Limits

Summary: Taken from a prompt on the Glee Angst Meme. Burt Hummel's dead, Kurt Hummel's doing his best to stay under the radar of Child Services, and the bullying is quickly bringing him to the end of his steadily shortening rope. The tiny, unused razor in the jewelry box seems to agree with that assessment. So it is really any wonder that when he catches sight of a blue police box left open just a crack that he would run inside?

Disclaimer: Nope. No, no, no.

AN: YEAH, OKAY. So sorry for the delay on this baby! I hit a major roadblock and just didn't know what to do, but I actually officially finished this monster of a fic, even though the entirety isn't posted up anywhere yet. If anyone's actually stuck with me, THANK YOU. Your reviews and feedback and knowing that I had people waiting for me really helped me put on my writing pants.

I've really been spoiled by you guys and I hope you continue to stick with me until the close.

Chapter Seventeen: Maestro

It was noon.

They'd decided to leave at three but Kurt had been pacing absently outside the TARDIS for the last two hours, ducking in and out so many times that the Doctor had gotten frustrated and told him to pick one and stick with it, and he'd been standing out here ever since.

His phone had been silent all day and Kurt felt the almost constant urge to take it out of his pocket and check it. A useless gesture, but a habit he'd apparently picked up again.

What would he do if no one actually came? Would Blaine keep his word and come to say goodbye, at least? The answer to the first question was obvious. He'd do as he said he would and ask the Doctor to take off and they'd probably never come back to Lima again if all went as it should. And once again, he'd be separating from people he loved on bad terms, and he'd probably cry.

Probably a lot.

If Kurt was going to be honest, he'd probably be insufferable (in the bad way) for a good long while and drive everyone, including the TARDIS, absolutely bonkers.

Suddenly, there was the sound of someone wiggling the latch on the wooden gate and Kurt tensed.

The person who pushed it open and approached was possibly one of the last that Kurt would ever have expected if a betting man had asked him to make a wager.

Noah Puckerman peered into Kurt's backyard, tentative and hesitant and looking more out of place than Kurt could ever have imagined. He glanced around and the moment he caught sight of the TARDIS was obvious because his mouth dropped open and he cocked his head. Confusion was obvious but the nervousness… that was something that surprised Kurt even more than his presence itself.

"Oh, uh, hey," Puck called out when their eyes met and Kurt waved him over.

"Hi," was all that Kurt could find to say, watching the boy who used to toss him into dumpsters way back when look over the blue box leaning up against the fence. "You can touch it, she won't bite."

"This is…this is seriously a time machine?" Puck asked, reaching out a hand to stroke the blue wood, feeling it warm and solid under the pads of his fingers. Kurt nodded, brushing his bangs aside.

"Yes."

"But how do you all fit in it?"

"Bigger on the inside," Kurt replied, then adding, quietly, "Thank you for coming." The other boy shifted, looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah, no problem."

They were quiet for a while until Puck spoke up again, voice low and solemn.

"I just… wow, this is kind of weird. I guess we've never actually spoken like...like friends, have we?"

No, no they hadn't. Amicably, yes. Jokingly, yes. But friends? Not really.

"This is going to sound really awful but I can't let you just run off without telling you…" the look on Kurt's face must have said something awful because Puck winced and backpedaled with a hasty, crookedly smiling, "No homo, I promise. I was just… you know, sure that you'd offed yourself. And that it would have been because of me. Why else would you have told me that you loved me? I know you sent it to everyone, but I just couldn't not think about how I treated you and all that. And I thought it was your revenge or something."

Kurt's jaw dropped and he went white. Puck rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet.

"So I guess I've just kind of got to say thank you. For, you know, not. I know I've been kind of a super douche to you in the past and I really didn't get much of a chance to talk to you last night with all the crap that went down, and everyone except Brittany's hardcore pissed off at you for this. At least they were when we all left. But just… if this is what it takes to make you happy, you should go for it, you know? 'Cause you're a good dude and you deserve it."

Kurt's eyes were not misting over. They were not. Absolutely, positively, not-in-a-thousand years. They couldn't possibly be, because under no circumstances was he going to be crying in front of Noah Puckerman.

"Puck, I—"

"No getting' mushy on me now, pixie. I know that Puckasaurus is awe-inspiring but try to hold it in, okay?"

A hand reached out, presumably in an attempt to rumple his hair and Kurt intercepted it with a gentle swat, narrowing his eyes at the boy who'd once towered over him.

"Don't even think it," he threatened, "I'll take your hand off. And don't call me pixie."

Puck chuckled.

