A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the love! Enjoy.
…
Shelby sat at the kitchen table in her childhood home and clutched her cup of tea close to her. Both her father and mother were sitting opposite of her and were staring at her expectantly, but she didn't know where to start.
"Is it true?" Her mother asked, finally breaking the tension. "The things they're saying about you, is it true?"
"Yes." Shelby said curtly.
"Christ Shelby," Her father said, finally chiming in. "What did you do? Get knocked up by some loser and then give your child away?" He seethed. "Why wouldn't you tell us, we could have helped you!"
Shelby shook her head, vowing herself to stay calm. "First of all, you two would have never helped me. Everything I have today, everything I created, everything I am, I did that without the help of you two." She started. "Second, I didn't get pregnant with Rachel by some loser. If you two both can agree to let me talk without interruption, then I will explain."
Shelby saw her mother's face soften at Rachel's name, and her father gave her a slight nod, telling her to continue.
"After I graduated you both know I looked high and low for a job so I could move to New York." She started, both of her parent's nodding along. "I saw an Ad in the paper, and nine months of work would cover me for two years in New York comfortably. I met Hiram and LeRoy Berry, they were a newly married couple looking for a surrogate so they could start a family. They were amazing men, and I knew they would be great parents so I agreed. I lied to you two, and told you I was moving to New York, but I actually moved in with them. Rachel was born December second and I left for the city the next day. I signed a contract before she was born relinquishing all of my parental rights and agreed to not contact her until she turned eighteen."
Shelby eyed both of her parents, waiting for one of them to say something, the air thick with tension.
"That's even worse." Her mother stated coldly.
"Pardon?"
"You sold your own flesh and blood so you could go run off to New York and be irresponsible, how selfish can you be?"
Shelby stood, rage taking over her body. "I am the furthest thing from selfish." She shouted, her voice laced with venom. "I gave two loving, caring men something that they couldn't have themselves. I gave Rachel a loving family to grow up in. Everything I have ever done has been for her. So don't you dare call me selfish."
"Shelly," Her father said gently, falling easily into his role of peacekeeper between the two hot headed women. "I think your mother is just upset that we have a grandchild we won't get to meet until she's an adult. She's hurting, as am I. She shouldn't have said that, but you've held this secret for nine years, we're just now finding out about it. You can't blame us for being upset."
Shelby squeezed her eyes shut in frustration, counting down backwards from ten before sitting back down. "That's why I'm here, actually. The Berrys have been trying to contact me for a couple of years now, but kept coming up with dead ends. It wasn't until media outlets leaked the story that they were able to track me down and get ahold of me. I just came from seeing Rachel."
"Oh." Her mother said, surprise laced in her voice. "How was it, why didn't you bring her by?"
Shelby had to refrain from laughing at how sweet her mother's voice had turned, already able to tell that while her mom may not have been the most amazing mother, she was going to be one hell of a grandma.
"I don't want to overwhelm her, mom. She actually was a big fan of mine so me being her mother has been a bit of a shock." She started softly. "There's something else though, and there is no easy way to say this, I'm still processing it myself." She said swallowing thickly.
"What is it, Shelly?" Her dad asked, his big eyes sending her over the edge.
"Rachel has leukemia." She choked out before burying her face in her hands and breaking down into sobs.
Shelby heard the scooting of chairs on the floor and soon found herself being wrapped in the arms of both of her mother and father.
"Oh, sweetie." Her mother cooed, stroking her hair. "It's going to be okay. She's going to be okay."
"I just got her in my life, I can't lose her already, it wouldn't be fair." She cried into her dad's chest. "I'm so scared."
"Welcome to motherhood, sweetheart." Her mother said in a tone Shelby wasn't used to. "You're scared all the time, but you have to be brave for her, do you understand that?"
Shelby nodded before detangling herself from her parents and wiping at her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time in the past twenty four hours. "I hate to rush out, but I still need to go over to the Berrys and nap and shower and then pick everyone up lunch." She said, hastily standing up. "I just wanted to talk to you guys, I'm sorry for keeping it from you for so long."
"Shell, slow down." Her father said, gently grabbing her elbow to stop her. "Why don't you stay with us? I promise we won't pester you, and that way you have some time to yourself."
Shelby mulled it over in her head before nodding. "That sounds nice." She said honestly. "Let me go grab my bags from the car and then I'm going to go lie down."
"I'll get the bags, kiddo. Go sleep so you can get back to Rachel."
Shelby smiled at her father and stepped in to give him a hug. "Thank you, daddy."
…
A couple hours later Shelby was showered and slightly more rested and walking back towards Rachel's room with food in tow. She approached Rachel's door and knocked gently before entering, smiling at the sight of her daughter laughing giddly at the funny voices LeRoy was currently doing while reading her a book.
"Hey, superstar. You look much better." Hiram said cheerfully, taking the bags out of Shelby's hands and beginning to pass out food.
"Hey!" Rachel protested. "Superstar is my nickname!"
"Sorry kiddo, but your mom was our first superstar." Hiram teased.
"No fair." Rachel pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Don't worry babe, I'm sure you'll take my throne sooner or later." She said, throwing Rachel a wink before sitting down in the chair next to her.
"You're probably right," Rachel said, averting her eyes, cheek tingeing pink, "I am very talented."
Shelby threw her head back and laughed at how much her daughter acted like her, she truly was her mini me. "I don't doubt that for a second."
"Well, Hiram and I are going to enjoy our lunch down in the cafeteria, when we come back up we'll bring Rachel's doctor with us so you can meet her. Text us if you need anything." LeRoy sing songed, walking out the door with Hiram following behind him.
Shelby momentarily panicked, acutely aware that this was the first time she's ever been alone with her daughter.
"So," Rachel began, leaning forward in her bed, "what's it like being on a broadway stage?"
Shelby looked into her daughter's deep brown eyes, and saw the same hopes and dreams in them that once filled her young eyes, and she smiled. She could do this.
"It's like eating the best dessert you've ever had in your entire life for every meal. It's sweet, it's rich, it's incredible. Nothing beats the rush of adrenaline, I couldn't imagine doing anything else."
"Wow." Rachel said breathlessly. "That's even better than what I imagined."
"It's definitely better than all of your wildest dreams, kid. That much I know."
Rachel nodded and took another small bite of her soup. "Did my daddies tell you that I'm a really big fan of yours?" She asked shyly.
"They did." Shelby laughed, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "They told me you have all of my CD's."
Rachel's face lit up, and she quickly shoved her soup into Shelby's hands, reaching down underneath her bed, pulling out a tote bag. "This is my bag full of stuff that makes me happy." She explained, and began pulling things out. "I have all your CD's in here, the Wicked and Rent original broadway cast recordings, a couple of things you've signed that I got off eBay, and this." She said pulling out a stuffed cow that immediately brought tears to Shelby's eyes. "My daddies said that my mama left this for me in the hospital when I was born, which now I know it was you that left it. But when I got older, guess what I named her?" Rachel said excitedly.
"Hmmm." Shelby pondered, trying to get her emotions in check. "I don't know, tell me."
"Elsie!" Rachel squealed. "It fits even more perfectly now!"
Shelby laughed, immediately connecting the name to her production of Rent. "It's perfect." Shelby chuckled. "I'm so happy you still have it."
"It was the only piece of my mama, of you, that I had. I would never get rid of it."
Shelby beamed and reached out to take Rachel's hand. "You're very smart for a nine year old, did you know that?"
"I've been told." Rachel replied matter of factly.
Shelby smiled, and the two spent the next hour getting to know one another. The longer they talked, the more Rachel came out of her shell, and the more Rachel began seeing Shelby as more than just a broadway star. When the two men came back into the room an hour later, they found both mother and daughter lying together on Rachel's tiny bed, flipping through Rachel's playbill collection. Rachel looking up at Shelby with rapt attention as Shelby pointed out different bits and pieces, occasionally singing a snippet of a song quietly.
"Well hello, superstars. You two seemed to have enjoyed your lunch." Hiram said happily. "LeRoy will be up in just a second with Doctor Nelson, Shelby."
"Okay, great." She said, sitting up before placing a kiss atop of Rachel's head. "I think little missy might be in a little bit of pain, but she won't tell me." She said quietly as Rachel studied another playbill. "She was great the first half hour but I noticed her grimacing the last twenty minutes or so."
Hiram nodded glumly before pressing the nurses button on the side of the bed. "She doesn't like the pain medication." He explained softly. "It makes her sick which she doesn't like, and I also think she's trying to put on a brave face right now to impress you."
"I'm sorry," Shelby started
"Don't." Hiram said, holding up his head to silence her. "You're her mother, and she's excited. You have nothing to apologize for."
Shelby nodded and looked towards the door where LeRoy was walking in with a tall brunette.
"Shelby, this is Doctor Nelson. Doctor Nelson, this is Shelby, Rachel's mom."
