Wow, I'm done with the Finchel versions of the Season 1 episodes! Thanks so much for your reviews, they mean a lot. And since this is my all time favorite episode of Glee, I was really excited to write this one! There were even more Finchel scenes I wanted to add in but I was worried the chapter would be too long! The next chapter will fill the time gap between Season 1 and Season 2. Hope you enjoy this chapter and review if you want me to keep going!
Chapter 22: Journey to Regionals
Rachel looked at the schedule for Regionals. Tonight the glee club would be going to Mr. Schue's to pick out songs to sing and Rachel had a few in mind (mostly ones she thought would sound good with her and Finn.) The performance order wasn't up yet, but they were competing against Vocal Adrenaline and a team called Aural Intensity from a school in Indiana. She scanned down the page to see the judges: Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John, the local news anchor Rod Remington... and Sue Sylvester.
Coach Sylvester? Why was she judging Regionals? She hated glee clubs. Then it came to Rachel. She was there to make sure the glee club lost. She'd probably blackmailed someone from the show choir governing board into letting her do it.
Rachel picked up the phone and called Finn.
"Hey," Finn said.
"Hey," Rachel said. "Finn, Coach Sylvester is a judge at Regionals!"
"What?!" Finn gasped.
"Yeah," Rachel said. "Now for sure we won't be going to Nationals..." She wasn't sure if they could beat Vocal Adrenaline, since they were so technically skilled, but she was holding on to hope. And she'd almost forgotten that if they didn't place at Regionals, the school would disband the club. Now that came back to her.
"Don't say that, Rach," Finn said. "There's other judges."
"Yeah, but this is Coach Sylvester we're talking about," Rachel said. She knew Sue would likely bully the other judges into voting against them.
"Regionals are going to be fine," Finn said. "I know it. I have a feeling that you and I are going to get a duet, and we're going to lead the group numbers and Jesse will be humiliated."
Rachel had to smile at Finn's optimism, though she still wasn't so sure. "Want me to give you a ride to Mr. Schue's for the set list planning?"
"Sure," Finn said. "I'll see you soon."
Rachel hung up the phone and sent a quick text to the other glee club members telling them what she'd heard before getting in her car to pick up Finn. If glee ended, she would miss him so much. They'd become closer this year than she'd ever been to anyone. What would happen if glee club ended? Would he not want to hang out anymore?
Rachel arrived at Finn's house, trying to keep those thoughts out of her mind. They drove quietly to Mr. Schue's, where everone else had already arrived. Several boxes of pizza were set on the coffee table, but everyone was sitting around looking sad. No one needed to say why.
Mr. Schue came in. "No one wants any pizza? All right, well, uh, let's get started. Thank you for coming to the first annual New Directions' Regionals' set list nominations party."
Artie spoke up. "What's the point, Mr. Schue? Coach Sylvester's one of the judges. She's gonna crush us."
Rachel could tell by the look on Mr. Schue's face that he knew. "Artie, you don't know that."
"Yes, we do. She told us at Cheerios practice," Santana admitted.
"Yeah, she said, 'I'm going to crush Glee Club,'" Brittany backed up.
"A whole freaking year. All that hard work for nothing," Puck complained.
Tina started crying. "I'm sorry. I just really love you guys. You know how many Facebook friends I had before I joined Glee Club? Two. My parents. Rachel was right. Being a part of something special, it made me special. I just can't believe it's going to be over in a week."
"Wait. Who says it's going to be over?" Finn said.
"Please. You think Puck and Santana are going to even acknowledge my existence once we're not in Glee Club together anymore?" Mercedes asked.
"She has a point," Puck said.
Rachel felt herself starting to cry now. "Mr. Schuester? Do you think instead of nominating songs, we can just all go around the room and talk about things that we loved about Glee Club this year?"
Mr. Schue looked defeated. "All right. Who has something to say?"
Rachel wanted to say something, but someone else beat her. "I do," Finn said. "At the beginning of the year, I appeared to be on top of the school, but I was really near the bottom. I appeared to have friends, but it was my position that people liked. I was being pressured into doing things that I didn't want to do and people were talking about me behind my back. Then I joined Glee and I made real friends." He looked at Rachel. "I realized that even though I can't make everyone happy, I can make myself happy, and this year, I began to feel happy for the first time in a while. So, thank you all for making that possible."
