A/N: Well, things are certainly moving in my life - not all for the better, and it made getting this chapter tamed quite hard!

Thankyou so much for the reviews and messages - it really does make me feel so motivated to keep going, despite the foibles of life!

HINT - reviews are like pacman fruits to a struggling writer!
This is another longer chapter, with several different groups in several different locations, just draw up a flow chart or a timeline if you get confused.

Also, a bit of a warning - I touched on some very deep, very DARK things here, but only a touch. Noting is actually described, or even said "on camera".
It's left up to YOU to infer what happened to make those words I did use have so much tension behind them.
It's a scene with Steffi and Paul talking in the park, if you feel it might be a trigger for you, please skip ahead to the next section.

So many people are stressing out or offering guesses for the prohpecies! Just remember, the best prophecy acts as a signpost AFTER the event, so you can go, "Oh, that was the significant happening!" - I'll tell you for free, only a couple of them have happened so far, and one of those happened WAY before this particulare story began. (there's a hint!)

DISCLAIMER: I don't own a theatre, a restaurant or a kelpie. I do own a large market umbrella. All four of these are mentioned in the story. :)
(see if you can work out what the kelpie is)


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The first thing Rachel noticed was that Blaine's biceps were seriously straining the material of his T-shirt.

.
She stood, admiring them for a moment.

Less than a second later, her brain finally received the full message from her eyes and she let out a gasp of concern.
"Oh my God! Is he alright? What happened? Do you need me to call...?"

"He just fainted Rachel, it was shock."
Quinn walked over to Rachel and led her to a nearby chair as Blaine picked Kurt up from the floor and carried him to the same couch.

"Did he hit his...?"

"Are you kidding me? You've seen how fast Blaine can move. I almost missed it because I blinked. Kurt's boy has some serious speed on him!"
Mike Chang almost looked jealous.

.

"I told him he was working too hard. "

Rachel was biting her lip as Blaine laid the slowly stirring form of his boyfriend down on the couch.

She reached out and let Blaine rest Kurt's head on her lap as Blaine knelt on the floor next to them, his eyes filled with concern.

"He's fine Blaine." Quinn sighed, "He just had a shock, he does this sometimes. It used to be a problem when he was in the Cheerios, but now he has you he doesn't even need to worry about his clothes getting dusty."

"He needs to eat something too, "Blaine murmured, "I've tried to find a way to relax him enough so he could keep something down. He's all nerves and tension with the rehearsals and all, and as the concert gets closer he's just stopped eating. I managed to get him to nibble on something last night, at least, but I know it's not enough."

Puck and Jeff exchanged a salacious look and Jeff began to reach for his wallet.

Blaine rolled his eyes at them as he noticed.
"Oh please, give me a break guys! That was not a reference to anything. Grow up!"

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"Blaine?"
Kurt sounded quite wobbly still.

"I'm here Kurt."

Poppy, the stage manager, found her breath catching in her chest as she watched the handsome dark-haired boy gently brush his hand along the cheekbone of the pale skinned counter-tenor.
It was so damned beautiful, she thought, that much love should be illegal.

Her eyes rolled as she realised what she had just thought. In too many places it was illegal! She shook her head slightly, if those haters could just see the love these two boys practically radiated...

.

"Rachel!"
Kurt sounded surprised as he finally identified the face that shared his field of vision with Blaine's.

"Hey Kurt!" Rachel said brightly, "You gave me a shock you know."

Kurt's eyes widened.
"Has anyone...no, of course they haven't. You wouldn't be sitting here calmly if they had..."

"Kurt, honey, you aren't making sense." Blaine stole a small kiss as he looked into Kurt's eyes.

"Ok, what is happening here?" Julie Taymor was walking towards them her face growing concerned as she saw the pale form of Kurt.

"I told Kurt about the change Jules, and he..."
Poppy made a gesture to indicate fainting.

"Oh."

Kurt was sitting up.
"Ms Taymor, might I suggest...I think it would be much better if you got Rachel to sing with her instead."

Everyone looked at the pair in confusion, although it was obvious that Julie and Poppy knew exactly what Kurt was talking about.

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"I thought you'd be excited to..."

"I am. I mean, I would be, but much as I love her, Rachel is the one who worships her."

Rachel was frowning as she tried to read between the lines.

"Should we tell her then?" Julie made a snap decision and smiled at Kurt.

"Well, now would be a good time, she is sitting down."

"Tell me what?" Rachel was confused to say the least.

Julie smiled.
"You know how I told you about singing that song from Cabaret with Liza?"

Rachel nodded.

"Well, since I said that, things have changed. Liza has caught the same flu the rest of the old cast have, so she's not going to make it, but I had thought Kurt might like to sing a duet via satellite with someone."

Now everyone looked lost.

