Thanks for the amazing response to this everyone :) especially to sillystarshine, elphieistheshiz, Mona Mari, diana and Wentzie72 who have taken the time to review, and to everyone who has favourited and added this to their story alerts. It really does mean a lot. Here's a short chapter for you guys to say thanks. I have quite a few exams next week *sad Georgie* so don't know how often I'll be able to update. Let me know what you think of this one :)

Hiram considered his partner's proposal. Would Rachel's mother be able to help her? He didn't know. He didn't even know if she'd want to. Would Shelby Corcoran, Broadway superstar, want to have anything to do with a teenage girl who she hadn't seen since giving birth to her 17 years ago? She'd kept them up to date with her contact details, notifying them whenever she moved house or changed her phone number, and they had done the same. Did this give them the right to contact her? Would she be too busy to come and help, even if she wanted to? Truthfully, he didn't know.

"Do you think she could help?" He asked Leroy.

"It's worth a try, if Shelby wants to. Where did you put her number?"

"I have it in my phone, should we call her now?"

"I guess it can't do any harm." Hiram reasoned. "But what should we say? We've not spoken to the woman in years. Is it right to ask her to drop everything to come and see us?"

"Shelby's lovely. She would do anything to help Rachel." Leroy said with a smile. He really did like the woman and was glad they had found each other at that time. They'd given her the money she needed to start her career, to make a name for herself. She promised to make them proud. And she'd given them a daughter, the most precious gift of all.

Hiram thought about this. Shelby was a lovely woman, of course, and he knew she would always try to help if someone needed it. The couple had fallen in love with her over the year or so they had known each other. But did it seem unfair to ask her for a favour after all these years.

The other thing playing on his mind was how to tell Rachel. She's always been curious about her mother, both of her dads knew that. Shelby was her idol. She admired her and looked up to her almost as much as Barbara Streisand. What if meeting her ruined the dream? It was nice for Rachel to have the element of fantasy in her life. Her mother could be anyone she wanted her to be and she could dream up freak scenarios meeting both her and all the Broadway stars she loved. However, finding out who her mother was could be the best of both of those dreamed combined for their daughter.

"You're right." Hiram responded.

"Do you want to do it or should I?"

"You can, give her my best wishes."

"Okay" Leroy pulled out his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his contacts. He clicked on Shelby's number and put the phone to his ear. She picked up after only a couple of rings.

"Leroy, hi! How have you been?" Came a cheery voice from the other end of the phone.

"I've been alright, so has Hiram. He sends his best. How about you?"

"Oh, great!" She smiled. "I'm doing really well thanks, luckily you caught me on one of my rare nights in. And how's Rachel?"

"That's actually what I was calling to talk to you about. She's been having a few troubles at school and we were wondering if you'd be able to help her out. We haven't got a clue what to do."

Shelby frowned. "What do you mean by 'troubles at school'?" She asked, concerned.

"She's being bullied."

"What? Why haven't you told me this before? Who are these kids?"

"Shell, we only found out today. She was crying when I came home from work. Apparently it's been going on for a while though." Leroy said, sadly. He filled Shelby in on everything that she had told them that night, Hiram adding in anything he'd forgotten to mention.

Shelby took a minute to take it all in. How could they do that to her daughter? How could someone do that to anyone? She didn't know what they gained from making other people feel so small and insignificant. Surely it can't make them feel better, can it?

She'd never really been bullied at school. She didn't have a big group of friends but they were close and that was all she needed. They do say that your friends are the family you can choose. Whoever 'they' were, they were right. If she had had the chance to chose her family they would be completely different. She never got on with her parents and was an only child. Growing up had been incredibly lonely for her, her friends had helped a lot though. Shelby understood how Rachel felt about school, only her situation was reversed. She could only hope this helped her to identify with her daughter about her problems a bit more.

"Have you told her about me yet?" She wondered aloud.

"Not yet. We didn't know if you wanted her to know."

"I do want her to know. I really want to meet her. I think about her all the time"

"I think she thinks about you a lot as well. She's always been curious about who her mother is. Plus she's now got a new Broadway idol. A Miss Corcoran, I believe. Not sure if you've heard of her." Leroy teased, thankful to be able to make the conversation a bit more light-hearted. It had been a difficult night for all of them.

"The name does ring a bell." The star laughed. She was secretly glad they were talking on the phone so the two men couldn't see her blushing. "I can't believe she even knows who I am."

"Are you kidding? She loves Broadway as much as her dads do." He said.

"So do you want me to come to you?" Shelby asked.

"That really depends on your schedule, we know how busy you must be."

"I've actually got almost a week off now. I had an interview this morning but now I have a free calendar. How soon do you want me there? I can try and get a flight out tomorrow?" She said, already opening her laptop to look up flight times.

"Sure, if that's not too much trouble." He replied.

"None at all. There's one at 10:35, so I should easily be there by the time she finishes school as long as there are no delays. Can I ask you one favour though?"

"Anything." Leroy smiled.

"Don't tell her I'm coming, I don't want to miss the look on her face." She giggled.

"Of course not. Thanks a lot Shelby. We'll see you tomorrow."

They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. It definitely went better than either of them had expected.