Rachel Berry dies nine days after her fifteenth birthday.
Her daddies wanted her to pick up some ice cream on the way home from her private dance lesson (her instructor had adamantly refused to even open the studio during the holiday season, but there really isn't anything a little money can't buy these days, is there?) when she decided to take a quick little back road so she could get home and out of the unappealing winter weather.
She didn't even see the truck coming.
It was a hit and run, so it took a while for anyone to even discover her car. Her tiny little silver Prius laying on its side, crunched up, barely even recognizable.
It wasn't really a bloody death. She was wearing her seat belt, so she didn't get knocked out of the vehicle or anything. Just a thorough bumping of the head, which knocked her out and ultimately deemed her a comatose patient at Grant Medical Center in Columbus.
Her daddies waited and cried and prayed for our sweet angel to come back to us for months and months, but she couldn't. She didn't know how. She was stuck in a world of nothing. Just grey. Or it seemed grey. Everything was so faint and bland and numb.
But then it wasn't.
Her grey world turned to white. Cloudy. And blue. It was bright and soft and did she hear birds? And there was a man speaking to one of the birds, and then he turned to Rachel. She couldn't see him, not really, but he had this strange powerful aura about him and he spoke loud and—
"Are you God?"
He chuckled as he moved closer. "Rachel Berry. You have always been pretty blunt. I assure you we will get to your questions soon. How are you feeling?"
"Um, well, I'm not sure. What happened to me? Am I dead?" She was really trying to get a better look at this man (God?) but it was like, foggy or something.
"Let's just say, it was your time. Time for greater things. Because you, Rachel Berry, are destined for brilliance. I have great plans for you."
"P-plans? For me? So you are God?" What was going on? Was she dreaming? "Oh n-no, my daddies! They must be devastated! I have to go-"
"I am sorry, Rachel. But what's done is done. There is a reason you are here," the man interrupted.
"What? How is this even happening? I always imagined my death would be much more...emotional. Dramatic, even. Can I at least go to my funeral? I just want to see who's there. I know all of my fellow glee clubbers hated me, but I hope they will at least have the decency-"
"Rachel! Please calm yourself. I know this is all overwhelming for you. I understand your love for theatrics, but let me explain a few things to you. And then I will answer whatever questions you may have. But I can assure you, by the end of our conversation, you will be able to answer most of your questions yourself. Follow me."
He led them to a small, vacant white bench and motioned for her to sit.
"It is easy to assume that you are wondering where we are right now," the man began. "To put things simply, we are indeed in Heaven. But Heaven itself is a complex place full of wonders impossible to describe. I simply cannot go into detail about all of the mysteries of this mystic, beautiful place because you will not be here with us for long."
Rachel's eyes grew wide at the implication. Finding out she was dead was hard enough, but she doesn't even get to stay in Heaven? "Not staying for long? Are you sending me to Hell? I know I've made some mistakes, b-but—"
"That is not at all what I meant, Rachel. You have hardly lived a life intended for Hell. You have hardly lived at all! And for that I am sorry. I know you may have felt very lost and abandoned during your time on Earth, but there are many mourning you at this very moment. You must understand that this was always how it was meant to be. You may not feel as though you have changed the world in the ways that you always imagined, but you are not done. I promise. In fact, some might even say you're just getting started.."
"But I am dead! How is that even possible?" Everything was so confusing, and the overall vagueness of God's (she just used her instincts on this one) words was getting to be a little much. "I don't understand…"
"I know, I know. Let me explain. Have you ever heard of a guardian angel? Perhaps in a social media of sorts?" She nodded. "You, Rachel Berry, were always born to be a guardian angel. On Earth, you were a beautiful, talented star. But you were misunderstood. Lonely. You constantly questioned when things were going to get better, when you would actually have someone in your life to depend on, someone to hold you when the going got tough." She closed her eyes in silent confirmation. "I, of course, knew of your fate before you were even born. I made you after all.
"And now is the time when I fully explain your role and send you on your way. There is a boy, about your age, who is facing many troubles in his life. Much like you, he is lonely, but he is misguided and unmotivated—both things that you were not, Rachel Berry. He is slowly losing hope in the greatness of those in his life, and even more importantly, he does not see the greatness in himself.
And that is where you come in. I am sending you to this boy, to be his guardian angel. To guide him. "
"I am going to apologize in advance for my blatancy, but what exactly am I going to do for this boy? I don't understand how I could possibly help someone when I was just as lost and hopeless as he seems to be? Not to mention, I am selfish and rude and bossy and-"
"And that's where you're wrong, Rachel. You knew of your talents, you believed in yourself, and you used that belief to keep going. Though I will agree that you are very similar in terms of not seeing all of the greatness in yourself. But you will soon, of that I am sure.
Before I send you on your way, I will give you a brief set of guidelines. Your location will be Lima, Ohio. He attends William Mckinley High School, where he also plays football. No one will be able to see you but him, since you are his angel. You will be able to interact with him like any normal human would. Despite popular belief, you will not be sporting any wings or halo of any sort. Any questions?"
"Yes. I mean, I know that you kind of explained it earlier, but frankly your dialect can be a little confusing—sorry again if I'm being too direct—I'm just—I mean, in all seriousness, why me?"
"I know that it is a lot of information for you to absorb, Rachel. And I am sure the concept itself doesn't even seem plausible," he paused, trying to find the right words, "you follow your heart. That's really the only way I can fully explain it to you. And that's what you must do with this boy. Does that help?"
She pursed her lips, concentrating on his answer, before nodding in affirmation, eyes shining. It was indeed a difficult idea to understand. After all, she was just as lonely and confused as the next girl, and this boy sounded like he was just going through one of those melodramatic teenage stages (she knew all about those), and…it was a lot to take in.
But Rachel Berry never backed down from a challenge.
"Just one more question," he nodded, telling her to go on. "The boy, what is his name?"
"Finn Hudson."
She smiled. And then everything went white.