A/N: It's here. It's done. Woot!

I've heard from several of you about your interest in Beth and her story, even some requests for a story just for her. I'm glad you all like her character. Very glad because it's always iffy when you add your own characters to a story. Some people will like it, some wont. Both situations are completely fine. However, I'm not going to be doing a story for just Beth. After completing this story, I'm hoping to actually turn my time and attention to my own original fiction that I've been putting off for years. I'm not sure when that will be just yet as I'm still trying to pin down an ending to this story.

But, as always, thank you for taking the time to read and review. I hope you enjoy.

~/~/~/~/~/~

"Gabe, get down." The adventurous child was climbing the rails of the stairs leading between floors of the ship when Quinn spotted him. He didn't pause in his actions though and kept climbing. "Gabriel James, get down now."

Still nothing. She was about to physically remove him when Rachel stepped out of the room and caught sight of the rebellious child. The actress placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head ever so slightly. "Excuse me, sir, what do you think you are doing?" Her tone was calm but that didn't seem to matter. The boy looked at her sheepishly and got down immediately. Quinn threw her hands in the air and looked to her wife in disbelief. "What?"

The blonde pointed at the child with her mouth bobbing, looking for words but quickly gave up when none fell out. "Nothing. Never mind. Are you ready?"

"I am." Rachel smiled one of her grand Rachel Berry smiles and twirled. She was dressed in a snug skirt and well fitted blouse which caused the blonde's frustration with their son to dissipate.

"Yeah.. you are." She extended her hand towards the elevator for Rachel to lead the way. "You look wonderful, by the way."

The actress stopped and stood on her toes, kissing her wife deeply as sh wrapped her arms around her neck. "Mmm. Thank you. It's for you." When Rachel attempted to leave, Quinn hooked her arms lightly around her small waist and held her there, their foreheads pressed to one another, and sighed. She was content to stay like that all night. The smaller woman always seemed to fit perfectly in her arms. No stretching or straining, just the perfect fit. One of her hands slowly moved, flat against the small of the brunette's back, pulling her ever so gently closer. "We should probably get to dinner."

"Probably." Quinn agreed but didn't let go, but only pulled her closer. "Or... we could go back into the room and order room service for the boys. Maddy is already with the kiddie people..."

"Quinn..."

The blonde sighed and finally released her wife with some reluctance. "Fine. Supper first. Then desert."

Rachael smirked as she entwined their fingers and joined the twins on the stairs. "They do have some wonderful desserts in the dining hall. In fact, there is a buffet of desserts."

"Rachel..."

"What?"

Quinn dropped behind as the actress guided the boys up the stairs instead of into the elevator, discreetly smacking her ass as she did. "You know exactly what."

"Yes, I do. But you need to behave."

"I always behave." Rachel abruptly stopped, letting the boys continue you on for a few steps as she met her wife's playful gaze. "Sometimes."

"Yes. There are always some times that you behave. I will agree to that."

Quinn smirked as they continued on, Rachel's ass right in her view. "This just may not end up being one of those times."

~/~/~/~/~

Beth looked in the mirror as she towel dried her hair after her shower. It was weird to be back. She didn't realize how accustom she had grown to the Fabray household and she scowled at herself. Maybe she could see where Shelby's attitude was coming from. She had grown and changed. She was expressing herself more freely, expecting the same acceptance and freedom she had grown accustomed to. So, maybe... A little.

With that thought lingering in her head, she draped her towel on the hanger and headed towards her room. She could at least look forward to a conversation with Lauren before getting some much needed sleep. She was emotionally exhausted.

She was also surprised to see Shelby sitting on her bed when she walked in. "Can I help you with something?" She asked with as little attitude as she could manage before she approached her travel bag to unpack it. Something Shelby had previously noted she hadn't done yet.

"Lauren texted."

The blonde snapped her attention to her mother who was holding up her phone. "You went through my phone?"

Beth quickly stepped forward and snatched it from her, but Shelby didn't fight her for it. She was openly offering it to her. "No. I came up to talk to you and your phone kept going off. Her texts popped up on the lock screen."

