Fic: The Time Machine (16/?)
Title: e Time Machine
Genre: Romance, Humor, Fantasy
Pairing: Klaine, Brittana, Rory/?
Rating: PG - PG 13
Spoilers: none.
Disclaimer: : I own nothing...and do not claim to.
Summary: In a moment of what could be called absolutely brilliance or stupidity, Rory Hummel-Anderson decided that the only way to get his Papa back was to go back in time and stall him, or stop him from getting into the car at all. The only problem is, his Aunt's time machine is still just a prototype and he can't even specify a time. But Rory uses it anyway and suddenly he's back in 2011 and he has to pretend to be an exchange student while he waits for Aunt Brittany to build the time machine again and get back home. In the meanwhile he gets to know his parents as teenagers and even help their relationship along when they hit a bump in the road.
Chapter Sixteen
Even Worse News
“That was unexpected,” Kurt said when they were back in Blaine’s car.
Blaine nodded. He still wasn’t anywhere ready to forgive Sebastian, but he could accept that the other boy had realized just how wrong he was about his attitude. But it all stemmed out of guilt about Dave’s attempt rather than real remorse. At least Rachel would be able to compete without fear of Finn being embarrassed so something had come from it.
“Yeah,” Blaine said and clicked his seatbelt on.
“Now that that’s over, what are we doing about this whole wedding thing?”
“I left Rory to tell your dad,” Blaine admitted, “he said he’d be fine. He’s probably still there.”
Kurt nodded. They were silent the whole way back to Kurt’s house. For a while Kurt had played with the radio, but after finding a good station, he just stared out the window.
“You know he’s okay,” Blaine said, “and you know it’s not your fault, right? You can’t blame yourself for not answering the phone. You needed time and had no way of knowing.”
“I know…but it’s hard to not wish that I had picked up just once. Things might be different.” He sighed.
Blaine reached out a hand and Kurt grasped it. He drove one handed - except for turns - until they reached Kurt’s house and then he parked and the two of them got out and he immediately wrapped an arm around Kurt’s shoulders.
Rory was definitely still at Kurt’s house when they got there, but what they didn’t expect was to find him crying and being held by Kurt’s dad. The two of them stopped just within the living room entrance. Kurt was ready to walk forward, but Blaine stopped him when Burt started talking.
“Hush, Kiddo, we’ll figure it out and you’ll be home in no time. I want you to stop worrying about everything and maybe try to accept that even if you get back that you didn’t change anything.”
This time, Blaine didn’t stop Kurt.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his eyes going soft when they landed on Rory who gasped and tried to compose himself quickly.
Kurt grabbed a tissue box and handed it to their son.
“Talk,” he said and then walked to sit down next to Rory.
Blaine was rooted in the spot, but when Kurt looked at him, he moved and perched himself on the arm of the couch. Kurt shifted so he could lean against him.
Rory was wiping his face with the tissues he’d been handed and he looked miserable. Blaine wanted to just wrap him in a hug and then make him cookies and hug him some more. Kurt grabbed the wet crumpled up tissues from Rory and put them on the coffee table and then he took Rory’s hand. Blaine could feel the love he felt for Kurt just grow.
“How long have you known?” Kurt asked and it was directed at Burt.
“Since Christmas,” Kurt’s dad said, “he’s so much like you, Kurt, of course I figured it out. He has so much of you in him and then he’ll do something and it’s a Blaine mannerism straight and simple.”
Kurt laughed. “Gosh,” he said, “and I couldn’t believe it when he told us. I’m still sorry about that.” The last he directed at Rory who just nodded.
“So, what was this, then?” Blaine asked, “are you okay?”
Rory sort of shrugged.
“Come on, Rors, you can tell us.”
Rory only sobbed and Kurt just pulled him forward and Rory just buried his face in Kurt’s neck, the grip that he had on Kurt so fierce that Blaine didn’t think anyone could have pulled them apart and Blaine felt that warmth of love again and the need to be connected to these two people in front of him.
