Rachel can confirm.
It was true what they said in the movies. That a person's life flashes before their eyes right before they die.
In the agonizing moments Rachel waited for her mother to respond after accidentally dousing her with Puckerman Punch, fourteen years worth of memories flashed across her very eyes.
Her first ballet recital. Singing duets with her daddy on the piano. Eating breakfast at their favorite diner after Sunday morning runs with her dad. The adrenaline rush when the curtains went up during her first Broadway musical. Winning Sectionals. Even her mom's new habit of helping her brush her hair after she showered in the evenings was featured in the highlight reel of her life.
At the very least, Rachel can take solace in the fact that she was able to relive some of her happiest memories. That she can go in peace knowing that she had lived, laughed, and loved.
"Run, Rae!" She heard her Aunt Kim's voice filled with sheer terror cry out.
Snapping back into reality, Rachel's breath immediately caught in her throat and her heart thumped profoundly in her chest. Total fear pulsed through her entire body taking in the scene around her.
Karofsky vanished into thin air. Quinn and Frannie broke out into perfectly matching astonished expressions. The drunken festivities around them endured. But what held her gaze captive was the unmistakable fiery and smouldering rage clouding her mother's emerald green eyes.
Whipping her head from her aunt to Frannie then Quinn and back to her mother, with her life on the line, Rachel calculated her next move in supersonic speed.
Fight or flight.
She needed to defuse the bomb the only way she knew how.
In the biggest twist of the night, Rachel entered survival mode, closed the distance between her and Shelby, and threw her arms around her mother.
"Mom I'm so sorry," Rachel blurted out in pure panic, not caring about getting any of the mystery beverage on herself at this point. "But before you do or say anything else, please think about how everyone at school is here and that if you do murder me, there are witnesses or if you yell at me now, I'll never be able to set foot in school again. Please, mom, please."
Immensely caught off-guard by the embrace, Shelby finally broke out of her trance and mentally cursed as her body reacted entirely on instinct and accepted the unexpected hug. However, as the stickiness of the unknown beverage permeated her clothes and trickled down her skin, a fresh swell of irritation with her runaway child spiked and swept away any inkling of maternal affection.
Inhaling a calming breath, Shelby drew the teenager in even closer, encompassed her arms around her completely, and whispered in her ear, "I am only going to ask you one time and if value your life or your reputation, you will be honest with me. Have you been drinking?"
Swallowing back fear at the severity of the command, Rachel only shook her head frantically in response. Shelby pulled her head back slightly to look at her kid in the face, searching for the lie. Once she was satisfied, she glanced at her stunned sibling and Quinn and Frannie whose jaws dropped even further at the turn of events.
They were all in agreement. Rachel was certifiably insane.
"Mom—"
"Not a single word out of you," Shelby cut her off harshly, squeezing the girl enough to elicit an audible groan. "Listen to me and listen very closely, Rachel Barbra. You and Quinn will go outside and you are to wait for me. You are to go nowhere until I return. You are not to even speak to one other. You will do nothing and say nothing until I come out to take you both home. Do you understand me, little girl? Do not speak. Simply nod your head if you understand my instructions."
A nod.
"Fantastic," Shelby replied in fake merriment then released her daughter from her grips. "Now, where is this so-called Puck?"
"Mom, you can't!" Rachel pleaded. "Please let's just go. Please, mom."
Rachel was freaking out. She needed to draw the woman out before she could cause a scene. She already has enough to deal with at school without throwing her friends' lives into Shelby Corcoran's line of fire. She's fully aware that she's not exactly the most popular kid at McKinley, but what her mother was threatening was on another level of embarrassment. A blow to her reputation that she, undoubtedly, would not be able to salvage.
Speechless, Shelby just stared at her daughter in amazement. She had just caught the girl red-handed and her only concern was her popularity. The gall.
Frustration coursing freely, she pinched the bridge of her nose and channeled whatever patience she can gather deep down inside of her. "Quinn?"
Without a single hesitation, the equally frightened teenager pointed across the room to the mohawked football player in the middle of a rambunctious game of beer pong. Unlike Rachel, she had every desire to live to see another day, loyalties be damned.
"Rachel, do not test me. I am not happy with you right now, young lady. Kim, Fran, will you please take the girls out and wait for me," Shelby instructed distractedly, grimacing in disgust as she flicked the remnants of the punch off her arms. "I'll be out in a second."
Both trained to follow the older Corcoran's orders, Kim and Frannie nodded their agreement and grabbed Rachel and Quinn by the arm respectively and dragged the escapees, against all of their protests, out and away from the house party.
"Aunt Kim, what are you even doing here?" Rachel questioned, a smidgeon of brazen bravery returning now that her mother was out of sight.
