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 74th cycle. Now cycle 75!

"Peace Pancakes"
(Older) Rachel, Sophie (OC), Chloe (OC)
Red series
(no listings yet; sequel to "Just a Bell")

The scent didn't reach them in their beds, but as both Rachel and her daughter got up that morning and headed into the hall, it came to them, like a gentle invitation to make their way downstairs. They made it to the kitchen, and there was Chloe, standing at the stove, swiftly handling the pan where she was scrambling some eggs. There was a second pan where bacon was being fried, and a third and fourth where pancakes were bubbling and waiting to be flipped.

"Why does the kitchen smell like a diner?" Sophie stepped up, eyeing like the bacon with yearning. Chloe turned, not so much startled, and grabbed a cup waiting on the counter.

"Coffee?" she asked, pouring two cups, which she handed over to both Rachel and Sophie.

"Bless you," Sophie took hers and moved to the table. Rachel smiled, curious as she took hers.

"What's going on here?"

"Sit, it's almost ready," Chloe told her. When the pancakes were ready, she slid the one from one pan into one plate, adding the eggs, the bacon, and toast from the toaster, while sliding the one from the other pan into a second plate, where she added fruit she had already cut, before bringing both plates, the first to Sophie, and the second to Rachel. Once they had everything they needed, she sat across from them.

"What about you?" Rachel asked; Sophie was already chowing down.

"I already ate," Chloe promised.

"This is awesome," Sophie declared, mid chew, and the glare from her mother silenced her immediately, giving instead a quiet thumbs up.

"Well it smells delicious," Rachel promised, and she started to eat. She could see the redheaded girl looking at the pair of them, like she was trying to say something but was still working up the courage to do it. Rachel didn't rush her.

"How was the party?" Sophie asked, after swallowing a sip of her coffee.

"Good, it was good," Chloe was picking at the strings on the end of a bracelet around her wrist. "I, uh… Well, it was George's party, I didn't…" she looked to Rachel, knowing she'd know who George was, from the workshop. Sophie had never met him, but she knew about it, too, from what Chloe had told her, and now she was fixing her with a smirk that Chloe knew would mean 'what happened?' Her face blushed, and she tried to hide it behind her hair, but it was no good, Sophie had seen. Thankfully, she kept from saying anything by getting back to her pancakes and bacon.

"What time did you get home? I didn't hear you come in," Rachel pointed out, and Chloe couldn't help but be a bit thrilled for hearing her say the word 'home.' This was Rachel's home, yes, but the way she said it, Chloe could almost see it as her saying this was her home, too.

"I was very quiet, didn't want to wake you," she nodded. She had definitely been quiet, that much she remembered. Both times.

She didn't want to tell them about the condition in which she had arrived, or about the fact that she had come back here, gone through Rachel's things, and then gone to try and see her father before getting Julian to drive her back here. She didn't tell them how she had showered and gone to bed, but woken up barely an hour or so later, where she'd sat at her desk and written out a letter to both her mother and her stepfather.

To the first, she apologized for having run away all those months ago, even though she'd already done so, and she thanked her for still supporting her and allowing her to come here this summer. She told her she couldn't wait to see her again. To the second, she professed the gratitude she had not given enough over the years, for having been her father, and a great one at that, and that she was proud to have his name. Again, she thanked him for the support he offered toward her dreams, and she told him she couldn't wait to give him a giant hug. She sealed up both letters in separate envelopes, added stamps, then got dressed and went to the nearest mailbox to drop them in.

After she'd come back, she had started on her breakfast plan. She had made the batter for the pancakes both she and Sophie would eat, and then the one for Rachel, knowing she wouldn't have the same. She had gotten everything ready so they could eat once they were awake.

"I know I said… I said I wanted to go back to Indiana, but… I changed my mind, and if that's alright, I'd like to stay, to finish out the workshop," she looked to her idol. Rachel Berry smiled.

"Of course you can, I insist."

"And I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you both, I was… upset, and it was easy to blame you," she shook her head, this time unable to look at them.

"Forgotten," Sophie crossed her heart, nodding. It was the most direct way of saying it, and Chloe was thankful for it. She looked now to Rachel, who was already looking back at her.

"You know, every once in a while, I change my plans for one workshop day's schedule completely out of nowhere. Drives the assistants nuts, but then I'll wake up in the middle of the night with an idea, and you know how I get when I have ideas…"

"Do I," Sophie raised her cup.

"Most times I'll write it down and get back to sleep, but I forgot my planner downstairs last night, in my office," Rachel went on, and Chloe's eyes fixed nervously. At the silence that stretched on here, she had to guess Rachel had no real intention of asking the question that would have been natural to ask at this point, but she was leaving the way open for Chloe to say whatever she chose to say. Sophie stared from one to the other, having no clue what they were going on about.

"I won't go back," Chloe promised slowly. "I don't need to," she looked up at her teacher. After a moment, Rachel bowed her head, and she picked up her fork again.

"How about I see if I can't get us into a show tonight? Three tickets, unless either of you has anyone they'd like to bring along?"

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!