Little Girl Lost
By:LockedSoulsAM
Summary: Every year on December 18th, Shelby Corcoran rides around aimlessly lost in thought, mourning the death of her baby girl. The little girl that three years ago she was supposed to give up for adoption. It hits midnight and Shelby runs into something she thought she lost forever.
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee and any of the characters. I do own this story line and the ideas and new characters that come with it.
A/N: OMG! Who watched OUAT Sunday? I didn't but I watched the little clips on IG. The feels I had seeing Regina and Robin Hood.
Ok I need your help. I'm looking for a Shelby/Rachel story with a baby Beth.
In it Rachel convinces Shelby to get a pool built in the backyard. Rachel gets a spanking one day because Shelby warned her about leaving the pool gate open in case Beth somehow got out of the house. Shelby also catches Rachel and Jesse in the pool one night. That's all I can remember but I don't remember the name of the story oh and Shelby was good friends with Judy Fabray. So please help me find it if you recognize these details.
Sorry if takes so long to update. We don't have Wi-Fi at my house. I use my phones hotspot and an ancient laptop. I wish I could get a new one but that's probably not going to be for a while.
I think you guys are going to be really surprised by who took Rachel or not. Even I am surprised that I came up with it.
But anyway here's chapter 11.
Enjoy =)
Chapter 11: A Mother's love
'Ding, ding' The Iphone rang, signaling that it was dying, in Shelby's hand.
Shelby shot up and her hand immediately went to her neck. It was from sleeping in the same upright position all night. She stood up and looked inside of Rachel's room. The toddler was still sleeping.
It was still breaking Shelby's heart at seeing her little girl push away from her. Shelby was just starting to get the hang of motherhood and she now felt like she failed Rachel once again. She wanted to know what this person said to her little girl. Why they had taken her little girl. She wanted to know what was going through Rachel's head at the time. But most of all what was going through the little girls head right now?
Shelby walked across the hall into her room and sat on the bed. She took a deep breath.
'Ding, ding' the phone rang again.
Shelby looked down at the phone and sighed.
Reaching over and behind the night stand, she connected the phone to the charger.
Last night was one of the hardest nights for Shelby. Ever since Rachel came home the little girl would sleep cuddled up into Shelby. There was not one night that Shelby even thought of making the little girl sleep in her own room, at least not yet anyway.
Shelby knows there would be a time where she would need for Rachel to be comfortable enough to sleep in her own room, but she didn't think it would be this soon.
She took a moment to think over everything that happened yesterday and to replay the whole day in her head and see if she missed anything.
Nothing came to mind.
But when her mind went back to the grocery store, she remembered Rachel nervously sitting in the cart and staring at something.
Shelby knew something had obviously caught the little girl's attention and she thought maybe the little girl was being cautious and watching any person that walked past them.
Maybe Rachel attempted kidnapper was at the grocery store. Was he following them the whole day? Only letting Rachel see him for some reason? Who would taunt a 3 year old in that way? The only people that she knew personally that would do this were Hiram and Leroy. But Leroy was currently in a Lima Police Station jail and Hiram was god knows where. Was someone helping them?
Shelby would have to go over all of this with Harmon.
She made her way back into the hallway. Her intent was to go into Rachel's room and wake the little girl up but she was stopped by small whimpers and cries coming from another room in the apartment. The cries seemed far away.
Shelby followed the noises.
Turning to the right she stepped into the hallway that led to the other hallways and the living room. There were lots of ways to get around the house and the living room had 3 exits/entrances. Currently she was facing the door of the living room closest to her and Rachel's room.
If she turned left now and walked down a little she would be in the main hallway that, if you turned left you would lead to the kitchen, dining room and her office plus the front door. If you turned right you would be going in the direction of the 3rd bedroom, 2nd bathroom and laundry room and an entrance to the living room.
