August 30th, 2011

They hadn't talked about where they were going and as Blaine rode down a remote road, Kurt began to worry. Was he being stupid to get on the back of a bike with a boy that he didn't know at all? Maybe Blaine was a psychopathic serial killer in this universe. After all, literally anything was possible. Just his luck, too, to have jumped to one of the sexiest Blaine's he'd ever met and he was probably going to be murdered.

Kurt was relieved when they finally pulled into a drive way of a large house. There were numerous cars and all the lights were on so at least they weren't alone. He banished his earlier flights of fancy and promised himself a good time.

Blaine took off his helmet and began working on his hair with some product that he'd had stowed in one of his saddle bags. Kurt had to laugh because the incongruity of it all was just too much not to laugh at.

"What? You're right about the helmet so I have to do something about my hair before we go in!"

Kurt laughed until he caught sight of his own helmet hair in one of the mirrors; suddenly it was a deadly serious problem and it was Blaine's turn to laugh. He started running his hands through Kurt's hair.

"Stop, you're making it worst," exclaimed Kurt.

"Trust me," insisted Blaine looking into Kurt's eyes with a smoldering look.

"OK," squeaked Kurt.

Blaine ran product through Kurt's hair for a bit then said, "Go ahead and look now." Kurt did and was surprised to see his hair in a sort of spiky wild look that suited him more than he would have thought. He actually looked...sexy. Blaine seemed pleased with himself and looked at Kurt expectantly.

"It'll do," Kurt allowed haughtily.

"You look amazing," insisted Blaine. Kurt's breath hitched as Blaine leaned in to capture his lips. They kissed softly until Kurt slipped his tongue greedily into Blaine's mouth causing him to make an eager sound. Blaine drew Kurt's tongue deeper in his mouth and sucked in a dirty, sexy way that made Kurt plaster himself against Blaine in an attempt to get even closer. Desperate for contact, Kurt didn't care that they had technically only known each other for a scarce two days; he wouldn't be surprised to hear Blaine growl 'suck my dick' and he was fully prepared to drop to his knees and do it. Blaine pulled back looking a little stunned and confused.

"I like kissing you," he said breathlessly.

"Then we should do more of that," insisted Kurt taken aback by this oddly innocent Blaine.

Instead Blaine backed away and took Kurt by the hand.

"Let's go in and party. We can't stand out here kissing all night."

Kurt wanted to object and claim that they could do exactly that but he kept silent as Blaine pulled a canvas bag out of his saddle bags and dragged Kurt toward the door of the house. They walked in without knocking and Kurt was hit with an onslaught of noise, smells, and sights. He slowly took in the scene in front of him. The room was filled with young men and woman, many of them dancing, who looked to be any where from seventeen to twenty. He didn't see anyone he knew immediately. He smelled smoke and he was guessing it wasn't all cigarette smoke.

A tall handsome blond boy approached them with his arms wide and huge smile plastered on his face. Kurt had a vague feeling that he'd seen him but he couldn't put a name to the face. Maybe he'd been at Dalton? Definitely not in the Warblers or anyone Kurt knew well.

"Blainers!" he exclaimed as he arrived.

"Trey," Blaine replied.

"What did you bring me?"

"Tequila," answered Blaine handing him the bag. Trey pulled out one of the bottles and nodded in approval.

"Nice!"

"Isn't it a little early in the week to be partying like this?" Kurt asked nervously.

"Blainers, who's the buzz kill?"

"This is my friend, Kurt. But I swear he's cool, Trey."

Trey looked at Kurt skeptically and asked, "Don't you know what day today is?"

"Um..Tuesday?"

"It's a day ending in y," laughed Blaine. "Which means..."

"Parr-tay!" finished Trey.

"Let's do some shots," said Blaine grabbing Kurt's hand in one hand and snagging the bag of tequila in the other.

As they made their way to a table covered in bottles of alcohol, cups, glasses, and ice, Kurt managed to say, "I don't drink and maybe it isn't a good idea for you to either. I can't drive a motorcycle, Blaine!"

"Don't worry, I can handle my liquor," snorted Blaine as he poured some tequila in a shot glass. Kurt tried not to find the sight of Blaine licking salt off of his hand and sucking on a lime sexy but he failed miserably. After downing the second shot Blaine shouted excitedly, "Let's dance!"

