Savageverse - The answer's still no, please don't ask after every chapter.

Gwennie49 - Thank you, right now I have the inspiration, but I'm lacking any sort of motivation to just sit down and write!

Three days after telling her father the truth about Rachel's arrival in the world, Shelby found herself driving over to Will's after class, Rachel fast asleep in the back of the car.

"It'll be okay" Will promised, squeezing Shelby's hand as she pulled up outside his home. She hadn't particularly wanted to meet his Mom, convinced she'd judge her for being a young Mom, worried Rachel would be cranky because she'd be out of her routine, but Will had insisted, 'I've met your Dad, it's only fair that you meet my Mom.'

Rachel stirred as Shelby lifted her from her car seat, "it's okay" she whispered, kissing her hair, "It's only me."

Once in the house, Will helped Shelby from her jacket so she didn't wake Rachel before, with a little coaxing from Shelby, triumphantly removing Rachel's jacket without waking her. "Mom" he grinned when his Mother stepped into the hallway, "this is Shelby, and Rachel. Shelby, this is my Mom, Jane"

"Should she be napping at this time?" Jane asked bluntly without greeting Shelby.

"Mom" Will frowned.

"She always naps on the way home from daycare" Shelby didn't feel like she had to explain herself but she didn't want to start on the wrong foot with Will's Mom.

"You should stop it or she won't sleep at night."

"She sleeps fine, but thank you for your concern."

Will glared at his Mom, "is Josh home yet?"

"No. Not yet" she turned on her heels and walked back into the kitchen without another word.

"Maybe we should go" Shelby said quietly.

"No, no, the living room's through there" he gestured through a doorway, "make yourself comfortable, I'll get us some drinks and have a word with her."

The front door opened again as Shelby sat on the edge of the couch, ready to leave if Will's Mom didn't want her here, "oh, hey!" a teenager who looked a lot like Will poked his head into the room, "You must be Will's girlfriend… Shelly?"

"Shelby" she smiled, "and this is Rachel" she gestured to the sleeping baby.

"Shelby, sorry, I'm Josh, the cooler, younger, better looking brother" He smiled as Shelby laughed, "if anyone asks will you say I've just gone to jump in the shower? I've just had baseball practice and I didn't shower after because I didn't want to miss the bus."

"Sure" Shelby nodded as teen thanked her and headed upstairs.

"Did I hear the door?" Will asked as he came through a few moments later, placing two glasses of fruit juice on the coffee table.

"Yeah, your brother came home, he said to tell you he's gone to shower. Look, if your Mom… I mean, I don't want to be any trouble so if you want me to leave…"

"Absolutely not, I don't know what's wrong with her but you're my guest, she was okay with you coming over this morning, I don't see what's changed now."

"Okay" Shelby tucked herself into Will's side when he held out his arm, "but I don't want to make things awkward, so if you do want me to go…"

"I don't" Will kissed her hair, "I promise."

Rachel was beginning to wake when Josh came back downstairs, greeting Shelby again before flopping down in the armchair, the fourteen year old wasting no time in beginning to tell Shelby all the embarrassing stories about his brother that he could think of. Shelby could help but laugh at their antics, the relationship between Will and Josh reminding her of her relationship with her own brother.

Jane yelled for Josh to go and help her a little while later and he left Shelby and Will alone in the living room, Rachel gurgling to herself as Will kissed Shelby softly, "it'll be okay" he promised, sensing her nerves.

"I hope so" Shelby smiled.

They walked through to the kitchen hand in hand after Josh told them dinner was ready, Will pulling out a chair for Shelby at the small wooden table, Shelby grateful that she was sat between Josh and Will, "could I ask how you made the potatoes?" she asked as she gently bounced Rachel on her knee.

"With milk and butter, how else would I make them?" Jane rolled her eyes.

"She's put butter on the veggies too." Josh told Shelby, he remembered Will telling their Mom that Shelby and Rachel didn't eat dairy and didn't want either of them to eat anything that might make them ill.

"Mom" Will frowned, "I told you several times that Rachel and Shelby don't eat dairy because it makes Rachel ill."

