Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or anything really.
The strong rivalry between McKinley High's New Directions and Carmel High's Vocal Adrenaline began in late 1993 when the New Directions, at the time named the Singsations claimed the title of National show choir champions, leaving Vocal Adrenaline in second place. The feud was thought to have ended with Sandy Ryerson's appointment and the pathetic excuse of a group that was Rhythm Explosion. But apparently the feud was not really over, just dormant because when Shelby Corcoran discovered that William Schuester had taken over the post she became obsessive and merciless in her endeavor to the group of misfit kids.
It wasn't as if the New Directions were even particularly talented, while there was certainly some extraordinarily talented members, it was the legacy of the group, it was said that once the New Directions were at rock bottom without a chance of winning sectionals, the would begin to crawl back up to the top unidentified until they held the championship trophy in their hands. Such was the benefit of being the 'underdog' it made people pity them and want them to succeed. Vocal Adrenaline has been called many things but never has there been a doubt of there success.
It wasn't until Shelby had taken her two team captains to investigate at the Lima Ohio Sectionals that a crack began to form in Shelby's armor.
-Flashback-
Shelby weaved through the hoards of people huddled together in the cramped lobby. She quickly spotted Jesse the co-captain leaning against the wall flirting with a pretty Jane Addams girl. She huffed impatiently and went over to attempt to force her male lead from misbehaving.
Appearing behind him, she cast a icy stare at the girl in front of him and coughed pointedly, instead of fear the boy slowly turned around and sent his mentor a blinding grin.
"Hey Shelby, is it time to go in or something" he said charmingly has low voice perfectly pitched due to the many years of vocal training.
"Daniel aren't you going to introduce me" the girl hinted disgruntledly. Shelby raised an eyebrow at the boy when she heard the false name he had chosen. He grinned sheepishly.
"This is my mother Beth, Mum this Angela"
"Alice" the girl squawked angrily before turning on her heal and storming off.
"Daniel?" Shelby asked with a raised eyebrow there was very little point of false identities, the Jane Addams girls weren't exactly known for their investigation skills.
"I got bored, besides I'm wasn't going to give a potential criminal my actual name, she tried to steal my wallet four times" he said and quickly patted his jean back pocket to checked that she had not actually succeeded.
"Where's Andrea?" Shelby sighed. Jesse smirked and gestured across the room to where Andrea was leaning against the wall with a tall boy with a Mohawk blocking her in, a hand braced against the wall.
"Teenagers!" Shelby growled impatiently before storming over to the entangled couple, grabbing the girls hand dragging her away from the boy and back to Jesse.
The small group squeezed through the crowd into the back of auditorium; they quickly found their seats. The two kids were sat together behind Shelby so if one of them were recognised the others could still remain hidden.
Shelby turned around and gave her instructions. "You know the drill, for each group strengths, weaknesses and how we can beat them" The teens nodded.
Minutes later the lights went down and bright, low budget stage lights were cast upon the stage. A middle-aged worn man stumbled onto the stage to introduce the first act. The Jane Addams Academy for trouble girls.
Their first song was decent, perhaps a little stereotypical but the second was downright offensive. Several perfectly healthy girls rolling around in chairs that they were obviously unable to use properly, it was ridiculous.
Next Haverbrook School for the Deaf took the stage and bellowed Don't stop believing which while being awful and off pitch was also rather heartwarming. This was a advantage Vocal Adrenaline really had to consider when evaluating their competitions, so many members were to quick to judge their competition and failed to take into account pity, charm and relativity.
The bell chimed for the short emission and Shelby turned around in her seat to talk to her students.
"What did you think?" she asked not wanting to steamroll them with her own views but rather hear it from less experienced audience people than herself and discover how much they picked up on.
"The Jane Addams girls rely to much on sexuality, they'd never win regionals even if they win this" Andrea stated confidently
"They used Hairography to distract from their voices, they don't have any particularly talented soloists and they obviously couldn't use their wheelchairs" Jesse muttered distastefully.
Shelby nodded in approval "Haverbrook?"
