Thank you, really, to every one of you who read the last chapter and didn't chew my face off for "lack of sufficient warnings". I think you'll agree that they would have given way the whole thing, and what fun is that? :( Anywhoooo...because I know some people don't read the A/N if they're at the bottom, I want to just say thank you...thank you SO much for reading Crowded House. Each and every time I get any sort of notification is still a thrill, and your kind words, praise and appreciation are more than I can handle sometimes. You guys often comment that a chapter will make you cry or laugh...well, your reviews do that for me, so thank you :) Now...go read this! Hugs, guys...and have a great weekend!
CHAPTER 65
Blaine woke the next morning expecting to have Kurt with him, but he wasn't there. He had nothing but a pillow in his arms that smelled of Kurt's shampoo…but there was something else tempting his senses. The smell of bacon frying made him smile. If Kurt was well enough to cook, there was hope that the day wouldn't be a total loss. His stomach led him out of bed and into the kitchen they'd briefly passed through the previous night, stretching and rubbing his eyes as he sauntered in with a big yawn, Blaine pulled the fridge open before he'd even opened his eyes properly.
"Morning baby…" he murmured. The screech that met his ears was enough to bring Kurt running with only a towel around his waist from the direction of the bedroom.
"What the hell was that, Blaine?" he said, rounding the corner.
The young girl at the stove was momentarily stunned, two men standing before her, neither of them were her brother, and neither of them was wearing much….one had a towel around his hips and the other was in a skimpy pair of boxer briefs that left nothing to the imagination.
"I….I….um….." she stuttered out. "MOM!"
"Did you burn yourself on the bacon, Bay?" said a beautiful Italian woman as she descended the stairs. She stopped abruptly, staring at Blaine and Kurt, eyes blinking.
"Blaine?" Kurt squeaked out. "Please…please tell me we're in the right penthouse. Isn't there only one penthouse?" he babbled.
"I…I um…." Was all Blaine could come up with.
"I wasn't aware that Nicholas had other company. Gentlemen?" the woman coming down the stairs said, her tone a bit haughty, her eyebrows raised.
"He…um….yes…we were invited to stay…by Nick. Nick lives here….right?" Blaine continued to stumble over his words, glancing between the young girl at the stove and the woman who was now standing before him.
"I'm well aware of where my son lives, thank you. And here I was under the distinct impression that Nick was with Jeffrey now?" the woman spoke again, agitated and clearly annoyed.
"He…oh, he is…we were just using his bed…we…um….." Blaine began, pointing to the bedroom. "Nick is with Jeff."
The woman's eyes open widely, comically so, and she leaned back to glance down the hallway toward the bedroom assuming she'd see Nick and Jeff emerge at any moment.
"Are you telling me, young man, that the four of you slept in…in there…in that bed…all night together?" She said, her cheeks flushing. "Bailey, perhaps you should wait upstairs.
"But mom-" Bailey began, but she was cut off by Kurt.
"Wait, what? No….NO!" Kurt said, shaking his head rapidly. "No, ma'am….just Blaine and I slept here last night…well, maybe you did, but Nick is with Jeff at Blaine's. We um…we needed a place to stay…" he trailed off, his free hand absently reaching for his arm where his stitches were, the other still clutching his towel.
"From the way this young man addressed you previously, I thought YOU were Blaine?" she said, eyeing Blaine curiously.
"I am….ma'am. I am Blaine. It's nice to meet you." He said, extending his hand to her. She shook it lightly, as if she were afraid he'd bite her any moment.
"I'd like very much if someone would explain to me, please, where everyone is and why?" she said, her voice a bit less cold now.
"Yes, ma'am…" Blaine said, "but if it's all the same to you, I'd feel a little more comfortable with some pants on? And I'm pretty sure Kurt would, too?"
"I dunno, I was kind of enjoying the view here…."
"BAILEY!" her mother snapped.
"What, I'm just sayin'!" she laughed. The boys slipped off down the hall, dressed quickly and met back at the kitchen table where four plates had been set, a plate of bacon and a stack of pancakes resting in the middle of the table as well.
"Ok, since we've been introduced already, Blaine, perhaps you could also let us in on the other man sleeping in my son's bed?" she said, her smile way too big to be genuine, her eyes still blinking rapidly.
"Um, this is my boyfriend, Kurt…Kurt Hummel. There was a bit of um…a situation last night in Kurt's apartment, which is in the same building that Jeff and I live in, and since Jeff and Nick are in Jeff's bed, and Trent and Thad are in my bed, Nick told us we could stay here…..ma'am." He added, just to be safe. She certainly was intimidating.
"And what's wrong with Kurt's bed?" she asked.
"It's covered in blood stains." Kurt blurted, never raising his eyes, shoving a piece of bacon in his mouth. Meredith Duval choked on her coffee. Bailey's eyes were wide, a forkful of food halfway to her mouth.
"Oh my GOD! Oh my God, you're that guy!" Bailey said around a mouthful of pancakes. "You're the guy! Someone was killed in your apartment last night! It was on the news this morning when I had it on while I was cooking!" she yelled.
Blaine reached over and grabbed Kurt's hand, certain that he was going to be having a hard time with everything, but then it hit him. They'd said Kurt's name on the news? Oh God….
"Kurt, did you happen to grab your-" Blaine began, but before he could finish the sentence, his own phone buzzed.
