A/N: I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all who reviewed the first part of this story. Now, here's part 2.

"Not where," the Doctor answered. "When."

With that there was a click and light suddenly streamed into the small space. Blinking, Burt found himself looking at a row of lockers.

"McKinley? We haven't left, you asshole! You did all of that for no reason! What the hell was the point in all of that bullshit in there, then?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Asshole? That's a new one. Well, not new actually, there was that one time with Amelia Earheart and– nevermind. And no, we did leave. Well, not leave actually, but rather we made a shift through the temporal vortex, since we never really left that one spot but rather jumped over several decades to the exact same place. It's kind of like jumping up and staying suspended for twenty-seven years and then coming back down without having to actually live through those years….So, yes, we're still in McKinley but it's in the future."

Burt blinked. "Huh?"

Before the Doctor could open his mouth to repeat himself, a boy turned the corner, heavy boots pounding on the floor as he ran past them. He held a hand to his mouth as he choked out a sob. He didn't seem to notice Burt and the Doctor as he swept past them. Another boy in a tuxedo followed after him, shouting, but Burt ignored them, turning to face the Doctor, arms crossing again.

"The future? You expect me to believe that crap?"

The Doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Of course not, that would make this too easy for me, wouldn't it? Come on then, follow me."

Burt frowned as the Doctor sauntered down a different hallway. He followed the man's quick pace, wondering where he was heading when he stopped suddenly in front of a set of double doors. With a smile, he pulled on one handle but when it didn't budge, frowned.

"The library's locked on weekends," Burt told him with a roll of his eyes.

The Doctor shoved his hand inside his jacket and pulled out a long thin silvery thing. There was a small whirring noise and, from what Burt could see, a blue light. Something clicked and the Doctor pulled on the door again.

"I told you, it's-"

The door opened.

"-locked. How did you do that?"

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor said, waving the device idly in the air.

"Right. Like you weren't weird enough, you've got a screwdriver that shoots lasers," Burt muttered as he followed the Doctor into the dark library that was lit only by the light streaming in from the hallway and the windows along the ceiling.

"It does not shoot lasers," the Doctor argued. "It unlocks doors."

"Right. Even lamer. Look, why did you bring me to the library anyway?" Burt asked as he leaned against a bookshelf that the Doctor was currently perusing.

"This!" He pulled out a glossy hardback book and shoved it under Burt's nose. It took him a second to read the title, but when he did, he felt his head start to swim.

"'William McKinley High School Yearbook…2009-2010'? How – how is that even possible?" Burt found himself clutching at the shelf he was leaning against, hard metal pressing into sweaty palms. He felt like his dinner was about to come back up and swallowed, forcing it to stay down.

"Like I said," the Doctor replied. "Time travel." He grinned at Burt as the seventeen year old shakily reached up to touch the book – to make sure it was real.

It was.

"So…it's 2010? We're actually thirty freaking years in the future?" Burt couldn't believe it. He wasn't sure if he could believe it. But here it was, the book, solid and heavy in his hand, telling him that it was all true.

"2011, actually," the Doctor replied, glancing at his wrist. "Now, come on. There's something you need to see. Allons-y!"

Burt shook his head as he followed the Doctor back out into the hallway. "I don't understand. Why are you showing me my future? Is there something I have to change?"

The Doctor laughed. "Oh no, nothing like that. Actually, it's something you definitely cannot change. And it's not your future, per se, but it does stem from your future."

Now Burt was wholly confused. "What do you mean?" he asked, frowning as the Doctor led him to the doors of what he realized was the gymnasium. Through the small windows he could see a whole crowd of kids, all dressed up in formal wear, but none of whom he recognized. He felt a sense of déjà vu as he looked on at a similar scene to one he had just left – not even ten minutes ago.

The Doctor sighed and turned to look at him. "Do you remember why I started talking to you, Burt?"

"Yeah, you were trying to change the way I talk. Which by the way, I'm still annoyed about."

The Doctor shook his head. "That word that you used. You throw it around right now, not even realizing its meaning. But that needs to change, Burt. You need to change."

"But why should I? It's just a word. It has nothing to do with me."

"Oh," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "It has so much to do with you. But I can't explain it. Well, I could, but where would the fun be in that? Which is why I brought you here. To show you." He nodded toward the door. "In about one minute, something will happen in there that will hopefully make you realize what I mean. Now, I want you to go in there, and stand near the stage."

He opened the door and Burt stepped forward. Before going in all the way, however, he paused and turned to face the Doctor. "How will I know what you're talking about?"

The Doctor looked at him solemnly. "You'll know. Trust me. You'll know."

And with that, he closed the door behind him.

Burt turned to look at the gymnasium. It looked practically the same as it always did, except that the floor looked shinier and there were several more pennants hanging on the walls – mostly for the cheerleading squad, he noted. Streamers and balloons were decorating the room everywhere, and over in a corner by the refreshments was a large star with lights on it. The students in the room were all talking to each other in a hum, but no one was dancing. In fact, there was no music playing at all.

"What kind of dance is this anyway?" Burt muttered as he made his way towards the stage as the Doctor had directed him. No one seemed to pay much attention as he made his way through the crowd, all muttering to themselves about something.

