Chapter Text
Blake takes a deep breath and runs his hands through his hair while slouching back into the chair. It spins around to face the audience for the umpteenth time that day. They are currently on day four shooting the Blind Auditions for season 11. It had been a long couple of days at The Voice studio for himself as well as the other coaches, Alicia, Adam and Pharell.
Coincidentally each of them has only one more spot remaining on their team and they've decided to extend filming to wrap up the Blinds today. Sitting up straight Blake remembers he's being filmed and gets ready to listen to the next unknown artist coming up. None of the coaches had turned for the last three contestants. He silently prays for only one more good enough singer to complete his team.
Slow notes to a bittersweet and soulful rock-ballad he's vaguely familiar with start filling the stage. But it isn't until a raw and broken female voice follows, that he suddenly feels like his heart and whole being are about to be broken again.
Adam instinctively turns for her during the first chorus as her hauntingly slow and wounded voice increases in volume to demand their attention.
Seconds later, Pharell and Alicia both push their buttons as the female singer enters her second verse and the audience goes wild. She captivates all of them and sways closely to ground, pulled to it almost by the heaviness of her song while managing not to lose control of her voice.
Only Blake hasn't pressed his button yet; to anyone watching he is visibly shaken up. All he hears are emotions that send him back to some of the darkest days of his life and he is not prepared to encounter them this way. The heartbreaking sounds of the woman's alto range from smooth, sensual notes to low and painful vocals that she delivers with a strength and presence that are unlike anything he has heard before. He cannot fathom how a person could carry this much pain and still go on to perform. He is propelled into a world completely his own.
During her last chorus she almost seems to collapse in agony. Blake snaps back into reality and hammers his button. The audience explodes.
His chair spins to the stage and his co-stars are already standing, cheering wildly.
When he finally sees her, his heart doubles its pace.
She is a delicate wonder of blonde curls and radiant appearance, her slender physique accentuated by a funk-meets-classics outfit he doesn't quite know what to make of. They are often surprised on the show but Blake almost refuses to believe the incredible voice he had just heard belongs to this so seemingly innocent woman before him.
As the audience keeps cheering she looks around, still emotional but relieved, her head swerving from left to right across the coaches' chairs.
She pauses and eventually meets his gaze. Blake feels like a train crashed into him. Deeply pained chocolate brown eyes meet his blue gaze and he's certain he doesn't imagine the tears in them. For a moment he is not aware of what else is going on. This sensitive woman wears her emotions on her sleeves and he wonders again how she is hurt so terribly but able to find the strength to perform the way she did.
She is beautiful, absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. In this instant Blake knows he needs her on his team. He needs to hear her sing again all by himself. He needs her to win this show. But above all, he needs to take away her pain and see her laugh and look at him. Only him.
She smiles timidly, blinks away the moisture in her eyes and momentarily shifts her gaze to the ground.
Finally the audience calms down so the coaches can speak. Adam jumps out of his chair and jogs over to Blake. He had been watching his country singer friend out of the corner of his vision. Everybody on The Voice knew what went on in Blake's private life during the last year. Blake could not have kept the news of his impending divorce from them. Still, nearly twelve months later, only Adam, a few other close friends and his family knew how much he still struggled. Blake, pretending not to be a mess while on national TV, was worth an Oscar-nomination in itself.
Adam goes on to make fun of Blake and gets some decent laughs that manage to distract the cameras from revealing too much of Blake's emotional state. His friend gestures towards the stage:
“Man, I am like so glad you made Blake cry, because he knows he pushed last and, clearly, should not have a chance with you!”
Adams hugs him in true bromance fashion and pats his head for a make-believe cheer-up before he finally addresses the mystery woman on stage. Mission to distract the world accomplished.
“Please, tell us your name.“
“My name is Gwen Stefani. I am 32 years old and from Anaheim, California,” she speaks into the microphone with an unexpectedly gentle and lovely voice.
“Well Gwen, that was an amazing performance,” Adams goes on.
“Really, let me just tell you how absolutely stunning everything about you is to me. If this was the finale and you were on my team, you and me, we would have won this competition right here, right now!” The audience erupts into another cheering frenzy and backs him up.