"Excuse me? Isn't that what I'm supposed to be asking you, kid," Kim replied once they reached the end of the driveway, crossing her arms at the mischievous teenager. "What are you two doing here when you were supposed to be next door?"
"Dude, Rachel, what did you throw at your mom?" Frannie interjected, still attempting to process everything that happened in the last five minutes. "Like what? Was that just shock?"
"Wait, how did you guys know where to find us?" Quinn lamented. Unless they got an invite from Noah himself, there was no reason for any of the adults to know their whereabouts.
"Hang on a second, why is that cop staring at us?" Rachel said, ignoring all of the questions flying around. "Quinn! I think he followed us here. We're going to get arrested. I knew it."
"What? No, that's just Jack," Kim responded, turning around and waved to the officer leaning against the police car across the street. "He drove us here."
"Oh my god, it was Mr. Schue wasn't it?!" Quinn exclaimed in great fervor, realization dawning on her face. "It had to be him! Fran, this is so not fair, I can't believe your boyfriend ratted us out. He can't use information that he finds out at school against us while we're home. That's cheating!"
"Q, are you insane?" Frannie replied, raising her voice to match. "Will's not the one who lied to mom and snuck out to go to a party. That was all you, little sis."
"What, so you're taking his side now?" Quinn accused. "Aren't you supposed to be my sister? And don't act like you've never done this before either!"
"Aunt Kim, what are you talking about?" Rachel said over the noise, confusion flooding her thoughts. "And what's mom doing? I think we should go back in there."
"What's all over your shoes, Rae?" Kim inquired, noticing the trail of red footsteps around her niece. "And where's your jacket? Both of you, you must be freezing."
Before Rachel could say anything else, there was a sizzling sound that caught her attention and then one almighty bang as fireworks erupted above them. They simultaneously turned their heads upwards as a spectacular display of light filled the sky. All four of them were so entranced by the smattering of fizzing and sparking colors dancing across the neighborhood, they failed to realize that another police car pulled up and that the blaring of the music and all of the activity in the house had ceased.
As the last of the multicolored sparks exploded and trickled back down to earth, there was peace and absolute silence for the briefest of moments. However, not even a full second later, a flood of teenagers suddenly rushed out of the front door and into the yard, scrambling and colliding into each other in a complete disarray to get as far away from the house as possible.
It was total chaos.
Rachel and Quinn were trying to fight down their panic as scores of McKinley High students scattered everywhere throughout the lawn, driveway, and street to make their escape. Groups packed into cars with designated drivers while others fled on foot to make their way home. A far too-inebriated Cheerio even threw up into poor Nora Puckerman's bushes. And the two police officers that arrived were carefully monitoring the situation to ensure that no one under the influence got behind the wheel.
After most of the partygoers dispersed in record speed, Shelby finally emerged from the house with Puck and the rest of the glee kids in tow.
Rachel felt her stomach twist into a tighter knot scanning the thoroughly petrified expressions in each and every single one of their faces.
"Wow," Frannie said.
"We're dead," Quinn whispered.
"My life is over," Rachel groaned.
"Happy New Year?" Kim shrugged, digesting the mayhem around her.
Damn. Her sister was good.
"So why are they only my daughters and my granddaughter when they come home in a police car? And what is that red stuff all over Shelly?" Robert questioned, craning his neck to peer into the living room.
Shelby was on one end of the couch, a towel draped over her, nursing her third bottle of water and Rachel was on the opposite with crossed arms and a deep pout plastered on her face. Kim was slouched down in between them cradling a bag of Lays. With the exception of Kim's crunching of the chips, all three were sitting quietly, all seemingly deep in thought.
"Because I said so, Robert James Corcoran," Anne responded with quirked eyebrow and a warning look. "Who told me that he fixed and bolted the basement window shut years ago but never did? Hmm?"
"Fair enough darling," Robert conceded, running his hand through his hair as memories of times when his wife managed to cut him down with an icy glare and a perfect, well-delivered one-liner flashed through his aging mind.
He glanced down at his watch. It was 1:00 in the morning and 15 minutes since the girls arrived and his house descended into madness. All he wanted was a peaceful evening with his family and closest friends. A low key and mellow gathering to ring in the new year.
Instead, he got teenagers on the lam, grown women sneaking out of basement windows, angry mothers interrogating husbands and boyfriends, police officers bringing members of his family home, and all the unnecessary fighting and shouting to boot. It was anarchy.
Next year, he and Anne would just go to a simple dinner or spend a quiet evening at home. None of this nonsense. He was too old for it.
"That's what I thought, dear," Anne said, patting her husband's shoulder. "I am going to clean up in the kitchen and then check on Brian and the kids. I will be back down shortly to join you. Good luck, grandpa."
