"We need to talk." Blaine said darkly, leaving no room for argument with the tone of voice he used.

Wes couldn't move with Blaine's glare trained on him, something that rarely ever happened. He opened his mouth only to realize how dry it was, so the only thing he could really do was lick his lips nervously which only seemed to tick off the other Warbler more.

"How could you push Kurt into the Warblers, Wes?" Blaine asked, watching one of his closest friends fidget. He waited for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest impatiently.

"Blaine." Wes began, thankful he had finally found his voice again. "It was for the best, if I didn't the Warblers would of-"

"No." Blaine snapped quickly, shaking his head. "You can't manipulate someone into joining just for competition." Blaine began, not even caring that he interrupted Wes. "I want the Warblers to win at sectionals too, but I would never do what you did!"

Wes sighed before packing up the rest of his belongings. He was getting really irritated that everyone was seeing him as the bad guy. He slung his backpack strap over his shoulder before looking Blaine in the face. "You can't honestly think I only forced him into the Warblers for competition, do you?" he said, shaking his head before walking towards the double doors that led into the hall. He was surprised when a hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling until he turned to face a red-faced Blaine.

"Then what the hell did you do it for?" Blaine asked, his grip tightening as he tried to keep his voice lowered even though the urge to yell at the other was slowly creeping it's way into his throat. "Don't you think he was bullied enough at his old school?" Blaine blinked when Wes let out a loud laugh before pulling his arm out of his grasp.

"Blaine, you don't know anything." Wes began, closing his mouth quickly before the truth tumbled out. "Look, I did it for Kurt, alright?" he continued, looking away from Blaine's confused expression. "As long as he's in the Warblers no one will touch him here. Dalton may be a safe environment but we still have a few students who won't hesitate in bullying or teasing."

Blaine's face fell slightly as Wes explained. "So you did this to keep him safe, just like you did with Nick and-"

"You." Wes said, finishing for his friend before looking back at him. "You didn't want to join at first remember?" he asked, gripping the strap of his backpack as a broken down and depressed Blaine resurfaced in his memory. "If David and I didn't spend hours talking to you and convincing you to do so, where would you be right now?"

Blaine was the one who looked away now, thinking back to when he had transferred. He had been withdrawn and uninterested in everything, but somehow Wes and David had broken through just like he and Jeff had broken through to Nick when he first arrived at Dalton. Slowly he looked back to his friend, the other's words finally sinking in. "You really did this for him didn't you?" he whispered, smiling when the other Warbler nodded.

"Yeah." Wes said after a moment of silence. "I do think of other things besides winning, believe it or not." He said, smiling when Blaine shifted his shoulder bag slightly. "Kurt deserves to be happy, and I think singing with the Warblers will help."

"I think you're right." Blaine admitted. "Wes I'm sorry I just…why didn't you explain that to Nick earlier?" he asked, following Wes out of the doors and into the hall. "Why did you suspend him earlier when he was just trying to stop Jeff?

"Nick wasn't really in a talking mood earlier and I suspended him because he pissed me off." Wes said with a shrug. He turned, grinning when Blaine almost ran into him. "Nick may have come a long way from three years ago but his anger still shines through. He needed a few days to cool off."

"Right." Blaine said, knowing exactly what Wes was talking about. Nick still had issues of his own to sort through and unfortunately anger was one of them. "I'll explain then so he'll understand."

Wes laughed and shook his head. "Good luck with that, I think he'll be sore over it for a while." he trailed off before sighing. "Don't tell Kurt the reason." he said, rolling his eyes when the shorter senior shot him another confused look. "If we tell him he may just quit because of it. "We never told you or Nick why and you two seem fine." he said with a shrug of his shoulders, smiling when Blaine nodded.

"You wouldn't of really given Pavarotti back to Randal, right?" Blaine asked quietly, watching his friend's expression closely.

Wes shook his head. "No, I would of taken him back until a new Warbler joined, but I couldn't let Kurt know that." he said, another grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. "If you want something bad enough you learn to lie in the right places."

Blaine raised a triangular eyebrow before shaking his own head in return. "Whatever Wes, just next time you pull something like that let me know or something." he said with a sigh.

