Chapter 37
…..
NayaFan – Wow your review was fabulous! There are so many parts that I want to comment on but I don't have time because I need to get this latest chapter out before heading out of town for a couple of days. Thank you so much for your comments though – I really take them to heart. I didn't want to end the chapter there but I also want to get the chapter out so I thought that even though it wasn't my usual length I need to get it posted. Hopefully you will enjoy this one. Thanks again.
broadwaybound2016 – Don't worry Quinn will forgive Rachel it is just a lot to take right now for Quinn but she thinks of all the Corcorans as her siblings right now so that wont change. Rachel stepped it up this chapter and finally told but now she will have to deal with answering more questions and I am not sure how much she will be able to handle. Thanks for always reviewing.
Dave Green – Thanks for the review. Yes – Rachel finally did open up after that threat of separation was gone. But how much she is willing to share and how quickly she is willing to share it is another thing. They are all truly sisters now and they all will lean on each other a great deal but they all react differently so it will be a challenge. I don't think it will be an easy task for Shelby to physically care for Rachel and Quinn's wounds - #1 they are in delicate places and #2 for Quinn she has never had a mother figure care for her so Shelby could face quite a battle.
childstarLeaM – Thank you so much for your review. You may have to get the tissues ready for your watery eyes in this chapter as well.
Piper – Grammy Pierce was great for Quinn but yes she wasn't always around and there wasn't much she could do – the Fabrays were just considered strict parents from what people saw on the outside. So unfortunately Quinn suffered a great deal. Nothing is wrong with having a stuffed animal for comfort at any age! Thanks for the review.
M.U.L.E – Thanks for reviewing – I will try and answer all your questions without being too vague. Quinn was a pretty healthy child so aside from her check ups as a kid she didn't go to the doctors much and I am pretty sure they sent her to school while she was sick because they would not have taken care of her much. There was basically no punishment that Quinn didn't receive growing up from grounding, to extra chores, to spanking, to being sent to bed without dinner she received them all. Her name is not Lucy in this story – that storyline made no sense in the show so it is not in my story at all. I may consider a one shot but I have so much more of this story to write and the sequel has been in my head a lot so it would be so far down the road at this point I don't know – maybe.
amandaes417 – I will try and stop apologizing for the length of the chapters but sometimes I intend to go so much further with a chapter than I actually get to. But also sometimes when I finish a chapter and it is late at night (extremely late) I find myself extra apologetic. I am so happy you can see Rachel's regression because with this trauma she will regress and that is natural when something like this happens with someone. I think that we will have more Quinn flashbacks as her father's trial gets closer. And yes I do have a full time job which in the past couple of weeks has been very challenging and difficult and has been hitting too close to this story. Thanks so much for your continuing support – when I get the reviews it lifts me up so much and encourages me to continue on with the story.
JustHoldingOn – Thank you so much for your review. Quinn's lamb is very very special and Grammy was gone too soon from Quinn's life –but at least she will always have a piece of her with her. There were several reasons why Santana was not with Elyse but she had the trauma therapy in New York and from what the experts had told Shelby she had worked through a lot of it (obviously, not all) and was able to have a counselor that was not as specialized as Elyse, however, Shelby also felt that since Santana had advanced a little more than Rachel it might be better that the two of them not share a therapist either, so that is another reason why Santana had Julia. I try to put the lighter moments in because in real life there are lighter moments as well, I am glad you enjoy them. Santana is starting to grow and allow herself to show her feelings but that is all new to her as well so a change in therapist could help her share herself more with others. Shelby has to be a rock because I have a close friend of mine and I know that if even a small fraction of this happened to her son she would not be as strong as Shelby and Will, Hiram and Russell would already be dead by her hands if they touched her child. So yes Shelby is very strong. It is truly impressive that you left a review that long from your phone! Thank you.
Kitty – Rachel is finally talking! But she may clam up again but now that the threat is gone – the full story will come out. Even though Quinn's parents are horrible, they are still her parents and she will be longing for their love for most of her life. But with the love and support of her new family – she will learn to deal with it better and finally believe that it was never her fault. Thanks for the review.
Janie – Thank you – Nana does not take much of the kids nonsense and the kids know that but they still try to get away with things. Nana is a tremendous help to Shelby! Quinn trying to navigate with the cast will be a challenge and we will see somethings this chapter that she will not be doing so well. However she has so much emotional trauma and issues right now that the physical is secondary to her – sometimes she does not even feel her pain from her surgery and the car accident. She will though, I promise. I must have subconsciously needed a drink – sorry for the typo on the Captain name!
Iuterpi – This week could be a challenge for me and updating because I am going away without internet for 3 days but I will do my best to try and keep it one track. What Sue has them do is in this chapter I hope you like it - I think the kids like it. Santana needs a change of therapists because she has kept a lot in and now it is all coming to the surface again and she needs to have someone who can deal with her outbursts better – like she used to have in New York. But no one said it will be easy. Thanks for reviewing.
Drea LuRuiz – Sorry about blinding you. You may not want to read this one so late either and certainly do not listen to cry. You will have no tears left! Thank you for continuing to read and review – I am very grateful.
Stacia – Thank you so much. It feels weird to have a stalker and not be worried about it.
Anna – Those words are tough but they will get through it and hopefully this is one step forward but not too many steps back. Now that they have talked to police, we just need to catch him. Thanks for reading.
Cookie07 – There will be a Santana/Nana conversation however, I don't know how soon. As much as Santana wants to talk to Nana she is still very scared and has to work out so much before she works up the nerve to have that talk – even though – she has no idea how Nana will react or respond – it's the fear of the unknown and she is not ready to make that leap just yet. Some are not happy about Santana switching therapist only because it is a change and with everything going on will this one change they are worried if it is really necessary. Sue is in this chapter – I hope you like it. Thanks for the review.
