So, I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. I also apologize for posting such a violent, angsty chapter during the most wonderful time of the year. Good news is that from here on out it will be the boys reconnecting and figuring out how they are going to move forward. Assuming they can.
Warnings: Lots of violence.
Tonight before you fall asleep
I'll run my thumb across your cheek
Cry 'cause I'm here to wipe your eyes
I know I made you feel this way
You gotta breathe we'll be okay
Cry 'cause I'm here to wipe your eyes
Wipe Your Eyes by Maroon 5
Chapter 22
Blaine stared out the window into the backyard as the men around the table discussed and debated. As promised, Luther had pulled himself away from Anastasia and arrived at the compound with Matthew and Vince in tow to discuss what to do about Cooper. Telio and Elian were also present.
The conversation was all over the place.
Elian and Telio wanted to offer a reward to find out where Cooper was hiding and then stage a raid. Matthew and Vince wanted Blaine to pretend to step down and hand over control to his brother. Once the power exchange was supposedly complete and Kurt was safe they would simply murder Cooper and reinstall Blaine as leader. Luther wanted Blaine to schedule a family dinner meeting. It had been too long since the last one, and the other families were beginning to question Blaine's leadership ability, and his mental health. The story of the raid on Chartussi's sandwich shop was becoming a legend either admired or questioned by the family heads and crew chiefs. Luther felt a family dinner meeting was necessary in order to reestablish everyone's faith in Blaine's ability to lead. He could not be seen as losing his mind over the loss of his lover, especially since his lover was gay. Fair or not, Blaine would always be held to a higher level of scrutiny.
Blaine half listened to the voices behind him. He'd already made up his mind about his next move and sealed it by getting a haircut. He was wearing a light blue, custom made, button down shirt and a pair of gray slacks. He'd taken a pair of cufflinks from his father's dresser. The light blue pearl ones that made him think of Kurt's eyes. His hair was slicked down with gel also from his father's dresser. When he turned around, hands in his pockets, eyes serious, dark, and determined, Luther felt a slight shiver as he thought for just a brief second that Mario was standing before him. The likeness unnerved him, especially since he hoped to bed the man's wife that evening.
"Here is what we're going to do," said Blaine, his voice firm and final.
"Over the next two days I will personally visit the heads of all the families and crew chiefs. It will give me a chance to personally reassure them that I haven't lost my mind, and that their interests remain my top priority despite Kurt's disappearance. One-on-one time with me is something they all covet. I'll give that to them as a way of both apology, reassurance, and a chance to spy. While I meet with the head of the family, Telio and Elian will casually chat with their men and try to sniff out possible traitors who might be helping Cooper."
Luther and Matthew nodded in approval. Vince was less convinced.
"But we've already questioned everyone. I can't believe we missed something."
"Maybe not," said Blaine, "but it can't hurt to revisit people now that we know why Cooper took Kurt and what he wants. Knowing Cooper he's probably made promises to people based on his future leadership of the family. Good targets would be those who are unhappy in their current situation. Guys who want their own crews or wanna go into drugs. Someone has to be helping him. There's no way he's pulling this off by himself. We're missing something. We have to be."
Blaine returned to staring out the window as the men discussed who should receive the first visit, who would be most rattled by a surprise visit from the boss, and who was most likely to have men open to empty promises from Cooper. Once plans were confirmed, cars arranged, and security details worked out, the men rose to head to bed.
"Luther, can we talk for a minute?"
"Of course, Blaine."
Blaine headed into the library. Luther followed closing the door behind him. Blaine sat down behind his father's desk, and once more Luther was slightly thrown by Blaine's remarkable similarity to his father.
"I wanted to talk to you about my mother. How's she doing? When is she moving back home?"
Luther chose his words carefully.
"She's doing better. The foundation work has been good for her. It gives her something to do besides worry about you and your father."
Blaine frowned. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. "When is she coming home?"
Luther sat back and relaxed in the chair despite his nerves. This required a delicate approach. He couldn't raise Blaine's suspicions. "Actually, I planned to talk to you about that. She's asked me to help her find a suitable apartment or condo in town. She doesn't want to come back here."
Blaine's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why not?"
"Think about it, Blaine. You know your mother was never crazy about living all the way out here. Far away from everyone, away from the city and the stores. Naturally she went along with it because it was what your father wanted, but she never liked being all the way out here. It was one thing when your father was here, but now…the idea of returning to this house by herself…can you imagine what it will be like for her to sleep upstairs in their bedroom without him here? I don't think she can do it."
Blaine closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He wouldn't want to return to his Dalton bedroom without Kurt and they had only been together for months. His parents had been together for years.
"Okay, well I guess we can do that, but what about security?"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she's protected at all times."
Blaine stared at a spot on the desk. Luther waited patiently.
"Luther…my dad…he's…" Blaine sighed. He couldn't bring himself to say it.
Luther remained silent. No way was he going to be the one to bring this up.
"It's been over two months. He's…do you think…I…should I consider…is it wrong to keep him here…the way he is…"
Luther shook his head. Definitely not having this conversation with you. "I think that's something you should discuss with your mother."
Kurt remained as quiet and still as possible. Since no one had remembered to put him back in his cell he was still sitting on the floor leaning against the kitchen island. Thanks to the open floor plan he could see Sam sitting at a desk working on a laptop, and Cooper passed out on the couch, a gun on the table in front of him. Kurt stared at the gun. He was too tired, hungry, and in pain to even consider running, but he still stared at the gun and wondered if he could possibly inch across the floor and grab it without being noticed.
Suddenly Sam entered Kurt's sight line. He shot Cooper a look of disgust, picked up the gun, and tucked it into the waistband of his pants. Stupid drug addict. He walked over and looked down at Kurt.
"You hungry?"
Kurt nodded.
Sam disappeared into the kitchen and returned several minutes later with a ham sandwich, a bag of chips and a Coke.
"You don't look like you're gonna kill anyone else anytime soon, so why don't you come sit at the table?"
Kurt slowly stood up and shuffled over to the table and sat down. Sam placed the plate on the table and sat down across from him. He watched Kurt hungrily finish the sandwich in just a few bites followed by the bag of chips and the Coke. Kurt laid his head on his arms on top of the table. He felt a little sick, very tired, and still hungry.
"You must be one hell of a fuck."
Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Sam. What? Sam continued.
"Word on the street is that Blaine's crazy about you. Like literally bat shit crazy, as in he's lost his mind and killed eight people trying to find you."
Blaine killed eight people?
"I guess you're both more lethal than you look. I still can't believe you killed George and Russell."
Kurt stared at him blankly. He'd completely shut down all memories of killing George and Russell. He couldn't deal with it. Not yet. Not right now. Sam gave him a mean smile.
"Oh, well. Blaine will soon be dead. Not sure where that leaves you."
Kurt figured he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
"Then let me go. You don't need me to kill Blaine."
Sam chuckled. "Oh, yes we do. You're the bait. Like I said, Blaine's crazy about you. He's running around Lima murdering people to find you. And when the time is right…he will."