Jane rolled her eyes again, "maybe if she fed her properly that kid would put some weight on."

Will saw Shelby's face fall, Rachel picking up on the tense atmosphere and nuzzling into Shelby, "Rachel was premature Mom, she…" he stopped when he felt Shelby's hand on his arm.

"I'm going to go" she told him, "thank you for inviting me over, and it was great to meet you Josh. Mrs Schuester…" Shelby didn't know what to say to the woman so she simply stood from the table, picking up their jackets on her way out, but not bothering to put them on as she carried Rachel out to the car.

"Are you happy now?" Will snapped as Shelby left.

"Very, you can do better than some slut looking for a man to raise someone else's child."

Will was momentarily stunned, "I can't believe you just said that. If you'd bothered to get to know Shelby for just five minutes, you'd realise just how independent she is" he said, leaving the room before his Mom could reply, racing out to the front yard, his heart breaking when he saw tears brimming in Shelby's eyes as she strapped Rachel into the car, "Shelby."

She shook her head, closing the back door of the car, "I'm sorry Will" she whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow yeah?"

She didn't give him a chance to respond as she got in the car and pulled off the driveway, not wanting him to see her when her tears started to fall.

Luckily, Will had waited patiently for Shelby to feed Rachel before they'd left daycare so Shelby knew the baby would be able to wait a little longer before she needed anything else. Not feeling up to cooking anything, Shelby used the hands free system in her car to place an order for takeout at one of her favourite restaurants, stopping to pick it up on her way home.

"Come on Kid" Shelby forced a smile as she lifted Rachel from the car, "let's eat and then we can have a bath and go to bed, Mommy could do with your cuddles tonight."

Shelby didn't even attempt to put Rachel in her highchair, she didn't want to, she wanted her daughter close so she simply let Rachel sit at her lap at the table, the baby not too interested in eating much of the food but happy to play with it and take the occasional bite after helping herself from her Mommy's plate.

They shared a bath together after they'd eaten, Shelby barely holding herself together, not wanting Rachel to see her upset. "I know" she gently tapped Rachel's nose as the baby gurgled at her as she dried her off after their bath, "I'm gonna miss him too, but we'll be okay. Me and you against the world kid, we've got each other and that's all that matters."

Rachel fell asleep quickly once she was laid against Shelby's chest, she nursed for a little while before taking her pacifier and drifting off to sleep, safe in her Mommy's arms. Shelby on the other hand wasn't so lucky, she laid in the darkness, her tears beginning to fall as she replayed the afternoon's events, trying to work out where it had all gone wrong.

Shelby frowned slightly and rolled over to check the time on her phone when she heard a knock at her door, it was a little after 10pm and she wasn't sure who'd be coming over this late, sure that if it was her Dad or Brother, they'd have called first. She planned on ignoring it, but after a second knock, and then a third, she pulled herself out of bed, grabbing a hoodie and pulling it over her head as she headed downstairs, not wanting the knocking to wake Rachel. "I don't… Will" Shelby frowned as she saw him stood on the doorstep, a bag in his hand, "what are you doing here?"

Will sighed and ran his hand over his curls, "I didn't mean to wake you, but I erm, I wondered if I could crash on your couch."

Shelby opened the door and stepped to the side, silently inviting him in, not wanting to have this conversation where the neighbours could hear. "I don't know if this is a good idea Will" she sighed, "your Mom…"

"She said some things after you left, some horrible things and I, I lost it, I couldn't bear hearing her talking about you when she barely knows you, when she didn't even make the effort to get to know you, and she, she told me if I wanted to keep seeing you then I wasn't welcome in her house any more."

"Will… what, I…"

Will reached out and gently cupped Shelby's cheek with his palm, "I'm here" he said softly, "I chose you."

"No" Shelby shook her head, "you can't, she's your Mom and…"

"And I'm an adult. You're my girlfriend, and I, fuck Shelby, I love you. I love you and I love Rachel, and I don't expect you to say it back but I do, and I, we might not have known each other long but I, I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see you anymore."

"What about Josh? This is, this is a big decision Will, if you'd rather go home then I understand, I won't… I'd understand."

