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.
***GLEE****GLEE****GLEE***GLEE***GLEE***GLEE***GLEE***
Chapter 29
Finally leaving Rachel's room Shelby changed course when she heard her name being called from the foot the stairs. Heading downstairs instead of her bedroom Shelby took her father's hand and allowed herself to be led to the kitchen. "You went for coffee?"
"I thought you might need it," Theo answered. "Not to mention that I promised Rachel I would make myself scarce during her spanking."
Sitting down across from her father at the kitchen table Shelby took a sip of the still hot coffee, "This is wonderful. How did you know what I like?"
"Rachel."
Shelby nodded, "Yeah, she is good at trying to butter me up when she wants something."
"Were you any different?" Theo posed.
"Well, I wasn't so obvious, was I?" Shelby asked.
"Oh, my baby girl, you were as obvious as Rachel." Theo remarked. "Care to tell me why you're so upset with me?"
Taking a deep breath and another sip of coffee Shelby finally looked at her father, "You undermined me in front of Rachel, Daddy. I told her to go to her room and get ready for me. Not only did you not allow her to do that, you sent me to my room!"
"Watch your tone, young lady." Theo's reprimand was immediate and Shelby dropped her eyes again. She had always been a Daddy's girl and hated it when he felt the need to reprimand her.
"Sorry Daddy." Shelby mumbled. "Why did you do that to me?" Shelby finally pressed.
"Shelby look at me," Theo's voice was soft. Meeting eyes that were so much like hers Shelby waited until he spoke again. "I wanted to let Rachel know that I would be leaving the house during her punishment. I also wanted to tell her that she and I would be having a talk tomorrow about how she pulled me into her little scheme."
"I still didn't like that you did that to me," Shelby protested. "I'm not Rachel's age and you told me I needed a time out and then sent me to my room!" Shelby's self-righteous anger was making a comeback and the warning in her father's eyes had yet to been acknowledged by Shelby.
"I'm sorry, Shelby." Theo's voice was soft. "You being a mom is new to me, sweetheart. I guess I'm still getting used to my baby having a baby. I will try not to do that in the future, but it's going to be a learning process."
"I guess," Shelby took another swig of coffee before placing it on the table. "It still bothers me, Daddy."
"I've apologized, Shelby. It's time to let it go and move forward. You and I need to have a talk too, you know."
Huffing Shelby stood up and crossed the room. Rooting in the pantry she came back with a bag of cookies. Placing the bag on the table Shelby helped herself to one before forcefully shoving the bag across the table towards her father.
"No thanks," Theo declined.
Shrugging Shelby pulled the bag back towards her, "More for me then. What did you want to talk about, Daddy?"
"How are you doing?" Theo asked.
Pulling her hand away from her father's Shelby shrugged, "I'm fine. A little tired, and upset that my daughter thought she should just fly out of the country alone. You know it never occurred to her just to ask me if we could visit her fathers? I swear sometimes I wonder if she uses her brain."
"You have to remember that this is all knew to Rachel," Theo began. "From what she's told her grandmother and me, Rachel didn't have a lot of hands on parenting until she moved in with you."
"You think I don't know that?" Shelby snapped. "Geesh, a few times alone with my kid and you think you're an expert." Standing Shelby began to pass her father and head out of the kitchen when she found herself suddenly stopped by a firm grip on her wrist.
"Let me go, Daddy." Shelby demanded stomping her foot.
"Shelby you need to calm down," Theo tried.
"Calm down?" Shelby countered. "You undermined me in front of my child, Daddy. You couldn't wait to ask me first if you could talk Rachel, or better yet, how about just waiting until she was in her room and letting me know you needed to speak with her? Would that have been too much to ask?"
"Rachel certainly comes by her outbursts naturally," Theo said dryly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shelby demanded.
"Shelby Lorraine, this is your last warning. You will speak to me like an adult and drop the tone right now."
"Or what?" Shelby's anger at her father and worry about Rachel came boiling to the surface. "Are you going to ground me like Mom did?"
"You know I don't think grounding you ever did as much good as another punishment."
Stopping cold Shelby gulped, "You wouldn't. I'm a grown woman, you can't." Shelby tried to pull her wrist from her father's hand and found herself unable to do so.
"You are my child, Shelby. And if you keep acting this way, you are going to find out that as long as I can pull you over my knee you can be spanked if you earn it."
Still not seeing the serious warning in her father's eyes Shelby reacted in much the same way she had as a teen and was feeling stress, "You have got to be kidding me! You're acting like a jerk!" Tugging hard on her wrist Shelby found herself looking at the floor of the kitchen rather than walking away like she wanted.
"I am not kidding," Theo's voice was too calm and Shelby cringed at the tone.
"Sorry?" She tried standing up but was stopped by her father's hand on her back. "Daddy?" Shelby managed to get out one word before six fast and hard swats were delivered to her backside. Shelby hadn't even had time to do anything but gasp for air when she found herself righted and on perched on her father's knee.
"You spanked me!" Shelby finally managed to get out snuggling into her father's neck as latent tears started.
"I did and I'll do it again if I need to," Theo confirmed. "I apologized Shelby. "You need to let this go and chalk it up to a mistake on your dad's part."
"Sometimes it's hard to let it go," Shelby sniffed.
"I understand that," Theo whispered. "But you are a grown woman and you need to accept my apology so we can move on. You need to focus on Rachel, Shelby Lorraine, not how mad your dad has made you."
"Yes sir," Shelby finally sat up properly and looked at her father. "I guess I was a little over the top?"
"Just a bit," Theo replied. "But then if you weren't you wouldn't be my diva."
"Daddy!" Shelby laughed through her protest.
"It's true, and that daughter of yours comes by in naturally, I'm afraid."
"I know." Shelby leaned her head on her father's shoulder and sighed heavily. "Oh Daddy what am I going to do with her?"
"The best you can, Shelby. That's all any of us can do with our kids. The best you can."
***GLEE****GLEE****GLEE***GLEE***GLEE***GLEE***GLEE***
Thanks once more to all who have sent PMs or reviewed the story. I know this chapter is a little short, but I wanted to get it posted before RL interfered again.
Forgive the mistakes, my beta didn't have time to proof-read it for me.
*I also have a shameless plug to make: The third book in the Mockingbird Chronicles has been published by Stardawn Cabot and myself. It is available on Amazon and is titled "The Art of Discipline: Truth and Consequences". Please leave a review if you purchase it and enjoy it. Remember it's under my pen name of Alexandra James.