I Just Can't Get Enough

NOTES:

ich gewinne = I win

The sound of water was always a channel for relaxation in Kurt's mind. Thankfully, his father pointed out the single nicest amenity offered by their FBI provided accommodations. Nestled within the confines of the hotel's property was a handsomely constructed courtyard, complete with an ornate fountain. Accessible just outside the seating area near the lobby, it was carefully laid out with a network of stone paths and peppered with colorful flowers and flourishing trees. Several stone benches were situated in conveniently shaded areas of the courtyard, providing guests with a great place to recharge.

Kurt was seated at one of the benches close to the fountain, mesmerized by the sound and motion of the water. His mind was also calmed by the fact that he was accompanied by Blaine. It had been three days since his first physical therapy session and he was getting stronger each day. Dr. Nyugen had given him clearance to be free of the oxygen support and to leave the premises of the hospital so long as he was assisted by one other person. He sat peacefully in a wheelchair next to the bench with his hand in Kurt's lap. Burt sat alongside his son, admiring the couple's closeness and devotion to each other, even in a simple moment. The three of them took solace in each other's presence. They absorbed the peace of the minute, allowing themselves to be present in order to get the most out of the catharsis.

The peace was interrupted by the buzzing of Kurt's phone. Blaine continued to watch the water cycling from the fountain, even as Kurt jostled around to retrieve his phone from his pocket. When he placed it to his ear, the voice on the other end sounded authoritative and almost frantic,

"Hummel, we are moving in right now. I have a car waiting outside the front of the hospital. Get your ass out there in the next five minutes or you are not going to get your moment of closure," Freeman was direct and firm. Before Kurt could protest, the line went dead. He stared at the screen for a moment before standing from his chair. Blaine and Burt looked quizzical of his haste.

"I am so sorry, but that was Agent Freeman. I have to meet her outside."

Blaine looked unphased by this comment and just shrugged slightly, his lips curling into a slight smile.

"It's okay, Kurt. I'm happy right here."

"But their conversations tend to go long, I might miss your PT." Kurt sounded guilty. Blaine shrugged again,

"It's okay, Kurt. They have important information to share with you. I will survive. I've got several cheerleaders," he said, winking at Burt. Kurt tilted his head to the side, his brow knitted in gratitude. He squeezed his lover's shoulder and snuck in a quick kiss before darting through the exit.

When he reached the front of the hospital, an unmarked, black sedan waited near the no parking zone. A young female agent leaned on the hood with her arms folded in frustration. As soon as Kurt came into view, she proceeded to the driver's seat and buckled her seatbelt. They were pulling away from the curb just as Kurt was closing the door to the passenger side back seat.

"Mr. Hummel, I am Agent Gomez. You are going to listen closely to the instructions I am going to give you directly from Freeman and Sibaja-Mora. No matter what you see or hear, you stay in the back seat. You are not to draw any attention to yourself under any circumstances, is that understood?" Her tone was strict and unwavering. Kurt nodded obediently and responded,

"Yes, I understand. But, can you tell me what's going on, exactly?"

She drove quickly, but not dangerously. Kurt knew that whatever was happening, had just begun.

"Footage from the stakeouts showed each member of the gang advancing on their respective vigils. We sent in our decoys to each location, with our undercover agents already planted in nearby rooms. We received word from more than one of our undercover agents that the die Stärke members were moving in in an hour. That was half an hour ago."

As the car rounded the corners and accelerated toward their destination, Kurt's stomach began to tie in knots. His heart thumped against his sternum as thin beads of sweat trickled down his neck.

"So, what are we doing?"

Kurt was impressed by her multitasking skills as she was able to explain what was going on while narrowly escaping collisions and driving with expert precision.

"We will be parked halfway down the block from your apartment. Elias Weber is believed to be pursuing your decoy within the next half hour. My instructions are to keep you close enough to see him being taken into custody but far enough away to be unnoticed by the suspect."

