A/N: Wow, this chapter ended up really long. Hope everyone is okay with that. ;) Thanks for reading, as always!

I don't own Glee or United States of Tara

"Why did I have to go there?" Kurt groaned miserably. "I just had to go to the Lima Bean, didn't I?"

Finn looked over at Kurt, unsure whether this was one of those rhetorical questions Rachel used to go on about.

"Well, isn't it, like, the only place for nerds to hang out between here and Westerville?" Finn fumbled, trying to avoid his step-brother's icy stare.

"Nerds?" Kurt answered critically. "Like Breadstix is so much cooler?"

He had to admit that Finn had a point though. There really weren't that many places to hang out on a Friday night in western Ohio. But still, he had to have known that going to the Lima Bean every single day after working with Kellie was bound to result in a run-in with Blaine. The fact that it took a whole week was pretty remarkable, actually.

"Fine, sorry, non-sports, party, cool kids I mean," Finn amended.

"I think you're better off sticking with nerds," Kurt rolled his eyes before dropping his head in his hands. They were sitting at the kitchen table after Finn picked him up from the Lima Bean. He was exhausted, but despite how much his body wanted to sleep, his mind wouldn't turn off after the excitement of the evening.

"Whatever," Finn answered, trying not to get frustrated. Kurt was pretty hard to deal with after a crisis and the last thing he wanted to do was agitate him to the point where he started transitioning again. "Why don't you just tell me what happened, from the beginning."

Kurt shot him a tortured look, as if hashing out the details from the evening was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

"It's a little foggy," he finally answered. It hadn't been that long ago that he'd begun mastering the ability to stay somewhat present in his mind when his alters took over. "But I'll try…"

Kurt and Kellie were waiting in an unusually long line for their coffees. Sure, it was nearly wintertime in Ohio on a Friday night, where admittedly, there wasn't much else to do, but even with these conditions, the Lima Bean didn't' usually get this busy. When Kurt overhead a couple of people talking about the movie they'd just gotten out of, he understood why there was a crowd.

"Maybe we should go see Zombie Killers 4," Kellie mused aloud, obviously picking up on the same conversations Kurt was.

"Spoiler alert, everyone's a zombie," Kurt joked lamely with a nervous laugh. The truth was, Kurt hated scary movies. He didn't understand how you could derive pleasure from getting the crap scared out of you. Of course, he didn't want to admit this to Kellie, who seemed pretty enthused about the idea.

"What's wrong, are you afraid?" she asked with a sly smile. Was Kurt really that easy to read?

"You caught me," he answered quickly, putting his hands up in mock surrender. He hoped his joking and vague avoidance of the question would put the subject to rest. Either his ploy worked or she sensed the truth (knowing Kurt's luck, probably the latter) and she dropped it, turning her attention instead to the menu board above the cashier.

"I think I'm going to try the spiced hot chocolate," she said, eyes still scanning over the chalked list. "Maybe a muffin too, I'm starving."

Kurt liked that Kellie wasn't afraid to admit that she was hungry. It was so refreshing not to have to assure her that she could eat and wouldn't gain a hundred pounds like he had to do with his girlfriends at McKinley.

"That sounds—"

"Kurt?"

Kurt stopped mid-sentence as he heard his name called from farther back in the line. It was Nick. And he knew without turning around that this was the moment he'd been dreading. He could hear it in the way Nick called out his name, he wasn't alone. Blaine was with him.

Kurt shot a look at Kellie, who was already turning around and craning her neck to see who'd called for him, before slowly turning himself, trying to rework his expression of dread into one of happy surprise. Spotting Nick, he saw that his hunch had been correct. Standing on one side of him was Jeff and on the other, Blaine. Nick and Jeff were waving at Kurt while Blaine looked off to the side, obviously just as uncomfortable with the situation as Kurt was.

"Who is that?" Kellie asked quietly while Kurt gave a small wave back. From her vantage point, she could see Nick and Jeff, but Blaine was obscured. Kellie might not have even recognized him anyway from that day in the car in front of her house, but as she and Kurt grew closer, their post-research conversations tended to drift back to Blaine. Kellie had seen enough pictures of him on Kurt's IPhone to be able to pick him out in a crowd.

"J-just some friends," Kurt stuttered, swallowing hard. "And Blaine."

"Okay," Kellie turned to face him and grabbed both of his shoulders with strong hands as she went into emergency crisis mode. Kellie was tall, about the same height as Kurt, and when she shook him, he snapped to attention. "You can do this Kurt. You see him every day at school, right?"

"Yeah, but we're in class or Warbler practice and we don't actually have to talk to one another. We haven't spoken since…"

"Wait, what?" Kellie asked incredulously. "You haven't spoken since you broke up? Not two words?"

Kurt shook his head vigorously. As more seconds flew by, both of them knew they were going to have to make a move or it would get even more awkward than it already was.

