"But all I know if Emma and I were blessed enough to have a child, I wouldn't care what he or she looked like. And you know what, if my child had OCD, I'd maybe try to show a little compassion instead of calling her a name that makes her feel like a freak," Will Schuester told his future in-laws the first night he met them.
Will meant what he said then, and he still meant it now. His son, Daniel Finn Schuester, had wispy red hair and dark brown eyes. His daughter, Penelope Grace, had the perfect mix of his and Emma's hair color, resulting in a beautiful strawberry blonde paired with moss green eyes. They were absolutely beautiful in Will's eyes. Inside and out.
As for being compassionate, Will and Penelope were home alone when he first realized his daughter had inherited his wife's mental illness. Will left the upstairs home office after he finished grading a stack of Spanish quizzes. On his way down to the kitchen, he noticed the light in his daughter's room flicking on and off.
"Hey Penny, stop playing with the lights. Okay?" Will warned in a casual tone. It didn't take much to correct his children's behavior.
"It doesn't feel right," Penny said as she turned it on again once more. The seven year old paused for a moment before she switched it back off and on for the twelfth time.
"What do you mean Penelope?" Will asked as he bent down to her level and cupped his hand over hers to gather her full focus.
"It didn't feel good when I turned on, so I needed to do it again. I need to do it until I feel good, or the monster will get me," she explained further. Even after thirteen attempts, she felt the need to try again. Penelope tried to slip her hand out of her father's grip with no luck. "Please daddy," she pleaded with a tear rolling down her face.
"There are no monsters that are going to get you. I'm here to protect you," Will tried to comfort. After years of supporting Emma in therapy, he learned the symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. His daughter's repeatedly flipping the light switch was a tale tell sign. Will remembered how Emma's parent treated her OCD. He was not about to do the same to his own child. Distraction tended to help Emma, so Will attempted to use it with Penelope. "Penny, why don't we leave the light off, and you help me make dinner?" Will suggested.
As much as it bothered Penelope to leave the light switch alone, she reluctantly agreed. Penny used her free hand to wipe the tears from her face and turned to hug her father. Will let go of her hand and pulled her in close. "Daddy, why can't I stop? I don't wanna be in trouble for playing with lights."
"I think you have OCD, baby. If you do, your mom and I will get you help. For now, you are not in trouble. You can't help it," Will said as he lifted her into his arms and stood up. Will carried his daughter downstairs, knowing their lives would be changed forever. It would be an interesting conversation he would be having with Emma that night after the children went to bed.