"Where should we do this?" Sam asked.

"We'll have to get out of the city," David suggested.

"We'll take it down old Hanover Road," Wes announced. "The finish line will be Black Hills Courtyard, where it abuts the cemetery. We'll meet there in an hour."

"In an hour it is, then," Blaine agreed. "And may the best team win."

Wes stared at Blaine long and hard before scoffing, turning on his heel and striding away.

"What's Hanover Road?" Kurt asked as the group walked en masse to their vehicles.

"It's a windy road down the mountain," Tina explained, jogging to keep up with her boyfriend.

"Yeah. Drifters like to use it,” Sam explained. “Street racers don't usually go up there."

"And it's neutral territory," Finn added, pointing to a peak visible over trees in the distance.

"How do we know Wes's crew hasn't been there lately?" Kurt asked. "I mean, it's closer to Westerville than it is to Lima. They could be practicing there. Maybe that’s why he suggested it. They’d have an advantage."

"It's been closed for the past seven months because of a mudslide,” Puck said. “They just opened it about a week ago.”

“They don’t really have a reason to go up there,” Mike put in, breaking away from the group to get to his RX-7.

“And with everything going on, I don’t think they’d have the time," Finn said, clapping Kurt on the back.

It was a nice feeling, having this crew standing beside him, and their words gave Kurt some reassurance, but unfortunately not enough to undo the massive collection of knots Kurt’s stomach had become.

***

Blaine got to his Mustang ahead of Kurt and waited for his boyfriend, turning to watch the Dalton Crew head back into their dorm. That’s when he noticed Sebastian, standing alone on the steps, watching the McKinley Crew…correction, watching Kurt leave. Sebastian’s eyes followed Kurt until he saw Blaine watching. Then he turned, bypassed the dorm, and headed for his car.

When Kurt finally caught up to Blaine, he threw his arms around him, sneaking his hands underneath his boyfriend’s shirt.

“Hey, baby. What’s up?” Kurt asked at the thoughtful expression clouding Blaine’s eyes.

“Nothing,” Blaine said, pulling his eyes from the spot Sebastian had been standing to devote his attention to Kurt. But the look on Sebastian’s face, that sullen expression of yearning, stuck with him. “I’m just…finalizing a plan.”

Blaine and his crew left Dalton and drove straight to Hanover Road. The McKinley Crew was the first to arrive. They parked their cars in a circle at the base of the mountain to discuss their strategy, pulling out their phones and bringing up a map of the mountain on Google Earth.

"Now," Blaine began, "it's pretty much a straight shot up the mountain except for one or two hard turns. The road on this side looks like its big enough for about two cars across; three if you're super careful. It's the other side that's going to be tricky. It's a single lane road that curves at almost 90 degrees at every turn. At the very end, there're three right turns, and then a sharp left. After that, it's just straight on to the cemetery."

"So, what's the plan, man?" Finn asked, smiling for a moment at his unintentional rhyme.

"I say we each take a car. We know we can't necessarily beat them with speed, so we'll have to outdrive ‘em. Box them in whenever you can. Keep them from crossing the finish line. If they get across after one of our cars, at least we still get the upper hand."

Everyone nodded in agreement, maneuvering through the course on their phones, trying to judge distances and memorizing where the most hazardous curves were on the track.

"Santana's going to be our eyes at the finish line."

Santana looked over at Blaine and winked.

"Send out a group text every time someone crosses," Blaine instructed. "Let's do Teenage Dream for one of our cars, and Bad Romance for one of theirs."

Santana chuckled sarcastically as she programmed her phone.

"Nobody use their NOS till the straight away," Blaine continued, "except you Britt."

Brittany perked up at the mention of her name.

"You hit your NOS right out of the gate. Get up the mountain as fast as you can and shoot down the other side. Wes's crew has already counted your car out. Maybe we can surprise them."

Brittany giggled in response.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Santana objected, eyes flicking up from her phone. "What about the turns up top? She'll hit them and go straight off the mountain!"

"No, she won't," Kurt interjected. "She's got a really weak NOS shot, and her car's light weight. It'll get her to the top, but it should wear down by the time she hits those turns.”

Kurt hoped his response inspired confidence.

Santana didn't seem convinced.

Brittany made shadow puppets.