Kurt discovered several things as the night wore on. First Blaine wasn't lying about being able to handle his liqueur. Kurt lost count of how many drinks he had before Blaine started getting sloppy and visibly drunk but drunk he was and Kurt was beginning to worry about getting home. Second, Blaine was a very happy friendly drunk and was apparently prone to literally dancing on table tops. Lastly, he was more amorous the more he drank.

Blaine had Kurt pressed against the wall in a semi-secluded spot they'd found. His kisses and his hands were getting bolder and more confident as the night wore on. His lips dragged across Kurt's jaw and to his ear where he whispered, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure, Blaine, tell me."

"I want you. You are so sexy. I've never wanted anyone the way I want you, Kurt."

"It's not that much of a secret, Blaine," Kurt laughed as he rolled his hips pressing Blaine's erection against his own.

"Oh!" Blaine exclaimed as he moved away. "Sorry. I'm a little drunk," he explained.

"A little? A lot, I think." Kurt pulled Blaine back into his arms.

Blaine nuzzled Kurt's neck and explained, "I've been way drunker than this, silly. You smell so good." Then before Kurt could reply to either of those comments, Blaine turned his head in the direction of the main party and exclaimed, "I love this song!" before running off.

Kurt sighed and followed, arriving in the living room in time to see Blaine jumping up onto the back of the couch as he belted out the words to Katy Perry's latest hit, Last Friday Night. He wasn't kidding about loving the song.

"Are you having fun, Kurt?" asked Trey as he slid an arm around Kurt's shoulders. Kurt gave him an icy stare and the boy immediately removed his arm. "You need to lighten up. Have a drink!"

"No. I can't because I'll get a seizure and die. It's a thing."

"Whoa. That's seriously whack, dude."

Just then Blaine knocked over a lamp with his antics and Trey laughed.

"Aren't you worried about all of this?" Kurt asked gesturing to the mess that was everywhere. "Where are your parents?" Trey doubled over with laugher turning red and gasping before he finally managed to choke out a reply.

"One word - foreclosure!"

"What?"

"Dude, I don't live here. No one does. It's a foreclosure. Perfect for parties.

"It's that illegal? What if the police show up?"

"Dude, you are such a buzz kill! I've got to go," Trey exclaimed as something across the room caught his eye.

Kurt's phone rang and he looked to see who was calling. Mercedes. Strange. He hit the ignore button. A few second later, she sent a text.

Don't ignore me! A matter of life and death.

Kurt called her back, "Dramatic much?" He headed outside where he could hear her better.

"Kurt, I'm mad at you but I still love you. I don't want you to die."

"Cedes, what are you talking about?"

"Blaine. Please tell me the rumors aren't true. You aren't going out with him, are you?"

"Not that it's any of your business but yes, I am."

"Kurt, are you insane? What are you thinking? Oh my god, you're aren't; that's the problem. Kurt, I know you're lonely. I get it but that's no reason to get involved with a lowlife like Blaine Anderson. Wait until you get to college. You'll meet nice boys. I promise, it gets better."

"What, are you a PSA now? What are you talking about? Blaine is a nice boy."

"It's one thing to flirt with him in glee but tell me haven't fallen for his I'm just misunderstood act. The boy is a psychopath. You've seen the video. You've read what they say he did. Just because his rich father got him off doesn't change that."

"Mercedes, I don't have a clue as to what you are talking about."

"Kurt, you can't be that oblivious. Seriously? You don't know?"

"Seriously. And I'm sure it isn't true anyway."

"Puck said that Blaine once stabbed a boy for insulting his hair. And another boy mysteriously fell down some stairs after insinuating that Katy Perry was a bad singer. And then there's the story about..."

"That's ridiculous. Puck is just making that up."

"You really haven't seen the video? It's been years but I thought everyone saw it. And there was so much chatter about the article a month ago...when Sue mentioned him on Sue's corner...Oh my god, you really do live in your own world, boo. I'm sending you some links now. Where are you?"

"I'm at a party."

"With Blaine? Now?"

"Yes. Not literally with him at the moment, I came outside to talk to you."

"Get the hell out of there, Kurt. Oh please don't let me read about your murdered mutilated corpse tomorrow. Please."

"Your insane. I'm hanging up now."

He did but when the video link showed up seconds later; he had to watch it.

