Rachel awoke the next morning to the ear-splitting ring of her cell phone. Still half asleep, she looked over and saw Kurt's name flashing up on the screen and answered the call.
"Kurt?" She asked. "What time is it?"
"Not important. There's something I have to tell you." He said, rushing through the words as if they were an Olympic sprint.
"And it couldn't wait?"
"No. It's an emergency. You need to turn on MTV."
"Why?" Rachel asked.
"Just do it." Kurt pressed.
Rachel grabbed the remote and switched on the television in her room. Flicking through the channels until she found the one in question, she asked again what Kurt was calling about.
"Does Shelby Corcoran have a secret daughter? Photographs taken during a show choir competition and around New York city last night show the Broadway star to be walking with a teenager who looks remarkably like her." The reporter read.
"Oh my God!" Rachel screamed.
Shelby, who was in the kitchen making coffee, heard Rachel's scream and rushed to her room.
"What's wrong?" She asked frantically.
Rachel pointed at the screen where the news reporter was repeating the headlines.
"Kurt, I've got to go. I'll let you know what happens." She said into the phone.
"Ok. Bye Rach." Kurt said before hanging up.
During the short time it had taken for Rachel to end her call with Kurt Shelby was already on the phone to Kimberly about the news story.
"What do you mean you don't know what to do?" Shelby shouted down the phone. "Put a stop to this." There was a pause and Rachel assumed that Kimberly was talking. "Don't tell me it will just blow over! We didn't want it to get out in the first place."
"If you'd told me before all this I could've had a plan in place." Kimberly pointed out.
"Well now you know. Hold on, let me put you on speaker." She said, holding the phone out so that Rachel could hear what was going on. "What are we going to do?"
"You can either wait it out and hope it stays as rumours or we make a statement."
"Saying what?" Shelby asked.
"Either denying it or telling the truth."
"We can't tell everyone." Rachel interjected.
"They'll find out eventually." Kimberly said.
"I wanted to make a name for myself first." Rachel told her.
"You can still do that. Besides, it's not a bad thing to be connected to Shelby."
"But I wouldn't be recognised for my own talent."
Shelby cut in. "Rachel, no one can deny your talent, whether they think it comes from me or not. You're amazing and you can make it in spite of this."
"I'm going to give you two some time to decide what you want to do. If you want my opinion I think you should tell the truth but you should have a word with Rachel's father first."
"I'll call you back in a bit, Kim." Shelby said, ending the call and turning to Rachel. "We need to call your dads."
After making numerous phone calls it was decided that Shelby would make a statement at her rescheduled appearance on Ellen. Kimberly was able to push her interview forward by two weeks, giving Shelby a chance to set the record straight. They hoped that it would at least have started to blow over by the time Rachel started back at school.
Once everything was organised, Shelby decided to take Rachel out for lunch and show her more of the city before they went to see Les Miserables in the evening.
After lunch Shelby took Rachel to Central Park. While they were walking, she decided to bring up something that had been worrying her.
"How are things at school now?" She asked.
Rachel hesitated, seemingly taken aback by the question. "Umm, fine." She responded with a fake smile.
"You know I invented that show face. You can't fool me with it." Shelby pointed out.
"It hasn't got any better." Rachel admitted. "Do you think once they know you're my mom they'll stop bullying me?"
"I don't know." She replied honestly. "But it doesn't matter what they think anyway. Trust me, Rachel. They are probably all just insecure themselves. You have an amazing talent and you should be proud of it, not made to feel like an outcast because you can sing better than any of them."
Rachel leaned to rest her head on her mother's shoulder when they saw a camera flash from near a tree.
"Was that someone taking a picture of us?" Rachel asked.
"I don't know. Central Park is a busy place. It could've been of anyone."
"I don't feel comfortable here. Can we go back to your apartment?"
Shelby nodded, not wanting Rachel to have to deal with the paparazzi any more than she had to right now.
