Walkout

Once again, thanks everyone for alerts, favs and reviews! You conned me into an additional chapter BTW. Should be up tomorrow.

Fyroni and Taylor: Thank you both! I'm glad you like this version of season 3. This prompt resonated with me for the same reasons why you seem to like the fill. Glee-fans currently need to have a masochistic streak and an ability to retain information for less than a minute to fully enjoy their show ^_^

Misery Loves Sarah: Thank you for reviewing again! Tina has shown that she can be assertive and temperamental when pushed or having reached her boiling point (Figgins forbidding her goth chic, Artie's sexism) so it was nice to have that trait to built from. Don't get me started on Kurt from recent episodes *shudder* I kept Quinn mostly out of this beyond her canon-Troubletone-dealings. I don't like her character much but she deserves better than her random tragedy becoming a Finchel-marriage plot point.

RaeMarieM: Thanks for commenting again!Well, you and a few others managed to prod me into another chapter. This is why reviewing works ^_~

laurajane81: Thank you for taking a chance despite the lack of pairings! I appreciate it. Glad you liked Finn (at least the way he was written) and Rachel's rant! I'm not a shipper of any pairing personally but character-driven and mostly write gen or PWPs, with some drive-by plot because I can't help myself. I do read some Puck/Rachel (however ATM I'm annoyed that every single fic I've read features Puck having been in love with Rachel forever, sometimes from the age of seven! And angsting about it for years or later realizing that, OMG! he was in love with her all the time. Even fics where they meet 10 years after high school and clearly are freshly attracted from a mature perspective with no hint of previous love suddenly drop the epic - unnecessary imo - one-sided yearning randomly in chapter 14... And it's always Puck pining after Rachel and feeling unworthy of her, never the other way around and all gleeks know and have all along. It's as if those two can't be attracted/in love without Rachel having been Puck's first - and only - love. Or he can't have disliked or not adored Rachel at any time, like ever! I must have missed a memo that made this feature mandatory for every recent Puckleberry in existence.). I find Rachel often written too cutesy or sue-ish even if I really like the writer's style otherwise: she's an awesome character imo because of her many, many flaws and extreme personality. Why rip it from her? And it's okay if her partner loathes and genuinely dislikes some of those extremes! And vice versa. I think I've seen Puck/Tina once or twice, well-written ones too. Tina is so little fleshed out you can basically write her however you want: she's nearly an OC from a fanfic-writer's point. With Glee's script writers perhaps not the worst thing to happen to her ^_^

Warnings: a previous, unsuccessful, suicide attempt mentioned. I don't think it's especially triggering or traumatic given that it's non-graphic and simply an explanation for a canon-event from season 2 that's in the past. But for those who want to skip: it's the second paragraph.

Walkout 3/4 with an Epilogue to come

When Kurt seeks Puck out, furtively, as if he's trying to audition for the role of newbie-spy, he's surprised. He'd thought Kurt and Tina were pretty tight.

But really, who knows with ND? One day they group-hug and sing sappy songs to support someone. The next they ignore eating disorders (Santana, Brit), body issues (Finn, Santana, Sam, Rachel, Mercedes) and half-assed suicide attempts masquerading as the stupidest crime ever (him. Not that he's ever gonna admit to anyone that it was sheer bad - or good, depending on view – luck that landed him in the 7-Eleven, ramming the ATM, instead of the wall to the left he'd aimed for. That stupid cat got in the way and he'd swerved instinctively because he has a thing about running down animals. The shit with losing Beth had just gotten too painful. He just wanted it all to end, stop feeling. Numbing himself over the summer with alcohol, drugs, violence and sex hadn't worked and he'd been freshly out of ideas and patience for it to get better. He'd wanted it to look like an accident for his family: classic teenage drunk driving gone wrong. It had been a spur of the moment thing, which was why he'd been in Ma's car. When he'd gained consciousness the cops were already arriving and came to their own conclusions quickly: he hadn't tried to dissuade them. In fact, he's gonna go to his grave insisting he'd been trying to steal that fucking ATM. The court-ordered therapy had helped with the Beth-stuff, though he hadn't told that guy the truth either…), pretend they don't know each other and laugh at each other's screw ups. The group as a whole has a nasty habit to use other member's misfortune to bolster their own confidence... Their team spirit sucks, the supposed friendship worse.

