AN:/ Thank you all reviewers/alerters/fav button hitters and readers I know you wanted the party in this chapter but I felt what I wrote needed to stand alone and I hope you enjoy it.

So again I own nothing except my mistakes and I am happy you all are enjoying my first try at a story.

Enjoy...

Chapter 13

Rachel woke with a start today was her Gee-Pa's birthday, and she hadn't gotten him a present. She needed to get someone to take her to buy him one.

As quick as she could she showered dressed and went to the kitchen to see who was up and could take her to shop for a present.

She hobbled into the kitchen and saw Shelby sitting at the table feeding Beth.

"Shel..mo." Rachel was still unsure what to call Shelby.

Yes a few times she had called her momma, but there still was that little niggling fear that Shelby really didn't want Rachel as her daughter, and just pretended because of the rest of the family.

"I have been called many things but never Shelmo." Not taking her eyes away from feeding Beth, because as soon as she was to do that there would be a bigger mess then there had to be.

"Um.. I wasn't sure what you wanted me to call you." Stated Rachel as she nervously bit her lip.

"I really do like being called Momma, but if you're not comfortable with it you can call me Shelby."

She knew Rachel was still unsure of her intentions, but her heart did a little skip every time she heard Momma come from her Baby girl.

"OK Momma, I need a big, really big favor."

"What do you need Baby girl." Shelby just finished feeding Beth and turned her full attention to Rachel, and noticed what a lot of people called the Rachel Berry mega watt smile but never had the opportunity to experience first hand.

She finally understood the line from the Christmas story about the Grinch when his heart grew three times that day.

She had to laugh at her self for that thought, it had been a very long time since she had felt giddy. She knew it was all because of her daughter, and now knew if it was just her and Beth all that she had become would be passed on to the little girl, after all misery loves company.

Rachel would teach her how to love, and Beth would benefit from that love.

She thanked the heavens, the fates whatever power gave her the chance to make it right again.

The whole time she had been thinking about this, Rachel had been asking her favor. Not wanting Rachel to think she had been ignoring her, which she hadn't she was just lost in her thoughts. She said yes to the expectant look on Rachel's face.

"Yes!" Rachel did a little skip with her crutches.

"So what time did you need this favor?" Hoping she could bluff her way into finding out what Rachel wanted.

"We can leave after I finish breakfast" Rachel knew Shelby didn't hear what she wanted to do, because she never said anything. She had noticed by the look in her eyes that she wasn't listening, and she knew it was the perfect opportunity to get what she wanted. "HaHa score one for CorBerry, take that Corcoran."

Rachel was loving the fact she felt she could now act like a normal teenager, and be devious like other teenagers were.

She mentally giggled when she had mashed the two last names together, she had decided to do this when she needed to get one over her family, because her aunt and momma always said they were Corcoran's and nobody pulled the wool over a Corcoran's eyes.

That was until Rachel came along, she after all had the nerves of steel the Corcorans had, along with the determination and drive of a Berry.

Rachel was just finishing her breakfast when Sydney came walking in the kitchen.

"Hey kiddo excited for the party later on?"

"Yeah. OH my momma is going to take me out to pick out a present for Gee-Pa."

"Rach I don't think thats a good idea, I don't like the idea of you traipsing around all the stores."

Sydney gave Shelby a look wondering what she was thinking allowing Rachel to do this, considering it was only a few days ago that she was really sick.

Shelby mentally slapped herself, she should have been listening when Rachel was talking to her. What could she do now? If she said no now Rachel would be upset with her, but on the other hand she didn't feel like Rachel should be going out as well.

"Well how about if you come with us and you can keep an eye on her as well?"

Shelby smiled because if Rachel started to feel sick Sydney would be the one to tell Rachel they had to go home.

Rachel was hoping that it would just be her and Shelby, not that she wanted time alone with her. She knew that if Sydney came she wouldn't be able to do what she wanted.

"I think that would be a good idea." Sydney planned only to let Rachel go to two stores tops and would tell them it was time to go home.

"Phooey." Rachel said under her breath.

Sydney heard her and knew Rachel had not factored this in her plans, and was up to something.

Sydney pulled up close to her niece and whispered. "Victory is mine."

Rachel tried to give her aunt a glare she had been working on, it was a cross between the Corcoran stare and Quinn's HBIC glare. Which she was going to call the "CorBerry Icy Eyes."

Sydney looked at Rachel. "Do you have to go to the bathroom?"

"No. why?"

"No reason it just looked like you had to go."

Shelby had seen the look Rachel was trying to give Sydney and was impressed how she was almost pulling it off, and she knew Sydney was trying to make lite of it to show Rachel it didn't affect her.

"Phooey." Rachel looked away fro her aunt, upset her CorBerry icy eyes didn't work and thinking she had to work on her Icy eyes some more.

"Rae...Rae..Rae!"

Rachel looked over to where Beth sat and saw the little girl holding out her hand making a motion for Rachel to come closer to her.

