Hello Readers! So this is my first foray into Glee fanfic. I hope you all enjoy it! It is going to be completely AU. I stopped watching Glee mid 3rd season I think? I'm going to try to keep everyone in character, but if they aren't, just chalk it up to artistic liberty. Anyway…I always wanted Shelby and Rachel to have a relationship. Sooo…this is my take on that.

A/N: I've gone through and updated all my earlier chapters, fixing mistakes and working on certain scenes that I felt needed some work. I hope you all like the new changes!

Chapter One: Changes

Shelby Corcoran, Broadway superstar and Tony Award-winning actress, stepped off the plane at Lima Allen County Airport to a flashing of cameras. She sighed. This is not how she wanted to be greeted. It was inevitable though. Ever since the news broke out a month ago that two gay men with an adopted daughter wanted to give their daughter back to her surrogate mother (who just so happened to be, well, Shelby), paparazzi followed her everywhere.

Shelby walked with her publicist and two bodyguards towards the airport and the car waiting for her. She had a carryon bag that she brought with her, and her luggage would be brought to the hotel later. She just wanted to get away from the paparazzi as quickly as possible. That, and she was anxious to get to Rachel.

Rachel…the baby she had given up nearly fifteen years ago. She thought she was giving her daughter to a loving family who wanted a child. Hiram and LeRoy Berry were a lovely couple when she first met them all those years before. They had made sure Shelby was as comfortable as possible during her pregnancy and she was paid handsomely for being their surrogate.

Shelby had only been twenty-one at the time, fresh out of college with big dreams of making it on Broadway. But in order to do that, she needed money. She had answered an ad in the paper to be a surrogate for a newly married gay couple that couldn't have a child on their own. Shelby had met with them and taken to them right away. A contract was drawn up, stating that Shelby could not contact her child until the eighteenth year unless both fathers passed away or voided the contract for whatever reason. Shelby had agreed because she truly wanted to help these men start a family. And she could forge a relationship with her child once he or she was older and explain everything then.

But on May 1st, everything changed. She received a phone call that would forever change her life.

"Shelby Corcoran?" a male voice asked as soon as she picked up.

"Yes?"

"Shelby…it's LeRoy. LeRoy Berry," the man said.

Shelby's heart sped up and her mouth immediately went dry. "LeRoy? Oh my God, Rachel. Is she...is she alright?" Shelby croaked, thousands of scenarios suddenly flashing through her head. Why on earth would LeRoy be calling unless something was serious? She hadn't spoken to either of the Berry men since she gave birth to Rachel.

"Rachel is fine…but she's the reason I called," LeRoy said.

Shelby took a deep breath and listened as LeRoy explained. "Hiram and I have been talking a lot about what is best for Rachel. We…we can't give her what she needs. Neither of us are any good at being fathers. We're too selfish. Rachel needs a parent who is able to put her first. We can't. We want to give her to you."

"W-what? To me?" Shelby asked, not believing her ears. She had spent the last fourteen years constantly thinking about that little girl she gave up. Not a day went by that Rachel wasn't on her mind. What was she like? What were her interests? Did she look like Shelby?

"We don't know what to do with a teenage girl. She needs a mother—her mother—you. She needs you, Shelby…unless you don't want her, that is. We can find different arrangements."

"What? No! Of course I want her! I just…I don't understand. You were both so…happy…before. You wanted her…what changed?" Shelby asked.

"We were young and didn't realize the reality of raising a child. It's just…we've realized over the years that we don't take as much interest in her as we should. We…we don't put her first. We want to do as we please—travel the world, go on adventures. We can't do that with a child tying us down."

"So you're just…tossing her aside? Just like that?" Shelby asked quietly. She was shocked, but anger was quickly rising to the surface. "When I agreed to be your surrogate, I was doing so under the impression that I was helping to build your family. You promised you'd love Rachel…cherish her. You promised—"

"I know, Shelby. I know…we…we feel awful about it, really. We're trying to do the right thing here," LeRoy interjected.

"How…how long have you both felt like this? How long has Rachel…does she know she's loved? Have you made her…Oh God."

