Josh Daves let out a breath as he looked down for the thousandth time at the tests results spread across his table. "Dammit, Walter! what kind of mess have you found yourself into this time?" he murmured to himself before taking another sip of his sugarless black coffee.

Days ago, the body of Burt Hummel had arrived in the morgue and as soon as Josh had gotten assigned responsible for the necropsy, Walter had called him, asking him for a favor.

"I need to know if Burt Hummel was murdered," He had said, direct, dry. Walter didn't waste time trying to start small talk or anything like that, he knew Josh was the closest thing he had to a friend and that he wouldn't deny him a favor.

"I will send you a message as soon as I am done," was all Josh had said to him and then had hung up. Josh and Walter were a lot alike. They both were over their forties. They also were both introverted, enjoyed Classic rock'n'roll music, and had been embittered by life. Josh had also lost a son, named David. He had died at the age of 5, due to leukemia. And it also had happened out of nowhere, just like Cooper's death. One day, Josh had noted strange bruises on his son's arm, and soon, the hospitals, the chemotherapy sessions and the doctors were saying that there was nothing more they could do. It was better if they took David home, where he could spent his last days in peace.

Walter went to the funeral. It had happened three months after Cooper's death. He still hadn't recovered from his son's death, but still had gone to David's funeral. And that was why Josh would never deny Walter a favor. They could not hang out often or send each other Christmas cards, but they were always there when one needed the other.

"Fuck," he murmured. Walter wasn't supposed to deal with this kind of shit anymore, Josh thought, grabbing one of the files.

Burt Hummel had been murdered. But not in usual way, and yes, there were usual ways of killing someone. You could shoot them, you could poison them with insecticide, you could suffocate them or hit them. These were the methods of murder Josh saw every day. But he had never seen anything like Burt Hummel's cause of death.

He had been poisoned, but not by a normal poison, but by some type if herbal recipe, something that according with Josh's research kills someone in less than 5 minutes. A kind of herbal recipe that is so rare, so specific, that doesn't even shows up in the regular tests. In fact Josh, only found out what had killed Burt Hummel because he ran every possible test, something that he wouldn't have done if Walter didn't had called him, insinuating that Burt could have been murdered. If that didn't have happened Josh probably would have declared Burt's death happened due natural causes, a heart attack caused by the usual cardiovascular problems. Because that was what this herbal recipe made the cause of death look like, a massive heart attack.

And this wasn't the kind of shit Walter need in his life, not anymore. He was doing well, he stopped smoke, was working a division of technology control, he didn't need an investigation involving this kind of murder. Burt's killer wasn't some angry cheated on wife after revenge or a drug addicted after the next fix. This was work of someone intelligent, a genius maybe. This herbal recipe was very difficult and quite expensive to be made. Only a few were capable of, and one of these few could end after Walter if he began an unofficial investigation.

It was obvious that Walter was planning start his own investigation, he didn't work to Homicides anymore. And that was what worried Josh the most, because Walter was good, he was the best, he would probably find Burt Hummel's assassin before the lazy cops of Homicides even began to plan a course of investigation, but he wouldn't have the protection of a badge anymore. He wouldn't be able to call reinforcements if things got too ugly.

It had been almost 24 hours Josh had send Walter a message asking to him come to see him. Josh still could lie; protect his old friend, declaring Burt Hummel's cause of Death as a massive heart attack. The man didn't family, Josh had checked, even if justice was made no one would be there to witness.

"So what you got for me?" Walter asked soon as he entered Josh office carrying coffee and a box of iced donuts.

Josh look down at the file on his hands. He took a deep breath. "What the kind of mess had you being up later Walter?" He asked tiredly shoving the file towards his oldest friend.

Josh Davis knew he was probably being stupid, probably helping Walter to dig even deeper in the confusion he had found himself into, but he couldn't protect a murder. Someone had taken another human being life's this person had to pay.

