Disclaimer: None of Glee belongs to me; I've just got a lot of imagination (and ADD).
AN: None of this is Betaed; I'm the only one who's edited it so sorry for any mistakes.
Also I'm pretending Regionals and their semester finals happen right before Winter break their senior year.
Warning: Swear words, mentions of underage prostitution, emotional abuse/damage, what could be incest (like stuff's mentioned and/or hinted at and up to interpretation), possible spoilers for Season 2 that you will really only catch if you've seen the episodes already (which makes it not a spoiler), adultery, mentions sex between hetero and homo pairings, prostitution, falsifying medical records, and probably other illegal stuff.
Summary: He's never been reformed, or a nice guy underneath it all, because he's really not. It's just that he doesn't really care, he never did. He's leaving Lima and the Glee Club behind, there's nothing here for him.
He Doesn't Care
He's amused by how surprised they all are when halfway through senior year he announces he's got his diploma, since he graduated a semester early, and he's leaving. Really, he wants to ask how it was possible that they all fell for his dumb jock act for so long, once he can stop laughing at them. But what really gets him is how they all seem to think he would stick around to go to Nationals with them. They all act like, even though he's been telling everyone for years that he's an asshole who doesn't give a damn about Glee or any of them, he has a soft center that he's been hiding all along. As if they would know who or what he actually cares about.
"Dude, you love Glee Club. Why would you want to leave early?" Finn asks him with that dopey expression of his on his face.
"Because I don't love Glee Club, hell I barely even like it. Because I've got a better job lined up in another city. Because I am so ready to leave Lima and all the losers here behind," he tells the idiot who called himself his best friend from first grade until sophomore year.
A better job is right. Any job would be better than the one he's been working since he hit twelve. Sure he's good at it but it's not the kind of job anyone but a nymphomaniac really likes. That's right he's been a whore, his Ma likes to call them hookers but they both know what they do to earn money is way more degrading than that, since he turned twelve. The day after his twelfth birthday his Ma introduced him to his first customer. She's pretty much the town prostitute, everybody knows it, and with a male and a female in their family working they could cover a wider client base. It's not like she threw him to the dogs there or anything. No, she taught him all the tricks of her trade, on dildos and that creepy blow-up doll because there was no incest going down in their house, and made sure he was prepared before starting him out. On her 'salary' it wasn't like she could really afford to let an accidental kid stick around without said kid pulling his own weight.
His Ma could tell outsiders that his father was a guy who passed through Lima, a man she considered leaving the town with before he ditched her after a few fucks, but he knows the truth. They share everything, at least she shares everything with him, so he's always known that yes he is secretly bi-racial and yes he had a half sibling at McKinley who is a few months younger than him and therefore in the same grade as him. Yeah, he was secretly kind of glad when the family moved away because it was hard going over to his friend's house and knowing that they had the same father, who'd been cheating on his wife when he paid to have sex with the town hooker (condom was faulty or something but Ma never told her clients when that happened). He always felt like maybe they'd notice a resemblance or something and he'd be the reason his friend's parents split-up.
Which led to the other reason he was leaving, his daughter. Okay his legal daughter who had his name on her birth certificate and 'unknown' under the section for the mother, even though he wasn't her biological father and they knew who her mother was. When he was twelve his mother got pregnant again, she was the sloppiest whore ever in his opinion because she really never learned from her mistakes and started taking the pill or something as well.
Anyways this time she hadn't wanted to keep another kid even with the both of them, him and her, pulling in cash. Since she didn't believe in abortion, she had crazy skewed views on their religion, she was going to give the baby up for adoption. He wanted a little sibling, he wanted a family really, and he spent all nine, and a half, months begging to keep the kid when it came out. Finally his Ma relented; if he was willing to be the one paying for all the junk the kid needed, the one taking care of the baby, and most importantly the only one responsible for it then they could keep it. So when the baby came, he named her Hannah, the doctor, one of Ma's clients, signed off that he was Hannah's father and her mother had her without leaving a name.
Brother, best friend, father, whatever he was to her he'd always known that Hannah couldn't stay in that house for too long. It would poison her just like it had poisoned him. He knew he was ruined because he'd never cared about the things other kids his age cared about. He never had dreams of 'making it big' or becoming famous like everyone had, secretly or openly, he didn't even care about being rich or anything. All he ever saw in his future was working hard at some godforsaken place, like a factory or a restaurant, that paid him too little for too many hours while Hannah grew-up and went to college and made something out of her life.