That's what she meant by her bedroom and the other bedrooms were on the other sides of the apartment. All that was in the hallway of her bedroom was her room, the bathroom that was also her en suite, Rachel's bedroom and the linen/storage room. It was a huge apartment which made it hard for Shelby to find where the cries were coming from. She knew they were Rachel's and she knew she needed to get to her daughter fast.
Everything in the house was baby proofed but Shelby knew toddlers were creative and would find ways to get into trouble.
She heard the cries and sniffling get louder. Deciding the noise was coming from the 3rd bedroom hallway, Shelby walked through the living room.
She heard water running and panic. What in the world could the little girl be doing?
She opened the bathroom door and found nothing.
The next option was the Laundry room and Shelby was sure she warned Rachel about going in here. Shelby stood next to the door and listened. It sounded as though Rachel was trying to keep quiet.
Shelby took the handle in her hand and quickly opened the door.
Several emotions ran through her body at what she was seeing. Confusion, Anger, and Heartache were some to name.
Right in front of her, Rachel was sitting on top of the dryer and the washing machine was open with the water running. (A/N: Yes Shelby has a top open washing machine. Those are the only ones I am familiar with. That is all.)
The little girl was sniffling and trying to put her bed sheets and something else into the running washing machine. The little girl had watched her mother do the laundry multiple times. It didn't seem very hard all you had to do was turn a few knobs and pull plus pour some of the detergent in and you were set. It was that easy in Rachel's head. She didn't know what any of those knobs said but she didn't really care. She had to be a big girl and clean her sheets on her own.
"Rachel what are you doing in here?" Shelby stepped closer to the little girl.
That's when Shelby's nose was hit with the strong odor of urine. Shelby looked up at Rachel and noticed the girl was wearing different pajamas than last night. She realized that when Rachel pushed her away last night that she wasn't able to put the diaper on the girl. Rachel must have had an accident and came in here to wash her clothes and sheets before Shelby saw. Shelby was thinking now would be a good time to start potty training the little girl. She'd go over it in a few days.
The little girl let out a quiet sob and continued to put her clothes in the machine.
Shelby picked up the bottle of washing detergent and weighed it. Last night it was a full bottle and now it was empty. Rachel must have poured the whole thing into the machine.
"Oh Rachel baby." Shelby cooed. She laid a finger under the 3 years old chin and softly forced the little girl to look up at her. With her other hand she turned the washing machine off. "Baby why didn't you come get me?"
Rachel whimpered "I have to be a big girl Momma. You can't help me no mores. You get hurt Momma. He said so."
Shelby quickly scoops the girl up. She ignores the fact that the little girl will need a bath and a diaper.
"Rachel you aren't a big girl yet. You are my baby and I need for you to ask me for help for stuff like this. I'm your mommy and I want to help you. I don't care what that man said." Shelby brushed the little girl's hair out of her face to see Rachel's brown eyes.
Tears slipped out of the toddler's eyes and onto her cheeks. "No Momma! I get down. Can walk by myself." She tried to wriggle out of Shelby's arms.
Shelby just held on tighter to the little girl.
She stepped out of the laundry room and turned off the light. She held Rachel in her arms as she made her way back to her en suite bathroom.
"Momma." Rachel whined.
"It's okay Rachel. You need a bath and I'm going to give you one. Then we can talk." Shelby gave the little girl a kiss on the forehead and set her on her feet as she started the bath water.
Rachel began to shake her head furiously and back away.
Shelby crouched down and attempted to grab the girl's hand. Rachel snatched it away so quickly that it caused her to trip over the rug and fall over. She hit her elbow on the end of the bathtub, hard. The little girl sat on her bottom clutching her elbow.
"No baths Momma. No he gonna hurt me." Rachel cried.
Shelby quickly got down onto her knees and pulled the little girl in her arms. For a minute Shelby pictured herself back when she was 5, clutching her own elbows, she knew Rachel looked like her when she was that age but right now the little girl was a sad spitting image of the little girl she once was.
