Open Wounds

by 216BLT

AU: The past is the past. Puck, Santana, & Rachel Corcoran have moved on from theirs, but when their mother decides to take in a teen, old memories resurface. Also, new scars are made as they navigate through adolescence, ones that might not heal.

27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

amandaes417 – I don't care how long it takes you to review – the most important thing is that you did review and I am very grateful for that. Finn a complete jerk and I was glad they beat him up too. I would never end it on a cliff hanger like that so don't worry. Thanks again for reviewing my story, Always appreciated.

GleeLovex3 – I am so happy that you found my story. I have no words for your kind words in describing my writing. Quinn is such a fun character to write, she has been through so much and will continue to go through so much, thankfully this family with similar issues can help her through this. You are right that Santana and Quinn have bonded like sisters and you are also correct when you say that it won't be all sunshine and daisies – they will continue to have their issues and fights but that's what sisters do right. Thank you so much for reviewing my story and I hope that you continue enjoying the ride.

banjojd – I am glad you can see that this chapter did solidify the growth of the older kids. They are truly coming together as a family and Brittany. Mr. Schue is a creep and his choice of words to an already fragile little girl are terrible. Shelby is super woman and Quinn is already deep rooted in her heart so someone will have to rip her out with all their might to get her away from the Corcoran family. Thank you for commenting on the pace of the story, I worry all the time that sometimes I am going too slowly but everytime I reread I think what I am writing is necessary so, thank you for putting some of my worries at ease. Thanks again for your review.

dreamchaser888 – Kids are very very cruel but I have to wonder if the Mark's parents go to the same church as Quinn's parents – the kids just didn't grow on trees they had to learn it from somewhere. Bear is a great uncle for all the kids. Thank you for reviewing.

theluckyclover – Thank you for finding my story. Thank you for continuing to read. While there will be a little romance in this fic – Rachel is only eleven so if anything with her it will certainly be G rated as it should be for an eleven year old. She has already had more than her share of X-rated stuff happen to her so I need her to deal with those issues first. Thanks again for reviewing.

Anon – Stuff did go down in this chapter and it did get intense. Unfortunately for this clan I am pretty sure that there will be more stuff coming up.

needscoffee – Thank you. Thank you. I hope you like this chapter.

Weezbegoing-tobreadstix – Woah – Thank you so much! Greatest story ever told – wow –

Iuterpi – Fantastic review. Thank you so much. I try my best to describe each character in depth and because they are so different they will all have different reactions to the same things. Rachel and San will always have a special bond – they have been so so close to each other they know what the other is feeling most of the time and to the detriment of themselves sometimes. I felt Santana's outing on the show was handled poorly and I wanted to make sure that I give it the proper respect and attention it deserves. It will not be just a one day thing either it will be a lifetime of work as it is in real life until everyone is treated equally. Quinn's secrets are out for some but not all and she will have to learn to adjust but at least she will have people who love her help her through it. A tip of my hat to you for your excellent review.

Fdlans – Thank you – as long as they stick together eventually the Corcoran family including Quinn will work things out – but it will take time it doesn't happen overnight and without a few more bumps along the way.

Fangirl44- Stupid Finn is right! There is a lot of pent up anger that needed to get out and some of it did during this fight! Thanks for reviewing.

Marauderette96 – Quinn and Santana have found common ground and I think deep down they always knew it was there but there will still be rocky times ahead for these two. However, now it is done out of love and respect and more like sisters fighting than arch enemies. Thanks for your review.

SuzQQ – Wow – I think if I respond to each one of your points in your review it will be a chapter in itself. Thank you so much for your continued support in my story. It always amazes me that you take the time to send me such detailed reviews and insight into my story. I am thrilled. I am sorry to hear about your own personal experience and am glad you have learned to deal with it in your own way. I think that there is no set way to deal with terrible things like this because all people are different and depending on the age of the person, the time and place it happened and who was involved. I am hoping to give that impression through this story by showing how even though it happened to family members they are all effected differently and respond differently. Especially with Rachel she has a very unique experience because of her mom. As always thank you so much for your reviews. I thoroughly enjoy them.

Gleek1990 – the Quinn / Santana bonding will continue in this chapter but they will have their spats trust me. As far as I know the leaping lizards response is not from the show. Thank you for your review though.

Cookie – Thank you for reviewing. Oh mama Corcoran is going to have a lot to say but she will do it in a gentle loving stern way. She is the best and she will do what is best for all of the kids.

MaJorReader619 - Ok as I said before, this is still a roller coaster of a ride so if you have a bad heart, please read the warning signs before continuing to read. We made it up hill number two but I think this rollercoaster still has a little further to go so hang on. Thank you for being one of the first to tell me to write a book – if I ever do I promise you my friend will get a signed copy. Thank you for reviewing – they keep me going and let me know if I am doing things right.

Kimberlli – I hope you never go near that former teacher! Thank you so much for making my story one of your favorites. It makes me so happy to hear that. Finn and Shitney and the Marks family are nothing but trouble – have we heard the last of them ? I don't know but stay tuned. At least this has no commercial interruptions right?

hersheysforever - One of my favorite lines too! Love my Santana- I thank you for your longest review ever, I feel honored. The siblings all stuck up for each other and will forever stick for each and that now includes Quinn.

Ryoko05 – ok well hold on and don't die because I love your reviews. Santana does know about Quinn but no one else so keep it quiet. Brittana will get there slowly but surely. Thanks for reviewing.

Once-upon-a-mind – Thank you so much for the review – terrible things have happened to these kids but things will get better I promise – its just not going to happen overnight.

muzak – Thank you so much!

marinka4 – Whitney, Finn and Ruth are a few of the many hateful characters in this story. Jesse will be in again but it may be awhile because there is so much more going on. Thanks for reviewing.

val-cb – Thank you for your review as always!

Renata – Thank you Ms. Brazil! Rachel did not hear what Ruth said but at this point it doesn't matter because it is clearly out where everyone can read it. She now has 3 siblings to protect her though and yes they are all going to be protective of each other. Thank you for saying such nice things about my work – it makes me so happy.

Mai.29393 – in some ways it is a Brittana fanfic – I mean it will have them in it it is just not solely about that – there is so much more but trust me they will be in it. Puck is far from a jerk in my story and he will continue to protect all his sisters.

Theilliterate – Well Santana and Shelby are going to have lots of little talks – one talk does not solve all the issues and certainly does not get them even out in the open. Santana has held a lot in and for her to get it out is going to take some time but this is progress. I love Bear as well.

Thank you for your review.

OTHangels – you asked for it, I give it to you this chapter and don't worry it will continue I promise. They are growing closer as a family everyday. And there is a little Brittana happening too. Thank you for the review.

piecesofyourheart – Loved your review! Thank you so much. I love hearing the readers favorite parts and when then pick out the parts that I loved writing it makes me so happy. Bear is not going anywhere anytime soon. He will continue to keep his eyes on creeper and we will see where it takes him. But Schuester will be watched.

HIsland429 – Santana and Quinn attacked Ruth. Santana is going to work through this with Brittany I promise. It is not going away. Puck and San have been through so much together there are many more of these moments coming. Thank you for reviewing.

TommyH – Less fighting and this chapter but it was all needed in the last chapter. Thank s for you dedication and review.

Mia125 – Thank you! I am glad my readers feel the emotions that I am trying to convey. It makes me so happy so thank you for letting me know.

sachiiko yuri – Thank you so much – Finn and Whitney are made for each other. They now will have 3 weeks to bond together.

NayaFan – As always I love to see your reviews. Quinn and Santana have truly bonded and Puck will now be another person in Quinn's corner and trust me she needs that. The show never dealt with Brittany being outed as well but the show also did a horrible job with the whole Santana piece of it too in my opinion. And with that said it is still a work in progress – this is not a one time thing unfortunately we live in a world that is not very accepting of others. Thank you again.!

btvscharmedgirl - The Cheerios are going to support their captains and are there for them. And thankfully Whitney is no longer one. Sue was right in her speech you don't have to love them but act like a team mate to each other. Thank you for reviewing.

Bowlofcereal – He did indeed almost have Rachel! Thank you for the review.

NinjaGleek21 – Thank you for all the cookies. 47 days is a long time to wait for Glee to get back on the air – I agree and let's just hope Quinn is all right. It should have been Finn in that car! I will try and get a nice update out to you as soon as I can to keep you from missing it so much.

WittyNinja - Sorry there is at least two more chapters before Florida but I promise you it is needed and they will get a little bit of vacation when they get there. But their problems aren't ones that go away just because they change locations. They will have some fun though trust me! Shelby will get some much needed time off from being super mom too! And I agree the show did not do Shelby justice one bit! - Thank you for the review.

broadwaybound2016 – How do you really feel – haha ! Rachel will be in this chapter a lot more and more to come but I needed to give Santana's story line the focus it deserved. Thank you for reviewing

sillystarshine – Thank you – the show did not do the whole Brittana thing correctly in my opinion. How is it ok for her to be outed on national television and the guy that outed is made to look like a hero – ridic. I hope you continue to enjoy!

This chapter was a challenge to write. I obsessed over perfecting so frequently it was a constant state of being. Ridiculous! :) I am incredibly humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support for this story. I am still in utter shock that it has over 701 reviews as well as over 300 story alerts. Seriously, unreal. Thank you for that. Thank you so much.

