Disclaimer: I don't own Glee. I only own Mouse, Candy and Sarah.
(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Read on, oh faithful ones...)
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Chapter Seven
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The bright early morning sun woke Mouse up on Sunday, and she sat up quickly, realising that Candy wasn't next to her. Hurrying to put some proper clothes on, Mouse left to find Kurt's dad sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a coffee as he read the newspaper.
"Morning, Mr. Hummel. Do you know where Candy is?" Mouse asked urgently.
"In the studio with Kurt," Burt replied, sipping at his coffee. "Kurt's teaching him how to dance, apparently. Sit down, have something to eat," he offered.
"I'll just go check on Candy. He gets cold easily if he doesn't put his socks on."
"He was wearing socks last I saw. A red and a blue one," he replied, pushing a plate of toast towards her, and nodding to the condiments on the table.
"Oh, okay. Thank you, Mr. Hummel. For the toast and for letting us stay last night. I hope Candy didn't keep you up. I tried to calm him down, but he doesn't like staying in strange places. We'll go back home this afternoon," Mouse said, biting into her toast after spreading peanut butter on it.
"Don't apologise, Mouse," Burt said, sighing. "You can stay here longer, if you need to. Or even when you don't need to... A sleep over... It's still called that, right?" he asked with a frown.
"Yes," Mouse said, grinning slightly.
"Right. One of those then. Both of you, I'm sure Candy would appreciate more dance lessons," he said, sipping his coffee as he returned his attention to the sports page of the newspaper.
"Thank you," she said.
They both sat there in silence until Mouse finished her toast and went down to the basement studio.
"And then you put your leg out like that. Yes, good!" Kurt said, grinning at Candy brightly as he copied the action. "And put it all together, like this," he said, pressing the play music.
Beyonce's Single Ladies started playing, and Kurt started to dance. Candy copied him, his head bopping along to the song as he sang it silently.
"Good morning," Mouse called out.
Candy turned around and ran over to hug her tightly. Kurt sighed at yet another interruption, switching the music off.
"Hello Mouse. I was just teaching Candy how to dance. He's already had breakfast, and wouldn't leave your makeshift bed until I helped him put socks on for some strange reason," Kurt said, simplifying his morning's events.
"He gets cold if he doesn't have his socks on," Mouse explained. "So, how do you do that dance?" she asked with a grin, going to the middle of the floor with Candy.
Kurt smiled brightly and started the song again. "Follow my lead."
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Sarah muttered under her breath as she got out of bed late on Sunday morning, a hangover absolutely blinding her.
"Jane!" she called, her voice croaky. "Jane, sweetie!" When there was no answer, she stumbled to Jane's room. "Where the hell are you, Jane?" Sarah muttered, opening the door.
Her bed was empty, and as Sarah made her way downstairs to the kitchen, she remembered that Jane had run off with Candon after she'd kissed Noah. They still weren't back at 2 this morning when Sarah had collapsed into bed, the very last of her vodka flask supply running through her system.
"That was fun," she murmured, entering the kitchen. "Now, where's she put the juice?" Sarah said, beginning to rummage through the pantry, cupboard, drawers, and finally the fridge.
Seeing the juice on the door, Sarah pulled it out, feeling triumphant. Drinking from the carton, she kept an eye on the kitchen door. Jane usually came in the moment she was doing something wrong. Goodie-two-shoes spoil sport, Sarah thought to herself. She kept drinking, leaving the smallest drop in the carton and replacing it, giggling. Jane hated it when she did that.
Unable to find the toaster, Sarah ate a plain piece of bread. Brushing the crumbs onto the floor, she picked her teeth with her fingernail as she walked through the house, double checking her children weren't in there.
Deciding to use this opportunity to her advantage, and since her hangover was almost gone, she went to the lounge room, knowing any extra headache she would get from this would be worth it. Laughing, she headed over to the CD player, putting in a CD that hadn't been used in months.
"Just take those old records off the shelf,
I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself!
Today's music ain't got the same soul,
I like that old time rock 'n' roll.
"Don't try to take me to a disco,
You'll never even get me out on the floor.
In ten minutes I'll be late for the floor.
I like that old time rock 'n' roll."
The door bell rang twice, and Sarah paused the CD to go and answer it.
"Took you long ... Oh, you're not Jane. Hello there," she said in a sultry voice, looking over the man on her doorstep.
Blue eyes, curly hair, cute as a button... she recognised him from somewhere, didn't she?
"Good morning, Mrs. Franklin. I'm sorry to bother you on a Sunday morning, I was just wondering if Mouse... I mean, Jane... was in? I'm Mr. Schuester, Jane's Spanish teacher and co-director of New Directions," Will introduced, smiling at her.
That's right. Terri's husband. She was a jealous bitch, which meant he was off limits sexually, but that didn't mean Sarah couldn't ogle him for a while.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Schuester, they've just gone out for the morning. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Will surveyed the woman in front of him for a moment. He'd heard Bob Segal's Old Time Rock and Roll only seconds ago, which meant she had good taste in music, and she'd been singing her lungs out, which explained where Mouse and Candy got their musical talent from.
"You might be able to help me, actually, Mrs. Franklin," he replied, his smile getting brighter.
"Please, call me Sarah," she replied, opening the door further and stepping back to let him inside.
"Will, Will Schuester," he replied, entering the house.
