Love Will Find Away
Ok so here it is, the big reunion I just hope it plays out as epically in words as it has in my head…. also I decided to play with some of the background characters this chapter so I hope you enjoy…. anyway thanks once again for reading, reviewing, and subscribing to this little verse of mine….
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The weeks after spring break seemed to trickle past and sooner then anyone could fathom another semester ended and summer rained upon everyone. And faster then you could list all the times Madonna changed her look over the years it was June leading…well pretty much everyone to convene in New York City for not only Nationals to which New Directions once more was back in form ranking in the top 10, but for Rachel's theatric debut.
Speaking of the young ingénue she was currently away from the stage where she was to perform and was currently standing, shaking, while her boyfriend Milo's arms were wrapped strongly around her.
"Why am I so nervous Milo," Rachel said looking into her partners loving eyes with a gentle pout on her face, "I mean it's not like I haven't performed in front of people before and all….I mean I was born for this Milo…it's been what I've been striving for since the womb…"
"Since the womb seems like an exaggeration," Milo replied when a familiar haughty laugh filled the air.
"You obviously don't know your girlfriend as well as you think," Kurt said with a smirk, "when she says she's been striving for stardom since the womb she means it and she won't let anyone forget it."
Rolling her eyes Rachel sucked in a deep cleansing breath.
This was no time for Kurt Hummel to invoke a battle of diva-dome with her.
"That being said Rachel, I'm sure you'll be the best damn Bianca this company has had ever, I mean your Rachel freaking Berry, you were born for this, I mean I know it's not Broadway but it's a baby step toward that glittering marquee and when you get there I'm so designing your dress as I'm sure your wardrobe hasn't blossomed since High School."
Rachel just let out a small laugh thinking it was typical Kurt to blast her fashion and she was about to ask his opinion on her costume when she heard a high pitched squeal that could only mean one thing.
"Auntie Way!" Dani exclaimed running past where she was standing with Puck and over to the brunette causing all thoughts of nerves to vanish in an instant.
"Dani," she said with a smile, scooping the girl up in her arms "you've grown so much since the Holidays."
A smile crossed the little girls lips as she began to reach up to play with the flowers that were affixed in Rachel's hair.
"Your look like a pwincess."
"She does, doesn't she," Puck said with a smirk causing Milo to shoot him a death glare and him to smirk back in reply, "Chillax muscles, Berry's all yours."
Puck paused to see Sam making her way over to where the growing group was congregating. As the older woman approached he placed an arm around her and smiled.
"Besides, I've got this one right here and I'm not letting her go anytime soon."
"Hey Sam," Milo said shyly waving at his former bosses second in command's ex girlfriend.
"Milo," she said with a smile.
"You know I kind of always knew in my heart that you'd wind up with one of your cougars Noah," Rachel said before looking toward Sam with an apologetic gaze, "no offence."
Although Sam did in fact feel slightly offended by the girls comment she decided to take the high road and simply grin and bare it.
"None taken," she replied as Rachel placed Dani down and the girl now ran to her father's side.
A few moments of idle chatter between Rachel, Milo, Sam, Puck, Kurt, and Matt (though the latter was mostly silent) took place before slowly they were joined by Tina and Finn (Rachel still couldn't believe those two were together), Michael and Quinn, Mike and Mercedes, and finally Kristina and a figure that Rachel didn't recognize causing her to smile.
"So this must be the famous Blaine Anderson I've been hearing so much about," Rachel said with a smile, "I'm Rachel Berry, but I'm sure you know that already, anyway it's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face."
Blaine looked from Rachel to Kristina then back to Rachel whose hand he finally took.
"Pleasure to finally meet you as well," he said with a smile.
"This is nice," Finn said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Tina, "it's like a mini Glee club reunion, I mean we're all here and didn't you say Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury are with your parents and Molly?"
Kristina realized Finn's comment was directed to her causing her to nod.
"So," Tina said, "The only ones not here are Santana and Brit."
"That's where you are wrong Mulan," Santana said while Britney simply waved.
"Hi," the bubbly blonde said before running toward Mike and tossing her arms around him with a huge smile on her face.
"Well," Mercedes said rolling her eyes at the blonde who tossed herself upon HER man, "it really is a reunion now."
"Well," Kurt said looking from his sister who was laughing at something Blaine was saying back to his best friend, "all the people that matter at least Cedes."
It was true Artie was the only club member at this point MIA however truth be told that was expected as no one had seen him since Burt and Alexis's wedding and no one heard from him since he Dear, John'd Kristina or at least that's what most people thought for only Quinn and Puck knew about the letters and only Puck had seen the young man and was in fact in that present moment receiving a text that said the former gleek had just arrived at central park.
"I should really head off," Rachel said kissing Milo on the cheek, "I'm sure the company wants to give us all a little pre performance pep talk."
