Kurt's father's car was in the driveway when Josh dropped Kurt off. Josh kissed Kurt's cheek before driving off. Kurt jogged up to his front door and opened it. "Dad?" he shouted into the darkness. "Kurt?" his father called back. "I'm upstairs!" Kurt ran up the stairs. His dad was sitting in his office, looking through a box of photos. "Hey." Kurt whispered softly. "What are you doing?" he asked, pulling up a chair next to his father. "Reminiscing." he answered. "This one's my favorite." he added, pushing a picture towards his son. It was a photo of Kurt and his mom. He was sitting on a swing, and his mother was pushing him. They were both sporting ear to ear grins and polo shirts. Thank God for Vogue Kurt thought to himself. Despite the poor fashion choices, he wished he could back to that time. He was so happy, care-free. He looked up at his dad. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. Kurt buried his face in his father's chest, and they both cried softly for a few minutes. When they were both finished, Kurt knew it was time. "I need to tell you something." he explained. "Go ahead. You know you can tell me anything." Kurt took a deep breath. He was reminded of the time he told his father he was gay. "I know who attacked me." he confessed. His father's expression turned grim. "Who?" he asked urgently. "It was the football team. Not the guys who are also in glee. They would never do this." he stated calmly. "We need to tell the school." his father retorted. "I know." Kurt answered softly. "I'll drive you there. We'll talk to Figgins." Kurt nodded. "Thanks." he said, grateful to have such a loving father. "I love you, dad." "I love you too, son." Kurt, finally at ease, fell asleep in his father's arms.
The next morning, Kurt's father took him to school early. The frightened teenager held his father's hand, not caring if any one was snickering. They stopped in front of Figgins' office. Mr. Hummel put his hands on his son's shoulders. "Are you sure you're ready?" he asked. Kurt nodded. "Yes. I'm ready." The two Hummels walked into the principal's office. They sat down. Principal Figgins looked at them, biting his lower lip. Kurt spoke first. "I know who hurt me." he said, a sudden confidence in his voice. Figgins jaw dropped slightly. "Who?" Kurt drew in a breath, thinking of Josh. "The guys on the football team. Excluding Finn, Noah, Mike, and Matt." he replied. Mr. Hummel stood up. "I expect you to take immediate action. If need be, we'll file a lawsuit." he demanded. "This is not the first violent outburst from the football team. I will do everything in my power to make sure justice is served." Kurt's father nodded. "Mr. Hummel. I suggest you take your son home for the day to prevent any further violence." Principal Figgins added. "Of course." Kurt's father agreed. Kurt stood up and shuffled over to his father. The two walked out of the office, both feeling a little bit better. That is, until he was hit in the face with an ice cold slushie. The culprit ran off, laughing, his face hidden. Kurt wiped the corn syrup off his face. "What the hell?" his father questioned. Kurt chuckled. "Don't worry. It happens all the time." Mr. Hummel shook his head, and they continued walking toward the exit.
That night, Kurt lay awake in his bed, unable to sleep. It was a combination of fear that he would get killed, and thoughts about what had happened with Josh. He tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. He glanced at his clock. Only twenty minutes had passed. He sighed and threw off his covers. He tiptoed down the hall to his dad's room. He opened the door a crack, peering in. "Dad?" he whispered. "Hmph." was his reply. "I can't sleep." he whimpered. His fathers head emerged from the tangled sheets. "Ca-can I sleep with you?" he asked wearily. "Sure." Kurt shuffled over to his father's bed. He remembered how he used to crawl into the same bed, snuggling between his parents. He used to be terrified of thunder. He still was. He crawled under the covers, burying his face in the pillow. He tried to think about pleasant things. He thought about his mom. He thought about Fashion Week. Moments later he was fast asleep.
