Chapter 42
anon - Sorry for the delay. I had to work things out but here it is - I hope you enjoy. Thanks
Jared - Sorry it took a little longer for this update - here you go. The pic on my tumblr is me but from a while ago.
Nayafan - Wow so many reviews and you have your own stories to update. I am impressed. It is not silly that you are proud of these characters I am just so happy that you see the progress they have made or are making. I am going to try and have a couple more flashbacks for everyone - good ones too so that they can all see that there were happier times and they can get to those and its not just the bad times that shaped them into who they are today - does that make sense? Never apologize for not reviewing while I love them and they fuel my desire to get the updates out quicker I know how hard you work on your stories so thank you so much for taking the time to do that. I am not sure when Quinn will call Shelby mom to her face but she truly believes now that Shelby is her mom - and the right kind of mom. The woman who gave birth to Quinn should never be called mom again. It just might be a little too early for Quinn to say it to Shelby.
Thewaspscankles – Wow – thank you so much. I am overwhelmed by your review. I am so glad you are enjoying my story. I am glad that Quinn is a favorite of yours. I have worked hard on her character and I hope I have portrayed her correctly. These are very heavy topics and in my profession I unfortunately have to deal with very similar circumstances. I am trying to portray all of them as realistically as possible. So please gets some rest – I am glad you caught up with the story and I hope you continue to enjoy. Thank you so much.
Fangirl44 - Quinn and Rachel do have a very special relationship. It will continue to grow. Santana standing up to her grandmother shows how much progress she is making even though she does not really truly feel it. Thank you for the review. I hope you like this update.
Afraid of myself – Shelby has an outlet but does have an outlet but I honestly don't know if I will show it other than just mention it here and there. The 4 kids need it more and it will be discussed more. Russell violence with Quinn was both during the sexual encounters and also he physically beat her a lot more than 5 times. He raped her 5 times though. Anything else was done a lot more than 5 times. Quinn does NOT follow the Lucy storyline and you will see it in this chapter. I am putting your suggestion about the Q& A on my tumblr page – so thank you. Thank you for your questions, they are always welcome.
amandaes417 – I love reviews so thank you for remembering. Yes it is awful that the baby was Quinn's dads. And they will find out for sure so that there is no way his lawyers can get passed that. Unfortunately Helen's reaction to Santana and Brittany is more realistic to everyone being in complete acceptance of it – sorry but it just is. She will not be cruel about it though and she will not change her love for Santana. Quinn is going to be in a little bit of trouble for taking the cast off. She just feels kind of trapped so she wasn't thinking clearly. Thanks again for the review.
Lexie-Rae – Thank you for finding my story. You bring up some great points. You are right when Shelby says she is fine just like the kids do. She does lean on others but she is also a trained therapist so she does have more skills in coping than the kids. However, the family is going to have family group therapy – all of the Corcoran kids have had it before but Quinn will go as well. This will be happening sooner than later. They are going to tell Rachel that he is out on bail but they need to also reassure her that she is safe and that there is more in place than before so he can't get her. While one of these kids could fall through the cracks the extended family is so close to this family that it won't happen. They haven't talked about Leroy that much but they will, and yes Kate is Leroy's sister and she will be making an appearance soon. Never be sorry for questioning. I love that you like my story to have questions. They are always welcome. Again, thank you for hopping on this ride.
Kitty – Yes Will did make bail but Quinn's father is not his lawyer. He is just represented by the same law firm as Quinn's father. I think everyone wishes they had a big brother like Puck. He will protect all his sisters anyway he can. And even though he feels helpless sometimes to them he is not and that is what counts the most. Thank you for the review.
Janie - Yes Shelby will be upset with Quinn and she will be in trouble but it wont be the punishment that Quinn is expecting. They will be realizing pretty soon that Rachel is missing and will cause a brief panic amongst everyone. Little Santana will come out more- I am going to put more flashbacks so they show how things were.
Gleeky-Love- My tumblr is . Thanks for liking my story.
SuzQQ – Thanks for the review as always. Russell and Will will get what is due to them but not for a little bit. You are correct when you say they feel alone but are never alone. Not in this family – they all look out for each other.
look4me – yes Quinn is going to be in trouble and Shelby will be mad. However, she will be looking for Shelby to possibly strike her or turn away from her and she will be getting just the opposite. She has earned a punishment here and she won't like it but it will not be what she expects. The Rachel Quinn scene is one of my favorites. Thanks for the review.
Anna – Sorry for making you cry – I like the line Brittany has on the show but sometimes they make her so dumb that I can't stand it. Thank you for reviewing.
strawberryfruitsnaxs – Well thank you for finding this story, Rachel is only 11 in this story so any romance for her will be very very innocent.
Dave Green – I hope they don't take it down but I don't really have any control so I will continue to post it on my tumblr if they do. Thanks for reviewing and there is some Rachel in this chapter as well.
Iuterpi- I hope it won't be taken down either but it might be so I just wanted to give the warning. I will continue to write it on my tumblr though so hopefully you can find it there. There are more flashbacks coming trust me. I have a couple in this chapter. You are correct if they have the right lawyers they may be able to get out of anything. They are going back to school in a week but Shelby has something up for next week so they will not be missing that much school and I think you will enjoy it. Thanks for the review.
Abbie – Shelby is not going to be too happy that Quinn has decided that her cast should come off. It is far from being healed. Thanks for the review.
the lucky three leaf clover – unfortunately things like this do happen in real life and in my line of work I see it every day. My hope is one day to be able to stop it but right now I just want to show that people can recover from it and move forward as long as they have the love and support to help them. Thank you for the review and reading my story.
Unicorn20089 – The site has rules for how graphic stories can be so that is a reason it maybe taken down. Hopefully it will not be. It does not matter if I warn people it's the content I guess that people are complaining about. Thank you for reviewing the story though. I appreciate it a lot.
Drea LuRuiz – Unfortunately for Rachel her mind is confused about all that has happened. First she was so young when the original trauma happened and now even though she thinks she knows about sex she really doesn't. Shelby and the rest of the family are not going to be too pleased with either of the two girls that right now are sitting in the car in the garage. But that will be addressed in this chapter. Thanks for the review.
Liv – Rachel's dream is very hard. She is very confused and when you dream things do not make sense in the dream so that will make it all the more confusing for her. Hiram's intentions with the kids was not really explained yet. It may come out as the others begin to replay the trial in their heads. This story came from my job unfortunately. I am not sure where I will end this story but I already know I want to do a sequel. Thanks for the review.
E. F. Larsen – oh no – please do not kill them before the story has an ending. They are still needed for a bit. Thanks though – I now know where I have to go to get them killed. Thanks for the review.
