Chapter 14

As Long As There's Glee Club

Claire was in her senior year, more confused and conflicted than ever. She wanted to make Rachel, Kurt and the others proud. The New Directions were temporarily out of the game. So were the Warblers, what with their steroids debacle the previous year, and then there was Aural Intensity, the Unitards, and the Nun-Touchables. No one from those teams seemed interested in competing this year. Sue Sylvester turned the McKinley choir room into a computer lab. Since when does she even use computers?

Claire's voiceover said, "Well, this is it. Senior year and I don't even know what to do for the rest of the year. Now that glee club is over, not just for the New Directions, but some of the other teams across America, too, I don't know what the hell to do anymore. Now that Finn's also gone, it's gonna be a crappy year." She decided to join the football to honor Finn's legacy, so she went to Beiste…after she performed "Breakout" by Miley Cyrus.

"Hey, Miss Senior. What brings you here?"

"Well, I understand you need new teammates on the field. I was hoping I could try out."

"I don't know, Claire."

"Why not? You played football when you were in high school."

"That was different, pumpkin."

"What if I got permission from my parents? Come on, I need something to do, otherwise I'll just scrape the bottom of the barrel."

Jake and Ryder seemed okay with it.

Jake said, "Hey, it's cool with me."

Ryder said, "Yeah, she seems legit."

Out on the field, Claire put on her uniform and got out on the field.

Becky ran to Sue and said, "You're gonna want to see this, Coach."

Sue turned to look at her. "You have got to be kidding me."

Kitty asked, "Is she really going to do this?"

Marley said, "Claire?"

One of the players said, "Hut!"

Claire got the ball and one of the guys tackled her. She grunted.

Jake said, "Oh, man."

Ryder said, "Ooh."

Beiste said, "Claire! Stop looking in the stands. Sue's not coaching this team. I am! Now, get your head in the game."

Again, the quarterback said, "Hut!"

Claire got the ball and ran. She managed to make it to the end zone and spike the ball.

Jake and Ryder cheered. Marley said, "Yeah!"

Beiste said, "All right. One spike isn't enough, but it's good enough for me. Welcome to the team, Claire."

Claire said, "Thanks, Coach." Kitty looked at her. "Oh, come on, Kit. Like you wouldn't have made that pass."

Kitty said, "Oh, please. You know you're only doing this because of Finn."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not. It's sweet. But let's be real. Finn wouldn't want you on the team because he knew how delicate and sensitive you are. Enjoy it while it lasts, Claire. I don't want to see you get hurt on the field."

Meanwhile, in New York, Rachel was going over her lines of Funny Girl with her leading man. She was wearing a Fanny Brice wig, the same hairstyle that Barbra Streisand sported when she played the role. At first, Rupert Campion, the director, was skeptical about the wig. "This is a joke, right?"

"No. I wanted to get into character. I did some research, and this look was totally in back in World War I Manhattan."

"Do you have any idea how Broadway works, Rachel?"

"Yes. Look, I'm not a prop. Okay? You hired me to be my own Fanny, and I needed some freedom to find her myself. Please, I've been going through hell for four months, and I need something to help me get through it."

"Fine, just please don't make me regret."

When Rachel and Paolo were singing "You Are Woman, I Am Man," he seemed to be intrigued.

Campion said, "Stop. That wig. Thank God for the wig." He clapped his hands. "You were really Fanny up here."

"Well, you know, Fanny was a rebel, so I thought being rebellious would do the trick."

"Well, I think we've all rebelled for one day. No more, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

In the apartment, Kurt was channel surfing and Rachel walked in.

She said, "I just had the best experience of my life."

Kurt looked at her, stunned. "Oh, my God, did you cut your hair?"

"No. I was feeling stuck." She took the wig off.

Kurt said, "Oh," and he chuckled relieved.

"Rupert's amazing, but he has a very specific review of everything. I just felt like I needed to rebel in order to play."

"Does he know?"

"Yes. He really liked it and I might get to wear it in the show. I just felt like taking a risk. I felt so alive."

"Risks can be very stressful. Does this have something to do with Finn?"

"Maybe."

Rachel and Kurt have been really missing Finn. They felt like they needed to step out of their comfort zones in order to move past the grieving process. In another story, Blaine had also gotten into NYADA with them and is now doing everything he can like he always does. Artie was in film school and he seemed to be doing pretty well for himself.

