A/N - Hello everyone! I've started writing a new story. After Glee ended, I started watching the first season again and this idea came to my head. How would life be different for Rachel if Shelby had always been in her life? What if Shelby and Hiram had had Rachel together? This story will explore how the show would've been different had Shelby been around. I hope you enjoy it!
Don't worry, I will still be updating Finding a Way Home.
Disclamer - I don't own Glee. The whole concept belongs to Ryan Murphy.
PROLOGUE
December 18th, 1994
Shelby's dream had always been leaving Lima and becoming a star. Ever since she was ten years old, she had talked nonstop about making it big on Broadway and being known all around the world. She didn't want to be a Lima loser and she had informed her parents she would leave the city as soon as she finished High School. But the summer before her senior year, everything changed. She met Hiram Berry and she fell head over heels in love. He was everything she'd always wanted in a boyfriend. He was sweet, kind and respectful, but the one thing she liked the most was that he was as passionate about musicals as she was. He was familiar with every show on Broadway and they could spend hours talking about actors, producers and songs. They would spend every afternoon and every weekend together, and even though her dream of becoming a star was still latent, her love for Hiram was stronger.
Right after Shelby graduated from High School, she went to Ohio State University, where she studied Theater while Hiram did a degree in Business. They moved in together and soon became the couple everyone envied. They were still too young to talk about spending their life with one another, but they were forced to plan a future together one evening in March when Shelby found out she was pregnant.
"Oh Shelby, she's beautiful." Hiram said, as he looked at his newborn daughter with adoring eyes.
"Can you believe you and I made such a perfect little girl?" Shelby whispered, as she held her baby daughter in her arms.
"She looks just like you, Shelbs." Hiram added, smiling.
Shelby smiled back at her boyfriend and kissed her daughter softly on the head. "I love you Rachel Barbra."
"Rachel Barbra …" Hiram repeated and then looked at his girlfriend with questioning eyes as he uttered the next word. "Berry?"
Shelby smiled and nodded. "Welcome to the world, Rachel Barbra Berry. I am your mom and that handsome man there is your dad. We love you so much."
…
February, 1997
"Where's Rachel?" Hiram asked when he saw Shelby on the couch watching an episode of Friends. That was their favorite show and the reason why they had named their daughter Rachel.
"It's 10pm, Hiram." Shelby replied in an annoyed tone. "Your daughter is already in bed."
"I wanted to read her a story." Hiram said, disappointed.
"Then, you should've arrived earlier. Where were you?" Shelby inquired. "And don't tell me you had to work late, Hiram. I called your office and they told me you'd gone home at 7."
For the last three months, Shelby and Hiram hardly spoke to each other, except when it came to Rachel. Both parents adored their little girl and she was the one who kept them together. But their constant fighting was taking a toll on them and Rachel was starting to notice their parents had stopped being civil to one another.
"I had to meet a client after work. You know that there is some business I cannot do at the office." Hiram replied.
"Tell me the truth, Hiram!" Shelby demanded, raising her voice slightly. She didn't want to wake up their toddler, but she was tired of her boyfriend's excuses and lies. "Are you seeing another woman?"
"How can you say that? You know Rachel and you are the only women in my life." Hiram replied, shocked at the accusation. "And you will always be the only women I will ever love."
"Then, what's going on? What's happening to us? If you are not seeing another woman, where do you go after you leave the office?" Shelby asked, shaking with frustration.
"Shelby, I …" Hiram sighed and took Shelby's hands. He was also tired of making up excuses and he loved Shelby and Rachel so much that he knew they deserved the truth. "I promise I haven't been seeing another woman, but I have been meeting up with someone …"
Shelby furrowed her brows as she looked at Hiram. "Who is it?"
"His name is Leroy." Hiram finally confessed.
"So you've been meeting up with a friend every night to drink a beer and watch some sports while I am here raising our daughter?" Shelby asked, angry at Hiram's confession.
"Shelby, he is not just a friend." Hiram said, looking straight into Shelby's eyes apologizing with his own eyes. "We … He and I … Shelby, I am …"
Shelby opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was shocked. She started thinking about Hiram's passion for musical theater and his wonderful sense of fashion, and how she should have guessed it, but she never did. Never did it cross her mind that he might not be interested in women. She shook her head, letting Hiram continue. But when he did not utter another word, she sighed and as poised as she could, she said, "You are gay."
"I am so sorry, Shelby. I never meant to hurt you or Rachel, I just ..." Hiram said, with tears in his eyes. "Please forgive me."
