Connection

Chapter 9

Puck paced in the den as Finn stared at the black TV. "Something funky is going on."

"Yep." Finn piped up.

"Mini Mama ain't said nothing about moving?"

"Nope."

Puck shook his head but Finn's phone went off.

Finn answered it. "Hello? Hey, Marcy."

Puck dove to a spot near his best friend.

"Yeah, I can meet you downstairs. Give me a couple minutes. Okay. Bye." Finn hung up.

"She wants to talk to you downstairs?" Puck wanted to confirm.

"Yeah." Finn was very worried. "She sounded like she'd been crying."

"Mini Mama don't cry."

Finn shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh no. I'm staying up until you get back."

M-A-P

Sam walked off the elevator and saw Marcy staring at the spot where they'd scared her the year before. He hurried to move her away from it, lest she got angry all over again. "Hey."

She said nothing, letting him lead her to the bench.

"Are you okay?"

"No." It took her a while to say.

"Marcy, what's wrong?" He peered at her.

She looked up at him miserably, about to admit to something dangerous but Finn stepped off the elevator. "Hi, Finn."

Finn walked over. "Hey? What's going on?"

"Are we disbanding?"

Both boys reacted like she slapped them. "What?!"

"I'm going to California."

"You, too?!" Finn didn't know how to go on.

"Lucy must have told you."

"Nobody's told me anything!" Sam felt ambushed.

"I can't stay here. I'm leaving as soon as the school year is over. I know you have a life here and I don't blame you if you want to stay but I can't-" Tears raced down her face as she got choked up.

Sam tried to hug her but she ran to the stairwell to literally run up the stairs to her apartment.

"What is going on?!" Finn didn't like this at all.

M-A-P

"We don't like ultimates." Puck started out.

"Ultimatums, Noah." Mercedes huffed. "And it wasn't one. We're leaving in the spring. With or without you."

"You can't take my kids from me."

"That's your choice."

"How?! You're telling me we're breaking up-!"

"Noah!" Anna cried.

He shook his head and walked away a bit.

Finn took over. "I think we deserve to know why you want to leave."

"Maybe they don't feel good here anymore?" Rachel whispered.

Mercedes and Quinn looked at her. "You get it."

Rachel nodded slowly before admitting to what had been on her heart for weeks, if not months.

Finn was blown away. "What?! It was the only thing you've ever wanted!"