Rachel was crying even more now. "This was the first time I really was a part of something. Yes, I joined a bunch of clubs at school, but that was mostly to pad my resume. I really loved being in glee club, and I know I didn't always treat you guys like it, but I love all of you, too. You're all wonderful people and I'm going to miss you and I'm sorry I was never the best teammate." She didn't know what else to say.
x
Finn was worried about Glee, but he couldn't believe that Rachel was really willing to just give up like that. This was Rachel! He made up his mind that he was going to get her to lead them to a Regionals victory. He found her in the hall at school and went up to her. "Hey! We need to talk. We had a chance of keeping it together at Mr. Schue's until you decided to bail. You're our leader, Rachel. The way you're on everyone all the time is annoying, but it's also what keeps the club motivated. You and I are going to fix this. We're going to Regionals, and we're going to win this thing."
Rachel smiled over at Finn and leaned in and kissed him. Finn didn't know what to say. "Thanks."
"I've been waiting to do that," Rachel said softly.
"You have?" Finn asked.
"Yeah," Rachel said. "You think we can do this?"
Finn wasn't sure, but he had to get Rachel to think so. "I know we can." Together, they went to the choir room.
"Mr. Schuester, Finn and I have something we want to say to you," Rachel said.
"Me first," Mr. Schue said. "Have a seat. At the beginning of the year, there were five of you in here. And we sucked. I mean, we really sucked. Bad. One day, all of you are going to be gone. And all of this, all of us will be nothing but a hazy memory. It will take you a second to remember everyone's name. Someone will have to remind you of the songs we sung, the solos you got or didn't get. Life only really has one beginning and one end, and the rest is just a whole lot of middle. And I love you guys too much to let you not make the most of it. Now, I was going to quit once, but you guys brought me back with " Don't Stop Believing." It was a nine, but we are going to make it a ten."
Finn was actually hoping that they'd do that again. "We're doing Don't Stop at Regionals?" Rachel asked.
"And then some," Rachel said. "We are doing a Journey medley. Because who cares what happens when we get there when the getting there has been so much fun? Rachel? You had something you wanted to say?"
Rachel looked thrilled. "Just that we're all really glad you didn't become an accountant."
"Regionals, here we come!" Mr. Schue said. "Now for our other songs. I was thinking of opening with a duet, Faithfully. Finn, Rachel, would you like to do it?"
Finn couldn't believe it. A romantic duet with Rachel? "Yeah, I'd love that. I love that song."
"Yeah, that's actually one of my favorite classic rock songs," Rachel said, smiling at Finn. "And I'd love to do it with you," she whispered.
Finn smiled back at Rachel. "I was thinking of then doing a mashup of Any Way You Want It and Loving Touching Squeezing," Mr. Schue contined. "And then we'll close with Don't Stop Believing."
"Wow," Finn whispered to Rachel. "This is going to be amazing."
x
About a week later, Regionals had arrived, and the New Directions were sitting backstage. From over the loudspeakers, they could hear that Aural Intensity was performing songs by the judges. "A mash up of Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban. Are you kidding me?! Somebody tipped them off about the judges," Puck exclaimed.
"Guys, we can't get distracted by what the other teams are doing," Rachel said.
Finn was glad that Rachel was back in leadership mode. "We just got to keep our heads in the game and focus," he added.
"Even though we know we can't win?" Santana asked.
"Yes," Mr. Schue said. "If this is only about winning for you guys, then I owe you all an apology, because I've failed you. And we should just all go home, because it means we've already lost. Besides, we have got something that the other groups don't."
"What?" Artie asked.
"Finn's dancing," Mr. Schue said. "Right? Come on. Now let's get out there. We got two minutes. Aural Intensity's almost finished. Bring it in. Come on. Come on. Let's go, go, go, go, go and..."
The group made a circle and cheered before Finn and Rachel went to the back of the auditorium to enter for their duet. Finn looked at Rachel and walked up to her. "Break a leg," Rachel said.
She was so cute, so sweet. "I love you," Finn blurted out. Rachel looked thrilled and gave Finn one of the most beautiful smiles he'd ever seen as the music began. Finn smiled back as he entered the auditorium so they could sing their duet as they made their way from the back of the auditorium to the stage.
