The Legacy Has Arrived
Part 3
Even with all the celebrating they did the night before, the boys weren't going to waste the opportunity to ask their parents for advice. With all of them in town, Theo, Devon, and Jacob weren't surprised when Ben drove them all to the Andersons once they woke the next morning. It only took one look at them for the parents' assumptions about the previous night to be proven accurate. Ben was about to ask Blaine where Ainsley was since she left around one, but he didn't need to once he spotted her curled up against Sebastian. Blaine and Brody were each pleased that Rachel was handling seeing Jacob slightly hungover better than they all expected.
Clearly having gone through this before, the boys were more than grateful to sit down for breakfast as they were all starving, which their parents clearly anticipated. Almost all of them were in the kitchen besides Ainsley and Sebastian who were sitting quietly in the family room. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?" She nodded while not moving her head from Sebastian's chest, but soon felt a kiss pressed to the top of her head. "When you do, let me or Dad know and we'll fix something for you."
"Why am I feeling like this Papa?"
"Some hangovers are worse than others." Sebastian told her. "Personally, I preferred the ones where I felt like crap for the day over the ones where my head wouldn't stop pounding.
"I can understand that." As she spoke, Blaine came walking into the room and knelt down before them. "Daddy, make it stop."
"I wish I could. If it makes you feel any better, Devon is quite the zombie."
"I'd rather be one." When she closed her eyes again, Blaine placed a hand on Sebastian's knee before getting up.
"I hate to say this Bas, but your presence is being requested in the kitchen."
"I don't want to leave her B, I know how she's feeling all too well. Whenever I got like this, I wanted nothing more than to be held."
"While I'm not her Papa, I'll take care of her." Sebastian's eyes went to the side and saw Hailey appear beside Blaine. "My expertise isn't needed since I didn't perform the same way back in the day." Sebastian cocked his eyebrow before softly speaking to Ainsley who opened her eyes and looked at Hailey. It only took one look between the two, for Sebastian to slowly get up once she pushed herself up and to switch places with Hailey.
"Daddy and I will only be in the next room Princess." Sebastian told her before pressing another kiss into her hair once she rested her head in Hailey's lap. "Take care of our girl Hailey."
"You know I will." Hailey replied before running her fingers through Ainsley's hair. "Go help our boys." Blaine and Sebastian nodded before taking one another's hand and then heading for the kitchen where the others were gathered.
Once they appeared, Rachel walked up to them as the boys were still eating. "Are you sure your Mom doesn't mind watching Emily?"
"She offered Rach, remember." Blaine reassured her with a smile. "Have they said anything else?"
"According to Ben, they wanted to wait till Sebastian was present." Rachel's response clearly piqued their interest. "So, are you ready?" The two nodded, before they went further into the kitchen. "Everyone is here now, what is it you boys need from us?"
"To be a sounding board." Ben replied before taking another bite and looking at Jacob.
"And to ask if you'd be willing to help us hone our choreography." Jacob stated while looking directly at his Dad. "We know this isn't your usual thing, but Liam is asking his Mom and Zack his Dad."
"Outside of Aunt Britt being a great dancer, bringing her in is also an homage to her helping you guys when you won." Devon added before cocking his head to the side upon seeing his Dads exchange a look. "What?"
"You do realize that while your Aunt Britt is a sweetheart, she is a drill sergeant." Sebastian replied causing all of the boys to exchange a look. "I'm serious. While we're clearly thankful for it, it was shocking." Jacob then look at his parents.
"It's true." Brody told him. "We worked together on all the stuff they did during college. Britt pushes hard, especially when she knows those involved are more than capable." Brody then looked over at Wes.
"He's right." Wes said to them. "So, that's something you boys should know in advance. She won't let up, and neither will Brody or Mike, that is if they can get time off."
"My schedule is a bit easier to play with than Mike's." Brody said with a laugh. "If that's what you boys want, I am more than happy to help. It won't get you in trouble, right?"
"No, as plenty of other show choirs hire choreographers." Ben replied quickly. "We're simply hoping our parents will be willing to help us."
"I'll be happy to help, just keep in mind that just because I'm Jacob's Dad, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."
"We understand." Just as Ben spoke, Brody's phone went off with a text from Brittany. "Well, it seems Brittany is game to help as long as I was." No sooner did he read that text, did he get one from Mike with a similar response. "Well, you boys have all of us on board, though Mike's appearances will be more limited." Their exuberance soon filled the kitchen, yet they soon regretted it as their heads hurt.
"Since they're willing to help, have you thought about your song selection?" Blaine asked.
"We started talking about it last night." Theo replied. "Yet, we need your help."
"How so?" Rachel asked.
"This year, the guidelines are music that has shaped us. Not only individually, but as a group." Ben told them earning him quite the look. "I know, overly broad, but…gives us an edge of sorts. All of us grew up with music being such a huge part of our lives."
"Does that mean you've narrowed it down?" Wes asked.
"We have. We're going to run through them tomorrow as we know the sooner we make a decision the more time we have to perfect it." Ben said before looking at Blaine. "Once we're done putting our arrangements together, would you be willing to look them over Uncle Blaine?"
"Happily, though I might need to snag my old partner in crime in that regard."
"Liam's asking his Dad the same thing." Devon added. "We want this so bad."
"That's something we understand." Sebastian told him. "I think it's safe saying I speak for all of us, in that we'll help where we can. Just remember, regardless of how much we help, it still on all of you as this takes dedication and hard work. So, kiss your social lives goodbye." When all of their gazes went to the island where they were seated, Sebastian looked around at the others.