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"We're hooking up links with other concerts and events all over the country, on every network, even on youtube and the net. Someone had a bright idea for a nation-wide media event, and it's gone like wildfire. I thought Kurt might like the chance to sing with one of his idols who will be performing in Los Angeles that night. Kurt it seems, has other ideas, and thinks you should sing the song instead."

"Me? Who is it...what is... how do I... I...what if I don't know the song?"
Rachel was in a flap now.

"Trust me you know the song Rachel." Kurt drawled, "I suspect you were born singing it."

"If I tell you, do you promise not to faint?" Julie looked concerned.

"Or scream!" Kurt added.

Rachel nodded solemnly.

Quinn suddenly gasped as she worked out who Kurt was hinting at, and she knelt beside Rachel to offer her a supportive shoulder.

"Barbra has offered to share the performance of her signature..."
Julie began.

"Don't Rain on My Parade, Rachel! You get to sing it with her!"
Kurt couldn't keep it in another moment.

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Rachel stopped breathing for a second, and then with supreme effort she smiled gently.
"Oh, that will be wonderful. Now, if you would excuse me, I think I need to..."

She nodded in the direction of the bathroom.

"Quinn, please help me!" She whispered as she rose shakily to her feet.

Quinn smiled at the watching group.
"I need to freshen up a little too, can I borrow some powder Rachel? I left my compact at the hotel."
Nobody noticed her arm around Rachel was holding the girl up, and not just a friendly gesture.

"Four more minutes, then another hour of rehearsals and then lunch, ok people?"
Poppy was back in SM mode.

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Rachel and Quinn walked to the nearby bathroom, Santana and Brittany slipped in behind them.

"Are you really ok Rachel?" Quinn asked.

"I think I might need to..." Rachel's eyes rolled back and her head began a violent trip to the floor.

Santana caught her.

"I knew she'd do that." Santana huffed as she lowered Rachel down gently on the floor of the bathroom. Santana smiled down at her, something she'd never done before.

"I thought she was handling it well." Quinn sighed.

"It's hard to keep it together when all your dreams suddenly come true, "Santana whispered.

Quinn's eyes narrowed and she noticed how Brittany's hand had just naturally slipped into Santana's as they both sat on the floor beside Rachel.

"I didn't even have to make a wish!" Brittany smiled.

Quinn smiled too.

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"Come on, "said Santana, "Let's pour some water on 'man hands' here and wake her up before she starts thinking I care or something."

"Too late." Rachel was smiling up at the three Cheerios. "I'm so happy for you Santana. You two are going to make each other so happy!"

Santana smiled slightly, as if the expression was painful to her.

"I still don't like you Berry!"

"That's ok, I can deal with that."

"And I'm still a judgemental bitch."

"I can deal with that too."

Santana shuffled to her feet as Rachel was helped up by Quinn.

"Hey, Santana, "Rachel began, "I'm going to be really busy rehearsing my new song, so I think I might need to get you to replace me in the lead for 'Loser Like Me', think you can handle it?"

Santana sniffed disdainfully.
"Please bitch, I can sing that song better than you can any day of the week, and without trying to deafen the people in the front four rows either!"

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Quinn and Brittany made eye contact and both started to smile.

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Burt and John shared a look of understanding and mutual exasperation as their wives tried on yet another pair of shoes.

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"Honey, you look lovely in them, but are they going to be practical?" Burt regretted saying anything even as the words were leaving his mouth.

"They're Manolo Blahniks Burt, they aren't meant to be practical!"

"I just meant... where would you wear them?"

"It might mean you start taking me to some nicer places to dance, ever think of that Mr Hummel?"
Carole's eyes twinkled as she teased him.

"They are on the pricey side for something you might only wear once or twice dear..." John Anderson's voice trailed away as he saw the look his wife was giving them.

"What about these? I can see me visiting my patients in these, can't you?"
Dr Lopez was stretching out a long leg to admire the diamante encrusted stiletto with the six inch heel. "I decided against the eight inch heel, these are deadly enough."

.

"Never get between a woman and a pair of shoes, "a man with about twenty bags draped over his arms whispered to them as he waited for his wife to try on another pair, "Just smile and nod and try not to cry when the time comes to pay the bill."

"I should be used to this, "Burt rumbled, "I've been buying fancy shoes for years."

"You guys been married a long time then?" The stranger nodded towards Carole, who had joined Elaine in admiration of a pair of Christian Louboutins.

"No, we've been married less than a year actually."

"So it was your ex you kept in fancy shoes then?" The man seemed sympathetic.

"No, "Burt answered without really thinking, "My kid. He asked for his first pair of heels when he was three, it's been non-stop since then. I thought I understood an obsession with shoes, but the girls are even..."

"Did you say 'he'?" The man didn't seem disgusted or angry, just curious.

Burt was apprehensive nonetheless.

.

