AN: I hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday! Big thank you to my amazing beta, Christine!

The great thing about school breaks was that it didn't mean that the rest of the world was on vacation too. Most importantly, it meant that Burt still had to go into the garage while Kurt and Blaine were left home, alone. At first, Blaine thought that Burt would want him to go with that morning, especially when he insisted that he was only going in for a few hours to handle some end of the year paperwork, but Burt told Blaine to enjoy the next few days. He would start at the garage after the new year.

Burt probably wouldn't have been so accommodating had he known exactly what his son and Blaine were planning on doing with the time that Burt had given them, but Blaine forgot all about everything outside of his bedroom while Kurt was lying next to him on his best, kissing him slowly.

Blaine thought there would be some kind of awkward transition while he and Kurt maneuvered their ways through this new piece of their relationship. But this piece, he learned, was one that they'd both wanted years ago, but had always been too afraid to reach out and take. So the new intimacy between them felt as natural as being friends did. The only thing that felt strange was all the hiding. They couldn't tell anyone, not even Burt or Rachel, about the change because the consequences were too severe. They'd agreed that they'd risk everything by themselves, but wouldn't dare jeopardize anyone they cared about. So this meant that Blaine couldn't hold Kurt's hand at the dinner table or kiss him goodnight before they went to bed—at least not in the way he wanted to. And it meant that the time they could spend exploring each other on this new level was regulated to the times when Burt wasn't around. Which wasn't often enough.

Blaine pulled away from one of the dozens of kisses he and Kurt had shared since Burt's truck pulled out of the driveway with a question on his mind. A question that had been nagging him for months now, but he hadn't felt like he could approach the subject with Kurt until now, when he knew that their relationship was the strongest it had ever been.

"I feel like we've never really had a chance to catch up," Blaine said, his head on the pillow watching as his index finger softly traced the bend in Kurt's elbow, "Everything was about your dad for so long and I feel like there is so much more that happened while I was away that you haven't told me about yet."

Kurt propped himself up on his elbow, resting his head on his hand, "There isn't much to tell. I spent a lot of time counting the days until we could bring you home."

"There's got to be something," Blaine said, "What about Glee club?"

"I signed up to audition the day my dad told me he wanted to bring you home," Kurt told him, "I know we talked about joining together and I almost didn't do it. But I had my audition two days later."

"What did you sing?" Blaine asked, grateful that Kurt had still joined without him, jealous that he couldn't have been there.

"Bring Him Home," Kurt whispered.

Blaine felt warm inside as he responded, "Good choice," knowing that Kurt had sung it for him.

Kurt smiled, "I knew you'd approve."

Blaine kissed him before he spoke again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

This was the question that Blaine needed the answer to the most. This was the question that he'd had since he first saw Kurt at city hall all those months ago. Kurt would never be his boyfriend—he could never be his boyfriend—but they had begun this new part of their relationship and Blaine was curious, "Have you…have you ever done this with anyone?" he asked already jealous of someone who might not even exist. But he had to know if Kurt had ever let someone else into his heart.

Kurt shook his head and reached for Blaine's hand, lacing their fingers together, "No. You haven't missed anything regarding this," he pulled their joined hangs to his lips and kissed the knuckle of Blaine's middle finger, "Except a couple of embarrassing crushes on straight guys. Although, Mercedes once had a crush on me, if you can believe that."

"I can, actually," Blaine said. Anyone who didn't find themselves drawn to Kurt in every way was an idiot. But hearing about Kurt's crushes, and even Mercedes crush on Kurt, hadn't made him jealous or upset. In fact, it made him smile. Blaine was glad because he got to be part of Kurt Hummel's history in a way that no one else would. He got to be the first boy to kiss him, the first boy to hold his hand, the first boy to tell him that he loved him. That he'd loved him for so long.

"What about you?" Kurt asked, his words and the way his thumb was making circles in the skin on the back of his hand pulling Blaine back to the present.

