My first Glee fanfic! For everyone who is waiting on Through Thick and Thin, I am starting the next chapter now. I recently went through a death in the family and a break up which is why writing has taken a back seat. So sorry!

Shelby Corcoran was a respected teacher, an award winning glee coach, a loving aunt, a wonderful friend and sister. She had recently gotten out of a relationship, but was content in her newfound singleness. She owned her own home, and lived a comfortable lifestyle.

Yet, Shelby was missing one thing. It was the only thing that kept her up at night. It wasn't her Glee choir responsibilities. It wasn't bills, and money. Those aspects of her life were of no consequence to her. Those nights when she couldn't sleep was when Shelby thought of one person. One particular little girl. Her daughter. Or, at least, she considered the girl she gave up her daughter.

Shelby wondered what the girl looked like now. Did she like to sing? Was she tall, short? Quiet, loud? Shelby would gaze up at her ceiling and imagine every detail. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but those nights as she stared at the ceiling, she would imagine what a day in the life with her daughter would be like.

Truly, that's all she had to work with. Her imagination that is.

Because her daughter wasn't hers. Her daughter belonged to Hiram and Leroy Berry. She had attempted to find them on facebook, but there was no sign of them on the social media site. She had found them through google though.

Hiram was one of the best lawyers in the city, and Leroy a hedge fund manager. They lived in New York. Both of their company biographies mentioned they had a daughter, but never her name. Selby's heart ached to know about her eleven year old daughter. But it soothed her to know that her fathers' were well off and had the means to take care of her.

But today was Wednesday. Hump day. The middle of the week, and per usual, Shelby was a master at compartmentalizing her emotions. She walked into the main office after school, her heels clicking in place, to pick up old AP exams for her juniors to practice on.

She was a no nonsense teacher and taught the advanced English courses This year she was also tasked with two periods of a non honors sophomore course, but she was finding that those kids were just as enjoyable to teach. She just had to modify her strategies.

Once Shelby walked in she heard a commotion in Principal Figgins office, but tried to ignore it as she headed towards the skinny brunette, Sophie Olvera, one of the secretaries.

"Hey Soph, do you have those exams?" She asked.

Sophie did some digging in her bottom drawer and smiled as she handed them over.

"Are you KIDDING me?! Damn it!" They both heard come from Figgins office.

Sophie looked up at Shelby's concerned and quizzical look, "That's Ron Thompson screaming." She whispered at the teacher.

"The football player?" Shelby rose an eyebrow.

The secretary nodded, "He might get pulled from the team for grades apparently. His mother and sister are in there too. They just bombarded Figgins office." Her voice was low, knowing that this was juicy gossip that she shouldn't be spreading.

Shelby knew the sister. Lindsay Thompson. The girl was one of her students.

Lindsay was a sophomore and in cheer. The girl was pretty popular, could be bitchy at times, and was not particularly fond of English class. Shelby wasn't surprised at all that she'd be in there fighting for her brother. At the end of the day, Lindsay seemed like a loyal girl that you'd like to be on your side, rather than against it.

"No! That's bullshit Figgins!" Came Lindsay's voice and it made both Sophie and Shelby crack a smile.

"Lindsay Denise Thompson, language!"

"That must be the mother." Shelby noted with a small chuckle.

Sophie nodded enthusiastically, "I don't think Figgins has gotten more than rebuttals out. He's drowning in there."

The teacher frowned sympathetically as they heard him spousing some words to the family, "Poor guy." Shelby muttered.

Sophia clucked her tongue with judgment, "And that woman just left another little girl, probably nine or ten years old, outside the office."

"Well the poor mom must probably be overwhelmed." Shelby pointed out.

The secretary shrugged, "Well I heard the child sniffling so I went out and handed her some water and a tissue. It looked like she'd been crying."

"How long have they been in there?"

"I'd say an hour."

Shelby's eyes grew, "That child has been sitting out there alone for an hour crying?"

"I know, my thoughts exactly." Sophia commiserated.

Shelby shook her head, "I'm gonna check on her."

Sophia watched Shelby leave the office on a mission. She sighed and went back to typing on her computer. The woman wasn't surprised. Shelby had a definite soft spot for kids, and had the biggest heart for them out of all the teachers. The very idea of a kid being alone and sad made Shelby cringe.

The teacher walked towards the front entrance of the office and opened the door. She looked to the left and there on the bench was a short, skinny girl. She had on a purple headband around her long brunette locks. She also wore a white sweater with the silhouette of a dog sewed onto the center, a skirt, white knee socks, and mary janes. It was an adorable sight to Shelby, but the moment she saw the tiny girl sniffle and wipe her eyes, the teacher frowned.

For some reason it made her heart sag a little to see it. More than a scene like this usually would.

Shelby walked over silently, "Are you okay sweetie?"

The preteen looked up startled and wiped her eyes and nose with the back of her hand. A blush rose to her cheeks. "I-I'm o-okay." She spoke through a hiccup.

Shelby sat down next to her tentatively, and took out two tissues from her oversized purse, moving around the exams that she had placed there "Here, take these." The teacher spoke warmly, "Don't use your hands honey, that's unsanitary."