Blaine and another boy were holding hands. Blaine looked so young. No more than fifteen and he looked even younger. Kurt's stomach lurched. He knew exactly what he was about to see. The other boy must be Shawn and they were about to be beaten up. He didn't understand how this related to what Mercedes had been trying to say but he couldn't look away.

"Look at those two faggots. It makes me sick seeing them doing that in public." said a voice off camera. Kurt wanted to shout 'They are just boys holding hands. They aren't hurting anyone.' Even on the small screen in front of him, it was hard to remember this had happened nearly three years ago.

The camera turned to the speaker and he said directly into the camera, "Let's teach them that they can't act like that around here." Things happened quickly as three boys came into view, shouting at Blaine and Shawn, then the one who had suggested it pushed Shawn to the ground and started hitting him. The other two held Blaine down when he tried to stop the beating. All the while, the boy filming it kept a steady hand as he captured it. That was until he moved in closer and saw blood seeping from the back of Shawn's head.

"Dude, I think you killed him. We need to call 911. Oh my god, what if he's dead?" The two boys who had been holding Blaine down got up and stared at the prone boy in shock.

"Check his pulse," demanded the ringleader.

"You do it," argued the boy on his left. They were still arguing when Blaine came up behind them so they didn't see him. The cameraman did and yelled a warning but it was too late. Blaine hit the leader with a baseball bat and he went down like a sack of flour. Kurt hadn't seen Blaine get up and had no idea where the baseball bat had come from. He didn't stop with one blow. Blaine was screaming that he'd kill them all, then camera fell to the ground and the video went black.

Kurt was in shock as he clicked on the next link. Luckily, no video this time. It was an article written just a month before school about the incident. Apparently someone had found out Blaine was transferring to McKinley and had dug up the story. The article was filled with innuendo and veiled accusations. The author never came out an accused Blaine of anything that wasn't a matter of public record but still he made it clear that he thought Blaine was a menace to the children of Lima. Kurt did find out the facts of the case buried in all the slander. The worst being that Shawn had indeed died. So had the ringleader of the attack - a boy named Peter. Blaine hadn't gone to trial because his was deemed mentally unstable and spent a year in a mental hospital. Then he'd gone to a reform school before transferring to McKinley. They didn't call it a reform school but he gathered that from the tone in the article. It was while Blaine was there that most of the rumors were generated. Including the unsubstantiated accusation that he'd burned down the house of one of the other boys involved in the attack.

Kurt put his phone away and walked slowly back into the party. He saw Blaine with his arm slung around Trey's shoulder. Kurt had trouble reconciling what he now knew with the picture in front of him.

"Blaine," Kurt called over the noise.

Blaine looked back at Kurt with an excited and happy expression. He immediately abandoned Trey and wrapped himself around Kurt.

"Well, hello there. I was wondering where you disappeared to. Did you miss my Last Friday Night? I can do it again."

"I saw part of it. Come on, Blaine, let's go outside and get some air."

Blaine followed Kurt meekly as he left the party and sat on the edge of the front porch. By the time they got there, Blaine seemed shockingly sober considering. He'd also clearly figured out something was up. Kurt wasn't sure how to start the whole, so I hear you're a psychopath conversation.

"I should probably take you home now," Blaine started after an uncomfortable silence. Kurt thought it was strange that Blaine wasn't asking any questions given how much fun they'd been having all night.

"Blaine...just tell me...just...I don't know...tell me your side of the story. What happened after the dance with Shawn? I know what I saw in the video but then what? Just tell me that you didn't do any of the other things they say you did. I'll believe you."

Blaine shook his head.

"It isn't enough to confront bullies and stand up to them. Being brave isn't enough. There's always someone stronger and braver. I'm just a little hobbit of a guy; no one that anyone would find intimidating. The only way to survive is if everyone thinks you are so crazy that you'd do anything. At any moment, you might snap and knife them. If they think you don't care whether you live or die then they leave you alone. The more you care, the more you have to lose."

"You aren't really like that. I can tell," Kurt objected. "You're sweet and kind and you do care. It's all in the past now. It was all just an act. To survive. I get it."

"Don't pretend like you know me. You don't know me. OK? I don't know what came over me today, Kurt. I broke all my own rules. I've never let anyone get to me like you do. I'll take you home now."