"We've known for quite awhile—"

"Why didn't you get in contact with me sooner? I've always wanted Rachel. I would have given her everything she needed. I—"

"I know Shelby. Hiram and I…we were too proud to admit—"

"We're talking about Rachel's happiness. She's a child…my child. How could you?" Shelby all but screamed at the man, breaking down in tears.

"I know it's not ideal, doing it now…we should have given her back years ago. But we're trying to make it right now. Please understand, Shelby," LeRoy pleaded, and Shelby could hear the catch in his voice.

Shelby spent the past four weeks getting her affairs in order. She needed to make sure that she could be there for Rachel without interruption. She wanted to spend the entire summer with her daughter, bonding and getting into a routine, before she went back for her sophomore year of high school. Shelby wanted to keep things as normal as possible for the girl, so she was leaving Broadway behind and moving back to Ohio. She had grown up there, after all, and her entire family still lived in the area. Shelby would find a house in Lima so Rachel could still attend her school. Shelby was well off, so money wouldn't be an issue. She was determined to be the best damn parent in the world to her little girl.

As Shelby climbed into the back of a black Rolls Royce Phantom that would take her to her baby girl, she thought about what her first meeting with her daughter will be like. They had spoken on the phone each day since Rachel's fathers told her about the situation. The girl seemed to be taking things in stride. She was quiet at first, but had been opening up more this past week. Shelby could tell her daughter was getting excited for today.

Shelby thought back to their very first phone call as mother and daughter.

"Rachel...hi, baby. How are you doing?" Shelby said, and immediately smacked her palm to her forehead. What kind of question was that? Rachel's world was being turned upside down, how was she supposed to be doing?

"F-fine, Ms. Cor—uh, m-ma'am," Rachel stammered. What exactly was she supposed to call this woman? She knew she was her mother, but she hadn't even met her yet. On top of that, she was one of Rachel's biggest idols. Rachel did want to call her "Mom", but…what if the woman didn't want that? Rachel definitely didn't want to make her angry before she even met her. She wanted her mother to love her…she thought her fathers loved her, but come to find out they were giving her up. Just like that. Thinking back over the years, Rachel knew she didn't have the most open or affectionate relationship with either of her dads, and she didn't spend much time with them, but she always thought they loved her and wanted her deep down. Come to find out, they wanted to give her away…to be rid of her. Was it something she did? Was she unlovable? What if the same thing happened with her mother? Then where was Rachel going to go?

"Honey, you can call me Mom…or Shelby, if you're more comfortable with that," Shelby said gently.

Rachel was silent on the other end. She was a little shocked, honestly. This was a lot to take in and absorb. Shelby wanted her to call her mom? She really didn't mind?

Shelby became uneasy at Rachel's pause. "Rachel, if you aren't ready to call me Mom, you really don't have to. I am completely fine with you calling me Shelby. I want to make this as easy as possible for you, sweetheart," Shelby said, her heart racing inside her chest. She wasn't lying to her daughter; she did want to make this easy on her, but she also knew she really wanted to hear Rachel call her "Mom".

"N-no, I…I'm sorry. It's just a…I needed a minute," Rachel stammered, not wanting her mother to think she didn't like her or anything like that. She wanted her approval so much. She wanted her mother to love her. "Mom."

Shelby was sure her heart was going to just stop. Just like that. Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked to clear her vision. "Oh baby…I'm so glad…You can't imagine how much that means to me. I love you, Rachel," she said.

Rachel's heart rate was accelerating at an alarming rate. Putting a hand over her chest, she felt it beating rapidly against her palm. This all felt like a dream to her. She was talking with her mother, the one person she wanted to know more than anything else in this world. Her mother, Shelby Corcoran—Shelby Corcoran, the Broadway star—just told her she loved her. Rachel didn't hear those words very often. In fact…she couldn't actually recall the last time her fathers had told her they loved her.

"You…you love me after only…we've never even met," Rachel stammered, her brain trying hard to comprehend. "Well, I guess we did meet, once…but I don't remember it. And you…I was just a baby and I was told by my dads you didn't even get to hold me. And you—"

"Rachel, hey! Slow down, kiddo," said Shelby, cutting off Rachel's anxious rambling. "Of course I love you. I've loved you since the moment I found out I was pregnant with you. I fell in love all over again when I heard your heartbeat for the first time…when you kicked inside of me. And I thought my heart would literally burst when the doctor held you up so I could see you."

