A/N: Hello people of Fiction-ville. This chapter... well what can I say... the title says it all. I hope you like it. Personally, it's my favourite and I hope it's one of yours too. If not, that's cool. I hope you're enjoying this story. I know chapter Fourteen spells the end is near, but I don't know how much further I can go. I might go to the beginning of college, I might do a sequel, I'm not sure. But I know that there is going to be a couple more chapters at least. I hope you like this one. It's big. Read and Review. I appreciate them, though only if they're nice, or constructive. Enjoy. JusticeIsn'tEasy0083. D. PS: the time stamps in this chapter are the evolving storyline. Everything else is just thrown in to expand it and make you wait longer... JusticeIsn'tEasy0083. D.

Chapter Fourteen: Answers Don't Fix a Broken Heart

June 13th 10:00am

The house is white on the outside. It's got a small driveway, pavement path that leads from the sidewalk to the front door, and flowers in the small gardens that line the windows. Nick comments something about it just looking like a normal house, that he was expecting a moat and dragon protecting the boarder. Kurt doesn't laugh, he doesn't move. He's frozen to the spot. For everything he's said about this trip, for all the fights he's had with his father, and everything that he and Nick and Blaine and Jeff have been through, and the planning of this whole trip, there is something in his gut now, nagging at him… something that wants to get out, that wants to make him scream at the top of his lungs. He's surprised no one in the neighbourhood has come out of their houses to ask what the hell four college aged boys are doing just standing on the sidewalk. Not that he's surprised, but what would he tell someone if they approached? What will be the first question out of his mouth when he finally lays eyes on his mother? Nick is watching from where he is standing with Jeff, and even he has that feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he grabs Jeff's hand for support. He wants to push Kurt up the path, make him do this, because he's been talking about it for so long, and Nick deserves answers too. He deserves to know, why this woman, would desert his best-friend and his father… he wants to understand what went through her mind as much as Kurt does. The countertenor just stands still for a moment more, trying to gather his thoughts. He honestly doesn't know if he's ever going to be able to do this. Everything he's ever wanted answers to, is waiting for him behind that door, behind those curtains. Suddenly, he feels Blaine's hand slip into his, and then a soft kiss pressed to his cheek. With that, he gets the strength he needs to make his way up the path, to the front door. Blaine is still beside him, Nick and Jeff behind them. Kurt raises his arm, balls his hand into a fist… and knocks on the large white door…

9:05am

It's the town sign, welcoming them into Boulder, Colorado that does it. The minute they hit that line, Blaine feels Kurt tense up beside him in the back seat. He reaches over and takes his boyfriend's hand, squeezing it to make sure that Kurt knows he's there, and without so much as looking at him, can tell that Kurt is already calming himself down. After they check into their hotel, they're going to go and see her. He's half an hour away from answers he's been waiting thirteen years for. He wants to be reasonable and rational about the whole thing, but the other part of him wants to pace back and forth, and talk a million miles an hour about how he suddenly thinks this is a bad idea, that they shouldn't have come here in the first place. But he holds all of this inside, because he wants to be able to keep it together when he sees her. When they finally get into their room, Kurt begins slowly unpacking his suitcase, going through every outfit he brought, sorting through them, matching them together, and then staring at them. Nick announces that it will take them fifteen minutes to get to Elizabeth's from their hotel, so they have to leave by quarter to. Kurt nods, taking in the information, as Blaine tells him that he should wear something comfortable, enough that he's not stilted, like at Dalton, but neat enough so she sees the kind of person she's missed out on raising for the last thirteen years. Kurt reshuffles the clothes he's laid out on the bed, and begins playing matching games again. Sometimes, Nick is amused by how his best friend can just completely loose himself in finding an outfit, other times he's not, but right now, he's so nervous himself, he too begins going through his and Jeff's bags to find them something nice to wear. Blaine is wearing his good jeans, and a nice shirt that Kurt brought him a while back for their first year anniversary. It's smart casual, which is how Blaine usually dresses anyway, when he's not wearing those ridiculous sunglasses and skinny jeans that don't leave much to the imagination if Nick doesn't say so himself…

