I'm making this note now. If you don't like it when someone writes Puck as being something more than the "sex shark" then you shouldn't read this. I enjoy writing Puck as someone who cares about his friends and wants to see them happy (even if he goes about it in some twisted ways). I'm only saying this because of a review I received on Fireworks vs. Home where someone wrote that they "can't deal with any story where Puckerman - of all people - starts preaching to Finn about anything to do with Rachel". Well that's the kind of thing I like. Some of my favorite Glee fics post-Finchel breakup have a great deal of Puckleberry friendship in them.
And yes, I have my own head!canon when it comes to Puck and Rachel in the series because lets face it…we don't know all that much about their interactions outside of school and glee (excluding of course that brief period when they were dating). For all we know…they could have some sort of secret half-friendship going on. Also it was mentioned in the fic that comes before this one in the series that Blaine thinks someone has the choir room and auditorium bugged (which as we all remember Rachel did do and I have just conveniently left the cameras and microphones there). Well in my head!canon Lauren likes to watch these tapes every once and a while.
The two songs featured in this are Home by Daughtry and Who Says You Can't Go Home by Bon Jovi featuring Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.
This is a different take of Kurt's return started before "Born This Way" aired and sadly not finished until afterwards.
Staring down the (currently) empty hallways of William McKinley High School reminds Kurt of what he left behind. Being here wasn't all slushee's, dumpster diving, locker checks, and being simultaneously terrified of and protected by Sue Sylvester. It was also music, performances, his friends, and glee. But most of all it was him being himself. He knows that being at Dalton is better for him than being here…he knows that he won't—can't—be bullied there. But the pressure of blending in is starting to get to him. He loves Blaine, he really does, but he's sick of him getting the solos all the time, at least in New Directions he could fight Rachel for solos (though Mercedes said that she's been getting better about sharing the spotlight, she's even suggested a song that would feature Artie, Santana, Mike, and Sam) and Schue would sometimes agree with him. He's doubly sick of the uniform and wishes that they at least had dress down days every so often…Kurt misses expressing himself through his clothes…wearing that all black outfit to sing for Pavarotti may have been over-dramatic but he looked amazing.
Realizing the time he quickly heads to the choir room where he promised to meet his (one-time) bully and (newly discovered) friend, Noah Puckerman. When he arrives it is to find Puck sitting on a stool absently strumming his guitar (the song sounds suspiciously like The Eagles hit song Life In The Fast Lane). He stands in the doorway for a moment before Puck looks up. They chat for a moment before Lauren Zizes enters the room and that's when the real fun begins. Puck has a proposition for him and gives him a bit of information that Rachel had left out when he had discussed how much he had enjoyed her original song. When he finally pulls into the driveway forty-five minutes later he's still laughing at the thought of Finn taking over the tire shop. Yeah, Finn doesn't mind working there when he has some free time, but everyone knows that it's been Finn's dream to get out of Lima since he thought Quinn was having his child and dating Rachel Berry only made those dreams more potent. Besides, Hummel Tire and Lube was going to his cousin Jimmy who loved cars as nearly as much as his dad did.
"What has you laughing?" Carole asks as he walks in through the door.
"Just something that Puckerman told me." He replies, seeing that Finn isn't in the living room, and knowing that he can trust Carole not to say anything. She's not Quinn's biggest fan (though I suppose that lying to someone's son about having their baby is a pretty serious thing) and had been less thrilled to find out that Finn and Quinn were dating again.
"What did he say?" she asks and he hears the unasked question 'why did he want to see you?'
"First, he asked me to be his and Lauren's campaign manager…they've decided to run for prom King and Queen against Quinn and Finn." He adds the second part in a whisper just to be safe. "It's more to mess with Quinn though since she has this idea that she and Finn will be staying here together after we graduate. She wants Finn to take over Dad's shop."
Carole laughs and Kurt can't help but join in—until he realizes that he said "we graduate". In his head he changes it to "they graduate" because he doesn't go to McKinley anymore and he won't be graduating from there. He won't be singing with the rest of glee (like they had last year) and he won't walk across the stage after Artie, Rae, Mike, Tina, Sam, Quinn, and Finn and before 'Cedes, Santana, Britt, Puck, and heck even Lauren. He won't throw his black cap in the air or go to the school sponsored post-grad celebration only to sneak over to whichever gleek was hosting the glee only post-grad party after he got home. He won't get to go to prom with his friends like he wanted to (and been planning for this year—he'd even found a dress for Rachel to wear and he was going to hunt down one similar if it took everything he had).
