Blaine didn't have any worries about Kurt being kicked off the show. From what he had seen during his visits to the workroom, Kurt should do quite well, and might even be in the top three. He was pleased to realize he honestly wasn't wishing that Kurt would lose so they could have a relationship. He was perfectly willing to wait, and sincerely hoped he would be waiting for a long time. He wanted all the best for Kurt. At lunch he took a minute to check Facebook. Wes had responded to his message.

I'm on the west coast, so 8:30 your time would be better. I can't wait to hear what you've been up to and I'm curious as to why you contacted me. I've never known you to do anything on a whim, so I'm sure there's something. Wes

He typed a quick reply.

8:30 works for me. I'm hoping you can give me some insight into something. I'll tell you about it tonight. Blaine

After lunch, Kurt surveyed the workroom. He was completely finished, and didn't want to be tempted to add any more embellishments or overwork his design, so he was looking for something with which to occupy himself until the models came in. His attention was drawn to Marisol, who appeared to be a little tense. "Hey," he said softly. "How's it going?"

"This trapunto work is taking longer than I thought it would. It's not essential, and Lane can walk without it, but I really wanted to include it. See, it's the tendrils for the vines." She showed him her work.

"This is really beautiful, Marisol. I've never heard of -- what did you call it?"

"Tra pun to," she enunciated carefully. "It's padded work. You outline a shape or a channel with stitches through two layers of fabric, then either stuff the shape with batting or pull yarn through the channel with a needle, which is what I'm doing now. It's just taking a while because the shapes are so curved that I can only go a short distance at a time. If I can get all these vines done, I want to pad a few of the grapes and maybe some of the insects and flower centers."

"I'm done with everything. I could help with it, if you want. Just show me what to do."

When Lars came in with the rest of the models, Kurt dressed him and then instructed him on how to reverse the vest. They practiced until Lars had it down, then went to hair and makeup, where Isaac was waiting for them.

"Hi, Isaac," Kurt greeted him. "I like the earring. Beads this time, I see."

"Yeah, Mon, my girl made me this one for Father's Day last year. It's one of my favorites."

"She made it? Does she design jewelry, then? How old is she?"

"She's fifteen, and she's quite good. Now, what are we going to do with Lars today?"

"I'd like to see her designs some time, especially if she has something music-related. Lars is going clubbing, but I don't want to get too extreme with the makeup this time. I want 'sexy' but not 'cheap'."

"I can see that from the clothes -- alluring, but tasteful. How about just a little eyeliner then, and a natural look for everything else?"

"Perfect!" Kurt smiled happily. "Is that okay with you, Lars?"

Lars and Isaac both looked at Kurt in disbelief. "The model doesn't get any input on this, Kurt," Isaac informed him.

"I need Lars to really sell this look. I know he's a professional and he'll give 110%, but it will be easier for him if he's comfortable. We're a partnership."

"I appreciate that, Kurt, but it really isn't necessary. And, yes, I'm fine with a little eyeliner, or anything else you want. You can even color or cut my hair if you need to, although I wouldn't agree to that for just anyone."

"I don't want to change it for this challenge, but I'd like it to look neatly tousled, if that makes any sense, as if you've been having fun at the club, and maybe at some point, while you were dancing, your partner ran his fingers through your hair."

Isaac nodded and made some notes. "Okay, I think I've got it. I'll send him back down when we're finished."

The designers were seated in the same chairs they had used the first day when the opening was filmed, Kurt next to Jen and behind Marisol and Annie. As they waited for the runway show to start, Jen slipped her hand into Kurt's and squeezed nervously. Heidi came out and recited the familiar words. "As you know, in fashion, one day you're in and the next day, you're out. Today there are twelve of you. After today, eleven of you will go on and one of you will be … out." She introduced the other two judges, Nina Garcia and Michael Kors, and explained that for this series there would be no guest judges, and that the models were professionals and therefore not competing. She listed the prizes, which included a $60,000 scholarship. She also explained that, for the first time ever, the show included menswear designers. Kurt was practicing calming breaths by the time Heidi concluded with, "Let's start the show."