The small girl nodded sadly and blew her nose, scrunching the tissue in her hands afterwards. She liked that the woman called her honey and sweetie. She only heard those from her Uncle on occasions, but not usually from anyone else.

Shelby studied the girl. Why did she look so familiar to her? A strange familiar. "How long have you been out here for?"

The girl kicked at the air, since her legs didn't reach the floor, as she was leaned all the way back on the bench. Shelby noticed new tears form in her eyes, but an angry scowl form on her face "A long time! I don't wanna be here no more!" Her cries renewed.

Just as Shelby was about to open her mouth to say something, out came Mrs. Thompson and her two children, Lindsay and Ron, from the office. They were bickering loudly amongst each other, but it came to a stop when the woman yelled for her niece.

"Rachel!" Her voice clearly exasperated. She turned to her children, "You two, be quiet. Ron, I'm not too happy with you right now."

Shelby watched Rachel scowl at the woman.

"Let's go Rach." Mrs. Thompson said to the small preteen.

Rachel shook her head at the woman, "No! You dragged me here Aunt Carrie! My daddies were supposed to call me. I was supposed to be at home to talk to them!"

Shelby stood up awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

"Ms. Corcoran? What're you doing with my cousin?" Lindsay asked her teacher surprised, meanwhile Ron just scoffed and mumbled he was going to wait in the car, and Mrs. Thompson stalked over to the livid sixth grader.

Shelby was about to answer when Rachel's aunt stood right in front of them, visibly annoyed.

"Rachel, let's go. Leave this woman alone."

"You leave me alone!" Rachel cried, as she wiped tears from her face.

Mrs. Thompson unceremoniously lifted the small preteen up by the arm, "We're leaving now, young lady." She ordered.

"Ow!" Rachel yelped, "My arm!"

"Whoa!" Shelby's protective instincts kicked in, "M'am that wasn't necessary-"

Carrie stopped and stared at Shelby while Rachel fought away from her and went towards her cousin. "Rachel can you fucking chill. Mom's already mad!" Lindsay hissed at Rachel.

"And who are you?" The angry woman spit at the teacher.

"She's my English teacher, ma!" Lindsay piped in, "Can we go now?"

Shelby looked at Rachel whose arms were crossed and was pouting by her cousin. Carrie Thompson just scoffed at the glare that Shelby was giving her.

"Mrs. Thompson I'm normally not one to intrude in family matters. But your niece is upset and I don't think the way you just manhandled her is helping her." She pointed at Rachel whose tears were freely coming down.

"I would stick to your normal way of behaving and butt out of family matters." The woman retorted, not fazed at all.

"Maaaa!" Lindsay whined, "Please, leave it." She looked at her cousin, "God, do you see what you do Rachel."

"I just wanted to talk to them!" Rachel defended herself angrily, "I wanted to talk to my daddies. It's been such a long time!"

Mrs. Thompson turned around having had enough, "Rachel, your fathers didn't want to talk to you!" The flustered woman finally gave in and told her.

The little girl's eyes widened, "Wha-what?"

"Hiram called me and told me that they were too busy, so yes I brought you with me. I am not the bad one here. And I've warned you about your outbursts, young lady."

The comment cut through Rachel and her lip began to quiver as heavy tears started to fall down her cheeks.

Shelby's heart stopped when she heard that name. She watched as Mrs. Thompson gave her one last glare. Then stood by as Carrie grabbed Rachel by the upper arm and led her out of the school, warning her under not so muttered words to calm herself or else. Shelby felt her heart tighten as the little girl disappeared with Mrs. Thompson and her student Lindsay.

See, Shelby knew that name. Hiram. It was attached to another name in her mind. Leroy. They were the fathers of the child she bore. The child that would've freshly turned eleven years old two days ago. She felt her world crashing. Far too confused and emotionally volatile, Shelby hastened to her own car.

Was that-could that sad little girl have been...her daughter? The woman's mind raced with all the information that she now had about the small child she had sat next to for five minutes.

Her name was Rachel. She had long dark hair. She was tiny, and dressed adorably. She was sensitive. She missed her 'daddies,' but they were too busy for her. She had a seemingly emotionally callous, or maybe just overburdened aunt who took care of her, and two typical teenage cousins.

Shelby's heart ached for that little girl. For Rachel. But was that really her daughter? Or was she jumping to conclusions?

There couldn't be too many surrogate children with two fathers, one of them whose name was Hiram….right? There just couldn't be.

But how? Why wasn't this girl with her fathers? Before, Shelby was able to maintain a sense of peace in knowing that her daughter was safe and loved. But if that girl she had just met was her daughter, then she was wrong about that. So, so wrong. And now all her worry came back two fold and trails of tears fell from her cheeks as her head fell into her hands and slumped against her steering wheel.

…. …. ….

Rachel curled into a ball on her twin bed, as she held onto her Clifford.

The girl's tears didn't seem to stop, and her aunt and cousins had grown tired of her sniveling. Both Lindsay and Ron were calling her a crybaby and so she went to the room that she shared with her cousin to suffer in private.