He just hoped that Walter didn't ended paying as well.

~~~~~~

"Where he is?" Quinn asked eyebrows furrowed. Blaine kept holding one of her arms still insisting they were late for school, but there no way she would leave before know Kurt, see the first person that had caused some emotional impact on her best friend. Besides, she had made a bet for Santana of how this Kurt guy would look like and Quinn couldn't be surer she that she would win those 10 bucks.

Santana was sure it would be a beefy guy, a jock with strong arms and broad shoulders, just like Blaine's first crush and most of the guys he had been banging since he came out, but Quinn knew her best friend too well. Blaine wasn't in that type anymore, not really, he just seek for them because he knew he wouldn't be able to developed feelings for guys like, his first crush ended too horribly to allow Blaine to ever look at someone that had the smallest similitude with Ted without the urge to overpower, use and then walk away from them just for the pleasure of hurt someone that looked with the person that had humiliated him in front of whole school years ago.

Quinn was sure that if this Kurt would be some completely opposed to Blaine's hook ups. She could practically picture the boy in her head, tall, delicate-

"Shouldn't you be at school?" A high pitched voice asked bringing Quinn back from her conjectures. And wow, this boy was gorgeous. Flawless pale skin, delicates factures, perfectly coifed chestnut hair, the brightest blue eyes she ever saw and they were in that instant being fixed at her as Kurt acknowledged her presence.

"Oh…Hi" Kurt said looking at her with the slightly blush on his cheeks.

"Hi! I am Quinn Fabray nice to meet you!" Quinn smiled mischievously glancing at Blaine before hold out her hand.

"I am Kurt" the android murmured taking her hand. Walter said he should be careful so he wasn't really sure if he was supposed to tell people his last name.

His skin felt so soft again hers, that Quinn almost wished she didn't had choose today to wear her stretchy black fingerless gloves. "You look quite well for someone that dying last night" she teased glaring at Blaine that looked extremely annoyed by his friend's behavior, jaw clenched tight.

"It was very severe hypoglycemic crises" Blaine and Kurt said in union, one sounding annoyed and the other nervous.

Quinn would have laughed at that scene, but something was bothering her, Kurt was lying. She could tell.

"Really? A hypoglycemic crisis?" she inquired eyebrow raised. She was sure that Kurt's crisis was one of the main factors that trigged Blaine break down in the night before. The boy must had looked really, really ill, only witness someone close to dying without be able to do anything about it, would bring to the surface all the darkness and grief that Blaine had been repressing inside of him over the years.

And well, Quinn wasn't a doctor, so she couldn't be sure if a hypoglycemic crisis could look that bad, it probably could, but she always was good reading people and the look on Kurt's face, the way how the corners of his mouth twitched slightly… That was had made her so sure the boy was hiding something.

"Y-yeah it was a harsh crisis" Kurt assured. Damn he was a terrible liar.

"Quinn we should go we are late for school and I don't want get in trouble with Walter" Blaine said not giving his best friend a chance to begin an interrogatory.

"Please Blaine is not like we aren't going to skip half of the classes… I don't know why you are so eager to go to school" She rolled her eyes, but when Blaine gave her another stern look she decided she would let go, for now.

"Well it was pleasure meet you Kurt." Quinn said flashing at Kurt one of her best smiles, one of those that her mom had taught her when she still was the most feared completion on the Child Beauty Pageants across the state.

"It was nice knowing you too Quinn" Kurt said, the corners of his month twitching slightly, Quinn felt pleased at that, apparently her mom was right after all, no one could resist to the Child Pageants' smile. "You know what? You should hang out with us sometime, Blainey and I have this little gang and I am sure they would love meet you" She offered brazenly catching Kurt and Blaine off their guards with her suggestion.

Kurt didn't know what to say to such invitation. For what he had heard from Walter he had an idea of how this "gang" must be and it didn't appeal him, but at same time, no one ever invite him to hang out and if you ignore the torn clothes, Quinn seemed such a charming person. He couldn't just bluntly say no, that would be rude. "I -"

"Well this had been a really lovely experience" Blaine interrupted, words dripping sarcasm "But we are really late! Let's go Fabray" he pulled her by her arm towards the door.

"Bye Ice Queen!" Blaine shouted missing the way Kurt rolled his eyes, as he practically dragged his best friend out of the apartment.

"What the hell was that Fabray?" He barked soon as they were out Walter's apartment. Quinn didn't seem to mind though, red lips still flashing an amused smile.

"I just wanted to meet him" She said, her tone of voice full of mockingly innocence as she batted her eyelashes ridiculously.

"You just wanted to meet him? Quinn you invited him to hang out!" Blaine snarled as they entered the elevator.

"So what?" Quinn questioned undeterred. She slid on a half-smirk "Is not like we are some part of some weird cult that kills pets in satanic rituals"

"Don't you get it? Kurt, he is not-"

"What? He is not punk enough, he doesn't dress enough leather?" She inquired eyebrow raised, arms crossed above her chest.

Blaine shook his head. "No is like that…He just- he is not like us ok?" he gritted his teeth in frustration. He honestly had no idea how to explain, he just knew Kurt wasn't like them, he couldn't picture Kurt acting self-destructive like they did. Actually part of him didn't want to, that would be just wrong. "Kurt is different" he murmured.

"What you mean with different?" Quinn questioned Blaine giving him a floundering look.

"Can't you see?" He snapped. "Just look at him, he is nothing like us!"

Quinn huffed out an annoyed breath, rolling her eyes. Sometimes Blaine was so blind. "You know what I see? Under all those layers of expensive clothing I see a broken kid. Didn't you see his eyes? His red, puffy eyes? That boy isn't only barely keeping together he is also lonely."

"He is not like us" Blaine insisted, it came out forceful, but somehow... choked.

"Blaine-"

"Jesus Quinn can you just let go? Why you have to keep looking for a tragic story everywhere? No everyone needs to be saved. Kurt is not like us. He is just a fashion diva with low levels sugar on his blood." Blaine snapped.

Quinn wrinkled her nose "For how long you intend keep pushing away anyone with who you could actually share more than cheap alcohol, cigarettes or body fluids?"

Blaine stiffened a bit at her comment, mouth in a thin line. "I didn't push you away did I?"

Quinn sighed. It was pointless keep arguing, Blaine was in full defensive mode again.

