Blaine walked across the street, stepping in a puddle that splashed up and got his linen slacks wet. He shook his foot, trying in vain to get the water out of his shoe. He hated the squishy feeling when his sock got soggy. Hopping over to a bench at a bus stop, he removed his shoe and poured the water out. This was turning out to be bad day.

When Kurt had called earlier to say he was tired and going to spend the weekend with his dad, Blaine had thought of making the drive to Lima. Kurt hadnt asked him to come, though, so maybe his boyfriend needed some space or at the very least he might need some time away from Blaine. They had spent almost every waking hour together for the past month.

Blaine had called Trent to maybe go out to dinner, but he was at his folks house helping Janice and Joanie with a school project. Blaine tried Cooper next, but he was going out and any attempt by Blaine to find out who the lucky girl was just made Cooper even more secretive. Blaine finally hung up his cell, knowing that Cooper wasnt going to spill anything to his little brother, so Blaine left him to his clandestine date.

A call to several of the Warblers came up with nobody free for the evening. Blaine thought about going to a movie by himself, wanting to throw a pity-party of one, when he felt an arm across his shoulders.

“Hey, Blaine. What are you doing wandering around all by your lonesome? What – Kurt let you off your leash on a Saturday night?” Sebastian asked, a fake look of pity on his face.

Sebastian was one of the Warblers that had joined at the semester, having just moved back to Ohio after two years in France. He was friendly to a fault and Blaine had seen him with several different boys. It was common knowledge that Seb was gay, but Blaine didnt believe (as some did) that that was a reason for them to be friends.

“Kurt is visiting his dad this weekend,” Blaine said politely.

“Well, we cant have our Blainers all by himself! How about I take you to dinner? Theres a new Polynesian restaurant that opened in downtown Columbus. How about it? My treat. Just call your caretaker and I bet Kurt will let you go,” Sebastian smirked.

“Kurt is not my caretaker. Hes my boyfriend, and he does not expect me to call for permission to do anything! He trusts me and I trust him,” Blaine grumbled. He hated it that so many people thought he had lost all semblance of his independence when he started this relationship with Kurt.

“So, youre free to go to dinner with me?” Seb asked, smiling at Blaine.

“Sure, but Ill pay my half. This isnt a date. You understand that, right?” Blaine asked.

“Yes. Well just have a nice dinner and come back here after, maybe catch a movie?” Seb offered.

“Well see. I am hungry and I wanted to try that place,” he smiled. He didnt fully trust Sebastian, but he was confident in himself. Going to a new restaurant might be fun, and if was any good he could take Kurt next week.

“Shall we take my car?” Seb asked, waving towards the door. “I have the Auston-Martin today. My Beemer is in the shop.”

“Lets just meet there. I can be ready in ten minutes, I just have to change my shirt and jeans. Ill see you there, okay?” Blaine said.

“Heres my cell in case you get lost,” Seb grinned, holding out his hand for Blaines phone. He punched in his number and hit the call button so he had Blaines number, too.

“Okay, see you in about 45 minutes then,” Seb said and took his leave.

~KB~KB~KB~KB~KB~

Blaine sat on the bench remembering what led up to this mess he was in. He had changed his clothes, then started out for the restaurant. The drive down I-71 was easy and he got off on East Broad Street to downtown Columbus. He got a little lost and drove around looking for a familiar street when the car stopped. He looked at the gauge to find he was out of gas. Maybe it was karma hitting him because he hadnt told Kurt where he was going. Well, he had a gas can in the trunk, so hed gotten that out and was walking the dark, deserted street in the light rain, looking for a gas station.

Having done what he could to get the water out of his shoe, he was ready to slip it back on when a man walked by, seemingly minding his own business. Blaine didnt even have time to think as he struggled with his shoe when he felt a pain in the back of his neck. He fell to the wet asphalt and the man was standing over him, gun in hand.

“Get up and hand me your wallet and cell phone, kid,” he said in a gruff voice. Blaine waited too long to comply and earned a hard poke in the ribs with the mans toe. He got up and faced this large man.

“Im just a student....I dont have a job - I dont have anything you want,” Blaine said, shivering with what might be cold, might be fear. He had led a somewhat sheltered life and being manhandled on a dark, wet street wasnt something he had ever even imagined.

“Now,” was all the man said, making a motion with the gun.

Blaine got his wallet out and his cell, handing both to the man.

“What – no cash?” the man demanded. “At least you have a credit card. Lets go over to the ATM in the next block,” he barked out. Blaine turned when the man shoved him and walked to the glass-walled kiosk the man indicated. They went inside and the man handed Blaine his credit card.