"Still got teeth," he commented, scrubbing a hand over his mohawk, "Figured that out when you stabbed lying lizard through the head." Kurt shuddered.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Kurt replied with a grimace, "I'm still furious about that jacket."

"Yeah, well. You always were the most vicious and evil when your clothes were involved."

It was true.

"So everyone stayed mad at me?" Kurt approached, hesitation in his every line, "I mean, I'm not surprised. But still…"

Puck ducked his head.

"Not gonna lie, it was all pretty gnarly. But things calmed down after short-n-curly went after you. Mostly I think it's more hurt than angry and it's all just kind of coming out pissed. Pissed is easier."

Kurt let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and leaned back against the TARDIS, stretching out a little and tilting his head up to see the sky. The sun was bright and it was all so, so blue.

"It is, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically, mentally tallying up all the times he'd negated sadness with fury, "I also could have, er, reacted better." Diplomacy only went so far and the look he got in return was deadpan, dry and completely unsurprised.

"No, really? Like we don't all expect dramatics from everyone else in this damn club anyway. It's kind of a prereq," Puck said matter-of-factly and Kurt stifled a snicker because if that wasn't the truest thing that had ever been spoken, he didn't know what was. "'Sides, you saved my ass. What would the world do without this?" He accompanied his words by patting his rear and making a sizzling sound between his teeth. Kurt rolled his eyes skyward and tried desperately not to smile.

"What a tragedy."

"Look, you've just got to come back and visit once in a while. Regularly, before we all get old and lame. That's my condition, you got it? And souvenirs, like something I can sell to make a motherload of cash."

"Argh, and you were on such a roll with saying something nice. Why'd you have to go and ruin it?"

"I can only get so schmoopy before my stomach starts rolling around. Schmoop's for wooin' and Puckzilla isn't wooing you."

"Super charming. Hard to believe that Rachel ever let you go," Kurt snarked loftily, before shooting the other boy a secretive smile, "Don't worry, your secret sentimentality is safe with me." He mimed zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key, and this time he wasn't quite fast enough to dodge the hand gunning for his hair. Fingers threaded through for just a second and then Puck had turned away to walk back towards the gate.

"I'm holding you to our deal. Souvenirs, you got that, pixie? Something cool! See you around."

The bulkier boy didn't turn and Kurt was grateful because his eyes were definitely watering now and he made a promise on his first day of high school that under no circumstances would he be crying in front of Noah Puckerman. Not now, not ever. Not when he was hit, not when he was tossed and teased, not even when he was saying goodbye to someone he never thought he'd be considering a legitimate friend. Not even then.

The gate swung open and then shut with a click.

Kurt sagged against the TARDIS just in time for the door to open a crack and Rose to peek out, glancing at him in concern.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked and Kurt covered his eyes with a hand. No crying. Absolutely no crying.

"Y-yeah," he replied, voice wavering just the tiniest bit, "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You wanna come back inside for a tick? Better than standing out there by yourself."

"No," he said quietly, "No. If it's all the same, I'd like to wait a little longer."

It was 1:12.

The gate swung open with a click of the latch and Kurt lurched upright, straightening and watching, bright-eyed, as the trio of cheerleaders stepped through to the backyard like they did it all the time. Quinn never stopped being queenly for a second and Santana walked like she ruled the world. Brittany, on the other hand, never even pretended to possess a single ounce of that decorum and rushed ahead of them, flinging her arms around him and squeezing tightly.

"Kurtsie, hi!"

"Hey, sweetheart," Kurt matched her tone with his own, light and breezy as if there had never been a doubt in his mind that they would have come, "How's it going?" He didn't receive a vocal reply but a physical one in the form of Brittany's lips on his. He rolled his eyes but kissed her back, just a few seconds before pulling away. No, he'd never be into girls like he liked boys but it always hurt Brittany's feelings when he pushed her away, even if he'd never gotten any physical kick out of it. A little weirdness was a small price to pay for making her happy.

"'Sup, Tink," Santana greeted, "You know the deal, I get anything Britt gets."

Snorting a little, Kurt shook his head and nonetheless leaned down to kiss her too, her lips soft and warm and female.

"Let's just get this out now," Santana shook her hair out, a dark and silky curtain that moved just like she did, sinuous and pliable. "I'm pissed that you're leaving. I'm pissed that you left. Don't say anything," she growled just as Kurt opened his mouth the respond, "I'm not done." Her face softened. "But I get why you did it and I get why you don't want to stay. Anyone with eyes can see why. So to hell with you, Tinkerbell, because I don't give a damn about you or your Doctor or all your snazzy adventures, you hear?"

