"Well," Kurt took a deep breath and pulled his knees to his chest. This was going to be the most difficult conversation of his life, thus far. "The beginning. I guess this all started about 2 years ago. I...umm...well, it was my first trip home after starting school. It was over Christmas break." The performer stopped for a moment and got lost in the memory. It was as if it was yesterday. He remembered rolling out of bed and pulling on a pair of sweat pants and an old t-shirt. "It was early and I was going to ask if I could work at the garage with you."

Burt furrowed his eyebrows. He was trying to remember the time that Kurt was telling him about. He barely remembered Kurt's first break home. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the shock of Kurt bringing a guy home, he wouldn't remember the last visit either. They were usually the same. Kurt came home, worked at the garage, and then left. "When I reached the bottom of the stairs, you and Mom were talking. About me. You guys were going on and on about how expensive my school is."

Again, Burt raked his brain to remember the conversation. Then, like a lightbulb going off, the situation came back to him. He remembered having coffee with Carole and having a conversation about the expense of Kurt's schooling. It wasn't hard to remember. He remembered his wife making an offhand comment about stripping for extra money. It was an intriguing conversation to say the least.

Two years after Kurt's incident with David Karofsky, he was still reeling. Being at the school made Kurt smile. It was the first time he'd seen his son smile in too long. So, Burt and his missus discussed any and all ways to keep Kurt in the school. Money didn't grow on magical trees for the Hummels but they weren't hard on their luck. They weren't concerned about Kurt staying at the school; it was a simple conversation and nothing more.

"We were just talking about-"

"About how much my school cost." Kurt cut in. He didn't need to hear his father say it. He already knew.

"No." Burt interjected. "We were talking about how happy you were and how we'd do anything to keep you at that school. It obviously made you happy. It'd been far too long since we'd seen you smile and we didn't want to lose that."

Oh. Well, that changes a lot.Kurt drew his knees further into his chest. Not only was he ashamed, but now he was embarrassed. Things weren't as he assumed them to be. "I didn't know that at the time." He admitted. "I thought you guys were freaking out about the cost and I really liked my school. So, when I got back to Chicago, I started picking up extra shifts at the coffee shop. It helped a little but I was exhausted. I was either in class or at work. I never had time to rest."

"Eventually, it got to be too much. I was tired all the time and my grades were starting to slip. I knew there had to be better options out there, so I started looking for them. I looked into all kinds of jobs, but none of them were going to give me what I needed. I needed the impossible. I needed fewer hours with better pay." Kurt had searchedtirelesslyfor another job. By the end of the first month of his search, he was exhausted and he still hadn't found a job. He didn't need anything spectacular, he just needed something that would get his tuition paid.

"One day while I was checking my email, I ran across a piece of spam. I didn't realize it was spam then, but I do now. It just said 'make money fast'. Being that I wanted to'make money fast'I clicked on it. It was for a website. It said they wanted performers. As a former performer, I saw nothing wrong with it, so I sent in my info and a few pictures. They called me into their headquarters the next day." Despite his big city dreams, Kurt Hummel was a small town boy at heart. His naivety led him to the offices of SugarBaby dot com the next day.

"I met with the owners and they seemed really nice. I didn't think anything of it until they asked me to take off my clothes. I panicked instantly. They noticed my reaction and began bating me. They talked to me about school and how expensive it was. I panicked and agreed. I signed my contract that evening. They sent me home with a bunch of information and equipment. I started the next day."

Burt cleared his throat and his son stopped speaking in an instant.I don't know if my heart can handle this. Did I take my medication? I hope so."Did this job lead to...?" He waved his hand in his son's direction. The young man nodded sullenly. It had.

"I did a show every night. I only worked a few hours but I was pulling down more money than I'd ever seen. It was exhilarating and exciting. A few weeks after I started, I quit the coffee shop. I didn't need to work there anymore."

"But you needed to essentially sell your body for money? I'm assuming that's what this was. SugarBaby, while it may be the name of delicious candy, doesn't sound like the kind of website that telemarkets." Disappointment. Kurt heard it loud and clear in his father's voice. He hated it.