"Momma. Hurts." Rachel cried. She was ignoring everything the man had told her and showed her mother her injured elbow.
Shelby examined the girls elbow in question. There was a bruise quickly forming and Shelby knew it would be tender for a while. Shelby lightly touched it and Rachel reaction was a low hiss.
"No don't touch. Hurts." Rachel whimpered.
"I know baby. But what's wrong? You usually okay during baths." Shelby carried the little girl into the kitchen. She was slightly reveling in the fact that Rachel was letting her comfort her.
"Can't say. No bath momma." Rachel whispered.
"Not now but you have to take one soon Rachel other wise you are going to be a very stinky little girl and we don't want that do we?" Shelby set the little girl onto the counter top.
Rachel watched as her mother went into the freezer and got out an ice pack.
The mother held it to Rachel's elbow. The little girl hissed again but she could feel the pain slightly going away.
"Rachel I want you talk to me today. I know you don't want to but the only way to help you and keep you safe is if you tell me what happened." Shelby was eye to eye with the little girl. Rachel lowered her head and didn't say a word.
Shelby thought for a second. What was a way for the little girl to feel safe? She knew that Rachel wanted to tell her what happened but she was still scared. An idea popped into her head. She scooped the little girl back into her arms. She still held the ice pack to the little girl's elbow. Rachel laid her head on her mother's shoulder and wondered where her Momma was taking her.
Shelby walked into her room and straight into the walk in closet. She remembered Belle saying that they would always find Rachel inside of the janitor's closet after a nightmare.
Shelby was thinking that maybe closets were a hiding place for Rachel. A sense of safety was what the girl needed and wanted.
Shelby set Rachel onto her feet. She closed the closet door and kneeled in front of the little girl.
"Okay Rachel. I want to talk to you."
Rachel nodded and held the ice pack to her elbow now.
"I love you. Do you hear me? I love you. I love you so much and nothing can ever change that." Shelby looked into the little girl's chocolate eyes as she spoke. "Nothing that you do or nothing that anyone else does that can change that. I love you Rachel and I always will. I love you more than you will ever know Rachel."
Rachel looked back into her mother's eyes and took in what her mother was saying. A warm feeling went through her body. Gazing into Shelby's eyes she knew the woman wasn't lying. Everyone always lied to the little girl, but Shelby, her Momma, was not one of those people.
"I know yesterday you felt scared and alone, but Rachel I want you to know that you are not alone in this. I am your Momma and I want you to feel safe. I want you to be able to tell me what's hurting or bothering you. You can tell me anything and I will never be mad at you. I just want you to be happy. I want you to be able to be a little girl if only for a while longer, because you deserve that Rachel. I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday and I know I should have been watching you and asking you how you were feeling." Shelby paused for a moment to make sure that Rachel was listening.
"I know that you are a little angry at me for letting this happen. I don't want you to be but I know that you are. I am supposed to be protecting you but I can't even understand you sometimes which makes you angry. I just want you to feel safe and loved and I hope it's enough for you. So please baby don't be afraid and please tell me how you are feeling. I love you Rachel." Tears begin to slide down Shelby's cheeks as she cried.
Rachel immediately felt sad. She'd promised a while ago that she wasn't going to make her Momma cry and now she did. She had to let her Momma know how she was feeling. About what was in her heart and her head.
Rachel dropped the ice pack and launched her tiny body into her Mommy's arms. This knocked Shelby onto her butt, but she just wrapped her arms tight around the little girl.
"I sorry Momma. No cry please." Rachel cried into Shelby's hair. "I tell you. I scared. Momma I afraid. I no wanna get hurt Momma." The little girl wrapped her arms around Shelby's neck the best that she could.
"Oh Baby." Shelby cooed as she rubbed Rachel's back. She sat the girl up in her arms.
"I love you much Momma. I no wanna talk now. Please no talking Momma. I tell you but not now." Rachel pleaded.
