Five Years Later
Part 94
Once the show began, it was clear they were all waiting for Rachel to make her entrance. From the moment she did, they all settled back in their seats to enjoy what they were about to witness. Not surprisingly, Rachel was on from the moment the show began and it showed during her performance of The Wizard and I. Considering how they were all feeling in that moment, they could only assume how Thad, Rachel's Dads, and Shelby were feeling in that moment. Through most of the show, Blaine held Sebastian's hand tightly. It only took one glance from Sebastian to see how proud Blaine was of what he was seeing, and that's a feeling he understood all too well.
If one didn't know better, they'd have no clue this was Rachel's debut performance as she hit all her marks. And vocally, she was everything those that knew her knew she was capable of, while stunning all the others. By the time the show ended and the cast finished their curtain call, the entire audience was on their feet. "She was outstanding B." Sebastian leaned down to tell Blaine as the cast finally disappeared and the house lights were being raised.
"She was, wasn't she?" Blaine replied proudly.
"She really was. I now know why Jean-Baptiste was speaking so highly of her." Sebastian told him as the crowd slowly began to disburse. "I always knew she was talented, but had no idea she was capable of that." Blaine moved up on his toes and pressed a soft kiss to Sebastian's lips. "What was that for?"
"I felt like it." Sebastian smiled before taking ahold of Blaine's hand. "I wonder what Thad thought of her duet with Jean-Baptiste."
"I'm sure he loved it, until the kiss." Sebastian said jokingly. "I wonder how many times they had to rehearse that." Blaine couldn't help but give him a playful shove due to his comment. "I'm sorry B, but….you had to know it was coming."
"I did, just as I'm sure Thad knows it's coming as well."
"True, but he'll get a reprieve tonight since her Dads are in town." Sebastian said before noticing their friends were ready to go. "Are you ready to go celebrate Rachel?"
"Absolutely, as I'm more than ready for all the attention to be on someone else."
"That's something I'm not the slightest bit surprised to hear B. So, let's go celebrate Rach."
By the time they reached the lobby quite a few of the girls were already busy buying souvenirs. When Santana came walking back with two bags, Blaine looked at her. "How much did you buy?"
"It looks worse than it really is. Britt asked if I could pick her up a t-shirt since she wouldn't be seeing the show for another month." Santana told him. "And I couldn't resist getting a few things documenting this moment. She honestly blew me away!"
"I'd say that's a unanimous opinion." Sebastian replied. "Did you find anything interesting?"
"There are a few cool things, but I will proudly be sporting my "I support Elphaba" t-shirt tomorrow."
"I'm sure that will make Rachel smile." Blaine told her.
"I hope so, as I truly am proud of her." Santana said to them. "She worked so hard for this. I mean, the rest of you really didn't see it."
"We don't doubt it." Sebastian replied. "From watching B, I know there is way more to the process than most would ever imagine. Not to mention, Thad's talked about how hard she's worked. He's really proud of her."
"That's something I'm well aware of. He's been so supportive of her through this whole process. It's meant so much to her. It's further proof of how important it is we surround ourselves with the right people, with people who believe in us."
"So very true." Blaine told her. "Are you heading straight to the party or are you going to wait for her at the stage door?"
"Considering how crazy it was last time we saw the show, Jordan and I are heading straight for the party. I think once you head outside, you'll see why. Not to mention, Rachel's performance will have plenty of people wanting her autograph on their playbill."
"Santana's got a point B, it's probably best we head straight for the party. Plus, I don't think Scott would like for you to be out in that craziness."
"Your boy is right Blaine. I can see Scott giving anyone that comes near you the look." Even though she was trying to be serious, Santana had problems suppressing a giggle. "So, you two get going and we'll meet you there. I'm pretty sure most everyone is heading over as well as well have plenty of time with our girl at the party." Blaine nodded, and soon kissed Santana on the cheek before taking Sebastian's hand once again. "See you two soon."
