Blaine had just left his sitting room, leaving behind an angry Puck and contrite Finn. It was all he could do not to slam the door behind him, but the thought that it might upset Kurt made him stop in his tracks and close it firmly but quietly. He fumed to himself, taking his time walking past the living room and hallways until he reached the one leading to the nursery. Just as he entered the corridor he heard Kurt shout his name. What could be wrong now?

"Kurt?" he shouted back, trying to glean enough information to tell where the shout had come from.

"Blaine, hurry! Noah, Finn!" Kurt was shouting from the nursery. Blaine, quickly followed by Puck and Finn, ran into the nursery.

Kurt was standing by Holly's crib, a huge grin on his face, his hand on his father's shoulder. Burt was grinning fit to burst, but it wasn't clear whether his grin was there for Kurt's sake or for Holly's.

"Blaine! Come see!" Kurt crowed again, taking Blaine's hand as he neared the focus of all the excitement.

"What?" Finn asked, seeing Holly in the crib lying on her back and kicking her feet.

"Just watch!" Kurt said as he reached into the crib and picked his daughter up, putting her back down on her tummy. She grunted as only a four month old can and started to wiggle. With great effort and a lot of posturing and failed attempts, she was able to get her limbs to work in her favor and she pushed hard. It resulted in her flipping over onto her back. The baby lay there, startled for a brief second, then her little face broke out in a gummy grin as she cooed up at her daddy and kicked her feet in excitement.

Kurt was jumping up and down, patting everyone on their backs as he jumped in a circle, unable to contain his elation at Holly's new stunt. Blaine was almost as excited, jumping with Kurt and grinning. To see Kurt so thrilled was an amazing thing after all the sadness and drama of the past few days.

Kurt picked up his baby girl, cuddling her close to his chest and cooing into her tiny ear.

"Who's daddy's big girl? Who can turn over all by herself? Such a good job, Holly!" he enthused. He leaned over and kissed Blaine, holding Holly between them. Everyone spoke at once, telling Holly what a clever baby she was and making predictions of her entering MIT by her twelfth birthday and other ridiculous predictions. They eventually calmed down and Blaine happened to glance at Levi's bed. He was still asleep, in spite of the noise, and Blaine went to pull the light blanket back up because he had kicked it off. He gave Kurt a look that said, "Let's get out of here before we wake him up" and Kurt turned to his family.

"Let's take our smart little girl in the living room so Levi can get his nap, okay?" Kurt said, glancing back at Blaine to make sure it was okay he took charge like that. Blaine was smiling at him and he felt instantly better.

Back in the living room, they decided to watch some television. Blaine led Kurt to the sofa and slipped off his shoes to get comfortable as the other men sat in the chairs. Mrs. Rose appeared and asked if they would like refreshments and Kurt told her all about his clever daughter and her new ability to turn herself over independently. He didn't get he joke when she said he wouldn't be so happy when she learned other things, like how to drive, but Burt laughed.

A short time later they were eating popcorn and drinking iced tea, intently watching a game of golf when Kurt fell asleep, holding Holly. Blaine felt his muscles relax and grabbed Holly just as she was rolling off of Kurt's chest. Blaine cuddled the startled baby close for a second before releasing her to her grandpa's loving hands. Burt took her to the rocking chair, wrapped her in her small bunny blanket and rocked her to sleep, humming a tune Blaine had heard Kurt use before.

Kurt turned in his sleep, his arm going around Blaine's back as he readjusted and was now asleep with his head cradled in Blaine's lap. Blaine's hand absentmindedly caressed Kurt's head, running his fingers through his chestnut hair. Kurt sighed in comfort, a small whine coming out when Blaine stopped. He began carding his fingers through the thick hair once again and Kurt moaned. All eyes went from Kurt to Blaine and the deep red blush that covered Blaine's face was not a joking matter to him.

"I think I'll just get Kurt to bed. He is tired out and the doctor said he needs sleep."

