I do not own Glee or any of the characters created by Ryan Murphy. If I did we would see way more of Shelby. This story will contain spanking of a teenager. If that's not your thing stop reading now and go read something else.
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Chapter 25
Rachel looked at the clock and then back to her computer. Her fathers' quarantine was supposed to be up and she was expecting a Skype call with them at any moment. Her aunt Lucy had left two days ago and Rachel couldn't wait to see her again. Sue and her mother were still dating, or at least trying to figure out how to date. Rachel was trying to come to terms with that and though it was totally bizarre, it seemed to be working for both women.
Hearing the beep on her computer, Rachel pressed the button and smiled at the screen. "Dad, Daddy!" She tried not to let her face fall when only Hiram's face could be seen. "Daddy, where's Dad?"
"He'll be on soon, princess." Hiram smiled at his daughter. "We are so happy to be out of quarantine and to be able to talk with you. How are things going in Lima and with your mother?"
Rachel began to share all of her news with her father and once finished she looked at the clock again. "Is Dad going to at least say hi to me?" Rachel asked quietly.
"Give him five more minutes, Rachel," Hiram responded.
"So how did the treatment go?" Rachel asked. "Did it work? Is Dad getting better?"
Hiram's answers were cut off by LeRoy joining his husband. "How are you, princess?" he asked softly.
"Better now that I can see you," Rachel smiled at her father being sure to put on her best show face and not let the tears fall at his gaunt appearance. "So when do you find out if the treatment worked?"
"Not for a few more days," LeRoy answered. "They're still running tests."
"So have you gotten to leave the hospital at all?" Rachel's eyes darted to her mother as Shelby entered the room and pulled up a chair to sit next to Rachel.
"No, the doctors feel it best if I stay here. They don't want me getting a minor infection that could turn major. Hopefully I'll be able to leave this place in another couple of weeks." LeRoy tried to hold in a yawn, but was unsuccessful. "I hate to do this to you, princess, but I need to go and lie back down. I love you, Rachel."
"I love you too, Dad. Take care." Rachel squeezed Shelby's hand and then turned to Hiram. "He's not getting better is he, Daddy?"
"We need the truth, Hiram," Shelby's tone was gentle but firm.
Hiram sighed deeply. "We aren't sure. The test results won't be back for another day or two. What we do know is that the growth of the tumor has slowed, but not stopped."
"And it's not going away," Shelby stated.
"And it's not going away," Hiram confirmed. "We're not sure what happens next, but we will let you know by the end of the week."
"Thank you, Daddy." Rachel wiped a lone tear from her cheek. "I need to know the truth. Not knowing what's going on is a hundred times worse."
"Take care of our baby, Shelby." Hiram then turned to Rachel. "I love you, princess. Never forget how much your dad and I love you."
"I love you too, Daddy," Rachel waved as the screen went dark. Pressing the button on the keyboard Rachel then fell into Shelby's arms allowing the tears to come.
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"Rachel, it's time to get up," Shelby once more announced to her unhappy child.
"It's Saturday and it's summer vacation. I am not getting up this early so your girlfriend can give me hell all day," Rachel replied before yelping as a rather forceful swat met her bottom.
"You have twenty minutes to be downstairs, Rachel," Shelby directed pulling all the covers off her daughter and walking out of the room leaving the bedroom door open.
"Damn stubborn mothers…" Rachel trailed off as she finally managed to pull herself out of bed. "Stupid punishments. Remind me to kill Santana," Rachel told her stuffed lamb as she grabbed some clothes from her dresser and headed to her bathroom to begin getting ready for her day.
Quickly dressing Rachel managed to pull herself downstairs and join her mother in the kitchen in eighteen minutes. "Oh look, you're early," Shelby deadpanned.
"I try," Rachel quipped grabbing a glass and the orange juice. "Do I at least get to eat before you force me into the living hell that is Sue Sylvester's summer boot camp, or must I face my demons on an empty stomach?"
"Sit down, Rachel." Shelby rolled her eyes at her daughter's dramatics. "And my mother thought I was dramatic growing up. You kiddo, surpass even me."
"I do?" Rachel grinned at the revelation and then looked down at the plate in front of her. "Pancakes again?"
"They're easy," Shelby supplied. "Now eat before we head out."
"Shouldn't I have some protein? I mean I do need to keep my energy up with all that I'm expected to do. You never know, I might be crawling through a mine field today."
