This is my first Glee multi-chapter story which is AU. Rachel is going to be different in this story as she grew up in New York with Shelby. Enjoy and let me know what you think of it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, maybe the plot but the rest belongs to Glee, Ryan Murphy and the rest of the Glee team.
"Baby girl, this isn't a bad thing, I promise you." Rachel scoffed, looking at her mom. Being forced to move to Lima was in no way a good thing. Like any kid she loved both her parents. The problem? She didn't want to move away from New York. For the last 16 years she grew up in New York, visiting Lima during the summer and other breaks from school. She had friends there, but her life was in New York.
"Uprooting my life is a good thing?" Rachel asked, shaking her head. "What about that is a good thing?"
"You know why, Rachel. I don't want you or Beth to go through this," Shelby sighed.
"That's why I spent my summer here? To have a final goodbye with my Mom?" Rachel asked on the verge of tears. Her anger and annoyance quickly vanishing. "You're going to recover from this and we can be a family again," she sobbed, falling into her mother's tight embrace.
"Shh, baby girl. It's going to be okay. Look after Beth, please?" Rachel nodded. She wanted to know what she was suppose to do when it came to Quinn and Noah. They had both confided in her about Beth. She knew they had an open adoption. Every visit in the past few months saw Rachel with pictures and updates for both of them.
"We'll be back," Rachel stated. She was determined to make it back to her city and her mother. Nothing was going to hold her back.
Things were going to be okay. They had to be okay.
The remaining few weeks she had with her mom were filled with Broadway shows galore. That was her dream after all. Between the shows they would shop getting Rachel a new wardrobe for school. On top of that they spent their time as a family enjoying what little time they did have together.
"I don't see why we couldn't have flown to Ohio instead," Rachel sighed after the first hour on the road. They still had roughly another 4 hours to go with the way traffic was going. Instead of driving to Ohio with her Mom they were meeting her daddy and his life partner in DuBois, Pennsylvania. The halfway point and the rest of the car ride would be with them.
"This is easier for Beth and it gives us a few extra hours to spend together, baby girl," Shelby stated, merging into the other lane.
"It's not like you're dying or anything like that. It's just treatment," Rachel scoffed. "I'm sure in a couple of months I'll be back home, Beth included."
"It doesn't work that way and you know it. I may not be dying, but that's because everything was caught in time. It's going to take time and I want my baby girls to be in a happy and a healthy home."
"I got that the first time," Rachel sighed, looking out the window. "I just hate it."
"This gives you a better chance at getting to know your Dad and Leroy. You're always sad that you have to leave your friends in Lima behind, now you can stay and build those friendships further. This really is a good thing, Rachel. You'll see."
"I'm going to miss you. This isn't about missing New York, I'll be back in a few years, but I still need you, Mom," Rachel sniffled, closing her eyes to will the tears away. Leaving her city behind was one thing, but she was finding it hard to leave her mom behind. A girl always needed her mom.
"I'll only be a phone call away," Shelby assured her daughter.
"What about Beth? Huh? What am I supposed to do with Noah and Quinn? They will want to see her and spend time with her. Am I supposed to let them? I have no idea what to do with that."
"IF they want to see and spend time with Beth, let them. It can't be easy for them and they know that they gave their rights up when they signed the papers. I can't imagine what they're going through."
"Okay," Rachel agreed, reaching to turn the volume up on the radio, letting the music fill the silence in the car.
The rest of the car ride was spent with them singing along to the radio. They had to make a few stops when Beth would get antsy in her car seat. Seeing her daddy and Leroy waiting for her and Beth at the park with a small picnic in the grass was a nice sight and she had missed her daddy so much. So what that she happened to run to him and bury her head in his chest and hold him a few extra minutes longer than normal. She gave Leroy a small hug. She had nothing against him, they just had never spent time together, he was normally always away at work.
They sat around and enjoyed the picnic that had been bought in town while they waited for the girls to show up. They were careful enough to get food for Beth and food that Rachel would eat so she didn't have to have just a plain salad.
