The car was bumping erratically along the narrow country road. Fields stretched out on either side of the gravel lane, green and lush.�The weather could've been better, Kurt thought. The clouds hanging in the sky looked like they were about fall to the ground from their weight, heavy with water, and the rain had started to fall a while back.

By now, the raindrops were pounding hard against the car and the landscape as far as Kurt's eyes could see. The sounds of it were all around, wrapping him up in a cozy haze as he sat dry and warm beside the heat blasting from the car's vents. The only thing louder than the fat raindrops against glass and steel was the windshield wipers, the rubber sliding quickly and forcefully over the glass. Some old Judy Garland cover crackled faintly through the car speakers, but the radio was only on low.

Fly me to the moon, and let me live among the stars…

Burt was sat leaned forward slightly in his seat, trying to see past the flowing rain on the windshield. Every so often, he would glance up to the rear view mirror, trying to catch Kurt's eyes; it was no use, because Kurt was making a point of staring out the window. He was happy to finally get away from McKinley and all the abuse he'd suffered through. Dalton would help him, he knew, but that didn't make leaving any easier.

A sign flashed past outside his window right before he noticed the houses appearing in the distance. It read "Shallow Hollow".

As the car continued forward, they passed into the small town.

Shallow Hollow was just as gray, dull, and miserable as the name suggested. A few people were hurrying along the sidewalks, hunched under newspapers and coat collars in futile attempts not to get wet. Other than that, the town seemed to be dead and boring. Kurt felt a small pang in his chest as he realized this was probably where he would go on the weekends or after school when he wanted to have fun. Kurt almost felt like laughing because, for the first time in his life, he actually longed to be in Lima. That was certainly an interesting feeling.

The wind had picked up too, which was probably why most people were staying indoors, and why the few people outside didn't have their umbrellas up. It also made their car wobble slightly, and Kurt wished that they would just reach the damn school already.

"Some weather, huh?" said Carol's voice from the passenger seat. She rubbed her arms up and down, like she was cold.

"Springs are usually calmer. You'd think it was autumn looking out there today."

Burt spoke a word or two in agreement, but Kurt stayed silent. Carole cranked up the heat as they rolled out of town, and Kurt was grateful. His hands were feeling a little cold.

As soon as they had passed the last houses of Shallow Hollow, the surroundings became identical to what they had been before: abnormally green grass and the occasional large tree. However, now, through the windshield, Kurt spotted a building at the far end of the gravel road.

He leaned forward in his seat, grabbing the back of his Dad's and Carole's seats to get a better view.

"Is that it?" Kurt asked.

"It sure is!" Burt replied cheerfully.

Kurt clicked his tongue distastefully a few times and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest and staring out his window again, deep in thought. Sure, the school looked like more fun than the town - it was large and fancy. He just didn't like the fact that he had to go there in the first place. It was almost five hours from home, so he'd only ever see his friends and family again during the holidays, and the closest one was the summer break, which was three months away.

On top of the home sickness he was already feeling, he wondered what sort of people went to the school. He knew he'd be safe with the no harassment and bullying policy, but was it enough to be safe? What if the people there were just as close minded as the people in Lima, only they were silently condescending? He might be safe, but that didn't mean people would like him. That didn't mean he'd make friends. Maybe they were all just stuck-up rich kids.

He'd tried to put on a good face though, because his parents�were�spending a lot of money on this. Heck, they were even skipping their honeymoon for him! He knew he would have to stay strong; breaking down and crying wouldn't make anything better, even if it was what he wanted to do right now. Instead, Kurt clenched his jaw and zoned out.

Too soon, the car arrived in front of the grand building, pulling to a stop. The rain still hadn't calmed, and no one in the car seemed to be in any rush to leave the warmth and comfort of the enclosed vehicle.

Burt killed the engine and leaned over the steering wheel to peer up at the tall building - at least four floors! - in front of him. He let out an impressed whistle. It was very loud, and when the sound disappeared, they heard nothing but the rain, which grew heavier for a second, and then lightened again.

The school building seemed to be towering up over them, looking awfully grand with its wooden exterior, large old windows and carved decorations on every corner, door and the window sill. Speaking of the doors - dark, round-topped double mahogany doors; they looked expensive! - Kurt saw how one of them open, but no one stepped out.

Instead, he saw an upside down umbrella come flying out of the entrance, and a blonde woman who looked to be in her fifties came running after it.

