Three weeks after opening night, Rachel saw a homeless man sleeping on a bench with Funny Girl on it. She signed his newspaper and gave him a dollar. Inside, she knocked on a glass door. The man on the treadmill said, "Wait, there must be some mistake. This is Fanny Brice, I'm supposed to be meeting Rachel Berry." "Hi, Mr. Rivkin." "Rachel, we are so excited to work for you. We want to be in the Rachel Berry business. I'm not just talking about me. Although the others are not to be trusted. So, let's talk about your future." "No big. Maybe a movie career or a big hit TV show." "Great. Rachel, you're a rare breed. But you gotta remember something. You got talent coming out of your ears. You could be doing Fanny Brice for a whole year. Look at Fiddler on the Roof. He's been doing Tevye forever. Just trust me. I'm your go-to guy." Kurt walked out with Blaine and said, "Did you hear? June Dolloway is coming." Blaine said, "I don't really know who that is." "She's only the coolest socialite ever. They're renaming the building after her, and there's going to be select students to sing at her ribbon-cutting." "Nice. Kurt, you were picked? I'm so happy for you." "I really want to try Story of My Life by One Direction, but it's sung by five guys." "Well, that's great, Kurt. How are you going to sing all those vibes as one person?" "Well, you'll be singing with me. And Jack, Henry and Ian are coming, too. Come on, we're a team. It'll be a blast." "I'd love to. Thank you." They hug. "And it'll be fun singing with those guys. I've never sung with them before." "Me either. But I've been wanting to sing with Jack for a long time."
Back in Lima, in the community center, Claire walked in and said, "Guys, I know we've got Nationals coming up soon, but right now, we need to focus on something else important, too. Prom." Kitty said, "That's great, Claire." Marley said, "Do you know if you'll be nominated for prom queen?" Claire said, "Nah. No one would ever vote for me." "Well, I would." Unique said, "Oh, girl, me too." Kitty said, "I guess I would, too. I mean, you did being us all back together, so I guess I owe you." Joe said, "So, what's the prom theme this year?" Claire said, "Well, I was kinda thinking of an aquatic theme. You know, fish, the seas, aquarium vibes." Jake nodded. Ryder said, "The feel of the ocean. Nice." Sugar said, "I am so feeling this theme." Anne Marie said, "Yeah, better than the dinosaur theme Brittany planned two years ago." Ian said, "Or the Slushie bucket that fell on Tina and Brett last year." Marley said, "Technically, the Slushie fell on Tina, the bucket fell on Brett. But yeah. We know what you meant." Claire said, "Guys, the Beatles are great. But this year is the year of Treble Base. This could be our very first real victory and we need to work as a team. We are gonna sing water-themed songs." Austin said, "What exactly did you have in mind?" Claire said, "One or two I can think of." Jake said, "We don't have to wear fish and merman costumes, do we?" Claire chuckled, "Nope, nope. We all get to wear our natural duds. Just keep swimming and we'll have a splash."
Back in New York, Shelby's voiceover was saying, "You know, now that Rachel's on her way to coming out on top with Funny Girl, it's making me think about my career choices. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy with what I have. A Broadway daycare business, I'm Rachel's understudy, and I have the most amazing, romantic man in all of the world. I love Jack more than I could ever think possible. He's everything to me. But I still can't help but feel longing. What else do I want going for me? I did tell Rachel once that I wanted to get a dog. But when am I going to take the time to take care of one. I wonder how Jack would feel if I asked him if we could get a dog. Although now that I think about it, it does take a lot of work. Maybe we could find a lost one and keep him until we find his owner." She came home to find Jack under the sink trying to fix a pipe. "Hey, Mr. Handyman." Jack slid out from under. "What? You think I spend all my time playing vid games?" "Honestly, it's just nice to see you not staring at a screen for longer than a couple of hours." "Yeah, just wait until The Bachelor or Game of Thrones come on, then we'll see who's glued to the screen." Shelby chuckled. "So, I was thinking. Maybe we could have a little date night later on. When's good for you?" "Actually, Kurt and Blaine asked me to sing with them for June Dolloway." "You're kidding. The June Dolloway?" "From what Kurt told me, she sounds like a huge deal. So, you in?" "Uh, yeah." "And then after that, we can come back here and I'll cook us some dinner." "I mean, I can't think of anything better than an evening alone with you." They rubbed noses together and kissed.