"Will do." Sebastian replied before the two headed towards Scott. After letting him know they were ready to go. He got in contact with their car to come and get them. The three then moved towards the doors as they weren't going to leave the theater till the car was out front. Once Scott got the call, the three of them made their way out. During the walk, Blaine glanced up at Sebastian as they were both well aware that Scott was on the lookout. Yet once they were safely in the car, they saw him finally relax a bit. Not having Kurt show up, was a pleasant relief for all of them.
While her friends were starting to head to the party, Rachel was finally done with her post show shower. She'd already seen those close to her, but she couldn't wait to spend more time with them. Seeing how proud they all looked, reaffirmed what she felt inside as well as what her cast mates had told her. Having her first show under her belt was a huge weight off her shoulders. She was in the process of getting dressed when there was a knock on her door. After telling whoever it was, that they needed to wait, Rachel finished getting dressed. Once her blouse was buttoned, Rachel called out for whoever it was to enter. When the door opened, she half expected to see her Dads, but was pleasantly surprised that it was Thad. "If I knew it was you, you could've come in."
"And why did I have to wait?" Thad asked while wrapping his arms around her.
"I'd only gotten out of the shower so, I only had my robe on. Not necessarily attire I want most to see me in. But you my dear are an exception." After she lifted her head, Thad leaned down and kissed her.
"Nice to know. But I don't think your Dads would've approved me being in her with you only in a robe."
"True. How are they?"
"Positively giddy at the moment. They're so proud of your right now Rach, as am I. The same goes for Shelby. She was grinning from ear to ear most of the show."
"Did you notice that she seemed to be off before the show?"
"A little, but I chalked that up that she and Derek know one another. It must've been surprising to see each other."
"Good point. Have you spoken to anyone else?"
"No, but I've gotten a few texts and those that I heard from can't wait to see you." Thad then kissed her once again. "So, finish getting ready so we can go celebrate with everyone else. Once that's done, it's one step closer to us having a private one-on-one celebration at my place."
"Do you have something special in mind?"
"I do, and I'd prefer not to talk any more about it as I have a feeling my disappearance won't go unnoticed much longer." Thad told her. "The last thing your Dads need to accidentally overhear is what I want to do with their daughter."
"You're right, that wouldn't go well." Rachel told him before kissing him. "Just give me a few more minutes and we'll be on our way."
Thad's instincts were pretty spot on as LeRoy and Hiram soon made their way back to Rachel's dressing room. With those three keeping her company, Shelby was sitting in Derek's office waiting for him as he was speaking with the stage manager after he'd spoken with the cast. While she looked around the room, there were mementos from Derek entire career in that office. Unlike some directors, he'd actually started out on stage so he knows what it's like to be on stage. When he came walking into the room, he closed the door behind him before heading towards his desk. "Sorry about that."
"It's alright." Shelby replied as he took a seat on his desk, much more relax than he'd been before show time. "You're a very busy man nowadays."
"Things aren't normally like this, but there were quite a few people that wanted to speak to me after Rachel's debut." Derek told her. "She wowed some of the toughest critics tonight."
"For good reason." Shelby stated. "Rachel made the role hers; she wasn't trying to be anyone but her."
"That's something we all noticed early on, which isn't an easy task. So…care to tell me now that we're in private how you know Rachel or do I already know?"
"That depends, what do you think you know?"
"She's your daughter." Derek stated. "From the moment she first stepped in front of me during the last rounds of auditions, I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her in a sense as she felt so familiar to me. Yet seeing the two of you together put so many pieces together, she looks a lot like you. Not to mention, she's got one hell of a voice, like you." When Shelby cast her eyes down, Derek leaned in closer. "Am I correct?"
"You are, but LeRoy and Hiram are her Dads, they're the ones that raised her, they're her family. Honestly, me making myself known to Rachel during her late teens caused some issues that we've slowly worked through. The best way to describe my relationship with her is more of a mentor and a friend."
"Do you mind me asking how everything came about?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why you gave her up for adoption?"
