Out of the Ashes

by lifeloveinsanity28

AU: Santana Lopez has always shouldered the weight of caring for her younger siblings, Quinn, Blaine, and Rachel. Their older brother, Noah is absent and their mother is a mess. Their fragile stability is shattered by a single event. Now, they must find the strength to rebuild and overcome their traumatic past. Can they rise from the ashes of destruction?

7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. All characters are owned by RIB and Glee.

A/N: Special shoutout to my friend and beta, 216BLT, for all her help with this chapter and her insight.

T/W: domestic violence, abuse of a child, references to murder and suicide

Rachel slowly opened her eyes. She felt groggy and disorientated. She didn't even remember falling asleep but her eyes felt sticky and dry, gritty from sleep and swollen from her earlier tears. The room she was in was white, too white. She tried to sit up but a sharp pain in her head made her wince and forced her to lay back down. Everything was quieter now. Everything had been so loud that it made her head scream with pain but now the only thing she could hear was the crinkle of the paper sheet underneath her and the muffled sound of voices just beyond the door. She glanced around the room and realized she was alone.

Her heart froze as panic flooded her body. She ignored the pain that shot through her head as she sat up once again. Her eyes darted frantically around the room as she searched for something she knew she wouldn't find. Why was she alone? Her memories felt fuzzy and unclear but she could remember Blaine being here. Blaine had been so loud, he was yelling and crying and it had made Rachel's head hurt and her stomach churn but everything was silent now. She didn't know why they had taken Blaine away.

She squeezed her eyes shut as her heart raced and her mind reeled. Snippets of that night began to play behind her eyes, fuzzy and slightly out of focus, like they had been nothing more than a dream. She remembered her dad's anger and her mom's screams. She ghosted her fingers over her cheekbone pressing down gently as she remembered the feeling of her dad's hand striking her. She let out a hiss of pain when her fingers pressed down on a particularly tender spot. She remembered Santana carrying her out of the house and how badly her head had throbbed with each of Santana's steps. She remembered Noah being there in the ambulance, holding her against his chest as she sobbed. She couldn't remember much else.

Her siblings were supposed to be here. They would never have left Rachel alone. They always took care of her. She and Blaine were never separated. They did everything together. Someone had to be keeping them away. She felt her chest tighten as she realized she was at the hospital where her dad worked. She hadn't seen him since he had shoved her away. She wondered if he was here. He had to be the reason that none of her siblings were here. What if he had hurt them?

Rachel swung her legs over the edge of the bed and slowly stood up. Her legs felt shaky and wobbly. She felt dizzy as she reached out to grip the edge of the mattress, drawing in slow, deep breaths as she waited for the spinning to subside. She stumbled towards the door on shaky legs. She needed to find her siblings. She needed them to be okay. She couldn't wait in here for her dad to find her. She knew he would find her. He always found her.

As she approached the door, it suddenly swung open, startling her. The unexpected sequence of events caught her off guard as she stumbled backward and landed on her bottom with a thud. Tears filled her eyes as the jarring impact caused the throbbing in her head to increase. She was too slow. She knew it was too late, her dad had found her.

"Shit. Rachel, are you okay?" A male voice questioned and Rachel screwed her eyes shut as tears trickled down her cheeks. Whoever had entered the room was too close to her, she could feel their breath on her cheek and she needed to get away. She scrambled backward on her bottom until she reached the edge of the hospital bed.

"No..P-please…I-I'm sorry..p-please…I-I'll be g-good..p-please don't," Rachel babbled, shaking her head furiously as she tried unsuccessfully to get away.

"Rachel, sweetheart, open your eyes. No one here is going to hurt you," The voice that was speaking was female now and unfamiliar. It was soft and soothing and Rachel allowed herself to open her eyes, "Dr. Miller and I are here to help you."

Her dad wasn't there. She was on the floor of the hospital room staring at a nurse with curly brown hair and kind eyes and a young male doctor with glasses and short black hair and a white lab coat. They weren't her dad. They looked nice. Her dad hadn't looked nice the last time she saw him. She sobbed in relief as she pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face in them, "I w-want my b-brother. W-Where's Blaine? He was right here….when I woke up..he was gone. C-can you find him?"

The nurse smiled softly at Rachel, "Of course. Let's get you back up in bed and I'll see if I can't find him."

Rachel nodded as she took the nurse's hand, allowing the woman to help her to her feet and guide her back onto the hospital bed. Her head throbbed in time with the beat of her heart and she just wanted to stop hurting. Everything hurt and she was so scared and alone, "My head hurts."

The nurse made a soft sympathetic noise and ran her fingers through Rachel's hair in an attempt to soothe her. Her fingers were gentle as she brushed wayward strands of hair away from Rachel's face and Rachel found herself leaning into the gentle touch. It reminded her so much of Santana that it made her chest ache for her sister. She still didn't know where anyone was and it was confusing. Everything was too much and she didn't want to be alone in the hospital with strangers.

"You have what we call a concussion. Do you know what that is?" Dr. Miller asked and Rachel shook her head, "It's a really big bump on your head and it's going to make you feel not so great for a little while. That's why you have a headache and you might be a little dizzy or nauseous. It's really important that you rest to give your brain some time to heal."

Rachel didn't want to have a concussion. Her dad shouldn't have pushed her. If he hadn't pushed her, she wouldn't be in the hospital, "My-my dad…." Rachel started, swallowing roughly as the words caught in her throat, "He works here. Is he here?"

Rachel watched as Dr. Miller and the nurse exchanged a look and she didn't understand. They were looking at each other like Santana and Noah did when they had a secret they didn't want her or Blaine to know. It made her feel funny and it was confusing. Everything was so confusing. She wondered if that was from the concussion too.

"I…I don't know, Rachel but why don't I go get your brother so Dr. Miller can continue his exam?" The nurse suggested and Rachel nodded.

Rachel curled her knees to her chest once again, rocking herself slightly as she waited. She didn't understand why her dad wasn't here. She still didn't understand why no one in her family was with her. She couldn't even remember if she saw her mom or dad before she left her house that night. She only remembered Santana and Noah. She wanted Santana. She wanted someone to explain to her what happened.

"Rachel!" Blaine exclaimed as soon as he entered the room, and Rachel curled into herself, covering her ears with her hands. He was being too loud.

"Too loud," She whispered but she didn't know if Blaine heard. She could hear the doctor explaining to Blaine what a concussion was and that he needed to be quiet so Rachel's brain could rest. She felt the bed shift as her brother climbed up beside her.

"I'm really sorry you have a concussion, Rach," Blaine whispered and she lifted her head from her knees to stare at him. His face was red and his eyes were puffy and she knew he had been crying, "I'm sorry Dad pushed you."

Rachel winced at Blaine's words and fought against looking at Dr. Miller or the nurse to see if they heard what her brother said. Blaine knew they weren't supposed to talk about that, "You can't, Blaine. No one can know. Where-where were you?"

Blaine sniffled as tears fell down his cheeks at Rachel's admonishment, "I-I fell asleep. I didn't mean to…I was scared…and they took you away….no one would tell me where you were…and I threw up…I didn't mean it…I shouldn't have fallen asleep…they said you were coming back..but-but you didn't…I'm sorry."

Blaine threw his arms around her, pulling her against him as he cried. She winced as his arms squeezed too tightly, the bruises and welts on her back, throbbing from the pressure of his embrace. She wanted to push him away because it hurt but he was sad so she didn't. She just bit her lip and rubbed his back, hoping he would stop crying soon.

"It's not your fault," Rachel whispered, parroting the words she so often heard her older sister say, "Where's Santana? Have you seen her?"

Blaine shook his head and shrugged as he pulled away from Rachel, "I…I don't know. No one will tell me."

It didn't make sense. She wondered if it was the concussion that was making her feel so confused. Rachel was hurt. Santana always took care of her when she was hurt or sick. Santana was supposed to be here.

Dr. Miller cleared his throat, drawing the children's attention, "Rachel, I need to continue my exam now."

Rachel felt everything still inside her at his words before panic once again flooded her veins. She didn't need an exam. They told her she had a concussion. They had taken so many pictures of her head and the machine was so loud. She couldn't let them examine her. If they examined her, they would see what her dad had done. She wouldn't be able to hide it. Her dad said they would take her away if anyone found out, that she had to keep it a secret.

"No, please," Rachel sobbed as she protested weakly, her eyes darting around the room as she looked for somewhere to hide, "You said I hurt my head. It's just my head…I'm not…I'm okay."

