Little Girl Lost

By: LockedSoulsAM

Summary: Every year on December 18th, Shelby Corcoran rides around aimlessly lost in thought, mourning the death of her baby girl. The little girl that three years ago she was supposed to give up for adoption. It hits midnight and Shelby runs into something she thought she lost forever.

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee and any of the characters. I do own this story line and the ideas and new characters that come with it.

A/N: This is my first story and I'm trying my best to write it how it appears in my head. Hopefully I can finish and make who ever read this happy and interested enough to read more. I don't have a beta (what ever that is) and all mistakes are my own.

Prologue Shelby's Baby

In Italics are flash backs. Present is normal writing

"AHHHH" Shelby screamed after a hard push

"That's it Shelby keep pushing she's almost here." The doctor yelled over Shelby's screams "One more" Shelby's screams filled the air as she literally pushed a life out of herself. Taking a breath Shelby laid her head on the pillow. Exhausted. Tears of joy filled her eyes but it was short lived as a silence washed over the hospital room.

"Why isn't she crying?" Shelby tried to sit up "Why isn't my baby crying?"

A nearby nurse came to Shelby's side and pushed her gently to lie down. "Don't worry they're doing everything they can." But still the baby didn't cry. Shelby on the other hand began to panic all the while trying to listen to all of the doctors talking.

"Rush this one to the NICU. She needs air stat!" A doctor yelled over the rising chaos.

Shelby began to cry and twist around to get a glimpse at her baby. The baby that she so badly wanted, but was giving up for adoption. She wanted to keep her baby no matter what the stupid contract said. She wished she hadn't signed that thing already.

After a particular twist Shelby caught sight of the baby they were quickly wheeling out of the room. The baby had ten fingers, ten toes and little wisps of brown hair on her tiny head. As Shelby looked her baby over she noticed that the little girl had a purple hue to her body.

This realization made Shelby cry even more. Her baby girl. "No!" Shelby began to chant. Not her baby. Feeling the oncoming signs of hyperventilation, the new mother began to push herself out of bed. Where were Hiram and Leroy? Why weren't they telling her about her baby? She needed to know. But again that nurse came in.

"I'm so sorry Ms Corcoran is there anyone we can call?"

At this Shelby really began to cry.

Her baby was gone and she didn't even get to hold her. Why her?

"Beeeeeeeeeeeeep!" A car horn loudly beeped to the right of Shelby quickly pulling her out of her flashback. Snapping on her breaks, Shelby let go of a long breath she didn't realize she was holding. The car passed and Shelby found herself still sitting there.

Shelby found herself having this flashback on the same time every year. The most time she thought about her baby girl. It was Midnight officially making it December 18th. This day exactly three years ago Shelby gave birth to a baby girl. That same day her baby girl died. If her baby had lived she would have been three today.

Shelby often thought about what it would be like her baby girl had lived. Would she have let the Berry's take away the baby? Would she have fought for her little girl?

She hadn't even heard from the Berry's since that day. Shelby assumed that they moved away too full of grief to stay in a town where their little girl died. Yes, their little girl.

At the age of 20 Shelby was done with college earning a degree in English (her parent's idea). She was ready to move to New York to pursue her dreams on Broadway. She was going to be the next Barbra Streisand. But Shelby had no money. She could've asked her parents but wanted to be independent.

One day while looking in the classifieds section of the newspapers, Shelby found the ad of two married gay men looking for a surrogate. The details would be they would pay for any and all costs of the mothers needs. Shelby thought it could be harmless so she called.

After a couple meetings with the Berry Men, Hiram and Leroy, they fell in love with the young diva. They did a round of artificial insemination and Shelby soon fell pregnant.

They doted on the young mother whose belly housed their future child.

They bought her apartment, paid for groceries, prenatal vitamins and all of her doctor's visits.

One day the Berry men sat Shelby down and showed her the contract. It said a bunch of stuff that said once the baby was there Shelby could have no contact until the child turned 18. It also would be paying the young girl $50,000. The men were very successful as doctor and a restaurant owner. Shelby quickly signed.

Her older sister Mary was a lawyer but Shelby hadn't informed her family of her situation. Somewhere along the line though, the young woman changed her mind. Her actions had consequences and Shelby had called her big sister crying. Mary had quickly looked over the papers and saw flaws. The two decided they would fight for the baby.

Shelby had begged Mary not to tell their parents and Mary had reluctantly agreed.

