fic: final destination (9/?)
Title: Final Destination (9/?)
Rating: R for language, mature content, sexuality, strong violence, horror, gore
Spoilers: Through Furt but everything to be safe. All Final Destination movies.
Summary: A Kinn spin on Final Destination. On their senior trip, Kurt has a vision and when several students are saved from a tragedy because of it, Death haunts the Glee Club and circles back to claim its victims. Horror/Romance/Drama. AU.
Warnings: Character death! This is *horror*. There *will* be a body count. Nothing too graphic, but characters *will* die throughout the story. Also, suspend your disbelief. This franchise is a black comedy as much as it is horror, and it rolls the way it rolls.
Disclaimer: Tragically, I own nothing. Glee and Final Destination do not belong to me. The only character I’m using from FD is Death….and I don’t own that guy either.
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8
9
The door to their parents’ room barely clicked closed down the hall before Kurt slid out of his and across the hallway. He was careful to be silent as he let himself into Finn’s room. Finn was tucked away in bed with the lamp off, but Carole had left him with his PSP. The glow of the small screen lit up his face. His smile was sleepy and his eyes were all but closed. Even though he slept at the hospital on and off while the doctors continually woke him up on the hour to monitor his concussion, Kurt didn’t doubt that he would sleep through the night now that he was given the clear.
“Can I sleep here?” He whispered.
“Of course.” Finn pulled at his blankets and Kurt went to help him.
Sliding under the covers, he wiggled over to Finn’s side, thankful when Finn set aside his game and laid down. He pulled Kurt onto his chest, and Kurt pressed his cheek into his t-shirt as he snuggled in. He ran his fingers over and over the contours of Finn’s chest, resting his ear over his heartbeat and letting the even beat soothe him.
“I’m sorry.” He murmured.
Finn pulled his head back to look down at him. “For what?”
“I knew something was coming, and I still couldn’t protect you from it.” Kurt heard his own heartbeat loud in his ears as he clung to Finn’s calmly breathing body, pounding like an angry ocean against a quiet shore.
“What are you talking about, Kurt? You saved me.” He sounded genuinely confused, not a new state for Finn but misplaced there.
Kurt rubbed the pad of his thumb across his toned chest, thanking God or the universe or whatever, that it wasn’t currently covered in burns or worse. He could hardly get the words out. “Yeah, but you never should have been in that furnace.”
There was a slight edge to Finn’s response. “No, and that’s on Karofsky, Azimio, Travis, Manny and Marcus. You don’t have anything to do with it.”
Kurt swallowed. “In the parking lot before we were taken I saw a flash of a fire and that brick I used that I found at the crematorium. I had that dream, and I couldn’t put any of it together in time to keep you safe.”
“I am safe.” Finn insisted.
Kurt began to tremble, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to force the image of Finn in that furnace out of his mind. “I didn’t do anything to stop them.”
“What could you do?”
“I let them put you in there.”
“Let? They had, like, five hundred pounds on you…”
“You were going to die, Finn. You were going to die right in front of me, and all I could do was let it happen.”
“What is all this ‘let’ stuff about?” Finn’s arm around him tightened. “If you could have put the beat-down on them, you would have.”
“But that’s just it. I couldn’t do anything. I’m useless to you.” Kurt was getting hysterical as he tilted his head and blinked up at Finn. He couldn’t help it. The sound of Finn shrieking in pain and terror hadn’t left the back of his mind since that afternoon. He had all of the signs and it still wasn’t enough to keep Finn from experiencing that. What the hell good were the signs if he couldn’t protect his friends from facing something as horrific as that? “You should be with someone bigger who can kick ass when you need it.”
That, apparently, was Finn’s breaking point. “Kurt.” He said firmly in exasperation and cupped his face. “I like taking care of you. But this time, you did take care of me. I would have died in that thing without you there looking out for me. I don’t need you to kick ass. You’re smart, and you figured it out. If it were you in there you would have died, because I’m as big and stupid as Karofsky and would have just stood there pulling on that lock instead of looking around for something to smash it with.”
Kurt frowned but calmed down at Finn’s earnestness. “You’re not stupid.” He gave him a pointed look. “And you’re definitely not as stupid as Karofsky.”
Finn leaned down and kissed him briefly. “You saved me, Kurt. And that’s what matters.”
