I'm back! I'm back! I swear I wasn't obvious to how long it's taken for me to update. I've been dealing with some personal stuff these past few months—I won't go into a ton of details in an authors note, but I've needed to take a step back and deal with some issues going on within myself. I apologize for how long it's taken to update. Now, on to the chapter—

Rachel can't believe this is happening. The emotions don't even feel like a part of her. Rather, they're around her—a tornado of them just spinning and spinning around, making her dizzy. The thing is Shelby, her biological mother, looks so much like her that if Rachel had seen her on the street, she feels like she would know instantly that they were related. Yet, something isn't right. This doesn't feel happy to her.

Shelby can't sit still long enough for Rachel to ask any questions. She puts the baby (her sister, which is almost as shocking as meeting her mom) in a playpen, goes to make tea, gives it to Rachel, decides it needs more sugar, goes back into the kitchen, and well, the rest of the pattern is more of the same. The baby peers at Rachel through the mesh of the playpen smiling, reaching out her stuffed animals to show her. Rachel smiles back, but her heart stings with the knowledge that her mother gave her up and had another baby.

"Are you sure that tea is okay? It's old. I haven't had time to get more. You know what, I have some cocoa, let me get that instead—"

"Oh no, please, this is fine," Rachel assures her, lifting the cup from its platter ever so slightly to take a sip from it. She hums graciously, using the manners she learned from her etiquette class so many years ago. "Thank you."

Shelby nods politely and finally looks Rachel in the eyes. Her lips part like she wants to say something, but a soft sigh escapes instead. Rachel wonders if she should have at least tried to call before she came. It just didn't feel right to Rachel. As much a she loves dramatics, the real reason she did it this way is because in a way, she wants Shelby caught off guard. Rachel doesn't want her to get the chance to think about whether or not she wants her in her life or to think about what she wants Rachel to know or not. All Rachel wanted was the truth—something that's been noticeably lacking in her life lately. Yes, it was selfish, maybe even mean, but this wasn't just another protest because she didn't get the solo she wanted. This is her life and the woman in front of her is a missing part of it.

"Rachel," Shelby says at long last, breaking Rachel from her thoughts. "How did you find me? Your adoption was closed."

Rachel hears the undertone of a lecture in her voice. It makes Rachel wrap her arms around her body to try and fend off the unwelcoming vibes. "I-uh-the tape. I found the tape you made for me. I-" She stops, remembering how Jesse made her promise not to tell Shelby that he told Rachel the truth. "We spied on Vocal Adrenaline once and you sang. I recognized your voice as soon as I heard it on the tape. It's the only other voice I've heard that rivals mine." Shelby's mouth twitches like she wants to smile. Rachel sees it as an opening in Shelby's defenses. "I can't believe this is happening. There are so many things I want to ask—like, have you ever thought about me? What do you like?..."

"Rachel…"

Her hands, and maybe her whole body, start to shake. The breathing technique she's perfected for singing barely keeps up as she rambles. "…What are you like? Who was my father? Do I look anything like him because I look exactly like you?..."

"Rachel."

"…Are you two still together? What about the baby? She is my sister, isn't she? Did you have her with my dad? Did you ever see him again after I was born?…"

"Rachel, sweetheart, please!"

"Why did you give me up?" She asks breathlessly. Shelby quickly rushes to her side as Rachel struggles to regain control of herself. Shelby puts a hand on her back and rubs soothingly. The action feels weird to Rachel, but it does keep her just off the edge of having a panic attack. This is so much harder than she expected. Maybe her fathers had been on to something when they refused to tell her who her biological mother was. Maybe this was just a mistake.

Rachel glances back up at Shelby. The older woman appears absolutely out of place in her own home. It's obvious there's so much she wants to say, but all she can do is give Rachel an elegiac. Rachel, for once, carries guilt for imposing such sadness on this woman.

Shelby finally speaks, "I want you to know, above everything else, that I loved you and so did your father. You were created in love and it tore me apart for so long to give you up, but…" Shelby gasps quietly as a tear rolls down her face. "…I had to do it."

"But why?" Rachel can't help but ask. It's not in her nature to notice boundaries. It's in her nature to seek answers.

Shelby holds up her hand to signal that she needed a minute. Rachel nods and Shelby's body falls back into the couch cushion. Shelby's watery eyes glaze over, likely replaying a collection of hidden memories. Rachel waits expectantly, like a movie patron just dying to know how the hero will get out of this one.

At long last, Shelby's eyes focus back on Rachel. "Your father died while I was pregnant with you," She begins, and Rachel feels a little piece of her fantasy slip away. She didn't think her biological parents were still together, but she had hoped that her father was kind or at least around. She wouldn't have been too upset if her father had been uncertain or had never stepped up because she already had two dads. She really longed more for her mother. However, there's something absolutely heart breaking about the idea that not only were here parents in love with each other and that they wanted her, but that death had come in and swooped it all away from them. She's devastated that someone on earth loved her so much, and yet, never got to meet her.