Waking his Sub gently by stroking his shoulder, Kurt sat bolt upright, startled. His eyes fell on Blaine and a slow smile spread across his face.

"Let's go to bed, Blaine. I'm so tired. I know I just got up from a nap, but now I'm just dead on my feet. Please take me?" Kurt said once more, leaning on Blaine.

"Of course, baby. Come with me," he said gently to his Sub, offering him the comfort of his arms before guiding him out of the room. Puck and Finn openly stared at the two, this was more than they had seen transpire between them since coming to New York and both of the men were baffled by how easily Kurt followed Blaine.

After they were gone a few minutes, Finn shook his head and spoke to Puck.

"I don't know if I trust that Blaine. He seems to be an awfully smooth operator, Kurt was never been a person to throw caution to the wind and just let himself get taken like that – I can't imagine he consented to a Union with that guy in just two days. Maybe we need to call a lawyer because I don't think it's legal for him to enter into a Declared Vow Union if he's being influenced by that medication Blaine's friend gave him, do you?" Finn asked. Puck frowned.

"That really does seem unlikely. What if Blaine is just looking to get his hands on Kurt's inheritance from Santana? He could have been following Kurt and just saw an opportunity to strike," Puck added.

Burt looked at the two men as if they had just grown three heads.

"Are you kidding me? Blaine certainly doesn't need any money. He owns this house, which says something considering we're in Manhattan. The man has a full time staff and drives around in a Rolls Royce, he doesn't need Kurt's money. As for Kurt being drugged into Initiating a Declared Vow? You know Kurt, and no force would ever make him do that against his will. I don't think either of you are giving him enough credit. Think this through before you make any rash decisions that you will regret later," Burt warned.

Blaine had come back to get the blanket he's left on the sofa, Kurt liked to snuggle in the soft folds of that blanket. Just as he got to the door frame, he overheard Finn start in on the debate and he was frozen in place as he heard what Kurt's family was discussing. He wanted to go in there and set the record straight, but couldn't very well just barge in and take over, could he? Well, if it was a bar or something – but this was his home and fighting with these people wouldn't end well. He decided to wait until the subject had died down before going back in.

As it happened, Mrs. Rose came just then to clear the dishes and bring another pitcher of iced tea.

"Mr. Anderson?" she asked as she got closer.

Oh, Rose, I am in a dilemma. I know his brother and friend don't like me. I can't help that and I try to tell myself that the only person's opinion that matters is Kurt's. That is the logical side of me, but somewhere inside I am still the child that wants everyone to like me. I didn't do anything wrong, Beth, so why do that hate me?" Blaine asked his old friend with tears starting in his eyes. She put her arms around him to try to comfort him.

"Honey, they just don't know you. Give them time. It has been a huge stress on everyone involved, you know. Can you imagine how scared all of them were when they got your phone call about how sick Kurt was? It's just that they are adjusting to the way things are, it will pass. I promise. Now, go in there and charm them," she said, holding Blaine by the shoulders and looking into his eyes.

Blaine smiled at her. "Thank you. I needed that," he said, his eyes dancing.

The doorbell rang and Mrs. Rose turned to walk down the corridor to answer it. "Are you expecting someone, Mr. Anderson?" she asked.

"No, Wes isn't due for a couple of hours yet."

Mrs. Rose opened the door to see Cooper standing there. He barged right in, kissed the housekeeper on her cheek, and spotted Blaine standing in the hall.

"Squirt! Just the man I wanted to see. Do you have a minute?" he asked.

"Well, yes...let's go into my office, Kurt's family is in the living room," Blaine said as he turned to walk back the way he came in.

Sitting in the office, The brothers caught up on what was going on in their lives up to that point. Cooper's office was doing some work with Jeff Sterling's office and the two old friends had gone to lunch earlier that day.

"You know Jeff's sister, Ellie, was the nurse for Holly when she was in the hospital," Blaine said.

