For Robyn, who has patiently (hahahaha!) waited....
Ch. 100
Sebastian was a nervous wreck. Granted, any day, night, time he stood guard over the Governor there was always the opportunity for something to happen, something to go wrong, someone to get too close. But tonight he was on edge. He felt it…something in the air that said "be even more on your guard and keep your eyes open". He'd spoken privately with Governor Harris that morning after going over footage on his computer the night before until the wee hours of the morning. Short on time, Sebastian managed to hack his way into two of the three email accounts owned by his co-workers, and he didn't like what he found at all. Thinly veiled references, conversations that were much more than they seemed to the innocent eye and co-workers who may or may not have something to do with a plan to cause harm to their state's governor made him nervous as hell. Still, in everything he'd searched through, he found no real reason why. In the big scheme of things it didn't matter. What mattered was the governor's safety. Period.
Governor Harris wanted to contact Jimmy, Seb's boss, and find out what was going on, but Sebastian was staunchly against that idea, still unsure who, if anybody, else might be in on the plan to remove the governor as an obstacle. Sebastian knew, for certain, if Jimmy wasn't involved, and he honestly didn't believe that he was, that he'd be absolutely furious that Sebastian hadn't come to him. But in the big scheme of things, Sebastian's job was to protect the Governor…with his own life, if it came to that…and he wasn't about to take any chances by tipping off someone who may or may not be in this with Sutton, Garver and Kensington.
"You doin' OK, son?" Governor Harris leaned over and whispered to Sebastian as he raised his drink to his face, effectively hiding his words.
"I'm top notch, sir. No worries here. Are you well? See anything that's not sitting well?" Sebastian asked in return.
"Not at the moment, but you'll be the first to know if I do. Stick by me, will ya?"
"Couldn't pry me away with a crow bar, sir. If something goes down, hit the floor and I'll handle it."
"Understood, Smythe. And in case I forget to say it, thank you."
"Just doing my job, sir."
"You've always gone above and beyond. Now's no different. I'm a lucky man to have you on my team."
"I appreciate that, sir, thank you. I believe Mrs. Harris is attempting to get your attention."
"So she is. I'll head over that way."
"I think I will, as well," Sebastian smiled as if having a normal, everyday conversation with his boss. Sutton was the only man on the naughty list working the detail that evening. It would have been obvious to have him re-assigned, and Sebastian was watching him like a hawk. He didn't inhale without Seb's knowledge.
Sebastian didn't leave Harris' side all evening. He watched, noted what was going on, who spoke with who, took in the sincerity of smiles and handshakes and basically stayed on high alert all evening. When dinner was over and the charity auction began, Seb took a seat next to Harris at the table, his wife on the other side of him, and kept his vigilant stance. If anyone thought it was odd or out of character, nobody said a word.
The auction went off without a hitch and Mrs. Harris was having her items packed up to take home when Sebastian felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. At the same time, Governor Harris spoke to him with a friendly smile on his face as if they were discussing the weather.
"If I didn't know better, Smythe, I'd say your Spidey-senses were tingling."
"The man near the coat closet, he's not ours. He's hired security for the function, right?" Seb asked.
"I believe so. He doesn't work for my office and I've seen him at several other functions recently. You think he's someone to keep an eye on?"
"No, sir, I think he's someone to keep an eye out…for you."
"For us, Sebastian. After all, we're a team. You fall, I fall, and so on."
"Nobody falls tonight, sir, especially not you. Not on my watch." Sebastian's smile was friendly, as if he was having a purely good-natured conversation with his boss when he inadvertently motioned to the security guard near the coat closet to join them. He kept his jovial stance and countenance as he put his hand on the man's shoulder and motioned to his suit. "For all intents and purposes, Rosemond, we're chatting about this fantastic suit. Something's going down tonight. The Governor and I are the only ones who suspect a thing, and now I'm asking for an extra pair of eyes. I need your help and I want you to be on your toes. I don't have a good feeling about—"
"Harris! Always good to see you, old man!" An elderly gentleman barked out as he crossed the room toward them. Seb tensed when he spoke, and caught eyes with Rosemond to confirm his request. The guard simply gestured to his suit, tugged on his sleeve as if giving the details of a designer, and nodded.
"I'm in. I trust my team 100%. If needed, they're yours, Smythe."
"Much appreciated. I, on the other hand, don't trust my own team right now as far as I can spit. I don't know who's in on this yet."
"Say the word. One target?" Rosemond asked.
"As far as I can tell. Every nerve ending in my body is humming. Our guy, Sutton, is on tonight, and he's in my sights. He's not in it alone. He's the only one I know of who's here tonight, though."
"Noted. Navy suit, hideous tie?"
"The very one." Sebastian answered, grinning for all to see, but the humor surely didn't make its way to the bodyguard's eyes.
Rosemond spoke into his sleeve, miming a laugh, and while Sebastian wasn't sure who or how many he was speaking to, he was glad to know he had the man on his side. Keeping an eye on Harris and Sutton was hard enough, and he was wondering about Mrs. Harris, as well, now. When he saw Sutton headed his way with a stern look on his face, he tensed again, but then the man headed toward the staff entrance and completely avoided them. Seb kept his boss by his side, watching Rosemond slip off, perhaps even to follow Sutton.
"It'll be good to get home," Governor Harris said a short time later, leading his wife down the steps of the grand home they'd been in all evening. Their car was waiting out front, the driver holding the door for them both. Sebastian saw the movement before he heard the first shot, then more shots immediately after, and dove forward, shoving the governor to the ground and slamming his left shoulder hard into the pavement as they both fell. Mrs. Harris had made it into the vehicle, the governor was on the ground and Sebastian was on top of him. No fewer than 7 members of the security team had surrounded and taken down the shooter and the front of the home was pandemonium. People were rushing and screaming, trying to get back inside the house and away from the action. Sebastian refused to move, covering the man with his body until the all clear was given.
"Governor Harris, are you ok?" Sebastian asked, sitting up with as much grace he could muster.
"I'm good, son. I'm good….thank you."
"Sir, you've got blood on your jacket…you're bleeding!" Sebastian hissed, hustling him into the car to sit, feeling lightheaded himself from all the chaos and adrenaline, he was sure. It didn't help that he'd crushed his own shoulder hard into the cement driveway. It throbbed harshly, but he had a job to do. He nearly tore Harris' jacket off to inspect his shirt, but found no blood there, only the Kevlar vest he'd staunchly insisted on earlier in the evening.
"Dear heaven, Smythe, you're hit. The blood's yours, boy!" Harris hollered back at him, and Sebastian suddenly registered the more intense pain and the tingling. He looked down and saw the blood rapidly seeping into his shirt and jacket and instinctively pressed on the wound with the heel of his right hand.
