Despite the fact that temperatures were dropping lower with each passing day, Kurt was in the backyard, laying down on the damp grass as he stared up at the desolate sky. There wasn't any particular reason for it. Inside had just felt too stuffy, too stifling and out here promised breeze and freedom. He inhaled deeply, crinkling his nose when his nostrils stung a bit at the action. It still wasn't enough to get him to go in though; with the blanket he had dragged out here on top of him, he would be alright for a long while. His mind was blank for once, and, as the clouds parted enough to give the sun a bit of presence Kurt found it increasingly hard to keep his eyes open, and so, with a comfortable hum, he closed them, but for only a moment.

He gasped then, when, after a 'second', the smell of chocolate assaulted him. Opening his eyes, he saw Finn seated beside him, two steaming cups in his hands.

"When did you get here?" he asked, surprised, as he sat up.

"Oh don't look at me like that," Finn scoffed, handing one to him. "It's not my fault you decided to tempt pneumonia out here. Really Kurt, we have beds inside for sleeping."

Kurt ignored the gentle ribbing, and instead pointedly sipped at the mug, smiling when the rich taste assaulted his taste-buds. They sat quietly, neither talking until the mugs had been drained and set aside on the grass.

"You know, I've been thinking," Finn said, pulling at some blades of grass, "about what you said to me, and what Burt said."

"What did daddy say?"

"He asked me if I really wanted to go to Dalton in the first place, or if it was just because I wanted to be there to protect you."

Kurt's breath hissed at that, and he stared at him expectantly. "I told you not to enrol," Kurt reminded him.

"And I told you I would do what was best for you," Finn returned levelly.

Kurt parted his lips to respond, but his brother spoke before he could. "I think that your dad may be right," he told him. "I shouldn't go to Dalton just to protect you."

"Good."

"But I want to put that question right back to you," Finn said, watching him firmly.

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, hesitantly.

Finn met his gaze. "Do you want to go to Dalton Kurt? Or are you doing this just because you think it'd make our lives easier?"

Kurt was silent for a moment. "Me going to Dalton wouldn't make your lives easier," he admitted. "It's not like I can drive there so it means that one of you will have to take me back and forth and that's so far away. It'll mean I'm so far away as well, and I know that you guys will be worried about me."

"But?"

"But Dalton also seems like a really great place Finn, and I don't know if I'll do well there, but they're willing to help me so much. That has to count for something right?"

"It does," Finn agreed. "And it is a great school."

"It is, and Finn, it's not like I don't want you there with me. Don't you think I wouldn't jump at the chance to have you with me there? To know that I wouldn't be alone? But it's not fair to you if it's not something you really want, and it won't be fair to me to depend on you like this."

"Kurt-"

"Finn you came back here so happy the other day," Kurt interrupted. "I know McKinley isn't perfect, but you love that school. You have a life there Finn, but I've never really fit in. But you shouldn't have to leave the people who care about you. You shouldn't have to start over as well."

"There are people who care about you there too Kurt."

"Not enough," Kurt contradicted. "This has showed me that more than anything else," he mentioned, gesturing at his arm. "I thought I had friends, but friends stand up for you right? Friends don't just watch you get hurt and not do anything about it. Friends don't forget to mention that practice gets moved and then don't come to get you when they realise you aren't there. And teachers shouldn't know you're being bullied and not do anything about it, and a school damn well shouldn't discipline you for getting hurt because they failed to prevent it."

"You found out about that?" Finn guessed.

Kurt nodded. "I read the newspapers online," he responded. "You guys have really kept a lot from me."

"For your own good," Finn protested.

Kurt nodded. "I'm not accusing you all of anything," he explained. "And honestly, I'm glad I didn't know about some of it. I'm sure there are a lot of things I still don't know and that I don't want to know. But what I do know is that if Figgins really is going to get kicked out permanently, then things at McKinley can change, and for the better. I wouldn't want you back there either if that wasn't the case. I wouldn't want you taking flack for me. But if things are better, better for you at least, why should you give that up for me? Why should you give up sports for me? I don't want that for you."