"Sure." Wes said before turning on his heel to walk down the hall. "See you later."

Blaine watched Wes turn the corner before turning and walking the opposite direction. He had somehow come out of the confrontation with a mixture of new respect and annoyance about Wes. Though he could understand the other's reasoning he still didn't think it was right to lie. Perhaps though, it was for the best since Kurt would be safer in the Warblers.

What had Wes been talking about when he said he knew nothing earlier? He knew that Kurt had been bullied at his old school and as far as he knew it was only that. Had something else happened that he didn't know but somehow the other did? How was the question. Wouldn't Kurt tell him?

The next few days were surprisingly fun and careless for Kurt. The Warblers seemed to have accepted him with open arms, comforting him further. In fact the only people who really gave him an odd look now and then were Randal and his little group of friends, but they were easy to ignore with Jeff and Nick around giving looks right back.

He quickly found out how serious the senior council took practice. At the beginning of each one they would answer questions and make announcements before they began. None of the boy's fooled around while Wes and David had their eye on them, meaning practice actually went as planned. None of the Warblers complained about the amount of times they had to start over or about the extra time they spent after the official practice hours were over.

Pretending to sing didn't work out, which he found out after Wes had caught his lips mouthing the wrong words to Hey Soul Sister. Thankfully the senior hadn't called him out in front of the others but he did get an earful after everyone had left that day. He had began to sing after that which caused Blaine to send him the brightest smiles he had ever seen in his life. It caused the warm flutters to attack every single time their eyes locked which sometimes made him miss a step or two. The other Warblers didn't even groan or complain that they had to start over when he did. No one made fun of his voice for how high it was, in fact no one seemed bothered at all which really surprised and confused Kurt at the same time.

Kurt had even managed to make even more friends, of course they weren't as close as Jeff, Nick and Blaine were. They were nice though and a few even joined him, Nick and Jeff for lunch at times when the other three Seniors didn't share it with them. Other Warblers smiled or waved to him in the hall when he passed, a few even stopped to talk to him even though he mostly nodded instead of talking. No one seemed to mind and he even found himself talking with Nick and Blaine more and more as the days passed.

Though the best thing about joining the Warblers was Pavarotti. The bird always seemed so cheerful and full of energy Kurt didn't even know birds could possess. His little friend even seemed to listen when he talked to him, tilting his head and chirping in response to some of the things he said. He also found out if he whistled the little bird would almost always respond with his own chirp.

Kurt had explained to his dad a few days ago that he would be bringing Pavarotti home with him over the break which the older man didn't seem to mind. In fact his father was more impressed that he had actually joined the Warblers and Kurt just knew he had been smiling on the other end of the phone line. Knowing his father was actually happy made Kurt's heart swell. Ever since Finn had found him and the truth came out he hadn't seen the man really smile. It seemed like he was blaming himself for what Karofsky had done to him, something that really bothered Kurt. He had tried to tell him otherwise, but of course the stubborn man wouldn't listen.

So now he was waiting in the parking lot for his father's truck to roll in. Nick, Jeff and Blaine had refused to let him wait on his own so they were now waiting with him. Though Nick and Jeff weren't really paying attention to anything Blaine was saying since they seemed too wrapped up in each other. They kept sharing quick kisses and secret looks whenever they thought no one was looking, something of which Kurt thought was very sweet. Once again he found himself wishing that someday he would have the same thing, hoping it wasn't a selfish wish.

"I'll miss you."

"Blaine, it's only a week." Jeff called out, laughing when the shorter boy sent him a dark look.

"Let poor Kurt enjoy his Thanksgiving in peace." Nick added as he walked past the other two.

Kurt smiled as Blaine frowned, reaching out to take the other's hand. "I'll miss you too." he whispered, noticing that yet again the flutters returned to his stomach when the other Warbler sent him another bright smile in return. He looked away as he felt his face heating up, confused when a blue colored car pulled up beside Nick where was bending down to pick up his bag.

"Damn…" Jeff mumbled softly, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his dark blue jacket.

