DynamiX: The Second Generation of Glee

Disclaimer: I own Netflix, with which I have been watching a LOT of Doctor Who lately. That has nothing to do with anything.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to beads33, who has spent the past two weeks forci-I mean, yelling at me-I mean, hitting me with rocks if I don-I mean...encouraging me to keep writing. That being said...Allons-y!

Chapter 15 – Don't Stop the Music

"That was, without a doubt, the best I've ever seen you guys sing that number! We've got less than two weeks before Regionals, and I've got to say that we're gonna kick some ass for sure!"

The Vocal DynamiX began to snicker as Beth Corcoran covered her mouth in embarrassment. Clearly, the teacher was quite enthused with their performance. The group had just finished running the vocals of their show, with the musicians providing back-up music on one side of the room.

"I apologize," Beth smiled. "But it's so great to see you all do so well. Just a couple of things though." She turned to the combo. "Guys, the last number was a little off towards the end. Everything alright?"

"That was my fault, Ms. C.," Jack Abrams responded, his head in his saxophone. "Broken reed. Taking care of it now."

"Like that'd help," a male voice from the opposite corner scoffed.

"What was that?" asked Beth, not hearing the voice clearly.

"Nothing, Ms. Corcoran," the owner of the voice responded with fake politeness.

"Okay then."

As Beth continued to speak to the combo, Harley Wainwright rolled his eyes from his seat. He was the newest member of the Vocal DynamiX, a transfer student from Wilmington Preparatory School in Delaware, who joined as a singer/dancer after Leo Lawson moved from vocalist to keyboardist. While he was necessary for their competition numbers—as they still needed twelve to compete—the boy…was pretty annoying.

"I hate that guy," whispered Anna Maria Lopez-Pierce. "He's such a pretentious ass."

"I know," Cole Hudson responded. "But we've just got to put up with him. It's too close to Regionals to lose a member."

"Well if he makes a little smartass comment at me the way he just did to Jack, I'd—"

She stopped herself upon noticing that Cole immediately flinched upon hearing Jack's name. And she wasn't the only one to notice.

"What the hell was that?" Cameron Evans said in their direction.

"What the hell was what?" Cole countered.

"That flinch. You can't play that off, Cole," insisted Steph Hudson. She and Cameron were seated in the row behind her brother and Anna Maria.

"There's nothing to play off," Cole continued to claim.

"We can always ask Jack," the Latina started.

"Okay fine!" conceded Cole. He needed to tell them something…to shut them up, if nothing else. "Jack and I…broke up."

"…So you did date?" Steph asked in surprise.

"If by 'date', you mean 'had random sexual encounters with until he started taking it too far,'" Cole silently thought, before giving a weak vocal response. "Kinda…"

"I knew something was wrong with you!" Steph announced as loudly as she could without the teacher noticing. "You've been off for like a month now!"

"Damn…" sighed Cameron. "Wait until I tell Jules about this!"

"Where is Julia, anyway?" questioned Anna Maria, referencing the missing member of their group.

"No idea," Cameron responded. "All she told me on the phone this morning was that she needed a day of 'soul-searching and reflection.'"

"Okay, let's run the opener again, guys!" Beth interrupted, now at the front of the room again.

And they did. The group was about halfway through the song when the sudden snap of a guitar string cut their song short.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Trey!"

"Sorry, Ms. C.," Trey Chang apologized, now nursing his guitar. "One of my strings snapped out of nowhere. I'll get it fixed in a minute."

A non-subtle cough. "Like it'd make a difference."

This time, Beth heard the comment and turned to the speaker with a glare. "Do we have a problem, Harley?"

"None at all, Ms. Corcoran," he replied dryly. "It's just…do we even need musicians?"

Trey and Jack gave shared looks of angered disbelief, as did many other students in the room. Beth, however, ignored them all.

"Harley, I know you haven't been with us long," she began calmly, "but the musicians of Vocal DynamiX are an incredibly beneficial and welcome addition to our group."

"All I'm saying is that there's nothing wrong with singing a cappella," the boy said shadily. "We did it at my old school."

