Episode 3, Chapter 3:

Finn originally took Rachel to a side room to talk where no one would overhear. He was still anxious about anyone finding out, including his mother finding out he told someone else.

"I think this is a good space," she stopped him and dropped some pillows on the floor so they could be comfortable talking on the ground. He sat down beside her. He still felt like he was towering over her until she sat on a pillow. She was beautiful on the outside with a very aggressive, forward spirit, unlike his own, but it was a nice difference for him. "So, you ready to tell me."

Finn had mostly been a happy guy. He loved classic rock and football. He was a part of the cool crowd, but he was the most awkward of them. He had a fear of being the first one to get kicked out. A year ago, his biggest struggle was with his grades. He'd already failed the 8th grade and was a year behind. He tried hard and had help, but he couldn't seem to focus in class, on homework and on tests. Then, when Kurt went away, he got worse.

Kurt didn't tell him that he was leaving before he left, and suddenly on his own, he had more to worry about. He stopped talking to his friends who proved they weren't really his friends, and on a particularly low day, he bought a gun. The maid found it in his things when she was packing them to go. He'd been putting the gun in his mouth ritually each night deciding whether or not to pull the trigger. When his mother confronted him about it, he ran into the bathroom. He felt then he should end his life that that was a sign. He cut his wrist, but their butler knocked down the door. He's been treated at the rehab center ever since.

Rachel had never been more upset to hear anything; this includes the scathing remarks bullies wrote on her old Myspace page where she added her Les Misérables song covers.

"I'm here for you. I've had some bad days myself. The people here aren't always the nicest to people like me. I'm the weird girl who might as well be from another galaxy. No one likes me but my brother. I'm not pretty like the other girls, or Quinn."

"Stop it, you're beautiful," he said, and this made her smile. He gulped. He actually liked her. Where was Kurt to talk to when he needed him?

"You can kiss me if you want," she offered quietly.

"I want to," he gulped again and leaned in for a kiss. The pillows allowed her to fall back. He'd never kissed a girl before and had it mean so much. He pulled away after a minute. Finn felt himself get worked up and knew it'd be better if they rejoined the party. "We should go back." She went along completely smitten.

Just in time, they spotted Quinn standing on a stage in front of the crowd, introducing herself though everyone there knew who she was.

"Each year both the boys' and girls' schools join to support an institution in our community that we feel has done great work. This year we're proud to honor the LeRoy-Hiriam Rehabilitation Institute of New York which aids addicts and alcoholics."

Kurt had been chatting with Blaine about his love for Tony from the original 1961 'West Side Story.' He continued to talk while Quinn was on stage, purposely ignoring her and talking about Richard Beymer versus Warren Beatty cheerfully, until he heard what she said.

"Not only has the center helped others but one of our own…"

Carole panicked and walked towards Finn. Kurt left Blaine to join them in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, please help me in welcoming me to the stage, a survivor, Mr. Kurt Hummel!"

Spotted: At the Ivy League Mixer, K and Q's last stand. And only one gets out alive. Better take cover.


The boy had trouble breathing; he had a less than two second window to react. He could run on stage and engage in a brutal attack, which would send him to juvey, or calm down and just get through this. Finn took a step, but Kurt pressed him back into their mother. His brother housed a lot of pain and a great magnitude of protective instincts, but Kurt couldn't let him get on stage right now. His brother couldn't handle it, but he could. He'd been picked on by bullies for as long as he could remember but always came out on top. He walked on the stage with tears in his eyes shell-shocked by how cruel Quinn could be. He'd tried and played her game, but this wasn't funny anymore.

He felt numb as he stated his name, "Hello, I'm Kurt Hummel and… it's really great that the center is being recognized for all they've done for people going through tough times. Thank you, Quinn." The blonde leered. "Thank you all really for supporting it and its teachings of love and forgiveness. People who hurt you can never understand the pain they cause just like you can't always understand how the things you've done hurt other people. I've learned from my own personal mistakes that without seeking forgiveness and forgiving other people no one wins."

"Kurt Hummel everyone," Quinn took advantage of his pause to end his speech that got nods and timely applause from the crowd.

Honesty may the best policy in some zip codes but not in this one and not this week cause "I Was a Teenage Drug Addict" is not exactly a winning college essay.


Kurt side glared at Quinn before fleeing the stage followed by Carole, Finn, Blaine and Rachel. She continued with her presentation by bringing the doctors to the stage. Kurt was in tears in the next room. Carole had no words of help. She reached out, but Kurt didn't want to be touched. Blaine slipped through, and though he still didn't understand what just happened, he trusted him. Kurt latched onto him and softened in his touch.

"What can I do?" Blaine asked so only he could hear.

"Stay here. I have to talk to her."

