Chapter 20

He wasn't quite seeing red, though whenever he thought of St. James running his mouth it was a close thing. Rachel being snugged up against his side while they walked through the halls did a lot to keep him calm. She couldn't be unaware of the rumors, but she did a helluva good job pretending she hadn't heard a thing.

"It don't bother you Rae?" He asked when they were taking a breather between songs. "All the bullshit going around? No matter how stupid it is, people seem to believe it?"

"Noah, most people can't seem to feel better about themselves unless they're tearing someone else down," Rachel shrugged. "It's the idea that for someone to win someone else has to lose. Everyone wants to feel like they've won. So they trash someone else. I know the truth. You know the truth. Why should I care what anyone else thinks? At the end of the year it's not going to matter anyway."

He hadn't really thought of it that way, it just stuck in his throat that everyone thought they could look down on someone who was pretty much his best friend in the world and more than that besides. "Yeah, I guess. Just bugs me."

"I know," She kissed him gently. "But we can't do anything about it. It bothers my dads and Sam too."

He tugged her closer and kissed her, loving her instant response despite the fact that they were on borrowed time in the choir room. She was warm and soft and sweet, and he couldn't get enough of her mouth. The catcalls as the rest of the group entered the room penetrated his lust hazed brain finally and he lifted his mouth from Rachel's and rolled his eyes at the idiots invading.

"Gimme a break," He kept his arms around his girl. "Between rehearsals, homework and research it's not like we get a lot of time alone."

"Honestly," Schuester was doing his 'I know best even if I'm being a dick' impression. "One would think that the two of you would like to stifle the rumors going around the school rather than feeding them."

"Can't help when people spin lies," Puck glared at him. "And if you're so concerned maybe you could make an effort to shutting the gossip down, instead of blaming me and Rae for what other people say."

"You have to admit the two of you invite comment," Schuester persisted.

"And if the rumors were about us, then yeah, might think about taking steps." That red was invading his eyes again and he took a couple deep breaths. "But this is bull about what Rachel was like at her old school." He speared St. James with a glance, "And I know where that load of crap is coming from."

The little prima donna rolled his eyes, "Please. The way I hear it, you two have been fueling the gossip mill ever since she got here."

"Okay people," Coach Sue strode into the room with her usual style, Coach Beiste behind her. "We're running out of time so let's get to it." She took in Puck's angry and defensive posture, St. James' smug demeanor and Schuester's condescending expression in a glance. "Puckerman, unless you and Berry have a song you're going to perform, take your seats."

"Actually we do have something," Rachel spoke up quietly. "It's retro, so it could work. And it has the opportunity for solos."

"Well let's hear it," Schuester was always quick to issue instructions. Puck gave Rachel another quick kiss and made sure the guitar strings hadn't slipped out of tune.

"Ready gorgeous," He smiled at her as she took a seat at the piano again.

"Whenever you are," Her smile back warmed him all the way through, cooled the rage that had him wanting to pound St. James' pretty face in. They'd agreed he'd start the song off and he began to opening chords while she echoed him on the piano keys. It was a good upbeat song, and just singing it made him grin and get in a better mood. "Ooh, ooh, ooh,
People are talkin', talkin' 'bout people
,"

Rachel's voice came with, laughing with astonishment at the foolishness of people, "I hear them whisper, you won't believe it."

He shook his head as he sang back to her, "They think we're lovers kept under cover,
I just ignore it but they keep sayin' we...
"

The two of their voices blended easily as they sang, "Laugh just a little too loud,
Stand just a little too close,
We stare just a little too long
."

She added, "Maybe they're seein', somethin' we don't darlin'."

The chorus was pure fun, flirting with her through music as they sang, "Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about
(Somethin' to talk about)
Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about
(Somethin' to talk about)
Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about
How about love?
"

Rachel began the next verse, hopeful and chagrinned, "I feel so foolish, I never noticed
You act so nervous, could you be fallin' for me?
"

He grinned as he took the next lines, "It took the rumor to make me wonder,
Now I'm convinced that I'm goin' under.
"

She sang almost shyly, "Thinkin' 'bout you every day,"

He echoed her with a bashful grin, "Dreamin' 'bout you every night."

Their voices blended again as they sang the next lines, "I'm hopin' that you feel the same way,
Now that we know it, let's really show it darlin'.
"

They'd agreed for the final choruses they'd echo each other back and forth, and they'd worked out a pretty good sound, "Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about
(Somethin' to talk about)
A little mystery to figure out
(Somethin' to talk about)
Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about
How about love?

Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about babe,
A little mystery to figure out.
Let's give 'em somethin' to talk about,
How about love? Ooh...
Listen to 'em baby
(Somethin' to talk about)
A little mystery won't hurt 'em
(Somethin' to talk about)
Let's give 'em somethin' to talk
How about our love, love, love, love
Whoowhoo mmmm hey oohh whoowhoo
About love, love, love, love
How about they talk about it? uh huh
Talk about love...
"

They finished with a flourish and he bent over the piano to give her another kiss, her mouth still curved and laughing. The two of them looked up to the applause before Puck put the guitar on the wall and sauntered to his seat. "Rae's got something else for us. Same artist," He told Coach Sue when Rachel stayed at the piano.

"Oh?" Coach looked over at Rachel, "Something else we can use?"

"I think so, possibly," Rachel nodded. "We talked about love, joy, fun, and this is sad but it's about love so I figured why not."

She began the opening notes and Puck felt his throat tighten up in reaction. Rachel's voice, melancholy and sweet, rang over them like church bells.

"Turn down the lights, turn down the bed
Turn down these voices inside my head
Lay down with me, tell me no lies
Just hold me close, don't patronize…

Don't patronize…me…

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
But you won't, no you won't…

I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
The love you don't feel when you're holding me
Morning will come and I'll do what's right
Just give me till then to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight

Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
Here in the dark, these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power

You won't, no you won't
No you won't, I can't make you love me, if you don't
If you don't, no, no, no
No, no cause I can't make you love me…

If you don't…"

She'd talked with him about the song, how she didn't think of it as something romantic, not really. More that she was applying the same philosophy to all the people around her who judged and didn't know her or even care how they might make her feel. And she'd begun by singing to him but her gaze had wandered over the choir room before she was through, reminding all of them that one way or the other, they were all guilty of the same thing.

He wondered if they'd get it, or even care if they did.


He took a deep breath and hugged her tight before Rachel walked out across the stage at Regionals. The set list they'd come up with… he liked it. It certainly didn't sound like any of the other groups. They'd decided to do older songs by one group that had changed over the years, and that was their theme. Rachel was the lead for the opening number, with him and the rest of them backing her.

They were either going to freak the judges out or impress them beyond belief. The songs didn't really invite much middle ground. Though he doubted any of the judges had an inkling that high school kids knew Jefferson Airplane at all.

Jesse's face had a frown of displeasure, he hadn't been made lead for any of the songs, Artie was the best for the third number and Puck was the perfect fit for the second. Jesse was relegated to backup. The rest of the club were raring to go, the energy backstage like the vibe at a big game.

Rae moved the microphone and smiled out at the crowd; behind her the band began the music and she took a deep breath. Her voice, when it emerged, held a haunting query, as if wondering if anything was real and he couldn't help remembering the video he'd seen of the song, with scenes spliced together from an old Charlie Sheen movie, about Vietnam, "One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall."

The song didn't allow for much of a break between verses but Rachel didn't need much, her voice rising slightly with each line and reaching a feverishly mad note on the finale. If he didn't know she was perfectly sane he'd have questioned her mental state purely from the sound of her voice, "And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
To call Alice, when she was just small

When the men on the chessboard get up
And tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving slow
Go ask Alice, I think she will know

When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the white knight is talking backwards
And the red queen's off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head, feed your head!"

The applause took a full half minute to start and when it erupted the sound felt like thunder. Puck grinned as the club strode out and Rachel announced them, "Ladies and Gentlemen, New Directions!"

They'd argued about the lineup but decided that because of the ending the next song was better suited for the middle number. Catchy and great to sing, and that left his and Rachel's duet (with the club joining in a lot) as the finale. The intro to the song began and he grinned as he heard the slight murmur of recognition from the audience. And then it was time, he and David beginning the first verse, "Say, "You don't know me or recognize my face"
Say, "You don't care who goes to that kind of place"
Knee deep in the hoopla sinking in your fight
Too many runaways eating up the night!
"

The rest of the guys in the club joined in on the last line and the chorus rang through the auditorium like a clarion call of challenge, "Marconi plays the Mamba, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll…
"

Rachel and Santana had teamed up for the second verse, Tina harmonizing with them until the last line, "Someone always playing corporation games
Who cares they're always changing corporation names
We just want to dance here, someone stole the stage
They call us irresponsible, write us off the page!
"