Shelby continues on steadily, afraid that if she stopped for too long, she'd lose control of her tears. "I was scared and crushed by my grief. I was going to start this whole life with a man I loved and just like that, he was gone. Three months after that, you were supposed to come into my life and I knew I couldn't give you the attention and care you deserved. I thought that they—somebody would take you away too and I couldn't bare it. So, my brother... your uncle…" She says the name with a coldness that Rachel hadn't expected. Despite her usually dysfunctional relationship with tact, she knows better than to press at this particular moment. "He helped me find a nice couple to give you to and once you were born, you went to live with them and I moved to New York to work as an actress. Well, that didn't happen so I came back here and—"

Rachel waits, but Shelby just goes silent. Her lips purse together as she stares down at her hands. "And?" Rachel prompts. Shelby shakes her head.

"And this wasn't supposed to happen. You were never supposed to find out about me. You shouldn't be here," Shelby says.

Rachel heart sinks into her stomach and the acid starts to burn it. The emotions that were at bay now engulf her. She didn't understand—her biological parents wanted her, yet, this meeting was a mistake? "But I am here. I've been wondering about you all my life and now I've finally found you."

"I know, and I'm glad I got the chance to see you, but this can never happen again. I'm sorry."

Shelby pushes herself off the couch and away from Rachel. Rachel, enraged and confused, follows after. "I-I don't understand. You said you wanted me and that you loved me, but you never want to see me again?"

"It's for the best," Shelby agrees, but she can't even look Rachel in the eye as she says it. There's something that doesn't make sense here, something that just feels inherently wrong. She doesn't believe for a second that this story is as simple as Shelby tells it. Yet, Rachel can see that she means it all—the sorrow, the grief, the longing, it's all there. It's obvious there's something Shelby wants Rachel to know, but for whatever reason, can't tell her. It frustrates Rachel because after sixteen years of being left to figure out her own heredity, didn't she at least deserve some closure before her bio-Mom threw her out her life for good?

"How did my father die?" Rachel decides to ask. Shelby's eyes widen and immediately, Rachel knows she's asked exactly the right question. "Did you give me up to protect me from it?"

"No, that's—"

"Is it because you want to forget my father? If you insist on casting me aside like some forgotten toy while you play with your new daughter, don't I at least deserve to know why?" Rachel spat and instantly wishes she could take it back. Particularly when Shelby's face contorts in agony and then very quickly to anger.

"Don't you dare-!" Shelby stops just before she gets into Rachel's personal space. The yell causes the baby to cry. Shelby closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and takes a step away. "I'm sorry, but you need to go."

Without even looking at Rachel, she goes to the playpen and picks the baby up. Rachel is boiling in pure jealousy and rage. This isn't how she planned this meeting ending, but it's the way it must be. She can't force her mother into giving her answers, and if she refused to give them, well—then she wasn't half the woman Rachel hoped she would be. It's disappointing, but she had come here expecting as much. Now, she's assured that her dads were right.

Still, since this woman had hurt Rachel so badly, she can't hold her tongue. "You know what, you don't have to worry about me ever coming back. I wouldn't want to waste my time on someone who would say they loved me when they clearly don't mean it."

Rachel doesn't stay long enough to see how much (not if) it hurts Shelby to hear that. She stomps out the door and slams it shut behind her ten times harder than she had ever done walking out of glee club. Of course, once she's outside, her face crumples as sobs wrack her body. Out of instinct, she pulls out her phone to call Finn and stops just short of tapping on his name. She couldn't call him. They weren't together anymore. Instead, she goes her contacts and taps on Jesse's name, trying to ignore the odd feeling of wanting to call Finn anyway.

()()()()()()()

"Have you thought about it?" Kurt asks when Robin arrives at Dalton Sunday morning.

She always does inspections on the first day of the new semester, but this time, it's a good excuse to keep an eye on Kurt and Blaine as they move back to Dalton. She has reservations about a lot of things. She isn't sure if this is the safest place for Kurt to be, though she has no idea where Kurt will be safe. As to what Kurt is referring to—Kurt and Blaine's suggestion that Robin purposely makes Blaine upset so a ghost may or may not help them-she doesn't like this idea one bit. That hasn't stopped Kurt and Blaine from insisting it may be a necessary evil. Of course, her boss/partner is still ignoring her, so she can't get his input on this situation. They're running out of options, and if there's even a chance Kurt can get in touch with his mother, that will help greatly. Every time she even thinks of it, her stomach turns in the most unpleasant way. Robin's done a lot of messed up things in her life; can she really do this to her child for the greater good?

