Author Note: Thanks to Chrisch for the lovely reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I will try to get some more chapters written but I've still got four more to post so all is not lost yet. x

Kurt strode down the corridor toward his dorm a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His bag was slung heavily across his shoulder and the bag containing Carole's cookies swung to and fro as he walked, he had yet to see any of the guys but he knew that they must be around somewhere.

"Well hello there" came a smooth voice from the door of the common room and Kurt stopped dead before turning sharply to glare at the voice.

"What do you want" he said through narrowed eyes as he looked Christian up and down.

"Nothing really" Christian shrugged, "just passing the time of day" he smarmed as he pushed away from the door frame and sidled closely past Kurt.

Twisting away from the closeness Kurt watched Christian as he circled him, "can I help you?" he snapped.

"Well you could..." Christian insinuated smoothly "but I didn't think you were interested" he said clearly enjoying Kurt's discomfort at his close proximity.

"Fuck you" Kurt spat before turning again and striding away, "you know it's a shame Hummel, you truly are hot when you're pissed" Christian called with a mocking laugh.

Kurt fumbled to open his door before pushing through and closing it quickly, taking a breath he slumped against it and closed his eyes; resting his head against the wood he breathed slowly trying to calm his unease. Why the hell did Christian unsettle him like that? Hell he had barely spoken to him and he was uncomfortable and jittery. The guy was a dick and he just made him want to curl up and hide, his skin crawling involuntarily at the blatant lack of respect Christian showed him.

Opening his eyes he pushed away from the door and headed across to his bed, dropping the cookies onto the dresser as he passed before lifting his bag and placing it on the foot of the bed. Toying with the zipper Kurt thought back to his car and how the hell his friends had managed to fix it in such a short space of time. He knew that they were wealthy although money was never mentioned between them but it was obvious that all of them came from very well to do families across the state.

Sure he had a nice car too but the rides that some of the guys sported were ridiculous and he knew that his dad had worked a lot of extra hours to afford him his pride and joy and he loved him all the more for it. Kurt moved around his room unpacking his bag as he lost himself in thought, after several minutes of silent wandering his empty bag was stashed in his closet and his clothes hung poker straight on rows of perfectly aligned hangers.

Nodding his approval and closing the closet door Kurt opened the bag on his dresser and took out a cookie before flopping down on his bed and kicking off his boots. Groaning as he took a bite he rummaged for his phone as he pondered how best to thank his friends for the small matter of spending countless money to repair his car behind his back.

Kurt still found it difficult to have friends of the quality he had found at Dalton, sure his friends at McKinley cared about him but Dalton had embraced him, had swept him into its very core and he had found true family here. Sure he had Blaine but he had also gained friends like he never knew possible, people who had accepted him from the very beginning no questions asked, more importantly guys who accepted him for who he was and weren't afraid to show they cared for him. Loneliness had followed Kurt like a spectre at McKinley, even with friends he had felt an emptiness which he had fashioned into a hard outer shell, constantly on the defensive he hadn't allowed himself to relax, Dalton had shown him that it was possible to be yourself and have people like you for it, sure it had taken a while to settle in but now he really couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Absentmindedly brushing the crumbs from his lap, Kurt uncharacteristically reached into the bag for a second cookie, raising it to his mouth he continued to consider his friends. Given the fact that all of them had the means to fix his car on their own he frowned as he tried to decipher which one it was. Blaine was obviously the main suspect but Kurt knew that he was lousy at keeping secrets as he could never contain his own excitement, although given the circumstances of the past week he had been distracted so could not be ruled out completely. Also, someone had taken his key and Blaine was naturally the number one suspect for that so was quite clearly up to his neck in it.

Jeff was also high on Kurt's suspect list and where Jeff was he might as well include Nick seeing as they were practically joined at the hip. Kurt smiled as he thought of his friends. They were good together, Nick balancing out Jeff's quirkier side while Jeff helped Nick lighten up and let go every now and again. All in all they were perfect for each other and perfect for Kurt, sure he loved Blaine more than anything but it was something else entirely to have gay friends who he could talk to and confide in without judgement. He loved talking to his girls but sometimes you just needed a guy's (who wasn't your boyfriend) opinion about stuff and Finn just didn't cut it.

Turning his thoughts to Wes and David Kurt slowly chewed, it had taken him a little longer to get close to them, Wes in particular. Not that they hadn't been friendly from the moment they met but Kurt had been able to feel Wes and David's protective urges toward Blaine from the very beginning and knowing now what Blaine had gone through before his own transfer he completely understood their hesitancy to allow a stranger with a similar background into his life to drag up old ghosts but over time they had come to treat him something akin to a younger brother although in reality they were not much older than him.

Kurt looked up to Wes; he admired his self contained demeanour and ability to be effortlessly perfect whilst still being one of the guys. David was the closest thing Kurt had to a girlfriend at Dalton. Not that David was feminine in any way. Hell he was so into sports it wasn't even funny and he certainly wasn't camp but he could be bitchy and cutting and sarcastic and Kurt absolutely loved bouncing their personalities together in a friendly snark battle and although David would roll his eyes and moan about him being a diva he knew he loved it just as much.

