My Missing Puzzle Piece
A/N: I apologize for the extremely late chapter, but I really hope this makes up for it. Please let me know what you think! I will try to be a little quicker on the draw for the next chapter.
Chapter Seventeen
The morning after Christmas day, Darcy rang the doorbell to Kurt's house. He knew Jenny was still there. Burt answered the door.
"Mr. Hummel, good morning!" Darcy smiled. Burt glared back. Darcy's smile didn't falter. "Is Jenny up yet?"
"Is she supposed to be?" Burt opened the door wider, allowing Darcy into the house.
"We are heading out for a bit and then we are coming back for a double date with Kurt and Blaine." He took off his coat and hung it up, kicking off his snowy shoes on the front mat.
"I see. Well if she's up, she is probably getting ready. Actually, I would like to talk to you for a minute." Burt walked into the kitchen, motioning for him to follow. He did.
"Oh, good morning Darcy!" Carolyn greeted him. "Coffee?" She asked, holding up the coffee pot.
"That would be wonderful, thank you." He smiled. "Did you all have a god Christmas?" He asked, sipping on the fresh coffee that Carolyn handed him. Burt allowed the pleasantries to continue for a minute longer before he got down to business, asking Darcy to sit while he remained standing.
"So, you and Jenny..." Burt started. "You're an item now? That's pretty sudden." He leaned against the counter.
"It's very new, but I think we are going to be really good for each other." Darcy had to admit that he was a little intimidated, but he didn't show it.
"I see. So you don't really know each other very well. Darcy, Jenny is a really great kid. She seems tough on the outside but she's got a lot going on." Burt let that sink in.
"Mr. Hummel..." Darcy attempted.
"Seriously Darcy. She is like my own daughter. If you hurt her, I will break your neck." Burt stated as casually as if he was commenting on the weather.
"Burt!" Carolyn reprimanded him. He made no attempt to apologize. Darcy smiled. He wasn't the only one who wanted to protect Jenny.
"Mr. Hummel, I completely understand where you are coming from." He meant it. "I finally convinced Jenny to give me a chance. All I ask is that you do the same." Darcy tried to make a deal. Burt appeared to be thinking. There was a noise from the hall and Kurt and Jenny walked into the kitchen. Kurt was dressed casually in red skinny jeans and a blue fashion top and Jenny was wearing her glasses, her hair long and loose in a braid, jeans and a sweater, a leather motorcycle jacket covering her sweater.
"Darcy!" Jenny smiled, hugging him. "You're early." Kurt surveyed the scene.
"Oh no! Darcy just had the 'I-will-break-your-neck' talk!" Jenny stared at Burt and the at Darcy.
"Dad!" Kurt scolded.
"It's okay." Burt locked eyes with Darcy and nodded. "I think we reached an understanding." Darcy nodded back.
"Thank you, sir." Darcy wrapped his arm around Jenny.
"So what are you two up to this early?" Carolyn asked.
"We are going to go for breakfast and then do some shopping." Jenny smiled. Burt sipped his coffee.
"I see that gift card your brother got you is burning a hole in your pocket.
"Oh I'm just buying a few things." Jenny said. "We are going skating this afternoon and I need skates to go skating." Jenny took Darcy's coffee and took a tentative sip to taste it before taking a bigger sip. Finn stumbled into the room looking like Frankenstein.
"Coffee" He mumbled incoherently, barely awake. The doorbell rang again.
"Why are there so many people here first thing in the morning?" Burt asked, heading for the door.
"So what dd you get for Christmas Darcy?" Kurt asked, sitting down at the table.
"Oh, just a few video games and books, also a fresh supply of sheet music. What did you get?" He asked.
"I got my usual subscription to Vogue and some awesome tickets to a musical." Kurt beamed. Burt's voice came floating into the kitchen.
"Uh...Jenny, your brother sent you another present." Jenny got up and ambled to the front door, leaving the boys to talk. Darcy was in the middle of asking Finn what he got for Christmas when Jenny's voice broke up the conversation.