Kurt watched as the passenger window rolled down to reveal a very familiar face. It took him a moment but he finally remembered who the Warbler was, causing him to give Jeff and Blaine a confused look. "Tony?"

"We need to get going before Jill and Mark get antsy, bro." Tony said, grinning towards Jeff who was still pouting where he stood.

"Yeah, Mark said he would take us out to dinner tonight so get a move on!" a girl's voice called out loudly, causing Tony to laugh and Nick to smile.

"Okay, okay. Keep your skirt on Annabelle." Nick said, stepping closer to the car and opening the door to the backseat, throwing his backpack in before closing it again and walking to Jeff. The car rolled after him slowly, stopping where Kurt and Blaine stood still holding hands.

"Hey Blaine, Kurt!" Tony said happily before waving at them, the short haired girl in the drivers seat doing the same.

Kurt was still trying to make the connection between the other Senior and Nick, but nothing was coming to mind. He sent Blaine another pleading look hoping the other would have some explanation considering he couldn't ask Nick himself since he was currently giving Jeff a very long and passionate goodbye kiss.

"Oh, I guess it's never come up before." Blaine began looking towards Tony and Annabelle who were still smiling happily at them. "Tony is one of the foster kids that live with Nick along with Annabelle." he continued, smiling when Kurt nodded. "Annabelle goes to Dalton's sister school, Crawford."

"Hi!" Annabelle called out excitedly, tapping the steering wheel along to the soft music playing in the car. "Tony and Nick talk about you sometimes." she said tilting her head to the side as she looked over Kurt's face. "Apparently you sing like an angel and draw like Michael Angelo." she added, laughing loudly when Kurt's face turned a dark red from the compliments.

"I can't, well I don't think I…" Kurt began, stuttering slightly as he squeezed Blaine's hand nervously. He felt the other's hand squeeze back and it calmed him slightly as the girl and even Tony continued to laugh quietly.

"Annabelle, leave Kurt alone!" Nick called out after he had finally pulled his lips from Jeff's, much to the blonds dismay of course. He walked up to Kurt and Blaine, giving an apologetic smile. "She's harmless, really." he said before shooting his sister a look that only sent her into another fit of giggles. Nick rolled his eyes before smiling towards the other two. "I'll see you in a week." he said, slowly stepping closer to Kurt and wrapping his arms around the other loosely, surprised when the other junior hugged him back just as hesitantly.

"Be safe." Kurt whispered in Nicks ear before the other pulled away. He smiled slightly when the other nodded.

"You too." Nick said saying goodbye to Blaine before walking to the car where Jeff was holding the door open for him. He pressed a gentle kiss to his boyfriend's lips, smiling against them when the blond eagerly pressed back. "I love you." he whispered after he pulled back.

"I love you too." Jeff whispered back, smiling as Nick slipped into the backseat. He closed the door, grateful when one of the other two rolled down the window. "Be careful and text me when you get home, okay?"

Nick pulled his seatbelt over his chest and clicked it into place before looking up at Jeff again. "Yes, dear." he said, grinning when Jeff laughed. "Tell your parents I said hi."

"Of course." Jeff said, brown eyes lit up in amusement. "Can't go a day in that house without one of them asking about their precious Nick." he said, sighing softly when Annabelle let out an impatient huff.

"Seriously, you two are acting like you wont see each other for months when it's only going to be a week. Buck up." Annabelle grumbled, sighing when Tony touched her shoulder.

'She's right you know." Tony called out quietly, laughing when Jeff glared at him.

"Can we go now?" Annabelle asked, revving the engine pointedly.

Nick sighed before giving Jeff another longing look, smiling slightly when Jeff bent over to poke his head in the warm car, pressing his lips to his forehead. "Bye." he whispered after the blond had pulled his head back.

"Bye." Jeff said, frowning when the window rolled up and waving back to Nick when the car began to pull out. He was still staring in the direction the car had turned, a frown on his lips.

"And the moping begins." Blaine murmured, laughing when a soft whine left Jeff a moment afterwards.

"It's not fair. A week is too long." Jeff said quietly, finally turning to look at Kurt and Blaine, suddenly very jealous that they could hold hands while he and Nick couldn't.

