Blaine was sitting on Kurt's bed, Cooper in the desk chair. They hadn't gone more than five feet from each other since Cooper entered Puck's room yesterday. Blaine was still not himself, but with Cooper's help he had gotten up and eaten a meal, then they took Kurt's Navigator home to the Hummel house. Finn was upstairs trying to call his mother again to update Burt about what was going on. Blaine had insisted he come 'home', to feed Chloe at least. He was glad Puck was so accommodating, and truly thankful that Lauren had taken things into her own hands and found Cooper – but he wanted some time alone with his brother.

Blaine had tried to explain to Coop what Kurt meant to him, and his deep fear that his parents were the ones holding him hostage. But Lt. Zizes told them it would not be in Kurt's best interest to try and contact them. They were waiting for the Anderson's to make a wrong move so there could be a warrant to search the house.

Blaine didn't want to wait another minute.

“So, how did you get out of the house anyway?” Coop asked, listening to Blaine's tale of his imprisonment and rescue.

“You know the old library in the attic? I used to spend a lot of time there. I was unhappy and confused, so I went there to be alone. I found Grandfather Nathaniel Anderson's journal. Did you know he ran an Underground Railroad Station from the house during the Civil War?”

“Well, I knew a little, there were rumors about his involvement,” Cooper said.

“I read them...the journals, I mean....and I found the tunnel. It's behind a panel in the wall and it leads to a passageway and through a cave by the river. That's how Puck was able to escape and return the next day with tools to remove the door when he and Kurt rescued me.”

“Oh, my gods, Blaine. Really? We lived there and never knew?” Cooper was incredulous.

“You didn't know, Coop. I knew. I found it when I was nine.”

“Maybe we can use it to get your Kurt out? After all, that is your house and they can hardly arrest you for trespassing if Kurt isn't there and you get caught. I think we need to do some planning. Can we trust Puck and Lauren?” Cooper asked.

“Don't forget Santana. Yes, I trust them with my very life. Let's call them now,” Blaine was anxious to do something, anything.

An hour later, they were all sitting in the dining room at the Hummel house. Finn had driven to the airport to get Burt and Carole, but was due back in a couple of hours.

After some discussion, the group was off to Ridge Road to park near the river. They had tools, rope, and Chloe the pigeon in a basket on Blaine's lap.

“Okay, sweet thing, go let him know we're coming,” Blaine whispered to the bird, checking the tiny messages tied to her legs. He threw her into the air at the side of the road, getting back in the Navigator and continuing on to the place where the cave led to the tunnel.

Lauren had stayed behind to be a checkpoint and to relay anything she heard from her uncle. Finn would be home soon with Kurt's dad and she needed to talk to him without the ever-present FBI babysitters. They had mostly stayed away from the Hummel house so as not to garner any suspicion.

Blaine was weak, but nothing was going to stop him from going through that tunnel to save Kurt. Cooper was with him and Puck, all carrying tools to take apart any doors or locks. Coming in the tunnel, they were pretty sure they wouldn't trip any alarms. That was what had stumped the Anderson's when they found Blaine missing – all the alarms in the house were armed, so they couldn't figure out how he had gotten out.

Santana stayed at the entrance of the tunnel, just inside the cave, in case there was any trouble she could do damage control. The only other person that knew the whereabouts of the entrance of the cave was Lauren. She had driven out one evening with Blaine, Kurt, and Puck to just look it over.

Puck led the way, Cooper with his arm around Blaine to help him make his way through the long tunnel. They came out at the top of the stairs and listened for a while to see if anyone was in the house. They knew from watching the house that Mr and Mrs Anderson had left in their car just an half an hour ago, and according to Blaine, the Watchman wasn't due for several hours.

Kurt was trying to keep his spirits up, but it had been eight days now and he had begun to scratch a line in the panel of the wall to mark each day, under the hundreds of similar lines Blaine had scratched. Kurt knew now how hard each day had been for Blaine and he cried just thinking about how brave that boy had been, how strong he was to endure this. He was not really paying much attention to anything in particular when he heard a cooing. It was probably a pigeon, there were many that sat on the window sills and along the roof of the mansion.

