Chapter 43
Nationals
'Look at us, on our ways to Nationals,' Sixto thought, 'It is like I just got here and now I am part of a club that is going to be a national champ.'
'This is my dream come true,' Jeff grinned, looking out the window of the bus, 'I am with the people of Glee, and I am with all of my friends. I just wish it didn't have to end,' he frowned slightly.
'Why am I even here?' Eduwiges pondered, 'I barely know a lot of these people, and now we are going to sing on a stage together in front of thousands of people. Before I got here I didn't even sing for one person.'
'YAY!' Ulises thought, almost jumping in his seat, 'I can't wait for this competition, we are going to win for sure.'
'If that Carmen lady is going to watch us perform, I need to bring my A game,' Alyssa thought, 'Even if we are leaving here after Nationals, I want people to know that I am just as good as Rachel.'
"Mr. Schuester, can I say something?" Finn asked, and Schuester nodded for him to continue, "I wanted all of you to know how important you are, and you should realize that, without every single one of us, we wouldn't be where we are now," Rachel looked up at him with admiring eyes, "I know that we have all worked hard all year for this, and we are going to do it, together," And with that, he sat down.
The next morning
"What's wrong?" Mr. Schue asked, rushing into the girls' hotel room.
"Her temperature is 101," Sue began, turning to Mercedes who was bundled up in a bed, "She either has Amazonian Dagon Fever or the H one N one virus."
"It is just food poisoning," Mercedes groaned.
"We all wanted burritos so we went to Chipotle, but Mercedes decided to try some dive instead," Santana added.
"Ack!" Jeff screamed inside one of the hotels conference rooms as Sam and Puck argued over the fact that Puck was studying for his retake exam and not practicing his dance moves. It continued to escalate and punches were flying as the other guys tried to keep the two apart.
"Hey!" Mr. Schuester shouted once he came into the room, "Girls, you need to practice the dance moves for Edge of Glory, everyone else, practice for Paradise by the Dashboard Light."
In the waiting room for the theatre about five hours later
"I still think that Paradise by the Dashboard Light is a stupid choice. I haven't even heard of that song before today," Jeff argued causing the original Glee Club members to glare at him, "Don't worry though, I respect your decision to do it."
"I cant believe that we got the first slot. That isn't called the death slot for no reason," Rachel sounded upset.
"Wait, I thought you usually want to go first or last?" Sixto questioned.
"Not when you are competing with the best," Kurt replied, "You see, it is typically the best because the first act sets the bar, but when all of your competition is amazing, you want to scope them out first so that you can scope it out and adjust your performances."
"We are going to be fine," Rosa encouraged, as the lights blinked signaling that it was time to go on.
They all gathered into a circle. "I just want to say a few words before we go out there," Mr. Schuester announced.
"Wait," Finn interrupted, "They always say that, you know when a teachers job is done, if the students don't need him any more."
"Okay, Finn the floor is yours."
"We all decided that we want to win this thing for you," Finn told Mr. Schue, "I know Figgins gives away a teacher of the year award, but we don't have to wait for that because you are like our teacher of a life time."
The lights blinked one more time. "Thanks, all of you. I love each and every one of you. Okay, put your hands in," Mr. Schue instructed.
"I know you weren't planning on doing a show circle with out me," Mercedes said, when she entered the room and joined the circle. They all put their hands in and raised them up.
"Welcome to the 40th annual National Show Choir Championship. Please give a windy city welcome to our celebrity judges. America's sweet heart, Lindsay Lohan," the announcer shouted and the room filled with applause, "Gossip legend, Perez Hilton," another round of applause, "And finally, Martin Fong," there was a final round of applause, "Now, please help me welcome, from Lima Ohio, The New Directions."
The curtains parted revealing all of the girls, except for Rachel, in red dresses with black straps and a black stripe around the stomach.
Santana: There ain't no reason you and me should be alone
Tonight yeah baby, tonight, yeah baby
I got a reason that you
Should take me home tonight
Mercedes: I need a man that thinks it's right, but it's all wrong tonight
Yeah baby, tonight, yeah baby
Right on the limb is where we know
We both belong tonight
Quinn: It's hard to feel the rush
To brush the dangerous
I'm gonna run right to,
Tina: To the edge with you
Quinn and Tina with New Directions Girls: Where we can both fall far in love
Santana and Tina with (Mercedes): I'm on the edge of glory (edge of glory)
And I'm hanging on a moment of truth
(hanging on a moment of truth)
Out on the edge of glory (Yeah)
And I'm hanging on a moment with you
(hanging on a moment of truth)
I'm on the edge, the edge
The edge, the edge, the edge
The edge, the edge
I'm on the edge of glory
And I'm hanging on a moment with you
New Directions: With you, with you, with you, with you
I'm on the edge with you
With you, with you, with you, with you
I'm on the edge with you
Most of the girls left the stage and Rachel took center stage with a spotlight shining directly on her.
Rachel: There were nights when the wind was so cold
That my body froze in bed
If I just listened to it
Right outside the window
There were days when the sun was so cruel
That all the tears turned to dust
And I just knew my eyes were
Drying up forever
(Girls: Forever...)
