This is it! The final chapter! Thank you all for reading and leaving such kind reviews. This also marks the (real) beginning of my hiatus. Thank you to everyone who faithfully reads/reviews my stories. You are truly the most awesome people ever. I promise this hiatus won't be a permanent thing, but if something happens and it is, then thank you so much, and have wonderful, beautiful lives. But seriously. I'll be back. I promise. Now, onto the story! (And I need to go do my Japanese work. Oops.)

:-:

i need an ambulance
i took, i took the worst of the blow

:-:

send me a redeemer
let me know if i'm gonna be alright

:-:

am i gonna be alright?

:-:

'cause i know how it usually goes
i know how it usually goes

:-:

"Kurt, wait!" Puck ran after Kurt, overcoming the smaller boy quickly. "Kurt, stop." He grabbed both of the boy's shoulders. "Kurt."

Kurt squirmed under his hold. "Let go of me, Puckerman. I'm going to that school and-"

"And what? Getting yourself killed?" Puck frowned. "Call Mrs. H. Get to the hospital. I'm calling Matt and Mike. We'll figure out who it was."

Kurt frowned, but sighed in defeat and pulled out his phone. In an uncharacteristic gesture of comfort, Puck clapped a hand on Kurt's shoulder, squeezing gently. The smaller boy felt tears prick at his eyes.

"How bad is he?" Kurt whispered, avoiding Puck's eyes.

"Bad."

"Oh." Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat. "Were you the one to find him?"

Puck shoved both hands into his pockets, shaking his head. "I was in Figgins' office when it happened. Got busted for locking that wheelchair kid in the janitor's closet." Kurt glared at him. "What? He's okay, isn't he? Whatever." Kurt looked down, unable to be angry with Puck at the moment. "But I was with Figgins when he got the call. Someone saw the group attack Finn and ran to Mrs. Pillsbury."

Kurt let out a shaky breath. "I-I guess I should call Carole."

"Look, Kurt." The smaller boy looked up, eyes filled with unshed tears. He blinked them away hastily. "I promise. I'll find out who did this. Finn's my boy, even if he likes to take it up the butt."

Kurt let out a strangled laugh. "You do realize Finn and I aren't dating, right? And that presumption is what's landed him in a hospital bed."

Puck shrugged. "You may not be dating, but that doesn't make him any less in love with you." Kurt let a tear fall. "I gotta go." He paused, looking incredibly uncomfortable. "Will you be okay?"

Kurt nodded, slowly dialing Carole Hudson's number. "Yeah."

Puck grimaced in sympathy, then turned to head back to the school, or to Matt or Mike's house, or somewhere else, Kurt wasn't sure. Kurt felt himself speaking out before he could stop himself. "Noah?"

Puck looked a little taken aback, but not angry that Kurt had used his real name. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Puck gave him a small smile, then left Kurt to his phone call. A couple tears spilled over onto Kurt's cheek.

"Hello?"

"Carole?"

"Kurt, what's wrong?"

"Carole, I don't know what to say, it all happened so fast, Puck just came by and told me and I really don't know anything but-"

"Kurt, sweetie, slow down. What's wrong?"

"It's Finn."

:-:

Kurt paced the waiting room, feeling restless and ill. He clawed at the soft flesh of his wrist, only stopping when he unintentionally drew blood. Carole was in hysterics.

Burt was oddly quiet. He sat in a corner, simmering in anger and…was that fear in his eyes? Kurt shivered that there was something on this earth that could scare his father, the bravest man he knew.

"Mrs. Hudson?" A doctor came out, face professional, but grave. Carole stood up and rushed to the man, wringing her hands.

"How is he?" She asked, and Kurt watched as the strong, immovable woman he'd come to love crumbled down, leaving a shaking, aged shell amongst the debris. The doctor said something that only Carole could hear, then led her away to see her son.

"Do you think he's okay?" Kurt asked his father; his throat was raw from suppressing tears. Burt shook his head.

"I have no idea, kid." He took Kurt's hand, much like he did the last night of Katherine Hummel's life, when Kurt was small and seated in a similar waiting room. The memory alone was enough to bring the thin boy to tears.

"I'm scared, Dad," Kurt whispered, grasping his father's hand tightly. Burt pulled him closer, holding him like he hadn't since Katherine's funeral.

This is silly, Kurt thought. Finn isn't even dead. Is he?

He finally let himself break down, curling into his father's side.

:-:

"What do you mean I can't see him?" Kurt was fuming. Burt gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Son, you're in no state to see him right now. Besides, Finn isn't even awake. There's nothing to see."

Carole had returned after an hour, teary and upset. After a hushed conversation with Burt, they decided that Kurt shouldn't see Finn in his current state.