Kurt felt the knots in his stomach tighten until he thought they would tear. In theory, it should work. He just prayed Brittany didn't get hurt if he was wrong.

"So, how do the rest of us match up?" Puck asked.

"I'll take Wes," Blaine said, to no one’s surprise. "He's all riled up. Maybe I can unnerve him enough that he'll mess up."

"I've got David," Finn said, raising a hand. "I'm pretty sure I can take his Integra."

"And Tina and I'll take Hunter's Silvia," Mike said, turning to kiss his girlfriend.

"Sam? Your Golf's got Thad."

"So it is written, and so it shall be done," Sam responded using his best Sean Connery impression.

"Do I get Sebastian?" Puck asked, pounding a threatening right fist into the palm of his left hand.

"No," Blaine said. "You've got Cameron. That little Boxster of his has got some kick, but he's not really good at handling it yet. With any luck, he'll take himself out."

"So, who gets Bas?" Santana asked, eyes traveling from person to person around the circle.

"I'm leaving Sebastian…to Kurt," Blaine said, putting a hand on his boyfriend's knee.

"What?" Kurt asked stunned. "Why?"

"Look," Blaine said, leaning in close, "we don't have a single car here that can take Sebastian's GT-R. But" - Blaine swallowed down a mouthful of guilt - "Sebastian still has feelings for you, Kurt. He doesn’t want to do this if it means hurting you. I can tell.”

Kurt shook his head. He got a taste of Sebastian’s feelings, but it was too difficult for him to completely believe. But if Blaine saw something…if he knew it, too…

“How do you know?” he asked.

“I…I can see it on his face,” Blaine admitted. “If you can manage to stay with him, maybe you can trip him up."

Kurt looked away, up at the stars overhead.

"That seems kind of mean,” Kurt said. Unnecessarily mean, he thought.

"I know, baby," Blaine said, cupping Kurt's cheek and bringing his boyfriend back down to earth. "But it may be the only chance we've got."

“I understand,” Kurt said, and he did, but he still wasn’t thrilled by this decision.

Blaine wrapped a comforting arm around Kurt’s shoulders. "This will work," Blaine said, hugging Kurt close, but Kurt didn't know whether he was reassuring him or himself. "This will work."

Slowly people started to arrive. The crews had each sent out a mass text, announcing the race and asking for witnesses. The mountain was almost full of spectators before the Dalton Crew even showed.

Boys from Dalton crowded Wes's crew as six of their seven drivers arrived. Kurt marked off the cars in his head as they drove in, noticing that Sebastian's GT-R had yet to make an appearance. Wes led his group right up to the McKinley Crew, his cars surrounding theirs.

"So, you actually showed," Wes said, grinning through thin lips pulled tight over his teeth. "I thought as soon as I saw you guys high-tail it off campus that you were long gone back to Loserville." Wes looked at his own drivers and laughed. "That’s why we’re late. We almost didn't bother showing up."

"So, are you doubting your crew's abilities?" Finn prodded. "Because only six of your guys came anyway. You could just forfeit now and get it over with."

Wes's grin turned into a snarl. "You guys are going to regret challenging us when Bas gets here," he said with a smirk. "He's going to put all your little cars to shame."

Almost on cue, another car appeared. Both teams heard it rolling down the dirt road, turning on to the gravel path, HIDs aimed their way. The Dalton boys greeted Sebastian as he came on the scene, slowly maneuvering through the crowd of onlookers. Both crews turned and squinted, expecting to see the signature blue and red paint job of Sebastian's unbeatable GT-R.

Kurt recognized it first, and his jaw dropped. He grabbed Blaine's arm and squeezed. Then Blaine noticed it, too, and he silently cheered. He always knew that somewhere inside Sebastian Smythe beat the heart of a decent human being. Wes's triumphant grin faded when he caught sight of what Kurt and Blaine had already seen - Sebastian pulling up to join the crew…driving Kurt's Mitsubishi Eclipse.

Sebastian parked the car and killed the engine. Wes stormed over, his self-control hanging by a swiftly fraying thread.

"What the fuck, Bas? Where's your GT-R? Why are you driving the twink-mobile?"

"I'm making this race a little more fair," Sebastian said, unimpressed by Wes’s tantrum. "I want to give Kurt the chance to win back his car."