Rachel drew closer to Beth, and the little girl grabbed at Rachel's hair being it was the only thing in her proximity.

"Oww.." Rachel tried holding the hair Beth was pulling as she pulled her in and kissed her cheek.

"No Phooo Rae." trying to make the older girl feel better.

"Rachel." trying to get Beth to say her full name,as she wiped her cheek covered in slobber.

"Rae." Beth looked at her like she was crazy because thats what she said.

"Rachel."

"Rae."

"Rachel."

"Rae!" this time slamming her hands down on the table as if to make her point that the conversation was over. Giving Rachel her Head Baby In Charge glare.

Rachel turned her head away from Beth so the girl couldn't see her laughing, while this was happening Shelby and Sydney also turned away hiding their own faces from Beth.

…...

After the second store they had looked in Rachel still could not find anything she wanted to give her Gee-Pa for his birthday, and knew she couldn't put off her aunt forcing them to go home.

Then it hit her what she could give him.

"Guys I know what to get Gee-Pa. I promise that we can go home after we get it. OK?"

Shelby and Sydney looked at each other and silently nodded their heads.

"Alright, and no fights we go back and you rest up. No arguments about it."

Sydney stated.

"Yes I promise."

"So where are we going?" asked Shelby since she was driving.

Rachel just smiled. "Lima."

Both women groaned because they should of asked before making the deal.

…...

"Whats that storage locker number Rachel?"

"Uhh...184."

Shelby pulled up to the locker and turned off the car. They all got out and stretched after the drive here.

Shelby and Sydney knew this was going to be hard for Rachel. They had talked about it on the way to Lima, and no matter how they tried to convince her that maybe it wasn't a good idea. Rachel held firm that she had to do it some day, and today wasn't going to hurt any less then weeks, months or years from now.

Rachel gave the key to Sydney so she could open the locker.

Rachel knew that the only things that would be in the locker were going to be personal items, all her dads clothing, household items such as furniture was donated to the temple her family went to.

Rachel looked around and found the boxes she wanted and pointed them out to Sydney and Shelby.

They took the boxes out so that they could look through them and make sure it was the right ones Rachel wanted.

The first box was home movies and Rachel was going to put that one back when Shelby asked if they could take it, from what she remembered of the Berry men she knew that these would be mainly about Rachel.

Rachel told her she could, and Shelby ran and put them in the trunk.

The next box held folders of all Rachel's certificates and awards, Sydney asked if they could take this box as well.

Rachel looked at her aunt shrugged her shoulders wondering why her aunt would want these, but nodded any ways.

That box also went in the trunk.

Finally they opened the last box they pulled out, and it was full of photo albums, and they were labeled. "Rachel age 0-2/ Rachel age 3-4 and so on, as well as some empty albums waiting to be filled.

Rachel told them this was the box she wanted. They packed the last box and closed up the locker to drive back to Columbus.

As they were leaving the storage yard Shelby watched as Rachel kept looking back. "Are you OK Baby girl?"

"I think so, it's just weird that my life, or what my life was basically sits inside boxes locked away."

Neither Shelby or Sydney had anything to say to this.

As they drove along Sydney saw the Lima Bean and told Shelby to pull over.

Rachel noticed where they were and commented that she had to use the bathroom as well.

Shelby parked and they climbed out.

Before Rachel went to use the restroom they asked her what she wanted and went to the counter to order.

As they stood waiting for their coffees a voice called out.

"Shelby."

The sisters turned to where the voice was coming from.

"William." Shelby acknowledged back.

"What a surprise to see you here, I thought you left Ohio.?"

"No I just had some work to do in L.A for one of my former students."

"Oh, and just so you know if you wanted to you could probably get your teaching job back at Mckinley."

"Why would I want to teach there again?"

"I figured since Rachel was no longer there you would want to come back."

"Well I guess you figured wrong, and I want to spend more time with Rachel anyway so I wouldn't be able to take a teaching job in Lima."

"so your going to New York?"

Shelby looked at him wondering why he said New York.

"No why."

"You said you were going to spend more time with Rachel."

"Who said my daughter was in New York?"

"Your daughter, when did that change?"

"She was always my daughter."

"Yes I am aware of that, but I thought since the last time you came back and then left again that your relationship with her hadn't changed."

"I guess you don't know me or my daughter very well."

"I agree I don't know you all that well, but I do know more about Rachel than you do."

Shelby squared her shoulders. "Is that so."

"Yes sorry but it happens to be true."

"Bullshit!" they heard from behind them.

They both looked over and saw Rachel there.

"Rachel I don't think you should that sort of language, I am your teacher."

"Phffttt... The only thing you ever taught me was that everybody plays favorites even teachers."

"I never played favorites."

'Bullshit...you never played favorites huh? So answer me why you never stood up for me when the others called me names or insulted me you never told them to stop it, but as soon as I said something you would yell at me call me selfish or I wasn't being a team player?"

"You are a better singer than most but I felt the others should have been given a chance to shine as well."