"Me? You don't exactly get a chance to do something like this in a room full of strangers and people watching you at nearly every hour of the day."

"No crushes?" Kurt inquired further, his self-conscious eyes not looking at Blaine, "What about Sam?"

Blaine used a finger to tip Kurt's chin until he was looking him in the eye, "No," he told him, firm and determined for Kurt to understand, "Besides, even if it I did, it would go right along with your embarrassing crushes on straight guys."

"Oh," Kurt smiled as his cheeks reddened.

"Yes, oh," Blaine said smiling before he placed a quick kiss on Kurt's lips, before he spoke the next words that came out of his mouth as naturally and as truth as if Blaine had said his own name, "Kurt, I've been in love with you for…well, for as long as I can remember."

Kurt's eyes widened and Blaine thought for a moment that he'd scared him; that despite everything they'd done and confessed in the last few days, that the words that had just come out of Blaine's mouth were too big for Kurt. But when he saw the tears beginning to pool in Kurt's eyes, he realized it wasn't fear. It was amazement, "Really?"

"Really," Blaine told him, never more sure of anything in his life, "It was you—the thought of you—that I held onto. Even when I thought I'd never see you again."

"I told you we'd see each other again someday," Kurt said, gripping Blaine's hand tighter.

"I know," Blaine told him, gripping back, "I just didn't know how long you'd wait."

"I'll always be waiting, Blaine," Kurt told him, "I'm in love with you, too."

For all the bad things that Blaine had lived through, it was moments like this that felt like the universe was trying to find a way to pay him back. It couldn't give him much, but it could give him the boy he loved, who loved him back, and a few hours of time to relish in the goodness of it all. And Blaine had every intention of taking advantage of it.

When the doorbell rang just after lunch time, the boys were curled up on the couch in the living room, tangled together beneath a blanket. They knew that Burt would be home soon and that they would have to go back to pretending like they hadn't been kissing for the last few hours; like they weren't madly in love.

"Just ignore it," Kurt said snuggling deeper into Blaine's side.

But Blaine sat up straighter, adding distance between himself and Kurt, "What if it's someone from city hall? What if it's Ms. Clarke stopping in for an unexpected visit?"

"They can do that?" Kurt responded, suddenly a little more concerned about who was at the door.

"I don't know," Blaine said, "But I really don't want to find out that it is while we're sitting here like this."

"Okay, okay," Kurt said after a sigh, untangling himself from around Blaine and the blanket they'd been wrapped in, "At least we aren't in our pajamas. I'll see who's at the door and you go pretend you're doing laundry or something."

Blaine disappeared upstairs, ready to return to the living room with the dirty clothes from Kurt's hamper had he needed to. But it was only thirty second before Kurt was calling his name. When he came back downstairs, Kurt was in the living room, alone, his back toward Blaine.

"Who was at the door?" he asked

"No one," Kurt said turning around with a big brown envelope on his hand.

"Did you order something?"

"No," Kurt said, "When I opened the door, there wasn't anyone there. But this was on the porch."

As Blaine came closer he could see that Kurt's name had been written on the front of the envelope. With a glance at Blaine, Kurt ripped open the brown envelope and pulled out the contents, a smaller white envelope with a post it note attached to the front.

"Please give this to Blaine," Kurt read aloud, "If this causes trouble please know that Blaine doesn't know anything about this."

Kurt pulled the post it off of the envelope and handed to Blaine who examined it for a few moments before tearing the seal open and pulling out the single piece of paper that was folded inside. As he unfolded the page, he immediately recognized the messy handwriting inside. It matched the handwriting of the note he'd tossed into the trash can more than six months before. He knew who this was from before he read a single word.

Blaine,

I came looking for you in Columbus and you weren't there. I heard from graham…whose back for the 5th time btw…that you got bought up by the Humels and I remembered that you talked about kurt a bunch and that his last name was Humel wasn't it? So I tracked down his address and man I hope this finds you. I hope that you don't get in any trouble over this letter but I had to risk it!

