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: So sorry for the lack of update this week but it is going to be like this for a while because my ancient laptop finally decided to be a butthole and die. I'm also not taking on my summer job as planned. By this Friday I will be flying to Texas to help out my sister with my nephew while she works.
Probably less updates than before because ill basically be his nanny. Hey I still get paid though so it's a plus.
So this chapter may or may not have a development in the plot. I'm borrowing a cousin's computer and my mind is everywhere but I hope you like it. It's also unrevised but if you see any mistakes just please ignore it. When I go back over the story I will revise everything and proofread in the future. Today is just not my day.
Your 24th Chapter
Enjoy =)
Chapter 25 A Family Affair
It's been a quiet morning for Shelby and Rachel so far.
It's Thursday and two days since Rachel has been released. The little girl has been resting easily and being waited on hand and foot.
Shelby has informed the little girl of the medicines she has to take and so far no complaints.
The spacer and inhaler is Rachel's favorite so far because she sees it as a game. The small liquid medicine she has to take isn't that bad so that's a plus too.
Now that the medicine taking is over for both Shelby and Rachel they are just cuddling in bed. In about a half hour everyone is having a family breakfast downstairs but per Rachel's request they are just chilling in their shared bedroom.
Rachel is happily nursing and snuggled into her mother's chest.
Shelby's milk has come in more in the past two days. Last night while Rachel was sleeping and Shelby was suffering insomnia, the mother was able to pump half bottles.
Rachel hasn't seen the bottles yet but the little girl is very happy that her mommy's milk has come in.
She wasn't really surprised since Shelby's breasts have been leaking for a while now.
Now Rachel was becoming even more attached to her mother's breast.
As Rachel nurses Shelby hums and runs her fingers through the small girls locks.
It's quiet other than that and they are content this way.
Family breakfast is just a nice time to sit and chat with family while pigging out.
Today is the last day that the Corcoran parents, along with Megan and Ellie, will be in Carmel. Tonight at 7 they will be taking their four hour drive back to Columbus. So today was going to be a fun family day.
Right now breakfast consisted of sausage, eggs, pancakes, waffles, bacon, grits and biscuits plus a side of orange juice.
Shelby was having a tough time right now because Rachel only has grits and a biscuit on her plate but she is refusing to even eat that. The toddler is in one of her moods today.
Shelby factors out that the little girl may be full from nursing but she knows that Rachel didn't drink enough to be full.
Everyone can see that Rachel and Shelby are having a hard time so they keep up the light conversation so as not to make a big deal out of it.
"C'mon Rachel you need to eat and you like this stuff. All of it except the pancakes. "Shelby tries to compromise with the girl. She knows getting Rachel to eat is a trick thing and she doesn't want to upset the girl as is.
They haven't yet figured out why Rachel doesn't like to eat or when she doesn't like to eat. It's still a mystery that they are clueless about. Shelby knew that the 3 year old was afraid of getting sick again but Shelby hasn't fed anything to the little girl straight out. She knew that Rachel's stomach was sensitive ad not used to all of the foods that are in the house.
"No mommy." Rachel says for the thousandth time. She uses her little fingers to push the small plate away. She looks over at DJ to see that the little boy is eating his food. He wasn't as messy as Rachel but he still had more food on the table than in his mouth.
Rachel didn't know why her mommy wanted her to eat so bad. She ate all of her food yesterday and the day before that. In Rachel's mind food should be saved and not wasted because who knew when they would eat next time. They ate a lot in this family and Rachel just wasn't used to it.
Of course Rachel didn't know how to say that to her momma. She was only 3 and could barely be understood as is. There was a few times where Rachel has noticed when she talks that everyone has a delayed response. She thinks it's because she is little. Her papa once told her that people don't listen to stupid babies like her.
But her mommy listens so she is ok with that.
"Rachel please just a little bit?" Shelby knows that she should be a little firmer with this but she just doesn't have the heart to force the little girl.
"No. No. No!" Rachel folds her arms and pouts. She doesn't want to eat this.
"Rachel pup why don't you listen to your Momma and eat?" Michael speaks up. "Not a lot just a little. That's all we want."
Everybody watches the emotions go over Rachel's face from frustration to anger and then defeat or submission.
Since Michael is a man Rachel listens to him more. She hasn't had very good experience with the man and she feels that if she doesn't listen something will happen. He is stronger and Rachel feels that assertiveness with him that she saw in her Papa. Though she doesn't feel as scared.