Santana makes use of the new apartment, to tell Rachel her plans for their time spent here. Sebastian is just excited to have a place to live when school starts up again in two months, and Rachel is so pre-occupied with helping them, she doesn't know that Wes had become completely enamored with her. David can see that his best-friend is developing feelings for the former Queen Diva of McKinley Highschool. He also knows that when Wes falls, he does so to the max. Way too deep too fast. Rachel doesn't need that now, especially not after everything that happened with Finn when she was in LA. Of course, one day, she and Wes might connect, but not before he returns to Cleveland and goes to school with David… because he's not letting Wes throw everything away for this. He's been through that one, he isn't doing it again. Besides, what would Blaine do if he found out that Wes wasn't moving to Cleveland? It's a moment like this when he needs the former Lead Warbler to help him in this situation, but in the last hour he's tried to ring three times, and gotten nowhere. Blaine is either ignoring his phone deliberately, or just pre-occupied, and then he wishes that he didn't think that, because he gives himself unwanted images of him and Kurt. For the most part, it's just Wes staring after Rachel, who is laughing with Sebastian and Santana, looking at something on the girl's phone, probably a picture of Brittany. In the moment, he can see her. Not the competition, not the annoying bossy diva he's used to, he just sees Rachel. He can see her in a way that no one else, except maybe her ex has ever seen her. She's different than all his other girlfriends, or she will be, if he manages to build up the courage to ask her out. But he can feel David glaring into his neck, silently willing him to not fall for Rachel, because he has to leave to go to college. Maybe I could just stay here for the next two months… see how it works out? Wes thought to himself, and turns to ask David a question, only to see the expression on his face. The one he gives when he knows that sooner or later, he's going to be the one picking up the pieces of Wes' broken heart.

9:45am

They climb into the car, Nick driving, Kurt and Blaine in the back seat, Jeff in the passenger seat beside Nick. There is silence, no one says anything, no music is playing, and the mood is sober. They're not excited, or sad, they're not really anything. Kurt takes his boyfriend's hand, leans into him a little, closes his eyes, and tries to imagine the scenario he wants to take place in his head… but he knows it's just his own version of a fairy-tale. His mother isn't going to open the door, pull him into a hug, and fix everything with a click of her fingers. He knows that isn't realistic. He's also building a wall that can't be penetrated if he discovers something that he doesn't already know, or she says something that will destroy his apparently "fragile heart". He's stronger than people give him credit for. The red stop lights are killing him, it's prolonging whatever he's feeling, like he is about tell Nick to turn around every time they have to stop. But he holds his tongue, his conscience telling him that he's about five minutes from thirteen years of questions… he's about to get answers to everything he's ever wanted to know. He hasn't seen a picture of his mother since his father removed them all from their house, so he doesn't know what she looks like, he imagines her in his mind, trying to gather memories from that night, in the car, her frantically throwing clothes around, pulling him out of the house, and over to the car… her blonde hair flows down her back, cascades just below her shoulder bones, covering the collar of the light blue blouse she's wearing. Her blue eyes are wide and crazy, but in a way that makes her look like she just wants to be free and wild. Now he looks back on it, and realises that there is a different reason…. And when he opens his eyes again, they're parked in a nice neighbourhood, in front of a white house…

Wes and Rachel are laughing about something that David did earlier, when he almost dropped one of the dishes Santana had handed him, and swore in a way that reminded them both of Blaine. It was their laughter that was infectious, spreading to Sebastian and Santana. They were too far into the giggles to notice that he had left the room, gone to clean up and re-evaluate his plan to get Wes back to Ohio. He has to stop him from falling, because he knows that this… thing he wants with Rachel will never work. Wes, on the other hand, has been in communication, via text, with Nick. It started out one sided, but he must have sent enough annoying dancing emoji's to get the other boy to begin replying, because now he's calling him. Wes excuses himself to leave the room, and moves into the bedroom to answer the phone. He can hear that Nick is annoyed on the other side of the phone, explaining that they're about to go into something very important, and he doesn't have long. Wes tells him what he's been thinking, about Rachel and about whether or not going after her is a good idea. Nick listens from his place leaning against the car in Boulder. Wes is ranting, and when he makes eye contact with Blaine and Jeff, he rolls his eyes and mouths Wes to them, and then both nod in understanding. He walks away from them a little, still watching Kurt, and focuses his attention back on their former Head of Council. He has been developing these feelings for a while, ever since he got to know Rachel and realised that she isn't the person most people describe her as. He hears silence for a moment, and then he hears David's voice, telling Wes that whatever he's thinking of doing, is stupid. He's coming back to Ohio, and he's going to attend college, and forget about his stupid silly crush. Nick hears David remind Wes of all the girls they're going to be around and how many chances he'll have with them, and then it's just Wes, sighing into the phone.