I found it Blaine. I found a place where we can live…free. It's in Tennessee which is super cool and I've already got a tent and everything setup there. I met this chick her name is Quinn and we came to get you and we're not going back until you agree to go with us.

Theres a park down the street from your house. Get your stuff and meet us there at midnight on Saturday. We'll wait for a while in case your masters don't go to bed before that but sneak out and meet us there and we can go back to Tennessee together. I owe you so much more than this but if I can start with getting you out of there then I can make up the rest later.

Remember. Midnight. Saturday.

Sam

Blaine reread the letter three more times. Each time making sure that he understood. Not only had Sam found the camp that was supposed to allow runaway slaves a sanctuary, but he'd come back for Blaine. In the six months before Blaine went up for auction, he always hoped that Sam would come back; but he never actually thought it would happen. Blaine never really believed that freedom existed, but he had proof that it was real and Sam wanted him to join him. On Saturday. That was three days away. For a moment he imagined what it would be like to see Sam again, to run away and gain was semblance of freedom again. But when he looked over at Kurt, the image was gone.

"Who's it from?" Kurt asked breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

"Sam," he responded, "He tracked me down."

"Wow," Kurt said, "For what?"

"He found it," Blaine said, his voice quiet, his entire body still stunned, "He found freedom."

Blaine couldn't seem to make his mouth and tongue work together to form the words to tell Kurt that Sam had also come back for him; he'd come back to take him away. If it had been six months before, he would have. He would have run away with Sam and maybe one day he would have found a way to see Kurt. But he'd managed to get back to Kurt without Sam and running away felt wrong, a betrayal of everything that Burt had done for him and a betrayal of everything that Kurt meant to him. Blaine didn't know if what Sam was offering was freedom anymore, not for him. Sam was offering a life of hiding from the real world, but free to eat, sleep, and breathe as he pleased. He would never have to endure the stress of another evaluation, or get a dirty look at the grocery store. He wouldn't have to feel like he was less than he once was, than everyone else. But how different were things at the Hummel's? Didn't Burt let him do everything that he could so much as the laws would allow? Didn't Burt promise to sing Blaine's praises at every evaluation? Were the dirty looks bearable if he got to back to a house with two people who cared about him? Was there really freedom in being separated from Kurt?

"That's great," Kurt said.

"I know," Blaine said, and realized it was time for something he should have done a long time ago, "Can you sit down? I need to tell you something."

Kurt agreed and took a seat on the couch; Blaine followed and sat beside him with a bit of space between them.

"I want to tell you how I got my scar," Blaine told him.

Kurt's eyes were wide as he nodded, "Okay."

"Sam was," Blaine started, and then corrected himself, "is a bit of a troublemaker. Not in the bad boy rebel kind of way, but in the class clown kind of way. He was always making the instructors mad by just doing goofy things. Though, I don't know why because every time he did something he'd get punished: whippings, missed meals, solitary confinement. Whatever they thought would teach him a lesson. But he knew what he was doing and he never seemed to care. I don't know many times he had to endure a day of physical training with a welt the size of a baseball on his leg or a cut bleeding on his arm; but he just kept doing these things that got him into trouble."

Blaine took a moment to look at Kurt who was watching him as he told the story he'd never told a soul. Kurt nodded and Blaine continued.

"One day he did something really stupid. In the middle of the night, he broke into Mr. Henderson's office—he was probably the scariest guy I've seen in my entire life—and he took the statue off his bookshelf," Blaine explained, "I guess Mr. Henderson was some kind of acclaimed instructor and they gave him a trophy so that he could brag about it. I had no idea he'd done this until we were woken up the next morning by Mr. Henderson screaming about the trophy and how they were going to search everyone's bunk. They're halfway to Sam and me when I see the trophy underneath Sam's pillow and Sam's freaking out. It was the only time I've ever seen Sam afraid. And I know, I just know, that if they catch him with the trophy, they're going to kill him. They can't put those who can't cooperate up for auction and the only other option is death. They have no use for those who are not useful to them. And this is the last straw for Sam. So I snatched the trophy from beneath Sam's pillow and threw it beneath mine. Sam was still arguing with me when they checked out beds and found it. Mr. Henderson slapped me across the face and then I was dragged away."