Artie, Blaine and Kurt took joined them on the last line and took over the chorus, "Marconi plays the Mamba, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll…
"

Jesse and AZ began the lines for the bridge, "It's just another Sunday, in a tired old street
Police have got the choke hold, oh, then we just lost the beat!
"

Mike had worked up a stream of patter in the style of old radio hosts, extoling the virtues of the city and filling in the bridge while the rest of them stepped up the dance routine a bit before Quinn, Britney and AZ began the next verse, "Who counts the money, underneath the bar
Who rides the wrecking ball in two rock guitars
Don't tell us you need us, 'cause we're the ship of fools
Looking for America coming through your schools!
"

Then it was a rout as they began the last chorus, echoing each other almost singing it as a round, filling the massive room, "Don't you remember
('Member, 'member)

Marconi plays the Mamba, listen to the radio, don't you remember
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
We built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll
Built this city, we built this city on rock and roll

(We built, we built this city)
Built this city
(We built, we built this city)
(We built, we built this city)
Built this city
(We built, we built this city)

(We built, we built this city)
Built this city
(We built, we built this city)
(We built, we built this city)
Built this city
(We built, we built this city)!
"

The applause came more quickly this time, and the band segued into the last song. He and Rachel had earned this duet, they'd put in the hours and it showed. The rest of the group would sing chorus, and backup, reinforcing their voices, but the first verse, that was all on him, singing directly to Rae as if she was the world, "Looking in your eyes I see a paradise
This world that I've found
Is too good to be true
Standing here beside you
Want so much to give you
This love in my heart that I'm feeling for you…
"

Rachel took the next part, determination in her voice as if to face down anyone who'd tell them they couldn't be together, "Let 'em say we're crazy, I don't care about that
Put your hand in my hand baby
Don't ever look back
Let the world around us just fall apart
Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart…
"

Taking the lead on the chorus meant keeping the tempo for the rest of the club but they'd practiced enough that it sounded perfectly smooth, "And we can build this dream together
Standing strong forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothing's gonna stop us
Nothing's gonna stop us now…
"

Rachel took point on the second verse, he could listen to her sing forever, "I'm so glad I found you
I'm not gonna lose you
Whatever it takes I will stay here with you
Take it to the good times
See it through the bad times
Whatever it takes is what I'm gonna do!
"

Puck grinned remembering how many people thought one of them was nuts as he began the second part, "Let 'em say we're crazy, what do they know
Put your arms around me baby
Don't ever let go
Let the world around us just fall apart…
"

Rachel's voice chimed in with his on the last line, "Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart…"

The group came in on the chorus again, a wall of sound, "And we can build this dream together
Standing strong forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothing's gonna stop us
Nothing's gonna stop us…
"

His girl's voice, beginning the bridge, the words just an echo ever everything he felt, hitting that high note easily as breathing, "Ooh, all that I need is you…
You're all that I ever need
And all that I want to do
Is hold you forever, forever and ever…
"

They'd considered leaving the instrumental portion in but in the end decided against it, flowing seamlessly into the group chorus once again, "And we can build this dream together
Standing strong forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now

He and Rachel joined their voices on the last lines, softening, wistful, "And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothing's gonna stop us
Nothing's gonna stop us now…
"

Rachel grinned up at him as the final note played. They were so going to win this thing.


Rachel didn't even flinch as Puck's locker door slammed shut. He'd simply given in to the emotions they were all feeling, "Second fuckin' place." He nearly snarled and she sighed. A week later and the sting of it had yet to fade.

Vocal Adrenaline had swept in as the final performance. She could admit privately that they were very good, but their specialty seemed to be insanely difficult dancing and featuring only a few actual singers. Their costumes were professional quality and she'd bet money that none of them had to waste rehearsal time with arguments between their vocal coaches.

Everyone in the group had gotten depressed, Dave and AZ most of all because they'd really been hoping for more performances, the group numbers that were so much fun, the exhilaration of being onstage.

"At least St. James finally gave up," Puck commented and she smiled. That had been the one bright spot of the week.

Jesse had decided he was going to get to Nationals come hell or high water and had without ceremony deserted McKinley and New Directions for Vocal Adrenaline. Nobody had been sad to see him go.

Coach Sue caught sight of them from down the hall and gestured impatiently, "Come on you sad sacks. I didn't make it through water boarding in Pakistan just to wait on you."

