Kurt and Blaine called Burt the next morning. They did their best to convince him to journey to New Hampshire –Kurt needed him desperately- without giving away too much information. The young man knew his father needed to be keyed in on the story of his stalking and assault, but he couldn't do it over the phone. The thought alone felt wrong.

Burt readily agreed, despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. Kurt sounded -off. The father couldn't quite place the emotion behind his son's words, but he hesitated to bring it up. He also had a hell of a lot of stuff on his plate; all of which he needed to discuss with his son.

Kurt was slightly relieved when he hung up the phone; having his father around was always comforting. The young man looked around the room for his boyfriend. Sometime during his conversation with his father, the elder had grabbed Kurt's cell phone, the one he'd barely remembered to pack, and stepped away.

The performer found his boyfriend on the balcony. He was waving his hands around and shouting into the phone; Kurt's phone. "...I know but..." The professor's voice halted as whoever was on the other end of the line spoke. "...and I get it but..."

From the sound of the agitated quiver in Blaine's voice, Kurt knew he was angry. "You know what," the professor eventually cut in, "I talked to Andrea a few months ago and she showed me the picture of you guys from at the Christmas party you held. It's a bit inappropriate to take a picture with yourDeanhand on hisstudentbreast."

There was another silence, much longer than the last. "So, we're in agreement. I'm taking the next semester off with promises to be back by the New Year?...Good." Blaine hung up the phone and pocketed it. He only noticed his boyfriend's presence after a moment of staring out over the edge of the balcony. "I hope I didn't interrupt your call with your dad. I had to handle some things at the school." Kurt shook his head.

"I didn't know you were missing until after I got off the phone." Blaine nodded as he followed his boyfriend back into the room. "Dad is getting on a plane; he'll be here later today." The professor sank down onto the couch in their room and continued to listen. Kurt wasn't hysterical, but he was not the picture of calm either. He was fidgety, pacing back and forth across the room in long strides. Every so often, the performer would shake out his hands as if trying to dry them after washing. It was something the teacher had only seen once before. It was the day they met in Ohio to discuss their situation. From what he knew now, Blaine could tell that was one of the many nervous habits of Kurt Hummel.

"I couldn't tell him over the phone. I wanted to but....I couldn't. Then he said that he had something to tell me and...uggggg....I don't even know. It's making me nervous. What if it's something bad? I mean, this is bad, but I can't deal with his bad news too. What if he's sick again? He had a heart attack a few years back and-"

The performer's rambling ceased he moment he felt his boyfriend's arms wrap around his shoulders and pulled him close. He sank into the hug. He needed it. He was falling apart at the seams and he needed something to hold him together. Blaine was his glue.

"It's going to be okay, baby. You - we are going to get through this. We're going to take each day one day at a time and we're going to take whatever news we get as it comes. We'll get past this. Then, one day far in the future, we'll be lounging in white sand on a far off beach and this will all be a distant, bad memory. Okay?" Through the tears, Kurt couldn't help but agree. He knew they were strong enough to make it past this. It was going to be hard and that was a frightening thought to say the least.
"I have to tell my dad everything." The performer whispered as he tightened his arms around his boyfriend's neck. Blaine nodded. Burt wasn't a rocket scientist but he was sure to notice the bruises painted across his son's face.Kurt may be good with makeup, but he's not that good.

"Your dad deserves to know everything. Don't be worried though. Your dad will understand." Kurt shrugged and buried his face into the crook of his boyfriend's neck. His father was a very understanding man, but this was different. This wasn't like the time he had to tell his father that he got in trouble for back talking Mr. Schuester. This was Kurt telling his father that he did porn and that his occupation had gotten him into a very unfavorable situation. "And whatever your dad has to tell you won't be that bad. Okay?"

"Okay."

The two settled on the bed and attempted to relax for a bit. Burt would be there in a matter of hours, as would the ADA that was prosecuting the case. It was going to be a long day and they needed their rest.

"Burt, it's lovely to see you again." Emily said when she caught sight of the man stocking towards baggage claim. True to his word, Burt Hummel landed a few hours later on New Hampshire soil.

The mechanic grunted. "Yea, where is Kurt? He sounded weird on the phone. I want to see him. And...." He stopped and tilted his head. "Why are you here? Kurt said something went on, but...." His first thoughts were of his son but, now that he had a chance to stop and calm himself for just a second, he realized that Emily's presence was almost as out of the ordinary as his son's presence in the far off state.

"Umm...well..." Emily momentarily panicked. Years ago, when she was still working from the Bureau, it was as simple as breathing to give out bad news. With Burt Hummel, a man that she and her husband were quickly beginning to see as a friend, it was more complicated. "Why don't we go see, Kurt? He's expecting you."