"Son of a bitch…look at that…it's mine. Damn it…sir, don't tell my husband….don't…don't tell Hunter…." Sebastian said, then passed out cold and nearly tumbled out the door of the car onto the pavement. Harris grabbed him by his lapels and hauled him back in while yelling to his chauffer to get them to the nearest hospital. As he slammed the door and held onto Sebastian tightly, his wife pressed her scarf to Sebastian's wound and silently cried tears of fear and frustration for the man who had just taken at least one bullet, and maybe more, for her beloved husband.
The wait time for their Thai delivery was astronomical, so Kurt offered to go pick it up. Blaine opted for a shower before work while Kurt was gone, but the minute the door closed behind Kurt, Blaine rushed to their bedroom and grabbed the handle of the closet door, stepping inside to find a suit jacket many sizes too big for him. It had been his grandfather's and when they'd cleared out his things after his death, Blaine had taken the jacket because it smelled of the beloved man and the cigars he often smoked out on the patio. Blaine smiled at the memory of his tiny, little grandmother shooing his behemoth of a grandfather out the back door with a soup ladle when she'd found him smoking in her living room. The man had skeedaddled out the door quick as lightning. Blaine's grandmother was a force to be reckoned with at four feet, 8 inches tall. It was clear where his mother, and he in turn, got their height.
He unzipped the garment bag and slipped his hand into the pocket, finding the velvet box that held the ring he'd purchased for Kurt. The box snapped open and he gazed at it, smiling, and making plans in his head for the moment he'd ask the love of his life to be his forever.
Tonight Kurt was going to 'wait up' for him…he'd nap while Blaine worked and then they'd get some time to watch a movie together when Blaine got home from the bar. He was always way too wound up to sleep when he got home anyway. Tonight was the night he would ask Kurt to be his husband. Soon, Blaine thought, his smile wide and brilliant. And he couldn't wait.
"That's the last box. FYI, we are never moving from here. Never. So I hope you like it," Cooper griped as he collapsed onto the sofa.
"I love it here. It's homey and charming and there's plenty of room for all of us…and you're here. It's our place…not yours or mine, but ours. How could I not like it?" Maggie asked, smile in place as she flopped down next to Cooper, slung her legs over the arm, and rested her head in his lap, looking up at his tired face.
"I hate moving, and next time we hire movers to do all this."
"You said there wouldn't be a next time."
"Well, not for a while, anyway. It's exhausting, and for now, we have plenty of room, I hope," he winked.
"For now…we do."
"Did Evee pick a paint color yet?" Cooper asked, spying the paint cards on the coffee table.
"She did. I managed to talk her out of the hot pink, thank goodness, and I think we're going for a soft, butter yellow instead. Mattie is still stuck on "Hulk green", as he calls it. I don't know what Blaine's gonna have to say about that," she grimaced, "but, there doesn't seem to be any changing his mind on it. Apparently it also matches Mattie's Grave Digger things, which I blame you for, Cooper Anderson. Taking him to the monster truck show in Atlantic City was…well, I don't think I need to tell you that he had a fantastic time, but now we also have a new obsession to deal with."
"It could be so much worse…it could be…I dunno. Oh! I know, we could take him to see the WWE when they're at Madison Square Gardens!"
"Oh no, absolutely not, Cooper. No. Just…men in tights…not my thing," Maggie protested. "Unless, of course, you have some tights you wanna show off for me?" She batted her eyelashes playfully and leaned up to kiss him softly.
"I…uh…" Cooper began, but faltered when Maggie climbed into his lap, facing him and sitting on his legs. She continued to kiss him softly, never deepening the kiss, but framing his face with her hands and slipping her fingers into his wavy hair. "N-no…no tights…as of now…" he murmured, smiling into the next kiss. "They don't look all that comfortable, anyway."
"Good. Although wrestling is an admirable sport…"
"Yeah, I could be down with the rolling around and the groping…"
"With me or…I mean, I could find you some sweaty wrestlers if you want—" Maggie began but Cooper flipped her and pinned her to the sofa and started to tickle her in earnest. "COOPER! Shhhh…oh stop…shhh!" She laughed, pushing him away. "Th-the kids are sleeping!"
"We're wrestling here, and you're losing. I've already pinned you, Mags," he smiled.
"Mmmm…pin me, baby," Maggie grinned with a cheesy look on her face and a wiggle of her eyebrows. Cooper laughed and leaned into her body, settling between her legs and laying his head on her stomach.
"I love you, Maggie Anderson. You're everything I never knew I always needed. I love your kids, and considering…" he made eye contact and raised his eyebrows at her, "I would like to revisit the conversation about adopting them. I know…" he paused, leaning in when she opened her mouth to speak, "I know you weren't sure about it when we talked about it last time, but I want them, Maggie, and he clearly doesn't. Anyone who can't see their beauty and their loving hearts doesn't deserve them, and I want to make it official. I want to be their dad…more than just a check that arrives in the mail once a month. I don't want his money…I want them to have my name along with my arms around them every night before they go to bed. If we speak with them and they're not ok with it, then we let it go for now and talk about it again later on, down the line. But…please, think about it. You don't need to answer me now."
"I…I have been thinking about it, Coop. I have. It's important to me, too. Give me a couple days, ok?"
"I'll give you anything I have to give. A couple days won't hurt anyone. Just…please…think about it."
"I promise I will. And I want to talk to Greg about it as well…before I talk to the kids. Regardless of whether he's around…and even though he hasn't seen them in person in three years…he's still their father. Just…a few days, alright?"
Cooper leaned up to kiss her, just a peck on the lips, then stood with his hand outstretched for her to take. "Come to bed with me?" She nodded and took his hand, shuffling to her feet. They shut off the lights and made sure the door was locked, then headed to bed.
Kurt: Blaine? It's almost 11, can you call me?
Kurt: Ok, you're obviously playing. Um…
Kurt: It's late, almost midnight. Something happened.
Kurt: Listen, I'm ok, but…as soon as you get this, call me, please. I'm at the hospital. Again…I'M FINE.
Kurt: Blaine? It's almost 2 a.m. Please call me.
Kurt startled when his phone finally rang. He'd dozed off in the chair in the waiting room, eyes heavy from a long day at work on a Saturday of all things, an interrupted nap, and then a frantic phone call from Hunter.
"KURT?"
"Blaine, I'm—"
"What's wrong? What hospital? Where are you? I'm getting a cab right now! Jesus…"
Kurt heard the cabbie mutter 'where to?' in the background so he blurted out the information to Blaine quickly, then heard his voice repeating it to the cab driver. Then Blaine's voice broke.
"Kurt..?"