"No, gosh I haven't seen Ellie in ages. We'll have to have dinner with her and Jeff. While I was talking to Jeff, I heard something that caught my ear. Seems an acquaintance of Jeff's works in a rival law office that sometimes concerns itself with certain people in the entertainment business. Things like wills and finance," Cooper said, giving Blaine a penetrating look.

"And why would I care?" Blaine asked.

"It seems a famous singer tragically passed away a few months ago and her estate should be going to her husband and two children. This law firm, while they usually do things honestly, has been known to have one attorney that preys on grief-stricken family members to siphon off large amounts of money and perhaps forget to tell the family how much real estate, bonds, and other holdings the deceased might have owned," Cooper continued. Blaine frowned.

"Are you telling me that Santana's lawyer is cheating Kurt and the kids out of their rightful inheritance?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying. I can't involve myself in the direct recovery of his assets without getting Jeff into some hot water, but he thinks you need to find out someone that can. I know you don't need the money, and therefore Kurt doesn't – but the fact remains that Kurt is entitled to it and if this woman is breaking the law, she needs to be punished. It's the principle of it. That estate needs to go to its rightful owner," Coop finished.

"What do I need to do?" Blaine asked.

"I can speak to a colleague and find the right person to do it. You need to speak to Kurt. As his Dom, if he is unable to do it – we'll have to involve Wes in this I think – you will have to meet with the person I find and then we can take it from there. We'll have to have the court freeze the assets as soon as possible. Where are the papers Kurt was carrying the day you met him?" Cooper asked.

Blaine thought for a moment.

"I have them in my bedroom. I just tossed them in a drawer and didn't look at them."

"It looks like he still has to sign them from what Jeff told me. Can you go get them?" Coop asked.

"Kurt's sleeping and I don't want it to look like I'm just taking over all of his things, I mean we have only been in this contract a few days – how would that look to the court? I can see a judge questioning that. Oh, I know. I'll go ask Kurt's father to join us."

Cooper sat looking out the window as a man entered the room. He was dressed in an old pair of blue jeans and a soft flannel shirt in shades of green and brown. His bald head was shiny and his blue eyes piercing as he stuck his hand out to Cooper.

"I'm Burt Hummel, Kurt's father. Blaine asked me to step in her for a minute. What's going on?" he asked, going straight to the matter with no useless small talk. Cooper smiled. He liked Burt immediately.

"Well met, Mr. Hummel. Cooper Anderson here. As you know, I am Blaine's lawyer. Also his big brother." Coop smiled and indicated Burt could sit next to Blaine's chair. Blaine was back in, Kurt's briefcase in hand.

"Burt, this is..." Blaine started, but was stopped by his brother.

"We met. Let's get down to it. Mr. Hummel, this is a delicate situation and I have advised my brother here that we need to act quickly." Cooper started.

"The name is Burt, please. What is going on, what do we have to act on, and why do you have my son's briefcase?"

"Burt, Cooper has found out through some friends that Santana's lawyer might be holding back some of her estate. This woman has done this in the past and Coop didn't want it to happen to Kurt. She does it legally, very careful to make sure she can't get caught, but finds a way to siphon off a large percentage of certain estates because she preys on unknowing, grieving people," Blaine explained. Burt was turning red.

"Why? Well, I know why, but to do that to someone who has lost a loved one? That's unbelievable," he turned to Cooper. "What can we do?"

"I need to look at the papers Kurt was carrying. If he hasn't signed them and returned them to the law office, we have a chance to get the whole estate back. Blaine has the legal right to look for them and to act on Kurt's behalf, but we agree it would be best if we included you in this. We don't want anyone thinking we are taking advantage of Kurt in any way," Cooper said.

"Okay. I see what you mean, with the two of them only a few days into the month claim and I'm guessing you haven't filed the papers about the Declared Vow yet?" Burt looked at Blaine, who shook his head no.

Cooper nodded and opened the briefcase, removing the sheaf of paper and glancing through the stack. He made an irritated humming noise and removed several pieces of paper stapled together. His eyes got big and his mouth turned into an angry frown.