"If that guy brings up his preppy little private school one more time, I'm gonna rip his balls off," grumbled Anna Maria.

"Well, that's not how we do it here," Beth said to Harley authoritatively, yet politely. "Now how about we take five to give Trey some time to fix his guitar?"

As Beth stepped out of the room, the group began to disperse. Cole, Anna Maria, Steph, and Cameron walked over to Jack and Trey, the latter's eyes on his guitar.

"What the hell was that about?" asked Cameron.

"Don't know," Trey answered. "Probably best to just drop it."

"The hell with that," insisted Jack. "No one talks to me like that and gets away with it."

With that, Jack left the group and made his way across the room to Harley, with Cameron and Anna Maria at his heels, preparing to play bodyguard. Harley—his long jet-black ponytail swaying behind him—smirked as Jack approached him, smugly preparing himself for a fight.

"How can I help you, Jackie Boy?"

"Cut the crap, Wainwright. What's your deal?"

"Like I said earlier," he answered, "your little ragtag group of 'musicians' is unnecessary. Show choir's all about vocals anyway."

"Show choir's about music," corrected Jack. "All kinds, expressed in all kinds of ways."

"Well if you insist on having backing music, then why not an instrumental track? At least there's a less chance of error that way."

By this time, the entire Vocal DynamiX Combo was standing behind Jack, each member displaying an expression of anger. The rest of the students were nervously scattered around the room observing the brewing fight.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Trey, now moving next to Jack.

"If we're gonna sing and dance to music," the rude boy started, "might as well be by musicians that can play."

"Hey, hey, hey! What is going on here!?"

The room turned to find their teacher re-enter the room at exactly the right instant. For everyone knew that if she hadn't had walked in at that precise moment, the fight would have gotten physical for sure.

"I'll tell you what's going on, Ms. Corcoran," growled Jack, still glaring at Harley. "We are sick and tired of sitting in the background and being unappreciated."

"Yeah!" screamed the rest of the members of the combo.

"We deserve just as much respect as everyone else," added Trey.

"Yeah!"

"You are respected, guys!" insisted Beth.

"Not by everyone," Trey made clear, his eyes on Harley Wainwright.

Beth followed Trey's eyes and groaned. "Harley, I ask again, do we have a problem?"

"Only the mediocrity of our 'musicians,'" he answered with a bored expression, putting air quotes around "musicians."

"That's it!" Jack screamed. "We're going on strike!"

"What!?"

Cole, Cameron, Steph, and Anna Maria flinched at Julia Hummel-Anderson's high pitched scream.

"I miss one day, and the entire Vocal DynamiX Combo quits less than two weeks before Regionals!?"

"Kinda…" Cameron eased.

"Oh my Barbra!" Julia moaned dramatically, lying onto her bed. Her friends were seated around her. "This is horrible…this is not what I needed today…dear God, on top of everything else..."

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked from his place on the bed beside her.

Julia sighed. "Well…I suppose I would have told you all eventually; might as well do it now…I've decided to meet my mother."

Everyone remained silent for a few moments, and Anna Maria chose to speak on their behalf. "What made you decide this?"

"Well," she began, "the reason that I waited so long was because I was afraid of what I may discover. And after what happened with Anna Maria," A pause while Cole put a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "I was even more perturbed."

"So what changed your mind?" asked Cameron.

"You," she answered with a smile. Her hand was now subconsciously playing with the pendant around her neck that Cameron had given her a month prior. "When you told me you loved me…I don't know, I just felt…inspired. More inspired than I've ever felt in my entire life. I…I just have a really good feeling about this."

"Honey," Steph said softly, "I'm glad that you're happy, but just because you and Cameron love each other now doesn't mean that things will be any better or worse with your mother."

Julia nodded in agreement. "I know. But, I'm still ready. I took today off to think about this on every level, and I'm really ready now."

Cameron pulled Julia into a warm hug, and the Hudson twins smiled. Anna Maria, meanwhile, chose to gag dramatically.

"Be nice, A.M.," Cole smiled.

"Fine," she answered. Then she turned to the blonde girl. "So when are you gonna do it?"

"…Well, that's up to you and Cameron," she answered shyly. "I'd like you both to come with me."

