Nationals

Nationals.

Nationals in New York.

Nationals in New York in less than two weeks.

Nationals in New York in less than two weeks, and they were going.

Even though they had been practicing and preparing since finding out they were going to Nationals, the Warblers were still having a hard time wrapping their heads around it. It had been a long time since Dalton had made it this far during the competition season. Everyone was excited and anxious in their own ways. Some were stress baking, some were stress eating, and some were too worried to eat.

All in all, the Warblers were a mess, although Wes made a point to say they were an organized, upstanding mess.

They had no idea that they were about to be given some bad news.

Professor Dippet thought the letter was a prank, a horrible practical joke. He called the contact information at the bottom, just to check if it was real. He was disappointed to find out that it was a legitimate notice from the National Show Choir Committee. He couldn't believe that, with just days to go, they would have to pull out of the competition. They had done everything right, and the boys had worked so hard this year.

How was he going to tell them that they couldn't go to New York, because of a stupid rule? Just because one group decided to act like idiots last year, several schools had already been forced to pull out of this year's competition. He'd already looked into the rule book that had been included with the letter, and he couldn't find a way to make sure the Warblers would be able to compete.

He was hopeful that maybe the boys could find the answer to their dilemma, but first he had to tell them what was going on, and he was not looking forward to it.

He looked at the clock and realized that the Warblers would be meeting about now to rehearse. Well, he thought, no time like the present. He grabbed the book and the letter off of his desk and made his way to the Warblers Hall.

"No, Rich, you're doing it wrong."

"I'm doing the same thing as you Drew. Maybe you should be paying attention to Nathan and Tim - they're goofing worse than Nick and Jeff, and that's saying something."

"Hey! We resemble that remark."

"That's not helpful, Jeff."

"Maybe we should take five, Wes. I think everyone is starting to lose it."

"David, we cannot afford to take a break."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Wes stopped rubbing his temples to focus on his countertenor.

"What's that Kurt?" asked David.

"If Wes can't agree to a proper break, how about you let them goof off to a Top 40 song? Loosen them up a bit?"

"I have a suggestion -" Blaine was interrupted with a look from his boyfriend.

"No Katy Perry Blaine." Blaine just pouted while the boys nearby laughed. "That's not gonna work on me. If you have to, do a Pink song." Blaine brightened up a little at that. "You'll join in too, right?"

"From over here, I might. I need to sit down for a few minutes." At the look of concern on Blaine's face, Kurt was quick to point out, "Calm down, I'm fine. I just need to sit down before I fall down. I'll be good to go in a bit. Go on, start jumping on the furniture or something," he added, complete with a shooing motion to get Blaine started.

Kurt rolled his eyes as he watched Blaine engage the rest of the group into singing Pink's So What. He figured he had at least four minutes to just sit back and relax. His back was bothering him and it was slowing him down. He knew some of them had to have noticed by now that dancing was becoming a problem, but he wasn't going to let his pregnancy get in the way of them possibly winning a Nationals trophy.

He smiled as he watched the group settle into their freestyle pattern and was glad to see that this 'break' was working in their favor. Everyone was getting back into sync with one another, and their voices were melding together without any problems. Kurt was so focused on watching the others, that he didn't notice a new addition to the room.

"If this isn't on your set list, you should add it." Kurt jumped at the voice and had to calm his racing heart at the sight of their headmaster.

"Oh, hi Professor Dippet, you startled me. They needed a break and messing around with a fun song helps get them back into a groove. I'm just taking advantage of the couch while they're jumping around. What brings you down here?"

"I need to speak to you boys about something that's come to my attention." Kurt saw the uneasiness in his face and started to worry.

"What's wrong?" The headmaster seemed reluctant, but handed the dreaded letter to Kurt, and watched as his jaw dropped and a frown came on his face, unaware that the boys had finished singing and had noticed the look of fury on Kurt's face.

"Please tell me this is someone's idea of a sick joke, Professor."

"I wish I could." Blaine and Jeff saw how pissed off Kurt looked and immediately came over to see what the problem was, Wes, David and Thad following behind them.

Wes asked what was going on, and without a word, Kurt passed him the letter, unable to form a coherent response...or at least one in English. By this point the rest of the Warblers had noticed that something wasn't right and had taken seats on chairs and the floor, waiting to hear what was going on. Wes gave the letter to David, who read it with Thad and Blaine overlooking his shoulder. They didn't know what to say.

"Boys, I need your attention for a moment. I have some bad news for you all." Dippet took a deep breath before speaking again. "I received this letter in the mail today from the National Show Choir Committee. I didn't believe it myself, thinking it was a prank. However, I contacted the proper people and it's all legit. The Warblers may not be going to Nationals, due to a rule that I, and several other schools across the country, were unaware of.

