"Okay, we're going first, so… um, you guys have better get changed," Will announced to the Glee Club in the lobby.
The air was awkward with tension and nervousness, and no one was going to stand around and further address this. The girls used a backstage dressing room and the chaps used a restroom, and then they all recongregated in the dressing room.
"Okay, listen up, guys," Will said, about to begin his pep talk. "You can do this. You're a talented group of people and I believe in you. You all just need to-"
"Sorry to interrupt," Quinn Fabray said from behind him. "I just need to get through here."
In shock, Will moved over, allowing the girl to wheel around him and into the room.
"This one's mine?" She asked, pointing to the "extra" costume in the dress bag. "And my 'Like a Prayer' one is… where?"
"Um, yeah and Santana's duffel bag has those," Rachel said slowly.
The club's staring was seemingly unnoticed to Quinn, until she looked around and said, "What?"
Puck came over to her rental chair, "Babe, you just gave birth-!" He started, but Quinn stopped him.
"Oh! Well, that explains so much!" She gave him a sarcastic, knowing glare and grabbed her costume.
"I'll change really quickly, I promise," she said as she stood up and exited. "By the way, sorry, Jacob."
"Oh no it's fine, I just came because I…"
Rachel glared.
"Never mind,"
As soon as Quinn shut the door, chatter broke out in the glee club.
Will and Emma looked at each other. "She really, really shouldn't be here. I mean, come on! She's going to get up and dance and sing and freaking perform, less than twelve hours after she was in labor! That has to be unsafe and-"
"Emma, Emma," Will took her shoulders. "You have to trust her judgment, and even if you don't, you know her doctors would have had to sign papers to discharge her from the hospital.
"I know, I know," she wrapped her arms around his torso, and his around her shoulders, rubbing her back. "I'm just concerned."
"That's good, you know," Will replied. "It's what makes you a great guidance counselor."
She sighed and pressed her cheek to his chest. Matt whistled and the club laughed. At times like these, Emma and Will would jump apart and pretend nothing happened. (And that they weren't completely mortified!) But Will knew better. Emma needed to calm down so he kept his arms around her.
"Mr. Shuster!" Rachel said, interrupting the two.
"Yes?" She said, pulling away from his girlfriend.
"As much as I respect Quinn as a talented member of this association, I really don't think she should be here, and if it's up to me-"
"It's not up to you, Rach, and we all need to trust her judgment."
"Fine," she replied distastefully, going to the mirror to perfect her fringe.
GLEE!
The songs went perfectly. Nobody faltered, no notes were missed and all dances were stepped.
There was no relief felt, though. Even though New Directions had been at its prime, there was still the fear. The fear that Vocal Adrenaline would beat them remained.
The other team didn't have as much pressure upon them, allowing them to perform with more ease. This could give them an advantage, one more so than they already had.
The tone while exiting the stage didn't go unnoticed. "Come on, guys that was GREAT! There is no way anyone could measure up to that." Will said, though he didn't really believe it. He saw what Vocal Adrenaline could do. But they weren't until last.
The All American Glee-jects were no threat though. New Directions sat through a grueling, dance oriented performance. While it was excruciating, Rachel hoped it would go on for much, much longer. She did not want what was next to come.
But the All American Glee-ject's renditions couldn't last forever. The fateful moment came.
Vocal Adrenaline stepped onto the stage.
2 minutes later, after a performance of "Blah, Blah, Blah," by Ke$ha, Mr. Shuster's worried look said it all.
"That was, admittedly, a….a good performance," Rachel admitted to Quinn, who was sitting next to her.
"Yeah, yeah… it was." She said with a petrified nod.
About 30 seconds later, the lights on the stage went up again. After the instrumental intro to "Highway to Hell," Jesse St. James stepped onto the stage.
Everyone in the glee club gasped. Not only had he left New Directions, he was performing for them.
What a jerk! Rachel thought.
He's such a bad ass. I would never have the courage to do something like that! Kurt thought. He had felt betrayal, but Jesse in that shirt had completely melted it.
Look at Kurt, Mercedes thought in outrage, all googley eyed over some guy he fancies. He's blind with love. Jesse's a jerk.
After "Highway", the group did a performance of "That's What You Get" by Paramore.
The house lights went up after the applause and a PA announcement that the judges would now decide, Rachel tapped on Mr. Shu's shoulder.
"What is it, Rachel?"
"Vocal Adrenaline. They didn't do a ballad. Also, Jesse isn't a student at Carmel." She announced matter-of-factly with a fold of her arms.
Will contemplated. "You're right…. There's paperwork and… Paramore hardly counts as a ballad." He stood. "I'll be right back."
Exited chatter broke out in the club. Everyone paired off into small groups of conversation, leaving Finn and Rachel just standing there, silent.
"This is really exciting!" Finn said, awkwardly.
"Yeah." She said, dismissively.
"Aren't Ms. P and Mr. Shu so cute?" Finn pointed out, noticing the two, conversing with the judges.
"Yeah,"
"You know, they were just friends, before sectionals? Then he kissed her in the hallway. I saw it, but they totally didn't notice,"
"Oh. That's cute," same dismissive tone.
"Would that work on you?"
Rachel suddenly found the conversation ten times less boring. "Maybe,"
` "And that's Rachel for 'If he's cute enough'," Finn joked.
"I guess."
"Right."
Finn was disappointed. After Rachel had said what she did on the bus, he figured he would get a more pleasant conversation out of her than that.
GLEE!
"Right… Well, thank you for explaining the situation. Little Miss," The news anchor turned to the young blonde woman in the sixties dress. "I guess this means we'll have to disqualify the Carmel group."
Miss Ohio didn't even blink. "The McKinley group was sooooo good!" She exclaimed admiringly.
"Are we going to have to stand around here all day?" whined the African-American woman, shoving Miss Ohio to the left.
"Thanks!" Emma said, then tugging on Will's arm. She gave him a seemingly knowing look.
"I know, I know," he said, reading her mind. "I feel bad now, too."
Before Emma could respond, Will went on.
"They shouldn't have to win like this. They're so talented!"
"They worked hard for it and even without this, they deserve to win."
"You're right." As they began walking up the auditorium's stairs.
"Oh, and by the way, Will?"
"Yeah?"
"That's not what the look meant." She dared to wink at him.
GLEE!
"They were disqualified!?" Artie screamed, the first to react. Quinn was beaming.
"Finn!" Rachel yelled in excitement.
"I know, this is great, Rach!"
"Anyone want to go wait outside the judge's room and pace, like last time?"
They all laughed, but still went. Laughing, talking, the anticipating glee club stood outside a conference room that had been designated for the event.
"Oh, Hello, Will," A familiar voice said form behind. Will turned, only to see Shelby standing there, with a hand on her hip.
"Hey." He said casually with an edge to his voice.
"You got us disqualified?" She said with the same snappy nonchalance.
"Yeah, and?"
"You're dead, Will Shuster. You are so, so dead.
GLEE!
Review, please! I'm going to kind of end this Numb3rs Style, you'd have to have seen that show to know what I mean…. It basically means there will be a couple more chapters until the end.