“It might be better if you let it drop,” Burt said. He had a mixture of pride and concern written over his face. He stood up and looked directly at Blaine, “there are some things that you’re better off not knowing.”
After Burt left the room, Blaine stood up and went to sit on Rory’s other side and he met Kurt’s eyes and knew that his boyfriend agreed that they just wouldn’t question Rory anymore. It was a surprise though to see him in such a state again and Blaine was starting to think that whatever he was hiding - probably related to why he’d come back in the first place - was stressing him out and leading to this.
- - -
Ireland had peanut butter. Sugar was almost positive that Ireland had to have peanut butter. They were seated in a circle on the auditorium stage where they would be singing for Regionals the next day and Mr. Shuester had just presented Rory with a jar of peanut butter and she had to hold herself back from strangling him. Why had she gotten stuck in the past with such an idiot.
“This is delicious,” Rory said and he licked the spoon. At least he was a good actor.
Rory had definitely had peanut butter before though and Sugar didn’t want to know why Mr. Shuester had this idea that Rory had never had any. She decided it was better not to question it.
The whole thing turned out to be more talk about David Karofsky or rather Shuester’s way of trying to make sure they all understood why it happened and why they shouldn’t be led to it. Sugar could almost doubt the validity of his story as just a tool to teach.
When it came to going around the circle asking everyone what they were looking forward to Sugar could only come up with one answer but it wasn’t one she could say out loud.
“To Sex in the City 3,” she said instead and it was a bit of a joke because she knew for a fact that there wouldn’t be a third one. And gosh were those movies classics.
Really what she was looking forward to was to seeing her moms again, to sleeping in her own bed in her own room, and to being able to be so worried about everything. The faltering smile on Rory’s lips told her he was thinking along the same lines. He was probably thinking about Blaine too. Sugar hadn’t really thought about the reason Rory used the time machine - wanting to stop Blaine from dying - and how that was all going to work now that they were so far back. A big part of her wanted to tell him to give it up and that they just couldn’t mess with things like that, but really she wanted Blaine back in the future too.
When everything was said and done they all got up and then it was back to practice. Sugar knew there was a reason she hadn’t joined the glee club in the future, and she didn’t regret it one bit because all the dancing and the repetition of the same song over and over again was driving her crazy and she couldn’t wait to just leave the school already.
Somehow Kurt had told Santana that he and Blaine knew about the whole future thing and after practice was over they were all heading to Brittany’s to try and help her get motivated on fixing it. She still wasn’t sure how Kurt had managed to keep her mami from questioning how Kurt and Blaine found out or why they were so interested, but she wasn’t going to sabotage what they’d fixed up now that everyone was finally working towards what she wanted. To get back to where she belonged.
The competition went well the next day and Sugar could even say that she had fun. After the whole thing with the warblers and Sebastian, Rachel had insisted that she have a solo and she was obnoxious about it all, except that at least she stopped talking about the wedding.
It came as no surprise to Sugar that they won. Rory had already told her that this was the year the New Directions went on to win Nationals. Sugar hadn't been sure but mostly because she didn't care about the whole glee club thing like Rory did. She’d never asked either of her moms about it, but she knew Rory had wanted to know everything about their time in Glee club.
After they won, Rachel was back on her wedding plans. They were all going to go home and get ready before heading to city hall where it was going to take place. Sugar was still desperately hoping that something would stop it from happening.
"My grandparents were trying to do something about it but I don't think they were successful," Rory said right after the competition.
Sugar sighed. "I really hope that something happens to stop this."
Kurt and Blaine appeared, then, holding hands. They were both smiling.
"Are you coming with us, Rory?" Blaine asked.
Rory nodded.
"See you later."
Sugar nodded. She was going to get ready with the other girls at Brittany's house. The only one that wasn't coming was Quinn. She and Rachel had argued about the whole wedding thing again and she was refusing to come which bothered Rachel for some reason.