"Due to an issue with a group last year, choirs that do not have an official faculty member that runs or advises the club, or that functions as we do with a council, cannot go to New York." There was an immediate uproar as he finished that statement. Some were silent in shock, while others were quite a bit more vocal. It took a few minutes to regain order, but it was a question by Nick that shut them up.

"What the hell happened last year that is basically disqualifying schools left and right that did nothing wrong?"

"A show choir that works with a council like we do, got a little out of hand. Apparently whatever school it was, didn't even send an adult as a chaperone - just a recent graduate. They were on their own and felt that they were old enough to do what they wanted, which included trashing the hotel room. So in order to prevent that from happening, all schools have to report by the end of the week with information on chaperones, and there is a list of qualifications that must be met. From my understanding four schools have already pulled out, with us and two others up in the air."

"But what's the problem then? There's gotta be a teacher here that can go with us, right?" asked Trent.

This was the question Professor Dippet was dreading to answer. "Due to finals week and the end-of-year athletic events, there aren't any faculty members available. I'm trying to see if we can free up someone, but it's too late to make changes to accommodate someone to go with you out of state. I myself, have to attend a seminar that only accepts a 'you're on your deathbed' excuse, so even I'm unavailable. Unless we can figure something out...

"They sent a copy of the updated rulebook. I couldn't get an answer as to why we didn't receive it earlier. Maybe you can find a loophole that I've missed.

"I'm sorry." Knowing that he couldn't do much more at this point in time, the headmaster stood up and left the silent room and headed back to his office.

Wes had grabbed at the book and was angrily skimming through it. David was still holding the letter in shock. Everyone else was in varying states of disbelief and anger. They'd had an awesome year, and just going to New York would've been the icing on the cake. Now to find out that it was just out of their reach...

David watched Wes's face as he looked at the offending page, "Well? What does it say exactly?"

"Any show choir that is participating in any competition must have an established head of the group, whether it is an advisor, faculty member, or a council that consists of senior members."

"So what's the problem then? We have a council," asked Thad. Wes read the next part.

"ADDENDUM: If any given show choir wins the chance to perform at Nationals, no matter the location, a council will not be acceptable. Due to past circumstances, groups must have a faculty member or advisor to accompany them to the event. They must conform to the following qualifications and be submitted one week before competition. No exceptions."

Wes finished by reading the specifics on what made an acceptable chaperone. Basically, it had to be a seasoned member of the school faculty with a good record, and someone that was aware of what the group does. This hurt the Warblers because the tradition of the school was to have three students voted as a council to oversee the workings of the group. If the council didn't agree on it, it didn't happen. Anything that would need special permission was then brought to the attention of the headmaster. And since he'd be their best chance and wasn't available...

"We're not going, are we?" Jeff asked.

"I don't see how we can," said Nick. "Professor had a point. The end of the year is crazy and the teachers are advisors to other groups or are helping teams as chaperones. That was why our lack of a permanent advisor was a good thing. Short of getting Nationals moved to a different date - and I don't see that happening - it looks like we're staying home."

Most of the group was either still in shock or had nothing to say. Somehow, Kurt had gotten his hands on the rule book and was looking for an answer himself. He looked at the evil page that had decided their fate and got a brief glimpse of hope.

It didn't specify that the faculty member had to be from the competing school, just aware of how the group operates.

Kurt didn't say anything out loud and skimmed a few pages to a section that spoke of chaperones for special circumstances. There was a page that was dedicated to appropriate people and equipment that was allowed at events, like interpreters for the deaf, portable ramps for wheelchairs, and medical personnel if there were several performers that needed it.

Kurt became unaware of what was going on in the room, as arguing started to break out. Feigning a headache, Kurt left the room with a plan in his mind. He waved off Blaine's concern and said he just needed to lie down for a bit and he'd text him later. If he could work it out, the Warblers would be going to New York.

First, he had some calls to make.

Kurt wrote down a list what he had in mind so far. The stipulation about medical personnel was interesting, as they could double as a chaperone. Matt was always making comments of wanting to see the kids perform, and if Kurt was honest with himself, he'd feel better if Matt was around, just in case. He'd already had a few close calls after performing in the last two competitions, and he needed medical clearance to fly anyway. And not for nothing, but Artie in a wheelchair was helpful, though Kurt would ask him first about that - he didn't want him to feel used.

The only other problem was that the more students involved, the more chaperones that were needed. There were 16 guys in the Warblers and New Directions had 12. After the debacle last year when Ms. Pillsbury had to fill in for Mr. Schue, she had become the unofficial co-director for New Directions. Both of them knew of how the Warblers operated, and the groups hung out often enough that both could account for how they perform.

There was a rule in the book that allowed schools to travel together if they needed to carpool, so to speak. If Kurt could get Ms. Pillsbury to be the assigned teacher for New Directions, and have Mr. Schue for the Warblers, with Matt as an added chaperone, then they'd have the solution to their problem. Professor Dippet would have to okay everything, and they would have to make arrangements to get the groups to New York together, but Kurt didn't see that as an issue.

