DISCLAIMER: I do not own, or claim to own, glee, any of its characters or any of the songs mentioned in this story.


Hey, guys. I know it's been a while, so without further ado, here's the new chapter:


Of Mothers And Mums

- Chapter 8 -

Spelling It Out

Rachel strode into the choir room, fully prepared for the admiring looks she was sure to get. These were McKinley High's New Directions, after all. She had watched some of their performances – as long as it was convenient for her, of course – and she had been impressed that Will had managed to maintain the high level this group had been on after the end of her senior year. Granted, they didn't have the star performer she had been anymore, but there were some talented young people among them, and they put a lot of energy into cultivating their talent and perfecting their performances. They must be interested in and informed on everything that happened on Broadway, and they surely knew her – she was one of its brightest stars, after all. These kids might very well be some of her youngest fans.

She spotted Beth sitting in the second row, next to a red-haired girl and a rather well tanned boy and gave her a bright smile. The boy looked admiringly at her indeed – he must be one of the absolute musical theatre fanatics in this year's New Directions. The girl, however, just looked back and forth between her and Beth, a concerned frown forming on her face. Beth herself stared at her rather coldly.

She was slightly taken aback at Beth's almost-glare, but she slipped her perfect show face on, gave the entire group her brightest, patented Rachel-Berry-smile and started into the speech she had prepared for them.

"You guys have the honor of forming part of the New Directions, one of the best high school show choirs of this nation. Beginning with the performances here, you maybe start to travel down the road of your personal musical career. You have the best starting conditions. Some of the members of the original New Directions I was a part of, too, have really made it. Mercedes Jones, for example, has recorded three successful R&B albums. You may know her under the name of Mercy Jade." She paused briefly for dramatic effect and noticed the recognition in the students' eyes with satisfaction. "Others are building careers in different sectors of the performing arts, too. Some are singers in bands or actors or dancers … You get the idea. All of these talents were discovered and encouraged in this choir room."

She paused again, giving her audience time to exchange excited glances and brief whispers.

"I now want you to take out a piece of paper and write your individual dream on it." She prompted the kids sitting in front of her, reveling in the drama of this situation only she and possibly Mr. Schue knew about. It was the very same thing Bryan Ryan had asked them to do all these years ago, trying to crush their hopes of making it out of Lima. She wasn't planning on doing that to these kids.

"You don't need to tell me what you have written down as your dream. I just want you to replace the term 'dream' with the term 'goal'. You're dreams will not just come true some day. You have to work for them. You have to make them your goal, and if you really want them to come true, you have to do anything and everything to achieve them."

Most of the students looked at her with a mixture of hesitance and anxiety, but also interest and the kind of fascination people show for horror movies, not wanting to look at the screen, but refusing to look away, too. She had them exactly where she wanted them.

"As some of you may know, I am on Broadway." She said, still smiling proudly after all these years at the knowledge that she had, in fact, achieved her dreams. "Up until now, I starred in Evita, Funny Girl, Oklahoma, Les Mis, Spring Awakening, Rent, West Side Story and Wicked. And those of you who'll watch the new Wicked movie will notice that Elphaba looks suspiciously like me." She finished with a grin.

"But all of that didn't happen overnight. I had to work hard to get there. When I was your age, I had already been taking vocal and dancing lessons for years, and at least six days a week. I practiced performing in many clubs, amongst them the glee club. In my senior year, I auditioned for NYADA, and I got in." She purposefully skipped the choke. No need to embarrass herself and relive the humiliation she felt back then in front of these strangers. Kids could be cruel, they wouldn't understand that really this just proved that she had struggled to get where she was now. She had fought to get a second chance, fought to get Carmen Tibideaux to watch their Nationals in Chicago, and she'd succeeded. She blinked once and went on as if the slight pause she'd made as the memories hit her had been for dramatic effect yet again.

"The years at NYADA were both beautiful and challenging. Most of the teachers were intimidating, and some even seemed to pick on their students." She smiled at the memory of the early Cassandra July, who, today, was one of her greatest fans. "But all of that just pushed me harder, made me want to get better even more. Without them, I wouldn't have become the well-rounded performer I am today. And I do care to back that up." She said, her smile getting even bigger and brighter. "Brad." She shared a look with the piano player who still worked with the New Directions kids. His hair and beard were now all grey, but apart from that, he still looked the same. Thin, always serious about what he did and dressed perfectly in one of his many suits.

The familiar notes of "On My Own" from Les Mis began to play. Mr. Schue and she had decided on that particular song together, almost as if wanting to bring back the old days to the choir room. Now, however, this song was so much more than her audition piece for the glee club she had put her heart in for three years. She'd also sung it on a Broadway stage numerous times, applause overshadowing the early memories of getting bullied because of her love for musical theatre that had made her an outcast.

She knew she'd blown them away the moment the song had finished and she'd transformed from Éponine back to Rachel Berry. The well-tanned musical theatre lover she'd noticed earlier jumped up to give her a standing ovation, and gradually, all of the other kids joined in. Beth was the last one to get up, and she did it rather reluctantly, which didn't go unnoticed by Rachel. When she looked over to her, however, her younger "sister" refused to look her in the eyes. For the second time within an hour, Rachel hid the confused expression that would have formed on her face behind her show face.