A C one – Thank you ! It would not have been realistic that everyone is so accepting of Santana and Brittany's relationship especially the older generation. As much as I wanted the family to be accepting in the world we live in today its not realistic. She still loves Santana she just doesn't get it. Quinn and Rachel do have a special bond and from Rachel Quinn learns so much that she doesn't even realize it herself. You are correct Shelby is not going to be happy when she realizes the girls have wandered into the garage. I am pretty confident that Quinn is in for at least a lecture if not a little bit of a punishment. Thanks for the review.
Cookie07 – Really your favorite chapter so far – wow! I think that now that Santana has gotten out her feelings about Nana and her lack of acceptance and the fact that Santana is actually starting to say that she loves girls instead of boys is a step in the right direction and the fact that Santana is actually starting to like herself. She still has a long way to go but it is a step in the right direction. I am glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope to please you with many more. Thanks for reviewing.
marinka4 – Trust me – you will hate Schue even more. The trial is not going to be an easy one for this family. Thanks for reviewing.
Kimberlli – Nana loves Santana but you have to remember she is old school and she doesn't understand it but she will always love her granddaughter and she won't do anything intentially to harm her. She may or may not come around. All the kids are in need of hugs and love and they will get it from each other and various family members. They are strong and while things are rocky – they will pull through. Thanks for the review.
NinjaGleek21 – I love that you review so we are even! Thanks again for the cookies. You can keep Russell hidden until I need him but I will need them both back to give them the justice they deserve.
Filmaddict – Unfortunately Helen is of the older generation and she may or may not come around but it wont affect her love that she has for Santana – she still will do anything for her granddaughter – she just doesn't understand that kind of love right now. Quinn and Rachel do share a bond and they will both learn many coping skills from each other. Thanks for the review.
NayaFan – Glad you are able to review. Santana has always been protective of her family, that is her personality she was born with but it was intensified once everything happened. Santana will do anything not to have Rachel afraid of her and that is what will get her initially accepting therapy again. Quinn and Santana are getting closer by the day. Noah and Michael have a really strong relationship and he needs that since his dad passed away. I am so honored that you call my work outstanding. It means more than you will know. I don't think you need it but anytime you want help just let me know and I will give it a try. Rachel allowing Shelby is a huge step but it is one that constantly has to be enforced because at Rachel's weakest points she still turns to Santana. It will not always be that way and by Shelby stepping up with the shower and the medication application Rachel will soon to always ask for Shelby. Quinn does want Shelby to be mad but her mad and Shelby's mad wont ever be the same. Shelby will be angry at Quinn this chapter but as a good parent it is more of a disappointment than anger. Don't apologize for not reviewing you have lots of stories you work on and I appreciate them. Thank you for the reviews.
lovecanbesostrange – You are right there are small signs that all the kids are healing ever so slightly but it is there. The scars are deep for Santana about what she heard Nana say in the past and it was extremely brave for her to voice her opinion to her beloved grandmother but again that is showing that Santana is indeed healing as well. Even though she has regressed in one area (acting out more) she has moved forward in another area and that is a giant step in the right direction. Shelby holds a lot of guilt but what good parent wouldn't – the thing is Shelby is working through it and forcing the issue of Santana to stop mothering Rachel and now the last bit of allowing Rachel to grow up more. In even normal households where no trauma has happened the baby of the family is always babied a lot longer than they should be. It takes time but they will get there but to some degree they will always baby Rachel. Thank you once again for your great reviews – I love them – keep them coming.
Lolathe17th – Santana feels the need to be in control of situations and therefore she feels like she has to know everything because of what happened in the past. It was all out of her control and she feels lost not controlling every situation. Thanks for both reviews I enjoyed them so much.
Ryoko05 I am honored that this story is your favorite. Thank you for reviewing, they definitely make me want to do my best every time.
Doodle19 – Thank you so much for your review. It fuels me to continue and only put out my best.
Scout – The Quinn / Rachel scene at the end is a favorite of mine too. I am glad you enjoyed it. Yes Quinn is going to have to do a lot of explaining when they find the cast has been taken off. Thank you for the review.
Marauderette96 – I am glad that you enjoy the updates. I try my very best to get them out on time. Thank you.
broadwaybound2016- Rachel's dream was intense and it is just the start of her confusion. She needs so much help and she will get it. My tumblr link is . I hope that works. Thanks for the review.
AN Hi Everyone! So sorry about the delay. I don't feel like this is the best. However, I knew I was late getting it up. There is more coming in this story don't worry. I'm sorry if you don't like it. It's slightly lighter than other chapters.
However, be warned that this story overall deals with very serious topics and you should read at your own risk. Thank you for all of the questions. Please don't hesitate to ask.
CHapter 42
Santana kept her face resting on her mother's chest. She wiped her tears.
"Is that why you switch me to Elyse?" she asked quietly.
"Why do you think?" her mother asked.
She looked up at her. "I don't need..." She bit her lip "I'm okay."
"You are," Shelby whispered. "But you have a lot to work out."
"So do you," the girl whispered back. Normally it would have been sharp but she didn't have the bite to her anymore. She felt raw and exhausted. "I miss him," she muttered.
"Me too," Shelby said without hesitation, kissing her softly on the forehead. She knew exactly who Santana was talking about because she missed him everyday all the time. Shelby knew that a similar ache resided inside Santana. However, Shelby lost her best friend. She leaned her head on her daughter's. Santana lost her father. Shelby didn't know that loss.
Santana squeezed her eyes shut and opened her mouth, hoping the words would spill out effortlessly. However, a noise stopped her. She pulled slightly away from her mother once she calmed. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She knew that her grandfather was descending. No one had heavier steps. He combed his hand through his salt and pepper hair and stretched lightly.
"Rachel's down here right?" he asked trying unsuccessfully to mask his stress.
Shelby looked at Santana and the panic set in. What was going on? She felt her heart in her chest, it was beating too rapidly. She couldn't not keep Rachel safe in her own home. She needed to keep them safe.
"No," Shelby said jumping to her feet. "Damn it." She felt her heart pounding in her chest. He succeeded again. She was gone. She felt her breath quicken. She closed her eyes. She needed to concentrate. She couldn't think about the idea that Rachel might be trapped in a dark room with him, screaming for help. She couldn't think about that. Concentrate.
"What happened?" she hissed looking at her father.
He shook his head. "She was scared. She was asking questions and she fell asleep." He looked at his daughter with an indescribable regret. He shook his head slowly. "I fell asleep."
She put her hands up. "We can't lose it. We need to look. She probably is in the house. Right? Focus!"
Her daughter looked at her with fear saturating her pupils. "We'll find her," Shelby said gently. "Let's just look."
….
Noah looked at the ceiling of the basement. He came down here with an intention of doing something. However, after a workout with the punching back that left him breathless, he was now just staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't think about any of this. He needed to be somewhere else. He needed to get his head around it all. Will was out on the loose.
"Hey bud."
He looked up and saw his grandmother standing on the stairs. He hadn't realized that she had been standing there a while. He sat up. "Hi."
"Why are you laying on the floor?"
"Thinking," he shrugged as he stood up. "Why are you hiding down here?"