"Waterboarding," AZ muttered as he came up on Puck's other side. "Seriously?"

"Coach Sue likes to exaggerate for effect," Rachel grinned. "Let's see what she has to say."

"She ain't ever boring, that's for sure," Puck agreed.

The choir room held the rest of the club, all of them looking just as befuddled as Rachel felt. Schuester looked up as they came in and gave them a nod, ignoring Coach Sue entirely. They'd no sooner taken their seats than Coach clapped her hands together.

"Well despite our hard work as you all know, we did not sufficiently impress the judges at Regionals," Coach did like to remind you of your shortcomings before she built you up again. "We're all disappointed but that's showbiz."

"Sue would you like to find the point," Schuester interrupted wearily from his place by the piano.

"William, I don't dare look at you or I'll be distracted by the disturbing elves that live in your fuzzy permed curls," Coach Sue rolled her eyes.

"Hey, sorry we're late," Coach Beiste came in, Sam in tow and was given an irritated wave from Schuester and a polite nod from Coach Sue. "Did you tell them yet?"

"I was building up to it," The tall angular blonde shook her head as she looked back at the club. "Principal Figgins found the half time show very impressive. And in recognition of how hard you've all been working he wants the Glee Club to put on a performance in a month. He's planning to charge admission and all the proceeds will be divided between the school and the fund for the Glee Club, for costumes, travel, instruments, that sort of thing. So we'll get a leg up on next year."

"A concert," Kurt's voice reached new heights in his excitement. "In a month?"

"We have a lot of material prepared," Artie reminded him. "Plus we could do the songs we performed individually."

"We all put a lot of research and work into those," Blaine agreed. "And there wouldn't be any pressure to find a theme so we could do Southern Cross or that mash up you liked David."

David's face lit up and AZ nudged him, "Will To the Power man." He grinned at David and Rachel giggled. The enthusiasm they showed contrasted vividly with the two's original attitude towards Glee.

"So make a list, be honest with yourselves, what were the best songs we found that didn't quite fit for Regionals," Sue ordered.

Schuester decided to get into the act and added, "And figure out a way to add other voices to your own performance."

"Mike, Britt, we'll be leaning on you two and Coach Sue for the dance routines. Nothing insane but we don't want to do the same thing for every song," Coach Beiste told them. "Rachel, if you'd give them some help in between everything else?"

Rachel couldn't help grinning at the woman, she and Coach Sue couldn't be more dissimilar but both of them managed to be supportive in their own way. "Absolutely Coach. Whatever the group needs." She looked at Kurt and Mercedes, "You two should work on a duet. Your voices would be wonderful together."

Mercedes, true to form, simply rolled her eyes but Kurt nodded, a bit regally but still acknowledgement, "That could be fun. 'Cedes we could do that song from Rent? Take me or Leave me?"

"Oh hells to the yes," Mercedes grinned.

"Tina, David, Puck," Sue snapped out their names. "You, Rachel and Artie, get Mad World worked out more formally. Anything that can bring this group to a standstill is something I want the rest of the school to hear."

"You got it Coach," Artie exchanged a look with the semi goth girl and they both grinned.

"The lineup is something we'll work on once we get our song list finalized," Schuester told them.

"Let's hop to it," Coach Beiste ordered and the room immediately burst into conversations.

Rachel turned to Puck and kissed him firm on the mouth, surprising her boyfriend but pleasantly she hoped. "Oh this is going to be so much fun!"

"Ain't we gonna lose amateur status if we charge for the show," Puck wanted to know once he'd let go of her. He never did want to stop kissing her, it really made her feel good, Rachel smiled.

"We aren't getting paid personally," Rachel shook her head. "The club benefits and the school but we aren't making money as individuals. It's allowed, like a fund raiser."

"Got it," Puck grinned down at her and she shivered with the warmth of his affectionate expression. "This will be awesome."


He hadn't been wrong. Without the pressure of competition and only three songs the club was having fun. Sure there'd been some arguing but most of it had been good natured. But coming up with a song list had been a blast. Coach Sue had gotten with her and asked her to list out the strongest numbers the rest of the group had come up with.

"We'll want to do some that are new to us, give you guys that thrill of performing that isn't an old hat feel, but I can count on you to be impartial," Sue explained as she looked through her own notes. "For instance, David and AZ are getting stronger voices with practice."