Kurt slid his arm up on Finn’s chest and rested his hand on his shoulder as he settled back in. He felt the hard square of his phone in his pajama pocket. If the ring didn’t wake him, the vibrating would, and he couldn’t afford to miss a call if it was Rachel. Besides, if he had a dream about her he wanted to have his phone at hand to give her the immediate heads up. If he could just repeat this saving thing a few more times, he might actually make it to June without his hair going white. Anderson Cooper was sexy, he supposed, but the color would totally wash him out. He carried the light worry with him into sleep and only woke up occasionally when Finn’s arms wound around him too tightly. He rubbed his shoulders soothingly until the tight expressions from his nightmares relaxed.
When Carole came in to check on Finn that morning, she was carrying two hot chocolates for them. Kurt sat up sheepishly. Maybe he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought.
***
That afternoon Kurt found himself at the Berry home with Rachel, her dads, Finn, Puck, and Mr. Schuester. He sat outside beside Rachel, holding her hand in his as they sat on one of the benches that wrapped around the interior of the picturesque gazebo that her dads installed in the back yard. Kurt would have called it tacky if it wasn’t so precious and surrounded by gardening that would rival Martha Stewart.
He and Rachel watched as Finn threw the ball, protectively holding his hurt hand against his stomach and not playing with it. He fumbled the ball every time it came at him, but that didn’t seem to take the fun out of it for him. He was in a white t-shirt with a black and white image of a band Kurt didn’t recognize printed on the front. His jeans were tighter than usual, because they were a few years old and Finn was outgrowing them. They had holes in the knees and were faded, but despite how old and beat up they were, Kurt had to keep his eyes traveling around to keep himself from getting too worked up at the sight of him in the flattering outfit. He looked good enough to eat.
But Rachel was the one who needed his full attention. She was in a pink mini-dress with an itty bitty teddy bear pattern that was equally ridiculous and childish. She bounced beside him, watching the game avidly as Schuester ran backward and caught the football out of the air. Under his mother’s orders, Finn wasn’t running around. He didn’t sustain any brain damage, but Carole would give him hell if she found out he was playing hardcore tackle football a day after he almost died. Schuester ran with the ball while one of her dads chased after him, and her other one stood next to the gazebo clapping.
“Get him, Daddy!” She released Kurt’s hand and leaned forward screaming.
Kurt tapped her leg as her knees fell open in her excitement, and she obligingly glanced down at his legs and mimicked the crossing. He would teach her how to be a lady yet. Her dad did get the ball but Puck was quick to steal it back. Puck’s presence was interesting. He was already there when he and Finn drove up, his truck sitting in the driveway like it was the most natural place in the world for it to be.
He nudged her and arched a nosy eyebrow. “What’s going on with you and Puckerman?”
She didn’t look nearly as deliciously guilty as he had hoped. She only frowned sadly and glanced out at the Mohawked boy playing around in her back yard.
“Nothing.” Her eyes followed him forlornly. “He’s sad about Lauren. Really, really sad.”
Kurt felt abruptly stupid and callous for suggesting he had moved on from his late girlfriend so quickly. He adjusted his vest and squared his shoulders so Rachel wouldn’t notice his guilty blush. He always knew Puck and Rachel shared an odd common bond that came from being Jewish and dating briefly a long time ago. He looked out for her, and she tolerated him. If he was opening up to her about his grief, their loose common ground must have blossomed into a full-fledged friendship. Kurt was glad for both of them. Puck wasn’t talking to Finn about it, but if it was a feminine ear he needed then it was all the same.
Rachel turned to him. “He’s been going to temple with Dad, Daddy, and me. Sometimes we pray, and sometimes we work on songs. When he got the call about Finn yesterday he made me swear that I would stay here with my dads and Mr. Schuester even though I wanted to come with him to the hospital.” So he was over here yesterday too. “He doesn’t want to believe all of this stuff with your premonitions, but he’s afraid that something will happen to me since my time is up.”
She sounded amazingly cavalier about it considering all of the horrible things that had befallen them so far. Rachel was a monster-sized drama queen. Kurt expected weeping, yelling, speeches, skits, but she just sat there cool and collected.
“Mr. Schuester is scared too. My dads believe you by the way.” She told Kurt abruptly. “Grandma Brody used to have visions of natural disasters. Daddy says she even dreamt about his perm before he got it in the eighties.”
Kurt blinked at her.
“That’s why they’re letting Mr. Schuester stay here. The more eyes on me the better. I suppose.” She agreed tentatively. “Honestly, Kurt, I’m more afraid that if I somehow avoid what’s coming it will start a new chain of events that might involve my fathers. Endangering them would be much worse than facing death myself, wouldn’t it? My Broadway dreams aside, they weren’t at the zoo that day. They’re not supposed to die now, so what if I mess that up? I would rather go, Kurt.”