"But what do you want for yourself?" Finn rebutted. "You wanting the best for me is fine, and I appreciate that, but is you being on your own there best for you?"

"I don' think I'll know that until I'm there," Kurt responded, his voice cracking briefly.

"That's the penny in the air," Finn agreed, flopping backwards onto the grass, Kurt mimicking him. "You realise it sounds like we've really decided that I'm not going to Dalton," he pointed out.

"I know," Kurt murmured, rolling onto his side.

"Sure you won't do home-schooling?" Finn half-joked.

Kurt only smiled slightly at that. "How about we compromise?"

"Compromise?" Finn repeated, curiously.

"One week," he offered. "I'll try for one week, and if it's truly not somewhere I want to be, I'll do home-schooling, no complaints."

Finn was silent for a moment, thinking it over. "I can live with that," he said slowly. "Things don't seem so definite then, you know? It still feels like we have an option."

"Yeah," Kurt responded softly, as he twisted away, looking up to the sky again, hoping that he was making the right decision, and asking the universe if it could be kind enough to him that Dalton would really be the type of safe haven it promised to be.

After that day in the backyard, things progressed quickly from there. Kurt was quite happy with letting his parents take control of the situation past there. He had made his decision, but he really didn't care to be involved in all the in-betweens. He had a meeting with the teacher who had first introduced himself, Brian Kentwood, and while he had spent a good few minutes of that initial meeting pressed beside his father, by the end of it he felt cautiously optimistic. There was a level of genuineness to the man that he had rarely experienced before, and once he heard the story about the man's son, his mind was cemented.

Dalton would continue to prove itself to him and the entire family beyond that meeting. Skype meetings had been arranged, both between Kurt and Mr. Kentwood, but with other teachers as well who needed to assess him. He had been nervous and fumbled a lot but they had all been so patient and encouraging that Kurt had felt his nerves relax. By the end of it he had tested into two classes above his year, and, as Mr. Kentwood happily informed him, he would undoubtedly come to latch on to the distraction school offered him.

On Finn's side things had also adjusted smoothly as well. Sue Sylvester became permanent in the role of principal and her new no-nonsense approach had been enough to convince Carole that Finn would be fine to return. The principal had, in a surprising show of emotion apologised to them all, wishing only the best for Kurt, and swore that she would ensure that what happened to him would never reoccur again. Of course, once Finn returned to the school, he would realise that her new role would not stop her from tormenting the glee club, but that was largely a matter between her and Mr. Shuester and so it was tolerable. The school had indeed changed, and so, Finn knew that he had made the right decision to return, even though occasionally in the future, when his new found maturity created a divide between him and his friends, he would question if he should have really made the leap to Dalton as well.

Kurt hesitated in front of the Navigator, looking up at the long path to the school's main building. His parents and Finn were beside him as well, observing him.

"So we're really doing this then?" Burt asked lightly, breaking the quietness that had descended upon them.

"I think we are," Carole agreed, even as she fussed with the edge of Kurt's collar straightening it.

"Do you remember where you're going?" Finn asked Kurt, even as he adjusted his brother's bag on his shoulder.

"Yes," Kurt answered, looking up at him. "Mr. Kentwood's waiting for me in the administrative office. I remember the way."

"That's good," Carole said. "Do you want us to walk you there?"

Kurt bit his lip at the suggestion. A part of him wanted to scream that yes, he wanted them to walk with him, and to stay for the entire day, but the larger part knew that if they came with him, he would be far less likely to stay. He needed to do this on his own, or else he would never survive here, but at the same time... He wasn't sure how to put his feelings into words though, but Finn took the decision from him.

"Oh come on mom," he groaned, poking her. "Kurt's too old for his parents to drop him at the school door. His brother on the other hand…I think that's perfectly fine. Right Kurt?"