As Blaine predicted the crew chiefs and family leaders welcomed his visit, albeit with suspicion, caution, and curiosity. He could feel their eyes studying him trying to find signs of an unstable mind, but instead they were greeted with Blaine's usual cool, polite, yet inquisitive charm. Most were eager to claim their undying loyalty and allegiance to the Andersons, and express their sincere regret and concern about his brother's behavior. No one mentioned Kurt, or referenced the fact that Cooper's behavior was to kidnap Blaine's boyfriend. They all preferred to forget that Blaine was gay, at least to his face. Instead they inquired about his father's health, his mother's perseverance, and reiterated that they had no interest in seeing Cooper become boss. No one made an actual threat, after all Cooper was still an Anderson, but the implied meaning was clear. If Blaine was killed and Cooper took over, a bloodbath would follow.
As Blaine met with each family leader, Telio and Elian chatted with the crew members, casually mentioning that they were unhappy with Blaine's leadership in hopes of finding possible traitors. It quickly became apparent that Elian was more believable in this role than Telio. People knew Telio had been raised by the Andersons. His claims of being interested in seeing what else was out there were met with silence. No one was about to speak ill of the Andersons in front of the man known as Blaine's brother and bodyguard. Elian however was new to Blaine's inner circle. His claims of being tired of Blaine's whining over Kurt, and mentions of wanting to explore the drug game sounded plausible. Those loyal to the Andersons glared at him in icy silence, but there were a few men who listened with interest. Elian took note of who they were so he could visit them one-on-one later.
By the end of the day Blaine was exhausted and annoyed. He hadn't learned anything that might lead him to Cooper or Kurt. Luther tried to help him see the bigger picture.
"It was a good day, Blaine. The families need to know you are still competent and in control. You did well."
"Several people hinted that they are hoping I will reconsider my father's stance on drugs. They feel we're losing out on an enormous amount of money."
"We are," said Luther. Blaine looked at him in surprise. Luther shrugged. "I'm not saying we should go down that road, but it is something to think about."
Blaine shook his head. "No. I don't care how much money we're losing. Drugs destroys people. Ruins lives. Creates addicts who can't control themselves. I don't wanna be a part of that." Timothy crossed Blaine's mind. He pulled out his phone to send him a quick text, but was startled when it rang in his hand. An unknown number.
"Yeah?"
"You've got two days."
"What?"
"I want you to announce that you're stepping down in two days."
Cooper.
Blaine carefully ran his hand over his gelled hair, closed his eyes and took a breath. Stay calm. Don't let him get you worked up. "I'm confused. Do you want me to actually step down in two days, or just announce that I'm gonna step down eventually in two days?"
"I want you gone in two days. I've wasted enough time fucking with you. It's time for me to get down to business."
"Why the sudden rush? I thought you were going to give me time to get the families in line."
"Wow, Blaine. I thought you'd wanna hurry up. Don't you miss your boyfriend, or have you found another butt buddy?"
Kurt.
"Can I talk to him?"
Cooper laughed. Sucker. "I'm afraid Kurt is resting right now. He had a big night. A very big night. So many big ones, but he took them all like a pro."
Blaine swallowed and dug his nails into his knee. He's saying that to get to you. Don't let him. Kurt is fine. Probably scared and tired, but otherwise fine.
"Two days is too soon. I've just started talking to the families. I need more time."
"Yeah, you've been talking to the families alright. I heard about your little tour today, and from what I heard you didn't mention me at all. As a matter of fact I heard that you reassured everyone that you weren't going anywhere anytime soon. Care to explain that?"
Fuck. There was definitely a traitor working for Cooper. Who the hell was it?
"I think you've gotten a hold of some bad information. Yes, I did visit the families to reassure them that everything was fine, but I didn't promise anything regarding my continued leadership."
"Bullshit! Bullshit you little liar! You keep fucking with me and fairy boy is going to end up dead!"
"No! Look, just let Kurt go, and I promise to work with you to get the other families to accept you. It'll make things go smoother and keep our enemies from trying to take advantage of the unrest."
"Don't you mean your enemies, Blaine? I don't have any enemies. You see, I know how to make people feel comfortable and welcome. Not drive them away by murdering their friends and family, and blowing up buildings. I'm not even boss yet, and I'm already doing a better job than you."
Blaine shook his head. Is he really this stupid? He can't be. We have the same parents.
"Cooper, I can't step down in two days."
"You can, and you will, or else I'll shoot Kurt, chop off his head, and deliver it to his father's doorstep."
Cooper hung up.
"What did he say?" asked Luther.
"He wants me to step down in two days."
Luther shook his head. Blaine waited a moment before looking up. "I'm going to do it."
"You don't mean that."
"Actually, I do. I have to get Kurt back. Once I have him back I'll figure out what's next, but I can't wait anymore. It's been six days. I can't let this go on any longer. I'll step down, get Kurt back, and then go from there."
Luther frowned. "Blaine…do you really believe Cooper is going to just hand Kurt over and let you live happily ever after? You have to know that he's planning to kill you."
"Frankly, Luther I don't care. We've questioned people. We've searched, and threatened, and nothing has worked. I can't let Kurt…he's suffering because of me. I promised him I'd protect him and…" Blaine trailed off as the familiar sense of dread and guilt washed over him, stronger than ever. "I got him into this mess. My mess. Telio was right. I should have left him alone. Luther, I need you on board with this. Telio is going to have a fit. I need you to help me convince him that this is the way to go. I also need you to promise not to tell my mother. I don't want her worried."
Now it was Luther who felt a wave of guilt as his mind traveled down a dark path.
If something happens to Blaine there will be no one to object to me being with Anastasia. It's not as if Cooper would care…
Oh, God…what am I thinking?
Luther reached out and grabbed Blaine's hand. Blaine was shocked when Luther kissed his hand and nodded. "Of course, my Don. Whatever help you need, I will provide."
x-x-x
That evening Blaine sat on his bed, freshly showered, wearing sweatpants and a Dalton t-shirt. Elian was hovering by the door staring at Blaine with his usual longing.
"Is there anything you need?"
"Yeah. Kurt."
Elian glowered, but said nothing. Telio suddenly burst into room practically knocking Elian over.
"No way! You're not doing this!"
"Telio…"
"No! It's too fucking dangerous!"
"It's not like I'm gonna meet him in an alley somewhere. Everything will be controlled. Once we have Kurt…"
"Since when are you so stupid? He tried to kill his own father! Your father! What the hell makes you think he's going to let you live?"
Blaine didn't have an answer for that. Telio sat down on the bed.
"Look, I get it, and if it was Alicia I'd probably want to do the same thing, but you can't do this. You can't trust him."
"Don't you think I know that?"
"Then why?"
Blaine stared directly into Telio's eyes. "I'm sacrificing for the one I love."
Telio shook his head. "There has to be another way."
"Then figure it out, and let me know. You've got two days."
As he exited the room, Telio grabbed Elian and pushed him into the hallway.
"Leave him alone, asshole."
"Fuck you."
"You wish. If I were gay, I'd break you in half."
Elian watched Telio head down the hallway, his head filling with new fantasies.
