This is just an idea I have been playing with for awhile. Please let me know what you think. Should I continue? Please leave a review. I hope you enjoy this!

Chapter 1

The Return

She couldn't believe what she was doing. Why was she coming back here? What was here for her to come back to? What had changed? What hadn't? She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently as she stopped at a red light. Sighing, she leaned back as far as she could in the car seat. Glancing over, she looked at her son Ryder. Smiling, she tousled his hair as she so often did.

He glanced up at her, a smile on his face as he stuffed the McDonald's French fry in his mouth. She usually didn't give him fast food, but they had been in a rush this morning, and she had no other option. She'd been on the road for a two days now. From where she was living in New York City to Lima, Ohio was about a ten hour drive. Being cooped up in a car for that long wasn't good for Ryder, so she had made several stops, and had stopped for the night earlier than she would have if it had been herself.

She would normally have flown, but it was too risky to do so. This way, she could pay for everything via cash. She wouldn't be followed nearly as easily. Not that she made trips home very often. In fact, she hadn't been home once since she graduated McKinley High School. She hadn't been in contact with anyone from the Glee club.

"Mom, are we almost there?" Ryder asked, rubbing his eyes brown eyes.

Rachel smiled at him as she moved his dark brown hair out of his eyes and made a mental note to set him up with a hair appointment as soon as they got settled into their new home. "We're nearly there, sweetie. Five more minutes, okay?"

Ryder nodded and went back to eating his food before finding pleasure in the toy. Rachel smiled as the light turned green and she was able to go again. Gripping the steering wheel as she entered Lima Ohio, she wondered what would await them

~.~

The apartment complex was quaint, to say the least. It was the cheapest one she had been able to find. She didn't have much money, so anything bigger was too far out of her price range. Lima was a small town, especially when compared to New York City. It was going to take some getting used to again. Luckily, she was living in the down town area; hopefully she wouldn't be seeing many people that recognized her.

"Where's my room?" Ryder asked as they looked around the apartment. It was a one bedroom apartment with a single bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room.

Rachel grabbed her bags and walked to the far room. "This one is yours, Ryder." It was small, smaller than his last room. But, he didn't complain as he grabbed his bags and put them onto his bed. "Why don't you unpack your things in here, and I'll start in the kitchen, alright? Come on out when you're finished." She smiled as she headed back out and into the kitchen.

It didn't take very long to get everything put away; they hadn't brought very many things, as not much had been able to fit in her car. Now, there was the manner of figuring out what to do with her stuff. None of her clothes would fit in Ryder's closet. He had his own things. Opening the linen closet, Rachel decided that this would be where she kept her clothes. She'd be able to sleep on the couch and call it good.

The only expensive thing she was able to bring was her computer. She set it up in the living room on the table and turned it on. She decided to go check on Ryder as the computer turned on. He was in the middle of his room, playing with his toys. Clothes sticking out of the edges of his dresser drawers. Rachel couldn't help but laugh.

"Looks like you got a lot done," she said from the doorway. Pushing off of the door frame, Rachel grabbed her suitcases and finished unpacking. She had allowed him to bring the most amount of stuff since she felt bad uprooting him and dragging him along with her. But, she couldn't stay in New York anymore. She had to get away.

"Mommy, can we go out and play?" Ryder asked, setting down his race care and looking up at her with pleading eyes that reminded her so much of his father.

Rachel could never say no when he gave her those puppy dog eyes. "Sure. Let's go to the park. You'd like that, right? Get to know the neighborhood a little," she suggested.

"Ya!" Ryder jumped up, grabbing his shoes, and before they knew it, they were walking down the street.

Nothing had changed in the six years she had been gone. Everything was the same. The park came into view, and Ryder took off running towards it. Rachel smiled as she watched him climb the equipment. There were a few other kids playing in the sand, and it wouldn't take long for him to go introduce himself and begin playing with them. He was an extrovert, something he got from his mom.

Taking a seat at the nearest swing, she pumped her legs back and forth. It felt so good to be back; better than she thought it would. She had missed the small town. She hadn't lived up her dreams. Having had Ryder right out of high school had robbed her of going to Julliard. She had gone for a year, but she couldn't keep up with the homework, and so she was forced to drop out and focus on a life with Ryder. She regretted nothing. Ryder was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Rachel?" a voice from behind her caught her attention.

Whipping her head around, she was surprised. She hadn't expected to run into anyone this soon. "Kurt," she breathed, glad it was him and not someone else. She jumped off of her perch and greeted him with a hug. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. Blaine was right behind Kurt, and she hugged him as well.

"I think I should be the one asking you that," Kurt countered, giving her a surprised look.

Rachel grabbed a chunk of her hair and began playing with it. She cast a glance behind her towards Ryder, and saw him playing with a little girl. Turning her attention back to the two boys in front of her, she wasn't sure how she was going to answer them.

"I moved back for awhile. I'm not sure how long, yet," she replied nervously. She didn't want them to judge her.

"Does anyone even know you are here?" Kurt asked her suspiciously.

"No," she shook her head. "And, I want to keep it that way for awhile. If people find out, I want it to be because I told them."

Kurt nodded. "Fine, but you better tell them soon."

"Kurt, we have to go," your parents are waiting for us," Blaine said, grabbing Kurt's arm. "It was nice seeing you again, Rachel. We'll have to catch up sometime, okay?"

Rachel nodded. "That'd be fun." She waved as they left. Sighing, she turned around, wondering how long she could keep out of sight before the rest of the Glee members found out she was back in town.

"Rachel?" another voice caught her attention.

"Jesse?"

Who's Ryder's father? What is Rachel hiding?

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