Thanks for all your support of this story! I appreciate it. I feel like Finchel haven't been in it enough, but Finn's got a pretty significant role in this chapter and in the next chapter, the boys reunite with the parent they haven't met yet! Hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review and favorite!


The brothers spent most of the rest of the week together, when Cody wasn't rehearsing and Clayton didn't have practice or games. Even between rehearsals, practices and games, they were texting each other, telling each other everything they needed to know about their lives. There was so much to tell that they would probably still need to tell each other. They'd made diagrams of the Hudson house and the Berry apartment and maps of their schools for each other. They'd shown each other photos of their families. Clayton could name everyone in the glee club and Cody could name everyone on Clayton's teams. (Though Cody had determined he would have to fake an injury because there was no way he could throw a ball.) They'd also discovered that they both knew Kurt and Blaine Anderson-Hummel, that Finn's brother Kurt was Rachel's best friend from high school.

They'd even done some research and found videos online of their parents performing in glee club together. They'd found the video from their parents' junior year, when they kissed on stage at the end of their original duet. And they found the video from their parents' senior year, when the glee club won Nationals. Their parents were both so talented. They both already knew that, but even back then, their parents were talented. But something else stood out to them even more. They could see the passion their parents had for each other, the love they had for each other, the chemistry they had. It was obvious. And they agreed that time and distance wouldn't make that go away.

The week flew by and it was already the night of the national competition. Cody was beginning to get nervous. He'd been waiting all year for this day. But he'd heard the other groups that had performed. And they were good. Some of them were really, really good. There were kids in some of these groups that were probably as talented as he was.

What if one of the other groups won?

Would the glee club be mad and blame him?

Would his dad be disappointed?

Would he get an even higher dosage of slushie facials when he went back to school?

Of course, Nationals weren't the only thing on his mind. Tonight, he and Clayton were going to pull off the final switch. Since the flight to Lima left early tomorrow morning, tonight was when they had to finish pulling everything off. Tonight, he was going to head to Rachel's apartment and meet his mom for the first time.

He felt his phone vibrate and looked at it. It was a text from Clayton. "Good luck! I'm sure you're going to kick some ass!"

The type of encouragement only a brother could give. It made Cody so happy knowing his brother was in the audience today. As Cody replied to Clayton's text thanking him, a text from Finn came through. "I know you're about to go on. No matter what happens today, I'm so proud of my gold star. Wish I could be there."

Hopefully next year, Finn, Rachel and Clayton would all be in the audience.

"Okay, show circle!" Mr. Schue called out.

The New Directions rounded up. Cody looked around the circle and saw the looks of anticipation on his teammates' faces. He was even more determined not to let them down.

"We've won 15 national titles," Mr. Schuester said. "And I've never had a better feeling than I've had today. You guys have worked so hard and I'm so proud of you all."

The group cheered.

"I remember when I brought the New Directions here for the first time," Mr. Schue continued. "It was here in New York, at this same theatre." Cody had seen that video. That was when Finn and Rachel had kissed on stage. "And it's so good to be back. The group I had that year and the next year was one of the most talented groups I had, but I think you guys might have them beat."

Many eyes fell on Cody.

The group put their hands in and cheered before the MC announced the New Directions and Cody stepped on the stage for his solo.


Finn crossed his fingers as he heard the New Directions announced and he saw his son on the stage. The black dress shirt, white tie and black pants reminded him of the outfits they wore his junior year. The year Nationals were held here in New York. The year he and Rachel had their dream date and got back together. This was about Cody, but Finn couldn't help but think of Rachel. It was hard to think of New York without thinking of Rachel.

Finn knew he was a good singer, but he doubted Cody would be as good as he was if he didn't have Rachel's DNA. Maybe he was biased, but as he heard Cody start to sing, he was sure the New Directions would win. He'd heard Cody sing before, of course. Finn knew all the words to all the songs New Directions competed with or performed because of how much Cody practiced at home. But this was incredible. He didn't think he'd ever heard his son sound better.

And he felt so guilty for not going. The memories came back even when he was at home. He wished he could be in that theatre to cheer his son on. And he wished he and Cody could go together to see Rachel perform on Broadway. Cody had to know who Rachel was, right? He was so into theatre, Finn was sure he'd seen videos from Rachel's shows. Rachel was in this show that Cody's solo was from. But even if Cody knew who Rachel Berry the Broadway star was, did he know she was his mother?

Finn missed Rachel so much. He missed Clayton so much. Had Cody walked by one of them on the streets of New York and not known who they were? Finn knew Rachel would be so proud to see Cody performing. And then there was Clayton. Finn constantly thought about him, worried about him, wondered how he was doing and what sort of activities he was involved with, wondered if he knew who his father was and how much his father loved him. Rachel never posted photos of Clayton on her public social media. She probably wanted to protect his privacy, which is understandable, but Finn just wanted see a picture of him, even if he couldn't actually see or talk to him. Then again, his social media was all private and he didn't post public photos of Cody, so who was he to criticize Rachel for not posting public photos of Clayton?