Dr. Miller advanced towards her as Rachel dissolved into tears, "Rachel, we have to be sure. We have to make sure that you aren't hurt anywhere else. I know it's scary but we'll take good care of you. We're here to help you feel better."

Rachel sobbed the word "no" over and over as she tried to push Dr. Miller away from her. She didn't like his words. His words sounded too much like her dad's. Her dad hurt her but he told her he would make her feel better too. She never understood.

Blaine watched as his sister cried and pushed at the doctor's chest. His chest hurt and he felt small sitting beside her. He didn't know how to calm her down. He wanted Santana. Santana would help Rachel calm down. He knew the doctors needed to check Rachel out but Rachel was scared and she wasn't listening. He frowned as he tried to figure out how to help. He knew Rachel was scared because their dad was a doctor and he never was very nice. But these doctors were different. They wanted to help them. They hadn't been mad when he threw up on the floor. They helped him change his clothes and brought him ice cream while he waited for Rachel even though it was really late. They were nothing like their dad.

The doctors had told him Rachel had something called a concussion. A concussion sounded really scary. She was hurt and he didn't understand why she wouldn't let them help her. He scooted closer to her until they were pushed flush against each other. He could feel Rachel shaking beside him as he reached for her hand, threading their fingers together.

" 'S okay, Rach," he whispered, "They're really nice. They..they can help you. You don't have to be scared."

Rachel sobbed and Blaine winced as she gripped his hand too tightly, "No, Blaine. They'll know. No one is supposed to know."

Rachel felt a gentle touch to her knees and she dragged her gaze from her brother to the kind eyes of the nurse, "Sweetheart, Dr. Miller will examine you really quickly, and your brother and I will be with you the whole time. Just hold his hand. I'll tell you everything the doctor is doing and if you need to take a break, just let me know and we can stop for a minute."

Rachel nodded, bowing her head towards her lap. Her tears were silent now as she resigned herself to her fate. There was no point in fighting. She could feel her body trembling with anticipation and she could barely hear the nurse talking to her over the roaring of the blood in her ears. She screwed her eyes shut, tears dripping onto her lap as she felt the doctor open the back of her gown, flinching slightly at the gentle touch.

"Get away from her!" Santana shouted and the sound of her older sister's voice caused Rachel's eyes to shoot up from her lap.

Santana was really mad. Rachel could see the way her older sister's fists balled at her sides and her dark eyes flashed dangerously. She could hear Santana's voice shaking as she shouted at the doctor and nurse and it made Rachel's stomach hurt. She didn't like it when Santana yelled. Her sister could be really scary when she was mad and sometimes Santana's anger made everything worse. Sometimes when Santana was angry, she would fight with Rachel's dad and he would hurt her big sister. She didn't want Santana to get in trouble. She had been wishing and waiting for her sister to come to her all night long but now that she was here, her anger made Rachel nervous.

Every thought had flown from Santana's mind as she flung the door of the exam room open. She took in the scene in front of her. Rachel looked small as she shifted uncomfortably. Blaine's face was pale and drawn and his eyes wide with terror. He was looking at her like he had when he saw the blood on her clothing that night. The doctor was looming over Rachel in a way that seemed vaguely threatening even if the rational part of Santana knew it wasn't. She had been able to hear Rachel's tears and Rachel's protests as she made her way down the hallway and the surge of protectiveness in her chest had turned to anger the second she opened the door.

Her words seemed to have the desired effect as every eye turned towards her and the doctor paused his exam, "Don't touch her! She doesn't want you to touch her!"

She could hear hurried steps down the hallway and knew that her aunt and the social worker must've heard her shouting. She surged forward, crouching in front of Blaine and Rachel on the cot as she pulled them against her. They felt so small and fragile, almost breakable. She could feel them trembling in her arms. They weren't supposed to be alone. She should never have left them alone. She was supposed to be protecting them but all she kept doing was leaving them alone.

"Sanny, where have you been?" Blaine whispered, his eyes pooling with tears as he studied his older sister.

Santana felt her heart sink as she pulled back from them. She ran a hand over the top of Rachel's bowed head and squeezed Blaine's hand gently as she straightened up. Blaine's question had been soft and curious but it struck Santana like a punch to the gut. It felt like an accusation and the guilt of leaving them caused her stomach to churn uncomfortably.

Santana opened and closed her mouth uselessly as she tried to form the words to explain her absence. She could feel Blaine's eyes boring into her as he waited for her to say something. She didn't have the words. She was their big sister and she hadn't been there all night. They needed her and she wasn't there.

"Santana, what're you doing in here? You were asked to wait," Anna admonished as she entered the room, her eyes taking in the scene in front of her.

Rachel watched as Santana's features hardened and she reached for her sister's hand, "Santana, no."

Rachel didn't recognize the women who were standing in the doorway but she recognized the look on Santana's face. It was the look her older sister always had before she yelled at someone. She saw Santana's jaw twitch as she spun around. Rachel was really tired of everyone yelling and being too loud. It made her head hurt.

"Where were you?" Santana accused as she spun around to face Emma and Anna, advancing towards them but her eyes were locked on Emma.

She could feel anger coiling in the pit of her stomach like a snake ready to strike. She preferred that over the guilt that had been making her nauseous just moments before. Any guilt she felt at leaving her little siblings had quickly vacated her body at the sound of Anna's voice. Santana wasn't the only one who had left the twins alone. Anna and Emma had left them alone as well. They told Santana that they would stay with Blaine and Rachel but they hadn't been here either.

Emma seemed to shrink under the weight of Santana's gaze, "We were right outside…we were only gone for a minute."

"You were supposed to be here, Emma!" Santana exclaimed, jabbing a finger toward the floor in emphasis, not missing the way that Emma flinched, "You said you would stay with them and you…you left them alone."

"Rachel was asleep, Santana," Emma rationalized, "She was asleep and we were right there."

Santana shook her head as she glanced back at Rachel and Blaine huddled together on the cot, holding hands and clinging to each other desperately. Everything faded away as she studied them. They weren't in the hospital room anymore. She was in her closet, searching for them desperately. The twins were tucked in carefully amongst Santana and Quinn's clothes and shoes, hidden from view and the only sound in the house was their whimpers and sobs. Everything was dark and she could smell the copper tang of the blood that coated her hands and dampened her pants. Her knees throbbed and burned from the tumble she had nearly taken on the stairs.

She could feel her heartbeat thudding in her chest as she tried to breathe. They couldn't be there. She couldn't go back there. Panic and terror flooded her veins as she tried to return to the present. She hadn't left them there. She had gotten them out of the closet. She had made sure they were safe. She had carried Rachel from the house and she could still feel the phantom touch of Blaine clinging to her hand as she led him down the stairs. She shook her head and clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, trying to ground herself.

"Santana," Emma murmured, placing a hand on Santana's arm. The gentle touch to her arm and the soft sound of her name was all it took to jolt her back to the present.

Santana yanked her arm away from Emma and took a few steps back as she drew in a deep breath, "Don't touch me," she snapped, "Rachel was scared. They were crying…you weren't here. You said you would be here."

Santana couldn't tell if she was talking about Emma or herself anymore. Focusing her anger on Emma was easier. It was easier to be angry at Emma and Anna for not doing their one job than deal with the guilt she felt every time the memories of earlier took her by surprise. She had left them at Brittany's house and Hiram had found them. Hiram had found them and they were left alone in the closet while their mother bled out on the floor of the living room and their father's brains had been splattered against the wall.

"Santana, we're here now," Anna interrupted, "We're-"

"It isn't enough!" Santana shouted, her voice cracking with emotion as she cut Anna off mid-sentence, "You-you should've been here before..Rachel didn't…she didn't want the doctor touching her. She was..she was crying and she was alone. You both left her alone," Santana glared at Anna, "Did you even hear her crying?"

"Santana, stop," Emma admonished softly, receiving a scoff in response.

Emma's attention shifted from Santana to the two children just beyond Santana's shoulder. She could see how terrified they were. She watched as they flinched each time Santana raised her voice. Blaine had fully wrapped his arms around Rachel in an attempt to muffle the sounds of Santana's shouts that echoed off the sterile hospital walls. Rachel was sobbing with abandon and Emma could see tears streaking down Blaine's cheeks.

Santana gritted her teeth as she faced Emma, "Don't fucking tell me what to do."

Emma gestured in Blaine and Rachel's direction, "Look at them, Santana. You're scaring them. They're terrified."