He couldn't envision a partner of any sort to love or have sex with; he'd had way too much meaningless, paid for, sex with both men and women to want any more at this point. But it was a happy future, at least more happy than he'd been before in his life, because Hannah would be happy and unbroken and there would be no more people touching him every day. Now he's eighteen and she's five, it's time to get the hell out of here.
Glee Club is infected too; it always leads back to his job. Every whore worth their salt knows they need more clients to make more money. Performing on stage was another way of getting attention, a way to attract even more customers, to get those people who fantasized about musicians, rock stars, the sensitive guy underneath a tough, hot, exterior. He hated being up there on stage with everyone watching him; it made his skin crawl to think about how the audience might be looking at him. Quinn thought he wanted to be a rock star but the idea made him sick, fans did nothing but fantasize about and objectify performers: why would he open himself up to more of that?
"How could you leave us just after we won Regionals? What do you mean you don't like Glee Club, how could anyone not love Show Choir?" Rachel freaking Berry is the one to break him out of his thoughts because she's loud and everyone else is still a bit stunned about his announcement.
There's a reason he refuses to go over to her house when her dads are home, same reason he couldn't go all the way with her, no matter what. Even gay guys can cheat on their spouses, or life partners or whatever, and money is money, he's never cared overly much about the source. Unless they're a friend's, or someone he knows, parents and he didn't know Rachel until after he had already 'cleaned' one of her dads' 'pools,' and that, if you didn't know, is code for underage prostitution. His Ma only takes male clients, but then he doesn't think she's ever had a female ask and she'd probably do anything for the right price (which is a lot lower for her than it would be for anyone else), but he's always taken whatever he could get. Yes, his first client was a woman, but his third was a man.
"I'm leaving just after we won Regionals because that's when I got my diploma," he says carelessly and shrugs. He's been telling them for years that none of this mattered to him, maybe now they'll finally believe him.
"But, how could you have gotten your diploma already?" Artie's finally recovered enough to stick in his two cents. It figures that the kid who's been tutoring him in classes he's already taken or already passing would think of the academic side of it all. He studied fine on his own, every single free second he had because he knew he had to take care of Hannah and get some other job before she was old enough to know what he, they, really did to earn money.
"Well, all you have to do is get enough credits to graduate and they'll give you a diploma. It's really easy; just double up on your English courses one year and take PE as well as doing a sport that credits you out of a gym class another year. And don't take anything beyond the required electives," he explains really slowly and exaggerates it like he thinks they're stupid, which he really does at this point. "Glee counts as an elective course because of the rehearsals scheduled into the day. Doing this club since sophomore year gave me enough credits to graduate early. Which is what I did."
"But you're not smart!" Rachel seems to realize what she just burst out with as everyone in the room stares at her like they can't believe she actually said that. "I mean, isn't Artie tutoring you to help you keep your grades up above failing?"
"I'm pretty sure I'm smarter, or at least less delusional, than you. And he thinks he is, but really it's just like a study buddy or review for me. Actually it's been really annoying lately, since I could be out doing other things but Wheels thinks he's obligated to help the poor stupid delinquent pass his classes." After Artie's 'you'll be my community service' thing he couldn't find it to care too much about the kid anymore. He wasn't stupid or even lazy and he didn't need to be anyone's service project. Unless they'd been helping him back when he was ten, before Ma started teaching him her marketable skills, or when he was thirteen and caring for a baby on his own, or even last year when Hannah got seriously sick and he ditched school for weeks to take care of her and told everyone he was in Juvie. Not that he needed help. Really he wasn't messed-up or suffering from abandonment issues or anything else they thought, just an extra babysitter or some food stamps might have been nice.
His Ma had done her best to raise him, could anyone else really say their parents taught them how to take care of themselves and pay the bills by the time they were teens, no. And no way, no how, would he have wanted his father to abandon his real family for them, even if he had known about the pregnancy. He'd grown up knowing how the world worked and he had Hannah to care for. Joining the football team and bullying losers with them was to keep in shape and fit in, because he didn't really care about popularity but he might as well make his life easier. When he joined Glee Club it wasn't due to some deep love of music or hidden soft side, it was an idea to bring in a wider variety of clients so he could earn more money.