"Baby, it's not me. I'm ok. There was a…an uh…Sebastian was hurt at work. Hunter called me in a panic and I just…I don't know a whole lot other than he was shot and he lost a hell of a lot of blood on the way to the hospital. He was with the governor tonight at a function….that's all I know."
"I'm coming. I'm on my way, Kurt. As soon as I can be there I'll… traffic's not so bad at this time of the morning. I'm coming…" Blaine rambled, sitting forward on the seat and clearly annoying the driver. "Oh my God, what happened…." He muttered, eyes closing as he shook his head. There were moments of just listening to each other breathe, neither saying a word, just knowing the other was on the line, the sounds of traffic or hospital personnel in the backgrounds.
He felt oddly, as if he shouldn't be so shaken up over this…but he was. It wasn't Kurt that was hurt. Kurt was fine. But it was his friend. Sebastian was his friend, despite how much he wanted to choke the man most days when he'd first moved in. They'd become friends, and even though he wasn't sure what had happened, he knew he needed to be there as moral support for Hunter no matter how bad or, please God, not bad it was. He was shot. Sebastian was shot. Blaine's blood ran cold.
"I haven't spoken to Hunter since he called around 10:30 p.m." Kurt explained. "B, he sounded so distraught…so lost. When I got here, I caught sight of him tearing down a hallway in scrubs, but I haven't spoken to him since. I don't know what's happening…"
"We'll find out. I'm sure he's fine. He's too damn stubborn to….he has to be fine. Jesus…what happened…."
"I don't know…Hunter didn't ask me to come, he just…he was so upset and I couldn't, in good conscience, NOT be here for him…for them…when he finally knows what's going on, you know? I had to come."
"You did the right thing. He shouldn't be there alone. So he's working? He was at work when they brought Seb in? Oh my God…"
"I wish I knew more. They won't tell me anything because I'm not family but…oh! Someone's here…they're speaking to a nurse and I think…It has to be Seb's family or…maybe Hunter's. They said his name. Definitely Hunter's dad…wow, he looks just like him. I don't know if they'll tell them anything."
"I'm here, Kurt…where are you?" Blaine said, and Kurt heard the door to the car slam as Blaine muttered out 'thanks, man.." and exited the cab.
"Emergency waiting area…I figured that's where they'd bring him in and it's where I saw Hunter. He knows I'm here, I think…he glanced my way as he ran by, but…"
"It's dark and empty where I am…I don't even see anyone to ask…" Blaine muttered as he wandered down a half lit hallway.
Kurt stood and began walking toward where he figured Blaine would have come from.
"Excuse me, can you tell me-"
"Blaine!" Kurt yelled as he finally saw him in the hallway speaking to an orderly. Blaine nodded to the man in thanks, then headed toward Kurt and wrapped him in a strong hug.
"Come sit with me? I'll text Hunter…let him know we're here in case….in case he knows anything."
"Are you a friend of Hunter's? Hunter Clarington?" The woman who'd arrived minutes before asked Kurt when she heard her son's name.
"I am, yes. I'm Kurt Hummel, this is my boyfriend, Blaine. We live in the same building with Hunter and Seb."
"I'm Gwen Clarington, Hunter's mother. This is my husband Neil. Kurt…yes, I've heard him speak of you," she smiled. "I received a panicked message from Hunter about our Sebastian. They either don't know anything up there or they just won't tell me. I don't know if I'm considered family 'enough'." She stated, rolling her eyes. All they'd tell me was that he's in surgery. Do you know anything else?"
"Hunter called me around 10:30 and said that Sebastian had been at a function with the governor this evening. As they were leaving, apparently there was…I dunno, something happened—"
"Gwen!" Neil said sharply, to get her attention and pointed to the small tv on the wall which was reporting the news.
"…little known about what actually happened, other than shots were fired here at the McIntosh estate after a dinner and auction which is held annually to raise much needed funds for inner city programs. Governor Harris and his wife are always in attendance, in keeping with his stance on the revitalization of the inner city and its inhabitants.
From what we've been able to gather, the governor and his wife were getting into their car when shots rang out and his security staff was shocked into action. The shooter was immediately taken down, however, one of the security officers was hit while protecting the governor. That man was hauled into the governor's car which took off from the scene at a high rate of speed, we're hearing from bystanders. Several people have said he was bleeding from the chest and shoulder area, as he protected the governor with his own body, quite possibly saving the man's life at the risk of his own. Quite heroic if you ask me, Bob."
"Candace, were you able to find out the identity of the security officer who was injured in this horrible attack?"
"Not as of yet, unfortunately. I'm told they're trying to reach his family first, however you'll be the first to know when we learn the identity of the heroic member of the governor's team who most certainly deserves our thanks for his service this evening. Our thoughts go out to his family as we wait to hear of his condition after…."
"Well, that's not telling us anything we don't already know, now is it?" Gwen asked, concern etched in her face. She took a seat next to Kurt and seemingly without any thought, she grabbed his hand and held it, squeezing softly. Blaine held Kurt's hand on the other side and laid his head on Kurt's shoulder.
It was 4:30 am when Hunter staggered into the waiting area and nearly fell into his mother's arms. He immediately began quietly sobbing and she held him tightly, her fingers running through his hair and tears in her own eyes fearing the worst. Kurt felt sick, as did Blaine. The despair on Hunter's face said volumes.
"Son…tell us what's happened. How is Sebastian?" Neil Clarington asked, his voice tight but concerned. Like the rest of them, he just wanted to know what was going on. Hunter seemed to take a few deep breaths as he pulled away from his mother and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
"He's uh…he's out of surgery, and in recovery now. They said he did ok…during surgery…his arm…his shoulder…he was shot and he lost a lot of blood. They're getting him into a room now, and then I can see him. You should…can you come upstairs…to that floor, at least? I mean, unless you want to go home. I shouldn't have called you until I knew something. I'm sorry. And Kurt…you came…you guys…you didn't need to…yet here you are. Mom, dad, I guess you've met Kurt and Blaine?" Hunter rambled, clearly distraught still, and probably sleep deprived. Gwen nodded and smiled at the boys beside her.
"We'll go upstairs with you, honey," Gwen assured him, taking his hand. "Lead the way."
It was Blaine who uttered "holy shit…" when they entered the waiting area on the 8th floor and saw the disheveled couple sitting there with bloodied clothing. The governor and his wife sat stoically, leaning on one another and clutching hands, an obviously armed man standing beside them clearly ready to take out anyone who looked at them wrong.
"Harris…" Hunter's father muttered, glancing in his direction.
"Clarington…what are you…? Oh hell, Dr. Clarington…I didn't even make the connection. Should have, y'know, you look just like your old man, don't you?" The governor smiled at Hunter.