"It is worse than I thought. Jeff was entirely correct, but the Fates are with us. Kurt has not signed the papers."

"Then we can stop her from absconding with Kurt's inheritance?" Blaine asked.

"Yes. It's going to take some work, but I think this might be prevented. We will have to act fast. My gut instinct is to advise you to call Nick Duvall. He does this kind of thing and you know he'll do right by you, Blaine. I can call him now and give him a heads up, then have Jeffers deliver the papers so he can get a court order to freeze the assets. It means Kurt won't be able to get any money out of the account that's in Santana's name for a while, but it won't affect his personal account. What would you like us to do, Burt?" Coop asked. He was loving this. Any time he could get his teeth into a good case, especially one that helped out a person in need, he was happy. To help someone his beloved brother loved was the icing on the cake.

The brothers looked at Burt. Burt just sat still. He was not the kind of person that rushed into things, and he was not letting the enthusiasm of two people he hardly knew sway his decision.

"How do you know this Nick Duvall and exactly how much time do we have?" Burt asked, sitting calmly and weighing the two brothers in his mind, trying to decide if he trusted them.

"I went to school with Nick. We were best friends since the second grade, like Kurt and Noah Puckerman. I'd trust Nick with my life, Burt," Blaine said, looking steadily into his eyes.

"I think at best we have a week. Cecelia Bremmer is a shark, and a smart one. The sooner the better I'd say. I've known Cecelia for years, but not on a personal level. She is known because she takes the initiative to talk now artists in New York to hire her. She gives discount rates to new clients, takes them "under her wing" as she calls it. She's smart, I'll give her that. She negotiates contracts with the artist and various recording companies or theatre groups and then offers other services such as finance advice and writing wills. It's a neat little package she has going: taking more of a percentage than a manager would, tying up the person's money and skimming off of that in he role as a manager. My guess is that Santana came to New York, Cecelia saw her as a victim and got her claws in early. What do you say, Burt? Shall we get the ball rolling?" Cooper asked.

Burt looked at Blaine. "You could do this without me. You have the legal right to do whatever you want as Kurt's Power of Attorney with the contract. Why are you asking me?"

"Because, Burt. I think Kurt has been taken advantage of enough, don't you? I have not known him long enough to feel right making this decision. I believe as his father you do. I love Kurt, but I also want to do what is morally right. Now, what would you like us to do?" Blaine said in a soft voice, thinking about the beautiful man he was so in love with. He looked back at Burt.

"Go ahead, Blaine. If Kurt trusts you enough to Initiate the Vow, then I can't do anything but put my trust in you, too."

"Thank you, Burt."

Cooper took the papers and placed them in a pile. At a nod from Blaine, he put them in his own briefcase and got up. Shaking Burt's hand he said his good-byes and left to deliver the papers to Nick's office.

Burt and Blaine sat for a while in silence. It was a comfortable silence, and Burt startled Blaine when he finally spoke.

"Blaine, I think you probably know how Puck and Finn feel about you. I saw your shadow in the hallway just before the doorbell rang. How much did you hear?"

"Enough to tell you that yes, I do know how they feel. I'm sorry about that, but it won't affect my relationship with Kurt unless he wants it to. I won't tell them lies to make them like me, even to ease things for Kurt. I also won't let them scare me off. I guess it is what it is and I will deal with it when and if I have to."

"I kind of thought you'd say that. I think I'm going to ask them to go back home. Kurt is over the initial part of this illness. I spoke to your Dr. Montgomery before he left and he told me about the withdrawal he will begin to go through and I think that Finn and Puck can't help – no matter how much they love him. Finn's wife is pregnant and needs to have him home. Puck is getting ready to get married, so he should be at home getting ready for that. I can call and start the ball rolling for us to leave," Burt said.