"I was too young, and wanted my child to have a good life." Shelby told him. "And with me chasing my Broadway dream, the two wouldn't have coincided." While she spoke, Shelby noticed the way Derek was looking at her. "What are you thinking Derek?"
"I have to ask, considering when you disappeared…is…is Rachel my daughter?"
"Derek."
"Is she my daughter Shelby, I have a right to know?" He said calmer than he knew he was capable of considering all the thoughts going through his head along with what he was feeling.
"Yes." Shelby replied, barely above a whisper
"What the hell were you thinking leaving town without telling me?" This time Derek's calm demeanor was a distant memory as his frustration came through fully.
"If you remember correctly, at that time you had such tunnel vision I wasn't sure exactly where I fit into your life." Shelby retorted. "Your main focus was your career."
"I loved you Shelby, you know that. It killed me when you took off as I kept asking myself what I'd done wrong."
"Well, clearly I didn't! You were so focused on your career that I was certain you'd see a baby as an inconvenience."
"I had a right to know Shelby! She was as much mine as yours!" Derek stated loudly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid you'd ask me to abort the baby, and I couldn't do that." Shelby told him. "So I ran!" Derek then pushed himself off his desk and began to pace the room. "Do you know how many times over the years I'd thought of calling you…telling you?"
"No, I don't as you never did!" Derek told her.
"I'm sorry Derek, I truly am." Shelby said as she carefully walked up to him.
"Are you?"
"Yes. I was a naïve, young adult when it all happened. Trust me, when I tell you how many times over the years I rehashed what I did. It's one of the reasons I sought Rachel out."
"I'm sure her Dads were thrilled." He said in a rather flippant manner.
"They were furious, not to mention, it threw Rachel for a loop."
"Do you realize what would happen if anyone realizes I cast my daughter of all people as one of the leads of my show?"
"I honestly had no idea this was your show when Rachel told me she was auditioning. I don't tend to keep up on those details anymore. If I knew, I might've tried to talk her out of it."
"Does she know? Does Rachel know?" Derek asked, as he'd clearly calmed a bit as his main concern in that moment, being Rachel.
"No, and I have no idea how we're going to tell her." Shelby told him. "I know her well enough that if we don't handle it properly, it's going to be traumatic for her."
"And that's the last thing I want." Derek added. "I hope you know that just because I've calmed down, doesn't mean I'm not furious with you."
"I figured as much, as your expression is speaking volumes at the moment."
"That's something I have to get under-control before I go to the party."
"Are you going to be alright, as Rachel wants me there?"
"I'll survive." Derek told her. "I didn't mean for that to come out so harsh, but…"
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, I get it. You just had a bomb dropped on you and it's a lot to take in. But you need to have your wits about you because Rachel's friends are quite observant."
"Speaking of, what do you think of her boyfriend as I've heard bits and pieces about him?"
"He's wonderful. Rachel can be quite a handful, yet it's clear he loves all aspects of her." When Derek chuckled, Shelby shook her head. "You know exactly what I was talking about."
"I do, as Rachel's got quite the personality. It's been nice seeing more of it as she gotten comfortable with her cast mates. At one point I thought something was going on between her and Jean-Baptiste, but she was quick to point out they were only friends."
"Yea, they met thanks to a mutual acquaintance."
"Blaine Anderson."
"Yes, how do you know?" Shelby asked, appreciating the slight thaw in Derek's demeanor.
"Jean-Baptiste was talking all about him after his single release party Monday night. I'm pretty sure our entire cast has bought that single. Blaine's talented."
"He certainly is. You might like to know, he's friends with Rachel's boyfriend, Thad."
"Thad?"
"Yes, his name is actually Thaddeus, but he prefers to go by Thad."
"Let me guess, family name?"
"Yes, after his Grandfather."
"Can you tell me anything else about him?" Derek asked. "Nothing to personal, I'm just curious."
"He's currently attending Med School at NYU."
"So, he wants to be a doctor I'm presuming?"