"I don't know sweetie." Shelby wiped Rachel face free of snot and tears with the sleeve of her pajama shirt.
"Please." Rachel whimpered. "I no know how to say Momma."
"Today we are talking about it Rachel. We need to. I understand that you don't understand but we need to talk about it today so that the police can find him."
Rachel nodded and leaned back into her mother. She used her own sleeve to wipe to Shelby's face.
Shelby let out a soft laugh. "Thanks Mom."
After a few moments of cuddling and silence Rachel finally let her Momma give her a bath. The little girl was shaking the whole time but Shelby made sure to keep her engaged in conversation. They even sang a song together. 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' was a new song that Rachel hadn't heard before. She wasn't sure if she liked it but she knew she liked when her Momma sang to her.
Now they were both sitting at the kitchen island finishing up breakfast. They both were sporting damp hair and lounge clothes. Shelby didn't think she wanted to take Rachel out today and she informed Harmon of this and to come to the house to ask Rachel a few questions. She only hoped that the little girl could answer them.
"Are you done baby girl?" Shelby held out her hand for Rachel's plate.
"Yes Momma." Rachel said in a trance. She seemed to be thinking about something and this time Shelby noticed. The little girl watched her mother set the dishes into the dishwasher.
Shelby turned back to the little girl and noticed the little in Rachel's eyes. It was a curious and questioning look as though the little girl wanted to say something but she was scared to let it out.
" Rachel is there something that you want to say? Is there something bothering you?" Shelby stepped around the counter to stand next to the little girl sitting on the stool.
Rachel looked up at Shelby and subtly glanced down at Shelby's chest.
The 3 year old hunched her shoulders and looked back down. Shelby noticed the action and figured out what Rachel wanted and was scared to ask. She thought that maybe after last night the little girl was afraid to ask her Momma for it.
"Rachel do you want Nibbles?" Shelby softly asked. Rachel looked at her mother
"I a big girl." Rachel whispered.
"You're a big girl but big girls can always spend time with their Mommas. I want to take care of you Rachel. C'mon." Shelby held her hand out.
The little girl took it without hesitation and slipped off of the stool.
Shelby led the little girl into Rachel's room and sat in the rocking chair. She picked Rachel up and sat the girl on her lap. She lifted the bottom of her shirt and moved her left bra cup out of the way. Rachel leaned into her mother immediately latched onto the breast.
Shelby whimpered a little. She missed this feeling. She knew that Rachel missed it too by the way the girl was suckling. Shelby brushed Rachel's hair out of the way.
"See baby girl. This is something that no one can ever take from us."
Rachel simply suckled and looked into her mother's eyes.
She truly loved her Momma and she knew that the woman was telling the truth.
After about 30 minutes of the little girl just suckling and cuddling with her Momma they were finishing up.
Shelby and Rachel were lying on Rachel's newly remade bed. She'd changed the sheets and the bed spread and laid some new mattress protectors under the sheets. The two were under the cover and snuggling. They both were almost asleep when the doorbell rang.
Shelby's eyes popped open. Who could this possibly be? Harmon and his partner weren't coming until 4 and it was only 1:30. Shelby made sure Rachel was sleeping before walking out of the room and making her way to the front door.
She looked through the peep hole of the double doors (front door) and saw nothing.
That was strange. She opened the left door and stepped out slightly; looking both ways she saw no sign of anyone. There were only 2 other apartments on this floor and Shelby didn't hear anyone go into the doors.
She also wondered how the person got in. The doormen would usually buzz her if someone came. Shelby began to step out of the door more but her bare feet hit something.
There was a vase of red orchids which were her favorite flowers, a dog collar and a stuffed animal. Shelby picked up the items and walked back into the house. She kicked the door closed with her foot and read the card inside of the flowers. It read:
"You may want to put these in water. Since you are so good at saving things.
