Okay, guys, this is the last chapter, unless season three brings more delight with it (which it probably will).
Disclaimer: the lyrics are from Blue October's song, "Jump Rope."
"You have to hold your head up high and
Watch all the negative go by
Don't you ever be ashamed to cry
You go ahead
Cuz life's like a jump rope"
Chapter IX: Jump Rope
Kurt
It's late, and the movie's half over when Pearl gets back. She's almost unnaturally quiet, but her footsteps wake me up anyway. Beside me, Blaine stirs. Clearly, he's awake too.
"Mm," he looks around. "Who's there?" he asks with a yawn.
"It's just me, Blaine," Pearl says. "Sorry, did I wake you?" Her eyes go wide. "Were you guys planning to stay up all night watching a movie?" she glares.
"Please, Ms. Rush," I give her puppy dog eyes, and when Blaine shifts next to me, I know he's doing the same thing.
"Oh, alright," she says grudgingly before sighing. "But you two better be asleep before two."
Blaine and I look at each other in delight before settling down to watch the movie together. I settle happily into his chest and Pearl sits down on his other side. All three of us notice how Blaine holds himself stiffly, not letting himself relax in his mother's direction. I find her fidgeting so uncomfortable that I end up focusing on that instead of the movie. Finally, after about half an unbearable hour, Pearl speaks up.
"Blaine, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asks.
"I'll go get popcorn," I say quickly, disentangling myself from Blaine and going downstairs. She has a very large pantry. I could easily get lost in it.
Blaine
There is nothing she says that I would possibly want to hear, absolutely nothing.
"I'm sorry," she says.
Okay, except for that.
"I should have given you the benefit of the doubt and, believe me, I wish more than anything that I had been there to protect you. I understand that you're finding it really hard to trust me right now, and I hope that someday, I'll be able to earn that trust back."
There aren't any tears in my eyes, none at all.
Mother sighs and bites her lip. "These last few days have been pretty crazy, and isn't that the understatement of the century?"
There's a weird, hoarse gulping sound, and I slowly recognize it as laughter. Mother's eyes go wide and I laugh harder because she looks like a goldfish. I'm still kind of hurt that she wasn't there for me when I needed her, but she's here now, and that does make it hurt a little less. Besides, she's making an effort. I've got to give her some credit for that.
"And Blaine?" she comes in and takes my hand. "I'm sorry," she says. "I really am. I love you and I hope you can forgive me for this someday."
Blaine's smile warms my heart. "Mother, there's nothing to forgive. You couldn't have known how terrible the night would turn out, and I shouldn't have drank anyway." He pauses for a second before finally saying, "I love you, Mom."
Pearl
"I love you too," I kiss his forehead. "Now, I'm going to let you boys have your fun," I say as I stand. "So, toffee, caramel, butter, or kettle corn?"
"Toffee," Blaine says at the same time Kurt says, "Kettle."
I laugh. "Caramel it is," I answer. A few minutes later—Blaine has finally taught me how to work a microwave without making lighting myself on fire—I bring up warm bags of popcorn and settle in to watch It's a Wonderful Life until 3:00 am despite the curfew I imposed on the boys. It's not like I haven't done something much worse than stay up late.
"Hey, Mother," Blaine whispers quietly. "My friends are doing a Christmas show, and I was wondering if you would-"
"Of course I'll tape it, Blaine!" I almost jump up and cheer.
"No," Blaine blushes. "I wanted to know if you would be okay with Kurt introducing me as his boyfriend."
"Oh," I smile as affectionately as I can. "Blaine, if you want Kurt to introduce you on live television, which almost everyone you know can access, then you go ahead and have him do it." I kiss the top of his forehead. "I want you to be happy. That's all a mother ever wants, is for her child to be happy and good."
There's a long pause before Blaine asks, "Am I good, Mother? I mean, I know I'm not happy, but am I good?"
I want to cry. "You're very good. You're better than I ever had any reason to expect."
Blaine nods and smiles before nesting his head in Kurt's chest. It's a gesture so intimate that I have to clear my throat
I clear my throat. "I don't think there's going to be any…activity, but if you do want to be, you know, active, then there are condoms in the drawer."
Blaine chuckles lightly and briefly, or he could be laughing at his dream. I turn off the light because they're both asleep.
Rachel
"I don't understand," Sebastian Warbler has an absolutely terrible voice. It sounds like he's been drinking milk tea instead of lemongrass tea. Only lemongrass can simultaneously strengthen and soften the throat, you know.