When Mercedes appeared with Brittany, they motioned for her to come with them. Sugar still didn't really fit in like Rory did, but ever since she'd thrown that valentine's day party they were all getting along with her better and as much as Sugar tried to keep her distance from them, she really did like all of them.
- - -
They stopped to grab their suits from Kurt’s house and then they were off to the hospital. Kurt hadn’t had the time to go see Karofsky since it happened, but he’d assured Blaine that he would be quick and that they could head directly to the wedding afterwards. Rory had opted to tag along with them, though mostly because he didn’t want to be with Finn who was a trainwreck of nerves.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” Blaine asked.
Kurt shook his head. So, Rory and Blaine sat in the waiting room.
“So do they go through with it?” Blaine asked, “with the wedding I mean?”
“I have no idea,” Rory said and it was nice to be able to say that to someone other than Sugar. “I don’t want to mess up the future - but, hey, maybe I already did.”
“What do you mean?”
The waiting room was like any other waiting room. It was kind of big, with some patterned carpet, ugly wall paper, worn magazines, and a bunch of people. Rory didn’t want to be too loud.
“I mean that neither of you ever told me about a wedding happening this year,” Rory said, “Uncle Finn and Aunt Rachel got married after college. They’ve been married less time than you and dad.”
Blaine somehow found the fact that he and Kurt would get married first refreshing and simply put: awesome. It wasn’t that it was a competition with Finn and Rachel, he just liked the idea that it would be he and Kurt who were married first and not Finn and Rachel.
“Do you think it was insignificant that we just didn’t feel like sharing it? Or is this a result of you being here?”
Blaine hadn’t, before this moment, actually wondered if Rory was changing anything by just being a part of the past. Could Rory be changing a lot of things drastically enough that when he went back to his own time parts of it wouldn’t be familiar to him?
ldquo;I don’t know,” he said, “I guess if they do, you know, end up married by the end of today we’ll know that something Sugar or I did caused it and then we have to consider what else we might have changed.”
Blaine nodded. He really hoped, more than he had before, that Finn and Rachel were stopped before they said “I Do”. He didn’t know a whole lot about the future, but he was positive that it was a good one but mostly because of Rory and he didn’t want to have anything tamper the possibility that he and Kurt had him and raised him.
When Kurt came back out he looked a little teary, but he was smiling. “I think he’s going to be okay,” he said, “we agreed to keep in touch and he’s going to get a therapist. His mom didn’t react too well, but he has his dad.”
Blaine stood up at once and grabbed his hand. “You are amazing, you know that,” he whispered, “and I hope he told you not to blame yourself.”
“In a way. He understood why I didn’t answer.”
Their suits were in the car along with a bag that contained hairspray and gel. They were going to get to City Hall with just enough time to commandeer the bathroom to change and fix up their hair. Blaine knew that Kurt wasn’t taking the entire thing seriously and it was the one reason he wasn’t actually fixing himself up like he would normally.
When they arrived, they went directly to the bathroom and each of them changed in the different stalls. Kurt helped Blaine with his bowtie and then let the other boy go add more gel to his hair. He then helped Rory who was looking awkward in his suit and like he was ready to just change back into the clothes he’d been in earlier.
Blaine watched as Kurt finally fixed himself up and then the three boys left the bathroom. For a moment they walked into the room with the boys. Finn was a nervous wreck and he looked a mixture of unsure and ready. Blaine could understand what he was feeling, but he also thought it was just really stupid to think that getting married would solve all his problems.
They didn’t stay with the boys too long because Rachel was texting Kurt to come see her. Rory was talking to Sam and Artie, so the two of them just stepped out.
“Rory told me he never heard about them getting married now,” Blaine told Kurt when they were walking towards the sitting room Rachel and the bridesmaids had been out in, “he also told me that you and I get married before them.”
Kurt laughed and leaned over to press a kiss on his cheek.
