Author's Note: Thank you all so much for sticking with me. I'm finally settling into my new routine and though this story is still on hiatus due to school, I have managed to finally complete chapter 6. I apologize for it being so short, but please enjoy!

(On an unrelated note, though I haven't been writing I've still been reading and is anyone else REALLY getting sick of people posting those "I need help finding a story" things? I'm starting to get really irritated. )

Terror

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear

I rise

-From Maya Angelou's Still I Rise

Rachel kept her eyes trained on Dave cautiously but remained quiet, curious about what he was going to say to her.

"It's so cliché," he said softly, and then gave a small smile when she quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, I know what cliché means." Rachel blushed slightly but kept her expression neutral.

"What is cliché, Dave?"

"I transferred to McKinley just a few days before you. I was new, too, except I was new and trying to make it onto the hockey team. I wanted them to be afraid of not putting me on their team, so I asked my older brother for advice. He suggested throwing a slushie at one of the guys as a joke, but I was afraid of what they'd do for retaliation. I had to slushie someone who wouldn't fight back; someone who couldn't fight back. And then I saw you," he finished, still avoiding her gaze.

"Why didn't you stop after the first slushie?" Rachel asked quietly. Dave finally locked his eyes with her, his face filled with regret.

"It was fun," he said simply. "It was so easy to stop thinking of you as a girl; or even as a person at all. Puck got such a kick out of it, all of the guys did. You stopped being the new girl, you were just a target. Prey to be hunted. I never even gave you a second thought…until the cops showed up at school."

Rachel opened her mouth to ask about the cops but he kept talking, his expression dark. "When we were told about what happened to you, it didn't mean anything. It makes me sick to my stomach now. I mean I have a little sister, you know? I wouldn't even be able to function if something happened to her but it never occurred to me that you have a family too; a family that was probably barely holding on to their sanity waiting for you to be found. We just joked about who else we could slushie. And then the next day, no one mentioned it at all. Your friends walked around like zombies. Chang even walked into a door one day. Me and the guys thought it was hilarious at the time because honestly, who cared that much that you were missing? Then you came running out of the woods screaming like your life depended on it. I thought my heart was going to break when I first heard you. You sounded so terrified…and the look on your face when I ran passed you…I don't know if I'm even making sense," he suddenly blurted. Rachel looked at him, her gaze softening at the awkward half smiled he offered to her.

"I just had to tell you that I'm so sorry for everything that I've done to you. And it's over, all of it. Bullying at McKinley is completely over with if I have any say about it. I need you to believe that I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Rachel was about to reply when the door opened. The happy look on Mike and Puck's faces instantly morphed into looks of fury at the sight of Dave Karofsky sitting at Rachel's bedside. They barged inside and Rachel was shocked as the rest of the Glee club quickly filed in after them. Puck grabbed Dave by the collar and yanked him out of the chair, his fist pulled back and aiming for his face.

"Noah, no!" Rachel yelled. She flicked her eyes to Dave's arm as his protectively tried to cover the cast with his good hand. "Put him down, Noah, he's injured!"

Everyone's heads swiveled towards Rachel in shock as she defended her biggest tormentor.

"Are you fucking serious right now, Berry?" Santana cried out, her voice sounding half confused, half angry.

"I am extremely serious. He did not do anything to deserve that, I am fine. Release him this instant," she said, her voice clear and calm. Puck did as he was told and instantly let go of Karofsky's shirt, causing him to flop back down into the chair. He didn't step away, though, and remained towering over the bully with his arms crossed menacingly over his chest. Mike walked over to Rachel's side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked her quietly, concern lacing his voice. Rachel smiled at him kindly and patted his hand.

"I already told you, I'm quite fine. I don't appreciate you all looking at me like I'm crazy, by the way. I am well aware of how this looks, given that I was alone with one of my worst high school tormentors. I assure you that I have not felt threatened in any way. We were having a very civilized conversation before you all came in," Rachel explained. Everyone shuffled around awkwardly for a few moments, not really knowing exactly what to say. Mike eyed Dave's cast.

"What happened to your hand?" He asked. Dave gave him a satisfied smile as he gingerly flexed his fingertips.

"I broke three knuckles," he paused to give Rachel a huge, genuine grin, "On the older guys face."

Rachel gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. The Gleeks let out various noises of approval and Puck even clapped Karofsky on the shoulder appreciatively.

"Is Brian okay?" Rachel asked shrilly.

Everyone immediately fixed incredulous looks on Rachel once again.

"The younger guy, Brian, was he hurt?" She repeated, nearly frantic with worry. Karofsky looked at her oddly and shook his head. When Rachel became visibly upset, he explained.

"He's not dead, if that's what you're thinking. Azimio broke his eye socket. It was the only thing that got him to stop fighting, and then luckily the cops showed up right after that. Rachel was looking at Dave while he explained and could not stop herself from bursting into tears. She could tell everyone was confused and even angry with her for seemingly being upset over her kidnapper being hurt, but once she started to cry she couldn't stop herself. Mike sat next to her on the bed and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. He looked at the rest of the Gleeks helplessly.

"Uh, it's not your fault Rach," he tried to reassure her. "A broken eye socket is the least of what he deserves!" Rachel shook her head no and started to mumble incoherently through her sobs. The Glee club stood around the room awkwardly, completely at a loss as to not only what was wrong with the hysterical girl, but what to do about it as well. Luckily, her father walked in and immediately ushered everyone out as soon as he laid his eyes on his emotional daughter.

-GLEE-

The Glee kids plus Dave Karofsky stood in the hallway outside of Rachel's hospital room and watched as a nurse walked in with a syringe in her hand. She swiftly shut the door behind her, leaving the kids to wonder what was going on.

"They're probably going to sedate her," Mercedes said quietly. The others nodded in agreement, concert and confusion etched on their faces as they all stood staring at her door.

"I don't understand," Quinn said," Why would she be so upset about her potential murderer getting a black eye?"

"Who knows," Kurt said, somewhat dismissively. Puck gave him a hard look and Kurt immediately softened his features.

"I think something happened that she isn't telling anyone," Brittany whispered loudly to Santana.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she wouldn't be upset if he was a nobody. So maybe he became a somebody to her while she was kidnapped," Brittany explained. The group exchanged uncertain looks.

"What happened to her?" Artie wondered aloud.

-GLEE-

Rachel lay on her bed, the blankets tucked up to her chin. Her vision was getting blurry and her sobs had decreased to the occasional hiccup. Her dad sat to her left, gently holding her hand in his, his free hand softly brushing the hair off of her face.

"Daddy," Rachel slurred sleepily, "Please make sure Brian is okay." A brief look of anger flashed across Aaron's face, but was instantly replaced by a look of affection. He assumed the drugs were messing with her mind already, and he was grateful she was no longer hysterical. If she wasn't thinking of her horrific ordeal while she slept, that was just fine with him. For now, he could feign concern for the scum who took his daughter. He gave her a soft smile and rested his hand against her cheek.

"Whatever you say, baby," he whispered gently. Rachel gave him a sleepy smile and drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note 2: Seriously, thanks for being so patient. I hope this little chapter is enough to keep you with me for the rest of the semester!