Chapter Four: Looking For Space

Blaine was alive.  At first, Kurt was ecstatic.  Then the reality of it all hit, and he realized that alive or not, Blaine might not stay that way for long now that the government had gotten him.  And while the resistance had all been prepared to go searching for Blaine, everybody seemed a little stand-offish at the idea of an actual rescue attempt.  After all, the home of the Head of Security was, well, secure.  Kurt was more than willing to overlook any potential danger, but the remainder of the group had seemed more hesitant.

Oh, well.  They would get him across the barrier, at least, and then he would figure out how to get Blaine back.  If it came down to it, Kurt was prepared to die trying.

Kurt didn’t stay that night at Mike and Tina’s home; for the first time he slept in the guest room at Carole and Finn (and his dad’s?) house.  Finn’s soulmate, Rachel, also lived there with them, and she and Kurt hit it off right from the start.  At least, that’s what Rachel said.  Kurt personally found her boisterous enthusiasm for, well, herself to be a bit too much.  On the other hand, they did share plenty of interests—musicals, performing and attractive men to name a few—which was promising.  Rachel also went on and on about her two gay dads, and while her assumption that Kurt would automatically be interested was annoying, he had to admit to himself that it might be useful to chat with them at some point.  He had, after all, never known another gay couple before.

The next morning’s breakfast was full of awkward silences, if one dismissed Carole’s occasional cheerful attempts at conversation and Rachel’s blathering on about a callback she’d just gotten for the perfect role.  Kurt could sense, though, that even Rachel was tense and on edge.  He and Finn were leaving at 11 am, due to meet the others at the border.

After their meal, Finn helped him pack, having been on similar missions before.  Kurt took his advice carefully, then slipped in a few of his own signature pieces while the taller man wasn’t looking.  Fashion emergencies were, after all, unpredictable.  And if they got Blaine out… when they got Blaine out, Kurt corrected himself… he would need to look his best.

Burt drove them all down to the barrier crammed together in Carole’s car, which had clearly not been designed for a family of five.  When they got there, Kurt immediately spotted Mike and Tina huddled together off to one side, and Sugar sweetly kissing a blushing man with mussed brown hair.  The mysterious Sam, it seemed, had yet to arrive.

His stomach twisting inside, he turned reluctantly to face his father.  “Dad…”

“Kurt,” Burt sighed and pulled him into his arms a little harshly.  “I should come with you,” he started to say too quickly.  “I should come with you and… I dunno, but this isn’t fair!  This shouldn’t be happening to you.  I need to do something.  I could…”

“Dad!” Kurt cut him off, pulling back just a bit to look into his father’s face, startled to see that tears were there, threatening to blink past his eyes.  “I need you to stay here, with Carole.  I need you to be here, in case something… something happens,” he tried hard to keep his voice steady.

Burt squeezed his arms, looking like he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.

“We’ll ready the guest room while you’re gone,” Carole spoke up, brushing her own tears away from her face after pulling back from hugging Finn, who immediately latched on to Rachel.  Or, rather, she latched on to him.  “You and Blaine can stay with us, when you get back.”

Kurt considered her and nodded.  “At least until we get on our feet,” he asserted quietly.  “But if it isn’t too much trouble, I’d like to…”

“We’ll get the furniture, then, and you can decorate it yourself when you get back.”

Kurt looked back to his father, pleased to see that he appeared more composed, happy that Burt seemed to read his mind.  He smiled.

“Thank you, that would be perfect.”  He reached out towards Burt without really meaning to, grasping at his hand.  “Dad, I…”

“I know,” his father pulled him into another hug, which Kurt gratefully sank into.  “I love you, too,” he whispered into Kurt’s ear.

When they broke apart Kurt shared an awkward hug with Carole, which he found oddly comforting for reasons he wasn’t quite ready to examine.  When that was over, Rachel flung herself at him dramatically, taking Kurt by surprise.  He patted her back a little and waited for her to detach, looking over her shoulder at Finn, who merely shrugged apologetically.

And then, too soon, they were driving away.

Mike and Sugar were alone when Kurt and Finn turned to find them, and Mike was working himself into a bit of a tizzy.

“I can’t believe Sam’s still not here!  They know that crossing is time-sensitive, but those people just don’t…” he groaned, trailing off.  “Fifteen minutes.  We’ve only got fifteen minutes!”

But even as he said it, an unusual looking car was pulling up.  If it wasn’t for the wheels and the gentle hum of the engine, Kurt would almost say it was a carriage.  Puzzled, he watched with the others as the car stopped and a stocky man got out of the driver’s seat, making his way around to open the passenger’s door.

To Kurt’s shock, the person practically hopping out of the passenger’s side of the car was… one of the prettiest girls he’d ever seen.

It wasn’t her features, exactly, though those were nice enough on their own.  She was tall and willowy, pale and freckled, face soft and eyes a clear, perfect blue.  No, he thought to himself.  It was her… energy.  Something about her buzzed and shimmered and shone in a way that was pure beauty, pure happiness that Kurt could feel somehow without understanding it.

