Rachel and Jesse walk the halls of McKinley with a new vigour. After their fantastic week in New York they both vowed to work harder to ensure that they become regular Broadway fixtures and Rachel knew she would have to work to maintain her perfect GPA so she could join Jesse at NYU.
Throughout that Monday a few members of the glee club had come up to Jesse and asked about his audition and the city. There was never enough time to detail everything so promises were made to talk about the trip at the beginning of glee rehearsal.
When the final bell rang Rachel practically sprinted to Jesse's locker. She hadn't seen him since lunch and she wanted to get over to the music room a little early so they could share their week with the group. Jesse sees Rachel coming and closes his locker. He gives her a quick peck and slings his arm around her shoulder as they walk to join the other club members.
The pair walks into the music room and almost everyone is there. Only Puck, Santana and Brittany are missing, but everyone knows they will walk in soon.
"So how was it? Did your audition go amazing?" Mercedes asks as Jesse and Rachel take their seats on the first riser.
"It was an incredible week. And yeah it went really well. I nailed the songs, obviously, and the acting scene was intense and perfect. So now I just have to wait to see if I get into Tisch, but if I don't I'll still be at NYU so I can always audition again." Jesse answers.
"Boy please if they don't say yes then they seriously must have been watching a different audition."
"Thanks Mercedes."
"Ok enough about that," Kurt interrupts, "how was the shopping? See any good fashion choices?"
"We didn't do too much shopping," Rachel says, "But we did go to Saks and seriously Kurt it would be your heaven."
"That's it I'm convincing my dad that this summer we are taking a trip to NYC."
"Anything else exciting happen with you two there?" Finn asks.
Rachel and Jesse then fill in the story of their touristy adventure. Explain how to "second act" a show, to which Puck (who had come in the room with Santana and Brittany at that point) said he, knew that Rachel had a little bad-ass in her. They also show the video of the two of them recreating the giant keyboard scene from Big. Mike and Matt are quite impressed and say that going there would be amazing. From there the talk turns into what the club will do if they get to go to New York for Nationals and if they don't they should all plan a road trip out to the city for week during the summer.
The group is laughing at Rachel and Jesse recreating a dance that the pair had seen when they walked around central park, when Mr. Schuester walks in the room.
"Sit Down!" He says sharply and everyone freezes.
Will had never spoken to the kids in that tone of voice when he saw that they were all getting along, he reserved it for times when cliques and school status threatened to tear the club apart. The kids all look at each other and immediately take their seats.
"I have something to say and it concerns you all and apparently our chances of success at Regional's." Will says and the students all look at each other.
Jesse shoots a scarred look at Rachel, who tightens her grip on his hand.
"Jesse, can you please come here?"
Jesse gets up from his seat and stands next to Will. He doesn't know what's going to happen.
"Now I want you to tell your fellow club members what you've been doing." Will says calmly.
"I – I don't know what you mean." Jesse responds, confused at what Will is making him do.
"Tell them the truth." Will says, his voice firmer and angrier. Jesse just shakes his head in confusion.
"Fine I'll be the one to tell them," Will hisses when Jesse says nothing. "I'll just let them know how you've betrayed them all to Vocal Adrenalin."
Jesse's jaw drops open, he wasn't expecting that. He looks over at Rachel who's biting her lip and trying to offer him comfort through the look in her eyes. The rest of the team just looks confused.
"What do you mean Mr. Schue?" Finn asks.
"Well Jesse here has betrayed us all. He's been sending emails to Vocal Adrenalin about our set lists and everything else we've been doing. Isn't that right Jesse?" Will tells the group and turns to Jesse for a response.
The team is too stunned to say anything, though their faces are slowly turning to anger and accusation. Rachel moves to get up, to join Jesse, but he shakes his head so she stops.
"It's not what you think. I haven't been sending real emails; they've been full of lies."
"Now that is a lie. I was sent attachments from this person from your email with the names of the artists we have been performing."
"I – I –" Jesse stammers out. He knows he's been called out and there is nothing he can do about it.
"What the hell St. James?" Puck yells.
"I told you he was a spy Mr. Schue," Santana adds.
Mercedes and Kurt shoot Rachel dirty looks for ever bringing Jesse to the group and the rest just shout out complaints at Jesse still being in the room.
"I told you I haven't been cheating Vocal Adrenalin doesn't know what songs you are doing," Jesse pleads and Rachel tries to add in her support of Jesse, but is quickly told to shut it by Puck.
Will is getting angrier as he thinks the lies just keep falling from Jesse's lips. He knows that he has put to much work into this group to have it all fall apart because Rachel thinks she's in love and a teenage boy thinks that he can be played.
"What I can't believe is that Vocal Adrenalin would stoop so low as to actually transfer a student here to spy." Will states.
"I wasn't transferred here because – Ok initially I was transferred here to spy, but that's not why I did it and it's not why I've stayed and it's not why I told Shelby I was done with everything."
"Please you're a teenager; no one transfers schools just for a girl, no offense Rachel." Will says to Jesse.
"That's the truth!" Jesse shouts, "I did transfer for Rachel."
"STOP LYING!" Will shouts. "I want the truth. I deserve that much at least. I can't believe that I trusted you and the fact that I supported you and wrote you that letter for NYU, I deserve the truth!"
Jesse takes in a deep breath before the angry look of Will and the team get to him and he snaps out what has been hiding in him since he found out who his father is.
"The truth is I'M YOUR SON!" Jesse yells.
The words fall on the group like a bomb. No one moves in fear that if they do the school will collapse around them. Will is the first to move, his brain catching up to what he just heard. And suddenly he knows why that picture he found scared him and why there was something about Jesse that was so familiar but he could never identify it.
"You're my – but?" Will can't even form a coherent sentence.
"Yeah I'm your son and that's why I stayed, that's why I never betrayed this team to VA. But after what just happened I regret ever making the decision to find out who you were and actually come and meet you."
With that Jesse turns and stalks out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The sound seems to jar the rest of the group. They are still silent. Rachel gets up from her chair and follows after Jesse, she has to make sure he's ok; she knows that he didn't want the truth to come out this way. She just at the door when she hears Will call to her.
"Rachel is it - ?"
"Yeah he's telling the truth Mr. Schue and he never betrayed us." Rachel leaves after.
Will sinks to the piano bench and processes all that has just been revealed. He watches as the rest of the kids leave the music room. He can't concentrate, his thoughts won't focus. So he just sits.
When everyone has finally cleared out of the music room, they still can't believe what they just witnessed. They need don't know what to think or how to take the news or which bit of the information will be more damaging to their chances, the fact that Jesse was spying or the fact that he is Mr. Schuester's son and he now might not want to be part of the club. They are all silent as they head towards the doors, they are about to cross the threshold to the parking lot when Brittany's voice cuts the tension.
"I knew he was Mr. Schue's son."