"It's not as though we don't spend most of our time with one another already." Theo said once the boys all looked at one another. "You guys made this your main focus, didn't you?"
"We did, which isn't easy with everything else that goes on." Sebastian told them. "Hence, why the social life is the first thing to go."
The conversation that was happening at the Anderson home, was similar to the one occurring at the Harwoods, as well as the Duvals since each household had numerous families in attendance. Each set of parents letting their boys know how much work goes into winning. And all of those that went to McKinley, shared what taking it lightly the first go, cost them. While they might be the best in the state, they're going to be going against the best of all the others. So if they weren't committed fully, they didn't stand a chance. If their boys could learn anything, they hoped they learnt from their mistakes.
By the time their parents and siblings were on their way back home, the boys were quick to gather back at Dalton. While it was easier for some of them, others ended up seeing their Grandparents that night as they dropped off things they'd requested. "How is it our parents managed to document almost all of their performances, no matter how random?" Tyler asked as he looked at the piles of DVDs on the table.
"These are our parents we're talking about, are you sure you really want to be asking yourself these questions?" Liam replied causing the others to laugh. "For all we know, there are plenty of videos our Grandparents don't have access to."
"Can we please not have this conversation?" Devon called out making the others laugh. "Seriously?"
"Devon's right." Max said to the others. "While our parents are pretty blunt with all of us, there are things about them I don't want to think about. Plus if we think about it, they recorded everything as we've been growing up, it's not that crazy."
"Good point." Ben stated. "Now, time for us to start going through all this footage so we can finalize our set lists."
Since they'd all seen performance footage of their parents over the years, they decided to check out footage of some of their more impromptu performances. More times than they cared to admit, they were admittedly shocked by what they were seeing. Ben and Devon ended up calling Tyler and Liam over as well as Jacob and Max when they stumbled upon footage of "I Kissed a Girl." Hearing the four gasp, the rest came over and could understand all too well. "I know none of you want to hear this, but…" Ewan said before looking around. "Your Moms were pretty hot back then." The resounding response got the others laughing as the guys were in a bit of shock. "Come on, it's true."
"That's my Mom you're talking about!" Tyler exclaimed. "Your Godmother…your Aunt!"
"I know, but…"
"No…just no!"
"You just won't see it because it's your Mom. You don't see Liam freaking out." As Tyler spoke, Liam glanced up at him. "Are you freaked knowing we think your Mom was hot in high school?"
"No, but I get where Tyler is coming from. It's weird, really weird seeing them like this." Liam told them as he glanced at Jacob and Max. "You two get it, right?" They each nodded. "Who took that video?"
"My Dad." Devon replied with a smirk. "I so need to send it to him and ask him about it."
"Why do I have a feeling that by the time we're done, we're all going to have plenty of questions for our parents?" Ben said.
"Because you know them." Theo replied before they all dispersed in order to continue going through more footage.
It was about thirty minutes later when Zack and Liam started laughing hysterically before calling for Devon and Jacob. Numerous times the two exchanged looks as their parents sang a duet of "Don't You Want Me?" By the time the others had gathered, the song was about halfway over and even Liam was simply staring at the monitor as Blaine and Rachel were his Godparents.
"What the hell is my Mom wearing?" Jacob exclaimed once it was over.
"Don't know, but…why does it look like she's flirting with my Dad?" Devon said before looking to Ben who seemed to know more of their parents' history with him being older.
"Don't know, you need to ask someone older than me." Ben told him and proceeded to watch Devon take his phone from his pocket and send a text. "While we're all clearly getting entertained, has anyone found something they truly believe we can use, not simply mortifying moments?" More than a few of them nodded, so Ben called for a momentary break for them to watch the performances to see if they were all on the same page.
When it became clear that they were, it was clear they wanted to pay homage to not only the music, but the dancing the Warblers had done through the years. Once they'd come to a decision as to what songs they were going to use, next came arranging and figuring who was going to take lead on each number. Realizing they couldn't make all the decisions that evening, no matter if they wanted to, they all headed back to their rooms for the night. The moment Devon flopped down on his bed, Liam walked over to him. "Want to talk?"
"About?"
"The fact that you cringed anytime a certain someone appeared in the video footage." Liam replied as he sat down on the bottom of his bed. He then watched as Devon propped himself up on his elbows. "While we've all heard partial stories, it had to be weird."
"No weirder than watching your Mom and Santana dancing together." Devon said causing Liam to shake his head.
"The difference being, that didn't cause the same sort of issues. My parents said he caused plenty of issues for your Dads."
"That's an understatement. My Dad still avoids most of that time in his life when we've spoken. Anytime I even remotely push, Papa shuts me down hard." Devon told him. "Then states that what happened is the reason they've told me and Ainsley what they have about dating. That while things can start innocently enough, to keep our eyes open when things start to change."
"Mine have said something similar. I think they've all learned from what they've each gone through." Liam said in response. "According to Madison, while they know we'll make mistakes, they hope we're never at a point we can't turn to them or any of our quasi Aunts and Uncles."
"Ainsley's reminded me of that. Even if they might get mad, they'll never stop loving us." Devon then let out a sigh. "Is it weird knowing that if my Aunt Lexi and Uncle Coop never got together, so much might not have happened?"