I know many things about you Shelby and I have known that these were your favorite flowers for a long time. Take care of this just like you take care of that mixed breed mutt.
I delivered this myself.
-Your admirer.
P.s. tell the mutt to remember what I said."
Shelby read the note over and over again. This was getting to be really creepy.
This person obviously knew about her and knew about Rachel. But how did they know where she lived and what kind of car she drove? She examined the dog collar .The only thing on it were the initials R.E.B.
Shelby set the items on the table and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Her hands were shaking as she went to her contacts and tapped on Harmon's number.
Just then Rachel stepped into the hallway. She'd turned over in her sleep only to find that her Momma was in the bed with her. She'd gotten out of bed to search for the woman. Stepping closer to her mother she sensed that something was wrong and she noticed Shelby's shaking hands.
"Mommy what's wrong? You kay?" Rachel tugged on her mother's pant leg.
"Yea Rachel I'm fine. Mommy's fine. I just have to make a phone call." Shelby lifted Rachel into her arms.
"Hello Harmon. I think I need you to come earlier than 4."
Shelby closed the door as Harmon and his partner stepped inside of the apartment.
"Shelby Corcoran this is my partner Amanda Lopez. Amanda this is Shelby Corcoran." Harmon introduced the two.
"You work at Carmel High School don't you?" Detective Lopez asked.
"Yea I do." Shelby shook the woman's hand. How did all of these random people know her?
"My younger sister attends school there. She is always talking about your music class and how she wishes you will coach Vocal Adrenaline." Amanda explained.
"Oh yes. I remember the Lopez kid. She is very…entertaining." Shelby smiled.
"That's one word to describe her." Lopez smiled.
Shelby led the two detectives into the living room. Rachel was currently in her room watching Doc McStuffins on Shelby's TV.
"Please sit." She instructed them
The two sat. Amanda looked around the living room.
"You have a nice home. I thought only rich people lived in Carmel." Amanda complimented. "This is awesome. I didn't know people like you lived here.
Shelby raised a brow at the woman as she sat beside Harmon. Amanda was on the other end.
"Not that you're not poor or anything. Are you rich? I mean I'm saying you're Jewish and you don't see many people out here…well I do see people of all kinds out here its just... I'm from Lima Heights Adjacent and we're all…" Amanda rambled
Harmon just looked curiously at the girl.
"I'll shut up now." Amanda put her face in her hands.
Shelby laughed. "Its okay I know what you mean. When I first moved here it was very different but now it's more diverse."
"So you said that this vase and toy arrived here earlier with no return address or anything?" Harmon changed the subject.
"Yes. Rachel and I were getting ready to take a nap and the door bell rang. I answered the door only to find these." Shelby waved her hand at the items on the coffee table.
Harmon looked at the items but didn't pick them up. There could be possible finger prints that could be used even if Shelby touched them.
"Was there a card?" Amanda asked.
Shelby pointed to the card that was next to the vase.
Amanda picked it up and read it.
"Wow so this is obviously a person who knows some stuff about you."
"Yes. Shelby do you know anyone that would know these things outside of immediate family that maybe connected to the Berry's?" Harmon took out a pad and paper.
Shelby shook her head. "No. No one. It was always just them."
"Okay. Well when you said that your daughter was taken yesterday why didn't you wait for the cops to come?" Amanda set the card back down.
"My daughter has been through a lot detective and I wanted to get her out of there as quickly as possible. I needed her to feel safe enough to open up and tell us what happened." Shelby explained.
"Can we talk to her?" Harmon asked.
"Yes. One minute" Shelby told them as she walked into her room to retrieve Rachel.
The little girl was quietly watching the TV and lounging on Shelby's bed while holding onto Lucy.
"Rachel baby they are ready for you. Remember what I said, you are safe and he can't hurt you anymore. They just want to ask you a few questions so they can find him and then they are going to leave, okay?" Shelby sat on the bed next to Rachel.
"Okay." Rachel mumbled and climbed into Shelby's lap.
