Sorry for the delay guys, this chapter was giving me some grief, as well as RL getting in the way. Hopefully the final chapter will come a bit quicker but I can't make any promises. And hopefully I haven't lost any readers in the delay :/

Just because I can, these events happen four weeks before Sectionals. Time frames are messed up on Glee anyway.

And this is a more serious issue when it comes to the teacher involved. As much as I wanted to have the standard showdown with Kurt, Blaine and the person, I didn't think it was appropriate for this situation.

Will.

The second Kurt had left the room, Will was on his feet and following. He wasn't sure, but he had a hunch that Kurt was headed towards Figgins's office to deal with his transfers. At any rate, he needed to find Kurt and talk to him about this - namely about why Kurt hadn't actually come to him. He was his teacher after all, it was Kurt's responsibility to bring up any issues he was having so Will could follow them up. In a school of so many kids, how was he supposed to keep an eye on every single one?

A small part of his mind reminded him that the Glee kids were his and he should keep an eye on them in particular, especially Kurt. But that thought quickly disappeared when Sue came striding down the hall towards him. "Look, can this wait? I need to find Kurt."

"You're damn right you need to." Sue jerked her head in the direction of the principal's office. "Porcelain is well within his rights to walk out of here and I'm glad he is. You've failed many times in the past, William. Your sense of style, your ability to stay lost in the eighties for decades, your stifling of creativity and subsequent release in the worst possible way - need I mention Britney Spears and Ke$ha? But this time you have failed not only as a teacher, but as a mentor. You promised these children a person to talk to, someone who would protect them, and you have failed the one child who needed you the most."

And with that she turned on her heel and strode towards the office, Will following numbly. As they arrived, Will saw Blaine sitting in the antechamber and tried to catch the kids' eye. But when Blaine looked up with the fiercest glare possible, Will quickly moved on and followed Sue into the office. "Kurt, you have to believe that I had no -"

"Can it, Schuester." Kurt's father turned to face him, looking just as angry as Blaine had. "You always knew my kid was being bullied. Maybe you didn't know it was this physical, but you knew about the names they called him, that they pushed him in the halls and threw drinks in his face. You saw all of that, and you didn't even bother to tell me?"

Will tried frantically to find something to say but there were no words. Burt was right, after all. The least he should have done was tell Kurt's father… and all of the kids parents at that. Bullying was bullying, no matter how minor, and most parents probably had no idea what was going on in these walls. It wasn't like the kids were going to tell them.

"I'm assuming Kurt told you he's leaving," Burt continued. "I just handed in his transfer papers, which I know are in order. And if they're not, I don't give a damn. He's enrolled at Dalton and he's going there and there's nothing you can do about it." Burt finally turned his glare to Figgins and Will breathed a quiet sigh of relief that the ire was no longer completely directed at him. "I don't know how you can call this place a school, how you can let kids come here and deal with this kind of crap every day. You should be ashamed, not just for running this place the way you do but for hiring teachers like him." He jerked a thumb in Will's direction. Will glanced at him then finally looked at Kurt, trying to get his attention so he could somehow make it clear that he was sorry.

Kurt looked up and Will put his best apologetic expression on, only to be completely ignored as Kurt looked straight past him. "Thank you, Coach Sylvester. I know you at least tried to do something."

"Stay safe, Porcelain. Make sure the hobbit out there looks after you."

Kurt chuckled and Will suddenly realized it was the first time he had heard Kurt laugh in… well, a very long time. Has he really been this miserable for so long? "I will." He turned back to his dad, once again ignoring Will. "Can we go? This place isn't worth my time anymore."

Will winced, watching as the two left the office to be joined by Blaine. They disappeared down the hall and Will knew without a doubt that this was the last time Kurt Hummel would ever walk in the halls of McKinley High. He was gone.

"William."

Turning back, Will saw Figgins and Sue staring at him. Figgins gestured for him to take a seat which Will did reluctantly. "William, in light of these recent events, action must be taken. Our students are not safe at this school and they do not feel safe because the teachers aren't looking out for them. That means you, William!"

"Look, I don't know what happened! The kids often have weeks where they don't want to talk to anybody - they're teenagers, after all, they go through mood swings. I usually leave them to it for a few days then try and talk to them, but I guess I just forgot to check on Kurt. I had no idea it was this serious."

Sue slapped a hand down on the desk loudly. "Wake up, Will! These kids are being terrorized in the halls and you did nothing about it. No, we might not be able to do anything about the verbal bullying but when it starts getting physical then we need to step in. If I had ever personally witnessed one of those so-called 'locker shoves', I would be hauling the offender out so fast that the sound of his victim slamming into the metal would still be ringing in the air. High school is a learning experience and no kid wants to learn that locker handles make intriguing shaped bruises on their backs."

Once again, Will was lost for words. "William, after what Mr. Hummel has told me, I have no choice but to suspend you."