"I'm sure it's ringing like mad. The volume is turned down. Lemme go get it." Kurt said, heading off to Nick's bedroom where his phone sat on the nightstand. "7 missed calls and 12 text messages….it's gonna be a good day, I can just feel it already." He said as he slunk down into his chair and continued eating.
"Someone better start speaking and explaining what's going on right now!" Meredith yelled, backing away from the table and grabbing Bailey up out of her chair to tug her against her chest. Two strangers, for all intents and purposes, were sitting at the table eating with them discussing bloodstains and killings and….she suddenly felt flushed…faint. "Speak. NOW."
"Well, ok…" Kurt began. "In a nutshell, I dated a guy when I lived in Lima, Ohio, who raped and tried to kill me, but he didn't kill me, and he ended up in jail, but he got out…and he came looking for me here in the city. He found me last night, and he had every intention of killing Blaine and I after he brutally raped me…or had Blaine brutally rape me….he's sick in the head that way, and instead he ended up dead because Sebastian had the foresight to put a Taser in my bedside table right next to the lube and condoms. I guess having drugs in your system sort of intensifies the effects of the Taser? Anyway, they took him out on a stretcher…under a sheet…and everyone I care about is well and alive…that's what matters." Kurt finished. "Can we eat now before everyone I know blows up my phone?" he said, miraculously composed. Blaine could only stare in amazement…or amusement.
"Oh my Lord…are….are you serious?" Meredith asked. "Young man…oh my goodness!" she said, sitting down again gingerly in her chair. Blaine's phone buzzed again. He ignored it again. Meredith reached over and covered Kurt's hand as he ate, still seeming rather nonchalant about the events of his evening.
"If…if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it anymore?" Kurt managed to get out before he hiccupped and his eyes glassed over. So, Blaine thought, it was all for show maybe? Kurt not wanting to break down in front of strangers didn't surprise him at all.
"Baby, it's ok. We don't have to talk about it anymore. Not another word until you're ready, ok?" Blaine said, giving Nick's mom and sister a pointed look. Meredith raised her eyebrows at him and Bailey mimicked locking her lips and throwing away the key. Kurt shoved more food into his mouth.
Blaine's phone buzzed again and when he glanced at the name, he saw that it was Burt. He showed Kurt the screen and Kurt nodded his head yes.
"Hi Burt, Kurt's fine." He said instead of hello.
"Jesus Christ on a crutch, Blaine! Where's Kurt? Where's my son?" he yelled into the phone, causing Blaine to pull it away from his face a bit, grimacing. Kurt held out his hand.
"Dad, I'm ok. I was going to call you this morning but when I got out of the shower Nick's mom was here and Blaine was in his underwear and-"
"Kurt…..Kurt, stop talking. Please, son, just….tell me you're ok, please?" Burt said, his voice low, his tone serious.
"Dad, I'm fine. I promise. I had to get a few stitches but I'm ok. I'm not sorry to tell you that Jackson isn't ok."
"Tell me what happened, Kurt?" Burt pleaded. He sounded a bit wrecked and Kurt hesitated. "Is Carole there, dad?" he asked.
"Yeah…yeah, she's right here. When Finn called this morning-"
"I'm going to CHOKE the crap out of him…" Kurt said, eyes closed and his head shaking slowly.
"He was worried as hell, Kurt! And nobody was able to get you on your phone! Christ, kid, we're all kind of in a panic here!" Burt exploded.
"I get it, dad. Put the phone on speaker so Carole can hear, please?" Kurt asked.
"Hi honey. Are you ok, Kurt?" Carole asked.
"I am…I'm ok, and I'm with Blaine and he's fine as well. Can you guys sit down and just let me tell the story once? I don't think I can get through it more than that and I'm sure Nick's mom and his sister want the extended story as well. Don't ask…we're at Nick's place, his mom and sister are here…. it's a long story and I've only been awake for 10 minutes." Kurt said, exasperated. "Carole…is dad ok?" he added quietly.
"Kurt, I'm fine, now please…" Burt said, testy now.
"Carole?" Kurt asked again.
"He seems fine, Kurt, just very, very worried about you boys. I think hearing the story from you will calm him a bit, so go right ahead, honey." She answered.
"Ok, well, you know we've been aware Jackson has been around..…" Kurt said, and he told them the whole thing, beginning to end, the phone call from Jackson, Sebastian "meeting him", the shooting range, to Blaine calling to stop by and talk, to Jackson showing up, then Blaine showing up…to that morning. Burt did seem quite relieved when he finally understood what had happened and that Kurt was, indeed, well. He was a little shaken up, though, to find out that his son was responsible for someone's death…even if it was in self-defense. He was afraid of the mental strain that might put on Kurt. Lord knows he didn't need any more stress.
"But you're both ok, Kurt? Unharmed?" Burt asked again.
"He did cut my arm with the knife, but it's shallow…and the um…well, the gun went off, like I said and it grazed my arm, but they stitched it last night and I think it's ok…sore, but ok. Dad, can you…can I call you back, someone's calling my phone…I think it might be the officer from last night." Kurt said.
"NO! Kurt, if it's the police officer, keep me on speaker. I'd like to know what he has to say!" Burt demanded.
"Fine…" Kurt huffed out a long sigh, then answered his own phone on speaker as well. "Kurt Hummel…."
"Oh good, Mr. Hummel, Officer Richmond here…we spoke last night. Listen, I'm not sure how you got the strings pulled, but someone from the governor's office called last night and demanded that an autopsy and tests be done immediately…."
