So, publication back on schedule more or less...
For information, the version of Bye Bye Blackbird that I was inspired by was that used in the film The History Boys. You can find it on Youtube by searching History Boys Soundtrack - it is sung by a young actor by the name of Samuel Barnett, and was posted by Douglas Latto.
Mr Barnett might also sing Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered on the same soundtrack... Let me know what you think!

A Warbler Send Off

As Wes and Thad walked back towards the school, and the majority of the group returned to the auditorium to prepare for the second, more personal, memorial, Mrs Carmichael had taken Sebastian to one side and asked him to follow her. She had access to Dalton's uniform store, and she was sure that there would be a new blazer in his size, not to mention a Warbler pin. He had not unfastened his before he had placed his blazer in the hole. Sure enough, there was indeed one that fitted him perfectly; it had actually been ordered for him in his senior year - Hunter had demanded that new blazers be provided for all the Warblers after their victory at Sectionals. They were to be worn at Regionals, a performance which, of course, they had never given. Thus there were blazers labelled for Nick and Jeff as well, not to mention one's that Colin, Edward and Seth would no longer fit into. She had destroyed only one of them… As she handed Sebastian a new pin, it finally dawned on him where his own now was. He sniffed slightly at the thought, but refused to cry. He thanked her, and turned to go, but he stopped as she began to speak.

"You have come a very long way, Sebastian. I used to sit and listen to my husband sigh over your behaviour at dinner each night. He knew all about your relationship with Louis and Mitchell…" she paused as Sebastian turned bright red… "and when you left for Paris, he was relieved in some ways; in others, he wasn't. He could see then that you were lost, and needed a steady hand to guide you. Needed to have responsibility to become a better man. That was the reason that he approved your role in the Warblers in your junior year; and when it backfired… well he was all set to expel you. That was, until Wes persuaded him not to, and to give you one final chance. So he did, and well, it turned out that Wes was right. You have become a fine young man, someone that puts the needs of others first; a credit to Dalton Academy." She noticed then that Sebastian had now started to cry, and she walked over and wrapped an arm around him.

"He came back, after the slushie and really let me have it; gave it to me with both barrels. Told me I was a disgrace to humanity; not fit to be a Warbler; not worthy of Dalton. I thought that he hated me, and deep down, I knew that he was right to. I had no idea that he was sticking up for me in private…"

"And if he hadn't died, then the chances are that you would never have found out. That was Wes - he did a lot behind the scenes that people never knew about. He was one of the best people that I ever had the privilege to know. He used to come and have tea with me at least once a week for nearly the entire time he was here; he even sent us birthday and anniversary cards. He wasn't Jamie….but he was like a son to us…"

"Well, you do realise that there is a room full of Warblers that hold you and Principal Carmichael in high respect in the school right now? That love you just as much as Wes did? And we would all love to come to tea sometime…." With those words, Sebastian pulled Mrs Carmichael into a hug. He had to admit to himself that finding out that Wes had always had his back made him feel so lucky and happy.

Sebastian and Mrs Carmichael arrived back in the auditorium at the same time as Thad. They all took their places, which meant in Thad's case mounting the steps to the stage once again. "Ladies and Gentleman - or should I just say close friends of Wes, because that is what we all are, those of us that are assembled here now… Anyway, before we come to the singing, because let's face it, that is what we do best, I have a couple of pleasant duties to perform on behalf of Wes. The first thing to say is that Wes left a will; he had after all come into a not inconsiderable amount of money, from one source or another, this year. The total value of his estate was somewhere in the region of $10,000,000. It has been approved by a lawyer, and a final confirmation of it will be made on Monday. I have been granted permission to reveal a few of the items that it contained now. Wes, as we all know, was always concerned to give everybody as equal a playing field as possible. To that end, he has left the sum of $500,000 each to six individuals that, as he put it himself, missed out. They are here now, and they missed out when Blaine died. I am talking about Beats, Flint, Ethan, Drew, Jasper and Brad." As he finished those words, he looked up to see the six young men in question staring back at him open mouthed. "As he said, you were not on Blaine's list; now, you will have some cash to play with like your cohorts. He also left the sum of $200,000 to each of the 15 current Warblers." Once again he paused as gasps rang out from around the room - indeed, Edward had to grab Colin as he passed out in shock. "The entire remainder of his estate is to be split 50/50 between the scholarship funds at Dalton and NYADA, in each case to be used specifically to support those with a vocal talent."

