Abby Lee Miller's Son (Dance Moms Fic)

Chapter 4 (Season 2): He's Back!

On November 19th, in St. Louis, Missouri, also known as the Show Me State, Abby, along with the girls and their mothers, strolled down Market Street towards the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. This was the venue for Hollywood Vibe, a competition they were attending. Payton and her mother, Leslie, were there to fill in for Brooke, who was recovering from an injury. Cooper and Gianna were absent, yet Abby had a surprise in store.

Once inside, Abby checked everyone in and led them to their dressing room, set up in a conference room with makeup tables. Jill and Leslie's tables were adjacent, a setup ripe for conflict.

"Girls, pay attention. This is Hollywood Vibe. The professionals here, from New York to Los Angeles, are the ones who might be placing you on stage today and working at a casting or studio talent agency by Monday. This is a monumental opportunity for your futures," Abby announced, while Leslie advised Payton.

"Payton, perfect this dance. It could be your only shot. Make sure your leaps are high. A mistake today could mean you're not on the team," Leslie cautioned her daughter, eager for Payton to secure her place on the team, considering Jill and Kendall as outsiders.

"Kendall, rehearse the trio repeatedly. I need to be certain you've mastered it," Jill instructed her daughter, placing $20 on the makeup table as an incentive. "This is yours if you perform well."

Then, the door swung open, and Gianna entered, greeted warmly by everyone.

"Hey, everybody," Gianna greeted as she joined the group in the dressing room.

"Hey, Gianna. Girls, what if I told you that Gianna didn't come alone?" Abby asked. She whistled, and as the sound faded, the door swung open to reveal Cooper, clad in a red and black tracksuit, stepping into the room.

"Surprise!" Cooper exclaimed.

"Coop's back!" Mackenzie shouted, rushing to hug Abby's son. Abby motioned for the other girls and moms to join in, and they eagerly did, thrilled to have him back at a competition after his appendectomy.

"How did you get here?" Paige inquired.

"Gia and I took the Amtrak Texas Eagle from Chicago last night; it was Mom and Gia's idea," Cooper replied.

"Cool," Payton commented.

"We missed you a lot!" Nia expressed.

"Yeah!" Chloe agreed.

"I missed you guys too, but now I'm back," Cooper declared. "Am I missing anything?"

"No, you arrived just in time," Christi confirmed as Cooper stood by his mother.

"Mom, since Jill and Leslie's daughters are on probation, does that mean Kendall and Payton are too, and they follow the student's lead, right?" Cooper asked Abby.

"That's correct, Coop," Abby responded. "We'll see how it goes."

"One more question, what's the running order?" Cooper queried.

"The trio is first, followed by Maddie and Chloe's solos, then the group," Abby detailed.

"Thanks for the update."

"No problem."

Maddie, Chloe, and Kendall made their way to the stage, while Abby, Cooper, Gianna, Mackenzie, Nia, Paige, Payton, and the mothers joined the audience.

"Mom, is it just me, or is Chloe miles away from Maddie and Kendall because of the microphone placement?" Cooper observed.

"I'm aware," Abby responded.

"He's correct," Melissa concurred.

The trio of Maddie, Chloe, and Kendall commenced as the music played. They performed well, and at the conclusion, they struck a pose before exiting the stage. Backstage, Abby and Cooper approached.