Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of the characters.

A/N: I have been re watching Glee from season 1. I love Idina Menzel and I was so mad at the way Shelby Corcoran's character was written and the way things happened between her and Rachel. It made her look like a heartless bitch! I saw so much potential for Shelby and Rachel's relationship. Until Shelby rejected her and adopted Quinn's baby. I hope to make this a totally different Shelby/Rachel story.

Here's the back story:

Shelby is 21 years old and her parents are very controlling. They even picked out the man they wanted her to marry! Shelby puts her foot down and starts saving up money and plans to run away before she is forced to marry a man she doesn't love. Shelby moves to California, changes her name and desparately starts looking for a job. She sees an ad in the paper of a gay couple looking for a surrogate paying $25,000. She meets with Hiram and Leroy and they ask her to be their surrogate. When Shelby is 4 months pregnant, Hiram and Leroy bring up a contract and Shelby refuses to sign it. She's already so in love with her baby, she can't see having to go 18 years without her. She asks her friends to help her runaway with the baby.

Hiram and Leroy are furious when they find out Shelby has disappeared with their child and they use all their resources, money being no object, to find her.


Chapter One

Prologue

"Shelby Marie Corcoran, meet your father and I in the family room!" Elaine Corcoran called up the stairs.

Shelby huffed and put down her pen. She wondered if her parents were going to yell at her for getting an A minus on her exam. You see, Shelby did everything her parents expected and asked of her. And getting an A minus might have serious consequences. "Coming Mother!" Shelby called. She glanced in the mirror on her way out of her room to make sure her appearance would be acceptable. She entered the family room and sat in the chair across from her parents.

"Hello, dear. How are you doing?" Baxter Corcoran asked.

"I'm doing well Father, thank you." Shelby answered politely.

"Shelby, sit up straight." Elaine said, raising her eyebrow at Shelby. "How are your studies going?" She asked.

"Alright, Mother. I'm glad for the break." Shelby said. She was starting to get nervous. She was sure her parents were going to rip her to shreds over that stupid A minus!

"Good. We have some exciting news for you dear. Reggie, has asked your Father and I for your hand in marriage. And we've accepted!" Elaine said.

Shelby's mouth dropped open. She snapped it shut before her Mother could correct her. "Reggie did what?" She said. She couldn't believe her scummy ex-boyfriend went behind her back and asked to marry her when she just broke up with him the night before. She was pissed off.

"When he proposes, you will say yes. Do you understand young lady?" Elaine asked, leaning in to lock her cold blue eyes with Shelby's hazel eyes.

"Mother, no! I won't." Shelby said.

"No?" Elaine repeated. She couldn't believe Shelby was defying her. "I know you and Reggie have some issues, but you'll get through them. This isn't a request Shelby Marie." She said.

Shelby was so angry in that moment. She wanted to cuss her Mother out, but she didn't. "Father? Are you going along with this?" She asked.

"Princess, marrying Reggie is a good idea. He's rich, well known, he could provide for you, he'd be a perfect husband for you." Baxter said.

Shelby stood up quickly, "May I go to my room now?" She asked. She just wanted to get the hell away from her parents.

"Yes, you may. We will start wedding plans tomorrow." Elaine said as Shelby started heading out of the room.

Shelby almost ran from the room and rushed up the stairs with silent tears streaming down her face. This was one of the worst ways her parents had ever betrayed her. Hasn't she always done what they asked her to? She dated Reggie since freshman year because her parents were so fond of him. And now they expected her to marry him? No, this was where she was going to draw the line. She needed a plan. She needed to disappear before her wedding day. She couldn't let this marriage happen. She'd be trapped into another life where she couldn't think for herself. She decided to get as far away from New York as possible. She started a search online to go through the process of changing her name. This would be the first step in her plan to escape. She new she would have to play it cool, so her parents wouldn't become suspicious of her.

4 months later...

Everything was in place. Shelby closed her bank account, she had $7,000 dollars in cash. She had 2 medium sized suitcases in the trunk of her car. A train ticket in her new name and she had purchased a throw away cell. Her new name was Dove Markwell. She decided LA California was plenty far enough from her parents and thought she might like living there. The next morning, she got ready for her wedding. She was shaking with adrenaline.

"Oh, Shelby you look marvelous." Elaine said in awe. She lightly kissed Shelby's cheek and pulled back to dab at a lone tear streaking her cheek.

"Thank you Mother." Shelby said quietly. She was counting the minutes until her parents left in their limo and she could escape.

"Elaine, our car is here." Baxter said walking into the room after a few quick knocks. "You look beautiful princess." He added once he caught sight of his daughter.

"Thank you Father." Shelby said.

"I'm coming, dear. We'll see you at the church Shelby." Elaine said, taking her husbands arm.

Once her parents left the room, Shelby rushed to the window and watched as they got in their limo and headed for the church. The second her parents car left the driveway she stripped out of her wedding dress and left it in the middle of the floor. She changed into some jeans and a t - shirt and was ready to go. She glanced at her room one last time and dashed down the stairs. She hopped into her royal blue Dodge Neon and drove to the train station. She parked in the parking lot and left a note and the keys in the center console and walked into the train station. After a three day ride, She arrived in Los Angeles. Shelby walked out of the train station and took a deep breathe and smiled. She did it. She was free.


"Would you like some more coffee miss?" The waitress asked.

Shelby looked up from her newspaper and smiled, "No thank you. Are there any nice hotels nearby? I just moved here and I need a place to stay until I get an apartment."

"If you love the water, there's the Mariott Marina Bay. Or The Hilton Garden Calabasass. Which isn't by the water but it's lovely." The waitress suggested

"Thank you so much." Shelby says. She picks up her paper, pays the waitress, grabs her bags and heads outside the café to wait for a taxi. LA's pace wasn't too different from New York's.

"Where too ma'am?" The taxi driver asked.

"The Marriot Marina Bay, please." Shelby said. She opened the paper again and went to the classifieds. She saw all types of jobs paying no more then fifteen dollars an hour. Although the rate of pay was nice, she felt like she needed more. She needed to have enough to escape again if she had to. She saw an ad for a surrogate in big bold letters and the couple was offering twenty-five thousand dollars. She circled it twice and decided to call them once she got settled into her hotel room.

"Would you like a single or double bed?" The man at the front desk asked.

"Double please." Shelby said.

"And how will you be paying?"

"Cash." Shelby answered.

"Can I see some ID?"

Shelby pulled out her wallet and handed over her new ID.

"Dove? What a pretty name." The man complimented as he entered her information into the computer.

"Thank you." Shelby said. She slipped her ID back into her wallet and put her wallet back in her purse.

"Ok, Ms. Markwell you're all set. It's $250 for the week. And if you need anything, don't be afraid to call the concierge."

"Thank you." Shelby said. She accepted her room key and rolled her bags toward the elevator. When she got to her room she looked around and smiled. "Welcome to your new life Dove." She told herself. She unpacked her bags, took a shower and changed her clothes. Then she picked up the paper again and dialed the number.

"Hello, Berry residence." A soft male voice answered.

"Uh, hi, my name is Dove Markwell and I saw your ad in the paper..." Shelby said.