"I'm not hiding," she scoffed. "I'm here to see my number one guy."
He looked at her and rolled his eyes. "I'm not your number one." He shook his head. "I know that for sure."
"That's not true," she said softly. "You're-"
"Stop, Nana," he looked at her desperately. "Please."
"What do you want, Noah?" she asked quietly.
"To lay here for a sec," he muttered laying back down. "Just... lay here."
The older woman sighed. She forced herself to remember the necessity of listening and how it worked better in silence. She leaned back on the stair and nodded. She could sit. They let silence carry them with ease from one moment to the next until it was interrupted.
"Noah?" a voice of panic hollered down the stairs.
The boy looked up the stairs as his grandfather came running down them. "Is Rachel down here with you?"
He frowned. "No?" He looked at his grandfather's worried face. His eyes bulged. "Where the hell is she?"
Michael's only response was sprinting back upstairs. Noah followed Michael two by two up the stairs. Santana was reentering from the back when the three of them emerged from the basement.
"She's not out back or in the dining room," Santana said.
"Maybe she's with Quinn," Noah offered.
"She and I were on the roof before Brittany came-" Santana began.
"You were what?" Shelby asked.
"Brittany was here?" Noah asked.
"Where have you been?" Santana gawked at her brother avoiding her mother's eyes.
"In the basement," he said quietly.
"I'll check the roof," Santana said quickly running up the stairs. Shelby sprinted after her. Her adrenaline pumped in her ears but she knew that she couldn't have one daughter missing and another one falling off the roof. She continued after her.
"Quinn?" Shelby shouted as she went through the room. She looked behind her and her mother was trailing. "Mom, look in every nook and cranny for Quinn. She's probably hiding." Shelby thought for a moment. "Rachel too."
She nodded as she followed Santana. Rach was hiding, she told herself. She's hiding. She's okay. She suddenly got another flash of Rachel in a dingy basement trying to push away the weak creepy asshole that rekindled the horrors from Rachel's early childhood. She shook her head.
She opened the window that led outside to the roof. She couldn't see a thing. Nothing. Nothing on the roof. Nothing. She could see the panic in Santana's eyes.
"We'll find her," she heard herself tell her daughter. However, she didn't believe it.
They returned to the second floor.
"I can't find Quinn anywhere," Helen said. "Where did you say she was?"
"I didn't," she muttered. Think. Quinn's gone and Rachel's gone.
Her keys. Where were her keys? Shelby ran downstairs to the kitchen. She normally left them in her purse. Where was her purse? She spotted it on the breakfast table. She scrambled around inside of it. Why did she have so much stuff in here? she gave up and dumped the keys on the table. Damn it. No keys.
….
Noah watched as Nana trailed after Santana and his mother. He frowned. She had to be in the house. She used to hide everywhere.
"I fell asleep," Pop-Pop murmured. "I can't believe I fell asleep."
"Check under the stairs," he told his grandfather, snapping the man from his stupor.
Noah saw him disappear under the stairs as he went into the garage. Rachel once hid in the plastic storage container. Was she in there? He walked around the couch and went for the storage container and something crunched under his foot. He frowned and looked at the ground. A green cast was crumbled beneath his shoe. . Quinn's cast? He looked around the back of the couch. Nothing. Nothing. He started back toward the house, but stopped. He looked back at the Range Rover.
"Quinn! Rachel?" he called. There was some movement in the car. "RACHEL?"
The backdoor of the Range Rover shot open. Quinn emerged rubbing her temple. "Shut up!" she hissed barely above a whisper. She looked behind her. "I just got her asleep."
Noah walked toward the car and peered in behind her. Rachel was sound asleep on the middle seat. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Jesus Christ," he muttered letting out a sigh.
Noah leaned into the car and and picked the girl up gently as she continued to sleep. He frowned down at the cast that lay in shambles on the ground as they walked into the house. Quinn avoided his gaze as he asked, "What happened?"
"I was going to come tell you she was out here," Quinn said quickly and quietly. "She was just too scared to leave by herself."
"No, I mean your arm," he said with a frown.
"Nothing," she grumbled, hiding her arm behind her back.
He opened the door and started into the house. "Mom?" he called. "I found them."
Quinn was amazed that Rachel continued to sleep. She must have been tired.
"Noah?" they heard Shelby yell in worry and fright as she came running towards them. She spotted the girls in with a sob of relief. "Give her to me," she said hurriedly. "Rach?" she asked taking the girl into her arms. "Rachel?" Shelby sat in the chair at the looked over Rachel. "Honey? Are you okay? Wake up for me please." She looked at Quinn. "Are you alright? Come here," she said in an unusually rushed and frantic voice as she waved for Quinn to come closer. "Are you okay?" Quinn walked closer but kept her hands behind her back.
"She was asleep with Quinn out in the Range Rover," he explained as Quinn continued to avoid Shelby's eyes.
"She just came out there," the blonde said as casually as possible. "She was there and .. yeah."
Rachel moaned quietly in her mother's arms. "Mumma?"
Shelby heard a small sob escape her lips. She cupped the back of Rachel's head with her palm and pulled her close to her chest as she tried her best to dispel images of Rachel in the bleak basement with that man or in the dingy apartment in New York as the girl lost her innocence.
Quinn watched the moment between Shelby and Rachel and felt as if she was invading again. It was too intimate; it was simply too much. The woman was melting with emotions. She was worried, Quinn realized not just about Rachel's safety but in that brief moment while Quinn lulled the girl to sleep with a story that was meant to instill safety that Shelby was having a nightmare of the opposite. She was thinking about the worst case scenarios, all while Quinn was trying to build a story with a happy ending before Rachel fell into slumber. Shelby leaned her forehead against Rachel's. "You scared me, bug," she whispered.
"I'm sorry," Quinn murmured.
The mother looked at her slowly. "Are you alright?" she asked after squeezing her eyes shut and reopening them with a long sigh. She shifted Rachel onto her shoulder. She reached her hands out to Quinn. "Are you okay? I need you to answer me. Where were you?"
The blonde nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I just went to get some air and Rachel came out there..."
"I asked you to stay inside," Shelby said quietly, but sharply, still cradling Rachel.
"I did," Quinn argued. "I didn't leave the garage."
Shelby looked at her. She was standing differently There was something off but the mother couldn't -
Then it clicked.
"What were you doing in the garage?" she asked carefully.
"Just... um... getting some air," she replied.
"Let me see your arms," Shelby said with a hard look.
"Um..." Quinn shook her head. "I would rather not. It's fine," she said. "It doesn't hurt at all."
"Quinn, now!" Shelby said sharply.
Quinn slowly revealed her arm. Shelby's eyes bulged. "QUINN NICOLE FABRAY!"
The blond's eyes grew wide. She barely saw Shelby hand off Rachel to Santana.
Twelve year old Quinn could barely move. She just continued to sit in the car. Frannie was next to her gripping the steering wheel.
