Disclaimer: I don't own Glee all rights belong to Ryan Murphy and Fox…I'm only borrowing the characters for a little bit of fun writing!
A/N: Okay, people…I have over 700 hits on this fic and only 4 reviews? My confidence level is dropping! Show some love people! Let me know what you think, or whether or not you even like it! Okay, enough with the babble, on ward!
Blended Family
Rachel watched as Noah drove away from the 7/11. He looked so damn good, even with the stubble on his face. That was so sexy and manly, a far cry from the boy she knew in high school. He still had his alarming good looks and sex appeal, only heightened by the maturity from the last five years. It really had been nice seeing him again, even for such a short moment. She would definitely have to talk with him soon, now she had to go see her, uh Shelby. Rachel wasn't sure if she could call her mom or even refer to her as mother right now. Everything was still sinking in, and Rachel really was nervous on top of all of it.
"Hey, Shelby. Yeah, I finally made it to my dads'. No I ran into someone, my car is fine. Thank you for asking. Where would you like me to meet you? Okay, got it. See you soon." Rachel hung up her phone. Apparently Beth was about to be out of school, Shelby had asked her to meet them at the recreation center. She'd said that Beth had cheerleading, figures.
Rachel pulled up to the rec center, she took some calming breaths and walked inside. It wasn't hard to spot Shelby. But where was Beth? Rachel was looking around for the blonde girl, but didn't see her.
"Hey, Rachel. I'm so glad you could make it. Wow, how gorgeous are you?" Shelby wrapped her arms around Rachel in a greeting hug. At first Rachel was hesitant, but decided to hell with it! This is your mother and she's dying and wants a relationship with you. Don't continue this anger, this hurt, or this hate. Rachel scolded herself.
"Thank you, Shelby. I don't feel gorgeous right now. I feel exhausted. Anyway, where's Beth?" Rachel saw the hurt in Shelby's face when she couldn't say mother or mom. Rachel chose to ignore this for now, come on. This is awkward but she's willing to give it a try.
"Right over there. She's on the end." Shelby points to a dark haired girl on the end of the line of half pint cheerleaders. Wow, Beth looks more like Noah now then she did when she was born.
"Now, she's gorgeous! Wow, I thought she'd still be blonde like Quinn." Rachel states conversationally. Shelby shakes her head.
"Thank you, but her hair actually started turning shades darker a little each month until she was a year old. Then…bam! That Jewish heritage came shining through." Shelby laughs at the disbelief on her oldest daughter's face.
"So, does she know…about me or um, them?" Rachel isn't sure how to start this conversation. But it's something she has to learn if she's to take care of her sister when that time comes.
"Yeah, well about you. She knows that I adopted her after I allowed you to be adopted by Jeffery and Brian. But about Noah and Quinn? No, she doesn't know her biological parents' names. I never told her. She asks all the time, but I don't know if I should tell her." Shelby seems to be looking into the past or picturing the future, her voice is distant.
"When did you tell her? About her being adopted?" Rachel asks. She's looking at Beth herself and it's strange to see how much she can actually see herself in the little girl. Obviously not biologically, but the determination on her sister's face, the way she's very in tuned with the squad, and the way she's concentrating on being perfect while doing the routine. All the strive Rachel has. She's smiling now.
"I told her after I found out about having cancer. I told her that I was sick, she's so smart and mature for her age. I guess I didn't want to lie to her. Please, help me, Rachel? I am so sorry for not getting to know you so many years ago. But I really want you and Beth to be close, I just hope you can forgive me one day for the way I've acted towards you…"
"Please, mom. I forgive you, you didn't know how to act anymore than I did back then. I promise you I will be here for you and Beth." Rachel places an arm around her mother's shoulders at this last statement. Shelby leans her head against Rachel's and tears start streaming down her cheeks. She's happy and sad all at once.
Happy because her daughter has forgiven her, sad because she waited five years to get to know her daughter.
"I am truly blessed to have you and Beth as my daughters. Would you like to meet your sister?" Shelby sniffs, wiping her tears away. She doesn't want to alarm Beth. Rachel just nods, she's excited and nervous.
Once practice ends, Beth Corcoran comes jogging to her mother. She notices Rachel and immediately her face brightens. She's hugs her mother briefly before flinging herself at Rachel.
