Heidi gave Blaine time to enjoy his snack before calling him into her office. "How was the cake?" she asked, eyes dancing with amusement.

"You know exactly how it was!" Blaine replied. You got a bigger piece than I did."

"Yes, but I had to share it with Nina. You had a whole piece to yourself," she pointed out.

"I'm sure you didn't call me in here to discuss cake. What can I do for you?" Blaine asked with a smile.

"You're probably wondering about the meeting we had with Kurt. I just wanted to let you know what was going on. Please sit down."

Well, yeah! "This sounds serious," he said lightly.

"It is, but it all worked out okay. Fortunately, Kurt is an unusually forgiving person."

Forgiving? "I don't understand."

"We discovered that there had been an error in the scoring process. One of the judges accidentally turned in the score sheet without filling it out completely. No one noticed in the tallying process, but Kurt received a much lower score than he should have."

How could that happen? "How much lower?"

"He should have been in the top three. Everyone gave him very good scores, but we each thought we were the only one who had."

This doesn't make sense. I saw Nina's face. Blaine considered his options, what he was risking, before he spoke. "Heidi, I don't mean any disrespect, but this doesn't sound right to me. I don't think you're telling me the full story. I'm not sure why you're telling me this at all."

"I'm telling you this because Kurt asked me to. He didn't want you to think you had somehow caused him to get cut from the show. He doesn't want anyone else to know, by the way, so please keep it to yourself."

Okay. I know Nina had something to do with this, and it wasn't an accident, but if this is the line Kurt wants to take, then I'll keep my mouth shut. "He doesn't want the other designers to know his score was higher?"

"No, he said he thought it would be to his advantage if they underestimated him, didn't think he was very good. He didn't say so, but I think he was also trying to avoid embarrassing the staff by making our mistake public."

"So Nina's off the hook?" Blaine was just mad enough to speak his mind.

Heidi looked at him for a long moment before replying. "The staff is 'off the hook' because this is the way Kurt wanted it. We offered to make a public apology for our mistake and the judge in question offered to resign, but Kurt refused." She smiled gently. "He's really something special, isn't he?"

You have no idea! "Yes, he is. And speaking of 'something special', I need to discuss something with you." He told Heidi about the conversation with Burt and how he now had to figure out some kind of Christmas present from Burt. "And it has to be plausible. I have a feeling it won't be easy to fool Kurt."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"I'm open to suggestions, but I thought maybe I could get tickets to something -- maybe another show or a concert. I know a staff member will have to go along, so I thought I'd run it by you before we went any further."

"That sounds reasonable, Blaine. Let me know what you decide and coordinate it with the scheduled events. If I see anything appropriate, I'll let you know." She handed him her empty plate. "Can you collect all of these and take them back up to the apartment, please?"

"Hi, Blaine. Come on in. What brings you here?"

"Hello, Jen. I'm returning your plates and I wanted to thank you for sharing the cake with the office staff. I think Heidi imposed on you just so she could play a joke on me."

"These look clean; did you wash them already?" Blaine nodded and she continued as she put them back in the cupboard. "I was happy to share; it was way too much cake for us anyway. It would have spoiled before we would have been able to finish it."

"Hey, Blaine!" Kurt greeted him enthusiastically as he came into the kitchen.

"You! I have a bone to pick with you! You ratted me out! Do you know what Heidi did to me? She stole my cake, and then she had me running all over the place, and everywhere I went, someone else had a slice! Everyone was getting cake but me!"

Kurt grinned wickedly. "But it really tasted good when you did get some, didn't it? Did we get your coffee order right?"

He looks so cute when he's being mischievous. "Hmph. Yes, you did, but I'm still mad at you. And who is 'we'?"

"Jen fixed the plates and Annie took one to Sandy while Marisol took one to Jon. I got your coffee, packed the box and took it to the mail room. I'm surprised you didn't notice my name on the outside. It was one of the boxes I shipped my clothes in."

"I was too mad to pay any attention. How did you find the mail room?"

"Nina showed me where to go. I have to say, though, Heidi really surprised me. I didn't realize she could be so … um … playful."

I want to talk to him about what happened in Heidi's office, but I can't do it in front of Jen. "She gets that way sometimes, usually when she's been worried about something and it's resolved or when something turns out better than she expected. Are you ready for the meeting tonight?"

"I think so. I'm not planning to change clothes or anything."

