Rachel sat quietly in the car with Mark in the hospital parking lot, her legs pulled up underneath her as she tried to make herself as small as possible.
"Rach?" Mark asked gently as he looked at the clock, thirty minutes had passed since he parked the car and Rachel hadn't moved an inch. Rachel looked up at him slowly, revealing her tear stained cheeks. "Sweetheart you're safe here." Mark tried to convince her quietly. "He can't get to you anymore."
Rachel nodded but didn't say anything as she brought her sleeve-covered hands up to her face to dry her eyes. After several more minutes she sighed. "I think… I think I'm ready." She said quietly.
Mark got out of the car and opened the passenger door before waiting patiently for her to climb out of the car. "I need to go pick-up Ella from daycare, you can come with me, or I could take you to stay with Elizabeth."
Rachel looked down at her feet before mumbling, "Can I go stay with Elizabeth?"
Mark nodded. "That's fine. Let's go." He said before leading her up to the fourth floor where Elizabeth was going to be staying overnight for observation.
They arrived outside the door and Mark knocked quickly before opening the door. "We're back." He said with a small smile as his eyes met hers.
"Thank god." Elizabeth sighed as she saw Rachel follow him into the room.
Rachel couldn't look up, feeling everyone's eyes on her.
Mark gently closed the door before directing Rachel to the chair next to the bed. "I'm going to go get Ella, Rachel wants to stay with you though."
"That's fine." Elizabeth said, directing a small smile to Rachel. She waited until Mark had left the room before she adjusted herself so she was sitting up. "Rachel?" She asked softly after several minutes of silence.
"I was so scared." Rachel whimpered softly. "I thought I was going to never see any of you again. I thought he was going to kill me."
"Oh sweetheart." Elizabeth said sympathetically. "I'm so sorry. You never should have had to go through any of this." She said as she reached her hand out for her step-daughter's. "What can I do?"
Rachel took several deep breaths as she took Elizabeth's hand. "Fix it." She said softly as tears began to well in her eyes again. "Just make it all go away."
Elizabeth sighed before she scooted to the side of her bed before encouraging Rachel to sit next to her. After several moments of silence Rachel moved next to her. "Rachel I can't make it all go away, but I promise you I will be right here whenever you need me."
Rachel nodded before curling in close to her. "Thank you." She whispered after several moments just before she fell asleep.
Elizabeth gently ran her fingers through Rachel's hair as she felt her breathing slowing down. She looked up as she heard the door opening.
Mark stopped when he saw his daughter curled up next to his wife. "Is she asleep?" He whispered as he came into the room, his younger daughter asleep in her carrier.
Elizabeth nodded. "She's so exhausted. How long do you think it's been since she slept?"
Mark shrugged. "Days." He admitted as he set Ella's carrier down in the corner. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he sat down in the chair next to the bed.
"Good." Elizabeth replied quietly. "I haven't had any contractions and Doctor McLucas is confident that the baby is healthy."
Mark nodded with a small smile. "Have I mentioned lately how amazing you are?" He asked softly.
Elizabeth sighed. "Mark…"
"No, really." Mark insisted. "You have been nothing but supportive of Rachel, and I cannot thank you enough for that, especially considering everything that's happened."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Mark she's your daughter. Despite everything that has happened she's still just a child."
Mark nodded. "I know." He sighed. "I can't get the image of her when I first saw her out of my mind. She was so scared, I've never seen her that scared." He admitted. "The only thing I could think was that she was in danger and it was all my fault."
Elizabeth sighed. "Mark you couldn't have…"
"I should have known he would come for her." Mark replied angrily. "I should have made sure he couldn't get to her. I promised her I would protect her and I let her fall through the cracks again…"
"Mark." Elizabeth stopped him firmly.
He looked up to see tears streaming down Elizabeth's cheeks. "I'm sorry." He said softly before taking her hand in his. "I know this is hard on you."
Elizabeth relaxed slightly as she felt his hand gently squeeze her own. "I just wish we hadn't ended up here." She said softly. "I wish she could have come to us before this progressed."
Mark sighed. "How do we teach her that she can trust us when in reality we can't really protect her?"
"We just have to do our best." Elizabeth replied tiredly. "For everyone in the family, and that includes Rachel."
Mark nodded with a small smile. "Thank you."
A week later Mark sat at the kitchen table sorting the mail. He sighed as he tossed several bills into a pile next to him.
