5YL Let the Encore Commence
Part 67
By the time Carole finished telling Puck everything that had occurred, she was honestly surprised she'd managed to keep him there, given the numerous attempts he made to leave. "Noah, you've gotten pretty quiet, what's going through your head right now?" She asked once he started to pace the room, pausing at a picture of Finn that hung on the wall.
"I'm pissed!" Puck replied. "After everything Kurt went through, he's the last person I would've expected to pull this crap! And saying Finn would've taken his side, did he forget Finn and Blaine were friends. Like I told the others last night, Finn would've been as confused as anyone. I mean, did you have any idea things were so messed up between them when Blaine left him?"
"All we knew, was that they were having problems, yet even then, Kurt laid the blame on Blaine." Carole told him. "It wasn't until after the divorce was finalized, did we start to learn what actually happened."
"Let me guess, after Blaine started dating Sebastian." Carole nodded. "So, if Blaine hadn't started dating Sebastian, Kurt's dirty little secret never would've come out."
"Most likely, but he could've easily snapped once Blaine found success. The two situations did overlap."
"How are you calm about all this?"
"I've had more time to process it, you've basically had it all dropped on you at once." She told him. "And in case you wanted to talk with Rachel, you'll need to call her as she stayed in Westerville last night, since she and Thad were flying back early this morning."
"I would've thought she'd spend time with her Dads."
"She did, but she and Thad needed to get back, as she's actually performing today, and he has rounds tonight. LeRoy and Hiram understood this trip wasn't a social one, they were in town to support Blaine and Sebastian."
"Do you know if Santana is still in town?"
"I recall Maribel saying she and Jordan weren't flying back till tonight, but I don't know if they are in town, or stayed in Columbus."
"Knowing Santana, there's no way she didn't come home after the bomb that was dropped last night." He then glanced at the picture of Finn once again, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Finn would hate this."
"I know, for the very reason you stated. While Kurt was his brother, Blaine was a friend." She replied. "As for Rachel getting dragged into this, it's the last thing Blaine wanted."
"Kurt had to know Rachel would be pissed, I mean, while he thought the two of them were best friends, everything changed once Blaine came in the picture. Hell, even Finn knew it!"
"Yea he did, and wasn't always comfortable with it, but he understood the connection they have." Carole replied. "And to see them now, it only reinforces why. Do you still intend on talking with Kurt?"
"What do you think?"
"Noah, nothing you say to him, is going to change what's happened."
"True, but I'll feel better."
"Noah."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving town without tell him what I think of what he's done, and continues to do!"
Very well, just…"
"Don't do anything that'll get me arrested?" He replied with a smile, and she nodded. "I will certainly try not to, but he dares to try and tell me Finn would understand, I'm gonna hurt him."
"He's in his own little world Noah."
"Not my problem, or anyone else's." Puck then walked over to her and gave her a hug, then a kiss on the cheek. "Should you need anything, call me, please." Carole nodded, before giving him a kiss on the cheek as well. "I'll try and swing by again before I go home." Once he was gone, Carole sat back down on the couch, and took a deep breath, then contemplate what she'd done. While she knew it was risky telling Noah the truth, she couldn't lie to him, especially given what he already knew. And covering for Kurt, sure hadn't gotten them anywhere, as outside of the legal ramifications, he'd yet to truly face the consequences of his actions.
Puck had barely made it out to his car, when he got a text from Mercedes telling him that Kurt was at the shop. Without hesitation, Puck replied, telling her he'd be right there and to wait for him, as he had new information to share. While she clearly didn't like being told to wait, she agreed to do so knowing it wouldn't take him long to get there considering where he was coming from. When he pulled into the parking lot, she wasn't surprised he parked further from the door than she had. As he walked towards her, she was surprised by the fact he was eerily calm given what they'd learnt the night before. "Who are you and what have you done with Noah Puckerman?" She asked as he simply looked at the front window, as he could see Kurt.
"What do you mean?" He replied, yet as he took a step, he felt a hand to his chest. "I thought we were going to talk to him."
"We are, but why are you so calm given how pissed you were last night?"
"I promised Carole I would try to not get myself arrested." He then cocked his head to the side. "Wonder what's got him so upset?" His reponse caused her to look through the window to see Kurt throwing a bit of a fit, luckily there were no customers waiting.
"You've got to be kidding me?" Kurt exclaimed once again, as he looked at the newspaper, bringing Burt in from the actual shop. "Look at this, look at this! That girl was in the New Directions!"
"Which girl?" Burt asked as he took the paper from him, only to find two full pages covering the benefit from the night before.