Also, some of you may know where this story is going. I've had it planned like this from the very beginning. Brace yourselves. Additionally, as we drown in the state that is the hiatus from Glee, I have meticulously planned the next six maybe even seven chapters. I have an idea of where I want to be in this story when Glee comes back. So for those of you that have noticed I tend to update most on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings. Please know that a schedule has been made and outlines written. It's going to be a ride. I hope you all take it with me. Thank you for coming this far.

They walked quietly into the house. Not one word. Santana was starting to wonder if it was because no one had anything to say. She herself didn't realize it was silent until they walked into the house; it had settled too comfortably around them for her to notice. She heard someone pull into the driveway before she closed the door. She looked out, hoping that it was Rachel. It was just Aunt Joey. Sighing she looked over at her mother.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Shelby frowned at her daughter and pulled her into her arms. "This isn't your fault."

Santana sighed into her mother's chest. "Which 'this' are you talking about?" she grumbled as she felt tears prickle her eyes.

"All of it," Shelby whispered.

She looked over Santana's shoulder and saw Quinn going up quietly to her room.

"Would you like to talk now?" Shelby asked Santana pulling away slightly.

Santana scoffed. "No," she said quietly. "But... maybe later."

Shelby nodded. "Quinn?" she called out. Santana followed her mother's gaze and watched as the blonde turned and looked to look at them. She wasn't rolling her eyes or giving an attitude. She simply looked exhausted. Santana searched her eyes. She looked defeated.

Shelby wanted to ask her what had happened. If she was alright? However, she didn't need to ask that. It was already obvious that she wasn't. None of them were. She looked down at their hands.

"Come here," she called to Noah and Quinn to stand next to Santana. "Hold out your hands. Stretch them. There we go. Other than soreness, nothing feels broken? Everything can still move." Each of them gave quiet murmurs of confirmation. "Go wash up in the kitchen alright?"

They started for the kitchen. She watched them quietly disappear. She caught Santana and Quinn exchanging a look as they disappeared around the corner.

"Shel," a voice called as the door opened.

Shelby sighed and looked at her sister as she came through the door. Before she could stop it her eyes began to tear up.

Joey put up her hands and looked around the corner. "Guys," she called as she took Shelby's hand. "We're going to grab dinner from the car. Don't burn the house down, please."

Shelby wiped her tears in frustration and walked out to the car hoping that her sister didn't pick up pizza again. She didn't know if her stomach could handle it. She was thankful that the newest element of the grounding required her to move around more, too. Shelby trudged behind to her sister's Prius.

"Did you leave the rat at home?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest. She looked into the dark windows for what her sister brought for dinner. When she didn't get an answer, she looked up. Her sister was looking at her.

"You okay?" She asked in a way that made Shelby want to scream and cry all at once.

"Peachy," Shelby said leaning against the Prius. She shook her head. "I just... I …. I … I don't know."

"How are they?" she asked motioning toward the house.

"A wreck. I'm a wreck. I can't handle any of this. Clearly, Rachel went missing!" Shelby threw her hands in the air. "Something happened with Quinn. I don't know what to ask. I heard whispers while I was in the gym, but I don't know for sure. She's shutting down... And Noah and San..." Shelby sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, San..." She looked up with glossy eyes. "I don't know what to say. Honestly, I think I knew in the back of my head about her and Britt, but I …. I don't know... I just didn't know... I'm not mad at her. Not at all. I just... I just don't know... and... " She looked at her sister as her memory scanned the day. "She spit on a girl."

"She what?"

Shelby thought as she remembered. "God damn it! That stupid Marks girl antagonized her and said something terrible and Santana and Quinn lost it."

Joey arched her brow. "And Quinn?"

Shelby nodded as if that was a tiny detail. "I walked into the gym and the three of them were rolling around on the ground like girls gone wild. When I saw that movie Mean Girls I thought, phew good thing this is a movie and this could never happen. Lies! It can! Mean Girls is real."

"You're on crack right now," Joey said. "But who wouldn't be?"

Shelby leaned back into the car and stared up at the sky. "This whole day felt like the world exploded. Everything went wrong." She shook her head and stared back at the house. "And now they're going to have to deal with what all of this means. Secrets are out."

"All of them?" Joey frowned.

"I'm guessing with Noah and Quinn but for San and Rachel, yes."

"Rachel?" she asked again.

"Apparently that girl that caused Santana and Quinn to turn into rabid animals said 'Sodomy is truly a sin, your sister is dirtier than trash.'" Shelby waited a few seconds as Joey's face went from shocked to furious. "That means she knows. That means the Jeanne knew when she was mean to Rachel at school." Shelby shook her head again. "There's something with Quinn too. People were whispering about her as I walked past. I just... I just don't know. Everything just went wrong."

"Shelby," Joey began. "Everyone is safe. No one is in the hospital." She tilted her head. "And clearly, Quinn is fighting for her new family, whether she'll admit it or not." She looked at her sister. "Everything is okay. Rachel is on her way home. No one was physically hurt... for the most part."

"But they could have been!" she screamed. "I just... I can't... I'm sorry..."

"You need to breathe. You need to sleep. None of this will be miraculously fixed tonight. " She sighed. "You are doing the best you can and your best is so much greater than what anyone else can do in their whole life. You need to stop focusing on what you consider to be you failing as a mom. You have been an amazing mom to each one of those kids. Your "failures" have nothing to do with you or your actions Shel, they have to do with other evil people's wickedness and shortcomings. So stop thinking that you can't because you can. You can do this. Get inside. Bear and I will eat and help clean up and then you guys need to hang out and relax. I stopped by the video store and picked up some movies." She reached into her car and pulled out a bag. She missed her sister's look of confusion.

"When did you have time to do this?"

"I'm awesome," Joey shrugged. "Okay. So I picked movies for you and the older kids as well as ones that Rachel would be able to watch with you all without the rest of you wanting to rip out your eyeballs." Shelby nodded and took the bag. She reached in. "I picked up burritos and tacos. I got Rachel the only vegan thing on the menu, oh wait, there was none. But don't worry, I called ahead and talked with the owner. He and I go way back-"

"Of course you do," Shelby muttered.

"And so he made her a vegan rice bowl thing," Joey said. She sighed. "Not that she'll eat any of it."

"You need to stop picking up food. I owe you so much," Shelby said.

"Stop," Joey said shoving a take out bag into her hand. "We need to get Rachel to eat more. Quinn too." She noticed Shelby's face. "Not that you don't have anything else to focus your energy on." She paused. "You can do this."

Shelby shook her head. It didn't feel like it.

…...

Rachel looked out the window of her uncle's big SUV. She was sitting in the seat behind the passenger's side trying her best to hide her face from her uncle. She couldn't control the tightness in her chest or the tears pouring down her face.

"Rach," he called from the front. "Bug, look at me." She continued to keep her head down. "Rachel, I'm not going to yell at you."

"I know," she said quietly and then almost immediately regretted it when her voice cracked sadly.

"Look at me, Bug." She looked up after a few moments. His heart broke at her tear stained face. She licked the tears off her upper lip and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Bug, you never should have gotten into that car."

"What?" she asked. "He was taking me home." She frowned. "They left me." The tears started again. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Rachel," Bear said patiently. "When have we ever left you. You know we would never do that. You know when you need time alone that we always will come and find you, but that's only possible if you stay in place. "I don't want you alone with him."

"Why? He's my teacher," she said confused.

"Exactly why. He's your teacher, Rachel," Bear said. "And I thought we talked about this..." He trailed off as he watched her in the rear view mirror. "Why are you upset, Rach?" She frowned. The tears continued to fall silently. "Rachel?"

"You're mad at me?" she asked quietly.

"You're upset because you think I'm mad?" he asked turning toward the neighborhood. "I'm not mad at you, Rachel. I'm disappointed that you decided not to listen to me."

She looked at him in confusion. "But... They left me and I needed to go home." She looked at him in confusion. "He was taking me home."

"Bug, no one left you. You ran," he said looking at her carefully. "I know you were scared in the gym. It was scary, but then you ran." He sighed. "When you get lost, what do we tell you to do?"

Rachel deflated slightly, realizing where this might be going. "Call and try to stay put."

"And you know everyone's numbers right?" She nodded knowing that they both knew the answer. Rachel memorized the numbers when she was five after the man tried to leave with her. "Why didn't you call?"

"He said he was taking me home." She shook her head and frowned. "I don't understand."

He sighed. "I said not to be alone with him."

Rachel shook her head. "I don't understand. He was just giving me a ride home." She looked at him. "How are you mad at me when they left me?"

"Rachel," Bear said stopping at a stop sign and turning to look at her. "Is that what you think? That they left you?"

"I ….I..." she felt too put on the spot. "I couldn't find anyone... No one was in the hallway and then Mr. Schuester was there."

"He was there?" Bear asked.

Rachel nodded. "Can we go home?"

"Rachel," he said carefully. "Promise me you won't be alone with him." He watched her face. She wasn't responding. "Rachel."

"Okay," she said quietly.

"Honey, we would never leave you, okay? Not now not ever. We were all so scared when we couldn't find you. My heart was in my chest the whole time. I would never walk away from you. Not ever. Your mom and your siblings were so scared they couldn't really help me look. I asked them to leave and calm down. Do you understand why I did that? So you can be mad at me. Okay?" Rachel nodded. He reached back and wiped her tears and kissed her softly. "I love you very much. We would never leave you. Not in a million years." She nodded.