While in New York again, Henry wonders what he's gonna do with his career. Loving Claire, he's caught between a rock and a hard place. His voiceover said, "I'm supposed to be with Claire for prom this year. The army is going great, but every time I get deported, I spend less and less time with her. We can't really do long-distance. Rachel and Finn didn't do long-distance, but Finn still wound up—you know, I'm not even gonna bring myself to finish that thought. Puck is actually doing something worthwhile. He's in the Air Forces. Top Gun like Tom Cruise or Ryan Reynolds. Yeah, the Green Lantern movie was not really that good. It wouldn't surprise me if that got as many Razzie awards as when Adam Sandler played Jack and Jill. That one was the absolute worst. Still, back to my thing. I want to do something with my life, but now here I am, 21 years old and still no closer than when I started. I love Claire. There's no question about it. Everybody has got something to do with their lives. But what good is saving the world if you don't have someone to share it with?" He started to sing "Walk Away" from High School Musical 3.
Kurt was straightening his tie the next day. Rachel said, "Kurt, this could be a great opportunity." "Rachel, you've won. You've made it. Isn't that enough?" "Yes. It's more than enough. But I'm just gonna do something nice for Shelby. I'll just take a personal day." "And how long until Sidney finds out?" "I'm not quitting. I'm not. I just want to branch out. If someone came to NYADA to find you, what would you have said?" "Fine. But don't lie to Sidney Greene. You'll just be asking for more trouble." That night, a man said, "Good evening. Please welcome to our newly christened dance lab, June Dolloway." A familiar face walked in and there was applause. Kurt said, "She's stunning." Blaine said, "Common American royalty." The man said, "Two of our finest have asked to perform for you. Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson." Applause. Shelby and Anne Marie were seated together. Henry, Jack and Ian joined Kurt and Blaine on stage. They were all singing "Story of My Life" with great ease. Blaine kissed June's hand. Kurt shook it. Anne Marie and Ian danced together. Anne took off her jacket and swirled it around. Shelby smiled at her. Applause. June said, "Oh, wonderful. Thank you. I love your youthful energy. Would you be so kind as to escort me to the SoHo center next week?" In the loft, Shelby asked, "Do you ever think maybe we should've eloped? It would've saved us a lot of time and money." Jack said, "Well, ever since we got engaged, I've been trying to avoid the color white. Which is all well and good considering we can't wear white after Labor Day anyway. Why even is that?" "I think it's kind of like a rich women's rule. I looked it up on Google." "Well, you always do look really good in black." Shelby giggled. "So, that June Dolloway was quite something." "Too bad she only wanted Blaine to escort her and not Kurt. I hate it when Kurt's upset. Jack, do you ever want to do more with your life sometimes?" Jack breathed in. "Um…well, I was really into math a few years ago. I don't know. The only thing I'm good at now is gaming and trying to be a plumber." "Trying and succeeding. You fixed the sink the other day." "Barely. Heh." "What would you wish for?" "What more could I ask for? I already have you." Shelby smiled. "Sure beats the last time when you made out with Rachel." "I told you 100 times. We dated for six weeks. It was a fling. Let it go." "Don't you tell me to let it go." Jack chuckled. They kissed. Shelby put her hand on his peck.
Rachel was in LA for a brief moment. Paulblatt said, "Everyone, this is Rachel Berry." Rachel said, "Hi. I will be singing…" "Uh, Rachel, this isn't a musical." "Oh." A woman said, "Didn't you read the script?" "Um, no. I didn't get a script." Paulblatt said, "The Song of Solomon is a science-fiction soap opera." Another man said, "It's kind of like Guardians of the Galaxy meets Battlestar Galactica." The woman said, "With a strong touch of Star Trek." Rachel said, "Yeah, I'm actually more into Star Wars." Paulblatt said, "Let's take it from the top." They went over their scene splendidly. Rachel just wasn't feeling it. When they were done playacting, she went back to New York as fast as she could. In the taxi, there were horns honking. "Excuse me, why is there a traffic jam." "There's always a traffic jam," the driver said. "You know, it kind of inspired Roger Rabbit." Rachel got out her phone. "Come on, pick up." "Hello?" "Hey, it's me. I may be in over my head." Barclay said, "I didn't want to alarm you. There was no one else to call." Sidney said, "What are you doing here?" Shelby turned in her seat, fully in costume. "If I had a nickel for every time somebody asked me that." "Where's Rachel?" "Uh, something came up. She asked me to fill in for her as Fanny. I'm going on, whether you like it or not. Besides, there are no other takers and you don't have another choice." "Well, you are her sister. Don't screw this up." "Trust me," she stood up, "I got this." She smirked.