"If you are, it will be a small mine field, Rachel," Shelby responded placing a plate of vegetarian sausage down in front of her daughter. "Your favorite. Eat."
"Thank you, mother of mine," Rachel mouthed through a mouthful of sausage. "I don't know how I would ever survive without you being sure to feed me up like a lamb to the slaughter for coach."
"I'm sure you'd find a way," Shelby rolled her eyes at her daughter once more and poured the rest of her coffee into the large travel mug in her hand. "We're leaving in fifteen minutes. Finish your breakfast and meet me in the garage."
"And if I don't?"
Shelby raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to meet those mines with or without a sore bottom?"
"Fifteen minutes, got it, Mama." Rachel shoved another bite of food into her mouth before dropping her gaze and focusing completely on her plate.
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Santana and Rachel collapsed on the wooden benches in the girl's locker room. They had finished their last official punishment with Coach Sylvester and were trying to find the energy to shower before getting dressed so they could go home. "I think that your mom has brought out the crazy in Coach."
Rachel looked at Santana and nodded, "I always knew that Coach Sylvester was a little off, but I do believe that you are correct. My mother feeding her ideas cannot be helping keep her sane. I can't believe she made us do deep breathing exercises while standing on our hands."
"That was nothing," Santana groaned as she tried to bring her leg onto the wooden bench. "What about the whole, 'you'll get used to singing while doing cartwheels' stuff she put us through today. I didn't even know that Coach knew Broadway show tunes."
"Neither did I," Rachel admitted. "Though I must admit her use of Steven Sondheim was rather memorable today."
"Memorable?" Santana groaned as she stood. "I will never again be able to listen to the score from Into the Woods without thinking of double back handsprings interdispersed with handstands, and cartwheels."
"At least we weren't chafing," Rachel groaned as she attempted to stand only to find herself leaning against the lockers for support.
"True. Thank God metal underwear doesn't work for what Coach made us do today." Grabbing her towel the Latina looked at Rachel. "So how did the Skype call go with your dads yesterday?"
Rachel tried to shrug only to groan again, "Not so well. I saw them both, but I don't think that Dad is getting any better."
"I'm sorry, Rachel," Santana's voice was soft. "What do you think will happen?"
Rachel shrugged, "I think that I'll lose both of my fathers before it's all over."
"What do you mean?" Santana moved into a shower stall with her things while Rachel did the same in the stall next to her.
"I remember hearing my fathers talking once. Both have said that neither one of them could live without the other. I'm just afraid of what might happen…" Rachel trailed off as she and Santana showered as quickly as possible in silence.
Brushing out her long hair Rachel frowned into the mirror, "Santana?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise you won't tell anyone what I said to you? I don't want Mama worrying when there's nothing she can do about it."
Santana pulled her hair into her trademark ponytail and looked at Rachel with a critical eye. "I won't say anything right now, but if it gets worse then I make no promises."
"Fair enough." Rachel gave her friend a wan smile as they packed up and walked towards the exit of the locker room.
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Rachel was curled up into Shelby's side glad that her mother was more than okay with watching a fun movie and having popcorn that night. As the boy wizard's wand chose him, Rachel try to snuggle even more into her mother. Glad when her mother's arm wrapped around her Rachel didn't mind the loss of the popcorn bowl to the coffee table.
Sighing in contentment Rachel moved as close to Shelby as she could without climbing into the woman's lap. "Mama?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think Dad will be okay?"
Giving Rachel a kiss to the top of her head, Shelby then spoke, "I don't know, sweetie. I hope that the treatment works and that he comes home in full health. But I just don't know what will happen."
"Me either," Rachel moved so that her head was in Shelby's lap and her legs were stretched out on the couch. Feeling the lightweight blanket being draped over her moments before Shelby's fingers began to run through her hair made Rachel smile. "You know this was one of my dreams."
"What was?" Shelby asked.
"Having my mother play with my hair while we watched a movie. It's not something that you really get to do with dads. I remember being at a friend's house when I was really little, maybe seven or so, and being so jealous when her mother played with her hair while we were just sitting there watching T.V. I wanted that too."
"I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you," Shelby's voice was soft. "And just so you know, this was one of my dreams too. Being able to play with my daughter's hair while we watched a movie or just relaxed. I thought about you all the time, Rachel. Holidays, birthdays, whenever I saw a little girl around the age you were at the time."
Sitting up slowly Rachel put herself in her mother's lap and snuggled into her. "Thank you for stopping that night you saw us trashing Principal Figgins's house. Thank you for being my mama."