"And they deserve to be showcased a bit," Rachel nodded her understanding. "But at the same time, they need Artie and Mike, and perhaps Blaine to really have good harmonies. Their arrangements will sound too basic otherwise."

"So we put in their ELO number," Sue noted it. "And Puckerman's solo of Blue Eyes. That was very powerful. But we could add some more voices to the chorus and layer background vocals."

Rachel considered that and looked at the group, "Kurt and Artie have higher ranges, but against Puck's voice, we want something lower. I'd say Blaine, Sam and Mike for backup primarily."

"Good," Sue eyed her. "I want Mad World damn near exactly how your group sang it. And we've got the songs that were remade too."

"Atari, Metallica and Disturbed," The tiny diva wrote down the songs. "I don't think Dylan would really suit. But Mike's version of Rocketman? That was really good and with some backup? Awesome."

"We've already got Kurt and Mercedes set for their duet," Sue rolled her eyes towards the other divas.

"I really want to showcase Santana's voice somehow," Rachel said firmly. "She, Quinn and Brittany do wonderful arrangements, their voices really harmonize well. Why don't we do that number the club sang last year. Valerie? Puck said she killed it. And it shows off Mike and Britt's dancing."

"True Colors is another good one," Santana came up to them and nodded at Rachel semi-politely. "Aretha's gonna insist she have more than one solo y'know."

"Then she'll have to improve her voice control," Rachel looked at Coach Sue for backup. "She hits the high notes effortlessly. But I can do that. She needs to work on her mid-range and lower register control. Her voice…shakes and she gets a little pitchy."

"Yeah," Santana surprise her by actually agreeing. "Quinn's got similar issues on the high notes."

"They both need to practice more," The Cheerio's Coach nodded firmly. "I can and will overrule any popularity over talent voting result and I won't care who's feelings it hurts."

"So what else we got," Santana was actually addressing her and Rachel blinked in surprise.

"Oh, well," She turned her preliminary list towards the Cheerio. "We're still working on it."

"How about more Elton John," Santana frowned over the list. "Y'know, we could do I'm Still Standing, start out slow, kinda like Rocketman and build to more peppy. And do Sad Songs after that." Rachel looked at her in surprise and Santana shrugged, "Caught some of what you and Sam were saying. It's a good combo. And since it's not a competition, putting Mike in the solo spot won't kill us. God knows he's worked hard enough."

"I agree," Sue nodded. "The boys want to do Southern Cross; we can have that before Rocketman. It'll be a nice lead in."

Rachel grinned at the Coach, "This'll be a lot of fun."

"Sam's all right with this," Coach Sue regarded Rachel expectantly.

"He wouldn't be here if he wasn't interested," She nodded. "And it must not interfere with football or Coach wouldn't have brought him."

"Nah," Sam walked up to them with a rueful half smile. "She's trying to keep me from going and beating St. James."

"So not interested in Glee Club really," Sue speared him with a look and Sam shrugged.

"Reasons for not doing it haven't changed much. It's a lot to do along with school, I can't tank my chances for a scholarship by screwing up my grades."

"A reasonable concern," The Cheerio Coach nodded. "Don't tank them by getting involved a brawl either."

"Yeah," Sam sighed and leaned against the piano. "We got any new ideas?" He looked at the three of them and grinned, "I've been around Rae and Puck enough these days to hear most of the old ones."

Rachel smirked at him, "Oh…we've got a few." Santana laughed evilly and Coach just grinned.

Sam's gulp of worry was near audible. "Shit, it was bad enough when it was just Rae and Coach, now you've got Santana in the mix… Ya'll are an unholy triumvirate."

Rachel's wicked giggle and Santana's smirk in no way proved him wrong.


The show had been going really well. Full house and filled with applause after every number. They'd had a few breaks with costume changes but thankfully those were minimal. He half expected something to go really wrong now that they'd gotten past intermission but so far so good.

The crowd buzzed and murmured before fading to silence as Rachel took the microphone from the stand. Her gorgeous voice held a tone of rage, barely repressed, rage that a warning had gone unheeded, twisted with irony, "Hello Darkness my old friend,

I've come to talk with you again…"

Her teeth clenched over the words, "Because a vision softly creeping left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain still remains within the sound of silence…
"

Puck walked onto the stage, a spotlight just ahead of him, taking his place beside her as she sang, "In restless dreams I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone." He stood in silence as she continued, "A'neath the halo of a streetlamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night and touched the sound of silence…
"

The rest of the club had slowly filled in the stage, all of them staring without a sound at the audience, a vivid demonstration of the lyrics.