~~~~

Penny hated parking her car at Walter's neighborhood. Her baby was too precious and around Walter's building there were always these kids with evil looks on their faces like they just waiting an opportunity to ruin her hybrid Smart Car black painting. She just didn't get why people hated smart cars, they the cutest cars ever, especially hers, it was a convertible for god Sakes!

"Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play. Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day. The sun is up, the sky is blue! It's beautiful and so are you…Dear Prudence won't you come out and play~" .Penny's cell phone began to ring soon in the exactly she turned off the engine.

"Damn where I put my phone?" She murmured looking for it in with her pockets. But of course, it wasn't in her pockets. The sound came for her purse that as usual, was a mess, filled with all the kinds of useless things. Things she didn't even remember putting there in the first place. "Why the hell I am even carrying crayons with me?" she cursed under her breath before spread all her purse's contents above her passage sit.

~"Dear Prudence, open up your eyes! Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies! The wind is low, the birds will sing~"

"Aha-ha!" She grinned finally taking the small advice on her hands, "Watermallow" was flashing in its screen. In Penny's defense, it was Artie's idea.

"Penny! What took so long-" Her partner began to grunt in the other side of the line soon as she pick up.

"Oh hello for you too Walter. Now can we skip the part where you complain and go to the one where you tell me how where things in the morgue?" Penny said boldly, supporting her phone between her shoulder and jaw as she putting its contents back to her purse, well except the crayons she couldn't not even remember how those things had got there in the first place.

"As we already expected Burt Hummel was murdered" Walter said. Penny bit her lower lip, yes they already expected such results, but that didn't meant with would be easier for Kurt hear such news. His dad had been murdered!

"How?" She breathed before leave the car closing the door with a little more strength than necessary.

"Poisoned with an herbal recipe, a very rare one it kills fast and barely leaves traces. If Josh wasn't so damn good, Burt Hummel' cause of death would probably be declared as a massive heart attack, especially since he wasn't exactly on his better shape."

"That is horrible. But if it kills quickly that means that-"

"The killer must have left minutes before he got there" Walter countered knowing where Penny line of thought was leading her.

Penny felt a twinge of pain on her chest "We could have prevent this Walter, if only we had-"

"Penny no" Walter interrupted her "Don't even begin with "what ifs" or "if we had'", is not our fault and there was nothing he could have done to save Burt. Let's focus and catch this whoever made this and maintain Kurt safe ok?"

"You are right. I just- I never expected have to deal with this kind of things Walter, murders, millionaire conspirators… Sometimes I just caught myself thinking if we are doing the right thing you know?" She admitted supporting herself against her car.