With a grin, Sarah closed the door behind him, and watched Will's arse as he walked to the lounge room.
"So, what can I help you with, Will?" Sarah asked as she followed him.
"I actually came to talk to Jane to see if she'd change her mind about letting Candy sing with her in New Directions," Will replied, sitting down.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Oh, a water would be great. Thanks," he said, smiling.
Sarah went into the kitchen, pulling a face. Water, ugh...
"Why would you want Candon to sing for you? Is it even possible if he doesn't attend McKinley High?" Sarah asked, handing him his water.
"Well, I don't know if you've heard Candy sing. You probably have, you're his mother after all... But he is an excellent singer and has such a pure voice. With a voice like that, he could sell millions," Will mused, sipping his water.
If it was humanly possible, dollar signs would have appeared in Sarah's eyes.
"Do go on," she said, sitting forward attentively.
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Mouse held Candy's hand as they walked back home. He was humming Single Ladies loudly, stepping in time with the music.
It took them longer to get home than it should have, and Mouse was surprised but grateful that Sarah wasn't home when they arrived. She didn't want to have to deal with her just yet.
"Buzz!" Candy called happily when they went inside.
Letting go of Mouse's hand, he ran upstairs to get his pyjamas.
"You want a bubble bath before you get into your pyjamas, Candy?" Mouse called after him.
"Yes! Please!"
As Mouse walked past the lounge room, she noticed that the CD player was blinking on pause. Pressing play, Old Time Rock and Roll started, and Mouse frowned as she took the CD out and put it away where it belonged.
Her mother hardly ever left the house without finishing the dance and song routine for that song. To have it on pause near the very beginning was very odd behaviour for Sarah...
Then she heard the tap running upstairs, and quickly ran up to help Candy before he burned himself on the hot water, the CD no longer in her mind.
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"This is fairly quick, Mrs. Franklin. Are you sure you don't want to discuss it with Jane and Candy first?" Will asked as he handed her the paperwork for a new student.
"Nonsense. I'm their mother, and I know what's best for them," Sarah said, as she filled out the form, signing her name at the bottom. "And I told you to call me Sarah," she added charmingly, smiling at him.
"Of course, Sarah. Well, it's always a pleasure to have new students at William McKinley High. I'll make sure Candy gets the best possible reception from the teachers and his fellow students," Will said, smiling as he took the papers back and put them in his In Tray to be processed tomorrow morning when the school administrative staff were actually there.
"That's all fine. How long will it take before Candon can come here? I'm sure he'll be very excited when I tell him he'll be attending school with his sister. They dote on each other a lot, especially for half-siblings," Sarah said with a light laugh.
"They do seem close," he acknowledged, smiling. "It will take two or three weeks for everything to be completely processed, and Candy's daily timetable to be organised."
"Sounds great! Thank you very much, Will. I look forward to seeing you at the next teacher-parent interview. Say hi to Terri for me," she added, her hand lingering on his arm.
"Oh, I will. I didn't know that you and Terri knew each other," he said as he left his office with her.
"I know every woman in this town, and they all know me," Sarah replied, grinning.
Will nodded, not sure whether he should be impressed or worried at that fact. That was a lot of women to know... Shaking his head, he opened the exit for her and watched as Sarah walked back to her house with a spring in her step.
It wasn't until later that night, as he talked with Terri, that Will started to seriously doubt what he'd done. Dinner was over and he was brushing his teeth, when he remembered that Sarah said to say hello to Terri.
"Oh, Sarah says hi," he said through a mouthful of toothpaste and spit.
"Will! Spit and then talk. You're like a child," Terri admonished, frowning at him.
"Sarah said to say hi to you," Will repeated after emptying his mouth.
"Sarah who, Will?" Terri asked, sounding exasperated.
"Sarah Franklin."
"That bitch said to say hi to me? What nerve!" Terri announced, immediately storming out of the bathroom.
Will stared after his wife in shock. Terri never swore. Walking after her, toothbrush still in hand, Will followed her into the crafts-turned-nursery-room.
"Terri?"
"What, Will?"
"Well, I'd like to know what that was all about to start off with!"
Terri folded her arms and looked down at her stomach, a tear in her eye.
"She insinuated that I wasn't pregnant, because I wasn't the right size. Sarah was drunk at the time, of course, like always... She thinks she knows best just because she's had two children, and I don't think that's fair! Every woman goes through their pregnancy differently. It's not my fault she was the size of a house when she was pregnant!" Terri said, sniffing back tears.
Will took a moment to process all of this. "What do you mean, drunk like always?" he asked, looking down at the baby blanket sitting on the chest of drawers next to him.
"I mean, that evil two-faced bitch is an alcoholic. I thought I was making perfect sense, Will. You're not listening to me anymore!" Terri said, getting emotional again.
"I always listen to you, babe," he murmured, his toothbrush hanging from his hand limply.
"She's reportedly the town whore as well. I don't usually take any mind of local gossip, as you very well know, but there are some very reputable sources saying the same thing. She didn't touch you, did she?" Terri asked quickly, snatching the baby blanket away from him.
Will felt like he was going to be sick, and with a green face, ran from the nursery and up to the bathroom.
"I hope you don't expect me to clean up after you, Will! I'm carrying our child, and can't bend to clean!" Terri called.
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End of the seventh chapter! Hope you enjoyed it!
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