Sally – We will see a little of Shelby taking care of the girls physical injuries – and they will both react similar but different – they cant get the stitches wet and Quinn definitely can't get the cast wet but she will use the I'm fine response which Shelby knows by now she is not. She will give Shelby a run for her money but Shelby has dealt with Santana in the past so even though Quinn is a challenge – my money is on Shelby. Thanks for the review.
sillystarshine – Thank you so much. I am glad you are enjoying the story. The reviews always put a smile on my face and encourage me to continue.
– There is more Santana in this chapter – no worries she will be in this story a lot and her relationship with Brittany will continuing. Thanks for reviewing.
Scout – Thank you so much. It amazes me how much people are enjoying my story. And when you tell me in reviews how much you like it or think about it, it makes me want to update as fast as possible – so thank you.
Ryoko05 – Thank you. Writing this story helps me get through some of the things that I have to deal with at work but sometimes it does get a little much so I can't get focused enough to get the chapter out that I want to put out. I am taking a couple of days this week and I wont have access to the internet so hopefully I will come back more focused and ready to crank out more chapters. I don't usually feel the pressures from the readers and reviewers because I pressure myself more but thank you for saying it.
Kimberlli – I am glad you want me and I always aim to please. Sue has a lot in store for these kids and it is done in typical Sue fashion. I hope you like it! Thanks for the review.
look4me – I do like to take the time to reply to my reviewers because you guys take the time to review my story and its my way of saying thank you. With the subject of Quinn being moved, I think it is clear now that she is staying with the Corcorans for the forseeable future. The reason she has trouble letting love it is because for 16 years – her whole life she has tried to do everything to feel the love from her very own family and it has never ever happened. It is all she knows. No matter what she has done – they have never shown her love. This is something she has learned as a baby so to have basic strangers do it to her unconditionally she does not understand it. Why would strangers love her if her own family doesn't. It is not a natural feeling for her. She has to be taught the behavior. It is truly amazing that Quinn can let anyone love her when she has been hearing she is worthless trash her whole life. She will learn but it will take time. You can undo 16 years of learned behavior in 2 months – right or wrong. She will continue to struggle however, the fact that each and every time she will learn that no matter what she does they will still love her will allow her to break down her walls and finally let love in. And even though Shelby will have to discipline her, ground her and scold her, she will still be loving her all the way through. Thank you for your review.
Renata – They will not be taking Quinn away from the Corcorans. She is there to stay but they still have to ask the questions and make sure everyone is progressing correctly. They will struggle but with the family support they will do fine. Rachel and Shelby and Quinn and Shelby will all be having the talk about the birds and the bees. There is confusion for both of these girls because of what happened to them and eventually Rachel and Quinn will correct the misconception about how and why Quinn got pregnant. I hope you enjoy NY and you are lucky enough to see Lea because she is there right now and I think so are you! Congrats if you do! Enjoy your trip and thanks for your many reviews.
alopez208 – Quinn and Santana are going to become closer and they will be acting like true sisters – lots of love, but lots of bickering too. Thanks for the review.
marinka4 – Yes Rachel did talk and it is a step in the right direction. Now we just have to get Will caught. Thanks for reviewing.
NinjaGleek21 – 5 cookies! Wow – you must be hot on his trail – where is he? Is he lurking? Lets see if we get him in this chapter!
piecesofyourheart – There is already tiny little pieces of healing for this family but they have so much further to go. They will get there but there will be pain beforehand. Thanks for continuing to read,
A C one – I know that I am pretty hard on myself. I just want to make sure that I put the best out there. Quinn's interview is pretty traumatic but there is a lot that Quinn doesn't say she hasn't really been able to open up about herself and when she does the flood gates will open. Thanks for reviewing.
SuzQQ – In the eyes of the Corcorans and Berrys Quinn is already a true member of this family. The state has already moved forward to sever rights with the Fabrays but that doesn't mean that this is an easy solution for Quinn. She has lost everything she has ever known even though it was horrible it was hers and now after 16 years she is being told – never again. That's a lot to take. So it has to be done as gently and as professionally as it can be. As with most siblings they will have their ups and downs but the sisters will remain strong. Quinn and Santana will talk to Suzy but you have to remember they have no idea that she may or may not be a victim and their kid sister was abused by this guy so they may go in with their guns drawn until they realize that maybe Suzy suffered too. You will see who knows what about Mr. Schue in this chapter. Thanks so much for your review.
TommyH – Thank you!
lovecanbesostrange – I will do my best and stop apologizing I know I got carried away in that chapter. But it was late and I felt badly because that is not where I wanted to end the chapter. I want to thank you for understanding what Quinn is going through. She is upset even though she is losing her sucky family because at least it was hers. It doesn't make sense to most of us why you want to stay in an abusive relationship but it is her mom and her dad and they are the ones that are supposed to love you the most in this world. It is truly very complex. Elyse bringing up about Quinn leaving is only as a check and reassurance that Quinn is with the Corcorans for the long haul. Any removal or replacement of Quinn would be detrimental at this point to her progress and Rachel's progress. It is not going to happen but the state has to check. They know that this is the best place for her. Rachel will have a sex talk with Shelby and Elyse. They will try and explain the difference because right now Rachel is just so confused. They will also speak Quinn regarding sex because she has some misconceptions of her own as well. I will reassure you that this family is not going to be split up at all. There will be challenges but they will not split them up. There are more Brittany and Santana moments coming trust me. Brittany is much smarter in my story than the show and I am beside myself that she is not graduating on the show. But don't get me started with that – Again thanks for reviewing.
Sorry again for the short chapter but it's the tale end of what I wanted to have last chapter. Please let me know what you think.
Chapter 37
Quinn watched as Bear came out of the interview room with Rachel in his arms. She was crying and clinging to him. Shelby followed close behind. The blonde felt her heart in her chest as Rachel looked over at her with big eyes and reached out. Quinn stood up. She didn't want to touch her. She wanted to, but she couldn't.
"I'm ready."