"Okay, we have to go say hello," Kellie decided. Kurt's nauseated look didn't go unnoticed. On impulse, she reached down and took his hand in hers, noticing how sweaty it was and choosing to ignore it. "It's fine Kurt, this was going to happen sooner or later, you might as well get it over with. Come on."

Just like that, Kellie was dragging Kurt out of their place in line and pulling him towards his friends. Jeff and Nick shot a confused glance at each other as they saw this unfamiliar girl dragging their friend towards them. As they got closer, Blaine finally looked up to see them approaching.

"Hey," Kurt greeted softly with a pained smile as they finally reached the group. "Fancy meeting you guys here."

"Yeah, we were just getting a little stir-crazy in the dorms, you know," Jeff answered, looking awkwardly between Nick and Blaine before returning his attention to Kurt.

"Yeah I know how that is," Kurt agreed, cursing his stupid addiction to caffeine.

"I'm just going to go wait in the car," Blaine mumbled, but Nick caught him on the shoulder and Blaine didn't struggle.

"Um," Kellie cleared her throat gently, as if it would alleviate some of the tension. "Hi, sorry, I don't think we've met, I'm Kellie."

Nick and Jeff seemed to immediately remember their manners when she began to speak and both reached out to shake her hand.

"Nick and Jeff, it's nice to meet you," Nick spoke for both of them.

"Ah, the famous Nick and Jeff," Kellie answered with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

"And you as well," Jeff answered.

"Well then," Kellie squared her shoulders again. She knew that this meant they probably knew the whole story, and she could feel the color begin to rise in her cheeks. A change of subject was definitely in order. "And Blaine, it's good to see you again. I'm sorry you probably didn't get the best impression of me at our first meeting."

Blaine did his best to smile as he shook her hand, cursing himself for the way his hands trembled and hoping that Kurt couldn't tell from where he was standing. But when he shot a quick look to Kurt to see if he could, he saw that Kurt wasn't paying attention to anyone. He was just staring with this far-off look in his eyes, like he was in a different place all together. Blaine jabbed Nick in the side with his elbow and motioned toward Kurt.

"Hey Kurt? You okay?" Nick asked, placing a tentative hand on his friends shoulder. The touch seemed to snap him out of his daze and he jumped back, almost bumping into the person in front of him in line.

"Whoa, cowboy, no need to get handsy!"

The drawl and vernacular were unmistakable. Even Kellie picked up on it immediately.

"Conrad?" she asked quietly. As soon as his eyes locked in on hers, she was transported back to a different time. Feeling small, she crossed her arms over her chest and watched him.

"Well, you two probably have a lot to catch up on, we should go." Blaine interrupted. He knew it was cruel, but for some reason, an anger was bubbling up inside of him. He was irritated that Kurt chose this moment to transition…and then he immediately realized that for the first time, he was blaming Kurt for something that was beyond his control.

"Are you out of your mind, Blaine?" Jeff hissed, this time being the one to restrain his friend. "We can't just leave him with her!"

"Why not?" Blaine asked, his voice growing louder. "This is the happy couple, remember? Reunited and it feels so good!"

"Blaine, calm down," Nick spoke quietly. Heads were starting to turn.

"Why don't you show a little more respect towards the lady?" Conrad turned his attention to Blaine, the unspoken threat in his words coming across loud and clear.

"My name is Kellie, in case you forgot, and I don't need you to fight my battles," Kellie said angrily, turning towards Conrad. Nick and Jeff could see that this was spinning way out of control.

"Now don't get your panties in a wad, baby."

"Yeah, baby," Blaine mocked. He was embarrassed with himself even as he spoke the words, but it didn't feel like he could stop them from coming out.

"Jesus, Blaine!" Jeff said right as Conrad lunged toward him. Thankfully a large barista noticed the conflict and grabbed Conrad's shoulders just in time to hold him back.

"That's it!" the guy shouted. His nametag read 'Justin'. "Outside, all of you!"

Nick and Jeff both shot the guy a grateful look that he seemed to ignore before reaching over and guiding Blaine out. Conrad and Kellie were close on their heels. The tips of Kellie's ears burned red hot as she caught the stares from the patrons of the coffee shop crowding her peripheral vision.

She thought about continuing straight to her car and driving off once the cold air hit her face, but as angry as she was with Conrad, she didn't want to leave Kurt alone in this mess.

"You need to pull yourself together!" Nick whispered to Blaine.

"Yeah, sweetheart," Conrad added with a mocking laugh. "Time to put on your big boy panties and act like a man."

"Oh, is that what you are?" Blaine shot back. He couldn't believe he was engaging Conrad in an argument, but all of his level-headedness had gone out the window. "Because I thought a man didn't knock up some chick and then never call her back."

Kellie gasped at the vitriol in Blaine's voice and if she'd been close enough, she would have reached out and punched him in the face herself. Conrad, however, didn't let the distance between them hinder his next move. With the speed of a gazelle, Conrad was launching himself toward Blaine. Blaine, who hadn't been anticipating the move and was knocked back on the ground as Conrad landed on top of him, punching him hard. The fall had knocked the wind out of him and the constant stream of blows wasn't helping him gain it back.

