Glee 1. Pilot

**A/N: AU: ****Inspired by the episode "Glee, Actually" in which we see what would have happened had Artie NOT been in a wheel chair. Artie is not in a wheelchair in this story and he was not an original member of the Glee club, but he will be in the story. **

Despite its short running, the Glee club had already been disbanded. Will Schuester had fought for the club with everything he had, but at the end of the day he just didn't have enough members. He would never forget the looks on their faces, they had all reacted differently. Rachel's eyes glazed over with unshed tears, Mercedes mouthed off in his face, Kurt stared and fumbled with his designer scarf and Tina stuttered something unintelligible. And now what would Schuester do? He would sit in the staff room and grumpily think about going to the bar to drink his problems away.

"Aw, cheer up, Schuester," Said Sue as she walked into the room and dragged a chair over to his table. "Now you can focus on using the money you get from your job to continue buying dog shampoo for the curly poodle on your head." Her insult rolled right off the tongue as though she hadn't even needed to think about it. He rolled his eyes.

"I take it you're happy that Glee club is no longer running? Go ahead; laugh about it all you want." He said with a wave of his hand.

"Ah, no, William," She started with a grin. "I was already laughing about it. You honestly expected more people to join?" Her question hung in the air – unanswered and unappreciated. A teacher passed their table and patted Will on the back.

"Sorry about the club, Schuester." They said absently but insincerely. He sighed, nodded his thanks and left the room.

Kurt was wearing a brand new outfit that had recently arrived for him in the post, thankfully not creased. He wore a white shirt with a buffalo tie, a blue jacket that zipped up diagonally from the right to the left, tight black jeans, dark boots, and finally a bright red scarf which rested on his shoulders. He glowed with pride at his recent selection of clothing, it was just a shame that no-one would appreciate it as much as he did. Because Glee club had begun and ended so abruptly he had never really formed anything more than acquaintance level with any of the members.

"Look who it is!" Mocked a voice somewhere nearby. Kurt looked to his right to notice that it was Puck who had called out. Puck was one of the meanest guys in the school, he held the record for the number of kids thrown in the dumpster within a week. And Kurt would know. Usually he didn't have to time to walk or run away because he was always heavily outnumbered.

"Morning, Hummel," Another called, this time from his left. Artie came into view, hands in his pockets and grinning from ear to ear. Kurt did nothing but look at him, it didn't take long before he was surrounded once again. Finn and Mike came up behind Kurt, each chuckling darkly. Karofsky was smirking a distance away, clearly he wasn't interested in confrontation today but still wanted to watch.

"Come on over here." Puck said, cracking his knuckles. Before he could protest Mike and Artie grabbed his arms and dragged him over. Puck chuckled darkly, sending a shiver up Kurt's spine. But he regained his composure. Puck quickly put his arm over Kurt's shoulders and the others leaned against the dumpster. Kurt knew what this meant and looked over at Will as he got out of his car.

"Morning, Mr Schue." Finn smiled with a little wave. Kurt kept his eyes on his teacher, hoping that having him teach Glee briefly meant that Will was more likely to help him out. But Mr Schue, whose tie was loose and hair a mess, blanked the students completely. Kurt watched in wide eyed horror as the teacher came within inches of him but said nothing as he walked to the building. Puck's smirk deepened as he grabbed Kurt under the arms and Mike grabbed his feet without warning.

"Wait!" Kurt yelled out, holding his designer shoulder bag.

"Hold up," Said Artie. That was odd, it had been Finn that last offered to help Kurt. But since then Puck had more of an influence over Finn – he still helped, but he was becoming more mean as well. And it irritated Kurt, who had a small crush on him, because Finn used to do subtle things to help people out – but that was slowly fading. Kurt roughly pushed his bag into Artie's hands. "Go on." He said. Kurt felt his feet leave the floor but soon there he was, surrounded by mouldy food and stinking rubbish bags. He sighed and rolled over, trying to hear if his tormentors had gone or not. He looked at his watch and realised that he was already late for his first lesson.

Rachel was stood in the choir room, or what used to be the choir room. She wore a red and black checked skirt with a matching bright red jumper, over a white shirt. She glanced back at the music sheets on the piano and picked them up. _'Defying Gravity', 'The boy next door' _and _'On my own'_. She mused at reality of the last song which now seemed to sum her up perfectly.

"Hey!" Snapped a voice at the door. Becky Jackson put her hands on her hips. "Get your short badly dressed ass out of Coach Sylvester's new sowing room!" She didn't stick around long enough to hear Rachel's response to that. Quickly she gathered up the sheets and held them to her chest, now what was she going to do? She needed something to challenge her performance ability; the Glee club could have done just that. Sure, they sucked when they started, but with time and her own personal coaching they could have been great. And then an idea sprung to her head, she'd go and search for one of the ex-members of the Glee club and try and get them to be interested in music again. Glowing with determination she left the room but found herself late for class.

She ran to class quickly and opened the door. The History teacher rolled his eyes as she and the other stragglers filled the room and chose their seats. Rachel glanced around and her eyes fell on the handsome quarterback – Finn Hudson. With a small smile she sat down in the seat beside him and put her music sheets on the table. He glanced at them casually without looking at her.

"'On my own'?" He read off one of the sheets with a hint of recognition in his voice. Rachel looked at him, slightly surprised. "My mum listens to it like crazy." He said.

"Really? I really love Les Misérables." Rachel said back happily. Finn looked puzzled and looked at her.

"Is that a disease?" He questioned. Now it was Rachel's turn to look puzzled.

"No, but she is," Said a voice from behind Rachel. Quinn Fabray, head cheerleader. "You're sitting in my seat." She said, one hand on her hip and with the other she picked up the song that Finn had been looking at. "'On my own'?" She said, reading off the sheet before laughing. "Yes, you are." She said, crumbling it up and bouncing it off Rachel's face. Rachel quickly got up and grabbed her sheets, looking back at Finn but he said and did nothing to offer help. Quinn sat in her place and threw a nasty look at her boyfriend who just shrugged his shoulder with a sigh and opened his history book.

At the end of the lesson Rachel left the room hurriedly, fully aware that Quinn had been tossing nasty looks her way throughout the lesson. She had to focus and remember her plan, she had to find the original Glee club members and try to get them to help her with her performing, they would all work together in order to get better, with or without Schue's help.

Tina was sat in the Auditorium watching Mercedes sing, not that Mercedes knew about Tina's presence. She was singing multiple Beyoncé songs like she'd never sing them again. Tina hummed the song softly to herself, she had hoped that the Glee club would give her the confidence to not need to fake her stutter anymore. But now she was concerned that she might begin to stutter for real. After the song ended Tina walked to the stage and sat down beside Mercedes.

"How long were you in here?" Mercedes asked dejectedly.

"A-About t-ten minutes." She replied with a small shrug. "Wh-what do we do n-now with-without Glee?" Mercedes looked at her softly for a moment and then lowered her eyes.

"No idea. It's sad, we really didn't get to know anyone in the club enough to actually be friends." Mercedes couldn't help but wonder about everyone. She wondered why it was that Tina stuttered, the secret behind the fashionable Kurt and the alternative side to the seemingly narcissistic Rachel.

"D-Don't you w-wonder sometimes h-how it would've been if w-we all became f-fr-friends?" Tina asked uncertainly. Mercedes looked thoughtful.

"Well, we don't need to Glee club to make us become friends. How about we go and look for the other two?" She offered to which Tina nodded with a smile.

"Ah, there you are!" Boomed a voice from the seats and the two girls looked up to see Rachel, running up to the stage. "I've been looking for you. Where's the other person who was in Glee? Chris?"

"Kurt." Mercedes corrected with a roll of her eyes. She leaned towards Tina. "And to think we missed her." She whispered, leaving Tina unsure of how to react. Rachel pouted and ordered the girls to help her find him. "I know you didn't just give me an order." Mercedes said, throwing Rachel a pointed look. Rachel groaned and flew from the room in search of Kurt.

Kurt was walking down the corridor, having managed to clear himself up after taking a reluctant dive in the dumpster. As he was walking he saw an explosion of red combined with a trail of brunette hair racing towards him through the mass of people, he internally groaned as Rachel Berry came to a halt in front of him. Before either one had the chance to speak Santana and Brittany walked by them in perfect unison.

"Hey, Berry," Santana called. "Anyone ever tell you that you look like a toddler and an old lady at the same time, with a voice to match?" Rachel's mouth hung open in outrage.

"Well, she has a point," Kurt spoke up, earning a shocked look from Rachel. "About the clothes anyway." He said. Rachel closed her eyes to compose herself.

"Anyway, I wanted to come to you for help." She said. Kurt looked her up and down.

"Thought you'd never ask. Lose the check look and go with something a little more-"

"-Not with my clothes!" Kurt rolled his eyes and walked up to his locker with Rachel trailing behind. "I know the Glee club was disbanded and we sucked but just because it's over doesn't mean we can't carry on working together as a group!" She said, talking very fast so that Kurt didn't have time to interrupt her. Kurt raised an eyebrow and glanced at her while he put his scarf in his locker.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked, clearly intrigued.

"Just meet me and the others at Breadstix at seven o'clock tonight." She said firmly.

"Uh, sure." He said and closed his locker, holding his books. However, just as he was about to walk away he felt himself being slammed into his locker roughly. He grunted and opened his eyes to see Puck laughing coldly; he came close and twisted his fist in Kurt's jacket.

"Who said you could get out of the dumpster?" He snarled, holding him in place. Kurt looked at him, clearly displeased but with a hint of pain crossing his face.

"Hey!" Rachel exclaimed, putting her hands on Puck's arm, trying to make him let go. "Stop it!" Puck threw her an irritated look.

"Puck," Said Finn, who had just turned a corner to see them. He walked over and took a look at the scene. Puck messing with the Hummel kid again, who had the same expression as always, and Berry stood trying to stop it. He was against bullying girls. "Let's go, we'll deal with him later." He said and Puck nodded and let go. As Puck moved on Finn made a move, pretending he was going to jump at Kurt, but he only did this to scare him. Kurt flinched a little and opened his eyes to notice that Finn had already left.

"Kurt?" Rachel said softly. She'd watched Finn leave, horrified that he was such a jerk. There was an unreadable look on Kurt's face, a look that Rachel may soon be able to identify if she became close enough to him. "Are you okay?"

"Breadstix at seven, you said?" He asked as though nothing had happened. She was silent for a while, trying to find the right words. She just nodded. Kurt nodded back and turned on his heel, seconds later he was gone.

"There you are," Mercedes called, Tina trailing behind her. "Did you find him?" Rachel just nodded and told them where they were all going to meet.

Later that night the members of the football team were all hanging out together. Artie was stood outside with Finn, getting some fresh air. Artie glanced at Finn and then the building, ensuring no-one else was going to come out.

"I heard about Puck going all ape man on Hummel in the corridor today," He said casually, curious to see how Finn would react. Somehow he wasn't really surprised when Finn chuckled. "Don't you think it was a little harsh? I mean, we already threw him in the dumpster." Finn looked at him.

"Since when're you and him friends?" He wondered.

"We're not. But you used to stick up for him when Puck was being a bit too harsh." He pointed out, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Finn just shrugged. "But recently you're starting to act a little more like him."

"You think so? Well, if that's how you feel you don't have to hang out with us." He said back with a frown.

"I didn't say that, I was just pointing something out. Calm down, man." He said, mirroring his frown. "Anyway, what time is it?"

"Almost seven. Puck said he wants to set up a prank in Breadstix, that's where we're heading next."

"But why Breadstix?" Artie asked, tilting his head. Finn just shrugged. "Well, I might head there now then and get myself a Breadstix before he poisons everything." He joked, which caused Finn to laugh. The boys parted ways and Artie started to walk the streets. Soon enough he bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry!" He exclaimed. A girl with black hair and a blue highlight looked up at him, her eyes widening slightly. A small smile came to Artie's face. "Hey, I'm Artie."

"T-Tina…" The girl stuttered back, avoiding eye contract, but feeling a blush creep up to her cheeks.

"You're in my Spanish class, right?" He asked with a small smile still on his face. Tina nodded. "Where you headed?"

"B-Breadstix."

"Me too," He said. "Mind if I come with you?" Tina was too nervous to say anything; she had quietly admired him for a while but was unsure how Rachel and the others would react. Before she knew it they were walking to Breadstix together. Tina walked over to the others that she was here to meet. Artie's eyes widened slightly when he saw them.

"You!" Rachel hissed, rising to her feet and pointing at Artie with a glare.

"Oh, hell-to-the no!" Exclaimed Mercedes. "If you hurt my girl Tina you best believe that I'm gonna kick your ass!" Kurt was the only one who hadn't spoken; after all, Artie had sort of stuck up for Kurt when he didn't let the guys ruin his school bag.

"G-Guys," Stuttered Tina. "I-It's fine, he's been really nice." She said softly.

"So, uhm, what're you guys doing here?" Artie asked, slightly uncomfortable.

"Just hanging out…" Said Mercedes suspiciously. Artie caught sight of some music sheets on the table and picked one up.

"'Born this way'?" He read. "Lady Gaga?" He asked with no malice in his voice. He looked to the girls, as he expected that it belonged to one of them – so imagine his surprise when Kurt snatched it from him and put it in his bag. "Oh, that was yours?" He asked and Kurt looked past him and at Tina.

"Why'd you bring him here?" Tina didn't say anything.

"She didn't, I was already coming here and ran into her on the way…" He reasoned. "Listen, Hummel, I'm sorry about this morning." He said and everyone looked at him.

"What happened?" Mercedes questioned.

"Nothing." Kurt said quickly but nodded his head to Artie, accepting the apology. Artie held a hand out and Kurt took it hesitantly and shook his hand.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" He asked kindly.

"We were trying to find a way to keep the Glee club going, even if the school won't support us as an actual club." She said firmly, crossing her arms.

"I don't think it'll work." Said Kurt, shaking his head. After a few minutes Artie could tell this wasn't his place so he walked to the door right when he bumped into the guys.

"Oh, hey," He greeted when they met at the door. "What're you all grinning about?" He asked. Finn and Mike exchanged looks and grinned. Puck put his hands on Artie's shoulders and turned him to face the table that Rachel and the others were at.

"Things are going to get a lot more interesting around here…" He whispered darkly.

**Reviews are loved. **


	2. Don't Worry

**AN: Wow, I got a review within NINE MINUTES of posting my first chapter. Thanks so much! **

"What're you talking about?" Artie asked, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly a horrible idea dawned on him. His 'friends' were here to pull a prank and by the sounds of it, Puck had been planning to play a trick on the former Glee members. He turned back around to Puck and lowered his voice. "You planned to prank them? But, how did you know they'd be here?"

"I have my sources," Puck said and nodded to Mike, who left the building momentarily. Finn put an arm around Artie's shoulder and smiled as Mike came back in with some drinks. It took him a moment to realise that they were slushies. He glanced back over his shoulder. For the first time ever he was noticing Kurt smile. Rachel didn't seem as high maintenance; Mercedes was maintaining an indoor voice and Tina… Could it be that she'd spoken without stuttering?

"Guys, I don't know about this," Artie started. "I mean, what if the workers call the police?" Mike thought about it for a moment and nodded.

"He's got a point, you'll get put back in Juvie again, Puck." A rare look crossed Puck's features but it was soon gone just as quickly as when it had appeared. Mike suggested that they all wait outside. Artie leaned against the wall with a sigh while his friends stood a distance away from them; they removed their football jackets so they wouldn't stand out against the dark night. Artie waited in silence, feeling really bad. When did he get so mixed up in this kind of behaviour? Oh yes, that's it. He had convinced himself that because he didn't know someone it meant that he wouldn't feel bad about causing them trouble. Of course, this was no philosophy to go by. But then why had he accepted that? Was it peer pressure? Fear of being treated the same way himself? He didn't know, but he was concerned about what he'd do now. Would he help them get away? Or would he alert his friends? He wasn't sure.

Soon laughter grabbed Artie's attention; he turned his head to look at them. He took a moment to take in their demeanours. Tina was only stuttering once or twice but had a smile on her face, Rachel was humming a song softly to herself, and Kurt and Mercedes were linking arms and sharing fashion tips. Artie curled his lip, what meaningless drivel. Their conversations were becoming very irritating. His mind went elsewhere as he pushed off the wall and turned to them.

"Hey," He said, grabbing their attention. They looked at him and their eyes immediately went to the slushie in his hand. Suddenly, silence fell. When he saw their expressions he faltered and stopped. Why was he doing this? These people had never wronged him, they were decent. But it was far too late; Finn, Puck and Mike ran over and hurled the ice cold slushies at the ex-club members. There was no scream, no gasp, just silent horror as they were drenched in multiple colours. And now, covered head to toe in multiple colours, they looked unrecognisable and comical. Artie laughed and threw his own slushie, managing to hit every single one of them.

In that moment he recognised the change. Mercedes and Kurt had torn themselves away from each other. Mercedes didn't shout or rage like she normally would, Tina was stuttering so badly that she was struggling to get her words out, and Rachel was silent. But he didn't say anything, there was nothing he could do or say for them now. The laughter was heavy on his ears as he watched them.

"Nice work, Artie!" Finn congratulated him with a pat on the back. And then he led him away, leaving the slushie soaked members to stand and shiver in the cold.

