I do not own Glee, I only play with the characters and create others to play along.
I know author's notes suck and I write a lot of them, but I do hope you take the time to read this before the chapter as well as the one at the end after. This is the last chapter. It was my first fanfiction ever, my first shared piece of writing with strangers. Your support gave me the courage to write and write more. So I wanted to give a big thank you to each and every one of you whether you read from the beginning, picked up somewhere in the middle, or are just reading this for the first time now. I've grown a lot since this story started, and I learned a lot about myself and my own problems along the way. I hoped I maybe even helped some of you. Anyway, I don't want to get too sappy. I just want to say I appreciate you all so much. Al the reviews and follows, everything all meant so much to me. So thank you all for sticking by me and my writing. Here's the final chapter of Affliction.
Chapter 45: NYADA and Beyond: The Epilogue
Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter,
Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter…
Year two of recovery, her first year of college, wasn't much better than the last. She was living in New York, chasing dreams she once thought she lost, and was on the verge of losing again. And all because of Olga Belcher. Ironic how such an ugly name could be adorned to such a stunning girl. Olga, or Belle as she was known around campus, was a star pupil. Just a sophomore and she had garnered more notoriety at the university than most of the seniors.
She was everything Rachel wanted to be and thought she could never have. Her Russian features and feet fit for a dancer, the height of an amazon and weight of a small child… She was the epitome of a dancer. And Rachel had the misfortune of being paired off with her. That just spelled trouble.
To make matters worse, she was alone in the big city. Sure, she had Kurt, who lived with her and was also attending NYADA, and Santana who was off trying to find her way in the concrete jungle bunking with one of them every night, but her family and Noah were back in Ohio.
Noah… She missed him. She fought the urge to call him every day, but she knew she couldn't. In a mutual decision, one made so he didn't hold her back from her dreams, giving her the free will and autonomy to live and do whatever, they parted ways.
Don't bring around a cloud and rain on my parade…
But, like always, her friends and family showed up in her time of need. She was slipping back down that dark path and they could all sense it. Her calls to home were scattered, her video chats were very few, and they could all see the changes.
And then, one day, Santana came to the rescue. It was nearing the first semester finals. All the freshman had to put on the winter showcase and Rachel was stressing. She was exercising without even trying. She was pushing herself beyond the breaking points at dance. Her weight was teetering back on unhealthy and declining. Things were not going great for her.
But she was so determined to pay it no mind. In her reality, nothing was happening. And that was what always did her in. Luckily, her support system was always there to catch her. Rachel had been avoiding most contact wither inner circle, opting instead to spend long hours in the studio working on this or that, just trying to be perfect. After a while, people started to get suspicious.
Santana, after the fourth night in a row, found Rachel's bedroom empty and free for her to use, started to get more than a little worried. At first, she wrote it off as her friend finally moving on from Noah. She had dates here and there, but nothing special, same with happened with Noah. (Fact was they were too bind to see that they just needed to put the distance out of mind and go for what they really wanted: each other. But they'd get to that too eventually.)
"Hey Kurt. You awake?" Santana crawled into his bed one morning.
"Go away! Go sleep in Rachel's bed. You're a blanket hog."
"Have you seen Rachel?"
"She's sleeping!"
"No she's not."
"Maybe she went to class."
"At 2 in the morning?"
"What?" He sat up in bed.
"Yeah, her bed's made and she's not here. It's been like that every night this week."
"Actually… I… I don't think I've seen her much this week either. Only once in class Monday. I've been busy with my showcase and hanging out with Cameron. Has she really not been home?"
"I don't think so. I haven't seen her either."
"Where could she be?" They were both terrified. Rachel did this every now and then. She'd get lost for a night to study for her practicums or to work on something, but she usually called or left a note. But there was nothing then.
"I don't know. I'm going to call her. She hasn't answered any of my texts." Santana pulled out her phone and dialed Rachel. "She's not answering. You try. We got into it the other day and she might just be mad at me."
"She's mad at me too though. I told her the guy she was seeing was a jerk and she lost it on me. I don't know if she'll answer."
"Just try." So he did, and he was right. She didn't answer. "Alright, look, maybe she is with that guy." Though they both knew that was unlikely, "so let's try to get some sleep and we'll look for her in the morning."
