Shooting the Rapids - Chapter Six
Title: Shooting the Rapids
Author: Sio & Maura
Rating: NC-17
Length: 22,040 / 105,220
Spoilers: Possible mentions of up to Season 2 finale
Pairing: Rachel/Santana
Summary: The sequel to Standing on a Precipice. Rachel and Santana have managed to survive the turbulent waters of the loss of Jesse and the shocking truth hidden in Santana’s marriage. Now two years later, new troubles arise with Shelby taking a stand in defense of her daughter against Santana’s "corruption" and the involvement of the tabloids as the couple becomes more and more drawn into the public eye. Kayla’s success in gymnastics brings interest from an unexpected direction and Santana has decided she wants to try again for a child of her own. Can they survive as a couple and help their children thrive amidst the chaos?
Warnings (highlight to read): Pregnancy, angst, children, non-con and drugging and talks thereof in later chapters
A/N: Please note that we'll be on a small posting hiatus due to the holidays for at least a week coming up next week.
Chapter Six
It had been years now and Shelby still didn't understand why her daughter had opted to move in with that Latina hussy and abandon the home she'd shared with Jesse. She looked up at the brownstone in front of her with a disgusted huff and shake of her head, climbing the cement stairs to ring the buzzer. There had been nothing wrong with the little house in West Orange and it had been the home she'd shared with her husband. Not for the first time, Shelby wondered what she'd done to make Rachel so eager to turn her back on the memory of the man who loved her.
Rachel looked up from the dish she was putting the final touches on when she heard the buzzer. "Alex, sweetie," she glanced down at the little boy perched on a kitchen chair coloring, "Go and wake your mommy and sister up for dinner while I see who's at the door, okay?"
"Okay, Mama," the little boy chirped, sliding off the chair and scurrying back to his parents' bedroom as Rachel dried her hands and headed out to the door, brushing her hand over her oldest son's head as he read on the sofa.
Opening the door, she smiled at her estranged mother, stepping aside. "Shelby, how good of you to come. Please, come in and make yourself at home."
"Why thank you, Rachel." Shelby smiled warmly at her as she came in, taking off her coat and handing it to the young mother who opened the closet to hang it up.
Alex tumbled into the bedroom and hopped and scrambled at the side of the bed until he was able to get up on the bed, waking his sister in the process. He was about to pounce on his mommy when Kayla grabbed him around the waist. "No, 'Lex! Santi's gonna have a baby and you can't jump on her!"
He turned at her with wide eyes, "Really, Kay? Mommy's having baby?"
"Uh-huh. That's why her and Mama went to the doctor and Bethie watched us today. To make a baby." Kayla informed him seriously, "So we gotta be careful with Santi now."
"Okay," he nodded cheerfully with a happy grin, crawling up to carefully shake Santana's shoulder, "Wake up, Mommy. Mama says dinner time."
Santana blinked her eyes open, and smiled up at her son. "Hi, buddy." She said tiredly before kissing his little lips. "Thank you for waking us up, we would have slept right through dinner." She sat up slowly and cracked her back, she could hear the faint voices of adults taking in the hallway. Shelby. Santana had forgotten that Rachel and Beth's mother was coming for dinner. She groaned inwardly at he situation she knew she faced for the next few hours. "Come on, little ones," she said, trying to sound chipper. "Let's stop being lazy."
Alex nodded, "Wash hands and eat!" He clapped his hands for a second then stopped and leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially at Santana, "You really havin' baby, Mommy? I gonna be big brother like Caley?"
Santana laughed, "I'm trying, baby boy." She said leaning really close so their noses touched. "You're gonna be a big brother and Kayla is gonna be the biggest of sisters someday. I'll let you know when I have the baby in my tummy. Okay?" She smiled and got of bed and helped him down and reached out to take Kayla's hand. "Let's go say hi to Grandma Shelby." She stated as she headed into the hall followed by the kids, Alex running forward and hugging his grandma's leg.
"Gran'ma!" He exclaimed with a squeak, "Hi!" He was excited, physically bouncing on his heels as he greeted Shelby.
"Hello, Shelby." Santana said politely as squeezed Kayla's hand. "Thanks for letting Beth babysit, the kids have a great time with her."
"Hey, baby!" Shelby grinned, picking up the little boy and spinning him around, "Wow, you've gotten so big!" She completely ignored Santana as she focused on her youngest grandchild.
"I five now, Gran'ma!" He held out his hand fully outstretched, grinning widely. "I get to go to school like Cale and Kay!"
