(Author's note: no warnings in this chapter, other than lots of singing. Lots. Also, Finn's best man speech is significantly extended from episode 2x08. Enjoy the wedding reception! -amy)
Kurt stood in the doorway to the kitchen of the reception hall, watching the multitude of systems at work around him. There was a staff of volunteers plating food; another several people were washing and rinsing the dishes before setting them to dry; a third group consulting the table diagrams and organizing the delivery of each course by food restrictions and main course choices. Standing in the middle of it, keeping the whole thing going, was Puck. He spoke quietly with one member of the waitstaff, patting her on the back with a friendly smile, and then turned to ask a question of the custodian.
Eventually Puck realized he was being watched, and he paused before Kurt, raising an eyebrow.
"What can I do you for?"
"I've been sent to ask about the cake," Kurt said. "But mostly I'm just enjoying watching you work."
He tried to keep the comment light, lest Puck interpret it sexually, but it appeared that Puck wasn't anywhere near subspace at the moment. He just grinned and gave Kurt a little bow.
"For you, in my respect, are all the world," he said.
Kurt felt his heart do a little hop-skip, and he laughed. "What?"
"Puck. A Midsummer Night's Dream?" Puck shook his head. "Never mind. I'll get the cake."
With the help of two other volunteers, Puck carefully carried the tray bearing the cake into the reception hall. It was just as well that Kurt wasn't helping them, because when he realized what the second and third tiers were, he started laughing again. Puck looked about as pleased as he'd ever seen him.
"You shaped it like a tire, Noah?"
"Hey, it's subtle," Puck pointed out. "You couldn't see that from across the table."
It was true, the shaping was subtle. The third layer had white-on-white frosting layered in such a way that it appeared to have been knitted. Kurt walked around the entire perimeter, admiring the careful piping and muted colors.
"You've outdone yourself again."
"Cakes are fun," said Puck. "Too bad I like making other stuff too, or I could totally specialize in this. Where's the cake topper?"
Kurt paused. "The—?"
"The cake topper," Puck said again, with some impatience. "You had it at school?"
"Oh, no." Kurt put a hand to his mouth. "Noah, Dave—" He stopped, seeing Puck's grin, and narrowed his eyes as Puck produced it from his pocket. "You little shit."
"Dave called this morning and dropped it off at the house while you were in the shower. Nobody saw him, don't worry." He handed it to Kurt. "It's not going to touch the actual cake, but I wiped it clean anyway."
The mention of Dave diminished Kurt's spirits somewhat, but it couldn't bring them too far down, not in the midst of his first ever real wedding production. He took Puck's hand and squeezed it. Leaning close to his face, he whispered, "Can I tell you you're a good boy without making things more challenging for you?"
"I don't think that ever makes things more challenging," Puck whispered back. "Sometimes a little slower, but that's okay. I always want to hear it."
Kurt tipped his head toward him a little, letting his cheek brush against Puck's. It was as close as they had yet been able to come to a kiss without setting off Puck's faulty warning alarms. So far, everything involving another man's mouth was entirely off-limits.
Except, Kurt mused, for what Finn apparently did for Noah in the middle of the night. That was worth thinking on—although perhaps not in the middle of his own father's wedding reception.
He moved over to Lauren's untidy stack of audio components tucked against the side of the stage. She peered up at him from where she crouched, connecting cables that didn't appear to have any place to go.
"How many monitors do you need on stage?" she asked.
"Just two, I think, although I'll have to check with Brad if he wants one for the the piano and keyboards. He's probably fine depending on the lead mic monitor."
She handed him one mic. "Test that one."
He sang a few bars of "Defying Gravity" into the mic and heard a smattering of whistles and applause from across the room. "Sounds fine." Then he cocked his head. "Lauren, you can sing. Why don't you test your own mics?"
"Because I have zero interest in letting anybody else know I can sing." She pursed her lips. "Unlike you, I think being in the spotlight is a form of torture. Not unlike what many people think about the kind of pleasure I deliver."
"Your kind of pleasure did seem to leave some pretty serious lash marks," he agreed. "Did he tell you what we did on top of it last night with the suede flogger?"
She cackled her appreciation. "Way to elicit bonus pain, Puckerman. I swear, that kid. His wires are all fucked up. Was he always like that, or did this experience in Oregon make him even weirder?"
"I don't think we're ever really going to know, to be honest." Kurt shook his head. "My suspicion is that this experience is letting him lean a little extra-heavily on his appreciation for pain, since a bunch of his other options are currently offline."
Lauren shrugged. "Well, if he's not going to be hampered by surprise puking episodes in the future, he's got to find some way to resolve those other options. I've got some ideas, but I think I'm going to have to ask for your help at some point."
"Of course," he said, surprised. "Anything you need. He's already so much better, thanks to you."
"Hey, I'm just the band-aid. The actual healing, that's a lot more complicated." But she was smiling. "Here, try mic number two. I'll string these monitors to the stage."
This time, Kurt tested the mic by making an announcement. "Okay, people, we're live in five. If you're in the first few slots, get up here. That's—" He glanced at the list. "—Finn, Laurie, Andi, Brad, Timothy. Please be ready to take your turn on stage before anybody starts applauding for the performer before you." Kurt switched off the mic and set it into the mic stand on stage, looking around in annoyance at the wedding guests who were already entering the reception hall. "Don't they see we're not ready for them yet?"
"People don't give a shit," Lauren said gaily, lifting the first monitor up on stage from her shoulder. "They're just going to do what they want, when they want to."
Finn stood by the stage, looking a little extra nervous to Kurt's discerning eye. "Why do I have to be first?"
Kurt surveyed the timeline. "No particular reason. I can move you someplace else…?"
"No, no, it's fine. I'm good." Finn smiled. "It's going okay so far, right?"
"Definitely. I think most of the hard stuff is over. Half the performers are up now, then dad and Carole dance, then we'll pause for dinner, best-man speeches, father-son dancing, and cake… and then we'll finish up with the rest of the performances before Timothy takes over as DJ. Then we dance until people fall over, or they run out of alcohol." He glanced at the kitchen. "Noah is putting on quite a show of his own in there."
"Yeah, I think he's enjoying it, though." Finn cleared his throat and dropped his voice. "Last night. He was really sweet with you."
Kurt suppressed a groan. "Don't make me think about that. Every time this tuxedo shirt rubs against my back, I get turned on all over again. Can we just focus on what's going on here?"