Rachel fights with Shelby because even though she knows the woman is her Momma she doesn't exactly know where Shelby stands. She tests her limits out of stubbornness and fear, if that made any sense. It certainly did in the toddler's head.
Rachel picks up her spoon and begins to sadly scoop some grits into her mouth.
After a while Shelby can see how the little girl is miserable so she gets an idea. She needs something as more an incentive for the little girl.
Shelby stands up and Rachel watches her Momma leave the room. She begins to get upset and thinks that her mother is angry with her.
As Rachel begins to get up and chase after Shelby, the woman comes back into the dining room with a blue Sippy cup in her hand.
Shelby sits back in her seat besides Rachel. She sets the Sippy cup down in front of Rachel's plate.
"Baby girl do you know what's in that cup?" Shelby leans down so her lips are close to Rachel's ear.
Rachel shakes her head. She is curious as to what is in there now.
"That's Momma's milk."
"I have some?" Rachel asks
"Baby the only way you can have some is if you eat some of your food. I'm not asking you to eat all of it just some." Shelby tells the girl. "If you don't eat, you can't have the milk. Understood?"
Shelby didn't really like how she had to do this but she needed Rachel to understand how important eating was.
Rachel weighs out the choices in her head. She looks into her mother's serious eyes. She knows what she has to do.
Everyone breathes out a little sigh of relief as Rachel begins to eat her food.
They go back to the conversations they were having previously.
Shelby begins to eat her own food and watches Rachel out of the corner of her eye.
She thinks the plan has worked until she hears an almost inaudible whimper come from beside her.
She looks down to see that Rachel is miserably scooping the food into her mouth and tears are running down her tan cheeks.
Shelby's heart breaks a little. She didn't think that the little girl would start crying.
In a flash she has a now loudly sobbing Rachel in one arm and the Sippy cup in the other.
She carries the crying toddler into Mary's office down the hall.
She quickly closes the door and sets Rachel on the couch for a second.
"No Mommy!" Rachel cries and clings onto her mother even more.
So Shelby sits the cup on the desk and sits. She pulls Rachel into her arms.
"It's okay Rachel." She tries to calm the little girl. She can feel Rachel's breaths becoming slightly hitched and she doesn't want the girl to go into full attack mode. That's how upset Rachel was.
Rachel continued to cry into her mother's neck as the woman rocked her.
Shelby couldn't understand the things that the little girl was mumbling into her neck until she sat Rachel
up.
"No Momma. Me sorry." Rachel repeated as her face became red. "No hit me Mommy. I go eat."
Rachel pleaded with her mother as she tries to bury herself deeper in the woman's arms.
"Rachel baby I need you to listen to Mommy for a second." Shelby tries to get to the girl over her loud sobs.
Rachel can't hear her though. Her cries have gone beyond loud.
It breaks Shelby's heart to know that the little girl is afraid that Shelby will hit her for not eating. That certainly wasn't something to get a spanking for but Shelby was thinking that Rachel meant something totally different.
Shelby sits the little girl up once more. She wipes the tears from Rachel's face.
She runs her fingers through the little girl's hair and pulls Rachel into her chest.
She hums some unknown tune in her head until she feels Rachel's breathing begin to even out.
The little girl still has a few hiccups but other than that she has calmed down.
When Shelby feels like Rachel is ready to listen she begins to speak.
"Rachel baby you are not in trouble at all. I will never ever hit you. I know somewhere in that little head of yours you know that I would never hit you to hurt you, ever! I just really need you to eat because you need to. You are really small Rachel and that is not a good thing. We all just want you to be big and healthy. That's all I want. I only need you to eat a little bit. My milk helps but you also need to eat big people food." Shelby continues. "Do you think you can do that?"
"Me not want that Mommy." Rachel pouts
Shelby narrows her eyes. "You don't want to eat that or you don't want to eat at all?"
This isn't the whole story with Rachel but if it gets the little girl to eat.
"Not want that Mommy." Rachel says. "I want something else."
Shelby stands up and sets the little girl onto her feet. She takes Rachel's tiny hand in hers.
"Something else like what? You go ahead and show me."
Rachel leads her mother into the kitchen.
Rachel uses all of her strength to open the fridge door.
"That!" Rachel points excitedly.
Shelby has to wonder how the small little girl even saw any of that up there.
It was an already made and in the pack PB&J sandwich.
