Author's Note: Hello Everyone! Sorry it took so long for me to update this. My computer was being repaired (and then FedEx wouldn't let me have it back without signing for it…) so I have been writing this in a composition notebook on my commute to and from work to put this up ASAP. Thank-you so much to all of you who wrote reviews, and alerted the story, and so forth. It means a lot to me and I truly appreciate it. I will try to have up more soon. Thanks!

Disclaimer: For all the time I spend thinking about this show, I really should have some shareholding in it.


Chris Berry had loaded the last few boxes into the U-Haul and walked into his bedroom one last time. He and his mom had lived in this old, beautiful home since he was a baby and now… he was most likely moving into some pre-fab development that made him want to barf. When Rachel went to Lima a few weeks earlier for a weekend to find a home, she had asked Chris to come along. She wanted him to have a say in this new chapter of their lives. Chris politely declined mainly because he wanted to spend as much time in The City possible until the inevitable. Partly because if he went to look at new home, it meant he wasn't going to wake-up from his vivid dream.

He stands in this middle of his room and marvels at the size. With every possession he's ever had gone, it is a lot bigger than he remembers. He lies down on the cold, bare floor, the hard brown wood below him, and he closes his eyes and replays millions of memories over again in his head. He opens his eyes again and looks around at the blue and mahogany walls. The dark ceiling. Chris is going to miss all of this. He is going to miss his home. And no matter how much Bacharach his mother played this week, Chris Berry was not going to shake the feeling of abandonment that washed over him knowing he was moving far away from everything he knew. 'Be a man. Be a man, just like Adam said,' he repeated over and over to himself in his thoughts. It was going to take a lot to get through this.

Chris gets into his mother's car and she starts to drive down the road with a few remaining belongings in the back. They followed the large truck ahead of them through the busy streets. Chris loves his mother, but she has never been the best city driver. As Rachel Berry grips the steering wheel and slows down driving over the Bay on the Verrazano Narrows expansion bridge, Chris turns around; taking in the epic view he will not see again for a very long time. Even though he knows at the end of this over pass, he will be entering Staten Island, which is still part of the five burrows; Chris can't help but feel like he is leaving everything he has ever known. It was a feeling that plagued him. God, he was going to miss it! All of it!


It was nearly a 10 hour drive to Lima, so Rachel insisted on leaving at the crack of dawn so that they would make it there before sundown. Luckily it was summer and they were moving back in time-zone time, so it was only 7:30pm when they arrived at their new home, and still very much light outside. The movers quickly unloaded their boxes filled of memories in to various parts of the house. "This will be your room," Rachel said lovingly to her son.

She was well aware of the adjustment period that was going to need to take place here. She purposely looked for a house that would feel like home to Chris. It was big, but not too big. This room in particular was why she chooses this home. It was narrow, but long, and had large windows facing the front yard and the back. She knew Chris was like that, and while he takes in the space with an agreeable frown, Rachel sees her premonitions were correct. They purposely kept some air mattresses and sleeping bags in Rachel's car for tonight that they inflated for their sleeping accommodations for the evening. They ate fast food on the floor and were very quiet while adjusting to the new environment. "Chris, I know this is going to be hard for you, but I appreciate you coming around to moving here," said Rachel.

"I love you, mom," Chris replied.

After an early morning stop at Home Depot, Chris was painting his new room. He found a comforting shade of blue that fit the space well. After finishing the second coat that afternoon, he walked downstairs to the living room to see his mother looking out the large window out to the street. She looked happier than he had seen her in years. Rachel had an ear to ear grin and was holding on to her body tight. Chris had to stop being so selfish. Right now. "Hey, mom," he says cheerfully, snapping her out of her daze.

"Hello, Chris," says Rachel.

"So, the most important question of the day, what's for dinner?"

"I don't know, what do you want?"

"Well, you're the one who grew up around here. You must know what's good."

"Well… there's always Breadstix…"

"What's that?" asks Chris. When he and Rachel ate their meal of soggy, unseasoned Italian food that evening, Chris was slowly started to brace himself for the worst. Especially if that was what Lima, Ohio called 'fine dining'.

The building Christopher and Rachel now called home was different than was Chris was expecting. It felt like it had some sort of history and Chris loved that. It had large windows and a lot of walls that broke up the space into this strange maze. Creating a lot of hidden places. It was a great place to play flash light tag in his opinion. It was his favorite 'everyone on the block gathers on a rainy day to hang' game. After a big family outing to Lima hotspot Sheets 'N Things (and after getting over the sad realization that it was what Lima considered a 'hot spot') Rachel and her dads were getting the house to feel like a home. A few days later everything was unpacked and Chris was finally starting to feel comfortable in his surroundings.


