This is the penultimate chapter! Can you believe it's been 14 weeks already?! Well it has and next week will be the end but don't worry cuz I am writing the sequel now. I've got quite a few chapters worked out but I'm nowhere near finished.

Tell me what you do and don't like about these stories. I'm mostly writing different scenarios I find funny or interesting. I won't be uploading the sequel until the end of this year if not 2019 outright. I hate to leave you guys hanging but I'm constantly working on other stories and it's really hard to focus on like ten at a time so I'm trying to not spread myself so thin.

Anyway, enjoy and review!

NJPNJPNJP

Puck: POV

The first week back at school sucked. People treated me and Finn different like they were scared of us or something but I didn't care. The good news was that Sam, Az and Karofsky went to our school along with Shane and Zizes. I couldn't call her Lauren. She wasn't soft enough, even if she was pregnant.

So I checked out on school. I went to some classes but Ms. Green at Shue's was the best damn teacher I'd ever had and she was out of my life so what was the point?

I mostly smoked weed outside and tried not to get caught skipping. I couldn't wait for the school year to be over and then another two years so I could be with my ladies and my kids.

But I avoided being at home. I didn't even want to be around my mom. She gave me a fucking headache and I wanted no part of her.

I tried to stay out all day and only come home late at night. She ignored me, too so that was a good thing.

I tried not to think about my situation and only decided to live my life for the weekends, when I'd see my girls. That's where me and Finn were going now.

I pulled into the parking lot of Sly's and parked. There were a lot of cars and I had to park far away. But we didn't care. We decided to meet our girls in the morning and meet up with the guys in the afternoon to veg out.

Finn and I went up to the building and went inside. We signed in and they showed us to the visiting room. It didn't take too long for Mama, Kick, Q and Streisand to show up.

They sat around the table with smiles. "Hey!"

"What's up?" We grinned.

"How was school?" Mama asked.

I shrugged. "School. You ain't missing nothin."

"You're not having a hard time adjusting, are you?" Streisand wanted to make sure.

"Nah." Finn wrinkled his nose. "It's just school. It'll be over in a month anyway."

"How'd your mom take learning about Finn Jr. and Lea?" Q asked.

He winced. "Uh… she's not mad at me anymore."

"Good." Streisand sighed. "I don't want her to hate us."

"She wouldn't hate you. No one could ever hate you."

She and Q smiled at him. Mama and Kick did, too. I had to stop that shit before I looked bad. "So how has it been in here?"

"Brittany got out." Mama said. "She's so happy to be with Santana and be able to visit Wheels whenever she wants."

"She's going to have a tutor, too since it's so late in the school year and everything." Q went on.

"I wish I could have a tutor." Finn grumbled. "I miss Ms. Green."

Hell, I know I did! "Best teacher ever!"

"Too bad she's not a teacher at the high schools." Q shrugged. "She and Ms. Carter would easily be the most loved."

"I wish I had Ms. Carter." Kick pouted. "I have Mr. Bergson."

"Who's that?" I asked.

"The meanest teacher in here. He hates kids."

"Then why is he a teacher?" Finn blinked.

Kick shrugged.

Streisand frowned. "There should be a law that educators must love kids in order to teach!"

"Yes!" Q moaned.

"I don't understand how people can hate children." Mama looked really sad. "We're delightful, aren't we?"

I took her hand. "Yeah, we are."

It was quiet until Finn perked up. "Guess what? My mom's dating Fairy's dad!"

C-E-L-L

Mike: POV

"What are you doing?"

Mal looked at me. "What?"

I put my book down. "What are you doing?"

"You haven't seen me sitting here doing this for the past twenty minutes?!"

"I've been reading!"

"Something boring, I bet."

I sat up. "Don't make me come over there!"

"Or what?" He rolled his eyes.

I really didn't like him. I threw my pillow at him.

"Hey!" He threw the pillow aside as he tried to find what he'd dropped.

I smirked. "Or that."

He glared at me. "Sometimes I really hate you."

I frowned. Was he being serious? I never knew when he said that. If it was anybody else, I wouldn't have cared but he has real reason to hate me. It wasn't my fault but I would understand why he did. "My bad. What's it for?"

"Elle." He frowned as he found it and held it up to the light. "I want to lavish her with jewelry but that can't happen in here. I have to do the next best thing."