Then Mary was called at 4am from Lima Women's Hospital and was informed of her sister's situation. After a lot of grieving the two women informed their family. Shelby quietly sat her parents Katherine and Michael Corcoran down in their family room of their house in Columbus, OH. Her older brother Eric and her 2 younger sisters plus Mary's husband listened along too, as Shelby told them her story. The family supported her and helped her in the few months, even planting a tree in the park for Baby Corcoran.

Over the next few months Shelby threw herself into work as a waitress at a local Coney Island restaurant. Not being able to take it anymore, Shelby decided to make her daughter proud. She hadn't used the money the Berry men had given her and she moved to New York . There she had landed the role of off Broadway role Maureen Johnson in Rent. After a show one night Shelby began to have bad cramps. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She moved back home to Columbus where the doctors were able to save a few off her eggs. After her surgery though, she was told she wouldn't be able to have anymore babies.

After that Shelby applied at Carmel High School at age 22 and became an English and music teacher. She moved to Carmel where she used her money from the show to buy herself an apartment. Now it had been two years since she had met the Berry's and 1 and ½ years since she had given birth.

Now it's been 3 years since Shelby gave birth to her daughter. At age 24 Shelby was doing pretty well for herself. After all of her daydreaming Shelby looked at the clock on her Range Rover read "1:00 AM". Shelby decided it was time to go home and as she crossed the intersection she looked down to turn the heat on for a second.

After looking up Shelby screamed as she pressed on her brakes hard for the second time that night…morning? In front of her car like a deer in headlights stood a little girl who couldn't be older than two…maybe three standing in the middle of the street. The little girl had big brown eyes and long brown hair that almost touched her back. She was dressed in strawberry shortcake pajamas and had a purple pacifier in her mouth. Shelby looked down and noticed the little girl didn't have on any shoes or socks. The girl squeezed her little brown stuffed animal tighter.

It was winter even though it hadn't started snowing yet. "What is the little girl doing out here by herself?" Shelby thought. Just as Shelby began to unbuckle her seat belt the little girl blinked at her and walked away. Shelby quickly ran out of the car and in front of the little girl. "Oh no you don't" Shelby said "Sweetie are you okay?" The little girl again blinked at her and decided this woman was okay. The little girl reached her arms up silently telling Shelby she wanted to be picked up. As Shelby scooped the girl up, the little girl whimpered and wrapped her tiny arms around Shelby's neck and buried her face in her shoulder.

Shelby's heart immediately warmed as she carried the little girl back to her car. After sliding in Shelby tried to sit the little girl into the passenger seat but she just squeezed tighter. "Sweetie I need to talk to you can you sit up so I can ask you a few questions?"

The little girl nodded and reluctantly sat up straddling Shelby. "How old are you?"

The little girl looked at her hands and held up two fingers just like someone had shown her. "Okay two…can you talk?" The little girl nodded. "Will you talk to me?" The toddler nodded again. Shelby smiled. "What's your name baby?" The little girl was confused by the term of endearment. No one had ever called her that before. "Wachie" She said around her pacifier. "Wachie?" Shelby tried it on her tongue for a few minutes.

What name was that? Then it clicked. "Rachie…Rachel?" Rachel excitedly nodded making Shelby laugh.

She decided that the pacifier was in the way of making Rachel talk. "Can I have this?" She asked taking the paci from the girl's mouth. Rachel watched as Shelby wrapped the pacifier in paper towel. "There all better." Looking through her glove compartment Shelby found extra socks that her sister's son David had left in the car. While slipping them on she asked "Rachel where are your mommy and daddy?" The little girl looked confused. "No mommy and daddy. Only papa and Daddy."

Shelby immediately thought of her baby and how she would have had to live with the Berry's. "Ok Sweetie how did you get out of the house?" Rachel looked at Shelby with fear in her eyes. "Daddies fighting so I went for a walk" Rachel explained "I get lost"

Squeezing her stuffed dog Rachel laid her head on Shelby's chest. "Rachel do you know where you live?" Rachel shook her head in the negative "Ok we are going to the Police Station so we can find your daddies." Shelby somehow wrangled the 2 year old into the passenger seat and buckled her up. She knew it was dangerous but not as dangerous as being out at midnight at age 2.

Inside the Lima Police Station Shelby was sitting with a sleeping Rachel in her arms at an officer's desk. Looking down at the little girl, Shelby studied her features. Rachel's forehead was wrinkled and she had a slight pout to her small plump lips. For a second, Shelby let herself imagine that Rachel was hers. For a second she pretended the baby in her arms was her baby. It was pretty easy considering how easily Rachel took to her.