Milo nodded whispering for to 'break a leg' seductively into her ear before watching her make her way up toward the stage.
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Rachel was clearly right when she had said she was born for the stage as the gang watched as the first act unfold, well for the most part they watched anyway.
Quinn and Michael were engaged in random acts of PDA, Tina was playing with Dani's hair, Puck was candidly texting and as intermission began Mike pulled away from where he'd been sitting sandwiched between Britney and Mercedes to take Kristina aside for a candid conversation.
"So Kristina, do you have any plans tomorrow," he asked with a sliver of a smile on his face.
"No, not really, why, what do you propose."
"Tiffanies."
"You mean."
Mike nodded.
"I figured while we were here in the city I'd take Mercedes out for a moonlit carriage ride and pop the question."
"Tres romantic."
"It is, but I still haven't gotten her a ring, and while I was tossing around asking for my great grandmothers ring it's kind of too late for that if I want to do things this weekend…and I figured she was going shopping with Kurt and Quinn tomorrow so it's the perfect time to shop…."
"Say no more," Kristina smiled as she took out her cell phone and began to type away, "in fact I'm asking Nik if he'll send over the Cassadine family black card for us to use right now."
Mike pouted.
"You don't have to do that you know."
Kristina nodded knowing that no, she did not however she simply shrugged her shoulder.
"I know, it's just well your supposed to spend two to three months salary on a ring and not to be rude but waiting tables at a college bar and teaching the occasional dance class at the Y is not going to be enough for Tiffanies."
Mike let out a sigh knowing that he was dreaming big.
"Maybe Mercedes won't mind me being ring-less when I propose, I mean I can give her my great grandma's ring next time we head to Lima."
"No you won't, Nik says congratulations on your engagement, I should get something for myself while I'm at it and to under no circumstances let Kurt even know we have access to Cassadine money."
Mike just let out a laugh before giving Kristina a half hug.
He would have said something more however the announcement rang out that the second act of Rachel's play was about to begin causing them to head back to their friends to watch the rest of the show.
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"Rachel really sold it didn't she," Milo said brimming with pride as his girlfriend and the rest of the company too their final curtain call.
"I still think she would of made a better Katharina," Kurt said with a smirk as Santana nodded.
"You're totally right, Rachel would of made an awesome shrew."
"Rachel's a small woodland creature?"
"No Brit," Mike said smiling at his friend, "a shrew means an ill-tempered scolding woman."
"That's impressive," Mercedes said kissing Mike's cheek after he gave his impromptu vocabulary lesion.
"That's mean," Milo replied wondering why these people would talk like this behind their friends back.
"I'm confused," Brit said curving her lips into a pout.
"It's alright sweetie," Santana said gently rubbing the blonde's back.
"So," Finn asked after a moment of silence, "are we staying to watch more of the festival or what."
There was a mixed round of conversation where some of the former gleeks openly admitted to only showing up to the park to support Rachel and had other plans for the remainder of the afternoon while others talked about how nice of a day it was and it would be fun to relax under the summer breeze and get immersed in couture. It was then that Kristina's voice spoke up saying that she was going to go for a walk, and maybe get some ice cream which prompted giddy squeals from Dani.
"I squeem I squeem.!"
Kristina looked over to her sister and Puck.
"Can she?"
"I don't see why not," Puck said with a smile as he once more reached for his phone to text away making Kristina think that whatever case he was working on was big.
"Fine," Sam agreed, "but if she's all hyper later you're dealing with her ok."
Looking from her older sister to her niece Kristina nodded.
"Mind if I come with you?" Blaine asked.
A huge smile crossed Dani's face and Kristina nodded.
"Sure, the more the merrier," Kristina replied with a smile as they began to walk across the park.
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Knots began to form in Artie's stomach as he looked down at the latest text that he'd received from Puck that afternoon saying that Kristina was heading to the far end of the park, practically alone and that it would be the perfect chance to meet up with her.
Placing his hands in his jeans pocket he sucked in a deep breath.
'There's no turning back now,' he thought to himself as his eyes caught the sight of a form in this distance moving ever so slowly closer to him. Her hair cropped slightly shorter then she'd worn it in high school yet still plenty long to entwine his fingers around, her figure still fantastic, as it was clad in a simple black and white summer dress. She looked like a perfect angel….it was then however he noticed the man that stood before her looking like he stepped off the front page of one of Kurt's fashion magazines (not that he used to look or anything) a man that was most likely the one responsible for the smile on his goddess's face.
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"What I squeem do you like Uncle Blaine?" Dani asked causing a light flush to cross the young mans face at the way the little girl affectionately called him that.
"Red Vine," he said causing Kristina to roll her eyes trying not to laugh.
"Seriously Blaine?" she asked.
