It was uneventful, that is, until Sunday night. Wes had called Blaine early Sunday morning, explaining the Warblers were having a last minute rehearsal to prepare for a party the faculty was throwing for the dean. Blaine was not pleased to have his weekend cut short of his time with Kurt. After a bit of grumbling on his part, Wes enthusiastically invited Kurt to come along, saying that an outsider’s eye may be just the thing they needed to up their performance.

This is how Kurt found himself once again in the beautiful halls of Dalton, late on a Sunday afternoon. “This place almost seems like a dream.” Kurt mused.

A smile played on Blaine’s face as he walked hand in hand with his boyfriend, leading him to Warbler’s hall and the rehearsal. “What do you mean?”

Kurt crooked his head, “It’s just so beautiful here, and you say everyone is accepting. It seems almost too good to be true.”

Blaine squeezed his hand, “I think you would like it here.”

A contemplative look stole across Kurt’s face, “I’m not so sure,” seeing the confused almost hurt look on his boyfriend’s face, he hurried to explain. “it would be nice to walk like this between classes and not have to fear for what reactions it may bring, I like the freedom I have at McKinley. Don’t get me wrong, it is hard there, but I know I can be myself. I mean, could you imagine me dressed in a uniform every day.” Blaine smiles at this. “I like to express myself in ways I doubt would be smiled upon here. There have been days I have brought six or more outfits to school, and not just because I thought I would be slushied, but because my mood was so all over the place. I once wore a corset to second period, because I felt that Mrs. Roberts’ English class was stifling my creativity. It was my own silent protest.”

Blaine looked at his boyfriend with wide eyes, “I never knew your clothes were so important to you that way.”

“They aren’t always, but I choose my clothes with care and not just for brand, or their fasionability, but of how they can speak for me, especially in a place where I can’t always speak my mind. Plus at McKinley I feel I am being prepared for the real world. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t have a no bulling policy. I have to believe that my time there will make me stronger so I can face the world better.”

Blaine’s face dropped a bit, “Do you really feel that way?”

“Yes,” Kurt replied with a sad smile.

“I ran away from my old school. I needed this place. I need the policy, I was a real mess before I left.” Blaine whispered.

“I want you to understand something. It wasn’t that long ago that I would have killed for the chance to come here. The bullying was really getting to me and I had a hard time really standing up for myself.” Kurt told him truthfully.

“What happened? What changed?”

“You,” Kurt smiled, “You were part of it anyway. The day before I met you, I realized I did have people willing to help, willing to listen. But I was still scared, I couldn’t count on them being around to protect me all the time. And then Karofsky had you pined against that door, and I just stood up to him. I had only really done that once before, when they were threatening Tina. It made me think, if I can be brave enough to stand up for other people, I should be brave enough to stand up for myself.”

Blaine hung his head a bit, but Kurt continued, “You’ve done that too. When your dad insulted me, I think you are braver than you give yourself credit for.” Kurt kissed Blaine gently on the lips.

“Thanks Kurt,” Blaine whispered as he pulled away. He then noticed they were standing right outside the hall, Wes and David were silently laughing at the love struck look on Blaine’s face.

Rehearsal went well, Kurt giving a few notes. After running through each number twice, Wes declared the rehearsal over and offered to buy the group pizza. Nick walked up to Kurt as the group broke up into groups talking animatedly with each other.

“Hey Kurt, how’s it going?” He said shoving his hands in his pants pockets.

“Great and how are you?” Kurt offered back politely.
“Can I ask you something?” Kurt nodded, “Has Mercedes said anything about me?”

Kurt tried to hide the giggle bubbling in the back of his throat. “I’m sorry Nick, I can’t indulge anything said to me, there is the best friend’s code of silence after all.” Nick’s face fell slightly, “But I can tell you that if you continue the way you have been, you should be doing just fine.”

To his surprise Nick threw his arms around Kurt giving him a tight(and a little bouncy) hug. “Thank YOU!” Nick enthused. Kurt slowly patted Nick on his back, feeling a little awkward and hoping he would be released soon.