"OH MY GOD!" Everyone went running to the open front door. By now, everyone was curious and they all went to see what it was.
There, in the middle of the driveway sat a 1965 black Mustang with white stripes on the hood and black leather interior. Jenny was sitting behind the wheel of the car, her mouth hanging open and her eyes lit up. Burt was standing in front of the car and he placed his hands gingerly on the hood. Kurt folded his arms across his chest.
"He's actually drooling." He commented. Jenny got out of the car, grinning at Burt before standing back to admire her car again. Suddenly, the smile slid off her face and was replaced by disgust and disbelief.
"No. Oh no. He didn't."
"What? What is it?" Burt hurriedly walked over to her. Jenny knelt beside her front tire, looking as if someone just threw paint on the Mona Lisa. Burt stopped in his tracks and nearly had another heart attack. For a moment all he could do was splutter. "Your...he...Johnny put... He...SPINNERS on a gorgeous 'Stang? He should be fricking shot at!" He sounded as disgusted as Jenny looked. She stood up.
"Wait. Johnny only did this to bug me. There is no way he would leave them like that. He knows I would hate it. No." Jenny thought for a minute. "I know!" She snapped her fingers and dove back into the front seat of the car, taking the key out of the ignition. She gout out and ran around to the trunk and popped it. Inside were four shiny classic rims. She gave Burt a triumphant smile as he started to breathe again.
"Thank God for that." Burt sighed. He patted her shoulder as everyone came down from the house to get a better look.
"Darcy, are you ready to go?" Jenny waved her keys with a huge smile. "I'll drive." Darcy was about to reply when Burt stepped in.
"No way. Honey you aren't getting in this car until I can change the rims and check it out for safety." Burt took the keys from her.
"But Dad!" Jenny looked crushed.
"No. I'm not sending you off in an unsafe car. Darcy can drive." his tone was final. Jenny sighed and nodded.
"Okay." She hugged him before saying goodbye and heading down the street to Darcy's car. There was a moment of silence as everyone watched them drive away.
"Well, I better get this over to the shop. She's going to want to drive it sooner rather than later." Burt headed for the front seat of the car. After he left there was another moment of silence.
"You know he just couldn't wait to get his hands on that car, right?" Kurt looked at Carolyn.
"Oh yeah." Carolyn agreed, heading back inside with her two sons.
Darcy swallowed his piece of toast and took a sip of coffee.
"I told my family about you at Christmas dinner last night." He said. Jenny looked up from her pancakes, surprised at the news.
"Really? Already?" She blushed. Darcy nodded.
"I couldn't wait." He smiled.
"What do they think of me? I'm scared to ask what you told them." Jenny swallowed a lump of pancake.
"I told them how awesome you are. Of course. My family thinks it's great but I can tell they are cautious because it's so new." He admitted.
"Aren't you still cautious?" She asked, looking over the brim of her coffee mug.
"Nope." He smiled. :I know how incredibly sudden this seems to everyone else, but it doesn't feel that way for me." He stated. "When I'm around you, I feel alive." He looked into her eyes. Jenny couldn't help but smile. "Are you still cautious." He returned the question.
"Nope." She smiled, repeating his answer. "I thought I would be. Given how much has happened in my life and how closed off from everyone I usually am, I'm surprised at myself. I think part of the reason I told you everything was because of the adrenaline I felt from getting over my stage fright. It was very reckless of me." She munched on a piece of toast.
"Do you regret telling me?" Darcy asked after a moment.
"Not at all." Jenny smiled. "Actually, it felt really good to get it all out. I'm glad you are so persistent." Jenny laughed.
"Me too!" Darcy joined in laughing. When they finished breakfast, Darcy paid and drove them to the mall.
Blaine made his way over to Kurt's house around noon to spend the afternoon with him. When he bounced down the stairs, Kurt was sitting on his bed, flipping through the latest issue of Vogue.