"Hi Puck. How are you?"

"'m good. Why?"

"Thought you might be getting bored without Glee."

"Still got basketball, baseball, weight training, judo, MMA… I've got no problems to fill my time."

"You know you could come back any time, do you?"

"Sure. I could. We all could. But Schue's freshly out of bribes, ain't he?"

Before Kurt can get all indignant he adds "It's not about guaranteed soli for us. That shit was just like the last straw. It's about a fuckton of things. Hell, it's about half of you not even noticing Tina was missing from three practices! When she's been attending all the time like her life depends on it! And it wasn't the first time that happened either."

His flash-back to the beginning of junior year is still on his mind. "You know, the only one visiting me in juvie? Was Mike. Only people keeping in contact with Matt – me, Mike and Brit. No one else texted him even once. And how many of us kept in contact when you fled to Warbler-land? Unless you came to McKinley? Hell, Quinn boarded the train to crazy-town! She wasn't quiet about it either. And what did we do? Nada. Yeah, I tried, but late what with all our fucked up history. Face it, as a team we're pretty divided, everyone is out for their own. And Schue's not really doing a good job in supporting every one of us. As friends – we suck more often than not."

Kurt looks taken aback. And unsettled.

Puck suddenly remembers that Kurt, like Tina, was one of those with no friends before Glee. He can't even imagine what that's like. Yeah, he's kinda guarded and not exactly the sharing type but Puck never lacked people to hang out with, do stuff with, even at his most unpopular. Hell, he weathered the social side of Babygate a lot better than Finn, the designated "victim"… Kurt had talked to a few girls during school hours but nothing more. Tina and Kurt were close at the beginning of Glee club, but that seems to have cooled. He somehow ended up ditching BFF Mercedes for the boyfriend last year – or Mercedes him, Puck's not sure – and is now in some weird co-dependent frenemyship with Rachel that seems built on their mutual NYADA-dreams. Finn and Kurt live together and they've become family – but they sure as hell ain't friends. They're not hanging together voluntarily, unless it's double dates initiated by Rachel.

"You know I get where you and Tina come from," Kurt says, quietly. "God knows, I've raged more than enough about Schue's choice of singers and song selections. About my lack of solos or even lines! About the non-existent preparation in favor of lessons of the week. And that they secretly bribed the deserters while we - the ones staying loyal all the time – can watch from the stage exits is outrageous. No one but the ex-Troubletones, and Quinn for some odd reason, are happy about that one. There's a lot of grumbling! Even Rachel seems to regret it now: she's realized she'll have to sit one performance out. Santana and Mercedes made it very clear she has no place in their number."

He sighs, "But Blaine's happy in Glee and I did play a role in getting him here. I wasn't very mature during the WSS-auditions and he took it in stride and was wonderful. So I'm going to support him in this, even if I never get featured. And I don't think it'll look good for NYADA if I quit now and don't go to Nationals when the rest of ND does…"

"Do what you feel like, dude. It's not like we're recruiting for a rival choir – that's so last year," he smirks and Kurt chuckles. "If you're happy or okay in Glee you should stay. 'S just that we ain't anymore. So, why should we force ourselves to go three times a week when we don't have to and aren't needed or appreciated anyway? We've got enough other stuff we can do."

Kurt looks thoughtful. Perhaps even a little bit envious.

It turns out they all have appointments with Ms. P. One guess is all everyone needs to know this is about them leaving her fiancé's club so they decide they might as well go together. Mike's kinda glad for that: united front and all. Makes it easier to weather the metaphorical storm.

Ms. P looks taken aback when instead of Tina (probably her easiest charge to start out with, in Emma's mind) she's faced with Puck and Mike flanking her, all of them taking seats.

Puck gives her his most charming smile, "Thought we'd spare you the hassle of three appointments for one topic, Ms. P," as if they think they're doing her a favor.

Emma Pillsbury looks back at them with a deer-in-the-headlight-expression, eyes even larger than usual. Then she visibly gathers herself.

"Ah, yes. Alright. Of course, one topic. Yes. Which is you all deciding to leave Glee."

She musters them a bit helplessly, as if she isn't quite sure what to do with them now. Either she prepared really badly for this or all of them showing up together seriously threw her off. Finally she seems to spring into action.