"R-really?" Rachel asked, tears running down her cheeks.

"Really, baby. I love you," Shelby said with such conviction that Rachel couldn't help but believe her.

"I-I love you too, Mom," Rachel cried.

"Shelby, we're here," Jackie, her publicist, said, jarring Shelby from her thoughts. Shelby looked out the window at the large, dreary office building. It was a large, brick red building with small windows and a large revolving door. Shelby hated revolving doors. She took a deep breath and opened the car door, stepping out onto the sidewalk and the flashing of cameras. Police officers had blocked off the road and entranceway to the building, but paparazzi and news people still littered the streets, pressed up against the barricades and screaming for Shelby.

"Shelby, what's it feel like to be meeting your daughter for the first time after fourteen years?"

"Shelby, how is your daughter going to affect your career? Are you worried you won't have enough time for both?"

"Shelby, are you—"

One man had managed to break away from the pack and was running towards Shelby with his microphone outstretched, his cameraman close behind him.

"Ms. Corcoran, tell us, what's it like to have your world turned upside down for a daughter you don't even know?"

"Back off, NOW!" bellowed Tom, one of Shelby's bodyguards. He towered over the newscaster and flexed his bulging muscles menacingly. The newscaster started puffing up his own chest and was about to take another step when he was seized from behind by a Lima police officer.

"Come on, let's get you inside before any of these other crazies get loose," Tom said to Shelby, winking at her. He put his hand around Shelby's shoulder and led her towards the door, shielding her as much as possible from the flashing of the cameras with his own body.

They entered a large lobby with marble floors and tall, white pillars. A security guard was stationed at his desk, and he smiled warmly at them when Shelby and her troop gathered around it. "Good afternoon, Ms. Corcoran," he said, "Mr. Sawyer is expecting you. His office is on the third floor, suite 305…"

Shelby stopped listening to the man; she was too focused on what was about to happen. She could feel her blood pounding in her ears and her mouth became dry. She was about to see Rachel. She was so excited, but terrified at the same time. She had been dreaming of this moment ever since Rachel was born, but now that it was upon her, she wasn't sure she was ready. But if there was one thing being on Broadway had taught her, it was that the show must go on. So, Shelby took a deep, steadying breath and allowed Tom to steer her towards the elevators and what waited beyond.

Rachel paced around the conference room, stopping every few seconds to look out the window to see if a car was pulling up. She'd huff each time the street remained empty (except for the large crowd that was gathering, that is) and resume her circles. Her mind raced, and she was anxiously excited. She had just spoken to her mother the night before…they talked for nearly two hours, in fact.

"Mommy…are you…are you sure about this?" Rachel asked, her fears getting the better of her. They had been talking of things they would do once they were together, movies they liked, food, tv shows…pretty much everything under the sun. The conversation was light and carefree, but Rachel just couldn't keep that question inside anymore. She had to know, before things got too out of control for her. She had to know that her mother was sure.

"I've never been more sure of anything, sweetheart," Shelby immediately replied, hearing the worry in her daughter's voice. Her heart broke; her daughter sounded so young, especially when she called her "mommy". That was a new development, and every time Rachel said it, Shelby wanted to turn to mush.

"But what if…what if you don't like me?" Rachel whispered.

"I love you, Rach. Nothing will ever change that. I promise."

"But—"

"Rachel, sweetheart, calm down. I promise everything will be all right. Are you in bed? I can sing for you, if you'd like?" Shelby said, wanting to soothe her daughter as best as she could from over four hundred miles away. She heard Rachel sniff on the other end.

"I…I'd like that," said Rachel as she snuggled down into her bed. She grabbed her stuffed lion from under her covers and held him close to her. She had had the stuffed toy (named Henry) for as long as she could remember. She couldn't sleep without him.

Shelby smiled and began to sing.

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine

Little one, when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine

If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give
Just for the right to hold you

From your head down to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Sweet as can be, baby of mine

All of those people who scold you
What they'd give
Just for the right to hold you

From your head down to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Sweet as can be, baby of mine
Baby of mine

When Shelby finished, she was surprised to feel tears running down her face. She hadn't even realized she was crying.

