A/N: worth noting again that this is slightly AU, since I've messed with a few end-of-season details as given below.

Puck was furious when he read the text from Blaine saying that they couldn't get the auditorium after all. They needed that damned auditorium. And it belonged to Glee Club, April Rhodes had paid for it for them, so what the hell was going on? He broke a few speed limits as he drove to McKinley, determined to get rid of whatever was getting in their way.

Hard to believe he was back in these halls, even harder to believe he was going to the principal's office willingly. He spotted Blaine hovering outside the office door.

"Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury are with Principal Figgins now," Blaine said as Puck came up to him. "I'm not sure what's going on, but apparently it's something about the school's insurance."

"Insurance?" Who the hell worries about insurance? Puck stared at Blaine, who shrugged. "Screw waiting," Puck said, and stormed into the office.

"What the hell is going on?" Puck fumed at the people in the room: Will Schuester, Emma Pillsbury, and Principal Figgins. "It's a Saturday morning in the auditorium and I know Glee has first dibs."

Figgins glared at the intruder. "But this isn't a Glee event, and the school insurance won't cover it," he stated.

"This is bullshit," Puck shouted.

"Control yourself, Mister Puckerman," Figgins droned.

"Or what? I've graduated. Yeah, I actually got my fucking high school diploma from this shithole, I'm even proud of it if you can believe that, and now you're treating the dude that helped me do it like he's garbage, not worth the trouble to help, and you want me to control myself? No fucking way."

"It's not our role to do things like that, this is a high school," the principal replied, staring insistently back at Puck, then casting his gaze over the others in the room.

"No, Puck's right, Principal Figgins," Will said. "A lot of people here owe a lot to Finn Hudson, myself included, it's not right that we don't help him when he needs it."

"It's out of my hands, Will. It's not a school sanctioned event and our insurance won't cover it."

"It's singing a few songs," Emma protested.

"It's an ad-hoc intervention for a young man who's seeing a psychiatrist. The potential liability –"

Puck leaned over the principal's desk. "Do not talk about Finn like he's a nutjob."

Figgins leaned back, looking apologetic. "My words were poorly chosen. But without talking to his doctor, I am concerned that whatever you are planning could cause trouble, and expose the school to risk from which we see no benefit. No matter how sympathetic I am to Mister Hudson's plight, I have a responsibility to the school and the district."

Will grumbled and was about to say something, but was stilled by Emma's hand on his arm.

"Of course you have a responsibility," Emma said. "And especially now, when things have turned around so well for the school and its image, I can see that you don't want to risk any of the progress we've made here at McKinley."

Puck stepped back and gave her a look of anger and betrayal. She gave a slight wave to caution him not to interrupt, her face intent as she looked back at Figgins.

"I was glad to hear that the district looked so favorably at the data I provided you on last year's graduating class, it must be a real feather in your cap to be able to show all that success," Emma continued. Figgins gave a small demurring smile, which she returned with a seemingly innocent one. "In fact, why don't you bring up that graduation table we worked on?"

"I hardly think these are the circumstances..." Figgins frowned.

"Nonsense, these are perfect circumstances. I can bring in a copy if you have a hard time finding it, after all it is the data from my office," Emma went on. Puck was puzzled, his face set as he watched her; Will was starting to smile, having realized where she was going with this.

Figgins continued to frown, but he went to one of the folders on his desk and brought out a piece of paper with a table of numbers, showing the number of McKinley seniors from the 2011-2012 school year, broken down by their status: did not complete, graduated but not in college, local college, college in Ohio, college in a neighboring state, college outside of the region. Two bar graphs showed the results proportionally compared to the district and state averages and to the previous two years at McKinley, both showing a very favorable comparison for that year's results.

"Yes, that's the one," Emma said, stepping forward to Figgins's desk, moving Puck out of the way with a light touch on his arm. "And I remember you saying, just last week, how impressed the school board was with these results, how it was really counteracting the whole 'Lima Loser' stereotype and even encouraging families to move to the area, now that they see that we can help their children find a future. And I've certainly noticed many more students with greater ambitions for their lives. Success is catching."

"That's right," Will joined in. "It's even starting to affect house prices." He gave a small grimace. "Which is annoying, we've been looking and we're going to have to pay more thanks to our own success, but the agent did say something about it being partly due to the school."

"Fine, yes, of course," Figgins said. "But what is your point, Ms. Pillsbury?"

Emma smiled. "My point is that these are numbers but they're also people. And as guidance counselor, I know who those people are and what it took for them to get where they are now." She tapped the first two numbers. "Noah here is already attesting that he, at least, might have been in the 'dropout' instead of 'graduated' number if not for Finn and for Glee Club, that's right, isn't it Noah?"

