As time passed, it brought them closer to the time the Glee club had to go to Chicago to compete at the Nationals. They were all nervous but also knew that they had done their best while preparing for everything. Whatever happened now, they would have done their best to get as close to the top as possible.

They all took a plane there and stayed at the house Klaus owned in this big town. He, along with Damon and a few other parents from the council had decided to come along to cheer them up to victory. Thanks to the money they had saved on hotel (because they're staying for free in Klaus' house), a few parents had been able to come with them.

"Brittany told me she and the rest of the New Directions are staying at a hotel not too far from here." Santana informed Rachel.

"We should invite then over for some pre competition fun." Rachel suggested.

"I thought you'd say that so I did but apparently some of them, mainly Quinn and Kurt, put their feet down to prevent this reunion. They think we'll try and distract them from the victory... I guess we'll just have to see them later." Santana replied.

"Why can't only your friends from this group come then?" Caroline asked.

"Kurt and Quinn managed to convince Mister Schuester and the other adults that it was a bad idea and they're all obligated to stay at the hotel and to rehearse." Santana replied, shaking her head.

"Well, anyway, Tyler is looking for you Santana. I think he wants to try and convince you to have sex with him before the competition." Caroline informed the Latino hybrid.

"Well, we'll see then..." Santana nodded before she turned around and went to look for Tyler.

She finally found him in the kitchen and motioned for him to follow her in the garden.

"So, I heard that you wanted to talk..." She said, letting him say what he wanted for himself.

They hadn't really talked since the party with the hunter's incident.

"Yeah, I think we need to talk about...you know...us..." He declared.

"Maybe we could talk about us if you could look me in the yes and not look at my boobs." She snapped.

"Come on San, don't be like that... You're being a bit too harsh about this you know..." He told her.

"Am I? Well then, how about we're over?" She snapped back.

"What?" He looked taken aback.

"It's my fault really... I knew that you were trouble but still I tried to give you a chance... I knew you'd end up breaking my heart if I ever gave it to you but I still did it and now I learned my lesson. We're over." She told him as calmly as she could.

"But San, come on, don't be like that... Give me one more chance..." He asked her.

"You've had one more chance Tyler and you blew it... Sorry but that's just the way things are. See you on stage tomorrow." She said before she turned around and went back inside, feeling freer.

"Kol is going to be one happy Original..." Rebekah whispered to her brother Klaus.

"Yes, I believe he will. Should I text him the news or should you?" He asked her.

They had both been standing near the window and had heard everything.

"I'll do it, you go and help Rachel relax a bit. She's driving herself crazy with the stress of the competition." Rebekah replied as she got her phone out and started texting her brother.

.

"Puck just called. Apparently, Kurt is going to be singing a solo. He blew his NYADA audition and he invited Carmen Thibodaux to come for a makeup audition of some sorts." Santana whispered to Rachel as they got ready for their turn on stage.

Right now, the Vocal Adrenaline were singing.

"Well, I just hope that he doesn't blow this one... What is he going to sing?" Rachel asked her.

"Le Jazz hot according to Puck." Santana replied.

"But that's a duet... Who's singing it with him?" Rachel asked.

"He's singing it by himself."

"That's so wrong..." Rachel shook her head.

"I know... Singing a duet by yourself is like vocal masturbation or something..." Santana shook her head with a small smile before they joined the rest of their team to warm their voices.

.

After the Vocal Adrenaline, it was time for the New Directions to sing and while they performed on stage, Rachel and her team went to get ready and so they didn't hear or see anything.

When they were finally called on stage, they started by the girls singing Edge of Glory. It was a great performance with hard moves to pull but they did it wonderfully. They followed it by It's all coming back to me now sung by Rachel alone.

She did her best and pleased the audience with her talent. What she didn't know was that it particularly touched Elijah, who had come to support his sister and her, who was part of his family already. Indeed, as she sung, Elijah was seeing his past loves. Tatia, Katerina... Somehow, this song showed him just how much he needed to move on, to work on himself to forget the Petrova Doppelganger and be happy with someone else, someone new.

Once Rachel's solo was over, the entire glee club went on stage and they performed Paradise by the dashboard light wonderfully. They were all smiling and full of energy and life. It was hard not to love their performances and Rachel couldn't help but see the bright smile on Carmen Thibodeaux's face. She vaguely wondered if the woman had smiled as brightly during Kurt's audition song.

.

The wait for the results was long and tensed.

They were standing right next to the New Directions and if some of them came and politely started a conversation, the other simply glared at the team from Mystic Fall's.

Will Shuester, on his part, was having a nice friendly chat with Alaric.

Things got even more tensed when Carmen Thibodeaux came and congratulated Rachel in front of everyone, assuring her that she had been right to accept her in NYADA and that her acceptance letter would be in the mail the next day. Of course it made Kurt jealous and so he immediately asked the woman what she had thought about his performance and it didn't help ease the tension when she told him honestly that it was a little too over the top and that he needed to work on it some more. Apparently, she wasn't a fan of all the props he was using.

Once she left, it was obvious that Kurt wasn't happy and he decided to blame Rachel for his fail at impressing the NYADA director. He declared that if she hadn't tried to show off so much, he would have gotten a chance.

Fortunately, they were interrupted by the results coming out. Mystic Fall's glee club ended up being first, Vocal Adrenaline was second and New Direction was third. Alaric invited the New Direction to celebrate with them but most of the New Direction refused, feeling bitter about being only third when Rachel and Santana, their old members were in first position.

In the end, Brittany, Puck and a few others from their team joined Santana and her friends in celebrating. Puck meeting Klaus was weird and a little tensed but Rachel didn't see it, she arrived just in time to see Santana and Brittany making out (or making up for old times).

Tyler was a bit jealous of course but he had to see that he had brought this on himself. It was his own fault if he had lost her and he didn't have anyone but himself to blame for it.

.

When they got back in town with their trophy, they school had prepared a little party to celebrate their first place and the entire school was present.

Rachel was happy.

Not only had they won the first place for the second time but she was sure to get into her dream school. She was going to New York and Klaus had assured her that he was going with her. She couldn't be any happier.

So, what do you think?

Loved it, hated it?

Review please.

Lorelei Candice Black