AN:Hello everyone! LOL!

Writer's block is a pain in the neck! Lol!

For months I struggled with this. Anyway no excuses. It's finally updated and I'm happy with it!

I'd love to thank those who support me!

Thank you to you guys reading this. You ALL rock! ;)

Here we see Dave, Malcolm and Dave's friends struggle with preparations for the upcoming parade. Can they do it? You have to read to find out!

Please review. Please be kind. Enjoy!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3

Chapter 3

Dave was overwhelmed.

His first day was consumed with committee meetings, floral caterers, phone calls, more phone calls, even more phone calls, news interviews, float oversight, etc. And then later in the day, he made sure at least two major corporate sponsors signed to be in the parade route, and he met with City & Regional Planning to outline the route.

Budgets, legal issues, press releases, political issues, phone threats, Dykes on Bikes, more phone threats, rejections from so many area businesses, some acceptances, and even more phone threats.

And yet, as the first day came to a close and Dave could hardly function, he felt he was accomplishing something. Oh, it was more than Lima's first Gay Pride Parade, it was his first foray into the world of volunteer work. And he balanced everything pretty effectively.

Nevertheless, even his young self was tired as he worked into his thirteenth hour that first day. And when he called the meeting adjourned, he nearly dropped his head on the table. Malcolm watched him with a little protective concern.

"Dave?"

His head snapped up and he wiped his face. "Yeah?"

"Want me to drive you home?"

"N-no. I'm good."

Malcolm frowned and then came up with something else. "I should go with you to the police department tomorrow."

"What?"

"Dave, I'm going with you to the police department tomorrow."

"No, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do." Malcolm said with a curious finality to it. "Trust me. I think you'll need my…expertise."

"Why?" Dave asked, bleary eyed.

"Just trust me."

Dave shrugged and stretched his arms. A yawn escaped his mouth and Malcolm chuckled. After a polite tap on Dave's shoulder, Malcolm smiled and left. It wasn't until Dave, yet again going through the stack of paperwork, that he understood Malcolm's reasoning.

Somehow, Malcolm knew.

.

"This is outrageous!"

"That's the way it is, Mr. Karofsky. Take it or leave it."

"How can we pay for police service for the parade at this price?!"

"The City Council approved it, didn't they?"

And that's when it all made perfect sense to Dave and Malcolm. They sat across from the smarmy police sergeant's desk as he popped some kind of candy in his mouth. They wanted this to happen. They wanted it to be difficult to form a parade.

"I need," Dave whispered to Malcolm, "to call the committee."

"No, you don't." He replied.

"Yes, I do!" And with that, a temper tantrum bubbling beneath the surface, Dave got up and walked across the room of the Lima Police Department. He whipped out his cell phone and began dialing.

Meanwhile, Malcolm just stared back at the sergeant. His smarmy smile met Malcolm's cool one. Suddenly, Malcolm asked, "Where's the Clerk of Courts' office?"

"Just down the hall."

"Thank you."

Malcolm got up and left.

And Dave gyrated all over the room, waving his arm in the air from time to time, lowering his voice now and then, and trying to keep his Karofsky temper in check. At least three or four minutes went by before Dave returned to the sergeant's desk. He plopped down in the seat next to a now-seated Malcolm and the sergeant was no longer smiling.

"We'll be there on the date."

"For what?" Dave asked, with a surly attitude.

"For your…freak parade."

Dave's head flipped up. "W-what?"

"Yes. Your services have been paid. By an anonymous donor."

Dave's jaw dropped and he turned to Malcolm. And as far as Malcolm was concerned, he was more than grateful seeing the way the hazel-eyed kid got excited and surprised all in one! Dave suddenly grabbed his arm and shook it wildly. And then, he composed himself and shook the sergeant's hand. Then, he left.

"I trust," Malcolm began, standing up, "that you'll fulfill your obligations, sergeant. You're under contract now."

"I understand."

"Thank you."

And THIS time, Malcolm was the one with the smarmy smile as he left.

.

After that, preparations seemed to be easier. A little. But it was enough to have Dave and his group of friends busier than ever. He entrusted Kurt and Quinn to float detail and Malcolm and Rachel to public relations. Blaine was even helpful, albeit a little distant, and Finn did his best with nearly everything thrown at him. Preparations were not even nearly complete and the parade was in five days.

Just. Five. Days.

.

