"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.

#*#*#

"Hey, kid, you wanted me?" Burt asked as he entered the room, closing the door quietly.

Kurt held out his hands and Burt came over and hugged him.

"Can we go sit on the sofa, Dad?" Kurt asked. Burt helped his son over to the sofa, then threw a quilt over him. He sat down and Kurt just melted into his side. They sat together for a while, Burt sitting quietly and just enjoying having his son close to him.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, buddy," Burt said.

"You remember the day you brought home those pamphlets and made me read them when I was so clueless about myself?" Kurt asked, a little nervous and somewhat afraid of bringing up the things he really needed to ask his dad.

"Yes, I do. One of the most embarrassing moments of my life. But it was the right thing to do, and we got through it, didn't we?"

"Yes. I didn't use the information for a while, though, considering I was paired with Santana. It stayed in my mind, though, and that made a difference. Thank you, Dad," Kurt said.

"Well, I didn't know how the Pairings would end up and I thought you might have a boyfriend in school. Do you have a question about something...of ..ah...that nature? I don't know if I can answer it, pal, but I can try," Burt offered, wondering if it had something to do with Blaine. Were they having problems already?

"No, Dad, it isn't that. I think I understand how the...well, how the plumbing works. No, it's something else. Do you remember when you first found out you were a Dom?"

"Yes, I do. I was a freshman and it wasn't long after that I met your mom. She was the prettiest, sweetest little thing I'd ever seen. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her," Burt told his son, smiling a sad smile.

"You never had a problem knowing your roles...I mean you being the Dom and Mom the Sub?" Kurt asked.

"No. I don't think we ever did. That doesn't mean our life was free of arguments or anything, though. We had our disagreements, but she never used her Sub status to win. Your mom was a lady at all times. I was a big oaf sometimes, but she made me feel...well, that I was worth something. Like she valued me, like I mattered. That is something I wanted to teach you, Kurt."

"You did, Dad, don't worry. I know I matter. That isn't really the problem," he said, sighing. This was going to be hard to say, but Kurt gathered his courage and pressed on.

"It's this whole Sub Weakness thing. I was fine with everything between Blaine and me at first, then it just came down on me like a ton of bricks falling – I was ready to Initiate before I could give it another thought. It was the best moment in my life, Dad. The best. But since then...."

"Are you regretting that you did it?" Burt asked, he had never heard of a Declared Union being broken and wasn't sure if it was possible.

"No! Absolutely not! I love Blaine, and I want to be with him forever. No, the problem is the illness. You know Dr. Wes gave me the shots. Well, one of the side effects is that it affects my brain. I have all these Dom feelings and I acted like a Dom. It scared me, but I couldn't stop myself. I know it's just the medication, Blaine knows it is just the medication, but I'm afraid that before it all wears off I might do something to make Blaine hate me or want to get rid of me," Kurt got that out before he couldn't talk anymore with his throat swelling and his eyes crying. He hugged his father tighter and buried his head in his dad's chest.

Burt held his boy, rubbing his back gently and whispering calming things into his ear. It went on for quite a while, then Kurt pulled back, wiping his eyes. Burt looked at his son, trying to find the right words to use.

"The first thing is: did he say something to make you think he was displeased with you?" Burt asked.

"No, he seemed to like it. I didn't know if he actually did or if he was sparing my feelings, though. Even while I was doing it, I felt like it was wrong, went against my nature – but at the same time, I couldn't stop. I enjoyed it but at the same time it was tearing me to pieces and I'm afraid it will come back," Kurt said.

"Have you talked to Blaine about it?" Burt wondered.

"No! I wouldn't know what to say. I have been trying to keep my feelings bottled up so I don't scared him away by being so dominate. I don't want to lose him, Dad, especially because of this stupid illness. I want to shout it from the rooftops that I love him, that didn't deserve this. I have been the best I could be all my life – so why did all of this have to happen? First I wasn't Paired with a man even though I am gay, I get beat up in school because I'm gay, then I follow the rules and what do I get? I get Sub Weakness and have to have the SDC shots. I feel like I can't ever win. Did you ever feel like this, Dad? Like you couldn't win?" Kurt asked, his voice revealing just how angry and hurt he was.

