A/N- Just to let you all know that i'm almost finished writing this story, and there will be 34 chapters and a short epilogue, because I like to round things off neatly ;)
"So things are going well with Cooper?" Tina asks as they are all seated waiting for Kurt to arrive in the choir room. Cooper has been staying for nearly two weeks now, and the trial is well underway.
"Really well. And I was so glad he was there the first day in court."
"So what's happened so far?"
"Not a lot to be honest. They heard from my doctor, who confirmed that my injuries could only have come from being hit repeatedly with a hard object. The cashier at the drugstore testified that Kurt and I were in the store, and he identified Richard and one other guy as being in the parking lot, but he couldn't identify the other one"
"Is it tomorrow you have to testify?"
"Yeah." Blaine says, swallowing down the fear which always bubbles up in his throat at the thought of it. "Kurt...Erm...Mr. Hummel too."
"I'm sure it will be okay. Tough, but you'll get through it." Tina says kindly. "Speaking of Mr. H, where is he?"
"I don't know." Blaine says, casting a quick glance at his phone to check he hasn't missed a call or text.
"What's that?" Quinn asks, leaning over Blaine's shoulder to look at his phone screen.
"What?" Blaine asks, blushing instantly and hiding his phone in his pocket.
"That photo. Is it...You know what? Never mind." Quinn says, settling back in her chair as Tina eyes her curiously.
They are distracted by Kurt bursting through the door. "We're going to nationals!" he yells, laughing as the entire group hug him, no one noticing or caring that Blaine is in the middle of it all, hands on Kurt's hips. "Seriously, you guys killed it on Saturday at regionals. I was so proud of all of you," he says- although his eyes linger on Blaine for perhaps longer than necessary. "Okay, so," he says as the group take their seats once more and he stands in front of them. "I have a proposal."
Blaine nearly falls out of his chair, rescued only by Pucks strong hand gripping his shoulder- through reassurance or excitement Blaine doesn't know.
"As a reward for getting there..." Kurt continues much to Blaine's blessed relief, "I'm inviting you all to my place tomorrow night for Chinese food and to discuss the set list for nationals."
"Uh, is that wise Mr. H?" Sam asks, "I mean, you and Blaine are in court all day. Why don't you wait until Saturday instead?"
Kurt looks to Blaine as if to ask 'is it okay?' And Blaine nods slightly. "No, honestly, it's fine. Come over around seven. And I have some other news too, before we move on."
"You're pregnant." Brittany claps excitedly.
"Think about that for a second." Kurt replies, before shaking his head and carrying on. "I know this will only affect a few of you, but I want you to know that I will be leaving McKinley at the end of the academic year."
"What?" Mercedes shrieks, "Why?"
"Because I'm moving back to New York." Kurt replies calmly, and glances at Blaine with a shy smile.
"What for?"
"To work...to live. I've always felt much happier there, and I want to set up home there again."
"You got a new job?" Sam asks.
"No, not yet. But I don't think I'm going to teach any more. It's been fun, but it's not really me. I might try and get back into journalism, or I might do something completely different."
"You could be a model." Quinn offers.
"Ha! That's very sweet of you Quinn, but I don't think so." Kurt says with a slight blush.
"You could. I've seen Blaine's photo."
"What photo?" Kurt snaps, whole face now flaming red as he thinks back to their time in New York.
"I dunno, some photo of you. It's really good. From his party I think." Quinn says as she smiles reassuringly at a startled Kurt and Blaine.
"Hey Mr. H, you can room with me and Quinn." Santana calls.
"Uh..."
"Actually, I was hoping I could room with you two." Rachel interrupts as Santana's jaw hits the floor.
"Seriously? You want to live with us? I thought you were living with Blaine."
"Um well no, no I'm not." Rachel says stiffly.
"But you're going to New York, right Blaine?" Quinn says quietly.
"If I get in somewhere."
"Oh please, you've applied to three colleges- at least one will have you." Santana says, "so where are you going to live?"
There is a silence that seems to stretch on for eternity until Quinn breaks it.
"Anyway Rach, you would be welcome to live with me and Santana."
Kurt swallows nervously as he faces Blaine's attorney. He doesn't dare look elsewhere in the room, knowing he will see the worried faces of his family alongside Cooper and Maria, but knowing also that he will break if he looks at Blaine. He is aware of Richard's presence in the dock to his left, and makes a mental note to not turn his head at all during the proceedings.
"So, Mr. Hummel," the attorney begins. "Can you tell us what you were doing on the night of December thirty first?"