"Penny do you-"

"No Walter I don't regret nothing, I would never regret saving Kurt, in fact he is the only good thing that come out of all this." Penny let out a tired sigh "I just don't know if we are capable of deal with all this. I mean killers that use poisons that barely leave traces! How someone like me is supposed to stop monsters like that? I don't even know if I brave enough to point a gun to someone!"

"But that is what makes you one of the good guys Penny!" Walter cried "There is no bravery in pointing a gun to someone; you only do that when is necessary. No one is supposed to feel good or bold treating another person's life, people that feel in that shouldn't be able to carry guns. So don't you worry, we are the good guys and the good guys always win in the end don't they?"

Penny nodded. "Yeah I guess you are right"

Then she remembered, today wasn't all bad news. She actually got the book. She put her hands on Der Kleine Prinz! "Actually Walter I think I have good news! I got the book!"

"Really? That is great Penny. I will be home soon so we can't talk with Kurt. If someone of the office calls you, we are making the inspection on the robot flea market." He whispered as if he was afraid of being listened.

"Okay see you soon Walter"

"Bye"

~~

"Penny hey!" Kurt greeted the ginger woman as she entered Walter apartment. "Walter didn't tell me you would be here so early"

"He didn't count with my astonishing efficiency" She said in singing voice.

"Oh my God!" The boy gasped. "Did you get the book from the Evidences Deposit?"

"Of course I did!" Penny smirked opening her purse and handing Kurt the book that still was in an evidence bag "C'mon Kurt Aunt Penny rules!"

Kurt chuckled raising an eyebrow at that. "Aunt Penny?"

"In my head it sounded way cooler that saying out loud did" She chuckled as Kurt sat on the couch breaking the tamper indication tape that sealed the bag.

"And Walter?" he asked, eyes fixed on the German book's leather cover. Der Kleine Prinz it said in golden cursive letters.

"I think h-he is on his way, soon he will be here" Penny shuttered anxiously.

Kurt looked at her and swallowed thickly, his throat feeling very constricted as he saw her confidence falter. "You already talked with him didn't you?"

"Kurt I-" She tried to say something, anything. But how you are suppose to find words to tell a boy his dad was murdered?

"And judging by your reaction you already know the necropsy results…M-my dad- He was murdered wasn't it?" Kurt exhaled shakily, staring down at his hands, away from Penny's eyes.

"Kurt-"

Kurt swallowed the thickness in his throat, nodded his head slightly. "I already knew. I did. I mean, people just don't die like that Penny!" He felt stomach in knots and his insides rolling up and twisting as he remembered his dad body fallen on the ground. "And he was fine you know? Sure he sometimes ate too much bacon but he was fine…"

"I am so sorry"

"Don't worry I am not going to break down, not again"

"Kurt is okay to cry"

"No is not!" He shouted slamming the book closed loudly before dropping on the coffee table "I already cried too much, I already had too much break downs! It's enough! We don't have time to mourning, we have to find who did this and punish them, only then I will allow myself to mourn, when we locked up this monster and I finally be able to feel safe again."

"Alright, if that what you want I will respect that but don't feel ashamed of suffering Kurt that doesn't make you weaker." She said sitting beside him a placing and assuring hand on his shoulder.

"Kurt, listen to me" she murmured. "We are going to catch who did this, I promise you Kurt. You will feel safe again"

Kurt nodded at the ginger words, he believed her and refused to let the tears burning his eyes stream down his face. He was tired of crying, of feeling weak, he would be strong. Now more than ever, he needed to be strong, someone had messed up with Hummel's and he would do this monster had to pay.

Moments ticked by in silence as they sat there, Penny caressing his shoulder until Kurt allowed himself to say something again. "How about we take a look on this book over here huh?" He said grabbing the book of the coffee table pushing the painful memories of his dad to the back of his mind.

He handed Penny the book. After some time staring at a random page the ginger woman finally gave up "Yep just like I said I don't know a word in German"

Kurt shrugged "That make two of us then".

"Well I think am going to do us some tea. Do you want some tea?" Penny offered standing. Kurt nodded flipping through the book's pages.

"Hey Penny?" Penny heard Kurt calling before she even get in the kitchen.

"What honey?"

"There is something wrong with the book" Kurt murmured, flipping the pages back and forth.

"What you mean?" Penny hurried kneeling in front of him.

"Penny" Kurt looked up looking her into her eyes. "There are pages missing"

TBC...