"This?" Shelby asks as she pulls the sandwich off the high shelf. Rachel nods her head and goes to open the bottom drawer.
She pulls out the bad of grapes and drops it on the floor because it is so heavy.
"Grapes too Mommy?" Rachel asks.
"Are you going to eat it all?" Shelby asks as she sets everything on top of the counter.
"Yes I eat it all." Rachel says.
Shelby continues to make Rachel a small plate of her own thought of breakfast.
The little girl watches her mother with careful eyes.
"Okay Rach are you ready to go back in there? We can eat in here if that makes you comfortable." Shelby holds onto Rachel's hands.
"In there." Rachel says quietly. She is a little embarrassed by her little 'tantrum' earlier. She now thought that her family would think she was a brat but she still wanted to sit with them.
Shelby leads her daughter back into the dining room where everyone is still eating and laughing.
"Hey Rachel's back!" Megan cheers.
"How you feeling toots?" Ellie asks.
Rachel climbs into her chair all by herself. Shelby sits down beside her and sets the new plate in front of her.
"She's good. But I think she is embarrassed a little." Shelby says.
Rachel begins to eat and ignores everyone else.
"That looks good what you got there. Can I have some?" Michael asks.
Rachel studies her granddaddy's face for a minute. She nods her head and Michael grabs a grape off of her plate.
He pops it into his mouth.
Rachel giggles.
"That's not how you eat it."
"Oh?" Michael raises his brow. "Is that so, well can you show me?"
Rachel picks up a grape and throws it into the air while trying to catch it in her mouth.
She misses though so she tries again. Pretty soon it becomes a match between Michael and Rachel.
Neither one wins and there are more grapes on the table than in their mouths.
But as everyone sees the little girl has eaten all of her food.
After breakfast Shelby grabbed a quick shower.
Rachel didn't want to be alone so she waited in the bedroom.
As Shelby comes out she is met with her daughter bouncing on the bed and dancing to some kind of Disney song.
"Okay you jumping bean." Shelby turns the TV down to a more quiet volume.
Rachel plops down on the bed and sits Indian style.
Rachel watches her mother while drinking from her second Sippy cup of the day.
She is really becoming obsessed with her mother's milk.
Shelby releases the white robe from her body. She continues to dry off and pick out her clothes for the day.
As Rachel drinks from the cup she asks. "Mommy where we going?"
"We are all going to the mall to do a little shopping and just have a little fun day with the family. Is that okay with you?" Shelby continues to put on her underwear.
"Yes." Rachel nods. She drinks a little more from the Sippy cup. "This is too good Mommy."
Shelby laughs out loud. "I'm glad you like it baby."
Rachel smiles up at her mom as Shelby gives her a kiss on the forehead.
"Rachel baby the mall can be a scary place." Shelby begins to brush her hair. "If it gets too scary then we can leave. Just tell me okay?"
"Okay Mommy." Rachel isn't really paying attention. She is too busy drinking her new favorite drink.
As soon as all of the family was ready they packed into two SUV's and headed to the mall.
Oakland Carmel Mall
It was a huge mall with tons of stores and places to eat and have fun.
The first place that they went to was the Apple Store. It's been two weeks and Shelby has yet to get a new phone. So today was the day.
Shelby decided on the new 5s along with a few phone cases and headphones.
Rachel was pretty excited about her mother's new phone. She was obsessed with the bird game and all she wanted to do was play it.
As they walked through the mall the little girl has been playing the game while seated in a stroller that they rented for her. She was guarding the phone with her life and she wasn't afraid of all of the people in the mall.
"Oh my god. We have to stop here guys." Megan says as they all walk pass a Dairy Queen.
"Oh no I haven't seen a Megan sugar rush in a while." Mary comments as she breezes past Shelby and into the line.
"Rachel what would you like?" Megan asks with a mischievous grin on her face.
"Um?" The little girl sits up in her stroller and tries to get a glance at what this store sells.
"Don't worry. I'll just get you a double chocolate chip." Megan makes eye contact with Shelby and then turns to run back into the line.
Shelby knew what her sister was up to. She was trying to see how hyper Rachel would get with all of that sugar. It could either make the girl a hyper 3 year-old or a very sick 3 year-old.
Megan comes back with two cups in her hand. She hands one to Rachel but Shelby intercepts and takes the cup back to the counter.
"Excuse me can I have a small cup please." Shelby asks.
After getting the cup she pours some of the milkshake/ice-cream into the small cup. She grabs a spoon and lid and hands it to Rachel.