"I'll take your silence as a no." Kurt sounds almost frustrated about it. Robin shakes her head and pauses mid-parking lot. He stops right next to her and turns around to face her. "Believe me, I don't like this either, but this might be the only way to catch Renee's murderer."

"We just don't know, Kurt—"

"Who doesn't know? You and Andre? Or Blaine? Because Blaine's already made his choice." Robin narrows her eyes at him. She shouldn't be surprised, but she is impressed when Kurt shows no signs of stepping down.

Robin huffs and clenches a hand in her long, curly hair. "Blaine's made a lot of choices and they haven't always worked. Do you really want to put him in danger on the miniscule chance this might work?" she asks. Robin puts up a finger to stop him from replying. "And even if you and he are okay with that, I'm not. You're asking me to put my baby's sanity at risk. I can't do that."

Something changes in Kurt's eyes as his jaw tightens in the slightest way. "My mom did," Kurt says. Robin swallows and tries to ignore the squeeze that statement has on her heart. Kurt's still a little bitter about the way his mother handled things and that's the reason he has that tone in his voice, but she can't stand that it's aimed at her. Maybe Kurt was just a boy under her protection, but she's grown to love him almost like a son. Who knows? If things worked out with Blaine, maybe one day he would be. It hurts to hear him say that, especially towards her.

"That's different."

"You're right, it is. At least Blaine gets a choice."

There it is again. The bitterness and the heaviness that strikes Robin hard. "So did your mother. We all do and we all have to live with the decisions we make. You're asking me to live with the thought of purposely causing pain to Blaine. You're asking me to face the same evil that I had to face at the Sadie Hawkins dance…" The flash of memories of that night brings tears to the corner of Robin's eyes. She still remembers the smell of burning flesh, the horror of seeing a bruised up Blaine with glowing red eyes, and most of all, the heat on her skin for the split second it seemed like Blaine was going to blow her up next. Robin blinks the tears away quickly before they dare to fall. "I can't do it. I'm not as strong as your mother."

She expects Kurt to yell or to make another biting comment. Instead, she feels his anger break unexpectedly—replaced with disappointment. Robin would almost rather feel the anger. "My mom didn't do it because she was strong. She did it because it was right."

Kurt continues starts walking again, not even waiting for Robin to start with him. Robin sighs and gives Kurt the space he obviously wants.

"Oh hell no!" Kurt looks over his shoulder just as Robin turns around at the exclamation. David Mack's mother, Maggie Mack, walks briskly up to Robin with Olivia Ryan (Jeff's mother), Bernadette Klein (Jack's mother) and few other Warbler mothers that Robin doesn't recognize. The group radiates rage and fear, most of it coming from Maggie. Robin's never had an easy relationship with the other mothers because she never knew where they stood with GAIA. A lot of people have been mad with GAIA for years, and while most parents seemed to understand that Robin was just an employee, she didn't trust that all of them would be so kind. Just feeling how positively livid Maggie and the other women are makes Robin wonder if she worried too little about it. Maggie towers over Robin, glaring down at her with stone-cold black eyes. "I'll be damned if I'm going to let you and your government have an all access pass to my child anymore!"

Robin swallows as she exchanges looks with each of the women, all of whom either nod or proudly stand with Maggie. She then almost whispers, "I'm not here to argue about politics. I'm here as a mother just as all of you are."

"Bull crap. You've been using that as an excuse for years. Doesn't it seem odd that you started doing inspections after your son scared off the intern?" Olivia says in the most venom filled way. Not that it's surprising—Olivia was always one of the more proud and arrogant mothers. It always amazed Robin that someone as high strung as her could have made a child as laidback as Jeff. Robin's always found her annoying but now she wants to throttle her for even mentioning Blaine. "Not that it does any good. What's the point of having you do these 'inspections' when you're doing nothing to protect our kids?"

"Doing nothing?! I'm doing everything in my power to keep these kids safe!" Robin shouts. She sense Kurt approaching the group; she looks over her shoulder and gives him a stern, motherly expression that stops him in his tracks. She tries to reel in her anger so she can try and calm the other women with her powers. She can barely focus enough to keep herself calm so that's easier said than done. "If I wasn't around—"

"If you were actually around instead pretending that you are, that girl wouldn't have died," Maggie growls lowly. Robin's so shocked by the statement, she doesn't know how to reply. It's all coming down on her all at once, and there's no way she can control the situation when she can't even control her own emotions. Instead, everything is imploding—the anger, the hurt, the guilt—she can't tell if it's coming from her or the other women, but it's there and it's strong enough to knock the wind out of her. "So listen carefully, you go back to that little building of yours and tell your bed-buddy that we're not putting up with it anymore."

