Kurt glanced at his watch yet again, worrying his bottom lip through his teeth. Blaine had been at his mother's headstone for nearly ten minutes, totally alone. If the situation were any different, Kurt wouldn't be as worried but… Well, it was his mother's funeral, and she had meant the world to him. Kurt had seen just how much he was struggling in the church, but he'd also seen how he had managed to hide the majority of his pain. Kurt couldn't help but worry about the younger boy – what if he found a way or hurting himself? Anything could have been running through Blaine's mind. They'd only had one therapy session and there was no way either of them were better. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm going to check on Blaine," Kurt said to the others after a while.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, buddy?" Burt asked, raising an eyebrow. "He did say he wanted to be alone."

"I know he did, but I'm worried. I won't approach him or anything; I just want to make sure that he's alright, and that he hasn't done anything stupid."

"I'll come with you," Cooper said, moving to Kurt's side. The older Anderson brother gave him a small, sad smile. Kurt nodded at him and together, they walked around the corner.

When Kurt caught sight of Blaine, his heart stopped beating. He wasn't alone and by the looks of it, he wasn't even conscious. A figure was standing over him and after a few seconds, he hauled the boy into his arms. When the figure turned around, Kurt had to fight the urge to be sick. His fear rooted him to the spot and he felt completely numb. Only when the figure ran his hand down Blaine's face did he react.

"Karofsky!" He screamed, dropping his phone and running towards him. He was followed by a bewildered, but obviously furious Cooper, though Kurt barely noticed. He couldn't let Blaine be taken by that monster. He wouldn't.

Karofsky's eyes widened at the sound of Kurt's voice and he turned, sprinting through the graveyard, away from them. Kurt knew, deep down, that there was no hope in hell that he would catch him. But that certainly didn't stop him from trying. Karofsky reached a large, dark car and threw Blaine inside, running around to the driver's seat. He sped off immediately and Kurt let out a furious snarl, running even harder. He only stopped when the car disappeared around a corner – he sank to his knees in the middle of the road, strangled sobs escaping his lips. Cooper was stood just behind him – he did the rational thing and pulled out his phone, fingers trembling. Kurt barely registered him talking, but he could hear Cooper giving Karofsky's description and the car's licence plate number. When he was finished, he crouched beside Kurt and placed an arm around his shoulder. Kurt immediately turned into him, sobbing into his chest. He could hear the soft words of comfort coming from the man, but it did little to soothe him. Cooper helped him to his feet and led him back to his family slowly, picking up Kurt's phone from the ground as they went.

"What the hell happened?" Burt yelled, his entire body tensing when he saw the two of them approaching. "Where's Blaine?"

At the sound of his boyfriend's name, Kurt let out another wail, turning to hide his face in Cooper's chest. Cooper explained to them in a hollow voice what had happened, flinching at their reactions. Burt let out a furious growl and stormed off. Carole let out a tiny sob and pulled Kurt into her arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. Kurt didn't hear her soft words of comfort, nor did he see Burt return, shaking his head sadly. The only thing running through his mind was the promise he'd made to Blaine before they'd left for the funeral. Kurt had promised not to leave his side. Yet, that's exactly what he had done. He had left Blaine alone, when he was most vulnerable. Blaine had needed him, and he'd left. If anything happened to him, Kurt would never be able to forgive himself.

Cooper Anderson was at a loss. He was sat in the Hudmels (or rather, the Hudson/Hummel) living room, crying silently. It had been hours since the funeral and in that time, he'd barely said a word. It was cruel, how Blaine was taken. Obviously it was bad enough, but on the day of their Mamma's funeral… Cooper hadn't known who had taken Blaine, but apparently he was bad news. Burt had explained to him in a hushed voice exactly who Dave Karofsky was, and it completely terrified him. What that man – no, that boy – did to Kurt was vulgar. He could only hope that his little brother wasn't in for the same fate.

"What the hell do you mean there's nothing you can do?!"

Cooper glanced up at the enraged voice of the older Hummel, an eyebrow raised. The man had been on the phone for the past half an hour, trying desperately to do something about Blaine. Cooper may have only met Burt a few times, but he could see how angry it was, and it was unnerving.

"We gave you the bastard's name, description and the licence plate of the car!" Burt continued down the phone. "Are you honestly telling me that's not enough?" He listened for a few more minutes before slamming the phone down, almost throwing himself on the sofa.

"Burt honey, calm down," Carole said, rubbing his arm soothingly. The elder Hummel merely grunted in response, causing his wife to sigh, getting to her feet. "Cooper, I'm going to make a pot of coffee. Do you want any?" He nodded slowly and she offered him a tiny smile. "Would you mind running down and asking Kurt for me? You know where his room is."

