So...here's the epilogue. I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks to everyone who read and double thanks to everyone who reviewed.

Don't own Glee

Enjoy!

Epilogue-8 Years Later

Maxwell slung his backpack angrily at the foyer wall and stomped across the wood floors. He heard the door behind him reopen and shut behind, but he kept moving. Even when his mother called his name he kept on walking.

"Maxwell Grant Barrett!" Her raised voice stopped him in his tracks.

"What?" He mumbled shoving his hands deep into his jean pockets.

"Don't what me. Tell me what happened." She circled to face him and even though he'd shot up to be taller then her by at least half a foot he still respected her enough to look partially ashamed.

"I punched Adams." He shrugged avoiding her eyes.

"I got that much from talking to Mrs. Pilsbury-Schuester. I want to know why?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot, waiting.

"Because he's a dick!"

"Language. We don't hit people just because we're displeased with their lack of home training. Do you really want to spend the rest of your high school career tussling with Anthony Adams?"

"I don't care...he deserved it."

"I don't know what has gotten into you, Maxwell. We didn't raise you to act like this..." Rachel sighed placing a palm on his cheek and turning his head to look into her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mom..."

"Then tell me what happened, tell me the truth."

They were quiet for a moment. Identical brown eyes staring intensely into each other. He wanted to tell her, he really did. He'd always been so honest with his mom, but he couldn't explain to her. It wasn't his secret to tell.

He took a step back and shook his head solemnly. "I can't..." He whispered and his mothers hand dropped to her side.

She stared at him and he could almost see her heart breaking in her eyes, but when she knew why he did it she'd understand that he'd only been trying to do the right thing.

"Can I go to my room now...?" He asked quietly, but when she didn't answer he just turned and walked away.

"Max...? Max? Max...?" The teen was woken from his sleep by his whispered name.

"D?" He queried rubbing the sleep from his eyes he sat up and peered into the darkness.

"I'm sorry..." His brother closed his door softly.

"Don't be. I'd do it again if I had to, Anthony's a shithead."

"Ma, says cursing is the sign of a weak vocabulary and mind." Dean recited causing him to roll his eyes. Quinn and his Mom had gotten married over five years ago and from that point on Dean had begun to refer to her as his Mom too. He still called Quinn, Quinn but it wasn't because she was less his mother, but rather because Dawn would always be his mother and Quinn would always be just awesome at being his Quinn.

"Yeah, well as much as I love going over and over Mom's sayings..."

"I should tell them the truth, huh?" The younger boy interrupted sitting on the edge of Maxwell's bed. He could barely make out his brother's features in the darkness. His close cropped hair made him look older than his fourteen years and even though he'd grown to be muscular he'd always had a small frame and though he was already the youngest varsity swimmer he was also almost the smallest boy in his freshman class.

"Hey bro, it's your choice..." He pressed a big hand on Dean's shoulder "...I've got your back."

"I just...I don't...I don't want people to say anything bad about our family."

"Reality check, D, in this town everyone we love and know is basically a social pariah. It's just part of our charm." He smiled and nudged into the blonde boy.

"Yeah..."

"You know that they won't think any differently of you, right? I mean you know we all love you whoever you are, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Dean replied quietly.

"They're gonna cry though, huh?" Dean said after a moment of silence.

"Oh, yeah...major waterworks."

The next day Maxwell sat alone at the house bored to death. He'd been forbidden from getting online and all the computers were locked away. His cell phone had been taken from him by Quinn when she'd gotten home last night. She been more upset that he'd made his mother cry than by the actual fighting. He couldn't blame her. She didn't know the story, neither of them did and he hated seeing his mom cry, as well.

He couldn't help it that sometimes he got angry. Sure, they'd made a really good home for all of the kids, but Lima's narrow minds hadn't changed. The older he got the more Maxwell had taken it upon himself to protect them all. He felt like it was his duty to do so. Maybe his Mama would be proud , but his Mom deplored violence and even if Anthony Adams was a boorish bully he should have found a less...physical way to get his point across.

Knock Knock Knock He popped off the couch he'd been draped across and hurried to the door to see who could possibly be at their house.

"Heya Tiger, how's the knuckles?" A smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he opened the door to find Leia leaning against the frame.

He shrugged non-committaly and opened to door wider so she could come in. She closed the door behind herself and then stood on her tip-toes to peck him lightly on the chin.

"Skipping school again, Ms. Lopez-Pierce?" He smirked looping their hands together and pulling her in for a more lingering kiss.

"Skip is such a harsh word...I prefer selectively choosey with the educational lessons I attend..." She shrugged.

"Selectively choosey...? Riiiiiight..." He replied as they walked over to the couch and sat down next to each other.

Leia shrugged then turned to face him. "So, I've heard the rumors, but what happened with Adams?"

"He and his stupid buddies decided it was a smart idea to threaten D. They already pick on him during Gym and then some of Anthony's swim team friends pick on him when the coach isn't looking. It needed to stop. They're not going to terrorize my brother." He clenched and unclenched his fists in anger.

"Wow, kinda sexy when you're crazy protective, Maxie." Leia eased his tense hands gently.

"Yeah," He chuckled humorlessly, "too bad now my Mom and Quinn are both pissed.

"Is Dean going to tell them what happened?"

"Yeah, finally."

"Kewl, you know every time a gay kid comes out a leprechaun finds the rainbow to his pot of gold..."

"What?" His face scrunched in confusion.

"Or is it the leprechaun gets a golden-horned rainbow unicorn..." The brunette shrugged and leaned into him as he quirked his head to side and turned on the television.