"Okay, I see why I'm invited," snipped Cameron, "but why does the She-Hulk have to come along?"

"She's been through this before," Julia said. "I'd like her there for empathetic support."

"Of course I'll be there, Jules," the Latina told her. "Anything for a friend…and anything to piss off Trouty Mouth."

"So are you gonna do this before or after Regionals?" asked Cole while Cameron placed a hand over his mouth.

"Before," his cousin answered methodically. "Otherwise, my mind will solely be on my mother. In order to be focused for Regionals, I need to do this soon."

"Regionals is the weekend after this upcoming one," Steph reminded her.

"So…it looks like we're doing it this week," Cameron noted slowly.

"You sure about this?" asked Anna Maria.

Julia nodded. "I've never been more sure than I am right now."

The next day in homeroom, the entire group, sans Jack and Trey, were seated in the usual spots at the front of the room.

"So Boy Chang didn't say anything to you two in first period?" Anna Maria asked the Hudson twins.

"Nothing related to DynamiX," Steph answered. "By the time he made it to the class room, the teacher was starting the lesson. We didn't really get a chance to talk to him."

"And Coleridge," Julia asked, "have you had an opportunity to reach Jackson?"

At Cole's flinch, Cameron quickly turned to Julia and whispered into her ear. After a few seconds, the girl looked even more confused.

"But wait…how are they broken up? They would have had to have dated first!"

Cameron gave his girlfriend a sardonic look. "Julia…"

"Oh!" she gasped in realization. "Well, it isn't my fault! Clearly, I'm the last to know!"

"Last to know what?"

The group looked up from their seats to see Trey joining them.

"Last to know that Jack and Cole broke up," Anna Maria told the Asian boy as Cole groaned in annoyance.

"Oh…" Trey said without really thinking about it. Then, "Oh, oh, oh! This makes so much sense now!"

Julia spoke on behalf of the confused group. "What do you mean?"

"Why Jack has been so gun-ho about striking the glee club!" he responded.

"I thought you all wanted to go on strike," said Cameron.

Trey gave an uncomfortable expression. "Not exactly…I mean, don't get me wrong: that stuff that Harley said really pissed me off, but not to the point of wanting to quit! But once again, Jack took over without even consulting me."

"Well if you don't want to strike, then just rejoin," Anna Maria said plainly.

"After that spectacle that Jack made yesterday?" countered Trey. "And besides, it's not like he was wrong. A lot of times, we are pretty underappreciated."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Steph proposed before turning to Julia and Cameron. "You guys are the glee club captains. Think you can get a meeting with Beth scheduled tomorrow afternoon?"

"Actually," Julia replied, "Cameron, Anna Maria, and I will be leaving tomorrow afternoon to see my mother."

"You're finding your mom?" asked Trey, having just learned this. "Kickass!"

As Julia smiled her thanks, Steph frowned. "Well, with them gone, it looks like it's up to me and Cole." The brunette turned to her twin. "Think you can handle it? With Jack and everything?"

Cole sighed. "Anything for the group."

"Julia, are you sure you don't want us to come with you?"

"No, Papa Kurt. I'll be fine."

It was the following afternoon, and Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Anderson were speaking with Anna Maria, Julia, and Cameron standing outside of the latter's Dodge Charger.

"Jules, you may want to take them," suggested Anna Maria. "I speak from experience…I kinda wish I had brought my moms along."

"How about this?" suggested Blaine. "Your Papa and I will follow you in my car, and we'll go catch an early dinner somewhere close by. Then if you need us, we won't be too far."

Julia smiled appreciatively. While she did want to meet her mother alone, she still liked the fact that her fathers would be close.

"That sounds lovely. Thank you daddies."

Each of her fathers gave her a kiss on the cheek, and after a few minutes, the three teenagers were in Cameron's car, Julia in the passenger seat, and Anna Maria behind them.

"Okay, Julia," Cameron said comfortingly. "Now we just need a name and address."

The blonde girl sighed at a long white envelope she held in her hands. The same envelope that her fathers had given her two months prior. Inside of which was a sheet containing the necessary information to find the mysterious woman that carried Julia some sixteen years ago. After a few moments, she turned around and shoved the envelope into her friend's hands.