"And you read them? That's a gross invasion of privacy."

Shelby rolled her eyes. "I didn't read them completely. All I saw was a glance of them when I was looking for a name."

"You must have thought it was Quinn." Beth turned her back and unlocked her phone to read the messages she had missed. "Don't worry, she hasn't contacted me yet. She's still on the cruise."

Shelby threw her hands in the air and let them fall dramatically. "Beth, I'm sorry that you're upset with me for whatever it is that I've done, but we have an issue that needs to be addressed and I only have two more months with the authority to try and make you do it."

"And what is that issue, Mom?" She kept her back turned and frantically typed away on her phone.

"This." Shelby motioned between them. "This is an issue. We didn't used to be like this. I don't understand what changed."

Beth sighed and set down her phone before turning to face the older woman. "Honestly, nothing has changed except I'm now voicing things I used to hide. I am currently the exact same smart mouth teenager that I have always been. I'm just trying to share more with you. I can't help that you don't want to hear it."

"This is about photography? Because I admit I handled that poorly last night."

Beth rolled her eyes but moved to sit next to her mother. "This is about so much more than photography. It's about me accepting that the things that I want aren't bad just because they may upset other people or not fall in line with what they expect from me."

Shelby didn't respond right away. She heard her daughter this time. The older woman was well aware of her selfish and closed minded tendencies. She had been working on it for decades and thought she had managed to make progress. But clearly there was still more to be made. She looked at her daughter deeply. "And what is it that you want?"

The blonde straightened slightly, sensing the openness the other woman was trying to create. "I want... to be able to share things with you, without them being personal insults against you. I want you to know and accept and believe that in my heart you are my mom... but also accept that I do want to have a very close relationship with Quinn... in a similar nature. In the great debate of nature vs nurture... I believe both are important and want to explore both. And I want to be able to tell you things and have you not think that I'm only doing it under the influence of someone else. Because I have a lot of things I want to tell you. But I can't. So I haven't."

She knew these were hard things for Shelby to hear. Not only because it could be seen as criticisms of her parenting and personality, but also because they were true. "I hope you understand why I'm having issues with all of this, Beth. I'm not perfect. I have emotions just like everyone else."

Beth nodded. "Trust me, I'm aware. Quinn has even tried helping me with my perspective. She pointed out how my non-communication on certain topics in the recent years could basically cause you whiplash. She has actually been pushing me to talk to you more openly. To tell you everything."

Quinn knew. She knew it all. The older woman struggled not to react and to actually listen.

"She's not trying to take your place, Mom. She's not trying to worm her way in and push you out. She's not trying to re-do anything you have accomplished with me."

Shelby finally nodded. She wanted to believe her, it was just hard to shake that feeling of fear she had held on for so long. It had always been there. Every day since the adoption papers were signed. Every time she caught a glimpse of Quinn, even as a teenager, she feared the blonde would change her mind and find some way to get Beth back from her. It didn't matter how irrational she knew the fear was. It was there. Every second.

Beth turned her head as her phone vibrated on her dresser. It was Lauren, her life line to New York. "Mom... Am I going to be able to tell you these things? And more? Things that completely change your understanding of who I am?"

Shelby forced a brief smile. "I thought I had already established that I always would be when you were growing up. I'm sorry I failed at doing it efficiently. But, I do want you to tell me everything. I love you, Beth. Unconditionally. I want to know this person that I already care so much for."

Beth's phone buzzed again. "Okay. Then... I want to talk to you about something. Well, lots of things. I'm just not sure where to start." She certainly wasn't going to start with Lauren.

Shelby smiled. "Well, what kind of things?"

"Experiences mostly." Beth started cautiously, genuinely unsure of the safest path to take. "Like, how I've spent my time. What it was like living with Quinn and Rachel. Not just my daily routine, but... like, things I've learned about them and, you know, how I feel about it. The things you asked me about my first night back but we both know you didn't really want to hear."

Shelby was uncomfortable and no matter how hard she tried to hide it, she knew it was obvious. It was like when you're trying to be friends with your ex but they're telling you about their new boyfriend or girlfriend. You're happy for them but there's that pang of jealousy that keeps you from actually wanting to hear about it. "Okay. So... pick one."