Claire still felt like she and the others should be performing. But she didn't know what else to do. She made the football team, but she still felt empty. Now that Artie, Tina, Blaine and Sam were graduated, she was the only one of the New Directions left. Jake and Ryder have football. Marley was still trying to make it by. Kitty was still on the Cheerios. And Wade was still struggling with his Unique persona. Claire asked, "Mom, I'm drawing a blank here."

Wilma said, "Claire, for three years, you've always been capable of coming up with really great ideas. You don't need the glee club to feel like you're part of something."

"But I can't let that Sue Sylvester win."

"Well, if you really want to shove it down her throat, do whatever you feel is right."

Claire's dad, Marvin, came over and said, "Well, I'm off. I'll be home late tonight so you two have the house to yourselves, but don't order pizza. There's plenty of food in the fridge."

Wilma asked, "What's that?"

Claire said, "Permission slip for the football."

Wilma and Marvin were skeptical.

"Look, I talked with Coach Beiste and she seemed okay with it. She was on a team when she was in high school. I can be careful."

Wilma said, "I know that you can be careful, Claire, but a lot of things can happen in the heat of the game."

Claire said, "So everyone says."

Marvin signed it. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I."

Claire knew what she had to do. She gathered up the others and sent them an email telling them to meet her in an alleyway where nobody would find them.

Marley said, "So, what are we doing here?"

Anne Marie and Ian walked out. Anne said, "We are gonna go back to glee."

Marley said, "Anne Marie? Ian?"

Kitty said, "What are you two doing here?"

Claire said, "I asked them to come. We can't have a proper certified glee club without coaches."

Marley said, "Okay, I'm intrigued but confused."

"We are not gonna let your guys' junior year go to waste. So, I asked Anne and Ian to help us bring everyone back together, so we can compete and have your second chance to win Nationals."

Jake said, "No. No, we're done with all that. Look, Claire, it's a nice gesture, and it's really spunky of you, but isn't it kind of risky?"

"You're related to Noah Puckerman. You guys are all about taking risks."

"This is different. If people start to find out about this, word will get out and Sue will shut us down all over again."

Ryder said, "He's right. It's just not possible."

Marley said, "I'm gonna have to agree. Look, Claire, it's really sweet that you care so much, but none of us really want to go through it again."

Claire said, "Marley, didn't you say you wanted to be a songwriter? You wrote a great song to help us win Regionals last year. Maybe you could do it again this year."

"It's just not worth it if it means getting caught."

Kitty said, "I'm with them. Why don't we just say what this is really about? You just want to sing and dance again. Look, Claire, I want to see Sue Sylvester fail as much as the next person, but those days are over for me."

Wade said, "Sorry, baby."

They all walked away.

Ian said, "Well, now what?"

Anne Marie said, "Well, we can't just expect everything to go back to the way they were."

Claire said, "You guys gonna take off, too?"

Anne said, "No. No way."

Ian said, "No, we're with you, Claire. We just need to come up with something better is all."

The next day, Claire was singing "What If?" from The Cheetah Girls: One World.

When Will started New Directions, he had purpose. He wanted to being out the best in people. Let them find their talent. Rachel became less selfish, Kurt became less insecure, and Mercedes became a successful recording artist. Finn became more confident. Artie became more independent than he was before, and Tina, in spite of all her bitch-itude, stepped out of her comfort zones. Brittany made it. Sam made it. Quinn was a Yale prodigy and Mike was killing it in his dance classes. Even Puck was doing all right in the Air Forces. Santana had no idea what she was going to do, but at least she finally stopped insulting people.

Somehow, someway, Will made most of them better. Claire, Henry, Lauren, Sugar, Wade, Jake, Marley, Ryder, even Kitty. All of them have a purpose again. But what were they gonna do?

One day, some stupid boys were harassing Wade and when he told the others about it, Jake said, "We need some names."

Ryder said, "Yeah. Some people need to learn not to mess with you anymore."

Wade said, "No. I love you guys and your support means everything, but it might not fix anything."

Marley said, "Guys, we need to think about this. We need to consider the possibility of singing again."

Kitty said, "Yeah, but what's the point, Marley? If anybody ever found out about this, it'll all just go away again."

Marley said, "Claire isn't just doing this because she misses Finn. Maybe she wants to find her purpose again. Maybe she's just doing this to get back at Sue. But so what? When we were in glee club, I liked it. And you all did, too, in spite of the fact that we couldn't win Nationals."