"Well that one shop back in New Haven," Blaine began turning his head ever so slightly at Kristina's direction just at the same moment that Dani caught a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye causing her face to light up and her feet to move swiftly away from her guardians.
"Dani!" Kristina exclaimed running after the girl who seemed to of stopped in front of a young man and it seemed was now talking to him.
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"Elfie," Dani said as Artie looked down at his goddaughter who even after just a few months had gotten so big.
"Dani," he simply said.
"Do you have a present for me? I've still got the last one see see!"
Artie noticed the jewelry on Dani and nodded.
"I see," he replied with a smile when her voice spoke up.
"Danielle Beth haven't we told you not to talk to….."
Stopping mid sentence Kristina's eyes locked onto a pair of familiar blue orbs which now sat eye level to her own, but no, that was impossible wasn't it?
He smiled a familiar smile.
'Wasn't it?' she thought while her voice breathlessly said, 'strangers."
"He's not a stwanger Aunt Kwissy, he's the elf that brought me this."
She pointed to the mysterious Christmas gift that she'd received.
"He's also knows daddy he said."
"Artie?" Kristina found her self-asking with bated breath causing the young man to nod and her to look to Blaine.
"Blaine could you…."
Without saying another word to his 'girlfriend' Blaine simply nodded looking over to Dani.
"Come on, let's get some ice cream."
Dani smiled and waved goodbye to the elf before bouncing off with Blaine.
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Silence filled the air for a few moments as Kristina took in the person who literally stood before her.
"When…."
"The Surgery was in January of freshman year."
"Was that why…."
"I wrote you the letter, yes."
"But…."
"It just all happened so fast, one moment I was sitting in a coffee house doing reading for a class the next I was approached by a doctor about a highly experimental procedure and well when I decided to undergo it I knew that I could of become a quadriplegic or of been killed just as easily as I was cured and I didn't want you to grieve for me."
"So you chose to break my heart instead?"
This wasn't a question as tears began to gently stream from Kristina's face causing Artie to instinctively reach over and wipe them.
He really liked how he could not just do this without Kristina leaning over or sitting on his lap but he wasn't going to say as much in the moment.
She pulled back.
"Don't touch me."
"Would it help if I told you that I regretted sending the first letter."
"If you regretted it then why didn't you try and contact me sooner."
"I tried…. Thanksgiving I was in Lima and I almost showed up at your place but I was scared."
Kristina just nodded thinking that during that particular holiday she had forgone her first Thanksgiving with the Hummel's officially being family and went to Port Charles instead out of depression.
"I did run into Miss Pillsbury though, I'm surprised she kept it hush that long."
"I'm sure that she's got a pamphlet on how to deal with what to do when a paraplegic former student shows up sixteen months after graduation suddenly walking."
Artie simply let out a laugh before getting back on track.
"Then Christmas….you know I decided to leave my god daughter a gift, seeing her in the yard was just a bonus."
"The Elf."
"The Elf.
Kristina smiled at him.
"Then Valentines day I sent you a letter, well that is I went to New Haven to see you but no one was home so I left a letter."
"Liar, I didn't see a letter."
"Quinn got it first, and the letter after that…but frankly if my roommate suddenly got a letter from their absentee ex after a year I'd probably of commandeered them and hired a PI as well…."
"Puck?"
Artie nodded.
"But don't mention the walking thing to him, I was seated when we met."
Another lingering moment of silence filled the air.
"I know we can't go back to where we were after High School graduation when I asked to put an ellipsis around out relationship and just be friends until we both got our Bachelors Degrees….but I was wondering if maybe we could start over you know….go out…catch up on what's happened over the past two years….well besides."
Looking down sheepishly Artie grinned before looking back up and into his former girlfriends sweet yet conflicted eyes.
"Tomorrow?" he asked with a ray of hope in his voice wondering if this would be too soon.
Kristina looked at Artie allowing all those months of heartache to come flashing back. Did she really want to re-live those emotions now just when Blaine was making her feel alive again?
"Tomorrow's good," spoke a voice that came from her heart as her head was still to befuddled to fully work.
"Cool, so should I call you to tell you when and where?"
"Yea,"
"And your number's still the same?"
She nodded.
He smiled to her saying something along the lines that he couldn't wait before picking up his cell phone and walking away.
Seconds later Kristina pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming before letting out a sigh wondering just what kind of Pandora's box she just opened up.
TBC
Ok so thoughts this chapter…. Anyway next chapter will be Mike/Krissy ring shopping and perhaps some Partie texting/phone conversation as well as the Mike/Mercedes Proposal and the Artie/Krissy date if it doesn't get too too long so any ideas for any of those four things as well as other ideas for this verse are always loved….also the Red Vines ice-cream was not only inspired by AVPS but cause there is a place that I go to that is famous for a Swedish Fish Italian ice slush