gently takes the guitar from her and puts it in the case.
"No Dani, don't go." The little girl cries with tears falling down her face.
"I'm just going to my room, Kel. Would you like to come?" Dani offers. Seeing Kelly nod and hold her arms out, Sue picks her up and sets her on Dani's lap, careful on her broken ribs.
Arriving to her room, Sue puts Kelly on the bed before helping Dani under the covers. Kelly crawls to Dani's side and rests her head on her leg. Curling up in a ball, Kelly yawns and falls asleep hugging Dani's arm.
"Looks like you have a cub." Sue teases sitting down on the bed. Dani smiles and strokes Kelly's hand.
"Can we bring her home?" Dani whispers.
"You know we can't."
"Adopt her."
"What about her parents?"
"We both know they are abusive."
"Dani."
"Try." Sighing, Sue sees the hurt in Dani's eyes and nods.
"I'll try, but no promises."
After the conversation, Will and Sue begins to talk as the Glee Club and Dani talk about what happened and about Nationals in two months. They hope that Dani is better for it, mentally.