Burt didn't budge. "Is my boy okay? Be real with me, Emily." The woman sighed and he shoulders sagged. 'Okay' depended on Burt's definition of the word.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the woman responded. "Yes."

"Okay. Is my son in trouble?"

"No."

"Let's go then." Emily let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She hadn't lied to Burt, per se. She'd simply given him the more optimistic version of the truth. Kurt wasn't dead and his physical injuries were temporary. So, technically he was okay.

The two rode in silence to the hotel. Unfortunately for Emily, it wasn't the comfortable silence shared between two friends. It was uncomfortable in the truest sense of the word. Burt stared out the passenger window as Emily drove down the highway. She could tell a lot was weighing on his mind. If only she knew how much.

"...and since this is a small area, time is in our favor. Mr. Davis has the right to a speedy trial and the District Attorney is anxious to give him one." ADA Leslie informed. He was a young man who seemed anxious to prosecute the doctor. He also seemed confident. From the moment he stepped into Kurt's hotel room, he was sprouting off reasons they were guaranteed to win the trial. "I don't want you to worry about the time frame, though. Like I said early, just get on the stand and tell the truth."

Kurt nodded and laid his head down on his boyfriend's shoulder. If Blaine had been anything during the entire conversation, it was supportive. He backed off when Kurt needed him to and he stayed close for the same reason. He was the picture of a perfect boyfriend. "So...when?" The performer asked.

"Monday. We've got 3 days to get ready for this. This is no New York City or Chicago. Speedy trial means speedy trial. So, I want you to come by my office tomorrow and we're going to go over your testimony. You're going to tell me everything that happened, just like you did before, and then we're going to practice cross examination. Davis's attorney is going to go after you. He's going to claim that this is all your fault. It's not, but I need you to be prepared. Okay?" The ADA waited patiently for Kurt's response.

"Okay."

"Great. I'll leave you two alone now but I will see you first thing in the morning."

"Yep."

ADA Leslie smiled as he gathered his briefcase. He was gone a moment later. The couple sat on the couch silently for a moment. There were a million things to say but nothing felt right. Everything was real, so real. They were getting ready to go to trial to face the person that had caused them so much grief over the past few months. It was terrifying and relieving. If all went well, it would all be over soon. Hopefully things go well. Kurt started to open his mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. It was a text message specifically.

He reached around his boyfriend to the device on the end table. "It's my dad. They're in the lobby. They'll be up in a second." He sighed. Blaine threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled the young man to his chest.

"It's going to be okay. Just tell him the truth and we'll go from there. It's going to be fine." He whispered as he petted his boyfriend's hair.

"I know."

The knock on the door ran out through the room like a final warning bell. The time had come. Blaine unlaced his arms from around his boyfriend and strode across the room. He stood at the door for a moment before opening it. To his excitement and dismay it was Burt Hummel. "Hey, Burt. Long time, no see."I can at least try to be nonchalant. Make him calm. Yeah, by the look on his face, it's not working. Damn.

"Where's Kurt?" Blaine was too scared not to answer. He stepped aside immediately and let the man enter to hallway of their tiny suite.

"Ummm...he's this way. Now, I want you to know that-" Burt stalked away quickly. He was in the room before Blaine had the door closed.

"Kurt!" He gasped. Still seated on the couch was Kurt, just as beaten and nearly as broken as the day before. "What the hell happened? Your... your face? And..." Burt quickly turned to the professor. "Did you do this?" He asked as he thrust his finger into the man's chest.

Blaine paled and shook his head violently from side to side. "No. I didn't. We just..."

"I'm not messing around, kid. Did you do this to my boy? I swear to God I'll-"

"It wasn't him, Dad. Just...can you sit down? Your heart and....I need to talk to you." Kurt pleaded. His father turned to him, face red as a beet, and stared. There was a mixture of hurt and anger written across his face.

Eventually, the man sank slowly into the seat next to his son. "What happened?" He asked slowly. There was a grave undertone in his voice.

Kurt took a breath. Here goes nothing. "Umm...I got beat up." Burt nodded slowly.Obviously."I ummm....well...it wasn't Blaine but..." Kurt felt his father's eyes on him. They were far from the caring, compassionate eyes he was used to. They were stormy and angry. If given the opportunity, Kurt was sure his father would find Henry Davis and rip him to pieces- small pieces that wouldn't be identifiable as human when Burt was finished.

"Start from the beginning, Kurt." Blaine advised from across the room. He was seated on the bed watching the exchange intently. His boyfriend nods.The beginning is always a good place to start.