“Take it all out,” the man said.

“I dont have all that much...” Blaine started, but the man poked him hard in the ribs with his gun again.

Blaine slid the card into the machine and put in his PIN number. It was the year his parents got married and Blaine closed his eyes and thought about them – and if he was about to join them.

The man pushed the button to get the balance on the account.

“You only have $485 in your account? What the fuck?” the man turned and frowned at Blaine, looking very angry. “Well, its more than I have, so just stand there a minute, put your hands on the wall and dont move.”

Blaine did as he was told. Once the man had taken his money, there really wasnt any reason for him to keep Blaine. Maybe he would get out of this okay after all.

The man pushed the buttons to remove the money. He wiped his fingerprints off the card, replaced it in the wallet, and threw it across the room.

“You didnt see me. Nothing happened. Understand?” the man growled at him, then went out the glass door of the ATM kiosk.

Blaine ran across the room, grabbed his wallet and slid it back into his trouser pocket. He stood for just a moment before deciding to go back to his car and find a pay phone to call his brother. He left the ATM and started walking when he heard a screech. A car had turned down the street he was walking on and as it got closer, he saw the man that mugged him just a few feet away – walking in the street.

Blaine had no time to think, no time to balance his choices or decide what the better way was to go. He just reacted. The out of control car was speeding towards the man and Blaine jumped forward, hitting the mugger and trying to push him out of the way of the car. He thought for a moment that he had avoided disaster, but he was on the ground, soaked, his head hurt and he was dizzy. He tried to sit up and the blackness consumed him.

~KB~KB~KB~KB~KB~

Blaine woke up in a brightly lit room, two police officers and a woman in a white lab coat were in a corner. He could hear them talking, something about arresting a man with prior charges. Then mention of a name, Ivan Nelson. Apparently he had mugged a lot of people, taking their money from ATM machines the same way hed done to Blaine.

Blaine coughed, his head still a bit dizzy.

“Mr. Anderson?” the woman in the white lab coat turned to see he was awake.

“Am I in a hospital?” Blaine asked, looking around. “Where?”

“Youre at Mt. Carmel Hospital,” she said. “In Columbus, Ohio,” she added when he looked puzzled.

“Am I....? Am I all right? My head hurts,” Blaine complained, holding his side where the mugger....Ivan Nelson? …..hit him with the gun.

“Youre okay. You got a knot on the back of your head, and a few scrapes. Youll probably have a bruise where you got...kicked? in your ribs, but it isnt anything dangerous. You lost consciousness, but it was probably from shock. You were mugged? Right?” she asked, but the policeman walked up and asked her to let him question Blaine. She nodded her head and left the room.

“Can you tell us your name, sir?” the police officer asked.

“Im Blaine Anderson. I live in Westerville. What happened?” he asked.

“Wed like to ask you that, if you dont mind?” he smiled a little at Blaine, as if it were a joke. “If you feel up to talking to us, of course.”

“I was going to meet a friend for dinner and I ran out of gas. I had a gas can, so I was walking to find a station when I stepped in a puddle of water....” Blaine went on to tell the two policemen what he remembered.

“....and then I saw a car coming at him and I just reacted. Did I save him?” Blaine asked, a look of concern on his face.

“That was about the time we came around the corner. We were following a car that had left the scene of domestic violence and he was apparently intoxicated. We went a block further and turned to try and cut him off when we saw you leap forward and push Mr. Nelson. It was evident that you were trying to save him. When we got to you, Mr. Nelson was unconscious and had his hands in his pockets. We found $480 and an ATM slip with your name on it in his hand, a gun in the other. When the ambulance got there, they brought both of you here,” he told Blaine.

“What you have told us is about what we had figured out. Mr. Nelson is wanted on seven counts of robbery and mugging. This is his usual MO, to find someone on a deserted street and force them into an ATM and take the money,” the other cop said.

“Is he...did I save him?” Blaine asked, still worried. He didnt know how he felt about the man, Ivan Nelson. He did steal Blaines money at gunpoint, but did he deserve to die for it?

“Hes in surgery. We cant tell you anything else, but here is my card. Ill be contacting you this coming week if we need anything else from you. Well have to keep your cell phone and your money for evidence for now, but it will be returned as soon as possible. Call me tomorrow and I can probably arrange that for you. Can we call anyone for you or take you somewhere?”

“Ah...I dont think so. Im going to call my brother,” Blaine said.

The two policemen left the room and the doctor returned.