Kurt and Blaine glanced at each other and mouthed "Sebastian" at each other with knowing grins.
"It seems, Mr. Hummel, that we were correct in our assumptions that there were, indeed, drugs in Mr. Hardy's system. Preliminary reports say it was a mix of heroin and PCP…not all that hard to come by on the streets of NYC, of course. It jives with your report of him scratching at his skin and all the blinking. I was wondering, though…before Mr. Anderson arrived, you said you'd been in a physical confrontation with Mr. Hardy on your own…is that right, Mr. Hummel?" he asked.
"It is…when I realized he was there, obviously I defended myself against him. I knew he hadn't stopped over for tea, Officer." Kurt said, a bit of his snark coming through.
"Clearly…it just seems excessive…for someone of your ….stature… I guess…." The officer began.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Burt demanded from the other phone. "Kurt's built just fine and he's always been a strong guy. What are you implying, Richmond?!"
"To whom am I speaking now?" the officer asked, a mix of perturbed and amused.
"Burt Hummel, I'm Kurt's father…I have been for some time now and I'm pretty sure I know him better than anyone else…he's a fighter, and he's been working at it with Jeff for months now!"
"And who is Jeff, and where does he fit in?" the officer questioned. Kurt let out a long sigh.
"Jeff is my neighbor in the building, and a good friend." Kurt replied.
"You see, Mr. Hummel, the report here says Mr. Hardy has numerous broken bones…three broken ribs, a fractured femur as well as a broken radius and a fractured clavicle. I know you said the two of you scuffled before Mr. Anderson arrived, but you weren't clear on what, exactly, happened at that point. His injuries seem excessive for only one person to have been involved in the altercation, that's all." The officer asked.
"Sir, I said all this last night, but I'm happy to go through it again if it helps. I knew once he got out that it would only be a matter of time before he came looking for me. That's why I left Ohio…I changed my phone number and didn't leave a forwarding address at all. But I knew he'd be back, so when he called my phone that night many weeks ago, my friend and neighbor, Jeff, began teaching me some martial arts so that I'd be able to defend myself. He's quite good, and a hell of a teacher. I guess I did ok…but not enough, right?" Kurt asked.
"Mr. Hummel, I've gotta tell you, if not for the drugs we suspect were in his system, you may well have half killed him. He has an amazing amount of physical damage. Now I know I'm probably not supposed to say these sorts of things but you clearly put up one hell of a fight, and I commend you on it. That being said, we've located and gone through not only the hole in the wall he was renting here in New York, but also the address listed as his permanent residence back in Ohio. The officers there have found a cell phone which was reported stolen from the Lima Promenade Mall by one…." He paused, checking his notes "Hmmmm, by one Mercedes Jones…and it has your name and number in it. I'm sure you're acquainted with Ms. Jones?"
"Oh my God…" Kurt breathed out. "Yeah…yes, I am. She's a good friend. I'd wondered how he'd gotten my new cell phone number. I feel sick at the fact that he was close enough to her to take it." Kurt replied.
"Well, clearly she's very lucky. We'll be returning it to her if it's not needed as evidence, but I thought you should know about it. Also, we'll be receiving definitive toxicology reports and I'll let you know what they find at that time. Our task now is to find next of kin and notify him or her and see where they want the body shipped. Do you, by any chance, still speak to any of his family, Mr. Hummel?" The officer asked.
"I…no…no sir, I had met his mother just the one time, and apparently she's recently passed away while he was in prison. I don't know anyone else. I'm sorry I can't help you."
"No worries, we'll work that out on our end here, Mr. Hummel. I'll be speaking with you soon. Good day." The officer said before hanging up. Kurt sat quietly for a minute moving food around on his plate but not speaking. When Meredith cleared her throat he nearly jumped out of his skin, having forgotten he was sitting there with three other people.
"You ok, love?" Blaine asked him.
"I am, surprisingly. I broke him…if not mentally, then physically. I have Jeff to thank for that…and Sebastian for the Taser."
"Kurt….they may have given you the tools, but you are the one who used those tools to put an end to being scared, being harassed and being assaulted. I…I know, Kurt, that you haven't been seeing Dr. Stein as often now….but do you think you might want to go speak with her and tell her what's happened? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than a little uptight about everything that happened last night….and I can't imagine it's not weighing on you, too." Blaine asked him.
"I'll call her…see if she has an appointment open." Kurt smiled. "What are you going to do? You were going to drive back last night and here I've kept you and it's nearly noon! We should get you on your way, Blaine."
"Kurt, you can't be serious? You don't honestly think I'm just going to up and leave you now, do you? You're crazy if you do!" Blaine said, eyes wide and unbelieving.
"You have a job to do…another 5 weeks I believe, right? You can't just leave them with nobody. I'll be fine, don't worry." Kurt tried to tell him.
"No, Kurt…no can do. I'm not leaving you alone."
"Blaine…he's gone. He's not coming back, and I'll be fine. I have things to do to keep me busy." Kurt smiled. Blaine could tell it was forced, though.
"I think if Blaine wants to stay with the man he loves, then it's not your call, Kurt." Burt said from the phone on the table, surprising them all. Kurt startled, having forgotten he was even there. "Blaine, you take good care of my boy, you hear me?" he said, a smile obvious in his voice.
"I can do that, sir…Burt. I'll do that if he'll let me." Blaine laughed. Burt and Carole said their goodbyes and disconnected.