He nodded and started to drive home wondering if he had already made a mistake with Rachel. They pulled up outside the house and Rachel saw her mother and Joey heading into the house. She unbuckled and ran up the drive.

Shelby set down the food and pulled Rachel up into her arms. She felt no control over her tears.

"You scared me," she said quietly into her ear. "You scared me a lot."

"I know," Rachel murmured into her mother's neck. "I'm sorry." Shelby set her daughter down and looked her in the eye. "You know you should have never accepted a ride from him, right? You should have called me."

Rachel frowned. "But …. He wasn't a stranger."

Shelby looked at her daughter. She had a point. "Rachel."

"Why are you mad at me?" She asked.

"We'll talk after dinner, Rach," Shelby said kissing her on the cheek. "I'm glad you're back. I'm not mad."

Rachel frowned and looked at her aunt. "I don't understand."

"You're home safe and we're all hungry," Joey said. "We'll talk about it later."

Shelby watched her youngest look up at her with confusion. "I'm not mad, Rachel," she said again. "I was scared and worried. And now I need to think about this before we talk." She caught her brother-in-law pacing up the driveway. "Go in the house okay?"

Rachel started into the house. "Mom?"

"Yeah, bug?" she asked turning to her. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are, sweetheart. I'm sorry too."

She watched as Rachel turned inside again. She turned to her brother-in-law

"Mom?"

She turned back to her youngest. "Yeah, bug?"

"They're going to be okay, right?"

"Unquestionably," Shelby said kissing the top of Rachel's head. "Go inside."

Shelby turned to Bear as soon as the front door closed. "Okay," she said with her arms across her chest. "What?"

…...

Quinn stared at her reflection in the mirror. What had just happened? Seriously? Everything felt like it threw up. It all just felt like too much. She shook her head remember in that one moment where she thought her life wouldn't be terrible. Last year. It was a fleeting moment, but it had been a moment.

She leaned against Finn's truck outside of school. Yesterday she had gone to the clinic with Brittany. They had told her the news. They had told her she was pregnant. The way they looked at her they might as well have told she had terminal cancer or they had to amputate a limb. She thought about what she would do when she couldn't hide it anymore. She thought about having to feed it. She thought about having to explain how messed up she was to it. However, none of her thoughts were ever completed. They all seemed to put themselves and come to an end in the most incomplete way. However, in that single moment as she waited to tell Finn a fleeting but complete thought came to mind: What if this was her happy ending? What if this is the best thing? What if this was all there was to offer? What if the only good thing in her life would be to be the mother of this baby?

"Hey."

She looked up and Finn was talking toward the truck. She gave a weak smile. What if this was it?

He threw his duffel in the back and leaned down kissing her. Man he was a terrible kisser, she thought to herself. Would that improve with time or was that something she was stuck with? She searched his face again catching herself wondering what he would be like in ten years, twenty years. Maybe this is where things got better. Maybe this was her ticket out.

"I need to tell you something," she said. He looked at her with a frown. As she began to tell him, she felt oddly relieved with the fact. She felt free; she felt as if this was right. She finished saying what she needed to say, the brief, true statement that brought an ironic sense of solace. She looked up at him. That moment of relief and of hope that filled her just seconds before was gone.

"WHAT?" Finn practically screamed. He shook his head. "No. No. No. No way."

"Finn," Quinn began and started to walk nearer.

"No," he said pushing her away. "I didn't sign up for this. I didn't. I'm going to get out of this town not be bound to you for the rest of my life. No! No!"

He was waving his hands like there was a giant fly. This was the father of her baby. Scenarios began to run through her mind. Could she support a baby by herself? Could she feed it? Could she even afford a carrier? Again, no questions didn't complete themselves enough to even allow answers to develop. She looked up at Finn and found herself drowning again in worry that she couldn't be the mother that she hoped she could be. As if fate wanted to kick her once again while she was down Finn spoke again.

"You can't handle this," he spat. "You would be a terrible mother! I mean look at you. You're fifteen with more parent issues than anyone I met and you want to bring a child into this world? You'll just ruin it."

Once those words were said she couldn't help but feel her heart crumble slightly. she didn't think she wanted the baby but she thought it was the one thing that she could do right. However, apparently that wasn't true.

"Finn, I really-"

He shook her head. "I'm not doing this with you, Quinn. I'm not. It was only one night. I'm not going to let that ruin my life." He reached for the door handle on truck. "As far as I'm concerned, it's not mine."

With that, he got in drove away. Quinn felt the empty parking lot engulf her. She was alone, again. She watched the truck disappear and his words echoed in her mind. She kicked herself for even feeling any excitement over the baby. Her baby wouldn't love her. She was such an idiot for thinking that.

Then it hit her. It hit her like a punch in the gut.

His words echoed in her head. "It's not mine."

She felt a surge in her stomach and she threw up in the parking lot.

There was a whisper in her ear. It caused her to shiver and heave again. There's a chance it's not his, it said.

"Quinn?"

She looked up. Jesus. Did the world hate her?

"Go away, Santana," she hissed.

"You're standing in the parking lot in a puddle of your own puke," she sneered. "I'm a bitch but I'm not heartless."

"Just leave me alone," she spat pushing past her.

"Fine, whatever," Santana sneered. Quinn stomped away from the girl. She didn't need this. Not at all. She looked around the parking lot. Fuck! Finn was her ride.

"Hey," the girl she couldn't stand called out to her. "Do you need a ride?"

"No!" Quinn hissed.

"Don't be an idiot," Santana yelled out.

The blonde turned on her heels and stomped back toward her teammate whom she hated with such vigor she found herself forgetting why she did in the first place.

"Leave me alone. I don't need you. I don't need anyone," Quinn hissed.

"Suit yourself," Santana spat walking away from her toward her brother's car.

Quinn shook in frustration. She watched them drive away. She felt her frustration drain. She was left alone again. She didn't need anyone. She squeezed her eyes shut. She needed to figure out if she could do this. she had to. She pulled out her phone and called her last lifeline.

"Brittany?" She took a deep breath. "I need to go back to the clinic. I changed my mind. Tell Melanie we need her."

She was pulled out of her memory when a tiny brunette walked past.

"Hey," she called out going into the hallway. She realized once in the hallway that she wasn't sure what she wanted to say. She had this strange urge to hug her, but she wasn't going to, that was too strange. Instead, her question stumbled out of her mouth. "You okay?"

Rachel nodded. "Are you?" Quinn felt her head bobble in respond. Rachel reached out and took her hand. "Come on."

She frowned as she walked behind the small girl who was practically pulled her into Shelby's room. It was at that moment that she realized that she hadn't been in Shelby's room before. Her moment of shock was fleeting as the girl pulled her into her mother's massive master closet. And before she could get over the shock of being in there, she was pulled up the staircase that was pulled down in the middle of the crowded, but organized closet. With Rachel still holding her hand, another thing that invoked shock to her already shocked mind, she was led up the stairs. In the corner of the attic was an open window. Wasn't there something about window alarms?

"Sanny?" Rachel asked.

"Rachel, I told you that you're too little to come out here," Santana's voice echoed.

Is she on the roof? Quinn suddenly wondered as she looked out the window. The Corcoran house wasn't a small one.

"Are you insane?" Quinn asked as she looked out the window.

Santana was in fact perched on the roof. She turned and looked at her. She climbed back into the attic and pulled Rachel into her arms. "You scared me." Rachel nodded into her chest.

"I got scared," Rachel muttered.

"I know," Santana said, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry."

"Are you seriously just perched out there?" Quinn asked leaning out the still open window.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Either you come out here or go away," she said. Quinn gave her a slight smirk but climbed out the window.

"Me too?" Rachel asked.

Santana sighed. "Fine." She helped Rachel out onto the roof and held her securely around the waist as they three of them settled.

"So what are we doing?" Rachel asked as she leaned into Santana.

"Sitting in silence," Santana muttered rested her head on Rachel's head. "Don't move. Concentrate on not falling off." She kissed the top of Rachel's head.

Quinn wasn't sure why she was out there with them. But it felt comfortable and for the first time in her entire time there, maybe even her entire life, on the roof of the Corcoran house after one of the worst days of her life, she didn't want to run away. She felt comfortable and she felt strangely at ease.

…...

Shelby crossed her arms and watched her brother-in-law pace.

"What?" she asked.

"We need to talk about Will Schuester," he said.

"Okay," she said with a nod looking back at the house. "Just keep it down."

Bear stopped pacing. "I ran all over that school and I stopped and looked at the window and she was getting into the car."

Shelby nodded. "I know you said that." She shook her head. "I know that she knows better, but she knows him.-"

"We told her not to be alone with him!" Bear interrupted.

"I know you don't trust him, but she does," Shelby said with frustration. "And that's my fault." She shook her head. "I see what you're saying. I agree. Honestly, I don't understand why she didn't call us." She shook her head. "You know what? I know. Because we don't let her have her space..." She shook her head. "I see what you're saying but..." She shook her head again. "He's a Lima loser. Rachel doesn't see him as a threat. I know you do. I think yes, his behavior is strange, but I didn't think strange enough to stop communication, but-"

He interrupted her. "Rachel doesn't see anyone as a threat. That's how six years ago some rando creep just walked out of the store with her!" He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Shel. I'm not saying you're wrong. I just...When it comes to San and Rach, and now Quinn...I just go on high alert. I know that might make me a sexist pig. Joey tells me that all the time, but …. In what I do, girls like them are the number one target." He saw Shelby's look of confusion. "Girls with a history," he said lowly. He watched her face.