"Whatever you want, baby."
Finn's smile persisted as he climbed the steps to the stage, holding the microphone in his long fingers, but Kurt was relieved that he directed that smile out to the audience, rather than at him. But then Finn turned to Brad, who nodded and began playing a jazzy intro to a familiar tune—and Kurt realized there was no way he was going to be able to keep his focus on anything other than Finn until he was done singing.
Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger,
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
And somehow you know, you know even then,
That somehow you'll see them again and again…
Kurt stumbled backward across the dance floor until he reached the head table and managed to take his seat beside his dad and Carole. They were watching Finn with delight.
"Aren't you guys doing this musical in Glee?" his dad asked. "South Pacific?" Kurt just nodded, trying not to stare too obviously at Finn. His dad patted his hand. "Well, he sounds great. This whole wedding, Kurt, the reception, the singing—it's perfect. You've outdone yourself."
"It's not over yet," he managed to say. "Did you see Noah's cake?"
Then he was able to breathe again, and when Brittany and Mike went to the dance floor, it suddenly felt okay again. This was fine, it was good. It was his dad's wedding, and he wasn't going to panic.
"There was, um." His dad chuckled. "In the mail today, we got a letter. From Tess."
"Oh!" Kurt found himself smiling. "That's so nice."
"Yeah, they sent a generous gift, and her regrets that they couldn't make it. Which, honestly, probably better. God knows I wouldn't want to explain that, uh, friendship to your uncle Andy. But she offered to host a private reception for us at Tessera over Christmas, while they're closed. Said she would invite Adam."
"Oh," he said again, much more faintly this time. He touched his chest. "That would be amazing."
"I thought you might say that."
They applauded for Finn as he exchanged places with Laurie and Andi.
"We're going to apologize in advance," Laurie said with a wry smile, as Andi adjusted the second microphone stand way, way down. "In case we are beset by children who want to try out the microphones in the middle of the song. At the moment they are too shy to come up, but all bets are off once we start singing."
Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying…
The duet suited their voices, high and low alto, swinging their hands between them and gazing at each other with obvious affection. They actually got through most of the song before Duncan climbed onto the stage in his suit and tie, begging for his turn.
"I'm not surprised Cory's too shy to sing in public," Kurt told his dad. "Only Noah can get her to talk about anything."
"Where is he, anyway?" Burt craned his neck. "I hope he would take a break from working to listen to the singing."
"Oh, he's taking a turn, too. I think he's scheduled to sing after the best-man speeches."
His dad glanced at him sideways. "Did he talk to you about that?"
"About what?"
"His best-man speech." His dad shrugged. "He said he wasn't comfortable doing one. I told him he didn't have to, but… I felt kind of bad about it? I mean, I know his part in the wedding is… complicated."
"Don't worry about it, Dad," Kurt reassured him. "As much as he plays the larger-than-life rockstar, Noah does better when he stays behind the scenes. I'll check in with him later about the speech, but I think it'll be fine."
"Okay." His dad looked down at his empty place setting. "Do you wish Blaine could be here?"
Kurt nodded, swallowing. "We all wish that. We—I miss him so much."
Duncan, Andi, and Laurie received plenty of applause from the gathering crowd. Most of the wedding guests were in the room now, finding their seats at the tables scattered around the room. Kurt watched Timothy take center stage as Carole and his dad exchanged surprised looks.
"Does Timothy sing?" Carole asked.
"He sang a mashup for us when we went to see Gaga," Kurt told her. He nodded as Brad began the opening to "Speechless." But they all fell into a kind of stunned silence when Timothy opened his mouth:
I can't believe what you said to me
Last night when we were alone
You threw your arms up
Baby you gave up, you gave up
I can't believe how you looked at me
With your James Dean glossy eyes
In your tight jeans with your long hair
And your cigarette stained lies
Could we fix you if you broke?
And is your punch line just a joke?
I'll never talk again
Oh boy you've left me speechless…
"That whole family is crazy talented," his dad remarked, shaking his head. "But I seriously didn't think Timothy had it in him to get up on stage and sing like that."
The way Brad smiled at him and gave him a hug when he was done, Kurt thought he might have some idea what had happened. "Sometimes you just need somebody to believe in you before you know what you're capable of," Kurt said, rising to his feet. "Maybe he didn't think he could, until someone did."
Jacob was there to help Timothy off the stage when Kurt arrived. "My dad was really impressed," he said, and Timothy gave him a little smile.
Rachel was right behind Kurt as he mounted the stage. She clutched his arm in excitement. "You ready to do this?"
"I've been looking forward to it all week." He made eye contact with Finn, sitting at the other end of the head table, and laughed at his expression. "Finn didn't know we were doing another duet, did he."
"Well, I didn't tell him," Rachel said breezily. "But, hey, I think he can handle an occasional surprise."
The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No, no, they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No, no, they can't take that away from me
We may never never meet again
on that bumpy road to love
Still I'll always, always keep the memory of…
It had taken him a couple rehearsals before Kurt had been able to sing his part without crying, but at the moment, it just felt wistfully sweet. He saw Puck standing in the doorway about halfway through the song, still dressed in his service uniform. He smiled and clapped with the rest of the room when Kurt and Rachel were done. Kurt wondered if maybe he hadn't really listened to the lyrics, or possibly he'd found his own way to cope with the emotional load of the day.
Or maybe he has his own behind the scenes support system. Kurt shot a glance at Lauren, seated at the table closest to the audio equipment, seemingly oblivious to Puck, but Kurt knew she was sneaky that way.
Carole hugged Kurt when he returned to the table. "That was beautiful, honey. Thank you so much. You and Rachel sound so good together."
"Maybe we should be singing the power ballads in Glee," he said brightly, making Finn choke a little.
"Okay, Carole, we're on." His dad rose to his feet, taking Carole's hand. He crossed his fingers at Kurt, who offered him a confident thumbs-up. Finn, on the other hand, watched them go with no small amount of concern.
"He's got this, right?" he whispered to Kurt, who shrugged.
"Truthfully? Carole won't care one bit, no matter how badly he forgets his steps. She just cares that he made the effort."
Finn smiled. "Is that really true? You don't care how good I am, as long as I try?"
"Well, they're not competing, right? It's not the same as going to Nationals and tripping over your partner. Not that you would do that."