"Hey." Elizabeth greeted him quietly.
Mark looked up at her and smiled. "Is Ella asleep?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "She insisted on sleeping in Rachel's room, so I'm sure she won't be asleep for hours."
Mark laughed. "Ella and Rach seem to have really hit it off." He said with a smirk. "I guess it's good that she has something to distract herself."
Elizabeth rubbed his shoulder sympathetically. "She's alright Mark." She assured him softly. "It's still going to be awhile before she feels okay, but she is okay."
"She's not looking forward to tomorrow." Mark replied anxiously. "Craig will be there, and I don't know how she's going to react."
"We're all going to be there." Elizabeth said gently. "You both have to testify. Nothing is going to change for her other than a restraining order to protect her."
Mark sighed as he pushed a chair out for Elizabeth to sit next to him. "Do you want some tea?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I'll already be up to go to the bathroom all night without it." She said as she put her hands over her stomach. "What are you doing?" She asked after a few moments of staring at the piles of envelopes.
"Bills." Mark replied tiredly. "Between the house payment and our hospital charges I think we might be short this month."
"How short?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes widened slightly.
"About a thousand." Mark admitted. "I'll just have to pick up weekends. It's not a big deal."
"Mark." Elizabeth said gently. "You can't overwork yourself."
"Well neither can you." Mark pointed out angrily before tossing several flyers into the trash can.
Elizabeth sighed. "Mark." She said gently as she rested her head on his shoulder. "We're going to be fine. I can do a few of the higher profile elective cases this month, I'll make a bit more. We'll be fine."
Mark turned his head and pressed his lips against her forehead. "How are you feeling?" He asked after a few minutes.
"Good." Elizabeth allowed as she shifted in her chair. "Very pregnant, but good."
"No more contractions?" Mark questioned.
Elizabeth shook her head. "Not since Wednesday."
"Good." Mark said as he tossed several more pieces of mail into the trash.
"Do you want help with your port tonight?" She asked through a yawn.
Mark shook his head. "Go to sleep. I'll be fine."
"Don't forget to flush with heparin." She said quietly, kissing him gently before standing up.
Mark smirked. "I won't." He promised. "I'll be up as soon as I finish this."
Elizabeth kissed him once more before slowly making her way up the stairs.
Mark finished sorting the mail and was about to head upstairs when he heard something from Rachel's room. He stood outside for a few moments before he realized that he was hearing crying. He gently knocked on the door before opening it. He saw Ella asleep in her playpen and Rachel sitting on her bed crying. "Rach?" He asked gently as he moved to sit on her bed.
Rachel quickly wiped her cheeks and turned away from him. "I'm fine." She insisted softly.
"No you aren't." Mark said quietly. "What can I do?"
Rachel shook her head. "Nothing."
"Are you still worried you're going to have to leave again?" Mark tried again. "Elizabeth and I are doing everything we can to keep you safe with us."
"I don't want to testify in court tomorrow." Rachel admitted softly. "What if they take me away from you?"
Mark shook his head. "Rachel they won't. You're going to stay right here with us." He assured her gently as she moved to sit next to him. "We're going to get a restraining order against Craig and I'm going to get full-time custody. You are going to be fine."
Rachel buried her face into his shoulder. "I don't wanna see him." She admitted softly. "I can't see him again."
"He won't hurt you." Mark promised as he put his arms around her. "I'll be there the whole time."
Rachel nodded slowly. "Promise?"
"I promise."
Rachel was pacing around the lobby, her shoes clicking against the hard stone floor with each step.
"Rach it's going to be fine." Mark said gently from where he sat with Ella in his lap. "Come sit down."
Rachel shook her head before continuing to pace.
Elizabeth came back into the room and gave Mark a sympathetic smile as she sat by him. "She's just dealing with this the only way she knows how." She assured him. "Let her be in control of this."
Mark nodded before gently kissing her cheek. "Thank you for being here."
"Of course." Elizabeth said softly. She watched him quietly for a few moments before she spoke up again. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine." Mark replied immediately, not looking at her.
"Mark you look pale." Elizabeth tried again. "Did your IV go alright last night?"
"I'm fine." Mark replied again, his eyes following Rachel around the room.
"Mark." Elizabeth said sharply, causing him to finally turn towards her. "Are you alright?"
Mark smiled softly. "I'm fine." He said gently. "I'm a bit nauseous but I'm fine."