Everyone was doing there job preparing for Lima's first Gay Pride parade, meanwhile Dave was all over the place, setting up, planning, making important phone calls, decorating floats, making sure everything was PERFECT and just doing EVERYTHING! Dave felt like he was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. This whole "running the show" was really getting to him. A LOT of people were depending on him to make this impossible dream happen. It was TOO much pressure! He kept having to remind himself that all the hard work and dedication to making this parade work would pay off in the end. Wouldn't it? It had to work out. It just HAD to! The community has come to far to let this fail now. He has come too far to let this go in the crapper. They had such little time Dave sometimes thought they couldn't pull this off. Soon he would be proven wrong.

Later that same day when Malcolm and Dave left the police station separately Dave and his friends decided to meet up at Lima Bean to go over everything once again.

"Hey! I was using that!"

"Dave sit down with your friends and relax! You're going to give yourself a heart attack." Quinn Fabray snapped as she took away Dave's cellphone and placing it in her bra so he wouldn't think twice about getting it then she proceeded to sit back down across from him. Dave glared in her direction but knew she was right and chose not to argue with her. The glare didn't seem to bother Quinn in fact she smiled at him just to let him know that it didn't work on her anymore, in fact the "Karofsky" glare didn't work on anyone anymore. His friends knew that Dave was a big teddy bear after all and wouldn't harm them.

Quinn, Rachel, Kurt and Finn all were catching up drinking coffee and talking while Dave unintentionally ignored them on his phone making reservations for the parade. The friends were concerned that Dave was running himself ragged but let him do his thing... That was until Quinn stepped in and took action.

"You're friends invited you out for coffee, its rude to be on your cellphone not engaging in our conversation." Quinn says as she delicately wipes the bottom of her coffee cup and takes a tiny sip of her tea. Dave noticed that she was the only one that ordered tea and thought that was strange but he decided not question her now. That could wait.

"I'm sorry, guys... It's just this-" Dave couldn't finish that sentence. Instead he sighed rubbing his face with his large hands, he was so tired. His friends looked at him with sympathy and understanding. They knew how IMPORTANT organizing this parade was to him. Hell it was important to all of them! A chance to be united as a communuty was too good of a opprotunity to pass up.

"No worries, dude! We know how hard your working, everyone is. But dude, Quinn's right! You need to chill and be with your friends." Finn says loudly flashing that very dopey smile of his. Dave couldn't but grin back.

Dave grew serious at that moment taking in the reality of there situation.

"Guys... I know you want to relax and have fun but the reality of our situation is we only got five days... FIVE! That doesn't leave us with much time to prepare. And the fact that those assholes in the city council KNEW that is why I am taking this so seriously. This is a chance to show all of Lima that the gay community has rights too and we should be treated as equals instead of the latter. We CANNOT prove those bastards right! They set us up for failure on purpose. They knew by giving us such little to work with that we could POSSIBLY fail. I'm not about to let that happen! I say lets not let them throw us in the pit. I mean isn't that why we are here now? To go over everything to make sure we are giving it our all?" Dave says with so much passion his energy resignated with the group. They all knew how important this was.

"We ARE giving it our all!" Kurt snaps but lowers his voice as people around the coffee shop suddenly stare at him. He lowers his voice and the patrons go back to minding there own businss.

"Dave, yes its important to us all but that doesn't mean you have to take it all on yourself. We are here for you. Let us do our thing and you let the reigns go a little. You're putting too much not only yourself but us and we wanna do is help you. We got you. You're good." Kurt is so soft spoken it makes Dave choke up a little. He was SO grateful for his friends he looked around the table and smiled. Rachel says nothing sitting next to Dave holding his hand and grinning. The energy around them warm and inviting.

"OK- I get it. I'll relax and TRY not to take on more than I can." Dave relaxes a little taking a sip of his now cold coffee. Dave grimaces at the taste and pushes his cup forward no longer in the mood for his black coffee.

"Guys?" Dave speaks up once again.

"What is it Dave?" Rachel says.

"Do you think-" Dave pauses, rubbing the back his neck as his friends wait for him to continue.

"Do you think we can ACTUALLY do this? And make it successful?"

"Of course we can!"

That came from someone else. Dave turns his neck around to see Malcolm walking in joining them, grabbing a chair sitting really close to Dave. Dave shyly smiled as Malcolm winked.

"With you being so determined NOTHING can stop us." Malcolm once again winked as Dave felt himself blush a deep red color.

.

AN: What did you all think? Have a Nice Day!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3