"I..uh...I was going out." Kurt replies, his voice high and wavering as he faces the fact he will need to stretch the truth while under oath.
"And where were you going exactly?"
"I was going to a party held by one of my students."
"I see. Mr. Hummel, can you tell the jury how you came to be in the car with Blaine Anderson?"
"Yes, he gave me a ride."
"Mr. Hummel, some might question why you stopped at the drugstore with Blaine on your way."
"I uh...well..." Kurt gulps and glances briefly at Burt, who wills him with his eyes to continue. "He said he needed to stop. To get some things."
"And what happened then?"
"We uh...we were the only ones there. When we came out of the store, we saw Richard- Mr. Crawford- heading toward us. He was carrying a baseball bat. There were two others with him."
"Do you believe them to be these two men?" The attorney asks, holding up two photos.
"Yes. Yes I do."
"For the benefit of the tape, Mr. Hummel has identified suspect A and B, both currently on bail awaiting trial for aiding and abetting Mr. Crawford. Okay Mr. Hummel, can you tell us what happened after that?"
Kurt takes a sip of his water and pauses. He tries to catch his breath as the court room swims before his eyes. "He..uh...Richard...was coming at us. He was tapping the bat against his shoulder and smiling. And then...um...then Blaine told me to go."
"And did you?"
"I did." Kurt says in a small voice, the shame wholly apparent. "But I didn't want to!" he cries, looking up with tear filled eyes. "He made me, said I needed to get out of there because he thought, he thought Richard was coming for me and he didn't want me hurt. So I drove to my dad and we went back to the parking lot to find Blaine. But I saw him...I saw him break Blaine's ribs as I was driving away." Kurt breaks down fully in the witness box and the judge orders a quick recess while Kurt composes himself. When they return, it is the defences turn to cross examine.
"Mr. Hummel. Do you not think it rather strange that a grown man of your age would be attending a New Years party held by one of his students?"
"Not really. McKinley has a lot of groups, I run the show choir. We spend a lot of time together as a group, rehearsing, travelling to competitions, it's only natural that we become friends."
"I see. But it's fair to say you're more than a little bit friendly with one particular student, isn't it?"
"Objection!"
"Please rephrase the question," the judge calls.
"Okay. Mr. Hummel, can you describe the friendship you have with Blaine Anderson?"
"He's uh...he's a student like any other."
"Really?"
"Really."
"So you don't see him outside of class then?"
"No more than the rest of the Glee club." Kurt lies, and he feels as if the jury can read him like an open book.
"But Mr. Crawford tells us that Blaine appears to be very good friends with your father."
"Maybe he is. I understand he went to his garage one weekend to work on a car with him, but Blaine is also friends with my step brother, so that's not strange in my eyes."
"You didn't tag along?"
"I was in New York that weekend, visiting friends."
"Mr. Hummel, are you a homosexual?"
"I am."
"And you were in a homosexual relationship with Mr. Crawford?"
"That's correct. For five years."
"Are you aware that Blaine Anderson is also a homosexual?"
"Yes."
"This week we have heard from Blaine's principal, who tells us he is a straight A student, never in any trouble and always polite and well behaved. Yet Mr. Crawford paints a very different picture. He tells us Blaine Anderson struck him to the floor when he tried to enter his own house on the day you moved out, says he boxes in his spare time- indeed he tells us that you and him saw Blaine arriving at the gym once, and describes his behaviour towards you as predatory. My client also states that he ran into him again at the same gym six weeks later, where Blaine bragged about having sex with you."
"He's lying." Kurt snaps.
"Who's lying?"
"Richard!" Kurt yells, then pulls himself into check. "He...he was always stupidly jealous of Blaine, and I don't know why."
"Perhaps he had reason to be. Mr. Hummel, have you ever engaged in any type of sexual conduct with this boy?" he asks, gesturing to Blaine.
"Objection!" their attorney cries, on his feet in seconds. "This line of questioning is not relevant to the proceedings. We are here to establish whether their client beat my client. Mr. Hummel's activities are not an issue."
"Mr. Ferguson please proceed with a different line of questioning." the judge tells the small, red faced attorney.
"Right. Mr. Hummel. Can you tell us what Blaine Anderson needed to buy at the drugstore."
"He um...he needed to buy some condoms and lubricant." Kurt says and his words seem to echo like bullets around the room. He can't dare look at Maria and see the shame flooding her face.
"And who paid for these items?"
"I did."
