Cliff has been successfully rescued and, for his own safety, has been taken from my custody. He now lives happily with NYASAR-TAN and thanks to PTIROBO's glasses; his days of cliff hanging are over.

Special thanks to XXLITTLE ROSE ANGELXX's penguin army for overseeing the rescue mission. Medals of valor were awarded to 78KORI's dolphin militia who showed incredible bravery. Though I had given up on her, Rachel Berry has begun to redeem herself by leading THELEGS's penguin club in aiding in this mission. They provided supplies and made the celebratory t-shirts. And finally, for being so fabulous, even Kurt was impressed; INKINHART's magical unicorn was awarded a lifetime supply of pixie sticks.

Siriusly guys. Your reviews are love. Thank you so much.

I know you're eager for this chapter (I certainly kept you waiting long enough), but before we begin, I do have one question for you guys. LAWABOOKWORM suggested that I change the category for this story since it got so intense. Some others have brought to my attention that the story has taken a dramatic turn (which, I'll admit, I always intended it to) and that it caught them by surprise. I'm a little iffy on changing the category because the beginning is written with such humor. I thought maybe I'd eased you guys into the drama by having Blaine's thoughts go beyond just being into Kurt. At the very beginning, Blaine feels the tension in his and Kurt's relationship. But I guess it really did turn angsty pretty fast. Anyway, my question is who thinks I should change the category? I'm still not sure but if enough of you guys feel strongly about it, then I should definitely look into it.

Alright, alright. Enough torture. For you at least. I'm not quite done with Blaine yet. *rubs hands evilly*

DISCLAIMER: Oh no, I totally have legal claims to Glee. I'm currently writing the scenes between Blaine and his sister (played by my incredibly talented twin) and all my stories are actually deleted scenes that will be released with the DVD's. (Note my blatant use of sarcasm)

"Blaine…"

Ok Anderson, keep calm.

"I talked to Rachel this morning and somewhere under all her squawking, she mentioned a phone call…"

It's just Mercedes and she's on the phone.

"Which I still can't believe I was left out of. Honestly, one ill-timed slushie and I miss everything…"

It's not like she can cut a bitch (her words, not his) by sheer force of will. She has to be in the same room at least (Blaine's never been so thankful for those two hours between Lima and Westerville in his life). There was no reason to flip out.

"And I can't believe they didn't think to tell me until this morning. It is my white boy we're talking about…"

Just talk about this rationally. She's a girl with her head on straight. She'll understand. He just has to keep his wits about him. Explain himself properly (there's a first time for everything, right?) and maybe she'll even help him understand everything that's been happening. After all, she said it herself: Kurt is her white boy (Blaine feels that same anger he'd felt against Puck growl possessively in his chest. He firmly tells it to get lost. It hasn't been doing him any favors). If anyone knows what's going on with him, it would be her.

"It's my job to look out for Kurt…"

Breathe, Blaine. She's not going to chop his head (or anything else) off. He can get through this without evoking her rage.

He just has to stay calm.

"Anyway, the others filled me in and told me that you're…"

"I'M NOT TRYING TO MOLEST KURT!

Yeah. Like that. Good job Blaine.

Oh man, this dead silence can not be a good thing.

Mercedes takes in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

Here it comes…

"Those guys really did a number on you, didn't they?"

Wait… she's not mad?

"Blaine? I know you're not trying to hurt him. You can breathe now."

He does as she says, still not quite able to grasp what's going on.

"You're… you're not going to kill me?" That question shouldn't be as literal as it is.

"No. I know what a good friend you are to Kurt."

Everything inside of Blaine freezes.

Well… that's different.

He wishes this call had come earlier, back when the smallest part of him could believe her.

"Stop it." Mercedes cuts through his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking and I know it's because of those idiots I sing with. But they're wrong."

Blaine wonders how exactly Mercedes Jones can defend him when it comes to how he's treated Kurt.

When she begins to answer this question without his prompting, he also begins to wonder how she knows what he's thinking (and tries to figure out a way to stop her. He already has Wevid; the last thing he needs is another voice in his head).

