“Hey faggot rumour has it you ran away from your daddy cause your gay and you have a nice ass, so I'll give you a little deal. Let me take over that bench for tonight and I promise to give it back tomorrow night if you give me a blow job right now, take it or leave it your choice, you're not going to get a better deal than that around here,

Kurt paled as he sat up looking wide eyed at the drunk. He quickly grabbed the photo from where he had been sleeping with it under his pillow and stashed it in his pocket. The drunk had watery red eyes, was stumbling and holding a beer bottle in a brown paper bag.

Kurt's car had just gotten smashed and towed away that day, he had nowhere else to go, and he'd been walking for hours. All the other benches were full of homeless people, mostly adults and men who could take care of themselves. The alleyways were out of the question, he knew that's where the prostitutes went and even though he was homeless, he didn't want to sleep on the ground if he could help it.

He tried the youth centre, but they asked too many questions about his home and past. He ran when they asked if they could contact his father for him.

He tried to not show his fear as he said “I'm not moving, go find another bench and I'm sure there are other whores who'd take up your offer, but I'm not one of them,” The drunk shrugged and came closer laughing as he muttered “Fine…have it your way,” The man grabbed Kurt and tugged him of the seat, he tugged at his hair to lower his head down towards his pants zipper… but Kurt grabbed his arm quickly feeling surprisingly strong and kicked him the groin.

He had seen that happen in many shows before having to watch action movies with his dad in hopes of some bonding time but it didn't stop the man from growling furiously and getting back up to punch Kurt in the stomach really hard using the beer bottle which caused a harsh pain in his stomach with his other hand successfully making Kurt let go of his grip in a strangled gasp as he struggled to breath. Another man who had been watching nearby joined in laughing “Told ya he'd be a waste of yer time,”

“Stop standing there and hold him down, the faggot is going to get what he deserves,”

Kurt still in heavy pain had no choice but to make a running for it. He ran and ran until the sun came up and he could take no more, until he eventually collapsed and sobbed at the bottom of a staircase in the back of a restaurant where he could hear laughter of people obviously in family groups. He stayed there for hours, then exhausted and unsure of where he was, huddling his knees close together.

“Dad,” He whispered. “Dad, I need you,” He echoed. Eventually a man in a chef's uniform came out from the back and saw his condition. His eyes widened when he realised how young he was and how uncomfortable he looked curled up in a ball.

“Hey man you okay?” The man crouched down to his level as though he was a child and noticed Kurt clutching his stomach and wincing in obvious pain. He went to move Kurt's hand away so he could take a look, since Kurt was inconsolable. He exhaled deeply when noticing the blood clearly showing through his thin torn up shirt.

“Oh shit, come on, let's get you cleaned up,” The man sighed as he dialled his phone appearing to call his wife to tell her an emergency came up. He then called the manager of the restaurant to explain what happened.

Kurt willingly allowed him to walk him inside the back of the restaurant. He had no energy to fight anymore.

“Look I'm going to watch over you for a couple of days, you can sleep in the staffroom, and then I'm sorry but my manager says you'll have to leave as soon as we know your strong enough, and if you try any funny business like stealing or harassing one of the workers or our customers, we will have the police on you in no time, got it?”

 Kurt nodded feeling incredibly numb and lost.

“What's your name kid?”

Kurt didn't answer. James looked less uncomfortable as he realised Kurt appeared unable to do anything as he had described above.

“My name's James,” He held out a hand which Kurt didn't shake.  James sighed.

“I don't know what happened to you, or what you've been through, but…if my own kid was out here looking like you had, I'd be worried sick, how old are you son?”

Kurt stared at him and blinked.

“It doesn't matter, have you eaten?”

Kurt shook his head and Jams smiled “Now that's more like it, I make the best food in New York, so you're going to try my food whether you like it or not, I don't suppose you've heard of New York Cheesecake?”

Kurt's eyes lit up then and the man new he had him at Cheesecake. He grinned to himself as he turned on the lights while Kurt followed behind him as he gave him a small tour of the back of the kitchen. It was huge, specious, and surprisingly clean. He showed Kurt his most prized procession as he called it in the restaurant which was a massive two door stainless steel fridge, which could fit a whole supermarket of food in there. The man crouched down and pulled out a large plate which was wrapped in foil and gestured for Kurt to follow him to one of the tables in the staffroom which was 10 feet away from the kitchen.

