Astonished, dumbfounded, flabbergasted — Kurt wondered which word best described Blaine's face when he found out that Kurt was spending the day with Rachel. He and Rachel had begun their makeover immediately after she selected the design she wanted for her dress. They had spent the morning in her closet, unsuccessfully looking for accessories that might go with the dress, before Kurt finally declared the search futile and announced that they would be going into the city for an emergency shopping trip.

They grabbed their things and were heading towards the front door when they ran into Blaine, who was coming up to see if they wanted to join him for lunch. They left him gaping after them from the stairs, struck dumb by the announcement of their plans, and rushed to the garage to see if Sam was available to drive them to their first stop.

Since Kurt already had in mind the types of accessories that would look best with his design it only took them a few hours to find the perfect shoes, bag, and jewelry to complete the look. After the shopping was completed Kurt asked Sam to take them to a salon where he had booked an emergency session. The receptionist had laughed at first when Kurt asked for a same-day appointment with their top stylist, but her laughter turned to amazement just moments later when she found an open spot on the calendar that she could have sworn hadn't been there a few minutes before.

The stylist was only slightly put out when Kurt took control of the appointment, making recommendations as to the cut and color of Rachel's hair. At first she was a little too distracted by Kurt's appearance and by the time she had torn herself away from staring at his perfect hair she realized that the suggestions he was making were right on point. Once the hair appointment was over Kurt led Rachel over to her next appointment where she was plucked and waxed to his satisfaction.

They returned home in time for dinner, where Blaine watched in amazement as they happily recounted the activities of their day and planned cosmetics experiments for later in the week. When they finished dinner Rachel stood up from her chair and clasped her hands in front of her before turning to address Kurt.

"I…I really wanted to thank you for today. I had so much fun and you didn't have to do any of this; especially with the way I've been treating you. I was selfish and possessive and I'm really hoping that we can start over? Maybe be friends?" When Kurt reacted with a smile and a nod Rachel moved to his side of the table. "I'm so glad. I'm going to hug you now, OK?" She reached down and wrapped her arms around Kurt's shoulders for a brief hug, not wanting to push her luck too soon in their new relationship. She withdrew and gave both men a big smile before leaving the room to call Finn.

Blaine waited for her to leave before pouncing on Kurt with all of his questions. "How did this miracle happen? Has my cousin been replaced with a pod person? 'Cause I can't think of any other explanation."

Kurt made a mental note to look up 'pod person' on the computer later that night, but thought he understood the gist of Blaine's question. "We kind of had a break-through today over musicals and fashion."

"Fashion. Rachel?"

"She showed me the dress she was planning on wearing to the cocktail party. Frankly, I congratulate myself on not making it disappear in a burst of flames. My feelings of pity for her pathological lack of fashion sense led me to show her some of my designs and I offered to make a dress for her. The shopping and make-over are just the cherries on top."

"Kurt, that's amazing. For both of you. I must admit I'm a little jealous, though. I kinda wanted to be the first one to wear a Kurt Hummel design to a public event."

"Hmm…I don't know. Kurt Hummel Designs is a very exclusive line. We don't allow just anyone to wear our clothes." Kurt laughed at Blaine's pouty face. "OK, come on. I may have come up with a few designs for you while I was working on my own outfit."

The cocktail party was in full swing by the time the Anderson contingent arrived. Kurt took a quick look around to confirm that the outfits he had designed were appropriate for the event. Blaine had described the party as 'on the more formal edge of semi-formal, but with a playful edge', so he had been nervous about getting the designs right. He was happy to note that, though he considered his designs to be better than most of what he was seeing, they fit in thematically with what most of the other guests were wearing.

He glanced over at Blaine, thinking how handsome he looked in his black cable knit cardigan with black velvet blazer-style collar. The addition of the white tuxedo shirt and black bowtie definitely took the sweater in a more formal direction and the black pants with raised seams down the front where the fold line would normally be were formal with a definite attitude. Kurt also liked how Blaine's clothes contrasted quite nicely with his own ensemble of black pants, black turtleneck and a single-button blazer made of dark eggplant colored velvet. They would look striking standing next to each other and he felt that together they showed a bit of his range as a designer.

