The Storm: Safe Harbor
Chapter Fifty-Two
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Kurt and Dave have come to terms with the past but can they battle the envy and jealousy of others to make a future for themselves? This is rated M.
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favorite boys. Only the OCs and situations belong to me, alas.
Dave steered the large car southward, down the well-maintained road, Kurt beside him staring at the map and turning it around as he tried to read it.
They were all piled into three cars as they'd decided that after lunch they would go exploring. Now, in the lead car of their little convoy, Kurt was trying to find the turn-off that led to the forest they'd heard was a huge tourist attraction.
"Okay, it says here we need to go another 40 metres and we should see a little sign and then beyond that, uhm, after 10 more should be the turn off." He laid the map down on his lap and peered out of his window.
Dave nodded and wished once again that his vehicle had a working sat-nav. He'd been assured that was the case by M. Boulanger but when they'd tried to programme their destination – the forest of La-Teste-de-Buch – they'd got only rubbish. Thankfully all the cars had maps in their dash compartments so here they were, creeping along and looking for the turnoff.
It turned out that Kurt was, indeed, a good navigator because in less than no time they had passed the sign and were now coming up to the turnoff. Dave edged the big late-model Citroen onto the well-maintained road and watched in his rear-view mirror as first Puck and then Ian followed him.
He'd decided that having three cars for the twelve of them would be more comfortable when they were touring for hours rather than, say, two minivans. Puck and Ian had also inspected the vehicles to make sure the tyres and suspension were in tip-top condition. They had chosen another Citroen and a Peugeot, respectively and all the vehicles had been filled with petrol when they picked them up.
Now, Mercedes, sitting behind Dave in the backseat, peered out at the beautiful trees for which the forest was famous. According to the little brochure they'd been given at the car rental agency, the forest was spread over 32,123 acres and included the great Dune of Pyla and, at the southeastern end, the lake of Cazaux.
They planned to park at the tourist centre and try out some of the many walking paths in the forest. Kurt was looking forward to the day out in such a setting, having never thought to visit a forest before. As the cars pulled up in front of the welcome building, they all piled out, stretching a bit and looking around, their eyes bright and curious.
The door to the office opened and a sturdy young woman in khaki shorts and shirt adorned with several pockets came out to greet them in loud but very good English. Dave, of course, shook her hand and explained his group's needs (indicating the children) and she declared herself happy to provide anything – information or assistance – that they might need in their tour.
Mercedes came up to slide her arm around Kurt's waist and he smiled at her absently as he gazed around at the towering pine trees through which the clear sunshine filtered down. Soon they were ready to tour, the children in well-equipped strollers. Kurt was happy to push Lije's for a while along with Finn who was pushing Sean's and they all listened intently as the bubbly guide, Diane, (which she pronounced the French way 'dee-an', of course) explained about the forest.
"The majority of the pine trees we see today were planted way back in the 19th Century, except for the working forest, of course. Those trees are always replanted when the users take trees. It is the only way to sustain such an important ecosystem, yes?" She smiled at the group, encouraging them to agree, which of course they did. The place was very beautiful and they knew that not many pristine places such as this were left on the planet.
She continued: "In the more humid areas and near to the bodies of water like the Eyre River, the pine trees form a rich substrate for vegetation." Here she indicated the shrubs and other plants that thrived there.
Puck had his camera and Dave his, also, and whenever they reached a clearing, they'd take shots of the group and of the surrounding trees which they were told made this forest one of the oldest in Europe.
The children were surprisingly relaxed; Kurt thought maybe the quiet and fresh air were just as calming to their little bodies as it was to the adults'. He was content to keep pushing Lije around, giving Rachel a break and he glanced over at her to see her trudging along with her head tilted way back as she tried to look to the top of the canopy far above their heads.
He grinned as he watched her, realizing that he hadn't even taken the time to touch base with her. He spent so much time hanging out with Dave and Mercedes that he was inclined to forget that Rachel had been his friend, too, back in high school. He promised himself he'd do better because in a little while, life would get hectic again and relationships would be in danger of once again taking a back seat.
