Author's Note:

Here we go again! Thanks so much to those of you who have stuck with me through Loser Like Me and Rise Above, and welcome to those of you who are just finding our little family. I invite you to go back and read the first two stories if you haven't. I am trying to weave the stories together so things come up from chapter to chapter and story to story, so you might want to skim over them anyway, even if you've already read them to remember why the characters act the way they do.

Fair warning ... these stories follow canon ever so loosely, so just consider it "alternate universe" content.

Okay, enough from me ... let's start the show!

Don't know anything, don't know anyone, and certainly don't own anything. (I wish though!) Please feel free to review with constructive criticism, etc.

01 - Why

It was the first week in September, school had been in session for about two weeks now and everyone was trying to settle in to new classes, new teachers, and new homework expectations.

Dave's job at the bookstore was gone now since he was only a summer hire, but Blaine had managed to talk Mr. Salvatore, the music storeowner, into letting him stay on part time so that he still had money coming in to pay his "rent" to Dan. Sam also managed to stay on at the Italian place with reduced hours so he could help with his family as well.

"Are you sure you don't mind me using your truck this weekend?" Sam asked.

"It's fine Sam," Dave said. "I'm not using it, and it's a good thing to take Joey's shifts, especially since his wife's baby is due this weekend."

"I'm just making sure," Sam said.

"For about the fifteenth time," Dave said teasingly.

"Sorry," Sam said. "I'm just ... making sure."

"I know, but you don't have to," Dave said. "I'd even go with you if you'd let me."

"Well, that might have been alright in my old jeep," Sam said, "I could put the pizzas in the back seat. In your truck though, they won't stay warm in the bed."

"I know," Dave, said frowning. "Just don't say I didn't offer."

"Never," Sam said with a grin as he kissed him.

"Got all your homework done?" Blaine asked brining everyone drinks.

"Yeah, Sam helped me with my science and I helped him with his history," Dave said as he took the pop.

"It's so cool how interested he is in the science," Kurt said before taking a swig of his diet pop.

"Yeah, I remember last year," Dave, said. "Everything was driving him nuts. You know I know those glasses that Bryce got him weren't prescription, but he just goes nuts the other way with them." He laughed. "I can't get him to put down a book when he gets into it."

"Hey have you noticed that anytime Dan or one of his other teachers gives him a study guide they print his in the color of his glasses?" Blaine asked. "I think it's so cool the way they're all trying to help out."

"Yeah, that's been great," Dave, said. "You know he can actually study those handouts without his glasses on and still get it. They worked great on those first two quizzes we had. You know he actually got a better grade than me on that history quiz?"

"Damn, isn't that one of the classes he failed last year that kept him a junior for this one?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, I'm the history whiz and he's the science nerd," Dave said.

The others laughed.

"Somehow I don't picture Sam as a nerd?" Kurt said. "When I think nerd, I think of Artie. I think it's a glasses thing."

"Well Dan's a science nerd, and he doesn't wear glasses either," Blaine offered.

Kurt shrugged. "Maybe it's just me."

"Hey are you finally settling in at McKinley?" Dave asked. "I know you transferred at the end of last year, but I mean it was still just a partial semester, are you doing okay with the ... I guess lack of discipline is the nicest way to put it."

Blaine laughed. "Yeah, well I can't say that I don't miss the uniforms," he said as Kurt scoffed. "I know, it is much more comfortable without the tie and blazer, but rolling out of bed in the morning and not having to worry about what to wear does have its benefits."

"Well, when you wear your letter jacket everyday like me it simplifies it," Dave said. "You wear jeans and the same sneaks, and the shirt doesn't really matter, everyone just sees the jeans and the jacket; they don't worry about the shirt. You just have to sniff it to make sure it smells okay."

"Dave Karofsky, you are the un-gayest gay guy I have ever met," Kurt said shaking his head.

"Like you've met that many," Dave said.

"At least three," Kurt said with a smug look.

"Yeah, well, the only reason I can see to worry about what you wear is to impress another guy," Dave said. Blaine and Kurt both shrugged and nodded. "Well I've got all the guy I need, so I'm set."

Blaine laughed. "I hear that!"

"Like you'd be caught dead at school without one of your spiffy bowties and those cute cuffed jeans of yours," Kurt said with a huff.

"Of course you've never seen me just hanging out with Dan have you," Blaine said.

"Well you'd better not be trying to impress D," Kurt said.

"Can't even do it in nothing but my boxers," Blaine said shaking his head. Kurt cocked an eyebrow in his direction as Dave's eyes widened. Blaine smirked and chuckled. "Once in New York and once here the night after I dislocated my shoulder... Oh, and the morning he and the newlyweds came in from New York, but he got Sam that morning too. Not that he's interested anyway." He shook his head.

"Okay, well ... regardless," Kurt, said as Dave laughed.

"To go back and answer your question," Blaine said, "yeah, it's going great. I love it at McKinley, I love all you guys too. If we can just keep the slushees at a minimum this year, we'll be great."

They all laughed as Dave's cell rang. He took it out and looked at it. The others noticed the confused look.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked.

"Don't recognize the number," Dave said. He flicked it on and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hello, I'm trying to reach Mr. Karofsky," the female voice said.