"He's going to kill me," she whispered. "He's going to kill me," she said more loudly. She gave a shuddering breath.
Quinn never felt badly for her sister. In her entire twelve years she never felt bad. However, in that moment as they sat in her father's brand new Bentley, she knew they didn't have a prayer.
"I … um...I'm...," Quinn stuttered. She wanted to tell her she was sorry. However, she couldn't find any words. How could she find the words to something she had never said before. She knew her sister didn't mean to scratch the car. She knew that it wasn't anyone's fault. They simply returned to the car and it was there. It wasn't Frannie's fault, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that Frannie was driving when it happened. She was indirectly at fault. There was no hope.
The garage door opened and Russell stood there in his suit and tie staring at the side view mirror. The silence settled on them, save the garage door reclosing as Russell took loud steps toward the car.
"Get out!" he said fiercely. Both girls climbed out of the car.
The man grabbed Frannie's arm and dragged her to the front side of the car. His eyes were blazing. "Who the hell did this?" Frannie didn't answer right away and stared at the four inch scratch on the front, side hood of the car. Quinn slowly got out of the car, but dared not to look at her father.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!" he screamed shaking Frannie, still squeezing the girl tighter. She was wearing a short sleeve shirt and Quinn could see the finger marks sinking into her skin.
"I .. I … don't know," Frannie stuttered.
"I don't CARE!" he screamed. He grabbed the back of Frannie's neck with his free hand as he brought her eyes closest to the scratch. "LOOK AT THIS!" he screamed. He shook the back of her head and her forehead against the car. "DAMN IT! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!"
Quinn looked at the ground. She couldn't see this. Her sister pretended she was strong all of the time but she wasn't.
Frannie looked up at him with wide eyes. She let out a sob. "Quinn did it," she said after less than a second of hesitation.
The smaller girl looked at her with fear. She looked back at her father with terror. He dropped Frannie.
"What?" he asked quietly. She shook. "You thought your sister would take the fall for it?" She watched as he sneered and began to unthread his belt. How could Frannie do that to her? She shook in front of her.
"I … I ….I …" She looked at Frannie and couldn't help the tears falling down her face. "I didn't do it."
He chuckled. "You think Frannie is lying?"
"I-I-I..."
"Answer me, Quinn," he said icily as he walked toward her. She wanted to back away but she couldn't. "Answer me, Quinn," he repeated as he doubled the belt over. "QUINN NICOLE FABRAY!" She shuddered.
She looked at Frannie unable to control her tears. Her sister just looked back at her. She wasn't sympathetic. All she looked was relieved. Nothing else.
"That's it," he hissed.
He reached out and grabbed her upper arm with one hand and let the other bring the thick leather belt down on Quinn's dress-covered behind. She released a trembling breath. After ten lashings, he pushed her away and she fell onto all fours on the floor. He threw her dress over her head and pulled her panties down her ankles.
"You, little ungrateful bitch!" he screamed. Each word delivered a punishing hit.
Quinn sobbed into the garage floor. She could still see her sister's feet. She looked up and saw Frannie staring down at her. Through her tears Quinn could see her sister's smug look.
"Daddy, may I leave?" Frannie asked straightening.
"Yes," Russell said breathlessly as he yanked Quinn up to her feet and tucked the bottom of her dress into the back collar of her dress. "Corner, Quinn!" he scolded. She slowly made her way to the corner as she glared at her sister, cursing herself for feeling anything for her. "We're not done, Quinn," he bellowed.
Frannie didn't look back as she headed into the house.
"Quinn?" Shelby said gently cupping her face. "I'm sorry I yelled. You're okay."
She blinked and looked around and noticed that they were in the downstairs bathroom. There was a large first aid kit in a large tackle box normally used for fishing. Shelby was gently cleaning her arm.
"You should not have done this, sweetheart."
She took a deep breath and looked around. "Where is Rachel? You should be with her," she said hurriedly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I knew you would be upset, because... he's out..." Her eyes widened. "I didn't. I didn't tell her. I promise. She was scared. She was shaking and so I... I stayed with her."
"She found you?" Shelby asked.
Quinn nodded as Shelby continued to gently clean her arm. The mother was hoping to ease her from whatever memory distracted her from the present.
"I … um... yes... I was … um... I finished cutting it off - It really doesn't hurt. It's fine."
Shelby raised her eyebrow. "It's anything but fine. We're going to get it re-casted." The brunette woman frowned. "And I think you'll need a tetanus shot. When was the last time you had one?" Quinn shrugged. "I figured." She sighed and shook her head. "This is not okay, Quinn."
The girl lowered her head and bit her lip. She wasn't sure what to say. For most of her life she was scared of being hit. She avoided it. she dreaded it. However, in this moment she never thought she would be so ashamed of disappointing Shelby. In that moment, her calm demeanor and gentleness hurt more. Quinn never wanted so badly to be hit instead.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She didn't even feel them in her eyes. "I didn't want to disappoint you …. I just... It just happened."
Shelby sighed and looked her. She took her hands gently. "I know." She looked at her so tenderly that Quinn couldn't stop her tears at all. "You need to come to me when you feel this way. It's not that you should. It's that you must. Your emotions aren't wrong and just because you feel them doesn't mean that you have to tackle them all by yourself. Okay? What you did to your arm, sweetheart, means that that you might have misaligned your arm again. You might have caused permanent damage and you certainly added more weeks to wearing this cast."
Quinn looked down. "I didn't... I didn't mean to...It just happened."
"What do you mean by that?" Shelby asked in that careful, soft tone again.
"I just... I felt..." She frowned and looked at the ground. She paused. She couldn't find her words.
"Full?" Shelby offered.
She frowned and nodded. "Yeah."
"Okay. Thank you for telling me. We'll work on that.," Shelby said. "Let's get you to the hospital."
She took the girl's hand and they went down the stairs. Rachel was still sleeping in the living room. Santana looked up as them came down the stairs.
"You okay?" she asked quickly coming into the foyer.
"We're heading to the hospital. Mom, will you drive us," Shelby said. Noah left the room and returned with their coats.
"I'll drive you," Helen offered grabbing the keys.
"They're in the car," Quinn said quietly. The family looked at her quizzically. "Rachel brought them out with her when she came out. I took them from her hand when she fell asleep."
Shelby nodded. "Okay."
"I'll come, too," Santana said as she walked toward the kitchen to grab her coat.
"You're staying here, Santana," her mother called
"Mom," she began.
"Stay here," Shelby said ushering her own mother and Quinn out the door. Michael came into the foyer. "We're moving the kids back upstairs. May sure everyone's settled when I'm back. Noah, Santana, , help your grandfather please."
"Mom," she called. She looked at her in protest.
"No, Santana," she warned. "Not up for discussion." She took a breath and walked over to Santana. She pulled into a hug. "I need you to stay here, San. Okay?" Santana nodded into her shoulder. "Go snuggle with Rachel or get Quinn's room ready for her."