Santana shook her head before turning to face her brother and sister. She felt the anger leaking from her pores as she studied them. They had been scared and alone when she entered the exam room but now they were scared because of her. She could see Rachel shaking and the sounds of her sobs echoed in the room now that it was silent. Blaine was watching her warily, tears streaking his cheeks as he clung tightly to his sister. She felt emotion swell in her chest because she was responsible for their fear. She was trying to protect them and she scared them instead.

"I.." Santana started but she allowed her words to trail off because she didn't know if she was going to apologize or try to explain herself. It was easier to just say nothing. She felt a soft touch on the small of her back and she flinched away from the attempt at comfort.

"It's okay to be upset," Emma soothed her niece, "and it's okay to feel overwhelmed but yelling at us isn't helping. It's not helping them. You're their big sister and they need you."

Santana hated that Emma was right. She wished she hadn't been forced to call her aunt. Her aunt didn't know any of them but she was still right. She was feeling everything all at once and her head felt like it was going to explode from emotion. She couldn't do this with Emma. She wanted to go back to yelling and fighting, that was second nature.

"No one was listening to her," Santana murmured, "None of you were paying attention to her at all. It isn't fair that she doesn't get to decide what happens."

"Santana, she needs to be examined. That's not up for negotiation," Anna explained, "She has a concussion. We need to make sure she doesn't have any other injuries. I know she's scared but maybe if you explained to her why she needs an exam, it might help her understand."

Santana rolled her eyes, "She can hear you. She's right there. Can I talk to them alone?"

Anna hesitated, surprised by Santana's request, "Why alone?'

"Just…you're strangers and they're scared," Santana stated simply, "They'll listen better if a bunch of strangers aren't staring at them. I only need like five minutes."

"Five minutes and we'll be right outside," Anna told her, pausing as she waited for Santana to nod in acknowledgment.

Santana waited until she heard the sounds of retreating footsteps and the door opening and closing before rushing toward Blaine and Rachel. They still weren't looking at her. She wondered if they even recognized that they were alone. She fought the urge to wrap her arms around them, settling on clearing her throat as Blaine's gaze shifted to her and he blinked up at her owlishly. He kept his arms wrapped around Rachel who was sniffling and shaking against him.

"Hey," Santana said smiling softly at her little brother, "You okay?"

Blaine just stared at her blinking slowly as his lips parted slightly in surprise as he withdrew his arms from around Rachel. He faced Santana fully before shaking his head slowly.

Santana laughed quietly to herself, "Yeah, that was a really stupid question," she said as she crouched down in front of them, resting her hands on the edge of the cot in attempt to keep her balance, "I know everything is really scary right now, but I'm here, okay?"

"Sanny, who were those ladies?" Blaine questioned softly, "Why are you so mad at them?"

Santana took a deep breath as she contemplated the easiest way to explain who Emma and Anna were in a way that wouldn't further scare them. Emma was their aunt but the twins had only met her when they were babies. They wouldn't remember her. She wasn't even sure that they knew their mom had a sister. None of the older kids ever talked about her and Shelby pretended her sister didn't exist.

Santana sighed as Blaine stared at her expectantly, "Anna…she's here to help us and the redhead with the big eyes is our aunt-"

"Emma," Rachel whispered as she finished her older sister's sentence, her voice muffled by the fabric of Blaine's shirt.

"How…how…how did you…" Santana stammered, her words trailing off as she tried to figure out how her little sister even knew about the aunt that no one talked about.

Rachel shrugged, her eyes trained on her lap, "I saw a picture of her...Quinn has a picture of her and our grandma."

Blaine furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes at Santana, "If she's our aunt and they are supposed to be helping us, then why were you yelling at them?"

Santana sighed, pulling Rachel against her, playing with the ends of Rachel's hair, "I was scared too, Blaine. I…I couldn't find you and I was upset that they left you alone. I was just worried."

Rachel clung to the fabric of Santana's shirt tightly. She pressed her ear tightly to Santana's chest and allowed the steady thumping of her older sister's heart soothe her, "Sanny, I wanna go home. I don't like it here."

Santana felt her heart freeze in her chest at Rachel's words. Her baby sister wanted to go home, but they didn't have a home anymore. Santana didn't even know what was going to happen to them.

"I know, munchkin but you need to let the doctor examine you before we can leave."

Rachel pulled back from Santana violently, wiping at the tears that were gathering in the corner of her eyes as she pulled her knees to her chest, "No…Sanny, they can't. They'll-they'll find out…they'll find out about Daddy. They can't know….Daddy will…he'll be really mad. No one is supposed to know."

Santana's heart dropped into her stomach at her baby sister's words. Rachel and Blaine didn't know. They didn't know that Hiram and their mom were dead. Santana felt a cold sweat breakout over her skin as the realization dawned on her. How could no one have told them yet? She couldn't tell them. It couldn't be her that told them that their parents were dead. She needed to focus on something else. She had to focus on just getting Rachel through this exam and she could think about everything else later.

Santana nudged Blaine with her hip to get him to scoot over so she could swing herself onto the exam cot, sandwiching herself in between Blaine and Rachel. She reached for Rachel, pulling her close as she rubbed one hand up and down Rachel's arm. She could feel Rachel's breaths hitching as she held her close.

"Rachel, I know you're scared, but it'll be okay. Blaine and I will be here the whole time," Santana murmured and Rachel clung to her tighter, "You're okay. They examined me and Quinn too. You just have to be brave for a little while and then it will be over. Think you can do that?"

"O-okay," Rachel whispered, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She pulled away from Santana quickly when the door opened once again. She felt Santana's hand curl into her own as she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

"Rachel, is it okay if we continue your exam now?" Dr. Miller asked.

Rachel nodded, biting her lip as tears pooled in her eyes once again. She kept her eyes trained on her lap and the bright geometric patterns that covered the hospital gown she wore, watching as they blurred every time she blinked. She didn't want to do this but Santana told her she needed to be brave. Everything was too much and the voices around her seemed to blend into incomprehensible jumble. The voices were muffled and faraway as if she was underwater. She squeezed Santana's hand tighter, seeking the comfort of her big sister's touch, as her breaths came in shallow gasps.

She had to be brave like Santana always was. She could do that even if her insides were quivering and she felt like she was going to be sick. They were going to see what her dad had done. Everyone would know and they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't understand that it was her fault, too. Her dad didn't mean to hurt her, not always. She made him mad and she broke the rules. Her dad said she would be taken away if she ever told. She didn't want to be taken away.

She didn't mean to wince when Dr. Miller placed his stethoscope against her back. The thin fabric of her hospital gown scraped against the tender bruises that covered her back sending a jolt of pain through her body. She clenched her jaw and tried to stay still but a sharp breath escaped her lips betraying her.

"Rachel, did that hurt?" Dr. Miller asked.

"Nuh-uh," Rachel whispered, her voice shaky and weak, "The thingy was just cold."

"Rachel, I'm going to open your gown and check your back for any injuries," Dr. Miller explained, "Is that okay?"

Rachel wanted to tell him no. She wanted to tell him he couldn't look but it didn't matter. Her back was covered in bruises and the thought of anyone seeing what her dad had done made her want to curl up and hide or run and never stop running. She knew she couldn't. She knew she had to be brave and get this over with. She felt Santana shift beside her as her older sister turned her body towards Rachel, her knees pressing into Rachel's thighs. Santana kept her grip on Rachel's hands in between their bodies as she rested her forehead against the side of Rachel's head.

"It's okay, munchkin, I've got you. You're safe," Santana murmured against the shell of Rachel's ear and a shudder wracked Rachel's body as a sob got caught in her throat, "Just focus on me. I've got you."

She did her best to focus on Santana's voice and the platitudes she was whispering into her ear as Dr. Miller opened the back of her gown. She felt like the room was closing in on her and she tried to take deep breaths to slow her racing heart and fill her lungs with oxygen. She could feel shame burning in her chest as she heard the doctor's sharp intake of breath behind her. They knew now what she had been hiding. She wanted to explain. She wanted to explain how she made her dad mad except she couldn't do anything but sob.

She heard the sounds of footsteps shuffling around to the back of the cot and she knew that all the adults in the room were studying the bruises on her back. She shuddered as she felt the weight of their gazes on the bruised landscape of her back. She felt helpless as they examined her. She felt raw and exposed and she wanted to curl up into a ball and hide from them. She wanted to pull the gown tighter around her body and cover up once again. She heard someone let out a sob but the sound was unfamiliar. She wondered if it was her new aunt that was crying.

