Plot Twist: Prince Charming Edition
Summary: Still reeling from finding out Sebastian was Sir Knight and his break-up with Kurt, Blaine keeps getting hit with more and more information. When he doesn't know how much more he can handle, he is offered a lifeline from an unexpected source. Will this (FINALLY) lead him to his Knight in Shining Armor?
Notes:
This is the part where I say I used canon dialogue in this chapter, although I rearranged it to fit my narrative. I have also never been associated with the television show Glee or any Ryan Murphy properties…because if I was I wouldn't write "fix it" fics.
WARNING: IMPLIED SELF-HARM OF MINOR CHARACTER DISCUSSED. What happens doesn't involve self-harm, but I could see how it could be interpreted that way.
WARNING NOT RELATED TO THE SELF-HARM WARNING: Death of a non-canon character is briefly discussed.
"What did you do?!"
Santana smiled as she turned to face the personification of rage she created. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked with feigned innocence.
"Where are my clothes?! And gel?!" Before she could answer, Blaine rushed past her, straight to the closet in the office where he and Sam were storing their extra clothes during the remodel. The only boxes with his name were the two shoe boxes with his bow ties. "Where are they?"
"Stop whining, I left you clothes."
"Two pair of basketball shorts and my superhero t-shirts…"
"And a hair and makeup person Annabelle knows recommended the hair serum I left in the bathroom. He swears it's the best on the market."
"Annabelle?"
"You said, and I quote, Now that I've broken up with Kurt, it might be time to make some other changes as well. I was being helpful."
"Where…are…my…clothes?!"
"In the dumpster out front…under 500 pounds of rubble. That's what you get for playing around in the studio until 6AM and then sleeping until noon."
"I have dinner with my dad tonight! I can't go in this!"
"Don't get your panties in a twist. I took care of clothes for dinner tonight and tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Since there's no work being done here, we're going shopping. Your mom said she'd talk to your dad about taking care of how we're paying for everything."
It took Blaine a moment to grasp what she said. "You called my mom?!"
"Texted. She's in LA with Cooper so 3 hour time difference and whatnot. Did you really think I'd do something like this without approval from my boss?"
"FUCK!"
Blaine stomped out of the office and back down to the basement. He called Sam to vent before confronting his mother. His so-called best friend wouldn't stop laughing…jerk! He hung up and was ready to toss his phone when he received a shock 10x's greater than discovering his wardrobe was gone.
"Hello, Blaine. It's good to see you."
Wes Montgomery
The person who befriended him when he didn't trust people.
The person who not only convinced him he could be a Warbler but lead the Warblers.
The person who (for a short time) became the brother Cooper never was.
The person who told him the motto Once a Warbler, Always a Warbler no longer included him.
"Wes? Hi…um, hello. How? How do you know where I live?"
"Annabelle"
Blaine motioned for them to move their conversation into the lounge. "Annabelle? I've known that woman less than a day and she's already entrenched herself in my life."
"Would you expect anything less considering the way Sir Knight described her?"
His former mentor's question was more surprising than the fact he was there in the first place. "You know about…?"
"You and Sebastian reconnecting? Yes, we all do."
"I didn't know Sebastian was still in contact with all of you. I mean, Sebastian left Dalton and moved back to Paris…again, none of my business, but can I ask a question?"
"Yes"
"If Sebastian left Dalton a couple of days after I said No Thanks, how was he performing at Sectionals in November?"
"What do you know about Sebastian's parents?"
"They dumped him on his Nana when he was 2 years-old. He didn't see them again until he was 16 when they ripped him away from everyone and everything he loved and brought him here. His dad had somehow become State's Attorney but wanted to run for higher office. They wanted Sebastian in Ohio to present the illusion they were a happy family."
"That's about it. And while he'd made connections here, his plan was always to return to Paris when he turned 18."
"Which was 2 days after Sam and I took McKinley's trophy back. Why didn't he say anything?"
"Would it have made a difference?" Wes knew he wouldn't get a response, so he went on. "Sebastian's parents fought his return to France, filing a petition with the court stating even though he was 18 and legally an adult, since he had yet to graduate from school they should retain parental custody. The court denied their claim but since his father was State's Attorney, he was able to change the outcome…at least on paper. The French authorities had no choice but to send him back to Ohio."
"That's why he was at Sectionals."
"When the Warblers arrived back at Dalton that night, his Aunt June was there with a legal court order emancipating him from his parents. He flew back to Paris the next morning."
"That's how he…wait a minute. His Aunt June?"
"Yes, and while I know you have a connection to her, I don't know how. Any questions you have, you'll have to contact her."
Blaine sunk into the couch with a sense of defeat. Maybe Kurt was right about June choosing him to reconnect him and Sebastian, not for his talent. "She's in France. Her sister-in-law…" He sat up so fast he almost jumped off the sofa. "June's sister-in-law broke her hip. Sir Knight went to Paris because his grandmother was injured. She's Sebastian's Nana. She's the most important person in his life. He loves her more than anything." At least now he understood why Sebastian…Sir Knight cut off contact. His entire focus would be on her, as it should be. "Thank you for coming and giving me this information, although I still don't understand why you did. The last time we talked…"
"Annabelle contacted the Warblers a couple of weeks ago trying to get information on you so I knew she knew, or could at least find out, your address. Answering your questions on Sebastian is the price I had to pay to get it. She thought you deserved some of the basics but couldn't risk her job."