"That is the biggest crock of shit I ever heard." Spoke Shelby.

"Do you want to know why my team took home four National titles William? I'll tell you why because every one of them worked for their spot on the team, if one of them didn't do the work well then they sung in the back round till they got it done. I rewarded hard work not who cried the loudest."

"How many competitions did you win with Rachel singing lead or having her input on what songs to sing?"

A guilty look came over Schue's face. "That doesn't matter we won the last competition and Rachel wasn't even here."

"No but Kurt was and where do you think he got the notes from?" Shelby's eyebrow raised.

Schuster knew that Kurt was getting help from Rachel, he had over heard Quinn and Kurt talking to her on the phone.

Shelby waited a beat and carried on. "It's pretty pitiful that an educator has to steal his students ideas and pass them along as his own. And I am sorry I listened to you two years ago when you talked to me about starting a relationship with Rachel."

Schuster was looking down at this point shamed face.

"I hope you listen to what I have to say Mr. Schue." Rachel waited for him to look at her.

"You may think some one is strong that things don't affect them, all the harmful words and general hate thrown their way, even though some people seem unbreakable if you toss them around enough eventually they will fracture and the beauty they once had can never be repaired."

Sydney who had been quiet the whole time walked over to her niece and slung her arm on Rachel's shoulder. "Let's get you home."

Schue watched as the women started to walk out the door. "Rachel what happened?" finally noticing she was using crutches.

Rachel looked over her shoulder at him. "You haven't earned the right to know, that is reserved for people I care about and who care about me."

The Corcoran women turned back to leave the coffee shop, as they were almost to the door Sydney asked Shelby. "I wonder how much hair product he uses?"

Just then another voice spoke up."I would like to find out what type it is, because I could buy stock in it and be a rich woman just from to sales he generates."

Sydney watched as the blonde woman in a track suit walked towards Rachel.

"Raquel."

"Raquel's inferior clone." as Sue nodded at Shelby.

Sue looked at Sydney. "I see they tried to clone you again Raquel.
Good thinking having as many clones around you if anyone tries to take you out with a sniper rifle."

"Coach Sylvester." Rachel greeted her.

Rachel and Shelby were used to Sue's crazy, but Sydney wasn't and stood closer to Rachel in case this nut ball tried anything.

Sue held her finger under Rachel's chin. "You're not fractured and you still have everything that makes you beautiful, and I was sorry to hear about your dads."

Rachel was shocked beyond belief. "Thank you Coach Sylvester."

"Repeat it and I will hunt you down and make you work testing Hazmat suits."

Sue turned quickly and left the coffee shop.

Shelby kissed Rachel's temple. "Lets go."

…...

They got back to Columbus and Rachel asked if one of them could carry the box with the photo albums into the room she was staying in.

She had a lot of work to do if she wanted her present ready for her Gee-Pa.

Her Grandparents had went to visit some friends and had taken Beth with them so and Sydney wanted to look at the pictures herself so Rachel said might as well call Davis down as well.

Shelby had brought in the box with the home movies, she had saw there was some on disc and wanted to watch them, so she took them upstairs to watch on her laptop.

Rachel had decided to take a few pictures from each year and put them in one album for her Gee-Pa's birthday.

So with the help of Sydney and Davis she set out on her task. Which soon started to take longer then she wanted. Her Aunt and uncle kept stopping her to ask her the story behind the picture.

Looking at the clock she finally told them they could take the pictures home and when she had more time she would sit down and go through the pictures with them.

Upstairs Shelby was going through the titles on the disc's when Rachel the early years caught her eye. She opened the case and saw list of what the disc contained. It was Rachel from a baby till she was 10 years old.

She quickly put this disc in her laptop and pressed play.

She watched as the Berry men brought Rachel home for the first time, there was scenes of Rachel eating, the first time Leroy changed a poo pee diaper. She laughed at the next time he changed her diaper he had a handkerchief tied around his face. Scenes of Rachel crawling, her first steps and she was laughing again as Hiram walked behind her with a pillow and every time she would start to fall he would quickly make sure she landed on the pillow. Then as Rachel ran naked around the house and Hiram chased her with a diaper calling her back to put it on. She watched as the Berry men walked around the nursery with a crying Rachel, and the only thing that would quiet her was a song being played and Shelby cried as she recognized it was her voice on the tape that would calm her Baby girl allowing her to finally sleep. The tears rolled down her face as she replayed this a few times. She watched her baby's first words, her first tooth her first singing competition, her first dance recital. Every first her Baby girl had was caught on tape.

And she cried because she had missed it all, but she now knew there would other firsts that she would be there for. The first time Rachel would find out she was having her own child, holding her first grandchild, so many others she could think of and her sadness eased a little.

She went to the bathroom to wash her face and knew they had to start getting ready for her Dad's party.

…...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

AN:/ Next Chapter Gee-Pa's party and Gleeks. And Sydney's heavy heart.

Hit the button or don't..