A/N – Here is part two as promised! Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews for the first chapter. And thank you also for all of the alerts and messages. I appreciate it. I hope this chapter does not disappoint.
Disclaimer – I don't own Glee.
Shelby moved from her angry posture and sighed at her daughter's sneakiness. They had been over the reasons she wasn't allowed past the corner and she knew Rachel understood it. She didn't want to keep Rachel on a leash, but she was only eight and letting her go as far as the corner was more than enough freedom for the little girl. It seemed, though, that Shelby was going to have to curtail that for a little while.
But first things first, Shelby had other things she needed to take care of right now. She needed to call Judy Fabray and, most importantly, get the girls dry and warmed up.
The cordless phone in Judy's hand startled her when it rang. She was out on the back porch looking for any signs that her daughter was coming. She wanted to look one last time because she was about to grab her keys and head out in her car.
"Hello," Judy answered, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.
"Mrs. Fabray, this is Shelby Corcoran. I have your daughter Quinn here at my house," Shelby said. The girls were still standing with her in the kitchen and Quinn sighed inwardly. She knew she'd be in trouble for being over here. Shelby gave her a sympathetic smile, but there was no way she wasn't going to call the girl's mother.
"Oh thank God," Judy said. "She didn't come home when it started to storm."
"She was over this way and she came inside with Rachel," Shelby said. "Both of them are soaked, but I've got some clothes already laid out for Quinn to change into."
"Thank you," Judy said sincerely. "I'm a little surprised though; she knows she's not supposed to ride that far." Judy was saying it more for herself than for Shelby. She knew, of course, that Quinn had ridden over that way once before, but that was because Francesca was home babysitting. Judy had been there with her when Quinn said she wanted to go and ride her bike.
"It seems as if your daughter is as sneaky as mine," Shelby said. Rachel looked anywhere but at her mother. "Rachel has been going down to the old park which is far beyond the limit she knows she's allowed to go by herself."
Judy laughed lightly surprising Shelby. The limited encounters she'd had with the woman had always been stiff and tense. She tried not to judge, but she always imagined Judy Fabray as stuffy and holier than thou.
"I'm glad mine isn't the only one then," Judy said.
"No, she certainly isn't," Shelby said. "Rachel and I will be having a talk about that later."
Shelby started to explain the kitten story to Judy, but all Rachel had heard was the promise of a talk later. Rachel gulped and Quinn looked at her. She knew her mother was going to tell her dad and then she'd be having a talk about it too. And she knew that her dad wasn't going to be happy she'd been caught playing with Rachel again. Plus to make it worse, she'd have to wait until the end of the week before he even got home. Judy hadn't ever really been the one to discipline the kids because Russell had always told her he'd handle it. Judy wasn't completely removed from it though because she was on the one at home with them during the day, and even more so now that it was summer. She scolded and popped backsides and had put her daughters in their fair share of time outs, but it was a rare occasion for Quinn or Frannie to find themselves over Judy's knee or receiving a grounding from her. Judy almost always deferred to Russell because he wanted to make those decisions. The girls knew it, of course, and Russell said it was good for them to have a healthy fear of him. He spoke of himself as the perfect father, even to his girls and they never argued it. They wouldn't dare.
"It sounds like Quinn and I will be having a talk later as well," Judy said. "Thank you for taking her in."
"Of course," Shelby said. Like there was any doubt she wouldn't let a child in her house to escape a storm. "She's more than welcome to stay and play for a while if she wants, if it's ok with you."
Quinn looked up suddenly and found herself hopeful. What would Santana think if she could see her now? Quinn pushed that thought away just like she was trying to push her dad's words away. She didn't think Rachel was really a freak and Quinn knew she liked Ms. Corcoran. She wanted to stay.
Judy thought for a moment about what her husband would be saying if he were home. He'd already be halfway to Shelby's house to get his errant child. But for all his talk, Judy knew Quinn better than Russell. She saw the sad child hidden behind the bully. She saw a girl whose friends liked because she was picking on other people. Quinn was close with Santana, but they often fought. Little Rachel Berry was her number one target, but for whatever reason, clearly Quinn found herself drawn to the smaller girl. Judy was not as oblivious as her husband and children seemed to think she was. Judy wished Russell saw the quiet dreamer Quinn really was and not the perfect child he wanted her to be. She wished she had the courage to stand up to her husband when he was around and not just in her thoughts while he was away. But she could do something now since he was gone. She could take a step forward for Quinn, even if she knew it wouldn't last.