"You do it," she insisted.

Anna Maria hesitated. "Julia, if you're not ready—"

"I am," she interrupted with a smile. "Just a little stage fright."

"Okay." There was another pause as the Latina opened the envelope and took two sheets of paper out. Briefly opening the first one, she read the words "My dearest Julia" across the top and immediately closed it. "Jules, I-I think this may be a letter from her.

"Really?" Julia took the first sheet from her friend and read the first lines:

My dearest Julia,

I know that you will someday ask your fathers about me, and you'll have many questions. I've instructed them to give you this letter, knowing that it will give you some ans—

"I can't read anymore," the blonde announced, folding up the paper with a smile. "I want to build up the suspense."

"Julia, is now really the time to go into performance mode?" Cameron questioned slowly.

"Cam, please, I'm always in performance mode," the girl said back. She then looked behind her to Anna Maria, tossing the letter from her mother on the backseat. "What else is in there?"

The Latina girl looked at the second sheet of paper, and based on the crispness of the paper, she could tell that it had been added to the envelope rather recently, perhaps by Kurt or Blaine. On the paper was a set of directions to a nearby home and a single name printed at the top. "The address isn't that far, actually. About 20 miles away." She gave Cameron the sheet, leaving the empty envelope and the personal letter on the backseat.

"And her name?" asked Julia.

Cameron, who was now holding the paper, looked at it and then to his girlfriend. "Mary Eastman."

Meanwhile, in the Vocal DynamiX rehearsal room, Trey and Jack were in the middle of an argument.

"But why is a strike necessary, Jack?" Trey asked exasperatedly.

"It's time these singer/dancers realize that we're important, too!"

"They know that! It's just one person. Who cares what Harley Wainwright thinks, anyway? He's a snooty little brat!"

"No one messes with Jack Abrams and gets away with it," the saxophonist muttered.

"Do you forget that you're not even the captain of the combo?" Trey asked with a slight glare. "I am."

"Then you should really be paying attention to your group," Jack told him. "Because they're as pissed as I am."

"I'm not saying that what Wainwright said didn't piss me off, too," Trey answered. "But I've talked to all of the other members, and the general consensus is that as long as he apologizes, we'll be okay."

Jack rolled his eyes. "You're such a damn pushover, Chang."

There was a tense silence for a few seconds, and then Trey broke it with, "Does your sudden anger have anything to do with Cole?"

"Excuse me?"

"Look…Cole told us that you two broke up—"

"Wait, what?" asked Jack in confusion. Sure, he and Cole hadn't been together in a while, but what exactly was the tall boy telling their friends?

"And he told us that you two secretly dated," Trey added. "But just because you're upset about that, it doesn't mean you can take it out on the group!"

Anything Jack may have said was suddenly interrupted by the arrivals of Beth, Steph, and Cole.

"Hi Trey, hi Jack," Beth greeted. "Thanks for agreeing to meet up."

"No problem," Trey replied as Jack scoffed.

"Now," the teacher continued, "Steph and Cole have explained to me that the combo has some concerns, and I'm here to listen. Clearly, what Harley Wainwright said to you was rude—"

"But we understand that you can't boot him so close to Regionals," Trey interrupted. "So I've talked to the other musicians, and we agreed—" Jack coughed in protest. "—most of us agreed that if Harley apologizes to us, then this 'strike' can end."

Beth nodded and turned to the boy in the glasses. "Jack, I can see that you are of a different mind."

"You got that right," he told the woman. "That jackass totally embarrassed us; made us look like idiots! It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than an apology."

As Beth seemed to ignore Jack's profanity for the time being, Cole spoke up for the first time. "And what exactly is that gonna take, Jack?"

"That's for you to decide, Ridge," he replied with a small glare.

"You're broken up, and he still calls you that?" whispered Steph to her brother.

"Wait, they dated?" Beth asked suddenly. "Well that would explain the anger."

"That's our theory," said Steph. "He's just taking his irritations at Cole out on the rest of us."