"Mom, I can go. I can help," she said quietly.
"I know, but I need you and Noah here. Rachel had a bad dream that's why she was in the car," Shelby said quietly. "If she wakes up and Noah and Pop-Pop are upstairs and I'm still at the hospital with Quinn... Noah knows how to comfort her, but she might want you. You're not coming. We're not talking about this." She pulled away and looked at Noah. "I love you. We'll be back."
The door closed.
…
Santana pushed around the food on her plate.
"Do you not like it?" Michael asked as he dried his hands on the dish towel.
The girl looked at the soup and sandwich. "No, it's great. I'm just not really hungry."
"I get it, San," he said with a sigh. "But your mother does not need another kid that is not eating so can you try a little harder and eat that please."
She sighed and took a bite of the sandwich. Her gave her grandfather a soft smile. He made a good tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich and the perfect tomato soup: comfort food.
He smiled back at her. "I wanted to tell you two something," he said gently sitting next to them. "I haven't talked to your mom yet, Noah, but you need to replace your car."
Noah looked at his grandfather. He shook his head. "I don't want to do that, PopPop." He looked at Santana. "When mom looks for cars, it's like a research project, especially because she hated the Mustang..." He gave a nervous smile. "She always hated that Aunt Kate did that. I'll never forget the look on her face when we came home and and it was sitting in the driveway." He looked at Santana. "Remember?" She gave him a weak smile. He went on. "Ummm..." He sighed. He looked at his foodless plate. He thought for a moment. He never understood his mother's relationship with his aunt. There were a lot of unsaid things. His mother had not been thrilled with the gift. She was not happy. He remembered her smile through clenched teeth, but she never said anything bad about her. She accepted the gift. Noah sighed and looked at his grandfather. "I don't want to remind anyone of the reason why I don't have a car."
Santana looked at her brother carefully. "Noah," she started.
He shook his head. "I don't want a car, Pop-Pop," he said. "We just need to focus on this now." He looked at the older man, back at the quiet living room door and then back at the table. "I don't need a car. I don't need another thing on Mom's plate. You know she'll try to figure out what's the best car to drive on top of the trials and all that." He looked at her hands. "I don't need a car."
Santana looked at her brother. "Yeah, you do, knuckle-head." She smirked. "I know you don't want to add to her burden, but do the damn research yourself. You know cars. Find one that Mom would approve of."
She took a bite of her sandwich. He smiled at his sister. "I don't need a car," he said again to his grandfather. "But don't worry about it. I'll look into it."
Michael nodded. "Guys, I'm really proud of you, you know."
Santana laughed awkwardly as she took a bite of her sandwich. "We're proud of you, too, Pop-Pop."
"No," he said honestly. "You've really stepped up. I know your mother appreciates it and -"
Santana scoffed. "What else would we do?" She looked at her brother. "I mean seriously. We're not going to do nothing, I mean -" She shook her head at the ridiculousness of it. "It's not about us stepping up as much as … what else is there for us to do?" She shrugged. "I don't know if we're even helping," she trailed off and looked at her sandwich.
"You are," Michael assured. "More than know."
Santana pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Maybe," she muttered. "But don't thank us, Pop-Pop. It's like thanking us for breathing. It's weird."
He smiled. "I'm grateful you guys are breathing. There are so many things that people do wrong. You two get so many things right but you seem to forget it and pass it off as breathing or as something not good enough." He kissed them each on their forehead.
Noah looked at his dirty dishes with a frown. The crumbs littered his plate. He knew he didn't help like Santana did. Rachel didn't need him like she needed Santana.
"Noah," he heard Santana whisper. She nudged his shoulder.
He gave her a slight smile trying to silence his full mind. He nudged back. "Nothing," he said.
"Alright," he said. "I'll chip in." He leaned in. "On two conditions," Michael began.
"You don't have to do that," Noah said.
"Two conditions," the older man went on, pretending that the boy didn't say a word.
"Firstly," he said. Santana darted her eyes between the two men in anticipation, though most of it was exaggerated for her own amusement. "You send in the applications on your desk."
Santana frowned. "What applications?"
Noah avoided her gaze and Michael continued.
"Secondly, explain to me what road trip you're planning," he said with a knowing smirk.
Santana gawked. "What?" She swatted her brother's arm. "Road trip? What the hell?"
"Santana," Michael said with a warning glance.
"I'm sorry but-" She looked up at her grandfather and saw that his gaze was focused behind her. She turned and gave a soft smile. Rachel stood at the door rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Hey, Rach."
Rachel sniffled and walked to the island and leaned between Noah and Santana.
"You alright?" Noah asked combing her hair out of her face.
She nodded as her brother wiped the moisture that still collected on the end of her eye lashes from the tears she failed to completely conceal.
"You sure?" he asked.
Rachel nodded and leaned into his side and rested her head silently on his arm.
"Let's make you a sandwich," Michael said with a smile. Rachel didn't argue but only looked back at him tiredly. "Or at least heat you some soup."
Santana reached out and ran her hand through Rachel's hair. "Do you want some of that nasty vegan pasta instead?" she asked hoping to ease a smile out of the quiet girl. Rachel looked at her hollowly and shook her head.
"I'll make you some pasta bug," Michael said as he put a pot on a stove with water to boil.
Santana sighed. "What's wrong, bug?"
Rachel shrugged and leaned more into Noah. "Rach?" Noah asked. "Did you have a bad dream?"
The girl started to tear up and cry. She shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I'm fine."
Santana scoffed and looked at her brother. "Clearly not."
Rachel let out a tiny sob. "Where's Mom?"
"Rach," Santana said gently. "Come here, bug."
Michael watched his youngest grandchild carefully. She looked down at her hands and her eyes gushed with tears. "Don't push her, guys," he said quietly. Everything that had happened had left Rachel not only withdrawn but devastated. She was overwhelmed. She was so overwhelmed that she was beyond an expression of emotion. She was overflowing with emotions. He saw it during his thirty year career with the police department. As a forensic psychologist he knew when trauma was so deep that people simply became drowned in their emotions.
Santana reached down and lifted Rachel effortlessly and easily onto her barstool with her and into her lap. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She pulled Rachel's hair out of her face and Noah wiped the girl's tears. "Lets eat something and then we are gonna move the stuff back upstairs. Do you want to put your bed in a different place in your room? Maybe away from the wall?"
Rachel shrugged. She felt so lost. She was now scared to sleep because every time she slept she had that same dream. Sleeping with San used to be a solace. Now sleeping itself was a nightmare. She wanted to know what was real, she always had. However, now the horror of it scared her too much. She didn't want to know but she had to.
Santana could feel her trembling slightly in her arms. Her eyes grew wide and she looked at her grandfather and brother. What the hell was going on? She was waking up more scared than the last time. Her grandfather fanned his hand down, telling Santana silently to calm as his other hand handed Rachel a bowl of vegan pasta and olive oil. She knew that Rachel could feel her tension. She sighed.
