A/N: Hey I'm back with the next chapter. So the last chapter saw Peggy finding out about the cash Ryder saved up and Ryder's dad caught wind. Here's the next part.


Chapter Two

"Ryder wants to run away!" Peggy glared at her brother before burying her face into her father's neck.

It took all of Ryder's remaining strength to hoist himself onto the bed. He kept his head down avoiding his father's questioning glance. His voice came out small and boyish as he handed him the stack of bills. "I didn't want you to find out this way."

Jacob gently removed Peggy from his neck as he examined the money in his hand. "How…?"

Ryder shrugged. "Birthdays, holidays, selling. I just kept it. Figured I could get enough for bus fare and a few weeks."

"Wait just a minute." Jacob grabbed Ryder by the shoulder forcing him to look up. "What's this about? You in trouble Son?"

Ryder shook his head feeling tears begin to fall. "No Sir."

"Then why?"

Ryder didn't answer. He just looked down at his hands tracing a circle on his palm.

"Peggy, go clean yourself up and help Mama set the table." Jacob tapped his daughter's shoulder.

"But…"

"And not a word until Ryder's ready. You got it?" Jacob said.

"Fine!" Peggy kicked Ryder in the knee before running out of the room.

Jacob stood closing the door behind his daughter. He made it back in three strides standing over Ryder with his arms crossed. "Ok Bud, I don't know how long you have so you best be completely up front. What's brought this on?"

Ryder grabbed his guitar case flipping it open. "I… I just feel like I want to do so much more than this town you know?"

His father didn't answer right away, just nodded. "Go on. I'm listening."

"My whole life, I've always been the good kid. I don't feel like I've gotten a chance to really find out… who I am. I don't want to be stuck here on the same dirt land. There's so much more out there besides this, and I wanna see it." He pulled out the guitar strapping it on as his voice dropped to a whisper. "Maybe give music a shot."

"Music huh?" Ryder could hear the smile in his father's voice. "That's quite a dream."

"It's stupid right?"

"Not at all." Jacob clapped his son on the shoulder. "I find it refreshing. You sure don't seem like you could handle playing football your whole life."

"Gee thanks Pop." Ryder groaned. "That's real supportive."

"You ought to give us a concert after dinner." Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Maybe it'll help Peggy understand."

In other words, fix things with your sister or else. It was lucky Ryder had the perfect song picked out to explain.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Ryder could feel Peggy's dagger stares throughout the whole meal.

"What's gotten into them Jake?" Tara asked. "And why does Ryder have his guitar case under the table?"

Jacob shrugged hiding a nervous smile. "There goin' through one of those sibling things. It'll work itself out."

"I sure hope so… for all our sakes." Cyrus said. "Peggy looks about ready to stick her fork in him."

Ryder gulped as he grabbed his guitar from under the table moving to Peggy's side of the table. "I have something to tell you all, but first, I wanted to play something." He looked at her with a small smile. "I hope it'll help explain things better than I did with words Peg."

In the quiet misty morning, when the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing and the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime,

When adventure's lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.

Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

If you find it's me you're missing, if you're hoping I'll return,

To your thought I'll soon be list'ning; in the road I'll stop and turn.

Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its end,

And the path I'll be retracing when I'm homeward bound again.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.

Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

In the quiet misty morning when the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing, I'll be homeward bound again.

Ryder sighed, choking on his next words. "I'm so sorry Peggy."

She bit her lip. " It's something you really gotta do huh?"

Ryder nodded. "Yeah… I think so."

Peggy grabbed his hand. "If you really have to, then I forgive you… but you have to sing to me every night over the phone after you leave."

"You got yourself a deal Peggy Sue." Ryder shook her hand before looking up to see the rest of his family's reactions.

His mom's eyes were wet with tears as the reality of the lyrics sunk in. His dad squeezed her hand giving Ryder an encouraging smile. Cyrus just seemed stoic.

"Say something Mama!" Peggy shouted.

"Tara…" Jacob prodded.

"Peggy, will you help me clear the table?" Tara stood grabbing the dishes. She didn't even look at her son.

Ryder felt the lack of eye contact like a punch to the gut. He knew how she was. They often joked about Peggy being a spitting image. You couldn't bother her unless she wanted to be bothered. It was Dad's biggest pet peeve. That didn't stop it from hurting like hell.

"She'll come around. Just give it time." Cyrus said. "Come out to Devils with me. Bring that guitar of yours."

They loaded up in Cyrus' bright red pickup as Ryder tried to smile and enjoy the moment, his initiation into the boys' club previously only open to his Dad and Pop Pop. He found he couldn't though. Devils was a local spot, kind of a dive really. It's where Jacob and Cyrus went to blow off steam and bond.