Beth hesitated once more before she continued, allowing her mother to back out or come up with some excuse so she wouldn't have to be there. "Well, I... I've come to not only view, but feel, like the boys and Madeline are my siblings. Like, I call them my brothers and sister and the boys call me their big sister. They've introduced me as their sister to strangers on the street even." Beth smiled and waved her hand in front of herself. "Gabe is like the coolest kid I've ever seen. He is hilarious. I never thought a six year old could have as much personality as he does. It just oozes off of him. And Julian... Mom, he is so sweet and sensitive. I was having a bit of a rough day in the studio and he colored me a picture to try and make me feel better. I hung it up in my room and if I'm ever having a bad day, he draws me another one to add to it. Like, he will legit watch me hang it up to make sure it works and I feel better."

Shelby smiled out of the side of her mouth and watched as Beth settled into what she was saying, growing more and more animated and expressive with each detail.

"And oh, my god, Mom. Madeline... you should see her. The Corcoran genetics are so unbelievably strong. If we ever got the three of you together, the relation would be undeniable. It would be a great photo too. Three generations. Grandmother to granddaughter. Here. Let me show you." Beth stood up and grabbed her phone to find a picture of her sister, not noticing Shelby silently raise a hand in an attempt to stop her.

"That's really not necessary. I'm sure she's a beautiful child."

The teenager slowed her approach back to the bed and set her phone down gently, losing her excitement in sharing. Shelby wouldn't look at her. She was frantically looking everywhere else. "What is it? What did I say? Because I'm just talking about kids."

"I know." The older woman smiled and nodded her head, trying to reassure her child. "What else would you like to talk about?"

"I want to talk about why you can't talk about Madeline."

"Because I am supposed to be listening to you, if I remember correctly. We are supposed to be dealing with your issues."

Beth hesitated, trying not to get angry. "Our issue, Mom. But if you'd like, part of my issue is that I'm trying to balance these two aspects of my life and I can't keep doing it like this anymore."

"Doing what? I don't understand."

Beth threw her hands up in the air. "There is no way you can be that blind to how this all impacts my life and not realize that I have two halves of my life. You and them. And it's like the two halves are never allowed to touch. I've tried to keep them separate and Quinn and Rachel have been supportive, knowing what it means to me and putting aside their own discomforts when that line blurs. But you..." She was exacerbated. She didn't even know if her thoughts were coming out coherently or in order. They just spewed out freely. "I know that talking about them bothers you and I know talking about you bothers them but at least they acknowledge it and help me understand some of the details and reasons and don't make me think I'm stupid or irrational for feeling stuck between you."

"Beth, I-." Shelby crossed her hands in her lap and tucked her chin, calming herself. "I don't think you are stupid. I just didn't believe that any issues between the three of us were appropriate conversation to involve you in. I still don't. For this very reason. You don't need to worry yourself with our past. It doesn't involve you."

"Are you serious? Mom, it is me! Even your relationship or lack there of with Rachel has to do with me!"

"Don't raise your voice at me." Shelby raised her index finger to her daughter, warning her. "You wanted to talk and I'm talking but I will not allow you to yell at me."

"I'm sorry. I'm just... angry though. It's how it comes out now."

"It's better than your normal form of expression for it, I guess." Shelby quickly bit her lips between her teeth as soon as she realized she said that aloud but it was too late to take it back. Beth's posture straightened and she shut down immediately. The teenager grabbed her phone and left quickly.

~/~/~/~/~/~

"I thought yellow was your favorite color!" Quinn teased with obvious exaggerations in her tone, leaning into the table between her and Gabe. The child was resting his complete weight on his forearms, leaning as far as he could towards his mother.

"Nooo! Blue is my favorite color!"

"What happened to yellow? And green?"

He pushed back so he was kneeling in his chair and dramatically placed his hand to his face. "Green is my second favorite color now."

The boys both smiled as Quinn also reclined back with an exaggerated, questioning look on her face. "I don't think so..."

