I simply am unable to stop the angst! This is a bit of a plot I've been working on for a while, but I finally figured out how I wanted it to play out. I do apologise if I make you cry. I didn't cry again, writing this chapter. Nope. Not a all. I'm not crying, it's just monsoon season. Honest. And please don't get on me about the legal system not working this way. I know nothing about legalities of same-sex couples, or if this would ever even happen in real life, so just go with it. Okay? Okay.
As always, I don't own glee. XD
Blaine awoke on his third day in the hospital to sounds of fighting coming from just outside his room. It took a moment for him to figure out the voices: Kurt was there, and so was his mother, but who were the other man and the woman?
His eyes widened as they entered his room, and he saw Andrea there, along with his old boss, Peter. He sat up abruptly, his head swimming gently with the movement, and watched warily as the two made their way over to his bed.
"Blaine," Peter greeted, and Blaine scowled at him. He didn't want either his ex-wife or his ex-boss around him while he was recovering. He folded his hands over his chest as he watched the pair.
"Blaine why didn't you tell me you were in the hospital?" Andrea whined, wringing her hands as she studied the man in his bed. "They told me you had a heart attack?" Blaine snorted. As if she was really worried about him.
"It was a mini attack," Kurt supplied, his hands folded across his chest as well. "And he is doing just fine, thank you very much," His icy glare could have frozen her heart, if she'd had one, Blaine thought to himself.
Andrea ignored the other man, and reached over to sweep Blaine's hair from his forehead. Blaine backed away quickly, his hand reaching out and thwacking hers in mid-air. She actually had the nerve to look hurt. Peter just looked nervous.
"You gave up the right to care for me when you started seeing my boss," Blaine spit out, his anger starting to get the best of him. Kurt slipped to Blaine's side in a second, and reassuringly placed his hand over Blaine's, holding him tight.
"Relax, honey," He whispered gently. Blaine looked into the beautiful eyes he had woken up to every day since his heart attack, and automatically felt peaceful again. His heart slowed down, and an amazed smile graced his lips. He pulled Kurt's hand up to his mouth, and kissed him gently. Together, they looked back at Andrea and Peter, who were looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"I want the girls," Andrea blurted out, pulling a sheaf of papers from her purse, and a pen, for him to sign. She handed them over, and Blaine looked at her in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me right now?" Blaine chuckled softly. "You abandoned them, called them little brats, ignored them for over eight months, and now you want to take them away from me? I don't think so, Andrea," Blaine threw the papers back at her, his eyes going flat.
"You'll never have those girls, Andrea, you know why? Because you're not fit to be a mother. You've been nothing but selfish their entire lives, and you want to start something with them now? You'd never be able to handle them, Andrea. And they would never be able to handle you." He finished his little speech, immensely proud of himself for not losing his temper.
Andrea gasped, her hand fluttering to her throat, and she scowled at Blaine.
"And tell, me, just who is taking care of my children while you are here in the hospital? Huh? Tell me that," She hissed at him, her hands clawing at the blanket over his legs.
"Kurt is," Blaine looked at Kurt, his eyes so full of love and devotion that it made Kurt want to cry. It made Andrea, on the other hand, want to vomit.
"Him," She screeched loudly, unmindful of the other people in the hospital. "He isn't a woman! He can't possibly take care of our babies properly! He is teaching our girls that it's okay to be gay!" Her voice dropped, low, and Blaine began to get scared. He knew this is where she usually brought out whatever she could to blackmail him with.
"If you don't sign over the kids to my care for while you're in the hospital, and recovering, Blaine, I'll take you to court for permanent custody. You'll never get to see them again. Because the courts don't look favourably on gay parents. It's disgusting, and unnatural, and they will see that I can take better care of my girls than two unholy men can." She pulled the papers from the floor where they had dropped, and placed them back on the bed. "Twenty-four hours, Blaine. You have twenty-four hours to sign them over before I start the proceedings to take them away permanently. After that, whatever happens is your own fault."
A doctor came in, and hustled the two from the room, berating them about the noise and asking them not to return.
Blaine was stunned. His mind kept whirling over and over, trying to figure out what Andrea was thinking. His mother stepped out from one of the corners of the room, where she had been lurking.
