Season Six, Starring Cory Monteith Chapter 2: 6x02: Homecoming, a glee fanfic

Episode 6x02: Homecoming

Synopsis: It's homecoming week, and the New Directions are heavily recruiting, led by their new co-captains, Finn (Cory Monteith) and Rachel (Lea Michele). They are assisted by their various friends and New Directions alumni! Meanwhile, Blaine (Darren Criss) struggles with helping a female Dalton student, Jane (Samantha Marie Ware), join the Warblers.

Voiceover: Blaine

In a world where everything changes, some things always stay the same. They say that there's only three things you can count on in life. Death, taxes, and Dalton Academy. When Kurt and I broke up, I was devastated. I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with him, and then suddenly... he was gone. My therapist told me I should concentrate on the thing I love most. Music. I couldn't even do that.

Then I started coaching the Warblers, and I started seeing someone new... and then, I was totally reinvigorated!

Everyone is always saying change is a good thing, right? I stopped gelling my hair, stopped wearing bowties. It was then that I realized that I didn't need to change it up. I had to get back to where I once belonged, and that's Dalton Academy, where no matter what happens, you can always count on the fact that nothing's ever going to change.

{Voiceover ends}

Blaine took a sigh of relief as he walked down the halls of Dalton and headed towards his office, prepared to close up shop for the day. Yes, he thought his world was going to cave in after the breakup with Kurt, but the Warblers really helped him bounce back. It was safe. He was safe. Dalton was just how he left it when he transferred to McKinley his junior year, and it was going to stay that way.

That is, until he saw a young girl standing in his office, wearing a Dalton blazer, which made him pinch himself, since he was clearly dreaming.

"Excuse me?" She asked, clutching her bag.

"Can I help you?" Blaine replied, slightly confused.

"You're Mr. Anderson, right?" When Blaine nodded in confirmation, she continued. "My name is Jane. I'm new to Dalton."

"What do you mean?" He said, chuckling nervously. "Y-you're a girl."

"My dad went to Dalton," she explained, following Blaine to his car as she spoke. "As did two of my uncles. But then, here I was, stuck at one of the lowest-performing public schools in Ohio with no arts, no music. My parents brought a Title IX lawsuit against Dalton Academy and won."

Blaine glanced back at her, practically doing a double take, as more and more he knew about Dalton was changing. "Uh, that's shocking." She stood by the front of his car, hands folded neatly together. "I mean, that's amazing."

"Thanks," she replied, grinning with her scarily bright, white teeth. Blaine was honestly jealous of the condition they were in. "That's nice to hear," she continued. "Anyways, I talked to the dean of performing arts and he said I should talk to you. I want to be a Warbler."

Blaine couldn't even respond as his jaw hit the floor, knowing this was about get very interesting.

{The scene cuts to McKinley, as Finn and Rachel walked the halls of the school, each putting up a sign-up sheet for the New Directions; Rachel put hers on the cork board in the hallway, Finn put his in the locker room. They were almost immediately defaced. They eventually met up in the hallway and began walking together, attempting to advertise to the students of McKinley as Sue spoke on the loudspeaker above them, with her daily morning announcements.}

Voiceover: Sue

Attention, McKinley idiots! It's homecoming week, which means that a bunch of old farts will be creeping around the hallways like Game of Thrones White Walkers, horrifying you with their beer bellies and their liver spots. That's just the class of 2012! FYI, the much-beloved McKinley High homecoming dance is cancelled. This is due to... uh, let's say sharia law.

{Voiceover ends}

"Finn, this is great!" Rachel said excitedly. "Homecoming will give us the perfect opportunity to sell the glee club to these kids. Friends and families in town, right here at McKinley, at the big homecoming football game!"

Finn nodded in agreement. "I totally agree. A lot of these people will remember how the New Directions were in their heyday. I think we're on a good road to Sectionals here!"

Any and all good faith in their plan was immediately tossed out the window, when out the corner of their eyes, a red liquid came at them at what felt like 100 miles an hour. It was cold, and wasn't even fully liquid. It was solid ice. It was an infamous Slushie. And who threw said Slushie? As Finn and Rachel wiped the red food coloring out of their eyes and looked in front of them, they saw their old classmate, and Sue's classic sidekick, Becky Jackson. "Lima loser," she snarled, tossing the cup at their feet and walking off.

The couple looked at each other, drenched in slushie, and then looked at the sign-up sheet behind them that read:

Harry Scrote

Tess T. Call

Hugh G. Rection

They looked at each other again and just sighed. They felt like sophomores all over again, at the bottom of the barrel. What a start to their week.

That evening, Finn and Rachel stopped by Mr. Schue's apartment for dinner. Finn realized that Rachel hadn't yet seen him since coming home, and she probably wanted to meet the baby. Unfortunately for her, Daniel was with Miss Pillsbury, who went over to visit her sister. They were a little curious why Mr. Schue didn't go, but when they found out that her parents were in town, it made sense. He hated them, and they hated him. It didn't matter, though. Despite the fact that she was disappointed that she didn't get to meet the baby, it was good to see Mr. Schue and vent to him about what was going on at McKinley. Considering that they were doing things they used to do, it sort of made sense.

"Honestly, I forgot how cold those Slushies were," Rachel commented as she sat on the couch, playing with her hair. "I mean, they chill you to the bone!"

"I'm so sorry that happened, Rachel," Mr. Schue called from the kitchen. "Alright, dinner is served."

As Finn and Rachel stood up to join him in the dining room, Rachel continued talking about what Becky did. "You know what, though? It didn't really bother me. It felt good being an underdog again, like I'm getting back to my McKinley roots!"

"I guess Becky did us a solid," Finn joked, pulling a chair out for his girlfriend to sit in.

"I don't know about that," she replied with a chuckle, taking a seat as Finn sat next to her.

As she sat, a knock on the door was heard. "I guess that's Blaine," Mr. Schue said. Both he and Rachel instantly turned to look at Finn, whose whole mood changed. Will pointed at him. "Hey, Blaine is family, okay? You behave."

As he went to let him in, Finn looked over at Rachel. "You didn't tell me he was coming!"

She shrugged. "I sort of went to see him last week... don't be mad!"

He sighed. "It's okay, he's your friend. It shouldn't bother me."

"That's right," she replied. "Behave," she ecohed Mr. Schue's earlier comment.

Mr. Schue returned to the dining room with Blaine, who looked a bit frazzled. When Blaine looked up and saw Finn at the table, it certainly didn't help his mood. "Hey, Finn," he said carefully. Looks like Blaine didn't realize Finn would be there, either.

"Hey man," Finn replied. "Good to see ya," he managed through gritted teeth.

Rachel decided now might be a good time to speak up. "So, Blaine, how was your day? How is everything at Dalton?" She asked in a sing-songy voice. She was thrilled by their performance of Sing when she visited the Warblers, so despite the fact that they were now competitors again, she was eager to hear how things were going.

"Before we get into that," Mr. Schue began, patting Blaine's back as he took a seat. "We have some fierce show choir competition ahead of us. Even though Vocal Adrenaline isn't in your matchup for Sectionals, you two will still be facing off, and it's very likely we'll run into each other at Regionals. With that being said, I wanted to lay down some ground rules, for all of us."