"Suspend me?" Will's eyes widened. "But who's going to look after the other kids?"

"We have a new substitute teacher, Holly Holiday, who apparently loves to sing. She can take your class." Figgins folded his arms. "That decision is final."

Will stared at Sue who was surprisingly not looking smug, rather she looked serious. "How long am I suspended for?"

"Three weeks. After that time, we will review you and decide whether you should return."

Sue gestured towards the door. "I imagine your club are still sitting there having a pity party, you might as well go add to it. Or, hey, who knows, you might make their day. After all, no more Journey medleys for them to suffer through in silence."

Will wanted to retort, to yell at Sue and tell her that now wasn't the time for jokes, but there were no words. In silence he stood and left the office, heading towards the choir room. He vaguely noticed a slightly familiar figure further down the corridor, sitting against the lockers, but didn't pay him any attention.

Apart from the absence of Mercedes, Sam and Finn (and he should probably have made the connection between Finn's absence and the figure he had just seen right about then), the choir room was just as he had left it. "Mr. Schuester, what do we do?" Tina said as soon as he entered the room. "Did you manage to talk to Kurt?"

"Yeah, we need to fix this." Puck sounded worried and Will couldn't help but notice how protective the boy seemed to have gotten of Kurt. "What's going to happen? Is he coming back?"

Will pulled up a seat and sat down, facing the kids wearily. "Kurt's not coming back," he said quietly. "He's transferred." Tina began to speak and Will held up a hand. "And I'm not coming back either, not just yet. Figgins has suspended me as a result of this."

There was a moment of silence, then Puck nodded. "I understand that. No offense, but we really failed Kurt on this one and something needs to happen as a result."

"Wait a minute." Rachel stood, looking panicked. "What's going to happen for Sectionals?"

"Who really cares right now, Rachel?" Santana spoke up, surprising everybody. "You are so selfish - I thought you were one of Kurt's friends." She turned away without waiting for a reply. "How long are you suspended for?"

"Three weeks at this point." Will stood and began to pull his folders together. "You're getting Miss Holiday as your substitute until then - if you guys can work on getting some practice done for Sectionals, I'll work on a setlist while I'm gone and we'll collaborate when I get back." He hesitated, one hand resting on the piano. "Look after yourselves, and look after each other. I'll see you soon."

He didn't get any hugs goodbye or well wishes, but Will hadn't really expected it. The kids were just as shaken up as he was and this time they couldn't turn to him for help. He just hoped they could pull everything together for Sectionals - no matter how much Santana was justified in snapping at Rachel, Rachel might have the right idea. If they kept themselves preoccupied, it would be easier. Unfortunately Will wouldn't have the same luxury - three weeks of suspension would give him plenty of time to think about just where he went wrong.

Having Sue Sylvester show up on his front doorstep was never something Will had expected or wanted to happen, but there she was. "Right, I've got an offer for you," she said, barging her way in with a stack of folders in her hands. "We'll discuss it over coffee. Black, ten sugars."

Will raised an eyebrow but obediently walked into the kitchen and busied himself making coffee. The only reason he hadn't thrown the woman out or refused her entry was because he saw the name on the folders she was holding - 'Kurt Hummel.' And if Will could find out anything about Kurt, he was in. No matter how painful he knew a visit from Sue would be.

Luckily Sue cut straight to the chase after downing her coffee piping hot. "So Porcelain has been at Dalton for a week now, apparently settling in well there. But Figgins forgot to send through his official records so they asked someone from the school to take them down. I've been tasked with it and, quite frankly, I'm a lazy person. So I'm willing to offer you the opportunity."

"After everything that's happened?" Will couldn't help but ask.

"William, I come across as a vindictive and mean person. And yes, that's my nature. But the things I do are only ever done as reality checks - to show these kids that they're not as wonderful as they think they are. I never condone true bullying and especially not anything like what's happened to Porcelain. I believe that, in situations like this, you need to make right what you've put wrong. If I could get that Karofsky kid to admit what he had done, I'd get some consequences on him, but I can't." Sue dropped the folders on the table and pushed them across to Will. "If Lady will hear you out, I think you owe him an apology. And if not, you'll be dealing with a job that I can't be bothered to do. Either way, it works in my favor and that was my main reason for coming."

And with that, Sue was headed towards his bedroom. By the time Will had gotten the presence of mind to get up and try to stop her, she was returning with a few tubs of hair gel in hand. "And if all else fails, maybe Dalton will invite you to teach for them. After all, with your gel and sweater vests, you're practically a prime candidate for teaching teenage boys how to dress like businessmen stuck in the eighties. Why wouldn't they want you?"

Tossing the gel into the fireplace - thankfully unlit - Sue disappeared out the front door. It took Will a few seconds to get his wits about him again, which was generally the case when one encountered Sue Sylvester, but found himself smiling a moment later for the first time in the past week. Maybe now it was time to make things right.

