AN: So this chapter does more to establish the time frame within the Glee universe more than reveal more of the plot of this story. Though I based this chapter on events from the show I have tweaked the situation a bit so it isn't strictly cannon. Hope you all enjoy!

The auditorium was empty when Kurt walked in through the back doors after spending an hour in the library studying history with Mercedes. Knowing that Finn was coming from football practice, the counter tenor figured his partner for the ballad assignment would be along shortly as they had agreed to meet in the auditorium following practice. From his short time on the team, Kurt knew the practices sometimes ran over.

Choosing the middle aisle, Kurt walked slowly toward the stage, absorbing the atmosphere of the empty auditorium. In his mind, he could hear the applause and cheers of future crowds, and in his dreams those sounds were for him. Even now though, he felt at home in the auditorium. There was nothing he enjoyed more than being up on that stage performing. It was where he felt he had the most confidence. It was the place that he felt most at ease, except for the solace of his own bedroom.

Reaching the stage, he climbed up the steps, placing his backpack on the floor. Turning he looked out over the empty room, enjoying the serenity of the place before turning and walking over to the piano. If he had to wait for Finn he figured he might as well make good use of his time and get some practice in. Without really making a conscious decision about what song to play, Kurt placed his fingers on the smooth white keys and played the opening strands of "Defying Gravity". Before long, he was lost in the music, his voice accompanying the piano notes to fill the auditorium with the music it had been built to amplify. Kurt was so lost in the music that he didn't notice Finn's arrival until the bari-tenor spoke.

"You learned how to hit that last note," Finn commented, talking about the high F at the end of the song that Kurt hadn't hit during the competition with Rachel.

"I've been able to hit that note," Kurt replied, turning around on the bench to face Finn.

"But during the sing-off. . ."

"I threw the sing-off," the smaller teen replied to the hanging question. "Some things are more important than a solo."

"I don't believe that not after all the fuss you made about having a chance to get the solo."

Kurt shrugged. "Fine. Think what you want to think," he said, trying not to show that he was hurt by the other teen's words. He refused to waste time arguing the point. "We should probably get to work on our assignment for Glee," he suggested attempting to change the subject.

"Yeah, about that, you know I was thinking seeing as the assignment is to sing a ballad to each other, and we don't actually have to perform it in front of the club, why don't we just say we did it."

"Because I have more integrity than that," Kurt replied in an annoyed tone.

"Look, usually I don't try to duck out of assignments," Finn insisted. "It's just that, well singing a song to another dude is weird."

"You heard Mr. Schue, a ballad is simply a song that tells a story. It doesn't have to be a love song. I could be about friendship or something. And all Mr. Schue said was that we had to sing a ballad to each other not necessarily about our partner. Pick a ballad that represents something important to you."

"Like what? Football?" Finn asked, skeptically. "Like I'm going to find a ballad about that."

Kurt didn't get to reply to his words as a third voice joined the conversation.

"Oh, come on Hudson. You know you want to sing a song to your boyfriend," Dave Karofsky called out as he and Azimio walked down the one aisle toward the stage.

"Yeah, 'For the Gory of Love' would be a good one for you," Azimio suggested.

The two jocks took a seat in the front row and looked up at the other two teens on the stage.

"Come on, dazzle us with your performance," Karofsky taunted.

Finn glanced from the two taunting jocks to Kurt, who despite trying to put on a brave front looked terrify. Though he didn't want to sing a song to Kurt, he also felt an obligation to make sure he was safe in this situation. At the beginning of the year, he wouldn't have cared. The titan quarterback probably would have made some joke about Kurt and left the smaller teen to fend for himself. That wasn't a choice now as Finn felt an obligation to look out for Kurt both because he was a member of Glee Club and because his mother had started dated Kurt's father.

"Let's go find someplace else to work on this assignment," Finn said, starting toward the side steps of the stage. He reached down and scooped up Kurt's bag as he passed by.

"Aww, look the lovebirds want to go be alone," Azimio crooned, as Kurt got to his feet to follow Finn.

"No," Finn said, his voice just below a shout as he turned to face Karofsky and Azimio. "We just want to get our homework done without the distraction of a couple of idiots," he told them, frustrated at having to defend himself to his teammates. He was the quarterback of the football team. That in itself should have made him cool. Though maybe if their football team didn't suck that might work a little better.