Lindsay wasn't very happy with sharing her space with the sixth grader, which Rachel figured was part of the reason that she could be so mean sometimes. It was hit or miss with her cousin Lindsay. Some days she was kind, other days, like today, not so much.

But, Rachel didn't particularly care about that right now. All she cared about was the fact that her dads hadn't wanted to call her. It had been a month already without one call from them. It had been a whole year since they'd shipped her off to Ohio, claiming that they were too busy, claiming it would be better for her to go stay with Hiram's sister, Carrie. The little girl knew that her and her dads never had a particularly loving bond. They made sure she was taken care of, had what she needed, but they were rather inattentive. Although whenever someone from their work came over they'd hug her and hold her on their lap. Rachel loved that, unfortunately once their client, co-worker, or potential investor got up from the table, couch, or chair, she'd be lifted off their lap in order for them to say their final goodbyes. Rachel knew that it was her cue to go upstairs and get herself ready for bed. Her dads would close the doors, turn off the lights and head to their room. Sometimes they'd yell a goodnight her way from the hallways, but that wasn't usually the case.

The poor girl's heart ached for attention that she never received.

Her aunt was not a cuddly woman either, and she always sided with her own children whenever a fight or argument broke out. At least it seemed like it to Rachel. But sometimes the woman's nice side came through. Like after Lindsay broke up with one of her boyfriends. Rachel pretended to be sleeping while her aunt held her cousin in bed, and rubbed her back until Lindsay fell asleep. The small girl felt a pang of jealousy and hugged her red stuffed dog harder. She wanted that too.

Luckily, the 11 year old had her uncle Larry who seemed to have grown smitten with her, as smitten as the very serious man could be. He would hug her when she seemed particularly sad and ruffle her hair a lot. He also once rocked her to sleep in his chair for two days straight when she was really sick!

The preteen sometimes dreamed about that moment. It was the first time she remembered feeling so much physical contact. Rachel loved her uncle Larry.

Her cousins were normal teenagers. They could be selfish and they were a bit indifferent to a lot of things. They loved their baby cousin, except Ron was nicer than Lindsay was. Both were loud, but Lindsay was the most argumentative with her parents. That was usually why she got into trouble. And the first time Rachel realized what her aunt or uncle meant whenever they'd threaten their kids with "Do you need a firmer reminder of who is in charge?" was after Lindsay had told her aunt to stop being such a bitch. The woman said exactly that and all Lindsay said in return was 'fuck off.' Ron's head snapped up and Rachel just stared stunned. Her aunt practically dragged her daughter to her room. Rachel was equally surprised when she heard Lindsay cry the words 'No mommy, no. I'm sorry!" from the room they shared some five minutes later.

Rachel had only heard Lindsay call her aunt Carrie 'mommy' when she got really sick with the stomach flu this one time, nor had she ever sounded that remorseful.

Ron looked at her cousin and sighed.

"What's aunt Carrie gonna do?" She asked, suddenly feeling sorry for her cousin.

Ron cleared his throat feeling a little self conscious himself, but realizing that Rachel was going to figure it out soon enough, "Mom and dad, they still, uhh, you know, spank when it's something serious."

The little girl's eyes widened. Her fathers never touched her. If she was being "annoying and insufferable" as they put it, or she did something wrong they'd lock her in her room for hours. Sometimes the whole day. They'd bring her food, but they wouldn't let her get out. Rachel started to hate her room because of it.

"They don't really do it unless we really fuck up. I haven't gotten it in like two years. Lindsay just has a big mouth and won't stop. If you hear them tell you the whole firmer reminder comment, either it's too late and you're dead or if it's attitude and talking back you just gotta stop or else you're gonna get it. Trust me."

Lindsay was really subdued after her punishment. Lindsay seemed younger to Rachel that day, more vulnerable. The preteen had watched her teenage cousin curiously, finding it so weird when Lindsay opted to spend the time she would on the phone or computer with friends, cuddled up with her dad, while he watched sports. It was like all the attitude and meanness had left her!

Maybe Aunt Carrie should spank her more often. Rachel thought.

Her aunt had even gone into their room that night and tucked Lindsay in, giving her a hug that Lindsay clung to, despite the blush on her face, and a kiss on her forehead before bringing the covers up over her daughter. The woman was never one to tuck her children in, but Rachel realized that the spanking somehow temporarily changed the dynamics between mother and daughter.

Yet, Rachel's eyes couldn't help but water when, after having seen her cousin get tucked in, all she got was a "Goodnight Rach" from her aunt.

The girl dreamed about her mother that night. She got a kiss and a hug from the woman, and it meant the world to wake up having felt the affection, even if it was just a dream.

Rachel did her best to be as good as gold after her cousin's spanking. It took a lot for her aunt and uncle to get to that point of anger anyways, so it wasn't hard. The worst she got were time outs for her sudden outbursts or fighting, and her computer or phone taken away.

Another time, her cousin Ron had lied to his parents and gotten home reeking of alcohol and drunk. She watched as her uncle Larry swatted him up the stairs and ordered him to bed. The next morning Ron was as red as could be when he saw Rachel at breakfast, knowing that she had seen him get swatted like a kid her own age. But his dad had no qualms and was still furious. Carrie had gone to work that Saturday so it was just Larry and the kids.