Emma's breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of her youngest niece's back, the skin was mottled with bruises and angry welts. The colors ranged from deep purples to sickly yellows, each mark at a different stage of healing, some broken open and oozing, others scabbed over and cracked. Her heart ached with the weight of what Rachel had suffered. She felt tears blur her vision as she choked back the sobs that wanted to burst forth.

She could feel the weight of Santana's gaze on her face from over Rachel's shoulder, her eyes dark as they brimmed with sadness and anger. Emma swallowed against the nausea that was curdling in the pit of her stomach with the knowledge that she had failed to protect these children and the unimaginable horrors they had so obviously had to endure alone with no one to protect them. She should have been there to protect them. How could she have failed them this badly?

"Rachel, can you tell us how you got these bruises on your back?" Dr. Miller asked.

Rachel went rigid in Santana's embrace at the doctor's questions as she slowly shook her head, "I'm not…I-I-I can't..I p-promised…I'm not allowed to talk about it."

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut as the air around the front of her shifted and she knew someone had come to crouch down in front of her. She couldn't look at whoever it was, not even for a second. She couldn't look at them, knowing that they would see the guilt and shame in her eyes. They had seen her bruises but they still didn't know the truth about her dad and what he had done. She could keep that part of her secret safe for now.

"Rachel, look at me, please," Anna commanded gently, her voice soft and prodding. Rachel opened her eyes briefly meeting the kind green eyes of the woman in front of her, "You're safe here. You're sister and brother are here. No one is going to hurt you. You can tell us what happened. We want to help you."

Rachel shook her head, pressing her lips together tightly to keep the words from tumbling out. She felt Santana's hand tighten around hers and heard her sister inhale a shuddering breath.

"I know you're scared, little one, but you can tell them. You can tell them how you got hurt." Santana whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.

"I can't," Rachel cried, "They'll take us away! We'll get separated."

Santana could sense her baby sister's panic at Anna's question. She felt how stiff Rachel had become in her arm and the way she was trembling. She unwound her hand from Rachel's so she could wrap her arms around Rachel's waist and pull her closer. She knew the things Hiram had whispered into her ears each time he had come to her room and Rachel's overwhelming fear and panic told Santana he had said the same things to her baby sister. But Santana had told Rachel those things as well. She didn't know how to make Rachel understand that none of those words and empty threats mattered now, no threat Hiram had ever made would come true because Hiram was gone. But Rachel didn't know that and Santana wasn't ready to tell her baby sister that her dad was gone, even the thought made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

"No, they won't. You were told those things so you would stay quiet. No one is going to take you away from me. I won't let that happen. I'm right here," Santana reassured her trembling baby sister. Rachel pulled away from her slightly, peering up at her, confusion and something like betrayal shining in her eyes.

"Your sister's right, sweetheart. You can tell us who hurt you."

Rachel's heart pounded in her chest as Santana's words echoed in her mind. How could Santana ask her to tell her secret to these strangers? She could hear her dad's words too and they were drowning out Santana's assurances of safety. She could hear him reminding her of all the bad things that would happen if she ever spoke up. She stayed silent because it was easier. It was easier to hide the bruises and the tears and pray that no one ever noticed. But Santana had noticed even if it wasn't right away. Her older sister had noticed and she had promised Rachel that she would keep her secret.

Rachel couldn't tell. Her dad worked here. He worked at this hospital and the fear that he would know that she told felt like it was choking her. The words were stuck in her throat and she couldn't get herself to just say them. She could feel everyone staring at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak but she couldn't find her voice. She wanted to trust that Santana would keep them safe but Santana had told them they would be safe at Brittany's house and their dad had found them. Her dad would always find them. Her dad knew everything.

"I-I can't," Rachel wailed, burying her face in Santana's side as she sobbed.

"It was our dad," Blaine whispered, his voice so soft that Rachel had to strain to hear him, "Our dad hurt her."

Blaine's words may have been soft but to Rachel they sounded like a scream. She felt her breath hitch and catch in her throat, fear seizing her lungs and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She wanted to yell at Blaine and tell him that it wasn't his secret to tell but her fear had stolen her voice as well. Blaine had been there every time her dad's belt or hand had struck her skin and he knew what would happen if they told.

"Rachel, is that true? Did your dad hurt you?" Anna questioned gently.

Rachel nodded, "He…I-I make him mad sometimes. I-I don't listen and I..I break the rules. He only punishes me to make me better. I d-don't think he means to hurt me so bad."

"W-what?" Santana stammered, "That's not…you can't…Rachel…"

Santana couldn't form a coherent sentence. She felt like she was going to throw up. She was suddenly too hot and too cold and her heart started racing in her chest. Rachel was protecting him. Her baby sister was shouldering the blame that was reserved for Hiram alone. Hiram had been beating Rachel and her sister was parroting some bullshit about how it was supposed to make her better. Santana knew she was only repeating what he had told her. Hiram didn't give a shit about making Rachel or any of them better. Hiram had only ever cared about two things: power and control and he always had both even if it meant inflicting pain.

"Rachel, even if you make your dad mad, he shouldn't hurt you. No one should ever hit you so hard that it leaves bruises," Anna explained, "Not even your dad."

"You can't tell him," Rachel blurted, twisting her hands into the gown that covered her lap, "You can't tell him I told you. He-he can't know. He made me..he made me promise. Is-is he here?"

Anna hesitated before shaking her head, "He's not here. We're just talking," She waited for Rachel to nod before turning her attention to Blaine, "Blaine, does he hurt you too?"

Blaine regarded her with solemn eyes before removing his fingers from his mouth and wiping them on his pant leg, "No. It's only Rachel. He only ever punishes Rachel even when things are my fault."

"What do you mean by that, Blaine?" Anna questioned gently.

Blaine offered a shrug and looked down at his hands. "Only Rachel is hurt."

Anna leaned forward slightly, her gaze softening. "Can you tell me about the last time that happened? From beginning to end?"

Blaine looked at Santana, then at Rachel, and barely glanced at the adults. There were so many people in the room, "And then?"

"And then what?" Anna prodded gently.

"What will happen when I tell you?" Blaine asked cautiously, twisting his fingers in his lap.

Anna leaned forward facing them. "My plan is for us to talk and then you and your brother and sisters will go home with your aunt. If Rachel needs to stay in the hospital because the doctors say that she needs to, she will do that, but you'll go with your aunt."

Santana's head shot up at Anna's words as she scowled in the woman's direction. She wasn't supposed to tell them what the plan was after they talked and after Rachel was examined. They didn't know their parents were gone. They didn't know they weren't going home, that they couldn't go home. They weren't going to understand any of it. They knew Emma was their aunt but they didn't know Emma. They weren't going to understand why they were going to stay with her. They would ask Santana and she couldn't tell them. She couldn't be the one to tell them.

Blaine pressed his lips together, as he mulled over her words thoughtfully, "I-I won't get in trouble? No matter what I say?"

"No matter what you say," Anna confirmed.

Santana let out a breath. He hadn't asked her about hadn't even asked why they weren't going to go home. He just seemed to accept Anna's words. She didn't think he really understood everything Anna had told them.

Blaine sat up, reaching across Santana's lap to take Rachel's hand as Santana put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him tighter to her side. "Okay. I'll tell you," he said, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He needed to be brave like Santana told them, "It's my Dad. He only hurts the girls. He hurts Rachel. Sometimes he hurts Santana. He doesn't really hurt Quinn or Noah. He used to hurt Noah but Noah isn't around a lot. Once my brother had to go away because my dad said he was 'mean', but that wasn't true. My brother isn't mean but my dad is. If Rachel and I are bad, he hurts Rachel." Blaine's voice shook as he spoke, but he held Rachel's hand tightly in his own, determined to get it all out. His words were rushed and jumbled, as he spoke quickly before he could tell himself not to say anything at all.

Santana shifted uncomfortably the longer Blaine spoke. She didn't want to listen to her baby brother recount any of the things that Hiram had done to all of them. She was supposed to have been protecting them but she was starting to realize that they had watched more than she thought. She watched his demeanor change the longer he talked, he still seemed anxious and a little frightened but he had noticeably straightened up as if he was finally releasing a weight from his shoulders. She had helped put that weight on his shoulders but she never taught him how to carry it.

"Does anything else happen?" Anna questioned.

Blaine frowned, glancing away from Anna. "He hits my mom," he whispered, his brow furrowed, "But she pretends it doesn't happen."