"My second task is to hand out two more Warbler pins to the final two people that Wes chose to appoint as honorary Warblers when he knew that he was going to die. We all already know that he appointed Dave Karofsky, Mike Chang and Santana Lopez, our first ever female Warbler, to that position. I have two final envelopes here with badges in them; he also states that he agonised over the last two choices as there were so many deserving people. In the end, he chose these two, but left me a list of people to consider for the future. So, without any more prevarication, I will name the fourth person on the list. Best known by part of his surname…yeah, massive clue…Mr Noah Puckerman. So, Puck, please join me on stage." Thad watched as the man in question made his way slowly to the stage, noting that there was a hint of moisture in his eyes; he came to stand by his side. Thad handed him the envelope, which he opened and removed the note; he handed it back to Thad to allow him to remove the pin, which he pinned carefully to the lapel of his jacket. Puck allowed himself to smile, and then, after quickly scanning the note, turned to face the audience.

"Can I just start by saying that this pin means more to me than any military medal I will ever receive, because this comes with a lot of love behind it. Anyway, I am so proud to be a Warbler - and I am going to share with you all what Wes wrote…. Noah, or Puck, or Eagle to give you your bird name - finally I get to welcome someone that flies in life to the Warblers. You were a true friend to Kurt first, and then to Blaine; then to every single one of us. Never change your character. Always fight for what you believe in. You are a good friend to have, and I am proud to have fought a common enemy with you at my side. I know that you, and Quinn, are going to have a bright future. I will miss you. Your friend, Wes. He was the best friend to have. I am going to treasure this forever. Once a Warbler, always a Warbler. I am so proud to be one of you…."

With that, Puck left the stage to applause and a standing ovation from his new Warbler brothers and sister. As he walked past them, he was offered high fives and back slaps. When he finally got back to his spot, it was to be given a warm embrace by Quinn. Once the noise died down, Thad spoke again. "And so, finally to number five. A brother. Maybe a brother-in-law one day. I am talking, as no doubt Nick has guessed, about Cooper Hummel-Warbler; brother of Blaine, our mush loved lead soloist in Wes' year as Head of Council. A man that changed his ways, and his name in memory of his brother and the choir that he loved. So, Coop, future star of Broadway, please take now to the Dalton stage. Cooper stumbled up on to the stage, already in tears, to receive his pin and his note from Thad. His note, which he asked Thad to read out, said Cooper - or Owl as I will now refer to you, you changed your life and gave everything up to try and save your brother. You couldn't, and so you decided that the best way to continue was to live in a way that honoured his memory. Now you are about to take his spot on Broadway; he is so proud of you, as we all are. You have a great wisdom, and a big heart, which I first saw on the day you brought Blaine to Dalton, and left him in my care. Take your gifts, and this pin as your reward; that and the hand of the woman that you love. All the best, Owl, Wes. P.S. Do not delay too long and miss out! She will say yes, and Nick won't kill you…

After Cooper had returned to the audience, Thad took a deep breath and crossed his fingers. He hoped that everything that they had planned would go well this evening. "Now, having performed my duties for Wes, it is time for me to hand you over to the group of young men that were his Warblers, and their friends. Given how scattered we all are now across the country, we did not have time for lengthy rehearsals, and so there will be an absence of the group numbers for which we are famed. Instead, we offer in tribute to Wes a series of solo, or small group numbers, all with one important thing in common - they are, as Wes requested, designed to make you laugh. You see, Wes was a lot like Blaine when it comes down to it - he did not want people to be miserable and depressed at his funeral. He wanted all of us to smile. In his days in charge here at Dalton, the Warblers had regular film nights, and if Wes was left to choose, we never had a thriller. Yes, comedy was king, and the zanier, the better. If it was British, then it made his day - I think everyone knows about his obsession with the works of Monty Python - and every time he had the chance, he would ask Nick to say…

"He's not the Messiah! He's a very naughty boy."

The disembodied voice from the wings set them all laughing. "Well," said Thad, "that's a good start. So friends, sit back and listen as the Warblers bring to you a catalogue of very unexpected songs…"

As Thad walked off, the curtains that had concealed the bulk of the stage parted, and as the music began, a spotlight shone on someone in a black leather biker's jacket, with coiffed hair, removing a pair of raybans; then Sebastian spun round, and began to sing Dentist! from Little Shop of Horrors. Santana had to ask Quinn to help her restrain Brittany when he sang the line about bashing in a cat's head; but then as Nick, Jeff and Trent camped it up as his backing singers, the blond girl began to laugh as hard as the rest of them.