"Okay. No worries about them getting home, I'll have my assistant get the tickets and Jeffers will drive them. Burt, if you can stay for a while, I think Kurt needs you. I am his Dom, but with this thing he's going through.....well, I think he needs his dad. I also believe that Levi should be with a familiar face while going through this. It can't be easy for a three year old to see his father in this condition. Levi looks up to you and the best things for him right now is to have you here with him. Don't you agree? If hiring someone to help at your shop is a problem, I can fund that. I would do it for Kurt, you know." Blaine looked away for a moment, letting Burt think.

"I don't need help with the shop, Puck and Finn can take care of that and I have a very competent assistant manager. I will stay for my son's sake and for the grandchildren. Thank you, Blaine, that is a most generous offer and I appreciate it. But Blaine? Don't sell yourself short. Kurt might be glad to having me here, but anyone can see that it's you he needs, Blaine. That's part of why Finn and Puck are so upset. They see it, too, and it hurts knowing a person you have loved for most of your life is better comforted by a man he's known less than a week," Burt said. He looked at Blaine, who was sitting across from him. Blaine blushed, suddenly struck dumb. That thought had never occurred to him. He had been so busy feeling sorry for himself that the two men disliked him he was at a loss to know what to say.

"Oh, Burt, I never thought of it like that. I owe them an apology. I had no right to flaunt my relationship with their friend in their faces. What kind of an awful person am I?"

"Now, don't think that. This is all new for all of us. We will learn to know and appreciate each other in time. You and I have not discussed the future other than getting Kurt well again, but I'm hoping you and Kurt won't become strangers. I miss him so much when he's gone. I know he loves living in New York, but I really depend on the days he can visit me. You understand, don't you? Does your dad live here in New York?" Burt asked, patting Blaine on his knee.

"No. Well, he has a townhouse here, but he's rarely in town. He owns the law firm where Cooper works. Well, actually Cooper is a partner. My mother and father don't visit very often, and I'm not exactly their favorite person to visit. I think Coop mentioned they were in Austria or maybe it was Switzerland, on a skiing vacation." Blaine said. His bright smile had faded into a tight, barely there polite smile.

"I'm sorry, kid. That sucks. You seem to get along with your brother pretty well," Burt pointed out, eager to steer the conversation away from an unpleasant area.

"Yeah, I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for Cooper when I was little. He was more a father to me than my own. No matter what happened, Coop was always in my corner. Still is, even if he doesn't always like what I do," Blaine let a bit of a smile creep back, turning the corner of his mouth up a bit.

"He's not happy with you having a contract with Kurt?" Burt asked, never one to beat around the proverbial bush.

"Not at first. The day Kurt fell and the stroller went in the street, I called him from the hospital and asked him to draw up the month contract so we could make me the legal guardian of Holly. Otherwise she would have been taken my Government Child Services." Blaine started to explain.

Burt blanched. Everyone knew what happened when the Government took your child. They did not often come back.

"He did it for me, but reluctantly. I guess he just doesn't have a romantic heart and thus doesn't believe in love at first sight, but I can't explain it any other way. When I looked into Kurt's eyes, I was in love. And it's been growing ever since," Blaine said, a faraway look in his eyes until he remembered to whom he was talking. "Oh, I'm sorry, Burt. I kind of forgot myself there. Anyway, Cooper did as I asked and made it legal for me to care for Holly. She only spent one day in the hospital and we went to get her the next day. Coop tried to talk me into dissolving the contract, but I had no intention of doing any such thing.

"Then Kurt Initiated and you know the rest. When he found out I was in a Declared Vow, Cooper's reservations were gone. He would never have gone behind my back to do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Kurt, but it took that for him to accept it and now I know he's on my side. I trust him, Burt, and I trust he will find a way for Kurt to get Santana's whole estate. Cooper will make it right," Blaine finished.

"I feel better about the whole thing myself, Blaine. I can see my son is in good hands. Now, I need to go speak to Finn and Puck, you need to go check on Kurt. Is that doctor coming tonight to see him?" Burt asked.

"He said he'd be here about six o'clock," Blaine said, getting up to leave. Burt got up to, and before he could turn to leave, he found his arms full of Blaine – hugging him for all he was worth. Burt was startled to say the least, but was hugging back in a moment, glad his son had found such an open and loving partner.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

"Kurt?" Blaine said, walking into the dark room and over to the bed.

