Summary: Life for Shelby Corcoran is not as smooth and calm as she might have hoped as Quinn's guardianship goes through and Rachel learns the truth about the other girl's living arrangements. When the girls get into a fight on the first day back after the new year, Shelby must come to terms with what it means being the mother to both.
Hello Readers! Here we are with the second story in the Shelby/Quinn/Rachel universe. This one picks up not long after Baby Please Come Home. Go read that one first if you haven't already. And enjoy!
Disclaimer: This story will include spanking. It's fiction. No real persons were harmed in the writing of this.
Cold Hard Truth
Shelby Corcoran pulled in at the end of the long line of cars of parents dropping their children off for the first day back to school after the winter holidays, a sense of sadness settling around her. She wasn't ready for Real LifeTM to start back up again. Things had been so nice during the Christmas break, even with the spanking she'd given Quinn after her 200-mile runaway road trip that kicked off their holiday. That had been the catalyst for the teen to finally let go and let Shelby take care of her completely. Shelby was now Mama to two blonde daughters and that felt right…but she didn't feel whole. Shelby Corcoran wouldn't be whole until she could be Mama to one last child—the child she'd been a surrogate for and then walked away from out of fear when she had the chance last April.
"Mama? You gotta pull up—you're holding up the line," Quinn's voice startled Shelby from her thoughts. With a jerk, she stepped on the gas pedal and they lurched forward several feet.
"Sorry, honey!" she gasped as she flung her right arm out to brace Quinn.
"See? I told you. You should've let me drive this morning," Quinn said, an air of superiority in her tone. "Distracted driving is dangerous, and clearly you're—"
"Okay, brat," Shelby interrupted the child's gloating. "Get your butt into that school. Be good! I love you! I'll see you this afternoon."
Quinn giggled and leaned over the center console to give a quick, one-armed hug to the woman. Shelby laid a fast peck on her cheek and then nudged her toward the door. "Go on—you're holding up the line," she teased.
"Fine, fine," Quinn sighed, pulling on the door handle and jumping out. The back door opened a second later and Quinn ducked her head in to kiss the mop of blonde curls atop Beth's head. "See ya later, Bethie," she told the baby. "Bye, Mama!"
"Bye, honey!" Shelby called as Quinn shut the back door and shouldered her bookbag. She offered one final wave before a horn honked from behind her. "Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, waving her hand in acknowledgement.
As the black Range Rover pulled out of the drop-off lane to join the throng of cars in the main part of the parking lot, a certain set of angry brown eyes tracked a blonde cheerleader's route into the main entrance of the school. Determined feet took off in pursuit, staying far enough behind so as to remain undetected as a plan began to take shape.
Rachel Berry stalked down the halls of McKinley High mid-morning, grumbling under her breath and going over her prepared speech once more. There were ten minutes remaining in second block and Rachel wanted to plant herself in the small alcove near her and Quinn's lockers before the whole of the student population was in the halls. And now, she waited. And fumed.
It had been one thing when she thought Quinn was getting close to Shelby for Beth's benefit. Part of it even made sense—Shelby knew what Quinn was going through, having given up a baby herself. And Rachel wasn't completely unaware of her birth mother's feelings and…regrets. It made sense to Rachel that Shelby would want better for Beth, this new little baby she was raising. But Shelby's frantic phone call to Rachel two days before Christmas, asking if she'd heard from Quinn because Shelby was worried about her—couldn't find her—spoke of something so much more. And coupled with what the small teen had seen and, more importantly, overheard, this morning…Well—Rachel was pissed!
Shelby had told Rachel that she was all grown up, that they should be grateful for one another from afar. She said she had wanted a baby—a family—and Rachel had her dads. Rachel didn't need Shelby the way a baby would. Rachel had been hurt by that, and it was only in the last few months that she had begun to come to a tentative understanding. Shelby'd been right when she said she was Rachel's birth mother but not her mom. Shelby Corcoran was a stranger—a stranger that shared DNA, but a stranger none-the-less. Rachel had two wonderful parents who loved her immensely. She didn't need Shelby. But…was it so wrong to want her?
