Here's my first attempt at a story in the world of Glee fan fiction. I'm going to admit right now that I absolutely love Idina Menzel, so this is going to be a Shelby centered story with plenty of Will and Rachel. So, without further ado:

Where Do I Begin?

Chapter 1


Throughout her life, Shelby Corcoran had become an expert at avoiding her mother. She knew when to leave her phone off the hook, shut down her computer, and even go on vacation if need be. And in the three months that had passed since her ill-fated attempt at a relationship with her teenage daughter, she had employed those techniques in full force.

Meeting Rachel had been absolutely everything she had hoped for, and everything she had feared. The first time she had seen Rachel, well, since that day in the hospital, her heart had nearly exploded with happiness. She knew immediately that the young girl on stage belting out Barbra Streisand was hers. It meant the world to Shelby to finally have an image of her daughter to hold on to. Of course, the story does not continue on that happy note. Neither Shelby nor Rachel were quite prepared to be in each other's lives, but somehow going back to the status quo was painful as well. Although this time it had been Shelby's choice to remove herself from Rachel's life, it still seemed as though the hole in her heart had been ripped open and left gaping.

The heartbreak that had come with Shelby's short-lived relationship with Rachel had sent her life into a downward spiral. She had announced her retirement from Vocal Adrenaline after the team had their fourth consecutive win at Nationals. She had quit dancing, her first true love, in the fancy home studio the Vocal Adrenaline boosters had so generously provided her with. She did not do much other than lie on the couch in sweats, watching Lifetime movies and wondering when her life had become just like the ridiculous storylines she was watching. Her only motivation was to avoid the phone calls from her mother and the increasingly persistent Will Schuester.

Shelby sat on the couch, sniffling as she watched yet another made for TV movie when the phone rang, again. She responded by grabbing the chord and ripping it out of the wall, then returning her attention to the television set. She got a sick sense of enjoyment from her destruction and allowed herself a small smirk before settling back into the couch. Then, without warning her front door flew open, causing Shelby to fall off of the couch into a heap on the ground. She looked up from the ground and brushed locks of brown hair out of her eyes.

"Mom?" She questioned.

"Hi honey." Christina Corcoran responded sarcastically. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?" She asked, pulling open the curtains.

"Not at all." Shelby bit back, pulling herself up off the floor.

"It's been nearly four months since we've heard from you Shelby."

"I've just been really busy Ma, I swear."

"Is that so? Because from what I've heard, you no longer have a job."

"How on earth could you even know that?"

"Your father and I have a google alert on your name. I read all about your 'retirement' sweetie." Her mother snorted, using air quotes.

"I was burnt out, I just need a little break that's all. You can head back to your bridge games and D.A.R. meetings."

"Oh, you know full well that I'm not a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. And I'm really not appreciating your attitude right now. You could have at least answered a call to let us know you were alive!"

"Well, isn't that what your google alert is for?" Shelby asked, smirking.

"You watch your attitude Shelby Jean." Her mother snapped. "Now you need to get up off that couch and get dressed, because we are going to clean up this pigsty and then get you out of the house." She announced.

"If I get up are you going to leave me alone?"

"You know I'm not, now let's get a move on."

Shelby recognized the tone in her mother's voice and slowly rose from the couch and padded up the stairs towards her bedroom.

Thirty minutes later she came back downstairs in a pair of black yoga pants with a worn out NYU sweatshirt and her long hair tied in a bun on top of her head. She found her mother vacuuming the living room carpet and the rest of the room nearly spotless.

"Good, you're ready." Christina said, eyeing her daughter's clothing choice. "First stop is the grocery store. You have nothing but coffee in that kitchen of yours and you look absolutely undernourished."

"This is ridiculous Ma, I can go to the grocery store on my own. You've seen me, I'm alive, I'm sure Daddy would rather you be at home."

"I'm not that easy Shelby. We're going to the grocery store and then we're making dinner and we're going to have a talk. Understood?"

"Yes Ma. Your car or mine?" Shelby resigned.

Ten minutes later Shelby found herself listlessly pushing a cart down the frozen food aisle behind her mother.

"Shelby, if you don't start taking better care of yourself you're going to end up in the hospital."

"Mom, I'm fine." She grumbled.

"Sweetheart, have you looked in a mirror lately? Your cheeks are gaunt, you have dark circles under your eyes, and your clothes are just hanging off of you."

