Chapter 29 – Nationals

(I do not own Glee or any of the characters.)

The hotel courtesy van was waiting for its turn to pull away from the LaGuardia taxi parking when Finn's phone rang again.

"Wait driver," Finn shouted. "We don't have all of our luggage."

"Yes we do," Rachel corrected him.

"Finn bent over and whispered in her ear, "No we don't, Mr. Schue and Ms. P/H may have missed the flight, but their luggage didn't. It was on the flight with ours."

"Oh no," Rachel whispered to herself.

"Puck, Sam, Mike, will you guys come with me? We have to find a two more pieces of luggage."

Leaving the others on the van, the four boys headed back to luggage claim and soon reappeared with two bags.

Finn took his seat next to Rachel again as she leaned over and whispered, "Does this mean that they're stuck in Columbus without even a toothbrush overnight?"

"Unless they have one in their carry on bags, I guess so,"
Finn whispered back with a mischievous grin.

Arriving at the hotel, Finn corralled the group in the corner of the lobby and went to check them in.

The others were waiting and talking about all the possibilities of being stranded in New York alone when another large group entered the lobby.

Rachel was waiting with Kurt and Blaine when she asked Kurt, "Isn't that Vocal Adrenaline? I know that it's them. Now that my mom is no longer their coach, Dustin Goolsby is their new director and there he is. I can't believe that they're staying in the same hotel!"

"Wait," said Blaine, "I thought that you had two gay dads."

"Well Duh!" Rachel exclaimed. "Dad and Daddy couldn't make me by themselves. My mom, Shelby Corcoran helped them out."

"Shelby Corcoran, the woman that I am renting Finn's old room from is your mother?" Blaine asked in disbelief.

"Yes, she's my mom, but we only met for the first time last year. Hasn't Kurt filled you in on all the details?" Rachel asked.

"I'm sorry Blaine, if I haven't told you all the Lima news. But while we are on the subject, I think that you should know Beth is Shelby's adopted daughter," Kurt told Blaine.

"I didn't think that Shelby and Beth looked anything alike," Blaine concluded.

Beth's biological parents are none other than our very own Quinn Fabray and Noah Puckerman," Kurt said in a whisper. Please don't say anything about Shelby or Beth in front of Quinn. I don't think Quinn knows they've moved to Lima. Quinn puts up a front, but I know that this has been very hard on her.

Blaine just stood there with his mouth gaping open.

"I know that this sounds like gossip, but just so you're forewarned, Quinn passed Beth off as Finn's child for almost five months," Rachel said softly to Blaine. "It still hurts him."

The last members of Vocal Adrenaline were coming in the door when Puck noticed that it was his boss at Sheets and Things who was bringing up the rear.

"Ms. Shuster, what are you doing here?" Puck asked her after he crossed the lobby.

"Don't you know? I've been dating Dustin Goolsby, the new director of Vocal Adrenaline and he asked me to come as a chaperone. I didn't know that your little group would be staying in the same hotel. Where's Will?" Terri asked visually searching the large lobby for her ex husband.

Before Puck could spill the beans, Finn ran up to Puck and Terri.

"He's coming," Finn said trying to cover for Mr. Schue. "But in the mean time we've got a problem. The hotel won't let us check in without a least one adult since we're all underage."

"But isn't Will or Miss Doe Eyes with you?" Terri asked.

"We were separated at the airport," Finn said without telling her which airport. "Anyway we're stuck here until Mr. Schue or Dr. and Mrs. Howell show up and that could be awhile. Dr. Howell had an emergency."

"Well, I'm not going to leave two of my best employees stranded," Terri said. "Go with me to the registration desk and I'll get you guys checked in. Just make sure that you tell Will that I came to your rescue when he shows up."

"If he asks why you're here, do you want us to tell him that you're here with Vocal Adrenaline and Dustin Goolsby?" Puck asked.

"Why not?" Terri asked. "Maybe if he sees me with Dustin again, he might miss me."

When Finn and Puck returned from the registration desk, Terri had left to rejoin Vocal Adrenaline.

"Mrs. Pillsbury/Howell did a good job booking our rooms," Finn said to the group. "We're all together on the fifth floor. We can go upstairs now, but our itinerary says that we're supposed to meet back down here at six for dinner."

"I was thinking about room service instead," Tina smiled at Mike. "Something involving strawberries and chocolate."

"We've got to stick to the itinerary," Finn scolded the group. "If Mr. Schue sees a bunch of extra charges for room service, he's going to know that something was up."

"Yes, Dad," Puck said to Finn, "But you and Mom, I mean Rachel have to behave yourselves too."

"This was so much easier when it was just me and you," Finn whispered to Rachel.

