Rachel's POV

I'm tired of going through this every single day of my life. Is it too much to ask to be appreciated by my peers and mentors? I know I'm a diva and people are probably envious of my talent because they know I will get out of here and become a Broadway star, but I just wish they would let me in and accept me. Thankfully, not everybody hates me, well, at least I hope so. Glee Club has been my saving grace, my safe haven to be myself and just sing my heart out. Things used to be tense between me and the rest of the Gleeks, but after winning Nationals things got better, we became a family and friends, dare I say I even consider the Unholy Trinity my friends. It's crazy right? But a lot of things have happened between us and I can see they are trying to be better, even Santana. Santana, the one/third of the Unholy Trinity that makes me crazy, but for different reasons. I don't know when it started but something changed and I started seeing Santana in a whole new light. I know she's beautiful, I mean anyone with eyes could see that, but it's more than that, I see how she struggles with who she is, how she tries to pretend and hides behind all those hurtful comments and behavior. I'm not justifying her actions, but a part of me understands being scared of loosing everything e won't and being judged just because you are different, unfortunately, I have dealt with rejection my entire life, and as much as it pains me to say, I'm used to it by now, Santana isn't and her way to get through the day is putting others down before they can do it to her. I have tried to get her to open up, to trust me, but no matter how hard I try, she won't let me in, and why would she? I'm just another loser right?

I'm so deep in thought as I'm walking down the halls that I don't see the figure coming straight to me, I crash with another body and I feel myself falling to the ground and all my papers flying everywhere. The figure bends down to help me and that's when I notice it's her. Santana stares at me like I've suddenly grown another head and I can see she's a getting a little flustered and I had no idea why she would be like that, until she shays "Uhm Berry, I know I'm hot but I usually invite girls to dinner before they start getting undressed…" wait what? what is she talking about? "Just fix your shirt Berry!" OMG! Why does this happen to me? Wait, was she flirting with me? Was she looking at my bra? What do I do? "Well Santana, maybe I got tired of waiting for the invitation, goodbye, Tana!" Did I really just do that? What is wrong with me? She's going to kill me! After that moment of bravery or carelessness, depending on how you look at it I decided to leave as soon as possible and I didn't even turn around, If I had, I would have seen the Latina looking at me with with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

I don't know what is going on with me lately, I've been getting these certain urges or feelings that seem almost primal, like my first instinct is not to back down, to be who I really am, but I don't know who that is anymore. I never would have said that to Santana, even though that's exactly what I would think. It seems as though I don't have a filter anymore, I just say whatever comes to mind, no matter how inappropriate it may seem. I must be honest with myself and admit that seeing the reaction my words had on the Latina made me feel powerful, strong, and most important, I felt free.

As soon as I got home I went straight to my room and closed the door behind me. I started to get lightheaded and my vision was starting to fade, I reached out to the desk on my room to stop myself from falling but I miscalculated and landed hard on the ground and then everything went black. The last thing I remember before blacking out completely was hearing my daddies' cries from a distance and then I felt someone grabbing me. When I woke up again I was lying in my bed and my fathers were standing next to me talking to a woman I've never seen before, but whoever she is, I can tell she's beautiful.

The beautiful stranger is a tall blonde with hazel eyes, and from what I can tell, an amazing body, toned with curves in all the right places. I've never felt this attracted to anyone before, well apart form Santana I've never this this attraction that's almost like a hunger, a need to just be with that person, but I don't understand why I'm feeling like this right now. The woman must've sensed my eyes on her because she turned around and looked at me and for a second I could've sworn her eyes had changed color, like a light yellow, but that's impossible.

My fathers come running to my side to make sure I'm fine, they keep asking me what happened to me before I came home, if i had started noticed certain things, changes. I don't know what they are talking about but how can they know about what I've been going through? I don't get it. I'm starting to get overwhelmed by everything and that's when the woman, Shalimar, as I learned later, stopped my fathers from asking me any more questions and asked to leave my room so she could talk to me.

I'm getting nervous and scared but then when she reaches out and touches my arm I feel myself calm down. I focus only in that touch and I don't know how to explain but it was like I could feel and hear everything around me. I could feel the heat radiating from her body as if she was touching me everywhere and not just my arm. I could smell everything, not just the perfume she was wearing but something that now I've come to known as Shalimar's, and it smells incredible. I can see everything more clearly, the colors are more vibrant, it is as if I'm opening my eyes and seeing everything for the first time. I can hear her heartbeat almost as clear as I hear her voice when she calls my name. "Rachel, are you okay? My name's Shalimar, Shalimar Fox, I'm here to help you" Help me? Help me with what? and what is going on with me? "Rachel you need to calm down, I will explain everything but you have to breathe."