"You want your own stool, Rach?" Noah asked. "As you eat?"
Rachel shook her head. "I'm fine," she mumbled. She looked up at Santana. "I just want to sleep with you. I don't care where my bed is."
Santana smiled. "Okay. We can go upstairs and move my room around. We can push the beds and see what we can do." She smiled. "Well I'll push your bed and you can watch. " Rachel cracked a small smile. Santana remembered a conversation that she had with her mother years ago about the importance of acting normal.
"There will be plenty of other people that will treat you differently," Shelby had said. "You guys don't have to treat each other differently."
Santana reached over and grabbed a fork. "I'm not going to feed you, bugs," she smiled handing her the fork. She was grateful as Rachel began to slowly eat the pasta. Was this the kinda fight that her grandfather was just fighting? She sighed and looked at her brother. "What do you think, Noah? We could put Quinn's bed in the tub."
Rachel let a little smile escape her lips. "She can't sleep in the tub."
Noah leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek. "There she is," he smiled.
"Rach, eat up," Santana said quietly. "I need to get Noah working or he is going to make us watch sports center again."
The girl gave a tiny smile and took another bite.
…...
Quinn watched the nurses and the doctors move past their curtain in the ER. Shelby had looked at her with such a distant disappointment that Quinn wanted to break her other arm. However, she paused at the thought knowing that the reality of the choice might cause even more turmoil and stress.
She sighed. They had just done a quick x-ray and now they were waiting for the results. The look from Dr. Pierce was almost as terrible as the one from Shelby. Again, Quinn couldn't help but prefer being hit. It was the strangest desire, but it was there nonetheless.
And then there was Helen who was just sitting there looking at Quinn with unreadable eyes. Was she upset? Was she frustrated? Was she hungry? Was it even lunch time? Quinn couldn't tell at all.
"Alright, Quinn," Dr. Pierce said pulling a cart of casting equipment. "I just looked at your x-ray. There was only a slight slip of the bone but I have to adjust the cast so that you can no longer move the wrist or the thumb." Quinn looked at him with disgust. Her guilt about disappointing Shelby reduced as her fury at the situation rose. "The cast has to be on for another eight to ten more weeks versus the original six to eight."
Quinn frowned in disapproval. "What?" she shook her head.
"Hey, you're the one who sawed it off in the garage," Helen said with a frown.
"Mom," Shelby hissed.
"Let's get started," Dr. Pierce said not leaving any further room for discussion.
Twenty minutes later Quinn looked down at her red cast. She couldn't move her thumb. She was permanently in a hitchhiking position. She couldn't get her face from its frowning position. Damn it, she thought to herself.
"This is ridiculous," she spat. "I'm sorry! My thumb is not broken. My arm is. I don't-"
"You don't have a choice," Shelby said quietly. "By cutting it off you shifted the bones before they're ready. We have to keep your thumb in place in order for the rest of your arm to heal."
"She's right, Quinn," Dr. Pierce said. "If you don't give this time to heal there could be permanent damage."
Quinn frowned. "I'ma cheerleader! I'm captain!"
"And you may be forever cheering from the sidelines," Shelby cautioned. "You will let this heal." She looked at Dr. Pierce. "Thank you, Tom." He nodded and walked away from the family. Quinn looked at her challengly. "Even though I understand that you need your space, you're still in trouble." Quinn frowned and looked at her. Her instincts around those words were untamable. Shelby saw it and took her uncasted hand and continued. "You are not allowed to go into any room without someone with you for the next 2 weeks. On top of that, you need to write a paper regarding the proper length of time it takes bones to heal." Quinn rolled her eyes. "You'll have additional chores to do but I'll take your cast into consideration."
Quinn stared at her in frustration. "Don't give me that look, Quinn," Shelby said gently with a smile. "I don't like this either. Come on. Let's go home."
The blonde hesitated and looked at the women. They were disappointed in her. They were upset about her choice. However, they still stood there smiling at her. It was so inconsistent with everything she knew. She sighed. Everything in her own head was a mess. She was hot and cold with her own emotions. She walked closer to Shelby. She couldn't think too hard about it all. It simply wasn't a choice. If she thought too much about it she would remember it too hard and it would hurt unbearably.
…...
Noah set down Quinn's bed back into Quinn's room with a groan. "This is heavy," he said with frustration "Are you carrying anything?" he asked Santana as they made their way down the hallway.
Santana glared at her brother.
"Keep it moving guys," Michael called. "We still have to move the furniture in from the garage too."
She rolled her eyes but continued down the hallway. She silently wished that Rachel and Quinn had to move furniture but then her smugness faded when she realized losing organs like spleens and kidneys qualified as a get out jail free card to the furniture moving punishment. She stopped into her own room and noticed Rachel curled in a ball at the head of her bed.
"She asleep?" Noah asked leaning against the door frame.
Santana nodded. "yeah," she muttered as she pulled her blanket over her sister. "I told her we'd be finished in a few minutes. She's been laying here for not even fifteen minutes and she's out." She sighed.
noah watched with a furrowed brow. "You okay?"
"What's wrong with her, Noah?" Santana murmured, her voice cracking a little.
"She's scared, San. He scared the shit out of her and she doesn't know how to tell us..." he frowned. "Just like before."
"Before she was three and didn't know how to talk like a real person," Santana said, shifting and looking at her brother. "She's a real person now and … I don't know... She's not here... "
"Hey," he said softly. "She'll talk to us. You just have to give her time. Rachel needs to wrap her head around if first and then she'll come to us." He grinned at Santana. "Not all of us throw up emotions like you do."
"Shut up," she chuckled. She stopped and followed him down the stairs. "What's up with this road trip?" She saw him stiffen. "Why was I not invited? I'm inviting myself by the way."
His face hardened. "No way."
She frowned. "What the hell."
They reached the bottom of the stairs. "Noah," she began again. "What the-"
A gentle knock at the door interrupts her. "I need to know," she said looking over her shoulder and glaring at her brother.
He barely acknowledged her. She sighed in frustration and opened the door. Her frustration faded.
"Hey."
"Hi," Brittany smiled. "I heard Quinn needed to be recasted." Santana frowned. Brittany went on. "My sister was dropping off take out for my dad and said she saw Quinn" The blonde smiled. "So... I thought you would be here and wanted to say hi."
Santnaa smiled sheepishly. "Hi." She looked around. "I'm still grounded you know." Brittany laughed and took Santana's hand.
"I figured, that's why I wanted to say 'hi' now that your mom isn't here." She smiled. She looked behind her and Santana followed her gaze. Melanie was sitting in the car. "We only have like twenty minutes until my mom gets home and we're both sorta grounded." She shook her head. "I had to pay Melanie in candy to have her drive me here."
Santana laughed and wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck. The girl blushed.
"They'll be home anytime," She said slightly pulling away but keeping her hands interlaced behind the blonde's neck. She gave a smile. "This feels right." She bit the side of her lip. It was surprising, but it was there. "Thanks for coming."
