Title: A Million in One
Chapters: 1 of 5
Rating: K
Fandom: Glee
Pairings/Characters: OC, Leroy, Quinn/Rachel
Genre: Romance, Family and Angst
Summary: "Every ending is a new beginning."
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot belong to the respective author. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: If I didn't mention it before, this is unbeta. All mistakes are mine. Anyone interested in betaing for me, please PM me.
A Million in One
"Is your mommy sick, too?" A tiny, sorrowful voice said, starling her from her thoughts.
Quickly wiping away her tears, Rachel turned towards the voice and what she found were the brightest green eyes staring back at her that belong to a little girl. Putting on a brave face, Rachel smiled. "No, but my daddy is sick," she said, her voice scratchy from the non-stop crying she had done since her daddy told her the news three months ago.
The little girl sighed, wiping her runny nose on her pink long-sleeved shirt. It was then Rachel noticed her swollen red-rimmed eyes, red nose and damp cheeks. "My mommy is sick. She said her heart is sick. What's wrong with your daddy?"
"My daddy's lungs are sick," she explained, handing the little girl some tissue that she seemed to have an endless supply of nowadays.
"Oh," the girl sighed. "I'm sorry."
"Me, too," Rachel whispered.
"Aster," a voice clogged with tears called out.
The little girl turned towards a woman Rachel thought looked familiar but couldn't place where she saw her before. The woman looked like she was in her mid to late forties or early fifties with light blonde hair that was pulled into a bun, blue eyes that had purple bags under them and clothes wrinkled and unkempt. Her posture exhausted, defeated and sadness.
"Coming, grandma," Aster called out. "I need to go. We're leaving back home so I could get some rest, eat and go to school," Aster said, probably repeating what has been spoken to her so many times.
Rachel nodded, but didn't further acknowledge the girl. She watched the young girl – Aster – grasp the older woman's hand tightly and walk down the hall. Aster's body seemingly shrinking in itself with each step she took towards the exit. It was almost as if she was preventing herself from leaving. Rachel didn't know anyone who would want to stay in this godforsaken place. Hearing the whoosh of the automatic doors opening. Rachel thought about why she was in the empty waiting room, sobbing.
Cancer. Stage Four. Spreading. Incurable. Days. Death. Sorry. Daddy.
Rachel folded in herself and let out her mournful sobs.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
Despite herself, Rachel found herself smiling. "Aren't you a little young to be drinking coffee? What are you six, seven?"
"Nine," Aster corrected.
"You're still a little young to be drinking coffee, but if you're offering, I'm accepting."
Aster grinned, then turned with a flourished and made her way to a small nook table that held three coffee pots labeled, Dark, Medium and Decaf. Rachel watched in amusement as Aster poured two cups, opened four packets of sugar, pouring two into each Styrofoam cup and grabbed two stirring sticks. Rachel accepted the cup, gratefully. It may have tasted like tar but it got the job done.
"Yuck!" Aster exclaimed. "Blah…that's nasty."
Rachel laughed. "It's an acquired taste." She took a sip of her own. Shit, but got the job done. "I take it you've never had coffee before?"
"Nah…but my mommy loves it. I made it just the way she like it, too." Aster's face turned somber at the thought of her mom, and Rachel wanted to comfort her but refrained.
"My daddy liked it, also," she offered. "Three teaspoons of sugar and lots of creamer, is the way he liked it. It turned out to be more of a dessert than anything. He's always had a sweet tooth…" Rachel stopped, suddenly aware that she was mentioning her daddy in the past-tense. Almost as if he was… "I gotta go," she said quickly.
Rachel didn't wait around to hear Aster's response before she hopped off her chair, and ran to her daddy's room. She needed to see her daddy.
Rachel softly closed her dad's door. He had just fallen asleep after a round of radiation, and she was looking forward to some time by herself.
At twenty-eight, Rachel Barbara Berry was at the height of her career. She had won one Tony for her lead role in Funny Girl, won an Emmy for a TV movie that played on HBO about a married woman, Emily Cooper, finding out her husband of ten years is transgender and how it affects their children and family. The role had also won her a Golden Globe and SAG award.
Three months ago while relaxing with Skimbleshanks, her beloved orange tabby, and munching on some plain vegan yogurt with fruit, her private cell rang. The only ones with the number are family and friends.
Her world fell apart answering that one call from her daddy's colleagues and longtime friend, telling her that her daddy had been found in the bathroom throwing up blood and had been rushed to Lima's General.
In a frantic daze, she had called her assistant to set up the first flight out to Lima and set Skimbleshanks in with the kennel. Clothes and toiletries were able to be brought later.
Two hours, fifteen minutes and thirty-four seconds later, she arrived at Lima General, frantic, worried and in need of answers. She had learned from the doctor on her daddy's case that he had fell unconscious on the way to the hospital, and they were doing a full work of test on him.
It was three hours later that she was able to see her daddy. When she entered the room she found her daddy and the doctor talking quietly to one another.
"Lung cancer," Rachel breathed. "He…He doesn't even smoke."