"Yes," Rachel nodded in agreement. "Like no stealing each other's setlists."

"No spying?" Finn offered. Rachel patted his arm approvingly.

"Yeah, and no poaching," Mr. Schue added last, taking a seat at the end of the table as the three murmured in agreement at the rules.

Blaine took a deep breath, adding some salad to his plate. "I actually really need everyone's advice. I have a huge dilemma. A girl wants to join the Warblers."

"So, what's the dilemma?" Rachel asked, taking the salad bowl from him as she added some to her plate as well.

"You can't be on the wrong side of history here," Mr. Schue offered his two cents. "I mean, you of all people should know that."

"I know, I know. I just think that tradition is important too, y'know?"

Rachel and Mr. Schue looked over at Finn, eager to see if he would contribute to the conversation. To their surprise, he did, and it wasn't rude or nasty! "Well, some traditions are meant to be broken," Finn spoke up. "Like when we casted Unique as Rizzo in Grease?"

"But Unique ended up getting pulled from the play," Blaine said, in defense of his stance.

"Sure, but that was her own doing. Or her parents, anyway. Whatever. The point is, we gave her a shot." Finn took a bite of his salad. "You've gotta let her try out. What's the worst that could happen?"

Huh. Despite Finn and Blaine's obviously tense nature here, he made a great point. They weren't best friends or anything, but if they could be civil, especially when they were going to be at odds for Sectionals, it was an idea worth trying. Blaine appreciated the effort.

The next day at Dalton, Blaine presented the idea to the Warblers, and as he expected, they were not as open-minded as he saw when the idea was presented at Mr. Schue's house. He had to admit, though, it was great to see the Warbler Council reinstated. When he left the Warblers in his junior year, the team captain essentially absolved the responsibility and duty of the council, turning the Warblers into a dictatorship. First it was Sebastian Smythe in charge, then Hunter Clarrington. Once the Warblers were disqualified from competition by the Ohio Show Choir governing board and Hunter was removed from Dalton, the Warblers rebuilt from the ground up, eventually reinstating the Warbler Council so each and every member of the Warblers could be seen and heard equally. With Skylar now serving as captain of the Warblers, he ran the council meetings, as the team discussed the idea of letting Jane audition.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand," Skylar said.

"This house is built on a foundation of lies!" A Warbler spoke up. "The Warblers is a house of lies!"

The room erupted once again into a series of shouting and debating, until Skylar slammed his gavel on the table. "Order, order!" He shouted.

Blaine decided to step in. "Look, look. No decision has been made yet," he said, taking a seat next to some of his fellow Warblers. "I'm merely presenting the issue for the Warbler Council to discuss. Should female students be allowed to join?"

The clamoring resumed, until the Warbler next to Skylar snatched the gavel out of his hand and slammed on the table. "What's next, huh? Cat and dog Warblers? I mean, the very question is risible! How about a student who's a skunk? Should it be allowed to become a Warbler?"

"We can't have a girl Warbler!" Another one of the Warblers shot up. "Imagine the sexual tension. We would never get anything done."

Blaine was slightly amused and a bit confused by that comment, so he decided to speak up again. "Aren't most of you guys gay?"

"How DARE you!" The crowd began to erupt in denial, shocked that he would even suggest that. "I have a girlfriend."

Another Warbler stepped in. "We all have girlfriends."

"Really?" Blaine asked in disbelief.

They all said yes. Blaine truly was shocked, but apologized for his apparent mistake. Something told him deep down that he was right, though. Back to the subject at hand, Skylar grabbed the gavel and began hammering it down. "Order!" Once the Warblers calmed down, they all shifted focus back to the debate at hand.

"Warblers," Blaine began, making his way over to the council. "As coach, I am a nonvoting member of this body. Once a vote is cast, I will respect the council's decision." He then decided to recount Mr. Schue's own words. "But... let's be on the right side of history here! Dr. King said that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, and isn't justice all about equal rights? Equal opportunity? Inclusion?"

"What about squirrels?" The Warbler from earlier piped up. He was obsessed with the animal analogy, apparently. "Should squirrels be allowed to join the Warblers? The very premise of your argument is laughable!"

They all began arguing once again, which made Blaine question if his group of Warblers bickered this much. "Order!" Skylar said once more. He clearly seemed aggravated by this conversation that was going in circles. Blaine appreciated him; he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders. "Thank you gentleman for that... high-minded debate. As Head Warbler, I'd like to propose a compromise. Why take the unprecedented step of amending the Warbler constitution when we may not even need to?" He clearly got everyone's attention here, including Blaine's. "We may be allowed to refuse entry based on gender, and we may not; that's an open question. What is NOT in question is our right to refuse entry based on talent. What I'm trying to say is, shouldn't we first find out if she can even sing? Hm?" There were murmurs of agreement and head nods.

"All those in favor?"

The Warblers harmonized by saying "Aye." Seemed like things were headed on the right path for Blaine and his Warblers to shake things up heading into Sectionals!

"Where did you put We Both Reached for the Gun from Chicago?" Rachel asked.

Over at McKinley, she and Finn were organizing all of their sheet music. Mr. Schue left a ton of it behind when he left for Carmel, and of course, Rachel had binders full at her dads's house. They figured it would be put to good use over in the choir room. They were a great team; they always had been. The truth was, though, that they were a little rusty. They were broken up for just about a year before they got back together on Rachel's opening night, and then did long distance for a year after they got back together. This stint at McKinley was the first time they were operating as one, cohesive unit in over two years! They had to work out the kinks, that's all. They just didn't realize that they needed to do so just yet.

"1975 to 1980," Finn replied, organizing other sheets.

Rachel blinked. Her eye could almost twitch at this point. "You... organized them chronologically?"

Finn nodded innocently.

"Oh, Finn, honey," she said with a twang of frustration in her voice. "That's not... no." She took his hand and led him over to the piles she had worked on. "See how Xanadu is with Ace of Bass?"

"Is that a Pokemon?"

Rachel laughed to cover her attitude. "We file based on emotion."

"But Mr. Schue always filed chronologically."

"Well, this is how we should've filed them back then, and how we should file now!" Rachel clapped. "Look at the themes of the piles. Divas Strike Back, Cherish Yourself, Makeovers. These are great starting points for lessons!" She then stared at his piles. "The problem is that now, we have to take your half that you worked on for two hours and start over!"

Finn's eyebrows raised. "Are you serious?"

"Mhm!"

"Rachel, need I remind you that we only have a fourth of the members we need to even bother filing this sheet music?" He asked, getting frustrated himself. "What's even the point?"

"Finn!" She whined. "We need to have a strong foundation for this club."

"Oh, did you learn that lesson from the Warblers?" He asked with an eyeroll.

"Don't do that!" She scolded.

Marley, Unique, and Ryder walked in at that very moment, witnessing the first Finchel argument of many, glancing at each other nervously. "Are we interrupting anything?" Marley asked.

The couple stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at the three people who just walked in. "Oh, of course not!" Rachel said cheerfully. "You guys are just in time. Please, have a seat!"

