Episode 9, Chapter 1:

As per Gossip Girl's Thanksgiving tradition, I'm trading my laptop for stove top, and for the next 16 hours, the only thing I'm dishing is seconds. When the cat's away, the mice will play. Have fun, little rodents.

Fact about Kurt #21: He couldn't remember the last Thanksgiving he'd been completely sober. Kurt didn't enjoy reminding himself of this fact, but thankfully Blaine didn't judge him for it. In fact, he wouldn't stop talking about what they were doing for after Thanksgiving.

While the holiday was for stuffing your face with a homemade meal filled with all the comfort foods and dollops of sour cream, heavy cream and whipped cream, dessert was meant to be spent with everyone else in your life. Kurt planned a date with Blaine that night to go back to the all-night candy store they'd been on one of their first dates. This would be the best dinner he ever had, if he could help it, and it would be spent with all the people he cared about, which is why his first stop was Quinn's house.

He hadn't spoken to her about what he knew, but he planned to mention it soon. A secret that big could not be kept by best friends.

Quinn walked around the kitchen marking off her list every food the cooks and catering staff still needed to prepare before the dinner guests arrived. She had a gray M Missoni Space Dye A-Line Skirt, yellow Anthropologie Charleston Henley peasant blouse, Rag & Bone Salford Brogue wedges and a blue-patterned scarf. [Thanksgiving] Judy showed her the final cut list.

For as long as Quinn could remember, Thanksgiving had been spent with Judy's friends and clients, Kurt's family, Sam's family and her father. This year would be different from the others. First, Sam's family was uninvited. Once the New York Times picked up the story, there was only one direction left to go. Quinn promised herself she would call him later. Second, her dad would not be coming home for the holiday. He'd found a new home with the tattooed freak her mother told her that he married. She had been a daddy's girl until the day he left and then she reinvented herself as someone who did not need to rely on anyone else. That was why her 'invite list' was currently just her best friend.

Kurt walked out of her elevator with a pumpkin and a giant grin on his face in Prada Brown And White Crown Printed Cotton Shirt and Rag & Bone 'Albers' Wool Waistcoat. [Thanksgiving]

"Are you excited?"

"I'm starved," Quinn smiled and inspected the giant fruit in his hands. The next catering staff who walked by plucked it out of his hands and kept walking so robotically even Quinn was surprised and laughed. "You want lunch?"

"I couldn't. I'm saving myself," he held his stomach.

"Since when do you save yourself?" she huffed evilly. Kurt knew what she meant and felt affronted. The look he gave her told her that wasn't funny. "I'm joking Kurt…" she rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen assuming he'd follow her. She did that a lot.

Because he was a little stung, he didn't bring up Puck as nicely as he'd planned.

"I know you're all about saving yourself when it doesn't involve Puck," he said. Quinn looked up immediately. She saw that he knew. She denied it.

"I couldn't imagine where you got that information from," she sighed in true Quinn fashion, "but it couldn't be anymore false. Gossip Girl must really be scrapping the bottom of the barrel for content."

"Quinn, I literally saw you two together," Kurt's voice got all high and airy as he spoke, "You were making out in bed the night of your party." Kurt finished all grossed out at the thought of Puckerman. "When did all that start?"

"You know this last week hasn't been easy for me from the breakup to the scandal. Puck found me in a weakened state. That's the only way I'd allow that to happen... twice."

"Wait, twice? Oh, my Gaga, Quinn! Why him of all people?" his voice was getting higher and higher.

"Why not all of the Upper East Side, Kurt?" she lashed out angrily. In his eyes, he looked hurt and on the brink of tears. With steely intensity, she continued, "You can't judge me."

"I wasn't planning to," Kurt said calmly. They were both very bad at being angry with each other—it always led to tears. "I know the things I've done. I've forgotten some, thank God for that, but I remember almost everything," he stepped closer to her not afraid of defending himself from her judgment. "You clearly see nothing wrong with judging me," he spat. She could be an absolute nightmare when she was upset about something. He blamed her for ruining what could have been a great day.

"Don't pretend you're not a hypocrite! You haven't turned a new leaf, Kurt," she aimed at him drily. "You're still the same person who, a year ago, I had to pull out of gay bar at two in the afternoon!" she reminded him. "I imagine you sleep like a baby all proud of yourself at how far you've come..."

"Whatever Quinn," he swiped his bag off the kitchen counter and back onto his arm. "Have a great Thanksgiving without me."

"You too!"

"I hope you enjoy spending today with all of Judy's friends. You'll be all alone in a sea of people. Enjoy," he posed at the door before taking a fresh cinnamon roll off a tray passing in front of him. He took it and left without another word.