Rachel had been over the moon about the final look of her dress especially when paired with a black belt that emphasized her tiny waist and a pair of ankle boots. The outfit had much more of an edge to it than what she normally wore and she was definitely putting on an attitude to match. Finn had practically tripped over his tongue when he had first seen her and the delighted smile she gave Kurt made the whole process worth it.

They greeted the organizer of the event then broke up into smaller groups, with Rachel being pulled by Finn towards the refreshments and Helen, dressed in a classic off-white Chanel jacket and slim pencil skirt edged in gold ruffling, heading off into the room where the musical performances were being staged. Blaine watched her go with a slight look of worry on his face.

"This is the first big event that she's attended since my father died. I'm sure a lot of the 'friends' that gossiped about her after the funeral will be here too. I hope she'll be alright."

Kurt laid his hand on Blaine's shoulder and gave it a quick comforting rub. "I'm sure she'll be fine, but we'll keep an eye on her just in case, OK?" Blaine gave him a grateful smile and reached his hand up to cover Kurt's which was still lying on his shoulder.

The next hour passed quickly for Kurt, as he and Blaine worked their way around the room, stopping every few feet to speak to someone else that Blaine was acquainted with. Kurt was introduced to so many people that he knew he would never remember their names, so he stopped trying. For the most part, the introductions went well, but there were definitely times when he noticed the speculative looks being sent his way. This was especially true the few times Blaine introduced him to someone who was on the board of Anderson Worldwide. Kurt could see the judgment in their eyes as they looked at him and Blaine and he was concerned that most of the censure seemed to be directed towards Blaine. If the board wanted him to play it straight for them, then introduced them to Kurt might not be the best course of action.

Finally, Blaine announced he was tired of mingling. They grabbed some finger foods from the passing waiters and moved into the music room to talk and enjoy some performances. They had been able to hole themselves off for a whole hour before they were finally interrupted. Kurt looked up to see Quinn heading their way, dressed in a classic cocktail dress with a full skirt and a drape style bodice. The fabric looked plain black at first, but on closer inspection it had a lighter floral pattern burned into it, which added a lot of depth and definition. He grudgingly had to admit that she looked beautiful, even with the determined look on her face that spelled the end of their quiet little oasis.

"Blaine, there you are. You need to stop being anti-social and come with me right now. My father and several of the other board members have been asking where you are," she declared, wrapping her arm around Blaine's and tugging him towards the main room. He tossed an apologetic look at Kurt, who just smiled and toasted him with his glass of non-alcoholic cider. After a few minutes, Kurt wandered into the other room, looking to perhaps meet up with Finn and Rachel. As he looked around the room his eyes seemed to automatically find Blaine, who was standing next to Quinn in the middle of a group of solemnly attired men. He noted the approving glances they were giving Blaine now that he was standing next to Quinn, so different from the looks he had received while with Kurt. He watched Blaine more closely and saw how well he was handling the men, how comfortable he seemed. Being part of the business might not have been his first choice, but it definitely suited him. Kurt felt a pang of sadness as he gazed at the group and realized that this is what Blaine's life could be like if he married Quinn. He could have the acceptance and support of the men who controlled his future.

Kurt was interrupted from his depressing thoughts when he noticed Noah Puckerman standing against a far wall, looking even more uncomfortable than Kurt felt. Puck was wearing a somewhat ill-fitting suit and tugged at the too-tight neckline of his shirt while eyeing the door as if trying to calculate the time it would take for him to make a run for it; Kurt could relate. He walked over to join him and saw relief in Puck's eyes as he approached.

"Man, am I glad to see you. I've been here for like 20 minutes and you're the first person I've seen that I recognize."

"Hi Puck, I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"And I wouldn't be here if I had a choice, believe me. This is not how the Puck-meister usually rolls. There aren't nearly enough naked chicks for this to be my kind of party." Puck grimaced and shot Kurt an apologetic look. "Sorry, I kind of revert to my teenage self when I'm uncomfortable. The opera is doing some work with the camp this summer to help introduce the kids to different kinds of music, so I'm here to meet up with the head of their education department. The sooner I can get that done the sooner I can leave. I'm going to need a giant-ass beer after this."