He wanted to say something as she approached, but when he attempted to gather his thoughts all that came out was… “I thought that Sam was a boy?”

“He is,” Mike said sharply, jolting Kurt enough to turn and look at him.  He did not look pleased.  “This is Brittany, his sister.”

Sugar was squealing and running towards the other girl, and Finn was considering him with sympathy.  “You get used to it,” he offered, squeezing Kurt’s shoulder.

“I don’t understand,” Kurt said a little helplessly.

Mike sighed, eyes finally ripping away from the strange girl to consider Kurt.  “Brittany, like Sam, is a child of the Source.  The Source is all around us, of course, and it’s part of everybody to some extent, but in children of the Source it’s… organic, I guess you could say.  They can channel it and use it, like a kind of magic.  That’s why Sam was going with us… their powers offer us protection and will allow us to travel unseen.”

“Brittany can’t do that?”

“She can,” Mike said reluctantly.  “It’s just… well, all children of the Source are a little different, but Brittany is more different than the rest.  It’s not a bad thing, we all love her, it’s just…”

“You’ll understand once you get to talking with her,” Finn finished for him.

The girls were approaching them now, and Kurt turned towards them with a smile, fully intending to introduce himself to Brittany.  But she was so close now that he froze, overtaken by all the things he was feeling.  He hoped this didn’t last very long, or he would be next to useless on this trip.

His staring was cut short, however, when the girl rushed at him, throwing her arms around his neck and just as quickly pulling back to do the same to Finn and then Mike.  She held their hands, beaming happily and considering each of them in turn.  “Is this the dolphin Sam told me about?” she asked eagerly, reminding him of nothing so much as a child who’d been promised a special treat.

“Yes, Brittany,” Mike told her patiently, a small, indulgent smile gracing his face.

Brittany squealed and hugged him again.  “You’re Kurt, then, I knew it!  I’ve met a few dolphins, but you’re special.  I think maybe you’re a unicorn, too, like me!”

“Uhhh… thanks,” Kurt offered, a little taken aback. 

She seemed to consider him for a minute, and slowly her smile faded.  “I’m sorry about the other dolphin.  Blaine, right?  Your soulmate?  I really hope you find him,” she spoke with great sincerity, tears pooling in her eyes, and suddenly Kurt was feeling the absence of Blaine all over again and fighting back his own tears.

He blinked at her, truly touched by her concern, and tried to smile.  “Thank you, Brittany.  I can already sense that we’re going to be friends.”

Brittany beamed again.  “Of course we are, silly!”

“Right,” Mike said, and Kurt suddenly remembered that the others were present, looking up to find that Finn and Mike were watching them looking somewhat uncomfortable, while Sugar wore a happy smile on her face.  “We really need to leave; there’s only five minutes left in our window.  We can hear about why Brittany is here instead of Sam after we’ve gotten to the other side.”

He was hurrying towards the barrier the moment he finished speaking, not bothering to wait for a response, and the girls fell into step after him.

Kurt took a nervous breath, a small, forced step, Finn hanging back and considering him with awkward concern.

“Hey, are you going to be alright with this?  I just thought after what happened the last time…”

Kurt smiled at him.  “I guess I have to be, right?  But thanks.”

“Yeah, dude, we are brothers now.  And I promise, it’s not as bad, going in this direction.”

*******

Finn was right.  Crossing the barrier this way merely disoriented Kurt for a few minutes, an effect he seemed to share with the others.  Recovering quickly, they pressed on.

They were walking to the safehouse, which was a good day’s journey by foot.  Mike--clearly the designated leader of their group—explained on the way that it was safer, because Brittany’s magic could keep them hidden from sight but could not hide man-made objects, such as a vehicle.

While trudging through the forest was certainly not Kurt’s preferred activity (especially when it became necessary to use the restroom—or rather lack of one,) he reminded himself that it was bringing him closer to Blaine.  At least it better be, because he could think of no one else he’d willingly do this for.

They chatted most of the way, Kurt learning several very interesting things from the others.  Brittany explained to them that her grandmother, who had raised her and her twin brother Sam, would not permit him to abandon his training to become Master of the Source in order to join them on their mission.  It was only reluctantly that she agreed to send Brittany in his stead, rightfully (in Kurt’s opinion) concerned about the girl involving herself in a potentially dangerous mission.

Brittany was, of course, trained to use her abilities effectively and, being a daughter of the Source, she was much harder to harm than the average person.  But Kurt was slowly starting to understand what a special and unique person Brittany was, even as the effects of being around her for the first time were finally beginning to fade.  He could sympathize with the woman’s hesitance.

Mike explained to Kurt how the resistance had formed, and he was surprised to learn that Blaine was one of its earliest—and founding—members.

“He never said as much to me,” Kurt commented quietly.  For some reason the omission hurt.