Shelby carried the little girl back into the living room and sat where she was previously sitting.
"She's a little nervous so please go easy on her. She's not very trusting of men at the moment so Harmon I don't know how well this will go." Shelby settled Rachel in her lap.
"It's okay I have a little cousin around Rachel's age. She's a feisty one but I think I can manage." Amanda smiled. "Hi Rachel I'm Amanda and this is my partner Charlie. We want to ask you a few questions about what happened yesterday is that okay?"
Rachel nodded and hid her face slightly into Lucy's fur.
"Rachel do you know the person that took you?" Harmon started off the questioning.
Rachel nodded.
"Have you known him or her for a long time? Did you see them a lot?" Amanda asked.
"Yes I know him." Rachel answered.
Harmon wrote everything down.
"Where do you know this person from Rachel?" Harmon looked up from the pad.
"My old life." Rachel said simply.
"Rachel when he took you did he say anything scary or bad?"
Rachel looked up at her mother. Shelby kissed Rachel's forehead to reassure the girl.
"Yes. He said that I have to be a big girl cause he was watching me. He know all da moves I make and My Mommy's. He said I have to be mean to Mommy so she can send me back."
Shelby was surprised that Rachel was easily giving off this information and so clearly.
"Did he say anything else?"
"He say he going to be back and I better been a good girl or else he would give me a whooping. I don't wanna whooping Momma." Rachel looked up at Shelby.
Shelby began to get angry. "you're not getting hurt sweetie, remember he can't hurt you."
"Okay Rachel we have a few more questions. What did this man look like? Can you tell us what he was wearing? Amanda asked
"Um hat it look like da color of tomato. Pants and big sweater. He has mean and tired eyes." Rachel explains. "He wears glasses too."
Amanda nodded and made sure that Harmon was writing everything down.
"What color were his eyes? Do you know what type of shoes he was wearing?"
"Eyes like brown and shoes have a check on them." Rachel said.
"Okay we know what we are looking for. Thank you Rachel." Amanda smiled and shook the little girl's hands. She knew the little girl would only be able to describe the man at a minimum and Amanda could see in the child's eyes that she was tired.
Harmon stood up and reached into his coat pocket.
"Rachel I wanted to give you this. You are officially our honorary police detective and when you remember something have your Mommy call us." Harmon held out a small fake police badge.
Rachel eyed Harmon and the badge for a while before taking it . "Thank you Mr. Charlie"
"Momma can I go now?" Rachel asked.
"Yes you can." Shelby let Rachel slip from her lap and watched as the little girl ran out of sight.
"Cute kid. Has good manners." Harmon commented
"Thank you. For everything and if you anything else happens please call us Ms. Corcoran." Amanda shook Shelby's hand again.
"No thank you. You are helping to put some horrible people away." Shelby followed the two out of the door.
"We will make sure extra security is around just in case. I'll call you." Harmon stayed behind and talked to Shelby.
Shelby smiled and thanked him again.
Turning to close the door and once she was in Rachel was standing there holding a baby doll.
"What's wrong Tinker bell? You want to play?"
"I don't wan you to buy anymore more of dese Momma. I just wan you to stay here with me." Rachel simply said as she held out her doll.
Shelby's heart melted. She took the doll from Rachel's hand and set it on the end table.
She scooped the girl up and laid kisses all over a giggling Rachel's face.
"I love you so much Rachel." Shelby squeezed the little girl tighter.
"I love you much too Momma." Rachel kissed Shelby on the lips. "More than you eva know."
Shelby smiled and held Rachel closer.
The only thing in the world that were better than toys was a mother's love.
A/N: So good, bad or ugly? This stalker is really creepy right? I love little Rachel so much. Do you guys have an idea of who it is? What do you guys think of Amanda? Oh yeah I kind of added to Shelby's apartment. Any suggestions? Review and let me know what you think.
-LSAM.