The next day, Rachel said, "So, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by thanking you for keeping me from getting fired by making sure the show wasn't cancelled." "I had fun. It was nice getting back on stage again…again." "Yeah, well, I saw your performance and it was Grade A compared to mine." "Oh, come on, you were spectacular." "Yeah, well, I mean, if Sidney found out I have other priorities, he would shun me. I'm screwed. I'm screwed and I'm dead." "You're 19, Rachel. You're more than old enough to make your own decisions. If Sidney Green fires you, it'll be his loss. One day he's gonna wake up and realize he just lost the best person he could ever work with." "Yeah. I just hope I'm not gonna be sued for all those tickets they would've had to refund if the show had been cancelled." "Don't worry about it. I had a blast. All that stuff is fun, even if I only had to do it once. Why did you give me the stage on your opening night?" "I just wanted you to experience what I've always wanted. Give something back, you know?" "Well, I guess I can't hold it against you. Besides, we both got what we wanted. Singing on a stage, looking the part." "But I'm done interfering. I think I've played matchmaker too long. If it wasn't for me…" "If it wasn't for you, I would've never found my soul mate. I know letting Jack go for me was extremely hard for you." "Yeah. But he's my brother-in-law now, so now I get to love him in a different way." Shelby smiled, "What did I do to deserve you?" "It's better if you don't get an answer for that." They chuckled, stood and hugged. Shelby asked, "So, what's the second bird?" "To say that I'm not the woman you didn't raise me to be." "Maybe not, but you are so much more than that. You're always getting better and better." Rachel nodded, "I meant it. You were really good." "You're the type of person that cannot be held down." "You're a really good friend, Shelby." "Takes one to know one." "Ooh, I'm gonna keep this all for myself." They giggled.
The door closed. "You said you wanted to see me, sir?" "Have a seat, Rachel." Rachel gulped and sat down. "I apologize for ducking out like that. I have no excuse." "Oh, please. It turned out fine. Your sister was stunning." "Really?" "Yeah," he sat down. "I told you no in no one's layman's terms." "Mm-hmm." "I'm not gonna fire you." "Uh, really?" "No. I should. I spent all day trying to find the words to fire you, but I spoke to Rupert and the other investors. They all agreed that you're an ambitious seeker. And what can we do? You're a star. We need you." "But what about Shelby?" "Your sister has no part in this, in spite of the fact that you're every bit as talented as she is." "Mr. Greene, I had an opportunity come my way." "Oh, yeah, that's what they all say. One minute they get what they want, the next thing you know, something else comes along and some of those main plans change. You're not a Broadway legend yet. You may go." "I understand." She stands up and walks away. She sighed, "Why do I always get myself in these situations?" Her cell phone rang. "Hello?" Paulblatt said, "Hi, Rachel. It's Lee Paulblatt. I've got some bad news. You did not get a part." "I figured. Thank you for the chance, though." "But I also have good news. When I said you were a once in generation talent, I meant it. When you played Fanny Brice, you offered a deal for your sister, and I thought that was a uniquely selfless act, which is why I wanted to give you a development deal." "Really? I don't even know what that means." "We want to create a new drama series which features your sister." Rachel raised her eyebrows. "Are you serious?" "Yes, Rachel, I'm serious. I have a writer in mind. You don't even have to leave New York. We're sending her to you." "Mr. Baldwin, thank you. I don't even know what else to say." "You don't have to. Congrats, Rachel. Celebrate with your friends. We'll be in touch." Rachel hung up and said, "Shelby's gonna be a star."
Shelby said, "Jack, would you, um, like to go to the dance with me?" Jack smiled and took her hand. Everyone was at the prom having a great time. Claire and the other girls were singing "No Ordinary Girl" from H2O. Kurt and Blaine were dancing together. Mercedes was smiling, so happy for Claire, seeing how far she had come. Shelby and Jack were dancing with Rachel and the others on the dance floor. Jake said, "Everyone gather round. It's time to announce the winners of this year's prom king and queen." Ryder said, "Looks like the winner for king is…Austin Ross!" Cheering. Austin got the crown on. Jake said, "And this year's queen…Claire freakin' Thomas!" Kitty smiled. Marley beamed. Unique opened her mouth with joy. Claire said, "Wait, what?!" She smiled. Blaine whistled. Anne Marie and Ian clapped and cheered. Claire put her tiara on. Rachel said, "That's our girl!" Kurt said, "Oh, I'm so proud." Rachel and Anne Marie were singing "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid next. Quite the turnout. Mercedes said, "Gotta give Claire some credit. She really outdid herself with this aquatic theme." Blaine said, "Yeah, sure beats Brittany's dinosaur theme two years ago." Kurt said, "This is so much better." Henry said, "Mind if I cut in?" Claire hugged him tightly. Shelby said, "Looks like her real king finally came." Jack said, "Hey, how come he didn't win three years ago?" "You're not wrong." Everyone clapped and cheered. Rachel and Anne hugged. Rachel said, "Best prom ever."