He gaped at her, thoroughly taken aback. He had never heard anything so utterly selfless come out of her before. People could say what they wanted about Rachel, but she loved her family, that was for sure.
He grabbed her hand back up and held it between both of his. “Nothing is going to happen to you or to them. I’ll make sure of it.” He promised, and somehow he would keep it.
***
It was getting late, but Kurt was reluctant to go. He wanted to carry little Rachel off with him and stare at her the way he had Finn. The girl drove him insane, but she was his friend. Perhaps his best friend besides Mercedes, and as reluctant as he was to admit it, he loved her dearly. He had to keep her safe. Her parents seemed to understand his hesitation, because they invited him and the others to come in, urging Rachel to put a show on for them.
She lit up like a bundle of lights on a Christmas tree, taking off to set up the karaoke machine on the stage down in the basement. He wondered how many karaoke bars they would attend when they moved to New York together next year to chase their dreams. He looked over at Finn grinning nastily with Puck as they looked down at his wounded hand with fascinated disgust at the island in the kitchen.
Kurt rolled his eyes. “Put the bandages back on.”
He set his boyfriend with a sharp look, and Finn began redressing his hand thoroughly chastised. Kurt had the awful thought that he just reminded himself of Carole with the bossy order and even stare. Jeez. He was the boyfriend, not the mother. Still, though, he felt satisfied by how quickly Finn listened and obeyed. He wondered if that made him weird and controlling. Finn didn’t seem to think so. He wandered over to Kurt in the doorway and snickered down at him, raising his hand to show him the bandage was in place.
“Yes, sir.” He grinned mischievously.
“Shut up.” Kurt struggled to keep his smile at bay, a task made harder by the happy smile on Finn’s face as he ran his good hand down his side. But look at that, he listened again.
He noticed Puck off to the side looking at them without the usual scowl of disgust and apathy; this time his eyes were soft and dark. Like he was looking at them interact but remembering something else. Kurt thought about what Rachel said, and wondered how far gone Puck had been on Lauren. From the looks of it, she had a whip and a chain but didn’t have to use either, because Puck was happy to trail after her of his own free will. Puck caught his eyes and looked away, rearranging his expression to reflect his normal annoyance.
“You two lovebirds done grossing me out?” He barked harmlessly as he walked past them out into the hall. “If we don’t hurry, Berry will pick all the music herself and we’ll be stuck listening to her sing show tunes for a full damn hour.”
Kurt didn’t see the harm in that but recognized Puck’s attempt to restore order to the atmosphere. He didn’t want his pity or his attention, so Kurt didn’t give it to him. He slipped his hand in Finn’s uninjured one and followed him to the basement door. At the top of the stairs, Finn slid his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to kiss his head. Kurt inhaled his grassy boy scent contentedly. Alive and Coping Finn was definitely preferable to Next Finn, the boyfriend he might lose at any moment. Finn was clearly feeling the relief too, because his smile only disappeared for seconds at a time.
“Oh Lordy, I will never get used to that.” Kurt made a face at the oil painting of Rachel fixed to the wall in the entranceway. Finn chuckled and kept a hand on his shoulder as he followed him down the stairs.
Rachel was squatting at the edge of the stage looking through the music catalogue with Mr. Schuester. He shook his head at one of her choices, and she pouted but conceded with a glint in her eye that suggested that their teacher only got one veto. Puck was already in one of the lounge seats sitting across from Rachel’s dads on the short couch against the wall. He sneered and said something in Hebrew, leaning forward and slapping hands with the one sitting in front of him. The three of them laughed, and Kurt stared at them critically. Certainly comfy. He never would have pegged Puck as a favorite among parents, but he got along great with Carole and didn’t seem to have any trouble with Rachel’s dads. It seemed that his charisma extended beyond the ladies he wanted to bed when it suited him.
He walked over to the bar on the other side of the basement but before he could sit in one of the high seats, Finn grabbed his waist and lifted him up onto the bar. Kurt’s eyes widened on him in surprise, but Finn just took the chair he had gone for and wrapped an arm around his back.
“You think she’ll be okay?” Finn asked, looking over at Rachel and Schue untangle the wires to the karaoke machine. He nodded, answering himself. “She’ll be okay.”
Kurt ran his fingers through Finn’s hair and swung his legs a little. There was no use putting more pressure on himself, though, so he stayed quiet.
“I’m starting with Barbra!” Rachel announced, still squatting next to the tangled mess.
“What did I tell you!” Puck leaned over the back of his chair and called to Finn and Kurt. Finn pouted, but Kurt raised his chin and looked away. He had no problem with Barbra.
