CHAPTER 1

Mr. Schuester had been called in to Principal Cooper's office, completely unsure of what he wanted. As he entered, Mr. Schuester saw that Cooper had a very sympathetic look in his eyes.

"Will, I'm glad you came. Please sit down", he said, and Mr. Schuester slowly slouched into a chair.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"First, I want to offer my sincerest condolences on your recent loss. I know what it's like not to be able to say goodbye to someone you loved."

"Thank you, sir."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm… okay. Not great. Just okay."

"You must understand then that if you're not fully up to specs, as they say, then I have to temporarily relieve you of duty."

"Wait, what?"

"You've had a rough year, Will. I want you to take some time off. Consider it a form of paid leave. Your job will still be waiting for you when you get back."

"But, sir, I can't do that. I'm taking my Glee kids to Regionals in two weeks."

"I understand completely, but I feel that you will need some time to fully get back on your feet and your head back in the game. I know that your kids will understand."

"Sir, I'm fine. Really, I am."

"Will, you just lost your father. I'm not convinced that you are fit for duty even if you say you are. I really don't want to demand that you accept it."

"I don't want to argue with you, but I can't leave", said Mr. Schuester, and Cooper sighed heavily and stood up so that they were practically face-to-face.

"Will Schuester, if you won't accept a temporary leave to recuperate, I will fire you. I am asking you to do this because I have your best interests at heart. Your best interests, as well as those of Emma, your Glee kids, and anyone else you care about."

Mr. Schuester fell silent, knowing that he would not win the argument. He knew that Cooper was right, but felt that one thing was still missing.

"If I leave, then the Glee club will need a damn good substitute."

"I know what you're thinking, Will, but Miss Holliday is indisposed. No one knows where she is or what she's doing. Your Glee alumni are either out at college or in the military doing this country proud."

"So, what am I going to do then? The Glee club needs a chaperone."

"I would ask Ms. Pillsbury to accompany them, but I am going to convince her to go with you and help you recover. And besides, I have already called in a favor."

"Please tell me that you didn't bring Mr. Ryerson back."

"No, and for a good reason."

FLASHBACK

"Mr. Ryerson, you have been found guilty of possession and distribution of drugs to minors", said the judge.

"Please, I didn't know they were kids! Puck told me he was thirty!" Mr. Ryerson shouted as the court officers escorted him out.

END FLASHBACK

"Well, then who did you call in?" asked Mr. Schuester.

"He called me in", came a voice from behind, and Mr. Schuester turned to see, much to his surprise, his best friend from high school and the Glee club, Zane Tresk. From what Mr. Schuester saw, Zane was still powerfully built, devilishly handsome, and the all-around nicest guy Mr. Schuester had ever known. He still had a square jawline with shallow dimples, shockingly blond hair, clean teeth, and emerald-green eyes. Almost immediately, Mr. Schuester and Zane were hugging it out, not having seen each other since graduation.

"Will, it's seriously great to see you. It's been a long time", said Zane, smiling widely, shocking Mr. Schuester with his pure, white teeth that easily rivaled those from David Martinez.

"Zane, I can't tell you how much I've missed you. How are the wife and kids?"

"They're great. Peggy's pregnant with our third child, and my acting skills keep my income flowing. By the way, heard about you and Terri, man. That's too bad. She was a great gal. Well, in school, anyway."

"Yeah, thanks. But I'm with Emma now, set to be married soon, so I'm climbing back up."

"That's great. Congratulations, man. And I'm sorry about your dad. He was an awesome guy."

"Thanks. Did you come to the funeral?"

"Yeah, I did, but I didn't want to distract you from what was most important."

"Okay, gentlemen, save the reunion for a later time", Mr. Cooper interrupted, "Right now, we have to discuss my recommendation that Mr. Tresk be allowed to come in and temporarily coach the Glee club in your absence, Will."

"Mr. Cooper has already informed me of the terms of your temporary leave, Will. I agree that you need to take some time off. Not only is it in your best interest, but also that of your kids."

"I still can't see them going to Regionals without me."

"Hey, come on, Will. You and I were in the Glee club together, and we both turned out just fine. We have similar mindsets and ways of doing things, so the kids won't feel that they're following anything really alien."

"Can I trust you to help them go all the way?"

"You can trust me to take them even further. You know I've always got your back, right?"

While still very uncertain, Mr. Schuester couldn't help but agree that this was the best thing to do, and he happily shook his best friend's hand to seal the deal.

INTERLUDE

Before class started, Sam had been able to catch up to Becky and Abigail, who were trying to stay away from him, well aware of what he wanted.

"Guys, come on, can I please talk to you for a second?"

"No, Sam Evans, you may not. We're going to be late for class", said Becky.

"Look, Tina was drunk as a skunk when she said all of those things."

"Which told me that that was what she felt deep inside about me being there. It didn't make me feel welcome anymore", said Abigail.

"Tina has issues that she's dealing with right now, which have nothing to do with you", said Sam, and both girls turned to face him.

"We have nothing against the Glee club, Sam. We just want to feel welcome in a place where we thought we belonged", said Becky.

"And you do belong. You guys are gifted, something that we didn't see before. Please, just come back. It will be well worth it. I promise that we'll get Tina straightened out."

Becky and Abigail gave each other a quick glance then looked back at Sam.

"If we win Regionals, we'll definitely stay for good", said Abigail.

"We'll win Regionals, with your help", said Sam, and the two girls smiled half-heartedly and walked away, and Sam pumped his fist in the air in triumph. As he turned around, however, Xavier Slusheed him using two cups, and Sam was left dripping and sputtering.

INTERLUDE

At her home, Tina was lying in bed, sleeping like a rock with an ice pack on her head. Her parents had suspected food poisoning or the Asian Bird Flu, but Tina had taken extra care not to reveal her pregnancy. Her mother, Michelle, was handling her care, though she had a suspicious look in her eyes as she viewed Tina's baby bump. Tina woke up to see her mother peering over her abdomen, causing her to pull the sheets up to her chest.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, Tina, I'm not doing anything. Just go back to sleep", said Michelle, and she left the room, now certain that Tina was hiding her pregnancy from her. While shocked, she was not surprised by this. Her own sister had attempted the same thing prior to her graduation, confiding only in her. The only question that remained was how to tell her husband.