Later that night Kurt trudged back home, regretting not driving his car down to Breadstix. This is just what he needed, once again, another outfit completely ruined. Dejectedly he thought back to the evenings events. He had, for once, been enjoying himself. Turns out Mercedes and him have a lot in common, Rachel wasn't so bad when she wasn't focussing on herself and Tina had actually managed to control her stutter. And then there was Artie, the guy who they thought they'd made up with. How had he not seen this coming? He checked his watch to see it was nearing 11pm. Thankfully, he'd reached his house. He removed his jacket and squeezed the slushie out of it; sadly the slushie had drenched his shirt underneath his jacket. He shivered against the night air. He reached for the handle but the door had already been opened from the inside. Burt Hummel had already cleaned himself of the grease from his garage work and changed his shirt. He had a hard expression that was ready to scold him for being late home, but his expression melted into concern when he took the sight of Kurt in.

"Kurt, what happened?" He said and snatched a blanket from the sofa, wrapping the blanket and his arms around Kurt's shivering frame. Gently he led him inside and sat him down by the fire. "You keep warm and I'll go get you your pyjamas." He told him and rushed downstairs. Kurt watched him go and pulled the blanket tighter around himself, inching to the fire – cautious not to get too close. Burt reappeared shortly after with some fleece pyjamas. "Stay here and get dressed by the fire where it's warm, I'll make you some hot chocolate." Kurt nodded and waited until his dad left before changing; he put his wet clothes down on the floor beside him and curled back up in the blanket again. Burt came back and handed him his hot chocolate, which Kurt took gratefully. "So, you gonna tell me what happened?" Kurt looked up at him sadly.

"Nothing, just some jerk from the football team threw a slushie." He said, taking a sip.

"But you said you were going to Breadstix with some people?" Burt questioned, looking at his son with concern.

"I was," He said and explained the situation with the club and the others. "And then they were waiting outside to throw slushies at us." Burt's face went bright red.

"I'm going to go to that school tomorrow and get this sorted out!" Kurt shook his head and put his cup down; he put a hand on his father's arm.

"No, dad, nothing will change. It's fine, don't worry." Burt shook his head, completely shocked and outraged by what his son had just said. Kurt just smiled, reassuring his father that it was going to be alright.

"Fine. But listen to me, Kurt," He started and his son looked at him curiously. "Don't let anyone make you feel bad about yourself. You're amazing, Kurt, never forget that. And I'm very proud to be your dad. I'm still not good at these talks, but I mean it."

"You're really good at these talks." Kurt chuckled, honestly amused and inspired. "Thanks, dad." Burt nodded and his smile slowly came back on his face.

"Don't stay up all night, and if you're going to listen to Lady Lala, turn it down a little. We've got neighbours." Kurt groaned.

"Dad, it's Lady _Gaga_." Burt waved a hand absently and laughed.

Rachel stormed into the Spanish classroom early the next morning and slammed her hand down on Mr Schue's desk, quickly alerting him to her presence. Will was clearly sober this morning and without a hangover, most likely he had been scolded by his wife for doing so the night before.

"Mr Schuester, how could you?" She exclaimed, heatedly.

"What are you talking about, Rachel?" He blinked in surprise.

"I overheard Finn boasting about the fact that you ignored Kurt when he was getting bullied in front of the school yesterday, when they were going to throw him in the dumpster!" Will stared at her and tried to remember yesterday morning. He remembered getting out of his car and drunkenly stumbling to the school, could it be possible that he wasn't paying enough attention to those around him?

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice. What can I do to ma-?"

"-make up for what you did? Don't worry; I know exactly what you can do." She grinned. "The Glee club. Start it up again." Will sighed and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Rachel, I can't. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He said. After moments of struggling to get her to understand, Rachel had finally left. It was hard saying no to something he so wanted to say yes to. He opened a cabinet in his desk and took out a bottle. He got the lid off and took a big swig before returning it to the cabinet once again.

Rachel went to meet her friends in the auditorium; they were all sat down on the stage, waiting for her. She had managed to gather some audition sheets to soften the blow that they would not get their Glee club. They looked up at her when she climbed up onto the stage.

"So, Mr Schue said he couldn't continue with the Glee club. But, I did find these." She said and handed the sheets out.

"Maybe it is a good thing, not having Glee club I mean," Kurt started, taking a sheet. "I mean, if we were in the Glee club again we'd be covered head to toe in red."

"You m-mean the slushies?" Tina asked, looking over at him. Kurt caught her eye.

"Uh… Yeah…Slushies." He spoke slowly; clearly that wasn't actually what he meant. An uncomfortable silence drifted through them. "Hey, why'd you hand me an audition sheet for Cinderella?" He frowned.

"What? You could be the prince!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"The audition is for the _character Cinderella_, Rachel." He said, showing her the flyer. Rachel looked at it for a moment.

"Beggars can't be choosers?" She offered pathetically. Kurt threw the sheet down.

"I'm out." He said and was followed by Mercedes and Tina.

"Us too. This is getting really sad now." Mercedes said with a roll of her eyes. Rachel stood up quickly.

"Guys come on, don't go!" She called as they stepped off the stage. She thought quickly and ran up to the band behind her, telling them a song and asking them if they knew it. She ran centre stage and belted out the song _'Don't Give up'_ by Peter Gabriel.

"_Don't give up  
'cos you have friends  
don't give up  
you're not beaten yet  
don't give up  
I know you can make it good."_

The others turned around and looked at her. They all knew the song, of course. But they never thought to hear it from someone at the school. As she sung the lines she smiled and took Tina's hands, slowly a smile came to Tina's face – which contagiously spread to Mercedes, who laughed and joined in the singing. Kurt watched them wordlessly, arms crossed. Rachel noticed and skipped up to him, taking his hands.

"_Rest your head_

_You worry too much_

_It's going to be alright_

_When times get rough_

_You can fall back on us_

_Don't give up_

_Please don't give up."_

Kurt looked at her and watched the others dancing happily on the stage. The only person he had ever really put trust in was his parents. Could it really be so easy to trust someone else? He had thought that Finn and Artie were different and likely to be kind at some point, but they had both proven him wrong. But as he watched the girls smiling joyfully, he couldn't help but reject all his worries.

"_Don't give up_

_'cause you have friends_

_Don't give up_

_You're not the only one_

_Don't give up_

_No reason to be ashamed_

_Don't give up_

_You still have us_

_Don't give up now_

_We're proud of who you are_

_Don't give up_

_You know it's never been easy_

_Don't give up_

_'cause I believe there's a place_

_There's a place where we belong."_

Santana and Brittany had been stood at the doors to the Auditorium, watching the whole thing. They both looked at each other when suddenly Santana grinned and turned off the lights, their laughter echoing in the darkness as they ran away.

"So," Said Brittany with a smile. "You want to come over to my house after school?" She asked cheekily, placing a soft kiss on Santana's cheek.

"Hey," She scolded. "Don't do that in public, what would people think?" Brittany looked puzzled.

"Why should we care what people think?" She asked, but Santana rolled her eyes and left, leaving Brittany stood alone. She sighed softly and turned another corner. Standing here she could see Quinn smirking while talking to Puck, but before Brittany could approach, Quinn threw her arms around Puck and in almost no time at all, they were making out. Brittany stared for a moment, processing the information. And then, just as she was about to leave, she accidentally dropped a book. Quinn tore herself away from Puck and let her eyes fall on Brittany. Brittany's eyes widened as the head cheerleader approached her like a beast stalking her pray.

"Hello, Brittany," She hissed darkly. Brittany just stared up into her angry eyes. "Now, I know you're not going to say anything about this, right?" Brittany just continued to stare. "Because, if you do, I will make your life a living hell."

"Aren't we friends?" Brittany asked, confused. Quinn adopted a false smile that was dripping with venom.

"Of course we are," She said thickly. "Which is why if you tell anyone about this, you'll be a bad friend. You don't want that, do you?" She asked, stalking closer to her, making her uncomfortable. Brittany turned her head away and gave a small squeak.

"No, I don't." She said softly. Quinn smirked and gave her a hug that had no warmth or kindness in it.

"You're a good friend, Brittany." She said and let go, purposely bumping past her shoulder, almost sending the girl flying to the floor. Confused, Brittany turned and watched her go.

Tina was sat in the old choir room, she had a couple of songs in her hands that she was contemplating singing for her auditions that Rachel had kindly supplied her with. The room was sad to look at currently, the chairs were gone and the walls were halfway through a new coat of paint. The smell didn't irritate her nose like it did to most people, meaning this was a nice place for her to sit. Before this, Tina had no friends at all; she was too shy and scared of rejection. Maybe soon she could be comfortable enough to drop her stutter. As she pondered this she realised that the Cheerio's would soon be around to paint the rest of the room for Sue. Not needing to come face to face with a bunch of stuck up cheerleaders; Tina gathered her things and wondered through the halls. Eventually she passed by a dance room, but heard a sinister but interesting music score; she peeked in through the window in the door and saw a muscular, dark haired boy dancing the solo from _'SwanSong' _by Christopher Bruce. He moved with such power and focus, so of course seeing a face at the door watching startled him into falling onto the floor mid-kick.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry!" She exclaimed, pushing the door open and running in. She put a hand on his back and one on his arm to check that he was alright. "A-Are you h-hurt?" She asked hurriedly.

"Fine." The boy replied. When he looked up at her she recognised him. One of the boys who threw the slushie at her and the others. She immediately dropped him, went back to her feet and backed away.

"You… You're one of the guys' from l-last night." She mumbled, continuing to take a step back. Mike looked at her and soon recognised her. He stood up and had a swig of his water before approaching her. "N-No, stay back!" She yelled but still he came.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"T-Tina Cohen Chang…" He looked at her for a moment and then smiled softly.

"I'm Mike Chang." Tina blinked and then giggled softly along with him, the fact that their last names were the same seemed comical to them. "Listen, I'm sorry about yesterday. But, please don't tell anyone about this." He seemed pretty desperate.

"But why not? You're an amazing dancer." She smiled. He returned the smile.

"Thanks. But people here won't see it that way. I've got a reputation." He explained, which made her look down. He realised this was asking a lot considering what he'd done. He took her hand and positioned her and himself as though they were going to slow dance. She blushed gently and looked up into his eyes, somehow, she knew she could extend her trust to him. "Do you know how to dance?" He asked and she shook her head. The two seemed to move together so perfectly, two people but one soul. It was odd, but Tina forgot everything in the world for the time being as she moved gracefully across the floor with him. "Well, now you can." He smiled. Seconds of silence went by, but then Mike leaned in close to her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, which she returned. They looked at it each other for a moment. They remembered their situation, who he was and who she was. And suddenly they parted. Tina watched Mike pack up as he hurriedly excused himself. But he left with a smile, unseen by Tina. 


	3. Uncontrollable

Finn walked through the corridors, his friends had gone off to the gym for now and Quinn was in cheerleading practice. As he was walking he pondered over the last couple of days, he recalled the humorous joked he'd played on the members of the ex-Glee club. He chuckled to himself and then saw one of them. Rachel Berry. She was a big mouth and dressed a little unusually but she was pretty attractive. He walked over to her and leaned against the lockers.

"Hey there," He smiled smugly as he watched her put on a necklace. He smirked as he saw a small blush appear on her face. "How's it going?" She slammed her locker.

"Good until you showed up." She said with a glare. Finn was taken aback by this sudden rage. "What? You slushie me and my friends and expect me to be fine with it?" Finn just shrugged.

"C'mon, I'm sorry, okay?" He asked and Rachel crossed her arms, evidently not backing down.

"You're such a jerk." She commented. "And a loser." Finn looked confused.

"Loser? I'm not the one hanging out with-" He stopped himself before he said something really stupid. Rachel took note and narrowed her eyes slightly but also realised that he had stopped himself for a reason. She watched him for a few more moments.

"I'll make you a deal," She said, tugging on his football jacket. "You don't pick on- or slushie- me or any of my friends' then maybe I'll let you off the hook." He sighed and looked a bit let down somehow. "Deal?" She asked.

"…Deal." Finn said after a few short seconds. Rachel grinned and let go of his jacket, walking down the corridor and away from the perplexed football player.

It was time for Kurt's least favourite subject of the day. Gym. The coach screamed at them to hurry up and get ready for class, as soon as they were dressed they had to go outside and do laps on the sports field. Kurt was usually slow when it came to getting dressed, he didn't like to draw too much attention to himself. That and the fact that Kurt wore so many layers it was impossible for him to get ready any quicker than he already did. He was sat alone in the changing room right now; he had just finished getting ready to go outside. He stood up and opened his locker, when suddenly someone gripped his shoulders from behind. Instinctively he whirled around, accidentally hitting Mike in the face. Said boy growled in irritation and glared at Kurt.

"Watch it, Hummel!" He hissed. Kurt stared for a moment but quickly regained his composure.

"What do you want?" He asked firmly, closing his locker.

"Your friend, Tina. Get her to meet me in the auditorium at lunch." He told him strongly. Mike had thought long and hard about the short dance and kiss he shared with Tina. He was intrigued by her and wanted to get some more alone time with her, to prove this wasn't just a fluke. Not like he'd tell this to Hummel and risk losing his reputation. A look passed Kurt's face.

"No." He said firmly and shook his head. "Stay away from her." He was very protective of the few friends he now had. Mike's glare deepened as he stepped uncomfortably close. Kurt pressed his back further against the lockers.

"What's up? Scared I'm going to steal your girlfriend?" He asked with a chuckle, but when he saw the look on Kurt's face he couldn't help but wonder. "Is she your girlfriend?" Kurt shook his head. "Then why're you looking like that? Wait, are you gay?" He asked. Kurt's eyes widened, and so Mike took that as confirmation. He pulled away from him quickly as though he'd been stung.

"I'm not; your question just surprised me!" Kurt blurted out immediately. Mike eyed him suspiciously. "She's my friend, that's why I don't want you to see her. I don't want my friend to get hurt." He said bravely, regaining his confidence.

"What makes you think I'm going to hurt her?" Mike asked. Kurt just looked at him, as though it was obvious. Mike gestured for Kurt to answer, to which Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm about to hurt you if you don't get her to meet me!" He growled, stepping closer and grabbing a fist full of Kurt's shirt. Kurt instantly pushed him off; they parted just as the coach came in.

"Oi, get outside and run laps!" He snarled. And just like that Kurt had fled the room.

Brittany sighed and stood up, after just completing the latest Cheerio's routine. Sue was, once again, unimpressed and complaining to Becky Jackson. Quinn was smiling and talking to three other Cheerio's, who were all chatting away animatedly. Quinn's eyes met Brittany's. For one agonizing moment they both stared, and then Brittany turned away, humming a song to herself. Santana soon fell in step beside her friend.

"Britt?" She asked, clicking her fingers in front of her face. "What's the matter? You've been out of it, more so than usual." She said, tilting her head. Brittany's eyes were dreamy, as though she wasn't really listening that much. She was really confused. Wasn't Quinn dating Finn? She was pretty sure, but then why was Quinn making out with Puck? It made no sense to her. But she'd be a bad friend if she said anything… Right?

"Brittany," A voice said, approaching. This woke her up; Brittany turned around and looked at Quinn as she came closer. "What's the matter? You were a bit wobbly in that last routine."

"Maybe my legs are made out of jelly?" Brittany reasoned. "I hope Lord Tubbington doesn't eat them." Quinn gave her an odd look, but Santana didn't seem phased by the response.

"Tweedle-Dumb!" Screeched Sue, stomping over. Brittany looked over at her. "My office. Now." Without arguing Brittany followed her coach and sat in a chair in the office. "What is with you recently, Pierce? You're not focussed on the routine." There was no kindness in her voice. Brittany just shrugged a little bit. "I'm not a mind reader, kid, speak!"

"That's what I said to Lord Tubbington, but he doesn't always do it." She replied calmly and thoughtfully. Sue groaned and put her head in her hands.

"Get. Out." She grumbled. Brittany stood up and opened the door, leaving the office, right when she bumped into someone and fell to the floor.

"Oh, sorry!" Exclaimed a voice. Brittany opened her eyes to see someone holding a hand out to her, raising her eyes she saw a familiar face but couldn't put a name to it. The boy wore a white shirt with a gray waistcoat and black jeans. He also had on a small denim hat, although one thing stuck out the most. He was wearing a scared and concerned expression. Brittany took his hand and stood to her feet. "I didn't see you, I'm really sorry."

"It's fine," She said lightly, with a small shrug. "Were you in a hurry?" He nodded sheepishly.

"I guess you could say that." He said.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her tone still light and soft.

"I was just looking for my friend, I wanted to speak to her before lunch." He explained. "Tina Cohen- Chang. Have you seen her?" Brittany tilted her head.

"The girl with black hair and a stutter?" Kurt nodded. "She's sat on the stands outside on the pitch." He smiled and thanked her before quickly running outside.

"K-Kurt!" Tina greeted with a smile, waving for him to join her. Kurt did so, making sure that they weren't going to be overheard. He had to distract her at lunch, he couldn't let her go and meet the Neanderthal from the football team.

"Can I help you practice for your audition at lunch?" He asked energetically. She looked almost startled.

"O-Oh, you d-don't have too." She told him, but still he insisted. "W-Well, thanks!" She beamed.

Down on the pitch Finn was leading the football team, he smacked Mike on the back of the head to get him to pay attention. He'd been looking up at Tina and Kurt, hoping that she would be seeing her in the auditorium at lunch. Mike frowned but returned to the group. Finn led the team to a very successful practice.

"Oi, next time get out of my way!" Puck screeched at Artie, who pounced at him in retaliation.