"Making it yourself." I nodded. "So what is it?"

"A bracelet." He held the ends between his fingers and stretched it out.

I nodded again. "I made T a pair of earrings recently. She'd like a bracelet to match."

"Hmm." He threw some supplies on my bed.

I picked them up to root through them when there was a noise at the door. We both looked up to see a guard. "Get dressed. You have an appointment in thirty minutes."

"An appointment? An appointment for what?" Mal glared.

"Before the judge."

"We're going before a judge?" I was totally confused. "Why? When was this decided? Why didn't we know about it before?"

"Hey!" The guard waved his hands. "Get dressed!"

We glared at his back as he left and Mal went to slam the door closed.

"This can't be good." I stood up.

"What do you think this is about?" Mal began changing.

I did, too. "I have no idea. It could be anything."

"We haven't done anything in months."

"They'll always pin something on us. It'll be easy to."

He grunted.

We finished dressing and left our room. Another guard was waiting for us and led us to where the buses were. They shackled us together and made us get on one of the smaller buses.

The guard and driver were silent as they drove us down the road. The girls (Mercy, Lucy and Marcy) got on in their own shackles.

As the bus pulled away, I turned to them. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"None." Mercy shook her head. "They just told us."

"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Lucy shook her head, too.

"I don't care." Marcy frowned. "I'm sick of being jerked around."

"I know that's right." Mercy bit her bottom lip.

Mal, who was on the outside of our seat, reached over for Marcy. "I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe it has something to do with the babies?"

"Maybe it has to do with that motormouth finch and they're finally deporting us?" Marcy said.

"Wow." I blinked. "You went dark."

She shrugged.

"Whatever it is, we're here." Lucy pointed out the window at the courthouse.

The bus stopped and the guards (the one from Sly's came with us) ushered us off the bus. They led us inside City Hall. People stared at us in chains but that was the least of our worries.

We got to a courtroom and sat in the back. The judge was finishing up with someone. I didn't recognize the judge so I really didn't know what this was about.

The person in trouble left with their lawyer and the judge left. Our lawyer rushed in. We hadn't seen him in a while. He almost lost his retainer (and his life) with our family when he couldn't get us off but he was a good lawyer and he was spared.

He led us to the podium up front. "I don't exactly know what this is about. He just called this meeting and demanded we be here."

"Who?" Lucy demanded.

"All rise!" The bailiff yelled.

"Oh shit." Marcy muttered.

Oh shit was right. The judge was Judge Owens. The hardass that locked us up. Maybe we were getting deported?

He waved everyone down.

"Your Honor, may I approach the bench?" Our lawyer asked.

"No." See? Hardass. "This won't take long. Treat this as a parole hearing. Convince me to let you out."

We were gobsmacked. What?! He wanted to let us out?!

Our lawyer blinked before flying into a flurry of movement. "Of course, Your Honor!"

Judge Owens glared at him as he outlined how good we were at Sly's and Shue's. He talked about our jobs and how we were rarely in trouble. He swore up and down we'd changed.

Judge Owens looked super unimpressed. "I want to hear from them. Michael Jr. Why should I release you?"

I gulped. "Stealing is wrong. We were wrong. There's no getting around that. But we've come a long way. We know better now and we won't make the same mistakes we used to."

"Mercedes Catherine. How have you changed?"

Mercy looked really scared. "For me, I found love. I want to be a better person. I can't do the things I used to. I have to be different."

"What are those differences, Lucille?"

Lucy bit her lower lip. "I think we were lost before. We didn't know what we were doing with our lives and were just spinning out of control until something happened."

"And what's to stop that from happening again, Marceline Anne?"

"I've always loved my kids but I wasn't thinking about them." Marcy said slowly. "Being at Sly's, away from them, I know what's important in life. I don't want to be separated from them any longer than I have to."

"Would you agree, Malcolm Sr.?"

Mal nodded. "Being away from my kids has been the hardest thing I've ever been through and I will never take them for granted again."

Judge Owens pursed his lips. "You seem actually contrite, something I never would have expected when I first met you. You were hard, bitter children. I see you're finally growing up."

What did this mean?

"Your Honor-?" Our lawyer started but Judge Owens waved a hand.

"The reason we're having this little powwow is because I'm shutting down Sly's and Shue's."

All our mouths fell open.