Since there was still a while to dinner he slipped up to his room to think more. He should be doing his history project but all he can think of is how much he misses being at McKinley. The no-tolerance policy at Dalton is nice—but he remembers something that Mr. Berry (the dark skinned one) said to him when he was leaving after a sleep over.
"We're very glad that Dalton is safer for you, Kurt. I wish there had been a school like Dalton with a no-tolerance policy when I was your age. We were worried when Rachel said that the violence against you had escalated."
"Thanks, Mr. Berry. It's nice not having to worry about being checked into a locker on a daily basis."
"I can imagine. Just please remember one thing Kurt. I know that Rachel has wanted to say this to you but she doesn't want to disrupt your fragile friendship but I can't help but agree with her sentiments. Dalton may come with an anti-bullying policy…but life doesn't. Don't forget about the violence that still faces us in the real world, Kurt."
Kurt absolutely understands where Mr. Berry (and Rachel) are coming from. And he agrees. He knows that he's not safe from homophobes in the real world and feels like if he couldn't handle them in high school who says he can handle it in the real world? He can't run to a place where there is an anti-bullying policy after he graduates high school. And that's partly why he's been thinking about going back to McKinley…he wants to prove that he is strong enough to handle it. He wants to prove that he is above people who belittle others just to make themselves feel better. Because he knows he is. And as much as he hates admitting it…he was one of those people. The hurtful things people said to him…he turned them right back onto Rachel...who (he won't lie and neither will she) sometimes deserved it…but never in the way that the words left his mouth. The way she acted through all of it (with her back straight, shoulders squared, and head held high) that's what impressed him though…she never showed the people who were (are) trying to knock her down a peg (or sixteen) that they got to her. He's glad that they're friends now because without even trying…she's made him stronger. And he knows that their diva-off's and fighting over solo's will have a different edge now because he doesn't want to lose her friendship (and he's pretty sure that street goes both ways) and like he said before she is more willing to share her spotlight (she says that when she helped with the music for Loser Like Me she purposefully made the pre-chorus within their range so that Kurt could have a solo in it if he ever came back or just wanted to sing it with them).
With that Carole calls him for dinner and he goes down to eat. He knows his whole family knows that something is up because he's never this quiet at dinner but when Burt asks him if something's wrong he can only reply with a "Just thinking about something, Dad" because he hasn't made a decision yet and he doesn't want to say anything until he has. And suddenly he realizes that he wasn't talking about helping Puck, he was talking about going back. And then he notices that the thought's been on his mind since Regionals. Not because New Directions won (honestly he might be thinking this way even if the Warbler's had won) but because he'd watched them performing and had felt a pang in his heart that he knew didn't just come from the heartfelt emotions of Rachel's song or the flash of pride he'd felt listening to their shout out to him in Loser Like Me. He missed performing with them whether it was at a competition, an assembly performance (even if they did always end in sex riots), or just singing their emotions out in the auditorium or choir room. He knows that the thought of returning has been in his mind since he left but he never considered it seriously until now.
He tries to settle down and do the homework he hasn't even started yet but his mind won't let him focus so he turns on some music to drown his brain out. And the plan works until a song he isn't familiar with starts to play. He vaguely recognizes it as something he added during his foray into Mellencamp but he can't place the song to save his designer clothes. But his eyes go wide when he hears the chorus and before he can stop himself he's looking the lyrics up and restarting the song so he can sing along.
I'm staring out into the night,
Trying to hide the pain.
I'm going to the place where love
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.
The miles are getting longer, it seems,
The closer I get to you.
I've not always been the best man or friend for you.
But your love remains true.
And I don't know why.
You always seem to give me another try.
So I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all,
And then some you don't want.
Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all, yeah.
Oh, well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old.
I said these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
I'm going home.
By the end of the song Kurt had made his decision. He liked Dalton. He liked the feeling of safety it gave him being there. But he loved McKinley despite its bullies and ineffectual teachers. It was his home and he missed being there.
He went straight to the tire shop after the Warbler meeting the following day to tell his Dad what he had decided.
