5YL Let the Encore Commence

Part 58

Even though he was able to get through rehearsals without letting anyone know what was on his mind, that façade fell once he was home and able to talk with Sebastian. Although he'd had a long day himself, it was impossible for Sebastian to miss the difference in his husband's voice. By the time Blaine finished telling him all he knew, Sebastian wanted nothing more than to be on the next flight home. Since that wasn't an option, as he was going to be in court the next morning, he told Blaine to listen to Santana's earlier advice. Focus on what really matter, the benefit, and they'd deal with Mr. Schuester when they time was right.

Once they'd come to an understanding, and Blaine got the reassurance he needed regarding the situation, he quickly turned the conversation to Sebastian. Who in turn was quick to let him know that while it was a long day, it wasn't a bad day, he merely had a lot to catch up on prior to court the next day. "I thought for the most part they were going to have you preparing for the bar." Blaine said as he went about changing for bed, Sebastian appreciating the view since he'd only had a towel on from his shower.

"They are, but at the same time I still need to get my feet wet, proverbially." Sebastian told him. "I'm better off than Hunter though, who has sat through too many meetings where people are ignorant to the basics of negotiations."

"Well, not everyone is as smart as he is, or you for that matter."

"True." Sebastian cockily replied, causing Blaine to shake his head, yet smiling at the same time. "But he's talking stuff even you understood early on, and all that was quite new to you."

"One simply needs to listen and ask questions, not presume what's going on."

"Hunter stated something similar. Speaking of Hunter, he wanted me to ask for the hundredth time if…"

"Yes, and tell him if he asks one more time he and I will go a few rounds in the gym once I get home."

"Duly noted." Sebastian replied while stretching in bed. "After our trip, being away from you for even a couple of days sucks."

"I feel the same way, yet luckily for us you'll be joining me tomor…yes, tomorrow as it's not that late yet." Blaine said as he got back onto the bed as Sebastian laughed. "It's been a long day."

"I can tell, all the more reason I want to be with you." Sebastian told him. "Speaking of, bring a change of clothes for me to rehearsal please, as I really don't want to do so in a suit."

"Wouldn't be all that different from being at Dalton."

"True, but…"

"I'm only teasing Bas, I'll happily bring you a change of clothes." Blaine chimed in, as he knew better than anyone how easily playful banter could turn when either of them was tired. "Are you stilling planning to try and catch an earlier flight if possible?"

"That's the plan, but a lot depends on how things go in court. You know better than anyone what should be a short day can take a turn." Sebastian said, to which Blaine confirmed. "Speaking of, any word on him?"

"No, and this is one situation where no news isn't necessarily good news."

"Good point. Now much as I'd love for this conversation to take a naughty turn, you need your rest, as do I because tomorrow is going to be a long day."

"We can make up for it tomorrow night."

"I like the way you think Killer."

"I know." Blaine replied, smiling knowingly as he did. "Text me if you're able to get an early flight."

"Will do, and don't feel obligated to respond depending when it's sent." Sebastian told him before yawning. "Guess we should be responsible."

"Guess we should. I love you."

"I love you too, Killer, see you tomorrow."

"Till then."

After talking with Sebastian, the night before, Blaine woke up fully re-energized and ready to go the next morning. By the time he got down to the kitchen for breakfast, only his Dad was down there as his Mom left over an hour prior. "I'd say you're either overly enthusiastic for rehearsal, or you're looking forward to seeing Sebastian." Patrick said as he handed Blaine a mug for his tea. "Which is it?"

"A bit of both, as I'm finally going to get to hear the number put together with everyone." Blaine replied while getting the tea out. "And of course, I'm looking forward to seeing Bas. Right now, I need his reassurance."

"Anything I can do?" Patrick responded as Blaine went to put the kettle on. "Or better, what should I know."

"You already know, as today I get to find out if the New Directions were able to learn the material correctly."

"You wouldn't need your husband's reassurance if that was all that was going on son." Once Blaine sighed, Patrick pulled a stool out and took a seat. "What's going on?"

"Santana went to McKinley yesterday and, it didn't go well."

"I'd say I'm surprised, but I'm not based on what Wes had to say." Patrick told him. "How do you plan on handling it?"

"Honestly, I still don't know. Plus, Santana has something she wants to tell me, but won't do it till Bas is here." His response brought a look of concern to Patrick's face. "Your expression, is how I feel, as she wouldn't be waiting if it wasn't some sort of bomb."

"True, but it could also be something she feels better telling you, with him around because of how it could affect you."

"And the difference is?"

"The magnitude of the news. While she clearly believes you'll need Sebastian's support, it might not be as bad as you believe. Think about it Blaine, your friends are protective of you and, they'd rather be safe than…"

"Deal with a pissed off Bas later." Blaine finished for him, to which Patrick nodded. "I know once I arrive at rehearsal, all this will be the last thing on my mind, at least till the two groups are to arrive. Yet, I want to have an idea of what I'm going to do."

