Here is the next chapter.
Also the disclaimer can be found in earlier chapters.
I hope this chapter is entertaining for you and gives more answers.
CHAPTER 15
It was a week since the wedding ordeal and Rachel seemed to be a ghost. She only appeared when she had to and spoke to Quinn unless address by someone. It didn't take a genius to know that she was avoiding Finn. Yet no one knew why exactly.
Well they did. But it isn't spoken of. The air was too thick with tension and they were afraid to try and cut it in fear of it exploding. Aya had no problem in doing so but one look from Harmony, Sugar and Rory and she was shut up. The trio didn't need her doing anything that could possibly end in Rachel getting back together with Finn.
Santana wanted so badly to say something. But she was afraid of the shit storm that would come and she really didn't want to deal with anymore shit.
The others just kept quiet about it for the most part.
The reason for all this discomfort came in the form of Rachel's bare ring finger and absence of any ring in general.
Quinn wouldn't lie if she wasn't ecstatic when Rachel returned the ring to Finn. She drove her to give the ring back to Finn. Who looked ready to weep like a baby. He even chased after them once they were driving away. It was sad really.
Kurt was waiting to say I told you so. But he would wait till the tension is resolved.
Mr. Schue was the unlucky bastard who decided breaking it instead of letting it fade was a good thing.
"Ok. This has gone on too far. We need to get past this!" He says and Finn directs his gaze to Rachel who looks down and Quinn takes her hand squeezing it. Rachel looks at her and smiles shyly.
"Rachel could fix all of this." Finn said and Santana, Aya and the future trio scoffed. Puck rubbed Aya's shoulder and she calmed slightly.
"She doesn't have to do anything." Quinn said narrowing her gaze at the giant. "You should get over it."
"We were supposed to get married!" Finn shouts.
"I realize that the decision was a mistake." Rachel said.
"But…" Finn stuttered.
"She dumped you Frankenteen." Santana and Aya shout then exchange a look and smile.
"We belong to together!" Finn yells standing up.
"Are you going to sing Mariah Carey now?" Aya asks garnering snickers from the others. "I'm sure a kick to the jewels will allow you to hit her notes." Aya said glancing down at Finn's groin and imagining her foot slamming into it. It was a good image.
"Aya stop attacking Finn!" Mr. Schue barks and Aya shrugs.
Shelby walks in with Beth in her carrier. "Sorry, I couldn't get a babysitter."
"It's fine." Will smiles as Quinn goes over and coos at Beth making her giggle. Shelby smiles at her as Rachel joins Quinn.
Aya can feel Puck's hesitation and removes his arm from her shoulder and nods her head at Beth. "Go ahead. She's your kid." Aya says and he kisses her cheek and gets up going over to the three.
"So, what's on the agenda today?" Shelby asks.
"We are going to perform songs that are on our minds and reflect your feelings." Mr. Schue said and Shelby's eyes went wide.
Aya's hand went up.
"Yes Aya?" Mr. Schue asked.
"Are explicit songs allowed?" Aya asked innocently and Santana had to agree.
"No. You may use the censored version." Mr. Schue said and Aya's hand shot up again.
"What if you want to sing something from 'Spring Awakening'?"
Mr. Schue sighed exasperatingly. "Aya, please?" he pleaded and Aya sighed.
"Fine."
Santana laughed and held her hand up and the two high fived. This was going to be a beautiful friendship.
"We are going to resolve this. So the songs have to reflect how you feel." Mr. Schue reiterated.
Shelby had a very bad feeling about this assignment.
Shelby's fears were confirmed as Finn finished a cover of Forever the Sickest Kid's version of 'Love Story.'
Rachel looked embarrassed and Santana, Quinn, Aya, Puck, ok the whole club looked ready to laugh or repulsed by the performance.
"Thank you for that traumatizing number Finn." Puck said as he stood offering his hand up to Aya. "Now my girl and I are going to show you how to properly perform an FTSK song."
"Hit it!" Aya grinned as the band began to play the opening to 'Whoa oh' by FTSK ft. Selena Gomez.
When they finished they bowed and the room erupted in applause and even Beth was clapping her hands together from Quinn's lap making Rachel and Quinn smile wide.
Rachel stood up and took the floor. "That was a very impressive number Noah and Aya. My song is for Finn."
Finn beamed, Harmony gagged and Quinn frowned.
When Rachel finished a wonderful rendition of Hey Monday's 'The One That Got Away' Finn was fuming. Harmony was beaming and Quinn was grinning like an idiot as she tried not to laugh.
"Maybe now you understand how I feel." Rachel told Finn as she sat back down beside Quinn. Puck smiled as he played with Beth from Quinn's left and Aya was watching him with a smile on her face.