"Hey, beautiful." He smiled, flopping down on Kurt's bed, giving him a kiss.
"Hi." Kurt smiled. "How is your day going?" He leaned over so that he was being supported by Blaine. The smell of his cologne filled his nostrils and Kurt inhaled deeply. Blaine gave a weary smile.
"It's much better now that I'm here." Kurt looked up from his magazine.
"What do you mean? I mean, of course it is because I'm amazing, but what happened?" He put Vogue down so that Blaine had his full attention. Blaine shrugged and gave his most charming smile.
"It's nothing. Just family problems, but those don't really matter." He brushed his hand across Kurt's forehead to brush a stray piece of hair off his face.
"It does matter. To me it matters. What happened?" Kurt had an awful feeling that it had something to do with him. Blaine thought for a moment.
"Well, my father was being sort of a jerk this morning. He thought I should spend the day with them." Kurt thought about this for a moment.
"He wanted you to spend the day with the family or he didn't want you to spend the day with me?" Blaine puffed out a breath, choosing not to answer. Kurt nodded. He knew his father wasn't exactly comfortable with Blaine's lifestyle and it became even more obvious when he had been over for a family dinner and his father didn't even look at Kurt.
"I don't care though." Blaine stated, smiling. "This is where I belong. If he has a problem with that, then he can deal with it." Kurt smiled back.
"Or I could kick his ass." Neither of them could keep a straight face and both burst out laughing.
"I would totally pay to see that." Blaine laughed. Kurt brought the serious tone back.
"It really doesn't bother you though? That he doesn't like me?" Kurt asked.
"No it doesn't. He doesn't need to like you. Does it bother you?" Blaine asked, worried that it was upsetting Kurt.
"Not at all. It's just one more person to add to a very long list. I know that it would bother me if my dad didn't like you though." Kurt admitted. Blaine entwined his fingers with his. He nodded.
"I would be worried if it didn't bother you. You guys have such an awesome relationship." Blaine pressed his lips to his forehead.
After a few minutes of silence, Kurt broke the quiet.
"I have a question." He sat up a little straighter. "Why are we spending all this valuable time talking about our parents when we should really be talking about how incredibly handsome you are in that old Hollywood glamour sort of way." Kurt gave Blaine a huge smile. Blaine laughed.
"Really? Because I think we should be talking about you." He countered. They argued playfully for awhile longer. Presently, they both decided they were hungry and decided to fix some lunch to bring downstairs. Once they had decided on a movie to watch (Kurt's choice of A Star Is Born) they both sat down to lunch.
"Hey where is Jenny, anyway?" Blaine asked, realizing for the first time since he got there that she wasn't there.
"She's out with Darcy." Kurt managed after swallowing a bite of his sandwich. "They will meet us later for our double date." He took another bite of his sandwich. Blaine nodded.
"Well I'm glad they are working out. I think he's perfect for her." Blaine stated.
"Completely. He's a gentleman and she needs that- not to mention that he managed to crack through that jaw-breaker shell she puts up in just a matter of weeks. It took me almost my whole life." Kurt sighed. "I wish I could tell you something but I promised I wouldn't." He blurted, his eyes widening when he realized what he said. "Forget I said that." He added.
"Well I can't forget it. You just said it. What do you want to tell me?" Blaine asked.
"I can't." Kurt shook his head.
"Is it about Jenny?" Blaine guessed.
"Shh the movie is starting." Kurt desperately tried to end the conversation and he thought Judy Garland would help him out.
"Is it that her father beats her?" Kurt choked on his sandwich and stared at him in disbelief.
"How on earth do you know that?" The movie was totally forgotten. Blaine shrugged.
"I can be observant." Blaine shifted in his seat as Kurt gaped at him, waiting for an explanation. "When we were at the mall shopping for your Christmas present, she wouldn't take off her jacket, When she finally did, she tried to subtly pull down her sweater sleeve. That's when I saw the bruises." He admitted. He flashed back to the bruises on her wrist, remembered how shocked he was.