He threw a quick smile over at Dave and pushed Lije's stroller over to walk beside Rachel. She tilted her head down when he came up and smiled widely at him. He examined her face and noted that she looked so much better than when they had reconnected back in Ohio; much brighter and, maybe, more content.
"Enjoying the tour, sweetie," he asked now, his eyes flicking down to check that Lije wasn't getting too much sun. He looked up at her light little laugh, happy that she sounded so carefree.
"This is a wonderful vacation, Kurt," she sighed as she slipped a hand through his elbow, slowing her stroll to match his pace. "The villa is just gorgeous and I'm definitely looking forward to going sailing tomorrow."
"Oh," Kurt raised an eyebrow as he swatted away a little dragonfly that was flirting with Lije. He was glad that the baby was wearing a little hat because one could never be too careful these days with the sun's effects.
Rachel nodded. "Mmm-hmm, Carole persuaded Burt to have Puck and the guys take us sailing after breakfast. I've never been on a boat but the bay is pretty calm. What do you want to do tomorrow?"
Her bright dark eyes sparkled in the sunlight and Kurt admired the way her short white sundress hugged her upper body and showed off her toned arms. She had her dark hair up in a high ponytail and, overall, she looked years younger and very carefree. He smiled at her as he answered, half listening to the guide up ahead.
"Oh, I haven't really decided but I can keep the boys for you, if you'd like," he laughed with her as she looked at him knowingly. "What? You did say I needed practice, right?"
They continued to chuckle as the guide brought them to a building in a clearing from which other tourists were going to and fro. It was apparently a way-station of sorts where they could refresh themselves if needed and he looked over to see Finn unstrapping Sean and heading inside.
He and Rachel caught up with the others and she decided she'd check to see if Lije needed seeing to. Kurt headed over to get a hug from David and smiled over at his dad and Carole who were sitting on a bench outside. Ian had gone inside behind Rachel and the baby and Devon and Puck were standing about outside just chatting.
Kurt tilted his chin up and, almost as a reflex, Dave dropped a kiss on the pink lips, grinning as Kurt pouted. Dave quirked an eyebrow at him but Kurt simply shook his head and spoke softly.
"I was about to ask you what you wanted to do tomorrow. I kinda volunteered us to babysit the boys while the others went sailing. What do you think?"
Just to see his reaction, Dave dropped another little kiss on his mouth before answering. He grinned as he shrugged. "I don't mind, at all. We could take them shopping in the town centre; that's what Mercedes wanted to do, right?"
Kurt's eyes widened happily. "Oh, yes, shopping! I'd forgotten she'd said that. That would be great, sweetheart," and leaned up for a kiss. Dave, to tease him, held back and then, seeing the little frown beginning to appear, relented and kissed him thoroughly.
"Oh, jeeze, you two!" Mercedes' voice came from behind them. She'd held back to ask the guide, Diane, about the lake she'd mentioned before and now she'd turned back in time to see the lovebirds at it again.
Kurt laughed out loud at the fake disgruntled look on her face, forcing her to laugh too and he turned in David's arms.
"What? When you have a hunk in your arms, are you going to waste time chatting?" His lips quirked as he stared at her saucily.
She rolled her eyes as she came up to them and then grabbed Kurt's arm, tugging him away from Dave. "I don't know about you but walking makes me thirsty and I'm out of chewing gum, too; come on!"
They entered the large, cool building, glancing around and seeing other tourists sitting at the little round tables. The tall cool units held a wide variety of bottled beverages including milk, he noted, and he turned to ask her what she wanted. She selected a fruity-looking drink and he took out water for himself and David. Arriving at the counter, she placed her bottle down and smiled at the cashier, preparing to ask if they carried packets of chewing gum but the woman proceeded to look past her to Kurt.
Mercedes blinked and looked at Kurt who, with a frown, placed his own bottles on the counter. He flicked his eyes from the cashier to his friend and then back again. He looked over his shoulder at Dave who'd been staring around and then turned back to Mercedes.
"Did you say you wanted gum, too, sweetie?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she nodded, smiling at the cashier again.
"Do you carry chewing gum?" She waited for the cashier to look at her as she spoke but the woman simply ran the bottles over the scanner and told Kurt the cost.