"Oi, both of you cut it out!" Yelled Finn, standing between them and splitting them up. "Grow the hell up or I'll kick both your arses." He snarled, making both boys shut up and walk off different ways. Finn rolled his eyes and followed his best friend Puck. "Dude, you need to lighten up." Puck just rolled his eyes.

"I really feel the need to hit something right now," Puck said casually, like it was normal. He looked around and saw Tina and Kurt sat in the stands. "Looks like I've found my targets." Finn stared at him.

"Dude, you can't hit a girl. That's one thing I'd punch you for." Puck looked at him and nodded. Mike hadn't noticed that the other players were approaching the stands, instead he was sat drinking some water on the bench.

"Then let's not get her." Puck shrugged but still ran up to the stands. Finn blinked and realised that the whole team, minus himself and Mike, had already taken the stands. Finn remembered what Rachel said about leaving her and her friends alone, for whatever reason Finn knew he couldn't let her down. He raced to Mike and grabbed his shoulder.

"I need you to help." He ordered and gestured to the stands. He saw Mike's eyes widen slightly when Tina noticed the players, but Finn didn't question it as they ran. Kurt was grabbed by Puck and as a result, Tina went forward to grab him, only to be pushed forcefully by Karofsky. She gasped as she tumbled onto the ground, surprised at the power behind the push.

"Hey!" Kurt shouted. "I don't care what you do to me, but don't go around pushing a girl!" Karofsky looked amused.

"Not like we can tell the difference, is it, lady?" He laughed. Kurt made a move to jump to Tina, to help her, but Puck's iron grip tightened. "What shall we do with him?" Karofsky laughed.

"You're going to let them both go!" Finn called, walking up the stands as the football players parted for him like the red sea. Puck frowned but didn't move. Finn took a step dangerously close. "I said: Let. Him. Go." The tension was enough to suffocate anyone. Mike sneaked around them and helped Tina up.

"Why do you care about this queer?" Puck questioned.

"I'm not gay." Kurt grumbled viciously, but was ignored. At the moment these slurs were just ignorant comments with no meaning. None of them really knew that Kurt actually was gay, and it was going to stay that way.

"Let him go, Puck." Finn said firmly once again. After a few moments Puck pushed Kurt down to the floor, not taking his eyes off Finn. "Now go cool off." Puck was about to speak but just shook his head with a laugh and pushed past the team.

"E-Excuse me," Started Tina, getting Finn's attention. "Th-thank you." She said as she helped Kurt get up off the floor. Finn waved a hand with a half-smile.

"Don't mention it," He said. "Not like I did it for any of you." His smile turned into an evil grin. Kurt and Tina couldn't help but stare, horrified.

"Excuse me," Said a voice from behind. Finn turned and saw Rachel, she smiled sweetly. "Guess what." She said. Finn looked confused. "Your girlfriend is on the war path and she's looking for you." Finn looked really confused and quickly passed her. "Oh, one more thing!" She called. Finn turned and looked at her, just in time to be blinded by a sea of blue. Everyone's voices seemed muffled and his own face seemed to burn, burning through the colour drenched on his face. Everyone stared, mortified, as Finn – the star quarterback – was slushied.


	4. Chaos

Silence fell. Nobody knew how to process what had just happened. Everyone became statues, waiting to see if Finn would scream, run or become aggressive. After what felt like a century Finn eventually raised a hand and wiped the slushie from his face, revealing his flaming eyes that stood out amongst the blue beverage. Rachel's grin did not falter as she dropped the cup to the floor and crossed her arms. Any connection he felt to her was momentarily hidden underneath his rage. He had an agreement with her, so why did she provoke him like this? And here he was, sticking up for her loser friends.

"Bad move," His voice was low and haunting; it even made his teammates uncomfortable. Rachel's expression faltered slightly but she did not lose her defiance. "You're going to regret that."

"You wouldn't hurt a girl." She said knowingly, looking very proud of herself. Finn nodded his head and took off his drenched jacket, placing it gently on one of the benches.

"You're right, I would never hurt a girl," He said. But there was something about his tone that suggested something much worse was going to happen. "But I can still make sure you regret this."

"How?" Rachel questioned, confident that Finn's words were simply empty threats. Finn looked at her; he stole her smirk and wore it on his own face. He clicked his fingers and looked at his team.

"Get him." Finn ordered, pointing at Kurt, whose eyes widened. "I don't even what to recognise him when I get back." Rachel looked mortified and whirled around quickly. Karofsky and Puck seized Kurt and restrained him, forcing him to his feet as he struggled violently in a blind panic. Tina was struggling back against Mike, who was holding her back, away from the danger.

"KURT!" The girls both screamed. Karofsky, getting very bored with the struggling, sunk a meaty fist into Kurt's diaphragm Kurt squeezed his shut and gasped in pain, dropping to his knees. He felt a little sick, that punch had way too much force behind it. There was some other reason that Karofsky hit him; there was no way it was just to stop him struggling. He dangled there, like a rag doll, held up by the two football players. Soon they dragged him down to the pitch and pushed him to the ground, still managing to restrain him. Rachel screamed in despair as all the players gathered around Kurt until he was blocked from view. Finn ran away from the pitch and Tina screamed for Rachel to follow him. Rachel was about to protest but she caught a look in her eyes – Tina had a plan and Rachel had to trust her. Tina turned to Mike, who was still with her.

"Stop them, don't let them hurt Kurt!" She screamed in his face. Mike stared at her. She hadn't stuttered, and she'd actually shouted at him. He was too shocked to speak. "Are you going to stop them or do I have to throw myself in front of those angry teammates of yours?" She threatened. He quickly got over his shock at this new side to Tina and nodded, sprinting down to the floor.

Kurt could barely process what was happening. He felt dizzy and everything was happening so fast that his brain couldn't register anything past the shooting pain he was experiencing. He heard laughter and homophobic slurs, all of which were thrown with ignorance as only he knew he was gay. With his arms being restrained he could do nothing to protect himself as a boot came slamming into his stomach. That'd certainly hurt in the morning. He gritted his teeth and forced all of his energy on moving, but the players holding him were much too strong. This was the first time something like this had happened, before it was simply threats and being pushed or grabbed. But now… He was completely trapped and couldn't escape. His dad was going to freak out when he was the state Kurt was in.

"STOP!" Screamed a voice. Mike Chang stepped into the throng of players, all of whom had immediately followed his command. Mike stood in the centre and looked down at Kurt, there was a cut above his left eyebrow and he had a cut lip. The bruising on his eye was starting to appear. And Mike guessed Kurt wouldn't like the way his hair now looked. His clothes were rough and untidy. Honestly, Mike was scared that the team would do something like this to a person, regardless of who it was. "This is way wrong. You're restraining him and attacking. That's pathetic. He's had enough, go on and go." Nobody questioned him; they seemed surprised that they had actually done such a thing. As the team dispersed Mike went on one knee just in time to catch a dazed Kurt before he fell. "Aw, man…" He mumbled under his breath. Kurt's eyes were fading in and out of focus.

"Kurt!" Tina cried, running down to them. She held Kurt's hand tightly. "Oh my god. We have to get you to the nurse and call your dad." Kurt waved his other hand.

"He'll… worry." He said. The effort of talking was becoming much more than he could bear. Mike rolled his eyes and picked him up, there was no way Kurt would be able to walk to the nurse's office.

Quinn was leaning against one of the lockers, when Finn had cleaned himself off and approached her she started to cry. Stunned he stared at her before walking forward and hugging her. She let a couple of sobs shake her voice momentarily before she actually spoke to him.

"I'm…I'm pregnant…" She whimpered into his shoulder. Finn's eyes widened. He was going to be a father? Wait… They never…

"But, we didn't-" Quinn cut across his words with another sob.

"R-Remember that time in the hot tub?" She reminded him and explained that somehow that had been the cause. And Finn was just foolish enough to believe it. He hugged her tighter, suddenly all the rage from earlier was gone and he was all affection.

"Are you… going to keep it?" He asked. She looked up at him through teary eyes.

"Y-Yes," She said, with a hint of venom. "I can't kill my own child." She whimpered. He stared down at her. He was going to have to support them, he was still only so young. His mother would be so disappointed in him.

"It's all going to be alright." He said softly and kissed her head.

At the end of the corridor Puck stood, leaning against the wall. He looked slightly confused to see Quinn crying. He had no idea that she was pregnant, and he didn't want to interfere on this moment, he didn't want Finn getting suspicious. Eventually when Quinn and Finn had left the corridor, Mercedes came stomping into few. Her clothes were loud but stylish and suited her powerfully independent personality perfectly.

"Hell-to-the-no!" She exclaimed, waving her finger in Puck's direction. "I know you didn't hurt my boy Kurt!" Puck seemed slightly surprised at her presence but simply shrugged it off. She glared at him and revealed something from behind her back, it was a slushie cup. Puck's eyes narrowed.

"Don't you da-" He started and then stopped as he saw her throw the cup, and then…nothing. It was empty. He looked at her, confused. She was smirking at the way he had flinched back from her. She stepped so close that she was only an inch away from his face.

"Listen here greaser reject," She begun. "I find out you plan on messing with my Kurt again, you won't just be getting an empty cup thrown at you." Puck's lip curled up. Was he really going to take a threat from a girl? Ridiculous.

"You freaks really ought to learn your place." He said simply, leaning back against the wall again.

"We may be freaks, but at least we're not slapping others around who're probably going to be our bosses someday." That was all she said, it was all she needed to say to strike a knife into his ego. And then, just like that, she left him alone in the corridor. Or so he thought.

"Excuse me." Said a voice from nearby. He recognised her, she was the dopey cheerleader, the one he hadn't gotten with yet – one of the only ones. "Why were you and Quinn kissing?" He faced her with a frown. "I saw you, kissing in the corridor."

"That's none of your business, really, is it?" He asked.

"I guess not," She said. "But I thought you and Finn were friends. Why would you steal his girlfriend?" She asked.

"Listen, you need to keep your mouth shut and don't breathe a word of this to Finn. Do you understand me?" Brittany seemed a bit spaced out, the question brought her back to reality.

"Nope, can you say that again?" He groaned and repeated himself, slowly and patronisingly. She sighed and then nodded. "Now go see Santana or something." He said, waving her off. Her face brightened and she nodded, skipping off.

**Okay, so this chapter is a little shorter but hopefully the action was satisfying. **

**Coming up: Kurt figures out how to hide his injuries from Burt, Puck finds out about the baby, Brittany tells Santana what she knows and Mercedes finally has a moment where she takes her friends (Rachel, Kurt and Tina) out for a surprise to cheer everyone up! All of this in episode (chapter) 5: Baby Daddy. **


	5. Baby Daddy

Kurt nodded to the nurse, thanking her for fixing him up after the unfortunate incident with the football team. Sufficed to say, he didn't have a crush on Finn anymore. He glanced at himself in the mirror and frowned slightly. How on earth was he supposed to hide this from his father? He had a cut lip, black eye and a cut just above his eyebrow. As he pondered these questions Rachel stepped into the room, warily.

"Rachel?" He asked, noticing her distant behaviour, which was unlike her. She looked at him and her mouth hung open when she saw how hurt he was. Slowly she walked closer and put a hand on his cheek.

"Oh, Kurt…" She said softly. He could sense her unease, so he put his hand on hers and smiled.

"I'm OK, don't worry." He comforted her. But she didn't look convinced. "But, I do have to ask something. How can I hide these from my dad?" He asked. She looked surprised.

"Kurt, don't you think you should tell him?" He just shook his head and she sighed. She asked him for his bag. Confused, he passed it to her. She proceeded to pull out a comb, as though she simply knew that he would have one. She then restyled his hair so that the cut above his eyebrow was covered. "Wait here." She ordered and left, returning moments later with her make-up, which she used to hide the black eye. "I don't know what to do for your lip."

"I'll just come up with an excuse. Thanks, Rachel." He said. "You didn't put any eye-liner on me, did you?" He asked, knowing it would make her smile…And because he was curious to know if she had and was joking. True enough, Rachel laughed and shook her head. Smiling, he picked up the mirror. He had to give her credit; aside from the lip he didn't look hurt at all.

"Why're you thanking me? This is my fault." She said miserably, sitting down on one of the chairs. Well, seems the joy that his joke brought had suddenly died of loneliness. He looked at her, puzzled. "I threw that slushie and he did this to you to get revenge." Kurt sighed.

"Don't worry, you couldn't possibly have known. Besides, I think he deserved it anyway. But… There's something different about him than the other players. He wasn't always like this, I think if he hung out with other people more that maybe he wouldn't act like this." Rachel set her jaw and tightened her fists on her skirt.

"He's horrible." She said bitterly. But she did understand what Kurt said, she knew Finn wasn't all bad. But he wasn't helping their arguments right now, not after what he just did. Kurt looked at her and then down momentarily.

Brittany was sat on the sports field outside, she'd been there trying to practice the routine. Her performance quality slowly continued to diminish the longer she kept Quinn's dirty little secret. Santana had also been concerned, but for very different reasons. She'd noticed Brittany acting weird and didn't know what to make of it. Eventually she spotted her sat on the grass outside; tilting her head in confusion she quickened her pace and reached her.

"Britt?" She asked, kneeling down so that they were both equal level. Brittany looked up at her dejectedly. "What's with you lately? You've been acting weird, or more so than usual." She added. Brittany sighed.

"I can't tell you." She said flatly.

"Why not? We tell each other everything." Santana pressed.

"She told me I can't tell anyone because I'd be a bad friend." Was the reply. Santana frowned and started to think up people that her friend could be talking about. She had noticed Quinn acting different recently. She had always been checking her phone, seemed distracted at practice and sometimes blew people off when she had already made arrangements.

"Wait. Is this about Quinn?" She asked, making a wild assumption. Brittany's eyes were alight with surprise and curiosity.

"She told you she's dating Puck behind Finn's back too?" Santana's eyes went so wide that they almost popped right out of her head and rolled away. Quinn and Puck? Ew, gross. Santana wouldn't touch that guy with a barge poll, sure he was pretty badass, but that was really all he seemed to have going for him at the moment. She thought that Quinn had standards.

"No, she didn't. You just told me." She replied back. Brittany's eyes widened this time as she clapped her hands to her mouth. "I won't tell her you told me." Santana quickly assured her with a hug, which was returned. "_Things seem to be getting interesting_," Santana couldn't help but think to herself with a smirk. Looks like she was going to do some snooping.

Later in the day Finn was freaking out in the locker room, hands buried in his hair as he paced the room frantically. How was he going to be a dad? What can he do for a baby at _sixteen? _He's average in school and in Spanish class he cheats off of Brittany, the girl who thinks the square root of four is rainbows. He kicked one of the lockers, putting a nice dent in it.

"Whoa, dude, chill out. Not quite time to go all King Kong, save it for the game." Puck joked as he walked hesitantly into the room. Finn looked up at him. "Hey, why was Fabray crying earlier?" He asked and suddenly Finn was in despair again.

"Dude, if I tell you, it stays between us. Got it?" Puck nodded, looking confused. Well, it was clear now that Finn hadn't realised Quinn had cheated. "Right… Well, uhm… Quinn's pregnant." He said slowly. Puck's eyes widened.

"You tapped that and didn't tell me?" He asked, half joking to cover his own shock. He knew that Finn hadn't done what was required to make a baby with Quinn, because not only had she told him, but Finn had too. Finn didn't even laugh at the joke. Instead he explained what he had been told by Quinn. Puck stared at him. _"Can he really be this stupid?" _Puck couldn't help but wonder to himself. He honestly believes that it's possible to have a baby in that way? Ridiculous. But, of course, if Puck had called him out on that – the finger of blame would point at him. He was not going to let Finn find out the truth. And that's when it hit him… If there was no possible way that Finn was the father, then…Puck was going to be a dad. He wanted to sit down, the shock was immobilising. But first, he had to calm Finn down. "Relax, man, it'll be fine. Nothing will go well if you stress over what's going to happen!" He exclaimed, more for himself than Finn. Finn nodded and tried calming himself down.

"You're right, thanks, man." He said, sitting down. Puck nodded and made a rubbish excuse before leaving the room. He had to find Quinn. And then who should he run into but Santana? She was smirking knowingly. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What is it, Satan?" Puck frowned, not in the mood for the trouble causing Cheerio right now. She kept her smirk.

"Well, if it isn't '_Can't keep it in my pants' _Puckerman." She chuckled, amusement lacing her words in a sadistic way. "So, I heard something interesting recently. About you my home girl Quinn." Puck's eyes narrowed.

"You heard it from Brittany?" He asked.

"I saw you two fooling around," She lied with perfect ease. "I know what cheating looks like; I do it all the time." She shrugged with no shame behind her words.

"And what do you want to keep your mouth shut?" He asked with a groan.

"I'll get back to you on that." She winked and walked off. Rolling his eyes Puck kept moving. Quinn bumped into him, no pun intended, and looked up.

"The baby." He said abruptly. Her eyes widened and she yanked him into an empty classroom. Cursing at him for being so open about it as though it was a conversation that anyone passing by could join in on. "There's no way that baby is Finn's, you've never even had sex!" He exclaimed. "Unless you've got another guy at the side, that baby is mine!" She ignored the insinuation that she may have a third guy and instead focussed on the topic.

"Yes," She said calmly, closing her eyes. "The baby could only be yours. But, I'll tell you this," She said firmly, walking up to him. "This has to end between us. I'm going to keep the baby and Finn will be the father."

"But I'm the father!" He growled, outraged by her decision. "Don't I get a say in this?" She shook her head. "Don't make me take you on the Jeremy Kyle show!"

