Hey all. Mikki belongs to KikiJuanita, and cannot be used without her permission, all other unrecognizable characters belong to me and none of them can be used without my permission. All recognizable characters belong to Glee.
It is explained within the chapter but I will explain it here as well. Hailing from Minnesota, I have eaten and made this dish countless times, although I have never made it with chicken. In Minnesota we do call it a tater tot hotdish and really it's just a different name for a casserole. But I do recommend trying it as it is a favorite dish of many Minnesotan's.
And I am sorry with the wait of this chapter but personal life does come first and I've had things that I need to take care of before I could write.
Enjoy!
"You made it," Clint smiled, walking to stand by his girlfriend. He didn't know if she was going to show up or not. The conversations and the messages between them the last few days hadn't been much. Seeing her dressed as a cute little blue alien.
"I wouldn't miss this," she smiled softly at him. That and she still needed to talk to him. She had done a good job in avoiding the conversation. Even with Jeff and Seb threatening to tell Clint, because he deserved to know that it wasn't anything he had done. She just didn't want to ruin Halloween for him.
"You mean having Mikki's brother as the lead for the house band?" He teased her, wrapping himself around her.
"I have heard how amazing he is," she shrugged, slipping her arms around his waist. "Does this mean that I don't have to sing with you next Friday night?" She asked with a tease.
"Oh no, that's still on. You can't get out of that promise," he chuckled, pressing a small kiss to her temple.
"Mikki was right about her brother," she commented, letting Roderick's voice wash over her as he sang. "You're kinda in debt to Mikki for suggesting her brother," she told him.
"Don't remind me," he grumbled softly, afraid to know what favor Mikki would be cashing in on. "Want something to drink?" He offered.
"Make it a virgin cocktail, please?" She asked him with a smile.
"Can do," he nodded, giving her a look filled with curiosity. "Any certain reason as to why?" He questioned, leading her to the bar.
"Other than not wanting to get drunk?" She asked. "No," she answered shaking her head. Other reasons were things she wasn't about to get into surrounded by a club filled with people she didn't know.
"How many weeks did it take you to come up with the couple costume?" Jason asked chuckling, walking up to them, a beer in hand.
Onyx and Clint looked at each other laughing when they realized in fact they were matching. She is dressed as an alien and with Clint dressed as a Men in Black agent. "Would you believe us if we told you that it was a last minute thing?" He questioned his friend, fixing Onyx her drink. He was curious as to why and felt it was more than what she was letting on.
"Yes," Jason laughed. "Because that is who you are, dude. This one," he said, tossing an arm over her shoulder. "Not so much."
"Then you don't know this one very well," Seb laughed, nudging Onyx with his shoulder. "You feeling okay?" He asked softly. She nodded, wanting to focus on anything other than the way she was feeling, she really just wanted to enjoy the night with her friends and family.
"I didn't think I would be seeing you guys tonight," she commented, looking around to see if she could spot her best friends girlfriend.
"Miks wanted to see her brother and check in with him," Seb explained, letting her know what direction to look. "We're gonna stay for a few songs," he added on. She did find it understandable they weren't going to stay the night as they did have other parties to get to for the night. "Can we talk for minute?"
"Sure," she nodded with a frown, wondering what he wanted to talk about.
"You guys can use my office," Clint told them, moving from behind the bar to hand Onyx her drink. "I'll show you," he offered, placing his hand on the small of her back as they walked. "I'll be by the bar," he informed his girlfriend, kissing the corner of her of mouth.
"What's going on?" She asked, sitting on the edge of Clint's desk, Seb standing behind one the chairs reserved for guests in the office, his hands taking up residency on the back of one.
"I found a test at the house, something you want to tell me?" Seb asked, looking a bit pale.
"Breathe, Sebastian," she told him. "I have nothing to tell because I don't have an answer and if I did, I think I owe it to Clint to discuss things with him first," she nodded, chewing on her brightly painted blue bottom lip. "It's nothing you need to worry about even though you will worry," she stated, pushing herself off the desk and to hug her friend. "Really, enjoy your night with Mikki. Anything I need to know there?" She asked raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing you need to know about," he chuckled. "If you need anything, you know where to find me," he chuckled.