"I know for a fact that you three are pregnant and I suspect that Malcolm Sr. is the culprit for Marceline Anne and I'm assuming Michael Jr. also impregnated a young lady."

My ears turned red.

"Yes." He gave us a hard look. "I've had my reasons to close down both institutions for a while now when news of this epidemic at Sly's reached me. It was just a matter of getting my ducks in a row.

There's severe problems with both centers but this is just ridiculous. This shouldn't have happened. But it did and it needs to be fixed.

The harder cases will be sent out of the region to other containments but everyone else will be going home. With restrictions."

"Are we a harder case?" Marcy asked.

"I'm determining that now." He stared at her. "If you are released, it'd be too late in the school year for you to go to any school in this district so you'll be getting tutors.

When the next school year starts, you will be in extra-curriculars. I don't care what clubs or teams you join but it will be something. I will demand that you attend parenting classes before these children get here, including you two. You haven't been around your twins in nearly two years.

I want you to do community service as retribution for your crimes. I don't care what you do but until you're eighteen, you will be doing some sort of giving back and not monetarily.

I also want you to take additional classes at the college. All five of you are very bright, which is why I don't understand why you turned to a life of crime. You can do anything you put your minds to. I have reviewed your schoolwork. You're too bright. Maybe that's your problem? You're bored."

I could admit to being bored 72% of the time.

"I would order you to go straight to college but you need to be around people your own age. I think that's your problem, too. You are constantly around elders. I want you to make connections, make friends."

Did he- did he care about what happened to us? I looked at my siblings and they looked as confused as I felt.

Marcy (of course) was the one to say it. She licked her lips. "I don't understand. Do you care about what happens to us?"

He looked shocked. "Of course I care! You're young children! Who committed adult crimes! There's obviously something wrong about that picture! I didn't want you lost in the system, which is why I've kept an eye on you! I wanted to help you. No one is born evil. I refuse to believe you five are. You can be saved."

Marcy's lips trembled and her eyes filled. She burst into tears as Mal tried to comfort her. "No one's ever said that before."

Mercy and Lucy stared crying, too.

I tried to comfort both. "No one's ever cared about us before. Besides our brother and sisters. We only had each other."

"Well I care about you." Judge Owens cleared his throat. "I care about your future and I want you to do right. So I'm releasing you."

The girls cried harder and even Mal and I had a hard time not breaking down. Doing time wasn't as bad as it could have been, would have been for other people but it still wasn't ideal. Freedom means everything. And he was giving it to us (after he took it away but it was our fault really).

He banged his gavel. "Now you stop that crying. This is a good day. I advise you to start packing. You'll be going home Friday."

"This Friday?" I asked.

"Yes. This Friday. The homes will be shut down by Sunday but I think you need this weekend to reconnect with your family."

Mercy sniffed loudly. "What's going to happen to the others?"

"Like I said, the harder cases will be transferred but everyone will be released by Sunday."

"Thank you." I don't know if it was Marcy's hormones making her so thankful but it couldn't have been a bad move. "Thank you so much! We appreciate your kindness and faith in us!"

"Good. Then go out and do good." He banged his gavel again. "I don't want to see you again. Raise those kids right." He left the courtroom.

"Wow." Our lawyer breathed.

"Is this really happening?" Mercy whispered.

Lucy rubbed her face against my shirt. "I can't believe it."

"Come on. Let's go." A guard was scowling. Probably because he was out of a job.

"I'll let your family know what's going on." Our lawyer told us. "It's been a helluva ride."

"Thank you for all you've done." Marcy sniffled.

He smiled. "You're welcome, dear. I'm glad you're going home." He walked out.

The guards took us back to the bus and drove us to Sly's. The bus stopped and their guard stood up. "Come on here!"

"Ignore him. We're getting out really soon." I kissed Mercy's and Lucy's cheeks. They stood up and kissed me back before pulling on their shackles.

Marcy stood up but leapt at Mal. I kinda freaked out because I didn't know what she was doing but she was kissing him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laid one on him. She backed away and smiled. "See you Friday."

He pinched her chin. "See you Friday."

The girls got off the bus with their guard and the driver started driving to Shue's.

I took a deep breath and leaned back with my eyes closed. It was barely a five minute ride but I was still reeling. The bus stopped and we got off and went inside. The guards released us from the shackles and told us to beat it.

Nothing he said would dim my light at this. Mal and I went back to our room and sat on our beds. "Can you believe it?"

