Chapter 4: Seasons of Love by Yinx1

A/N: This chapter was very hard to write. I had to set it aside more than enough times. I hope I did Cory and the cast justice, though you'll be the judge if that. Didn't realize how affected I still was with these people until I started writing. Please forgive me for making this true to life. Also please listen to the songs listed below before reading. It will tell you where my head was at as I wrote this. Enjoy and Happy Reading :-D

Chapter Songs: My Immortal by Evanescence, Demons by Imagine Dragons, Seasons of Love from the musical RENT

They say there is a list of things that shouldn't happen.

Thing is no one knows how long this list is. It seems to get longer, added to, as well as shorten depending on who you talk to. The ones that seem to be universal were: never eat Pop Rocks with a can soda, never stare at the sun, don't do that silly face to long your face will get stuck like that. The newest one never text and drive.

Parents shouldn't never have to bury their children.

Chord Overstreet sat in the back of the taxi staring out into the night sky of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Chord had never seen so many stars not even in Tennessee. They were shining so bright guiding the way to the hotel for the mournful two days ahead.

Sitting back, he glanced over at his wife. Amber too was looking out the window but Chord highly doubted she was seeing she was viewing. Amber had been a shell of her former self the past couple of days as news broke of their friend's death. She was zoned out most of the time others, she was hysterically crying over in a corner or raining down a waterfall on their daughter's head as she held the confused toddler tighter.

What do you call someone that has lost a child?

Chord dutifully took up the role as The Rock. He had cried that night with Mark but he hadn't since. He needed to be strong for Amber, stronger for Kamaria, so she wouldn't think both her parents had lost it. The heartache of the sudden loss was taking his toll on him. He wouldn't be able to hold it together much longer.

The taxi pulled up to the hotel's turn-a-bout and Chord filed out paying the driver, who helped place their luggage on a carrier. Chord, followed by a shell, lead the cart up to the front desk to check in. Amber's phone rang while up the short ride in the elevator. Chord dug through the large tote answering it. Chris Colfer was on the line wanting to know if they had arrived. He and Mark were sharing a room in the same hotel and wanted to come by for a quick visit. Chord told them to give them an hour to get settled in then told the room number.

Amber wasn't full shell though when she wasn't she seemed to be in an extra helping/cleaning mode but lost in thought. Right now she took up unpacking their clothes; Chord sat on the bed watching her intently before taking the land line and ordering room service. She probably wouldn't eat but it was worth a shot. Taking out his phone to FaceTime Amber's mother who was taking care of their daughter.

"Hey you guys made it in okay," she asked with a cheerful smile.

"Yeah, Amber is unpacking our things," he turned the phone so Tiny could see her child. "The flight was good, how's Ka-O?" He asked returning the phone to himself.

"Good…good, she's out back playing with Teonie."

Chord watched as Tiny stood from the kitchen table going to the back door and calling for his child. "You smell like outside," Tiny waved her hand in front of her nose, "Bath time after you talk to your daddy, okay." She handed over the phone. Chord could hear her fussing at Teonie to take a bath now.

Two thick dark brown afro puffs were seen first, "Hi, Daddy," honey topaz eyes smiled at him.

Her father grinned back, "Hey, Ka-O, how are you?"

"Good. NiNi and me were outside playing in the sprinklers, Granny turned them on for us." She said excitedly.

Chord's eyes crinkled as they smiled, "That sounds cool. Did you have fun?"

"Yes." She wiped away running water from her face, "Where's Mommy?"

Chord glanced at his wife as she was still hanging up their clothes. But she had stopped starring at the charcoal grey suit he had packed for the funeral. He watched her take the sleeve of the jacket, holding it up to her cheek. A single tear fell out of her tear filled bottom lid. Chord felt his eyes beginning to water.

Sniffing loudly, he turned back to her smiling daughter. "Mommy is fine, she is putting up our clothes. She will call-"

The small child interrupted, "I want to speak to Mommy."

Chord's mouth went dry, torn from not wanting his daughter to see her mother crying and wailing to come with them. And his wife heart-stricken seeing their daughter and wanting to go back to the states immediately.

He turned back to Amber, "Ka-O wants to talk to you."

Her demeanor still shocked him. Amber straightened up, dropping the sleeve. She hastily wiped at her cheeks and under her nose as she walked over.

Looking over at him she mouthed, "Am I okay?" pointing to her face.

