Cruel Summer Epilogue - Two Weeks Later

Word Count: 2,608/189,000

Rating: PG-13

Summary: After Kurt was rejected from NYADA, we were dying to find out what happened next. We couldn't wait for the September premiere. Here is our take of what happened from the letter opening and beyond.

Author's Note: Sorry this A/N is so long. I have lots to say. I spent most of the last two chapters sobbing as I wrote, knowing this book was over. I started this project way back in June (I had the idea right after the s3 finale, actually) and look where we are now. This was supposed to be a short five chapter intro for a season four AU story. Instead, it became a novel in itself. It also helped me discover that I was meant to be a writer in some capacity. If glee gave me anything, it was that, right?

Ok, so here are my plans and thoughts for the immediate future. Like I said, I’m taking a hiatus on this story. I plan on starting to post again in the New Year. However, I’m kinda feeling a little bitter about the whole Klaine thing. I go from wanting them back together to not even wanting to watch the show anymore. I’m hoping this break will help those feelings settle. It’s very hard to write about a couple when they are broken up in canon, and in such a dramatic way, especially when you are mad at one character (Blaine). So I want to announce that tentatively, the new book will be named Cruel Summer 2 – Boys of Summer. I will keep in touch through twitter (@KurtsieKalanai) and Tumblr (KurtsieKalanai). Follow me to keep updated.

In the meantime, I’m going to be trying a bit of a different story. This will be my first totally solo offering. The working title will be Going Back To The Start, it’s sort of a Klaine fic, but they aren’t together in the traditional way. It’s a dual POV story, and it’s light fantasy or sci-fi. I’m really not even sure how to describe it. It’s another “this takes place right after a canon scene” fic, taking place after The Break Up. I got the idea when I was flying to Florida last month. I doubt it will be as long as Cruel Summer, but you never know. It might even help me work through those bitter feelings.

Here is my last Disclaimer for this book. I don’t own Glee. If I did, I would make the show happy again. We might as well call it Glum now. Second, I don’t own the songs in the fic. I use songs like the show but they fit into the story. (No song in this chapter) Third, this is AU so things do not work EXACTLY like canon.

Thanks: First and foremost, I want to thank AlignedStars. She was my writing partner for the majority of this story, and even though she was kidnapped by the world of musical theater, I will always appreciate her. Still not sure if she’ll be returning next book. It all depends on what life brings us in the New Year. BTW, she says hi!! But because of her pushing me to write the best I could, I grew and gained the confidence to go solo. Thanks, AS! Love Ya!

Wayne Kotke: Or as I know him, Joe. This guy was my grammar god. He smacked me upside the head when my tenses were wrong, or I had too many commas or not enough. He was also an awesome cheerleader. He was one of the first people to read my chapters and always gave great feedback. I hope we can continue working together, because you make me better in my craft.

Ryan Murphy: I have a love/hate relationship with this man, as I’m sure we all do. On one hand, he is ripping my heart out every single week this season (and not just with Klaine drama. The Finchel stuff is killing me as well). On the other hand, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t even have Glee and all the awesome fanfics and Alternate Universes. So if you’re reading this Ryan, thanks! I may be mad at you from time to time, but I still love you and everything you do.

Chris Colfer: I was going to group him with the rest of the cast, but there’s a reason he’s so special. When I was a teenager (many MANY moons ago), I used to write everything. Novels, plays, I even tried my hand at song writing! Suddenly my grandfather died, who was the person who always supported my aspirations to authorhood. From the point when he died until this past summer, I didn’t write one creative word unless it was for a school assignment. He was my muse. Fast forward almost 20 years (told you I’m no spring chicken) and I discovered a wonderful show called Glee. I was one of the very first fans who followed the show even before it aired. Anyhow I discovered Chris and the more I got to know about him, the more I came to love and appreciate him. Then I found out he wrote a book…at 22 years old. That was impressive! I then realized that I buried my dream over the years and that I was getting older and would never realize it. So, after the S3 finale I was so angry at how it ended without a Kurt POV, I decided to write one myself. Well, this is the result. Chris is my muse in the most literal way. He got me to start writing again. And I discovered I kinda have a talent for it! So sweetie, if you are reading this, thank you. If we ever meet again (we met at a book signing), I’ll give you a great big hug and a cookie.

Cast and Crew: Not much to say about this. Just that this show has changed my life and it has to do with each and every person who works on the show. Thanks.

