Episode 12, Chapter 3:

After sleeping on it, Blaine became angrier with one person in particular.

"Puck!" he called early in the morning before class. The fact that Blaine was getting Puck's attention and wanted to speak with him was surprise enough, but the determined look on his face made him wonder if Puck's future brother, Kurt, might have spilled what was supposed to be a tight kept secret just between them.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to come clean and tell the headmaster that you were the one who stole the key in the first place. Kurt shouldn't go down for this. I know he didn't mean anything bad to happen, but you are a disaster waiting to happen."

"Watch your mouth, Lil' Pint. The only reason I haven't knocked you in the jaw as payment for what happened at the first party is that you're dating my future brother, but I will end you if you talk to me like that again!" he shoved him back. Blaine shoved right back.

"You think you're big and tough, but you won't own up to what you did wrong. You know that just makes you a small, scared little boy. I will fight you. You might be bigger, but I'd still win," he spoke close to his face to feel each other's breath. He might have been small, but he packed a lot of punch.

"You think Kurt's going to turn himself in?" he laughed in his face.

"He is today. He told me yesterday, and he will. He's not like you."

"Oh yes, he is. He cares about his reputation, and since he came back, it has been..." he thought for a moment before answering, "Squeaky clean. He won't give that up just yet even for you. It won't matter anyway."

"He'll do it because it's the right thing to do. And how couldn't it matter?"

"Guys like us don't get expelled, ever. Look how long Kurt lasted the first time he was here. There's no way he would have still been in school unless a few calls and donations were made. He's not like you, Blaine. He's more like me than you realize." Puck ended their brief encounter unexpectedly by pushing Blaine into the stone wall next to him, which threw him off balance.


Puck might have lied to his friend. You see, Sam got bad information from Puck, who claimed to get it from some girl Quinn was friends with, that she was going to take the blame for what happened at the pool because she felt so guilty for what happened to Tina. In Sam's mind, there was only one way to take that information i.e., what could be more Romeo than symbolically dying for her? It's not like he liked school, and he could probably get away with it by explaining that he's been feeling rebellious after the whole father-in-jail thing.

He did what he had to do. It wasn't too far from the truth as he had been there with Puck when he stole the key weeks ago. He knew what it looked like, and obviously, what it opened. The Headmaster didn't have a hard time believing it was him. At lunch, Beiste told the class the sad news that Sam was expelled.

This just in: Sam Evans = Dead man walking. We hear William McKinley has a new policy: An eye for a lie.

Quinn had been one of the first one's there with Kurt, and she knew Sam didn't come until much later. When she spotted him, he had already begun emptying out his locker.

"Why on Earth would you do that?" she asked him after the meal. She looked wild with fury. He wasn't bothered.

"I had to. I wanted to prove how much you mean to me, and I don't want you feeling guilty for what happened," he said continuing to put his stuff in his bag.

"I feel guilty for you getting expelled. You shouldn't be leaving. I will make this right!"

"You don't have to. I helped Puck get the key, that's bad enough," he answered calmly hoping to calm her down. She was beginning to break down into tears. He smiled at her and held her face.

"You did this for me, really?" she asked.

"Yes, so maybe you'll call me after school," Sam offered. She smiled and internally fought with herself on the best course of action before deciding she was done with blackmail and all with forgetting the past. She was very good at blotting out the things that hurt her or made her sad. She and Puck would just be one of them. She kissed Sam and meant it. Not letting anything around them ruin the moment. How could she not love him after that?


Kurt heard the news about what Sam did and immediately felt worse that he hadn't gone to Beiste's office earlier in the day. He could only imagine how Blaine was feeling now that he'd let him down by allowing someone else to take the fall. The other boy had so much faith in him, definitely more than he had in himself. It was enough to make him march into Beiste's office where he was eating his turducken in private. Kurt felt grossed out, but he didn't let that sway him from his mission. He had something rehearsed in his mind on the short walk to his office.


