Author's Note: dear smartblonde317: I'm not going to "kill stupid Shelby" – but I like your way of thinking. I'm not a fan of her.

Author's Note 2: It is NOT my fault this update took so long. The doc manager wouldn't let me upload anything for the last five days. No idea why. Maybe the fact that I was a bit bitchy these last couple of days gave me bad karma.

Count On Me

Chapter 3

Death by strangulation? No, too brutal. Not to mention physically exhausting.

Death by busted eardrums, caused by a high-pitched scream? No, she had perfected her high notes, but she was not a banshee.

Death by falling – being pushed - from a flight of stairs? That could work. Except that he could survive. That was not an option.

Death by Vodoo doll? Different method, same problem. Santana had one of her, and she was still alive.

Death by car crash? Scratch that. She didn't want any collateral damage.

It was really difficult to decide; but no matter what, Jacob Ben Israel was a dead man. No, no, he wasn't a man. He was a worm. A nuisance. A jerk. Well, whatever he was, he was dead. Santana had already offered her services before she'd been ushered out the door with the rest of the Glee club. Quinn would surely want to have a part in it if things with Shelby went bad. Their friends would cover for them. But none of that was important, because Rachel was going to be the first one to hit him over the head with a shovel. Oh. That was an idea.

Sure, it was possible that she was working herself up over nothing. Did she care? Not in the least. Because even if nothing came from Jacob's stupid blog post, even if Shelby had just called to congratulate them, even if her dads just wanted to talk about how glad they were that Quinn and her had found each other…even if they all were going to be one big happy family, she'd still have to make the gossip-monger suffer. Because it was his fault that Quinn was currently disturbingly close to a very real and very scary panic attack; and that was simply unacceptable. Rachel would never tolerate anyone making her girlfriend feel this way. So Jacob Ben Israel's days were counted.

Death by rusty shovel.

Death by Rachel Berry.

It wouldn't be pretty.

"So, let's talk about this", Hiram said. He and Leroy were sitting on the couch together, Quinn and Rachel on stools in front of them. Rachel worried that Quinn might fall from her seat with all the trembling she was doing and placed a hand on her knee, ignoring the look her fathers shot her. This was not the time to placate her parents. This was the time to comfort her freaked out girlfriend.

"What did Shelby call about?", she asked innocently. It was useless to pretend, really. With her eyes nervously darting around, her lips pressed tightly together and her whole body fidgeting, Quinn was doing a good job of confessing to every sin she had ever committed without saying anything. But Rachel still had hope, and she wasn't going to tip her hand.

"Apparently, there's this blog…"

Yep. Dead guy.

"We are concerned, girls. We knew you'd gotten close, and we're fine with your relationship as long as you're both happy-"

"But it would have been nice to be informed about this by our daughter, and not Shelby Corcoran", Leroy cut his husband off.

Well, if this was what they were so angry about – and the anger practically screamed at her from their expressions – then maybe Quinn's eyes and hands and mouth could go back to working properly, soon. Rachel knew exactly how to do damage control when secrets came out.

"I'm sorry", she sincerely said, and Quinn nodded. "I realize it was improper to keep this from you. I promise to be open about our relationship from now on. I wasn't intentionally keeping us a secret from you. At least not in a bad way. We just wanted to enjoy this without outside influence for a while." That, and people outside of Glee club knowing posed obstacles they had only just discussed.

"We understand that", Hiram nodded. "And we're not angry."

They weren't? Well, they sure as hell looked angry. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was obvious. If they weren't angry about their secrecy, then…

"What did Shelby tell you?", Quinn asked. Rachel was relieved that her girlfriend hadn't gone completely mute, but the question made her fears rise again.

"She's…not happy about this development. She doesn't…she said some things about family relations and influence and role models", Leroy informed them, clearly upset with the conversation.

"Quinn, you should talk to her. It's just…with Beth…you should really talk to her", Hiram concluded.

Of course they were angry about Shelby, or rather, Shelby's reaction. Things just couldn't be easy for them, could they? Influence and role models? What did that even mean? They weren't corrupt – they were in love. Did Shelby disagree with their relationship? If she did, what did that mean for Quinn and Beth? Nothing good.

Apparently, Quinn had realized this too, and in a flash, she was up and running out of them room.

"Quinn!", Rachel shouted, following after the blonde. "Quinn!" But she was already out the front door, and quickly getting in her car, driving off before Rachel could reach her.

Defeated, Rachel stood in the entrance, her shoulders slumped.

"Honey…", Hiram said from behind her.

"I'm going to bed", she stated, rushing past her fathers up to her room. She needed time alone. She needed to think.

"Yes, sleep will be good now. Good night!", Leroy called after her.

Sleep. Sure. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. She didn't have time for sleeping. She had a murder to plan.

The next day found the Glee club shooting worried glances at each other all day, Quinn MIA, Jacob Dead Man Israel still alive, and Rachel on a warpath.

"What exactly is your problem?"

"Excuse me?", Shelby asked, turning from the board she had been writing on and facing her daughter.

"What exactly is your problem?", Rachel repeated, her tone icy.

"If you're referring to-"

"I'm referring to your conversation with my fathers yesterday", Rachel interrupted, not wanting to beat around the bush. Quinn hadn't answered her calls. She'd even driven to her house to check on her, make her talk to her, but Judy's car had been in the driveway, and they really didn't need more complications. She'd then talked to Santana who had informed the rest of the Glee club, but no one had been able to reach Quinn. It was a mess.

What else was she supposed to do but confront Shelby?

"Maybe you want to tell me about you and Quinn first", Shelby replied. "I didn't appreciate finding out about you like that."

"Like what?"

"Being ambushed with questions in between classes by a wannabe paparazzo."

"I didn't realize it was any of your business", Rachel told her.

"I'm you mother", Shelby countered.

"Biologically speaking", Rachel shot back.

Shelby sighed. "Biologically, yes. And biologically, Quinn is Beth's mother. But Beth's my daughter, too, which makes her your sister. And with you and Quinn as girlfriends, the family tree looks…well, incestuous, really."

"Quinn and I are not related. We don't share the same blood", Rachel defended.

"You don't share any blood with your fathers, either", Shelby reminded her.

That was low blow, and Rachel virtually took a step back at the words. Was Shelby going to insult every one of her relationships now? Well, two could play that game.

"You don't get to have a say in who I date. Actually, you don't have a say in anything I do. You wanted to admire me from afar, remember that?"

"I came back. We sang a song together. You forgave me!" Was there a hint of desperation in her voice?

"Yes. But what does that mean for us? Does it even mean anything? The people I love most in this world are not related to me by blood. The one who is has hurt me more than anyone else ever has. What does that mean, huh?"

Apparently, Shelby didn't have an answer to that. And so she did what most people do when they're cornered: lash out and try to get their way. "I don't want you to see Quinn anymore. You guys can be friends. But if Quinn wants to continue seeing Beth, you better not be more."

And the only thing Rachel could say to that was a hissed "Fuck you". Furious, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. While Shelby stood in her classroom, completely still, mouth hanging open form shock, Rachel sank against a row of lockers and breathed deeply. She needed to do something. She needed to change Shelby's mind. She needed to ask Santana on how to beat someone up without breaking your own limbs. She needed to find Quinn. Hug Quinn. Kiss Quinn.

This was far from over, and they were going to come out of it as winners. She was going to make sure of it.