Blaine settled back on his bed and picked up his phone. He scrolled to Timothy's number. According to the call history, Timothy had called him last week and they'd been on the phone for two minutes. Blaine tried to think back. When did he talk to Timothy? He dialed the number.
"Blaine?"
"Hey, Timothy. How are you?"
"Uh…I…I'm okay."
"Did you call me last week?"
"Um, yeah, but I think you were sleeping."
"Oh. I don't remember. Sorry."
"No problem. Um…how's Kurt?"
Blaine hesitated. No one outside of his family knew Kurt was missing. He didn't want to alarm their friends, or worse have someone unwittingly say something that reached the police, but Timothy felt different. Something about his drug use made him seem closer to Blaine's world than everyone else.
"Well, actually…Kurt's missing."
"What?"
"He's missing. Since Wednesday. He was kidnapped by Cooper."
Timothy started shaking. "C-Cooper?"
"Yeah."
Timothy stood up and started pacing back and forth, his eyes filling with tears.
"Um…are you sure? How do you know?"
"Of course I'm sure. He admitted it. He has Kurt locked up somewhere. I've been trying to find him."
"Timothy?"
"Timothy?"
"Oh, God…please, Blaine…oh, God, oh, God, oh God…"
"Don't worry. I'm gonna find him."
"I…please don't hate me…"
"What? Why would I…wait? Do you know something?"
"I…I…oh, God, Blaine. You're gonna hate me…you're gonna hate me forever! I'm sorry!" Timothy broke down sobbing.
"Timothy, listen to me. I'm not gonna hate you. I promise. Just tell me."
"I…I think I may have…oh, God…I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"Timothy, tell me what you did!"
"I…I think I helped Cooper!"
"What? How?"
"I'm sorry, Blaine! I'm so sorry!"
"Are you at home?"
"Yeah."
"Stay there. Don't move."
x-x-x
30 minutes later Timothy nervously opened the front door to find a very menacing looking Blaine and Telio on his doorstep along with another guy he didn't recognize. He stepped aside to let them in, wishing he weren't home alone.
"Okay, Timothy. Tell me exactly what you did."
Timothy was shaking and rubbing his arms. He'd searched all his hiding places hoping to find enough coke for a hit, but he was all out. He stared at Blaine with wide, fearful, desperate eyes.
"I…um…I gave him information."
"What kind of information?"
"In-information about you and Kurt."
Blaine clinched his hands into fists at his side and took a step forward. His eyes were so penetrating, Timothy was sure Blaine could see right inside his head.
"Timothy, I need you to tell me exactly everything you told Cooper. Everything."
Timothy trembled and started crying as he told Blaine about his meetings with Cooper. How he told Cooper about Kurt's schedule, his plans for the summer, what kind of car he drove, the layout of his father's shop, going so far as to draw a picture. The more he talked the more he cried as his guilt flowed out of him, the weight of it making him slowly fall to his knees and rock back and forth, his arms wrapped around his waist.
"I-I-I'm s-s-so s-sorry, Blaine. I didn't…I didn't think he-he'd hurt him. Please…I'm so sorry."
Blaine stood over him. Telio moved a little closer, concerned about Blaine's next move. Yes, Timothy deserved to be shot for his betrayal, but cocaine is a powerful drug, and its grip on Timothy was strong.
Blaine suddenly drew back and backslapped Timothy with stinging force.
"How could you do this to me? To Kurt? Kurt who wanted to help you! He helped you join the Warblers! He tried to be your friend! How could you!"
Timothy cried and sobbed harder. "I-I-I c-couldn't help it! Please! I'm so, so, s-sorry. Pl-please…I'll do anything to help you! Anything! Please!"
Blaine's fingers were itching for his gun, but Timothy was worth more alive than dead.
"Alright, let's go over everything. Every single fucking thing."
For the next 45 minutes Blaine interrogated Timothy about every meeting he'd ever had with Cooper. It wasn't until he mentioned meeting Cooper at a warehouse that Blaine's eyes lit up.
"Tell me about this warehouse. Where was it? Was there a name on the building?"
"It was over by Route 5 in the industrial district. I don't remember if there was a name or not."
Telio mentally ran through the list of family operations in that area. "The Hirschfield plant and warehouse is over there. You know, Carlos Hirschfield. He was killed a few months ago. I think his nephew took over."
Blaine slowly nodded. "His name is Sam. You ever meet him?"
Timothy shook his head. "No. I only saw Cooper there. The second time I went back no one was there but a security guard."
"Just one guard?"
"Yeah. At least that's all I saw."
Blaine was thoughtful. "One guard? One guard for an entire plant? A plant owned by a family connected to the mob? That doesn't make sense."
Telio nodded in agreement. "Could be he doesn't want to draw attention to whatever he's up to by having a full security crew."
Blaine grabbed Timothy by the arm and started pulling him towards the door. "Come on. We're going on a road trip."
x-x-x
45 minutes later Telio turned the Hummer into the empty parking lot of Hirschfield, Inc. Blaine pulled Timothy out of the car. "Show me where you ran into this security guard."
Timothy led them around to the side entrance of the building. Sure enough there was a small guard house with an elderly gentleman sitting inside. He immediately stepped out when he saw the four approaching.
"Hey! This is private property!"
"Does Sam Hirschfield own this building?"
"Yes he does, and who are you?"
"We need to get inside."
"Now wait just a minute…" The guard trailed off as Telio and Elian pulled their guns at the same time and pointed at him. Blaine quickly stepped forward and pulled the gun out of the shocked man's holster.
"There's no reason for you to get shot tonight. Just let us in."
The guard reluctantly unlocked the main warehouse door. They all walked in and looked around. Telio shook his head.
"This place hasn't manufactured anything in months."
Elian wiped a finger along a conveyor belt. "Everything's covered in dust."
Blaine turned to the guard. "When was the last time the plant was actually operating?"
"Aint been operating since Mr. Carlos died."
"And the employees?"
"Everyone was given a two month paid vacation. Except for me of course, but Mr. Sam is paying me well to stay on, so I don't mind. I'll be retiring soon. Got a lovely place in Florida I been paying on for years. Almost paid off. Best fishing you ever saw. Why the last time I was down there…."
Clyde continued to ramble on while the four looked around until Elian spotted two large doors, locked and chained shut. "What's in here?"
Clyde shook his head. "Don't know."
"You got a key?"
"Don't think so. Mr. Sam gave me a set of keys, but he never mentioned one for that room."
"Gimme your keys," demanded Blaine.
It took several tries before Blaine found a key that unlocked the doors, but there was no key for the chain padlock. Telio aimed his gun. "Stand back."
Telio shot the lock. Elian and Blaine swung open the doors. The smell of coffee hit them full and strong. Telio frowned and shook his head.
"Coffee? They don't export coffee."
Elian opened one of the sealed boxes. Inside were what looked like packs of coffee. He kept digging until he found the real product.
Cocaine.
Timothy took a step forward, his entire being drawn towards the box. Blaine placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hell no. Your love of that shit has caused enough trouble."
"Alright," said Telio. "So we know he's running drugs out of here. He must be Cooper's partner. That means he has to know where Cooper's hiding."