“I thought you had your eyes on Mercedes, what are you doing groping my boyfriend?” Blaine said with a laugh as he returned from the bathroom.

Nick blushed and released Kurt from his hold. “Sorry… I just… he’s her best friend and… do you really think she may like me?” he stammered.

“There is a distinct possibility.” Kurt said.

They talked with Nick for a while, then moved over to talk to Wes and David. Blaine was excited to have Kurt here with his friends. Their chat ranged over many topics and the four of them were laughing brightly when Wes’ phone rang informing them their pizza was there.

“We’ll get it.” Blaine offered, taking Kurt’s hand and a wad of cash to tip the deliveryman.

Kurt walked with Blaine, flirting and exchanging small kisses, as they made their way to the front door of the school. They were not prepared to see a familiar face looking back at them with his smile faltering.

“Sam?” Kurt questioned, “What are you doing here?” Seeing the awkward look in his eyes, Kurt took the tip from Blaine handing him the pizzas and telling him he would be up in a minute with the rest. Blaine knew not to question Kurt about anything yet, so he took most of the pizzas up to the rehearsal hall.

Once Blaine was out of sight he looked Sam in the eyes, “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you had a job?”
Almost like a dam had broke, Sam started spilling everything, how his dad had lost his job, his family had lost their house and been forced to move to a hotel, and how the five of them now slept in one room.

Kurt put a tentative hand over Sam’s as they sat on the front steps of Dalton. “Hey, if you need anything, you know everyone from New Directions will be there for you. I mean look at all we went through for Rachel last week.” He said quietly.

“No,” Sam said forcefully, “I don’t want charity. I shouldn’t have even told you. It’s just so hard, most of my clothes are getting worn out and I have been scrambling to find work and people to watch Stacey and Stevie. I had to take a freaking job two hours from Lima. Quinn is watching my little brother and sister right now. Just please don’t tell anyone.”

“Hey, I have some clothes that you can have,” seeing Sam about to protest he clarified, “it is stuff I was going to get rid of anyway. I would rather you had them. And Blaine and I can watch the kids anytime Quinn can’t. Please let me help. You have been so great watching out for me it’s the least I can do.”

Sam still looked like he was going to resist. “Don’t think of it as charity, it’s more like payback. You helped save me from jocks and I helped save you from your wardrobe and the responsibility of your siblings for a few hours.”

Sam slowly nodded. “Thanks Kurt. I have to get back I can’t get fired from this job.” He tried to resist when Kurt handed him the tip money. “No man, I can’t there is fifty bucks here.”

Kurt smiled at him kindly, “You would have gotten it anyway if anyone else brought it down. This was the tip money we were given. You earned this.”

Sam took the money and waved at Kurt as he made his way to this car. Kurt stood and grabbed the remaining pizzas and found his way back to the party. While everyone was munching on pizza, Kurt quietly filled Blaine in on what happened. He was insistent on helping in any way he could as well. He also said he would talk to his parents about openings in their company as soon as they returned from their latest trip to L.A.

Monday while Kurt was walking through the halls someone shoved a piece of paper in his hand. The title read, ‘What former Cheerleader is Shacking Up in Motels?” the article went on the say an ex-cheerio was seen leaving a hotel room late at night. And how hearts would be broken. Kurt balled up the paper and threw it in the nearest trashcan.

He heard Finn and Rachel whispering about the article near his locker, and just wanted to scream the truth at them. When they approached him and tried to ask him what he thought he snapped at them to mind their own business.
In Glee the rumor mill was in full force, apparently Brittany had gotten on the internet and inferred that Santana was gay. Kurt almost felt his heart break for both the girls, as Brittany hadn’t known how her comment had been taken that way, or he thought, how close to the mark it really was. Santana had yelled at her, a rare occurrence. Mr. Shue decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to sing songs from Fleetwood Mac. Kurt wanted to point out that this year, they glee club had been pretty stable as far as relationships went, but he knew Shue wouldn’t listen as he just wanted an excuse to do the music.

