Alex hummed to herself as she dragged her green suitcase (that Finn had named Yoda) from baggage claim in Lima Allen County Airport. She had just arrived back after a two week break in Canada. She was required to go back and be present for the reading of her mothers will. She had decided to go alone even though both Will and Mike had offered to go with her. She needed to do this on her own.

While she was back in her hometown, she spent the time catching up with Ryan, her first boyfriend and long time friend. He was too nervous to tell her over the phone, so waited until she was there in person to tell her he was now dating Harper, her best friend from Canada. They both anxiously awaited her reaction, ready to be ran through with her wrath. Both were thoroughly surprised, and relieved, when she squealed, cooing at how cute she thought it was.
As much as she enjoyed spending time with her two friends, she was thankful to be back in Lima. Canada just didn't feel right without her mom, it was like the sun didn't shine as bright and the birds didn't sing as loud, everything was duller, quieter.

"Alex!" The brunettes head shot up, her face breaking out into a grin as she spotted Minho. The two laughed, running to hug each other "Never leave, things go beyond weird around here without you."

"Okay, now that's enough," A voice grumbled and Alex would never admit it out loud but her heart skipped a beat as Mike came into a view, a soft smile on his face "give me back my girlfriend."

"Hi you." Alex smiled, burying her face into his chest as Mike pulled her flush against him. He bent down, burying his face into her hair, taking a deep inhale of her shampoo.

Mike smiled as he lifted his head "I'm really proud of you Pumpkin."

"Thank you." Alex smiled sadly, reaching up on the tip of her toes to give him a soft, but passionate kiss.

Dragging Yoda behind him, Minho approached the pair with a grin as they pulled apart "Lets go, we've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Hold up," Alex held up a hand, turning in the passenger seat, her back against the door as she looked between Mike who was driving his father's car and Minho who had leant forward from the back "Finn and Rachel broke up? Already?"

"Yeah," Mike nodded, glancing over at her for a moment "and then she started dating Jesse St. James."

"Who?" Alex frowned.

Minho smiled "He was the leader of Vocal Adrenaline."

"Rachel Berry, fraternising with the enemy?" Alex teased "Wait was?"

The Chang brothers shared a look before Mike glanced at her "He is now an official member of New Directions..."

Alex's eyes widened "Well, alrighty then. Anything else?"

Minhos nose scrunched up in distaste "Finn went on a date." Alex looked at him in interest "With Santana, and Brittany. And then just Santana."

"What?" Alex's eyes widened "Santana? Why didn't Finn tell me any of this?"

"He probably thought you had enough to deal with." Minho shrugged "Oh! Kurt and Mercedes joined the Cheerios."

"Have I entered some weird alternate universe?" Alex sat back in her seat as Mike parked the car "Please tell me that's everything?"

Mike winced "You might of missed Madonna week."

"Ay dios mio!" Alex screeched, eyes wide "How could Uncle Will do this to me?"

"Chewie!" Alex called, spotting her tall friend putting books in his locker.

Finn smiled as the petetite brunette jumped into his awaiting arms "How you doing Han?"

"Well, I've been better but apparently so have you?" Alex retorted, folding her arms across her chest "You and Rachel broke up, now she's dating some dude that sounds like he belongs in N-Sync, and you went out with Santana?"

Finn grimaced, running a hand down the back of his neck "Yeah, kind of."

"Kind of?"

Finn let out a sigh "Okay, that's totally what happened."

Alex frowned "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were sorting out your moms will Alex..." Finn frowned "I think that's a lot more important than stupid girl drama."

"Finn, what's important to you is just as important to me." Alex stated "I care about what makes you happy. So is that Rachel or Santana?"

"Santana was a mistake." Finn admitted, running a hand down his face "I-I need to tell you something. I haven't told anyone else."

"What is it?" Alex asked, a frown of concern on her face as she looked up at him.