"You want to do that?" the shorter boy asked him worriedly.

"Yeah, don't worry," Kurt touched his cheek, composed himself and walked past everyone who'd come to his side. He interrupted her peace while she was snacking on a cookie with less important goons nearby.

"Quinn! Why would you do that?"

"I just had to prove to you that you're no longer special around here."

"Don't you get it? You've won! If that's what you were going for all this time, it's yours, take your prize whatever it is and give it up. I lose, okay? Is that what you wanted me to say?"

"No, and no, you will keep losing until I say so," she smirked evilly even when he still had tears fresh in his eyes. He shook his head. He left everyone behind and took the next elevator to the lobby to get a cab away from there.

Blaine was only slightly filled in by Rachel who'd told him that he was covering for his brother. Kurt wasn't the one in rehab. Blaine sprinted after Kurt as he went out the front doors.

"Kurt! Hey wait!" The other boy turned around. "Look that was unfair and I want you to know that I'm still here. If you need someone to talk to, I know you're not that guy she was talking about. You're different," he panted.

Kurt hugged him sharply and then took the next cab. If he stayed to talk, he might start crying on the street. He was tough only to a point. He smiled at him before he left. He might even call Blaine first because he was worth it. For some reason, although Blaine had heard all sorts of terrible things about him, half of which had been true, they hadn't called off whatever they had yet. Kurt could feel himself beginning to have even greater feelings for Blaine.


Carole wanted to get out of there before they started asking her questions—'they' being the representatives, the teachers, the parents and the students, just about everyone. She'd tapped Finn's shoulder as a sign they were leaving, but he had something he needed to do.

"We need to talk," he stood in front of Quinn and waited until she stopped her conversation with Brittany and Santana.

"Sure, Finn let's talk," she sighed bored and sent the girls away. He took her with him into an empty room anyway.

"You know you're really stupid!"

"I really don't appreciate when people call me that. I know you're upset with what I said about your brother. We all practically grew up together, but you need to admit it to yourself. Kurt isn't perfect."

"No one's perfect, least of all you—and me." Quinn looked taken aback by his honesty.

"What happened is between me and him. You don't have to be involved."

"I am involved because you got it wrong. He's not the one in treatment."

"Come on Finn, I know you. You don't drink. We would call you to take Kurt and me home after a bender. You don't have to cover for him when it's already out in the open."

"You think you know everything… what do you think this is?" Finn angrily showed her the slice on his wrist that would forever leave a scar.

It all sunk into Quinn in an instant. They treated more than drug addicts and alcoholics at the center. She'd gotten everything very wrong and did more damage than she could imagine.

"I did this to myself after getting caught with a gun in my drawer. I'd been planning to kill myself for a while, and ten minutes ago, while you were having fun taunting Kurt, he was protecting me… from you," he tipped a nearby chair to the ground as he stomped out.

Now he felt better.

Another bomb lands in Quinn's lap. Will she use it as ammunition, or will she finally surrender and put down her arms?


Rachel sat next to Burt the next day clearly pretending to be his little angel after her lack of gratitude the day before. She didn't have the worst time. Actually, it was quite the opposite. She'd gotten Finn's number and texted him almost all night. She wasn't about to go telling her brother about him because that might make things awkward, but something was definitely going to happen that she'd tell him about later. Burt had tense shoulders, and she got to work helping as best she could.

Blaine got out of bed easily. He was a morning person unless something was bothering him. Right now, he had nothing to be worried about because from what he gathered last night, he and Kurt were still on.

"I'm sorry dad about yesterday," he said taking his cup of coffee with him to the sofa where Rachel and Burt were sitting.

"Don't worry about it. I get that no one thinks I'm much help. I will keep doing all I can to get you what you deserve and both of you deserve the best."

"Thank you, daddy!" she hugged tighter. Blaine smiled in his head calling her a brat.

"We're okay, dad?"

"You apologized. I understand. We are guys. Let's not get too worked up about it," Burt said and that was the end of the conversation. Of course, his father was the type of guy who didn't care to talk about feelings, while Blaine was more open to the possibility of getting all their feelings out with each other. He let it go and saw as Rachel jumped at the opportunity to get him more coffee. She wasn't the type to apologize when she was wrong unless the situation called for dramatic tears. Rachel had perfected her tears for every event in the book.


Sam's phone woke him up. This time it wasn't Quinn calling, it was Sandy reminding him that they were jogging today, and he had to be there. Sam didn't like jogging. He preferred the gym and treadmill over running through the park when there were cars and dogs to worry about. Puck threw a pillow at Sam's head when he answered his father at a normal voice level while Puck was clearly grumpy and hungover. Sam got his stuff and got out quickly before Puck could go full bear and attack him for messing with his beauty rest.

