Chapter 8

"You sure you'll be alright?" Rachel asked, sniffling as her tears began to pour.

"Yes, I'll be just fine. I promise." Kurt said, smiling as he took Rachel in his arms, hugging her tightly.

"I'm going to miss you while you're in Lima."

"I'll miss you, too, Rachel."

"But you've started to get glimpses of your memory back. Are you sure you'll be alright?" Rachel said. That had been true. Kurt had recently remembered bits and pieces here and there of his time line but never in an order. Though Rachel denies it, Kurt knows that he's missing a major picture in his life that would trigger the memory flow and allow everything to fall into place. There's a huge gap within his junior and Senior years that he simply can't recall as well as other missing pieces that just don't fit the puzzle.

"Rachel, It's only a couple of weeks. Don't you worry. I'll be back before you know it, Okay?" Kurt said, letting Rachel slip out of his hold.

"Okay," She said while sniffling. "Now go, I don't want you missing your flight and blaming me." She encouraged.

With one last wave as Kurt stood in between the border of the door, he left.

Kurt had decided to go to Lima for a few weeks after his dad had suggested it. Kurt owed it to his dad. He hadn't seen him since Thanksgiving and it killed the both of them. After all, even though most grown men would never admit it, he missed his dad, he need him.

After all, Kurt wasn't even in the right head space. He was mentally a different age to what he really was. He still believed he was a teenager. There was no denying that. And to be away from home when mentally he'd been much too young scares Kurt to death. Sure, he'd been independent at a young age but not enough to be away from his father. Though Kurt felt comfortable in New York City, it didn't feel like home. Kurt had gathered that possibly it may not be the place that was telling him that it wasn't home.

The flight had been a bit rough with turbulence-which always startled and scared Kurt. Despite the ride, all Kurt could think of was seeing his dad again. He was looking forward to returning home where Carole welcomes him in open arms, Finn living at home just "temporarily", and his Dad being a little too proud that his little boy is back home.

"My boy!" Burt screamed out the moment he saw Kurt. Kurt attempted to scan the room to see where Burt was calling from till he was attacked by Burt's a-little-too-tight hug. Kurt couldn't breathe and was pretty sure his right shoulder-blade was going to dislocate. "Kurt, it's so good to see you!" Burt said enthusiastically then grabbed Kurt's face and placed a kiss on his forehead, lingering a little.

"You too, Dad." Kurt said, trying to gather air as Burt squeezed all the breath from his lungs out of it.

"Allow me." Burt said, taking a hold of Kurt's suitcase.

"No, it's fine, Dad." Kurt said.

"I mean it, Kurt. Let go." Burt demanded, Kurt let go, watching his dad pull his suitcase along with a grin, Kurt couldn't but smile back.

XXXX

"Hey, Little bro!" Finn called out and instantly approached Kurt with an embrace the moment Kurt walked through the door.

"Oh, Kurt, hunny." Carol greeted as she walked down stairs and embraced Kurt. "How are you doing?" Carol asked.

"I'm good, thank you. You're hair!" Kurt had noticed. It had grown a lot from his memory, of course, it's been years. He had skyped with Carol, of course, though to see how much she had changed from his memories in flesh is quite extraordinary. He didn't want to point out any of the wrinkles that her and his dad had gotten, that'd just be rude. "How's things?" Kurt politely asked back.

"Don't worry about me, everything's still the boring same. Look at you, off your crutches and looking better," Carol said. "How are the check ups going?"

"They're, um, good." Kurt said, giving Carol the most comforting smile he can.

"That's good, I'll take your stuff to your room and you can get comfortable." Carol said, taking the suitcase from Burt and into Kurt's old room upstairs.

Kurt eyed the room. He most definitely could not remember the last time he had physically been there but a lot has changed over the years. The place was decorated much differently, new additions of photos of events that he had not recalled living. He was scanning the surroundings till something had caught his eyes. An A5 photo that had been taken professionally. It was hung in the Dinning room which Kurt could see through an open space. He noticed he was in the image, wearing a suit, smiling and looking eye-to-eye with...who was that? Kurt could barely make out the image and decided to step closer till...

"Hey, you alright? You're spacing out." Finn said as he stepped in Kurt's view.

"Wha-yeah. I'm fine." Kurt said, trying to look over Finn's shoulder.

"Well come on." Finn said, tugging at Kurt's wrist and pulling him out the door.

"Where are we going?" Kurt asked, looking back to see the image grow further as he was pulled out the door.

"Breadsticks, of course. There are people expecting you." Finn announced.

XXXX

Carol and Burt were in the kitchen as Carol prepared dinner for the two of them since the boys were out having dinner with their friends. Burt entered the room holding out an envelope.

"I think we found the right letter to give him." Burt announced, moving over to his toolbox left on the bench, taking this time to organize his tools.

A beat of silence then, "Um, Burt?" Carol said, realizing something that had slipped both their minds.

"Mmm?" Burt responded, digging through his tools.

"We forgot the picture." Carol said.

"What picture?"

"Kurt and Blaine's wedding." Carol announced. But stopped everything

Burt instantly stopped his movement of hands. "Oh. That picture."

XXXX

"I told you I would've been fine with driving if you didn't force me to drink! Now we have to go back there tomorrow and get to car again." Kurt said, stumbling through the door-Not overly drunk, but beyond sober.

"It's fiiiine!" Finn slurred as he nearly tripped over his own feet till Kurt catched him, Finn hooking Kurt under his arm for support.

"Alright, come on," Kurt said, helping Finn the best he could to escort him to the couch, allowing Finn to slump down on to the sofa, falling asleep almost immediately. "There we are".

Kurt looked up to the dinning room once he had untangled Finn's arm from his shoulders and noticed that the picture that was hanging there earlier was no longer there. He couldn't possibly have imagined it. If anything, he was imagining that it wasn't that it wasn't there considering he was drunk and his sight was hazy.

Kurt head towards the kitchen to get a glass of water, looking at the mail on the bench, flicking through the mail. Kurt had never gotten used to the bills being addressed to Mr and Mrs Hummel After his dad had married Carol. Drinking his glass of water, he hadn't thought anything of the letters that he had starred at as he spaced out till...

Kurt,

The letter had been clearly addressed to him. In a heartbeat Kurt yanked the letter, put the glass down, and ripped it opened.

Dear Kurt,

As Paddy Ashdown once said, "We have invented a new human a new human right here-the right to return home after war". Kurt, you've been at war with yourself far too long. Don't. I want you to do me a favor. When you can, go to the Lima Bean, present this letter, they'll know what you're waiting for.

-A punishment to some, to some a gift, and to many a favor.

Love, B.

Kurt couldn't believe it. It was signed off. Signed off as 'B'. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Kurt wasn't sure what the Lima Bean was but that didn't matter, what mattered was that he was getting closer in finding out who this mystery writer was.