Tina visited the William McKinley School to head home with Blaine. She'd just gotten out of the hospital, which was only a car ride away. She had on a Lip Service Lolita Candy Long Sleeve Lolita Jacket. [Substitute ep] When she saw Quinn and Puck talking, she whipped out her video camera. She couldn't believe they were still talking to each other. Quinn had sounded done with Puck last she heard. She couldn't get what they were saying, but it was clear Quinn was ending something. Tina kept her camera pointed even when she gasped out loud. Puck planted a goodbye kiss on her that she did not shy away from. It was beyond clear that they knew each other intimately. Eventually, the blonde pushed him away and tossed her hair before turning the corner to where Tina was still paralyzed with the camera.

Now that sex and lies have been caught on videotape, T's documentary just became the most anticipated new release of the year.

Quinn never looked vulnerable in public, but at that moment she was the Leaning Tower of Pisa in a hurricane.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I didn't mean to… I-I-I was awake when you thought I was sleeping," she said as a way of excuse for her actions. Quinn looked more anxious. She snatched the camera from her hands. Puck arrived in time to see the confrontation.

"What's she doing here?" he asked looking her up and down.

"She videotaped us," Quinn said opening up the video files and watching the kiss from an outsider's point of view. She would have blushed if it wasn't horrible. Puck looked over her shoulder, brows raised. Tina was one bold chick. Quinn deleted the video and gave back the phone. "I wouldn't have given you permission to use it anyway."

"I wasn't going to do anything with it."

"Really you weren't going to send it off to Gossip Girl along with that... misinformation you heard?" Quinn spoke standoffishly. Puck grasped that she knew a lot more.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing…"

"Everyone wants something."

Tina balked she couldn't think of anything. Puck dug in his pockets and pulled out ten hundred-dollar bills.

"Why do you keep that much money on you?" Quinn reprimanded.

"For times like this," he defended himself and gave Tina the cash. "Thank you for your silence.

Who knew Q and P were such patrons of the arts? Call it philanthropy or bribery... it looks like everyone has their price.

Now that they'd reverted to their previous power balance, Quinn could go back to slightly respecting Tina and not dismissing her whenever Kurt mentioned her or invited her to join a private event. Meanwhile, Tina wouldn't tell anyone anything. Now that her proof was gone, what was the point?


Kurt felt relieved that the worst part of his punishment was community service. He didn't mind volunteering at the soup kitchen or packing lunches for the poor. Compared to being expelled, that was nothing. Kurt couldn't wait to tell Blaine the good news after school, but he'd already gone home with Tina. Kurt figured he would just call him about it later.

At home, he still had mother to deal with. When she left after Christmas, he didn't know when she'd be back, but it looked like today was the day. Thankfully, he had good news to tell her. He had a lot to talk to her about, but when he walked into her bedroom, he found her packing another bag.

"Are you going somewhere? Didn't you just come back?" he asked confused.

"I-I did—that's right," she panicked and shut her luggage conspiratorially. "How are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine, but you're deflecting. What are you doing?"

Carole's mouth opened and smacked open and closed while she thought up an excuse. Luckily, her phone rang. She jumped to read the name and immediately hung up on them.

"Who was that?"

"Oh, nobody important," she responded swiftly.

"Really?" he eyed her disbelievingly. He motioned for her to hand over the phone.

"No, no okay, I'll tell you... It's Burt."

"Why would you hang up the phone?" Kurt immediately couldn't decide what it was that made him feel suspicious, even though there'd be no way his mom would be doing what he thought she was doing. "Are you going someplace with him?"

Carole stopped her head's motion halfway through the shake to fess up.

"Kurt—"

"Mom, no, you can't! I think I'm going to be sick."

"Don't try that on me. This has nothing to do with you."

"You're not over him? I thought it was over at Thanksgiving. That it began and ended. Now you're telling me," he was in such state of shock that he stood with his mouth open for a moment. Then, suddenly, he realized the worst part of all. "...Blaine! No mom, please!" Carole had never seen her son desperate. Usually his dramatics didn't mean much, but this was something else. "He's my boyfriend! If you date his dad, it's like…no please, please!"

"I know you too might feel like you too are forever, but…"

"We are, mom! I know it. He's the most important thing to me. Everything else doesn't matter. You'd be ruining the best thing I ever had!" Kurt heard what he said as it came out of his mouth and immediately teared up at the thought. She'd never seen him like this.

"He really means that much to you?"

"Yes! Yes, he does!"

Suddenly realizing something, he ran away.