Rachel was excited about starting her new job. She had several orientations on the campus with fellow professors and staff to get acquainted to her new employment. Rachel was also extremely nervous. She had never taught before (excluding the lecture she gave to the music program Five Towns College seven years ago). What kind of professor was going to be? Was she going to be demanding, easygoing, something else? She was completely unsure. When Rachel was in school she had several different types of professors who all became mentors for different reasons. Some were confidants that she could discuss her frustrations with. Others she cursed on a daily basis because of how hard they pushed her, but they made her better music director because of that, so she eventually had lots of respect for them as well. Rachel was also going to be the music director of the theater department at Ohio State, which could possibly mean several long hours when shows were in development. Rachel had no idea what to expect and it was starting to freak her out.

She was even more freaked out when the scary realization finally occurred to her that Chris would be attending the same high school she went to. The same high school she and Finn went to. Rachel was trying her damndest to make sure Chris would not find out about Finn. In the end, Finn was just like several students to graduate from WMHS, no different than the others. Finn graduated on time with no special recondition, when to a state school where he got a great education, and now works a normal job, abet it is in a different country. That might be a good thing because it means he's never attended any reunions or class gatherings or anything of that nature. Not that Rachel has either. Although Finn did come home to see his mother on occasion. Rachel's only really kept in touch with Mercedes (because of her music work), Finn, and Quinn from high school. She wishes that wasn't the case, but she had a life to lead and sometimes things happen, and you can't keep in touch with everyone.

Rachel purposely put Chris in several advanced and AP classes so he would have as few teachers that might have taught Rachel and Finn as possible. Sure, Chris was probably going to end up taking Spanish was Mr. Schue, because Chris loved the language and was planning on going to college in Europe (hopefully in Spain or Britain), and Rachel knew she wasn't going to find a way around that. Luckily, Ms. Pillsbury was still the guidance counselor, so hopefully that would lessen the blow. As far as Chris meeting Quinn, who worked at McKinley High in the athletics department, Rachel had found the perfect distraction from that.


Chris walked down the stairs to the kitchen to get some food in his stomach before his first day at a brand new school. He had gotten some literature about the school from Rachel after she registered him a few days back. Chris was reading the pamphlet with butterflies in his stomach as he munched on some Honey Nut Cheerios. "It says that here that the school has a big football program. I could probably walk on the team," chimes Chris, knowing full well that he has above average athletic ability.

"You could, but I think you would rather take Drivers Ed, wouldn't you?" questions Rachel cheekily.

"What?" Chris replies full of excitement.

"Yeah, well, in Ohio, you can drive at 16, and since you're birthday is only a mere five months away, I figured you would jump at the opportunity to get a car two years earlier…"

"Oh, my god yes!" exclaimed Chris, jumping from his chair, nearly spilling his cereal all over the table, and pulling his mom in for a big hug.

"Okay, I'm glad you like this idea, but there is one catch…" Oh, course there was. Chris knew he wasn't getting off that easily. "I want you to get a part time job a few days a week. I will help with the car payments and the insurance when it comes time to purchase your first vehicle, but I want proof that you are responsible enough for this opportunity before I can commit to it," Rachel finished.

It was a fair enough deal, Chris thought. "I accept," he said, holding out his hand. They shook on it.

"Good. Now let's get out of here. We have a meeting with your guidance counselor before class starts."


Christopher Berry walked into William McKinley High School feeling out of sorts. It was so different than Stuyvesant. It was more modern, but there was a feeling of an old town stuck in its ways when he was cascading through the halls; to the final destination his mother lead him to. When he entered the guidance office, to get his final schedule and be greeted formally to his new life, he immediately notices the shocked expression from the little red head at her desk.

"Hello Ms. Pillsbury," quietly chirps Rachel, as she and Chris take the seats on the opposing side of the woman's desk.

"Its Mrs. Schuester now," says Emma, "how have you been Rachel?"

"Good. I just got a job at Ohio State. Hence the move back to Lima. This is my son Christopher."

"Hi," says Chris noticeably distracted. He couldn't help it though; the pamphlets behind the petite woman were confiscating his concentration: Help! I'm in Love with My Stepdad! and WOW! There's Hair Down There! were his personal favorites.

"I spoke to someone last week about his transcripts," continued Rachel not noticing her son's disinterest.

"Okay… it's Christopher…?" Emma trailed off

"Berry," Rachel says sharp and fast. Making it seem that that should have been an obvious response.

"Oh. Okay… well…" Emma starts typing into a computer, "It appears that Chris' very intimidating academic schedule is all set," she continues with her eyebrows raised. "Are you sure these are the classed Christopher should be enrolled in?" Emma asks as she picks up the paper that just finished printing. At that point, Chris snaps out of his daze.