But who to call first?

He didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, and if one couldn't go, the whole plan fell apart.

Then Kurt had an idea: what if he called Shelby Corcoran? If there was anyone that knew anything about show choir competitions and rules, it'd be the former coach of Vocal Adrenaline. Even though she left them to raise Beth, he knew that there was no way she wasn't keeping tabs on them.

Kurt didn't have a number for her, but remembered Puck mentioning that he'd talked to her on Skype every once in a while to see how Beth was doing. After getting a username from Puck, he signed on and hoped she was online and would answer him. He was shocked to see her when her face came on the screen.

"It's Kurt, right?"

"How -"

She smiled at his flabbergasted look. "Puck just called and asked if it would be alright for you to call me. I must say, I'm a little confused why you'd need to talk to me."

Kurt sighed. "Do you still keep track of what's going on with Vocal Adrenaline, or the show choir world as a whole?"

Shelby stared for a moment before responding, "I'm not as involved as I was, however I still get memos every once in a while...why?"

"You know that I'm no longer in New Directions, right?"

"Puck's kept me up to date, yes. You're with the Dalton Warblers now."

"Yeah. We're supposed to be going to Nationals; however, we've received word that we're ineligible to attend." Kurt went ahead and explained the letter and the changed rule that's standing in their way. Shelby couldn't believe it, and even left the screen, returning with her copy of the rule book.

"They sent this to me on reflex, I guess. I didn't have the heart to throw it out; now I'm glad I didn't." She found the page with the addendum and shook her head. "It takes one group of idiots to ruin it for everyone else." She noticed the way Kurt was looking at her and had to ask. "You have a plan, don't you? And you want to run it by me."

Kurt nodded, "No one else knows what I've come up with - I don't want to disappoint anyone if I don't have to. The rule doesn't specify that it has to be someone from Dalton. You remember Ms. Pillsbury? She's filled in for Mr. Schue before, so if she took care of them, and he took care of us, then we'd have our advisors."

"You still need another chaperone, though. There's too many of you if you combine the groups for travel."

"That's where we utilize the rule about having a medical professional come with us. I know someone that would be perfect and he could be our third chaperone."

Shelby thought it could work but, "What is your reasoning for a doctor though? I know one of the kids is in a wheelchair, but that may not be enough for them to allow one."

Kurt looked at her and laughed, "Puck hasn't mentioned anything about me to you, I take it?" At her confused look, he stood up and backed away from the camera, showing himself off and watching her jaw drop.

"No he hasn't. Oh my god - you're the one that got pregnant after the attack with the football player?!" Shelby didn't know how to react. "Puck told me about the attack and that you'd transferred, and I had heard about a new teen pregnancy, but I never would have thought to put all of that together."

Kurt sat down again and explained that he didn't know about the whole 'able to get pregnant' thing either, but that he was doing as well as expected and asked if that would be enough for special treatment.

"I'd say so, but are you okay to perform, or to even fly?"

"We've adapted the choreography so that I don't overexert myself, and I'm not so pregnant that flying is out of the question, but the idea of having Matt come with is a little selfish on my part. I think we'd all feel better to have him on standby - I don't trust easily. I thought that if I explained everything to you first, you could tell me if it's something I could make happen. What do you think?"

Shelby looked at Kurt and looked at the rule book in her hands. She had heard about a few schools dropping out of the competition and didn't understand why. All of a sudden it made sense, and there was no way she was going to hinder Kurt's efforts.

"I think it's doable. You haven't asked anyone else yet, right? I'd get in touch with Will, Emma and your doctor friend to see if they are available to help. Once they've agreed - because I can't see them saying no - talk to your headmaster and present him with everything. He will have to contact the Committee again to get it approved, but you may have found the loophole you need to make your New York trip happen."

Kurt sighed in relief, "Thank you Shelby. I appreciate the help." Shelby waved and disconnected the call. Kurt fell back onto the bed and groaned realizing that he wasn't done yet. He still had calls to make.

Kurt eventually gave in and started calling. He started with Matt, because if he couldn't get off work to go, he could just give up now. By some crazy amount of luck, Matt was available. Kurt thought he was messing with him, but Matt said he'd been planning on going anyway, whether Kurt knew about it or not. Of course, Neal forcing him 'to go or else' had helped.

Kurt got Mr. Schue's number from Finn, and figured he'd ask him to talk to Ms. Pillsbury. Again, Kurt got lucky and when Will picked up the phone, he was able to link the phone call to Emma, so Kurt didn't have to explain his plan again. Will had heard about the rule change and had been wondering how Kurt and the Warblers were managing the issue. After hearing Kurt's plan, both McKinley teachers were on board. They even volunteered to drive up to Dalton in order to talk to Professor Dippet to work out any details for the trip. Kurt said that he still needed to run everything by the headmaster first, but to expect a call back soon.

