A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and alerted and just read this fic basically :). Love you all! This chapter is all about Grace. From here on out I'm going to try and post at minimum once a week, it might not always happen, and I might sometimes post more than that, but that's the aim.

Disclaimer: none of this is mine, pretty much.

'Grace!'

The brunette girl almost dropped the guitar she was strumming in surprise at the loud, sudden interruption. She looked up to see her Dad had just come into the room.

'Dad, you scared me.'

'I only called your name about five times before coming in. We have to go. Why aren't you dressed? Hurry up.'

Grace looked up at the clock on the wall and gasped. 'I wasn't paying attention to the time.'

'Clearly. I'll pack your guitar in its case and put everything in the car, you go and put your uniform on. Think we can be ready to leave in five minutes?'

'Dad, I'm not you… I can get dressed in three minutes. That way we still have time to say a proper goodbye to Nan and Pop.' She said. She rested her guitar on the bed and picked up the school uniform her dad had hung neatly on a hanger the night before (after carefully ironing it) and disappeared into the room's adjoining bathroom.

The uniform fit her like a glove, thanks to her dad's skills (sometimes it helped having a fashion designer for a father), he'd taken it in where it had been a little loose and let it out where it had been tight, until the uniform looked perfect. 'You'll be the best dressed girl there, even though you're all wearing the same thing doesn't mean you can't stand out.' He'd told her as he'd been pinning it in place two days before.

Just as she'd said, Grace emerged from the bathroom, uniform on and hair tied back into a neat ponytail, just a few minutes later. Her dad was no longer in the room, neither was her guitar, so she ventured down the stairs, where she found her small family waiting around in the living room. Her dad spotted her and gasped in delight.

'Darling, you look stunning in that uniform.'

She bit her lip and gave a small smile. 'Are you sure?'

'I never tell a lie when it comes to clothes.'

She laughed. 'I suppose that's true.'

'You do look beautiful Grace.' Her Nan said with a soft smile of her face.

'It's just a school uniform guy's. It's not like I just walked down here in my prom dress or anything.'

'Alright, well, we really have to get going if we're going to make it there on time. She actually does have some classes today.' Her dad reminded them all.

'In that case, come and give your old Pop a hug.'

Burt Hummel held his arms out and Grace ran over to him wrapping her arms around him. Given that they (they being her and her dad) lived in New York, while her grandparents were in Ohio she didn't get to see them much. They'd spent the last week of her summer holidays in Ohio though, which had been more fun than she'd expected it to be. Especially given that her Pop was determined, much to her father's dismay, to spoil her rotten. She hadn't had a problem with it and had accepted all the gifts and ice cream more than happily.

'I'll miss you Pop.' She said.

'What she really means is, she'll miss your generous wallet.' Her dad said from just behind them.

'Daddy, sshh, you're ruining the moment.' She said.

Burt just laughed and gave his granddaughter one last squeeze before letting her go.

'You be good at school kiddo. And if anyone gives you a hard time I'm only a couple of hours away. Call me and I'll come over and give them a talking to.'

'Dad, it's Dalton… they still have a no tolerance policy.'

'I'll be good Pop, I promise.'

'Good.'

Grace pulled away and turned to her Nan, she gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug. 'Your cooking has been so good. Thank you.'

Carole glanced over at Kurt and gave him a warm smile. 'You've raised this girl well, Kurt.' She said.

'Of course, the father get's all the credit for the well-behaved child.' Grace said with a laugh.

'Alright, I hate to do this but we really have to get going if we're going to make it on time.'

Grace gave her Nan and Pop one final goodbye before walking out to the car, mentally checking through her head that she had everything she needed for at least her first few weeks of school. All her books would be waiting in her dorm room for her, she had her uniform, and she had her guitar. She wasn't too sure what else she could possibly need, except all the extra outfits her Dad had helped her pack, she'd protested against them at first, because while they might have been great for New York, she was now in Ohio, and really didn't want to stand out too much... but she also knew he'd spent a lot of money on buying her the best of the best so in the end agreed to take them with her.

The car ride out to Westerville consisted of Grace quickly plugging her iPod into the car's stereo and showing her dad all of her newest favourite songs and explain to him why... nothing frustrated her more than the fact that all her dad was interested in was show tunes, and pop.

'This one, the way they just slowly build the song up, it's incredible. And you know they recorded this in just one take, they didn't do the usual layering all the tracks, they were all in the studio with all the instruments. Isn't that so cool? No one does that anymore and that's why this track stands out. It's going to be a hit, I just know it, it's incredible.'