"I see what you mean. I do, Bear. I've actually been considering it. He is a weirdo. But Rachel doesn't lie to me. She's never been with him alone and the door's been open." She watched his face. "She is driven but she doesn't lie."

He shook his head and looked at the house. "I have a feeling, Shel. I don't like it." He put his hands up. "For instance, she cried all the way home about us leaving her. Who do you think put that idea in her head?" He ran his hand through his hair. "I have a feeling about this guy. When I saw him putting her in the damn piece of junk car of his, I wanted to kill him. The look on his face was so... triumphant.. And then he had the audacity to charm me. I can't... I... I can't even, Shel. No more. She doesn't see him anymore."

He put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. He watched his sister-in-law.

"I'm exhausted and I don't know. I've been thinking about it too, but," she sighed. "We haven't told Rachel yet. Gable is the only thing she has been looking for and she's happy." She looked at him with a shake of her head. "I just pulled her out of school. She's bullied. She's upset. And now the only thing that she looks froward to you want me to take it away." She shook her head. "I don't know if I can do that...Yes, he's a weirdo, but he's a theater weirdo. I think she needs a better teacher anyway. His credentials are not up to par. I've been looking into other teachers. That's the real reason she likes him so much. There are better people out there. She has one more lesson this week and then we'll move her."

He sighed. "I know, Shel." He shrugged. "Still with one more lesson, I don't know. Do me a favor and don't tell him it's the last-"

"What?" she asked with a frown.

"I have a feeling and if you threaten him by pulling Rachel then he might act on something," Bear explained.

"You're really serious about this?" she asked. "I'm not going to lie to him, but I'll listen to you, but if you think he's that much of a threat then maybe she shouldn't even go on Thursday."

"No," Bear said. "You're right maybe we shouldn't pull her yet. I will do my part to check him out fully but I don't want them alone with him its not right. However, that doesn't mean we pull her right away. I don't know."

"I agree," she nodded. "Maybe.-"

She was cut off when a beat up blue car pulled up in front of the house. She steeled her face as Will Schuester climbed out.

"I came here to apologize," he said putting up his hand in surrender as Bear glared at him.

She put up her hands. "Now's really not the time," she said with a shake of her head.

"I know," he said with a sigh. "Just please, give me five minutes."

"I'm going to speak first," Bear said. "You had no right to put her in your car today. Let me ask you something. Have you ever been alone with her before this idiotic and inappropriate stunt you pulled today?"

Will looked Bear straight in the eyes. "Of course not."

Bear held his gaze for a few minutes. He chewed the inside of his cheek. He sighed and looked at Shelby. "And it will never happen again."

"You said you had an explanation," Shelby said with a heavy sigh.

"Yes," Will nodded. "With everything that happened at school today, I didn't want you to worry about coming to get her."

"Calling her mother should have been your priority!" Bear said with frustration.

"Back off," Shelby scolded. She turned back to Will. "While I appreciate it, Will, Bear's right. You should have called me."

"I'm sorry," he said with a strange frown of sympathy.

"Rachel doesn't go to lessons without Kurt," Shelby said. "He's been enjoying lessons too?"

"Absolutely, I mean I hope so," he said with nod. "He's been rather quiet lately."

"And why do you think that is?" Bear shot.

"Kurt and Rachel are great students. I hope you continue with their lessons," he said lightly.

"Would you have given Kurt a ride?"

"Absolutely," he said without hesitation.

Bear watched him closely for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke. "We're watching you. I'm watching you. But I'll give you another chance."

Will smiled a charming smile. "Wonderful. I'll see the two of them on Thursday." They nodded. As the teacher headed toward the car, he knew that his time was running out and he needed to move fast.

Shelby watched the beat up car drive away. Without breaking her gaze from the car, she said, "Okay. I'm on board. Thursday's the last day with him."

Shelby ran her hand through her hair and walked into the house. She was exhausted. She could hear Noah in the basement. She opened the door. She could hear her son hitting the punching bag. She sighed and walked down the stairs. Her son's face was frozen in anger and frustration. His wrapped pre-injured hands were already bleeding through.

"Noah," she said as she walked over to him. "Noah."

He continued to kick and punch at the bag without stopping. She held the bag and tried to catch his eyes.

"Look at me, buddy," she whispered. He breathed heavily but didn't meet her eyes. She saw the helplessness in his eyes. He didn't move. "Noah."

He snuck a quick look at her, but then looked away. "I'm fine, Mom."

She stepped forward and took his hands and began to slowly unwrap them. "Clearly, you aren't." She gave him a weak smile. "I'm grateful that you came down here to focus your energy."

He huffed. She used to say that kind of stuff to him and Santana all the time growing up. Every good choice or even every kinda-not really good choice was affirmed.

"Whatever," he muttered. "Is Rach home?"

Shelby nodded looking at her son's hands. "Noah," she said with a sigh.

"Let me do this," he muttered, pulling away. "I'm fine."

"Clearly," Shelby scoffed.

"Just... let me be, Mom," he said. "Let me feel this way."

"And what way is that?" she pushed.

He looked at her. "Like a waste."

"Noah," she said quietly. This was something that Noah had always had a problem with. He in so many ways had been the bystander to all that had happened. The burden and all that had accompanied that seemed to only get heavier with time.

"Don't Mom," he said. "Just let me be upset. Okay?"

"I don't blame you for anything, Noah. Neither do the girls." He stopped on the stairs.

"Doesn't matter, Mom," he said. "I do."

"Noah, you are just as important to me as the girls. This has affected you too and I need to know that you are okay. We need you, Noah. We need you more than ever. The girls adore you and so do I." He stopped on the stairs but didn't turn to look at her. "You show us everyday there there are still good men."

"Mom, don't," he said with a shake of his head.

"I love you."

"I know," he said quietly.

"What do you want, Noah?" she asked quietly.

He stopped and turned to look at her. He swallowed his thoughts. He looked at his mother. He couldn't say it out loud. He wouldn't tell her that what he wanted more than anything. What he needed was to get those eight years back. What he wanted was for her never to have left for London. However, he knew that you couldn't change the past. He needed to focus on what was going on now. He remembered that stupid therapist saying that. He needed to work out his feelings about what he can and cannot do. However, it just seemed as if all he could do was fall short.

"Nothing," he responded. He looked at his mother. "I don't need you to worry about me. I'm sorry about today. I lost it, but I'm not sorry about why. She doesn't need that. She didn't deserve it. I know you want me to apologize to Finn but I'm not. I won't. I'm sorry. I will apologize to Whitney but only because I didn't hold back Quinn when she hit her. That's it." He shook his head. "But not him. I'm not going to pretend to be sorry about something I'm not." He looked at his mother with greater intent. "Does this whole town know about Rachel?" When Shelby didn't answer right away, he knew he had his answer. "We need to fix that. We need to fix that before she can't recover. And uh... Quinn's coming to Florida. She's not going to run. CPS is going to give you a hard time, but she belongs here and she's starting to realize it.-"

"Noah," she said interrupting him. "Thank you. But you're not my husband. You are my son. I don't want you co-parenting with me."

"Well, he said looking at his mother. "That's what I need."

"No," Shelby interrupted. "That's what you want. I need you to focus on you. On schools, football."

"That's not what I want," he said.

"Well, we'll work on it," she said honestly.

He shook his head. "Is Rachel okay?"

"She's fine," she said calmly. "Again, Noah, I see that you're frustrated, but let me be the Mom and you be the kid."

"I'm not a kid anymore!" he said looking at her.

"Tough shit, Noah," she said. "You're my kid." She walked up to him. "I know you grew up way too fast but that doesn't mean you have to be the head of this family. I know you feel like it. And I know that's my fault but you're barely eighteen and you have so much more living to do."

He shook his head. "This is where I want to be, Mom. I'm sorry. I'm fine. Promise me you won't worry about me."

"I can't promise that," she said with a small smile. "Your my son. I'll always worry."

"You shouldn't have to," he said with a shrug. "You have a house full of estrogen that you need to focus your energy on."

He looked at her briefly and headed up the stairs. Shelby sighed and watched him disappear up the stairs. What was she doing? Was she messing everything up? She walked up the stairs and spotted Bear, Joey and Noah warming up the food in the kitchen.

"Here," Joey said offering Shelby a glass of wine. "Come get some air with me."

Shelby sighed. She really wanted to talk to the girls, but allowed herself to take a sip of wine and be dragged out to the backyard with her sister.

"Okay."

She walked out into the backyard. Her sister was ranting about something about taking deep breaths. And in that serendipitous moment with the glass to her lips, she looked up. What she saw caused her to spit her wine out all over the grass.

…...