Kurt, frowning in disbelief, his voice a little louder, said: "Excuse me, maybe you don't understand English," and he repeated her request in French.
The woman turned cold eyes to him and repeated the total for the three bottles. "10 euros, s'il vous plaît."
Dave had by now picked up on the tension in his lover's body and now he realized that Mercedes, too, seemed very upset. He stepped up behind Kurt, placed a calming hand on his shoulder and asked what was wrong.
Kurt's eyes were blazing as he stared at the woman. "Apparently this person has a hearing problem. Let's find the manager," he stated and turned away, not before noting the slight look of alarm in the cashier's eyes.
"Pardon, monsieur!" She called as the trio turned away. "Pardonnez-moi, just a misunderstanding, yes?" And she leaned down to take a packet of chewing gum from beneath the counter.
Kurt and Mercedes stared at her disbelievingly. Was this woman for real? Mercedes shook her head, a curl to her lips and stalked away, heading for the door. Kurt stared the woman down and then looked at David.
"I mean it, David, find the manager." His face was so serious that Dave simply nodded and turned towards what appeared to be a staff area, ignoring the woman's voice telling him he was not allowed back there.
Kurt wrapped his arms around his waist, unaware of when Ian came to stand beside him. He glanced up at the other man and realized from the look in his eye that he, too, had seen the incident.
The singer was furious; he was livid, actually. This bitch had, in a split second, spoiled what had been turning out to be a wonderful day. He shook his head as he waited for David to return, marveling that one could find bigots under every rock, even in this day and age. He turned when he heard footsteps, alerted by the look of apprehension that tightened the woman's face.
Dave had found the manager in his office and explained the situation in as few words as necessary. He didn't tell the man who they were, just what had happened.
The man, almost as tall as Ian and older by at least a decade, frowned now as he came up, looking between the woman and Kurt. He was a little confused because the woman who had been offended was not there and he looked around for her now.
"Ah, I'm so very sorry, this must have been a misunderstanding." He looked back and forth at the visitors and at his worker. "We would like you to have anything you need here gratis."
Kurt, arms still folded, shook his head adamantly. His eyes bored into the other man's as he stated: "No. We want an apology. Bigotry should not be tolerated; it shouldn't be swept under the rug!"
The man looked confused as he turned to the woman and then back to Kurt. "Bigotry? I – don't understand?"
Kurt realized Dave must not have been specific so Kurt turned now and nodded to Ian who understood him. The tall, silent agent went outside and returned seconds later with an upset-looking Mercedes.
The manager's eyes widened in consternation as it all fell into place and his colour heightened dramatically. His lips tightened as he threw a little glare at the cashier and then turned to Mercedes, his hand outstretched as he struggled to smile.
"I am so very sorry for what has happened. Please believe me, this will not happen again!" He looked mortified and Mercedes, a Christian through and through, took the offered hand.
"Thank you, I hope it won't," she said and released his hand to go and stand beside Kurt. She slid her hand through his elbow and tugged him towards the door, leaving Dave to talk to the manager. Ian remained with Dave and the friends went outside.
They went to join Burt and Carole on the benches, shaking their heads as the older couple asked them what was wrong.
Mercedes chuckled lightly as she answered, nudging Kurt's shoulders as she tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Oh, nothing much; just idiots being idiots."
Carole frowned as she glanced at Kurt's mutinous expression but since Mercedes apparently didn't want to pursue it, she decided to leave it alone. She'd find out later, somehow.
They looked up as the rest of the group filed out of the place, Rachel and Finn looking a little confused as they all came out empty-handed. Dave, pasting a smile on his face, turned to address them.
"I'm a little worn out from the trek, folks, so I thought maybe we could drive back into the town before heading home. Who's up for ice cream?"
Sean's surprisingly loud cheer startled the group into laughter and the tension dissipated as they all prepared, with Diane at the head, to retrace their steps to the visitors centre and their cars.
The afternoon had been great, apart from that one disgusting incident and now, with the prospect of ice cream ahead, things started to perk up again for Kurt and Mercedes. Dave, however, still had a little kernel of anger to deal with and he made a note to find out the names of the manager and that cashier. He didn't believe that it was the first time that particular individual had done something like that. She'd been just too blatant.