My Readers: Last and definitely not least, I want to thank you guys. Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine such a loyal and supportive readership. I want to give every single one of you a shout out, but it would take another chapter. You helped me validate my dreams, and I know it’s just one fanfic in several thousand out there, but you made me feel like a real author. I hope I don’t disappoint you with my new stories. Cause even though I’m a little disillusioned with the show right now, I will always be a Klainer and a Gleek. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all.

Well guys, I better get to posting this then I need to go watch Glease and cry again. Dammit.

Till Next Time,

KurtsieKalanai (Angie)

******

Two Weeks Later

Kurt watched with a bit of melancholy as the train rounded the corner. His best friend Rachel had just left to meet her fathers in New York City so they could look at housing options for when she went to NYADA. Although she was only going to be gone for a few days, Kurt knew this was the close of a major chapter in their lives. Even worse, it looked like Finn had just lost the love of his life.

The past two weeks had been a flurry of activity. Blaine slowly but surely started healing. Thanks to Kurt’s ministrations and a bit of arnica gel, the bruises on his face and body were just about gone. His rib was healing nicely, and as long as he took it easy, he was able to take part in day to day activities. They were still unable to find Blaine’s father, but a fully-fledged investigation was underway. Burt and Carole passed their Child Protective Services inspection with flying colors, and Blaine Anderson officially became a part of the Hudson-Hummel household.

Things were even busier for Kurt. Between settling in and taking care of the new member of his family, he was in charge of keeping Rachel busy while Finn talked to his parents and Rachel’s dads regarding his decision to join the army. It was tricky, and Kurt could tell Rachel knew something was up, but he successfully got her out of the house by buying tickets for most of the gang to see a revival of Cabaret at the community theater. Rachel spent most of the production lamenting the fact that she never had the chance to play the female lead in front of a paying audience in sophomore year.

He also felt guilty helping her plan her imminent wedding knowing that it wasn’t going to happen. However, he had promised Finn that he wouldn’t say anything, so he went through all the motions of being the Maid of Honor…or was it Master of Honor?

Kurt had also changed his hair back to its beautiful reddish brown. As much as he enjoyed channeling his inner Adam Lambert, he missed his old hair color. He got his hairdresser friend Carla to strip the black out of his hair. However, he still enjoyed his new look, so he adopted his spiky hair style. Besides, it was summer, and it would grow out before long. Although he wore his new clothes for the most part, he tried to integrate his old clothes from time to time. He was making a point to put a little bit more variety in his life. Today he had decided to wear one of his old suits, a dark blue number with blue and white striped sleeves.

Fortunately, or unfortunately for Quinn, her internship was pushed back a month. Sadly, this would conflict directly with her start time at Yale. She had until the end of the week to give the internship committee her decision. She still wasn’t sure what she was going to do. It was a huge decision, but it had to be made.

Burt had returned to Washington as he couldn’t put off his meetings indefinitely. Carole stayed home to make sure Blaine’s transition went smoothly. Between her and Kurt, Burt was sure that things would go smoothly, so he returned to work with a promise to visit again as soon as he could.

As the train turned the corner, carrying their friend to a new life, all the members of the New Directions started hugging each other with tears in their eyes. They knew exactly what was going on, and it felt like an end of an era. Yes, Rachel was coming back for the summer, but things would never be the same again. Kurt could definitely relate.

Kurt looked down the train platform at his brother. Finn had run after the train until it got too fast for him to keep up. He just stood there with his shoulders slumped and his head down. He looked defeated. Kurt turned to Blaine and said, “I’ll be right back. I think my brother needs me.”

“Take your time, babe. I’ll just wait here on the bench,” Blaine responded. Although he was almost 100 percent better, the injuries his father inflicted on him had taken a lot out of him. It was going to take a while for him to have the energy level he had before.

Kurt nodded, embraced his boyfriend tenderly, kissed him, and started jogging down the platform toward Finn. As he got closer, he could see Finn’s shoulders shaking, as if he were crying. His back was to Kurt, so he couldn’t tell what was happening with his brother. “Finn!” Kurt called out.

Suddenly, Finn’s head snapped up and he roughly wiped at his face. He turned and Kurt could tell he had been crying by the red rings around his eyes. “Hey, Little Brother,” he said quietly.

Kurt put his hand on Finn’s wide shoulders and asked, “Hey, Big Brother.” Finn tried his hardest not to make eye contact with Kurt. “Finn, are you alright?”

