Chapter Six

Burt barged in Rachel's front door without any sense of propriety. He raced into the living room to see his son curled into a ball on the floor, howling and calling out repeatedly for his Daddy.

Burt ran to Kurt and scooped him into his arms.

"I'm here kiddo," Burt whispered into Kurt's ear.

Kurt tried to push him away, "Daddy! I want Daddy!" he screamed hysterically and tried to get himself away from Burt, eyes clenched tightly closed.

"He's been like this since I called you," Rachel said, shaking her head, "Blaine has turned him into such a mess."

Burt lifted his head from his son, "he's drunk," he stated bluntly, "why is he drunk? Kurt never drinks."

Santana owned up immediately, "we were just trying to get him to loosen up a bit, we didn't know he'd end up freaking out."

"Honestly, Burt," Rachel said haughtily, "none of this is our fault. It's Blaine. He's the one that did this...if he hadn't beaten Kurt within an inch of his life...then none of this would have ever happened."

Burt stared in disbelief at Rachel, "this isn't a game, Rachel," he started, "this is my son and his husband. You better be damn sure of the facts before you go messing in someone's marriage, my girl."

"We all heard it," said Mercedes, swaying slightly on her feet, "Kurt said that Blaine had hit him."

Kurt wailed in his father's lap, "No!...no!...Daddy loves Kurt, Daddy wouldn't hurt Kurt."

Burt rubbed Kurt's back, "that's right kiddo," he cooed, "you're safe now, Daddy's got you. I won't let him hurt you again!" Kurt shook his head and tried to struggle away, he just wanted Blaine.

Rachel grinned triumphantly, "See," she smirked, "I told you."

Burt sighed. He didn't know what to believe, he would never have taken Blaine as one that would resort to violence, but he'd never seen his son in so much distress either. He picked up Kurt bridal style and took him out to the car, lying him down on the back seat. Finn came running after him with Kurt and Blaine's bags.

"Do you think it's true?" Finn asked his step-father, wide eyed.

"If it's not, then your wife has a lot to answer for," Burt sighed, not knowing which option was worse.

Finn nodded, "I'll come over tomorrow, see how he is."

Burt patted him on the shoulder, "Okay buddy, but do us a favour and leave Rachel and Bryce out of it."

"No problem," said Finn, "Good luck."

"Thanks," replied Burt, "I think I'll need it."

Kurt stuck his thumb in his mouth and sucked through his sobs. His alcohol riddled brain struggled to keep the events around him straight, all he wanted to do was curl up with Blaine and his bunny.

Once they got home, Burt lifted a tired and whimpering Kurt out of the back of the car and took him inside, placing him carefully on the sofa. He went upstairs to update Carole and get help with the drunken young man on his sofa. Seeing their bedroom empty, he did a quick check of the house, he finally noticed that her car keys were gone. It looked like he was on his own.

Kurt kept his eyes closed, hoping in vain that he wouldn't have to open them until he heard Blaine's voice. He heard a car pull up and two doors slam, his opened his eyes and looked at the door expectantly. Burt was waiting at the door and put his arm out to stop Blaine coming in.

"What did you do to him, you evil bastard," Burt choked out.

"Burt!" admonished Carole, who had rushed to Kurt's side, "let the man inside, and we'll talk about it rationally."

"Daddy!" Kurt cried out, "Daddy!"

Burt looked back at his son, "I'm right here, Kurt," he said firmly, "he's not going near you."

"Burt!" yelled Carole, "please."

Burt let Blaine in far enough to allow him to close the door. Kurt rushed toward Blaine, but Burt stopped him in his tracks, putting an arm on each man's chest to keep them apart.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. Kurt did bad. I'm sorry. Kurt said bad things, Kurt's yucky and tired and sad," Kurt sobbed.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for," Burt said gently, "go upstairs, Kurt."

"No!" shouted Kurt, "Daddy!"

"Can you go upstairs with Carole for me, little one?" Blaine said in a soft voice, and gazed pleadingly at Carole.

Burt looked over at his wife, concern written all over his face, "He's drunk, Carole. And talking gibberish, make sure there's a bucket or something by the bed."

"He's drunk?" said Blaine, shocked. He looked at Carole in despair, "He's not going to come out while he's drunk..."

"What are you talking about?" Burt demanded from Blaine.

"Don't leave Kurt, Daddy!" Kurt sobbed, as Carole took his hand in hers.

"I'll be up soon, kiddo," said Burt, still thinking Kurt was talking to him.

Blaine nodded to Carole, who gently led Kurt upstairs, picking up the bags as she went.

"Give him a chance, Burt," she called from the bottom of the stairs, "and it's time for the truth, Blaine."

Blaine nodded and watched Carole and Kurt go upstairs.