"Can I talk to her for a second?" Judy asked.
"Of course," Shelby said. "Quinn, your mom would like to talk to you."
"Hi," Quinn said when she took the phone and put it to her ear.
"Hi, Quinnie," Judy greeted her. "You know better than to ride all the way over there."
"I know," Quinn said.
"We're going to talk about that later," her mother informed her. "Now, would you like to stay over there with Rachel?"
Quinn was stunned for a second? Had her mom really asked her that? "Really?"
"Yes," Judy said. "If you want to."
"I do," Quinn said quickly. "Please."
"Ok," Judy said. "Give the phone back to Ms. Corcoran."
Quinn handed the phone back and went and stood by Rachel, but Shelby did not miss the smile on her face. She was smiling, but she was also confused. She wasn't going to question that right now though. Rachel looked over at Quinn with equal confusion. Was Quinn staying there to play with her? She did not understand Quinn Fabray or her family.
"She can stay for a while," Judy said once Shelby was back on the phone. "She said she wanted to."
"She could even stay the night and make a slumber party out of it," Shelby suggested. "They seemed to be having fun and I'm going to need helpers to watch the kittens in my basement."
Rachel and Quinn stared at each other over the thought of a slumber party. Rachel couldn't believe that Quinn really wanted to stay and she couldn't believe that her mother was suggesting a sleepover right now. She thought she was in trouble. But she would certainly take this scenario over having a talk any day.
"Ok," Judy agreed. "I'll pack a little bag for her and bring some clothes by in a little while."
"Sounds perfect," Shelby said. "I planned to put them in the shower in a minute to get them warmed up and then changed into dry clothes. You'll probably be here by the time they're done."
"I will you see then," Judy said. She smiled at her decision as she hung up the phone and headed up to Quinn's room to get a bag together.
Shelby ushered the girls upstairs and picked up the clothes she'd left in Rachel's room and then got the girls into the shower, Quinn in the hall bathroom and Rachel in the one in the master bedroom. She then went back to the kitchen and poured a couple of bowls of milk and water for the kittens and carried them down into the basement. She sat down on the floor and took the blanket off the box and found all six kittens looking at her expectantly. She lifted them out two by two and set them down so they could get something to drink. She felt terrible about not having any real food for them to eat and knew she would have to go to the store eventually to get them something.
"You guys really are cute," Shelby said as she watched them roam around in the small enclosed area she'd created. "I don't see how anyone could just drop you off and leave you there."
One kitten tried to climb in her lap and Shelby picked her up and held her close just as Rachel had done in the park. The kitten snuggled close to her and Shelby could feel herself falling in love. Ok, she had to stop that. She could not have a cat. Hiram was just too allergic and they had all agreed when Rachel was a baby and households and arrangements were being set up, that no one would have a cat. It's not that Shelby really wanted a cat anyway, but she certainly wasn't immune to how cute they were. She was going to have to figure out what to do with them and fast before Rachel got even more attached.
Shelby only sat in the basement for a couple minutes longer before returning all of the kittens to the box and going to check on the girls. When she got to the second story, Shelby saw that the door to the bathroom was open
"Quinn?" Shelby said as she peeked in.
She saw that the girl was dressed in her borrowed pajamas and standing on the ledge of the tub trying to reach high enough to get the towel over the shower curtain rod.
"Quinn," Shelby admonished this time as she stepped into the room. "You're going to fall." She easily slipped an arm around the girl's slender waist and lifted her up.
"I was trying to hang the towel up so it would dry," Quinn said as Shelby set her on her feet. "But I couldn't reach."
"That's ok, sweetheart," Shelby said. "I've got it." She took the towel and easily slung it over the rod and spread it out.
