A/N: This took longer to write then I actually wanted…I also wanted this chapter longer then it is, but I didn't want to drown on and on about things so I decided to end the chapter early.
This chapter can be a trigger for some people so this is my official warning. If anybody has been abused this is your warning.
More of Beth's life will come up in later chapters, but for right now this is all that I've got.
A lot of you have loved the Amanda and Beth idea of a possible relationship and I have several scenarios in my head on how to get them together, but I'm not sure what one I am going to choose or if they even get together. I am leaning more toward them getting together though.
Chapter Fourteen: Troubled Past
"Bethy, it's time to come out and play with daddy."
A middle aged man stood in the middle of a young Beth's bedroom. Beth was currently six years old and she had been in this current foster home since her sixth birthday.
"We play this game every time Bethy. I don't like to get angry. Don't you want daddy to be happy?"
The middle aged man unbuckled his belt and slides it out of his jeans. He dropped it on the floor. Soon the man heard a whimper. The middle aged man grinned manically.
"Oh this is going to be fun."
Underneath the bed, six year old Beth silently cried and shut her eyes tightly. The sound of pants hit the floor. Beth knew what was coming next.
Amanda opens her eyes when she feels Beth slashing around and whimpering in the hotel bed. Amanda could see stained tears on Beth's cheek and it broke her heart.
"Beth!" Amanda whispers urgently as she attempts to shakes her friend awake. "Beth, it's just a dream. Wake up!"
Beth's eyes snap open and she urgently looks around the room. She locks eyes with Amanda and just lets the tears fall.
"Beth, are you okay?"
Beth lays her head in the crook of Amanda's neck.
"It's okay Beth. It was just a dream."
Beth curls into Amanda's side.
"I-It's not a-a dream. It's a nightmare, my nightmare."
"Sshh, I'm right here. Just close your eyes. I'm right here."
Amanda leans down and places a kiss on top of Beth's head.
"Go to sleep. I'm right here," Amanda whispers into Beth's ear.
Amanda continues to hold Beth as she cries.
*Friend to a Stranger*
"Are we really going to do this?" Santana asks Quinn in outrage. "Those two are out there somewhere and we are just going to let that happen. Two weeks, it doesn't work. I don't like it. I want to find them and bring those two home. Now!"
"Santana, I don't like it either, but we have no idea where they are. At least they are together."
Santana glares at Quinn.
"How can you be so calm about this? Beth is your daughter."
Quinn rolls her eyes.
"And Amanda is yours. Amanda and Beth had some major things going on, but I truly believe in Beth's text. Give them two weeks Tana. Start working on things with your wife. I've got my own issues to work on with Puck."
Santana wipes at her eyes.
"I don't know if I can work on things with my wife," Santana states as she looks away from Quinn.
"I'll get Rachel," Quinn says as she gets up from her chair and goes to search for her wife.
Santana lays her head on the countertop. Rachel walks into the kitchen and sighs softly. Santana lifts her head up and Rachel sees the tears.
"Oh, Santana."
"I'm scared of letting her in. I love Brittany, but I'm really scared."
"Your emotions are running high Santana. Your daughter is gone and your wife is back. I'm mad at Brittany right now, but you have always wanted Brittany back. Go talk to her. She's sitting at home worrying about you and worrying about your daughter. Amanda will come home and then you can punish her, but for now go talk to your wife. She hurt you Santana, but you love her."
Santana looks at her friend sadly.
"I don't want her to leave again."
Rachel smiles slightly.
"Then go tell her that."
Santana stands up from her chair and walks over to Rachel and gives her a hug.
"Thank you Rachel."
*Friend to a Stranger*
After sleeping for a few more hours, Beth wakes up in Amanda's arms. Beth sits up in bed and yawns.
"Are you okay, Beth?"
Beth clears her throat before speaking.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me."
"I'd like too. You're my friend Beth and you kind of scared me last night."
Beth leans against the headboard.
"I have these nightmares on occasion. I feel like I'm reliving everything that has happened to me, but my nightmare is always the same one. It's always about the first year I was abused."
Amanda scoots closer to Beth and grabs her hand.
"You do not have to talk about it, but I'm here to listen."
"I see his face. Every day, I see his face. I hear his words. I feel his hands on my body." Beth closes her eyes and tears fall. Amanda grasps Beth's hand tighter. "I was under the bed, crying silently. 'Bethy it's time to come out and play with daddy'. I heard his belt hit the floor and I whimpered. His jeans were next. He knew where I was and he grabbed my legs and pulled me out from under the bed."
Beth rested her head on Amanda's shoulder. She really needed the comfort right now. The only other time that Beth had spoken about this was when she did it to put the man who was responsible for hurting her in prison.
"He really hurt me and it took a long time to tell anybody."
Amanda clears her throat.
"How long did it take?" Amanda asks softly.
"Four years. He scared me to the point where I didn't want to say anything for four years."
Amanda wraps her arms around Beth as she starts to cry again.
"I get it. You were scared. I don't know how old you were, but I understand it."
"Six," Beth whispers.