"Out of all of us, you have been the best friend to Kurt. You saw him when the rest of us were too wrapped up in our own worlds. You were there for him when we weren't. Yeah, we're all trying to do right by him now, but when it counted, you had Kurt's back and we didn't. They have no right to say you're not good for Kurt. You hearing me, Blaine?"

"Yeah." Blaine nods, thinking that over.

He remembers Kurt sitting across from him that first day; the very first time they got coffee. He had looked at this beautiful person, unable to believe that no one was seeing him break. When Kurt had called Blaine immediately after Karofsky's assault (it wasn't a kiss, it didn't count, and it would be wiped from Kurt's memory the second he experienced the real thing. Blaine guarantees it), he had made it halfway to Lima before the raging desire to beat the Neanderthal senseless began to fade. He remembers feeling so helpless, pinned against that fence, having Kurt rip that behemoth off of him, watching uselessly as Kurt broke a little more. And Blaine remembers feeling a new kind of rage, one directed at everyone who had just stood by and watched this all happen.

After the threatening phone calls to the Warblers that warned them to look after Kurt, after the boys had driven down to Dalton and made a show of walking the grounds with Kurt, forming a protective perimeter around him, after the girls began calling Kurt everyday to check up on him, after they began doing everything in their power to make it up to their lost member Blaine began to forgive them. Through Kurt's stories and the light in his eyes when he spent time with them, Blaine even developed a fondness for New Directions. There was a good heart buried deep beneath the insanity.

But there had been a time when he hated them. He hated each and every person who did nothing and dared to call themselves Kurt's friends. And he had promised himself that he would never be like that. Blaine had promised himself (promised Kurt) that he would do whatever he could for the other boy. Maybe he couldn't tackle Karofsky and maybe he couldn't be at Kurt's side while he braved the halls of McKinley. But he could be a friend (a real friend); he could be someone who understood, someone Kurt could let go with, a safe place for Kurt to forget about the poison that surrounded his life. So that was what he did.

Guess he didn't let Kurt down in every possible way. Blaine found some solace in that.

"And you're not just some distraction from the bullying."

Ok, seriously. Mercedes needs to get out of Blaine's brain right now.

"Quit freaking out short stuff. You're not that difficult to read. If you were just helping Kurt cope with the shit at McKinley, you guys would have had a major fallout when he transferred. And that didn't happen, now did it?"

No. They had been close from the start but once Kurt came to Dalton, they were inseparable.

At least, Blaine had thought they were. Looking around his very empty dorm room (the one that should be occupied by Wes and David while he was over at Kurt's), reminded him that he had thought a lot of things.

"I couldn't just leave him once he got here. He needed someone to lean on until he got his footing. After everything Karof–…" Blaine stopped himself. Reopening old wounds would solve nothing. Kurt was safe now. No one could touch him at Dalton. Blaine wouldn't let any one touch Kurt. That was that. "I wasn't going to abandon him."

"I knew you wouldn't." And Mercedes said that so kindly Blaine felt his heart break. "I saw you two at Breadstix. I could always tell when he'd just come from being with you because he had that same smile on his face each time. You were a much better friend to him than any of us had ever been. Including me."

"Mercedes…" Blaine tries to soothe the girl who sounds close to tears.

"Christmas break. That was when I knew you were going to be around for a while, when I knew Kurt had found someone good for him. That's why I'm not joining the ranks of people who want your head on a platter. And I know you know the day I'm talking about."

Strangely enough, he did.

Christmas break had been when Kurt and Blaine really got to know each other. Kurt had come to see Blaine at the King's Island Christmas Spectacular and they had gone out for coffee after (the start of that particular tradition). They ended up seeing each other every day. Blaine even spent part of Christmas with the Hummel-Hudson's (his own family is distant and he really doesn't want to talk about it right now). Plans were never really made. One would just fire off a text to the other and they would meet at Kurt's house. Sometimes Blaine would just show up, which might have seemed odd if he wasn't always welcomed into the house like family.

That was how he ended up on the front porch on the anniversary of Elizabeth Hummel's death.