"But I need to see him! I need to make sure he's okay!" Kurt was bordering on hysterical now, body trembling and voice rising. "Please!"

"No, Kurt." Burt's voice was stern. "Not today."

Without a word, Kurt ran from the room, pushing past a group of nurses roughly. Burt sighed, and Carole patted his arm.

"It's for the best, isn't it? I just want to protect my son," Burt said, sinking into a chair. Carole nodded.

"No mother should ever see her son like that." A pause. "And no boy should see the one he loves in that state. It's heartbreaking."

Burt gave her a small smile. "Do you think they'll ever see what we see?"

Carole laughed quietly. "Finn's slow, but he can read people like comic books. I think they'll figure it out."

"Even after this?" The room was impregnated with a thick silence. Carole looked like she might cry again.

"It might be the only thing that can heal them after this. My baby…" She dissolved into tears, burying her face in her palms. Burt wrapped an arm around her.

Kurt never came back.

:-:

School was eerie the next day. Everyone knew that Finn had been sent to the hospital, but no one knew what state he was in. Rumors were flying around that Sean Karofsky had shot Finn with his father's shotgun. Other rumors said that Sean and Finn had been having an affair, and that Sean had rounded up his buddies to teach Finn a lesson after he left Sean for Kurt. Some even said that it had been Kurt who had stabbed Finn in a jealous rage. No one seemed to know the real story.

Even Puck couldn't figure it out. He and Matt and Mike had threatened and interrogated countless students, but no one could give a straight story. Puck even got detention for denting a locker in frustration (and damaging a perfectly good textbook).

Sean, who had technically been suspended at the time of the crime, walked down the halls with a smug grin on his face. His posse looked less sure of themselves. His brother looked terrified.

By lunch, the whispers and pointed fingers pushed Kurt to an edge. Even with the support of Mercedes, Artie, and Tina (and Rachel, to a degree), the lithe boy broke down.

Kurt collapsed onto a bench outside of the school, body wracked with sobs. Pulling his knees to his chest, the small boy cried. It didn't matter who saw him at this point; nothing mattered.

"Hummel?" Kurt looked up into the eyes of Dave Karofsky. He flinched.

"If you're going to do something to me, make it quick. Might as well kill me now; I'll never be able to face Finn again as it is. So go ahead – kill me. Kill the fag."

On second look, it was clear that Dave hadn't slept. He looked pale and tired and unhappy – definitely not what Kurt had been expecting.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said, voice low. "I'm here to apologize."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at the larger boy. "Why?"

Dave knelt down, eye-to-eye with Kurt. "Because what happened to Hudson is my fault."

Hands shaking, Kurt reached out and slapped Dave. It wasn't hard, but it got his point across. Dave took the blow gracefully, looking ashamed and guilty.

"Look, I- I don't know what came over me. It's just, I've always looked up to Sean. His opinion's always been the most important to me. So when he said he wanted to get back at you for getting us suspended, I figured it was a good idea. If I'd known what he was planning, I would never have told him where to find Hudson or I would have tried to stop it or something-"

"So you know what happened?" Kurt sat up. "What did he do to Finn?"

Dave paused, looking conflicted. Then he said, "He got some of the guys to jump him. Beat him up a little, just something visible so you'd freak out and he'd go back to normal." Kurt winced, bile filling his throat. "But then Sean pulled out a pocket knife and took over. None of the guys stopped him, but they were all pretty freaked out. Sean just…I don't know. Started screaming insults at Hudson, started stabbing him and cutting him and shit and it wasn't funny anymore. I ran, went and found Ms. Pillsbury. I didn't tell her who did it, but they got to Finn and called the ambulance and stuff. Someone must have seen me leave, though, 'cause all the guys were gone by the time the teachers got there."

Dave's voice cracked at the end, and Kurt was stunned to see tears in the large boy's eyes. "So you saved him?"

Dave shook his head. "No. Not really. I should have stopped it. I'm so sorry, Kurt."

Red filled Kurt's vision again, and he jumped up from the bench. "Thank you, Dave. That's what I needed to know."

And then Dave was gone, far behind Kurt, still kneeling by the bench in shock. But Kurt didn't care; Kurt had someone else to deal with.

"Karofsky!" He shouted, striding down the hallway, clearing crowds with his menacing air. Artie and Tina exchanged a glance.

"'Sup, fag?" Sean slammed his locker shut. "Here to whine at me about your boyfriend?"

Kurt's knuckles collided with Sean's nose with a satisfying crunch. The taller boy staggered backwards, hands clutching his face.