I opened my eyes and looked at Mal, who was staring at the bracelet he'd been making. "No. It sounds too good to be true."

"I don't want to get my hopes up but I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"I know. This is crazy. After all this time."

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Mal called out.

The door opened and Scoop and Wheels were there. "What's going on?! Where were you guys?!"

"Come in and shut the door!" I waved them in. "You'll never believe it!"

C-E-L-L

Mercedes: POV

Marcy, Lucy and I stopped by the phones by the visitation room. I picked up the phone and dialed Laura's cell phone number. I didn't even know what time it was but I hoped she'd answer anyway.

It rang a few times before she picked up. "Hello?"

"Laura?! It's us!"

"Mercy?! Where were you guys today?! They wouldn't tell us anything! We were so worried!"

"Calm down, Mommy!" Marcy waved her hands, even though Laura couldn't see her. For the first time ever, "Mommy" wasn't an insult. "We have to tell you where we've been!"

"Where were you?!"

Lucy spoke into the phone. "We had a date with Judge Owens!"

"That mean old man that locked you up in the first place?!"

"He's not mean." Marcy pouted.

"He's letting us out!" I squeaked.

"What?!" Laura gasped. "Are you serious?! You better not be playing with me!"

"Who jokes about getting out of juvie?" Marcy asked.

Laura squealed. "I'm so happy! Tell me everything! Wait! No! I have to go take my final for my next class. Tell you what? I have a couple hours open tomorrow. I don't want to upset the twins' routine and Marc has finals but I can come up there by myself."

"We'll tell you everything!" Lucy bounced on her toes.

"Good. I have to go but I'm so proud of you five." I could hear the tears in her voice. "I can't wait to see you. I love you."

"Love you, too." We chirped.

"Bye."

"Bye." We hung up.

"This is just amazing." Lucy said.

"I want to call Elle." Marcy said suddenly. "I hope I remember her number right."

"What time is it? Maybe she's with her tutor?" I reminded her. "I wish I could call Noah but he's probably at school."

"Damn."

"Where have you been?!" We turned to face Shank, Flip, Annie, Streisand and Reagan.

"Are you okay?" Marcy blinked.

"You just disappeared!" Annie cried. She came up to me and hugged me tight.

"You did!" Shank was right there with her with the tears. "Girls said they saw you in shackles and court clothes!"

"Everything's alright, isn't it?" Streisand held Lucy's hands and looked her deeply in her green eyes.

"It's better than alright." Lucy smiled.

Marcy looked around. "Let's go to our room. They'll know soon enough but I don't want Sly thinking this is our fault."

"Ooh!" Shank was totally nosy.

We went to their room and sat on their beds before the three of us told them what Judge Owens told us about closing down Sly's and Shue's.

Immediately, the girls began crying.

Reagan wiped her face. "I'm going home! I can't believe it! I'll see my mom again!"

"I know I'll be getting out on my birthday but I'm overjoyed to be getting out early!" Streisand wiped her own tears daintily.

Shank was a mess of tears. "I'm going home! I'm going home!"

Annie chewed on her index finger. "I have nowhere to go. My parents kicked me out."

I wrapped my arms around her and put my forehead to hers. "You can't think I would let you live on the street. Wherever I go, you go."

Her lips turned up in a watery smile as her eyebrows lifted hopefully. "You mean it? Your parents won't mind?"

I looked at Marcy and Lucy, both of whom rolled their green eyes. I looked back at Annie. "Of course not."

Annie hugged me hard. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'll be so good!"

That won't make a difference and this is probably a bad idea but I loved her and wanted her close. I just hoped she wouldn't run away when she saw how defunct we were…

"The real question is what are you gonna do?" Marcy tapped Flip's arm.

Flip bit her lower lip. "I don't know."

"I doubt our house is what anyone's looking for but you have a room as long as you need one."

Flip blinked and sniffled. "Really?"

"Of course. You're a friend and you're in need. Obviously things aren't great where you were and we can't promise things'll be better with us but if we can help you, we will."

"Truly." I added. Lucy nodded.

Flip hugged Marcy, who in a fit of hormones hugged her back. "Thank you so much! You're not even going to know I'm there!"

Shank started bawling. "I want to live with you!"

We started laughing. Things were looking up for us and as long as we got out, nothing would stop us.