"Kurt, I'm glad I caught up with you, your dad told me you were coming out here this morning. You been inside?" His tone, normally clipped and business like had an exhausted quality, as if he hadn't slept in a very long time.

If it was for Kurt's benefit it was working, he let his guard down, at least a little. "Yeah, I saw him."

"He talk to you?"

"Not really. I expected him to be angry but I've never seen him so closed off, not to me anyway."

"Do you want to go somewhere for a cup of coffee? I owe you an apology, and I think we could both use someone to talk to right now."Kurt considered a moment. Would Blaine see this, too, as a betrayal? Finally in the spirit of keeping your enemies closer he agreed, following Blaine's father to a greasy spoon nearby.

Mr. Anderson chose a corner booth and when they settled in an older woman, or maybe she just seemed that way with her graying hair and sensible shoes, came over. "Alistair, how's your boy?"

"Haven't seen him yet today Gloria how're Dan and the kids?"

"Same old. Derek's got a bee in his bonnet about buying himself a car now that he got his license but his father and I don't think he's ready, and nothing he could afford on his own'd be safe anyhow."

"I've got some friends who might be able to get him a good deal. If you and Dan decide he's ready you let me know and I'll set something up."

"I appreciate that Alistair, I'll let Dan know, but I still think Derek has to wait. He's not that responsible and ..." she seemed to remember Blaine's accident and changed the conversation, "Anyway, who's your handsome young friend here?"

"Oh yes, how rude of me, Gloria this is Kurt Hummel, Blaine's boyfriend, Kurt this is Gloria, she's been my angel since Blaine got moved over this direction."

Gloria turned a 1,000watt smile on Kurt, "You're home from New York! I bet you just loved that big city but there's nothing like coming home. Did you get to see Blaine yet honey?"

Taken aback by this stranger's knowledge of his life he stuttered a bit before answering. "I saw him, yeah. He wasn't too happy about it though."

"Boy just needs time, to hear Alistair tell it you two are like Romeo and Juliet...is that wrong? Should it be Romeo and Romeo? Anyway, you two are in love and if you're patient he'll come around. Okay, I've butted into your business enough for one day. What can I get you two?"

They both just got coffee and then sat quietly for a moment, neither unsure where to begin after all Gloria had said.

Kurt cleared his throat, "So it sounds like you've changed your mind about Blaine and I."

"I've educated myself, yes. You have to know, when I was younger, in college and even after that for a while, I worked my ass off for everything we have. I buckled down, did what I was told, I was respectful and studious."

"Sounds like Blaine."

"Yes. It's what I wanted for him, to have discipline so that he could set himself up for a successful future. When he told me that he was gay I thought about the gay guys I knew at his age, or, well, I didn't know any at his age, but in college. We called them "Club Queers". They were the picture of camp and all they cared about was drinking, doing drugs and have sex with strangers. I was devastated that this was the lifestyle my son was choosing for himself. I pictured these guys with their lispy voices, limp wrists, calling each other girlfriend. I didn't see how Blaine could have a future like that. Then when he started with the singing and dancing I thought, well, that's the end, he's completely lost any thread of the life I was trying to help him build."

Gloria returned with their coffees and they paused while they added cream and sugar. Kurt kept his eyes on the mug, "Those guys are still out there, but just because they make the most noise doesn't mean they represent everyone. You can't really judge any group of people by a sampling of them. Blaine's all the things you wanted him to be, but he's more too. He's an exceptional entertainer, and a charismatic man who endears himself to everyone."

Alistair nodded thoughtfully. "The way you talk about him is how Blaine's mother used to talk about me, a very long time ago. I watched you in the hospital, at first I just wanted to hate you, to blame you for the accident because I needed a target for my anger. Watching you though, the way you were clinging to Blaine’s every breath, the way you were ready to take us all on to defend and protect him. Perhaps most telling was your father. How could I pass this off as nothing more than casual sex when there was your father talking to my son with more concern in his voice than I was? I’m sorry Kurt, for the things I said about you, and the things I thought about you. Clearly you were giving my son a sense of comfort and family that I wasn’t’.” He stopped to sip his coffee.