Her eyes were puffy and her nose a dark red. But she was fine for a quick chat with half decent wireless connection. Chord took her hand settling her on his lap as he passed over the phone.

"Mommy!" Kamaria exclaimed, with a bright smile.

"Hey, Baby Girl, how are you?" Amber asked forcing her smile.

Chord placed a soft soothing kiss at the back of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist loosely. Marveling at how she was able to sound like her old self, void of the sadden emotion she was expressing just a few seconds before.

He waited patiently and listened quietly as mother and daughter talked about the child's favorite Grandmother's cooking to the new cartoons she was watching. Amber made sure to ask her a few tutor questions to make sure her mother was keeping up with the assignments she had given her daughter to do over the days they were away. Kamaria aced them with flying colors. Soon after the questionnaire Tiny came back tell them it was time to go so Ka-O could bathe and get ready for bed. The child's parents waved and blew kisses wishing her sweet dreams and promising to call her tomorrow.

The call ended.

Chord still held on to her after pocketing the phone. Grabbing the remote from the side table, he turned on the TV, flipping through the channels until he found the local news. A segment on Cory's death came on and they both stopped breathing to stare. Amber gripped his hand with both of hers. A knock startled the couple the Cory news segment long gone replaced by weather. Amber moved off her husband's lap making her way slowly to the door.

"I'll answered it, Purdy," Chord whispered passing her on his way to the door. It was Chris and Mark. The men hugged each other.

"How you hold up?" Chris asked stepping back his eyes a slight pink and his nose a ruby red.

Chord shrugged as he let the two in. "As well to be expected I guess under the circumstances." He closed the door.

"How's Amber?" Chris probed. He glanced over his shoulder at his friend who was back at organizing the limited clothes in the drawers.

Chord shock his head, "Not good guys; she hasn't talked all day…no, she talked with Ka-O just now. Put on a brave face for her too…" he sighed running a shaky hand through his blond locks.

The three men turned to watch Amber continue to place clothes in drawers. Mark approached her.

"Hey, Ams," he said warily lightly touching her arm turning her to him. Mark wrapped his muscular arms around her squeezing her tight. "How you holding up," he asked backing out but not releasing her from the embrace.

Amber slowly raised her face, "I don't know; how are you supposed to be in these kinds of things?" She asked robotically.

Seeing emptiness in her eyes, Mark let her go. He shoved both hands into his jean pockets. "Different people different ways, Amber," he said softly.

Grimacing, Amber rapidly blinked back the forming tears. "I don't want to be here, not like this…not for this," she whispered. She looked past Mark at Chord, who came to her side in the next second.

He helped her to the desk chair then sat on its arm. Mark took a seat on the bed across from them. Chris took four mini vodkas out of the mini fridge and passed them out before settling himself on the desk next to his best friend.

Chris swallowed half the bottle, "Remember our first dance rehearsal with Zach; it was like our second day after our read through." Chris saw Amber nod solemnly. "Remember Cory," he chuckled, "couldn't get the steps. Not like Don't Stop Believing is hard to do. I mean it's walking with a twirl or two."

Chord saw Amber smile for the first time in days.

"He kept tripping," Amber picked up where Chris left off, "I never understood why it was so hard for him. Granted it took us seventy-five tries before we got it down." She chuckled then took a sip of her drink. "Cory never gave up; he was so determine to get those steps down."

The quartet sat in silence.

Mark downed his drink wiping his month with the back of his hand. "Cory was so goofy like a big kid. We were playing some game in his trailer last year and he was losing so he decided to give me a wet willy…it was like I was back in grade school. Made me loose too."

Amber giggled. Chord smiled this is what his wife needed. She had settled close placing her head on his thigh. The Cory-centered conversation lifted up the small group until they were laughing reminiscing about old times and the booze in the mini fridge was gone and the room service plates scraped bare. Mark and Chris left an hour later.

"Well that was fun," Chord said walking back from closing the hotel door. He leaned against the door post of the bedroom.

"Yeah it was," Amber smiled softly, taking out his pajama bottoms. "It was good to remember the good of Cory," she handed them over to him.

Chord bent his head and brushed his lips across hers. "Yeah it was." He cupped her cheek placing his forehead to hers. "You needed it."

"What about you, Chord?"

"What do you mean?"