"It's um...not. I...Dad, I'm so sorry. I....just...I didn't want to be a burden. I..." Kurt's voice waivered as he spoke. As he went on, he grew more emotional. Before too long, the tears were starting to fall. This was the exact response he was expecting and dreading. "I didn't want all my school needs to burden you and Mom. I just...I wanted to help. And I did, kind of. And besides, I met Blaine and-" The performer's mouth snapped shut as his father's head turned towards his boyfriend.I didn't mean to say that.

From his spot on the edge of the bed, Blaine gasped. He heard Kurt loud and clear, just as Burt Hummel had. While they intended to disclose most information about the situation, they were still keeping the way they'd met under wraps. It was more for Blaine's protection than anything else.I hope they play nice music at my funeral. Burt looks angry, he's probably going to kill me. He'll get away with it too. I know Ohio just passed the Burt Hummel 'you saw my son doing porn, so I'm going to kill you and get away with it' law. I wish I could have told my parents goodbye. I'll miss them. Well, they're old. I'll see them on the other side sooner rather than later.

"No, Dad...me. Look at me." Kurt pleaded. If he didn't finish the story soon, he wouldn't be able to. "Blaine just...that's another story. It doesn't have anything to do with Blaine. Please." Slowly, Burt's head turned back towards his son. He sat at the crossroads of rage and confusion. He could go either way because he felt both swirling around in his head.

"Fine." He quipped.

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. It was momentary. "Umm..right after I started, I began to receive messages from a viewer. He told me I looked ummm...nice and that he liked my shows. Honestly, for a while, I liked it. I liked the attention. But then, Blaine came along and I didn't need attention from that guy anymore. He was just another viewer and..." Kurt shrugged. Once upon a time, he enjoyed NEPats's attention. After Blaine, it was unnecessary. He had someone at home to fawn over him. He didn't need a scummy internet guy.

"I told him to back off and he didn't get the picture. He started buying more and more private sessions and harassing me more in the party chats. I um..contacted the site and they said they would handle it. They didn't. A few weeks ago, he hacked Blaine's online account and.." Again, Burt's head snapped towards his son's boyfriend.I'm going to deal with you later, Anderson. "AND...he tricked me. I called him out on the show about it and he flipped. Turns out, he broke into my house at one point and.....relievedhimself on my nightstand. He also stole a picture of Blaine."

"Did you call the cops?" Things sounded like they had gotten out of hand with Kurt's situation. First he was being harassed by some internet guy, then his house was getting broken into. "Did you call anyone? Did you file a report? Did you follow up with your job?"

Kurt's face fell. He'd done all of those things but his father still sounded disappointed.I can't seem to get this right.Burt noticed his son's face and sighed. Slowly, he lifted himself from his makeshift seat on the coffee table and plopped down next to his son on the couch. He extended his arms and waited for his son to fall into them. Kurt did just that. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, son. I just....this is a lot and I wish you would have called me about it. I wish you would have talked to me. I can't say this would have been avoided but....you need people every once in a while. I know that can be hard to understand, but you gotta let people be there for you." Kurt sniffed and nodded.

"I know. I just..."

"You just thought you and Grandpa Anderson could handle it?" He shot another look at Blaine. He seemed understandably calmer. A joke from Burt Hummel was the first sign that things with the elder would be okay. "I get it. You're an adult and your boyfriend is old enough to be on Social Security. I know it seems easy to handle everything yourself but, you gotta let people help. Even if it's just a shoulder to cry on or help changing your boyfriend's diaper. That's what we're here for."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for." Burt pulled his son closer. "Now, finish your story."

"Yeah. Well, we did all those things and they came up with nothing. The site wouldn't help us because of privacy things and the police did what they could. They said, despite DNA evidence, they didn't have anyone to match it with thus, they didn't have a case. It was like a stand still."

Kurt took a deep breathe. He was nearing the climax of his story and it was making him nervous. "Things died down for a while. I went to stay at Blaine's house and we started getting ready for the new school year. Then, out of the blue, Mo-Susan showed up. She just showed up on the doorsteps of Blaine's house and said she missed me. You know how I reacted." Kurt finished matter of factually.