Robin cringes. The last phrase was only met to hurt, but if she shows even an inch of indication that it's true, it'll be the end of her. Even worse, Kurt is walking back over again. She knows without seeing it and finally settles on the singular emotion of panic. If Kurt hears the last phrase and Robin inadvertently hints that it could be true—he was observant and smart enough to figure it out.

She pushes past the group of mothers to prevent them from saying another word. Kurt pushes through them to try and catch up. "Robin, wait! Where are you going?!"

Without answering, she opens the trunk of her car and pulls the last two boxes of Blaine's things out of her car and thrusts them into Kurt's arms. He clings to the boxes tightly, gazing up at Robin like she's insane. At this moment, she's sure she plays the part perfectly. "Tell Blaine I had to leave and that I love him," she says, her voice hoarse and cracking towards the end. The tears she was trying to hide earlier? They're coming back and there's no way Robin can keep them from falling this time. Robin slams the trunk shut and then rushes to the driver's side of her car. Kurt opens his mouth to make a plea but Robin holds up her hand to show him there's no talking her out of it. She knows he won't understand what it means, but she has the urge to say one final thing and it's out before she can rethink it. "Tell him I'm sorry."

"For what?" Kurt murmurs. Robin shuts the car door, turns on the engine, and flies out of the parking lot without even looking at Kurt in her mirror. That's when the tears roll down her face.

She's tired of crying over the same thing all the time and being made weak over something she had the power to stop. At one time, it felt like Blaine's safety was most important. That's why she told everyone Blaine was Floyd's son in the first place, wasn't it? Now with one attack, it all seemed meaningless—the secrets, the made up relatives, the seventeen years of lies—what did it matter if people had the potential to hurt her and Blaine with the information anyway? Was it really good for everyone involved when Andre admitted he had always been in love with Robin and Floyd was getting involved blindly?

Did it matter now that Blaine could—and with as dangerous as this situation was, the possibility was no longer debatable—die without ever knowing the truth? Maybe she never planned on telling him the truth, yet the idea of lying to Blaine his entire life puts a heavy weight on Robin. What kind of mother did that?

Kurt's right— they had choices and Robin needed to make a few big ones before she lost control of everything.

()()()()()()()()

The minute Kurt walks into Blaine's dorm room with the boxes, Blaine jumps up away the box he was currently unpacking and rushes over to Kurt.

"Oh, thanks sweetie. I was coming out to get it, though."

Usually, Kurt would pull the box away and engage Blaine in a playful game of tug-of-war over it. At the very least, he'd make a joke about how Blaine took more things home over Christmas break than any girl Kurt knows. Instead, Kurt hands the boxes over listlessly. With them out of the way, Blaine sees the frown that blemishes Kurt's otherwise beautiful face. "Something wrong?"

"Your mom. I—She just left."

Blaine's eyebrows crinkle as he questions if he heard Kurt correctly. She just took off? Without saying goodbye to him? That wasn't like her at all. His mother's always been borderline overprotective—her refusal to help them summon Sebastian is proof enough of that—and ever since the night of the Sadie Hawkins dance, she's barely let Blaine leave a room without saying she loved him, never mind leaving him at Dalton without saying goodbye. "She just left? Did she say why?"

"She didn't have to. I saw it all." Kurt nearly whispers.

He can tell Kurt's worked up, and Blaine can't really blame him. That being said, it wasn't doing Blaine any good for figuring out the problem. Blaine sets the boxes on his dresser. "Sweetie, I know things are tense right now, but Wes is the mind reader, not me." Kurt cracks a small smile that fades almost too quickly for Blaine's liking. Blaine closes the door to his room, preparing himself for another heavy conversation; they were starting to become too common for his liking. "I can't just pick up on little cues; you know how bad I am at that. You have to tell me what happened."

Kurt pinches his temple. "All right—you're right. Robin and I were walking to come meet up with you before she had to do inspections. I might have brought up the idea of having her compulse you, again."

"I'm sure she loved that."

"No kidding. She finally gave me an answer by the way."

Blaine hums in understanding. "I'm guessing no?" Kurt nods in response. Blaine runs both hands across his cheek and over his mouth and sighs into them. "Okay. Well, you know I can't say I'm surprised. It's fine, there're other ways. We could always try…uh..." Blaine blushes at the thought in his head. "Physical attraction since Sebastian feeds off of lustful energy."

"It wouldn't work. You said he's always come to you when you're upset, not aroused. There's a reason for that," Kurt says, sitting down on the bed and tucking his knees up under him. A disgusted look crosses his face. "Thank god. I hate the idea of him touching you. But that's not the point—I walked away because I was frustrated and then the other Warbler moms came up to her and it got ugly. I don't know what they said but I know it wasn't pretty. Usually, I like catty moms but…" Kurt shakes his head. "They really got to her. I don't think I've ever seen her so rattled."