"I hate to ask, but I've got to rearrange some tables for the meeting. Normally Matt would help me, but he's busy and I feel funny asking the women. Would you mind?"

"Not at all. Let's go."

They went out into the hall and Blaine pressed the elevator button. "Kurt, I lied to you. I don't need any help with the tables. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "So you don't want me for my muscles? I'm hurt, Blaine," he teased.

Your muscles, your face, your mind, your body, your eyes -- take your pick. "I wanted to talk to you about the 'mistake' Heidi told me about. I know I didn't get the full story, and I'm not going to pry, but I wanted to make sure you were okay with everything. If there's anything you were afraid to say to Heidi or Nina, you can tell me."

"It's fine, Blaine." Kurt was annoyed. "It's over and done with, and I'm not a child. I'm not afraid of Heidi or Nina, and you don't need to take care of me."

Don't be mad. Please don't be mad at me. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I didn't mean that you were afraid of Heidi or Nina; I just thought maybe there was something you didn't say to them because they are judging the show. I just want to make sure you're satisfied with whatever they worked out."

Kurt sighed. He really didn't want to think about this anymore. "I need to focus on the competition, Blaine. I can't afford to waste any more energy thinking about this. Yes, it was unfortunate and not fair to me, but Heidi's done her best to make up for it, and I'd rather let it go. Can we just drop it, please?"

Well, that was a mistake. "Sure. Let's go pretend to move some tables."

As it turned out, the tables did need to be rearranged slightly. They were too close together for comfort and weren't aligned very well. They worked together in uncomfortable silence. When they were finished, Kurt put his hand on Blaine's arm. "Blaine, I don't want to be mad at you. Friends?"

Oh, thank goodness. Should I hug him? Blaine nodded and pulled Kurt into the briefest of hugs. "Always, Kurt." Always and forever.

The designers had assembled for the 5:00 meeting. The room was less crowded than the last time instead of 20 designers, there were only twelve, and no parents. Heidi mounted the dais. "Welcome, designers! I'm glad to see you all back. We've got a number of things to go over tonight, so let's get started. First of all, as I'm sure you realized when you watched the show you did watch the show, I hope." The designers laughed and applauded. "As you know, April is not among you. The official explanation is that she left for personal reasons." Heidi paused, waiting for the designers to realize what she was saying. "The truth is, she broke the rules and she was asked to leave. Her Facebook status made it clear that she had been selected to be on the show." She waited for the hum of conversation to die down. "I'm sharing this information to let you know how serious we are about this. The incident was unfortunate, but it does have an upside. Kurt has joined us."

Kurt was astounded and embarrassed when the designers and the assistants began cheering. Blaine smiled happily.

"It looks like all of you are just as happy to see him as I am," Heidi said when the room was quiet once more. "I need to remind you of the rules you will follow while you are here. First of all, you are prohibited from leaving the apartment building without authorization. You may visit the coffee bar, the yoga area, the fitness room, the lounge, or the apartment of another designer. My office is always open to you. You may only visit with people who are a part of the show or Atlas staff. Are there any questions about that?

"There will be no unauthorized communication with family and friends, or acquaintances and strangers, for that matter. You may make all the calls you want to tonight. Your phones will be taken up at 10:00 pm. You will have opportunities to call home twice a week. If there is a special occasion, let your assistant know and we'll 'make it work'." The designers laughed again at her use of Tim's catchphrase.

"Most of the time we will follow the same schedule each week. The challenge will be announced on Monday at 8:00. You will have time to sketch and shop on Monday morning, and you will have access to the workroom until 9:00 pm. You can eat lunch whenever you get to a convenient stopping place. On Tuesday the workroom will open at 8:00, and your models will come in at 2:00, and again, you may work until 9:00. On Wednesday you will work until 11:00, when lunch will be served, you will send your models to hair and makeup at 12:30, and the runway show will start 2:00. On Thursday we will shoot exit interviews and color spots, in which you talk about the way you felt during the challenge, and reshoot anything that didn't work out. On Fridays and Saturdays, if filming is finished, you will have the opportunity to go on excursions. The excursions are completely optional and will not affect the competition in any way. If there is anything you particularly want to do, let your assistant know and we'll see if we can ..." The designers laughed and chimed in. "... make it work!"

"We'll have to change the schedule a little to accommodate holidays, of course. We'll talk about that when the time comes. Speaking of holidays, we know it will be hard for all of you to be away from your families in general, but especially during the holiday season. If it's becoming too much, please let your assistant know. Any questions? Yes, Marisol?"

