I know it's been AGES and you've all been so patient. I got a new job, boyfriend and my best friend's dad died all in a few weeks, fear not though I have been writing just not that much typing :( I have two complete chapters typed and am working on the third
I do NOT own Glee or it's characters, songs, locations etc... The plot however is all my own.
Just a note to say that I may not be an open Glee fan but I was still devastated when Cory Monteith died :( he may have been troubled but he was trying to change and was still an inspiration to those who knew and loved him, not to mention he inspired his fans 3 He will be missed and I can't wait to see what Ryan Murphey does for the dedication episode.
Chapter 1
"Daddy wake up, it's time to go to school." Noah groaned. "Come on daddy, mommy said you were going to take me today."
"I don't need to go to school anymore ma." He grumbled sleepily.
"Not you daddy, me. It's my first day at school." He opened one eye and saw his daughter pouting at him.
"It can't be your first day at school, you're only two."
"Daddy I'm six, now come on; mommy said if you don't get up now she's not making you Puckerman Pancakes, Aiden and I have already eaten ours."
"Ok, ok Ava, you win. I'm up." He sat up and had a good look at his daughter; long, soft brown hair tied back in a French plait, expressive brown eyes and a little birthmark on her neck in the shape of a star. "You're getting to be too tall Ava Star."
"I'm probably going to be the shortest in my class daddy, stupid mommy height." She stuck her bottom lip out again. "Why do I have to be short daddy? Why can't I be tall?"
"Because all the best girls in the world are short like your mom, they're the nicest and the most beautiful." Ava smiled. "Come on, let me get ready and we'll go to school." She ran from the room, yelling to her mom that daddy was out of bed. He smiled and closed his eyes, sighing happily he stood up and when he opened his eyes...
...He was laying in Rachel's bed, his girlfriend tucked close to him and a smile gracing her face as she slept. 'She must be having as good a dream as I did. Ava Star Puckerman and Aiden Puckerman. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you babe, Ava will be gorgeous, just like you.' He glanced at the alarm clock on the side table and saw that it was still early, he closed his eyes and sleep came to him once more as he held Rachel lovingly.
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Across town another couple were happily sleeping in each other's arms; Brittany and Santana were finally together and both sleeping peacefully. Artie and Brittany had broken up a few weeks ago after Artie confessed to having feelings for someone else and wanted Brittany to be happy as he knew she was in love with Santana. Over the summer Santana hadn't wanted to flaunt her relationship with Brittany in front of Artie and hurt him, but he'd taken her aside one evening and told her that it was ok to love her girlfriend and that he was happy for them, so Santana relaxed and loved her girlfriend with everything she had.
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"I've called you all here to announce that we're expecting a new member to our little odd family." Mike said later that morning when they had all met in the park on the last day of their summer vacation.
"Our little incestuous family." Karofsky jibed.
"Hey you're part of it too Mr." Mike pointed. "Anyway..."
"Matt Rutherford is coming back to McKinley." Matt jumped out from behind a tree.
"Oh My God." Rachel, Santana, Quinn and Brittany screeched as they ran to hug him, Tina, Mercedes and Carrie hugged him once they'd released him.
"I'm going to have to leave and come back more often." Matt joked.
"This is so cool that we're all together again." Finn smiled as he and the other boys took it in turns to embrace their friend, though not as enthusiastically as the girls.
The New Directions set up their picnic and relaxed in the morning sun as they recounted to Matt their time in New York, Carrie still feeling bad over the loss of the competition, though she didn't regret the kiss.
"So what's the story with your family dude?" Noah asked pulling Rachel onto his lap.
"Well my folks are still in Carolina but they said I could spend my Senior year here and live with my grandma," Matt explained. "I saw Mike in the supermarket last week and made him promise to keep this a surprise."
"You sly dogs." Blaine playfully punched Mike in the arm. "Now all we need is for Jesse to come back and everyone's home."
"What can I say? I love it when the ladies hug me." Matt smirked.
"As for Jesse he'll be back for Christmas break again but Rach and I are going to him for Thanksgiving." Karofsky said.
"Puck not going too?"
"Nah, my ma has this whole surprise planned for me and Sarah, apparently I have a half brother out in Lima somewhere and she wants us to get to know him and his mom as they've been screwed over by Eli too." Noah explained.
"Wow a brother? Your dad really is a jerk." Finn said.
"Abandoning one child is awful enough, but abandoning three is just a crime against nature." Quinn said. "How's Sarah taking the news?"