Her voice didn't shake and her words came easily but the girl's brown eyes were just the tiniest bit glassy. Kurt dislodged Brittany to wrap his arms around Santana, gathering her up and pulling her close.

"You get me, Ladyface? I don't give a damn about you." Despite the vehemence, there was a sniff that came from somewhere around Kurt's shoulder. "So go, because I don't care."

"Okay, Sanny," Kurt murmured into the top of her head, "Okay." Eventually, Santana pulled away and Kurt turned to Quinn, who had yet to say a word. She stood about five paces away, arms crossed over her chest, green eyes unreadable and mouth stony. "Got something to say, Q?"

"Yeah, yeah I do," Quinn answered, stepping closer and needlessly adjusting Kurt's collar as if she needed an excuse to reach out, "I really…really wish that you'd stay. Everyone would be happier if you would. I know you're probably the most stubborn guy in the world and I know it's pointless to try, but I really wish you would anyway."

"Quinn…"

"So, since you won't, you're promising me the next best thing. You're coming back here and visiting. Regularly. None of this six month b.s. I know that I'm probably the only person who's going to set their pride aside and say this, but you are coming back here to visit. Even if it's just to see the three of us, you're not abandoning us again. I don't speak for either of them but I know that I've been a really crappy friend in the past, and I'm trying to change that about myself. So you have to come back and see it." God, Kurt admired her ability to hide about everything she was feeling because there wasn't a chance that he would have been capable of saying such things so bluntly as if they were fact. Quinn's perfectly painted lower lip began to wobble just a little bit and Kurt barely had enough time to brace himself before she was dragging him into a fierce hug.

"Quinn, this isn't forever," Kurt breathed, "It's not. I don't know if I can promise you a time frame, but this goodbye isn't forever."

"Everyone would be happier if you stayed. Everyone; me, Finn, Rachel, Britt, Mercedes… everyone." She sighed and smiled, sad and edged, "Everyone but you, right?"

Kurt smiled back, just as sadly. She finally got it and it showed because only someone who understood could smile like that.

"I wish you could take one of us with you," she mused, "I don't know if I trust that Doctor guy; he's got a crazy look about him. And your Rose friend's hair color is fake as hell." Leave it to Quinn. "Take Britt, she's crazy enough to like time traveling. She'll fit right in."

Kurt snorted and shook his head. Brittany pouted at him.

"Sorry, not taking anyone with me. Doctor's TARDIS, Doctor's rules. Besides, I think Santana might have a little something to say about that."

"Damn straight I do, ain't happening."

"And there you have it," Kurt said with a wave of his hand. He took a step back. "Thank you, all of you. I'm so happy you came."

"Like I wouldn't say goodbye to you," Brittany scolded, wrapping back around him like a blonde, cuddly eel until combined efforts from both Kurt and Santana extracted her, "That's not very nice."

"For real, powder puff," Santana chimed, now completely dry-eyed and every bit herself, "Anyway, We're going to blow this popsicle stand before these two pudding hearts start bawling like babies." Quinn glared at her and Kurt resisted the urge to remind her just what she'd been on the verge of doing not a few minutes ago. He'd gotten so good at resisting lately and wondered, briefly, if maybe he ought to get himself a medal for it.

"Now, now," Kurt chided, "Don't take your carb deprivation out on others."

"Put a sock in it."

"You tell that Doctor that if he doesn't give you back in one piece, Quinn Fabray is out for blood."

Gulping a little, Kurt nodded and accepted Quinn's gentler embrace before the girl pulled away again. She smiled, soft and sweet like she rarely was otherwise. He received one more kiss each from Brittany and Santana and then he was alone once again, standing in the summer sun.

"You're not allowed to leave without keeping in touch."

"See you around, Blue Eyes."

"Souvenirs, I want them."

"Take care of yourself. It's enough if you're happy, yeah?"

Tina, Mike, Artie, and Sam.

Rachel didn't show. Neither did Finn or Mercedes. Neither did Blaine.

It was bordering on 2:57 when Kurt closed his eyes and shook his head. He'd waited too long already. He'd wanted to say goodbye to them, to make up, to not go away angry. To start something new. Neither Rose nor the Doctor had said anything despite the fact that both of them had peered out of the TARDIS more than once to gauge the situation, only to pop back inside upon seeing the look on his face.

It had already been more than Kurt had expected.

He hadn't honestly expected anyone, much less the vast majority of glee club, but still… he'd hoped that Mercedes would come.

"That's that, then," he murmured lowly, under his breath. Not much point in sitting around and waiting for much longer.