Carole got Kurt into his room, and he flung himself face down onto the bed and began to cry. Carole sat beside him for a few minutes and rubbed his back. Finally Kurt sat up and looked at her, and her heart broke when she looked at his forlorn face.

"Kurt's bad and yucky and everyone is cross at him," he moaned.

"Oh Kurt," Carole sighed, not really knowing the 'right' way to deal with the situation. "No one is mad at you, honey...They're just confused and upset right now."

"Daddy's going to go away," Kurt said softly, his eyes filling with tears once more, "and Kurt's yucky."

"Yucky?" Carole asked softly. Kurt nodded and pulled at his crotch.

"Oh, I see," she chuckled, and then the question hit her – did Kurt expect her to... "what should we do about that then?" she mused aloud, hoping that Kurt would provide the answer.

"Daddy's bag," Kurt said and got up to get Blaine's messenger bag.

"Good boy," she said, "do you want me to help?"

Kurt shook his head, "Kurt's gotta be a big boy for Daddy," he said before he sat down on the bed beside Carole.

Carole patted his back once more, "Oh Kurt, I don't think you realize just how much he needs that right now."

Kurt turned and stared at her, "Daddy needs Kurt?"

"Of course he does," she said, she took his face in both of her hands to try to keep his attention, "Kurt...Daddy does so much for you, doesn't he?" Kurt nodded and chewed on his bottom lip, "it's your turn now...you have to look after him...you're the only one that can help Daddy right now."

Kurt blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears from rolling down his face as Carole continued.

"He needs you Kurt...he needs you to explain to your Dad..." she took one hand away and picked up his left hand and held it in front of his face. She ran her finger over his wedding band, "do you remember what this is?"

Kurt nodded and a single tear ran down his cheek, "it's my ring...I'm his and he's mine."

"That's right," Carole sighed, "you both promised to look after each other for ever...I know it's hard, sweetie...but this is something you have to do...if Blaine means anything to you at all...please help him, Kurt."

Kurt reached out and wiped a tear from Carole's face, while she mirrored him, and wiped his face.

"Kurt feels bluck," he moaned, and Carole watched him turn a decidedly pale green colour.

"Are you going to be sick, honey," Kurt nodded and went running to the bathroom with Carole hot on his heels.

Kurt threw up violently into the toilet, Carole winced, but rubbed his back until his stomach had finally emptied itself. She got him a glass of water and he put his head against the cool tile of the bathroom wall.

He pulled himself up, and went back into the bedroom, Carole followed him, not knowing if anything she said had made an impact. Kurt picked up Blaine's bags, and without giving Carole a second glance, took himself back into the bathroom.

He stripped himself down, removed his pull-up, gave himself a quick wipe down and turned to look at himself in the mirror. What he saw reflected back at him was Kurt. Just Kurt. Not little, not grown up – simply a man. He raised his hand toward the mirror, reaching out as if to find the strength and courage to do what he knew he had to. The overhead light glinted off plain gold band on his finger. With a heavy heart, he sighed and opened the bags to find some clean clothes.

He quickly put on a new pull-up, before grabbing a t-shirt of Blaine's and pulling it over his head. He was about to put on a pair of Blaine's sweatpants, when a pair his 'special' boxers caught his eye. He looked at the words printed on them 'Daddy's Little Man', and he knew that it was time to be a man. Maybe not forever, but right now it was the only option to save Blaine. He pulled the boxers on, then Blaine's sweatpants and quickly ran back out to Carole.

Kurt blushed a bright crimson when he looked at his stepmother, she didn't have to say a word. She simply opened her arms and let Kurt fall into them.

"I'm so sorry," Kurt cried onto her shoulders.

Carole pulled him off and held him by his shoulders, "There'll be plenty of time for that, Kurt," she said firmly, "but right now, it's time to put on your shining armour and go and rescue your prince."

Kurt rushed down to stairs, with Carole hot on his heels, hoping that his father hadn't castrated his husband yet.

When he got to the living room though, there was nothing but the quiet chatter coming from the television screen. Burt was sitting looking at the screen, although his face gave away the fact that he wasn't really watching it at all.

"Where's Blaine?" asked Kurt meekly.

"He's gone, Kurt," Burt said, without blinking.

Carole gasped, and put her hand over her mouth in shock.

Kurt straightened his back, lifted his head up and marched over to the television, turning it off and standing with his arms crossed in front of his father.

"Where is he?" Kurt demanded, Burt stared at his son in astonishment. Kurt's voice was suddenly different, his whole demeanour was now one that both commanded and demanded attention.

"Where is he, Dad?" Kurt repeated, staring stony-faced at Burt.

Burt got himself up from his chair, and went to approach his son. Kurt held up his hand to stop him getting closer.

"Dad?" Kurt said, the look on his father's face scared him.