When Hannah was born he'd gone online at the public library and researched everything about raising children so that he would be prepared. So he'd known since he was thirteen that it would take a lot of money later on for Hannah when she needed to pay for college. He'd slept with one of the ladies who worked at the bank to get her to set up an account for him when he was still only fifteen. And he'd set up a college account for Hannah when she was born that he put money into almost every week. She was fine, he was fine, they were fine without any interference.
"So you're just ditching us because you're smarter than we thought and you're insulted or something? Get over yourself. I know you care about these losers, you're like the club's unofficial protector or something." Ah, the Latina bitch perks her head, funny how everyone thinks she's so sexually savvy and manipulative but she never realized that he only ever had sex with her or dated her to gain popularity and cover-up what he really was. She thought she was manipulating him so she could use him as a beard for her make-outs with Brittany when he was letting her so he could use her as a cover-up for his job. He's never actually been into her; he's never actually been into anyone in that way, that he can remember.
"No, actually I seriously don't care about any of you. I was using you, all of you, until I was old enough and had enough money saved to leave. It's just a nice bonus that I got my high school diploma in time," he sneers at her, finally he can show his true thoughts about her. She disgusts him, sleeping with all those people for what, fun, at least she should have made sure she got something out of it. Now she's got a reputation and nothing to show for it, pitiful, he at least has a fat bank account. "I think you're pitiful, all of you, you're nothing but children running around pretending to be bigger and better than you really are. This whole town is full of disgusting people, lying about who they are. The whole world probably is but at least out there I won't have to know who's lying."
"Oh you got no right to be talking like that. Boy you must be tripping if you think you're better than any of us. You're the biggest liar of all, or did you up and forget sophomore year already? And how dare you act like you know all about everyone's secrets." Mercedes talks back with her 'up in yo FACE' attitude and he can't help but laugh at her.
"Of course I've lied about what and who I was, because it's more than just a little illegal. But I know more about the people of this town than any of you. Don't you dare take some moral high ground with me Miss. Jones; the only reason you act so loud here at school is because you don't get any attention at home. Your parents are too busy cheating on each other to pay attention to you and your brother, I would know since the whore your father's fucking is my Ma." And the whore her mother's fucking, yeah, that'd be him. They're all giving him shocked and disgusted looks and Mercedes is looking more than a little crushed.
None of them have any right to talk; of the twelve, no thirteen including Mr. Schue, people staring at him Kurt Hummel and Finn Hudson are the only ones whose family hasn't been involved with his, sexually. "That's right, everyone knows my Ma is the town's biggest whore and I'm sure all of you, except Finn who probably never realized it, look down on me, on us, for it. But none of you have any right to, after all she's been earning money for years by fucking your parents, hell, so have I. After all, if nobody paid for it there wouldn't be any whores."
None of them look very shocked, except Finn the poor idiot, and that's why he doesn't give a damn about them. They all knew what his Ma was and most of them probably guessed what he was, even if they thought it was just for a few MILFs during the summers, and they never said anything. Sure it would be awkward to come up and ask him if he was a prostitute like his Ma but they knew about her so they could have called child services or something. Anyone could have, years ago when he might have needed it or some shit, but by now it's too late for them. He's grown-up and he knows how to take care of himself and he's finally able to make a life somewhere else with Hannah and never think about kids who looked down on him while their parents fucked his Ma, or him, again. Barely holding back another sneer he turns to leave, for the last time, he'll never have to sit through another torture/love fest called Glee practice ever again.
His books and everything are already in his truck, so are Hannah's and his clothes and all their possessions, tied down under the tarp, and he left Hannah waiting outside the choir room door before he came in to break the news. It's the last day before winter break but then he didn't even have to come to classes today since his last final was on Wednesday and once they were graded, on Thursday, he got his diploma, this morning. Hannah and him are leaving town as soon as they get back in the car. He's got a full-time job at some restaurant as an assistant cook lined up while he does night classes part-time at a culinary school in Indiana. The main reason they probably hired him was because he was going to be going to culinary school, although the fact that being a single parent makes him sound responsible and hardworking, 'cause he's taking care of a kid and all, helps.