The crowd started applauding at the end of Cody's solo and Finn couldn't help but applaud as he watched on his computer. As far as he was concerned, New Directions had already won.


"Clayton? What are you doing here?"

Clayton turned and saw Kurt and Blaine entering the row of the theatre he was in. Oh no. How was he going to explain this? "I'm just here to see a friend perform." He tried to give them a convincing look. "What about you?" What would they say?

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a nervous look. No doubt, they knew their other nephew was performing today. This was probably why they were here. "One of our friends has a kid who made Nationals, so we came to see him perform," Blaine stuttered.

Clayton decided to play along. "Ah, I see."

"I thought your school's glee club didn't make Nationals," Kurt said, sounding panicky. "How do you know this friend? And don't you usually have games on Saturdays?"

"No game today," Clayton continued.

Again, Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look. "Well, it's nice of you to support your friend," Blaine said nervously. "You know we won a title with our high school, when Kurt and your mom were seniors and I was a junior."

"Yeah, I'd love to see the video of that sometime," Clayton commented. He used to wonder why he'd never seen videos of his mother's high school glee career, since that was how she'd gotten her start. Now it made sense.

Kurt and Blaine were looking more and more uneasy. "Does your mom know you're here, Clayton?" Kurt asked.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be here?" Clayton asked.

"We're probably not the people who should tell you this..." Blaine began before his husband nudged him.

"Tell me what?" Clayton asked. "Tell me about Cody?" Maybe if he told Kurt and Blaine, they'd stop acting weird and be less likely to say something to his mom. On the other hand, maybe he shouldn't have said that. He really wanted to meet his dad tomorrow and his uncles might not approve of the plan.

He could tell by the looks on his uncles' faces that was it. "You know about Cody?" Blaine asked.

"Please don't tell our parents we know," Clayton begged. "Yeah, we met. Cody snuck into my mom's theatre to sing on a Broadway stage, and someone who works there thought he was me and took him to her dressing room. We met in there and then the next day, his glee club was practicing at my school. We saw each other again and we figured the whole thing out. So yes, I'm here to cheer on my brother."

"He snuck into the theatre?" Kurt asked. "Your mom and I did that when we were juniors in high school." He went pale. "I can't believe you two met."

"Well, I can't believe our parents split us up and kept us apart and didn't see us or let us see each other for all these years," Clayton shot back. "And that no one ever questioned it or thought to say anything to either of us."

Neither Kurt nor Blaine looked like they knew what to say. "Sometimes, we make choices that seem right at the time, but they end up being the wrong choices," Blaine managed to say.

"Please don't tell our parents," Clayton whispered. "Even though I'm mad about what they did, I still love my parents, and I need to meet my dad. And Cody needs to meet Mom."

"Are you saying..." Kurt began.

"Yup," Clayton confirmed. "I'm going to Ohio tomorrow and Cody's staying here. And once our parents figure out they have the wrong kids, they're going to have to see each other again."

"You know, that's actually not a bad idea," Blaine said.

Clayton breathed a sigh of relief. The announcer announced the first group. The wait for New Directions was a long one, but it was worth it. Cody was GOOD. That was to be expected, seeing who their mother was, but Clayton didn't know just how good his brother was. He'd seen his mom in Dear Evan Hansen, and he thought Cody was better than the guy who played Evan on Broadway. Even though he wasn't the musical expert that his mom and brother were, Clayton could tell Cody really understood the song and was good at connecting with the audience. He was definitely Rachel's son.

He'd been a bit nervous for his brother. Cody had confided in Clayton that he was worried if they lost, his teammates would be mad at him. But listening to his brother, Clayton didn't think Cody had anything to be worried about. No one else had been this good. He hadn't even heard the two group numbers, but this alone should be enough for New Directions to win.

He got on his feet and cheered at the end of his brother's solo. He knew Rachel would also be proud if she'd seen it.


Cody breathed a sigh of relief at the end of his solo. He'd hit all the right notes and not made any mistakes. And the crowd seemed to enjoy it. He heard some cheers. He saw some people on their feet. And he looked behind him and saw that several of his teammates looked impressed.

The music began for the first group number and the group sailed their way through the numbers. Cody hoped this was enough to win. It was a good thing New Directions was the last group to perform because he didn't think his heart could take waiting very long. When he stepped off the stage, there were texts from Finn and from Clayton, telling him they thought he'd done well. He texted his father and his brother while he waited.

Finally, Mr. Schue called out, "Can I have everyone's attention? We made the top five!"

Everyone burst into applause before they filed on to the stage. The other four groups were there, as were the judges. "First, the awarding of the MVP award," the MC announced.

Cody gulped. His dad and his brother told him that he'd sounded better than anyone else, but they were his father and brother.

