Chapter 4

The drive to Shelby's was a silent one to say the least; Rachel had her head on her mother's shoulder with their hands intertwined. The mother looked down at her daughter concerned that the silence would continue, ever so gently Shelby started rubbing circles on Rachel's hand hoping she could draw her daughter's attention from whatever kept her inside her head. At her mother's movements Rachel lifted her head and looked at her mom.

"Mom?" Rachel asked softly.

"Yeah baby girl?" Shelby replied never stopping her actions.

"What do…what can I say to Beth? I don't want to say the wrong thing. I don't want to make you upset with me…. Not now." Rachel's voice was quiet as she stared into the darken New York Streets snuggling closer to Shelby as she spoke the last words.

"Oh baby, you can tell her anything. I've pretty much told her all of it. She's a smart little girl, or simply tell her to come to me if you're uncomfortable. But for tonight, its you and me kid." Shelby answered pulling her daughter as close as she could in a taxi.

"You and me?" Rachel asked with a small smile gracing her face.

"Unless you think you're too old to hand out with your mom." Shelby replied with a small laugh.

"Never. I'm never too old to be with my mom." Silence filled the cab again until Rachel spoke again, "Thank you…for being my mom."

Shelby was stunned, her daughter just thanked her for being her mother and all she could do is kiss the top of her daughter's head and shake her head slightly before answering, "No baby. Thank you for being an amazing daughter and giving us a shot." Rachel's response was to holding tighter to her mother.

The taxi pulled up outside a building Rachel noticed to be very much different to her own. She could tell Shelby does well for herself and Beth, as Shelby paid the driver Rachel got out and started to get her bags out of the trunk. Once she had her last bag out she closed the trunk and stood in front of her mother's apartment building and looked up.

Yep totally different from my apartment. Rachel thought to her self, when Shelby got out of the cab she noticed her daughter's expression and went to stand beside her.

"You okay kid?" Shelby asked draping her arm across Rachel's shoulders.

"Yeah, this is just different from my apartment building. Guess it made me realize certain things." Rachel replied softly.

"Okay, well let's get you inside and settled in." Shelby motioned for Rachel's suitcase as she walked up to the apartment building.

As they approached the doors the doorman smiled and started talking to Shelby, "Good evening Ms. Corcoran. I didn't think I'd be seeing you this late."

Shelby smiled to the older man and responded, "Hello Luca, it's great to see you."

"Feelings the same Ms. Corcoran. What has you out this late?" Luca asks, his kind nature caused Rachel to relax and let her mother talk to the older man.

"I had a family emergency and went to get my daughter." With that Shelby stepped to the side to reveal Rachel for the first time.

"Well my oh my. You certainly look like Ms. Corcoran." Luca gave Rachel a warm smile that she returned.

"Luca, this is my oldest daughter Rachel, she will be staying here for a while;" She looked at Rachel and continued, "Rachel this is the night greeter Luca, he's a very nice man." Rachel reached out her hand to Luca who accepted it in kind.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Luca." Rachel smiled but Shelby could see her daughter's smile was a forced one. Award winning actually.

"Pleasure is all mine Ms. Rachel. You ladies have a lovely evening." With that Luca went back to the desk and sat down and Shelby led Rachel to the elevator.

"I like him. He seems nice." Rachel said as they waited.

"He's very nice. He's worked here for twenty years I believe is what he said. He works multiple jobs to keep him and his wife in their place. His son lives with them to take care of Luca's wife, she's doing bad. Sometimes I slip him money and offer his grandchild a place at the daycare." Shelby told Rachel.

"Poor guy." Rachel whispered as the doors of the elevator opened.

The ride to Shelby's floor was quiet until a sound came from Rachel's jeans pocket. Pulling her cellphone out she unlocked it to see a message from Mercedes, after a quick glance she locked her phone again and slipped it back in her pocket. Shelby said nothing when she noticed her daughter's actions pushing it aside for now as the doors opened and they stepped out. She led Rachel down the hallway a couple doors away from the elevator.

Stopping in front of the door Shelby turned to Rachel and smiled; "Welcome home."

Shelby unlocked the door and let her oldest step inside then shut the door behind her.

"Wow, it's very Shelby Corcoran." Rachel said as she noticed the piano in the corner by the bookshelves. Rachel walked over and took a closer look.

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Shelby asked with a small laugh.

"Hmm, let me check out your sheet music before I answer that." Rachel smiled back at her mom.

Rachel stopped by the shelves that held book after book but also pictures. She smiled when she saw pictures of her mother as a little girl, she continued down the shelves and saw pictures of Beth and Rachel couldn't help but smile at how much she looked like Quinn. But mostly how she got Quinn's piercing hazel eyes. She stopped short she saw the next row of pictures and her eyes filled with tears. Sitting on the shelves were pictures of her, the first one she noticed was her baby picture that was taken before they left the hospital and the latest being her freshmen year at McKinley. She turned to her mother who was suddenly closer to her and pointed to the pictures.

"H-how did you get these?" Rachel's voice seemed to fail her at that moment.

Shelby stepped next to Rachel and picked up Rachel's baby picture and ran her finger across it before speaking, " A few days ago I got a letter in the mail from your dads. They said that you told them how we worked most of our troubles out and have gotten closer so they said it was only fair for me to have these. They only sent these three though, baby photo, first day of first grade with your missing tooth and your first day of high school. I don't think I've ever held pictures so close and cried before. I felt like I was finally your mom. And having these makes it even better." Shelby looked like she was about to cry as she placed the picture back on the shelf. No longer than she put it back she was ambushed by Rachel colliding into her and hugging her tightly.