"But Sebastian will understand you telling me?"
"He will when he finds out why I did it. Trent wants to see you."
Trent came to you because he thought you'd get rid of the steroids without destroying the Warblers. Arrange some kumbaya sing-a-long like after what happened with your eye. But instead, the Warblers were disbanded and the New Directions got their slot at Regionals. And despite everything you did, our baby-faced Warbler blames himself. You broke him!
With the words Wes screamed at him the last time they met ringing in his ears, Blaine hugged his legs into himself as if the action would protect him from the memory. "Why?"
"His counselors suggested it as part of his recovery."
"He's still…"
"In Big Sur, yeah. He understands you've probably got a lot going on with school right now so, this summer?"
"What would I say? That I fucked up? That I didn't realize how pissed I still was they left me screaming on the ground after the Slushie? That because of the way I felt I should've had Trent call you for help? That I should've gone to Dalton and talked to the Warblers before I did anything else? That I should've remembered Once aWarbler/Always a Warbler wasn't only in good times? That I was pissed Sebastian let the steroids happen and the only reason I went to Dalton after the scandal broke was to confront him? That I ran away when you told me he left for Paris months before? That it took months to realize my running away from Dalton that day was no different than what they'd done in that parking garage?"
"Blaine…"
"That I trusted someone I shouldn't have?"
"Yes, to all the above, but I'm personally interested in the last one. Let me guess…Schuester?"
"I never should've let Sam and Finn convince me to trust him. I'm not blaming them. This is all on me. But I told Schuester over and over again, the number one priority was the health of the Warblers. Then it was keeping shit out of the press. Colleges, especially Ivy League, could deny someone admission for just being associated with a scandal. He swore he told the Show Choir Association to keep it all hush-hush. When all hell broke loose, I wanted to believe him. Maybe I was in denial, I don't know. Then the New Directions were awarded the Regional's slot. I wanted to protest but the other New Directions were so happy, especially Marley who blamed herself for the disqualification since she was the one who fainted. And we were already going to have to pull people out of thin air to make 12 members…"
"I get it, but how did the Show Choir Association justify awarding the New Directions the slot?"
"A wink and a nod then *poof* a random bylaw is conveniently interpreted to say defending National Champions receive an automatic bid to Regionals. None of the previous champions were ever notified this was an option but the bylaw was (air quotes) always there."
"Ok" Wes stood up, signaling he was done with their conversation. "This was productive. I believe we both had several lingering questions answered. You are to have Santana contact Annabelle when you've made your decision about Trent. I'll see myself out."
Blaine followed him, knowing he might never get another chance to say something. "Wes…thank the guys for keeping my secret even though I didn't keep theirs."
"How do you know they have?"
"Hunter would've blackmailed me instead of stealing the trophy. And then the steroids…"
"It wasn't Brittany's fault the Lima education system failed her. The only question we had was, if that psycho cheerleading coach hated the New Directions so much, why didn't she report they were competing with an ineligible member, especially after you guys won Nationals?"
"Britt was also a cheerleader. If the New Directions had to give back their trophies, so would she."
Wes nodded while wondering why they'd never thought of the rather obvious answer. It wasn't like he and the guys hadn't discussed the topic dozens of times. "Blaine, the guys considered reporting Brittany's ineligibility after what happened with Trent. Not because of you, your exile was the proper punishment. It was because of Schuester. We knew he was involved, just not to this extent."
"What stopped them?"
"Between Trent and your eye, we decided the bullshit had to end. Brittany didn't deserve to become another collateral damage victim. From what we remembered she was a sweet girl, innocent like Trent. Being the reason the New Directions were stripped of any title she participated in would have broken her."
"Like I broke Trent."
"Yes"
Wes always did know how to get straight to the point. "Any way, thank you...and thank them."
"I will, but one last thing. The Warblers involved with Uptown Girl explained to me, at nauseum, the connection between you and Sebastian. How Seblaine will eventually find their way back to each other. Despite how we feel about you, Sebastian will always be a Warbler. Don't make him choose between us."
"Are you saying if Sebastian and I got together, the Warblers would cut him off?"
"No, that's not what I said. Think about it. Goodbye, Blaine."
Not long after Wes left, Blaine grabbed his gym bag. Why not? He was dressed for it. His only regret was he'd have to suppress his desire to hit the heavy bag since he was planning on working on music later. Playing an instrument with sensitive knuckles was never fun.
But DAMN, he wanted to hit something.
He didn't stay long and on his arrival home he was met with the Habitat for Humanity volunteers loading items into multiple trucks and Santana sitting on the front steps with a notepad. "Keeping track of what's leaving or plotting to make my life even more miserable?"
"You attend the most expensive arts school in NYC and your parents hired me to handle all those pesky everyday tasks so you can focus on your talent. You're living in a ridiculously luxurious basement through a million dollar remodel of a house your parents bought for cash. There are currently volunteers hauling perfectly good, but not your mother's style, housing materials out of the million dollar remodel to build housing for people who can't afford it. Your life is not miserable, Little Prince First World Problems. You might be dealing with a lot of shit, but…but…choose your adjectives carefully."
Wow, that was a lot…and true. "Hey" Blaine sat on the steps next to her and bumped their shoulders. "I'm sorry."
"No, I shouldn't have jumped on you like that. I was talking with the Habitat team leaders earlier and it hit me what could've happened if you and your parents didn't save me."