"Yeah at Mikki's place," she teased. "I don't understand why you don't just move in with her already," she commented, opening the door, the music quick to encase them.
"It's being discussed," Seb told her. "Enjoy your night," he told her, pressing a kiss to her cheek and disappearing into the crowd.
"Everything okay?" Clint asked, pulling her into his side, relaxing with her next to him. Something he missed the last few days with her keeping her distance. He still wanted answers but he didn't know how to go about it without her dodging the the topic or getting mad at him for bring it up.
"It is and it is something we need to talk about later among other things," she told him, resting her head against his chest, feeling drained already.
"We can go whenever," he told her, pressing a kiss atop her head.
"I don't want to ruin this for you," she told him.
"You wouldn't be ruining anything," he whispered, running a hand over her back. "Promise," he told her, the second she looked up at him apprehensive.
"If you're sure," she softly told him. He barely heard it over the music.
On the way out, all he had to do was inform his friend and one of his business partners that he was out and they would close up and lock the place up for him, knowing that he needed this time.
"Can I borrow a shirt?" She asked him, not wanting to wear the skin tight dress she had on, that and a shower to wash the body paint off would be nice.
"You know you don't have to ask," he told her, walking to his room to grab her a shirt. He walked back out not only with the shirt but with a towel as well. "We can talk after," he told her.
"Thanks," she smiled at him, turning to walk to the bathroom, only to stop and walk back to him, pressing her lips against his for a moment before retreating to the bathroom to take a shower and scrub away the blue body paint.
While she took a shower, he too changed into something more comfortable and set about making them something to eat, not knowing when the last time she had eaten was but it had been early afternoon that he last ate and he was starving.
"It smells good out here," she said, making him jump slightly, from not hearing the bathroom door open nor her footsteps as his back was turned.
"I wasn't sure if you were hungry," he shrugged. "Figured I would whip something up for us to eat, before this talk we have," he told her.
"I am starving," she told him, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Anything I can help with?" She asked, pressing a kiss to his arm.
"All that needs to be done is the table, so mind setting the table?" He asked.
"Not at all," she told him, moving to get the plates and everything else she needed as he took the food out of the oven. "What did you make?" She questioned.
"It's a tater tot hotdish, I just used chicken instead of beef," he answered.
"Can't say I've heard of it," she shrugged, placing the plates and such on the table.
"It's a casserole, to everyone else," he chuckled. "I spent a summer in Minnesota when I was little with my aunt and we had it a few times," he explained.
"Before the Berry's adopted you?" She questioned him. He nodded, not wanting to really get into that story. He knew it was something he would have to clue her into at some point, but tonight wasn't the night.
"She passed away a few months after I spent the summer with her," he told her sadly.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know," she shrugged lamely.
"How could you?" He asked, bringing the food to the table. "It's okay, it's been years," he told her placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'm not really sure what I have to drink," he frowned, trying to recall what there is in his fridge to drink.
"I'll look," she laughed walking to the fridge. "Do you want a beer?" She asked pulling out the cranberry ginger ale, to pour a glass for herself.
"Nah, I'll have some of that," he nodded to the bottle in her hands. She nodded and poured a second glass.
"I'm sorry for the bit of distance," she told him, playing with what food is left on her plate. "I've struggled with depression since I was teenager," she started to explain, her focus on the food on her plate. "I thought I had a handle of it and I can't explain why it choose that moment to make a return after having it under control for so long. It's easier to push people away. Jeff and Seb refused to let me do that growing up. I didn't mean to worry you, she rushed out."
"I understand it, Onyx. Please don't push me away again. I want to help you," he told her softly, reaching over to place his hand on top of hers. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he told her, lacing his hand with hers. "I love you."
"I love you," she smiled, leaning forward to meet him for a small kiss. "I really thought you wouldn't want to deal," she confessed.