Blaine turned to the guard. "You're gonna make a phone call."
Kurt lay gratefully on the couch and half listened to the voices around him. After finishing his meal he'd sat at the table for a while, his head resting on his arms. He eventually found the strength to stand and make his way over to one of the couches in the room. No one stopped him or said a word, so he laid down and immediately fell asleep. He couldn't understand why no one had locked him up. It didn't make sense after his escape attempt. It made him nervous and suspicious, but he was too exhausted to think about it. After sleeping on a hard floor for days, his aching body welcomed the soft cushions of the couch.
"…store several crates over at the Washington Street building. Right now it's mostly Anderson Construction stuff. Extra tools, bricks, stuff like that. There's plenty of room."
Sam looked skeptical. "Will Luther allow that?"
"Luther will no longer have a say. I'll be boss, and what I say goes. Besides, he won't have anything to do with the family business anymore. His job will be to focus on the construction company until I decide what I wanna do with it."
"What do you mean?"
"I might sell it. The drugs will provide us with plenty of profit. I won't need to build buildings."
"What are you talking about? The construction company gives you a legitimate business to run money through. You can't get rid of the construction company."
"Oh, yeah. I guess I hadn't thought of that."
"Seriously, Cooper. If we're gonna do this you gotta lay off the fucking coke. It's burning your brain cells. You can't run a criminal empire…"
"Shut up! I can run things just fucking fine!"
"All I'm saying is stop using your own fucking product! That's the first rule of the drug game. Never use your product. You can't function if you're whacked out on snow!"
Sam's cell phone rang.
"What? Oh, hey Clyde."
"What? When? Are you sure? No! No! Don't call the police. Just sit tight. I'm on my way."
Sam hung up. "Fuck."
"What's going on?"
"It looks like someone broke into the plant, or at least tried to. Clyde's all worked up. I'll be back."
x-x-x
Sam pulled into the empty parking lot and parked his car near the side entrance. He sat there for a moment looking around. There were no other cars and no one in sight. He checked to make sure his gun was in his waistband. Why the hell hadn't he brought a couple of guys with him? He headed into the building.
"Clyde? Clyde, it's Sam."
"Hello Mr. Sam." Sam turned to see Clyde approaching him.
"So, where's the…" He stopped when he felt cool metal pressed against the side of his head, a hand tugging his gun from his waistband.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Sam. They made me."
Sam side glanced Elian who was pressing the gun against his head. Blaine and Telio stepped out from behind a stack of crates with Timothy hovering nervously behind them.
"Well, hello Blaine. I heard you were visiting all the families. No need to show up like this. I would have been happy to meet with you."
Elian tossed Sam's gun to Blaine who caught it and held it out to Timothy.
"Timothy, go put Clyde in the closet. Lock the door and come right back here."
Timothy hesitantly took the gun and pointed it at Clyde who raised his arms. "No need for guns. I'm a walking."
Sam and Blaine stared at each other, neither breaking eye contact. Elian pressed down on Sam's shoulder forcing him to kneel. Blaine stepped forward, his voice calm and conversational.
"I never had a chance to give you my condolences on the loss of your uncle. He was a good man. My father always spoke highly of him."
"Yeah, he was a good man. A great man. He was very loyal to your father. It's a shame your father didn't return the affection."
"It's a shame you didn't learn from your uncle's example."
Sam said nothing, so Blaine continued. "Let me guess. Cooper told you my father had your uncle murdered. That's not true. My brother set you up, Sam." Blaine spread his hands and looked around the plant. "This is what he wanted. This space is perfect for running a drug operation. It's the perfect, legitimate front. I'm guessing my brother approached your uncle about it and he said no, so he killed him."
"No! That's not what happened! Your father killed him! He made an example out of him!"
Blaine shrugged. "You could be right. Frankly, I don't think my brother's smart enough, or patient enough to think through a plan this intricate, but who knows. I don't really care. I just need to know where he is." He looked expectantly at Sam. Sam shook his head.
"I don't know where he is."
Blaine's eyes narrowed as his disguised rage boiled. He didn't have time for this.
"I'm going to ask you again. Where is my brother?"
"I don't know."
Blaine stepped back. "Telio, help Sam remember where my brother is."
The beating was brutal.
Telio had a lot of pent up tension and sexual frustration, so the power of each punch didn't lessen as the seconds ticked by. Blaine didn't stop him until Sam coughed up blood.
"I'll ask you again. Where is my brother?"
Sam was on his side, heaving and writhing in pain, his mind struggling to make a decision.
Shit….can't take anymore…. but if I tell them they'll shoot me… gotta stay alive…come too far to lose now…plenty men at the house…Blaine won't stand a…
Sam's struggle ended when Blaine kicked him in the stomach.
"Tell me where he is! NOW!"
"I-I'll…take you…to h-him."
"Just tell me where he is."
"No…no…I'll…take you. Not telling. Take."
Blaine looked at Telio who was shaking his head. "I don't trust him. Why can't he just tell us?"
"Because he's trying to stay alive," said Elian. "I say we let him take us. He could lie and tell us anything. If we make him lead us there chances are he'll tell us the truth. If he doesn't, we kill him. Slowly."
Blaine reached down and pulled Sam to his knees. "Is Kurt with Cooper?" Sam nodded. Blaine pulled him to his feet and pushed him towards Elian who pulled his hands tight behind his back.
"Okay. Let's go." Blaine looked around. "Where's Timothy?"
"Timothy?"
"Timothy!"
Telio walked over to the large closet and opened the door. Clyde was sitting patiently on a crate watching Timothy snort coke.
"What the fuck? Really?"
Timothy looked up, his eyes glazed, a dopey grin on his face. "Want some?"
Telio grabbed him. "Come on you fucking coke head. We're leaving."
"What about me?" asked Clyde.
Telio nodded towards the crates. "You've got coffee and coke. Have a party." Telio closed and locked the door and dragged Timothy along. Blaine looked at Timothy's coke dusted face and sighed. "Are you shitting me?" Timothy smiled the sweetest smile. "It was the good kind." Blaine shook his head. "Whatever. Let's go."
"Wait a minute," said Telio, "we need to call Luther. We should have the guys meet us here and follow us."
"No. We leave now. Kurt's been gone too long as it is."
"There's no guarantee that Kurt is wherever we're going."
"But Cooper is, and he knows where Kurt is, so can we please leave now? We're wasting time!"
"Just hold up." Blaine walked over to Sam who was still being held up by Elian. He grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him.
"You tell us the address and I promise not to kill you."
Sam looked at him warily. "How…supposed…to trust you?"
Telio slapped him and then grabbed his face again. "I don't think you have much of a choice. I'm losing patience. What's the fucking address?"
Sam shook his head. The address was his only leverage. He wasn't giving that up.
Blaine was out of patience. "Elian put him in the fucking car and let's go! Now!"
Telio shook his head. "But we're gonna need backup! We can't just go charging in wherever he's taking us!"
Blaine was already halfway out the door. "We'll call from the road. Come on!"