"Yeah, yeah," Robert chuckled waving the woman off. He glanced back at the subjects of his exasperation. God, he loved them all. But how he loved sleep more.
Sighing, he grabbed a chair from the dining table and brought it with him setting it down in front of the couch.
"Alright, my lovely children and grandchild, who would like to go first?"
Rachel instantly rose to her feet and pointed to Shelby. "I'd just like the record to reflect that mom was the one who escalated things so quickly! Quinn and I were on our way home, you didn't have to come to the party and threaten everyone. And then—and then mom almost had us arrested, grandpa!"
Groaning, Robert leaned back against the chair and crossed his leg. He was going to be here a while.
Shelby also stood up and glared at her child, fury emanating off of her. "Excuse me? Who is the one that said she was going to be right next door but then proceeded to break all of my rules to go to a party. What were you thinking? Oh wait, I can answer that. You weren't, Rachel! You weren't thinking at all. And you lied to me, kid. If we're talking about escalating things, you did that. Not to mention, I haven't forgotten the fact that You. Threw. A. Drink. At. Me. What on earth was that, Rachel Barbra? Will you please care to enlighten us all on why I'm drenched in whatever the heck this is!"
Reprimanded into silence, Rachel only crossed her arms over her chest and scowled back at her mother in response. The silence and tension in the air doubled.
Kim swung her gaze from Shelby to Rachel and popped another handful of potato chips in her mouth, thoroughly entertained by the drama of it all.
"Want some, daddy?" She offered, sitting up to extend the bag to the man.
Shaking his head in disapproval, Robert ripped the snack away from his youngest daughter's hand and set it down on the ground. He got up and stood in between the irate mother and daughter.
"Okay, we are going to try this again. Both of you, please sit back down," Robert pleaded, gently pushing Rachel then Shelby back towards the couch. "Now, it is very late and there are children sleeping upstairs, so there will be no more yelling, no interrupting each other, no outbursts or storming away. Do you understand? Because if not, I can always bring your mother back down here."
"Great," Robert said wryly, sitting back down after he received three shakes of the heads. "Rachel, what did you say about your mom getting you arrested?"
With a deep frown, Rachel nodded her head pitifully. "Yeah grandpa, she did. I was really scared. After they came to the party and mom scared everyone away, she made Quinn and I get into the back of a police car. She said she was going to take us home but then we passed by the house and they kept driving and wouldn't tell us where we were going!"
Clearing his throat to stifle back an amused laugh, Robert turned his head to his oldest daughter for an explanation.
"Alright Rach, let's simmer down on the theatrics, you're fine," Shelby sat up and shot her daughter an unsympathetic look. "I was not going to let Jack arrest you."
"Jack Bennett?" Robert scrunched his eyebrows at the mention of the son of one of their family friends. Now the deputy sheriff at the Lima Police Department, he was a childhood friend of Shelby and Kim's.
"Yes, we ran into him walking over to the party. He said he saw Rachel and Quinn pass by earlier. And then drove us over there because he just got a call in over the radio about a noise complaint in the neighborhood, someone called in a party that seemed to be getting out of hand."
All three adults rotated their heads to Rachel who squirmed apprehensively under the unwanted attention.
"Anyway, I convinced him not to call in the calvary or do anything drastic and said that I'd get all the kids to just go home. He got a couple of his officers to come to take care of anyone being disorderly and to stop anyone from drinking and driving. Kim and Fran stayed to make sure everyone else got picked up."
"Then he drove you home?" Robert asked, trying to piece together the events of the evening.
"Then he drove us home," Shelby confirmed. "But after we had a very important conversation with the girls about the serious consequences of throwing parties and drinking under the age of 21."
"It was so awful grandpa," Rachel interjected then inhaled a huge gulp of air before diving in to share her side of the story. "At first, nobody was saying anything and they weren't answering our questions, they even drove past Quinn's house and yours like super slowly, and then started talking about what the police do when they bust a party. They kept going on and on and on about how the cops can arrest anyone who drinks underage or has possession of drugs, how there are penalties for fleeing a party, that even the owner of the house may be questioned and held responsible for any illegal activities. They drove us all the way to the police station! I was so nervous and I seriously thought Quinn was going to throw up at one point. It was the worst. We didn't even drink! But I'm never going to now. It's crazy grandpa, there's so many legal consequences. He said that it could go on my permanent record? What does that even mean, but can you imagine if casting directors got a hold of that and they saw that I once got arrested for drinking underage when I was a teenager and didn't know any better. My Broadway career would be over before it even began!"