"Now you're being crazy. Love isn't easy and I have come to accept everything about you. I'll deal with anything you toss my way," he told her.
"Even if I happen to be pregnant?" She questioned softly, darting her eyes away from him.
"That isn't something just to deal with, Onyx. That is a lifetime commitment," he sighed, not quite sure how he felt over that news. It was something they hadn't talked about, something he thought they had time before it needed to be addressed.
"You think I don't know?" She asked, letting his hand go and making a move to stand up and pace around his living room. "I didn't ask for it to happen. I am not ready to be a mother, we're not ready to parents. But at the end of the day I wasn't the only to make a baby if I am pregnant," she rattled out.
"Baby, hey," he told her, stopping her pacing and pulling her into his body. "If you are we will figure everything out together. I won't make you raise our baby alone," he assured her. "Have you taken a test? A doctor's appointment?"
"Multiple tests and if one is positive the next is negative. So I don't know if it's false positive or a false negative," she sighed. "Monday afternoon, 4:25 to be exact."
"I'll be there, nothing else matters," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Hey now," he softly told her, pulling back to look in her eye. "It's nothing to cry over," he said, gently wiping her tears away with his thumb.
"I know," she laughed, sniffling. "I love you," she smiled, standing on her toes to press her lips against his.
"As I love you," he smiled, breaking the kiss. "Why don't you go rest and I'll join you after I've cleaned up," he suggested.
"Or I'll help you and after we can snuggle in bed," she counter offered.
"I can't say no to that," he laughed, sealing his lips over hers for a quick kiss before moving to clean up from their dinner before moving on to snuggling into bed, drifting off to sleep.
"Someone looks like hell," Seb laughed, standing in the doorway of her classroom.
"Laugh it up," she grumbled. "Can you take over detention after school for me?" She asked, flipping through her planner for the day.
"And why can't you do it?" Seb asked, entering the classroom, making room for students to enter early.
"Appointment," she told him, softly not wanting her students to overhear them and their conversation.
"I can do that Mikki works late tonight, so it's perfect," he nodded, backing up to the door. "You'll let me know?" He asked.
"Of course I will," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "And the conversation from Saturday hasn't been forgotten and we are going to discuss it," she told him.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," he responded with a chuckle. "But we will talk about things," he agreed entering his own office.
She dug out the papers for the day and rolled her eyes at her friend. She did wonder when they would be having that talk as he has seemed to be spending more and more of his time at Mikki's place and other than the last few days she has been known to hole up at Clint's place and it made her wonder why either one of them happened to be still living in an apartment they hardly use.
She walked around the classroom placing a packet on each desk, getting groans from the select students already in the classroom. Chuckling softly under her breath at their groans she went back to her thoughts. Seb and Mikki had been going out long enough to really be thinking about moving in with each other whereas it's only been a few handful of months for herself and Clint not really at the point of moving in with each other, but crazier things could happen. In nearly four months of dating she knew she loves Clint and the feelings are mutual so it might not be a far stretch to talk about moving in with each other.
The bell pulled her from her thoughts. She looked around the classroom, placing the remaining papers on her desk, waiting the final few minutes for the final bell signaling the start of class.
"Ah man," groaned Blake, taking his seat in the middle of the classroom. "Come on Ms. Sterling it's Monday," he whined, holding the packet up. "Can't we have a free day?"
"You know I was up late last night, but yet, here I am," she told him and the rest of the students, having finished with attendance. "And if you wait until after I explain things to you to complain, it would be appreciated," she smiled at him. "You have the period to work on them, and what you don't finish, won't be that big of a deal. I'll cut the grading off for the average place everyone made it to and anything after that will be extra credit, something a few of you need to boost your grades up. And yes you can use your book to help you and since I am allowing books to be used you can work in a small group but you all have to have your packet with answers in it," she informed them.
Soft murmurs went around the room as she sat at her desk and pulled out some papers that needed to put into the grade book to update student grades.