Clyde waited 5 minutes before hopping off the crate he'd been sitting on. He walked over to a small cabinet sitting behind several boxes, opened it and took out a key. He unlocked the closet door, quickly headed to Sam's office, picked up the phone and dialed.
"Mr. Cooper? It's Clyde. Trouble is heading your way."
Luther listened to Blaine's excited instructions.
"…not sure where we're headed, but I figured you could find out what properties Mr. Hirschfield owned and narrow it down. We're on Highway 745 now. Wherever we're headed it's pretty rural."
"This is ridiculous. You should have waited. I can't believe Telio agreed to this."
"Do you think you can figure out the address?"
"Just call me when you get there and I'll send Vince and a hundred guys, but I need you to promise me that you'll wait for backup, Blaine. No going it alone."
"Of course I'll call you, but we can't wait around for everyone to arrive."
"You can, and you will! Shit Blaine! Are you trying to get killed? You can't save Kurt with a bullet in your chest."
"Go ahead and have Vince and the guys leave now. North on Highway 745. The minute we arrive, I'll call you and him with the exact address."
"Okay. Promise me you won't do anything stupid?"
Blaine hung up without answering.
Luther hung up and scrolled to Vince's number.
He didn't hit call.
He laid the cell phone on his desk.
He sat very, very still, his mind swirling and circling a dark drain.
Ten minutes later Beth buzzed him.
"Yes?"
"Bill Taphorn from Taphorn Construction is here. I put him in Conference Room One."
"Okay. I'll be right there."
Luther stood up, picked up his laptop and the Taphorn Construction file.
He looked at his cell phone for a moment.
And left it sitting on his desk.
Telio sped along the two lane road past acres and acres of fields. "Where the hell are we?"
Elian shook his head. "I can honestly say I have no idea, and I thought I knew all the back roads."
Blaine turned to look at Sam who was sitting in the back between Elian and Timothy. He looked like he was going to pass out at any moment.
"How much further?"
"Left at…next road. Drive…way…mile down."
"If you're fucking with us we will pull over and beat the shit out of you. Again."
Sam shook his head. "Not…fucking…with you."
Telio turned left and slowed down until they reached a long drive way. "Here?"
Sam nodded.
Telio pulled over to the side of the road. "Okay. Call Luther and tell him where we are."
Blaine dialed Luther's number, frowning when the voice mail clicked on.
"That's strange. Luther's phone never goes to voice mail."
"Maybe he's in a meeting. Just leave a message. I'll call Vince."
Blaine left a message with the address. He also sent a text. Telio didn't get Vince either, so he also left a voice message and sent a text.
"Okay. So, now we wait."
Blaine shook his head. "No. Go ahead and turn in."
"Blaine, come on. You know we can't do that. You wanna get this close and then get shot before we find him?"
Blaine was agitated and hyper. He wasn't waiting. He couldn't.
"You saw how long it took us to get here. We can't wait for them. We gotta go in."
"That's stupid! We have no idea who's in that house!"
"If you think I'm just gonna sit here…"
"That's exactly what you're gonna do!"
"The fuck I am!"
Blaine jumped out of the Hummer, crossed the road and started walking down the driveway.
"Blaine! Blaine stop! Fuck!" Telio started the Hummer and turned into the driveway. He rolled down the window and crept alongside Blaine.
"Get in!"
"Not unless you're ready to drive all the way down there."
"We have to wait! There's only three of us! Who knows how many people are down there!"
Blaine kept walking. He knew it was crazy, stupid, and dangerous, but the closer he got to the house, the more he could feel it. Sense it. That was probably crazy too, but he couldn't ignore the feeling.
Kurt was in there.
Blaine couldn't explain how he knew that, but he knew it. Kurt was in there, waiting for Blaine to rescue him from his nightmare. A nightmare he was trapped in because of Blaine.
No way in hell was he waiting a second longer.
Telio was beside himself. "Blaine, get in the fucking car!"
"No!"
"Fine! We'll drive down!"
Blaine stopped walking. "If you try to trick me…"
"Just get in the fucking car!"
Blaine climbed back in the Hummer and Telio continued slowly down the driveway. "This is fucking suicide."
x-x-x
"Can you see them yet?" asked Cooper. They were upstairs in the attic of the house looking out the window. Rocko was watching the driveway with binoculars.
"There's a black Hummer coming down the drive."
"Just one car?"
"Yeah."
"That's strange. It might not be them. Tell everyone to get ready just in case and remember I want Blaine alive. I don't care if they kill anyone else, especially Telio, but not Blaine."
Cooper walked downstairs and over to Kurt. "Looks like your lover is on his way to rescue you."
Kurt glared at him. He was on the floor, his hands and ankles bound with duct tape, plus tape across his mouth. Cooper scooped him up, and carried him upstairs. He dumped him on the floor of one of the bedrooms.
"Now you be a good fairy and stay here."
x-x-x
Telio stopped the Hummer at the end of the drive and stared at the house with trepidation. "I don't like this. Where are all the guards? Why isn't the driveway blocked? None of this feels right."
Blaine nodded. "I agree, but maybe he doesn't feel the need for a lot of security. We are in the middle nowhere."
"So is the compound. Alright, this is your show. Now what?"
"You go around the side, Elian go around the back, and I'll go through the front."
"So, you're just gonna ring the bell like you're selling Girl Scout Cookies? What the fuck, Blaine!"
"Do you have a better idea?"
"Yeah! We back up outta here and wait for Vince and the guys to get here!"
Blaine opened the door. "Come on."
Telio climbed out and opened the door for Elian who dragged Sam out. Telio tossed a gun to Timothy whose high had worn off. His eyes were fearful and bewildered.
"You stay here."
"By myself?"
"Unless you wanna get killed like we're about to. Move up to the driver's seat and stay there. "
"But…"
Telio slammed the door and ran to catch up with Blaine.
"Wait a minute!"
"What?"
"I'm not letting you go alone."
"You go around the side."
"No. You're my responsibility. I'm with you."
Blaine stopped. "No. From this moment forward your orders are to save Kurt. No matter what happens to me, your job is to make sure Kurt gets out of here alive."
Telio shook his head. "No fucking way. I promised your father…"
Blaine cut him off. "You promised me that you would respect me as the boss of this family. I'm your boss, and as your boss I am ordering you to save Kurt regardless of what happens to me. I am no longer your responsibility. Kurt is."
Telio's eyes flashed with anger and conflict.
Blaine grabbed his shoulders. "Please Telio. I can't do this without you. It's my fault he's in this mess. I have to get him out of here, please."
Telio felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart. "Blaine…"
"Please?"
"Don't get me wrong. I like Kurt, but he's not my brother. He's not my family. He's not you."
"I know, and I love you for always taking care of me, but I need you to do this. We both know what's about to happen…could happen. I have to know that Kurt will be okay."
"I won't let Cooper kill you."
"You may not have a choice."
"Blaine…"
"Sometimes we have to sacrifice for the ones we love."
The two stared at each other until Telio silently nodded.
"Thank you. Now let's find my Kurt."
Telio drew his gun and headed towards the side of the house, glancing over his shoulder several times at Blaine's retreating figure. The further apart they got, the heavier his heart felt.