"Quinn, we can -"
"I said, 'I'm ready,'" she pressed.
"Okay, I can take you in."
Quinn looked back one more at Rachel and then followed the woman into a calmly painted room. She took a seat and looked at her eagerly, ready to leave already.
"Okay, ask me questions," Quinn said quickly.
"Can you tell me what happened that day?"
"I skipped something and got a ride back to school and wanted to speak with Mr. Schuester. We knew something happened with Rachel." She was speaking rapidly, but with ease. "So...I just had this feeling in my gut and I wanted to talk to him. When I arrived at the room it was a mess and I saw Rachel's jacket there and I asked him what he did to Rachel."
"What did he say?"
"He didn't answer. He was buttoning his shirt so I asked him if he was changing and he said something about coffee." She shook her head a tiny bit. "I had this feeling in my stomach. So I looked around the room and went into his office. Her underwear was back there and there was blood on the carpet."
"Then what happened?"
"I flipped out on him and got in his face and asked him where Rachel is. He didn't answer so I told him to watch out and I left."
There was silence that settled upon the room.
"He just let you leave?"
Quinn looked Jill straight in the eyes and nodded.
"It says here you have some bruising." She watched the woman's blue eyes. They were almost silver, like glass.
She looked away and looked at the ground. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Jill took a deep breath. "He's been watching you too, Quinn. It wasn't just Rachel. He more than likely knows a lot more about you than you think. Did he say anything to you? Use it against you?"
Quinn stared at the woman's shoes as she pretended to concentrate on the carpet pattern. She heard his voice in her head from that day.
"I heard all about the fun you and Daddy had...You're going to ruin that family. You already have. Rachel's so damaged and they're going to look at you as the cause of that. They'll split the whole family up if you tell anyone. I won't tell anyone about this if you give me what I want. I can't ruin everything for you. You must keep this quiet. You owe me now. You owe me for silence...I will fuck you like your Daddy did...You're a woman. I can't wait to feel you. Rachel struggled and cried too much and didn't even get wet...You like it rough, huh?...I can give you rough...Bend over like the slut you are."
She shook her head. This wasn't about her.
She looked up and stared at the woman with the gray eyes. "I will tell you what I know about Rachel. He did nothing to me."
"Quinn," Jill said calmly. "How did you get the bruises on your arm? Did he try to do something?"
Shelby looked at Quinn from the other side of the glass. Rachel was in a room with Joey and she hadn't spoken since. She watched Quinn carefully.
"Answer her," Shelby whispered. Quinn couldn't hear her or see her, but she wasn't moving."Come on, Q-bear. You can do this," she muttered.
"Quinn, something happened in that room with just you and Will after Rachel left. There was a handprint bruise on your upper arm, and you didn't seem surprised or even shocked with what I just told you." Jill lowered her gaze to meet Quinn.
She shook her head. "I told you what you need to know to catch him. You don't need to know anything more-"
"That's not true," she said clearly. "What happened?"
Quinn scowled and shook her head.
"Come on, honey," Shelby said from the other side of the window.
She watched as the young girl traced her green cast. "He just... Nothing..." She caught Jill's eyes and then looked over at the one-way mirror. "Who's behind there?"
"I'm not sure," Jill said honestly.
"Just don't tell Shelby okay?" Quinn shook her head. "I'm sure she's with Rach... but..." Quinn ran her tongue along the inside of her teeth. "He was... He tried to scare me, but I hit him with a... music stand..."
"Scare you how?"
Quinn narrowed her eyes. "Just... I …"
"We can take a break, Quinn," Jill offered.
"No," she said sharply. "I need …. Rachel needs to go home and she needs to feel safe. I can't be taking breaks with you." Quinn frowned at her as if what the woman was asking was unreasonable. She shook her head and tightened her jaw. "He thought he knew me. He thought..." She met Jill's gaze. "I'm not a slut."
"I didn't say you were," Jill said carefully.
Shelby shook her head on the other side of the glass.
"What he said and did doesn't matter," she hissed.
"It does, Quinn," Jill said gently. "Because what he said was wrong."
Quinn pushed the table roughly, causing the noise to echo through the room. "No it's not!"
Jill took a breath. "What happened?"
Quinn narrowed her eyes. "He tried to have sex with me. Is that what you want to hear?"she said haughtily. She didn't know Shelby caught her breath in her chest on the other side of the window. "But he didn't! You know why? Because I am bigger and stronger. Rachel couldn't fight him because she's too little. Her underwear was underneath his desk. There was blood on the carpet! Stop asking me these stupid questions and go find him!"
The room stood still.
Finally Jill spoke. "He tried to have sex with you?"
"God!" Quinn yelled. "Are you listening to me? Do you hear me?" She waved her arms.
Jill put her hands up in surrender. "Let's take a break, Quinn," she said softly.
"I don't want to take a break! I told you-"
"Quinn." That was a new voice.
She looked over her shoulder. Shelby was standing there with a soft smile. She approached her and held out her hand. "Let's take a break."
"No," she whimpered feeling the roughness of her cast again. "Rachel needs to go home. She needs you," she said quietly to the tile floor as if it cared. She looked back at Jill. Her sweatshirt rose and fell with her strained breaths. "He knew about my father... He... knew what he did... what we did..." Quinn licked her lips and tried to catch the stray tears, but they fell to the floor. "He didn't do anything besides …. say things... and push me up against the wall..." She looked up at Shelby tearfully. "I swear."
Shelby nodded and pulled Quinn into her arms. "Okay. I believe you."
Quinn felt the wall of bravery collapse and turn into tears. She remembered that her body hurt. She remembered that the state was forcing her mother to give her up. She remembered that the whole damn town was whispering about what happened behind closed doors at the Fabray house. She remembered her little girl. She remembered she didn't get there in time for Rachel. She released a sob into Shelby's shoulder.
"I fought back," she sobbed. "Rachel couldn't fight back."
