And still I dream she'll come to me
Shelby's POV:
I was honestly shocked to see a message from Rachel when I opened my email the other week. I didn't think she'd ever want to see me again after all the pain I probably put her through popping in and out of her life without ever thinking about how it would affect her. But here I am combing through my extensive sheet music library trying to find that one song I know will make her stand out that much more. And even though this visit was purely for help on her audition I wasn't going to waste any moment I had with her. I had just pulled down some of my more contemporary sheet music when I hear a knock at the door. I look over to the kitchen clock to see that Rachel is right on time unsurprisingly.
"Rachel, it's so great to see you again! Come in." I tell her stepping aside so she could walk through.
"Uh yea it's... good to see you to Shelby." She says with some hesitancy in her voice as if she's not sure it really is good to see me, but who could blame after the number I had played on her. I take in her appearance, physically she looks the pretty much the same, her hair is longer (but it's been a year) and she has more eye make up on and apparently a new wardrobe as well I realize as I take in her casual yet still very fashionable outfit. But underneath all the changes I still see that same bright-eyed, eager to please, energetic, teen I met for the first time three years ago.
"So how've you been? How's NYADA?" I ask her as I lead her to the living room where the piano is situated.
"I've been…okay I guess. NYADA's amazing and Kurt's attending this semester so that's an added bonus. We're renting an apartment together, along with Santana. Well Santana doesn't pay rent as of right now but still she definitely makes things a lot more interesting."
"I'm glad you're happy at NYADA, I can only imagine what living with Santana must be like. You've only been okay? Did something happen?"
"I uh…no nothing happened just boy drama you know? Thankfully it's all over now." She tells as she starts to look over my selection on the piano. "So what about you? How's your life been? How's Beth? She'll be 3 soon right?"
"I've been good, I'm a music teacher at the local middle school. Beth's good growing like a weed though lately, hard to believe that she'll be turning three next month. She's over at a friend's house for the day so you don't have to worry about her interrupting us."
She nods continuing to look over the music.
"So did you have any songs in mind for your audition?" I ask
"A few but I don't know none of them feel right."
"Well why don't we go through some vocal warm ups first and then we'll put our heads together and see what we can come up with."
"Sounds good." She responds. We go through the warm ups fairly quick and then decide to test out some of the songs I had chosen for her. But an hour later we're back to looking through the sheet music.
"Shelby do you think I could use your laptop real quick to pull up some of the sheet music from Funny Girl. They said that they might ask us to sing a piece from the musical so I want to go through some of the song choices. Normally I have my own but Kurt borrowed it the other day and has yet to give it back."
"Forget the laptop I have every piece of sheet music related to Funny Girl in that chest over there." I tell her pointing to the decorative chest that also acted as my coffee table. "Were you thinking of singing Don't Rain on my Parade?"
"Don't you think that'll be too risky or overdone?"
"Honestly, yes it probably we'll be overdone. But I know for fact that there are very few people who can actually sing it well. And Rachel not only can you sing it with the right emotional depth but you sing it in a way that makes it all your own. So trust me there's no risk involved with you singing that song. "
" Unless I choke on it again." I hear her mumble. I turned to her surprised and was about to ask her when that had happened, but I can see I really wasn't meant to hear it, as she now has her back to me as she starts searching through the chest. I leave her be for a few minutes while I put back some of the sheet music we had both vetoed.
"Oh my god! Shelby! Why didn't you tell me you have like every Fanny Brice costume piece imaginable in here!" I hear Rachel shriek excitedly as she turns to look at me holding one of the coats in her hands.
"Huh? I forgot those were in there."
"Where did you even get all of this?"
"Here and there I usually just found them randomly." I respond as she continues to look through everything. She looked like a kid in a candy store. Her eyes shining bright with excitement, I couldn't help but smile at her giddiness.
"Do you want to try some of them on?"
She turns to me with a huge grin on her face "Can I?!"
"Yea, go ahead I was around your age when I bought most of them so a majority of the pieces should be your size."
"I don't know where to start!"
"Well if you need me I'll be in the kitchen making us a light lunch." I tell her as I walk to the kitchen.
I was just finishing up the pasta salad I was making for us when I hear,
"Mommy! Mommy!"