Quinn hated that he had the final word. She sighed breathily, knowing he was right. There wouldn't be anyone she knew at this dinner party.


Blaine had seen Kurt a year ago on the street after he got kicked out of a gay bar. He hadn't been looking for him. Every once in a while, he was just lucky enough to see him. Lucky was kind of unlucky because if they saw each other on the street Kurt never got his name right or remembered he'd seen him before.

This year he had a mountain of things to be thankful for, but nothing was more special than Kurt, which was why he'd melted when the taller boy offered to take him to the candy shop. That was their most memorable outing to date and he couldn't wait to relive it. So deep in thought, the cake batter he was trying to make got a little too much milk. When he shook himself out of his thoughts, he saw it was super thin.

"Someone looks distracted. Maybe I should just make the Betty Crocker," Shelby said coming into the kitchen dressed for dinner. She'd gone to take a shower once she put the turkey in the oven.

"I'm pretty good in the kitchen usually. I just got distracted," Blaine dusted off his hands on his apron and pulled it off revealing his holiday outfit a cream-colored H&M Shawl Collar Cardigan with Elbow Patches and a red-checkered button-down. [Dance with somebody]

"Is it about that guy who dropped you off at home the other night?"

"Yeah, Kurt, he's something," he smiled in true Blaine fashion.

"I can see that. He brought you home at the right time, which is what I care about, even though you were pretty drunk. You know I don't approve of that."

"That was my decision. I never drink. I had just had a fight with Rachel."

"AH! That's what the tiff in the bathroom was about this morning. I knew it couldn't have just been about toothpaste," she smiled knowingly.

"We're fine now, mom."

"I heard Tina's in town too. That must be nice having your friend around."

"It has," Blaine stuck his finger in his mouth to lick off the batter from the cake mix. "I haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with her because of Kurt, but she's been around. She was even at that Madonna party, even though I don't know how she got an invite."

"Why don't you invite her to Thanksgiving with us? Her family doesn't celebrate because they're—Jehovah's Witnesses?"

"No, she's actually Jewish," he paused to think. "Huh, I'm sure she'd only be having Peking duck from Chinatown. I'd love to invite her, if you're serious," Blaine was careful not to take advantage of someone's generosity.

"Sure, why not? The more the merrier, she's like family already anyway," Shelby said, and Blaine smiled. This would be great, even better than old times. He never got to invite one of his friends over when he was younger. He thought whether he should even ask Kurt, but figured his dinner plans had to be a lot more extravagant than his.


Kurt was responsible for leaving his family without a place to spend Thanksgiving. He exiled himself to his room. Then, to punish himself more, he went to Finn's bedroom to watch his brother play a video game for over an hour before Carole walked into the room with news.

"So, I've been on the phone for the last hour trying to find anyone who is having dinner that I can invite us over to and I think I finally found one. How do you feel about the Mr. and Mrs.-?"

"No, I know who you are going to say, and no," Kurt interrupted resigned to be a Thanksgiving grinch.

It was clear Carole was desperate to find a place to spend the holiday. Most of the time she spent her time finding ridiculous ways to get her kids and others to believe that they were a part of a special family. It may have been true, but not in the way she wished.

"I don't have a problem staying at home," Finn added. "We'll just order room service. All that matter is that we are together today."

"Fine! See Kurt, your brother wants to stay in. Any objections?"

"I think it's a fine plan. I'm going for dessert with Blaine later anyway. We'll finally use the dining room table for its actual purpose. It's become just background décor," he said.

Finn dug up the menus with the holiday specials he'd picked up a few days ago.

"What is that? Did you plan this?" Kurt looked at him mischievously.

"No, I just figured you and Quinn were due for a fight so I knew we might get stranded."

"That's cruel," Kurt said.

"Not if it's true. You always used to fight about stuff, and it'd last for like a day in a half. You'll forgive each other by tomorrow morning."

"Are you really that observant? What have you done to my brother?"

Finn didn't respond. He fell back onto the large coach comfortably with the menus in his hands. Finn would add his input to the dinner order, and then he'd go back to playing his video games.


Rachel had been cautious when her mom came home, but as the days passed, she became the fixture in their lives she had always been. While Blaine mixed up ingredients, she helped Shelby fix up the apartment. She was far better at household chores than cooking. For one night, their home would become a pumpkin rather than a carriage in a surprising change of the familiar Cinderella story. Everything was orange and brown, and while those colors were usually awful, for one day a year, they were perfect. Tina arrived early. Her aunt and uncle bailed and went to Atlantic City, which Rachel genuinely did not believe still existed. Tina helped fix up the rest of the house because she was more of a sister than a guest.

"Rachel, how's everything going with Finn? I want details," Tina whispered when they were alone changing the drapes.