"Yes. And you'll get to see her around a lot of her friends as most of them were here tonight."
"Speaking of, I really should get going." Derek said as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. "We're not done talking about this Shelby."
"I figured as much, as I'm sure you have plenty to say."
"I do, and I'll probably have more once I sleep on it and have time to process it all. But until we have time to talk again, I have to act as though none of this just happened."
"Derek, I'm sorry."
"I believe you, but that really doesn't change how I feel right now." Derek then slipped his jacket on. "You better go first as I need a minute to myself before I follow." Shelby nodded, before grabbing her purse and leaving his office. Once she was gone, Derek braced himself against his desk. Everything he'd ever wondered about Rachel now made more sense than he ever expected it to. To find out after all this time, he had a daughter he didn't know about was affecting him in ways he never imagined. Yet at the same time, she wasn't his in the slightest. She had two Dads who clearly adore her in every possible way. And while he really hadn't thought about having a family, as he really didn't have a special someone in his life, in this moment, he felt more cheated than he knew was possible.
Once he finally left his office, the cast was heading on their way as well as they were all off to the cast party. He was coming down the stairs when he spotted Rachel hand in hand with Thad, with a big smile on her face. It was clear the post-performance buzz was in full affect for her which he was happy to see. When the stage door opened, he could hear that all familiar roar of the crowd. Those waiting were getting quite the treat at once as Jean-Baptiste was exiting just ahead of Rachel. While he normally tried to sneak out after a show, this night he wanted to take in the crowd's reaction firsthand.
When he made his way out, the cast was working their way through the fans that were waiting. Seeing how they were embracing Rachel made him so happy, as he knew not all recasts were embraced. It also gave him time to take in the dynamic between Rachel and Thad as he stood by her side proudly as she signed playbills. Yet in a split second, Thad's entire expression changed and not in the way one would expect. So Derek turned to a member of theater security to go see what was happening with them.
"She's not going to do this now." Thad stated as Kurt poked his head through the crowd. "And if you ever cared about her, you wouldn't be doing this either." The entire time Thad spoke, Rachel went about signing for the fans. When Kurt reached out for her after she handed back a playbill, Thad didn't get a chance to react as theater security stopped him, as she moved along.
"I need to talk with you Rachel!" Kurt called out as she kept making her way through. "Rachel…please!" As he called out, Thad placed his hand on Rachel's back as he could tell his mere presence was starting to bother her. Yet he hoped that simple gesture reminded her that she wasn't alone in this crowd of people.
By the time they made their way into the car, Rachel smiled upon feeling Thad's arm around her. "Is everything alright?" Jean-Baptiste asked from his spot across from them.
"Better now that we're out of there." Thad replied. "Right Rach?"
"Yes. Do you think he saw them?"
"I doubt it. If he had, he wouldn't have been trying to talk to you."
"Care to fill me in on what's going on?" Jean-Baptiste asked.
"Simply, Blaine's ex wants to talk to him but Blaine wants nothing to do with him." Rachel told him. "So, he's trying to go through me."
"For some reason, I'm not surprised that he's trying to make a place for himself in Blaine's life now with everything happening."
"That's our take on it as well." Thad added. "If all these good things weren't happening for Blaine, he wouldn't be around. Now, will we be meeting this girlfriend of yours at the party?"
"You will be as she's meeting me there. How are you feeling Rachel?"
"Relieved." She said softly. "All that first show anxiety is now gone."
"I remember that feeling all too well. While there are always some sort of nerves present, those first performance nerves are something of their own." Jean-Baptiste said to her. "By the way, you were great tonight."
"Thank you."
"He's right Rachel, you were great." Thad added. "I'm pretty certain your Dads are on cloud nine at the moment and aren't coming down anytime soon."
"I'd have to say Thad's assessment is spot on from what I saw. Any reason they're not riding with you?"
"They didn't want to impose." Rachel replied. "They felt I'd want to share this little bit of time with Thad, and not them."
"Were they wrong?"