"You're gonna eat your food and then go wait for me in your room."

"Dad-" Ron tried

The man put his hand up to silence him, while everyone else at the table tried to focus on their food. "You lied to your mother and I. So you're gonna own up to the consequences. We give you a lot of freedom, but you got too big for your britches and thought it was okay to be out there getting drunk. Did you think it was cool, huh? Did you even think of how dangerous it was? You drove back here!" The man almost roared. The fork squeezed in his wide hands.

Ron looked down, and shook his head.

"Well we'll see how cool you are over my lap young man." The father stood up from the table, not wanting to get any madder. He was about to leave when he saw the look on his niece's face.

He called Rachel softly, "Rach, come with me for a sec?"

Rachel looked at her cousin Lindsay who only shrugged at her, not knowing why her dad was calling her. The girl, feeling solidarity with her cousins gave her uncle a tentative shake of her head, "I, I think I'll stay here." She said in almost a whisper.

All the kids, especially Rachel were surprised when the father and uncle took a step towards Rachel's chair, turned it to face him, and then picked her up in his arms like he would a toddler. He did so because he knew Rachel wouldn't struggle. She would do what she always did in his arms. Snuggle into him. The then newly turned 10 year old was tense at first but he patted her back until she relaxed while they walked up the stairs, her legs finding themselves wrapped around his waist.

Once in her uncle and aunt's bedroom, Rachel was sat in her uncle's lap. These moments were few and far between for her, and she relished in the closeness.

"I don't want you to be scared of me." He started, "So I want to talk to you about what's gonna happen." He felt Rachel nod into him, "I know you heard Lindsay get spanked by your aunt Carrie two months ago, but nobody talked to you about it. And I wish we would've. You understand that this isn't something we always do, right? Only when it's something real, real bad."

"Are-are you gonna…will you do that to me? She spoke softly.

"Only if it's something real, real bad. Remember? Just don't go smart mouthing your aunt Carrie and calling her bad names like Linnie, and don't come home drunk like Ron. Can you do that for me?" He said with a small chuckle.

Rachel smiled, "That's easy. I can do that."

He kissed the top of her head, "Good girl."

Rachel grabbed the fabric of his shirt and played with it as he spoke.

"After I deal with Ronnie, do you wanna grab some ice cream with Linnie and me?"

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. She didn't know it, but Larry couldn't help but still see very much a little girl in those eyes of hers. He knew he was the kindest one to her in the house. Her cousins loved her, but were annoyed to death by her because she was so much younger and could be very opinionated. He knew that to some level Carrie resented the fact that her brother just left them to care for her. They were already strapped for money. One more kid wasn't helping. But luckily, the Berry's would send them a check for their Rachel related expenses. Although the simple stress of having another child in the home was a lot to handle.

But Uncle Larry was determined to make sure that Rachel, at least, felt safe and loved when he was around. Those damn Berry men did a number on her, and he wondered if the rest of the family understood just how deep that pain could go.

Unfortunately, while laying on the bed, after having been rejected by her father's, Rachel didn't have her uncle there to at least sit next to her, and right now all Rachel wanted was to talk to her dads. That was all she wanted. Why didn't they want to do that for her? Did they even love her? She had probably only heard that from them once or twice. The thought of being unloved made Rachel cry harder.

Whenever she felt like that, the little girl imagined her mom. The one that gave birth to her. She imagined how the woman would hold her. But thinking about it only made her more emotional.

"God, shorty, please calm down already!" Lindsay said closing the door, hearing the unmistakable cries of her baby cousin. She threw off her shirt and pulled down her shorts once inside the room they shared.

"Mom says you have to take a shower right after me, 'cause you had PE today."

Rachel just nodded and did her best to hold in her tears.

The teenager went to grab a clean pair of underwear and her pajamas then went into the bathroom that they also shared with Ron, leaving the eleven year old alone again.

Rachel turned onto her other side and covered her face with her hands.

"Shorty." Rachel heard a far away voice some time later, "Come on brat, wake up."

Rachel flickered opened her eyes and saw her freshly showered cousin sitting near her on the bed, "You gotta take a shower. Mom's gonna come up soon and I'm not in the mood to hear her nagging one of us." She offered her cousin a small smile, "You know how she gets."

Rachel sighed and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Sorry 'bout your dads." Lindsay muttered as Rachel got up. Her eyes bloodshot and puffy.

The preteen looked at her cousin, "Linnie, do you, do you think they're mad at me?"

The teenager sighed and shrugged as she laid on her bed and grabbed her backpack to do some homework, "Nah Rach. Uncle Hiram and Uncle Leroy are just busy people. You need to stop being so sad about it and just deal with it though."

"B-but it's not fair." Rachel squeaked.

"I wanted to be head cheerleader, but I didn't get it. Life's not fair. You just gotta be happy with what you have. "

"Yeah." Rachel muttered.

"And I'm Lindsay, not Linnie."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Aunt Carrie and Uncle Larry call you Linnie. Why can't I?"