Blaine took out his gun and cautiously approached the front door. He suddenly felt stupid. Telio was right. Was he going to just ring the doorbell? He reached for the door handle instead. It was unlocked. He pushed the door open and slowly entered.
The front foyer was large and long. Blaine quietly closed the door behind him and quickly moved into a small sitting area off the foyer. He stood still listening. The house was silent.
Elian had made his way to the back porch entrance off the kitchen. He pulled Sam in front of him as a shield and opened the door. He moved quickly keeping Sam in front of him. He ducked into the breakfast nook, laid Sam on the floor, settled behind a wall, and prepared to wait. From his hiding spot he had a clear view of the great room and the stairs.
Telio discovered the garage and was staring in amazement at crate after crate of cocaine and guns. "Shit," he whispered. He took out his phone and took several photos before continuing towards the house.
Blaine headed down the hall to the great room. He was sure he was being watched, but saw no one. He walked into the great room and turned around slowly, gun pointed, his finger on the trigger.
"The gun is so not necessary, Blaine."
Cooper stood at the top of the stairs staring down at him. Blaine aimed his gun at Cooper's head. "Where is Kurt?"
"Come on, squirt. You know better. First we need to have a family meeting."
"Not until I see Kurt."
"Fine. You're such a spoiled brat. Rocko, please go get our guest."
Blaine kept his eyes and gun on Cooper while they waited. Cooper stared at him with a smirk. "Seriously, Blaine. Drop the gun."
Blaine opened his mouth, but then Rocko appeared carrying a bound Kurt over his shoulder.
"Happy?" asked Cooper.
"Put him down," said Blaine.
Cooper's smile was evil. "Rocko, please do as Blaine says and put…Kurt…down."
It was like slow motion.
Rocko grinned nastily and half dropped, half threw Kurt down the steps.
Blaine screamed, "Noooo!" and ran forward as Kurt rolled bound and gagged down the stairs, landing at the bottom.
"Kurt! Kurt!" Blaine fell to his knees over Kurt's body.
Cooper looked at Rocko and shook his head. "He's so fucking predictable."
Blaine was so busy peeling the tape from Kurt's mouth, and checking to see if he was conscious that he didn't notice Cooper coming down the stairs at full speed. Cooper's foot landed smack in the center of Blaine's face, sending him backwards. Cooper kept coming, kicking Blaine in the side, stomping his foot into his stomach and chest. It was in that moment that the benefit of Telio's sometimes brutal trainings proved their worth. Instead of allowing the pain to take over, Blaine managed to crawl across the floor and flip over right as Cooper lifted his foot to stomp him again. Blaine grabbed his foot, pulled him forward and kicked him right between the legs before pushing him back.
"Ayyyy, fuck!"
Blaine took that moment to get to his feet and back away, his eyes scanning the floor for his gun, but landing on Kurt who was still lying at the bottom of the stairs. Rocko was leaning down to pick Kurt up when he was suddenly hit with several bullets that sent him crashing to the floor. Blaine only saw Telio for a second before he was attacked from behind by Cooper. The two brothers punched and kicked each other like wild men while Telio found himself trapped under a hail of bullets in the hall by the library. As he returned fire he wondered where the hell Elian was.
Elian remained safely tucked away in the breakfast nook off the kitchen, half watching Blaine and Cooper fight, half watching Kurt. Was he dead? Elian had no intentions of doing anything until he had a chance to kill Kurt, but he had to be careful. He need to kill him while everyone was shooting so it couldn't be traced to him.
Cooper and Blaine were trying to destroy each other with their bare hands. Punching, pulling, scratching, kicking. In many ways they were evenly matched since Mario made sure both of his sons received training, but Blaine had the slight advantage of being smaller, quicker and in better shape. Despite this, Cooper managed to land a stinging punch that sent Blaine spinning to the floor near the stairs. One of the men threw Cooper a gun which he pointed at Blaine and screamed, "Enough!"
Telio was in the process of reloading when the shooting stopped. He peered out, but saw no one. He slowly snaked along the wall to the great room. He could see Cooper standing a few feet from Blaine who was on the floor breathing hard and coughing. Kurt was still lying at the bottom of the stairs, but he was rocking slowly as if he were trying to roll over. Telio stood up and slowly entered the room, his gun pointed at Cooper. Cooper looked at him and smiled.
"Well there you are. I was wondering what happened to you. I'm glad you're here because I need you."
"Drop your gun before I blow your brains out."
Cooper laughed. "Really, Telio? Could you sound more television cop show? Shut the fuck up and listen before I blow your owner's brains out."
"You can't win this, Cooper. Any minute you're gonna be surrounded by Anderson men. It's over."
"Oh, it's not over. It's just starting." Cooper cocked his gun. "Now will you please SHUT UP!"
During this exchange Blaine had inched closer and closer to Kurt until he was next to him. Kurt had managed to flip his body over to the side facing Blaine. He was pretty sure something was broken, but couldn't register what. A trickle of blood ran down his head.
Blaine blinked back the first tears he'd felt well up since Kurt was taken.
"Kurt? Can you hear me? Kurt?"
"Hi…Blaine."
"Oh, Kurt. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"Take…the gun…"
"Huh?"
Kurt shifted a little to reveal a gun lying between them. It had fallen out of Rocko's pants when he crashed to the ground. Blaine inched forward a bit more to keep it hidden between them.
"Alright, squirt. It's your moment of truth. Your kingdom for a Kurt?"
Blaine looked around the room. There were several men watching them, guns at the ready. Two men had guns drawn on Telio who was still pointing his gun at Cooper. Blaine decided not to make a move yet. He had to get Kurt out first.
"Yes, Cooper. My kingdom for a Kurt."
"Excellent answer. Now here's what were gonna do. Pack mule over there is gonna take your fairy and leave. Then you and I will have a little chat."
Blaine looked at Telio who was shaking his head. "No way."
"Telio, remember what we talked about? Take Kurt and go."
Telio continued shaking his head. "No! I'm not leaving you here!"
"Telio…"
"He's going to kill you!"
"You promised! Now, get over here and get Kurt outta here!"
Telio looked around the room. They were outnumbered. Where the hell was Elian and why hadn't Vince and the other guys arrived yet?
"I'm not doing anything until you tell your men to back off."
Cooper nodded at the two men with guns on Telio. They lowered their weapons and stepped back. Telio slowly lowered his gun and placed it in his waistband before quickly heading over to Kurt and Blaine. He bent down and started unwrapping the tape around Kurt's wrists. He looked at the gun lying next to Kurt and looked at Blaine who stared at him unblinking. Telio gave him a short nod and finished unwrapping Kurt's wrists. When he started working on the tape around Kurt's ankles, Cooper grew impatient.
"That's not necessary."
"His circulation is being cut off."
"Just get the fuck out before I change my mind."
Telio quickly finished. The sight of Kurt's face made him ache. It was bruised all over and half swollen, both eyes were black, and blood was still trickling from the cut in his head.
"Is anything broken?"
Kurt's voice was a scratchy whisper. "Don't know…everything hurts."
Blaine reached over and wiped away the blood with his sleeve. He bent down and ever so softly kissed Kurt's lips.