"I probably would," Finn said, watching their parents take their places in the center of the dance floor. Mr. Schue was already on stage, wearing his ultra-confident show face. "Did you know Toby came with Darius?"
"He—what?" Kurt turned to stare at Finn, who made a calming motion.
"Later. I don't think there's anything to worry about. Look, Mr. Schue looks fine."
Kurt thought there seemed to be a whole lot of people at this wedding who appeared to be fine, but he managed to return his attention to his dad and Carole. The horns played the opening notes.
Suddenly his dad looked confused. Kurt gestured to stage left, and his dad's face cleared, and he nodded, hurrying that way.
When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more
Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me…
For one moment, Kurt took his eyes off his dad to glance around to find Toby. He was relieved to hear he'd come at all, and remembered with a pang his resolution to call him and make sure he knew he was invited. So much for being a good friend.
But there he was, holding hands with Darius—and both of them had their eyes fixed on Mr. Schue. There was no mistaking the expression on their faces. Whatever he'd suspected about their involvement with one another last summer, this confirmed it.
The dance went by without a hitch. Both Toby and Darius clapped and whistled enthusiastically when Mr. Schue was done singing, but most of the applause was for his dad and Carole.
"We're going to take a little break for dinner," Mr. Schue announced. "I've been told you should inform your server if there's anything you need. We'll regroup in a half hour for toasts and some more live performances from tonight's guests."
As soon as Mr. Schue stepped down from the stage, servers emerged from the kitchen doors, swiftly carrying plates to the tables on the far end. Kurt had no idea where Puck had managed to find so many volunteers to help manage the service tasks, but they all seemed to be carried out with great efficiency and a minimum of fuss.
The head table received their food last, but they didn't have to wait very long. "You ordered the pesto, right?" asked the server. She looked vaguely familiar.
"That's right. Thanks so much." Kurt hesitated, then added, "Um, have we met?"
"I think we may have danced together, sir," she said, grinning. "At Tessera, at Valentine's Day? You wore that little hat."
"Oh. Oh!" He laughed, nodding. "That's—yes. Please tell Tess thank you."
"It's our pleasure to serve, sir," she said, and bowed her head.
It was somewhat of a relief to have a moment to sit quietly with his own thoughts, without having to make conversation for a few minutes, but Finn, sitting just two seats away on the other side of Carole, suddenly seemed much too far away. Kurt looked around the room at the multitude of couples holding hands and touching one another, and wondered if there would ever be a time when he would be able to do that at somebody's wedding.
"When do you and Carole leave for Waikiki?" he asked his dad between bites of pasta.
"We can go over the details tomorrow," his dad said, waving his knife. "Wednesday to Sunday. Timothy and Jacob will stay until we get back. No parties."
Kurt laughed. "Whatever, Dad. You know I don't do that." Much.
"I'm sorry we won't be around for Thanksgiving this year. It would be nice to redeem last year's attempt at a dinner. Maybe the three of you—uh, the four—however many, you could ask Puck to cook."
"Probably," Kurt said vaguely. He wasn't going to say they might have other reasons for getting a bunch of people together. It was hard to talk around their half-formed secret Project Jailbreak plans without feeling guilty for lying to his father. "That wouldn't be considered a party?"
"No, I think that'd be okay. We can talk to Carole about the house rules while we're gone."
His server stopped by to take away his empty plate and offer him fruit. "Puck said you'll want a glass of juice," she said. "For the toast? I'll bring one out."
Mr. Schue walked to the stage, dinging his glass for attention. He reached up and removed the microphone from the stand. "And now, it's time to hear from the best men. Who's going first? Kurt?"
Mr. Schue beckoned Kurt up to stand beside the stage and handed him the microphone. His server appeared, carrying a glass, and he took that as well. He'd practiced his speech enough times that he was pretty sure he wouldn't need the note cards in his pocket, but it felt better to have them there. He smiled at Carole, and she smiled back.
"When I was a kid," said Kurt, "I had this tea set. It fed all my animals and dolls for years. I don't know how many tea parties I hosted before my mom passed away, but it was in the high double digits. It never occurred to me to worry that after she died, I would have to stop having tea parties. Because my dad, he just picked up where my mom left off. He did that with so many things, many of which I'm sure he'll never remember. But I do. I remember all of it."
He turned to face his dad, who was not even pretending not to cry. He nodded at Kurt, mouthing me, too. Kurt gestured to his dad.
"This is the kind of man my dad is. He loves me without limits, but more than that, he's always pushing himself, challenging himself to be a better person, to follow through, to understand, and to make sure other people do, too." He took a few steps toward his dad, bringing the focus toward the subject, the way Mr. Schue had taught them to do while performing with someone else. "I had the best example of being a man, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I realized how rare that was. Being the best man, for me, means living up to that example in every way possible, every day. I love you, dad."
He raised his glass, then drank his juice, and stood very still while everyone applauded. Carole kissed his dad's cheek. Finn was smiling so big, it made Kurt want to blush, but he held his position, keeping his chin up, until they were done. Only then did he hold out the microphone to Finn. Kurt returned to his seat beside his dad. Another server was nearby, holding a second glass of what was presumably juice for Finn.
"Best man. Right." Finn took a long breath in and let it out slowly. "Well, I want to propose a best man toast to a bunch of people. First, my mom, who is so awesome. I mean, somehow even without one in the house, you taught me what it means to be a man. And now, I have one in my house, and… Burt, you are, without doubt, the best man. I have learned so much from you. Like, my mom gave me the foundation, how to be a man, but quite frankly, Burt, you showed me what it means to act as a man. I got to see this year the kind of trust and communication you need to be part of a family. You really took me as I am, and I think, because of that, no matter what happens, I know you've got my back, and my mom's. I'll never be able to thank you enough for that."
His dad raised his glass a little higher, smiling broadly at Finn as Carole rested her head on his dad's arm. Finn cleared his throat.
"So, as it happens, there's two other men in our house? In Glee Club, uh, whenever two of us got together, we got a nickname. Rachel and I are Finchel. Kurt and Puck are Puckurt. But me and Puck, we've been friends longer than anybody."
Kurt could tell it hurt Finn a little to say the untruth, but at least Dave wasn't there to hear it, and with any luck, Finn could find a way to apologize for it later. Finn gazed across the room at Puck, who was staring at him in obvious surprise.