"In a situation such as this, you can't over think, go with your gut Blaine."

"And if it leads me to screaming at him for what he's done?"

"So be it, as it's how you feel. Whether he or anyone else disagrees, it's not their call, you're expressing your feelings. And you have every right to be pissed at what he did." Blaine nodded while taking a sip of his tea. "Now, are you going to get to hear the whole show today, minus the few speeches?"

"Yes. How's Mom?"

"Ready for this benefit to happen, as there really isn't anything else she or Victoria need to do." Patrick told him. "Essentially, it's all in yours and Sebastian's hands, once he arrives."

"No, as Mom and Victoria are a big part of this, it wouldn't be happening without them."

"I know, but in the grand scheme of things, it's your show now son. They've done their part, it's now time for you to do yours." Patrick replied as he got up, as he needed to head to work. "Should there be anything you need today, don't hesitate to call as I made sure my schedule is pretty light." He then pressed a kiss a top his head. "If I don't hear from you, I'll see you and Sebastian once you get home. Love you, have a good day Blaine."

"Love you too Dad, thanks. Have a good day too, see you tonight."

Once his Dad was out of the house, it didn't take Blaine long to gather his things, switch his tea into a travel mug, and be on his way as well. Keeping to his promise, he stopped by Dalton to visit with the Warblers, see how they were doing. His appearance caught them off guard, but given what had happened the previous week, it was needed. "I assure you, you did the right thing by listening to Wes and Ms. Corcoran, as I spoke with each of them prior to leaving on vacation."

"Yet Mr. Schuester…" Skylar didn't even get to finish, as Blaine was quick to dismiss anything he might've said or tried to get them to do. "So, Wes wasn't insincere, when he said the reason he was here wasn't about us, but your distrust of your former director."

"No, he wasn't." Blaine assured them as the Warblers looked at him. "He's always had an issue of sorts with the Warblers, and I recently learned those issues have been exasperated because of my recent actions."

"If he has issues with them because of you, he's clearly the one with the problem." A smile crept to Blaine's face as he knew that voice anywhere. "I hope I'm not intruding."

"Not at all." Blaine replied, before kissing Rachel on the cheek. "But I am curious why you're here of all places."

"I'm actually here to see them, seeing you is a happy coincidence." Rachel told him, causing Blaine to cock his head, then look at the Warblers who were smiling. "Don't you have a rehearsal to get to?"

"I do, but…"

"Then you better be on your way, don't want to keep everyone waiting." Rachel said, cutting him off. "By the way, Thad will be arriving in a couple of hours, and Jesse is here."

"Why do I feel you're kicking me out."

"Because she is, as she has a surprise for you." Skylar happily told him, before watching Blaine take ahold of Rachel's hand and walk her away from them.

"I'm not going to ask what's going on, as I'm looking forward to your surprise." Blaine told her. "It's just, you do realize you're asking for a backlash by having the Warblers help you."

"You mean because I didn't ask Mr. Schue and the New Directions?" Blaine nodded. "I'm aware of that, and if you doubt it, simply talk with Thad when he arrives as he and I had quite the conversation about it."

"Good, but…"

"I know, things are tense right now. I'm ready for whatever reaction he may have afterwards." Rachel then kissed him on the cheek. "Now go, as I know you have a lot to get through today. I'll be there in a couple of hours." Blaine nodded, before saying his goodbye to not only her, but the Warblers. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be." Skylar told her. "It's evident he's dealing with a lot right now."

"He certainly is." Rachel replied. "Now, do you want to rehearse here or in your theater?" She watched as Skylar looked at the other two council members, before the rest of the Warblers.

"Here."

"Works for me." Rachel happily told him. "I truly appreciate you agreeing to help me."

"It's our pleasure."

By the time Blaine arrived at the venue, the parking lot was still relatively empty which was a bit of a relief to him as it allowed him a bit of time to himself before things got started. When his band arrived about ten minutes later, they weren't surprised to hear him playing piano. "Do you know when Sebastian is getting into town?" Justin asked Morgan as they made their way through the tables which were all set for the next evening.

"From what Jeff said, he's due between four and five." Morgan replied. "So, he should be getting here just as the big rehearsal begins."

"Well here's hoping he gets here beforehand, as given Blaine's mood yesterday afternoon, I think he'll be the only one capable of calming him down." Todd chimed in. "I mean, we all saw him after he spoke with Santana, and it's not good."

"Which is why we need to focus on the task at hand, and deal with everything else as it happens." Talia added, before calling out to Blaine to let him know they were there. From that point, it wasn't long till they got set-up and began running through their set, along with working on a few numbers for tour.