"Appropriate song choice for the old Sebastian," remarked Puck, "but now, far less so…"

At the end of the song, they all applauded loudly, and three young men ran off, leaving Trent alone. No-one had even noticed Beats taking a seat at the piano; he had been sent the sheet music by Trent via an attachment, and the pair had practiced over Skype. As a result, Trent's rendition of the old classic, The Bee Song was spot on. Everyone agreed that it was the perfect song for the boy in question, and he received warm applause as he bowed and left the stage. Beats remained seated at the piano for the next performance.

When this came there was another shock. They were confronted by the head and shoulders of Ethan, the rest of his body blocked out by a black wall. He appeared to be trapped in a gilded cage. Suddenly, a jaunty tune began, and Ethan began to sing in a strange voice, taking on the part of Tweetie Pie in I taut I taw a Pooty Cat. From the moment he opened his mouth, people started to laugh, not just at the accuracy of his voice, but also at the facial expressions, and the fact that he was using his hands as wings. They all knew what to expect when Drew appeared, in the role of Sylvester; he had two cut out cat's ears mounted on his head, and a fine set of whiskers on his face. When at the end of his first stanza, he spun round to reveal a tail sticking out from under his blazer, the whole room erupted in laughter. No-one laughed more than Wes and the other three angels that were now standing at the back. Wes was actually quite shocked at just how far these two boys had gone. And then, just when they all felt they had gone as far as they could, Carole appeared on the stage with a broom, and brought it down sharply on Drew's back as he was about to pounce on Ethan, according to the song. As Burt laughed his head off at the expression on Carole's face, she took a quick bow and walked off again. The song ended of course with the two of them singing together, and then they exited stage right, dancing and bowing to the music that everyone felt should have the words 'That's all folks' said over it. The two young men were forced back on stage to take their well deserved standing ovation by Thad, both of them beaming in pride at having delivered so well for Wes.

The stage was then taken by Flint. He stood there, looking worried, something that Wes picked up on right away. "He is nervous about something… I doubt that it is his voice, because it is good, and I know that he has sung a couple of solo parts in the choir at Princeton, so it must be his choice of song."

Before Kurt, Blaine or Finn could respond to him, the young man himself finally spoke. "When Thad challenged us all to find a song to sing here today, I had to admit that at first I found it hard to think of one that would completely fit the bill. A lot of the best funny songs didn't fit, or by the time that I came to choose them, I discovered that somebody else had beaten me to it. So I was forced to widen my search. Quite by chance, I came across the one that I am going to sing for you all now. Is it funny? I think so, and so did Beats. Is it appropriate? Well, I am pretty sure that Wes would have laughed at it - but it might be just a bit more risqué than normal. In fact, I would probably be expelled for singing it if I was still a student here, but I am not, so - here goes…"

Beats played a light intro, and Flint launched into his song; a song that left most of them speechless after the first line. The song in question was called Perky Little Pornstar - the moment that he sung that word for the first time, mouths dropped open and eyes bulged. It was such a shock to the system that Santana couldn't even utter the word wanky. As the song went on, and Flint's facial expressions changed as the words got more explicit, she and Sebastian were the first to laugh. By the halfway point, his innocent face had them all laughing in spite of themselves. As for Wes, he had begun with a smile, which turned into a grin, and then he was laughing out loud, Blaine joined him, as did Kurt eventually. Finn however seemed to be in a permanent state of shock. As Flint finished, he got a round of applause, Wes being amongst the loudest, even cheering him. When it stopped, he turned to Finn and whispered, "Look on the bright side - that song I believe comes from a show called Naked Boys Singing. At least he didn't do it in costume…"

Then the familiar figure of Thad returned to the stage. "Well, what can I say, Flint? That was different. But yes, I think Wes liked it… Anyway, after sinking to the depths, it is now time for a bit of culture. A classic brought to us all the way from Paris by the one Warbler that has actually lived there. Medames et Messieurs, I give you the one, and thankfully, the only, Mr Sebastian Smythe…"

Once more the spotlight fell on Sebastian, now dressed in his uniform once more, his hair back to it's normal style. As the music began, once again jaws dropped. Mercedes whispered "Hell to the No!" and the others just stared, with a few exceptions - those that had heard him sing this before. He nailed it once again, as those that had been with him in Paris in June knew that he could. He was not a little sparrow; he was a Cardinal to Wes, but he sang Non, Je ne Regrette Rein perfectly. Wes could feel tears in his eyes; could see them in the eyes of a shell shocked Kurt and Blaine. He had never felt more proud of Sebastian as he watched him enchant the entire room - he deserved his placed at NYADA, not just for his flawless voice, but for the facial expressions that made his rendition so powerful. It was no wonder then that at the end he received a lengthy standing ovation, with no-one staying seated.

