When the last bell rang, Kurt sighed in relief.

He had been waiting a whole week to finally perform his number in Glee Club, and he couldn't take it anymore. He was the first to leave his class and the first to get into the glee-room. He also anticipated Mr Shuester. He walked towards the piano and pressed some random keys.

"Kurt" Mr Shuester and Rachel were at the door.

"Hi" replied Kurt. "I came early because I wanted to ask you something, Mr Shuester"

"Of course" said Will, turning on the lights and approaching Kurt. Rachel followed him to the piano.

"What do you need?"

"Well" Kurt hesitated, peeking Rachel, "I wanted to show you a number I've worked really hard on. It's Lovely ladies, from Les Miserables. I'd like to sing first today, if I may."

"Lovely ladies?" asked Rachel, dazed. "That's so not you.."

"Rachel" stopped her Mr Shuester. "That's a great song, Kurt. But Rachel was just telling me that she wanted to sing first today.. that's why she's already with me when we got here. In fact, I believe she didn't expect to find you here, and neither did I."

Kurt nodded, a dashed expression on his face. Rachel seemed sad as well, but then she shrugged and said: "Well, never mind, he'll sing right after me, and then we will start the lesson.."

"I'm afraid we'll have a lot to talk about today" broke in Mr Shuester with a desolate tone. "We have to get ready for Regionals.. you see Kurt, I wouldn't even let Rachel sing, but she insisted.."

Kurt looked down, while Finn, Mercedes, Artie and the others were entering the room.

"Maybe you could sing Lovely ladies next week" said Mr Shuester.

"I've been working so much.." repeated Kurt with a martyring voice.

"I'm really sorry, I can't keep you guys here any longer than 2 hours, it's the rule"

"But I won't be singing the entire song.."

"Coach Sylvester hates me enough without me breaking a rule, Kurt"

"It's only 3 minutes.."

"No, I'm sorry" decided Mr Shuester. "Rachel asked me first. The next time"

Kurt turned around and looked at Rachel, who was sitting on Finn's lap and caressing his hair.

He was angry and frustrated, but he took a deep breath and he sat down near them.

"Ok, guys, listen" Will was standing in front of the guys, trying to catch their attention. "Today we'll discuss about how we're going to organize for Regionals. The last time we agreed on doing auditions, so you had to prepare a song, a mash up or an original song for today. We don't have much time right now, so we'll only hear one, but the next week I promise each of you will have a shot. Rachel, show us what you've got."

Rachel stood up and approached the piano holding a sheet music in her hands.

"I actually wanted to sing Lovely ladies" she said, gazing at Kurt, whose mouth had opened in the shape of a 'o', then she continued: "But my throat is hurting a bit today, and I can't do this on my own. I was thinking that maybe Kurt would help me out."

He looked at her, then at Mr Shuester, then at Rachel again, who had put on the biggest smile on her face, and he jumped off his chair and walked toward her, nodding spasmodically.

"Fine" said Rachel, giggling. She hid her sheet music behind her back and gave instructions to Brian, who suddenly started playing the piano. Kurt recomposed himself from the shock and sang:

"Sailors, I smell women,

I smell 'em in the air.

I think I'll drop my anchor

in that harbor over there."

Rachel managed to low pitch her voice a bit to sing along with him.

"Lovely ladies, smell 'em through the smoke.

Seven days at sea can make you hungry for a poke."

Kurt panicked for awhile, since he had changed a bit the lyrics of his version, but he didn't know what Rachel's was like. Then he decided to take a risk and sang again:

"Lovely lady,

waiting for my kiss,

waiting for the lover

who only claims to this"

Rachel smiled to Kurt, so he figured she liked his version. Then she held his hands and intertwined her fingers with his. Then she sang with her normally pitched voice:

"My sweet young boy,

come here, my dear,

let's make love,

but make it quiet,

we don't want them to hear!"

Kurt was both amused and attracted by her version. She had made it even more romantic then he'd originally had.. he went on with his singing.

"Lovely lady,

what pretty hair,

what pretty eyes you got there.."

"My lovely boy,

waiting in the dark,

long time, short time,

anytime, my dear!"

Kurt felt Rachel's soft hands squeezing his, and he looked right inside her eyes, which were getting wet, even if she had a smile on her face. Like if there was a connection between their minds, they took one last look at each other, and then they turned around and faced their friends and they sang the last line together:

"Lovely ladies waiting all the year!"

As the song was over, everyone in the room clapped, and Mr Shuester approached to Kurt and Rachel with a happy look and said:

"You were amazing guys, well done! I hadn't understood you had worked on this together!"

Kurt was about to reply that his version was a lot better than this because he was wearing a costume and he sang solo, but Rachel was quicker, and she answered:

"We both love Les Mis, but Kurt's favorite song is Every day, and mine is On my own. We had to compromise, but the result is, as you all can see, as good as the original song. I dare say that our version was even better, since we involved some romance and cut out all the bad words.. and of course I get to sing in this. It's a win-win."