Puck cleared his throat. "Yes. Definitely."

Emma nodded. "Now let's consider some of the others. Neighboring states – well there's Santana Lopez, she's in Kentucky. Of course her scholarship is for cheer, but it's performing in general that interests her. And Sam Evans, out-of-state is a bit of a technicality since his family moved, but he was dropping out to work before he was convinced to come back to McKinley. So that's two for Glee Club." Figgins nodded, and Emma went on, tapping the "college outside the region" number. "This one's so impressive, don't you think? Especially given how things used to be. Hardly anyone from McKinley used to go outside of Ohio for college, and most of those just went to a neighboring state. The athletes have all stayed in state, as usual, except for Rick Nelson at Michigan." She smiled at the clearly discomfited Figgins, her eyes hard. "What does this say? The number."

Figgins cleared his throat. "Seven."

"Yes, that's what I think is there too. The previous year it was zero. I see you went with the full seven, instead of six." She gave him a pointed frown. Puck looked at her with an expression bordering on awe; he'd clearly underestimated her.

"Ah..." Figgins looked uncomfortable.

"Why don't I count those people off for you," Emma said, her smile returning. "West to East." She paused. "One. Mercedes Jones, UCLA vocal program, Glee club diva. Two. Jake Davies, also at UCLA, in their jazz music program. Guitarist from Jazz Band; he's very talented, of course, but I happen to know that on his application he highlighted the wide experience he's had backing up the Glee singers, week after week of a wide variety of music, and he won a full scholarship that was very competitive. He wouldn't have been able to afford to go without it." She took a deep breath, her smile gone. "Closer to home, number Three, Mike Chang studying dance at Columbia College Chicago. This one's arguable, I suppose, since he would have been heading out of state anyway, and perhaps you'd like it even more if he had gone to medical school instead of dance school, but he's following his dream, he's happier and much more likely to succeed."

Figgins gave a small nod and a frown, as if to concede her point.

"Moving to the East Coast. Four, Quinn Fabray at Yale. Ivy League, that's amazing coming out of Lima Ohio. Of course Quinn's always been bright, but she's had to overcome a lot, and I remember that three years ago her entire college ambition was to cheer at Ohio State." She swallowed, starting to tear up as her count progressed. "Five and Six, Kurt Hummel and Rachel Berry, both at NYADA, the top musical theater program in the country. Two out of only twenty in the incoming class, and I know you've made a big deal about that. Rachel was always New York bound, Kurt who knows, but the Nationals win was instrumental in getting them both into NYADA. Which brings me to number seven –" Emma choked back a sob, and felt Will's hand grip hers in support. She blinked back tears.

"Number Seven, who I see you decided to count anyway, Finn Hudson, City University of New York, current status deferred. Guess you're not giving up on him after all, though a few minutes ago you sure fooled me." Emma turned aside and wiped her eyes, her litany over. Will squeezed her hand and stepped forward to finish the argument.

"I've said a lot of times that Glee Club changes lives for the better. I know it changed mine, and right there you can see that the bulk of your impressive and improved statistics, what's raising the profile of this school and the ambitions of its students, is due to the support of Glee Club. A Glee Club that almost died twice within a few months of it starting, but kept going because one young man stepped up when he was needed, despite how difficult it was for him."

"Three times," Puck said, drawing a quizzical look from Will. "No details right now, but trust me, it's three times. At least."

Will nodded at Puck, then turned back to Figgins. "Now I'm not asking for more money for Glee – at least not right now, maybe I should – but I'm asking for your help. Maybe that's harder to do. But we owe Finn Hudson. There's something so wrong with our taking the benefit of what he's done but leaving him behind. He can't ask for this, he can't even know what's going on, and yes, we're just trying something on our own. But we think it could help him, and we need the auditorium."

Figgins sighed. "But what about the insurance? It only covers school activities."

Will looked over at Puck again. "Well what did you tell Finn is going on, Puck? You must have told him something to get him to come."

Puck shrugged. "Glee rehearsal, running through some old numbers with the new choir members to give them some experience. He's been getting back into singing so we talked him into participating and showed him the moves he needs for the first number. That's the only one he knows about, and that'll be where it ends unless he keeps going himself."

"So it's a Glee rehearsal. And unless it works, that's all it is." Will looked intently at Figgins. "Finn's an adult and he's not a student, so he'd basically have to complain himself for this to be a problem."

"And he won't," Puck insisted. "He'd have to go after me too, and right now he'd do almost anything for a chance at remembering."