"Surely it was the last thing on your mind this evening, sir?" Hunter forced a smile, then dropped into a chair next to his mother, hauling Kurt down beside him and then Blaine followed.
"No news?" Mrs. Harris asked, her face tired and full of concern.
"Nothing new, no, ma'am. Now we wait. They wouldn't even let me…the operating room…they wouldn't let me in…" Hunter choked out. "I was leaving…I almost missed him coming in…"
"Hunter, how long have you been awake, dear?" Gwen asked. Hunter glanced at his watch.
"Almost 42 hours, I think…" he replied.
"Darling, you need to lay your head down and rest a bit. We'll all be right here, and I'll wake you as soon as someone comes with information, but you can't keep—" she began, but was interrupted.
"Dr. Clarington?"
Hunter's head turned in the direction of the swinging door, as did everyone else's. He staggered to his feet, heart pounding. Thankfully, the other doctor smiled and reached out a hand to him.
"He's good, Hunter….he's good," he repeated, glancing at everyone behind Hunter, their collective breath held, just waiting to hear what was going on. "Do you want to…" the doctor gestured aside, as if to see if Hunter wanted to speak privately.
"No…no, please, just tell me….us….you'll just save me from repeating it all. They're all family…" He said, glancing over his shoulder with a tired, soft grin. It warmed Kurt's heart and Blaine grabbed his hand a little tighter.
"Ok, well, you're aware that Sebastian was shot. We suspected two gunshot wounds but found three. He was hit in the shoulder, in his bicep and also a third shot grazed his hip apparently. The shoulder was clean, straight through and out the other side. Not so lucky with the bicep, and it pinballed around inside a bit and caused some damage. It will take some time to heal, definitely, but I'm extremely hopeful that with healing and physical therapy he'll be back up and running in no time. He's a lucky man, Hunter."
"And his hip?" Neil Clarington asked.
"In the big scheme of things, it's barely a scratch. 12 stitches. It'll hurt like hell and he'll have a scar but I figure nobody but this guy's gonna see that," the doctor grinned and chucked Hunter on the shoulder. "Think you can handle a scar or two, Clarington?" Hunter was only able to nod, hot tears escaping now with a forced grin. Sebastian was fine…he was ok. He'd recover.
"Thank you…Dr. Bellingham. Thank you for…for fixing him…for…all of it. Can I see him? Can we?" Hunter asked, still shaken up.
"He's still out, still sleeping, and he might stay that way for a bit, but you're welcome to wait in his room. We don't normally allow so many people…"
"Hunter, Blaine and I will wait, you go—" Kurt began, but the doctor cut him off.
"But under the circumstances, and because he has the space in his room," Dr. Bellingham shot a meaningful look at the governor, "I think we'll make an exception."
They were led down the hall to the largest hospital room Kurt had ever seen. Outside the room stood another armed man who moved from the doorway only when the governor himself gave the ok.
"They're Sebastian's family, Rosemond…" the governor told the man on guard. He gave them all a nod and a weary half smile allowing them to pass.
There were two beds in the room but one was empty and the other held a sleeping Sebastian, who looked pale and drawn. There were tubes and wires, as usual, but not nearly as many as they'd had to witness with Jeff. Kurt was grateful. Seeing his friends this way wasn't something he ever wanted to witness, and he felt they'd been dealt their fair share lately.
"Oh my God, Sebastian…" Hunter breathed, moving noiselessly across the room to pick up his husband's hand and hold it tightly. When Sebastian squeezed his hand back, his voice broke and he nearly toppled over. "Seb?"
"Bastards took my ring…where's…where's my ring, baby?" Sebastian slurred. Hunter choked out a half laugh, then grabbed the bag of Seb's belongings on the counter and dug his wedding ring out from the bottom. He slipped it on Sebastian's finger and grabbed his hand again, holding it tightly.
"It's there…its' back on now, Seb," Hunter said through tears as he grinned at his ridiculous husband.
"Gonna kick Harris' ass…" Sebastian mumbled. "Told him not to tell you, yet here you are…."
"Bring it on, Smythe," Harris smiled, moving toward the bed. "It's not my fault. He was here when we hauled your butt in here bleeding all over the damn place. Don't mind telling you that my suit is ruined, and I think you owe my wife a scarf, too," Harris grinned, teasing him. Sebastian actually huffed out a short laugh, but didn't keep his eyes open for more than a second or two. Hunter glanced up at the harsh overhead lights and then at Kurt, who scurried to the wall and turned off the one over Sebastian's bed. Hunter mouthed "thank you" at him as he returned to Blaine's side.
"Better…thanks Hummel," Sebastian said softly. He was quiet for a moment but spoke to the governor then. "Tell me they got him."
"All three of 'em, Smythe. You were spot on…Kensington, Garver and Sutton. The shooter was Garver. He didn't make it. The other two are in custody. Jimmy's on the warpath and heads are already rolling. Don't you worry about that now. You just worry about getting well, you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, sir. If you don't mind, though, I think I'll take a day or two off, yeah?" Seb smiled, as did Hunter, who rolled his eyes.
"I think you may have earned a couple days off tonight, son. You did well, and I owe you quite a bit more than a couple days of vacation, you hear me? Thank you, Smythe. You went above and beyond tonight, and didn't even think twice about it. You're a good man, Sebastian, and I'm proud to have you on my team." Governor Harris approached the bed and reached for Sebastian's hand, shaking it lightly and then just holding on for a moment. He owed his life to this man, and it wasn't lost on him. He gave Sebastian a curt nod and backed up. "I think we'll take our leave now. I wasn't about to go without knowing you were going to be ok. I'm glad to hear you'll heal up just fine. I'll be checking in, Smythe. You take care now."
"I will, sir. I think I'll have a few people making sure I don't overdo it," Sebastian smiled, glancing at everyone around them.
Mrs. Harris approached the bed then as her husband stepped back. "Young man, I owe Richard's life to you. There is nothing I can do to thank you enough for that, but I want you to know that if there's anything at all I am able to do…anything you need…you need only ask, alright? You've a fine man here, Dr. Clarington. We owe him a great debt. Take care of him, ok?" She smiled warmly. "Thank you, Sebastian," she said with wet eyes, then backed away and exited the room with her husband.
Everyone stayed long enough to be sure Sebastian was alright. He was his normal snarky self, albeit a bit groggy, so they felt ok leaving in the wee hours of the morning. The empty bed was shoved over toward the occupied one and they left Hunter fast asleep in it holding his husband's hand.
