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 16th cycle. Now cycle 17!

"Family Concert"
Brad & Family
Sequel to "As told by Tinkles"

His daughters were born eleven months apart, and he was amazed sometimes how they might as well have been twins. They were the same height and they looked so much alike. Of course there were noted differences. Maya was so her mother's daughter, curious, lively… and Abigail, well she was quiet, often going about unnoticed.

Then there was what they called 'their month:' Maya was born August 21st and Abigail was born July 19th the next year, and for thirty-three days they were the same age. It was usually in the middle of that month that they had the family concert.

He'd taught both of them to play piano. Abigail had taken to it, through and through. Maya, on the other hand, had been turned on to learning guitar when she was eight. It did happen every now and then that a couple of them would get together, play, sing… Maya, in her infinite resemblance to her mother, had a beautiful singing voice, while Abigail was in no way a singer and just fine by it. Beyond these occasional duets, trios, the 'concert' was one time for the four of them to get together and play on. They had started off with him playing, Helena singing, and the girls 'chiming in.' Over the next few years, it had evolved, to what it now was.

That August, with both girls aged eleven for a week more, until Maya would turn twelve, Brad was approached by his daughters that their next concert was upon them. He'd seen them planning for it all summer, though they wouldn't let him or Helena see any of it. They were fairly certain where the enthusiasm had come from.

They had heard him speak about working with Glee Club for a while, and it wasn't long before they grew curious about what went on, what they sang. They had been disappointed to not get to go to Sectionals, but Brad had promised they'd get to see Regionals if New Directions made it. Maya and Abigail were confident they'd do just fine and they'd run off, no longer so disappointed.

A few weeks before Regionals, Brad had an idea. He'd gone to Will and he'd asked if he could bring his girls in to meet the club. And two days later, Brad was escorting his daughters through the halls of McKinley High. They'd been so excited to know they would get to go, though now as they were approaching, he could feel Abigail stuck to his side while Maya walked ahead of them. Brad called her back so he could lead them into the room itself. Will and the kids were already there. When they saw the girls they smiled, welcoming. They had never met them, but still the two of them looked thrilled to be there, in their presence. Will introduced them; Maya waved, Abigail smiled.

The girls spent the period standing near the piano, where their father sat, and watching the club practice. They did not disturb in any way, too invested in observing. On the ride home though, they barely stopped to catch a breath as they went on about what they'd seen.

This fill of excitement lasted them through to Regionals. They put on their favorite dresses and they were ready to go. The four of them headed off, parting when they got to the auditorium so that Brad could join the club. He had a fairly good idea where they were seated; he was pretty good at isolating his girls' voices from within the crowd. He didn't hear them nearly as loud as he did when it was revealed the club hadn't won. When he got back to them he found a couple of sad faces, looking like this had been just as much their loss. He'd looked to Helena and it was decided: ice cream time.

After that day, that was when they had started seeing them together, planning away. Whatever they were doing, it had taken the Regionals defeat off their minds, so they weren't going to say a thing. At the same time, they could see they probably wouldn't get many more opportunities like this before they grew out of it, so they were more than happy to see it.

They were handed their song lists – to prepare their sets – two days after the 'invitation' was put out to them. From what they could see, there were going to be something like six or seven songs overall. Helena came to see him with an envelope of her own. "Did you get yours?" she asked, coming to sit by his side. He held up his envelope and she smirked. "Can I see?" she teased.

"Only where we're both involved," he played the game, remaining loyal to the surprise; this was something he'd always do, which Helena knew, but she still loved doing it. She chuckled and nodded.

"Fair enough." He could see her smiling still, so she explained. "We're all our own Glee Club, aren't we?" she shrugged. He smiled. "You, and me, and the old club, where we met, and now this new one, sending the girls into this whole… inspiration," she breathed out. "I love that…"

"Me too," he gave her a smile. "Well we better get to work," he got up, offering his hand; she smiled and took it.

Finally 'Family Concert Day' arrived, and it was hard to imagine there was anything else happening in the world by the level of excitement being shown by the girls. Helena would say she'd never seen their chores done so quick and neat at once ever before. Once they'd been told they would start at one, the two of them had disappeared into the music room for some last minute rehearsals.

At one o'clock on the dot, Brad, Helena, Maya, and Abigail were in place; the girls made sure of it. They stood and took positions for the first piece, where Abigail took to the piano and Maya sang while playing her guitar. They had chosen just what Brad and Helena had imagined they might do, performing their own take at "Let's Get Together" from the Parent Trap of 1961. What surpassed their expectations was Abigail trying herself at singing along with her sister. Brad and Helena applauded their bowing daughters before being informed it was now their turn to go up.

They happily obliged, performing together the first song they'd ever done together, the day they'd met, 'And I love her' as 'And I love him,' a story the girls had heard – on request – many times. After this, Maya got up again, joining her father to play out and sing 'Morning has broken' while her mother and sister watched. Once again the performers swapped, as Helena and Abigail came up to sing and play 'Sea of love.' Next it was Maya who joined her mother, for a duet of an acoustic 'Courage.' Then for the third time there was a swap, and Brad was joined at the piano for an instrumental duet of 'Boogie woogie bugle boy' with his youngest daughter. He'd smiled, kissing the top of her head, before Helena and Maya joined them for the group number of 'You can't hurry love.'

The song ended, and they all broke out in cheers and laughter. The girls had lived their long-desired Glee experience, and from this it became clear that the club's influence on all their lives was just beginning, continuing.

THE END

[A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, story alert won't get you anything! ;)]