"Yeah, my son. He's a real fashion plate, even designs and makes his own clothes sometimes, and spends every cent he earns working for me on designer this or that. Genuine articles only mind you! I may be the only guy in Lima who actually knows how to tell an original Alexander McQueen from a cheap knock-off."

The stranger smiled shyly and extended a hand.

"My name's Timothy, and I feel your pain. My daughter does the same thing. What do you do for a living if you don't mind me asking, you just don't seem like..."

"The kind of guy who is into fashion? I'm not. "Burt shook hands with him, "My name's Burt, Burt Hummel. I'm a mechanic actually. I own a tire and lube place back in Ohio. It's my son who is the fashion expert."

"He and my daughter should meet."

"Um..."Burt hesitated for only a second, "I don't think Kurt's boyfriend would like me setting him up with strangers."

"Oh, he's...and in Ohio? That must be really hard for him."

.

"He's had his struggles, but he's a really amazing kid, braver than me, stronger than anyone I know."

Tim looked at the pride shining from Burt's eyes.
"You need to be strong to be out in this world. I...my brother was like your son, but he never made it."

Burt's face must have betrayed his feelings.

"It's ok, he just gave up one day. The bastards finally got him at a low point. I was about fifteen, and my mom had to call me home from school to tell me my brother had been found by his roommate in his college dorm. I'm glad the world has changed a little since then. It's still not safe or welcoming, but your son will have more chances than Ronnie had, and maybe the world will change a little more by the time he has kids of his own. That is of course if he..."

"I don't know if he and Blaine have discussed that far ahead yet, but knowing the two of them I suspect they have names and schools already picked out. I just know that the world is going to change, and my boy is going to be right there changing it."

Tim chuckled at the way Burt's pride in his son made his chest puff out as he spoke.

"You know...New York has legalised..."

.

Burt chuckled too.
"So everyone keeps telling us. I hope the boys are listening. They may be young, but any fool who looks at them for even a few minutes can see, this is the real deal."

John joined the conversation while Carole and Elaine paid for the assorted purchases.

"What are we talking about? Hi, I'm John Anderson."

"Timothy Morris, we were talking about..." Tim looked towards Burt for a cue.

"John, did you know New York has now legalised..."

"Oh God, not again! "John laughed, "Will it never end. "

"You know Burt's son then?"

"I'm getting to know him. I'd better get to know him well. It's my son he's going to marry."

"Have they set the date?"

"They are a little young still, but I agree with Burt, it's only a matter of time. I'm thinking months rather than years, maybe even weeks? I suspect one or the other of them has a plan already. My money is on Kurt to ask Blaine. I love my son dearly, but sometimes he is even more oblivious than I am, and I thought I was the world champion at being dense."

"You are sweetie!" Elaine kissed him on the cheek.

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"Burt honey, we need to get a move on if we want to make it to the park to meet Steffi and Paul for the picnic." Carole was flushed with the excitement of spending three months salary in less than twenty seconds.

"Well, great to meet you guys. Hey, if you need a venue for a wedding, I work at a little place near a park in Chelsea. I could do you a good deal if you don't want to go the whole cliché of a Central Park wedding." He handed them a business card.

"Cliché? I don't know whether Kurt would run a mile or leap to embrace that cliché, he's unpredictable like that." Carole was smiling fondly at the thought.

"Well the park is going to be impossible for the next few days anyway, "Tim laughed, "What with the screens and the crowd control and all."

"Screens? What...?" Burt was confused.

"The concert! They're organising a huge rock concert in the park for July Fourth, plus they are beaming some of the footage from the big Broadway show at Radio City they've been talking about for days live to the screens they're setting up. It's going to be huge! I heard they got Gaga to headline. Oh, she's..."

"I know who Gaga is, "Burt laughed, "Kurt plays her almost nonstop."

"It's a free concert. They're taking donations for charity though. Would you like to come with me and my family? My wife is in charge of the security staff for the event. She can reserve us a place to watch from. I know my daughter is getting there early to make sure she picks a good spot."

"We're already going to the show at Radio City, "Carole said, "But we do have some friends coming from Ohio to see the show. I'm sure they'd love it if you could find them a place to watch the show from."

"No problems, "Tim smiled, "How did you score tickets to that show? I heard they sold out weeks ago."

"We know some of the cast." Elaine said giggling.

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Tim nodded and smiled back and waved them off as they left to grab their picnic baskets from the hotel.

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Rehearsal had been ended before an hour had passed.

.

Nobody complained though, they were all tired and a chance to break early was welcomed, even by those who were still stressing out about the rapidly approaching opening night.

"Who are all these people?" Puck asked as he and Lauren changed into the clean clothes Kurt had wisely suggested everyone bring. Kurt was well aware of how sweaty one could become rehearsing in the venue. Despite its huge size and amazing glamour, Radio City still had quite primitive rehearsal space, and the management didn't feel the need to turn the expensive air-conditioning on for just a rehearsal.