She eats some of the milkshake as everyone continues to walk around.
She watches Rachel out of the corner of her eye as Ellie pushes her.
This should be an interesting day.
After a bit of shopping everyone decides to grab lunch at McDonalds.
They are still inside of the giant mall and no one is close to leaving yet.
They have just come from shopping at a shoe store. Everyone has shoes but Rachel won out by getting 3 new pairs, all from her grandparents of course.
Shelby can't say no when the grandparents are buying.
Now that they are inside of McDonald's Shelby watches Rachel closely.
Rachel hasn't been inside of the restaurant since the attempted kidnapping a few weeks ago.
But the little girl seems unfazed as everyone pulls several tables together and they all begin to eta their fatty foods. Of course Rachel and DJ get happy meals.
"So how is everyone feeling so far?" Katherine asks as she eats her filet-o-fish.
"Good." Was the chorus that came from all of her children. Everyone was too busy eating their food.
"Maybe in a while everyone could come out and we could all go sledding. On German Hill." Michael suggested.
"That sounds good. Pick a time and date and we will all make a trip up there. With the trial and everything coming soon we all need a little break." Shelby says.
"Yeah. I'm in." Ellie agreed.
"Mommy can we go and play inside of the playscape?" DJ whispers to Mary.
"Yes go ahead." Mary says as she helps the little boy out of his chair and fixes his clothes.
"Rachel do you want to go?" DJ comes around the table and stands in front of his little cousin.
"Yes I go." Rachel climbs out of her chair. She looks across the glass and back at Shelby. "Momma can you go in with me?"
"Sure. " Shelby wipes her mouth and follows the little girl and her nephew into the playscape.
DJ immediately takes off his shoes and runs into the playscape where a couple of other kids already are.
Shelby helps Rachel take off her snow boots and then takes off her own shoes.
She wraps her hair into a ponytail and then Rachel's.
She leads the little girl into the small steps of the playscape. Shelby sighs. She hasn't been in this thing since she was like 8.
She crawls and Rachel holds onto her hands a little more.
As they reach the top Shelby pulls her phone out of her back pocket.
"Okay Rachel we have to find the slide." Shelby turns her phone on video.
"Where?" Rachel asks as she crawls and turns everywhere.
They reach the slide but Rachel is afraid to go down. To the little girl it's a giant dark tunnel of death.
"C'mon Rachel." Shelby says as she sits the little girl in her lap to prepare them to slide down.
As they begin to slide Shelby positions the camera so that it captures Rachel's reaction.
As they begin to slide all you can hear are Rachel's giggles until they reach the bottom.
Rachel jumps out of her mother's lap and begins to bounce in the air.
"Again!Again!" She chants.
So that's what they do for the next few hours.
"Momma! Can I have this?" Rachel yells really loud as she runs ahead of her family and into a nearby toy store.
Mary, Ellie and Megan all snicker while Shelby shoots them death glares.
It seems that the sugar has set in and Rachel has been bouncing off the whiles ever since. Her yelling is louder than ever and she has been running around the halls of the mall since they left McDonalds.
Shelby follows the little girl into the store.
It seems that Rachel has already grabbed a few toys and is up at the checkout counter.
"Momma you have to pay for this." Rachel pouts. She attempts to jump up and put the toys on the counter.
"Rachel you already have enough toys and I didn't bring any more money along with me." Shelby says.
"Nonsense we'll pay for it." Katherine appears beside her daughter. "She has all of her toys in the storage and we don't want her getting bored while she is at Mary's."
"Let us buy her something." Michael takes the toys away from Rachel and begins to pay. "Hey DJ go ahead and get something too.
This causes the two kids to go into frenzy around the toy store.
Of course Mary steps in and tells them when it is enough.
They walk out with 5 toys each and those toys weren't cheap.
But Shelby realizes when the Grandparents say yes you can't say no.
After they take all of the stuff to the car DJ is the one to point out that Jeepers is right across the street.
The small party place that rivals Chuck E. Cheese's is not something you pass up.
So everyone makes their little trek over to the place.
After eating pizza and cotton candy, much to Shelby's annoyance, they all go on to have contest with the games.
Shelby and Megan go against Mary and Ellie in water target game. While David takes the kids for a Mini train ride.
"Whatever group wins a free shopping spree to bath and body works and Victoria's secret." Michael says as he steps up to the girls.