"Kurt, did you forget? I lost the love of my life, too. I had to raise a boy all alone. I don't recommend it. From what I can see, Blaine is wildly in love with the idea of having children, and especially your children. He is wildly in love you, from everything I have seen and heard, I do believe he is the right one for you. Don't shoot yourself in the foot, Kurt, by second guessing yourself. Your first instinct is usually the right one to go with. What did you feel the first time you met Blaine?"

"I was on fire! Dad, the second he touched me, I fell for him. Here I was in just about the worst day of my life, terrified and sick and he rides up like a knight in shining armor to sweep me off my feet. A real life Sir Galahad. I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming."

"I remember that feeling. You are so much like your mom, Kurt, it is hard to realize she's gone sometimes," Burt smiled and Kurt smiled back.

"So, what is your question?"

"I wondered if Mom ever acted like that? Like a Dom?" Kurt asked.

"No, not exactly. We had our rough times, but on the whole, we spent most of our life without stress. She had a few times when her blood levels went down there at the last, but she never had to have the shots. Sorry, Kurt, I can't offer advice there," Burt said sadly. He wanted to help his son, he just didn't know how.

"I don't know what to do, Dad. I don't want to mess this up, I can see myself being with him for the rest of my life, but I'm afraid I'll do some stupid Dom thing and he won't want me any more," Kurt said, putting his head back against his father's chest.

"Kurt, from what I have seen in just the short time we've been here, Blaine is in love with you. If you had an injection of medication, he will take that into account if you act strangely. He will, he's a smart guy, Kurt, he'll understand. If he doesn't, then explain it to him. That is all the advice I can offer. Now, I have to go and check on the kids. Levi was fussy earlier because he wants to sleep with you, I told him he has to wait for morning," Burt tells his son.

"Thanks, Dad. I want the babies with me, but I can't take even take care of myself right now, much less the babies. With you here I feel safe," Kurt said, sitting up but still in his father's arms.

"Dad, am I ever going to be well enough to be real partner to Blaine?" Kurt asked.

"Of course you will. This is temporary. You will be yourself again before you know it."

"There is another thing, kind of related..." Kurt looked down, shy to bring this up to his Dad, but he didn't have anyone else and it was eating away at his conscious.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"I...I don't know how to ask this. It's embarrassing, and I wouldn't, but I have to ask somebody. It's about sex," Kurt said, barely above a whisper. He was hanging his head, his face almost buried in his dad's side.

Burt took his chin and brought his head up. "Kurt, you know you can ask me anything. I might not be completely comfortable in hearing what you have to say, but that should be the least of your worries. Even if I don't know the answer, I will do my best to find it for you. I love you, son, and I meant it every time I told you I'm here for you. You know that, don't you?" Burt looked into his son's eyes to be sure he understood. What he saw there was relief, a laying down of a huge burden, and he felt as if he might be able to help his son.

"Dad, Dr. Wes explained about the SDC shots and how it changes my blood. It did save my life, getting the blood levels right and stopping the Sub Weakness, but the other thing it does is make me into a Dom for a while. I thought I could fight that. I thought I was strong enough, but I wasn't. I let those thoughts and feeling just take over my mind. It was terrifying. I ...well, I don't want to say what I did exactly, but I dominated Blaine. In a sexual way. Now I'm even more scared that he won't want me because of that. Noah told me Subs are thrown away for less, and I don't want Blaine to throw me away. But more than that, I don't want him to feel like I took something from him. Do you know what I mean?" Kurt said, the words spilling from his mouth in a cascade. He got out the last words and fell against his dad once again.

Burt sat for a while, stroking Kurt's back in an attempt to comfort him. He had no idea what to say, and so was gathering his thoughts. Kurt was stiff with fear of what his father might say, but also waiting to hear the wisdom his father always dispensed to him when he needed it. Kurt felt like he was a young boy once again, like the day his dad had to tell him his mother was going to die.

"Kurt, I don't know Blaine very well yet, but he does not seem the kind of man that would make a Vow and then throw away the best part of it over something that was out of everyone's control. I think Blaine is secure enough within himself that even if it went against his nature, he would risk anything to keep you safe, Kurt. I believe he not only loves you, but he cares about you. As for taking something away from him? I think he is strong and you couldn't take that from him unless he was willing to let it go. I think everything is going to be all right, son. I'd bank on it."

Kurt nodded.

