Chapter 3

If you had asked Kurt what he thought hed be doing right now, a week ago, he would have told you hed be getting fucked. Almost certainly. He most definitely would not have told you that hed willingly be in the passenger seat of a detectives car. A detective who, apparently, he was now on a first name basis with. Even though this ridiculous situation was just that, ridiculous, somehow, thats where Kurt ended up on that Saturday evening. What are the fucking odds.

Kurt chuckled dryly at the absurdity before Blaine turned to him and Kurt remembered, again, that he wasnt alone. 

"Whats so funny?" Blaine asked, shattering whatever remnants of quiet that Kurt had cherished.

"Just thinking about the fact that I got picked up by a cop and Im not struggling with everything I have in me."

“Well, Im not just any cop," said Blaine before winking in Kurts direction. Winking. Actually winking. Kurt could do nothing but laugh for the next few seconds.

"Yeah, Detective Happy, keep telling yourself that." And then nothing was funny anymore. They had pulled up to Kurt's ‘house.' It wasnt a house to Kurt. It was a place to sleep and a prison cell. Kurt had to get Rachel and be in and out like the place was on fire. One second longer could result in disaster. 

They both stepped out of the car and looked in the direction of the house. It wasnt anything like youd see in a movie, an old creaky, rundown shack, but an almost new looking house. Blaine was thoroughly surprised. 

They proceeded up the steps to the house and Kurt murmured, “wait here." He expected an argument, but Blaine understood why Kurt wanted him to wait outside. If they were spotted by the other workers or, god help them, Kenny, Kurt would have no way to explain Blaine's presence other than, he's a cop, I got busted. That little confession could end up getting a lot of people hurt, so Blaine just leaned up against the wall next to the door and listened for commotion. 

Meanwhile, Kurt had opened the door and tiptoed into the hallway. He walked past the living room, where a young girl and her boyfriend slept, and the dining room, where two girls slept, and he was proceeding into the basement, where Rachel and himself slept when he heard a creek come from upstairs. He thought nothing of it, just another addict shifting in restless sleep, but he continued with caution as he slinked down the basement stairs.

There were two couches and an air mattress in the basement and even though the couches were far comfier, Rachel insisted that they sleep together on the air mattress. Kurt could never do anything but comply. 

The air mattress was a bit like their safe place. Kurt didnt speak about his life much, but Rachel liked to whisper her secrets to him before they drifted off to sleep. She had a promising background, her fathers were wealthy and she studied hard all through high school. She got into the college of her dreams (god, why couldnt he remember the name of that fucking school, it was all she ever talked about and it drove Kurt insane) and auditions lined up to start her career. 

In her freshman year of college she was just getting used to New York and she went out partying with some asshole, Brody was his name. After a night of heavy grinding and drinking, he took her home and raped her in her own bed. She swore up and down that she said no. She said stop, but she came forward twelve days after it happened and her body couldnt be used as evidence. 

More than a few people testified that they saw her and Brody having what was nearly sex out on the dance floor and nothing more could be done for her. 

Kurt's story was radically different, but everyone's was. He never bothered spelling it out for her.

She spun out of control, always blaming herself, she used to say she was toxic and she couldnt have anyone she cared about in her life. Instead of telling her how untrue that was (Kurt knew she wouldnt believe him if he did), Kurt would just snuggle closer and tell her she didnt have to care about him, but he would always care for her.

Kurt's face screwed up into a look of disgust at the sweet things he used to comfort his friend with. Since when am I a sickening sap? He shook his head and vowed to never say anything all…tender like that again. 

Kurt approached Rachel's sleeping form on the couch, her only visible feature was her long brown hair, tumbling over the side of the pillow. He pushed the blanket down gently and moved a strand of her hair behind her ear and whispered, “Rachel. Rachel.” 

She groaned and turned to face him, revealing an angry purplish bruise covering her right eye. “Rach, what happened?” As Kurt whisper-yelled at her, he yanked her sweater out from in between the cushions and tossed it to her. Rachel, understanding that something was up, tugged it on and sat up, letting the blankets slide to the floor. 

“Kenny. What do you think? Next time you decide youre not coming home, warn me.” Rachel grimaced and Kurt mirrored her expression. 

“I'm sorry, but we gotta go. If we stick around, Kenny's gonna beat the living shit out of the both of us and I am so not in the mood for that.” Kurt continued talking and Rachel allowed herself to be towed to the bottom of the stairs before stopping.

“Kurt, if we leave, Kenny'll find us, you know that.” Rachel glanced up the stairs as if expecting him to be standing, there, but Kurt just smiled.

“He's getting taken in. He took out too many whores and the cops are on him. All we have to do is go down to the station and in a few hours, he'll be behind bars. We're safe.” They were at the top of the stairs, and proceeding down the hallway, but Rachel was sort of stuck on the go down to the station part.