The explanation was clear enough for him. He remained silent for the rest of the ride, white knuckled around the door handle as they swung around another corner. He assumed they must have alerted local law enforcement since no police cars had tried to pull them over. She pulled up to a familiar street and took a sharp right, driving right past the front door of the Bushwick apartment. Kurt noticed one familiar vehicle right out front and another parked across the street. As they drove past the alley, he could see another vehicle parked there, however it seemed more civilian and less conspicuous. Agent Gomez found a spot about a hundred feet away and pulled the car up next to the curb. As she cut the gas and pulled the key out of the ignition, she turned back toward the apartment, observing closely.

Kurt mimicked her actions and paid close attention to the corner building with the sand colored brick. Nothing conspicuous seemed to be happening at that moment. A crackling sound came from the handheld radio in the cupholder of the console. Agent Gomez reached between the seats and turned up the volume for Kurt to hear. Before anyone else spoke, she gave him a short explanation,

"We have code names for each of the locations. Bushwick is Broadway, the Hilton is Hollywood and the Presidential is Pasadena."

Kurt smirked and almost laughed at the agent's puzzled expression,

"I like the alliteration."

When she raised her eyebrow and almost sneered, Kurt could sense the lack of humor in his comment. He looked down sheepishly and shrugged, "Well, I thought it was funny," he said under his breath. Agent Gomez ignored him and continued,

"We are team red, team blue is outside Hollywood and team violet is outside Pasadena. Right now we are waiting for the suspects to arrive. Hopefully they will show in the next ten minutes."

After the abrupt halt to her words, the car remained silent. She continued her duties as an Agent, removing a pair of binoculars from the glove compartment and focusing them on the entrance to Bushwick. The radio crackled from the console,

"Team blue checking in at Hollywood. Still quiet."

Kurt's eyes were glued to the radio as he focused all of his energy on picking up as many words as he could. The time crept by like molasses, torturing his mind.

"Team blue spotted. Looks like it is Abel. He seems to have taken the bait."

Kurt's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe it. Were they actually about to apprehend these monsters? Was it going to be over soon? He rubbed his hands together nervously as his feet tapped against the floorboards. After about thirty seconds of this physical manifestation of his anxiety, Agent Gomez lowered the binoculars and stared at him until he stopped. When their glances met, he almost flinched at the sternness of her face.

"Sorry." He whispered bashfully.

"Team violet checking in at Pasadena. Suspects are moving in. Schneider and Hall are headed for the decoy room. Will update."

"Well, hello, sir," Agent Gomez said playfully. When Kurt looked up inquisitively, she handed him the binoculars and pointed out the back window of the car. Kurt took the binoculars, turned around and peered through the glass. He almost dropped them when the face of his attacker came into focus. His eyes conveyed determination and indiscriminate rage. It was clear that he had a purpose, and he would not cease until it was fulfilled. Freeman's voice came on the radio,

"Team red, stand by. Suspect is moving in. Do not advance. Agents, take your places in the apartment. We only have one shot at this."

"How many agents are in the apartment?" Kurt asked.

"We were able to sneak three of them in there before the decoy went in. I assume that, because he is walking in there with purpose, he either doesn't know or doesn't care."

Kurt continued to watch through the binoculars as the suspect disappeared into the apartment. Now it was time to just wait. He figured there was no use staring at nothing, so he returned the binoculars to Gomez and then sat in his own puddle of worry. The radio continued to talk from the cupholder,

"Team blue. Suspect is in custody. Repeat, suspect is in custody."

Gomez shook her fist in triumph, but said nothing, in order to not bring too much attention to their vehicle. Kurt gave a loud sigh of relief and then proceeded to nibble on his fingertips. That was one. Three to go.

Team violet. One in custody. One down. Requesting medevac."

Kurt fell against the back of his seat, running his hands through his hair. Not surprisingly, his face was beaming with satisfaction. Finally, some justice. Gomez seemed to notice his contentment,

"There's one for the good guys, huh?"

Kurt responded with a nod. He leaned forward again and put his face in his hands. The tears of happiness were beginning to burn his eyes. They were almost there. Now it was just time to subdue the leader.

The mood of the car changed dramatically. Gomez began cursing as her eyes were glued to her binoculars and focused out the back of the car. Kurt darted his attention to the apartment as he heard Sibaja-Mora's voice over the radio this time,

"Suspect on the run! Suspect on the run! Suspect is wounded, do not pursue! I repeat, DO NOT PURSUE! His wounds will slow him. We will apprehend him later."