Brittany smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I didn't come just for you. I wanted to check with you about Quinn." The blonde grimaced. "Is she furious with me?"
Santana frowned. "I think she's more furious at herself." She looked away from Brittany knowing that the father of Quinn's baby was still thought to be Finn by Brittany. "I can't tell you all of the details," she muttered. "I want to, but I can't."
"I know," she said leaned into Santana. "I didn't mean to make you feel as if I'm asking you." She shrugged. "I just...messed up with her. And the only way to help her was betray her. She has a right to be mad at me."
"She's not," Santana interrupted cupping Brittany's face. "Trust me. Of everyone, she's not mad at you. You did something that she wasn't brave enough to do. Tell the truth." Santana shrugged. "We're all learning how to be brave for each other." She pulled her into a hug. "She knows you love her and have her back." Santana leaned her head on Brittany's shoulder. "She's just slow at expressing it."
Brittany chuckled. "Takes one to know one." She leaned into her. "Rach okay?"
"No," Santana muttered into her shirt.
The horn beeped. Brittany pulled away slightly. "I have to go."
She held her hands and pulled them playfully, causing Santana's body to pivot slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
She frowned. "Tomorrow?"
Brittany nodded. "Didn't your mom tell you?" Santana's look of confusion answered her question. "Through our week of suspension we're getting a tutor."
"You're coming, too?" She smiled. "Maybe it won't be that bad."
"It will be. I heard she's nuts."
"You're kidding," Santana frowned.
The blonde laughed and captured the girl's lips in a kiss causing the frown to fail. "Nope," she muttered as she pulled away. "And I heard she's a trip, too."
Santana groaned. Brittany kissed her one last time. "Don't frown so much," she said with a gentle smile. "You'll get wrinkles." Santana smiled. The blonde grinned back as she walked briskly to the car. "Her name is Holly Holiday. What kind of name is that?" Santana smiled. "Told ya. No wrinkles." The blonde nodded.
The brunette watched her drive away. She smiled.
"You guys make me want to throw up, you're so freakin' charming," Noah said coming behind her. "You've become one of those gross couples. If you write a love song, I'm disowning you. I can't believe you're into that love crap," he shrugged nudging her.
Santana watched her drive away. "I am. I so totally am," she muttered.
…..
Quinn hadn't said a word since the hospital. Helen put the car into park. The furniture was out of the garage and the remnants of the crumbled green cast were gone. She looked down at her cast. Quinn chose red this time. It seemed like the right thing to do. Helen turned and looked at Shelby and then paused and looked back at Quinn.
"I'll just … uh.. go get dinner started," she said quietly.
Shelby nodded.
The mother wait until the door was closed to the house before she moved. She climbed out of the passenger seat and into the back seat. Quinn looked at her skeptically.
"I know you're mad."
"You don't." Quinn squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm not mad at you," she muttered. She rethought. "Actually I am."
Shelby looked at her with surprise. "Okay."
"I just want to wake up from this bad dream," she muttered. "But my life is kinda... a bad dream..." She shook her head angrily. "This bad dream is a freakin nightmare!" She waved her arm with a humorless laugh. "I have this stupid cast on my arm for eight more weeks. I can't do Cheerios until God knows when. I just want it all to stop."
Shelby looked at her softly. "You will get past all this Quinn but you can't go hurting yourself - I will work with you and it will all start to get better but we do have some more very rough things to get through first, only this time you won't have to do it alone.
"I can't even shower alone right now. This sucks big time. Please let me just go upstairs and take a shower by myself? I promise I won't do anything to hurt myself...I just want to shower, and lay down. I am done with everything...I don't have the energy right now."
"Well, you can go in and go up and shower but then you are coming down to eat dinner. However, you did earn an early bedtime so I am glad that we can agree on something tonight." She looked over at Quinn hoping for a smile, but got nothing in return. "Listen-"
"People say crap like 'things happen for a reason'," Quinn said quietly. She shook her head tearfully. "I never believed that, ever." She bit her lip and traced her red cast. "I lived four streets over from here. My whole life..." She scoffed. "I hated your daughter for years and now..." She continued to trace the red cast. "Now she's my sister." She shook her head. "I still think that it's crap that everything happens for a reason." she gave the tiniest shrug. "I don't understand why you say the things you say and do the things you do when it comes to me." She bit her lip. "But I..." She met Shelby's eyes. "Some things happen for a reason." She felt her eyes dampen with tears. "I don't know how to thank you-"
"And you don't ever have to," Shelby interrupted wrapping her arm around her.
Quinn leaned into her. "I'll spend the rest of my life trying though." She gave a slight smile realizing that she was echoing Shelby's words.
"Okay," Shelby said. "Okay." She cupped the girls face gently after a few moments. "I'll be with you every step of the way, Quinn. I promise. You and I need to come up with some kind of system. I want to give you your space, but-"
"No, I know," she mutteered.
"We'll come up with something."
Quinn felt the intimacy of the moment getting too much. "Can I go shower?"
Shelby nodded. "Sure."
About twenty minutes later Santana was standing at the bathroom door holding a cast bag.
"I know we're family now, but you're not going to see me naked," Quinn hissed.
"Don't flatter yourself," Santana said with a sigh. "Give me your arm."
"Why?" Quinn asked with frustration.
Santana pushed her way into the bathroom. "Get over yourself. I broke my arm twice, stupid. My mom wraps it differently than I do. Do it twice, like this." She took her arm and wrapped it. "There," she said after a few moments. "Shower away, princess."
Quinn frowned as she watched Santana leave the room. She expected her to be her babysitter. She stripped and hopped quickly into the shower just in case she changed her mind. She eased into the shower and let herself relax. With her eyes still closed she reached for the bottle of shampoo. Nothing.
"Santana!" she yelled.
"Right, here, dork," she hissed from the other side of the curtain. "Stick your arm out. I'll give you some."
Quinn stuck her uncasted hand out. Santana put shampoo in her hand. She peeked her head out and saw that Santana had changed into sweats.
"Thanks," she muttered.
"Whatever," Santana shrugged. "Hurry up. Just because you're my sister doesn't mean I want to see your lady parts. I'm just a babysitter."
Quinn scoffed. "Whatever. Who says I'm not yours?" she asked as she washed her hair and attempted to wash her day away.
Santana laughed. "Have you met yourself?"
…...
The family sat quietly around the table. It wasn't a surprise that Helen wasn't a good cook. However, what she made must have been the best, but most simple meal she had attempted to prepare. Pancakes. Pancakes and sausage and eggs and bacon. It was comfort food. She stared at the family hoping it would bring solace. However, she was doubtful in the silence.
She looked at her daughter. "I didn't make the girls shakes."
Shelby watched the kids. Noah and Santana looked exhausted. She knew they would be because she asked them to move bedroom furniture and then living room furniture. However, the exhaustion seeps deeper than that. Rachel was picking at her food. Quinn was doing the same. The moment felt exhausting. She frowned. Sometimes family meals were just exhausting and in a way they were always a fight.