He was surprised and grateful when the music started playing. In past seasons, Runway only used music during the fashion show segment for special challenges. To his delight, the music was eminently danceable, and was just what he would have chosen, had he been given the opportunity. He focused on the screen and waited eagerly for the models to appear. Leah came out first, looking beautiful in the purple off-the-shoulder top and black Capris. Ernesto had added silver heels and bag and a chunky necklace. Kurt leaned over to whisper 'congratulations' as she left the runway. Jen's and Annie's models, Ari and Rayne, respectively, also looked fantastic. Kurt was glad to see that Jonny had figured out how to use the troublesome blue and orange, turning the orange into a thin piping down the outseam of the pants, and using the blue in the shirt.

Kurt found Ash's design confusing, to say the least. His model, Paul, was very masculine-looking, almost macho, but Ash had dressed him in a very feminine ruffled shirt and low-slung pants. Kurt knew that if Ash had been given a choice, he probably wouldn't have picked Paul as his model, but he didn't understand why Ash didn't make an attempt to design something that would look good on Paul. Most of the other outfits were reasonable, except for Chris', which was very poorly constructed, with a crooked hem and puckered seams, and Mark's, which looked like he just didn't care. Brenden's was a standout and his model, Seth, really rocked it, but Marisol's turned out to be the showstopper. Lane had the most elegant posture Kurt had ever seen. She walked as if there was a string attached to the top of her head, pulling her upward and making her nearly weightless. Somehow she appeared to dance down the runway without actually dancing, and unlike most of the models, who carefully schooled their faces into expressionless masks in order not to detract from the clothes, Lane was clearly enjoying herself; her face was animated and lively. The two-piece dress was overflowing with details, yet perfectly edited; nothing was to excess or out of place.

Lars did exactly what Kurt had asked him to, interspersing his walk with dance steps and turns, and displaying the versatility of the vest. The buttons on the pants leg picked up the lights and reflected them back, giving a very subtle sparkle. Like Lane, he also appeared to be having a good time. All in all, Kurt was pleased with his look, and was confident that he would not be in the bottom three.

After the models finished, there was a short delay while the scorecards were tallied, and the models came back out onto the runway to visit with the designers. There was a general round of congratulations and applause, and the designers took the opportunity to thank their models. Blaine and Amy had been standing in the wings, Blaine watching the designers, of course, one in particular, but also doing his job, being alert for problems and to supply anything the judges or contestants needed. He was ready with water for all the judges at the break, but his habitual smile wavered a little when Kurt gave Lars an exuberant hug and thanked him for his runway performance. It doesn't mean anything; that's just the way Kurt is.

Amy, on the other hand, had spent her time watching Blaine. I think he likes that Jen girl. He's been staring at her the whole time. Tattooed freak! She glared at her across the room, but no one took any notice.

When Jon came back with the scores, he handed the list to Blaine who quickly entered the names into the teleprompter. Sometimes Heidi announced the middle group, and sometimes she announced the top and bottom. Usually it was whichever group was smaller, but in this case they were the same size. Blaine was pretty sure he knew which group it was, but he had been surprised before. The models were sent backstage, the judges resumed their seats, and the designers lined up on the runway.

Heidi announced the six names. When Kurt heard Mark's name, he was pretty sure she was announcing the top and bottom. When he heard Marisol's, he was sure of it. His mouth opened in surprise when he heard his own called. He was positive he wasn't in the bottom, but he hadn't expected to be in the top.

"If I have not called your name, congratulations! Your scores were high enough to advance you to the next round. You may leave the runway." Kurt gave Annie and Jen a quick hug as they went by. Amy noticed that Blaine's eyes didn't follow Jen off the stage. It must be Marisol that he likes. I wonder what her fiancé would say about that. When the designers had cleared the stage, Heidi continued. "You six have the highest … and the lowest … scores. We're going to talk with each of you to hear what you have to say. Let's bring out your models." The six models came back out and stood by their designers. "Marisol, let's start with you. Tell us about your grab bag."