Mike nodded.  “Blaine’s very modest, and besides, it was actually Cooper’s idea.  Blaine inspired it, of course, but Cooper was hesitant to let his little brother actually take part, especially when he decided to drop out of college and join in on the actual missions.  But Blaine was stubborn, you know how he gets.”

Kurt nodded, but he really didn’t know.  Blaine had never been stubborn with him personally, at least not yet.  “So you dropped out and joined when Blaine did?”

“That’s right.”

Kurt cocked his head to consider him.  “Why?”

For a minute, the Mike seemed taken aback by the question.  “Blaine was my best friend, and I guess a part of it was being young and eager to jump in to something like that… but really, it’s about the cause.  I really believe in what we’re fighting for.  The current laws in The New World aren’t just hurting homosexuals, they hurt no-names, too, and anyone else who rebels against the mating laws or the system.  I’ve known too many people seeking refuge from that place.  No one in my family, but I’m one of the few.”

“I joined because of my mom,” Finn spoke up, startling Kurt a little.  “You know she was a no-name, before your dad.  My father—“ he spit out the word “—knocked her up and abandoned her when he met his soulmate two months later.  She found a way to The Olde World, but it wasn’t easy.  If she had stayed here…”

“She would have been arrested,” Kurt finished for him, thinking of Quinn.  “I’m sorry, Finn.”

The taller man shrugged.  “It’s all good now, dude.  We’ve had a nice life over there, and besides, Rachel turned out to be there as well.  And now… well, your dad’s made her happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

“Good,” Kurt said sincerely.  “I’m glad they found each other.”

The new brothers shared a smile.

“What’s your story, Sugar?” Kurt ventured to ask.

“You mean why I’m in the resistance?” the perky girl returned, but didn’t wait for clarification.  “It’s to become famous, silly!”

“But… isn’t this dangerous?” 

Sugar nodded vigorously.  “My daddy tried to talk me out of it, but I know he’ll be proud when we win and everybody knows it.  He hates The New World too, you know.  He’s really, really rich and they didn’t want to let him keep all of his money.  So we left.”  She shrugged, as if all of this was no big deal.

Kurt tried to smile at her but thought it probably came out as more of a grimace.  “Any reason is good enough for a good cause, I suppose.”  He wasn’t quite convinced of it himself.

Sugar seemed to agree, though.  “That’s what Rory said—my soulmate.  He’s Irish,” she said the last part proudly, with a little giggle.

Irish, Irish… Kurt knew he had heard the word before, but it took a minute before it clicked.  Ireland was one of the countries that existed long ago that were eradicated with the introduction of the Source.  Of course, many people still held on to the old terminology of their heritage.  He thought it was part of The Far World, a place he had learned about but never been to.

“How did you manage to find him there?” Kurt couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity piqued.  Not only was it a place where few here traveled, but it was almost unheard of for soulmates to be born that far apart.

“Daddy sent some people,” Sugar said.  “He wasn’t going to let me be alone.”

The conversation halted there, and the group traveled in silence for a while, stopping every so often to rest or take care of necessities.  It was during a dinner break that Kurt finally worked up the courage to question Brittany, who curiously seemed to be the only one of his companions who hadn’t mentioned a mate.

“Brittany,” he snagged the girl’s attention away from her bag of gummy snacks, which she appeared to be playing with almost as if they were dolls.  “Have you found your soulmate yet?”

His face fell when hers did, and he wished he could take back the overly-personal question.

“No,” Brittany said sadly.  “I don’t think she’s in The Olde World, or she’d have found me by now.”

It took a moment for Kurt to process the “she” in her words, which shouldn’t have surprised him but did, and realize what that meant.  “Oh, Brittany,” was all he could say.  “I’m sure that…”

“Don’t,” she cut him off.  “I know what you’re going to say, and I don’t need false hope.  I know what it means.”

Kurt studied her for a minute, feeling her sadness as his own, before finally nodding.  “Ok.  I’m sorry, Brittany, I shouldn’t have asked.”

She smiled at him, and though it was still a little sad it seemed genuine enough.  “It’s ok, dolphin.  You’re allowed to ask.”

She turned back to her gummy bears and Kurt to his energy bar, somehow feeling more determined now than ever.

*******

The safehouse was located only two miles outside of the nearest town, but it was well hidden, surrounded by trees and lacking any notable indication that there was a clearing there at all.  Still, it was large and attractive—a far cry from the shabby hideaway Kurt had been picturing (and dreading.)

Even something shabby would have been a welcome respite from all their traveling, but Kurt would take the stability of brick any day.

It was long after night had fallen when they approached the safehouse, Mike taking the initiative to climb the stairs to the porch and knock on the door with the others following close behind.  They stood together and waited, and soon the door was thrown open.  The young woman greeting them was someone Kurt had never expected to see again.

She scanned their group before her eyes landed on Kurt, and they widened almost comically in surprise.  “Boo?  Is that really you?”

Kurt could feel the grin stretching over his face as he nodded at his former best friend before launching himself into her arms.  “It’s been far too long, Mercedes.”