Although she didn't say it, the real reason Carole was sending him to check on Kurt was obvious – she didn't want him doing anything stupid in Blaine's absence, things that they had been trying so hard to overcome. So Cooper merely nodded at the kind-faced woman and hauled himself to his feet, heading down to the basement bedroom slowly.

Kurt was completely numb. The whole situation was distressing to say the least, and he took the opportunity to think about how much his life had changed ever since he met Blaine. Turn back the clocks a few months, and he would probably have been at Scandals, fucking a random man in the toilets. He wouldn't have let anyone even speak to him, and he most certainly wouldn't be curled in a ball on his bed, desperately fighting back his tears. The more he thought about it, the more Kurt realised that meeting Blaine Anderson had turned his world upside-down. In reality, he should probably hate the boy – he was Kurt's complete opposite; quiet, shy, whole, pure… But then he thought about the good Blaine had done for him in such a short space of time; he'd actually managed to convince Kurt to re-join the New Directions, got him to socialise and reconnect with his old friends once again. And most importantly, Blaine had been the reason he'd confronted Karofsky. Yes, it had been painful, almost to the point where it was unbearable, and telling his father everything had been absolute torture, but Kurt was finally getting the help he'd always known he needed, but had been too ashamed to seek.

There were footsteps on his stairs and Kurt sat up quickly, drying his eyes. After the quick knock, he got to his feet and opened the door, surprised to see Cooper stood there.

"H-Hey, Kurt," he said quietly, not quite meeting his gaze. "Carole wanted to know if you want some coffee," Kurt only shook his head. Cooper nodded and turned to walk back up the stairs.

"Wait," Kurt said, speaking for the first time since he'd arrived at his home. "D-Do you want to come in for a bit? We… don't have to talk. But it might be nice to just… Sit."

Cooper gave a grateful nod and stepped into the room. Kurt led him over to the sofa and pushed him lightly, making him sit. Kurt sat beside him silence, not wanting to force him to talk. It took about ten minutes, but eventually, Cooper managed to form words.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?"

Kurt hesitated, not entirely sure what could be classed as 'okay'. There was no doubt in his mind that Karofsky would do something to Blaine, but he knew that he wouldn't kill him. Karofsky had his eye on Blaine from the moment he walked through the doors of McKinley, something Kurt absolutely hated. He shook himself mentally, realising that Cooper was waiting for an answer.

"I don't know," he said carefully, worrying his bottom lip through his teeth. "K-Karofsky won't kill him. But I don't know if he'll be okay." It was obvious from Cooper's expression that he could understand the hidden meaning behind Kurt's chosen words. His face darkened and his entire body tensed. "I'm sorry, Cooper," Kurt continued, reaching out to take his hand. The older Anderson brother took it, giving it a firm squeeze.

"Why?" Cooper choked out. "Why Blaine? Why today, of all days? It was our Mamma's funeral, for god's sake! Blaine's so innocent and so goddamn gentle; if this Karofsky kid hurts him, I'm going to destroy him. I don't know how, but I will rip that bastard limb from-"

"I'm with you," Kurt interrupted.

"What?"

"I said I'm with you. You think I don't want to keep Blaine safe? You think I want this to be happening to him? I love your little brother. He's the only person in the whole world that I trust. So if Karofsky does anything to him, I'm going to rip his throat out with my teeth."

Cooper looked impressed, though he didn't smile. The older Anderson brother pulled Kurt closer to him without saying a word, running his hand through his dishevelled hair in a comforting manner. It was only then that Kurt realised that Blaine usually did it in the exact same way, threading his fingers through the soft hair. And for the first time in what felt like years, Kurt allowed himself to be comforted by someone that wasn't Blaine.

Blaine was absolutely terrified. It had been bad enough to see the face of the boy he despised, holding a rock above his head. But to wake up with his hands bound behind his back, gagged and with blindfold on? Well, Blaine was surprised he didn't die of fright.

He wasn't entirely sure how long it had been. All he knew was that his entire body ached; he was curled in a tight ball in a small, cramped place that he could only assume was the boot of a car. The steady vibrations beneath his body only confirmed his suspicions. He hesitantly moved his foot, startled when it nudged against something cold and hard, like metal. He furrowed his brow and tried to move, the action making his back protest furiously. Without needing to feel, Blaine knew there was a lump and a wound on his head, from where he'd been hit with the rock. The stickiness in his hair meant blood and he knew it. It was disgusting; Blaine had been at a funeral when Karofsky decided to attack him. All he could think is what kind of sick bastard would do that. But then his mind wandered to Kurt and he wondered how terrified his boyfriend must have been. They weren't used to being apart, not anymore, and they practically needed one another to survive.