Sleep was hard, but they did try. Santana got up at 5 and still, no sign of Rachel. Sadly, she had a pretty good idea of where she was. Dressing in her winter gear, she weathered the snow to campus and maneuvered her way through the buildings. She found Rachel in the dance studio, a reserved sign on the door. Peeking into the window, she watched her dance. It was always nice to see her dance, especially now when the training really made her spectacular. But there was something so reminiscent in her steps that Santana felt a chill.
She knocked on the door and entered, not bothering for actual invitation. "What do you want?" Rachel snipped. Her temper had been short as of late. It wasn't hard to set her off. That should've been sign number one. Santana mentally added it to her list.
"I've been looking for you. Haven't seen you around lately."
"I've been busy." The girl had yet to stop moving, just barely catching Santana's eye in the mirror every few moves.
"I can see that." She could also see the seat marring on the younger's brow and the sweater, one she knew fit Rachel perfectly only a few week earlier, now hanging loose on her frame. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long." She lied.
"Can we talk?"
"We are talking."
"Fine." Apparently, that was the best she was going to get. "Your mom and aunt said you haven't been picking up their calls so they gave me a call last week. What's up with that?"
"I don't know what they're talking about. I talk to them all the time."
"Something going on?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Rachel," Santana got up off the ground to approach the dancing diva. "Stop prancing and come talk to me."
"That is not prancing!"
"Whatever. Come sit."
"I need to work on my showcase piece. It's next week."
"I know, but a short break's not going to kill you." It might save you.
If someone takes a spill, it's me and not you
Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade
"What are you doing here Santana? Really."
"I'm worried about you."
"Well don't be. I'm fine."
"Look at yourself Rachel. You're not fine. And you know it."
"I am." She had to be in order to best Belle.
"You can deny it all you want. But seeing you in here was all the confirmation I needed. You're not eating again. Maybe you're throwing up again too. I don't know. But this," she grabbed Rachel's hand and rolled up the same sleeve that moved while she was dancing. "This you can't deny. You cut yourself again."
"Mind your own business!" Rachel yelled and pulled away. "I'm fine!"
"You can pull away from me if you want. You can yell and push me away. Be mad. I don't care. But I made a promise. I promised I'd always be here for you and that I'd help you. We'd all help each other get through everything. Now you've helped me manage. I'm going to do that same for you. Remember that, ok?"
Santana went for the door when Rachel called out. "Santana?!"
"What?"
"What does that mean?" She didn't get an answer. The Latina just walked away.
As soon as she got out of the building she called someone who needed to be called. "Hey."
"Hi Santana. What's up?"
"Look, I know you were planning on showing up to surprise Rachel at her showcase, but do you think you could get here a little early. I want to talk to you and I'd rather do it in person. It's important."
"Yeah. Yeah, sure. You ok?"
"I don't know. Call me when you get here, alright?"
"I will."
He made sure to plan on the next flight he could manage. Puck knew that tone, it was the Rachel tone. More precisely, the "I'm worried about Rachel" tone. His pool cleaning business, which in the winter doubled as a snow cleanup business, was getting off the ground and with the snow falling outside he knew he couldn't leave for at least a few days, but that gave him a chance to go see Shelby and Casey.
When he got to her house, Beth was outside with her aunt. "Nono!"
"Hey Bethie!" He swept her into his arms. "Where's mama?"
"Inside." Casey answered as she walked up to them. "Hello Noah."
"Hey Casey. Umm… Can I go in?"
"Why don't you hang on a second and we'll go with you?"
"Yeah, ok. Probably best."
The three went inside. Casey immediately took Beth up to her room to change into something snow free and warm to put her down for her nap before fetching Shelby. Once the little girl was asleep, the women went to Puck. "Not that it's not nice to see you Noah, but what are you doing here? I imagine your work is pretty busy."
"It is."
"So what brought you by?"
"I was wondering if you heard from Rachel lately."
"Well… Not much. We know she has been busy rehearsing."
"Yeah…"
"What's going on?"
"I… I'm worried about her."
So were they. "Did she say something to you?"
"Not really… Look, you know we're not together now. I want her to be happy and she couldn't do that stuck here with me. But I care about her. Even if we hardly talk."
"What are you getting at?"
"She barely calls me. And I barely call her, just to catch up and check in every few weeks." That was what they needed to get by. "But last week, she called me out of the blue in the middle of the night. And then today I get a call from Santana that's freaking me out. So, I just want to know if you know something. Because even though we're not dating, we're still friends and I love your daughter."