"No idea, "Finn puffed as he pulled his dry shirt over his body.

"They are everywhere, "Dave Karofsky muttered as he came out of the showers, "I think they might be security, or secret service or something like that."

"Whoa dude! " Puck whistled in appreciation as Dave walked past him, "Amazing ink! When did you get that done? I'm sure I'd have remembered if I'd spotted that in the showers after a game!"

Dave turned to look at Puck blankly.

"Not that I ever looked of course man. I mean, I... just I would have spotted, in...in passing if..."

Dave smiled, "It's ok Puckerman. I know I'm a real guy magnet, but...what the hell are you talking about?"

"The tattoo on your back, it's awesome!"

"It is pretty impressive, "One of the Warblers, Dave thought his name was Jon, was admiring his upper body from behind, "If I weren't straight... Jeff is one lucky son of a bitch. I always knew he'd land his dream man one day."

"I'm the lucky one." Dave smiled sheepishly.

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"Who got lucky?" Wes called out as he raced into the room to change.

"Jeff." Jon replied.

Wes stopped in his tracks.
"Please tell me you are not discussing Jeff Sterling's sexual..."

"I mean, he got lucky to have met Dave!" Jon was blushing.

"Oh, yes." Wes was embarrassed now, "I must admit Dave, I was shocked when we heard about you and Jeff, but I suppose it was fate wasn't it? You certainly match the sketches he disfigured the work journal we had to share last year in English. Physically I mean, and now I've met you, I can understand why he fell for you. He's always been a real sucker for a big heart wrapped up in big muscles."

Puck snickered.
"Dude, you said..."

"Guys please!" Dave said loudly, a shamed blush and a slight smile warring on his face, "I'm wearing a towel here."

.

"Love the tattoo!" Artie said as he was wheeled through the door by Sam.

"I don't have...what the hell is everyone staring at?"

"Dude, look in the mirror!" Finn said gently.

Dave half turned so he could see his back in the mirror.

"Oh my..."

"Are you allowed to blaspheme dude? I mean, if you're angel and..." Jon stopped in mid sentence as Dave stared harder at the huge tattoo of a pair of wings which graced his back now and suddenly the tattoo moved and Dave's real wings shimmered into existence.

"Wow, I've never seen how it happens!" Dave said quietly as he spread his wings out wide.

.

"Does it hurt?" Sam asked.

"Not anymore."

"Can you really stop bullets with them?" Asked Wes.

"How do they get through your shirt without tearing it?" Jon asked.

"Does it hurt when you take other peoples' wounds and stuff?" Finn asked gently.

"Like a bitch."

.

Artie looked as if he wanted to ask a question but had changed his mind.
Dave knelt down to speak privately to him.

"I already tried Artie, "He whispered, "When I saw you the first time after this had happened. I tried but I just couldn't... reach the injury. I'm so sorry man."

Artie smiled sadly and fist bumped him.
"No sweat bro! I would miss my wheels too much anyway!"

.

Puck decided to lighten the mood again.
"Hey Dave, does Jeff get off on you being able to offer him a feathery bed every time you guys..."

Dave's left wing reached out and head-slapped the grinning teen. It would have been perfect if Dave's towel hadn't slipped at the same moment.

Everyone in the dressing room was blinded slightly and loose papers and dust blew up from the floor as Dave's wings snapped in front and behind him, like a cross between a wrestler and a fan-dancer.

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"Heads up boys, the guys in the black suits are..."
Jeff Sterling blinked as he took in the naked, still wet body of his boyfriend, hidden only by his wings, standing on his rumpled towel and blushing furiously in the middle of the room.

"Someone catch Jeff, I think he's stopped breathing." Puck teased, but he still moved to join Sam in preparation for such an eventuality.

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"We have to get a move on guys, they want us to clear the building by...oh my Gaga!"
Kurt stood blinking at the naked Dave also.

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"Kurt? What's the..."

Blaine also stopped moving.

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"Well, I guess we can at least say we may have discovered the definitive test for sexuality. Beats a stupid scarf any day I reckon. I guess if you're up that end of the Kinsey scale you just can't help being struck senseless by a naked angel standing on a wet towel." Puck sniggered as he made his remark.

Puck proceeded to explain how the scale came into being and how it worked.

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"How on earth do you know about the Kinsey scale?" Wes asked incredulously.

"Hey, I'm dumb, but I'm also a badass sex-shark. It's about sex, so I know about it."

"Well, I'm guessing that anyone above a four is going to react to a dripping wet..."
Jeff stopped as he realised he was speaking about his boyfriend.

"So Jeff? You claim to be a five? "Artie was amused.

"Kurt? Blaine?" Artie asked archly.