Wes got up in Sebastian's face, but Sebastian didn’t shrink away. After tonight, Wes wouldn’t be his captain anymore.

"So, that's it? You scared of losing your precious GT-R, Smythe? Or are you hoping to get into Hummel's pants that badly that you'll screw the pooch for the rest of us!?"

"Oh, fuck you, Wes!" Sebastian growled back. "Fuck you, fuck my GT-R, and fuck this race! This is the last time, Wes." Sebastian eyed the other drivers staring at them, but his eyes settled on Kurt. "Come on,” he said. “Let's get this over with."

"I don't know what to do Nicky," Jeff confessed into his boyfriend's neck. "I can't lose you now that I have you. I just can’t. But..."

Nick nodded when Jeff’s voice failed. He put a finger under Jeff’s chin and pulled his face up to meet his eyes.

"You have to do what's right," Nick said, moving a stray hair away from Jeff's eyes. "You can't let the bullies win."

"But..." Jeff hadn't even raced yet, and he already felt like he'd lost.

"I know you’re scared." Nick held Jeff's head in his hands, resting their foreheads together. "But we'll find a way. Together."

"Promise?" Jeff's voice was just a whisper. Nick pulled his boyfriend towards him, brushing his lips against Jeff's and kissing him gently. Nick felt tears fall from Jeff's eyes, gathering where their skin met as they kissed.

"I promise, Jeff. I'm never saying good bye to you."

Jeff sniffled. He wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and kissed him on the forehead.

"Wait for me at the finish line, Nicky?" Jeff asked, gazing longingly into his boyfriend's eyes. "I have to go lose a race."

The drivers got in their cars and met at an established starting point. Santana left Brittany with a lingering good luck kiss before climbing into her Camaro and driving to the finish line. As she followed the route that Brittany and the guys would be racing on in just a few short minutes, she prayed that Anderson knew what he was doing when he came up with his piece of shit plan to put her girlfriend in danger.

The onlookers spread out around the mountainside, setting up positions in what they felt were the safest possible spots. Several people had created live links, and were using their phones to transmit video of the race to their Tumblr and blog spots, sending links via Facebook and Twitter.

Wes's girlfriend Cynthia arrived latest with some of her friends, which postponed the start of the race since Wes refused to start without her, claiming that Blaine wasn’t the only driver whose girlfriend was his good luck charm. Cynthia took a moment to kiss her boyfriend in front of everyone, in the most obscene and pornographic way possible, before strutting in an insanely short skirt and platform heels to the starting line, having declared herself Grand Marshal. She unhooked her bra, pulling it out through the sleeve of her nearly see through shirt, and raised it in the air. Kurt rolled his eyes as he turned the key in the ignition of his Mustang, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face when he heard the engine come to life, followed by Blaine's, and the rest of the crew down the line.

Dalton's cars came to life, too, but all at once - a tactic Blaine knew Wes used to unsettle the competition.

Drivers gunned their engines, anticipating the start of the race. Cynthia, illuminated in the headlights of fourteen cars, preened in her spotlight. She waved the white garment above her head. The roar of the engines grew louder and louder as drivers chomped at the bit to leap out of line. Cynthia stood stock still, enjoying the pause, bathing in the tension.

Without any warning, Cynthia tossed her bra in the air. The moment it hit the ground, fourteen drivers shot away. Brittany hit her NOS, and her Fit zipped off like a bullet, tires squealing as loudly as she did as her tiny pink car sped up the road. The Fit was up the mountain and cresting over the top to the other side before the rest of the cars had made it halfway.

Cameron's Boxster had been idling beside Brittany’s Fit. He was jittery, nervous, fidgeting in his seat with an itchy finger over his NOS release button. He didn't know the route, and he'd never really raced before. Once he heard Brittany's car take off, he jumped the gun, speeding out after her and hitting his NOS. Cameron didn't anticipate the first few turns and spun out at the top, hitting a side patch of gravel and shredding his front tires - the first casualty of war.

Now that Puck didn't have Cameron to worry about, he powered ahead, his Corvette managing to make it over the top of the mountain not long after Brittany. David and Thad pulled ahead of Finn and Sam, blocking them off as they climbed the mountain. Wes tried to shoot ahead of Blaine, and Sebastian nosed in front of Kurt, with Mike and Tina somewhere behind him, followed by Hunter and Jeff.