"San, after what happened to him, Sam would've never let you become homeless. And even if my parents were out of the picture, I wouldn't have let it happen either. I'm kind of sad you don't realize that."
"Thanks, Kid."
"Any time." Blaine saw her smile return, but it was obvious the topic continued to weigh on his friend. "But I really do have a major first-world problem. A crazy bitch threw all my clothes in a dumpster!"
Santana laughed so loud, one of the volunteers almost dropped the sink he was carrying. "Check the closet in the office. I had Annabelle call the stylist you went to for the Met Gala. His people sent stuff to tide you over until our shopping spree tomorrow."
"Stephan? Why him?"
"He had your measurements…duh! Go take a shower. I'm busy and you smell like a boy."
"Yes, ma'am." Blaine kissed her cheek before doing what she said. His parents' House Manager was beginning to take her responsibilities way too seriously, but for now, he was ok with it.
A shower wound up being exactly what he needed. And the clothes Stephan sent over were not only perfectly tailored, they were a style he'd been eyeing but was afraid to try. He put on his glasses to rest his eyes then read the instructions for the hair serum. The moment he was satisfied how his curls framed his face, his phone rang. The photo that appeared was a surprise, not as big as Wes, but still a surprise. "Hey, Marley! It's good to hear from you when we're not discussing the lockdown. Hold on, you don't want to talk about the lockdown, do you?"
"No, and I know I've kept my distance since I left McKinley, except on the anniversary…"
"Marley…"
"I need a favor. A big favor."
An hour later Blaine was in a recliner in the theater with his laptop, tablet, phone, and Marley smiling back at him from the screen. Video chats were so much easier using the projector. "Are you sure you want to stay here with all the construction? My mom was serious when she said she'd get you a hotel room."
"Blaine, all I asked was if you could find out why NYADA rescheduled my audition from Monday to Wednesday. This is too much…way, way too much."
He agreed it was too much, but it helped ease his guilt. He was fairly certain he was partially responsible for her schedule change…but only like 3%. The other 97% was Kurt's fault. All NYADA students required to attend a week of seminars on professionalism and legal issues in the entertainment industry? Like that didn't scream Kurt and his Sebastian/NDA issues.
"I wish you would've said something sooner. What were you thinking scheduling both your Tisch and NYADA auditions in one day?"
"I was thinking Mom and I could afford plane tickets to and from NYC but not plane tickets and hotel room. This is all a pipe dream anyway. Even if I get into one of them, I don't know how I'm going to pay for it. Maybe I should cancel."
"Concentrate on your auditions. Thanks to my brilliant scheduling you'll have most of Sunday here to relax before Tisch on Monday and the entire day Tuesday to relax before NYADA on Wednesday. I'm just upset I couldn't get you out here tomorrow so you could protect me from Santana when we go clothes shopping."
Marley began to laugh "No can do. I'm totally Team Santana on this one."
"Well, I'm going to tell her to find you new audition outfits so take that!" Blaine saw Marley's demeanor change and wondered if he'd push things too far. "Mar, you know I can't tackle a problem without an immaculately detailed 20 slide power point presentation. You had the unfortunate timing of Sam being in Kentucky. No one ever believed he was the one to reel me in on all of Blam's Big Ideas but now you know better."
"I missed you…and Sam, of course. I'm sorry it took the anniversary of the shooting for us to reconnect."
"You and me both, but that's the past. Let's focus on the future."
When their chat was done, Blaine texted his mom to confirm the car she arranged to pick-up Marley at the airport. It didn't take long for him to receive a text with a link to the information as well as a reminder of dinner with his father. The constant reminders had him believing this was more than a simple meal because his father was in town.
Something to obsess over later.
He'd awoken that morning (technically afternoon) with a song idea, but the craziness of the day hadn't allowed him time to get it on paper. He went to the studio to jot down some notes, but for the first time in a long time, everything poured out onto both the piano and sheet music without constant editing and doubt. He was finishing the second verse when he heard…
**Cough**Cough**
"Santana, I've told you a million times. If the red light outside the studio is on, it means leave me the hell alone."
"I'm not Santana." Blaine closed and reopened his eyes. Nope, he wasn't imagining this. "You look good. I like your new clothes, and the glasses…and your hair."
"You're lying. Go home Kurt."
"I want to talk."
"I don't. No wait, I've got a question. How the hell did you get down here? I locked the door at the top of the stairs when I took a shower." Kurt rocked nervously, telling Blaine he wasn't going to like the answer. "Well?"
"Um, you didn't change the code on the lock pad, so I let myself in."
Shit!
"I said waiting until Monday would be a mistake. Everyone else said you'd never get through the front door. By the way, how did you get through the front door? I want to rub it in while doing my I told you so dance."
"I didn't break in, if that's what you're insinuating."
"Well, I'm pretty fucking sure Santana didn't let you in."
"Fine! There were workmen taking out garbage, so the front door was open."
"So, on top of getting a locksmith out here ASAP, Santana has to go Lima Heights on the foreman for his men letting a random person off the street walk into the brownstone without finding out who the fuck he was?!"
"Why are you so mad? I'm not a random person, Blaine."
"After the shit you said to me yesterday, random person is the nicest title I have for you."
Kurt didn't roll his eyes, but his frustration was palpable. "I'm sorry."
Blaine immediate reflex was to say I don't care but changed his mind. He could count on one hand the times his former boyfriend apologized during their entire relationship. "You're sorry for…?"