…
December 18th, 1997
Shelby walked into her daughter's room and smiled as she saw her little girl sleeping peacefully, holding a pink monkey. Rachel's curly hair sprawled across the pillow and she had a smile on her face. Shelby was glad Rachel was having nice dreams. She glanced at her watch and counted backwards from five to one. She knew her little girl would be opening her eyes at exactly 7:03, just like she did every morning.
"Good morning, sweetie!" Shelby said when the clock struck 7:03am. She sat down on the little girl's bed and started singing, "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, my sweet Rachel. Happy birthday to you".
"Mommy! I'm a big girl!" Rachel said, standing on the bed and jumping up and down.
"Hey, hey, big girl, we don't jump on the bed." Shelby reprimanded in a sweet voice as she caught Rachel mid jump and started tickling her.
Rachel laughed as loudly as she ever had and Shelby was sure that laughter had to be the most beautiful sound in the world. She wouldn't exchange being a mother for anything. Not even for a hundred Tony awards.
"Mama, stop!" Rachel demanded between giggles.
"Okay. What does my birthday girl want for breakfast?" Shelby asked.
"Chocolate cake!" Rachel said with a wide smile.
"We don't have any chocolate cake, I'm afraid." Shelby replied.
Rachel pouted and sighed. Even at three years old, she had a dramatic flair and Shelby knew she had to change the topic before her daughter demanded they went to a bakery shop and get some chocolate cake.
"I can make chocolate chip pancakes. You love those!" Shelby said, smiling. "And daddy will bring you some cake later."
"Daddy?" Rachel asked, looking around. "Daddy here?"
"He isn't here yet, sweetie. But he's coming later with Leroy to celebrate your birthday." Shelby explained.
Rachel scrunched her nose and shook her head. "No Lewoy!"
After Hiram confessed he was in love with Leroy, Shelby and he agreed to break up amicably for the sake of Rachel. They knew that even though they hadn't worked as a couple, they had to make it work because they both shared a precious thing: the love for their little girl. At first, it had been difficult for Shelby to accept that there was another person in Hiram's life, but he looked so happy that she eventually became happy for him. They started including Leroy in their family gatherings four months after their separation and they did their best to make Rachel see that despite mommy and daddy not living in the same house anymore, she was still their top priority, but the little girl was still finding it hard to accept sometimes that Leroy was there to stay. She had her moments when she enjoyed having him around, since he spoiled her and her pout worked wonderfully on him, but on special occasions such as her birthday, she wanted mommy and daddy for herself.
"I'm sure he'll bring a present." Shelby said.
Rachel looked at her mom for a moment as she planned her next move. She did love getting presents and she had mentioned she wanted a new house for her dolls … "He can give pressie and then go bye bye!"
Shelby chuckled as she took her daughter's hand. "Let's go have some breakfast."
Rachel played most of the morning while Shelby got the house ready for the little party in the afternoon.
"Rach, daddy's here!" Shelby said, as she went into the living room where her little girl was playing with her dolls.
Rachel looked up and smiled. "Daddy!"
"How's my baby?" Hiram asked, lifting Rachel in his arms.
"I'm a big girl now, daddy!" Rachel replied, as she looked over Hiram's shoulder to see if Leroy had in fact brought any presents. "That for me?"
Leroy was carrying a large box with a big pink bow. "It is indeed, Miss Rachel. Happy birthday!"
"Yay! Daddy, down!" Rachel ordered.
Hiram was about to do what Rachel had demanded when he noticed Shelby shaking her head.
"Daddy, down!" Rachel said again, this time more forcefully.
Shelby noticed Hiram had no idea what was going on, so she stepped up and looked at Rachel. "Ask your daddy nicely."
"Down, daddy, please." Rachel said sweetly and Hiram set her back on her feet as soon as Shelby nodded in approval.
Rachel ran to Leroy's side and try to snatch the box from him. "That's mine!"
"Do you want me to help you open it?" Leroy asked, still unsure about how to interact with the little girl.
"No!" Rachel said, forcefully.
"Rachel, I know it's your birthday and you're excited, but you need to be polite." Shelby said in a serious tone.
Rachel was too busy trying to open her present to really pay attention to her mother. "The house I wanted! Thank you, daddy!"
"You're welcome, princess. You need to thank Leroy as well." Hiram said.
"Thanks, Lewoy. You can go now." Rachel said. "Bye, bye."
Shelby gave Leroy an apologetically look, and then said, "How about if we have some cake?"