Slowly but surely, everyone else began to arrive, which meant his friends were getting one hell of a surprise. "Did any of you know Pink and Maroon 5 were going to be performing tomorrow?" Nick asked aloud as he spotted them on stage along with Blaine.

"I only found out yesterday afternoon." Santana replied, drawing attention to her. "It was important to not only Blaine, but them to keep this quiet as they didn't want their appearances overshadowing what tomorrow is all about."

"Makes sense, as some might've bought tickets simply to see them, versus it being about the cause." Quinn said, and many of the others agreed. "Now I'm wondering why he wants us to sing, I mean…" She then looked towards the stage.

"He asked us, because we're his friends." Sam said as he walked up to them. "If you think about the song, it all makes sense."

"Sam's right, as whether it was in high school or after things went bad in his marriage to Kurt, we got him through it." Wes said. "While some might've played a bigger part, he credits us all for getting him through and helping to find himself again."

"It's true." They were all so caught up in their own conversation, they hadn't noticed Blaine leave the stage. "It means a lot to me you all agreed to take part, even if you might not have understood my reason for doing so."

"Since Wes explained your rationale, maybe you can explain to us why you're wearing a harness." Jeff asked as he took in Blaine's appearance.

"Wanky."

"Only if Bas was here." Blaine playfully replied, catching a few of them off-guard. "I got to have a bit of fun before you all arrived."

"Wait, you flew, you fucking flew!" Blaine simply smiled at Santana's response. "Okay, now I'm jealous. I hope there's video."

"There is." Blaine told them. "How about you all start to warm-up, while I get out of this."

Once he walked away, they all looked at one another again. "At least now we know why we couldn't get in earlier." David said as they began to set their things down before doing as Blaine asked.

"That, or they were working on something they didn't want us hearing." Tina replied before having to do a double-take upon seeing Mike and Brittany walking in. Her reaction didn't go unnoticed as Santana smiled.

"Guess you haven't spoken to Mike lately." Tina shook her head. "Are you really that surprised given the two of them have danced in a couple of Blaine's videos?"

"I…I guess I just."

"We get it, you don't need to explain yourself." Quinn told her, before they were joined by the two of them. From there, it wasn't long till they began their warm-ups.

By the time they joined Blaine up on the stage, they saw him speaking with Shelby who they didn't realize was there. "While we all have a good ear, I felt it best we have someone not within the group to give their thoughts, as we don't have much time to get it right." Something none of them had a problem with as they knew he was right. Blaine then went about putting everyone in position, and while doing so, explaining how he wanted things to play out.

"Should we bother asking who the space next to Wes is for?" Sam teased from his spot on the riser just behind him.

"If you do, I question your perception Evans." Before the response was finished, a big smile appeared on Blaine's face before he turned to come face to face with Sebastian. "Miss me Killer?"

"What do you think?" Blaine replied before the two kissed. "You're early."

"We finished early." Sebastian said while loosening his tie. "Change of clothes?"

"In back, Tess can show you where." After he spoke, Sebastian kissed him once again before going to change. Upon turning back around, he saw the smiles on his friends faces. "How long had he been standing there?"

"Long enough." Thad told him, before glancing back at Rachel. "Is it safe to presume the Warblers are behind your McKinley counterparts?"

"Yes, and the New Directions behind them."

"If they got their heads out of their asses." Santana chimed in, causing Shelby to shake her head. "You know I'm right."

"Well, here's hoping they took your simple suggestion to heart." Shelby said. "Or at least Will took some incentive from it."

"Doubt it if he knew I wrote it, especially given what I said to him." Santana's response bringing all eyes to her. "Trust me, if you knew what he did, you wouldn't be looking at me like that."

"Something you will tell me and B all about once we're done here." Sebastian said as he rejoined them, now wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. "What matters now, is us proving to B his faith wasn't misplaced." He added before taking his place, which still left room for Blaine to make his appearance.

"It wasn't." Blaine said as he got into position. "Shelby, we're all yours."

While they'd all learnt their parts, performing as a group took a bit of work as it wasn't something they'd done in quite some time to this extent. Yet with Shelby not being in the center of things, it was easier for her to point out what was needed and help them. They were in the midst of their final run-thru before taking a break when the Warblers made their way inside. "Well, now we know why Wes knew what Blaine wanted." Skylar said quietly enough so as not to distract them. "They sound…"

"Amazing." One of the other council members said, something they all agreed with. "Here we thought we were only accompanying Blaine."

"It also reiterates why Ms. Corcoran was so upset with the changes Mr. Schuester made, and said Blaine wouldn't be the only one affected." Once the song was over, the Warblers made their way towards the stage, as the group scattered to get something to drink, and make some calls before rehearsal resumed. "You guys sounded incredible."

