Episode 10, Chapter 3:

"A stroll through the park, I didn't know you could be so thoughtful."

"Well I'm full of surprises," Finn had called her way before she presumed their date would start. She'd just stepped out of her dress after Blaine left the house after their early talk about her date. He'd called to tell her to meet him on the bridge in Central Park. There was only one she could imagine that he meant. Finn also wrote for her to look nice so she did. She'd put on the dress she'd picked out while visiting her mom in Ohio over the summer. The thrift shop there had a beautiful baby blue vintage cowl-neck dress that she wore with a chignon bun and champagne heels. [New York] He'd dressed in a suit for the non-occasion occasion.

"You've got me all dressed up. What's this about?"

"I didn't want you to feel bad that you weren't going to the debutantes' ball, and I figured getting dressed up with me would be almost worth it."

"Oh no, you didn't have to do that. You don't understand. I wanted to go out with you tonight. I knew I wouldn't be able to go there, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere right now but with you," she smiled deeply in his eyes. He kissed her, and she didn't shy away from the public display. When they were ready, he walked alongside her.

Finn guessed where she'd want to go for dinner, considering her long history with Broadway. For the theater greats, the best place to go was Sardi's on 44th Street in NYC. While they waited for their table to be ready, he picked her up a tote bag and a mug. The pasta would have been the best part of the meal if Rachel hadn't seen a certain icon across the room.

"Oh my gosh, is that—yes it is! Oh my gosh, what is she doing here? I have to say hi," this person she was going Gaga over was in fact THE Patti LuPone. Of course, even though their meal had just begun, she walked over to confess her love and admiration for the ultimate star. Finn tagged along behind. Once she'd spoken and thankfully not made a fool of herself, they both returned to their table. Rachel couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the dinner. Finn had a whole lot of learning to do. He came back to the table desperate to ask her who that was. Rachel forced herself to hold her tongue in a public space.

No one called on Quinn, and while she held out as long as she could, when the final hour came, she had to call Sam back.

"Hello Quinn, it's a pleasure that you called. I'll inform Sam that you're hear," he answered the phone, and while the voice sounded familiar, the accent was strange and the words were un-Sam like. Quinn held the phone confused for a moment, but Sam got back on the line.

"Hey Quinn so what's up?" he sounded out of breath.

"I-um-I was calling you back to take you up on your offer. We should probably go to the ball together as friends if you're still interested."

"Yes, absolutely yes! I'll come by to pick you up and everything," he sounded too enthusiastic. She thought he might have been having a heart attack.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I need to go tell Evan to get my suit. See you later," he called hanging up.

Quinn thought to herself, who's Evan?

Everything was going well for Blaine now that he was confident. He would do what he must to be Kurt's date. These types of places strangely had very bad security, and if you dressed the part, you could waltz into the party through the kitchens with ease. Gossip Girl could have been by the cupcake bar. Blaine needed to find Kurt as soon as possible. He walked the circle of the ballroom before finding Santana, seeing her not with Brittany was almost unsettling. Santana wore a red Dalia MacPhee one shoulder ruffle gown and looked stunning. [Prom-a-saurus]

"Santana, I'm looking for Kurt is he here?"

"No, no, no, haven't you heard the news?"

"What?" Blaine panicked.

"Hair gel is banned tonight."

"What?! You can't do that! It's a free country last time I checked!"

"It wasn't my decision. Brittany banned all hair gel including the mop of it on your hair. This is a real rule I will bust you for," she said. He knew he had to listen. He lowered his head, knowing what the consequences of taking it all out would be. He hoped Kurt would never see him like this, but he guessed he had no choice. He walked away from her and found the bathroom. It would take at least ten minutes to wash it all out.

Sebastian had a plan for the ball. He knew making Kurt's entrance grand would be exactly what he needed to embarrass him in front of everyone he knew. Sebastian didn't pick him personally but sent a car for him instead. Kurt's family had been at the event center for the last two hours making sure everything looked perfect. Kurt removed his coat just as he found himself on the top of the stairs. He had picked out a Nicolina Royale Signature Leather Rose brooch to wear with his relaxed black vest, pants and top hat. [Prom-asaurus] Just before Kurt, Brittany got introduced at the top of the stairs and waltzed down in a tuxedo-look with Betsey Johnson gold bow stud earrings, a D&G layered tulle midi skirt in mint, a white Thomas Pink Hira shirt, a black Kate Spade abstract bow belt around the waist and a mini top-hat headband in white. [Prom-asaurus] Sebastian smirked knowing that Kurt would go down next like all the other princess fairies.