His father stiffened. That was unexpected.Imagine that, Susan dropping one son off to pick up another. I hate her."You were over the moon, weren't you?" He asked. The question was rhetorical. He already knew the answer. Kurt nodded. Over the moon was the best way of putting it. "What happened?"

"She said she missed me and wanted to see me. We spent the afternoon together and then she asked me to stay with her until school started. She said Blaine knew. So, I packed my things and went with her. That's how I ended up in New Hampshire." Some things were coming together while others were falling apart. What did Susan have to do with Kurt's job? And his injuries? And a court case?

"She bought me a ticket and we flew here. When we got to her house, I asked her about her husband. He ....appeared a moment or so later. It was him; the guy from the internet. The guy that broke into my house and....ruined my picture. He...he is her husband and....they....he...there was money. She said she wanted money and she left with money. He...I..."

Kurt stopped for a moment to regain his composure. As suspected, he was losing it. He was shaking violently and tears were beginning to streak down his bruised cheeks. Burt pulled his son closer, and allowed the young man to bury his face in his shoulder. After a few heartwrenching heaves, the performer pulled back. He had to finish. He'd come too far in the story not to finish telling it. Unless he wanted his father to find everything out during the trial –which he didn't- then he had no other choice.

"Umm...she...s-she left. And I just...sat there crying because I wanted her to come back. B-but she didn't.
She was just gone.Heeventually got me off the ground and took me to the living room. He sat me down and got me some water. Umm...he-he...I...when he offered it to me, I batted it across the room. He.." Kurt hiccupped. "he got so mad. He just...started hitting me. Everywhere I looked, there were hands flying."

Blaine, who'd heard the story once before, could barely control his response. The last thing Kurt needed was for him to get angry, but he was having a hard time controlling it. "That man," Kurt spat, "p-pushed me down and...he started trying to undo my pants and..."

Burt did his best to tune out what his son was saying. He couldn't listen. There were too many things wrong with the words coming out of his son's mouth. "....and kept h-hitting me and h-hitting me and...h-he....someone called the cops."

Following his better judgment, Kurt skipped ahead in the story. He went on to tell his father about his rescue and the man, Henry's, arrest. He knew from the twitch in his father's shoulders that the man was angry. He also knew by the incessant tapping of his boyfriend's foot that he was rounding the corner and heading full speed towards rage. "The trial is Monday." He ended the story there. He had nothing else to tell.

"What about her?" Burt asked consciously. He felt his son shrug into his side. "She did all of this stuff. She deserves to be punished as well."

"They haven't really said anything about her." The elder grunted. Of course she wasn't going to get in trouble for her actions.She never does."I just want to get through this and then Blaine and I have decided to go back to Ohio for a while." Blaine nodded in agreement. They needed a break.

Burt sat in silence for a moment. He continued to hold his son as he thought about everything. He thought about his son's difficulties with relationships and about his successes. Burt counted Blaine as a success. Through it all, the elder man stuck by his son. Burt respected that. One day, when things had calmed down and the guys were in a better place, he would tell Blaine that.

'Well," He eventually said, effectively breaking the silence that had consumed the room, "it's good that you're coming home. There's been some stuff going on there that involves you."

Kurt turned to his father with wide eyes. Things that involved him were seldom good things, in his mind. "What?" He asked. "Is this what you needed to talk about earlier? Are you okay? Is it your heart?" Panic rose in his chest with each word he spoke.

With a shake of his head, Burt silenced his son. "No. My heart is fine. I'm healthy as a damn horse. But..." He was having difficulty finding his words. Telling his son about Tyler and the boy's predicament seemed simple enough. It wasn't however. Kurt was extremely fragile. He was wading in low tide but, a single piece of news could drag him out to see like a powerful rip current. Then, Kurt –the apple of his eye- would be gone forever. Burt wasn't sure if he could handle that. He couldn't lose his son.