"Doesn't Blaine make you feel safe?" Burt asked.

"Yeah, he does. And the kids like him, Holly has really warmed up to him. It used to be she would only get excited and kick her legs for you and me, but now she does it for him, too. She is so cute, getting excited when he comes to hold her. I guess I'm pretty lucky after all," Kurt smiled. "The bottom line is that I'm glad you're here because with Blaine taking care of me, there isn't much time left to take care of them, too, and I'm too weak right now to do it. I don't know if you understand how much I still need you, Dad. You have always been my rock," Kurt said, leaning back into his father's side once again.

"Kurt, I'm not going to be here forever. With time I think you'll find that Blaine will become that rock for you. I might feel sad about it, but that's how life is. I'm really happy – and relieved -that you have someone now. I believe that you and Blaine will work this out and come to realize that your bond will grow and you'll be closer with every year. Trust yourself, Kurt. You don't go into a Declared Union by accident."

Kurt smiled at his father. He was not looking forward to the day his dad wasn't here any more, but he knew life went on no matter what. He just hoped that day was a long way away.

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

When Kurt asked him to go get his dad, he was hurt that his Sub wanted someone else. He wanted Kurt to need him -he was Kurt's Dom after all. Blaine found Burt in the nursery watching over the sleeping children. After telling Burt that Kurt wanted to speak to him alone, Burt left. Blaine sat with the sleeping children for a while, feeling so much at once he wasn't sure how to deal with it. He wanted to pick Levi up in his arms and let the sleeping toddler snuggle into his chest. He wanted to cuddle with Holly, give her a kiss on the top of her head where the thin little bit of hair was growing in wisps. He wanted for these children to love him as much as he loved their father. But he knew that being in a Declared Union didn't mean the children would automatically love him. He'd have to wait and see if he could charm them into having a relationship with him, if they would come to love him as much as he was feeling love for them.

Afraid he might wake them with his tears, he got up and wandered around the townhouse. He finally walked into the kitchen, thinking a bite to eat might settle his stomach. He fixed a small plate of scrambled eggs and a piece of toast – comfort foods since Cooper had fixed this for him starting when he was a little kid. He poured a glass of orange juice and sat back down.

Warm hands settled on his shoulders and he recognized Mrs. Rose's perfume. Chanel No. 5.

"Hi, Beth," he said. She didn't mind that he called her by her first name in private, he had called her Nanny Beth when he learned to talk and then switched to calling her Mummy Beth when Cooper did. She was a better mother to him that the woman that had birthed him.

"You're upset about something," she said, taking in the sight of the food in front of him. "I remember Cooper used to fix you scrambled eggs and toast when the kids at school would tease you, or your parents didn't come home from a business trip on time. Tell me what's wrong now, is it Kurt?"

He fell on her shoulder, his tears dropping down as he tried not to cry. She had held him like this a thousand times and this time was no different. She loved Blaine and Cooper as if they were her own children. She probably couldn't fix the problem, but she would be there for her boys whenever they allowed her to be.

"Oh, Beth...I just don't know what to do. Kurt is the one I've been dreaming of my whole life. I knew it the minute I saw him on that day. One look in his eyes, and I knew I was ruined for anyone else, forever. I have tried to do what I can for him, tried to make his life better. I tried to take care of Holly and brought Levi to him. I knew he needed his dad and brother, so I got them to come. I tried to do right by him – to let him finally have a say in his life, to have a voice in what happened to him instead of just dominating him into nothingness, I didn't want to crush him, he is so fragile, but Beth...I made him sick. I...I...I forced him to tell me what he wanted. He said he couldn't do it, and I forced him. Wes told me that is what drove him over the line. What made his Sub Weakness almost kill him. I did that to the person I love, Beth...." Blaine was rambling on, not even knowing any more what he was saying. He had held it in for so long, giving tiny pieces to a few people: Wes, Cooper, but not telling anyone the whole thing. He was desperate now and it was all spilling out.

"Oh, it was my fault. All my fault. You cannot imagine the pain he had to go through when Wes gave him the injections. He screamed and screamed and screamed...then he passed out it hurt him so badly. I hoped never to hear that sound again, but now I hear it in my sleep. I dream I'm the one giving him the injections and he won't stop screaming. I did that. It's my fault. Now he is different. He was affected by the shots, he became dominant and I could see it scared him, he hated it but he couldn't stop. I let him dominate me, I thought it was the right thing to do, but then he...I don't know how to put it. He is not there the way he was before, like he's scared of me now, like he doesn't love me.