Shelby and Rachel spent the rest of the day at Shelby's apartment until it was time to leave for the show. Rachel's excitement hit a whole new level as she walked in to the crowded theatre with her mom to some of the best seats in the house. She didn't mind that people were staring at Shelby as they walked past; she was expecting it this time. She was only uncomfortable with what happened at the park because it was unexpected and she just thought they were going for a private walk around New York. She was becoming so comfortable around Shelby that there were times when she could forget how famous she was. As much as Rachel hoped for the same level of fame as her mother one day, the thought of people watching her and taking photos whenever they saw her out wasn't something she was looking forward to. Although, after Shelby's interview on Ellen tomorrow, she was sure it would start happening to her at times.
Les Miserables was amazing and nothing less than what Rachel had expected, possibly even better than she'd thought it would be. Shelby allowed her to wait by the stage door to get her playbill signed by the cast, although she decided to wait outside for some fresh air. As much as she enjoyed meeting the fans of her show, she knew the cast members from parties and awards ceremonies so didn't feel the need to wait with Rachel.
"Oh my God I can't believe they signed it!" Rachel screamed when she came out of the theatre and saw Shelby.
"What did you think of the show?" Shelby asked.
"I loved it! It was incredible!" Rachel gushed. "Not a patch on Wicked though." She smiled and Shelby couldn't help the glow of pride that spread across her face. If someone had told her a few months ago that this would happen she'd have told them they were insane. Yet here she was with her daughter in New York and they were both having the time of their lives.
"We should head back. I have to be up early to tape Ellen tomorrow."
Rachel agreed, trying to hide a yawn. Shelby's apartment was ideally located near a lot of the theatres, which had proven to be helpful as it allowed her to walk to work and not have to deal with driving in New York traffic.
Once Rachel had gone to bed, Shelby phoned Kimberly again to confirm the details for the interview tomorrow and go over what she was going to tell them. It was agreed that Shelby would mention the situation behind Rachel's birth but to steer clear of any personal details. She didn't want Rachel to be stalked back to Lima and she knew that Rachel didn't want her personal life all over the tabloids if she could prevent it.
The next morning Rachel and Shelby ate breakfast together before heading to the studio. Rachel sat in the dressing room with Shelby while someone did her makeup. They offered to do Rachel's as well while she waited and Rachel accepted, excited to try out makeup properly for the first time. She was never any good at it herself and wanted to see what she looked like with it on. Once everyone had left, Shelby got changed and then she and Rachel waited backstage until Shelby was told by the director to go on.
"My next guest is an amazing singer and actress who has recently been a part of Disney's new hit Frozen, while still finding time to play our favourite wicked witch every night. It's Shelby Corcoran!" Ellen introduced her and Shelby entered the stage to the sound of 'Defying Gravity'. The crowd screamed as Ellen said her name, causing Shelby to feel both more excited and infinitely more nervous. She loved being on Ellen's show but today was going to be her most difficult interview yet.
She gave Ellen a hug as she reached her on the stage and they both sat down once the music finished.
"Hello Shelby." Ellen greeted her.
"Hi." Shelby smiled back, her show face plastered on to hide the nerves.
"So how are you today?"
"I'm pretty good."
"I really liked your new movie." Ellen told her. "Those Disney films are fun to make aren't they?"
"So much fun." Shelby agreed. ""We had such a laugh trying to do the voiceovers."
"I'll bet. Now yesterday we saw some pictures of you in the papers with a young girl. They say she's your daughter but we all know what tabloids are like so feel free to put them in their place now." Ellen laughed, knowing in advance what Shelby planned to say but giving her an option to back out if she changed her mind. They'd met a few times and had become quite good friends in the past few years.
"Actually she is my daughter." Shelby said and some of the audience members gasped.
"She's gorgeous." Ellen commented as the photo on the screen behind them changed to one where Rachel's face was a lot more visible.
Rachel cringed at the photo, although she found herself blushing at Ellen's compliment.
"She really is." Shelby agreed and Rachel blushed even more from her seat backstage.
"So why are we only finding out about her now?" Ellen asked.
"I never actually had the chance to raise Rachel. I'd just finished college and I was asked to be a surrogate for a gay couple. They are lovely men and they've looked after both me and Rachel so well." Shelby explained. "They were worried that I'd back out and want to keep her so their lawyer drew up a contract saying I couldn't contact her until she turned 18."