"I don't understand. You said yes." Finn shouted.
"I know what I said Finn and at that moment I meant it and then I believed you were the only one who would want me. But I have recently learned that there is someone else." Rachel says casting a fast glance at Quinn that almost went unnoticed. Almost. But Finn missed it.
"Who?" Finn demanded.
"It isn't a sure thing yet." Rachel said as she sat down.
"Next?" Mr. Schue asked and the performances continued.
When glee ended that night Shelby invited, Rachel, Quinn and Puck over for dinner. Puck asked Aya if she wanted to come but she politely declined.
"It's a family affair. You guys need the time together. I actually have plans tonight." Aya says.
"Really?" Puck asked. "You didn't tell me anything."
"It isn't important. Not to me anyway. My dad and aunt are still hoping to get Sebastian and me to get along." Aya rolled her eyes as the small group laughed.
They waved and went their separate ways.
"Good lie!"
"Ahhh!" Aya jumped and when she saw it was just future Artie she patted her chest trying to calm her heart. "Don't do that!" Aya shouted.
"Sorry." Future Artie smirked. "What's the next part of the plan?" Artie asks and Aya shrugs.
"I don't know. Nothing has happened since the wedding. Do you know anything?" Aya asked.
"Beware these next few days." Artie advised. "It takes its toll on this Finn but Future Finn is getting aggravated with the new memories he is getting."
"New memories?" Aya asked.
"Even though he is in this time he is getting memories from this time because he is living in it. He also has memories of the future where he came from. Do you understand?" Future Artie asked and Aya shook her head. "He knows different futures and how to make them one. There is the future he came from and the future he is creating by messing with the past." Aya still looked lost. "Do I have to draw you a diagram?" he shouted.
"HEY!"
The two turned to see Harmony storming towards them. Just Harmony. No Sugar safety net.
Aya grabbed her by the shoulders before she could reach Future Artie. "Harmony, stop." Aya pleads.
"No! He is in on the plan to change the future!"
"No he's not. He's the one that told me about the accident. He sent me to stop it." Aya tried and Harmony stopped fighting.
"He did?" She asked Aya who nodded. She looked to Future Artie. "You did?" He nods.
"I'm trying to fix things. Same as you." Future Artie says and Harmony looks at him suspiciously.
"I trust you." She said after a moment.
"Great. Now I have to go. I have a family dinner to attend." Aya grumbled.
"You weren't lying?" Future Artie asked and Aya shook her head.
"No. I do have to spend the evening with Sebastian." Aya said walking to her car.
Harmony scowled. "Good luck."
"I'll need it." Aya said opening the driver's side door.
"But I need your help!" Future Artie shouted.
"I wish I could tonight, but my dad and aunt want me and Sebastian to get over whatever differences and feuds we may have." Aya said.
"If you miss dinner?" Future Artie asked.
"What do you want me to do?" Aya asked. She really didn't want to go to the dinner but maybe she could get this done and still get there in time.
Future Artie smiled.
Quinn was lying on her bed eagle spread just staring at her ceiling. Just five minutes ago she came out to her mother.
After a good five minutes of silence her mother whispered. "I know."
Quinn was shocked and her mother hugged her tight and asked.
"Is it that Rachel girl?"
Quinn felt as if she could faint.
She didn't but after some questions Quinn was happy to answer the two were back to normal. Nothing had really changed. Quinn was scared she would get tossed out. But Judy was accepting and asked her what she wanted for dinner.
Quinn couldn't believe how easy it was. But she was glad it worked out. She felt like a weight was lifted and she felt relieved.
Now she had one more thing to do.
Make Rachel Berry her girlfriend. She was assured many times that Rachel felt the same. But she needed to know for sure.
How?
She was currently working on it.
Aya walked into her house ten minutes late. She saw the cars in the driveway and heaved a heavy sigh as she kicked her shoes off and pulled off her jacket and hung it up.
"You're late."
Aya looks up and sees Sebastian standing there with his arms crossed over his chest with a smirk on his face.
"I'm not in the mood Seb." Aya said rubbing her temples.
"Are things ok with you and Puckerman?" Sebastian asks and Aya nods.
"Yeah. Why do you care?" Aya asks then remembers she should be nice to him.
"You're family."
Aya nods and places her keys on the side table. "How was your day?" Aya asked. She was going to give this guy a chance. They started off on the wrong foot. Aya was guarded and abrasive when they first met. She still is sometimes. But when they first met Sebastian wasn't keen on sharing his uncle with anyone.
"It was fine." Sebastian said.
Small talk was a start.
"Do you wanna ditch this dinner?" Aya asks and Sebastian quirks an eyebrow.
"And how do you plan to accomplish that?" Sebastian asks.