Blaine woke the following morning…well, afternoon, actually…around 1:30 to the smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. He rolled onto his belly, stretched and smiled, hearing Kurt singing softly, and thought of the ring in the pocket of his grandfather's suit. He'd planned to ask Kurt last night, but obviously that had been tanked. He was just glad Sebastian was ok. It wasn't a problem…they had plenty of time. He'd pick another day and do it, maybe not in their living room. Maybe that was too plain and simple? Maybe they'd go to the park or something? Now that he thought about it, would Kurt want a big, grand gesture rather than something simple and intimate? Hmmm….maybe it was a good thing he hadn't asked last night? He had some considering to do.
"Hey…good morning sleepy head," Kurt smiled as he sauntered into the room. "Hungry?"
"Famished…and it smells heavenly. Bacon?"
"Mmm...yes. And sausage, pancakes, fruit, scrambled eggs, toast, juice and…." Kurt paused, hearing the pounding of little feet before the door to their apartment burst open, "…and company." He grinned.
"Uncle Blaine! Uncle Kurt! We're here for blunch! Did you make pancakes?!" Mattie yelled from the living room, then the kitchen, then the hallway, then…oh no. "Uncle Blaine! Wake up you silly, it's time to get out of bed!" Mattie laughed, then launched himself onto the bed and crashed into Blaine before Maggie could stop him.
"Matthew!" she called, rushing down the hall toward the bedroom. "Oh, shit, sorry Blaine, I didn't realize you were still in bed…oh my God, Mattie, get out of their room, you nut!" she said, hauling a giggling Mattie away as he grabbed for the covers to anchor himself, effectively pulling them off of Blaine, leaving him lying in bed in his boxer briefs for the world to see. Thank the good Lord he'd left them on last night.
"Damn, my brother has a fine ass, doesn't he Mags?" Cooper laughed from the doorway. Evee, settled on his hip, blushed and giggled before hiding her face in Cooper's neck.
"Cooper! You're making things worse! Mattie, let GO of the sheet! Oh my God, Blaine, I'm so sorry!" she wailed, backing out of the room, still trying to get Mattie to let go of the sheet. Kurt stood, shell shocked, and said not a word. "I'll set the table and duct tape this unruly child to the wall. Sorry…" she said again, and closed the door.
"What just happened? That was like…30 seconds of utter chaos and I was internally thanking the gods that we didn't …last night…or you'd have been buck naked and…oh my God…" Kurt finally laughed. "Is that what it's like having kids all the time?"
"I think yes," Blaine said, pretending to ponder it with a curious look on his face.
"You do have a fine ass, though."
"Yeah?"
"Uh huh…" Kurt said, leaning in to smack Blaine's butt. "Now come on before your food is cold, sleepy! You'd think we didn't get to bed until 6 am or something!"
"I think it was closer to 6:30, actually…"
"No excuse, get up."
"I'm definitely already up, Kurt," Blaine said, teasing, as he rolled over on his back again to prove his point to Kurt.
"Ohhhhh yes you are, aren't you?" Kurt smirked, then bit his lip. Blaine loved it. Kurt was so damn sexy when he bit that lip. "What do you plan to do about that?"
"I have no idea…I was hoping you'd offer me some assistance."
"We have company!" Kurt hissed with a big smile.
"Lock the door…I swear, if you so much as touch me, it'll only take a few strokes. Don't leave me in misery, Kurt."
"So dramatic. I think you'll be just fine, Blaine….c'mon." Kurt moved toward the door, throwing Blaine's sweatpants at him.
"I am in MISERY…." Blaine sang out loud, startling Kurt as he turned quickly. "There ain't nobody who can comfort me…." He smirked as Kurt cocked his hip to the side and rested his hand there.
"Seriously, Blaine?"
"Why won't you answer me….this boner is slowly…killin' me…oh yeah!"
"Holy shit, Blaine, shush! The kids will hear you!" Kurt hissed again.
"I'll keep singing until you help me with it. I'm in misery after all," Blaine pouted, falling back on the bed in despair, arms out to the side.
"You're a child!"
"I'm desperate, Kurt…touch me…." Blaine's voice was low and breathy now and Kurt felt himself stir in his jeans.
"Blaine Devon Anderson, your family, including two small children, are on the other side of the door. What in the world—" Kurt began, but cut himself off, nearly strangling on his own tongue, when he saw Blaine's hand slide down his chest, a thumb flicking over a pebbled nipple as his back arched and a soft, breathy moan exited his mouth.
"Kurt…" Blaine panted, his hand wandering further south under the elastic of his briefs. Slipping his fingers over his own stiff length his mouth fell open and his eyes fell shut. "Oh God, Kurt, please…." He quietly begged.
"B-Blaine…" Kurt muttered, and his feet were carrying him toward the bed of their own volition.
"Need you, baby." Blaine's right hand stroked his length as his left fisted in the sheets and Kurt's mouth watered.
There was no denying himself anymore, Kurt thought. He wanted it as much as Blaine did.
He nearly launched himself onto the bed as Mattie had, only he landed between Blaine's splayed legs and immediately yanked his underwear down. Blaine's cock sprang free and with no warning at all, Kurt leaned in and took all of Blaine into his mouth and straight down his throat.
"Holy shit, Kurt….holy fucking shit!" Blaine hissed, his hand still fisted in the sheets and the other in Kurt's hair now. Kurt was a man possessed, his cheeks hollowed and his hands holding down Blaine's hips as he tried to buck up into Kurt's mouth. "Oh…oh godohgodohgod, I'm gonna come…baby I'm…" Blaine warned, but Kurt hummed in acknowledgement around him and it sent Blaine spiraling out of control and babbling. "Kurt…Kurt…oh God Almightly, Kurt….your fucking beautiful mouth…" he hissed quietly, aware of others in the apartment.
Kurt continued to suck and lave over Blaine's length until he was too sensitive to stand it any longer, then Kurt pulled off with a soft pop before licking his lips and sitting back on his heels.
"Big baby…"
"God your mouth, Kurt…."
"Damn good deal, here at Café Klaine…breakfast AND a show for one low price!" Cooper said from the doorway. Neither man flinched or even startled. That was saying a lot.
"I'm too fucking blissed out to even be angry with you right now, Cooper, but you're explaining it to your kids when they sneak up behind you," Blaine muttered. It seemed to bring Coop back to the present because he cleared his throat and told them sternly "food's gonna get cold if you don't get your blissed out asses out here!", and then closed the door again.
With one slice of bacon left on the plate, Maggie offered it to Blaine, who refused it, and then to Kurt, who reached for it but saw it yanked out from under his fingers by Cooper. He shoved the bacon in his mouth and said with a grin, "Kurt's already had plenty of protein this morning, Mags…" Eyes wide, Kurt vowed to get even with his almost brother in law.