One of her dads got up and busied himself around the bar and mini-fridge before carrying a tray with a pitcher of water and a glass over to his daughter. He set it down on the little round table next to Schue, addressing Rachel.
“Sweetheart, drink a glass before you start. You were in the sun too long, and I don’t want your skin getting all dry from dehydration.” Her fussier father advised, and Kurt nodded his approval. In fact, he had some great skin creams he could offer her too. If he went home and got it, it would be a good excuse for him to come by again tomorrow. Though, at this point, he was ready to just plant his hands on his hips and stop making excuses for the giant psychic elephant in the room. If he needed to check on her, that was that.
“Okay, Dad.” She agreed, standing up as Mr. Schuester unraveled the last bit of knotted wires.
“Yeah, Rach.” Puck got up and sauntered over. “And while you’re getting your H2O on, how bout I pick out some real music. Finn and I will duet some good time Skynyrd.”
“Yeah!” Finn enthused, clapping and hissing as soon as he slapped his blistered hand with his good one. Kurt crooked an eyebrow wryly. He could always sing the Scarecrow’s song from Wizard of Oz.
Mr. Schuester flipped the machine on, and Rachel grabbed one of the pink rhinestone studded microphones.
“I don’t think so, Noah.” Rachel dismissed him. “I think everyone’s in a Yentl mood.”
Kurt snorted and dropped his hand to Finn’s shoulder. A static shock jolted him, and he flinched, pulling his hand away. He looked down, and a tiny, thin bolt of lightning zapped and crackled between Finn’s collar and his finger. His eyes widened.
Groaning, Puck threw his hands up. “Woman, you need to learn to mix it-” His sneaker caught on the floor, and he tripped, losing his balance and falling forward. He grabbed for the table, knocking it over with his weight as he went down. The tray on top slid, and the pitcher teetered over.
Kurt’s heart thudded, and his head flew in their direction. “Rachel!”
Water flew out over the wires, and the microphone fell from Rachel’s hand as Mr. Schuester grabbed and pulled her down in a messy tackle. A cut along the side of one of the cords stripped the protective covering back, revealing the raw wiring inside, and the second the water hit it, a sharp metallic zap pinged through the air. Sparks sputtered out, and the soaked cords zinged and smoked.
Rachel stared over at the crackling mess as it hissed and popped, knocked on her back and tangled with Mr. Schuester.
“Fuck!” Puck ducked from the high erratic sparks, sprawled on the floor behind the flipped table.
A flame ignited in the middle of the wires, hissing up with a billowy whistle. Finn jumped to his feet, knocked his chair over and yanked Kurt down from the bar. The fire flickered upward in a burst of life and shot down the stage in a thick line. Her dads were yelling, and Rachel released a long piercing scream as the fire zigzagged toward her. She was cut off mid-shriek as Puck scrambled to his feet, grabbed her wrist with no amount of delicacy and nearly yanked her arm out of its socket, he pulled her out of the way so quickly. She fell off the stage, slamming into him and stumbling back, falling to the floor in a heap. Mr. Schuester clambered backward out of the way, pressing his back against the wall on the other side of the stage.
Rachel’s football playing dad ran over with the fire extinguisher from under the bar and let loose a stream of white frost. It shot over the flames and killed them instantly. They cowered and fell flat under the spray, but he kept firing it out, paying extra attention to the roll of burned wires.
Kurt’s feet were scraping under him off balance as he stared over at them and barely began to register Finn dragging him backward. They were already at the stairs when Finn’s back hit the basement’s far wall and he dug his fingers into his arm. Kurt panted and let Finn keep him there, unsure whether he would be able to pull free of his tight grip whether he tried to or not.
His eyes twitched and he met Rachel’s gaze. Puck was pulling her to her feet much more gently than he had hauled her off of the stage, and they were both staring over at Kurt in stunned disbelief.
“Sweetheart?” Her dad was looking horrified between her and the tipped over pitcher of water that he brought over that started it all. He pulled her away from Puck and swallowed her in a tight embrace. She turned her face, but didn’t seem to be in control of her other parts, standing stock still and letting him crush her in a hug.
“To die while singing,” she mumbled through numb lips. “Would have been…fitting. Poetic even.”
An unexpected burst of laughter launched out of Kurt, and he let the fit overtake him despite the weary looks he was getting. It was a good thing Finn had a grip on him, because his knees went weak and he sagged against him and the wall. The drama of her near brush with death gave her big dark eyes a sheen of excitement underneath the shock. Like autobiographical lyrics were writing themselves behind her eyes. He drew in quick breaths between his laughter. Only Rachel Berry.
