"And then I did this totally cool slide right down the banister! It was awesome." Zack continued to speak, pausing before realising that he wasn't getting a response form the girl that sat across from him at a table in Breadstix. "Alice?" He questioned making her jump a little.

"Sorry, sorry. Guess I just blanked out there. What were you- I mean we talking about?" She shook her head picking up her drink and taking a drink.

"Skateboarding…" He answered.

"Oh yeah." She replied though she clearly had not been in the slightest bit interested. She had never skateboarded in her life and thought of it as a little to dangerous for her liking.

"I'm sorry, am I boring you?" He wondered realising her disinterest.

"No, not at all." She lied just as her phone went off. "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead." He sighed leaning back into his seat. He was finding it difficult to impress her, almost the whole evening she seemed to be somewhere else.

Alice looked down at her phone, realising it was Kurt. She almost felt relief as she answered it getting out of the ever so slightly awkward conversation between her and Zack. "Hey Kurt, how's it going?" She asked him, seeing Zack ask the waitress for the bill.

"Alice, Alice. Please don't worry but… oh gosh." Kurt mumbled from the other side.

"Kurt, what's wrong? Is everything ok?" She was concerned now, nodding to excuse herself from the table to go somewhere more private.

"No, not really. Oh gosh."

"Breath then tell me what's going on." She told him feeling a knot form in her stomach in worry.

She heard Kurt take a deep breath before he spoke again. "We came out of the restaurant, Blaine and I, and… and these guys came along and I don't really know but it's all a blur. Blaine's in hospital." The words almost fell out of his mouth.

"Is he ok?" She muttered feeling her heart stop. Her mind wouldn't settle with all the horrible thoughts passing through her mind.

"I think so, the nurse is looking at him just now. He can still walk. I-I'm just worried. I needed someone to talk to and you had to know. Oh gosh Alice he doesn't deserve this."

The tears were pushed back frantically. The last thing she wanted to do was cause a scene and people were already beginning to give her looks. "Don't worry." She told him though she worried herself. "I'm sure he'll pull through. Just take care of him for me, will you? Tell me when you know exactly what he's like?"

"Ok." He said in what was nearly a whisper. It was easy to tell he was strained but what could she do? She was miles away in Ohio whilst they were in New York. She quickly hung up the phone and decided to head home forgetting about the fact she was on a date with Zack. He wasn't the one she needed right now, she picked up her phone again and dialled in the number.

Blaine smiled up at Kurt weakly, his face felt numb but he put on a brave face. The drunken men who had attacked him had ran off quickly but both of them had given a statement to the police who had came to speak to them about it. Now Blaine sat on a hospital bed with his boyfriend gripping his hands tightly, he still felt worried though the nurses had sorted out all the injuries and stated that he would be able to go home in the morning. "Are you sure you're ok?" he questioned him for what must have been the hundredth time.

"I've told you, I'm fine Kurt. You don't need to worry about me." He answered, stroking Kurt's face to comfort him.

"I'm going to anyway." He replied.

"I know." Blaine let out a sigh. "I just wish you wouldn't. It's nothing that I haven't experienced before."

Kurt looked down at their gripped hands, he didn't like it when Blaine brought up the bad things in his past. He felt that it wasn't a good memory for him, he didn't want him to think of the pain he went through again.

"How about tomorrow night we stay in, watch a movie and just relax? Spend some quiet alone time together?" Blaine suggested bringing Kurt's bright blue eyes back up to his.

"That sounds perfect."

Only the sounds of the TV could be heard in the home of Ryan and Stacey Anderson as they both sat awkwardly watching a show neither of them were interesting. They were fresh from an argument that now seemed pointless and stupid, though neither of them would come out and admit it. Stacey sighed and stood up. "I'm off to bed." She told him. Ryan couldn't help but notice that she didn't do it the same way she used to, with a cheery tone and an invite to join her.

"Ok." He answered. "I'm going to watch TV for a bit longer then head up."

She nodded in reply and went to walk away but he quickly stopped her. "Hey, Stacey?" He said.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." He told her.

"Yeah, you too." She mumbled before finally heading up the stairs.

The strained man but his head in his hands. He felt everything slipping away from him but he couldn't help but think he was to young. To young to be in this situation, an estranged marriage, a child, a home with more than one bedroom. Why wasn't he out there with the rest of the guys his age having the time of his life? Why was he stuck in a situation he didn't want to be in? For the first time in years Ryan felt a tear roll down his cheek.

"Thanks for this." Alice said, going through the door of a bedroom she knew all to well.

"It's no problem at all." Rory replied sitting next to her on the bed. "Now, tell me everything." She began to explain the little she knew about what had happened then told him exactly how she felt about it all. Something about the way he just listened until she finished made her feel so comfortable. He always had a way of doing that.

"I'm sorry, I know we're not on the best of terms right now." She ended her explanation with.

"It's fine, Alice. I'm always here if you need someone to talk to." He told her. "I'm sure Blaine will be fine, like you said he's been in situations like this before and if he's in hospital the nurses will take care of him. You have no reason to worry." He pulled her into a hug leaning his head on hers. The position felt so natural to the both of them.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Without realising he kissed her on the forehead noticing how strange it must have been when she pulled away from him. "I should probably go." She muttered, she could feel her pulse racing.

"You just got here? I'm sorry I made it uncomfortable, I promise I won't do anything like that again." He almost pleaded. Just being able to enjoy her company was enough for him.

"I can't. Not if it's making you do things like that. I don't want to lead you on." She turned to face the door.

"No, Alice, wait." He grabbed her hand turning her around.

All she could do was stare up at him and shake her head hopelessly though she could feel butterflies in her stomach. "Rory, I-" She mumbled quietly.

He moved closer to her pulling her into his arms again. She didn't push away, instead she fell into him even though she knew she shouldn't. Slowly, he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. For a while they stayed that way, until a little voice inside Alice's head reminded her that it was wrong and she finally pushed away.

"I can't Rory." And with that she ran down the stairs and out of his families home leaving him staring at the door as if he could still see her there.