"The best day I ever had was the day he Initiated the Declared Vows, but now? I don't know if he's wishing he hadn't done it. I want to do what's right for him, but I don't know what that is. I am just lost..." Blaine ended. His head hung down to his chest and he was breathing deeply, struggling to maintain his composure. He looked up at Beth with his eyes so wide and hurt, it made her gasp.

"Blaine, my boy, all is not lost. If Kurt felt you were the one person in this world that he wanted, and he felt it so deeply even through the illness and all of his confusion, that he Initiated the Vow with you? He meant it. Nobody can do that if it isn't right in their heart. He knew what made him go over the edge, what made him so sick. He is a Sub, Blaine, as we know. But he saw you wanted him to do it, and it is his nature to do as you ask, no matter the consequences to himself. You have seen how much that man loves his children, but he chose to do as you asked and risk losing them because he believed in you as his Dom, as his Partner in a Declared Vow. Blaine, he wanted this Union more than he wanted anything. He knew it might come at a cost, but he was willing to pay," Beth told him. Blaine sat with his eyes wide, he had never thought it was this way, he didn't know how Subs thought or acted very well because he had been around Dom's his whole life. He hadn't been with his parents long enough to see how a marriage was supposed to be.

"What makes you think he doesn't want you?"

"He won't meet my eyes, and when he does the light that used to be there is gone. He ...well, the other night when we..." Blaine didn't know how to say this.

"When you were in bed? You can say it, Blaine. They had sex when I was young, too. You didn't invent it," she said.

"Okay, well we were having sex, but he was being really dominating...extremely dominating..and I knew it was because of the Synthetic shots. I thought at the time it would be best to let him...ah...have his way? Now he's acting strange and I don't know if he hates me, or if he blames me for it? He just doesn't seem to want me, and it's breaking my heart."

Beth patted his back, then stroked his cheek. She kissed his head and looked in his eyes. Those smoky, topaz eyes that she loved. He'd had them since he was a baby. Some children's eyes change color as they get older but Blaine's eyes had stayed this clear, amazing color his whole life.

"Blaine, if he acts as if he doesn't want you now, it might be that he is afraid you might reject him. Can you imagine being a Sub your whole life, then suddenly your mind and your body are rebelling, acting in strange ways that you cannot explain or understand? The urges that must have built up with the injections? Well, I cannot imagine how strong they must be.

"When I was a child, they didn't have Synthetic Dom Chem. If a Sub got the Weakness as badly as Kurt had it, they usually died. The only thing that could be done was to get the Sub a Dom that could feed the need in him every day, several times a day. Even then, it took months and months for the Sub to get better. Some of them gave up – both Doms and Subs. But the ones that persevered, the ones that got better? It took a lot. So, knowing that, imagine how much Dom Chem must be running through his system. Do you still wonder what caused him to act that way, Blaine? But more important, can you imagine how scared he must be right now?" Beth patted Blaine's hand. "Maybe you better go to him, honey. I think he wasn't rejecting you, he was crying for help in the only way he knew."

Blaine stood up and threw his arms around Mrs. Rose. He kissed her soft cheek and turned to go, "Thank you, Beth. You are the wisest person I have ever known. I love you." And he was gone.

Beth Rose got up and took his dishes to the kitchen, smiling as she filled the sink to wash them. She was thankful she was still in Blaine's life, though Cooper had also asked her to live with him. She was happy she could still appear to be wise in his eyes. Humming a tune, she finished the small task and walked to her room to read for a while before going to bed.

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

Blaine walked slowly back to his bedroom. The door was opened a bit and he could see Kurt in the bed, covered up. He looked like he might be asleep. Blaine went back down the hall, looked in on Holly and Levi, who were sleeping, and turned to go back. Burt was standing in the hall.

"I just checked on them," Burt said. "I'm on my way to bed. I took the monitor so Kurt could sleep. I'll hear them if they wake up, Blaine."

"Thank you, Burt. I need to check on Kurt again, he hasn't been feeling very well and I have to see if I need to call Wes."