"Rachel? Rachel! My sister! Look, Gabby, this is my sister Rachel Berry! The one who's on Broadway!" Beth is overly excited, even more so than Rachel imagined she would or even could be. She beams with pride at the way her sister tells, well gloats, to the other girls that her sister is a star.
"Oh, wow! Hey, little sister! How are you? It's nice to finally meet you…I" Rachel is cut off by Beth's tight grip around her neck.
"Yay! You're here! Okay, so mom says we're going to spend some time together. I have to show you my room it's awesome!" This is probably the most grown up five year old Rachel has ever known, besides herself of course. Beth is exactly how Rachel was at this age, which is so odd to her because she didn't grow up with Shelby. Nor did she ever remember Noah being this grown up when they were children. Maybe Quinn was, but Rachel wouldn't know about her, she didn't grow up friends with Quinn, she'd only met her in high school. But Rachel had known Noah almost all her life, since their parents worshiped at the same temple.
Shelby's smile was hard to hide, and so was Beth's enthusiasm. Rachel started feeling her nerves dissolve and happiness take over. She had a mother and a sister now, she didn't plan on wasting these moments today. Once they'd reached the Corcoran residence, Rachel was pulled all over by Beth.
First she took Rachel to her bedroom, it was filled with any and everything a five year old could want. Even things, Rachel herself wanted at this age, like a ballet bar on one mirrored wall. A stereo that came equipped with surround sound. Wow, Rachel thought. Beth has everything! Her happiness was darkened for just a moment as this thought crossed her mind, would she be able to give Beth these things once she was her guardian? She was quickly pulled from her reverie as Beth showed her the rest of the house.
Shelby just laughed at Beth's energy, it seemed it had gone up since Rachel introduced herself. This made Shelby very warm inside, watching her daughters together. Happy was an understatement right then.
A few hours later, the three females sat down to dinner together. Rachel had called her dads and told them that her mother had invited her to eat with she and her little sister. Jeffrey and Brain were miffed, but understood that she needed this.
Dinner was delicious, and the conversation was even better! They talked about so many things, getting to know one another. She found she really had a lot in common with both Shelby and Beth. She supposed that should be weird, but wasn't . She smiled brightly, her phone began vibrating, she hadn't wanted to be interrupted but she didn't recognize the number. She excused herself from the table, and walked into the kitchen away from dinning room.
"Hello? Noah?" Rachel's face seemed hot, almost like she'd been lit on fire. How had he gotten her number? She was surprised and intrigued.
"Hey, Rach. I called your house. Your dads gave me your cell, hope it's okay. I was wondering if you would be free for the park tomorrow?" Noah Puckerman asked. He knew she was probably with Shelby and Beth right now. He felt kind of bad that he knew her business and she couldn't fathom why he'd called. Irony is a damn twisted thing.
"Uh, no, Noah. It's fine. I thought I told you at the store that I was pretty busy this weekend. Maybe we could get together another time…" Rachel was cut off by a scream.
"What the hell was that? Rachel? Are you there?" Noah asked frantically.
"I have to call you back, Noah." Rachel hung up her cell and ran back into the dinning room. There was Beth standing over Shelby, who'd collapsed on the floor.
"Rachel, mommy. She started having trouble breathing and fell out of her chair! Help me!" Beth's voice was shaking already from the sobs wracking her small body.
"Mom! Wake up, dammit!" Rachel began shaking Shelby, then took out her cell and dialed 911.
About two hours later, Rachel and Beth were sitting in the emergency room with Rachel's dads. Beth was lying in Rachel's lap, asleep. Jeffrey was talking to the hospital doctor on duty, while Brian was sitting with the girls. Rachel felt her heart beat faster and faster with each passing moment.
"What are they talking about, daddy?" Rachel whispered, Brian shrugged and joined Jeffrey and the doctor.
"I'm sorry Mr. Berry, but Ms. Corcoran has lapsed into a coma. I believe the cancer has spread to her lungs. I told her just days ago that it was a possibility with her Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. I just didn't expect it to spread this rapidly. Or maybe we didn't catch this in as early a stage as I originally thought." Dr. Mann was saying but all Rachel overheard was coma.
As soon as Brian rejoined her, he knew that she'd heard. Her facial expression was evidence of that.