"Let me know if you need something." Elizabeth replied firmly.
"I will." Mark assured her. They both sat quietly as they watched Rachel pace around the room until their attorney, Chris, came into the room.
"Mark." He greeted him enthusiastically. "Your case is going in next, but the judge would like to speak with Rachel before she hears the case."
Rachel looked over, her eyes wide.
"It's okay Rachel you can go with Chris." Mark prompted her.
Rachel didn't move.
"Rachel would you like me to go up with you?" Elizabeth asked her softly. After a few moments Rachel nodded.
Elizabeth smiled as she got up to follow Chris with Rachel. Rachel stayed as close to Elizabeth as possible the entire walk to the judge's chambers. When they got there Chris directed the two of them to sit on the bench in the hallway.
A few moments later Chris and a middle-aged woman emerged from the room. "Hi Rachel. My name is Candace I'm the judge overseeing your case. Would you mind coming in and talking to me for a few minutes?"
"Can Elizabeth come with me?" She asked softly.
"I'm afraid I have to speak to you alone." Candace said firmly. "Your Mom can wait out here."
"She's not…" Rachel began before shaking her head. "Okay." She said, standing up to follow her into her chambers.
"Do you want something to drink?" Candace asked as she led Rachel to the chairs in the corner of the room.
Rachel shook her head as she sat down, tucking her legs underneath her.
"So Rachel can you tell me about what happened with your step-father?" Candace asked her gently.
Rachel took in a deep breath. "Don't you already know? From the police report and hospital file…"
"I know the details." Candace affirmed. "I want to know from you how you're handling everything that's happened. When I'm handling cases with minors I like to know how they feel, not just what their parents think they feel."
Rachel shrugged. "I guess I'm okay."
"Based on what I've heard from your parents you're not okay." Candace said gently. "It's okay to not be okay with this. It's okay to want your mom here with you."
"She's not my mom." Rachel replied angrily. "She's my step-mother, and she's only being nice to me because she feels bad for me."
"Oh." Candace replied, her eyes scanning the file in front of her. "Of course, I'm sorry Elizabeth Corday is listed as your step-mother. I was given the impression that she was your mother. She had very good things to say about you in her statement."
Rachel looked up, her eyes wide. "Really?"
Candace nodded. "She made it very clear that you're wanted in her home, it didn't seem like pity to me."
Rachel crossed her arms around herself, trying to protect herself from the tension in the room. "I want to live with her and my Dad." She finally said after several minutes.
"Your mother, Jennifer Greene-Simon, has full custody right now according to your file." Candace observed. "Is she going to be here?"
Rachel nodded. "She said she'd be here by noon."
"So she won't be here before the hearing." Candace observed. "Is there a reason you don't want to live with your mother?"
Rachel shrugged. "I don't want to go back to that house." She said quietly.
"Your mother has expressed interest in maintaining full custody." Candace said gently. "Generally I don't like to change custody rulings without reason for your safety, or agreement from both parents."
"Please don't make me go back to her." Rachel said softly. "I can't go back to her."
"Did your Mom hurt you?" Candace asked softly.
Rachel sighed. "Not intentionally." She admitted. "She just doesn't think about me. When she makes big decisions they're always about her."
"And your Dad?" Candace asked, as she took notes in the file in front of her.
Rachel sat quietly for a few minutes. "He would do anything for me." She said finally. "He's never once let me feel like I needed to do something for him that wasn't actually for me."
"Okay." Candace noted. "It says here that your father has a GBM, that's a type of brain tumor isn't it?" Rachel nodded. "How has that impacted you?"
Rachel shrugged. "He's always made sure I've understood what was happening, and he's let me make all of my decisions about what I'm there for, and what I'm not there for. I never really felt like it changed anything."
"Alright." Candace nodded with a smile. "I don't have any other questions. Do you have any questions for me?"
Rachel shrugged before sitting quietly for a few minutes. Finally she looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Craig is going to be there?" She asked through a hiccup.
Candace nodded. "He's going to have to testify as well."
"Will there be security there?" Rachel asked softly.
Candace's face softened as she nodded. "You'll be safe Rachel. Your parents will be with you the whole time, and Craig won't be able to hurt you."
Rachel sighed in relief. "Thank you."
"I'll see you in the courtroom." Candace said with a smile.
Rachel was sitting anxiously in the courtroom, her leg twitching nervously. The judge had left several minutes ago to make a decision regarding custody.