"And in the naked light I saw ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared, no one dared disturb the sound of silence…
"

'Fools,' said I, 'you do not know," Drums began to echo her voice in warning.

"Silence like a cancer grows…" Her voice reached a near wail with the pain and rage of her warnings unheeded. "Hear my words that I might teach you, take my arms that I might reach you'
But my words like silent raindrops fell and echoed in the wells of silence…
"

Her voice twisted and nearly screamed out in impotent fury, "And the people bowed and prayed…" Her voice rose, "to the neon god they made!"
And the sign flashed out its warning in the words that it was forming!" The club began to stamp their feet in emphasis of the final words. Drums echoed their steps like thunder. The warning of lightning soon to appear and strike down the fools who simply would not listen.
"And the sign said "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls!

And whispered in the sound of silence…."

The drums and echoes of instruments faded into thunder, like an army charge, the club bringing their feet down in one final stamp on the last word. Rachel stepped back into the line beside him, silent again.

The applause took a few moments to begin, shocked didn't begin to describe the audience reaction, stunned and amazed… It wasn't too often you heard a soprano perform a song generally done by a tenor, or a Simon and Garfunkel cover as interpreted by Disturbed. But that's exactly what they'd gotten.

Puck grinned as the instruments took up a new tune, time for some Bob Seger, as sung by Metallica. He liked the original but Seger always sounded whiny to him, almost asleep. Metallic gave the music energy, anger and defiance. It started out quieter, thoughtful, as if he was telling a story, "On a long and lonesome highway, east of Omaha…

You listen to the engines moaning out the same old song

You dream about the woman, or the girl you knew the night before…"

Deliberately he roughened his voice, as if raw with weariness, the guys in the club adding a low growl, like diesel engines, tires on the road, repetitive, "But your thoughts'll soon be wanderin', the way they always do,

When you're riding sixteen hours and there's nothing much to do

And you don't feel much like riding

You just wish the trip was through…"

Rachel's voice, with Santana and Tina, wove through the guys, a descant echo of the words, voice drifting away with exhaust before Puck began the chorus, the guys backing him, echoing each line, "And here I am…

On the road again,

Here I am, up on the stage

Here I go…playing the star again

Here I go…turn the page…"

He remembered, every time they'd rehearsed, the looks he got when he and Rachel walked into Breadstix, the way people drew back, as if he'd pull out a gun and rob the place. The anger he had to push down each time someone sneered at his girl and let it all out in a sneer through his voice only the control Rae had taught him keeping the words even, "So you walk into a restaurant, strung out from the road.

And you feel the eyes upon you as you're shakin' off the cold

You pretend it doesn't bother you but you just want to explode!"

He stared at the audience in challenge as the club deliberately began whispering, throwing names in hushed voices, "Sometimes you can't hear 'em talk, other times you can,

All the same old clichés, is it a woman, is it a man…

And you always seem outnumbered, you don't dare make a stand…"

The guys of the club joined their voices for the last line, a near shout of defiance, "Make your stand!"

The chorus of their voices was simple rage again, the pain of being alone, and flowed straight into the bridge, as Puck took the lead once more. "And here I am…

On the road again,

Here I am, up on the stage

Here I go…playing the star again

Here I go…turn the page…

Up there in the spotlight

You're a million miles away

Every ounce of energy

You try to give away

And the sweat drips off your body

Like the music that you play…"

They'd decide to skip the chorus after the bridge, to flow directly into the last verse, quieter, tired, and still angry but weary with it now. The girl's harmony gave it a sweetness but there could be no mistaking the primary emotion of the song. "Later in the evening as you lie awake in bed

With the echoes of the amplifiers ringing in your head

You smoke the days last cigarette

Remember what she said…

What she said…"

Mourning now, pain, the ache of loneliness rage always left inside its victims and Puck softened his voice, rough, as if overworked but controlled and steady. "Here I am…on the road again…

Here I am…up on the stage…

Here I go…playing the star again…

Here I go… turn the page…"

The repeat rose to a scream of defiance, daring the audience to object to how he chose to live his life, what he chose to do with the talents he'd been given. "Here I am… on the road again!

Here I am! Up on the stage!

There I go, playin' the star again!

There I go…

Turn the page!

There I go!

