Sam
As soon as the guys returned home for their holiday break, Amy put them to work. Since they were back the week before McKinley got out, Sam and Artie were back in plenty of time to help out with the holiday showcase that the William McKinley High and Grover Cleveland Middle Schools had teamed up to do, under the direction of Amy and Will. Amy said she was proudest of the duet they'd arranged for Roderick Meeks and his little brother, Gregory, the spitting image of the older, just one grade level below. There were to be three performances in total, over the course of the last week of school — one at the middle school, one at the high school, and one final show at Lima Manor.
On Monday, at the after school practice, the returning alumni — Sam, Artie, Mercedes, Kurt, and Blaine — were greeted with a warm reception from all but Leah, who narrowed her eyes and asked, "Weren't you also here at Thanksgiving? Don't you have other things you could be doing?"
"No, sweetums, we don't." That was Mercedes, who'd had her arms folded as she sat in the back. But Leah's little jab couldn't go ignored by her, and she couldn't resist a quick name drop. "Ariana's working on her second album, so it'll be a minute until we tour again. She's asked me to lay down some background vocals, but we don't go back to the studio 'til mid-January. Til then, I'm at your service."
"And we're here to support my sister," Artie added, as Amy smiled warmly at him and mouthed 'thank you.'
Will clapped his hands to get their attention, as he entered the auditorium. "Okay, guys," he said. "Listen up. First of all, we are welcoming two new members to the New Directions starting next semester, bringing our team to fifteen members. One is a returning member. His cousin, Alistair, has talked him into transferring here from Dalton, to rejoin us. Without further adieu, please welcome back Rory Flanagan."
A round of applause went up as Rory stepped onto the stage. Sam saw Sugar look between both Artie and Rory and giggle, as though she were sure that any minute, they'd both start fighting over her again.
"Thanks, guys," Rory said. "I, uh, I told the Warblers that it's been great, but seeing as I only get one go at my senior year in America, I'd like to go to Nationals with my old team. And my cousin as well." He grinned at Alistair. "So I've transferred, starting in January."
"Did you catch a word of that?" Artie whispered to Sam, who bit his enormous lower lip to hold back a chuckle.
"Our next transfer student," Will went on. "Comes to us as a former member of the competition as well. She's a senior and a NYADA hopeful. Please welcome... Harmony."
As Harmony stepped onstage, Kurt loudly whispered to Blaine, "Oh, my God, it's the Gerber Baby!"
Sam heard Kitty groan from where she and the rest of the upperclassman were seated in the back row. "Great," she was saying, as Harmony took the stage and did a little curtsy. "So, now we junior girls can expect to lose our solos to her, because she needs a NYADA audition."
"At least you have another year." That was Madison, the senior Cheerio.
"At least you had a solo," And that was Unique, the diva who was tragically overlooked during sectionals.
"Guys, guys!" Sam decided to help them out, jumping up to stand between Will and Amy, as Artie hid a smirk. "Let's not fight over solos and duets for Regionals! I mean, what kind of example is to our middle schoolers?"
"Sounds pretty much like what we're used to," said one of the middle schoolers, eyeing Myron, the superintendent's nephew who usually got all the solos.
Sam made eye contact with Amy, who looked like she was feeling a little helpless at this point, despite his attempt to control the crowd. "In the spirit of Christmas," he said. "What we need to focus on right now is this concert. C'mon, everyone up on stage, let's go, let's go..."
With that, the two groups joined together onstage. The high school glee club now had fifteen members, but middle school just had the twelve they needed to participate. And, given how fickle this age group could be, Amy was actively recruiting as much as she could at school, starting with some of the cheerleaders she'd met while she was teaching the English class during the other periods of the day.
"Let's start with Roderick and Gregory's duet, 'Little Saint Nick,'" Amy said. "From the top!"
"We're celebrating," Will said, as he and Emma sat down to the impromptu dinner at Breadstix that they'd invited the five visiting alumni and Amy to join them for that evening. Breadstix had a Monday night special, too, which was all the more reason to go.
"Are you guys...?" Mercedes trailed off and didn't finish the question, but she looked anxiously between Emma and Will, and everyone understood what she was asking the couple.
"Oh, no," Emma looked down, as she folded her napkin in her lap. "No, that hasn't happened yet, but we're hopeful. Still trying. We missed our window for a summer baby..." She gave a sad smile.