"Rachel everything's going to be fine." Elizabeth said softly as she watched Rachel's leg move anxiously.
Rachel shook her head. "What if she doesn't give Dad custody?"
"She will Rach." Elizabeth said firmly as she glanced over to see Ella climbing up Mark's chest, her hands grasped firmly around his shirt collar. "He's going to get custody."
Rachel was about to respond when they heard the bailiff firmly state "All rise." As Candace returned to the room.
As soon as everyone was sitting again Candace opened the file in front of her. "I would first like to address the criminal charges against Mr. Simon." She said quickly. "These charges will continue on to the state court house as guilt will not be determined in family court. When it comes to the matter of a restraining order, following the proceedings of this session, Mr. Simon is not to be within 100 yards of Ms. Rachel Greene, nor is he to initiate contact with her in any form. Doing so will result in a felony punishable by up to four thousand dollars in fine as well as prison time."
Rachel relaxed slightly as she felt Elizabeth's hand grab her own.
"My knowledge as gained throughout this hearing will be presented to the judge who will conduct the criminal proceedings next month." Candace completed her thought. "Now, onto the question of custody for Rachel Greene. While Rachel has expressed a certain interest in custody being transferred to her father, I am not comfortable doing so at this time. That being said, I have decided to make no changes in her current custody arrangement. Full custody remains with Jennifer Greene-Simon."
Rachel's eyes widened in shock.
Elizabeth watched as Mark began to speak quickly with Chris.
"Justice Simpson, may I speak with you at the bench with my client?"
Candace nodded and Rachel watched as her father went up to the front of the room while Elizabeth's hand tightened around her own.
"Could you please explain to my client why you felt that you were unable to grant him full custody of his daughter?" Chris said as soon as they arrived.
"Mr. Greene." Candace began. "I understand that this is hard to hear, but I am not comfortable giving you full custody of your daughter while your life is on the line. Rachel has many things she has to adjust to, but making her change custody to an in-stable parent does not seem like a wise decision."
Mark's eyes darkened in anger. "I have a brain tumor, it is not progressing and has a high potential for my current treatment to put me in remission for several years, far beyond Rachel turning eighteen. There is no greater risk of me not being here in three years than there is for her mother."
"I'm sorry Mr. Greene." Candace replied. "You'll have to work out your daughter's living situation with your ex-wife."
It was then that Jennifer approached the stand. "You should have custody Mark." She said tiredly.
Mark raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What?"
"Rachel wants you, I don't know why I thought forcing her to live with me was a good idea." Jennifer said softly. "I was watching her, and she looks so afraid. I don't want to be the reason our daughter is that afraid of anything. My husband has already hurt her more than I can repair. You should have custody."
"Are you sure Mrs. Greene-Simon?" Candace asked impatiently.
Jennifer nodded. "I just want her to feel safe. She feels safe with you and Elizabeth."
"All of your parental rights will be terminated if you ask for custody to be given to Mr. Greene." Candace informed her seriously.
After a few more minutes of discussion everyone returned to their seats. Mark having moved to right next to Rachel.
"After a brief discussion with both parties, I have decided that my decision was not made with the best information available." Candace said tiredly. "Based on the request of both Mr. Greene and Mrs. Greene-Simon full custody of Rachel Greene is going to be transferred to Mark Greene. This transfer means the relinquishing of all parental rights by Jennifer Greene-Simon."
The judge continued to talk but Rachel couldn't hear anything she was saying. She suddenly felt a huge weight lifted from her as she looked at her dad in relief. "Thank you." She whispered quietly. "Thank you so much."
"I wasn't about to give you up without a fight bug." Mark assured her as he pulled her into a hug. "If this is what you want your mother and I both want it for you."
"This is what I want I promise." Rachel said as she smiled through the tears running down her face.
"Welcome to the family, officially." Elizabeth said with a smile.
"Thank you Elizabeth." Rachel said after a minute. "You've done more for me than I deserved."
Elizabeth shook her head. "You deserve to be loved Rachel. It doesn't matter what you do, you're Mark's daughter. You're always going to deserve love from your parents."
Rachel nodded with a smile. "Thank you."
Mark smiled as he watched his wife and daughter interact. "Let's go." He said as he took Ella from Elizabeth. "I've got a couple of beautiful daughters to spend Thanksgiving with this weekend."