“That explains your willingness to let me come and take care of him every day. At least until we broke your trust. “

“Until then, yes. And I’m afraid I said some terrible things to Blaine that night, and not for the first or last time. I still believe you’re both too young for sex, regardless of who you’re with, but I wish I’d handled it differently. If I had we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

“I owe you an apology as well. I knew how you felt about Blaine and me and while I disagree with you about being ready, we should have respected your home. I’ll tell you this though, and I don’t know how much you and Blaine have discussed it, but we aren’t just too kids who lost control. I love your son, he loves me. We spent a lot of time this summer talking about intimacy and what it means to us, learning about the best ways to stay safe, even though neither of us had ever been with anyone else. Our relationship is based on love, honesty and patience, we took our time with the decision and other than how it upset you I don’t regret it.”

“I haven’t given Blaine the opportunity to tell me any of that. It’s not an easy thing for me to discuss with him. What about your father, did you tell him all of this? What did he think about this well thought out decision?”

“Actually, thanks to your son, my father and I have had a number of discussions about sex. Before Blaine and I were dating he saw how uncomfortable with the more physical side of romance and went to my father and suggested he learn about what I’d been hiding from and then discuss it with me. It was tough at first, super awkward for us both, but it made me feel better and it’s gotten easier with time. He told me right from the start that sex does something to you, to your self worth when it’s not for the right reasons and that he wanted me to use it as a way to get closer to someone.”

“Blaine actually went to your dad and asked him to talk to you?”

“Yes. He was concerned that I was afraid to learn what I needed to stay safe and that someone would take advantage of me. I felt a little betrayed but I knew it was out of love and caring. In the end it was the best thing because it opened the door to an even closer relationship with my dad. I’m not going to say he was thrilled that Blaine and I decided to move our relationship to a new level but he understood.”

“Blaine says he wants to transfer to your school. Have you talked to your father about that?”

“No, it didn’t occur to me until I was in New York and I haven’t had a chance to bring it up to him. I’m kind of surprised he brought it up to you already.”

“He wanted to make it a condition of going to therapy for the drug addiction but the doctor wouldn’t let him negotiate. You know I thought Dalton was the one thing I did right by him, I thought he was happy there.”

“He is. He loves it there. It was my idea; I wanted him close to me. I didn’t think we’d get to see much of each other if we didn’t go to the same school. He probably won’t even want to transfer now.”

“Maybe. If he does I’m going to allow it. His therapist says that he’s been making very self supporting decisions up until now and that my trusting him will help him to understand that I’m trying to change my way of thinking. Besides I’d like him to have you around, clearly you care about him and will let me know if you see any red flags or a return of his issues, or if you don’t tell me, at least tell someone who can get him help.”

“I appreciate that. If I can ask, how is Mrs. Anderson?”
Their coffee was refilled, but other than that Gloria was a ghost, she stayed clear of the table, allowing the men to talk.

“It’s a hard road for her. She’s been…sick, a lot longer than Blaine, or well, I guess it’s always affected him, just not this way. Her body is more dependant on the alcohol than his is on the painkillers. She has a lot of anger toward me, some of it justified, some of it not. She is convinced I was running around on her, having affairs all the time I was on the road. I think that was the alcohol clouding her judgment, she got lonely, knew I was away and made up in her head that if I wasn’t with her I must be cheating. I wasn’t. I was working, I hated every minute of being on the road, being out hustling for clients, sleeping in new cities every night, having to wine and dine these idiots who half the time were just looking for a free meal. I’d come home exhausted, emotionally and physically and she’d think I was out having a good time. From there it was just fighting and accusations.”

He stopped, seeming to realize who he was speaking with. “I’m sorry Kurt, that’s probably more than you wanted to hear. I guess I didn’t talk to anyone about my own feelings for so long and now that my family has fallen apart and I’ve been forced to talk I can’t stop.”

“It’s fine. It’s better than fine really because I hope Blaine and I will be together for a very long time, which will make his family my family. He needs to hear the things you’re saying, you know that right?”

“I do, but he also needs to hear his mother’s side. Right now he blames me for a lot of things, and hearing me say that his mother has things to answer for as well will just seem like I’m kicking her when she’s down. I’d be willing to play the villain but his therapist told me it’s best for him to hear from both his mother and I when the time is right. He needs to know the whole story, not just the he said she said.”

“If, I mean, I know I’m not a member of your family, but if he wants me in his life and if he wants me there for this discussion, would you allow that?”

“Yes. I can’t say seeing you two together is magically easy for me, but I am relieved that he has someone he trusts, someone he cares about and who cares so deeply for him. I know that right now he’s pushing you away but when he’s better I’m sure he’ll want you back. Don’t give up on him yet. Or on me. Its ironic son, but you may be my only ally.”