Author Note: Sorry for the delay, I keep getting side tracked by other great stories,there's just too many good ones out there and being a bit of a bookworm I get caught up easily. :p

Anyway thanks for the reviews they are very much appreciated and very encouraging.

In response to the review from Chrisch (I love your reviews by the way :)) I will definately put you in a flashback as to when Kurt confided in Finn & Jeff as to where he was going when he went to meet Karofsky. I just need to figure out where I can slot it in but it should be in the next chapter or so...its a great idea and one which I hadn't actually considered, so thank you.

Enjoy. Until next time. x

To say Burt had been livid was somewhat of an understatement. All four boys had physically paled at the level of his fury at their actions, even Puck taking a step back to stand behind Finn who was trying to explain but finding it difficult to find an opening in the tirade of scolding which was pouring from his step father as he paced back and forth across the kitchen. Jeff and Kurt sat at the counter ice packs held to their cheeks with Kurt watching his father in concern, his wide eyes flicking back and forth in line with his pacing.

"Dad... Dad please you need to calm down"

"Calm. Down. Are you completely crazy Kurt?" Burt had stopped pacing and was glaring at his son as if he had just turned green, "first you get beaten up, then you go running off to meet this lunatic and then just for fun, you manage to get beaten up again. So tell me Kurt which part of this little scenario do you think mitigates me being calm?"

"but we're fine Dad..." Kurt tried only to trail off as he watched him resume his pacing.

"Honey, why don't you listen to what the boys have to say?" Carole injected calmly from her seat next to Kurt as she carefully lifted his ice pack to assess the damage before replacing it and repeating the action with Jeff.

"Carole...you can't honestly condone what they've done?"

"Actually I think they did the right thing"

Burt's frantic pacing stopped abruptly as he looked toward his wife in astonishment, his mouth hanging open mid rant, "I mean it was Kurt's decision to stand up to his bully and I think you have to respect that, it was a very adult choice"

Burt's eyes met with Carole's unfaltering gaze for several moments before he released a long breath and wiped his hand across the top of his head, looking across the kitchen toward the two boys standing awkwardly behind Jeff and Kurt Burt waved toward the shorter of the two, "Noah I think it's probably best if you go home, it's getting late."

"Sure Mr Hummel, Mrs H" and he left with a sympathetic nod to his friends who were still very much in the firing line.

"Sit down Finn your making the place look untidy" Burt gestured to the seat next to Kurt which had been vacated by Carole who was now stood next to him rubbing his arm soothingly a soft smile directed at the three boys in front of her.

Sighing Burt directed his gaze toward his son and gestured for him to begin, "so Kurt would you care to explain just how the four of you are running around town so late at night and how you and your guest here happen to have black eyes into the bargain!"

"Well it's like this..."

After an extremely long night in which Burt had shouted, Kurt had cried, Finn had mumbled and Jeff had just tried not to get in the way they had finally been dismissed from the kitchen so that Burt and Carole could discuss the situation and the three were now huddled in Kurt's room. Finn had bought in his comforter and pillows and was stretched out on Kurt's plush carpet whilst he and Jeff lay side by side on the bed, peering over the edge as Finn looked up at them.

"So what do you think he'll do" Jeff asked in an attempt to sound casual.

"Honestly, I think he'll hunt him down and shoot him dead" Finn said in all seriousness as Jeff's eyes widened to an impossible size.

"Shut up Finn" Kurt chided, "I think we'll pretty much be grounded until we're thirty and then maybe just maybe he might think about letting us out on good behaviour" throwing his head back on his pillow Finn closed his eyes and groaned, "dude I am never gonna get laid" earning grins from both Jeff and Kurt.

"Don't worry man I'm sure it'll be okay, your dads pretty cool right?" Jeff asked hopefully.

With a smile Kurt replied, "yeah, yeah he is but... this isn't your run of the mill fuck up is it."

"Well no... but surely he'll take that into consideration when he's dishing out the punishments. I'm sure once he's calmed down he'll be reasonable...Won't he?"

Finn cracked open an eye and turned to look up at Jeff, "Were you even in the same room as us an hour ago dude? He practically went nuclear"

"No Finn, Jeff's right, Dad's usually pretty fair and we fucked up, we could have gotten hurt"

"Um we did get hurt" Jeff cut across him pointing to his eye "okay fine, we did get hurt but we're fine so hopefully he'll take that into consideration" although he wasn't exactly sure who he was trying to convince.