"I know so!"

"I think he's confused. Don't you think he's confused, Julian?" The other child shook his head vigorously while beaming a smile that demanded Quinn smile as well. "You don't?"

"No!" Both boys shouted until Rachel raised her finger to quiet the trio down. All three dropped their eyes in guilt of causing a scene but continued to giggle while Rachel glanced around providing the gawking parents with an apologetic look.

"I swear there are times I believe I have four children."

Quinn smiled at her wife, leaned over, and stole a quick kiss. Both boys made disgusted noises but Julian couldn't hide his smile. "Sorry, Baby."

"I'm glad you are having fun, but it's time for the boys to eat their food. Especially if you want to get out of here and still have time for dessert."

~/~/~/~/~/~

"I'm canceling tonight." Santana announced as she walked full speed from the studio elevator and straight to the photographers' office, not caring that neither Adrianne or Kim were in there. Roughly, she set her purse down on the desk and began pacing with the same level of energy she arrived with. The married couple were frozen at the work station, processing the dramatic arrival.

There was no hesitation from the taller woman who slowly stood from her crouched position. "You want to get this or me?"

Kim turned her head and looked to her wife. "You. 100% you."

"Chicken."

"Pregnant."

Adrianne rolled her eyes and led the way to her office, cautiously walking around the stressing Latina. "Why are you canceling exactly?"

"Because I'm not ready for that. You know? That whole, have your person meet the family sort of thing."

Kim mashed her lips between her teeth and leaned against the door way, arms folded across her chest. "Glad to know where we at least stand with you, though I still think the world girlfriend would be more appropriate that 'person' in this case."

Santana stopped abruptly and glared in a slightly playful warning. "She's not my girlfriend. She doesn't want that sort of thing."

"What sort of thing is that exactly?"

"Titles. Attachments. Rachel said so herself."

Both Adrianne and Kim narrowed their eyes and exchanged quick glances. "I don't think that's what Rachel said."

Santana nodded and resumed her pacing, placing her hands on her hips to a failing effort to keep them occupied. "She did."

"She didn't." Adrianne shook her head.

Santana wasn't having it. "You weren't even there, Amazon. How would you know?"

The confusion fled the now seated brunette and was replaced by the standard level of tolerated and expected irritation. "Because she's told me. We talk about you when you're not around."

"Rude."

The older woman shrugged, unaffected in the expected banter. "Easier than talking about you when you're around. But Rachel said Sarah's not one for marriage as the end game. There's a difference."

Santana stood still and stared, trying to invalidate the argument. Suddenly she shrugged and plopped down in the free chair. "Doesn't matter. I already canceled."

"Oh, dear God. Call her back and reschedule." Kim demanded moving into the office and motioning Santana to vacate the chair. The smaller woman instantly sat down.

Santana looked at Adrianne, confused, and pointed to her wife. "She just stole my chair."

"She did. And she will steal your phone and reschedule for you if you don't do it yourself." Adrianne warned her with a beaming smile. "It's been one of those days. I wouldn't push it."

"Coming from you, that says a lot. But I'm not rescheduling it for tonight." Santana insisted, pulling the phone from her purse. "Besides, I told her it was you two that canceled." The married couple exchanged quick, disbelieving glances but didn't press the topic further. "So... when?"

"When you're ready enough not to cancel." Kim mocked sarcastically.

"Sooooo never."

"You realize you were the one who asked us to participate in these plannings of yours, right?" Adrianne reminded her, clocking through a few screens on her computer. "But to answer your question, we are available tomorrow evening if that works for her. If we can't get the sitter, I know just will watch Aubrey."

"What if it doesn't work for me?"

"We don't care." The photographer and assistant answered in unison. "We're not going through this battle with you every time you meet someone you like." Kim added in a very firm and almost motherly tone that Santana most definitely picked up on. She just wasn't entirely sure on how to react to it. "If you like her, you like her. Handle that first. Let us meet her to give you our unbiased opinions because you know neither of us are going to let you go down a path that's not god for you."

The Latina narrowed her eyes. "Let me?"