The girls looked behind them. Bear was screaming about something, but they couldn't hear exactly what because they were at the front of the house. The noises eventually died away though. Rachel leaned into Santana. Neither one of them had said much. Each was stuck in her own thoughts and allowed the soft breeze to carry them away. The backdoor slammed bringing them from their thoughts. Rachel leaned forward slightly to see, but Santana and Quinn yanked her back. Joey came rushing out to the backyard with a glass of wine in her hand and Shelby followed. Santana snuck a look over the edge and caught Shelby's eyes as she spit her wine all of over grass. Oops, she thought. Somehow over the past six years since living in Lima, she hadn't been caught on the roof. She heard her mother's ranting screams from below about staying put and not breaking their necks. She realized that now wasn't the time to explain that she had been up here countless times. She looked over and saw Rachel's neutral face.

"We should go down before Mom poops her pants."

Santana gave a smile and led Rachel into the attic. She peaked back out and saw that Quinn was still sitting there.

"I don't really want to move," she said quietly.

"I know, but you need to," she said reaching out her hand. "Come on."

Quinn sighed and climbed back into the attic. "Can we find another roof to climb on again soon since clearly she's going to board this place up like it's a condemned building?"

"We'll find another one," Santana said with a roll of her eyes.

After about twenty minutes about the dangers of roof sitting, they finally sat down to eat for dinner. Noah lifted Rachel into his arms and murmured clearly in her ear about how she never should have run. She apologized and almost started to cry again, but Santana scolded him to leave her be. Dinner was practically silent. Shelby persistently told Rachel that she couldn't leave the table until a minimum of half of her food was eaten. Quinn was quietly told the same. Again, Santana was sure that no one had anything to say because they were too busy having conversations with themselves in their heads. The clanging of the dishes brought her back to reality as they all piled into the kitchen.

"We need to talk," Shelby said. Santana tried her best to keep her groan to herself but it released with an eye role. Rachel elbowed her in the stomach. "Clearly, it's been a long day and I'm not going to force us to talk, but you need to know that starting tomorrow things are going to change. Clearly, your groundings before weren't working. So beginning now, you're all grounded."

Santana looked at Rachel. "What did you do, bug?"

"Rachel, you're being punished, granted not as long as everyone else because you accepted a ride from Mr. Schuester-"

The three old kids looked at her in surprise. "What?" Rachel bowed her head in embarassment.

"It's been discussed and -"

"I don't understand," Rachel interrupted. "He's my friend and not a stranger and how else was I suppose to call."

Santana who had her hands on Rachel's shoulders pulled her closer. "You're kidding right, Rach?" Rachel looked up at her in confusion. "The only people you go home with is us."

"But he's an adult and my friend and I don't... what's... What's the difference? Who can I trust? If Kurt's mom offers me a ride home I can't take it?"

"No, you call us first. First and only thing you do," Bear explained.

"Until I say you can accept a ride from an adult that even I know you need to ask me first. You never get into a car unless I have given you permission for that person to drive you - never." Shelby looked at her. "Do you understand?" Rachel nodded. Shelby continued. "That's the same rule for the three of you. You are my kids. I say who drives you and right now the only ones that have permission are myself, your uncle and your aunt. That's it." She saw the older three look at her in utter confusion. "I'm sorry, guys, you're grounded. No rides with friends unless I say so."

Rachel leaned back into Santana, a place where she always felt safe. This was all so confusing.

"Starting tomorrow, we're going back to the old ways," Shelby announced. She saw Quinn wince. "What I mean by that is we're doing bootcamp again."

"You're kidding," Santana gawked.

"Nope," Shelby said. "We're going back to strict schedules and bootcamp, meaning the mornings will be all about getting out your energy. Bootcamps will be led by Sue Sylvester beginning Thursday, but you'll have an abbreviated version with me tomorrow."

"I would rather die," Noah said.

"Well, too bad," Bear said.

"She's going to run drills with you. You're then going to go to your appointments. Your days will be planned down to the last minute. You will all have an individual hour with me everyday."

"Really?" Rachel asked with a smile.

"Yes," Shelby said unable to conceal her own smile. "I know that things have been extraordinarily difficult today so I'm not going to push you, but we are spending some time together."

"We're not singing, are we?" Quinn asked with a heavy sigh.

Shelby laughed. "No," she assured. "We're going to lay back and relax though."

"Relax?" Noah asked.

Shelby nodded. "Yup."

Bear and Joey said their goodbyes soon after dinner. Santana found herself alone in her room. The weight on her shoulders and heart hadn't eased. It just became comfortably numb. A faint knock brought her back.

"Hey," her mother said coming in.

"Hi," Santana said.

"I'm so sorry about what happened today," Shelby said sitting.

"I thought you said you weren't going to push us," Santana said quietly. Nevertheless, she allowed herself to lean into her mother. "I just feel so full that I feel empty."

Shelby rubbed her back. "I'm sorry."

"I just don't know... I don't know how this is happening." She bit her lip. "You know what this feels like?"

"What?" Shelby asked knowing that Santana's desire to share came at such rare times that this moment needed to be cultivated.

"It feels like when the we had the trial," she said quietly into her mother's shoulder. "It feels like someone splattered our personal lives on the wall...Noah and I got into a fight then too, remember?"

"Oh, I remember," Shelby said.

"Why can't anything be private?" Santana asked, not paying notice to her tears running down her cheeks. "It's all smoke and mirrors. Secrets are. He wanted to expose me because I hit a nerve. I told him the one thing that he knew was true..."

"Which was?" Shelby asked.

"That he was a Lima loser. The truth hurts. I know that...He exposed mine..." Santana shook her head. "But I...It doesn't feel like a truth as much as it does carnage." She shook her head. "I think he's a loser that will never amount to anything but a balding, lonely idiot. It's just...It's hard how much the truth hurts when you're not ready for it to come out. I just don't understand...I don't get it...and he made it so cruel and simple." She looked at her mother tearfully. "I'm now some cliche of a stereotype. There for everyone to see."

"You're not that," Shelby whispered. "Not in the least."

"It's not something sacred I wanted to hide, something that I wanted to protect like in New York...I don't even know what it means. I don't know what's true. All I know is that...with Brittany I feel like the world doesn't suck as much. With her," Santana softened her gaze. "Things feel right. I don't even know what it means to be... gay. I mean it's not like I don't think women are beautiful and men make me want to throw up. You and daddy raised us to see how beauty transcended beauty." She shook her head. "I just don't know. I'm so full that I'm empty."

"Can I ask you something?" Shelby asked knowing she was taking a risk. Santana nodded into the side of Shelby's shoulder, but didn't look at her. "When you were... with those boys...what did you feel?"

"Nothing," Santana said without hesitation. "But I never feel anything." She sat up and looked at her mother. "I mean I know I love you, and the family, and especially Rach, but... that's it. I don't ever feel anything else. Brittany's the only one. She made complicated things simple."

"Can I ask you one more thing?" Santana nodded. "When you slept with them, were you trying to escape those feelings you felt for Brittany?"

Santana looked at her mother. "Yes... and no... mostly I was trying to escape everything else too...It's not just loving and disappointing Brittany that I'm scared of," she said lowly. She shook her head. "I don't want to talk anymore."

"Okay," she said gently kissing her daughter. "You know that I'm here and I love you."

"I know..." Shelby stood. "Mom?" She turned and looked at her daughter. "I know we don't tell you enough, but you're a good mom."

"Thanks, sweetheart." She looked at Santana seriously. "Just because you had a right to punch Finn and Ruth doesn't mean you should have."

"I can't apologize for Ruth, Mom." She shook her head. "I don't think I can for Finn either."

"I'm not going to ask you guys to."

"You're not?"

"No," Shelby said. Before, she could respond, Shelby held out her hand. "Come on. You can have first pick at the movie."

Santana arched her brow. "We're having a movie night?"

"Yup," Shelby said pulled her daughter to her feet.

Santana allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. She stood there for a moment nested into her mother. "Mom?" she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

To her surprise, with a very hardened voice, Santana said, "I don't want Rachel alone with Will Schuester."

She took a deep breath. "She has her last lesson Thusday. We won't have to worry about it anymore."

There was a feeling that Santana couldn't tame. One that made her think her mother was wrong.

…...

Rachel heard what everyone was saying. She truly did. She also felt the ache and the pull deep in the pit of her stomach, whispering to her conscious. She paused because her conscious was always so loud. She was trying to listen to her own voice in her head: one that said that not everyone was bad. However, her entire life had been rebuilt by the bricks of one monster and she fought hard to conserve the idea, perhaps it was an illusion, that not everyone was. She knew that so many thought she was too trusting, and idyllically hopeful. However, that was all she had. She felt like this was a big moment in her life. In all of her eleven years, she felt as if this decision was one, if not, the greatest. And she couldn't mess it up.

"Hey."

She looked up and Quinn was standing at the door. "Hi."

"I want to talk to you," the older girl said coming in.

"Okay," she whispered.

"I know that I don't know a lot about your history," the blonde began quietly. "I've been... trying to think of how to say this, but I need you to hear this from me before your sister goes all weird and protective on you-"

"You're my sister too," Rachel interrupted. She looked at Quinn briefly and then looked away. "To me at least."

Quinn gave a small smile and couldn't help but feel awkward. "Yeah, you too," she said quietly. "I want to say that I agree with everyone and that you shouldn't have gotten into that car."

Rachel looked up at her sharply with a baffled frown. "They're all angry with me," she said quietly.

"Well, yeah," Quinn said nonchalantly. "I'm angry with you." The eleven year old looked at her surprised and hurt. "You're a smart girl. I don't understand why you're mad that we're mad." She sighed. "Rachel, people are worried."

