I'm sorry this has taken so long, I had planned to update sooner, but unfortunately real life got in the way. I'll try not to leave it so long next time!

Thank you to everyone who gave me suggestions on where to take this too, I've got a couple of ideas of my own now too, but I'll certainly do my best to fit in your suggestions where I can!

Shelby wasn't sure that Rachel was completely ready to go back to school, but she was well aware that trust worked both ways, if she wanted Rachel to learn to trust her, she had to trust her daughter to be honest with her, to come to her if she changed her mind, if things became too much for her.

Even so, when she called Sue later that morning to arrange an appointment to speak about Rachel's return to school, she was sure to make it very clear that Rachel would be the one to dictate the terms of her return to school, if she needed to take a step backwards or a break then she'd be doing just that. As far as Shelby was concerned she'd do anything and everything in her power to protect Rachel from anymore hurt.

Sue was surprisingly understanding, reassuring Shelby that they'd allow Rachel to set the pace of her return, telling her that everyone would have Rachel's best interests at heart. "Actually" Sue cleared her throat, "I was hoping to speak to you. I have a proposition for you."

"What sort of proposition?" Shelby asked, glancing into the living room, smiling as she saw Rachel was still fast asleep on the sofa with Jasper.

"I made a few phone calls, you're an English teacher at Carmel right?"

"I was" Shelby corrected her, "I resigned to spend more time with Rachel."

"Even better" Sue mused. "One of our English teachers will be going on maternity leave after Spring Break and we still haven't found someone to take over her classes."

"Are you offering me a job?" Shelby frowned.

"Yes" Sue didn't beat about the bush, "and you wouldn't have to worry about Rachel, she'd be here with you."

Shelby mulled over the idea momentarily, she knew Rachel had been worried about Shelby quitting her job, maybe this would be a workable compromise, but at the same time she didn't want Rachel to think she was hovering." Can I get back to you when I've spoken to Rachel about it?"

"Of course" Sue understood, "just let me know when you've made your decision."

Rachel stretched as she woke, smiling slightly at the cat sleeping by her side, gently scratching at his head before carefully standing from the sofa without waking him. She paused for a moment, not really sure what to do, before she felt a slight cramping in her stomach and headed to the bathroom.

She padded back into the living room a few minutes later, smiling again when she heard quiet piano music drifting up the stairs from the basement, and she followed the music, finding Shelby humming quietly to herself as she sat on the piano bench, "Mom" she whispered quietly.

"Hey baby" Shelby smiled, gesturing for Rachel to sit beside her on the piano bench, "how are you feeling?"

"My stomach aches a little but I'm okay."

Shelby put her arm around Rachel, "do you need another painkiller?"

Rachel shook her head, "I'm okay for now" she said softly before gesturing to the piano, "what were you playing?"

"Oh nothing in particular" Shelby shrugged, "just a few scales and things." She saw Rachel gently run her fingers over the keys, "have you ever played?" She saw Rachel's face fall, "Rach?"

"I used to have lessons" she whispered, "but I messed up at a recital when I was 9. I got a beating for it and I wasn't allowed to go back."

Shelby tightened her hold on her daughter, "would you like to play again?" she asked. "I've given a few lessons in my time, and it doesn't have to be anything serious, we can just play for fun if you like?"

Rachel's face lit up at the thought of doing something just because she enjoyed it, not because she was trying to make someone happy or get awards and certificates." I'd like that."

"Why don't you give it a go" Shelby let go of Rachel and shuffled over to give her a little more room, "see if anything comes back to you."

Rachel let her fingers trail over the keys for a second before beginning to play a few scales, surprised at how easily they came back to her, she'd played a little when Shelby had gone to Carmel a few days after she'd come to live with her mother but it had been a long time since she'd actually 'played'.

"Can you read music?"

Rachel nodded, "yeah".

Shelby gestured to the bookcase that was full of binders of sheet music, "why don't you pick something out to play, I'll help you if you get stuck."

"Will you help me pick something?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Sure" Shelby stood, Rachel by her side, in front of the bookcase, "would you like something easy or something a little more challenging?" she saw the look on Rachel's face, "I won't get mad if you choose something and make a mistake. We're playing for fun remember, if you make a mistake then it's no big deal."

"Okay" Rachel nodded, "something challenging."

Together Shelby and Rachel picked out a few things, and despite Shelby's reassurances, Rachel was still worried when she hit a wrong note, "it's okay" Shelby reminded you, you played a sharp when you should have played a flat" she told her, gesturing to the note on the page, "do you want to try again?" Rachel nodded, taking a deep breath, her hands shaking as she reached out her hand. "It's okay Rach" Shelby put her own hand in the small of Rachel's back, "I'm not mad."

The pair spent the rest of the afternoon in the basement playing the piano together, Rachel's confidence growing more and more as she began to believe that Shelby wouldn't punish her for making a mistake.

Even Jasper came down to join them when he woke for his nap, curling up on Shelby's lap for a while before settling on the treadmill to wash himself.

For a while, Rachel seemed to forget about everything, the demons she spent so long fighting momentarily lost as she enjoyed spending time with her Mom, Rachel laughing like she didn't have a care in the world as she and Shelby played the same tune on the piano, both trying to play faster than the other. It was Shelby who 'lost' her own laughter meaning she hit a wrong note, smiling as she told Rachel, "you won." Rachel seemingly not thinking as she leant into Shelby, letting her head drop onto her shoulder. Shelby smiled, gently running her fingers through Rachel's hair for a moment, enjoying the moment before telling her, "I'm getting hungry, how about we go get something to eat?"

Surprisingly, Rachel agreed without hesitation when Shelby suggested they went out for dinner, and it wasn't until they were sharing a pizza together that Shelby brought up her phone call with Sue earlier in the day. She told Rachel about the appointment she'd set up to talk about her return to school and how Sue had agreed that a slow return would probably be a good idea before telling her, "she had a proposal for me too." She saw Rachel frown so she continued, "she said there's an English teacher going on maternity leave at Spring Break." Rachel nodded, she knew the teacher, "they're still looking for someone to cover her leave and she asked me if I wanted to do it?"

"What did you say?" Rachel asked, nervously fiddling with the straw in her drink.

"I told her I needed time to talk to you about it."

"Me?" Rachel's voice shook slightly, "why? It's not up to me."

"I want you to be happy Rachel" Shelby reached across the table to squeeze her hand, "and I completely understand if you want this to be a new start for you without me being in the background all the time. I don't need to take this job. And if you'd rather I didn't work at your school, that's okay." Shelby told her, "I won't mind."

"I don't mind. I erm, it, I mean, if you were at McKinley, we wouldn't see each other all the time would we? I'd be going to my classes and you'd be teaching yours."

"That's right" Shelby nodded, "but I'd be working full time, so if you're only at school part time there would be times when you'd be home on your own, I don't mind that at all but it's something you need to be okay with."

Rachel nodded, "I…" she paused as she thought for a moment, "I think I'd be okay, maybe not at first but I'd get used to it, and I could always call Aunt Amy if I need anything."

Shelby couldn't help but smile, knowing that it was beginning to sink in, that Rachel was beginning to realise that she had people that loved her, that would be there for her. "Yes you can" she nodded, "you could even go over there sometimes if you wanted."

Rachel nodded, "I wouldn't mind" she said quietly, her gaze fixed on the table, "I wouldn't mind if you worked at McKinley."

"Okay" Shelby smiled, "I'll speak to Coach Sylvester about it when we see her" she smiled, "now, how about we get this pizza finished so we can order ice cream?"