Rachel looked beautiful in her dress, but she seemed to be stressing over something. She was holding onto her phone tightly.
“What’s going on?” Kurt asked.
Rachel rushed over and hugged him. Blaine dropped his hand and watch her pull Kurt away.
“Quinn’s not here yet,” Rachel said, “and she’s not answering. She was just going home to get her dress.”
The next ten minutes felt really long. Rachel kept texting Quinn and showing signs of beginning to freak out. Blaine thought that she was using Quinn as an excuse to continue holding back the wedding. He didn’t understand why Rachel seemed to think it was so important for Quinn to be a part of it. She hadn’t been coming originally.
The rest of the boys, following Finn entered when it seemed that they needed to take their time slot. There were cries from the girls about bad luck, and the combination of Rachel’s dad’s and Burt and Carole looked like they wanted to do anything possible to stop this from happening.
Rachel was waving her phone about. “She said she’s on her way. We can wait a little longer.”
- - -
They waited too long. Or rather, his dad went and talked to someone to make sure that they wouldn’t just marry Rachel and Finn. Kurt thought that it was brilliant. His dad had realized that Rachel was stalling for Quinn and he’d figured out a way to stop the wedding altogether. Somehow, Kurt thought that Finn looked a little bit relieved. He knew everyone else was.
So, they headed to Rachel’s house anyway because there was still some light refreshments and they couldn’t go to waste.
“Regionals victory party,” Rachel had said, “and, hey, this will give us more time to properly plan the wedding.”
Kurt was not the only one to groan. There was no talking to them around the idea, Kurt was hoping that when they finally got their NYADA letters and she was accepted that she would forget all about it. He had decided against asking Rory about it, but he was nervous about the upcoming audition he would have to do.
Before they left, Rachel tried to call Quinn again, but she didn’t answer. She texted her a few bunch of times and then asked someone else to try calling her. Again nothing.
“I’ll leave a message,” she said and tried to call again. This time someone picked up.
“Quinn!” Rachel said, but nothing else. She gasped, and then the phone fell from her hands.
“Rach? What is it?”
Rachel shook her head. Her eyes were wide and they darted around the room. “She was in an accident,” she said, “I don’t…oh, god, I was texting her.”
They were all unbearably quiet. None of them could believe it. Quinn had gotten into an accident on the way to the wedding. She had stopped it - put a pause on it anyway - but at the risk of her life. It was too much. This week had been filled with almost deaths. Actually, they didn’t even know how Quinn was, or if she would make it. She had to. Kurt couldn’t help but look at Rory.
He was pale as a sheet. Before Kurt could move to him though, Blaine was there and Kurt thought it was the most beautiful thing to see Blaine wrap an arm around their son and to see Rory just stare at Blaine’s face as if he were going to disappear at any moment.
Kurt gasped. “No,” he whispered. It couldn’t be.
Somehow he moved, stumbling across the room to Blaine and Rory.
“Kurt?” Blaine asked, “Kurt, are you alright?”
Around them other things were happening. Someone was calling Quinn’s mom, someone else was calling Quinn’s number back and hoping it would be answered. Someone was trying to figure out which hospital she might be taken to. Kurt could only see Rory and Blaine and the way that Rory’s eyes were moist or how he had a grip on Blaine’s blazer.
“What is going on here?”
Kurt jumped. It was his dad, back from wherever he and Rachel’s dads had gone.
Finn tried to explain. His mom was there and she was helping them and instructing them on what to do, but Kurt was still frozen.
“Kiddo, are you…I know she was your friend, but you know she’s going to be…”
Kurt stared up at his dad and he remembered just the other day. Rory crying. His dad had to know.
“Please tell me it isn’t true. You know, right? He told you. It’s not. It can’t be.”
His dad didn’t respond, but that said it all.
“No. No. Please.”