“You are free to go, Mr. Anderson. Can I help you find a ride?” she asked.

“No, just a phone, please.”

~KB~KB~KB~KB~KB~

Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital ER, Blaine was curled in on himself. Cooper was on his way to get him, and Blaine was bone-weary tired.

Hed also called Kurt and told him a little...not too many details, just that he had been mugged and the man had been caught. He said he was in the hospital, but hed only had a bump on the head and Coop would be there to get him. Kurt started to say hed get his dad to come now – and Blaine had barely been able to talk Kurt out of that – citing his headache and the need to sleep. He would stay with Coop until Kurt came home in the morning. In the end, he could not calm his hysterical boyfriend and hed had to ask to talk to Burt, convincing him to keep Kurt home until the next day.

Blaine could hardly walk over to the bank of chairs along the grimy wall. After that, his headache got worse and he sat in the waiting room, head propped on the knees of his legs that were pulled up to his chest right now.

The bump on the back of his head hurt. He closed his eyes for a few minutes, but somebodys child kept talking.

“Mommy, is Daddy coming home with us now?” the small voice asked.

“Probably not, Punkin. He was hurt in a car accident. He will stay here for a while. The doctor is coming in a while to tell us how he is,” the mother said, her voice a monotone. She sounded tired and defeated.

“Mommy! Why doesnt Daddy come home every day?” the small girl asked.

“He doesnt live with us, honey, you know that,” she answered in a voice that said she had answered this question before. A lot.

“Do you love Daddy?” the girl asked. “I love Daddy.”

The mother didnt answer.

“Where is the doctor? Will he come soon? I want to see Daddy,” the girl chattered on.

Blaine opened his eyes. He looked at the small girl, her torn dress, her skinny arms, her shoes that didnt match. She looked to be about six years old, and very cheerful and happy. Her mother was young, maybe in her early twenties. She was wearing a waitress uniform, worn and faded. Her face was tired and as faded as her dress. There were dark circles under her eyes.

“Mommy! Is that the doctor?” the girl asked, bouncing up and down in her chair.

“Mrs. Nelson?” the man asked and took the woman a ways away from her daughter, but close enough that Blaine heard what was said.

The doctor told the woman that her husband, Ivan Nelson, had died on the operating table. His injuries were bad, but it was his heart that gave out. Too many drugs in his system. He explained how a good Samaritan had pushed him out of the way and he might have lived if not for the drugs. The woman didnt cry. She just thanked the man and returned to her daughter.

“Honey, I need to tell you some bad news. Daddy wont be coming home any more,” she said and the girls face crumbled. The tears were running down her little face and she held her arms out for her mom.

“Is it because Daddy was a bad man? Is that why he died?” she asked her mother, her little face crumpling in sadness and a tear coming to her eye.

The mother just sat there, holding her daughter, not knowing what to say.

Blaine got up and came over.

“Sweetie, is your dad Ivan Nelson?” he asked. The girl nodded and her mother looked at Blaine, not knowing what to say or do.

“Your daddy saved me,” Blaine lied. He glanced a the woman and he could see in her face that she knew he was telling a lie, but she didnt try to stop him. She just hugged her little girl. “I was in the street and wasnt looking where I was going. When the car came, he ran and pushed me out of the way. Your daddy was a hero, honey,” Blaine said and it was bittersweet when he saw a big smile come upon the girls face.

“Daddy? My daddy was a hero?” she asked. Blaine could tell that she wasnt used to hearing nice things about her daddy.

“Yes, he was. You should be so proud of him. Your daddy was a hero,” Blaine said one more time. He didnt want the small girl to grow up thinking she was the daughter of a bad man. Her mother smiled at Blaine for a moment, then gathered her daughter and left the hospital.

Eventually, Cooper took Blaine to get his car and they went back to Dalton. Blaine stayed with Coop in the carriage house, not wanting to see anyone for a while. He had asked his brother to get hold of Sebastian and give him a brief synopses of why Blaine hadnt shown up for dinner. In the morning, he found Sebastian and explained everything in more detail. Seb gave him a chaste hug and asked if he could help, but Blaine just wanted to go back to his dorm and wait for Kurt.

The policeman in Columbus had called early the next morning and Cooper went to get Blaines cell phone and money. He found out what Blaine already knew: the mugger, Ivan Nelson, had died while the doctors were trying to save him. Thanks to Blaine, his injuries were not fatal, but he had a large amount of heroine in his system and it affected his heart. Without a perpetrator, there would be no case, so they released Blaines property to him without question.