"Blaine, Kurt and I talked. I can't tell you what was said in confidence, but I'll give you a piece of fatherly advice: Go to him. He needs you, Blaine."

"That's funny, Mrs. Rose just told me the same thing. I'm on my way. And thank you," Blaine said, giving Burt a heartfelt smile.

Entering his bedroom, Blaine walked softly so he wouldn't wake Kurt up if he was asleep. He closed and locked the door, knowing Burt would take care of the children if needed. He took his time removing his clothes and then slid into bed beside Kurt. He was stiff with nerves, almost afraid to move lest he disturb his sleeping Sub. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine how he might word this, what he might say when Kurt woke up. It was up to him to mend what he had broken.

He had started to doze off a little, he was tired and the stress was wearing him down, when he felt Kurt vibrate. He stayed still and heard a sniff, and realized Kurt was crying. Before he gave it another thought, he had turned and scooped Kurt into his arms. He cupped Kurt's cheek, moving so his head was resting on Blaine's chest, his ear positioned so he could hear Blaine's heart. Blaine knew it was the place he went to when he needed comforting.

"Hey, baby, are you okay?" Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear.

"I'm trying to be, but I'm not being very successful," Kurt said and Blaine chuckled, which brought a little smile to Kurt's lips. Blaine kissed those lips softly, brushing over them and kissing again.

"Tell me what you need, Kurt," Blaine asked before he remembered the last time he'd said those same words in this bed. He looked away, angry with himself for a moment, then thought about it. He needed to help Kurt, but not make him tell everything he wanted.

"I think you need me to hold you, baby, am I right?" he asked and Kurt nodded as he cuddled closer. Blaine decided he might need more kissing, so he did just that: kissing his Sub on the temple, along his jaw, down his neck. Kurt seemed to be enjoying it, if the soft moans that were coming from his throat were any indication.

"Do you need more?" Blaine whispered and Kurt moved his head back so Blaine had more space to kiss his neck. Kissing, slow nibbling and lightly sucking on Kurt's neck brought forth more satisfied noises, so Blaine continued. He began to unbutton his pajama shirt, kissing his way down Kurt's chest as he did so. He was slow and careful, but at the same time he did it in a manner that made it clear Blaine would get what he wanted or know the reason why.

The more he took, the more submissive Kurt got, more than he had ever been. He licked at Blaine's jaw, rubbed his nose into his Dom's neck and kissed his warm skin, but he never pushed and was alert to each movement Blaine made, ready to move or adjust to make things easy for Blaine.

Blaine was quick to pick up on this, and pushed Kurt a little further by removing his silk pajama shirt without asking. He wasn't wearing anything, so there was no need for him to make time for that. Easing his mouth to Kurt's nipples, he gently licked them to begin with, and when Kurt gave a gasp in response he did it harder, carefully using his teeth a tiny bit and Kurt moaned louder, his hips bucking a bit before he brought them under control. Blaine kept that up for a while, Kurt getting louder each time.

Coming down Kurt's body with his tongue and teeth, Blaine was faced with the elastic of the silk pajama bottoms, tied with a string. He took the string in his teeth and pulled them loose before gripping the band in his strong, white teeth and pulling them off of Kurt and deposited them on the floor. Getting back to Kurt's side, Blaine resumed his exploration of Kurt's body and used everything at hand...tongue, teeth, lips, hands, to touch Kurt all over, from his heels to his eyebrows he laid kisses, accompanied by a bit of biting and licking where and when it was appropriate. Kurt moved to sit up and Blaine stilled him with one glare.

"What's wrong?" Blaine demanded.

"Nothing..I was going to do the same to you, Blaine, I wanted to make you feel good," Kurt answered. Blaine shook his head 'no' and placed his hand in Kurt's chest and pushed him back to the mattress.

"I will tell you when you can get up," he said."For now, just relax, baby. I want to take care of you," Blaine demanded and Kurt nodded in a daze.

Blaine went back to what he was doing, not allowing him to reciprocate was difficult at best, but he could hear Kurt's heartbeat increasing with each time Blane did something forceful. He licked his way down Kurt's chest and then without any warning, he took Kurt into his mouth – almost swallowing him whole in one push. Kurt went through the roof. He was moaning and whining, trembling in the best way as Blaine kept swallowing and moving his tongue around the brass-hard shaft in his mouth. He pulled back and licked into the slit, then around the crown with more emphasis on the ridge as he hummed his satisfaction of how amazing it felt to him. Kurt was panting with lust, trying to get a hold of any part of Blaine to ask him to slow down, but it wasn't possible this time. Blaine was too quick and way too determined to let Kurt up this time. It was a mere few minutes before Blaine held Kurt tightly and drawing his head up and down for a few moments until he felt his whole body get ready for what was to come.

