Kurt smiled, happy this had actually worked out. He knew he had a long way to go to get over the events of the night when he tried to jump off the bridge, he knew it would take a commitment to going to see his therapist, and he knew all of his problems would never be solved in one day. But compared to that dreadful night, he had so much now. His father was getting better, he had finally told his dad the truth, school was less stressful after the kid that had threatened him was expelled, and most of all, he had Blaine. Life did get better. It may still have challenges and trials, but he felt more able to face those with Blaine in his corner, by his side.

All of this went through his mind as he woke up. He and Blaine were still in Blaine's bed, tangled together and sleeping, Blaine's face buried in Kurt's neck as it was most nights. It gave Kurt a funny feeling, almost a maternal feeling, as though he were taking care of Blaine instead of the other way around. Well, maybe there was more truth to that than either of them were willing to say. Blaine may have put space between the time of his knifing and now, but those scars were still a source of hurt. He didn't really say anything, but Kurt noticed that if he brushed against them, Blaine would cringe and take in a breath, needing to steady himself before moving again. Kurt was very careful to avoid contact with them, but it was difficult.

Just yesterday, when they had been at the mud puddle, Kurt had been caressing Blaine's body, stroking down his sides in the slippery mud, when he brushed against the largest of the scars. Blaine immediately shrank back so Kurt was no longer touching him, his hands shielding his belly from Kurt's sight. It was an automatic response that Kurt had witnessed a hundred times and each time his heart broke all over again.

These thoughts running around in his head were doing him no good at all. He couldn't sleep for thinking about it, so he got out of bed, borrowed Blaine's robe and slippers and took his laptop down to the dining room table. He began to search sites for what could be done to remove the scarring, or at least diminish it. Having that word, FAGGOT, cut into him was a constant reminder and Kurt had to find out if it could be fixed, because the thought of Blaine carrying that the rest of his life was too much to bear.

An hour later, Kurt heard keys in the door and looked up to see two people enter the house and pause at the doorway, looking at him. He froze.

“Ah..oh! You must be Kurt!” the woman said, letting a smile cross her lips. The man behind her didn't smile, but looked interested.

“Yes, ma'am, I'm Kurt Hummel. Mr and Mrs Anderson?” Kurt asked, making the guess mostly because of them entering the house with keys, but noticing how much Cooper and Blaine looked like these people. Mrs Anderson had long, silky black hair in ringlets down her back. She had a beautiful smile that he had seen on both Cooper and Blaine, and rosy round cheeks. Her eyes were green, however, and not a bit like Blaine's. Maybe like Cooper's though. Mr Anderson was likewise a bit like both of his sons, dark hair and a pleasant smile, a neatly trimmed beard and bright hazel eyes with long lashes. Yes, Kurt could see Blaine in both of his parents. A tiny part of his brain wondered how many of his own features matched his mother's, but this wasn't the time for leisurely contemplation.

He stood and put out his hand, first to Mrs Anderson, then to her husband.

“We've heard so much about you, dear, and you are welcome in our home. How is your father?” Mrs Anderson asked.

“He's much better, thank you. He may be able to come home next week,” Kurt relayed, not sure how to converse with these people. It was more than a bit awkward meeting them for the first time sitting in their dining room in his pajamas in the middle of the night. But, to their credit, they didn't seem to notice anything improper about it.

“That is a blessing. Carry on with what you were doing, Kurt, we are exhausted and probably going to go straight to bed,” Mrs Anderson told him.

“Do you have luggage? I'm happy to help you bring it in if you'd like,” Kurt offered. It was the least he could do since he was living in their house.

“No, no. We'll get it in the morning. It was nice to meet you, Kurt,” Mr Anderson said.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Kurt returned. “Goodnight.”

Well, life wasn't going to be the same, was it? Kurt was afraid the carefree days of sleeping with Blaine were long gone, and he was sad. Blaine was warm and passionate and felt good and it was so nice to wake up to his sunny smile and sleepy kisses. But his own dad was coming home the next week, so it would have ended then anyway. Kurt couldn't help but wish it had lasted a bit longer. He sighed.

He was back to reading his research when the keys sounded in the lock again and this time Cooper entered. What was this, Grand Central Station?