'Wes listen to me. If you think that this crush you have on Rachel is worth fighting for, then do it. Go for it. You will never know, until you try. If you stand back and wait for something to happen, for a sign to tell you that it's right, you'll be waiting for years. Cleveland will still be there if you defer. NYU will still be there if you decide to move. School will always be there, but Rachel won't. You have to take a chance on love Wes. If this is what you think will make you happy, then go for it. But do it for you, not for David,'

'What if I put my heart out there, and it doesn't work out? I have never felt this way about anyone else before Nick,'

'Then it doesn't work. You pick yourself up, make peace with it, become friends with Rachel again, and move back to Ohio. Besides, we all know you're really meant to be with David…' Nick replied, chuckling when Wes spluttered

'That is so old. You guys need knew puns. Thanks for your help Nick, You've made it a little clearer now,' Wes replied, and then the line went silent, and his mind was a lot clearer.

10:03am

Blaine squeezes Kurt's hand as the knob on the front door turns, and then opens, and it's like everything slows down a little. Finally, she's standing in front of them. Elizabeth Mercer, the woman who abandoned him years ago. Kurt doesn't speak first, it's Elizabeth, inviting them inside. The four boys enter the house, standing in the hallway, waiting for the ball to drop. Elizabeth leads them into the dining room, and they take their seats around the table, Blaine sitting as close to Kurt as he can, without being in his lap. It takes him a moment, as he watches the blonde woman move some things around to make room, catching the way her blonde hair still cascades below her shoulder blades, but her eyes aren't as blue as he remembered, and she looks a lot paler. Elizabeth looks up at Kurt, and can immediately see herself in him. She wants to reach out, to touch him, to see if this is real. For the last couple of nights, she's been having a recurring dream about this day. Now that it's here, she doesn't know what to say, who is going to speak first, but she knows that Kurt isn't the same person anymore… not by far. She takes in the scene. There are three other boys with her son, the one sitting so close to Kurt, she knows they're dating. Something in her swells, and a sense of pride washes over her, that her little boy can be so brave, so openly happy with another boy. On the other side of the table, to her right, she notices that Nick is glaring at her, and immediately clicks in her mind that this is the best-friend. The brother. The one that Burt said has more anger in him than the other three combined. Jeff remains neutral, just resting his hand lightly on Nick's arm, knowing that if he wasn't, there would be yelling. It's not an awkward silence per say, it's just a silence. Elizabeth takes in everything about her son, the son she hasn't seen in thirteen years, and then tries to get out a question, but can't. She asks if anyone would like something to eat or drink, and then moves into the kitchen to put some snacks together. There is whispering in the dining room.

She tells herself that no matter the questions, she's going to be honest. She has to be, because that's why Kurt is here, to get the truth, and he's old enough to know if now. When she returns to the dining room, carrying a tray with some cookies, and glasses with orange juice, she notices that the shields have gone up. Over the years, plenty of people she has met have done that to her. Even her second son does it to her sometimes, no matter how much she wants to be let in, he just won't. It's Blaine, introducing himself as Kurt's boyfriend, who starts off the interrogation with a simple question: Are you surprised we're here? She doesn't hesitate to answer, stating that she had a feeling when Burt rang her the other night and told her they were coming here. She went on to say that she has been expecting it for a long time, but when it got to this point, she didn't think it would ever happen. She stands, and quickly hurried into the lounge, returning with a large cardboard box, placing it on the table in front of her, before smiling, trying to lighten the mood a little. Nick, the best-friend/brother is the one who asks the next question: How has your life changed? It's one she wasn't expecting. She thinks for a moment, then answers. She's been through a lot in the last thirteen years. She tells them that she has another son, he's living with a family here in Boulder, but they have a relationship. Nick keeps his eyes on her the whole time, Blaine just feels Kurt squeeze his hand, listening to her talk about her second son, the one she didn't abandon. Part of her wishes that it were Kurt asking her these questions, but she knows these are the warm ups. He's saving the best until last. They're going to be here for a while, because they've got thirteen years to cover. When Nick is satisfied with her answer, he turns to the boy sitting beside him, who introduces himself as Jeff, and states that he's Nick's boyfriend, and Kurt's friend and classmate. He doesn't have a question, just a statement: We want the truth. It's simple really. Then she turns to Kurt…

'Why?' three letters, one meaning, so many answers

'Kurt… when I was running through the house, throwing things into a bag, and you came into the room, and thought it was a game, I just knew-'

'I didn't ask what happened. I asked why. Why did you leave? Why did you run? Why did you leave me alone at a gas station? Why?' Kurt stated, staring her straight in the eyes