"Well I can't tell them anything, they're my parents. I'm still trying to get Ron to call me Lindsay at school. He's the worst. But it's Lindsay to you. I'm your elder, duh."

"Whatever Linnie."

Lindsay scoffed and threw a pillow at Rachel's direction, "Go shower, crybaby." and without another thought Lindsay opened up one of her textbooks.

Rachel looked at her sadly before dragging herself into the bathroom. She wondered if her family would ever accept her for being overly sensitive, if she'd ever feel a parent's love, if her school peers would ever not make fun of her for the way she dressed and for being the youngest, if she'd ever feel like she belonged.

… …. ….

Shelby stared out at her classroom. She was still in a daze about yesterday and was doing her damndest to not stare at Lindsay. That teenager in the back texting could potentially confirm or deny her suspicions that had formed two days ago. She hadn't mentioned it to Lindsay and acted like nothing had ever happened. But Shelby was having trouble sleeping. The thoughts ate away at her. Was that little girl still crying about her 'daddies?' Was she okay? The woman wasn't sure if she was crazy. How the hell was she supposed to approach all of this?

"Okay everyone hand in you essays. Pass them to the front, and I'll pass out the Great Gatsby exams."

Groans and eye rolls emitted from her students. Shelby mimicked their exasperation, "I know. Such a horrible teacher to actually make you want to learn this stuff."

Once all the exams were passed out Shelby sat at her desk with the pile of essays in hand. She looked over at Lindsay once more.

'Stop it Shelby!'

The teacher forced herself to focus and started checking off everyone that turned in their essays. Two were missing. One of them, Lindsay's. Shelby took a deep breath. Was this the universe giving her a chance to talk to the teenager alone?

After class Shelby stopped Lindsay and her other student, Mike. "You both haven't turned in your essay." She told the students sternly.

Mike, had the decency to look a tad sheepish, "Yeah, I, um, had soccer and couldn't finish it. Can I turn it in tomorrow?"

Shelby sighed, "You both know it's a 5% decrease every day it's late."

That made Lindsay's head snap up, "What? I'm between a B and a C. My grade'll go down!"

Shelby nodded matter of factly, "How much do you need to have done?"

Mike blushed, "Like, um," He wanted to lie, but the look Ms. Corcoran was giving him seemed deadly. "…Most of it." He finally eeked out.

Shelby sighed and then looked to Lindsay.

"I have like two paragraphs and the conclusion left."

"Is it saved in our class Google drive?" She asked them. Both of them nodded.

"I'll tell you what, both of you can come in during lunch to work on it. If you come in at lunch and you turn it in to me by 9 pm today, then I won't deduct points."

Shelby heard their enthusiastic agreement and waved them off to class. She secretly hoped that Mike didn't show up so she could get a chance to talk to Lindsay alone. Mike never really turned things in on time anyway and hardly took her up on the offers of leniency she gave the boy. Hopefully this time was no different. Did that make her a bad teacher? Honestly, at this juncture in her life, Shelby Corcoran did not care.

… … …

Lunch time came and Shelby sat at her desk, looking through the pages of Hiram and Leroy Berry that she could find online. Nothing mentioned that they had left their daughter in Ohio. But then again, why would that even have made the news? It was wishful thinking on Shelby's part to think all her questions could be found through a simple Google search.

A "Hey Ms. Corcoran." Interrupted Shelby's thoughts. The teacher looked up and saw Lindsay.

She smiled at her and had her sit down. She let the girl work for some time but her curiosity and need took over. "Hey Lindsay can you come here for a sec?" Shelby asked halfway through lunch.

The girl nodded and went over to her teacher's desk. Shelby looked at the teenager. How did she even begin? She couldn't just ask about Rachel. That was wrong. Wasn't it?

But she found an in when Lindsay spoke before her. "I'm sorry I didn't get the essay in Ms. Corocran. I was just helping my baby cousin with some stuff yesterday and it kinda got pushed to the back of my mind and then my mom was nagging me to go to bed."

"Well I gave you two weeks for a reason." Shelby sternly added. The girl nodded and mumbled out a 'yeah I know.'

"Is your cousin okay now? Considering you spent all your time with her." Shelby started tentatively, after the girl squirmed under her gaze. You wouldn't know it, but Shelby's heart beat sped up a bit as she ventured into Rachel territory, "She was the one I saw two days ago, correct?" She asked trying to delve into what she wanted to know.

The girl looked up, "She's fine. Just really emotional sometimes. My mom sent her to our room and grounded her for throwing a tantrum about her dads yesterday. She's been annoying about it since when you saw her, and she just kept crying and I tried to make her feel better and told her that I'd watch Mulan with her. It's her favorite movie. So you know I had to wait for the movie to end, but then it was too late to write the essay."

Shelby smiled at the girl's rant. It was a trait that she had noticed on the girl before.

She interrupted the girl to get her to stop, "That was nice of you, and don't worry I'm not going to penalize you as long as you get it done by 9 tonight."

"Thanks Ms. C." Lindsay said with a small smile.

"You know…" Shelby said, "Your cousin…she seems like she's going through a lot."

Please tell me more about her. The woman actually thought.