His hand touched the sun-warmed blue side of the TARDIS and he realized that this was really going to be it this time. He might return to this time, but he'd never be returning to this house. Not if he could help it. He'd never set foot in this yard again. He'd never break in again through the back thanks to purposefully wiggly hinges.

Maybe someone else would move in, years from now. Maybe they'd clear out the things that had once meant everything to Kurt, re-paint, add on, renovate. Maybe this home would remain abandoned, the broken pieces of Kurt's life and family remaining where they were, gathering dust and time

There was a gravestone for Elizabeth Hummel, and her husband was buried next to her.

There wouldn't ever be one for Kurt.

He wouldn't be joining them here.

Not here. Not now. Not ever.

And then the gate slammed open, smashing with a clatter against the wooden, slightly worse for wear fencing that enclosed the backyard.

Kurt whipped around and had about two seconds of warning before a familiar figure slammed into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him tightly. Relief that he hadn't known he could feel washed over him like a sudden rainfall and he buried his nose in Mercedes' hair, hugging her back.

"Oh my god, 'Cedes, I thought you wouldn't—"

"Well, you know," her voice was muffled against his shoulder, "You and I have always been stubborn ones but you're the one who never gives in. I'd rather have you sometimes than never, as long as you'll have me."

Kurt pulled back, breathing shallow.

"You know I love you, right, Mercy?"

"Always, and I love you right back, Blue Eyes. Forever and ever and I can be mad at you for doing this and still love you to pieces. And I don't want you to leave mad at me."

"I don't want to leave with you mad at me," Kurt countered, hugging her again because he just couldn't help it. He had to touch, had to breathe, had to feel, soaking in the love like a sponge and hoping in his heart of hearts that she could feel it radiating off of him in reply. The girl looked close to tears, her eyes suspiciously shiny but dry so far. "Thank you."

"Always, always, always," Mercedes told him, nestling her face in the crook of Kurt's neck, "You're mine and I'm yours and even if you're the Doctor's too now, it doesn't change anything. Just come back to me."

Kurt blinked furiously but the world was rippling like water in the wind and he wiped a hand briskly over his eyes, feeling moisture come with it. Damnit.

Mercedes was smiling at him, the smile that Kurt had always loved most about her, that had always been the absolute best of her. The girl wasn't watching him right that second though, instead gazing at something that he hadn't even noticed happening over her shoulder.

Blaine had just stepped through the still-open gate, gripping Finn by one wrist and dragging a heavily protesting Rachel by the other.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, wondering absently whether he was hallucinating or if the world was actually deciding to be nice to him for once.

"I'd wave but I've kind of got my hands full!" the boy shot back, scowling when Rachel glared at him and stuck her tongue out. "I don't care if you're still mad; you're going to be nice for at least five seconds to say goodbye. Quit behaving like babies." Kurt couldn't hold back the snort that ripped its way from his throat.

"It's okay, Blaine," he said lowly, "If they don't want to be here, they don't have to be." The shorter boy released Finn's wrist and focused on locking an irritated and resigned glower to Miss Rachel Berry.

Finn was shifting uncomfortably.

"Uh…look, dude," he started, words stammered and unsure, "I'm sorry. I'm still kinda mad, but I'm sorry for the things I said. They were low and you didn't deserve 'em."

Kurt softened and edged away from Mercedes to approach the taller boy who, in another timeline, might have become his brother.

"I'm sorry, too. Not so much for what I said, but… I reacted badly and could have taken it all better than I did." He smiled, wry and sheepish. "I do that sometimes. Puck said that drama was a prerequisite."

"If that means we're all drama queens, he's right," Finn muttered, scratching at the back of his head. "Look, I uh… well. The last time we talked, we were both pissed and I never really got to say anything that I wanted to. I just wanted to tell you that, um." The tall boy shifted, then smiled crookedly. "Welcome back and all that. If everything hadn't happened the way it had, our parents might have gotten married or something crazy like that. I hadn't really thought about it too much, but I kind of liked the idea of having a little brother."

"Well, I didn't do much thinking about it either," Kurt replied, "But I can't say that the idea of a brother is terribly repulsive, no. Even if you would probably leave your socks all over creation and driving me to kill you in the night."

"So I guess what I really want to say is that I'm going to try and be less of a douche because when you come back and see everyone, I want you to want to see me too. Mom always said that there's no point in fighting a wave, and that if you get ripped out to sea you should swim sideways instead of trying to swim against the pull. I don't know if I get all of it and I've never been to a real beach, but I guess that means that I shouldn't fight what I can't beat. I can't beat you wanting to get away from this world, so just come back and see me too."