Arms gathered him and he was engulfed by the smell of comfort that would always be his father. He closed his eyes tight and wished desperately that it was all just a dream
Genre: Romance, Humor, Fantasy
Pairing: Klaine, Brittana, Rory/?
Rating: PG - PG 13
Spoilers: none.
Disclaimer: : I own nothing...and do not claim to.
Summary: In a moment of what could be called absolutely brilliance or stupidity, Rory Hummel-Anderson decided that the only way to get his Papa back was to go back in time and stall him, or stop him from getting into the car at all. The only problem is, his Aunt's time machine is still just a prototype and he can't even specify a time. But Rory uses it anyway and suddenly he's back in 2011 and he has to pretend to be an exchange student while he waits for Aunt Brittany to build the time machine again and get back home. In the meanwhile he gets to know his parents as teenagers and even help their relationship along when they hit a bump in the road.
Chapter Sixteen
Even Worse News
“That was unexpected,” Kurt said when they were back in Blaine’s car.
Blaine nodded. He still wasn’t anywhere ready to forgive Sebastian, but he could accept that the other boy had realized just how wrong he was about his attitude. But it all stemmed out of guilt about Dave’s attempt rather than real remorse. At least Rachel would be able to compete without fear of Finn being embarrassed so something had come from it.
“Yeah,” Blaine said and clicked his seatbelt on.
“Now that that’s over, what are we doing about this whole wedding thing?”
“I left Rory to tell your dad,” Blaine admitted, “he said he’d be fine. He’s probably still there.”
Kurt nodded. They were silent the whole way back to Kurt’s house. For a while Kurt had played with the radio, but after finding a good station, he just stared out the window.
“You know he’s okay,” Blaine said, “and you know it’s not your fault, right? You can’t blame yourself for not answering the phone. You needed time and had no way of knowing.”
“I know…but it’s hard to not wish that I had picked up just once. Things might be different.” He sighed.
Blaine reached out a hand and Kurt grasped it. He drove one handed - except for turns - until they reached Kurt’s house and then he parked and the two of them got out and he immediately wrapped an arm around Kurt’s shoulders.
Rory was definitely still at Kurt’s house when they got there, but what they didn’t expect was to find him crying and being held by Kurt’s dad. The two of them stopped just within the living room entrance. Kurt was ready to walk forward, but Blaine stopped him when Burt started talking.
“Hush, Kiddo, we’ll figure it out and you’ll be home in no time. I want you to stop worrying about everything and maybe try to accept that even if you get back that you didn’t change anything.”
This time, Blaine didn’t stop Kurt.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his eyes going soft when they landed on Rory who gasped and tried to compose himself quickly.
Kurt grabbed a tissue box and handed it to their son.
“Talk,” he said and then walked to sit down next to Rory.
Blaine was rooted in the spot, but when Kurt looked at him, he moved and perched himself on the arm of the couch. Kurt shifted so he could lean against him.
Rory was wiping his face with the tissues he’d been handed and he looked miserable. Blaine wanted to just wrap him in a hug and then make him cookies and hug him some more. Kurt grabbed the wet crumpled up tissues from Rory and put them on the coffee table and then he took Rory’s hand. Blaine could feel the love he felt for Kurt just grow.
“How long have you known?” Kurt asked and it was directed at Burt.
“Since Christmas,” Kurt’s dad said, “he’s so much like you, Kurt, of course I figured it out. He has so much of you in him and then he’ll do something and it’s a Blaine mannerism straight and simple.”
Kurt laughed. “Gosh,” he said, “and I couldn’t believe it when he told us. I’m still sorry about that.” The last he directed at Rory who just nodded.
“So, what was this, then?” Blaine asked, “are you okay?”
Rory sort of shrugged.
“Come on, Rors, you can tell us.”
Rory only sobbed and Kurt just pulled him forward and Rory just buried his face in Kurt’s neck, the grip that he had on Kurt so fierce that Blaine didn’t think anyone could have pulled them apart and Blaine felt that warmth of love again and the need to be connected to these two people in front of him.