"He's gone," Burt repeated, "I've kicked his sorry ass to the kerb. He's not going to get within a mile of you again."

"Where?" asked Kurt, "where did he go?"

"I don't know", Burt huffed, "the important thing is that he's not here."

"You had no right!" yelled Kurt, losing his cool, "I get to say who I'm with...not you! I'm a grown man...a grown married man, in case you forgot."

"Kurt," Carole interjected, "your father doesn't know what's going on with you and Blaine. And even you have to admit that it didn't look or sound good to an outsider. He needs the truth...and he needs it from you."

Blaine sat on the cold, damp grass under the oak tree in the park. He hugged his knees to his chest in an effort to try and stay warm. He knew that he should've gone back to Puck's, it was the only place left in Lima where he was even vaguely welcome. He used to come here a lot the year that he was separated from Kurt. After every fight, every argument he had with his parents, he would run back to the same place. The place where everything really started, the place where he and Kurt had finally allowed each other's tongues to pass lips, they spent two lazy summers there falling deeper and deeper in love with each other, and it was where they had shared a heart breaking, private farewell when Kurt left Ohio after his senior year.

Now, Blaine was back there alone again.

He put his head on his knees and sobbed loudly. No one was there to listen.

Kurt plonked himself down onto the sofa. How was he even going to start explaining their situation to Burt. Kurt knew that his father would take it badly, as some sort of sign that Kurt either felt his father had done something wrong when he was growing up or that he missed his father so much he'd created a new one.

The truth was much less complicated. He enjoyed it. He enjoyed Blaine looking after him, he loved being snuggled in Blaine's arms and feeling like the rest of the world didn't exist. He loved the feeling of true intimacy and trust they had found together, and he had even grown to enjoy being diapered. Change times were one of Kurt's favourite things about their lifestyle, to lie completely exposed and vulnerable, and trust someone else with something so private, so personal, and yet so basic was the most amazing feeling Kurt had ever felt.

How do you tell your own father such personal details about your private life? Kurt knew he had to try, so he did. The three of them sat and talked. Was it uncomfortable? It certainly was, for every single one of them, but they got through it. Burt finally agreed that what Kurt and Blaine had together worked. It might not be a lifestyle that Burt imagined Kurt leading, but he assured his father that he was truly happy. And at the end of the day, that was exactly what Burt had always wanted for his son.

Well, that and a loving partner to share his life with.

Kurt tried to call Blaine cell phone, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Blaine...it's me, honey...please come back...or call...or something...just...call me...please," Kurt pleaded, hoping that Blaine was simply ignoring his call.

Burt hung his head, not knowing what to make of the day's events. A mere twenty-four hours ago, Kurt and Blaine were happily living their lives away in New York. Now, his son was home, his son-in-law was out in the streets somewhere and Burt had learned more about his son's life than he ever wanted to know.

Burt sat down beside Kurt on the sofa, "it's late, Kurt," he choked out, "he'll get your message. He'll be back. You know Blaine can't stay away from you for very long."

Kurt nodded silently, but his heart was broken. His high school best friend had destroyed everything that Kurt held dear, his lover was nowhere to be found and Kurt had no idea where to start looking. He tried to ring Puck, but he hadn't seen Blaine since Carole had picked him up. Kurt knew there was no way Rachel would take him in. And Mercedes, Santana and Britney were still at Finn and Rachel's for all Kurt knew.

"I'm going out to find him," said Kurt, quickly getting up from the sofa.

Carole put her hand on his shoulder, "Do you have any idea where he'd go?" she asked gently. Kurt shook his head. They hadn't lived here in so long, and other than the Lima Bean, which would be closed, Kurt couldn't think of a single place in Lima that Blaine would head for.

"You don't think he would've gone to his parents, do you?" Carole almost whispered, afraid of Kurt's reaction.

"No way in hell would he go back there," he said sadly, "this was his family."

Burt looked humiliated, "No Kurt...This IS his family." Kurt snorted in derision,"Families make mistakes Kurt, and sometimes families even hurt each other. But we'll find a way to make it right, kiddo."

Kurt rang Blaine's number again, the phone still went straight to voicemail. Kurt felt his heart drop, he was sure that Blaine would've picked up this time.

"Honey, it's me again," Kurt started, "I..I..I told my Dad...Both of them know...please Blaine...I need you...please come back to me...I love you."

Kurt made another ten calls that night. Until Carole finally convinced him to get some sleep. He put on his Superman pyjamas, and sucked on his pacifier ferociously. He cried until his body eventually gave up the fight and he collapsed into a fitful rest that was nowhere near sleep.

Under the seat in Puck's car, Blaine's phone rang unanswered, until the screen finally faded to black as it lost its charge.

Sorry, I missed a chapter when I originally uploaded - should be all good now!