Kurt hung up with them, and immediately called the office to set up an appointment to speak with Professor Dippet. When the secretary said to come down whenever, he quickly got his notes together and left to go to the office. He made sure to stay out of sight of the others, Blaine and Jeff especially. When he made it to the office, he was sent in without delay.

To think, after a couple hours of work, things may be finally looking up. However the toughest call still had to be made.

Professor Harold Dippet wasn't a man that was easily surprised - at least until he'd met Kurt Hummel. When he'd first heard of the boy from some excited Warblers, he'd never expected to find such an exceptional young man. At the moment, Kurt was bursting with nervousness and excitement, something the headmaster thought was funny and worrying. It took a few minutes for Kurt to calm down, but once he had, he quickly went through his proposal to get them to New York.

Kurt began with his initial idea, mentioned his talk with Shelby, told how he'd gotten 'yeses' from Matt and both teachers, and eventually slowed down to say, "And that's why I'm here now. Do you approve?"

Harold probably looked like a fool with his mouth open, but what other reaction should one be expecting? It had only been a couple of hours since he broke the horrible news, and here was one of his best students, who'd taken it upon himself to find a solution - and a brilliant one at that. He approved, all right, but there was one person left to run this by. That person would either make or break the whole thing.

"This is a brilliant plan, and I wholeheartedly agree with it. However, you do realize that the Committee has to approve of it as well. If they say no, that's it. You understand that, right?"

Kurt bit his lip, "I'm fully aware of that, Sir. All anyone can do is hope that they take everything into consideration and allow us to proceed with this plan. It meets all of their requirements, and uses several of their already-set rules, so they can't really argue with that, right?"

Harold smiled at the teen and said, "Well what are we waiting for then?" and picked up the phone. Kurt sat there in shock as he watched the other man dial a number and put on speakerphone. He felt his heart stop when he heard a voice pick up.

They stared at each other in shock. Kurt could barely breathe as he watched Harold hang up the phone. The last 20 minutes felt like a dream, or a nightmare - Kurt hadn't figured out which yet. Harold watched as Kurt slowly pulled out his cell phone and stare at it, as if he'd forgotten how to use it.

"Are you going to tell them, Kurt? Or do you want me to?"

Kurt lifted his head up and stared for a second, "Um, I will, but can you come with me?"

"Of course I can. Can you get them together in the hall?" Kurt nodded as he sent a mass text to the Warblers:

EMERGENCY MEETING NOW!

Unsurprisingly, Blaine called his phone before Harold and Kurt made it out of the office.

"KURT! Are you alright? Where are you?"

"Blaine, I'm fine. Just get yourself, and any of the Warblers you find on your way, to the practice hall, alright? I'm only explaining this once." Blaine agreed and hung up, doing as he was told.

Harold had to laugh at the exasperated look on Kurt's face, "That boy is head over heels in love with you."

Kurt chuckled, "That he is, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It does get a little annoying at times, though I can't blame him. If my boyfriend sent out a text like that, I'd be worried too."

By the time they reached the Warblers' hall, they could hear yelling and confusion. Wes, David, and Thad were at the front table and trying to get order in the room, and failing, while Blaine was pacing off to the side in worry. Kurt looked at Harold before slamming open one of the doors, immediately stopping all conversation and movement. Kurt only had a second to prepare himself, as Blaine took that as a cue to pull Kurt into a tight hug and sighing in relief.

"Don't ever send a text like that again unless I know where you are, okay? I went to check on you and you were gone and I couldn't find you -" Blaine was cut off as Kurt swiftly kissed him to shut him up.

"Calm down; I'm fine. What have you done with my dapper boyfriend, huh?" Blaine stared at Kurt and finally noticed the smiling headmaster standing behind him.

"Oh, crap. Sir, I'm sorry. I was worried and -"

"Breathe Mr. Anderson. I'm sure Mr. Hummel would appreciate a boyfriend that isn't hyperventilating." He turned his attention to the rest of the boys in the room. "Will all of you take a breath and find a seat, please. We have something important to discuss."

Wes couldn't tell what the headmaster's motivation was, "No offence, sir, but the last time you said that, all you gave us was bad news. I don't think I can handle any more right now."

By this point, Kurt had firmly pushed Blaine into a chair and pointed a glare at anyone that was still standing around. Harold laughed at the sight before turning his attention back onto Wes. "I assure you - you're going to want to hear this. Kurt, if you don't mind."

Kurt smiled and took a spot in the front of the room where everyone could see him. "Gentlemen, we're going to Nationals."

Like a bad case of déjà vu, the Warblers were once again shocked into silence. Wes, for one, looked like he was about to cry.