Still perched atop the hotel bed, Blaine noticed Burt's hesitation. He gave the man a questioning look. Like Burt, the professor felt that Kurt was liable to slip into oblivion at the slightest provocation. It frightened him. He may not have been as vocal as his boyfriend, but that didn't change the facts. Blaine needed Kurt just as much as –if not more than- Kurt needed him. Kurt was his sun and his moon, his day and night. In his eyes, Kurt shit perfection and oozed amazingness. He wasn't sure if he could handle losing Kurt to his situation.

Thinking quickly, Blaine broke the silence. "Ummm...you don't have to talk about it now. We've all had a rough few hours. Maybe we should just pick this back up tomorrow." Burt nodded emphatically. He hadn't heard an idea that sounded that nice since Carole talked him into buying a front loading washing machine.

"No." Kurt spoke up. He shrugged his father's arms from around him and sat back against the arm of the couch. "I want to hear what you have to say. Not knowing will drive me crazy."

Blaine and Burt stared at one another and then at Kurt. Unbeknownst to one another, they were thinking the same thing. Kurt caught on quickly. "Don't do that, guys. I'm not going to lose it. As long as everyone is okay, then I'm fine." There it was; Kurt's swift change in demeanor. The young man seemed to be able to turn his moods on and off like water faucets. "I mean...not fine but well enough to know what's going on in my family. Spill." He turned his head towards his father and stared patiently at the man. We'll sit here all night if we have to. He thought as he watched his father slide a hand down his tired face.

"Well...buddy," Burt took a deep breathe. Then another. And another. When he was finished, he was light headed from the abudnace of oxygen he'd taken in and let out in the span of a few seconds. "Obviously you know that Susan remarried." Kurt nodded. Obviously. "She um....well....they...they had a child."

Kurt sucked in more oxygen during his gasp than he thought was humanly possible. "Wha-a child? Is it okay? I don't remember seeing pictures on the walls. She didn't say anything about....what happened?" His mind was going a million miles a minute. There were more questions than answers and he didn't like that.

"Well...it's a boy and he's fine. Now. Umm..she dropped him off with us a few days ago. She said she couldn't do it anymore. When I talked to her on the phone the other day, she said that neither her, nor her husband, wanted to care for him. He seems fine he just...he needs people in his life that will love him. That's why I called you. I wanted you to know that Carole and I have decided to be those people. Susan has turned too many lives upside down. He, your little brother, deserves the same love and compassion you got since he's going through the same things you went through."

A little brother. Kurt had a hard time wrapping his head around the thought. He'd always been the little brother; Finn's little brother. Despite the fact that he was only a few months younger than Finn, Kurt had always played the role of the little brother. Finn protected him. Finn always reprimanded him when it wasn't his place. Kurt was always the little brother, until he wasn't. "What's his name?" He asked abscently. He was trying to invision the boy. How old was he? Was he damaged as Kurt was? Would he be okay?Will I be okay?

"Tyler. He's seven." Burt pulled out his phone and scrolled through a few pictures. He handed the phone over to his son, who took it readily. "He looks like you did when you were that age. He's got a pair of baby blues that will have the girls," he stopped and looked towards his son's boyfriend, "or boys going crazy when he's older."

Kurt nodded as he stared down at the picture. The boy, Tyler, did look a lot like him. There were differences, however. Instead of a dress shirt and a bowtie, the boy wore an Avengers tshirt that matched his Avengers tennis shoes perfectly. He was missing a few teeth on the bottom row and his face was dusted with freckles. "Is he okay?" It was the next logical question that came to mind. He couldn't imagine a life with Susan and her husband.

Burt nodded. "I think so. We've contacted a lawyer to see if we can have custody of him. Susan said she and her husband are willing to give up parental right but, it won't be easy. Adoption is a tricky process. We want to see if we can at least be his legal guardians. It's already been established that there isn't any immediate family that is willing to take him. We just have to go to court to see if a judge sees us fit to have him."

"That won't be difficult. You guys were the best parents a child could ever have." Kurt answered abscently. It warmed his father's heart.

"When can I meet him?" He asked a while later. He was still staring at the picture on his father's phone.

"When we get back home." Burt answered.

"I can't wait." From what Burt could tell, his son meant it.