"Who's going to win Regionals and beat the Nude Erections?" Hunter said on the bus ride to Regionals.

"We are!" the Warblers chanted. Kurt rolled his eyes and turned back to his copy of Elizabeth Taylor's autobiography.

"Hey, Kurt?" A voice asked. Kurt looked up to find Quint looking over his seat. "I'm really nervous about the duet."

"Quint, you'll be fine. You're singing with Ted; your voices are like a match made in heaven," Kurt smiled. Quint blushed and sat back.

Ted came over and plopped down next to Kurt, making the brunet jump a little. "Hi, Ted, how are you?" Kurt put his book down and glanced at the redhead.

"I'm okay. I know Aud's gonna be there, but I've never sung in front of her before," he said, rubbing his neck.

"Ted, you and Quint are singing what is probably the best song about standing up for oneself, okay? Go out there and kick some ass."

"If you say so."


Kurt and the Warblers sat in the audience right behind the New Directions as the Golden Goblets performed "Superstar" in their white robes and sandals. Kurt blew air out of one side of his mouth and checked his watch. The Warblers were to go third, following the New Directions. Blaine turned to look at Kurt and smiled softly. Kurt just looked at him and shook his head, mouthing the word "no". Blaine frowned and turned back.

"Didn't you say Seb would be here?" Cameron whispered.

"He said he'd bring the whole cast and crew. I just don't know where they are," Kurt replied, looking around. He then spotted someone waving from the other side of the theater. It was Sebastian and Joel and Louis were with him. Kurt also noticed a tall jet-black-haired man with the group and recognized former Vocal Adrenaline director Dustin Goolsby. The New Directions shuffled out of their seats about a third through the performance and hurried backstage. Sam clapped Kurt on the shoulder on his way out.

"From William McKinley High in Lima, the New Directions!" the announcer proclaimed. The curtain opened to reveal Marley, Kitty, and Tina.

"Sun goes down, we're just gettin' up

We're headed for the city lights

Radio blastin' on the way to the club

We're gonna rock this town tonight

We're livin' in a man's world, they tell us

But we ain't gonna buy it

The things they're tryin' to sell us now

"'Cause we're the girls of rock 'n roll (Ooo-whoo)

Yeah, we're the girls of rock 'n roll

Rock 'n roll-oll-oll-a"

Sam, Ryder, and Blaine walked out.

"Oh yeah!

Curtain's up and we're ready to go

Our guitars are in our hands

There's nothing more that we'd rather do

Than be in a rock 'n roll band

What we have is what we will be giving

Headed for the top (Don't you know?)

We never stopped believing now

"'Cause we're the boys of rock 'n roll

(You better believe it! Yeah, yeah, yeah!)

The boys of rock 'n roll

Rock 'n roll!"

The two sets of threes faced each other: Ryder to Kitty, Blaine to Marley, and Sam to Tina.

"We are the girls

We are the girls

We are the girls

Of rock 'n roll"

"We are the boys

We are the boys

We are the boys

Of rock 'n roll"

The three couples started to dance and Kurt watched, open-mouthed. They've really been practicing, holy crap, he thought. The two groups began to move backwards toward offstage.

"'Cause we're the boys of rock 'n roll"

"'Cause we're the girls of rock 'n roll

Better be believin' that we are"

"Yeah, we're the boys of rock 'n roll

Rock 'n roll!"

"Yeah, we're the girls of rock 'n roll

Rock 'n roll—'n roll!"

Once offstage, the lights dimmed and the crowd cheered. "We're screwed," Josh muttered to scattered agreements. Now Brittany, Artie, Joe, and Jake came out; Artie began to rap and Brittany started to sing. Kurt recognized the song to be Fergie and will. 's cover of Spandau Ballet's "True". Halfway through, Joe and Jake came in with Michael Jackson's "The Girl is Mine".

"Oh, yeah, we are totally fucked," Cameron said out loud as the crowd waved their hands to the music.


"You can do this. This is not the first time you've performed for a crowd. Damn it, Clarington, get your shit together!" Hunter looked at himself in a mirror. He wanted to take the Warblers to Nationals, but he had to pull himself together first.

"Hunter, are you okay?" a voice asked. Kurt walked over and leaned on the mirror.

"I'm fine, Hummel," he snapped.

"Just give it up, Hunter," Kurt scoffed. "You're not just some big tough guy from a military school. You're nervous, it's understandable." Hunter sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"I can't let the guys see me vulnerable like this," Hunter whispered. "I'm their captain. I'm supposed to be strong and in charge."

"Hunter, answer me something. Is there someone who makes you feel like you're not worth anything?" Hunter looked down and cleared his throat.

"My father, he told me that he didn't want a sissy for a son, that I'm not his son when I came out to him. Ever since I was little, he said I would never amount to anything if I turned out to be a homo. Even after I won Regionals for the military school, I looked out into the crowd and saw him. My mother was cheering with the rest of the crowd, but he…he just looked at me as if I was nothing." Hunter bit back a sob and Kurt put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Hunter. Let it out." Hunter pulled Kurt into a hug. A few moments later, he let go.

"T-thanks, Kurt," he whispered. "You're a good guy. I'm going out there and I'm gonna win this for those boys." Kurt beamed, watching Hunter take center stage.

"High time we made a stand and shook up the views of the common man

And the love train rides from coast to coast

DJ's the man we love the most

Could you be, could you be squeaky clean?

And smash any hope of democracy?

As the headline says, you're free to choose

There's egg on your face and mud on your shoes

One of these days, they're gonna call it the blues, yeah"

The Warblers harmonized as Hunter sang.

"(Sowing the seeds of love) Anything is possible

(The seeds of love)

(Sowing the seeds of love) Anything is possible

(The seeds of love)

(Sowing the seeds)

"I spy tears in your eyes

They look to the skies for some kind of divine intervention

Food goes to waste

So nice to eat, so nice to taste

Politician grannie with your high ideals

Have you no idea how the majority feels?

So without love and a promise land

Were fools to the rules of a government plan

Kick out the style! Bring back the jam!"

Hunter continued to sing and he briefly looked over at Kurt, who shot him a thumbs-up. Once he hit the last note, Ted walked forward and began to sing.

"You shout it out

But I can't hear a word you say

I'm talking loud, not saying much

I'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochet

You shoot me down, but I get up"

Quint walked over and the two belted it out.

"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose

Fire away, fire away

Ricochet, you take your aim

Fire away, fire away

You shoot me down, but I won't fall

I am titanium

You shoot me down, but I won't fall

I am titanium"

Quint took the next verse.

"Cut me down

But it's you who has further to fall

Ghost town, haunted love

Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones

I'm talking loud, not saying much"

The two repeated the chorus with backing from the Warblers. They finished the song to cheers from the audience.


"Your judges for the 2013 Midwestern Regionals competition, George Benes, Elaine Kramer, and Jerry Costanza," the announcer said.

"Show choir is an excellent way to express yourself," Jerry Costanza said. "If we could tie the first and second place winners, we would, but the show choir committee told us no."

"In third place, from Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, the Golden Goblets!" Elaine Kramer handed the director the trophy and the group moved offstage.

"And now, your winners…" George Benes opened the envelope slowly, "from Westerville, Ohio, the Dalton Academy Warblers!" The boys jumped up and down, hugging each other. Hunter grabbed Kurt in a tight hug.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"No problem," Kurt replied. Hunter walked over and shook hands with Finn, who forced a smile, looking suspiciously at his stepbrother, who merely winked.


A/N: Sorry for the song-heavy chapter. I'm already planning a third story, which is tentatively titled "We Have All the Time in the World".