She'd been hopeful after receiving a text message on her birthday from the woman letting her know she was thinking of her and hoping her day was everything she wished for and more. Shelby had even gone on to say that she would love to get together for a coffee and get to know Rachel. Rachel had replied back enthusiastically and Shelby promised she would be in touch soon. So when the call came on December 23rd, Rachel had picked up ecstatic, thinking her birth mother was taking that first step. Her hopes had been crushed when it wasn't about Rachel, but Quinn.
Quinn. Beautiful, smart, perfect Quinn. Quinn who had given Shelby a daughter to raise from the start. Quinn who probably offered Shelby an insight into what Beth could grow to be. Quinn who perhaps reminded Shelby of herself. Quinn was everything that Rachel would never be, and apparently, everything that Shelby valued in a daughter. Why else would the blonde call Shelby 'Mama'? And why would Shelby let her if she didn't feel that way too?
Rachel had tried calling Shelby 'Mom' all those months ago. It felt foreign on her tongue, and understandably so! She was used to Dad and Daddy. 'Mom' could have become natural if given time, but Shelby hadn't afforded her that. She'd given up and gone away before anything could happen. Yet somehow, Quinn had managed to do what Rachel had only dreamed of. But how? And why—
Before Rachel could spiral further, the source of her ire passed by her hideout. Body vibrating now with adrenaline, the small teen shot out of the alcove and practically dove at the taller blonde. Quinn screamed and Rachel's momentum knocked them both into the lockers.
"What the fuck, Berry?!" Quinn growled as she was pinned against cold metal, the combination lock digging into the space between her shoulder blades. "What are you doing?" she demanded, trying to force the other girl off her. Rachel was deceptively strong for such a little thing.
"What are you doing?" Rachel spat, throwing her body weight into Quinn and making the blonde wince.
"Trying to live my life, Rachel! Get off me!"
"I saw you with her!"
"Who?!"
"Don't play dumb, Quinn," Rachel admonished, pushing Quinn harder against the locker. "Who do you think?"
"What are you—"
"SHELBY!" Rachel bellowed, earning several curious looks from passerby. Whatever shown on her face was enough to get them to scurry away—a first, to be sure.
Meanwhile, Quinn's eyes bulged and her heart rate skyrocketed. "Rachel—Ow, fuck!" Rachel body-checked her again, this time ramming her pointy little shoulder into Quinn's chest. The smaller girl then glared up at her with angry, nearly black eyes and Quinn gulped. Her stomach plummeted and she wanted nothing more than to run as far and as fast as she could away from whatever was about to happen.
Quinn was then hit with a barrage of accusations and revelations that, quite frankly, was information overload for the sixteen-year-old. Rachel was coming at her with vicious words, listing all of the times she'd seen Quinn with Shelby. Quinn's ears were ringing. Everything felt too fast and too loud. Quinn wanted to scream, but she was frozen, unable to make a sound.
Guilt swirled and settled in the pit of her stomach as Rachel continued her angry tirade and Quinn realized that, apart from those very first weeks with Shelby, she hadn't given any further thought about Rachel, her feelings, or how she'd react when she found out—and she would find out. Shelby and Quinn weren't hiding anything. The worst of her guilt, however, came from the fact that she didn't feel guilty about her relationship with Shelby. Shelby Corcoran was the best thing that had ever happened to Quinn in her life and she wasn't going to give her up without a fight. Rachel, it seemed, was ready for that fight.
"She's MY mom, Quinn! She may not want me but if I can't have her, neither can you! Stay AWAY from her!" Rachel roared, her shoulders rising and falling from her heavy breathing.
The venom behind those words were enough to knock the breath from Quinn's lungs and her stomach knotted so hard that she felt as if Rachel had sucker punched her. The pain was so intense that she honestly wasn't sure she hadn't. It was then that her fight or flight kicked in. Finding her voice, Quinn used it to scream out "NO!", and with a burst of pure adrenaline, she was finally successful in pushing Rachel away from her.