"Why?" she asked. Rachel shook her head. "I know about stranger danger, Quinn," Rachel said with a frown. "He's not a stranger. He's my friend."

"Well, you know as well as I do Rachel, that the people we are supposed to trust are the ones that can be the most dangerous." She looked at her. "He's a weirdo and he wanted to give you a ride home tonight. He's already freakish, but the fact that he wants to spend time with an eleven year old-"

Rachel looked at her with a tearful frown. "The fact he wants to spend time with me."

Quinn sighed. "Rach," she said quietly. "It's not you. It's the concept. He freaks me out." She watched Rachel face carefully. "And I think he freaks you out too."

Rachel bit her bottom lip. "It's not him though. It's because of what happened..." She rung out her hands. "I can't... I ….I don't want to be scared for the rest of my life that everyone might be bad."

Quinn looked at her. "But that doesn't mean you over-compensate with situations that make you feel uncomfortable."

She chewed her lip more intently. "It's not him, Quinn. It's me. And I... I can't let it be me."

"Rachel," Quinn said turning to her. "What I'm telling you is that it's clearly not just him. We all have a bad feeling."

Rachel bit her lip. "I can't help that. But I don't."

"Seriously?" Quinn asked.

Rachel bit her lip. "My entire life has been dictated because of what he did. And yes, I'm scared of people sometimes... I clearly don't know how to socialize with my peers."

"When you say it like that, that's obvious," Quinn said.

She shook her head and continued. "I … I want to be normal to blend in." She looked up at the blonde. "You figured it out."

"I don't think that's a good thing, Rachel."

She looked down at her feet. "People know about me... about what happened and I can't... I have no way of being normal. I can't even pretend... and I just... the only thing I have control over is how I see people." She looked up at her. "My mom told me when I was little that not everyone in the world would hurt me. After...um... well,... when I got out of the shelter I had a hard time meeting new people. My mom worked with me on that... but then... Then she said I became too friendly. I just... I can't get it right." She looked at Quinn. "I just know that I can't live my life thinking that everyone who cares about me that's not in my family is going to hurt me... but that's my instinct. I'm trying to rewrite that."

"You let me in," Quinn said quietly.

"Yeah, well...That's because..." Rachel trailed off.

"Because why?" Quinn frowned.

She paused for a moment before looking up. "Because we're the same," she finally said. She held the older girl's gaze for a second before turning away. "I'm sorry, Quinn." The blonde shot her a quick frown. For what? her look said. "I think ….." Quinn watched as she chewed her lip. "I know that... I don't understand a lot... but … I..." She looked up at Quinn and bit her lip. "I think you would have made a good mom."

Quinn froze. "Rachel," she managed. She shook her head and felt her mouth drop open as a tear fell gracelessly down her cheek.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Rachel said repeatedly.

The older girl felt like she was choking on her heart. It was literally lodged in the back of her throat. Her instincts were telling her to literally push Rachel away. They were telling her to run. However, it wasn't simply like that. Rachel looked like the apologies were consuming her alive. Quinn somehow managed to swallow her heart, unclench her fists, and for the probably the real first time in her life she saw how much someone could care about someone else. She wanted to be selfish. She wanted to run and bury herself in the corner and throw things across the room. She watched Rachel shower her in apologies. She wanted to leave her. She wanted to walk away from her, but somehow she was planted. She was torn because in that moment she realized it wasn't just about her.

"I shouldn't... I was listening... in the study... I'm sorry. I just... I'm sorry," she stuttered. "I just...I'm sorry."

Quinn frowned and pulled her toward her. It felt awkward; it felt out of place. However, Rachel leaned in. Just like Quinn had seen her do with Santana countless times. She took a deep breath and rubbed Rachel's back lightly. She had seen Shelby do that. That's what she was supposed to do right? Comforting? She couldn't help but still feel uncomfortable holding someone else, but she knew that this wasn't about her. She chewed her lip and formed words.

"Okay," she finally managed. "It's okay."

Rachel leaned more into her and stopped allowing the apologies to consumer her. She looked up at Quinn. "Things will get better," she whispered. "I know I'm only eleven, but I really think that."

"You do, do you?" Quinn laughed, sitting up.

"We should go downstairs," Rachel said quietly as she headed toward the door grabbing her monkey.

"Rach," she said quietly. She was going to try. She was going to leap. Maybe the words weren't true completely, but they were true enough. The tiny girl looked up at her, expectantly. "I'm glad you're my sister too."

Quinn couldn't help but smile when Rachel's face seemed to glow. She shook her head. "Don't tell Santana though," she said quickly.

Rachel nodded, grateful for a secret. "I promise." She smiled.

…...

After about an hour, Rachel was asleep. It took an hour and seven minutes before Noah was snoring. Santana watched as her mother fought sleep. She was out after an hour and fifty-four minutes. She looked over Rachel's snoring form on the couch. Quinn was still awake watching the movie, absently.

Quinn didn't need to look at Santana to know she was looking at her. "I don't want to talk. Go away. I clearly want to find out what happens."

The brunette scoffed. "Well, I don't want to talk either," Santana said.

Quinn looked up. Santana continued to surprise her. When your secrets are posted and photocopied around school, one usually assumed you hid in your room, apparently not Santana Corcoran.

"Sorry," Quinn mumbled.

Santana shook her head and shifted the sleeping girl in her lap. "They're all sleeping. Trust me. They can't hear us." She looked back at the movie. Silence blanketed them for a few moments. "Okay, I lied. I do want to talk." The blonde snapped her head toward Santana. The brunette continued. "But not about what you think." Santana sighed. "You need to come with us to Florida."

"Santana, I'm not-" However, she didn't get a chance to finish.

"You are. My mom never cancelled your ticket and she never called the group home." Quinn looked at her in surprise. "And it's a good thing, because there's no chance you're not going now."

The blonde huffed. "So why even bother to convince me?" She shook her head. "Shouldn't you be dealing with your own shit?"

Quinn immediately regretted her words, but as always she couldn't take them back. "I didn't mean-" She braved a glance toward the brunette. Santana was staring at the ground with a frown.

"Some dick said something to me today," Santana said to the ground and to Quinn. "He said, 'How does it feel to have all your secrets out of the closet, dyke?'" Santana shook her head. She gave a small, but confused smile. "You know what?" Quinn looked at her. "What's terrible is that I thought... If... if this is what this feels like..." She gathered her words with a frown and glossy eyes. She chewed her lip and then she continued, "Then how much worse would it feel if everything else was out there." She looked at Quinn as she wiped away a stray tear. "You know?" Quinn could only nod in silence, because she most certainly knew. "I wanted to talk to you about Florida because you need to give it a chance."

"Why?" Quinn asked breaking their moment and returning to be huffy.

"Because sitting in a dingy house with twenty other teenage girls is so much worse than where we're going." Santana turned her body to face her. "They live on a farm." She met a deeper frown and the girl put her hand up. "Hear me out. I can't describe it to you, Quinn, but there it feels like nothing else exists. It's the best escape. I know that you don't think of yourself as part of our family and it's probably hella awkward. And to some degree I get that. But you can sulk the whole trip or swallow your pride and actually let yourself come with us without wallowing." Santana looked at her hands. "I get that you think that we're going to ditch you if you do bad things or whatever..." She looked up and met her eyes. "And you are a pretty damn big bitch sometimes." Both of them smiled. "But I'm not going to let anyone force you to leave. I might want to kill you a lot …and in some ways I'm still figuring out where you stand or whatever in this family too, but I know this. This house is your house and you never close the shower curtain when you're finished. You always turn that stupid bathroom fan on whenever you're in there. Like it or not Quinn, I accept that you're here. And I don't know what the hell that means if we're related or whatever, but I know that you're here." Santana stood up. "So...do what you want but you should come to Florida without a fight."

"I don't do grandparents well," Quinn said causing Santana to pause. Santana turned and tightening her arms around Rachel and looked at her. "Mine used to visit and they ….. I didn't like them and they didn't like me."

Santana frowned. She never pushed Quinn for information but for some reason after this day, she needed to. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing extravagantly big or even shocking... They were just...When my mother's parents got too old and frail to spank me or Frannie, they screamed at us and told us what was wrong with us and made us repeat it." Quinn shrugged. "I know that my life is everyone else's nightmare … but I just... I don't want to have something better."

Santana sighed and looked over at Quinn. "Just because you think you deserve bad things doesn't mean that you do."

Quinn scoffed. "Shouldn't you practice what you preach?" She met Santana's eyes and was surprised to see a slight grin.

"Probably, but it's easier to preach than do," she told her. "Listen, I don't know all that's happened. But I know you're not stupid and I know that you know it's wrong and shouldn't have happened, but I also know that doesn't mean that you don't question if you deserved it. It's hard to let people care about you. I get that. My grandparents are going to be pissed when they find out what we did." She shook her head and smiled. "We're probably going to have to do really gross chores around the estate." She looked over at Quinn, who surprisingly wasn't wearing a frown. "But I don't know how to describe them. They're not just good grandparents they're good people. And I think they'll like you."

"I think your grandma knew my mom," Quinn said quietly.

"Knew? Your mom's not dead, Q," Santana said.

"Well, that part of her is," she replied.

Santana shifted. "People change, but they don't miraculously turn into terrible people. There was someone there to begin with. And I'm sure my Nana knew that part of your mom, too."