"We're both one hundred percent gay, right sweetie?"

"Uhhuh!" Kurt seemed to have forgotten how to blink, "Dave... I should never, ever have called you..."

.

"Could everyone stop ogling the naked gay angel and pass me my clothes? Please?"

"Be patient Dave, this is science here!" Puck smirked. "Finn, I know you're a zero, Artie?"

"Put me down for a one, but on the high end."

"I'm a one too, "Jon chuckled, "Although I do have to admit a slight envy for those Pecs, you have to give me your workout routine man!"

"I like to identify as a one I guess, "Sam mumbled, "But I suppose I'm a bit twoish. I know some people seem to get mixed signals from it."
He smiled slightly at Kurt and his cheeks flushed.

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"What about you Puckerman?" Kurt was starting to snap out of his daze.

"I always thought I was a solid two, but I have to say... I'm developing some serious fractions here."

"Dude! Please, just pass me my shorts at least!"

"Wesley?" Blaine raised a brow in perfect imitation of Kurt, "You're remarkably quiet."

"I have a girlfriend Blaine! "Wesley snarled through gritted teeth as he moved to where Dave had left his things.

"So that rules out the upper end..."

"You know perfectly well I have no intention of answering your extremely personal questions, so please give them up!"

.

I'd say that means he's a definite three, Blaine, wouldn't you?

Kurt, I've met his new girlfriend. He's had four in the time since you asked if we were all gay that day we met, you remember? I give this one till the end of July, tops. Eventually our perfect three here and his almost constant companion, David, also a perfect three by the way, are going to embrace their threedom and have...

...hot passionate six?

I was going to say an epiphany, but you have such a way with dirty puns Kurt...

Well, I may not be a three, but this six would love to go to third with you tonight...

Kurt!

.

"Is it just me or is it kind of freaky when they do that?" Artie said as they watched Blaine blush and Kurt smile for no apparent reason.

"Try living with it in your house man!" Finn moaned.

The boys had forgotten Dave's predicament as they stared at Blaine and Kurt, who were staring at each other, alternately blushing and smiling at each other.

"Does the hobbit still sleep on the..." Puck asked.

"No, Burt actually carried him up to Kurt's room one night. They've slept together since that. It's... it makes me kind of...happy inside, you know?"

.

A perfunctory knock on the dressing room door was all the warning the boys had.

Kurt reached for his power and hid Dave's form from view, gesturing to him to hurry up and get dressed.

As the men in suits began to check windows and doors Dave finally managed to get his shorts on, and then, at a particularly eloquent gesture from Kurt, retreated into the shower room to make his 'entrance'.

.

A few minutes later everyone was off to explore the lunch spots of Times Square and surrounds. The best part was that they couldn't return to the theatre until three, and when they did the air-conditioning would be running and switched on.

.

The first of the celebrity guests would be rehearsing with them this afternoon.

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"Thanks for staying behind to mind the baby machine Mr K!"

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Paul Karofsky smiled at the young girl as he set the umbrella the hotel had provided up to shade her from the summer sun.

"I must say you're coping very well with the fact that your only son is not only gay, but has recently come back from the dead as some sort of guardian angel. I'd be freaking out myself."

Paul smiled again, he recognised Steffi's attempt to get a rise out of him.

.

"When you have your child, Steffi, you'll learn that your love for them is not conditional on what they do, or what they are, it just is. I am proud of my son because he is caring and honest. I am pleased with my son because he is loving and kind. I am fond of my son because he is funny and clever. I am in awe of my son because he is brave and talented. But I love my son because he is my son. It's part of the job description. Even when he was at his worst last year, getting into fights, making death threats, picking on kids weaker than himself... I didn't like him very much, but I never stopped loving him. You'll see, it's part of being a parent. Even someone as young as you will find the strength to offer your child the love he or she deserves."

"I wish my dad had been like you. Hell, I wish my mom had been like you, beard and all!"

Paul laughed but he sensed a fragility in Steffi that none of the others had seen before, with the possible exception of that Fabray girl.

"Steffi, "He began so, so slowly, "I understand you don't want to talk about your past or your family. I also realise that you probably have some very personal and valid reasons for that. I just want you to know, that you can talk to me about anything if you feel it will make you feel better. I'm sure any of the other adults feel the same. I know that you and Quinn have had a chance to talk about some things already. But if you ever feel that you might like to talk to one of us, please, please, understand this. We're not your parents. We don't want to make decisions for you, or put you under any sort of pressure. Just know that, and I mean this from my heart, I am here to offer you any help or support you want or need. All you have to do is ask."

.

Steffi sat, wide eyed and very still.

The sun's position let them know the others were due soon.

"...I...my dad didn't kick me out."

.

Paul just nodded patiently and sat in the shade of the umbrella so he wasn't towering over the small girl any more.