Amber took a step back so she could look at him fully. "I mean you haven't really cried or anything since that night…"

He shrugged his hand dropping from her face, "Yeah, so…"

She fiddled with the buttons of his collared shirt, undoing them as she thought of her next words, "So…I don't think you are letting yourself grieve. Chord, you need to, you can't bottle it up."

Chord smiled reassuringly pulling out the tail and the bottom of the shirt, "Don't worry, Purdy, I'm dealing with it."

Amber studying him, knowing off the bat that he was lying, "Okay, good…I'm going to take a shower-"

"Need some help?" Chord asked mischievously.

She chuckled, "Well if you don't mind smelling like lavender."

"Why haven't you cried or shouted, since that night?" Amber asked as the two laid in bed that night. She was on her back with Chord snuggled close to her side.

"I don't really know, Amber," he breathed into the crook of her neck.

"Do you think about crying? I mean, do you think about Cory enough to make you want to cry?"

"I try not to," he groaned moving off her and laying on his back.

Amber side glanced him, "Why not?"

"I don't know…I just don't, okay." Chord grumbled turning his back to her. Punching his pillow so it would contour to his neck.

Amber chewed on her bottom lip. "Is it because of me?" She asked in barely a whisper. "I know I haven't been myself lately…" She felt him turn back over. "More like the walking dead," she snorted disgusted with herself. "I've been neglecting you and Kamaria, our family…friends," she sighed feeling her husband's arms wrapping around her pulling her close.

"Thing is," she continued, "I felt alone in my state, Chord…it was like you didn't even care."

"Care!? What?!" Chord let go of her to sit up a turn on the bedside lamp. "What are you trying to say, Amber," his eyebrows knitted together as he glared at her.

"Nothing, Chord," Amber sat up as well. "It's just that I don't feel you are in this with me; that's all."

"I still don't get. Are you saying that just because I'm not blubbering mess I'm not hurting?!"

"You haven't cried since that night…I'm worried that if you don't deal with this and you keep it bottled up-"

Chord interrupted her, "I am dealing with this! Okay! You don't have to worry about me." His furious expression softened as he sighed deeply. He took her right hand bring it to his lips kissing each knuckle gently. "Sorry….I'm sorry about this…I don't deal with death…well." Chord linked their fingers.

"I was there, Amber," Chord breathed, after he played with her fingers for a while in silence. "All of us were for his charity…he never showed any sign…"

Amber bit the inside of her cheek, "They say they never do…show signs."

"He went to rehab; we thought he was clean. We went out to celebrate being together after his charity event…me, Mark, Kevin, Harry, Chris and Darren…he was looking good too. Had put on some weight…then three days later." He sniffed wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

"Sometimes, we see what we want to see." Amber signed heavily. "I was looking back at old video and pictures of us…I should have said something no one loses weight that fast even men. I just wish he would have stayed longer in the center."

"Yeah, we all do…" Chord blinked rapidly but the tears came fast. He shook as a wave gloom swept over him. He felt Amber pull him close in her arms. Chord placed his face into his hands a wept.

"I didn't see anything, Amber," he sobbed. "Why didn't I see anything?"

Rubbing his back soothingly as his head slipped onto her lap, Amber spoke wisely, "If they want you to know then you'll know. Cory had a demon as my mother calls it…one that had a tight hold on him. He tried to get help but it is hard if almost impossible to get rid of addiction. They hid themselves well. They can even fool you to think you have broken through the hold…" Amber wiped away a stray tear. "But you're right Chord…we should have known."

The flowers were horrendous. Ugly, ghastly things that should be wiped of the face of the earth for how they brought down her already gloomy state. Everything about this was wrong as she stared at the small grey and hunter green colored urn in the middle nasty flower arrangements.

"How did he fit in there?"

Her head cocked to the side. IMPOSSIBLE! Cory was a good foot taller than her even in heels. She had to get on her toes in her four inch Louis to even peck his lips. She set her head right as a small sad smile graced her lips. It vanished as quickly as it came.

Lea Michele mentally kicked herself. She shouldn't be smiling at her fiance' funeral. What was wrong with her? Was she not sad anymore? No. That wasn't it; she would be sad for a long time coming. Then what? She sighed as her name was called to speak. Her best friend, Jonathan Groff, helped her up the steps of the small Calgary church's pulpit.

