Chapter IX

Quinn and Emma arrived at the mall, and Quinn drove to the Buy Buy Baby entrance. Quinn parked the car and opened her door and came around to open Emma's door. When she opened the door Emma looked concerned. She pointed behind Quinn. Quinn turned to see Mercedes and Brittany walking together. "It is okay baby they wont see your pull up under your sun dress. Besides I am sure they are also here for diapers. I told you Brittany wears them too."

Quinn helped Emma out of the car. "I thought we were going to target?" asked Emma. Quinn slapped Emma on the butt firmly.

"You do not have permission to talk like a big girl. You will do your baby talk unless we are at school. I thought we would have better luck starting here." Quinn walked with Emma holding her hand she then felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Mercedes. She turned to look at her and Brittany. "Hi girls how are you?" Quinn asked.

"We are fine no thanks to you. Hi Miss Pillsbury, what are you and Quinn doing here?" asked Mercedes. Emma blushed. She didn't want to talk, not if Quinn was going to make her talk like a baby. So she kept her mouth shut hoping Quinn would answer tactfully.

"Emma needed diapers and wanted me to come with her to get them." Quinn said with a straight face. Emma was bright red and looked down at her shoes. "Do not be ashamed Baby Emma. They will not judge you or tell anyone will you?" Quinn glared at Brittany.

"No we won't I also wear diapers. We are here to get me diapers and there are plenty of people at school I wouldn't want told. I am sure Emma feels the same. Mercedes and I will keep your secret." said Brittany.

"For Emma we will. It is not for you Quinn. You blackmailed me and Brittany do not think I will forget it. If you ever do that to Brittany again. I will come down on you Quinn. I will do whatever it takes to see you get yours." Brittany kept silent as Mercedes said this. She knew Mercedes would be mad at her as well if she knew she let Quinn manipulate her further.

"We may not like each other Mercedes but our girls may need to support each other and be friends. I mean its not like there are many other girls at school that wear diapers. Can't our babies be friends?" Asked Quinn.

"I am not a baby actually I just like to wear diapers. Not that I wouldn't like to be Emma's friend." Brittany said.

"Fine our girls can be friends. Maybe we can start by letting the girls help each other pick out there diapers. I have warned you Quinn, do not pull anything. It would actually be a favor to me if you helped Brittany with this. I have to get home before I am in trouble. Prove to me you will not break my trust and maybe you and I can be friends again some day. Now that you have your own diaper girl maybe you will be nicer to me and mine." Mercedes said.

"Sounds good to me. You can shop with us tonight Brittany. I can drop you off at home when we are done. Okay?" asked Quinn

"Okay" Brittany agreed. Quinn walked in to the store holding the girls' hands. They walked through the store looking for cute diapers that would fit the girls. When they looked down the diaper isles they saw Santana working. She apparently has a job at Buy Buy Baby. None of them knew that obviously not even Brittany. Who darted out of her view as quick as possible. Santana did not notice any of them yet.

{The hospital}

"I can not do it, not right now. I just lost one father. My other needs me to be string right now but there has not been enough time for me to be strong yet. Please Shelby go in there first tell him I had to go pee. He knows I have a small bladder tell him I will be in next that I wanted someone with him. Just give me 20 minutes please. I do not want him to be alone but I am not ready to see him. Just 20 minutes please." Rachel asked.

"Sure sweetie I will tell him you went potty." Shelby was a little embarrassed she used that word , "potty" like she was talking to 3 year old, but after being around Sugar all afternoon the toddler vocab was fresh in her mind. She walked back to see her daughters only living father. She knocked on his door and walked in. "Hi Hiram. Long time no see. Didn't think this would be the way we would meet again."

"Shelby, what are you doing here?" Hiram said talking in obvious pain.

"I came with your daughter. She was scared. I am surprised she picked me to lean on...but I am glad she did. I wish it was under better circumstances."

"Me too actually. I am glad she has decided to trust you. I can not say me and Leroy were supportive of letting you into her life. I am sorry for that. She was our daughter not yours, however you did give her life and she is very much like you. I know I should have helped you find a relationship with her." Hiram said.

"Yes, you should have. I did ask you for help, several times. I had to make contact with her my own way. I realize she was in middle school when I first wanted to really be apart of her life. That is a crazy time for a young girl. But there was no discussion. You just said no. Well I know I went about it the wrong way but I did make contact with her myself."

"I know you did. You needed to know her, and she needed to know you. I shouldn't have resisted it. But lets not dwell on that. I am going to be frank here as I know my prognosis sucks, and I know my husband is dead. You will look after Rachel. She will be lost completely when I die. I have left everything that was mine and Hiram's to Rachel. But in both of our wills since Rachel was 13 we have had one name down as her guardian should we pass away. I know she is 18 now but I would still like you to look after her." Shelby was shocked to here Hiram admit all this.

"You had me down to be her guardian?"Shelby asked.

"Of course you had written us an email every month her 6,7, 8, and 9th grade year. We knew you wanted to be part of her life. I'm sorry it takes death for us to swallow our pride but you are her biological mother. That was scary to me and Leroy. Anyway, Rachel will be lost and need to make a fresh start on her life. You need to make sure she takes the right path. Rachel has obviously chosen to trust you. I will do the same." As Hiram talked. Shelby cried with joy.

"Thank you Hiram. This means so much to me. Especially now." Shelby said.

"Yes I heard about Beth. I am sorry. But at least you have Rachel now. Speaking of which. I would like to see my daughter. Please tell her to come see me. I will tell her exactly as I have told you." Shelby went back to the waiting room. Rachel was there and ready to see her father. She went back and was with him for a long time. Shelby waited in the waiting room. Every 40 minutes or so a nurse would come by and let her know how Hiram and Rachel were. 3 hours went by and then a nurse told her Rachel had fallen asleep by Hiram's bed.

Shelby walked back to see Hiram again. He was asleep but she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Thank you Hiram. Fight this try to stay alive and help me guide Rachel." She whispered. She picked up the small teenager into her arms and walked back to the waiting room. Shelby slept next to Rachel on the waiting room couches. She pushed two couches next to each other just to be close to the girl. Shelby thought it was adorable that Rachel sucked her thumb the whole time. It was 4 A. M. When the Doctor came to tell her that they could not save Hiram.

She picked up Rachel who was still asleep. Before she made it to the elevator, Rachel woke up. "Why are we leaving?, what happened?" Shelby knew she had to tell her...but was unsure how to do it. Rachel was already crying. Shelby just shook her head as she put Rachel down. Rachel was on the floor crying. All Shelby could do was hold her.