"He... I had to leave. It wasn't...I wasn't..."

Still Paul said nothing, merely offering her his handkerchief to catch the tears which were making her mascara run.

"I wasn't..." Steffi seemed to find some inner strength, or perhaps she spotted another way to approach this inner demon.

.

"My mom is a pretty messed up broad ya know. I mean, she isn't on drugs or an alky or anything, but... she just doesn't really care about anything but her life and her world and her husband and her job and her..."

Paul reached into the bag he had brought with them and found a cold bottle of water.

"If she sees something she doesn't like, she just... she doesn't see it. Do you get what I'm saying?"

Paul nodded.

"I was supposed to be her little doll. She used to dress me up in fancy clothes and curl my hair, but not like in the movies or on TV where the mom does it because she loves her kid and she wants to spend time with them. She did it so that she could show off to the other moms. We entered pageants, you know, with tiaras and talent shows and..."

Steffi was shaking now.

.

"I hated it. I hated all the fussing and the tension. I hated the other kids, I hated their moms. I hated my..."

She swallowed deeply.

"You said you loved your son no matter what he might have done. Does that mean I have to love my... I don't know if I can. I just... There are some things you just can't forgive, or overlook, or forget..."

Paul felt the ground beginning to crumble away beneath him as he sat listening to Steffi's words.
He was beginning to get a very bad feeling.

"So one day, I was about thirteen, I went to a hairdresser with my mom's credit card and got them to dye my hair black. Then I went straight to the store my mom used to almost run past to avoid being contaminated and I bought the eyeliner and the makeup and the clothes..."

Paul nodded his understanding.

"They wouldn't let me get piercings, they came later."

.

Steffi swigged a huge gulp of water.

"You should have seen her face. We were supposed to go to another stupid pageant the next day. She lost her entry fee, boy was she angry."

The Goth girl laughed dryly at her memories.

"She deserved it, bitch. She was supposed to love me for me. Not treat me like her little dolly. She was supposed to...to..."

.

Paul sat very still and watched the other people in their area of the park play and shout and run, while he felt his heart tearing in two for the pain this poor child beside him was still going through.

"You haven't ever mentioned your mother to anyone before have you Steffi? Why is that?" Paul's eyes widened suddenly as he heard the question he had just asked, 'Don't feel you have to..."

"Don't sweat it Mr K, I don't talk about her, I don't think about her because she was...is nothing. She never tried to hurt me. She never tried to help me either. In fact, she never tried to do anything, even when she should have."

.

Paul was beginning to see a terrible darkness looming in the girl's eyes.

"Can you handle this Mr K? "Steffi was looking at him with genuine concern now. It was such a change from her usual mask of disdain and aggression that Paul almost didn't recognise her.

He smiled wryly.
"I'm going to be as honest with you as you are being with me Steffi. I really don't know. But I'm willing to try if you are willing to risk it. I'm not the person I would have chosen to be the one you shared your troubles with, but I am willing to try."

Steffi blinked, as if she had been expecting a more polished, glib response.

.

"Then let me tell you about how I got pregnant."

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Kurt was watching Rachel almost explode with pleasure as she dipped her spoon back into the ice-cream sundae she was devouring.

.

"Oh my god Kurt, how did you ever find out about this place?" Wes was practically shivering with delight as he swallowed another spoon of his dessert. "You are a gift from the teapot dwarf Kurt. I'm leaving my girlfriend and marrying you!"

"Dave, honey, I'm sorry, but Wes is right. Kurt, you up for a three-way marriage, we'll let Blaine make it a foursome if you insist. You just have to promise that you'll share your intimate knowledge of New York eateries with us."
Jeff was licking chocolate off his fingers as he teased his boyfriend.
Dave pretended to be wounded through the heart, so Jeff let him lick the last couple of fingers for him.

"Oh my God! What is in the middle of that cake?" Dave rolled his eyes in pleasure.

"Miso! It's a cake with Miso and caramel in the middle! How cool is that?"

.

"Much as I would love to take the credit, I have to tell you guys that the real hero is Blaine's phone. It overheard us talking about the difficulties of finding good vegan and vegetarian cuisine when eating out and once it recognised from its GPS locator that we were less than a block from this place, it alerted Blaine to that fact."

"I must kiss your phone now, for it has led me to Kyotofu! "Rachel was reaching for Blaine's pockets.

"Steady on Berry! Nobody messes with my man, or the contents of his pockets except me!" Kurt put on a fierce Diva pose and growled softly.

.

Rachel laughed at him, but suddenly blinked in real shock.

'What?" Kurt was confused and looked behind him.

"You... your eyes changed for a second there. They were still glasz, but the whites turned to flames."

Kurt blushed and Blaine instinctively pulled him closer.

.

"Faggots!"

.

The man who had just walked into the restaurant was glaring at the two boys.