He pulled out an armchair for Kurt, placed the plate and uncovered a mouthwatering looking dessert, with pretty eatable letters that read ‘New York New York!'

“I always make this for my colleagues to eat on their lunchbreaks. Of course people claim it to be the best cheesecake ever, but I can't be too cocky can I,” The man chuckled to himself and pointed for Kurt to sit “Now sit down on that chair, and eat, while I go find something to wrap that nasty gash on your stomach with,”

The man fed him and helped clean him up and true to his word, he got to stay for 48 hours, but then other staff members complained about Kurt eating all their food and the manager asked that Kurt leave unless he decided to pay for their hospitality. Kurt realised that he never got to thank James for his help…because James had gone home the night before Kurt was dismissed from the restaurant. He had promised his wife he'd be home for his son's graduation.

“Kurt? KURT” Jeff was calling out Kurt's name in the car as Kurt had blanked out “Sorry what were you saying?”

Jeff had stopped the car and had it parked in a carpark “I said were here, you okay?”

Kurt looked to Jeff and asked in a serious voice “Am I selfish Jeff? Be honest with me,” Jeff sighed immediately shook his head “No, I don't think you're selfish Kurt, I think Rachel was selfish for not considering the fact that you've had a lot to deal with and she hadn't even asked how you were,”

“She may have a point though Jeff, you don't know everything I've been through, you know parts of it, and my dad…he seemed generally sorry for hitting me.” Jeff put up his hand and was angry at Kurt at that “That's no excuse to hit you Kurt, none what-soever, you can forgive your dad and I agree in trying to fix past mistakes, but trying to justify those mistakes is a whole lot of bull on it's own, and as for Finn- I have too much to say about that, that I won't mention it now,”

Kurt followed Jeff inside ready to welcome the embrace of Blaine's warm arms after Jeff opened the passenger seat for him but when he arrived there, it wasnt Blaine they were greeted with it was Nick. Nick was holding a bowl of popcorn and the tv remote "I think we deserve a break, whose up for some foxtel?"

Rachel did manage to catch up to Blaine but she had waited for the right opportunity to confront him because she didn't want him to break her nose and affect her singing voice. She watched as the preppy school boy ran a hand through his hair obviously upset. Maybe he felt guilty for hitting Finn? Rachel thought and then he watched as he turned on the platform so he could get on the train. Rachel went on the train hiding behind a man. She used her coat hood to pull over her face and hide herself.

“Wes, I told you I made my decision- no, you were right about the whole thing, and Kurt's right too, I'm not a violent person Wes, Kurt looked so disappointed in me. I couldn't stand seeing that look on his face, that's why I left, and also because I knew the guys would object to me pulling out of the competition…well I think it's necessary,  I know you didn't mean to make me upset, but I promise it wasn't you, I'm more upset with myself. Yes I'll talk to Kurt, what do you mean Jeff took him back to the hotel? Is he okay?”

Rachel suddenly felt stupid for her reaction before when obviously this boy really wasn't all that bad, he just had a moment of drama and she chose that moment to have a go at someone she barely knew when in fact worse things happen at McKinley

Blaine sat up looking disoriented “She said what!? Kurt was living on the streets because of Finn! How could Rachel say Kurt was selfish? No don't worry I'm going to the hotel, so I'll meet him there, he needs me, yes I know Jeff can handle it too, but I love him Wes, if the boy I love is hurting than I'm not just going to sit by and do nothing,”

Rachel felt ill. She hadn't known Kurt lived on the streets. Nobody had informed her of that, she had just assumed that Kurt had gone to another friend's house to sleep at. She actually thought that he had been living with Mercedes this whole time, because Mercedes always glared at Finn when he spoke or tried to bring up the topic of Kurt in school.

Rachel went and stood in front of Blaine who had sat down in one of the train's passenger seats. “Mind if I sit next to you?” she asked hesitantly. She had behaved horribly before and had every reason to be mad at her and Finn.