"So, maybe you can tell me your reasons for leaving? You've all been in Glee for quite a long time."

Surprisingly (to anyone but Puck and Mike: it's clear how much she enjoys letting loose. No wonder she's not wild about going back to meek!Tina) it is Tina who answers: "You know, that's something I'd expect our ex choir director to ask and care about. But Mr. Schue doesn't seem interested at all. He certainly didn't ask me about my reasons for wanting to leave! Nor did he ask the boys."

Ms. P seems pretty bewildered by Tina's outburst but she rallies fast.

"Oh. Well, I can't speak for Will, Mr. Schuester, you understand. But I'm very interested to learn what has you, all three of you, so disaffected with Glee. Maybe you'd like to tell me?"

So they tell her about the Troubletones-deal. About the same people being featured all the time, regardless of actual skills. About how annoying all the drama is to those of them who try to stay out of it, who prefer to keep their private woes out of the choir room. About the utterly crappy preparation (despite all of Schue's promises to do better they still didn't have a set-list as of two days ago, let alone had practiced for Regionals!) for competitions, again. About Mr. Schuester bringing his private life into the choir room constantly and how seriously embarrassing that is. About being relegated to eternal back-up. About all of the student's ideas still being shut down without explanation. About Glee sapping their confidence instead of building it up. About Glee having become a chore rather than something to look forward to. About not having fun anymore.

Ms. Pillsbury looks more and more stunned as they lay it all out. Mike notices they don't even sound angry anymore when talking about it all, more like matter of fact. It's as if they're already done. Over it.

"Ah. Wow! That's... a lot! I had no idea. Uhm, you've kept quite a bit of frustration bottled up it seems to me. I, ah, obviously can't make any promises of changes-"

Puck sighs, "No sweat, Ms P. We're not expecting any to be honest. That's why we left. We're pretty over it."

"Oh." Ms. P looks heart-broken. "But still. May I bring your points up with Mr. Schuester?"

They look at each other and shrug. Why not? They agree. It won't change anything for them, but maybe the others will get something out of it?

She slides several pamphlets over to them when they seem done with counseling. The titles read "So You Suddenly Hate Glee?" and "Quitting Extra-Curriculars in the Middle of Senior Year. Really?" Mike and Puck get both of them, Tina just the first one. Puck snorts. Those are oddly specific brochures for their circumstances... If he gets really bored he might try to find out where she gets that shit from. He stands up and the others follow.

"Puck? I'd like to keep our appointment tomorrow, please. There's something else I want to talk about with you."

Oh, super. Well, he might as well indulge her. She's kinda cool if you look past the OCD- and terrified-of-sex-crap and for all her hang ups she's not really judgmental. He's had worse counselors talking at him. Not that she will change his mind...

"Fine, I'll see ya then."

Puck falls into step with Tina on the way to lunch.

"Sooo, want to start a band with me, TCC?"

"Seriously?"

"Sure, why not? Just 'cause we're not in Glee anymore doesn't mean we're not allowed to sing or make music! You can be our chick lead singer! Maybe use those sexy vampire-schoolgirl outfits you ditched as your stage image. That black mock-Cheerio get-up you wore for a while was smoking too... And you wouldn't be an Asian-Jewish kid if you hadn't been forced into piano lessons at some time during your childhood, I bet, so there's that too. I can sing male lead and do guitar, bass, keyboard or piano-"

"Or accordion or harmonica or a million other instruments," she teases him lightly. Though honestly, she's been very impressed with just how many instruments Puck can play - and how little he brags about it or makes it into a big production.

"And it's been violin my parents pressed me into learning for three years. But you were close."

"... whatever." he sounds sulky for a second before he brightens again. "Mike can sing back-up and be eyecandy for the ladies and gay dudes with his moves. Hey, we totally can get the drummer from the band too! Dude's been pissed for months about Finn hogging his drums whenever he feels like - with him standing stupidly off to the side and then having to scramble to take over again when Finn's decides he's done mid-song."

Tina can't suppress a laugh because that's a very accurate description of Finn's MO when he's drumming. She's noticed the dirty looks he gets from the boy too...