Robert's mouth fell open in shock at his granddaughter's objectively wild and rambling story. He swerved his gaze back to his daughter sharply and tried to register the emotion he currently felt brewing inside of him. Was that—pride? Aw, his Shelly-Bean was an overbearing parent now, employing her own and unique, albeit somewhat questionable, disciplinary methods. He swiped away an errant tear. They grow up so fast.
Shelby shrugged her shoulders casually at her father's expectant look and bit back a smirk. She merely wanted to impart the possible ramifications of the situation, she can't help that her kid's grand imagination had drawn those conclusions.
"And you, what do you have to say for yourself, Kimberly?" Robert turned his attention to his youngest.
"I—I think I ate too many chips," Kim heaved in discomfort as she stood up on her feet and rubbed her stomach. "I'm really sorry we ruined game night, pops. And for disobeying mom and also sneaking out. That's not the example we should be setting for the kids."
Chuckling at the self-awareness from his historically troublesome child, Robert leaned over and squeezed her arm affectionately. "Thanks for the apology, Kimmie. We can talk about it more in the morning. You may go upstairs and get ready for bed."
"Ok dad," Kim nodded appreciatively but swung back around to face her niece. "Miss Rachel, I hope you understand that what you did tonight was wrong. Going behind our backs like that, not cool kiddo. And Shelly, before you yell at me about it tomorrow, I am sorry that I told Rae to run earlier. Rae, don't do that. Mainly because your mom is wicked fast and will catch you."
"Get outta here," Shelby laughed, launching a pillow at her sister's retreating form that was unfortunately intercepted by her dad.
"It's late," Robert sighed. "And it's been a long night for all of us, so I will also let the two of you go. But I will say this Rach, your aunt is right. You and Quinn should have never left to go to that party. Your mom's rules are there for a reason, and you worried us again sweetheart. I thought we talked about the running away and disappearing."
"I know grandpa, I'm sorry," Rachel said, guilt beginning to gnaw at her insides.
"I know Rach, I get it," Robert replied. "You just wanted to have fun and didn't think it'd be a big deal. But next time, maybe you won't be so lucky and your mom won't be around to bail you out. You said it yourself, you could've gotten into real trouble with the cops. And I hardly think that any party is worth that."
"Yeah, I understand," Rachel nodded and dropped her gaze, unable to take the disappointment in her grandfather's eyes.
"Good. I imagine your mother has more to say about this, but we can save it for tomorrow," Robert said, offering the girl a warm smile. "Now, come give me a hug goodnight. Your mom will be up to check on you shortly."
Sighing, Rachel got up, walked over, and bent down slightly to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Night, grandpa. Sorry again but Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year, Rach. Sweet dreams."
As soon as the teenager left the room, Shelby immediately fell down on the couch in sheer exhaustion, throwing her arm over her forehead to complete the mood.
"Uggghhhhhh," the mother groaned.
Robert leaned over then peeled his daughter's arm from over her eyes and gave her a crooked smile. "Welcome to the club, mom."
After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, Rachel threw the covers off, rolled out of bed, and slipped on the hoodie that she shed earlier. Her mother tucked her in and made sure she was settled not too long after her grandpa sent her up and although she was completely exhausted, sleep evaded her. After everything, her mind was too wired to shut down.
Trying to be as silent as possible, Rachel crept down the hallway and tiptoed down the stairs in haste. Heading to the kitchen, she stopped outside the basement door and wondered briefly why it was marked off with a yellow caution tape.
"What are you doing out of bed, child of mine who refuses to listen to my instructions?" Shelby inquired with her back turned to the teenager standing by the doorway.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't sleep," Rachel admitted, her stomach flipping as the older woman, now fresh and clean and free from all remnants of Puckerman Punch, turned around to face her. "Why are you up, mom?"
"Couldn't sleep either," Shelby agreed then resumed searching for ingredients out of the cupboards, puttering around to assemble everything she needed for waffles on the counter.
Truthfully, she didn't even try. It was past three by the time she finished talking to her parents, almost four when she stepped out of the shower. They have to be at the airport in about two hours and she didn't think it was worth it to fall asleep at that point. And admittedly, she also felt like she was already battling a hangover and wanted to get ahead of it, needing to rehydrate and replenish her body with nutrients. A punishment, she deemed, for allowing herself to succumb to Kim-pressure.
"I was also hungry. But you should be in bed resting. You were up early yesterday too."
"Are you still mad at me?" Rachel asked nervously as she walked over to the kitchen island.
"I'm not angry at you Rachel, I'm just—disappointed," Shelby winced, slowly realizing how equally unpleasant it felt to be on the giving end of that statement. "We have a lot to talk about, young lady."
"I'm grounded, aren't I?" Rachel moped, perching herself on the barstool.
"Until next year," Shelby responded without a trace of sarcasm in her voice.