They obliged, with Ryder taking note of the sheet music on the ground in front of them. "Oh, sick," he said. "Finn, don't worry about this 80s stack. I've got the classic rock covered."

"Well, you'll have to sift through the folk music of the 80s to get to it first," Rachel said with a fake smile.

There was an awkward silence, before Finn clapped his hands together and spoke up. "Okay! Guys, you know how this works. We need twelve members to compete in competition, and we're almost halfway there. The good news is that there are three other people at this school that were in glee club with you guys, so your mission is to help us re-recruit them." He pointed to Ryder. "You said Jake might be difficult to convince to rejoin glee. Why is that?"

Unique snorted and Marley shifted in her chair uncomfortably.

Finn took note of this. "Uh, guys? Anything you want to share?"

"That Drake wannabe you speak of?" Unique snapped her fingers. "Oh, no thank you. After the glee club disbanded last year, he and Marley ended up breaking up and now he doesn't talk to any of us."

Ryder nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, he and I aren't really friends anymore. Just teammates at this point."

Rachel looked at Finn, then at the kids. "Well, why is that an issue? There were always relationship problems within glee. That shouldn't stop you from your love of the music."

Marley looked down at her feet, shaking her head. "I mean, he would be a great addition to this team," she said. "But he's changed. He had some stuff going on in his family and didn't have glee as an outlet to express that frustration, so he just sort of pushed us all away."

Finn didn't want to press the issue any further, but he wondered what was going on there. Last he checked, Jake and Puck were still pretty close, but he honestly hadn't spoken to Puck much since he moved out of the dorms and back home. He didn't even know if Puck was still in Lima. He decided to just shift focus to the other former members. "Okay, well what about Kitty and Bree?"

"Good luck," Unique rolled her eyes yet again. "Those two skanks went all Hollywood on us, too."

That part surprised Finn even more, considering what glee was able to do for Bree. What in the hell happened to these kids?

"Well, have no fear," Rachel said proudly, hands on her hips like a superhero. "We have placed sign-up sheets all over the school, so hopefully people will be lining up to audition."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure Pen15 is going to be a great addition to this club!" Unique replied sassily.

Rachel's nostrils began to flare, before Finn put a hand on her back, implying it was time to calm down. "Listen. Sue has these kids thinking that the arts don't even exist. We've got to show them that glee is possible! We need you guys on the front lines, you're living proof of that. We need to be proactive in our approach."

[Roderick]

Can you hear me now?

I'm singing out as loud as I know how

But am I loud enough?

The conversation came to a conclusion as the New Directions heard singing somewhere in the school. Singing. The first instance of such since Finn and Rachel returned. Finn, Rachel, Marley, Unique and Ryder made a bee-line for the vent, as that seemed to be where the sound was coming from. His voice was soulful and had a bit of a southern twang to it. It was beautiful. Like an episode of Scooby-Doo, the five of them split up and began searching the school for the source.

[Roderick]

I got my voice

And you got yours

So let's make a little noise

Uh oh ooh

All together now

Uh oh ooh

Rachel's quest found her searching through the men's locker room, with her eyes covered and her ears open. "I promise that I am not looking at anyone or anything!" She said sheepishly, feeling her face turn as red as their lockers. "I am just looking for... don't worry about it. Sorry, guys!" The voice grew fainter, as she hurried out of the locker room.

[Roderick]

Can you hear me now?

I'm singing out as loud as I know how

But am I loud enough?

Finn and Marley scampered through the halls, looking in each and every classroom until they found Rachel, Unique and Ryder staring at the vent above the trophy case. Finn and Marley hurried over, skidding to a halt in front of their friends. "Did you find him?" Marley whispered through gritted teeth.

"SHHHH." Rachel, Ryder and Unique said in unison.

Unfortunately for this ragtag group, the voice faded away for good. Almost as if it never existed in the first place. The collective sigh amongst the group was deafening. When the bell rang, the students trudged off in defeat to their next class. Finn called after them, "Great meeting!"

Later that day, Rachel and Finn found themselves in the auditorium. Finn had just finished installing the God mic in the center of the room, which made him beam with pride. He glanced over at Rachel, who gave him a supportive smile before speaking. "I'm sorry about our little tiff in the choir room earlier."

He sat down next to her, placing his hand on her leg. "Hey, it's alright," he said. "We've gotten into it about much worse, right?"

She nodded with a soft chuckle, placing her head on his shoulder. "You were right, you know."

"About which way to organize the sheet music?"

"Oh, God, no," she stifled another laugh. "No, I meant about recruiting. The mysterious voice really spoke to me. You're right! They're out there. They're here, in McKinley, hiding in plain sight. They need something huge to draw them out, show them what they could be!"

He thought about what she said for a second, before smiling and nodding in agreement. "That's great, Rachel! I say we start planning a big number for Ryder, Marley and Unique."

"Well, that's not exactly what I had in mind," she said. "I did have another idea, though. I got on the phone..."

"With who?" He asked. Please don't say Blaine.

"With everyone! Surprise!"

The lights flashed down onto the auditorium stage, and as Finn looked over to see whose voice that was, his heart began to swell with emotions as he stared right at Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez, and Brittany S. Pierce, who waved to him on stage. The last time he saw them, they were getting ready to head out on the tour for Mercedes's album. They were the epitome of what these kids could be with the help of the arts; well, so was Rachel, but there's a strength in numbers. He and Rachel rushed down onto the stage to greet them, but they weren't the only people that Rachel called.

Artie Abrams was wheeled out on the side of the stage by his good friend and former roommate, Sam Evans. Artie was still in film school at the Brooklyn Film Academy, and was doing great, as they all knew he would. While he wasn't modeling anymore, Sam did have a brief stint working with . Artie and Sam would be great assets in the recruiting process, as they were still in the arts, just not performing arts like Rachel, Mercedes, Santana or Brittany.

Following quickly after them was Quinn Fabray and Noah Puckerman. Last we checked Puck was still pursuing screenwriting, which meant like Artie, he was working in the arts, just not on screen. Quinn, on the other hand, attended Yale University and hadn't truly pursued the arts since graduating McKinley. Still, she was incredibly successful and was on track to graduate from Yale, pursuing her law degree. She was going to be a real life Elle Woods from Legally Blonde.

The last two who rushed out onto the auditorium floor were Tina Cohen-Chang and Kurt Hummel. Tina was always incredible at creating the club's competition costumes, so much so that it landed her an internship at . Well, that and the glowing recommendation she got from Kurt. Kurt was like a Swiss army knife; went to school at NYADA and the internship at . He was getting to know what the entertainment world was like both in front of and behind the camera. As always, he was very well rounded.

"Group hug" Rachel squeaked as the entire group (minus Blaine for obvious reasons, and Mike Chang, who was busy with his studies at Joffery to come home) was reunited once again.

Before they went in for the group hug, Sam and Tina found themselves standing next to each other. "Are you still single?" Sam whispered to her; the last time they saw each other, they had recently broken up after dating for the second half of senior year, and most of their time in New York. They got drunk after Rachel's opening night, hooked up, and then Sam left New York to move in with his parents in Kentucky. They clearly had some things to address with each other, but now wasn't the time.