"Okay, guys. That was a real Broadway performance, in our choir room." Mr. Schue said once the frantic clapping had subsided, walking up to Rachel to stand in front of his students as well. "So, what did you think?"

"She's amazing." The boy whom she had labeled as a musical theatre geek breathed, and many of the other kids nodded approvingly.

"Mr. Schue, can we have Mercy Jade next time?" A black girl who sounded very much like Mercedes had back in the day pleaded. "No offense. I'm sure you're a great singer." She turned to Rachel. "But some of us are into a little more, well, modern stuff."

"You're part of a show choir, Trisha." Broadway boy reminded her superiorly. "That sounds a lot more like show tunes than R&B to me."

Rachel exchanged an amused look with Mr. Schue, remembering how often she had had the exact same argument with Mercedes.

"Okay, Trisha, Jacob, that's enough." Mr. Schue stopped their quarreling with finality. "I think Rachel has given you enough of an insight on how to become a Broadway star." He then turned to address the entire group. "I'm sure you have a lot to think about, and I don't think it would make sense to start a rehearsal in the remaining," He glanced at the clock. "Twenty minutes. So, let's call it a day."

She watched the crowd shuffle out of the choir room, reminding Beth that she should wait for her outside. The boy, Jacob, stopped in front of her. "Miss Berry, I – I'm a big fan." He stammered. "I wondered if you could sign this for me?" He asked, handing her a picture of her playing Wendla in Spring Awakening and an edding pen.

"Of course." She said, flashing a smile at him and signing her name on the picture.

"Thank you so much. I really admire you." He said dramatically, almost hyperventilating, before he almost bounced out of the choir room.

"Well, I'm gonna go get Beth." She said after having wallowed in nostalgia quite some time.

Will nodded. "Yeah, that's probably for the best. It was nice seeing you again, Rachel."

"And it was nice being here again, for some reason." She smiled the first honest, non-show-smile of the day. "I'd never have thought I'd enjoy being back in Lima someday. But maybe it's just because it's not permanent." She added, grinning. "Goodbye, Will."

"Goodbye, Rachel. And thanks for coming." He said, watching her walk out of his choir room for the first time since her senior year.


"I'm sure she doesn't mean to do that." Zoey said, taking a deep breath. "Maybe she can't see how much it hurts you."

"Well, then she's just being ignorant." Beth huffed, remembering the way Rachel and Shelby had been way too friendly with each other during dinner. It had been downright painful to watch. However, her Mum and the girl who was not really her sister had been perfectly oblivious to that fact.

"Oh, here she comes." Beth said gloomily, gesturing towards the front doors of William McKinley High Rachel had just walked through. "I better get going. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you." Zoey echoed, walking away in the direction of the parking lot and her brother's car.

Beth sighed and began walking in the opposite direction, to where Rachel was standing with that unbearable smile of hers on her face.

"Hey, do you want to grab something to eat?" The brunette greeted her cheerfully, apparently still oblivious to what was going on inside of Beth.

"I'd rather not." Beth said evasively, still not wanting to cause a scene, even despite the anger and fury that were boiling inside of her.

"Well, we could also just get some drinks …" Rachel trailed off, looking at Beth questioningly.

"Can't we just go straight home? I'm not really … in the mood." Beth answered, giving Rachel another broad hint.

"Oh. Well, I just thought, maybe you wanted to talk." Rachel stated dryly.

"Can't you just let it be?" Beth snapped, not caring to cover her irritation any more. Apparently, Rachel was just so persistent and plain ignorant that she wouldn't back off any other way. "I don't want to talk to you."

"But I could help." Rachel insisted. "Look, I know what you're going through, Beth, I …"

"Oh, you claim to know what I'm going through?" Beth repeated Rachel's words, almost shouting now. "So you must be hurting me on purpose." She accused the older girl, knowing that she would hit a nerve that way.

"I – I wouldn't …"

But Beth didn't give the tiny brunette time to defend herself, launching into the rant that had been going on and on in her head since Rachel had announced her visit ever so casually on the phone.

"Come on! How do you think I feel? I've just learned that my Mum isn't my mother, and then her only biological daughter walks through the door and they're having dinner together, being all smiles and friendly with each other. Just the way a mother and daughter ought to be." She added sarcastically.

"And then, as if that wasn't enough, you come here and dare to impress all of my friends with your talent, pulling them on your side? It's not hard to tell that Jacob worships you, and lots of the others do now, too. They just don't show it as obviously." Beth was now breathing heavily, the confused look in Rachel's eyes fueling her anger even more.

"So, no, I do not want to 'grab something to eat' with you, neither do I want to talk to you at all at the moment. What I'd really want for you to do is to just. Back. Off."

And with that, she spun around on her heels and walked away, leaving a stunned Rachel behind.

"I was supposed to give you a ride." The brunette piped up hesitantly.

"Hell, I'll just take the bus." Beth snapped back without even turning around, hoping that, finally, the annoying diva had gotten the message. She certainly couldn't spell it out any clearer.


That's it.For now.

I have been promised virtual chocolate chip cookies for writing the Rachel/Beth talk, and I'll pass them on to anyone who reviews.

So ...