Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 34th cycle. Now cycle 35!

YEAR TWO ANNIVERSARY CYCLE! - It's now been two years since I've started this Gleekathon, and like last year I'm dedicating the cycle to commemorating my 21 favorite one shots or chapter stories from year two (up to the point where I did the planning ;)) A number of those I was very attached to, but left sad to see may have fallen through the cracks, so it seems fair they should get a second shot ;)

Last year there were three categories, but this year I've added two new ones: Prequel, Sequel, POV Swap, and now Alternate Ending, and Additional Scenes. In no particular order... Today's story is Additional Scenes to #463-482 "Love & the Gentle Heart Are One Thing" a General Cast/Valentine's Day story originally posted from January 27th to February 15th 2011.

"Taking Requests"
Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Mike, Tina, Holly, Will, Karofsky, Emma, Carole, Burt, Finn, Kurt, Mercedes

Will had wondered, as he copied the titles and numbers on to the cards, folding each and entering them into the bowl, who would end up singing them, who would benefit from them… One of these could end up being someone's memory, 'their' song… As the dance had started, with him and Holly manning the bowl, the cards began to get pick, handed out, performed…

At some point, Holly had begged for 'a project.' She asked for one card, which she'd claimed to have seen along the way, so she could find performers. She gave the title to Will, and he remembered seeing it too, so he consented to dig it out, even if he believed in the luck of the draw. He handed it to her and she smiled, scanning the crowds. Then all of a sudden he saw her tear off… somewhere. He didn't have time to ask her what she had thought, she was just gone. He managed to keep up with her for a while, and he thought he saw her grab Quinn along the way, but then he lost sight of her and had to wait. He was performing a bit of a stirring of the cards in the bowl when he heard steps on the stage. He looked up and laughed, clapping his hands together in approval as they gained the stage – Quinn, and Santana, and Brittany… Holly would tell him later how each of them had agreed, especially once they'd been brought together to do this.

As the girls had figured out their arrangement and brought the card to Brad, in the crowd, Mike and a still mobile Tina had already been dancing along since the beginning, and after the lull in between numbers had lasted long enough to make Tina want to go get something to drink, the first notes of the song had made her stop and turn back to Mike. "Oh I love this one!" she said, in a constant and unending state of giddiness. He smiled, in his own persistent mood – his was to feel constant and unending joy for her joy. The cheering trio had the stage, with a rotation on lead and accompanying vocals.

[Q] "Go on" / [3] "Go on, leave me breathless" / [S] "Come on..." / [Q] "Yeah"

[Q] "The daylight's fading slowly / but time with you is standing still / I'm waiting for you only / The slightest touch and I'll feel weak"

[3] "I cannot lie / From you I cannot hide / and I'm losing the will to try" / [Q] "Can't hide it ([BS] "can't hide it") / Can't fight it ([BS] "can't fight it") / So..."

[3] "Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless / Tempt me, tease me until I can't deny this / loving feeling, make me long for your kiss / Go on, go on / Yeah, come on..."

[S] "And if there's no tomorrow / And all we have is here and now / I'm happy just to have you / You're all the love I need somehow"

[B] "It's like a dream / Although I'm not asleep / and I never want to wake up / Don't lose it ([QS] "don't lose it") / Don't leave it ([QS] "don't leave it")"

[3] "So Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless / Tempt me, tease me until I can't deny this / loving feeling, make me long for your kiss / Go on, go on / Yeah, come on..."

[S] And I can't lie / From you I cannot hide / and I've lost my will to try / Can't hide it ([BQ] "can't hide it") / Can't fight it ([BQ] "can't fight it") / So..."

[3] "Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless / Tempt me, tease me until I can't deny this / loving feeling, make me long for your kiss / Go on, go on / Yeah, come on..."

[Q] "Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless" ([BS] "leave me breathless") / [B] "Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless" ([SQ] "leave me breathless") / [S] "Go on, go on, come on leave me breathless" ([BQ] "leave me breathless") / [3] "Go on, go on"

Tina had finished the dance with her head somewhere near Mike's shoulder, staring up at him. "Can we just dance all night?" she asked.

"I think we can do that," he smiled back at her. "But then we'll definitely need to hydrate," he suggested.

"Right, we should," she confirmed. "And then back to dancing."

"And then back to dancing," he agreed.