Blaine couldn't look at Kurt as he told him the next part, "There were thirty lashes with the whip, that's what caused the scar. It bled for days. I don't think I ate that entire day—not that I could have with my swollen jaw and I spent two days in solitary confinement. But it was worth it because it was better than Sam dying," Blaine said, the tears pouring from the eyes that refused to look up, "When I got out Sam seemed to be behaving and then a few days later, I woke up and he was gone. I haven't heard from him until now."

Kurt's choppy breath made Blaine look up to see that Kurt was crying. Tears running down both of his cheeks with the most pained expression on his face. And a moment later Kurt had his arms wrapped around Blaine, holding him tight.

"I want to borrow Blaine," Rachel said from her seat at the piano bench. She and Kurt were doing some extra practicing during lunch.

"Borrow him?" Kurt asked leaning against the side of the piano.

"I thought it would be a nicer way of asking if I could hire him to play piano and sing at the New Year's Eve party. I think there would be something sophisticated about live music."

"We always end up doing a ton of karaoke. Why do you need live music?"

"Because I also invited some of the other students from my dance class and I may have told them that I was having live entertainment," Rachel told him, "And while I really meant that we would be providing our own music, I told them I was having a pianist come who could also sing."

"Why would you do that?"

"Kurt, you know how I have a perpetual need to be liked and I thought that maybe they would like me more if they thought I was throwing a really classy party."

"But you're not."

"I know," Rachel whined, "But maybe Blaine could play the piano while we sing. It'll be more cover band less karaoke."

"He's not for sale."

"Come on, Kurt," Rachel begged.

"You've never even heard him sing."

"No. But I may have looked up his credentials online and they say that he is highly skilled in both of the services for which I would need," Rachel said leaving Kurt flabbergasted, "Plus, I trust your judgement. So can I borrow him, please? I'll pay you kindly."

Kurt crossed his arms over chest, "I'm not renting him out to you for the evening," he told her, "But I will ask him if he'll play."

"You can't just…agree to this on his behalf? It's not like he can tell you no."

"He can, and you know it. I thought now that you knew about Blaine that you'd be more…I don't know…accepting."

"I accept that you and Blaine share something unique, though it being public knowledge will, without a doubt, ruin your reputation. And Blaine seems like a nice guy. But It doesn't change the fact that he's a slave, Kurt," Rachel said, speaking only of his friendship with Blaine. There was no one they could trust with the rest of it.

"He's a person," Kurt reminded her, angry.

"I know. And I believe in freedom, you know that I do. But the argument you're trying to have with me goes much deeper than the request I've made. I want to impress my friends from my new dance school."

"I'll ask him," Kurt repeated, "And I'll have an answer to you by the end of the night."

Later that afternoon a very astounding YES echoed through the entire house before Blaine hugged Kurt.

"I might be a little rusty," Blaine said, "But that sounds wonderful. I'm glad she asked you if I could."

Kurt wasn't sure how he felt about Rachel's proposal, or about the way she had been speaking. He'd told her all about his relationship with Blaine—except for the new parts—because he thought she saw the world the way he did. That regardless of what society had labeled slaves, they were still people, and they should be treated as such. He wouldn't have made Blaine go if he didn't have the biggest smile on his face. If he didn't love that doing this would bring Blaine so much happiness.