Everyone checked into their assigned rooms and then came back down stairs for dinner in the hotel restaurant. After dinner the group met for a hush- hush meeting in Kurt and Finn's room.

"Listen up," Finn told the group. "Project room swap is a go, but remember Mr. Schue and Ms. P/H could get fired if McKinley or our parents find out that they missed the flight and we're here alone. Everyone set your cell phones or have a wake up call for at five AM."

"And remember too, that we have Nationals tomorrow," Rachel interrupted. "We need all of us to be rested and ready to perform."

"Yes, Mom," Puck said as the key sway began. "Just make sure that you and Finnessa get lots of sleep too."

Meanwhile back in Columbus Will and Emma had been stuck for several hours trying to decide what to do. The earliest direct flight that they could get seats on wouldn't land in New York until five the next morning.

"Do you think that we should get two hotel rooms for the night?" Will asked Emma.

"If we leave the airport, we'll have to go through security and the pat downs again, and I don't think I can do that again today," Emma said shaking her head. "Besides hotel rooms will only give Carl something else to be suspicious about."

"Carl has absolutely nothing to be suspicious about," Will shot back defending the two of them. "We simply missed the flight. It's not like we did it on purpose especially since we both could get fired for having fourteen teenagers in New York alone. He's got to understand that!"

"Carl doesn't understand a lot when it comes to you Will," Emma concluded.

"You never answered my question, Emma. Do you love me?" Will asked.

"Yes, you will always have a piece of my heart. But I'm married to Carl now and I love him, but in a different way. I made a vow to Carl and I'm not going to throw that away so easily. If Carl will just help me work through this intimacy thing, we might still have a shot."

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Will asked.

"Oh Heavens No," Emma said. "If he finds out that I told you about our bedroom problems, it would just be another nail in the coffin."

"I won't say a word to him," Will promised. "But I think that you should call him and be upfront with him about our current situation."

"I've been trying, but his receptionist says that he's still working on that car crash victim. A young girl who just got her license ran off the road and hit a tree. I think that it involved some broken and cracked teeth and a broken jaw," Emma said with a sad sigh.

"Is she a student at McKinley?" Mr. Schue asked.

"I don't know, Carl's receptionist didn't tell me her name."

"It sounds like Carl is going to have a long night," Will said.

"And we are too, on these airport chairs wondering what our little band of fourteen is doing in the Big Apple alone. Will, you have several couples in that group. Do you think that there will be any room swapping tonight?" Emma asked.

"Probably, but we're going to be in enough trouble with Figgins and Carl for missing our flight. I'm taking a don't ask approach with the kids. I think that there's going to be room swapping even if we were there, don't you?" Will asked Emma

"I think that you're right. Finn and Rachel can't seem to get enough of each other especially since they're back together after their break up," Emma mused.

Back in New York, it was nearing seven thirty when everyone swapped keys, collected a few items and settled into their "swapped" rooms.

Finn and Rachel were talking between light kisses on one of beds in her room.

"Have I told you today how beautiful you are and how much I love you?" Finn asked rubbing his hand on Rachel's cheek.

"No but I never get tired of hearing it," Rachel said taking his hand and kissing the back of it. "I'm glad that I have this night alone with you, I just hope that the others get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow. Did you notice who ended up together?"

"Nope, and I didn't want to know," Finn smiled. "All I cared about was ending up with you."

"Did you happen to notice who Quinn ended up with?" Rachel asked.

"Mercedes, I think, but she could have been with Sam if she hadn't tried to give me a tonsillectomy at the prom," Finn said kissing Rachel's neck.

"I hope that she's with Mercedes, you do know what next week is don't you?" Rachel asked.

"Not really," Finn mumbled, "All I know is that you have the most magnificent neck."

"Finn, its Beth's first birthday next week! Did you forget?" Rachel said pushing Finn back off of her.

"I really haven't thought much about it," Finn confessed feeling his mood fading. "I guess that's why both Quinn and Puck have been kind of moody lately. That could've been me, if you hadn't told me what everyone else knew. A teenage father at seventeen celebrating his baby girl's first birthday."

"You can still attend her first birthday if you would like. Shelby asked me to come and you have told Shelby about your part in Beth's history. Shelby said that she would love for you to come if you feel comfortable being there. Kurt and Blaine are going to be there.

"Let me think about it," Finn offered. "I've seen Beth a few times since they moved in, and it has hurt a little less each time."

"I'm glad. Beth has a great home, and you have your future ahead of you. Have I told you again how proud I am of your SAT scores?"

"I couldn't have done it without yours and Ms. P/H's help. Now can I show you how grateful I am for your help and how much I love you?" Finn asked with his lop sided smile.

