[C] Lightyears

✈thirty-two✈

She left the hall out of frustration, and Anderson followed suit. Soon he found her on the corner of the parking lot.

"Hey, Rach. I'm here now, so calm down," he said. She hugged him tight and sobbed in front of him.

"I...I don't know, Anderson. I just don't know why is this happening," Rachel sniffs out, and Elysse was there, giving her a handkerchief.

"Why, Rachel?" he asked. "Elysse, if you would mind, please go inside and tell them she's okay. I'll take it from here."

"He...he was my uncle...who abused me when I was a kid...why is he here?" she wailed. "I...I can't believe he's still alive!"

Anderson hugged her even more tightly, and he decided to go to the rooftop with her.

"Hey, why are we here?" she asked. "Isn't this scary?"

"Never mind them. They can go on without us. I care for you, Rachel. That's why I'm here. Now tell me what happened."

"Promise me you won't tell this to anyone," she pleaded.

"I do. I won't," he answered. Soon after, Rachel's head was already on his shoulder.

"It was a few weeks before my grandfather died. Uncle was drunk at the time, and he started to break glasses of beer by hurling it into the wall. And then, he vented his anger to my mom, Claire. He lashed her with a large whip and dragged her to a barn and let her sleep there."

Meanwhile, Peter was becoming emotional when he spoke about Rachel.

"Rachel, first of all, I'm very sorry for what happened that time. Of course, I was drunk, I didn't know what I was doing, and you had those scars still left in you, I'm sure of that. But please, I swear to God and to Claire and to Deborah that I am sorry and I wanted to change what you look at me. I'm not that person anymore, trust me."

"Hey, what is he saying?" Lynn asked. "And what is his relation to Rachel?"

"Uhm...well, I don't know. He's familiar with Rachel, and..."

"Then afterwards, he saw me in front of the barn and then put a duct tape on my mouth and he tied me up and he dropped me on the manger where my mom was."

"I somehow understand what you feel now. It's so surprising that you have a deep secret hidden in your heart, and somehow you managed to vent out your frustration through me, and...I wanted you to know that I'm here for you, the whole squad is here, you can count on us, remember that. And also keep in mind that I will love you no matter what may come through us."

He hugged her tight and went back to the hall.

"I just wanted you to know, Rachel, that I've repented everything I've done to you and your mother, and you have a great future ahead of you, so I congratulate you, having found the one who will be there for you through thick and thin. To my future son-in-law, please take care of her and love her unconditionally."

This time, Rachel was already emotional when she saw him, prompting Anderson to hug her once again.

"And so, this is an opportunity for me to leave my position as president of news gathering. I want you to be full of enthusiasm, fun and unity, and to the both of you, be strong, love and trust each other. That's all."

As he walked down the stage, he got a standing ovation from everyone, including the squad.