Rachel grinned as she placed the fake wedding invitation on the last page of the photo album. It was finally finished, it had taken almost two weeks to complete with everything that was going on, but now it was done. Sometimes it felt like days weren't going to end or they just all began to run together, it was Monday and then all of a sudden it was Thursday again. At least things had settled down now that the music video for Joe's song was done, Jasper and Brock's songs were completely recorded and Jasper's music video was in pre-production.

Santana had been keeping herself busy with turning into some secret spy ever since Rachel had told her that Jasper was back in town. Rachel swears it's like Santana has created her own little army. She was just glad that the whole ordeal had went better than she had anticipated, Santana was mad that Rachel hadn't told her right away but she understood that Rachel really didn't have a chance to. The first thing that she had done was call Duncan to round up some of his guys, he had been on stand by for a few days at that point. Rachel couldn't help but laugh a little at how ridiculous this all has become.

There had been small developments on the Shelby front, thanks to Santana and Cassandra. After an "accidental" run in during a late dinner, Shelby and Rachel had at least acknowledged each other. With Rachel being so busy at the studio it was honestly hard to find the time for Santana and Cassandra to be sneaky and set up these run ins. They were going to have to step their game up. The moment the women had seen each other had been slightly awkward, Shelby had looked at Rachel like she was a ghost that she was seeing for the first time. Which technically that was expected since they hadn't seen each other in so long. They didn't speak, just smiled before they went to join their significant others, respectively. Having them be in the same room with one another for over an hour without either running out was a huge step.

A week after that Santana and Cassandra was able to magically have Shelby and Rachel run into each other in the supermarket. Just don't tell Mr. Shuester, that sometimes they don't need bulk items and that instead of shopping at Shuebury's they go to St. Lawrence to one of the smaller stores there. On that particular evening, Santana was trying to convince Rachel that yes they did need the jumbo marshmallows and not the tiny marshmallows that the jumbo ones poo out, when she heard a snort behind her and turned to find Cassandra standing there laughing at her.

"Can I help you?" Santana turned to face Cassandra with both bags of marshmallows in her hands.

"Nope." Cassie covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hide her laughter. "Just need to get some marshmallows." Cassie started to reach around Santana to grab what she was looking for.

Rachel found herself staring between the two women, her eyes going back and forth like a tennis match. She decided not to say anything, maybe she could stand there and go unnoticed. Of course the world would not be working in her favor tonight, Rachel sighed as she heard Shelby's voice from one isle over.

"Cass, where did you go?" Shelby asked as she turned and looked around. What the hell? Cassie had been standing there two seconds ago.

"I'm over here."

"Where is over here?" There was evident confusion in Shelby's voice. She didn't know where "over here" was considering there was at least two immediate "over here's" as to where Cassie could be.

"Marshmallow isle, love." Cassie froze when she realized what she said, she glanced out of the corner of her eye over to Rachel who was looking around the isle, like she hadn't just heard her mother's voice.

Shelby breathed a sigh of relief when she turned the corner to find Cassie standing there, however she didn't anticipate Santana and Rachel to be standing there also. "Hello." Shelby spoke to everyone standing there, she might not have a relationship with her daughter and her fiancee but she wasn't about to be rude.

"Hi." Surprisingly Rachel was the one to speak, which left everyone in various stages of shock. Santana and Cassie were still standing in front of the marshmallows now acting like they were comparing them, each with a bag in their hand.

Rachel stood up straighter, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Santana saw the change instantly as she was sure everyone else had seen it too. In an instant Rachel had went from her relaxed laid back self to what Santana called her media self for when someone was getting too close. This wasn't how this was supposed to go, but Santana understood why media Rachel came out, she doesn't know how to trust Shelby and even simple pleasantries as such could lead to opening up old wounds.

"How are you?" Shelby asked nervously, obviously she was going to have to lead this conversation.

"I'm good...we're good." Rachel nodded to Santana who looked up and smiled before she wrapped up her little conversation with Cassie. Santana and Cassie could both tell that they were needed, if not for anything more than moral support. "And you? How are you guys? Happy to be back in New York I assume?" Rachel could feel herself getting worked up until she felt a hand on her back slowly moving up and down. She sighed internally, grateful for Santana's touch.

"We're good. We've been setting up our classroom and studios at the school. We're incredibly happy to be back in New York." Shelby was looking at Rachel with tears in her eyes. She knew that the older woman was saying a lot more than she actually meant in that statement. Rachel looked at Shelby right in the eye before she let her eyes trace over the features of Shelby's face. For the first time, Rachel could honestly see the guilt and regret on the woman's face, it was something that she had kept so well hidden before.

