It was literally that time. Yes that time. The time that normally Rachel Berry craved. The spotlight! In this moment that one Rachel Berry did not want for the first time ever in her life was the spotlight. According to the conversation she had just had with Finn only a few minutes ago that ended with "I feel like my heart if going to come out of my chest... Finn I literally feel like the baby is going to come out of my vagina right now." Of course the word vagina makes everyone cringe and especially caused Finns nose to wrinkle a little bit at the sentence, but can you blame the girl. This was her first time performing in front of a crowd.. with a very large baby attached to the front of her. She placed her hands on top of his belly and soothed her hands over her dress. "Please let me be me.." she whispered to the baby. She knew he couldn't hear that and didn't understand it or even care, but she was trying every scenario to make herself feel better. Everyone around her was doing some kind of stretch or dance warm up, but Rachel was instead figuring out all the ways she could not allow the baby to feel like he was going to come out of her any second.
She took a sip of the water bottle in her hand and shakily put the cap back on and set it down on the table next to her. She could feel her nerves getting the best of her and she didn't like it one bit. This wasn't who she was, but I guess it's who she is now. Finn could see the distress in her body. From her pacing to her rubbing her belly. He just knew, like some kind of seventh sense or something. He walked over to her and grabbed her arms and gently ran his hands up and down them. "You are going to do just fine! You are going to fine! You look amazing Rachel. You are glowing... like one of the light bugs, and you are going to do great.. so stop worrying.. and besides if people see that you are pregnant they will know that this baby was created with love.." he said trying to calm her down, but of course Finns words never flowed smoothly. "Or they will think that some high school girl got knocked up and is a single mom..." she said rolling her eyes. I mean we all knew Rachel was over dramatic anyway. Finn let that comment go and just rubbed her arms again. "Well you know that and I know that isn't true at all .. so go out there and make our son proud." He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. "Wow.. I love you.." she whispered and kissed him once again. "I love you more." He said and began walking away from the stage as it was about to be their turn to perform. Rachel did a full shake and tried to shake all her nerves out. She could hear all the people coming back into the auditorium to return to there seats after the intermission. The chattering outside of the curtain only getting louder. They were the last group to perform and honestly the other groups weren't terrible as expected. She just had to make it through this song and she'd be home free.
Of course that annoying voice came over the intercom "welcome back and to finish us off tonight... please welcome to the stage McKinley High Schools.. New Directions." That moment the curtain opened and the beat of the song started... the real Rachel Berry came alive. She felt herself sassily walk out on stage and began the first verse. "I'm falling to pieces, But I need this. Yeah, I need this. You're my fault, My weakness. When did you turn so cold." She let herself take over that stage. Her making sure to spin and sing out to the crowd. "You cut me down to the bone. Now you're dancing. All over my soul. I'm falling to pieces, To pieces, to pieces." She of course spread her hands out as if she was singing to the crowd. She knew they were hooked. They were nodding heads and she knew that they were enjoying it. "But I still stay cause you're the only thing I know
So won't you take, oh, won't you take me home
Take me home, home, home, Take me home, home, home, Take me, Take me, Take me, Take me, Take me home." She was joined in by other glee girls as they began dancing behind her. A simple routine by Brittany just to add some spice to the song.
They were spinning, they had arms swinging, and even pulled Rachel into part of the dance for a second. "Round in circles. Here we go, With the highest highs And the lowest lows, But no one shakes me like you do. My best mistake was you, You're my sweet affliction, Cause you hurt me right, But you do it nice. Round in circles. Here we go, Oh yeah." She continued to sing and only fall more in love with the performing. She couldn't believe she was so nervous, but she knew this was what she wanted and where she wanted to be. "But I still stay cause your the only thing I know, So won't you take, oh, won't you take me home. Take me home, home, home. Take me home, home, home. Take me, Take me, Take me, Take me. Take me home, home, home. Take me home, home, home. Take me. Take me, I still stay, oh, won't you take me home. Take me home." She ended on that last note and her body was out of breath and already hurting from carrying this huge baby around. She knew getting bigger wasn't going to get any easier.
She had ended close to the stage and quickly came the beat of the next song. This song was slow and honestly she needed to catch her breath before the ending group number because this baby is KILLER. The first beat of the doom doom dum doom started and she watched as Finn all glorious and sexy looking began walking towards her. Her hormones must of been raging because wow does he always look this good? Finn started the song off "Take that look of worry. I'm an ordinary man. They don't tell me nothing, So, I find out what I can. There's a fire that's been burning. Right outside my door. I can't see but I feel it And it helps to keep me warm." He was slowly making his way over to her and she followed in the same slow path. Finn continued the song "So I, I don't mind, No I, I don't mind." She harmonized with Finn. One of those things that gives you goosebumps from the harmonization just working so well together.