Without warning, the vibrations from the car engine stopped. Blaine tensed as he heard a door slam and then footsteps, growing closer and closer. There was the creak of metal and cold air rushed onto his body, making him shiver involuntary. Someone, he presumed it was Karofsky, picked him up in a bridal carry and began to carry him… well, somewhere. He thrashed around as much as he could, only for the arms to tighten around him, making him whimper.

"If you keep moving around, I'll make you regret the day you were born," Karofsky said in a snarl.

As much as Blaine wanted to struggle, he stayed perfectly still. Even if he could get free, what could he possibly do at this point? His hands were tied behind his back, he couldn't see where he was and he couldn't exactly shout for help. So Blaine remained still, not wanting to do anything to anger Karofsky. After all, he knew what his temper was like, and had experienced it first-hand. Blaine let out a tiny whimper as Karofsky carried him, praying to a god he didn't believe in that everything would be alright.

The smell was what hit him first. Mould, damp and god knows what else. Wherever they were, the place was filled with foul odours. Blaine wrinkled his nose, as though trying to protect himself from the stench, despite knowing it was pointless. The next thing that hit him was the noise or lack thereof. Wherever they were was totally silent, other than the footsteps coming from Karofsky. It was unnerving really, to have no idea where you were and for there to be no noise around you, nothing to give you a clue.

The footsteps stopped and Karofsky lurched slightly as he stopped walking, making Blaine whimper. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he was dropped to the floor. Literally. The gag was pulled from his mouth and he revelled in the ability to breathe normally again.

"God, look at you," Karofsky whispered. Blaine gasped at how close he was, able to feel his breath on his face. He whimpered, hating the fact that he couldn't see. "You know, I wanted you from the minute I saw you. You were just stood there. And then you went with him!"

Blaine was startled by how aggressive Karofsky's voice suddenly got and flinched, trying to move away from him. Without any form of warning, he was hauled to his feet and the blindfold was ripped from his face. The room was exactly how he expected; dark, damp and tiny. Karofsky was stood directly in front of him, eyes fixed on his face.

"You look scared," he said, taking a step closer to him, so their bodies were pressed closer together. Blaine flinched, making the older boy laugh. Karofsky reached out and ran his fingertips down his cheekbone. "You probably should be. You do know what I'm capable of, after all. But you should also get used to it because you aren't going anywhere."

Blaine opened his mouth to speak, only to find that no words would come out. He trembled, biting his lip as Karofsky moved his hand to Blaine's cheek, brushing his thumb over his cheekbone lightly. "Shy, sweet little Blaine Anderson. Aren't you beautiful? Kurt doesn't deserve you."

"Fuck you!" Blaine spat, jerking out of his touch. The simple action made Karofsky furious; he growled, fingers tangling in Blaine's hair and forcing him to look at him. "You do not move away from me! You're going to be here for a long time. Do you honestly think I'm just going to let you go? No, Blaine. You're mine."

The tiniest of whimpers fell past his lips but he didn't pull away. Karofsky's words had scared him to say the least; he was bad enough at McKinley but now? Now there was no filter. He could hurt Blaine as much as he wanted, and it terrified him. All he could do was close his eyes and hope for the best.

Ten days. Ten fucking days since Blaine had been taken. Ten days he had been with that monster. Ten days without any news. Kurt was reaching his breaking point. He couldn't eat, sleep or even speak. He hadn't uttered a single word since his conversation with Cooper, the day Blaine had been taken. The police had been practically no help, having told them that they were doing the best that they could. It was no comfort though; Kurt had read somewhere that the highest chance of finding a kidnapped victim was in the first twenty four hours and after that, there was little hope. After the first twenty four hours, Kurt had shut himself in his bedroom, refusing to get out of bed, unless it was to use the bathroom. Each day seemed to last for years and he was slowly beginning to lost track of them.

"Kurt?"

He sat up ever so slightly in bed, looking up to his bedroom door. At the sight of his father he merely slumped back down against the mattress. Burt sighed softly, stepping further into the room and placing his hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"Listen to me, buddy. He's going to be okay. Blaine's going to be okay. He's strong and he's a fighter. You know that better than any of us. You've seen how strong he is, he'll get through it." When Kurt remained silent, Burt let out another sigh, shifting closer to him to offer soft words of comfort. Yet no matter what he did, Kurt remained the same. After about half an hour of trying to comfort his son, Burt left the bedroom, shaking his head sadly. As soon as he was alone, Kurt gave into his tears once again. He curled into a tight ball onto his bed, clutching Blaine's pillow close to him, inhaling deeply. It was starting to lose the smell of Blaine, something that broke his heart. But it was one of the only things he had left to him.