Rating: R for language, mature content, sexuality, strong violence, horror, gore
Spoilers: Through Furt but everything to be safe. All Final Destination movies.
Summary: A Kinn spin on Final Destination. On their senior trip, Kurt has a vision and when several students are saved from a tragedy because of it, Death haunts the Glee Club and circles back to claim its victims. Horror/Romance/Drama. AU.
Warnings: Character death! This is *horror*. There *will* be a body count. Nothing too graphic, but characters *will* die throughout the story. Also, suspend your disbelief. This franchise is a black comedy as much as it is horror, and it rolls the way it rolls.
Disclaimer: Tragically, I own nothing. Glee and Final Destination do not belong to me. The only character I’m using from FD is Death….and I don’t own that guy either.
1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8
9
The door to their parents’ room barely clicked closed down the hall before Kurt slid out of his and across the hallway. He was careful to be silent as he let himself into Finn’s room. Finn was tucked away in bed with the lamp off, but Carole had left him with his PSP. The glow of the small screen lit up his face. His smile was sleepy and his eyes were all but closed. Even though he slept at the hospital on and off while the doctors continually woke him up on the hour to monitor his concussion, Kurt didn’t doubt that he would sleep through the night now that he was given the clear.
“Can I sleep here?” He whispered.
“Of course.” Finn pulled at his blankets and Kurt went to help him.
Sliding under the covers, he wiggled over to Finn’s side, thankful when Finn set aside his game and laid down. He pulled Kurt onto his chest, and Kurt pressed his cheek into his t-shirt as he snuggled in. He ran his fingers over and over the contours of Finn’s chest, resting his ear over his heartbeat and letting the even beat soothe him.
“I’m sorry.” He murmured.
Finn pulled his head back to look down at him. “For what?”
“I knew something was coming, and I still couldn’t protect you from it.” Kurt heard his own heartbeat loud in his ears as he clung to Finn’s calmly breathing body, pounding like an angry ocean against a quiet shore.
“What are you talking about, Kurt? You saved me.” He sounded genuinely confused, not a new state for Finn but misplaced there.
Kurt rubbed the pad of his thumb across his toned chest, thanking God or the universe or whatever, that it wasn’t currently covered in burns or worse. He could hardly get the words out. “Yeah, but you never should have been in that furnace.”
There was a slight edge to Finn’s response. “No, and that’s on Karofsky, Azimio, Travis, Manny and Marcus. You don’t have anything to do with it.”
Kurt swallowed. “In the parking lot before we were taken I saw a flash of a fire and that brick I used that I found at the crematorium. I had that dream, and I couldn’t put any of it together in time to keep you safe.”
“I am safe.” Finn insisted.
Kurt began to tremble, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to force the image of Finn in that furnace out of his mind. “I didn’t do anything to stop them.”
“What could you do?”
“I let them put you in there.”
“Let? They had, like, five hundred pounds on you…”
“You were going to die, Finn. You were going to die right in front of me, and all I could do was let it happen.”
“What is all this ‘let’ stuff about?” Finn’s arm around him tightened. “If you could have put the beat-down on them, you would have.”
“But that’s just it. I couldn’t do anything. I’m useless to you.” Kurt was getting hysterical as he tilted his head and blinked up at Finn. He couldn’t help it. The sound of Finn shrieking in pain and terror hadn’t left the back of his mind since that afternoon. He had all of the signs and it still wasn’t enough to keep Finn from experiencing that. What the hell good were the signs if he couldn’t protect his friends from facing something as horrific as that? “You should be with someone bigger who can kick ass when you need it.”
That, apparently, was Finn’s breaking point. “Kurt.” He said firmly in exasperation and cupped his face. “I like taking care of you. But this time, you did take care of me. I would have died in that thing without you there looking out for me. I don’t need you to kick ass. You’re smart, and you figured it out. If it were you in there you would have died, because I’m as big and stupid as Karofsky and would have just stood there pulling on that lock instead of looking around for something to smash it with.”
Kurt frowned but calmed down at Finn’s earnestness. “You’re not stupid.” He gave him a pointed look. “And you’re definitely not as stupid as Karofsky.”
Finn leaned down and kissed him briefly. “You saved me, Kurt. And that’s what matters.”
