Blaine nestled his head in his arms as he rested against the table, trying to block out everything but the melodic crooning of Elvis from the record player.

In the few days Blaine had been awake in this new age he had listened to a lot of music, through YouTube or Kurt's iPod, but none of them could even compare to the record player. The subtle cracking of the needle stroking over vinyl added something to the listening experience the others just never could.

He screwed his eyes shut and thought back over last couple of days; finding out why he had been frozen, being held at gun point, Kurt getting shot and the terrifying fall over the side of the building that had almost ended his life.

But the thing that kept coming back to him, through all the terror and confusion, was the moment that happened almost twenty four hours ago, before Nick and Jeff came to pick him up and take him to the record shop.

Kurt had kissed him.

He had spent all night in the hospital, answering the multitude of questions the police asked him before sitting by Kurt's bedside.

He had watched Kurt sleep, the gentle rise and fall of his chest while the machines beeping around him reassuring him that Kurt was still alive. He didn't think he could have coped with the guilt if Kurt had died because of him.

He had spent those hours gazing at Kurt's lips, wondering what they felt like, how he would taste and if they would feel as soft as they looked against his own.

He had never imagined he would get the chance to find out, and certainly not so soon. He had thought the moment the door of the apartment had been broken in that all romantic thoughts had been permanently wiped from Kurt's mind.

But Kurt had pulled him in; he had repeated Blaine's words from the night before and kissed him firmly. It was so perfect Blaine had spent the cab ride to the record store wondering if it was even real, the lingering taste of Kurt on his lips the only confirmation.

That had been yesterday, the last time Blaine had seen him. Kurt had spent all day in the hospital and Rachel had text him in the evening to say that his family were taking him back to his apartment and that he could visit the next afternoon if he wanted.

He had spent all the time he could in the record store with Nick and Jeff, too distracted by thoughts of Kurt to answer their concerned questions.

It was the longest he had been apart from Kurt since they had met and Blaine felt his heart ache from being away from him. But he stayed away; he knew Kurt needed to be with his family.

Besides, part of him worried, now that the painkillers had worn off whether Kurt even want him around when he realised or remembered Blaine was the cause of the drama and pain in his life recently.

He was pulled from his thoughts as the front door jingled, alerting everyone in the shop to the presence of a customer. He didn't look up, Jeff and Nick would deal with them.

'Hey squirt.'

Blaine sat up, coming face to face with his brother. The difference in his age still jarred Blaine slightly, but not as much as the last time.

'Cooper.' He grinned. 'What are you doing here?' He wondered for a moment if he had heard about what had happened before dismissing it, there was no way for him to know.

'Mom and Dad have flown in, they want to see you.'

XxXxXxXx

Blaine stared at the two people in front of him. If seeing Cooper aged was jarring it was nothing compared to seeing his parents like this.

He watched as his mother reached her cup, her hands were wrinkled and stiff with arthritis. The few grey hairs that had decorated her hair when he had left for New York were now the only colour left and her eyes that had once been quite a vibrant bronze were now dull and a little milky.

His father was a few years older than his mother, and looked just as different then when Blaine had left. He had no hair left at all where once it had been in abundance. His hands were liver spotted and he seemed to have a permanent tremor in one hand.

'I still can't believe it's you.' His mother said tearfully for the fourteenth time in the hour since they had been reunited, reaching out to stroke her hand lovingly down the side of Blaine face.

Blaine felt the same way; he could hardly believe these were his parents. He had thought they were old back in the seventies, as most children thought of their parents. But looking at them now Blaine could see they were no longer just old, they were elderly. They were grandparents now, old enough to be great grandparents if Cooper's son Blaine had children young.

'I know.' Blaine said once more in response to that. Cooper had explained that their mother had Alzheimer's and couldn't really remember much. She remembered her youth clearly, but anything recent was likely to be lost to her. It made the situation more confusing with Blaine's appearance; she kept thinking it was still the 70s, or early 80s, and was constantly apologising for pushing him away, forcing him to run away from the family. It was clear she had blamed herself for his disappearance for a while at least.

Blaine had felt less emotional being reunited with his parents than he had with Cooper. He loved his parent's, there was no doubt about that, but something just felt off. He didn't think his mother understood what was happening and as for his father, Blaine couldn't shake off a feeling that he knew more than he was letting on.

'Please excuse me darling, I need to use the ladies.' His mother said, placing both hands on the side of her chair and struggling to get up. Cooper got up from his own chair next to Blaine and helped her up, holding on to her as they walked towards the cafe's restrooms.

Blaine looked at his father square in the eyes. Now that they were alone he wanted to- needed to- ask him the truth.