“It might be better if you let it drop,” Burt said. He had a mixture of pride and concern written over his face. He stood up and looked directly at Blaine, “there are some things that you’re better off not knowing.”
After Burt left the room, Blaine stood up and went to sit on Rory’s other side and he met Kurt’s eyes and knew that his boyfriend agreed that they just wouldn’t question Rory anymore. It was a surprise though to see him in such a state again and Blaine was starting to think that whatever he was hiding - probably related to why he’d come back in the first place - was stressing him out and leading to this.
- - -
Ireland had peanut butter. Sugar was almost positive that Ireland had to have peanut butter. They were seated in a circle on the auditorium stage where they would be singing for Regionals the next day and Mr. Shuester had just presented Rory with a jar of peanut butter and she had to hold herself back from strangling him. Why had she gotten stuck in the past with such an idiot.
“This is delicious,” Rory said and he licked the spoon. At least he was a good actor.
Rory had definitely had peanut butter before though and Sugar didn’t want to know why Mr. Shuester had this idea that Rory had never had any. She decided it was better not to question it.
The whole thing turned out to be more talk about David Karofsky or rather Shuester’s way of trying to make sure they all understood why it happened and why they shouldn’t be led to it. Sugar could almost doubt the validity of his story as just a tool to teach.
When it came to going around the circle asking everyone what they were looking forward to Sugar could only come up with one answer but it wasn’t one she could say out loud.
“To Sex in the City 3,” she said instead and it was a bit of a joke because she knew for a fact that there wouldn’t be a third one. And gosh were those movies classics.
Really what she was looking forward to was to seeing her moms again, to sleeping in her own bed in her own room, and to being able to be so worried about everything. The faltering smile on Rory’s lips told her he was thinking along the same lines. He was probably thinking about Blaine too. Sugar hadn’t really thought about the reason Rory used the time machine - wanting to stop Blaine from dying - and how that was all going to work now that they were so far back. A big part of her wanted to tell him to give it up and that they just couldn’t mess with things like that, but really she wanted Blaine back in the future too.
When everything was said and done they all got up and then it was back to practice. Sugar knew there was a reason she hadn’t joined the glee club in the future, and she didn’t regret it one bit because all the dancing and the repetition of the same song over and over again was driving her crazy and she couldn’t wait to just leave the school already.
Somehow Kurt had told Santana that he and Blaine knew about the whole future thing and after practice was over they were all heading to Brittany’s to try and help her get motivated on fixing it. She still wasn’t sure how Kurt had managed to keep her mami from questioning how Kurt and Blaine found out or why they were so interested, but she wasn’t going to sabotage what they’d fixed up now that everyone was finally working towards what she wanted. To get back to where she belonged.
The competition went well the next day and Sugar could even say that she had fun. After the whole thing with the warblers and Sebastian, Rachel had insisted that she have a solo and she was obnoxious about it all, except that at least she stopped talking about the wedding.
It came as no surprise to Sugar that they won. Rory had already told her that this was the year the New Directions went on to win Nationals. Sugar hadn't been sure but mostly because she didn't care about the whole glee club thing like Rory did. She’d never asked either of her moms about it, but she knew Rory had wanted to know everything about their time in Glee club.
After they won, Rachel was back on her wedding plans. They were all going to go home and get ready before heading to city hall where it was going to take place. Sugar was still desperately hoping that something would stop it from happening.
"My grandparents were trying to do something about it but I don't think they were successful," Rory said right after the competition.
Sugar sighed. "I really hope that something happens to stop this."
Kurt and Blaine appeared, then, holding hands. They were both smiling.
"Are you coming with us, Rory?" Blaine asked.
Rory nodded.
"See you later."
Sugar nodded. She was going to get ready with the other girls at Brittany's house. The only one that wasn't coming was Quinn. She and Rachel had argued about the whole wedding thing again and she was refusing to come which bothered Rachel for some reason.