X

Karofsky had done as was his habit when it came to dances. He'd marched down the hall, scanning faces and decided who he was going to ask, with no real reasoning other than what image it would project to everyone else. This year he'd chosen Jenny, one of the Cheerios, and it was business as usual, he guessed, but… then there was the part where it was different, even if he could count on his hands the number of people who could see it as much as he did. All along it had been his own unspoken thing, but now… he felt exposed. So as far as he knew, the best he could do was to play like nothing had changed.

He had entered the gym with Jenny on his arm, not really paying attention to her as he looked over the crowd… wherever they stood, it had to be open and yet out of the way. The evening was basically Jenny wanting to dance and him spending the duration of each song half-heartedly 'dancing.' He had been lucky to never find himself on the dance floor with her when a slow song would come on, finding any way he could think of to keep from it happening.

On the sidelines, Will had pulled out a song from the bowl, tapping his finger on the fold for a while before looking in at the title. He hesitated, considering… He knew the bowl duty was his, part of his job, but he felt bad for Holly having to do it, too, so when he had the chance for her to dance, or sing, he wasn't going to pull it away from her. Now looking at the title, he knew it belonged to her. "Give me your hand," he looked to her with a smile.

"What are you going to do to it?" she teased, holding it back. He motioned for her to give him her hand, so she presented it. "Back or palm?"

"Palm," he said, and she turned it. He placed the card in her hand. "Go," he nodded to the stage. She looked to the card, curious, then smiled.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Schue," she got on her feet and headed off.

Dave had been wanting to get off the floor, sensing it had been too long, that there might be a slow song coming, and just when he thought he had an out, two things had happened. The first was that he spotted a few of his football team mates, dancing with their dates nearby, and then the song started. He had one moment to decide, and as much as he didn't want to, he had frowned on the inside and turned back to Jenny. Maybe his waiting had been a mistake, judging by that dreamy kind of look stuck in Jenny's eye right then, like he was giving her something. So they'd danced, just as half-hearted on his part, which she couldn't see, pressed up to him.

[H] "Put your head on my shoulder / Hold me in your arms, baby / Squeeze me oh so tight / Show me that you love me too.

Put your lips next to mine, dear / Won't you kiss me once, baby / Just a kiss good-night / Maybe you and I will fall in love.

Some people say that love's a game / A game you just can't win. / If there's a way / I'll find it some day / And then this fool will rush in.

Put your head on my shoulder / Whisper in my ear baby / Words I want to hear tell me / Tell me that you love me too.

Some people say that love's a game / A game you just can't win. / If there's a way / I'll find it some day / And then this fool will rush in.

Put your head on my shoulder / Whisper in my ear baby / Words I want to hear tell me / Put your head on my shoulder."

It was getting harder to know how to deal with this. Part of him ached to just let some of these things out, but at the same time how could he? He was so scared of it being out there, of reaching the wrong people that would turn his life upside down, that silence was a better option, would always be, when held up against the other choices. So he kept quiet, and it just left more unspoken words gathered together, crammed into a space that could only fill up and fill up until the walls strained and tore and… He closed his eyes, breathing deep.

X

Emma had spent most of the night doing her duties as chaperone, keeping an eye on students, helping them when need be – like when Tina had fallen and hurt her ankle… She'd gotten to dance a few times, some with her husband… some with her non-husband… But just as much as she'd been doing this, there was a part of her that was distracted… There was one part of her that would send whisperings of a bold move into her ears, to her mind… She could do this, maybe… The further the night went, the louder the whisperings got, until she'd turned to Carl and she'd smiled. "What?" he asked, smirking. She'd pushed herself on her toes, kissed his cheek, then took off. "Where are you going?" he called after her.

"Taking a chance!" she called back. When she reached Will and Holly, talking, she did hesitate for a split second, but then she screwed up her courage again and she went up to them. "Hey… can I have one of those?" she pointed to the bowl.

"You sing?" Holly asked, and Emma tried not to stare at her.

"Sometimes…" was her answer. She waited and finally Will held out the bowl. Her hand stalled – how many hands had been in there?

"Here," Will reached in and got a card. She reached for it and took a shuddering breath before unfolding the card. There was something thrilling about the unknown… When she saw the title, part of her did get apprehensive about it… This wasn't exactly the kind of thing she'd imagined for her big moment – it was kind of… big… But Will and Holly were staring at her, so she made herself smile and then turned away, marching for the stage while under her breath there were unintelligible words… When she reached the stage and held the card out to Brad, it took about four seconds for her to let go and let him have it. When she did, she moved to the microphone, deciding it was quite alright to keep her eyes shut… Maybe she would open them eventually.

[E] "Unforgettable / That's what you are, / Unforgettable / Tho' near or far.