"Do something!" Kellie shouted frantically as they wrestled on the ground, exchanging blows. The sound of her voice finally broke Nick and Jeff out of their trance as they watched the bizarre scene unfold.

It took Nick, Jeff and the help of some bystanders to get the two boys separated and when they did, it wasn't a pretty sight. Both boys had busted lips and what promised to be a couple of black eyes. They both heaved heavily and launched half-hearted lunges at each other as they continued to shout insults and vulgarities at each other.

They'd all seen this side of Conrad before, but it was almost as if Blaine had transitioned into someone else altogether himself.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kellie saw Nick separate himself from the crowd and pull out his cellphone. She hoped he was calling someone to come pick Conrad up, because after all this, she sure as hell didn't want him riding in her car. Trusting that her hunch was right, she returned her attention to the two boys in front of her.

"Should I call the police?" a woman's voice called out from the crowd. Blaine, Conrad, Jeff and Kellie all shouted, "No!" at practically the same time, and the woman, startled, shrunk back into the crowd.

"You ruined my life, you know that?" Blaine shouted. "You absolutely ruined my life."

No one knew if he was speaking to Kurt or Conrad in that moment, but something about the defeat in his voice led all of them to believe he was speaking to the former.

Conrad didn't respond, except to shrug off the guys who held him back.

"Get off me man, I'm out of here!" he shouted and started walking down the dark road.

"Conrad, wait," Kellie yelled after him in spite of herself. "Where are you going?"

He didn't respond.

"Actually, plan B, he's walking down the road in your direction," Nick told whomever he was on the phone with. "He'll probably be about five miles out by the time you reach him. Thanks Finn, we owe you one."

Finn, Kurt's brother, Kellie told herself, relieved. With that settled, she turned to the other boys as the crowd around them began to dissipate. "Well that was fun, I'm leaving now."

"Kellie, wait."

Kellie stopped in her tracks only because the voice behind her was not the one she'd been expecting. Great timing, Blaine Anderson. Bravo.

"You don't talk to me," Kellie spoke fiercely, turning around to face him. "Not another word. I'm sorry for what happened between you and Kurt, but you had no right to use me against him or Conrad. You don't know the first thing about me."

And with that, she turned on her heel and left. She heard Jeff or Nick try to call after her again, but she kept walking. The night had turned into an absolute nightmare and she wasn't quite sure where to go from there. Within a fifteen minute period of time, she found herself once again strapped down with the uncertainty and hurt that came along with having Conrad back in her life. What the hell was she doing befriending Kurt Hummel? What was she thinking? It was all too much.

As she climbed in her car, she thought about Mikey and felt an immediate pang of guilt. She was being selfish. She was so lonely, so starved for friends after her old ones all ditched her once she became pregnant, that she forgot why she'd agreed to let Kurt into her life in the first place. It was to help her find her son. And now she let it turn into this.

Kellie made a silent vow to her son as she turned her car on. She would find him, and she would forget all of this nonsense until she did.

"So you transitioned into Conrad and he had some words with Blaine and then you two beat each other up?"

"Yeah," Kurt nodded miserably, shifting the bag of frozen peas over his swollen eye. "I mean, I guess. I don't really know who said what, but I remember punches being thrown. And then the next thing I remember, I'm waking up in your car heading here."

Finn stood up to get Kurt a fresh wash rag. All of the talking had caused his busted lip to open back up again.

"What are you going to tell Burt?" Finn asked, handing the rag to Kurt.

"The truth," he sighed. "I learned my lesson long ago."

"And Blaine? What are you going to do about him?"

"I have no idea," Kurt admitted. He knew he would have to call Nick or Jeff for the whole story. Or Kellie—

"Oh my God," Kurt gasped, remembering Kellie's role in the whole fiasco. "I need to talk to Kellie."

A look of confusion washed over Finn's face before he figured it out. Kurt had been with Kellie at the Lima Bean. Kurt transitioned into Conrad. Conrad and Kellie…

"This is bad, isn't it?" Finn asked, wincing.

"Understatement of the century," Kurt muttered, pulling out his phone. He knew as the phone rang that she wouldn't pick up. Why would she? Ending the call in defeat, he slid off of the kitchen barstool and headed to his room with a barely muttered 'thanks' to Finn for finding him and taking him home. At least it was the weekend again. He had two full days to start figuring this mess out.

He was finally tired enough to go to sleep, as evidenced by the way he flopped down on his bed and falling fast asleep, completely bypassing his nightly skin routine. His dreams were colorful that night, each one a nightmare or anxiety dream. Even in unconsciousness, his brain wouldn't give him a break.

Kurt Hummel was in a very deep hole and for the first time in a week, his dreams didn't involve finding his son.

So what did you think? How is Kurt going to get out of this mess and what the heck is up with Blaine? I'd love to hear your thoughts!