Shelby pulled her close knowing that Quinn wasn't just talking about Rachel. She was talking about the little girl that still existed inside of her that couldn't fight back.
…...
"Are you sure you know how to drive this? Is this safe?" Brittany asked.
She, Noah and Santana were in the back of van without windows.
"Yeah, Coach Sylvester-Sue-Sir, this feels kinda illegal... like you're about to go sell us on the black market for our good looks," Noah said looking around.
"Don't flatter yourself, baseball," Sue replied.
"It's Puck," he said heavily.
"Whatever," she muttered as she made another turn. "The roadkill on your head is distracting me. I've tried to run over that dead animal three times already and have gotten us off track."
Santana looked over at Brittany with a slight smile. Brittany laughed. "Coach, he can't help it."
The blonde leaned over and squeezed her hand letting her cheek graze Santana's. The darker girl blushed.
Santana was trying her best to be in the car, but she kept thinking about Rachel and Quinn. She wasn't there. She felt a squeeze on her hand again. She looked up and Brittany was staring back at her. This was the next best thing, right?
The car slowed and pulled into a parking space.
"Where are we?"
"Open the door, lazy, I'm not your chauffeur," Sue snapped as she climbed out.
Noah looked at the girls and arched a brow. He opened the door with ease. Hay fields.
"Did you bring us out here to shoot us and feed us to the cows?" he asked as he climbed out.
"No, I feed the cows more quality ingredients," Sue said again. "Thing 1, Thing 2, I'm not going to wait all day."
Santana scoffed and climbed out. "Does that make you The Cat in the Hat?"
"Out," Sue said.
Santana crossed her arms and rounded the back. She frowned at what she saw.
"Are you kidding?" she asked shooting Sue a glare.
"Hey," someone called. She looked over her shoulder and pushed her tongue into the side of her cheek. What was going on? She felt a pressure in her shoes as she watched Sophia , Lys, Dani, Kelly, and Maribel approach followed by Mike and Sam.
She looked at Brittany with a slight panic. She couldn't do this. She couldn't be here with her friends doing this here.
"Hey," Sophia said pulling Santana into a hug that the girl received stiffly. "Where's Quinn?"
Santana watched the group interact. She felt far away. She could tell that they hadn't seen each other in a long time.
"How's your vacation?"
"Great! You?"
"This will be fun."
"Do you think we're doing teams?"
"But really, where's Quinn?"
"Yeah, is she okay?"
"Man, did you hear about Schuester?"
"Wait, is she okay?"
"Yeah, the last time we saw her-"
"Right the... the baby..."
"Is she okay?"
"I heard there was an accident at the five corners. It wasn't her was it?"
"Quinn's doing-" Noah said
"She's with Mom," Santana suddenly said in a voice that was practically yelling. The group looked at her. She shook her head. "She had to do something."
She gripped her hand around Noah's arm and yanked him from the group.
"What?" he asked looked at her incredulously.
Santana put up her hands. "I … I can't do this." She shook her head.
"Why did you lie?" Noah asked. "They're our friends. I don't want them to talk or to have to guess, San."
"Noah," she hissed. "I can't do this right now." She waved her hand around them. "Look around. We are in the middle of nowhere. She brought us to a PAINTBALL FIELD! I'm not going to run around pretending everything is okay!"
"Okay," he whispered. "Okay." He pulled her into a hug. "Calm down," he whispered. "They're okay. They're with Mom. Okay?"
"I can't be here, Noah," she whispered. "I get why she's doing this. I get why Mom said okay... but … " she shook her head into her brother's chest. "I can't."
She shifted her gaze as she leaned against her brother. Brittany was talking to the group. She felt a release in her chest.
"You can tell them, Noah," she said quietly. "I just...I can't."
"You can," he whispered.
"Hey," Brittany said coming over. "You okay?"
Santana pulled away and shook her head. "I want to go home. I need to go home."
The blonde took her hand and nodded for Noah to leave. She watched the boy retreat.
"If it were switched, what would you want?"
"What?" Santana asked with a frown.
"They want you to clear your head," she continued. "I know you don't want to. I know you want to be there, but you can't." She squeezed her hand. "If you laugh it doesn't hurt them."
She shook her head and looked on the ground. "That's not the point."
"You're tense right now. You just screamed at everyone-"
"It wasn't a -"
Brittany arched her brow and shook her head. "You need to relax and you know it. You're just afraid that you're going to miss something. But what are your alternatives?"
"Brittany," she began. "I can't just run around shooting balls of paint at people."
"Of course you can," the blonde laughed. "This is competition. You love competition. You own competition." She took a deep breath. "You want them to be your focus when you get home. Well, they won't if you're still holding up your anger about being here now."
"Go suit up with the others, Brittany," Sue said coming behind them.
Brittany looked at the coach for a moment and then put her hand tenderly on Santana's cheek. "See you in there."
Sue watched the group filter into the arena before she turned back to the brunette.
"I know you don't want to be here," Sue began in an unusually tender tone.
"I know you don't," Sue said carefully. "However, I get that you're so mad. I know you."
"Bull," Santana snapped. "You're my coach. You don't know me."
"I know you care so much about your family that you forget about yourself. I know you as a fighter and a leader, Santana."
"I don't need your pep talk," she hissed.
"Clearly, you do." Sue sighed. "What are your alternatives here, Santana? I know you're pissed. I see it in your face, the way you walk. They way you talk to people. You have a right to be pissed. So go out there and leave it out there." Santana looked at her with a frown. "You can be pissed. I want you to be pissed here."
Santana gave a sigh and looked at the woman. She wasn't one for giving in.
"You're competitive, San," Sue said with a chuckle. She turned and pointed toward the set up. "Look at all of this. You can dominate this game." The blonde coach shrugged. "Unless you think it's better for you to go home and be pissed. Has that worked for you?"
Santana shook her head and folded arms. Did she know about her anger? The broken lamps?