Finn had been on his way out, wanting to give father and son space, and advised Blaine to do the same. Carole stayed, wanting to be there for her husband and stepson (she knew there was nothing she could do. She just couldn't bring herself to leave), but told the shorter boy that Kurt hadn't said a word to anyone and that it would probably be best if he was alone. Blaine could come back tomorrow.

A good friend would have left, knowing that this was a hard time for Kurt There are some things you need to deal with on your own and sometimes, there are no magic words to make it right again. The best thing for a hurting friend, when it came to pain like this, was to let them be, let them feel hurt and then be there when they were ready to heal. All of Kurt's other friends and even his stepbrother understood this.

But, Blaine remembered a painful anniversary of his own. The week before school let out for winter holidays had marked the day Blaine transferred to Dalton Academy. It had been two years and the universe decided to remind Blaine in the worst possible way, shattering every protective wall he had built around himself, wrenching him out of his denial, forcing him to recognize that, after all this time, after making friends, after finding a safe place, after bruises had faded, after he learned to hide his scars, after escaping his living nightmare, he still wasn't ok yet.

Kurt had been there, had seen a piece of Blaine Anderson that no one (not his friends, not his roommate, not his family, not anyone) had been exposed to. Given Blaine's track record, he prepared to be abandoned for his weakness. Now that Kurt saw who Blaine really was, he was sure to leave and find better company.

Instead, Kurt wrapped Blaine in his arms and shielded him from the pain and the fear and the memories that threatened to come back. He stayed.

Blaine had turned his eyes on Burt Hummel, a question in them. After receiving a shrug and a slight nod (telling him he could try), Blaine had gone upstairs.

He and Kurt didn't say a word. They sat in Kurt's room, on the floor with all the drawers of his dresser opened. When he had come in, Kurt had been listening to soft music on a cassette tape, breathing in deeply, trying to get as much of that sweet smell that filled the room as he could. Blaine grabbed Kurt's laptop and a DVD from his shelf. He turned off the music and turned on the movie. Kurt remained still all throughout the trailers. But once the movie began to play, something inside of him woke up. He whipped around to face Blaine, his mouth working, trying to say something, trying to put everything about that moment, that day, and all the years that made this day what it was into words. Blaine sat behind Kurt, wrapping his arms around the pale boy's waist, pulling him close. Kurt collapsed into Blaine's chest. He laughed, cried, and screamed all at once. Throughout the rest of the day, he would shed a tear or giggle or make other noises or other expressions that Blaine didn't understand. And he didn't attempt to, didn't ask for an explanation. He just held him through it all. He ended up spending the night, holding Kurt while the other boy felt his pain, held him in the morning, helping him to get ready to face another year. Blaine held Kurt the way the pale boy had held him not so long ago.

And so Kurt and Blaine cemented a vital role in each other's lives.

"How did you know?" Mercedes asks voice drenched in awe. "Because not one of us would have ever considered watching that old cartoon with Kurt. Finn said Kurt's dad was shocked."

Of all the questions he'd been asked, this was the one Blaine didn't have to think about.

"Kurt's mom watched it with him. Every Saturday while his dad worked in the garage. It was the last thing they watched together before she…" Blaine swallowed the lump in his throat, remembering the tears in Kurt's eyes the first time he'd admitted he was raised by a single parent. "There's a picture of them sitting on the couch, watching that movie. She's got Kurt in her lap and he's got an action figure and they're eating pizza and they look so happy and he's… That's his favorite picture. So I figured…"

"Blaine." Mercedes cut in and Blaine is actually thankful that she stopped his rambling. "That's his favorite picture?"

Blaine confirms this, wondering what is going through her mind (cursing the fact that he can't read her the way she can read him).

"You know Kurt's favorite picture of his mom. Oh Blaine…"

"What?" He's so confused because now she sounds like she's going to cry and like she's trying not to laugh at the same time.

"I don't even know what she looks like."

There. Right there, Blaine can hear pain in her voice. He can hear pain and anger and everything he's supposed to understand but just doesn't.

