A/N: Ok, first things first, this is a little AU plot bunny spin off that has been buzzing round my head for a while. It is set in the Universe I created in 'Scenes from the Cutting Room Floor'. You don't have to have read that to understand this, know simply that Rachel and Shelby did not walk away from each other after Theatricality, but they slowly and simply began getting to know each other and developing a relationship.
Second thing, this was supposed to be a one shot, but my fingers ran away with me, so it has been split, between this chapter, which is a kind of introduction, and the next which is the body of the one shot.
Things My Mother Taught Me
Shelby sat stiring the sugar in to her coffee, wondering how long she would have to wait before she could realistically stand up and take her leave without being considered rude.
Donna and Sandy were her two oldest friends. They had met on the first day of high school, and had largely been inseparable for the next 4 years. After graduation they each went their own way, though they did vaguely keep in touch.
Shelby had gone somewhat AWOL during her New York years, sending Christmas cards, but not much else, but after moving back to Ohio, she had bumped in to Donna in the supermarket one day, who had welcomed her back, and told her about the 'lunch club'. Once every 2 months or so, the 2 of them, now 3 including Shelby, Met up for lunch.
Shelby usually enjoys these lunches, but during the past few months something has changed. Donna, married 6 years ago, and has a 4 year old son. As Shelby and Sandy didn't have children, and out of deference to Shelby's inability to have children, the subject very rarely ventured into the minutiae details of daily life raising a child. Then a couple of months ago, around the same time that Rachel walked back in to Shelby's life, Sandy had a baby.
The tables turned, and now it seemed that every time the 'lunch club' met, the conversation turned to children, and the latest exploits of Donna and Sandy's little darlings, and it was grating on Shelby. Of course having Rachel back in her life helped, but her friends inane chatter, only helped to rub salt in the wound of Shelby missing the first 16 years of her daughters life, and comments such as 'you're lucky you missed all this teething fuss/sleepless nights' instead of sounding caring, become patronising to her ears.
Donna, had launched in to a debate as to whether she should send her son to a chicken pox party, when Shelby finally gave up the ghost.
"guys this has been fun" She said, grateful for the acting classes she took in college, "but I have to go, Rachel is coming over this evening, so I need to get back to Lima."
"Oh sure Hun, we wouldn't want you to be late for Rachel" Sandy said, raising to give Shelby a hug goodbye.
"Be sure to tell her we said hello, and I'll email you about next month ok?" Donna continued.
Donna and Sandy had yet to meet the elusive Rachel. Shelby had been sparing with the details of her daughters conception, simply saying that she had Rachel at 22, and had given her up for adoption. Shelby was pretty sure that Donna and Sandy thought that she had invented Rachel, as a way not to feel left out now that Sandy had a child too. Mainly because Shelby did not spend hours gushing about her daughter, as it really wasn't in her nature to gush. Shelby was also sure that the smile Donna and Sandy were giving her was one of pity, but today, she really didn't care.
The drive back to Lima did nothing to abate Shelby's bad mood, in fact she used the 2 hours in the car to document all the things in Rachel's life she had missed out on, something she very rarely, for the sake of her own sanity, allowed herself to dwell on.
Nearing Lima, she dialled Rachel, offering to pick her up enroute.
"no its fine" Rachel said "I'll drive over when you get back."
"Don't be silly, I have to come via your neighbourhood anyway when I get off the freeway, it'll save you petrol."
"Mom! I'm not baby, I can drive myself, don't worry" Rachel insisted, not realising how much her comment would increase Shelby's already foul mood.
Arriving home, Shelby attempted to snap herself out of it, it wasn't Rachel's fault after all.
Her daughter turned up on the dot of 6 as promised, baring vegan takeout, and a DVD.
They spent a companiable evening, with Shelby's mood lessening as the night wore on.
Rachel stretched and yawned as the closing credits filled the screen. "I think I'll head to bed mom, I'll see you in the morning" she gave her mother a quick hug and kiss and went upstairs to the guest bedroom.
Shelby busied herself by dimming the lights on the ground floor, and collecting the empty plates and cutlery. She moved swiftly about despite the obscurity, manoeuvring her way deftly round the furniture, with only the blinking LED light of the TV telling her it was 1am, to guide her way.
Hearing, or rather feeling, the presence of another person behind her, as she plumped the cushion covers, she smiled and turning she said "Rach, if you want a hot coco then you're out of luck, you drank the last of it the other week". only to discover it wasn't her daughter stood behind her.
The eerie light of the moon falling through the window revealed a person, with their back to Shelby, a man, Shelby guessed by the height and width, dressed entirely in black.
Shelby wanted to scream, shout, run, but felt herself frozen before the figure in front of her, who was turning round slowly to face her. She noted the wooden stick he was holding, the hood of dark material over his head.
She tried forcing her legs to move, but again, she was immobile, frantically scanning the room for something she could grab to defend herself. In doing so, she looked upwards, at the face that could be seen beneath the hood, and screamed.
The face was white, pure white, white as the driven snow, and seemed to float within the darkness of the room and the dark folds of the clothes he wore. Shelby realised that the hood the tormentor wore was not that of a sweatshirt, but one akin to that worn by the Grim Reaper.
The eyes were red, bright red, bloodshot, with swirling read and purple irises, stood out in the gaunt, pale face, larger than human eyes should be.
The air in the room grew cold, as the figure stepped toward her, closer and closer. All Shelby could do was gasp, and stumble backwards, until she hit the wall behind her, and the creature was standing over her, the white face with red eyes moving ever closer, until suddenly, it all went black.
Comments are all appreciated!