A man in a collared shirt stepped forward. "Blaine, my name is Detective Blake, but you can call me Jack if you want. Thank you for sharing with us what happened. Would it be okay if I asked you some questions?"

Blaine's eyes darted around the room anxiously, settling on all the grown ups that surrounded them, seeking reassurance but no one was looking at him. His aunt was staring at the ground, her hands clutched in front of her waist. The doctor and nurse were somewhere floating just beyond the corner of his eyes, whispering to each other. He peered up at Santana seeking some sort of guidance, but she wasn't looking at him either, her lips were drawn into a tight line and her eyes looked fuzzy and far away. His gaze finally settled on the woman who made him the promise.

"He's with me, Blaine," Anna said with a wink. "Same deal. No matter what you say, you won't be in trouble and you will all go with your aunt."

Apparently, that was all the confirmation Blaine needed as he nodded in agreement, "Okay, Jack."

Jack pulled a chair forward and sat closer to them. "Blaine, is it okay if I ask your sister some questions too?"

Blaine shrugged and nodded. He glanced up at Santana who shook her head. His big sister wasn't going to talk to the detective. He glanced quickly at Rachel and saw she was studying Jack carefully.

"You can ask me questions," Rachel told him, "I talk more than he does anyways."

Jack looked at her with surprise. Blaine couldn't tell if he was surprised for real or not. "Is that true, Blaine?"

Blaine nodded, smiling slightly, "My sister does talk a lot."

Jack grinned. "I have a sister that talks a lot too. A twin actually."

"Really?" Blaine asked his voice slightly awestruck, ignoring the way Santana scoffed.

Santana was pretty sure Jack was full of shit. She had seen enough Law and Order to recognize what he was doing. He was trying to get the twins to trust him just enough to spill all of their secrets. Santana told them it was okay to talk but now she wanted nothing more than to silence them. They were in a room full of strangers and their fucking aunt and the twins were poised to spill all the secrets Santana had kept for so long. They were letting these strangers into her family's secrets and showing them the skeletons in their closet like they were at some grotesque museum and she couldn't do anything to stop it. She wasn't even sure if any of it mattered now. Hiram was gone. He couldn't hurt any of them anymore.

"Really," Jack replied.

"You still haven't asked me your question," Rachel said, her small frame trembling as she leaned into Santana.

Jack sobered and shifted his attention to her, his eyes solemn as he regarded her. "You're right. Sorry about that. Blaine said that your dad put those marks on your back. Can you tell me how that happened?"

Rachel looked up at Santana and then over at Blaine, who nodded.

"It's alright," Santana murmured softly, even if everything in her was screaming at her to tell Rachel to shut up, to remind Rachel why they never talked about any of this. She needed to let them do this. She had forced them to keep their secrets and now she needed to let them talk. If she hadn't taught them to keep secrets, maybe Rachel would never have had to endure Hiram's rage.

Rachel spoke hesitantly, "Not…really. I can't..I can't see my back. I don't remember what they're from."

Jack nodded, seeming to understand. "Can you tell me about the last time your dad hurt you?"

Rachel's eyes locked with Jack's as she chewed on her lower lip nervously, "Last time Daddy hit me with his belt," she said carefully.

"Do you remember what was going on before that happened?" Jack asked gently.

Rachel's gaze fell to her lap, her chin nearly touching her chest. "I was bad because I was loud," she whispered, her words barely audible.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hear you." Jack prompted gently.

Rachel looked over at Blaine, her eyes wide and frightened. She didn't have to say anything to get Blaine to understand what he needed to do. They were twins. They always knew what the other one was thinking.

Blaine raised his chest, summoning all of the courage he had. "Daddy told her that she had to be taught a lesson and she wasn't going to grow up to be a little bitch if he could help it."

Blaine heard someone let out a sharp gasp. He didn't know who. He thought it might have been his aunt. Blaine's eyes darted frantically around the room as the adults shifted uncomfortably, even Santana. Blaine could feel his cheeks flush when he realized he said a bad word. This wasn't like earlier when he was repeating the words he heard his big siblings use when they talked about his dad. He and Rachel had been laughing then but no one was laughing now. Everyone just looked sad and uncomfortable and it made him nervous. He wasn't supposed to say bad words.

Jack's gaze never wavered from Blaine's even as the little boy shifted uncomfortably, a blush coloring his cheeks, "Thank you for telling me that, Blaine. That was really brave."

"I am sorry I said a bad word," he muttered, his eyes downcast.

"It's okay. I say bad words, too," Jack whispered conspiratorially, offering Blaine a small smile.

Blaine sighed, keeping his eyes averted as he swung his legs on the cot, "Daddy called Rachel and San and Mommy bad words a lot. Quinn too."

"I'm sorry your dad did that," Jack said, his gaze sympathetic.

"Do you call people bad names?" Blaine asked.

Jack smiled. "No, I only say bad words when I am frustrated. But I know I probably shouldn't."

"Sanny says a lot of bad words when she is frustrated too," Blaine added with a small grin.

"Snitch," Santana teased, trying to lighten the mood as she nudged Blaine with her shoulder, sticking her tongue out at him. He giggled softly before turning solemn once more. It felt wrong to be laughing when they were talking about the bad things their dad did.

"Rachel, can I ask you another question?" Jack questioned, shifting his attention back to the task at hand.

Rachel nodded, studying him cautiously.

"You said your daddy hit you with a belt. Has he ever hit you with anything else?"

Rachel nodded but stayed silent, her eyes drifting downwards once again.

"What was it?"

"A spoon, and a shoe, and a hanger, and once an extension cord," Rachel said carefully, her voice trembling, "It was what he could find."

Rachel felt Santana stiffen beside her. She glanced up at her older sister for reassurance but Santana wasn't looking at her. Santana was staring at the wall in front of them, chewing on her lower lip and Rachel could see the tears swimming in her eyes. She shouldn't have told him any of that. She was just trying to be brave like Santana wanted but she didn't want to talk about this anymore. Her older sister was sad even if she was pretending not to be. Santana had seen the bruises but she didn't know how they got there. Santana hadn't asked and Rachel hadn't offered. She knew it would only make her sister sad.

Rachel studied her hands, picking at her cuticles, "I don't wanna talk about this anymore," she whispered.

"Me either," Blaine confirmed seeming to have sensed the shift in his sisters' demeanor.

Jack nodded, "That's okay. You both did a really good job," he told them, "Can I talk to you about something else?"

Blaine and Rachel stayed silent exchanging looks with each other and their older sister. He could tell that he was losing them. He recognized that they were shutting down. He had noticed the subtle shift in their older sister's demeanor at Rachel's final disclosures and recognized that it had been just enough to silence the children once again.

"Don't you have enough?" Santana snapped, crossing her arms over her chest as glared at Jack, "They told you they don't want to talk anymore."

Anna sighed. She had been waiting for the moment that Santana would say or do something that would cause the younger children to stop talking. She wondered if the older girl even recognized that the younger children picked up on her every emotion and followed her lead.

"Santana, I know you're trying to look out for Blaine and Rachel and that it may be really uncomfortable for all of you to talk about, but it would be really helpful if they told me what happened at your house tonight," Jack told her.

Santana felt her stomach clench. She knew this was coming but it didn't make it any easier. They had spent so much time talking to the twins about what Hiram had done to Rachel, but she knew it was inevitable that they would want to hear what happened at the house that night. Blaine and Rachel couldn't talk to them about what happened before Santana found them. Santana hadn't even been able to think about the moments she spent in their house without being back there again. She didn't think she could help Blaine and Rachel navigate their own memories without getting stuck there again herself.

Santana jumped down from the cot, forcing Jack and Anna to take a few steps backward, keeping a protective distance between them and the twins. She didn't need to turn toward her little siblings to sense their confusion. She could feel it rolling off of them in waves.

"No. You..you can't. They already told you so much…they..we need to be done. Please can we just be done?" Santana whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.

Santana hated the desperation that laced each of her words. She hated that she was practically begging these strangers to just stop asking questions and opening wounds that hadn't even closed yet. Every question that they asked made her feel raw and exposed like salt being ground into an open wound. Jack had done such a good job of getting Blaine and Rachel to trust him, to talk to him. They had shared secrets that they hadn't even shared with her. She knew they would talk to him and she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to hear exactly how she had failed them that night.

"Santana-" Anna tried.

"They…they don't know," Santana hissed through gritted teeth, eyes darting frantically between Jack and Anna, "They were hiding in the closet. They didn't…they didn't see anything. I made sure they didn't see."