"Okay, first of all, he is in the room," Jack frowned. "And second of all, I'm not taking anything out on anybody! This has everything to do with the underrepresentation of the musicians!"

"Well, how about this, Jack," Beth thought aloud. "I can restructure the opener to include a…musical feature, with no vocals."

"What about us?" Cole asked on behalf of the singers. "What will we do during that time?"

"We'll use that opportunity to showcase your dance steps a little more," Beth replied. "With Beatles songs, it's a little more difficult to incorporate complex choreography, but now we have the perfect opportunity!"

"That sounds perfect!" Trey said without giving Jack a chance to say anything. "I'll tell my dad to call you about it tonight, and I'll get in touch with the combo so they'll know that the strike is over."

"And what about that jerk Wainwright?" asked Jack darkly.

"I'll talk to him," Steph volunteered. "Get him to apologize to you guys."

"And who's to say that it'll be sincere?"

No one had a solid answer for the Abrams boy, who wasn't satisfied with the lack of action and began to grumble under his breath before storming out of the room.

"That breakup must have really hit him hard," Steph mused to her brother.

Cole, whose eyes were focused on the door, stood up silently and went after the boy. He didn't have to go far, however, as Jack was pacing right outside of the very classroom where he and Cole first met during Sectionals.

"Okay, Jack, what's wrong with you?"

"He shouldn't get away with that," Jack insisted.

"I know you're mad, but don't you think you're taking this a little far?" Cole eased. "It's just one guy's opinion."

"Screw you, Hudson…oh wait, can't do that! You haven't called me in weeks!"

"I've been working at the nightclub, Jack. I don't really have time—"

"Then why did you tell the others that we 'broke up'? I mean, sure we were never in a relationship, but where the hell did that come from?"

"Look, I had to tell them something. They noticed that I was flinching every time someone said your name."

"And why would you be? What the hell did I do to you, Ridge?"

"You…nothing…I don't know!" Cole yelled. "But it doesn't matter. What's wrong with you?"

"I haven't had sex in almost a month," Jack answered sarcastically. "Frankly, I get pissed pretty easily."

"What about your other guys?"

Jack looked shocked. "Is that what this is about? You think I'm cheating? Look, Ridge, you know what you were getting in to when you got into it. You knew that it wasn't exclusive, and it wasn't anything more than sex."

"I know that!" Cole yelled. "It's just…look, I can't do this anymore."

"What?"

"Our thing…I can't do it anymore, Jack. I'm just…it was a mistake. I'm sorry."

As Cole slowly walked away, Jack screamed out to him. "Fine! Who needs you, anyway!? There's plenty of other guys; you don't mean a damn thing!"

Cole Hudson began to walk even faster, filled with an immense mixture of emotions. Why the hell was Jack acting like this? Why was he so angry all of the sudden? Not even a creep like Harley could have made him this angry. What the hell was going on in his head?

And did Cole really not mean anything to him? It may have been just sex, but…was it really just sex? Was that all he was? Just a cheap outlet to be used whenever Jack felt like it? After all that time...after losing his virginity...was it all for nothing?

Jack Abrams regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. And Cole's increasing speed in his steps didn't help matters much. Of course Jack understood why he—himself—was so emotionally charged, how it had little to do with Harley Wainwright, and how it had more to do with an anniversary of sorts—but that didn't mean that anyone else knew why he was so angry right now…except, perhaps, his father. But that wasn't the issue at hand.

Cole was the issue. What started as a sex buddy became a frequent sex buddy. Which then turned into a preferred sex buddy, and then his favorite one of all. One of the few—oh, who was he kidding?—the only one of them who he didn't mind having a conversation with when the sex was over.

"Why did I have to say that Cole didn't mean anything!?" the boy thought to himself, still looking at where Cole had just left. "Why did I have to let that out on Cole and the glee club? After all, it wasn't their fault that she didn't wa—alright Abrams, let's not go there…damn it, I really fucked up…again. I don't know what I did to piss Ridge off, though…I mean, the sex was great! Wasn't it? He was into it as much as I was! Right?"