Kurt slid his arm up on Finn’s chest and rested his hand on his shoulder as he settled back in. He felt the hard square of his phone in his pajama pocket. If the ring didn’t wake him, the vibrating would, and he couldn’t afford to miss a call if it was Rachel. Besides, if he had a dream about her he wanted to have his phone at hand to give her the immediate heads up. If he could just repeat this saving thing a few more times, he might actually make it to June without his hair going white. Anderson Cooper was sexy, he supposed, but the color would totally wash him out. He carried the light worry with him into sleep and only woke up occasionally when Finn’s arms wound around him too tightly. He rubbed his shoulders soothingly until the tight expressions from his nightmares relaxed.
When Carole came in to check on Finn that morning, she was carrying two hot chocolates for them. Kurt sat up sheepishly. Maybe he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought.
***
That afternoon Kurt found himself at the Berry home with Rachel, her dads, Finn, Puck, and Mr. Schuester. He sat outside beside Rachel, holding her hand in his as they sat on one of the benches that wrapped around the interior of the picturesque gazebo that her dads installed in the back yard. Kurt would have called it tacky if it wasn’t so precious and surrounded by gardening that would rival Martha Stewart.
He and Rachel watched as Finn threw the ball, protectively holding his hurt hand against his stomach and not playing with it. He fumbled the ball every time it came at him, but that didn’t seem to take the fun out of it for him. He was in a white t-shirt with a black and white image of a band Kurt didn’t recognize printed on the front. His jeans were tighter than usual, because they were a few years old and Finn was outgrowing them. They had holes in the knees and were faded, but despite how old and beat up they were, Kurt had to keep his eyes traveling around to keep himself from getting too worked up at the sight of him in the flattering outfit. He looked good enough to eat.
But Rachel was the one who needed his full attention. She was in a pink mini-dress with an itty bitty teddy bear pattern that was equally ridiculous and childish. She bounced beside him, watching the game avidly as Schuester ran backward and caught the football out of the air. Under his mother’s orders, Finn wasn’t running around. He didn’t sustain any brain damage, but Carole would give him hell if she found out he was playing hardcore tackle football a day after he almost died. Schuester ran with the ball while one of her dads chased after him, and her other one stood next to the gazebo clapping.
“Get him, Daddy!” She released Kurt’s hand and leaned forward screaming.
Kurt tapped her leg as her knees fell open in her excitement, and she obligingly glanced down at his legs and mimicked the crossing. He would teach her how to be a lady yet. Her dad did get the ball but Puck was quick to steal it back. Puck’s presence was interesting. He was already there when he and Finn drove up, his truck sitting in the driveway like it was the most natural place in the world for it to be.
He nudged her and arched a nosy eyebrow. “What’s going on with you and Puckerman?”
She didn’t look nearly as deliciously guilty as he had hoped. She only frowned sadly and glanced out at the Mohawked boy playing around in her back yard.
“Nothing.” Her eyes followed him forlornly. “He’s sad about Lauren. Really, really sad.”
Kurt felt abruptly stupid and callous for suggesting he had moved on from his late girlfriend so quickly. He adjusted his vest and squared his shoulders so Rachel wouldn’t notice his guilty blush. He always knew Puck and Rachel shared an odd common bond that came from being Jewish and dating briefly a long time ago. He looked out for her, and she tolerated him. If he was opening up to her about his grief, their loose common ground must have blossomed into a full-fledged friendship. Kurt was glad for both of them. Puck wasn’t talking to Finn about it, but if it was a feminine ear he needed then it was all the same.
Rachel turned to him. “He’s been going to temple with Dad, Daddy, and me. Sometimes we pray, and sometimes we work on songs. When he got the call about Finn yesterday he made me swear that I would stay here with my dads and Mr. Schuester even though I wanted to come with him to the hospital.” So he was over here yesterday too. “He doesn’t want to believe all of this stuff with your premonitions, but he’s afraid that something will happen to me since my time is up.”
She sounded amazingly cavalier about it considering all of the horrible things that had befallen them so far. Rachel was a monster-sized drama queen. Kurt expected weeping, yelling, speeches, skits, but she just sat there cool and collected.
“Mr. Schuester is scared too. My dads believe you by the way.” She told Kurt abruptly. “Grandma Brody used to have visions of natural disasters. Daddy says she even dreamt about his perm before he got it in the eighties.”
Kurt blinked at her.
“That’s why they’re letting Mr. Schuester stay here. The more eyes on me the better. I suppose.” She agreed tentatively. “Honestly, Kurt, I’m more afraid that if I somehow avoid what’s coming it will start a new chain of events that might involve my fathers. Endangering them would be much worse than facing death myself, wouldn’t it? My Broadway dreams aside, they weren’t at the zoo that day. They’re not supposed to die now, so what if I mess that up? I would rather go, Kurt.”