"Okay, so how did you know it was her father?" Kurt asked.
"That part was easy. Simple deduction. She lives with her father. Her brother is off somewhere, and everybody wants her to move in here so badly. It didn't take a genius." Blaine snacked on the carrots on his plate. Kurt rested his head on his shoulder.
"I'm really glad you are so observant. Now I don't have to feel like I'm keeping secrets from you and I have someone to talk to." Kurt pulled the blanket up a bit more.
"You can talk to me about anything. Anything at all really." Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders.
"I know. It just wasn't my secret to tell. I'm glad you understand that." Kurt smiled.
"Of course I do." He rubbed his palm along Kurt's arm as they both refocused on the movie.
A few hours later, Jenny and Darcy arrived home to pick up Kurt and Blaine for their double date. They must be downstairs. They quickly said hi to Burt, Carolyn and Finn and Rachel before opening the door to the stairs down to Kurt's room. Jenny headed down first.
"Kurt we are back!" She called, but halted as soon as she got a few steps down the stairs. "Oh my!" She laughed. "We will come back." Jenny started back up the stairs, pushing Darcy ahead of her. Kurt unlocked his lips from Blaine's, pushing him aside.
"No come back! It's okay!" Kurt blushed. Blaine wished they would come back later, but of course, now was good. Just inconvenient for him.
"Yeah come back, we were just finishing a movie." He lamely added, sitting up and running his hands through his hair, clearing his throat.
"Sure you were." Jenny smirked, walking down the rest of the stairs, Darcy right behind her. Kurt's blush deepened.
"How was breakfast and shopping?" Kurt asked, nonchalantly patting down his hair.
"It was great!" Jenny smiled.
"Yeah we even got Jenny a pair of skates. It should be interesting to see her skate. She didn't even know the difference between figure skates and hockey skates." Darcy teased, tugging on her braid. Jenny rolled her eyes.
"Everyone knows figure skates are the pretty ones. Anyway if you can't skate Jenny, you can just sit with me." Kurt smiled.
"You will be skating too Kurt." Blaine reminded him.
"Uh huh." Kurt sceptically agreed. Jenny decided they should get going before an argument ensued.
Later on at the rink, Kurt sat stubbornly on the bench in the penalty box, his unused skates lying listless on the floor.
"Come on Kurt, it will be fun!" Blaine smiled, lacing up his own skates.
"Somehow I doubt that." Kurt gave him a look. He turned to watch Jenny trying to lace up her own skates and how difficult she made it look.
"Are you scared of looking ridiculous?" Blaine asked. Kurt gave him another withering look.
"Well I wasn't." He snapped. "Look, my feet are much better on land- not strapped to a tiny thin blade and forced onto a sheet of ice." He sighed, trying not to bring Blaine down. He just didn't want to skate. "I promise I will have fun watching you." Kurt looked over at Jenny again, who was now having her skates laced by Darcy.
"Well I'm sorry Kurt, but I don't think that's going to fly with Jenny. If you won't do it for me, I know there is only one other person who can persuade you." His thinly veiled threat to disturb Jenny's fun worked. Kurt heaved another big sigh.
"Alright. Alright. I will go skating, but I'm telling you, I'm terrible." Kurt warned.
"That's okay, so am I. That's part of the fun of it. And Jenny isn't any good either. She's never been on skates at all." Blaine gave his most charming smile. "Thank you Kurt." He kissed his cheek. "It means a lot to me." Kurt felt his ennui melting away. He couldn't stay annoyed with Blaine for very long and couldn't help but smile. He bent down to start putting his skates on.
"Okay Kurt, Blaine, we will see you on the ice." Darcy said as he held up Jenny, who was having trouble just walking on her skates.
After a few minutes, the two pairs were both on the ice. Darcy was skating backwards in front of Jenny, practically pulling her along as she struggled to figure out the mechanics of skating, Blaine and Kurt clinging to each other and trying to get their ice legs together.