"Sit in the van and have people talk or get rid of some of that anger and take over this game like I know you can." She sighed and started to walk away. "It's up to you."
Santana shook her head and watched her retreat.
Brittany walked over with two guns. "I can't believe our parents agreed we could come out here and shoot people." She let her smile faded. "You okay?"
She shook her head. "I've wanted to tell you a million times."
Brittany looked at her with surprise. "What?"
Santana looked at her blue eyes. She frowned. People always told her to start at the beginning. She had told this story a million times, but some how staring at Brittany she couldn't find the words but the memory seeped into her memory.
Santana watched from the floor of the coffee table as she colored. Noah was at football practice. Her mother had been gone for two days and it was already two days too long. She watched Papa Hiram pacing in the kitchen. She didn't like him and she wouldn't call him Papa.
"Sanny?"
She looked up and Rachel was sitting was sitting across from her.
"What?"
She couldn't wait for Rachel to be older. Rachel was two. She was barely two and half. Rachel would play her games, but she wasn't good at playing Powerpuff Girls. Rachel held out the telephone.
"Play telephone?" she asked.
Santana sighed. "We're coloring, Rach."
Rachel frowned and shook her head. "Nuh uh. Telephone."
Santana rolled her eyes. "Fine." She put her hand up to her ear like a pretend phone as Rachel used the actual one. "Hello? Is Rachel there?"
"Yes," the toddler nodded.
Hiram started to yell in the kitchen into the phone. Santana saw Rachel jump. She reached for the remote for the television and turned up the volume. She gave Rachel a smile. "Miss Rachel, this is the Easter Bunny."
Rachel frowned. "The Easter Bunny can call?"
Santana nodded. "Of course. How do you think he orders candy?"
"Turn that damn television down!" he yelled.
Santana frowned. and stood up and moved toward Rachel.
"You're scaring her," she said haughtily.
"I don't care!" he screamed and threw a punch through an air. "Are you still there? Hello?" He threw his phone across the room. "Damn it!"
"Sanny, I want Daddy."
The eight year old frowned and watched the man stalk into the room.
"God DAMN it, Santana!" he screamed. "I told you about that damn television!"
She grabbed the phone from Rachel. She dialed a number and brought the phone to her ear.
He strode over to Santana causing her to drop the phone. She looked at Rachel. "Take the phone, Rach," she hissed.
He lifted the girl by the arm and shook her. "When I tell you to do something, you do it!"
Santana frowned. "You were scaring her!"
"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my dad!"
He squeezed her arm tighter causing her to scream. Santana looked over her shoulder quickly and saw Rachel talking on the phone.
"Yes, I am!" he hissed, emphasizing each word. He pulled her to him as he sat in the lounge chair. He threw her over his lap and pulled down her pants and underwear.
"Let me up!" she screamed as she kicked and screamed. "No!"
He brought his hand down on her bare bottom repeatedly. She screamed and tried to get up. When his strength was up, he looked down at her reddened behind. He was breathing heavily and Santana was still sobbing. He pulled her up by the arm so she was facing him.
"You listen to me! You hear me?" He shook her.
Santana let out a whimper and nodded.
"Answer me!"
She steeled her jaw and glared at him. "Yes," she hissed with her tears still streaming down her face.
He hauled her to the corner. "Stand there until I tell you otherwise!" he screamed. He shot a look over at Rachel and paused at the door. Santana felt her heart freeze from the corner, unsure of what the man's next move would be. She turned slightly and watched him pause and look at Rachel.
Santana felt everything stop. What was he going to do? She had never been hit before. She wasn't going to let Rachel experience the same thing.
She let out a shaky breath as she watched him shake his head and slam his hand against the wall. "Damn it! "Stay there, Santana! Don't talk to her, Rachel!" He left the room.
She let out a sigh of relief and looked back over at Rachel who stood up and walked toward her. The two year old looked up at her with teary eyes. "Here," she whispered.
Santana took the phone. "Santana?" the woman on the other end asked.
"Y-y-yes?" Santana asked pulling her pants up with a whimper and then wiped Rachel's tears with her hand. Her breaths were hitching in her chest. "Shhh," she hushed.
"Santana, your sister called 911. I need you girls to stay on the line. Are you okay?"
"No," she responded.
Santana returned to the present. She looked at Brittany. She felt her head spinning. She had thought about that a lot. That first time. That first time that he snapped. However, in that moment she felt a like she was crumbling. She couldn't do this. Not yet at least.
"About me..." she whispered. "But … I..."
"Don't have to do anything until you're ready," Brittany said gently. She gave her a smile. "Okay?" Santana looked at the ground. "San?"
She shook her head. "I need to be there."
"I know you do, San" she whispered. "But you can't. And you know you can't either." She shrugged. "At least come watch."
"There's just ten of us. Who's on who's team?" Brittany smiled wide. "What?" Santana asked unable to control her own smile.
Brittany pointed to the other cars. "We're getting more Cheerios and football players for our team. Sue rented out this whole place." She leaned forward and took her hand. "Sanny, we're playing the Christ Crusaders and the hockey players."
Santana chuckled. "Isn't that against teacher etiquette?"
Brittany shook her head. "Apparently, the teacher who oversees the Christ Crusaders and the hockey coach think that this is a healthy way for us to get us our frustrations out and get along again."
The brunette looked at the ground. Brittany's hand came into view. "Come on." She shrugged. "Just try it, okay?"
Santana looked at her hand. She took a deep breath. "Fine." Brittany handed her a paintball gun. "One condition."
The blonde looked over at her. "Anything."
Santana arched her brow. "Ruth Marks is mine."
She sighed. She needed to focus. Sue was right. She would never admit that, but she would at least admit to herself. She wasn't going to be angry at home. She heard Rachel's voice in her head. "You might hit someone if you come." That's how Rachel saw her: violent, uncontrollable of her emotions. She took a deep breath. She had to do this.
…...