For as much as Robin worries about him, it's a rare occurrence for the tables to turn. Sure enough, Blaine fights the urge to call his mother and make sure she's all right. He only stops because he knows how his mother gets when she's upset; she doesn't like to be smothered. She may have mastered helicopter parenting two boys, particularly with her talent of knowing when they were upset or guilty, but she always had a hard time letting people in. It was as if there was always a distance between his mom and other people, even between her and Blaine at times. It's also something he chooses to ignore because he couldn't handle the thought of something distancing him from the one person who has always stood by him. "Did she say anything?"

"Actually yes," Kurt says, blinking as if he forgot. "She wanted me to tell you that she loved you and…" Blaine wiggles eyebrows, unknowingly motioning Kurt to go on. "She said she was sorry."

"Sorry? For leaving?"

Kurt considers it and then shakes his head slowly. "I don't think so. That's what I don't really understand. It would make sense if I believed she was apologizing for the Warbler-moms, or for leaving early, or to me even, but it didn't feel like that."

Blaine's confused now. It's not like Kurt to speak in metaphors or hidden meanings, or even to look too much into them. Kurt's always been very straightforward. It's nerve racking to say the least that his boyfriend is treating his mother like a puzzle. "Well, what else could it be? Some deep dark skeleton in her closet?"

Blaine's teasing, but Kurt apparently isn't since he shrugs his shoulders. Blaine laughs away the small voice in his head that says maybe he's right and drops his body down on the bed next to Kurt to try and lighten this quickly darkening thought. "Come on, Kurt. My mom may not be as dramatic as me and she's certainly no Cooper, but that doesn't mean she's keeping some dark secret. She's a lot of things—a control freak, massively overprotective for sure—but a liar isn't one of them. "

Kurt turns his body to face Blaine, taking Blaine's hands into his own. His demeanor is cautious as he says, "I know you think the world of your mother, and most days I do too. I don't think she's a liar either but something just doesn't feel right. She kept my mother's true identity from me for god knows how long after she found out the truth."

"To protect you."

"Precisely," Kurt deadpans. "She's made it clear that she'd do a lot of things to protect me and we both know she'd do anything to protect you. I admire her for that, but… what if this is something we deserve to know?"

"Then she'll tell us. I hope." But Blaine can't say for certain she would. Blaine swallows roughly and forces himself to smile. Kurt, who always seems to just know when Blaine needs physical comfort, leans in and presses a soft kiss on Blaine's lips.

Kurt pulls away just so and whispers, "God, I hope you're right. I'm tired of all these secrets and lies." Kurt's eyes flicker back up to Blaine's and Blaine swears Kurt could make the world stop with his eyes— he certainly does that to Blaine's heart. "Promise we'll never keep anything from each other, please?"

"Never." Blaine chuckles at the way that sounds, especially with as breathless as it came out. "That sounds bad. What I meant was of course I'd never lie to you."

They share another kiss that quickly turned fervid. Kurt's lips that usually caressed press hard while his arms wrap around Blaine's waist—not shoulders, waist. Kurt's hands rest briefly at the small of Blaine's back and then sway up and down. The touch is soft, intimate, bringing warmth that sparks and erupts. Without knowing how it happens, Kurt pushes Blaine on his back and rolls on top of him. Blaine's moan turns to a noise of confusion. "Wait—god, why am I saying that?—I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Kurt, who was kissing Blaine's neck, starts to chuckle, the vibrations easing another moan out of Blaine's mouth. "Do I seem uncomfortable, Blaine?"

"No."

"And you feel pretty warm, sweetie," Kurt teases while his fingers stroke against burning skin, fearing if he stopped less than briefly it would burn. Blaine entire face lights up despite his hesitation.

"Definitely not uncomfortable," Blaine says, leaning up to reclaim Kurt's soft lips He could spend every day like this: holding Kurt, teasing each other, just being happy. Obviously, with Sovereign hovering over them moments like this would be far in between, but the moments where they were just two kids in love….no evil organizations, no vengeful ghosts—

"Oh, wow. So this is happening…" No friends just appearing from nowhere. Namely, the vaporizing Nick. Kurt almost knees Blaine in a very bad place while rolling off him and rushing to the other side of the room far away from his boyfriend. Blaine, after thanking the good lord for sparing him that indignity, sighs in aggravation and glares at Nick. "Sorry. Wes wanted me to tell the Warblers we were having a meeting tonight and I thought at worse, I'd walk in on you naked or masturbating."

Kurt, face adorably red, narrows his eyes in confusion. "You were willing to take that chance?"