"Telio is going to get you out of here, gorgeous. I'm so sorry…for everything. I love you."
Kurt stared into his eyes. "I…love…you. Please…don't die."
Blaine didn't know what to say. Of course he was about to die.
"Don't worry. I love you."
Telio lifted Kurt up as gently as he could, but it didn't stop Kurt from hissing in pain.
Telio whispered, "Sorry. I'll try not to drop you when I put you down."
"We're not…really…leaving him…are we?"
"Hell no. Just try to stay out of the way and roll with whatever goes down."
Kurt nodded and closed his eyes.
Telio started crossing the room towards the foyer. He was almost to the hallway when Cooper called to him.
"Oh, Telio? This is for Skylar."
Blaine fired at Cooper as Cooper fired at Telio. The first bullet hit Telio's side, the second his leg. He managed to fall forward and stumble into the small room off the foyer before falling, still clutching Kurt in his arms. Kurt rolled out of his arms with a painful moan.
Blaine fired shot after shot at Cooper who had fallen back and was lying on the ground. Assuming he was dead, Blaine ran to Telio and Kurt.
"Telio! Telio!" Blaine rolled him over. "Shit, Telio!"
"I'm…okay…you…and Kurt…get out of here."
"I'm not leaving you here! Elian! Elian!"
Elian was watching everything from his kitchen nook hiding place. He was shocked to see Cooper slowly sit up, rub his hands over his face and over his hair, and then pat his chest.
The fucker is wearing a bullet proof vest.
Cooper stood up and spoke to the men waiting for instruction. "Get the cars ready and prepare to leave. I'll finish this."
Elian ducked back behind the wall as the men scattered in his direction.
Cooper tucked his gun in his waistband and walked toward the foyer.
Kurt saw him coming and screamed as best he could, "Blaine!"
Blaine looked up. The shock of seeing Cooper still alive threw him giving Cooper time to attack. He kicked Blaine in the face, grabbed him and threw him against the wall. He kicked him several more times before pulling him to his feet to punch him and throw him against the wall in the great room. Blaine landed on the floor and stayed there.
"Get up, squirt! Fight for your kingdom you fucking faggot! Since daddy wanted you to have it so bad the least you could do is fight for it!"
Blaine slowly pushed himself up. Cooper stood over him, his gun pointed at Blaine's head.
"It didn't have to be like this, you know. You should have stuck to not wanting anything to do with the business. You should have let everything run its natural course. First born. First born inherits. The heir and the spare. You were the spare, Blaine. The spare! The fucking spare!"
Blaine shook his head drunkenly. "Didn't want…never wanted it. You kept…fucking up. Made dad…mad."
Cooper's anger and hatred soared. "I did not fuck up! He just wouldn't listen! It's ridiculous that we aren't into drugs! It's a multi-billion dollar industry, and we're missing out! He just wouldn't listen because he was so in love with you! Always you! Isn't Blaine adorable? Doesn't Blaine sing beautifully? Blaine is so fucking smart! Blaine is so got-dammed special that he needs a fucking human companion pet! What about me? I was born first! That's supposed to matter!"
"Not…my fault."
"Of course it wasn't your fault! Is anything ever your fault? Of course not!"
Cooper cocked his gun. "Well, I'm happy to take full credit and responsibility for this. Bye squirt."
Blaine closed his eyes.
He heard the gunshot.
But there was no pain.
He opened his eyes.
Cooper was dead on the floor, a hole in the back of his head.
Kurt was leaning heavily against the doorway, a gun in his hand. The gun slipped from his fingers as he slid down the doorway and passed out on the floor. Blaine crawled over and collapsed next to him.
Outside Timothy watched curiously as people ran around climbing into cars and taking off. He waited for Blaine or Telio to emerge from the house, and grew increasingly scared when they didn't appear. He nervously gripped the gun Telio had given him, climbed out of the Hummer, and headed towards the house.
Elian slowly emerged from the breakfast nook to check on Blaine. He was breathing, but unconscious. Elian stared at Kurt who was also unconscious.
Finally.
Elian took out his gun.
Timothy slowly opened the front door. "Hello?" He shakily held the gun out in front of him and slowly walked down the hall. He could see the guy that came to his house with Blaine standing over someone. As he moved closer he saw the guy raise his gun. Timothy looked to see who he was pointing at.
"No!"
Timothy fired twice shooting Elian in the shoulder and the arm.
"Tim-timothy?"
Timothy turned and saw Telio sitting on the floor against the wall, his shirt and pants stained with blood.
"Telio! Oh, my God!"
Suddenly there was a loud commotion outside of cars pulling up and doors slamming. Vince burst through the front door followed by Luther and several Anderson men.
"Telio! Shit!"
Luther ran down the hall and almost stumbled over Kurt, Blaine, and Elian lying on the floor. He knelt down by Blaine.
"No, no, no. Shit. Please Blaine…please. I didn't mean to…"
He stopped talking as Blaine stirred with a groan.
"Oh, thank God!" Luther scooped him up while Vince gently picked up Kurt.
Burt sat on one side of the bed, Carol on the other, each holding Kurt's hands. Burt stared at his son's bruised face with many mixed emotions, the strongest being relief. But he was also angry. An anger he hadn't felt since the loss of Elizabeth. Dr. Weinstein had ticked off Kurt's injuries as if he were lucky.
"I know his face looks awful, but all things considered he's lucky to be alive. I've been around long enough to know how these things usually turn out. Yes, his wrists is fractured, his knee is sprained, a few ribs are cracked, a slight concussion, a cut to his head, two black eyes, and severe dehydration, but he'll be fine. He's young and healthy. You'll be surprised how quickly he heals."
Burt wanted to strangle the man.
His son shouldn't have any injuries. His son shouldn't have to heal quickly.
Burt said nothing. He wanted to stay with Kurt, and punching a doctor would probably get him thrown out.
Carol asked, "How's Blaine?"
"Who cares?" growled Burt.
Carol shot him a disapproving frown. Dr. Weinstein cleared his throat.
"His face is a mess, a few broken ribs, and his body looks like someone played basketball with him, but he'll heal too. He's also very lucky to be alive. I'm actually surprised he's alive. I was sure Cooper would succeed. Glad he didn't, of course."
Burt shook his head. "You people amaze me. You act and talk like all of this is normal."
Dr. Weinstein shrugged. "In Anderson land, Mr. Hummel, it is. If you'll excuse me."
Dr. Weinstein headed down the hall where a belligerent and angry Blaine was insisting on getting out of bed.
"I'm fine! Move!"
The nurse shook her head. "You're supposed to be resting. You need to stay in bed."
"I need to see, Kurt!"
Anastasia tried to calm him down. "Blaine, please. Kurt's not even awake. Just rest and when you…"
Blaine swung his legs over the side of the bed and hopped down. He grimaced in pain and held his arm across his ribs.