Lindsay shrugged, "She's a drama queen. Don't worry about it. "

"Her umm-her name is Rachel, right? And I'm assuming she lives with you?"

"Mhm." Lindsay sighed, "She's been with us for over a year. Her dads shipped her to us, 'cause they were too busy for her or something."

Shelby felt her heart drop and she had to contain tears. "Are-are they far from here? Do you visit them a lot?"

"My uncles live in New York, so yeah far. And no we don't visit. They're pretty separated from us. They don't even call my cousin. It's been like a month. I kinda feel bad. She doesn't have a mom, even though she's dying to know who her surrogate was, and now her dads are like super busy. "

The girl then eyed her teacher strangely, "Ms. Corcoran, why do you care so much? It's kinda creepy."

Shelby felt her self falter, "I…" She took a deep breath.

You are Shelby Corcoran. Get a hold of yourself.

But she had just heard that Rachel's fathers lived in New York, combined with the fact that she already knew that one was named Hiram, Shelby felt a painful tug of her heart. This girl had to be her daughter.

Not only this, but her daughter wanted to know her just as much as Shelby wanted to know Rachel. It was the universe answering her prayers.

"I guess I can't get her sad face out of my head from when I saw her on that bench." Shelby smirked to add some lightheartedness to the conversation.

That made Lindsay snort, "Trust me Ms. C, don't let little Rachel Berry's pout get to you."

And there it was. Berry. Shelby's suspicion completely confirmed. A reality.

"So what'd you call me over for?" The teenager asked, not realizing that she had just turned her teacher's world on its head.

Shelby quickly fired off an excuse. She needed time to think. To figure all this out. At the very least, she wanted to talk to Rachel.

"Oh, right." She looked around her desk, "I just wanted to give you this book on sentence mechanics. I know you struggle with comma splices."

Lindsay rolled her eyes and grabbed the book from her hands, "Oh…thanks."

…. …. ….

The rest of the day had become a blur to Shelby. She could only think of her daughter. When she got home she checked the time. It was 3:00 pm. Thankfully, she did not have Vocal Adrenaline practice that day because the school required at least one day of rest. Too many of them had complained of exhaustion in the past. Weaklings. All of them.

But Shelby thanked all that was holy that she could go home and focus on the one thing that mattered. Getting into contact with Rachel.

The woman stared at her phone. She could do it. She could call Hiram up. He worked at one of the best firms in New York. The phone number was public information. The woman was still painfully aware of the contract that had forbidden contact with her daughter until Rachel was 18. The woman felt angry when she thought of the fact that they spent all that energy drawing up a contract to keep her away but now it seemed like they didn't even want her little girl!

Call Shelby. This is for Rachel.

The woman finally had the nerve to grab her cell phone, look up the firm's number and dial.

"Trinelli and Associates. How may I help you?" Came the polite and refined voice.

Breath. Remember to breathe.

"Yes, hello. I'd like to speak to Hiram Berry." Shelby replied, attempting to seem as confident as possible.

The woman on the other line opened up Hiram's list of clients, "Is he your lawyer?"

Shit.

"Umm. Yes. Yes he is."

"Okay, ma'am. Can I get your name please."

Shelby quickly lied, hoping it'd work, "My name is Shelby Corcoran. Though I doubt I'm in your records. He just told me to call and let you know to put me through. I met him the other day and described my situation with him."

The receptionist on the other line was skeptical. Mr. Berry was one of, if not, their best lawyer. He was in the running to become partner. He was not the type of professional to not alert her about a potential caller. He was very particular about who called him.

"Ma'am I'm sorry, but I don't think I can-"

"Please." Shelby said, her desperation almost showing through, "He knows me. Can you please just tell him that it's Shelby Corcoran. He will let me through. I promise you."

The woman gave a deep sigh and put Shelby on hold, "One moment please." Then called the lawyer's line, "Hiram Berry." Came his voice.

"Mr. Berry there is a Shelby Corcoran on the line. I told her she needs to be your client in order to reach you, but-"

Hiram felt his throat dry up at the mention of Shelby's name.

"You said Corcoran? Shelby Corcoran?"

"Yes, she insists on letting her through and I just wanted-"

"Let her through." He said rather roughly, then immediately softened his voice, "Please Jenny."

The man looked over at the picture frame on his desk of him, Leroy, and Rachel.

The phone started ringing once more, meaning the line had been transferred. The man stared at the phone and picked up after the third ring, "Hello?"

"Hiram." There was relief in her voice, "Hello? Hiram?" He hadn't answered and Shelby wondered if she was put through.

The lawyer cleared his throat, "What do you want Ms. Corocran?" He felt the nerves build up, "You're not supposed to be contacting us, remember?"

Shelby sat up straighter on her couch, "The contract had to do with my daughter. Not you and Leroy."

"My daughter, Shelby." He spit back through his teeth, "NOT yours."

"I carried her for nine months."

"You were a surrogate." He reminded her, "A vessel for a child that was never yours Shelby."

"And clearly a child that you didn't want either."

Yes, she had gone there.

Shelby had hoped that this conversation would have been more civil, but it was clear that the way things were going it just might not be the case.

Hiram was taken aback. What did she mean by that? What did she know?

