A.N. Over 200 reviews! You all rock so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A.N2: Thank you to my beta again.

A.N3: Poll is closed, just as a reminder to please bear in mind that it will not dictate absolutely who Kurt will end up with.

Tuesday November 24, 2009

4:00 P.M.

Rachel stared up at Finn, "Go… out with you?"

Finn nodded eagerly, "Yes, be my girlfriend Rachel?"

Puck reacted before anyone else, "You're an ass!"

Finn turned and snapped, "And you're the crappy best friend that knocked up my girlfriend."

Quinn's face flushed as Mr. Schue whirled to look at her. The rest of the club exchanged looks which confirmed that they had known.

Rachel yanked her hands out of Finn's grasp, "You can't just ask me out to beat Quinn. That isn't fair, to me or to Quinn."

Finn ran a hand through his hair and let out an angry huff, "Why do you care so much about Quinn? You are so easy… she's nice to you for ten minutes and you're ready to drop me as a friend!"

Quinn responded, "You son of…"

Rachel held up a hand, "Quinn, while I appreciate your willingness to defend my honor, it is unnecessary." She placed the hand on her hip and addressed Finn, "The answer is no. No I will not go out with you."

Finn gaped, "Because of Quinn!"

Rachel replied, "No Finn, because dating you would be breaking the friend code."

Finn threw up his hands, "Because of Quinn!"

Rachel shook her head, "This honestly has nothing to do with Quinn. The answer is no Finn. Accept it and grow up because right now I'm not sure I want to call you my friend." She smiled at Mr. Schue, "I apologize for the drama Mr. Schue, shall we continue?"

"Please put on your wigs." Mr. Schue smiled at the group.

Kurt crossed his arms and declared, "No."

Mr. Schue turned to stare at the soprano, "Kurt?"

Kurt held out his wig, "I agree with Rachel, hairography is beneath us. Plus I think this thing is giving me a rash."

Puck and Matt ripped their wigs off, "Dude a rash will show on my head!" Puck ran a hand over his mohawk.

Matt rubbed at his own head, "Mine too!"

Kurt smirked, on the inside.

Santana put in her two cents, "Mr. Schue our vocals are ten times better than Jane Adams and our dancing isn't nearly as whorish."

"Santana!" Mr. Schue looked scandalized.

Santana examined her nails, "What? Everyone was thinking it."

Mr. Schue demanded, "Was everyone thinking that?"

There was a beat of silence and then… "I was thinking about little green men."

Everyone turned to look at Brittany except for Quinn.

Quinn turned to Santana, "Translation?"

Santana shrugged, "She means smurfs. Britt I've told you smurfs are blue."

Brittany shook her head, "The little mean one told me to adjust my tv…" She pouted, "I still can't get them to be the right color."

Mr. Schue sighed, "Apart from Brittany who was thinking along the same lines as Santana?"

One by one the kids raised their hands.

Rachel stepped forward, "While I wouldn't put it so rudely, I must concur with my fellow team mates. Mr. Schue…" She smiled at him, "We don't need crazy hair or fillers. We have amazing dancers, Brittany, Santana, Mike and Matt can dance circles around anyone you could think to name," The dancers she mentioned looked a little gob smacked by the compliment, "And our vocals are outstanding. They don't have Mercedes or Kurt. They certainly don't have Quinn's unique voice or Artie's baritone, and where are they going to find two better lead boys than Finn and Puck." Her tone got less bossy and grew gentle, "Not to mention they don't have you Mr. Schue."

It was Santana who added, "And if anyone has a singer that can match Rachel I'll eat my uniform."

Most of the club, including Rachel, looked at Santana in surprise.

The Latina snapped defensively, "What? Manhands can sing."

Quinn warned, "Santana…"

Santana held up a hand, "Fine fine, Berry can sing."

Rachel shook her head and turned back to Mr. Schue, "Our club is… special Mr. Schue… please believe in that."

Mr. Schuster's eyes grew wide, "I do!"

Kurt held out the wig once again, "Then why do you think we need these?"

Mr. Schue took the wig and surveyed his kids before sighing, "You guys are right… but what are we going to sing for the Haverbrook?"

Kurt remembered how amazing their performance with the Haverbrook kids had been and asked, "What if we learned the sign language to a song?"

Mr. Schue's jaw dropped and he declared, "Kurt that is an amazing idea!"

Rachel smiled, "What song though?"

Kurt shrugged, "Don't look at me, I can't think of everything."

Quinn smiled, "True Colors?"

Mr. Schue clapped his hands, "Brilliant!"

Rachel raised her hand.

"Yes Rachel?" Mr. Schue let out a sigh.

"My voice is not suited to that song. May I suggest someone else take the lead? Perhaps Tina?" Rachel spoke matter-of-factly.

Tina blurted, "You're g-giving up a s-solo?"

Rachel nodded looking a little surprised herself, "Yes. It does seem the day for surprises."

"Ok then! I will get the music for tomorrow?" Mr. Schue smiled happily.

