[CUT TO: EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD – DAY]
Football players were rehearsing. Finn and Puck stood to the side, talking.
"What do you want me to do, apologize? That's not me, dude," Puck said. "Look, if I joined the flag team, you'd beat the crap out of me. I just don't understand why you did it."
"Schuester told me it'd give me enough extra credit to pass Spanish if I joined the club, okay? I... I didn't have a choice," Finn admitted. "If I failed another class, I'd be off the team. Look, it's over, okay? I quit. Anything else?"
"No, that's it," Puck shrugged. "And as a welcome back to the world of the normal... I got you a present."
Puck walked ahead as Finn heard a muffled cry.
"What's that noise?" Finn asked.
Artie's voice came from inside a portable toilet. "Help, help! Help!"
Finn walked toward the row of portable toilets, eyes narrowing. Puck and a few other football players were nearby, holding paintball guns and laughing.
"We got that wheelchair kid inside. We're going to flip it," Puck said with a grin.
Finn frowned. "Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

"He's already in a wheelchair. Come on, dude, we saved you the first roll."
Before Finn could respond, Elena appeared behind one of the players and delivered a swift roundhouse kick, knocking him to the ground. In a blur of movement, she took out two more with sharp, precise strikes, leaving Puck frozen.
"Touch him and you'll be tasting pavement," Elena warned coldly as she yanked open the portable toilet and helped Artie out.
Artie gasped. "Thank you. Thank you so much. Oh my God, the smell."
"What the hell, dude?" Puck shouted. "I can't believe you're helping out this loser."
Finn stepped up. "Don't you get it, man? We're all losers–everyone in this school. Hell, everyone in this town. Out of all the kids who graduate, maybe half will go to college, and two will leave the state to do it. I'm not afraid of being called a loser 'cause I can accept that that's what I am. But I am afraid of turning my back on something that actually made me happy for the first time in my sorry life."
Puck scoffed. "So what? Are you quitting to join Homo Explosion?"
"No. I'm doing both. 'Cause you can't win without me and neither can they."
Suddenly, Elena stepped forward and, without hesitation, kicked Puck hard in the balls. He collapsed with a groan, clutching himself as the other players backed away in shock.
"If any of you mess with Artie again," Elena snarled, her voice sharp and unwavering, "I'll break something on every single one of you."
The boys groaned and muttered as they staggered back, humiliated. As much as they hated being beaten up by a girl—especially one smaller than most of them—there was a grudging flicker of respect in their eyes. Elena was clearly a legit badass, and they couldn't deny it.
Finn wheeled Artie away as Elena followed. In the distance, Darren, the Emerald Dreams employee from Finn's childhood, sprayed the football field while singing Journey.

[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY]
Rachel and the rest of New Directions were arguing when the doors opened. Elena walked in with a smirk, flanking Finn as he wheeled Artie down the aisle. Her red Cheerio skirt swished with each step, her presence instantly drawing attention.
"Look, you guys, these steps are not hard. I've been doing them since preschool," Rachel snapped.
"I'm sorry, did I miss the election for queen? Because I didn't vote for you," Kurt retorted.
"This is a closed rehearsal," Kurt added as he noticed Finn approaching.
Artie waved a hand. "Elena beat up the football players and saved me. They stuffed me in a porta potty. She got me out."
Everyone fell silent.
"Wait, what?!" Mercedes blinked.
"Are you serious?" Tina asked.
"Elena did that?" Rachel asked, surprised.
Elena just shrugged with a confident little smile. "They picked the wrong girl to mess with. It was fun."
Finn stepped forward. "Look, I owe you guys an apology. I never should have quit. I don't want to be the guy that just drives around throwing eggs at people."
"That was you?" Rachel gasped.
"You and your friends threw pee balloons at me," Kurt reminded him.
"I know."
"You nailed all my lawn furniture to my roof," Kurt added.
"That's fucked up," Elena muttered, shaking her head.
"I wasn't actually there for that, but I'm really sorry. Look, that isn't who I am, and I'm tired of it. This is what I want to be doing, with you guys. I used to think that this was like, the lamest thing on Earth, and maybe it is, but... we're all here for the same reason–'cause we want to be good at something."
He turned to Artie. "Artie, you play guitar, right? Think you could recruit the jazz band?"
"I do have pull there," Artie replied.
"All right. Mercedes, we need new costumes, and they have to be cool. Can you do that?"
"Damn, don't you see what I got on?" Mercedes answered, smirking.
"Rachel, you can do choreography. Tina, what are you good at?"
"I-I..." Tina hesitated.
"We'll figure something out for you."
Mercedes raised an eyebrow. "And what are you bringing to the table, Justin Timberlake?"
Finn grinned. "I've got the music."
Elena crossed her arms, nodding approvingly as she looked around at the group. For once, she felt like maybe—just maybe—she was in the right place after all.
"What about me?" Elena asked, raising a brow. "What do I do?"
Finn looked at her with a grin. "You beat up bullies and save our asses. That makes you our enforcer. Plus, I bet you can sing too."
Elena nodded, proud. Before she could say anything else, Rachel grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the center of the stage. "Come on, you're helping me with choreography."
[CUT TO: INT. TEACHERS LOUNGE – DAY]
Will and Emma sat together at a table, a quiet moment between them.
"I want to show you something," Emma said, pulling out a VHS tape. "I did a little research... and this is a tape I found in the library of the '93 team at nationals."
She popped the tape into the player. Will's eyes softened as the grainy footage played.
"Do you know who that is?" Emma asked, glancing at him. "That's you, Will. That's you happier than I've ever seen you."
Will smiled faintly. "That was the greatest moment of my life."
"Why?" Emma asked gently.
"Because I loved what I was doing," Will said. "I knew before we were halfway through with that number that we were going to win. Being a part of that, in that moment, I knew who I was in the world. And the only time I've felt that way since then was when Terri told me I was going to be a father."
He paused, guilt flickering in his eyes. "No. No, I need to provide for my family."
"But provide what exactly?" Emma leaned in. "The understanding that money is the most important thing? Or the idea that the only life worth living is one that you're really passionate about?"
[CUT TO: INT. HALLWAY – DAY]
Will walked alone, deep in thought. Then he paused. From behind the closed auditorium doors, music echoed faintly—hopeful, messy, determined.
He moved toward the sound.
[CUT TO: INT. AUDITORIUM – DAY]
The New Directions stood on stage, performing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." Will watched from the back of the auditorium, arms folded, a smile tugging at his lips. Elena stood in the second row between Finn and Mercedes, singing confidently, her voice powerful and raw.