"Leave the packets on your desk and I will collect them," she informed the class a few minutes before the bell is to go off to signal the end of first period.
She left the papers on her desk grabbing the same stack of papers and going around to replace the packets with fresh ones giving her second period class the same instructions as first period. With the first period packets put away to grade over the next few days she went back to putting the grades into the system.
She told her second period class to leave them on their desks as well as she would collect them. With it being her lunch, she waited for the room to be empty and collected the packets placing them in the folder for second period. She locked her room up, seeing that Seb had already taken off for the teacher's lounge.
"Only you would have a breakfast sandwich for lunch," Seb laughed, seeing if his friend had something he could swipe.
"Clint made it for me while I got ready for work this morning," she informed her friend. Without her car she had no choice but to wake Clint up and give her a ride home so she could change and get ready for the school day. He surprised her with making her breakfast, one she didn't have time to eat so she saved it for lunch.
"You tell him what's been going on?" Seb asked, seeing as they were the only two at their little table.
"Yep on both accounts and everything is good," she smiled. "Hey Avery," she smiled, watching said women take a seat at the table. "Did you go party at boyfriend's Halloween party Saturday night?" She asked.
"I went out for an hour, I couldn't refuse Blaine, but called it a night early as I wasn't feeling all that good," she explained. "How was your guys weekend?" She asked, opening the container of her food to take a bite.
"I called it a night early on Saturday, even if things hadn't went that way after leaving," she shrugged. "Yesterday had been more of lazy day in bed," she smiled, recounting how a huge chunk of her time had been spent curled up in Clint's bed. "How did your weekend work out?" She questioned, looking at Seb, a smirk in place knowing he hadn't went home since he wasn't there this morning and there hadn't been any sign of him being there either.
"We did spend the weekend in bed," he teased. "But we had fun," he smiled. "We didn't make it to Blaine's though," he frowned.
"Don't worry about that," Avery told them. "He's having a pre-grand opening party Friday night," she informed them. "You can go to that one," she laughed softly.
"I would love to, but that's when Clint is having his grand opening for his Jazz club, tell Blaine I'm sorry," she frowned. She would have loved to stop at Blaine's to see what he had done with the bar now that it's his and Jeff is killing it on air. "Rain check for sure," she promised.
"We can make it for an hour since we did promise to stop by Clint's," he nodded. "Didn't Blaine say he would at the opening?" Seb asked, looking at Onyx.
"He did," she nodded. "He get dates mixed up?" She asked with a frown. "I know he's been busy getting the bar transformed into his own," she commented.
"He's been exhausting himself with it, so it would be easy for him to forget," Avery nodded. "I'll bring it up to him and let you know what he says tomorrow," she smiled.
"You don't have to," Onyx told her.
"It gives me a bigger excuse to see him other than I miss him," she laughed softly.
"Who said anything about an excuse to see the one you love?" Onyx looked at the door as it opened, a smile shaking across her face seeing the two enter the room.
"Surprise," he chuckled.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, tipping her head up for a small kiss.
"I missed you," he smirked, taking a seat next to Seb.
"To my credit, I found him," Dani laughed, grabbing her lunch from the fridge.
"You don't want him," Onyx teased.
"Why is that?" Clint asked curiously.
"Ditto, why other than your boyfriend being that of a male specimen?" Dani inquired, pulling a chair over to sit with them.
"Who wants to be dating a guy or a woman, when they are in love with someone else?" Onyx questioned, resting her hand on Clint's thigh under the table.
"She has a point," Seb laughed.
"Onyx, just the teacher I was looking for," Harlow burst into the teacher's lounge. "You have detention tonight right?" She asked.
"I did, but I pawned it off on Seb, why?" She asked.
"Because I have it Friday night and I need someone else to take that day, so I am trying to trade it off," she sighed.
"I can do that," Seb nodded. "What do you have going on Friday?" He asked.
"Hunter's family," she sighed. "Any tips?" She asked looking at Onyx.
"Nope," she replied shaking her head. "They're really nice and they'll like you. I didn't know things were that serious with Hunter," she commented.