"Look, this isn't how I wanted this to go." Kurt took a deep breath before taking Blaine's hand in his. "I'm here to get you back. I don't mean to blurt it out like that, but for the sake of clarity, you should know that first I'm going to get your forgiveness and then I'm gonna get your heart back." Blaine stared at him like he'd grown another head, and for some unknown (idiotic) reason, Kurt took his silence as a sign to keep going. "I know I blew it. I blew the best thing that ever happened to me." He let go of Blaine's hand and pulled a wrapped gift from his messenger bag. "Please, please open this. It will prove how serious I am about winning you back."
Damn it! Why did his curiosity keep playing along? "Airplane tickets to Las Vegas? I don't understand." That all changed when he looked up from the tickets to find his (obviously delusional) ex on one knee, holding out a ring box.
"Marry me. I called one of those tacky wedding chapels and we have a slot for tomorrow night. We'll be back in time for classes on Monday. I know you. There's no way the ridiculous rumors you dropped out and are meeting June in Paris are true."
"You want to get married? In Vegas? Tomorrow?" Blaine heard exactly what Kurt said but the two newcomers hadn't. Although, the bended knee/ring combo spoke for itself.
"I understand it's not the wedding I…we dreamed of but when the brownstone is finished, we can throw one here for our family and friends. Or better yet, we could rent an event space in one of the posher downtown hotels…"
"Enough!"
Kurt turned his head to see Santana, standing quietly, recording his proposal. She wasn't the problem. It was the man standing next to her.
Blaine moved around Kurt to stand in front of his father. "You have to let me handle this."
"No"
"Dad, if you kick him out, Kurt will somehow turn my breaking up with him into a Shakespearean tragedy with you as the villain preventing us from being together. He'll never let it go."
Charles pulled Blaine into a hug without taking his eyes off Kurt. "Santana, set a timer for 10 minutes. If Mr. Hummel isn't gone by then, send down some of the construction crew to remove the trash."
"Dad…"
"10 minutes, Blaine. Santana…?"
"On it, Boss. Where will you be if I need you?"
"In the theater, taking advantage of the soundproofing. Start the timer the moment I shut the door."
To be fair, Santana didn't start the timer until she closed the door at the top of the stairs. With the elder Anderson out of the room, Kurt suddenly had plenty to say. "I'd turn our love story into a Shakespearean tragedy? How could you say something like that? I would never…"
"Are you fucking serious? You don't remember any of the tales of woe you caterwauled during our last break up? I've seen the NYADA blogs. How it's already common knowledge I dumped you leaving no way for you to spin the rumors in your favor without breaking your NDA, again. And because of your inability to take responsibility for anything, your next logical step would be to blame someone close to me since I can't be turned into the villain this time."
"But Blaine…"
"Oh, and if I hear or read one mention of what happened between me and my dad and building a car, I will bury you."
"You can't do that!"
"True, but remember my new friend Annabelle? She can. With how much she dislikes you, I wouldn't be surprised if she already started a just in case file. Maybe I can finally get the full story on the Santa Clause who robbed the loft right before your dad and I arrived from Ohio that Christmas."
The 15 shades of red Kurt's face turned were amazing. "I…it's not…what happened to you? You've never acted like this! This is all Smythe's fault!"
"You're so focused on Sebastian and Sir Knight, you're blinded to what is now so obvious. We were bad for each other long before any of that happened…toxically bad. I've been telling myself Love shouldn't be this hard but couldn't find a way to fix our relationship. I'm beginning to understand our problems weren't the accusations you constantly spewed at me. The problem was I let you do it."
"Blaine…"
"No, I will not marry you. I don't even want to be friends with you. Hopefully, someday we'll learn to be civil considering our shared ties to the New Directions. And since you have no sense of awareness, show up uninvited again and I'll let Santana call the cops. I'd do it myself, but it would bring her so much joy."
"Damn straight it would" Santana responded, holding out her phone. "One minute, Hummel."
Kurt marched up the stairs, Santana right behind. Once they were out of sight, Blaine spread out on the floor and closed his eyes. He thought when a person expelled that much negativity from their system, they were supposed to feel lighter…free. He was just exhausted.
The next thing Blaine knew he was opening his eyes and groaning as he slowly rose from the floor. His dad's voice was coming from the theater, so he headed toward the room to find the man in a recliner, wearing a pair of Sam's sweats and a T-shirt, Empire Strikes Back cued on the screen. WTF?
"Santana, consider the dress a bonus for how you tore the foreman a new one. I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time…The restaurant knows to charge the bill to my credit card…Yes, I know Old Homestead Steakhouse is the most expensive steakhouse in NYC…That's why you're getting the special menus without prices. And no Googling before you go. Santana, Sleeping Beauty is awake. You and Annabelle enjoy the dinner. Bye."
"Dad?"
"Nice nap?" Charles rushed out of his seat as Blaine appeared ready to pass out. "Ok, let's get you to the lounge to lie down. I can turn down the lights, it looks like you're getting one of your headaches."
"I'm fine. We're supposed to go to dinner."
"We were but when Santana and I found you passed out on the floor, I switched our plans. Santana and Annabelle took our dinner reservation." Once Blaine was situated on one of the sofas, Charles covered him with a throw blanket before getting Tylenol and a bottle of water. "Here take these. When was the last time you ate?"
"Um…yesterday. Where are you going?"