Finn nodded and gave a smile, but Kurt knew his brother was just putting on a brave front. “Sure! I’ll be fine.” He looked back to where the train had just disappeared. “It’s just… that she’s gone. And I’m not sure when I’ll see her again.”

“Finn…” Kurt said, trying to comfort Finn, who was obviously in pain.

Finn’s head slowly turned towards Kurt and panic flashed across his face. “Kurt, she’s gone. What did I do? I just made a big mistake!” he exclaimed. “I can’t do this! I can’t leave her!”

“Finn! You need to calm down! Come on... please?” Kurt begged, putting both hands on Finn’s shoulders. He had to reach up to be able to do so, but his brother was bordering on manic. “You were there for me when I was losing my mind. I need to be there for you. It’s going to be fine.”

“How can you say that, Kurt?” Finn cried. “A few weeks ago we were planning our wedding, and now I just set her free – whatever the hell that means! – and I’m leaving for the army? How is that fine??”

“Dude, I know what it’s like to have things change on a dime,” Kurt said, trying to adopt his brother’s speech patterns. He noticed he was doing that more and more since the week from hell. “I lived it a couple weeks ago, remember? It’s going to suck big time, but things will get better. Mom told me that.”

“I just don’t want to lose her,” Finn said, starting to calm down. “She’s my everything. You know how that feels, right?”

“Finn, Rachel is completely devoted to you. You did the right thing. It would’ve been a sin if she stayed home for a year. We can always catch up to her in New York. She NEEDS to pursue her dream now,” Kurt responded. “You know the term ‘you need to be cruel to be kind,’ right? We studied it in English class.”

“I guess I get what you’re saying,” Finn reluctantly agreed. “I needed to force her to make the decision that might hurt now but help us in the long run, right?”

“Exactly!” Kurt said, giving his brother a smile. “I guarantee you’ll find your way to each other again.”

“But what if we don’t?” Finn asked. “I know I’m supposed to be the big tough man here, but I’m terrified.”

“Oh, Finn,” Kurt said and embraced his brother. This took Finn by surprise and he returned Kurt’s embrace and started sobbing.

“Why do I have a feeling this is the end, Little Brother?” Finn sobbed into Kurt’s shoulder. “It’s just too much to handle, with everything going on.”

“It’s never the end, my friend,” Kurt soothed. “I know it’s not the same, but you have me and Blaine, and the rest of the New Directions. We’ll get through all this together.”

Kurt held Finn, letting him sob his pain and grief out. It was a very surreal image, and Kurt felt that he and Finn’s relationship had come full circle at that moment. How they went from barely talking to each other to being close brothers still mystified Kurt. They stood alone on the platform with Kurt being the strong one this time. His brother needed it.

After the tears started to subside, Kurt pulled away, took the handkerchief out of the breast pocket of his suit and passed it to Finn. “You need this more than I do,” he said. Finn wiped his eyes, blew his nose and tried to pass it back. “You keep it,” Kurt said and gave a grimace. “I have plenty.”

“Thanks, dude,” Finn said. He looked back to the head of the platform where his friends still stood and added, “Look, I really don’t want to face everyone right now. I think I’m just going to go to the park or something to do some thinking. I’ll join you and Blaine later, okay?”

“That’s fine,” Kurt responded. “I have my phone with me so call if you need me and I’ll come right away, alright? You’ll get through this, I promise.”

“Yeah, sure,” Finn said. He hugged his brother one more time. “Thanks again, Kurt.”

“Anytime, Finn. Really. We’re brothers for life now,” Kurt assured and put his hand up for a fist bump. “Love ya.”

“Right back at ya, kiddo,” Finn said sadly as he returned the gesture. He then turned and slowly started walking towards his car.

Kurt watched Finn leave the train station then started walking quickly towards the rest of the gang. Most of the New Directions were still on the platform and talking in hushed tones, like someone had just died. Maybe someone did… or something. 

Kurt sighed as he sat heavily on the bench beside Blaine. His boyfriend was having a heated conversation with Rory.

“Rory, what’s bothering you so much? Why won’t you tell me?” Blaine insisted.

“Mate, it’s not something I can talk about while we’re around the group. I’m really not comfortable discussing this with everyone around, Blaine,” Rory said and looked around frantically. “Let’s meet once things calm down. Me flight doesn’t leave until next week. Let’s just say that my life might be in danger if I stay.”