"What did the message say?"
"What did Santana tell you?"
"We haven't been able to get much out of her."
He told them about Santana's call and his feeling that it had to do with Rachel. When they questioned why, he explained more about the call. "She left me a message and hasn't answered my calls since, but she just… she sounded so…"
"So what?"
"So, like her old self…"
They stilled. "Play the message."
He took out his phone and played the voicemail. "Hi Noah, it's Rachel." She sighed. "I hope it hasn't been so long that you forgot that…" Her words sounded heavy and marred, her voice raspy. "I… I miss you. I hope you know that. I'm… I don't know. I'm wondering if I made the wrong choice coming here. It's… It's a lot like high school on steroids. I'm not making any new friends and the guys… The guys suck. They don't treat you right… They're not you. I'm not sure where I belong or if I belong here. I don't feel good enough. I don't ever feel good enough. Everyone's so good and I'm just me. It's exhausting. It's all so exhausting… I don't know what I'm saying. I'm being stupid, I know. I… I'm sorry for calling. I love you… I mean… Just… Bye Noah."
The silence after that was only ended when Casey asked, "When did she send that?"
"Like a week ago. Tuesday morning. I've been trying to reach her ever since. She doesn't answer. I thought she might be avoiding me."
"I think she's avoiding everyone. Maybe… Maybe we should go to New York early Shelby. It's Monday. We were going to fly out Thursday anyway. We could move it up a little."
The three worked it all out. Unfortunately, the weather had different plans in store for them. A big storm trapped them all there until Friday morning when they took the only flight they could get out there. And not once in that time did Rachel pick up their calls, only fueling their anxiety.
In New York though, Santana and Kurt were on top of it. Kurt had to multitask with his own training schedule, but he managed to bombard her a few times. But Santana, she refused to even leave her friend's side. If Rachel refused to come home, she refused to stop showing up at the studio. Two or three times a day, she would show up with food and coax her into eating as she tried to inspect the girl for any new damage.
"Remember what you said to Kurt when he and Blaine broke up?" She said after seeing the cut all red and raw, probably infected.
"What did I say?"
"You said that nothing was worth being that upset over. Being in that kind of mood just isn't worth it, trust you. And he did and got over it faster because we cheered him up. Now you need to follow your own advice. Nothing, nothing is worth doing this over." She grabbed her hand like she had so many times before. "Nothing's worth feeling like that, especially some idiot who you think is better than you but definitely isn't. You don't always have to be the best Rachel, but you do always have to take care of yourself if you want to try to be. And right now, you can't do that. You're falling into the same hole again. I know it's been hard out here. It's been hard for me and Kurt too. We're all away from the people we love, but we've had each other and helped each other. You've helped us. Now, I don't know how long you've been doing this again, but it has to stop. Your family is coming in for the show tonight and you need your strength, so eat, and lean on us. Ok?"
"I'll try."
Shelby, Casey, and Puck made it into town just in time for the show. They went straight to the school after stopping off at the hotel to leave their bags and change. They didn't even get a chance to see her before anything began. In the end, they were glad they didn't. They were sure they would've freaked out and freaked her out if they did. "She's amazing."
"She's perfect." Puck responded.
"But she looks so…"
"I know. We need to have a talk with her."
Afterward, they congratulated her on a wonderful performance and took all the kids out for a meal. They were surprised to see Rachel eating, some gentle nudges from Santana, but no fights. They could tell that Rachel was having problems, but they could also see that she did have the support system they worried she'd be lacking without them.
Alone with Rachel, Shelby and Casey sat her down for a talk. "We're worried about you."
"I know… I uh… I haven't been myself the last few weeks. I've been stressed and handling it poorly. But, I promise I'm not going to let it get any worse. I'm not just saying that either. I know I shouldn't have… I fell into old patterns instead of listening to or leaning on someone. But I won't anymore."
"I'm happy to hear you say that. But… I'd like you to see the therapist we found for you here. I know you say you don't need to and you haven't been going to her."
"But I need to. And I will. I think that's a good idea."
"You do?" They were both surprised.
"Yes. Look. I know that this is wrong and, trust me, I don't want to live like that ever again. So yeah, I'll see her again. I know it can help. I'll call her on Monday and see if I can set up an appointment before I go to Ohio for the holidays."