"Josh loved you, he loved Rachel too, he heard Mom tell me that I had to choose and he came into my room and told me that I better be about to 'get my ass to my girl.' He, we have an uncle, my dad's brother, he lives about 20 minutes away. Mom wouldn't let us see my dad's side of the family after Dad died, but I kept my Uncle's number, we were always close. Mom got drunk after you left, she started smashing things and I, I called my Uncle, he came over and picked Josh up, if you want me to go then he said I'm welcome over there too but I, I wanted to see you."

Shelby reached out, gently running her hand down Will's cheek, "you're sure this is what you want?"

Will dropped his bag and gently wrapped his arms around Shelby's waist, "you are what I want Shelby. I know you might not believe me but it's true. I want to be with you."

"Okay" Shelby stretched up onto tiptoes and brushed her lips against Will's.

"Okay?"

Shelby nodded, "Okay, I'm tired and I, there are a lot of things we need to talk about but not now, can we just go to bed and talk about this in the morning?"

"Of course" Will nodded, tucking a strand of Shelby's hair behind her ear, "I'll speak to the accommodation people at college tomorrow, see if I can get somewhere, or I'll go stay with my Uncle, I just needed to see you, I wanted you to know that I'm sorry, I know you didn't feel ready to meet my Mom and I, I guess I kinda forced you into it."

"It's okay" Shelby shrugged, "I think she'd have taken a dislike to me and my parenting skills no matter when I met her."

"You don't believe her do you? You know everything she said was rubbish, Rachel's your daughter, you and her doctors know what's best for her, not my idiot of a mother."

"Yeah" Shelby wasn't convinced but didn't want to argue, "can we just go to bed now?"

"Yeah, of course we can." Will was surprised when he found himself being led upstairs, Shelby's hand held gently in his own. "What…"

Shelby left Will in the doorway as she walked into the darkened room and flicked on a small side light, Will unable to hold back a smile as he saw Rachel sleeping in the middle of the bed, "you can sleep in here" Shelby told him, "I just need to move the crib."

"I don't want to put you out Shelby, I'll be fine on the couch."

She shook her head, "it's okay, I bought this when she first came home, it's made to attach to the side of the bed, I wanted her in with me but she was so tiny and I was scared I'd hurt her so this seemed like a good compromise, I'll put it back and then let her sleep on the edge, so if she rolls she'll roll into the crib and you don't have to worry about rolling onto her."

"Okay, but only if you're sure that's okay."

"It is" Shelby nodded, "can you help me move it?" she asked once she'd folded away one side of the crib, "she doesn't usually move but I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Of course" Will helped Shelby move the crib before heading into the bathroom to change as Shelby moved Rachel from her spot in the middle of the bed. She was in bed, hoodie thrown carelessly on the floor, her body curled around her daughter when Will slipped under the covers. "Are you okay?" he asked, letting his arm fall over Shelby's stomach as he kissed at her bare shoulder.

Shelby relaxed slightly as Will became her big spoon, "I've had better days if I'm honest."

"I'm sorry" Will whispered as he began tracing lines on her bare stomach with his fingertips, "she seemed excited to meet you, if I'd have known she was going to act like that I'd never have invited you to meet her."

"I know" Shelby twisted slightly so she could kiss Will's lips, "it wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't yours either" Will said as Shelby got comfortable again, "you did nothing wrong Shelby, and please don't believe anything she said about how you're raising Rachel. You're her Mom, you know what she needs, you know what's best for her."

"I…"

"You're a good Mom Shelby, please don't let her make you think otherwise. Rachel adores you, anyone can see it. She was overwhelmed today, I could see it, even Josh could see it and she turned to you for comfort and you gave it her without even realising it. That girl thinks the world of you and no unnecessary criticism from anyone will change that."

Shelby let her hand rest on Will's, she gently kissed Rachel's hair before quietly asking him, "what did she say about me?"

"Shelby I…"

"Please" she whispered.