"Yes please, but let me call down stairs for a four AM wake up call first."

"Four AM, we agreed on swapping back to our room assignments at five," Finn said confused.

"I know, but you and I've had bed time sex, and afternoon delight sex, but we've never had wake up sex," Rachel said with a smile.

"I like the way you think," Finn said pulling her cardigan over her head and pushing her back down on the bed. "I'll tell you something else we've never had and that's shower sex. Did you see the size of that bathroom?"

"Mr. Hudson, you and I do think alike," Rachel said against his kisses. "Help me get out of my clothes and I'll meet you there."

Finn didn't have to think about that one. He ran to the shower to get the hot water running and then they both helped each other out of their clothes between kisses.

Saturday morning Finn returned to his original room assignment with Kurt after two rounds of love making, a shower and a long soak with Rachel in a claw footed bath tub.

"How was your night?" Kurt asked as Finn crawled into the second bed.

"Wonderful," Finn said still buzzed from his night with Rachel. "After we got past her virginity thing, she's turned into quite a lover."

"That's too much information," Kurt said. "I hope that you two got some sleep. We're going to need you two on the ballad today."

"Damn, that is today," Finn said realizing that today was Saturday, not Friday when he went to bed with Rachel.

"You had better get some sleep before Mr. Schue gets here," Kurt said rolling over.

Later out in the hall, Mr. Schue and Mrs. Pillsbury/Howell arrived just as the sun was coming up. To their dismay Brittney was roaming the hall half asleep in her footed fuzzy pajamas clutching a stuffed rabbit.

"Brittney what are you doing out here? It's almost sun up,

and you should be asleep," Mr. Schue asked.

"I can't find my room," Brittney said squeezing her pink bunny.

Emma dropped her brief case and started searching for her itinerary and the hotel room assignment sheet from down stairs.

"Brittney, you're in room 512 with Santana. I'll help you find it," Emma said leading the half asleep teenager down the hall.

"That works too," Brittany mumbled.

Emma turned her head and gave Will an "I told you so look."

"Like, I said, I'm not going to ask. I just hope that they all managed to get some sleep last night," Will yawned.

By seven that morning Rachel was pounding on Finn and Kurt's door. Kurt got up and let her in before she woke up everyone on the hall. Finn just snuggled deeper under his covers when the hall light pierced through the open door.

"Did Mr. Schue get here? What time do we perform? Should I get the girls up and ready to go," Rachel rattled non stop.

"Yes, Mr. Schue is here, we saw him about six. We don't perform until three this afternoon. And No, don't get the girls up. Mr. Schue said for everyone to sleep until nine since he didn't get much sleep at the airport," Finn yawned trying to pull Rachel into his bed.

"Would you two stop it? I'm not going to pretend to be asleep over here while you two hump like rabbits," Kurt said flipping over in the second bed. "At the rate you two are going, I'm going to be covered up with nieces and nephews by the time I'm twenty."

"Oh Kurt, can it. Rachel has her fuzzy pajamas on and I'm in my t-shirt and pajama bottoms, nothing gonna happen. I just want to spoon and snooze with my girl," Finn said trying to get Rachel under his comforter.

"Finn, we did enough of that last night," Rachel whispered to Finn trying to loosen his grip on her arm. I don't want Mr. Schue or Ms. P/H to find me in your bed.

"Pretty Pleeeeeeeeze," Finn whined.

"No, we've got a big day ahead of us if we're going to win this. I'm going back to my room and get a little more sleep," Rachel said finally freeing herself from Finn's grasp.

"You can sleep here with me," Finn said in his best baby talk. "I'll just wrap my arm around you and keep your warm. I promise to be good."

"Rachel," Kurt snapped, "Either give me your room key and get in bed with him, or go back to your own room. I really would like another couple hours of sleep if you two don't mind."

"I'm going," Rachel said. "Just make sure he gets all of the guys up by nine."

"Rachel, if I can't talk you into cuddling with me, would you stick a note under Mr. Schue's door? I forgot to tell him that his ex is here. I think he said that he was in room 523." Finn yawned.

"Sure, I'll do it on my way back to my room," Rachel said giving Finn a kiss on his forehead.

"If you won't stay and snuggle with me, can I at least tell the girls good bye?" Finn asked opening one eye and smiling at her.

"I knew it! You just wanted to feel me up!" Rachel scolded.

"That does it! I'm out of here!" Kurt snapped jumping up from his bed and shielding his eyes from their view.

"I'm leaving, go back to bed," Rachel said stopping Kurt. "Just don't let him oversleep."

Rachel hastily scribbled down a note for Mr. Schue and was out Finn and Kurt's hotel room door.