Ryder said, "We could at least try."

Jake said, "Yeah, but even if we did, there are only six of us. We need 12 to form a whole team."

Back in the alley, Claire found them. "What are you guys all doing back here?"

Kitty said, "We want the truth, Claire. Why do you really want us to do glee again?"

"Look, I have more than one reason. The truth is, I wanted us to be a team again because I felt empty. I needed something to fill that void. Yes, I miss Finn. Yes, I like performing. And yes, I hate Sue Sylvester so much. But I don't want to just do this for me. At first, I did, but that wouldn't be fair to any of you. If I want us to be a team again, it also has to be because you guys want this, too. I'm sorry. Jake, you like to sing. Ryder, you like to dance. Marley, your singing is incredible. Kit, you may not want to admit it, but you liked it, too."

Kitty smirked. "A little."

"And, Wade, you're not the only trans in the world. You are who you are, and glee helped you stand out."

Marley said, "Claire, even if we were a new glee team, we still don't have a new name yet."

Jake said, "Yeah, and we still don't have enough members to compete."

Claire said, "Well, that's why I brought Sugar and Joe to come back."

Sugar and Joe walked in and they all clapped and cheered.

Claire said, "Now, we still need four more members, and I already have our team name picked out. As of this moment, we are all…Treble Base."

Ryder said, "Wait. Seriously, that's our new name?"

"Why not? We're rebels, aren't we?"

Jake said, "You know, I have to admit, it's kinda growing on me."

Kitty said, "But where are we gonna find new members?"

Anne Marie said, "We already took care of that."

Ian said, "Say hello to our newest members of glee club."

Three brand new character appeared. A tall blond guy named Austin Ross, a brunette freshman girl named Ann Lynn, and a sophomore from Michigan who went by the name JJ Ramirez.

Sugar said, "You know, there's something oddly familiar about these guys."

Claire said, "Well, now that makes it to 11 members, which means we only need one more. Oh, I wish we could ask Rory."

Anne Marie said, "But unfortunately, he's stuck in Ireland, so we can't. I'm sure he'd love it, though."

Sugar said, "Well, why can't he come back? I mean, I'm rich and I'd be happy to pay for his airfare."

Joe nodded, "It's all right with me."

Claire said, "Well, okay, then. Then it looks like we have a full house."

They all gathered hands, "Amazing!"

Marley said, "Wait a minute, don't we also need a new stage?"

Anne said, "We already took care of that."

They all smiled. Inside an auditorium, they were singing "Higher" by Taio Cruz, Kylie Minogue and Travie McCoy.

In the auditorium, Marley was singing Miley's "Wrecking Ball," but it didn't sit right with the others.

Anne Marie said, "Yeah, okay. Marley, that was great. But this is a song about pain. Okay, we need to sing something upbeat if we're gonna wow the audience at Sectionals next week."

Marley said, "We've been doing this same old routine for the last few weeks, and I don't know what else there is for us to sing. I'm still worried about someone finding out about us."

Ian said, "Well, I have a suggestion. Why don't we focus on this year's school musical?"

Jake said, "What are we gonna do?"

"Well, you guys all did so good in Grease last year. Maybe this year we could do Footloose."

They all seemed intrigued.

Wade said, "Love that Kevin Bacon."

Kitty said, "It's a good idea. But we are all like way behind on our rehearsing. When are we gonna actually do that?"

Sugar said, "With style, of course."

Ian said, "Yeah, there's a community center not too far from here. We can do it there."

Jake said, "Do you really think people would go for that?"

Anne said, "Why not? We already have everyone here."

Kitty was singing, "Let's Hear It for the Boy." Sugar and Unique were singing backup.

Austin Ross introduced himself to the team. "Hey. I'm Austin Ross. I like playing guitar. I'm a big fan of Black Veil Brides."

Ann Lynn said, "So, I'm Ann Lynn. I've loved singing since before I reached double digits. Evita had a profound effect on me."

JJ Ramirez was next, "What's up? I'm JJ. I like action movies, hardcore TV. I like to see Game of Thrones in hi-def."

Claire said, "Uh, that's great. Can you sing?"

Austin sang on-key. Ann sang flawlessly. JJ sung kinda sultry but he still wasn't bad.

Claire said, "Okay, then. Uh, welcome to Treble Base."

They were all at the community center and a handsome young gentlemen who looked like Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air was the director and the announcer.