"Of course with your IQ's you probably don't even know what homework is," Kurt added, still standing near the piano bench.

"Tell your boyfriend to watch his mouth, Hudson," Karofsky said, getting to his feet.

"What? The truth hurts?" Finn asked, wondering why he was egging the two bullies on. If it came to a physical fight, he doubted Kurt would be any help to him and though he could probably hold his own with either Karofsky or Azimio, he doubted he'd do well against both of them at the same time.

Azimio stood up and both he and Karofsky headed for the stage.

"Is there a problem here fellas?"

All four teens turned toward the back of the auditorium to find Mr. Schuester standing in the door way.

"No, sir," Finn said, speaking up for all four of them as he let his gaze drift from his choir director to Karofsky and Azimio. "Kurt and I were just leaving," he added, walking down the steps toward the nearest exit. Footsteps behind him told him that Kurt was following his lead.

"Seriously? You want me to sing to a sonogram?" Finn asked, not even caring about the skepticism in his voice. Of all the crazy things he had heard, Kurt's latest idea had to be the craziest.

After leaving the auditorium they had retreated to the safety of Finn's home. At the very least the Titan quarterback knew that none of his teammates were going to waltz in on them unannounced.

"Why not?" Kurt insisted, from his place on the edge of the bed.

"Because it's a sonogram!" Finn exclaimed, waving his hands toward the computer which was right now showing his desktop. The Titan quarterback was starting to wonder why he had even brought up the sonogram with Kurt. It wasn't like they were close friends, though Finn didn't have anything personal against the guy. It was just that they hung in different circles, well at least until he had gotten blackmailed into joining Glee Club. Still, Finn knew he needed to talk to somebody and Kurt seemed the least likely to go spreading it around the school. "It's an inanimate object that can't hear anything being said by you, me or whoever else might walk into this room!"

"True," Kurt said slowly, as if the speed with which he was talking would make what he was saying easier for Finn to understand. "But it's the perfect situation for you to fulfill your assignment. You can pick a song that expresses your feelings toward your unborn daughter."

Finn looked at his classmate with skepticism. Singing to a sonogram seemed as weird to him as singing a ballad to a guy did.

"How are you feeling about the whole situation?" Kurt asked, not about to be deterred from his goal, which was to get Finn to complete the assignment. Despite the crush he had on Finn, he wasn't about to lie for his classmate.

Finn looked at Kurt silently for a few moments. The patient look on Kurt's face as he waited for an answer to his question told Finn that Kurt wasn't going to give up on this idea easily. Deciding it would be easier to give in than to continue to fight the counter tenor on the subject, Finn answered the question.

"Well, guilty actually. I mean Quinn wants to give the baby up for adoption, which I guess I sort of understand given our age, but that means that essentially I'm abandoning my daughter. She'll grow up without know me or without me knowing her. I don't really want that. I want her to know who I am. To know that I'll always be there for her."

"Okay," Kurt said thoughtfully, thinking about Finn's words and his taste in music as he went through lyrics to songs that he knew. It didn't take long for him to come up with one. "You can sing "I'll Stand By You" by the Pretenders. It's perfect for the situation!"

Finn thought about it for a moment even though Kurt was already finding the song on the mp3 player he had brought with him.

"Are you ready?" Kurt asked, not waiting for Finn's agreement.

More than willing to go along with for the ride at this point, Finn nodded. Moments later the opening notes of the song was filling the room. Looking toward the sonogram, Finn came in at the appropriate point with the words. It wasn't until he was finished with the song that he realized that Kurt wasn't the only audience that he had.

"Is there a reason you are singing to a sonogram?" Carole Hudson asked her son from the doorway of the room.

Startled, Finn looked toward his mother with a deer in the headlights look. "It's a Glee assignment," he offered, knowing that the answer wasn't going to satisfy his mother.

"I need more than that," Carole insisted knowing that no teacher was going to make a sing to a sonogram assignment.

"Well, we had to sing a ballad, and well Kurt suggested that it might be a good way for me to work out my feelings as I sort of found out that Quinn's pregnant," Finn replied, looking down at the floor as he fought back tears.

"Kurt, I think this would be a good time for you to go home," Carole said, looking at the other teen. "Finn and I have some things to discuss."

"Yes, ma'am," Kurt said, quickly gathering his things and heading out of the room. Finishing the assignment was apparently going to have to wait.