All too soon, the winter break had ended and it was time to head back to school for the new semester. Over the last few days of the break, Emma and Will had been busy starting preparations for New Directions at regionals since the competition was only a month away – he had gone through the songbooks the club had gave him for Christmas for some good songs to perform while she was flipping through catalogues to give her some ideas for costumes, because she felt that the group looking their best would help them perform their best. So the first day back to the grind at McKinley High, the couple walked hand in hand into the faculty lounge at lunchtime and sat at their usual table, unpacking their lunches. The new football coach, Shannon Beiste, came in to join them, she had become friends with Will and Emma their first week back to school in the fall and under her leadership, the Titans were actually winning more games.
"This was the one I had in mind for the girls," Emma said, showing Shannon and Will a page of a catalogue devoted to show choir costumes. The image showed the model wearing a halter-neck dress trimmed in black and shimmering with gold and silver sequins. "The company I called said they would customize the dresses to make the material red instead of gold, to fit the McKinley colors." Thanks to the extra money Figgins promised them, they could actually afford better costumes.
"I love it, Emma," said Will, "the girls would look beautiful in them. As for the guys, I'm thinking red T-shirts and black pants with a black blazer, that would look kind of sharp."
"You two are really excited about this competition, aren't you?" inquired Shannon. "Finn and the other guys on the team who are in your club couldn't stop talking about it. I have to admit, glee club has given those boys a huge boost of confidence on the field."
"I'm glad you think so," said Will. Just then, a familiar figure stood near their table and glared at the three of them. Emma and Will turned their heads, and Shannon looked up with a stare that could almost be classified as disgusted.
"Hey buddy, Irma, you," said Sue in her usual haughty voice.
"Of all the years I've worked here, she's never remembered my name," said Emma to Will in a low voice.
"Get to the point, Sue," said Shannon, "what are you doing here?"
"Just thought I'd stop by and check in on the lovebirds over here," replied the cheerleading coach, "since I hear tell that they're preparing their little band of misfits for another regionals, and they've got a little misfit on the way."
"Get over it," said Will. "We know that you've been trying to destroy the glee club ever since I took it over, and most of your schemes have failed. Maybe this is why the Cheerios have been falling short in competitions lately."
"My Cheerios are still winners, William," said Sue. "Oh, by the way, have you ever thought of going into the extermination business? I mean, with all the product you put in your hair, you could rent yourself out as human flypaper." Emma looked to be on the verge of losing it. She stood up and looked Sue dead in the eye.
"Will's hair is fine, he doesn't need anything to make it look good," she said. "Though I can't say the same for your own hair, it looks like a riding lawnmower ran over it." Will's jaw dropped, a shocked look crossed Shannon's face, and stunned silence fell in the lounge as heads turned towards the scene of Emma's comeback. Sue said nothing and left, the rest of the faculty gathered applauded wildly when the coach finally disappeared and Emma sat down.
"This can't be the same Emma I married," Will said, still looking shocked at what he just heard. "Are you okay?"
"I'm more than okay, I feel great," Emma replied. "I guess I kind of let out my inner diva." Suddenly, Will had a great idea for a song to perform at regionals.
"So I heard Mrs. Schue shot down Coach Sylvester in the teachers' lounge," said Santana to some of the girls just before glee practice was scheduled to start. The rest of the group started filing in, this was a big practice because regionals was looming around the corner.
"I think she deserved it," said Rachel, "she needed a taste of her own medicine after all the terrible things she put us through over the years."
"All right guys, settle down," Will said as he and Emma entered the choir room and the rest of the kids sat in their seats. "We've got a lot to do over the next few weeks to get ready for regionals, so let's get started. First thing: costumes. Emma has picked them out for the competition, but before she orders them, she needs to take some measurements so the costume shop can tailor them to fit each of you. I need you all to stay behind for a bit after practice so she can get this done and get the order in." Everyone agreed to stay to assist Emma. Reaching into his bag, Will pulled out two folders filled with sheet music: one for the ballad/duet, the other for the closer. Opening each folder, he took out the stacks of music and began to pass them around.