Finally making his way towards the front of the crowd, Burt found a place to stand just right of the center of the stage. On it were two thrones, in one of which sat a largely built boy wearing a crown and holding a scepter. The other, the one for the Prom Queen, Burt assumed, was empty. Another man stood just off-center of the stage, checking his watch and looking around angrily at the students on the dance floor.

Just then the door next to the stage opened and the room grew silent as a boy with brown hair made his way inside. Burt was taken aback by this boy. From his neck to his waist he looked like any other boy in the crowd – simply white shirt, boy tie, and jacket. But below that – below that he was wearing a kilt.

Slowly the boy made his way onto the stage. As he approached the center he looked out at the crowd and Burt could see that his eyes were wide with fear. The spotlight lit up his pale face as the other man walked over. The boy turned to him and gave a slight nod of his head.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man said, leaning into the microphone with an accented voice. "Your 2011 Prom Queen, Kurt Hummel."

Burt stopped breathing.

Kurt Hummel. Kurt. Hummel. There was no denying it. This boy – this teenager, standing on stage currently being crowned Prom Queen – was his son. Now that he knew it, Burt could see the similarities. He had Burt's chin and his grandfather's nose. But his eyes were a blue-grey color that Burt didn't recognize.

His mother. He must have his mother's eyes.

He watched as his son looked at the scepter that the man was holding out to him and, after a moment's hesitation, took it. Kurt turned to face the crowd, moving closer to the microphone. Burt felt a tug at his heart. The hurt in that boy's face made him want to reach out and hug him, protect him from whatever it was that was causing him so much pain.

Then, instead of crying like he looked like he was about to, Kurt smiled and breathily stated to the crowd, "Eat your heart out, Kate Middleton."

Now, Burt had no idea who this Kate Middleworth person was, but he could have cared less. In those two seconds, Burt saw in his future son so much strength and courage that not even a cruel joke – because yes, this had to be a joke that the school played on him –could turn him into a coward. At that moment, Burt Hummel felt something he had never really felt before.

Pride. Pride swelled in his chest for this son whom he had yet to actually meet – to hold as a baby, to teach how to ride a bike, to watch grow up into this amazing young man he saw standing before him. And as the applause around him grew louder, Burt joined in. He clapped for his future son who withstood the antics of these bullies.

As Kurt and the Prom King descended from the stage for the Prom Royalty dance, Burt felt a presence beside him. He glanced over to see the Doctor standing with a small smile on his face. He wasn't looking at Kurt, however, but at Burt.

"Is this what you wanted me to see? To see my future son stand up to bullies for making a joke out of him? To show them that he is not what they think he is?"

The Doctor looked at him, face stoic as he asked, "And just what do you think they're trying to say, Burt?"

Burt turned back towards the Doctor as the Prom King swept past Kurt as he exited the room. He frowned. "They think he's a f-"

Just then a voice cut across the dance floor, loud enough for Burt to hear.

"Excuse me?"

Burt turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a boy in a tuxedo with a pink carnation standing in front of Kurt, who had turned to face him as well. This boy, shorter than his son and with dark gelled hair, was holding out his hand.

"May I have this dance?"

Burt watched as his son glanced around. He couldn't hear his response, but he could see it, as Kurt reached out and accepted the other boy's hand. He stared silently as the shorter boy tugged Kurt into his embrace and as two girls on stage began singing, he looked on as the two of them began to sway together.

But most of all, he watched as his son smiled at the boy in his arms.

"Come on," the Doctor whispered in his ear.

Burt let himself be led out into the hallway. The door closed behind them and the music inside became muffled. The Doctor was looking at him solemnly, not speaking, just waiting.

"My son…my son is gay." Burt didn't need to question it. He knew. He knew without a doubt that in the future he would have a son who likes other boys. His son – Kurt – had been crowned Prom Queen not because people thought he was gay, but because he was gay. He leaned against a row of lockers and slid down. He looked down at his large hands splayed against his knees.

The Doctor sat down beside him. "Do you get it now? Why I brought you to see this?"

Burt felt himself nodding. "You were showing me what f- what that word means."

Beside him the Doctor tensed. "I don't think you got the point-"

"Oh trust me, Doctor. I got the point," Burt snapped. "Using that word – it makes me like them - like those idiots who don't understand…who are just afraid of what they don't understand. That word is filth that the likes of those students use against people…people like my son, who are different from them. And they can't accept the difference. They might not have called him that word to his face, but they might as well have when they voted him Prom Queen."

"So, you're okay with your son being…?"

"Gay? Like you said before, Doctor. I can't change what happens here tonight. Which means I can't change the way my son is. And you know what? After what I saw in there tonight, I don't think I will ever want to."

Burt looked at the Doctor, who was smiling at him with a look of pure happiness in his eyes. When he saw the tears forming in the seventeen-year-old's eyes, however, his smile wavered.

"What's wrong?"

"I just wish…I just wish he didn't have to go through that humiliation. Yes, I can see how brave he is, but it's just not something he should have to go through." Standing, Burt turned back to look through the window at his son, who was still dancing with the other boy as balloons fell from the ceiling. He watched Kurt smile as the two boys danced around each other, and felt his own mouth turn up in a smile that mirrored his son's.

"I'm just glad he doesn't have to go through it alone."

Don't forget, there's still one more part to go.