"I think I'm going to shower…and maybe go back to sleep for a little bit." Blaine told him.
"I think I'll join you. I've been up for 30 minutes and it's already been a long day. Are you ok with us being here? We can leave if it's an inconvenience?" Kurt asked.
"You…you boys stay and rest as long as you need to. Don't you worry about us. We'll be quiet…we probably won't be here much longer anyway. It's a short visit." Meredith smiled, her eyes kind and gentle now toward these two boys who had clearly been through hell the previous evening.
"Thank you for breakfast, Bailey." Blaine smiled.
"Oh you're welcome…sure." She smiled, mischievously. Blaine took Kurt's hand and dragged him off toward the hallway that led to the bedroom and bathroom. "I'm telling Nicky you guys probably defiled not only his bed but his shower, too, though!" she yelled after them with a grin.
"BAILEY!" her mother scolded, trying to hide her own grin.
While Kurt waited for Blaine to shower, he sat on the edge of the bed staring at his phone. At this point he was up to 17 missed calls and so many more text messages, many of them from the same concerned friends, over and over. He read them all quickly, but instead of replying to each one, he sent out a text to those concerned:
12:07 p from Kurt: To our friends and family: Blaine and I are fine. We've been awake, had a nice breakfast, courtesy of Nick's sister, Bailey, and we've spoken to my parents as well as the police. We're both mentally and physically well this morning despite the events of last night. But nonetheless, we thank each and every one of you for your concern.
Cont: I will return your calls soon, but for now, we're going to crash and take the rest of the day off to recover from the stress of last night. Before that, though, I think it's imperative that I say a special thanks to three very important people in my life: 1) Jeff…thank you, for every day of pushing me, making me stronger and showing me how to defend myself. I managed to break 3 ribs, his leg, his arm and his clavicle…without the drugs, he would have gone down like a brick. You rock!
Cont: 2) Sebastian…for your foresight in putting the "correct tool for the job" next to the other tools for "the job"…for this, I'm forever grateful. Without it, things would have been drastically different, I fear, and probably not in our favor. And last but not least, 3) to Blaine, my amazing and wonderful, loving boyfriend who refused to leave me when he could have taken off running and left me to deal with that mess on my own.
Cont: How do you thank someone for their selflessness and love…for their belief in you and for their undying ability to lift you up every time you fall and make you into someone you're proud to be again? Well, I hope to have a whole lifetime together to find the ways….I love you, Blaine…always.
Jeff was laying on the sofa between Nick's legs watching the news when he heard buzzing from every direction. He picked up his phone, as did Nick, and they checked their text from Kurt, smiling as they read. Their friends were safe and they were well.
"Oh shit…Oh my God, I totally forgot my mom and Bailey were staying at my place last night. Geeez…I'll have to call mom later and make sure nothing awkward happened. I'm just glad the guys are ok, though. I'll admit I was pretty scared for Kurt…and I wondered if he'd fall back into his slump. I'm glad that doesn't seem like the case." Nick said.
Trent and Thad stumbled into the living room, hair a mess, hand in hand with phones at the ready.
"D'you get the text, I guess?" Trent asked, still sleepy.
"Yeah…yeah…sounds like everything is ok." Jeff answered, but he was distracted.
"What's up, babe…I can hear your gears moving from up here." Nick said to him, grinning.
"I can't let him come home to that….that mess. I got a glimpse of his room last night and…honey, it's a nightmare. Even cleaned up, it's going to hold awful memories, and I don't think the blood is going to come out of that white comforter. I'm going shopping today. I want it to be better when he gets back home, but I could use some help if I'm going to get it done before they come home." Jeff said, sadly.
"We're in." Thad piped up. Trent just nodded his head in agreement.
The door flew open and Sebastian came strolling in like he owned the place…as usual.
"I need cream cheese." He stated, strolling to the fridge.
"Well, by all means, help yourself…" Nick snarked at him, shaking his head. Trent and Thad just looked at each other, then to Nick and Jeff, clueless.
"He does this…" Jeff said, by way of explanation, just shaking his head. "Hey, we're overhauling Kurt's room today, you in?"
"Tempting, but no." Seb answered. "I have to work….part of pulling strings for the investigation was me giving up my Sunday afternoon to golf with the governor. It's a rough life…." He said, grinning broadly and breezing back out the door with their cream cheese.
"So I'm thinking, were you guys bringing your own bedroom set and all that up here or buying something new?" Jeff asked Trent as they strolled through the store. Thad and Nick had gone off in search of new lamps.
"I think we're going the minimalist route." Trent laughed. "Moving anywhere is a pain in the ass…moving long distance is worse than I'd ever imagined. Probably just bringing clothing and a few important things…no furniture. We'll find something here…used I'm sure, until I find a good job, but…why do you ask?"
"Well, here's my theory. Klaine are a thing again…." Jeff began.
"Klaine? What the hell is that?" Trent laughed.
"Duh, Kurt and Blaine…it's their ship name…keep up!" Jeff laughed. "So I'm thinking, in a matter of weeks, Kurt's going to be moving upstairs…he just doesn't know it yet. So I say we let you and Thad pick everything out for Kurt's room and you just buy his stuff from him when you move into his apartment. You did say you'd rather have the two bedroom, right? Then I don't have to move my stuff either. Everybody's happy!" Jeff grinned.
"Huh….well, that makes sense I guess…more than I'm willing to admit. I'll text Thad and see what he thinks.