~KB~KB~KB~KB~KB~

When Kurt got home to Dalton Sunday morning, Blaine was quiet and subdued. Kurt walked over and sat on the sofa next to his boyfriend, inviting him to cuddle. Blaine slipped into Kurts arms and closed his eyes. Kurt combed his fingers through Blaines silky curls and left kisses on his head as he told Kurt what happened. Kurt held him tightly, giving him all the support he could and feeling badly that hed stayed the whole weekend in Lima. If hed come home as he had originally planned, none of this would have happened.

“Im so sorry that happened to you, baby,” he whispered, hoping something he was doing might help Blaine feel better. It was late evening and they hadnt even eaten supper yet. Just as Kurt had decided to get something from the dining hall, there was a knock at the door and Cooper came in.

“Hey, Blaine, Kurt,” he greeted them. “I brought you guys some supper. You doing okay, Squirt?”

“Ill be all right. It is just hitting me what happened. That poor man – I was angry at first, affronted at what he did to me, but now I just feel bad for him. What a wasted life, and to leave such a sweet little daughter behind. It breaks my heart,” Blaine said, once more hiding his face in Kurts shoulder. Kurt patted his back for a while, dropping little comforting kisses on his head until hed gotten a hold of himself.

They sat in the room, sharing the shepherds pie Cooper had made for them, and talking for the rest of the evening. The next day was a school holiday, Presidents Day, and the Warblers were planning a party. Kurt was thinking they might just skip the party and stay in the dorm if Blaine was still feeling down.

“I better go and let you get some sleep, Squirt. Kurt, call me if I can do anything to help,” Coop said. Kurt got up and walked Cooper to the outside door.

“Is he going to be okay, do you think?” Kurt asked. He was clearly very worried about his boyfriend.

“Yeah. Its a harsh way to find out about life, but hes resilient. Death bothers him a lot, but I think hell be okay if you stick with him tomorrow. You are like healing balm to that kid. Honestly, Kurt, I think you are the best thing that ever came walking into his life,” Cooper said, giving Kurt a gentle hug.

“Thanks for saying so, but I think you have it backwards. Hes the best thing that ever happened to me,” Kurt countered.

“I meant to tell you – I noticed how well youre walking, and no more cast on the wrist?”

“No, I had it off Friday. It feels funny, but I was so ready to get rid of that cast. I was beginning to think Id have to cut it off myself. Or chew it off like a fox in a trap,” Kurt laughed. “This new prosthesis is working out well. Now that Im out of the wheelchair, plus Im getting used to having the bounce in my step instead of feeling like Im dragging it behind me. Thank you so much, Coop, for finding that foundation to get me this new kind of prosthetic leg. When Dad had to scrape nickels together to afford one, I always got the cheapest available. This has opened up a whole new world for me,” he thanked Cooper.

“Dont mention it, kid. Im just happy to see you reaching toward things you might not have thought of a year ago – or even six months ago. I hear youre learning to ride a horse,” he smiled once again.

“Who let that cat out of the bag? I didnt think anyone knew,” Kurt said, surprised.

“Just a little birdie. You know my secretary is one of Trents sisters, didnt you?” Coop said.

“Oh...Blaine did mention that. So, Katie and Sheila told. Hah! I know who I cant tell any secrets to in the future. Do you think it will get back to Blaine? I wanted to surprise him,” Kurt whispered.

“Ill see what I can do. Dont worry, I dont think Trent is going to say anything. He knows its to be kept a secret. You okay to get back inside?” Coop asked.

“Yes, Im fine. Goodnight,” Kurt said, waving at Cooper.

“Goodnight.”

~KB~KB~KB~KB~KB~

For a while, Blaine was skittish, jumping at each and every sound. Kurt had only to walk across the room, bump into the foot stool and Blaine was gasping for air, every muscle stretched tight in fear. He always calmed down immediately, even laughing at himself, but Kurt worried about him. He seemed even more clingy than before, not wanting to walk across campus at night or go out to the movies or anything.

“Blaine, are you ready for bed?” Kurt called. Blaine was in the hallway saying goodbye to Trent after a day and an evening of snacks and a marathon of Harry Potter movies. Kurt had invited some of their best friends on campus and made a party out of it – making trays of snacks and drinks, everyone brought pillows and came in their pajamas. It had been great fun including Jeffs imitation of Ron Weasley and Nicks of Hermione, but the best, by far, was Blaines Harry. Kurt had helped with the make-up – including the glasses and the lightning scar on his forehead. Kurt hadnt seen Blaine so relaxed since before the mugging.