"Right now it is very much a 'let you' mood. For the love of all that is holy, please just go with it." Adrianne begged from her desk. Santana shrugged it off. She knew the two women had her best interest at heart. That's why she went to them in the first place.

"Fine. I will reschedule and I will let you know."

Kim nodded curtly, pleased with herself. "Good. Because I'm honestly very interested in meeting this woman. I'm even willing to try to push aside my social anxiety for the occasion."

~/~/~/~/~/~

Rachel had taken some time to herself and walked the ship late into the evening. She couldn't really remember the last time she had truly been alone with her thoughts. There had almost always been someone around or something that needed to be done. She loved it really, to stay busy and be needed. But this evening, it was calming to find herself truly alone with her thoughts. When she returned to the suite, the room was dark except for her and Quinn's bedroom. She set her room key on the little table and discarded her shoes before making her way in that direction.

She slowed though as she heard a small voice coming from the room. It was an unusual sound, almost foreign to her, but she knew it. It was Julian. She hesitated a moment before creeping silently closer. Her hand rested on the door frame and she peeked just inside.

Quinn had the pillows pushed up against their headboard and was reclined back into them with her legs stretched out the length of the mattress. Sitting comfortably on her lap in a similar position was Julian with a book in his hand. The actress smiled to herself. He was reading Quinn a story from the book they had purchased in the store after supper.

The photographer helped him occasionally with mispronounced words but for the most part, he had it. Rachel had been working hard with both boys but getting Julian to read aloud was not a gift she had acquired just yet. Mumbles at times but nothing like this.

Rachel watched in awe a moment longer before stepping away and letting the two finish their activity. She turned on a small lamp and sat down on the love seat and lost herself in her thoughts again. This book was so open ended that she was struggling with how she wanted it to go. What was she wanting to say? Well, she knew that answer. She needed to tell her story. Seemed so simple until she had to actually do it. She couldn't figure out what parts were relevant. What about her story would people actually care to know about? What details was she willing to share and what should be kept private?

"Hey."

Rachel turned quickly, startled by the suddenness of Quinn's voice. The pair had emerged from the bedroom, Julian first, clutching his book to his chest with a smile on his face, and Quinn guiding him by the shoulders. "Hey."

"Go tell her goodnight and then you actually have to go to bed. It's late." The blonde watched as Julian set his book down and gave Rachel a long hug goodnight before returning to her side so she could tuck him. "Be right back."

The actress smiled. "Take your time." This is what this vacation was about. Letting Quinn have her time with what matters most but had gotten lost.

"He's getting good at it." Quinn announced as she entered the room again, pointing back to the kids' room. "He only struggled with two words. You've done an amazing job with them, Baby." Rachel smiled but shrugged. Quinn wasn't having it. She sat down on the coffee table in front of her, demanding her attention. "Don't do that. Don't diminish what you've accomplished. I mean," Quinn hesitated, feeling the emotional weight in the words she was about to say before she could even speak them. "I remember when the boys were first born and you had no clue what you were doing. I never gave you enough credit back then. When we were still in the hospital and you spent all your free time getting tips from the nurses... I never really told you how much I appreciated and admired you for that. You took parenting on without flinching and look at the kids now. They are so smart and so happy. That's because of you."

"Not just because of me."

"Mostly."

"Not even."

"We can agree to disagree then." Quinn ended the conversation, taking a seat next to her wife. "So... whats been going on with Gabe?"

Rachel popped a grape into her mouth from the fruit bowl next to her papers, turning to look at her wife. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't listen." Her answer was plain, as if the problem should be obvious.

"He listens just fine."

Quinn scoffed. It had been made abundantly clear over the last four days of the cruise that he did not. "For you, maybe. I guess that's the real problem. He rarely listens to me, or I have to get firm with him before he will."

Rachel hooked a hand behind her wife's neck but shrugged. "Quinn,"

The blonde collapsed back into the sofa. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"What does that mean?"

Quinn met her eyes and smiled in a forced show of amusement. "Every time you start a conversation with my name, it's something I don't want to hear. Have you realized that?"

"What about during sex?"