"Oh, shut up, you idiot!" She hissed, pushing him back. "You really want Finn to find out that his best friend and girlfriend got together? Besides, I love him." He shook his head with a laugh.

"Oh, please. If you can do this to him to begin with then you clearly _don't _know what love is. You might think that you do, but you don't. If you loved him you'd never do this, or you'd at least tell him the truth. What kind of pressures are you putting on him? You going to shout at him when he doesn't make enough money to support the child that isn't his? I can get you the money, and you know that I can. He's tearing himself to pieces right now, freaking out about what he's going to do!" His speech ended with him red in the face with watery eyes that would never shed a single drop. She stared at him with an unreadable expression as silent tears slipped down her flushed cheeks.

"This doesn't concern you anymore." Was all she said. The dead tone cut through his heart, he was so emotionally exhausted and so guilty that he barely had the energy to stop her before she left the room and slammed the door.

After school finished Kurt was not looking forward to going home. He would have to look his father in the eye and lie to him. But he knew he was strong enough to stand up to the people at his school, he knew that their ignorant and horrific behaviour was merely a reflection of their own tortures. At least he didn't take out his misery or pain on anyone else.

"There you are!" Called Mercedes as she ran over with the girls trailing behind. Kurt looked at them. "I'm taking you and the girls out for a surprise." She smiled.

"I think I've had enough surprises for one day." Kurt chuckled. His dry humour was becoming darker by the minute. Mercedes rolled her eyes and linked arms with him.

"All of you, get in my car and let's go."

Later, when they had arrived at their destination, Mercedes climbed out of the car with a huge grin on her face. She had managed to score some tickets to Les Misérables, which was on tour. Grinning and bouncing up and down with excitement, Kurt texted his dad to explain why he'd be home late. They had some amazing seats, sat on the first row of the balcony. They could see every inch of the stage, unlike the poor unfortunate souls who were sat in the box and could only see half.

"I'd be perfect as Éponine, I mean, I look just like her!" Exclaimed Rachel. Tina looked at her.

"Wh-which actress?" She asked. Rachel turned to her, beaming with pride.

"Samantha Barks from the 25th Anniversary concert, west end stage, AND the film that came out two years ago!" Kurt looked at her.

"I don't see the resemblance." He said.

"I could see the resemblance if she had said Madame Thénardier." Mercedes snorted, causing Rachel to choke on the water that she had brought to her seat. Kurt smiled and patted Rachel's back, trying not to let his own muffled laughter escape.

"If you c-could play a p-part, Kurt, who would y-you play?" Tina stuttered. Rachel wondered for a moment why she was stuttering now but not in the face of Mike Chang when she ordered him to help Kurt. But she chose not to question it- it would just ruin the atmosphere.

"I'd love to play Jean Valjean," He smiled, looking over Rachel's back and at Tina. "I practice whenever I get the chance. I've got a strong falsetto and I can hit the A note at the end of the song." He shrugged. Tina looked impressed.

"Well, you'll have to sing it for us at some point, Kurt." Smiled Mercedes. Kurt nodded and when Rachel sat up again he looked at her.

"Maybe you and I could sing 'Defying Gravity' from Wicked sometime?" He asked kindly. He knew that Rachel knew the show like he knew it. She hadn't stopped talking about it when they were trying to get the club to take off. Rachel's face brightened and she hugged him with a squeal. Mercedes, however, glanced at them with a look on her face. What was that sudden irritation combined with pain? Jealousy, perhaps? Her Kurt wanted to sing with that skinny garanimal-wearing-ass-kisser. As she watched them end their hug she heard the music begin to play. She pushed the bitter feelings aside and relaxed in her seat, allowing the powerful orchestra to send her mind on a journey.

**Thank you for all your support everyone, I'm glad this story has gotten such positive feedback. I'm going to work hard to make sure that every update is worth however long it takes to write another chapter. **

**Coming up: Finn struggles to find a job but someone seems to keep finding money in his locker, could it be that someone is trying to help him out? Santana figures out what she wants from Puck in order to keep his dirty little secret, Kurt comes out of the closet – but who too and why? And Burt wonders why Kurt has come home with a cut lip. And lastly, Mike questions Tina on her stutter. All of this in episode (Chapter) 6: Hush. **


	6. Hush

Kurt got home at about 9pm that night. He was so very happy, he couldn't remember that last time he'd had so much fun or felt so… normal around other people. With a smile he unlocked the door to his home and stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind him. He called out to his dad, telling him he was home. He dropped the keys into the small bowl beside the door and walked into the living room. Burt was sat on the sofa in his boxers and white wife beater. He took a swig of beer while watching a repeat of _The Deadliest Catch. _

"Hey, buddy, how was the theatre?" He asked, remembering the text that Kurt had sent him. Kurt smiled happily and put his bag down on the floor.

"It was fantastic!" He beamed. "Although, the costumes did leave something to be desired." He pointed out as an afterthought. Burt chuckled, his eyes still on the screen.

"If you want some extra money to get that shirt you wanted," Burt started, recalling Kurt's begging before school. "I expect you to come work a couple of shifts in the garage tomorrow." Kurt wrinkled his nose a little.

"I have to wear that jumpsuit again?" Burt laughed and nodded. Kurt shrugged and grabbed the latest edition of Vogue from the table and sat down on the sofa beside his dad. For the next few moments the only sounds filling the room was the crashing waves from the TV show, Burt's drinking, and Kurt flicking through his magazine.

"So, how was school?" Burt asked eventually, his eyes still on the screen. Kurt thought briefly about what had happened at school. He'd been beaten up by the football team, before oddly being saved by Mike Chang – under Tina's orders apparently. He still felt a little sore but tried not to focus on that too much. Rachel had covered his injuries with make-up and by adjusting his hair, so he just shrugged.

"It was fine." He replied simply, nothing in his voice implied anything other than what he'd said. Burt turned his head to look at him, it was only then that he became aware of Kurt's cut lip. He put his beer down and gently turned Kurt's head to face him. Kurt looked slightly surprised at the sudden contact. Burt inspected his lip, it looked nasty.

"That doesn't look fine to me. What happened?" He asked and Kurt pulled his head away.

"Nothing. I fell over outside of school and cut my lip, that's all." The excuse was terrible, really. Kurt knew this and cursed himself for not coming up with something better. His dad could tell this too and his frown deepened.

"Kurt." His father said firmly. But Kurt just repeated himself, surprisingly, with a very level tone. It almost sounded like he was being completely honest. There was no-way Burt could learn the truth of what had happened.

"Anyway, I have an essay to do. I'll go do it now and then go to bed after I'm done. Night, dad." He smiled, giving him a small hug before getting up and going downstairs. When he got into his room he closed his door and slowly descended the stairs. He walked over to the mirror and got a wipe to remove the make-up. He almost winced at the way the dark bruise shined over his pale skin, he lifted his hair to reveal the ugly cut – which, thankfully, was healing fast. He started to wonder how he was going to come out. He didn't know how anyone would react, but he knew exactly how the football team would react. But as his mind drifted back to his friends he couldn't help but smile, he was comfortable with who he was. But… as it stands, he's just not confident enough yet… Is he?

Tina was sat on the benches by the football field at school. She was absently listening to the album she had bought at the theatre the night before, a small smile coming to her face. Mike, who had been walking by, saw her and slowly walked up to meet her. He sat down and when she saw him she took her headphones out.

"H-Hey," She stuttered. Mike looked at her as though he was pondering something. He was quiet for a short period of time, debating whether or not to ask the question on his mind. He thought back to what had happened the day previous, when she had demanded that he help that Hummel kid. She hadn't stuttered - in fact, she seemed so passionate and determined.

"Tina, about yesterday," He started and immediately saw her facial expression change. "When the team went after Hummel… You weren't stuttering, you had so much confidence. So, why're you back to stuttering?" He asked. Tina was completely silent.

"My stutter is none of your business." She said simply. He looked at her.

"You didn't stutter then either." He said while staring at her. Her eyes widened slightly and then she stood up. "Tina, wait!" He said, rising to his feet too.

"What do you think we are?" She asked him, suddenly not caring about her stutter anymore. "What do you think you are to me?" Mike stared at her for a moment before shrugging and casting his eyes down.

"I don't know. But, I know we aren't strangers." He said softly.

"Yeah, we're not," She said softly, causing him to look back up at her. Her expression slowly began to change. "We're enemies." She said with a stony glare. "You hurt my friends. Don't worry, I won't say anything about your dancing either." Before he could protest she was gone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He started to walk when he noticed someone.

"Hey, Puck, where're you going?" He asked, noticing said boy rushing towards the school with an envelope in his hands. Puck fired back a 'none of your business!' before entering the school. It didn't take long for Puck to make it to the boys' locker rooms undetected. Using a little trick he'd taught himself he broke into Finn's locker and slipped the envelope in. It couldn't be helped, he owed Finn this much after what he'd done. He caused this situation, he wanted to make sure that Finn didn't have to worry about money and that Quinn and the baby got everything they needed.

"Yeah, _alright, _coach!" Finn groaned. His voice sounded close, Puck cursed under his breath and hid around the corner of the lockers. Finn eventually entered the room and opened his locker. "What the…" He mumbled to himself as he pulled out the envelope. Inside was $100 exactly. To say Finn's eyes had widened was an understatement and Puck had to stifle his laughter. While Finn was distracted Puck fled the room without being seen. Finn couldn't believe it, he'd been struggling to find any offers for jobs, yet here he was, stood with all this money. Who could possibly be giving this to him?

"Well, if it isn't the Lima Loser." Santana smirked as she walked up to Puck with her hands on her hips. Puck groaned and rolled his eyes, coming to a stop in front of her. "So, I know what you can do for me." She told him slowly, enjoying the satisfaction she was getting from ordering him around. He didn't say anything, just waited for her to finally get to the point. "I want to be head cheerleader, so I want you to get Fabray to tell Coach Sue that she doesn't want to be on the top of the pyramid anymore. I'm second head anyway, so I'll get her spot." Puck glared at her.

"Ain't gonna happen, it means a lot to her. She'll kill me if I try and get her to throw away her position." He told her firmly. "We all know how much she loves being in charge." He grumbled under his breath.

"When that bump of hers starts to become noticeable Coach Sue will kick her off the team straight away anyway. Wouldn't want me to leak your dirty little secret, would you?"

"How on earth am I supposed to get her to agree?" He snarled. Santana smiled with mock innocence.

"I don't care, just make it happen. She's got a week." And with that Santana whirled around and turned a corner.

Kurt and Rachel were stood at Kurt's locker, talking animatedly about their favourite Broadway musicals. They had gotten quite close, although, Kurt had to admit that he had to knock her down a couple of notches every now and again. There was only so much of her narcissism he could take. Mercedes watched as the two hugged, she waited until Rachel had skipped away before she approached Kurt herself.

"We gotta talk, white boy," She started. Kurt looked at her and smiled. "What is going on with us?" She demanded to know, causing Kurt's smile to twist into confusion.

"Whoa, crazy, what's wrong?" He chuckled softly. She snapped her fingers and slammed his locker shut.

"Answer me. What are we?" She asked. "We've gotten really close recently, shouldn't we make it official?" He stared at her and furrowed his brow.

"Make what official?" He asked, suspicion lacing his words.

"Us." She said, looking up into his eyes. She noticed a look pass his face which she didn't recognise. "You like someone else don't you? It's Rachel, isn't it?" He didn't know how to react, he was looking everywhere but at her, so she took this as confirmation. "I knew it!" She groaned and pushed him. He was surprised and stumbled back a little but managed to regain his balance. He stared at her. She stared back. Suddenly she felt horrible, Kurt doesn't have many friends and always gets picked on a lot, yet here she was shouting at him and pushing him around. "I'm sorry, Kurt…" She said slowly.

"It's OK." He said, walking back to her.

"I just… I just like you, Kurt." She sighed, putting her back against the lockers. He looked at her and felt a bit bad for her.

"Mercedes," He started and she looked at him. "It wouldn't work anyway…" He started. She looked hurt.

"Why not?" She asked quietly. He thought about it, he thought about what might happen if he told her the truth. Would she look at him in disgust and tell the others? Would he lose his only real friends? But he felt like, somehow, he could trust Mercedes. She was kind and loud-mouthed, but he couldn't imagine her being prejudice against him. But the possibility of rejection scared him deeply, and he could feel the tears build up in his eyes. He looked right at her, leaning closer and lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Because I'm gay." He told her, his voice betraying him and making him sound weak. She stared at him and for a wild moment he thought it was because she was horrified. However, it turned out that she was just curious as to why he hadn't told her. He gave a short laugh, trying to diffuse the situation. "I've never really told anyone before."

"But you should," She pressed and he looked away, making sure no-one could overhear them. "Kurt, this isn't something you should be embarrassed about. I'm your friend, and so are the others, you should tell them." But the prospect of telling the others his secret seemed daunting to him, he wasn't sure how they'd take it.

"I guess I'm just not that confident yet." He said, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. He wiped it away and passed her. Silence fell. Unbeknownst to them, someone was around the corner, having listened to everything. A wicked smirk spread to the person's face and they slunk away.

**Bit of a cliff-hanger there! Who do YOU think was eavesdropping? Take a guess in the reviews section! **

**Coming up: Puck tells Quinn to quit being the head cheerleader, Finn manages to secure a job but hides it from his friends, when confronted about his 'relationship' with Tina – Mike makes a foolish mistake. Lastly, who exactly was it that overheard Mercedes and Kurt? And what will they do with the information gained? All of this coming up in episode (Chapter) 7: Oops. **


	7. Oops

Kurt entered the Lima Bean alone one morning. He had been craving a coffee and some fresh air, so this seemed like the perfect place. He walked up to the counter, not really paying much attention to anything. He had felt a lot better about himself after telling Mercedes that he was gay. He felt like he had someone who he could lean on for support, someone who he could trust and who he knew- now for definite- wouldn't judge him. As he reached the front of the line he didn't hesitate with his order.

"I'll have a Grande non-fat mocha, please." He said simply, going through his wallet to get some money out.

"Kurt?" Said the man behind the counter. Kurt knew that voice, he had hoped he wouldn't be hearing it for a while. He looked up and immediately tensed, but this time it was not with fear, it was with anger.

"Finn." He replied flatly. Then he began to wonder why Finn was here. Then it suddenly dawned on him that Finn was working here. "New job?" He said shortly, his disapproval coming through in his voice, even though he wasn't disapproving of the job. Finn just stared at him. It was odd. Standing there with an apron with the logo on it and some spilt tea staining the colour; he didn't seem like a member of the football team. He didn't seem like the Neanderthal who threw Kurt into the dumpster, who threw urine balloons at him, or ordered the team to beat him up as revenge for being slushied by Rachel.

"Don't tell anyone at school," He urged. "No-one really comes here that much." That was true. No-one hardly ever went there really; they were all too busy at other places. Finn's friends only went there on school nights and mornings, never weekends – which was when Finn worked.

"I'm still waiting on my coffee order." Kurt replied coldly, making absolutely no promises. "You can bring it to my table." He didn't want to stand around at the counter, forced to make light conversation with someone who had bullied him daily, and who still does. Finn sighed and took off his apron, quickly passing it to someone else and asking them to cover for a moment. He followed Kurt to a table and sat down opposite him. Kurt just looked down his nose at him, after his surprised expression had faded.

"Look, man, just don't say anything." Finn said, slouching in his chair. He then took in Kurt's attire. He wore a bright yellow coat that was fastened over a white shirt with a light blue bow tie. "What are you wearing?" He asked bluntly. Kurt raised his eyebrow.

"I don't think you're in any position to talk." He replied.

"You're going to threaten to tell people I work here because I asked what you're wearing?" Kurt shook his head.

"No. I meant you are really in no position to talk, not with the outfit that _you're _wearing." Finn looked at him and then down at his own clothes. It was only a plain blue shirt and jeans. "Those colours are far too similar; you may as well be wearing a jumpsuit." Kurt observed casually. Finn chuckled kind heartedly, as though they were friends. Kurt watched him curiously. Finn seemed so nice and free-spirited; he didn't seem mean or judgemental. So then… why had he treated others so horribly? "I don't understand you. One moment you seem nice and kind. The next it's the opposite." Finn looked at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Kurt drew a sharp breath as he kept his eyes on the boy before him.

"Rachel gave you what you deserved. To get her back you got the whole football team to beat me up." He said with pure hatred in his voice, mingled with pain. He saw a look cross Finn's face. Was it sadness? Guilt? Was he being apologetic with just his eyes? "What did I ever do to you anyway?" He asked.

"I'm sorry," He said quietly. "I guess I never really thought about it." Silence drifted between them. "Y'know, for a short period of time Puck had me convinced that you had a crush on me." Finn chuckled lightly, as though half expecting Kurt to join in the laughter. But Kurt just stared. Was his sexuality so obvious? Or was it just ignorance? "I told them that it wasn't true, and they backed off." Kurt didn't know how to respond. But one thing was for sure, he didn't want to ask how Finn would have reacted if he asked if it would have been such a big deal.

"I think I might take that coffee to go." Kurt said flatly, lowering his eyes to the table. It was true that Kurt no longer had a crush on him, but still, this was incredibly awkward. Finn looked up at him.

"Did… the team do that to you?" At that, Kurt looked up. He had not heard concern in the man's voice, nor had he heard any amusement. Kurt guessed Finn was making reference to his cut lip. Kurt just nodded his head with an unreadable expression. With a sigh Finn got up and went back to the counter, returning moments later. "Here." He put the coffee down on the table. Kurt grabbed the money out of his wallet but Finn held up a hand. "On the house." He told him. Kurt looked at him and a frown slowly came to his face. He was Kurt Hummel, not a charity case; he wouldn't take this small gesture. Not when it was most likely that Finn would probably shake him down at school on Monday for it. He put the money on the table, took his coffee, and left.