"Chocolate?" Rachel asked, as she tried to decide if it was worth standing up.
"Of course, princess. I know it's your favorite!" Hiram said, smiling.
"Yummy!" Rachel shouted as she approached the table and climbed on a chair. "It's all mine!"
Shelby walked to the living room with her camera just in time to stop Rachel from taking a big chunk of cake with her hands. "No, sweetie. Hold on! Let's take some pictures."
There was only one thing Rachel liked more than chocolate cake and that was having her picture taken. "Yay, yes! Mommy, I want a picture with daddy and you!"
Hiram sat next to Rachel and Shelby sat on the opposite side. After the picture was taken, Shelby turned to look at Leroy. "Leroy, why don't you get in the picture too?"
As soon as Leroy was standing next to Rachel, the little girl pushed him and she glared at him. "No! Lewoy, go!"
"Rachel …" Shelby said in a warning tone. "Apologize to Leroy for pushing him."
"No!" Rachel said, climbing down the chair and kicking Leroy on the leg. "Go!"
"Rachel, that's enough!" Shelby said, raising her voice. "You are being very rude. Apologize to Leroy now."
The little girl crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "I want cake!"
"You are not getting any cake if you don't apologize to Leroy." Shelby threatened.
Rachel sighed and as angry as she was, she knew she had to choose her battles. "I'm sowwy, Lewoy."
"It's okay, Rachel." Leroy replied, smiling.
"Let's have some cake then!" Shelby announced, smiling and hoping Rachel wouldn't have to be told off again.
Rachel was given a small piece of chocolate and was enjoying the treat when she noticed Leroy had also been given a piece of cake. With her little hands full of chocolate, she stood up again and took the cake from Leroy's plate. "My cake!"
"Rachel! Enough!" Shelby yelled. She didn't want to discipline her daughter on her birthday, but she realized she couldn't make any exceptions. She had to be consistent. "I don't know where that attitude is coming from, but it stops now!"
Shelby took Rachel by the hand and led her to the corner. "Three minutes, Rachel."
"No!" Rachel said, stomping her foot. She thought it was unfair that Leroy was getting her in trouble.
"Rachel, face the wall now!" Shelby said. "You are going to stand there for three minutes and then you are going to apologize to Leroy again."
Rachel started crying as she waited for her timeout to be over. Every sob broke Hiram's heart and Leroy was feeling very guilty and was starting to get uncomfortable.
"Shelby, look at her. She's sorry." Hiram pleaded. "She's just a kid."
"No, Hiram. She was very disrespectful. I know it's hard to hear her crying and sobbing, but we are her parents and it's our job to teach her right from wrong." Shelby said. Her heart was also breaking at the sound of her daughter's crying, but she knew she had to be strong. "And it's three minutes."
"Shelby, this is my fault …" Leroy started to say, but was interrupted by Shelby.
"No, it's not, Leroy. She needs to be respectful and she knows that." Shelby explained as she walked towards her daughter. "Rach, baby, come here."
Rachel pouted as she walked into her mom's arms. "I'm sowwy, mommy."
"Do you understand why you were in timeout?" Shelby asked.
Rachel shrugged as she glanced at Leroy.
"You were very rude to Leroy. He came here to celebrate your birthday with you, and he brought you this amazing gift and still, you were very disrespectful." Shelby explained. "I want you to apologize to him and then to your daddy. He was also very sad because you were rude to Leroy."
"You were sad, daddy?" Rachel asked with wide eyes.
"I was, princess." Hiram said. "I love Leroy and I want you two to get along."
"I'm sowwy, daddy!" Rachel said lunging into his arms, and then looking at Leroy, she said, "And I'm sowwy, Lewoy."
"You are forgiven, Miss Rachel." Leroy replied.
"We have cake now?" Rachel asked, suddenly forgetting about everything that had happened in the last five minutes.
…
July, 2000
"Why can't you go with us?" Rachel asked for the hundredth time. Hiram had called the day before to say they had tickets to see Disney on Ice and Rachel hadn't stopped talking about it, but she didn't understand why her mom couldn't join them.
"Your dad was only able to get three tickets, Rach." Shelby explained. "And he and Leroy want to spend some time with you."
"But you are going to miss Snow White! And Cinderella! And Belle!" Rachel said with an urgent tone in her voice.
"I would love to go, honey, but just like you and I do things together without daddy, now he wants to take you to the show by himself." Shelby said.
"Leroy is going." Rachel replied.
"I know, but Leroy is your dad's partner, and he also wants to spend some time with you." Shelby said.