Kurt was wrapped into a ball, his arms around a pillow and a bunch of the blanket. He had a frown on his face and salty tear tracks on his cheeks. The covers had been thrown off and he was naked except for a pair of light blue briefs. His legs were tangled in the sheets and Blaine could plainly see he had been tossing and turning in the bed. He wondered if it was just because it was a different bed or if he'd had a nightmare.

Blaine was spared the decision of whether to wake Kurt up or let him sleep when he heard a sniff, then saw two blue eyes gazing at him from the pillow.

"Blaine...." was all Kurt said, holding the fingers of his right hand out. Blaine kicked off his shoes and straightened the sheets and blankets on the bed, gently unwrapping Kurt's long legs from the tangle on the bed.

"There, baby, is that better?" Blaine asked.

"Thank you, yes. Can you come lie down with me, Blaine? I just want to feel you next to me if that's okay," Kurt said, patting the bed next to him.

Blaine laid down, taking Kurt in his arms and giving him a little kiss. Kurt's face lit up.

"Blaine, do I tell you I love you enough? I know it has only been a sort time, but I feel like you say it to me all the time and then I feel foolish says it back. I want to be the first to say it, but it doesn't seem to work out that way when I want it to. Am I making sense?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, I know what you mean. I guess saying it too often would make it lose its meaning after a while, wouldn't it? But you can say you love me without saying a word. I know when you smile at me in just that certain way, or when you lean over and brush the hair out of my eyes. I know what you're saying. Why, do I say it too much?" Blaine asked.

"No, of course not. We just need to get used to each other and that will take time. I'm willing to wait," Kurt smiled at his Dom, his eyes sparkling. He worked his arms around Blaine's ribs and slid down in bed, nuzzling his nose into Blaine's neck. He felt safe like this, loved and safe from all the bad things in the world. Blaine kissed his head, thinking this was becoming a habit – the way Kurt cuddled him so closely and he dropped kisses on his head. Blaine closed his eyes and they rested there for a while.

Blaine sat up after a while and Kurt followed. They leaned against the head of the bed, Blaine taking Kurt's hand in his.

"I need to talk to you about a few things, Kurt. Things that might be difficult for you to understand given your Weakness and the effects of the shots, but I think you need to hear them anyway. Are you up to this?" Blaine asked, looking steadily into Kurt's eyes.

"Yes, I'll do my best. I hate it when things are kept from me, I'm a Sub, not a child. I know I have difficulty in making decisions, but I learned to do it when I had no choice. It was hard, but I did it. I wish people could see that," Kurt said with a bite to his voice. Normally he would never have expressed such a thing, but the side effects of the shots made him less scrupulous in his vocabulary. Blaine hid a grin in his hand as he pretended to stroke his chin. He loved that his Sub has the balls to say what he felt, that he wasn't completely brainwashed into thinking he had to molly-coddled the rest of his life. With every passing day, he found more reasons to love Kurt.

"The first thing is about Santana's estate. Does it bother you to talk about her to me?" Blaine wanted to know. He did not want Kurt to be coerced into an uncomfortable situation, even by himself.

"No, it's fine. You know I loved her, I told you. You seemed okay with it, so...what do we need to say about her estate?" Kurt asked.

Blaine explained about Cooper's visit and about asking Burt to come in and what they had decided.

"I wouldn't have left you out of the discussion, but you were sleeping and that is so important for your recovery. Are you okay with what we decided with your dad?" Blaine asked and Kurt agreed it was the right thing to do.

"The next thing is that Finn and Puck are going home. Burt tells me Finn's wife is pregnant and it's a bit of a risky pregnancy, although she is fine right now. She needs her husband. Puck is going to be married, as you mentioned to me, and he needs to be home to get ready for that. I know how much you love the two of them, but you can see why they need to go. I can send them in here now if you want to talk to them?" Blaine offered. Kurt nodded.