"What I think about what?" Thad said, stepping up behind Trent and wrapping his arms around him.
"Bring it with you to work on, then, Kurt. I'm begging you…don't make this harder than it is. I got the ok for it, the rooms are adjoining where I'm staying. As long as they think you're in one room and I'm in the other, we're ok. It's only five days. We'll come home after my class on Saturday morning…..I don't want to leave you here alone and you don't want me backing out of the job. I can't leave you, Kurt…not now. Not after last night. Help a guy out, baby…please?" Blaine pleaded.
Kurt huffed, feeling like a little kid that everyone thought they should coddle. He was fine…he felt fine. There was no reason for all the fuss. He had Jeff here….Rachel and Finn if need be.
"I just don't see the reason, Blaine. I'm totally fine! I mean, Jeff's here with me, I can have Rachel come over and spend some time if I'm getting a little creeped out. Maybe I'll call Mercedes and have her come stay for a few days, even?" Kurt countered. Blaine just looked into his eyes and nodded.
"Ok….if…ok." he said, and dropped the subject. We should head back to the apartment, though. I need to get my…my stuff together and head back. It's a long drive in the dark, and I don't want to wait too long to get on the road." He said quietly.
"That's it then, that's everything!" Nick smiled as they hung the last curtain. They'd begun with paint, knowing they'd need the dry time. Then stripped the bed of its sheets and comforter, took the curtains down and ditched the lampshades that were splattered with blood…probably Kurt's, which didn't make it any better. Trent decided he liked the lamps Kurt already had, so they were going to replace just the shades. The woodwork had been scrubbed as well as the baseboards, the throw rugs ditched and new ones placed there instead. It looked like a whole new room, and they'd done it all in a matter of hours. Just in time, too, if the front door opening was any indicator.
Kurt spied them in his bedroom doorway and paused, a wide eyed Blaine right behind him.
"Revisiting the scene of the crime, guys?" Kurt said, his voice a little wobbly.
"Uh, not exactly. Come here?" Jeff said, suddenly wondering if Kurt might be angry.
"Oh…oh my gosh…you guys…." Kurt said, his voice full of wonderment. "What have you done!" he grinned. "It's beautiful! Thank you…." He said breathless.
"We didn't want you coming home to that, Kurt…." Nick said, smiling….glad, and relieved that Kurt hadn't been upset with them taking over his room…equally as glad they'd apparently picked something he approved of.
"Um….listen, since you guys are here, I'm going to head back to Coop's and get my stuff together. I have a long ride back tonight, so…I'm gonna get going. You're sure you're ok, Kurt?" Blaine asked, his voice sounding off. Jeff gave him a look and Blaine let his eyes take in the new rugs with a forced smile. Something was off.
"I am, I'm good…thanks. Call me when you get there, ok?" Kurt said, kissing him with a smile and quick hug. Blaine nodded and headed for the door after saying a very brief goodbye to his friends.
"So, I'm glad you seem to like it. Either you do or you're a damn good liar!" Trent laughed.
"I would have never picked this out for myself, but I love it…I really do! I thought maybe this brown would have been a bit dark for the room, but with the paint color, it's really not, is it?" Kurt said, still turning circles in the room and admiring it.
"Speaking of which…" Nick said, casting glances around behind Kurt's back. "I need a favor, it seems." He said, addressing Kurt.
"Name it!" Kurt said, smiling.
"So you know the building was bought and they're renovating the upstairs into one apartment, right?" He asked Kurt. "Well, the designer backed out and I'm kind of desperate for someone to help me finish up with the walls and the furniture. All the big stuff's been done…the framework, so to speak, but I'm in a jam. The reason I ask you is that when we toured the building before he bought it, he made special mention to me that he really loved what you'd done with your apartment…the colors you used and your furniture and all that. When I told him his designer bolted, he actually asked if I'd get in touch with you and see if you'd consider finishing the job…you'd be paid, of course." Nick told Kurt.
"Oh….well….but I'm not an Interior Designer, Nick." Kurt said, considering what he'd heard. "You mean…he wants me to pick what I'd like and just put it in there?"
"I guess, yeah. I'll get confirmation and be sure, but that's what I understood. Just do what you did in your place and I'll order everything…or we can go shopping and you just point and…" Nick began.
"I point, you buy it?!" Kurt asked, wide eyed. "This is a dream come true!" he laughed. "Yeah….I can do that. I'm assuming he'll want to see what I've picked before he ok's it? Will he be stopping by or….shouldn't I talk to the guy or something?"
"I could probably get you an email address for him…you can communicate that way I guess?" Nick suggested. He certainly couldn't just offer up a cell number.
"You know, I should probably try to contact him anyway. What with the events of last night, he should probably be informed of everything that happened in the building he just bought!" Kurt said, worried.
"I…uh….." Nick stuttered. "I spoke with him this morning…already…he…he's aware of everything. Said he hopes you're ok and there's nothing that can't be uh….fixed and not to worry about a thing."
"Ok, good. I'm glad you spoke with him. So when do we start?" Kurt asked, excited at the prospect of point and buy shopping.
"As soon as you're available I guess?" Nick smiled. From behind Kurt, Jeff smiled as well.
"So, ok, that's settled, is anyone else famished, because we've been here painting for a year and I'm starving!" Thad said.
"I could eat…" Jeff chimed in.
"Same" Nick answered.
"Come with?" Trent said, looking to Kurt.
"I'm in. Where are we going?" Kurt grinned.