Tina just pinched him. "Not now," she said in a whisper before they joined in the group hug.

Back in the choir room, Finn and Rachel stood in front of the piano and faced the alumni who returned to help. Marley, Ryder and Unique were also present, standing behind the piano as Finn and Rachel spoke. The piano had a boombox on top of it. "It's so awesome to see everyone in one spot again," Finn said with a grin.

Rachel nodded. "Yes, it means so much to us that you'd all come at the drop of a hat."

Everyone was paying attention, except for Artie, who was doodling away at something on a notepad. "Artie, are you drawing me?" Quinn asked, tilting her head as she inspected the notepad.

"Nope, just your boobs. I'm practicing for my storyboarding class."

This gave Sam a chuckle. Puck kicked the back of Artie's chair, which would've sent him flying across the room if Kurt didn't grab the handles beforehand.

"Can we focus?" Rachel asked, clapping as if she were a kindergarten teacher. "We're in crisis mode."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, glee club has done so much for all of us, you know? It brought us together, gave us hope. Put us out in the world. It even brought some of us home again."

"Here's the situation!" Rachel cut him off. "We need you guys back," she said, motioning to herself and Finn, as well as Ryder, Unique and Marley. "Not all the time, we realize that you guys have other lives in other places..."

"But we've got to get the glee club back on its feet," Finn said, everyone quickly noticing the fact that they were taking turns speaking. "Especially since some of us are now competition."

"He's talking about Schue and Blaine," Sam interrupted from his chair. The mention of Blaine made Kurt's face flush.

"We need you back," Rachel reiterated. "Not all the time, but if you're not here, the tradition of the club we love so much will be gone. So, the objective is to find kids that can bring something to it the same way that we did, and we will mentor them based on our strengths."

"Yeah, and we need to finish bringing the rest of the band back together," Finn added. "There are a few of you in here with connections to previous members that still attend this school. We need all hands on deck with getting them back, so they can redeem their previous attempt at Nationals before they graduate. But, to start, we really gotta get out there and take on the school as a whole. Rattle Sue's cage. Give McKinley a taste of what they've been missing."

{The performance begins as Finn turns on the boombox. The group of alumni, plus Marley, Ryder and Unique, then go around the school performing Take On Me, which eventually Sue shuts down in the cafeteria.}

[Alumni]

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da

[Rachel]

Talking away

I don't know what I'm to say, I'll

[Mercedes]

Say it anyway

Today isn't my day to find you

[Santana and Brittany]

Shying away

I'll be coming for your love, okay

[Puck and Quinn] (Alumni)

Take on me (Take on me)

[Sam and Tina] (Alumni)

Take me on (Take on me)

[Rachel and Finn]

I'll be gone

[Kurt]

In a day or two

[Alumni]

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da

[Artie] (Artie and Mercedes)

Oh, things that you say, yeah

Is it a life or (just to play my worries away)

[Finn]

You're all the things I've got to remember

[Rachel and Finn]

You're shying away

[Rachel, Finn and Kurt]

I'll be coming for you anyway

[Puck and Quinn] (Alumni)

Take on me (Take on me)

[Sam and Tina] (Alumni)

Take me on (Take on me)

[Mercedes and Kurt]

I'll be gone

[Rachel]

In a day

[Puck and Quinn] (Alumni) {Mercedes}

Take on me (Take on me) {Yeah, yeah}

[Sam and Tina] (Alumni) {Mercedes}

Take me on (Take on me) {Oh, take me on}

[Santana and Brittany] (Mercedes)

I'll (I'll)

Be (Be)

Gone (Gone)

[Alumni]

In a day!

The song, despite being a huge hit in the cafeteria, was shut down by Sue, when she turned off the boombox and threw Artie's storyboard in the trash, before stomping out of the cafeteria and leaving the entire alumni group, plus Ryder, Marley and Unique annoyed.

Voiceover: Roderick

Did you hear the joke about the fat kid who always wears headphones? He wears them so he doesn't have to hear your lame-ass fat jokes. Believe me, I've heard 'em all. This is my senior year. It's supposed to be the best year of my life. Instead, I'm a no-name transfer from Chicago, and not one of these McKinley douchebags has bothered to talk to me. But whatever, who needs them? I've got my boys Tupac, Hendrix, Jagger, Sinatra... music might be my only friend, but it might be the only friend I need. Still, it wouldn't kill me to meet some people around here. Maybe make some friends? Real friends.

{Voiceover ends}

Roderick Meeks found himself inspired after hearing the group of alumni perform Take On Me at lunch. He didn't like Principal Sylvester, but she was right about the group of has-beens from the class of 2012 trudging through the halls. She seemed wrong about all of the negative connotations regarding that group, though. They seemed fun, like they really enjoyed and loved each other. He longed for that ever since moving out to Lima with his family. He had heard rumors of a glee club making a comeback to McKinley, and it actually made him somewhat excited. He had a passion for music and he thought he might be able to bond with people who shared that passion. He walked up to the cork board in the hallway and stared it down, music blaring in his ears as he envisioned the possibilities. His daydream was cut short when he felt a tap on his shoulder, which he assumed was someone telling him to move out of the way, but it was actually one of the alumni he was performing in the cafeteria not too long prior, the one he assumed was the queen bee. He took off his headphones to be respectful, so he could hear what she had to say.

"Thinking of trying out for glee club?" Rachel asked eagerly.

Roderick nervously replied, "I just saw the..."

"Fantastic!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall, leading him to the choir room. "I'm Rachel Berry, and I'm helping my boyfriend Finn Hudson reboot McKinley's award-winning New Directions. You may have heard of me. Funny Girl, Broadway. I'm taking a break from showbiz to give back to the community. My boyfriend is pursuing a degree in education and running this club is his dream. I'm sorry, I didn't even asked your name!"

"Uh, Roderick."

"Okay, Roderick. Auditions are later this week. We're asking everyone to prepare an up-tempo song and a ballad. Do you have any favorites?"

"Uh-"

"Fantastic!" She jumped as they entered the choir room. Puck sat in the choir room playing on his phone, but as they walked in he didn't say anything. He just let Rachel do her thing. Rachel continued to yap, "I would pick something not too obscure, like Corner of the Sky from Pippin. Best song ever, right? Then I would pick something not too popular. Try to stay within, like, two minutes. If I were you, I would do 16 to 32 bars. Here's some sheet music-"

Finally, Roderick was able to interject fully. How did she talk so fast? "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm really busy after school with... everything." Puck stood up and Roderick felt like he was about to get the biggest swirly of his life, so he prepared to high tail it out of there. "Thanks," he called as he scattered away.

"Nice meeting you!" She called after him, waving, with a tad bit of disappointment on her face.

Puck lingered in the doorway as he watched Roderick run off. "Nice going, Berry. You scared him off."

In the locker room, following the conclusion of football practice, Kurt sat on a bench, waiting for the guys to enter. He wasn't sure how these kids would react to him being in the locker room, let alone when he tried recruiting some of them to glee club. When he left McKinley he finally felt accepted and seen, and that was large in part to the New Directions. It didn't hurt that the quarterback of the football team was his brother, either. Now that some time had passed since he graduated, and since the glee club disbanded, he hoped and prayed that their mindsets didn't regress to those of Karofsky and Azimio. He sat there waiting for Beiste's men to trudge in, reminiscing on his time with glee.