Figgins looked from Puck to Will, taking in Emma's hopeful and persistent look as well. He cleared his throat. "I wish your students all the best at their Glee rehearsal, Will," he said in a clearly enunciated monotone, staring intently back at Will. "You are lucky to have such dedicated former members to help you."

Will nodded, smiling. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Please."

Saturday morning at ten there were a mixed group of Glee people in the McKinley auditorium: a few new members, the core of continuing members, some of the guys from the jazz band who'd helped them out before plus instrumentalists for the songs, Brad at the keyboard, the lighting tech, and Will and Emma waiting quietly backstage. Sam was there, acting like just another Glee Club member; he and Mike had been there for a while with the current members, getting them used to the routines as a unit and teaching them a few new moves that Mike wanted to pass onto the club for future use.

Finn arrived with Puck and was welcomed back by the others. Mike thanked him for joining in, pushing the fiction that this was a Glee rehearsal, and once Finn and Puck joined the rest of them, Blaine and Artie stepped out of the group while Mike talked the rest through the backing choreography one last time.

Mike showed everyone their places to start "Control", getting ready for the run-through, and gave Finn a few extra pointers as he reached Finn's initial spot at center back.

"And if you get lost just look at Puck," Mike encouraged him. "You mirror him, once you get past the opening position."

"Okay," Finn raised his eyebrows, then grinned. "I just hope I stay clear of the others, wouldn't want anyone..." to get hurt... his grin faded rapidly and he trailed off in thought, the repeated idea coming back to him, and more of it this time, that it had been dance rehearsal like now... He stared off into space, grimacing at the sudden rush of guilt, a thought coming into his head: 'The one person I didn't want to hurt any more.'

Finn blinked, the thought fading, and he glanced briefly at Mike, who had frozen next to him so as not to distract him. "I need to talk to Blaine," he muttered. "Blaine?" he called out, moving towards him, still distracted.

"Yes, what is it, Finn?" Blaine moved to meet him.

"When I hurt someone. It was dancing, right? And it was Rachel." He exhaled as his brain seemed to shift, making sense of the remembered thought. And that feeling of guilt, he knew that feeling, he'd felt the same way after that disastrous dinner at Breadstix and other times too. The 'I've hurt Rachel again' feeling he'd grown to hate so much. "Rachel, when we were split up."

"Uh, I wasn't there..." Blaine demurred, wanting to get on with the number as planned.

"Come on, you know about it, just tell me," Finn insisted. He had to know, make conscious sense of it before it slipped away.

Blaine saw the conviction in Finn's eyes, and nodded reluctantly. "Yes, it was Rachel, at dance rehearsal. And yes, it was while you were broken up. Do you see it?"

"No, just a thought, like I remembered what I thought at the time. 'The one person I didn't want to hurt any more.' It just had to be her, and then. I felt so guilty." He stood there for a while, letting it sink in, wishing that he could see or feel it as well, more than just words and a scrap of emotion. Though that was more than he'd had before. "Thanks," he told Blaine. "No wonder she was so sure that everything was fine later." He exhaled, letting the suddenness of the thought dissipate as he stood there for a few moments. He still didn't know how he'd hurt her, but she'd been so insistent that it was an accident, and everything had healed... she'd been more concerned about him feeling bad about having done it.

Finally he nodded, and he became aware that everyone was waiting for him.

"You okay, Finn?" Puck called out to him, seeing him straighten up. He'd been worried when Finn had started acting weird, but everything seemed to have settled down now.

"Ah, yep," Finn called back. "Better get back into it," he said, mostly to himself, getting his focus back onto what they were going to do. He went back to his spot, and everyone else went back to their places. He talked to Mike again briefly, then they all got ready to start "Control". The lights dimmed, a spotlight picked out Tina, and she started.

Once Blaine moved forward to sing, the rest of them started to dance, Finn among them, doing the steps like he'd walked through. It was easier as part of the group, staying in step with the others in front of him and beside him. It felt good.

Doing the movements, singing backup to Blaine and Artie – Finn felt alive, performing, everything flowing. Dimly he recognized that this was because he'd done it before, that's why it felt right. He started to have it become automatic... but he pushed that back, grabbing onto the memory of the movements without losing himself, staying consciously aware while still becoming one with the performance. I can do this, he told himself. He felt rather than saw Puck at the far end, his counterpart in the formation.

Then the last notes of "Control" finished, and they turned their backs to the empty auditorium. The lights went dark. The others held their breath as the intro to "Man in the Mirror" started, the spotlight came on... and Finn stepped into it and started to sing. (*)

I'm gonna make a change, for once in my life

The others exchanged excited grins. Finn was surprised at what he was doing, but kept singing, living in the performance. This is right, he thought, feeling the buzz, the adrenalin of performing lifting him. Artie rolled forward to join him.