"- if we guarantee to leave his drum kit alone he'll be on board for sure. We'll see about Kurt." He seems to suspect Tina would like him with them. "I'm not sure he's the band type. And, sorry T, but I'm gonna bet he won't leave Glee with his boy staying and NYADA, even if he wants to himself..."

Puck suddenly lights up.

"Hey, I have a brilliant idea: we should totally call ourselves 'Nude Erections'! Be all meta."

She lets out a horrified shriek.

"Oh my God. I can't believe you went there! As if I didn't already cringe every time Figgins introduced us at assembly... I so get veto-rights on our name!"

Regionals roll around quickly. They waffle around whether to watch the show: to torture themselves, to show support, to gloat, to see them perform from an outsider's perspective…

In the end they go. They're just too curious.

Regionals are the Rachel Berry show. She's dominating and overshadowing their entire performance. Minus the Troubletones-number of course, which looks disjointed and removed from the rest of ND's performance. It sadly still is ND's best song despite its flaws. The set on the whole is oddly lackluster. No heart, which always was their strength. No energy.

Puck and Mike take a second to be glad they don't have to wear the fugly boys' costumes. Those suck. Mike notes how uninspired the dancing is: they sure didn't need a boot camp he put in a lot of time coaching, for this repetition of lame steps! Not even Brit gets any exciting moves (which means, Mike believes, he wouldn't have either). Puck dislikes all songs: they're lame and the arrangements boring. Tina knows exactly where she would have spent those numbers: in the back harmonizing, in the back harmonizing and behind the curtain… The expected pang of not being down there on stage never comes.

The evil head-Warbler's voice turns out to be as thin and reedy as his skinny body - which is unfortunate since he's apparently their "Rachel", being front and center. He probably blackmailed them or something: no one can imagine last year's Warbler-council putting up with the untalented little psychopath. They also changed the trademark a cappella-warbling and song choices for something- well, best described as a hot mess. Puck had no idea you could fuck up a Lenny Krawitz song that much, even if you tried!

They watch Blaine making cow-eyes at the guy who nearly blinded him and didn't even regret it, and what is that all about? Nobody sings any Michael. All that drama and a surgery for nothing.

A medieval girl choir is the last competitor and they're singing Old English or Gregorian numbers – as an actual choir. Which sets them more apart from ND and the Warblers than their period costumes, ironically… They have a few solos but overall their songs are very obviously group performances. You can't clap, sing along or dance to their numbers. But the audience clearly listens to the unusual music and enjoys the performance.

Either the judges actually have an idea how a choir should operate – admittedly unlikely, given the line-up. Where do they get these people? But perhaps they were in choirs or bands during their own school years? - or they just got tired of hearing the same soloists wail. The newcomers straight from the Middle Ages win.

ND gets second place.

Bye, bye Nationals.

Did their absence handicap Glee? Despite the fact that none of them would have been getting any significant part? Or would it have been exactly the same? Just with them on the stage participating instead of watching in second hand embarrassment?

None of them know. It's not as if they can consult some alternate timeline to find out. When they go somewhere to eat later, before they'll drive back, they talk it over. In the end they find that they don't really care. They certainly didn't do anything to sabotage their ex-team mates so there's no guilt. None of them feel like gloating about ND's loss, but that's it.

None of them regret their decision.

Glee was fun for a while, a lot! Then it wasn't anymore. They stuck with it, toughing it out. But then choir became "chore"…

Time to move on.

They will have fun with their band for a few months. Puck got them a gig already and Langenthal's offered them to play his sure to be epic graduation party if they don't suck. Which they won't. They did get the drummer from the band (Justin) as well as floppy-haired bassist (Brad) and practice twice a week in the band's room and once in Tina's garage. They slowly get a set-list together and it's fun. Their tastes aren't too different. Okay, Tina demands some Japanese rock songs nobody else has ever heard of but they sound actually good, (Puck especially liked that Aya-chick, he already got the albums from Tina) and as long as Tina is the one to break her tongue singing the Japanese parts, why not? Just for kicks they rockify some Scissor Sisters' stuff and it sounds pretty damn awesome to their surprise. Puck and Mike laugh themselves silly at the image of Figgins' horror, should they ever sing some of that explicit stuff at school…

Mike and Puck will leave Lima in the summer, after graduating.