'You don't seem all that surprised by all of this father.' Blaine said with a clenched jaw. He had suspected, from the very moment he had discovered the reason behind him being frozen, that there might have been more than just the drug gang involved in all of this.

His father looked away, not even able to look his son in the eye. Blaine stomach dropped.

He had suspected it but he had hoped it wasn't true. He honestly couldn't believe his own father would let something like that happen to him. It took everything he had not to let an anguished cry escape through his lips.

'Please don't tell me you knew about this.' Blaine said, his voice thick as tears of anger formed in his eyes.

'Blaine.' His father finally looked up at him, regret in his eyes. 'I had no choice.'

Blaine shook his head, blinking back the tears; he refused to let his father see him cry.

'I really had no choice Blaine. There were people in the company, bad people. They wanted to use it as a drug smuggling business and they wouldn't let anything stop them. They threatened to destroy the company if you weren't... taken care of.' His father had the decency to look away again as he said that.

'You chose your company over me?' Blaine asked through gritted teeth.

'No, no Blaine I didn't,' his father reached out to grasp Blaine's hands, finding only empty table in front of him, desperation in his eyes, 'I tried to reason with them but they were determined to get you out of the way. They threatened your mother and the family of the other board members. I tried to tell them you weren't interested in taking over the company, that's why I let you go to New York, I hoped it would make them realise. But they still wanted you gone.'

There was a long and uncomfortable pause between them.

'They came to me one night, a few days after you had gone to New York, they told me to put someone else in your position in the company and that they were going to kill you that night. I pleaded with them, begged them to find some other way of getting what they wanted. That's when they bought up the idea of freezing you.'

'You thought that freezing me was better than killing me?' Blaine said, his voice oddly emotionless.

'I thought it would be better for you. You'd be out of the way and the gang could do what they wanted. When it was all over and done with you would be woken up and be out of the way off all the drama and danger, able to live your life. I was protecting you.'

Blaine didn't know how to react. His entire body felt numb with the information.

'Blaine.' His father said, pleading with his son to understand. But Blaine couldn't. He got up from his chair and headed over to the door, leaving his father sitting alone at the table.

XxXxXxX

'Oh hi Blaine.' Rachel smiled at him as she opened the door. 'Kurt's seeing his family off at the airport.' She frowned at him. 'You look awful.'

Blaine felt awful. His head was pounding and he honestly couldn't remember even walking to Kurt's apartment. His feet had brought him here out of instinct, taking him to the place he wanted to be the most, with Kurt.

'Um, is it ok if I come in and wait?' Blaine asked, shocked to find his voice rough. He wondered if he had been crying on the way over.

'Sure, of course it is.' She said, opening the door for him and letting him in. 'Do you want to go and have a lay down?'

'I think I do.' Blaine said. Rachel pointed out Kurt's bedroom to him and he kicked off his shoes, lying down on the soft mattress gratefully. His head was pounding and all of the stress and emotion was making him feel sick. He just wanted to sleep.

He buried his head in Kurt's pillow as Rachel left him alone. Tears pricked at his eyes, eventually escaping and wetting the pillow in silent tears as he inhaled the comforting scent of Kurt and fell into an exhausted sleep.

I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine!' Kurt insisted, swatting away his father's attempt to help him through an already opened door as they walked through the airport. 'It's just a hurt shoulder. The sling is there to minimise movement, that's all.'

'That's all? Kurt you have a gunshot wound, it's serious.' Burt frowned, standing on Kurt's injured side to stop anyone from jostling his son.

'And it could have been a whole lot worse; I just have to be careful of the stitches.' Kurt smiled reassuringly.

Burt sighed heavily, concern showing in his eyes.

'Are you sure you don't want me to stay, I can take a few more days off.'

Kurt shook his head. 'No you can't, you're a congressman, you own a business, your step son has just returned from a war zone for crying out loud! You don't have time to take care of someone who doesn't need taking care of.'

'You're my son Kurt, if you need me I'll be there.'

'I know Dad, but seriously, I'm fine and I have Rachel to smother me, I mean, care for me.'

Burt's lips twitched and he finally relented, pulling his son into a tight hug while minding his shoulder.

'Call me if you need anything kid ok? Absolutely anything.'

'I will Dad, I promise.' Kurt sniffed, feeling a little emotional at all the attention he was getting from his family. He wondered if the strong painkillers from the hospital were really out of his system yet.

'I would have preferred it if Rachel had been here to see you home ok though.' Burt added as they broke apart.

'She's rehearsing, if she'd have come you would have had a cab ride of her singing Phantom of the Opera and trying to tap dance on the baggage carousel.'

