CHAPTER SIX

SWAN SONG

Author's Note: I have decided to name this chapter after s4's episode Swan Song.

Author's Note: New York is three hours ahead of schedule than Ohio. I don't know if this is actually true; but for the shake of this story – it is. Just so you know even through it is early in Ohio; and pretty much around eleven in New York – I gave Rachel a very early dance lesson for a Saturday. I just needed this chapter to run smoothly – and half way through it; I realized that my timing with everyone was off. So I decided to write an author's note explaining my timing.

(I'm from California – so New York IS ahead by three hours. Ohio is closer to California than New York.)

Also remember Rachel is quite an early bird. Also NAYDA is an intense school for the arts. So there would be early classes and all.

NEW YORK:

NAYDA:

DANCE ROOM 119 A

Carmen Tibideaux walked into the crowded dance studio eyes straight forward; although she managed to see from the corners of her eyes at all times. But; it wouldn't do for the students to see her actually seeking someone out. It didn't fit in with her image. Only a very select few would be able to see her as an actual human being. She kept her steps forward as the students gracefully, and somewhat in disgrace moved away from her. She hid the small smile. The ungraceful will learn before too long to be graceful. She stopped in front of the small brunette female in front of her. The girl with the sad brown eyes; whom was trying to put on a mask.

Although this one student would never be able to hide her feelings from Carmen. She waited a few beats before reaching out her hand with the white envelope in it to the female. She watched as the brunette tried to grain some excitement as she looked from her to the envelope to her once more. She waited as the student slowly opened the envelope and saw that she; Rachel Berry; had been cordially invited to sing a solo in the Winter festive. The first freshman to ever grace the honor in seven years.

Rachel swallowed and bowed her head. Lifting it with a small smile gracing her lips. "I'll do you proud Ms. Tibideaux." She husked out.

Carmen silently nodded her head. Turned and left the room once more. Even through she wanted to stay, and witness the emotions swimming around in Rachel's body; it wouldn't do for her to remain after the simple thank you. But; she swore that she would pay even more close attention to this student of hers.

LIMA, OHIO:

ARTIE'S HOME:

ARITE'S BEDROOM

"I better remove myself from your room before your mom comes down. I don't want her to kick me out." Kitty slipped out of the bed. "I can't go home yet."

Artie leaned sideways on his right elbow. He reached out and grabbed her waist with his left hand. "My mom won't kick you out finding you in my room." He gently smiled. "She is all ready taken with you; Kitty. Even if she walked in here and found us making love; she wouldn't dream of kicking you out." He gently blushed as he realized what he had just said.

Kitty's eyes widen at his words. "You don't think that I want to sleep with you do you?" She worried her lower lip. "I find you desirable, Arthur Abrams; but I'm not sexual attracted to you." Her brows furrowed; "If that's a problem with you; Artie; then I'll understand if you don't want to be my friend any more."

Artie's brown eyes softened. "Hey there; Kitty. I don't just want to be close to you just to get inside you." His head tilted. "I'm not attracted to you that way either. I want to be your friend. Your close friend. I want you to be able to feel safe with me no matter what. I want to be your comforter. Your rock. Your safety line. Your tether."

Tears rolled freely down Kitty's cheeks as she listened to Artie's words.

"I want to be your family. Your home." Artie ended softly.

Kitty swallowed and bowed her head. She couldn't stop the slight shaking of her body as silent sobs broke through her chest. "You are the first person whom ever said those those words to me." She lifted her watery hazel eyes. She swallowed around the lump lodged in her throat. "I believe you." She smiled a watery smile.

She sat down on the edge of his bed; "I wish you weren't leaving."

He frowned. "Who says I'm leaving?"

"You are graduating this year. You are going to go to college. Out of state." Kitty looked pointedly into his eyes.

"It's only December." Artie pointed out. He watched as she leaned over him, he felt the smoothness, and firm of her body as she squeezed into him. He smelled her. Just simply her. No perfume masking her smell. He quite frankly loved the smell of Kitty Wilde. It was a new favorite smell for his senses.