A hot cup of chocolate being sat on the desk it what snapped Shelby out of her thoughts. A young Detective Charlie Harmon sat at the seat on the opposite side of the desk. His dark skin and nice build were just a plus in Shelby's eyes and she felt comfortable talking to this man. "Sorry" Detective Harmon said. "We just got a call in from two men saying their child wasn't in her bed after they came in to check on her. " Shelby sighed as she held onto Rachel a little tighter, in return the girl whimpered.

"What I don't understand is how a 2 year old could wander out of the house and end up halfway across town." Harmon thought aloud "They live all the way across the bridge on Macomb Drive."

Shelby was shocked that was along way from Maine Street, where Shelby had found Rachel, at least for a toddler. "I just can't believe she's okay. She's so tiny and precious "Shelby looked down as the girl again whimpered.

Shelby began to slowly rock the girl as two men came barreling up the stairs.

"Yes, Excuse me we are here for our daughter Rachel." Leroy Berry said as him and Hiram walked up to the Secretary's counter. The redheaded lady pointed to where Shelby and Harmon were sitting with Rachel.

At that moment it went all in slow motion for Shelby as she recognized the two men. Standing up with Rachel still in her arms she looked between the two and gasped. "Hiram, Leroy?" She hadn't seen these men in exactly three years. Hiram quickly grabbed Rachel out of the woman's arms. The little girl stirred but never woke up reveling in her papa's warmth for once.

"Shelby." Leroy smiled even though Shelby could tell it was fake. Shelby opened her mouth a few times but nothing seemed to come out. Harmon quickly stepped in. "Leroy and Hiram Berry we talked on the phone I'm detective Harmon." Shaking each of the men's hand he stepped back beside Shelby. "Nice to meet you, unfortunately under these circumstances." Again Leroy smiled while Hiram just nodded. Harmon looked at Shelby and offered the men seats. "I just need to ask a few questions and then you can take your daughter home." "Officer is this really necessary. Me and my husband are very busy men and would like to get back home and rest." Hiram interjected

Harmon narrowed his eyes at Hiram. "Its Detective and yes it's necessary. A 2 year old somehow managed to leave your house and walk halfway across town by herself. Now please sit and tell me why I shouldn't charge you with whatever I can."

Hiram and Leroy shared a look before both sitting across from Shelby and Harmon. "Why is she still here?" Hiram lifted his chin towards Shelby. "Because I was the one who found Rachel." That shut him up.

"Well Detective we are truly sorry." Leroy apologized "Today is Rachel's third birthday and the house is pretty hectic trying to plan the birthday party. My husband and I were trying to wind down from all the craziness when we thought Rachel was in bed. She must've slipped through the back door." Harmon looked like he didn't believe the explanation so he started asking more questions.

All the while Shelby was lost in her thoughts staring at the men and Rachel. This little girl was three years old and had the same birthday as her baby. Hiram seemed very protective of the girl when he saw her with Shelby. Leroy's reaction when he spotted her. Rachel's complexion was slightly tanned almost as if she were Leroy's. Something Shelby had noticed about her baby that day. She had seen a lot of mixed raced babies with lighter complexions and Rachel was probably one of them.

During her thinking Shelby could hear Hiram say that they were Rachel's legal fathers since she was born. The mother had abandoned her and signed away her legal rights. This struck her as odd. Shelby looked back to the small toddler in Hiram's arms. Something in her head popped up out of nowhere. This baby. Her baby. Leroy and Hiram. The hospital where her baby died. She realized it could have all been some sort of lie. Or was she just too naïve. They nurse had never said the baby wad dead. Just that she was sorry. Was she sorry that Shelby couldn't see the baby anymore? Why didn't she ask more questions?

The men began to stand as the interrogation was over. Harmon again shook their hands and the men prepared to leave when Shelby whispered "She's mine." This made Hiram turn around with a look of panic on his face. "She's mine." She said a little louder. The Berry's began to walk faster out of the precinct and into the parking lot where Shelby chased them. "She's mine…isn't she?" Shelby yelled out trying to catch her breath.

This roused a sleepy Rachel in Hiram's arms who turned to look at the cause of the yelling. Leroy stopped and turned to her. "Yes, just leave it alone. There's nothing you can do." "Leroy!" Hiram barked startling Rachel. "You've said enough. Let's Go!" As the men walked drove away with her baby, Shelby's back hit the brick wall and she slipped down. Tears were coming faster and faster as she cried for the baby that she thought had died. For her little girl, that she got to hold for the first time today.

Her daughter Rachel. Quiet cries turned into sobs. Sometime when Shelby hadn't noticed Detective Harmon had pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried.

A/N: So I hope you liked the first chapter. I'm already prepared to put up the second chapter. I just need you to review and good or bad anything will help. Do you wish for me to continue? Review, Review, Review =)