Jack sighed angrily, knowing in the pit of his stomach that his escapades with the tall boy were truly over. But what confused Jack was why this upset him…was he sad to lose a friend with benefits? Or was he sad to lose…probably the closest true friend he had ever had? Either way, whatever Cole was, he wasn't that anymore.

"Why do you think he was so upset?"

Steph sighed through the phone in response to Trey's inquiry. She was currently in her SUV, en route to one Harley Wainwright's house. "He must have gotten into another fight with Jack. I never should have let my brother go after him. Thanks for dropping him off at home, by the way."

"No problem," Trey's voice rang from the other end. "But are you sure you want to go talk to Harley alone?"

"He's a jerk, not a criminal," Steph scoffed as her Escalade pulled into the long driveway of the massive Wainwright home. "Holy crap, Harley is loaded. Trey, you should see this!"

"Visit the home of the guy who voluntarily sports a ponytail? No thanks."

Steph chuckled as she parked her SUV. "Well, I'd better go. I'll let you know how it went."

"Good luck."

Within seconds, Steph ended her call and got out of the truck, surprised to find Harley standing in front of the open front door with a glass of lemonade in his hand. His usual ponytail had been undone, instead leaving the long strands to travel down slightly past his shoulders.

"Stefania Hudson, right?" he asked.

"Steph," she corrected. "Did you hear me pull up or something?"

"Indeed," the boy answered. "It's pretty quiet around here, so you hear when a ridiculously loud and obnoxious vehicle roaring itself onto your thousand dollar pavement."

The brunette girl scowled. She certainly didn't appreciate some yuppie commenting on her precious Escalade.

"Speaking of your unnecessarily expensive driveway," Steph commented, "why exactly did you transfer from Wilmington Prep to a public school?"

"A little personal, don't you think?"

"Usually I have boundaries, but you kind of annoy me, so I figured I'd drop the faux politeness."

Harley couldn't help but smile a little at the short girl's gall. "Well, when my father transferred here from Delaware, we realized that it was a little too late in the year to enroll me in any of the private schools. So I'll be slumming it with you peons until the fall."

Steph grunted in offended anger. "You're such a creep."

"Well, you asked," he shrugged in response.

"And I regret it," Steph concluded. "But on to the real reason I'm here. You need to apologize to the musicians of Vocal DynamiX."

Harley rolled his eyes. "You drove all this way to tell me to play nice with a bunch of toddlers with as much musical experience as a puppy with a squeaking toy?"

"No," she answered sternly. "I came this way to tell you to man up and stop being such an asshole to people who've done nothing to you."

"If you want your little club to be a success, you've got to aim for the top. And those 'musicians' aren't the top, so just boot them. Who cares about some hurt feelings along the way?"

"I don't know what your old school brainwashed you with, but on this side of the poverty line, the feelings of human beings matter. Besides, the combo is incredible. We're lucky to have them playing for us, and they're gonna help us get to the top. Maybe if you got off of your overly-privileged high horse long enough to listen to what's going on with the lower classes, you'd realize that we peons aren't as bad as you make us out to be."

Deciding that Harley Wainwright was a lost cause, Steph angrily huffed to her truck. She was surprised, however, to find the long-haired boy holding the truck door open for her politely.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Holding the door open for you?" he responded as if Steph was a complete idiot. "You were the one who told me to get off of my high horse."

But Steph would have none of it. "What's your angle, Harley?"

"No angle. And I'll apologize to your little music makers if you want."

"…no seriously, what the hell is going on?"

"I'm trying to be polite, but because you're so damn insufferable, it's getting pretty old fast. Now could you please stop asking questions before I change my mind about apologizing to those musicians?"

"…Okay…I…guess I'll see you at school, then," she responded, having never been more confused.

"Good evening, Stefania."

Rolling her eyes at his use of her real name, Steph got into her truck—Harley closing her door—and she was soon heading down the long driveway, leaving the rich boy in her dust.

"She actually stood up to me," Harley said to himself. "That short, little…imp of a girl stood up to me…fascinating."

Across town, Julia, Anna Maria, and Cameron had just approached their destination: a small, quaint house right outside of the city limits.