"Lung cancer affects non-smokers, too," the doctor explained gently. "After multiple tests and biopsies we concluded your dad has stage four lung cancer. We found cancer tumors on both lungs and it has spread to his brain and nodes. Surgery is out of the question, but we can do an invasive chemo and radiation treatment. I'm sorry but the prognosis isn't good."
Rachel's breath hitched, and she choked back a sob.
"Rachel," Leroy rasped, reaching blindingly for Rachel's hand.
"Daddy," Rachel uttered softly, her lips trembling and hands shaking when she grasped her daddy's hand with both of her hands. She looked closely at him and noticed how much weight he had lost since the last time she visited on Thanksgiving, the bags under his eyes and the tired looked that he seemed to always wear. It had looked like he aged ten years.
"Don't cry, my little starlet," Leroy whispered, wiping away Rachel's damp cheeks. "It's going to be okay." Leroy smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. Rachel noticed a little bit of the light had gone out.
Rachel turned towards the doctor. "Tell me what we have to do to save my dad," she said.
That night Rachel learned about chemo, radiations and hospitals. The following morning she and her daddy were being airlifted to John Hopkins. It was one of the best hospitals in the US with the best medical treatment plan available. She would do whatever to never see the light leave her daddy's eyes.
Stepping into her waiting elevator, Rachel reached to press the main floor button when a tiny, recognizable voice stopped her. "Hold the elevator," Aster said.
Rachel's hand shot out, halting the metal doors from closing. Aster skidded in breathlessly. When Aster looked up a smile bloomed on her face.
"Hey," Aster said, stepping closer to Rachel. "Where you'd run off to yesterday? When I told my mommy she said you'd probably had to take a shit."
Unable to stop herself, Rachel found herself laughing. The girl was blunt, crass, funny and sweet. Aster reminded her of Santana. "God," Rachel exhaled. "I have no right to laugh when my daddy can't even laugh without tiring himself out."
Aster tilted her head. "My mommy said you should at least laugh once a day. I don't think your daddy will be mad at you for laughing."
Rachel smiled. "I don't think he will, too."
The elevator dinged, announcing their arrival at the main floor. Rachel and Aster stepped out.
"So, where you headed to?" Rachel asked.
"I'm on the hunt for some ice cream," Aster answered. "My mommy said since she can't have any I have to have double."
"Do you mind the company? Ice cream sounds pretty great to me, right now."
They entered the cafeteria. "You buyin'? I mean, I did buy you the coffee."
Rachel rustled Aster's red-hair. "Yeah, kid, I'll buy."
"So, what's your name? When I talk about you to mommy, I call you 'the lady'." Aster said licking around her double scoop chocolate cone.
Rachel licked the strawberry and banana sorbet of her spoon then introduced herself. "Rachel Berry."
Aster nodded. "Rachel Berry," she repeated. "Now, I can tell my mommy your name when I talk about you."
Rachel licked her lips. "You talk about me to your mom?"
Aster nodded, taking a large bite of her cone. "Yeah, I always tell her about my day. She says it make her heart feel better."
"Tell me about yourself, Aster. You live in Baltimore?"
Aster shook her head. "No, we moved here when my mommy's heart started to get sick. We're just living here until she gets better. We live in New York."
"Really," Rachel exclaimed. "Me too," she added, tossing her trash into the trash can on her right.
Aster sighed. "Do you miss home, too?"
Rachel smiled sadly "Yeah, I miss home. But I know being here is making my daddy better so I'm glad I'm here."
They continued to talk until the same older, familiar women called Aster name at the entrance of the cafeteria. This time when Aster left, she hugged Rachel. Rachel hugged her back, having to have forgotten what it felt like to be held.
"My mom wants to meet you," Aster told Rachel when she approached the actress two days later at their usual spot in the cafeteria.
"Me," Rachel squeaked.
"Yeah, she wants to meet you. Are you okay with that?"
Rachel bit her bottom lip, worrying it between her lips. "I – I guess so. You wanna go now?"
"Sure," Aster shrugged her tiny shoulders. "Unless you got somethin' to do."
"No, no." Rachel shook her head "It just – why does your mom want to meet me?"
"I told her you were my new best friend. Then she said she wanted to meet my new best friend and the person that made me smile and bought me ice cream."
Oh dear, Rachel thought. Her mom probably thinks I'm some kid that's visiting their daddy in the hospital. When she finds out I'm a twenty-eight year old woman, she's going to call the cops and I'll be filed as a sex offender.
"Come on," Aster tugged at her hand, practically dragging her.
It wasn't long before they were at Aster mom's room. Rachel was surprised that it was only around the corner from her daddy's room.
Aster entered the room quietly while Rachel stood outside the door. "Mommy?"
From Rachel's vantage point, she could see that the woman had blonde hair and looked small in the large hospital bed.
"Where'd you go, my little butterfly?" the woman softly said.
"I went to find Rachel…just like you told me to," Aster answered.
"Rachel," the woman's voice hitched.
"Yeah, look." Aster turned to Rachel. "Come in, Rachel. My mommy wants to meet you."
Rachel took a few calming breathes before she walked into the room. What she saw stopped her in her tracks "Quinn?"
TBC