"I'm sorry, Rachel. Dr. Mann thinks it's far more progressed than he anticipated." Daddy put an arm around her. She leaned into him as she pulled Beth closer to her chest. Her tears fell then, she wasn't able to stop them.
Rachel couldn't go see Shelby just yet. She had to go back to the house to gather some things for her sister. She'd told her dads this as she walked outside to the rental car she'd followed the ambulance in, taking Beth with her. They agreed that would be best and asked what she planned on doing with Beth. She looked at them as if they'd grown two heads a piece.
"I'm bringing her home with me. She can't stay there without our mother. And I can't stay there with her. So we'll be back at the house later. Okay?" Rachel asked, to which they nodded their understanding.
Rachel wasn't sure if she'd be able to go back home to New York this weekend, must less even this week. She couldn't leave Beth to fend for herself, or Shelby by herself either. Suddenly, Rachel felt very old for her age and very tired.
Beth didn't seem to mind staying at Rachel's dads' house. She was somewhat relieved that her big sister wasn't going to leave her alone. And she was very upset and confused, as any five year old would be at the word coma.
"Does that mean mommy won't wake up?" Beth asked innocently, she couldn't understand it. Rachel found that it was hard for her to answer Beth's question.
"I don't know, Beth. She might, or she might not. I guess we'll have to wait til the doctors know more, then we will know more too." Rachel placed a hand on her little sister's shoulder. Beth leaned into her big sister's hip.
"Okay. Can I go to bed now, Rach?" Beth's face was red from crying and she was still sleepy even though she'd slept a good while at the hospital. Rachel just nodded and let Beth take her bed, she could sleep in the guest room. She thought about calling Noah. He sounded really worried when she'd spoken to him last.
"Hello?" A girl answered the number Rachel assumed to be Noah's cell.
"Um, hi. Is Noah there? This is Rachel." The girl squealed in her ear as she screamed for Puck.
"Ariel, shut the hell up! Hello? Rachel, you there?" He was screaming at first, his voice softened when he said her name, though.
"Yeah. Hey, Noah. Sorry about earlier, I um…" She wasn't sure how to explain this to him or even if she really wanted to. He was her friend, however. She took a chance.
"I um…I was with Shelby, er my mom. And, and Beth." She wasn't sure how else to say it, but the words came tumbling out before she could think on it anymore.
"Was that," he swallowed, "Beth that screamed?" Rachel could hear the anxiety in his voice. She wanted to ease it immediately.
"Yeah, Shelby collapsed while we were eating and Beth was in there with her alone…" Before she could get out much more, he said almost guiltily.
"Because you were on the phone with me. Got it." He seemed pissed at himself.
"Noah, it's not your fault. Please don't sound like that, I can hear the guilt in your voice through the phone." She says quietly.
"I guess you really are a little psychic, huh? Just like you used to say in glee." He laughed nervously at that for a moment. Rachel rolled her eyes slightly.
"Yeah, I guess so. My mother is sick, Noah. She has a form of breast cancer." Rachel puts all her business out there, she's not sure why.
"Wow." Is all he can think to say at that minute. But he regains some control before opening his mouth again, "Are you okay? I mean, I know you're not. But how are you coping?"
Rachel has to admit she's somewhat surprised at his maturity, especially since he was so immature in the beginning of their encounter at the store. And she's also very pleased that she can talk to someone who is non-biased about her feelings. She continues discussing today's events. She's not even stunned when he asks about Beth.
"How's Beth taking all this? I wonder what she's like now." He has never openly talked about Beth with anyone, least of all Rachel. This does astonish her. But she can tell he's been honestly thinking about his little girl. He never wanted to give her up in the first place. However, thinking it was all Quinn's decision, he never pressed for his rights.
"She's upset. You know, anyone would be, but she's really an amazing kid, Noah. Your daughter, my sister. That sounds so back woods to me!" It's Rachel's turn to laugh nervously.
"Yeah, that is fucked up, huh? My kid is your sister…wow. Well, thank you, Rachel. For being there for her." His voice is full of concern and agony.
"Noah? With our mother in the hospital right now, Beth and I need to get away and do something fun. Would you, like to…hang out with us, tomorrow?" Rachel's never felt such a tidal wave of emotions at one time. She's sad, nervous, amazed, and concerned all in the same breath.
"Rachel, that would be totally awesome. Yeah, I would actually love that. See you tomorrow." He is ecstatic, so is Rachel.