This is a response to xxCSILoverxx 's request for a fic where Will comforts one of the kids in a fatherly way. It takes place right after "Journey". Which means

SPOILER ALERT THROUGH SEASON FINALE. You've been warned. We're going to pretend that summer wasn't about to start like they imply in the show.

I'm going to ask you to try something. Some of you will think I'm an idiot, some will think I'm a genius, and some will think I'm crazy. Try to seriously picture this in your head as you read it. Some people already do that, but if you don't, just try. It makes it better, I promise.

Please read and review! Thanks!

OooOooO

She'd been acting weird all week. Well, weird for her. She was quiet—she didn't even want to sing. At first Will passed it off as her depression over losing Regional's, but once she willingly gave away a solo he knew something was seriously wrong.

"Today we're going to start with 'A Little Fall of Rain' from Les Mis. Rachel, you'll take Eponine's part and Finn will take Marius's." Will handed Rachel and Finn the sheet music. "I think this will be a great song to add to our repertoire. You know, just in case we have another incident like at Sectional's." He flashed his kids a smile.

Will could tell that several of his students were upset. He knew they would be. Some of the kids were annoyed with singing backup—or in this case not singing at all—to Finn and Rachel. What surprised him was that Rachel looked upset. He so thought that a duet with Finn—from Les Mis, no less—would help to pull her out of her funk.

"Uh, Mr. Schue?" Rachel raised her hand. Her voice was tired and lacked its signature chipper tone.

"Yes, Rachel?" He replied, confused.

"I really don't think I'm right for this solo. You should give it to Tina: her vocal range and the vibrato in her voice make her a perfect candidate to portray the complex and emotional character of Eponine." Rachel announced. Without waiting for his response, she stood up from her seat in the front, handed the sheet music to Tina, and sat down in a seat in the back corner.

The rest of the glee club looked at the scene unfolding before them in shock. Rachel Berry was giving away a solo? It was unheard of. They sat in complete silence for a full ten seconds.

"Um, thanks?" Tina said, thoroughly surprised.

"Well, if that's how you feel, Rachel, I'm okay with it. Tina, you'll sing Eponine's part."

The rest of rehearsal went off without a hitch. Finn and Tina sang together well, maybe not as well as Finn and Rachel would have, but well nonetheless.

Throughout the whole thing, however, Will saw Rachel sitting dejectedly in the corner. See seemed to be totally detached from everything around her—she was staring off into space and braiding and un-braiding her hair repeatedly. Something has to be done, He told himself.

"Great rehearsal, everyone. I'll see you tomorrow!" Will told everyone cheerfully. "Rachel, will you stay after for a moment?"

Rachel looked confused, but she nodded and sat down in a chair at the front of the room. Finn shot Will a look as he was leaving that clearly said 'Help her, please'. Will nodded at him reassuringly before turning to Rachel.

"Are you okay, Rachel?"

"What, me? Of course I am." Her voice sounded convincing enough, but it occurred to Will that Rachel wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Are you sure?" He prodded.

"Positive." Rachel's voice hardened.

"It's just that I've noticed you've been acting differently this week."

"Really? How?" She asked innocently.

Wow, she really isn't making this easy on me, is she? Will thought.

"Well, there's the fact that you just gave up a solo." He stated.

"Tina was better for it than me." Rachel shot back, making eye contact with him for the first time.

"You haven't been singing all week." Will crossed his arms.

"Sore throat." Rachel crossed hers, sitting straighter in her chair.

"You haven't given me a single idea for songs." Will pointed out.

"You've been picking out wonderful songs on your own. I saw no need to." She replied simply.

"You haven't been talking much in class."

"Nothing has been worth talking about."

"Rachel…" Will started doubtfully.

"What? Just because I've been acting differently something has to be wrong?" Rachel defended.

"Yes." Will stated simply.

Rachel opened her mouth to speak again but closed it quickly. Her gaze broke away from Will's, and her eyes dropped to her lap.

"Rachel, you know you can talk to me, right?" Will said gently.

Rachel just nodded, keeping her head down. After a few seconds she started laughing dryly. "It's not even anything that big." She said quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

There were a few seconds of complete silence.