Quinn looked up at Santana. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Not excusing her."

Santana nodded. "Trust me," she said with a glare. "If my stepfather called asking for forgiveness from his tiny prison cell in upstate New York, I certainly wouldn't say 'I forgive you.' It's not about redemption. It never is. People make bad choices. Everyone does and you can never take them back. It's living with them that's the bitch. I'm living with mine and so are you. But your mother and that piece of a man can suffer with theirs and grin and bear it."

Quinn nodded quietly. "Fine," she muttered. "Now shut up. I want to finish this."

Santana shifted back into the couch and leaned her head on her mother and ran her hand unconsciously through Rachel's hair. On the other side of the couch, Quinn relaxed into the couch. She wasn't going to lean on anyone, but she let her eye lids get heavier. Neither of them noticed Shelby's satisfied smile.

…...

The next morning felt so sluggish. There were no alarms besides the Rachel alarm. She bounced away in Santana's arms at eight fourteen.

"Are we sleeping in?" she stage whispered into Shelby's ear.

"Yes," Noah and Santana groaned.

Quinn opened her eyes. There was something about this couch.

"We're getting up. Let's go," Shelby coached but didn't seem to make any movement to leave.

"Mom, you're not moving," Rachel announced.

"Thank you, Rach," Shelby said. "Upstairs, please. Let's go."

The four of them groaned. Santana held onto Rachel tighter and tried to curl back into the couch.

"Santana, let me go," Rachel squealed. "I am not a pillow pet!"

Santana smiled in her sleep. "You are so a pillow pet. Shhhh, pillow pet."

"Santana, your sister isn't an object," Shelby said helping Rachel stand.

The older girl sighed. "Pillow pet, come back."

"Santana!" Rachel sighed.

"Santana, knocked it off," Noah said throwing Rachel over his shoulder. "She's not a pillow pet."

"Noah! I'm not a sack of potatoes either. Put me down!" Noah ignored her and carried her up the stairs.

Santana sat up groggily. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her mother who was staring at her intently. She looked around her and over at Quinn. She licked her lips awkwardly. "Well, uh... clearly, you need to talk. I'm just gonna... uh...Bye."

Quinn watched Santana disappear into the kitchen and she couldn't help but feel like she was standing on a naked stage. She gave Shelby a tight-mouthed smile.

"What?" she asked after a moment.

"I had to call Jackie late last night," Shelby said quietly.

Quinn felt her heart drop for what seemed like the millionth time. She frowned. "What?"

"It's policy that for any incidents that occur I have to explain the situation to them," she explained.

"What?" she asked again.

Shelby took a deep breath. "We have a meeting at eleven today. You're going to speak with Jackie as well as Elyse."

"Why?" she asked shaking her head.

"Because we need to check in with you, Quinn." She took a deep breath. "We need to see what you want."

"What do you mean, 'what I want?'"

"If you want to stay here," Shelby said. "If you want to go to Florida."

"You don't want me to go to Florida? You don't want me to-"

"That's not what I'm saying, Quinn," Shelby interrupted.

"That's actually what you just said," Quinn interrupted back.

"I want you to come. To me that's where you belong with the family, but we need to check in. See if things are okay. What happened at school isn't going to be ignored."

"What happened at school?" she asked with another frown.

"Do you want to talk about it with me?"

Quinn shook her head. "You don't want me here."

Shelby could see she was losing her. "Quinn, I'm going to go into that meeting telling them that I think you're where you need to be. Your home is with me. I think of you as my daughter. I want you here more than I think you know. I don't want you to leave, but from an outsider's perspective, your …... " Shelby swallowed. She continued hesitantly. "Your violent ways might be seen differently... as a cry for help."

"I wasn't acting out!" Quinn said. She wanted to stay at the Corcorans. She didn't realize how badly until that moment, until the moment that it was questioned. She wanted to be here. She frowned. So much had changed when she wasn't looking. Suddenly she was caring.

"Do you want to tell me what happened yesterday?"

She looked up at her. What was she going to say? How was she going to explain?

"I …. " she trailed off.

"Quinn, what you say won't change my mind. I still want you here. I'm still going to tell them that today at the meeting." She leaned down and met Quinn's eyes. "And I'm going to fight tooth and nail for that."

"That phrase makes no sense," Quinn muttered. She took a deep breath. "Finn … ummm..." She shook her head. Was she really going to say something? Was she really going to have this discussion? Was she really going to say the truth.

"You guys dated right?" Quinn looked up at her, baffled. "I heard you mention it once. I think actually, Santana mentioned it."

She shook her head. "He ….. He um..." She seemed to stumble over her words. She bit her lip. "That thing... that we talked about... that you and Elyse talked to me about... Well, he decided to have the discussion with me in front of the whole school..." She let the information sink the older woman's ears.

Shelby was silent for a second. As Quinn expected, she was drawn in for a hug. "Are you alright?" she asked for a moment.

"No," Quinn whispered. "But... uh... I didn't hit him because of that... he called Brittany and Santana something terribly rude..." She shrugged. "Brittany's the one that hit him after he and I had that … um... discussion..."

Shelby sighed. "Do you want to talk to me about it?"

"Not really," she said quietly.

"Okay," Shelby sighed. "I want you, Quinn. I love you. I want you in this house. I want you to come on this trip. You are home here. You need to be honest with Jackie and Elyse today. You don't have to tell me what you're going to say, but you need to be honest with them."

Quinn nodded. She wasn't sure at what point she showered, dressed and arrived in Elyse's office. All she knew was that was where she was now. She felt like she was drugged. Her mind felt splattered. There was too much to think about. There was too much to say. However, she knew what she was going to say. She knew exactly what.

…...

Shelby sat anxiously outside of the office. Jackie had spoken to Quinn. Elyse was finishing up with Quinn. She wasn't sure what she was going to say. She really didn't. She was still reading Quinn. However, based on the conversation she heard between Santana and her the night before. She wanted to be here too. Right? She felt her heart in her chest as the door opened. Quinn walked out and looked at Shelby. She couldn't tell if it was a look of regret, apology or exhaustion.

Shelby stood. "Aunt Joey and the kids are waiting for you in the coffee shop downstairs," she said. Quinn nodded and gave a weak smile. She walked toward the door, but paused. "You're alright," Shelby called out. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Quinn glanced back once more and exited the room.

Shelby took a deep breath. "Alright."

Jackie sat down. "I'm going to say it, Shelby," she began. "It feels as if you have your hands too full. Quinn might be too much for you."

"Jackie," Shelby began in an argumentative tone.

"Hear her out," Elyse advised.

"Everything that happened at McKinley was crazy. Too much. The police were called in," Jackie said. "I know that you love Quinn. I'm not questioning that, but you need to focus on your own children."

"She is my child, Jackie. As fast as I'm concerned, she's my child," Shelby said. "I know it seems like a lot. It is, but I'm not going to fail her. I'm not going to fall short. If you take her from me, it'll do more harm then good," Shelby argued.

"She needs special care and attention, Shelby," Jackie argued. "That's why we chose you as placement. However, if you're up to your ears in your own children's issues, someone is bound to fall short. You are a single mother with four children and …..."

"And what?" Shelby challenged.

"I mean no offense, Shelby," Jackie began.

"And what?" Shelby pushed again.

"Your kids need more attention," Jackie said carefully. "More attention than normal. And with Quinn in the mix, I just don't want things to fall through."

"Quinn's home is with me, Jackie. Please don't question the placement. I know it seems like a lot right now, but it's not."

Jackie sighed. "What if something happens?"

"Then it happens, and we deal with it," Shelby challenged. "She is a part of this family, Jackie. I know that it might seem like things aren't going well, but please give this chance. She's sees it too. She may not see it but I do. The way she is with Santana and Rachel. She stuck up for them at school. This may not be the progress were were expecting but it's progress."

Jackie combed her hand through her hair. "Elyse?"

"I agree, Jackie. I know that this isn't what we hoped for, but we knew she was a bit of a wild card. The simple fact that her aggression at school instigated not because of herself but from the need to protect them, is so so essential."

Jackie sighed. "I see that. I do. But I'm concerned. I don't know that going away on a family vacation is what she needs."

Shelby opened her mouth again, but was interrupted. "I think that it's exactly what she needs," Elyse pushed. "Let's be honest. Judy Fabray isn't getting Quinn back any time soon. Certainly not until the trial is over and dates for that haven't even been set yet. Quinn needs consistency and she's getting it at Shelby's. She fought because she was sticking up for this family. She didn't tell me all that happened, but …. She punched Finn because he called Santana a dyke. She broke Whitney's nose because she called Noah a coward and she wrestled Ruth Marks to the ground because she said something terrible about Rachel." Elyse shook her head with a smile. "This is more progress than I can describe."

"I see what you're saying," Jackie said. "I just. I worry about her."

"So do I," Shelby interrupted.

"I just don't know if this is what she needs. A family vacation?" Jackie asked again.

Elyse nodded. "This is exactly what she needs. They leave Friday. They're only gone for four days. The key is Jackie that I guarantee if you transfer her to a different home, even if it's just for Florida, she's going to regress. She expects it. She expects that people will let her down and she feels responsible because she did fight. She and I talked and she wants to go. She wasn't begging to go. It's not what Florida could bring. It's what it represents. This is a huge step for Quinn. I've never seen that girl look forward to anything. I know we're all bias because we know each other and clearly we're emotionally invested in this case, but this is what she needs."