Once school was over, Kurt rushed home to go through his boxes of extra clothes, sorting through to find things he thought would fit Sam. He made sure to give him all of his ‘Mellencamp’ clothes and well as some of his more subtle items he thought Sam might actually wear. There wasn’t a lot, but there was enough. As he sorted through the clothes he chatted with Blaine on the phone.

Kurt made his way to the motel where Sam was staying. He hefted the box into his arms and went to the room. His hands were full so he lightly kicked at the door to alert Sam to his presence. However, the door was opened by a cute little blond girl. “Oh, you must be Stacy, I’m Kurt a friend of your brothers, but you really shouldn’t open the door…”

He then heard Sam yelling as he came closer, “Stacy, how many times do I have to tell you, you never open that door, it’s not safe.” Sam didn’t sound mad, just worried. When he made it to the door he turned to Kurt, “Sorry about that I ran to the bathroom for a minute. Here let me take that.”

He then took the box from Kurt and invited him in for a while. Kurt sat on one of the beds brushing Stacy’s hair while he talked to all of the Evans’ children. Pretty soon Stacy and Stevie were asleep beside Kurt.

Sam turned to him,”Thanks again Kurt. It really means a lot. And thanks for coming and acting like everything is normal, I mean we haven’t ever really talked before, but it’s been nice.”

Kurt gave him an understanding smile, “I know what it’s like just wanting a little bit of normalcy. When my dad was in the hospital, that was right before you joined glee, sometimes I just wanted people to stop looking at me like my world was ending. I mean it already felt like it was, but sometimes, I just wanted my friends just to be there. So I understand. Plus, you are a good guy, you wouldn’t quit our duet just because Finn tried to talk you into it. That says a lot about your character.”

“It just seemed stupid to me to worry about that. I didn’t see the point.” Sam said with a shrug.

“I know, and that’s what I mean. To you I wasn’t just the weird gay kid, I was just Kurt. So why should you be the kid who’s parents are having a hard time, when you can just be Sam. Oh shoot, I have to go. I promised Blaine we would have a skype date in fifteen minutes.” He got up and Sam walked him to the door.

Once they were outside, Sam turned to him and said, “Thanks again Kurt, you really are a great friend.” And to Kurt’s surprised, Sam hugged him. Kurt held him for a moment, before releasing him and running his hand reassuringly down the other boys arm. He didn’t hear the click of a shutter going off.

Rachel assaulted him the next day, asking him questions about Sam. He deflected the questions easily he thought, but his stomach twisted in knots knowing that Rachel was interested in Sam and had noticed Sam was wearing one of his jackets.

What Kurt didn’t know is that Finn was on the phone with David. They had exchanged numbers at the Barbravention. “Dude, it’s Finn. I need to ask you a question.” He hissed into his phone after Glee that day.

“Sure, what can I help you with?” David said amicably.
“If you thought one of your friends was cheating on one of my friends, what would you do?”

David was taken aback by this question and it also concerned him, “I don’t know. I mean I think if someone is being cheated on they have a right to know. But I would have to be 100% sure.”

Finn sounded angry, “Oh I’m sure. I saw them coming out of the room myself.”

David was angry then, he wasn’t sure at this point which of his friends was being made a fool of, but he didn’t like it. Blaine was so happy with Kurt and Nick had fallen pretty hard for Mercedes. His blood was practically boiling. “What are you talking about?”
“Crap I have to go, Sam is coming, he can’t hear that I know” and then the line was dead. David had a suspicion that Sam was cheating with either Kurt or Mercedes. Just the little bit of time he had spent with Sam, David assumed he was straight. This meant that he was about to have to break Nick’s heart.

Wednesday at after Glee, Finn approached Quinn. “I need to talk to you.”

She walked with him and he told her about seeing Kurt and Sam together. “I don’t think you saw what you thought you saw.” She said coolly. “What were you doing there in the first place?”