Several cookies later Kurt still hadn't managed to come up with a culprit or even a ring leader so scowling in frustration he lifted himself off the bed and grabbed his phone deciding to get to the bottom of it in person.

All, I'm back and I have cookies ;) Kx

Kurt crossed his legs on his bed and settled down to wait. Glancing at the clock he mentally began a countdown as he patiently watched the hands turn.

Almost immediately a blonde head poked around his door and grinned widely before launching itself across the room toward the bed.

"KURT" Jeff shouted as he tackled him backwards against the pillows, "where's the cookies?"

"Get off me you oaf" Kurt laughed as he swatted Jeff's shoulder playfully, "over there on the dresser."

"Wicked" Jeff beamed as he scrambled away from his friend before reaching over and dragging the bag onto the bed.

"Kurt?"

Kurt looked up and met the warm hazel gaze of his boyfriend. Breaking out into a warm smile Kurt crawled off the bed muttering "excuse us a minute" to Jeff who was happily making his way through the bag, "and leave some of them for everyone else" he scolded and Jeff pouted in response.

"Hey baby" Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear as he wound his arms around his neck and hugged him close.

Blaine sank into Kurt's embrace and twinned his arms around his waist as he pulled him closer, "are you okay" he murmured back.

"I'm okay but I'm worried about you"

"Don't be I promise I'm fine but I'm so glad your back" Blaine breathed yet to release his hold on him.

"Break it up" David moaned as he followed Wes into the room, Nick trailing behind them.

Glaring over Blaine's shoulder at David Kurt stuck out his tongue at his friend who laughed, reluctantly pulling back from Blaine's hold Kurt tugged him towards the bed.

"Hey babe" Jeff smiled as he threw Nick a couple of cookies.

"Thanks" Nick replied with a wink.

"No probs baby."

"Okay pass them over" David moaned as he rocked forward to snatch the bag from Jeff's lap.

David, Wes and Nick spread themselves out on the floor around Kurt's bed, Nick leaning against Jeff's legs while Wes and David sat cross legged. Blaine sat against Kurt's headboard with Kurt placed between his legs, leaning against his chest and Jeff perched on the end of the bed whilst leaning over trying to swipe the cookies back from David who was holding them tauntingly out of his reach.

Kurt looked at each of his friends and ran his hand reassuringly across Blaine's arm where it was wrapped around him.

"So whose going to tell me what happened to my car?" he said in a casual tone whilst looking between them all.

Scuffles over cookies stopped as each boy fell silent and turned to stare at Kurt with a guilty expression. Kurt could feel Blaine's hold tighten around him doubtless in response to the memory of the damage.

"Well" he pressed.

"Um, well it's like this..." Jeff began through a mouthful of cookie and Kurt raised an eyebrow.

Swallowing hard Jeff brushed the crumbs from his mouth with the back of his hand and began again.

"Kurt listen don't throw a fit alright but we knew you couldn't afford to fix your car yourself and we knew you didn't want your dad to know so we just got it done" Jeff said with a nervous smile.

"You just got it done?" Kurt repeated in disbelief.

"Well yeah" Nick replied matter-of-factly.

"You can't just do that" Kurt said shaking his head, "this isn't like fixing a tyre on a bike we're talking hundreds of dollars here, how am I supposed to pay you back?"

"What?" asked David stupidly.

"No one said anything about paying us back" Jeff choked.

Blaine's grip tightened again to keep Kurt sitting where he was as he could feel Kurt start to pull away.

"Kurt listen" he said calmly, "we wanted to do this, for you, we all did."

"But I can't accept it" Kurt said quietly.

"Yes you can" Jeff said grabbing Kurt's hands and squeezing firmly, "look Kurt we did it because we care about you not because we feel sorry for you and certainly not because we want you to pay us back" Jeff said somewhat offended.

"But..."

"No buts Kurt" smiled Wes who had been sitting quietly since the discussion began, "it's done, accept it please, don't spoil the gesture by having a guilt trip okay."

Kurt looked at Wes and was about to argue but decided against it when he saw his resolute expression along with that of his other friends.

Throwing his hands up in defeat he sighed heavily "guys I really don't know what to say."

"Well that's a first" smiled David earning himself a grin from Blaine and a head slap from Wes.

"Really thank you, all of you, I really don't know what else to say" he said choking slightly as his throat tightened with emotion and his eyes began to well with unspent tears.

"You are truly welcome" Wes smiled and David grinned next to him.

"Yeah, no worries Kurt" Nick added with a grin, "did they do a good job; I haven't actually seen it yet?"

"It's amazing" Kurt gushed, "she looks like new" he added excitedly scooting away from Blaine to gush with Jeff and Nick over his newly fixed car.

Blaine laughed at Kurt's lightened mood and watched him fondly as he spoke enthusiastically with Jeff and Nick.

"Hey Wes, throw me a cookie" he grinned.