In the last few years, she had noticed how open Rachel had become towards Hiram and Leroy's relationship. Rachel no longer had a problem with Leroy and she actually enjoyed spending time with him.
Rachel was about to protest again when the bell rang.
"They're here!" Rachel said, running to open the door.
"Ask who it is, Rach!" Shelby instructed.
"It's daddy and Leroy, mom!" Rachel answered in a tone that denoted she was annoyed with the order.
Shelby shook her head and was about to scold Rachel when the little girl opened the door and jumped to her father's arms.
"Hi daddy!" Rachel said, smiling.
"How are you today, princess?" Hiram asked.
"I'm very excited!" Rachel replied. "Hi, Leroy!"
"Hello, peanut." Leroy replied, smiling. "Good morning, Shelby."
Shelby returned the greeting and then walked to Hiram's side. "Good morning, Hiram."
Hiram gave Shelby a one arm hug as he was still holding Rachel and smiled sweetly at Shelby. Even though they were no longer a couple, they had a long history together and they were very good friends. Never had there been an awkward moment between them after their separation. They still loved each other, even when it wasn't a romantic kind of love.
"Are you ready to go?" Hiram asked the girl in his arms.
Rachel bounced and nodded. "I can't wait to meet Cinderella! Will she be wearing her blue gown? I love that gown. Daddy, can I have a dress just like hers? I am not blonde, but I would look so pretty. Don't you think I'd look pretty?"
"You'd be the most beautiful princess in the world." Hiram replied, looking adoringly at his daughter.
Shelby chuckled at the scene. Rachel had both Hiram and Leroy wrapped around her little finger, and while she thought it was cute, she didn't want Rachel to be spoiled.
"You already have Belle's dress." Shelby said.
"But I want Cinderella's, mommy!" Rachel replied.
"You might get it for your birthday." Shelby explained.
Rachel huffed and looked at Leroy. "I won't have to wait til my birthday, right?"
Shelby glared at Leroy as she dared him to contradict her.
"We'll see, peanut." Leroy replied, getting nervous at the way Shelby was looking at him.
"Okay, you'd better go or you'll be late." Shelby said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Rachel, behave. And you guys, you'd better not buy her the complete store. She has many toys, she doesn't need more."
Hiram nodded and leaned over to kiss Shelby on the cheek. "Don't worry, we can say no."
Rachel was enthralled with the show. She hardly blinked so she wouldn't miss anything. She was fascinated by all the princesses on skates and their singing voices. When the show ended, she stood up and clapped and praised the skaters. Everyone around her was smiling as they looked at the little girl.
"That was amazing! I loved Ariel! But how was she able to skate if she was a mermaid? Did you see she had a tail? How come Belle and Snow White knew each other? Can we see the show again?" Rachel asked full of excitement.
"I am glad you enjoyed it." Hiram said. His heart filled with joy and love as he listened to his daughter speak.
"Can I have a crown?" Rachel asked, pointing at the merchandise stand. "And that mouse from Cinderella?"
By the time they walked away from the stand, Hiram and Leroy were each carrying two bags of things while Rachel was wearing a crown and was staring at her new Gus.
"Shelby is going to kill us when she sees how many things we've bought Rachel." Hiram told Leroy. They had spent over 200 dollars on Disney merchandise.
"We can keep some things at our place." Leroy replied, winking at him and then at Rachel when she nodded in agreement. "I had a great time today, peanut."
"Me too! Thank you, daddy!" Rachel said, smiling at Hiram and then she added, "Thank you, da-Leroy!"
Hiram looked at Rachel and then at Leroy. Had Rachel wanted to say what he thought she was going to say?
"Princess, what were you going to call Leroy just now?" Hiram asked.
Rachel shrugged and blushed. She really liked Leroy and she could tell her daddy loved him. She could no longer think of Hiram without Leroy, but she wasn't sure why she was about to call her dad.
"I'd be honored." Leroy said. "I love you, peanut."
"Really?" Rachel asked with some uncertainty in her voice. "Daddy, you won't be mad if I call Leroy dad?"
"Why would I be angry, princess? We both love you so much and Leroy here would love to be your dad." Hiram explained, full of pride.
Rachel considered her dad's words for a moment and then smiled. "I love you, daddy! And I love you … dad."
…
May, 2003
"Rachel, what are you doing? It's time to go." Shelby said, walking into her daughter's room.
"I'm ready, mommy." Rachel replied. She smiled at her mom as she grabbed a small pink suitcase with wheels.