"From the New Directions from McKinley High in Lima, Ohio, Mr. Cody Hudson!"

He'd won MVP. Cody couldn't believe it. The judges thought he was the best singer at Nationals. His award was handed to him and he waved to the crowd, taking in the applause. Out of all the awards he'd won, this one meant the most. He was on a stage in New York with his brother in the audience. He hoped in five or ten years, he'd be back on a stage in New York accepting a Tony Award.

The runner ups were announced and then it was down to the final two. And then the announcement came - New Directions had won Nationals once again. A confetti shower broke out as Mr. Schue was handed the trophy. And then he handed it to Cody to hoist along with his MVP trophy. He wished he could celebrate with his mom tonight, but they'd be able to celebrate together soon enough.


"Congrats on the win, MVP!" Clayton said, giving Cody a hug.

"Thanks," Cody said. "I'm so glad you came."

"Of course I came," Clayton said. "Like I said, you were better than the guy who plays Evan in Mom's show."

"Both of you together," Kurt said as he and Blaine walked over. "Congratulations, Cody."

Why hadn't Cody thought to tell Clayton that Kurt and Blaine would be here? What if they said something to Finn and Rachel?

"Don't worry, your brother filled us in and we won't tell your parents," Blaine said.

Cody looked at his trophy. "I can't believe it. I won MVP and I met my brother. This has been the best week ever."

Clayton smirked. "Wait until Mom and Dad reunite."

"I'm sure that'll beat this out," Cody agreed.

"Wait, your goal is to get your parents back together?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," both boys said at the same time.

Kurt and Blaine smiled at their nephews. "Good luck, we're rooting for you," Blaine said.

The boys chatted with their uncles for a little before they started heading back to the hotel. Cody was excited enough about winning Nationals and MVP, but it was hard to believe that tomorrow, he'd be meeting Rachel Berry. He'd always felt a strong connection with her plays, but he was going to meet his mom. "Just think, tomorrow you're going to be on a plane to Lima and tonight, I'm going to meet Mom for the first time."

Clayton was actually going to meet his dad tomorrow. "I know. It's crazy, but awesome."

"Yeah," Cody agreed.

As they walked back to the hotel, they began quizzing each other. "Okay, so where's my bedroom?" Cody asked Clayton.

"It's on the second floor of the house, the back left door," Clayton said. "Across from Dad's room. Where's my bedroom?"

"Second door on the right," Cody remembered. "And Mom's is the furthest door on the right."

"And I'm sure Dad will want to have dinner at Breadstix when I get back," Clayton remembered.

"Probably," Cody agreed. "What time do you need to set your alarm for tomorrow?"

"The flight leaves at 10 for Lima, so we're leaving the hotel at 7. I'll set my alarm for 6:30," Clayton guessed.

The brothers arrived at the hotel. "Do you think your teammates will be mad when I say I hurt my back and can't pitch?" Cody asked. "I'm sorry, but no way can I throw a ball. I'd do a reverse strikeout on every guy."

Clayton followed Cody into the hotel. "That's called a walk. And I don't think they'll mind. Injuries happen."

The kids in the glee club definitely would have minded if Cody got laryngitis or something and couldn't perform at Nationals. Many of them had asked him to hang out tonight, but he had a feeling it was just because he'd won MVP and they'd won Nationals. Besides, he had other business to tend to tonight.

When the brothers got to Cody's room, he gave Clayton some of his clothes to change into. As he waited, he glanced in the mirror, noticing something he couldn't believe neither of them had thought of before. "Clayton, what are we going to do about our hair?"

Clayton came out of the bathroom. He doubted his brother knew anything about cutting hair, but managed to say it if it meant meeting his dad. "You're going to have to cut my hair."

"Are you insane?" Cody practically shouted. "I don't know how to cut hair!"

"I doubt any barbers are open this late," Clayton pointed out.

"What if I screw up?" Cody began panicking.

"It's for our parents," Clayton said, not really concerned. "You barely even have any on the sides and in the back, so that should be pretty easy, and just leave a little more on the top."

Cody wasn't sure if he trusted himself. "Okay, let's find some scissors."


A little while later, Clayton and Cody stood in front of the mirror, amazed at how much more alike they looked now. If they were wearing the same clothes, it would be impossible to tell who was who. "Well, I think we're ready," Cody said.

"Yeah, you should probably get home," Clayton agreed. "Mom doesn't like me to be out too late."

"And they'll probably come around to check on us soon in our rooms," Cody added. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too," Clayton said. "But this is temporary."

"Yeah," Cody agreed. "We're going to get our parents back together and I'll find a way for Dad and me to come out here and they'll finally get their happy ending."

Clayton smiled at his brother's optimism. "Yeah. They'll finally be done pretending."

Cody couldn't hold in his excitement anymore. "I'm going to go meet my mom now!"

Clayton gave his brother one last hug. "Good luck!"