"She doesn't want me." Rachel's voice was so quiet that Will could hardly hear her.

"Who? Who doesn't want you?" Will asked, though he had a pretty good idea.

"My mom. She said she wanted a family. She wants a family, but she doesn't want me." Will had never seen Rachel looking so broken. She sounded totally unlike herself: her voice was low and quiet. Though he couldn't see her face, he could see the tears that were falling into her lap.

"Oh, Rachel, your mom—" He began sympathetically.

Rachel's head snapped up suddenly. Her face was red and wet with tears, but her eyes were hard and defiant.

"No. Don't try and defend her. I don't want to hear it. She's my mom. She's supposed to be there for me! But she just abandoned me! She decided she didn't want me and she wanted to adopt another girl. She just cut all ties to me and decided to start over. Maybe this time her daughter won't be such a let down—she'll be someone she can be proud of." Rachel spoke harshly, but she wasn't yelling.

"Rachel—" Will tried to put in.

This time when Rachel spoke, she was practically screaming. She popped out of her chair and started pacing. "Doesn't she realize that I need a mother?" She was talking more to herself than to Will. "She can go off and adopt another child on a whim, but what about me? I need her. I can't just go and find another mom. She doesn't care about me. She doesn't care how I feel. If she did, she would be there for me."

Rachel stopped talking and walking for a moment. The look on her face made it seem like she had just realized something. "She said she wanted a family." She whispered. "I am her family. I'm her daughter. Why aren't I good enough?" She began to cry. She looked up at Will and seemed to be pleading with him. "Wh-Why can't I be enough for her? Am I really th-that big a failure? I-I c-can't even be enough of a d-daughter to my own m-mother. Wh-Why?" Rachel collapsed into the nearest chair and put her face in her hands. Her shoulders began to shake as sobs racked her body. "Wh-Why?" She kept mumbling to herself.

Will's heart broke as he watched his student break down in front of him. He had known about Rachel's situation with Shelby, but he never knew it was affecting the girl so much.

"Oh, Rachel…" He squatted down in front of the girl and laid a hand on her shoulder. Rachel tensed under his touch for a moment, as if she forgot anyone else was in the room. Realizing who it was she relaxed.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel." Will soothed. What am I supposed to say? He asked himself. "Look, I really wish I could tell you that everything is going to get better with your mom. It might, but I really don't know. Just give her time. Let her adjust to being a mom and then, when she's ready, maybe you'll be able to have a relationship with her. But you know what? Even if that doesn't work out, you're still really lucky. You know why?" Rachel shook her head, which was still in her hands. "You have so many people who care about you."

Rachel lifted up her head to look at him. "No I don't." She said sadly. "Everybody hates me."

Will smiled at her. "That's not true. Just ten minutes ago you were in a room, surrounded by people who care about you."

Rachel shook her head. "Puck, Santana, Quinn—they don't care about me."

"Are you serious? Of course they do. Remember how they reacted when you were egged? Everyone in the club—including those three—was furious. They were all ready to go and stand up for you." Will saw a ghost of a smile cross Rachel's features at the memory.

"Listen to me, Rachel. You are a good person. You're kind, sweet, compassionate—you sing better than anyone I've ever heard. You have friends, even if you don't see that. You are not alone, and you never will be. So if Shelby Cochran can't see that she has an amazing daughter it's her loss, not yours."

Rachel looked at him and gave him the first genuine smile he'd seen from her in a long time. "Thanks, Mr. Schue." She said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"Anytime. And remember, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me." He held out his hand and helped Rachel out of her chair.

With one last smile, Rachel made her way towards the exit. Will walked towards his office to grab his things.

"Oh, Mr. Schue?" Rachel called from the doorway. Will turned to look at her. "I want that solo back."

OooOooO

So, this was totally written spur of the moment. At two in the morning. I don't really know where it came from, but I've always been a sucker for Will's fatherly relationship with his students.

I'm really not sure if this is any good, like, at all (I once again plead two in the morning) but I thought I might as well post it. I know it's short, but I wanted to make it realistic.

PLEASE REVIEW! They mean the world to me, and I'm one of them super self-conscious authors. I just assume everything I write sucks until I'm told otherwise :/

Thanks so much for reading! :D