Chapter Title: Ambitions Deleted Scene Four: Forging a Path for Oneself
Author: slacker_d
Pairing/Characters: Tina/OMC, OMCs, Puck, Artie
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What happens to Tina after McKinley.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: ~3,375
Spoilers: Slightly for Ambitions Part Two
A/N: For 0_0_loki_0_0 who wanted to know what happened to everyone and kickangel_d who wanted to know what happened to Tina.
Tina's not sure what she wants to do with her life, but after being told constantly that college is just the place to figure it out, she hopes it's true.
She gets into Ohio State University with so many scholarships from glee and her grades that her parents insist she go there. Unlike a lot of her classmates, she hasn't had her heart set on any one particular place and so after a lot of consideration, she accepts.
College is freedom, independence and new experiences. Her first year is filled with requirement classes and trying to find her niche. Thanks to glee, she drifts towards the music students. She's worried there will be a lot of egos and cattiness, but thankfully, everyone seems rather level headed. Tina would say it's because she's in Ohio, but considering the insanity of McKinley, that doesn't seem like the proper argument.
Still, there's nowhere else she'd rather be and when she returns home for Christmas, she's full of stories and excitement for the rest of her freshman year.
She does have to spend most of the two weeks hearing about how she has to declare a major. Her parents are glad that she seems to be making the most of college, but are concerned that it doesn't seem to be helping her find her way.
Tina wishes she had something to reassure them with. She knows they just assumed she'd be majoring in vocal performance. And while part of her did consider it, she's not sure if that's what she wants to do for the rest of her life. It's that small bit of doubt that holds her back. She assumes that hesitation means it's not the career for her. If she doesn't have the gumption to pursue a major, she sincerely doubts she'll have the tenacity for a career as a singer, in whatever capacity.
While she does feel good about this decision, it does leave her floundering a bit, wondering what she will do with her life.
However, spring semester, she takes a Creative Writing class for her English class and suddenly she knows exactly what she wants to do.
Besides the fact that the stories just seem to flow out of her onto the computer screen, the response from the class is overwhelming. Everyone loves her stories and a few even say that she should consider writing full time.
However, it's her teacher's enthusiasm that really solidifies it for her. Professor Devin cannot stop raving about the short story Tina wrote about a young girl named Alice who adopts a pet dragon. He insists she submit it to the literary magazine, Musings. She does so, hand shaking as she attaches the file and emails it to submissions committee.
…
It's accepted and awarded second place for Best Short Story. She can hardly believe it that when she's first told, she actually thinks it's a trick to slushie her, even though she hasn't even seen one around campus. It takes Professor Devin grabbing her in a hug and spinning her that makes her really believe it. And then when the very proper, button-uped Professor Devin stammers through an apology for his highly inappropriate behavior, she bursts out laughing and tells him she appreciates the enthusiasm.
She decides to major in English with an emphasis on writing since Ohio State doesn't have a specific Creative Writing degree. Her parents are pleased she chose a major, but don't feel that an English degree will be the most beneficial, especially when she tells them that she wants to be a science fiction writer. She eventually declares a double major of English and Music Performance with a balance between piano and voice.
It takes a great of maneuvering to make that happen, including letters of support from most of the English department and several professors in the music department who have heard her perform. It's a bit overwhelming. She's never had this much support from her teachers before. It's nice. She basks and tries to enjoy it while she can.
…
She spends the summer writing. She's back in Lima and there really isn't anyone around that she wants to hang out with, at least for extended periods of time. Everyone seems to be flourishing at college and very few people return to Lima. Tina ends up hanging with Puck and Artie more often than anyone else. And even that is just hanging out at Artie's, sketching out story ideas while she watches the two of them play video games. She joins in, but suddenly her brain is just overflowing with story ideas and she doesn't want to lose them.
Both guys think it's awesome and Puck even throws out every story idea he has as he plays. Of course, most of them are insanely ridiculous and Tina isn't sure how she'd even approach writing them, but it's fun and gives an interesting glimpse into Puck's head. Something, she never thought she'd have.
