Holy crap, can you guys believe that the season finale is tomorrow? It's crazy! Even though this hasn't been my favorite season (actually, I preferred the first three) I wish the finale wasn't so soon! And I'm still hoping that we get lots of Finchel in Season 5 and 6 to make up for this season. Hope you guys enjoy it tomorrow. And enjoy this chapter, too! Thanks for the continued support, and please review if you want me to keep going!
Chapter 10: She's Back
"You're going back to work today?" Sarah asked Rachel.
"Yes I am," Rachel said, holding in her excitement.
Zoe giggled as Rachel reached out to her youngest daughter. "I know, I'm going to miss seeing you during the day too."
"I can stay home and watch her," Grant said.
"No, Grant," Finn laughed.
"But we're reading a boring book in school," Grant pouted.
"I'm sorry," Finn said.
"I can stay home with both of them," Sarah said.
"No," Rachel said. "Sarah, Grant, you're going to school. Zoe's going to go to daycare."
"Are you reading a boring book, too?" Grant asked Sarah.
"No," Sarah said. "But I hate Pre-Algebra."
"What's that?" Grant asked.
"It's like math with letters and numbers," Sarah explained.
"That's weird," Grant said.
"I know it is," Sarah agreed. "I don't think that's going to help me get on Broadway."
"You're my daughter, of course you're going to get on Broadway!" Rachel said.
"The Broadway place was big," Grant said.
"Yes it was, Grant," Finn said, picking up Zoe.
"Daddy!" Zoe said.
"I think she'll miss both of us during the school day," Rachel said.
"She'll see us soon though," Finn said.
"Did Ryan and Emma already leave?" Rachel asked her husband.
"When will Ryan, Emma and Ava wake up?" Grant asked.
"Well, we need to get to school soon, so they'd better get up soon," Rachel said.
"I'll drop Grant off on the way to Roxbury," Finn said.
"Are you sure?" Rachel asked. "You had to do all the dropoffs and pickups the whole time I was out."
"I'm sure," Finn said.
"Okay, but I'll drop Zoe off at daycare," Rachel said.
Ryan, Emma and Ava came downstairs. Rachel was beginning to get suspicious. Most business trips didn't last this long. She loved having Ava at her house, but she knew that Ava had her own parents, and was wondering if there was another reason that Ava was here and not talking about her parents.
"Ava, is everything okay?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Ava said. "Thanks again for letting me stay here. My parents should be getting back from their trip soon. I'd stay home, but someone tried to break into our next door neighbor's house a few days before my parents left."
"We want you to be safe," Finn said.
"Thanks again," Ava said.
"We'll see you at practice, Mom," Ryan said as the three teens began to leave the house.
"Do you remember reading about a break-in on their street?" Finn whispered to Rachel.
"Not at all," Rachel whispered back.
x
"Is everyone ready for Regionals?" Rachel asked, walking into the choir room.
The group started cheering. Emma smiled at the sight of her mom. She'd loved working with her dad, but it was nice to have her mom back.
"So, I understand that Mr. Hudson gave you guys your Regionals setlist," Rachel said. "Why don't you guys show me how amazing it is?"
Emma looked at Nick and then raised her hand.
"Yes Emma?" Rachel asked.
"The four of us had something we've been working on," Emma said, looking at Nick, Ryan and Ava. "Can we perform it?"
"Of course," Rachel said. The four of them had decided that maybe putting a number together for Ava's family would be a good idea. The surgery had been this morning, but Ava's parents still wanted her to go to school. Emma hoped that it would go well, but there was no way of knowing in advance. Ava's dad hadn't seemed as bad as Jack was when they visited in the hospital, so that was a good sign.
The four of them went to the front of the room and popped in the CD.
Ryan: When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Ava: And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Ryan and Ava: Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Nick: And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
Emma: For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be
Nick and Emma: Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Yeah there will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Ryan and Ava: Let it be, let it be
Ah let it be, yeah let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Ryan: And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be
Ava: I wake up to the sound of music,
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
Yeah let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah let it be
Ryan, Nick, Emma and Ava: Oh there will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Let it be, yeah let it be
Oh there will be an answer, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Ah let it be, yeah let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be
Emma took her best friend's hand at the end of the song, and Ryan took Ava's other hand. Emma could tell that Ava wanted to know what had happened.
"That was great, guys," Rachel said. "What made you decide to work on that song?"
"Well, it's a great song," Nick said. "And you just went through a hard time with your surgery, so we wanted to show our support."
Emma gave her boyfriend a look that she was thanking him. She didn't know what to say.
"Well, as you guys can see now, I'm fine," Rachel said. "Since you're already up here, Ryan and Ava, can you show us your duet?"
"Of course," Ryan said, hugging his girlfriend as Emma and Nick went back to their seats.
"I think she knows," Nick whispered to Emma.
"I don't think we can keep anything a secret from my mom and dad," Emma whispered back.
x
"Was it nice to be back at work today?" Finn asked Rachel at dinner that night.
"It was great," Rachel said. She turned to Grant. "Are you still reading that boring book at school?"
"The teacher finished reading it to us," Grant said. "Thank Cheesus."
"You really had to introduce him to that?" Rachel asked Finn.
"He didn't have to like it!" Finn said.
Ava's cell phone started ringing. "Is it okay if I go for a minute?" Ava asked.
"Of course it is," Rachel said.
"Yeah, I need to go to the bathroom," Ryan said, hoping he could be there when his girlfriend got whatever news was coming. He went upstairs as Ava went along with her phone.
"Thanks for coming," Ava mouthed to Ryan as she picked up the phone.
"No problem," Ryan whispered back.
"Hello?" Ava said as she picked up the phone. "Hi Mom. How's Dad doing? Okay, that's good right? When do you think you'll be home? I miss you guys... I know I've seen you every day, but you know. Are you sure you think he'll be fine? Yes, Mom, I know that it's the most curable kind, but still, there are people who aren't cured... He's sleeping? Are you sure he's okay? Okay, Mom, I'll see you tomorrow... Love you both. Bye."
"Well?" Ryan asked his girlfriend.
"The doctors think the surgery was successful, but it's a little early, don't you think?" Ava asked.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Ryan said.
"My mom thinks so too," Ava said.
"I wish we could go visit, but they won't let me in right now," Ava sighed.
"I'll take you after school tomorrow, I promise," Ryan said.
"I love you," Ava said.
"I love you too," Ryan said.
Emma came upstairs. "Our parents told me to check on you two. Is everything okay?"
"They think the surgery went well," Ava said.
"That's great," Emma said.
"I just hope it went well," Ava sighed.
"I've heard of people with that type of cancer who only needed one surgery," Emma said.
"That's good," Ava said.
"Should we get back to dinner now?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah, we should," Ava said. "But please don't tell your parents. At least not yet."
SONG: "Let It Be" by The Beatles
Chapter 11 preview: The Gold Stars go to Regionals and Finchel finally find out about what's going on in Ava's family.