A few moments more and Blaine sat up partially, unable to get the right angle from where he was. He shifted in the bed and came around to the correct angle and once more swallowed Kurt's entire length like he was born to do it. Kurt almost came off the bed with the sensations he wasn't used to and before he knew it the heat was raging in his belly, moving up at lightning speed and he was coming deep in Blaine's throat, wave after wave of sensation. Blaine whined in excitement and held still except for his tongue, lightly stroking until Kurt was finished.

Blaine sat back, looking at Kurt's face and finding a satisfied smile as Kurt took Blaine's hands in his own.

"Thank you, my Dom, that is exactly what I needed. I love you, Blaine."

"And I love you, my little minx," Blaine said softly as he lay back on the pillows and Kurt moved down the mattress to take his Dom in his mouth, eager to give him the same pleasure.

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

Puck had spent the short flight back to Lima, Ohio trying to watch the in-flight movie. It should have been easy, but his mind was in such turmoil that the movie was not even a distraction for him. Finn, sitting beside him in the plane, was asleep. Puck had always been a bit envious of Finn's ability to fall asleep any time, anywhere. The man must have the clearest conscious in the world because all he had to do was lay down his head and he was in a deep sleep I minutes. Puck sighed, thinking of poking Finn in the ribs to wake him up and talk, but decided against it. He'd have little enough time for sleeping once he got home and Quinn started demanding things from him.

Puck had dated Quinn in high school and knew what she could be like, always wanting attention and expecting him to read her mind. He hoped she wasn't like that anymore, Finn deserved better. Rumor had it that Quinn had been the one to request Finn at the Pairings, but Puck would probably never know the truth of that one, nobody spoke about who requested who at that. He had not played by the rules when it came time for his pairing, his wife was twice his age and when he told her he wanted her, she had sent in the request. Since she was older, there had to be special permission, but she had money and connections and it was done. A few years down the line and his wife wasn't pregnant – which was the whole reason she wanted Puck he found out – she was devastated it was actually her body that was not fertile. After that, he tried to get her to think about adoption, but she didn't want to. She had lost interest in him and left, giving him a tidy sum of money to tide him over for a few years.

Puck hadn't thought too much about being married again, there were still plenty of women who found him attractive enough that he wasn't lonely. Well, there's lonely and there's lonely. He had plenty of companionship for one night at a time, plenty of women to have sex with. What he was missing was someone to love. He had finally admitted to himself that he never loved his ex-wife.

Then one day Hiram Berry called him. He had done some lawn work for the Berry's back when he was in high school and Hiram remembered him when he's seen his name in the paper announcing his divorce. Hiram invited him to lunch and for some reason Puck agreed.

The lunch started out to be uncomfortable, but as time went on Puck was intrigued. He had known that Rachel was in Israel with distant family because her dads didn't want her to "auctioned off to the highest bidder" as they referred to the Government Pairings. In order to protect her from that, she had been sent away, but now she was missing her family and wanted to come back. Hiram had written to her, asking about Puck and she had written back that she would enter into a marriage with him if he chose to do so.

Puck wondered how awful her life must be if she was willing to take him on as a result of her coming home. He was under no illusions about himself: he was damaged goods. But he was more than willing to change, to try hard to better himself with the prospect of having Rachel as a wife. He wasn't one to go to synagogue regularly, although he had been through the bar mitzvah as a teen and could read Hebrew. He didn't keep Kosher, but he didn't think Rachel did, either.

Being nervous just came with the territory, but he had always been proud of his ability to rise above in any situation. This might prove otherwise, he thought, as he contemplated the wedding and what was to come.

The stewardess announced they were approaching the airport, so he buckled his seatbelt and got ready to land. He woke Finn up and he closed his eyes one last time to picture Rachel as she was the last time he had seen her.

