Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 34th cycle. Now cycle 35!

YEAR TWO ANNIVERSARY CYCLE! - Within days it will have been two years since I've started this Gleekathon, and like last year I'm dedicating the cycle to commemorating my 21 favorite one shots or chapter stories from year two (up to the point where I did the planning ;)) A number of those I was very attached to, but left sad to see may have fallen through the cracks, so it seems fair they should get a second shot ;)

Last year there were three categories, but this year I've added two new ones: Prequel, Sequel, POV Swap, and now Alternate Ending, and Additional Scenes. In no particular order... Today's story is an Alternate Ending on #516 "Like Father, Like Daughter" a Sue & Brittany - Sylvesters Series story originally posted on March 21st 2011. [Note on the Alternate Endings: if part of a series, they don't affect the timeline]

"Crawling Back"
Sue & Brittany
Sylvesters Series Extra

"If they're what you want, then you go ahead. You can finally be Brittany Pierce," Sue spoke before she could stop herself. She saw, physically saw her daughter's face quiver like she'd just been slapped, eyes watering. " I can't do this right now," she pushed the door and walked out. Brittany couldn't move, and Joe put a hand on her shoulder.

"She just needs time. It's going to be okay," he promised.

"No, it's not…" she shook her head. All her fears were coming true and she couldn't even walk. At least she wasn't cr… He wrapped his arms around her, and she broke down instantly.

After he'd finally managed to usher her back to the booth at Breadstix where Charlotte and the girls still sat, Brittany was quickly surrounded by her sisters again. She held on to their hands for comfort. Joe sat across from the girls, with Charlotte. "Everything's going to be alright, I promise," he told his eldest daughter. She wasn't talking, wasn't moving, just sat there holding Izzy's hand in her left, Cat's in her right. "Brittany, look at me," he went on. She stirred, finally looked up. Her eyes were still red, crying. "Look I know your mother is kind of hard to deal with sometimes, but you have to know as well as I do that she gets hard like this, but she'll calm down."

"You haven't known her… not for years," Brittany cut in, sniffling. "I can't…" she stopped, bowing her head. "I can't…"

"Can't what, sweetheart?"

"Can't go back," she spoke, and as soon as the words were out she squeezed her eyes shut, whimpered.

Sue had left through those mall doors, but it took a while before she could make it to her car. She stomped about, needing to let out so many ideas, and thoughts, and emotions… She'd crossed a line, she knew… The only yelling she did that was directed at her daughter was in the guise of Coach Sylvester and her Cheerio. She'd never used… that voice… She couldn't shake the look on Brittany's face when she'd said… what she'd said. She was upset, it had been out of her control, just came right out. But she'd said it. She didn't know how to fix it, not all of it. She'd go home, cool off, and when Brittany came home she… she'd apologize, do whatever it took to make things alright again.

So she'd gone home, quiet home… She'd gone up to her daughter's room, looked around it… After a while, she saw it. The small plush blue hippo had been a staple in the girl's room for years, but it wasn't until that day that she noticed the bracelet around its neck. She approached, touched it… colorful threads, worked together… She used to make those, with her sister, when they were kids… It had to have been Joe's other daughters. All this time, it was right there and she hadn't seen it.

She sat on the edge of the bed, the hippo in hand… She'd really messed things up, all this time, and she knew, but all this time she'd been afraid of losing her girl, it hadn't been this much of a possibility, of a reality. But now it was different. Now she had a back-up option, a father with a cozy house, a stepmother who probably gardened and baked cookies, two half-sisters who seemed to worship the ground she walked on… Why wouldn't she go with them if things got too hard on the other side, with her mother and her house of trophies?

Hours went by; she didn't move… and Brittany didn't show. She felt cold, like without her there the room had lost all its warmth. She couldn't look at the clock. If she looked, then she'd see what time it was, she'd see how long it had been, she'd know… she wasn't coming. No one had called, no one had come, one way or another…

Then the walls were yellow, orange… blue… dark… The sun had gone down.

She put the hippo down on the bed and she got up, walked back out of the house and to her car. This wasn't her, to just sit and do nothing, especially where her daughter was concerned, her family, her flesh and blood… No matter how hard, she had to bring her home.

She knew where he lived – he wasn't exactly some big secret, look in the phone book and there he was… She drove up there, parked the car and looked to the house… It looked warm – like Brittany, like it had been waiting for her… Wouldn't she be doing her a favor, to let her recreate her life, with her father? Call her selfish, but no matter what they had a good life together, too. It wasn't conventional, but then neither were they. She didn't know of any other two people who could make it work the way they had. They had lived so much, and they could live so much more.

She rang the doorbell, waited. She didn't know what would be worse, what face would be worse for her to find staring back at her when someone answered… and then it was… her… Charlotte, Joe's wife. She blinked, only half surprised to see her. "Miss… Sylvester," she nodded. "Please, come in."

"Where is she?" Sue walked in. "Is she…"

"She's in the yard, with the girls." Sue hesitated, and Charlotte stepped up to her. "She'll get through this, you know? She's stronger than she looks. I think she gets that from you." Sue was left silenced by the woman for a moment. She'd been indifferent to her ever since she'd found out about her, but she supposed she was alright.

"Thank you," she gave a small nod. She moved toward the yard, as Charlotte indicated. When they reached the kitchen she paused when she saw Joe standing there. She wasn't sure what he'd say, if he'd yell at her for what she'd said before, or…

"She says she wants to stay here," he revealed, and as much as she expected it, hearing it hit right at her heart. "You know I'd be more than happy to have her. But I'm no fool; I know she belongs with you." He looked so much like Brittany right then…

"Well maybe we can work something out… after."

Going into the yard, she could see light emanating from under a blanket elevated into a tent between two trees… flashlights. As she walked up to it and crouched, she couldn't hear anything. When she lifted the blanket she saw why. Cat and Izzy had fallen asleep, huddled against their sister, who startled and looked up at the disruption. When she saw her mother's face, she froze. Brittany held up a finger to her lips – don't wake the girls. Sue nodded.

"May I?" she indicated a free spot across from her under the blanket tent. Brittany brought her hand back down, brushing Izzy's hair out of her face… but then she nodded. Sue sat down, closing up their tent again. There was silence for a few beats, neither of them knowing what to say. "Brittany," she kept her voice low. "I… I'm sorry," her voice cracked. "I shouldn't have said the things I said, I… I was surprised, and I didn't know what I was saying. I didn't mean to hurt you… But I know I did," she continued. Brittany didn't say a word yet, but she didn't need to – yes, she had hurt her. "I don't know what to tell you, to make you see that… I love you, I always…"

"I know you love me," Brittany finally spoke. "I love you, too," she promised. "I just wanted to know my father… Only reason I didn't tell you was because I didn't want you to take him away from me… again."

"That's fair," Sue admitted. "Brittany… I need you, back home with me." The blonde looked back down to her sisters – she didn't want to leave them. "But I think… maybe we could work something out, you, and me, and your father, to have you live with me, but with him, too." The blonde looked up again, just barely hopeful. "For tonight though, I need you to come home," her voice was begging. Brittany hesitated, but then she indicated for Cat.

"Help me take them upstairs?" Sue moved forward on her knees and picked up the bigger of the two girls, coming out of the tent. Brittany picked up Izzy, careful as she stood. They took them inside, to their rooms, tucked them in. When they were done, Brittany looked to her mother. "Let's go home."

THE END

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!