He realizes that he hasn't understood whatever it is for a long time now. And that's why New Directions (Mercedes included, though she is holding back out of respect for a time before he was missing the giant neon arrow pointing at what he's supposed to already know) is so angry, why David and Wes and the rest of the Warblers look crushed but not surprised when they saw the rift between their soloist and countertenor, and why what hadn't even started as a real fight could end up destroying whatever (Nothing is clear to Blaine anymore. What do they have exactly?) Kurt and Blaine have.

This problem is more than what started this past weekend. Blaine's been blind for so long and now it's blowing up in his face because he should have seen it (whatever it is). As Mercedes has pointed out, he sees everything else when it comes to Kurt.

She recognizes that the person who is closest to Kurt, who has done as much as he can for the pale boy, who only wants to do what is best for Kurt is part of the problem and that's partly because he is that person. But, unlike everyone else, she still thinks he can be part of the solution.

Blaine sits a little straighter. Mercedes still has faith in him. All hope can't be lost.

The fabulous diva on the other end of the phone takes a deep breath before asking why Blaine had been calling New Directions in the first place.

Blaine tells her about seeing the Mellencamp video (he leaves out the tale of the other videos, hoping ND hasn't told her that part. Mercedes can only forgive so much and Blaine isn't dumb enough to push his luck).

"Oh, that." She says sadly. She takes in a deep breath and Blaine does the same, preparing for the story. "It was last year. Kurt was trying to…" Mercedes pauses as if the words cause her physical pain. "Kurt was trying to be someone else."

Blaine lets out the breath he's been holding in a sudden rush (clutching the spiral in his lap with a white-knuckled grip), his fears confirmed.

"But why?" He asks, not even bothering to hide the desperation in his voice. "Kurt knows who he is. Why would he let anyone tell him that he's wrong? He should only ever be himself. Kurt's amazing. He's the bravest man I've ever met and he's so strong and smart and kind and talented and loyal and compassionate and…"

Blaine fumbles because (while all true) none of these words are good enough.

"Kurt is special. And he deserves to be treated as such. Anyone who makes him feel like he's less than that isn't worth…" A sudden ache in his chest (a sudden need to clutch that spiral again) stops his words.

That stopped being about McKinley a long time ago, didn't it Blaine?

Damn you Wevid (why do you always have to be right?).

"What would have ever made Kurt feel like he had to change?"

"His dad."

And Mercedes is truly a merciful woman because she doesn't let Blaine dwell on that thought, doesn't let him twist and wonder how on earth Burt Hummel (the best father Blaine has ever met) could make his son feel ashamed of who he was.

She tells him about Finn and Burt getting close and Blaine winces in sympathy for Kurt, only able to imagine how badly that stung. Blaine may have issues with his own father that Kurt will never experience (thank god), but Blaine has never had to compete for his father's affection. Blaine's never had the "perfect son" waltz in to replace him. He's never felt like he was in second place.

"Kurt keeps a lot of things to himself so I don't have any details on how this all went down with his dad. None of us do. The next week, Kurt was back to his fabulous, designer, diva self. If that's the Kurt you want to see, I've got a video suggestion for you."

Blaine's jaw dropped in horror.

Sweet god, not again. He'd had a conversation like this not so long ago (yesterday) and it didn't exactly end well (understatement of the year).

"Trust me on this, short stuff. It's something I think you need to see."

Blaine nods mutely (despite knowing the conversation with David had had a similar ring to it), putting blind faith in this girl.

Mercedes gave him the name of the video, having somehow understood his silent gesture.

As Blaine powers up his laptop (dread/anticipation/outright fear coursing through his system), Mercedes gives her final message.

"I still think you have a chance. Kurt's given you a lot and God knows this is the last I'll give you but I don't think it's too late."

Blaine can feel something heavy in her words, something he still doesn't see. But, suddenly, he feels so close. Something is starting to click. Something is telling him how damn grateful he is that it may not be too late.

"Don't screw it up."

Mercedes hangs up without waiting for his reply but Blaine promises anyway.

He takes in a deep breath and presses play before he has the chance to chicken out.

A black screen suddenly lights up, presenting an empty stage.

How the film crew was able to set up a camera (let alone film) in the auditorium is beyond Blaine.

