Hey guys. I won't lie, this isn't my best :( I'm sorry, but I hope you guys still like it. I also hope you enjoyed Glee last night. The Hudson-Hummel family scenes felt weird without Finn though. Like I said, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and review if you want me to continue. Thanks also for nearly 100 reviews.
Chapter 9: News
"I can't believe your dad is giving us an assignment right before Regionals," Nick said. Gold Star practice was over, and Nick, Emma, Ryan and Ava had stopped at the best bakery-cafe in Cleveland Heights, the Cement Stove, for baked goods before swim practice.
"Hey, it's an excuse for us to sing a duet!" Emma said.
"That is true," Nick said, kissing Emma.
"Yeah, my dad always said that he loved the Valentine's assignment in Glee club when he was in high school because he could sing love songs to my mom," Ryan said. He turned to Ava. "Speaking of duets, we'd better work on our duet for Regionals."
"Yeah, I'm really sorry," Ava said. "This weekend was pretty crazy."
Emma looked at her best friend. "Ava, maybe you should tell us what's going on, whatever it may be."
Ava looked. "Okay, I'll tell the three of you."
"Whatever it is, you know I'll still love you," Ryan said.
"It's not about me," Ava said. "Last week we found out my dad has prostate cancer."
Emma didn't see this coming. She didn't know what to say to help her best friend feel better. "Oh my God, Ava, I'm so sorry."
"Prostate cancer has a cure rate of nearly 100 percent, and he just needs one surgery, but it's still upsetting," Ava said. "I mean, having no siblings, it's always just been me and my parents..."
Ryan gave Ava a hug. "You said that he only needs one surgery."
"Yes," Ava sighed. "But still."
Emma reached across and took her best friend's hand. "I'm so sorry, Ava. Cancer is always scary."
"He and my mom have been at the hospital, so I've been spending the nights at the house alone a lot," Ava continued. "I hate doing that, but my grandparents don't live in Cleveland and are staying at a hotel."
"You should spend the night at our house then," Emma said. "I have a couch in my room, so you could sleep on that or in my bed."
"But then your parents would find out..." Ava protested.
Emma felt like her parents should know, but she came up with a cover up. "We could just tell them your parents were out of town on a business trip."
"Yeah, I stayed with them when I was mad at my dad for getting remarried," Nick told Ava. "And they were really accommadating."
"If you want, we can come to visit him with you after swim practice," Ryan said.
"I wouldn't want to impose you guys," Ava said.
"You're our friend, we aren't imposed," Nick told Ava.
"You know, our duet for Regionals is good for what I'm going through now," Ava said to Ryan. "It's about going through a tough time."
"It is," Ryan said. "And maybe for Valentine's Day, we could find a song about being there for the ones we love in the good and the bad times to be our Valentine's Day duet."
Emma was happy to see her best friend smile slightly. "Yeah, that sounds good."
x
"How does it feel to have your brace off?" the doctor asked Rachel.
Rachel smiled. "It feels amazing."
"It's also amazing to not have to hear her complain about it all the time!" Finn laughed.
Rachel laughed too and pretended to slap her husband.
"You're making progress, Rachel," the doctor said. "Your latest set of x-rays came back looking good, and your therapist told me you've been making progress."
"She is," Finn said as he proudly put his arm around Rachel.
"So, I was thinking," the doctor said. "I think in a few weeks, you'll be ready to go back to work."
Rachel smiled at Finn. "I'd love that."
"I'm thinking the first week of March you can go back," the doctor said.
"That's the week before Regionals!" Rachel said.
"Perfect!" Finn said, hugging Rachel.
Rachel looked at her husband. She was sure he'd done a great job with leading them in her absence, and she did feel bad that her return would mean that he'd be leaving.
Finn's phone vibrated and he looked at it. "Rach, I got a text from Ryan. He and Emma are going to be home a little late tonight."
"Okay," Rachel said, kissing Finn.
"You two can get going now," the doctor said.
"Let's go home," Finn said as he took Rachel's hand and led her out of the hospital.
"I'm glad to be getting back to work," Rachel said.
"You look great," Finn told Rachel. "If I hadn't known about your surgery, by now I'd think nothing had happened."
"Really?" Rachel asked.
"Really!" Finn said, kisisng the top of Rachel's head.
"What's up with the kids?" Rachel asked. "I mean, they've been kind of withdrawn at home, and they're coming home late tonight..."
"I don't know," Finn sighed. "Things have been different at the school, too." They got in the car and drove back home. When they got home, Sarah was hanging out with two of her friends in the living room.
"Guess what!" Finn said to Sarah when they came in.
"What?" Sarah asked.
"Your mom doesn't have to wear the brace anymore!" Finn said.
Rachel smiled to herself. Finn had beaten her to telling Sarah. Of course, he was her biggest fan. He was probably more excited than she was.
x
"Hi Ava," Ava's mom said. "Oh, hi Emma. Hi Ryan. Hi Nick. Wasn't expecting you guys."
"Is Dad up in his room?" Ava asked as she, Ryan, Emma and Nick met up with her mom in the hospital waiting room.
"Yeah," Ava said, looking uneasy. Ryan felt her tightly gripping his hand. "I can't keep this to myself anymore. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Ava," Ava's mom said. "I know this has upset you."
"We love Ava," Ryan said. "And we want to be here for her."
"That's really nice of you guys," Ava's mom said as Ava leaned closer into Ryan. He just tightened his grip around her.
