Kurt sleepily batted his lashes and rubbed his blurred eyes when someone rubbed his shoulder, and he opened his mouth in a quiet yawn. "Mm...?" Looking around, Kurt spotted Keegan beside of him and smiled, snuggling into his side. "Whats going on?" He glanced out the window to his right and gasped at the sight of the ground, so close to the shuddering plane. "Oh, Keegan!"

His aunt reached across Keegan and rubbed his knee, "Were here, sweetie. Were in Ohio. Are you excited? Your dad said him and Carole are waiting inside the airport."

Patting his fingertips together, Kurt squished his nose to the window, "Im home!" He squeaked, "Im home!" He started bouncing in his seat as the plane hit the ground, and as soon as all of the lights clicked off he jumped up. Hurrying down the aisle, Kurt heard his aunt and Keegan calling after him, but he couldnt wait anymore. He was home!

Running off the plane and into the hallway that spilled into the airport, Kurt leapt through the doors and was breathless when he finally stopped. There were English signs all around him, and he could hear English words. No one was wearing all the latest fashions, everyone dressed so casually. "Im home!" He said to no one in particular, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers when someone said his name.

Whirling around, Kurt peeped at the sight of his dad standing a few feet away, a baseball cap on his head and his hands in his pockets. He grinned from ear to ear and ran over to his dad, jumping into his arms. "Dad!"

His dad almost lifted him off his feet, kissing his hair, "Theres my baby! Im so happy to see you." Grabbing Kurts cheeks, Burt looked him over and his eyes filled with tears. "Ive missed you so much, kiddo."

Kurts own eyes swelled and he burrowed into his dads chest, feeling Caroles hand on his back. He heard another voice behind him, and he turned around to face Keegan and Laurice. Laurice smirked at Burt, testing out her very broken English with some French still thrown in there, "Hey, Burt. Youve done a really good job with him."

Burt shook his head, "You were the one who raised him. Laurice, I want you to meet my future wife, Carole."

As the two women got to talking about the wedding and Kurt, Burt looked back at Keegan, who politely held his hand out but stayed quiet.

"I remember you." Burt shook his hand, "Thanks for taking care of Kurt. Youre one of his best friends." He returned his attention to Kurt and rubbed his shoulder, "Finns back at the house. You want to go home and unpack your stuff? Keegan, we have an extra room just for you. Blaines brother and his fiancée used to stay there but theyre in India now."

Keegan looked very confused and he tilted his head, so Kurt quickly translated for him in French. Nodding his head, Keegan scratched his nape and stayed silent. Kurt remembered how he felt coming to America the first time and he sympathized with him.

Burt led them out to the parking lot and Kurt was relieved to step inside the same car with the same smell and the same people in it. Smiling, Kurt sat down beside of Keegan and relaxed, absolutely content. He hadnt felt this good in months. Carole turned around in her seat up front and looked directly at Kurt, a hesitant smile on her lips, "Do you still like it here, Kurt?"

"Theres nothing better than being home." He whispered and happily laid his head on Keegans shoulder.

They got to the house after a few minutes, and Kurt was amazed to see that white streamers decorated the entire house. Tables were set up in the yard, and a sign with Carole and Burts names painted on it was lying in the middle of the yard. "Oh, this is amazing!" Hopping out of the car, Kurt took in his old house. He was so happy to be there that he hopped up and down.

"Just a little something I put into the wedding myself." Carole said from behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "Ill like getting married at home... with my two boys helping out... especially you, Kurt. Im so happy with everything youve done for me."

"Oh," Kurt tried not to cry again, "thank you! I love planning weddings. Theyre so romantic."

Burt pulled his luggage from the back of the car, and he dragged it up the driveway. "Come on, honey. Lets get you settled in."

Kurt happily skipped after Burt, Keegan right on his heels. He followed his dad into the house and saw that Finns door was open. He could see the outline of Finn through the crack in his door, and while Burt carried his luggage up and pointed out Keegans room to him, he waved at Finn, "Finn!"