Rachel staggered backwards, trying to regain her footing. When she did, the girl let out a truly inhuman roar and came at Quinn, swinging. Quinn pushed her away, which only infuriated Rachel that much more. They'd attracted a growing audience now, but neither girl paid them any attention.
"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Rachel screamed.
"NO!" Quinn returned just as heatedly. "I won't, Rachel!"
Rachel's face crumpled and tears cascaded down olive-toned cheeks. "Haven't you hurt me enough over the years? Do you really have to use Shelby to hurt me too?"
Quinn could feel her own tears welling—Rachel's pain was palpable. Quinn felt for her, she did, but that didn't mean she was going to give up the only loving mother she ever had, either. "It—It's not about you, Rachel! I'm sorry you're hurting, but Shelby's my—"
"Your what?!" Rachel snarled. "Your Mama? Go play house with someone else's mother, but leave MINE out of it! You owe me that much!"
Angry and on the defensive, Quinn stepped forward and pushed Rachel hard. "Fuck you, Hobbit! I don't owe you anything and I'm not going to stay away from Shelby—I live with her! And there's nothing you can do to change that so just—"
It all happened so quickly. One minute Quinn was screaming at Rachel, advancing on her, pushing her and forcing her backwards; the next, a shockwave of pain overwhelmed the blonde. Her eyes stung and she couldn't catch her breath—the cold was unbearable. It wasn't until she was wiping cherry-flavored ice crystals off her face and her vision cleared enough to see that Rachel was standing opposite her holding an empty slushie cup that Quinn even realized what truly transpired.
Rachel Berry had slushied Quinn Fabray.
The crowd around them erupted in noise. It wasn't long before it drew the attention of the teachers. Then Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray were being marched past the growing throng of students towards the Principal's Office.
"If I'm in trouble because of you, Rachel, I'm going to—"
"Me?" Rachel balked. "You're the one who started—"
"You're the one who started ALL of this, Rachel!" Quinn barked.
"You—"
"Ladies," came the firm reproach of the school's secretary, Mrs. Pritchett, to interrupt the girls' squabble. "You're both in enough trouble for fighting as it is. Do you really want to make it worse before your parents arrive?"
The secretary's chiding words and tone sent shivers down Quinn's back—she felt as if she'd been slushied by Rachel all over again. But the cold she felt then was nothing compared to how she felt when, only seconds after the girls had quieted, Mr. Berry walked through the office doors, a truly formidable presence. He was clearly angry and glared at Rachel before he made his way to the secretary's desk to sign in.
"I'm LeRoy Berry—Rachel's father. Mr. Figgins is expecting me?" the man announced.
"Mr. Berry—yes. We're waiting on Quinn's parent to join us and then Mr. Figgins will see you all at once," Mrs. Pritchett answered.
"Thank you," Mr. Berry told the woman with a courteous nod. He then turned and marched over to Rachel and scooped her out of her chair in one fluid movement.
Rachel let out a surprised little squeak and opened her mouth to protest, but one look from her father had her thinking better of that plan. Quinn watched as the pair moved to a more secluded corner of the office and then winced as Mr. Berry began lecturing. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but the tone of his voice made it clear that it wasn't good—Rachel was in trouble.
Before Quinn could worry too much about Rachel's misfortune, her own walked through the door. Shelby Corcoran was dressed smartly in dark gray slacks and a plum-colored billowy blouse. Hazel eyes met Quinn's from across the room and the mother made a beeline for her.
"Oh honey, what happened? Who did this to you?" Shelby fussed, brushing back sticky hair from Quinn's face. The woman grimaced and pulled her hand away, inspecting the residue in a clinical manner. "What is this, anyway?"
From their secluded corner where Mr. Berry was still whisper-scolding his sixteen-year-old, Rachel Berry caught sight of her birth mother coming into the office. She watched on helplessly as her mother rushed to Quinn to comfort her. That should be me, Rachel thought, her temper flaring.