"Sweetheart," She murmured softly, getting his attention. "I'm so sorry, but I'm worried she may be right. You and Kurt aren't really a couple," Kurt scoffed, his eyes as hard as ice, and she quailed under his gaze. "Not really, not in the eyes of the law. And with you here, in the hospital, Blaine, and Kurt being the only one taking care of the girls, Andrea does have the right to go in and take them from him." Blaine started sitting up again, trying to swing his legs to the side of the bed.
"Then I'd better get my ass out of the hospital and home to my girls," He hissed, as he pulled on one of the IV's in his arm, and it came out. Kurt looked terrified as he tried desperately to keep Blaine in the bed.
"Woah! Mr Anderson! Hang on, there!" The nurse came in quickly, followed by the doctor from earlier. "You can't leave yet, we have to keep you under observation for a week, it's procedure!" They hauled him back into the bed, and the nurse took some time cleaning up the blood dripping from his arm. She then reinserted the IV, in a different spot, and made sure he was quiet before leaving again with Mrs Anderson.
"Blaine, please don't do that again," Kurt whimpered, his eyes filling with tears at the sight of his love lying exhausted on the bed. Blaine looked at Kurt, and his heart stopped.
"Oh, God, Kurt. I'm so sorry…" He grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him close. Kurt clambered up on the bed with Blaine, not an easy task for two men to achieve, but achieve it they did. They lay there, Kurt crying on Blaine's chest, Blaine murmuring soft nothings into Kurt's hair as he stroked the other man's back gently.
"I love you, Blaine," Kurt whispered, his hands clutching the harsh frock that Blaine wore. "I love you so much. I don't want that woman anywhere near our girls," Kurt's breath hitched, as he tried to control his emotions. "She's manipulative, she's horrid, and she doesn't know how to take care of them. Not like we do," And Kurt buried his face once more in Blaine's chest. "What do we do?" He asked plaintively. Blaine sighed softly.
"We get the best damn lawyer we can hire, and we go after her for full custody ourselves. Before she can get to us. That's what we do," Kurt's red-rimmed blue eyes looked up, captured by loving hazel ones. He sniffled softly, and a tremulous smile appeared on his lips.
"Yeah?" He muttered gently, his eyes searching Blaine's for any sign of hesitation.
"Yeah," Blaine replied, and kissed his friend, his partner, his lover, on the lips.
"He did WHAT?" Andrea's voice pierced the room, making the headache in Peter's brain ten times worse. What the hell had he been thinking, taking up with a woman like her? He supposed it was his own damn fault. He tried again to placate her.
"He filed for custody of the children, citing himself and that other man as the proper parents of the children. Said you haven't taken care of them at all since the baby was born, and his lawyer is good. Very good." Peter braced himself for the blow-back, but was surprised when it never came.
"Okay," Andrea smiled, her eyes as hard as stone. "If that's the way he wants to play it, then fine." Peter looked askance at her, as though afraid she was a snake about to bite him at any second. And for all he knew, she might be.
"Peter, darling," Her voice changed, softer, and seemingly sweet, and Peter's heart began racing; he knew she was about to play him like a fiddle, but had no way of stopping her. "I need a favour."
Kurt opened the doors to the apartment. He was getting back from the hospital, and promised Blaine he would kiss all three girls good night for him. As he put the coat up in the hall closet, he heard voices coming from the living room.
"No, seriously, he's the greatest guy ever. He'd never do anything to hurt the girls!" Rachel's voice was pitched higher than normal, which meant she was distressed for some reason. He walked into the living room, and found two police officers in Blaine's apartment. As one, the two officers and Rachel turned to him; he panicked inside, because Rachel was crying.
"Where are the girls?" He cried, his first thought going to when they had disappeared, and he rushed into the bedroom to find them. They weren't there, but there were signs that a bag had been quickly packed for them, and he dashed into Jessica's room. She wasn't there either. His eyes were huge as he returned to the living room.
"Where are the girls?" He asked again, plaintively. He couldn't have lost them, not while Blaine was in the hospital.