When Monday came Puck searched hurriedly for Quinn. He had spent almost the entire weekend coming up with an excuse for Quinn to give up the position of head cheerleader. He hadn't seen her down on the pitch; then again, he hadn't really seen anyone out there. He glanced at Santana and saw her slyly mocking him, gesturing to her wrist with a slim finger. _Tick tock, time's almost up. _He grit his teeth, knowing that she wouldn't tell where Quinn was even if she knew, the girl would take much more pleasure in watching him squirm.

"Hey, Puck, you seen Mike?" Artie asked, falling in step beside him. Puck didn't have time for this; he waved his friend off with a grunt and kept going. He'd deal with stupid questions and problems later. He passed the old choir room and was slightly surprised to see Quinn sat in there, moving boxes. Confused and suddenly feeling a sense of responsibility, Puck rushed into the room and closed the door.

"What're you doing?" He asked, slightly irritated to noticed that Quinn was continuing to lift boxes. He grabbed the one she was carrying and put it down atop the piano with little care. "You're with child; you shouldn't be carrying heavy boxes!" Quinn gave him a look.

"OK, two things. One, those boxes only have a couple pieces of material in them – this room is going to be Coach Sue's new sowing room. And second, I put more effort into cheerleading than this and I'm still OK." Oh great, something to remind him about the real reason he came to find her.

"About that, Quinn," He started and took a deep breath. "I think you should give up being head cheerleader." To say that the girl was horrified would be an understatement, he was almost sure that she'd try and kill him with one of her hair clips that yanked back her hair into a ponytail.

"No way!" She snapped. "This isn't your decision anyway. And if this is about the baby, my uniform will conceal it. Worst case is that I'll look like I had a big lunch, that's all."

"But you're not going to stay that way forever, are you?" He snapped back, heatedly. "What're you going to do? Do flips and tricks when you're six months gone? Don't you think this baby's health and your own is more important than being little miss perfect? Coach Sue, though I'm pretty sure is made from rusty nails and daggers, is not stupid. She'll notice your bump and the signs. Morning sickness, what about that? Do you have to throw up all over the other girls for it to get into your head that you can't hide this?" Quinn just stared at him, startled by his logical outbursts that – as much as she hated to admit it- made sense. But Quinn was stubborn and would do only what she wanted to do.

"I'm sorry, but since when was this any of your concern?" She asked calmly.

"You can spread your bullshit that Finn is the father but we both know the truth." He said hauntingly.

"Being a father, and being a dad are two entirely different things." She said, crossing her arms. Puck's eyes narrowed.

"Believe me; I know that better than anyone." Quinn didn't want to challenge that, she wouldn't. Unknown territory was one thing you never step into blindly. "Look, whether or not you let me be the dad, what I said still stands. If you carry on as head cheerleader you're only going to strain your body." Silence drifted between them, an uncomfortable silence that did not hint to an end.

"I'll think about it." She said softly and turned on her heel, abandoning the job she was there to do.

Mike was sat in the library opposite Tina. She hadn't spoken to him since he questioned her on her supposed stutter. He wasn't sure what he should say, it seemed obvious that a simply apology would not make up for it. But still, he was curious as to why she would even think to fake such a thing.

"Tina, please talk to me," He started. Tina's eyes were glued to the book 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley. "This isn't going to go away by you ignoring me, y'know. We kissed, didn't we?" He whispered the last part. She tensed a little. "Come on. I was asking you because I thought that we were getting to know each other properly."

"I don't trust anyone on the football team." She said quietly but certainly not timidly. He looked startled.

"What? You seemed to trust me before." He stared.

"Artie was nice at first, just like you. Even came to apologise to us, and then he slushied us at Breadstix _and _hurt Kurt." She explained, still without moving her eyes. Mike didn't know what to think. Artie had become come to Tina that night? Did that mean…?

"Do you _like _Artie?" He asked. Tina was silent and did not answer for a while.

"I don't like him at all." She said firmly. Just at that moment Artie stepped up and put a hand on Mike's shoulder, causing him to look up at his grinning friend.

"What're you two doing? You both look cosy." He commented, clearly amused. Mike was surprised at his friend's presence.

"What? Us? Of course not, you honestly think I like spending my time with queen stutter?" He laughed, causing Artie to do the same. But he completely missed the hurt look that spread across Tina's face as she stood up.

"Excuse m-me while I _waltz _out of here th-then." She stuttered and left the room. The comment was cemented in Mike's head. It was all too clear that she was referring to Mike's dancing, the secret she had promised to keep. Of course this pun had gone unnoticed by Artie, and to that Mike was thankful. But his concerns were increased when he realised that, even though she had just left, Mike already missed Tina greatly.

Kurt had managed to go through the whole day with no issues with any of the other students, and he was very thankful for that. He adjusted his blue fedora and strutted to his locker, only to get a shocking surprise. A smear of pink decorated his locker, it seemed as though someone had tried to spell something out but soon realised they had not enough room to write their message. Hesitantly Kurt opened his locker and noticed a piece of paper fall out. The words were typed, eliminating any chances of tracing the handwriting to the perpetrator.

'_Sup, fag? I know your secret.'_

Those were the only words on the paper and they shook him deeply. He had been called a 'fag' before, but this time it was different. The word was now used to describe his sexuality directly, before this nobody had known he was actually gay when they had used that word. But now he felt himself go cold in fear. He looked up and glanced around the crowded corridor, no-one was even glancing at him, he may well be invisible. But clearly he wasn't invisible to the person out there who had written this note. He knew Mercedes would never tell a soul his secret, so he guessed that someone had overheard him. He had many different suspects for who might know his secret, but no way of deciphering who exactly knew the truth.

Santana: The loud and foul-mouthed girl from the Cheerio's, she always made a habit out of implying that Kurt might actually be gay.

Finn: Though Finn clearly has no issues with apologising for his crimes, Kurt does know that he has become too heavily influenced by Puck. Finn had a vague understanding that Kurt had a crush on him before; perhaps Kurt's odd behaviour at the Lima Bean confirmed that?

Karofsky: He was always a violent one, but also quiet. When the team were around Karofsky would just go along with whatever was happening. He was always rude and cruel to Kurt. Maybe it was him?

Puck: He had tormented Kurt since the first day they met, when he had decided that Kurt was the perfect target for the dumpster toss. He had also told Finn that Kurt may have a crush on him.

Azimio: Always at Karofsky's side Azimio was a lot more aggressive and condescending, often it would be him that would target Kurt in the corridors.

Or perhaps it was someone else? Maybe someone who he didn't even know, or a name that he had forgotten at this moment in time? Maybe the person that knew his secret was sat smirking to himself, fully content with the fact that Kurt might not even know them? Or _was _it someone he knew? How could he be sure? Bottom line – he couldn't. As Kurt closed his locker and regained his composure he took a deep breath and walked into a classroom for lesson. But if he had looked back for even a moment, for just a split second, then he would have come face to face with the scum whose goal was to strike fear into his heart.

**So this one took a little longer than the others. I'm so sorry about that everyone! **

**Let's play a little game. Who do YOU think is it that knows Kurt's secret? Is it a name mentioned or someone who ISN'T mentioned? Leave your answer in the reviews section and when the answer is revealed all of those who guessed right will get a special shout out! These little author challenges will happen in certain chapters so keep a look out!**

**Coming up: Someone is playing mind games with Kurt, driving him to become slightly paranoid about those who approach him. Artie confides in Mike about how he felt the night he slushied Tina and the others at Breadstix, Quinn has set her mind on what she wants to do after Puck's advice. And lastly, how does Burt react when Kurt's reasons for coming out to him are done in the fear that someone else may out him first? All of this in the next episode (chapter) 8: Paranoia.**


	8. Paranoia

***** IMPORTANT *****

**For those asking about Finn and Rachel, I'll answer now. Yes Finn and Rachel WILL be together. I have already planned out how they're getting together AND how Finn will find out the truth. But I'm taking my time with the story, just like in the actual show. In the TV series a plot runs on for a while where the audience knows something a character doesn't (dramatic irony). When Rachel and Finn begin to draw closer I WILL tell everyone in the 'Coming up' section at the end of a chapter. **

**Hopefully this satisfies everyone and answers all questions regarding Finn and Rachel. Now, on with the next chapter. Enjoy. **

Kurt came into school the next day feeling very paranoid. He didn't know who it was that knew his secret, and that unnerved him greatly. He still hadn't even told Rachel or Tina. Actually, he hadn't really seen Rachel or Tina since they'd been at the theatre. Pushing his worries to the back of his mind he straightened his tweed blazer and set out in search of his friends.

"Kurt," Said a voice from a nearby classroom. Kurt glanced over to see that it was his Spanish teacher – Mr Schuester. "Can I have a word?" He asked, looking slightly troubled. Confused, Kurt simply nodded and entered the classroom. "I wanted to apologise for something that happened a while ago." He said, sitting on the edge of his desk.

"What're you talking about, Mr Schue?" He asked, putting his messengering bag down on the table behind him. Mr Schue seemed to have the distinct look of someone who had been drinking too much and sleeping too little.

"The other week. You were being thrown into the dumpster by some football players. I was… admittedly, drunk at the time and so I wasn't thinking. Rachel confronted me about it but I've been so busy that I haven't had to chance to come find you." Rachel had confronted Mr Schue about what happened? Wow, he wouldn't have expected it from her for some reason. Looks like there is more to Rachel than he thought, and this brought the smallest of smiles to his face.

"She did, huh?" He asked. "She's a good friend. And it's OK, Mr Schue." He said and stood up again, grabbing his bag.

"Listen, Kurt, I know I don't run the Glee club anymore," He started. Immediately he saw the disappointment on the young boy's face. "But, if you have any problems or anything… You can still talk to me." He finished. Kurt looked at him and nodded.

"Thanks, Mr Schue." He smiled and left the room. He spotted Rachel and walked over, leaning against her locker slightly as she pinned up a picture of herself and her fathers'. "Hey, I just got stopped by Mr Schue-" He started. Rachel immediately turned to him, her eyes wide and full of hope.

"He's going to restart the Glee club?" She exclaimed. The disappointed look on Kurt's face seemed to speak enough. "Sorry," She said softly. "So, uhm, what did Mr Schue want?" Kurt explained what the conversation was about and saw the smile begin to grow back on Rachel's face once again.

"Thank you, Rachel, for having my back." He said. "Y'know, you're not half bad when you're not boasting or being narcissistic." Rachel looked almost offended but by looking at Kurt's expression she could tell that it was a home truth from someone she cared deeply about. The pair shared a hug and Kurt couldn't help but think about Mercedes' words. _I'm your friend and so are the others, you should tell them. _In this moment he would trust Mercedes, Tina and even Rachel with his life. He knew that they would accept him. "Rachel. After school meet me in the auditorium with Mercedes and Tina." Rachel did look very confused but Kurt assured her that he just wanted to tell them something. And, without waiting for her response, he strolled off to his own locker.

"How's it going, Lady Hummel?" Remarked Santana as she passed him with a laugh. Kurt almost halted. Santana hardly ever spoke to him before, so why did she choose now to insult him in that way? He turned his head back but Santana had already disappeared into a crowd of Cheerio's, all of whom were laughing. Were they laughing at him? He couldn't be sure so he kept walking. But, of course, he wasn't paying attention. He ended up walking right into Karofsky and Azimio.

"Watch where you're going, homo." Snarled Karofsky, grabbing Kurt's shirt and slamming him into some nearby lockers. Azimio laughed and high fived his friend as they both walked away. Kurt's back collided painfully with the lockers and he sighed and leaned against them, watching the two leave.

"Wouldn't want to be late for your appointments at Super Cuts!" He shouted at them angrily. The two just laughed and turned a corner. Of course no-one came to his aid, or even reacted to him being thrown against the lockers. It happened every day, so it was nothing new. Suddenly something crossed his mind. _Watch where you're going, homo. _Did Karofsky know the truth? No, it couldn't be him. Karofsky always used homophobic like slurs on anyone he didn't like. Besides, an ape like that wouldn't be clever enough to hide it – if it was Dave then Kurt's secret would have been spread faster than _Jacob_ Ben _Israel_ on a sugar high with a brand new HD camera. He shook his head and walked through the corridors again. He took note of the way Puck and Finn were whispering and occasionally glancing up at Kurt suspiciously. Suddenly self-conscious he quickened his place and kept going. He rushed to his next class only to have Puck and Finn sit behind him.

"Oi, Lance Bass," Puck remarked, forcing Kurt to roll his eyes and glance back at him. "Just curious, you got a crush on my boy Finn?" He was certainly caught off guard, but he noticed Finn groan and roll his eyes. Puck was just messing around… Or was he? Kurt shook his head with a serious expression, because in truth he really didn't have a crush on Finn anymore. Puck just chuckled and sat back in his seat. Kurt was beginning to understand that what he was feeling was paranoia. Who knew his secret? People in the class were whispering and even if it was nothing to do with him, he felt like everyone knew something. As class ended the teacher but a hand on Kurt's shoulder, causing said boy to flinch in shock. He couldn't focus and he simply did not know what he was supposed to do about this situation. What would the mysterious person do with the knowledge they had gathered? As he got out of his lesson he found a note in his bag. Who had…? When had…? He didn't understand how or when this had gotten there without him noticing. He opened it quickly.

_Figured out who I am yet? It was nice seeing you today. _

The sarcasm in the last sentence was so thick and obvious that Kurt could practically hear it in his head, in a generic voice though seen as he had no idea who it was. What really worried him was the fact that whoever it was had already come into contact with him that day – yet he was oblivious to who it was. He couldn't worry about this now; instead he rushed to his next class.

Mike was sat on the bleachers, watching absolutely nothing at all. The Cheerio's weren't out and neither was the football team. He sighed, thinking back to what he had said about Tina. He scolded himself for being such an asshole. Just then Artie plopped down beside him, looking – for once- concerned for his friend. Mike remembered how Tina had briefly described her 'meeting' with Artie the night of the slushies at Breadstix.

"Y'know, Tina told me that you and her got along briefly the night we went to slushie them at Breadstix. What happened?" Artie sighed softly.

"I noticed that everyone on our team was becoming a lot more cruel. Finn used to stop Puck from doing something when things went too far, but recently he's been almost as bad as him. I bumped into Tina on the way to Breadstix and saw the others. Hummel, Jones and Berry were all there. They're actually not that bad. I don't know why I still slushied them, I think I was nervous about what would happen if I refused. We've got reputations, remember? It only takes one of us to destroy another's reputation." He explained slowly. Mike noticed, for the first time, that Artie was not a bad person. He didn't approve of the stuff he did, but he didn't know how to get out of it. Everyone at school was so worried about images that sometimes they didn't want to risk doing the right thing. The prospect was saddening.

"You didn't want to do it? You should have just left if you want to do it. Is that why you've just been going with whatever Puck and Finn say now?" He asked curiously. Artie hesitated and then nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I really liked Tina; I thought she was interesting and different. But in the moment I threw the slushie, I knew I'd made a big mistake. No apology would work, it would just seem fake. She deserves better, that much I could tell. So I made sure not to go in search of her again, because I didn't want to hurt her." Mike just watched him. "I saw you help her when the team went after Kurt on the pitch. So I knew that she was in good hands. That you had the courage to do what I couldn't. You'll protect her, I can tell. I know what I did was wrong, I don't expect forgiveness."

"I'll always protect her. But at the moment she won't talk to me. I totally screwed it up." He groaned and put his head in his hands.

"Just keep trying. Don't let the team know, they might poke fun. Let me know if you need anything." Artie said, patting his friend on the back. He stood up and started to walk away.

"Artie," Mike said, raising his head out of his hands. Artie glanced back. "Thanks." Mike said with a smile.

Quinn had made a decision. She was going to drop being head cheerleader for now. Puck was right; being the head would put way too much strain on her body. She wouldn't tell Sue until the end of the week, she wasn't ready to relinquish her metaphorical crown just yet. She had told this to Puck, who seemed satisfied. Quinn had been complaining to Finn a lot more recently, despite him finally bringing in money to support all the appointments and items for the baby. She still was never satisfied and this was slowly putting a wedge in their relationship. In a wild rage and fit of annoyance Finn retreated to the library for salvation.

"You OK?" Asked a voice, and that was when Finn noticed Rachel. He hadn't spoken to her since she had slushied him.

"If you're gonna throw a slushie at me then save it for later." He hissed. Rachel crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"You have no room to complain after all the things you put my friends and I through," She started. "Besides, I know that even after I told you to not bother us you still allowed my friends to get hurt."

"I tried to stop them but you didn't seem to notice that. So yeah, you pissed me off and that's why I did what I did." He glared at her. Rachel faltered slightly out of guilt.

"Still. It wasn't fair of you to order the team to beat up Kurt." Finn's expression softened at that. He had to admit that it wasn't cool for him to do that. It made him look like a fool and a coward. His silence seemed to prove as an apology. Rachel slowly sat down beside him. "You seem miserable recently, Quinn doesn't seem to happy either." Finn shrugged with a small sigh.

"Trouble in paradise, I guess." He grumbled. Rachel looked at him and he looked back at her. Had Rachel always been this beautiful? "I'm just trying to be the best boyfriend for her but nothing is ever enough."