He gaped at her, thoroughly taken aback. He had never heard anything so utterly selfless come out of her before. People could say what they wanted about Rachel, but she loved her family, that was for sure.
He grabbed her hand back up and held it between both of his. “Nothing is going to happen to you or to them. I’ll make sure of it.” He promised, and somehow he would keep it.
***
It was getting late, but Kurt was reluctant to go. He wanted to carry little Rachel off with him and stare at her the way he had Finn. The girl drove him insane, but she was his friend. Perhaps his best friend besides Mercedes, and as reluctant as he was to admit it, he loved her dearly. He had to keep her safe. Her parents seemed to understand his hesitation, because they invited him and the others to come in, urging Rachel to put a show on for them.
She lit up like a bundle of lights on a Christmas tree, taking off to set up the karaoke machine on the stage down in the basement. He wondered how many karaoke bars they would attend when they moved to New York together next year to chase their dreams. He looked over at Finn grinning nastily with Puck as they looked down at his wounded hand with fascinated disgust at the island in the kitchen.
Kurt rolled his eyes. “Put the bandages back on.”
He set his boyfriend with a sharp look, and Finn began redressing his hand thoroughly chastised. Kurt had the awful thought that he just reminded himself of Carole with the bossy order and even stare. Jeez. He was the boyfriend, not the mother. Still, though, he felt satisfied by how quickly Finn listened and obeyed. He wondered if that made him weird and controlling. Finn didn’t seem to think so. He wandered over to Kurt in the doorway and snickered down at him, raising his hand to show him the bandage was in place.
“Yes, sir.” He grinned mischievously.
“Shut up.” Kurt struggled to keep his smile at bay, a task made harder by the happy smile on Finn’s face as he ran his good hand down his side. But look at that, he listened again.
He noticed Puck off to the side looking at them without the usual scowl of disgust and apathy; this time his eyes were soft and dark. Like he was looking at them interact but remembering something else. Kurt thought about what Rachel said, and wondered how far gone Puck had been on Lauren. From the looks of it, she had a whip and a chain but didn’t have to use either, because Puck was happy to trail after her of his own free will. Puck caught his eyes and looked away, rearranging his expression to reflect his normal annoyance.
“You two lovebirds done grossing me out?” He barked harmlessly as he walked past them out into the hall. “If we don’t hurry, Berry will pick all the music herself and we’ll be stuck listening to her sing show tunes for a full damn hour.”
Kurt didn’t see the harm in that but recognized Puck’s attempt to restore order to the atmosphere. He didn’t want his pity or his attention, so Kurt didn’t give it to him. He slipped his hand in Finn’s uninjured one and followed him to the basement door. At the top of the stairs, Finn slid his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to kiss his head. Kurt inhaled his grassy boy scent contentedly. Alive and Coping Finn was definitely preferable to Next Finn, the boyfriend he might lose at any moment. Finn was clearly feeling the relief too, because his smile only disappeared for seconds at a time.
“Oh Lordy, I will never get used to that.” Kurt made a face at the oil painting of Rachel fixed to the wall in the entranceway. Finn chuckled and kept a hand on his shoulder as he followed him down the stairs.
Rachel was squatting at the edge of the stage looking through the music catalogue with Mr. Schuester. He shook his head at one of her choices, and she pouted but conceded with a glint in her eye that suggested that their teacher only got one veto. Puck was already in one of the lounge seats sitting across from Rachel’s dads on the short couch against the wall. He sneered and said something in Hebrew, leaning forward and slapping hands with the one sitting in front of him. The three of them laughed, and Kurt stared at them critically. Certainly comfy. He never would have pegged Puck as a favorite among parents, but he got along great with Carole and didn’t seem to have any trouble with Rachel’s dads. It seemed that his charisma extended beyond the ladies he wanted to bed when it suited him.
He walked over to the bar on the other side of the basement but before he could sit in one of the high seats, Finn grabbed his waist and lifted him up onto the bar. Kurt’s eyes widened on him in surprise, but Finn just took the chair he had gone for and wrapped an arm around his back.
“You think she’ll be okay?” Finn asked, looking over at Rachel and Schue untangle the wires to the karaoke machine. He nodded, answering himself. “She’ll be okay.”
Kurt ran his fingers through Finn’s hair and swung his legs a little. There was no use putting more pressure on himself, though, so he stayed quiet.
“I’m starting with Barbra!” Rachel announced, still squatting next to the tangled mess.
“What did I tell you!” Puck leaned over the back of his chair and called to Finn and Kurt. Finn pouted, but Kurt raised his chin and looked away. He had no problem with Barbra.