"To find something for you to eat more substantial than the hot dogs, popcorn and cupcakes I planned for our movie marathon."
"Sam lives here. We always have healthy food."
"Another reason why I love that boy. Close your eyes. I'll be back in a minute."
As fuzzy as his head was, Blaine wondered if he misheard something his father said. "Did you say you gave Santana and Annabelle our reservation? You willingly gave up your favorite steak in the world forStar Wars and hot dogs?"
"No, I willingly gave up my favorite steak in the world for my son. Close your eyes. That's an order."
"Sorry, Santana's now the boss of me."
Charles chuckled knowing (but would never say out loud) this was the very reason his wife hired the girl. "Do you want me to call her?"
"No, I'll close my eyes. And Dad…thanks."
"Baaaaaassssss, please…more."
"B…"
"Don't say it. Anytime I've dreamed of being naked in a bed with you, we were never making love. The sex was always hard, pounding, passionate, sometimes pornographic. I want this…I need this."
"Your wish is my command, Killer."
Blaine opened his eyes to the instant buzz kill of his dad on another sofa with his briefcase and documents spread out on a coffee table. Hopefully, he hadn't done anything embarrassing in his sleep.
"You're awake. How's your headache? You were moaning for a while."
He thought nothing could knock The Gap Attack out of the #1 position on his Most Embarrassing Moments of My Life list, but he was wrong…so, so, wrong. "My headache is better, but I am hungry. I was probably dreaming of food."
Sounds reasonable
"Well, I talked to Sam, and he said the best thing to do is give you food in small amounts every half hour. First, were going to raise your blood sugar…OJ, almonds and black tea with honey. He said your headache might be from caffeine withdrawal. Evidently you have quite the coffee addiction."
"If I've got to raise my blood sugar, why not one of the cupcakes you mentioned? I'm assuming they're the double chocolate-chocolate chip jumbos with hazelnut frosting and a salted caramel core from the bakery by the Plaza."
"Of, course."
"To celebrate my breakup with Kurt?"
"Not going to deny it but I'm not nearly as bad as your mom."
"What did she do?"
"An expensive bottle of champaign was delivered less than an hour after I told her." Blaine couldn't help but laugh because that was exactly something his mom would do. "I'll be back."
Spending time with his dad like this was nice…and then completely ruined when he remembered he never told his parents the name of the Warbler who threw the Slushie. They never asked, so he let it go.
However, Kurt didn't. When he reminded his then boyfriend he was the one who gave away the only piece of physical evidence without asking the VICTIM first, he backed off. Now there was nothing stopping him.
When Charles returned, he put the nuts and OJ on the table next to Blaine before handing him the tea. "Drink this while it's hot."
"Dad…"
"Drink now, talk later."
It was the best tea Blaine ever had, but he had a feeling it was because it felt so good going into his system. This wasn't the first time he'd gotten so busy/distracted he skipped meals, but nothing like this had happened. He put down the mug then drank the OJ in less than a minute. Grabbing the bowl of nuts, he adjusted to get comfortable. No, he was already comfortable. This was nerves. "I need to tell you something and we need to do it now. Kurt knows and I can see him trying to get revenge by telling you first. Do you remember when you were here the last time and Sam and Santana were teasing me about someone named Sir Knight?"
"He was the wrong number June gave you who wound up being your Knight in Shining Armor by helping you get where you were supposed to be. Right?"
"Yes. We never told each other our names. There's some super-secret mystery involving his career, so it was easier that way."
"Super-secret mystery?"
"There are $1 million NDAs involved. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is I didn't try to find out his real name, but I did. I knew him. He went to Dalton after I left. His name is Sebastian."
Charles sat stoically for a few moments then smiled bigger than Cooper at the end of his Free Credit commercial. "Sam was right? Your mother and I didn't want to get our hopes up…"
WTF?!
"Dad, I don't think you understand."
"Sebastian Smythe was the Warbler who threw the Slushie that caused you to have eye surgery. I know, so does your mother."
WTF?!
"You KNEW?! Who told you?"
"Seb. He came to the hospital to meet with us while you were in surgery. He didn't tell you the night you stayed at his parents' house after the lockdown?"
WTF?!
"That was months later. And how…how did you know I was with Bas that night?"
"You call him Bas? That's nice. And we knew you were there because he texted us when you arrived and left for home. He knew we'd worry."
"He had your phone number?!"
"Seb didn't tell you…" Charles' eyes went wide as he leaned back into his sofa. "You two didn't talk at all, did you?"
New #1 on his Most Embarrassing Moments of My Life list
"Uh…"
"I don't know if I should give you a birds and the bees lecture or a high five because Seb left no tell-tale marks and you were gone for HOURS!"
"DAD!"
"What? Your mom and I never understood why you went back to Kurt when someone as perfect as Seb was right there, and now it makes even less sense. I know he moved back to Paris…but Son, HOOUURRS!"
"Dad, stop! Or I might actually pass out this time."
"Ok, you rest. It's time for scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt and pushing water to prevent dehydration. Plus, I have to call your mom, or she'll kill me for not telling her as soon as I found out."
"Dad…don't, don't…just don't tell her everything."
"Scared Cooper might overhear?"
"Yes, but also…SHE'S MY MOM!"
It was another hour until Blaine could look his father in the face, but the time gave them a chance to self-evaluate what happened. Both knew the direction their next conversation must take, but they'd been avoiding it for so long it was hard to know where to start.