The server Sebastian bribed nudged the man whose job was to introduce each lady into the event hall and handed him an in-descript index card. He read it without paying attention to the name. Sebastian came from out of nowhere and grabbed Kurt's arm to walk him down the elegant marble staircase.

"Kurtina Elizabeth 'Porcelain' Hummel, Daughter of the late Christopher Hudson and Carole Hudson-Hummel, granddaughter of Chairwoman Emeritus, Susan Rodham Sylvester, escorted by Sebastian Smythe, hopes to continue her family's legacy of boning—OH! My apologies," he said a moment too late as the words had already come out of his mouth.

Everyone stared with jaws shocked into a frozen drop. No one in the history of the cotillion had ever done this. Sebastian pretended to smile like he was one of the victims. Because everyone was looking at him, Kurt could only look at the fake look of shock on his escort's face. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he finally saw his friends. Quinn, Brittany and Santana were on the sidelines, completely struck but unable to do anything. The damage had been done. They couldn't even rescue him.

Sebastian began to dance with him, but finally Kurt couldn't handle it and pushed him away. Thankfully, someone better tapped his shoulder at just the right moment. Although he looked foolish with his hair all wild, Blaine was the only person whose arms he wanted to be in right now. Kurt held him for dear life while his escort slipped into the shadows. Blaine let Kurt's face be hidden in the crook of his neck. Eventually, everyone went back to their own business, and beside them the floor filled up with other dancing pairs.

When the noise was loud enough, Blaine whispered in his ear, "What just happened?"

He missed everything, but the end when he saw his boyfriend looking traumatized with a mystery boy, who he did not get a very good look at.

"Just the worst, most embarrassing experience in my whole life," he crushed him tighter. "Thank you for saving me... What did you do to your hair?"

"Some stupid rule that Brittany came up with for the ball—but wait, Kurt, I don't understand who did this," Blaine said bemused.

"My stupid escort. My family doesn't realize he hates my guts because of what I did to him in—" Kurt caught himself before he said more, "They didn't know, and they can't know. I can't tell you either. I'm sorry."

"Why can't you tell me?" Blaine asked, but didn't get a response. The song changed to something more face paced so he eased them into a foxtrot. "I hope one day you can trust me with it. I am not going anywhere."

Kurt would not speak, but he was grateful Blaine was there. Kurt had not felt that uncomfortable about himself in a long time. He had a brave face he showed the world, but completely degrading who he was as a proud gay man still managed to make him vulnerable. He didn't want Blaine to let him go. Eventually the curly-haired boy danced him out of the party so he could breathe freely.

"I didn't understand what everyone was staring at, but I knew you needed me. What happened in there?"

"I don't know. He must have slipped the introducer another name card or something. It was just a nasty... dirty prank! He took my arm and walked me down the stairs to dance with him before I could even react," Kurt felt like he would throw up. Now that they were away from everyone, he could release his tears. Blaine understood that he wanted blood. How dare this guy hurt his Kurt?

"Where is he? I'll bust him in the nose! I'm not afraid of these bullies. I've dealt with them my whole life, but he won't get away with this one."

"Yes, he will!" Kurt cried.

"No, he won't. I won't let him. He'll never hurt you again. I promise I'll—"

"No, you can't find him or ever tell anyone who it was, okay?"

"What? Why not?" Blaine couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I can protect you."

"He has something on me—more than one thing actually, and he'll let you and everyone else know so you are not saying anything."

"I know you think you have to hide yourself from me, but nothing can change how I feel about you. This guy deserves what he gets. I'm doing this for you," Blaine said pulling away from the wall they were leaning on. Kurt, who finally got a hold of himself, threw up his hand so that Blaine couldn't leave.

"You can't," he said deadly serious. Blaine was at a loss. He hit the wall in frustration.

"Do you want to get out of here?"

"No…it was a dumb, sick joke. I won't let it ruin tonight. I've been dreaming about this ball for years. Me and Quinn would plan our outfits and gossip over the prince we would kiss at midnight…" Kurt lost himself in the memory, and it took some of the pain away. Blaine checked his watch.

"Well, it's only 11:30. You still have time for you prince to come," he chimed in.

"He already did. He rescued me in there, and he's standing with me now," Kurt said holding his hands. Blaine smiled sweetly. "I'm ready."

Puck and Sam had seen when Sebastian slipped away. Sam never thought he would get the chance to beat him to a pulp and while he was usually a pacifist, tonight he was anything but. First him, and now Kurt! He was pushing all the wrong buttons, and he would get what he deserved.