"How about we make this a little harder than that for them, Michael?" Katherine sips from the iced tea inside of her cup.
"What like a full obstacle course?" Mary asks as she leans against the machine.
"Something like that." Michael says.
"Okay I'm in."Shelby says.
"Let's do this." Megan chimes in.
They go from Machine to machine all the while making it friendly family competition.
But in the end Megan and Shelby win.
"Did we win? Did we win?" Shelby chants and she does circles around Mary and Ellie.
"You both cheated." Mary glares at her sister.
"Oh no no honey. You both lost. That last point went in which makes us the winner." Shelby high- fived Megan.
"It looks like you're the winners and you win a free shopping spree. We will get you your prizes later on tonight." Michael says as he shakes Shelby and Megan's hands as though they are on an actual game show.
Shelby high fives Megan again.
"Mommy?" Shelby hears the voice of the little girl behind her.
As Shelby turns around she is met with the very stick and pink face of a messy 3 year old.
"Rachel? Who gave you cotton candy?" Shelby asks as she scoops the little girl up.
"I don't know but Mommy I wet." Rachel says as she lays her head on Shelby's shoulder.
"Okay I'm going to get you all cleaned up." Shelby says as she carries the little girl into the bathroom.
When Shelby is done changing the girl she begins to wipe her face and hands free of the mess.
"Was it good?" Shelby asks as she washes each of Rachel's hand, noticing that a little is stuck to her cast.
"Very good Momma." Rachel smiles.
"Are you having fun?" Shelby throws the wipes away.
She uses a new one to wipe Rachel's face.
"Yep." Rachel says through the wipes as Shelby goes over her mouth.
"That's good. You know in a few hours we have to say bye to Nana and Granddaddy and your Aunties right?" Shelby washes her own hands and helps Rachel down from the changing table.
"Me not want them to leave. Me want them to stay here." Rachel pouts.
"I know baby but they have to go home. They don't live with Auntie Mary but they will be back soon." Shelby says as she leads the little girl out of the bathroom.
"Momma can we go on that." Rachel points across the room at the highlight of jeepers.
It's the mini green roller coaster in the shape of the dragon made just for the place.
"You really want to?"
Rachel nods.
So that's what they do for the next few hours.
Now everyone is outside of Mary's house saying their goodbyes to the parents.
In the backseat of Mary's SUV DJ is sleeping.
A tired Rachel is close to sleep in her mother's arms. She is fighting her sleep so that she can get a chance to say bye to some of her family.
"Bye Rachie. Be a good girl for your momma." Ellie ruffles the little girl.
"See you later Rachel." Both her grandparents kiss her on the forehead and then Shelby.
Last but not least to say goodbye is Megan.
She takes Rachel out of Shelby's arms and gives her a tight hug.
"See you later baby girl. I'll be back before you know it." Megan kisses the top of Rachel's head.
"No don't leave me." Tears begin to fall from the 3 year olds eyes.
This makes the situation so much harder for everyone around them.
"I'll be back Rachel I promise. I'll even bring you back some play doh. Does that sound okay?" Megan wipes the tears from Rachel's eyes.
Rachel nods her head and reaches for Shelby. The mother takes her daughter back into her arms and kisses Megan on the cheek.
Megan begins to say goodbye to Mary. They hug and Megan leans back a little.
"Hey little sis." Mary begins.
Megan looks up into her sisters eyes.
"Don't run this time." Mary whispers out. "We are all here for you and we made progress. I'd like to keep going."
Megan just nods; she is too full of emotion to speak. They all hug one more time and before they know it their family is backing out of the driveway.
As they drive down the street Rachel waves and buries her head into Shelby's neck. She didn't want her family to leave.
She was afraid they were going to leave and never come back. But she just cries softly and tiredly into Shelby's neck.
"It's okay baby they will be back soon." Shelby kisses the top of the little girl's head.
"Tommorow?" Rachel sobs.
"No not tomorrow but soon." Shelby says. She carries Rachel up the walkway and into the house.
Their family would be back sooner than Rachel knew but for now they had other things to worry about. Starting tomorrow.
A/N: How was this chapter? I still have major writer's block and the chapter is not how I planned for it to be but I had to get something out. Now how do I pack for a whole summer? This is going to be hard but I'll figure it out. Now I have to inform my boss that I cannot work. Bummer.
But hey maybe my nephew will give me new ideas for Rachel.
Review and I'll see you all soon.
-LSAM