"Early fall would be okay, too," Will added, grabbing his wife's hand and squeezing it gently. "No, we're celebrating Amy tonight. Amy, you want to share your good news?"
"Sure," said Amy, grinning from ear to ear and doing that thing that creeped Sam out, where she resembled Artie way too much. "So, Mrs. Mahaney decided today that she'd like to stay home with her baby for the rest of the year. I was offered the job for the rest of the year, and I've decided to accept it. You're looking at the newest teacher and glee club director of Glover Cleveland Middle School!"
At this, they all applauded wildly. Amy stood and did a little curtsy, as she blushed. "And I've got my work cut out for me," she added. "If today was any indication..."
"No, I'd say Mr. Schue does, with the high schoolers," Blaine interjected. "You saw the way all the girls reacted to Harmony joining the team."
"I thought Kitty had a point," Artie said.
"They should be more threatened by the presence of an ex-Warbler joining the team," Kurt quipped, nudging Blaine playfully.
"Who, Rory?" Artie couldn't resist scoffing at that.
"I think you could let him and Sugar go out now, don't you?" Amy teased. "Now that you've found yourself someone new."
"Oh, really?" Mercedes grinned at Artie. "Who is she, Artie?"
As Artie launched into a full explanation of Julie for the others, Sam leaned across the table, quietly addressing his girlfriend. "I'm really proud of you," he told her. "Are you excited to be settling down?"
Amy chuckled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Look at me," she said. "Steady boyfriend, steady job, I've never been so settled in my life! I just..." she punctuated that statement with a huge yawn.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
"I may have overcommitted," she admitted. "I've been going in early, to let some of the kids meet up in the choir room for extra practice. It's just, they're really beginning to bond as a team now. I figured the extra time together would be nice for them. The only thing is, I have to go in early to supervise them, because they're just twelve and thirteen. I am not a morning person, like Artie. I'm exhausted."
"But glee club practices are already after school," he said, frowning. "Amy, you don't have to overwork yourself just to prove you can do this. Everyone can already see that you're perfect for the job."
Amy reached across the table for his hands and gave them an appreciative squeeze. He might have leaned across the table and kissed her, if not for the five other people dining with them that night.
"And speaking of cute couples." That was Mercedes, who took note of their private conversation and regarded them with a smile. Despite things ending between them, Sam knew Mercedes just wanted to see him happy and settled with someone, for a change.
It was Artie whose face still said it all, that he still struggled with the concept of his best friend and his older sister, even if he'd learned to be quiet about it now.
"Kurt, Blaine, what's new with you?" Sam asked, changing the subject to the very next thing that popped into his mind. And really, he didn't know much about what was going on with the group in New York. A part of him still longed to be there, with them all. But if he'd done that, he couldn't have trained with Artie or fallen in love with Amy...
"Same old, same old," Kurt said. "I'm trying to help Blaine stave off the freshman fifteen and we're just eating, sleeping, and breathing that NYADA life."
"But it's the holidays and it's Breadstix," Blaine said, with a pout. "Don't you think I could order some pasta?"
"We'll split it," Kurt said. "With a side salad."
"I really thought you two would be getting engaged and planning your wedding, as soon as Blaine graduated," Mercedes commented. "What changed all of that?"
"We're still very committed to one another," Kurt said, with a side-eye towards Blaine. "But people in New York are different. Rarely does anyone our age get married. And besides, we have a lot going on between now and then... it's just... not the right time."
"But when it is," Blaine interjected. "You all will be the first to know."
"Well, maybe the next time we all sit down to celebrate," Mercedes began. "I'll be on tour with Ariana, Kurt and Blaine will be engaged, Amy will be taking the mini-Directions to Nationals, and the Schuesters will have a baby on the way." She lifted her water glass. "Here's to new adventures!"
"Amy's already asleep," Artie commented, after he'd worked his way up the stairs and across the carpet, with Sam trailing up the stairs behind him. He'd stopped short of getting on the couch, when he discovered Amy stretched out, sound asleep before nine.
Sam stopped too. "I guess we should let her rest," he reasoned, shrugging. "She told me she's been going in early to let the glee club practice. I think it's catching up to her. You wanna just watch a movie?"