"Hey Dad." He said walking out into the shop already in his coveralls.
"Heya, kid, what's up?" Burt asked, knowing that Kurt had something important to talk to him about. It wasn't often during the week when Kurt came to the shop directly after he got back from Dalton.
"Well I was thinking about something really important yesterday. And this topic has been on my mind a lot recently. I want to go back to McKinley."
Burt jerked so fast that Kurt was shocked he hadn't hit his head on the roof of the car he was working on.
"What?"
"I want to go back to McKinley. I miss it there. But this isn't just about me missing McKinley. Dalton is a wonderful school, but honestly Dad, I'm not happy there. Blaine is wonderful and the Warblers are excellent performers. But I don't feel right there. I feel like I've been losing myself since I went there. I'm supposed to blend in through the entire school. In class, out of class, even in the Warblers I had to blend my voice in some sort of harmony. I like being me and I wasn't made to blend in. I was made to be an out, loud, and proud Diva with a capital "D". And I can't be that at Dalton."
"Okay." Burt replied
"Plus, think of all the money you and Carole will save. You guys might be able to go on a trip for your one year wedding anniversary!"
"I said, okay, Kurt." Burt said catching Kurt's attention.
"Wait, what?"
"Okay. We'll put the wheels in motion for you to go back to McKinley."
"You're okay with this?"
"I've been half expecting this since you transferred. You never seemed quite as…vibrant after you started at Dalton."
"Thanks, Dad. I know you have to tell Carole but don't say anything to Finn. I want it to be a surprise."
The next person he told about his decision was Blaine. That had been harder than telling his dad because Blaine knew exactly what had happened between him and Karofsky and was afraid of what the larger football player would do to Kurt. While Kurt understood his fear (and occasionally wondered if he was making the right choice) he explained how he felt and why he wanted to return to his boyfriend. In the end Blaine was okay with Kurt's return…though he was upset about it. Blaine agreed to keep things quiet until Kurt's last day, when he would inform the other Warbler's about his choice.
The day after he told Blaine he told Rachel and Mercedes because he needed their help to plan a song for his return. Like the song that had helped him make the decision it was an odd choice (especially for Kurt and Rachel) but it perfectly fit the situation. The two girls were so excited that he was coming back but he had seen the distraught look on Rachel's face when he said it.
"What's wrong, Rae?" he asked later that night after Mercedes had fallen asleep.
"I'm just nervous. We didn't get along before you transferred and I don't want to lose you and everyone else as friends. Plus what about Karofsky and the Neanderthal actions that he committed that made you leave in the first place?"
"Rae, I'm not going to stop being your friend. I'll still fight you for solos but I genuinely like spending time with you now that I know how to handle your particular brand of crazy. As for Karofsky, I'm going to ask the guys to help me…like they offered to before. Plus I have a feeling that Coach Sylvester will be haunting his steps. Seems as though she has a small soft spot for me. She seemed genuinely upset when I had to transfer."
"Okay. But if does anything. Tell Dad or Daddy. I'm absolutely positive that they would be able to take legal action against him."
"I will, Rae. Now I need my beauty sleep and I know you like at least eight hours of rest each night."
"I love you, Kurt." Rachel whispered after they had both laid back down.
"I love you too, mini-Diva."
The Wednesday after he made his decision his dad tells him that he is officially reenrolled at McKinley and will be re-starting on Monday. He calls Rachel and Mercedes and tells them that their planned song will be sung on the coming Friday. He makes his nightly call to Blaine and it takes a while for the subject to come up but he eventually says that the following day will be his last Warblers meeting and Friday will be his last day at Dalton. He waits until the last few minutes of the meeting, the following day to say anything. Wes is asking if anyone has anything to say and he raises the hand that Blaine isn't clutching over his head.
"Yes, Warbler Kurt?" Wes asks acknowledging him.
Kurt stands and Blaine is forced to let go of his hand. He smiles at the look on his boyfriend's face before starting to speak.