"Oh Blaine…oh, my baby!" Cris exclaimed as Blaine came through the door. "Are you ok? Is Kurt ok?" she said, hugging him.
"He's fine, mom, no worries. He's doing a lot better with it than I thought he would." Blaine told her.
"Good, good, I'm glad to hear it. Are you staying for dinner?" she asked.
"No, I think I'm going to head back. I'm already a day later than I'd planned."
"Oh…well…" she said, dropping her eyes.
"What's up, mom. You've been shifty eyed since you got here and I think it's time we all sat down and hashed out what's going on." Blaine said, his tone a bit more harsh than he'd intended. "Where's Cooper?" He asked, yelling for his brother. Coop came from down the hallway and around the corner and gave him a hug.
"You ok, man? That was some pretty scary shit!" Coop exclaimed. "I bet Kurt's a little shaken up, huh?" he asked.
"He's…he's ok. Listen….sit down. Clearly mom has something she wants to talk about." Blaine said. "I don't mean to rush things, but I have to get back to school sometime this fucking weekend, so can we get this done?"
Cooper and Cris both gave him wide eyed stares, unsure where this attitude had come from.
"Sit down, boys…" Cris began. Cooper and Blaine sat, one on each corner of the sofa and gave her their attention. She took a deep breath and smiled. "You know I've backed off from a lot of my charity work…" she began. "Well, I had some free time, and I decided to do some things around the house. Freshen up some of the rooms with new paint….I bought new iron furniture for the breakfast room!" she said, her eyes bright just thinking about it.
"Mom…." Coop prodded.
"Yes, well…." She cleared her throat. "Your father was away on a trip…for work, and I thought it would be a great surprise to have his office painted for him and to buy him that desk he's been coveting since Arthur from the office had one put into his private space…anyway, so I ordered it, the painters came and they moved everything to the center or out of the room if it wasn't staying in the house anyway. I was going through and putting his things from his old desk into his new desk when I came across a…a um…a journal. It appears your father has kept one for some time and….well, I'm not one to snoop, so I left it on the desk but when I returned, I knocked it off when I was replacing some of his things and it opened to a page with some words that caught my attention…." She trailed off, her eyes cast down to the carpet in Cooper's living room.
"Mom?" Blaine asked, hoping she didn't find something about his bastard of a father having cheated on her or something. He knew, without a doubt, that it was a huge possibility, but he didn't want his mom to have to think about it.
"It appears everyone in the family hasn't been quite honest with me, boys." She said, still not making eye contact. Cooper cleared his throat and Blaine shifted in his seat.
"The only one I knew for sure about was Susan Daily, mom. I caught them once when I was 12….he made me promise I'd never say anything….I'm so sorry I didn't!" Cooper blurted out, clearly having been thinking the same thing that Blaine had.
Cris smiled and closed her eyes.
"Be that as it may, I wasn't referring to him in this instance. I only found the one journal…it went back some time, but started when Cooper would have been about 14. Would you like to please tell me how long your father had been abusing you two, and why you never….why you never told me?" she said, finally breaking. Tears ran down her face, her hands went up to cover her cheeks then, and wipe them away.
"Mom…." Blaine said, crossing the room to hug her. "It's ok, we're both ok. There's nothing we can do about it now. We're away from him…that's all that matters. As long as he's good to you, that's all we worry about!" he told her. Coop was only able to nod. "Tell me he's good to you, mom….please…." Blaine said then, emotion in his voice and his eyes on her arm in the sling. "Because if he did that, I can't be held responsible for what happens when I see him."
"I read the whole thing. I know, now, that he was abusing you, but he was very cryptic. His entries were along the lines of 'got ahold of that boy again and showed him who's in charge. Left him whining in the bathroom and told him to clean his ass up before his mother got home…' but it doesn't say why. I need…" she stopped, sobbing. " I need to know why. What did he think you were doing that was so awful that he needed to hit you? And why in the world didn't you boys come to me?"
The boys traded glances and a resignation settled over them. Coop led his mother to the sofa and sat her between them….then they all started to talk. There were tears and hugs, screams of hatred and agony, truths left out there too long and nearly forgotten. Then she asked Blaine about the incident on the front porch and he broke down. Even Cooper didn't know the whole story about it, and he didn't want to rehash it all tonight, but he didn't ever want to discuss it again, either. Better to get it all out now. So he did. He told her everything, watched as her face crumpled, how she cried, how many times she said she was sorry and that she didn't know…and then how angry she was.
"Well…" she said, sitting up primly, "ok."
"Ok?" Cooper asked, eyebrows raised.
"Ok." She said again. "I need to decide what to do, now."
"Mom, I need to know about your arm. I don't buy it for one minute that you were in a car accident and conveniently forgot to mention it to Cooper or myself." Blaine told her, prepared for the worst. She braced herself and took a deep breath.
"Well, when he came home and saw the office he was alright with the changes. He was happy with the paint color and the furniture, but when it dawned on him that his other desk was gone and that I'd moved everything over, he very casually went through the drawers, seemingly happy with not having to do it himself, but it was crystal clear when he realized his book was gone. He took one look at me and he knew. He demanded that he get it back and I said no, that I'd put it in safe hands and it was no longer in the house. He became enraged and started screaming at me, saying terrible, hurtful things, threats, words I've never heard him utter in his life. He was furious…"
"Oh God, mom…." Cooper breathed out. "Why in the world didn't you call us…we'd have come right home…been there with you when you confronted him!" he said without blame.