Finn: Highway run
Into the midnight sun
Wheels go round and round
You're on my mind
Rachel: Restless hearts
Sleep alone tonight
Sending all my love
Along the wire
Finn and Rachel: And they say that the road
Ain't no place to start a family
But, right down the line it's been you and me
And loving a music man
Ain't always what it's supposed to be
Rachel: Oh boy, you stand by me
Finn and Rachel: I'm forever yours
Faithfully
Rachel: Circus life
Under the big top world
Finn and Rachel: We all need the clowns
To make us smile
Rachel: Through space and time (Finn: Through space and time)
Finn and Rachel: Always another show
Wondering where I am
Lost without you
And being a part ain't easy on this love affair
Two strangers learn to fall in love again
I get the joy of rediscovering you
Finn: Oh girl, you stand by me
Finn and Rachel: I'm forever yours
Faithfully
Rachel and Finn with New Directions: Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh...! (Finn: Faithfully...)
Oh oh oh oh (Rachel: Faithfully)
Oh oh oh oh oh (Rachel: I'm still yours)
oh oh oh oh oh oh
Finn with New Directions: Oh oh oh oh oh
Finn and Rachel with New Directions: Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Rachel: I'm still yours!
New Directions: Oh oh oh oh,
Oh oh oh oh oh
Finn and Rachel with New Directions: Oh oh oh oh oh oh!
New Directions: Oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Finn and Rachel: I'm still yours!
Faithfully...
At the end of the duet, Finn held out his hand for Rachel. As they walked to join the rest of the group, hand in hand, he just felt so proud of her. She'd been perfect, and he thought he sounded pretty good himself. He and Rachel both had big parts in the group numbers, and the first one was beginning.
New Directions: Any way you want it
That's the way you need it
Anyway you want it
Finn: She loves to laugh
She loves to sing
She loves everything
She loves to move
She loves the lovin' things
Rachel: It won't be long, yeah
'Til you're alone
When your love
Oh he hasn't come home
'Cause he's lovin'
He's touchin'
He's squeezin'
Finn and Rachel: Another
New Directions: Any way you want it
That's the way you need it
Any way you want it
He said any way you want it
That's the way you need it
Any way you want it
Na, na, na-na, na-na
Na-na, na-na, na
Na, na, na-na, na
Na-na, na-na, na-na
Puck: I was alone
I never knew
What good love could do
Finn and Rachel: Oooh then we touched
Then we sang
About the lovin' things
Rachel: 'Cause he's lovin'
He's touchin'
He's squeezin'
Rachel and Finn: Another
New Directions: Anyway you want it
That's the way you need it
Anyway you want it
He said any way you want it
That's the way you need it
Anyway you want it
Na, na, na-na, na-na
Na-na, na-na, na
Na, na, na-na, na
Na-na, na-na, na-na
Any way you want it
That's the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That's the way you need it
Any way you want it
That's the way you need it
Any way you want it
Na, na, na-na, na-na (Mercedes: Na na na na!)
Na-na, na-na, na
Na, na, na-na, na (Mercedes: Yeah yeah)
Na-na, na-na, na-na (Mercedes: Na na na na!)
Anyway you want it (Finn: Na, na, na-na, na-na)
That's the way you need it (Finn: Na-na, na-na, na)
Anyway you want it (Finn: Na, na, na-na, na; Na-na, na-na, na-na) (Mercedes: Ooh)
Rachel with New Directions: Any way you want it
That's the way you need it
For the last song, the original six lined up like they did the first time they performed, with the others lined behind them. So far they'd been great, and Finn was sure if they sounded as good on this one, they'd have the title in the bag.
Finn: Just a small town girl
Living in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere
Rachel: Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere
Puck: A singer in a smoky room
Santana: A smell of wine and cheap perfume
Puck and Santana: For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on
Rachel and Artie: Strangers, waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight, people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night
Kurt: Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Kurt and Finn: Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Santana: Some will win
Santana and Puck: Some will lose
Some are born to sing the Blues
Mercedes and Artie: Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows
Searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night
Mercedes: Don't stop!
New Directions:Don't stop believin'
Rachel and Finn: Hold on to that feelin'
New Directions: Streetlight people
Don't stop believin'
Rachel and Finn: Hold on to that feeling
New Directions: Streetlights people
Don't stop!
The crowd applauded, and Finn pulled Rachel in for a big hug. He knew that no matter how the judges voted, they should win today. This was the best any of them had ever sounded.
"That was awesome!" he exclaimed as the glee club left the stage.
"We have got second place in the bag!" Tina said.
"Screw that! We are gonna win this!" Rachel said as she looked at Finn. As everyone went off on their own, Rachel stood on her toes so she could kiss Finn again. "I love you too."