"I want to state for the record that I think this is a bad idea, Jeff. I'll go with you, because I can see there's absolutely no changing your mind, but I think it's a horrid idea. Why in the name of all that's holy would you knowingly take yourself into the lion's den? Please reconsider…"
"Blaine, I'm going. With or without you, I'm going to see David Duval," Jeff said, as he sat across from Blaine in a small café while Joseph waited outside and watched them through the window. "Remind me to take Joseph some lunch or he won't eat any." Blaine shook his head and snickered.
"You're such a mom…"
"Shut up. Dude's on my ass like white on rice and he doesn't take lunch breaks. If I don't feed him, he won't eat until after his shift."
"So that being said, how, exactly, do you plan to get around him to go see David Duval?" Blaine asked, an unconvinced look on his face.
"I've been watching and keeping track of who works when and when the shifts change. There's about 10 minutes of down time where nobody's paying attention to where I am. Usually I'm not doing anything…remember, I was in the apartment for weeks on end and not exactly out living it up with my broken self."
"But?"
"But…when Joseph goes off shift and Evan takes over, I have a window and I plan to use it."
"Surely you're not dumb enough to think he's not tracking you somehow?"
"I'm certain he is, and I'm ok with that…all I need is a decent head start…and a little distraction," Jeff smiled. "When Nicky leaves for work tomorrow, everything will seem normal. When the shift changes, I sneak out, and we're on our way. Can you be there?"
"I'll be there, but only because I don't want you going alone. I'm telling you, Jeff, I—"
"You don't like it, I know. It's something I have to do, Blaine. I'm not sorry."
"Fine. GOD! Fine…we'll go tomorrow. Shit. Kurt's gonna kick my ass if Nick doesn't kill me first."
"Thank you, B. I knew I could count on you."
"Are you comfortable, Seb?"
"As much as I can be," Sebastian grimaced as he adjusted himself gingerly in the leather recliner in their apartment. I'll be ok, stop fussing," he grinned as his husband slipped socks onto his feet.
"The air's chilly in here today. Do you want me to turn the heat up a little? I don't want you to get a cold or something."
"Oh my God, Mom, I'm good," Sebastian snarked, tugging Hunter onto his lap on the right side.
"Seb! You're gonna hurt yourself!" Hunter huffed, then moved to the arm of the chair. "You have to be careful. You'll tug your stitches out and we'll have to start all over again."
"You won't get close to me and I'm going into withdrawal, Hunter."
"Awwww…you miss me?"
"Every minute of every day," Sebastian smiled, a cheesy grin taking over his face. "I feel like you're afraid to touch me and my whole right side is fine, so sit with me and let me put my arm around you. Snuggle in?" Seb did his best to scoot his body over to one side of the chair and Hunter squished in on his right side, holding himself back a bit until he saw that Sebastian was actually comfortable and they'd both fit just fine.
"I just don't want to hurt you, babe."
"When do you have to go in?"
"Noon…I have a few hours. Did you sleep ok last night?"
"No, I slept like shit. I was in my bed and my husband wasn't. Does that make it clearer for you?"
"Don't be a brat. I sleep on your left side and we have to be careful."
"Careful …schmareful. I don't like it."
"I'm not even answering that drivel. Did you just say "schmareful"? Seriously, Sebastian?"
"Stop making fun of me and get me some breakfast. Remember, I'm an invalid. You all keep reminding me, now I'm reminding you," Seb smirked. "And I might need a sponge bath later," Sebastian wiggled his eyebrows and Hunter burst out laughing.
"You are SUCH a dork…"
"But you love me anyway."
"I do…God, I do." Hunter leaned over to kiss Sebastian on his lips, soft hand on his husband's face as he grinned into the kiss. He'd missed this, too, but he wouldn't admit it. They needed to allow Sebastian's arm and hip to heal properly and kisses often…ok, almost always…led to much, much more. Every bit of movement could tear at Seb's stitches and Hunter wouldn't have it. He found himself resting his forehead against Sebastian's, worrying his own lip between his teeth.
"What? What is it?"
"Please….please don't ever do it again. I don't think my heart can handle another scare like that, Sebby. I thought…when they brought you in and there was all that blood and you were unconscious…I thought I'd lost you. My heart shattered into a million little pieces and I couldn't breathe. I was so scared, Seb."
"Baby…it's ok. I'm fine."
"You're not fine, Seb. You're not dead…that's the good part. You're injured, you're hurt; you were shot! And not just once, either! An inch to the side and you'd be dead and lost to me. I can't…I just can't, Seb. Jimmy said your Kevlar was destroyed. Multiple shots hit you in the chest, and if you hadn't been wearing that damn vest…" Hunter broke off, tears in his eyes now, and his chest heaving. He'd avoided this conversation with Sebastian up until that point, but it had to be said.
Sebastian didn't reply, he just nodded. He'd talked to Jimmy as well and knew that the vest saved his life, undoubtedly.
He recalled the governor's eyes when he said it wasn't his own blood but Sebastian's. He recalled seeing Hunter in his mind's eye, wondering how bad it was and if he'd see his husband again. He recalled feeling like the light was fading and he knew he was losing consciousness, all the while speaking softly in his own head, telling Hunter how much he loved him, and that he'd hold on as long as he could. He remembered waking up, momentarily, when they were cutting his clothing off and tearing at the Kevlar vest, and hearing the doctor swear when he saw it. His words rang in Sebastian's ears, loud and clear: He's one lucky son of a bitch…if not for this vest, Clarington would be a single man again. Let's fix him up. He belongs to one of our own….
One of our own. He faded out thinking of Hunter again, of how terrified he must be and he hoped nobody had told him yet. Couldn't they wait until he was sewn up and then they could call Hunter…let him know everything was fine. He didn't want his husband to worry. Don't worry, babe…I'm good….
"Seb?"
"Hmm?" Sebastian looked up to meet Hunter's worried eyes.
"Lost you there for a minute. You ok?"
"I'm…yeah, I'm ok. Just lost in my own head for a minute."
"I asked if you wanted eggs or waffles or just cereal?"
"Something simple. Whatever gets you back in my lap quickest, please." It was said without a hint of a smile, no snark and no innuendo. Hunter figured Sebastian had been thinking back to Saturday night and what had happened. He'd been zoning out recently, and Hunter knew the severity of what happened was on his mind as well.
"I'll make you a couple of frozen waffles real quick, then…ok?"
"Sounds good. Thank you…for….you know…for everything." Hunter nodded with a soft, loving smile as he walked into the kitchen. Sebastian was quiet as he sat in the chair wondering how soon he'd be back to work…and what he'd do once he got there.
"Oh good, you're here. You ready?" Jeff asked, clearly a little shaky and uptight.
"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess. I still think—"
"Save it, B. I'm going. Either you're going with me or you're not."
"Shit. Damn it, Jeff! Fine. I'm going. Let's get this over with, then, can we?"