Like a song of love that clings to me, / How the thought of you does things to me. / Never before / Has someone been more...

Unforgettable / In every way, / And forever more / That's how you'll stay.

That's why, darling, it's incredible / That someone so unforgettable / Thinks that I am / Unforgettable, too.

Unforgettable / In every way, / And forever more / That's how you'll stay.

That's why, darling, it's incredible / That someone so unforgettable / Thinks that I am / Unforgettable, too. "

At the very first notes, Finn had paused. He looked down to Rachel, leaned in to whisper something in her ear. She smiled back to him and nodded. He kissed the side of her head and cut across the crowd until he found his mother and Burt. He found out from Burt that Carole had accompanied a girl to the bathroom after she'd gotten sick. So he went in the hall, just as Carole was returning. "Mom… Listen…" he looked back to the gym. Carole paused, let the music reach her ears and then she smiled, wistful.

"Your father loved this song…"

"I know," he nodded. He held out his hand to her. "Can I have this dance?" Carole beamed, offering her hand. Finn led her back to the gym. He may not have been the best dancer, but this he could do. He knew what it meant to her… she'd told him the story a few times over the years. This was a moment for them to have, because no one else would know better…

After the song had ended, Carole had hugged Finn, whispering a thank you in his ear. He nodded, moving back to Rachel. When Carole had gone back to Burt, he smiled, and she wasn't sure what it was about until he produced something from his pocket and she realized what it was.

"Where'd you get this?"

"I may have hidden it when we had the bowl before," he explained, tapping the card between his fingers. "What do you think? I know we said we wouldn't, but… Come on…" She stared at him with a chuckle, tempted. She tried to see the card but he shook his head. "You have to say yes first."

"What happens if I don't?" she asked. He shrugged. She looked at him for a while, then, "Let's go."

Across the gym, Kurt and Blaine were pondering their return to the dance floor when Kurt felt an arm twist around his. "Hey," Mercedes appeared at his side, and his surprise was replaced with a smile.

"How's it going with Anthony?" he asked.

"Pretty good," she nodded. "But I want to dance with you now, if that's alright with Blaine."

"By all means," Blaine nodded.

"I'd be happy to," Kurt smiled, just as Mercedes' eyes grew wide.

"Oh my g…" Kurt and Blaine looked back and saw what had caught her attention – Kurt's father and Finn's mother climbing on stage.

"What are they doing?" Kurt shook his head.

"I think they're going to sing," Blaine stated the obvious, and the others looked at him. "Well get out there," he insisted as the music began.

"Come on," Mercedes laughed, tugging him to the dance floor.

[Bu] "Listen Baby / Ain't no mountain high. / Ain't no valley low. / Ain't no river wide enough baby."

[C] "If you need me, call me / No matter where you are / No matter how far"

[Bu] "Don't worry baby"

[C] "Just call my name / I'll be there in a hurry / You don't have to worry"

[Bu/C] "Cause baby, / There aint no mountain high enough / aint no valley low enough / aint no river wide enough / To keep me from getting to you, babe"

[Bu] "Remember the day / I set you free / I told you you could always count on me darling / From that day on, I made a vow / I'll be there when you want me / Someway, somehow"

[Bu/C] "Cause baby, / Ain't no mountain high enough / Ain't no valley low enough / Ain't no river wide enough / To keep me from getting to you, babe"

[Bu] "Oh no darling" / [C] "No wind, no rain / Nor winter storm / can stop me baby" / [Bu] "No no baby" / [C] "Cause you are my goal" / [Bu] "If you're ever in trouble / I'll be there on the double / just send for me" / [C] "Oh baby!"

[C] "My love is alive / way down in my heart / Although we are miles apart" / [Bu] "If you ever need a helping hand / I'll be there on the double / Just as fast as I can"

[Bu/C] "Don't you know that there / ain't no mountain high enough / Ain't no valley low enough / Ain't no river wide enough / To keep me from getting to you babe

Don't ya know that there / Ain`t no mountain high enough / Ain`t no valley low enough / Ain`t no river wide enough / To keep me from gettin to you babe."

It took a moment, but he managed to forget who it was that was singing, taken in by the song and the opportunity to dance as oddly and as dramatically as he wanted to, the better to make Mercedes laugh. He had to admit… it would be an evening to remember, for this reason and so much more.

THE END

SONGLIST:
"Breathless" - The Corrs
"Put your head on my shoulder" - Michael Bublé
"Unforgettable" - Nat King Cole
"Ain't no mountain high enough" - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!