The tease was met with a deadpan. "That's not a conversation and my name is usually last. It's 'oh, my god, Quinn' or 'oh fuck, Quinn' or 'don't stop, Quinn'. It's never first during sex. If it is, it's all you say."

Rachel pondered that theory. "Regardless of the accuracy of your statement, you have to realize that you and I have different roles in the children's lives. We've discussed this."

The blonde pulled her head back, placing Rachel's hand in hers on her lap. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're gone at work all day. And even when the boys are at the studio, you're working. You've pointed that out yourself. So, when you do get to see them it's normally a celebration of that fact. You're fun. You play with them and tease them and wrestle with them. You're the fun one. I'm the authority, the boundaries, the care giver."

Quinn mashed her teeth between her lips and nodded. "See, I don't like it. Maybe this is what I'm having a hard time with."

Rachel pulled at her neck again. "Come on. Don't be like that. The boys adore you. And I honestly think Maddy loves you more than life itself."

Quinn smiled faintly, knowing that was all true, but she wanted to have a relationship with her children beyond that. She wanted, in time, for them to have a similar relationship she was developing with Beth but felt the groundwork for that would be stronger if it was formed young. That had always been her goal.

"I know the kids love me. I don't doubt that at all. But I would like to work on taking a more active role with the other parenting aspects."

Rachel adored her wife and kissed her cheek. "Of course. But right now I'd like to work on something else."

Quinn didn't even look at Rachel and arched an eyebrow. "I bet I know what that is."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"That we should work on getting you out of those clothes."

"Oh, I was thinking about you out of yours."

"We could do both."

"I support your proposed compromise. I would consider it a win-win all things considered. However," She raised her index finger. "First...Have you ever given serious consideration as to why it is you fell so naturally into the 'fun' role in the first place?"

"Oh, yeah." Quinn nearly snorted. "That's always been clear to me. My family life growing up was always so restricted and controlled and all the emotion showed between us was all for show. I don't want to repeat that. I never want to give the kids any reason to doubt my love for them as they grow up, but I also don't want them to view me as only 'fun'. You know?" Rachel nodded absently. "But... we were discussing you and no clothes."

"The proposal involved your clothes as well." The actress reminded her, coming back to the moment.

The blonde smirked. "That it did."

~/~/~/~/~/~

It was two in the morning and Shelby was curled up on the sofa, still waiting. Beth wasn't answering her phone or texting her back. Out of desperation she messaged all of her daughter's friends from school, hoping one of them would be able to get a response from her if they tried. At least now she knew Beth was okay.

She always worried, but this wasn't the first time she had waited up all night for her either. Shelby's head popped up out of her hand when she heard the door knob pop and the front door creek open. "Welcome, home."

The blonde mumbled something incoherent and shut the door behind her. Slowly, she moved to lean against the doorway of the living room. "Thanks."

The two stayed in the silence. It was familiar and a conversation of its own. Shelby had done something to upset Beth and now Beth has done something to upset Shelby. It wasn't a retaliation, but just something that happened. A common enough occurrence that anger was never the first emotion between them anymore. "Are you drunk?"

Beth moved cautiously into the dark room, lit by a single, dim lamp, and plopped down into the chair across from the exhausted woman. "I am. Well, on a scale of 1 to 10... 10 being blacked out and 1 being... not... I'm a solid five. I took your advice and met up with some old friends while I'm here. Apparently, they were having a party tonight."

Shelby lifted her chin but still didn't get angry. "Have you done this to Quinn? Come home drunk?"

"No." It wasn't a lie as far as she could remember. She didn't remember ever coming home drunk in New York. A little buzzed maybe, but not drunk.

"Then why here?"

Beth shrugged and began playing with the seam of the chair arm. "Bad influences here, I guess. You see... Lauren doesn't drink. Quinn and Rachel primarily drink wine and only to unwind at night. Kim's not drinking anymore since she's trying to get pregnant. And I've not been spending much time with Santana lately."

"And why is that?" Shelby rested her chin in her hand again.

"Because..." Beth's response was drawn out and her attention fixed on her busy fingers. "I was advised to keep my distance until Quinn had a chance to talk to her and threaten her life."