"Blaine…"
He ignored his mother and slowly headed out the room and down the hall. When he entered Kurt's room, Burt jumped up, but was silenced when he saw Blaine's face which didn't look much different from Kurt's. He watched Blaine shuffle over to the bed in obvious pain and collapse in a chair quickly vacated by Carol. He scooted the chair as close to the bed as possible and took Kurt's hand. He gazed at him with eyes of guilt, pain and love. Look at his gorgeous face. This is your fault. All your fault. You promised to protect him, and you failed. Failed, failed, failed. Blaine put his head down on the bed as the guilt crushed him completely.
Burt sat down and stared at Blaine. It was hard to believe this was the same young man who so boldly walked into his shop and threatened him.
Eventually Blaine fell asleep and Dr. Weinstein seized the opportunity to give him a sedative. He was lifted on to a bed and rolled back down the hall to a room he could share with Telio who was sleeping after surgery to remove the bullets.
Anastasia sat between the boy's beds in a fog of sadness and loss.
Cooper was dead. Her eldest son, first born was dead.
Despite knowing that Cooper's death was inevitable given what he'd set in motion, Anastasia still felt shocked. Her only comfort was that now it was done, and maybe peace would return to her home.
Luther sat guiltily in the corner of Blaine's room watching him sleep.
How could you do this? He's your Godson. Mario was…is your best friend. How could you betray him by betraying his son? Of course, you've already betrayed him. The second betrayal is easy after the first.
Luther looked up as Anastasia stood up. "I'll be back. I want to check on Kurt."
Burt and Carol looked up when Anastasia entered the room.
"Um, hello. I'm Anastasia Anderson. Blaine and Telio's mother."
Burt and Carol stared at her. This supermodel was Blaine's mother? Carol self-consciously patted her hair.
"Burt Hummel. My wife, Carol."
"How is he?"
"According to the doctor we have nothing to worry about. He'll be fine."
Anastasia exhaled and nodded. "I'm so glad. Such a sweet boy. I miss talking to him."
Burt narrowed his eyes. "You've talked to my son?"
"Of course. When he came to visit Blaine we spent some time together. He's delightful."
Carol stood up. "Why don't you sit down and visit with Kurt for a moment. I'm going to look for some coffee."
"Oh, I don't want to intrude. I just wanted to check on him."
"No, please stay. I'd like to talk to you," said Burt.
Carol gave Burt a stern warning look before heading out. Anastasia sat down and took Kurt's hand. Burt watched as she gently caressed a strand of hair from his forehead and gazed upon him as if he were her son. Watching this made him soften his tone.
"Look, Mrs. Anderson…"
"Please, Anastasia."
"Anastasia...I hope you'll understand what I'm about to say, and why I'm saying it. I hate to be rude, but I don't know how else to put it. I don't want your son anywhere near my son ever again."
Anastasia looked at Burt and shook her head. "You seem to be under the impression that I control my son. Nothing could be further from the truth."
"You're his mother. His parent. He lives under your roof."
"Actually, it's really his roof that I live under. I don't expect you to understand. Our world is very different from yours. As for Blaine staying away from Kurt, I have no control over that, and frankly neither do you."
Burt was visibly taken back by her words. Anastasia felt sorry for him. Despite everything that happened, he clearly didn't understand the world his son was now a part of.
"Mr. Hummel, I understand your concerns, especially given all that has happened, but trust me when I say that my son loves Kurt dearly, and is not going to disappear just because you want him to."
"And if Kurt wants him to?"
Anastasia opened her mouth but then closed it. How should she answer that? The truth would be too much for him.
"That's a conversation for our sons to have."
"You know when I talk to you people it's like I've entered the Twilight Zone."
Anastasia remained silent. Burt continued.
"I think your family has done enough damage. Tell Blaine to stay away from my son, or else."
Anastasia stood up to leave but stopped at the door and turned around. "Mr. Hummel, don't make threats. Trust me. The Andersons are far better at it and their follow through is precise and lethal."
Two days later Telio sat in his hospital bed shaking his head. The drugs had worn off completely, so he was awake and clear, but he was sure Blaine was on something. He sounded ridiculous.
"What has Weinstein been giving you? Whatever it is tell him to stop."
"I'm serious, Telio."
"I know you are. That's what makes it worse."
Blaine sighed. "I don't have a choice. Once he leaves here his father will make sure I never see him."
"So, you wanna kidnap Kurt. Again."
"It's not again. I didn't kidnap him. That was Cooper."
"First one brother, now the other. Burt Hummel is gonna blow up anything with the name Anderson on it."
Blaine stood up. "I'm gonna go check on him."
Telio watched Blaine slowly limp out of the room, his arm around his chest.
Blaine slowly made his way to Kurt's room, opened the door, and froze.
The room was empty.
He stopped a nurse.
"Excuse me? Was Kurt Hummel moved to another room?"
"No. He's been discharged."
"Discharged? Already?"
"His father insisted and the doctor agreed."
"Who discharged him?"
"Dr. Greene."
Blaine stood there. Fuck. Weinstein had orders to keep Blaine posted on anything regarding Kurt's release, but Dr. Greene still worked on his own.
Blaine shuffled back down the hall and was glad to see Luther chatting with Telio.
"Hey."
"Hey, Blaine. How are you?" Luther felt a rush of relief and a touch of fear.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Look, I need you to drive me somewhere."
x-x-x
Blaine sat silent during the ride to the Hummel's house. Luther took this opportunity to catch him up on Anderson business affairs, both criminal and construction.
"I want my mother to come home."
Luther gripped the steering wheel and kept his voice even.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, I get what you said about her being lonely without my dad, and not wanting to sleep in their room, but there are plenty of rooms in the house. She can choose a new one. I just…with everything that's happened I'd really like to have some normalcy for a while."
Luther nodded. "Okay. I'll talk to her."
"No," said Blaine. "That's okay. I'll talk to her."
Luther turned into the driveway at the Hummel home and pulled up behind Burt's truck.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea, Blaine."
Blaine ignored him and slowly climbed out of the car.
Carol answered the door with a conflicted expression.
"Oh, Blaine, honey. You should be resting."
"I need to see Kurt."
Carol didn't move. "Why don't you go home and get some rest? You've both been…"
Blaine cut her off. "I need to talk to Kurt. Now. Please."
"Carol? Who's at the…" Burt shook his head. "Get off my property."
"Mr. Hummel…"
"Get off my property!"
"You can't keep me from him!"
"The hell I can't!"
"Please...after everything we've been through…I just…"
Blaine slumped against the doorway. Fuck. His body ached bad.
Carol had enough.
"Come on, come in."
"Carol," growled Burt.
"Enough of this! We are where we are, and now is not the time!"
Blaine slowly walked in and leaned against the wall.
"Do you want some water?"
Blaine shook his head.
Carol gestured towards the stairs. "He's in his room."
Blaine slowly climbed the stairs, made his way down the hall, and opened the door to Kurt's bedroom.
Kurt was sitting in bed, propped up by several pillows. He stared at Blaine, but said nothing. Blaine closed the door behind him and sat down on the bed.
"You don't look surprised to see me."
"I knew you'd come."
Blaine pulled a Dalton tie out of his pocket and wrapped one end around his wrist, the other end around Kurt's, tying them together.
"Always."
Whew!
Happy Holidays!