Then his mind wandered to Blaine.

They hadn't seen each other since the break-up. As Kurt thought about it more, he wasn't sure if they had even shared words. With it being homecoming week, Kurt was almost positive that he would run into him at some point. Technically, they all agreed to meet in the same spot in New York a year ago, but they were all in Lima, so they'd probably just all meet up for homecoming. He sort of dreaded it.

Luckily for him, his mind couldn't run too far, as it was time to go to work. All of the football guys walked in, with Spencer leading the charge. He's the guy, he recalled Finn telling him. Kurt knew in the back of his mind he was going to try to recruit Jake, too, but it was one thing at a time. "Hey, I'm open!" Kurt called, getting Spencer's attention, as he waved his arms. Spencer threw the football, full speed, at Kurt, who obviously didn't catch it. "Guess that's why I was the kicker," he said with a chuckle. He followed after Spencer, the words flowing off his tongue like he was Coach Taylor in Friday Night Lights. "Transformational moment for the school, by the way. Marked the beginning of a great synchronicity between glee club and football. Just ask any of the football guys that are back for homecoming." In that moment, he saw Jake walk into the locker room, the two making eye contact. Kurt quickly added, "Ask your teammate over there," motioning to Jake.

Spencer looked back at him, before turning back to Kurt, spinning the questions onto him. "So why aren't they here trying to recruit me? Why'd they send you?" He scoffed. "Because we both like guys?" He was clearly aware of who Kurt was... either that or he could just tell.

Unfortunately for Kurt, he did have a point. "Look," he continued. "I know we don't have much else in common, but only a gay man knows what it's like for us out there."

Spencer had may his way to the weights, as he began to lift. "I know that when you were in high school, being gay was how you primarily identified yourself, but that's not my thing."

"Don't you think it's everyone else's thing?" Kurt retorted as he spotted Spencer.

"When I told people I was gay, only two people had a problem with it. Coach Beiste kicked them off the team," Spencer clapped back.

"You're naive if you don't think you're standing on our shoulders. You owe glee club!"

Technically true, but Spencer wasn't having it. "Please. I owe Modern Family. Listen, when Coach Beiste kicked those guys off the team, they cornered me in the parking lot when I was getting into my car. Got all up in my face. One of them ended up with his jaw wired shut, and the other? I don't think he ever stopped running." He just laughed. "I can't stand Gaga, never seen Newsies, and I don't write Archie fan-fiction where Archie and Jughead are hot for each other. Just because you and I happened to be born in the same 10% of the population that would choose Andrew Garfield over Emma Stone, doesn't mean we have anything else in common."

Kurt rolled his eyes as Spencer finished. "I'm not saying no to your glee club because it's gay or straight, I'm saying no because I think it sucks." Spencer walked off, punching Jake in the arm playfully as he walked off.

Suddenly, Kurt remembered his second mission here, walking up to Jake. The two didn't speak much, mostly because Kurt had graduated before Jake showed up at McKinley, but Kurt was always fond of him. Kurt cleared his throat. "Thanks for the assist there, teammate."

"I'm not in glee club anymore," Jake replied, closing his locker and walking away.

"There's got to be a reason why," Kurt called as he followed Jake. "And there has to be a reason why I'm in here recruiting you and not your brother."

Jake paused in his tracks at the mention of Puck, before turning around to face Kurt. "Look, Kurt, I don't mean any harm by saying this... but don't try to act like you know me, okay? We may have both been taught by Mr. Schue but, you don't know me or my family dynamics or anything, so you can save it."

"Glee club brought you out of your shell, that I do know. I know that it connected you and your brother, I know that it introduced you to Marley..."

"Me and Marley aren't together," Jake shouted. "We broke up when Mr. Schue and your brother abandoned us. Puck and I aren't on speaking terms, either, so just because you are all butt buddies with your brother, doesn't mean I have to be." He walked off before turning back around. "Oh, and I think Finn is sort of a dick."

This was all new to Kurt! He sighed in frustration before sitting back down on a bench. He hoped everyone else was having better luck than him.

(The scene cuts to the Unholy Trinity on the football field, trying to recruit the cheerleaders at cheer practice to join glee club. Artie is there as well, filming the performance for a project)

[Santana]

That's my girl

[Brittany]

Who's been working so damn hard?

You got that head on overload?
Got yourself this flawless body
Aching now from head to toe

[Quinn]
Ain't nothing, ain't nothing
All my ladies 'round the world
Ain't nothing, ain't nothing

[Santana]

Good girls better get bad

[Brittany and Quinn]

You've been down before
You've been hurt before
You got up before
You'll be good to go, good to go

[Santana]

Destiny said it, you got to get up and get it
Get mad independent and don't you ever forget it
Got some dirt on your shoulder, then let me brush it off for ya
If you're feeling me, put your five high
That's my girl

[Santana, Brittany and Quinn] (Santana)

That's my girl
That's my girl
That's my girl
(Get up, what you waiting for?)
That's my girl
That's my girl
That's my girl

[Brittany and Quinn]

You've been down before
You've been hurt before
You got up before
You'll be good to go, good to go

[Quinn]
Don't ever give up, no no

[Santana]
Destiny said it, you got to get up and get it
Get mad independent and don't you ever forget it
Got some dirt on your shoulder, then let me brush it off for ya
If you're feeling me, put your five high
That's my girl

[Santana, Brittany and Quinn] (Santana)

That's my girl
That's my girl
That's my girl
(What you wait, what you wait)
(What you waiting for?)
That's my girl
That's my girl
That's my girl
That's my girl, that's my girl
That's my girl, that's my girl

That's my girl

Artie applauded, although he was the only one to do so. He quickly packed away his camera and wheeled across the grass to join his friends. "Woo! You guys have got some great moves. We could really use some of that in the glee club."

The crowd of Cheerios parted like the red sea when their two captains made their way to the front, two faces that Artie wasn't exactly thrilled to see. Kitty Wilde, his ex-girlfriend, and her best friend Bree. He hadn't seen Kitty since she broke up with him, due to the fact that he cheated on her. "Yeah, you could," she replied.

Santana, Brittany and Quinn exchanged looks, knowing that they had just struck out with the recruiting, as Artie attempted to mend fences. "Kitty!" He said. He took a deep breath, looking around before looking back to Kitty. "We need you back in glee club."

"You really think I'm gonna come back and help you and your stupid glee club after the way you treated me?" Artie just looked down at his feet, not having anything to say in response. He knew she was right, and he knew this was a terrible idea. Kitty continued. "You abandoned me, just like Finn and Mr. Schue, and the rest of you has-beens did. At least Sue Sylvester is smart enough to recognize a star player when she sees one."

Bree looked a bit disappointed at the mention of Finn; Finn helped her out of some tough times with her parents, he practically saved her life. However, in their eyes, he didn't come back to McKinley for a year. They thought he moved on from glee club, from them, and so they felt they had to do the same. "And besides," Bree added, trying to mask her feelings. "Isn't Rachel Berry helping run the club? She didn't even know any of our names."