This seemed to get Burt and Carole into motion, and they pulled their wind jackets tightly around themselves and opened their car doors.

"Here we go!" Burt encouraged before stepping out.

The two car doors slammed shut as quickly as they had opened, and everything became very still around Kurt. He watched as his dad and Carole jogged up to the woman, shouted a brief exchange of words (probably in order to be heard over the loud storm), before Burt came jogging back to the car and the women hurried back inside.

Burt wasted no time in opening the trunk of the car and getting two duffle bags out. Kurt turned in his seat, and Burt looked up at his son through the rear windshield as he fiddled with the bags in his hands.

"It's okay, Kurt. We'll take the boxes in when the rain lets up; we wouldn't wanna ruin all your stuff. I'll just take these bags of clothes-" he said as he wiggled a blue duffle bad and lifted a black roll suitcase from the ground, "-for now. Just hurry inside and you won't get too wet. I'll meet you there."

Burt slammed the trunk shut without further acknowledgment of his son and ran as best as he could with the two heavy bags. Kurt watched him, still not making any attempt to leave the car. He sighed loudly to himself, brow furrowing as he leaned over the back seat and retrieved his not-so-good-in-the-rain coat. He slowly unfolded it, undoing his seat belt as he did so, and pushed his arms into the sleeves. He buttoned the coat slowly, fixing his gaze on the open door of the school. He thought he saw someone standing there, but he couldn't make out who it was.

Popping his collar in an attempt to protect more of himself from the elements, Kurt prepared to leave the car. Realizing his hair would look awful no matter what he did, Kurt finally opened the door and threw himself into the downpour. Unfortunately, he hadn't planned his exit very well, because he was on the wrong side of the car and had to run around the vehicle before he could head for the building.

Realising this, Kurt leaned against the car door for a few seconds, feeling the water pour over him, and�wow, it was like stepping into a shower. Kurt was drenched in two seconds. He jolted into action, running towards the safety of the inside of the school.

Kurt's feet landed unevenly on the gray gravel of the driveway as he ran, flinging perfectly identical stones behind him with his feet with every step he took. Kurt kept his head down, ignoring the too-green trees and gardens lining the building and the curious faces he imagined were peering down at him from the windows above. He would deal with all of it later.

Stepping through the open doorway, Kurt finally got his first look at the inside of the school. The entrance hall wasn't too big, but it the ceiling soared sky high, as if they were in a tower. A spiral staircase dominated the other side of the room, leading up to other floors. The stairs were made of wood and marble, and Kurt thought to himself that he had never seen anywhere as pristine as this place.

The woman who had greeted them outside turned her attention away from Carole looked at Kurt.

"That's the main staircase to the dorms," she explained, pointing across the room. She took a step forward, extending her hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Hummel. I'm Dorothy Cummings, the Vice-Principal for this school."

"Pleasure," Kurt said politely with a half-hearted smile, taking her hand.

She smiled back at him encouragingly.

"Let's take a look around, shall we?" Mrs. Cummings gestured for them to walk through another doorway as she turned away to close the front door. Kurt followed his dad and Carole, casting one last gaze at the entrance hall and the woman who was now shaking water out of her black umbrella.

Kurt found himself slightly confused by the next room. He couldn't figure out if it was a common room or a hallway. It was shaped like a hallway, but there were benches and tables lining one of the walls. However, the biggest factor adding to his confusion was the large fireplace built into the far wall, crackling softly with a warm fire in its hearth. Carved into the dark wood of the mantle, Kurt could make out two birds flying among decorative ribbons.

"The legacy of Pavarotti," Mrs. Cummings said as she stepped into the room, answering Kurt's silent question.

"Canaries are our mascots, representing the school's very own Warblers. Do you sing, sir?"

Kurt saw his dad raise an eyebrow approvingly, liking the idea of people calling his son "sir." Kurt almost scoffed before stopping himself. But he had to admit, there was a certain ring to it. He could definitely see himself getting used to it.

"Yes, I do," Kurt said, "I love singing - I was in my old school's Glee Club."

Kurt had to stop himself for a moment, feeling the growing lump in his throat as he realized that McKinley, his home for almost three years, was already a fading memory, something he would tell people about as part of his past.

If the adults noticed his sudden change of mood, they were all too polite to say anything. Kurt cleared his throat.

"I'm a countertenor."

His voice came out a little too high to sound normal, but he supposed it only proved his point.