Nick shrugs. "Not like it hasn't happened before. Besides, I'd much rather walk in on someone masturbating than incur the wrath of Wes—and yes, I mean it, Kurt. Can't exactly lie to him either," Nick mutters under his breath. Kurt and Blaine share a knowing look—despite their embarrassment, they know this meeting is their chance to share their plan. If Blaine's mom won't help them, then they need all the help they get.

Or at the very least, they need to know the Warblers have their back. After what Kurt said about the Warblers' Moms, Blaine isn't so sure.

()()()()()()()

Hi, this is Shelby Cochran. Please leave a message with your number and I'll get—

Andre hangs up the phone, not seeing the point in leaving another message when he's already left a couple. At this point, he has to wait for Shelby to call him, but he keeps hoping maybe he'll catch her in a sentimental moment. It's only been two days and he already feels like he's lost his closest ally.

He has managed to convince—well, force—Santana to come stay at his house. She's been surprisingly willing, but hasn't said a word to him. It doesn't escape him that the one bag she brought with her remains unpacked in what was Tatiana's old room, nor does she show any signs of accepting that this stay may be longer than just a few weeks. To Andre, it hurts less than it should. If he's being honest, while he previously had by all means a good relationship with Tatiana and had always hoped maybe one day he could form some kind of bond with Blaine, he never dared to dream that someday he and Santana would have any sort of connection. Rather, he just accepted that Santana would never forgive him for the things other people have put in her ear that he had allowed her to believe. Even if he could appreciate the chance, however small, right now he has too many other things that are so dire, he simply can't work on making hell freeze over; instead, he's grateful Santana is accepting his protection even if she's obviously unhappy about it.

Then, there's Robin, whom he's actively avoided since he made the terrible mistake of telling her he loved her. The anger inside wonders how she possibly never knew. The more rational side points out that he hasn't exactly been kind to her—taking advantage of her crumbling marriage, making her life hell when she choose Floyd over him, burning her in drunken haze. Each thing he did was out of desperate pain at the knowledge he would never have her, but while she certainly wasn't innocent, there is very little he's done to show her how he really feels. It serves to show that he really doesn't deserve her at all, which is something he's well aware of.

All things considered, he's not prepared to walk into his office and find Robin there. She isn't sitting in the chair across from his desk, but rather sitting on the edge of the desk itself just like she had many years ago when they were lovers. Andre, who finds most childish things in life useless, would never say how much younger and sweeter the action made the woman, nor would he say how much it took him back to what was a happier time in his life. It does until he takes in her expression and stance. She looks up at the sound of the door closing, her eyebrows crinkled in a similar way to Blaine's when he's nervous, her shoulders drawn down, yet submissive. Her hair, previously styled for the day, or so Andre thought, is frizzy from her fingers running through it so often. She's scared, and no matter how much he may dislike her now, his love for her will always allow his concern to come through. She smiles softly, as if she can sense it. Andre immediately tries to hide it anyway.

"I thought you said you were helping your son move back into Dalton today."

He walks behind her to set his things on his desk. Robin watches listlessly, smile fading fast. "I was." Andre stands up straight and waits for her to finish. He may hate that she's so obviously sad, but he simply doesn't have the patience to deal with riddles today and leading along the day. If Robin so insisted on venting to him, she'd need to do all the work. "Until the Dalton moms made it clear I was no longer welcome. Actually, Maggie Mack's exact words were that I should tell my bed buddy—by which she could only mean you—that they're not putting up with it anymore."

Oh, well, now this is more than just venting. "So, they're losing faith in the system?"

"I would say yes, and at this point I can't blame them. It's just-," Robin purses her lips, unsure of how to make molehills out of mountains in this scenario. "—bad timing."

"Of course. At this rate, my name should be Andre 'Bad Timing' Moretta." Andre settles down into his chair. Robin turns slightly to face him. "Not that I can blame them either. Renee's death makes it seem as though we have no control over the situation."

"Andre, we don't have control," Robin deadpans very seriously. "I mean, really, we don't. We have a body in a grave, another one in the hospital, and god knows where Tatiana is…The only thing we've seemed to do successfully is protect Kurt but that's only because at this point, they haven't tried too hard to get him."

"Because Kurt's just a piece of the puzzle. Everything else has to fall into place before they can use him," Andre points out, but he realizes he's quickly losing the argument. Their only saving grace is that no one has found Kurt yet, that and apparently that they didn't have the Phoenix, though Andre doesn't know anymore than Sovereign does where it might be. In any case, it's clear that whatever they need Kurt for, they need the phasmara as well.

Robin rolls her eyes. "Yes, well, we're not prepared for when they need him. We have nothing, Andre. Is it any wonder that they're losing faith in us when I don't even believe in us? Sometimes even you doubt it, I can feel it… among other things," she finishes the last part quietly, but Andre still hears it. He starts pulling papers out, hoping they can avoid the conversation he had expected when he first walked in.