He was tired, so he sat down on the beat-up old chair and put his head in his hands, eyes closed, when he felt something on the arm of the chair. It was a pigeon. And not just any pigeon, but Chloe – she had a funny splotch of pale gray on her breast that didn't look like any other pigeon.

“Come here, beautiful, did Daddy send you? Did Blaine let you go?” he spoke very softly, running his hand over her back and capturing her wings so she couldn't flap away. Then he saw the little piece of paper attached to her leg with a thread wrapped around it.

WE'RE COMING, KURT. DON'T DISPAIR. LISTEN FOR US AT THE DOOR SOON.

He kissed the little bird, petting her until his sight cleared of his tears and he saw another message tied to the other leg, He removed this one, too:

I LOVE YOU. BLAINE

And his heart soared. They knew where he was and they were coming for him. He looked around to see if he needed to do anything...but of course, he didn't need anything. He just had to wait. He took a handkerchief out of his big, roomy pocket and wrapped Chloe's wings close to her body and set her in the pocket, making sure she could breathe and was comfortable. And waited.

After listening for a while, nobody heard anything...and logically they thought that since their former route of escape hadn't been detected, or at least they didn't think so given what Lauren was able to find out from her dad's files, this was probably not guarded. They slipped quietly through the panel, but left it open for a quick retreat.

“Kurt?” Blaine whispered when they reached the door.

“Oh, Blaine...you came.” the relief was evident in Kurt's voice.

Puck and Cooper began to take the hinges off the oak door, having less trouble than last time since they had been oiled just recently. It was harder since there had been an additional lock added to a bar across the door, but a pair of bolt cutters made quick work of that. In under ten minutes, Kurt was in Blaine's arms, kissing and hugging for all they were worth. Cooper just stood there and stared. Blaine was so ecstatic to see Kurt, he didn't even blush when he realized his brother was staring at him.

As they turned to go back through the tunnel, a noise was heard from the end of the hall. They froze, thinking about hiding in the room, but with the door off its hinges, that really wasn't a good option. Cooper stood in front of his brother, as if to shield him, Puck grabbed a sledge hammer in case it came to that and handed Coop an axe.

At the end of the hallway, the library door swung open.

“Hurry...their car just pulled back in the driveway – I ran the whole way and the police are on their way I think. I heard sirens...hurry!” Santana whisper-shouted and everyone ran after her, skidding around the corner and through the panel door, Blaine flipped the switch as he entered the tunnel. They left the door to the attic room off it's hinges, but there should be no other evidence of how Kurt had escaped. They all went down the tunnel, having to wait repeatedly for Kurt because the infection in his leg was slowing him down, plus he was weak from having so little to eat. Finally, Cooper picked him up and carried him the last hundred feet into the rock part of the tunnel where they stopped to rest.

Everyone had caught their breath when they heard a sound in the cave. A mild panic set in, but didn't get too far when they heard Lauren's voice calling softly to see if Puck could hear her.

“We're here, Lauren. We're coming..” Puck replied and picked Kurt up to take his turn in getting his friend out of the cave. They came through the last part of the cave entrance and up through the narrow opening to find Lauren waiting for them with Burt, Carole, Finn, and her uncle. Burt pushed past everyone else to throw his arms around his son, holding him close while Kurt cried into his father's chest, so glad to see him after the week of imprisonment.

At the hospital, Blaine and Burt were the only ones left in Kurt's room. He would be fine, but had to spend a few days there with IV antibiotics because of the infection in his leg. Burt hadn't let go of his son's hand, admonishing him for not telling his own father the whole truth of Blaine's ordeal and rescue.

“Honestly, Kurt, what came over you? We could have handled this from the time you found the message on the pigeon's leg. Why didn't you tell me?”

“Ah, Dad..I did tell you when I found it. You said it was a hoax by some kids. When Puck and I saw the bird again, we had to act. I thought I was doing the right thing,” Kurt said, tired of defending his actions.