Never again will he question the power and influence of Rachel Berry.

Noises sound off-camera. Stomping, slamming, banging and other sounds of fury can be heard. In a state of semi-dress, Kurt walks out on stage.

Blaine's breath hitches. He doesn't bother to deny it.

There's nothing showing. But the sheer power in Kurt's motions is stunning.

Nevertheless, his movements display such ire and frustration.

Kurt does up the top buttons of a blue shirt, straightening it with a tad more force than necessary. With a sneer of utter disgust, he rips the trucker hat from atop his head and hurls it away. He reaches into his back pocket and, with flourish still stained with rage, pulls out a blue scarf, decorated with skulls. He ties it around his neck, yanking at the knot with such finality and suddenly he's standing there, dressed as he should be, presenting the true Kurt Hummel to the world without a smidgen of shame. But it's still not enough. His chest is heaving with ragged breaths. He's still suffocating.

It's as if he's been holding it all in and is about to experience a long over due explosion.

Kurt gives a tiny exhale, shrugging. He looks at his invisible audience, as if he's waiting for requests that he has no choice but to acquiesce.

What do you want from me?

For whatever reason, now is when Blaine starts to get it.

Kurt surges forward, his eyes demanding an answer.
"All that work
And what did it get me?
Why did I do it?"

Blaine clutches the spiral desperately, thinking of every time Kurt's ideas had been shot down. How many times Kurt has been shot down.

"Scrapbooks full of me in the background
Give 'em love and what does it get you?"

Ignored. Rejected. Shoved to the back. Like he's not good enough.

"What does it get you?
One quick look
As each of 'em leaves you"

Trying his hardest only to always be left behind.

"All your life and what does it get you?
Thanks a lot
And out with the garbage
They take bows and your batting zero"

The New Directions, who had found safety and family and acceptance with each other but who hadn't been able to extend that promise to Kurt, not fully. Always making him the outsider, a misfit among misfits.

"I had a dream
I dreamed it for you, Dad
It wasn't for me, Dad"

Always feeling as though he'd let his father down. As if he'd had a false start. Tripped from the very beginning. The most important person in his life and Kurt always felt as though he would never be able to hold on. The tighter he held on, the more his father slipped through his fingers.

Watching helplessly as Finn loped effortlessly into the lead. Feeling so easily replaced. Having Finn, his friend, someone who was supposed to have his back, supposed to be there for him, disregard him completely and try to snatch something away from Kurt. Trying to snatch away Kurt's most precious something. As if Kurt didn't matter.

"And if it wasn't for me
Then where would you be
Miss Rachel Berry?"

And Finn wasn't the only one guilty of that kind of betrayal.

"Well
Someone tell me
When is it my turn?"

Dalton was supposed to be different.

"Don't I get a dream for myself?"

This was supposed to be his chance. Blaine had told him that this was his chance.

"Staring now
It's gonna be my turn
Gang way world
Get off of my runway"

Kurt had come through Dalton's doors, guns blazing, ready to take the world by storm. Ready for a world that would let him shine.

"Starting now
I bat a thousand
This time boys
I'm taking the bows and"

Ready for his chance.

"Everything's coming up Kurt
Everything's coming up Hummel
Everything's coming up Kurt
This time for me"

Ready to actually follow through on this song's promise.

"For me
For me
For me
For me
For me
For
ME!"

Kurt stood center stage. The stage was bare but it was clear in Kurt's eyes that he saw his name in lights, where it belonged. As his voice rang out, he lifted his arms, reaching out to everything a viewer was blind to but could almost see because of the pure hunger on Kurt's face. "Moving" is an understatement.

As the video goes black, Blaine thinks back to a certain audition.

'Don't Cry For Me Argentina'. Kurt's voice longing and powerful and so much more than the Warblers are used to. Kurt raising his arms.

Blaine shaking his head, indicating that it's too much.

It clicks.

Blaine buries his face in his hands, needing a moment.

For once, Blaine is able to think this through calmly.

It's almost funny if you think about it. This is all because of a misunderstanding.