"Ya know, your Dad was right around your age when I first brought him to Devils." Cyrus said. "I think it was the same thing too, trouble with his Ma."

Ryder huffed leaning against the window. "If you're trying to make me feel better about all this, it isn't going to work."

Cyrus laughed. "Kid, it ain't my job to make you feel better. That's your old man's department. I could really care less. If it's something you feel you have to do, I'll hold the door."

Ryder looked up in disbelief. "Thanks… I guess."

"Come on."

The inside of Devils was just as shoddy as the outside. There was an excess of smoke from the multitude of cigars that the patrons often smoked. There was a small stage where a washed up old drunk was introducing other drunks who didn't so much sing as warble their way through country songs from Pop Pop's generation. A set of pool tables lined one wall and a dart board covered the other.

"Eh! Look who it is!" A man in a black cowboy hat ran over and proceeded to clap Cyrus on the back enthusiastically. "Long time no see Cy. What's kept ya?"

Cyrus shrugged. "Family Toby. We can't all be lone wolves."

The man nodded. "Speakin' of… this is your grandson?"

"I'm Ryder." Ryder put his hand out, but the man just skipped all that and pulled him into a one armed hug.

"Toby Danvers. I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a sproutling."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Danvers." Ryder said.

Toby shook his head. "Manners are nice and all, but I think you're old enough to call me Toby."

Ryder grinned. "Cool."

"Hey Toby, you got any performances pegged for tonight?" Cyrus asked.

"If you have anyone that can get Rex off the stage, please tell me!" Toby said.

"It just so happens… Ryder here plays."

"Pop Pop, what are you doing?" Ryder groaned.

"You want to run off and give music a shot?" Cyrus said. "Show me you can play a crowd and I'll personally pin your mother to the floor so you can go."

"Is that right?" Toby whistled grabbing Ryder and dragging him toward the stage. "Well, c'mon then."

Ryder exhaled as he strapped his guitar on waiting for Toby to wrestle an older and clearly wasted gentleman off the stage, thinking through possible song choices. A song his mother had sang to him came to mind. He had never done much with arrangements, but this was an evening full of firsts for him.

"And I've got a real treat for you folks tonight. A newcomer here at Devils. Ryder Lynn!"

When he took a seat at the stool, Ryder looked out at the crowd, or rather at the town's resident bar hoppers. It really wasn't much of a crowd, just a few regulars. He felt his stomach flip nonetheless.

"Hi, everyone. I'm Ryder." He waved. "This is my first time performing, but I hope to give you a good show."

She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene

I said, "Don't mind me but what do you mean I am the one

Who will dance on the floor in the round?"

She said, "I am the one who will dance on the floor in the round"

She told me her name was Billie Jean as she caused a scene

Then every head turned with eyes that dreamed of being the one

Who will dance on the floor in a round

People always told me, "Be careful of what you do

Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts", no

And mama always told me, "Be careful of who you love

Be careful of what you do, the lie becomes the truth"

Billie Jean is not my lover

She's just a girl who claims that I am the one

But the kid is not my son

She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son

For forty days and forty nights, law was on her side

But who can stand when she's in demand, her schemes and plans

Because we danced on the floor in the round

So take my strong advice

Just remember to always think twice

Oh think twice

She told my baby, we danced till three

Then she looked at me, then showed a photo

My baby cried, his eyes were like mine, oh no

'Cause we danced on the floor in the round

People always told me, "Be careful of what you do, ooo

Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts", no

But she came and stood right by me with a smell of sweet perfume

It happened much too soon, she called me to her room, and

Billie Jean is not my lover

She's just a girl who claims that I am the one

But the kid is not my son

She says I am the one

But the kid is not my son

So Billie Jean is not my lover (she just a girl)

Billie Jean is not my lover (she just a girl)

Billie Jean is not my lover

Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm, mmm mmm mmm mmm

As Ryder strummed the last note, whistling and applause filled his ears. He searched out Cyrus and saw him giving a thumbs up from the corner near the pool tables.

"Thank you!" He ran off the stage grinning from ear to ear.

"You got a real future ahead of you Ryder." Toby said.

"Thank you Sir."

"If it doesn't work for you out there, you got a spot here."

"Thanks… Mr… er... Toby."

"Not a problem Kid."

Ryder walked to the pool table where Cyrus was racking up. "You did good Ryder."

"Thanks Pop Pop." He grabbed the cue. "You want me to break?"


A/N: Ok, so the songs. The first song is Homeward Bound by Allyse Smith. Look up the Fraser Walters version if you want to know how Ryder might sound. That's the one I went off of, but the lyrics came from Allyse Smith's version. The second song is Billie Jean originally by Michael Jackson, the arrangement I used came from the Civil Wars though. Next chapter is Ryder's talk with his mom. So what did you all think of the latest episode of glee?