Kurt could see everything happening in slow motion. Elias was running from the apartment toward their vehicle. Blood seeped from more than one gunshot wound, but it did not appear to stop him. He was running on pure adrenaline and hate. His proximity to the car was closing and Kurt began to panic. He was going to get away. No. No! This couldn't happen! They had come so close and he was now only a few feet from him!

"Fuck, HUMMEL! GET THE FUCK BACK IN THE CAR!"

Gomez's words fell on deaf ears as Kurt opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk, right in Elias's path. He stopped with his arms spread open, tears falling from his eyes. Elias slowed when he saw him, incredulously. He stopped for a second, taking in Kurt's face and making a sudden realization. His eyes looked back with anger and violent intentions. As he and Kurt continued to stare each other down, the expression on his face evolved into twisted satisfaction as he reached behind him and produced his Bowie knife.

"I'm here, Elias. Take me if you want me. You just can't have Blaine." Kurt kept his arms spread and closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

Everything happened so quickly, he couldn't comprehend what was going on. Within seconds, Elias had grabbed him around the throat and shoved him up against the outside wall of the nearby apartment. The wind was knocked from him, but Kurt did his best to remain strong. His fingers did little to pry Elias's hand from his throat as the Bowie knife was lifted in the air. Elias leaned in and whispered in his ear,

"Ich gewinne…" (1) his voice dripped with malice as he choked on his own blood.

Kurt could see that several agents had gathered around them with their guns drawn. His ears were deaf to their shouts and screams, however. He was hyper focused on the animal before him, ready to extinguish his life. As the black spots crept into the corners of his vision, he saw the knife coming down toward him and he closed his eyes.

The air erupted with loud popping sounds. Kurt lost count of how many he heard and was more aware of the splatter of liquid on his face. Elias's grip released from his throat and the knife never came. He stood there against the brick wall, trembling and drenched in something warm, refusing to open his eyes. The sounds that came to him now were muffled. He felt a presence to his right as a gentle hand touched his arm. It recoiled when he flinched away from the touch. Then, one sound kept pounding against his brain like a drum. What was that?

"EARTH TO KURT!" Freeman's voice broke through the veil, snapping Kurt out of his trance. He turned his attention to the angry agent next to him. Her eyes were looking daggers at him and he immediately turned his gaze to the ground, "No, Kurt, DON'T…!" she was too late. His eyes fell upon the carnage at his feet. Elias was laying in a pool of his own blood with three large bullet holes decorating his skull. His eyes stared into the void, never to move again.

Kurt felt the bile collect in the back of his throat as he hurried away from the scene, supported himself against the brick wall and emptied the contents of his stomach. Freeman followed him, placing a reassuring hand on his back as he gagged and panted. The shock was overtaking him. He had to sit down and he lowered himself to the ground with his back against the rough surface of the brick.

Agent Freeman looked down at him shivering like a mouse. She folded her arms in front of her and shook her head, the disappointment evident in her eyes. Kurt rolled his eyes at her and scoffed,

"Oh, go ahead and say it already."

"You are a stubborn little shit, Hummel," there was no hesitation between Kurt's comment and her response. He almost felt that one physically. There was only a moment of silence between them before she added, "but that was brave as hell."

The moment was interrupted by the shrill sound of an approaching ambulance. Kurt just hugged himself and continued to shiver, the shock still not abating. The ambulance stopped about ten yards away and, as the back doors opened, three EMTs exited with their medical bags. Freeman pointed two of them toward the apartment,

"We have two agents injured in the apartment. We need one of you here," she pointed to Kurt crumpled against the wall.

Kurt didn't move and let the EMT look him over. After a quick look into his eyes with a pen light, she noticed him trembling and handed him a small bottle of water from her bag. An oximeter was attached to his index finger as the monitor read out an extremely fast heart rate. Kurt didn't object as she handed him an oxygen mask and told him to just breathe normally until his heart rate came down. After being strangled by a madman, the oxygen tasted like mother's milk to him. He took his time switching between the water and the mask as Sibaja-Mora approached.