"Thank you for letting me stay," Quinn said politely. "And for the clothes." The pajama bottoms fit, but the t-shirt was too big of course. The outfit had the same effect on Quinn as it always did on Rachel; it made the girls look even smaller.
"You're welcome," Shelby said. "We're happy to have you. But I don't want to hear or see any bullying or teasing tonight." Shelby was serious now and Quinn hung her head slightly.
"I won't, I promise!" Quinn said emphatically.
"Ok."
"Hey," Rachel said as she bounded down the hall and into the bathroom. "Can we go and see the kittens?"
"In a little while," Shelby said.
Shelby made quick work of drying the girls' hair as best she could, and then put it up in loose braids to allow it to dry completely. They made their way downstairs and the girls settled on the couch to watch some TV.
It was only a few minutes later when the doorbell rang. Rachel got up to answer it with Quinn trailing behind, but Shelby beat them both to the door. She opened it to reveal Judy Fabray on the other side holding a small pink book bag.
"Come in," Shelby said and they all stepped back to let Judy in.
Shelby took Quinn's bag from Judy and set it on the stairs as they made their way into the living room.
"You have a beautiful home, Ms. Corcoran," Judy said. She put a hand on Quinn's shoulder as they walked and rubbed her back slightly.
"Thank you. And please, call me Shelby. Quinn took a quick shower and finished up not too long ago. They've just been watching a little TV," Shelby told her.
"Thank you," Judy said.
"It's our pleasure," Shelby said. "Thank you for letting her stay." This was so awkward. The woman who commiserated with her on the phone about their naughty little girls seemed nowhere to be found now that they were face to face.
"She wanted to," Judy said with a small smile. "I think she'll have a good time."
"We hope so," Shelby said.
A stilted silence fell over them and Judy wished she could fix it. The girls naturally stayed by their parent and each looked at the other woman as if to say, now what. It was Rachel who decided to help things along.
"Can we go back and watch TV again?" the little girl asked.
Shelby was about to respond that they could, but Judy spoke up first.
"Quinn can in a few minutes, but I'd like to talk with her first," Judy said. "Shelby, do you have a bathroom or another room we can borrow?"
Rachel's eyes went wide and she looked at Quinn with sympathy. Quinn didn't understand Rachel's panicked look and moved so she could look up at her mom in confusion. Why would they talk in a bathroom?
"Of course. My office is right over there," Shelby said. "Take your time. It'll give me a chance to talk with Rachel as well."
Rachel gulped, but didn't look up at her mother. Now seemed like a good time to make herself scarce.
"Thank you," Judy said. "We won't be long." The mothers exchanged a glance and Shelby gave the woman a small smile at their impending shared responsibility. Both girls had broken the rules and, as much as Rachel may have wished, neither mother had forgotten.
Rachel stood still for a second as she watched Judy first pick up the pink book bag from the steps and then lead Quinn into the office and shut the door. She could feel her mother's presence behind her and she needed to think fast. She just needed to get out of the room and get her mother distracted with something else. It could work.
Shelby stood behind Rachel and watched her little daughter. She knew Rachel knew what was coming and she was simply waiting to see how the girl was going to react right now. Rachel never failed to make her smile and the girl's mischievous nature always made an appearance at times like this. She wanted to know what Rachel had planned right now.
Rachel tried to appear casual just before she tried to dart out of the room. The stairs were her goal and they were just a few feet away. Shelby smiled, but didn't let her get far.
"Oh no you don't," Shelby said as she reached down and scooped Rachel up before she could even go a few steps.
"Mama," Rachel whined as she squirmed to try and get down.
Shelby held her tightly as she stepped out of the living room and into the dining room and pulled out a chair so she could sit down. She set Rachel on the floor and made the girl stand in front of her.
"Stop squirming," Shelby instructed and Rachel stood still and pouted. "Why are you not allowed to go past the corner by yourself? Or past the yellow house or the red houses at your dads'?"
"So that you'll know where I am and know that I'm safe," Rachel said. She'd heard this all before. All three of her parents had sat her down and explained that she could play outside by herself as long as she followed the rules and stayed where they knew where she was.