Rachel's mouth fell open in shock, her eyes going comically wide and after a few moments, Shelby allowed a very small smile to grace her lips at the look of incredulity taking over the teenager's face. She'll never tire of just how physically expressive her daughter was.
"Yes, you are grounded," Shelby deadpanned. "For three weeks."
"Three weeks!?" Rachel gasped. She's never, in her entire life, been grounded for that long. Usually, her dads let her off early for good behavior, so she can't even fathom being on lock down for that absurd amount of time. "But mom—"
Shelby lifted an impatient hand to cut off her daughter and shot her a glare so frigid; it automatically sent shivers down Rachel's spine. The teenager shut her mouth instantly.
"It was going to be a lot longer than that had I found out you were drinking, but I do acknowledge that you at least refrained from such a myopic decision. Three weeks and not a second sooner, Rachel Barbra," the mother stated, not at all interested in negotiating. "One week for sneaking out, one week for lying to me, and one week for throwing the drink. No phone, television, or electronics with the exception of contacting your daddy, no going out though I will review on a case-by-case basis, but… absolutely no Lady Gaga concert this month since it's during your grounding."
"What! But Aunt Kim and Uncle Brian got me those tickets for Christmas," Rachel objected greatly, her whine grating on her Shelby's nerves. "Kurt and I already have our costumes ready. You can't do that, mom!"
"Oh I most certainly can," Shelby scolded, pitching her voice higher as she battled her thinning patience. "I'm sorry Rach, I am, but this is one of the consequences of your actions. I know you were looking forward to this, but I hope that this teaches you a lesson that what you did tonight was not okay. We've talked about this before, and I really don't care for repeating myself, so I am going to remind you one last time clearly and unequivocally: you cannot go anywhere without my permission and you absolutely cannot lie to me. Our relationship does not work that way. I thought you respected me enough to not blatantly disregard my rules, Rachel."
"I do, mom," Rachel insisted, beginning to register the weight of her actions. "I'm sorry, I just, I wasn't thinking. I don't know, I just wanted to have fun with my friends."
"I get that, I was a teenager once too," Shelby nodded in understanding. "And there is a proper time and place for that but tonight, you were supposed to be here with me and your family. Instead, you took advantage of my trust, snuck away, and lied to me to go to an unsupervised party with alcohol and god knows what else. So, for that reason, there will be no fun in your immediate future. Rather, lots and lots of chores and laundry because that was my favorite sweater you ruined, my little party animal."
"This is so unbelievably unfair," Rachel frowned deeply, crossing her arms over her chest in contempt. "Dad wouldn't—"
"Thirty-seven minutes," Shelby stated in a low and dangerous tone. "It took me thirty-seven minutes to get all that punch out of my hair, Rachel."
"But mommy, I didn't mean to throw the drink at you," Rachel whined and subconsciously kicked the kitchen island petulantly. "That was an accident!"
"That may be so, my little girl, but you did intend to throw the drink at someone and that is absolutely not okay," Shelby countered sharply. She can do this all night if she had to. Rachel was not going to manipulate her way out of this one. "I know you were raised better than that. We do not treat people that way. How would you feel if someone threw a drink at you?"
"But he started it—" Rachel's voice trailed off as soon as she realized what she said.
"Who started it, Rach?" Shelby interrogated. She's not dense. She knows her daughter's not a malicious person who callously throws drinks around in people's faces. Rachel was provoked, and now Shelby wants to know why and by whom.
"It's not important," Rachel blurted out, a response that came far too quickly for the mother's liking. Shelby opened her mouth to reply but clasped it back shut as she saw a range of emotions flicker across her daughter's face.
Suddenly overcome with guilt over the entire night, Rachel averted her mother's gaze and played with the hem of her shirt to buy herself time to organize her thoughts. She hates disappointing her mom, probably more than anything, and hearing about her actions from her perspective was making her realize that perhaps she had made the wrong choices.
Sighing after a few moments of silence, Rachel finally looked up and admitted, "Never mind, you're right mom. I didn't make the right decisions, you expected better of me and I let you down. I-I wasn't thinking and I was only interested in doing whatever I wanted without considering you or your rules. I shouldn't have done any of that—the sneaking around, the lying, or throwing the drink, especially that. I am sorry and I do regret it."
Rachel's aware, probably more than her mother realizes, what it's like to have an unwanted substance thrown in her face. Awful. Getting slushied was utterly miserable. She could handle the ignorant insults that were hurled at her at school every day and she was immune to the notion that nobody outside of glee seemed to like her, but the slushies, always unexpected, yet somehow inevitable, were a different matter. She couldn't necessarily physically block the "bitch slaps that felt like icebergs," as Kurt once aptly described them. And she'd never intentionally want to make anyone feel less than in the way getting slushied constantly made her feel, so the fact that she had resorted to the methods of her agonizers didn't settle well on her conscience at all.