Finn swallowed "I uh, I had sex with Santana..." Alex's eyes widened beyond her control "she said it would be a win-win, I don't really know how but it happened. I-I didn't want to be some loser virgin anymore, and Rachel was with Jesse..."

"Being a virgin does not make you a loser Finn." Alex sighed "I'm a virgin, and am I a loser?"

"Yes," a voice stated and Alex turned to find one Dave Karosfsky looking at her. She didn't even have time to blink before an ice cold slushee was thrust into her face "Welcome back."

As Dave walked away, laughing smugly, Finn winced watching as Alex licked her lips "Hmm, grape."

Alex's eyes narrowed as she spotted two Cheerios heading into the choir room "Hey, Soft Hands, Beyoncé."

Kurt and Mercedes spun on their heels "Alex!" The two gasped in unison, grabbing her into a group hug.

Alex gasped for air, squashed in between the two "Release!"

"Girl, we missed you." Mercedes chuckled, smiling at her brunette friend.

Kurt nodded, tidying his hair back into place "Its like part of my soul was missing."

"Cute." Alex chuckled before narrowing her eyes at the red polyester uniforms the two adorned "So, you guys are Cheerios now?"

"Yeah," Mercedes sighed as the three made their way into the choir room "We were fed up of not being given solos."

Kurt hummed "So we wanted another outlet to showcase our talent."

Mercedes frowned "I just didn't think, that our talent would be our bodies."

"What are you talking about?" Alex frowned.

Kurt sighed "Coach Sylvester just told us that Mercedes has to lose ten pounds and start wearing the Cheerios skirt or she's off the team." Kurt frowned "She also said I had hips like a pear." He admitted, running a hand over them self consciously.

"You're kidding?" When neither made a move to reply she frowned "You're not kidding... You guys aren't gonna listen to her are you?"

"We have to." Kurt shrugged.

"No you don't." Alex scoffed "You guys are beautiful, exactly the way your are, no matter what anybody says."

Mercedes frowned "Not beautiful enough for the Cheerios."

Alex went to retort when Will entered the room "Hey guys, take a seat." Will smiled at the group as they sat down "First of all, I'd like us to welcome back Alex." The brunette gave a mock bow as everyone clapped and hollered. Will smiled at his goddaughter "We all missed you."

Alex smiled "I missed you guys too." Her smile dropped as she narrowed her eyes at Will "but me and you are gonna have to talk about how it is not okay to use some of my major idols for glee when I'm. not. here."

Will smiled sheepishly "The opportunity presented itself and I couldn't pass it up. There will be more Madonna moments for you."

Mike rubbed Alex's back as she pouted, slouching into his side "Poor spoilt baby."

Will sighed getting back on track "Secondly, I have an announcement. We can't use the auditorium for the next week."

"But that's garbage." Finn exclaimed, declaring exactly what everyone was thinking "How are we supposed to practice for regionals without the auditorium."

"The Cheerios need it to practice in." Will sighed before shrugging "There's nothing I can do."

Rachel stood from her seat "I recommend a sit-in."

"I recommend we torch the place." Puck chipped in making the guys laugh as Mike and he shared a fist bump.

"No." Will sighed "Look, we've all faced adversity before and we've come out stronger on the other end. I'm gonna check out a few off site locations for us to use, just for the week. I promise I'll find us a new home."

Just as Will finished speaking, the bell rang and everyone chattered as they made their way to the door. Just Alex was about to walk away, a tug made her fall back with a grunt of surprise. "Kurt, what the heck?"

The boy ignored her as he dragged her over to the only person left in the room "Oh, Finn! I wanted your opinion on this." He set a large board filled with various materials on top of the piano "It's a swatch board. I'm redecorating my bedroom. Kind of going for a hunting lodge meets Tom Ford's place in Bel Air." Kurt grinned making Alex raise an eyebrow "I was hoping you could help me out with the hunting lodge part."

Finn looked at Alex confused and lost before shrugging "I live in a closet. There's cowboy wallpaper on the walls."