From up in the rafters, Sue watched with her arms crossed, unimpressed. Quinn and Santana stood beside her, both in their Cheerio uniforms. Though Sue's eyes were locked on Finn, Quinn and Santana were clearly focused on Elena, their gazes following the smaller girl's every move.

Down on stage, the final note rang out, echoing through the auditorium.
Will clapped slowly. "Good, guys. It's a nine. We need a ten. Rachel, you need to hit the ones and the fives. Finn, I think if we worked on it, you could hit a high 'B.' Elena, your presence and voice really lifted that number—great job holding your own out there."
Finn stepped forward, hope blooming across his face. "So does this mean you're staying?"
Will smiled. "It would kill me to see you win nationals without me. From the top."
[CUT TO: INT. GIRLS' LOCKER ROOM – LATER THAT DAY]
Elena pushed the door open without knocking. The locker room froze.
Quinn, Santana, and Brittany were in various states of undress, towels wrapped around their waists, some mid-change.
All three turned sharply, eyes wide.
Elena rolled her eyes and tugged off her gym shirt. "Really? We already fucked. Why would I care now?"
Quinn flushed a deep red. Santana choked on air. Brittany just grinned.
"Oh yeah," Brittany said cheerfully. "That was a really good night."
"You don't get to say it like that—" Santana snapped.
Elena shrugged. "We were drunk. It happened. I'm not about to write poetry about it."
She pulled a clean shirt over her head, but as she did, a wave of nausea struck her.
It was brief but powerful. She froze, one hand on the locker, breathing through her nose.
"Weird... must be dehydration."
She didn't say anything else. Just grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and walked out—leaving the three Cheerios staring after her in stunned silence.
[FLASHBACK – EXT. HOUSE PARTY – NIGHT]
Loud music pumped through the backyard as red cups and beer bottles littered the grass. Teenagers danced, laughed, and stumbled under string lights hung from tree to tree. Elena stood off to the side, dressed in tight black jeans and a band tee, sipping from a cup as she scanned the crowd.
She had only just arrived in town, still adjusting to normalcy after years of chaos. And she hadn't planned on coming, but Valentina had insisted she make friends, blend in. Try being a teenager.
That's when Brittany appeared in front of her like a golden retriever in human form.
"Hey, you're new. You're pretty. Wanna dance?"
Elena blinked. "Uh... sure."
One song turned into two. Brittany's hips pressed against hers. Then Santana appeared, sharp eyes and sharper smirk. She didn't say anything, just moved behind Elena and matched Brittany's rhythm.
Then Quinn joined them, her usual icy exterior replaced with heat and laughter from the alcohol. Their touches blurred. The laughter, the flirting, the grinding—it all morphed into something more.
Hours later, the four of them ended up tangled together in one of the guest bedrooms. There were kisses and whispered moans. Clothing discarded like secrets. Hands and mouths exploring. And later—laughter. Unexpected warmth. A sense of safety Elena hadn't realized she craved.
She didn't regret it.
It was messy. It was impulsive. But for a brief, drunken night, it made her feel something close to normal.
[END FLASHBACK]
[CUT TO: ELENA'S APARTMENT – LATER THAT EVENING]
Elena lounged in her sleek, modern loft , prime real estate of Lima. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city lights, though she rarely paid them any mind. Imported water chilled on the marble counter, untouched. The couch beneath her was soft enough to swallow her whole, but she sat upright, cross-legged, sharp eyes fixed on the laptop screen.
Valentina had made sure her people lived well. No slums. No scraps. No begging. Elena was not a runaway—she was an operative. A ghost. A ghost with millions in untraceable funds.
She tapped her phone and sent the day's report: "Cheerios infiltrated. Glee Club forming. Being normal continues."
A few seconds later, Val replied with a thumbs-up emoji and a skull. That was Val's version of affection.
With a sigh, Elena reached under the area rug and opened a hidden compartment in the floor. Inside, wrapped in a velvet cloth, were two worn photographs.
The first: Natasha Romanoff, young and fierce, holding a newborn swaddled in red. Elena. Her mother's eyes, soft and proud, stared at the infant like she was her entire world.
The second: a grainy black-and-white image of Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier, face stoic, eyes vacant, hair tangled. Her father—programmed, broken, dangerous.
Elena traced her thumb over Natasha's smile, her other hand tightening into a fist.
"Mama..." she whispered, voice cracking slightly. "I'm still here. I never forgot."
She folded the photos back into the cloth and returned them to the compartment. The floor clicked shut.
Then she leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling.
Tomorrow would be another mission—smiles, small talk, pretending. But tonight, in the quiet, Elena let herself be the daughter of two broken people, who either think she's dead or can't remember her or even themselves.
Just for a little while.
---