'When I got to that gas station, and you went to the bathroom… for that moment I was alone without having to watch out for you or talk to your father… I was happy. Kurt, I left you there… because part of me, the screwed up part… didn't want you…' Elizabeth replied, and there would be absolutely nothing that would ever erase the looks on the faces of the four boys in front of her… especially Kurt's…

It's during their second date, as they're walking along the Santa Monica beach, that Alisha asks him about his family, and his life in Ohio. Finn just starts gushing. He can't help it. He tells her about Kurt and Blaine, the Warblers, Dalton, McKinley, and how he wishes that Kurt were here to meet her. Something in him stirs when Alisha makes him promise that one day, maybe on the holidays, Finn will take her back to Ohio, and she can finally meet the famed Kurt Hummel and co. The taller boy agrees, and takes her hand, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips. They've been getting closer over the last week since they met. Alisha is so much different from Rachel. She doesn't have that desire to be top of everything that his ex-had, and even though she's competitive, she also understands that losing isn't the 'be all, end all'. They walk far enough so that Finn has time to tell her about all of the New Directions in detail. She talks about her school, and how she and her ex had a pretty nasty break-up, that all she wanted was some space to find herself again. It's something they both agree on, and even though they haven't made it official yet (they've only known each other a week), they know that somewhere down the road, maybe before school starts, or during, they're going to be ready to completely let one another into their lives. Finn fails to mention that Mercedes had called him, told him that Rachel had come to LA to try and get him back, but backed out at the last minute. He doesn't want to ruin what he hasn't even got yet, and talking any more in depth about their exes at this point, would be relationship suicide. For the most part, they've both had previous relationships, and bad experiences. That's all well and good. They keep their hands joined as they walk, Alisha curling into Finn as the cold air runs off the water, and when he takes his jacket off to give it to her, she smiles up at him, thanking him before grabbing his hand again… yep. Definitely nothing like Rachel…. Finn thought, making a mental note to call Kurt and talk to him, find out how it went with his mother. That's a conversation he's dreading… and looking forward to at the same time.

10:37am

Elizabeth had been told that Kurt got into Harvard Law School, that he was the top of their class, has the biggest heart, and is going to rule the world as a first class lawyer in years to come. She's impressed, lamenting on all her failures in her life. She wasn't expecting sympathy, and therefore wasn't surprised when she wasn't shown any. Nick asked her about her drug use, and she talks about the tough time she had after Jared was born. She settled down after that, and told Kurt that she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. Jeff asks her what that means, and she tells them. She explains that the day she took off with Kurt, she had gone off her meds, was a little crazy, didn't know what she was doing, but that she saw the life she wanted, and it wasn't in Lima, Ohio. It was another knife to Kurt's already fragile heart, but the shield was holding up so far. He had the answer to the why question. He has the answer to the half-sibling questions and most of the other things Nick had told him in the folder he'd given his father. When Blaine started to ask her about regrets, they heard the front door open, and then a man appeared, who Nick assumed was her husband Malcom. He greeted them quickly, and then left them alone again. Kurt didn't change his expression, or the tone of his voice when he asked about how they had met. This led to Elizabeth talking about her previous abusive relationships, Jared's father, making a fresh start, almost drying from an overdose, and what she wishes she could have done back then. But it's not back enough for Kurt, and Nick sees it before the others. He knows that Kurt wants to ask if she regrets leaving, if she wishes she could have been a part of his life, if she would want to be a part of it now, but he holds back, and Nick hates that.

'Do you regret it? Leaving me and Dad?' Kurt asked monotone

'No, I don't regret it,'

'Do you wish that you could have been a part of my life? Do you want to be a part of it now?' Kurt asked, and Blaine was dreading the answer

'Kurt, I have no regrets. Not being in your life… I couldn't live a lie. I couldn't be there. I would have ruined you. Besides, look at you. You didn't need me there all those years. You don't need me there now…so to answer your question Kurt… No,'

'You think not being in my life saved me? Are you kidding me? I tried to kill myself when I was twelve. I've been through more in my life by age fifteen, than anyone else in this room. I wanted nothing more, than to get home, and hear my mother singing, or laughing, or asking me about my day. I wished sometimes, that all the other kids who still had their mothers would let me live vicariously through them. Mandy was the one who found me. Nick's mother brought me back to dad. If you didn't want me in the first place, then why even bother? Don't sit there, and tell me, that after thirteen years, what you did was to "save me". I thought getting the answers to these questions would somehow make me feel better, would heal me in some way that I would be able to let go. But you know what, my father is once again right…. Answers don't fix a broken heart. I can finally let you go, because I realise now, that the only family I need, are my friends, my boyfriend, and my father, step-mother and brother… I hope one day, you do end up regretting everything you missed out on, because then you'll realise that I'm the thing that could have saved you….' Kurt replied, and walked out of the room, quickly followed by Nick, Jeff and Blaine…