“Kurt!” Cooper startled, seeing the boy sitting at the table, engrossed in something on his laptop.

“Hi, Coop,” Kurt said politely.

“I see my folks are home. I hope they didn't scare you,” Cooper said, removing his coat and hanging it up in the coat closet in the hallway, then removing his boots. He walked in to the table and indicated he would like to sit down.

Kurt nodded to the chair.

“How is Blaine?” he asked.

“Fine. We talked things out. I think he's actually better than he has been in a while. Me, too.”

Cooper smiled and winked at Kurt, who blushed bright red.

Oh, it's like that, Cooper thought.

“So, why aren't you asleep?” Coop wondered.

“I was doing some research. I know this is probably none of my business, but Blaine has done so much for me, I want to do something for him in return. I know this is a sensitive subject, but maybe I could run my ideas by you? You probably know him the best of anyone,” Kurt said, knowing he was on shaky ground here, but willing to tread there for the sake of his boyfriend.

“Anything you say will be held in strictest confidence, Kurt. What can I help with?”

“Do you know how much those scars on Blaine's belly bother him?” Kurt asked.

Cooper turned red, this wasn't something that was ever brought up. They were a private thing for Blaine and the family was careful never to mention them.

“No. We never talk about them. Why? Does he talk to you about them?” Cooper wanted to know. But maybe he didn't want to know, too. He wasn't there to support his brother when it happened and he still felt guilty about that.

“He told me how he got them. And he's mentioned them a few times, but it just about kills him to do it. The first time was the night I....I was on the bridge. I said nobody understood the way I felt, the bullying I got from being gay. He didn't try to argue with me, he just pulled up his shirt and showed me the scars. It's what made me stop thinking about jumping. He saved my life by baring his very soul to me, Cooper,” Kurt was barely able to get out. Cooper didn't say anything as the tears ran down his face, thinking how brave his baby brother was, how hard this must be for Kurt to tell him. He was grateful to Kurt for it, though.

Kurt took a huge breath and soldiered on. He had to tell someone, and he knew Cooper was the link between his idea and the actual execution of the idea. Cooper might be able to facilitate this dream into a reality. At least Kurt hoped so.

“Without going into too much intimate detail, I can tell you that sometimes I brush over the scars.”

Cooper's eyebrows raised in surprise, but he controlled it before Kurt noticed. It wasn't that Blaine was gay, it was that Blaine was his baby brother and it was hard for Cooper to think about him in terms of being old enough to be on intimate terms with another boy.

“When that happens, and he isn't expecting it, he cringes and shudders. It breaks my heart because I know it brings the whole thing back to him. He can't change in the shower room at school because he doesn't want anyone to see. He won't even go swimming because part of the word is visible in his most modest swim trunks. I have wanted to take a magic wand and just erase the scars, but that cannot happen. At least I didn't think so until this evening,” Kurt told Cooper.

Cooper felt the blood fill his face, the blush painful with shame that he hadn't been the one to know how Blaine was feeling. It was his job as Blaine's big brother to take care of him and this included, at least in Cooper's mind, knowing about things like this. Blaine had never spoken about the scars after he got out of the hospital and Coop was having trouble even remembering if he had seen them since then. He hung his head and finally put his hands over his face and started to cry.

“My god, Kurt, I've failed my brother, haven't I? It took you almost losing your very life for me to realize how much of a failure I am,” Cooper sobbed. “Our whole family has failed Blaine, haven't we?”

Kurt looked over, a little shocked to see the depths of how this was affecting Cooper and not at all sure he had anything to say to it. He had no idea Coop felt so strongly about Blaine or that he thought Kurt was the catalyst for his learning about Blaine's depression. He moved closer and thinking about how Cooper had comforted him at his mother's grave, Kurt put his arms around Cooper and pulled him in tight.

“It's okay. You just didn't know. But now you do, we can try to help Blaine together. You're a wonderful brother, Cooper, and Blaine loves you,” Kurt said, just sort of babbling kind words to let Coop know that he was a great brother, he just hadn't been aware of how Blaine felt about this one thing. “You couldn't know if he didn't tell you,” Kurt said, and Cooper took a cleansing breath and looked up into Kurt's blue-gray eyes, seeing the sincerity there.

