PREVIOUSLY: Rachel woke up from her forced nap, and Finn and Mercedes were happy. Especially Finn.

Mike Chang who had stayed back at the auditorium for the whole time the rest of the team was at Michael Baxter's house, received a visit from Michael's eldest brother Jack. He encouraged him to make up for what went wrong, and be the first to make a move. Mike agreed and decided to go to the house.

With everyone almost together a meal had been organized and a few were late to it, especially Puck, and upon seeing Mike enter the room, Puck couldn't handle it, and was getting up to leave, as did Kurt, Blaine, Santana and Brittany. But Puck went to Mike, and wanted to hit him, but Rachel asked for no more violence only for Puck to deliver a tirade at her, which upset Finn, and he got up, and smacked Puck, which caused a fight.

Michael was forced to step in, and made everyone go to their rooms, while he contemplated on giving the whole thing up.

And now the continuation:

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CHAPTER 22 - CRISIS MEETING

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Michael was fuming. He was pacing backwards and forwards in his home office. His brother Jack, had returned, after getting notified of the situation, and was trying to calm his brother down.

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"There is so much hatred in this group, Jack," said an upset Michael "I can't get them all in the same room together."

Jack sat in the chair, relaxed and calm.

"You knew going this that this would be tough in the first few months," started Jack "You spent a whole month getting them together individually. Then you got them together this morning and laid down the ground rules. It's going to take a while to get them to work together."

"It just feels too hard."

"Okay then," said Jack nodding his head "Do what you threatened to do and release them all from their contracts, and that will be the end of it. Come back to San Antonio, and fully focus on your work."

Michael stopped and shook his head "There's always going to be a what if? What if I did that? No I need to see it through."

"There's the Michael I like seeing," smiled Jack "Do you want me to have a word with them?"

"But that would like you over ruling me," replied Michael, "But knowing you, you're going to do it anyway."

"Too right I am. You've worked too damn hard for it to fall to pieces like this. As your over protective brother I need to do this."

"Like I said you're going to do it anyways. I can't stop you. How do you want it done?"

"Put them all together."

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The New Directions Alumni were all shown into a conference room on the 4th Floor of Michael's house, they were led in, in single fire, and in complete silence. They had been shown to their rooms after the incident, where they stayed for over an hour while Michael was trying to figure out what to do.

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Rachel had been all upset, after what Puck had said, so Finn had been allowed to go into see her, to help settle her down, which worked.

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Rachel seemed calm as she sat down between Finn and Mercedes. Puck was over the other side of the table sporting a black eye, which Finn had given him. He was refusing to look at Rachel.

Mike was the last one of the group to come into the room. He sat down at the end of the table. There were security guards all around the room, leaning on the walls. They were waiting for any confrontation to go down.

"It feels like we're in prison," Puck mumbled

"Give it a rest Puckerman," said Santana "Your outburst started this mess."

Puck looked across at Santana, who was sitting next to Mercedes, who was sitting next to Rachel, and gave Santana a stare, but the stare went away when he made eye contact with Rachel. Finn glared at him.

"Sorry Rachel for what I said before, I was just so angry."

"It's okay Noah," replied Rachel softly "It's true though, I'm not much use to the team."

"At the moment," said Finn looking at Rachel "You just need to get your confidence back, and you'll be fine."

Rachel looked at Finn and smiled. He was always supporting her.

Suddenly Michael walked through the door, followed by Jack. They walked to the front of the room. Quinn bit her bottom lip the moment she saw Michael. Michael had a briefcase with him.

He put the briefcase down on the table, and opened it. All eyes were on him. He took out a pile of paperwork. It was their contracts.

"It's pretty clear to me," started Michael "It was a mistake that I thought I could bring you all together and work together as a team to win the Worlds, but it's obvious I can't do that. Therefore all your wishes have come true, and I will release you all from your contracts, effective immediately. There will be no repercussions. You all can keep the $1 Million. I don't care anymore."

Everyone just sat there stunned. Michael was fuming, and it was clear to them that he had, had enough.

Finn was looking around at his friends, and saw their reaction of shock. He decided to make a stand.

"Hold on Mr Baxter. Some of us don't want you to do that!"

"No you hold on, Mr Hudson," said Michael "This is not open for discussion."

"Why not?"

"Because I gave you all several chances, and it clear to me you don't want to be here."

"Most of us do," said Finn

"And there it is in a nutshell," replied Michael "MOST DO. Not everyone. I want everyone involved or not at all."

"But..." started Finn

Jack held up his hand.

"Take a seat Mr Hudson, please."

Finn shook his head, and sat down. Jack looked at his brother who took a step back. Jack then looked at everyone, some had confused looks on their faces.

"My name is Jack Baxter. Most of you who don't know, I am Michael's older brother. I'm the one who has put the cash along with the rest of my brothers to make the World Championship of Show Choirs."

Everyone just stared at Jack.

"I must say I thought it would be quite an honor standing in front of you guys, THE New Directions, but at the moment, it's a major disappointment."

Everyone seemed to bow their heads in disbelief.

"My brother has been driving us all crazy for years, saying how good you all were back in the day, and when we introduced the World Championship of Show Choirs, he knew what he wanted above all. That drove us crazy. He wanted to bring you guys back.