Burt stood on the landing just to the right of Kurt's bedroom door, sure he had been close to losing control but the realisation that your son's had done something so incredibly stupid had caught him off guard. That sided with the fact that two of the merry band were sporting injuries had just set him off before he'd even had a chance to get a grip on the situation. He had been sitting in his chair watching TV whilst intermittently frowning at the clock as curfew came and went whilst Carole made coffee in the kitchen when the boys had attempted to slink in through the back door.

"BURT" has been his first warning as Carole had yelled at him to come quickly upon seeing first Kurt and then Jeff's blackening eyes. Much of the early conversation after this point was a bit of a blur but eavesdropping outside Kurt's door Burt couldn't help but be proud of his boy's. Not so long ago Kurt had been broken, alone and sad. Finn had not fared much better, sure he had friend's but he'd had no real direction, nothing to fight for, no-one to grow up for and now the two had somehow managed to come together as a unit despite their differences and stand side by side and despite his ebbing anger he couldn't deny the swell of pride which welled up inside him and warmed him through and through.

Tapping loudly on the door Burt pushed it open and stepped inside, inwardly smirking at the nervous expressions on all three faces which were upturned in his direction although his outward features showed nothing but a grave expression.

"So this is how it's going to be" he said firmly as Finn shuffled up to a sitting position and Kurt and Jeff spun around and crossed their legs beneath them, "tomorrow we will report this kid to the police and let them handle it, okay" stern eyes meeting each face individually.

Kurt nodded and looked down at his lap guiltily.

"You and Jeffrey will return to Dalton tomorrow but Kurt you WILL be coming straight back home on Friday nights, no if's, but's or maybe's. You are grounded every weekend until I say otherwise. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir"

"Finn you're grounded the same as Kurt and because I can't police him at Dalton during the week your grounding only applies to the weekends as well."

"Yes Burt"

A beat of silence filled the room before Burt spoke again "also, Kurt, Finn no phones..."

"DAD you cannot seriously expect me..." Kurt stuttered out and then froze at his father's stony expression, "Kurt, no phone, no luxuries, hand it over, you guys too" as he held his hand out expectantly.

"But Burt" Finn tried as he pulled his mobile from his jeans, "no buts Finn hand it over," Burt's attention fixed mainly on Kurt who was tentatively holding his phone toward his father's waiting palm, "Dad please..."

"You get them back when I say so okay. Jeff you can have yours back tomorrow alright?"

"Yes sir" was the grumbled response by the sullen looking brothers, "Okay Mr Hummel" was Jeff's relieved response as he dropped his phone into Burt's outstretched hand, his relief disappearing abruptly as he realised that Burt had turned his full attention to him, "I will be writing to the school to explain the reasons behind the fact that you and Kurt look like that" as he gestured to their eyes, "and it's up to them whether they give you any kind of punishment, fair enough?"

"Absolutely sir" Jeff said in relief swallowing thickly as he continued to meet Burt's gaze.

"That said, I appreciate the fact that you boys stuck together and I just want you to know that I am really proud of you."

Kurt pushed himself off the bed and into his father's arms which closed firmly around him, "I'm sorry we worried you Dad" tears falling softly onto his shoulder, Jeff and Finn watching silently for Burt's reaction, "c'mon kid, it's okay, I'm just glad you're alright", releasing him with a rough pat to the back Burt took steps toward the door before turning back, "Carole's gonna bring you guys up some toast and hot chocolate before you turn in okay" a smile gracing his lips before he fully left the room.

Burt strolled down the hallway to the murmurs of "well that went better than expected" drifting behind him causing him to smile as he descended the stairs.

Blaine Anderson lay face down on his bed, his messy hair spread across the soft pillow, arms and legs sticking out at random angles, the leg of his sweats risen up to the knee on one side, his phone clutched loosely in the hand which was under his pillow; a soft light from the moon shone through the window casting a dappled light across the darkened room as the clock on the dresser showed that it was the early hours of Sunday morning.

A low humm vibrated through the darkness and Blaine's fingers clutched instinctively around the phone in his hand.

"Yello" he mumbled into the handset as he rubbed his eyes and tried to get his bearings.

"Blaine?" came an unexpected yet familiar voice. Blaine pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for several moments in confusion, not fully awake and floundering in the darkness he returned it to his ear before answering, "Burt?"

"Hey son..." but before he could speak he was cut off as Blaine's sense returned to him full force, "Burt what's going on, what's wrong?"

"Calm down son"

"but..."

"Hey come on, calm down"

"Okay..."

"Look its Kurt..." Burt stumbled.

"Sir... please tell me what's going on" Blaine pleaded in tired confusion.

"Okay, now don't panic everyone is fine"

Blaine began a complete inner freak out as he tried to organise his tired mind, people only ever told you not to panic when there was every reason to panic and Kurt's dad calling him in the middle of the night smacked of panic.