Quinn looked at the floor. The tiles were clean. They were almost shiny. Tiny, linoleum tiles, she repeated in her head. She was left with the shiny tiles and a sniffling eleven year old and a worrisome aunt. Every noise seemed to echo in the room. Shelby had said she would be back and then they would go home. How long ago was that?
She turned next to her and Rachel's sniffle began hitched in her chest again like a hiccup that was swallowed. She couldn't be in this room anymore. She traced her cast. She remembered that her body was aching, but she was noticing it was less. However, she wouldn't tell if it was the adrenaline or not. She stood up. She just needed to move.
"Where are you going?" Joey asked.
She looked over her shoulder and Rachel was sitting there quietly. "To the bathroom."
She watched as Joey looked down at Rachel and the Nalgene the girl had been toying in her hands. Since Shelby filled it when they left and there was about sixteen ounces gone. She looked over at her Nalgene and felt Joey's eyes on her and took a drink. She had had enough kidney infections to know that she would have been drinking.
"Rachel," Joey said causing the girl to jump slightly before she looked up. "Let's try to go to the bathroom."
Rachel shook her head. "I don't need to go," she whispered.
"We need to try, Bug. Plus we need to go with Quinn," Joey said gently.
Rachel bit her lip. "I'm fine. I'll go with Quinn but I don't need to go."
"I'll go in with you, Rach," Joey said holding out her hand. "Super quick."
Rachel took her hand and they walked down the hallway. Quinn went to the restroom, but uncomfortably with one hand because she couldn't get her cast wet. She wanted to get out of the restroom because hearing Rachel whimper in the stall next to her was almost too much. She needed to be somewhere else. She needed to block it out. Nevertheless, she could still hear Rachel and Joey talking in the far stall.
"Rachel, honey, you need to finish up," Joey said.
"I'm finished," she said above a whisper.
"No, you're not, Rach. You need to keep yourself clean," Joey said with a whisper, but was still loud enough for Quinn to hear from the sink. "I know you're hurting, Rach..."
She couldn't listen to this.
"I'm uh... I'm gonna wait outside..." She heard herself say. She let her feet take her out of the room
"Quinn stay by the door and keep it open. We'll be right out," Joey called out to her.
Quinn looked behind her briefly. She nodded and allowed herself to lean against the wall in the hallway. She was tired. She never in her life thought that she would want to go and curl up in the Corcoran living room but she did. She spotted Michael walk into the center but he didn't see her. He went straight into a room.
She frowned. What was going on?
She followed down the hallway for a huge combination of reasons but the one at the forefront was a distraction. Michael had closed the door almost completely shut but it didn't click into place.
"...Their confessions are solid enough..."
"So arrest him. I don't understand why he hasn't been brought it..."
"That's the issue then?"
"This issue is that we've looked. We have a warrant. We have checked. We can't find him."
"Well, who says he's still in the area?"
"He has followed Rachel for years in the least... and Quinn, too. Obsessions like that don't just don't go away. If he's left town which I doubt, he'll be back. He just needs to be drawn out."
There was a silence. Quinn leaned in more to hear but realized no one was saying anything.
"I'm sorry, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting," Quinn heard Shelby ask in a very unhappy voice.
"Shelby, he feels the need to be in control. If we set up the situation, we can keep them safe and -"
"My kids are NOT being used as bait! Damn it! How can you suggest that?" She practically screamed. "My kids are not bait!"
"Shelby," Captain Marshall said carefully. "We would monitor. We have looked everywhere. While this is a small town, we think someone might be hiding him. There are girls coming forward too, Shelby. Other victims. We need to catch him."
"That's right," Shelby shot back. "You do need to catch him. My children will not be used as pawns though!"
Quinn pushed the door and opened it slightly. The police were that desperate to catch him? Rachel couldn't do that. Her mind raced, but she could. She could go to the park and draw him out.
"Captain, Shelby is right. These girls can't take this," Bear interrupted.
Quinn frowned. She could take this. She could.
"I'll do it," she said coming into the room.
Shelby looked at her with wide eyes. "Absolutely not!"
"No, please let me do this! I can do this!" Quinn said with desperation in her voice.
Quinn's adrenaline was pumping too much for her to see Shelby's furious and shocked face or Joey come up behind her with Rachel in tow.
"I'm sorry, Shelby," Joey said. "Come on Quinn."
"No," the blonde said moving away.
"Enough, Quinn," Shelby said sternly. "Enough," she said with soft gaze and turned to the investigation team. "Enough. I'm taking my kids home. Figure something else out."
Shelby ushered Quinn out of the room. "Let's go home." They began to walk down the hallway. "I know that you think that this is the right thing, Quinn, but it's not. We'll talk about this more at home."
The blonde looked at the ground. "Great."
They walked out the front door.
"Shelby!" Bear called behind them.
Quinn stopped when the family stopped. Rachel was standing in front of her. She didn't think the girl could become more withdrawn but she was right. She watched the back of Rachel's head and felt a strange pang of jealousy. Rachel was able to fall back and be babied and retreat. The blonde frowned. What did she fall back on?
She heard a small gasp that brought her out of her stupor. She stared at the back of Rachel's head.
"Rach?"
Joey and Shelby looked up behind them.
"Rachel?"
Quinn followed her gaze.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
"Quinn?"
Joey, Bear, and Shelby looked up.
There was Will Schuester, setting flowers on the Range Rover.
Quinn could hear chaos behind her. However, it was blurred. She watched as Will look at Rachel and smiled. She then watched as his gaze shifted to Quinn. She was going to kill him. She was going to kill him right there in the parking lot with her bare hands. Her adrenaline carried her, raced her to the bottom of the steps.
"Quinn!"