An hour had past leaving Leroy and Hiram to pack up while Rachel was saying a tearful goodbye to her mom. Shelby kept telling her daughter's that this wasn't goodbye just an I'll see you around. Rachel held onto that as they switched Beth's seat from her mom's car to her daddy's car. With one final hug Rachel slipped into the backseat with her baby sister. Wiping the tears away with the sleeve of her shirt and swallowing the lump in her throat, she was good to go.
"Are you excited to see your friends?" Leroy asked, looking in the rear view mirror. Rachel shrugged, not in the mood to really talk.
"I missed them so yeah. I'm not that excited to be spending the last two years of high school in Lima, nothing against you Leroy and Daddy. It's just not home," Rachel sighed, picking a toy up to play with Beth making her laugh.
"I get that sweetie. But it's your home, always will be," Hiram told her. Rachel gave him a small smile and settled in for a long drive to Lima.
Rachel had fallen asleep leaving Hiram to wake her up, when they got home. Rachel got out stretching her sore limbs before unbuckling Beth from her seat. Walking into the house Rachel saw that nothing had changed. She walked upstairs seeing that her room was the way she had left it, in all it's yellow glory. She might have to change the color of the room. Across the hall was Beth's room, filled with everything Beth could need. A light pink color filled the walls. Rachel placed Beth on the changing table and quickly changed her sister. Grabbing a few toys Rachel walked downstairs with Beth placing her on the floor in the living room sitting on the floor with her.
"We need to talk," Hiram stated, walking into the living sitting on the couch, Leroy joining him. Rachel looked up at them, giving them her attention while keeping an eye on Beth. "We have enrolled you in school at McKinley and you start tomorrow. Mrs. Michels will watch Beth when you're at school and while we are at work. Just let her know when you'll be home for Beth." Rachel nodded. Beth was her sister and she was going to look after her and take care of her like any big sister should. "We know how much glee means to you and they have a meeting today after school and if you want to go and surprise your friends and audition you can go," Hiram finished. Rachel thought it would be nice to go and see her friends and it would be one less thing she would have to worry about tomorrow.
"You guys wouldn't mind watching Beth for a little bit?" Rachel asked chewing her lip.
"Of course not," Leroy responded, moving to sit on the floor and play with Beth.
Rachel smiled promising she wouldn't be gone too long and headed out to the garage where her car was at. She left the radio off on the ten minute drive to school her nerves starting to get the best of her. Glancing at the clock she saw that school was just ending. She waited in her car a few minutes letting the school empty out.
The halls were empty so finding the way to the choir room was easy. She pulled the door open the music stopping when she stepped inside. "Hi," she said nervously, looking around the room, her eyes landing on the few friends she had made on her summer vacations. Their faces looking at her in shock and surprise. She thought they would be mad at her for not coming over the summer to spend with them. She didn't tell them why she wasn't coming or that she was moving to Lima.
"Rach?" Puck asked, a grin replacing his normal smirk. Before she could reply, she was in Puck's arms spinning around the room, happy that his best friend was back. Sure Finn was his friend, best friend growing up and he messed things up last year with Quinn but they had got back to being friends. But when he was with Rachel there was no pretending. He wasn't Puck around her, never was. He was always Noah. And he liked being Noah with Rachel. "What are you doing here?" He asked, placing her on the floor.
"I go here now and I was told I could try out for glee before I start tomorrow," she replied, suddenly feeling nervous about just showing up like this.
"Yes, of course," Mr. Shue replied.
"I'm Rachel Berry and I'll be singing On My Own from Les Miserables," she stated, standing in the center of the room, after seeing if Brad knew the song to play.
She had hit every note perfectly, leaving the club in stunned silence.
"Welcome to glee club, Rachel." Puck smirked, dragging her to the back row, having her sit between him and Santana. Rachel quickly hugged Santana, turning in her seat to listen to what their weekly assignment was going to be.