"New York is happy to have you back." Rachel spoke as she breathed out.

Shelby chuckled to herself as she wiped her eyes before the tears could fall. "That makes me really happy." She said as she nodded her head. Cassie and Santana waited for there to be some kind of hug, they were both giddy as they waited for something...anything to happen!

"Attention customers, the store will be closing in fifteen minutes."

"I guess that's our que to leave huh?" Rachel stuck her thumb over her shoulder as she pointed to the front of the store.

"Yeah, we better get going too." Shelby turned around to walk away with Cassie, but something told her to stay for a moment. She needed to do this right if she was goig to do this at all. "Rachel." Shelby called out.

Rachel turned around, furrowing her brows in question. She stepped closer to Shelby and waited. "Do you want to get a coffee sometime? I know you're really busy, we heard the new song. But uhm, if you're up for it, when you're not busy..we could get coffee or tea, maybe you like it better." Shelby asked as she looked over her shoulder to smile at Cassie, she just needed something to ground her so that she would stop rambling.

Rachel reached out and placed her hand on Shelby's arm. "I would love to get coffee with you sometime. I will let you know when I am free or maybe you could come to McKinley one day and I could meet you."

"Yeah? I would really like that." Shelby looked over Rachel's shoulder to Santana who was standing there tapping her watch, they needed to go before they got locked in the store.

"I'll call you. Is your number still the same?" Rachel said as she took a step backwards.

"Yeah, it is." Shelby watched Rachel go for a moment before she turned around and wrapped Cassie in a hug that was close to squeezing the life out her. "She's going to call me." Shelby murmured into Cassie's neck.

Cassie laughed as she ran her hands up and down Shelby's back. "You know if I didn't know that that was your daughter, with the way you are talking now I would assume that you're super crush had asked you on a date or something.

"Shut up." Shelby laughed before she pulled away to playfully smack at Cassie. Turning to walk ahead, Shelby didn't notice Cassie hang back for a moment. Santana turned around to see Cassie standing there at the opposite end of the isle, she grinned and gave Cassie a thumbs up. Their plan had worked a thousand times better than they had ever anticipated. They had hoped for some small talk, but what they got was so much more. Hopefully in time, Shelby and Rachel would be on the road to repairing their relationship.

Now that Rachel finally had a day off she planned to call Shelby and ask if she would like to go out this evening. Santana had already asked this morning before she left if Rachel was going to call. Santana actually had given herself the day off too to tend to the cabin and hopefully pick some stuff out of the garden today. Rachel felt bad about leaving since this was her first day off in two weeks, but Santana assured her that it was fine and that they could spend all day Sunday together.

Sitting the photo album down on the bed, Rachel took out the decorative box the book was supposed to go in. She needed to get this put up in the closet and then get dressed and hopefully find her nerve while in the shower to actually call Shelby and ask if she would like to go out this evening. Rachel wasn't sure where this go for it spirit was coming from, but maybe it was a good thing. She still had plenty of reservations about Shelby, but how do you know if you can trust someone? You trust them until they show why you shouldn't trust them.

Rachel gathered her clothing out of the closet as she hid the photo album in the back. Now that the photo album was done, she had to come up with some way to actually propose to Santana. Should she take her out to a nice dinner and then give her the book? No, that wouldn't work. Santana was obviously a super private person, hence the reason Rachel was proposed to at home instead of out in public. Hmm, Rachel thought to herself, she didn't need grand gestures to get Santana's attention. Maybe, she would come up with an idea in the shower, it really was the best place to think no matter what anyone said.

Santana sat in her hammock in her tree house with her feet propped up and her lap top resting on her thighs. She was swinging slightly back and forth as she watched the audio feed move up and down as Jasper spoke to someone on the phone. She could see him walking back and forth in his apartment living room, waving his hands in the air like he was livid at whom ever he was speaking too. She had no idea who he was talking to, but apparently nothing had come of it yet, since the video was taken yesterday by one of Duncan's men. Maybe this was taking it too far or maybe it hadn't gone far enough yet, but for now Santana knew every time Jasper breathed North instead of East and it was going to stay that way. She had to do this, staying two steps ahead was the only way that she knew how to keep Rachel safe, unless she just went on ahead and killed Jasper. That was out of the question, Rachel would surely frown upon that.

Smirking evilly, Santana closed the lap top and stood up. She needed to actually get some work done today instead of hiding out in the tree house watching Jasper videos. Hopefully Rachel had taken her advice and called Shelby to ask her out to dinner tonight, it was something that she really needed to do. If not, well then Santana was going to make plans with Cassie to help push the women in that direction again. They were two for two right now, and if everything went well then they would be three for three. Santana could only hope for the best.