"Asshole!" Kurt murmured under his breath, his eyes narrowing.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the still open doors and pelted the man with rubbish and dust from the sidewalk.

"No! "Kurt said under his breath, "This is a restaurant, no rubbish on the floor!"

The wind blew even harder, turning the man about by sheer force and he hurtled back onto the street, the doors slamming shut behind him.
Through the closed doors, and the windows, the diners watched as newspapers, general rubbish, cigarette butts and assorted sticks and leaves were caught up by what looked like a freak windstorm until the man resembled a walking trash heap.

.

There was silence in the restaurant for a few seconds, and then one of the patrons, an elderly man leant across the table, looking at Kurt and Blaine and smiled.

"It seems Mother Nature has a sense of justice. You boys go right ahead. If small minded little pieces of garbage like that man can't see that love is love, no matter what the gender involved, then I think the gutter is too good a place for him."

His wife nodded in agreement and smiled at the pair. Blaine still held Kurt's hand.

.

"You know boys, this city legalised marriage for all our citizens recently. It was a vote. That means that there are more of us than there are of them. You two stay strong, ok?"

Her eyes wandered over the rest of the small party Kurt had brought with him.

"You as well!" She smiled at Dave and Jeff who realised that they had instinctively moved into each other as the tension had broken out.

.

"We better get back to rehearsals!" Kurt smiled at the couple, and at the rest of the patrons who had all been nodding and smiling at their words.

"Oh, are you all in a show?" The man asked his eyes twinkling, "We're going to a show on Monday, at Radio City."

"That's the one we're in!" Rachel beamed at him, "Kurt and Blaine are the stars!"

"You are too Rachel." Kurt was blushing furiously now.

.

"Oh, now I can't wait to see it!" The old woman was beaming as if her life's dream had been completed. "You know the President is going to be there? It was announced this morning."

"That explains the men in suits." Wes nodded, "I can't wait to tell the others when we meet back up with them."

"Good luck with your performances kids, I'm looking forward to seeing you on that stage." The old woman was squeezing Blaine's hand now.

"Let's just hope that no more of those weird events put a stop to it all!" Said her husband.

"Or more bombings!" A man at a nearby table added.

.

"I wish the government would tell us what's going on, "Said another diner, "My sister lives up near the thousand islands, and she says that several people have just disappeared without trace since they started seeing strange lights out in the marshy areas at night."

"My Grandmother is Hungarian, "The waitress said, "She made me an amulet to protect me from harm, and 'draw zee powerful allies to me'!" Everyone laughed at the exaggerated accent she put on. "I didn't have the heart to tell her it's all nonsense, but I must admit it. I feel a lot safer when I have it near me. Something really scary is happening."

"You see it on the news, "the other waitress added, "For every story about miracle cures or that woman who foresaw the collapse of her apartment building and got everyone out in time, you have stories about dead bodies drained of blood or travellers disappearing from haunted houses and the like."

"I think we need to pray for a miracle," A woman in a red dress said quietly.

"But who to?" Another man asked, "Who is going to answer a prayer like that?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine!" The old woman let go of Blaine's hands and smiled at him and Kurt. "So long as we help each other and listen to the love in our hearts, we'll be fine."

.

"Well, I for one am listening!" Kurt smiled at her and dragged his boyfriend and their friends out to meet the others for some shopping before they had to be back to rehearse

.

.


.

.

When Dr Lopez, Burt and the other parents arrived at their pre-arranged picnic spot they found Steffi clinging tightly to the red-faced form of Paul Karofsky as if she were drowning at sea and he was the last life-raft.

.

Both of them had obviously been crying,

Paul's arms were almost delicately placed around the shaking girl as she sighed and leant against his solid strength in silence.

"Steffi? Paul?" Carole's voice was soft and perfectly gentle.

.

Paul raised his reddened eyes and smiled sadly.

"Are you alright my dear?" Dr Lopez was kneeling beside them as they sat on the grass in the shade.

.

"I'm fine." Steffi whispered, "I'm...I'll be fine."

"What happened Paul?" John Anderson asked quietly.

.

Paul Karofsky's face darkened as a look of sheer anger and hatred crossed his face, followed immediately by sadness and worry.

He turned to Steffi who sat beside him with Dr Lopez checking on her physical well being, and that of the baby.

She looked him in the eye.

"I'm...I'm fine... it isn't my place to..."

.

"You can tell them Mr K, "Steffi's voice sounded softer and gentler than anyone had ever heard before, "I know what it's like trying to keep that stuff inside. I don't want it to eat you up like it has me. I can't... I can't say it again, not yet, you tell them please?"

Paul Karofsky nodded solemnly.

.

Before he could speak, a scream was heard from the pond their picnic spot overlooked.

.