"Oh." Kurt frowned as Alex snickered remembering her friends childish wallpaper.

Finn sighed before pointing to the plainest swatch he could find "But I guess that ones nice."

"Toile?" Kurt smirked "I always pegged you as a chinoiserie type."

Finn blinked slowly before shaking his head and making his way out of the choir room. Alex raised an eyebrow at Kurt, who was grinning at his swatch board "Okay... what was that all about? Because I know you didn't ask the boy who turns his sheets inside out instead of changing them for real decorating advice."

"Okay, I have major news, but you can't say anything, not yet." Kurt told her sternly pointing a finger at her.

"I swear." Alex raised her hands in surrender.

Kurt grinned "My dad is dating Carol."

"Hudson?" Alex gushed. When Kurt nodded she let out a sequel "Yes, my new otp!"

Kurt sighed dreamily "If all goes to plan, Finn and I will be living under the same roof."

Alex's eyes widened in realisation "Which is why you wanted his opinion on decoration... so he would like your room."

"Genius right?" Kurt smiled.

Alex snorted "More like creepy but whatever helps you sleep at night." She pat the boy on the chest, walking away from him.

Kurt gaped after her retreating back "You take that back! It's not creepy if it's cute!"

"April Rhodes wants to live with us?" Alex frowned, glancing at her uncle as they stood by the piano as the rest of the glee club filed in.

Will sighed "She wants to check the apartment out."

"The apartment, or you?" Alex scoffed.

"Alex," Will frowned before shaking his head "Look if we don't find someone to sublet, we'll have to sell up and find somewhere smaller. We can't afford the apartment on our own once the divorce goes through."

Alex frowned "What about Ms Pillsbury? I really don't think she'd appreciate a girl you had a die hard crush on sleeping in the same apartment as you."
Will sighed "I know, but I honestly don't know what's going on with Emma and I. I-I don't even know if we're dating or not. Every time I think we're on the right track something happens and we're back to square one."

Alex let out a sigh "Look, everything will work out how it's supposed to. Just have a little faith." She glanced at the glee club "Finn invited to a family dinner tonight for moral support and then I'm gonna crash at Kurts. Which I'm really kinda glad about now that I know April will be at the apartment." She frowned before sighing "Please, just be careful. Don't do anything you'll regret."

Will sighed, watching as she took her seat between Mike and Minho. "Right," he clapped "I've got us a new home for practices. You remember April Rhodes right?"

"How could we forget?" Puck smirked, earning a slap to the back of the head from a fuming Quinn.

Will rolled his eyes "Well she runs a roller rink-"

"A roller rink?" Tina interrupted with a frown.

Santana raised an eyebrow "Weren't those outlawed in, like, 1981 for being totally lame?"

Will sighed "Come on, guys. Where's your sense of adventure? The space is great and April is giving it to us to practice in for free."

Kurt raised a hand "Mr Schue? If I may?" When Will nodded, he made his way to stand in front of the group "The New Directions is clearly a club with a dearth of direction. Rachel and Jesse refuse to accept that all of us would rather die before we allow them to become the next Beyoncé and Jay-Z." Alex glanced across her boyfriend at the pair, smirking amused at their offended expressions "and Finn's mother's romance with my father is sending him into a wholly unnecessary tailspin of despair." Alex shrugged when Finn turned to her whilst Kurt grabbed a pile of song sheets from in top of the piano before handing them to Will to pass out "What we all need right now is to explore the idea of a sense of place and how if we find that place within we will get that happy ending." he turned to the piano "Brad. B flat."

Whilst Kurt performed A House is Not a Home, focusing his eyes on Finn, and Finn alone, Alex couldn't help but snort as Puck mouthed 'Are you gay?' incredulously to Finn, taking notice that the song was being silently dedicated to him.

As Kurt went into the chorus, Mike smiled to himself as Alex rested her head on his shoulder. Leaning down he placed a kiss on the crown of her head, feeling the lyrics him. He realised in that moment, as long as Alex was with him, he would always be home.