"What?"
Beth pulls away from Amanda and sniffles.
"I was six years old," Beth laughs harshly. "God I'm so messed up."
"That doesn't make you messed up. You had no control over it. You were six years old Beth."
Beth sighs and wipes at her eyes.
"I know," Beth shakes her head and moves away from Amanda's arms. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Why don't you take a shower and I will head across the street to get us some food and then we can figure out where we are going next."
Beth nods her head and walks into the bathroom. When the shower turns on, Amanda lets her own tears fall.
*Friend to a Stranger*
Lucy and Noah continue their staring contest in the living room at the Fabray household. Noah sighs and looks away.
"It's your fault she's gone," Lucy spits out in anger. "We were just getting the hang of this sister thing and you show up and now it's all ruined!"
"Lucy, I didn't know she was here. I didn't mean for all of this to happen!" Noah explains.
"I'm mad at you."
"You have a right to be. I come and go as I please, but I'm going to work on that. I helped your parents conceive a child Lucy. I'm not on your birth certificate, but you are a part of me. In my heart you are my daughter and I love you. I'm sorry that I haven't been there. I know the only make influences in your life are your granddads, but it's not the same. I know I grew up without a father. I don't want to miss anymore of your life or Beth's."
Lucy bites her bottom lip and looks away. She honestly didn't know what to say. The times that Noah visited had made Lucy happy, but when he left she was always sad. She didn't want to be hurt anymore.
"Then don't miss anymore. I don't trust you, but I miss you. You have to make it up to my parents though. You hurt them."
Noah nods his head.
"I've made a lot of mistakes that I need to fix. I promise you that I am going to fix them."
Lucy sighs and stands up from the couch.
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
Lucy exits the room as Quinn enters.
"She's angry."
"Yeah," Quinn nods her head. "She's angry, but can you blame her. Every time you show up you throw her life into a tailspin."
"I'll work on that," Noah vows. "I've got my life together. I have my own business and a girlfriend who could turn into something more. I've changed Quinn."
Quinn and Noah lock eyes.
"I'm beginning to see that."
Quinn sits down in the armchair.
"I currently have one daughter who decided to take her own vacation and another one who doesn't know what to feel. My friend is hurting and my wife can barely look at you. My life is falling apart and I don't know how to fix it."
"Are you and Rachel having problems?"
Quinn smiles and shakes her head.
"No, we're great; it's everything else that's a mess."
Noah looks around the room and sighs softly.
"When we were kids I never believed that adult hood could be so hard."
Quinn shrugs her shoulders.
"We were stupid. All of us believed that things were going to be easier then high school. We were wrong."
Noah stands up from the couch with a small sigh.
"I have a lot of things that I need to make up for and I'm willing to do that. I'll stop by sometime tomorrow. I'll make sure I'll call first," Noah says with a small grin.
Quinn just shakes her head. Noah may be older, but he still had his Puck tendencies.
*Friend to a Stranger*
Santana walks into her home and sees Brittany sitting on the couch staring at her phone. Santana saw the bags by the side of the couch and she was slowly freaking out. Brittany knew that Santana had come home, but she just continued to sit. She wanted Santana to speak first.
"Quinn thinks we should just let Amanda and Beth be until they get home. They are hurting, but she believes that they will come home."
Brittany nods her head.
"If I hadn't come home, then Mandy wouldn't have felt the need to leave."
Santana rushes to Brittany and plops down on the couch.
"You can't leave. You just got here."
Brittany looks sadly at her wife."
"Our daughter can't look at me. You can barely look at me. I'm stupid."
Santana shakes her head.
"What did I tell you in high school?"
"I'm not stupid."
Santana places her hands on her wife's cheek.
"That's right you are not stupid. You made a mistake. People make mistakes, but you can't leave," Santana pleads.
Brittany places her hand on top of Santana's that was placed on her cheek.
"I'm sorry that I hurt everybody, but mostly you and Amanda."
Brittany grabs Santana's hand and presses it to her lips.
"I love you and I'm going to fix this," Brittany vows.
Santana nods her head.
"We need to work on it together. There are two people in a marriage and not one. We both have to work on it."
"We can do this right San?"
Santana nods her head in determination.
"It's going to be hard, but we can do it."
*Friend to a Stranger*
"I shouldn't have told you," Beth admits as she looks up at Amanda.
Amanda looks up from her plate of food.
"What?"
Beth sets her fork down.
"We haven't really spoken since this morning."
"I'm sorry," Amanda apologizes. "My emotions are everywhere and right now I've just been feeling anger."
"He's in prison. Anger is not going to get you anywhere, trust me I know."
"That wasn't the only home you were abused in was it?"
"No it wasn't, but I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"We don't have to. We can just discuss where we are going next."
"I don't have any idea on where to go, but I do know that I am emotionally spent and we should just figure out where to go tomorrow. Is that okay?"
Amanda gives Beth a hint of a smile.
"That sounds fine."
After a few minutes of silence, Beth speaks up.
"Thank you…for listening."
Amanda gives a shy smile and continues to eat.