"Kurt," Blaine asked slowly, "what do you mean we're going to Nationals? I thought we wouldn't be able to go." Harold saw the unsure excitement that was practically vibrating off of the boys in the room, and signaled to Kurt that he'd handle this first.

"Kurt here came up with a brilliant plan that ensures the Warblers competing at Nationals. And I can vouch that's all been settled and approved by the National Show Choir Committee." He motioned to Kurt to explain.

"The rule book states that we have to have a faculty member assigned to be in charge of us. However it doesn't specifically state that the faculty member has to be from the competing school, just aware of what the group is capable of." Kurt still saw some confusion on the Warblers' faces, but noticed the way Wes looked like he was about to cry.

"Oh my god, you found a loophole," said Wes.

Kurt smirked, "I did indeed. In fact, I also found a second rule for special circumstances which further helps us out, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I actually first called up Vocal Adrenaline's former coach, Shelby Corcoran, and got her opinion about it. I knew if there was a competition question I needed answered, she'd be able to tell me if it could be done. If it wasn't doable, I could stop there and forget it, but even she looked impressed with what I came up with. Here's what's going to happen:

"Hopefully you won't mind becoming one big, happy - and temporary - family with the New Directions. I talked to Mr. Schuester. He has agreed to take responsibility for us while we are in New York. Ms. Pillsbury – I don't think you've met her; she's the guidance counselor - is a co-director and will handle New Directions. Since there will be almost 30 of us going, we are utilizing another rule that allows us to have someone act as medical personnel, as well as a chaperone."

"Medical personnel?" asked Thad.

"Of course. There's a rule that allows special equipment or aide for special needs or disabilities," said Wes, "but how'd you swing that - oh, duh." David gave him a slight hit on the head, not believing how the senior managed to forget about the pregnant boy standing in front of him.

Kurt rolled his eyes while the other boys snickered at Wes's expense. "Yes Wesley - duh. Matt has agreed to accompany us as well, which gives us a third chaperone. I checked with Artie and he didn't mind being mentioned as an added variable. He was more of a backup plan, but it seemed to help when we explained it to the Committee that we had a pregnant teen and a wheelchair-bound student, so getting Matt allowed to go was pretty easy.

"Professor Dippet and I also managed to get the flight and hotel accommodations taken care of. Both groups will be flying together out of Columbus and into LaGuardia next Friday morning, and we'll be staying at the hotel that is reserved for all of the competitors. Room assignments are more or less set up, but we can talk about details in a bit. Any questions?"

"I have one," said Jeff, "can we vote Kurt on next year's council now? Because if he doesn't deserve it by now, then I quit."

"Jeffrey, we can't vote -" Kurt protested.

"All in favor of considering Kurt as a possibility for the council next year raise your hand," Wes interrupted. Kurt's jaw dropped as he saw everyone's hands shoot up, some raising both.

"Wes, doesn't this go against some code or something?" asked Kurt.

"I asked for agreement of consideration. We'll do a formal vote after Nationals," he said with a smile. Kurt was glad he found a seat because otherwise, he would've fallen in shock. "Well, there we go. We have a candidate for next year's council. So Kurt, what other details do we need to go over? You know, besides a finalized set list."

Professor Harold Dippet smiled as he walked out of the room and headed back to his office, leaving the bantering behind him.

And to think, just hours ago, all of those boys were depressed.

Arrangements had been made for the New Directions, Will, Emma, and Matt to stay at Dalton the night before leaving for New York. This made it easier for everyone, so they could travel straight to Columbus in one bus. Westerville was closer to Columbus than Lima anyway, so it saved one group over an hour of travel time. Considering their flight was for early Friday morning, it made more sense to do that.

Getting everyone up and moving wasn't much of a challenge, as most of them had been too excited to sleep the night before. A few of them started dozing in the terminal, though, while they were waiting for their boarding call, Kurt and Blaine being the sleepiest of them all.

While the morning sickness had definitely died down after he'd entered his second trimester, Kurt still dealt with occasional bouts of it at night. Unfortunately, last night had been one of those nights. Blaine had been texting Kurt and after not hearing from him for longer than usual, Blaine snuck into Kurt's room and spent most of the night taking care of him, so they were understandably tired. Kurt was just hoping that he wouldn't get sick on the plane, but since it was his first time flying, and his luck was so-so, he had a fifty-fifty chance.

Thankfully, it was a good flight and while a few of them had a hard time getting used to the feel of being in the air, no one got sick. They swiftly made their way out of the airport and found the shuttle service that was in charge of transporting the competing groups to the hotel. After piling into two shuttles, they took in the sights as they drove through the city.