She felt arms snake around her middle, gently. Her heart rate settled. She could feel a burning pain in her body. She had moved too fast. She watched as officers raced past her. She wanted to kill him. She never felt so defeated. She was exhausted. Seeing him she wanted to kill him, but also seeing him brought so many feelings to the surface that she felt paralyzed. She screamed at him. She felt someone hold her back, trying to sooth her. She looked over her shoulder and watched as Shelby carried Rachel back into the center. She looked back towards the Range Rover. A group of officers were racing to catch him. She watched in slow motion as he was tackled to the ground. She watched as Suzy Pepper was removed from the driver's seat of the car he was running towards. She was his get away?
Everything moved in slow motion. He was caught.
"Joey! Get her inside now!" Bear scolded
Quinn felt herself being pulled inside but she wasn't there. It just didn't seem real. She watched as Bear stormed past her and grabbed Will by the shoulders, reeling back and punching him in the face. Quinn caught a glimmer of satisfaction in Will's eyes, a smile of victory.
"You son of a bitch!" He brought his fist back again. "You sick son of a bitch!"
Quinn looked over her shoulder. The door swung open long enough for her to watch the Captain run and pry Bear off. She didn't see anymore because the door slammed shut, but still it didn't seem real.
…..
Shelby picked Rachel up and brought her back in. She could feel a dampness in Rachel's sweatpants. She gave a soft sigh. She carried her to a room that usually was used to take patients in when they were first received. She knew that there were extra clothes. She looked up and saw a familiar nurse spot them and give her a nod of understanding. She motioned for Shelby to take a seat and the nurse grabbed a change of pants and underwear. Shelby rocked Rachel gently in her arms. She wasn't moving. She wasn't talking. She could hear her breaths were hitched but nothing else.
"Honey, let's get you changed. Would you like to do it yourself?" Shelby asked as she gently put her hands on Rachel's ribs to pull her away. Rachel held on tight. She hugged the girl back.
"Okay," she whispered.
She looked up and there was a woman on the phone.
"Yes... he's here. They're arresting him now. I was told to call for backup... Yes..."
Shelby watched them. At least they didn't have to call 911. She wrapped her arms around Rachel. At least Rachel didn't have to call 911.
Shelby was led into the station. She had just gotten her children back. She was settling into a sense of normalcy. She was accepting this new path of life. The police officers that had led the investigation asked her to come down to the station. She walked in and ADA was there as well as the chief of police.
"What can I do for you?" she asked sitting down heavily.
"We need you to verify the voices on the this 911 recording," she said simply.
"The 911 call that the girls made? I thought that was clearly them."
The ADA looked at her and sighed. "We're going to talk to you about it in court tomorrow. You were certain that Leroy was going to leave Hiram if he heard this?"
"Yes and he never left the children alone with him after that. You said that," Shelby frowned. "There's so many things in our favor. I don't understand why I need to be here for this."
"Because, we need you to hear this now. Talk to us about it. It's hard to listen to and we don't want the first time you hear this to be in court."
Shelby shook her head. "Fine."
The tape started to play.
"9-1-1 What's your emergency?" The dispatcher asked.
"..." There were muffled sounds on the other end.
"Hello?" The woman asked.
"...Hello?" Rachel's voice echoed through the speakers. Shelby felt her breath hitch. Rachel sounded so little and scared.
"My name is Olivia. Honey, where is Mommy? Are you okay?"
There was a far off scream in the background. "When I tell you to do something, you do it!" Shelby recognized that voice from anywhere. That was Hiram. She could hear Santana struggling in the background.
"Honey, I need you to stay on the line okay? What's your name?"
"Rachel," she said quietly.
There were movements and screaming in the background.
"You were scaring her!" Santana screamed from far away. "You can't tell me what to do! You're not my dad!"
"Yes, I am!" Hiram yelled back, his voice also distant.
"Rachel, what's going on?" The dispatcher asked.
"He's hurting Sanny," she said with a little sob.
"Who's Sanny, Rachel?" The calm dispatcher asked.
"My big sister. I want Daddy." She started to cry.
Shelby swallowed the lump in her throat imagining her girls being so frightened.
"It's okay, sweetie. Who's hurting Sanny?" Olivia asked.
"Papa." Rachel sniffled.
"Let me up!" Santana screamed in the background. "No!"
Slapping could be heard in the background. Shelby's eyes went wide. The room froze.
"I'm sending someone over, Rachel. How old are you?"
"Two."
"Where's Mommy?"
"Singin' in a plane," Rachel said with a hiccuped sob. "I want Daddy."
The slaps in the background were continuing.
"Go get Daddy, Rachel."
"Not here..."
"Who's hurting Sanny?"
"Papa."
The dispatcher paused.
"Rachel, are papa and daddy both there?"
"No," she whimpered. "I want my daddy. Please get Daddy. Papa hurting Sanny."
Shelby could hear her baby girl crying and her other daughter sobbing in pain. Her own cheeks were soaked with tears
"You listen to me! You hear me?" A man screamed in the background.
"What's happening, Rachel?" Olivia asked.
"He stopped. He yelling."
"Answer me!" Hiram's voice bellowed in the background.
There were a few moments of frozen pause.
"Stand there until I tell you otherwise!" he screamed.
"Rachel?" The dispatcher asked. "Rachel? Are you still there?"
There was no answer. Shelby felt her breath catch in her chest.
Finally he screamed and there was a slam of something. "Damn it! "Stay there, Santana! Don't talk to her, Rachel!"
"He gone."
"Rachel? Is Santana okay? Is she awake?"
"She's sad. Where's my Daddy?"
"Can I talk to Sanny?"
There was shuffling and long pauses.
"Santana?" Olivia asked.
"Y-y-yes?" Santana asked pulling her pants up with a whimper and then wiped Rachel's tears with her free hand. Her breaths were hitching in her chest. "Shhh," she hushed.
"Santana, your sister called 911. I need you girls to stay on the line. Are you okay?"
"No," she responded.
Shelby looked up. "That's him." She wiped her tears. "That's definitely him."
She was pulled out of the memory when Rachel let out a little whimper. She looked and she was holding Rachel and reaching down to begin removing her underwear.