"That's right," Shelby said. "You are not allowed to leave those areas because if you got hurt we wouldn't know where to find you and you might not be able to get back home. You are the most precious thing in mine and your dads' world and would be very sad if you got hurt and we couldn't find you. It scares me to know you went that far away and it scares me even more to know that you'd been doing it for so long without me even knowing. That is unacceptable, young lady."
"I'm sorry," Rachel said with her lip quivering and tears brimming in her eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just playing. And then I found the kittens and I just couldn't leave them there. I won't ever do it again."
Rachel stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around her mother's neck. Shelby leaned back in the chair and picked Rachel up off the floor and held her. Rachel let her tears fall and hoped her mother was sympathetic enough to let the talking to be the end of it.
"I understand that you want to play," Shelby said. "But you are too young to go any farther than that by yourself. So for the next week, seven days, Rachel, you are not allowed to play outside at all by yourself. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mama. But what happens when I go back to the other house?" Rachel asked.
"The same rule will still be in place when you're there," Shelby told her.
That was a conversation the men and Shelby had when Rachel was still a baby and they began to realize that the girl truly would go between the houses interchangeably. Punishments could be handed out by any parent, but they would all have to agree on groundings and such when she was older. She couldn't very well be grounded by her mother if she knew that it wouldn't matter a couple days later when she went back to her fathers' house. If the men had been in town, Shelby would have called them to talk about it so they knew and were on board. But they weren't there and Shelby wasn't afraid to hand down the sentence. She knew they would agree and enforce the punishment.
"Ok," Rachel said. She turned her head and rested it on her mom's shoulder. The restriction didn't sound fun, but Rachel was pleased with herself for convincing her mom not to give her the spanking she thought was coming. Maybe she could be a spy after all.
"And what did I tell you would happen if I ever found you breaking that rule?" Shelby asked ominously. Her grip tightened when Rachel immediately started to squirm to get away.
Rachel dismissed her spy career once again as she was placed across her mother's lap and she suddenly found herself looking at the hardwood floor. It had happened so fast and now she had no hope of escape. Her fate was sealed and her mother's promise began to be delivered to her backside.
Quinn and Judy entered the office the woman shut the door behind them. Judy took a seat and Quinn remained standing.
"Do you want to change or would you rather stay in the pajamas?" Judy asked kindly.
"I'll stay like this," Quinn said. She was comfortable. "But, Mom I don't have any panties on," Quinn said in a hushed tone. "Ms. Corcoran didn't have a new pair to give me."
"I've got some for you," Judy said with a smile as she opened the book bag to search through it. That was the reason she'd brought it in here because she knew her daughter and knew Quinn would be uncomfortable.
Judy handed the panties to Quinn and then looked away to give the girl some privacy so she could put them on.
"Ok," Quinn said when she was finished. She still wasn't sure what they were doing in there. After her mom said she could stay, she didn't expect to hear anything else about the fact that she was here at Rachel's. Because it was ok. She was getting to stay.
"Quinnie, you scared me," Judy said.
"I scared you?" Quinn asked.
"Yes. It started to storm and you didn't come inside and I had no idea where you were. You know you aren't supposed to ride your bike this far away," Judy admonished. "I had no idea where you were. I called some of your friends' houses and they didn't know where you were. Something could have happened to you or you might have been stuck somewhere. That's why you are not allowed to ride so far away. You are supposed to stay where I know where you are."
"I just like to ride farther than that though," Quinn said.
"That's not an excuse," Judy said. "Why do you think we have that rule in place?"
"Because Daddy doesn't want to me to come to this side of town," Quinn said echoing her father's words.
The other side of town was a horrible way to describe it because they really did just live in different neighborhoods in a large suburban sprawl. But Russell believed that they lived in a better neighborhood than those that surrounded him and he did not want his daughters leaving it. Frannie had never challenged this point and all of her friends lived over there as well. Quinn was different.
"That rule is in place so that we know where you are so that we can be sure you're safe," Judy said.
"Are you going to tell Daddy I was over here playing with Rachel?" Quinn asked. "Are you going to tell him I rode off again?" Tears shone in her eyes. "Why can I stay the night if you're just going to tell Daddy?" Quinn didn't understand everything, but she knew that wasn't fair.