She slowly pulled back and smiled down into his eyes; he watched as her hands slowly lifted and she fitted his glasses onto his face. Making sure his glasses fitted between his nose; and the ear pieces were wrapped around his ears. He felt the lightness of her fingers as they teased the back of his ears. This was a new favorite sensations that his body was enjoying. "No matter where I end up; I expect you to visit me. Quite often." He reached up and tapped her bottom lip; "I'll visit you all the time."

Hazel eyes lower as she simply watched his finger motion. Too bad that I'm not sexual attracted too him. Because I have a feeling that he would be a sensitive lover. But; I'm glad that there is no chance of sex between us. Sex would just ruin what is between us. I know that once the sex was gone; he would try to still be there for me; to be everything that he had said he wanted to be for me; but once sex enters the picture – then everything else gets pushed out with the garbage. "Promise me that you'll never fall in love with me." She whispered.

"I'm all ready in love with you." Artie said. "Not the kind that a man loves a woman – I don't want to marry you – I don't want to make love to you. I just want to love you. I want to love you in the purest way that I can."

Hazel eyes meet brown ones for long silent moments. "I better get out of here." Kitty finally pulled herself up onto her feet. Walking to the door, and opening it; she paused half way in and out of the bedroom; "Thank you Artie." She winked and turned and left the room.

NEW YORK:

KURT AND RACHEL'S APARTMENT:

LIVING SPACE

Rachel pushes the loft door open with a tired sigh. She found Kurt sitting in the center of the couch with his lap top in his lap; hard at work. "What are you doing home so early? I thought Isabelle had a major project for you." Her brows furrowed as she eyed her best friend.

"She does. She said that I could work from home today." Kurt kept his eyes glued onto his computer scene while he was tapping madly away. With one last click he looked up and noticed how truly exhausted Rachel was. "Hey honey."

Rachel hummed. She leaned her head against the side of the open loft door. She didn't have the energy to make her way into the loft.

"Cassandra rough rode you again?" Kurt closed his lap top; and placed it to the left of him. He stood to his feet and made his way over to his small brunette Diva. His favorite Diva of all time. Truly no one else could even shine in the same space as her. He placed a gentle hand on her cheek; "You are warm. Are you coming down with something?" He asked concerned.

"I just have too many layers on; Kurt." Rachel cracked a smile. "I ended up getting off the train one stop past ours. I decided that I wanted to walk back to our stop; so I did."

Kurt frowned. "It's much too cold out there for you to be walking. Especially if you come straight from dance. I don't want you to lose your voice, honey." He gently pulled her into the loft; and lead her towards the couch. "I don't want you to get sick. I know that winter finals are coming up. I also know that especially Cassandra July has a hard final for the fall session in mind for you. You need to be at your best to even pass her grading system."

Rachel just hummed.

Kurt gently undid the buttons of her coat and slipped it off; along with the scarf. He gently pushed his friend onto the couch and grabbed the fleece blanket from the back of the couch. He quickly tucked it tightly around the thin (thinner than normal to his liking) frame of the brunette. He gently removed her hat; and brushed down the stray hairs. "I'll get you a nice hot chocolate. He was relieved that he had decided to make himself a hot chocolate. That meant he didn't have waste any seconds heating up the kettle.

After he made sure that Rachel had both hands wrapped around the hot mug; and she had taken at least two sips of the drink; he turned back towards the still open loft door. Walking quickly over to it he slid it shut; and locked it good and tight. He turned back around to face his friend. She hadn't said one word in ten minutes. He frowned. He knew this Rachel. He didn't like this Rachel; not one bit. This Rachel meant she was deeply depressed. That she couldn't even try to work up the energy to even try to put on an act.

This Rachel scared him to the core.