"Sure," Artie said, hoisting himself up onto the loveseat instead. Neither of them were planning to get up before nine the next day. "Let's watch the greatest Christmas movie of all time..."
"Die Hard," the two said, in unison, grinning.
As Sam found the DVD and got it started for them, he turned to ask Artie a question, after another glance to make sure Amy was still asleep. "I've been waiting all weekend for you to tell your family about the surgery," he said. "When are you going to mention it?"
"When Dad gets home later this week, I will," Artie said. "It's just easier if I only have to tell them once. I don't know if they're going to be mad or proud of me for getting a second opinion..."
"Well, it's your decision."
Artie shrugged. "It's still Mom who will end up taking care of me all summer," he said. "Like last time, only I was fifteen then and still very much a dependent, so it didn't seem weird back then."
"You don't have to feel bad about that," Sam said. "Besides, I take care of you now."
"Uh-huh, if you say so," Artie replied.
They stopped talking, as 'Die Hard' started up just then, just the thing to get them both into the holiday spirit. Amy never did wake up, so when the movie ended, Sam finally woke her and helped her walk to her bedroom, asking her when she wanted to set her alarm in the morning. She answered with an impossibly early time, and Sam just shook his head but made sure it was set.
"Good morning," Sam greeted Amy, as she came into the kitchen, impossibly early, for her day at work. "Just four more days until you start Christmas break."
"Just three more days till the first performance of our Christmas concert," Amy added, anxiously. She grinned when she saw what Sam had done. Toast, eggs, bacon, and orange juice were spread out on the table for them.
"Got enough time to eat?" Sam asked.
"Sure," Amy said, sitting down at the table and helping her own plate. "This looks wonderful but um..." she paused, a funny expression on her face as she wrinkled her nose. "If it's okay, I'll pass on the bacon and have a grapefruit instead."
Sam sat across from her, aghast as he began helping his plate, too, heaping on plenty of the bacon. "You don't like bacon?"
"No, I do..." Amy trailed off. "Sorry, that greasy, heavy stuff might upset my stomach this early. But you did a great job, really, I like everything else. Thank you."
"I thought, after we eat, that I'd just give you a ride to school," he said. "That way you can just ride home with me when Artie and me come for practice."
"Good idea," Amy said, brightly, as she got up to grab herself a grapefruit and cut it in half. "I really enjoy having you guys help with practice." She paused, looking thoughtful, as she sat down again. "And I saw Artie talking to Kitty and Ryder a couple of times. He seems to be doing okay... is he?"
"I guess Julie is helping him get over her," Sam said. "You'll like this girl, when you meet her."
"I'm sure I will," she agreed.
"And you would consider this progress," Sam added. "Artie's called her every evening since we've been home."
He's lost many a girl due to not staying in touch," Amy added, laughing a little. "Yep, I call that progress. Oh, shoot, Sam... less talk, more eating."
They managed to get out the door in enough time to satisfy Amy, who left the Abrams' home by 7:15 every morning, in order to be there to greet the students who wanted to come by and hang out before school.
"There's only one thing that bums me out about you getting this job," Sam said, as they climbed into his truck. He and Artie had driven separately this time, in case they both wanted to go their separate ways while they would be home for the next three weeks.
"What's that?" Amy asked, clicking her seatbelt into place.
"It means that you can't take random sub jobs in Columbus anymore and come stay with Hayley," Sam said, referring to what Amy had done earlier that fall.
"Oh, yeah..." she said. "Yeah, that's true, but I'm done with subbing. I really do love working with the middle school glee kids. Especially since I got permission to distribute solos as I see fit."
"Maybe when Mr. Schue moves on someday, you can take his place," Sam added. "I hope I get to do something that makes me happy someday."
"You will."
"Feels really far off."
"I know that feeling," Amy said. "I remember that feeling. But you will."
He took her the rest of the way and parked right in front of the building to drop her off. She leaned over, one hand touching his cheek and the other grabbing a hold of his muscular shoulder, and kissed him deeply. "That was for getting up early and making me breakfast," she said.
"I love you," Sam said, his heart pounding. He knew Artie would be yelling at him to slow the heck down, if he knew how they were talking now.
Her eyes locked on his, and this time, she didn't toss it out casually at all. "I love you, too, Sam Evans," she said, smiling softly at him. "I'll see you later."