"Are you even listening to me, Rachel Barbra?" LeRoy demanded when his child's attention wandered. He turned to see what the girl was staring at when he recognized her. "Shelby. What are you doing here?"
Shelby's eyes widened as she spun on her heels to face that familiar voice. "LeRoy," she gasped. Her eyes then landed on Rachel. Her heart stopped. Turning back to Quinn, Shelby questioned her, "You got into a fight with Rachel?"
"Ah. Mr. Berry. Ms. Corcoran. I'm so glad you were both able to come in on such short notice," Mr. Figgins appeared seemingly from thin air, gesturing with his arm towards his office. "If you and your children would follow me, please." He gave a somewhat vacant smile, and didn't seem to notice the tension or bewilderment rolling off four of the occupants in the office lobby.
LeRoy and Rachel were closer to the door, so they entered first. Shelby took a deep breath and then turned to Quinn. The blonde teen sighed and stood, following after her adopted mother with a sense of foreboding.
Principal Figgins shut the door behind them all and then made his way around the desk to sit. He motioned for the girls to sit, and Shelby and LeRoy were left to stand behind their respective charges. "So, as you are both aware and as it was stated on the phone to you, your daughters were caught fighting in the halls—"
"Wait—I'm sorry," LeRoy interrupted, looking from the principal to Shelby and back again. "I don't understand what's going on here. Shelby, what are you—Why are you here with Quinn? You're not—"
"Ms. Corcoran is Quinn's legal guardian, Mr. Berry—though I don't see what that has to do with the reason we're all here," Mr. Figgins explained. "Now, as I was saying—"
"Wait. Since when?" LeRoy asked, his attention on Shelby. He flicked his gaze to Rachel and then Quinn in quick succession, and he started putting the pieces together. It was no secret to him or his husband Hiram that Quinn and Rachel had a rocky history—there was that whole drama last year between Quinn and Finn and Rachel. He thought that was mostly behind them now as the two had become—well, 'friends' was the wrong word—but things had settled down between them, he thought. If Shelby was involved…
"Mr. Berry, I fail to see how Ms. Corcoran and Miss Fabray's relationship is any of your business, or how it relates to their fighting, but—"
"It's not," LeRoy agreed, once again cutting the other man off. "Shelby—Ms. Corcoran—was our surrogate. She's Rachel's biological mother."
Principal Figgins did several slow blinks as he sat back in his chair and regarded the four people in front of him. "I see," he said, contemplating further. He wasn't paid enough for this. He wanted this over with—and quickly.
"Neither of your children were willing to share what started today's altercation, but I had several student witnesses come forward, and by all accounts, it was Rachel who started the fight. She attacked Quinn and pushed her against the lockers, though Quinn is not entirely blameless in all of this—and it was Rachel who escalated it further by throwing a slushie in Quinn's face. From what I could gather, there was quite a bit of shouting about 'Shelby'—which I can only assume is you, Ms. Corcoran, especially given the new information Mr. Berry provided." He paused and sat forward, resting his arms on his desk and lacing his fingers together.
Shelby flushed and opened her mouth to speak, but Mr. Figgins plowed forward.
"Now, it doesn't so much matter as to why, as we have a strict no-fighting policy here at school. As such, both girls will receive a weeks' worth of detention every day after school—Quinn's will start tomorrow and end next Monday and Rachel's can begin next Monday—"
Quinn, who had never had detention a day in her life, balked. "What? A week?! But she started it!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the girl next to her.
"Why does mine start next week? That's hardly fair!" Rachel yelled simultaneously.
"Quinn!"
"Rachel!"
Mr. Figgins held a hand up to silence everyone. "Miss Berry may have started the fight, Miss Fabray, but you were witnessed to be doing your own fair share of shoving—not to mention the accounts of explicit profanity that came solely from you. As you know, we don't allow that on school grounds either."
Quinn's face grew warm at the reprimand, and she ducked her head as Shelby's hand came to rest heavily on her shoulder—a silent warning. Shelby wasn't a prude and didn't fuss if Quinn let a curse or two slip past her lips, but she did object to explicit language and especially when it was directed at someone.