He just had to get into NAYDA for the Winter semester. He couldn't just sit back and allow Rachel to travel those halls alone anymore. He would simply just go to Carmen Tibideaux's office and just simply beg to be admitted. Hell; he didn't even care if he was a student or not; he would simply beg to work as a janitor for crying out loud. Anything so he could stay close to Rachel during the days. Heknew that Isabelle would understand his need to be at NAYDA rather than at .

If it came down to it. A choice between Isabelle and Rachel – then Rachel wins. Every. Single. Time. It was as simple as that.

LIMA, OHIO:

MARLEY'S HOUSE:

MARLEY'S BEDROOM

Marley sighed as she stared at her cell phone resting on the table fully charged. She bit her lip as her blue eyes simply teared up as she thought back to the previous afternoon. How when she went to meet Artie in the science room; seeing Kitty wrapped up in Artie's arms in his chair. It simply broke her heart into a million pieces seeing this fragile being broken to what looked almost beyond repair. It brought back to earlier that morning when Kitty finally broke in her arms.

Every moment that she had spent with Kitty had flashed rapid fire through her minds eye. Every time she looked at Kitty; whether Kitty was aware of it or not; just flipped like a rapid fire photo collage was overwhelming her senses. She had to close her eyes to try to compose herself before she allowed the two to know that she was there. It took a mere minute before Kitty's soft whimper to alert her to where she was once more. Her blue eyes flashed opened.

Marley was hurt that Kitty didn't want to go to her house to find her way out of the broken harbor that she had found herself in. When Kitty had allowed herself to find comfort in her arms that morning; it seemed like Marley had become Kitty's safe haven. Her rock. Her safety. Her tether. If felt like Kitty had found her way home when she had finally taken her hand. But, she was wrong. Kitty had wanted to go to Artie's home. She had only wanted Artie to be her comforter.

Stop being so damn selfish Marley Rose. This isn't about you! This is about Kitty. If being with Artie will help her heal than so be it. Doesn't mean she doesn't want you in her life. It's just right now you aren't the one too help her is all. Marley swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat since the time she had arrived back home after her date with Jake. "Doesn't mean that I can't help heal Kitty also." She whispered.

She was debating whether or not to contact Kitty. Letting the blond know that she was still here. Biting her lip; she shook her head. No. That would be wrong move to make. Kitty was too fragile to be pushed by her. She had to wait. She had to wait for Kitty to make that move. For Kitty to give her permission to be the one to insinuate the contact between them. Kitty had to know that the control was still firmly with her. That Marley didn't want to steal any control of Kitty's life from her.

She removed herself from her bed. She might as well grab a shower; and get ready for the day. For whatever the day would bring.

NEW YORK:

KURT AND RACHEL'S APARTMENT:

LIVING SPACE

Rachel silently right handed him the white envelope. Kurt's breath hitched in his throat. "Is this what I think it is ..." he took a few breaths as his heart rate went up. He ever slowly opened the top lip; and breathlessly removed the square card from the crisp white envelope. Tears sparkled in his eyes as he read what was hand written in the side. "Oh my God." He breathed. "Oh Rach; you did it honey!"

"Carmen walked into the dance studio right when everyone was stretching to cool down. It was simply amazing, Kurt, how everyone simply made a path for her to walk through. It was perfectly staged. There they were all stretching, or twirling around; in front of me; I was getting my stuff ready to go home. When suddenly there seemed to be an ecclesiastically feel to the air. I lifted my head to find Carmen suddenly in front of me. With the white envelope in her hand. I was struck dumb. I was just waiting for her to hand it to someone; to the side of me; or to the back of me. Even through I knew no one was behind me; after all the back of my legs were touching the wooden two story bench." Rachel paused. "It was like she was moving in ever slow moments as she reached out her hand with the white envelope out to me. I couldn't believe it, Kurt; I simply couldn't believe that she was actually handing me; me; Rachel Barbara Berry; the white envelope that every single NAYDA student had craved for."

There was life in Rachel's voice as she was speaking. It stirred Kurt's soul.

