It was a very strange morning the morning after Aiden had turned up.

All the family sat around our kitchen table, Emma was breast feeding Logan, but he was also the only one among us who had peace enough to eat.

The boys and even Lily still sat and stared at their older half- brother.

"Come on kids." I said at last, realizing how Aiden must be feeling awkward in all of this. "Eat your breakfast and I'll take you all to school."

The twins' and Daniel's elementary school was right in between our house and William McKinley High School. So the mornings I had to start at the same time as them I took them in my car.

"HEY." Daniel's shout reached through my wondering how on earth I would make sure Lily got to her preschool, there weren't enough seats… When I turned towards him he held the pizza box from last night in his hand. "Who had pizza? You always tell us we can't have pizza except on the weekends…" I sighed tiredly. "You don't even have to say it. He got to have pizza after we went to bed." Daniel pointed angrily at Aiden and then stomped his foot. "IT'S NOT FAIR!"

I probably should have scolded Daniel for this but for a moment I just couldn't. It felt like oatmeal had replaced my brain and tiredly I rubbed my eyes with my fingers- half as much would give me a headache.

"No it's not."

And whenever Zach and Joseph- like they just had, said the exact same thing at the exact same time they were serious. And they were only five- pizza was a serious matter!

"Okay." I interrupted before anyone had the chance to throw a tantrum. "I know it wasn't fair. But we don't really have a lot of different foods right now since tomorrow will be are weekly shopping- day. And tell you what, we can have pizza today for all of you, and then some day next week. Okay?"

Daniel pouted, but when I looked at him he glared silently back at me and then at Aiden before he'd let it be- he'd get his pizza, and put the pizza box back in the trash and went to get his jacket and bag to go to school.

"I like pizza too daddy." Lily said, I smiled at her and nodded. "We always have pizza on Fridays… What day was it yesterday?"

"Thursday."

"So what day is it today?"

"Friday."

"Then it's pizza day today. Right?" I nodded and gave a small smile. "I like pizza."

"I like it too."

And so did the boys.

I held back a sigh and forced myself not to stare back at Aiden. However uncomfortable he must be feeling right now must be beyond words.

"Come on." I lifted Lily down from my lap. "Time for another day to start. Does everyone have any clothes to wear for the day?" Everyone as in Aiden.

I turned my back against him walking through the kitchen and towards the hallway where we had all of ours wardrobes. But I still felt him watching me and had to force myself not to turn and stare back on him.

There were so many words that could have been said- so many questions that couldn't be put into words.

And then more things that could be put into words.

"Dan, you'll have to ride in the back seat with the twins today."

Daniel was actually too little to ever ride in the front seat but the back seat was so narrow and their school was only a few kilometers away anyway.

"I always ride shotgun."

"Well not today you're not." I gave him a look to show that I was being serious- I was frustrated but if I continued I'd start yelling and I didn't want to do that for anything in the world. He pouted and if looks could have killed there wouldn't have been much left of me to show Aiden to sit next to me and start the car.

"We're in kindergarten." I heard Joseph tell his older half- brother. "Two months ago we finally started big boys' school. And then when dad drives us to school he won't have to go to our school and then to Daniel's school."

I looked back to the back seat in the rearview mirror. I would have been meant to drop Lily off too but my car was just full.

For a moment I was thinking of what kind of car I would have to get if Aiden stayed with us.

"Here we are." I pulled over in front of the elementary school and unbuckled my own belt- so did the boys, except for Aiden. "Unbuckle the belt." I made sure I had pulled the handbrake. "And if someone else than me comes into the car then just get out and come running into there…" I nodded towards the door and Aiden gave a slight nod. "Good boy."

Leading the twins and their older brother into the school I almost expected that when I'd come back to the car then Aiden would be gone. Sometimes I started to talk with the teacher and I probably should have stayed today and explained what the boys would be talking about.

But I just greeted the teacher and then, without even saying goodbye hurrying back to the car through the hallway.

Of course Aiden was still there. But none of us could think of a single word to say before we had gotten out of the car and walked up towards McKinley's doors.