"Yea. Though my Dad swears that your Dads would've found their way to one another, even without the wedding. And while your Dad sort of regrets his year at McKinley, I'm glad it happened or he never would've met my Mom."
"My Papa's mentioned that. As much as he wishes my Dad was at Dalton when he first arrived, in the end it worked out the best for everyone." Devon told him. "Crazy to think most of our parents have known one another since high school."
"I know, and they're still married." Liam said with a laugh, bringing a smile to Devon's face. "We lucked out, you know that, right?"
"I do." After he spoke, he saw his phone light up on his nightstand. Upon taking ahold of it, he laughed. "According to Braeden, what I asked him can't be answered in a simple text. He'll have to give me a call, but it can't be tonight as he's busy." Devon sent him a quick reply, along with his schedule for the next day so he'd the best time to reach him. "If anyone has plenty of stories, it's Braeden and Jocelyn."
"That makes sense, I mean, they are the oldest. And we all know your Uncle Cooper loves sharing embarrassing stories."
"He most certainly does." Devon said to him. "There are times I look at him and my Dad, and wonder how they're brothers. Yet, moments later it becomes crystal clear." He then sat up fully. "What do you think of the list we've come up with so far?"
"I think it fits the requisite perfectly." Liam told him. "Given the theme though, I thought a few of us could do our Dads proud and take part in the solo and ensemble competition."
"What gave you that idea, not that I object, just…"
"It would be more work." Liam said while reaching for his laptop as he wanted to show something to Devon. "Yet if we use our time wisely, I believe we could pull it off." He then pressed play, as he had their Dads ensemble performance from Nationals cued up to play. By the time it ended, Devon had a look on his face similar to the one Liam had when he'd broached the idea. "This competition is all about honoring them."
"I remember watching that when I was younger, as Aunt Lexi loved it." Devon said to him. "I…I forgot when it was done." He continued with a big smile. "I'm game. Who else are you going to talk to about this?"
"Tyler, Ewan, and as for the fifth, we'd all have to discuss given that you take the place of two." Liam replied. "Right now though, I'm thinking either Theo or Max."
"I can't argue with those, though we'd have to go through the harmonies." Devon added. "We might need to ask Ben or Noah, I mean, those bottom notes need to be strong."
"Fair enough. But we have plenty of other things to worry about first."
"Too true."
Once the boys had settled on their set list, the work began on arrangements as well as coordinating with Brody, Brittany, and Mike on their vision for their performance. It didn't come as a surprise to any of them that the boys wanted to have bits of the original routines, meshed with their own style. Something that Brody assured them wouldn't be an issue as he'd been asked to pull off tougher tasks through his career. With Jacob's insistence, he had to wait till Rachel was out in order to view the videos the boys had sent him, with the promise he wouldn't share their set list with her. The more Brody watched, he was flooded by memories as he remembered seeing these very videos years prior when they were all still in college.
The moment Brittany and Mike showed up, Brittany couldn't help but smile as she remembered each of the performances so vividly. While she now knew the songs they were using, she couldn't wait to hear them singing them as Ben had sent digital copies of the arrangement to work with. "Do we know whose doing the singing, as that's going to play into the choreography?" Brittany asked as Brody and Mike began to brainstorm. For Mike, it felt so good getting back to his roots as it had been too long since he'd let his inner dancer loose.
"Ben wouldn't say who was singing what, but they sent a number chart." Brody replied with a laugh earning him a look from them. "It's all we have to go by, but they correlate to the songs."
"Considering they truly want to honor their Dads, I say it's a no brainer how things start." Mike said to them. "It's a great starting point plus will allow us to move into the more advanced moves given the set list."
"Plus it makes it so we won't have a problem assuring the infamous two-step is included. "Brittany added. "It's something Liam said they are adamant about including, since it's something they all learned shortly after they learned to walk."
"The guys are going to love this, truly." Brody told them. "While we watched from the outside quite a bit, it's no secret what this means to them all."
"You're telling me, since we didn't go to Dalton, yet our sons insisted on it." Mike said in response. "It became a part of them, due to it being so important to those they're close to. Not to mention, they're getting one hell of an education in the process."
"Something I know was a selling point for you and Ashley." Brittany chimed in with to which Mike nodded while smiling. "Speaking from experience, not only from Jeff's point of view, but Xander's, it really prepared them well for college."
"That's what I remind myself of anytime I really miss him. The first year, really was the worst."
"So very true." Brody said. "More than a few times I swore during that first year Rachel was going to go and pick Jacob up with as badly as she missed him."
"Knowing Jacob, he wouldn't have forgiven her for quite some time had she done so."
"Ain't that the truth." Brody then set the playlist up again. "Now, time for us to get to work, so our boys can do the same."
While it took them some time, once they had a grasp on their concept, everything began to fall into place. Much as Mike wanted to come with them to Westerville to teach, his schedule wasn't going to allow for it. Once they arrived, it didn't take long for everything they were told to take form, as Brody and Brittany didn't pull any punches with any of them, particularly their own sons. While their choreography had always been quite intricate, the choreography they were presented was pushing their limits. After their first rehearsal, they swore they were never going to be able to pull it off, yet by the time Brody and Brittany were preparing to leave, they had a good handle on things.
Even if it wasn't something any of them truly wanted to admit, their parents were right on all accounts once they started preparing for Nationals. While they thought putting their social lives on hold would've been hard, it happened quite naturally. All of their friends that weren't Warblers understood as they admired them for their dedication and desire to bring the title back to Dalton.
