Previously: We last saw Michael Baxter signing up Tina Cohen-Chang on the back of signing Mike Chang. Both Tina and Mike lived in San Francisco, California, but neither knew the other one was living in the same city. We also found out that Tina has a child who has the same facial features of... Noah Puckerman. Can this be right?
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And now the continuation of The Fall, The Rise, The Worlds of the New Directions
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PART 8 - A SHOCKING DIRECTION
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Michael just stood there, in shock disbelief. There was no mistake about it, he was looking at a Mini Noah Puckerman. There was hardly any sign of Tina in him apart from the color of the skin.
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"Mum..." started the boy "Why is that man staring at me?"
"I don't know," replied Tina "But go on, start your shift. I'll be out there in a minute. But first hold up."
"Okay,"
Tina walked over to her son, and gave him a hug.
"I love you."
"Aw mum not in front of people."
"I know," smiled Tina, "But I really wanted to give you a hug."
"I love you too then," smiled the boy
Tina escorted him, out the door. Michael found himself sitting down in disbelief. Tina shut the door, and turned quickly around.
"What?"
Michael swallowed hard.
"No, nothing."
"That's not a nothing reaction," said Tina angrily "That was a knowing reaction,"
Michael tried to stand, but his legs weren't letting him "It's none of my business I should just leave."
"You've just made it your business. You signed me to a contract, and now you know a little secret of mine."
Michael just wanted to get out of there.
"Hurry up and talk," said Tina "Before I get you to rip up that contract, because I don't really need to be part of a team that a so called Manager cannot say anything he wants to his team."
Michael sighed. "It's just that your son looks an awful lot like..."
"Yes I know he does. Noah Puckerman."
There, it was now out in the open. But Michael still wanted to get out of there.
"Is there anything else?"
Michael shook his head
"Don't bullshit me Mr Baxter, you said earlier you were a big New Directions fan, you watched us while growing up, and from what I can tell you probably still do. You must have us on DVD or something."
"Yea DVD," replied Michael quietly
"And you found me. And you're rich. Because you've just put $100,000 in my account, and if you've done that for me, you'll be doing that for everyone else that you sign. So in order to find me, you would have had to have people searching for me, am I right?"
"Very right," replied Michael
Michael hated the fact that Tina was right. But she had a habit of speaking the truth all the time. It left a few people unruffled. He was feeling that, right now.
"So you being a fan, you would know everything about the New Directions. So I'm giving you an in. An opportunity to ask me some questions, and I'll answer them. But the moment you leave this office, everything is off the table."
Wow, thought Michael, this was another opportunity to find out what was really going on.
"Okay. How and why?"
"How and why what?" asked Tina "That's just too bloody vague."
"Why sleep with Noah Puckerman, and how did it happen?"
"It only happened once, and sometimes once can be the biggest problem," said Tina walking back over to her chair "And it was a mistake, a huge drunken mistake."
"Does Puckerman know?" Michael heard himself asking
"No."
"Does Artie know?"
"No."
"So how come you and Artie broke up?"
Tina looked at Michael in disbelief "Really dude? You're asking that question, when it obviously just hit you in the face. So really?"
"I'm guessing you felt disgusted in yourself for sleeping with Mr. Puckerman, and as you said you didn't tell Artie, so you broke it off."
"Very well done," said Tina sarcastically and clapped her hands "Yes that's exactly what happened. It took a week to come to that conclusion. I really loved Artie, and we were about to get married. This was one of a bunch of incidents that happened with the New Directions, it gradually was tearing our relationship down, and this was the final straw."
"What were the other incidents?" asked Michael from out of nowhere, he realized that, that had just slipped out
"That's off the table."
"But you said you're giving me an opportunity to ask Questions."
"About the situation with Puckerman, and Artie. Nothing else."
Damn he almost had something.
"Does anyone else from the New Directions know that you slept with Mr Puckerman?"
"No. It's as simple as that."
"Does your son know about his father?"
"No. But he often asks why is he so different to me. I tell him the truth. I had a drunken one night stand with his biological father, it didn't mean anything, but the end result was him. I love him, and he was no mistake. It was a mistake to sleep with Puckerman I know that, but it wasn't a mistake to keep Bobby. I always knew that."
Michael sat there bewildered still.
"So I think we'll leave it there," replied Tina
"Are you going to bring him to Dallas next month?"
"No, he'll be staying here. We will get some time off will we?"
"Um..." thought Michael "Could do."
"Then I'll use that time off to come back here and make sure things are fine. He'll be staying with his godmother."
"Okay,"
Michael stood up, and prepared to leave.
"This stays between me and you," replied Tina "The team that you get together does not need to know about this. Do I make myself clear?"