"What are you insinuating Shelby? Leroy and I love her, and I don't know what leg you're standing on considering that you know nothing about us!"

He made sure to not even speak Rachel's name. They hadn't named her until two days after her birth and never gave Shelby the benefit of knowing the baby's name.

The woman couldn't hold her anger any longer. Images of a crying little girl sitting next to her begging for her daddies came to mind. Images of an eleven year old with a purple headband, mary janes, and a dog sweater.

"I know that Rachel was sitting next to me crying because all she wanted was to talk to her fathers!" She said, "I know that you both left her."

"Ex-excuse me?" Hiram's voice rose an octave, "What the hell are you talking about Shelby? How have you been in contact with our daughter? I can have you arrested for that!" The man opened up a drawer in his immaculate desk and looked frantically for the copy of the contract.

"I didn't seek her out!" Shelby was beyond frustrated, angry, and just plain sad. "I work at the school that your niece and nephew go to. I found her crying on a bench one day, and your niece Lindsay mentioned her full name as I was talking to her today. That's when I realized who she was."

"You coerced my niece to get to Rachel!" He roared through the phone. Thankful for the fact that his office had thick walls.

"Are you listening to yourself?!" Shelby voice had risen as well, "I've told you twice that she's cried for you. I've told you she's been crying for days actually! And all you care about is a damn contract! I'm not trying to steal her from you. I am worried about her Hiram! I'm worried! And I want to know what is going on."

Hiram stopped himself from yelling any further. He realized she was right. It was true that they hadn't called. They're busy. Things come up. Rachel knew this. Or at least he thought she knew this.

"Look, I don't know how it ended up that you both are in such close proximity to one another. But Rachel is just being dramatic." He reasoned, "You don't know her the way we do. Rachel has always been a sensitive child. It drives Leroy crazy."

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't just explain everything away by boiling it down to oversensitivity." The woman seethed. How callous were these men? "I'd also like you to realize that while I am not in the business of taking this child from you, I do reserve the right of guardianship if she is taken out of your care for neglect."

"We have not neglected her! That would never stand up in court Shelby."

"Then tell my why she's living in Ohio with your sister!" Tears had made their way down Shelby's cheeks, "Why isn't she in the care of her two fathers?! The two loving men I thought I had given her to!"

Hiram heard the tears through her words. He laid back in his chair and gave a deep sigh.

"The truth. Please Hiram. Please."

The man felt caught. This woman had the potential of ruining his career. His husband's career. She had dirt on them now. He couldn't just ignore her, and so he decided on the truth. Then there was also that nagging part of his brain. The one that, before having essentially shipped Rachel off, thought of Shelby, and wondered if there was any way of getting into contact with her and seeing if they could send Rachel with her. It was a fleeting thought. One he never dwelled on because it had seemed impossible. Yes, Rachel had always asked about her mother. She would cry for her sometimes even, claiming that if she knew her mom, the woman would spend time with her unlike them. Leroy had not liked that comment. The girl wasn't allowed of her room that entire day.

But he never brought up this thought to Leroy. It just seemed unlikely that Leroy would even entertain the idea. Besides what were the chances of them even finding the woman?

Well, now the chances were a positive 100%. His thought seemed like a possibility now.

"She is staying with my sister, yes. But I send her a monthly stipend for Rachel's expenses. We cannot take care of her right now, but we make sure she has everything she needs. We're just busy and our lifestyle doesn't suit having a child. We haven't called her in a while. But we do text. I send her good morning and good night texts."

"Your-your lifestyle?" The woman sputtered, "She is 11 years old Hiram. Your lifestyle should be that child! And there is such a thing as emotional neglect. You don't think she feels that? You are her parents for God's sake!"

Hiram sighed. He had always been the one more attuned to their daughter's feelings, but he could never bring himself to be so caring and affectionate towards her. At least not the way Rachel craved.

"Do you even plan on taking her back to New York?" Shelby asked with trepidation, after some silence. "What's your plan?"

Hiram, having had his emotions build up throughout the conversation, clenched his fists, "I don't know Shelby." He admitted, unclenching his fists. "I-I don't know. It's just-"

"Just what?" She prodded, more calmly, more concerned, "What is it Hiram? You have to understand, that I love her. I do. I've loved her since the day I held her in my arms."

The man didn't doubt her words. He wondered how it came so easy for her.

And maybe it was her openness and vulnerability that made him reciprocate the honesty, "Shelby, we, we never bonded with her like that. Don't give me wrong. We love her. It's just-" He ran a hand through his hair, "She's so different. So tactile and sensitive. Rachel demands so much, and we can't give it to her. It was easy when she was younger, but she's growing up and Leroy and I, we can't provide for her in those emotional ways, and especially not the supervision she needs through her teenage years."

Shelby bit her tongue. She wanted to scream at the man further, but she realized that he was opening up and letting his guard down. She had to be civil. "And your sister can provide that for Rachel?"