Rachel took over the next verse. "Seems so long I've been waiting, Still don't know what for. There's no point escaping. I don't worry anymore. I can't come out to find you. I don't like to go outside. They can't turn off my feelings, Like they're turning off a light." She sang and her and Finn ended up walking closer to each other.. waiting for the final end of the song to get close. They brought the harmony back together of their voices. "But I, I don't mind, No I, I don't mind. Oh I, I don't mind, No I, I don't mind." As they got close to each other they pushed off each other and sang the best part of the song " So take, take me home 'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home 'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home.Oh Lord, 'Cause I've been a prisoner all my life And I can say to you." They sang perfectly letting each of their voices showcase and allowed for perfect representation of the song. Finn started once again allowing the slow sensual walk toward Rachel. "Take that look of worry, Mine's an ordinary life. Working when it's daylightAnd sleeping when it's night, I've got no far horizonsAnd I wish upon a star, They don't think that I listen, Oh but I know who they are." Rachel continued her walk sweetly over to him. She was imaging they were the only ones in the room. "And I, I don't mind, No I, I don't mind. Oh I, I don't mind. No I, I don't mind." They harmonized these lyrics once again.
This left Rachel to sing and show her vocals for the last part of the song. "So take, take me home, 'Cause I don't remember. Take, take me home, 'Cause I don't remember. Take, take me home, 'Cause I don't remember. Take, take me home, oh lord. Well I've been a prisoner all my life And I can say to you." She hit the notes perfectly and knew the audience was hooked and probably appreciated them doing a take on an older song. They finished off the last part of the song allowing Rachel to sing a line and then Finn. Rachel sang all the I don't remember and Finn sang all the take me homes. Leaving them to finish each other off beautiful.
"But I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember, Take, take me home
'Cause I don't remember." They let their voices fade and as they quickly ended up with Rachel's hand on his chest and his hand over hers the crowd began cheering. Clapping was heard echoing backstage, but they weren't done yet. The beat quickly started for the next song and out came the whole cast. This time they were all going to be featured.
Blaine started off the singing this time. His voice epic and ready for the song waiting for him. "I feel the hunger, it's a hunger, That tries to keep a man awake at night, Are you the answer? I shouldn't wonder. When I can feel you whet my appetite
With all the power you're releasing
It isn't safe to walk the city streets alone
Anticipation runs through me
Let's find the keys and turn this engine on" he allowed for transition of Kurt and his voice to combined on this one.
"I can feel you breathe
I can feel your heart beat faster. Take me home tonight. I don't wanna let you go 'til you see the light. Take me home tonight. Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang, Be my little baby, oh, ho, oh." They finished off their part of the song and made way for the dynamic trio. Santana started the first line. "I get frightened in all this darkness. I get nightmares I hate to sleep alone." She looked over at Brittany who then sang "I need some company, a guardian angel
To keep me warm when the cold winds blow." She allowed for an entrance for mike to do a cool dance move in front of everyone that looked like wind rolling. "I can feel you breathe. I can feel your heart beat faster" Quinn sang and then all lead into them singing together.
"Take me home tonight. I don't wanna let you go 'til you see the light. Take me home tonight
Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang, Be my little baby, Be my little baby, Just like Ronnie sang, I said
Just like Ronnie sang, Be my little baby, Baby, my darlin." Next lead to puck who came up to the front and let his smooth voice flow. "I feel the hunger
It's a hunger!" He said and Artie rolled over to start his turn. "Take me home tonight. I don't wanna let you go 'til you see the light." This lead to tina and Mercedes singing "Take me home tonight
Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang. Be my little baby. I don't wanna let you go 'til you see the light. Take me home tonight." This ended up leading back to Blaine to finish the song out with his voice. "Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang
Be my little baby, Be my darling
Take me home tonight. Listen, honey, just like Ronnie sang, Be my little baby. I don't wanna let you go 'til you see the light. So take me, Take me home tonight." He sang out and they all ended up with their bodies in perfect line formation with their heads done and arms down with their hands formed into fists. They looked up and everyone had stood up, some whistling, some clapping, some cheering, but wow it was a great feeling.
This was the first time Rachel didn't feel like she was the outcast, the freak, the pregnant girl, Finns Hudson's baby momma, instead she was a performer, a singer, a dancer, and a winner! She took a deep and shaky breath and turned over and hugged Finn and boy were they both sweaty.. who knew the most minimal amount of dancing could make you sweat so damn bad. Well basically anything Rachel did now made her sweat. They bowed in front of everyone and received a standing ovation. Honestly Rachel was so proud of herself. She literally had been down in the dumps for so long and she felt like she was on top of the world in this moment. They were soon moved over to the side of the stage and joined by the other three teams who competed. Rachel reached down and grabbed Finns hand and squeezed it. Maybe this was it! Maybe this is what Rachel Berry needed to be herself again.