"No." Rachel told him. "Don't get me wrong, I love my Dads, but I'm appreciating this bit of calm. I know they're going to be talking a mile a minute once I see them again."
"How long are they in town for?"
"The weekend, as they want to take in as many performances as possible."
"Understandable. Just a heads up, you're not going to want to do anything other than sleep on Monday. That's all anyone does after their first full weekend of shows. Once the adrenaline wears off, you're going to crash hard."
"Thank you for the heads up." Since they were riding over with Jean-Baptiste, it helped them to focus on the positive and not the little blip on the radar. As far as they were concerned, nothing was going to stop them from celebrating this moment that evening, especially Kurt. By the time they arrived at the party, practically everyone Rachel cared about was there. It didn't come as a surprise to Thad when the producer took Rachel aside to begin making introductions as Jean-Baptiste had mentioned something might happen during their drive.
So while Thad went to grab a drink, he happened to find Blaine and Sebastian speaking with Rachel's Dads. Even with everything going on with Rachel, her Dads were asking Blaine a ton of questions about what was happening with him. All it took was one glance from Sebastian for Thad to come and join them. Since the two had gotten together, Sebastian got a certain look on his face when Blaine seemed overwhelmed in a given situation. "And here Rachel was afraid you would feel out of place." Thad said as he looked at them.
"We would've if we hadn't met most everyone last night." LeRoy replied. "Where is our girl?"
"She is being shown off." Thad told him. "Aside from cast and crew, there are quite a few theater patrons here who want to meet her. So, it might be awhile till you get to spend some time with her."
"From what we were told after the show, that's not so surprising." Hiram stated. "Though, that doesn't mean we don't want to see her. How is she doing?"
"She's…happy." Thad replied, but there was something about the look on his face that caught Blaine and Sebastian's attention. "It feels good to have the first show under her as she was more nervous than she was letting on."
"And how did you find this out?" LeRoy asked in response.
"Rachel admitted it during our ride over, as we came over with Jean-Baptiste." Thad told them. "He said he wasn't surprised as most of them tended to keep their initial nerves under wraps as they didn't want people hovering around them making sure they were alright."
"That sounds like Rachel." Blaine stated as he took ahold of Sebastian's hand. "Her biggest insecurities she tends to keep to herself as she doesn't want them used against her." Those words caused LeRoy and Hiram to look at him in surprise. "It's true, with as cutthroat as this industry is…people will use whatever they can to get an upper hand, yet that seems to be the case in most fields." After her Dads nodded, Sebastian took the opportunity to excuse themselves for a moment to speak with Thad. Once they walked off to a quiet corner, the two looked at Thad. "What's going on as you clearly aren't as happy as you were last we saw you?"
When Thad looked at them, Sebastian tilted his head to the side while sliding his arm around Blaine. "Fine, as I know you'll find out soon enough and I'd rather you hear it from me." Thad stated. "Your favorite pain in the ass was outside the stage door waiting for her." Those words were all it took for Sebastian to tighten his hold as Blaine leaned against him. "She ignored him as she was too busy signing for everyone that was waiting. But, he made a point of saying he wanted to talk to her."
"He's not the type to back down when he sets his mind to something." Blaine said to him. "How did she get away?"
"From what I could tell, Derek sent over a member of theater security when he noticed the slight commotion as I'd gotten upset." Thad told them. "Thanks to that, she made her way through the waiting fans without a hassle, but it's clear it bothered her. I don't understand why he keeps turning to her."
"That's because he feels he can guilt her into talking to him." Blaine replied. "Or annoy her to the fact she'll talk to him as Santana would unceremoniously tell him where to go, Rachel isn't as confrontational."
"True, she'd prefer to ignore it as this whole thing makes her uncomfortable."
"It's another reason why I didn't want to involve her in the first place."
"Blaine, none of this is on you, it's all on him as he's the one that lied to her and tried to manipulate her. He finally has to face the consequences for all his actions."