As she watched her friend perform, Alex was content as she felt a kiss to the crown of her head. Her lips curving into a smile at the mere thought of Mike. She realised as she listened to the lyric that she didn't an apartment or even a country or state. All she needed was Mike and she would always be home.

As Finn parked his truck outside Breadstix, he, Carol and Alex climbed out. As the three made their way to the front door, Alex leaned closer to Finns mother "If you want me to leave now, just say so. I won't be offended in the slightest."

"Why would I want you to leave?" Carol frowned, glancing over at the young girl.

Alex shrugged "Because this is a family dinner and Finn just thinks he needs moral support."

"Sweetheart," Carol paused stopping the two as Finn carried on unaware "you are family. Mine and Finns." Alex was speechless "You've brought a whole lot of light to my sons life, and to mine. I'll never try and be your min, because no one can replace that." Carol assured grabbing the girl's hand in hers as she watched her brown eyes fill with unshed tears "But if you ever need anything, you can come to me. You're the daughter I never had but always wanted." She pulled the girl along with a chuckle "Now c'mon, you're staying. End of discussion."

Alex let out a watery chuckle, squeezing the woman's hand as they caught up with Finn who was holding the door open, a confused frown on his face "Thank you Carol. You have no idea how much that means to me, or how much happiness you and Finn have brought me in the hardest time of my life." She smiled before letting out a low whistle "And can I just say, damn, your ass looks great in those jeans, are they new?"

"Kurt got them for me." Carol grinned, a blush colouring her cheeks.

Finn frowned as the two women finally made it through the door "What took you guys so long?"

"Little legs Finn." Alex deadpanned.

Carol nodded, an amused smile on her face as her son looked to her with a raised eyebrow "Oh yeah, one step of yours equals at least two of ours." she smiled down passed Finns shoulder "There's Burt and Kurt, let's eat shall we?"

Alex chuckled as the woman walked ahead, wanting to be with her man as soon as possible. She sighed as she saw Finns uncomfortable expression "Look how happy she is Chewie."

Finn sighed "I know, but she's replacing my dad Alex. She tried to sell his chair. I only have one photo with my dad, and we were sitting in that chair. She can't just get rid of it."
"Your dad is irreplaceable." Alex squeezed his arm "She's just opening her heart to something new. You should try it too."

"A toast." Kurt declared from Alex's right, lifting his drink into the air "Tonight is a momentous occasion." Alex subtly nudged Finn with her left elbow as she noticed him slumped forward, head in hand as she sucked his drink through a straw "It marks the first real communion between the Hummel and the Hudson clans. With the added bonus of the lovely Santiago senorita." He smiled at Alex who rolled her eyes fondly at his horrible Spanish accent "I imagine that when the Bouviers and the Kennedys first broke bread there was a similar sense of joy and urgency. So let me raise my Shirley Temple to our new little family."

"We're not a family." Finn grumbled as everyone's else clinked their glasses.

"Finn!" Carol exclaimed.

Burt shook his head "Its cool." He turned to the boy "You're right, your mom and I are just enjoying each other's company right now. Let just enjoy dinner. I mean, I'm buyin' right?" He chuckled making Finn smile slightly "What are you playing? Basketball now?"

"Yeah." Finn sat up, actually interested in the conversation "But I actually kinda like football better."

"I didn't know that." Carol frowned as Burt nodded in understanding.

Finn shrugged "Sounds crazy, but I miss getting hit."

Alex snorted "Mike and Minho are exactly the same. Said basketball doesn't give the same rush."

Kurt chuckled, desperate to join in "Pure boyish insanity."

"No, it's isn't." Burt rejected before turning to Finn "I totally get that. I used to love the feeling of getting my clock cleaned and then popping right up. kinda reminded me of being alive."

"Oh yeah." Finn smiled, crunching on a breadstick.