Thawing at the first signs of genuine remorse, Shelby also sighed then set down the bowl of batter she was mixing and faced her daughter so they could make direct eye contact.
"Thank you for that apology, Rach. You have a lot of legwork ahead of you to fully earn back my trust, but you are forgiven," Shelby said earnestly. "However, you didn't answer my question kid—is there something going on at school that you're not telling me? Is there anyone bothering you?"
Wordlessly, Rachel shook her head no and chewed on her bottom lip while she thought about how much she wanted to divulge. "It's fine, mom. I told you before, some kids at school just don't get me and we clash. But it's okay, I'm handling it."
"Really?" Shelby prodded, her voice full of skepticism. "Because if tonight's any indication, it doesn't really seem like you are. Why won't you tell me, Rach? I only want to help."
"I know," Rachel acknowledged. "But that's the problem. I need to learn how to stick up for myself and you can't keep fighting my battles for me. You do it all the time."
"Excuse me?" Shelby inquired, genuinely confused about the accusation.
"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about, mother," Rachel argued.
"I'm not pretending," Shelby said truthfully. "Please enlighten me, daughter."
"Mom, you're so overprotective, and it's just—it's a lot sometimes," Rachel confessed warily. "Like remember when you reamed my ballet teacher out for the improper technique thing, and now she's not really teaching me anything else because she's afraid you're going to, what did you say, 'put her out of business faster than she can say pirouette if she doesn't learn how to teach her students how to dance without constantly putting them at risk for traumatic and overuse injuries.' Or even the other week when that cashier from the Lima Bean made fun of my sweater, I haven't seen him working there since then!"
"Alright," Shelby scoffed in protest. "I had nothing to do with that cashier. That's merely a coincidence. Although, I will say he was rude. I think your sweaters are quite adorable. But I will not apologize about your bumbling buffoon of a dance teacher who can't tell her plie's apart from her jete's. She was teaching you incorrect forms and techniques and building bad habits that could've really done permanent damage in the long-run, Rachel."
"Yes, fine, but that's still not my point," Rachel sighed. "I appreciate that you look out for me, mom. I do. But I just, I want to know that I can handle myself and protect myself without you swooping in and going all defcon five and Coach Corcoran on anybody who even looks at me funny."
Actually feeling a piece of her heart break, Shelby only nodded and collected her thoughts while she pushed down a deep sadness seizing her emotions. She just got her daughter back, and Rachel asking her to let go even a little bit was a tough and bitter pill to swallow. But her daughter was not a baby anymore; she's not a little girl who needed to be coddled. Rachel was a teenager, a young woman, who was navigating the world around her and wanting to learn how to stand on her own. As much as it pained her to have bypassed all the hand holding, Shelby knows it wouldn't be right or fair to stifle her daughter's request for more independence.
"Okay," the mother said softly. "I am hearing you Rachel, and I understand where you're coming from. I will actively try my best to allow you the space to handle these situations on your own. However, I am doing so under the stipulation that you must do your part and use and reserve your best judgment to make the right decisions. Because despite your actions tonight Rach, I truly believe that you are an intelligent and compassionate individual who is more than capable of getting your point across without resorting to throwing drinks in people's faces, even if they did start it. So, I am going to let this one go, my love, because I am choosing to trust you, but the moment I see or hear otherwise, all bets are off. You may not feel like you need me, but I am your mother and I only want to help."
"Alright, I get it," Rachel agreed, pleased with the compromise. "And it's not that I don't need you mom. Of course I do. You and dad and daddy will always be the first I come to for help if I need it. I just—I want to learn how to be strong, just like you are. You're not afraid of anyone or anything, and people respect that and admire that about you, you know? I mean I do."
"If you're trying to sweet talk your way out your punishment, it's not going to work," Shelby cracked, reaching over to gently squeeze her daughter's arm. "But it did work just enough for me to also make you a waffle. But absolutely no chocolate chips! You are under a no-fun lock down, young lady."
Pulling a baseball cap down her head in an attempt to hide the fatigue marked on her face, Shelby climbed into the Range Rover more than an hour later. Breaking out into a jaw-cracking yawn, she turned on the ignition, blasted the heat, and lowered the volume of the radio, not too keen on jamming out to Rachel's "Songs to Sing in the Shower" playlist at 5:30 in the morning.
She was drained physically and mentally and the day had yet to begin.
She dragged down the mirror to inspect the damage and cringed noticing the crease in her forehead and the prominent dark shadows under her eyes but also couldn't help a smile from blooming thinking about the cause. Unconditionally, the battle scars of motherhood were worth it.