The man shook his head in frustration on the other line, "Carrie's a mother. She knows what she's doing. My sister loves Rachel and the girl could do with some of the tough love approach that she gives. It might toughen her up. "

Shelby took a deep breath, "That little girl I saw looked sad Hiram. "

The man felt tears in his eyes, "Look, I…I think I realized a while ago that Leroy and I, we…we fell in love with the idea of having a child. But actually having one is a whole other level. And we're running out of steam here. My sister is providing her the stability she needs. What we can't give her. But we do love her and we are not abandoning her. We plan on visiting at some point in the summer and we have a Skype call with her for tomorrow."

"You are treating her like a distant relative. That child is your daughter."

Hiram grew annoyed again, "God Shelby! What exactly do you want? Under law we are giving her exactly what she needs. I don't need you looking down on us atop your moral high horse."

Shelby steeled herself, "I want permission to see her."

"No." It was his automatic answer. He didn't even think twice, regardless of the nagging thoughts in his head.

"Your sister seems overwhelmed and tired. Rachel needs someone. She needs a mother. I just want to get to know her. I can be there for her. That's all I ask."

"You're not taking her from us!"

"That's not my intention. I already told you that. But look, my sister is also a lawyer, and after having talked to her some about the details, there is room to fight for at least visitation with her. I don't want to do that. I don't want to drag you and Leroy like that. But I can. And I know Rachel wants to get to know me. Your niece mentioned it to me as much."

That made the man pause. It was exactly what he worried about.

"I don't make these decisions on my own." He told her now, more coldly.

"Then talk to Leroy." Shelby matched his tone, "But I'm calling again tomorrow. And I hope you have an answer."

The woman ended the call and fell back onto her sofa. She was ready and willing to fight for her daughter. For her Rachel.

… … …

Leroy was looking at his partner incredulously. The man felt like he had just fallen into a bad dream.

"Hiram, you're fucking with me." He deadpanned.

Leroy watched as his partner shifted on his seat, "Why would this be a joke? Shelby called me and she wants us to allow her to see Rachel."

How? How could this have happened to them? After hearing how the conversation between Shelby and Hiram went down, all the hedge fund manager could do was sit down. All his energy suddenly felt drained. And it wasn't from a long day at work, but from the knowledge that their life was about to be invaded by the woman that Leroy grew to feel bitterness towards. A woman that their daughter could never get over.

He hung his head in his hands and felt Hiram put an arm around him. Leroy looked up, "Does she have grounds to fight this? If we say no, can she legally fight us?"

Hiram sighed, "She can argue emotional neglect, I suppose. And seeing that Rachel would love to get to know her and she's at an age where her opinion can hold up in court...well, yes. She can fight us. I'm not saying she'll win, but there is an argument in her favor."

Leroy stood up from where they were both sitting and paced the room in anger, "For fuck's sake! Rachel is not being emotionally neglected! God, I'm so tired of that coming from her, from your sister, and now from Shelby?" He said her name in disgust, "That woman is nothing to us. She was a surrogate. That was it!"

Hiram watched Leroy and all his fury. He remembered how Rachel would shrink into her shell whenever he would scream and yell in front of her. If it was directed at her the girl would usually have tears running down her face by the time she was banished to her room. Leroy had a bad temper. Hiram knew how to deal with it. A thought crossed his mind. Was Rachel ever afraid of Leroy when he got like this?

Their life, their personalities...well it really didn't suit having a sensitive child like Rachel. Hiram was truly beginning to realize.

"Leroy." He said softly.

Leroy kept pacing the floor, "I can't believe this is happening! Out of all the places that she'd be why is that woman back in Ohio? She was living in New York when we worked with her! And now she's going to drag us in the dirt if we say no to her. I have a career, so do you! We can't let this happen!"

"LEROY!" Hiram yelled to get his partner's attention.

The man finally stopped pacing and turned to Hiram, "Why are you not as upset about this Hiram?" His arms flailed, "Do you not understand the gravity of the situation?!"

Hiram took a deep breath, "Can we think about what's best for Rachel for a moment?"

Leroy was taken aback. What was that supposed to mean?

He spoke rather defensively, "I am thinking about what's best for Rachel. We can't introduce this woman to her life. It'll just disrupt everything."

"Disrupt?" Hiram sputtered, "For who? Disrupt our daughter or us?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question?"

"Yes!" Hiram stood up, "I am! Leroy, Rachel has been dying to meet her since we told her about the surrogacy."

"Since you told her." Leroy corrected him, "I never wanted to tell her for that exact reason." It was obviously still a sore spot.

"Fine." He huffed, "Since I told her. But that's neither here nor there. Rachel needs someone to give her what we never could. What clearly, based on what Shelby said, what Carrie can't. She needs a mom Leroy. Why are we so adamant against this? We have to be honest with ourselves here."

The sincerity in his voice calmed Leroy some. The taller man sat back down and breathed in a deep sigh.

"If we love Rachel, Leroy, we have to be honest with ourselves."

"I do love her."

"I know you do." Hiram told him with a kiss to his cheek, "We can't let our pride or our work get in the way. We have to think of Rachel. For once, we have to put her first."

Leroy looked at his partner. Was this really happening?

Hope you liked the first chapter! Please review :) If things seemed rushed it's because I just want to jump into Rachel and Shelby meeting once more in the next chapter. Let me know what you think!