"He knew this was going to be hard, as he knew the history. But because you guys were his idols, that never stopped him. The whole month he spent signing you guys up, he never once stopped in his belief that he couldn't bring all you guys together. And look what he did. He brought you guys together.

"He didn't know the full history of what broke you guys up, but that didn't stop him. He was just buzzing that he brought his idols back together. But that buzz fell after what happened earlier. And just by talking with him that buzz has now almost totally disappeared. The word Idol is almost gone from his vocabulary too.

"One of my jobs of financing the World Championship of Show Choirs, is to sign off on those groups who have come together, and are serious about competing to be World Champions, and I must say, you guys pale in comparison with a lot, and I mean a lot of those teams out there across the world. You guys aren't even up to being Sectionals standard. And that's being fair."

"We don't have to sit here and be insulted," said Puck standing up

"That's right you don't, Mr Puckerman," replied Jack "But you earned that right to be insulted judging by your performance over the last 12 hours. YOU, Yourself, Mr Puckerman, own my brother big time. He forced you into rehab because if he hadn't of forced you, no doubt, you would be dead soon, if you kept drinking. 10 years of constant drinking would do that to you."

Everyone looked at Puck, and Puck just sat down embarrassed.

"What I've seen over the last 12 hours is that the rest of you needed to come together sooner, to talk out your issues, and it seems some of you have done just that. It looks like Mr Hummel, and Mr Anderson are back together, same can be said with Miss Lopez, and Miss Pierce, and of Mr Hudson, and Miss Berry. You guys should be thanking Michael for the chance to come together.

"Where am I getting to with what I'm saying? It's obvious. You guys need each other, the whole 15 of you. And you guys need Michael too. In a way, Michael need you guys, his IDOLS, as well. He's not the same if his focus has been broken by the earlier incidences.

"I know that there is still a lot of pain to work through. I also know that there is still a lot of trust that has been broken, and needs building back up. For this to work you need the systems that Michael has put in place for you guys back in Lima. He has spent a lot of money, on you guys, so that you can feel comfortable in competing.

"He could have just brought all you guys together and left it at that. Let you rip yourselves apart, and fail at the Sectionals, and then be on your way. But he didn't. Michael cares. He wants you guys to sort through the issues as well. We know it won't happen overnight, but it will work itself out.

"My brother is a quitter, and you guys never quit anything in the past, and I know some of you want to quit, but I urge you not too. Just please start being respectful. To each other. Get your shit together, and work through the issues.

"Michael, what will it take for you to be brought back from the edge of releasing everyone?"

Michael looked out at the New Directions Alumni, some of them looked ashamed with themselves.

"We need to work together," started Michael "As one. We need everyone to be on the same page, we need to be respectful, and most importantly, no more fighting."

"Now I said before," said Jack "That you weren't Sectionals stand. My brother believes you guys can be World Champions. He has that much faith in you guys. I have faith in my brother. If he says that you can be World Champions, then I believe it when he says that you can be World Champions. But you need to prove that to me. So if you all want to be a part of this team still, and everyone must agree to it, otherwise I'll instruct Michael to go ahead with tearing up the contracts, and you guys can go home free as a bird. No one's holding anyone here any more. But I want to see a show of hands of who wishes to stay, who wishes to put in the hard work, and give it a shot of competing to become World Champions?"

No sooner had Jack finished talking, everyone was shocked to see Rachel put up her hand first. Finn smiled, and put up his hand. The two leaders, of the group, as usual, leading by example.

Kurt, Blaine, Santana, and Brittany all put up their hands at the same time, followed by Tina, Kitty, Mercedes and Sam.

Artie then raised his had, followed by Jake and Quinn.

This left Puck and Mike, as the last two. Mike put up his hand, and everyone looked at Puck.

"It's either go to the Worlds together, Dude," started Finn "Or go our separate ways. After 10 years of not being together, I know which one I prefer."

Puck shook his head and sighed. He raised his hand. Jack smiled and looked at Michael.

"I need you to keep a check on your attitude and your anger, Mr Puckerman," said Michael "Otherwise this won't work,"

"I promise to behave," said Puck "If Mike stays out of my way."

"Easy done," said Mike

"Then I'm in 100 percent."

Michael took one look at the contracts, that he had placed on the table, and was in contemplation mode. Jack looked at him, but smiled when he placed the contracts back in the briefcase.

"Last chance," said Michael looking at the New Directions Alumni "Next time I'll just walk away."

There was silence from everyone.

"Okay I'm sure some of you are hungry still," said Michael with a slight smile on his face "So there is food in the kitchen you can heat up. Tomorrow is a big day. Today has been one too mind you. Tomorrow you guys are going back to Lima. I suggest have something to eat, and then get some rest. You are all excused."

Michael and Jack watched the New Directions Alumni get up and they all filed out of the room.

"That went well I thought," smiled Jack

"I was this close, this close," said Michael putting up two fingers "To giving it all away."

"I could tell," replied Jack "Which was quite unlike you."

"Well you worked your Jack Baxter magic. Very impressive as usual."

"Let's hope it does the trick," smiled Jack

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Let's hope it does do the trick, as the New Directions Alumni were nearly forced to disband. Can they work together? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned.