Rachel Berry was the girl everyone hated and bullied. She was disliked by all at school, but that all changed when she joined glee club. Alright it took a while for her to get really accepted and liked by everyone in the group, but she eventually did it and with it came great friends. Throughout the first year she had a couple boyfriends as well, but the one she had the strongest feelings for was secretly dating her; Matt Rutherford. The quiet guy no one suspected to date the star and admittedly loud, girl of glee club. She was in love with him with her whole heart and he returned the feeling. They consummated their love after they were told glee had another year, but a month later Matt moved leaving a small note saying, "I'm so sorry Rachel, but it was too hard to tell you goodbye myself and I know you're going to hate me for this. Just, please forgive me. I'll see you again, but until then I love you with my heart and soul. Matt xoxo." It broke Rachel and she drove herself into her music. That was until she started noticing things the next week. She was getting tired all the time, eating weirdly, and getting sick every morning; which all were signs of pregnancy. She couldn't be pregnant though, she just couldn't. Not with Matt gone and no one knowing about their relationship, but her fears were confirmed and she couldn't control her emotions. She cried for a few hours over Matt and the little life growing inside her, but she later decided she had to figure out what to do now. She couldn't tell Matt seeing as she didn't have his new address, she definitely wasn't getting an abortion, and she just couldn't put her child through what she had to endure with not knowing Shelby. But that put the problem of how was she going to raise a child as a single mother and in high school. She heard about how Quinn's parents reacted and she couldn't deal with that, so the only safe option was for her to run. She couldn't tell anybody either because she would just get shut out of their lives anyway, or that's what she thought. So as soon as her dads went to sleep that Thursday night, she went on her laptop and ordered a ticket for the next flight to Salem, Oregon; A place far away from Lima where no one knows her. It was the perfect place to go to. The next day, after her dads had left for work, she wrote a letter to leave them and headed to the airport. She flopped down into her chair on the plane and thought about her letter; "Dear Daddies don't worry about me, I'm fine. I have run away and don't plan on coming back for a while so you shouldn't try to find me. This is not in any way your faults and I love you both for forever and always. Goodbye, for now. Signed your star, Rachel Berry.*" They were probably going to worry a little bit less than they would have, but they would wonder about why she had run away so abruptly. Well they just had to wait until she came back.
Chapter 1Wait is exactly what the Berry men did. When they came home to that letter they were heartbroken that they lost their little girl and worried at how she would be able to survive on her own, but they also knew that Rachel was a strong girl and she could get herself out of almost any situation. It's been two years since she left and they've been living on the fact that she is alive since she wasn't kidnapped or killed. But they both always wonder what was it that made Rachel leave, if it wasn't them. The men suspected it was because of someone at McKinley, since some of the kids that came looking for her admitted to being mean to her. All the kids in the glee club were devastated when they each saw the letter she left. They all had a suspicious feeling it had something to do with Matt, since she left a week after he did. Since she left they got a few new members, but they have a picture of her on the wall with a gold star above it and the words, "Our Original Diva, Miss Rachel Barbra Berry" under it. They wanted everyone who came into the choir room to know that Rachel was their friend and shining star.
Rachel's POV:
It's been two years, wow. Two years since I saw any of my family and friends, but it's only been sixteen months since I had my baby girl, Madison. I named her Madison because in Old English it means daughter of Maud or Matthew and her father's name is Matthew Rutherford. She's my whole world and she's already a little star, always singing or at least trying to since she can't say all the words yet. She started going to daycare when she was five months old because I had to go back to school, which I am still amazed at that I didn't need my parents for anything except their names and birth information. The people at the daycare loved Madison as well as me and they were great to us. But now I am about to start my senior year and I thought now is as good a time as any to go back to Lima. So that is how Maddi and I ended up on my dads' front step, too afraid of the unknown to push the doorbell. Luckily Maddi inherited my impatience and pushed my hand a little so the doorbell would go off. A second later I was face to face with my papa, Hiram. A look of shock was on his face for a second before pure joy crossed is features and he pulled me into a tight hug. "Leroy, come here, Rachel's back!" he shouted into the house and in a flash I was in an even tighter hug from my dad. I had almost forgotten Madison was there when she tugged on the jeans I was wearing and I stepped out of my dad's hug. "Dad, Papa, it's great to see you again and I have missed you so much, but there's someone I'd like you to meet." I said and a look of confusion came over them. I picked up Madison into my arms and said, "Dads, this is Madison, my daughter. Maddi, honey, you want to say 'hi' to your granddads?" She looked at them and said in a quiet voice, "Hi." Then she hid her face in my neck. She took after her father with that; whenever she's not singing she's playing with her toys quietly and she always gets shy when she meets people. I looked at my dads and they both had these dumbfounded looks as they stared at Maddi. "Can we go inside? I'd really like to put our bags somewhere." I said and they nodded silently, leading me in. "You can put your bags in your room, we haven't changed it so it's still yours." Dad said quietly. I went upstairs and put my bags down as I looked around the room. They weren't kidding when they said they didn't change anything; it's exactly the same, but it's a bit too childish for my tastes now. I grew up a lot in the last two years not only for me, but for Maddi as well. I changed my wardrobe too; no more animal sweaters, short skirts and knee high socks, now I mostly wear