Mr. Figgins turned his attention back to Rachel to address her. "Your detentions will start next week because you are suspended for the rest of this one, young lady, for throwing a slushie in another student's face," he said sternly.
Rachel darted out of her chair and glowered at the man. Her face turned nearly purple with rage and she puffed herself up before exploding on the room. "That is complete and utter BULLSHIT and you know it!"
"Rachel Barbra Berry!" LeRoy boomed. "How dare you—"
"NO!" Rachel spun to face her father for a brief moment, and Quinn could see the tears already filling her eyes. "I'm slushied EVERY—SINGLE—DAY here and NO ONE has ever done a thing about anyone bullying ME! I bring multiple changes of clothes to school with me and wash my hair in the SINK in the bathroom to get the red and purple dye out. The Cheerios and the jocks get away with murder and I'm SICK of it! Quinn has slushied me more times than I can count and not once has she EVER gotten in trouble for it—"
"Not this year! I didn't do it this year, I swear!" Quinn heard herself interjecting.
"We're three days into the new year, Quinn. That's hardly an accomplishment!" Rachel spat.
Quinn winced at the venom in the other girl's voice. Her world was spinning. She felt light-headed and her heart began to thud painfully inside her chest. She could hear her pulse rushing in her ears and her throat tightened, restricting the airflow. She ignored all of it to turn hastily towards her ma—
"Shelby," she croaked, tears welling rapidly. She blinked to clear them. "I—I didn't—Not since last year. B-Before Beth was even born." Her eyes locked onto Shelby's and she couldn't look away. Shelby's face was unreadable and it terrified the teenager—what was the woman thinking? Did she hate her now?
Quinn was only vaguely aware that Rachel had started shouting again. ("But I do it to her ONE TIME and now you want to take offense to it and suspend me? I don't THINK so!")
Rachel was breathing hard by the end of her impassioned diatribe, and as she sunk back down into her seat and covered her face with her hands, she burst into tears. The room was deathly quiet except for Rachel's anguished sobs. It was as if time stood still.
Then, all at once, the world sped up again. Quinn could hear Mr. Berry yelling at Mr. Figgins. Rachel was still sobbing in the chair next to her. A blur of gray and purple caught her attention and she watched in agony as Shelby walked straight past her own chair, not sparing even a glance, and crouched down in front of Rachel.
Shelby was reeling. Today had been a series of shocking revelations one after the other. Getting the phone call from school telling her Quinn had been in a fight with another student and Shelby needed to come in to speak with the principal. Walking in to find Quinn covered in a red, sticky goo. Seeing Rachel standing on the opposite side of the room with LeRoy and realizing the fight had been between the two girls. The worst of it was the detonation of Rachel's truth bomb just now that sent Shelby spiraling. Anger, hurt, confusion—it all swirled inside her brain, threatening to consume her.
The mother wasn't proud of it, but all of her anger at that moment was directed at Quinn. One look at that guilty face and the rush of those words was enough to have molten lava boiling up, its fiery tendrils reaching out towards the girl. It was instinctual—a deep, primal urge to lash out at the thing that had hurt her baby. And Rachel was her baby. She might be a complete stranger to the girl now, but at one time, the two had shared the same time and space. That base biological connection stirred deep inside Shelby and she could practically feel the phantom umbilical cord tethering mother and child together.
Still, Shelby knew she was being reactive—those weren't her true feelings. She needed to be calm in order to think clearly. She wouldn't say a word to Quinn until she was sure she could do that. She needed time to process.
It was all enough to keep Shelby rooted to her spot. It was only when LeRoy began shouting at Principal Figgins that Shelby regained enough control of herself that she was able to set her feet in motion. They took her past Quinn without a second thought and then Shelby was crouching down in front of Rachel. The girl hadn't noticed and so Shelby reached out, tentative, and placed her hand on Rachel's knee. Rachel startled at the touch, almost as if she'd been hit with static shock, and snapped her head up to stare back at Shelby.
"I am so sorry, Rachel," Shelby offered, staring deep into misty chocolate orbs and seeing the face of her just-born infant reflected in them.