"What happened to I'll pursue you relentlessly?"

"Why did you flirt with me?" countered Blaine.

"Because I like you," answered Kurt honestly. "I still do. It wasn't your fault. I don't believe that you did all the things people say you did. You just defended yourself. Right?"

All Blaine had to do was say yes or even just nod but he didn't.

"I'll take you home now. Don't worry; I'm not drunk. I wasn't lying about being about to handle my liquor. I've drank way more than that in a night."

The ride home gave Kurt plenty of time to think. Think about Blaine and all the other things that sucked in this universe. In a way, Blaine-7 needed him more than any other Blaine had. But why was it his job to rescue damaged Blaines? Hadn't he lost enough? Mercedes, Carol, Finn, New Directions, Thad, Dalton, New York...His assessment that this line was the worst line ever was proving true.

He tried to talk to Blaine when they got back to Kurt's house but he seemed to have closed down and the smitten kitten was gone. Buried, at least, if not gone.

"I shouldn't even be in Lima," insisted Blaine. "I should get me GED and disappear. Go somewhere far far away from Ohio where no one cares about my past. It was stupid of me to think I could go back to a regular high school and maybe even have a boyfriend. Thanks, Kurt for a beautiful evening. I had fun while it lasted."

"Blaine..."

Blaine drove off leaving Kurt standing there holding the spare helmet. He wondered if he'd see him the next day or if he'd make good on his threat to disappear. Kurt trudged into the house defeated. He still hadn't even dealt with the concept that he'd jumped in his sleep. He was hoping that it had been caused by his long abstention and that he could get his life back in control. But then again, he hadn't been under control since the day he'd met Blaine Anderson. Not at all.

"Hey kiddo, how was your night?" asked Burt as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Dreadful," Kurt admitted with a sigh.

"What's wrong son? Girl trouble?"

"Dad, I'm gay!" Kurt exclaimed with exasperation.

Burt looked at his son with a mixture of disbelieve and shock.

"No," he said shaking his head. "You're joking and it ain't even funny."

"You supposed to say that you already knew. How is it that you haven't noticed that I'm a flaming homosexual? I mean, really? I'm not exactly subtle."

"It's not true. Sure, when you were younger...All those tea parties. Sound of Music sing alongs. But no...you changed in the last few years. I thought you grew out of it. You got rid of that stupid tiara collection. You started watching football with me. You quit dragging me to those musicals. And what about Mercedes...I mean, I thought you could do better but..."

"Better? Better than Mercedes? Why because she's black or because she's plus sized? I should be so lucky to have a girlfriend like her if I were straight. So to top it all off, I have a homophobic, racist dad! That's just great. This is the best fucking day ever!"

"You watch your mouth, son. You will respect me. I didn't mean it like that and you know it!"

Kurt didn't bother to stay for the rest. Whatever this Burt had to say it wasn't anything he wanted to hear. This line sucked ass there was literally nothing keeping him here. Kurt started traveling blindly. It was only a metaphor but he called it leaping or jumping because he went from one universe to another in an instant. Traveling was different. It was more like what he'd done with the dice experiments. It was like he wan't anywhere for a while. Just moving through thick curtains with no idea what was on the other side. He hadn't done it since he was eight.

He knew where he wanted to go but he didn't even know if he was going in the right direction. If direction could be considered something that applied to this. Finding a particular universe would be like finding a grain of sand in an infinite pile of sand while a dump truck continually added an infinite amount of sand per second. He stopped to get his bearings for a second and was disappointed to find he was in his basement. He started moving again. He was looking for the house that Burt bought after marrying Carol. At least there he knew that he had his Dad, Carol, and Finn. He was probably friends with Blaine and the Warblers. Even if Blaine wasn't his boyfriend, it was a good set of lines and he wouldn't screw it up this time.

He lost track of how many stops he made but he was always in the same house. He stood in the living room contemplating going to bed and just seeing where he'd ended up in the morning when she walked in. Her long chestnut hair was streaked with gray, her face was more lined than he remembered, and she seemed so small. Her eyes were the same blue he saw in the mirror everyday. He flew into her arms and breathed her perfume. It was weird because he was too tall and she seemed so fragile but it took him back to the eight year old boy that he'd once been.

"Mommy," he cried with tears steaming down his face.

He was home.