Will sighed, "she made some comments about you being…" he thought for a moment, "promiscuous. And she said that you were just looking for someone to raise Rachel for you. But I know that isn't true Shelby" he said quickly, "you and I know that the relationship we have is because I was persistent. If you were just looking for someone to raise Rachel you'd have bitten my hand off the first time I asked, you told me you weren't what I wanted, but you were wrong Shelby, you were so, so wrong."

Shelby rolled onto her back so she could look up at Will, "I wouldn't blame you" she whispered, tears shining in her eyes, "and I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to call it a day."

"I don't" Will wiped at Shelby's cheeks before leaning in to kiss her, "if you want me to go, if you don't want this anymore then of course, I'll respect that, but I made a choice to come and see you tonight, and I did it because I wanted to."

Shelby was about to speak again when Rachel let out a quiet whine, so she quickly lifted her onto her chest, "there should be a pacifier by the light." Will nodded, passing over the pacifier that had fallen from Rachel's mouth not long after she'd fallen asleep, watching as Shelby used it to settle Rachel again, humming quietly to the baby until she was sure she wasn't going to wake. "You know Rachel's the reason I don't see my Mum either" she admitted.

She'd never mentioned her Mom before and Will was a little curious, "do you want to talk about it?"

"I didn't tell my parents" Shelby gently trailed her fingers down Rachel's back, "not until she was home, it was a couple of weeks after her due date and I, I called to say I wouldn't be going over for Christmas, Rachel was still smaller than a 'normal' newborn, she'd literally just come out of hospital, I didn't want to risk anything. My Mom pretty much told her I had to take Rachel over so I just said no and hung up. Then she turned up on boxing day, my Brother knew my address because he'd helped me put some furniture together, and on Boxing day she turned up with my Dad, my Brother, my Sister in law and my nephew. I lost it and shut myself in the kitchen. Dan came in to see what was happening and she'd told them all I'd said it was okay for them to come over. When I told him that Rachel was premature, that I hadn't said any of that he lost it, he pretty much told her that if she didn't leave he'd carry her out. She left and hasn't been in touch since. "

"I'm sorry to hear that" Will said softly, kissing Shelby's cheek, "but it's her loss."

"My dad sent me a text a few days later to apologise. Mom was always, I don't know, self centred, opinionated, stubborn. But Dad usually kept her in check. He was furious about her trying to just push her way in when she knew Rachel was so sick. It took a while but eventually I let my brother and my Dad meet her and My Dad, he said he'd supported Dan when he moved into his own place, when Jake was born and insisted on doing the same for me. Mom found out he was giving me money every month and told him he had to choose me or her. "

"Shelby…"

"As you know, I still see him and him and my Mom are getting divorced."

"I'm so sorry Shelby. None of that could have been easy for you and now with my Mom too" he couldn't stop himself putting his arm around her and holding her close, "I wish I… I had no idea she'd be like that, she seemed excited to meet you both."

"It's not your fault" Shelby whispered, beginning to feel a little tearful again. "I've said right from the start, as long as I've got this one then I'll be okay."

"You've not just got her though" Will wiped at Shelby's tears, "you've got your Dad and your brother, and if you'll have me, you've got me too."

"You can't choose me over your Mom Will, I…"

"I know you're probably never going to believe me Shelby, but you're worth fighting for, and I, I want to be here for you for as long as you want me to be."

"What if it doesn't work out between us?" Shelby whispered, "what if you choose me over her and then it doesn't work?"

"Then at least I know that, at the time when I had to choose, I chose the woman who cared about me and not the woman who wanted me to feel bad about loving someone." He reached up to wipe at Shelby's tears again, "it's been a strange day" he told her, "for both of us, and, I hope you don't mind me saying this but you look exhausted Shelby."

"I am" she whispered.

"Let's get some sleep then" Will kissed her cheek, "we can talk about things when you're not quite so tired."

Shelby nodded, "Rachel will probably be up early."

"That's okay, if there's anything I can do to help, or if you just want me to stay out of your way in the morning, you just have to say."

Shelby smiled and tilted her head to kiss Will's lips before settling down, Rachel against her bare chest, her head on his shoulder, "I'm letting you spend the night in my bed, you can make breakfast for us."

Will laughed and gently combed his fingers through Shelby's hair, "I'm sure I can manage that."