"It wasn't this wedding that brought us together, but in a way, you've always been part of our family, you and Sarah. My mom's kind of been your bonus mom, and now, Burt, you're their bonus dad. Maybe you're working on the legal stuff, okay, but weddings, they're more about the heart stuff. So I think we get a name, too. Maybe Huckerman?" He grinned as everyone laughed. "Whatever. Puck, Sarah, I'm your bonus heart brother. Always have been, always will be."
Kurt knew that was about all Finn was going to be able to say about Puck in front of a hundred of Carole's closest friends without giving away a hell of a lot more than he probably should. Finn raised his chin a little, still looking at Puck, and Kurt watched as Puck's eyes closed and he swallowed, bowing his head. That was enough.
Then Finn turned to face Kurt, and Kurt felt his show face rapidly vanish. No, he whispered, but he couldn't look away.
"And today, a new union was formed. Furt. You and me, man. Now we're brothers, too." Finn's eyes glittered with amusement. "Yeah, that's cool, but you've got to know, you're so much more than that to me. I mean, I've learned a lot about myself this year, and a lot of it was confusing? And you and me, we didn't start out as friends, but you forgave my stupidity, and let me try again. You have this way of listening and talking and helping me make sense of things." He turned to the room. "Kurt shared some great books with me, and in one of them, the character Griffin says, "An idea or an insight doesn't come from a single happening, it requires a meeting to alter a perspective." And that's what happened with us. Kurt, when we met, you altered my perspective about so many things. I am different because of you."
Finn glanced over at Puck, but Kurt couldn't bring himself to move one inch from where he sat. "Over the past few weeks, some stuff's gone down. And I haven't manned up like I should've. From now on? No matter what it costs me, I got your back, just like Burt has mine. Both of you. Okay? Even if it means getting a Slushie in the face every now and then."
He approached the main table, gazing down at Kurt. Kurt could feel the entire room moving their attention from Finn to him. It was overwhelming.
"You put this entire wedding together by yourself, Kurt. So as a thank you, I had the Glee Club put together a little number in your honor."
Kurt was already frantically shaking his head. Finn just smiled and leaned in, so no one else could hear. "And you're going to dance it with me, baby."
"No," Kurt replied, feeling the panic rise again, "no—Finn, I don't think I—"
Finn backed away, giving him a I'm-watching-you sign. As Carole reached over and took Kurt's hand, holding it tightly, they all watched Finn move into formation in front of the rest of the boys from Glee club. They were already humming the intro. Puck, standing in the back, was very carefully avoiding Kurt's eyes as they began the synchronized choreography, and Finn sang:
Her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful and I tell her every day…
The girls joined them on the second verse. Whatever Kurt had felt watching Finn sing "Some Enchanted Evening," it was nothing compared to how he was feeling now.
I'll never be able to resist him, he thought, and when Finn approached him a second time with an open hand, his face hopeful, Kurt let him pull him to his feet. They stumbled together to the dance floor. Kurt squeezed down his frantic feelings, and hoped his laughter didn't appear to be too hysterical.
You know, you know, you know I'd never ask you to change
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same
So don't even bother asking if you look okay, you know I'll say
Finn beckoned him closer as Mercedes and Rachel flanked him. When they propelled him into Finn's arms, surrounded by the music and the power of Finn's voice, it was all he could do to remain standing. But Finn held him up, directing him with his body, smiling at him the whole time.
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are…
It felt like a lot longer than eight measures of awkward box-stepping, but eventually Finn let him go, and they turned to hold out their hands to Carole and his dad, inviting them back onto the dance floor. Finn went to dance with his mom, and Kurt put his arms around his dad, who did not seem to be all that surprised to be dancing this additional number.
"Did he tell you about this?" Kurt demanded.
"Maybe," said his dad, grinning. "I told him you'd hate it."
"I don't," he said, but his dad laughed.
"Come on, Kurt. Being surprised is worse than failing a test for you. Anyway, it's almost over."
He was right. His dad moved to dance with Sarah, who was giggling, and Kurt turned to Mercedes. She hugged him while Finn danced with Rachel.
"He worked really hard on this," she told Kurt. "Give him a break."
"What?" he protested. Mercedes just shook her head and pointed at Finn, who was looking right at him as he sang. Kurt wanted to vanish into a hole in the floor, and he wanted to run into Finn's arms, and he wanted to fall apart into tears, but none of those options seemed to be available to him at the moment. Instead, Mercedes hugged him tighter, which helped a little, and he leaned on her as the room burst into applause.
"Let's hear it for the best men," said a voice from the stage. Kurt looked up to see Shelby standing there next to Davis, holding a guitar. There was another round of clapping. "Now, it's time to clear the floor for another very special dance. Burt, Carole, would you stay, please?"
Already, Kurt felt calmer. This was what he'd planned for, his version of a father-daughter dance. He turned to Carole and held out his hand, and she took it, smiling, while Finn did the same to his father.
"Oh, hey," said his dad, laughing nervously, "more dancing. Great."
"Just one-two-three-four, dad," Kurt called to him. "Just like we practiced."
The song was a surprise, though. Shelby had said she would sing something simple that they could dance to, but it turned out they'd all heard it before. He looked over just in time to see Finn stumble, his face gone pale.
Carole recognized it, too, and her smile faded as she looked at Kurt. "Didn't Carl sing—?"
"At Tessera," Kurt said, nodding. "He said he and Shelby sang this at his wedding."
Kind friends all gathered 'round, there's something I would say
That what brings us together here has blessed us all today
Love has made a circle that holds us all inside
Where strangers are as family, loneliness can't hide
You must give yourself to love if love is what you're after
Open up your hearts to the tears and laughter
And give yourself to love, give yourself to love
As far as Kurt knew, Carl had only been married one other time, and that had been to Davis. He'd sung this after being challenged by Adam to sing something that would make him cry, and when Adam suggested this song, Carl had capitulated, saying you win. Apparently, these were Carl's big guns—and, judging by the fact that he'd missed his cue to switch partners, Finn was clearly going down.
Carole looked over at Finn with concern.
"I'll distract him," Kurt said, and she flashed him a smile.
"You're the best man, Kurt," she told him. He felt himself blush.
"Sarah," Kurt said, beckoning to her from the side of the dance floor. Sarah moved into position, replacing Kurt's position as Carole's dance partner. Carole looked nothing but delighted.
Then Kurt went right for Puck, holding out his hand. "Dance with me."