"Well, if you don't have faith in this anymore, maybe you shouldn't be here. Maybe you should excuse yourself from the case."

Robin stares at him. This is usually the point where she gets defensive and the whole thing evolves into an argument. He can't figure out why she smiles again instead until she says, "Blaine does that too."

"What?"

"Gets defensive. Changes the subject if it's something he desperately wants to avoid. I used to find it so annoying when you did it, that I never realized before. I guess… there were a lot of things I never realized."

The anger starts to bubble in his stomach. There's something he never realized about Robin either: he hates how when he wants to shout and be mad, she finds a way past his defenses. There's so many ways he would rather have a person effect him—burn him with fire, compulse him into being a fool, but he simply could not stand having his feelings infiltrated so easily. Not when all his life he had been taught to keep them inside. Yet, did he even stand a chance when Robin took up so much of his heart, his soul, his everything? He tries again to be mean. "If you couldn't figure out that I loved you, you must be dense."

And again, it fails. Though she's not so confident about it anymore. She shakes her head. "I knew. Well, maybe I didn't know that you loved me back then, but… well, there was something between us, wasn't there? Even when I practically hated you, I never left, not to mention, the sex was pretty incredible." Robin flushes at the last part and it just makes her look younger. The admission pushes the angry away and Robin Anderson has done it again—she's controlled his emotions without actually using her powers. She sighs and runs a hand through her hair again. "Maybe somewhere inside, I love you too."

Andre casts his eyes back to the papers, not ready to believe something he has only dreamed about. "You're fooling yourself."

"I'm not a child, Andre. I'm a full-grown woman who's too old to lie to herself no matter how hard I try. The thing I can't figure out is what exactly I love about you—if I love you, personality, faults, and all, or if I love you because you gave me Blaine."

"I didn't give you Blaine. It was never my intention to get you pregnant."

"Yet, you slept with me without using a condom? At least I thought I was barren, what was your excuse? Maybe you never intended to get me pregnant, but you didn't seem to care if you did either!" Robin suddenly lashes out. It wasn't exactly his plan to use Blaine to get anger from her, but he always knows that's his triumph card. He could call her whatever name he wanted, regret whatever thing he ever did with her, but when he said something about either of her children, particularly Blaine, he could always count on Robin to bring her claws out. It doesn't last long as she laughs humorlessly. "That's low. Using my son to try and avoid the truth. Why can't you just say that you love me? Are you afraid that I'll leave? Because honestly, for Blaine and Kurt's sake, I can't."

It would be so easy to throw her out of his office. To put Blaine down until Robin never wanted to see him again. The walls are closing in around him and in any other instance, the only way he's known how to get more room is to lash-out, blow the walls down. What's different this time? Robin refuses to let up. Wherever he goes, she steps in front of him. Whenever he wants to build a blow up, she brings him back down again. While in the past, it's been so easy to be self-destructive; in this case, Robin refuses to let him destroy himself. He's not sure how he should feel about it, but it's making him panic.

"Just tell me the truth, Andre. No fronts. No hiding. Are you in love with me?" Robin says, looking him dead in the eyes when he finally looks up. Could he even speak now? His throat feels dry. Suddenly, he's the awkward fifteen year old—stewing in rage, beaten by his father, and knowing nothing of Robin other than the fact she changed his entire world.

"What does it matter?" Andre whispers gruffly yet desperately, because he can't dare to hope Robin will choose him. He made the mistake once before, and it brought him years of bitterness. As much as it hurts him to love this woman, who so clearly bonded to another man, he can't stand to hate her anymore.

Robin swallows, looking away from him. "Because I'm going to tell Blaine the truth."

Andre's shocked. Honestly shocked. He even gives Robin a wide-eyed expression because he had expected to hear her say anything other than that. Other men might have rejoiced in that news, others might have tried to talk her out of it, but Andre tells her, "I don't understand."

"What that has to do with you loving me, or why I'm telling him?" Robin asks, and then adds, "Never mind, it's both. I'm telling him because… because I'm tired. I'm tired, and angry, and when it started, I was protecting Blaine. Now that we're all in danger, it seems kind of pointless to keep up this charade. If, god forbid, something happened to you, me, or…" She pauses, eyes watering slightly at the very thought. "…him. The idea that he would never know… it just feels wrong. There isn't anything right about this situation, but this is something that could be used against us. I just figure if maybe we get it all out, we'll be able to do damage control. At the very least, it won't destroy us."

