11

Burt Hummel was changing the oil in a customer's car when the phone rang. He didn't make a move to get it; Ed was in the office and he answered after two rings, as was their custom.

A moment later his coworker called to him.

"Hey, Burt, it's for you! Some counselor from McKinley!"

Burt swiped at his hands with a rag and hurried to the extension. Kurt's school wouldn't call unless it was important, and with his son being who he was, Burt always assumed the worst. Especially considering the recent problems with Paul Karofsky's kid.

"Yeah, Burt Hummel speaking."

"Mr. Hummel? This is Emma Howell, I'm the guidance counselor at your sons' school?"

"Yeah, has something happened? Is Kurt okay? Finn?" He realized belatedly that the call could be about his stepson as well.

"They're both all right, but Kurt is a little shaken. You-"

"What happened?" Burt asked more urgently, already searching for his car keys on the messy desk.

There was a beat. "I'm afraid your son was sexually assaulted."

Burt dropped the phone, not bothering to pause when it missed the receiver, and bolted out of the office with his coat billowing out from one hand.

"Ed, I gotta go! Watch the shop for me!"

He leapt inside his truck and began dialing Carole's number.

:

The nervous chatter filling the choir room cut off abruptly as Mercedes rejoined her friends.

"What's going on?" Rachel demanded.

Mercedes stood in the middle of the room and crossed her arms.

"This is really hard to say," she began, a lump forming in her throat as she remembered Kurt's terrified, vulnerable state. "But he wanted me to tell you." She inhaled a shaky breath. "Karofsky's been sexually harassing Kurt ever since he came back. Since even before he left." There was an outbreak of angry mumbling, which Mercedes cut off by clearing her throat. "And today…today he tried to rape him."

It had exactly the effect she expected.

Every single person in the room jumped to his or her feet (except Artie) and began shouting.

Puck began flinging out expletives and charged toward the door, which Mercedes hurried to block.

"Where are you going?"

"To find the shithead and beat him senseless!" Puck growled. Santana nodded furiously and there was a chorus of yeahs.

"That isn't going to fix anything…" Mercedes began, but even she knew she didn't sound convincing. The truth was, her shock was rapidly being replaced by fury. Hadn't Kurt been through enough? How dare someone try to take something so important from her best friend!

"Out of the way," Mike commanded, and Mercedes relented, squeezing through the door first as the entire Glee club rushed down the hallway.

:

Burt was furious.

No, he was beyond furious. He was murderous.

To think of someone hurting his son, his Kurt, his little boy…He clamped his hands around the steering wheel and pressed harder on the pedal.

Next to him, Carole kept silent, although her face was streaked with tears. Kurt was her son now, too, and it disgusted her to think that there were people so close to home, at the high school, no less, who would want to take advantage of him.

They reached McKinley in record time. Burt slammed the car door and stalked into the building, Carole on his heels.

Burt knew exactly where the principal's office was and headed that way immediately.

What neither of them expected was to turn the corner into a mini-riot.

:

It wasn't hard to find Karofsky. He was, as usual, skipping class, roaming the halls with a small band of his goons.

"Hey!" Puck shouted.

The bullies turned, mildly surprised to find almost the entire group of misfit singers facing them.

Karofsky smirked. "Can we help you?"

"You should have stayed away from Kurt!" Sam seethed.

Karofsky's smile slipped. "Oh, yeah? And what exactly did he tell you?"

"We know what you did to him!" Brittany yelled.

"I'm going to murder that fa-"

His words were cut off when Mike's fist slammed into his jaw. A split-second of stillness followed, before all hell broke loose.

The glee club had the advantage in number, but the hockey players were bigger. Mercedes attacked Azimio, fingernails digging into his skin. Sam and Mike zeroed in on Karofsky. Santana, Brittany, and Tina were giving as good as they got, and even Artie managed to roll over someone's foot. Rachel and Quinn had to hold a straining Puck back.

"You'll go back to juvie!" Quinn reminded him, latching onto his right arm.

"I don't care!" he shouted, trying to pull away. He'd nearly gotten free when a shrill whistle split the air.

"HEY!"

Coach Sylvester was standing in the hallway, hands on her hips and her eyes sparking anger.

"What is going on here?"

"We were wondering the same thing," said another voice, and heads swiveled to see Burt Hummel and Carole Hudson-Hummel on the other side of the fray.

Reluctantly, they all stepped back, wiping bloody noses or cradling injured limbs.

"We're taking this to the principal's office," Sue said, sounding immensely pleased. She waved her hand imperiously and everyone followed like a procession.

:

Principal Figgins was extremely surprised to see the large group of people trying to crowd into his office. He'd only been expecting David Karofsky and the Hummel parents; Kurt, Finn, Mr. Schue, Ms. Howell, and Mr. Karofsky were seated on the couches, and the office was already too full.

"Principal Figgins, these students were rioting in the hallways," Coach Sylvester announced proudly, gesturing at the ragtag group. "I suggest detention and possible lynching to follow."

"Sue, I can't deal with this right now," the principal said.

Sue's eyes fell on the people already in the office. And for once, she was completely speechless.

"Oh," she said. "Well, then. We'll come back later." And she began to herd the group back out. Burt and Carole pushed through.

"Kurt!" Burt said in relief, fighting against the burning rage he felt flare up at the sight of his slightly battered son.

"Dad!" Kurt fell into his father's arms, burying his face into a broad shoulder.

"Mr. Karofsky!" Principal Figgins called after the retreating mob. "You stay here, young man!"

Kurt stiffened at the name.

"It's okay," Burt said softly.

Karofsky stomped back inside. He didn't look at Kurt as he sat next to his father.

Figgins turned to Finn. "Mr. Hudson, now that your parents have arrived, I'm going to ask you to wait outside."

Finn looked as though he wanted to argue, but something in Kurt's face stopped him. He nodded and stood, allowing his mother and Burt to sit on either side of Kurt.

"I'll be waiting," he said quietly, and shut the door behind himself.

Figgins was solemn.

"This is a very serious matter…"

:

"We were just standing up for Kurt," Quinn said to Sue as soon as they were all back outside. "I-"

"Shut your pie-hole," Sue cut her off. Her gaze was unusually understanding. "Maybe we'll just let Figgins forget about this one, hm?" she said, winking. "Now get back to class, all of you, or that detention will become a reality!"

"Wow," Artie said as they headed back to the choir room, having ascertained that none of them needed to see the nurse. "Guess she can be nice."

"I hope Kurt's okay," Mercedes mumbled, and Tina pulled her close for a hug.