Artie also has ideas, but his are definitely more doable. He's also excited that most of her stories are science fiction and fantasy. He gives her a huge list of must read books that he says can help further the inspiration.
And that's pretty much her first summer after college.
…
She submits a story to Musings every year and each year, the story is accepted. However, between first and second semester her sophomore year, she decides it's time to see how she's perceived by the real world. And so she begins submitting stories to magazines. Professor Devin is now her advisor and he gives her a list of a dozen publications she can start with.
She gets a lot of rejection letters. A lot. But she soldiers on. She has to. She has to prove to her parents that the constant rejection won't get to her. Because of her previous introverted ways, her parents are concerned that a continuous negative response from magazines will drive her back into her shy, stuttering ways.
Though she doubts it to be true, she can't prove otherwise and so she continues sending stories out.
…
Near the end of her junior year, Tina receives a letter from The Sci-Fi Chronicles. It's a small magazine that only comes out four times a year. They want to publish her short story, Rocket Fuelabout a young boy's attempt to build a rocket ship and fly to the moon.
She does a little victory dance that ends up being a bit of the Single Ladies dance, but she doesn't care because she's a published writer now.
…
Tina meets Ryder James in her 19th Century Victorian Literature class her senior year. He's the TA, a graduate student working on his doctorial thesis. He's a nice enough guy and devastatingly handsome. It helps that he doesn't seem entirely aware of that fact.
She doesn't really get to know him until just before Thanksgiving when she goes to him with a question about her paper onMiddlemarch.
They end up talking for over an hour. It starts out about her paper, but then it branches out to other literature and then movies and then music. He seems quite shocked when he learns that she's majoring in English and music. She blushes at his awe and when he asks if she wants to get coffee and continue talking, she can't help but say yes.
Coffee turns into dinner. Dinner turns into drinks. And before Tina knows it, Ryder is walking her back to her dorm room and standing in front of her door, finds herself waiting for a kiss good night.
She does get one, sort of. Ryder kisses her on the check and gives her a slight bow before leaving.
…
By the time Christmas rolls around, Tina has had two more stories published in small Sci-Fi magazines. Also, she and Ryder have been going out for almost five weeks.
…
By the time graduation rolls around in June, Tina feels like she's ready to conquer the world. She's had another story published, this time in a well-known and widely published magazine, Clarksworld. Professor Devin is beyond ecstatic saying this legitimizes her as a writer.
Though she and Ryder have been dating for less than a year, after graduation they're moving together to Chicago and living together. Her parents aren't pleased, thinking she's choosing her boyfriend over her dreams, but that's hardly the case. While, yes, she is thinking Ryder's the one, she isn't ever going to say it out loud. Honestly? Living together is just the next step for her and Ryder. They just connected so perfectly right away, taking the next step is inevitable.
…
Ryder has a job at Chicago State University teaching the 19th century British novel. They find an apartment in Oak Lawn and Tina begins looking for a job that allows her to write as well.
…
Tina brings Ryder home for Thanksgiving because she'll be going with him to his family's for Christmas. It's weird being back in Lima because it's been a couple years. Nothing seems to have changed. Tina finds this both depressing and comforting.
Ryder is, as always, the perfect gentleman. He and her parents have already met. Despite not approving of how quickly they moved in together, her parents greet the couple eagerly.
It's a pleasant holiday filled with food, laughter and lounging.
"So does this moving in together mean we're going to hear wedding bells soon?" Tina's mom asks.
"Mom, shhh," Tina hisses. "It's definitely too soon for that. We've only been dating for a year."
"But eight months is enough to move in with him?"
Tina shrugs. "Apparently."
"Your flippancy isn't really proving to me that you've matured."
"Sorry, mom."
…
Tina has been out of school for almost two years when she meets A.J. Rodriguez, the holder of the New York Times bestseller number one position for almost three months now for the third book in his time traveling book series. She and Ryder are at a birthday party for a colleague of his and while he's off getting her another drink, she strikes up a conversation with the guy in the xkcd t-shirt next to her.