"I've found our ballad and our closer, we just need an opening number," he told them. "I think you'll find the ballad well-chosen, and the closer is a little more up-tempo. Kurt, I chose the closer with you in mind, you have a great gift for making songs predominately done by female artists your own, and this one I feel is no exception. I'd like you to sing lead on it." To keep up with the Eurovision theme they had been doing for much of the year, he had chosen the English version of "Diva" by Israeli artist Dana International, which won the contest in 1998.
"I love the song already, Mr. Schue," said Kurt, "I'll do my best on it." Across the room, Rachel's face brightened up in a wide smile.
"We're doing 'As Long As You're Mine' at regionals?" she said. "This is incredible! Though I'd want Finn and myself to do it, I think you might need me for state or nationals if we make it that far. Therefore, as co-captain I'd like to defer the duet to someone else." Heads turned towards Rachel, they couldn't believe that she was taking one for the team.
"How about you, Puck and Quinn," Will said, "would you be willing to tackle this song?"
"I think we can give it a try," Puck replied. "Quinn, what do you think?"
"It's worth a shot," she said. "But we need to get into the right emotional frame of mind if we want to nail this at regionals." An idea then hit Rachel like lightning.
"Mr. Schue, you and Mrs. Schue seem to know what true love feels like," she said. "How about you demonstrate the song for us? I'm sure it will be a big help to Puck and Quinn." The rest of the kids applauded to encourage their teachers on, and Will looked at Emma.
"You want to give it a try?" he asked. "I mean, we did see the show in London, so I think you know all the words."
"I'm game if you are," said Emma. Facing each other, the two knelt in the center of the floor, and the musicians were cued to start playing. She lovingly looked into Will's green eyes and began to sing.
(E)Kiss me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
My wildest dreamings
Could not forsee
Lying beside you
With you wanting me
And just for this moment
As long as you're mine
I've lost all resistance
And crossed some border line
And if it turns out
It's over too fast
I'll make every last moment last
As long as you're mine
Will took Emma's hand and looked back at her just as lovingly as she had with him. Then he sang in his strong voice.
(W)Maybe I'm brainless
Maybe I'm wise
But you've got me seeing
Through different eyes
Somehow I've fallen
Under your spell
And somehow I'm feeling
It's up that I fell
(W/E) Every moment
As long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body
And make up for lost time
(W) Say there's no future
For us as a pair
(W/E) And though I may know
I don't care
Just for this moment
As long as you're mine
Come be how you want to
And see how bright we shine
Borrow the moonlight
Until it is through
And know I'll be here holding you
As long as you're mine
They got close, then Emma turned her head.
(W)What is it?
(E)It's just… for the first time, I feel… wicked
And as the last note faded, Emma fell into Will's embrace and kissed him sweetly. Their demonstration earned them a standing ovation from the glee kids, Rachel and Kurt in tears. Will pulled Emma up to her feet and put his arm around her.
"God, that was gorgeous," said Quinn. "I hope Puck and I can do it just as well as you two did."
"I think both of you will do fantastic on it," said Emma with a wink. "We still need an opener, does anyone have anything they'd like to suggest? It should be another up-tempo number to counter-balance the other two songs." The room remained silent until Mercedes got up and belted out one line:
I've got the power!
"Mercedes, I love that song!" exclaimed Mike. "With you doing that vocal, a couple of the other girls doing backup and perhaps Artie and Finn doing the rap line, combined with some awesome choreography, it would be a killer way to start off regionals! It's different, it's unexpected, and I think we could really wow the judges with that." Others in the group nodded, Mercedes and Mike had practically solved their problem.
"I feel you two," Will said. "I'll get the music, and we can start putting it together next practice. Mercedes, I'll leave it to you to pick your backup singers. Regionals, here we come!"
Notes: Songs are "As Long As You're Mine" from Wicked and a snippet of "The Power" by Snap