"Well, I thought about it. In the end, I actually called my attorney instead. You remember our friend William, right? Well, he's been handling some things for me for quite some time…ever since I found out about Susan Daily, actually." She smiled, looking at Cooper, who grinned back, blushing. "He came to the house, and was actually waiting downstairs for me when I confronted your father. I wanted a witness, you see, and….well, it's a good thing I did, I suppose. I'm not certain who would have called 911 if he hadn't been there." She said, dropping her eyes once again.
"Why did you have to call 911….mom…please…." Blaine said, his nerves shot now.
"Your father is not a man who likes to be told no, Blaine. When I refused to give the book back, he began screaming and shoving, and when I turned to walk out, he…..he lost all control and he pushed me down the stairs from the upstairs landing. That's how I broke my arm. By the grace of God alone I wasn't hurt any further than my arm and a bump on the head." She finished.
Blaine pulled out his phone and could barely hold it steady. Cris gently removed it from his shaking fingers.
"Who do you need to call at a time like this, Blaine?" she said softly.
"C-calling work….won't be in tomorrow….going to O-Ohio to find him….." he said, barely able to make a coherent sentence. Cooper was so angry he was just silent…and for him, that was a feat in and of itself. If Cooper wasn't talking, something was clearly wrong.
"There's no need. It's been resolved, to some degree, my love." Cris said, trying her best to smile. "Your father, upon seeing that I was basically fine at the bottom of the stairs, decided he may want to take it a step further and went back into his office, apparently looking for something to finish the job. William saw to it that it never happened. Your father…your father will face charges. For now, the best thing I can do is to get away from him. That was my intent in coming here…to see if I would enjoy living where my heart is…where my boys are. I'm thinking of moving to New York, and I wanted your input. I had no idea things would get so out of hand this weekend, and Blaine, I'm eternally sorry for having dumped all this on you after everything that happened last night. I don't want to go back without having told you what's going on, though."
"Mom…." Both boys said, hugging her tightly and standing there, both thanking their lucky stars that she was ok after everything that had happened. "Where is he now? Is it safe for you to go home?"
"I'm not going home. I haven't been in the house since the day following the accident. I've moved my things out and I'm staying with a friend, actually. I don't want to impose, though, so I would like to find somewhere more permanent. I hear there are plenty of charities to help with in New York." She smiled.
"It'll be good to have you around, mom. Especially if we get to plan a wedding…." Cooper said, much to his mother's delight. Their talk the evening before had been so much more than he'd expected and he cherished the time they'd shared. Cris had fallen for Maggie and the kids and she couldn't wait until she could call them her family. She refused to wait to start spoiling the kids, which Cooper was ok with.
Kurt ended up having dinner with his friends at Gino's. They shared pizza, wings and beer and chatted along for about an hour before Kurt started missing Blaine in earnest. He was so over the moon for that man and couldn't believe how he'd stood up for him the night before. Nobody except his dad had ever stood up for him that way and he needed to find a way to show him how grateful he was. He was lost in his thoughts when he realized they were all giggling…at him.
"What?" he said, confused.
"You're thinking about Blaine." Jeff snickered.
"Am not, I'm….Ok, how can you tell?" Kurt asked, blushing.
"You get all moony eyed and you sigh a lot." Nick told him with a grin.
"You looooooovvee him…." Jeff teased.
"I do….Oh my God, I do. So much. I can't express to you how insanely grateful I am that he was there for me last night. I don't know what I'd have done if he hadn't shown up when he did. I had no idea that Taser was there, and in the end, that was my saving grace." Kurt said, his eyes focusing on the table cloth. "He was amazing…."
"Blaine's a good guy, Kurt. Keep ahold of that one." Thad smiled.
"So how's he handling everything that went down. You seem to be doing an amazing job compartmentalizing everything. I just wondered how it was affecting him…watching someone die…that's got to take its toll on anyone. He's doing ok with it?" Jeff asked. "I wish I'd gotten to talk to him more before he left. I remember when his grandfather died…he was a wreck. He doesn't do well with death at all. Dude freaked the fuck out so bad when my fish died at Dalton…and it wasn't his fish, it was MINE." Jeff snickered.
Kurt hadn't replied, and when Jeff was done talking, he looked at him, but Kurt wasn't really paying attention. He hadn't really even asked Blaine how HE was doing with things…he'd been sort of wrapped up in not letting himself freak the hell out and now that he thought about it, he hadn't even asked Blaine if he was ok with things.
"I didn't ask him. I didn't even ask him how…if he was alright…do you think he's ok?" Kurt asked.
"Call him and ask him. I tried to text him earlier but he didn't reply. I figured he was just with you and you guys were busy?" Nick said.
Kurt grabbed his phone and immediately called Blaine.
Unbeknownst to him, Blaine was having a meltdown of his own.
When it was all said and done, they were all exhausted and Blaine still had to drive back to Westindale. He was mentally shot, and wasn't even sure which end was up, but he knew he had to go. They were expecting him tomorrow morning. He got back in his car, all of his things in the trunk, and started his drive. He was in for a long night with not nearly enough sleep. He was barely away from the city lights when the anxiety kicked in.