It's gonna feel real good, gonna make a difference

And Finn continued alone:
Gonna make it right

He felt Puck step forward to his left, and he listened to his friend, feeling the music run through him and the rhythm carry him along. Then Blaine, then Sam... all five guys coming together, as one with the song just as they'd been then. He knew this, he'd done it before, and he remembered doing it before. Finn kept singing and moving, feeling it all flow, the song, his part, the movements, feeling it and remembering it. And feeling the same power and strength of leading the number, too, the energy of the others surrounding him and supporting him as the piece built.

I'm starting with the man in the mirror, oh yeah

It had felt triumphant the first time, performing this, but that had nothing on how he felt doing it now, soaring, his exhilaration at remembering added to the thrill and power inherent in the memory itself.

Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right while you got the time
'Cause when you close your heart
Then you close your mind

They ended with cheers, as they had in their performance, but for an entirely different reason. "You guys!" Finn shouted, hugging them, overcome with elation as he felt the sureness of having done it before, remembering how it had gone, even seeing the white suits they had worn. "Holy shit, I don't believe it!" Blaine shook his hand, and even that brought the memory back, of their pact to pull together for the sake of the club and that competition. He didn't understand why, since he and Blaine got along fine, but he remembered that anyway. And he knew, beyond any doubt, that this memory was real.

Finn bent down, breathing hard, the memory still there. Again there. He stayed like that for a moment, just taking it all in, then straightened and turned to the others, grinning widely and shaking his head in disbelief at how they'd tricked him into remembering.

"That was quite the con job, Puck. Just a run-through, huh? Good thing I'm gullible." Finn laughed and slapped his best friend on the shoulder, then hugged him spontaneously. "God, thanks, Puck. All of you. Seriously. I – I was giving up," he admitted. "I thought I'd never remember and I was just going to have to rebuild my life without any of it. Just, thank you."

Puck pulled back and grinned at Finn. "And now?"

"Now? It's not much, but I remember when we did this before, it's there, I can see it and feel it, it's solid. And to remember anything... I feel like a giant." Finn threw his head back and crowed.

Sam came up and slapped him on the back. "You kind of are a giant, dude."

Finn laughed again. "A real one, Sam. Ten feet tall."

"You know me?" Sam asked, smiling.

"Yeah, sure I do..." Finn trailed off thoughtfully, then grinned again. "Yeah, I know you! A bit, anyway." Suddenly the man in his own mirror wasn't such a stranger any more. He looked out into the empty auditorium, seeing what he'd seen then, the seats filled, his eyes drawn to a short dark-haired girl in a black-and-white dress. "Rachel..." he mumbled. "She was there. She looked really happy." Her eyes and smile, her whole face shining at me. "I remember her here, I can see her," he breathed, tears starting to come to his eyes.

"Yeah, she was there," Blaine said.

"I mean I remember this number, and everything around it, even Sam coming back for it," Finn said. "She was watching, smiling, she was so proud of me." And I was proud too, proud that we'd done it without her and that I could do it for her. I remember. God, I remember.

"That's right," Blaine replied.

"Do you remember why she wasn't singing?" Artie asked.

"She..." Finn shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to let the thoughts simply come, one leading to another.

"Don't worry about it," Puck said, but Finn waved him off.

"She was suspended," Finn said, looking up again. "Figgins wouldn't let her sing at Sectionals. Something she'd tried to do... for Kurt?"

"Yep," Artie nodded with a grin.

"The rest's a blank," Finn said, lost in wonder. "But I got this, I got this, thanks to you guys!" He yelled wordlessly again, pushing the sound to the ceiling as he leaned back and spread his arms wide in exultation. The others stared at him.

He laughed at their reaction and shook his head. "I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to remember any of it, not consciously. Thank you, just thank you." He exhaled. "Let's celebrate, lunch is on me. Breadstix." I remember, I actually remember something. And Rachel. And this worked, so... He hardly dared hope that he could get more the same way, but it was a start. He could remember. He did.

Backstage, Will and Emma had tears in their eyes, so happy at hearing the success of the number and Finn's obvious joy at remembering it.

"Do you want to go out there?" Emma asked Will.

"No," he replied. He gave her a quiet smile as he shook his head. "This is their triumph, they did this. I'm so proud of all of them."

* "Man in the Mirror", as performed by Michael Jackson, written by Siedah Garrett and Glen Ballard.