She laughs as another waves of relief seems to sweep through her and and she can barely believe what Adam says. God, she's humble and quite overwhelmed with the four-chair-turn she earned. Adam continues to sing her praises and soon Alicia and Pharell join him in gushing about Gwen's extraordinaire vocal delivery. They explain how the sheer rawness and honesty in her voice made them feel and how they would absolutely love to help guide her incredible talent into something even more great and unique during the show.
The three of them go back and forth in their battle and Blake lets them, if only to have a few more moments to simply study Gwen. He can barely take his eyes off her.
As he gets ready to take the floor, Adam throws one last quip his way,
“So, the Cowboy not only turned around last but apparently doesn't even know what to say. Let me just stress this point: If he cries every time you sing and then can't even talk to you, there won't be much coaching from him. I am just telling the truth for you to consider.”
Blake shakes his head at Adam and ignores the rivaling comments. He collects himself before looking directly at Gwen and goes on in a voice still not completely his own.
“Well, Gwen, to be honest, I know exactly what I'd like to say.”
She looks at him with patient curiosity and hugs the microphone to her chest.
“To me, your performance tonight has been the single most incredible and heartbreaking rendition I have heard on this show and in my life.”
The studio suddenly becomes quiet as all eyes are on him. Contrary to his usual humor and banter, this is the most serious and focused Blake has ever spoken to a contestant. It doesn't really matter who else is listening, it appears he is talking to her alone.
“It didn't feel like you were singing as part of an audition. This wasn't really about your range, or your perfect pitch or the unique tone of your voice. You do have all of these things; but I heard you experiencing and sharing this unspeakable pain that would break each of us. You were incredibly brave and vulnerable in sharing this piece of yourself. I honestly don't know how you did it.
“The way you portrayed your emotion through that song was phenomenal and it had all of us turn around for you. It took me so long to push my button because I needed to process what was happening for me. I believe your gift is to channel your emotions through your beautiful voice and touch people's hearts and souls. I couldn't say which genre might suit you best or whether I or one of these great coaches here would be the best fit for you, but I do want you to know this:
“I heard you, Gwen. With all of my heart, body and soul – I heard you – and I felt what you were feeling every single second you were performing. ” He pauses for an honest appeal. “ I believe this is your gift, Gwen. If I could be your coach I would make damn sure that your emotions and how you express them would be the heart of every performance.“
Blake exhales as the audience starts applauding again, softly smiling up to her and glad his thoughts had not come out like a complete mess. Almost as an afterthought, he grins and adds, “Of course I would also love to see you laugh and work this place up in a really fun way. You would be absolutely amazing!”
He feels better now that he's gotten his own emotions off his chest and by the thoughtful look on her face, she didn't seem to think him a complete fool for being so dramatically honest.
His co-stars are fair and experienced enough to let his words be the last and Alicia takes the honors to prompt Gwen to make her most important decision:
“Gwen, who do you pick as your coach?”
Blake can't really bear to hear her answer and resigns himself to his fate. She is not the type of contestant for whom he feels comfortable begging and playing himself up for the sake of TV. It is so unlikely for her to pick him, an aging country-artist with a bad year in the tabloids, over any of his three co-coaches that are widely and publicly successful. She deserves the best she can get.
Finally, Gwen is ready to announce her decision and she almost doesn't hesitate.
“I pick ... Blake!”
The audience buzzes wildly in surprise.
He feels like he is falling and doesn't know how to stop. He is shocked and elated, staring at her and unable to speak. God, she truly chose him! How did that happen? The reality of getting to have her on his team is both thrilling and equally intimidating. It’s all he can do to smile quietly to himself as the rest of the coaches congratulate Gwen. She comes by his chair on her way backstage and stops to stand before his long frame. Their eyes meet again and this time they both smile at each other. Gwen can't stop herself in the excitement of the evening; she reaches up to give Blake a brief hug.
“Thank you so much for everything you said! I'm really looking forward to working with you.”
“It's an honor, Gwen. You were absolutely brilliant.”
Blake's eyes shine in a way they haven't for years. He has to get back to his chair but waits to watch her until she retreats backstage.
Blake is the first to declare his team full; Alicia, Adam and Pharell take about another hour to select and battle for their final contestants. He goes through the motions of applauding and congratulation their choices without really taking notice of them. He cannot stop thinking about his own latest artist. Somehow he can still feel the light softness of her small hands on his shoulder.