Turn the page…"

As his voice died away Puck looked over at Rachel and she gave him a grin and a nod as they stepped out of the darkness. The girls had all busted their asses working on an old song, Heart and Soul by T'Pau. It overlapped lines like the song itself had been a mashup. It meant keeping rhythm and not losing your voice to the singers on the opposing line. He still couldn't believe they'd managed it.

The band began the opening and everyone took their places on stage. Tina and Rachel began the verse, Santana underscoring their voices in the lower register. "Something in the moonlight catches my eye
The shadow of a lover goes dancing by
Looking for a little bit of love to grow, so
Give me love, give me heart and soul
You never let me cross to the other side now
I'm tied to the hope that you will somehow
Hard on the heels of something more
But I lost your love, heart and soul
."

Now came the hard part, where the lines overlapped, high notes and the implacable pace of the low notes contrasting. And they couldn't just switch back and forth because both parts had high and low notes. Musically it was one of the hardest things they'd done, stretching Tina and Santana's low ranges and Kurt and Quinn's highest. "The tear in my heart as you walk on by (more than an ocean)
I feel so low and your head is high
Everything you do convinces me more, please (keeps us apart)
Give me love, give me heart and soul
Looking to the day when I saw your face (I feel a tearing in half of my heart)
I wasn't in the running, I wasn't in the race
You move in a way that I've known before
Now I want your love, heart and soul

Leaving you ain't easy now (Tired eyes, tears that dried)
Loving you's the harder part (On the bed, on the pillow, where the love has died)
You never want me for myself (A turn of the key, through the door you go)
Now I've needed you right from the very start (Don't look back, to hurt me more )
(Everything you said was to the point)
Oh won't you even try to (Can't you try to)."

Mercedes killed on the high notes, and thanks to Rachel's coaching everyone had the breath control they needed to not fade out. Thankfully there were enough of them that they could give each other a rest. The soloists had the hardest parts but they'd proved they could handle them.

"Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
Give a little bit of love to grow
Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
And don't you make me beg for more (must I beg you)
Give a sign, I need to know
A little bit of heart and soul.
"

"Walking on the water, walking on the air (a walk on the water)
That was the heart of the love we shared
Do you keep secret left untold (is all that I need)
Can't give love, heart or soul
I used to have a lover with a Midas touch (but miracles are not happening)
I turned to gold but he turned to dust
Left me for another, I turned to stone
Now give me love, heart and soul.
"

He gulped a breath of air before the next line and worked to infuse the words with the rage, love and despair that the music called for. If it had only been rhythm and pitch they'd have nailed it weeks ago. But music was emotion given voice and without the right feeling, the right tone, they might as well have been singing the dictionary.

"Living in a fantasy (Tired eyes, tears that dried)
There's never any room to breathe (On the bed, on the pillow, where you told your lies)
Hoping every waking hour (A turn of the key, my blood runs cold)
You'll turn around and say that we can start (Don't look back to hurt me more)
(Everything you did just said it all)
Oh won't you even try to (Can't you try to)

Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
Give a little bit of love to grow
Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
And don't you make me beg for more (must I beg you)
Give a sign, I need to know
A little bit of heart and soul."

Rachel and Santana had agreed to share the bridge as a joint solo, and damn did they sound good together, "Somehow, I lost my way
Looking to see something in your eyes
But love will never compromise
Now this is the politics of life, yeah!
"

Last two rounds of the chorus and they were done. Sue had pushed for Mad World to open and this was the finale. Damn it felt good.

"Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
Give a little bit of love to grow
Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
And don't you make me beg for more (must I beg you)
Give a sign, I need to know
A little bit, little bit

Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
Give a little bit of love to grow
Give a little bit of heart and soul (give a little bit of heart and soul)
And don't you make me beg for more (must I beg you)
Give a sign, I need to know, whoooah!
Give a little bit of heart and soul
Give a little bit of heart and soul.
"

The applause, when it came, lasted a full ten minutes, accompanied by demands for an encore. Thankfully they had something they could pull out of their back pocket. No dancing but they all knew the music. And then it was over.


Author's Note: My apologies for the long delay between chapters. I'm told it's called Analysis Paralysis. I couldn't figure out a set list that I liked and seemed to fit the requirements I'd set for myself. Being a music lover you can imagine the difficulty deciding.

I also ran into some writer's block with this particular fandom. It doesn't help that I'm not reading a ton of Glee fics lately so I need to step that up and get back in the mindset.

Anyway, hope you enjoy.