𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 | s. lopez + b. pierce

Twelve

Jade's first year at NYADA had come to an end. She'd learned a lot from her teachers, and she was confident to say that she had improved her skills in all areas of the performing arts. She was no longer worried about living up to her sister's talent, but instead focused on embracing her own.

Mercedes had invited her and Brittany to come with her as back-up dancers on her mall tour. They'd get to spend the whole summer traveling the United States with Santana and Oliver and doing what they loved with their friend – which was performing.

Rachel had gotten an offer from a television station for her own TV show, and they'd spent the whole week with a writer that customized the script around her, her life, and her friends.

Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes, Sam, Artie, Jade, Santana, Brittany, and Oliver sat around the living room reading the final version of the script, tears filling a few of their eyes.

"'...The thing about love is that it's not a scarce resource. The more you give, the more you have to give'." Rachel looked up with a smile after she finished reading the final line. Santana used the pad of her thumb to gently wipe a tear off of Jade's face. "Awww! I love it. Do you guys like it?"

"Yayyyy!" Oliver cheered, clapping his little hands with a giggle.

"I cried, and it wasn't just because I can walk in the script," Artie said, chuckling.

"Well, she's handing it into the network, so we should hear soon."

"The other one was better," Brittany mumbled as she tossed the script down on the coffee table.

"The only good part about the other script was Kurt as a gay, depressed dinosaur," Jade said. "I didn't like the part where you slept with Blaine...That was gross."

"Uber gross," Santana agreed.

"You know, I always thought that Fanny was the role that I was born to play," Rachel said, placing a hand on her sister's arm when she stood up and hugged her shoulders. "But then I read this. This is it. This is my dream role, you guys, and thank you so much for pushing me to get it right."

"A toast." Kurt raised his tea mug. "To two glorious years in the greatest city on earth."

"Cheers to that." Rachel nodded and raised her water glass. Oliver lifted up his sippy cup – which was filled with apple juice – and clinked it with the others' glasses.

"Holy crap!" Sam suddenly exclaimed. Santana scowled at him as he bolted for the door. Mercedes sighed and threw her arms up before deciding to go after him, the other's following close behind.

The warm, spring air filled their lungs as they stepped outside. Brittany scrunched her nose when she saw what Sam got excited about and covered Oliver's eyes.

"Oh, my God!" Rachel gasped.

"Gross," Jade mumbled, shaking her head at the sight of Sam's half-naked picture on the side of a bus.

"Oh, my God, Sam, I am so proud of you!" Mercedes beamed.

"I did it! I made my dream come true!" Sam smiled. "Look at this." He motioned to the picture with his arms. "Ah, the abs. The nipples are even. Oh, my gosh, this is great."

"My babies are traumatized." Santana scoffed, looking between her son and girlfriends.

"It is the start of a great career," Artie said.

"Nope." Sam shook his head as he approached the group again. "Finish. Came out here to get my junk on the side of a bus, and I did it. Going out on top...Or on the side, really."

"What are you gonna do now?" Rachel asked.

"I think I'm gonna go back home. I just want to be in a space where the only sounds I hear at night are the crickets and the rendering plant. My mind just works better when everything's a little slower. Plus, everybody here is just scattering anyway, so..."

There was a moment of silence. Jade leaned her head onto Santana's shoulder as she reflected on the last few months. She got to spend the whole year learning from her mom, she got to watch her son grow some more, she was healing from her past trauma, and her relationship with Santana and Brittany was going strong.

She'd be turning 19 in a couple months. She was all grown up now.

"It's the end of another era for us Glee kids." Blaine sighed.

Jade smiled sadly and linked her pinkies with Santana and Brittany's when they held them out to her. "Ending together."

"Just the way it should be," Brittany added, blinking back tears.

"Yeah." Rachel nodded. "It has been quite a year, you guys...With Glee Club ending for good...I don't think I can really handle losing anything else."

Mercedes frowned. "Who said that you have to lose anything?"

"No, he's right. It's like the end of an era. Sam said it. We're all gonna be scattered all over the place soon." Rachel turned to Kurt beside her. "You do realize that if I get this TV show, it'll be the first time that we're apart in five years. And Jade," she turned to her little sister, "it'll be the first time in almost nineteen years that I wouldn't be able to at least come visit you while we're apart."

"Well, I think if we can survive over a decade of sibling rivalry, we can get through anything." Jade chuckled, and Kurt nodded in agreement.

"Jade's right," Artie said, smiling a little when she turned to look at him. "I'm in this with you guys for the long haul."

"Okay, then, you know what, you guys? Let's make a deal," Rachel declared. "Six months from now, we all come back, right here, to this place, because I'm gonna need something to look forward to. If I've learned anything from this year, it's that you guys are my life."

"Let's hug it out," Jade said, smiling as she exchanged a look with Artie.

The New Directions alumni wrapped each other in a group hug – the last one for a while. Brittany and Santana made sure that there was space between Jade and Sam so that their girlfriend wouldn't get uncomfortable.

"Oh, guys," Kurt cooed. "I would kill to break out in song right now."

****

a/n

that's officially the end of season five! 🥹

thoughts?