Disclaimer: I also have a DVD player that has recorded several episodes of Glee. That I still don't own. RIB are hard case!

And I can't even claim a character in this chapter. Enjoy, anyway.

Writing this chapter, I broke in tears at some points. Well, working on the translation, it has been the same.


In the late afternoon, Burt was alone at home. Carole was on duty until the middle of the night, Sam had gone to visit his parents for the weekend [1] and the boys went to visit Quinn at the hospital. They were soon to return, probably with Blaine who was invited to eat before going home in Westerville two hours drive away. But in the meantime, he was alone in the house strangely quiet.

He loved the animation that characterized his home since Carole and Finn had entered their life and then Blaine and Sam had, each in its own way, joined the team. Laughing, crying, screaming, doors slamming, rock tunes rivaling the theatrics of the greatest musicals, comment football matches mingling happily around to discussing fashion. And four teenagers in chorus, repeating the songs of the Glee club, sometimes joined by the irritating but yet talented Diva who was, sometimes, the biggest boy's girlfriend.

It was the melody of happiness [2], the breath of life that he had missed since the death of his first wife, even if he didn't realize it until Kurt introduced him to Carole. And if this moment of quiet was nice to enjoy, it was mostly because it preceded the return of the three teenagers and the chirping of their conversations.

He was about to sit in his chair to follow on TV sports scores when the doorbell rang. He went to the door, muttering.

"You forgot your keys again? I wonder what ... Oh, uh ..."

He stopped his sentence when he opened the door and saw who stood before him. And the man was definitely not one of the teenagers he expected.

"Uh, Paul, isn't it? A problem with Dave?"

"I shouldn't have come here, but I saw no one else to whom I could talk about it."

"Come in."

Burt guided Dave's father to the living room, showing the chair while he sat on the couch.

"He's not a bad guy, in fact, your kid. I didn't give him a chance back then. I was scared for Kurt, I wanted nothing wrong ever happen to him, I wanted to protect him. I didn't see what Kurt saw. Even after I allowed him to return to McKinley, I didn't trust him. It seemed so unreal, a so sudden change. I didn't even trust my own son; I thought it was the worst mistake of his life, that he was naive. I feel guilty you know, Paul."

"You couldn't know. Even I saw nothing, understood nothing. You and me, we may not be from the same circle but we still have something in common: we are fathers and we want to protect our sons. And I'm really touched that you're able to forgive us."

"You just said it, I have a son too. I have two actually. Almost three. I can't even imagine what you felt when... Nobody deserves what happened to you, Paul. Nobody. I wouldn't change the past if I resented you."

"He came home a week ago and I'm scared every time I have to leave him alone. He'll have to go back to school but I'm so afraid of what will happen to him there. And he doesn't say anything, but I see he's anxious too. I feel so ... helpless."

"I understand that. I have two at home. Kurt is strong-headed and I know too well what trouble it may bring to him. And Finn, even if he's six feet tall and takes the blows on the field, he's a sweet naïve with heart on hand. He would be taken for a ride by a mosquito. In less than six months, we'll have to let them fly. All we can do is hope that we gave them the right weapons to face the world and will know how to use them wisely."

BAM.

The door slammed fairly violent, followed by a scream.

"God, Finn, you'll never learn to close the door properly?"

"But it's not my fault, it ..."

The door opened and shut more quietly.

"Thanks Finn, you're a true gentleman. There was a long time I hadn't taken a nose door, I missed it!"

"But ..."

"Oh my god Blaine, you okay? Finn, you could be careful!"

"You'll not even let me talk anyway?"

The two men in the room grinned before seeing a sulky Finn tumble, closely followed by Kurt, an arm around Blaine's waist, looking over his boyfriend who was rubbing his nose, adding visibly on the importance of his ''injury''.

"Hi Burt... Uh, Mr. Karofsky," said Finn, stammering. He walked over to the father of his former teammate to shake his hand awkwardly. Kurt, meanwhile, diverted his attention from his boyfriend to lay a concerned look on the man.

"Mr. Karofsky? A problem with David?" he asked also coming to shake his hand.

"No. Nothing serious."

In turn, Blaine stepped forward to greet the man he had never met but he supposed to be the father of former McKinley's bully, who had led Kurt to come to Dalton and had attempted to suicide a few days before.

"Hello sir. Uh ... Blaine Anderson... Kurt's boyfriend. I don't really know your son, but I heard for his ... Well, I... I'm sorry about what happened to him."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what he did to Kurt."

"Oh, yes, I know." Blaine muttered setting the toes of his shoes. For his part, Finn was swinging from one foot to the other since the beginning of the conversation, moving very little subtly toward the door, obviously calculating when he could break into a run toward anywhere else than in this room. Kurt seizing the discomfort, decided to assist his two friends.

"Finn, you promised to call Rachel as soon as we would be back. You should do it before she comes in person to tear you eyes."

For a second, Finn looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car and Kurt could swear he saw a light bulb over his head when he finally understood. He mumbled a vague excuse before running up the stairs and slammed the door to his room behind him, causing an audible sigh of Kurt.

"Mr. Karofsky, you want something to drink? Tea perhaps or ..."

"Tea, yes, it looks good." Paul hastened to reply, not fooled by the ruse of the young man.

Blaine too had understood quickly. He began to mentally list everything he could do later to thank his ingenious boyfriend and didn't let anyone add a word before launching an "I'm on it." And disappeared into the kitchen.

"Then he ..." Paul began by pointing a finger towards the door where the young man had disappeared.

"He knows everything yes." Kurt ended sitting down next to his father. "The dumpster, insults, slushies, threats and... the kiss too." Kurt had lowered his voice to a confession that he had never made to anyone other than Blaine.