'Maybe you're right, just give me a text to let me know you're home safe ok?'

'Will do.' Kurt promised, turning to Carole to give her a hug too. 'Thank you for coming down Carole, I've missed you.'

'I've missed you too Kurt, come and visit soon.' She said, leaning in closer and adding in a whisper. 'And make sure you let me know how it's going with that boy, he was cute.' They broke apart with a giggle, making Finn and Burt frown as they wondered what was going on.

'Bye Finn.' Kurt said, wrapping his brother into a hug. He had missed Finn while he had been deployed, spending every day worrying about his safety in a war zone. The relief he had felt seeing him outside his apartment a couple of days ago had been more than anything he had felt before.

'See ya Kurt. Give me a few weeks at home, let me settle in a bit and I'll come back for a proper visit, yeah?'

'Sounds good to me.' Kurt grinned, laughing as Finn lifted him off the ground again.

Kurt watched as his family walked towards the ticket counter, feeling his heart clench. He was happy in New York but every time he saw his family it made him realise just how much he missed them every day. It was always so hard to leave them again.

'Dad.' He called, waiting for his father to come back over to him as Finn and Carole sorted out their carry ons.

'What is it kid?'

Kurt took a deep breath, gearing up to ask something he had been wondering over the last week.

'Dad, do you think you can fall in love with someone you've only just met?'

'Are we talking about the man who was kissing you when you were drugged up?' Burt teased.

'I kissed him Dad.' Kurt insisted with a grin. 'But yeah, him. I really like him, I feel the same way about him as I did with Kieran, but it took so much longer to get there with him. I'm worried this is all a bit too soon.'

Burt sighed and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck.

'Well kid if you really like him then maybe it isn't too crazy. It does happen after all. Just mind yourself ok? I don't want to see anyone hurt you the way Kieran did.'

'I know.' Kurt nodded. He was careful to guard his heart after what Kieran had done to him, but he couldn't help but feel that Blaine had so much more to lose than he did.

'And for what it's worth, on my second date with your mother I knew I was going to marry her one day.'

Kurt smiled, feeling the warmth return to his chest as he was reassured.

'Thanks Dad.'

XxXxXxXxXx

Blaine's dreams were full of images of the people he knew and loved from his former life peering at him from outside a glass tube. He screamed and banged against the glass, trying to get someone to help him, to rescue him from his frozen prison, but each person looked at him mournfully before moving on.

'Shh, it's ok Blaine, I've got you.'

The soft, beautiful voice broke through his dreams, calming him and bringing him back to consciousness.

He was wrapped up in Kurt's arms being rocked back and forth gently. He blinked and shifted in Kurt's grasp.

'Oh you're awake.' Kurt smiled. 'You were having a nightmare.'

'Oh.' Blaine said, resting his head against Kurt's chest.

'Is everything ok?'

'No.' Blaine answered. Kurt didn't push him, understanding that Blaine was feeling overwhelmed.

'My family have gone home now; you're welcome to stay over if you want.'

Blaine nodded gratefully, still not saying anything.

'Oh, and I stopped by the hospital on the way back, Wes is doing fine, they say he's going to pull through. I wasn't allowed to see him but I spoke to his mother.'

'That's good.' Blaine said, feeling honestly relieved that at least someone who had been trying to protect Blaine was going to be alright. There didn't seem to be that many people on his side anymore.

They sat on Kurt's bed in silence for a while before Blaine spoke up.

'I saw my parent's today.'

He retold the events of that afternoon to Kurt, this time not holding back the tears of betrayal.

Kurt breathed deeply, trying to calm his own anger and holding Blaine a little tighter to his chest.

'God Blaine, I'm so sorry,' he whispered thickly into Blaine's hair. 'I don't know how I would deal with this if the same happened to me, but I think your father cares about you, even if it doesn't sound like it, Blaine. He didn't want you killed. It sounds like he genuinely believed you'd be better off like this... somehow.'

'I think it sounds like one more way he was choosing his company over me.' Blaine said bitterly.

'I know.' Kurt said.

They lay in silence once more until they both drifted off to sleep.

XxXxXxXx

Blaine woke up feeling completely disorientated. He could no longer feel the soft blankets from Kurt's bed underneath him, he could no longer feel Kurt's break gently tickling his ear, nothing.

Instead, underneath him, was a hard, cold table.

He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt so heavy it became too much of an effort. He could feel something around his wrist, something cold and hard digging into his skin. He twitched his arm, all that he found he was able to manage, but the band around his wrist was pinning him down.