Rachel: I finished crying in the instant that you left
And I can't remember where or when or how
And I banished every memory you and I had ever made
When you touch me like this
And you hold me like that
I just have to admit
That it's all coming back to me
It's all coming back
It's all coming back to me now
There were moments of gold
And there were flashes of light
There were nights of endless pleasure
It was more than any laws allow
Baby! Baby! Baby!
When you touch me like this
And you hold me like that
It was gone with the wind
But it's all coming back to me
I can barely recall
But it's all coming back to me NOW!
Everyone returned to the stage including the guys.
Finn: I remember every little thing
As if it happened only yesterday
Parking by the lake
And there was not another car in sight
And I never had a girl
Looking any better than you did
And all the kids at school
They were wishing they were me that night
Puck with the New Directions: And now our bodies are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
Kurt and Blaine with the New Directions: And we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Blaine: C'mon, hold tight
C'mon, hold tight
Santana and Brittany with the New Directions: Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
Puck with the New Directions: I can see paradise by the dashboard light
Finn: Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night (Mercedes: deep dark night)
Mercedes: In the deep dark night
Finn with the New Directions: Paradise by
Finn and Mercedes: The dashboard light
Finn: We're gonna go all the way tonight
We're gonna go all the way
And tonight's the night
Finn and Puck with the New Direction Boys: We're gonna go all the way tonight
We're gonna go all the way
And tonight's the night
Finn and Santana with the New Direction Girls: We're gonna go all the way tonight
We're gonna go all the way
And tonight's the night
Finn, Puck, Santana and Mercedes with the New Directions: We're gonna go all the way tonight
We're gonna go all the way
And tonight's the night
Rachel: Stop right there!
I gotta know right now
Before we go any further
Do you love me
Will you love me forever
Do you need me
Will you never leave me
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life
Will you take me away
And will you make me your wife
Finn: Let me sleep on it (New Directions: Sleep on it)
Baby, baby let me sleep on it (New Directions: Sleep on it)
Let me sleep on it
And I'll give you an answer in the morning
Rachel: I gotta know right now!
Do you love me (New Directions: Do you, do you love me)
Will you love me forever
Do you need me (New Directions: Do you, do you need me)
Will you never leave me
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life
(New Directions: Do you never leave me)
Will you take me away (New Directions: Do you, do you)
And will you make me your wife
With New Directions: Do you love me
And will you love me forever
Finn with the New Directions Boys: Let me sleep on it
Rachel with the New Directions Girls: Will you love me forever
Finn with the New Directions Boys: Let me sleep on it
Rachel with the New Directions Girls: Will you love me forever
Finn: I couldn't take it any longer
Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a tidal wave
I started swearing to my god
And on my mother's grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore I would love you to the end of time
Finn with Rachel and the New Directions: So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
Finn: But God only knows what I can do right now
Finn with the New Directions: I'm praying for the end of time
It's all that I can do (Mercedes: All that I can do!)
Prayin' for the end of time
So I can end my time with you! (Mercedes: You! Yeah!)
Finn with the New Directions (Rachel): It was long ago and it was far away (It never felt so good, It never felt so right)
And it was so much better than it is today. (And we were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife)
It was long ago and it was far away (It never felt so good, It never felt so right)
And it was so much better than it is today. (And we were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife)
It was long ago and it was far away (It never felt so good, It never felt so right)
And it was so much better than it is today. (And we were glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife)
Finn, Rachel and Mercedes with the New Directions: Felt so right!
Felt so good!
Paradise!
The audience was on it's feet clapping and shouting as they left the stage.
"I think I am going to wait outside," Jeff said once all of the original Glee Club members had returned to the theatre to watch the rest of the competition.
"Don't you want to see our competition?" Alejandra asked.
"No, it would only make me nervous and doubt how we did."
"True," Alejandro agreed.
"They're about to announce the winners," Sam told them as they went inside and onto the stage.
"It is time to announce the winners of this year's National Show Choir Championship!" the announcer shouted, "In third place, from Portland, Oregon, The Portland Scale Blazers! Now, the 2012 Show Choir National Champions... from McKinley High in Lima, Ohio, the New Directions!"
With that, confetti fell and the group jumped up and down, hugging each other and crying.
About fifteen minutes later, in the hall
"Well, I guess it is time for us to say goodbye," Jeff said, crying a bit.
"Don't cry," Alyssa encouraged, "Maybe we will come back some day."
"That would be great!" Ulises shouted, "I wasn't here as long as you guys."
"Yeah, I wouldn't mind coming back either," Alejandro and Eduwiges said together.
"Well, I will probably have to go back to Minnesota when we leave here," Jarrett stated.
"And I have to go to Portland," Bella added.
"I wish we could all stay together forever," Ivan said.
"Maybe you guys will," future Jeff interrupted, "Are you guys ready to go?"
"I think so," Jeff replied, and, with that, they all joined hands and vanished in a flash of light.