"Thank you." Blaine replied as only he, Sebastian, and Shelby remained on stage. "Hopefully once the last two pieces are added, you guys and the New Directions, we'll have the finished product I imagined. Do you guys need to warm-up?"

"We did so before leaving Dalton." Skylar said, causing Sebastian to smile, not surprised in the slightest they were ready to go.

"With that said, relax, till we're ready to resume." Blaine then looked at Shelby. "You've positioned them on the risers already, correct?"

"I have, they know where they need to be." Shelby said in response, pleasing Blaine so he and Sebastian walked off the stage, leaving her with the Warblers. "Do you boys have any questions?"

"Will we still be counting it off, or will you be doing so?" Skylar asked.

"It's all you, as I'll be sitting happily in the audience." She told them. "Anything else?" Skylar looked about, before telling her no. "Very well, I'll see you in a few." After she walked away, the Warblers got themselves settled, before going over a few of the harmonies while they waited.

When they all returned about twenty minutes later, Blaine stood at the edge of the stage, looking towards the doors. "Are you going to go talk to him?" Rachel asked Sebastian, whose eyes were locked on his husband.

"And say what, sorry, I knew he'd screw you over?" Sebastian sarcastically replied, as Blaine raked his fingers through his hair.

"Sebastian."

"There's nothing to say to him Rachel, as he's got every right to be frustrated."

"Sebastian's right." Thad said to her. "Hell, I can see it in your expression, you're pissed to." He then looked at Shelby. "Has he bothered to call?" Shelby shook her head, as she actually had her phone out, making sure she hadn't missed a call.

"Let me go check with Tess." As she walked off, Blaine turned towards the others, taking a deep breath as he did.

"Since the Warblers are here, how about we take it from the top, including our entrances." Blaine said calmly, though Sebastian knew the expression on his face well-enough to know he was anything but. "Does that work for everyone?" Once they all responded, his friends made their way off stage, leaving the Warblers with Blaine. "Don't overthink, just do it as you've rehearsed, as you sounded great on the video Wes sent me." The Warblers nodded, before Blaine made his way off, only to have Sebastian wrap his arms around him, and then press a kiss to his cheek. He smiled slightly before looking at Tess who was nearby with Shelby. "Give the lighting guys the cue, we're ready."

The moment the Warblers started, all the former Warblers smiled as it brought them back to their time there, particularly since they were still in uniform. As the number unfolded, it was impossible to miss the smiles on Shelby's and Tess's faces as it was playing out as Blaine had described. Those singing were all caught in the moment, meaning they didn't hear the doors open, as Will and the New Directions finally arrived. Yet Shelby did, promptly excusing herself and making her way towards them. "You're late." She stated firmly the song filled the venue.

"We got stuck in traffic." Will said, surprised by who he saw on stage along with Blaine and the Warblers. "Why didn't you tell me they were part of this?"

"It wasn't my place, nor should it have mattered." Shelby replied. "Hurry up and get situated as you can join them once they finish."

"Where can we warm-up?"

"Seriously?"

"You know they can't sing without doing so."

"I know, yet…never mind." She said in frustration. "Use the room next door, and come back when you're ready. I'll let Blaine know you've finally arrived."

"What's with the attitude, it's not my fault we got stuck in traffic."

"No, but you should've called and let us know what was going on. A little thing known as common courtesy." Shelby told him before walking back to the others, knowing it was best to get herself out of the situation before she said something she may regret.

By the time the New Directions joined the others, Sebastian placed his hand on Blaine's lower back, hoping to calm him ever so slightly. "Blaine, everyone." Will said as the New Directions took their place behind the Warblers. "You guys sound great."

"Are the New Directions ready to go?" Blaine asked, as Sebastian rubbed his back gently upon hearing the tension in his voice. Once he said they were, Blaine looked back at the Warblers. "We're ready when you are." Things started relatively well, yet that promptly changed when someone started to sing the lyrics, and Blaine heard them over Nick who was only feet away from him, bringing rehearsal to a halt. "Would someone care to tell me why I heard someone other than Nick singing?" Blaine asked as he stepped out from the group

"Sorry, I'd gotten in the habit of doing so during rehearsal." One of the New Directions said, clearly apologetic. "It helped us know where we are in the song."

"While I understand where you're coming from, it's no longer necessary as the vocals are clearly being covered." Blaine replied before looking at Wes who looked frustrated. "So, focus on your parts as written, alright." After he spoke, he looked at Shelby, and then Will before taking his place once again.

Unlike the previous run-thrus they'd done, they had to stop and start more times than Blaine was comfortable with. It finally got to the point where he asked Wes and Sebastian to cover his part, while he went to speak with Will. "This is not going to go well." Santana said to Rachel who was standing on the other side of Sam.

"Tell me something I don't know."