"Wow… You're so…"
"So grown up. Such an amazing woman."
"I'm very proud of you."
"We both are. And I'm happy you acknowledge that this is something you need to do to keep yourself from falling again."
They did their hugging thing and the girl talk thing, and while the rest of their time together was spent relatively simply with some shopping and family time, they still kept an eye on her. They had to. Family worried.
Getting to see Puck felt so good though. When they laid eyes on each other, it felt like time could stop just for them, but they did nothing about it. He could only stay for a day and wanted to make the most of it. "Go for a walk with me?" He asked one evening.
"Sure."
He took her to a nearby park and sat with her on a bench. "Are you happy here?"
"I'm making my dreams come true."
"But are you happy?"
"Sometimes."
"And the rest of the time?"
"I'm trying to be. Are you happy in Ohio?"
"Sometimes."
"And the other times?"
"I'm trying to be." He mimicked.
"I miss you Noah."
"God babe, I miss you too."
"Then why…"
"Why what?"
"Why aren't we doing anything about that?"
"Because I want you to be happy and experience life. You can't do that tied down to me especially not when we're in separate states. Get out Rachel. Have some fun. But I will always love you. And know you can always turn to me. You don't have to leave me messages in the middle of the night and avoid my calls after. Talk to me. I want to talk to you."
"And you can."
"Good. I love you Rachel…" He shouldn't have said that. They weren't together anymore. "Look, I only have an hour before I have to get to the hotel and head for the airport, skate with me?"
"Ice skate?"
"Yes."
"Ok."
He took her mittened hand and they skated around the pretty empty rink holding hands the whole time. Both refused to call it a date, though that was what it was, because having it end would just break their hearts all over again. It was one though, and it ended like one. "I don't want you to go. I liked having you here."
"I don't want to go. I liked having me here too." They stood there, the cold air crystalizing their breaths and they held each other in a deep embrace. "I'm gonna miss you Rach."
Their eyes locked. "I'm going to miss you too." As if two magnets, their faces just fell together, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.
Reluctantly pulling away, Puck, still looking into her eyes, said, "I love you. Promise me you'll take care of yourself and call me when you want to talk."
"I promise Noah… I love you too."
"Bye Rachel."
"Goodbye Noah…"
It was sad to see him go, sad to see those all go, but things got back to normal after that. She made and appointment with her therapist, which she kept, and later flew back to Ohio with the group for the holidays. She, again, ran into Puck while she was there and they reconnected in a different way, not leaving the room for two days straight, just talking and being together in any way possible.
It made saying goodbye even harder. But they did it, again.
There were still moments after that when Rachel felt like falling back on her crutch. The wounds all healed, but the scars were still there. No one was fool enough to believe it would never affect her, or any of them. Things would work on in the future. They were sure of it. There'd also definitely be a bunch of bumps along the way. That much was true too. But there were happy moments too, many of them for each and every one of them.
By the time graduation had rolled around, the kids, who were adults then, had established their names in their careers. Rachel already starred in a production of Les Mis after taking over for the hurt lead, no longer relegated to understudy. It was her dream coming true. And, as promised, Shelby was right there in the audience. Her whole family was. Even Mr. Schue and a few old classmates she thought she'd never see again were there in support.
"I'm so incredibly proud of all you've overcome Rachel. You made it. I never doubted you would."
"Not for a second?"
"Not even one." Shelby and Casey enveloped her into a hug.
She thought that would be one of the happiest days in her life. And it was, but she could think of a few that could top it, like the day after. Noah came into town for the production. His band was starting up and had a gig that he invited her to as well. But first, they had a whole week together. And they didn't waste any of it. There were some group outings, but mostly, they just wanted a little Rachel and Noah time.
"I can't believe I've watched you on that stage very night and you're still so breathtaking up there."
"Thanks Noah."
Some would call it sudden, but anyone who knew them would say it was years in the making. It didn't matter that they were just burgeoning their twenties, Rachel still not legal to drink, but it was what they knew, in their heart and mind, was meant to be. They made each other feel whole and complete.
The phone calls home went better than expected. They agreed not to get married until they were completely sure. And, though they were sure very early on, they waited until Rachel turned 23, a star on Broadway and TV marrying an up and comer in the music arena who had a successful business already going for him. They were happily married that summer, in late June right in Ohio. Where, well, it was a place special to them. Right in the heart of the botanical garden in Roosevelt Park, they said their vows. It was a Jewish ceremony, both feeling a kinship with their roots. It was something that brought them together and made them meet as children at temple. So it was only fitting.