"Are—"

"Cameron, I love you, but if you ask me if I'm ready one more time, I will never watch Avatar with you again."

As the biracial boy promptly silenced himself, Anna Maria reached over from the backseat. "Go get 'em, girl."

Julia smiled. "Thanks." The blonde girl gave Cameron a kiss and stepped out of the car, making her way to the house. She approached the front door, and took a final deep breath before ringing the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door opened and a frail petite woman with thin blonde hair stood before her.

"We-we're very happy with our church home, thank you—"

"No, no, wait please!" Julia interrupted. "That isn't why I'm here…I'm looking for a Mary Eastman."

"That's me," the woman responded. "What-what can I do for you?"

The young girl gulped. This small, scared looking woman was her mother. "Um…my name is Julia Hummel-Anderson, a-and I th—"

"Hummel? Anderson? Oh, oh God. Dear God."

"I know that this is a bit of a shock for yo—"

"Didn't you get my letter?" Mary whispered harshly, stepping outside and partially closing the front door beside her.

"Well, I—"

"You shouldn't be here!" she said through gritted teeth. "You need to leave, right now. Immediately!"

"Mary dear, who is at the door?"

The door behind Mary Eastman opened and revealed a woman of about sixty with greying hair.

"No one, Mother," Mary said to the old woman. "Just someone telling us about Jesus."

The grey haired woman gave Julia a stern look through her thick glasses. "We know Jesus, dearie. Thank you." She then looked at her daughter. "Mary, let's return inside, shall we?"

"Y-yes, Mother." The old woman returned inside, and Mary gave the now startled Julia a stern look. "Read my letter. And please don't come back here!"

The door slammed in the young girl's face, leaving Julia too petrified to even move. It took a few moments before she realized that Cameron and Anna Maria had left the car and were now on either side of her.

"Julia, we saw what happened. Is everything okay?" asked Cameron.

"I-I-I-I don't know. I-I don't know what just happened. She was so surprised to see me, and then she said that-that I shouldn't be here, and…and she's told me to leave—I, I—"

Cameron cut her off with a tight hug, which calmed the stuttering girl a little bit. When the hug was broken, he kept his arm around Julia as Anna Maria supportively locked arms with the girl, the trio slowly making their way back to Cameron's car.

"She…she mentioned th-the letter," Julia informed them. "Where—"

"I'm on it," Anna Maria softly interrupted. Letting go of Julia, the Latina quickly opened Cameron's backseat door and pulled out the first sheet of paper that Julia had purposely neglected prior to their visit.

When Anna Maria reached her, Julia silently unfolded the piece of paper that was now in her hands. Cameron and Anna Maria stepped away a few feet to give the girl some privacy as she began to read her mother's letter.

My dearest Julia,

I know that you will someday ask your fathers about me, and you'll have many questions. I've instructed them to give you this letter, knowing that it will give you some answers, although maybe not the answers that you'll want to hear.

Let's start over. My name is Mary Ellen Eastman, and at the time I'm writing this letter, I am twenty-four years old. It has been approximately three months since you have been born. And if I haven't made it clear by now, I am your biological mother.

However, I must impress upon you that you and I should never meet. You see, I was fresh out of college when I heard about your fathers' request for a surrogate mother. With little cash and no job to my name, I jumped at the chance to make some easy money. I know that sounds a little callous, but please forgive me. It was a very difficult time.

But I digress. My pregnancy with you, and my relationship with your fathers should have been very easy, but it sadly was not. Not by any fault of your dads—Kurt and Blaine were excellent, I'm sure that they still are. The fault was in my parents, actually. You see, I come from a very, very strict Christian home, and for my parents to learn that I was giving a gay couple a baby…well, it wouldn't have gone over very well. But as I was living with them—which, sadly I still am at the moment—I had to explain the pregnancy somehow. So when I explained to them that I was carrying another couple's baby, I…neglected to inform them that it was a gay couple. I was able to convince my parents that the surrogates lived out of state, and that was why they could never meet them. And though your fathers weren't pleased of course, they understood.