"That's amazing, sweetheart!" The older woman bounced him slightly on her hip as she made her way into the dining room, leaning down to give Kayla a kiss on the cheek but brushed past Santana as if she wasn't even there. "Rachel, sweetie, what's for dinner?"
Kayla frowned, chewing on her lip and tugging Santana's hand. "Santi, why was Gramma Shelby mean to you? Mama says it's really rude to ignore people when they talk to you..."
Santana turned to face her daughter. "I'm honestly not sure, Mija. She doesn't like that your mom loves me and... well sometimes people just don't like other people. Don't let it both you, Kayla." She smiled, not comfortable that it had gotten to the point where the children had realized that Shelby hated her.
Kayla nodded and tugged Santana along with her into the kitchen to get the plates and start setting the table for dinner. Rachel glanced over at Santana with a warm - and slightly frustrated at her mother's behavior, which she'd definitely noticed - smile. Crossing the kitchen, she rose up on her tip toes to kiss her lover, her fingers lightly brushing over her stomach. "Thank you for not reacting to her, sweetheart," she murmured, "she's just trying to get a rise out of you but I know you're the better woman."
Shelby acted as if the other two women weren't talking as she listened to Alex babble at her until something he said caught her attention. "What was that, sweetheart?"
"I'm gonna be a big brother!" He cheered, more than happy to repeat the wonderful news, "Mommy's gonna have a baby and I get to be a big brother like Caley!"
"Oh, baby," Shelby murmured, brushing his hair back with a sad smile, "that's just not possible. Your daddy's dead and your mommy isn't married any more so she can't have any more babies."
Alex looked confused, screwing up his face, "No, Gran'ma. Not Mama. Mommy! Mommy is gonna have a baby and I'm gonna be a big brother!"
"Who?" Shelby looked puzzled, "Alex, you only have one Mommy." She pointed at Rachel, "That's your Mommy. And your Daddy's dead and gone, little one."
"No! That's Mama!" Alex pouted, pointing emphatically at Santana, "That's Mommy!"
Shelby's lips thinned, "She's not your mommy, Alex. She's just a bad woman who's making your mommy live with her."
Alex's face scrunched up and he started crying. "No! Mommy's not bad! Mommy!" He wriggled in Shelby's arms, reaching for Santana.
Santana froze. She didn't know what to say or do the minute she heard Shelby start talking. She pulled away from her girlfriend and quickly went and grabbed her son out of his grandmother's arms.
"Shelby," Santana said in a low, curt tone. "Back. the. hell up. I am so tired of you coming into my home and treating me like I don't even exist. I love Rachel, I love her and Jesse's children... but guess what. We've been together for a long time. I love these kids like my own." She glared at the older brunette. "And yes, I am in the process of giving them another sibling."
Shelby snorted, "Women like you don't know anything about love. You just use people and discard them when you get what you want. You've twisted Rachel, got your claws in my little girl after her husband died while she was still weak and grieving and now you're after my grandchildren? I don't think so."
Rachel had enough. "Shelby! How dare you?!" She stepped between her family and the woman, hands on her hips and glaring angrily at her. "What makes you think you have any right to come into our home and insulting my lover in front of our children?!"
"You're my daughter, Rachel." Shelby didn't even break her glare at Santana for a moment to glance at the furious woman standing between them. "That gives me all the right in the world to protect you from predators like her."
Rachel's jaw dropped and she slowly shook her head. "Your daughter? Your daughter?" She laughed almost hysterically, "I'm not your daughter! You gave me up! Not once but twice! And the second time you had the audacity of doing it after you made me seek you out! And then you adopted Quinn's baby right after you rejected me! How am I your daughter?"
"By the fact that I carried you for nine months and I gave birth to you." Shelby's gaze finally dropped to Rachel, startled to see that the smaller woman was nearly trembling she was so furious with her mother.
Santana walked away, she moved and handed Alex to Beth in the other room and quietly asked her to occupy the children for a few minutes. She returned and crossed her arms. "Look, I don't know what your damage is. Or what you're fucking grudge is with me but, seriously. Back the fuck down." Santana said as calmly as she could manage. "I've been fine with you ignoring me and hating on me for 5 years. But, that's over now."
She narrowed her eyes and she glared at the older woman. "You are fast approaching a life where you won't see your grandchildren anymore. Rachel doesn't want you around them alone and I'm really close to banning you from our home.... Be a flaming bitch if you want, but realize that your actions have consequences."
"And I have tolerated you manipulating my daughter and grandchildren against me for long enough, Santana." Shelby crossed her arms over her chest, her entire posture radiating belligerence. "Don't think I didn't hear all the terrible and vile things you did to Rachel. You expect me to believe that she just forgave you of all that and just let you back in? You expect me to believe that you've changed that much? A tiger doesn't change her stripes, Santana, and neither do bullies!"
