The More Things Change

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its Characters. RIB does.

Rachel Berry knew she would be a star. From the time she won her first competition she knew nothing in the world would stop her from being a star. Sure she came out of high school with little friends and not much of a social life. It wasn't her fault no one cared how talented she was. At the end she had the last laugh. She got out of Lima, when no one else could. And at the end of the day it was all worth it. Every slushy facial, every shove in the hallway, every bad name she was called lead up to this. Ten years since she stepped out of Lima and became a household name. She succeeded her expectations of being a Broadway star. Rachel had never imagined she would be an A-List actresses starring in box office hits. Working beside some of the most prestigious actor and actresses the world had to offer. Everyday felt like a fantasy and it wasn't until she slipped inside of her Californian mansion and saw all the awards she managed to win throughout the years, did she allow herself to realize everything was real. That she Rachel Barbra Berry had done what everyone in that cow town Lima told her she couldn't do. She became something.

There was a down side to leaving Lima, and refusing to step back in it. She had lost Kurt and Blaine as friends, and Finn as a boyfriend. To say Rachel was disappointed at Kurt for staying behind with Blaine was an understatement. She couldn't believe he gave up the dreams both of them shred for love. Of course Blaine wasn't the only reason he stayed. The cost of living in New York was more than he could afford, but still there were ways to make it happen. She had even invited him to stay with her in the spacious apartment her fathers had bought her. It was then that Kurt admitted that maybe New York wasn't for him. That if he couldn't afford to live there and if Blaine wasn't there maybe it was a sign, a sign that he didn't belong. Hurt and betrayed she tried getting Finn to talk some sense into him, but that came out even worse. Finn agreed with Kurt's decision and made it clear that he wouldn't be following her.

"New York isn't for me Rach," he told her. " Lima is."

Although it shouldn't have surprised her she was still hurt that he didn't even try. That she wasn't worth following. From there the relationship deteriorated and she found herself planning on going to New York alone. For the first few months she was unbelievably lonely and felt like giving up. Still she pulled through and studied hard at NYADA. By the time she graduated she had an agent, and had a small part on a Broadway play. From there she earned a lead in the revival of West Side Story, before moving on to Funny Girl and Wicked. When her agent first suggested movies Rachel could swear she was joking. Think about she told her.

" You've done all you can do on Broadway. You have two Tony awards and you've had three leads. It could be good for you".

Rachel was skeptical but agreed. Working on movies she had to admit was a bit easier than starring in plays. Rehearsals weren't as demanding, and filming only took a few months. What she didn't expect were the hundreds of interviews and tours she had to go through. Her first two movies had done less than well and she was ready to call it quits, but her Agent made her promise to give it one more try. One romantic comedy and a few well placed advertisements made Rachel a star. Suddenly her world was full of paparazzi and interviews.

It was weird for a while. She wasn't use to having people watch her every move. She had to be very careful and make sure she didn't do anything to hurt her image. One wrong move could end her career. Still all the fame in the world didn't make up for the fact that she had no friends and no love life. Sure she had people she could casually hang out with, and a few times she went out with co stars, but that was it. Any date she went on ended up less than promising and never worked out. She began to wonder if she would end up one of those people married to their career. The thought didn't seem so bad, but at times she couldn't deny the fact that she was lonely.

The only people she still talked to in Lima were her fathers and an occasional message to Kurt. She tried to keep up with the others at first but her efforts were not well received. She got no invitation to Mike's and Tina's wedding. She wasn't there to see Brittany and Santana adopt their son, and wasn't there to see Mercedes and Kurt open up their own fashion shop. No one wanted her there, and to tell the truth she didn't want to be there either. She had promised herself she wouldn't step back into that town no matter what. So far she had kept her promise. Her dads always came to her for holidays, and she was so busy traveling that she wouldn't have time to go back even if she tried. It was safe to say that there was nothing that could get her to go back.

That morning as Rachel went to get the mail she was shocked. There in a tacky beige envelope sat an envelope that held the invitation to the William McKinley High School tenth year Reunion. After the shock disappeared all she could do was laugh. A deep and almost hysterical laugh. Why would they even bother sending me one she thought? She was so busy laughing that she didn't notice a car pull up.

"Are you okay?" A voice called out. Rachel turned around to see Mary Nelson, her agent of almost six years step out. Mary was a middle age woman who was mostly serious and straight to the point. Rachel was her first client, and she couldn't believe her luck when she was hired by someone with such star quality.

"Yeah, it's just I got this in the mail." Rachel was still in giggles as she handed the letter over to Mary for her to read. Mary and Rachel always understood each other so the next words came as a complete surprise.

" Rachel I think you should go."

"What? You can't be serious. I thought I made it clear when I told you I was never going back to Lima." Rachel couldn't believe Mary was actually serious. After all these years of watching her avoid Lima like the plague, how could she even suggest such a thing?

"Rachel this is a good chance to show the world that you're not letting fame get to your head. There are already rumors that you're a stuck up bitch, and a complete snob. The fact that you have no real social life doesn't help." Mary glared at Rachel as she began to deny the accusation before continuing. "Rachel it will just be a week in Lima and you'll never have to go back for all I care. We'll get some pictures of you interacting with people in the community. Show the world that you're still the humble Rachel Berry they fell in love with." Rachel knew that the rumors were starting to get out of control, but still. She has been donating to charities every year, and part of plenty organizations.

"You don't understand Mary. Those people hate me. I've never been more miserable in my life than when I was in Lima. If you love me even a little bit you won't make me go back." Mary's facial feature softened as she pulled Rachel in a hug. It looks like she was going to have to pull out the big guns, if she wanted to win this fight.

"I know how hard it was for you Rachel, but you're not the same person you were when you left. Don't you want to show everyone who ever doubted you, how great you are now? Parade around the town and show everyone exactly what the missed, when they denied you. Your Lima, Ohio's only saving grace. It's time you let them know that." Rachel pulled away a smile on her face.

" I guess that sounds fun. I mean there have been times that I wish I could see their faces when they see how successful I am."

"Great then it's agreed your heading back to Lima, Ohio."

AN: Just something that's been stuck in my head. Not sure if I should continue. Let me know.