'It's a good song.' Kurt agreed.

'Dad,' Grace twisted in her seat and looked at him. 'Do you ever think about singing again?'

'Why would you ask that?' He asked.

'I don't know. Rachel always talks about how she wanted it to be the two of you on Broadway, in a unique version of Wicked were Glinda is a gay man, and Fiyero is bisexual, and you'd play Glinda, because you could still sing it in the original key, opposite her Elphaba.'

'As amazing as that would be, fashion is my calling. It just took me a little while to realise it.'

'But you can do both.'

'No, sweetie…'

'Yes! You're always telling me that I can have anything in the world that I want. So can you.'

'Why is it so important to you?'

Grace didn't answer him. A new song came on, one she didn't like as much, so she quickly switched it to the next one.

'Grace?'

'I…' She paused. 'It's going to sound so stupid.'

'I promise I won't think it is.'

'I want to be a singer.'

'That's great honey, not stupid at all.'

'I know. But when I am, I want to have the people that I love on the album, singing… I don't know… something, even just background vocals. Rachel, you… William and Sarah.'

'I don't need to be on Broadway to sing on your album.'

She brightened and sat up in her seat a little straighter. 'So that's something you would do?'

'Are you kidding me? Of course I would.'

'Good… oh! You have got to listen to this song.' She turned up the volume. 'The guy who produced it is a genius. I want him to produce one of my songs one day.'

For Kurt the drive to Dalton was scarily familiar. It had been years, close to two decades since he'd driven from Lima to Westerville, and yet he still remembered the way as though he'd just driven there yesterday. It was odd, how even with his fifteen year old daughter sitting in the car next to him, he suddenly felt like he was seventeen again, driving to school at seven in the morning, sipping at coffee and being giddy at the thought that it was another day of seeing, talking to and hanging out with…

Well, that was a long time ago and things were very different. Despite him feeling like he'd just transported back in time.

He glanced quickly at Grace, who was humming and nodding her head along to the song playing. He loved his daughter dearly, but some days… today in particular, he was reminded that there was another young girl he loved just as much. And a man who would forever own a part of his heart. And being in this part of Ohio right now was bringing the memories rushing back to the surface. More than New York, or Grace ever had. Because he was right back where it all started.

He wasn't sure why he'd chosen Dalton in the end. He'd spent months, and months looking at schools in New York. He had the money, and wanted to make sure she got the best education possible. But with every school he looked at, he found something wrong, something he didn't like. He'd thought about sending her to the same school as all of her friends… but she… didn't really have any. Not any close friends anyway. Grace was a shy, timid kid who was happiest when left alone with music. And that made Kurt sad. Because he knew what it was like to be there… and despite having been in that place before he just didn't know how to help.

Then he'd gotten the email from Dalton. Announcing that for the first time in their one hundred year history, they would be allowing girls to enrol to the school. He looked at their website… and it was the first school he couldn't find anything wrong with.

Sure, it was all the way in Ohio, but it was close to his Dad and Carole, and even Finn and his wife didn't live too far away. So she would still be near family… and that was the only negative.

So he'd sat her down and talked it through and she thought it sounded good. She was particularly excited about getting to see her grandparents more often.

And… now they were here.

'Here it is, Dalton Academy.'

'Huh…' Grace said. 'It's a lot bigger than I expected.'

'That it is.' Kurt could still remember the first time he'd set eyes upon the school. It had been so overwhelming massive he'd almost turned the car around and gone straight back to Lima. He didn't… and that turned out to be the most impacting decision of his life.

They walked up to the school's office, and ten minutes later were standing in Grace's empty dorm room, because her roommate hadn't arrived yet.

'Ok, well, I guess this is goodbye.' Kurt said.

Grace rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. 'Can't you stay a couple of days?'

'I would, but there's a winter collection with my name on it, literally, that needs to be finished and I have to fly back today.'

'You're still going to email me photos of every step of the way, right?'

'The 2031 version of the Grace Sweater needs your final approval, so of course I will… as long as you email me your new songs.'

'You already know you're the only person in the world I'll show them too… for now, until I've perfected the craft.'

Kurt squeezed her a little tighter. 'I'm going to miss you so much. The apartment will be so quiet without you.'

'Remember this was your idea.'

'You went along with it.'

'I know.' Grace pulled away from him and wiped at the tears on her face. 'I'll see you in a couple of weeks.'

'That you will,' Kurt kissed her forehead. 'Have the best time, ok sweetie?'

She nodded. 'I promise I will.'

A/N: Reviews put smiles on my face :) just a little FYI.