Anytime the parents spoke with their sons, they could tell how tired they were from the sounds of their voices. While it had been quite some time, they remembered that time in their lives quite vividly. Much as they wanted to go and visit, check-in on them, they refrained knowing the last thing their sons needed was them hovering over them. So when the time came for them to fly into New York, they were probably almost as nervous as their sons were. Not only because of what they were doing, but the after effects should things not go accordingly.
With as busy as all of their schedules were, time off was made as there wasn't a chance they weren't going to be there supporting their boys. When Ainsley and Juliette were getting ready to walk out the door for school, they stopped upon spotting their Dads sitting on the couch. Normally, Papa was ready to head out along with them, so they walked around to find out what was going on. Upon rounding the corner, they spotted their Dad leaning back against their Papa, each with a cup of coffee in hand. "You do know, the only reason Devon's been MIA is because they've been rehearsing since they got to town." Ainsley said to them, knowing they were disappointed that he'd declined the dinner invitation the previous night.
"We know." Blaine replied as he sat up. "You two remember that we're picking you up from school so you can watch preliminaries."
"We do." Juliette stated with a big smile before glancing up at Ainsley who was smiling as well.
"That means no dawdling Ainsley." Sebastian reminded her.
"I know. Plus, the people I usually hang with afterwards, are going to the same place, that is, everyone but Will." Ainsley said in response. "While we're all rooting for them to make it to finals, he's got additional motivation for it since he can't be there today."
"I'm sure Max understands." Blaine replied. "You two better get going." The girls smiled before walking closer and giving each of them a hug and a kiss before heading off. Once the door closed, Blaine set his cup down and curled up closer to Sebastian who'd set his cup down as well. "Do you realize how grateful I am that you settled yesterday so that you could be here this morning?"
"I've got a good idea." Sebastian said before pressing a kiss to the top of Blaine's head while tightening his hold around him. "I need this too B. Though, I wouldn't object to a show of appreciation on your part."
"You'll never change, will you?" Blaine replied sweetly, a soft smile on his face as he gazed up at him.
"Would you ever really want me to?" Sebastian countered as his hand slid beneath Blaine's pajama top, feeling the warm skin just beneath. "Would you?"
"Honestly, never." Blaine told him before pressing a kiss against his jaw. "Much as I'm tempted to do as you said, I will have to give you a raincheck."
"Why is that, may I ask?"
"I have a gut feeling that our quiet morning, isn't going to stay that way for much longer as we're not the only ones anxious about today."
"Are you saying that after all these years of being proverbially cock-blocked by our own children, that I'm now being cock-blocked by our friends once again?" While the words might sound harsh, Sebastian's tone was anything but, it was actually quite sweet. Once Blaine nodded subtly, Sebastian tickled him just enough to bring him closer. "Fine. Just know I plan on collecting sooner rather than later Killer."
"I certainly hope that will be the case, as it certainly would've brought back plenty of memories if we could."
"All the more reason to, tradition afterall." Sebastian essentially purred as Blaine moved to sit on his lap. "Will you at least join me for a shower?"
"That's something I'd never say no to." Blaine said causing Sebastian to cock his eyebrow. "Any time I have, it was for a good reason."
"That's very true." Sebastian said before giving him a kiss. "Now, let's get a move on as before we know it, anxiety will take over." Blaine couldn't argue as he knew it all too well, so he made his way off of Sebastian's lap and took his hand, bringing Sebastian to his feet and then heading for their bedroom.
While his Dads had their own way to deal with anxiety, Devon was pacing his hotel room even after going on a morning run with Max and Tyler, that he'd hoped would calm his nerves. "If you don't sit down, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet." Ewan told him as he set his guitar aside. "You've got this Dev."
"Really, do I?" Devon replied. "I really have no clue how my Dads handled all this stress."
"According to my Dad, they leaned on one another." Ewan told him and Liam chimed in, in agreement. "Much as they loved to give them a hard time for, obvious reasons." That caused Devon to roll his eyes, but he understood as his Dads never hide their affection, simply held back in front of others. "They knew they were each other's rock."
"And while it's not necessarily the same, you've got us." Liam added. "We're all taking risks today, and well, tomorrow as well. Yet, if something doesn't go accordingly, no one is going to blame anyone. We're in this together."
"Not to mention, Ben wouldn't have given you that solo today, if he didn't know you'd nail it." Tyler said as he walked out of the bathroom after his shower. "Hell, from our first run-thru of the song you nailed it. You've got this! While today is huge, we all know the big musical challenge is finals."
"Yet without nailing today, all that hard work for finals is for naught." Devon replied before running his fingers through his hair.
"Dev, don't over think it, okay." Ewan told him. "I heard Ben talking with Noah, and well, even on one of our worst days, we're better than some of the others they've heard."
"Do they know you heard them?"
"No, as you know Ben would never say something like that around the rest of us." He said in response. "I know this might not help, but just go out there and be you, you've got this as you come alive out there on stage." Devon looked at him and then the others who all nodded. "We've got faith in you, have it in yourself."
After his conversation with the guys, Devon went to take a shower before getting ready to head to the theater. Once they were all together, his nerves abated quite a bit as he soaked in the atmosphere. They were all waiting in their ready room to be called the stage when Gabrielle came walking into the room. A huge smile crept to Devon's face before he made a b-line for her to give her a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm your liaison while you boys are here." Gabrielle replied. "I convinced one of my classmates to switch with me as I thought you could use a friendly face."