Sam took a cab to their spot at the Central Park corner entrance. He wanted to get back in the moment he stepped out and saw Sandy with the Princeton delegate. He asked himself if it was even legal to be spending time with that guy but didn't say that aloud when his father called him over.

"Sam, you made it! Isn't it great that all three of us get some quality running time together? I told my buddy here how you got sick from some of those hors d'oeuvres, and he decided to carve out some time for both of you to talk this morning. Isn't that great?" Sandy said waiting for Sam to catch up. His enthusiasm was going to make Sam sick. Sam wanted to stop fighting his father, but the man was so insistent. For now, he'd continue to play along some more. Sam dropped the confused expression in exchange for an understanding enthusiasm.

"Yes, it is," he grinned. Sandy began to tell the man all of his high points in order until even Sam came close to believing he was special.


Finn studied Shakespeare helplessly. None of the words made sense. Romeo jumped from one girl to the next without batting an eye, and they both ended up dying anyway. He didn't get why people liked it. It wasn't even that romantic. Then again, he didn't have a lot of first-hand experience.

He used whatever he had in him the moment Rachel appeared at his doorframe with a box of sweets in her arm. Finn immediately threw the book down and raced upward moving too quickly for his awkwardly sized body that he almost tripped.

"Rachel, hi!"

"Hey! I'm sorry. I just stopped by. Do you mind?" she asked cautiously.

"No, it's cool. I don't get a ton of visitors. How are you?"

"I feel like I should ask you that," she smiled and then remembered the box in her hand. "I debated whether or not to make a cake, or brownies, or cupcakes from scratch, but I didn't know what you'd prefer. I was almost going to make all of them," she chuckles at herself. "Then, I couldn't think of any clever phrase to put on it, anyway" she realized she rambled. She silenced herself and handed him the box.

He opened it gingerly. Inside were star-shaped cookies spelling out the phrase, 'I'm sorry.' He inhaled slightly and gave her a half-smile.

"It's a little early, but I figured later you'd enjoy it. Sugar makes people happy."

"Do you want to eat one with me?" he smiled, and Rachel understood she could stay. She took a seat on his bed and picked out the letter 'I.'


Kurt had no place to go the next morning. He would have stayed in bed, but the hotel wasn't all that homey when he thought about it. Quinn's place would have been a nice escape if they were on speaking terms, but instead, he settled on the midway point between her apartment and his old home where they sometimes met up. He picked up a magazine from the newsstand and sat down on a bench with a bagel and coffee.

"I wondered if you still came here," Quinn said above him. Kurt squinted up in the face of the sun.

"What do you want?"

"I have something for you," she said sitting down. Kurt flinched, waiting for the ball to drop. She sounded too civil. Quinn took out a white envelope from her purse that she held reverently in her hands. Kurt cocked his head at her.

"A letter," she said as an answer to his unasked question. "I was going to send it to you a couple months ago while you were in boarding school, but I never did... Do you mind?" Kurt shook his head curious.

"Dear Kurt, everything's going wrong, and you're not around to make it better. It's been two weeks since my dad left. You know how I never really cared for either of my parents. I always felt like I wasn't what they wanted no matter how hard I tried. I really feel like this is my fault. I know I shouldn't think that, but in this case, it is my fault. I miss you Kurt because you would understand and make sense of this with me. I can't talk to anyone else. I could scream my lungs out, and no one would really care. I wish you'd call and tell me why you disappeared without saying goodbye. I love you, and I can't do this alone. I need my best friend. All my love, Quinn," she started crying after the sixth sentence and barely managed to say her name at the end.

Kurt felt like the worst friend. Things made a lot more sense now. He wished she'd sent the letter. Things might have been hard for him, but they were worse for her. He would have come home for her. Kurt tried to imagine their friendship healing, but it never seemed to work because he still hadn't forgiven himself. She couldn't forgive him either.

"I'm so sorry, Quinn," he put all of himself into those three words that would never be enough.

"I know. You've been hurting too. Finn told me. He made me feel like a jerk, but I deserved it. I'm sorry about yesterday."

Kurt smiled and felt brave enough to lean his head on her shoulder. She put her head on top of his in a lazy side hug. Maybe they could fix each other.

Spotted in Central Park: Two white flags waving. Could an Upper East Side peace accord be far off? So, what will it be? Truce or consequences? We all know one nation can't have two queens. What happens next? Only time will tell. XOXO Gossip Girl.


~A.N. End of the 3rd Episode. It's a slow climb to the top, but we'll get there. I loved so many things about this episode especially Rachel and Finn being cute especially the first kiss scene and, of course, Quinn's letter to Kurt. Stop me from crying! Glad you're here for the journey 3