This chapter was so hard to write... Most of the chapters have come out so easily but this one felt like I was laboring just to write it. I hope it's okay though. Please let me know by giving me a review. Thanks. :-)

Grin

All the teens were poised on stage as Will entered the auditorium, ready to rehearse the song they had selected to perform at regional's, which was less than one month away (two and half weeks to be precise). He stopped short when he realized they hadn't formed with their usual posses. Though Cindy had been gravitating more toward Kurt and Mercedes, Puck, Jane and Quinn had continued to cling to each other. But that day, Puck was near Cindy, eyes on Tina and Thomas, and Quinn was gripping the handles of Artie's wheelchair, as if it was her only support. Frowning, Will's eyes swept the stage as he noticed something else.

"Where are Mercedes and Kurt?" At a lack of response, Will sighed, then said, "I suppose we could start without them."

Stepping forward, removing her hand from the handles, Quinn spoke up. "Wait…wait, Mr. Schuester. There's something I need to…tell you. Tell everyone." She glanced over her shoulder at Artie, who sent her a faint smile. Facing Mr. Schuester, she took a deep breath. "I have to tell you the reason that I-"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off when Mercedes and Kurt came barging down the aisle. In their hands was a contraption which Will couldn't identify at first. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a phone hooked up to a speaker. Mounting the steps, the two teens stood breathless before their peers. "There's something you all need to hear," declared Mercedes, finger levitating over a button.

"It's the proof," Kurt went on, nodding at Rachel, who seemed to understand what no one else yet had.

And then Mercedes finger jabbed down and Coach Sylvester's voice was exiting the speakers, followed shortly by Jane's, then Quinn's.

Horrified, Quinn took a step back, covering her mouth with her hand.

Will's heart sank as he realized what 'proof' Kurt had been referring to. Sadly, he locked eyes first with Quinn, whose mouth was agape, and Jane, who appeared impassive. "So, Rachel was alright all along," he muttered.

"This-this!" Rachel shouted stepping forward. "This is exactly what I believed would happen Mr. Schuester. You can't allow them to stay in Glee." Tossing her head, she glared at both girls, but only one bowed a head in shame.

Frowning, Will deliberated on the best course of action, while the Glee kids struggled with the emotions rising in their chests. Before his mind had been set, Cindy grabbed Puck's hand and the two walked to center stage.

"There's something you all need to know," the girl said, her voice sad.

"We, uh," Puck nervously stammered, looking up and down but never at Will's eyes. "We were in on it too but we couldn't go through with it."

Seeming to draw courage from Cindy and Puck's declaration, Quinn said, loudly for all to hear, "After that night, that that was recorded, I decided I couldn't go through with it either. I don't want to bring Glee down because…because…because I like Glee!" The last part came out as a yell, echoing in the auditorium for several seconds.

Mercedes shook her head, planting her hands on her hips. "We recorded this last night. You expect us to believe that you changed your mind over night?"

Appearing more vulnerable by the second, a thing which Will would never have dreamed of seeing, Quinn whispered, "Artie?"

At her plea, the boy rolled forward, hesitated, then said, "She came over last night and told me everything. I think…I think we can trust her Mr. Schue."

"I don't think we can," said Kurt, bitterly, his eyes locked on Cindy. "Not one of them."

Head spinning, Will didn't know what to believe himself. "Okay guys, let's put this to a vote." Eight heads nodded, while the accused took positions on one side of the stage. "All those in favor of letting them stay, raise your hands." First, Artie raised his hand, then Tina. Thomas and Ryan quickly followed suit. For a moment, Will thought he would have to be the tie breaker but then, slowly, Finn raised a hand. Turning her head, Rachel regarded Finn with wet eyes.

"How could you?" she hissed, before dashing from the stage.

"Um, I'm going to…follow her," Finn explained as he stepped down the stairs, chasing after the girl.

"So, that's it I guess. You're staying," Will said, no emotion in his voice.

Rolling her eyes, Jane began moving off the stage. "Not me. I hate Glee. Have fun finding a twelfth member before regional's."

Deflated, Will couldn't even watch her go, as all his dreams for Glee seemed to have disappeared. He tried to grin, in order to offer some sort of hope to those left on stage, but found that he couldn't.

On stage, Artie rolled to where Quinn stood. "I'm glad you're not leaving Glee."

Smiling down at him, she said, "Me too. And…thank you." Then, without any hesitation, she brushed a kiss against his cheek before leaving him alone, on his face a giant grin.

Nearby, Puck tried to exit, stage right, but Tina caught his arm before he could. "You could-could've just let the oth-others take the f-fall."

"Nah, wouldn't have been right," he told her, deflecting her could-be compliment. "When we heard that recording, Cindy and I knew we couldn't just stand there and say nothing."

"I th-think that's v-very brave of you…N-Noah."

At the sound of his real name, which only his mother called him, and rarely at that, he straightened. He liked the way she said it.

"And about that r-real d-date you asked m-me about b-before. It is t-too l-late to say y-yes now?"

Words rattled against his brain and he tried to make them sound calm but instead he squeaked, "No! Not too- I mean, I think- You're…pretty."

Giggling at his nonsensical attempt to tell her he still wanted that real date, she pressed her lips to his in a quick peck, then darted away.

Watching her go, all he could do was grin.

- - - - -

Standing by her locker, staring at a picture of Finn, Rachel was boiling with anger. How could Finn stand up for those that dreamed of destroying her dreams? Just when she thought steam might actually come out of ears, Finn was there, hand on her arm.

"Rachel, you can't actually be mad at me."

Jerking her arm away, she said, "Yes, yes I am Finn. Those horrible, horrible people wanted to ruin us and you voted to let them stay!"

Frowning, he placed his hands in his pockets. "Is that what you thought of me? That I was a horrible, horrible person?"

Head tilted, Rachel swallowed as his implication was made clear. "No…but that was different. You were… You never… But I liked you!"

"They're no different than me Rachel. Just took them a little longer than me, I guess, to realize how great Glee is. So please, try to be nice to them, accept them."

Sifting his comments in her mind, Rachel sighed as she chose to do the right thing. "I'll do it Finn. For you and for Glee."

Taking his arm in hers, she shut her locker as they started to walk down the hall. Resting her head on his shoulder, she couldn't help but grin.