Upon returning from his third trip to the bathroom Blaine broke the ice. "I'm pretty sure we can cut back on the water."
"You weren't as wobbly this time but you're still awfully pale. Maybe it's time to go to an ER."
"I don't think my continued paleness is from skipping a few meals. It's me enduring the most embarrassing conversation of my life."
Charles closed his briefcase and settled in for Part 2. When he invited Blaine to dinner it was to tell him some news regarding both him and his brother. He was beyond relieved it had been delayed because what happened next was going to weigh heavily on his son's opinion. "Was it embarrassing because for so long you believed I was a homophobe?"
"I knew you weren't a homophobe, I just thought you didn't want a gay son. For some reason it was easier to believe than…"
"I would always choose Cooper over you?"
"Well, yeah but both could've been true." Almost 5 years of pent-up anger boiled to the surface and Blaine was finally ready to let it out. "We were supposed to talk, just you and me, the day after I told you. But no! Copper had another one of his never-ending emergencies and you flew out to LA instead. I was so hurt and then the car arrived."
"It was horrible timing, I know. But when I tried to explain you yelled that because I left you went online to learn about sex from gay porn sites." Charles' train of thought was cut-off by an epiphany. "Blaine, my comment about a birds and the bees lecture…I'm so sorry. Hell, everything I said was inappropriate."
"At least now I know for sure you don't have issues with my being gay. But then what was up with the car?"
"Again, I'm so sorry, but I didn't realize the ramifications of my leaving until I was halfway to LA. I want you to understand I figured out what I'd done wrong before my plane landed."
"Why?"
"Because I checked my voice mails while waiting for the rental. It was full of angry messages from you mother telling me I'd better come up with a way to fix my mess or not bother coming home."
Blaine grabbed his phone and sent an I LOVE YOU gif to his mother. "Is this where the car comes in?"
"I don't know if you remember, but when you were around 3 you'd find ways to get past the gates and come into the garage when I was working on that old Camaro I rebuilt. You wanted to help so badly I'd lay out my tools on the floor for you to bring to me. Some of them were so big and you were so little…"
"I do have some flashes of those memories, but they might be from looking at the photo album full of pictures Mom took."
"Your mom does love to take pictures." Charles didn't want to admit he'd forgotten about the album. Yet another way he'd failed Blaine. "In less than a month I didn't have to point them out, you knew every tool, even the sizes of wrenches and the difference between Phillips and Flat Head screwdrivers. But I'd bought the car for Cooper's 16th birthday and he didn't want it so I sold it. I was so upset but didn't consider you would be as well. Then your mom bought you your first violin and your path as a musical prodigy began. Son, I didn't get the car because I wanted my straight son back. I got it because I wanted my little boy back."
Blaine went to sit beside his father and dropped his head on his shoulder. When Charles wrapped his arm around his shoulders, he felt a sense of calm unlike any he could remember. In the Anderson family tradition, he decided to crack a joke instead of cry like a baby…for now. "I'll always be your little boy. Cooper is 6 inches taller than me." Laughter was followed by a kiss on the head, a gesture usually performed by his mother. Speaking of… "You never told me why Mom is in LA. What emergency did Cooper have this time?"
"None" Blaine lifted his head, his eyes clearly saying Bullshit. "I'm serious. Cooper turns 30 next month and will receive what remains of the trust fund his mother set up before she passed away. Let's just say it's significantly smaller than he anticipated."
"Can I ask why?"
"His mother's wishes were upon his graduation from high school, Cooper was to receive a monthly allowance from the trust. The rest could be used for college, a gap year backpacking through Europe, a wedding, a house…things like that. Beverly came from an extremely wealthy family. Did you know that?"
"Oh, yeah. Cooper mentioned it several times."
Charles shook his head as this was something he should have guessed. "When we found out she was sicker than we thought, she told me she wanted me to find love again and have more children. She knew I would never accept her money to take care of our son, so we compromised. I'd support Cooper's childhood and she'd take care of him as an adult."
"That's an…um, unusual arrangement."
"You don't argue with a woman with Stage 4 cancer who is leaving her baby behind."
Blaine had no comeback for that. "But of all the things you listed, the only one Cooper did was buy his condo."
"He had all those emergencies, as you love to call them. I took care of whatever mess he got himself into but your mom's a bookkeeper. She kept every single receipt. We told him we were going to do this before he left for LA but he conveniently forgot."
"That trust must've had a ton of money."
"It did at one time. However, the reason there's anything left is because your mother and I agreed to pay half of his expenses, except his condo, until the money was fully his. We knew his moving to LA was going to be a disaster. We didn't want him to drain the trust before he tuned 30 and had hopefully grown-up. Don't laugh… Also, I can admit a large part of Cooper's issues stem from me always being the one to fix his emergencies, not him. But I was such a mess when his mom died, I could barely get out of bed let alone parent a baby. Thank God your mother showed up in my life because I was beginning to consider Beverly's sister's offer to adopt him."
"And that guilt never really went away?"
"Nope. I'm not giving you an excuse, I'm giving you an explanation, or at least the best one my therapist and I came up with."
Ok, that was shocking. "You? Charles Anderson went to therapy?"
"I know I fought the idea of family therapy, add it to my list of failures. But 6 months ago, when I got a reminder from the lawyers about Cooper's trust, I made a decision. The moment the money was his, he's on his own. No more financial assistance, no more running to his rescue. I thought therapy would give me coping mechanisms to not give in again."