"I'm sorry Mr. Hummel, could you speak up a bit? Who paid for these items?"
"I said I did." Kurt replies through gritted teeth.
"I'll tell you why I asked. You see, Blaine Anderson is claiming my client injured him in an unprovoked attack. Yet we have already established that Mr. Crawford had more than enough reason to suspect that you two were having an affair- which of course would be illegal given that at the time of the attack Mr. Anderson was only seventeen. If you are not aware, it is illegal for any persons in a position of responsibility such as teacher, coach or pastor to engage in any type of inappropriate relationship with a child under the age of eighteen in their care. Now I'm not here to say whether you were or whether you weren't, but I do find it strange that the cashier from the drugstore reports you two as acting very much like a couple, and you purchased two items synonymous with gay sex, which you say were for Blaine. Why didn't he pay then? Given that his wallet contained thirty dollars in cash and two credit cards. No further questions."
A pale and shaken Kurt is led from the witness box, holding all his seething rage inside as he walks past Richard. It is Blaine's turn after lunch. The questions from his own attorney go smoothly, he calmly admits to hitting Richard once, but explains that it was a moment of madness as he was so angry at the way Kurt had been treated. He repeats Burt Hummel's statement, given earlier in the week, that Richard had been rude and aggressive when he visited the garage, and also details how he had tried to intimidate Blaine in the locker room of the gym. He holds up well, but all color drains from his face when he gets cross examined.
"Mr. Anderson, can you detail your relationship with Mr. Hummel?"
"This isn't about him." Blaine snaps.
"Well Mr. Crawford was in a relationship with him for five years, suddenly you come along, the relationship ends and my client finds himself being held on assault and battery charges. So actually, I would say it is about him. Please answer my question."
"He's my English teacher, and he leads the Glee club which I'm in."
"I see. How did you come to be giving him a ride on the night in question?"
"My friend Rachel asked me to. It was her party. I have to drive past his apartment to get to her house so it seemed logical."
"And when you got there did you wait outside or did you go in?"
Blaine's eyes grow wide as he starts to panic. "I uh...I went up and rang the bell for him."
"And did that take you nearly two hours?"
"Excuse me?"
"We have two witnesses from the apartment complex who say your car was parked there for almost two hours before you left again. Coincidentally, they also had no trouble recognizing the car as yours because apparently- and I quote- 'It's nearly always parked here.'"
"Objection!"
"Sustained. Mr Ferguson, as has been said before, how these witnesses choose to spend their spare time is not up for deliberation. Please refrain from asking any more questions about it."
"Yes your honor. So. Blaine. You say Mr. Crawford approached you, clearly looking for a fight."
"Yes."
"Do you think he was after Mr. Hummel, or you?"
"I thought it was Kurt, but then I realized it was me."
"What made you think that?"
"Well, when Kurt left he didn't stop, just went right on coming for me. And he made it pretty clear during the attack that he had some sort of vendetta against me."
"How do you mean, exactly?"
"He was calling me names, saying mean stuff."
"Mean stuff?" the attorney mocks. "Really? You make it sound like a Kindergarten spat."
"Well I could tell you that he called me a cock slut, a man whore and said that he would fist me until I begged for more, but I don't think that's really appropriate for the court to hear, do you?" Blaine asks with a sassy wink.
Maria and Carole cover their mouths in shock while Burt and Cooper beam with pride. Kurt just sits there, unable to reconcile this Blaine with the trembling, frightened boy who had curled up in his arms and sobbed in the aftermath. Blaine feels suddenly empowered as he hears a few jury members gasp, and a few others snigger. He can see what Cooper means, sometimes it's good to speak out- people listen and take notice.
"Why did you make Mr. Hummel pay for your items at the drugstore, and who were you planning on using them with?"
"I wasn't planning on using them with anyone, they were for a friend- Noah Puckerman. I think he's already given a statement."
"He has, but I don't understand why you then made Mr. Hummel pay."
"Because it's embarrassing, isn't it?" Blaine says, turning on all his teenage charm as he side eyes the jury. "Who actually wants to put those items on the counter and pay for them? Puck certainly didn't want to. So I convinced Kurt to buy them instead."
"You say Mr. Hummel is your English teacher?"
"Yes." Blaine answers warily, wondering why they are suddenly back to this line of questioning.
"I see. And do you call all your teachers by their first names, or is it just 'Kurt?'"
"I uh...um..." Blaine stammers as he feels all certainty crashing down around him.
"I thought as much. No further questions your honor."