jeans, t-shirts, dresses, and the occasional skirt, but definitely longer than my old ones. I heard Maddi yawn so I laid her down in my bed, kissed her forehead and went downstairs to face my dads. When I got down there they were waiting for me in the living room. I sat down in the couch across from them. "I put her to bed for the night. It was a long day and she was exhausted." I said and looked at them. They motioned for me to explain everything. "I know this is probably very confusing, but let me clear this out, yes Madison's the reason for me leaving. I was 15, pregnant, scared, and I was pretty sure I was alone at the time. I was scared of how you would react and I had no idea how to get in contact with her father so I panicked. I ran away from the only home I had ever known and went to Salem, Oregon, a place where I was a total stranger." I looked up and they had soft, knowing expressions on their faces. "Sweetie, we know how you feel. When we were disowned by our families we got away from Georgia and moved to Ohio. You do have to realize that we would've helped you, though. We love you, you're our daughter and you just gave us a granddaughter. Of course we would have preferred it to be a bit later in life, but that girl is a blessing nonetheless. We do have one question though." Papa said and dad asked, "Who is Madison's father?" The question I hate most when people meet Maddi. "Matthew Rutherford is her father. Before you start lecturing me on how he deserved to know I was pregnant and he still deserves to know about Madison. Yes I know he should know about her, but I had no way of contacting him because he moved and didn't tell anyone where or why. I did love him and I still do, but a month after we consummated our relationship he left, only leaving a short note to me. I learned I was pregnant the next week and left the next day. I did exactly what he did, but I was so scared of losing everyone I just pushed you away." I started to get a little emotional from thinking about what I had been through. "Matthew Rutherford? We didn't know you dated him." Papa said. "No one did. We never really talked about it, but I think it was because no one expected for us to be together and at McKinley reputation is everything. I was queen of the gleeks and he was a popular football player, we were never meant to cross paths, but I saw the real him in glee. The sweet, but silently strong type. I love him and I think I always will." I said. "Well it's great that you love him, but you do need to find out where he lives so you can talk this all out. Now we think it's time you headed up to bed, it's been a long day and we'll handle getting you reregistered at school. You are going back to McKinley, right?" dad asked. "Yes I plan to graduate from McKinley. I'm going to postpone college for a year though, so I can stay with Maddi." I told them and they nodded and smiled. I hugged Maddi to my body as I drifted off into dreamland. When I woke up I panicked for a second before I realized where I was; it had been 2 years since I was here so it took a moment to recognize. I stood up, taking Maddi with me, and entered the bathroom to wash up. I got us dressed; me in a purple V-neck t-shirt with jeans and Madison in a cute red dress with white polka dots and a white ribbon in her chocolate brown hair; and we went downstairs. We found my dads drinking coffee in the kitchen and they told me that they saved us some fruit salad in the refrigerator. I took it out and gave some to Maddi before eating some myself. "I'm going to take Madison with me to go shopping. I donated most of our stuff in Salem to charity so we need a few things like clothes and stuff for Madison." "That's alright. Do you need to use our car or do you have your own?" Papa asked as they both looked at me. "I do have a car; a white Toyota Camry. I got it from a friend in Salem who was selling it." I answered. "Well alright then. Are you two going to be ok while we go to work for a few hours? Because we don't want you to feel unwelcomed here since you haven't been here that long and we have to lea-" "Dad, you're rambling and we'll be fine. I understand that you have to work because you have to support yourselves. It's okay. Really." I said and they nodded and left soon after, leaving Papa's key for me to use. I got Madison's diaper bag and, after locking the door behind us, walked us to my car. I put her in her car seat, got in and drove to the mall.
Author's POV:
They got to the mall and started to look around. They were in the baby section in Target; Rachel looking at clothes while Madison played quietly with her favorite teddy bear; when something unexpected happened. "Rachel Berry?" Rachel turned around slowly only to see Noah Puckerman standing behind her. "Didn't think I'd ever see you around here again. What are you doing here?" Rachel sighed and answered, "I thought it was better to be here at this time." Rachel noticed that Madison was staring at them with fascination while Noah was oblivious to the baby. "Where'd you go anyway?" He asked. "I moved to a town called Salem in Oregon due to some…difficult obligations." She answered hesitantly, but he saw right through it. "Cut the crap Berry. After you left the club went to your house to look for you and we saw your letter," Rachel paled slightly. "We know that you ran away. We just don't know what for. Was it because of Matt since you left not too long after him?" Rachel felt all the color drain from her face, but before she could answer a certain baby who was tired of being ignored decide to make her presence known. "Mama?" Maddi asked. Puck's eyes widened when he saw Rachel turn to the baby he just noticed. "Yes sweetie?" Rachel asked and Madison pointed to Noah. "Maddi this is Noah. Noah this is my daughter, Madison." She introduced. "Hi there Madison." Noah smiled at the baby who returned it before turning towards Rachel again. "So this is why you left; you were pregnant. The only thing I'm confused about is the father since you must've loved him a lot if you broke your 'no sex before marriage or until I'm 25' rule and you didn't have a boyfriend that I knew of around the time, I assume, Madison was conceived." Rachel was silent for a second before deciding that maybe it would be okay if just he knew the truth, but then she remembered where they were and that if he was in here than somebody else she knows could be in here too and hear their conversation. "I will tell you everything but you have to come to my house, I moved back in with my dad's." Noah nodded and, after they bought what they went there for, followed them to the parking lot.