"Mr Hummel?" One of the officers said kindly, putting a hand out to steady him, as he was now swaying on his feet. "Mr Hummel, I'm Officer Ducan, and this is Officer Trent. We need to speak to you. Please sit down," Kurt landed beside Rachel, his terrified eyes turning towards her, and begging her to tell him what this was all about. She lowered her eyes, the tears flowing freely, and she shook her head softly; she couldn't.
"Mr Hummel, complaints have been brought against you for child abuse," Officer Ducan intoned seriously, and Kurt's heart leapt to his throat. His eyes darted wildly between the two police officers and Rachel, who had her face in her hands and was sobbing gently.
"Rachel?" He asked incredulously, not wanting to believe it.
"Miss Berry was not the complainer. She's been very vocal in her praise of you this evening," Officer Trent replied, a gentle hand resting on Rachel's shoulder as she shook. Kurt leaned over and hugged his friend, needing the physical contact to get through this.
"Since the complaints came from the children's biological mother, they were taken by social services and placed in her care while the investigation is going on." Kurt's face fell; Andrea had gotten her wish after all. She'd gotten custody of the girls, and hurt Kurt tremendously in the process.
"Can I ask what is to become of them? Will they end up staying with her? Because she's not a good parent! She ignored them from the time Jessica was born!" Kurt blurted out, saying anything he could to make them understand that he was ten times the parent Andrea could ever have been.
The officers raised their eyebrows in concern, and looked at each other.
"Are you saying you wish to file a formal complaint against the mother, as well?" Officer Trent offered, and Kurt grasped at the chance.
"Yes!" He blurted out, his mind focussed only on getting the girls away from the woman who was bound to harm them. "She's a snake, she cheated on her husband, she left him and didn't contact them for over eight months!" Officer Ducan was scribbling furiously in his little notebook, taking down all the information as fast as he possibly could.
"Now," Officer Ducan commented after he was finished writing. "You seem like a nice person, Mr Hummel. Unfortunately, we still have to take you in for questioning about the child abuse. It's standard operations. But first thing in the morning we'll see about getting the girls away from Mrs Anderson, and we'll be looking in to bringing her in for questioning too. Now, where exactly, is the proper father for these children?" Kurt sighed.
"He's in the hospital, recovering from a miniature heart attack. They're still holding him for observation. If you need to know more about her, ask him. He'll tell you everything!" Kurt just wanted to cry. He felt the tears fill his eyes, but they never fell. His mind whirled around and around, as the officers led him outside to the waiting patrol car. They didn't handcuff him, but they placed him in the back seat, and he felt horrible. He should have told Rachel to go home before he left; he hoped she would and would make sure the door was locked when she left.
Kurt endured five hours of questioning. The questions ranged from how long he had been a nanny for Blaine, to whether or not he'd been heating up the bottles he fed Jessica. Nothing was taboo, and he'd endured several of the most embarrassing, humiliating questions he'd ever faced. When he was asked if he was having sexual relations with the girls, he'd vomited into the trashcan.
After five hours, his father showed up. Kurt was a shell of his former self; he slumped in the chair, horrified and disgusted by he had been accused of. His father had begun yelling the instant he'd seen him, and Kurt was allowed to clean up a little.
Finally, he recognised his father, and asked him how he'd come to be there.
"Rachel called me," Burt said, his voice cracking on the last word. "Why didn't you call me?" He asked, his heart breaking at the sight of his son sitting there so listlessly.
"I called Blaine," Kurt's tears began to flow once more, and Burt held his sobbing son in his arms. "I told him about the girls, I told him about me, and where I was. I think he was stunned. He just told me he loved me and hung up. I don't have any idea what he's doing, but I hope he's not stressing out. The last thing I need is for him to up and die on me…" Kurt bowed his head, taking comfort in the soft shoulder that was his father. His sobs wracked his body, and he cried like he hadn't cried in years; since his mother had passed away. As Burt held his son, all he could think of was getting his hands on that Andrea bitch.
A loud noise echoed through the police station, and Kurt raised his head wearily, wiping his eyes. What now? Was all he could think to himself.
"KURT!" Kurt's eyes popped open, recognising the voice as Blaine's. He jumped up from his father's arms, and tried to dash towards the sound. He was stopped by a burly looking officer who grabbed his arm and twisted it around behind his back.