Finn had been waiting to hear those words. He put his arms around Rachel as they deepened their kiss, only to be interrupted by Mr. Schue. "Finn, Rachel, Quinn's in labor."
"What?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah, do either of you want to come along to the hospital?" Mr. Schue asked. "It should be a couple hours before results are ready, so we have time."
"I'll stay, just in case results come in before anyone else can get back," Rachel said quickly.
Finn didn't really want to go. He wasn't on the best of terms with Quinn and Puck lately. "I'll stay, too."
"You should go," Rachel said.
"What?" Finn asked. "But Rachel..."
"I know you and Puck have had a rough year, but he was your best friend at one point," Rachel said. "I'm sure it would mean something to him to have you there."
"You'll be okay by yourself?" Finn asked. He didn't want to leave Rachel alone. As great as they'd sounded, he knew a bias toward Vocal Adrenaline probably existed.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Rachel said. "Keep me updated, okay?"
"Yeah, you keep me updated too," Finn said, giving Rachel a quick kiss on the cheek. He didn't want to leave, especially since he and Rachel had just confessed their love to each other.
x
Rachel wished she hadn't sent Finn to the hospital.
Even though Vocal Adrenaline didn't have the heart or the energy that New Directions had, they were technically skilled, there was no question about it. At the end of their performance, Rachel went looking for Shelby. She knew that they were becoming the new power glee club, and maybe if Shelby didn't want to be a direct mother figure, she could be in Rachel's life in some other way. Rachel finally found Shelby in the lounge and went in. "Congratulations."
Shelby looked up. "Thanks, Rachel."
"But we beat you today," Rachel said. "Jesse's a good singer, but you and I both know he doesn't have much heart. Vocal Adrenaline's best days are behind it. So I have a proposition for you. Come teach at McKinley."
"Excuse me?" Shelby asked.
"You and Mr. Schuester could be co-directors," Rachel said. "We'd be unstoppable. There's so much that you can teach me, so much only you can teach me." There was so much only a mother could teach a daughter.
"Oh, Rachel, I can't do this anymore," Shelby said. "I'm tired of coaching glee club. I want a life. It took meeting you to realize all the stuff that I missed out on. I need some balance, you know? I need a house and a garden and a dog and a family. I missed out on my chance with you, and it kills me. And I can't let that happen again."
Maybe Shelby didn't know what Rachel was trying to say, or maybe she really didn't want to try. Rachel nodded and began to leave. "Where's the rest of your team?" Shelby asked as Rachel was leaving.
"They're at the hospital. Quinn had her baby," Rachel said. She'd gotten a text from Finn saying the nurse had told the group that Quinn's baby girl had been born and that she was beautiful and healthy.
"Is she okay?" Shelby asked.
"Yeah, she's fine. It was a beautiful baby girl," Rachel said before leaving.
The wait was much less nerve-wracking when everyone else got back from the hospital. In Rachel's opinion, they got back just in time. The groups were expected to go to the stage to hear the results. The judges came on stage, and Rachel's heart began beating at a million miles a minute.
"Thank you all for coming," Coach Sylvester said. "As you all know, glee club is such an important… And I honestly can't even finish that sentence. So let's just get to it. The 2010 Midwest Regional Runners-up from Fort Wayne, Indiana, the not-at-all stupidly-named Aural Intensity!"
Rachel was now sure they'd lost. She thought second place was their best hope. Sure enough, then Coach Sylvester said, " And now, your 2010 Midwest Regional Show Choir Champions. Vocal Adrenaline! "
"We didn't even place," Artie mumbled.
They hadn't. Glee was done.
x
Finn and Rachel went to Rachel's house that evening. Despite the fact that they now could finally be together, neither of them were in a particularly happy mood.
"We should have won," Rachel said for what felt like the millionth time.
"Yeah, we should have," Finn agreed. "All our songs were just perfect."
Rachel gave Finn a sad look. "What does this mean for us?"
"What do you mean?" Finn asked.
"Now that Glee's over, we won't be seeing each other as much," Rachel said. She smiled for the first time since they'd heard the results. "Unless of course, we try to. Finn, I love you."
"I love you too," Finn said. "I want us to be together, for real this time."
"Me too," Rachel said. She gave Finn a hug. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Finn said. "Even though we lost, I'm glad glee started. If it wasn't for glee, I probably would have had a child I thought was mine born today, still living out a lie."
"We did win," Rachel said. "You and I did. Our prize wasn't a trophy. It was each other. It was love."