"Blaine and Quinn are around here somewhere. Let's go track them down."

"Quinn, huh? Yeah, sure why not. It's not like the night can get much worse."

They found Blaine and Quinn still speaking with the group of men from Anderson Worldwide. Kurt was reluctant to intrude until he saw the expression of relief on Blaine's face. He raised his eyebrow in a silent question and Blaine responded with a widening of his eyes that communicated a silent 'help me'. They interrupted under the pretense of asking Blaine if he could help Puck find the man he was supposed to be meeting and the board members graciously moved on to speak to someone else, leaving just the four of them together.

Kurt immediately noticed the same strange interplay he had seen before between Puck and Quinn, who seemed to be trying to ignore each other and glare at each other at the same time. Finally Quinn made a snide comment about Puck's suit and they began to squabble back and forth, which gave Kurt and Blaine the opportunity to draw away and move across the room.

"What's the story there?" Kurt asked, indicating the arguing couple with a tilt of his head.

"I'm not really sure exactly. Puck participated in a 'kids at risk' program that Quinn volunteered for in high school, so they've known each other a long time. He kind of had a crush on her back then, but she's always been kind of a snob, so there wasn't any chance of anything happening. They seemed to be becoming friends of a sort towards the end of school, but then Quinn left to spend a year abroad after graduation; when she returned she wouldn't give Puck the time of day. Ever since then they've been chilly with one another, to say the least. Never could get the whole story out of either one of them."

Blaine looked like he was about to saying something else, but then suddenly gave a quiet groan and reached up to rub the back of his neck with one hand. "Don't look now, but an ex-classmate of mine just came in the door and…ugh." Kurt automatically looked in the direction of the entryway. "No! I said don't look. Don't draw his attention. He's been after me since high school and just won't take a hint. Quick let's hide." Kurt laughed as he let Blaine pull him by the hand to skirt around the edge of the crowd to the other side of the room. They had just about reached the safety of music room when a low growling voice from behind stopped them dead.

"Hello gorgeous. I knew you must be here when I saw the ice sculpture was already starting to melt. It just couldn't stand all of the heat you generate."

Blaine rolled his eyes and took a second to replace his pained expression with a forced smile before turning around. "Sebastian. Haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?"

"Better now that I've seen you again. You are seriously looking très sexy tonight. That outfit is hot. What say you and I blow off these old geezers and go have a private party of our own?" Sebastian ran his eyes slowly up and down Blaine's body as if Blaine was an ice cream cone and he was just deciding from where to take the first bite.

Blaine gave a weary sigh, having been in this same situation too often to even bother getting upset. "Sebastian, I'd like you to meet my friend, Kurt Hummel. He designed the clothes I'm wearing this evening, so I'm glad you approve."

Sebastian reluctantly tore his gaze away from Blaine to acknowledged Kurt with a smile that was definitely more of a sneer. Kurt returned the favor with a raised eyebrow and an extra superior expression. He felt it was safe to say it was a case of hate at first sight.

The three of them made small talk about the party and the upcoming opera season for a few minutes. The conversation wasn't very interesting, but Kurt was highly entertained by the look of panic, like that of an animal caught in a trap, in Blaine's eyes every time Sebastian leered at him. Desperate to find a way out of the awkward conversation Blaine made the mistake of mentioning how warm the room was becoming and the gleam in Sebastian's eyes was just signaling the imminent arrival of another inappropriate comment when Helen joined their group.

"Blaine dear, can I borrow you for a moment? There's a question about the donation the company is making that I need your input on." When Blaine looked reluctant to leave, she added, "I'm sure your friends can make do without you for a few minutes." Blaine offered Kurt a silent apology and he let her lead him away.

As soon as Blaine was out of earshot, Sebastian rounded on Kurt. "I'm not sure what you think you are going to accomplish here, but you'd better back off. I've been laying the groundwork to get into Blaine's pants ever since he got back in town and I'm not going to let Priscilla Queen of the Desert come in and ruin it."

Ambushed by a sudden feeling of possessiveness about Blaine, Kurt couldn't help but retaliate. "You've been at this for a whole year? It sounds like panda bears have more interest in mating than Blaine has in you."