"I'm not going to tell your father," Judy said.
"Really?" Quinn asked. One tear had managed to make its way down her cheek.
"Quinnie, listen to me," Judy said as she reached out and took the girl's hand and pulled her closer. She wiped the tear away before she continued speaking. "I know you want to be friends with Rachel."
"I don't, I promise," Quinn said quickly, thinking that the admission would get her in trouble. "I just-"
"Quinn," Judy silenced her. "It's ok to want to be friends with Rachel."
"What?" Quinn asked. She was so confused and she was getting upset. "But Daddy always says those things about her dads and he said that I'm not allowed to be her friend and that I can't come down here."
"Quinn, can you keep a secret?" Judy asked. "We are not going to tell your father that you rode your bike down here or that you are staying the night with Rachel and her mom. I want you to stay and have a good time tonight, but only if you can keep that secret."
"We're going to lie to him?" Quinn asked.
"No," Judy said. "We're just not going to mention it again. Quinn, your dad has a certain way of thinking and what he says goes." She shook her head. "But he's not home this week. And I think you should stay and have fun. And we'll keep it between us. It'll be our secret. Can you do that?"
Judy wanted to be able to give her daughter this chance because she could tell how much Quinn wanted it. She wanted to teach her that it was ok to like Rachel and Shelby. She just hated that she was teaching her daughter that it had to be a secret. But Russell dictated when he was home and she couldn't control or change that.
"I can really be friends with Rachel, but I have to pretend not to be when Daddy is home, right?" Quinn asked.
"Right," Judy confirmed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I wish you could come over here and play whenever you wanted, but you won't be able to."
"Why can't you just tell him to let me?" Quinn asked.
Judy held Quinn's hands closer and sighed. "I wish it was that simple, but it's not. Things have to be different when Daddy is home."
"I know," Quinn said sadly. "But it'll be our secret. Just between you and me, right?"
"Right," Judy said.
Quinn smiled. She loved her mother, but she felt closer to her right now than she ever had. They were talking about things that weren't just instructions to pick up her room or finish her dinner. They shared a secret now.
"Mommy, can I give you a hug?" Quinn asked shyly.
"Of course," Judy said as she bit back tears over the fact that her daughter felt she had to ask if she could hug her.
"Quinnie, I know I said I wasn't going to tell your father, but there will be a punishment for riding over here when you know you're not supposed to," Judy told her.
"But-" Quinn tried to argue as she stepped back from the hug.
"I'm sorry, but you know the rules and you broke them," Judy said.
"But if you're not going to tell, Daddy…"
"I'll take care of it," Judy said. "Come here."
"But I don't want-"
"I know you don't," Judy said. "And I don't want to, but we are." It was faint, but Judy could hear the first sounds of Rachel enduring the same fate Quinn was about to suffer.
Quinn was more stunned than anything as she was guided over her mother's lap. The last time the woman had spanked her was when she was five and had run out into the street causing a car to swerve. She remembered her mother running to her and pulling her into a hug before taking her inside.
"What you did was dangerous, Quinn and against the rules," Judy said. "You could have been hurt or trapped in that storm and I had no idea where you were. I love you too much to see you get hurt because you were disobeying. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Quinn said.
Judy didn't waste any more time on a lecture and brought her hand down on her daughter's pajama covered backside.
Rachel was sitting on Shelby's lap crying as the mother rocked her to try and soothe her stinging bottom and hurt feelings.
"I'm sorry, Mommy," Rachel said through her tears.
"I know, sweetie. I do not want to catch you going past the corner again," Shelby instructed again.
"I won't, I promise," Rachel said.
"Good girl," Shelby said as she kissed Rachel's head. She could hear Judy finishing up with Quinn in the office. She knew sleepovers were usually rowdy events, but maybe she'd have two docile little girls on her hands tonight.
Judy stood Quinn up and pulled the crying girl to her and Quinn latched onto the hug.
"I'm sorry," Quinn cried.
"I know, Quinnie," Judy said. "I love you."
"I love you too," Quinn said.