"Ohhhh, I'm gonna tell..." "I'm tellin' too!" Max popped one eye open only to be met with a curtain of brunette hair across his face and chest. He gently moved the hair from his vision only to come face to face with the the light brown eyes of his little sister and the brilliant blue eyes of Leia's sister. The almost inseparable little terrors. It they were home then it was later than he'd wanted to sleep.

"Go'wa Agee, I wan'slee..." Leia mumbled cutely.

"Lee and Maxie sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g..." The two girls sing-songed skipping off and continuing the verse.

"Come on, Leia, we've gotta get up." He tousled her softly. He knew if the girls were home his Mom or Quinn was as well, but he couldn't recall which it was because at the moment he was having a hard time remember what day it was.

"I don't wanna be awake..." Leia pouted and he smiled.

"Max? You know your mom wanted you to use your suspension to think about the value of leading a more pacifism-oriented life?" He heard Quinn's voice as she made her way across the room.

"Yuh..." He mumbled rolling his eyes.

"How's that working out for you?" She chuckled then went on before he could reply. "And ask your body pillow if she's staying for dinner or if she'd rather I call one of her mom's to inform them about her adventures in ditching...?"

"Hey Mrs. B,..." Leia chuckled nervously popping up to look at her boyfriend's step-mom, her moms' lifelong best friend. At one point she'd been Aunt Quinn, but when she'd gotten older and started dating Max it was weird to call her Aunt. Besides, once she and Rachel had gotten married Quinn had taken the Barrett last name in respect for Rachel's previous marriage"...how was school?"

"Tiring...I'd ask you the same, but you obviously were bored. You really have to stop skipping so much, Lee, how else are you going to follow that one when he goes off to make beautiful music like his Moms?"

"Follow him?" Leia chuckled " I don't care if he is older, Leia Lopez-Pierce ain't the the following type."

Quinn laughed out loud at the girl who sounded just like her mother. Maxwell was busy turning red.

"Hey Mom!" Dean's voice was heard along with the slamming of the front door.

"Hey Dean, we're in the den!" She called back and smiled gently as Dean entire the room. "How was school?"

"Fine."

"Anthony and those guys didn't give you any slack did you?" Maxwell sat up fully to look into his brother's hazel eyes.

"Anthony got suspended too. Mrs. P-S figured he did something to provoke you..." Dean's eyes shift slightly and he toed the carpet nervously "...which reminds me when's Mommio suppose to come home? I have something to tell you guys..."

"What?" Quinn queried peering closely at the boy. Where Maxwell had grown into a a thick-skinned young man with a sensitive side he only showed those he cared about, Dean still wore his heart on his sleeve. He was often quiet, withdrawn, and shy. She worried that he wasn't fitting in, just as she always had, but she knew that Max and Leia were looking out for him. Still, she was curious about what the boy could possibly have to tell them.

"Be patient...I-I just want to t-t-talk to you both at once." He answer shoving his hands in his jean pockets.

"Ok..." She shrugged and watched him ascend the stairs filled with concern.

"Do you two know what's going on?" Quinn asked the other two teens who shrugged and avoided her gaze.

"And then Trevy said that A.J. was his girlfriend, but she told him that boys were gross and she'd rather just have me cuz I'm her bestest friend." Aurora recounted her day over the dinner table.

"Aunt Rae, how come Trevy and Guy get to be twins and Rory and me don't?" A.J. asked pushing her food around her plate.

"Cuzzin, they just are and anyways we are bestest friends cuz we choose to be awesome not cuz like we were like born together. They're never gonna be as cool as us." Aurora giggled and tickled her friends stomach lightly.

"I couldn't have answered better..." Rachel grinned at their youngest's antics.

"How was school today for you, Dean?" Rachel asked the blonde boy.

"Um...fine. I got an A on that Geometry test and uh...I have a meet Friday, can you come?"

"Of course." She smiled.

"I ask how your day was and I get a one word answer, she asks and gets a sentence from your memoirs." Quinn shook her head with a chuckle.

"Uh..yeah...um..." He quickly glanced at Max "...I have to tell you guys something..."

"You can tell us anything, Dean."

"Yeah, well I uh, I was trying to wait for the right time to tell you that...um...well there's never going to be a perfect time, but I-uh-I'm gay..." He mumbled.

"Gay? Oh, Dean why did't you ever tell us you were questioning? We could have helped you." Rachel asked placing her hand over his on the table.

Dean shrugged. "I dunno, it hasn't been bad. I mean Anthony's been kinda messin' with me, but he's picked on me our whole life. Leia and Max think he's repressed and harboring like a secret crush on me, but you know how his da-"

"You two knew about this?" Quinn interrupted looking at the older boy who ducked his head.

"Well, yeah, I'm the big bro who else is gonna watch out for him?" Max shrugged.

"Is that why you were fighting with Anthony?" Rachel asked an Max nodded. "Max, why didn't you tell me, I mean if you'd just said you were protecting Dean I would have understood."

"I dunno Mom, I was afraid you would ask why or something and he wasn't ready to tell you."

Rachel peered closely at her son. He had always been the protector. She should have know that he wasn't the accosting party in this conflict. Sure, he had become a tadbit more withdrawn, but that was to be expected with a boy becoming a man. Didn't mean she didn't know him. He was Dawn's child. Her child in the sensitivity and caring he showed to Rory and A.J. and Leia, but the way he protected Dean, the way he stood up to confused bigot juniors like Anthony Adams, that way, he was all Dawn and to see her manifested in him she couldn't be more proud.

She rose from her chair and made her way to his chair. There were tears sliding down her cheeks. She stood in front of him and opened her arms. He tilted his head and looked at her in mild confusion before rising and wrapping her in his thick arms. "See, toldja she was gonna cry." He laughed in his ear and she responded by slapping him playfully on the arm.

The End

So?

Maybe I'll revisit in one-shot form in the future...ya never know...

Ink