Most of the cars drove up the mountain road by twos, and Kurt noticed immediately that he was driving alongside a familiar blue car. Before that thought could completely register, a gold car streaked by his left, practically straddling the side of the mountain, threatening to teeter over the edge. Hunter's Silvia blew by the line of cars and flew over the top of the mountain so fast, Kurt could have sworn he saw it catch air.

Kurt turned to look at his old car and its new, conflicted driver. Kurt could see ahead of him the top of the mountain quickly approaching. Whether or not he could get ahead of Sebastian would determine his position on the other side, and he needed to find a way in front of the Eclipse. Kurt tried to do some figuring in his head, but the Eclipse had him beat no matter what, and Kurt knew it. Kurt turned back to Sebastian and caught his eye. Sebastian didn't look like the same smug, overly confident boy that Kurt had first met when he joined the Dalton Crew. This Sebastian looked sad, rejected, and full of regret.

Kurt glanced ahead to see David's Integra and Thad's Lancer make it over the top of the hill, but Puck and Finn behind them crowded each other too much, and they spun out on opposites sides of the road. They didn't look too bad off, but Kurt knew they would have to rejoin the race from behind the last car, effectively taking them out of the running.

Kurt’s gaze met Sebastian's, and for a split second, Kurt saw Sebastian waiting, searching for some sign that he had a chance, even a small one.

But Kurt shook his head with sincere remorse.

Kurt could have played him; he probably had every right, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. He couldn’t be that cruel – not even to Sebastian. In his head, he apologized to Blaine for not doing the one thing Blaine had insinuated he should.

Sebastian deserved someone who could make him happy, just like everybody else, but Kurt couldn’t be that person, and he wasn’t going to let Sebastian think he was, not to win a race.

Sebastian's face crumbled. He gripped the steering wheel, preparing to make his move...

...and he did. He bowed his head and pulled the Eclipse over to the side of the road, letting Kurt's Mustang shoot out ahead of him and over the mountaintop, with Blaine and Wes directly ahead of him.

Sebastian threw the race for Kurt, and Kurt had no idea how he would ever repay him.

The drive down the mountain was nerve wracking, the squeal of tires on asphalt deafening. Even with his windows rolled completely up, the noise was enough to make Kurt want to scream, just so he could hear something else. Then there was the smoke from the friction of tires fighting to grab hold of any surface. Sprays of pebbles shot at his windshield, followed by some bigger chunks of asphalt dislodged by the recent construction, and at one point, Kurt feared that the glass would actually shatter. Kurt could barely see the car ahead of him, and when he caught glimpses, he saw Wes's blue and orange paint job. But every so often, he saw a peek of Blaine's black Mustang.

Wes's Supra was steadily catching up with Blaine. A few times, Wes tried to nose the rear of Blaine's car and force him to spin out. Kurt watched from behind Wes's car, desperate to catch up with his boyfriend, but the road was becoming more and more narrow with no turn out in sight. Kurt slammed his hand on his steering wheel and screamed, "Fuuuuck!"

Texts started coming in from the finish line. Kurt heard Teenage Dream first, then again, and he knew Brittany and Puck had crossed, and that, most important of all, Brittany was safe. Then came Bad Romance...Bad Romance...

Kurt prayed for Katy Perry. One more. Just another...

Bad Romance.

"Shit!" Kurt exclaimed. That would make Hunter, David, and Thad already past the finish line. “Shit, shit, SHIT!”

Blaine, Wes, and Kurt were still squealing down the mountainside, hitting the curves and drifting through. Kurt didn’t want to think about the strain on his axles. As long as he made it over the finish line, he would worry about getting his Mustang towed home if it ended up out of commission.

He just had to make it that far.

The three cars stayed clustered, close enough to make eye contact for a split second as they hit those 90 degree turns. Kurt tried to strategize on the fly, but it seemed impossible. They were neck-and-neck, Wes sandwiched in between, with no relief in sight until they got off the mountainside. By then it would be too late. They were approaching the final run - three right hand turns, one sharp left - then they would hit the flat road. But if he couldn't get ahead of Wes, his NOS would be useless. They would be one car short, and Dalton would win.