"I know your names!" Brittany insisted, motioning to Kitty. "You're Quinn."

Kitty rolled her eyes. She knew Brittany was stupid, but they literally were in New Directions together. They sang in multiple numbers together! The real Quinn laughed nervously, knowing they were losing them. "Uh, I'm Quinn."

Brittany just looked at her. "Liar..."

Santana, as usual, got right down to business. "Listen, don't you guys want to do more than get shot out of a cannon? Don't you want to be a star?"

"That is so rich coming from you, pathetically stuffed back into your Cheerios uniforms again!" Bree snorted.

Two people within Kitty and Bree's Cheerios clique, however, heard Santana's pitch, and they liked what she was selling. A brother and sister duo. "Can two people try out together?" They asked in unison.

Without hesitation, Santana replied, "Yes."

Quinn nodded in agreement. "I don't see why not. The three of us tried out together."

"Of course the incest twins want in," Kitty snarled, snapping her fingers as the Cheerios rolled out. She grabbed the boy's arm, with Bree grabbing the girl's arm. "We need to explain to these two again why Flowers in the Attic is not a love story to aspire to." They all left.

Artie, Santana, Brittany, and Quinn stood on the empty football field, watching Kitty and Bree and their herd leave. If you told them that they just had the best luck of any New Direction alumni all day, they probably would've laughed in your face.

Over at Dalton, Blaine rushed down the infamous spiral stairs as he followed Jane, the hopeful student who wanted to join the Warblers. "Hey, Jane, wait up!" He called. "The Warbler council has decided to let you come in and sing for them! They wanna see how talented you are before they decide to overturn a 100-year-old males-only policy."

Jane smiled at him, subconsciously knowing what the outcome would be. "So let me get this straight. I have to go in there and perform for the Warblers, just to make sure that I'm good enough to warrant them taking a closer look at their already sexist and discriminatory admission policies?"

Blaine was oblivious to those jabs. "Yeah!" As what she was implying hit him like a bag of rocks, he rushed after her again. "Jane, listen. The Warblers are a very old organization. They've been around since the War of 1812. The point I'm trying to make is that sometimes, change can be scary, even when it doesn't seem significant. Come in and show us what you got."

Jane took a deep breath, the nerves settling in, reality hitting her that her audition was imminent. Blaine noticed this, and suddenly had a great idea land in his brain. "Before you do, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"Jane, meet Rachel Berry. The greatest performer I have ever known."

Blaine decided to take Jane over to McKinley to speak to Rachel. Despite the Warblers and New Directions being warring factions once again, and despite his break-up with Kurt, they had re-established their friendship, so Blaine felt comfortable enough to ask her for this favor. He knew that she would give Jane great advice.

Jane was starstruck. "Miss Berry, it is so nice to meet you. You're a legend."

Rachel blushed. "Thank you, it's an honor to help!"

"I think that you are in the best possible hands," Blaine said with a gentle smile, mouthing the words Thank you to Rachel. He knew she was incredibly busy with recruiting and homecoming week, so for her to take the time to help him meant a lot. "I think I should leave you two ladies alone."

He made his way out of the auditorium, deciding to let magic do his thing, as he strolled the halls of McKinley. It was homecoming week, and he technically was an alum, so he felt it was appropriate. He looked around and soaked in all of his memories here; reconnecting with his brother, winning Nationals, hosting the lock-in with Sam and Tina... everything he and Kurt did together. It felt really good, really healing, to be back in these halls.

Suddenly, he was face to face with the man he transferred to McKinley for, as Kurt and Tina rounded the corner and found themselves in the same hallway as Blaine. Unfortunately for the two of them, per usual, Tina didn't know how to read a room. "Oh my goodness, Blainey Days!" Tina squealed, running over and giving him a huge hug. "How are you? How is it being back in Lima? How are the Warblers?"

"Hi, T," he said nervously, giving her a platonic kiss on the cheek. "I'm great. How are-"

"Look, I'd love to chat, but I need to go help Finn with some glee stuff. I'll leave the two of you alone to catch up!" Tina clapped, rubbing Kurt's arm before skipping off.

The two stood in the hallway together, awkwardly, as this was the first time they had seen each other, or even spoken, or even been in the same room since they split. However, they were two mature adults, so they knew how to speak to one another. "Hey," Blaine said nervously, giving Kurt an awkward hug.

"How are you?" Kurt asked.

Blaine just sort of nodded. "I-I'm good. You?"

Kurt nodded. "Same," he chuckled. "What brings you to McKinley?"

"Long story," he said. "Rachel's doing me a favor. How long are you in town for?"

"Oh, uh, I'm sticking around for a few days after homecoming. Wanted to check in on my dad."

Blaine nodded again, after a long pause of silence between the two. "Well, uh, did you want to grab coffee while you're here? Lima Bean, my treat?"

Kurt's heart fluttered. He hadn't truly admitted it to anyone, or even himself, but he missed Blaine. He regretted losing Blaine. Did he feel the same? Was this Kurt's way back into Blaine's heart? "Uh, yes. That would be great!"

Back in the auditorium, Jane listened to Rachel's story, of how she got to Broadway, how she found herself back in Lima, her connection to Blaine, and everything in between. "Can I ask you something?" She interrupted. "Why are you helping me?"

"Well, we might be moral show choir enemies," Rachel replied, leaning against the piano. "But, I am a woman before all of that. I figured that you're fighting this fight for all of us girls." Jane smiled big, clearly growing comfortable with Rachel. "Let's get started!" She squealed, motioning for Jane to stand center stage. She snapped her fingers, with the spotlight circling down on Jane. "It's a packed house," Rachel continued, setting the scene for Jane. "Show me your presence."

Jane stood, staring out into the crowd, imagining the feeling of performing here. Rachel gave her notes. "Keep your back straight. You have to command the audience with your body language. Keep your head up, make eye contact. Even if there's 100 people out there, you have to make a personal connection. You have to make each person feel like they have a one-on-one connection with you." Jane nodded, truly listening. "Most important, your song," Rachel finished.

"Well, my family has a tradition of singing Up, Up and Away, which is bad because-"

"Let me see your phone."

Confused, Jane obliged, handing Rachel the phone. She browsed through Jane's iTunes, before landing on a song and giggling. "Janelle Monáe's Tightrope has the most plays..."

"Oh, my God," Jane laughed as well. "She's incredible!"

Rachel nodded in agreement, closing the phone and handing it back to Jane. "Well, I think you found your audition song."

It all clicked for Jane as she placed the phone back in her Dalton blazer, her eyes twinkling with excitement as another smile grew on her face. She really enjoyed learning from Rachel - she felt like she could run through a wall, like she was ready for anything.

"Okay," Rachel said. "From the top!"

