Jesse knocks on the apartment door. He had stood out in the hallway debating whether or not to call Rachel back to have dinner as well, but he knew this was something he had to do alone. When the door opens Jesse gives Will a tentative smile and he knows that he will have the strength to get through this night.
"Hey Jesse. Come in," Will says opening the door to welcome Jesse into his apartment.
"Thanks Mr. Schue." Jesse says standing in the entranceway.
"So I didn't know what you liked to eat so I just ordered a pizza with some salads."
"That's fine."
Both men just stand. They have questions burning at the tips of their tongues yet neither knows where to start. It's awkward, but both knew that it would be until everything or most things got brought out into the open.
"I've set everything up in the living room, I hope that's ok. I just thought eating at the dining room table might just be a little too formal."
Jesse just responds with a small chuckle and follows Will into the living room sitting down on the opposite couch. He grabs a slice of pizza and takes a bite before speaking, Jesse knows that for anything to get said he is going to have to prompt the initial questions.
"I know that you have questions and I do to, but I have had a lot longer to find answers and come to terms with this. So go ahead and ask whatever you want about how I found out that I was your son."
"Maybe start that from the beginning and I guess if I have any questions I can always just ask, because I would first like to hear the story of how you found all this out, because I had no clue that you existed, well apart from the fact that you were the lead of Vocal Adrenalin."
Jesse starts his story from the moment he discovered he was adopted. He tells Will how he sat his parents down and asked them point blank about it. Jesse makes sure to tell Will that even after he found out that his biological parents were teenagers and that even though it seemed that his biological father never knew about him, Jesse held no resentment because his mom and dad made sure he wanted for nothing and they love him. Jesse continues on with how long it took him to find his biological mom.
"What happened after you found her? Did you go meet her?" Will asks and Jesse averts his gaze.
"I never had the chance to meet her. After I found her name I looked her up, she and her family moved out of state and then she was killed in a car accident."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine; I just do kind of wish that I had the chance to meet her." Jesse says truthfully.
"Did you know what she looked like?" Will asks and Jesse nods, "Hang on a second."
Will leaves Jesse alone in the living in the room and goes into his bedroom. He returns with the photo of him and that girl. He hands the photo to Jesse.
"I think this might be her."
"It is. Wow I can't believe there is actually a picture of the two of you together."
"It's yours if you want it."
Jesse gives a Will a bright smile and thanks him. Will urges Jesse to continue on with the story and Jesse does. He details the phone conversation he had with the former Vocal Adrenalin member and how that was when he found out about Will.
"After I found out your name I looked you up and then I tried numerous times to come and see you but I always backed out. I saw you once at our invitational and then I was at your sectionals, but you weren't there and that's sort of how I met Rachel. I was on my way to try and come meet you but then I stopped half way and ran into Rachel at the music store."
"So you weren't sent to spy on us originally?"
"No. It was actually kind of you fault that the spying started. I had planned on keeping mine and Rachel's relationship a secret, but then you told Shelby and she hatched the brilliant scheme. But I knew that I didn't want to destroy your club so I lied to Shelby."
"Thanks for that. It really does mean a lot." Will tells Jesse. "I do have one very important question and it's not that I don't believe you, and most things add up, but how can we be so sure that I am your father?"
"Well there is this company that does tests of that kind. All they require is a blood sample. So I sent them mine and then yours as well, which I got from that time you cut yourself during glee. I got the results back. I have it here so you can see for yourself."
Jesse pulls out a folded sheet from his jacket pocket and hands it to Will. Will takes in the figures and the results and Jesse watches as the man in front of him breaks down in to tears. Jesse is frozen to his seat; he doesn't know how to comfort his teacher in this situation.
"Are you ok?" Jesse asks as Will regains some of his composure.
"Yeah, it's just all this is very overwhelming. I find that I don't know what to feel. I know that I am happy, but there are so many other feelings that I can't even describe."
"I know what you mean. It is very daunting, if you want I can go and you can come to terms with all this."
"No, no, stay. I want to learn more about you."
"Ok."
Will sits back down across from Jesse and the pair talks about their lives. Jesse tells Will about his years of performing and Will tells Jesse about his years in the WMHS glee club back in the 90's. They talk sports, both love hockey though neither cheer for the Blue Jackets. They talk musicals, cars and a little about family. The topic then makes it way to relationships. Jesse tells Will the truth about his feelings for Rachel. Will smiles at the love falling from Jesse's lips and Will hopes and can see that Jesse and Rachel will make it. He does offer a little bit of advice on high school relationships in relation to his failed marriage with Teri.
After finishing the pizza both can see that the night is coming to a close.
"Thanks for having me over Mr. Schue."
"You can call me Will outside of school Jesse. I mean I don't expect you to call me dad or anything, but Will is a good start. And I hope you know that if you ever need anything from me or want to talk I'll be here. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to get to know you and I know I can't take the place of your dad, but if you let me I'd like to maybe one day be another father figure."
"I'd like that too Will." Jesse says and the happiness that fills him causes him to hug Will. "I actually do have a favour to ask."
"Go ahead."
"Well I've been volunteering with a kids show choir and they have a competition coming up in next weekend and it would mean a lot if you could come and if you wouldn't mind, maybe we could get the club to perform and use it like a warm up for regional's."
"I wouldn't miss it and having our club perform in front of an audience should do them good."
"Good night Will." Jesse says as he steps through the door.
"Good night Jesse."
The minute the door closes between the two each think how wonderfully the night had gone. They had talked, they bonded and though they both knew they had a lot of ground to cover in terms of building a father/son relationship they both knew that this was the start of something that was going to change both of them and they were both very happy about that.
Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee* Glee*
The week following Jesse and Will's dinner had been busy for the entire club. They were working on their numbers for regionals, but also rehearsing two older numbers for the show choir competition. When the group grumbles about having to rehearse those numbers as well Jesse just tells them to trust him and that those numbers were just fun to practice and it got the group out of worrying about Vocal Adrenalin.
Jesse and Will also spent time together, mostly at school because it was easiest and anything awkward could be ended by the excuse of class or having to leave. Because even though that first dinner had gone well, there were still years and uncertainty that needed to be slowly crossed before they got out of that awkward stage. The one time that week that they did meet outside of school was when Will had some of the guys over to watch hockey playoffs. What surprised some of the members of the club that Jesse knew the rules of hockey and got so into the game.
"Shit St. James you know your hockey." Puck says impressed.
"Well I'm more than just a pretty face and an awesome singer." Jesse retorts.
"Yeah you're also a total drama queen." Finn throws out and the guys all toss in some 'ohs'.
Jesse laughs along with the guys before jokingly jerseying a seated Finn. Which causes everyone to laugh and Will to tell them to stop. Finn shoots Jesse a confused look and Jesse tells the group that he's played hockey for years and that if he hadn't gone out for VA when he was a freshman he would have joined the hockey team. Which for the guys is impressive and gives them motive to maybe play a game of shinny.
Jesse stays after the game to help clean up and Will asks about Jesse's home life. He tells Will that he does get some of his acting chops from his parents. He tells Will that though it seems that his parents are not involved in his life they actually know everything that Jesse is up to and has accomplished. He says that they will be home just after regionals and that they want to meet Will. Will agrees saying that he would be honoured to meet the parents who raised such a talented and wonderful son.
By the time Saturday came the group was ready to perform. Jesse is practically bursting with energy both for performing and for his kids. Jesse's group is the third out of five to perform. The McKinley glee club is sitting at the back of the auditorium and before his group performs Jesse sneaks his head out and Rachel gives him a wave.
"Ok guys, this is what you've worked for. Now go out there and show them your talent, your drive and most importantly show them your heart." Jesse tells the anxious group of kids before the announcer calls them to take their places.
The kids perform Season's of Love and We Are Golden almost flawlessly. Well to everyone in the audience it is flawless, Rachel and Jesse with their superior training notice small missteps and only one or two fluffed notes. After a strong finish of We Are Golden the kids take their positions for their last number. Chris stands in front of his group and his soft voice breaks the silence with the opening of Hey Jude. As the song progresses Jesse has tears in his eyes. His kids have done it and brought the emotion to the number. He feels a set of arms wind their way around his waist and he turns to find Rachel hugging him. She knows what this song means to him, he told her in New York and she knew instinctively that he would need her. Jesse drops a kiss to her head in thanks and the two sway to the end of the song.
The audience bursts into applause and give Jesse's kids a stand ovation. The kids run off the stage and into Jesse and Rachel's waiting arms for a massive group hug. Jesse wipes away a tear as he tells the kids how proud he is of them and how much of an honour it has been to coach them. The small group makes its way back to the choir waiting rooms while the remaining two groups perform. Rachel and Jesse smile as they listen to the group talk about how they 'kicked ass' and 'they are totally gonna win this.'
The pair is soon joined by New Directions all of whom congratulate Jesse and a few tell Will that he might have to watch out for his job.
"That was amazing Jesse. They were wonderful." Will says giving Jesse a hug, which the teenager returns with enthusiasm.
The last two choirs perform and the MC tells the audience,
"It is time for the judges to deliberate and as a treat for the crowd we have invited the show choir from William McKinley High School to perform. In fact Jesse St. James, of their members, is the coach of one of the kids choirs. At 17 he is the youngest coach here today. Let's give a round of applause for New Directions."
ND takes the stage and wow the crowd with Like a Prayer and Hello Goodbye. The audience eats it up and by the end everyone is bouncing along to the music and having a good time. The club is loving it, they all feed off the energy of the audience and it makes their performance that much stronger.
After ND's performance the kid's choirs and their coaches are called to the stage to hear the winners. Jesse stands behind his group of kids; all have their heads down as the second and third place finishers are announced. In the wings New Directions and Will stand with fingers crossed as the judge announces that Jesse and his group of kids have taken first place. The scene on the stage is euphoric. The kids jump up and down, hug each other, and hug Jesse; Lindsay runs over and pulls Rachel onto the stage so that she can get her thanks as well. As the cheering dies down a little the MC asks if New Directions wants to perform again, Jesse shrugs and the team walks onto the stage as a sure sign of a yes.
"Do you guys know the words to Twist and Shout?" Jesse asks and most of the group nods, almost all of them have seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off. "Ok then let's just have fun with it."
Jesse tells the band and the song starts up. New Directions and Jesse's kids have become a mixed group on the stage and are dancing and laughing as Jesse rocks out like a young John Lennon. He even encourages the audience dancing and a few of the grandparents in the crowd get up and do the twist. It is the perfect way to end the show. A happy audience and an ecstatic group of performers on stage.
No one notices the lone figure that sneaks out the door before the number finishes. Shelby walks out to her car with the satisfaction that she has scouted future talent for VA and that she knows at least two of the songs that ND will be performing. She doesn't know that she just got played because Jesse knew she would be there and that is why he had convinced ND to go with songs that they weren't going to use at regionals. If anything this performance had prepared New Directions for anything that Vocal Adrenalin could throw at them.