"It's a sweatshirt Ma, it's supposed to be baggy." She answered, rolling her eyes.

Christina opened her mouth to respond when they were interrupted.

"Shelby Corcoran!" Will Schuester exclaimed. "Fancy meeting you here." He said smiling.

"Will Schuester. I would run into you today." She muttered under her breath.

"Shelby, I've been trying to get a hold of you, see there's this situation with Rachel and—"

"Will, this is my mother Christina Corcoran." Shelby cut him off, her eyes pleading for him to stop talking.

"Ah, it's very nice to meet you. I can see the resemblance." He said warmly, shaking her hand.

"Mom, would you mind giving Will and I just a second?" Shelby asked, nudging the cart towards the older woman.

"Of course." She answered, raising her eyebrows at her daughter.

Once Christina had turned the corner Shelby grabbed Will's elbow and pulled him further away.

"What do you think you're doing?" She hissed. "Bringing up Rachel in front of my mother." She trailed off.

"How was I supposed to know?" He asked. "I've been trying to reach you and this seemed like my only chance."

"Is she okay?" She asked, softening.

"No." He responded. "And from the looks of it, you're not either."

"I'm fine."

"Look Shelby, I don't know what happened. All I was able to gather from Rachel was something about Lady Gaga, glasses of water, and perfect harmonies." He said, sighing as a look of recognition swept across her face.

"It's hard." She admitted. "But you were right Will. I'm not what Rachel needs in her life right now. And I really don't want to get into this in the middle of the supermarket."

"You're right, this probably isn't the place. Would it be okay if I came by sometime?" He asked.

"Why Will? Why do you even care?"

"Because with you there's no pretending. I think I need a friend like you, and I'm figuring you could use a friend like me."

"You realize you constantly sound like a greeting card, right?"

"Can I take that as a yes?" He asked, grinning at her.

"I suppose it wouldn't be horrible if you stopped by sometime."

"That's what I thought."

"I'd better get back to my mother." Shelby said, suddenly feeling self conscious of her less than fashionable outfit.

"Wouldn't want to keep her waiting." Will agreed. "It was good seeing you Shelby Corcoran." He said, picking up his basket and walking down the aisle.

"You too Will Schuester." She answered under her breath.

Shelby found her mother debating heads of lettuce in the produce section and shuffled over, prepared for the barrage of questions she was certain would be coming.

"Is he the reason you're behaving this way?" Christina asked, without even looking up from her measurements.

"The reason I'm… no Ma. Will has nothing to do with any of this."

"Don't fault me for asking. He mentioned that you'd been dodging his calls as well and let's be honest it wouldn't be the first time you turned your life upside down because of a man."

"He's just the coach of a rival glee club, that's all." Shelby snorted. New Directions could hardly be considered a rival of hers.

"He certainly looked at you as more than a colleague."

"Oh please Ma, he's probably just shocked to see me in sweats." Shelby answered, a small smile cropping up on her face.

"You're pleased." Christina noted. "You're glad that he stared at you like a piece of meat."

"If that were the case, which it was definitely not, I would simply be flattered. Nothing more."

"I know you better than you think Shelby. I've seen that look on your face before. Now, tell me more about this Will Schuester."

"There's nothing more to tell." Shelby stated, getting frustrated. "God, Ma, all the lettuce looks the same. Can you just pick one so we can get out of here?"

"You don't need to raise your voice at me Shelby. Please, don't forget who you're talking to." Christina scolded, grabbing a head of lettuce and placing it in the cart.

After thirty more minutes of grocery shopping Shelby was finally able to convince her mother that they had stockpiled enough food for at least a month. Both women were silent the ride home, each simultaneously worrying about their own daughters. Shelby, wondering if she had done the right thing in cutting off her relationship with Rachel, and Christina, wondering when her relationship with Shelby had become so one-sided. Of course Christina had an idea of when that had occurred, some sixteen years earlier. That time neither she nor her husband had heard from Shelby in almost a year, save for a tear-filled call from their daughter in the middle of the night. After a while Shelby had come back into their lives, but Christina was convinced that something had happened that had distanced her little girl from them forever. If only she knew how right she was.



Thank you so much for reading! I know that it sometimes seems like a hassle to review, but I would really appreciate any input that you have! T-8 Days until Glee Season 2! Peace, Lakeland