"They weren't always in the closet," Anna reminded her.

"W-what?" Santana breathed out, clutching at her shirt which suddenly felt too tight as her chest tightened.

"There were things that happened before the closet, Santana. They were there before you and Quinn got there. We need to know what happened before. They're the only ones who know that," Jack explained.

Santana's head spun and her knees suddenly felt weak as if the ground below her had suddenly shifted and become like sand. She slammed her eyes shut as her heart raced and her stomach roiled. She knew that they would want to know what happened before and Santana hadn't been there. She felt fear gripping at her chest and her throat and she felt like it was stealing her breath. Blaine and Rachel were grateful that she was there now but if they started talking, she knew they would blame her. She wasn't ready for the devastation that would follow and she didn't know if they would ever be able to sweep up the rubble.

Her siblings hadn't pieced everything together yet but when they did they would know it was all her fault. Santana had broken her promise to Rachel and told their mom about the bruises and the abuse. She hadn't thought their mother would save them but she had tried. Santana had been the one to change their routine. She promised them that Hiram wouldn't find them but there had been a text message and he had appeared on Brittany's doorstep and taken them home. They had been locked in the closet while their mother died and that was Santana's fault too. They were going to hate her. She was their big sister and fiercest protector and they were never going to trust her again. She couldn't deal with that.

Santana felt gentle hands on the sides of her face, and her eyes flew open, making contact with Emma's brown eyes. She knew she should pull away. She wasn't ready to be this vulnerable with her aunt but she found herself leaning into the touch just for a moment. She felt like she was six years old again and her aunt was comforting her after a nightmare.

"Breathe, Santana," Emma whispered, "You're okay. I know this is a lot. It's okay if you need a break. Blaine and Rachel will understand that you can't be here for this."

Santana drew in a shuddering breath, her bottom lip quivering with unshed tears as she forced them back down. She took a step back from her aunt, the woman's hands falling from her cheeks as she averted her gaze to the floor, "I don't…I don't need a break. They..they need me. I can do this."

"But you don't have to," Emma reminded her but Santana glared at her, silencing her with a look as she hopped back onto the cot between Blaine and Rachel.

The twins instinctively curled into her side once again, Blaine peering up at her, brow furrowed as he studied her pensively, "You okay, Sanny?"

Santana sighed, running her hand over the top of Rachel's head, "Mm-hmm."

"So, Blaine," Jack started his gaze sweeping over Blaine before settling on his sister, "Rachel, can you tell me what happened tonight?"

"I-I don't really remember," Rachel whispered, "Daddy pushed me and I hit my head."

Blaine looked at Rachel curiously. His sister was lying. He could tell because she wouldn't look at Jack. He knew she was lying because Santana was upset and Santana didn't want them to talk to Jack. But Jack was nice and Santana told them they needed to be brave even if things were scary. He could be brave enough for them both.

"I can tell you," Blaine declared, his voice more certain than it had been earlier, "I remember what happened."

Blaine was focused on building the best Lego tower possible, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration, when he saw his father's familiar SUV pull up to the curb in front of Brittany's house. The momentary distraction was enough to cause his hand to shake and all of his hard work came crashing down onto the coffee table.

"Uh-oh," Brittany's sister, Emily said as the colorful Legos rained down onto the coffee table and the carpet below them, "I can help you fix it."

Blaine barely heard her over the beating of his heart in his chest and the sound of the blood whooshing in his ears as he stared out the window, his gaze transfixed on his dad's car. His dad was here. His dad wasn't supposed to be here. Santana said he was working late and he wouldn't know that Blaine and Rachel were at Brittany's house. Santana was wrong because he was here. They were going to be in so much trouble.

He swept his eyes over the living room trying to find his sisters. Rachel had been sitting on the floor beside him coloring just moments before and now she was gone. He had to find her. He wondered if they would be able to hide before their dad found them. He took a deep breath forcing his heartbeat to slow as he listened for the sound of his sisters' voices. He ignored Emily calling after him to help him clean up the discarded Legos as he ran upstairs just as he heard the thudding knock on the front door.

He threw open Brittany's bedroom door, his chest heaving as his eyes swept the room before settling on Rachel. Rachel was sprawled on the floor, coloring, but she shot to her feet as soon as Blaine entered. Blaine didn't say anything right away, just stared at his sister as he waited for his breathing to slow.

"Blaine, what is it?" Quinn asked, crouching down in front of him and blocking Rachel from his view as her concerned eyes met his.

"Dad's here," he whispered.

Blaine watched as Quinn's eyes grew wide, the hand she placed on his shoulder trembled briefly before she brought one finger to her lips, cutting her eyes in Brittany's direction. She was telling him to be quiet, to not let Brittany know that anything was wrong. He didn't know how he was supposed to act normal when he felt like there were a million butterflies in his tummy all trying to fly away at once.

"It'll be okay," Quinn whispered, running her hand through his hair, "Let's go get your stuff."

He nodded, fighting the urge to reach for Rachel's hand as they made their way down the stairs. Rachel looked as scared as Blaine felt. Her face looked pale and there were tears swimming in her eyes that she was trying to hide.

"Blaine, you've gotta help me pick up the Legos that you spilled everywhere," Emily announced as soon as his feet made contact with the last step.

Blaine shrugged, "I-I can't. I've gotta go. My dad's here."

"Em, leave Blaine alone." Brittany scolded her sister.

"But it's not fair, Brit," Emily whined, "He made a mess. He has to-"

"Stop it, Em," Brittany said cutting Emily off, "Go back to the living room. I'll help you."

Blaine ignored Emily's protests. He should apologize. He wasn't supposed to make messes and not clean up after himself. He was already in enough trouble. But his dad was here and he wasn't supposed to be. Blaine couldn't talk because he felt like something was stuck in his throat. His dad was talking to Brittany's mom by the front door. Blaine could feel his dad's eyes on him as he pulled on his shoes.

"I'm really sorry about all this, Whitney. I'll make sure to have a talk with Santana tonight," His dad said and Blaine exchanged a look with Rachel.

His dad wasn't going to talk to Santana. Their dad didn't talk to any of them. He yelled a lot but more than anything he hurt them. He didn't always yell when he did but he was scary and quiet sometimes and that was worse.

His dad didn't sound mean but Blaine knew he was just pretending. His dad was really good at pretending. He was like one of those lizards Blaine read about once that could change their colors to blend in with their surroundings. His dad was just like that. He was smiling at Brittany's mom but his eyes looked scary. Blaine didn't think Mrs. Pierce noticed that. She didn't really know his dad.

"It was no trouble at all, Hiram. They're very well behaved. I only wish Santana had let you know they were coming here after school instead of worrying you," Mrs. Pierce told him.

His dad smiled a tight lipped smile before his attention shifted to Blaine and Rachel. "Hurry it up, kids."

Blaine shoved his arms through the sleeves of his jacket and slung his backpack over his back as he hurried to the front door, Rachel doing the same. He felt his dad's hand clamp down on his shoulder. He think his dad meant it to look gentle but it was rough and Blaine winced at the force, "What do you say to Mrs. Pierce, son?"

Blaine turned back to Brittany's mom. She had an expression on her face he couldn't quite understand. He wondered if she could see his dad was angry and she was pretending not to notice. She looked concerned but maybe she was just mad at Santana for lying to them. Blaine was a little mad at Santana for not listening to him earlier and making them break the rules. He thought maybe Mrs. Pierce would tell them to stay and wouldn't let them go home with their dad.

"Thank you for having us over, Mrs. Pierce." Blaine and Rachel said in unison.

Blaine allowed his dad to take his hand and saw that he had grabbed Rachel's as well. Blaine's pulse raced once again as their dad led them to the SUV. His grip on Blaine's hand was tight and bruising and Blaine wondered if the bones in his hand could touch each other. It felt like they could. His dad was good at hiding when he was hurting them because it just looked like they were holding hands but Blaine knew he was holding his hand so tightly on purpose.

"Get in the car," His dad hissed as he dropped Blaine's hand. Every hair on the back of Blaine's neck stood at attention at the ice cold fury he could hear in his dad's voice. Blaine bit back the whimper that he wanted to emit as he climbed across the backseat of the SUV.

"He's gonna kill us," Rachel whispered behind him, and Blaine glanced at her as he buckled his seatbelt, "He's really, really mad, Blaine."