Puck cut Sebastian off so he would be caught in between them with nowhere to run.

"Whoa guys, let's talk about this," Sebastian put up his hands in defeat.

"I would have gone easy on you if it was just me, but then you had to do that to Kurt… Bad move!" Sam said. Puck, sensing the timing, jumped on Sebastian from behind. Both of them worked together to take him to the ground. In his case, he really deserved it.

Puck came back with some bruises on his stomach from where Sebastian kicked him, but besides that had no other marks of a fight. He had a lot of pent up aggression that needed a source of release, and, thankfully, he just found it.

Sam was not as lucky to come out seemingly unscathed. One hook to his right eye had it swelling pretty quickly and forced him to hide up in his suite for the night. Sam regretfully texted Quinn where he was and that he couldn't continue the night with her. However, because he was so vague with the reason for his swift departure, she had to find him for tried to convince her to dance when he spotted her walking across the dance floor in her lilac Sherri Hill gown with silver accents. [Prom-asaurus] However, she was not in the mood for him and his antics. Quinn pushed him aside annoyed, like he was nothing but a fly in her path or a dumb lap dog that kept coming around at the worst times. It spoke volumes that she said nothing to him at all. She found Sam's room for the night on the twentieth floor. She knocked, but he didn't want to open the door and let her see what he looked like as his eye darkened purple. Eventually he had no choice. When she saw him, and the lame wet towel he was using to do the job, she huffed. What would he do without her?

Kurt found his mother and grandmother in the party crowd. Carole hugged him in a bone-crushing hug while Sue clapped him on his back, which was her way of showing support. They apologized profusely for letting what happened, happen, but continued by telling him they had the announcer promptly fired. Kurt protested because he was not the guy to blame, but they were too proud of themselves to listen. Thankfully, they didn't point out that Blaine was there and dancing with Kurt. He had a crazy enough night for them to not complain about the little details. As long as nothing else happened tonight, they could almost forget the embarrassment that introduced Kurt into the cosmopolitan world.

While Kurt made friends with Brittany and Santana who hugged him after what happened, Carole made her way to Blaine, who like usual found himself alone at some point in the evening at all the parties he went to.

"Hello Blaine," she said sitting next to him. He knew their relationship was strained so he was surprised to see her so close to him.

"Hello Ms. Hudson-Hummel, I—"

"No need to say anything. I want to thank you for what you did for Kurt today. I don't know where his awful date went, but you were good to him so I thank you. Also, I owe you an apology. Since I was young, I had difficulty saying 'no' to Sue, which is something I think you can understand after speaking to her. The truth is I know my son, and she doesn't. My son is lucky to have you, and I never should have let her convince you different. I am so happy you crashed this party because my son would not still be in this room if it wasn't for you. He has become a better person because of you. He leans on you, and he never leaned on anybody before. I was there; I saw. It is good that he has someone he can finally trust. I am lucky to have you take care of him when I can't."

"Thank you, Ms. Hudson-Hummel," they smiled at each other.

"You're welcome. I'm sure I told your sister, but you're included too. It's Carole."

Old habits are hard to break.

When Quinn heard what Sam did for Kurt, she kissed him roughly, and remembering how good it used to be, she let herself get wild with passion. He accepted the new authority and change gladly. She kissed him gently around his eye, dabbing the ice pack on it and enjoying his slight shivers as the droplets dripped onto the warmer parts of his body. He eventually managed to help her out of her dress.

Puck went to the room knowing that Quinn must have found Sam but held his breath outside the door listening to hear what was going on. After a while, Sam stopped telling her his story, which, of course, left out Puck's involvement. Once moans could be heard, Puck backed away like the room was on fire. He never thought he could be so stupid. He went down to his car needing to run away. The song playing on the radio was "Just Give Me Reason."

Spotted: Noah Puckerman losing something no one knew he had to begin with—his heart. It's often said that no matter the truth, people see what they want to see. Some people might take a step back and find out they were looking at the same big picture all along. Some people might see that their lies have almost caught up to them. And then there are those other people…the ones who run as far as they can so they don't have to look at themselves. And as for me? I can see clearly now. X. O. X. O., Gossip Girl.

~A.N. This scene was heavily inspired by both Glee proms, especially Kurt's crowning of Prom Queen in the respective episode, and all the style choices of the Prom-a-saurus episode like the hair-gel ban. A dinosaur-themed debutante ball? I want to see it! Also, it was nice to give Rachel and Finn a cute date a-la the New York episode in Season 2. Hope you liked it!