Claire asked, "Is this guy for real?"

Jermaine said, "Well, you must be Claire Thomas. From what these people have told me about you, this glee club better be legit."

"Yeah. We used to go by New Directions, but times have changed. Now we're Treble Base."

"I like the name. But can any of you sing?"

Anne Marie said, "Like you wouldn't believe."

Ian said, "Except one of the girls is tone-deaf."

Jermaine said, "Easily remedied."

In the Spotlight Diner, Rachel asked a customer, "Would you like me to give you a refill?"

Santana asked, "Why are you still working here? Aren't you rehearsing, like, 24/7?"

"Fanny Brice was a working girl, so I want my character to be as authentic as possible."

Kurt said, "Welcome to the Spotlight Diner, everyone. Now, you all may not know the name Blaine Anderson yet, but you will once it shines all over Broadway. So, now, please welcome Blaine Anderson."

Clapping occurred. Blaine said, "Thank you, Kurt." He started to play the piano. "Sing along if you all know it." He was singing Billy Joel's "Piano Man" while Sam was playing the harmonica.

Everyone cheered. Kurt shouted, "That was incredible!"

Blaine said, "Thank you."

Santana still had to work at the diner, but she was no longer living with Rachel and Kurt since they kicked her out. But it was okay, because now she was living with Brittany. Win-win. Kurt was with Blaine, and Sam was trying to find out if he could make it as a male model. Some head runner named Bichette thought he might have something. But she knew he had no intelligence whatsoever, and yet she still considered him. Thankfully, not all models were half-brained and hungry. Sam was no exception.

Everyone was going over their lines and costumes for Footloose.

Jermaine said, "Okay, people, let's not take this too far, shall we? Now the only reason I'll even let you guys perform here is that Sue Sylvester has nothing to do with this. I don't have to tell you all that you cannot blow this performance. Everything has to be precise and I want everything else to be perfect. Most of our audience members will be senior citizens."

Jake said, "What, is this a retirement home, too?"

"Just go over your lines, son."

Marley said, "At least my costumes fit this time."

Kitty said, "I said I was sorry."

Wade said, "Unique wants to know if this hairline goes with this dress."

Austin said, "Who's Unique?"

Claire said, "Wade's alter ego."

"Oh. Cool."

JJ said, "Get with the groove, Ross. They're expressing themselves."

Ann said, "Is there any way we can do this musical at McKinley?"

Ian said, "No. Look, if Sue ever found out we were doing a secret glee club under her nose, we'll never hear the end of it."

Marley said, "Okay, but what if she finds out anyway? We still have to perform at Sectionals."

Ryder said, "Yeah, and we're no closer than when we started."

Anne said, "Come on, guys, look, I know it's a lot. But we still have plenty of time to get it all done. And since we have a new name, maybe Sue won't even be interested."

Jake said, "Won't people still be able to recognize us?"

Ian said, "Well, maybe no one will even notice."

Joe said, "I have a funny feeling about all this, but I'm kinda having fun with it."

When the moment finally came to perform Footloose, everyone got into costume. Jermaine walked on stage, "Thank you all for coming. I hope you all enjoy the show. Presenting all the way from William McKinley High School, Footloose." Applause. Everyone seemed to be doing all right. They were all having a great time singing "Almost Paradise," "Dancing in the Sheets," and "I'm Free." (Heaven Helps the Man.) Applause and cheering occurred.

Jermaine was happy himself.

When they were all done, Jermaine said, "Brilliant! That was brilliant. How would you all like us to sponsor you in the show choir competition this year?"

Jake said, "What?"

Sugar said, "What?"

Ryder said, "Are you serious?"

Anne Marie said, "Guys, we kinda wanted it to be a surprise."

Ian said, "We made a deal with Jermaine. He said that if we impressed him, he'd not only let us use his auditorium, but he would also give us all our support and fundraising for Sectionals."

They were all so surprised but excited. Claire and Anne hugged.

Jermaine said, "Gotta say, I'm impressed with you kids. I wasn't sure what to make of you all at first, but you all seem to have the right stuff. I even saw some of your New Directions days, and I was quite intrigued. Welcome to the team."

They cheered and clapped.

Claire was in the next football game with Jake and Ryder.

Beiste said, "Okay, Claire, this is it. I know it was touch and go for a while, but I want you to know, I'm real proud of ya. Now, when one of you gets to the end zone, don't overthink it. Just do your best out there and don't let them get the best of you. And something else…"

"Be the ball?"