"Dad! Sebastian and I are going for our own dinner!" Aya yells.
"Behave!" Is the reply she gets.
Sebastian looks shocked. "Just like that?" Sebastian asks as Aya slips her shoes and jacket back on.
"We've been here three years Sebastian." Aya said. "Dad doesn't believe in grounding and he gives me my freedom." Aya says grabbing her keys.
Sebastian follows her out to her Tahoe. "You aren't going to kill me are you?" Sebastian asks and Aya chuckles.
"It was a thought. But I'm tired." Aya says as they get in and she starts the Tahoe. "I'm tired of all this fighting. We're family. We fight. But what we are doing is war." Aya says driving away.
"Are you forfeiting?" Sebastian asks and Aya snorts.
"Yeah. As much as it pains me to do so. I give up. This fighting will just continue if I don't." Aya says and Sebastian nods.
"So where are you taking me?" Sebastian asks warily as he watches the scenery pass.
"You'll see."
They pull up to a cemetery thirty minutes later and Aya gets out. Sebastian follows hesitantly always four steps behind his cousin.
"What are we doing here?" Sebastian asks as Aya stops in front of a grave and Sebastian reads the engraving.
'Clarice H. Harvey. Mother, daughter and friend. May she finally find peace.'
"Three years ago today I received a call while I was at school." Aya began crouching in front of the grave. Sebastian watched her in shock. This was the first time he heard Aya talking about her mother so calmly. "I had Vocal Adrenaline practice after school but a social worker picked me up and took me to the hospital where doctors and police officers told me what happened. Drunk driving. She was drunk and slammed into the back of a freight liner." Aya swallowed hard trying to keep the lump in her throat down. She missed some things about her mother but the thing that hit her most about that day was her siblings. Her siblings that were almost taken from her. "She died on impact. The head trauma was too extensive. They let us go home that night with a social worker. We stayed at our house for a week before Shelby finally came looking for me."
"Rachel's mom?" Sebastian asked and Aya nodded.
"Yeah. When she learned what had happened she took us in. She was in the system as an approved foster parent. Three weeks later she found dad." Aya smiled softly as she traced her index finger over her mother's name.
"Why are you telling me this?" Sebastian asks and Aya stands up.
"Because you lose people you care about every day. In some way or form you lose them. What did you hope to accomplish in nearly blinding Blaine?" Aya asked looking at Sebastian.
"The slushy was meant for Kurt." Sebastian admitted quietly and Aya nodded.
"What were you looking to accomplish?" Aya repeated.
"Get him out of the picture so I could have Blaine." He swallowed and continued. "I realized that Blaine really cares for Kurt."
"And the slushy to Santana's face?" Aya asked.
"She needed to see that I wasn't scared of her." Sebastian answered.
"The photos of Finn?"
"A chance to win." Sebastian says.
"But would it all be worth it?" Aya asked. "To ruin their lives just so that you can feel some sort of accomplishment?" Aya asked and Sebastian looks away.
"What does this have to do with your mom?" Sebastian asks looking at the grave.
"I thought my life would be better without my mother." Aya says cringing. "I was wrong." Sebastian looks at her stunned. All the times she ever talked of her mother was with anger in her voice. "When she was finally out of my life I realized that without her it could only get worse. We had nowhere to go. I would have been separated from my siblings and then what? I would be all alone." Aya said wiping her eyes. The thought of being separated from her siblings scared the living hell out of her.
"What does that have to do with me?" Sebastian asks still not seeing the point.
"What I'm saying Sebastian is that, yes, you would have won; you would have shown someone you weren't afraid and you might have gotten the guy. But when it all comes out, how you got to where you could or would be? Would it be worth the bitch slap by those who looked up to you?" Aya asks and Sebastian got it.
"You're saying that while the stress of your mother was gone you were bombarded by the stress of keeping you and our siblings together? That it wasn't as fulfilling as you first thought?"
Aya nodded. "Yes. The same would go to you. Just be glad it didn't work how you hoped." Aya said.
Sebastian nodded and decided for a change of subject. "You looked pretty wiped when you walked in. Are you sure everything is okay?" Sebastian asks and Aya nods then sighs and shakes her head.
"You were right." Aya sighs. "Things aren't that great with Puck and I." Aya admits.
Sebastian throws an arm around Aya's shoulders and leads her back to the Tahoe. "Let's talk over coffee."
Aya smiles thankfully. She could use some coffee. No matter the time of day.
As they sat down with their cups of coffee Sebastian smiled cheekily at Aya.
"Now, tell cousin Seb all about your woes." He grinned and Aya had to laugh. "See, I'm making you feel better all ready. Now, what's going on?" Sebastian asks.
Aya sighs and begins spilling.