"You fuckin' ass-hole! I swear to God-"

But Kurt's fist met his face again, and again, and anywhere else he could reach. Sean was helpless in his shock, but as soon as he regained his control, he threw Kurt back against a locker.

"Why can't you just leave us alone!" Kurt screamed, panting heavily. "Finn's not even my boyfriend! If you're going to blindly torture someone, it might as well be me!"

Kurt pushed off the row of lockers, knocking Sean to the ground. His lip was split and he could feel a shiner forming around his eyes, but the blood that stained his hands was not his own, and that gave him power.

"Kurt!" A pair of strong arms lifted Kurt off of Sean, holding him back. They were strong, but not violent.

"Let go of me, Noah!" Kurt cried, struggling hard against Puck's grip. "I have to- I have to get him-"

"Let me take care of that, Lady Face." The hall silenced immediately. There, powerful and terrifying and oh, so welcome, was Coach Sylvester, and she was angry. Behind her was Quinn, who had clearly run to get her. Quinn, like Dave, had clearly not slept.

"You, Ape-Boy," she motioned to a bleeding Karofsky. "My office." He didn't move. "NOW!"

The now-shaking football player ran off, not sparing Kurt a glance or a threat. Sue gave Kurt a grave smile.

"Thanks to the testimony of David Karofsky, I can take this case of bullying, harassment, and now attempted murder to the school board. He'll be expelled for sure."

She turned to walk away, but looked over her shoulder to say, "There's still a spot open for you on the squad, Porcelain. Anyone with balls like yours is welcome on my team."

Then she was gone, and Quinn was in her place. "You look like crap, sweetie."

Kurt was a little taken aback by the term of endearment, but he played it off. "Well, it's been a long day."

She reached out a ghosted her fingers over his bruises and cuts, lips pursed. "Let's go shopping this weekend. I need some new dresses."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Well, I supposed Mercedes and I can allow one more person to come with us…If we won't ruin your reputation, that is."

Quinn smiled at him – genuinely smiled – and kissed his cheek gently. "Anyone who fights like that for something they believe in is cool in my book."

Kurt wiped away a little blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth, and she took his hand.

"Come on, let's clean you up."

No one spoke as they walked away. But as Kurt passed by Tina and Artie, they began to clap, slowly, then getting faster. Brittany and Santana joined in, as did Puck, Matt, and Mike. Mercedes ran up to take Kurt's other hand, and suddenly the entire hallway was applauding Kurt, cheering for him, even. No one had ever taken on Sean Karofsky like that.

And now, no one ever had to again.

:-:

Kurt paced the waiting room anxiously, ignoring his father's pointed glances. Though Kurt had apologized for running out the day before, he still hadn't forgiven his father for trying to shelter him. He had to see Finn. No matter what.

Carole came out from visiting Finn, looking wary. "He's awake now," she said, talking more to Burt that anyone else. "And he's been asking for Kurt – repeatedly. As much as I don't want Kurt to see him like that-" Kurt shivered. "-I think he's what Finn needs right now."

Kurt's heart skipped a beat, and he let Carole lead him back to Finn's room. With trembling hands, he opened the door and walked inside.

Finn was heartbreaking. Dark bruises covered his skin, like splotches of plague or pools of ink. The stitches on his body were so numerous that he looked like a rag doll, and beeping, whirring machines surrounded him. He was so pale he could have been dead.

But when he saw Kurt, his eyes came alive, burning with a deep, everlasting fire. He smiled, and tried to reach out to him.

"Hey, Finn." Kurt hated that his voice cracked. "How are you feeling?'

Finn patted the bed next to himself. "Like shit. Come here."

Kurt shook his head. "No, Finn."

The taller boy's face fell. "Why not? Am I that ugly now?"

Tears sprang into Kurt's eyes. "No, sweetie, you're beautiful. But you shouldn't want anything to do with me right now. We should never have met."

Finn sat a little straighter, grimacing in pain. "What are you talking about? I lo-"

"It's my fault you're here, Finn. If you'd never met me, Sean would never have thought you were gay, and you wouldn't be in this stupid bed."

"And you'd be dead!" Finn shouted. "If we'd never met, no one would have ever found you in that dumpster! How can you say that?"

Kurt gave him a watery smile. "I'd rather be dead than see you like this, know that I caused this. I love-"

"That's stupid, Kurt!" Finn was almost crying with pain now as he tried to sit up. Kurt rushed over to push him back against his pillows, then stepped away, as if he had been burned. "It was Sean who decided to be a psychopath, not you! It was those jackasses who decided to back him up, not you! You've saved me, Kurt. You just don't know it. I love y-"

"Finn, please." Kurt's eyes were shimmering with tears, and Finn could see every shimmering color that he loved so dearly - the melancholy blue pools, the calming green swirls, the brilliant flecks of gold. "I love you too much to cause you any more pain."