Sebastian took a bow, and made his way to the microphone. When the applause finally died down, he spoke. "Thank you. I know that Wes would approve of my choice - a classic, known throughout the world, and sung by a woman with a bird nickname - so, a definite win! But that was not the only song I learnt to sing in Paris. This one is totally different…" A jazzy tune suddenly started up, and Sebastian began to nod his head in time with the music, his body beginning to move with it too. He then began to sing Ca Plan Pour Moi by Plastic Bertrand. The speed of the words left his audience breathless; he dived about the stage, running from side to side, fitting the line 'Je suis un flash' perfectly. He was accompanied by two other voices, eventually revealed to be Nick and Jeff; they also happened to be bouncing up and down on a trampoline as they sang. If the song's pace had not made them all smile, then the sight of those two bouncing up and down certainly made them all laugh out loud.

Sebastian was followed by the younger Warblers singing Mean Green Mother from Outer Space, again from Little Shop of Horrors. It was an opportunity for Jasper to belt out a solo, with strong backing from Brad. The younger boys had felt such a sense of pride when Thad had asked them to contribute; and so it was that after the first song, Jasper and Brad stepped to one side, and allowed the current generation of Warblers to perform alone. They showed off what they could do with a rendition of Consider Yourself from Oliver! Colin took on the role of the Artful Dodger, whilst the newer talent, and future replacement as lead soloist, Skylar, took the titular role. It was the first time that most of those gathered in the room had heard his voice and they all had to agree that he was good - indeed, he could have given Blaine a run for his money. The New Directions would have to watch out for themselves in future competitions, there was no doubt about that.

Then it was the turn of Nick to sing his solo piece. He had chosen a song that not only allowed him to show off his vocal talents, but also the fact that he was particularly fluent in German. He sang Der Guten Tag Hop Clop from The Producers. The fact that he did so wearing something that was very close to lederhosen made mouths drop open; when he was joined on stage by Sam and Puck, aping his moves, the laughter began. The smart comments from Puck, and the moments when deliberate missteps meant that hands flew in the wrong direction and hit out reduced them all to hysterics, not least because of the almost maniacal look on Nick's face as he sang. At the end the applause was warm, and they all had to agree that it was one of the funniest things they had ever seen.

As Nick went off, bowing, Jeff walked on - and no-one could miss his eyes lingering on his rear view of his husband. After a moment, he stepped up to the mike, and spoke. "Well, it is finally my turn to sing for you all. I don't resent the fact that I have been left to last at all - after all, don't they say that you save the best 'til last…?"

"Cheeky devil!" came Sebastian's voice from off stage, getting a loud laugh from around the room.

Jeff merely smiled all the wider, and then continued. "I had absolutely no idea what to sing when I was asked to do this. I racked my brain, and I just could not think of anything! So, I turned to Google, and entered one word; a word which summed up what I always felt when Wes was around. And up popped this little song…" He nodded, and music began - and Jeff sang Happiness, a song made famous in the 1960s by the British comedian Ken Dodd. It was a cheerful little number, and new to all of them, even Nick. Jeff had practiced it in a quiet little room at the Art School so as to ensure that even he knew nothing. They all fell in love with it. It also seemed to sum up how Jeff had always been before everything that had happened; when he had seen happiness everywhere, as the song said. Only a blind person could have failed to notice the way that his eyes were constantly drawn to Nick as he sang; and that every time Nick smiled at him, Jeff's own smile grew all the wider. At the end of the song, he took a bow to rapturous applause.