"I have to—" he was cut off by the closing door as he ran.

Kurt actually ran to see him at a full speed sprint. He didn't take the car. He jumped in the train, jogged up the stairs and raced around the block to get to his door where thankfully Blaine opened it, or his heart might have burst. Kurt threw himself at him.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine! I've been an idiot about everything. I don't want you to be even a little bit mad at me. I don't want that on my conscience, so are we okay—no better than okay—us again?"

Blaine never saw him this intense. He squeezed him tighter, mumbling 'yes' before kissing him with all the passion they'd been missing the last week. They kissed more as Blaine reversed his steps walking them deeper into the apartment. Kurt was lost in his love, but popped his head up. His lips bruised red.

"Wait…Tina?"

Blaine nibbled his neck, humming the words 'went home.'

"Oh, thank Gaga!" he exclaimed. Kurt picked the boy's head up so they could kiss again.


"You don't think it was because my mom pleaded my case?"

"No, of course not," Blaine said worrying a spot onto Kurt's neck. While they caught their breath, Kurt mentioned the talk he had with the Headmaster and his punishment.

"I don't think she'd do that either, but... um, Blaine, it's really hard to concentrate, honey," he said. Blaine stopped with a small smile. Kurt continued, "What do you think?"

"Honest?" Blaine asked. "It is strange that you didn't get expelled, and Sam did. He didn't even do it."

"He was protecting someone, though?"

"I don't know… Now can we—?" he asked. Kurt chuckled at his impatience. "Hey, I'm just saying because my sister can be home any minute now."

"Unless she's making up with Finn."

"Please don't talk about them now. You'll ruin my mood."

"You're the one who brought her up!" he teased and kissed Blaine again.


Thankfully, no one came home until after both of them went to the kitchen for food. Rachel looked better after spending some time with Finn. She hugged Kurt, proud of him for what he'd done. It was already floating around on Gossip Girl that he sacrificed himself for the class. Kurt himself was riding on cloud nine as they all ate dinner at the table. He could almost forget his own family drama.

Puck called him shaking him out of his pleasant reverie. He took the call outside the apartment. He was too nervous to even breathe. Puckerman drama reminded him of his mother. He was counting down the days and hours he would have left before his mom and Burt became an item, and he'd have to break things off with Blaine. He couldn't imagine it. He didn't want to acknowledge it and so he hadn't mentioned it to Blaine. It definitely would have ruined the mood.

The chill outside made it even harder to breathe.

"I have good news for you, Kurt," Puck said with a smile over the phone. Kurt let out a deep breathe so deep that it hurt. Good news for Puck used to be bad news for him. It wasn't anymore. Finally, they were of the same mindset.

"My mom is marrying your dad," he answered matter-of-factly. It was the only thing that made sense. It was over, hopefully for good. While he'd been against the union before, now knowing the alternative, he had no choice but to set his hopes much lower for the future of their family. Finn would similarly understand.

"How did you guess?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," he answered curtly.

"Yeah, well it seems like it will be a summer wedding."

"I'm planning it so I'll be in charge of the season; if that's all, I have to get back to dinner," he wanted this talk over now.

"Well, there's actually even better news if you could believe it. You can thank my father for getting you out of your trouble at school."

Kurt sucked in a breath.

"What do you mean—?"

"Let's just say a new Hummel-Puckerman athletic field will be completed well before we graduate. Don't say I never did anything for you. Oh, and my dad would love a personal call of appreciation… bye Kurt!" It was another smile that he could hear. Even when he thought he'd done something right, Kurt was a subject of his circumstances. And the circumstances were this: money paid in the big city of New York.

One thing about being on the inside: Once you get there you don't always get to choose where you stand... or sit.Sometimes you need to step outside, clear your head and remind yourself of who you are. And where you want to be.And sometimes you have to venture outside your world in order to find yourself. As for me, I'm happy right where I am... I only want to be with you. XOXO Gossip Girl.


~A.N. Blaine was ready to box with Puck in this chapter. I'll see if I can incorporate his preferred choice of exercise at some point in this story. Also, it looks like there will be a wedding soon, just not for the couple we would have hoped for (Burt and Carole3 forever, just not in this fic!) Will Quinn and Sam live happily ever after? I wouldn't bet on it!