"Now is not a good time," she immediately shied from the question. No one knew she was serious with a guy, except for Blaine.

"You should tell them. Family would back you up on today of all days."

"I don't want to chance it. Our relationship is better without anyone else involved in it," she raised her head proudly to say she was done with the topic. "What about you? Did you meet any guys at the party?"

"No, I could have been wearing a sign saying 'Notice the Asian' and I still would have gotten nothing."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I loved your costume by the way. Very diva, considering you still like the whole Goth thing—at least it isn't punk."

"Yeah, I grew out of that," she said wearing a red Lip Service Brocade Coat, butterfly necklace, black tights and black Fleuvog Babycake Boots. [Dog Days are Over] Rachel had glammed up for the night hoping to be taken more serious by her parents and brother in a red Ted Baker Aspin Knit Dress. [Thanksgiving]

"Would you even like to be friends with Upper East Siders? They're very high maintenance, and it requires a lot of work; trust me I know!" Rachel sighed exasperated.

"Well, Blaine's been hanging out with them more and more. I just don't want to get locked out of his life."

"So, you don't care about the super-wealthy, super-hot guys?"

"Guys are guys no matter where they're from. Immature and oblivious. I just want to meet a guy who really likes me for once," she added as an afterthought.

"Blaine doesn't want to be a part of them so you got the story a little mixed up. I want to belong with them, and one day, I will. My brother just fell for the guy at the center of the constellation. He's only trying to make it work while still maintaining a grip on himself."

"See that's probably something we should have talked about, but I feel like we haven't really talked since I've been here, and it's been almost two months."

"Well then, we should change that," Rachel smiled her mischievous smile when she had a brilliant idea. She took Tina and grabbed Blaine's other hand while he tasted the gravy. She pulled him away, and he cried out as he dropped the spoon. She ignored his wailing and left him in a bedroom with Tina so they could work out their issues.

"What's her problem?" Blaine asked the door Rachel just went out of.

"She took my comments too seriously," Tina sighed.

"Oh really, what did you say?"

"Nothing important," she said not wanting to unveil what they'd swept under the rug.

"Come on, Tay-Tay. What is it?"

"Don't call me that, Blaine."

"Why not? We always call each other by our nicknames."

"Not once, since the time I walked in your door in September, have you called me that," she looked upset. Blaine could tell.

"You're upset with me," it was a statement more than a question.

"I wasn't when I walked in twenty minutes ago. It's just easier if we don't talk."

"We can't be real friends if we don't talk."

"Are we really friends though Blaine? We haven't done anything together any weekend since I've been back. You're always too busy with your boyfriend and his friends."

"Wait, wait, you came to Quinn's party, and you danced and sang. That had nothing to do with me," Blaine held up his hands. She didn't make sense to him.

"I was there because of you. Rachel told me she needed me, but I never would have done it if you weren't going to be there. I was there, and you didn't talk to me once. It was embarrassing. I had this crazy thought that it would be fun, and I could hang out with you, but you didn't step away from Kurt once. Even when he was doing a solo, you didn't try and find me. Not once," her face said it all.

"I'm sorry Tina. I didn't know you felt this way. I've walked into your coffee shop a bunch of times to say 'hi'. I stopped going to my usual place just to visit you. You always smiled so I thought that meant we were fine."

"It takes more than just smiles to be friends. We're more acquaintances now, who once upon a time used to be friends. Why did you even invite me to Thanksgiving?"

"I must be an idiot, but I thought everything was fine. You are so right. I haven't given you half the amount of attention you deserve. I'm so embarrassed," he said looking down ashamed. He reached out to take her hands, "You're my best friend. You know me better than I know me, and I'm so sorry that I hurt your feelings or made you think that I don't care. I still need you, Tay-Tay. I always will."

"I thought you were still upset with me because I told you I like-like you," Tina cried and fell into Blaine's arms. How couldn't he have seen this happening? He was blind. Being on his Kurt-y-moon made him dumb.

"Starting today, everything changes. You are still my number one. I am so thankful to have you in my life. I promise I won't ignore you again," he hugged her for a couple more seconds before releasing her. He dried her eyes with a tissue from the box by his bed.


Shelby and Rachel had turned off all the burners on the stove and supposedly everything was done except the turkey so now came the fun of Thanksgiving. Burt watched the football game and everyone tried to distract him with the new board game Rachel picked up. Each year the tradition was a brand-new game which was why they had a stack of ten board games in the closet. 'Sorry', or 'Parcheesi', would be keeping them busy until the stove bell 'dinged' or until halftime, whichever came first.


~A.N. The only Glee episode that showed Thanksgiving was in Season 4 so enjoy the references where they appear!