"We definitely could." Ben said as he went to give her a hug as well. "While this might be out of line, how have the rest of the acts been?"
"Some have been really good, others, not so much." She told them. "Oh, and three groups have been disqualified for not adhering to the song requirements set forth." Suddenly nerves set in for quite a few of them, which was obvious to her. "Would you like me to look over your set list?" They all nodded, so Ben went to get the list and handed it to her. The moment a smile crept to her face, their nerves settled. "You guys are fine." She then pointed to a song on the list and then looked at Devon. "Is this yours?" Once he nodded, she gave him a hip bump. "I can't wait to hear your take on it. All of it." She added as she looked upon all of them. Yet before she could say anything else, the radio on her hips went off. "Ready to do this guys?"
During their trip to the stage, Gabrielle wasn't surprised to have all of the guys asking if their families were in attendance, which they were. Once they took their moment as a group, she reminded them to have fun as that would help alleviate some of the tension they were feeling, something they all knew to be true. From the moment the boys took the stage, they got into the zone. While the parents were all sitting together, the siblings were sitting a couple of rows ahead of them so as they weren't influenced by their parents reactions.
The moment the first chords were struck, the guys got an all too familiar feeling as they were soon greeted to the sound of Everybody Talks. And having Ben, Ewan, Jonathon, and Theo leading it, was certainly a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. Then once it ended and they were in position for the ballad, Sebastian felt Blaine's grip on his hand tighten due to where Devon was on stage. Before they had a chance to truly take in the first song, strong harmonies filled the theater, ones that had Blaine and Wes exchanging looks before Devon began. Hearing him singing What Kind of Fool, had Blaine in utter shock. From the way he reacted, Sebastian quickly glanced at him yet knew now wasn't the time for the two to talk. By the time the song was over, they were all utterly blown away.
Blaine felt hands on his shoulders, causing him to turn and be met by Jeff and Nick smiling back at him, clearly having remembered singing it as well. He was still in quite the daze when the finale began but was quickly snapped out of it as the boys sang, Any Way You Want It. Once again, others took the lead, this time the song being anchored on Liam, Tyler, Jacob, Max, and Zack. It only took one look at those that went to McKinley to understand this song was in honor of them. If there had been any doubt as to what the true theme of Nationals was, there no longer was.
By the time the boys finished to the applause of a boisterous crowd, their faces reflected that of their parents, as they were grinning from ear to ear as they took their bow. Once they were off stage, they not only saw Gabrielle, but Xander was also there waiting for them, clearly impressed by what they witnessed. Before they could truly begin to celebrate their performance, Gabrielle escorted them back to their ready room so the next group could take the stage. "You guys should know, are parents are freaking out." Xander said as he wrapped his arm around his little brother's shoulders.
"Have you spoken to them?" Liam asked.
"No, but Madison texted me." Xander replied. "While they can't wait to see you, they're going to give you your space." To which they all nodded. "Now, from what she said, I'm presuming this isn't what you worked with Mom on?"
"Nope!" Liam said proudly. "This was all us. Mom, helped with our finals performance."
"That explains a lot given how our parents reacted."
"What did you think?" Ben asked as they all got settled for the long wait to find out if they made it to finals. "I mean, you've gotten this far before."
"Honestly, you guys were incredible!" Xander told them proudly. "And from what I've heard so far today, you guys shouldn't worry, you're going to make the cut." He then glanced at Gabrielle who nodded in agreement. "Yet, I know you'll still worry, it's natural."
"Tell us about it." Devon said to him while loosening his tie. "My Dads said the waiting for results is the worst part."
"It is, though I'd rather be waiting here than on stage. I seriously got nauseous during our Nationals appearance."
"I still believe you guys should've won." Gabrielle told him, earning her a look from the guys. "It's true."
"Thank you, but that goes to show have every little point matters."
Knowing Gabrielle had a personal connection to the Warblers, one of her friends actually radioed her with the results so no one had to go wait to see the board. Needless to say, finding out that they made it caused them to erupt in excitement. Just as it wasn't surprising that before things winded down, their families had made their way to them.
"Are you going to be making it a point of not informing us when you have a solo?" Sebastian asked Devon once he was done giving him a hug.
"I didn't do it on purpose Papa, it's just…"
"Nerves." Blaine said softly as he looked at him.
"Yes." Devon replied. "Didn't help that I was doing a song that you positively nailed back in the day." When a faint blush crept to Blaine's face, Sebastian slipped his arm around him. "We were all nervous about it, as the harmonies had to be perfect or it screws everything up."
"That's something I remember all too well." Blaine told him. "Now, we're not going to push as we know things are crazy, but…"
"No, you won't be seeing me tonight either as we scheduled rehearsal." Once he answered he saw their faces fall a bit, and in all honesty, he wanted nothing more than to go home and spend time with them. After seeing the look on his Dads faces, he scanned the room and saw similar looks on the others. "You should know, we all knew better to make plans for tomorrow night. We know, win or lose, you're all going to want to be with us."
"Damn right we will." Sebastian stated. "Yet, you boys know, we'd give you space if you wanted, right?"
"We do. This might sound weird, but, are Uncle Coop and Aunt Lexi going to be there tomorrow?"
"Yes, and they would've been here if your Uncle Coop wasn't finish press for his new movie." Blaine told him. "Everyone will be here tomorrow." His response brought a smile to Devon's face. "Just remember, while rehearsal is important, so is a good night of sleep."