Sometimes it occurred to him that, if it hadn't been for his loving and level-headed parents, he could have turned into a greedy, power-hungry brat who rode roughshod over everyone. Fortunately, his parents had provided as normal a childhood for him as was within their power. He had not even known the extent of their wealth until he was in college. By then, his personality had been set and he'd turned out to be a fairly decent individual, if he did say so himself.
His reputation for ruthlessness was carefully forged as he'd learned over the years that his rivals were the type of men who saw generosity and kindness as weaknesses. He'd had to play their game some of the times but most times he was just Dave, not David Karofsky, billionaire. What he was happy for with the power those billions afforded him, was the opportunity to make a positive difference in many people's lives. He prided himself on being ruthless with the ruthless but fair and generous with those less fortunate than he.
Now he wanted to find a way to punish that woman for making Mercedes feel bad and for upsetting his lover. Kurt, having spent too many years on the receiving end of cruel, bigoted behavior, was incredibly outspoken and quick to leap to anyone's defense. The tabloids over the years had quite happily reported some of his most caustic comments with regard to bigotry of all kinds. He was even known to insult the fawning politicians and businessmen who met him at various public functions, especially the ones he knew to be closeted.
Kurt hated hypocrisy of any kind and Dave loved that about him. He looked over at his fiancé's slight pout and struggled to hold back a faint grin. Kurt caught him at it and turned with one eyebrow lifted in inquiry.
Dave shook his head and turned his attention back to the road. "I was just thinking that I would love to kiss that pout off of your face right about now."
Kurt grinned even as he heard Mercedes give a tiny groan and then chuckle. He huffed and straightened in his seat but secretly he was glad that Dave had lightened the atmosphere in the car. Now he turned to Mercedes, determined to lighten things some more.
"Oh, before I forget, want to go shopping tomorrow? Rachel, Finn and the old folks are going sailing with Finn and the guys tomorrow."
Mercedes' eyes brightened and she nodded rapidly. "Yes, that would be great! We can do that souvenir shopping that you mentioned, too."
Kurt turned back around in his seat and they continued chatting about the possibility of finding good things in that part of the country. Kurt said he pretty much thought that, as the area catered to so many tourists, they'd be able to find a lot of good stuff.
Dave smiled as he listened to the friends chatter all the way back to the town, turning down the winding streets until he saw Puck, who was in the lead, turn into the gates of what appeared to be a restaurant.
The group, sitting at small wrought iron tables on the restaurant's patio, spent the rest of the afternoon gorging themselves on the icy concoctions as well as the cake they'd had the first night, the gateau Basque.
Not long after the last crumb was devoured, however, Sean and Lije were knocked out, the latter actually nodding off over his tiny container of ice cream he'd been trying to eat by himself. Kurt smiled at the baby and looked over at Dave.
Dave, an idea coming to him, grabbed his camera and snapped a couple of shots of Lije leaning drunkenly over his little high-chair table with his lower face smeared with ice cream. The others laughed softly as the baby jerked slightly before Rachel, shaking her head laughingly at them, lifted him up, his head lolling onto her shoulder.
Everyone made their way to the cars and, as the afternoon sun turned more golden, headed back to the villas and their siestas. The sun and fresh air, not to mention the litres of ice cream they'd just consumed, worked against them and not even Ian was averse to a nap before their late dinner.
.
KHDK
.
After supper that night, everyone sat around the large family room, the windows wide open to the fragrant night air. Dave had kept the menu fairly simple, selecting only seafood and salads with crispy French breads and rolls. The hotel's chef had sent over a relatively light, fruity dessert: pears roasted in a thick, sweet brandy sauce and served with pound cake fingers.
The conversation was light, the music soft and mood drowsy. Mercedes and Carole flipped through the glossy magazines detailing the many attractions of the area; Puck, Devon, Finn and Burt played card games while Ian and Dave watched and Kurt, eschewing the comfort of Dave's lap, was on the floor with Lije and Sean.
Rachel, lounging with her feet curled up in one of the huge armchairs, watched Kurt with her boys, a soft smile playing about her lips as she hummed along to the music. Suddenly she straightened up, her face brightening and she looked at the others.