Jackie signed and looked at her coworkers. "I know. She told me."

"So what's the issue?" Shelby asked.

"The issue is that I don't want to fail her."

Shelby sighed and looked at Jackie. "Neither do I."

"Fine," she sighed. "She goes. She shook her head. I will be on call for you though. ANYTHING happens. I want to know."

"I will send you daily reports if you want, Jackie," Shelby said.

"This will be good for her. She'll be able to have a real vacation," Elyse said.

"But everything will be waiting for her when she gets back," Jackie said.

"All the more reason to go," Shelby encouraged. She stood up. "Thank you." She nodded. "We'll see you tomorrow for the visit?"

Jackie nodded. The woman headed for the door. "I appreciate all of your passion, Shelby. I'm sorry I meant nothing in offense to your family."

She nodded. "I know." With that, she left the office.

Shelby walked downstairs and allowed herself to take in everyone in the coffee shop. Joey was telling some animated story about one of her clients. Rachel was leaning against Santana. Quinn even cracked a smile at the story. Rachel as always spotted her first.

"Hi, Mom," she said from Santana's arms, unaware of the tension.

Quinn's smile fade and she looked over at Shelby. Santana watched Quinn for a moment and then looked at her mother. Shelby took a deep breath and gave Quinn a gentle glance. "Let's go home."

Quinn searched Shelby's face. She gave her a small smile. "Okay."

…...

Rachel swung her legs over the edge of the chair. She watched her brother carefully. Her mother had just told him to watch her as she and Quinn talked outside. Noah was looking through a magazine silently.

"Noah," Rachel whispered.

"Yeah?" he asked without looking up.

"Noah?" she asked again.

"What, Rach?"

"Noah?" he sighed and put down the magazine. "What's up, Rachel?" he asked looking at her with all of his attention. She chewed her lips all of sudden unsure of her question. "Spit it out, bug."

"Did you..." she asked quietly. "Did you know about, Sanny?"

He looked at her. "She's still the same person, bug."

She chewed her lip. "I know that. I know her and Brittany like each other like that..." she looked at her hands. "I'm not scared or anything about that." She looked up at her big brother. "I just... did you know?"

"In a way, yeah," he said with a nod. "But it was her thing. It wasn't our job to tell her what to do-"

"No one tells Santana what to do," Rachel replied.

"That's right," he responded.

"Does that mean... she dosen't like doing things with boys?"

Noah froze. This conversation was diving into a place where he was very unfamiliar. "What... What...What do you mean?"

"...I …. I was thinking about the room." Noah wanted to throw up. Keep focusing on Rachel, he coached himself. He knew exactly what room she was talking about. She was talking about New York. "I wasn't the only one that went into that room." He bit his lip and took a deep breath.

"Rachel," he said, finally finding is voice. "Sexuality is not determined by what happened to you or what you think you can or cannot do. It's part of you."

She frowned. "Who told you that?"

"Dad," he said. "I was a little younger than you when he left Mom, remember?" He nudged her. "You don't think I had questions?" Rachel shrugged. "Look at me, bug." She looked up at him as she bit her lip. "Santana is still Santana."

"I know that," she whispered. "I know that she loves Brittany."

"But," Noah pushed.

She shrugged. "Mom says that love is love and it doesn't matter." He nodded. That was never a question in their house. "Will I ever love anyone?"

He looked at her with a tilt of his head. "Absolutely, Rach."

"You never loved Whitney."

"That's different."

"What if we can't love? What if that part of us is..." she searched for her words. "Paralyzed."

"This is isn't about Santana loving Brittany is it?" He shook his head. "Labels, Rach, are crap. They try to simplify things in a complicated world. Dad said that a lot. I mean, look at me." She looked up at him after a few moments. "Don't ever worry about being or not being a label."

She frowned, confused. "What if I want a label?" She stared at her brother. "I know that I shouldn't be worried about labels but if the world is full of labels shouldn't I...want one...?" She watched. "Isn't that what Whitney wanted? You to be your boyfriend?"

Noah looked at his sister. How were they talking about that again? Thankfully the door opened and Santana stepped out.

"Why do you look like that?" she asked folding her arms.

Rachel shrugged. "We were just talking."

Noah looked at his sisters. He never felt so confused as he did in that moment. He had no idea what had happened. He stood up and he looked over at Rachel. Santana pulled her into her arms. Was his dad full of crap? He frowned and went into the room for his session, his mind full of Rachel's questions and ones of his own.

…...

Santana never felt more awkward than she did in that moment. She had spent a good portion of her childhood with the Pierce family. However, as they sat across from her in the living room she couldn't help but feel out of place.

Valerie rummaged through Shelby's papers and handouts. She looked over at Tom. "I think this is the best way that Brittany can spend her week of suspension." He nodded. "Don't take this as a victory, Brit, just because you are spending it with San and Quinnie." She looked up at Shelby. "It looks like you have a lot cut out for you."

Brittany nodded.

"They're right, Brittany," Shelby said. "It's a lot of running. Suicides, push ups, all of it. It won't be social hour." She looked at her own daughter. "We need to clear that up right now. However," Shelby said looking at the Pierces. "We recognize that situation as it is and while we certainly don't approve of your violent behavior, we think you should be together." Shelby exchanged a look with Valerie and Tom.

Valerie nodded. "While you are grounded from the computer, cell phone and all other forms of electronic communication, your father and I, along with Mrs. Corcoran have decided to approve one form of communication between the two of you: Good old fashioned letter writing. We will respect your privacy, but we will be delivering the mail between you two."

"Seriously?" Brittany asked.

"Your mother is being very lienient with you, Brit," Tom encouraged. "Especially after what you did to Finn Hudson's face, deserving of that as he may be." He tried his best to conceal a smile thanks to a nudge from his wife. "We just simply can't encourage you to uh... fight your battles like that."

"Tom," Valerie hissed. "You're not helping. We're supposed to punish her for her behavior."

"

The parents moved into the other room. Santana looked at her quietly. She hadn't said a word directly to her since the Pierces had arrived.

"I think that maybe," she began quietly. "I would have been mad. Before I mean... Before I got to know Quinn. I could have been mad... But now." She searched Brittany's eyes. "I...uh...I'm glad she had you." Her voice was soft and genuine. She shook her head. "She certainly didn't have me as a friend to turn to."

"She didn't want to be friends with you either," Brittany reminded. "But that doesn't matter, now you are." She looked at her hands. "I'm really sorry about what happened with Rachel in the gym. I never should have sent her off."

Santana nodded quietly, shifting her weight. "I know."

Noah came out of the house followed by Quinn and Rachel. "Let's do this," he muttered.

Brittany looked at him as she finished tying her sneakers. "I mean how bad can it be?"

"You'll be surprised," Shelby said emerging from the garage on the bicycle. "We're going to do a little jog around the neighborhood."

Rachel looked up at Santana who only rolled her eyes. Shelby snapped her helmet in place. "The only rule is when I move, you move. Let's get going." The five of them looked at her with a sigh but all eased into gentle jog. Quinn eased into a pace. She looked around. She dealt with Sue Sylvester for two years. How bad could a jog be?

However, after about twenty minutes, Quinn was starting to reconsider. Shelby hadn't had them do a gentle jog. It was a sprint-jog. It felt like a cruel, cruel game of musical chairs. She never knew when Shelby was going speed up. It was exhausting.

"This feels like punishment," Brittany moaned as they ran around the block for twenty-fifth time.

"It is," Shelby responded from her bicycle.

Quinn looked over breathlessly at Rachel. "How are you keeping up?"

Rachel shrugged. "Barely."

"She doesn't have exercise induced asthma," Shelby commented from the bike. "I'm not that cruel Quinn.

"I don't understand the point," Noah said trying not to show his own exhaustion as Shelby sped up.

"It's to exhaust us so we don't cause more trouble," Rachel said with a crest-fallen look as they passed the house for the countless time. "Mom," she whined.

"No whining in boot camp, Rach," Shelby announced.

"I hate bootcamp," Rachel moaned. She caught her mother's eyes. "I'm not whining. I'm expressing my opinion in an elongated tone."

After a never ending jog-run-sprint around the neighborhood, Shelby finally stopped in front of the house. Brittany collapsed on the ground. Santana fell next to her.

"That was awful," she muttered.

Santana turned her head and looked at her. She gave a weak smile. Her smile faded when Rachel practically fell on top of her. "Oof," she moaned.

"I think this is effective," Quinn growled into the ground.

Noah laid down next to them as the five of them watched the light disappear from the sky. "That was just Mom," he complained. "Tomorrow is Sue."

The old three girls moaned. "What?" Rachel asked.

Brittany's parents pulled up to the house. "Say goodnight, Brittany," Shelby said emerging from the garage. "Everyone else. House now."

They pulled up each other up to their feet. Brittany looked at Santana. They didn't speak she just looked at her. Santana had no idea was she was thinking.

"Girls," Valerie yelled from the car.

"I um... Tomorrow," Santana said. "See you then?"

Brittany nodded. She leaned in and rested her cheek on Santana's. "I'm happy we're suffering together."

Santana smiled. "Ditto."

Brittany pulled away and started for the care. She smiled. "Write me?"

Santana smiled. "Okay."

None of this made sense, but somehow it fit. At least for now.