And then, without any form of warning, Kurt's phone rang. For ten days he had avoided all phone calls, mostly not even bothering to look at the caller ID. Today though, he did. Kurt said bolt upright in bed, staring at the name on the screen.

"Blaine?!" He answered, getting to his feet quickly. "Oh thank god, baby. Where are you? What happened? Are you hurt? Talk to me!"

"Shut up, Hummel," an eerily familiar voice growled. Kurt swallowed hard, gripping his phone impossibly tighter. How dare Karofsky call him from Blaine's phone? Oh god, what was he doing to him?! The thought made him feel sick but regardless, Kurt remained silent. "That's better," Karofsky continued. "Now, I'm going to go ahead and assume you want your little Blainey back?"

"Of course I do, you sick bastard!"

"Calm down. Just stay patient, okay? You'll get him back. On one condition; I want you."

It felt like all of the wind had been ripped out of Kurt's lungs. But he couldn't let Blaine go through it all. He couldn't let Karofsky violate his boyfriend. No way.

"Fine," he spat furiously. "Just don't hurt Blaine!"

"That depends on your definition of 'hurt'," Karofsky said in a dark voice. "He looks pretty beat up, Kurtsie."

"What the fuck did you do to him?! Damn you, Karofsky, he was pure! He doesn't deserve this!"

"It's your fault for not protecting him! Now shut up and listen carefully. I'm going to text you an address. You're to go there alone. Believe me, I'll know if you are or not. And if you bring a single fucking person with you, I'll cut his throat."

"Okay," Kurt said in a sob. "Okay, fine. You win, Karofsky. I'll come. I just… Please, let me speak to him? Please? I'm begging you. I just need to know he's okay."

There was a few seconds of silence. Kurt listened as carefully as he could, able to hear a faint rustling and the soft murmur of voices. And then after what felt like an age, he heard him.

"Kurt?"

"Oh my god, Blaine! Where are you? What's happened? Are you okay?"

"Stop," Blaine said in a whimper. There was more rustling and a gasp of pain. "I can't… I can't tell you where I am because I have no idea. H-How long has it been?"

"Blaine… You've been gone for ten days. Everyone's been going crazy. Seriously, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. Oh my god… Just… try and calm them down, okay? Just reassure Cooper or something, please." Kurt furrowed his brow as he listened to his boyfriend talk. He wasn't an idiot; he didn't miss the way Blaine avoided his main question… He didn't try and reassure him that he was okay.

"Blaine, for god's sake. Just… Tell me what happened. Tell me you're okay."

He heard a heavy sigh that he recognised as Blaine, before the sound of his boyfriend repeating the question. Karofsky replied something, just before Kurt heard a yelp of pain.

"He… He said I'm allowed to tell you… I, uh… I was blindfolded when we got here so I have no idea where I am. And my hands are still tied behind my back. He's b-been giving me food and stuff, so I'm okay. I'll be okay, Kurt."

"But what's he doing to you? You have to tell me that because we both know what he's like!"

"No… No, please don't make me… I'm begging you, please…"

"Blaine… Please. I need to know. I need to know. Please, baby."

"He… He's t-touched me… And he's beat me. But he hasn't done everything to me. Kurt, I love you. I… No! No, I'm not done speaking to him! Please, Karofsky. Please, let me talk to him. I love him!"

Kurt's heart broke at the sound of Karofsky's snarl, and then the painful sound of what sounded like knuckles hitting flesh. Blaine cried out, making Kurt let out a sob. After a few seconds, he heard Karofsky's voice once again.

"You know what to do?"

"Y-Yes… Text me the address and I'll be there."

Without another word, the line went dead. Kurt's phone fell through his completely numb fingers and he curled into a ball, wiping away his tears. Karofsky still had Blaine. And he was hurting him. The vibrating of his phone startled him and he swallowed hard when he saw the address he had been sent. Kurt practically jumped to his feet, pulling on a pair of shoes and a jacket, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Kurt, where are you going?"

He groaned at the sound of his dad and froze at the front door, turning incredibly slowly to face him. "I… I won't be long," he lied, hands trembling. "I just need some air."

Burt gave him a sympathetic look and waved him out. Kurt was grateful and moved out into the street, taking a deep breath. He climbed into his car and pulled away as fast as he could, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He needed to get to Blaine. And he was going to. Kurt was finally going to get Blaine back, even if it was going to cost him his own freedom.