“What the hell?” Kurt asked. “What did I just walk into?”

“Oh, hi, Kurt,” Rory greeted. “I’m just having a wee bit of a crisis, but I think it’ll work out. I gotta go.” He then scurried away.

“What was that about?” Kurt asked Blaine. Blaine didn’t respond but just shook his head and shrugged.

Kurt let out another huge sigh and put his head in his hands, “I thought the drama was over, love.”

“It’s never over, babe. Otherwise our lives would be very boring,” Blaine said and put his hand on Kurt’s back, rubbing it in comforting circles. “Is Finn okay? It looks like he lost it a bit.”

“That seems to be going around a lot lately,” Kurt said sarcastically from between his fingers. “Can we just go home? I’m so done with today.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Blaine said, standing. “I think Carole wanted me to help with dinner this evening anyway. Then maybe we can work on redecorating my room. I think I’ve decided between the forest green and the light blue for my wall colors.”

“I always knew you had good taste, Blaine,” Kurt said, also standing. “You picked me, after all.” They both grinned at each other. Suddenly both Blaine’s and Kurt’s phones vibrated at the same time. They looked at each other with bemused expressions and pulled out their phones, wondering who the message was from; it was from Rachel.

My heart is broken… I think I’m dying, guys! I miss you both so much already. Why would Finn do this to me?

Kurt looked at Blaine and shook his head sadly. He hated lying to his best friend, and it hurt him that the two people who were the closest to him were hurting like this. “I know exactly what to text her, and I think you do too,” he said to his boyfriend.

“Yup,” Blaine responded and they both texted one word:

Courage

“Let’s go home,” Kurt said and put his arm around Blaine’s waist. They walked back to the car in silence, feeling for their best friends.

*****

They eventually made it home, and Carole had already started dinner. She was concerned when she didn’t see Finn with Blaine and Kurt. Sam had decided to go hang with Santana and Puck, so he wouldn’t be home for the evening.

“So, how’s Finn holding up?” Carole asked. 

“Better than can be expected, actually,” Kurt responded. “Mom, do you think he made the right decision?”

“Who knows?” Carole said. “I’m not sure how good of an idea it is for Finn to join the army, but this is something he needs to find out for himself. Otherwise he’d spend the rest of his life wondering ‘what if?’ Know what I mean?”

“A pain I know all too well,” Kurt lamented. “My entire life right now is one great big ‘what if?’ I’m going to reapply to NYADA, but I also gotta figure out what I’m doing about this internship. Right now, though, I just want to crawl into bed and forget the world.”

“Why don’t you go have a nap, babe, and I’ll help Carole make dinner,” Blaine said and kissed Kurt’s cheek. “I’ll come wake you when it’s ready.”

“Maybe I will,” Kurt agreed. “Talk to you both later.” He was about to turn away when he heard the doorbell ring. “I wonder who that could be?”

“I’ll get it!” Blaine called and quickly walked towards the front door. Kurt joined him as he was curious as to who it was calling unexpectedly.

Blaine opened the door and was about to give a happy greeting when his mouth fell open. Kurt looked over Blaine’s shoulder and stepped back in shock.

“Hey, Squirt,” said the person at the door. “So sorry it took me so long to get here. Busy at work and all.”

Blaine wasn’t sure what to say. This was the last person he was expecting to see. “Cooper, why are you here?”

END OF BOOK ONE (TO BE CONTINUED IN CRUEL SUMMER 2: BOYS OF SUMMER)

*****

A/N Gah, I am an evil bastard, aren’t I? Well, dear readers, we have finally come to the end of book one. No worries though, I’m definitely going to be continuing this story. How will Kurt adjust to the life of a grease monkey in Lima? How will he fare as a glee assistant at the school? Will he get the internship in NYC, or will his path lead him back to NYADA?

And how about Blaine? What does his brother want with him? Do we ever find his father? If so, what happens? How does he get along living in the Hudson-Hummel house? What does the future hold for him? And Finn: Does he go to the army? Do he and Rachel find each other again?

What happens with Santana? Does she find her path? Does Sam finally find love? What is Quinn going to do with Paris? What shenanigans does Rachel get herself into? And what in the heck happened with Rory? Stay tuned in the New Year (or maybe earlier. Follow my twitter and tumblr for more info) for these and more storylines, angst, comedy and songs! After all, this is Glee!