"Be the ball. Be the ball!"

Claire ran to the others. She told Jake to make it to the end zone when she passed him the ball. "Jake, I'm gonna need you to take over."

He asked, "Are you kidding? Can you throw that far?"

"Can you run that fast?"

"Hell yeah."

"All right."

Ryder called, "Hut!"

Claire threw the ball. Jake grabbed it and he made it! The crowd cheered.

While Treble Base was finally on their way to Sectionals, Kurt's band in New York was finally getting ready for their own debut. Dani and Elliot were also there, but they had no idea where to begin. Location, location, location.

Kurt said, "We are going to debut at Callbacks in Greenwich."

Dani said, "Wait, isn't that a Broadway hangout?"

"Traditionally. But Thursdays are kinda their dead night, so I spoke to the manager, and he says we can do whatever we like."

Elliot said, "Yeah. Kurt, look, not to overstep, but I follow a lot of bands starting out, and it's all about the launch. I can't think of a single one that started in Callbacks."

"But Madonna was my first impulse."

Dani said, "Yeah, but nobody's gonna come out if we do show tunes."

Kurt envisioned them all singing "Into the Groove."

Dani said, "Okay, I'm sold. But who's gonna be rocking? We don't even have a name yet."

Rachel said, "Why not just call ourselves Angela Lansbury or Pamela Anderson?"

Kurt looked intrigued.

"Kurt, I was joking."

"Pamela Lansbury. That is genius, Rachel. It's brilliant."

Elliot shrugged, "I like it."

Dani said, "Me too."

Rachel said, "Well, okay, then."

Meanwhile, Will and Emma were getting it on in another room. Becky walked in on them and she was traumatized. LMAO.

Sue said, "Becky is scarred for life. Why couldn't you two do the canoodling in your own home?"

Will said, "I'm 37."

Emma said, "I'm…of a similar age range."

In the teacher's lounge, Emma walked in and said, "I just did the pregnancy stick."

Will said, "And?"

"It came out negative."

"Oh, Em." He hugged her. "Look, we'll go to the fertility clinic."

"Excuse me." And she left.

Beiste said, "Look, pumpkin, it doesn't matter if you have a she-goat in heat. That's a saying where I come from. My point is, if you're ready to get pregnant, you gotta make it really natural. It'll take the pressure off both of you. If you and Emma are ready to start trying, you gotta stop trying."

In the auditorium, everyone was going over their setlist for Sectionals.

Claire said, "Guys, we still only have 11 members. Sugar, didn't you pay for Rory's airfare?"

Sugar said, "Yeah, he said he was gonna be here. Maybe his flight got delayed or something."

Rory said, "Airline tickets are not at all easy to come by. I've gotta tell ya."

Claire said, "Rory!"

Ryder said, "Hey, it's that Irish guy."

Claire and Rory hugged. Sugar hugged him next. Joe said, "Welcome back, buddy."

Anne Marie said, "Well, now that we have a full house, let's get to rehearsing."

Austin, Ann and JJ still needed to learn the ropes of the feel of glee. While they were still new to the game, they weren't exactly alone. Jake, Marley, Kitty, Ryder and Wade were all still new, and Sugar, Rory and Joe were new the year before. It was hard for them at first, but once they got their juices flowing, it seemed pretty easy, like they had all done it before. Austin still needed to work on his look, so Jake and Ryder decided to help him with that. Marley and Kitty decided to help Ann with hers. And JJ was getting some tips and pointers from Joe and Ian.

Finally, the big moment came. There were some new teams, some with familiar faces. Everyone gathered around. The announcer called, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2013 Midwest Show Choir Sectionals! Let's meet our judges. Well-known pop sensation, Christina Milian!" Claire was surprised. "All the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mr. Jackson Bateman! And from the biggest country in the world, the Ambassador of Moscow, Prime Minister Aleksei Gorbachev!" Cheering and clapping occurred. "And now, from Atlanta, Georgia, performing for the first time ever, please give it up for the Southern Belles!"

Anne Marie said, "Well, that's original." Ian scoffed.

The Belles were singing incredibly.

Marley said, "Wow. They sound good."

Kitty said, "Yeah."

The announcer called, "Next up, from Lima, Ohio, Treble Base!"

Jake said, "Guess it's now or never."