"What do you have there, Rach?" Shelby asked, pointing at the suitcase with her head.
"It's a surprise. Daddy and dad are going to love it!" Rachel said in an excited tone of voice.
Shelby gave her daughter a quizzical look as she worried about Rachel's surprise. The nine year old girl had a great imagination and Shelby was concerned about what she was planning. Last time Rachel had planned a surprise for her parents, Shelby had ended up cleaning a very messy kitchen while Hiram tried to remove grape jelly from the ceiling. Rachel had prepared lunch for her parents and since she wasn't allowed to use the stove, she had made toast. Shelby was still wondering how Rachel had managed to make such a big mess and how that jelly had reached the ceiling.
"I can keep a secret." Shelby said, coaxing her daughter into telling her what the surprise was. "I promise I won't tell your dads."
Rachel shook her head as she pulled her little suitcase. "I'm ready to go, mommy."
As they were driving to Hiram's house, Shelby tried to persuade Rachel into spilling the secret but the little girl wouldn't budge. She knew her daughter had a big heart, but she was afraid the excitement over her dads' wedding had made her do something inappropriate for the occasion.
As soon as they arrived in the house, they were welcomed by Leroy who seemed to be running like a chicken with its head cut off.
"You and Rachel can get changed in the guest room. Hiram is in our room and refuses to come out. He doesn't want me to see him." Leroy said.
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"He says it's bad luck. But I thought that only applied to the groom seeing his bride." Leroy explained.
"Can I see him?" Rachel asked, running towards the stairs.
Shelby grabbed her by the hood of her sweater and said, "Hold on. You can see daddy later. We need to get ready. You need to change into your dress and I need to do your hair."
"Dad, did you write your vows? I heard at school that vows are really important. You need to tell daddy how much you love him." Rachel said.
"I did, peanut." Leroy said, smiling.
Rachel nodded, satisfied with the answer and then walked to the guest room with her mom.
It took Shelby and Rachel about an hour to be ready. Shelby was glad they had gone there with so much time to spare. Her daughter was very excited about the wedding and hadn't stopped moving around and asking questions, so doing her hair had proved to be a very difficult task.
When Hiram and Leroy were ready, Rachel held their hand and walked down the aisle with them. Everyone was snapping pictures with some disposable cameras the two men had given their guests and even though Rachel knew everyone was there to celebrate her dads' marriage, she loved the attention she was getting.
"Thank you, princess." Hiram said, giving Rachel a kiss on her head.
The ceremony was short and intimate. Only Hiram and Leroy's closest friends and family were there. Same sex marriage wasn´t legal in Ohio, but the couple wanted to officially become spouses in front of their loved ones, even when it wasn't official in the eyes of the law. Both men said their vows as they did their best not to cry. As soon as they kissed, Rachel stood up and ran towards the men to be included in the hugs.
"Mommy, I need to get ready for my surprise." Rachel whispered after she had finished her dinner.
"Let me come with you." Shelby said, wanting to know what Rachel was doing beforehand.
"No, I need to do this by myself." Rachel said in a serious tone, as she walked from the garden to the house.
Rachel made sure she had everything ready before heading back to the garden. She had a big smile on her face as she walked past her mom and her two dads. She walked up to the small stage that had been set up and turned the microphone on.
"Hello. My name is Rachel Barbra Berry and I have a surprise for daddy and dad." Rachel said, setting her little pink cassette player on a table and pushing play. As soon as the music started, she began to sing.
Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Rachel's voice was the only sound in the garden. Everyone was hypnotized by the young girl's voice. Even at nine years old, Rachel could carry a tune like a professional singer.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Hiram and Leroy were both mesmerized by their daughter's voice. Hiram felt a tear rolling down his face as he glanced over at Shelby who also had tears in her eyes.
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh, why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow why, oh, why can't I?
When Rachel hit the final note, everyone stood up and clapped. Shelby couldn't believe she had spent the whole morning trying to make sure Rachel didn't do anything inappropriate. Never did she imagine her daughter had prepared such a wonderful and beautiful surprise.
Rachel beamed with pride as everyone clapped and praised her on her performance.
"Daddy, dad, did you like it?" Rachel asked.
"Did we like it? We loved it! That was the best gift someone could ever give us." Hiram said, hugging his daughter. "Thank you so much, princess."
"I never thought this day could get any more perfect, but it did. Thank you so much, peanut." Leroy added.
"I love you, daddies." Rachel said and then turned to look at Shelby. "I love you, mommy. I have the best family!"