Fic:: The Unexplainable 3/8
Title: The Unexplainable 3/8
Genre: Angst/Drama
Rating: R
Pairing: None.
Word Count: 1100 this chapter // 2750 overall.
Summary: Kurt suddenly returns to Lima, after being missing for almost a year. Nobody knows how to deal. For the glee_angst_meme prompt here.
Carole could not believe the words. She nearly dropped the phone in her hand.
“Hey Carole, it’s Dan Jacobs. You’re never gonna believe this but Kurt was found…Burt told me to get ahold of you as soon as possible.”
He hung up shortly after and Carole was just left speechless. She had lost so much in the past year because of losing Kurt. She broke down crying, the moment the phone left her ear. She let it drop. Carole could not believe the news. They found Kurt. It was something she had been dreaming about, her stepson being found alive. It was something she and Finn had sat together and prayed desperately for. It was something that she had given up on.
The desperate search for Kurt was also what had torn her and Burt apart. She had been strong for Burt, for Finn and for herself but even the strength of a mother had limits.
After the first nine months of searching, she had been exhausted. She had cried too many tears, held Finn while he mourned his brother and it was starting to feel hopeless. For all she knew, it was hopeless. “Burt...Finn's failing most of his classes, you and I...bills are piling up. I think...it's time we hold the funeral. Give the town closure."
She had sworn her mild mannered Burt was going to hit her. Instead he hit the wall and yelled at her. "I will never give up on Kurt. Never.”
Burt hadn't been home since, on his mission. Now he was telling her Kurt was alive.
She wrote Finn a shaky note.
Call me when you get home. Love you. Mom.
She quickly rushed to the hospital. Her scream upon seeing Burt holding a frail Kurt in his arms just ripped from her lungs. Kurt looked like death. His body was skeletal in his father's arms. Burt looked up and whispered her name. "Carole," he whispered. "Carole, they said he was probably caught in a…sex-trafficking ring. I…I…” He broke down crying, but not the sobs they had suffered through together for months - there were just little whimpers left his throat.
She reached over and held Burt. All of the anger just slipped away. "Shh sweetheart," she mumbled, kissing the top of his head. "Look at him Burt, he's alive and in your arms again like you said. He's going to make it just like you said. You were right baby, always right."
She was so scared, she couldn’t stop shaking, even as she tried to be strong and keep Burt together. She could feel the man’s ribs through his clothes when she held him. When did he get so damned skinny? She realized that she hadn’t held Burt for three months and closing her eyes, she tried very hard not to cry. “Burt, how long have you been here?”
“Six hours,” he mumbled softly.
“You need to go get something to eat or drink downstairs.”
“I am not leaving him Carole,” Burt said, like she expected, and gave her an outright death glare. She looked back, just as strong.
“Burt, come on. Kurt’s here now and he needs a strong daddy. I haven’t seen you in three months and you look like you’re ready to keel over yourself. He needs both of us, to be as strong as we can possibly be.”
She waved Will Schuester over from the hallway. He had been there for her, quite a bit during these past months and had supported Finn. She knew that without the man her son would have failed his junior year. Will had pulled a lot of strings for him. “Will, honey, can you please take Burt downstairs to get some food and water in him? He’s not gonna do Kurt any good passed out.”
“You’ll watch him?” Burt asked weakly.
She put her hand on his cheek, holding his face in place. “Burt Hummel, I love Kurt. He is my son. I’ll keep him safe for fifteen minutes. I swear that to you.”
She had missed just touching the man.
She sat down by Kurt’s bedside, touching his pale hand. He was so delicate, so fragile, she was sure she’d break him if she did more than gently brush him. “Kurt,” she said softly. “You have no idea how much I love you, or how much I missed you. I didn’t want to give up. Ever. I never wanted to give up on you. I have always believed in you Kurt.”
He opened his eyes at her voice. He looked at her with childlike, innocent eyes. “Carole,” he said softly.
She gasped, then tried to contain herself and smiled. “Hi Kurt. My god baby, I missed you”
He looked at her, sad and confused, like he recognized her but she came from another universe. “Finn?” he asked.
She gently touched his cheek. “Finn’s at school right now, honey. I told him to call me as soon as he gets home. God, he missed you Kurt.”
“Finn can’t see me…Finn can’t know me anymore…no. I’m not the same. I’m not me. He won’t like…”
“Hey, Finn adores you,” she said softly. “Rest Kurt. Close your eyes.”
Kurt closed his eyes, wincing, doing what she told him. Carole took in all the tiny signs of injury, the pained look on his face, the bruises. “What day is it?” he asked.
“November 30th,” she said gently.
“I missed your anniversary with dad,” he said softly. “I remembered dates…lots of dates…to keep me here…Finn’s birthday…Finn and Rachel’s six month anniversary…their other anniversary ... the day you married Dad…my mom’s birthday…”
He was rambling, hysterical and it hurt. It hurt to see her son look like that. He leaned back against his pillow, rambling about dates. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she’d missed her anniversary too. She had spent it alone, crying into a pillow, while Finn stood outside her door trying to comfort her. “We’ll all celebrate together when you’re better, okay?” she said softly. “We’re so glad we got our Kurt back. We did everything in the world to find you. Your daddy never…ever gave up.”
“I know he wouldn’t…”
That broke her heart.
“We got our Kurt back,” she said. “That’s all that matters.”