She cleared her throat and then called to Kurt quietly. "Kurt, you know, I haven't heard you sing in years!"
Kurt looked up at her, his eyes a little wide in surprise even as he smiled at her. Boy, that was pretty random, he thought, glancing at the others who had turned to listen. Faint colour rose in his cheeks and he shrugged.
"Well, sweetie, you simply haven't come to see me perform when I was in New York." He looked a little puzzled, wondering what she was aiming for, bringing that up now.
She got up and came over to plant herself on the rug beside him, a little gleam in her eye. "Why don't you sing for us now?"
He had Lije in his lap and he glanced down at the baby, stalling for time. He looked over at the others, noting that both Carole and Mercedes were smiling encouragingly at him. The men seemed pretty neutral about it but he noticed Dave shifting a bit in his seat.
"Rachel, honey, we don't have any music for me to sing to and anyway, it's getting late."
She nudged him with her shoulder. "Oh, come on, back in school we didn't always sing to accompaniment, did we," and she stared at him with large, hopeful brown eyes.
He sighed and then shrugged, obviously surrendering. "Okay, on one condition; you and 'Cedes have to sing, too."
She looked over at Mercedes doubtfully but the other girl nodded vigorously. "I'm up for that, boo. What do you have in mind?"
Carole clapped her hands and chimed in: "Oh, please, do the one from the Chocolate Factory movie."
Dave smiled as he watched Kurt's face light up as he looked to his girls.
Kurt nodded and got up, lifting Lije and going to sit beside Mercedes. Rachel took Sean's hand and went back to her armchair, settling the little boy on her lap.
They looked at each other and then Kurt nodded. Taking a deep breath, he began:
Intro
Come with me and you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Mercedes:
Take a look and you'll see
Into your imagination
Rachel:
We'll begin with a spin
Traveling in a world of my creation
Mercedes:
What we'll see will defy explanation
All:
If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanna change the world
There's nothing to it
Kurt:
There is no life I know
To compare with your imagination
Mercedes:
Living there you'll be free
Kurt and Rachel:
If you truly
All:
Wish to be…
Chorus:
If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanna change the world
There's nothing to it
Kurt:
There is no life I know
To compare with your imagination
Living there you'll be free
If you truly
All:
Wish to be…
"YAYYY!" Sean's loud cheer startled the grown-ups into laughter and applause, the little boy's face beaming as he clapped. Rachel hugged him to her, her cheeks pink as Mercedes and Kurt looked on, grinning.
He wondered if maybe she didn't get a chance to sing much because her life was so busy now. It was a shame because she had an amazing gift; he hoped she would still get a chance to use it fully.
Mercedes hugged him dropping a kiss onto his warm cheek even as he cuddled a babbling Lije. He looked up in time to see David give him a slow smile and his colour deepened further.
Carole, grinning fit to burst, congratulated them loudly. "Oh my, you were so good, all of you! Truly talented. Oh, Rachel, I wish you would sing more!"
Rachel ducked her head, allowing her hair to fall forward to hide her darkening cheeks, and laughed deprecatingly. "Oh, well you know, I'm pretty busy; when would I find the time?" The rhetorical question made Kurt look more closely at her as she straightened up and he knew there was regret there.
The men, even though they had continued playing, had been listen to them and Puck, getting up to come over to the stereo, knelt down and pressed a couple of buttons before turning to grin at Rachel.
"You guys had started singing before I could tell you that this thing has a karaoke function," he smirked triumphantly.
Kurt looked at him skeptically. "I doubt there'd be songs on there that we know, Noah."
He shrugged as the screen lit up and he accessed the menu to select songs of the previous decades. "I don't know, we can check, can't we?"
Kurt huffed but continued playing with Lije who was gurgling and drooling happily on his bib.
Mercedes got up to come over and look over Puck's shoulder; she leaned down at once and pointed to a number and a title. "Stop, what about this one?"
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "You sure?"
She nodded. "You do know this, right? Well, you and Devon are gonna sing it," and she hauled him to his feet.
"Okay, stop pulling!" He grinned at her as he straightened and then pressed the button. When the first bars started to play Kurt looked at him with wide eyes and then over at a widely grinning Devon.