Sniffing slightly Shelby kissed her daughter on the temple, "I love you, Rachel. Thank you for giving me another chance."
Feeling the blanket covering her yet again Rachel laid her head on Shelby's shoulder. "I'm still a little mad at my dads for the contract," Rachel admitted. "I know they had my best interests at heart, but they hurt me by keeping you away from me." Rachel's dark eyes looked up at her mother. "And they hurt you as well. I don't know if I'll ever truly forgive them for keeping us apart."
Shelby unconsciously patted Rachel's bottom gently. "They love you, Rachel. I knew that they would be good parents and they have been. Do I wish I'd have been part of your life from the first moment? Yes, but we have the rest of our lives, sweetie. Let's focus on that."
"I'll try, Mama." Rachel gave a small yawn and blushed as Shelby chuckled. "I guess I'm more tired than I thought I was."
"I guess you are," Shelby agreed. "You go on up and I'll come tuck you in after I clean up down here."
Nodding Rachel yawned again, "Not too long, Mama. I want to spend some more time with you."
Smiling at her daughter Shelby saw a glimpse of the young girl she never knew. "I'll hurry, baby girl, I promise. I don't want to miss another moment."
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A week had passed since Rachel's Skype chat with her fathers and she had been unusually clingy in regards to her mother. Shelby loved the closeness with her daughter, but knew that sooner or later there would be fallout. Shelby was currently making dinner while Rachel waited at the kitchen table for another Skype chat with her dads. Shelby had spoken with Hiram the day before and knew that the tests hadn't looked good. They were literally going for the 'Hail Mary' treatment plan next and the woman hoped that it worked.
Hearing the noise from the computer Shelby tried to ignore the conversation now going on behind her. She knew that it would become almost impossible though after Hiram and LeRoy broke the news to Rachel.
"What do you mean it didn't work?" Rachel's voice caused Shelby to put her knife down and head to the teen. Sitting in the chair next to her Shelby grabbed Rachel's hand as Hiram sighed heavily.
"The treatment didn't work the way the doctors wanted it to work, princess. We're going to try something else next and we should know within a couple of months if it will work or not."
"Is the tumor at least slowing down?" Rachel asked.
LeRoy nodded slightly, "It is, Rachel. I'm also not so tired and I have more good days now. I'm going to fight this Rachel and I'm sure the next treatment will work the way it needs to."
Rachel smiled at her fathers, "I'm sure it will too. After all that tumor doesn't know what LeRoy Berry is capable of when he decides to get something done."
"Exactly," Hiram agreed. "We need to go now, princess. We'll call you later this week and talk to you again next week."
"Okay Daddy, bye Dad. I love you both."
"We love you too, Rachel." The men ended the call and Rachel curled into her mother's open arms. "He isn't getting better, Mama. Why isn't he getting better?"
"I don't know, Rachel," Shelby pushed Rachel back and kissed her on the forehead. "Your dads are doing all they can to make sure that LeRoy gets better and comes home. Your job is to let them handle it and not worry too much. Think you can handle that?"
"I guess I can try." Rachel closed the laptop and moved it from the table. "Can I help you make dinner?"
"I'd love your help," Shelby stood and found herself in another hug from her daughter.
"Promise me you won't go anywhere ever again," Rachel whispered desperately.
"I promise, Rachel. I will never intentionally leave you ever again." Shelby hugged her daughter and then pushed the girl back again. "Now, let's get the vegetable chopped so we can eat tonight."
"What are we having?" Rachel asked moving to the counter and looking at the ingredients laid out.
"Vegetable soup and French bread," Shelby answered.
"Sounds good," Rachel picked up a knife and the bag of carrots. "Then again we could just put everything away and order Chinese or pizza."
"We could," Shelby agreed. "But we aren't." She chuckled at the groan coming from her daughter. "Help me chop, Rachel. I want to get this on so it can simmer all afternoon."
"Fine, but if I forget how to order take out I am blaming you," Rachel teased.
"I'll take that chance," Shelby countered with a grin.
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Thanks for all the comments and PMs. As for some who have posted as guests, I can only say that I wish you would PM me with some of the comments and concerns since I can't address them when you don't give me a way to get a hold of you.
For those of you who aren't sure of the Shelby/Sue story line, let me just say that it was as big a shock to me as you. It just seemed to be a natural progression and though very bizarre seems to work. Not to worry, this story is still Shelby/Rachel at the core.
Enjoy the chapter and continue to let me know what you think.