I woke up in surprise. I had just had a really weird dream. I had no idea why I had dreamt of that. Jessa seemed to have noticed my movements and woke up as well.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"I just had the strangest dream." I explained. "I dreamt that I had a little sister and she went to McKinley and she was dating a girl who looked surprisingly like Lucy except without eyebrows. And also everyone else broke up for some reason."
"Did we break up?" Jessa replied.
"No, we were the only ones who stayed together." I answered. "And all of this happened the fall after graduation. It looked like New Directions was going to be a dynasty."
"Faith, New Directions is gone." She stated. "They were disbanded after some girl passed out during Sectionals. They've been gone for years."
"Why are you telling me this like I don't already know?" I replied.
"I just wanted to make sure that you had a good understanding of reality." She answered. "You only have one sister and one sister-in-law."
"I think I'm going to make sure." I said as I took out my phone, scrolled down and called the number.
"Hello?" He responded with a yawn. "Faith, is everything alright."
"Dad, do I have a little sister?" I asked. I knew things wouldn't be as good between us if I did.
"What? No." He answered.
"So you never cheated on mom with a stripper?" I inquired.
"No, why are you calling about this so late?" He asked.
"I just really needed to know. I love you. Bye." I told him before I hung up. I then looked at Jessa. "So it looks like it was only a dream."
"I told you. Now that that's out of the way, can we go back to sleep?" She replied before I put my phone up.
"Yes." I answered by I held onto her and went back to sleep.
In the morning, I walked into the kitchen to see Beth sitting at the table while Jessa was making breakfast.
"Hi Mommy." Beth greeted me. She was six years old. It was late July and we would need to enroll her in school soon. She had gone to kindergarten, but we weren't sure what should we should send her to because neither Jessa or I had gotten any sort of jobs yet. I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I had a degree in theatre, but I didn't know if I wanted to do plays or movies or singing even.
"Hey Sweetie." I stated before I kissed her head. "What do you want to do today?"
"Can we go to the zoo?" Beth asked. "Can we go to the zoo with Aunt Frannie?"
"Aunt Frannie is in Ohio." I reminded her.
"Then we can go to Ohio." Beth reasoned. There actually wasn't anything stopping us from going, but we couldn't just take trips on a whim. It would be weird and make her seem spoiled.
"We should do it." Jessa remarked. I was a little bit surprised. I just looked at her. "We haven't been there since Sadie's graduation. We should see your sister."
I decided that she was right, especially since Frannie's family had come here for Christmas. She had had a baby recently, which made it surprising that she wanted to travel. Not to mention, it was colder.
"Alright, then you need to bring some extra clothes because we're going to go Lima." I declared. We would have to get Frannie to meet us at the train station because I didn't feel like driving nine hours. We would at least be able to go today. We would probably still end up spending the night at Frannie's because I didn't know if I wanted to have to rush to make it back to the station.
It really had been a while since I had gone back to Lima. I knew that Cara had moved back there when she got a new girlfriend which was also around the same time that Beth started school. Part of me wondered what it would be like to live there again, but I had left for a reason. I liked living in New York. I just needed to find a job.
As Jessa and I were packing, I couldn't help but wonder why she suddenly wanted to go back to Lima.
"What's with this sudden decision to go on vacation?" I questioned.
"Maybe I just want to go back?" She replied. "Maybe we should even see what's available for jobs there."
"But we could make a lot more money in New York." I stated. Sure, neither of us knew what we wanted to do, but we wouldn't exactly be going back to Lima with a plan either. "And besides, you're the one who kept talking about how much you wanted to leave."
"Maybe I changed my mind." She said before she started to sing.
I spent 20 years trying to get out of this place
I was looking for something that I couldn't replace
I was running away from the only thing that I'd ever known
Like a blind dog without a bone
I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone
I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold
I've been there, done that and I aint looking back
On the seeds I've sown, saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone
Who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go home, there's only one place that call me one of their own
Just a hometown girl born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, I've been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I wanna go, who says you can't go home
I've been there, done that now I aint looking back
It's been a long, long road, feels like I never left that's how the story goes
It doesn't matter where you are, doesn't matter where you go
If it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road
Take it in, take it with you when you go
Who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go home, there's only one place that call me one of their own
Just a hometown girl born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, I've been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I wanna go, who says you can't go home
"You just had to go for my love of Bon Jovi." I declared. "What would we even do there?"