When Mercedes appeared with Brittany, they motioned for her to come with them. Sugar still didn't really fit in like Rory did, but ever since she'd thrown that valentine's day party they were all getting along with her better and as much as Sugar tried to keep her distance from them, she really did like all of them.
- - -
They stopped to grab their suits from Kurt’s house and then they were off to the hospital. Kurt hadn’t had the time to go see Karofsky since it happened, but he’d assured Blaine that he would be quick and that they could head directly to the wedding afterwards. Rory had opted to tag along with them, though mostly because he didn’t want to be with Finn who was a trainwreck of nerves.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” Blaine asked.
Kurt shook his head. So, Rory and Blaine sat in the waiting room.
“So do they go through with it?” Blaine asked, “with the wedding I mean?”
“I have no idea,” Rory said and it was nice to be able to say that to someone other than Sugar. “I don’t want to mess up the future - but, hey, maybe I already did.”
“What do you mean?”
The waiting room was like any other waiting room. It was kind of big, with some patterned carpet, ugly wall paper, worn magazines, and a bunch of people. Rory didn’t want to be too loud.
“I mean that neither of you ever told me about a wedding happening this year,” Rory said, “Uncle Finn and Aunt Rachel got married after college. They’ve been married less time than you and dad.”
Blaine somehow found the fact that he and Kurt would get married first refreshing and simply put: awesome. It wasn’t that it was a competition with Finn and Rachel, he just liked the idea that it would be he and Kurt who were married first and not Finn and Rachel.
“Do you think it was insignificant that we just didn’t feel like sharing it? Or is this a result of you being here?”
Blaine hadn’t, before this moment, actually wondered if Rory was changing anything by just being a part of the past. Could Rory be changing a lot of things drastically enough that when he went back to his own time parts of it wouldn’t be familiar to him?
ldquo;I don’t know,” he said, “I guess if they do, you know, end up married by the end of today we’ll know that something Sugar or I did caused it and then we have to consider what else we might have changed.”
Blaine nodded. He really hoped, more than he had before, that Finn and Rachel were stopped before they said “I Do”. He didn’t know a whole lot about the future, but he was positive that it was a good one but mostly because of Rory and he didn’t want to have anything tamper the possibility that he and Kurt had him and raised him.
When Kurt came back out he looked a little teary, but he was smiling. “I think he’s going to be okay,” he said, “we agreed to keep in touch and he’s going to get a therapist. His mom didn’t react too well, but he has his dad.”
Blaine stood up at once and grabbed his hand. “You are amazing, you know that,” he whispered, “and I hope he told you not to blame yourself.”
“In a way. He understood why I didn’t answer.”
Their suits were in the car along with a bag that contained hairspray and gel. They were going to get to City Hall with just enough time to commandeer the bathroom to change and fix up their hair. Blaine knew that Kurt wasn’t taking the entire thing seriously and it was the one reason he wasn’t actually fixing himself up like he would normally.
When they arrived, they went directly to the bathroom and each of them changed in the different stalls. Kurt helped Blaine with his bowtie and then let the other boy go add more gel to his hair. He then helped Rory who was looking awkward in his suit and like he was ready to just change back into the clothes he’d been in earlier.
Blaine watched as Kurt finally fixed himself up and then the three boys left the bathroom. For a moment they walked into the room with the boys. Finn was a nervous wreck and he looked a mixture of unsure and ready. Blaine could understand what he was feeling, but he also thought it was just really stupid to think that getting married would solve all his problems.
They didn’t stay with the boys too long because Rachel was texting Kurt to come see her. Rory was talking to Sam and Artie, so the two of them just stepped out.
“Rory told me he never heard about them getting married now,” Blaine told Kurt when they were walking towards the sitting room Rachel and the bridesmaids had been out in, “he also told me that you and I get married before them.”
Kurt laughed and leaned over to press a kiss on his cheek.