{The scene cuts to Jane's audition for the Warblers, as she takes all of Rachel's advice and applies it to her performance. Blaine watches proudly}

[Jane]

Whoa

Some people talk about you
Like they know all about you
When you get down they doubt you
And when you tipping on the scene
Yeah they talkin' about it
Cause they can't tip all on the scene with you talkin' about it
T-t-t-talkin' about it

When you get elevated
They love it or they hate it
You dance up on them haters
Keep getting funky on the scene
While they jumpin' round you
They trying to take all your dreams
But you can't allow it

[Jane] (The Warblers)

Baby, baby, whether you're high or low (High or low)
Baby, whether you're high or low (High or low)
You got to tip on the tightrope (Tip, tip on it)
Now let me see you do the tightrope (Tip, tip on it)
And I'm still tippin' on it

[Jane]

I tip on alligators
And little rattle snakers
But I'm another flavor
Something like a terminator
Ain't no equivocating
I fight for what I believe
Why you talkin' about it

[Jane] (The Warblers)

Now-now-now whether I'm high or low (High or low)
Whether I'm high or low (High or low)
I'm gonna tip on the tightrope (Tip, tip on it)

Now baby tip on the tightrope

I said you can't get too low (You can't get too low)

No, you'll surely be low (No, you'll surely be low)
1, 2, 3, hah

Now, maybe whether I'm high or low (High or low)
Baby whether you're high or low (High or low)
You gotta tip on the tightrope (Tip, tip on it)
Yeah tip on the tightrope (Tip, tip on it)

Baby, baby, whether you're high or low (High or low)
Baby, whether you're high or low (High or low)
You got to tip on the tightrope (Tip, tip on it)
Baby let me see your tightrope

Let me hear
Oh, oh, oh, oh
You-you

You've got to stay on the scene
Yeah, yeah
Tightrope
Hey, yeah, yeah

To both her surprise, and Blaine's, the Warblers not only joined in on the song, but actually enjoyed it. Maybe she was going to gain a spot on the Warblers after all!

Back at McKinley, Finn and Rachel had gathered the troops and met back in the choir room, most of them looking defeated. "Okay, progress reports!" Finn clapped. "How is the recruiting going?"

"Horrible," Quinn replied.

Puck, who sat behind her, nodded in agreement. "It ain't working."

Mercedes spoke up next. "Yeah, Finn, it's not good. Glee club has fallen so far at this school, we're not going to be able to get anyone to join."

[Roderick]

Can you hear me now?

I'm singing out as loud as I know how

But am I loud enough?

Rachel smacked Finn's arm as she motioned up to the vent. "There it is! There's the voice again!"

The alumni all ran over to the vent. They followed the vent out into the hallways, by the trophy case where they lost it last time. Sam spoke up. "Dudes! He's in the showers in the locker room. They're always in the showers," he insisted, remembering how he and Finn were recruited.

They all collectively shushed him, before rushing into the library, of all places, looking up and down the aisles for the voice, it growing louder.

[Roderick]

Can you hear me now?

I'm singing out as loud as I know how

But am I loud enough?

Roderick was looking through books, blasting Viva Voce in his headphones before all eleven alumni circled around him. He looked defeated as he put the book back on the shelf and took his headphones off. He recognized Rachel and Puck from earlier, and most of them from the Take on Me performance in the cafeteria, but it was still very nerve-wracking having all of these people in your face at once. "Are you guys gonna beat me up? Just, give me one second so I can get into the fetal position..." He grumbled, sitting down on the floor and curling up into a ball.

"No, no!" Rachel said. "We heard you singing."

Mercedes nodded. "Yeah, you are amazing!"

"Dude, you've got to audition for the glee club," Artie said.

Roderick scoffed nervously. "So people can make fun of me more than they already do? Even the principal calls me "White Precious.""

Puck laughed, before getting elbowed by Finn. "You are precious," Puck insisted, helping Roderick up.

Finn decided to give his pitch. "All we care about in glee club is the way you sing."

"Well, having me as one of your only members is gonna drive kids away even more," Roderick insisted sadly. "I have designed my entire life around people not noticing me."

Rachel put a hand on his shoulder. "We all know a thing or two about feeling invisible. But when I'm with these people, they remind me of the best parts of myself. They would never make fun of me."

Brittany hesitated and shook her head. "Not to her face, no way."

Rachel ignored her. "You are the poster child for glee club!" She insisted to Roderick. "You're why Mr. Schue started the club in the first place. It's a place where misfits can fit in. Will you please try out? I'm really sorry that I came on so strong. You can sing whatever you want!"

"I guarantee that you'll get in," Santana whispered.

Quinn chuckled at Santana. "Look at all of us. We're all so different, and yet there's nothing we wouldn't do for each other. We're all just a phone call away. That's because we took a chance on glee club. That's something you deserve as well."

Roderick smiled, nodding his head, deciding that maybe they were right, and he deserved a chance at happiness and friends after all. What did have to lose, after all?

Following Jane's audition for the Warblers, she sat outside their choir room, waiting for the results. The doors swung open, and all of the Warblers filed out, giving her small glances as they did. Skylar nodded his head, acknowledging her directly, before walking off. Blaine walked up to her as she stood up, eyes beaming with excitement and pride, but with just a few words, he crushed her spirits. "The Warbler Council voted against you."

She quickly sat back down, feeling defeated. Small. Blaine continued. "They saw how talented you are, but, they're a brotherhood and they voted to keep it that way."

"What am I going to tell my dad?" She asked quietly.

"You are gonna tell him that we are not giving up on you," he replied. "I am going straight to the Dalton board of directors, and telling them that I am not interested in coaching the Warblers if you're not one of them."

"You're going to threaten to resign so I can join a club where nobody wants me?"

He knew it sounded crazy, but he still nodded his head in confirmation. "Yeah, because this is wrong. This is wrong." He sat down next to her. "Sometimes, if you want to make a change, you gotta make a little noise." He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I can fix this. I just need a little time."

"Hey, uh, can you take your headphones off? It's distracting me."

Roderick stood on stage, ready to audition for the New Directions. Marley, Ryder and Unique sat in on this audition, as did the alumni that had been working hard the entire week to recruit. Sam, of all people, spoke about distractions. Roderick was pretty sure he saw that guy on Vogue magazines, half-naked, and he was telling him about distractions? Give me a break, he though, however didn't yet have the confidence to say that out loud. "I actually kind of need-"

"Ignore him," Finn replied, flicking Sam's ear. "Keep them on. We get it, everyone need a security blanket."

Rachel nodded. "We just want to hear you sing!" She assured him.

Roderick took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let his soulful, southern twang do the talking.

{Roderick began his audition, blowing away glee club members old and new. The Unholy Trinity decided to get up and join him by singing backup vocals, helping with his stage fright}

[Roderick]

Mustang Sally

Uh, hey

Guess you better slow your mustang down

Oh lord

Well I said now, uh

Mustang Sally, now baby

Oh lord

Guess you better slow your mustang down

Oh, yeah

You been running all over the town now

Oh, I guess I'll have to put your flat feet on the ground

Well I said now

Listen

[Roderick] (Santana, Brittany and Quinn)

All you want to do is ride around Sally (Ride, Sally, ride)

Listen here

One of these early mornings, yeah

Oh, you gonna be wiping your weeping eyes

Oh lord

What I said now

(Ride, Sally, ride)

Yeah

Roderick received a standing ovation from the crowd (minus Artie for obvious reasons). Rachel, trying to contain her excitement, grabbed the god mic and said. "We'll be posting names this week. Thank you, Roderick."