“You're right, kiddo, I guess I forgot about that. But you should have told me after Blaine came to live there. How many people knew?”

“Puck, Lauren, Santana and me. Finn figured it out later. And Puck's great grandmother, Sofia,” Kurt said, then began to giggle.

“What's so funny?” Burt snapped at his son, still very upset about the whole thing.

“She said she knew you.....Burtie,” Kurt said in a perfect imitation of Sophia's voice.

Burt's eyes got huge. “Sophia Suder?” Burt asked.

“Yes, you know her, don't you?” Kurt asked, although given Burt's reaction he knew the answer.

“Yes, I used to mow her lawn when I was a kid. Does she still live over on Willow Court?”

“Yes, Puck lives with her. She's his great grandmother, I told you.”

“She used to make me the best gingerbread – it had orange zest and a lot of spices in it...” Burt said nostalgically.

“She still does, Dad. Maybe we can have her over for dinner? She helped Blaine so much.” Kurt said, smiling at Blaine who returned the smile tenfold.

The nurse came in to take Kurt's vital signs, allowing the rest of the visitors to enter his room. Burt and Blaine went out to make room and get a cup of coffee.

“Blaine, you know you're still welcome to stay with us. I don't know what's going to happen with your parents, but you've got a home with us if you want it. I think you and Kurt have something going on, more than you're let on, though,” Burt said, nailing the boy to the wall with his stern look.

“Yes, sir. I appreciate that. I do want to stay, at least for a while. Cooper has to get back to New York to his law practice in a while, so if I could stay with you and Kurt?” Blaine said, trying to look directly into Burt's eyes. “And yes, Kurt and I are close. He saved my life, sir. How could I not have a connection with him?”

“I think you just saved his, so the scorecards are pretty even on that account, Blaine. But I meant you and my son have more than a casual friendship, don't you?” Burt asked again, meaning to get an answer if it took him all night.

“Yes, Sir.”

“That's 'Yes, BURT”' he growled.

“Yes, Burt. Blaine didn't know what to say, he was so used to hiding and using his words to throw people off the track, to deflect any interest onto something else. He was a little afraid of Burt Hummel, and although he knew Burt was supportive of Kurt's right to be and act on his sexual orientation, the truth was that he was a father and he had long years of practice being protective. Blaine wasn't sure how Burt would take his relationship with Kurt. Well, he wasn't hiding anymore. So Blaine threw caution to the winds and just told the bare naked truth: “I love your son, more than just thankful to him, more than just grateful. I love him, no qualifiers to describe it – I just love him,” Blaine said, a little afraid of what Burt would do about such a blatant declaration

“Good. I think he needs you. I think you need each other, Blaine. Welcome to the family,” Burt said, putting out his hand to shake with Blaine.

“I'm so glad you're okay, Kurt. You had us all so worried,” Carole said, hugging his neck.

Santana, Puck, Finn, and Lauren all came and hugged him, saying all the things you say to someone in the hospital when you visit and parents are in the room. They bid him goodnight and left Cooper to speak to Kurt alone.

“Thank you, Kurt, for saving my brother.”

“Did your parents really tell you he was dead? Oh, my stars, I don't know what to say. Excuse me for saying so, but I think there's a special place in hell waiting for them,” Kurt said with acid on his tongue. It was so far beyond understanding why the Anderson's had acted this way. It made no sense at all.

“I don't know, Kurt. I stopped talking to them years ago. We can't change what happened..to you, to Blaine, to me, but we can go on from here. I'd take Blaine back to New York with me, but I'm never home and he'd be alone. He wants to stay here with you for now, if you want him to,” Cooper asked.

“I wouldn't want him to leave, Cooper. Thank you for giving him the choice,” Kurt said.

“I can see it, you know.”

“See what?”

“The love he has for you, Kurt. And that you feel the same way. I wouldn't leave him here if I hadn't seen it. I love my brother more than anything, but I think it would tear him to pieces if I took him away now. I'm going to arrange to have him get some therapy and then probably move my law practice to Ohio. I want to be closer to him,” Cooper confessed.