He'd seen a man die. His boyfriend had killed a man last night…right before his eyes. He'd watched him lie there and die, and there wasn't a damn thing he would have done to save the man. No, Jackson wanted to hurt Kurt…and him. Jackson wanted him to rape Kurt….and Blaine had seen the horror and the terror in Kurt's eyes when he'd yanked on his pajama pants and ripped the seam. Kurt thought…even for that split second, that he was going to do it…that he'd force himself on him because someone told him to. Kurt thought that. He would never do it…he couldn't. No…but what if Jackson had stood with that gun right to his head and told him to do it….forced him to do it or he'd kill him? Or he'd kill Kurt? Or he'd….. Oh God, no, he couldn't think like that. It was over, it was done. That scene was not going to play out…thank God, because it was already making him feel like he needed to pull over and be sick.
And what's worse is that he had to also sit and listen to his mother describe his father shoving her down the stairs…after he'd lied to her all those years. Sick…. He felt sick now. Focus Blaine…keep driving. Almost there. He could take something to settle is stomach when he got back to school…he could lay down. He'd stare at the ceiling and think all night long, he knew it. Jackson…dead…mom…laying at the bottom of the stairs…Kurt….the pain and the horror…..Jackson….thrumming around on the floor as Kurt refused to let go of the trigger...like he was being electrocuted….mom's arm at a bent angle….Kurt's arm ripped open…the gun going off…..God, the noise was so loud….it left his ears ringing for hours….ringing….ringing…..ringing…..
That was his phone. His phone was….he fumbled on the passenger seat for his phone and swiped it to answer the call.
"Kurt…." Was all he said.
"Blaine, I wanted to talk to you for a minute…are you ok to drive and talk?" Kurt asked.
"Kurt…I'm driving back to school. I'm about halfway there."
"Honey, I was talking with the guys and I'm so, so sorry. I didn't even ask you if you were ok with everything….I didn't-" Kurt said, but Blaine cut him off spouting off some nonsense that Kurt didn't understand.
"I can't talk. I need to sleep actually. I won't though. I'll see him dead….I'll see mom's arm bent and broken…I'll see him flopping around like a fish…and my dad going back for more and …. Kurt…." He said, tears running down his face now as he kept driving. "Kurt you thought I was going to do it…what he said…you thought I would. I saw your eyes, the horror on your face when….because he said to do it…."
"Blaine…you're kind of freaking me out here, honey. Can you just pull over somewhere? Can you find a parking lot or something…somewhere to stop? Did you eat dinner?" Kurt asked, but Blaine didn't answer. "Blaine?" he said again.
"Not hungry. It's ok….I just wanted you to come with me…just needed you, Kurt…needed you." Blaine said, his voice more distant. "I'm alright. I'll….I'll call you when I get there, Kurt…ok?" and without waiting for an answer he hung up, reaching for something….anything to wipe his eyes. He was so tired, so exhausted from the weekend. He wanted to just get some sleep and wipe it from his mind.
"Did you get in touch with him?" Nick asked.
"Yes…yes and no. He sounded odd…..like he was confused, almost. He was sort of babbling. I'm a little concerned, actually." Kurt told them.
"Personally, I can't believe he agreed to go back. I thought he'd want to stay here with you." Trent remarked.
"I told him to go back…he begged and pleaded with me to go with him, but I told him it wasn't necessary and gave him a million reasons why I was ok here…he kept arguing with me about it. Honestly I was starting to get irritated a little bit. I'm fine, why doesn't he get that?" Kurt asked.
Nobody said anything for a minute or two, they just stared around the table, not meeting Kurt's eyes. Finally Thad spoke up.
"Kurt…did it ever occur to you that maybe…just maybe, he was begging because HE need YOU to be there for HIM?" he said. "I mean…he's gone through a lot this weekend, too. He watched while someone threatened to kill his boyfriend who he loves…the man was trying to force him to rape you, Kurt. That can't have been easy on him." That gave him a sad smile. "Maybe he was begging because he wanted you there for HIM?"
Kurt didn't even falter…he got up and left the table, hurrying home to pack a bag. When Jeff and Nick walked in a few minutes later, Kurt had a bag packed full of clothing and all of his sewing needs in another carry-all.
"What's all this?" Jeff asked.
"Clothes in that one, my sewing stuff in this one….all kinds of things I can finish up while I'm there. My laptop. He needs me, and I'll be there for him, Jeff. Fuck! I'm such an idiot…he was pleading with me and it never occurred to me that he might not want to be alone…I made it all about me…telling him I was fine and I wouldn't be alone this week. HE WILL! He'll be alone all week. I'm such a fucking jerk!" Kurt said, his voice cracking as he threw a few more things into another carry-all. "And where's a damn car rental place around here, anyway?" Kurt yelled, pulling at his hair.
Jeff and Nick just stared, unable to say anything even if they'd had the right thing to say.
"God damnit, I just need a car!" Kurt yelled at his phone as he tried to search for rental car agencies
"Kurt…here." Nick said, handing him his keys. "Take mine. No, don't give me that look, go ahead. Take it. I can get home from here just fine, and I…..I have other cars. It's not an issue, I promise. Just go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be in his arms. Just go." Nick smiled.
Kurt grabbed the keys, the other boys grabbed his bags, and they headed down the stairs and around back to Nick's car.
"Shit…I can't take this car, Nick. If I wreck it I can't afford to even fix the bumper!" Kurt screeched.
"Not worried about it, Kurt. Just go. Stop for a travel cup of tea somewhere to calm yourself and get on the road. He needs you." Nick said calmly. Jeff hugged Kurt before he got in the car and then he was gone. He had to get to Blaine.
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