Rachel looked beautiful in her dress, but she seemed to be stressing over something. She was holding onto her phone tightly.
“What’s going on?” Kurt asked.
Rachel rushed over and hugged him. Blaine dropped his hand and watch her pull Kurt away.
“Quinn’s not here yet,” Rachel said, “and she’s not answering. She was just going home to get her dress.”
The next ten minutes felt really long. Rachel kept texting Quinn and showing signs of beginning to freak out. Blaine thought that she was using Quinn as an excuse to continue holding back the wedding. He didn’t understand why Rachel seemed to think it was so important for Quinn to be a part of it. She hadn’t been coming originally.
The rest of the boys, following Finn entered when it seemed that they needed to take their time slot. There were cries from the girls about bad luck, and the combination of Rachel’s dad’s and Burt and Carole looked like they wanted to do anything possible to stop this from happening.
Rachel was waving her phone about. “She said she’s on her way. We can wait a little longer.”
- - -
They waited too long. Or rather, his dad went and talked to someone to make sure that they wouldn’t just marry Rachel and Finn. Kurt thought that it was brilliant. His dad had realized that Rachel was stalling for Quinn and he’d figured out a way to stop the wedding altogether. Somehow, Kurt thought that Finn looked a little bit relieved. He knew everyone else was.
So, they headed to Rachel’s house anyway because there was still some light refreshments and they couldn’t go to waste.
“Regionals victory party,” Rachel had said, “and, hey, this will give us more time to properly plan the wedding.”
Kurt was not the only one to groan. There was no talking to them around the idea, Kurt was hoping that when they finally got their NYADA letters and she was accepted that she would forget all about it. He had decided against asking Rory about it, but he was nervous about the upcoming audition he would have to do.
Before they left, Rachel tried to call Quinn again, but she didn’t answer. She texted her a few bunch of times and then asked someone else to try calling her. Again nothing.
“I’ll leave a message,” she said and tried to call again. This time someone picked up.
“Quinn!” Rachel said, but nothing else. She gasped, and then the phone fell from her hands.
“Rach? What is it?”
Rachel shook her head. Her eyes were wide and they darted around the room. “She was in an accident,” she said, “I don’t…oh, god, I was texting her.”
They were all unbearably quiet. None of them could believe it. Quinn had gotten into an accident on the way to the wedding. She had stopped it - put a pause on it anyway - but at the risk of her life. It was too much. This week had been filled with almost deaths. Actually, they didn’t even know how Quinn was, or if she would make it. She had to. Kurt couldn’t help but look at Rory.
He was pale as a sheet. Before Kurt could move to him though, Blaine was there and Kurt thought it was the most beautiful thing to see Blaine wrap an arm around their son and to see Rory just stare at Blaine’s face as if he were going to disappear at any moment.
Kurt gasped. “No,” he whispered. It couldn’t be.
Somehow he moved, stumbling across the room to Blaine and Rory.
“Kurt?” Blaine asked, “Kurt, are you alright?”
Around them other things were happening. Someone was calling Quinn’s mom, someone else was calling Quinn’s number back and hoping it would be answered. Someone was trying to figure out which hospital she might be taken to. Kurt could only see Rory and Blaine and the way that Rory’s eyes were moist or how he had a grip on Blaine’s blazer.
“What is going on here?”
Kurt jumped. It was his dad, back from wherever he and Rachel’s dads had gone.
Finn tried to explain. His mom was there and she was helping them and instructing them on what to do, but Kurt was still frozen.
“Kiddo, are you…I know she was your friend, but you know she’s going to be…”
Kurt stared up at his dad and he remembered just the other day. Rory crying. His dad had to know.
“Please tell me it isn’t true. You know, right? He told you. It’s not. It can’t be.”
His dad didn’t respond, but that said it all.
“No. No. Please.”
Arms gathered him and he was engulfed by the smell of comfort that would always be his father. He closed his eyes tight and wished desperately that it was all just a dream