"We were also wondeirng, can Ava spend a few nights at our house?" Emma asked. "It's got to be upsetting being alone at the house." Ryan was glad that Emma had been the one to ask that.
Ava's mom got a confused look.
"I stayed at their house at one point," Nick told Ava's mom. "I slept in Ryan's room. Finn and Rachel wouldn't think of letting me into Emma's room at night."
"Maybe that would be good," Ava's mom said. "The surgery is next week, so we'll be going home soon, but I don't want you to be alone. Would you guys like to go say hi to your dad now?"
"Yeah," Ava said. Ryan felt so bad for his girlfriend. Seeing his mom have surgery had been upsetting, but she was healing at a good rate. The group went up to the hospital room, where Ava's dad was in the bed.
"Hey, Dad," Ava said.
"Hey Ava," Ava's dad said. "I see you brought Ryan and Emma and Nick."
"Yeah," Ava said, looking a little guilty. "I hope that's okay."
"Of course it is!" Ava's dad said.
"We were wondering, and your wife said it's fine, but can Ava stay at my house for a few days?" Emma asked. "I have a couch in my room, and a queen-sized bed, so she'd have somewhere fine to sleep."
"Yeah," Ava's dad said. "So, tell me guys, are you getting excited for Regionals?"
Ryan noticed that Ava seemed more relaxed, which was a relief. They stayed for a while before going back to Ava's house to pick up a few things, then drove to the Hudsons' house.
"Ryan! Emma! Guess what?" Grant shouted as they came in.
"Tell us," Ryan said, smiling at his youngest brother.
"Whoa there Grant!" Finn said.
"What?" Ryan asked, looking at his parents.
"I'm going to be coming back at the beginning of next month!" Rachel said. "And I don't need my brace anymore."
"That's amazing!" Emma said, hugging her parents. Ryan was happy too, but he noticed Ava looked upset. It was probably hard for her to see her hard family times just beginning as theirs were coming to an end.
Ryan gave Ava a hug. "Mom, Dad, Ava's parents are going to be out of town for a little. Can she stay in Emma's room?"
"Of course she can," Finn said.
"You know we love her like another daughter," Rachel added.
As Ryan, Emma and Nick began moving Ava's things into Emma's room, Nick said to Ava, "You should really consider telling them."
"I'm not ready yet," Ava said. "It was hard enough for me to tell you guys."
"Okay," Emma said. "I'm sure they'll be ready to hear when you're ready to tell them."
"I'll think about it," Ava told them.
x
Nick: I set out on a narrow way many years ago.
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road.
But I got lost a time or two.
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through.
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you.
Nick and Emma: Every long lost dream led me to where you are.
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars.
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms.
This much I know is true.
That God blessed the broken road.
That led me straight to you.
Emma: I think about the years I spend just passing through.
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you.
But you just smile and take my hand.
You've been there you understand.
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true.
Nick and Emma: Every long lost dream led me to where you are.
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars.
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms.
This much I know is true.
Nick: That God blessed the broken road.
That led me straight to you.
Nick and Emma: Now I'm just rolling home into my lover's arms.
Emma: This much I know is true.
That God blessed the broken road.
That led me straight to you.
Nick and Emma: That God blessed the broken road.
That led me straight to you.
It was the next day in Gold Stars practice, and Nick and Emma had just performed their love duet. Nick had found the perfect song for them to do. They'd decided that this was also for Ava - a song to let her know that no matter how hard things got, those who loved her would always be there for her.
Finn praised Nick and Emma's duet, and then it was time for Ryan and Ava's. Listening to it, Emma thought this one was perfect for them, too - it was about being there for each other, but at the same time, it was pretty upbeat.
Ryan: A second, a minute, an hour, a day goes by
I'm hopin' Just to be by your side
Ava: I'm turnin' the handle
It won't open don't make me wait
Cause right now I need your smile
Knock knock
Ryan: When life had locked me out I turned to you
So open the door 'cause you're all I need right now it's true
Nothin' works like you
Ava: Little louder, little louder, little louder knockin'
Little louder, little louder
Ryan: A warm bath, a good laugh, an old song that you know by heart
I've tried it but they all leave me cold
Ava: So now I'm here waiting to see you,
My remedy for all that's been hurting me.
Both: When life had locked me out
I turned to you
So open the door
'Cause you're all I need right now it's true
Nothin' works like you
You seem to know the way
To turn my frown upside down
You always know what to say
To make me feel like everything's okay
Ryan: When life had locked me out
I turned to you
And you open the door
'Cause you're all I need right now it's true
Nothin' works like you
Ava: When life had knocked me down
Well I turned to you
And you open the door
'Cause you're all I need right now it's true
Nothin' works like you
When life had locked me out
Well I turned to you
And you open the door
You're all I need right now it's true
Nothin' works like you
"Another great duet," Finn said. As Ryan and Ava came back to their seats, Emma leaned over toward her best friend and whispered, "We're all going to be doing our best to turn your frowns upside down."
Ava gave Emma a hug as the next couple went up to perform.
Chapter 10 preview: Updates on Ava's family situation. Rachel returns to the Gold Stars to start preparing for Regionals. Some Finchel family moments.
SONGS: "Bless The Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts (performed by Nick Dougherty and Emma Hudson) and "Knock Knock" by Lenka (performed by Ryan Hudson and Ava Crispin)