Jonathan adjusted the microphone for her height before taking his seat. Lea whispered a thank you, then gazed out over the intimate gathering. Her eyes went back to the urn.

"He was so tall…how do you get a six foot person in something so…small?" Lea fumbled with her fingers, looking down at the clipped polish of nails she did less than three hours ago.

"I don't know what you want me to say," she shuddered. "I lost a part of me…someone that is supposed to be standing here with me. Cory was very special to me. At night I can still see his handsome smile in my dreams…I don't want to wake up. His beautiful, beautiful heart, god that was his best trait." She sucked in a traumatized breath blinking rapidly. She caught the small reassuring smile of Naya Rivera. "I was so jealous, still jealous of his heart. Cory was so giving in every way…every aspect of his life. He always wondered about you. Wanting to know how your day was and what were you doing after work or for the weekend. He is…was, no Cory is a good man. I picked the person that is my other half."

Tears were falling free now, not from Lea, but everyone else in attendance.

"Cory will be missed greatly and it will be a long time before there is a day I will not think of him. He is a part of me and that's where he'll stay forever."

Lea stepped down from the pulpit. That was her first time speaking since the news. As she sat she felt warm and happy, just like she would when Cory would scoop her up in his arms a bear hug her as she giggled. Cory was still with her.

It felt different.

It was supposed to. One of their own was missing. They were all crowded in his childhood room. The funeral reception still going on down the hall. Some had punch, others something stronger. They all sat either on the full bed, chair and desk, or the window seat. It had been like this for thirty minutes. Finally someone spoke.

"We just have to remember the good, the good Cory did." Jenna Ushkowitz said softly. "He made a mistake and it cost him his life. But take away this one mistake you can see the good all the good he did in his life and for others. We just have to hold on to the good no matter what others say."

"You're right, Jenna," Ashely Fink replied, who sat next to her. "Things will go south when to corner's report comes in. I just don't think his name should be dragged through the mud for this."

Mark who sat on the other side of Jenna spoke, "But we can't just ignore this…how he died."

"What should we do?" Dianna Agron asked from the bed where she sat on one side of Lea, Amber on the other. "The results won't lie."

"No, but we face it head on, set up a charity or something…" Mark retorted taking a swig of beer.

"No, not a charity," Amber whispered. "Charities won't change anything, they won't let something like this happen again to someone else's loved one."

Harry Shum Jr. asked, "What are you thinking, Ams?"

She moved from holding on to Lea who was still in a wave snivels since entering the room. She stood, "I was thinking about maybe getting a petition started then bill to be a law in place. Now hear me out," she said to the skeptical faces that stared at her. Even her own husband. Maybe I should have ran this by him first.

"Sometimes rehab works sometimes it doesn't, right? Why it doesn't work is because the patient can check themselves out and in. How are you supposed to get clean if you, the person in trouble, is calling the shots?"

"But their doctors that have to sign off when you leave, Amber." Chris interrupted.

"Yes they do, and they don't have the patient's best interest at heart if they do that. These rehab centers are mostly private owned. So they are paying the doctors to signoff without full mental and physical heath clear of the patient. But what about the centers that are federally funded. We can get a bill saying that a person that is on this kind of drug for this amount of time needs to stay in center for this such and such a time to get clean and be monitored for at least a year after release. Make it stay mandatory." Amber sighed heavily, "Addiction is a disease, it's cannot be taken lightly. It is an ongoing battle that cannot be solved in a few measly weeks."

Amber looked around at her friends. Most looked impressed like Dianna who signed on to be co-captain of writing the bill along with Chris.

"I like this." Lea spoke through hiccups. "Cory would be so proud of us, of you Amber." She smiled holding on to fiancé jacket he wore.

"So we get a petition going first, right." Mark asked.

Amber nodded, "I believe so I mean the only thing I know about law making is the I'm Just A Bill song from Schoolhouse Rock. I will have to look that up to see the correct process but yeah I think so."

"Well I know of a few people that can sign it," Jenna grinned.

"Gleeks." Chord answered coming up besides his wife, giving her a strong side hug. "I will keep them off Big Naya for a quick minute." He chuckled winking at Naya, who chunked a throw pillow at him.

A/N: Well sorry about the wait. Though I think it is far…far FAR from what they went through, I wanted to make an AU RileyStreet in which they were dating, married etc. true to life as possible. Let me know what you think. Till next time I promise it will be happier. See you in the spring.