"No," Rachel whimpered.
Shelby took a deep breath. "Rachel, look at me you can do it all by yourself. At your own time."
Rachel nodded and bit her lip. "I just wanna go home."
"We will, Rach. We need to get you dressed and you and we'll get you and Q-bear home."
She brushed her hair out of her face.
Rachel tilted her head. "Does she know you call her that?"
Shelby laughed. "No. Why?"
"Because I don't think she'll like it," Rachel replied.
"Why not?"
"Because it's too cute." she said simply.
…...
Noah waved to the hockey players as they walked away.
"That's what you get!" he yelled at them as they retreated.
"That was awesome," Mike said coming up next to him with Sam at his side.
Noah chuckled. "Damn straight it was."
A silence settled over him as he watched Santana talk with the other cheerleaders as she gripped onto Brittany's hand.
"There are a lot of rumors going around, man," Mike said as he leaned against the car.
He frowned. "Like what?"
"About Schuester and Quinn...and the accident … " Sam said.
Mike nodded. "There are girls... freshman, sophomores, juniors and even seniors saying that he touched them too." Mike frowned. "My kid sister at the elementary school said that there are kids there coming forward."
"He didn't hurt Quinn. Quinn got her away from him," Noah said quietly.
Mike and Sam exchanged looks. "Who?"
"Rachel," he muttered. "There was an accident at the five corners. That was Quinn and Rach..."
Mike stared and Noah, trying to figure out what to say.
"It was my car," he finished. He shook his head. "I don't know...I just know that I can't do anything."
"That's not true, Puck."
Noah shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.
"I can't do anything here," he started again.
"Noah, you're the man. You can do anything," Sam said with a laugh.
The mohawked boy looked at him. "I've been meaning to talk to you." He stared hard at the blond boy. "Why the hell did my sister call you to pick her up?"
There was awkward silence.
"He means Quinn, Sam," Mike said understanding the language.
Sam nodded. "Oh, well... she just called me."
"And why did she have your number?"
"We're friends." Sam looked at the two seniors. "She just needed a ride. Okay?' He shook his head. "If Quinn Fabray asks for a ride, you give it to her."
"And then you tell me," Noah said with a frown. "Got it?" Sam nodded. "She wasn't supposed to be there, Sam. You don't know what's going on. It was a good thing she was though, but you tell me."
Sam nodded. "Sure..." he said quietly.
"Good."
Another silence blanketed them. "Do you like her?"
"What?...No! … I don't know... what?"
"Don't..." Noah said. "Back off. She doesn't need that right now."
Sam looked at the ground, but didn't respond.
He frowned. "Did San even play?" he asked looking at Santana. "She and Britt don't have any pain on them..."
Mike laugh. "Oh yeah, they played."
Sam smiled. "They killed that girl."
"Which girl?" Noah asked.
"That one," Sam said pointing to a girl who's coveralls were completely painted. Couldn't even see white. She was screaming at her team who was also covered.
"Is that Ruth Marks?"
Mike nodded. "Look at her hair! It'll take forever to get that paint out."
Sam shrugged. "Whatever. That girl's nutso."
"I need to do something, but we needs to be a secret."
"Okay..."
"How do you boys feel about a trip to New York?"
Santana watched her brother carefully. He was coming up with something. Something that wasn't good.
"That was kinda fun, huh?"
She turned to see Brittany next to her. "Yeah... It wasn't bad."
"Did it work?" the blond asked. Santana frowned at her questioningly. She went on. "Is your mind less distracted?"
"Yeah..." she shrugged. "IT's clear. She frowned as she thought more about the day and what she missed. "We should go." She looked at one of the older cheerleader's watches still attached to their write. "They'll be home soon." She looked over at her brother. "Come on! Let's go!"
Noah straightened and looked at the boys. "Think about it. It would be the best secret mission. You wouldn't know what hit ya." He nodded and walked backwards looking at them.
"What is he talking about?" Sam asked.
"I don't know," Mike replied. "But we're not going to let him do it alone that's for sure."
…..
Shelby climbed out of the car and watched with a heavy heart as Rachel jumped in the backseat when the garage door closed. Quinn stepped out of the car on her own and headed into the house. Joey had lent her the Prius so that they could do forensic testing on the Range Rover. They had ended up staying there for less than an hour. It was pretty easy to arrest him.
Quinn had been quiet.
"Stay downstairs, please," she called out to the girl. She was pretty sure she heard a mumble of some kind. She turned to Rachel. "Come on, Bug. Let's get you back in bed. We can watch a movie or something."
The girl shook her head.
"Use your words, Bug," Shelby said hoping this wasn't heading in the direction that she thought.
Rachel hadn't said much since the station. Exhaustion was splashed all over her face as it aged her features with confusion.
"I want Sanny," she whispered.
Shelby looked at her for a moment. There it was.
"She's inside, Rachel," she said when she found her voice. Shelby reached over and unbuckled the girl when she saw she wasn't moving. "Come on, bug."
She wrapped her arms around Shelby's neck. "Are you mad?" she whispered into her ear.
"Not mad at all, sweetheart." Shelby looked at her gently. "Rachel, you need to get out of the car."
She shook her head. "No."
"Come on, bugs," she said gently hoping that this wouldn't turn into an issue.
"I can't," Rachel whispered.
"What?"
Rachel looked at her hands. Shelby could see she was shaking.
"Rach, let's go inside. Okay?"
She looked up at her with her big eyes. She began to cry. "I can't."
Sorry again that this is so short. I am leaving tonight but will be back late Wednesday night. Short trip, but needed.
Please let me know if you hate this. I'm trying not to make it drag, but there are so many pieces that I feel as if need to be here. Thank you all for your continuous support. Again, more Santana and Noah to come. Don't worry the change from Julia to Elyse for Santana will be explained. Trust me. However, any more questions or concerns or a need for spoilers just let me know and I'll do my best to answer you.
Thank you again.