"And you think he'd be interested in you? Where'd you get your clothes from? A Liberace garage sale?

"Better that than the costume department of Miami Vice. Please fold your collar down, you're going to poke someone's eye out."

"Trust me, that's not what I'll be poking someone's eye out with."

"Oh my god, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Look, don't you have something better to go do? I'm sure it's about time to take your next dose of penicillin. You don't want to miss it. I'm sure you don't want your 'condition' to flame up."

"You're one to talk about flames—"

"Kurt, I've been looking for you everywhere. The head of the opera costume department is here and I want to introduce you. I'm sure he'd love to talk with you about your wonderful ball gown designs," Santana interrupted, sliding in next to Kurt and fixing a bored look on the taller man. "Sebastian, I'm surprised to see you here. Shouldn't you be swimming around after Ursula the Sea Witch along with your slimy eel twin?"

Sebastian realized he didn't have much chance of winning a battle of wits against both Kurt and Santana, so he made his semi-polite excuses and disappeared into the crowd.

"Santana, please tell me Blaine never came close to taking him up on his offer."

"Puleeze, I'd have clubbed him over the head like a baby seal if he'd even looked twice and he knows it."

From the opposite side of the room, Blaine kept craning his head to see if he could spot the other two men. He had a lot of confidence in Kurt's ability to take care of himself and to give as good as he got, but Sebastian was definitely a master at the verbal take-down and he wanted to make sure things hadn't escalated to the point of spilled blood.

He and his mother had finished their conversation with the opera representative about the donation, but Helen had kept a tight grip on his arm to keep him by her side. Her smile had a definite brittle edge to it and he wondered if she had had an unpleasant run-in with any of her former so-called friends.

"Mother, Kurt and I are pretty worn out and were thinking about leaving early. I was just about to give Sam a call to bring the car around. Do you want to leave with us?"

"I was just thinking that I was a bit tired also, so that would be lovely, thank you."

She waited patiently while Blaine made a quick call to Sam and then texted Rachel and Finn to see if they wanted to leave early also. When Blaine was finished they started a leisurely walk back through the room to locate Kurt.

"Blaine, did you notice how lovely Rachel looked tonight? I don't think I've ever seen her look so confident and happy. She's been so somber lately. I don't think I'd realized until I saw the difference tonight."

"She's been spending a lot of time with Kurt this week. They've discovered they've got a lot in common and I think she likes having someone else to talk to about theater and music. Plus, Kurt designed that beautiful dress for her and gave her a make-over. You know how much she enjoys being the focus of attention."

"Kurt designed that dress? I'm amazed. I had no idea he was so talented. I knew it wasn't her usual style, but I had no idea."

"Both he and I are also decked out in his designs. You should ask to see his sketches. The charity ball is coming up soon and I know he has some amazing ball gowns. I'm sure he'd love to work with you on something."

Helen seemed to be considering Blaine's suggestion and looked at Kurt with new eyes when they eventually found him and Santana near the bar. They bid Santana farewell and headed out to the limo, Rachel and Finn joining them.

In the car, Rachel chatted happily, informing Kurt about all the compliments she had received on her dress and thanking him again for his help. She then moved on to describing the new people she had met at the party, including one gentleman who was the historical consultant for interior design at Buckingham Palace. "Can you imagine? He's responsible for making sure all 420 rooms in the palace are decorated in a historically accurate fashion and —"

"429" Kurt corrected absently.

"What?"

"Buckingham Palace has 429 rooms, at least it did the last time I was there." It was only where he heard the stunned silence that Blaine realized what Kurt had just said.

"You've…you've been to Buckingham Palace?" Helen asked in a slightly strangled voice.

Kurt stumbled a bit over his explanation and Blaine could see a hint of panic in his eyes. "Yes, I…I was there to do some writing, but I'm sure you can understand that I can't really give any details. Confidentiality, you know."

Everyone seemed to accept his explanation, though they were still amazed at his revelation. Blaine bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud at their expressions and turned to give Kurt an amused look. Kurt just responded with a mouthed 'sorry' and moved to look out the window in an attempt to hold in his own amusement. Blaine would have to get the details of his royal interactions out of him at a later time.