"Did your mum ever say a word about the glee club I started here?"

"The new directions?"

I guess she had.

"She said it destroyed your marriage."

Of course.

I could have gotten angry right back, that was what I wanted to do at this. The new directions was mostly what had saved me from a life along with her when I couldn't see what was wrong with our relationship and what was going on.

I hadn't been innocent either but I…

I wasn't the one who had faked a pregnancy and then "forgotten" to tell her when I actually had a kid only a couple of years ago.

I forced everything I wanted to say about his mum- it wasn't his fault!

But what I could do was to turn his mind around and show him what all of this had really been about. And about how much had changed… There were so many changes the last ten years it felt like it must be at least a hundred years.

"This is an art school now and music and glee clubs and everything by now. There are the New Directions and two more glee clubs. Being the principal, I have to give them all my attention and vote for them on all competitions.… after all the time I spent working the glee club from the absolute bottom of the hierarchy… I love all of the glee clubs… but New Directions will always have a special place in my heart."

"Aw." I suddenly heard right behind me. "Of course we are."

Jessica Ferguson- one of New Directions' members came right up and I felt a smile form on my lips for the first time since last night.

"Hi." She reached out her hand towards Aiden. "I'm Jess."

Aiden took her hand, but only barely as if he touched her too much he'd catch her plaque.

"Aiden."

"What have I told you about running off by yourself…" Jessica's older brother James caught up with us, pretending to scold his sister. "I was only staying to say good morning…" With his fingers and hand wrapped around his girlfriend's. "And then suddenly you weren't to be seen anywhere."

My stomach turned- how it had been like that! I might not have seen Aiden wherever he was the last ten years.

I was woken up when James kissed his girlfriend and Jess teased them.

"James and Siobhan, sitting in a…"

"Come on Jess. Are you five years old?"

Siblings were always siblings, no matter how old they were. And while Jess, James and Siobhan (her hand still holding James' tight) walked away I could hear the two siblings tease each other back and forth.

"And they're always going on like that. Bickering back and forth and especially about James and his girlfriend… But don't worry. In the year and a half I've had them in this school I've never seen them fighting."

"Why would I worry?"

Well… he did have a point. And not knowing what more to say I silently showed him into my office.

"You can put your jacket and bag here. If you come with me I'll just show you around…" I checked my watch. "We only have a couple of minutes but I'll show you the most important." When I held the door to my office open for him but stayed in the doorway while he pulled his jacket and backpack off.

"Are you thick or deaf?" He suddenly asked when he had gotten the jacket off and I gestured to some hooks on the wall. "The bag is staying me with me. And I already told that a thousand times."

"Please don't bite my head off." I asked him. "And you're acting very rudely…" He just snorted at me- he knew exactly what he was doing. "Okay. Well, come and meet the directors of the glee clubs at least…" He pulled the backpack back over his shoulders and followed me towards the staff room. "Here we go. This is Sam, whom you've already met. He's the director of the New Directions that you've heard about. Nowadays there's also an all girls' one called the troubletones, led by Shelby Corcoran." I gestured towards her. "And an all boys' one called Duly Noted, led by David Martinez."

I silent and Shelby reached her hand forward for Aiden to take it. Aiden stood with hands behind his back and didn't make any intention about that he wanted to say it.

"Well, Sam you've met. Shelby, David- this is Aiden…" I wondered what I should say at this point. "…it's… sort of a long story." I glanced towards my watch. "I'll get into it when we have more times… So… what do we tell you about our glee clubs?"

"I know one thing we have in common." Sam said, almost right away. "We compete against each other. Therefore we hate each other…" Sam said and grimaced towards David. "We're enemies so we're bound to. Right? Right?"

David raised his hands and looked as if he was about to box the younger man. He blinked at Shelby who only shook her head slightly and sighed-

"Boys!"

"That's actually a very stupid thing to say."

It was the first time Aiden had spoken without being spoken to. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared back on Shelby. She seemed uncomfortable, as did I but he seemed on his way of saying more.