"Excuse me," he projects with pride, "But I'll have you know that I used to go to Stuyvesant, one of the best high schools in the nation and I have every intention on studying at a prestigious university in Europe," Chris spats at Emma. And with that, Mrs. Schuester realizes that Chris is more like his mother that she originally thought. Maybe the dimwitted genes were not transmitted with the looks?

"I apologize," Emma finishes and all three parties stand up. "Well, welcome to McKinley. Here is a map and your final schedule. I see that you are also signed up for Drivers Ed, so here is the information on that," she says handing over the papers. "And if you need anything else, this office is always open."

"Okay. Thanks." He says as he shakes her hand and walks out of the office. And then his mother left too, speed walking to her car so she wasn't late for school herself.


Chris had a little while till the first class started, so he investigated his new surroundings. He was walking down the hall, when he heard the loud music blaring from the gymnasium. At such an early hour, Chris couldn't help but be curious. When he peaked his head through the open door was when he saw them.

The cheerleaders…

They were magnificent. Perfect. Chris was enthralled by how they moved to Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" with an effortless fashion that could only be described as 'trance inducing.' The way in which their skirts flew up as they spun and shook made Christopher feel like a peeping tom, but he couldn't get enough. He quickly pulled out his phone and videotaped 30 seconds of the escapade of women in front of him and sent it to Jonah. As the music slowly died down and the routine ended in the epic posses and pyramid, Chris knew it was his queue to leave unnoticed and not start the school year as some creepy voyeur… but he still couldn't look away.

At the end, a beautiful woman wearing trendy active wear grabbed a megaphone (from which Chris now learned the name of the squad… the Cheerios… like the cereal… hee…) and announced loudly, "That was pathetic. You think this is hard? I gave birth at sixteen! That was hard!" And with that, Chris walked away and found his first class, slightly petrified. As his first teacher walked in and the bell rang, Chris received a text from Jonah simply saying, 'Wow. Look at their skirts move.'

Chris was finally starting to realize that maybe this place wasn't too bad after all. When he walked out of his first class in search of his locker, he began to notice that there were lots of cheerleaders. All looking more perfect as they walked by. With a confidence he had never seen before. None of them seemed to have changed out of their uniforms. It was than when it hit him… this wasn't a death sentence; it may just be heaven on Earth!

Christopher Berry eased into his first day fine. His first few classes seeded like a breeze and he seemed to move under the radar of the noticeable hierarchy the school inhabited. When he was walking to fifth period, he saw it. The meathead jock that lunged an ice cold, 40oz Big Gulp, filled with raspberry slushy at an innocent young lady. Chris could tell she didn't see it coming. He had never seen anything like it. So violent and dehumanizing; Chris was so unsure what to do. He had grown up in of the most intimidating places on earth and he got rattled by a drink being spilled. But obviously it was more than that. It was the way in which the guy just kept on walking. As if it was nothing. Something casual as a nodded head or a hand shake. As Chris continued to put his new books inside the locker, he noticed that everyone else just kept walking by. No one showing concern to the young lady. Chris was unsure what to do. He was afraid to help her because he didn't want to be next, but he certainly didn't want to ignore what had just happened as well. At that thought the school bell rang and he needed to get to class. Now! If only he knew where the hell to go…

When Chris' free period came around at 6th period, he was afraid to eat in the cafeteria. These kids were crazy and the cafeteria could be the breading ground of the who's who. So Chris walked the school grounds and tried to get more comfortable as to where he will be going to school for the next three years. He sat and ate lunch on the bleachers in front of the grand football field, before walking through the back door near the music department. He didn't know who April Rhodes was, but she had her own 'Civic Pavilion' so she must be important.

He walked past the auditorium, the dance studio, and a few music rooms till he found a vacant choir room. Christopher felt a wave of warmth wash over him when he entered the open space. It was just an empty room with some scattered seats and a few lonely instruments, but it felt more like home than any place he had been in the past twelve days. He never wanted to leave this room. It felt magical.

Christopher walked over to the base and started to play. Ouch! It hurt his ears to hear how out of tune the instrument was, but it wasn't the base's fault – it hadn't been played in a few months. Anyhoo, after a few minutes of tuning, it was finally ready to rock and Chris started to belt out "New Amsterdam" by Elvis Costello.


As she walked down the hall with the swagger that came only with being a Cheerio, she heard the music. Her perfect ponytail swaying her bright blond locks to and fro as she walked towards the familiar sound. When she arrived at the location the music was coming from, she stood in the doorway and listened.

He was playing in his own little world – as he always did – when he stood up and started to play with more vigor. Singing and creating music were by no means special, but they were highly personal to him. As he slowly turned around, Chris stopped short, startled in the middle of the chorus, and was shocked by the female presence. Besides thinking that he was alone, and that private bliss being disrupted, Christopher Berry was now standing in front of one of the most magnificent creatures he had ever seen in his life.