"They were off pitch but I suppose that's to be expected, isn't it? The pity may get them through Sectionals but I doubt they could get to Nationals on pity alone" Jesse drawled uninterested, as if the subject were below him.
Shelby smiled at them before turning around to face the front as the lights dimmed once more.
A bright spotlight was quickly thrust to face the door at the end of the aisle. A small dark haired girl ripped the curtains apart and began to sing Streisand iconic Don't Rain on my Parade, Shelby winced in fear of such a favorite of her being ruined by a untrained high school student.
But it wasn't ruined; the voice was clear, enchanting and familiar…
Shelby turned around to stare the girl as she passed, a set of expressive chocolaty brown eyes set in the shape of almond, a rather large nose that clearly showed her Jewish heritage, plump pink lips and dark brown hair that curled and reached past her shoulders. But Shelby could see herself in this girl, a complete stranger, the hair, the eyes, the strong jaw and that voice…
The nose and mouth, the strong characteristics of her face, Hiram.
Shelby mentally did the math her daughter would be around sixteen years now, this girl looked slightly younger with a small chest and her slight form. Yet still wasn't impossible. She has to be at least fourteen to be in high school as it was.
As the girl finished the song, standing on the stage proudly and introduced her group, Shelby opened her program and opened it to the New Directions page. She searched the page for Hiram's last name.
Berry…Berry…Berry.
Suddenly she found it Rachel Berry-16 and her breath hitched, the voice, the age, her appearance, even her name, it all fit.
Shelby found herself feeling rather sick, she had to leave, she wanted to be alone, away from here, she wanted to forget.
But she couldn't.
She couldn't leave not when the one thing she had been dreaming of for years was singing her heart out.
She wouldn't forget, she had spent years dreaming of this girl, becoming a mothering figure to some of her prized students, one of which was sitting behind her.
The group had now began a rather mediocre song, which while having a feel-good tone to it didn't show much technical skill, chorography or emotion.
As the New Directions finished and scattered of the stage there was another small intermission where the judges made their decision but this time Shelby didn't turn around to talk to her students she remained silent and hastily wiped a fear stray tears away from her cheek.
All groups gathered on stage as the judges announced the winner. The New Directions had won. Shelby smiled as she saw her daughter jump up and down in happiness and hug a boy in a wheelchair as a tall boy walked clumsily towards the judge to collect their trophy.
The lights went up as the groups left the stage the New Directions left cheering, grinning and laughing and the other teams disappointed and angry.
Shelby stood up and turned around to see Andrea laughing at a slightly embarrassed looking Jesse. Jesse looked at Shelby with concern; she smiled and shook her head at him, dismissing the question on the tip of his tongue.
A few minutes later the three of them were in Jesse's Land-rover on the way back to Akron.
"Shelby you should of seen Jesse during that New Directions girls solo, it was hilarious" Andrea laughed, Jesse groaned and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "It was like astonishment, awe, fear, anger and maybe I'm not sure maybe lust. Although she looks about fourteen Jess, I wouldn't recommend it"
Jesse groaned, "I was just worried about my completion at regionals, stop reading romances you're becoming a nosy pain in the ass"
Shelby laughed and allowed herself to be distracted from thoughts of her daughter.
Where was she now?
Did she think of me often?
Does long for a mother as much as I do a daughter
-Flashback end-
Ever since that day Shelby hadn't stopped thinking about ways she could meet her daughter, she had planned to sent Jesse to befriend her and arrange for them to meet but the idea was repulsive, manipulating her daughter, unnecessarily breaking her heart and using a seventeen year old boy who she considered a son as a pawn for her crazy scheme. The idea was doomed for failure. She wanted to meet Rachel, talk to her, befriend her before she became a mother or at least before the girl finds out.
But after Vocal Adrenaline defeated the New Directions at Regionals she had been thinking non stop but couldn't come up with a single idea, or at least was the case up until a week ago when she received a phone call from Vocal Adrenaline's sponsor, asking her to meet with their CEO discuss the terms and rewards due to Vocal Adrenaline win at Regionals.