"Are you proud of yourself, Hummel?" she said condescendingly. Kurt rolled his eyes again like a spoiled teenager. She shook her head at him, "Uh, uh. You don't get to be mad at us, Kurt. You could have been killed. Your stunt could have ended horrifically."

"It did, but for the person who deserved it. Your welcome for saving all of you from another stakeout and chase." After giving his snarky response, he hid his face behind the oxygen mask. He could tell the two agents were seriously considering what he had said. Their concrete expressions only lasted so long before they dropped their arms at their sides and scoffed humorously.

"You, sir, are an enigma. Take care of yourself. We will be in touch," Sibaja-Mora was pulled away by other agents. Before she got too far, she turned back, "Hey, Hummel. Do you know what he said to you?" She pointed at the corpse on the ground now covered with a sheet. Kurt shrugged. "He said 'I win.'" They remained silent for a moment, holding one another's gaze. She gave Kurt a wave and disappeared down the sidewalk. Freeman sat down next to Kurt and they looked at each other with mutual understanding. Freeman put her hand on Kurt's shoulder and smirked,

"As dumb as that move was, I'm proud of you, Hummel."

Kurt held his fist out toward her and she promptly answered with a childish fist bump. Kurt giggled,

"We are so lame," he quipped. Freeman nodded and folded her arms,

"Yes, we are."

They sat for about a half hour while Kurt's heart rate came down and he regained composure. When the EMT gave him the green light, Freeman helped him to his feet and directed him toward her car. Kurt held back a moment and stopped in front of Elias's corpse. He looked down at him with determination and said,

"No. Love wins." He turned his back without another word and walked with Freeman to her car.

Freeman drove him back to the hospital, stopping at the front entrance. As Kurt exited the car, she stopped him before he closed the door,

"Hummel," she reached her hand out toward him, "It has been a pleasure."

Touched by her sincerity, he shook her hand firmly, proud of what he had helped them accomplish.

"Likewise," he said. When the staring at each other became awkward, she shooed at him mockingly,

"Now get your butt in there and tell your boyfriend. We will talk soon."

Kurt closed the passenger door and watched the car pull away. He wrapped his arms around him tightly in anticipation of sharing the news with Blaine.

The sun hung low in the late afternoon sky. Kurt was surprised to find Blaine right where he had left him. He appeared more fatigued and Kurt could only imagine the hell that Dr. Fisher had put him through earlier that afternoon. His eyes looked contently lost in the movement of the water.

Burt could sense the change in his son, and he made sure Kurt saw it in his eyes. His inquisitive expression made Kurt chuckle lightly. The sound knocked Blaine out of his trance and brought a smile to his face as he saw his lover approaching,

"So? How did it go? What did they need you for, anyway?" The couple's lips brushed together, Kurt lingering in order to taste Blaine's skin for a while longer. They leaned into it just as one of them started to pull away. Blaine could sense new life in his boyfriend and was curious of its source. When their lips finally parted, Kurt took his place in front of Blaine's wheelchair. Burt looked on curiously as he watched his son take Blaine's hands and hold them tight.

"Blaine.."

He could sense his boyfriend becoming uncomfortable with the anticipation,

"Kurt…?" he answered awkwardly.

"They were caught."

Blaine was confused.

"What?"

Kurt released Blaine's hands and grabbed his fiance's face,

"The FBI has die Stärke in custody. And Elias…" he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before finishing his statement, "...Elias got himself killed."

The three men sat in silence. Kurt watched as Blaine's facial expression changed while he digested the information. First his eyes looked blankly back at him. Then, they moved to his lap, his brow knitted in disbelief. Finally, when he looked back up, Kurt could see tears glistening in his eyes. The change in his breathing rhythm told Kurt that he was about to break down in sobs. Before the emotions exploded from him, Kurt pulled him into an embrace. Blaine buried his face in the crook of Kurt's neck as he let out a sound that was half sob and the other half laughter.

Kurt held him in victory. He held him in solidarity. He held him knowing that he and his lover were now safe. His father joined in the loving embrace as the three of them could finally relax in the notion that they were no longer in danger. This time, love came out on top.