"Why hasn't anyone commented in the new jeans I got Carol?" Kurt grinned, trying to steer the topic away from sports.

"Ooh, I did!" Alex said through a mouthful of breadstick "Her ass looks a-mazing! Am I right Burt?"

Burts eye widened before he cleared his throat, choosing to take a bite out of a breadstick. Kurt groaned "Dad come on, notice that the waistband falls well below the belly button. A welcome change." He winked at Carol.

"Sure Kurt." Both smiled before turning his attention back to Finn "Hey, you know, I sell tires to one of the assistant coaches from the Browns." Finn straightened up "I can probably get you tickets, if you want to go."

Finn nodded enthusiastically "That'd be awesome. I've never been to an NFL game live before."

"Well, no problem." Burt shook his head.

"Wow," Finn chuckled, gesturing to his breadstick "for a place called Breadstix, these really suck."

"Blasphemy!" Alex gasped, grabbing the basket and holding them protectively against her chest.

Burt and Carol laughed along with Finn as they watched the girl. Butt shook his head "It's really just stale bread, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Carol nodded, chuckling.

Alex frowned as she stroked the basket "Shh," she cooed "don't listen to them. You're beautiful and delicious."

Alex frowned sadly from her place on Kurts bed as she watched the boy rip down all the swatches from his bedroom wall. "Hey," Burt greeted, coming down the stairs "You finally choose one?"

"No." Kurt answered, continuing to tear them down one by one "They're all wrong."

Burt shrugged "Well, they all look like gray to me."

"Maybe if they were different colored sports uniforms, you'd work harder to tell them apart." Kurt snarked unable to stop himself.

"I knew it." Burt sighed "I knew when I started in on the football with Finn, you'd take it personal."

"How could I not, Dad?" Kurt turned to him upset and Alex longed to disappear, not wanting to intrude on this father/son moment "When was the last time you were that engaged in a conversation with me?"

"I'm sorry." Burt shrugged "I don't know what you want here."

Kurt frowned "What I want is for you to appreciate how hard it is for me to watch you bond with the son that you've obviously always wanted."

Burt scoffed "Oh, suddenly I'm not the guy who sat through Riverdance three years in a row? Look, Kurt, I love you and I am sympathetic to all of your stuff." he let out a sigh "But come on, buddy, we got a deal here, right? I don't try to change you, you don't try to change me. You are my son, and a little guy talk with some other kid isn't gonna change that."

"Guy talk?" Kurt frowned "I'm a guy."

"Come on." Burt sighed "You know what I mean."

"Maybe I was wrong." Kurt shook his head a sigh he sat at his dresser "Maybe it is too sink for you to start getting serious with someone." Alex frowned, seeing where this was headed.

Burt sighed as he watched his sin in the reflection of the mirror "Your moms been dead eight years." Alex ducked her head at the thought "You know that. Why'd you fix me up with Carol? Wasn't it to makes me happy? 'Cause that's what you told me."

Kut didn't look at him "Can you go now? I'm a half an hour behind on my moisturizing routine and Alex and I need to get up early."

Burt sent the brunette girl a sad look. Alex returned it mouthing 'I'll talk to him.' Burt nodded thankfully, before taking one last glance at his son, before sighing and making his way upstairs.
"Kurt-"
"Please don't." The boy interrupted, tears in his eyes as he turned to friend "Please, not tonight."

Alex sighed softly before nodding "You want to braid my hair for me?"

Kurts eyes lit up "French or fishtail?"

Alex smiled teasingly "Ladies choice."

"So you and Kurt planned to break up your parents?" Alex frowned as sat between him and Mike on the gym floor waiting for the assembly to start.

"Right." Finn nodded.

Mike frowned "And you were going to pretend to flush your dads ashes?"

Finn sighed "Right."

"But after talking with your mom, you're okay with them?"

Finn smiled slightly "I'm getting there."

Alex grinned as she wrapped an arm around him "Proud of you kiddo."

"I'm older than you." Finn frowned.