Claire said, "We got this, guys. We've done it before, we can do it again."

The music started and they started off with "September" and ended with Katy Perry's "Waking Up in Vegas."

Christina Milian walked across the stage. "Well, that was really something. Now, all the teams performed adequately, but there can only be one winner today. In third place, the Southern Belles!" Applause. "And now, the moment we've all been waiting for. The winner of his years' Sectionals is…from Lima, Ohio, Treble Base!" Applause and cheering occurred. Jake and Ryder did a high-five. Austin and JJ bro-hugged. Ann jumped up with Sugar. Claire was relieved.

In the apartment in New York, Rachel was checking her mail.

"Wait, I just got a message from Claire. She said she started a new secret glee club away from McKinley."

Kurt said, "Not so secret anymore."

"Ah, and they won Sectionals!"

"Really? Well, what are they calling themselves?"

"Remarkably, Treble Base."

"Like a play on Star Wars?"

Blaine said, "What, like rebel base?"

Sam said, "That's so cool!"

Rachel said, "You know, I have to admit, there is a nice ring to it."

Will went home and Emma told him, "I'm pregnant."

"Oh, my God!" He hugged her.

"The doctor confirmed it. I'm really pregnant, Will."

"We're gonna be a real family." They hugged again.

They were all finishing the night with "What Does The Fox Say?" by Ylvis.

In New York, Rachel and Kurt put up the Christmas tree. Kurt said, "Well, I think we've outdone ourselves."

Blaine said, "Don't you think that tree is a little high on one side?"

Rachel said, "Looks fine to me."

There was a knock on the door.

Kurt asked, "Who could that be at this hour?"

Rachel said, "I'll go see." The door opens and she gasped.

Shelby said, "Now this is what I call an apartment."

"Shelby!" She jumped on her and hugged her.

Shelby laughed and spun around.

Kurt said, "Oh! Shelby!"

"Hey, Kurt!" She hugged him. "It feels so good to be social! Blaine." They also hugged.

Kurt said, "Hey, where's Jack?"

Shelby said, "Oh, he's in LA telling his family about the wedding."

Rachel said, "I'm guessing his mom won't be too happy about that."

"Yeah."

Blaine said, "Hey, maybe she'll come around."

"I don't know about that."

Kurt asked, "What about Anne Marie and Ian?"

Rachel said, "I think they're going to Miami. At least that's what Claire told me."

The gang was putting up their own Christmas tree in the community center.

Claire started off singing "As Long As There's Christmas" from Belle's Enchanted Christmas. Anne Marie and Ian joined in. Henry did, too. The new kids also joined in. Kitty said, "Hey, come on, you guys. The lights go on first."

Anne Marie said, "Well, I think we've outdone ourselves."

In the Spotlight Diner, Kurt and Blaine were singing "Spread the Pureblood Cheer" by the Purebloods, but they changed "Pureblood" to "Christmas." Spread the Christmas Cheer!

Outside in the ice skating rink. Rachel said, "I don't really have a wedding present for you yet, but I do have your Christmas/Hanukkah gift."

Shelby looked a bit confused.

Jack skated from behind. "Christmas gram for a Miss Shelby Corcoran."

Shelby turned around, "Honey!" She hugged him. "Oh, when did you get here?"

"Just a few hours ago. I couldn't wait to see you."

"Oh, now we can spend the holidays together."

"Like I was gonna spend the night away from my two favorite girls."

Shelby and Jack skated and Rachel smiled at them. She seemed content. At peace. Like she was finally ready to let Jack go. All three of them were singing "When Christmas Comes to Town" from The Polar Express.

Shelby said, "You remember when I said there was no one there to love Rachel as much as I do? I was wrong." She put her hand on his cheek. "He was right here in front of me the whole time." She leaned forward.

Jack said, "Uh, you know, it's pretty cold out. If we kiss, I'm afraid our lips will get frozen stuck together."

Shelby smiled, "It'll be worth it." She kissed him.

In the center, Jermaine wanted everyone to perform sometime before Christmas. Claire and Anne Marie performed "Christmas Wish" by ALL CAPS.

Marley said, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage, Mr. Ian Rivers."

Anne Marie and Ian were singing that classic tune, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."

Treble Base were singing "This Christmas" by Tonks and the Aurors.

Everyone in the community center clapped. Claire took her bow. She said, "Merry Christmas, everybody." Everyone else said, "Merry Christmas!"