"Well then, Mr. Hummel," Mrs. Cummings said lightly, almost teasing him, "You'll have to be careful. If anyone finds out, you'll be in the Warblers' grasp before you even get to see your dorm room!"

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, thinking that this place might not be so bad after all.

Mrs. Cummings turned to Burt and Carole, telling them about the school system, and Kurt zoned out, bored already. He let his gaze wander until it was inevitably drawn to the raging storm outside. One of the small trees out front appeared to be growing horizontally because of the wind. The rain smashed against the windows and trickled down the glass. Kurt was suddenly reminded of that scene in the fourth Harry Potter movie when Neville, after watching professor Moody torture a spider with the Cruciatus Curse, stares at a window painting of a woman and makes the rain look like her tears.

Kurt was about to look away when the thought came to him, but something else caught his eye.

Outside, far away at the edge of one of the fields, Kurt was a hundred percent sure he saw a man walking. He seemed rather small and was moving rapidly, so Kurt thought that he must be a student.�But why would anyone be out in this storm? He's insane,�Kurt thought.

They continued along a series of corridors, learning the history of the building, which was sort of dull, and also the places Kurt definitely needed to make a mental note of (cafeteria, auditorium, choir room, etc). Mrs. Cummings told them that the school had five floors, but the second floor was the main floor where the entrance was and the first floor was a basement. She informed them that there were a couple of common rooms and old storage spaces down there.

Two seniors soon came to meet them and help carry the two bags Burt was still dragging along to Kurt's dorm.

The two seniors looked very much alike; both were tall and blonde seemed to be trying not to look bored.

"These two gentlemen will be doing a quick search of your bags," Mrs. Cummings informed them, "But please don't worry, they will be careful not to damage anything. It's only standard procedure, something we have to do to avoid legal complications if weapons were to be found on the property that could cause damage."

Kurt saw from the corner of his eye how Burt and Carole exchanged a glance. What exactly had she meant by "cause damage"? Had something happened in the past?

The seniors stood by dully, listened to them talk for a bit.

"Aren't these boys handsome?" Mrs. Cummings suddenly asked, smiling at Kurt.

Kurt's eyes widened, and he felt a flush creeping into his cheeks.

"I-I…um…"

Mrs. Cummings seemed to realize her mistake, and attempted to clarify, saying, "I mean, you'll be wearing a uniform, too. That's the rule here at Dalton. Gray dress pants, a button-up shirt and tie. If you don't want to wear the blazer - which I myself think is the most handsome part - then there are different colored cardigans you can choose from to complete the outfit."

The seniors took off after that. They were probably supposed to stay so that Kurt could admire their clothing.

Just like puppets, Kurt thought. He wondered if he would be like them by his senior year… but he was only a junior, so he had some time before he would have to worry about that.

Mrs. Cummings said that he'd get to see his room soon enough, and told him she understood how tired he must be. He nodded appreciatively at her, feeling the exhaustion settling into his limbs. He thought he should be full of energy, having done nothing all day except sit still in a car, but he wasn't. He almost felt like climbing into bed right away, although he knew he couldn't because it was only a little after five. The weather didn't make his head feel any lighter either.

By that time they had hit all the big stops of the tour, so Mrs. Cummings let them go.

"Dinner is served at seven," she said, "I'm sure you'll want to settle in and rest a bit until then."

She dug into the pocket of her skirt and handed them a key. It was made of shiny silver, and the head was a flat circle decorated with tiny branches. Kurt accepted it from Mrs. Cummings, thanking her for the tour.

"Your room is on the third floor, number 312." With that, they parted ways.

Kurt, Burt and Carole made their way up the stairs to the assigned floor. Once there, it didn't take long to locate room 312. It was simply a brief walk down the corridor and a turn to the left. Kurt's room was slightly off-side, but he figured it could have been worse. At least he didn't have to follow the hallway the other way, turning left and right four or five times before reaching his room. The large, golden letters on his door were faded and aged, but they served their purpose.

His door was at the end of the small corridor, right beside a window overlooking one of the side gardens. It amazed Kurt how green everything was, still fresh with spring. He raised the key and wiggled it into the old lock. It unlocked with a rather loud click.�No sneaking out past curfew, then,�thought Kurt.

Kurt instinctively held his breath as he pushed his dorm door open with one hand - it was actually rather heavy - and saw his room for the first time. If he'd dared to have any expectation for what the room might look like, it ended up topping all of them.