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

Rachel was scared. It usually wasn't in her nature to be afraid of anything, in spite of her Sub status, but this would affect her entire life. She liked Noah Puckerman. They had gone on a few dates in high school, but he dropped her when she refused to have sex with him. Surely he had calmed down by now – seven years later? She reminded herself that she really didn't have much choice. She had loved being in Israel with her cousins and aunts and uncles for a while, but they had pressured her to get married, have lots of babies, give up her singing career. They were well-meaning, but that wasn't what Rachel wanted out of life. Plus, she missed her two dads so much, it was like a hunger to her.

This was the answer, even if it wasn't perfect. She was ready to take her role as wife and Sub to Noah, and would be the best she could be. She was also relatively sure Puck would allow her to still sing, and that was important to her.

She sat in her old room in her dads' house and looked through the magazine with bridal dress advertisements, putting an X on the page numbers of the ones she liked. She wanted simple. She wanted quiet elegance. Rachel was no longer the girl with the sweater set, knee socks, and Mary Jane shoes. She dressed to fit her new style of fashionable and understated. She had learned that simple things looked best on her because they didn't overshadow her basic beauty. Maybe she should have listened to Kurt Hummel back in high school after all. She giggled to herself remembering when Kurt had said her bedroom was "Where Strawberry Shortcake and Holly Hobby went to hook up". He was so sarcastic and funny. She couldn't count the time she had to hide her face when he made her laugh at an inopportune moment. Rachel really missed those days.

The thought of Kurt made her smile. He was her best friend senior year and she never got to say goodbye when her dads whisked her away in the middle of the night and onto a flight to Israel before she could give it a thought. They had done what they could to keep her safe, she knew, and was grateful for it, but she wished she had been able to say goodbye. Her letter to Kurt had been returned, unopened, marked "moved away".

Later her dads had offered to contact him, but found out he'd moved to New York and married Santana. At first, Rachel thought this had to be a mistake, but more and more people confirmed it and she gave up. She and Santana had never been friends, and the thought of poor, gentle Kurt in her angry claws? Maybe he would be damaged beyond recognition by the time she saw him again.

Rachel sighed to herself. She was a patient person now, and whatever would be would be. All in good time. She would be seeing Noah Puckerman at dinner tomorrow and a new chapter in her life would begin.

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

It was almost dawn and something had woken Blaine up from a sound sleep. He rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. Then he heard Kurt, calling him. He slid out of bed and followed the sound of his voice to the bathroom. There was his Sub, on his knees in front of the toilet, heaving up...nothing. Oh, he must have emptied his stomach by now and Blaine knew how dry heaves hurt. He was on his knees, arms around his Sub to steady him in a heartbeat.

"It's okay, baby, I've got you. I'm her to hold you, just lean on me," Blaine tried to soothe him, but his stomach wouldn't stop. Kurt had his arms wrapped tightly around his belly, swaying as he went through the motions again, tears falling down his cheeks.

When he was done, Blaine helped him to stand, but he was so weak Blaine ended up carrying him back to the bed. He found his phone and called Wes, in spite of the early hour.

Wes answered on the first ring.

"Blaine...is it Kurt? Has the withdrawal started?" Wes' voice came through the phone.

"Yes," was all Blaine could say before Wes interrupted.

"I'll be there in ten minutes, darken the room, keep him warm, and don't leave his side," Wes hung up and Blaine turned back to Kurt, who was shivering in the bed and moaning. Not in pleasure this time, but in pain as he stomach turned against him and his head started pounding. Blaine unlocked the door and called Mrs. Rose on the intercom to tell her what was happening. He pulled the cords to shut all the drapes at the windows and brought back a cup of warm water and a basin.

"Kurt, here, rinse out your mouth and spit it into this basin, okay?"

Kurt tried, but he was shaking so violently now it took three tries for him to accomplish the task. He looked up at his Dom, love in his eyes along with desperation, and mouthed the words 'hold me'. Blaine got under the blankets and pulled Kurt as close as he could, holding him as he shook with chills. Kurt nuzzled his nose into Blaine's neck and pasted himself to his chest. He let out a small sigh of relief and tried closing his eyes against the pain in his head and stomach and the chills in his body. Blaine held him, kissing him on the top of his head and prayed to the Fates to come and save him.

"I'm here, my love, I'm here and I'm never going to leave you," Blaine whispered in Kurt's ear and Kurt held him tighter.