Shelby walked briskly into the McDonald's. God, she hated McDonald's but Leroy insisted on meeting there to exchange the kids. She cooked better than McDonald's it was just bad. Hiram's only parenting skill seemed to be bribing the children for good behavior with crap food.
"Hi," she said walking up to the men. Leroy was following Rachel around the dining area. The fourteen month old saw her mother and went teetering faster toward her. "Hi, my big girl!" she smiled scooping her up.
Shelby leaned forward with Rachel in her arms and kissed Leroy softly on the cheek. "Hey, cowboy," she smiled. "Thank you for encouraging our children to eat crap."
Leroy gave her an unamused smirk. "Don't do that. Okay? Hiram had a thing. This place was closer. San and Noah are having a ball in the play place."
"I'm going to have to bathe them in bleach, Leroy," she said with disgust. "That place is gross." Rachel pulled on Shelby's ears. "Baby, don't do that to Mommy."
Leroy gave Shelby a diaper bag and pointed to two duffles. "Hiram's grabbing the kids."
"Mom!" Santana said as she came bounding into the room.
"Hey!" Shelby said smiling. "How's my Sanny?"
"Good!" she smiled. Shelby knelt down with Rachel in her arms and hugged her daughter. "Hey, buddy," she smiled at Noah who lingered slightly behind Shelby. "Can I have a hug?"
"Mom," he blushed. "I'm too big for hugs."
"Oh, I'm sorry," she laughed standing up. "Please put your shoes on, guys," she said shooting a glare at Hiram who looked back smugly at her. "You shouldn't be walking around without shoes. Come on we're going to go home and take bathes and -"
"But what about dinner?" Santana asked.
Shelby glared at the men. And through a forced smile asked, "Did you take her to the most child-trapping heart disease ridden restaurant without feeding them?" She shook her head. "Just to make me look good?"
"Yup," Hiram answered.
Leroy smacked him in the chest. "Bye, guys," he smiled. He leaned down and hugged and kissed each of them. "See you later, okay?"
"Bye, Daddy!" Santana said with a big smile. She frowned. "Bye, Hiram," she groaned.
After debates and Clorox wiping a high chair and a drink spill and ketchup on her pants, they were finally at a table. Three kids meals. She ripped up Rachel's nuggets. Rachel frowned and looked at them. Shelby took a bite of her salad. .
"Eat up, baby bug," she smiled trying to get out of the room. Shelby offered Rachel a piece of nugget. "Here, honey. just one bite please."
Rachel shook her head. Shelby took a sip of her coffee. It was going to be a long night. She looked over and saw Noah had finished his kids meal and Santana was almost done. She reached over and began digging through the her purse. She had some applesauce in here somewhere. She dug and dug. She sighed in defeat. She couldn't find it. She looked over at Rachel sympathetically but then frowned. most of her nugget pieces were gone.
Shelby looked over at Noah and Santana with a frown.
"Just because she eats slower than the two of you doesn't mean her food is up for grabs," she said carefully.
"She won't eat it, Mom," Noah said with a mouth full of Rachel's food eating more of her fries.
"Yeah," Santana replied. "She'll only eat this."
And again, Santana moved too fast for Shelby and the six year old pulled a prepared bottle from her pink duffle. Rachel smiled and reached for the bottle. Santana gave it to the baby and immediately Rachel began to drink. Shelby let out a grown. There was her culprit. They had been trying to ween Rachel off of the bottle for a while. Shelby just assumed it was the divorce and the transition. Shelby grabbed Rachel's diaper bag and there were a series of unopened toddler food in the bag. No bottle.
She frowned. "Sanny, let me see your duffle." Santana grabbed another one of Rachel's chicken nuggets. "Hey, hey! No more."
The six year old gave her mother her duffle. there were four bottles and a container of baby formula in the bag.
"Honey, did Daddy help you pack?"
She shook her head. "No," she said proudly. "I did it all by myself. I tell Hiram how to mix the bottle. I know how to do it, Mumma. Four scoops and then fill to the number eight with water. I watched you."
Shelby rubbed her temples. "Santana, we have not fed Rachel a bottle in almost a month. Where did you get this?" She was trying her best not to be upset, but getting Rachel to eat food had been a fight. She would sit in her high chair long after the other two were finished. They had brought her to the pediatrician and they told her that Rachel wasn't losing weight so she was okay. Now, shelby knew way. "How often do you give her a bottle?"
"Twice a day," Santana said proudly. "Sometimes three if she asks."
Shelby groaned into her hand. "She is big enough, Santana, for solid food. We've been trying to feed her big kid food. She should not be on the bottle anymore. Daddy and I have been worried about her not eating and you've been feeding her."
"I take care of her." Santana looked at her mother. "Hiram yells at her when she doesn't eat her food so he started letting me give her a bottle. She doesn't like the food that Daddy and Hiram make her."
"What about when you're at my house? Do you give her a bottle there?"
Santana nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Are you mad? I was just trying to give it to her before we ate so you didn't have to." Sanana bit her finger nervously. "Are you mad? I thought you said that this was what babies eat."
"It is, honey," Shelby said as Rachel finished the bottle, but continued to suck the last drop of the bottle. "Months ago. Rachel is going to be two very soon. Okay? And by then she should be able to feed herself. Will you help me get her to be a big girl like you?"
Rachel held out the bottle to Santana. "Baba!" She laughed.
Santana looked at her mother and brother and then back at Rachel. she reached over and took one of the chicken nuggets that Noah stole and put it on Rachel's highchair tray and began to rip it up. "Eat this." She put a small piece in her mouth. "Like this, Rachel."
Shelby was pulled out of the memory.
"Can I be excused?"
She looked up and Rachel was looking at her tiredly.
"I don't want anymore," she said quietly. She sighed. It had always been a fight but they figured out how to move on.
Shelby gave a smile smile. "No, Rachel, you need to eat more." She sighed and looked at Quinn's plate. "You too, Quinn."
Santana reached over and grabbed a piece of fruit from Rachel's plate.
Shelby chuckled. "San, just because she eats slower than you doesn't mean that her food is up for grabs."
Santana looked at her and chuckled. "Hey, Rach," she said with a lazy smile. "Did you know you used to eat chicken nuggets?" Rachel looked at her in disgust. "From McDonalds?"
Quinn glared at Santana. "Don't start, Santana," the blonde muttered as she reached across the table and stole a piece of bacon from Santana's plate.
"Quinn, just because Santana eats he slaughtered pig slower than you doesn't mean that it's up for grabs," Rachel said with a tiny smirk.
…...
Please let me know what you think. More to come next chapter. don't worry. I will do my best to stay on schedule but my childhood best friend is visiting for ten days. starting Sunday. But don't worry, the next few will be a doozy. Many of your questions about the future of the characters will be answered. :)