"Duly noted Dad." Devon then looked at Ainsley. "I don't know what this is about, but Tyler told me to tell you to go see Aunt Santana when we're done here." Once he spoke, Blaine and Sebastian looked at one another before looking at Ainsley.
"I have no clue what she wants."
"Are you sure?" Juliette replied, not believing for an instant that her big sister didn't know. The look on Juliette's face had Blaine and Sebastian stifling laughter.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ainsley said to her before kissing each of her Dads on the cheek, and then giving Devon a hug. "Guess I should go find out." With that she was gone, before anyone could get another word in.
"She's weird." Devon stated.
"We know." Sebastian said earning him a look from Blaine. "It's true B, you've said it yourself."
"Not all the time Bas." Sebastian merely cocked an eyebrow before leaning down to kiss Blaine on the cheek. "Do you need anything from us before we go?" Devon shook his head. "Then, we will be going as the last thing you all need is us hanging around anymore."
"Not to mention, the longer we stay, he won't be able to not ask what your set list is." Sebastian added earning him a look from Blaine. "It's true."
"Rain check Sebastian." The way Sebastian's eyes bugged-out, Devon simply shook his head. "Before anything else is said, we'll be going."
"Alright. And Papa, don't put yourself in the doghouse before tomorrow."
"Thanks for the advice Dev."
"Don't mention it." Devon then squatted down in front of Juliette. "Thank you for coming." He then gave her a big hug and they watched as she wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing him on the cheek. "You're going to cheer extra loud for us tomorrow, right?"
"Yes!" Juliette replied enthusiastically before getting a kiss on the cheek from Devon. "After the show, will you be coming home?"
"I'll be home for the summer in a couple of weeks." Devon told her before standing. "Are our vacation plans still a go?"
"Everything is all set." Blaine told him before giving him a hug. "We'll see you tomorrow."
Once they said their goodbye, they headed out into the hall where most of the girls were standing, each with a bag in hand. When more than a few of the Dads asked what was in them, it was clear none of the girls were going to respond which got them all looking at Santana. "Shouldn't you all know by now, you'll find out in due time." She told them before feeling Nick slip his arm around her. "The same goes for you Nicky."
"Wait, even he doesn't know?" Jeff asked.
"No, he doesn't." Santana said in response. "But as I said, you'll find out soon enough."
Tempting as it was to try and get an answer from Ainsley once they got home, they thought better of it and left her be. That was easier than they thought since Will was over and the two were studying. By the time they were ready to call it a night, Sebastian realized he hadn't seen Will leave so he headed down the hall towards Ainsley's room since Blaine was working. With her door wide-open, he poked his head in and saw the two sound asleep, which caused him to laugh softly before entering and removing their laptops from their laps. Once they were gone, he grabbed the throw from her chair and placed it over them before leaving.
With them sound asleep, Sebastian took out his phone to call Hunter and let him know what had occurred. Needless to say, neither he nor Quinn were surprised and agreed with Sebastian that it was best to let them sleep. He was about to go get Blaine to tell him to call it a night, but he saw him walking towards him. "Do we have a guest tonight?" Blaine asked while they headed to their bedroom.
"We do, as they're out cold. Neither flinched when I moved their laptops, nor when I covered them." Sebastian replied. "How is it, I'm not freaking out about this?"
"You know neither of them would do anything disrespectful, not to mention, they don't look at one another that way." Blaine said to him. "They truly are best friends."
"That could always change." Sebastian countered as they each began to change for bed.
"True, and if it does, none of us will be shocked, just as we won't be shocked if things never do." Blaine told him. "You're nervous for tomorrow, aren't you?"
"What clued you in?"
"You've been fidgeting all night, even Juliette noticed." He said before slipping into bed. "It's out of our control Bas, we simply can hope for the best."
"I know, but why don't I feel this way during Ainsley's competitions or meets?"
"Because this is personal." Blaine replied as Sebastian slipped into bed with him. "We know how this moment feels, while the others have been different. You weren't even like this during the lacrosse playoffs."
"I don't want him to be devastated if they don't win B. This is all so personal for them on so many levels."
"I know, we all know which is why we agreed to give them space. Yet seeing them these last couple of times, they truly are embracing who they are." Sebastian nodded before curling up next to him, resting his head on Blaine's chest. This reaction, let Blaine know just how nervous Sebastian was, given how tight his hold on him had become. And while normally their positions were reversed, Blaine certainly wasn't objecting as this was just what he needed as well.
From the moment they awoke, things quickly fell into place and it wasn't long till they found out what Santana had given the girls. "We should've known." Sebastian said as he looked at Ainsley who was leaning against the counter in the kitchen.
"Aunt Santana said as much." She replied with a smirk. "What do you think?"
"That shirt brings back plenty of memories." Sebastian told her, before turning to see Juliette walking in with a similar shirt. "Your brother and the boys are going to love it."
"She hopes so." Ainsley said as Will came walking into the kitchen and without hesitation, she handed him a cup of coffee.
"Thanks for letting us sleep Uncle Seb."
"Don't mention it, but how do you know it was me and not Blaine?"
"I spoke with my Mom after my shower." Will replied before taking a sip and then thanking Ainsley. "Before I forget, you do know that you need to be attending the solo/ensemble performances this morning, right?"
"Excuse me?" Sebastian said in response before calling out for Blaine who soon came walking into the kitchen. "What's this about solo/ensemble?"