Finn immediately looked up, and he slowly got to his feet. He pushed out of his bedroom and Kurt noticed that there was something different about him. He didnt know what, but he giddily bounced on his toes, anyway. "Finn, Im home!"

Raising a brow at Kurt, Finn hesitantly approached him and pulled him into a hug, "Hey, little brother. How was France?"

Finn smelled different, and Kurt wondered why he changed his cologne. "It was just as wonderful as I thought itd be but Im happy to be home! Arent you happy to see me?" He suddenly pointed up the stairs at a blond head, "This is Keegan, my best friend."

"Oh." Finn rubbed the nape of his neck, and he glanced over his shoulder when the bathroom door swung open. Puck walked out, much to Kurts surprise, but he waved at him, too. "Hey... Keegan."

Keegan didnt understand him and looked at Kurt to translate, but Kurt was pulled into a squishing hug. "Kurt!" Puck rubbed the top of his head, messing up his hair. "Hey, cutie. Im glad youre home."

"Hi, Puck!" Kurt gasped with relief when Puck set him down and he could breathe again. "I didnt expect to see you here... but Im so happy that you are!"

"I always hang out here," Puck snorted, walking behind Finn and wrapping his arms around him. He pressed a kiss to Finns cheek. "Didnt Finn tell you that we started dating?" When Kurts eyes widened to the size of saucers and his mouth fell open, Puck kept talking, "Yeah, we both just got fed up with girls and then he told me about what happened with Blaine... and this happened."

"Blaine?" Kurt murmured when Finn shook his head at Puck. "What happened with Blaine?"

"Honey!" Burt hollered from upstairs, "Your room is ready. I left your suitcases by the bed."

Glancing up at his dad, Kurt tried to distract himself from what Puck had said and what Finn seemed so against him hearing, but it was very hard. He wondered if Blaine was okay. He left his brother and Puck with one last look, but Finns face revealed nothing, and Puck didnt seem bothered by Kurts concern. Wandering up the stairs, Kurt padded over to his room and peeked inside. Keegan was sitting on his bed, staring at the room around him, the empty, empty room.

Kurt frowned as he walked deeper inside, his hand brushing over the dresser without knocking a single thing off. Blaines things should have been there. Sniffing the room, Kurt frowned when he didnt get a whiff of Blaine, his spicy, masculine scent.

"Is something out of place?" Keegan muttered from the bed, switching back to French, his comfort language. He kicked his feet up and folded his hands behind his head. "You look like somethings bothering you."

Kurt frowned and shook his head, hearing Carole call for him from below. He hurried over to his doorway and said, "Yes?"

"I need your help. I cant decide whether to go with dark or light tablecloths." She pleaded, and he padded down the hallway, relieved to leave his room. The room where something was out of place... his empty, empty room.

Blaine pulled up in front of his old house and tugged his sunglasses from his face, looking in the mirror at Archer and Hunter, who were each holding a tiny bird and gently petting them. He turned back around and glared at the towering house, the place where all of his ruined childhood waited to disturb him. He stared at the house, feeling childish and immature and like he was just a teenager again. He didnt want to remember his teenage years, so he looked at his babies and said, "Daddy will be right back."

Archer batted at nothing and giggled when Pavarotti nibbled his wiggling fingers. Sighing, Blaine tucked the photo album under his arm. He left the car on and stepped out, closing his door behind him. He locked the doors, even though there was no one around, and he walked up to his doorway. He was jealous of his babies. Even alone and defenseless, they were safer than he was. Rolling his eyes with disgust, Blaine pounded his fist against the door.

He heard shuffling from within, and a low mutter, then the door swung open. His dad had aged harshly, lines deep in his face and gray streaks painted through his dark hair. His brows pushed together at the sight of Blaine, and without a word he raised his hand and pushed Blaine back a step. "I want you off my property now."

"Shut the fuck up," Blaine shoved past his dad. "Wheres Mom at?"

"Away on business." His dad slammed the door behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. "What the fuck do you want? I told you if you ever came back here I would get a restraining order-"

"Do it." Blaine dared him, walking into the living room and sitting down on the arm of a couch. "I dont want to be here anymore than you want me to be, but I want to know about this." He thrust the photo album at his dad, and his dad curled his lip at it.