Blaine got up without looking at her and not recognising Rachel's voice as familiar yet. “Sure sorry I was a little distracted,” He had still not maintained eye contact as he shuffled to the side. Rachel sat down and said quietly “It's okay, I can almost hear your mind plotting away to murder a brunette girl with a loud voice, just try avoid hitting my nose, I have a competition to win,”

Rachel closed her eyes as Blaine looked up then and used this opportunity to get mad at jer “You had no right to say what you said to Kurt Rachel, you have NO IDEA what he's been through. I have nothing to say to you,”

“I know, but you see Blaine, that's the thing. I don't have any Idea what  he's been through. You have every right to be mad at me, but…I didn't know he was living on the streets Blaine, to be honest I knew barely anything. I always assumed Kurt abandoned glee, and went to live with Mercedes, because Mercedes never speaks to Finn and appears more aware of what happened. I know Finn used the word faggot, Facebook made it clear of that but Finn has been so aloof lately that it scares me…how could I have known anything at all relating to Kurt's life when nobody tells me anything?”

Blaine was silent as the train's engine sounded in the background and there was a sound of a babies cry and a mother's hushing said baby nearby.

“Had it ever occurred to you to even try contact Kurt? Or ask Mercedes or Finn what happened?” Blaine argued with frustration evidence on his face.

Rachel had guilt written all over her face as she answered truthfully “I…I'm the one who's selfish Blaine, not Kurt. I only ever care about doing well in school so that I could become a Broadway star that I completely lost sight of what was happening around me…I completely lost sight of Kurt,”

Blaine nodded in agreement. “I'm not the one you should be telling this too though Rach, you should be apologising to Kurt, not me”

“He won't listen to me after that, I was horrible to him,” Rachel sounded defeated but Blaine stood up as it was his turn to get off and he held out a hand for Rachel to come with him. “If you care about Kurt enough to want to do the right thing, come with me and tell me what you just said to me. I'm going to see him now. You always have opportunities to change wrongdoings Rach,”

When Finn got back to the hotel, Mercedes was the one that had noticed his nose first and observed him walking in the hotel room stunned and even more concerned by Finn's own luck of care for himself, he didn't appear to care that he had blood dripping everywhere, despite having a tissue attached to his nose in one hand which thankfully one kind passenger on a train had provided him with “What happened to you!?” She demanded as she went to grab some moist towels or some bandages, whatever they had in their first aid kit that could help.

Finn she saw was still in the same position he was as she walked back in the main room holding the necessary equipment to clean up the mess. She fussed making him go to the bathroom and instructed he hold his head up until he got there so that he could lean over the sink. He'd have to see a doctor. “I got punch by a fist,” Finn answered simply. “I deserved it,” Mercedes shook her head as- she encouraged him to clean his nose with water as she held out an ice pack for him to take.

“Finn, you may be a douchebag but nobody deserves this, who did this to you? Was it Puck?”

Mercedes assumed he got in a fight with one of their boys since he was so withdrawn, it was bound to happen one time at something stupid he might have said.

“Kurt's boyfriend,” He muttered. Mercedes stopped her movements and stared at Finn “Wh-what? Finn that's …”

“I know you think it's stupid, but I'm not lying. Rachel, Sam and Quinn were there to witness it,”

“It's not stupid. I lied to you and Sam. I saw them at Byrant Park, they were kissing and …I didn't want us to interrupt,”  Finn stood up his eyes glaring at her “And you didn't think to tell me or Sam any of this?! Mercedes, I'm trying to get Kurt to come home! Why wouldn't you tell us?!”

“Because he looked happy!” Mercedes shouted. Finn sat back down when she yelled at him for getting blood on her room's carpet. He waited as she responded “Alright? I know it was wrong..but I've never seen Kurt look that happy, he had this big goofy smile and he never really looked that happy at school, even in glee, when I saw him with that boy- ”

“Blaine,” Finn added as Mercedes nodded “That's his name is it? Well when I saw him with Blaine, I swear he looked different, he looked…like nothing could touch him. I want him to come back as much if not more than you do Finn, but what right do we have in pursuing that when we were the ones to push him away?”