“Tell me what you found, Kurt,” Cooper said.

“The surgeons can use derma-abrasion for part of it, but that won't take away the words, which are almost a tattoo because one of the boys scrubbed dirt into the knife wounds.”

Cooper shivered at that thought.

“But there is another kind of surgery, it's called Z-plasty. The surgeon cuts a Z-shaped incision into the scar and is able to take away part of it. Blaine would still have scars, but with skin grafts and this Z-plasty, the words would be gone. Cooper, I think we need to look into this. I want Blaine to heal and I sincerely believe that he can't if he sees that word every day of his life,” Kurt was the one in tears now.

Standing in the hallway, Mr Anderson was stunned. He loved his son...both of his sons, and he had accepted Blaine after the initial shock. His way of showing that was to not say anything about it, treating Blaine like he was no different. He thought if he addressed the whole gay area of discussion that Blaine would feel bad that his dad was bringing it up at all, so he had stayed mute. It had hurt him so much when the attack happened, and he'd done what he could, but apparently it wasn't enough. He had no idea the scars were affecting his younger son so much. And he was, like Cooper, ashamed that he had thought it was all over with. It took a total stranger to find this out and wave his shortcomings in his face. Mr Anderson had no idea what to think or what to say. He coughed.

“Dad!” Cooper greeted his parent, standing to go over and hug his father. “Good to see you home, how was the trip?”

“Fine,” Mr Anderson said.

Kurt looked at the man standing in his robe and slippers, obviously upset and he wondered at what point the man had come down the stairs.

“Kurt? I cannot pretend I did not hear your conversation with Cooper. How long have you and Blaine been friends?” he asked. He knew about Kurt staying there and about his dad being in hospital, but that was about all.

“Ah, about a month,” Kurt told him.

“You've only known each other a month? And you know all this about Blaine?” Mr Anderson asked. He was shocked to hear how intimate Kurt had been with Blaine, but what could he say to that? He'd have to wait and speak to Blaine about it, this was not at all the way he'd been raised. But for the moment he felt he could only deal with one revelation at a time.

“Yes, Sir,” Kurt answered, seeing the shock in the man's eyes and realizing that he probably just told Blaine's father they were having sex. He blushed deep red, but for now he could only go on with this train of thought. “How much of our conversation did you overhear, if I can ask?”

Mr Anderson walked over to the table on shaky legs. “Probably the whole thing. I came down to get something to drink about the time Cooper came in the back door. Kurt, you have just told me - -well, told Cooper - -more about Blaine than I have known since he was twelve. I had no idea he was suffering about that attack still, he never told us. I don't know what to say except I'm sorry for intruding on your private conversation, but at the same time, I thank God I did. I need to think about this and discuss it with Blaine's mother, but we will address this with Blaine in the morning and I promise to do everything in my power to make this as right as I possibly can for Blaine. And thank you for caring so much for him that you brought this to our attention,” Mr Anderson said, feeling like he was in a dream. This just did not feel like reality. He got up, put an arm around Cooper's shoulders and a hand on Kurt's back in thanks and left the room.

Kurt turned to Cooper. “I guess I better go tell Blaine that I kind of spilled the beans on this one. I hope he isn't too angry with me, but I had to do something. Do you think I better move my things to the guest room?” Kurt asked.

“No. After what dad heard, I think you being close to Blaine is the least of his worries. This may sound strange, but thank you, Kurt, for loving my brother. And for teaching us how to love him, too, I guess. I just hope it isn't too late to help him,” Cooper drifted off, his thinking taking him from the immediate to thinking about all he had learned in one day about the brother he only thought he knew.

“Goodnight, Kurt.” he said, getting up and placing a kiss on Kurt's temple before leaving to go upstairs to his bed.

Kurt shut the laptop, gathered his things and tiptoed back to Blaine's room. He found Blaine curled around the pillow, his hair all tangled from running his hands through it. Kurt slipped back under the covers, snuggling down into the warmth of his boyfriend and thinking about whether he should wake him up to tell him everything or to let him sleep until morning before telling him. He leaned forward and kissed the golden rosy cheek and whisper, “I love you, Blaine, I hope I did the right thing”.