Kurt stayed home the next day, just to be safe. His father had gone to work, leaving Kurt home alone. He used this opportunity to re-organize his closet. Around lunchtime, his phone rang. He picked it up without thinking. "Hello?" he said. "Hey fag." The caller said. Kurt swallowed hard. "Your house is real nice. I can't wait to tear it apart." Kurt gasped. He had forgotten to lock the front door. He heard the doorknob turn. "It's even nicer inside!" Kurt could hear the footsteps in the foyer. Kurt hung up. "Come out, come out wherever you are!" the intruder hollered in a sing-song tone. Kurt ran to his closet and rapidly dialed his father's number. "Dad?" he whispered urgently. "What's wrong?" Mr. Hummel answered. "They got in the house." he continued. "Hold on, I'll be right there." his dad said before hanging up. He heard the footsteps on his stairs. "Ah, this is quite a nice fag cave you got here." his attacker taunted. Kurt let out a whimper. "Hiding in the closet? How ironic!" Kurt backed up, trying to hide himself. It was too late. The door opened, and Kurt felt himself being dragged out by his feet. He screamed. He wasn't going to let this happen again. He jumped up, and attempted to tackle his assaulter. He clawed at the football player's face until he broke free. He bolted up the stairs, only to be met with the rest of the team. "Nice try faggot." one of them shouted. They laughed. They circled around him, taking turns punching him. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson!" They laughed more. Kurt tried to break free, but was unsuccessful. "Just kill me, get it over with." he wailed. "That can be arranged." One of them whipped out a knife. It was a big knife. They took turns stabbing him in the stomach, laughing the whole time. It hurt like hell. A gunshot silenced them all. "Shit, he's got a rifle!" one of them shouted as they all ran outside. He heard the sound of a tires squealing on the pavement. "Holy shit, Kurt." he heard his dad say before he blacked out.
There was a bright white light. Kurt looked around. He was in a tunnel. His mom was on one side, and his father was on the other. "Mom?" he called out. His mom looked at him. "Turn around Kurt. You've still got so much to look forward to." Kurt shook his head. "What? More slushies? More beatings?" His mother continued to stare at him. "Your father needs you. I'm fine by myself." Kurt turned to face his father. "Kurt! Please. Please don't leave me." His dad was crying. He walked towards his father. He took one last look at his mom before joining his father.
Kurt woke up and looked up at his dad. "I saw mom." His father looked at him. "What?" Kurt wiped away a stray tear. "She told me to say with you." His dad pulled Kurt into a hug. "You're just like her. You're a fighter." Kurt laughed softly. He suddenly remembered that his stomach was bleeding profusely. He cried out in pain. "Shit." Mr. Hummel muttered. "I'm calling an ambulance. Hold on." His father gently laid him down on the floor. The ambulance arrived moments later. Kurt was lifted on a stretcher. His father rode with him to the hospital. As they were taking him inside the emergency entrance, he noticed a dark green pick-up. It was Josh's car. That was the last thing he saw before he lost consciousness.
Kurt woke up a few hours later. He recalled what happened. He pulled down his blanket and hospital gown. There were bandages wrapped around his stomach. "I guess that means I can't kiss you there for awhile." Kurt looked up to see Josh sitting in a chair in the corner. "Hey." Kurt whispered. "I am so sorry that this happened." Kurt sighed. "It's not your fault." He suddenly remembered how Josh's car had been in the parking lot. "How's your sister doing?" Josh shook his head before bursting into tears. "She's gone. They pulled the plug." Kurt hugged him, trying to calm him down. "It's okay. Shh, it's okay." Josh raised his head and began kissing Kurt. All of Kurt's problems seemed to melt away. Josh seemed to have that effect on him. Their make-out session was interrupted by the sound of some one clearing their throat. Kurt opened his eyes and saw his father standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide, much like Kurt's. "Da-dad." he stammered. "How long have you been standing there?" "Long enough. Who's this?" he asked, gesturing towards Josh. Kurt looked over at Josh, unable to speak. "Ah, Mr. Hummel. I'm Josh. Your son and I met the first time he was in the hospital." Kurt swooned at how quick-thinking Josh was. Mr. Hummel gave Josh a suspicious look. "That was less than a week ago." Josh nodded. "Young love progresses quickly." he stated matter-of- factly. Kurt's father sighed. "Alright. But if you hurt my boy, you'll be hurting too." Mr. Hummel walked out, his eyes never leaving Josh. When they were sure he was out of ear shot, they continued kissing.