The cousins didn't notice the appearance of Santana and Brittany at a table not too far from them where they could hear everything.
"I just don't know really." Aya admits. "Noah has a kid and I am fine with that. I am. But I practically raised Jack and Garrett. I was relieved when dad took us in and the responsibility to raise my siblings turned into just looking out for them while dad raises them."
"Isn't looking out for them the same?" Sebastian asked.
"I mean that I don't have to worry so much about doing everything and being that good influence for them." Aya says.
"How does this affect you and Puck?"
"I know that he wants to be a part of Beth's life and I'm happy that he does. But come on. In the end I'm going to have to choose." Aya says. "I didn't realize it till I saw him with her today."
"What do you mean choose?" Sebastian asks.
"Noah is a great guy Seb. He makes me happy. But where will we be come graduation?" Aya runs a hand over her face before taking a large gulp of coffee. "He isn't the greatest at school and you know I got into NYU, UCLA and Columbia. I think I could…" Aya trails off and shakes her head. "I know that I could love him. I know that I'm falling for him. But at the end of this year, will he be there with me at the graduation ceremony as a graduate and my boyfriend or just my boyfriend. Where is he even going to college. Quinn and Rachel aren't even a real couple yet and they have their future planned out." Aya hadn't meant for the last part to come out. But she was jealous and insecure.
Santana and Brittany smiled at the Quinn and Rachel part.
Sebastian took a deep breath. "If you love him it will all work out."
"After everything I said that is the best you can come up with?" Aya asks and Sebastian laughs.
"I used to think if you want things take them. But it doesn't apply to people. I liked Blaine and I tried to take him but I lost him. Don't lose him if you love him." Sebastian says and Aya smiles sadly. "Aya, even if he doesn't graduate this year doesn't mean he won't eventually. Have you even decided which of those colleges you are going to?" Sebastian asks and Aya moves her coffee out of the way to drop her head onto the table. Sebastian can't help but laugh at the dramatics.
Aya lifts her head and the expression on her face makes Sebastian frown. She looks helpless and defeated. "I don't know. UCLA is great and NYU and Columbia are closer to home. But UCLA is closer to Hollywood. I wouldn't excel on Broadway. Music is my passion. I perform yeah, but I love writing music and just getting my emotions out through song…" Aya let out a heavy sigh.
"Why didn't you apply for Julliard?" Sebastian asked and Aya gave him a look.
"I didn't get in." she said softly. He almost didn't hear her.
"What? How could Julliard reject you?" Aya shrugged. "Surely they told you why."
"They did." Aya said.
"And?" Sebastian asked.
"They told me I could do so much more than just performing and suggested that I apply somewhere I could double major in music and something un-music related." Aya said and Sebastian wasn't so angry anymore.
"Really?"
"Yep." Aya popped the 'P.'
"So this thing with you and your boyfriend?" Sebastian asks.
"I'm gonna try." Aya said and Sebastian smiled.
"There is the Joelson determination. We don't give up." Sebastian beams and Aya laughs.
"Come on you weirdo before our parents think we killed each other." Aya teases as they get up and leave. Sebastian's arm draped over Aya's shoulders.
"What the hell?" Santana asked watching the two leave.
"She's scared." Brittany said.
Santana approached Aya the next day at her locker. "Are you gonna tell him?" Santana asked and Aya looked at her confused. "Don't play dumb. Are you going to tell Puck how you feel about him having a kid and college?" Santana asked and Aya was shocked. "You and your new bestie didn't notice Britts and I at a table not too far from you. We heard everything." She says and Aya can see she isn't trying to hurt her.
"I want to Santana. But I want to be happy right now. When the time comes to deal with those choices we'll talk. We have a few months left before graduation." Aya says shutting her locker. "And as for my cousin. I once heard that the best way to defeat your enemies is to make them your friend." Aya says.
"Keep your friends close, your enemies closer." Santana nods her head. "I agree.
"We aren't enemies Santana. We're family." Aya says walking away.
Quinn was standing at her locker when Brittany bounced up.
"Hey Quinn!"
"Hey B." Quinn smiled.
"Are you and Rachel getting together anytime soon?"
The question threw the newly re-instated cheerio off. "Huh?"
"I mean, everyone knows you should be together so why aren't you?" Brittany asked.
"What are you talking about?" Quinn asked.
"We heard Aya talking to Sebastian about you two. She said that while she and Puck don't have their life after high school planned you and Rachel do and you two aren't even a real couple yet. So when are you going to be a couple?"
Quinn shut her locker and smiled politely up at her friend. "If you would excuse me Britt, I have to go find Aya."
I would love to post the next chapter soon. Possibly later tonight. But I also love reading reviews. *Hint hint*
So review please. =)