Everyone shot daggers at her. Finn elbowed her before she said, "Okay, you're in!"

They began to applaud once again as Roderick smiled, put his headphones over his head, and walked off stage.

Sue sat in her office and spoke into the microphone, beginning the day's morning announcements. "Loyal subjects, homecoming day is upon us. I am pleased to welcome back one of McKinley High's most distinguished graduates, who will serve as grand marshall for tonight's activities. Becky Jackson, I hand it over to you."

Becky, who sat next to Sue, took the microphone quickly. "Listen up, bitches. Tonight, Becky Jackson is in charge. Rule number one, I'm bringing my taser. I am going to drop anyone who is not dressed in school colors. Rule number two, no making out under the bleachers. That's where I'm gonna make out. Rule number three, every student must bring two books to burn at the bonfire. Rule number four, the losing team will be sacrificed."

As Sue quietly turned off the microphone, Finn and Rachel decided to get their glee club meeting started. "Okay!" Finn said, writing Welcome on the whiteboard. "First order of business, let's welcome our newest member, Roderick Meeks!" The alumni clapped as they watched Roderick take a seat with Ryder, Marley and Unique.

As the clapping faded, Sam did his best impression of James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams. "if you build it, they will come."

Tina rolled her eyes. "They better come fast. Only one new member? We're a third of the way there to qualify for Sectionals."

Santana walked in with Brittany and Quinn in tow. "Shut up, Tina. We actually have three. As per usual, my undeniable sexual magnetism has worked yet again." Following after the Unholy Trinity were the two twin cheerleaders from their performance of That's My Girl. "Ladies and gentleman, this is Mason and Madison McCarthy." Santana began the applause, with everyone else following suit.

"Santana, that's awesome! Great work!" Finn said, commending her.

"Oh, no need to thank me," She shook her head. "I find talent. It's what they pay me the big bucks for."

"Hey, gang!" Mason spoke up, looking around eagerly. "We're super pumped that there's a glee club again. I know what you're thinking. We can obviously log roll and kick toss, but can we sing? Not to toot our own horns, but-"

"Toot!" Madison interrupted, taking over. "We've won karaoke night at the Wapakoneta Summer Cheer Camp every year since we were three. It's in our blood."

"Oh, my God!" Brittany pouted. "They finish each others sandwiches."

Madison continued. "Our parents met while touring with the inspirational world-famous singing group, Up With People."

Santana cringed. "Oh, no. I've made a mistake."

"No, no, it's okay!" Rachel insisted before the twins ran away. "You're gonna have to audition. We have a very rigorous process."

"Not really," Tina snorted. "Sugar Motta was literally tone def."

"She was hot," Artie argued.

Finn ignored them, putting his arms around Mason and Madison. "This is the start of something really special." He looked out to the alumni, his friends. "I know most of you came home for homecoming, and not me and Rachel, but I can't tell you how grateful we are for your help."

Rachel jumped up and down. "Group hug!" She pointed to the newbies and said. "Get comfortable with group hugs!" And thus occurred the first group hug of this era of the New Directions. Unique, Marley, Ryder, Roderick, Mason and Madison. They were halfway there. They still had a lot of work to do, but they made great progress. It was going to be a great year!

{The scene cuts to later in the day as the alumni, as well as new members of the New Directions, and the rest of McKinley prepare for and attend the homecoming football game. We also get to see glimpses of Mason and Madison's audition, which is well received by the alumni and their fellow New Directions members. We also see Spencer contemplating joining the glee club, which Finn takes note of.}

[Alumni]

Hey!

[Rachel]

Alabama, Arkansas

I do love my Ma and Pa

Not the way that I do love you

[Alumni]

Hey!

[Finn]

Well, holy moly, me, oh, my

You're the apple of my eye

Girl, I've never loved one like you

[Alumni]

Ho!

[Santana] (Santana and Brittany)

Man, oh, man, you're my best friend

I'll scream it to the nothingness

(There ain't nothing that I need)

[Sam and Tina]

Well, hot and heavy pumpkin pie

Chocolate candy, my, oh, my

[Puck and Quinn]

There ain't nothing please me more than you

[Mason and Madison]

Home, let me come home

Home is wherever I'm with you

Home, let me come home

Home is wherever I'm with you

[Puck and Santana]

La, la, la, la

Take me home

(Santana: Daddy) (Puck: Momma)

I'm coming home

[New Directions]

Hey!

[Ryder]

I'll follow you into the park

Through the jungle, through the dark

Girl, I've never loved one like you

[New Directions]

Hey!

[Marley]

Moats and boats and waterfalls

Alleyways and payphone calls

I've been everywhere with you

[Mason]

That's true!

[New Directions]

Hey!

[Spencer] (Spencer and Kurt)

Laugh until we think (we'll die)

Barefoot on a (summer night)

Never could be sweeter than with you

[New Directions]

Hey!

[Unique]

And in the streets we're running free

Like it's only

[Unique and Roderick]

You and me

Geez, you're something to see

[New Directions and Alumni]

Hey, hey

[Marley and Mercedes with New Directions and Alumni]

Hey, home, let me come home

Home is wherever I'm with you

Hey, home, let me come home

Home is when I'm alone with you

[Finn, Rachel and Kurt with New Directions and Alumni]

Alabama, Arkansas

I do love my Ma and Pa

Moats and boats and waterfalls

[New Directions and Alumni]

Home is when I'm alone with you

glee

Season Six, Starring Cory Monteith

STARRING

Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson

Samantha Marie Ware as Jane Hayward

Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester

Lea Michele as Rachel Berry

Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson

Lauren Potter as Becky Jackson

Matthew Morrison as William Schuester

Myko Olivier as Skylar

Melissa Benoist as Marley Rose

Alex Newell as Wade "Unique" Adams

Blake Jenner as Ryder Lynn

Noah Guthrie as Roderick Meeks

Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez

Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones

Heather Morris as Brittany S. Pierce

Kevin McHale as Artie Abrams

Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans

Dianna Agron as Quinn Fabray

Mark Salling as Noah Puckerman

Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina Cohen-Chang

Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel

Marshall Williams as Spencer Porter

Becca Tobin as Kitty Wilde

Erinn Westbrook as Bree

Billy Lewis Jr. as Mason McCarthy

Laura Dreyfuss as Madison McCarthy

SONG(S) PERFORMED

The Rocketboys - Viva Voce: Performed by Roderick Meeks

A-ha - Take On Me: Performed by Rachel Berry, Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce, Noah Puckerman, Quinn Fabray, Sam Evans, Tina Cohen-Chang, Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel and Artie Abrams

Fifth Harmony - That's My Girl: Performed by Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce and Quinn Fabray

Janelle Monáe - Tightrope: Performed by Jane Hayward with the Warblers

Wilson Pickett - Mustang Sally: Performed by Roderick Meeks with Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce and Quinn Fabray

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home: Performed by Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson, Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce, Sam Evans, Tina Cohen-Chang, Noah Puckerman, Quinn Fabray, Mason McCarthy, Madison McCarthy, Ryder Lynn, Marley Rose, Spencer Porter, Kurt Hummel, Wade "Unique" Adams, Roderick Meeks and Mercedes Jones