"Hi" was all Chris could say in his stupor. Hello, I love you, was more what he wanted to say. Whoever this woman was standing in front of him, she was perfect. Chris suddenly understood why Jim Morrison crooned, 'Could you be the guy, to make the Queen of the Angles sigh?' because that is exactly what she was and 'sigh' was exactly what he wanted to make her do.

"Why did you stop?" The splendid being asked Chris, walking further into the room. Chris took off the base and put it back in the cradle.

"Um… you startled me." Um? He actually said 'um'?

"Well I couldn't help but stop and listen. You are very talented and I'm personally a huge Costello fan."

"Oh, well then you have good taste."

"I know," she said with a cocky twang. "You're new right?" she asked, continuing the conversation. They were only a few feet apart from one another now.

"Yeah, hi. I'm Christopher."

"Hi, I'm Alison."

Chris couldn't help but smile. "Is that really your name?"

"Yeah, well, it was either that or Amanda Jones, and my last name is Puckerman, so the latter really wouldn't have worked…" she was starting to ramble herself. Alison couldn't help but be enamored by the adorable boy standing in front of her. She was so drawn to him. A warm familiarity that she loved. Loved? Whoa. She just met him and that thought came to her head?

"Well it was lovely to meet you," Chris said as he extended his hand for a shake. He was so impressed by her. By her taste in music. And by the immediate respect he had for her parents for educating their daughter in great music.

"It was lovely for me as well," Alison replied. Chris flashed his patented dimpled half-smile and saw Alison smile widely as well. "You're very talented" she informs him for the second time, even though he's aware.

"Thanks."

"You should join New Directions."

"Nude Erections? What's that?"

"Ha-Ha. No." she says sharply. "New Directions is the glee club."

"Oh, okay…" Chris replies, unsure as to what that quite was. "Maybe. I have Drivers Ed and my mom wants me to get a part-time job, so I'm not really sure how much time I other stuff I can get involved with."

"Oh, well try to make it," Alison croons as she turns to leave. She stops short when at the door and turns cross legged on her tip toes of her perfect gams and finishes with, "Thursdays. 3pm. After school. Here."

"Okay" Chris said dumbfounded. He has been never been so captivated by a female before. He was enthralled when he entered AP European History as his last course of the day and saw her sitting in the row behind him. Prefect for passing notes.

Before AP Euro with Alison, Chris has Spanish. He loved the Spanish language and wanted to be fluent before he embarked on his higher education in Europe; which he had been working on since he was twelve. When Christopher walked in, he got the same look from his teacher that he received from the guidance counselor this morning.

"You're Rachel Berry's son, right?" asked the curly haired teacher. Before Chris could even respond, the teacher continued. "I'm Mr. Schuester. Your mom was one of my best students. She is an extremely talented musician." Mr. Schue wanted to let Chris know that his father was talented too, but Will had already been informed by Emma that Chris did not know his father.

"Thanks," Chris replied, slightly creeped out by his new teacher.

"And just so you know, if you ever need anything, I will always be here for you. I'm a mentor to several of the students here at McKinley," Mr. Schue finished, knowing he was a big influence on Finn – when he had no father.

"Oh, well… I'm okay, but thanks… I guess. I'm gonna take a seat now," says Chris shifting his eyes in the same way Finn would when he was in an awkward situation and didn't want to make eye contact. Chris carried his large body towards a vacant seat and walked past Mr. Schue, while he watched. That young man is Finn thought Will as Christopher took his seat and started to copy down the information on the board.


Chris had taken a walk around the neighborhood a few days earlier and figured out a quick back way from his house to WMHS, and vice versa. This was the route he took home on this particular afternoon, too tired to walk the long way through town, passing all the businesses. Chris did learn that he only had Driver's Ed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that left three days for part-time work, or sports, or whatever else he wanted. Christopher was seriously contemplating that club Alison was talking about if it meant spending any more time with her.

"So, how was your first day?" Rachel asked as they piled their plates with the vegan meal she made.

"You might be right about this place. It's not too bad after all…" Chris said with a dreamy smile.

"You watched the Cheerios, didn't you?" asked Rachel rhetorically.

"Yes, I did," Chris replied indignantly. "Their coach seems a little crazy though."

Rachel chuckled at that, "Yeah, Sue Sylvester is kinda crazy."

"Thanks for giving me her name though. I now know to stay clear," he says as they ate quietly at the kitchen table. Chris had his first good night sleep in weeks as he went to be excited to dream about Alison.


A/N: Thanks again so much for reading. I will try to have up more ASAP. Please review. I love reading your responses and they honestly help be keep going. Thanks!