"Great! But you still have answered why Mom is in LA and not you."
"She's laying the groundwork. When Cooper heard about this place and how Sam got the lead in the Magic Mike musical, the movie he starred in…"
"Channing Tatum starred in the movie."
"Not according to your brother."
Blaine braced himself, afraid to ask the question he already knew the answer to. "What did he do?"
"He put his condo up for sale and demanded to be included in the remodel since he needs this place when he moves to NYC to launch his Broadway career." Charles tightened his hold on his son to keep him from freaking out. "Since I was supposed to meet with the record label people, your mother went to tell him we had other plans for the brownstone so he might want to get his condo off the market."
Blaine let out an audible sigh before asking "Are you and mom moving to NYC?"
"Our original plan was for you and Sam, and now Santana, to live here until you graduate and then we'd sell it. Then you and your friends discovered what happened down here and named the basement Blaineland. Remember when I said Cooper's mother wanted me to find love again and have other children?"
"Yeeeeessss?"
"Without my knowledge, she set up a second trust for any future children I might have. We'd wanted to have a large family so I'm assuming she thought I'd have many kids and not just one miracle baby. Because of this, all the money is yours. Sorry we didn't tell you sooner, it was never the right time. Because of that we didn't use the money for NYADA this year."
"Take it back!"
"If you insist, we'll talk about it later. Let me finish what I have to say first." By this time Blaine was speechless so he nodded as a signal to continue. "Since your trust has the same stipulations as Cooper's, it meant you could buy a house with the money before turning 30, so we put this place in your name. The brownstone is yours."
This time his father couldn't hold him down. "You wouldn't use the money for NYADA, but you bought me a fucking house? Are you hell bent on watching me pass out?"
"Hadn't you noticed despite Santana mastering your mother's insane lists, there were always questions only you could answer? Do you prefer this or that color for the bathroom walls? What would be best…the new fridge/freezer to be stainless steel or blend in with the kitchen cabinets?"
Blaine practically fell back to where he'd been sitting. "Sorry about the curse word."
"You're an adult now and with what I've dropped on you, I'm surprised that was your first F-bomb."
"Was this what you wanted to talk about over dinner?"
"Yes. Are you ok? The color is leaving your face again."
"Dad, this is insane."
"Why? Blaineland is perfect to help launch your music career. And another thing, whenever we gave Cooper money, your mother and I set the same amount aside for you. There's more than enough to live off for the next 10 years, even paying Santana's, or whoever's, salary and the benefit package we put together."
Just when he thought he'd regained his bearings, Blaine was once again overwhelmed. After his conversations with the New New Directions earlier that week, he'd begun to analyze all the decisions he'd made since the lockdown, and he wasn't proud of most of them. Then the over the past 2 days that analysist stretched to cover the last 4 years…Kurt, leaving Dalton, Sebastian, Cooper's fake attempt to repair their relationship, the mess with Kurt at the start of Senior year, No Thanks, Trent, getting back together with Kurt, choosing NYADA instead of Julliard or Tisch, Sir Knight, June, breaking up with Kurt…again, Wes, Kurt's ridiculous proposal, his yearlong writer's block when it came to love songs, this evening.
It was all too much. Hopefully, his father would understand.
"What you and mom, even Cooper's mom, have done is amazing but a lot of things have happened in the past couple days that have my mind spinning. I know everyone talks about me having OCD but I don't think it's as big a joke as we think. Right now, I'm so overwhelmed I can't process it all."
"Do you think that has as much to do with how you're feeling as the fact you forgot to eat?"
"More…I think it has everything to do with my health this evening. I know NYADA costs a lot of money…"
"Is this about Santana and what she said about First-World problems? She told me she's really sorry…"Charles heard Blaine sigh in exasperation "Sorry, lips zipped."
"Thank you this is hard enough. I, I…I don't think I can go back."
The elder Anderson smiled bigger than he had when he found out Sir Knight was Sebastian. "When you were lying here, looking so pale, I thought of suggesting leaving NYADA and going somewhere out of NYC to rest for a while. Someplace by the water or in the mountains. But I know how you feel about running away from things, so I didn't know how to address it."
"I think this time I wouldn't be running away. I'd be running toward something."
"Sounds like you have an idea."
"I do. I want to go to California for a couple of months until Sam's opening night."
"You want to go to California, where your brother is? I don't think that's going to help your stress and anxiety."
"I don't want to go to LA. I want to visit an old friend in Big Sur."
7AM THE NEXT MORNING
Santana knew she was going to hear shit from Blaine about her so-called walk of shame and she couldn't care less. She really liked Annabelle…like Brittany level like. But since she was leaving for Paris tomorrow night, with no firm return date, they both thought it would be a good idea to determine whether or not a long-distance relationship was worth it considering they'd only known each other 2 days.
Oh yeah, so worth it.
She went to the office to get a change of clothes before heading downstairs to shower. Hopefully Blaine had a good night's sleep. He looked awful the last time she saw him, but they had a busy day of shopping ahead.
When she got downstairs, she didn't see Blaine in either the lounge or studio. The bathroom door was open, that left the theater. Why would he sleep in there? Did he and his dad fall asleep during their movie marathon?
The theater was empty as well. However, Blaine's smiling face was on the screen and the remote had a Play Me post-it attached. If he'd talked his dad into getting him out of shopping, there'd be hell to pay.