Alex raised an eyebrow "Only in age."

Finns eyebrows furrowed in confusion "But-"

"Shh!" Alex interrupted him, placing her finger to her lips "Its starting." She gestured to the floor where Cheerios made their way across the court to loud applause from the stands.

"What is she doing?" Mike frowned as Mercedes broke away from the team and made her way towards a microphone in the centre.

Alex shrugged, watching as Mercedes tapped the mic, earning feedback "Hey guys. I'm Mercedes Jones." She exhaled nervously "So most of you know Cheerios is about perfection and hot and being popular. Well, I think that it should be about something different." Alex smiled proudly, catching onto to her friends intentions "How many of you at this school feel fat?"

Alex couldn't help but think of Mean Girls as she raised her hand, raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimised by Regina George.

Mercedes nodded "How many of you feel like maybe you're not worth very much? Or you're ugly, or you have too many pimples and not enough friends?" She breathed out as more and more people raised their hands "Well, I felt all of those things about myself at one time or another. Hell, I felt most things about myself today. And that just ain't right. And we've got something to say about it." She gestured to the Cheerios behind her except for Kurt who looked completely bewildered "And if you like what we have to say, come down here and sing it with us."

As the music for Christina Aguilera's Beautiful started, and the spotlight hit her, Mercedes searched the crowd for Alex. Finding her directly in front of her, she let a smile cross her face as she nodded in thanks to her friend. She was beautiful and Alex helped her realise that.
"Ooh ooh, yeah. Every day is so wonderful, and suddenly, it's hard to breathe. Now and hen, I get insecure, from all the pain, I'm so ashamed." She connected eyes with Alex who smiled proudly at her "I am beautiful no matter what they say, words can't bring me down. I am beautiful, in every single way, yes words can't bring me down. Oh, no."

Alex smiled as the female Cheerios joined in, harmonising with Mercedes who took the mic from the stand "So don't you bring me down, today. No matter what we do, no matter what we say." Alex was the first to stand, making her way to Mercedes as they wrapped their arms around each other. Quinn was next joining Mercedes other side as slowly but surely, everyone else followed, either from the stands or down in the court, they school sang together as one "We're the song that's out of tune. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And everywhere we go. The sun will always, always shine. 'Cause we are beautiful, no matter what they say, yes words won't bring us down. Oh no. We are beautiful, in every single way. Yes words can't bring us down. Ooh-ohh-ohh. So don't you bring me down, today. Ohh-oh oh, ohh-ohh, don't you bring me down, today. Hey-ey-ey. Yeah. Oh. Don't you bring me down...Today."

As everyone applauded, Kurt pushed his way forward approaching Mercedes with tears in his eyes "Thank you. I was wrong."

Alex smiled as the two embraced, leaning back into Mike's chest as he hugged her from behind, leaning down to whisper in her ear "You are beautiful."

Alex grinned as she led everyone into the choir room, surrounds the piano as Will and April talked off to the side "Did you tell him yet?"

Will frowned, looking between the grinning glee club and April "Tell me what?"

April smirked, raising her hands in victory "That I bought y'all the auditorium."

Everyone cheered and applauded as Will gaped "What?"

April giggled "I wrote ol' Figgins a check this morning. It's now called the April Rhodes Civic Pavillion."

"I-I don't know what to say." Will stuttered.

"We've got that covered." Rachel nodded, sharing a look with the New Directions.

Alex smiled, straightening out her black shirt from her spot in the line up behind the curtain the auditorium as April started singing Home, from The Wiz. As the curtains opened she could see the look of awe on her godfathers face as he watched April in her dazzling white gown, give the performance of her life.
As they performed the last verse, Alex couldn't help but look over at Mike, only to find him looking straight back "Living here in this brand new world might be a fantasy. But it's taught me to love so it's real to me. And I've learned that we must look inside our hearts to find, a world full of love like yours and mine."

The couple smiled softly at each other "Like home."