"Holy fucking god." Santana was blown away. "I was 16 years old! That was over a decade ago! Jesus! Woman, don't you think I know what you did to your daughter? Remember, if were playing the who hurt Rachel more game... You will always win. You abandoned her. You got her late husband to trick her into being friends. You're fucking lucky she gave you a second chance."
"Don't talk to me about things you know nothing about, Santana Lopez," Shelby hissed, taking a step towards her. "You think that just because you've tricked my daughter into being some sort of lesbian freak like you -"
"Get out," Rachel's voice was soft as she interrupted, her head down as she trembled.
"What?" Shelby stopped, confused.
"Get out of my home, Shelby. I don't want you here." Rachel slowly raised her head to look directly into her birth mother's eyes, her face pale with rage. "I don't want you around my children. That disgusting sort of behaviour is not allowed in this home. You want to spout hate speech, then you can do it on a box in Central Park if you want but you can not do it in my home!"
"Rachel, baby, you don't mean -"
"Don't tell me what I do or don't mean! You are not my mother! I have two wonderful, loving fathers who were there for me when I needed them! I have a wonderful girlfriend who never left me! Unlike you! You have no right to judge me or my family! So GET OUT OF MY HOME!" Rachel's voice was shrill, tears streaking her face as she pointed imperiously towards the front door.
Santana looked at the floor. Then back up to the woman fuming across from her. Santana sighed as she ran her hand up and down Rachel back trying to comfort her slightly. "Shelby, I'm sorry you hate me. I'm sorry you think I tricked Rachel into falling in love with me." she swallowed and tried to not show up hurt she was. "I love her more than anything in the world. I need you to respect her, and our family." She looked pointedly, "Beth is more than welcome here, we love her and so do the kids... but you have to check with Rachel before you contact our kids again or you come to this house."
"No," Shelby shook her head, smiling disbelievingly as she looked between the two younger woman, "I'm your mother, Rachel. They're my grandchildren. You... you can't seriously be thinking of keeping them away from their grandmother..."
"I can and I am," Rachel's voice was cold, her anger only barely kept in check by the soothing touch of her lover's hand on her back, "You are of no relation to me or my family, Shelby. I want you out of this house and I don't want to hear from you again until you learn to accept that I am in love with this woman. That she is the second mother to my children and that I am having a child with her who will be a younger sibling to the children I was blessed to have by Jesse."
"Rachel..."
"No, Shelby. I'm sick and tired of how you are only around when it's convenient for you. You've done it all my life. Manipulating me into looking for or starting to depend on you and then dropping me or... pulling vile things like this. You will not do it to my children." She pointed at the door again. "Now get out before I call the police and have you arrested for trespassing. Beth is welcome here. She is part of my family. You are not."
She looked at her girlfriend and kept rubbing her back. "Calm down please, Rae," Santana whispered, hating that this was all happening. "It's not worth it," She reminded her. "Shelby, please. For one in her life, please consider Rachel's feelings and do as she wishes."
"I came here to spend time with my family," Shelby whispered, "but I see I was mistaken." She stepped out into the hall and took her coat out of the closet. "I have to go, children. I'm sorry. Beth? Are you coming?"
The teenager looked up from trying to distract Cale and Alex with coloring books. She looked torn. "Mom..." She started, her voice quivering slightly after hearing the hateful things her mother had just said to her sister and her sister's girlfriend. "I want to stay for dinner with Aunt San and Rachel." She said softly, looking over at Kayla who was nervously biting her fingernails. "I told Kayla I'd braid her hair..."
Shelby just looked at her for a long moment then blinked and nodded her head. "Okay," she murmured pulling her coat on, "I'll see you later at home. Make sure your sister insures you get home safely, sweetheart." She opened the door, glancing back at Santana with a final unpleasant glare, "I hope you're happy, Santana."
As the door closed, Rachel finally moved from the trembling statue she'd become trying to hold her anger in check, spinning to wrap her arms around her girlfriend and squeeze her tight, burying her face in the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry..." she sobbed against tanned skin, over and over.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant for that to happen. This is all my fault, Rachel." Santana said, "I knew she hated me and I kept pushing her and I didn't... I should have just backed off. Kayla told Alex about the baby and he was just excited." Santana was almost breathless trying to apologize to Rachel, "I don't know how to make this better."
Rachel shook her head, kissing Santana's neck the skin salty with her tears. "No, sweetheart. This isn't your fault. It's hers. I hate that she harbored such disgusting thoughts for so long, but to bring them out in front of the children... Oh my gosh, the children!" Rachel looked up at Santana with horror at how she'd behaved where they could hear, "They're going to be so scared..."
