Chapter 11.

Hey sorry it's short, it's been quite a stressful time for me...hopefully updates will start to stabilise again soon! Thanks again to Beaner008. It was mentioned in a few of the reviews, that you guys didn't like the fact that Santana yelled at Rachel over the cutting. I assure you this was done purposefully to show the fact that Santana is inexperienced and has no idea how to deal with the situation! i realise yelling is not the optimum solution! Hope you enjoy, and if you do please review, nothing cheers me up quite like them.

The house had been tense for a week; Quinn was being polite but curt with Santana. The attitude was beginning to grate on Brittany. Rachel was pretty oblivious she was wrapped up in her Broadway workshop with Jesse. Another factor that was annoying Quinn, she was fed up of Rachel singing his praises. The whole house was. Rachel was sat at the table eating her fruit salad breakfast waiting patiently for Jesse to pick her up. Quinn was slumped in her chair, stabbing her fork into her plateful of bacon. Enjoying the clanging and scratching noises the metal was making against the plate. Santana rolled her eyes at the blonde, "is there any need for that Quinn?"

Quinn glared at Santana, giving her the infamous HBIC look she had perfected over the years. Quinn stood up gracefully, "you know what I think is funny?" Quinn paused mid speech and glanced to Santana who gave her the look to continue. "You think you're the boss in this house, but at school you answer to me. I'm head cheerio."

"I don't answer to you, Quinn. Head cheerio is merely a status, a figurehead more than an actual role."

"That's why you were so jealous when I got it,"

"I used to think it was important, but then I realised it just isn't. There are much more important things..."

"Yeah why being a controlling bitch at school, when you can be one at home?" an awkward silence took over the room, before it was interrupted by Rachel.

"Can we please stop this pointless arguing? Let it go Quinn."

Quinn slammed her glass down angrily, "I won't let this go, Santana is being abusive!"

Rachel saw red at that, "Santana is not being abusive! If anyone has been abusive to me in the last 3 years it's you! Or don't you remember? Rupaul? Manhands?"

"But she hits you Rach!"

"She doesn't hit me, she..." Rachel went red as she attempted to say the word, so Brittany intervenes.

"Spanks, there's a difference Quinn. It's a comforting thing for Rachel, her dads used to punish them both that way. It's a link."

"Well to me it's just abuse!" spat out Quinn. Rachel stood up, and headed towards the door. She turned back to Quinn, "I'm going to my workshop Quinn, and I want you to think real hard about this." She left with a dramatic flourish.

Quinn turned her attention back to the other two girls, "its abuse Santana."

Brittany cocked her head at Quinn and looked at her in interest, "Quinn have you even been spanked?"

Quinn immediately paled, "that's known of your business!" she said angrily.

"It's a simple question Quinn; maybe you don't understand it, because you've never had one."

"This conversation is ridiculous, I'm going out!"

"No you're not," replied Brittany, "you are grounded remember."

Quinn growled in exasperation, "can't you see how ridiculous this is, you two parenting me, you're only two years older than me!"

"You're right but those two years make us adults and you a child. What were you expecting? Us four to move in, and it to be like one endless slumber party. Life doesn't work that way. Are we conventional? No. Do we love each other? Yes. We can make this family work no matter how weird it is," said Santana.

Quinn shrugged her shoulders in defeat, "ok I concede to that point."

Brittany laughed at that, "you've been spending too much time with Rachel." All three girls smirked at that.

"You just have to talk to us Quinn; we need to make this work that will only happen if we are open about everything. Rachel is finally coming through this; she's finally starting to even mention the accident. Rachel is looking to me as a maternal figure, so I'm responding to her in that way. I know you don't see me in the same way, and I'm not expecting you to, can you at least see me as a big sister and concede," Santana said concede with a little smirk on her face, "that I'm in charge."

Quinn nodded reluctantly. Santana smiled, "good who's up for shopping? Go get dressed Quinn," she swatted the younger girl playfully, but missed her reaction. Brittany watched in concern as the young girl froze up, and tensed immediately, her hands balled into fists at her sides, and as quickly as she saw that reaction it was gone. Quinn disappeared up the stairs. Brittany went to rinse her coffee cup, while Santana got dressed as well.

...

"Mama who bore me
Mama who gave me
No way to handle things
Who made me so sad

Mama, the weeping
Mama, the angels
No sleep in Heaven, or Bethlehem

Some pray that one day
Christ will come a'-callin'
They light a candle
And hope that it glows
And some just lie there
Crying for him to come and find them
But when he comes they don't know how to go

Mama who bore me
Mama who gave me
No way to handle things
Who made me so bad

Mama, the weeping
Mama, the angels
No sleep in Heaven, or Bethlehem."

Rachel finished to the applause that erupted in the choir room, "that was beautiful," came a voice from behind the piano.

Rachel looked down at her feet, but soaked in the praise none the less. Jesse approached her and brought her into a hug.

The woman stood up from behind the piano, "exciting news guys, we have the opportunity to put on spring awakening as a show."

"What here in Ohio?"

"No New York,"

Excited whispers overtook the room, "under 18's need parental permission, but try outs will officially be tomorrow, let's take a break, then we'll go over bitch of living afterwards." The group disbanded, Jesse turned to Rachel, "I'll meet you in the cafe, just need to talk to Shelby for 5 minutes ok?" Rachel nodded kissed his cheek and headed out of the room.

"Shelby are you ever going to tell her?"

"Jesse..."

"I feel terrible lying to her like this,"

"You're not lying you're omitting the truth, I'm not ready for her to know."

"Are you sure we're not manipulating her?"

"No, if anything we are doing her a favour, giving her the opportunity to go to New York,"

"That's not what I was taking about and you know it," cut in Jesse. "Santana loves her so much."

"She's 18 Jesse, she needs to have her own life, and that's what I'll be offering them when the time comes. I can take custody and move to New York with her."

"Yes but why can't you just be open about this,"

"I want to let Rachel get to know me first, she would never just leave the family home, and not after the year she's had. I want her to want me. I want her to trust me."

"You are going about in a weird way to get her to trust you,"

Shelby gave him her patented glare. "Look remember Jesse you agreed with me, I'm doing what's best for all involved. I'm freeing Santana, and taking care of my daughter."

"I don't understand why custody wasn't given to you in the first place,"

"Let's just say me and the berry's did not get on... and leave it at that."

Jesse just threw his hands up in the air, "fine, fine, I give up, I'm going to go get some food with Rachel."

Shelby sat back down at the piano, her thoughts distracting her from playing.