"Blaine!" He screamed, the pain intense but not enough to stop him from trying to reach his goal.
Blaine dashed to his lover, his arms wrapping around him lovingly as he shot the officer a cold glare.
"Take your hands off of him or I will sue you for everything you own," Blaine declared, his eyes wide and furious. The officer looked at his commanding officer, and was advised to back down. He released Kurt, and they fell into each other's arms. Kurt sobbed; Blaine rubbed his back, and murmured soothing sounds into his ear as he made sure Kurt was all right.
"It's okay, honey, you're okay. I love you, everything is going to be all right," Blaine whispered, his lips kissing every inch of Kurt he could reach. The officers looked on, as did Burt, as the two men reunited.
"What are you doing out of the hospital?" Kurt asked softly, looking deep into Blaine's eyes. "You were supposed to be there for another few days," Blaine sighed softly.
"And I'll have to go back, but not until I get you out of here, Kurt," Blaine cupped Kurt's cheek gently, and he kissed his lover again, never getting enough of the touch, the scent, the taste or sight of him.
Then another man showed up, his suit marking him as a lawyer. He conferred with the officers, who brought the whole works of them to the front desk, and filled out the paperwork to release Kurt.
"You're one of the nicest people I've ever met, Kurt," Officer Trent declared, and Officer Ducan agreed. "I'm truly sorry we had to put you through all of this. But our first priority was the safety of those girls. We've come to the conclusion you really were set up by Mrs Anderson. We'll take care of her," He exchanged a glance with Officer Ducan, and Kurt breathed a sigh of relief.
"You'll have to wait until social services have spoken to the two eldest girls, and removed them from Mrs Anderson's care," Officer Ducan looked apologetic. "But we have every confidence that they'll be returned to you within a couple of days." Placing a hand on Kurt's shoulder, they made their farewells.
As they left the Police Station, Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt, holding him close.
"Burt, would you be able to drive us home?" He asked softly, and Burt looked at him gently.
"Of course, Blaine. Would you like me to stop anywhere to pick up something to eat?" Both Kurt and Blaine shook their heads. After the day they'd had, neither one would have been able to force anything down their throats. Burt navigated the streets, pulling in to the drive through of a Wendy's.
"You guys may not be hungry, but I'm starving. I haven't eaten since five-thirty yesterday evening." Kurt looked up at his father in shame. "Don't you give me that look, young man," Burt continued. "I'm perfectly fine. I took a very early flight out of Lima, getting here as fast as I possibly could. Then I went to the apartment to help Rachel. She didn't know what to do. I sent her home, and she got that Jesse kid to drive her. She was a wreck." Burt shook his head gently, as he pulled the food inside the vehicle, and pulled away. They arrived at the apartment minutes later, and Kurt and Blaine disembarked. Burt shut the door of Blaine's car, and together they made their way to the elevator doors. The ride up was deathly silent. Even the sounds of breathing couldn't be heard, as though no one wanted to be the first to break the silence.
As they entered the apartment, Kurt looked around and saw the evidence of the girls everywhere: one of Jessica's bottles on the counter, a stuffed animal that Penny had been playing with the following morning, the cartoons on the TV that Katherine had been watching. As the tears flowed once again, he walked to the back bedroom in silence.
Burt placed the food on the counter, and motioned to Blaine to follow Kurt. This was time for them, and them alone.
Blaine found Kurt in Jessica's room, sitting quietly on the rocking chair where he had rocked their daughter to sleep numerous times. His eyes were unfocused, and Blaine knew he was reliving all those moments.
The doorbell rang, but they ignored it. Blaine pulled Kurt up from the chair, holding him close. Together they simply held each other, revelling in the warmth and love from the other.
Burt coughed from the doorway, and together they looked at him. Blaine was surprised to see his father there behind Burt.
"Mr Anderson wanted to talk to you two," Burt sympathised, looking between the two grieving men. "I'll leave you to it, but if you need me, I'll be in the living room," Burt shuffled away, the noises slowly fading away.
"Blaine," John Anderson began, his hand stretched out to shake his son's. Blaine looked at it as if he had no clue what to do with it. Looking back at his father's face, he scowled.