"I didn't want to take the white envelope, Kurt; because I knew the moment I did; than she would tell me that it was a mistake. That the white envelope wasn't meant for me; that she was just pulling my heart strings; to teach me my place. To help harden me for stardom." Rachel eyes glazed over as she simply recounted what had happened not even two hours ago. "But; her eyes; Kurt; her eyes simply told me that it was true. That it was true that the white envelope was actually meant for me. Only for me. No one else."

Kurt turned his head sideways, and kissed the top of her head; which was resting on his shoulder.

"I took the white envelope into my hands; and I very lovely slit the seal off the back of it; ever careful not to make an tear into the beautiful craft work in which Carmen had taken the time to address to me. I gently pulled the card out of the white envelope; and just took a breathless breath as I lifted it up; and I just stared down onto the beautiful handwritten words written there." Rachel blinked as light tears rolled down her cheeks. "Her hand writing is beautiful; and how she wrote my name is awestruck." Her breath hitched; "I can't believe that she thinks that I'm ready to sing in the Winter showcase. What if I fail? What if I truly prove to her that I truly don't belong at NAYDA. After all it took me two auditions to make it into her school. She'll see the reason why I chocked the first time."

"No honey; she won't." Kurt wrapped his arms around Rachel's body; and pulled her to him. He had made sure that the card; and white envelope were safely out of damage area.

Rachel buried her head into his chest. She allowed the heartbreaking sobs to release themselves.

LIMA, OHIO:

MARLEY'S HOUSE:

MARLEY'S BEDROOM

Walking into her bedroom while towel drying her locks; she hummed the song "Holding Out For A Hero". The costumes that she and Kitty were for the performance made her smirk. Kitty of course looked beautiful in her black cat suit. While Marley just felt like a dorky kid dressed up in a bad self made costume. But; the way that her and Kitty's voice simply fit together was simply beautiful. Every time they got to sing together – even as back up for the others; their voices just magically blended together. Marley had never had that experience with anyone before.

She couldn't wait until Mr. Hudson could find them a permanent place to meet once more. She didn't even care if it wasn't at school. As long as they met. She was sure that Ms. Pillsbury would still agree to be their adult supervisor off school grounds. After all she doubted if anyone would agree to have Mr. Hudson deal with twelve teenagers on his own; after all he was still a teen himself; nineteen. But; he was a mature nineteen year old; so that shouldn't matter one bit. But; try telling adults that.

She decided to call Puck and ask his advice on the situation. After all just last night he proclaimed that he still cared about New Directions. Even though he graduated. He still cared about the community. That the community was alive and well with every single member – current or past – just as long as that member still cares for the community – than the community lived on. She smiled at that thought. She would write a song about it. Someday once she got all the members together in one place; she'll sing it for them. It would be their banner – their theme song.

She made her way to her bedside table and glanced down at her cell phone – a frown graced her lips as she saw no new messages. She blinked back the tears that came to her eyes as she realized that Kitty so far doesn't want any contact with her. She sank down onto the edge of her bed with a bowed head; not realizing she was still clutching her bath towel in her hands.

ARTIE'S HOME:

ARTIE'S SECOND FLOOR BEDROOM

Kitty sank down onto the edge of the bed as she looked at her phone charging on the table. Biting her bottom lip she gnawed at it. She reached with her right hand and picked it up; disconnecting it from the charger. She brought it to her chest and swapped it opened; she found no messages from her parents. Which truly didn't surprise her. As long as she told them where she was; then they left her alone. So she didn't expect any words from either of them until she returned home Sunday night. She found some texts from some of the Cheerios; but she ignored them. They didn't matter one bit. She could delete them, and know what they were talking about at a later date.

She sighed in defeat as the one name didn't show up during her scrolling down the list of texts. But; truly why would it. When she knew that Marley was waiting for her to make the first move. A small smile graced her lips as she thought of what a truly wonderful soul Marley Rose had. Anyone else would come barging into her life – as she would theirs – without any invention whatsoever. But; Marley Rose would never dream of invading anyone's privacy. She would wait patiently to be invited.