Judy rubbed the girl's back and kissed her head and felt closer to her daughter than she had in a long time. She realized that this is what it felt like when her husband was not around. This was the mother she could be when her husband didn't control just about every decision made. She knew in this moment that one day she would have to divorce her husband for the sake of her daughters. But the thought that plagued her even worse than that, was the knowledge that she knew she couldn't do it yet.
Judy and Quinn came out of the office just as Shelby and Rachel were leaving the dining room. Both girls looked down to try and hide their red eyes and faces, as if they could keep it a secret.
"Ten minutes, Rachel," Shelby said and she pointed to the corner in the room that had played host to her daughter many times. She thought about ignoring this part since they had company, but Shelby didn't want to deviate from it. Corner time after a spanking and cuddles gave Rachel a chance to calm down even more. She usually turned away from her corner and went off to play as if nothing had happened.
Rachel looked up like she wanted to say something, but thought better of it. She kept her head low as she made her way across the room to the time out.
"Quinn, you can join her," Judy said. "That corner there."
"Mom?"
"Go on," Judy instructed. Quinn had stood in her fair share of corners so this should be nothing new to her.
Quinn refused to look at Shelby as she passed and stood in the corner down the wall from where Rachel was standing. She was still sniffling and rubbing at her bottom, as was Rachel, she noticed.
"Would you like some coffee?" Shelby asked Judy after a moment of watching the girls.
"I'd love some," Judy smiled at her.
Rachel waited until the adults were out of the room and turned around and looked at Quinn. Quinn turned too and looked at Rachel. She smiled as she wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. Rachel smiled too. The moment was a look of shared trouble and sympathy, mischief and possibilities. It was the look of friendship.
Five Days Later…
The sleepover had been a success and after the girls got over their punishment, they had played with the kittens and watched movies and giggled well into the night. They shared a hug the following day when Judy came by the collect Quinn and get her home. Shelby and Judy had talked for about twenty minutes which allowed Shelby to understand a bit of where Judy was coming from. She later tried to explain to Rachel that they wouldn't be able to see Quinn all the time and it would still be hard. She didn't get to be an everyday friend or even an every now and then friend, but they weren't going to forget her and they weren't going to give up. Rachel asked a lot of 'whys' but finally said she understood. Shelby knew she didn't get it completely, but left it where it was. Rachel declared Quinn her secret friend and immediately created four different spy scenarios in her head that would allow her to play with Quinn again. Shelby had chuckled when Rachel had scampered off up to her room saying she needed to make plans.
It hadn't taken Shelby long to find home for all six cats, two of which turned out to be boys. Rachel chose to ignore that fact and refused to change their names. Best of all Barbra the kitten was taken by their neighbor across the street and Rachel was given permission to visit her when she was at Shelby's as long as it was not just before she was set to go home to her dads'.
That Saturday afternoon, Shelby was on her way to the Berry house to pick up Rachel and take her to the grocery store. Rachel loved to go grocery shopping. Shelby didn't understand it because she had hated being dragged up and down every aisle when she was younger. Shelby was convinced she'd lost years of her life grocery shopping with her mother because the woman was so slow. But Rachel enjoyed it and that was enough for Shelby to want to bring her.
Shelby turned onto the street where the Berrys lived and saw Rachel playing in the front yard. She looked again, but didn't see one of the girl's fathers. Rachel was still restricted from playing outside alone. Rachel knew it and did Hiram and Leroy. They had been unhappy to hear about their daughter's transgression and had agreed with the punishment. And yet, there was the little imp outside by herself.
Rachel looked up when she heard the car coming and realized it was her mother. She dropped all of her toys and raced into the house although she knew her mother had seen her.
"Peanut, what's going on?" Hiram asked. He walked out of the kitchen carrying a dish towel he was using to dry dishes.
"Rach, you know we don't run in the house," Leroy said when Rachel sailed past him and skidded to a stop.
"She's here," Rachel whispered as she hid herself behind Leroy.
"Who-"
He was cut off when the front door opened and Shelby walked into the house with long, purposeful strides. She put her hands on her hips and stared down the two taller men in front of her. They both fidgeted in much the same way Rachel did when presented with the unrelenting, angry stare of her mother. Shelby not so secretly loved that she had this stance and look perfected. Her students were always scared to death too.