"Don't," Rachel hissed, recoiling from the woman's hand as if she had been burned by it.
LeRoy's head turned at the distress in his daughter's voice and caught the tail end of Shelby retracting her hand back from Rachel's knee. Rachel was glaring at Shelby through her tears. The man's protective instincts kicked into high gear. Turning back to Figgins, he said, "I think it's time for the adults to talk and the kids to go wait in the lobby."
Principal Figgins gave a long sigh and nodded and Quinn and Rachel hurried out of the office. They each returned to their previous seats and sat in relative silence. Quinn anxiously bounced her leg and chewed at her bottom lip, watching the three adults in the office through the glass doors. She couldn't hear what they were saying but Mr. Berry was clearly still yelling. Shelby looked angry too and kept making big gestures with her hands when she spoke. Principal Figgins just looked tired.
"What are you so upset for? I'm the one who's getting suspended. All you have to deal with is a few stupid detentions," Rachel broke the silence at last. She'd gotten her tears under control, though her eyes were red and puffy. "How is it that even covered in slushie, you still come out on top?"
"That's not all I'm going to have to deal with," Quinn said, her voice coming out low and hoarse. She was scared and trying hard not to cry. What was Shelby going to do to her?
"Take you home and shower you with love and affection, probably," Rachel said and Quinn jerked her head up to stare at her dumbfounded. Had she said that out loud?
"Seriously, Quinn? The dumb blonde act doesn't suit you," Rachel sneered, rolling her eyes at the other girl.
"Shut up, Rachel," Quinn bit back. It held no heat.
Rachel sucked in a deep breath and was just preparing to issue a retort when the office door opened and their parents walked out, Principal Figgins close behind. Quinn's head snapped up at the noise and regarded all three adults warily. Mr. Figgins had a brow-beaten look about him, and while Mr. Berry looked calmer, Shelby's expression was still unreadable. It made Quinn's stomach knot and she swallowed thickly.
"Miss Berry," Mr. Figgins addressed the smaller teen tiredly. "After further…consideration…I've decided to rescind my previous decision to suspend you. You will serve the same days in detention as Quinn and the matter will be settled. Going forward, however—and I'll be making an announcement to the school at large—any student caught throwing slushies at another will be suspended, regardless of circumstances." He returned his attention to Shelby and LeRoy, then added, "As the school day is already half-over, and considering the nature of today's incidents, I think it's best if you took your children home. They may both return to school in the morning."
"Thank you, Principal Figgins," Shelby said, extending her hand to the man. He shook it and Shelby offered him the same fake smile she had perfected from years of dealing with pretentious Booster Club parents. "I will be discussing Quinn's behavior today at length with her and will see that it doesn't happen again," she added with narrowed eyes to the girl in question. Quinn ducked her head and slunk further down in her chair, avoiding Shelby's gaze.
"Yes, thank you," LeRoy agreed, shaking the other man's hand as well (perhaps a bit forcefully, if the pained expression that flashed on Figgins' face was anything to go off of). "Rachel will be spoken to as well, and she won't cause any further problems in school."
Mr. Figgins, now massaging his right hand with his opposite thumb, nodded. "Yes, please do speak to your children regarding their behavior—that would be much appreciated," he said with an ingratiating smile that fooled no one. "And perhaps, while you're speaking to them about that, you'd suggest that they keep all, ah—family matters—out of the halls of McKinley High."
Before either parent had time to process (and therefore object to) his pronouncement, Principal Figgins turned and fled into the relative safety of his office. And as he took his seat and replayed the last few moments, a wide grin broke out across his face. It wasn't often that he got the final word in on—anything.
Shelby and LeRoy exchanged a look and then, as one, turned to glance over at their children. Shelby met Rachel's eyes and held them for what felt like forever. All at once, a surge of love for that baby girl (and the girl Rachel was now) welled inside of her and tried to overwhelm her. She inhaled a long, shaky breath and then turned to LeRoy. Another deep breath in (Steady, Shelby), she squared her shoulders, and took a leap of faith.