"You love me?" Kurt mistook the surprise in Finn's voice as disgust.

"Yes. Take care, Finn. You won't be seeing me again. I promise." Kurt turned to leave, vision already clouded over with the tears he was trying so hard to suppress. A weak, trembling hand caught his.

"I was going to say it first. You just ruined my moment."

Kurt blinked. "Say what first?"

Finn looked down, smiling. "That I love you."

And then Kurt's lips were on Finn's, warm and soft and unsure but so totally sure, and if Finn could move, he would have been jumping and twirling and dancing. Instead, he laughed.

Kurt laughed too, a tinkling, golden sound, and Finn captured his mouth again, running a weak had through the boy's cropped, brown hair. His fingers skimmed over Kurt's stitches, as Kurt's fingers ran over one of his own cuts.

"We're a worn out couple, aren't we?" Finn asked, smiling warmly. Kurt blushed.

"Couple?"

Finn laughed again. "After all that, you're worried about being a couple?"

Kurt's blush deepened. "Well, I thought maybe the kiss was just in the heat of the moment. You…you want to be…?"

"Yeah," Finn breathed, brushing his thumb across Kurt's cheek. "I do. Do you?"

Kurt nodded shakily. "Since the day I met you, Finn Hudson."

Finn's eyes went out of focus, then he smiled, looking back at Kurt. "You know, this is where we met. Officially. And now it's where we declared our love."

"Officially," Kurt added, pressing his forehead to Finn's. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Can I kiss you some more?"

Kurt giggled, staring lovingly into the beat-up, scarred face of his new boyfriend. "It would be my pleasure, Mr. Hudson."

"But no more ambulances, okay?" Finn added against Kurt's mouth. Kurt muffled his laughter against Finn's cheek.

"I promise."

September, 2010

"Come on, Finn."

"Where are we going?"

"I told you a million times before: we're going to sign up for glee club."

"But Mr. Ryerson got fired for creepin' on Hank."

"Exactly. Now Mr. Schuester's running the club."

"My Spanish teacher?"

"The one and only."

"Oh, that's cool. I like Mr. Schue."

Kurt smiled fondly at his boyfriend, tugging on his hand. "Well, then, come on! We need to go sign the sheet."

They walked down the hall, hand-in-hand. A few people gave them weird looks, but the combination of Kurt's Cheerios uniform and Finn's new status as quarterback kept them quiet. Besides, Kurt and Finn were practically McKinley's power-couple. Even some of the jocks thought they were cute. (Though they'd never admit it.)

As they approached the sheet, Dave Karofsky passed by, joking around with his football buddies. He turned, though, to give Kurt and Finn a small wave and a smile. Kurt smiled back, leaning in closer to Finn.

"You know, you should get Noah to sign up. He really has a wonderful voice."

Finn shrugged. "I don't know. I can't really see him dancing around in costumes. Plus, he's secretly a little shy when it comes to singing in front of other people."

"Well, I'll try to convince Quinn to join, and then maybe he'll come after her, like the lovesick puppy we all know he is." Kurt grinned up at Finn, winking. "Brittany said Santana's almost ready to come out. She wants to tell her parents first."

Finn smiled. "I'm glad they found each other. San's been so much less of a bitch to me since she started dating Britt."

"The powers of love," Kurt deadpanned. "It works miracles."

"It really does." Finn's voice was sincere and warm. Kurt blushed.

"Here we go. Finn and Kurt, signed up for 4:00 in the afternoon." Kurt finished scrawling on the paper. "Right after…Miss Rachel Berry. Joy."

"Why are our names together? Shouldn't we be separate, like Artie and Tina?"

"No." Kurt's voice was steady, sure. "We'll be doing a duet. I'll Cover You. It's perfect for us, I'd like to think. Schuester can take us or leave us, but we're a package deal, you and I."

"And we always will be," Finn whispered, burying his lips in Kurt's hair, fingers brushing over the now-hidden scar on the back of his scalp. Kurt reached up and traced one of Finn's still-remaining scars, the one that trailed over his forehead and dangerously close to his eye. Kurt leaned up to kiss Finn, arms wrapping around his boyfriend's torso.

"I still love you," he murmured. "I'll never stop."

Finn rubbed circles in the small of Kurt's back, ignoring the stares that were directed at the two of them. "I don't think I could ever stop loving you."

Kurt smiled up at his boyfriend, then pulled away, taking his hand once again. "You ready?"

Finn smiled wickedly. "I hope Schuester can handle this. We're sort of unstoppable."

Kurt laughed. "That we are.

"That we are."