"I'm sure you are trying your best. She's just hard to please. Maybe you shouldn't try so hard, she should appreciate you for you." She smiled, causing him to smile back. "How about we go watch a movie later? It could take your mind off things." She suggested. Finn suppressed a grin and nodded.

"Sounds good."

Kurt had done it. He stood in the auditorium, holding Mercedes' hand for support. He'd come out to his dear friends and now he watched them. They were smiling and moved forward to hug him tightly. He smiled into the hug. Never before had he felt so accepted and normal. He felt invincible, like nothing could bring him down. He walked home after that, feeling so very happy and satisfied. However, as he sat in his room he noticed something else in his bag. Another note. He felt himself go cold as he slowly unfolded it.

_Faggot. _

His heart dropped at the word. This was beginning to scare him now. What was he going to do about this situation? He didn't want to ask for help, it wasn't how he handled things. He heard his father walking down the stairs to his room. Kurt's injuries had gone down a lot now; they weren't nearly as noticeable as they were before.

"How you doing, buddy?" He asked. Kurt smiled a little at his father in the mirror. "Here's your money that you earned from working in the garage." He said and put the money down on Kurt's table.

"Thanks, dad." He said.

"Hey, no problem, you earned it. And you're good at fixing cars." Burt complemented kindly. "Right, I'll be upstairs if you need me. Don't stay up too late." This was the moment. Burt was walking back to the stairs and Kurt's eyes were glued to the paper he had found in his bag. What would happen if someone called up the shop and bombarded Burt with horrible words about Kurt? He didn't want to be outed; he wanted to tell his dad the truth himself.

"Dad, wait." Kurt started and slowly stood up to face him. Burt noticed the concern in his son's tone, so he turned back. "You're such a great dad and you've done a lot for me, and I'm so grateful. But I don't want to lie anymore," He said softly. He noticed the frown creasing on his dad's face. Was he going to be rejected? "I'm…Gay." An uncomfortable and deafening silence drifted between them.

"I know." Were the words that broke the silence. "I've known since the day you asked for a pair of sensible heels for your birthday." Kurt chuckled quietly, remembering the day clearly. "Look, I'm not going to lie, it's not something I know a lot about but I'll learn. You know why? Because I love you and I've already accepted you, Kurt. Because you're my son." Kurt wanted to smile but he didn't, he was just far too relieved so he moved forward and hugged his dad tightly. "Now, why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me?" Burt asked softly. Kurt was still shaking slightly.

"It's just that… I came out to my friends, and they were amazing about it. But," He took a deep breath and the hug ended. "Someone overheard us, but I don't know who it was. I just didn't want someone to tell you before I had the chance too." He finished, daring to glance up at Burt, who was frowning deeply. Someone was making his son feel like this? He was infuriated. "Dad?"

"You get some sleep, Kurt, I'll see you in the morning." He said and kissed his son's forehead before leaving the room. When he got upstairs he punched the wall in anger. He wouldn't let someone hurt his son in this way. _'Oh, Elizabeth,' _he thought to himself. _'I wish you were still here'. _

**Coming up: Rachel and Finn go out to see a movie and begin to draw closer, after a rough day Kurt's secret tormentor reveals themselves, Tina decides to finally start talking to Mike again and Quinn hits a bump in the road when trying to keep her child a secret. All of this coming up in episode (chapter) 9: Incognito. **


	9. Incognito

**Sorry for the late update, everyone. I actually got finished with this chapter pretty quickly but for some reason every time I tried to download the document I kept getting an error. In the future updates that are late may mostly likely be due to this – just a little warning. **

It was 5pm and Rachel was stood in her bedroom, pacing nervously back and forth. She had torn her wardrobe apart, searching for the perfect outfit that would flatter her – she wanted to look good when she went to meet Finn. Her fathers' had offered her their expertise but their styles were very different. So she called the one person who would be ecstatic to alter her wardrobe. And that was when multiple heavy knocks sounded at her bedroom door. Rachel granted the person permission to enter; she felt the relief wash over her as Kurt Hummel rushed into the room. He was wearing a red, green, white, and black check shirt - with rhinestones on each shoulder with a pair of faded blue jeans.

"I'm here, I'm here," He gasped, dumping his bag on the floor. "Now what was so important that I had to come here in person?"

"I have a date and I cannot decide what I should wear!" She exclaimed. Kurt looked dumbfound and heavily dropped into a small chair behind him.

"Look, I am happy that you realise that dressing as a bait girl from '_To Catch A Predator' _is no longer your desire – but still… You could have told me this instead of making me think that you were knocking on the grim reaper's door." He said with a roll of his eyes. Rachel groaned and ignored the witty comment made on her clothes.

"I have this," She said and plucked an outfit off the floor. "I think this is decent." The outfit consisted of a long baby blue ankle skirt, white blouse with puffy sleeves and a peach coloured cardigan with three buttons. Kurt looked positively repulsed.

"Sure, if you're going on a date with Danny Zuko," Rachel frowned and looked down at the outfit. "But even then I doubt the date would go well." She threw the outfit down and watched as Kurt stood up and ruffled through her clothes. "When is this date?" He asked.

"It's in three hours." She told him dejectedly.

"Three hours?" He exclaimed in horror. "You're not giving me a lot to work with right now, Rachel!" The girl just shrugged in response.

"I just want to find something that will flatter my frame, something that Finn will like." Kurt froze at that and glanced over at her, a dark expression crossed his face.

"Finn?" He echoed, causing her to look up. "_That's _who you're going out with? After everything he did? And when his girlfriend is the head cheerleader?" Rachel did feel a little bit bad by his response. She had forgotten that Finn had caused Kurt so much pain and subjected him, and the others, too much humiliation. But somehow she felt that there was something about Finn that was different. She could see that Quinn didn't treat him well and that all of his friends, or as far as she was concerned, were cruel people. Maybe if he had someone who could be a positive influence then he wouldn't do such horrible things. Maybe he could even learn to become friends with Tina, Mercedes and Kurt? But she had to admit; his bad boy attitude was ever so slightly tempting and came with an alluring quality that was like ecstasy.

"He's not so bad, Kurt, maybe all he needs is someone to get him on the right path." But she knew this statement was only minor. She saw his expression turn hard as his head turned away. She thought she had even spotted the look of betrayal in his eyes.

"Do you like him?" He asked her steadily, his expression and tone entirely unreadable – it was disconcerting. Rachel paused before nodding her head slowly and looking down. "Well, in that case, you'll want to go with something that shows off your optimistic side while also maintaining some dignity and maturity." He started. _She's been so kind to me, who am I to stop her from being happy? _He thought to himself as he crossed the room and picked up items of clothing from various brands.

"You're not mad?" She asked, watching him carefully.

"Of course not. But if something happens, just call me, Ok?" The pair smiled. He handed her an outfit and asked her to go change. When she came out Kurt couldn't help but feel he deserved an award. Rachel had previously owned a three quarter length sleeved red shirt with a simple V-neck, this she now wore with a pair of black skinny jeans. To complete the look she had been given a white and black blazer made out of 91% polyester, giving her enough freedom to stretch and move comfortably. Kurt smiled and brought her to the mirror. She looked beautiful, youthful, elegant and sexy – without even revealing too much skin. It was the perfect outfit for her. Trusting her, somewhat, to come up with her own accessories and hairstyle he simply hugged her and left.

That very same evening Rachel was sat watching the trailers for upcoming films roll by on the large screen before her. Finn returned to her side with popcorn and a smile, which she kindly returned. As a surprise, Rachel had not told Finn what their chosen film was. She took in his attire and was pleased to realise he had made a distinct effort. He wore a white shirt and loose black tie with a black pair of trousers, though he still wore his casual jacket.

"You look beautiful," He complimented her, delightfully surprised by her slight change in attire. It was like he was seeing her for the first time. "This look really suits you." She beamed at him and accepted his compliment.

"I'm sorry for the slushie," She started after a few moments. "I honestly thought you were trying to hurt my friends, I didn't know you were trying to help them." He waved his hand, seemingly uncaring about something of which he appeared to have gotten over long ago.

"I saw a video of you online last night," He started as another pointless trailer about car insurance rolled past the screen. "You were singing a song from Funny Girl, I think it was. My mum loves that show, dragged me to see it a couple of years back – an amateur performance group put it together." Rachel's eyes glazed over with invisible stars.

"Funny Girl is amazing; I am destined to be the next Fanny!" She said dreamily. But Finn, of whom had slept through almost the entire production, stared at her.

"You're… destined to be the next what?" He asked uncertainly, wondering if he heard her correctly. She looked back at him, astonished that he clearly either hadn't been paying attention to her or the show.

"The female lead!" She exclaimed. Finn nodded in acknowledgement.

"Anyway, you sound pretty good. I hope it all works out for you." He said simply with a small smile in her direction. Rachel stuck her nose up with self-pride.

"Oh, it will. My talent cannot possibly go to waste. I simply shine too bright." And with that, Finn didn't know what else to say. For the next few moments they laughed and joked about anything and everything they could think of. And during this Finn began to realise just how 'starry-eyed' Rachel really was. He was transfixed by her shining eyes that he leaned in and kissed her passionately. The kiss lasted until they were both breathless; Rachel hugged him to her and glanced at the screen as the title of the film came on.

_'It's complicated.'_

She giggled. It certainly was.

The next day Tina realised that she couldn't avoid Mike forever, she needed to come to an understanding with him. Besides, she couldn't describe this feeling inside of her any other way, she was attracted to him. She got to school early and walked, hopefully, to the dance room. Sure enough, there was Mike dancing to the same solo that he had been dancing too when they had first kissed. Slowly and quietly she opened the door and stepped inside, this time he didn't freak out, he just stopped and paused the music.

"Tina…" She nodded and offered a sheepish smile. "Listen, I wanted to apologise. What I said was stupid, of course I like hanging out with you." She could tell he was struggling to find the right words; he was clumsily trying to string sentences together in an attempt to seem considerate. It was nice. He was trying.

"It's OK," She said with a soft laugh. "I forgive you. And I'm sorry too; I've been acting off with you ever since you asked me about my stutter." Mike nodded only slightly and walked over to her, taking her hands and leading her to the centre of the room.

"I wasn't going to make fun of you for your stutter. I just… I wondered why it was so easy for you to talk without a stutter around me." Tina hesitated and glanced down. "I won't say anything, I promise." There was honesty in his voice, a soft kindness that seemed to be reserved for only her. She debated the prospect of telling him the truth silently in her head. She wanted to open up and tell her friends that her stutter was fake, but seeing how they had their own problems to deal with she wouldn't tell them now. Rachel seemed to be struggling with her attractions for someone else, not that Tina knew who this was. Kurt was dealing with his bullying, and Mercedes… Well, in all honesty, Tina did not know that much about her. She made a mental note to ask her to hang out sometime.

"I don't have a stutter," She said before she had even realised. Mike stared at her, his expression unreadable. "I was really shy, so I decided that having a stutter would make people leave me alone. I still am a little shy, but not so much since I became friends with Rachel, Mercedes and Kurt."

"You faked it?" He asked. She nodded. "Do your friends know?" She simply shook her head and looked down. "Y'know, it's OK. You were insecure, but now you've found the courage you've been lacking. If you hadn't, there's no way you'd tell me something like this." He was a little outraged that the stutter was fake, it was a big secret to keep, and many people do actually have stutters that they can't help. But she had clearly been uncomfortable.

"It's not like the whole of it was a lie," She started. "Sometimes when I was really shy or scared I would end up stuttering without noticing. But it's become less frequent." She explained. Mike didn't need to hear anymore, he simply pulled her in for a hug and held her. He felt honoured that she would tell him such a powerful secret. He was also relieved that Tina was finally speaking to him again.

During her last cheerio's rehearsal as head cheerleader, Quinn was feeling vastly uneasy. While she was stood on the hands of one of the other girls she could feel her legs wobbling. She forced a plastic, Barbie doll smile on her face until Coach Sue blew her whistle and screamed at them for their obvious lack of practice and dedication. She had done approximately ten back flips and five splits in the same three minute routine. As the positions were dropped and the girls moved to gather around the coach, Quinn sprinted from the pitch. Santana, who had been watching the head cheerleader intently, smirked to herself and excused herself – claiming she was going to go drag the girl back by her ponytail. Reaching the girls bathroom she raised an eyebrow at the sight of Rachel and Mercedes fussing over a boy in a silver suit.

"Uh, this is the _girls' _bathroom," She started. The girls and Kurt looked over. His immaculate suit seemed to resemble tin foil, in Santana's not-so-professional opinion. She vaguely wondered how an outfit like that could possibly be comfortable. "Oh, it's Jimmy Fallon's butch daughter, my mistake. Although with that outfit I'm pretty sure Fallon wouldn't appreciate the gaga look you've got goin' on, Lady Lips." He frowned and so, she took in his appearance more. His outfit turned out to be not so immaculate as Santana had thought. He was drenched, chest up, in a light blue slushie. Her smirk just grew.

"Ya know what? How about you get your skinny arse out of our faces." Mercedes snapped, causing Santana to laugh.

"Let's just go," Mumbled Rachel as she finished clearing Kurt's face of the slushie. "We're done anyway." The three scurried out of the room just in time for Santana to hear a violent retch coming from one of the locked stalls. She walked closer and listened to the gasps coming from the girl on the other side of the door. Glancing down underneath said door, Sanatana saw the uniform of a blonde haired Cheerio.

"You doing OK in there, tubbers?" She sneered. Silence.

"Wh-what did you just call me?" Quinn had intended for her question to come out venomously, and so was disappointed when her voice shook weakly.

"Save it, sister, I know you've got a bastard baking in your lady oven." Santana said with a roll of her eyes. A couple of minutes later Quinn emerged from the stall, pale and nervous.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"You've been fooling around, Fabray. Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything. I just wanted to see that scared look on your face." Quinn opened her mouth to speak but Santana had already left the room with a humourless laugh.

It was a really bad day for Kurt. Not only had he been tossed into the dumpster, shoved into lockers, been slushied and insulted by unknown individuals - but he had also received more notes from his secret tormentor. He was still no closer to discovering the truth and he still hadn't told any of his friends. He walked to his locker and took off his silver suit jacket and shoved it inside his locker. Underneath he was wearing a ruffled white shirt with a brown bolo tie. Dejectedly he pulled out the notes from his bag, he'd gotten three in total in just one day.

_Watch your back, Hummel._

_I saw you get thrown in the dumpster today, maybe now you know your place?_

_I'm coming for you. _

The last note had terrified him. It wasn't the oncoming danger that scared him anymore, it was the fact that he didn't know who it was that was bringing that danger. Every bully at the school had different limits when it came to bullying. Finn would never bully a girl, Puck would never hit a girl, Mike would never physically hit or beat someone up, and Artie would never take advantage of someone who was vulnerable in order to get what he wanted. But these notes were unnerving. He placed the notes in his locker and closed the door. Just as he did that he instantly regretted it. Two heavy hands grabbed his shirt from behind, pulling him away from his locker, and then slamming him – face first – back into the lockers again. Thankfully Kurt had managed to turn his head to the side, protecting his face from a metal collision. Not a second after this the person grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, the hands moved to form fists in the front of Kurt's shirt. He was held still by rough hands.

"Hey, fag, did you get my notes?" The cruel voice hissed. Kurt opened his eyes and realised his tormentor was dreadfully close to his face. "If so, and you read my last note, I've come to teach you a lesson." The voice was dangerous and the anger was practically pouring from his eyes. Kurt had never been more scared or mortified than he was right now. A cruel laugh sounded as Kurt's mouth slowly opened, whispering the name of his attacker.

"… K-Karofsky?" He swallowed hard when said football player slammed his meaty fist into the locker beside Kurt's head.

**So there you have it. Dave Karofsky was the secret tormentor. Thank you to all those who tried to guess. Don't worry, there will be more little author challenges coming up! **

**Coming up: Quinn is confronted by an enraged Sue, who question her on her shocking performances in practice. Finn and Rachel sneak around Quinn's back, which is noticed by Puck. Tina confides in Mercedes. And lastly, Kurt's world is turned upside down as Karofsky makes it his mission to make Kurt's life a living hell. All of this coming up in episode (Chapter) 10: Stealth. **


	10. Stealth

**Note: These chapters are written quite quickly because I don't have very much time to write them sometimes. Therefore, there WILL be little mistake here and then that I will go back and correct when able too. Any mistakes are not my inability to write, but my Literature course at College is really demanding my time right now - which, as I've said, is the reason why a lot of these chapters are written and updated before they are checked over thoroughly. Thank you. **

The desolate corridors were daunting. He had never actually been alone with one of his bullies before, usually other people were around. This rare occurrence was concerning, and he wasn't sure what was going to happen. School was over, so everyone had either gone home or to their extracurricular clubs, or study sessions. To think, if they had enough people, then he would be on his way to the former choir room right now. He found it disappointing that the club could only exist if it could compete for the school. Evidently the school didn't care about letting kids express themselves without the motivation for a competition.

"You listening?" Snarled Karofsky, his face uncomfortably close to Kurt's. Kurt wrinkled his nose. There was no way Kurt was going to be a victim. _'Don't let anyone put you down, Kurt,' _His dad had once told him. _'You matter, Kurt, you don't deserve to be treated any less than human.' _

"How can I not?" Kurt remarked. He began to rebuild his mask, to cover up any trace of fear or hurt. He let his icy façade take over his expression entirely. "I do believe people overseas can hear you, and smell your odorous breath." Kurt watched in satisfaction as Karofsky's ears burned bright red at the insult. He tightened his grip on the smaller boy's shirt, and was rewarded with a small wince.