"LeRoy, this probably isn't the best timing—and please know I had wanted and was going to contact you and Hiram before this—today—happened. I wanted to apologize to you both and especially Rachel for how I…handled things back in April—" She paused to clear her throat from the lump that was forming. "I want—that is, if you and Hiram will allow me—to get to know Rachel and to try again to…I know I made mistakes and I know I hurt her. If there's…a time? I could come speak with all three of you and ex—explain…"
LeRoy watched the emotions flit across Shelby Corcoran's face and could tell the woman was genuine. He flicked his eyes over to Rachel, who was watching the pair of them with open interest and hope, and then back to Shelby. "Would you like to come over today?" he asked, and had to cover up his sudden laugh with a fake cough. The look of surprise and amazement that Shelby hit him with was a dead-ringer for Rachel.
"Today? Are you sure? I don't want to impose," Shelby was quick to collect herself. Her heart hammered at the idea of doing this today. It was both terrifying and exciting.
"Hiram's already leaving work early because of Rachel being sent to the principal. We were planning to sit down and have a long chat with her about her choices today, but we'll do that afterwards. We'll send her to her room as soon as we get home and that way, the three of us can sit and talk about everything. We can bring Rach in once that's done, and then maybe the two of you can talk for a bit—if she's up for it, that is," LeRoy said.
Tears welled up so quickly in hazel eyes that Shelby couldn't stop them; they spilled over long lashes (she was relieved to have chosen waterproof mascara this morning!). Reaching a hand out, she placed it on LeRoy's arm. "Thank you. Yes, I will be there, absolutely," she said. "I need to get Quinn settled at my dad's and then I'm free whenever you are."
After a quick exchange of phone numbers, the pair made their way over to their miscreants. Rachel jumped up, poised and ready to demand to know what they had been whispering covertly about. She'd barely gotten two words out before a look and a raised finger from LeRoy had her standing down. Quinn's mouth hung open in astonishment—no one ever got Rachel to be quiet when she felt she had a point to make. And she'd always assumed the girls' fathers gave in to her every whim considering how Rachel usually acted in Glee. So it was nice to see Miss-High-and-Mighty Rachel Berry cowed. Quinn didn't have long to gloat, however, before a mere quirk of Shelby's eyebrow had her sobering immediately.
"Alright, Rachel. We have quite a few things to discuss at home, young lady. Apologize to Quinn, please, and we'll be on our way," LeRoy addressed his child.
Rachel's head nearly spun at her father's pronouncement. Anger welled and she stomped her foot as she glared up at him. "Dad! You can't actually be serious!" the girl shrieked.
"I am very serious, Rachel Barbra. You owe Quinn an apology for fighting and throwing that slushie," LeRoy answered, crossing his arms and regarding his daughter sternly. "Whatever else has happened between you two or is going on now, it still doesn't give you the right to lay hands on or otherwise attack another person—ever. Now apologize."
Rachel wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to stomp her foot and lament the unfairness of her life. But she could feel her father's eyes on her, his patience wearing thin on her defiance. She felt Quinn's eyes, watching, judging. And more than anything, she felt Shelby's. She didn't want Shelby to see her as a spoiled brat who threw a temper tantrum when she didn't get her way. Because after everything that had happened, all of the hurt and jealousy she was feeling over the woman picking Quinn…Rachel still couldn't help but want her mother. And she wanted the woman to want her too.
So the girl calmed herself with several deep breaths and turned towards Quinn. "I'm sorry for starting the fight today, Quinn. And for swiping that slushie from an unsuspecting jock and tossing it in your face."
"I'm sorry too, Rachel," Quinn offered without any prompting. "I'm sorry for shoving you and for, well…everything."
LeRoy nodded, satisfied, and then held his hand out for Shelby. The girls stood by as the adults exchanged their own apologies. "We'll see you in a bit, then," LeRoy said as way of ending things. Both a blonde and a brunette head snapped up, but there was no time for words as each was marched off in separate directions by their respective parents.