Stepping out of the car at Dalton, Will couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated. He was well used to the run down classrooms and graffitied buildings of McKinley and seeing a school that was so fancy was a whole new world for this teacher. Holding the folders to his chest, Will locked his car and headed towards the side of the building, following the sign that said ADMINISTRATION.

If the outside of the building had been fancy, it was nothing compared to inside. Will wished he was here on better terms so he could have the chance to look around - knowing Kurt's style, he was probably loving the extravagance of everything here. At least Will hoped Kurt was loving it at Dalton, because there really weren't many other options for him. As much as Will knew he was going to miss having Kurt in New Directions - and he really would now that he had taken some time to think about everything - he was just glad that Kurt was somewhere better.

"Can I help you?"

Will blinked back to reality, realizing he had made it to the administration desk. "Yes, I'm William Schuester from McKinley High, I'm bringing Kurt Hummel's transcripts."

The woman frowned, glancing down at a sheet of paper. "William Schuester… okay, I'm going to direct you to the principal." Without waiting for a response, she picked up the phone. "Mr. Hanson, we have a William Schuester here in regards to Kurt Hummel?" The woman nodded before hanging up and standing. "This way, please."

Will couldn't help but notice the frostiness of her tone after he had identified himself and briefly wondered at that. But they were already outside the principal's door and the woman knocked once before disappearing down the hall. After a few seconds, a short balding man with glasses opened the door, surveying Will before nodding. "Come in."

Entering the room, Will took the seat offered to him, trying to take in the grandeur of the room he had just entered. For a principals office - a room at McKinley that was constantly filled with delinquents who were more than likely to break things - it was very extravagant. "Mr. Schuester. May I call you Will?" Will nodded. "Excellent. I am Howard Hanson, you may call me Howard if you wish. Now, if you are here to visit Mr. Hummel, I'm afraid I can't allow that."

Will blinked. "I - uh, no that wasn't my purpose in coming, though I had hoped it would be possible. I'm bringing his transcripts." He slid them across the desk, the man receiving them with a nod and beginning to flick through them. Will let the silence ride for a few seconds before giving in to his curiosity. "Why can I not see him, if I may ask?"

"I'm afraid the terms of Mr. Hummel's transfer are too serious for me to just let people from William McKinley High come in as they please and talk to him." The papers were pushed aside and Howard turned to him seriously. "Will, when Kurt arrived here, he was silent. His father did all of the talking, Kurt just sat there holding Blaine's hand and not saying a word. Luckily Burt was willing to give me the details and I could make sure Kurt was looked after - not that that would ever be an issue, Dalton's zero-tolerance bullying policy means Kurt will be safe here. But I know what happened at that school of yours. I know about the bullying, I know about the negligence, and I know what role you played in it all. I cannot allow you to visit with him."

Will stared through the man, not really seeing him. "But I need the chance to make things right with Kurt."

"And Kurt needs the chance to have a good schooling experience." Howard's face softened a little. "Look, Will, we all make mistakes. Yours was a more serious one, yes, but it happens. And I know you want to make it up to him, but sometimes the consequences of our actions aren't what we want and no matter how much we want to, we can't fix it. I believe that if Kurt were to be visited by you, it would be detrimental to his well-being." The man sighed before reaching over to his intercom. "What I can do though is offer it to him. If he wants to meet with you then I will allow it."

Without waiting for an answer, Howard was talking on the intercom to his secretary, asking her to take the message to Kurt and wait for a response. An awkward silence descended on the room as Howard pulled the transcripts back in front of him, beginning to read. Finally he looked up again, a small smile in place. "His grades were excellent."

"How are they here?"

"They could be better," Howard admitted. "We gave him a general exam to see where he sat in terms of placement and he's ranking average right now, but I know he just needs to get used to the way things work here. Work loads are definitely tougher but Mr. Hummel is more than up for the challenge."

And with that, the silence was back. Will fidgeted in his chair, staring around the room again and trying to work out what he would say when he saw Kurt. If he saw Kurt.

The door opened suddenly and the receptionist poked her head around. "Mr. Hummel has respectfully asked me to tell you his answer is no."

"Thank you, Shelly." The woman disappeared and Howard turned to Will. "Well, I'm afraid that's that."

Will sighed, feeling the defeat sink low into his gut. "I suppose so." He stood, holding out a hand to shake with the principal. "Could you at least pass on a message from me?" Howard nodded. "Tell him I'm sorry."

"I can do that." The dismissal was clear in the man's voice and Will reluctantly left the office, making his way back out of the building. He allowed himself to glance back only twice, not seeing Kurt either time and not really expecting to. After all, it was over.

If Will had looked back that final time as he drove off, he would have seen two boys watching him leave. One close to tears, one offering as much support as he could.

Next Chapter: Warblers.