Through it all they had been watched from the back of the room by a group of four angels, all of whom had grown happier as the show went on. Wes had not been looking forward to this afternoon at all, if he was entirely honest. He knew that it had to happen, to celebrate his life, and give people the chance to achieve a certain amount of closure. He knew that his boys would do their very best to ensure that the day was a celebration, but he had a niggling feeling that there was something very wrong about the whole day. He had laughed along with everyone else at their antics, but he couldn't help but feel that the atmosphere was almost too happy. That it was all a cover for something far darker. Now, he did feel quite cheerful, and seeing the smiling faces of everyone else was a big part of that. He regretted that today would probably be the last time that they were all together like this - until the next death came along and forced them to mourn in one place. He couldn't help but look at all of them gathered there and ask himself - which one of you is next? And although he immediately hated himself for it, a large part of him hoped that it would be Thad… he had confessed his feeling to Kurt, and had expected a ticking off, but he had got understanding instead. It turned out that in the week between his death and his funeral, Kurt had hoped that Blaine would die soon too. Nevertheless, sympathy for such feelings did not make them right, and as the young man in question made his way back to the microphone, he hoped that he would live a long time yet.

"So, the time has almost come for us to end this, our personal tribute to The Head Warbler, Wes Montgomery. I think that you all know how dear he was to each of us, and in particular to me and to David. He was a best friend, a source of advice and a veritable fount of knowledge on most things, from music through to law and the constitution, via such varied topics as British satire and State Birds of the USA and the world. We, the Warblers, loved him, and he in return loved us. We were his flock. All birds of a different feather, but united under him, our Blackbird. As well as this day of song, those of us that were closest to him have paid tribute to him in a different way…" Thad paused, and removed his blazer, before rolling up the sleeve of his shirt to the very top, to reveal his tattoo. There was a gasp from the crowd, probably Mrs Carmichael, he guessed, but he just smiled at it. He also smiled as he saw all of the younger people making an exit. "It might not be the done thing here at Dalton, but it seemed right and fitting to us to mark ourselves with the names that he so carefully chose for us. Through these tattoos, we show that we are still his Warblers, and will remain so for the rest of our lives. Now, I can imagine that some of you are thinking - how can the show be over, if Thad has not sung himself? Well, seeing as I am better than Jeff - only joking, Blondie - I have been left until last. But I will not be singing this one alone. It is one of Wes' favourite songs. He used to say to me privately that he longed to perform it with the Warblers, but he was positive that if he did, Principal Carmichael would expel him on the spot - and probably most of the rest of us too. Well, we can't be expelled now; so this one Wes is for you. What is the song? Well, let me put it like this…."

With those words, Thad launched into a performance of the Monty Python song Every Sperm is Sacred. Principal Carmichael burst out laughing, but both his wife and his successor looked shocked. David, who had sat quietly at Mercedes side for most of the show, buried his face in his hands as he realised what the song was; this prompted her to regard him curiously, until Thad sang the word sperm for the first time, and then she got why he looked the way he did. When the younger Warblers appeared to sing the first group section, promptly followed by a solo from Colin, more eyebrows were raised. And on it went - Sebastian sang the next solo part, and at its conclusion, the rest of the alumni skipped on from one side, and where followed by Santana, Quinn and Kitty from the other side. By the end, most of the New Directions were on stage with the Warblers; there had even been energetic dancing, lead by Rory and Brittany.

Then, as the song reached its climax, Thad stepped off the stage and held out his hand to David, motioning for him to join them. He still resisted, until Mercedes pushed him out of his seat, and then he had no option but to allow himself to be dragged onto the stage; and once up there, were he could see Wes smiling broadly from the back of the room, he couldn't resist joining in. He could see so much going on in the depleted audience - was Emma Schuester really singing along word for word, much to her husband's complete shock? Certainly, Wes was singing along with gusto, as indeed was Blaine - he wasn't so sure about Kurt and Finn. The sight of his best friend singing along left David confused. He was happy that Wes appeared so ok, but his own heart was still heavy. Still, as Wes kept reminding him, he had Mercedes now, and she was so wise. He had to start living again, for the sake of Wes; for himself; and for the woman he loved. It would be hard, but that was what he intended to do, starting now.

And then it was all over. There were handshakes and hugs. Kind words and sympathy. Four angels took their leave and returned to Elizabeth. People left, taking time to pat the performers on the back; to congratulate Thad on his orchestration. He was invited to take coffee with the Carmichaels, and he agreed. He told David to take the other Warblers to the Senior Commons and wait for him there. And then, he had the auditorium to himself once again.

He had pulled it off. He had delivered a fitting tribute to the man he loved.

He had nothing left to do.

It was all over.

'Yes, it is all over,' thought Thad, as he sat alone in the auditorium. 'All over, bar my final act.'

In his hands he held the item he had hidden in the room earlier that day. The sharp paper knife he had brought from Wes' apartment.

He was about to use it on something that was not paper…