"I'm David Karofsky and my father is Paul," Dave said. "Which one are you trying to contact?"

"The registration appears to be in your name David," she said. "May I call you David?"

"Actually it's Dave," he told her. "May I help you?"

"This is Officer Moore with the Lima police department," she said. "We've located your truck and I'm afraid that it doesn't look very good."

"What?" Dave said scooting forward on the sofa cushion as his face went blank. The other two boys looked at him inquisitively.

"We've located your truck," Officer Moore said. "It appears someone took it for a joyride. It appears that they've vandalized it as well and I'm sorry to say it looks like they've totaled it."

"I ... I ... I don't think I understand," Dave said.

"As I said, I hate to be the bearer of bad news," she said. "Can you start by telling us where you left it parked tonight?"

Dave was having difficulty breathing. "I...it wasn't parked," Dave said. "My ... my ... uh ... f...friend borrowed it to deliver pizzas tonight."

Blaine and Kurt both placed their drinks on the table and perked up.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the officer said. "I wasn't aware the two cases were related."

"T...two cases?" Dave said. "Where's Sam?"

"We had a report that a delivery driver was robbed earlier," Officer Moore told him.

"Where's Sam?" Dave asked pleadingly. "I don't give a shit about the truck, where's he?"

"Please calm down Mr. Karofsky," she said.

"I can't calm down, where's Sam," Dave said.

"Mr. Karofsky," she said again as Blaine took the phone from him.

"Hello, officer," Blaine said. "My name is Blaine Anderson; I'm a friend of both boys. Dave's a little distraught at present, as he said though; we're all more concerned about our friend Sam than the truck. Any information you have would be extremely helpful."

"That's understandable, I'm certainly glad he's there with friends," Officer Moore told him. "All I know is that there was a report earlier, we didn't know this was the vehicle involved we simply found it and got his name and number from the vehicle registration. As far as we knew it was a joyride, but we'll turn it over to Robbery-Theft so that they can run down any clues on their end."

"Is there any info at all on Sam?" Blaine asked.

"Hold on, let me have a word with my partner," she said.

Blaine reached over, grabbed Dave's hand, and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Mr. Anderson," she said as she came back, "we do have down that his parents were called and that he was taken in for treatment. You should probably call his parents to check on him."

"Okay, thank you so much," Blaine said. "Please just give me a number that we can contact about the truck and we'll handle that later."

She politely gave him the number, he wrote it down, and then they hung up and called Sam's mom.

"Dave?" said Mrs. Evans.

"Actually it's Blaine ma'am," Blaine said. "We just got a call from the police that they just found Dave's truck. Where's Sam? Is he okay?"

"Uh ... yes, he's in the hospital," she told him. "They roughed him up pretty bad so they admitted him."

"Which hospital?" Blaine asked. Dave's eyes grew wide and Kurt placed his arm around him and squeezed him.

"We're at Lima Memorial," said Mrs. Evans. "I'm not really sure he's up to..."

"We're on our way," Blaine said hanging up. He grabbed his keys and his jacket and hopped up. "He's at Lima Memorial," he said. "She said he was roughed up a bit."

Dave still looked as if he was in a daze, but with Kurt's help, he made it out to Blaine's car. They all piled in and Blaine took off for the hospital.

At the hospital, the boys paused at the information desk just long enough to find out which room he was in and then headed upstairs. On the floor, they began checking room numbers, and once they found it, they knocked softly and opened the door. Inside they found both the Evans' but the bed was empty.

"Hi, guys," Blaine, said as he entered. He absently dropped the jacket over his arm onto the counter beside the door.

"Is he okay?" Dave asked shakily.

"He's okay, honey," Mrs. Evans said walking over to hug him. "He's just not up for visitors just yet," she said pulling back to look in his eyes.

"You're sure he's okay?" Dave asked her again.

She nodded. "He just needs some rest; maybe he'll be feeling better in the morning."

"Okay, we don't want to intrude," Kurt, said.

"Why didn't he call me?" Dave said.

"Everything just happened so fast," Mr. Evans said. "The police actually called us; they probably just didn't know to call you too."

Dave nodded and the boys turned to go. The boys went into the hall and located the waiting room.

"Hey, it probably just took a lot out of him," Kurt said. "Why don't you write him a note and let him know you were here and to call you and let you know when he feels up to it?"

Dave nodded and Kurt went to find him paper. As Kurt returned from the nurse's station with paper and a pen, Blaine looked around.

"Damn, I left my jacket in his room, it has my phone and keys in it," Blaine said. "Well, I'll take your note to them and grab it then." The others nodded and Dave scribbled his note.

Blaine nodded at them both as he headed for the room. He knocked as he opened the door. "Sorry guys, I just forgot my jacket," he said as he entered.

As Blaine glanced up, he caught site of Sam as he returned from the restroom. Their eyes met and Blaine's face went blank, all of the color draining from it. "I'm sorry," Blaine said as he backed out of the room.

"Son, hold on a second," Mr. Evans called after him. He walked out into the hall just in time to see Blaine disappear into the stairwell.

He reentered Sam's room to find him curled up in a ball on the bed as his mother rubbed his back soothingly.