“But you weren't the one's to push him away, it was me and Burt,” Finn sighed.

Mercedes than picked up on Burt's name and said “I know that now. I watched the news.
 Finn seemed unsure about what she meant by that but then she remembered something else “Oh speaking of Burt, he tried to call you, but I said you were out, and you'd call when you got back,”

Finn thanked her and dialled Mr Hummel's house landline.

“Hey kiddo! How's New York?” Finn held the phone away from Burt's cheery voice as though it had attacked him. “Uh...okay? The food is pretty good and the hotel is nice and stuff,”

“Hey listen Finn, I know I've been pretty miserable to put up with these last few months, and you and your mum have been a legend but I'll do my best to make it up to both of you okay? Just know I'm proud of you and I can't wait to see you and Kurt perform at nationals,”

Finn looked to Mercedes as though he misheard him “How did you know Kurt was in New York?”

“Well besides the fact that you told me you thought you saw him and what, are you telling me you knew as well that he was singing at Nationals, wait did he call you too?  Trust that kid to give everyone a surprise” Burt asked on the other side of the phone. Mercedes was trying to ask him what the hell was going on but Finn wasn't responding to her gestures and facial expressions.

“No he didn't call me,” Finn wasn't explaining himself very clearly and was feeling frustrated. He hated it when he had to put it in proper sentences before people understood him, he wasn't good with words. He explained as much as he and started by talking about how he had seen Kurt that day Burt remembered that “Yeah you told me all that, so is he staying with you guys at your hotel or something? I'm a little confused at what happened over there,”

Finn then told Burt about how he and Sam and Mercedes went to search for him since then but had no luck, and after that how he and some of the glee club ran into him again and Blaine's reaction to him appearing.

Burt was silent throughout the rest of the story. “I'm not a person that can talk and say hitting you wasn't the right way to go about it, I'd be a hypocrite if I did. This kid, Blaine or whatever was obviously serious when he said he cared about Kurt, I'm a bit worried about what kind of people Kurt hang out with now you've told me that,”

There was noise at the front door. Sam, and Quinn had arrived and were chatting with Mercedes about their day while Finn stayed on the couch talking on the phone.

“Yeah, I know Burt and I wouldn't worry too much, I heard Kurt yell at him and say his school had a no bullying policy and his friends looked like they'd seen a ghost when he punched me, so obviously it's not a thing for him to do and I think he just did it out of anger of knowing what I did to Kurt. The guys at McKinley act like that too if someone hits on their girlfriends”

“You sound real grown up there kid, you know Nationals might be a good place for everybody to say what they need to say,” Burt told as Finn smiled for once “Hey Finn I gotta go, the guys need me at the garage, you going to be okay? If you need any medical bills or appointments for your nose, just send us the details, and I'll cover it for you,”

“No that's fine, you go. I don't think it's broken. Oh and I look forward to seeing you and mum,”

“You too, I hope your nose gets better Finn and try not beat yourself up too much alright? We do learn from our mistakes too ya know,”

“Thanks Burt, don't work too hard,”

“Watch it. You're sounding like Carole now, bye Finn.”

“Bye,” At that exact moment Rachel burst into the front door and demanded that she see Finn alone. The others paid no attention to her and remained in their position in the kitchen eating leftover pizza and talking.

Finn sighed as he went up to Rachel grabbed her hand and pulled her along the direction to his room.

Before Rachel had gone to the hotel room with Blaine, she had stopped him and said she couldn't do it.

“Rachel, you can't back out now, he's literally right through that door,”

Rachel was pacing outside the said door and looked horrified at Blaine for a moment as to how she was going to do this and then a lightbulb went on.

“No, I can't do this right now, because I need more than one person,” Blaine wasn't catching on as Rachel went on discussing her plans. “And I'm going to need your help,”

Blaine sighed and looked at her carefully “I'm not sure if I can do that Rachel. I can't go behind my boyfriend's back scheming things,”

“Fine I understand…but I can't do this right now,”

“You really are the selfish one then…it was never Kurt,” Blaine answered while using the key to turn the door and opening it to go inside. Rachel walked away and Blaine disappointed in her stepped inside.