Jeff's face as he pulled out of the garage beneath the building in his sporty little car was almost euphoric. He nodded to a guy sitting in a beat up old taxi around the corner to his left, and as soon as they pulled out of the garage, the taxi pulled forward and around the corner quickly, slamming into the back of Joseph's parked Hummer and shoving it into the car in front of it. It effectively blocked the entrance / exit to the underground garage as well as disabled the Hummer temporarily. Jeff grinned as he saw the pedestrians on the sidewalk all turn to see what the commotion was, and the next thing Blaine knew, they were through the light and in traffic.
"You…what did you….Jeff! He's gonna be so pissed! Oh my God, you….you're so dead. We're dead. Nick will have us both killed. Kurt's gonna flip out if I die, I'm serious, Jeff. What are we DOING!?"
"We're escaping, B, if only for a few hours. An hour up there, and hour back, and however long it takes me to say what I have to say and jump through all the hoops to get in there to say it.
Kurt sat at his desk talking on the phone with Rachel, attempting to be quiet. He didn't want to close his door. He rarely did, feeling cut off from the rest of the staff, and that was something he never wanted. He thrived on their energy and loved being able to see what was going on.
"So…your plan?" Rachel prompted.
"Simple…not flashy. I'm going to see if he'll go with me to DeFara's tonight for dinner. I think it'll be perfect, just us. If we go late, it shouldn't be too packed, I guess, right? On the way there…or on the way home. I need to do it. It's burning a hole in my pocket, Rach."
"You're carrying it around with you!?"
"Not literally, you know what I mean! It's at home in my drawer wrapped up in a scarf I haven't worn in two seasons. Blaine doesn't wear scarves, and he has no reason to get in there, so it's safe. No worries!" Kurt smiled. "I just…I want to ask him. I want to see his face when he realizes what's going on," Kurt gushed quietly, feeling giddy.
"He'll be ecstatic, Kurt, you know he will!"
"I hope so. He'll say yes, won't he?"
"Of course he will. He loves you endlessly, as you do him. There's no question in my mind that he's ready for this, too," she smirked.
"Thanks Rach…I needed that. Sometimes I question myself…am I moving too quickly? Am I rushing him? But…I don't think so. I think we're there, ya know?"
"You're there, Kurt. You SO are!" Rachel grinned to herself, remembering her conversation with Jeff. They were both there. Now it was just a matter of who 'got there' first.
"I've signed so many God damned things my hand is cramping, Fontaine. This better be the end of it," David Duval nearly growled. He'd been sitting in that damn uncomfortable chair for way too long and his patience was running thin.
"Almost there, Duval. You have years of bullshit to terminate here and you well know it. I don't want to hear you complaining. It was hours upon hours of work for me while you sat here giving out orders," Caesar Fontaine complained without thinking of his words. Duval gave him a barely masked look of annoyance.
"Are you not being adequately compensated for your time?" David Duval's voice was level and stern with a hint of malice, showing that he didn't appreciate being chastised one bit. "Surely I can find someone to take over if you're overworked. I don't want to over-extend you."
Fontaine looked duly humbled. In fact, he'd doled out the work to be done to a team of paralegals and barely touched a thing while his client sat in a jail cell. With a deep breath he looked into David's eyes and nodded his apology.
"Last order of business: Tyler Frazier, Bailey's boyfriend."
"You're still having him watched?"
"Every day, just like you said. They've been together almost a year now," Fontaine stated, unsure what to expect. When David made no effort to speak, Caesar picked up the conversation. "We'd talked about this already. Stay with the original plan?"
"No change in the status of their…relationship?" Duval asked, mouth in a firm line.
"None whatsoever. Short blip back in the summer, but other than that, they're blissfully happy together. He was miserable without her for those few days."
David drew in a deep breath through his nose and ran his tongue over his teeth inside his closed mouth. His only reply was a curt nod. Fontaine nodded back in reply, slid another set of papers across the table and watched David flip through them before signing his name at the bottom. Fontaine exhaled long and loud, feeling as if he'd never get out of the room.
"So, that's it. Anything else?" Caesar Fontaine asked his client over the metal table.
"No. That will be all. You'll pass the word to anyone in my employ regarding Mr. Sterling. That's not a question, that's an order. I want them to know how to deal with him going forward. This is it…this will finish it," David Duval replied, his manner stern and firm. "Nobody fucks this up or there will be very dire consequences, am I perfectly clear?"
"Crystal clear, Duval. I sure as hell hope you know what you're doing."
"I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago. Make sure nobody on the outside forgets who's in charge, and who gave the order. I'd like to speak with Dominic before it all goes down. I'm sure I can trust you to pass the word along?"
"Absolutely. I'll contact him immediately, bring him up to speed and be sure he's aware that you wish to speak with him."
"See that you do. I don't think I have to reiterate that it's of the utmost importance."
"No, sir, you do not. I hope this is the end of it," Fontaine said, pushing back from the table in his chair, his brow beaded with sweat and his head spinning. "But for the record, I want to say, again, that I think we're gonna have a helluva time during the trial if you do this…that's no secret, right? You DO understand that, fully, don't you Duval?"
"I'm crystal clear on the matter, Fontaine. Just do what I asked you to do. That's what I pay you too much for, isn't it?"
Caesar Fontaine shoved the last of his paperwork into his briefcase and stood. He shook hands with his most important and influential client and , walked out the door without another word. What the hell had he gotten himself mixed up in now?
Blaine's phone buzzed when they pulled into the parking lot at the prison and he saw Kurt's name on the screen. He hesitated, not wanting to answer, knowing very well that Kurt would ask him what they were up to. He didn't want to lie to Kurt, but he sure as hell didn't want to be honest with him. Kurt would flip, Blaine was certain of it. And honestly, he wouldn't blame him at all. If their situations had been reversed and Kurt was at the prison with Jeff, Blaine would be a hot mess.
"Hey, babe…" Blaine said jovially as Jeff gave him the hard stare; "don't say a word about this" very much on the tip of his tongue.
"Hello, love. You were up and out early this morning. Where were you off to?" Kurt asked, clearly munching on something at his desk at work.
"I'm hanging out with Jeff today, just catching up…running some…uh…errands, I guess?"
"You guess?" Kurt snickered. "You sound like you don't even know what you're doing."
"Oh…well, you know Jeff, h-he just gets something in his head and he has to go for it. We're just out on one of his willy nilly jaunts," Blaine played off nervously. Jeff, meanwhile, mouthed at him to hang up before he said something he shouldn't.
"Sounds….interesting…I guess. Ok, well, I was only calling to see if you were going to be there when I get home from work. I have a craving for pizza all of a sudden and I thought maybe we'd hit DeFara's before you have to go to work?"