Mercedes huffed; Santana and Quinn wrinkled their noses at the same time; Brittany said:

"Wait, so I won too? 'Cause I wanted a pony, thank you, Rachel"

Everyone in the room laughed, and Kurt and Rachel sat back down, while Mr Shuester started talking about Regionals issues. Almost two hours later, the lesson was over, and Will had to send the guys back home. Kurt was walking with Mercedes to his car, and he noticed that Finn and Rachel were talking a little louder than the way you always do when you cuddle someone. In fact, they weren't cuddling at all. They fighting. Kurt waited for Mercedes's dad to pick her up, and then tried to listen to their conversation, pretending to be combing his hair in the rear-view mirror. Rachel's voice was extremely high pitched. She was saying:

"I'm not going to make a fool of my self, Finn! I want to be the lead singer at Regionals!"

"I do too, I just don't want to sing that mash up you came up with!"

"But that's perfect, it would make us win the audition!"

"No, I won't do it, I wouldn't fit the part you gave me"

"You just don't feel comfortable with it!" Rachel was screaming like crazy.

"You're right, I don't. You can't force me, so I'm leaving now"

"Fine! I'll do it on my own, I don't need you!" Rachel yelled at Finn's as he walked away from her. He passed Kurt's car, got into his and drove away. Rachel huffed, stamping her feet on the ground. Her eyes had followed him all along, and now that he was gone, Rachel found herself staring at Kurt. He kept fake-combing his hair, knowing she could see him and hating himself for eavesdropping. She didn't say a word; she walked towards him, and he could already see her yelling at him for not minding his own business..

"Hey, Kurt" said Rachel.

It took him awhile to realize she didn't seem mad at all. So he stopped combing and said:

"Hi, Rach. Everything ok?"

"Actually, no" she answered with a big sigh. "Finn won't understand how cool and original my ideas are, again" she pronounced the last word with a resentful tone.

"Yeah, that really must suck" said Kurt, trying to tune-in.

"I had this wonderful mash up already prepared and he just won't go for it!"

"I'm sorry Rach.. I bet it was a great idea. What did you have in mind?" he asked, curious.

"Well" Rachel smiled a little bit, since someone was actually interested in it, "I thought Finn and I should totally sing something new and by someone that the Glee Club members would actually like, since we're sick and tired of the Journey, though they are amazing.."

"So, you're going to sing something by the Maroon Five?" Kurt took a guess.

"Newer"

"Justin Bieber?"

"Gross!" exclaimed Rachel with a disgusted expression. "I said new, but it has to be good music."

"Ok, so.. Mika?"

"Obviously!" said Rachel, giggling. "Ok, so you got one, Blue eyes by Mika, but the other song is even better, you're totally going to love it.."

"Oh my gosh" Kurt was speechless. "You're not.."

"Yes!" Rachel was practically jumping of happiness. "Gaga!"

"Brown eyes, yes!" screamed Kurt, throwing a punch in the air. "That's a wonderful idea for a mash up, Rachel! I can't believe you're actually going to do it.."

"Well, you're right, don't believe it. 'Cause Finn won't do it" Her excitement had suddenly faded.

"That's crazy, why on Earth would he refuse to do that? I mean, he likes both Gaga and Mika.." Kurt couldn't give himself an explanation. Rachel hesitated, than she sighed and said:

"Because he's baritone and he can't sing like Mika."

"But he could use a different key arrangement, that's the point in making covers.."

"I know! I also suggested we could switch our parts, so I sing as Mika and he sings as Gaga.."

"That was a mistake" observed Kurt. "You know how oddly sensitive he is about this stuff.."

"Yes, I figured" said Rachel in a whisper. "He's so stuck with what the other people would say about him if he sang a song by a woman that he gave up on the one which could have been the most amazing mash up ever.. stupid prejudices"

"That's a shame" agreed Kurt. He rubbed her arm and they stayed in silence for awhile.

"I should probably go" said Rachel, peeking the bus stop. "I still have so much to study.."

"Yeah, your Math test" remembered Kurt. "Do you need a ride home?"

"That would be nice" answered Rachel with a smile. "Thanks"

They got into the car and he started driving. They hadn't left the school parking lot yet that Rachel had already turned on the radio. Kiss me, by Sixpence None the Riche was on.

"Aw, this is cute"

"Yes, it is" said Kurt, smiling as she began to hum. "Can I ask you something?"

"Bring your flowered hat.. of course you can"

"How did you know the arrangement of Lovely ladies I had planned on?"

"I didn't" responded Rachel with a shrug. "Kiss me.. beneath the milky twilight.."

"You didn't?" repeated Kurt. "You mean you improvised it all?"

"Yes"

Kurt didn't know why but he wasn't that surprised, after all. Rachel always had her ways.

"Impressive" he said. "Isn't this a coincidence we both wanted to sing Lovely ladies today?"

Rachel didn't answer. She kept humming Kiss me, while she was looking out of the car window.

He decided to join her, and they both sang until they arrived at Rachel's house. She thanked him again and then kissed his cheek. He blushed a little, but she didn't notice it because she was getting out of the car. Before she could walk away, he called her and said:

"I'd really like to hear how you arranged Lovely ladies though"

Rachel smiled and shook her head. Then she took her sheet music from her bag and handed it to Kurt. She kept smiling and said: "How clueless you are, Kurt."

She walked to the door and disappeared behind it.

Kurt couldn't quite get what she meant by that, so he grabbed the sheet music and looked at it. But it wasn't the sheet music of Rachel's arranged version of Lovely ladies. And it wasn't even the original song; it was the mash up that they had been talking about, of Brown eyes and Blue eyes. And Rachel had just given it to Kurt.