-Flashback-
Shelby walked through the reception of her sponsor, smiling at the receptionist. She knocked firmly at Mr Lawrence's door she heard a cheerful call for her to enter. She opened the door and strolled in, she smiled and regarded the man in front of her, she had never met her benefactor before, merely speaking over the phone or allowing the principal to deal with the financial matters of Vocal Adrenaline.
The man she had imagined was overweight, balding with a sweaty brow with a retracting hairline. The man in front of her was young, handsome, a head full of dark brown hair and a lean, healthy body.
She smiled at him and he returned a striking grin and gestured to the chair across from his desk.
"Mr Lawrence-" She began.
"Please call me Ted" he smiled charmingly.
"Ted, could please explain why I am here, this has never been necessary before" she said softly
"Ah yes" the man said smiling cheerfully, his voice transforming into professional tone as pulled out a grey folder from his desk and opening, pulling out several sheets of paper.
"As you are aware, show choir is very popular right now, last years Nationals were broadcast on live television and the ratings were very impressive and as Vocal Adrenaline won, there is a lot of positive press about it, about them people want to see more, National managed to sell out tickets in a day, which is almost unheard of for a school based completion."
Shelby blinked and smiled uncomfortably "I'm sorry is there a point to this" she said slowly
"My point is that I've had requests for performances in five large cities. Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Washington DC and New York" Ted said grinning wildly.
"When?" Shelby said sharply. She had to get every detail ironed out before she could even consider such a thing, she couldn't build up all her hopes for something that may not happen.
"You're students graduate in may, correct?" Shelby nods quickly. "Nationals are on the 15th of May this year, so the tour would start in the beginning of June starting in Chicago, then Ohio, Washington DC next, New York and then ending in LA"
"That's an awful lot to ask twenty-two teenagers" Shelby breathed.
"Yes well, I'd recommend collaborating with another group, maybe the Warblers or Aural Intensity"
Shelby leaned forwards in her chair and blurted out "I want the New Directions"
Ted sighed, "Really? They've only ever won a Sectionals completion, they don't have much experience"
"I have my eye on some of them, particular members. The rest can waddle at the back for all I care" she murmured
"Very well" Ted conceded leaning back in his chair sighing.
-Flashback end-
Rachel relaxed in her chair and rested her head on Finn's shoulder, he smiled and placed his arm around the back of her chair.
Mr Schue walked in and smiled. "We get another year!" he said dramatically and the glee club cheered, frantically hugging each other. Rachel shot up and wrapped her arms around her teacher who smiled slightly, pealing her off him; she quickly walked back and settled into Finn's embrace.
"That's not all." Mr Schue said grinning wildly, apparently we made quite the impression on Vocal Adrenaline's coach Miss Corcoran as she invited us join Vocal Adrenaline on tour, five cities including LA and New York"
Rachel gasped and squealed in excitement, Puck snorted, "Why should we help them"
"They're incredibly talented and they've been very kind inviting us" Mr Schue reasoned, a majority of the group remained unimpressed and sighed "You'd have time of school and it would spent in some of the greatest cities in America"
"Babes in bikinis in LA" Puck added raising his hand to high-five Finn. Rachel glared at the quarterback and he looked sheepish.
Mr Schue rolled his eyes and began to hand out forms, "I want it signed by your parents, my number is on there along with Miss Corcoran's if you have any questions"
Please Review :) This my first Fanfic so please don't be to cruel.
Preview of the Next chapter
"Right were going to test out your dance skills, starting with ballet, moving on to Tap, ball room, modern and then street." Shelby called loudly.
Rachel grinned and she heard Finn groan from his spot next to her, he detested dancing with a passion.
"Alright pairs, New Directions with Vocal Adrenaline members. Captains pair with each other please Jesse and Rachel, Andrea and Finn."
Rachel looked around to find her infamous partner but had no luck, she felt a hand coil itself around her wrist and spin her around.
"Hello Partner"
The Next Chapter should be up in a couple of days.