"Seriously?" Tina says when he introduces himself. "I love The Time Traveling Adventures of Wally E. Wilber."
"Thanks," he grins. "So what do you do?"
"Well, to earn money, I have a few jobs. But mainly, I write sci-fi."
"Published?" A.J. asks.
Tina nods. "Almost a dozen stories. I figure a few more and I can start trying to get an agent."
"You any good?"
"Uh… Well, I published one called Pumas vs. Cheetahs in Strange Horizons last month."
"I do remember seeing that. Wait a minute…" A.J. mutters. "You're Tina Cohen-Chang? You wrote How to Slice Your Bagel With a Laser. I love that story!"
"I can't believe you read it," Tina replies. "You liked it?"
"Are you kidding? It was one of the funniest stories I've ever read."
"Awesome," Tina smiles.
"And you don't have an agent, yet?" A.J. asks.
Tina shakes her head.
"You know what I'm going to do?" A.J. continues, pulling out his wallet. "I'm going to talk to Tim about you."
"Tim?"
"My agent. Tim Amerson. Good guy. I think he'd like you." A.J. hands over a business card. "If he doesn't call you by the end of next week, give him a call." A.J. hands over another card. "Or you can call me."
"Seriously?"
A.J. nods. "If your other stuff is half as good as How to Slice Your Bagel With a Laser then you need an agent. You're way too good to be fighting alone."
"Wow. Thanks."
"Anything for the writer that made me snort coffee out my nose."
…
A.J. must have talked Tina up well because she receives a call from Tim Amerson just three days later.
"Tina Cohen-Chang?"
"Speaking."
"This is Tim Amerson. I represent A.J. Rodriguez."
"Oh, yes, hello."
"A.J. believes you and I should meet," Tim continues. "After having read a few of your stories, I'm inclined to agree."
"That would be great," Tina says.
"Excellent. How do you feel lunch tomorrow at Café Ba Ba Reeba? Say one o'clock?"
Tina mulls over her schedule for the next day. "That'll work."
"Great. See you then."
…
And just like that, Tina has an agent. The lunch is pleasant and relaxed. They discuss what Tina is hoping for and what Tim sees in her future; thankfully, they seem to be thinking along the same lines.
Tina and Ryder celebrate with a good bottle of wine and their favorite Thai takeout. Tina can't keep the grin off her face the entire evening.
…
Tim immediately goes to work for Tina and soon her writing begins appearing places on a regular basis. When Tina is published in Asimov's Science Fiction, nine months after signing with Tim, she decides it's time to start on something longer. She's had the idea for a while that involves expanding her first short story, Flying High, about a girl who adopts a dragon and she believes this to be the perfect time for it. She begins outlining and sketching things out as she waits for Tim to return her call. Tina wants to discuss the next step in her career with him; they've been building up to it
Luckily, Tim agrees. He too thinks it's time for Tina to tryout bigger projects. He seems eager to see the response to a longer stories.
Later that evening when Tina is relaying the conversation to Ryder, he comments that Tina seems to feed off Tim's enthusiasm for her work, making her much more proficient. And then when Tim reads the results, it feeds his passion for Tina's work.
"It's a weird cycle," he adds. "But it does seem to be working."
…
Tina's first novel, The Dragon Legacy of Alice Green is finished fourteen months later. It's an expanded version of Flying High that goes more into the mythology of dragons and what makes Alice special enough to be able to adopt a dragon. She considers it the first in a trilogy. She has Ryder read the third draft and he pronounces it amazing. He also edits it for her and when Tina is handed back the stuffed accordion folder, she knows it's full of red ink. Tina doesn't mind. She's used to Ryder's editing. And she can admit that it does improve her writing. She figures all the reading he does probably makes him an excellent editor.
She considers it finished after the fifth draft. She sends it Tim's way waits for his response.
He declares it amazing begins working on getting her a publisher.
…
The moment that The Dragon Legacy of Alice Green is accepted by a publisher, Tina begins working on the second book,Playing With Fire.
Who would have thought that little short story idea would blossom into all this, she thinks to herself as types.
