A/N: Well, I said I wanted to have this finished before Season 3 premiered, and guess what? I did it! This is the final chapter. Thank you all for reading! This is my longest story to date, and I am very proud of the way it turned out.
35
Regionals
"I can't do this. I'm going to be sick."
New Directions was waiting backstage for their chance to perform, and Kurt was getting cold feet.
"You're going to be great!" Mercedes reassured him, self-consciously messing with her hair in a mirror.
"Stop saying that!"
"Dude." Finn frowned at him. "You're like, never afraid of anything. But you're nervous about doing what you do best?"
"I've never had a solo in a competition before!" Kurt exclaimed, curling his fingers around the arms of his wheelchair and jiggling his leg impatiently. "What if my voice cracks?"
"Oh, like in the sing-off last year?" At some point, Rachel had breezed over and was now glaring down at her friend, hands on her hips. She looked rather pleased to have the height advantage for once. "I know you meant to do that. You've sung that note perfectly since then."
"You lost on purpose?" Mercedes gaped. "Why?"
"It doesn't matter now! What matters is that I am about to go out there and projectile vomit over all those people."
Santana rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a drama queen, Hummel. If I can handle a solo, you can. And if you can't, you'll be sorry. I keep razor blades in my hair," she hissed sauntering away.
Kurt blinked. He thought he'd heard a compliment in there somewhere, but his mind was now stuck on 'razor blades.'
"Oh, great, Santana, threaten him! That'll help!" Rachel called, throwing up her hands and stalking away. "Finn! We should do some extra warm-ups!"
Finn grimaced and began to trudge after his girlfriend. "Good luck, bro!"
Kurt smirked as Rachel's irate voice could be heard calling, "It's break a leg, Finn!"
Brittany wandered over, wearing a broad smile and hiding something behind her back.
"Kurt, I wanted to give you my good luck charm. See, Artie gave me a magic comb for Sectionals, but then I lost it and he said it wasn't really magic after all, and that I was. You don't have a boyfriend to tell you you're magical—but you totally are—so I thought I'd lend you my favorite hairclip for the competition. It might help."
And she held out a hairpiece with a bright pink flower attached to it.
Kurt took the offering and smiled up at his friend. "Thanks, Brit. Tell you what; it doesn't really go with my outfit, so I'm just going to keep it in my pocket, okay?"
Brittany giggled. "I didn't exactly expect you to wear it, Kurt! Your hair isn't long enough."
She drifted away. Kurt raised his eyebrows at Mercedes, who shrugged.
"She's sweet."
"Kurt!"
Kurt turned to see a familiar figure in uniform approaching. He smiled.
"Hey, Blaine. The Warblers did very well." Their performance had included a pumped-up version of Maroon 5's "Misery," helmed by Blaine himself.
"Thanks." Blaine stuck his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to tell you I'll be watching from the audience. I'm sure you'll be great."
"I'm sure we will, too," Puck replied, having sidled up to them.
"Puck!" Kurt groaned. He shook his head. "Thank you, Blaine. Are we still good for coffee next Tuesday?"
Blaine grinned. "Of course."
"New Directions!" Will called. "Places!"
"Well, I'll let you go," Blaine said, stepping backward. "See you later, Kurt."
"Bye!" Kurt called, watching the boy leave.
"My little man is growing up," Puck proclaimed, ruffling Kurt's hair.
He squeaked and shoved the offending hand away, delicately fixing the stray strands.
"Touch me again, Puckerman, and you'll regret it."
Will strode over to them with a microphone.
"You ready?" he asked Kurt.
"Yes."
An amplified voice spoke from the stage.
"And now for, today's final performance, the McKinley High New Directions!"
"Go get 'em!" Artie urged as Kurt rolled past him to the wings.
Kurt took a breath, made sure the mic was switched on, and wheeled himself onto the stage as the music began.
The lights shone in his eyes as he positioned himself, lifting the microphone.
"This is the moment
This is the day,
When I send all my doubts and demons
On their way
Every endeavor,
I have made - ever -
Is coming into play,
Is here and now - today
This is the moment,
This is the time,
When the momentum and the moment
Are in rhyme
Give me this moment -
This precious chance -
I'll gather up my past
And make some sense at last
This is the moment,
When all I've done -
All of the dreaming,
And scheming and screaming,
Become one
This is the day -
See it sparkle and shine,
When all I've lived for
Becomes mine
For all these years,
I've faced the world alone,
And now the time has come
To prove to them
I've made it on my own
This is the moment -
My final test -
Destiny beckoned,
I never reckoned,
Second best
I won't look down,
I must not fall
This is the moment,
The sweetest moment of them all
This is the moment
Damn all the odds
This day, or never,
I'll sit forever
With the gods
When I look back,
I will always recall,
Moment for moment,
This was the moment,
The greatest moment
Of them all!"
Kurt felt himself tear up as the applause thundered into his ears. He beamed, and the curtain fell in front of him. He barely noticed Rachel and Finn start singing, because he was being mobbed by the other nine members of glee.
"I'm so proud of you!" Mercedes whispered in his ear.
Quinn's face was glowing. "Great job, Kurt."
Will squeezed his shoulder.
"I knew you could do it. Okay, everybody, places for 'Beat It!'"
:
"…and the 2011 Midwest Regionals Show Choir Competition champion is…the New Directions!"
Everything was a blur of people and screaming and a trophy…slowly, Kurt felt his euphoria rise as he realized what had happened—they had won.
His smile split his face as wide as it would go, and he joined in his team's celebration as they tumbled off the stage.
Then he hung back, watching them.
At this moment, he couldn't imagine feeling happier. He had the best friends imaginable. And this was their time. Their moment.
His moment.
A/N: Song was "This Is The Moment" from Jekyll & Hyde.