Puck looked startled, but did not argue, letting Kurt take him in his arms. There was no question of who would lead.
I've walked these mountains in the rain, I've learned to love the wind
I've been up before the sunrise to watch the day begin
I always knew I'd find you though I never did know how
Like sunshine on a cloudy day you stand before me now
"I'm next," Puck said as they danced. "To sing."
Kurt nodded. "Is that okay? Are you doing all right?"
"Hanging in there." Inexplicably, he laughed, but it sounded genuine, and Kurt smiled.
"That was, um, quite a dance, the Bruno Mars. Did you help Finn put that together?"
"No way," Puck said, smiling back. "Davis did that choreography for you."
Kurt looked up in surprise at the handsome blonde man, singing on stage with Shelby. "For me?"
"Yeah, baby. It was all for you."
Kurt steered them over until he was facing Finn and his dad, clearing his throat, and Finn looked at him, startled.
"May I have this dance?" he said. His dad moved toward Kurt, but Kurt held up a finger, pointing at Finn. "I was talking to him."
His dad gamely turned to Puck, who held out his arms to accept his new partner, and they danced away. That left Finn, who regarded Kurt warily.
"Am I in trouble?" Finn said. Kurt whacked him on the chest.
"You are not," Kurt replied sternly. "Shut up and dance."
Love is born in fire; it's planted like a seed
Love can't give you everything but it gives you what you need
Love comes when you are ready, love comes when you're afraid
It will be your greatest teacher, the best friend you have made
"I hear Davis did the choreography?" Kurt said.
"Yeah, and Toby helped. Dude, did they break up? Him and Mr. Schue?"
"N-oooo?" Kurt said slowly. "But… I think maybe I wouldn't make a big deal about them not being here together."
As Sarah moved to dance with his dad, Carole turned to Puck. Kurt sighed, leaning into Finn's solidity.
"I didn't hate it," he said quietly to Finn. "I loved it. Maybe I'm a little sorry I didn't think of it first."
Finn pressed his lips together, not quite a smile. "You hate not being in control."
He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Except with you. I always want you in control of me. I just don't like everybody else seeing me out of control."
Finn's voice softened. "Do you really think there's anybody in this room who isn't on your side, Kurt?"
"Okay, everybody," Shelby said into the mic as she set her guitar down. "It's time for the happy couple to cut the cake."
Kurt found himself standing alone, wondering about Finn's question as the wedding guests moved to stand by the table where Puck's wedding cake was on display. Maybe there isn't anybody here like that. Maybe they really would—
"In all my born days, I ain't never seen a wedding cake shaped like that."
Kurt turned to see Toby standing beside him, smiling. He all but fell into Toby's arms, feeling the tension fall away as Toby hugged him tightly.
"It's so good to see you," Kurt whispered, blinking away sudden tears.
"Yeah, go ahead and take a moment, darlin.' You've been on all afternoon. All these exhausting straight people." Toby made a broad gesture, rolling his eyes, and Kurt laughed aloud.
"Maybe it feels like that, a little," he admitted.
Darius stood a few feet away, murmuring to a chubby baby with wispy blonde hair in a pink dress. Kurt looked at him curiously—then gasped.
"Oh my god. That's Bethie? I haven't seen her in so long, I didn't even recognize her."
Beth turned her head toward Kurt as he spoke, and he blinked at the expression on her face.
"She sure knows you," said Toby with satisfaction. "Look at that smile."
Kurt's guilt and anxiety melted away upon watching Beth reach for him. "Hey," he said, gathering her into his arms with amazement. "You're such a little person. You remember me? Hmm? Wow, she's gotten so strong."
"I'll go get us some cake," said Darius, smiling at Toby. "Three pieces?"
"Each of the tiers is a different flavor," Kurt told him. "See if you can get some of the middle one. That's the one with the Boston cream filling in it."
As soon as Darius disappeared into the crowd, Toby led Kurt off the dance floor and into a quiet corner. Kurt gave him an aggrieved look.
"What is going on?" he demanded. "You and Darius and Mr. Schue?"
Toby rubbed a hand over his mouth. "I didn't realize we were being quite that obvious. And no, it ain't like that, at least not right now. Will's doin' his own thing, and I'm doin' mine."
"Well, the two of you are staring at him like he's that cake over there." Kurt paused. "What do you mean, not right now?"
"Just hold your horses," Toby said. "It ain't all mine to tell. You can guess all you want, but I'm not here to gossip. It's complicated."
"When isn't it." Kurt bounced Beth on his hip. It was surprising just how much bigger and heavier a seven-month-old was than a four-month-old. "And okay, Mr. Schue said the same thing to me when I confronted him last month. He gave me detention for that."
Toby raised an astonished eyebrow. "You were defending me, darlin'?"
"Yes," Kurt said firmly, as Toby went off into gales of laughter. "Well, it looked like—he can't just go off with someone else when he has you, can he?"
"Kurt." Toby settled down enough to grasp his shoulder, while Beth reached out for Toby. Without a word, they transferred her from Kurt's arms to his. "He's not going off with anybody. Tell me true: are you actually worried about Emma being my competition?"
"Well…" He bit his lip. "Maybe not as much anymore. Not if it turns out you're okay with some complicated."
"I'll tell you, Kurt, I'm a lot more okay with it than I was before I met you and your boyfriends," Toby said. He rocked Beth as her eyes drooped, her head coming to rest on the front of his navy suit. "You all have been a wakeup call for this old queen."
Kurt laughed, then stifled it as Beth opened her eyes again. "You're not old."
"Old enough to know better than to try to hide my other beaus from Will. Even if I am jealous as all hell about his. You three showed me it was better not to keep secrets. So, we're working on it. Getting better at this business of being better communicators."
Kurt nodded, impressed. "That's brave of you. But I'm glad you didn't break up again. I think when I was most confused and making the worst relationship mistakes, that's when I needed my other lovers most."
Toby gave him a sheepish look. "That's where I'm struggling, I think. How to know the difference between havin' boundaries and just being scared."
"I guess that depends on how scary you're willing for it to be?" Kurt tilted his head. "I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen?"
Toby paused. He looked at Beth, curled up like a soft potato on his chest. Then he chuckled. "You know, Kurt, that's a real good question." He smiled. "Thanks. You're pretty smart for seventeen."
"And you're pretty adaptable for an old man," Kurt teased.