Turning, they saw a group of people standing on the shores of the shallow pond, watching in horror as a small boy, riding what looked like a black-haired pony with a dripping wet mane, rode past them, splashing into the middle of the lake.

The boy's eyes were wide and frightened, and the horse seemed to deliberately be heading for the centre of the small lake.

.

"Burt, "Carole cried out, "He's stuck to it, look. He can't take his hands off its neck!"

They all stood watching as the boy, who couldn't have been more than six years old, screamed in terror. The horse he was stuck to seemed to be moving towards the deeper parts of the lake.

.

Burt was no longer with them.

He appeared, waist deep in the lake, next to the horse and the small, terrified boy.

At close quarters Burt could see the skin of the horse was also wet, but not from the water of the pond. It seemed more like seal-skin than horse. A cold, slimy wetness almost seemed to ooze from its surface.

The smell was wrong too.

Burt was a mechanic, but he had also grown up near the countryside.
He knew what a real horse should smell like.

This...thing smelled like rot and swamp gas and...Blood.

Old, stale, sour, blood.

.

The 'horse' flared its nostrils at him and bared its teeth.
They were sharp and jagged, like a shark.
The smell almost made Burt want to faint.

"Thought you were safe out here did you?" Burt snarled, moving to stand between the creature and the deeper waters. "Guess again."

Burt reached out to grasp what looked like a bridle only to realise his mistake as his fingers stuck to it as if it were glue.

He couldn't open his hand.

The 'horse's' eyes flashed in triumph.

.

Burt snarled and gave a wry grin.
"Think you've won do you? You're some sort of freaky Faerie creature I suppose. Well, unfortunately for you, there are three reasons you aren't going to win. First, I've been having a few late night phone conversations with my son's friend's cat recently."

The creature began to drag Burt and the boy towards the deep water.

"Second, "Burt grunted as he tried to slow its progress, "My wife had more than one wish. She wished for me to be able to get where I need to be, but she also wished that I would always be able to get my hands on my tools when I needed them, and my tools...some of them are made of IRON."

The horse found itself being dragged into shallower water by the man.
Burt was somehow stronger than he had ever been in his life.
He was also suddenly holding a large, steel, pipe wrench.

"And for her third wish? It turns out, she always had a thing for superhero movies when she was a teenager."

.

With that Burt Hummel grabbed the creature by its neck and lifted it out of the water, the wrench in his other hand slamming into its skull.

"You'll be alright in a minute son." He grunted as his arms flexed and his shirt sleeve tore slightly. The wrench was stuck to the creature, so Burt let go of the tool and closed his fingers around the ballpein hammer that appeared in his palm.

"Now, I'm not normally a violent man, "He let the hammer smash into the furious creature, let go of the tool and reached for a large monkey-wrench. "But I am more than willing to make an exception for anything that preys on innocent children!"

.

The boy suddenly flew from the creature's back as it writhed and changed form.

The blows from the iron tools seemed to have maddened it, but it was still full of fight.

As Burt reached up with 'Blaine-like' reflexes and snatched the sobbing boy from mid-air, the horse transformed into a writhing mass of tentacles and tooth-filled maws.

Burt paled, half turning so he could aim the throw that would at least get the child to safety.

He sensed a flash of movement to his side and heard loud splashing as a figure ran past him, shouting, wielding some sort of shiny-tipped lance.

There was a thud, a squelch and a bubbling shriek.
The mass of tentacles shuddered once and sank beneath the surface of the pond, already beginning to rot and decay.

.

Paul Karofsky stood, red-faced and struggling for breath. He leant on the metal-tipped wooden shaft of the large picnic umbrella he had just used to run the creature through.

"So...Burt..." He wheezed, feeling his heart racing beneath his ribs, "You've decided to join the Superhero club it would seem."

Burt was still cradling the young boy as he reached a hand out to help Paul to the side of the pond.

People were already gathering on the shore, pointing and shouting. Someone started a cheer.

"Oh crap!"Burt hissed as he saw the cameras and mobile phones pointed towards them.

The boy in his arms giggled.
"You swored!"

"I know son, and I shouldn't have done that. I'm going to have to make sure I don't get any dessert with my supper tonight as a punishment. You remember that, ok? Swearing is not a nice thing to do. The only exception is when you hit your thumb with a hammer, then it's ok."

.

The small boy nodded seriously as Paul tried hard to combine stifling a laugh with trying to catch a breath.

"And no more riding on strange horses, promise?"

.

The boy held his fingers up in the cub-scout salute.
"I promise sir. Could you help me find my mom and dad now? I know I'm not supposed to talk to strangers as well as everything else, but you're sort of like a policeman aren't you? I'm allowed to talk to them if I get lost."

"He's just like a policeman son, "Paul Karofsky smiled as Burt's cheeks took on a deep, brilliant red.

.

"Oh, that's where Kurt gets that from! I'd always assumed it was his mother."