"Sorry, grandma caught me right before I walked out and she said that if I ever lie to her or sneak away, then being grounded is the least of my concerns," the teenager shuddered at the warning as she got into the passenger seat. "What does she mean by that?"
Shelby chuckled lightly, recalling all the creative ways her mother punished her and Kim in the past. "You don't want to know. But Rach? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure mom," Rachel answered as she buckled up her seatbelt.
"Why didn't you just ask me if you could go to your friend's house last night?" Shelby pondered, her focus trained on the rear view mirror while she backed out of the driveway.
"Well, would you have let me?" The girl grumbled.
"Probably not because we had plans but I don't know, I would have considered it," Shelby said honestly. "Contrary to your belief, I do want you to be able to spend time and have fun with you friends. I know you're still adjusting here and I think it is a good idea for you to get to know your teammates outside of glee."
"Well, I didn't really want to go at first but then, I don't know, I just wanted a distraction," Rachel sighed, sleep-deprivation and exhaustion also weighing heavily on her. "And what does it matter now that I'm grounded until the end of time. What friends? They're all going to forget that I exist after I'm done with your life-sentence."
"Alright, calm down, drama queen," Shelby laughed, reaching over to pat her daughter's knee in a placating manner. "But what did you mean by you wanted a distraction?"
"Oh, nothing," Rachel shifted away from her mom uncomfortably and glanced out the window.
"Rachel," Shelby prompted, employing a gentler tone in order to draw a response. "I thought we agreed that we'd start talking to each other. Honey, I just want to know what you're thinking."
"I just don't want daddy to leave," Rachel said, attempting to keep her voice even and measured, but years of musical training helped Shelby pick up on the strain in her voice. "I still don't understand why he has to," she added.
"I know Rach, but this sabbatical is a great opportunity for him to research and write for his book. It'll help him become a better professor," Shelby tried to explain. "And it's not permanent. He'll be back in a year and you'll get to see him in a couple months and then over the summer and maybe we can even spend the holidays there next year."
"But he has a perfectly good job in Chicago already," Rachel replied with a sad sigh. "And that's already too far. Why doesn't he want to be with me?"
"Rachel, baby, he's your father. Of course he wants to be with you," Shelby said, turning to face her when they arrived at the stoplight. "He just—"
"This time last year, we all spent New Year's Eve in New York together. And you know what I keep thinking about?" Rachel asked, meeting Shelby's gaze. "I keep thinking about how weird I thought it was that we had to stay in different hotel rooms because dad said he accidentally booked two and didn't want to waste the other. And now, one year later, daddy's moving to another country, and I get that it's for work. But I don't know mom, it just—sucks."
In that moment, it was with an uncontrollable desperation that Shelby wished she could take away the hurt lighting her daughter's eyes, but she found herself at a loss for words over the situation and just simply had to agree.
"Yeah kid," the mother said as the light turned green and resumed their drive to the airport. "It does suck."
"Good morning you two, Happy New Year!" Hiram greeted, amusement coloring his expression. "You both look like hell. Coffee for you Shelbs and tea for you sweetheart."
"Yeah, you can thank your daughter for that," Shelby teased, graciously accepting the much-needed beverage. She was going on more than 24 hours without sleep now.
"Oh, why is she only my daughter when she makes a break for a rager," Hiram said, smirking at his teenager as he pulled her in for a side-hug.
"Dad, please don't tell me that you're going to punish me as well," Rachel implored. "Mom already went overboard with the consequences. Like, she took away Gaga. Can you even believe it?"
Hiram shared a knowing look with Shelby and rubbed his daughter's arm in fake sympathy. "Seems to me that you deserved your sentence, Rach. We'll discuss why your escapade was not even remotely okay later, and I will be enforcing whatever your mom handed down but no, there will be no double jeopardy."
"Where's daddy?" Rachel asked, craning her neck to scan the early-morning rush at the Lima Allen County Airport.
"He is checking in his bags," Hiram answered. "Last I looked he was at the front of the line, so he should be here soon before he goes through security."
"Oh okay," Rachel nodded, tossing that information around in her head before making a split-second decision. "Be right back, I-I have to go to the bathroom."
"Let's just give her a few minutes," Shelby interjected, noticing the concern streaking across the father's face as they watched their daughter stalk away in haste. "I think she needs a moment and if she's not back soon, I'll go and check on her."
After making sure that the teenager went to the designated destination, Hiram brought his attention back to Shelby and broke out into a sly smile. "So… you brought her home in a police car?"
"You should have seen the look on her and Quinn's faces," Shelby chuckled in deep satisfaction. "I do think that at least the no drinking lesson has been imparted."