The card game abandoned, he came over to stand beside Puck who started first, the others cheering him along.
Intro
The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
Devon:
You cast a spell on me, spell on me
You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me
And I decided you look well on me, well on me
So let's go somewhere no-one else can see, you and me
Turn the lights out now
Now I'll take you by the hand
Hand you another drink
Drink it if you can
Can you spend a little time,
Time is slipping away, away from us so stay,
Stay with me I can make,
Make you glad you came
Puck:
The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came
Devon:
You cast a spell on me, spell on me
You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me
And I decided you look well on me, well on me
So let's go somewhere no-one else can see, you and me
Puck:
Turn the lights out now
Now I'll take you by the hand
Hand you another drink
Drink it if you can
Can you spend a little time,
Time is slipping away, away from us so stay,
Stay with me I can make,
Make you glad you came
Both:
The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came
So glad you came
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came
Puck:
The sun goes down
The stars come out
And all that counts
Is here and now
My universe will never be the same
I'm glad you came
I'm glad you came…
The soft, sweet ending of the song had Kurt and Rachel 'awwwing' right before the others joined in with applause and whoops. Puck bowed as Devon blushed and nobody commented on the fact that their fingers were entwined.
Mercedes leapt up again to go and look for more songs, casting a glance back at Kurt every so often. She smiled to herself as she made her selection and then she crooked a finger at Kurt, beckoning him to join her. He raised an elegant eyebrow at her but grinned before rising to hand Lije over to Carole.
Coming up beside Mercedes, he looked at her inquiringly as she was deliberately blocking him from seeing what song she'd chosen. When the music started, she giggled even as Carole laughed, clapping her hands.
"Oh Burt, I used to love this!" She smiled over at them just as Mercedes decided to dedicate it to them.
Carole teared up as Kurt's high, sweet voice began singing, Mercedes backing him.
Intro
Kiss me out of the bearded barley
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing (swing, swing) swing
The spinning step
You wear those shoes and I will wear
That dress
O-oh, kiss me
Beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the
Fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me!
Kiss me (kiss me) down by the broken
Tree house
Swing me (swing me) upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring (bring, bring) bring your
Flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on
Your father's map
O-oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight,
Lead me, out on the moonlit floor,
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the
Fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me!
Kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the
Fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me!
So kiss me!
So kiss me!
So kiss me!
Carole smiled at them, tears standing in her eyes and Kurt came over to her to give her a hug. He turned to smile at David who, of course, was watching him and then he cleared his throat.
"So, any requests?"
Rachel looked at him seriously before answering. "I've always wanted to do that one duet with you, remember it?"
He looked at her with a slight furrow to his brow and then his eyes cleared. "Yes, of course! But I don't know if they'd have it in here… let's see," and he turned to search through the offerings. Mercedes looked over his shoulder and then she nodded her head before going back to sit.
Rachel, having handed over Sean to her, came up beside Kurt, slipping her hand into his. The music began and he looked at her with a soft smile. If ever there was a song that suited them both, this was it.
Burt came over to sit beside Carole, holding her hand and smiling. This was a song he could identify with, not so much the stuff the young people liked these days.
Kurt and Rachel began singing and Mercedes swore they sounded better than the original, not that she was old enough to have ever heard the original live.
Intro
Forget your troubles
Happy days
C'mon get happy
Are here again
You better chase all your cares away
The skies above are clear again
Shout hallelujah
So let's sing a song
C'mon get happy
Of cheer again
Get ready for the judgement day
Happy days are here again.
The sun is shining
All together
C'mon get happy
Shout it now there's no one
The lord is wait to take you're hand
Who can, doubt it now
Shout hallelujah
So let's tell the world
And just get happy
About it now
We're going to the promise land
Happy days are here again.
We're heading cross the river
Sun you case when I'll be gone
There'll be no more from now on
From now on...
Happy days
And just get happy
Are here again
You better chase all your cares away
The skies above are clear again
Shout hallelujah
So let's sing a song
And just get happy
Of cheer again
Happy times!
Happy times!
Happy nights!
Happy nights!
Happy days! Are-here-again!