11:30am

Kurt didn't break down until they got back to their hotel room. Nick and Jeff decided to go and check out the mall, leaving Blaine and Kurt alone. The two boys sat on their bed, Kurt just sobbing into Blaine's arms, mumbling incoherently, Blaine just telling him that he's so proud of Kurt for doing what he did, that he is strong, loved and wanted. They are flying out of Denver tomorrow, it's only a half hour drive to the airport, but they don't want to drive all the way back to Ohio. He knows he doesn't have the stamina for it, and Kurt just wants to get out of here. But for tonight, they're going to try and just relax, after all, when they get back, it's pretty much just preparing for school. They have to go to Brookline to check out and get their house ready for when they start school, and then its freshmen orientation. They've got some big milestones coming. They've been together now for fourteen months, and after everything they've been through, their relationship is now stronger than ever. Eventually, Kurt falls asleep, and Blaine manages to move out from under him, without waking him, to call Burt and let them know that they're going to be home tomorrow. He asks how it went, but Blaine doesn't tell him over the phone. Burt groans, he knows that meant it didn't go well at all. They talk for a moment, Burt mentioning to Blaine to get Kurt to call Finn when he's up to it, and then they hang up, sharing a quick 'see you tomorrow', before hanging up. Blaine just watched his boyfriend sleep, in a non-creepy way of course, then sent a text to Nick to let him know what had happened. It was the first time, in almost thirteen years, that Kurt had had a goodnight sleep, without being constantly plagued by nightmares, and dreams that he thought might knock the life out of him. When he woke up, it was two in the afternoon, and Nick, Jeff and Blaine were deep into a game of Monopoly. In that moment, hearing their jaunts and laughter, Kurt realised that he doesn't need anyone else… that his family has been with him all along… he closes his eyes, leaning back against the headboard, and smiles…

Kurt was right to wish that one day she would regret her choices. It's bad enough that she only gets to see Jared on some days, she's barely in his life. Of course, she has never been in Kurt's life… never watched him graduate, never taught him how to drive, never listened to him gush about his first kiss, or have the awkward 'first time' conversation. The box on the table in front of her contained pictures of her son, letters and photocopy's that Burt had sent her over the years. A picture of Kurt with the New Directions, all named on the back, a photocopy of his participation certificate in basketball, another picture of Kurt dressed up as a tiger for the pre-school production. In that moment, with the words still ringing in her mind, she stands up, rushes into her bedroom, and begins throwing things into a bag. Malcom just watches her as she runs around the house frantically, and when she notices him standing there, she looks over at him, tells him that she has to do this, she has to tell Kurt that she does have regrets, to ask him to let her back into his life, even if it's just pictures or an email every now and then. Malcom kisses her, tells her that she should do what she has to, then come back to him if it doesn't work out. She nods, promising, and tells him to book her a flight to Ohio. She's going to go to Ohio, convince her son to give her another chance…. Because Kurt is right… she'll live to regret her choices…

A/N: Next Chapter: Kurt, Blaine, Nick and Jeff get back to Lima, and tell Burt what happened. Kurt tells his father that for the first time in a long time, he can finally let go of everything, that he has family right in front of him. The group prepare to move to Massachusetts, and Blaine has a question for Burt that could affect the future. David realises that he can't stand in the way of anyone's happiness, and tells Wes that he should do what he thinks is right. He's surprised at the choice his best-friend makes. Mercedes meets Alisha, and Finn hears about Kurt's visit with Elizabeth. He flies back to Ohio, and brings Alisha with him… they make it official: boyfriend/girlfriend. Rachel returns to Ohio, with the rest of the New Directions, when Schuester calls them back to McKinley one last time, to tell them some news. Blaine, Nick and Jeff invest in the perfect present for their house. Elizabeth lands in Ohio, and shows up at the Hudmel house, right in the middle of celebrations for send offs. Flashbacks include: The Warbler Road Trip of 2014, Kurt meets Wes, David and the rest of the Warblers, a fight between Kurt and his father when he's ten, threatens to tear them apart. Read and Review. Enjoy. JusticeIsn'tEasy0083. D.