Even still, despite the fact that Blaine captivated everyone with his voice, and with his piano playing, the New Year Eve party was a complete disaster. At least in the beginning. From the moment the party started the room was divided: New Directions on one side, Rachel's friends from dance class on the other. No one seemed at all interested in each other and kept to themselves. Kurt could almost see the rolled eyes from the stage while he sang a duet with Mercedes while Blaine played a few feet away. He shot Blaine a wink and he felt like he was flying when Blaine smiled at him, big and bright and the only place Kurt knew his heart would be happy.

Now he was sitting with Tina while Blaine was going through a very nice rendition of Since You've Been Gone that sounded so much better than the original, midnight quickly approaching.

"Have you ever kissed anyone at midnight on New Years?" she asked.

"No," Kurt said, but he'd wanted to. Two years ago. And he then was immediately struck with the most marvelous, amazing, absolutely perfectly romantic idea. He would have hugged Tina and thanked her for the inspiration if he didn't think it would cause suspicion for what he was about to do.

He was on his way to the piano before Blaine finished the song and by the time the last note rang out, his hand was on Blaine's shoulder, "Will you come outside with me?"

Rachel appeared a second later, a platter of sparkling grape juice in her hand, and one in Finn's, announcing there were only three more minutes until midnight. It was perfect. Kurt took hold of Blaine's hand, not caring if anyone saw it and thought something of it. Right now he didn't care.

"I left something in my car," Kurt said as he and Blaine moved past Rachel, "I need Blaine's help."

"But it's almost midnight," Rachel wailed.

"I know. I'll be right back."

He didn't wait for Rachel to argue or question, he didn't turn back to see what the faces of his friends—or Rachel's friends—looked like. He just hurried up the stairs, practically dragging Blaine behind him, never letting go of his hand. He should have thought to grab their coats before they were out the front door, but Kurt knew he had a limited amount of time and he wanted this moment to be special. He wanted to have something that resembled normal with Blaine. And there was nothing he wanted more right now than to kiss Blaine at midnight.

"Kurt," Blaine said trying to catch his breath when they arrived at Kurt's car, "What is going on?"

Their hands still linked, Kurt pulled Blaine close to him. Wrapped his arms around him partially for warmth because really, not grabbing their jackets wasn't the best idea, but also because there was nothing but shadow surrounding his car, no one would see them. Kurt loved how Blaine wrapped his arms around him, how it felt to feel his fingers stroke his shirt were it sat along his waist and make him shiver in a way that had nothing to do with the cold. From one of the neighboring houses he heard cheering, and Kurt knew that the clock had struck midnight and a new year had begun. And he got to start it in the arms of the boy he loved. The boy he would love for the rest of his life. Despite the obstacles that have been thrown at them, and those that were still to come. But they would get through them, he knew they would.

"Happy New Year, Blaine," he said and then he pressed his lips against Blaine's and everything felt like the fireworks that they probably had on TV right now.

Blaine cupped his cheek with his hand, deepening the kiss, pulling Kurt closer with the other hand. It didn't matter to either of them that it was freezing outside, that there were two inches of snow on the ground, or that they were pressed up against Kurt's cold car. What mattered was each other. That they loved each other.

"Happy New Year, Kurt," Blaine said pulling away for a moment before placing another quick kiss on Kurt's lips, "You didn't really leave anything in your car did you?"

Kurt blushed and shook his head, "I wanted to kiss you at midnight."

Blaine smiled. The smile that made Kurt's head swell and soar until he felt like he was flying.

"I really appreciate the romantic gesture, Kurt," Blaine said rubbing his hands up and down Kurt's arms, "But it's freezing out here."

Kurt laughed, "I love you."

Blaine responded with another quick kiss, "I love you."

No one said anything when they walked back into Rachel's basement ten minutes after midnight, red from the cold, and without whatever it was that Kurt had left in his car.