One of her dads got up and busied himself around the bar and mini-fridge before carrying a tray with a pitcher of water and a glass over to his daughter. He set it down on the little round table next to Schue, addressing Rachel.
“Sweetheart, drink a glass before you start. You were in the sun too long, and I don’t want your skin getting all dry from dehydration.” Her fussier father advised, and Kurt nodded his approval. In fact, he had some great skin creams he could offer her too. If he went home and got it, it would be a good excuse for him to come by again tomorrow. Though, at this point, he was ready to just plant his hands on his hips and stop making excuses for the giant psychic elephant in the room. If he needed to check on her, that was that.
“Okay, Dad.” She agreed, standing up as Mr. Schuester unraveled the last bit of knotted wires.
“Yeah, Rach.” Puck got up and sauntered over. “And while you’re getting your H2O on, how bout I pick out some real music. Finn and I will duet some good time Skynyrd.”
“Yeah!” Finn enthused, clapping and hissing as soon as he slapped his blistered hand with his good one. Kurt crooked an eyebrow wryly. He could always sing the Scarecrow’s song from Wizard of Oz.
Mr. Schuester flipped the machine on, and Rachel grabbed one of the pink rhinestone studded microphones.
“I don’t think so, Noah.” Rachel dismissed him. “I think everyone’s in a Yentl mood.”
Kurt snorted and dropped his hand to Finn’s shoulder. A static shock jolted him, and he flinched, pulling his hand away. He looked down, and a tiny, thin bolt of lightning zapped and crackled between Finn’s collar and his finger. His eyes widened.
Groaning, Puck threw his hands up. “Woman, you need to learn to mix it-” His sneaker caught on the floor, and he tripped, losing his balance and falling forward. He grabbed for the table, knocking it over with his weight as he went down. The tray on top slid, and the pitcher teetered over.
Kurt’s heart thudded, and his head flew in their direction. “Rachel!”
Water flew out over the wires, and the microphone fell from Rachel’s hand as Mr. Schuester grabbed and pulled her down in a messy tackle. A cut along the side of one of the cords stripped the protective covering back, revealing the raw wiring inside, and the second the water hit it, a sharp metallic zap pinged through the air. Sparks sputtered out, and the soaked cords zinged and smoked.
Rachel stared over at the crackling mess as it hissed and popped, knocked on her back and tangled with Mr. Schuester.
“Fuck!” Puck ducked from the high erratic sparks, sprawled on the floor behind the flipped table.
A flame ignited in the middle of the wires, hissing up with a billowy whistle. Finn jumped to his feet, knocked his chair over and yanked Kurt down from the bar. The fire flickered upward in a burst of life and shot down the stage in a thick line. Her dads were yelling, and Rachel released a long piercing scream as the fire zigzagged toward her. She was cut off mid-shriek as Puck scrambled to his feet, grabbed her wrist with no amount of delicacy and nearly yanked her arm out of its socket, he pulled her out of the way so quickly. She fell off the stage, slamming into him and stumbling back, falling to the floor in a heap. Mr. Schuester clambered backward out of the way, pressing his back against the wall on the other side of the stage.
Rachel’s football playing dad ran over with the fire extinguisher from under the bar and let loose a stream of white frost. It shot over the flames and killed them instantly. They cowered and fell flat under the spray, but he kept firing it out, paying extra attention to the roll of burned wires.
Kurt’s feet were scraping under him off balance as he stared over at them and barely began to register Finn dragging him backward. They were already at the stairs when Finn’s back hit the basement’s far wall and he dug his fingers into his arm. Kurt panted and let Finn keep him there, unsure whether he would be able to pull free of his tight grip whether he tried to or not.
His eyes twitched and he met Rachel’s gaze. Puck was pulling her to her feet much more gently than he had hauled her off of the stage, and they were both staring over at Kurt in stunned disbelief.
“Sweetheart?” Her dad was looking horrified between her and the tipped over pitcher of water that he brought over that started it all. He pulled her away from Puck and swallowed her in a tight embrace. She turned her face, but didn’t seem to be in control of her other parts, standing stock still and letting him crush her in a hug.
“To die while singing,” she mumbled through numb lips. “Would have been…fitting. Poetic even.”
An unexpected burst of laughter launched out of Kurt, and he let the fit overtake him despite the weary looks he was getting. It was a good thing Finn had a grip on him, because his knees went weak and he sagged against him and the wall. The drama of her near brush with death gave her big dark eyes a sheen of excitement underneath the shock. Like autobiographical lyrics were writing themselves behind her eyes. He drew in quick breaths between his laughter. Only Rachel Berry.