It's not New York but the city they're moving to is bigger than Lima and they won't have to stay in Ohio. She'll adjust quickly once they're there; Hannah hasn't even started kindergarten yet and since she used to stay with one of their neighbors on the days he went to school and in the afternoons when he was working she doesn't have any real friends to miss.
Thinking of Hannah, she's out in the hall waiting for him and he didn't want to leave her on her own for so long. Actually he even told her to come in the room if this took too long, as a way to cut the conversation short. Based on the amount of yelling and accusations being screamed at him now he might even need her bail. He just hopes none of the other kids get too close a look at her face or anything, it's really obvious they're sisters since she has Quinn's eyes. That leads him back around in the circle of the lies he tells for profit. Quinn never slept with him, which would have been really gross since her father was his sister's father, but she'd gone to a college party with her sister and gotten drunk. She never told him if she was raped, roofied, or just drunk enough to say yes; as long as she kept up her end of the deal he wasn't going to push it.
When he'd heard, from Finn, the details of the hot tub incident and how it had caused a pregnancy he cornered Quinn. He wouldn't let her ruin someone else's life with a baby that wasn't even theirs so he told her he'd take responsibility for the pregnancy to free Finn. It took some blackmail, threats to tell both Finn and Finn's mother about just how impossible it was for him to be the father, before she agreed to it. Like he promised he took on some extra clients, let Mr. Ryerson play out a few of his creepier fantasies, and paid for all the necessary ultrasounds and vitamins and junk. They agreed that he'd act like just enough of a jerk to give her an excuse to give the baby up, no matter how financially supportive he seemed. He gave a kid, Beth, a better life then she'd have gotten with Quinn, and Finn, and Quinn owed him like a billion favors and ended up covering for him a few times over the last couple years.
Back to the Glee club Quinn is the only one not really bitching at him. She might be the only one of them he even considers vaguely a friend. Before today she knew what he and his mother were, how could she not after living with them, but she also knew about Hannah. Not all of it, they'd avoided the topic of the real father even though she had to know since looking at Hannah's eyes must've been like looking in a damn mirror, but she knew that Hannah was really his half-sister. This town was poisonous, probably to all of them in some way, and she knew why he was leaving and who he was leaving for, even if she hadn't known he was leaving ahead of time.
Just as Kurt's screeching rant against him for Mercedes' sake winds down and gives way to Rachel's lecture about something or other the door to the choir room swings open. Thank you, Hannah to the rescue, they've got to leave in the next ten minutes if they expect to reach the crummy studio apartment he rented for them before it gets too far past her bedtime. None of the stupid Gleeks notice Hannah, they're all too concerned with themselves, until she's practically attached to his leg tugging on his jeans to get his attention. Only then do they all fall silent, again, in confusion.
"We gots to go soon," her eyes flick over to the club members staring at them and she remembers the rule about what they are in public, "Daddy. You promised to let me get a Happy Meal on our way to our new home, an' I'm hungry."
"Alright Hannah-Banana, I'm ready to go," he swings he up onto his back as he starts for the door, finally. Pausing before he gets completely out the doorway he turns to look at Quinn. "Q, you're brave and beautiful so move on and crush them with your success when you come back for reunions. Feel free to tell people whatever, I'm never gonna have to see them again. E-mail me sometime."
And they're gone. Out the door and he's jogging down the hall to freedom with his only daughter and only sister on his back. None of them recover fast enough to stop him. Not that they would have wanted to after everything he'd said in there, but it needed to be done. He needed to leave, because while he was fine Hannah deserved to be happy, not just plain fine. A clean break is probably just what they need; Indiana already sounds infinitely better than Ohio.
AN: Yes, I know his name is never mentioned, but come on you all know who he is right? Also are there some hints of a possible (future?) relationship with Quinn? Le gasp! No, you're right, I can barely believe that myself. Oh, who caught the Season 2 'spoiler(s)' in there (yeah, they're more like references to certain events or conversations that happened during S2, like Matt moving away and Lauren thinking Puck was bi-racial)?
Now I may be way off the mark but I was going for a 'he's so messed-up that he doesn't even think he's that badly messed-up' feel. Like, being messed-up has become so normal for him that he doesn't even blink when thinking about it. Please feel free to tell me if it worked or not.
Read and Review because I've got all my stories on my computer already, I don't need to post them. But if someone likes one of my stories then I will post more of it/more like it for them.