"Saying things like boys! Or girls for that matter… or black or white or some other stupid stereotypical whatever is just an excuse for people to do as they like. Sure I get that they're joking but what if it then was serious and…"

"It's not." I interrupted him. "We'd never treat each other like that and nobody else for that matter… you do have a point though but you don't even have to react at all…" I sent an apologetic look to Shelby. "Now come on. I'll show you around for a bit…" We left the staff room and I showed him down the hallway. "Classroom, classroom, classroom… You could stay in the library if you want to. Maybe you can find a book to read and pass by time faster than it would in my office."

"I'm not very much into reading."

"So what do you like?" Aiden shrugged. "If you told me, what you like doing or anything about you it would make it easier for me to make sure you're well." He didn't answer and acted like he hadn't heard so I changed the subject when we neared the auditorium. "Here is the auditorium." I waved towards the point one would come into the back of the stage. "And there's practically nothing more you need to find at this place. I'll show you the cafeteria by lunch time… what's your favorite food? I'll take you out somewhere… Not pizza though. We're having pizza for dinner."

It passed my mind that Aiden had told us he was vegetarian.

"There's a vegan place a couple of blocks away from here. I've never been there before but I've heard it's good. Would you like to go there? Maybe I could have some ideas from them. I've never really had to think about vegetarian foods and we can't let you have pizza seven days a week until you're going back to your mum's."

"No. I guess not."

How he had started talking to Shelby only a few minutes ago seemed like it was a thousand years ago and he seemed silent and withdrawn again.

There had to be something else I could say.

"Shelby's choir room…." I gestured towards it and continued through the hallway until we were on the other side of the building. "David's… Maybe you would want to join one of the glee clubs some day… Do you like singing?"

"I'm not very good at it."

I smiled slightly at him, I had the words of that as of New Directions there wasn't about having the best voice but about needing the music and each other- and somehow I just knew where to sort the students auditioning.

But I didn't say anything and continued…

"So what do you like? Do you like maths?"

Aiden made a face as if he thought I was stupid.

Well, math was math. I couldn't blame him.

"Well then. I hope you can be happy with staying here on your own until lunch time. I have a very long meeting now in the morning…" I looked down on Aiden- maybe I should just go home and talk, talk and talk. "…I'll come and get you by lunch. Don't hesitate to call."

I remembered last night when we had barely been able to speak a single word to each other. Maybe it was for the best if I did what I did right now was to let things go on and they usually did.

Including rules that would have to be there for anyone else.

"And no playing music out loud…" I pulled up a pair of headphones from a drawer. "Use those if you want to listen to music… I'll be back but I just have to sort some things out at first. Please, don't leave this room- but you have my phone number if you need me. And I'll keep the sound on its loudest."

It felt weird to me too that I was talking about a call from a person who would stay in the same building as me all day.

But everything felt strange right now.

And it probably wasn't a strange thing that I couldn't concentrate on a single word spoken.

I knew that I probably wouldn't already before I left the office to go to my meeting. Over my thoughts I barely heard two of my girls coming and knocking on the door.

"Mr. Schue?" Two of the students from New Directions- Amy and Vee just came running up and to my door and Vee started speaking first. "We just wanted to say that… well… we have some ideas for the choreography."

New Directions still had a way with calling for the most hyper, self confident girls.

"And yeah. I and Amy tried it with you know- don't stop…. And it's like… Who are you?"

Vee had as usual been talking so fast she had forgotten there was a person in the room she didn't know. That she did have a way with start talking about something else she didn't have the time to say the more the obvious things.

She might come of as rude and annoying sometimes but she just had a way…

"This…" Aiden didn't answer and I laid a hand on his shoulder. "…is Aiden." Vee raised an eyebrow- sneaky as usual. "It's a long story." She shrugged.

"Well hello Aiden. I'm Vee Scarlett."

"Scarlett?" Aiden raised an eyebrow back at her. "Suitable!"

Vee gave a confident smile and threw her scarlet- red hair over one shoulder.

"Well, Mr. Schue…" She continued without letting her younger, blonde friend Amy greet herself. "We have some ideas for the choreography and…"

And as you know you're a worse dancer than Finn Hudson himself.