"You've always been my mom. No picture or lack there of says otherwise." Rachel's words and tears caused Shelby's to fall and she hugged her daughter tighter to her. They stood like that just holding each other for a few minutes before they broke apart and wiped the tears off their cheeks.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room." Shelby grabbed Rachel's suitcase in one hand and Rachel's hand in the other and led her down the hallway.

As they walked the short distance to the room she would be staying in Rachel noticed the pictures hanging on both sides of the wall of people she assumed to be friends and family when she stopped in front of a picture of a man who had been smiling at the camera with a younger Shelby on his back but instead of smiling at the camera her head was titled as she smiled at the man holding her but her smile was just as wide reaching her eyes.

"Mom?" Rachel called out softly when Shelby turned to look at her she continued, "Who is this?" She asked pointing to the picture.

"That would be my older brother Liam." Shelby smiled widen at the photo of her and her brother.

"I can see the resemblance now. Where does he live?"

"He lives in Chicago, he and his wife Mia and their twins Oliver and Brooklyn. They are eight, that's them there." Shelby answered pointing to a frame with her niece and nephew's pictures inside.

"Wow! Does every kid in your family end up looking like your side of the family?!" Rachel asked noticing the twins and how much they look like Shelby's brother.

"I like to think it means we have great genes. It's not so bad looking like your mom is it?" Shelby asked with a laugh when she turned back to the door.

"No. It's not, not when my mom happens to be Shelby Corcoran." Rachel said shyly.

"You're not so bad yourself kid, okay now this is your room."

Shelby opened the door to reveal a room that was perfect, at least that's what Rachel was thinking when she saw it. The walls were a light blue color with gold trimming around the window. Walking inside Rachel noticed her name on the wall to her left with a gold star after it, looking at it brought tears to her eyes. This was really her room. She turned and noticed all the Funny Girl and Broadway stuff on the ride side of the room before turning and tackling her mother in what felt like the millionth hug she gave her that night.

"Thank you." It was soft but Shelby heard it.

"You're welcome baby. I'll leave you to get unpacked if you need me yell. When you're done I will give you the grand tour." Rachel nodded and watched her mom walk out the door.

It took Rachel a couple of seconds to regain her composer before grabbing her suitcase and duffle bag and placing them on the bed. Pulling her suitcase to the end of the bed towards her she unzipped it pulling out her clothes carefully and placing them neatly on the bed. The lack of sleep and all her crying was catching up to her, all she wanted to do was lay down and sleep her time away without the nightmares that creeps up to her and forces her to wake up and more tears to flow. Stumbling to the other side of her stuff, Rachel sat down making sure she was far enough from her clothes to not kick them off before she laid down. Shelby was sitting down at the kitchen table waiting for the teakettle to whistle and thinking about everything that happened that day. She smiled a sad smile at the realization she will have both her daughters in her home fore the first time but wished it was under different circumstances. Tears burned her eyes remembering her daughter's blank and pained face, Shelby never did well not having control of the situations that was presented to her so seeing her baby girl so lost and knowing she had no way of making the hurt stop made Shelby angry. She was the mother; it's her job to make her children's pain go away. The whistling of the kettle brought her out of her thoughts.

Getting up Shelby retrieved two mugs from the cabinet and placing the kettle on the other side of the stove before she turned it off. She poured the hot water into the cups then grabbed two tea bags out of the cabinet above her head and placed them into the cups and took them to the table. Shelby sat down and stared into her cup for what felt like for ever, she thought Rachel would be done by now. She took a drink of her tea then went in search of her daughter. She stopped outside Rachel's door and knocked lightly and waited, not receiving an answer Shelby opened the door gently and poked her head inside before opening it all the way at the sight of her daughter curled up on the bed fast asleep. Shelby smiled when she noticed all Rachel managed to unpack was a couple clothes that made it beside the suitcase. She picked the clothes up and placed them on the dresser before retrieving the duffle bag and suitcase and placing them on the floor in the open closet. Walking out the room and to her own, she grabbed the throw blanket off her bed and walked back into Rachel's room and quietly placed it over her sleeping daughter. Shelby brushed the hair out of Rachel's face and bent down and kissed Rachel's head.

"Good night baby girl." Shelby whispered walking to the door.

"G'night mommy." It was faint and mumbled but Shelby heard it.

Shutting the light and closing the door behind her, Shelby lends against it placing her hands over her mouth and closing her eyes. She just put her baby to bed for the first time. The emotions went wild as she stepped into her room. Shelby went through her nightly routine, which took longer due to the tears that still kept falling. Once she finally willed the tears to stop she laid down on her bed stared at the ceiling before turning onto her side and closing her eyes. She finally willed herself to fall asleep when she heard a scream piercing her ears and echoing throughout the apartment. She shot up out her bed and ran to her daughter's room and threw open the door and ran to her daughter's side.

"Rach. Hey baby look at me." Shelby sat down on the bed and held her daughter close.

"Rach come on baby girl wake up, it's just a dream come on wake up. Come on Rach." Shelby began shaking when Rachel suddenly jumped up and stared in front of her then slowly turning to her mother.

"Mommy…"

One simple word and both women had tears flowing down their cheeks as Shelby held her daughter closer to her and rocked her back and forth.

"Mommy…it hurts."

*Well my fine people there we have it. Sorry it took so long to update I was suffering writer's block that felt like it would never go away then another fanfic idea hit me but not to worry I will try to update this one as soon as I can. BUT until then please Read and Review….pretty please.*