“I was worried about you. I was hoping that you weren’t being pressured into anything. A couple of weeks ago Sam was talking about how it was hard having a girlfriend who was pregnant and scared of sex…”

“Listen, you need to stay out of mine and Sam’s business.” She yelled and stormed off. Finding Sam in the parking lot, he got an earful about what Finn had said.
“That’s not what I meant. I meant that it is a lot of pressure, when you know that your girl friend has been through so much, I want to make sure that I never make you feel pressured in anyway. It’s not always easy to be a gentleman, but I feel like I need to try twice as hard, because you know first hand what can happen if I am not.”
Quinn leaned in and whispered in his ear, “You don’t have to try so hard, you are a gentleman and I have never felt pressured by you. I know how to say no, so just don’t worry about it, okay?” She kissed him gently and then smiled and walked off.

David called Nick over after Warblers’ practice that afternoon and told him that he had it on good authority that Mercedes was seeing someone else. Poor Nick walked to his car dejected, turning his phone off. No one saw him the next day.

Things were getting progressively out of hand, Artie yelled at Brittany about her girl time with Santana. The lowest blow was when he called her stupid, sending her off in tears. Kurt watched as she ran straight into Santana’s waiting arms.

Thursday, things were coming to a head. In Glee club, Santana was the only one to complete the assignment for Shue.

Her introduction was simple. “This is for you Brit, and I mean every word of it.” She then sang so beautifully:

For you, there'll be no more crying,
For you, the sun will be shining,
And I feel that when I'm with you,
It's alright, I know it's right

To you, I'll give the world
to you, I'll never be cold
'Cause I feel that when I'm with you,
It's alright, I know it's right.

And the songbirds are singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before.

And I wish you all the love in the world,
But most of all, I wish it from myself.

And the songbirds keep singing,
Like they know the score,
And I love you, I love you, I love you,
Like never before, like never before.

Most of the Glee club was shocked by the sentiment of the song and the tears in Santana’s eyes. Once the song was ended, Brittany was in Santana’s arms. They heard hear whisper a thank you and the pair sat down with linked pinkies. Kurt looked over at Artie, he expected him to look mad, but he merely looked resigned and sad.
Just then the door of the choir room burst open. Nick stood there looking disheveled. Mercedes stood up “Nick, what’s wrong?”

“Why didn’t you just tell me? Why did I have to find out from David?” He looked so sad, so hurt.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Mercedes said in confusion.

“David said you were cheating on me with Sam.”

Before Mercedes could even come up with an answer, Finn said loudly, “No she’s not, Kurt is cheating with Sam.”

Nick, Mercedes, Kurt and Sam all yelled, ‘What’ at once. Kurt continued his question, “And how would David know about this supposed sordid love affair?”

“I called him, I wanted to know if I should tell Blaine, but before I could really ask, I had to hang up. Blaine has a right to know Kurt, I thought you were better than that, I thought you loved Blaine.” Finn yelled at his little brother.

“I do, that is why I am not cheating on him, I would never cheat of him.”

Kurt was surprised Mr. Shuester wasn’t putting a stop to this. He wanted this madness to end. It was ridiculous that these rumors had gotten so out of hand. But Shue just sat there stunned by the state of his Glee club.

“I have pictures!” Finn yelled.

“It’s not what you think Finn…”Kurt began.

Sam cut him off, “Kurt was helping me out. I live there okay. We lost our house. I really didn’t want the world to know, but thanks to you guys not just keeping your noses in your own business, now everyone knows.” He then stormed out of the room.

Kurt left to, followed by Mercedes, Nick and Quinn. Nick apologizing to Mercedes about his believing David.
“You were really that upset? I mean, I’m not really your girlfriend, am I?”she asked.

Nick blushed, “I want you to be, and it broke my heart thinking that you didn’t like me.”

They hugged, and left together arm in arm.

Kurt and Quinn hugged each other and went their separate ways.

That night while on the phone with Blaine he explained everything to him. “Yeah it was a big stupid mess. I mean things are turning out alright I guess. Finn and Rachel went to apologize to Sam. Quinn told them he pawned his guitar and we bought it back for him. We are just going to be there for him. Tomorrow we are singing ‘Don’t Stop’ for him. You know it seems like forever since we have had this much drama.”