Puck's already chomping at the bits to finally get out of Lima. With Beth gone again there's nothing to hold him here. He's been accepted by a few colleges he applied to, mostly to get his mom and Ms P off his back. He's taking a gap year though: he has no idea what he'd even study if he went to college now and he still isn't sure if he even wants to… It's not as if a college degree is any assurance of getting a job anymore in this economy, let alone a good one – yeah, he actually follows news that relate to his own future. Sure, he can see himself on a varsity team easily and partying with a frat and stuff. Sounds totally awesome! But for spending time like that college is way too expensive with his family's financial situation. He'd have to go into serious debt – he's only gonna do that when he knows what he wants and what he does it for. When he went to Chicago with Mike for one of his bro's dance auditions some chick gave him a card and told him he'd have to call, he'd be perfect for them. She wasn't trying to give him her number as he'd initially thought: she was in her late 20s and hot in a fashion-victimized way, and yes, with 'them' his mind immediately had jumped to a threesome with her sexy best friend or something like that... She was trying to give him that of the company she worked for as a model scout. He checked them out, they're legit. Even he recognized some of the faces in their portfolio-thing and that's saying something. Last week, after finally ending the 'hawk era (he's now sporting a very short buzz), he contacted Chicago-chick's gig and sent applications to a few other model agencies. He's already heard back from two of them and they want him too, were eager to set up test-shootings or stuff. He's still not sure how it all works - he's not Kurt who probably read Vogue in his mom's womb and lives on this kinda sites - but it sounds like a good way to earn. It'll allow him to travel, live somewhere big and interesting (meaning, with a music scene!) and it's easy money. Sounds perfect for where he is now. Most importantly, it's not Lima!

Mike had auditions at three schools and two still outstanding. He hopes to get into UMich's School of Music, Theatre & Dance or into Purchase's Dance Performance or Oklahoma's Modern Dance programs. Some schools are simply not in his reach at the moment: Juilliard and Tisch for instance demand serious ballet training, at least three years. He's taken some classes on the sly, those he could fit in without his parents - or fellow jocks - getting suspicious. But it's nowhere near the level of training these schools require. A lot of what he's learned is self-taught, of youtube or SYTYCD or perfected with Tina who could openly take dance lessons. His father was disappointed when Mike told him that those famous names aren't an option currently. Once he understood that it was a case of Mike not being able to take formal classes because he'd rightly feared his baba would have never allowed it, he didn't say a word about it anymore. He did arrange for private ballet lessons though: Mike goes three times a week now. His ma went online and presented Mike with several summer program fact sheets that either don't require much ballet training or are intensive courses designed to boost his ballet skills. Together they've all decided on one for him to attend before college.

Tina has already joined the drama club and she's looking forward to that new modern dance and hip hop group the swim coach will offer next year. She plans to audition for the next community theater production (not for the lead like Rachel did on her failed attempts; who casts a 13/14 year old beginner in mature lead roles? Tina will go for roles fitting her current abilities, she can work up from supporting gigs) as well as for the school musical or play next year. Those aren't Glee-productions and she really liked the atmosphere. Maybe theater will become her true calling? She managed to talk her parents into letting her go to a prestigious performing arts summer camp she had applied for earlier, in exchange for helping out at Asian camp again and for working some hours in her dad's office. She'll probably have no time to relax this summer but it'll be fun and she gets great activities to build up her resume.

Tina and Mike are both aware that their relationship might not survive the long separation starting this summer. Earliest Mike will be back is Thanksgiving, then Christmas… They'll try; maybe a long distance relationship will work for them. They both will do their best to make it work. If it doesn't, it won't be the end of the world: they're young, they have no plans to marry (each other, or anyone) or having children before finishing college at the very least. Besides, nothing prevents them from keeping in contact or from getting back together later should they end up in the same area again during their careers, doesn't it? They don't want to waste their last few definite months together as a couple with drama, hysterics and angst. Leave that to Finchel… They're happy together now and that's what counts.

So, I lied. Or this chapter got longer and longer since some of your comments inspired me. Take your pick! Thus, next up: chapter 4 of 3 - the aftermath with the rest of ND (and another late "deserter")

I'm very interested what you think about the way "my" Regionals played out. And the ex-gleeks plans. Please tell me, I'd love to hear from you!