Finn had always been taller than about everyone else but emotionally, Kurt had always, always thought of him as rather small, rather young. Before his very eyes that shifted just a little bit and Finn Hudson wasn't quite the slouching, people-pleasing little boy anymore.

"Absolutely yes, Finn Hudson, absolutely," Kurt said, intensely happy and feeling knots he hadn't known he had loosen from somewhere in his gut, "Yes." There was a lot he wanted to say, ranging from the admittedly insipid to the things that machismo adventure movie heroes might say. Instead, Kurt settled for "Thank you," with a smile tilting at his lips. A hand reached out and clapped him on the shoulder and Kurt wasn't surprised at all. No, his girls were the ones who hugged; the girls and Sam, who had come dangerously close to attempting to stow away on the TARDIS before the Doctor had popped his head out and shot him such intense stink-eye that the blonde had backpedaled almost immediately.

"Kurt Hummel." Rachel had shouldered Finn out of the way and parked herself directly in front of Kurt, arms crossed over her chest. Behind her, Blaine wore a helpless this-is-totally-not-my-fault expression. Kurt shrugged at him. Rachel had always been a force of nature, he couldn't really blame him.

"Rachel Berry, can I help you?" Kurt replied coolly, raising a single eyebrow at her.

"I cannot under any circumstances approve of your choices. I think it's irresponsible, unwise, and dangerous as well to go gallivanting all over who even knows where, running for your life at all turns and not even thinking about what you're going to do with your life. College, all your dreams? Are you even going to finish high school? I think you're being inconsiderate to all of us and to yourself and I can't understand why everyone was so furious last night and seem to have completely forgotten why they were angry in the first place." She paused and Kurt regarded her, his jaw clenching.

"Is that all?" he asked, trying to keep from getting snarly. It only half worked.

"No, no it's not."

Kurt resisted the urge to release the biting it never is that he sorely wanted to throw.

Brown eyes that had never hidden how their owner felt looked him up and down.

"You're stubborn and you're so hard on everyone and as much as I feel like I can understand most people in some respect, I don't think I've ever quite understood you. But you're also stronger than anyone I've ever known. Stronger and brighter and of course my only real competition in this town and that's partly why I hate for you to go –no one likes to lose a rival- but still. Why can't you stay? And be honest; I can take it."

Oh, Rachel. She tried so hard and came out contradictory to the very end. Kurt could never quite tell if he was being insulted or complimented.

He was flattered anyway.

"Honestly? It's not big enough. I might be ready to come back one day but right now, there's just too much to see and too much to do. And the Doctor? He can make it happen and I can help him. I can do something good. I thought Broadway was the biggest thing I could ever reach out for, and it's not."

Rachel bit her lip, not quite mollified.

"And that's enough for you?"

"Yeah, it is. More than enough."

"Well, I hope you enjoy it and don't get yourself killed or something. I am going to beat you and shine like a star and there is not a chance in hell that I'm doing that before you can see it and be furious that you chose this instead, spending your days basking in regret."

Kurt thought that this might actually be the closest thing that abrasive, caustic Rachel might actually give to a blessing, though roundabout and kind of ambiguous. It was like speaking Jackie-ese only with fewer digs on her method of hair coloring and more bitchface. Less height, too.

"Thank you, then. If it makes you feel better, I don't think I've ever really understood you either. You and me, we're both more than our parts and people don't see it. But someone will. Maybe not me. I doubt I'll regret it when you're a star, but I definitely be there to see it someday. Shine on, but try to get the attitude under control."

Rose would probably have a few things to say about him talking to anyone about attitude, but that was neither here nor there.

He really would never understand Rachel because one moment she was glaring up at him and the next she was lurching forward and crushing him in a hug and not too seconds later was dragging Finn away. Kurt had the feeling that she probably couldn't even stand to look at him right then.

"You'll be keeping in touch or I will hunt you down," Mercedes threatened, speaking up after they'd all given a collective flinch from the slamming gate. Someone needed to put the poor abused thing out of its misery. Kurt waggled a finger at her.

"Always."

One more hug and then Mercedes was pulling away from him as if it hurt her. She wasn't crying but it looked to be a close shave.

"I'll see you around, Kurt."

"Y-yeah. See you around, Mercedes."

Then it was just him and Blaine.

AN2: Again, thank you for reading! Please, please leave a review if you have anything to say to me, questions or comments or praise or slaps upside the head, I'm really not picky at all. We've got just two more chapters to go but the wait won't be anywhere near as long as the one for this.