"She's 18?" Ellen asked.
"No, she's actually 16. Her dads contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I wanted to come and visit and get to know her."
"And you did." Ellen clarified.
"I jumped at the chance!" Shelby said animatedly. "At the time I had no Idea how difficult it would be to give up a child. I missed her every day and I hate that she couldn't grow up with me but her dads are wonderful people and they've raised an amazing young woman." She smiled proudly.
"So what's it been like getting to know your daughter after all this time?"
"It's been incredible. I'm so proud of her and I've loved getting to know everything about her. Plus she has a singing voice like you wouldn't believe! You'll have to watch out for her in the future." Shelby bragged.
"She obviously gets that from her mother." Ellen commented. "Right it's time for us to take a short break but you'll get to see Shelby performing one of my favourite songs from her new movie Frozen later in the show."
The director yelled cut and Shelby excused herself to see how Rachel was before they went back on air.
"How're you feeling?" She asked once she was offstage.
"A bit nervous. What are people going to say now they know?"
"I don't know." Shelby answered honestly.
The director interrupted them. "We were wondering if Rachel wanted to sing with you on the show." He said. "Nothing gets the viewers approval like an amazing performance." He added, hoping to sway Rachel's decision. Not only would it get his viewing figures up, but if Shelby was right about Rachel's talent he knew it would be a great way for her to get her name out there.
"It's up to you, Rach." Shelby said as Rachel looked to her for guidance.
"I don't know. Do you think I should?"
"I think they'd love you if you did but I understand if you don't want to. If it makes a difference I've heard you sing 'Let It Go' and you sound amazing. We could alternate verses if you want."
"Ok." Rachel agreed.
"Do you want some time to practice? Ellen's got the next segment ready if you don't want to go straight on." The director said.
Shelby nodded and the pair were taken to the dressing room to rehearse as the cameras started rolling again. As they walked away from the stage Rachel could hear Ellen announcing that she'd agree to perform with Shelby.
They ran through the some together a couple of times, making sure Rachel knew her cues. Luckily they both sang it in the same key naturally so they sounded perfect together. Shelby decided to take the first verse as Rachel was feeling nervous about starting and, at Rachel's suggestion, they decided they'd sing the final verse together.
In what seemed like no time at all, a runner knocked on the door giving them a two minute warning. They walked out to the stage entrance and waited for their cue.
Once Ellen had announced them, Shelby walked confidently out on to the stage, followed by Rachel who was plastering on her mother's signature show face to hide her nerves. She didn't want to look nervous and mess up on her first televised appearance. She was just glad she'd accepted the makeup artist's help before the show.
Rachel's nerves all but vanished once the music started playing. She was in her element and performed the song flawlessly by her mother's side.
"...Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway."
They finished the song together to a standing ovation from every member of the audience. Rachel was beaming at the positive response she was getting. Her heart started pounding faster when she saw Ellen approaching them, knowing she'd probably have to speak.
"That was amazing. Shelby, you weren't kidding about her voice." Ellen said. "Did you enjoy it, Rachel?" She asked.
"It was incredible. Performing has been my dream for as long as I can remember."
"I'm so proud of her." Shelby gushed.
"Rightly so. I bet you'll be here on your own in a few years." Ellen said to Rachel, who smiled and blushed in response. "And what a great way to end the show. Shelby Corcoran and Rachel Berry, everyone! It's been an absolute pleasure."
The director yelled cut and Ellen moved over to film the last part of the show, while Rachel and Shelby headed back to the dressing room.
"You really were amazing out there Rach. I'm so proud of you." Shelby said once they were alone.
"It was so much fun." Rachel replied, the smile not leaving her face.
"How about we go and celebrate with a nice meal before the show airs this afternoon?" She suggested.
Rachel nodded in agreement and the pair headed to one of Shelby's favourite local restaurants. Rachel was so caught up in what had happened that she wasn't even worried about being recognised in public. Having such a positive response had made her feel empowered and forget about what she'd been going through at school for a while. If Shelby was right about high school not mattering, she'd be a star in the real world and that had always been her dream.