Blaine walked over to the dresser and got Kurt some pajamas to wear. He helped his Sub slip them on, the silky blue fabric feeling so cool on Kurt's hot skin. He tucked Kurt back in bed, the blankets and sheets all straightened and the pillows fluffed. Kurt held out his hands and Blaine came back. Kurt put his arms around his Dom and hugged him close, kissing him on the mouth. Blaine kissed back, trying to mask the moan that came with the feeling being stirred up inside him. He let his tongue lick Kurt's bottom lip in invitation that was quickly accepted as they fell back on the bed for a few minutes.

Blaine sat up, not wanting to leave but he couldn't be selfish and take up time that Kurt would need to say goodbye to his brother and friend.

"I'll be right back, Kurt. Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to stay with you when they come in?" Blaine offered.

"No, I'll be fine. Thank you," he said to Blaine as he left the room.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

"Hey, Dude. How are you feeling?" Puck asked as he walked into the bedroom. He sat on the side of the bed and got very close to Kurt before hugging him. He kissed him on the cheek and smiled.

"I'm okay. I know I'm getting better, Noah, and Dr. Montgomery told me if you hadn't stepped in when you did back in Ohio, I wouldn't have made it. You saved my life, Noah, and I'll never forget it," Kurt said, holding his friend's hand.

"I didn't do all that much, what are friend's for, anyway, if it isn't that? I was just glad to help. I think I learned a few things about relationships that I never knew before. I hope it will help with my upcoming marriage. If you're better by then, I want your to be there. I know you and Rachel were friends back in high school, so she would be happy to see you there, too." Puck grinned.

"I wish the two of you the very best and I'll try to be there. Treat her with kindness, Noah. I know she can be abrasive, but part of that is her not wanting to get hurt, so she strikes first. You do that, too, you know. Communicate with her, it will make all the difference," Kurt advised, smiling at his friend.

"I will. Thanks, Kurt. Tell me something...now you have a Declared Vow, how did you know he was the right one?" Puck asked, never shy to ask anything.

"I can't describe it. One minute I was thinking how grateful I was that he cared about me, then the next Initiating was the only thing on my mind. I had my clothes off and was on my knees before I thought about it. It struck me like lightning, Noah, and there was no decision to make. I knew it was right and I knew it was now...and from the look on his face, he had the same thought. Noah, I know you don't like Blaine, but I hope when you get to know him a little better, you'll come to understand him. He's a good man, and he's good for me," Kurt said.

Puck gave him a shy smile that showed his true self, non of the loud bravado the he hid himself behind.

"Kurt, if you love him enough to Initiate, I trust your instinct. I know you said he was good to you, but he doesn't hurt you, does he? I mean, I hit you with a whip, but I made damn sure it wouldn't hurt you. I would hate to have anyone actually hurt you. If that ever happens, just let me know. Declared Vow Union or not, I'll kick his ass. Okay?" Puck said, looking straight into Kurt's eyes to make sure he was listening with his heart as well as his ears.

"Okay, Puck. Thank you, you really are one of my best friends, and I don't know what I ever did to deserve you." Kurt said, his arms now around Puck.

Puck finally pulled back, they had to go soon and Finn was waiting.

Puck leaned forward and whispered in Kurt's ear, "I love you, Dude, and I'll always be just a phone call away." Then he took Kurt by his cheeks and gave him a kiss on his pink lips before he turned to go.

Finn walked in, shy at first because he had no idea how to say this to his brother. Kurt had always been an enigma to him, a puzzle with no answer. He loved Kurt, but didn't know how to act when he was around.

"Finn!" Kurt called as he saw his brother at the door. Finn walked over to the bed, but sat in the chair that had been brought up to the bed.

"Hey, Kurt. You doing better?" he asked.

"Yeah, I might have some small issues with the withdrawal, but Dr. Montgomery says I'll recover just fine. I heard you're going home to Quinn?"