Finn grinned down at him, and Kurt felt the tension in him bleed out a bit at that. He smiled up at him and nodded. "Finn can walk me," he agreed.

Burt groaned lightly beside him. "These two have finally realised there's power in numbers," he grumbled moving to his wife and wrapping a hand around her waist. "Do you think we're ever going to win a battle against them now?"

"We'll just have to gang right back up on them," she agreed. "Okay you two, go on then. We've got to head back to Lima soon so that Finn's not late."

"Okay."

After a few words and hugs from each of them, Kurt allowed Finn to wrap his arm around his shoulder, and slowly they started ambling up the pathway.

"Two weeks, remember?" Finn said as they walked. "After we'll re-evaluate this."

"Yeah," Kurt agreed.

"And don't forget you can call me anytime. Call any of us actually, and if anyone even looks at you the wrong way find Kentwood until we can get here."

"I doubt that'll happen."

"Yeah well I won't trust these preppy boys just yet," Finn grumbled.

Kurt smiled slightly at that, and leant a bit closer against Finn until the school building neared them. He looked up briefly as they approached before focussing on his brother who was also taking it in. "Well, we're here," he said unnecessarily.

"We are," Finn agreed, looking down at him, as he released his hold of him. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous. Scared. Hopeful?"

"Hopeful is good," Finn agreed, as he removed Kurt's bag and looped it over his neck.

"I can do this Finn," Kurt said then, forcing his voice to sound firm. "Everyone's nice here. I think I'll be okay."

"I think you will be as well," Finn answered softly. "But for my sake text me lunchtime?"

Kurt chuckled at that, but nodded. "I will."

"Okay," Finn nodded, taking a deep breath. "I should go now."

Kurt nodded at that, breathing deeply as well. The moment had come and it felt so real. "I'll be fine Finn," he said. "Go." Before I change my mind, he added silently.

It took a few seconds more, but finally, Finn nodded, and, adjusting his bag one more time, walked away. Kurt couldn't help him, but he stood there long after Finn's letterman jacket disappeared out of view. He felt alone suddenly, isolated, and for a moment he panicked, wondering if he had made the right decision, trying to decide if he could reach them in time if he ran as fast as he could.

"Kurt?"

He spun around at the call of his name, his eyes widened slightly from his panicked thoughts. Mr Kentwood was standing there at the building's entryway, observing him.

"Mr. Kentwood," he all but breathed, feeling slightly better at the familiar face.

The man seemed to understand what he was experiencing because he approached him quickly, a comforting expression on his face. "You're not alone here Kurt," he told him gently. "And there is absolutely nothing you have to fear."

"Are you sure?" he couldn't help but ask, his tone vulnerable.

"I'm sure," he reassured. "But there's no rush remember? How about we just get you into the office for now? Don't even worry about going to class yet. Baby steps; we'll get you there."

Kurt searched the man's eyes for a long moment, and nodded when he saw the absolute surety there. He would have to put a bit of trust in the man if this was going to work. "Okay," he agreed, straightening himself. "Let's do this."

Finn glanced back once as he walked away, just to ensure that Kurt seemed okay. He was as far as he could tell, and so, he forced himself not to give in to the desire to just scoop him up and carry him back to where safety was assured. Kurt wanted to do this, and all of them needed to start giving him the chance to do so. He wasn't an invalid, and he was right, it was about time that they stopped trying to decide and manage every bit of his life. They had to let him try to do this.

His gaze lifted to the building, and his eyebrows rose slightly as he caught sight of a few boys in the window looking down at where Kurt was. His mouth twisted, when they continued to stare down at Kurt, but, he let it go after a moment. From here on out, he would have to trust that Dalton would do all that it promised for Kurt. That they would help change his life for the better.

And the school would do that, helping Kurt achieve more than they would ever think possible. But, as he continued on his journey back to their parents, Finn could never have known the difference that that group of boys would make for Kurt, and in particular the one with gel in his hair who lingered the longest, staring at Kurt until finally, he moved away out of sight.