“No you didn’t.”
Genre: Angst/Drama
Rating: R
Pairing: None.
Word Count: 1100 this chapter // 2750 overall.
Summary: Kurt suddenly returns to Lima, after being missing for almost a year. Nobody knows how to deal. For the glee_angst_meme prompt here.
Carole could not believe the words. She nearly dropped the phone in her hand.
“Hey Carole, it’s Dan Jacobs. You’re never gonna believe this but Kurt was found…Burt told me to get ahold of you as soon as possible.”
He hung up shortly after and Carole was just left speechless. She had lost so much in the past year because of losing Kurt. She broke down crying, the moment the phone left her ear. She let it drop. Carole could not believe the news. They found Kurt. It was something she had been dreaming about, her stepson being found alive. It was something she and Finn had sat together and prayed desperately for. It was something that she had given up on.
The desperate search for Kurt was also what had torn her and Burt apart. She had been strong for Burt, for Finn and for herself but even the strength of a mother had limits.
After the first nine months of searching, she had been exhausted. She had cried too many tears, held Finn while he mourned his brother and it was starting to feel hopeless. For all she knew, it was hopeless. “Burt...Finn's failing most of his classes, you and I...bills are piling up. I think...it's time we hold the funeral. Give the town closure."
She had sworn her mild mannered Burt was going to hit her. Instead he hit the wall and yelled at her. "I will never give up on Kurt. Never.”
Burt hadn't been home since, on his mission. Now he was telling her Kurt was alive.
She wrote Finn a shaky note.
Call me when you get home. Love you. Mom.
She quickly rushed to the hospital. Her scream upon seeing Burt holding a frail Kurt in his arms just ripped from her lungs. Kurt looked like death. His body was skeletal in his father's arms. Burt looked up and whispered her name. "Carole," he whispered. "Carole, they said he was probably caught in a…sex-trafficking ring. I…I…” He broke down crying, but not the sobs they had suffered through together for months - there were just little whimpers left his throat.
She reached over and held Burt. All of the anger just slipped away. "Shh sweetheart," she mumbled, kissing the top of his head. "Look at him Burt, he's alive and in your arms again like you said. He's going to make it just like you said. You were right baby, always right."
She was so scared, she couldn’t stop shaking, even as she tried to be strong and keep Burt together. She could feel the man’s ribs through his clothes when she held him. When did he get so damned skinny? She realized that she hadn’t held Burt for three months and closing her eyes, she tried very hard not to cry. “Burt, how long have you been here?”
“Six hours,” he mumbled softly.
“You need to go get something to eat or drink downstairs.”
“I am not leaving him Carole,” Burt said, like she expected, and gave her an outright death glare. She looked back, just as strong.
“Burt, come on. Kurt’s here now and he needs a strong daddy. I haven’t seen you in three months and you look like you’re ready to keel over yourself. He needs both of us, to be as strong as we can possibly be.”
She waved Will Schuester over from the hallway. He had been there for her, quite a bit during these past months and had supported Finn. She knew that without the man her son would have failed his junior year. Will had pulled a lot of strings for him. “Will, honey, can you please take Burt downstairs to get some food and water in him? He’s not gonna do Kurt any good passed out.”
“You’ll watch him?” Burt asked weakly.
She put her hand on his cheek, holding his face in place. “Burt Hummel, I love Kurt. He is my son. I’ll keep him safe for fifteen minutes. I swear that to you.”
She had missed just touching the man.
She sat down by Kurt’s bedside, touching his pale hand. He was so delicate, so fragile, she was sure she’d break him if she did more than gently brush him. “Kurt,” she said softly. “You have no idea how much I love you, or how much I missed you. I didn’t want to give up. Ever. I never wanted to give up on you. I have always believed in you Kurt.”
He opened his eyes at her voice. He looked at her with childlike, innocent eyes. “Carole,” he said softly.
She gasped, then tried to contain herself and smiled. “Hi Kurt. My god baby, I missed you”
He looked at her, sad and confused, like he recognized her but she came from another universe. “Finn?” he asked.
She gently touched his cheek. “Finn’s at school right now, honey. I told him to call me as soon as he gets home. God, he missed you Kurt.”
“Finn can’t see me…Finn can’t know me anymore…no. I’m not the same. I’m not me. He won’t like…”
“Hey, Finn adores you,” she said softly. “Rest Kurt. Close your eyes.”
Kurt closed his eyes, wincing, doing what she told him. Carole took in all the tiny signs of injury, the pained look on his face, the bruises. “What day is it?” he asked.
“November 30th,” she said gently.
“I missed your anniversary with dad,” he said softly. “I remembered dates…lots of dates…to keep me here…Finn’s birthday…Finn and Rachel’s six month anniversary…their other anniversary ... the day you married Dad…my mom’s birthday…”
He was rambling, hysterical and it hurt. It hurt to see her son look like that. He leaned back against his pillow, rambling about dates. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she’d missed her anniversary too. She had spent it alone, crying into a pillow, while Finn stood outside her door trying to comfort her. “We’ll all celebrate together when you’re better, okay?” she said softly. “We’re so glad we got our Kurt back. We did everything in the world to find you. Your daddy never…ever gave up.”
“I know he wouldn’t…”
That broke her heart.
“We got our Kurt back,” she said. “That’s all that matters.”
“No you didn’t.”