His heart began to thump in his chest as he realised something was wrong, very wrong. With a renewed effort he prised his eyes open, the light of the room hurting it was so bright.

Dread filled his stomach as he realised where he was. The machines and apparatus around him were familiar, the same tolls that had been used the last time he had been laid out on a cold, hard table.

'Now then Mr. Anderson, you should stay asleep.' A cold voice above him said. Blaine moved his head to try and see who was speaking, but he barely managed to roll his eyes up.

'Wh- m eh?' Blaine slurred, his tongue refusing to work properly.

'In the place you should have been all along.' The person speaking moved into view, a middle aged woman with red hair tightly curled and thick, black rimmed glasses. She was wearing a familiar white lab coat, confirming to Blaine that he was in fact back in a laboratory.

'This is the lab we were planning to bring you to after the old one got taken over. Unfortunately the people in charge were dragging their feet over it all and you were found before we could remove you. Not worry, you're here now.' She sounded as if they were having a normal conversation about the situation over coffee instead of in the horrifying surroundings.

'No.' He whimpered pitifully, trying to wrench him arms free from where they were strapped to the table but the drugs in his system made his efforts feeble.

'No point in struggling now.' The woman said, her voice firm and harsh, like every strict teach Blaine had ever had. 'There isn't anything you can do. One small injection and you'll be placed back in the cryogenic chamber. You'll be woken when we feel you are no longer a threat and it'll be like no time has passed at all.'

Blaine felt tears prickling at his eyes. He wanted to jump up, to scream that he wasn't a threat to them! He had never wanted any part of his father's business, they could carry on whatever sordid schemes they wanted, he didn't care, he just wanted to be free, to live his life the way he wanted to. They didn't need to make him a part of all of this. He wanted Kurt.

Despair washed over him as he realised the severity of the situation. God knows when they would wake him up again. Maybe when all the people involved were dead a gone perhaps? But Blaine reckoned that could be years from now.

The world would carry on without him and he would awake in another strange time where everything was different and the people he loved had moved on.

He gulped involuntarily.

By the time they woke him up again everyone he knew could be dead. He thought about his parents, so old now already, about Cooper and all the friends he hadn't even had the chance to be reunited with yet. They were already in the later years of their life, if he was kept frozen again for a long time they would probably be dead when he awoke.

And Kurt.

Kurt was still young but Blaine didn't think he'd wait. He had his whole life to live and he wouldn't spend it waiting around for someone he knew a few days to come back to him. He had finally found someone he really cared about, and who cared about him, and he was going to lose him already.

'Urt.' Blaine mumbled, screwing his eyes shut in pain at the thought.

'Oh.' The woman smiled, the lines creasing at her eyes at the corners or her mouth showing her age. 'Don't you worry about your little friend, he's right here with you.' She reached down to gently raise Blaine's head, allowing him to see what was at the other end of the lab.

Blaine was struck by terror as he caught sight of Kurt, lying motionless in the casket like contraption made from metal and glass. His eyes were closed and Blaine could almost believe he was sleeping, if it wasn't for the bluish tinge on his face from the ice covering the glass.

Blaine chocked back the tears, they couldn't do this to Kurt, he had a family who loved him, he didn't deserve any of this.

'He'll be fine.' The woman said, misinterpreting Blaine's distress. 'And now you'll have a friend to wake up with you.' She added cheerfully. But the thought of Kurt still being there didn't please Blaine at all, the guilt of being the reason he was here at all was almost overwhelming.

From the corner of his eye he saw the woman prepare a needle, moving over to a drip that had been placed in Blaine's arm.

'Now I'm sure you remember all of this, it was only a few days ago to you wasn't it? Oh, it would have been so much easier to have you all killed, dead bodies are so much easier to hide than live ones. But a promise is a promise and they'll keep you frozen' She stuck the needle into the end of the drip and placed her thumb on the plunger.

'P-lice.' Blaine slurred. They had told the police everything, the truth was out there; surely they couldn't just take him away again? People knew about the situation already.

'Oh them.' The woman smiled. 'Don't you worry about them, police are so easily bribed. All that information your Doctor compiled will magically disappear, just like you two will. And it would have been even easier if that little hot-headed son of the gang leader hadn't come along and almost ruined everything!'

Blaine screwed his eyes shut, as if he could block out the whole situation. The hardest part of it was that his father knew all about this, he knew and he let it happen. He was more interested in his business than his own son.

She looked back down at the needle in her hand and pushed down on the plunger. Almost instantly Blaine could feel his limbs become even heavier as the drug swept through his veins.

'Sweet dreams Blaine.' She whispered as everything went black.

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