"Thad's right B." Sebastian told him. "He brought this all on himself. While you might've been a catalyst of sorts for Rachel turning her back on him, he did it, not you, so don't even go there."
"Sebastian is right Blaine." Thad reassured him. "Will you two do me a favor though?" They both nodded. "Don't mention it to her, as this is her night."
"We'd never do that." Blaine replied. "As I've been told over the last week or so, it's best of focus on the positive. Yet if she wants to talk, we're here."
"Good. Now, you two go enjoy yourselves as I'm going to go check in with everyone else before making my way back to her Dads."
"They're in rare form tonight." Sebastian told him. "You two are going to have your hands full while they're in town."
"Trust me; Rachel is well aware of that fact as am I. But some of their enthusiasm is going to have to wait as she and I have a bit of a personal celebration to enjoy later."
"Hopefully this celebration is taking place at your apartment." Blaine said to him earning a smile from Thad. "Good, as the last thing you need is seeing her Dads in the same state of dress as you saw Kurt."
"Agreed, as that's a part of our life they don't need to know about." Once their conversation ended, Thad walked away as there were a few people he wanted to talk to as he'd mentioned to Blaine and Sebastian. While heading towards Quinn and Stephen, he noticed Shelby standing off to the side watching Rachel being escorted around the room by not only the producer anymore, but Derek as well. "Care to share what's on your mind?" Thad asked as he approached her.
"Shouldn't you be with LeRoy and Hiram?" Shelby replied before taking a sip of her drink.
"They're doing well as I've spoken with them already." Thad told her. "And I'll check on them again soon, but you seem off since I last saw you." When Shelby raised an eyebrow, Thad smiled. "While you might not realize it, Rachel has quite a few of your mannerisms. You're currently projecting the, everything is fine look, when it really isn't. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Slowly a smile crept to Shelby's face as she looked at Thad and saw he was honestly concerned about her. "While I appreciate you asking, right now there isn't anything you can do Thad."
"Are you sure, as you've seemed off since you and Derek saw one another?"
"Derek and I have a…complex relationship and seeing one another again unexpectedly put a few things in the forefront." Seeing Thad's stance change, Shelby rubbed his arm gently. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with Thad. We just have a few things we need to work out between us, that's all."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, but thank you for your concern as most people can't read me very well."
"It's like I said, Rachel has quite a few mannerisms that are clearly yours." Thad told her. "With everything Rachel and I have gone through since we first met, I've learned to read her rather well. She's been through quite a bit."
"I know, which is why I'm so happy to see her enjoy this moment she's worked so hard to achieve. Just as I'm happy to see she's found someone to share it with." When a shy smile crept to Thad's face, Shelby took a step closer. "Yes, I was referring to you Thad. Rachel needed someone like you in her life, someone that not only supports her, but doesn't coddle her at the same time." Thad looked at Shelby, slightly surprised by what he heard. "She's tougher than people give her credit for, but at the same time she's quite sensitive."
"That's something I'm well aware of. And I've seen firsthand how she reacts to things being kept from her even if they were for the right reason."
"Really?"
"Yes, and while she got a bit upset, it was handled in a manner in which she could understand the other persons stance on the matter. Like most situations, it's often how it's presented as to how a person will react."
"How did you become so wise at such a young age?"
"Unfortunately, I've had those close to me deal with things I wouldn't wish on anyone. And part of that, is realizing and accepting that people have a reason for the way they handled things, even if you might not understand. Yet, if you're not directly in their shoes you really can't judge."
"Your parents should be quite proud of you Thad as you're a remarkable young man."
"Thank you. Now, if you don't mind I'm going to take your earlier advice and finish making the rounds so I can enjoy my time with Rachel once she's done." Shelby smiled before giving him a kiss on the cheek prior to him walking away. Once he did, she smiled to herself as she couldn't believe the amount of clarity that Thad had managed to give her in that conversation. While she knew she needed to tell Rachel, she and Derek needed to get on the same page so that this could have the least impact on Rachel's life.