A/N:

This is the last chapter, after it there is only the epilogue left. Thank you to all of you who have read and commented and talked to me about their love for this story. Most of all though a big thank you from me to all of you who have stuck around to see this story brought to a close, I know it has been a challenge. All I can say is that writing this story has been a challenge for me too, but a beautiful, rewarding one more than anything.

xo M

Tears Stained

Chapter 20: The Means and The Ends

"You really did?" Wes asks, eyes wide, starring at the blond boy in front of him.

"Yeah," Jeff beams, "I called him in the evening, after Nick had talked to our headmaster and made it all official, and told him he is out of The Warblers."

Wes has to smile to himself at the thought that for him all this started with a phone call Jeff made, and seems to kind of end with one of those too.

"So what exactly did Smythe say?" Trent asks, sitting with Nick, Jeff and Wes, hearing this part of the story for the first time as well.

"Say?" Jeff asks, raising his eyebrows, "Well, he cursed mostly. Calling us immature, untalented idiots, and other things."

"Oh, the usual then," Nick says with a smirk, but more so eyes alight with undeniable relief. 'It's over.'

"Yeah, pretty much," Jeff answers with a grin of his own before all the boys burst out laughing, even Kurt and Blaine, who have been sitting fairly somber and quiet the last half hour.

Blaine lets out a sigh, burrows deeper into Kurt's arms, which he has been cuddled up in for all of this conversation, the two leaning against the headboard of Kurt's bed, surrounded by their Dalton friends.

It is a moment later that they hear the doorbell, in the middle of Wes telling them about his college roommate's obsession with Charlie Chaplin. "He is not even a film student. But seriously, every opportunity ever he dresses up as Cha…."

The knock on the bedroom door interrupting Wes does not come entirely unexpected.

"Yeah?" Kurt calls.

As the door is opened Burt comes into view, a smile quickly spreading on his face at the sight. It is better than good to see his little boy surrounded by friends who in the end had done the right thing and stood up for him and Blaine.

Kurt is surprised though as he sees his dad's expression darken as fast as it had just lit up.

"Wait a minute, aren't you Jeff?" Burt asks with a pointed look at well, ….

"Yes. Why?" the boy answers worried look on his face.

"Then who is the guy at the front door claiming to be you?"

Blaine, worriedly glances between Jeff and Burt for a moment then whispers, "Smythe."

Burt, already turning on the spot growls, "I am going to rip that guy a …."

The rest of the sentence is lost in the tumult that follows all the Dalton boys getting to their feet and rushing to follow Burt down the stairs to the front door.

Kurt, after squeezing Blaine warmly once more helps him to his feet, the painkillers have yet to start being fun in any way if you ask Blaine, feeling especially groggy today leaning on Kurt again a second after he is standing upright.

And so it is about two minutes after everyone else that Kurt and Blaine find themselves stopping in midst of the last flight of stairs, with the other boys and Burt frozen into place only feet ahead of them while there is one voice alone heard booming through the house.

Carole, though small in statue, has never looked more intimidating.

"… really thought you could pass yourself off as that sweet boy who tried to do the right thing still after you made such a mess of everything."

"I don't even know what you are talking about," Sebastian snaps back.

"And frankly you do not deserve an explanation. You least of anyone. But I am telling you this, I know my boys' friends, and you have never been one of them. How dare you come here? Undoubtedly to try your best and inflict still more pain. It is so far beyond me to even so much as try and figure you out."

"No one has asked you to."

"Well, good for the both of us then, because I am in no mood to spend the time required to solve that puzzle with you any time soon," Carole keeps going. "If you ever come here again without explicit invitation, or I hear you are making trouble for any of the boys you will learn what it really means to be in trouble."

Carole turns as she catches Sebastian glimpse past her for a second before turning away and storming down the street towards his parked car. Not that Carole sees any of this, standing there, a slight blush on her cheeks form all the agitation of having been shouting at Sebastian for quite a while it seems.

And just like that, faced with the stunned faces of her guests and family – even Finn having come down from his room, peeking in on the scene with more confusion on his face than anyone else, whispering "Mom?" into the silence – Carole's demeanor changes back to the mild manner everyone here knows to be her most prominent side.

Carole clears her throat as she closes the front door behind herself without looking. "I came out to see who it was, at the door, when Burt disappeared upstairs. And he claimed to be you Jeff and asked to be allowed to visit Kurt and Blaine. So I, um, …."

Carole is cut off for good by Blaine crashing through the lines and throwing himself into her arms, almost stumbling in the process.

"Thank you," Blaine mumbles into her shoulder, as he keeps holding on the hug only tightening from both sides.

"Sweetheart?" Carole asks after some moments of silence.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so so much."

"What for, Honey?" Carole tries once more.

"My mom would have just …, she wouldn't … ." Blaine is blubbering with tears now.

"Blaine," Carole says softly, "I'll always stick up for you. Always."