"Well maybe we could bring the Glee club back at McKinley?" She suggested.
"How would we even know that anyone would want to be in the Glee club? It's been a few years. Maybe no one cares anymore. Maybe no one cares about Glee anymore."
"People will also care about Glee and these are the things that can inspire people. Would Kathryn be a successful singer without the Glee club? Would she even be a she?" She responded. "Plus the two of us never would have met."
"Okay, I guess we can take a few days to try to find something, but we can't just stay without a plan. If we don't find anything, we need to come back here."
"Okay." Jessa agreed. "Now let's pack."
After we were done packing, the three of us headed to the train station. I did know that Lima was a better place to raise a child than New York City, but we had done pretty well with Beth so far and we could continue to do well.
Of course, leaving the city behind was also kind of exciting. I was 22 and still had plenty of time to figure out my life. I began to sing along with the song that I was listening to on the train.
You're stuck in my head, stuck on my heart, stuck on my body, body
I wanna go, get out of here, I'm sick of the party, party
I'd run away, I'd run away with you
This is the part, you've got to say all that you're feeling, feeling
Packing a bag, we're leaving tonight when everyone's sleeping, sleeping
Let's run away, I'll run away with you
Cause you make me feel like I could be driving you all night
And I'll find your lips in the street lights I wanna be there with you
Baby, take me to the feeling, I'll be your sinner in secret
When the lights go out, run away with me, run away with me
Baby, every single minute I'll be your hero and win it
When the lights go out run away with me, run away with me
Hold on to me I never want to let you go
(Run away with me, run away with me)
Over the weekend we could turn the world to gold, oh, oh
(Run away with me, run away with me)
Baby, take me to the feeling, I'll be your sinner in secret
When the lights go out, run away with me, run away with me
Baby, every single minute I'll be your hero and win it
When the lights go out run away with me, run away with me
It felt like as soon as I was done, we arrived in Lima. I knew it had been longer but I just didn't pay a lot of attention on the ride. I just sat with Beth and Jessa.
Once we got there, we found that Frannie was there with a stroller. It looked like she had brought her son with her.
"Hi, Aunt Frannie." Beth remarked before she ran over and gave my sister a hug. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Beth." Frannie replied. "I'm surprised that you three just decided to come down here."
"Well it was Beth's idea." I answered. I wasn't sure why she liked the Lima Zoo so much when New York City had better zoos. Maybe it was just the nostalgia part of it.
The following day, Frannie was watching Beth while Jessa and I went to McKinley. I hadn't really been following what happened there lately, but I assumed that Figgins was still the principal. I didn't see how anyone else could have taken over especially since they didn't have a vice principal.
"So do you have some kind of speech prepared?" I asked my wife before we went to the office.
"I don't think I need one." Jessa remarked as we walked into the office. I couldn't help but wonder if we should have made an appointment first.
"We're here to see the principal." I told the secretary.
"Do you have an appointment?" She asked.
"No." Jessa replied. "Just say that Faith Fabray is here."
She walked away and a few seconds later came back.
"The principal will see you." She stated.
We walked into the office and…Sue. Oh fuck.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my biggest adversary." Sue declared. "What are you and your lady love doing here?"
"We want to restart the Glee club." Jessa remarked. There was no way that Sue was going to let us do that. She hated the Glee club for no apparent reason.
"Are you seriously here to ask me that?" Sue replied. "Ever since we got rid of that insidious singing club, the test scores are up and the football team is actually good. All of the sports and academics and athletics are all that a school needs."
"No, a school needs the third which is the Arts." Jessa argued. "What are you doing for the students who aren't smartest or the fittest?"
"Leaving them behind like I should." Sue answered. "Now I am never going to allow you to have any sort of Glee club here, even if it comes out of your own pocket. Only students, faculty, and parents are allowed at this school and I will never hire you, now get out of here before I have to have you escorted off by my new security guard."
"So you're willing to pay a security guard, but not a music teacher?" I asked her.
"Yes, because a music teacher isn't help in the event of an armed shooter." Sue explained. That was actually good logic. "Now leave."
The two of us left and I noticed that Jessa looked upset. I could tell that she really wanted to do it, but there was nothing we could do. Sue had won.
"I'm sorry." I apologized as I hugged her. At that moment, my phone began to ring. I noticed that it was from Cara.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were back in Lima?" She questioned.