Blaine stayed silent as his dad slid into the driver's seat, slamming the door with a little more force than necessary. He looked at the front of Brittany's house and wondered where Quinn was. He knew she never was home with his dad unless Santana was there but Blaine didn't understand why. He thought maybe she would come with them. He didn't understand why his dad hadn't even asked if she was there. He didn't think his dad liked Quinn all that much.

He knew his dad was really mad. His dad had been nice to Brittany's mom and hadn't even been yelling but Blaine knew he was still mad. He could see it in his dad's eyes and the rough way he gripped Blaine's hand. His dad was angry and it was all Santana's fault. His big sister should've listened to them. She should've known that they would never be safe at Brittany's and that their dad would always find them. They had both tried to tell her but she hadn't listened and now they were in big trouble. She wasn't supposed to get them in trouble.

Blaine glanced over at Rachel. He was afraid to move too much and draw his father's attention to them fully. Rachel's face looked pale and her lips were trembling even though she kept biting down on her lower lip to try to get it to stop. He looked at his dad's reflection in the rearview mirror and saw that his dad's eyes were looking at the road. He used his dad's distraction to slide his hand across the backseat and take Rachel's hand. His dad hated it when they held hands. He told Blaine that men didn't hold their sister's hands and that no son of his would grow up to be a pussy. Blaine didn't even know what that meant. Blaine wasn't a man yet. He was a kid and he was scared and holding Rachel's hand made everything seem a little less scary.

"Daddy," Rachel started, her voice wavering slightly, and Blaine's grip on her hand tightened. His eyes shot to her as he shook his head slightly but she ignored him and continued, "We're-we're really sorry."

Blaine furrowed his brow in confusion as he shot furtive glances in her direction in the backseat. He didn't understand why she was apologizing. She shouldn't be talking to their dad at all. He was angry but he was quiet. Blaine didn't like it when he was yelling even if sometimes his dad being quiet was scary too.

"I don't want to hear your fucking apologies, Rachel. You know the rules. Your mother is supposed to pick you up and you are supposed to come straight home," Hiram scolded them, his eyes meeting Blaine's in the rearview mirror before Blaine could look away. Blaine felt a shudder creep up his spine at the way his dad's eyes flashed dangerously and the strain he could hear in his father's voice.

"I-I know, but-" Rachel started.

"You know better, Rachel. You both know better," Hiram interrupted, "So does that fucking bitch sister of yours."

"No, Daddy, it was..I wanted to go to Brittany's..it wasn't Santana's idea," Rachel stammered, her voice weak and shaky as she tried to plead her case.

Blaine didn't understand. He didn't understand why Rachel was lying to their dad. Neither of them had wanted to go to Brittany's house after school. Rachel had tried to warn Santana. Blaine squeezed Rachel's hand tighter, trying to draw his attention to her, opening his mouth to contradict her story. Rachel spun to face him slightly, shaking her head as her nails bit into the palm of his hand. He shot her a confused look but allowed the words to die on his lips. He didn't know why she wanted him to stay quiet.

Lying was against the rules, too. His dad was going to know Rachel was lying. He didn't know why Rachel was making everything worse. She was already going to be punished but maybe if she just told the truth it wouldn't be as bad. Santana was older than them and bigger than them, she could fight back against their dad. She wouldn't be in as much trouble as Rachel.

"Don't fucking lie to me, dammit," Hiram thundered and Blaine felt Rachel flinch beside him, "I saw the messages, Rachel. I know your bitch sister had something to do with this. But that doesn't matter because you broke the rules and you know what happens when you break the rules."

Rachel swallowed audibly beside him as the remaining color drained from her cheeks. He heard Rachel choke back a sob and he held her hand tighter. He knew their dad would know Rachel was lying. He was trying to tell her that. He wished she listened to him. He knew Rachel was just making everything worse.

He dropped Rachel's hand as the SUV came to a stop in their driveway. Rachel glanced over at him at the loss of contact, tears filling her eyes. He wanted to take her hand and run as far away from their dad as they could but he was frozen, paralyzed. He couldn't get his muscles to react quick enough. He barely had time to react other than to flinch as his dad threw open Rachel's door. Blaine couldn't do anything but weakly protest as his dad yanked Rachel roughly by her upper arm, and dragged her out of the backseat. Blaine scrambled behind them, grabbing Rachel's discarded backpack as he climbed out of the car.

His dad was yanking Rachel by her arm toward the front door, and Blaine couldn't do anything but follow slowly behind them. Rachel was pleading in a whisper with their dad to let her go, and repeating how sorry she was but their dad wasn't listening, he was just dragging her and telling her to shut up and if she kept fucking talking it was going to be worse. But Rachel didn't listen. Blaine could hear the change in Rachel's voice and knew she must be crying now, he could hear the tears that clogged her throat and she was sniffling. Blaine felt tears fill his eyes as the butterflies in his stomach began flapping their wings again and he felt like he might throw up. He hurried across the lawn in an attempt to catch up to them, trying to ignore the way his chest felt tight and his stomach had started aching. He could do little more than watch as their dad threw open the front door, shoving Rachel inside. Blaine heard Rachel cry out and then he heard a thud like she had fallen over something and he could only stand statue still and frozen on their front porch.

Hiram turned towards him when he didn't follow them inside, his hand coming to clamp down on Blaine's arm, "Get the fuck in here," his dad spat, pulling Blaine inside the house and slamming the door behind them.

Blaine swept his eyes over Rachel as she picked herself up off of the ground. Her shoulders were shaking and her chest heaved with barely contained sobs. Blaine recognized then that she had fallen over a suitcase. There weren't suitcases in their foyer when they left for school this morning. Where had they come from and where was their mom? Blaine saw a look he had never seen before pass over his father's face, a look of surprise that quickly contorted into barely disguised fury and knew he must be wondering about the suitcase too.

"Don't you dare fucking move," Hiram spat at both Blaine and Rachel, his face only inches from theirs, his breath hot against Blaine's cheeks. Blaine nodded, eyes wide as he watched his father thunder up the stairs and away from them. He wanted to sag in relief but he couldn't because he knew his dad would be back.

Blaine's eyes darted around the foyer quickly and he observed that there was more luggage than just the suitcase Rachel had fallen over. He saw two duffel bags emblazoned with the McKinley logo sitting closer to the base of the stairs, with another suitcase. He wondered why his mom had packed suitcases. He thought maybe they were going on a trip but they had never done that. His friends at school talked about going on vacation a lot but his family never had. They had never left Lima. Maybe his mom was planning to take them to a theme park or somewhere cool but it sounded like his dad was going to stop that.

He recoiled when he heard the sound of a door hitting a wall upstairs and the sound of his parents' raised voices. He could hear his dad calling his mom bad words and he could hear his mom yelling back. He inched closer to Rachel until their shoulders were touching. He could feel her trembling from anxiety and fear. She was wiping at her cheeks and he knew she was trying to hide her tears.

They should run or hide or something. Santana had taught them to hide every time there was screaming and shouting. He thought maybe they would have just enough time to get away before his dad came back downstairs and maybe if they hid he would forget all about them. But he told them not to move. If they hid now, he would come looking for them. He would find them and it would be worse.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Rachel whimpered his name but before he could even do anything to comfort her, he heard the sound of footsteps above him. The footsteps sounded angry and aggressive and he could hear his mom protesting. His eyes locked on the staircase as his dad practically shoved his mom down the stairs. His dad's eyes were dark and furious and his face was red. Blaine watched in horror as his mom tripped and nearly lost her balance before righting herself. Blaine backed up as close to the front door as possible, pulling Rachel with him.

His dad had one hand on the back of his mom's neck as he forced her to bend at the waist toward the duffel bags that lay forgotten at the base of the stairs. His other hand was on his mom's wrist, pulling her arm up behind her as he forced her into an unnatural position. "What the fuck is this, Shelby?"

Blaine's heart raced in his chest as his mother whimpered and struggled and tried to get away from his dad, "A trip…I was gonna take the kids on a trip. Just for a few days."

"Bullshit," Hiram spat, his face only inches from their mom's before flinging her away from him. Blaine let out a whimper as his mother crumpled to the ground with a thud and he felt Rachel startle beside him. He wanted to run but his parents were blocking their only means of escape, "Do you think I'm fucking idiot, Shelby?"

Blaine watched in horror as his father pulled his mother to her feet by the front of her shirt, keeping her in place, their faces only inches apart. He reached for Rachel's hand, threading their fingers together as he felt a tear snake down his cheek. He motioned with his head for Rachel to shuffle closer to the den wall in an attempt to get away from the struggle in front of them.