As the others applauded the truly fabulous rendition made famous decades earlier by Barbra and Judy, Rachel threw herself into Kurt's arms. He hugged her and whispered: "Beautiful, you sound so beautiful!"
She pulled back and smiled up at him and just like that, the idea was born. He looked startled for a second before his eyes sought David's communicating in an instant. Dave nodded and continued applauding the two.
Puck, smirking as usual, came up to the machine, bending down to make his selection. He turned and quirked an eyebrow at Mercedes: "Come on, Aretha, let's blow the roof off of this!"
She laughed out loud, handed off poor Sean once more to his grandma, and then came to join a grinning Puck.
The two, hamming it up as if their lives depended on it, sang a hilarious take on 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' to the sound of almost constant laughter. Their exaggerated facial expressions and movements had everyone cracking up, Sean laughing as loudly as everyone else.
Mercedes then did a fierce version of 'Before He Cheats' and then Puck followed with Blake Shelton's 'Honey Bee' to Burt's delight. Everyone was nodding and singing along and when it came to an end, Puck turned to look at Dave, pointing at him with the cordless microphone.
Dave shook his head, holding up his hands palm outward but he was finally persuaded to take a turn. Kurt, blushing faintly, wondered what he would choose, and then laughed out loud when the opening bars of the guitar music started.
Intro
Every time you take a sip
In this smoky atmosphere
You press that bottle to your lips
And I wish I was your beer
An' in the small there of your back
Your jeans are playing peek-a-boo
I'd like to see the other half of your butterfly tattoo.
Hey, that gives me an idea
Let's get out of this bar
Drive out into the country
And find a place to park.
'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight
I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks
I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
And I'd like to check you for ticks.
I know the perfect little path
Out in these woods I used to hunt
Don't worry, babe, I've got your back
And I've also got your front
I'd hate to waste a night like this
I'll keep you safe you wait and see
The only thing allowed to crawl all over you
When we get there is me.
You know every guy in here tonight
Would like to take you home
But I've got way more class than them
Babe, that ain't what I want.
'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight
I'd like to kiss you way back in the sticks
I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
And I'd like to check you for ticks.
An' oooo you never know where one might be
An' oooo there's lots of places that are hard to reach
Yeah I been there
I gotcha.
I'd like to see you out in the moonlight
I'd like to kiss you, baby, way back in the sticks
I'd like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
And I'd like to check you for ticks.
And I'd sure like to check you for ticks.
Kurt had his head in his hand even as he was shaking his head; his cheeks were bright red and the sound of laughter loud in his ear. He was also a little turned on by the way David had smiled and winked at him during the song and he was very aware of Carole's flushed cheeks and his dad's little smirk.
Oh, lord, he was never going to live this down, he groaned silently as Puck congratulated Dave loudly. He felt 'Cedes rubbing his back in a soothing manner and then she was up and heading to the machine.
"Come on, Rachel girl, you and me are gonna sing one last song … show these boys who's better."
Kurt could have kissed her for distracting everyone as Dave took his seat again. Kurt could feel his fiancé's eyes boring into him and he finally looked up to smile at him, ignoring his burning cheeks.
After the girls sang one of their favorites from their glee club days, Pink's 'Perfect', they settled down to spend the rest of the night chatting and listening to the radio until bedtime.
Kurt, finally heading upstairs with his smirking lover, thought about an appropriate punishment for David's song. The next day would be taken up with sailing for some and shopping for others and he knew just what would work. He gave his lover a mischievous look that was sure to get him thinking and smiled as they got ready for bed.
Ah, yes, the next day would be quite interesting…
.
TBC
.
A/N: The absolutely beautiful 'Pure Imagination' from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory soundtrack was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly; The Wanted own 'Glad You Came'; 'Kiss Me' is by Sixpence None The Richer; 'Happy Days/Get Happy' was first performed by a then 21-y-o Barbra Streisand with Judy Garland in 1963; 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' is by Elton John and Bernie Taupin; Carrie Underwood wrote 'Before He Cheats'; Rhett Akins wrote 'Honey Bee' for Blake Shelton; the infamous 'Ticks' is by Brad Paisley and, of course, 'Perfect' is by P!nk.