"Nice job, mom," Hiram said impressed and gave the woman a fist bump in approval. "Although, I am still a little confused about it. Partying doesn't really seem like it's Rachel's thing."
"She hasn't slept, so I think any more lectures are going to have to wait for another day," Shelby informed. "And we did talk earlier, but I think she just wanted to blow off some steam. I don't think this," Shelby gestured to Leroy wrapping things up at the check-in desk. "Is going to be easy on her."
"I know," Hiram agreed. "We went through an adjustment period when we moved over the summer and it was rough. Honestly, I feel like I was also in a bit of a haze then, but I promise this time I am going to work harder to help Rach through this."
"We both will," Shelby vowed then smiled as Leroy approached. As much as she didn't want him to leave for their daughter's sake, Shelby can understand why he wanted to from a career standpoint and she, of all people, couldn't fault him for that. Leroy was a good man and an even better father and she had faith that he will continue to be, regardless of the distance.
"Where's Rach?" Leroy asked distractedly while he organized his passport and tickets with shaky hands, attempting to gain his bearings.
"Bathroom," Shelby and Hiram replied simultaneously, picking up on the father's frayed nerves.
"Alright, so my cell phone should be working immediately when I get there but my landline won't be set up for a couple days. I emailed you both my apartment address and contact information for my office at the University. You both can call or text me any time, regardless of the time difference, I mean it. Especially Rach, please tell her that I don't care if it's past midnight, I will always try to be available to her. I'm still working out trying to come back for Regionals and I'll let you know once I have that approved; otherwise, I'll see you in a couple months Shelbs and Hiram, whenever I get back, I guess," he drew in a deep and generous breath once he finished rambling, shook his head then paused to look at them with a heartfelt sincerity in his eyes. "Thank you, both of you, for supporting this decision. You can't imagine how much it means to me but I—you will take care of our girl?"
"We'll be okay," Hiram assured, sweeping away the swirl of emotions and unresolved feelings he currently felt towards his ex-husband. Without another thought, he drew Leroy in for a brief and unexpected hug. "Good luck with everything over there. Be safe and take care of yourself."
"And we'll take care of Rach. Always," Shelby promised with a smile then opened her arms up to the man. "I'm upset that I only got you back and you're already leaving. I'll miss you but I am really happy for you. You deserve this."
"Thanks Shelbs, so do you," Leroy whispered as he tightened his grip on the younger woman. "I know Rachel will be fine especially because she has you now. We're all better off with you back in our lives."
"Daddy?" Rachel interrupted, capturing all of the adults' attention as she walked over timidly. "Sorry I took a while, I went and got you some magazines for the plane. But I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I sort of got them all. There's even a 'Better Homes and Garden' in case you want ideas on how to decorate your new place," she offered him the stack, still refusing to make eye contact.
Accepting the magazines, Leroy swallowed back a lump in his throat as he regarded his unfailingly considerate daughter in front of him. He set them on top of his carry-on before pulling her into a crushing embrace. "Thanks, princess. That's very thoughtful of you. I'm going to miss you more than you know, Rach. But be a good girl for your mom and dad, and I'm only a phone call away if you need me."
"You promise you'll come back?" Rachel asked with a quiver in her voice that spoke directly to the hearts of all three parents.
Ignoring the pang in his chest, Leroy reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind Rachel's ear, yet again struck by how fast his little girl was growing up. "I promise. Will you walk me over to security, princess?"
Rachel blinked hard a couple times and only nodded, forcing a faint smile to form on her lips. Gathering his belongings, Leroy bid another round of quick farewells to the other parents before throwing his arm around the teenager and leading them to the security check-point.
A heavy silence settled over Shelby and Hiram while they watched the father and daughter say their goodbyes a few yards away. Unable to hear their conversation, Shelby's heart wrenched as Rachel stepped forward and fell into Leroy's arms again, gripping fistfuls of his jacket and burying her face in his shoulder. After a few moments, Rachel released her hold, turned on her heel, and walked away without looking back.
Forcing her feet to move as quickly as they could without breaking out into a run, Rachel crashed immediately into her mother. To her embarrassment, she felt a stinging pressure build behind her eyes as her vision blurred and warm, heavy tears spilled down her cheeks. Drawing in gasping breaths, her face flushed red while she tried to stomp down the profound and unbidden rush of emotions.
Shelby instantly wrapped her arms around Rachel's small and sobbing frame. "I've got you, baby," she whispered as her cheek came to rest on top of her daughter's head and a hand rubbed light circles into her back. "I've got you."
A/N — :( for Rachel but :) from me on all the love from you guys on the last chapter. Thanks a ton and hope you all enjoyed the update. Next chapter Rach starts to work out some of her issues with her dads and more of the Karofsky situation comes to a head.