“It will all work out, Cooper. We'll just have to do it one day at a time, you know.”

“Kurt, you are the bravest person I know,” Cooper said, putting his arms around the boy and hugging him close to his chest. “Thank you.”

Burt and Blaine came back in and the nurse behind them. “Kurt needs to get some sleep after his ordeal. One of you may stay with him tonight, I can get a folding cot if you want to stay in the room with him,” she said to Burt.

“Yes, that would be nice,” Burt answered. But when the cot appeared, he hugged Kurt and said goodnight, putting his hand on Cooper's shoulder. “You're welcome to ride with me and stay with us while you're in Ohio.” Cooper smiled.

The boys both looked at Burt, the question in their eyes.

“And you can stay with Kurt tonight, Blaine. I'll see you both in the morning,” Burt said, kissing Kurt on the forehead and then turning to Blaine and doing the same. “Goodnight.”

After everyone left, Blaine climbed up over the railing and into the bed beside Kurt. They looked into each other's eyes, but didn't have to say anything as Blaine leaned into Kurt for a kiss and they tangled their legs together, arms wrapped around each other and settled down to sleep.

“I love you, Blaine.”

“I love you, too, Kurt.”

Over a year later, Thanksgiving dinner at the Hummel house:

“Cooper, pass the sweet potatoes,” Burt asked. Kurt allowed him to have a spoonful on holidays and he wasn't going to let that go to waste.

“Now, Burtie, not too much sweet potatoes or you can't have pecan pie for dessert,” Sophia wagged her finger at Burt, smiling at him. He smiled back.

“Hey, the game starts in an hour, are we going to watch the Buckeyes take on Wisconsin, or the Notre Dame game?” Puck teased, knowing Finn would get irate at the suggestion of watching something other than the Ohio team. He slid his hand under the table to squeeze Lauren's and blushed to see his Gramma Sofie wink at him.

“There's plenty more turkey and dressing, so help yourselves,” Carole said to everyone in general, smiling to see so many happy faces at her table. It would be so quiet when the kids all went off to school.

“Will you two get a room? We're eating here,” Santana stage-whispered to Kurt and Blaine, who were making love eyes at each other across the table. They both just grinned at her, knowing there was no malice intended. Besides, she had been massaging Brittney's leg with her foot under the table for the past 20 minutes, so she had no room to talk.

After dinner, everyone was sitting in the family room to watch the Buckeye game. Kurt was at one end of the sofa, leaning on Blaine's lap and cuddling under an afghan. Cooper was next to them, his arm around Blaine's shoulders – pounding on his arm every time the Buckeyes had the ball. Burt was holding Carole tightly on the other sofa, Finn sitting at the end of that sofa with Rachel perched on his lap. Puck and Lauren were on the love seat and Britt and Santana sat on the floor, leaning up against Kurt and Blaine's knees. Puck had taken his grandma home to rest.

It had been a hard week for everyone. The trial was finally over and Blaine and Cooper's parents, along with the Watchman, who was an old school friend of Mr Anderson's named Craig Moore, were found guilty of kidnapping, neglect, and aggravated child abuse. Blaine was sad – sadder than he thought he would be, considering what he went through, but he was okay with it. It was all still so confusing for him, he thought he would probably never understand why.

Kurt got up to help Blaine bring in the pecan pie (nobody much liked pumpkin in the family) and afterwards they wandered down to the basement, not really interested in the game.

“You okay, babe?” Kurt asked, pulling Blaine onto the bed to cuddle with him.

“Yeah, why?” Blaine asked.

“Because I know you, and I think the trial was hard on you,” Kurt said, kissing him on the neck where he knew Blaine would get shivers. Kurt was right.

“It was, but now it's over, I'll be better every day. Thanks to you and everyone. Sophia is so good to me – and all our friends, Kurt. I have never felt so blessed.”

“Me, too,” Kurt said. “Now, let's get some serious make-out time before either your brother or my dad comes down and tells us to keep the door open, okay? ”

Blaine didn't answer, he just kissed Kurt, and pulled him under the covers to wrap himself around this boy he loved with all his heart.....