"Very," said Michael
"Because it'll be null and void if you do bring it up, and I will have every right to leave. Do I make myself clear on that?"
"Yes."
"Good, then I'll see you next month."
Michael gave Tina a small smile, and left the office. On his way out of the cafe, he took one last look at Bobby Cohen-Chang. A dead look alike of Noah Puckerman. It was a very strange feeling. Bobby was serving a customer, and saw Michael leaving. Michael smiled at him, and Bobby smiled back.
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NEW YORK CITY
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Michael sat in his rental car a few hours later after leaving San Francisco, still digesting the news about Tina and her son Bobby. Was this the reason why Noah Puckerman had been drinking all of these years. He couldn't get the fact that he slept with Tina Cohen-Chang out of his head, and so drank the pain away, or was there more to consider there. He also couldn't get the image of meeting Bobby out of his head.
Michael shook his head to clear the cobwebs. He was here for more business, this time to try and recruit Artie Abrams. From his notes that his detectives gave him, he read that Artie had been in New York for over 7 years trying to get into directing, but the directing business was really tough. He had the odd job but nothing very stable. In his spare time he worked in a library.
That's where Michael was parking outside right now. At the New York City Public Library. He was about to get out of his car, when his phone beeped. He saw the text message.
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Great news... The detectives have found Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez and Blaine Anderson.
Forwarding you their locations now, and information on their history of their
whereabouts during the last 10 years.
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Michael smiled. That's great news. He texted back:
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That's great news. Tell them well done.
Do we have any news on Jones, Hummel and Berry yet?
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Michael waited a couple of minutes before the text came back:
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The trail is still cold on Berry, but according to Parker he may have something.
He'll be reporting in, in the next couple of hours.
But there's been some activity regarding Jones, and Hummel so the trail is hotting up.
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That's what he wanted to read. It was about time. So some good news there. He got out of the car, and headed over to the library.
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NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY
8TH FLOOR
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Michael stepped foot out of the lift, he had been to all 7 floors and no sign of Artie. He didn't want to ask anyone unless they would relay to Artie that some stranger was here to see him, and then Michael would be on the back foot. He hated being on the back foot. Just like Will Schuester, and when finding out about Tina's son.
But there was no mistaken the identity of who was sitting at the counter in front of him. In his wheel chair was Artie Abrams. He was looking bored. Michael smiled. Just another one of his idols to speak to.
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Artie was trying to draw up a story board of his next assignment, and hadn't spoken to anyone in over 40 minutes, so he was getting bored. He hadn't worked on any directorial jobs in over 9 months.
"You look like you are bored Mr Abrams, this job getting you down?"
Artie looked up. This stranger knew his name, and knew something about him that not many people knew about.
"And what if it is?" asked Artie "What business is it of yours Mr...?"
"My name is Michael Baxter," smiled Michael "And I'm here to offer you a deal that you probably can't turn down, judging by where you are in your life at the moment."
"Are you some sort of Detective?" asked Artie "What do you want Mr Baxter?"
"To talk to you, in private if that's doable?"
"Why?"
"Trust me it'll be well worth your time."
"Trust you... I don't even know you Mr Baxter... You are a stranger who comes up from out of nowhere and tells me he has offer of a life time to offer me, and you expect me not to be sus of you? Are you that naive?"
"Not at all," said Michael "It's just that you are one of my idols of yesteryear."
"Now this is really getting silly. It sounds like a movie. What do you expect me to do? Listen to you or tell you to take a hike?"
"Listen to me."
"Very well, follow me."
Artie shook his head. Even though this was weird, this was the most weirdness or anything like that he has had in months. He wheeled himself out from behind a desk, and Michael followed him over to a corner, where he sat down.
"Okay for some reason you have my attention, now tell me what you want?"
"I want to offer a chance of a lifetime," started Michael "A chance to turn your life around, and probably to set your career going forward in no time at all. I want to offer you $1 Million dollars."
Artie wolf whistled "Wow, why me?"
"Let me explain. My name is Michael Baxter. I am part of the Baxter family that is funding the World Championship of Show Choirs, and I am building my own team of best of the best show choir performers around. You were part of the New Directions, which were my favorite group growing up, and like I said I'll offer you $1 Million if you join."
Artie shook his head. He had an issue with the New Directions, and this stranger, this Michael Baxter, would probably know that, and that's probably why he was offering that insane amount of money to join.
"Let me get this straight and ask you a question." said Artie
"Sure go for it."
"You're offering me $1 Million dollars in order to join your team, because I was a former New Direction. If your a fan like you say you are, are you offering any one else out of the New Directions the chance to be on your team?"