Finn smiled. "Yeah. I'm forever yours, faithfully."
"And I'm forever yours, faithfully," Rachel said. "That should be our song."
"I think it is," Finn said.
"You know what else I was thinking?" Rachel asked.
"What?" Finn said.
"On Monday, we should get the glee club together to sing something to Mr. Schue, to thank him for everything he did this year," Rachel said. "This was the best year of my life and we have him to thank for that."
"Yeah, I agree," Finn said. "With everything." He just wished that he and Rachel could keep singing together in glee next year.
x
Rachel had texted the members of the glee club, and they'd met up over the weekend to prepare a song for Mr. Schue. At school on Monday, Rachel found him before classes began after stationing everyone else in the auditorium. "Mr. Schuester?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah?" Mr. Schue asked.
"Can you please come to the auditorium?" Rachel asked.
"Sure," Mr. Schue said.
Rachel led Mr. Schue to the auditorium and then took her seat on the stage with the rest of the group. "So we have something we need to say to you."
"In the beginning of this year, I was just another football player," Matt said.
"I had a stutter," Tina said.
"I was a closeted diva," Mercedes said.
"I used to be captain of the Cheerios," Quinn said.
"I was afraid to dance outside my room," Mike said.
"I hated everyone in this club," Santana said.
"So did I," Brittany said.
"I wasn't honest about who I was," Kurt said.
"I was tossing kids into Dumpsters," Puck said.
"I had never kissed a girl before," Artie said.
"And I was getting slushied," Rachel said.
"I didn't have a father," Finn concluded. "Someone I could look up to. Model myself after. Someone who could show me what it really meant to be a man."
"We don't care what the judges say. We won. Because we had you as a teacher," Rachel said.
"And Glee Club will never end, Mr. Schue, because you are Glee Club. And you're in all of us now," Mercedes said.
The music began and the glee club began to sing one last song together.
Rachel: Those school girl days
Of telling tales and biting nails are gone
But in my mind
I know they will still live on and on
Mercedes: But how do you thank someone
Who has taken you from crayons to perfume?
Kurt: Oh, it isn't easy, but I'll try
New Directions: If you wanted the sky, I would
Write across the sky in letters
That would soar a thousand feet high
To sir, with love
Tina and Artie: The time has come
For closing books
And long last looks must end
Mercedes and Finn: And as I leave
I know that I am leaving my best friend
Santana: A friend who taught me right from wrong
And weak from strong
That's a lot to learn
Kurt: What can I give you in return?
New Directions: If you wanted the moon, I would
Try and make a start, but I
Would rather you let me give my heart
To sir, with love
At the end of the song, the whole group was crying, and Mr. Schue was as well. They may never all perform together again.
x
The next few days were pretty quiet for Finn and Rachel. They'd hung out a few times and while they didn't talk about glee being canceled, they were both sad about it. Mr. Schue asked the glee club to come to the choir room at the end of the week, and Rachel was wondering what this meant. Maybe some participation awards had arrived from Regionals?
Mr. Schue looked happy once everyone was there. "We've got another year," he told the group.
Rachel couldn't believe it. "What?" the group asked.
Mr. Schue started clapping. "Come on, we got another year!"
"What?!" Finn exclaimed.
"Oh, my God!" Rachel cried. She hugged Finn as the rest of the group began cheering. She high fived a few other glee club members before going to hug Mr. Schue.
"Okay, you guys, I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to start rehearsing for next year's Sectionals immediately," Rachel said.
"Guys, you've all worked really hard this year, and you deserve a break," Mr. Schue said, directing Rachel back to her seat. "But I have ideas. Take the summer off. Have some fun. Oh, but before you go, I have something for you. You all sang for me the other day, so today I'd like to return the favor. Puck, if you're ready."
Puck joined Mr. Schue at the front of the room as they began playing their guitars. As Rachel listened to them sing, she held Finn's hand and leaned on his shoulder. It felt so good to do that.
Mr. Schue and Puck: Ooooo hoooooo hoooooo...
Mr. Schue: Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I dreamed of
Once in a lullaby... (Puck: lullaby...)
Mr. Schue and Puck: Somewhere over the rainbow
Mr. Schue: Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true... (Puck: come true)
Oh, Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are
Far behind me...
Mr. Schue and Puck: Where troubles melt like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me...
Mr. Schue: Oh, somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why, then, oh, why can't I...?
The glee club would continue and Rachel finally had a boyfriend who loved her. It was a good time to be Rachel Berry.
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