"Pleasure to meet you, I'm a huge fan of all your work." Doctor Nelson said, extending her hand.
Shelby smiled tightly and briefly shook the woman's hand. "Thanks." She replied curtly. "But I'm really only interested in hearing about Rachel and what I can do to help."
The Doctor nodded before shooting the two Berry men a look. "Perhaps we can move this to my office, Miss Corcoran."
Shelby nodded before following the doctor out the room and down the hallway, being led into a private room with a desk. She sat down opposite of Doctor Nelson, and raised her eyebrows expectantly.
Doctor Nelson settled herself in her chair and shuffled a couple papers before looking up and meeting Shelby's unwavering gaze.
"I'm assuming Hiram and LeRoy have given you a briefing on exactly what is going on with Rachel."
"Yes." Shelby replied confidently. "They did. And I don't need you to break it down for me, I've been researching her illness since they first told me."
Doctor Nelson gave her a warm smile and nodded her head. "Okay, so you know that the chemo hasn't been exactly working the last few weeks for Rachel."
"Yes, and that's why I wanted to speak to you. I want to see if I'm a match for Rachel for the stem cell transplant. If I am, I want to do it."
"Miss Corcoran, that is a very invasive procedure. And if you were to do this, you'd have to take two weeks off at least from work. Something that I know is unheard of in your career, especially during this exciting time in your life."
Shelby shook her head in disbelief. "Your number one concern right now should be about your patient, not my career. Rachel is my child, and I will do anything to make her feel better, I don't give two fucks about my career, and if I had to pick between broadway or Rachel, she would win every single time." She said fiercely. "Now, do your job and get the ball rolling, I expect to be tested no later than tomorrow."
"Yes, Miss Corcoran, my apologies."
Shelby gave her one more once over before standing and leaving the room, not yet heading back towards Rachel. She had business to attend too.
…
Shelby returned to Rachel's room a little over an hour later and smiled when she saw the younger version of herself sleeping blissfully.
"She was waiting for you, she only just fell asleep." LeRoy said quietly from the chair he was sitting in.
"I'm sorry." Shelby said, never taking her eyes off of Rachel. "I had to take care of a couple things."
"Don't apologize." LeRoy said while getting up, coming to stand next to her. "You're still processing. We understand."
"I spoke to April, my manager." Shelby said, tearing her gaze from Rachel to look LeRoy in the eyes. "If you and Hiram are ready I'd like to prepare a statement tonight so it'll be the first thing people see in the morning."
"Of course, Hiram and I trust you completely, but what's with the sudden rush?"
"I quit." Shelby said simply. "I don't care if I'm a match or not. I need to be here, with her. I'm moving home."
"Shelby," LeRoy started.
"No." She said fiercely. "Don't argue with me about this. It's already done."
"I wasn't going to argue." LeRoy said sincerely. "I was going to tell you what an amazing mom you are."
Shelby smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "We better go find Hiram. I need to call April back in an hour."
LeRoy gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and nodded. "Let's go find him."
…
Two hours later Shelby was staring down at her phone, her finger hovering over the post button.
"Do it, Shelbs. It's perfect." Hiram said encouragingly.
"I know." She agreed. "I just need to read it over one more time."
She looked back down at the photo. It was from earlier today, herself and Rachel were both smiling looking over a playbill, and despite it being taken in a hospital, the joy is obvious in Shelby's face. Her eyes lingered down to the text underneath the photo.
Nine years ago I gave the two most loving men I have ever met a chance at parenthood. I was a surrogate for Hiram and LeRoy Berry, and the surrogacy resulted in the birth of one Rachel Berry. For nine years I have loved and missed my daughter, but I knew she was in the best hands. I have recently reconnected with my daughter and Hiram and LeRoy, and the love I have for my daughter is something that cannot ever be replaced. Rachel was diagnosed with Leukemia a few years ago, and is fighting every day to get back to the healthy young girl she once was. I'm sharing this with all of you because my family must come first, and in light of recent events, I will be leaving WIcked, effective immediately. I am so grateful for being a part of such an amazing show, and for my incredible fans. But I finally have the role I've always dreamed of; Mom.
Myself, and the Berrys ask you respect our privacy during this time.
All the love, Shelby.
Shelby finished reading it, and before she could second guess herself any longer, hit post.
"It's done." She breathed out.
Both Hiram and LeRoy smiled and stood to embrace her.
"Welcome home, Shelbs." Hiram said.