Checking into the hotel went much easier than they expected it to. Will took care of getting the room keys, while Wes announced the room assignments. As a token of his appreciation, Harold had taken care of the rooms for McKinley, so that everyone wasn't crammed into two rooms. Each group had four rooms, with the adults sharing one on their own. The rooms broke down like this:

Room 1: Will, Emma and Matt (the adults)

Room 2: Finn, Puck and Sam (the bros)

Room 3: Quinn, Brittany and Santana (the Cheerios)

Room 4: Rachel, Mercedes and Lauren (the divas)

Room 5: Mike, Tina and Artie (the odd ones out)

Room 6: Kurt, Blaine, Nick and Jeff (the couples)

Room 7: Wes, David, Thad and Beatz (the non-couples)

Room 8: Trent, Nathan, Drew and Tim (Trent was put in charge of the freshmen)

Room 9: Rich, Jimmy, Peter and Anthony (the sophomores)

Nobody had any complaints about the arrangements, which was shocking. Even though some of the assignments were a little strange, at least this way would allow everyone plenty of time to get ready for the competition the following morning. In the meantime, since they were some of the earliest groups to arrive, they had time to relax and reserve times to use meeting rooms as practice areas. Both the Warblers and New Directions were able to grab rooms around the same time, so that there would still be time to go out afterwards.

After all, they were in New York City and they wanted to see it at night.

The morning of Nationals was hectic. There were costumes, makeup, and various products being thrown in several directions in every room, although some were calmer than others. When they made it to the venue, Will went ahead and found out that both groups were in the middle of the performance order, but there were groups going in between them. They found seats together and only split up for their performances.

The Warblers were performing before New Directions. The boys had agreed after their last meeting that they would perform two songs, and as they'd done at Sectionals, they divided the solos in the songs. They wanted to show off something slow and sweet with something that was a little more upbeat.

They lined up on the risers and started lightly harmonizing as Blaine took his spot at one end of the stage.

I walked across an empty land

I knew the pathway like the back of my hand

I felt the earth beneath my feet

Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

Kurt stepped out of his spot at the other end and started to sing the next verse, never taking his eyes off of Blaine.

I came across a fallen tree

I felt the branches of it looking at me

Is this the place we used to love?

Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing, where have you gone?

I'm getting old and I need something to rely on

So tell me when you're gonna let me in

I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

While Kurt had been singing, he'd been slowly making his way to center stage; Blaine was doing the same thing. They met in the middle and sang the next part of the song together, to each other.

And if you have a minute, why don't we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go somewhere only we know?

Somewhere only we know

(Some - where)

The rest of the Warblers had been building up to a great crescendo, and their intensity was hard to miss. Blaine and Kurt continued to sing to each other as the others joined in.

And if you have a minute, why don't we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go? So why don't we go?

And if you have a minute, why don't we go

Talk about it somewhere only we know?

This could be the end of everything

So why don't we go somewhere only we know?

Somewhere only we know

Somewhere only we know

They had barely finished the last line when the audience stood up and applauded like crazy. The boys were pleased with the crowd's reaction and hoped to keep their momentum going. The risers were pushed back a little so that everyone was on the stage floor. Their second number had way more choreography, and it was deemed safer to do it on a flat stage. It was definitely something different for them, as it was going to be a mash-up – something they hadn't tried before.

At Blaine's signal of Oh Yeah, Beatz led the way with the bop-bops, and the boys started a little bounce step routine which got them moving across the stage.

Blaine once again got the ball rolling, and started the first verse of Misery.

So scared of breaking it

But you won't let it bend

And I wrote two hundred letters

I will never send

Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper than they seem

You'd rather cover up

I'd rather let them bleed

So let me be

And I'll set you free

As they got to the chorus, the boys that weren't in Beatz's group, joined Blaine in singing. At the same time, the boys moved as a well-oiled machine, showing off what they had first done in a random hallway at Dalton, with Nick, Jeff and David leading the pack.

I am in misery

There ain't nobody who can comfort me

(Oh yeah)

Why won't you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me

Girl you really got me bad

You really got me bad

I'm gonna get you back

Gonna get you back

People who were expecting the next verse got a shock, when the next words came from the Jackson 5's I Want You Back instead. Nick led off with the chorus, with the others backing him up.

Oh baby, give me one more chance

(To show you that I love you)

Won't you please let me back in your heart?

Oh darlin', I was blind to let you go

(Let you go, baby)

But now since I've seen you it is on

(I want you back)

Once again, they switched back to Misery, except Blaine took over while Jeff took care of leading the dance number.

I am in misery

There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)

Why won't you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me

Girl you really got me bad

You really got me bad

I'm gonna get you back

I'm gonna get you back

This time, Jeff took a break from dancing and belted out the chorus, while Nick kept the boys moving and backing him up.

Oh, just one more chance

To show you that I love you

Baby baby baby baby baby baby!

(I want you back)

Forget what happened then

(I want you back)

And let me live again!