Finn rolled over and the only thing that he said to Kurt was, "Party pooper."

"Finn I swear, you and Rachel are the most over sexed teenagers that I've ever seen," Kurt scolded his step brother.

"Yeah, ain't it great?" Finn said with a smile and a yawn before he went back to sleep.

By nine Finn was up pounding on all of the boy's room doors with Kurt helping him. Rachel was doing the same with her list of girl's rooms.

"Breakfast downstairs in 30 minutes," Finn yelled as each door was opened.

By 9:30 everyone was down stairs looking more asleep than awake except for Quinn and Mercedes who were dressed and ready to go.

Mr. Schue pulled Finn aside and asked him about the note that he found under his door.

"Finn, I found this note. Is Terri really here?" Mr. Schue asked.

"Yeah, she's here chaperoning Vocal Adrenaline. I think she said that she was dating their director, Dexter Goulash or something like that. Any way if it hadn't been for her, we would've been spending the night in the lobby. The hotel didn't want to sign in fourteen underage teenagers with out an adult. I think Vocal Adrenaline is up on the seventh floor," Finn said amazed that he had linked that many sentences together so early in the morning.

"Thanks buddy, and thanks for holding the fort down last night," Mr. Schue said to Finn. "I'll have to thank Terri for coming to your rescue yesterday. And by the way, Vocal Adrenaline's new director is Dustin Goolsby, not Dexter Goulash, but I like your name for him better."

As everyone was eating breakfast, Ms. P/H handed out the itinerary for the day. Twelve different groups would be competing on Saturday. They had to be in the green room by 2:30 and on stage at 3:00. Vocal Adrenaline would be last competing right after them.

At 2:15 the hotel van let the group off in front of Carnegie Hall. Rachel had to stop and take it all in. "Finn, I've been here several times before, but never to perform on the stage. I hope to return here again someday as a performer in my own right," Rachel said squeezing Finn's arm a little tighter.

"You will babe," Finn said kissing the top of her head. "And I'm going to be sitting in the center of the front row cheering and clapping for you. No matter what happens, I'll always be your biggest fan."

New Directions was more than a little nervous as their name was announced to the crowd. Standing in their places behind the closed curtain Finn mouthed "Break a leg," to Rachel, as she mouthed, "I love you back to him.

The curtain rose and their music started. One song after another, they only got better and better. The final number had the entire audience standing on their feet and shouting for more. Blaine and Kurt had finished their set with Susan Boyles' I Am Who I Was Born To Be. It was magical and the judges were visibly moved. Kurt's rare male soprano voice with its soaring clean clear high notes was the icing on the cake.

Taking their seats in the audience, they passed Vocal Adrenaline on their way to the stage. Vocal Adrenaline out number them three to one.

"Don't worry about their numbers Kurt whispered to Blaine. "What we lack in numbers we make up for in passion. That's something they've never achieved."

While New Directions was being seated, Will thanked Terri for rescuing his little group the afternoon before. As the curtain rose on Vocal Adrenaline performance something or someone was missing. Rachel was the first to notice it.

"Where's Sunshine?" Rachel whispered to Finn. Down the row the question was asked until it reached Mr. Schue. Getting Terri's attention, Mr. Schue mouthed to her the same question, "Where's Sunshine?"

"Terri wrote a note on her program and passed it over to Will, "Car wreck yesterday morning "Broke some teeth and her jaw. Had to have her mouth wired shut, but she's going to be fine."

Will felt the energy leave his body as he passed the note down his line of students. When the note finally reached Rachel, she was the most disappointed.

"I wanted to beat them, but not this way," Rachel cried softly to Finn.

"It'll be okay, Finn whispered back. The note says that she's going to be fine. We'll be back next year, and I really don't think they could of beat Kurt and Blaine anyway."

After two days of competition, the winners were announced. New Directions had done what they came to New York to do, beat Vocal Adrenaline, but it was a bittersweet victory. The Nationals trophy was taller than Rachel and had to be mailed to Lima.

Returning to McKinley on Monday morning, New Directions was greeted like returning World Series champs. That afternoon a special assembly was called and New Directions repeated their winning performance for the student body. On their way back to the choir room the group was still running on an adrenaline high when Rachel stopped the group in its tracks. There in the hall was a void. All that remained was a strain on the floor that marked where it had once stood. The slushie machine was gone!

Rachel and Finn were the last to enter the choir room that day, Closing the Door behind them.

-/-

The End, I hope that you have enjoyed my very long story. I have a new story in the works about New Directions and their senior year at McKinley. I hope that you will look for it. Again, thanks to all of you who have followed me through what has turned out to be a novel. What started as a three chapter one shot, took on a life of its own! Whistler Nights