Darius returned with three pieces of cake. Beth made some complaining noises as he transferred her from Toby's arm to his, but she quieted down rapidly as he hummed to her under his breath. Kurt watched him, shaking his head and smiling.
"She's a lot cuter than she was when she was first born," Kurt admitted. "Someone, um, who loves her a lot, I told him she was kind of messy and loud and unpleasant and took up too much of Noah's time? And he said he would check back with me in a year and see if I still felt the same way."
Darius had a little smile hovering around the edges of his mouth. "And?"
"Well, it's only been seven months." Kurt watched her sleeping, feeling a tug of affection. "And… maybe I get a little more of what he was saying."
"You're not wrong, though," said Toby. "Babies are all those things. And we still fall in love with them. It's a survival trait. Otherwise they'd never survive to adulthood."
"You don't have to want to be a parent to love your partner's kid, Kurt." Darius took a bite of cake, nodding in approval. "Especially when he can bake like this. God damn."
"Well, I kind of do, a little, if I'm living with him," Kurt said, but Toby shook his head.
"This is what I was talking about, darlin'. They're your boundaries. You get to decide how much parenting you're willing to do. I drew the line at occasional babysitting. And if you do decide you want to be a parent, well, that's a whole other negotiation."
Kurt laughed. "At the moment, I haven't seen her in almost three months. I'd hardly call that parenting." He thought about driving out with Noah to see Beth on the weekend, and smiled to himself. "But maybe… maybe I would like to do more of that."
"Nothing says you can't." Darius looked at Toby, then added, "Time passes pretty quickly when they're young. You don't want to miss those early years, not if you can help it."
"Now, now," Toby chided, "don't talk him into anything he ain't thought through on his own. Not everybody wants to be a daddy."
Kurt was pretty sure he managed to keep his reaction to that statement off his face. He waved them back to their seats, watching with bemusement as Darius handed Beth off to Davis. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn he saw something going on between Toby and Davis, too, but he decided he was reading too much into the situation. Toby couldn't be sleeping with everybody, could he?
As the wedding guests finished their cake, Puck followed Sarah up to the stage. She was clearly not happy to be picking up the microphone, but she stood there while he situated himself on the stage with his electric guitar.
"Why aren't you singing?" Kurt asked her. She glared at him.
"Don't bother," Puck called down to him as he tuned the strings. "I tried already."
"Hey, I'm doing my best-man speech," Sarah snapped. "You're not, so fuck you."
Puck shot Kurt an apologetic look, though he did not stop tuning. Kurt reached up on stage and patted his foot.
"It wasn't required for you to do a speech," he assured Puck. "You're doing so well."
Puck didn't respond, but he did begin playing a quiet instrumental on his guitar, which served as both a sound check and transitional music following dinner. He made eye contact with Lauren a few times, giving her a thumbs-up or thumbs-down gesture as she adjusted the levels on his monitor. By the time he was done, most of the chatty guests had quieted down and were watching the stage.
"Hi," Sarah said into the microphone, giving them a little wave. "There's one more best speech, and then more dancing and stuff."
With effort, she hopped up onto the edge of the stage, then sat there next to Puck, her legs swinging. Kurt knew she was uncomfortable with so many eyes on her, but she didn't give the audience any indication she felt that way. She made bold eye contact, scanning the room. He wondered if her father had taught her how to do that.
"I'm the littlest Puckerman, waiting on some paperwork to say I get to be in this family for good. So, you might have noticed we're in the minority? And by we, I mean girls. I'm not a man, so I can't be a best man. Someday I could be a best woman, maybe, but… it turns out there is no female equivalent of being a best man in a wedding. You know why? Because weddings are inherently sexist. Like, for over a hundred years, when women got married in this country, they lost the ability to own or buy things, or live where they wanted. Because they were married, they became property of their husbands. They didn't have a choice." She made a disgusted face, prompting a scattering of laughter through the assembled guests. "So, for most of my admittedly short life, I figured not getting married was the best way to go. I could do what I wanted, and make all my own decisions, and have any kind of life I chose."
Sarah's face became pensive. Kurt realized the entire room had fallen silent, waiting to hear what she was going to say next.
"Except what I didn't realize," she went on, "was that when you're making all your own plans, you only get to see life in one way. Life is pretty flat when you don't have someone else's perspective. And when you have a partner—a real partner—it turns out you don't just get twice the perspective, you get a whole spectrum, because relationships are complicated and awesome." She grinned. "I wish I could say I learned all this stuff from my own Ma, but the truth is, I learned most of it from my brother, Noah." She jerked her thumb at Puck sitting behind her. "Noah's my best man, all the way. But we already established that weddings are sexist and there's already been way too much talk about men tonight."
Puck didn't look surprised by Sarah's callout. He just rested a hand on her shoulder.
"So when Noah and Timmy and I were kids, long before we figured out that being part of something was worth it, we were lucky. Wehad somebody who fed us and gave us a place to hang out and helped with our homework and made us read the Monopoly rules and who loved us for no reason at all, other than we needed to be loved." Sarah pointed at Finn. "She had a kid, and he's pretty awesome too. Oh, and remember how I said it was important to be part of something? She did all of this on her own, without a partner. So I have to say that was pretty impressive. And now? She's got a partner. That guy."
Now Sarah pointed at his dad, who was gazing at her with big fat tears running down his cheeks. Carole was clutching his arm, wiping her nose and laughing. Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, I know, another man. Can we just take it as read that he's great?" She waited for the laughter to subside. "Because, honestly, whatever he had to do with Kurt to make him as awesome as he is, Carole had to do it with Finn, backwards in heels. And now, the two of them together… they're going to make something amazing. The best part is, I get to be part of it too. So, even if it goes without saying, I'm going to say it anyway: Carole, you're my best woman."
The applause was tumultuous. Finn might have been the first one to stand up, but then everyone joined him, their flutes of champagne forgotten. Carole sat, bewildered and smiling, while everyone clapped and cheered for the longest time. His dad leaned over and kissed her cheek, whispering something in her ear, and Carole collapsed into laughter, hiding her face in her hand.
"In Carole's honor," Puck said into the microphone, "I'm going to play her choice of wedding dance. Everyone's welcome to join her."
Carole rose to her feet, holding Burt's hand, and he led her to the dance floor as Puck began playing the familiar opening notes to "Stairway to Heaven."