"You did it," Blaine spit out, more sure of this than anything he had ever been before. "You put Andrea up to this, didn't you?" Blaine took a step forward, keeping Kurt behind him protectively. His father backed away, slowly, his hands in the air. "I knew she was a manipulative bitch, but I never figured you for one!" Blaine ended, yelling at the top of his lungs. Burt reappeared at the door, attracted by the yelling.
"What's going on?" He asked, his eyes darting from Mr Anderson to the boys; Kurt was valiantly trying to hold Blaine back from attacking his father.
"Blaine! Stop, this isn't good for your heart!" Kurt was crying again. Burt wondered that the young man hadn't cried himself out yet.
"I only thought it was for your own good!" Mr Anderson continued backing away, hands still in the air, until his back rested against the wall. "How was I to know she was an unfit mother?" He gasped, as Burt grabbed the lapel of his suit jacket.
"I beg your pardon?" Burt growled in his face, his hands clutching the man, and holding his face mere inches from his own.
"Dad," Kurt sobbed. "Dad, let him go! You're still recovering too," He reached Burt, placing his hands gently over Burt's, helping Burt to relax his grip on the other man.
"Get out." Kurt looked back as Blaine spoke, standing in the middle of the room, hands clutched tightly together, as though trying to avoid punching his father in the face. "Get the hell out of my house. You are no longer welcome here. Ever. If I see you in the street, I will never acknowledge you. I disown you, old man. Get the hell out of my house." He repeated, taking one shaky step towards the man, who turned -tail at the sight of his son shaking with the force of holding himself back. He fled the house, and didn't look back.
Burt pulled his son into his arms, and held out a hand for his other son. Blaine blinked, as the rage slowly left him. Bowing his head, he wandered forward, and the three men stood holding each other, shaking and crying into the night.
It was two days later, when Blaine heard the soft squeal from the front door. He reacted before the knock ever came.
"Kurt!" Kurt looked up from where he was sitting, staring into the ether. He jumped up as well, and together they made their way to the front door as quickly as possible, and they threw it open.
There, standing before them, was the caseworker they had spoken to numerous times over the phone. She held Jessica in her arms, and Katherine and Penny were standing in front of her. Kurt and Blaine knelt, and both girls raced into their arms. They squeezed the girls, and kissed them, and advised them to go see what kind of new present was waiting for them in their room. As the girls dashed off, Kurt and Blaine returned to their feet. Blaine held his hand out for Jessica, and she put out her hands, making grabby motions with her fingers.
"Daddy!" She said, as Blaine picked her up. He and Kurt exchanged a glance, and then started laughing. The woman watched the two, a smile gracing her lips.
"I must say, I'm so glad she's happy again. She hasn't stopped crying for the last three days," Her hair slipped a little from the ponytail it was in. She definitely looked a bit haggard. "They've all been upset quite a bit over the last few days. I'm glad to see smiles on their faces again." She handed over a couple of papers.
"What are these?" Kurt asked softly, looking over the papers and back at her again in curiosity.
"The top one is a document stating how unfit a mother Mrs Andrea Anderson is, the second is the results of our investigation into you, Mr Hummel. It states we feel you are perfectly qualified to raise these girls. Congratulations," she smiled once more, and the men both beamed at her. They cuddled Jess between them, and the woman walked away from the door. They closed the door, and Blaine let out a whoop of excitement.
"Kurt," He murmured, following the other man with his eyes as he placed Jessica in her playpen. Kurt turned back to him, his eyes shining tearfully again. "What? More tears? Haven't you run out yet?" Kurt giggled softly, moving to Blaine's side and cuddling him gently.
"Nope. These are happy tears, love," He lifted his head and planted a soft, passionate kiss to Blaine's lips. "I've never been so happy in my life. Even with all the crap we've been through the past week, I still wouldn't trade you for anything," His heart pounded against his chest, feeling it echoed in the chest pressed against his own. They kissed again, their lips moving gently over each other, their hands clutching at the fabric of the other's shirt.
"Daddy! You bought us ponies?" Came a squeal from the room, and Blaine smiled against Kurt's mouth.
Oh, and yes, for any who are interested, that was Jessica's first word. XD