"You didn't mention Sunday. I'd like to go to church, if that's possible," she asked softly.

"Thank you for reminding me, Marisol. Of course any of you may go to any religious service you wish to attend. Just let your assistant know."

"Breakfast will be served in the lounge each morning starting at 6:00. However, you may cook in your apartment if you prefer. If you cook, you are responsible for cleaning up. On workroom days, there will be snacks and drinks available to you in the kitchen. If there is anything you would like to have, please tell your assistant. Unless something is labeled with a name, you are welcome to help yourself at any time. You will place your lunch order in the morning and it will be delivered about 11:30. If you prefer to pack a lunch, you may do so. We encourage you to take breaks and rest when you need to. You will find that you work better when you do. Please remember to transfer all drinks into cups and remove all packaging and put it in the trash. We want to avoid displaying brand names on the show, except for our paid sponsors.

"You may cook supper or order in. Groceries will be delivered twice a week. There are order sheets in your apartment. As with just about everything else, give them to your assistant. You may divide up the cooking chores in any way you please, and you don't have to eat in your own apartment. And if Blaine's group decides to invite the rest of you over, I would suggest you accept, especially if Jen is making dessert."

Everyone laughed again and Jen was delighted. "We have a little cake left, Heidi," she said.

"I'm not sure if that was an invitation for all of you or not, but let's move on. Your Internet access will be limited and monitored. We have a content filter and your assistant will be checking the reports daily. You are not permitted to use the Internet to research designs or construction methods. We'll be handing out packets a little later. Your user name and password will be in the packet. It is your responsibility to keep your password secure. If your account is used to access unauthorized material, you will take the blame. If you think your password has been compromised, notify your assistant.

"Now let's talk about the schedule for this week. Tomorrow morning at 9:00, you will consult with a makeup artist. We'll supply you with appropriate products and you'll learn how to apply and remove them. We won't show you putting on makeup on camera, by the way, unless you normally wear makeup, because it takes away from the reality. After lunch, you'll take a trip to Mood, so you can familiarize yourselves with the layout and variety of fabrics available.

Heidi noticed a glazed expression on several of the designer's faces. "I know this is a lot to take in," she said reassuringly, "but none of this is new information, and you'll have a printed copy in your packet. In the workroom, muslin is always available and you may use as much as you need. We had an episode several seasons ago where a designer lost her money in Mood and had to …" She broke off when she realized all the designers were nodding at her. "I see you remember the episode. We'll keep going, then. We're changing a few things for this season, partly because you are all without formal training. For one thing, you will not be switching models. You have each been assigned a model who will be yours for the entire season. There will be a photo and measurements in your packet. You may also retain any materials you don't use in a particular challenge and use them in any succeeding challenge if you choose, as long as the rules for that particular challenge don't preclude it. If you have money left after you purchase what you need, feel free to get things you might be able to use later. In order to help you get your fabric within the time limit, the clerks at Mood will get any other supplies you need. There will be checklists for you to use for this purpose, and if an item isn't on the list, you may write it in. Of course, you may get your own notions, if you prefer. You may choose to help each other at any time, or you may choose not to. There are no restrictions on the amount or type of help you can give."

Heidi surveyed the room. "Do you have any questions? No? Okay, one more thing before we eat. We'll be having a talent show next weekend, so start getting your acts together. If you need anything, let your assistant know and we'll see if we can get it for you. I see you are all sitting with your flatmates. If you want to change tables or just get up and visit, please feel free. We don't have assigned seating for meals. All right, then! Let's eat!"

As soon as Heidi dismissed them, the designers got up and began to mill around, greeting each other happily. Ernesto made a beeline for Kurt and immediately engulfed him in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you, Kurt! When Tim called me to tell me you were in, I was so excited!"

"Tim called you? Why did he do that?"

Ernesto looked embarrassed. "I talked to him that night. I told him that you helped me and asked if he thought I should resign."

"I thought we settled that!" Kurt exclaimed.

"I know, but I still felt bad. Tim told me that it wouldn't do any good to resign because he didn't think you would take the slot if I did."

Kurt smiled. "He was right about that. I wouldn't have taken the spot if it meant kicking you out. But I was right about something, too."

Ernesto furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when I said you would do the same for me? Well, you did, didn't you? Or at least you tried to. Come on. Let's get in line. I'm starving!"