"I…yeah…that sounds great…DeFara's. Let's do that," Blaine smiled, glad for the reprieve from questions he didn't want to answer. "I'll see you at home then?"
"You will. I love you…be careful out there. Lots of weirdos in the city, after all," Kurt told him with a giggle on the end of his instructions. Blaine laughed along nervously, said he loved Kurt as well and then disconnected.
"You can't lie to save your life!" Jeff harassed him.
"I don't like lying. I was doing everything I could not to lie, man. I don't lie to Kurt. I just don't. It's not us…it's not how we do things."
"Are you implying it's how we do things…Nick and me?" Jeff asked, a bit testy.
"No, that's not what I'm saying, I'm talking about Kurt and me, that's all. I don't like hiding the truth from him, and that's what I did. It makes me sick to my stomach. But I know he'd flip out and worry and I don't want that either, but don't think I won't tell him later that we were here, Jeff."
"I knew you'd eventually tell him, I just don't want you telling him now, before I get to go in there and have words with daddy-in-law-dearest. You know he'd call Nick and I can't have that."
"I know. Let's just get this done and get home, can we?" Blaine asked, unnerved. "This place looks like…well…a prison. Jesus, it's depressing. I can't imagine being locked up in here every day. I don't like it, let's just do it and get out."
They walked up to the entrance, explained the reason for their visit and with whom they wished to speak. Procedures were expected, but they were seriously thorough, and for a moment, Blaine thought they'd be strip searched. He was absolutely not ok with that. But, they checked their pockets, had them empty everything they had out to be held until their visit was complete, sent them through the metal detectors and then escorted them to another area to wait.
They were led down a long hallway, past offices and rooms which were locked, apparently, into a larger waiting area where the walls were lined with chairs and a few other individuals occupied those seats, clearly waiting to visit someone as well. Just then a door opened and a man in an obviously expensive suit exited, moving over to sign out with the officer behind a glass window. She slid a clipboard under the glass and just as he was about to sign it, she hollered behind her.
"Don't take Duval back yet, he has another visitor!"
The man in the suit paused, turned to see who else was in the room and he was clearly jolted and confused by what he saw.
"Y-You…Sterling. What the hell are you doing here? Are you insane?!" the man addressed Jeff, clearly agitated that he was there. "And who the hell are you?" He asked, nodding at Blaine. Blaine sat ramrod straight, not saying a word.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" Jeff asked, bristling. Who the hell was this guy and what did he care if Jeff was there?
"Caesar Fontaine….I'm David Duval's attorney. I know who you are. I know everything there is to know about you, Mr. Sterling. What I want to know now is what the hell you're doing here." Jeff was curious, because the guy didn't look angry or upset, he looked….confused….flustered, even.
"Not that it's any of your business, Mr. Fontaine, but I came to speak to…" Jeff grinned, huffed out a short, bitter laugh, and continued, "My father-in-law. I'm certain he'll be thrilled to see me, don't you think?" Blaine nudged him in the arm with his elbow, unsure this was a man they wanted to provoke.
"What the hell do you want to talk to him for? Did someone tell you to come here today?" Fontaine couldn't come up with any possible reason Jeff would want to be in the same room with Duval, and without his husband here with him, too. "I mean, after all that's happened…." He broke off.
"Happened? What's happened? Oh…I'm sorry, you mean his destruction of my mother's property? Attempting to burn down my apartment building? False accusations which caused me to lose my job, and nearly cost me my teaching license? Or maybe you're referring to the fact that he ran me down with a car and nearly killed me…AND his only daughter in the process? Which is it that you're speaking of, Mr. Fontaine? Did I miss anything?"
Caesar Fontaine stared at Jeff, not denying or confirming the allegations. Blaine was a little dumbfounded, unused to his friend's sudden infusion of attitude, and unsure what to say, if anything.
"I'll be staying until Mr. Sterling completes his business here," Fontaine growled, shoving the clipboard back under the glass window. The officer raised her eyebrows at him but said nothing. Fontaine took up his seat across from Jeff and Blaine and waited…but not patiently. He reached for his phone, realized it wasn't there and swore loudly, earning him a stern glance from the officer behind the glass, her eyes boring into his.
"Jeff…." Caesar Fontaine began, but looked to be questioning his own thoughts and words for a moment. "I urge you…strongly urge you to choose your words carefully. Mr. Duval…" he paused again, whether for dramatic effect or uncertainty, Jeff didn't know. "Mr. Duval and I have just wrapped up a discussion which will…change…dramatically...many, many things in the lives of the people you know and love. Going in there with guns blazing is absolutely not in your best interest, and I'm sincere when I say this. Please…use this time wisely and be careful."
Blaine and Jeff shared a look of disbelief for a split second before training their eyes on something across the room or on the floor or anywhere but Fontaine. Jeff didn't know what to make of his words. The "be careful" made him uneasy for sure, but what he really wanted to know was what changes Fontaine was referring to.
"Mr. Sterling to see Mr. Duval?" Another officer opened the door next to Fontaine and looked up when Jeff stood. Blaine stood on shaky legs before the officer spoke again. "One at a time, gentlemen." Blaine fell back into his chair, relief washing over him at the knowledge that he didn't have to go in and face that awful man. But then fear and panic replaced it and he grabbed Jeff's arm to hold him back. Jeff paused, glancing at him to see what the problem was.
"I'm not ok with you going in there alone, Jeff." Blaine looked at the officer waiting impatiently at the door. "Duval….is he…restrained? He can't get to him…touch him…can he?" The officer rolled his eyes.
"No contact. You coming or not?" he said tersely to Jeff.
Jeff shook off Blaine's grasp and walked forward, glancing over his shoulder at Blaine as he went, nodding at Blaine as a sign of reassurance, he assumed.
"It'll be fine, B. Don't panic. This needs to be done." And then he was gone, through the doors and the large door clanged shut on the other side of the room.
Blaine was sure he'd work a few screws loose with all the shaking his body was doing but it was absolutely nothing compared to the horror he felt when a clearly terrified and furious Nicholas Duval burst into the room led by another uniformed officer. Jaw set tight and teeth gritted, the look he gave Blaine would have brought lesser men to their knees, but instead Blaine suddenly felt as if he was going to pass out. This couldn't end well.
A/N You still out there? Hmmmm, I guess we'll see. Missed you guys :) Much thanks to those who thought to check in on me. I'm well...just writing something else these past weeks. Got a lot completed and getting decent feedback, so I'm glad about that.
As always, big thanks to Suzanne for editing and making sure I make sense with what's written vs what's in my head.
Leaving on the 18th in the early morning for NYC. Hoping to see some of you there. Anyone going? Let me know, I'd love to meet you!
And last but not least, your thoughts are always appreciated. Hugs :)