"And I mean, I'm a terrible dancer. Amy's good but we want to see some more people try it out. That way we could see some more people trying it and maybe we could show some to you and maybe even to you. I don't know if you can dance or anything." She turned to Aiden who still stood with one eyebrow raised. "But maybe you could help and give your ideas."

"Yeah." Amy said something at last. "The more the merrier. We could always do with some new ideas."

"Guys…" I had to give a short, forced laugh. "You know you'll have to talk to Mr. Evans about that."

"We couldn't find him but we really wanted to tell someone."

Why wasn't I surprised?

"Go to class. The bell will ring in…"

RING!

Vee grimaced slightly, this wasn't the first time she was late for class but I still knew she hated it and she turned and ran out of the room as fast as her long legs would carry her.

"I will go now too."… I told Aiden and pressed my password into the computer so he could use it. "…Be back. Don't go anywhere."

Don't go anywhere… That must have been easier said than done. Because when I came back to my office, after not remembering a single word of the meeting, Aiden was nowhere to be seen.

"Aiden?"

I spoke his name and looked around- could he have hid under the desk for a reason or the other?

It was when I saw that his bag was gone too I really worried, wherever that bag went Aiden was with it. And wherever Aiden was he had the bag…

"AIDEN?" I hurried right back into the hallway looking first in one direction and then the other if I would see him anywhere… Then I ran back to my office and noticed that his backpack was gone. "AIDEN." I shouted even louder than what I just had. "AIDEN? AIDEN?"

With my heart beating so hard I could feel blood streaming in my ears I jogged through the hallway and ignored the looks I was given from other people.

So I could only imagine the look Vee and Amy would get.

"AIDEN?"

"Mr. Schue…" I couldn't help but wave it away when Vee tried to talk to him. "Mr. Schue I… He's in the auditorium…"

I stopped when she jumped right in front of me to stop me from continuing, frowned slightly and then hurried through the hallway. Then I just couldn't help but to stay at the side of the scene where Aiden wouldn't see me if he didn't look especially.

And he didn't look… he didn't look at anything in certain.

"You know…" Amy whispered to me. "…We said we could sort of teach him some dancing and cheerleading moves…" I nodded but didn't take my eyes off Aiden as he rose on one foot in a pirouette that went around and around and around… "…I think he'll have to teach us instead."

Only did Amy have the chance to finish what she was saying before Aiden suddenly stumbled and fell.

I was meaning to get moving and start talking to him. But I stayed where I was thinking that maybe if he had more ideas about what to do I stayed behind.

He coughed as he stood up and all the way to here I could hear him breathing heavily. I finally got moving and hurried out onto the stage but before I was near him he jogged over to his backpack, pulled an inhaler out of the side pocket. And without as much as make a sign that he knew that I was there put it in his mouth and breathed in.

"Are you okay?"

I laid a hand on his shoulder and understandably enough he didn't react to what I did when he put the medicine into his mouth again, right before he shook my hand of and cleared his throat.

"Fine."

He put the lid on his inhaler on and put it back in the side pocket of his backpack.

"It would be nice to see you dancing more. And this time without you trying to hide from us…."

"I wasn't trying to hide."

It was just a mumble…

I didn't get it. If he hadn't tried to hide then why had he left my office from the start?

"Wow! I haven't seen those for a while." I had just taken for granted he'd had a phone to listen to music in. But when he pulled it up to turn it off it was an mp3 player for approximately 2005 "It wouldn't surprise me if that thing is older than you."

Then, just a little- it was like a shadow of a smile passed over his face…

"Come on." I let my vision pass over the large auditorium that was mostly in the dark. "I'll buy you some lunch… now…. Why didn't you tell me? I… Oh… I can imagine your mum wasn't a too big fan of you dancing rather than anything else."

"Mhm." Aiden mumbled. "Something like that."

Random fact

I try not to let ten days pass without me putting a chapter up on here. But I'm suffering from a major writer's block and when I'm putting this up it is seventeen days since the last. Oops.