“Ah....good times!” Blaine grinned. “Thank you, Kurt. That was exactly what I needed. Youre the best,” he praised, coming over to put his arms around his boyfriend. Kurt gave him a worried smile, but relaxed and kissed his puckered lips – if only to get rid of the sad puppy-dog eyes that Blaine was using to beg a kiss.

“You, my dear sir, are entirely welcome. However, it was mostly Trent and Jeff and Nick that brought it all together. I just provided the room. And the snacks,” Kurt said, so happy to see Blaine smiling naturally.

“Hey, what were those little things wrapped in bacon?” Blaine asked.

“Devils on Horseback are the dates stuffed with mango chutney and wrapped in bacon, Angels on Horseback are the same thing, but with smoked oysters. Then there was Rumaki: chicken livers and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon. You guys have a serious love for bacon, you know,” Kurt laughed. “I could probably serve earthworms and cockroaches as long as I wrapped them in bacon and deep-fried them...”

Blaine frowned at Kurt and play-punched him. Kurt ignored it and went on:

“Then the little pastries you were eating? Little quiches made with those pastry cups you buy frozen. It was all just assembling a few ingredients...nothing fancy. They just looked fancy.”

“They may have looked fancy, but they were delicious. Is there anything left?” Blaine looked at his boyfriend with his sad eyes, hoping that Kurt had held a few things back.

“Well....maybe there are a few things still in the ice chest...” Kurt drawled. He winked at Blaine and walked over to the box in question, opening the lid to search for more food. “Ah....lets get ready for bed and share the rest,” Kurt said in a joking tone, leaning over the ice chest one more time, his back towards Blaine to show off his ass to best advantage as he shifted his weight from one foot to the prosthesis and back again. He quivered as he turned a bit and saw the look of hunger on Blaines face.

Blaine smiled a little - he knew Kurt was hiding something – he hadnt let anyone near the ice chest all day, just taking a tray of something out every once in a while to share with all the boys. Hed started with spanakopita, the Greek treat made of spinach and cheese layered between sheets of phyllo dough. By the time theyd gotten to the Devils on Horseback, all the boys had crowned Kurt the king of party-givers in spite of the lack of alcohol.

Kurt tossed Blaine his emerald green silk pajamas and found his own red ones. They had been wearing Batman and Robin pajamas as a joke for the party, but both boys preferred the silk ones for actually sleeping. Kurt was now irrevocably in love with silk pajamas since borrowing a pair the first week he was with Blaine. He loved them so much he kept borrowing them until Blaine bought him his own so they fit him better. Since his growth spurt all of Blaines pants were several inches too short on Kurt.

“Okay, bring on the food!” Blaine crowed, enjoying the excited look in Kurts eyes as he opened the ice chest to bring out the last treat. They looked a lot like the tiny quiche bites, shaped like tiny pies inside a crust, but these had things like a fresh raspberry or a cut strawberry, a teeny slice of kiwi, or other fruit and were drizzled in a chocolate design on top.

Kurt brought the tray of these and climbed up on the bed, setting it down between the two.

“Here you go, Blaine. I saved these just for us,” he smiled, but his smile was different. It was sultry, almost seductive as he turned off all the lights except the small glow of the six candles in the candelabra on the bedside table. Kurt had unearthed this from a spare room in the carriage house and begged Cooper to let them have it in the dorm. Cooper laughed and asked if they were going to a screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Both boys just looked at him with puzzled faces. They knew about Rocky Horror.......... but?

Cooper had to explain that when he was younger (which brought on more jokes at his expense) there was a nearby theater that had midnight showings of Rocky Horror every weekend for several years. Everyone came in costume and with mandatory props in hand...toast, a folded newspaper, blankets, squirt guns, bells, noise makers, rubber gloves, party hats, rice, confetti, and.......a candelabra! By the time Cooper had finished telling them about the good old days when they could bring props and recite the lines aloud, they were all laughing and having a great time. After that, Kurt just had to have the candelabra, and Cooper was generous enough to give it to him.

Now, they sat in bed with their treat, a bottle of sparkling wine (a gift from Wes), and quiet music playing in the background.

“Oh, those look even better than the petit fours you made last month. What are they? Tarts?” Blaine asked, anxious to try a few.

“Nope, these are teeny tiny little cheesecakes, my friend,” Kurt said, startled when Blaine threw his arms around him and almost upset the tray. “Hey, settle down. Youll get some. If you behave.”

Blaines eyes got big.

“Ah...what do I have to do?” he asked innocently, looking nervously back at Kurt.

“Lets get comfortable and Ill tell you.....”