The kids nodded and started to filter out of the choir room.

Finn caught Rachel's arm, "Rachel wait. You have to understand…"

Rachel turned to face him, "Understand what Finn? That you were going to use me, once again to get what you want?"

Finn spat, "I want you!"

Rachel shook her head, "No Finn, if you really wanted me you would have asked me out long before today."

Finn glared, "I was with Quinn and I thought she was having my baby."

Rachel softened, "I know you're hurting right now Finn and I'm sorry but dating me isn't going to change that. You'll still be furious with Puck and Quinn, the only difference is that my fragile friendship with Quinn will suffer. I… like you Finn… but I'm not willing to risk my friendships on the off chance that you actually want me. You want to punish Quinn and you want to use me to do it. I'm not ok with that." Her voice was firm but gentle. She darted forward and hugged him briefly before pulling away, "Have a good evening Finn." She turned and walked away.

4:33 P.M.

Kurt cornered Rachel before she could leave the school, "Why didn't you say yes?"

Rachel looked befuddled and vaguely alarmed, "What? Unhand me Kurt!"

Kurt dropped Rachel's arm and repeated himself, "Why didn't you say yes?"

Rachel sighed, "I already said, it would be breaking the friend code."

Kurt quirked an eyebrow, "So it was about Quinn?"

Rachel looked at him in surprise, "No. Well partly, but mostly it was about you."

"Me?" Kurt gaped at Rachel.

Rachel nodded, "You proved yourself a good friend when you were honest with me and told me about your feelings for Finn instead of sabotaging me. I would be a horrible friend if I dated the object of your affections."

Kurt shook his head as if trying to clear cobwebs, "He's the object of your affections as well."

Rachel smiled gently, "And last week I was madly in love with Mr. Schue. Finn is just a boy… dating him would hurt you and in all likelihood he would have demanded I end my tentative friendship with Quinn… I've never had friends before, let alone two."

Kurt was stunned, "You… Rachel… I'd understand." He knew Quinn might hate him, but he continued "If you want Finn then go for him."

Rachel shook her head, "He's just a boy Kurt. He doesn't respect me and… maybe if he hadn't asked me as a way to get back at Quinn I might have considered it but he did… he doesn't respect me and I deserve better."

Kurt reached out and hugged Rachel before pulling back, "Need a ride home?"

"Yes please." Kurt smiled at Rachel and offered the Diva his arm which she happily took.

4:40 P.M.

Quinn had offered Rachel the front seat when she had seen Rachel and Kurt approaching. The little Diva had happily accepted after grilling Quinn about whether it was safer for Quinn in the front or the back in her 'delicate condition'. Quinn hadn't had any idea as to what was safer but she assured Rachel anyway. They had arrived at Rachel's home in short order.

Kurt pulled up to the curb and smiled, "Here we are."

Rachel unbuckled her seatbelt, "Thank you…"

Quinn got out to take the front seat and hugged Rachel.

The little Songbird returned the hugged as Quinn whispered, "Thank you… thank you for choosing me. You don't understand yet, but I promise you won't regret it."

Rachel looked up at Quinn and the former Cheerio realized that something in her expression must have been telling because Rachel's face scrunched in confusion and then smoothed in awe.

Rachel stepped back and waved as Kurt pulled away.

4:51 P.M.

Kurt and Quinn had arrived home and Kurt grabbed a hold of Quinn and dragged her down stairs.

Quinn yanked her hand out of Kurt's grasp and demanded, "What the hell Kurt!"

Kurt sat heavily and replied, "I've already changed things… Do you know why Rachel told Finn no?"

Quinn smirked, "Because he asked her to choose."

"No," Kurt paused and then added, "Well yes in part but also because of me."

Quinn sat down next to Kurt, "What do you have to do with anything."

Kurt took a deep breath and spoke, "I'm in love with Finn, or at least past me is… and he's in here," He pointed to his head, "He's in here and he wanted to strangle Rachel when she admitted she liked Finn but I was honest instead of sabotaging her like the first time and she told him no, she told him no because a good friend doesn't date the guy their friend likes."

Quinn's eyes widened in surprise, "She… she did it for you?"

Kurt shook his head, "She said she wasn't willing to risk her friendships with either of us for a boy." His eyes watered, "I was so wrong about her Quinn. She… she would have been an amazing friend, our Rachel, if I had given her the chance."

Quinn hesitated before wrapping her arms around Kurt, "This Rachel, she is our Rachel, just… a little behind. We have a second chance Kurt, one that you gave us."

Kurt let out a whimper, "I had to, God I had to."

Quinn's voice was gentle, "What do you mean?"

Kurt tensed and pulled away, "I… I can't tell you Quinn. Not yet… you'll… you'll hate me."

Quinn's curiosity was peaked but something in Kurt's voice prevented her from pressing, "Ok Kurt. Whenever you're ready I'll be here." Perhaps it was the certainty in his voice when he said that she would hate him, but Quinn was content to wait and hope that he was simply being dramatic.

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