"Right there!" Kurt said as he pointed at the picture of Marley with Tina, Kitty, and Blaine, causing Burt too sigh. "No wonder she was so rude to me!" He then scanned more of the pictures. "Wait, Mercedes was there?"
"Damn straight I was." Mercedes replied as she and Puck walked through the doors. "Morning, Mr. Hummel."
"Mercedes, Puck." Burt said in response. "What brings you by?"
"What the hell were you thinking, performing at that thing?" Kurt blurted out before they even had a chance to answer Burt's question.
"Excuse me?" Mercedes replied as she took a step closer.
"After what…."
"Oh no honey, you are not going there." Mercedes said to him. "And for the record, no one tells me when and where I can perform, you got that! Blaine called, asked if I was available and voila, I was on my way to Westerville to take part, simple as that."
"Nothing is simple when it comes to Blaine." Kurt told her. "I'm sure he jumped at the chance to talk badly about me."
"Actually, he didn't." Puck replied. "He made it clear, you're the last thing he wants to hear about. You see…" He said, closing the space between them. "…last night, the rest of us not in Blaine's inner circle, found out what you've been up to."
"Puck, you really don't want to do this." Burt told him, while trying to get between the two.
"Really, because it sure feels like I do." Puck said to him. "The problem is, I don't know where to begin."
"Finn woul…" Kurt didn't even get his second word out, before Puck slammed him up against the wall, shocking Burt and Mercedes.
"Don't you EVER say his name again!" Puck told him as he pinned him against the wall, all while Burt tried to get him to let go. "Finn would be disgusted at what you've done! To Blaine, to Rachel, what the fuck were you thinking?"
"Puck, let him go!"
"Not till he admits what he's done!" Puck snapped. "Say it!"
"I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Bull shit! You don't end up in jail for nothing!" He continued. "Speaking of, how's Azimio?"
"Go to hell!"
"I strike a nerve?"
"Let him go Puck!" Burt demanded, while pulling at Puck's arm, but it was useless. "Do I need to call the cops?" Puck looked at Mercedes, before releasing his hold a bit, yet still kept him pinned in one spot.
"That better?" Burt nodded, much to Kurt's dismay. "Now where was I?"
"You were waiting for him to admit what he did to not only Blaine, but Rachel." Mercedes replied, bring a smile to Puck's face.
"I didn't do anything, to either of them!"
"So, your obsession with Blaine isn't so out of control they made you see a shrink?" Puck said to him, surprising Mercedes, as well as Kurt and Burt.
"Figures that bitch told everyone!" Kurt blurted out, essentially confirming what was said, only for Puck to cock his head. "Bet she couldn't wait to tell everyone!"
"Who the hell are you talking about?"
"That girl Marley."
"Wait, are you talking about the same Marley my brother dated."
"Who else, as she…" Kurt stopped as it finally dawned on him, that's not who Puck found out from. "Never mind."
"How would Marley know you had to see a psychiatrist?" Mercedes asked. "Kurt."
"I think it's best you two leave."
"Quit protecting him!" Puck snapped in response. "He hurt Blaine, and won't leave him alone! He's attacked Rachel! Enough is enough!"
"Since when did you give a damn about Blaine!"
"While we clearly weren't buds like him and Evans, we were friends believe it or not, he was one of the guys." Puck told him.
"Unlike me." Kurt replied
"You said it, not me. So, to hear what you did to him, pissed me off, even though it happened years ago."
"I thought he didn't talk about me."
"He didn't."
"You can't believe Rachel or Santana."
"Who said that's who I got the details from?" Puck replied. "As for what you've done to Rachel, your former BFF, is wrong. Finn loved her!"
"And she honors that love by getting engaged to Harwood, a freaking Warbler!"
"This isn't about Thad being a Warbler, it's about him being best friends with Blaine and Sebastian." Mercedes said to him. "Admit it."
"He's going to hurt her!"
"From what I've heard, the only one hurting her, is you. Because from what I saw, and we were told, they're really happy together."
"You don't know him!"
"Neither, do you!" Mercedes said in response. "When are you going to get it through your head, you don't get to have a say in how either of them live their lives! You lost that right when you abused Blaine and he divorced you, and shattered Rachel's trust in you!"
"Why do you even care what they do anymore?" Puck asked as he glared at Mercedes. "I asked you a question."
"I don't!"
"You could sure fool me." Mercedes replied. "According to Santana, you…" She stopped, as a customer walked into the shop, and Burt quickly went to take care of her, while the three of them stayed where they were. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Why do you care?"
"Kurt, I'm not the enemy here." After she spoke, Burt told them to go into the office, as another customer made their way in. Kurt protested a bit, but at this moment, Burt hoped Mercedes could get through to him, and hoped, Mercedes could keep Puck in line. "Now where was I?" She said once they were in the closed room. "Oh, Santana told us you were doing your own thing till you found out Blaine was performing in the city, then you freaked seeing him with Sebastian, and that's when all hell broke loose."