Rachel had tears flowing as well. That was the first time she had ever been sung to. And her mother had been the one to do that for her. Taking a shaky breath, Rachel whispered, "Thank you, Mommy."

"Anytime, sweetheart," Shelby said, her own voice thick with tears. "Why don't you try to sleep now? And tomorrow, we'll see each other."

Rachel yawned. She really was exhausted. She didn't want to stop talking to her mother though. "Will you…" she began, but quickly trailed off. She didn't want to annoy her mom with too many demands. Rachel couldn't afford for her to become sick of her already.

"Will I what, baby?" Shelby questioned, knowing that Rachel needed her comfort. "I'll try my best to do whatever you need, Rach. I want to make you feel better however I can."

"Will you…would you mind s-staying on the phone until I fall asleep?" Rachel asked timidly. "You don't have to if you don't want to!" she added quickly.

Shelby's heart broke at her daughter's request. She could hear the fear and uncertainty in her voice. Damn those Berry men, Shelby thought to herself. She wished she had gotten Rachel sooner…hell, she wished she had never given her daughter to those men in the first place.

"Of course I'll stay on the phone with you until you fall asleep. I'm more than happy to," she said gently. "Close your eyes, baby. Try to relax, okay?"

"Rachel, come sit down," Hiram said after twenty minutes of constant pacing.

"She should be here soon," Rachel said to herself, ignoring her father's request. She went to look out the window once more and her heart almost stopped. A black car was pulling up and a large man got out first, followed by a woman…her mother!

Rachel watched as the paparazzi started waving frantically and snapping photos. She wondered if they would do that to her soon as well. So far, they had been leaving her alone. She then watched as a man ran close to her mother, waving his microphone in her face. Rachel couldn't help but laugh; the man looked like a cartoon character the way he was acting! Rachel kept looking out the window, even after her mother and the people with her moved towards the building and out of Rachel's line of sight. Her heart beat fast in her chest as she spun around and waited excitedly for the door to open.

Shelby followed the receptionist to the conference room where her lawyer, the Berry men and their lawyer, and her Rachel waited for her. She felt like her heart was going to beat right out of her chest as she neared the door. Five feet, three feet, one…the door was opening…and Shelby's eyes immediately found Rachel's.

Before anyone could do or say anything, Shelby was at Rachel's side, pulling the girl in close for a hug. It was the first time she had ever held her daughter, and she wanted it to be the very first thing she did when she saw her.

"Oh Rachel baby, I love you," she whispered, tears falling from her eyes in tiny rivers. Shelby put her face close to Rachel's hair and inhaled the strawberry scent.

"Hi, Mom," Rachel breathed into her mother's neck. Her mom smelled like vanilla and coconut, and Rachel found herself breathing in deeply, trying to ingrain the scent into her memory forever.

"Ahem…Ms. Corcoran, I don't mean to break up this reunion…however, there are matters at hand," Mr. Sawyer said after several more minutes.

Shelby reluctantly pulled away from Rachel, but held her hand out for her to hold as she walked around the table to face Hiram and LeRoy. Jackie was already sitting down next to Paul Ryan, Shelby's lawyer, so Shelby sat on Paul's right. Rachel took the empty seat next to her mother, their hands still tightly clasped.

"Well, let's get started then, shall we?" Paul said, pulling his papers out of his briefcase and laying them out on the table.

"Right. Well, Mr. and Mr. Berry have already signed the papers for termination of parental rights, and I have the papers that will reinstate Ms. Corcoran's parental rights here," Mr. Sawyer replied, sliding Shelby her paperwork.

"Mr. and Mr. Berry, you understand that by signing away your rights, you are giving full custody to Ms. Corcoran, correct? Neither of you will have any say about what goes on with Rachel from this point on, and Ms. Corcoran is not obligated to allow you to see Rachel. Do you have any questions?" Paul said.

"We understand," Hiram said, and LeRoy nodded his agreement.

Rachel sat quietly and listened as her whole world was falling apart. She was thrilled to be with her mother, but she was going to miss her fathers…even if she knew they weren't what she needed. She had grown up with these men, and they were really all she knew. Rachel sniffled and quickly wiped her nose.