"The kiss? What are you talking about Kurt?"

"Please Dad, don't get mad, think about your heart. It's nothing serious. Last year, he pushed me into the lockers again, I raced to the locker room to yell at him and insult him and he ... kissed me, that's all. He was lost; it was just impulsive, desperate. This is just a bad memory for both of us. Please can you keep it for you? I promised not to tell anyone. That's why I knew he was sincere when he apologized and I gave him trust. Blaine knows everything."

Placed back to the door, Paul didn't see Blaine come back with a tray of drinks for them all.

"I don't understand, if he knows everything, why is he so compassionate?"

"Because I know all of that precisely. I know what he went through. Confusion, questions, don't understand what you're feeling."

Blaine placed a steaming cup of tea in front of Mr. Karofsky and approached the sugar and a small pitcher of milk so that the man could use at his convenience.

"It's hard to be a football player and to realize that you're much more attracted by you teammates in the shower than by the cheerleaders in miniskirts that wiggle along the ground."

He uncapped a bottle of alcohol-free beer and handed it to Burt who accepted it with a smile of thanks.

"This isn't a very well accepted situation. where do you find your place when you have the feeling of belonging to two communities that the world seems to think incompatible?"

He put a glass of cold milk with chocolate and another one of warm milk flavored with a hint of honey and a few drops of orange blossom, thanked by a smile which made him understand he had indeed begun the process of appreciation. He sat on the sofa against his boyfriend and slipped a hand into his.

"And without your son, I would never have met Kurt. I think I should thank him for that. I do not excuse what he did. The dumpster, insults, slushies, threats, is inexcusable. But he will be enough hated for only being who he is. We can't deny him our forgiveness and our friendship."

"You forgot the kiss my heart."

"No, the kiss is excusable; it's entirely your fault. You don't realize how much you're sexy when you get angry." Blaine said, laughing.

He was rewarded with a slap on the shoulder by Kurt and Burt cleared his throat, enjoining not more progress in this field. Even if he could not restrain a slight smile on hearing this compliment not verry subtle but touching the boy had done to his son. Kurt became serious again.

"I know it's not my business much but ... Dave told me he was afraid to go back to school. I think he could use a new start. A true one. Knowing that no matter what he has friends willing to support him."

"It's a bit why I came here actually. He can't return to McKinley. We moved to Thurston and can't go back now. I made inquiries about the Dalton Academy but even in confiding him to his aunt in Westerville to save the boarding expenses; it can't fit at all in our budget."

"He has an aunt who would agree to host him in Westerville?" Blaine asked as if he had an idea in the back of his head.

"Yes. My sister. But as I said, Dalton is too expensive for us."

"Actually, I didn't think about Dalton, but Westerville South. They do not make mid-year transfer usually but I can talk to the principal and explain him the situation."

"And why would he accept it easier if you talk to him?" Kurt asked.

"Uh, actually ... it's my uncle. [3]" Blaine said, wiggling slightly because his cell phone was vibrating in his pocket.

He went to read the SMS he had received. He laughed when he saw the sender's name appear. "I think Finn's getting hungry."

Finn to Blaine: He's still there?

Blaine to Finn: Yes, but he doesn't bite

Finn to Blaine: Can you tell him to tell Dave that we would be happy to see him along with the football team?

Blaine to Finn: Come and tell him yourself

Finn to Blaine: Please

Kurt to Finn: Finn Hudson stop being a baby and come down

On the first floor, the door opened and shut softly, proof that Finn knew how to do, and the teenager's heavy footsteps were heard in the staircase before Finn appears.

"Uh, I got Puck on the phone and Mike too and uh ... we thought that ... it'd be cool to see Dave, for I don't know, play video games or something. I haven't talked to Sam and Artie but I'm sure they'd be happy to see him too. I don't know, an evening like this with his former friends from football. Well, those of the Glee club at least. I don't know for the others but ..."

"Finn, Finn, it's fine, breathe." Kurt, who had risen and placed a hand on his back, told him. "It's a good idea. We'll scheduled that and I'll call David, if you agree with it M. Karofsky."

"Yes, of course. I'm sure it will make him happy. I'll go now."

"Think about Westerville South. David has our numbers; don't hesitate to call if you make the decision."

"I'll talk with him. Thank you very much. Goodbye."

That evening, meal preparation and meal itself were hectic. And watching the three boys work together while bickering like brothers ... oh, okay, not like brothers finally ... like children; Burt thought he was very lucky.


[1] The author wishes to state that after a painful process of writing a chapter that has no interest for the unfolding of the story, she realized that Sam had taken up residence in the Hummel-Finn Hudson's house since went search for him in I don't know what State other than Ohio. She has considerably insulted RIB for this brilliant idea to have Burt transformed into a kind of Noah recovers all lost teenagers and boy, it is extensible this house or what? She groaned at the thought of having to restart the entire chapter to insert the blond, and then had the bright idea to find a more or less lousy explanation for his absence from the scene. Don't shoot, I'm unarmed.

[2] Here is a reference to the musical "the sound of music" in the French version. Magic of the translation, the title of this musical in French is the 'literal' translation of "the melody of happiness". This idea of happiness being more important to me than the reference, I let it like this, but I thought you'd like to know.

[3] Westerville South High School is a high school real RIB I'm not, I do not invent high schools and universities like this, I document a minimum. Thanks to Google and Wikipedia. And it happens that the principal, just as real as the school he runs, is called Steve Andersson (with 2S, which is not a typo). There to play mix reality and fiction, there's one step that I walked without hesitation.