"I had ten one-yard pieces of very bright fabrics. I didn't try to trade with anyone because I didn't think it was fair since my pieces were so small."

"And how many did you use?" Nina asked. "I don't see anything bright at all."

"I used all of them. I bought several colors of tulle and used it to overlay the fabrics to tone them down some."

"Oh, that's very clever. What made you think of that?"

Marisol looked at Kurt and smiled. "I was really worried about using the fabrics. When we were on the way to Mood, Kurt said something that reminded me of a quilt I made with my grandmother when I was a little girl. It used shadow appliqué. I remembered how the bright colors changed into pastels, and I knew what to do."

"I have a question for your model," Michael said, checking his card for the name. "Lane, I had the feeling you were really enjoying your walk. You sort of floated down the runway. Why is that?"

Lane looked shy for a moment, then said in a rush, "I couldn't help it. This dress makes me feel like I'm beautiful. I've never felt like that before."

The judges sat in silence until Nina said softly, "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the purpose of fashion."

"Okay," said Heidi briskly, "thank you, Marisol. Let's talk to Mark now. Tell me about your fabrics."

"The fabric for the pants was in my bag. I traded for the shirt fabric."

"And you just used those two fabrics?" questioned Heidi. "You had $100 to spend at Mood, and you didn't get any additional fabric?"

"I bought some elastic for the waist," said Mark reluctantly.

"Could you raise the shirt please, so we can see the top of the pants?" Michael asked. When Mark did so, Michael continued "The pants have an elastic waist? Not a fly front? Why?"

"I knew the shirt would be worn out, so there wasn't any point in wasting time sewing a fly front. This is a weekend look, not a business look," Mark declared somewhat defensively. "It's supposed to be comfortable."

"Even if it's a weekend look, it can be fashionable," Michael chided him. Heidi and Nina exchanged looks that clearly said let's not waste any more time on this.

"Thank you, Mark. Kurt, let's talk about your look. Tell us about your fabrics."

"The navy twill and the print were in my bag. I bought both the gray fabrics at Mood." Kurt smiled broadly as he continued. "The turquoise jacquard was a gift from Ernesto. I gave him a purple silk in exchange, but it was still a gift. He gave it to me because he knew it was my mom's favorite color and because it had hearts in it."

"Speaking of your mom," Nina said, "is there a heart in your design somewhere?"

"Right here," said Kurt, lifting the pants leg slightly and indicating one of the myriad of tiny buttons scattered across the fabric.

"Could you lift the leg a little more, please?" Michael sounded surprised. Kurt knelt down and lifted the fabric, displaying the brightly-colored argyles. "It looks like you are making a statement with the socks. Tell us about that."

"Accessories are important; they can draw attention to a specific area or just give an outfit that little something extra. I added the necklace to draw attention to Lars' face. I see colorful socks as a form of self-expression that anyone can accomplish easily and without going overboard. It's fun but not overwhelming. This outfit is for an evening out dancing, so the socks just add a little more interest."

"I'm a little surprised those socks were on the accessory wall," Nina interjected. "They don't look like our usual items."

"No, there weren't any socks at all, so we were allowed to make specific requests. I was lucky that someone was able to find exactly what I wanted."

"How did you decide to make the vest reversible?" Heidi asked.

"I wasn't sure if I wanted a plain vest or a more embellished one. It was easier to make the vest reversible than it was to make two vests. I intended to pick one look, but Tim suggested I show it both ways."

"Could I see the outfit without the vest from the front and back, please," Michael asked. Kurt removed the vest and Lars turned slowly. "I've been waiting years to say this, Heidi. You and Nina get to say it all the time, but this is a first for me. Kurt, I would wear that look."

"Thank you so much," Kurt replied, eyes wide. "That's quite a compliment."

After the judges finished interviewing the other three, Heidi continued her spiel. "Thank you, designers. You may leave the runway. We're going to have a little chat and then we'll call you back."