The older woman squinted in confusion and desire to take full advantage of her daughter's inebriated state. For as much as she disliked her daughter's occasional partying, it was allowing for some of their first open communication. "Over what?"

"Nothing. Well, to ensure that nothing happened."

"I'm not following."

Beth raised her brow and held her breath before slowly letting it out and breaking her fixation on the chair. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to go to bed."

"Beth." Shelby stood up, pushing the blanket off of her legs onto the couch. "Why won't you talk to me?"

The teenager didn't stop her slow stroll towards the stairs. "We've been over that already. And I tried and you freaked out and were dismissive of things that were important to me after I told you that I feared telling you because you would be dismissive. So, props on that. Never felt so bad to be right."

"So, now I get the silent treatment?"

The blonde shrugged her shoulders again and stopped at the stairs for a brief moment before abandoning them and heading towards the kitchen. "That would have been a bad decision. I need food and water. Don't want a hangover."

Shelby rolled her eyes and followed. Her irritation was returning rapidly. "I am so sick of this attitude Beth. This woe is me crap."

"I'm sick of feeling guilty." She spit back with the same irritated tone but never broke from her mission for food. "I am thankful that you allowed me to meet Quinn when I was younger. I am thankful that you have allowed me to periodically meet up with her, no matter how controlled the situation was. I am thankful that you have allowed me to spend this year with her to get a feel for the city. I am thankful for those things. But I don't feel that my thankfulness should have to be proven by restricting what I can talk to you about in regards to her. And that's what I've done in the past." The teenager never looked back as she pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it in the sink. "I am incredibly aware of your emotions and how uncomfortable it all makes you and knowing how you feel has made me more thankful for all of those things that you have allowed. So I've bottled it all up, kept things quiet, not shared things with you... to spare your feelings... but now... I'm wanting to unbottle it all and your feelings are getting hurt. So, I don't know what to do anymore. Do I keep everything shut up on the inside as a way to thank you, only to have you see me as this person that I'm not, or to let it all out and have you not want to hear it and dismiss me every day or avoid me or whatever you would need to do because of it."

Shelby took a moment to compose herself as well as to allow her daughter a moment to catch up on everything she had just said as well. "Beth," her tone was calm and gentle. "I'm sorry if you felt dismissed-"

"I was." Beth turned around sharply. "I was dismissed."

"I don't feel like I dismissed you!" The irritation was back. "I tried explaining it to you. I don't feel that my issues with Rachel and Quinn are appropriate to discuss with-"

"As a kid, I would agree with you." Beth admitted, setting her cup down on the counter. "When I was twelve and thirteen... absolutely. I would have been damaging for you or Quinn to tell me why it is you don't like each other. I get that and I agree with that. But I'm not a kid anymore." The teenager pleaded before quickly adding, "Even if I'm not technically 18. It's just a fucking number."

"Watch your tone." Shelby warned, pointing her index finger but her anger began to subside slightly. She could see Beth's point. "Look, this conversation isn't going anywhere tonight. It hasn't gone anywhere this whole week if we are being honest." Beth nodded in agreement and the tension fell from her shoulders. "You and I need to get on the same page. We can both agree to that, am I correct?"

The blonde nodded again. "Correct. We just seem to disagree on what page that should be. Yours, or mine."

"I concede that point." The older woman took a few steps forward, closing the physical distance between herself and her daughter. It was a move she hoped could happen emotionally as well. "And tomorrow... when you're sober... I think we can make an honest, unemotional, attempt at finding a compromise between the two. But... you have got to stop this behavior. This attitude and teenage bullshit. No more drinking. No more running out."

"No more dismissing me and you have to make an honest attempt at sharing things with me. I know you don't think it's my place, but, Mom... you have to see it."

Shelby took a deep breath and looked away. "I do. I do see how this impacts your life."

Beth pulled her head back slowly, shocked at what she had just heard. "Thank you." Shelby looked to her daughter in confusion. "That's all I want out of any of this. To understand and be understood."

The brunette nodded. "Then we can work on that tomorrow."