Suddenly, the car gave a jolt and the engine began issuing a loud knocking noise. Sam pulled the car off to the side of the road and jumped out to see if he could figure out the problem. He returned a few minutes later to tell them that he didn't have the tools with him to make the needed repairs, so he would have to call another car to pick them up.

"Sam, would you mind if I took a look?" Kurt asked. "I have a little experience with this type of engine and I might be able to jerry-rig something to at least get us home."

Sam gratefully accepted Kurt's offer and the two of them moved off to look under to hood once more. After a few minutes Sam slid back into the driver's seat and was able to successfully start the car. Kurt closed the hood and wiped his hands before slipping back in next to Blaine in the back seat. In the darkness Blaine could see the colors of Kurt's eyes still swirling and he reached over to squeeze his hand in thanks.

The rest of the drive home was unsuccessful, with everyone taking the time to relax and unwind a little. Just as they walked in the front door Blaine's phone rang and he was surprised to see that it was Santana calling.

"That lame party left a bad taste in my mouth. I needz to get my fun on, so grab Elf on the Shelf, the Ewok, and the Jolly Green Giant and meet me at the karaoke club in half an hour. No excuses."

"Hello to you to, Santana. I'm assuming you mean Kurt, Rachel, and Finn? Can I ask, do you prepare lists of nicknames ahead of time or do these just come to you spontaneously in the moment?"

"What can I say? It's a gift. Come on, time's-a-wasting. Twenty-five minutes." Santana hung up abruptly, assuming that everyone would do her bidding and meet her at the club. Blaine relayed the invitation and everyone agreed that since it was still relatively early that they were up for some karaoke fun. Helen bid them goodnight and they piled into Blaine's car for the ride to the club.

They entered to find Santana already there, having reserved them a table near the stage. "Just in time! Boys, I took the liberty of signing you up for a song and look, hey, you're up next." With a hand on each of their backs she pushed them to the stage. As the introduction music began to play and the song title appeared on the small screen in front of them Blaine sent a warning glance to Santana. He turned to make an apology to Kurt, but found the other man laughing at the song selection.

"But it isn't a duet, how are we going to split it up?"

"You just start and I'll jump in as backup on some verses."

"Oh god. OK, here goes…"

Kurt started on the first verse of 'Friend Like Me', really hamming it up for the audience and putting on funny voices like Robin Williams had in the movie. Blaine had heard Kurt sing in the car and along with songs in the musicals they were watching, but this was totally different — he wasn't just singing, he was performing. Blaine wanted nothing more than to abdicate his space on the stage and just listen to Kurt perform on his own. In fact, he was so caught up in enjoying Kurt's singing that he nearly missed his cue to join the song. He shook his head a little to clear his thoughts and threw himself into backing Kurt up in the song. They both put their all into the performance and laughed at the cries of "encore" from the crowd as they left the stage.

When they returned to their seats they found Santana had ordered several rounds of drinks and Blaine gave Rachel a look of disapproval as she finished off the Cosmopolitan she was drinking. He ordered a round of waters for himself and Kurt and sat back to enjoy the next performer. After an ear-splitting rendition of 'These Boots Were Made for Walking' and a passable version of 'It's Raining Men' it was Santana's turn to hit the stage. Still dressed in her skin-tight animal print dress from the party she immediately held the attention of all of the men and several of the women in the audience. Blaine groaned when he heard the opening bars of 'Wicked Game'. Santana only pulled that song out when she was feeling particularly moody. It was going to be a long night.

Kurt was impressed by Santana's song, though her dark mood left him a little unsettled. Rachel was up next and he hoped that she would bring the fun back to the night. She gave him a rather pointed look as she took the stage, so he leaned forward in his chair a little, interested to see what she had prepared. The screen on stage announced the song as 'Immortality' by the BeeGees and Kurt wasn't familiar with it, but as soon as Rachel began singing he knew why she had selected it, with its themes of destiny and working towards achieving a dream.

Though Kurt had given Rachel the pep talk earlier about going after her dreams, this was the first time he was actually hearing her sing. Her entire body vibrated with emotion as she threw herself into the song. He couldn't imagine what she would be like on a proper stage, in a full out performance, but he was almost positive that he would have the chance someday. As her powerful voice filled the club he wondered how Helen and Blaine couldn't see that this is what she was meant to do. He was struck by how alike she and Blaine were. Both had the need to perform in their souls, but were suppressing it in favor of family obligations.