He took in the sight, completely frozen in the doorway. He had a notion that moving might break the beautiful illusion. The term "dorm room" seemed so inappropriate for this room, because it made Kurt think of a shabby little room with a bed and a desk. But,�oh, this was as far from that as you could get.

Two large windows with perfectly creased, thick, red, velvet curtains drawn on either side of them took up the far wall. A dark wooden desk with a matching chair stood under one of the windows, made the same wood that seemed to decorate the entire building- mahogany. On the right side of the room a king-size bed took up most of the floor space, and if it wasn't the biggest and most comfortable looking bed he'd ever seen, Kurt didn't know what. It too had headboards made of the dark wood.

On the opposite side of the room was a smaller version of the fire place Kurt had seen in the hallway downstairs. On top of the mantelpiece there was a picture frame containing a note that Kurt couldn't read from so far away.

The floor was covered with a carpet so lush that Kurt just wanted to snuggle up on it or walk around barefoot. Every detail was striking, but the most shocking thing for Kurt was the sheer size of the room. He'd expected a cupboard and had walked into paradise instead. Okay, maybe paradise was too much… but a haven, at the very least; his own safe haven.

Kurt heard his dad clear his throat from somewhere behind him, and Kurt realized that he'd been walking slowly into the room as he marvelled at the magnitude of it all. He turned to his dad, who was standing rather awkwardly in the doorway. Kurt realized Burt was waiting for him to say something.

"This is wonderful," Kurt breathed, feeling tears spring to his eyes in gratitude. "It's perfect."

Burt smiled sheepishly. "I'm glad you like it."

He turned to Carole, taking her hand in his. "We got it just for you. We thought you deserved something nice to hang onto right now."

Kurt's brow furrowed in confusion, and his dad explained quickly.

"There were several dorm options," Burt said, "And some were cheaper, while others were… well, this." He waved his hand around the room.

"Dad…" Kurt said quietly, his heart swelling in his chest, "You really didn't have to do this. You and Carole could still have gone�somewhere�on a honeymoon, even if it wasn't Hawaii."

"Nah," Burt said, shaking it off. He took a few steps, closing the space between him and his son.

"I wanted to give you this.�We�wanted to. We knew you didn't want to come here in the first place, and we wanted to do anything we could to make this easier on you… and maybe help you feel a little more at home."

"Thank you," Kurt sobbed, because it was all he could manage at that point. He wasn't even ashamed of the tears rolling down his cheeks. "Thank you, Dad, Carol."

Burt wrapped him in a tight hug. "Even though you're here, I'm just a phone call away. I love you, son. Never forget that."

"I love you, too, dad," Kurt mumbled into his father's shoulder. When they pulled away, Kurt could see his dad's eyes were a little misty too. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Me too, kiddo. Me too."

Carole had approached the windows, and was looking out at the raging storm, peeking out past one of the curtains.

"It looks like it's gotten worse; how is that even possible? And how are we going to drive back in this?"

"You could stay for the night- let the worst pass," said a voice from the doorway. All three turned and saw one of the seniors from earlier, holding Kurt's bags. "But that's only my suggestion. We wouldn't want anything bad happening, would we?"

"Could we do that?" Carole asked, turning to Burt. "Stay? Do you have it covered at the garage?"

"Yeah, I do." Burt patted Kurt's shoulder. "Would that be okay with you, kiddo? Us staying to help you settle in a bit?"

Kurt nodded, wiping his tear-stained face with his sleeve. He soon regretted it, feeling how damp the fabric of his shirt was from the rain. "I'd like that, Dad."

The senior placed the bags next to the enormous bed, and turned back to the Hummels confidently. His posture was remarkable- hands folded behind his back and shoulders not the least bit hunched.

"I will tell Mrs. Cummings to get an extra bed brought into the room, and perhaps some extra blankets," the senior said. Something seemed to dawn on him.

"Oh! I am terribly sorry, I have yet to introduce myself properly! My name is Sebastian Smythe, and I will be your guide and helping hand for the next few weeks."

"Kurt Hummel," said Kurt with a watery smile.

They shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Kurt," Sebastian said, giving Kurt a small smile in return. "I'll see you at dinner." With a quick bow of his head, he disappeared through the door.

"Can we make Finn come here, too?" Carole asked jokingly. "I think I want one of�those�sons."

For the first time in what seemed like ages, the tension in Kurt's shoulders disappeared, and he allowed himself to laugh. It felt very nice for a change.