"Well, Sebastian, let me break it down for you," Daddy leans forward. "This is a police officer," he points at Det. Sai, "this is an arrest warrant," he slides a piece of paper over to the Warbler's hands, "detailing how you drugged and raped Blaine Anderson."
"I didn't do that!"
"Of course you did!" I snap. "Our choir's been suffering ever since Blaine stopped singing. And I'll have you know that, each time he's been slushied, or thrown into lockers, or tossed in the dumpster, or even pushed down the stairs, he's always gotten back up and sung louder, because he knows that singing is safe for him. The only reason he would stop singing is if singing stopped being safe—if someone he used to sing with made him feel unsafe!"
Sebastian doesn't respond. I stand up, glad that he stays sitting. I can act very powerful and intimidating, you know, even if I'm very short and physically nonthreatening.
"Excuse me, Daddy," I smile and kiss him on the cheek. "I have to go."
I have to apologize better.
Blaine
"Rachel!" I'm surprised to see her. "Come inside."
"I was hoping you'd come out here, actually," Rachel bites her lip. "I need to tell you something."
"I think I can stay here, actually," it's not that I don't trust her not to hurt me; it's that I don't trust her not to make me feel more uncomfortable than I already am.
"She wants to make up for her mistakes," Mother comes over and whispers in my ear. "Give her that; I can make breakfast just this once without blowing up the house."
I sigh and walk out with Rachel. She apologizes the entire way. About seventy-five apologies in, my responses turn from verbal to tired jerks of my head that may or may not be just me nodding off. But I'm abruptly shaken awake, because in front of me is the police station.
Oh, Rachel, you traitor!
Pearl
"Is it bad that I was so afraid of my son being upset at me that I didn't take him to the police on my own?" I ask.
"Of course," Emily responds. "He'd be upset either way, but one of those ways, he's angry at you for making him do something he doesn't want. The other way, he's angry at you for making him do something he doesn't want and upset that you couldn't tell him to his face."
I groan, but the kettle whistles more loudly.
"Oh, are you making tea?" Emily asks.
"No, soup," I say.
There's a pause. "You're going to want to throw that soup out. Now," she tells me.
"Okay, hold on," I say, hanging up.
"Wait, be careful taking the lid -"I open up the lid and soup splashes all over me "off." I turn to see myself stifling a giggle. "Why do I turn back to this time?" I ask my future self, and she has to be my future self, because I don't remember being here before.
My future self tells me about taking Sam across space and time and other universes with the Doctor. "I felt so bad that he died in my home."
I freeze. "Wait, Sam dies?" I ask.
She freezes. "Wait, Sam doesn't die?" she responds.
I blink, but she's gone. I look everywhere, but I can't find her, so I clean up the kitchen, rub salve on my burns, and leave to get my son.
Blaine
I am not happy to be here. "I don't want to press charges," I say. "I know I'd lose." In fact, I'm downright angry.
"But Sebastian doesn't," Det. Sai says. "You can do whatever you want," she adds, "but think of how many people will be hurt by Sebastian thanks to your silence."
I shake my head. "Why are you being so mean to me?" I demand.
"We're not being mean to you," Mother's voice makes everyone turn to her, including me. "You're being too stubborn to see what's right, and I understand that you're under stress right now, but that doesn't make catching Sebastian any less urgent. If anything, it makes it more urgent."
Don't cry, Blaine, don't cry. "Why do I have to do this?" Dammit, tears, I told you to stay hidden!
"Because you have people here who are willing to do anything for you," Rachel says, tugging on my chin until I see the shiny red burns on Mother's arm and face. "Everyone has worked so hard to get to this point. Please, let them do this."
I exhale. "Alright," I say grudgingly.
Rachel squeals happily, and Mother looks relieved and exhausted. Det. Sai gets up and grabs her partner. Sebastian Smythe is getting arrested for what he did.
Almost against my will, I feel a surge of hope.
Thirteen months later:
"Has the jury reached a verdict?" asks the female judge.
"Yes we have, Your Honor," the Jury Foreman, who's also female, stands and nods.
"And on the sole count of the indictment, first-degree rape, how does the jury find?"
Women tend to be more sympathetic to male victims than female victims, or so my father says.
"We the jury, find the defendant, Sebastian Smythe…."
Of course I wasn't going to give you a definitive answer! ;)