By the time you watch this I'll be on a plane to Kentucky. I'm surprising Stevie and Stacy for their birthday. I'm also going to fill Sam in on everything that's happening. He'll be back tomorrow instead of Monday and will let you know what's going on. I'm sorry I don't have the time and where I'm going doesn't allow cell phones. I will write you a letter once I'm settled.
Oh, Marley is going to call around noon. Take the call.
Nothing has changed…except the fact the brownstone is mine and I'm technically your employer. I won't say boss because we both know who the real boss is in the house. I trust your judgement picking out furniture and any remaining remodel details. I love Sam but I don't want bean bags in front of a 72in TV in the living room. That's why we have the theater. And just because my clothes you threw out were some interesting colors, it doesn't mean they should be considered for my bedroom walls.
When I say my bedroom, I mean the one that shares a bathroom with Sam's. Like I said, nothing changes. You keep the master and private bathroom. We both know I'll sleep most nights in Blaineland when I get home.
And Tana, thank you for sharing with me the other night. Because you were so brave, I was able to do the same with my dad. It was amazing, possibly life changing. You keep saying my parents and I saved you but you, my Heroine in High Heels, will never understand how eternally grateful I am you are in my life.
There's a gift for you on the concession stand. Bye for now.
Santana hadn't noticed the piece of paper on the counter. The dork should have warned her not to read it alone.
I, Blaine Devon Anderson, hereby enter a 5 year rental agreement with Santana Lopez with $0 due at the first of every month. She is free to end or extend the agreement at any time
This agreement is not contingent on whether or not Miss Lopez remains in my employment
Miss Lopez acknowledges she will be living with the loud, nerdy, sometimes stinky and messy, but always loveable, Blam…and possibly another roommate in the fall
(More information to come)
Miss Lopez also acknowledges Sam will be getting a dog sooner than later
11 AM SUNDAY…PARIS
Sebastian loved the smell of Paris in the Spring.
He hadn't spent much time outdoors since his arrival…driving back and forth to Château sur la colline and pushing Nana's wheelchair through the hospital's gardens. But every day at this time he got around 30 minutes to come outside, sit on a bench and just breathe. It was the time his grandmother's nurse would come in and say the 2 magic words…sponge bath.
As much as he loved his Nana, he wasn't hanging around to see that.
*Groan* "You look like shit. What did your parents do this time?"
Standing in front of him was the last person he expected to see…ok, second to last. "Stephan, what the fuck? Don't you have several A-listers to style for the Met Gala in 2 weeks?"
"You thought I wouldn't come? I'm pissed I couldn't get here sooner, and I'm stunned I'm not bailing you and/or Grandma June out of jail. I heard you finally got proof your parents were there when Aunt Juli fell. Where are they now?"
"In the wind as usual. I'm sure they'll slither back when Nana is released."
"She's not going to a rehabilitation facility?"
"We can get all the equipment she needs and hire private nurses and physical therapists. Plus, now I've hired double the security and the DGSI is involved."
"How did that happen?"
"You're kidding, right? First of all, there's a restraining order…"
"Which should be handled by the police."
"And secondly, you don't get elected in this country unless Nana gives you a public endorsement."
"Ah, yes, how could I be so stupid?"
"Because you are that stupid."
"I love you too, Cousin."
Sebastian stood and stretched. "Come on, Nana should be done letting the nurses make her even more beautiful."
"No, I'll go. You sit back down."
"No, I have to go…"
"Sit down Seb."
"Fine, but why the fuck are you so adamant about it?"
"Here" Stephan handed him the gift bag he'd been carrying, which Sebastian assumed was for his grandmother.
Inside the bag was a box and inside the box was… "A cronut?"
Stephan didn't answer, just handed his cousin a letter and walked away.
To my Sir Knight from your Prince Charming
TBC in Chapter 6 Plot Twist: Sir Knight Edition
NOTES:
There are a few storylines I completely ignore. Kitty giving Marley an eating disorder is one of them.
Blaine's overall attitude/involvement with reporting the Warblers for steroids never felt right (besides the obvious the ND were disqualified at Sectionals). Taking down Hunter was one thing, but in the "Big Neck" photo montage, there were Warblers who were at Dalton in Season 2. Yes, the Slushie is in between, but still…Also, Sebastian wasn't in the montage and Trent doesn't mention him when talking with Blaine, Sam and Finn. That's my justification for he wasn't there. Explaining how he didn't know and still competed at Sectionals was the hard part.
As for Wes' attitude toward Blaine...The two of them are often written as either big brother/little brother or mentor/mentee. I chose to write Wes where his loyalty was to the Warblers as an institution, with no sympathy for those who broke the OAW/AWA code. It was hard to do. I kept wanting to make it ok for Blaine, but not this time.
Previously Unaired Christmas was Episode 5x08 but it was originally supposed to air in Season 4. If both 5x08 and 4x10 (the episode that aired in its place) are canon, then Kurt was left tied up and gagged on his bed by sexy Santa right before Burt arrived to tell his son he had cancer, bringing Blaine along so they could sing their Christmas duet.
A 3 year-old carrying tools is totally unsafe but this would have been in the 90's. A lot of things that are seen as unacceptable today were fine back then.
There were a lot of events I wanted to add to Blaine's conversation with his father, but felt if I added any more it would bog down an already over-stuffed section. Unanswered Seblaine questions will be in the letter, but if you're curious how I would have handled something between Blaine and his father that I didn't address, ask.