Kurt took up the next part as they moved back to Misery, and was grateful that he just needed to sing. He was really starting to get winded from trying to keep up with everyone else.

Say your faith is shaken

You may be mistaken

You keep me wide awake and

Waiting for the sun

I'm desperate and confused

So far away from you

I'm getting there

I don't care where I have to go

Kurt was positioned with the sophomores, who were dancing around him as he sang. By this point, though, he was getting dizzy. Rich had noticed first and shot a look to Jimmy, who was the tallest of the four of them. He broke their circle up and improvised a bit. He danced behind Kurt and was subtle in placing his hands on Kurt's back, as a way to keep him steady; the other three kept moving as a distraction. The audience didn't notice.

Oh baby, I need one more chance, hah

I'd show you that I love you

Baby, oh! Baby, oh! Baby, oh!

I want you back!

I want you back!

Girl you really got me bad

You really got me bad

I'm gonna get you back

Gonna get you back

The boys were high on adrenaline and out of breath as they finished their number, ecstatic that the crowd seemed to love their performance. A minute later, the curtain went down, and so did Kurt - almost. He was the most out of breath in the bunch, and if it wasn't for Jimmy keeping a good hold of him, he would've been on the floor. Blaine rushed over as soon as he was free from the audience's eyes.

"Kurt! Are you alright?" Blaine asked. Kurt still seemed to be having a hard time catching his breath, but was able to answer Blaine.

"Yeah...just...need...a...sec..." He tried to give them a reassuring smile, but it came out more as a grimace. Wes and David had quickly pushed most of the boys off of the stage, sending Rich and Drew to find Matt. Blaine and Jimmy slowly started to walk Kurt back to the greenroom they had been using before they got on stage. By the time they entered the room, Matt was already there, setting up a few things. He had watched them practice and knowing that their actual performance was going to be more taxing, came prepared.

He motioned Blaine and Jimmy to set Kurt down on the couch, and asked if the others would kindly leave the room for a few minutes. Once again, Wes and David took care of the worried teens and gently forced them back into the hallway. Matt could tell without checking that Kurt's blood pressure was high, and was concerned about his breathing. He took out a mask that was hooked up to a small oxygen canister and told Kurt to take a few easy breaths, hoping the extra air would help him a little.

It didn't take long for Kurt's breathing to get under control and for the flush from too much exercise to slowly dissipate. Blaine's face, for that matter, was also less red than it had been when he first entered the room. Kurt took a final deep breath of oxygen before taking the mask off his face.

"So...how we doing, Kurt?" asked Matt.

"Better. I didn't expect to get so breathless. I mean, I was expecting some, but not to the point of seeing spots. Is the baby okay? The dancing was hard enough; the kicking in the ribs certainly wasn't helping."

"I'll check in a second. Your pressure is still high, but it's coming down. I want you to stay put for a while. Don't worry," he said, seeing his expression, "I won't let you miss New Directions' performance. There are still a few groups to go before it's their turn." Blaine felt like he was being ignored, but Kurt noticed and took his hand. He was able to send him a real smile this time, and the tension seemed to melt off of Blaine. Matt pulled out the mini-portable ultrasound and declared the baby to be in good shape. Blaine left to tell the rest of the group that Kurt was okay, leaving Matt to sit with him while he was gone.

"You're sure the baby's okay?"

"Yes, and you'll be fine too, though I'm gonna have to ground you from any more performances. The last thing we need is for you to really overexert yourself and end up in labor. To be honest, any more, and labor could have been a real possibility. However, I do have some good news. Do you want to know?"

Kurt looked perplexed before realizing what Matt was asking. "Seriously? You can tell?"

"Yep. I guess all that dancing made her forget which way was what." Matt was smiling like an idiot, as he waited for Kurt to catch up and realize what he said. Kurt brightened up instantly and grabbed Matt for a hug. Blaine came back into the room at that point and was wondering what was going on. Kurt had no problem filling him in.

"It's a girl, Blaine! And she's okay! No doubt she's a little dizzy herself." Kurt's smile was contagious and Blaine was quick to pull his boyfriend into a hug of his own.

"That's fantastic, babe. Some of the guys are gonna be upset - they were hoping for a boy."

Kurt just smirked, "Well, that's just too bad."

The Warblers did make it in time to watch New Directions perform two newer original songs; however seeing Finn and Rachel kiss on stage like that caused many a jaw to drop in shock.

There are some things that should never be done on stage, let alone at Nationals.

They kept their comments to themselves and were warned by Kurt that they should be prepared for one hell of a fight when they got back to the hotel. And a fight there was.

As if placing twelfth wasn't bad enough, the Warblers had placed eleventh. While they were disappointed to get so close, but not close enough, they were also happy to have done so well. It had been a long time since Dalton had made it to Nationals, and this was their best placement ever, so they weren't complaining.