Santana and Kurt were in their wedding party. Shelby and Casey walked her down the aisle. That seemed only logical. They were her parents, one biologically, the other in every other way that counted. And Mark played a huge role too. It was a small and intimate ceremony with friends and family. It was beautiful and full of happy tears, congratulations, and hopes for grandchildren… Not just yet Ms. Puckerman, but don't think it won't happen… Who knew what would happen on the honeymoon, especially one spent curled up in a Tuscan villa.
I'm gonna live and live NOW!
Get what I want, I know how!
One roll for the whole shebang!
One throw that bell will go clang,
Eye on the target and wham,
One shot, one gun shot and bam!
Hey, Mr. Arnstein, here I am ...
I'll march my band out, I will beat my drum,
And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat, sir,
At least I didn't fake it, hat, sir,
I guess I didn't make it
Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer"
I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer
Nobody, no, nobody, is gonna rain on my parade!
Life was good most days. There were downs, of course, but they were often surrounded by unforgettable days. Like when she heard, "And the Tony goes to…. Rachel Berry!"
An applause like never before echoed through the homes all across the nation as the star exited the stage, immediately greeted with hugs and love, pure adoration. Everyone was congratulating her, but there was only one person she wanted to see in order to give the second big win of the night, news she had been dying to tell him all night and was just waiting for the right time.
"Noah!" She finally yelled trying desperately to catch his attention. She had something to say.
"What?! What baby? Why aren't you letting me congratulate you? You performed at the Tony's! You just won your first Tony! I just learned my single is at number one! This night can't get any better!"
"Noah."
"And you were amazing. Did I already say how gorgeous you were up there?"
"Noah."
"And that speech. That speech was incredible. If I didn't know any better I would've thought you had that written out."
"Noah!"
"Rachel, what's going on? Why aren't you excited?"
"I am excited Noah! I'm so incredibly excited. I just married the man of my dreams. I just performed and won at the Tony's…" Her smile softened to a different kind of warmth. "And I get to tell my husband that we're having a baby."
"A baby?"
"I'm pregnant Noah."
"I love you Rachel!" He picked her up and twirled her around. Placing her back down, he dropped to his knees and put a hand on her stomach. "Hi baby. It's daddy. I love you so much already. I promise, I promise with all my heart," he took Rachel's hand in his other and squeezed. "I promise to always make you and your mother feel safe and loved. I will look after you both until the die I die. You will never feel the heartaches your mom and I have. Not if I can help it. If you're scared, we'll protect you. If you're happy, we'll laugh with you. If you're angry, we'll try not to overreact when you yell. What I'm trying to say is that… I'm the luckiest guy on earth. I have your mom, and now I have you. We're going to be one kickass family. It took a lot to get here, but we're here and I wouldn't change any of it." He stood, rubbing her belly for good measure, and then kissed his wife.
"We love you too Noah. I can't wait to start this next chapter with you."
"There's no one else I'd rather do this with."
"We're having a baby! All my dreams are coming true Noah. I'm, so scared to be so happy."
"Don't be scared. I'm here with you, right by your side. Together we can get through anything."
"Anything."
It wasn't happily ever after for them. Not really, because life wasn't a fairytale. But it was as close to that as real life could get. Their dreams would change and grow with them, but they would be happy, in their own right. Together they'd raise two great children, one boy and one girl. It was hard. Getting pregnant a second time was a challenge. The first baby, her son, she was told was a miracle. It was risky and complicated, but it happened, which was a good sign. That was what the doctor told them. Thankfully, he was born perfectly healthy. Conceiving again after had been troublesome. Between the past eating disorder and complicated pregnancy with her son, it took years for her daughter to come. It only happened when they gave up trying. She was their little blessing. And her kids truly saved her. She had someone else to live for after that, two someones who depended on her and her husband completely. While her problems still remained a part of her, they were nowhere near the forefront of her mind. They rarely popped up at all.
And if they did, Shelby, Casey, and Mark were still her biggest support system. They traveled to visit her all the time, stayed with her in her big house just on the cusps of the city where she chose to move her family to give them the best life, one like she didn't have growing up.