There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for…
Kurt was so immersed in watching Puck play that he didn't notice the person standing beside him until she tapped on his shoulder. "May I have this dance, Mr. Hummel?"
He looked up into Holly's laughing face, and rose to his feet to hug her. "When did you get here?"
"Just a few minutes ago," she said. She was dressed in a glamorous sparkly evening gown, and her hair was curled and fell in long waves down her back. Kurt touched it cautiously, and she giggled. "Extensions are so much fun. Talk about hairography."
"You look amazing," he said. She gave him a little curtsey.
"Why, thank you. I'll tell you, passing still feels like such a new thing for me. It's sometimes hard to remember I don't look to others the way I do in my head anymore."
They moved out to the dance floor, admiring all the other couples swaying to Jimmy Page and Roger Plant's incomprehensible lyrics. Holly nodded at Sarah, dancing with Frances, and Sarah nodded solemnly back.
"Puck's doing all right," Holly said. It wasn't really a question, but Kurt nodded anyway.
"Better all the time," he said.
"That's good. I got him an appointment for January with a grief therapist, so they can give him a recommendation about next steps. But what about you? What's this I hear about you being bullied at school?"
"Uh, well," Kurt said. He bit his lip. "That was kind of… staged?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"
He gave her as brief a summary of Project Jailbreak as he could. When he was done, she sighed, twirling him around as they danced.
"Sorry. Old habits die hard." She gave him a hard look. "Kurt, you have as open and honest a relationship with your dad as any seventeen-year-old I've ever met. Why didn't you just tell him what was really going on?"
"Because he wouldn't let me transfer to Dalton just to keep an eye on my boyfriend," he protested.
Her look intensified. "Are you serious? You're talking about the man who bought your other boyfriend a plane ticket to go to California to meet with his boyfriend."
"I—but that wasn't Blaine. Noah's different. Blaine's not…" He couldn't say the words, not part of my family. Holly just shook her head.
"I would just point out the value in continuing to be honest with your dad? Maybe that's more important than dealing with him saying no. You can talk him out of a no. You can't retract a lie nearly as easily." She patted his shoulder. "I don't think I'm telling you anything you haven't already thought about, though."
Kurt's response died on his lips as Irene, resplendent in her glittery purple gown, paused on the dance floor beside his dad and Carole.
"May I?" she said. The question was clearly directed at his dad, who appeared far less flustered by this development than Kurt would have expected. Burt looked at Carole, waiting for her reply.
"Sure," Carole said, though her voice was far from sure. But as Irene held her arms out, Carole melted into them, and she looked so grateful that Kurt felt his own tension drop by twenty percent. She knew what Carole needed, he thought.
Burt left the dance floor and made his way across the room to stand beside Carole's brother Charlie, who looked more than a little startled by what his sister was doing. As Burt spoke, however, Kurt watched Charlie's face relax, and eventually, he even smiled a little.
As the song moved into the electric guitar interlude, the tone on the dance floor shifted, and Irene stepped away from Carole, smiling at her. It was an expression Kurt was fairly certain he had never seen on Irene's face, and it was breathtaking.
"Damn, girl," Holly commented as Irene strode past them toward the stage. "I think you win for most sparkly."
"Luckily," Irene replied without stopping, "it's not a competition."
There was applause as Puck sang the last murmured lyrics to Stairway. Kurt watched him grimace as he set the guitar down and inspected his fingertips, but he, too, looked calm.
"I think I'm next," said Holly. She kissed Kurt's cheek. "Thanks for the dance. I won't charge you for those eight minutes. I'm also not going to ask if you've called Adam today."
"Okay, okay," he moaned. "You're the worst. I promise, I'll call him tonight before bed."
Irene was speaking quietly with Brad at the piano. As Holly approached the stage, Irene asked her something, and Holly nodded, gesturing at the mic.
"Uh," said Kurt to Carole, looking up at the stage in surprise as Puck moved out of Irene's way. "She wasn't on the list. Does Irene even sing?"
"Rarely," Carole said. She put her hand into Kurt's and squeezed it hard. "Can you just… I think I might need to sit down for this."
He helped her back to the main table as Brad began the opening bars to a song Kurt recognized from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella. Irene stood serenely, gazing at Carole, who clutched Kurt's hand hard enough to hurt.
Do I love you because you're beautiful
Or are you beautiful because I love you
Am I making believe I see in you
A girl too lovely to be really true…
Kurt made eye contact with Finn across the room, who moved quickly into action and invited Rachel to dance. His dad was still standing with Charlie, deep in conversation.
As other couples drifted onto the floor, Puck came to stand beside Kurt.
"Need anything?" he asked quietly.
Kurt looked up at him, then back at Carole. She let go of his hand and waved him away. "I'm… I'm okay," she said faintly. "Go ahead."
Kurt stood, giving Puck what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "How about a dance?"
Puck actually smiled back. "Yeah. I'd like that."
The song provided a wonderful opportunity to do some real ballroom dancing, and although Kurt was pretty sure Puck had little dance experience outside of Glee, he was coordinated and sure on his feet. Puck didn't argue as Kurt led him in graceful measured arcs across the floor.
"So this is new," Puck commented. "What's your dad up to?"
"I have no idea," Kurt said. "Finn says Irene's not—that she and Carole aren't…" He trailed off, watching Irene's poised serenade. "I have no idea," he repeated.
"Well, I guess it's not really our business, huh? I bet they'll figure it out."
Holly stood beside the piano as Irene concluded, clapping as enthusiastically as anyone. She took the mic from Irene, who moved off the stage and walked over to stand beside his dad and Charlie. Charlie's eyes got wider as she approached, but he smiled and willingly shook Irene's hand as his dad introduced her.
"Wow," Kurt murmured. "Whatever he's doing, I think he might deserve a medal. Or maybe they both do."
Holly, who Kurt already knew had an excellent voice, wowed the room with a sappy country song that seemed particularly appropriate for Puck:
It's a four letter word, a place you go to heal your hurt
It's an altar, it's a shelter, one place you're always welcome
A pink flamingo, double wide, one bedroom in a high rise
A mansion on a hill where the memories always will keep you company
Whenever you're alone, after all of my running, I'm finally coming home
The world tried to break me, I found a road to take me home
There ain't nothing but a blue sky now, after all of my running
I'm finally coming home
During the song, his dad made his way back across the room to sit beside Carole, who eyed him suspiciously. They did not talk about what had apparently just transpired, but she did allow him to put his arm around her, and she rested her head against his, closing her eyes.