"Kurt's had a run in with Karofsky..."

"Holy shit" and any vestige of self control that Blaine had managed to hang onto left him in a sudden rush.

"Son you really need to let me finish" Burt pressed.

"Sorry"

"Kurt's fine and he doesn't know I'm calling you but him and Jeffrey have had kind of a bad night of it and I thought that maybe you might want to come for breakfast tomorrow..."

"Is he okay Burt, please tell me he's okay"

"He's fine Blaine, really, they're just a little shaken and a little bruised but I'm sure they'll tell you all about it tomorrow. So can we expect you in the morning?"

"Absolutely sir" Blaine stuttered out, "oh and Blaine you'd better bring Jeff's boyfriend too might as well cheer them both up at the same time" said Burt a smile seeping through into his tone.

"Sir. Burt. Are you sure he's alright"

"I'm sure kid, I'll see you tomorrow okay"

"Okay, thank you"

Nick Duvall lay curled under his thick comforter in complete darkness, his blind shutting out any trace of light which might have found its way into the room from the outside, the only evidence of light being the glow around his door from the corridor beyond.

Throwing himself upwards at the sudden knocking he flung his hand out reactively to search for his lamp before he was even truly awake. Wincing at the brightness suddenly invading his room he groaned as the knocking persisted and "Nick, Nick open up" was frantically whispered through the wood.

"Blaine?" he asked in confusion as he rolled off his bed and stumbled across the floor toward the door, "what the hell man" he said as he turned the key and opened the door to allow his friend to push past him into the room.

"Nick, oh shit, Kurt's dad just called...and I've tried calling Kurt and there's no answer..."

"What the hell are you talking about" Nick asked as he rubbed his eyes sleepily and yawned widely as he closed the door and turned to face Blaine who was pacing back and forth before his bed.

"Kurt's dad, he just called me, Kurt and Jeff had some kind of run in with Karofsky tonight"

"Holy shit" Nick was instantly wide awake the bottom dropping out of his stomach as he processed what Blaine was saying, "What the hell? What's happened? Are they okay?"

"I, I don't know what happened, all Burt said was that they were okay but bruised and that we could go over first thing tomorrow for breakfast" hands fisting agitatedly in his hair as he tried to explain.

"Oh shit, oh shit" Nick babbled doing nothing to calm Blaine's anxiety.

"What the hell is going on in here" Wes frowned from the door which he had pushed open, a sleepy David standing behind him rubbing his eyes, "you two really need to learn how to keep it down" he moaned.

Blaine crossed the room in a few strides and caught his friend off guard as he threw himself into his arms, "hey, what's wrong?" Wes asked in concern looking at Nick for help but finding him just as lost as Blaine.

"David why don't you go get some coffee yeah" he directed over his shoulder and David nodded taking a long look at Nick and Blaine before heading down the corridor toward the kitchen.

Wes managed to steer Blaine further into the room and deposited him on Nick's bed where Blaine braced his hands on his knees and preceded to comb through his hair roughly with his hands.

"Okay Nick what's up" Wes asked gently.

"Uhhh, Kurt and Jeff have got into some sort of trouble with that Karofsky kid..." Nick managed to explain to an expectant Wes, "Blaine said they got hurt, Kurt's dad just called..."

"Fuck" Wes growled before steering Nick to sit next to Blaine on the bed. Pulling Nick's chair over from the desk he sat in front of his friends and rested a comforting hand on each of their knees, "look I'm sure they're alright, if they weren't Kurt's dad would have said so, okay."

Blaine looked toward his friend with grateful eyes, "do you really think so?"

"Yes I really think so" Wes said comfortingly as David re-emerged into the room carrying a tray of coffee and biscuits, "so what did they do now?" he quipped earning him a glare from both Blaine and Nick.

"Had a run in with that Karofsky kid" Wes explained quickly, effectively wiping away any trace of David's teasing.

"Shit" he mumbled shaking his head, "they okay?"

"Apparently. Burt's asked us to go over for breakfast in the morning" Nick spoke flatly as he accepted a mug from David.

"Okay well then we all go" Wes said firmly, "you two will run yourselves off the road if we let you go alone and I'll need David for the journey back when you four are all snuggled in Kurt's giant tank", the last comment earning him a small smile from Blaine.

"Do you think Mr Hummel will be okay with all of us descending on him?" David threw out to the room in general as he settled himself on the floor next to Nick's legs and bought his mug up to his lips.

"Yeah, he's cool" Blaine replied as he took a long drag on his own coffee.

"Settled then, we leave at seven" said Wes in his best councilman's voice.