"You honestly think it's a good idea to insult me when I know your secret, homo?" He snarled. Kurt paused for a moment. He had entirely forgotten that Karofsky's notes were warnings that he knew that Kurt was gay. He started to contemplate the prospect of his secret getting out. What harm would it really cause? His father and friends knew and accepted him; did he really want the approval of nameless people of whom he'd forget the faces of after passing them in a crowded corridor? Then again, he thought about the bullying. This was Ohio, it wasn't exactly accepting. If this got out the bullying would get worse, testing Kurt's strength even further. But he was sure he could handle it, after all, could things really get worse than they were now? "But then again, maybe people have already noticed. I mean, look at what you're wearing today." Kurt raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"Been staring at me, have you?" He asked. "Sorry, Dave, but you're not really my type." There was a moment, a very brief moment, when Karofsky hesitated. Kurt never thought anything of it, because seconds later he found himself face down on the floor. He barely had enough time to get up before Karofsky grabbed his arm and hauled him back to his feet again. Once achieved, Kurt felt a hand roughly grab the back of his neck, he knew that it was better not to resist. Moments later Kurt had been led into the changing rooms. Why was he here, of all places? Karofsky kept walking, a smirk growing on in his face. Kurt would be lying if he said he wasn't concerned. Soon Kurt was shoved down onto the floor again. Was there a point to all this? Of course there was. Seconds later a shower blasted to life above him, turning his white shirt transparent – it clung to his skin as his body began to shake from the freezing water. Karofsky laughed loudly as he watched. Kurt felt miserable. He was cold, tired and so sick of being treated like this. He didn't want to worry his dad with this; he didn't want to disappoint him, not after seeing Burt's reaction to the knowledge that another student at the school knew that Kurt was gay.

"Enjoying yourself, homo?" Karofsky spoke through his laughter. Kurt kept his head down, trying to stop more water from going into his eyes. Karofsky was so busy laughing that he didn't bother to keep an eye on Kurt – who reached up and fumbled with the dials, eventually turning off the shower. Hearing the water stop, Karofsky looked up. Kurt sighed softly, wrapping his arms around himself, shivering. Karofsky bit his lip, noticing just how transparent Kurt's shirt had become; letting his eyes trail over the younger boy, whose shirt clung to him like a second skin. Kurt let out a sharp, shuddering breath that brought Karofsky back to reality. He let the smirk re-emerge on his face.

"Wh-what is your problem?" Kurt shivered, raising his head slightly.

"You're my problem, queer." The gorilla-like football player retorted.

"So I'm gay, so what? It has nothing to do with you." Kurt replied bravely, locking eyes with his not-so-secret tormentor. Karofsky wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"For your sake, you better hope that the rest of the school thinks that way too." He said smugly, squaring his shoulders. Kurt didn't say anything; they both knew that other kids in the school would not be accepting – apart from his friends, of course. The gorilla chuckled darkly. "Exactly." Karofsky started walking to the door, when a soft voice sounded from behind.

"Are you going to out me?" The voice was so soft and quiet that for a moment, the tone did make Karofsky feel a little bad. He wouldn't like it if he was ever outed, so he had no reason to out Kurt. He had no intention of telling the school about Kurt, but of course, he wanted to make the boy sweat.

"What do you think, Hummel?" He chuckled. _'I might be a jerk, but I'm not going to out you.' _He wanted to say, but didn't. Silence took over the room, and Kurt began to feel faint.

Rachel and Finn giggled and chuckled softly as they ran, hand in hand, through the corridors of _McKinley_. They went into one of the empty classrooms, that wasn't being used by any clubs or teachers, and Rachel got Finn to sit down on one of the tables. She told him that she had a song she wanted him to listen too. Slightly caught off guard Finn nodded, but then remembered the video he'd seen online of her singing. He loved her voice.

You're on the phone with your girlfriend—she's upset,

_She's going off about something that you said_

_'Cause she doesn't get your humour like I do._

_I'm in the room; it's a typical Tuesday night._

_I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like._

_And she'll never know your story like I do._

Finn watched her calmly, smiling softly at her amazing voice. He knew that she was putting genuine emotion into the lyrics. He knew this was about him, Quinn and Rachel herself. But at this point, he didn't know what to say.

_But she wears short skirts_

_I wear T-shirts_

_She's cheer captain_

_And I'm on the bleachers_

_Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find_

_That what you've been looking for, has been here the whole time._

Finn let his eyes wonder over Rachel's attire. He could tell that she had gone back to the style she seemed comfortable with. Admittedly, she did dress like an age confused diva, but somehow she made it work. She was wearing a white T-shirt with three pink fiddly buttons, as well as a matching white skirt with a small frill at the hem. Rachel looked sexy in her own way, it was different from Quinn, but still sexy.

_If you could see_

_That I'm the one_

_Who understands you._

_Been here all along._

_So, why can't you see—?_

_You belong with me,_

_You belong with me?_

_Walk in the streets with you in your worn out jeans_

_I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be._

_Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself,_

_"Hey, isn't this easy?"_

Finn's smile only continued to grow. This _was _easy! He felt like he could relax around Rachel, he didn't have to worry about little things setting her off. She wasn't here to shout at him, she was here to smile when he smiled and laugh when he laughed. Quinn was being sent to the back of his mind. He was actually enjoying himself.

_And you've got a smile_

_That can light up this whole town._

_I haven't seen it in awhile_

_Since she brought you down._

_You say you're fine—I know you better than that._

_Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?_

That was a good point. If Quinn treated him so badly, why _was _he even with her? Was it to maintain his reputation at the most popular guy in school? By continuing to date the head cheerleader? No. He loved Quinn; Quinn is the mother of his kid. He had to wonder, though… Would it be easier for him to leave her if Quinn wasn't pregnant? The thought seemed to trouble him when he realised that even he didn't know the answer. Rachel sang her way through the remainder of the song.

_You belong with me_

When she finished Finn didn't have time to think about what he was doing. He rose to his feet and clapped loudly, an instinctive response he usually gave when he heard an amazing voice singing in his presence. Rachel blushed very faintly and gave a mock curtsey in response, leaving Finn looking slightly embarrassed about the fact that he had actually responses so enthusiastically. Rachel didn't mind, she stepped closer and put her hand to the back of Finn's neck. Gently she touched her lips to his. He responded by kissing back deeply, wrapping one arm around her waist while his other hand rested on the girl's head. It was a beautiful moment. Maybe that was a reason why Puck had walked away after witnessing it. He suppressed a smirk when he realised that he could have Quinn for himself. He would get her to spend time with him. It was a toxic relationship, really. Finn goes and kisses another girl while he believes that his girlfriend is pregnant with his child, but in reality, his girlfriend has been cheating on him and lying to him about the identity of the father.

Quinn sat awkwardly in a chair in Coach Sylvester's room. Sue was livid, to say the least. Her head cheerleader had really been slacking off lately. There was no place for slackers on the Cheerio's. She had warned Quinn before that if this continued she would be pushed to the bottom of the pyramid – leaving Santana to fill the position of head cheerleader. Quinn knew she was about to lose her position, but she wore a cold mask of determination, shielding her devastation of what was inevitable.

"Really, Q, what has gotten into you recently? You're slacking off, you're screaming at everyone more, and you're throwing up after almost every rehearsal. I mean, once or twice is expected, but not this much." Sue sighed, disappointed and slightly irritated. Quinn said nothing at all. She couldn't justify anything without revealing the truth, which would get her kicked off the team altogether. Sue slammed her hand down on the desk, causing Quinn to flinch but nothing more. With a groan of irritation Sue sat in her chair and straightened her back. "I hate to do this, Quinn, but you're no longer my head cheerleader. Santana will take over from you, and you will take to the bottom of the pyramid. Now get the hell out of my office." Quinn didn't need telling twice. She opened the door and left. She leaned back against the door, eyes shining with tears that she would never shed. Dejectedly she made her way back to the field.

Will Schuester stepped into the changing rooms, in search of Coach Tanaka. He needed to speak to him about one of his students, who had refused to hand in an essay under the excuse of extensive football practices. He called out for the coach but heard no response. He moved silently through the changing rooms before he heard the faint sounds of droplets of water smacking the floor. Someone had been using the shower recently, which probably meant that someone was still around. Will called out again but no-one seemed to answer him. Just as he was about to leave he heard someone give a shuddering breath. _Huh? _He turned and walked back to the showers. This was when he saw the body of a young boy, his clothes drenched, leaving them stuck to the boy's frame like a second skin. He walked closer and kneeled down on the wet floor, not caring if his trousers got wet. The boy was shaking and shivering but making no effort to get him. The boy held his body tightly, as though it may fall to pieces if he dared let go.

"Kurt?" Will whispered softly, causing the boy to look up. He reached a hand to the boy, letting it rest on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt avoided eye contact, his eyes were cast down in self-disappointment. "Who did this to you?" He knew there was no conceivable way that Kurt, or anyone for that matter, would do this to themselves. But Kurt shook his head and refused to speak. "Kurt…" He started again, but was cut off.

"I'm fine," He insisted. Will watched him sympathetically as he helped him stand. He noticed Kurt flinched ever so slightly at the touch. "I, uhm, hate to ask… But do you think I could borrow one of the school's jackets?" He asked shakily. Will's eyes were filled with concern. He nodded and grabbed a gym jacket from the supply closet. He was going to help Kurt put it on carefully, but the boy refused and put it on himself.

"Would you like me to call your dad?" He noticed the boy's eyes go wide. He shook his head.

"No, no, it's fine. I don't want to worry him over something like this." He explained, tugging the jacket around him tightly.

"But, Kurt-"

"Please, Mr Schue," He pressed, pleading with his eyes. Will sighed and nodded. "Thank you." Will watched as Kurt trudged out of the room, his shoes squishing with every step. He was going to come out. And the next day, he did.

That evening Mercedes received a call from Tina. She listened patiently as Tina explained that her stutter was fake, she explained herself completely. Mercedes didn't interject or shout at Tina, like the girl had expected. Instead she smiled to herself and spoke kindly to her friend.

"It's okay, girl, don't worry about it. The fact that you can tell me means you trust me, I'd suck as a friend if I went against you after you told me this." She could practically see Tina's shoulders lift, the concern and guilt flying off her shoulders.

"You're awesome, 'Cedes," Tina commented with a gentle laugh. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it," Mercedes laughed too. "By the way, you want to hang out tomorrow? I need a little girl time and while Rachel is lovely and all… I do need a break from her every once in a while."

"I know what you mean," Tina replied with a heavy sigh. "And sure, what should we do?"

"Come over to my place after school tomorrow, I'm sure we can think of something."

The girls both hung up their phones with smiles on their faces. The next morning all hell broke loose. No-one expected Kurt to come out of the closet to everyone at school. The news had spread like wildfire. Tina caught Mercedes' eye across the corridor. She hurried over to her. They both knew that they'd have to keep an eye on Kurt, who was now hugging Rachel at her locker. But Kurt wasn't sad, he was actually smiling and laughing with his friend.

"He seems fine." Commented Tina. Mercedes shook her head.

"Something really doesn't feel right," She started. "Something is wrong." And she was right.

**Coming up: Karofsky confronts Kurt about why he came out, Burt receives multiple nasty calls – causing his health to be tested, Rachel and the girls become concerned for Kurt, Santana is enjoying her reign as head cheerleader and Finn becomes irritated that Rachel is paying more attention to her friend Kurt than too him. All of this coming up in episode (chapter) 11: Out! **


	11. Out!

**Note: These chapters are written quite quickly because I don't have very much time to write them sometimes. Therefore, there WILL be little mistake here and there that I will go back and correct when able too. Any mistakes are not my inability to write, but my Literature course at College is really demanding my time right now - which, as I've said, is the reason why a lot of these chapters are written and updated before they are checked over thoroughly. Thank you.**

'_I made the right choice.'_ Kurt knew that he did not regret his decision to come out of the closet. Besides, as far as he was concerned, Karofsky would tell people anyway – or even if he didn't, he'd still get a kick out of pretending he would. He strolled confidently out of the front doors of the school, planning to put some of his books in his car so he didn't have to go to his locker at the end of the day to get them. However, on his way, someone grabbed his arm and tugged him around the corner of the building. Panic coursed through his veins, but before the shock could overcome him, he regained his icy mask of superiority. It was Karofsky, of course. He tugged his arm away sharply and glared at him, so much so that the football player looked taken aback. This was only brief though.

"What do you want?" Kurt was proud of how calm his voice sounded. "Because in all honesty, I have better things I could be doing right now." The acceptance from his friends and father had made Kurt's metaphorical armour stronger, harder to break. And with this, he raised his head just a little higher.

"Why did you suddenly come out?" Karofsky tried to sound intimidating, but his voice could not hide the genuine curiosity. Kurt cocked an eyebrow, studying him carefully.

"Why do you care?" He asked shortly.

"Did you think I was going to out you?" He questioned. "Is that why you did it?" Kurt pursed his lips. He really didn't want to have this conversation with someone like Karofsky, someone who would repeatedly throw homophobic slurs around like a kid would with toys he did not want. Someone who, the day previous, had thrown him into a freezing cold shower, ambiguous in answering Kurt's questions.

"For your information, I came out because I already had done so to my father and friends. So I didn't _need _approval from anyone else." Satisfied, he crossed his arms, awaiting a response. For a moment there was a flicker in Karofsky's eyes. Concern? Fear? Some secret was swimming in the boy's mind; Kurt could practically see the cogs turning in his head. Probably trying to swat away the gathering dust in his brain, Kurt mused. And then it changed. Karofsky's face tilted up with a sneer, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"You actually have _friends?_" He laughed. Oh, how very original. That had to be one of the worst attempts at making him feel bad ever.

"Oh, ouch," Kurt mocked sarcastically, dramatically holding a hand over his heart. "Wounded me deeply. Did you have to use the oldest insult in the book? I know you're an imbecile, but really, David?" The football player's face flushed bright red in embarrassment. Who did this kid think he was, talking to him like this?

"Don't say my name with that girlie voice of yours!" He snarled. Kurt rolled his eyes. Karofsky, clearly having no decent comeback, simply shoved Kurt to the floor and disappeared around the corner. Kurt sighed and shook his head. But he wasn't upset, oh no. He was proud that he managed to stand up for himself. Maybe it was a good idea to open up to people more, because when he faced Karofsky – admittedly he did feel intimidated – but his insults just seemed to roll off his back. His insults meant nothing. And Kurt smiled as he gathered his bag.

**0000**

Santana grinned as the Cheerio's finished their most recent rehearsal. As usual, she let the insults from Sue roll right off her back. Brittany ran over with a bright smile, like usual. She wrapped her arms around Santana in a tight embrace, giggling softly into her ear. The smile was contagious. As the hug ended, Brittany glanced behind her. Slowly she turned back to Sanatana.

"What's wrong?" She asked her gently. Brittany raised her eyes to her.

"Quinn seems really sad; maybe she didn't eat enough carrots this morning." The last half of Brittany's comment was left unanswered as Santana watched the ex-head cheerleader. Quinn was sweating, more so than usually expected at these rehearsals. Sanatana couldn't help the slight concern building up inside her. She really didn't think that Quinn should be on the team, but this was mainly because she was concerned for the girl's health. Brittany suddenly tugged at Santana's hand, averting her attention.

"Talk to her?" Brittany asked, batting her eyelashes playfully. She leaned in close to her. "And I'll give you a kiss." Santana almost gave in, but remembered that they weren't in private. She quickly tore her hand away and took a step back from the stunned blonde girl.

"How many times have I told you?" She hissed in a whisper. "Not in public!" Hurt passed through the girl's eyes. She was really starting to find this difficult and confusing. Santana would never confirm that they were a couple, despite them making out most nights. But then Santana would be hurt if Brittany seemed to be attracted to someone else. "Anyway, Fabray will be fine. Meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy dancing in the spotlight." With a small smirk, Santana walked away. Sighing softly Brittany walked over to Quinn, who seemed ready to drop and fall asleep. Quinn hadn't been very nice to Brittany since the incident in the corridor with Puck. But Brittany didn't care, because she didn't know that she was being treated differently. She thought that perhaps she had gotten confused; she thought that Quinn was giving her a friendly warning. All Brittany needed to do was wrap her arms around Quinn and rub her back softly. The former head cheerleader hugged her back thoughtlessly and began whimpering. Exhausted, broken, nervous, and guilty. Those words described Quinn's current mind frame perfectly.

**0000**

The school had not taken too kindly to Kurt coming out. Though Kurt was adamant that he was proud of who he was and that he did not need approval from anyone else – it didn't stop the rest of the school from making their views on the matter clear. It was odd. Something so personal, something that made him who he is, was suddenly like a political debate. What was the point of that? It seemed so stupid. Why should other people care about something that is personal to him? He was different because society told him he was. But he believed he was different because he _could _make a difference, not because he loved the same sex as his own. His friends had taken it upon themselves to follow him around all day – not letting him out of their sight for even a second… apart from bathroom breaks.

"Rachel, you seriously don't have to follow me around like a lost lamb." He told her, the annoyance clear in his voice as he put his books in his locker. Rachel defiantly put her hands on her hips.

"I'm on 'Hummel watch', can't have my best gay complaining that his new Marc Jacobs jacket is all ruined!" Kurt chuckled softly.

"Best gay?" He questioned.

"Well, aside from my gay dads." She said with a wave of her hand.