Toby was the last one scheduled to sing. Kurt turned to Puck as Toby climbed the steps to confer with Brad and Holly.
"Dancing with me," he said. "That's not giving you any trouble?"
Puck shook his head. "It didn't in Glee, either. I think my brain thinks performing is different than the stuff I might want."
Stuff you might want. Kurt did not look into Puck's eyes, lest he show him exactly how much stuff he might want. "Well, then, I think I might keep you with me until the end of this set, if you don't mind."
"No, sir," Puck said, very quietly. "I don't mind."
There seemed to be some confusion about who or what was happening, but eventually Brad just sighed loudly and gestured for both Toby and Holly to move to the front of the stage.
"If you'll indulge me," Toby said into the mic, "apparently we have a mutual appreciation for this song."
He bowed at Holly, who tossed her long curls and sent a teasing glance out to Mr. Schue. He definitely looked startled to see her on stage beside Toby. Then Brad began to play, and Mr. Schue laughed out loud as Holly and Toby took turns singing Prince's lyrics in breathy falsetto:
You don't have to be beautiful
To turn me on
I just need your body baby
From dusk till dawn
You don't need experience
To turn me out
You just leave it all up to me
I'm gonna show you what it's all about…
It was remarkable how well-matched Holly and Toby's voices were. They both had the kind of stage presence and shameless sex appeal that made it impossible to ignore them, but clearly neither of them were taking it too seriously. Puck took a stab at leading Kurt in a tango, to scattered applause, but neither of them really knew what they were doing.
Kurt watched Darius pause beside Mr. Schue, making a comment that caused them both to laugh. Mr. Schue kept his eyes on the stage, but the two of them were casting each other sidelong glances that, to Kurt's thinking, were not all that subtle.
Holly gave Toby an enthusiastic hug when they were done, then left Toby to stand on stage alone.
"This one's for you, Will," Toby said into the microphone.
Mr. Schue's smile froze, but Toby didn't miss a beat. He and Brad went right into the opening lyrics of a ballad Kurt didn't recognize:
I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
They're looking for a little romance, given half a chance…
Kurt watched Andi and Laurie scrambling to get onto the dance floor. Mr. Schue, on the other hand, stood transfixed as Darius held out his hand, nodding to the dance floor.
"You think he's going to do it?" Puck asked.
Before Kurt could make a guess, Mr. Schue nodded back, giving him a nervous smile, and took Darius' hand. Darius gave Kurt a little wave as they passed.
"Maybe us being out here made it easier for him to say yes," said Kurt.
Puck nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe once you get outed in USA Today, there's not a lot that can scare you anymore."
Whatever the song was, Toby was clearly moved by singing it. After the applause died away, he exited the stage, then took a moment to fish a handkerchief out of the pocket of his suit and blow his nose.
"Thanks," Darius said to Mr. Schue. "Just wait here. Now it's my turn."
"What?" Mr. Schue said, then watched in confusion as Darius approached Toby. They exchanged a little handclasp. Then Darius climbed the stairs to the stage, and Toby came over to stand by Will.
"I thought Toby was last," said Kurt, but Brad didn't even stop to question Darius. Clearly he knew something Kurt didn't.
As Brad began playing, recognition came over Mr. Schue's face. Toby smiled.
"Told you we would hear this song tonight, darlin'," he said. He took Mr. Schue in his arms. They did not look away from one another for one moment as Darius crooned the familiar lyrics from Mr. Schue's favorite musical:
You were meant for me, I was meant for you
Nature patterned you and when she was done
You were all the sweet things rolled up in one
You're like a plaintive melody that never lets me free
For I'm content the angels must have sent you
And they meant you just for me
Kurt could feel Puck's body stiffen as they swayed to this particular song. He moved back a step, placing a hand on Puck's heart, and felt it racing.
"Still okay?" he asked quietly.
After a moment, Puck shook his head. Kurt felt his heart sink, but he removed his hands from Puck's shoulders, stepping back still further to give him room. Puck did not look at him as he turned around and retreated into the kitchen. Without a word, Lauren rose to her feet and followed him.
While Mr. Schue and Toby finished their dance, Kurt walked slowly back to the main table and sat next to Carole. She looked exhausted, but happy.
"Ready to change your shoes?" Kurt asked her. "I've got your white sneakers right under the table."
Carole kicked off her pumps and gave a sigh of relief as she slid her stockinged feet into the shoes Kurt handed her. "Thank you. I don't know how anybody wears heels every day to work. You're taking such good care of me today, Kurt." She touched his arm. "Who's taking care of you, I wonder?"
Kurt let his eyes shut, just for a moment. "It's not my wedding," he said, but when she looked at him more pointedly, he smiled and shrugged. "I think I might be kind of useless tomorrow."
"That is completely acceptable." She smiled back. "How about tomorrow, you set the agenda. We will do absolutely anything you want tomorrow—which includes the option of doing nothing."
Kurt heaved a gigantic sigh and flopped onto the table. "That sounds perfect."
Song credits:
Finn sang "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific. /GckYtCobbDk
Laurie and Andi sang "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. /RILP53OR63k
Timothy sang "Speechless" by Lady Gaga. /D4scYAS44vI?t=72
Rachel and Kurt sang "They Can't Take That Away From Me" by George and Ira Gershwin, sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. watch?v=uhCXXOhQ4zw
Will sang "Sway" by Michael Bublé. /ozlormnWYyg
Finn sang "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars. watch?v=AJmArgzHUx8
Rachel and Davis sang "Give Yourself to Love" by Kate Wolf. watch?v=BHD2aPTjqNM
Puck sang "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. /iXQUu5Dti4g
Irene sang "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" by Rogers and Hammerstein, from Cinderella. /Fk9uuD86ufk?t=4388 (reprise sung by Whoopi Goldberg as the Queen)
Holly sang "Coming Home" from the movie "Country Strong." /X4cpl0v0WBY (sung Gwyneth Paltrow)
Toby and Holly sang "Kiss" by Prince. /0XpemugmIdo
Toby sang "Lady in Red" by Chris DeBurgh. /FC1C4g8YOA4
Darius sang "You Were Meant For Me" from Singin' in the Rain. watch?v=7D5aomNRtVw