"You know, for some reason, I thought I saw Rachel playing outside by herself just now," Shelby said. "I know that can't be the case though because she's restricted from playing outside by herself for two more days."
"It's not my fault!" Rachel yelled out. "They knew I wasn't allowed!" She said it with such conviction that one might believe that her fathers had forced her outside to play alone against her will.
Shelby wanted to smirk, but didn't as she looked to Hiram and Leroy for an explanation.
"She needed some fresh air," Hiram said.
Shelby translated that into they had been sweet talked by their princess who was probably driving them crazy in the house.
"Sure she did," Shelby said.
"I was watching her from the window," Leroy said. "She'd only been out there about ten minutes."
"That's not the point," Shelby said. "Come on, Rachel, let's go to the grocery store. We'll give your fathers a chance to think about their actions."
Rachel giggled and stepped from behind Leroy to go with her mom. Whenever any of her parents put her in time out, they always told her to think about her actions. Rachel said a quick goodbye and then moved towards the front door and out of the house. Shelby just shook her head at the men and turned to follow Rachel. As she did so, Hiram quickly rolled up the hand towel and let it fly so that it snapped against Shelby's backside. She immediately stopped walking and put her hands back to rub the sting.
Shelby slowly turned and glared at the men in front of her, both of whom were doing nothing to hide their grins. A devious smile graced her lips as she advanced on them, only to be cut off by the sound of Rachel yelling for her.
"You better hurry," Leroy said.
"Yeah, she's outside alone," Hiram joined in the ribbing.
"You will try and remember that she's still being punished when I bring her back, right?" Shelby asked.
"We will," Hiram said sincerely.
"Won't happen again," Leroy said. They both knew the importance of backing each other up.
"Good. And perhaps you could both work on unraveling yourselves from around her little finger while we're gone," Shelby said.
Both men huffed haughtily as if they couldn't believe what they were being accused of.
"I know, a fruitless endeavor," Shelby said. "See you later."
Rachel and Shelby turned the corner near the checkout line in the grocery store and stopped when they saw Quinn, Judy, and Russell waiting in line. The man was complaining loudly about how long it was taking and how he shouldn't have agreed to stop and go with them while they were out. They had been on their way home from the club when Judy remembered some things they needed.
Quinn looked up and saw Rachel, but her face didn't change from the sad embarrassment it displayed as her dad kept trying to get the cashier to hurry up. Shelby smiled at the little girl and Rachel waved. Judy looked to see what Quinn was staring at then looked back as if she hadn't seen anything. She put a gentle hand on Quinn's head and smoothed down some of her hair.
Rachel dropped her hand and Shelby started to lead her forward. Russell looked up from getting his change and saw the little brunette girl looking at him and his family and he didn't like it.
"Don't pay them any attention, Quinn," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. He put a hand on Quinn's shoulder and steered her out towards the exit of the store. "They're not the type of people you should concern yourself with."
Neither of the Fabray women ever looked back as they exited the store.
If Rachel and Quinn weren't there, Shelby would not have had a problem following after Russell to tell him what she truly thought of him. But she would not do that in front of Quinn or her daughter. She would do what she and Hiram and Leroy always taught Rachel to do; hold her head up high and keep moving forward.
Shelby did just that, but it was much harder for Rachel. She leaned into Shelby's side and buried her face in her mom's shirt as they walked. Shelby put a comforting arm around Rachel's shoulders and pushed the cart with her other hand. The reality of a secret friendship came crashing down on her young daughter and it made Shelby's heart ache for her. The time spent huddled in the basement playing with kittens in a thunderstorm now seemed long forgotten in the harsh light of day.
A/N – That's the end! I hope you like this one. Please, please leave me a review if you can and let me know what you thought. I value your comments so much.
Thank you all so much for indulging me and the one (and two) shots. There will be more Changed for the Better soon, I promise.
And a big thank you to Trebles and Tones who has been talking with me about the little world of Shelby and Rachel. It is much appreciated!
