"Rough day at the rehab center?" Burt asked and Kurt just scoffed.

"Let me ask you something?" Kurt said out loud, even if Burt didn't want to talk about it, Kurt would have continued either way. "...If I was beaten to a pulp by my classmates for being gay and had to spend all of my time in a rehab center to relearn how to spell and how to hold a fork - you would visit me right?" Kurt asked, anger seeping from every exaggerated syllable. Burt suddenly looked very worried as he hung on every word that Kurt was saying.

"Kurt...what is this about?" Burt asked, ignoring that what Kurt had said had even been a question.

"I asked him. Blaine. I know you told me to leave it alone, that it was none of my business, but I asked him anyway. Why he was in the rehab center. Turns out he was nearly beaten to death for going to a school dance with a boy..." Kurt explained, his voice breaking at the very last second and he hated it.

"Jesus...Kurt..." Burt started but was quickly cut off by Kurt.

"As if that wasn't bad enough, what's worse is that his parents don't even visit him. His Mom used to but his Dad...never did." Kurt said, his voice finally breaking and his voice caught in his throat. Kurt looked down at his hands as Burt watched his son sadly.

"Then at least he has someone like you there for him." Burt said and Kurt looked up at his father with warm affection. "If his parents are too afraid to love him unconditionally, then at least there is someone looking out for him that isn't." Burt added and Kurt couldn't help himself; a tear slipped down his cheek.

"What gave me away?" Kurt asked with a slight smile. He tried for a long time to keep his affection for Blaine at a distance, only looking out for him because he needed looking out for. He didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable but his Dad could always see past him. Realizing that his need to be there for Blaine was stemming from feelings he was hiding underneath the surface.

"It's written all over your face." Burt said with a hint of smile on his lips. Kurt stood up from his spot on the chair and walked over to his father, enveloping him in a hug. They stayed like that for a while, his arms around Kurt as tears slowly slid down his sons porcelain cheeks; until Burt pulled away.

"Now go on, I know it's early but you have school tomorrow." Burt said as Kurt started towards the staircase.

"Okay - thanks Dad." Kurt said before disappearing up the stairs.

The next few days of school seemed to never end, he just wanted it to be Saturday so that he could go to the center and visit Blaine. It seemed like endless blabber about regionals and motivation propaganda that Mr. Schue spouted on and on about.

When Saturday finally rolled around, he drove excited towards the center in Westerville. When he got there the Rec room was completely full but there was no sign on Blaine. Kurt walked over to Marsha, who was monitoring the food line.

"Marsha - where's Blaine?" Kurt asked and Marsha scowled.

"He hasn't come out of his room all day." Marsha said, looking desperately at Kurt. "Maybe you could get him out of there." She said with a hint of hopefulness in her voice and twinkle in her eye. Kurt just nodded and quickly exited the Rec room and entered the bedroom quarters. He reached the end of the hall and promptly knocked on Blaine's bedroom door; hoping that the situation ahead of him would play itself out easily. He hoped that Blaine was just having a bad day and it wasn't anything more than that. When he glanced through the small window and into Blaine's room however, he could already tell that something was off. Blaine was wrapped up in his blankets, like an Eskimo on the floor beside his desk. His cheeks were tear stained and his eyes were bloodshot.

Kurt didn't bother trying to knock again. Why would he bother when it was clear that Blaine wouldn't just invite him in, he wouldn't do anything; so Kurt just walked in. He let the door shut behind him as he stepped towards Blaine, crouching down beside him.

"Blaine, what's going on? Are you all right?" Kurt asked as he pushed some of the blanket aside so that he could clearly see Blaine's face. Blaine lifted his hazel eyes up to look at Kurt - lingering for a moment on his lips before meeting his eyes. Kurt could practically feel the anguish wafting off of him. After a long moment of just looking at one another, Blaine spoke.

"We had an assignment in therapy yesterday..." Blaine said, his voice cracking as the words came out. Kurt just nodded and waited for him to continue; Blaine pulled the blanket tighter against him. "We were supposed to write about one thing that help us stay positive during our rehabilitation." Blaine explained, his eyebrows screwing together and he spoke the words carefully.

"So...I sat down to write. The first thing that came to mind." He mumbled. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to keep himself from crying. "But...I can't..." Blaine stuttered once more.

"You can't what, Blaine?" Kurt asked gently. It was still and silent for a moment, just the rhythms of their breathing could be heard between them.

"I can't...spell your name. I know, it's stupid but my brain locks up sometimes and I just can't...I can't place the letters..." Blaine said, feeling his entire chest contract. Kurt looked up at the desk beside them and saw the open composition book lying open. He took a deep breath and grabbed the notebook as well as a nearby pen. Blaine watched him with a sad curiosity. Kurt wrote his name large and clearly on the first line.

"K...U...R...T. Four simple letters, that's all it is." Kurt said with an encouraging smile as Blaine sat up, his blanket still wrapped around his shoulders. Kurt handed the notebook and pen to Blaine.

"Now, you write it, as many times as you need. Sometimes repetition is the best was to remember." Kurt said as Blaine took the pen and stared at the letters on the page.

"Four simple letters." Blaine whispered to himself as he looked up at Kurt with a look that he couldn't quite place. Then he looked down at the page and wrote Kurt's name, his lettering was a bit shaky but Kurt could read his name clearly.

"That's good - it looks good." Kurt said in a voice that he hoped sounded motivating. Blaine felt a sudden surge of confidence that he hadn't felt in himself in a long time.

"Thanks." Blaine said quietly. He seemed a bit startled when Kurt stood up suddenly.

"Now come on, why don't we go down to the Rec room and get something to eat?" Kurt asked as he reached out his hand to Blaine. Blaine stared at his hand for a moment and then locked eyes with Kurt. Just looking into each other's eyes have Blaine another boost of confidence and he reached out and grabbed Kurt's hand.

"Okay." Blaine said with a tentative smile and Kurt pulled him to his feet. Letting his blanket fall down around him. They walked out of Blaine's room and walked down the hall towards the Rec room, hand in hand.