"You are doing great." Darcy smiled, letting go of Jenny's arms and letting her propel herself forward.
"Well there is no need to lie." Jenny laughed, wobbling back and forth as she made her way closer to him. "Actually I think I am getting the hang of this." She attempted to improver her technique but after skating a short distance, her skate caught on a chewed piece of ice and she lurched forward into Darcy's waiting arms.
"Are you okay?" Darcy asked, smiling, but definitely concerned. Jenny grinned.
"As much as I love skating, so far this is my favourite part." She leaned into him and kissed him.
"Oh come on, get a room you two! Foul! Or...whatever the term is! One of you sits in the penalty box!" Blaine shuffled his way along the ice, finally getting the hang of skating while Kurt held on tightly to the back of his coat and was pulled along behind him.
"Yeah! Careful, it's cold in here, your tongue's might stick together." Kurt teased.
"Says the two guys who were full on making out when we got back to the house." Jenny shot back, sticking her tongue out at Kurt. Blaine and Kurt both admitted defeat and went back to figuring out how to get moving.
After a little while, everyone was getting better at skating, even Kurt, although he still clung to Blaine's coat tails. Jenny improved so much that she could actually skate beside Darcy instead of having him spot her in case she fell, although her arms were still spread wide as she clumsily made her way around.
"Hey Bennet!" The four skaters turned around. Darcy smiled.
"Hey!" He waved. He turned to the others. "That's a friend of mine from hockey. Is it okay if I go say hi?" Darcy asked Jenny. If they weren't on a date, he wouldn't hesitate to say hi.
"No of course, go talk to him. I'm sure we will still be here when you get back- if only because we can't skate fast enough to leave without you." Jenny laughed as Darcy gave her a kiss and skated off to his friend. Jenny took Kurt's hand and Blaine skated a little ahead.
"Jenny, do you think we should make a musical of this adventure? What do you think? Skatin' in the Rink?" Kurt suggested.
"Hmm, I don't think it will fly. What about Fiddler on the Ice?" Jenny pondered.
"Hmm, no, my hands are too delicate for the fiddle. What about Jenny Get Your Skates?" Kurt put in, making Jenny laugh. Blaine turned and skated backwards.
"And you call yourselves creative." He laughed. They all laughed.
"Okay smartypants, what would you call it?" Kurt challenged.
"Well that's easy." Blaine smiled. "I would call it-" He yelped and rocked backwards on his skates, falling and sliding a few feet on his back.
"Yeah I do miss hockey a lot. Maybe once I graduate I will come back to it." Darcy's friend was imploring him to come back to the team. "It's just so hard for me when I'm going to Dalton."
"Come on I know the guys would love to have you back. They miss their MVP." Darcy sighed.
"I can't. I'm sorry." Darcy shrugged.
"Is it your girlfriend over there? Does she have you on that tight of a leash?" His friend grinned. "She is pretty hot." He made the sound of a whip cracking. Darcy tried not to show his annoyance, since that's exactly when his friend wanted.
"No, she's great. I told you, it's Dalton. It's too far from the rink and the course load is too-"
"BLAINE I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE BREAKS ARE!" Darcy heard Jenny yell, then he heard a cacophony of screeches and the sound of skates skimming the ice. He turned just in time to see Jenny and Kurt tumbling head over heels over Blaine who was already down on the ice right in front of them. Darcy jumped back onto the ice and speed skated over to them, stopped a foot away from the mound of skates and limbs, showering them with ice.
"Are you all alright?" Darcy asked, starting to pick them apart. He was most concerned about Jenny, but of course it extended to his friends. None of them could answer him, they were too busy laughing. It was contagious and Darcy started laughing too. "What? I can't leave the ice for two minutes without you guys falling to pieces?" He hauled them one by one to their feet.
"I think it's time for some hot chocolate." Jenny wiped a tear of laughter from her eye and held onto Darcy's proffered arm.