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The days funerals were held were either pouring rain or shining sun. On the day that Hiram and Leroy Berry were buried, rain fell in sheets. Rachel growled at the offending thunder on the roof, as she pulled her dress up her legs. Reaching for the zipper, she pulled it halfway up her back before swapping hands.

"Want some help?" Shelby offered, knocking on the door. Rachel shook her head firmly, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Is Beth coming? I don't know how Quinn and Puck will feel about that".

Shelby was amazed- even at her worst, her daughter thought about others.

"Caitlin's coming to watch Beth", Shelby said gently. "She'll be here in a few minutes, and then we'll head off".

Rachel sighed heavily, before sliding her feet into her heels. "I'll go and wait downstairs for Caitlin".

Shelby was almost there. She had almost broken through the barriers.

She just needed time.

"Where's Rachel? Is she here yet?" Finn wanted to know, pacing a little.

"Calm down, Finn", Will told him. "She's coming with Shelby, remember?"

"where's Shelby?" was the next question.

"Finn, honey, sit down", Carole told him.

So Finn sat, but it didn't stop his foot from tapping.

The click of a set of high heels made them all turn around, as Rachel advanced through the middle of the aisle, Shelby's hand on the small of her back. her face was pale and emotionless, not making eye contact with any of them. Taking a seat on the first pew, she took Shelby's hand.

"She is so not okay", Mercedes whispered, and Will put a hand on her shoulder.

"We're all meeting back at the school at three thirty, remember? The auditorium", he reminded her. "Shelby's going to bring Rachel".

He had called the older brunette the night before, and while Shelby had sounded confused, she had agreed to bring her daughter back to the school after the funeral (and once more, it was proven to Will where Rachel got her persistence from. "Will, what are you going to do?" she had asked, at least nine times in the six minute conversation they had had).

The funeral was nice, as far as funerals went. Rachel stepped up to the podium, still emotionless, and spoke about her fathers.

They were the best parents any girl could have. They gave her the best childhood they could, and were there for her at every opportunity.

"I hope I'll always make my dad and daddy proud", she finished, before taking the seat beside Shelby once more.

Shelby squeezed her hand gently, wiping away her own tears. "That was beautiful, Rachel".

"Thank you", she mumbled.

Will and Emma had half expected the young brunette to burst into song- like she had on so many occasions. But that day was too much for her.

Once it was over, Rachel turned to her mother. "can we go home now?"

Shelby looked at the young girl's face, and blinked away a fresh round of tears. "Rachel, Mr Schue and the glee club have something for you, we're going to go to McKinley for a few minutes, but I promise you that after that. We're going straight home".

For a moment, Shelby thought the teenager was going to crumple. But, straightening up her shoulders, Rachel nodded.

"Okay", she said finally.

"Will, what is this?" Shelby wanted to know, clutching Rachel's hand, as Will lead the pair to the auditorium.

"It was their idea", Will told her honestly. "Rachel's always been the glue that holds this club together- she needs it".

So Shelby looked to the stage expectantly, as they came into view.

"You're not alone, together we stand. I'll be by your side; you know I'll take your hand. When it gets cold and it feels like the end, there's no place to go, you know I won't give in… no, I won't give in", Finn sang,

It was the same song that Rachel had organised the glee club to sing, once Quinn's pregnancy was exposed. They had stood by her the whole time, down to wheeling her into the emergency room- and Rachel knew, at that moment, that they would stand by her.

"Keep holding on, 'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through. Just stay strong, 'cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you. There's nothing you could say, nothing you could do, there's no other way when it comes to the truth! So keep holding on, 'cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through…"

Rachel's tears poured down her face, Brittany pulling her into a rib-crushing hug. Sobbing into the blonde's shoulder, Brittany pulled Santana closer, Finn joining the hug.

Before she knew it, they had all gathered in, the tiny brunette being squashed into the middle. It was a mixture of tears and laughter, as they hugged her tight.

It didn't matter what happened.

She had her family.