I do as she says and once I'm calm I finally speak "What is going on? I don't understand…" She looks at me with sad and understating eyes, like she knows what I'm going through, and she says "I know Rachel, this is going to be hard to believe but I need you to trust me, I need you to just listen to what I have to say and everything will make sense, can you do that for me?" Now things are starting to get weirder, what is she talking about? "Yes I will, I promise, just please tell me"

The next thing that came out of her mouth shocked so much I didn't know what to say, I know I'm a drama queen but I feel it's entirely justified to faint when hearing her word "What you are feeling right now are your genes changing, mutating. I know it's hard to believe and it will sound insane, but it is true. 16 years ago, a girl named Shelby, was captured and experimented on by scientists from a company called Genomex. This company experimented on a lot of people, bio-genetists altered their subjects DNA and mixed with different chemicals or DNAs. What they didn't know at the time is that these test subjects would later develop certain abilities or powers, and they would escape. Shelby was one of these subjects, her DNA was mixed with animal DNA, a feline feral to be exact. She was pregnant when she escaped, she was only 18 at the time but she knew she had to do the right thing for her baby, she knew she would be hunted by Genomex agents and later agents from the Genetic Security Agency, so she did what she thought was best and gave her baby girl up for adoption, she found a loving couple that would take care of her daughter, a couple that would love her no matter what…" At this point I had to interrupt her because what she's saying is so crazy I can't even begin to wrap my mind around it, but if what she's saying is true then that would mean "I'm the baby girl right? Shelby's my mother?" She looked at me surprised, perhaps not that I had figured out that Shelby was my mother, but that I was actually believing what she was saying, "Yes Rachel, Shelby was your mother, and she was my best friend, we escaped together and fought to survive afterwards… She wanted to keep you so much but she couldn't take care of a child while on the run, we couldn't take care of a child while on the run, but she never stopped loving you."

I'm crying because I wish I could've met my mom and by the way Shalimar speaks of her, the sorrow in her voice and that longing look in her eyes tell me that will never happen. "What happened to her?" I can see she's fighting the urge to cry but she manages to control her emotions and with a cold voice she says "She was killed a couple of years after we escaped, GSA agents took her but she fought them so hard they could only stop her by killing her, that;s who se was, always a fighter, never giving up." All this information is running trough my mind right now and I feel like my head will explode if she says anything else so I interrupt her before she can continue "Please stop, I believe you, but I can't hear anymore, today has been an overwhelming day and I feel extremely tired, can we continue this conversation tomorrow?" She looks at me and for a second I think she's going to argue but then she sighs and says "Yeah, you're right, I'm actually staying here tonight, maybe we can go for a coffee tomorrow and discuss everything, I don't want to pressure you" I think about it and I can see that she's sincere when she says she doesn't want to pressure me, she knows it's a lot to take in "Thank you, I appreciate your understanding and you taking the time to explain everything to me, I don't know what I would've done If you hadn't explained things to me, goodnight Ms. Fox" "Goodnight Rachel and please call me Shalimar."

After Shalimar left I was finally alone and I had time to process everything, or at least try to. If Shelby was a feral feline, does that mean I'm one too? and what does that even mean? What will I do now? If the GSA is still operational and hunting down mutants, I won't be able to pursue my dream and become a star, what will I do now? I can't give up Broadway, no, I won't give up Broadway! and what about Shalimar? Is she like me too? Is that I felt so attracted to her? Maybe it's just the animal in me recognizing her? I don't understand!

By the time the sun came out I was still awake and I had gone through every possible scenario in my head and I had so many questions about mutants, my mom, my fathers, everything, that not even one of my famous rants would be enough to express them. I turned around and I see that it's already time to get up to go to school, I don't feel like going but I'm not about to risk my perfect attendance record. I close my eyes one more time before finally getting up and turning off the alarm before it even activates, I head to the bathroom to take a shower and after I'm done I open the closet and as I start looking through my clothes I realize that I don't feel like wearing any of my regular outfits, I'm tired of the same skirts everyday. I decided to wear my favorite pair of black skinny jeans and a flannel shirt and I knew people wold have trouble recognizing me, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I finished getting ready and put light makeup on my face before heading downstairs to have breakfast with my daddies.

When I make it to the kitchen I can my daddies are already waiting for me and they are discussing something with Shalimar, they actually look friendly but how do they know each other? I make my way to table and kiss both my daddies before sitting down next to Shalimar. I can tell they are worried about me and they probably don't know what to say or how to act "Dad, Daddy, I'm fine, please don't worry about me and I know what I'm wearing is not a look you're accustomed to seeing on me, but I really am fine, this isn't a sign about me having a mental breakdown so calm dow. Shalimar explained some things to me and we've actually decided to meet later for coffee to discuss everything else and I'm ok with it, right Shalimar?" I can see from the way they are looking at me now that they might be a little more worried about me, after all, how can a person say so many things without stopping once to breathe? Thankfully before I go off in another Shalimar comes to my rescue, or their rescue, "She's right Leroy, Hiram, though I haven't explained everything yet, I told her the most important part, maybe we should meet at 4:00p.m? Does that work for you?" She finished looking at me and I could tell she was giving me an out so I took it "Yeah, that's perfect, see you at the Lima Bean at 4, bye daddies I love you. With that I kissed each of their cheeks and before I left, my dad Hiram spoke "We love you too darling, have a wonderful day at school and we will discuss this tonight."

For the first time in ages I feel like walking to school, I feel so much energy, even though I didn't sleep at all, I guess it must be part of being a mutant. I walk and I walk and before I know it I'm standing at the parking lot of the William McKinley High School and I didn't even notice when I made it here, I look at my watch and I see that I still have 20 minutes before classes start, I made a really good time coming here. I decided to go to the auditorium and sing, after all, that has always been the best way for me to get things out my system. I open the doors and make my way to the stage and I feel like I'm coming home, finally some peace. But before I can start singing I hear someone coming to the door and I hide. I see the Latina come through the door and it breaks my heart to see that she's crying but I don't know if I should intervene or just stay away from her and give her space, I chose the latter and stepped out my hiding place thinking Here we go again! "Santana, are you okay? What happened?"