When the last notes of the song died out, Kurt stood up and gave her a standing ovation, along with at least half of the other people in the club. She blushed and curtsied and jumped off the stage into Finn's waiting arms. He spun her around and gave her a big kiss and a hug, causing her to blush even more.

"Wow, she's really good," Kurt exclaimed, testing the waters a bit with Blaine. "She should be on Broadway. She's just as good as any of the people I've heard on the cast recordings. Did she ever want to make a career out of performing?"

"She was really into it as a kid, but it seems like she grew out of it. She still performs for charity gigs and stuff, but she's been getting more into mentoring, like for that show down at the women's shelter. Mom is planning on giving her a lot for responsibility with the Anderson charities, so it's probably for the best. She won't really have time to waste of stuff like that."

"Best for who?" Kurt wondered quietly as Finn and Rachel rejoined them at the table and Rachel grabbed another drink, despite Blaine's protests. As they listened to several other songs Kurt felt Blaine's arm spread out along the back of his chair, his hand brushing Kurt's shoulder every so often. The contact was distracting and he found himself losing the thread of conversation several times. When Blaine finally removed his arm he wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

"Kurt, Kurt, I am sooo glad we made up. Talent like ours has got to stick together, you know?" Rachel leaned closer and looked earnestly into his eyes. "I think we're soul mates, you and I. Platonic ones, of course, but still soul mates. With the combination of my talent and your — Oh yay, Finn and I are up next!" She left the table and skipped up to the stage, grabbing a microphone and waiting impatiently for Finn to join her. They began their interpretation of 'Making Love Out of Nothing At All' and Kurt was surprised to find that Finn also had a good singing voice. He had definitely fallen in with a musically blessed group.

Santana watched the couple on the stage for a few moments, looking as if she was torn between throwing rotten fruit at them and plugging her ears. With a final look of disgust she turned back to her drink, draining half of it at one go. "Psst Kurt," she leaned into Kurt with a loud drunken whisper, "We're friends, right?"

Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise and gave her a nod.

"So, do friends get wishes too or is it just Blaine that gets to ride the genie express?"

"What is it that you want?" Kurt asked cautiously.

"How about blinking me up a girlfriend, huh? Someone cute, fit, not too smart? I kind of like 'em on the dim side."

"I'm sorry Santana, but I can't make someone love you."

"Love? Weren't you listening to my song? I don't wanna fall in love. I had love with my high school girlfriend and where'd that get me?" Santana began to weep, dropping her face down low over her half-finished beer. "Alone in this stupid karaoke bar with you losers, that's where. I don't need love. I just…ugh, I just need to get laid. You can help me with that, can't you Kurt? It's been soooo long. Please?"

"OK, you've officially had enough to drink," Blaine announced, reaching over and swapping out Santana's beer for a glass of water. "She gets like this when she's drunk," he murmured to Kurt. "It's about the only time I ever see her cry."

"What good is a genie that can't grant simple wishes, huh?" Both Kurt and Blaine shh'd her urgently as her voice raised a little above the music and she held up her hands in surrender. "OK, OK. No love, no sex. Got it." She paused for another moment before adding "How about a really comfortable pair of high heels? Now that would be magic." She started laughing into her water, the moment of emotional vulnerability over.

Rachel and Finn joined them before Kurt could reply and he decided the matter was better discussed when Santana had sobered up anyways. Blaine was making noises about it being time to leave, so Kurt took the opportunity to pull him up out of his chair towards the stage.

"Come on, I signed us up for one last duet. This looks like a pretty accepting crowd, so I picked one of your favorite songs."

They climbed up onto the stage and grabbed their microphones and waited for the next song to begin. When it did Blaine raised his eyebrows in surprise. "'Bring On the Men' from Jekyll & Hyde? It's not really a common Broadway song. I'm surprised it was on the song list."

Kurt just gave him an impish grin and looked over towards the employee who was in charge of the karaoke set-up, who was currently staring at his computer in confusion. "It isn't."