She took Santana's hand, pulling her with her as she headed out to the living room. As soon as the two women came into the room and were spotted by the kids, they were swarmed with three anxious children, Beth left sitting awkwardly on the sofa and watching nervously. She didn't like or agree with anything her mother had said, nor did she known where it had come from - the woman having raised her to be open-minded and tolerant. But she didn't know if she'd be welcome in the little group hugging across the room for her, so she stayed where she was, quietly fretting and trying to hide it - very much like her birth mother used to do when she was a teen.
Santana quickly picked up Cale and gave him a strong hug. She watched as Rachel comforted the other two children and she headed over to sit with Beth on the couch. She knew that look. She had been friends with one Quinn Fabray for years and she knew what that face was.
"Sweetie." Santana said softly wrapping an arm around Beth's shoulder. "Everything will be okay. Rachel and your mom fought, but Rae never stays mad." She smiled weakly, "No matter what? Rae loves you, I love you and the children love you so even if things are awkward and messy for awhile... you and Rae are fine. You and me are fine and you will always be welcome here."
Beth leaned over, resting her head on Santana's shoulder, "My mom was really mean to you, Aunt San. That wasn't fair what she said," she murmured, smiling softly at Cale and ruffling his hair, "I know you love Rachel. I might only be a kid, but I can see that. Why can't she?"
"Because she really cared about Jesse. He was more of a child to your mom then Rachel was for a long time." Santana shrugged, "Sometimes people can't move on after losing someone." Santana sighed and looked over at her girlfriend and smiled when she saw her coloring with the kids. "She didn't like that I'm gonna have a baby with Rachel."
Beth straighten a bit with a smile, "You're gonna have a baby? Really? Aw, that is so cool!" She grinned at Santana, "I get to be an aunt again, right? Being an aunt is the best thing ever."
Santana smiled and watched the girl for a moment, she missed her friends when she looked at Beth. "Of course you'll be an aunt!" Santana smiled and pushed the girl's bangs back out of her eyes. "I just got the egg implanted today so we have to wait a bit until Rachel and I find out if it worked.. but yeah. Hopefully we'll have a baby."
Rachel overheard, glancing up with a smile before looking at the picture of Batman and Robin scaling a wall that Alex was showing her. "I know everyone got noisy and it wasn't happy," she began, running her fingers through Kayla's hair where the little girl sat on her lap, "but dinner's ready if anyone is hungry."
"I'm hungry, Mama!" Cale nodded as he jumped off Santana's lap and started to try and pull his other parent and aunt off the couch. "Come on, let's go eat!" he exclaimed once they were up.
"Alright, alright, calm yourself." Santana smiled and headed over to Rachel and kissed her softly before heading to the kitchen.
Rachel stood and dusted off the seat of her pants before herding the children in the direction of the bathroom to go wash up under Beth's watch before following Santana into the kitchen and wrapping her arms around her lover's waist. "I love you, Santana," she murmured, leaning up to kiss her softly, "and I don't care what my birth mother or anyone else says. I belong right here in your arms and by your side until the day I draw my last breath. And anyone who says otherwise can go jump off a pier."
"You are so so dramatic," Santana smiled before kissing her softly. "But I love you. I love our children and no matter what you and I? We're together." She rested her forehead on Rachel's and smiled softly. "We're a team." She heard the giggling voices of the children and wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and just smiled despite the hatred in her heart for Shelby, she had everything she ever wanted.
Rachel giggled softly, hugging Santana, "Absolutely, Santana. And a winning team at that." She leaned up at kissed Santana again not pulling away until she heard the chorus of "ew!" coming from behind her. "Hey, none of that! I love this woman and I'll kiss her if I like!" she laughed, trying to ignore the ache around her heart at losing her birth mother again as she spun around and hoisted Alex up, blowing a raspberry on his cheek.
He laughed, hugging her. "You're silly, Mama." He looked at Santana over Rachel's shoulder, "No more fighting, Mommy? Eat now?"
"Yeah, baby," she smiled and kissed his head before heading to the stove and start getting dinner onto plates. "Everyone sit down. Kayla, can you pour everyone some water and Alex's gets milk?" Santana asked as she started serving up food onto plates.
Once everyone was settled, she got Alex seated in his booster and she looked to Rachel to lead the family in the silent prayer they had begun taking a little over two years ago. She prayed softly like she had earlier in the day for her body to take the pregnancy like it was suppose to, adding a soft prayer for Shelby to come around and accept their family as it was.
Chapter Seven