…
She thinks that again as she finishes the second draft for Playing With Fire and sees that The Dragon Legacy of Alice Greenis in the top ten of the New York Times best seller list for the for the twentieth week.
Needless to say, she isn't concerned about Tim finding a publisher for the third and final installment entitled, The Sword and the Dragon.
There's also talk of making the books into movies.
…
Playing With Fire jumps to the number one spot the first week it's available. It stays there for fourteen weeks.
…
Ryder makes tenure soon after and they celebrate with a weekend in New York, seeing shows and being touristy. Tina is well known enough that a few people stop her for an autograph or ask for a picture in Times Square. It takes every bit of will power Tina has to keep the exuberant grin off her face until the fan leaves. Each time after, knowing how excited she is, Ryder grabs her and kisses her in congratulations.
That weekend, Ryder proposes and Tina says yes.
…
The success of The Sword and the Dragon as well as the release of The Dragon Legacy of Alice Green starring Bailee Madison gives Tina carte blanche with the publisher.
Tim and the publisher decide to do a collection of Tina's earlier short stories. She agrees, but wants to write at least one new story and an introduction. It's perfect timing really, because it means she should have time to also plan a wedding.
…
It's a small private ceremony. Tina is now famous enough that it has to be; and that reporters and others possibly sneaking in, is a real concern. Personally, she doesn't mind. Tina has never pictured herself having some sort of huge, elaborate wedding. She's quite pleased with the small, intimate ceremony involving just their family and close friends.
And honestly, Tina doesn't care who does and doesn't show up, as long as Ryder is there; though she does keep her own name for professional reasons.
…
How to Slice Your Bagel With a Laser and Other Stories debuts well. Tim says the timing is perfect because Playing With Fireis coming out next month as one of the big summer blockbusters. The movies really seem to help sell books and in turn, seem to get more people to read her books.
…
Her next novel, The Great Wizard Escape, is about a family of wizards on the run from the authorities for breaking too many wizard laws. Tim wants it to be another trilogy, or even longer, but Tina declines. She tells him there's no way she can stretch out the story; that anything after this would just seem like trying too hard. She adds that she already has another story idea that has sequel possibilities.
Tina's pleased with all that Tim has done for her, but she does wish he'd stop pushing for sequels or trilogies. She knows marketing and franchising is all the rage, but she also doesn't want to be persuaded to write more if she has no other ideas. She's proud of everything she's published and doesn't ever want that to change.
…
Since Tina has an idea for another trilogy and works from home now, she and Ryder decide to start trying to get pregnant. She knows Ryder wants a big family, like six or seven, but she's not sure that she wants more than two or three. When she finds out she's pregnant with twins, four months later, Tina hopes that the craziness of having two newborns at once will convince Ryder that half a dozen kids is just too many.
…
Seven months later Tina is listening the latest Guys in Vans Who Want Burritos album and is surprised to see a duet with Rachel Berry. Left Behind is a haunting duet that brings a smile to Tina's face when it brings back memories of McKinley. She wonders if she should be more surprised that Puck and Rachel are still in contact. After graduating, she lost touch with everyone. Life just seemed to get in the way.
She's just about finished with the first draft of Titian X7, which is about a young woman named, Zoe, who is one of the last surviving humans in the year 2314. She and the other survivors must travel the universe searching for somewhere to restart civilization. She's working on how she wants to end the first book when her water breaks.
Well that explains the cramps all day, she thinks as she dials Ryder's cell phone. Luckily, Ryder already has a plan in place and so he's easily able to find someone to cover his class and race home for Tina.
They make it to the hospital in record time.
…
By the time Alyssa Lynn James and Bennett Michael James are born fifteen hours later, Tina and Ryder's parents have arrived to see their grandchildren.
Tina feels like an emotional wreck. Besides the fact that she's exhausted, the hospital room is filled with so much joy and tears that Tina actually feels like she's suffocating. Thankfully, Ryder sees this as well and shoos everyone out of the room, leaving just the four of them to have their first real moment together as a family.
Sighing in relief, Tina's pretty sure she's never been happier.