Shelby felt Rachel stiffen slightly as the proceedings went on, and began to rub small circles on the girl's back. She knew this had to be hard for her daughter; she couldn't even begin to imagine what she was feeling. But Shelby would be here every step of the way for her, through the ups and downs, the tears and the laughter. She would make sure Rachel was happy with her and knew she was loved, if it was the last thing she did.

"You also understand that given Ms. Corcoran's circumstances, her and Rachel's lives may be…chaotic for a while? We ask that you please not speak to the press about Rachel, Ms. Corcoran, or anything else pertaining to this case," Paul continued.

"Of course. We want to give Rachel her best chance at a happy life…Hiram and I both firmly believe that is with Shelby. We won't do anything to jeopardize Rachel's well being and happiness," LeRoy said, turning his eyes to Rachel. He loved Rachel…not the way she deserved…but he loved her as much as he could. And because he and Hiram loved her, they were giving her to Shelby. But how was he supposed to even start to explain that to the girl? Maybe he wouldn't have to…maybe the act of giving her to her mother so she could be happy would be enough for Rachel to understand this is what's best.

"Alright…well, if neither of you have anymore questions, the only thing left is some paperwork to legally change Rachel's surname to Corcoran," said Paul, pulling the correct papers out of his pile and setting them in front of Shelby. "Rachel, you are old enough to have a bit of say in this matter. Before your mother signs the papers, would you like to say anything regarding it? You can still keep the name Berry if you'd prefer."

Rachel looked over at the two men who had raised her and her heart broke. They both looked sad, but neither of them were really looking at her. Then she looked into her mother's eyes. She could tell just from her eyes that her mother loved her. Taking a deep breath, Rachel looked at Paul and said, "I want to be a Corcoran."

Shelby couldn't help but tear up at hearing her daughter say she wanted to take her last name. Part of Shelby had been afraid that maybe Rachel would want to keep her fathers' last name. Squeezing her daughter's shoulder reassuringly, Shelby pulled the paper towards her and quickly signed it, making it official. She then smiled at Rachel and leaned in to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Well, that's everything on my end. Mr. Sawyer?" Paul said, looking to the attorney sitting across from him.

"No, that's it. Everything is cut and dry," Mr. Sawyer replied, taking the copies of Shelby's signed papers from Paul.

Paul shook hands with the Berry men and Mr. Sawyer and then turned to Shelby. "It was a pleasure seeing you, Shelby. Rachel, it was nice to meet you. I wish you both much happiness in the future. Shelby, you have my number if anything arises," he said.

"Say hello to Helen for me, Paul. And the kids as well," Shelby said, hugging the man before turning to the others in the room.

Rachel stood close to her mother, unsure of what she should do. She wasn't sure what to say to her fathers really…what do you say in this situation? Have a nice life? She wasn't even sure if she would ever see them again. At that thought, Rachel felt the first tears make their way down her cheeks.

Hiram and LeRoy glanced over at Rachel and noticed her tears. LeRoy took hold of Hiram's hand and led him over to the small girl. "Rachel…be good," LeRoy said. He had wanted to tell her he loved her, but it hadn't come out. He reached out and pulled Rachel into a hug, and Hiram quickly joined in. It didn't last long, and a few minutes later, both men were making their departure. Rachel stared off after them.

Now Shelby and Rachel were the only ones left in the room. Jackie had gone downstairs to offer a statement to the press to help quell some of the frenzy before mother and daughter entered the fray, and Shelby's bodyguards were waiting outside the now closed door. They had all figured mother and daughter needed a few minutes alone.

Shelby held Rachel close as the girl cried quietly. "Everything is going to be okay Rachel, I promise," she said, planting kiss after kiss on Rachel's head. Shelby wished she could take away all of her baby's hurt with just a hug. "Mommy's here, baby."

Everything would turn out okay. Shelby would make sure of it.

Author's Note: The song Shelby sang to Rachel is called "Baby Mine" from Disney's Dumbo, but this particular version is by Alison Krauss (it's a bit longer than the original). I encourage you to look it up on YouTube, it's a beautiful song.