As they got older, Beth and Rachel formed a good relationship. With the age difference, it was hard, but Rachel was a good big sister, the person Beth knew she could always count on. Things got interesting when Beth asked about her niece and nephew being her siblings, but, like with every other problem, they got through it. They figured out what it meant and maneuvered on from there.
Kurt married a wonderful man, unfortunately it wasn't Blaine, but the ex did remain good friends with everyone. He and his husband met during production of a TV movie he and Rachel did. Together, they had one son. He, like Rachel, made it on Broadway. Though not quite as big a hit as her, he made a splash of his own on the Great White way. He picked up roles here and there but really focused on the company they started.
Yes, they. The group, who all lived in the same gated community, started a performing arts academy in the city. Rachel and Kurt manned the drama and music coaching in between their time on stage. Noah did guitar and music lessons. The girl students swooned over him and the boys envied him. He knew how to draw a crowd and that worked for them. Santana, well, she was the brains. She picked up some commercials and TV guest roles here and there, as did most of them, but her focus was on their business. She kept them afloat. And she was great at it, brilliant at PR and marketing, she was even everyone's publicist. She also loved working with her loves. Britany ran the dance department, taking them to win Nationals in competitive dance several times. Mostly, they just wanted kids who were so much like they used to be to have better, more fun, experiences than they had. And they accomplished that.
Speaking of, Britany and Santana made it through. They got married a few years after Rachel and Noah, had a child of their own via sperm donor too. Santana gave birth to her little angel, Selena, just before Rachel had her own little girl. Selena and Emmy were the best of friends and they were sure little S was going to marry the Puckerman boy, the Mohawk sporting gentleman by the name of Caleb who may have been a four years older than her, but was still a likely candidate. And Emmy, they were ready to marry E off to Patrick Hummel-Danson, Kurt's son.
They made it. They were successful in more ways than one and that wasn't counting their fame and careers. Ife was hard, but they made it better. If there was one thing the journey taught all of them, it was that they didn't need a happily ever after. They just needed to be happy. And they could do that. They got through some of life's hardest obstacles. They were all sure they could face whatever came next, as long as they stuck together.
No one knows what the future holds. But they'd all grace though it. Because, truly, any ending is just another beginning, and they were moving on to the next chapter, living life as best they could, trying to make each day better than the last. And it wasn't hard to do within their group. They were stuck together forever, an unbreakable bond, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
THE END…
Lyrics (in random order taken sporadically) from Funny Girl's Don't Rain on my Parade.
So, this is officially the end. It's been a long ride, but a good one I hope. I'm going to take the time now to say that an eating disorder and self-harm are no joke. I don't take it lightly and none of you should either. It's a serious problem. It's also a scary one. So if you or someone you know is afflicted by it, don't be afraid to reach out for help or offer it to someone. There's no shame in that. It's a battle, but it's not one that needs to be lost. The statistics are overwhelming and growing each day. But we can put an end to it. We can be the difference we seek. Don't suffer alone or turn a blind eye. There's light at the end of the tunnel, a happiness we can all each if we work toward it.
Every story is different. They will all take different paths. And something like this, when it happens to us, doesn't leave. It becomes part of us, but it doesn't have to define us. We are not our afflictions. But we are our own advocates.
Thank you all so much for reading. It's been an incredible journey I'm both sad and excited to see end. I've finally completed a big project I set out to do. It's a bit bittersweet. I hope you all enjoyed the ride and thank you for coming along with me.
I apologize for any grammar and spelling errors. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the story. Thanks again all who reviewed, followed, favorited, or just read.
Layla Thank you so much. I'm sad it's ending too, but it has been a long time coming, don't you think? Thanks for reading along and reviewing.
Christine Thank you for reading. I'm so happy to hear you found it realistic. The glee world can be so unrealistic at times, but this was a topic I wanted to do justice. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.
CarolineSC Thank you. You've been a pretty consistent reviewer/reader, so thank you for coming along this crazy ride with me. All the comments were very appreciated.
Kikilia14 Setting up for a conclusion was what that chapter was really all about. It was a lot to get through in one chapter, but it's always fun to have nice guy Puck in there. He does have it in him. It's just hidden under the Mohawk. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Guest 1) I've updated and finished the story! Yay! Sorry it took so long, but thanks for the review. 2) Thank you so much. It honestly means a lot to know people liked my story and found it realistic. Hope you enjoyed the last chapter.