"I mentioned it to you a few days ago." Blaine told him before tilting his head. "You were working on that brief." Sebastian then sighed before raking his fingers through his hair. "Why do you think I made certain to set an alarm?" Sebastian nodded. "Are you heading over with us Will?"
"Yes, as it would be pointless to go home beforehand."
"Is everyone performing?" Sebastian asked.
"From what I was able to get out of Max, it's him, Devon, Liam, Tyler, and Ewan." His response caused Blaine and Sebastian to look at one another. "Is there something I don't know?"
"We need to get going." Sebastian stated to which Blaine chimed in, in agreement so they all gathered what they needed so they could head on their way.
By the time they arrived at the theater, they were surprised to see Isabella standing there with her parents. "What are you guys doing here?" Blaine asked.
"According to Ben, what the boys put together, is not to be missed." Wes replied. "They're all here, even if they aren't performing." While he spoke, the rest of the parents arrived and it was clear Sebastian wasn't the only one in a bit of shock being there that earlier.
During their walk to their seats, there was plenty of speculation as to what the boys could be performing, yet given what they'd done so far, the possibilities were endless. Once they were seated, they didn't have to wait for long as soon their boys were making their way onto the stage, to quite the applause as the rest of the Warblers were up front. Seeing the guitars on stage, had the Dads exchanging looks, and then once the first chords were strummed they knew what it was. While their performance of I'm Yours had been impromptu, it had quite a bit of meaning to all of them. The looks Blaine and Jeff exchanged, let the other know they remembered the moment quite well.
With the boys in regular clothes, his moment reminded their families of so many summer nights when they were all together. While it had become tradition for the parents to sing in this moments, the kids had slowly taken on the mantle, though on occasion they were truly family moments. More and more, they all had a better understand of what they're parents felt, witnessing the performers their children had turned into. And if the reaction of the crowd when it was over was any clue, the boys now had plenty of new admirers in the audience.
Unlike the previous day, they didn't get to see their boys afterwards as they headed back to the hotel to get ready for the competition. They were in the midst of talking about the performance, when Blaine felt an arm drape over his shoulders in a way he knew wasn't Sebastian. "You missed one hell of a performance Coop." Blaine said while beaming in the process.
"You mean this one?" He countered as he held up his phone which was playing the performance. "Jocelyn is around here somewhere." He added with a smile. "God, Devon is becoming more and more you and Bas."
"Bas."
"No, both of you as so many of his mannerisms are you." Cooper told him, earning him a look. "Fine, his swagger is that of your hubby, but he's the best parts of you both." When Blaine shoved, him they each laughed upon hearing their Dad tell them to behave. "What are you doing here?"
"The same thing you are, as Devon thought we'd enjoy." Carolyn said before giving each of her sons a kiss. "Where are the rest of our darling Grandchildren?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Blaine replied. "Are Bas's parents here?"
"They are speaking with Lexi." Gregory told him. "How are you doing?"
"Nervous, but it's expected. You?"
"The same. Regardless of what happens, they have every reason to be proud."
"I know, and we reminded them of that already." Blaine told him as Sebastian came walking back over as he'd been speaking with Jeff. "Did he have the same reaction to Madison's shirt that you had?"
"He did, felt dumbfounded as Santana basically told us, yet we didn't hear her."
"Not a new occurrence for any of us." Blaine said before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, and before you ask, we have no clue what they are performing." The way his parents as well as Cooper looked at him, it was clear they were shocked.
"He's telling the truth." Sebastian added. "Though if prelims are anything to go by, it's something we all know as each song in prelims was something either past Warblers or New Directions performed. We'll just have to wait and see. Luckily, the wait is almost over."
Truer words couldn't have been spoken as the lead-up to the start of Nationals was certainly starting to get to all of them. If they didn't have their other kids to focus on or each other to speak with, they probably would've gone stir-crazy. Unlike prelims, all of the families sat together when they made their way into the theater. Much as it had been for them in the past, the anticipation of seeing their own kids made it difficult to focus on the acts currently performing. Yet, they managed to know it would give them the best idea of where their sons stood.
When it finally came time for them to take the stage, Sebastian wasn't surprised to feel Blaine take his hand before looking up at him. With a reassuring smile and a quick peck, their focus was back on the stage, awaiting for the curtain to arise.
Next up, from Westerville, Ohio, the Dalton Academy Warblers
Once the curtain arose, the boys began and once again all too familiar notes touched their ears.
Heeey, heeeey heeeeey
When Ben emerged from the center spot, Blaine glanced over at Wes who was positively beaming.
Your lipstick stains
On the front part of my
Left side brain
I knew I wouldn't forget you
And so I went and let you
Blow my mind
The fact that they started out their routine with a true tribute to their Dads, including the infamous two-step, put permanent smiles on the Dads faces. And when they transitioned into Uptown Girl, Blaine and Sebastian looked at one another at Tyler led the way, much as Nick had back in the day. Ewan took Thad's role, yet Max, took Sebastian's which lead them to believe Devon kept something from them once again.
Then came their smooth transition into She Will Be Loved, which highlighted plenty of the guys starting with Liam, Zack, and Jacob. Listening to them, each using their strengths had the parents beaming with pride, as clearly ego played no part in things. As the song was winding down, Blaine felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Brittany who gave him a wink. Since she'd clearly been in the know since she helped choreograph things, he nudge Sebastian who looked back and was met by a giddy smile.
When the song was finally over, the two looked at one another and saw Devon was center stage, their hold on one another's hand tightened.