"Rach, what have I told you before you only need to say it once." I tell my slightly impatient five-year-old as I walk into the living room, where I find her dressed up in one of my Fanny Brice costumes. Although it was more like she was swimming in it.
"Mommy! I'm not Rachel, I'm Fanny Brice!"
"Oh I'm so sorry, my mistake. It's very nice to meet you miss Fanny Brice." I say playing along.
"It's nice to meets you too. Do you want to hear me sing?"
"I'd love to hear you sing."
"Yay!" she exclaims clapping her hands excitedly "okay now you sit right there mommy." she tells me pointing to the center of the couch. I sit down in my designated spot and watch her grab her plastic microphone.
She's barely three lines into, Don't Rain on my Parade when the hat she was wearing falls over her eyes I have to hold back a chuckle at how adorable she looks in that moment. She tries to fix the hat but it refuses to cooperate with her.
"Humph! I don't like this hat mommy, it's not letting me sing!"
"Oh let mommy see I think I can fix it for you." She slowly walks over to me holding up the coat she's wearing so she wont trip over it, and hands me the hat. I pull out some of the bobby pins I had in my hair and secure them to the inside of the hat before securing to her head. "There it should stay on now."
"Yay! Thank you mama!" she goes back to the center of the room and istead of singing she starts posing.
"Now what are you doing baby girl?"
"I'm a fashion model!"
oh well if you're a fashion model then you need someone to take your picture."
"Mama will you take my picture? please. Shelby?"
"Shelby? Shelby, are you okay?"
"What? Oh Rachel sorry I spaced out there for a moment." I tell Rachel as I'm shaken out of my wonderful daydream. "Oh wow! Rachel you look amazing."
"Really? You think so?"
"yes you look beautiful, did, did you want me to take a picture?"
"oh could you please? My phone just died so would you mind using your phone and then sending the pictures to me?"
"of course no problem." I tell her grabbing my phone. "Now come on aren't you going to strike a pose?"
She laughs before striking a pose and while she's standing there striking different poses I swear I get a flash of the little five year old from my dreams that loved to play dress up.
After the mini photo shoot she changes back into her normal clothes and we get back to working on her audition. Two hours later we're both happy with her song choices and now she's getting her stuff together to head back home.
"Thank you Shelby…for all your help and advice it really means a lot to me."
"You're welcome and I'll be more than glad to help again if you need it." I tell her as she walks towards the door. "break a leg, next week and let me know how it goes."
"Thanks, I'll text you after the audition or something. Well umm bye and thanks again." She says walking out the door. But before she can get to far I call out to her
"Rachel! Wait…"
"Did I forget something?"
"No it's just…Listen I know I don't deserve another chance after all I've put you through but I would love it if maybe you'd treat you to lunch sometime? Let us get to know each other better?"
"umm I don't know Shelby, I mean don't get me wrong I'm grateful for all your help back there but I gotta go its getting late uh I'll, I'll call you." She tells me as she walks away from me.
I get a text from her a couple weeks later.
[Rachel] didn't get the funny girl audition :( But one of the producers asked me to audition for this other show that he's working on :)
[me] oh I'm sorry to hear about funny girl. But congrats on the other audition offer!
[Rachel] does your offer for lunch still stand?
[me] yes
[Rachel] 2:30 Saturday work for you?
I'm a little stunned that she actually wants to have lunch with me that I don't respond right away.
[Rachel] Shelby?
[me] 2:30 Saturday sounds perfect.
[Rachel] class is starting ttyl :)
A/N: I know i know i shouldn't be writing new things when i alread have a bunch of other things that need updating! But i couldn't help it I just got so excited when Lea tweeted that Idina is officially coming back to glee (even if it's only one episode :( ) and then someone tweeted a pic of a little girl that's going to be playing 5 year old Rachel berry add that to Lea tweeting behind the scenes pics of Rachel 'playing dress up' and there you go brand new one shot that hopefully you enjoyed! :) So please review! This is strictly a one shot I'm already juggling too many other fics to continue this but if anyone else wants to continue this or something just let me know! and finally please check out my fanfic tumblr i have posted my current progress on my other fics there. So once again please review! and yay just so happy that Idina's back and she has a duet with Lea! :)