Anyway, the months passed, and the day of your birth came…and you were—are—the most beautiful human being I have ever seen. I won't lie; as I write this letter, I have just a few regrets. But seeing the smiles on your fathers' faces and the tears in their eyes, I wouldn't change my mind for anything in the world.

Sadly, the happiness didn't last long. On the day I was to leave the hospital, my parents came to pick me up. Of course, it was on this day that your fathers arrived to thank me once more. Needless to say, the shit hit the fan. (my apologies, but we are being honest, after all) Not to go into details, but…the second we were home, I was yelled at for "aiding the queer abomination" for days…it was horrible. And I wanted to stand up for my decision and myself. But to go against my parents?

It is for this reason that I cannot see you. Or have any knowledge of you. As painful as it may seem, I wanted to be the first to tell you this. Honestly, I don't even believe that your dear fathers know the extent of my parents' feelings, or that they've all but banished me from seeing you. I am so sorry that it has to be this way, but sadly, it must. For the sake of my relationship with my parents and for the well-being of your family.

I wish you the best, and all of the love in the world. Have a beautiful life.

Sincerely,

Mary Ellen Eastman

The letter was folded and quietly slipped into Julia's purse. Seeing her finish, Anna Maria and Cameron slowly walked back to her.

"Julia, honey?" asked Cameron softly.

"Are you okay?" questioned Anna Maria.

Instead of answering either question, Julia avoided their gazes and entered Cameron's Dodge Charger on the passenger side. The girl's eyes were closed and her expression unreadable as she reclined the seat.

"What do you think happened?" Anna Maria whispered.

"I-I don't know," Cameron replied. "She doesn't even look angry. She read that letter and just…stopped talking."

"Like all of her feelings just vanished or something."

Cameron's face grew angry all of the sudden, and he started to walk up the Eastman drive, Anna Maria rushing after him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Fish Face?"

"No one makes Julia feel like that and gets away with it!"

"And you're gonna try to fight someone?"

"I-I don't know. I'll figure it out when I get there."

The Latina grabbed the boy's shoulder and turned him to face her. "Will you cool it? Look, I know that you're pissed for her. But the last thing she needs is her boyfriend in jail for attempting to beat up two women with spindly toothpick arms…and in case that wasn't clear, I mean your arms, not theirs."

Cameron scowled at her insult as the girl continued. "I don't know what was in that note," she told him, "but I do know that we need to get Julia out of here."
The boy looked behind Anna Maria to his girlfriend in the car; her eyes were still closed and her face was still hard to decipher.

"You're right," he admitted. "Can you call Kurt and Blaine and tell them that we're going to meet them?"

"Sure," replied Anna Maria. "Go on ahead. I'll make the call out here."

Cameron nodded and walked past the girl to enter his car on the driver's side. The emotionally drained Julia didn't seem to even notice his entrance.

"Juli—"

"I'd rather not talk," she replied with a strange combination of calm and dejection. There were no tears in her voice or in her eyes, but Julia Hummel-Anderson was broken. And Cameron Evans was broken right along with her.

"We-we're going to take you to see your fathers," he said softly, unsure of what to say. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her further. "Is that okay?"

"Yes Cameron."

The door to the backseat opened, signaling Anna Maria's entrance and the end of conversation. And soon, the car was off.

From her upstairs bedroom window, Mary Eastman frowned softly as the car left. She had seen everything: her daughter's reading of her letter and subsequent sadness, the young man—who she presumed was a boyfriend—charging to the front door, and their ultimate retreat from the residence.

This young woman was her daughter…and she had to be turned away. She couldn't let her parents learn that this chapter in her life was reopened. If her parents ever found out that this girl had returned…Mary would never hear the end of it. She'd be put out, abandoned, cast aside.

A tear in her eye, Mary whispered a few solemn words towards the window.

"I'm sorry, Julia. I'm so sorry."

I could put something witty and clever here. I could apologize once again for my long absence. Or I could do neither and spend more time writing the story! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always, let me know what you think, the good, the bad, or the inconsistent. Thanks!

In the Next Chapter: With Regionals right around the corner, Cameron must help an emotionally stunted Julia when she considers dropping out of the competition. Meanwhile, the actions of one group member could lead to disastrous results.