And there was the question he had been dreading. Finn had asked that question, Will had too and turned it down, and for what he knew Brittany knew the situation as well.
"Now don't bullshit me," said Artie staring at Michael who hadn't responded
"Yes," is all Michael could say "And I've signed 6 of them so far."
"6 of them being?"
He really didn't want to say Tina, because he wasn't sure of the reaction.
"Finn Hudson, Noah Puckerman, Brittany S Pierce, Sam Evans, and Mike Chang," said Michael hoping that Artie wasn't counting.
"Can't get the big stars like Rachel, and Mercedes, and Santana can you?" asked Artie
"Can't find them," replied Michael truthfully "But I will."
Artie sat back in his wheel chair. That's when Michael saw the opening he needed.
"I'm not trying to judge you here Mr Abrams, but look around you. You are in a library of all places. You are between Directorial jobs, you don't have the money to direct something that you really want to direct, so you find yourself stuck here."
"Don't sugar coat it now, will you," said Artie looking annoyed
"You wouldn't do the same either, if the shoe was on the other foot. And you did say not to bullshit you."
"Yeah that's true."
"Now imagine what you can do with $1 Million. That'll set you up for something like a small directorial job that could get you going places, if you find the right job. And with that amount of money, you'll find the right job. But you need to spend a year earning it. If you sign on today by signing a contract, you'll receive $100,000 straight away in to your back account within minutes, and then the final $900,000 you receive once you turn up in Dallas, Texas next month. Why, Dallas, Texas, I hear you ask. Well that's where I live, and that's where the initial first meeting is going to be. If I find the right people with a smattering of New Directions..." (that part was a lie, but he had no choice but to throw Artie off) ... "then we can get right down to work. Everyone will receive the $900,000. But they need to work hard and spend a year. Because I have no doubt you guys can get to the Worlds."
Artie just listened. He also looked around at what his life had become. He was stuck. He hated being stuck.
"I always found that I might have been in the way with my wheel chair, but no one said anything." said Artie "Are you sure you want me?"
"I'm here aren't I," said Michael opening up his briefcase "Of course I want you."
Michael took out the contract and placed it in front of Artie. Artie looked at it, and seemed to think about it some more. But he had no choice really. He didn't wanted to be stuck any more.
"I guess you are stuck with me," said Artie grabbing a pen
"And that's not a bad thing," smiled Michael
Artie signed the contract, and Michael got on his phone and texted a number.
"Congratulations Mr Abrams, you now have $100,000. You won't regret it."
"I probably will," replied Artie "But there's no way I can turn this down."
Michael smiled, and held out his hand. Artie took it and they shook hands.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you Mr Abrams. We'll turn our team into a world beater just by adding you to it."
Artie gave Michael the contract, and Michael put it in his briefcase. He grabbed a card and gave it to Artie.
"These are my details, so when you get to Dallas next month, you will be picked up by one of my assistants. Just let me know the flight that you are on, so we can pick you up."
"Cool," said Artie looking at the card "Just one quick thing."
"Sure," smiled Michael shutting his briefcase.
"You said you had Mike Chang?"
Oh no, thought Michael, was he about to ask about Tina too.
"Yes I did."
"If you're a big history buff of the New Directions," started Artie "You'd probably know that we aren't no longer talking to one another, and the group sort of imploded."
"Yes I do realize that. But I don't know anything about any incidents that caused the implosion or whatever the implosion was."
Was Artie about to be the first person to tell Michael about what had happened? Had this window of opportunity finally come about? He knew a tit bit about Tina, and Puck, but no one else knew. So surely Artie didn't know that side.
Artie continued to look at the card. He looked like he wanted to say something big.
"All I am going to say, because I need the $1 Million dollars badly, and I'll do anything to be in a team, but Mike Chang, was part of the start of the problem. There might be a bit of friction between everyone and Mike Chang, and vice versa. I hope you know what you're getting yourself in for?"
"If it comes down to that," replied Michael wanting to push some more "Then I'll certainly be prepared."
"Well that's good then. Well have a nice day, see you in Dallas."
And just like that the conversation was over. Artie wheeled himself away, and wheeled himself back over to his desk. Michael just sat there stunned. First bit of news and it was over like that. All he knew about the situation, now, was that there was an incident that was started by Mike Chang, no idea what the incident was about, but there would be friction between others and Mike Chang, and vice versa. Well at least something small had come out. Surely more of the incident would be reveal over time.
Michael got up, and walked out of the library. He was happy that he got the signature of Artie, and that's just one more person to add to the list. He was sure all this hard work was going to get hard the moment he started talking to the major stars. But that was just the fun of it. For Michael, he could handle that. Or could he?
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