Kurt hadn't been smart about his audition. He needed to find songs that could be arranged for acapella groups, something that allowed for backing by all the Warblers. There were some songs he could have done with New Directions that he couldn't with the Warblers (the opposite was true as well) and he just had to learn what worked and what didn't.

Blaine had only wanted to reinforce that idea.

The thing was, Kurt did realize this. He would have gotten there on his own. But, thanks to Blaine's interference and his poorly received advice, Kurt thinks he has nothing to offer because he's different (Special, the possessive anger in his chest argues. Blaine counters back forcefully that he knows Kurt is special, thank you very much. He doesn't need anyone else pointing it out for him. And he certainly doesn't need another voice in his head to argue with. Jeez, how many are there now?).

Replaying all their conversations, listening to them through Kurt's ears, it's all too easy to understand how the countertenor could have come to this conclusion.

Blaine takes a moment to curse his obliviousness and resulting insensitivity. But only a moment.

Because he still has Mercedes' assurance from just a few minutes ago. He still has her faith in his and Kurt's friendship. And he still has his promise to her to not screw this up.

That doesn't mean he's going to ignore the criticisms of New Directions. He's made mistakes. He'll own up to that.

This brings him back to the thought of Kurt having feelings for him. Though he and Kurt have denied this accusation again and again, the arguments from Kurt's end suddenly seem weak. Could Blaine have been blind to this too?

How deep were Kurt's feelings for him? Did he want to pursue something other than friendship? Did that play into their fight? How long has Kurt felt this way? Was it just a crush? Physical attraction? Curiosity? Or was it something more?

Did Kurt love him?

Were those feeling still there? When was the last time Kurt had talked to his friends about feeling this way? Had they changed since he gave his friends the impression that he was interested? Had Kurt's feelings grown deeper? Or had New Directions misunderstood the situation and Blaine was getting his hopes up for no reason.

Getting your hopes up? Of course Wevid chose now to interject.

Blaine shook those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time. He'd figure that out later (Wevid grumbled angrily and that same possessive, easily aggravated growling stirred in his chest but Blaine shoved those aside).

He'd been saying since the beginning that he and Kurt needed to really talk. He just hadn't realized how much needed to be said.

And this not now business. The time that's passing is starting to scare him. He can feel it eating away at his and Kurt's connection.

But he can't force himself on Kurt. Especially when he's not entirely sure on where to start with all that needs to be said. Charging in without a plan has done nothing but make it worse.

And that broken look on Kurt's face. If Blaine lives his whole life and never sees that look on Kurt again, it will be too soon.

But Blaine is impatient. He always has been. Kurt has often teased him about this (that sends a bitter pang through Blaine's heart but he's taking it in stride because he's had time to feel pain and now is the time to start mending). He can't just let it be, knowing how stubborn Kurt is, how reluctant he is to reach out to someone when he's hurting.

This time would be different. Blaine knows that he won't be blindsided this time. It took some time (Too much time? Better late than never?) but Blaine has seen past the surface issue. He's not trying for a single fix. He knows that this is a deep problem; something that needs to be set right and that will take time. He's ok with that.

Anything worth having is worth fighting for. Blaine is going to fight tooth and nail because he is in this for the long haul.

Kurt is worth everything to Blaine.

Well Blaine, then the question is, how do you make Kurt see that?

…

I said that Cliff was no longer in my custody. I said nothing about me PERSONALLY not hanging off cliffs.

For the record, Mercedes totally knows about the other videos. She looked up the YouTube channel after her talk with Rachel and it didn't take too long to put two and two together. She's a smart girl. And, in addition to planning to show Rachel the video of Kurt nailing the high F (Rachel arranged for the videos to be made but, after a while, the AV Club just kind of ran with the project. They didn't tell her about filming Kurt rehearsing), Mercedes decided to finally get through the little hobbits gel helmet and make him see what's right in front of him. She ships Klaine just as hard as the rest of us. ;)

Leave a review if when Blaine shoved his thoughts aside, you were snapping your fingers going "DAMN IT! So close!"

I know I was.

*sigh* Oh Blaine. So close and yet…