"But…can he handle-? And what if—what about—"

"Floyd?" Robin finishes as she looks down at her hand. Her wedding ring sits on her finger, the gold dimmed from years of use and the diamonds clear though barely any light shines off it. It's not until now that he remembers back when they carried their affair that she never took it off. His stomach twists horribly to know that. "Let me be clear; I love him, and I never stopped loving him. Even when he blamed me for our inability to have more children and even when I was with you, I loved him. No matter what stage in my life I may be, there's a little part of me that's always with Floyd. But you own parts of me too, Andre. I love you, just…"

"Please don't say not in the same way."

Her eyes shimmer with pity and that's exactly why he didn't why to have this conversation. "I was going to say that, but I don't mean it in the context you think I mean it. I mean that—you understand me. You always seem to know what I need when I need it. Sometimes, it feels like I'm near my wits end and you know when to push and when to let off. You know what it's like to live a lie every day. Floyd, he loves me and he'd do anything for me, but he just doesn't get it. In a different life, before I fell so madly for Floyd, I might have chosen you on that fact alone."

Robin dares to reach out and touch Andre's shoulder. The second she makes contact with him, Andre wants to do something he hasn't done since he learned Elizabeth died—he wants to cry. She moves her hand subtly, giving him permission to do whatever he needed. He rejects it, but places his hand over hers to take any comfort she's willing to give. "But you have to know that when I tell, if he chooses to leave, then I can't stop him. That's his choice. If he chooses to stay, then, well, I don't know what I'll do. Regardless, my focus is on my sons and keeping them safe. My sons and Kurt. I'm sorry, but even if Floyd is out of the picture, I can't possibly do everything I can to keep them from danger and make sense of my feelings for you. I'm so sor—"

He cuts Robin off by pushing forward and kissing her. Robin freezes, but doesn't stop him. In fact, after a moment passes, she moves her delicate lips along with his hardened ones. Andre does this for many reasons—he didn't want to hear another apology when it did nothing to fix it, he very knew it would be the last time for a long and likely forever—but the biggest reason is because for once in his life, he needed to act out an emotion without fearing the consequences. He wanted her to somehow know that every time he shut her out, made her feel bad, or put another crack in her marriage, it was for the selfish and unadulterated reason that he loved her and couldn't handle that her future didn't involve him in some significant way. He feels very much like a child who lost his innocence; something very dear to him is gone today, but if he ever wanted anyone to have it, it was Robin Anderson.

The kiss breaks silently. It's nowhere near as romantic as he had hoped. It's awkward and sad, but he thinks maybe it's for the better. After all, there's really nothing romantic about their story. Andre wets his lips and leans away. "When are you going to tell him?"

"Soon."

"I can't convince you to wait until we get Sovereign under control?" he asks. Robin opens her mouth to answer, but he continues before she can. "It's just too dangerous right now, Robin. He needs to be on his guard and that will be impossible if he finds out the truth and has to make sense of it. That and with Maribel, Santana, and Tatiana, it's not exactly…"

Robin sighs, but nods. "No, I get it. We'll catch Renee's killer and after that, I'll tell him… but on one condition."

"What?"

Robin sets her jaw hard and answers in a low and serious tone. "If it ever comes down to it- not saying it will but if it does- between saving me or Blaine…. you'll save Blaine. Even if I die."

Hi guys! Just a few quick notes (because if I ramble like I tend to, I'll apologize every other sentence for how long this has taken—I'm so sorry you guys!).

1. I've finally made my way to the tumblr and twitter world! Both links are posted near the bottom of my profile in case anyone wants to follow me. Of course, I'll follow anyone who follows me too :)

2. I certainly hope it won't take me four months to get another update up, but I won't promise a quick update either. For what I'm dealing with right now, I need to operate on as little stress as possible. So I'll do my best but I may have to just step back sometimes.

3. Finally, just a big thank to everyone for you patience! And of course, for favoriting, following, reviewing, and reading this story. Also, a big thank you to my beta, irishflute, for making sure this story is readable for you guys. She's awesome!

Guest- Thanks :) It might be a bit yet (I'm thinking at least three chapters out?) until Kurt speaks with his mother, but I have big plans for that scene. Thanks for reviewing!

Clouds are Real- I'm so sorry dear! But I'm very glad you're enjoying it! I swear, the story will be finished…it's just taking longer than I thought. Yeah, it's not extremely clear, but essentially: Kurt should have been an immortal absorber like his mother (she remains mortal if she absorbs the energy of others). However, when his mother was killed, he was saved because she transferred energy from her killer and into Kurt. When an absorber absorbs the energy of another absorber, it causes A. that absorber to die, and B. the absorber who took the energy to have his genes mutated. When Kurt's mom transferred her energy to Kurt, it changed his powers to spirit-like abilities. So, technically, he's a little a bit of all those things. Hope this helps! Glad you like the story. Thanks for the review!

read-a-holic- Thank you so much! Hope you continue to like it :) Thanks for the review!