"Pretty well actually, she said with Jake around and me in New York with Rachel she won't be alone in high school." Noah smiled. "Ma's taking it pretty well too, I think her and Jake's mom actually get along."
"Well they have two things in common," Tina smiled. "they both got screwed over by your dad and they both have sons who will do anything for them."
"Ok, enough sappy stuff. Let's play ball losers." Azimio got up hastily wiping his eyes as the rest of the club laughed at him. "Hey I'm not crying, it's allergies."
"Sure dude." Finn laughed and kissed Carrie before he got up.
"Men." The girls and Kurt chorused before Kurt dove into his bag for an unheard of amount of magazines and sunblock.
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"So Matt's back in Lima and is rejoining the New Directions, we are so going to win Nationals this year, I can feel it." Rachel told her fathers later that afternoon over the phone, they were in Chicago on yet another honeymoon. "How's the windy city?"
"Wet and windy." Hiram laughed. "It's been raining non-stop since we arrived and according to the locals, it's been raining for about a month, if it continues or gets worse we might have to extend our trip; I don't think the airlines will be running because of turbulence."
"That's ok daddy, I'd rather you and dad were safe than have you hurry back. I'll call mom if I need anything and Noah's always with me."
"Where is the man of the hour?"
"In the shower, he and the boys got a bit too carried away with their game and were covered head to foot in mud and sand. Oh I almost forgot, Noah has a half brother."
"Really? I always knew Eli Puckerman was an ass, good thing Noah's not like that. Anymore." Rachel giggled. "What's the brother like?"
"I don't know, we haven't met him yet, but his name's Jake and he's starting McKinley tomorrow." Rachel explained. "Eli walked out on him and his mom too."
"Well between your mom, your boy and his brother, our baby is in the safest hands. I'd better go Princess, your dad made reservations for dinner and we have to leave. Hopefully we won't drown." He laughed. "Love you."
"Love you both, have fun." She hung up and tapped her chin doing a quick time calculation in her head. 'Nah, David will be on the phone to Jesse round about now. I feel sorry for them; I'd hate to have a long distance relationship.'
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"Quinn, honey, we need to talk." Mrs Fabray spoke hesitantly as her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend walked through the front door. "Hello Sam dear."
"Hey Judy, are you ok?" He looked at her concerned; she was paler than usual and her hands were shaking slightly.
"Yes, well no not really, could you both sit down please? I have a feeling that this news will involve you too."
"Mom, what's wrong?" Quinn sat down with Sam next to her. "Mom?"
"There's no easy way for me to say this sweetie," Mrs Fabray began nervously. "your father's being released early. A combination of good behaviour and prison overcrowding have given the Governors no choice but to release the lesser criminals."
'Oh God. He can't be out.' Quinn held onto Sam's hand tightly. "I don't want him to come back here, he can't come back." She panicked.
"He won't," Mrs Fabray sat opposite her daughter and held her hand. "the divorce is finalised and a restraining order is in effect so he won't be bothering us. We're safe, I promise."
"When does he get released?" Sam asked.
"At the end of the week." Mrs Fabray told them.
'He can't come back, he just can't. What if I go back to being a bitch? I can't go back to my old life, not when everything is perfect now.' Quinn rested her head on Sam's shoulder while holding her mom's hand tightly.
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"This sucks." Finn said the next morning after Quinn told them about her father's release, not a conversation she wanted to have on the first day back at school but one that needed to be had before they could enjoy their first Glee meeting.
"Tell me about it. Everything is perfect and now my dad is going to come and turn it all upside down and ruin it." Quinn leant against Sam and sighed.
"We won't let him." Santana assured her.
"It's not going to be like Sophomore year Quinn," Noah added. "no one's leaving you to deal with this on your own."
"Yeah girl, we're family, we learned that we should stick together the hard way, there's no way we're making the same mistake twice." Mercedes finished.
"Thank you." Quinn smiled.
"He has the restraining order so he can't hurt you or your mom right?" Blaine asked.
"Yeah, but I'm not putting it passed him to try and get around it or even break it." Quinn told them. "I'm scared you guys, I don't want to go back to the way I was in Sophomore year but what if I do? I can't be that awful person again." Her eyes began to water.
"You won't," Tina smiled. "we're all here for you, and you've got our families, Jesse, Mr Schue, Ms Pillsbury, Coach Sylvester and Coach Beiste, there's no way you dad's going to get anywhere near you without someone there."
"Thank you." She wiped her tears and was pulled into a group hug. 'Everything will be fine, I have to believe that. Nothing can hurt me, not when I have my family beside me. I just hope he doesn't get to my mom.'