"I didn't freak out!"
"You tried to hit Anderson!" Puck reminded him. "You can't deny it Kurt, too many people saw you do it!"
"And you're so against violence, right."
"Listen to yourself Kurt, you're defending trying to hit Blaine, when all he did wrong was…"
"He was cheating on me with the meerkat!"
"Fuck, Evans was right. He said you'd try to play that card." Puck amusedly replied. "They fucking know exactly what you're going to do. Talk about fucking predictable!"
"Blaine's not who you think he is."
"Maybe, but neither are you." Mercedes told him. "What you did to Blaine, is inexcusable. As for what you did to Rachel, that's just cruel. She loved Finn."
"If she did, she wouldn't be with Harwood, it's disrespectful to his memory!"
"No, what you did is disrespectful to his memory!" Puck exclaimed. "Yea, he wanted Rachel back, but what he wanted most, was for her to be happy."
"He's not good enough for her."
"According to who, you?" Mercedes replied. "Her Dads love him, Shelby approves, and he's got one hell of a future ahead of him." When Kurt scoff, Mercedes shook her head. "Are you jealous?"
"Of Harwood, yea, right?" Kurt said in response. "That's like saying I'm jealous of the meerkat."
"But you are, because Smythe's married to Blaine." Puck told him. "And you're obsessed with them. Must drive you crazy that after all these years, Smythe won. He has Blaine, and you have nothing."
"I'm not obsessed."
"They got a permanent restraining order against you, you're obsessed!" Puck reminded him. "You're also on your second jail stint, because you can't behave around them. The problem is you!" He then took a step closer. "So much for me being the one not to do anything with my life."
"I hate you!"
"I don't care." Puck replied. "And for the record, should you ever go after Rachel in that way again, you're going to be dealing with me."
"Is that a threat?"
"A promise."
"So much for being concerned about Blaine."
"Your issues with Blaine are different, plus he's got Sebastian, and an army of lawyers on his side. With Rachel, it's personal." Puck then looked at Mercedes. "I'm going to go outside, otherwise, I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep a promise I made." Mercedes nodded, and soon they watched Puck leave the office.
"You should not be associating with him." Kurt stated once the door was closed.
"Who the hell do you think you are telling me who I can associate with?" Mercedes snapped back. "Is this what you did to Blaine, to Rachel, try and run their lives?"
"They're making mistakes Mercedes; can't you see that?"
"You abused Blaine, how could you?"
"It's not…"
"Not what we think, I doubt that." She replied. "And Puck was right, you wouldn't have a permanent restraining order against you or be in jail again, if it wasn't true."
"Since you're now clearly on team Blaine, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Seriously, that's how you're going to act now? I was trying to give you a chance to explain yourself, yet…you know what, you are not worth my time or energy." Mercedes told him. "No wonder everyone else is done with you, you're so busy playing the victim, you can't see you brought this on yourself."
"Is that all?"
"Not quite." She replied. "I think it's time you get a few more truths thrown your way. First off, you were never, in Rachel's or Blaine's league musically. Secondly, from what I saw tonight, Blaine's happier now, than he ever was around you, and that's largely due to Sebastian. And last, but not least, the duet Blaine's label released, with him and Sebastian, is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard." The shocked look on his face, put a smile on hers. "My job is done here. Goodbye Kurt."
Once she walked out, it took a few minutes before Kurt reappeared, instantly grabbing the newspaper once again, as that was the only way he got his news. Although he was supposed to be working, Burt was giving him his moment, as something said had struck a nerve with him. "What the hell, Blaine wrote Rachel a song! And, and he and the meerkat, no, no, no, no, no…you've got to be kidding me! Blaine recorded a duet with that son-of-a-bitch!"
"Kurt!" Burt exclaimed as Kurt was oblivious to the fact there were customers waiting for their cars, specifically one customer. "Get in the office, now!" While it looked like Kurt was going to talk back, he merely grabbed the paper and stormed off. Burt was quick to apologize to the customers, and as he did, noticed one make his way outside to where Mercedes and Puck were talking. Concerned as he was about what might be happening outside, there was nothing he could do to stop it, as his focus needed to be Kurt, and stopping from doing something he might regret. Little did he realize, it had already happened, as it wasn't going to be long till Kurt's outburst, made it's way online.
Forgot about where the timing of the holiday landed, so the update will come a day later as thing are a bit too hectic around here to ensure it gets up in time. Sorry for not realizing it sooner! Happy Holidays everyone!