"It is my duty to inform all of you that this is my last meeting with the Warblers and that tomorrow is my last day here at Dalton. Starting Monday, I will be returning to McKinley." He stops at the looks on Wes and David's faces, knowing that they have some idea of why he came to Dalton in the first place. "I know some of you know that I came here out of fear for my safety there but when everything happened the boys of New Directions offered to protect me and I plan to take them up on that offer. I have to say, though I know that none of you believe that I would change schools because you lost Regionals, but this has nothing to do with the fact that they are going to Nationals. In fact I had said to myself that I would more than likely have made this choice even if the Warbler's had won. I truly appreciate everything that you all have done in making me feel welcome…but I was not made for a place like Dalton."
The other Warbler's are silent but its Wes who stands first and heads toward Kurt. And slowly but surely the others follow suit and he is given dozens of hugs and well wishes and miss you's and be safe's. Finally only he and Blaine are left in the room and before he can speak Blaine crushes him in a hug. He knows what his boyfriend is trying to say without words. His last day at Dalton passes quickly and once his classes are over his finds himself heading straight to his SUV. He texts Mercedes and Rachel once he gets to McKinley and they rush out to meet him and after exchanging hugs they hurry him into the auditorium. Just before rehearsal is due to start Rachel and Mercedes head to the choir room, leaving him alone on the stage. He takes in a deep breath and feels lighter than he has in a long while. He's already changed into a Kurt Hummel approved outfit and feels more himself than he has in weeks. He gets a text from Mercedes half an hour later telling him that she, Rae, and the rest of the club are on their way. He scurries behind the curtain and can hear them all questioning his diva girls as they walk in. The duo are silent (and he knows how much it must be killing Rachel to not say anything) until they step on stage.
"We told you all yesterday that we had a surprise for you today." Mercedes says.
"And as you know the best way we express anything is through song so we hope you enjoy this one." Rachel continues. She starts to play the track and Kurt grips the mic tighter in his hand, suddenly nervous.
Just as the opening lines of the song started the curtains pulled back to reveal Kurt standing there.
(Kurt, Rachel, Mercedes, Merchel, Kercedes, Kurtchel, All)
I spent 20 years trying to get out of this place
I was looking for something I couldn't replace
I was running away from the only thing I've ever known
Like a blind dog without a bone
I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone
I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold
I been there, done that and I ain't lookin' back on the seeds I've sown,
Saving dimes, spending too much time on the telephone
Who says you can't go home
Mercedes had stepped forward to sing with him and he turned to face his oldest friend with a huge smile gracing his lips. This is what glee club was really about…singing your emotions.
Who says you can't go home
There's only one place they call me one of their own
Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, its alright
He heard more than felt Rachel come up on his other side and turned to face his newest friend with the same smile that he had given Mercedes. He had to admit that their voices sounded wonderful together and he truly enjoyed singing with her.
I went as far as I could, I tried to find a new face
There isn't one of these lines that I would erase
I lived a million miles of memories on that road
With every step I take I know that I'm not alone
You take the home from the boy, but not the boy from his home
These are my streets, the only life I've ever known,
who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go home
There's only one place they call me one of their own
Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home
When Mercedes joined into the chorus the trio of diva's faced their stunned audience. From his spot onstage Kurt could see wide smiles on everyone's faces. They knew exactly what this song meant and they were thrilled about it.
It doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter where you go
If it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road
Take it in, take it with you when you go,
who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back, been all around the world
And as a matter of fact, there's only one place left I wanna go
Who says you can't go home
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Who says you can't go home
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright
Who says you can't go home
For the last few lines the trio created a triangle with Kurt as the apex. They just sang their hearts out smiling at one another and they turned back to the rest of the club and before Kurt could stop himself he had to say something.
"KURT HUMMEL'S BACK AT MCKINLEY!" he shouted throwing his arms up.
The rest of the team was piling onto the stage for a group hug and he knew he had made the right choice. It wasn't until after practice had ended that he gave Puck his answer. The Diva Trio had passed by one of Finn and Quinn's campaign posters and Rachel had stared at it sadly for a moment before rejoining their conversation about what to do at their slumber party that night far too enthusiastically. He pulled out his phone and sent a short text message.
I'm in. Sunday. 11AM. My House. Finn won't be home. Be prepared for Prom Campaigning like you've never seen.
Because, honestly, Puck owes both Rachel and Finn, he is (one of) the reason(s) that they broke up. And Kurt wants his mini-Diva to be happy…and she won't be that until she has his step-brother back. And despite everything…Kurt still sees her as his future step-sister-in-law.