"By the way, this isn't Marc Jacobs." He replied, not taking his eyes off his locker. Rachel blinked. "That got ruined last week. That jacket cost more than your entire outfit." Rachel's mouth hung open in mild shock at the rude comment, but she knew there was no venom in his voice. Then again… She never did remember what that jacket was worth, but she did know it was more than $100.

"Mock me if you will, but I'm staying." There was amusement in her voice. Kurt smiled softly and finally looked at her. His smile had reached his eyes, and this made Rachel happier too.

"Thanks, Rachel." Rachel gave a proud nod and linked arms with him once he'd gotten his books in his locker. They walked through the corridor like that; the students parted like the red sea and frowned at them as they past.

"Head up." Rachel whispered gently. But Kurt was already doing so. He didn't care what anyone else thought about him, their ignorant hate wouldn't change who he was, he wasn't even going to give them the satisfaction of watching him squirm. After a few moments Kurt and Rachel froze as Puck and Karofsky appeared in front of them, blocking their way. Rachel tugged Kurt's arm, attempting to walk back the way they came… But Karofsky had already rounded them and blocked off their exit.

"Get out of here, Berry, we don't hit girls." Puck said casually. "Though at the moment, I can't tell which one is the girl."

"Then you need your eyes testing, Puckerman. If you can't tell, then why did you tell me to go away? You're contradicting yourself." She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, just get lost." Karofsky snarled from behind them. Kurt was starting to get concerned, he didn't want anything to happen to her, and he knew that if they didn't hurt Rachel then they'd at least restrain her like they tried to do to Tina. He felt Rachel's hold tighten on his arm defiantly.

"No way, why would I leave Kurt alone with you homophobes?" She glared pointedly at Karofsky. For a moment there was a look in Dave's eyes, but it was hard to guess what it was. The tension was thick, the small amount of students that had been around had scurried off to get away from the scene.

"Rachel, I'll be fine, just go." He said, looking down at her, the concern pouring from his eyes. She then directed her gaze up at him. He was surprised. Perhaps she'd been taking a leaf out of his book, adopting an 'ice-queen' expression to alert others to her anger or irritation. He was impressed.

"Don't be stupid!" She exclaimed.

"Oi!" Shouted a voice from behind Puck. He turned around, confused at the sudden exclamation, only to be bitch slapped by a purple ice berg. He gasped and was left standing stock still. The same thing happened to Karofsky but in blue. Without thinking, Rachel dragged Kurt to the person who had shouted from behind Puck. Tina grinned and dropped her cup. "Thought you might need some help."

"Wow, you two clowns have got to be more careful." Mercedes smirked as she bounced past the boys, after throwing her cup at them. Mercedes then turned and snapped a picture of both boys in their current condition, causing Karofsky to freeze – no pun intended – and Puck to explode with rage. "Calm your jets, boys. Now, the next time I see you two messing with my friends, these pictures will find their way into Jacob's next blog. Deal?" She said with mock innocence. The guys just grumbled and stalked off. Kurt and Rachel burst into laughter, but Kurt's laughter was cut short when Rachel removed her arm and smacked _his_ arm.

"OW!" He exclaimed, caught off guard. The other girls looked at them in confusion. "What was that for?" Rachel huffed.

"Why'd you try and get me to leave you alone with them? You know that isn't an option!" Kurt looked at her sheepishly.

"You did what, white boy?" Exclaimed Mercedes, waving her finger in the air. Tina then took it upon herself to smack Kurt's other arm.

"OI!" He shouted again and moved to stand behind Mercedes, jokingly, in retaliation. He chuckled. "I don't know, okay? I just didn't want them to hurt you or anything. I know they said they wouldn't, but they almost hurt Tina when you pissed off Finn Hudson." Rachel blushed faintly at that.

"They didn't hurt me, Kurt," Tina said brightly. "Mike helped me, and then he helped you."

"Oh, yeah," He started. "I still never thanked him for that. But then again, Artie was a jerk to us after we thought he'd leave us alone." Tina sighed softly and nodded in agreement.

"Well, anyway, white boy, we're going to be late for class." And once again, Kurt found himself being dragged away by one of his friends. Tina waved goodbye to Rachel and walked off in the opposite direction. As Rachel departed as well, Finn stepped out from where he was standing around the corner. Rachel was hanging out with Hummel far too much recently. He wasn't jealous, but he was irritated that she barely had time for him. He had to go to work at the weekend again, and he was still dealing with Quinn's latest exclamation that he needed to pull some more weight if he wants to be a supportive father. If Hummel had the other two girls, why did he also need Rachel tailing him? Pathetic. He had to lean on girls for support, couldn't he stick up for himself? The thought made him roll his eyes. But maybe if he got the team to back off, just for a little while, then maybe Rachel would have time for him again. But he knew he could only convince the team to hold off on Hummel for a short amount of time. He wasn't doing this for him, he was doing this to get Rachel back. And with that, he strolled away, creating a group text to all the guys on the team.

**0000**

Burt was working when he heard the phone ring from across the room. He dropped his tool box and walked over, wiping oil of his hands with a dull grey rag. Picking up the phone he introduced himself and the same of his business, asking if there was anything he could help with. There was silence, and for a moment Burt figured the person had gotten the wrong number. But then…

"Your son's a fag!" Not even a second later the phone was hung up by the coward with the harsh voice. Burt slammed the phone down on its holder. This was the third call he'd gotten today, but the scary part was that the voices all belonged to different people. He remembered back when little eight year old Kurt came home from school, crying about the fact he'd been called a 'fag' on the playground. When Burt had asked if Kurt knew what it meant, he had just shaken his head.

"_No, but they said it was a really bad thing!" _Little Kurt had cried. Five minutes later, after being given some ice-cream, he had cheered up. Like nothing had happened. The boy's mother had just passed away as well, which hadn't been easy on either of them. The childish bullying had been going on since he was six, but that had been the first time someone had thrown a hate comment his way.

"_Why are they laughing?" _Little Kurt had asked softly as three boys over the road had been laughing at them. He remembered that little Kurt had created a very elegant tea-party outside on their front garden. Of course Burt had been hesitant, but after seeing the smile on his boy's face it was worth it.

"_Because they're ignorant, Kurt." _He had told him moments before he shooed the kids away. And now here it was, the day he had dreaded, the day when others felt so strongly that they needed to take the bullying to the next level. Burt boiled with rage, knowing that the fools didn't care that Kurt's father knew. Imagine if Burt hadn't known about Kurt and he had gotten that call. It shook him deeply. He thought back to the little baby boy he held in his arms, and then thought back to the calls. It was stupid, ridiculous, horrid, inhuman! He winced and closed his eyes. He was getting himself worked up, he was sure he was getting anxiety. But he had to keep strong, he's Kurt's rock. Just like Kurt is his.

"Dad?" Burt raised his head to meet Kurt's worried eyes. It was like he was seeing his little boy again, the little eight year old boy that had come home – not knowing why the other kids were mocking him. "Dad?" He repeated again, stepping closer. No, Kurt is not a child. He's sixteen, he's slowly becoming a man. His Kurt is brave and strong. But even the strongest man in the world is allowed to have moments of weakness, even the bravest man alive needs someone by him for support.

"So, you came out today then?" Burt asked softly.

**Coming up: Kurt consoles his father's concerns and fears. Mike decides to enter a dance contest and asks Tina to come support him. Finn convinces the team to lay off Kurt, but only for a short period of time. Rachel lands an audition and asks Finn to audition with her for a short local play, but not being the theatrical type – will he agree? All of this coming in episode (chapter) 12: Audition! **


	12. Audition!

**AN: Hey, everyone, I'm so sorry for the late update. A lot has been going on, but here it is at last. **

**Also, a while ago – around the time I posted the first chapter of this – I had completed the first chapter of a Glee story (with the main characters being Blaine and Kurt). The story is an AU and is inspired by Longbourn by Jo Baker and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The story is called 'Prejudice Pigs'. If anyone is interested in this please let me know in the reviews. If anyone shows interest I will post the official summary in the author's notes of 'Not-So-Glee Season One' Chapter 13.**

Burt watched as his son stared at him, confused and stunned by the sudden question that he'd asked. He felt conflicted, wanting to punch anything he could to let out his rage. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't punch a nameless person through a phone. But on the other hand, he felt sorry for his son and just wanted to make sure that he knew that these idiots didn't matter.

"How did you know?" Kurt asked, his eyes focussed on nothing but him. Burt broke their eye contact to roughly shove his mug into the coffee maker. Why wasn't the damn thing working? Was it too much to think that a coffee maker could do its job? Like how Burt was frustrated that he wasn't doing his job in protecting his son.

"Why won't this damn thing work?" He growled, almost knocking the entire machine off the desk. Kurt approached him quickly and gently tugged his arm away. Burt watched as his son calmly turned the machine on. All Burt could do was let go of the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding.

"Dad, what happened? Why're you so upset?" The subject couldn't be ignored much longer, Burt had to do something. He didn't want to fail his son, he meant more to him than anything in the entire world. So with a set jaw and crossed arms he turned to his son, who looked so innocent and kind. _How could anyone hate him this much? _He thought to himself, and then was reminded of his own words. _People are ignorant. _

"I got a call a few minutes before you came in. The third call I'd gotten today," He started, finding it harder and harder to get out his words after seeing his son's face continue to grow with concern. "Some anonymous coward telling me my son's a fag." It was out. He'd said it. Kurt didn't seem shocked by the announcement, in fact it seemed as though Kurt expected nothing different. And that broke Burt's heart.

"Oh," He spoke with very little concern. "That's OK, I get that all the time." Burt suddenly felt himself get furious again. Is this the level things had gotten to? That Kurt was so badly hated that he was used to being called such a degrading and filthy word? He shouldn't be used to this, he shouldn't get it all the time! It wasn't OK, it never will be. Just because it happens a lot doesn't make it any better or any more tolerable.

"That's not OK, Kurt, and you're not supposed to get it all the time. This is ridiculous, you shouldn't be getting treated this way. Does your school do nothing? I should have known sooner that this was a bad idea, should have known when you came home covered in slushie, when you came home with a cut lip and a horrible excuse!" Burt ranted, his face turning a deep shade of red as he paced the garage, kicking a stray bin as he did so. Kurt watched him, startled by the sudden outburst. But something stuck out to him.

"Wait, what was a bad idea?" He asked. He feared the worst when he asked that question.

"Coming out to people at school!" Burt exclaimed. "I knew that if those idiots at school knew that you'd be treated like this!" Clearly Burt had missed the look of betrayal and hurt on his son's face.

"You mean… I shouldn't have told anyone that I'm gay? I should've stayed in the closet?" Kurt's voice was light and gentle, but fragile as the traces of a sob were threatening to escape. Burt's temper vanished at the emotion in the quieter voice, his eyes turned to him. Burt suddenly understood what that must have seemed like to his son, who had been in the closet for a long time – while still being bullied. Burt walked over and put his hands on his son's shoulders.

"I love you, Kurt, you know I don't care whether you're gay or not. All I meant was… I mean, come on, man, you know what I meant. This town isn't exactly welcoming. I was concerned about you coming out at school because I didn't want them to have another reason to hurt you. It's hard to see you so miserable." He explained carefully, but Kurt must have been harbouring fears that his father would reject him, because his response was irrational and defensive.

"I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment." The words were intended to come out bitterly, but the tears simply made his tone sad. Burt felt his own vision blurring from unshed tears.

"Now come on," He emphasised with a soft nudge on Kurt's shoulders, his hands having still not moved. "You know that isn't what I'm saying. I've already accepted you. You are my son, you're the most important person in my entire life. People out there, people who don't know you, the people that hurt you… They're ignorant, Kurt, and they'll take anything about you that is different and they'll use it as ammunition. They'll try to break you down. But do you know what is devastating for them?" He asked, controlling his own speech. Kurt shrugged his shoulders, not trusting his voice. "You show them that you can't be pushed around. You have pride and confidence in yourself. I wasn't trying to say you should have stayed in the closet, I guess I was just concerned and didn't think about what I was saying. But even you must have been a little nervous about what people might do, right?" Kurt hesitated before nodding his head slowly.

**0000**

The next day Tina had chosen to come into school early so she could get some studying done, or that is what she told herself anyway. It was no surprise that she had taken a detour towards the dance room. A small smile set on her face when she recognised Mike Chang dancing the same routine he had been doing for a while now. Carefully she slipped into the room and watched. Mike was working genuinely hard on this routine, putting everything into one performance. It was captivating. He effortlessly conveyed the anguish and isolation of the character he was portraying. Upon finishing he was aching, having gone over the routine for a while now. SwanSong was one of his favourite dance pieces; he loved a bit of ambiguity when it came to dance. Clapping sounded from behind, Mike wasn't even surprised anymore – he knew who it was.

"Hey, Tina," He smiled as he turned around to greet her, pausing the music. "I'm starting to think you just come here now to see me." Tina did not blush, simply gave him a small smile that seemed to answer him more than her words could.

"I was watching this dance piece online," Tina started as she dropped her bag onto the floor. "I didn't quite understand it. Was the whole thing meant to be interrogation?"

"In a way," He started. "It's mainly about human rights, one way they show the lack of human rights is by using interrogation. It's truly an amazing piece, a lot of the time they use comedy but have that little undercurrent of danger." Tina giggled softly.

"Sounds exactly like high school." Mike found himself laughing at how true that was. Mike watched her for a moment and then approached his bag, pulling something out. "You okay there?" He turned back around and showed her a flyer.

"There's a dance competition soon. The reward is a scholarship to any school of your choosing, whether it is dance related or not. This is kind of why I've been rehearsing so much. I was wondering if you would like to come… Y'know…For support?" He asked uncertainly.

"What about your football friends?" She asked jokingly, already knowing the answer. Mike sighed.

"You know why." Tina nodded.

"Y'know, if you can't show your real self to your friends… are they really _your _friends?" She asked. When Mike didn't answer she chose to move on, she was sure he'd think about it later. "Of course I'll come and support you."

**0000**

"You want us to lay off the fairy?" Asked Puck, wrinkling his nose in disapproval at Finn. The other members of the football team stood around at their lockers, frowning at Finn. Finn inwardly groaned, he knew they wouldn't lay off. But he had to do something to get them to back off, that way he would get to spend more time with Rachel.

"Watch out, looks like Finn's been turned!" Laughed Azimio, causing others to laugh too. Mike and Artie glanced at each other uncomfortably, silently agreeing with what Finn was insisting.

"Are you forgetting I have the hottest girl in school as my girlfriend and you got rejected last week?" Finn retorted. Azimio pounced forward but Karofsky kept him held back. No-one seemed to notice how Puck was seething from something as Finn made his declaration about Quinn. Puck knew that Finn was cheating, and it infuriated him. "Think about it, guys. He'll be expecting at least one of us to go after him, and when we don't he'll start to get paranoid. Which will make things all the more entertaining when we eventually strike again." A contagious, evil smirk spread to all the others guys in the room – all except Mike and Artie.

"I don't like this." Artie whispered to Mike, who nodded in agreement.

**0000**

Rachel skipped up to Finn at the end of one of his lessons. She had with her a small script that was gripped tightly in her hands. The title highlighted in bold writing:

**MACBETH**

**By William Shakespeare**

"Who's this 'Macbeth' chick?" Finn asked, puzzled as he slowly took the script from the shocked girl. "Bit of a weird name, isn't it?"

"Macbeth is a man!" Rachel exclaimed. "Don't tell me you've never heard of Shakespeare. I mean, I know you guys always say he's a ladies man," She paused to roll her eyes with Finn gave a small grin of recognition. "But you honestly don't know? He's an amazing playwright. I happen to _love _Macbeth. And, of course, I've gotten the role of Lady Macbeth!" Finn smiled, finally looking up into her eyes.

"Really?"

"Well, I will," She quickly covered. "Once I ace my audition tomorrow. And about that… The auditions are done in pairs. I need you to audition with me as Macbeth." Finn blinked and stared at her. Him playing a lead role in a play… A Shakespeare play none the less. He'd never even be able to remember that his character was a dude!

"Look, Rachel…" He said slowly.

"Oh, please!" She exclaimed, clinging onto his arm and batting her eye lashes. "Come on, Finn, I won't tell anyone."

"Uh…" He said hesitantly. "Well… I'll try." He offered lamely. Rachel grinned and bounced to her feet, clapping and snatching her script back.

"Thanks, Finn!" She giggled. And just like that she was gone in the blink of an eye. However, as this happened a cheerleader was standing by the lockers – a deep glare set on her face. Behind her a young man crossed his arms, copying her glare.

"I told you." He said.

"Yeah," She replied. "I'm going to kill him."

"You cheated on him first. I mean, we know that baby isn't his." Quinn turned to him and pressed a finger to his lips.

"I might just have to rip those lips off if you don't quit it with those comments." Puck raised an eyebrow with a flirtatious smirk.

"That a threat or promise?"

**Coming up: A student in Dalton Academy takes on the role of the lead singer for the Glee club 'The Warblers' and attempting to adjust to boarding school life. Finn and Rachel both audition together but it isn't long before a clip of their audition is up on Jacob's blog, and while struggling to be the person she is Santana finds herself making friends with someone she would never have associated with before. All of this coming up in episode (chapter) 13: Changing. **

**NOTE: As stated in the description of the story, this fanfiction is a story of what Glee would have been like if Mr Schuester hadn't been able to keep the club together. Therefore, others will be affected, which is why we will see the Warblers in the next chapter – even though they may not come into contact with any of the **_**McKinley**_**characters. **


End file.

Glee, Drama, Friendship