"No," Shelby pleaded, "I-I-"

Blaine couldn't do anything but watch as his dad raised his hand and struck his mother across the face, his grip on her the only thing keeping her upright, "Shut the fuck up bitch," his dad snarled, "You weren't taking them on a fucking trip. You must think I'm pretty fucking stupid. Did you think you could just take my fucking kids and disappear? That I wouldn't come looking for you. You thought you could just leave and I wouldn't fucking hunt you down? I fucking own you, bitch!"

"Fuck you," Shelby spat, "You think you're really fucking tough beating on little girls and your fucking wife? They're my fucking kids too. I won't let you hurt them anymore. I'm fucking done! We're leaving."

Blaine couldn't stop the scream he let out as his dad hit his mother once again, this time releasing his grip on her shirt so she stumbled backward, doubling over at the force of the blow. Tears were pouring down Blaine's cheeks now and he felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt like he was spinning and he was going to throw up or fall over right there where he was standing. He felt Rachel yank her hand out of his and before he could do anything or say anything she was rushing towards their parents, standing between them, her hands planted on her hips as she glared defiantly up at their father.

"Rachel!" Blaine cried, reaching for her even though he knew she was way too far away for him to reach. His entire body shook with sobs as he stood paralyzed, wanting to rush toward Rachel but he couldn't do anything but sob and shake and watch.

"Stop it, Daddy!" Rachel shouted. She sounded angry. She sounded like their older sister but she was scared. Blaine could see her hands shaking where she had them clenched at her sides. He fought the urge to close his eyes shut and cover his ears and pretend he was anywhere else. He didn't want to watch this anymore. He didn't want to watch his dad hit his mom or hurt his sister but he couldn't look away.

Shelby pushed herself to her feet, reaching for Rachel. "Rachel, no," she gasped out and Blaine could tell his mom was scared too, her voice was shaking and sounded different.

She tried to pull the little girl behind her, but Rachel pulled her arm out of Shelby's grasp, continuing to glare at her father.

Hiram leaned down so he was eye to eye with Rachel, every movement was meant to intimidate her. "Rachel. Move your ass or you are really gonna get it."

Rachel jutted her chin out defiantly, crossing her arms over her chest, determined in her refusal to move. "No. Not until you leave her alone."

Blaine watched as his dad grabbed Rachel by her upper arms, pulling her close to him as she let out a squeak of pain. His mom reached for her but she was a second too slow and was only able to fist one hand in Rachel's shirt, trying to tug Rachel toward her.

"Let her go, you fucking asshole!" Shelby shouted at him, but Hiram's grip on Rachel didn't slacken and Shelby was pulled forward as Hiram tugged Rachel closer to him.

Blaine could see that Rachel was crying now, her whole body shaking with the force of her tears. Shelby yanked backward on Rachel's shirt in an attempt to break Hiram's grip on the little girl, but he just stumbled forward slightly as Rachel's cries increased in volume, straightening up as he faced Shelby, keeping one of Rachel's arms in his grasp, even as Rachel struggled to get away from him.

"Don't you ever fucking tell me what to do in my fucking house, little girl," Hiram hissed, as his hand connected with Rachel's cheek, her scream matching Blaine's. She sagged in Hiram's grasp but his grip on her arm was keeping her upright.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Shelby shouted as she rushed towards Hiram, trying to shove him away from Rachel. His mom had never fought for them before. His mom hadn't even known that their dad was hurting Rachel, "Do you feel like a fucking man now? She's a fucking child, Hiram. What the fuck is wrong with you? This is why the fuck we are leaving and getting as far away from you as possible!"

His mom's words seemed to have the desired effect as his dad was distracted from Rachel, his eyes flashing as he faced Shelby. He looked like a monster or an animal on a nature show when they stalked their prey. It made Blaine's pulse pound in his chest. Blaine watched as his dad flung Rachel away from him. Rachel stumbled backward over the duffel bags at the base of the stairs and lost her balance. Blaine heard a sickening thud as he watched her head hit the bottom step and her body went limp.

Blaine felt his bladder release, urine dampening the front of his pants and running down his leg to pool in his socks as he stared at Rachel's motionless form. He squeezed his eyes shut briefly, praying for Rachel to get up, to move, to do something. His eyes flew open when he heard a crash in front of him and saw his mom fall over the table that stood in the foyer and both her and the table crashed to the floor. He heard the sound of shattering glass as the vase that stood on the table fell to the hardwood floor. He met his mom's eyes briefly from where she laid curled on the floor. He could see blood dripping from her nose and that one of her eyes was already becoming swollen and bruised. His eyes darted back and forth between his mom and Rachel. He wanted to help them both but he didn't know if he could.

"Blaine. Get Rachel up and go upstairs and hide! Now!" Shelby shouted and her words shook Blaine from his panic as he raced toward his sister.

Rachel was moving now, one hand pressed to the back of her head as she blinked dazedly up at him. He could hear his dad and mom still shouting behind him but he wasn't listening to their words as he leaned down next to Rachel.

"Blaine, my head hurts," Rachel protested as he began to pull her to her feet. He ignored her as he practically dragged her onto the stairwell. He lost his footing, wincing as his knee banged against the stairs but he only paused momentarily.

"We have to hide. Mom said we have to hide," Blaine repeated, focusing on his mother's words and repeating them over and over to try to quell his own panic, and try to soothe his sister.

He was trying to pull Rachel up the stairs as quickly as possible but she was stumbling and sluggish, and it was causing every muscle in his body to strain with the effort. He could hear his mom's screams growing more panicked behind him and knew that they needed to hide before their dad came looking for them. He managed to get both of them into Quinn and Santana's closet, scrambling as far back as they could go before he dropped to the ground, pulling his knees to his chest and breathing deeply, hoping his dad wouldn't find them.

"Blaine, you're doing a great job," Jack told the little boy, placing a gentle hand on his knee, "Can you tell us what happened after that?"

The gentle touch brought Blaine back to the present. He and Rachel weren't in the closet anymore. They were in the hospital and Jack was staring at him with concerned eyes. He could feel Santana's hand rubbing up and down his back, and the sound of people sniffling around him. He felt his heart pounding in his chest and his chest was heaving. He felt shaky and sweaty and his stomach hurt. He didn't want to be back in the closet. He didn't want to hear his mom screaming or watch his dad hit Rachel. He felt like he was there but he wasn't.

He leaned into Santana, wrapping his arms around her midsection as he peered at the detective, his face half shrouded by his older sister's shirt. He sought her comfort because she was warm and familiar in this room full of strangers. He should be mad at her. He shouldn't want her to comfort him. She hadn't listened to him and their mom and Rachel got hurt because she hadn't listened.

"I-I," Blaine stammered, sucking in a deep breath as he tried to calm his racing heart and the quivering of uneasiness at his core, "We hid in the closet. Rachel got sick 'cause her head hurt and Mom was….she was shouting…shouting at Dad to 'stop'," Blaine pressed his hand over his exposed ear, trying to drown out his mother's phantom screams. She sounded scared and repeating "please" and "don't do this" over and over again, "She kept telling him not to do something and-and saying please over and over again…then she stopped and everything was quiet. But-but then there was a bang like a firecracker or something and everything was quiet again."

Blaine unwound his arms from Santana's waist, pulling back just enough to look at her, his face scrunched with confusion. "Everything was quiet but then you were there, San. You-you had blood all over you. It was on your shoes…but you weren't…you weren't hurt," Blaine watched as Santana's face grew pale and he felt her tremble beside him. Santana hadn't been home but his mom was bleeding when she yelled at him to take Rachel upstairs, "Was it…was it Mom's blood? Dad hit her and her nose was bleeding…is that why you had blood on you?"

Blaine felt Santana shudder beside him as she pressed her lips together tightly, remaining silent as she turned her head toward the ceiling, tears dripping down her cheeks. He heard Rachel crying on the other side of Santana and guilt twisted in his stomach, he hadn't meant to make them cry. He just didn't understand. He didn't understand why Santana had made him wear her scarf like a blindfold out of the house and he didn't know why he hadn't seen his mom the whole time they had been at the hospital. She was hurt. He watched his dad hurt her. She should be here. Hurt people came to the hospital.

"Blaine, you've been really brave," Jack told him, smiling softly at the little boy, "Thank you for talking to me."

Blaine nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face as he narrowed his eyes in Jack's direction. "Jack, do you know where my mom is?"

*Loved it, hated it, let me know*