"She is having some problems, but she's okay. The doctor says she needs to just rest more. I need to be with her. Are you sure you're going to be all right if we leave? I won't go if you need me."

"I'm going to be fine. I was so glad you came, though. I know I can always count on you. You need to go home to take care of Quinn. Finn, you are going to be so happy when your baby gets here. There really is nothing as magical as having a baby, you'll see," Kurt smiled, his eyes dancing as he thought about the days Levi and Holly came into his life.

"I know, Bro, I have seen you with Levi and then with Holly. I can only hope to be such a good father," Finn said.

"I learned from the best," was all Kurt could say.

They sat for a while, just being together and thinking. It wasn't easy to talk to Finn sometimes, he wasn't a sentimental man, but they understood each other.

"I'm going to miss you, Finn. Take care of Dad and your mom, okay?" Kurt said. "And take care of yourself, too. You need to remember to do that, they all depend on you. Are you going to be okay with seeing Rachel now? I know how close you were in high school.

"Yeah, I think I will. I love Quinn, she turned out to be a wonderful person in spite of all the issues she had. I think I make her happy, and I know she makes me happy. I'm glad Rachel will be back, but I think she and Puck will be good for each other. I'm looking forward to their wedding," Finn said.

They hears Burt calling Finn from down the hall.

"I guess the driver is here. I will come see you again, Kurt. Love you, man." Finn smiled a genuine smile and hugged his brother.

"You, too. I'll miss you," Kurt said, finally letting go.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Dr. Montgomery had been to see Kurt and left. His levels were a bit better, so no shot. The likelihood of having to have another was slim, unless some stressful things happened. Blaine made a vow to himself that he would keep Kurt safe and nothing like this would ever happen again.

Then Wes went over the symptoms of withdrawal. It might be as simple as a dry throat and headache, but it might also manifest itself in things like migraine-like headaches, chills, fever, dizziness, nausea, painful joints, muscle aches, and a host of other unpleasant things. He thought that because Kurt had only needed the two shots, that he might get only the less severe effects, but that was conjecture. Wes had never had a patient that was able to recover on two shots. The full storm of the withdrawal would most likely start about midnight, so Blaine would be prepared.

They thanked Wes and he told them to call him if Kurt seemed too bad, or call an ambulance if he was having any trouble with breathing. It wasn't likely, but best to be prepared.

The evening meal was quiet, Burt joining them in the sitting area of the bedroom as they ate chicken rice soup and fresh baked bread. Blaine didn't want Kurt to have anything heavy in his stomach.

Blaine helped Kurt to bed, bringing in Levi and Holly to see their dad for a while before he went to sleep. Levi was cuddly and quiet, already missing his two uncles. He fell asleep cuddled next to his daddy and his grandpa carried him to bed. Kurt held Holly for a while, then placed her on the bed where she immediately flipped over, very proud of herself as she cooed at her daddy and tried to her his finger into her mouth. Blaine could see that Kurt wasn't feeling well and took Holly off to get into her own crib for the night.

"Good night, My Little Star Sweeper," Blaine whispered to her, then sang the lullabye from Lady and the Tramp. She was sound asleep when he turned on the baby monitor and went back to Kurt.

"Blaine, can I ask you a favor?" Kurt said as soon as Blaine was back in the room.

"Of course, what do you need?" Blaine asked. He sat down on the bed and took Kurt's hands in his, giving him a kiss.

"Can you ask my dad to come in here? I need to talk to him. Alone, if that's okay." Kurt turned his head, afraid that his words might make Blaine angry.

Blaine looked at him, reaching out and touching his chin. He turned Kurt's head towards himself so he could see the look in Kurt's eyes. Kurt allowed him to turn his head, but still wouldn't look in Blaine's eyes.

"What's wrong, baby? Can I do anything?" Blaine asked, but Kurt closed his eyes and asked again.

"Please, Blaine. Can you go get Daddy?"

"Of course I will," Blaine said, kissing Kurt's hand before letting go. He got up and without a backwards glance, left the room.