“No!” She yelled, Kurt immediately placing his hand over her mouth to quiet her. 

“Shut up! Do you want to get out of here alive or not?” She had forced them to a stop and Kurt was very nervous about being just a few doors down from his possible murderer's room.

She gestured for him to remove his hand and after rolling his eyes, he did so. 

“You want to talk to the police? They don't care about us, Kurt. Theyll take our statements and then toss us in jail.” 

“Just trust me, Rach, I made a deal. We'll be in and out of there.” Rachel nodded, but still looked skeptical. 

“Ok, let's-”

Before Rachel could agree to go, Kenny came stumbling out of the room nearest the exit and yanked Rachel by the hair. She screeched in surprise, he let her go, but she seemed frozen to the ground next to him.

“Now w-where have you been, whore?” Kenny's words were slurred, he was obviously drunk and Kurt was in the mood for anything but this asshole right now. Kurt's loyalties no longer lied with Kenny and he had nothing to be scared of anymore. 

“Starlight, move away from Kenny. 

Rachel continued to stand still, so Kurt shoved her towards the door before making his next move.

He advanced on Kenny, who just smirked, thinking Kurt could do nothing to harm him, before Kurt pulled out his small (but very sharp and painful when used) pocket knife and held it against Kenny's neck.

Kenny's face fell, a look of shock replacing it. “What do you think you're-”

“Shut up. Shut your mouth right now, I have nothing to loose and everything to gain by ending you right here, so you better just be quiet.” 

Kenny mouthed a few words silently, but ultimately, remained quiet. 

“Good job. Here's how this is going to happen. You are going to stand here, not breathe a word, not move a muscle. Starlight is going to leave now, ok? Goodbye, Starlight.” 

“I can't leave you he-” Rachel tried to protest, but Kurt wasnt having it. 

“Thank you, Starlight. I will come join you in just a moment, now go.” She nodded wordlessly, seeming upset, but still going outside. Kurt was a cold hearted bitch sometimes, well, all times, but he would die before he let Rachel get hurt. 

And now, Kurt had no idea what he was going to do. Standing here, a knife held to the throat of a man a nearly twice his size, Kurt really had no clue how he was going to get out of this. 

Blaine bursting through the door like a crazy person really helped him narrow down his options.

“Kurt!”

“What the fuck Blaine?” A knife to the throat apparently helps people sober up lightning speed. Kenny took advantage of Kurt's shock and twisted his wrist until Kurt cried out in pain and dropped his weapon. 

At this point Blaine pulled out his gun and started yelling undistinguishable orders at Kenny.

Kenny pulled Kurt in front of him and curled an arm across his neck, cutting off most of his circulation. “Put your gun down, or this ends with dead bodies.” 

Blaine, faced with the danger of harming an innocent, lowered his weapon to his feet, still prepared to fire. 

Kenny grinned an evil grin and released Kurt's neck and slid into the living room, moving quicker than Blaine anticipated. Before he knew what happened, Kenny had raced out the back door. Blaine moved to follow him, but heard a particularly pained sounding gasp come from Kurt.

He remembered that Kurt had just very nearly been strangled, and rushed to help him. Cradling Kurt's head in his lap on the floor and stroking through his hair and waiting for him to calm down.

Once the panting died down, Kurt pushed off of Blaine and pulled open the door, grabbing Rachel by the wrist and directing her towards the car along the way. The car was left unlocked, so Kurt pulled open the passenger door and quietly told Rachel to get in the back.

Blaine had scrambled up after Kurt and plopped into the driver's seat. He didnt want to sit and talk in front of that horrible house. 

They drove in awkward silence and when they arrived at the station for the second time that night Blaine wanted to say…something. He wasnt sure what. He didnt know what he expected really, but Kurt's angry silence wasnt it. Blaine had pretty much just saved his life, who knows what would have happened if Blaine didnt show up. Even though Kurt did look like he had the upper hand when Blaine showed up. Who knows what could have happened in the next moment? Right?

“So…not even a thank you?” Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say to Kurt right now.

“Thank you? Are you fucking kidding me?” Woah. Blaine wasnt always totally tuned in to other people's emotions, but that seemed totally out of left field.

“I was nearly strangled to death because of you, and you want me to thank you?” Rachel looked nervously between the two of them, but remained quiet.

“That's not really all that fair.” Blaine murmured. 

“Fair! Listen, boat shoes, I need the police to lock Kenny up and throw away the key, but I will most certainly never be speaking to you again. We can find someone else who wants to bust Kenny.” Kurt threw open his door. “Come on, Rachel.”

They both exited his car and headed towards the station, leaving Blaine not totally sure on what the hell just happened.