"Its a photo album." He shook his head. "What about it?"

Blaine scowled at his dads feigned obliviousness, and he flipped to the first page showing a picture of him and the other little boy. "I want to know if you knew about him." He pointed at the blond boy, and his dad narrowed his eyes at the picture.

"Yes, I knew." He snapped. "Is that all you wanted? Get out."

Blaine slammed the book shut, "What happened to him?" he shouted. "I cant remember anything so tell me! Tell me what the fuck happened to Kurt! Why didnt I stay with him? Hes in all of these pictures except the last few! Tell me why!"

His dad rolled his eyes as if Blaine was asking obvious questions, "Theres your temper. I always knew it would get the best of you." When Blaine didnt make a sound, his lips curled and his eyes fiery with resentment, his dad grumbled, "I ended the friendship. I told you that you werent allowed to be around him anymore. I kept you inside and you couldnt see him anymore."

Something inside of Blaine snapped, and he hit a nearby lamp. It tumbled off the desk and smashed to the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces. "Why?" he screamed and got to his feet. "You could see that he made me happy! The pictures with him were the only ones I was smiling in."

His dad ignored his last statement, "I didnt want you influenced by a boy who wears dresses and has tea parties."

Blaines eyes widened to the size of saucers, and without another thought he lunged at his dad and slammed him up against a wall. "He could have kept me safe, you asshole!" Letting go of his dad, Blaine looked down at his white, slashed palms. "If I had stayed with him none of this would have happened! I could have been normal-"

"You were normal, Blaine." His dad muttered from the side of his mouth. "And then you got involved with him again and he took you down."

"This isnt normal!" Blaine shouted at the top of his lungs, showing his dad his palms. "I almost died!" Stumbling away, Blaine pulled up the bottom of his sweatshirt and ran his fingers over the small bumps where Karofsky had stabbed him with a piece of glass. "He almost killed me. I had my virginity stolen by a slut... Ive slept with people I dont love... Ive hurt people. Ive hurt myself. Ive been raped." Tears rolled down his cheeks and he started to crumble, "None of that would have happened if you had just let me see Kurt when we were children."

"Its all because youre a fag-"

His dads lack of understanding and prejudice against him made Blaine scream until his throat burned and tears were streaking his cheeks like rain, "Call me a faggot. Do you think I care anymore? Do you think that bothers me? You let me fall into a psychos hands... and he almost suffocated me. He almost killed me. I owe Kurt... everything. He was the one who got me away from that psycho, and he risked himself doing it. He could ask anything of me... but he doesnt. He just wants me. He doesnt want me to change or do anything. My n-name is Blaine... not fag. And Im done letting people like you and that psycho control me. Im my own person. This is my hand..." he pointed at his scarred hand, "and my shoulder. And my heart. None of it is yours."

His dad suddenly opened his eyes and he glared at Blaine, "You cant talk to me like this in my own house!" Raising his hand again, his dad lashed out and suddenly punched the left side of Blaines face.

Blaine yelped and grabbed his mouth, which was dripping blood, but as soon as he got control of himself again he snarled at his dad, "I think youre scared of me... that I didnt roll over and die like you wanted. Im strong enough to fight back, and its because of the boy who wears dresses that I am. Hes definitely stronger than you." Wincing when his eye started throbbing, Blaine said, "Im strong enough to not let you control me anymore."

He strode out of his old house and smashed the door into the wall after he got out, and he walked down the pathway. He got back into his car and looked at his babies, who stared at him as if he was crazy. And maybe he was. But he felt better. Suddenly sobbing into his sleeve, Blaine shakily pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a familiar number.

Santana picked up after a few rings, "Blaine?"

"Can I stay with you tonight?" He begged, woozily starting to drive. He felt like a part of him was missing, like hed just gotten rid of something he needed. It felt different, but he also felt like he could somehow live without it.

Santana sounded like she was smiling, "I always knew you would come back after your mistake bit you in the ass a few times."

Blaine pulled out of his dads driveway and onto the main road, leaving behind the house where something was out of place. His empty, empty house.