Burt knew from the moment he woke up the morning of Blaine's second evaluation that there was something…off about the day. Maybe it was Kurt's nervous energy that hadn't been there for Blaine's last evaluation. Or maybe it was the way Kurt was thoroughly upset that not only did he have to stay in his room during the evaluation, but Blaine would have to stay in his as well. It was the first real time that Kurt had to realize that there was a difference between the way they did things in their house, and the way they should be done according to the law. Kurt was just going to have to play pretend for a couple of hours. Blaine's hand on Kurt's shoulder rationalizing everything for him—of course he would listen to Blaine over his own father—didn't go unnoticed, but Burt let it go. For now. Something was different between them, he could feel it. But he was going to get through this evaluation before he thought too much about it.

With Kurt in his room, Blaine let Ms. Clarke into the house like he had what seemed like a year ago, at least to Burt, when it had only been months, and then disappeared upstairs to his bedroom to wait. Burt found himself sitting across from Ms. Clarke. The last time she was here she had been a rather kind woman, especially considering her occupation, and had smiled politely as she began her questioning. The woman in front of Burt now came off as cold to him.

"How are things going with Blaine, Mr. Hummel?" she asked in a professional tone, void of any kind of emotion.

"Things are great," Burt told her, "Blaine works hard."

And that wasn't anything but the truth. Despite the wonderful fact that Blaine was slipping back into his role as a member of their family, instead of a slave, Blaine still insisted on cleaning up, doing laundry, and other various chores, including making dinner most nights. This was on top of his work at the garage.

"And his behavior? He's acting appropriately?"

"Of course," Burt answered surprised by Ms. Clarke's questioning, "He's perfect."

Blaine was nothing more than the good kid he'd always been and he'd taken care of Kurt while Burt had been in the hospital. Those weeks meant more to Burt than he'd ever be able to express.

"Mr. Hummel," Ms. Clarke said crossing her legs, "Are you aware that Blaine has a disciplinary infraction on his record?"

"A what?"

"Disciplinary action had to be taken against Blaine about six months before he went up for auction. It was a one-time offense, but he was caught stealing and had to be punished. Someone should have told you this before you brought him home."

"They didn't," Burt said, "But why are you telling me now?"

"I'm going to be frank with you, Mr. Hummel," Ms. Clarke said, "I've not only come to check in on Blaine, but I've also come with a proposal from Ms. June Dolloway."

Burt immediately recognized the name—as the socialite she was, but also as the woman who tried to outbid him during Blaine's auction, "What does she want?"

"Blaine."

"Excuse me?"

"Ms. Dolloway has offered to purchase Blaine again should he go back to auction," Ms. Clarke explained, "She's even willing to throw a little extra in your direction should you be willing to sell him back to the federal government. Truth be told, Mr. Hummel, Blaine was promised to Ms. Dolloway before he even went up for auction. We just never expected anyone else to want him."

How could they not want him? Burt thought to himself.

"Please express my apologies to Ms. Dolloway," Burt said, "But Blaine is staying here."

"Would you be willing to discuss this with Ms. Dolloway? Perhaps over dinner."

"Listen, lady," Burt said, careful to not raise his voice so that it didn't travel upstairs, "I understand what you're doing, but there isn't an offer on this planet that will make me give Blaine up."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Mr. Hummel," Ms. Clarke said gathering her things, "I will let Ms. Dolloway know of your response, but I expect that you'll be hearing from her, or her lawyers, again soon."

Burt narrowed his eyes, "Is that a threat, Ms. Clarke?"

"No, Mr. Hummel. It's just the truth," Ms. Clarke said standing, "Should you fetch Blaine, now?"

"I can let you out the door myself," Burt explained standing and guiding Ms. Clarke to the door, eager to get her out of his house and away from his family.

A few minutes later Kurt came hesitantly down the stairs and found his father standing quietly against the closed door.

"Dad, is everything okay? Are you feeling alright?"

Burt took a deep breath and looked at his son, "Yeah, buddy. Everything's fine."

And there was not a single thing Burt wouldn't do to make sure it stayed that way.

AN: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Only 2 chapters left! I promise to get Chapter 11 to you as soon as possible.