"It's getting there," she smiled. "I do feel bad that things ended badly with the two of you and I'm around that he'll do it all over again," she sighed.
"It's a possibility, but he knows what he lost the first time around so he won't be that stupid to do it again and lose something better," Clint was the one to say.
"He's right," Onyx agreed. "And don't feel bad for me, I found someone better than what I ever had with Hunter," she smiled, looking from her friend to her boyfriend.
"You know how it is, with being hurt by a guy," Harlow sighed.
"I do, but I have also learned that they're not always at fault. Everything that went on with myself and Hunter wasn't just him, half of it was my fault. We both stopped trying and thought it would work out in the end, and that isn't how a relationship works. We didn't fight for each other or tempt to," she shrugged. "You want things with Hunter to work out, than fight for him and the future you want," she told her friend, hearing the bell ring. "How long you here for?" She asked her boyfriend.
"Until you kick me out of your workplace," he laughed.
"In that case, you can help me grade some papers," she smirked. "Dani did make you sign in right?" She asked, looking her boyfriend over making sure he had a visitor name tag on.
"Yep," he laughed, pointing to the sticker.
She smiled, getting her spot cleaned up. She quickly rinsed the container out and grabbing her drink and motioning for Clint to follow her and stop chatting with Seb.
"What I am doing?" He asked, taking a seat in the front row in the desk closest to her desk. She smiled at him, digging out the packets.
"For now you can figure out what the average number that students had been able to get to is," she informed him, getting him paper and a pen.
"I'll try not to screw it up," he chuckled, digging right into the work.
While he took care of that for her she got busy finalizing the pockets for her last period of the day before printing them off. She let Clint know that she would be back as she needed to get the packets. He nodded and went back to figuring out the average question her students had made it to.
"I'm sorry," the soft feminine voice said startling him. "I was looking for Ms. Sterling."
"She went to get some papers, she should be back shortly," he told her. He would offer to help her, but he didn't know where anything is and what advice he could give her on anything.
"Miss Grant, what can I do for you?" Onyx asked entering the room to see a nervous student waiting for her.
"I'm going to be gone Wednesday through Friday and I know we have our final on Wednesday, so I was wondering if I could take the test today or tomorrow, if that's okay?" She asked, coming to stand in front of Onyx's desk.
"If you can stay after school tomorrow, I can let you take the test then," Onyx told her, making a note of it not wanting to forget. Wednesday would be the last day of first term and Thursday she would be getting new students.
"That shouldn't be a problem," Emily Grant smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Sterling," she smiled, leaving the classroom.
"And you would think I already had her for the day, but nope I get her next period," Onyx laughed, getting things in order. "You don't have to stay, you can go," she told him.
"Nah, I've got nothing else to do and I've finished. They have all made it problem 50," he told her, getting them in a neat stack. "Anything else?"
"For now?" She asked, glancing at the time. "No, you should probably go and I'll see you after," she told him.
"Alright," he nodded, handing her the stack of packets. "I think I can find my way back," he teased.
"It's a real hardship making it straight down the hall from the main office," she laughed. "Meet me in here?" She asked him.
"That I can do," he laughed pressing a quick kiss to her lips, not wanting to get carried away in a school filled with teens.
The bell sounded to signal the end for third period, sending Clint on his way. With the classroom once more to herself she put the desks he used back in order before students started to show up. She shook her head, seeing his cell phone laying on the chair he hadn't been sitting in. She placed his phone on her desk, making sure it was on silent as not wanting his calls or texts to interrupt her class.
"Take one and pass them back," she instructed handing out each packets for each row. "Don't freak out," she laughed, hearing the groans from the students. "Whether you do this or not, is totally up to you," she said, placing the few extras on her desk. "It won't be turned in. But it will help you with your final on Wednesday. So I highly suggest you at least read through it and see what it is you need to study for on the test," she informed them. "And if you do use your study guide, you might be surprised to find that more than a few questions show up on the test," she stated.
"Can we do it in pairs?" Tiffany asked.