Hell did break out at the hotel, but after a stern talking to from Will, the group split into different corners to cool off, considering that they'd have to deal with being in a confined space once they got onto the plane to go home. Everyone was told to get some rest, since they needed to be at the airport by 6 am for their return flight.

Unfortunately, they should've expected that their luck was about to run out.

Dark storm clouds and a torrential downpour was how the morning started. A nasty storm had made its way down from the north and was causing nothing but problems. Everyone was more than ready to go home. The lack of conversation from the New Directions was troubling, as most were still avoiding Rachel and Finn. There was also some tension between both groups, considering one of them placed better than the other. Again, that was contributed to a certain couple, but the Warblers kept their mouths shut. The New Directions just weren't talking.

At the moment, the whole group was once again waiting in the terminal for their boarding call. However, it became clear very quickly, if Will's yelling was anything to go by, that there was a problem.

"What do you mean we don't have seats!? I have the tickets here that say we're supposed to be on that plane!" Will could not believe what he was being told.

"Sir I'm sorry, but there must have been a glitch in the system. And this storm is grounding flights left and right. I'm sorry but as of right now, I can't get all of you onto a flight until late tonight, maybe tomorrow at best. As most of them are minors without paperwork, I can't just let them board several different flights." The woman at the counter looked apologetic and really had nothing else to tell Will. He sighed and told her he'd be back. He made his way to the tired, anxious teens that had heard most of the conversation.

"Will, what the hell is going on?" asked Matt, "why can't we board?"

"Apparently there was a mix-up and they gave our seats to the Waffletoots and another group called New Dimension. This airline was in charge of a good chunk of the groups that participated, so they've been dealing with a lot of kids in a very short amount of time. The storm is causing delays and cancellations, so the chances of us getting home tonight are very low." Matt just stared at Will for a moment before shaking his head.

"So what are we going to do then?" asked Emma.

Matt kept quiet as Will and Emma were trying to come up with a solution. By this point, the kids had figured out that something was up and were tired of waiting to hear why. Wes and David locked eyes with Puck and got up to speak with Matt.

"Dude, what's up? Why does it sound like we're stuck here?" asked Puck.

Matt sighed angrily, "Our seats were given away to two other groups by mistake. The airline has been having a hard time - groups have been coming and going all weekend. As it stands, the flight we're now not on, looks like it's about to be grounded anyway. We don't have a lot of options."

David looked thoughtful for a second. "Hey what about the train? It'll take a little longer than driving, but at least we will be able to stay together, and the train still runs in bad weather for the most part."

"And how is that going to work exactly? Columbus doesn't have a train station," said Wes.

"Do you think they've got a map of Ohio's train stations lying around here?" Three blank stares was David's answer. "Yeah, I'll go get my laptop."

Will and Emma walked over to see what was going on. Puck told them about the possibility of grabbing a train, but the question of where they'd take it to still remained. David came back with his laptop opened it up to Amtrak's website. Ohio had several stations, but all of them were two hours or more away from both Lima and Westville. David pulled up a map and tried to figure out which stop would be the most helpful.

"None of these stops are close. This sucks."

"Hang on," said Matt, "go back a second." He looked at the map and pointed out one of the stations. "If we can arrange transportation from the Elyria stop, it'll take two hours-ish to get home, and that goes for both groups. We'd just need two buses - one to go to Dalton, and another to take the rest of us to Lima."

"I'm sure Mr. Franks will be willing to help us out. He's always saying that he owes Kurt for that lovely trip home from Sectionals."

"That could work...only problem for us will be the bus part. I don't see Figgins finding someone to pick us up," said Will.

"What about Coach Beiste? At least she likes us. I'll even call her and ask if she can. The only other option would be Sue, and I don't wanna go there." Puck had a point.

"David, when's the next train?" asked Matt.

"Uh...there's a train leaving Penn Station at 8:30, which means we'll get into Elyria by 9 pm. Then it'll still take a couple hours for us to get to our respective destinations."

The adults looked at each other and shrugged; it was the best plan they had.

The next twenty minutes could only be described as hectic. Will and Matt worked on getting their plane tickets changed into train tickets, while Wes and Puck made phone calls to secure busing home from the station. Thankfully both Mr. Franks and Coach Beiste were available and promised to meet them at Elyria. They'd all be getting home later than planned, but at least they would get home by midnight. Once they had everything figured out, the next plan of action was getting out of the airport and to Penn Station, which was easier said than done.

It took some motivation, but slowly the group collected their bags and made their way outside. The airline had called ahead and secured some shuttles to take them, as an apology for screwing them out of their seats. They cut it close, but soon enough, they were on the train and headed home. Once everyone had settled into their seats, parents were called and made aware of the new travel plans.

After that, it didn't take long before their section of the train grew quiet as one by one they fell asleep. It had been a long weekend, and they still had to attend classes in the morning.