"Weren't you just making fun of me for saying I would miss Kurt?" Blaine asked with a raised brow. He laughed again when Jeff sent him a disgruntled look.

"It's different for them though." Kurt said softly, pulling the other Warblers attention towards him.

Blaine smiled sadly, squeezing Kurt's hand again before speaking. "It doesn't

have to be." he whispered, hoping the heat suddenly pooling in his cheeks didn't show as he stared into Kurt's wide eyes.

Jeff's jaw dropped as he watched. Did Blaine really just say that, right now? He watched the two of them closely, ignoring the cold wind that pushed against him. It wasn't a surprise considering it was pretty obvious Blaine had fallen for Kurt at the beginning, but to bring that up so suddenly when they would be separated for a week didn't really seem like a good idea to him.

Kurt stared into Blaine's eyes, trying to figure out what on earth the other Warbler meant by his words. Surely he couldn't mean what he thought it did right? No way could this perfect boy like him the way he liked the other. It never worked out like that, so it couldn't even be possible…right? He opened his mouth to ask the prefect what he was saying when a loud car horn honked at the entrance of the parking lot.

Glancing over and noticing his father's truck he quickly pulled his hand from Blaine, giving a little smile. "M-My dad." he said, relieved when Blaine gave him an understanding expression. The tall truck pulled up in front of the two like Annabelle's car had, his father rolling down the passenger window.

"Hey Kiddo!" Burt said happily, eyeing the other two boys carefully before reaching over and pushing the door open for Kurt. "Carole has dinner cooking, so we gotta' get a move on." he said cheerfully. He watched as both of the unknown boys hugged his son, surprised when Kurt actually smiled and hugged them back, even if it was a little awkward.

"Bye." Kurt said softly to both of his friends. He gave Blaine another smile before climbing into the truck and closing the door after he had thrown his bag in the back and had gently settled Pavarotti on the floorboard. "Be safe." he managed to say before his father began to drive, the window rolling up and fogging so he couldn't see Blaine or Jeff anymore as the truck continued to on.

"You seemed….close to those boys." Burt said, brow furrowed in confusion as he stopped at the exit. "Friends?" he asked, glancing towards his son before looking both ways and pulling out of the parking lot.

"Best friends." Kurt corrected softly, smiling at his father's surprised look. "What?" he asked quietly, crossing his knees as he held his numb fingers up to the heat blowing form the air vent.

"It's just…" Burt trailed off, concentrating as he drove in and out of traffic. "You haven't really talked so easily in a while." he finally finished, taking a chance to glance at Kurt once again. "You really like that school, huh?"

"Yes." Kurt answered immediately. "You were right about it, dad." he whispered, looking down to his knees as he thought about what to say next. "I've made a lot of friends."

"Really?" Burt asked excitedly. "That's great, Kurt!" he exclaimed, reaching over and patting Kurt's knee. He noticed the small tense but it wasn't anything like it was two months before. A small amount of relief flooded through him at that moment. Kurt was safe, but he seemed to be happy now too. So even though he missed seeing his son on a daily basis he could suffer a bit longer if Dalton could keep the small smile on Kurt's lips. "I was a little worried you know." he admitted.

Kurt turned towards his father again, a smile still in place. "I know." he began, reaching over to place a hand on the man's shoulder. "I'm okay."

Burt didn't think he could blink the tears away, but he managed to keep himself in check as he actually talked to his son about his life a Dalton. He would have to thank Jared Anderson for recommending the school. It looked like it was the best thing he had ever done for his son and he wasn't going to let the man who suggested it go unnoticed.

Halfway through the ride home Kurt's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and felt another rush of heat rush to his face as he read the message displayed on the screen.

"Well that's the biggest smile I've seen on your face in a while." Burt said quietly as they waited at a red light. "Friend?"

Kurt quickly cleared the message and stuffed his phone back in his pocket before reaching up to rub at his face. "Something like that." he finally said, staring out the passenger window. Blaine's words from earlier still circled around his thoughts as his father continued the long drive to Lima.