The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
The huge grin that spread across Sebastian's face was impossible to miss, as this was the first time Devon had taken on a song of his, versus one of Blaine's.
You cast a spell on me, spell on me
You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me
And I decided you look well on me, well on me
So let's go somewhere no-one else can see, you and me
The further along the song went, the guys were all exchanging looks as the boys had kept pretty close to the original choreography while still making it their own. They hadn't even realized it till it was over, that they were all on their feet, along with the rest of the crowd. By the time the last words were leaving Devon's mouth, the applause had already begun. From the looks on their sons' faces, there was no doubting that they knew they nailed their performance.
Once they left the stage, Sebastian turned and gave Brittany a huge hug before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How'd you keep this to yourself?"
"It wasn't easy." She replied as they settled back into their seats as there were still three more groups to go on. "I didn't even tell Jeff." That caused Sebastian to look at Jeff who smiled. "This was all about their Dads, I couldn't ruin that."
"I don't think we could be prouder." Sebastian told her.
"I had a feeling you'd all feel that way."
Sitting through the remaining acts, time actually seemed to fly which was a relief as they knew once it was over, the true stress began as it was out of their hands. Through the conversations they all had with one another, it was clear they were all in close agreement into which groups they felt would make the final five. It wasn't surprising when it came to passing the time, Brody, Brittany, and Mike were getting plenty of attention since they'd choreographed their show. "How the hell did you pull off them resembling us, while it still being them?" Jeff asked, still amazed by what they'd witnessed.
"It took a bit of work, but thanks to the boys insisting certain elements remained, we had a good starting point." Brody replied. "In the end, they thought their program represented how the Warblers grew as a group."
"It was perfect." Wes stated proudly. "Do you know how they chose the music?"
"According to Zack, they watched lots of old performances." Mike told him. "Speaking of, expect a lot of questions once they all get home." That earned him quite a look. "They didn't ask earlier, because they didn't want to give anyone a hint in what they were doing." While his response made sense, it certainly worried them a bit as they wondered what their boys wanted to know.
While their parents were doing what they could to not focus on what was to come, the boys were all sitting relatively quiet in their room. Any of the other times they were waiting for results, the atmosphere was relatively light, this time it was different. No matter how many times they told themselves that getting here was a huge step, they wanted that trophy badly and it scared them that it might not be theirs.
It was well over an hour after the last act performed when Gabrielle made her way to their room, her knock startling them before she made her way in. Ben was the first to his feet, clearly feeling the weight of everything on his shoulders. "Time to straighten up guys, you need to come with me." All of them cocked their heads, bringing a smile to her face. "Trophy presentation time guys, come on!"
"Wait, you mean…" Ben couldn't even get the rest out before Gabrielle nodded enthusiastically bringing the others to their feet and straightening up. Throughout their walk back to the stage, the boys were a mix of nerves and anticipation.
Once they were lined up, waiting to take the stage as the theater filled once again, Gabrielle turned and shot Devon a wink, which broke the blank expression on his face, making him smile. As they filed on, she mouthed a quiet you've got this to keep up appearances as she didn't want to be seen showing favoritism. Before they were even in place, she felt Xander sneak up behind her, and wrap his arms around her. "How are they?" He whispered softly into her ear as she leaned back against him.
"Nervous. How are our families?"
"Nervous as well, as you can tell how much they want this for them. Hell, I want this for them. I know what it's like to come so close, and not come home the champ."
"You guys finished second." She said as she looked back at him before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I know how proud that not only made your Dad, but everyone else."
"Still, it's not the same thing. If they win it all, while paying tribute to the Dads, I…I couldn't ask for more for all of them as everything will have come full circle." Xander told her. "And while I know they still have more chances, this is Ben's last one. It would really sting if they won after he left."
"What about you?"
"I didn't perform with my brother, so, it's a bit different."
Before their conversation could progress any further, the host began what was certain to be a tedious bit of time for everyone involved. And true to form, much as it had been back when they'd been performing, the host was incredible long winded, drawing the trophy ceremony out. "I'm going to need a drink once this is over." Santana mumbled not so subtly, under her breath earning responses of agreement from those around them.
By the time the last three groups stood standing, which included the Warblers, tension around them continued to build. Knowing their boys the way they did, they could see the wait was starting to get to them as they were all starting to fidget. The wait clearly had gotten to someone in the crowd who shouted for them to get on with it, which earned applause from the audience, breaking the tension a bit. Once it came down to the final two, Xander tightened his hold on Gabrielle as he remember the moment all too well as they continued to watch from the wings.
I'm now honored to announce, your 2041 National Champions, from Dalton Academy in Westerville, Ohio, the Warblers! This is the Warblers second National title, last having won in 2013, so this has been a long time coming for them though they've been to the final numerous times in-between.
The latter bit of the announcer's words were muffled by the crowd's eruption and the boys celebrating on stage with the trophy as confetti fell from above. For all the pressure they'd put on themselves, they pulled it off in the end. No longer will they constantly be living in their Dads' shadows, as they now set a bar of their own to strive for from this day forth.
Much as they were loving celebrating up on that stage, they couldn't wait to share this with the Dads, knowing how much this meant to them as well.
Song: Hey Soul Sister
Writer(s): Espen Lind, Pat Monahan, Amund Bjorklund
Song: Glad You Came
Writer(s): Wayne Anthony Hector, Edward James Drewett, Steve Mac