"Pairs, or groups," Onyx answered, taking a seat at her desk, flipping through papers. The knock at the door, brought her attention to the person at the door. She smiled, grabbing his phone. "How fair did you get?" She asked, holding his phone out to him.
"I got my car turned on and I needed to check on a few things and I couldn't find my phone and I nearly tore the car apart looking for it before I remembered having it when I entered the school," he chuckled, putting his phone in his pocket.
"It is on silent as I couldn't have it interrupting my class, just like I can't have you be a distraction from their studying," she remarked, seeing that most of the kids in her class were pretending to be doing their work.
"Right," he chuckled. "I'll see you after," he said walking backwards to the door.
"I love you," she smiled, seeing him debating over it, not sure if he should say it or not.
"I love you," he smiled, making his exit.
"What happened to the doctor dude?" Tyler asked.
"You know Tyler, if you would mind your business and do your work you wouldn't be stuck in my class," she teased. "And my personal life is off-limits, but since he can't help himself, that is my boyfriend and Tyler life happened with the doctor dude," she said. "Now back to work," she told them, going back to her desk, to getting started on grading the packets from first period.
"Ms. S, are we turning these in?" Grace asked, cleaning up as it was almost time for the end of the school day.
"No, but do keep them as we're going to be doing them tomorrow as well," she answered and informing them of the plan for the following day. "Have a good rest of your Monday and I will see you tomorrow," she told them, letting them go a few minutes before the bell is to ring.
"You sure you don't need a ride?" Seb asked, stepping inside of the classroom, wanting to be away from the chaos in the halls.
"Positive," she smiled, collecting her things. "He'll be here, but ya know thanks for being so concerned," she told him, placing papers in the right folders so she wouldn't mess them up once inside her bag.
"It's the friend thing," he smirked with a chuckle.
"Of course it is," she laughed. "You busy Wednesday?" She asked.
"You mean other than to teach?" He laughed, walking closer. "I'm free, why?" He asked. "Is this something I am going to regret?" He teased.
"This friendship is one I am starting to regret," she teased. "I just figured, we could get take out and hang out since we haven't really done so in a hot minute," she explained.
"Like takeout from as many different places as we can? The very thing we haven't done since like a year or two after we left college?" He asked, a smirk spreading across his lips, remembering the times they had done so.
"The one and the same," she nodded to confirm. "Think you can still hang?" She challenged.
"The real question here is, can you?" He smirked. She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm all for it," he nodded. He did think it would be a good night to have time with his best friend something they haven't had much time for lately and truthfully he is missing his friend.
"Great," she smiled, going back to packing her things away, Seb going back to his classroom. "I'll be ready in just a few minutes," she informed her boyfriend, seeing him enter from the corner of her eye.
"Take your time, I don't want to rush you," he stated, sitting on a desk as he waited.
"Good to know," she laughed, collecting the last of her stuff. "We can go now," she informed him.
"Need me to take anything?" He asked. She shook her head, she didn't have much and it wasn't a hardship to carry it. As she has carried more out at the end of a school day than what little she has now.
They talked about their days before and after he had showed up at the school as he had no real reason on why he had done that. He did promise not to make a habit out of showing up the way he had and that he would call if he wanted to have lunch with her.
"We never did talk about whether this is something that we want or about our options if you are pregnant," he commented on at the doctor's office waiting on the doctor to show up.
"It would be a relief if we weren't pregnant," she told him. "But if we are pregnant there isn't a choice to make, we'll have a baby to take care of. But if that's not what you want, than you don't gotta stay," she told him, trying to hide how much that would devastate her.
"I'm not going anywhere," he confirmed. "We're in this together," he assured her, kissing the back of her hand. "What do you want?" He asked.
"I'm really not sure," she sighed. "I've wanted to be a mom for a long time now, but we're not even close to being slightly ready for a baby," she finished telling him.
"I am right there with you," he nodded, gently squeezing her hand, wanting to take her nerves for her. Whatever the outcome he would be there every step of the way.