Kitty opened up a new message under Marley's name: Hey. I want to thank you for driving Artie and me over to his house yesterday. I know that I didn't acknowledged you yesterday for it. I just want to now thank you.

You are welcomed. I was happy to do it. Thank you for trusting me to drive your car.

Before Kitty could reply another message popped up.

Are you all right?

Kitty took a ragged breath. Talk about a loaded question. No. But I will be. I'm staying the weekend at Artie's. I just can't go home right now. I can't face my parents yet. I'm not strong enough.

You are strong.

Tears rolled down Kitty's cheeks. No I'm not. If I was strong; than I never would have broken down in your arms yesterday morning. I would never break down in Artie's yesterday afternoon. I wouldn't have walked out of Glee practice after Ryder said what he said.

Before Marley could reply Kitty sent another message. I'm not perfect.

No one asked you to be.

My parents expect me to be perfect. Always perfect. Do whatever it takes to be perfect. Take down anyone whom stands in the way of being perfect. Kitty swallowed roughly around the lump in her throat.

What do you need me to do?

Kitty turned and fell face first onto the bed, and allowed the heart wrenching sobs to break through her chest. She couldn't find the strength any longer to type on her phone. She just brought her hands up to cover her head as she tried desperately to keep her sobs soft; so not to alert Artie that she was breaking down. She didn't want him to either make his mother carry him up to the room; or worse yet have her come to check on her. All she wanted was to do was break down alone.

MARLEY'S HOUSE:

MARLEY'S BEDROOM

Marley's clenched her phone between her hands; her eyes glued onto the scene. "Come on Kitty; answer me." She whispered. Please. Twenty minutes passed and still no reply. She looked up at her open bedroom door and was about to jump up; and rush out. She wanted to get to Kitty. She knew that small blond hazel girl needed her. All she wanted to do was get to Kitty.

But; she remained where she was sitting. She couldn't go barging into Kitty's life without being invited. Her heart was breaking because she knew Kitty was broken even more than ever with what she had text-ed her. For Kitty Wilde to have shared this very personal information with her meant that the girl was truly broken beyond repair at that moment.

Marley tried telling herself that Kitty was safe; she was at Artie's house. That she was probably in Artie's safe arms right this moment allowing the boy to comfort her. But; her soul was crying out that this wasn't so. That she just knew that Kitty was off somewhere in that house alone. That she was trying to keep Artie away from her.

Marley's fingers trembled when she typed; Can I come over? Before she could pressed send a message popped up.

I need you.

Marley blinked.

END CHAPTER SIX

Author's Note: Okay; I was seriously setting up to getting Kurt to Carmen Tibideaux's office in this chapter. But; when I wrote Rachel arriving back at the loft; I knew that I had more things to say between Rachel, and Kurt in this chapter; than to have Kurt rush off to Carmen's office. I have also decided to give Kurt more things too do; besides answer phones for Isabelle. She would honesty take him under her wing way more than what the show had time for. (Sides I love the character of Isabelle; so expect a lot of her in this story).

I originally was having Rachel have a dead tone voice as she told Kurt about her invitation to perform in Winter showcase – and I was going to have Kurt then be worried that Rachel; in her deep depression; was going to be suicidal. But; then the scene of when Carmen Tibideaux handed Rachel the invitation; with Kurt's voice over tune; flashed repeatedly through my minds eye; I knew that I couldn't do that to this beautiful, beautiful scene for the sake of a story idea. So I wrote Rachel telling Kurt her feelings; because those were MY feelings as I watched this play out on scene.

If you all haven't realize this by now; this story is going to be long. I'm taking my time getting the four girls into the places they need to be before Rachel & Kitty (the loud; and outgoing girls) start to woo Quinn & Marley (the quiet and shy girls). So expect a lot of emotional angst before we get into the romance that this story is truly about.

New Directions IS an community. Not just a dysfunction family. That even through the original members graduated; they are still part of the community. New Directions IS the key to changing McKinley into a better school for everyone. So expect this thread to play though-out this story; and every other story I write.