"It wasn't exactly a planned trip and we've kind of been busy." I explained. I did want to see her. I didn't want to drift apart from her since I really missed her since she left.
"Well, are you busy right now?" She asked. It looked like we were free at the moment. "I have something that I want to show you?"
"No we're not busy." I stated.
"How about you meet me at the Lima Bean then?" She suggested before she hung up.
"Let's go get some coffee." I told Jessa.
We went to meet Cara at the coffee shop and found that she was at a table with a drink in front of her. She gave us both a hug.
"So what did you want to tell us about?" I asked. She didn't answer. She just held out her finger and I noticed that there was a diamond on it.
"Ava proposed to me." She explained. "So how has your day been?"
"We just came back from unsuccessfully trying to bring the Glee club back but Sue wouldn't let us." I explained. "So I don't think that I really know anything about Ava."
"It just so happens that she might be able to help you out with your problem." Cara answered. "You see Ava is the headmistress of a new all-girls school and she's looking for faculty. I'm sure that I could probably talk her into letting you have a Glee club and giving you jobs at the school."
"What do you say Jessa? I know it's not the job that you wanted, but it would give us a chance to work together." I stated.
"Yeah, I guess we can check it out." Jessa agreed. "Can you schedule an interview for us tomorrow morning?"
Once we got back to Frannie's house, we headed up to the guest room. Beth was taking her nap, so it would give us time to talk.
"If you don't want to do this, you don't have to." I told her.
"I just had this plan and this isn't what I had in mind." She admitted.
"Well just because it's not McKinley doesn't mean that these girls need our help any less than the ones at McKinley." I declared before got on the bed. "You know you were a really good Sex Ed teacher."
"Are you just saying that because I have sex with you?" She challenged.
"No, I'm saying it because I think it's true." I replied. "It will give you something to do while you try to figure out what you want to do with you just like teaching Theatre will give me something to do while I try to figure out mine."
The following day, the two of us were dressed up and prepared to go our interview. Depending on whether or not we got the job, we would have to look for a house and enroll Beth in school.
"You look nice." I told her. She really didn't wear lipstick that often.
"Well I wanted to make an impression." She stated as we walked into the office. "We're here to see Ava. We have an appointment."
The secretary led us to the office and I saw a brown-haired woman sitting in the chair. She was looking at her computer.
"Headmistress Ramos, your appointment is here." The secretary said.
"Wait, Ava Ramos?" Jessa asked as the woman turned around.
"Jessa? I can't believe it's you." Ava responded before she gave her a hug.
"You two know each other?" I questioned in surprise.
"Ava and I were in Vocal Adrenaline together." Jessa explained. "I used to help her lip sync when I was a freshman."
"That was before I got sick before Sectionals and the legend of Jessa St. James was born." Ava explained. "So I see you got married."
"Let this is my wife Faith." Jessa introduced. "She also happens to be Cara's best friend."
"Well this is serendipitous." Ava remarked. "I feel like I should hire you without asking any questions. Though I should probably at least ask what positions you're applying for."
"Well I want to teach Sex Ed and Faith wants to do Theatre." Jessa answered.
"Do you have any experience?" Ava asked us.
"I have a degree from Juilliard." I answered. "And Jessa taught Sex Ed for a few days."
"Why only a few days?" Ava inquired.
"It was because Faith was still a student and we had just gotten back together." Jessa replied. "We started dating during my senior year."
"I'd also like to start a Glee club." I added. "I think that Jessa and I would perfect coaches considering that we have five national championships between us."
"Well there is something that you need to know if you're going to work here." Ava declared. I couldn't help but wonder what she meant by that. "There is going to be a dress code and that's pretty much literal. Since the girls will be wearing uniforms with skirts, I want all of the teachers to wear skirts and dresses as well. Tights are optional. Do either of you have a problem with such conditions?"
"No." Jessa answered.
"Good then the first day of school is August 25th." Ava replied. Jessa and I looked at each other. "What?"
"That's my birthday." I told her.
"Good thing you told me, because now it's the 26th, but you have to let Cara and I take out to dinner." She said.
On the 26th, I walked into the school, ready to teach my first class.
So this is a new story that I didn't plan on writing and it officially removes the previous stories from the canon. Ava is played Aimee Teegarden. The songs are "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Bon Jovi and "Run Away with Me" by Carly Rae Jepsen. Please don't forget to review.