Cooper drove into the Hummel's driveway, tired but anxious to see his little brother. Ever since Blaine had reached out his tiny fist and grabbed Coop's finger the day he came home from the hospital, Coop had been in love. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his brother. Blaine was a good twelve years younger than Cooper, so it was just natural that Coop would be so protective. He was really busy in Columbus, taking care of that branch of the family business, but he made time to see Blaine. He just wished he might have better news for him today. Their parents were staying in Europe, indefinitely. He's spent several hours on the phone with his parents and had finally talked them around to his way of thinking about Blaine.

The problem had started when Blaine got sick. Their parents had asked Coop to arrange to have Blaine put in a rehab hospital, and he'd looked into it, but after visiting several they just looked like nursing homes that warehoused people. Blaine was so sensitive, he would never thrive in that impersonal environment. So Coop had started to arrange to have Blaine move in with him in Columbus and get a full-time nurse. But when he observed Kurt and Blaine together, even he could see there was no separating the two. He was prepared to do anything to make that a reality, and was quite relieved when Burt Hummel took him aside to propose exactly what Cooper was thinking. The worst part was getting Burt to take the checks to provide for Blaine's expenses.

Now he had another hurdle to cross. His father had called last week to tell Coop that he was going to have to do much more work in Europe and it was in the best interest of the company that he remain there for the foreseeable future. Cooper had the papers to make him Blaine's guardian until he turned 18, so that was no problem. His mother's idea was to board Blaine at Dalton for the next two school years before he went to college. Cooper had gone to Dalton, and it was a nice school, but with Blaine still being so delicate, Coop was worried. So, he had thought about a plan and wanted to talk to Burt tonight.

Coop had keys to the Hummel house, but knocked anyway. The door was opened almost immediately by Burt's stepson.

“Coop! I need to talk to you....” Finn said, grasping Cooper's arm and walking around to the back yard.

“What? Is it Blaine?”

“No, no. Nothing like that he's fine. It's Kurt.”

Finn looked really worried, and Cooper was getting a weird feeling in his stomach.

“Oh, god...no. Did he catch the meningitis? Oh, shit. I'll pay all the hospital bills, I'll get him a nurse...” Coop was panicking.

“Hold up there, no, no...Kurt didn't catch anything. We are all taking the antibiotics. No, it's something else,” Finn looked at Cooper with pleading eyes.

“Okay, spill.”

“Just let me say it all before you interrupt. We all know Blaine was really sick and Kurt spent every minute with him. He was at the hospital for weeks and never even came home once. Then when Blaine came here, Kurt won't let anyone take his place caring for Blaine. Now, I know Kurt loves him – anyone can see it.”

Cooper nodded. He saw it the first day -Blaine grasping Kurt's hand like he'd die if he let go, the desperate look in Kurt's eyes when he thought they might make him leave Blaine's side. Coop had been a little jealous – Blaine had looked at him like that for most of his life and it was hard to face that there was someone else in Blaine's heart. But the more he knew the Hummels, the more he knew Kurt, the happier he was that Blaine had found him.

“Anyway,” Finn continued, “Kurt is at the point of exhaustion. He doesn't sleep because he's waiting for Blaine to need him. He takes care of Blaine all day every day. I know you offered to get a part time nurse, and Kurt turned you down, but maybe you could talk to Blaine? Maybe if he asked Kurt? I don't know. Kurt is pretty stubborn. We all try to help, but now I'm just worried about Kurt.”

“I had no idea it was that bad, Finn. I'm glad you told me. I can start working on a solution. Actually, I came here to talk to Burt and Carole about Blaine's situation, but it might help Kurt, too. I hope he knows how lucky he is to have a brother like you. It's hard to be the older brother sometimes, isn't it? “

“Ah....actually, I'm four months younger than Kurt...I'm just bigger," Finn grinned.

“Well,you act like an older brother. Hey, let's get the dinner out of the car, I brought Chinese - and go inside. We'll talk over dinner about what I'm proposing.”

“The other thing...' Finn said, “I kinda have a plan for this weekend, but I really need your help. I got Kurt's friend, Mercedes, to take him out just to get some time away from responsibilities for a while. I'd be willing to take care of Blaine, but he isn't comfortable with me doing all the personal things he needs to have done, you know what I mean? But I'm thinking he'd be okay with you because you're his brother and you've seen him and all..?”

“Yeah,” Cooper laughed, “I used to change his diapers. I guess I can handle all that for a weekend. Glad to do it. I haven't spent enough time with him lately - -with Kurt the pitbull guarding him and all.”

Finn laughed at that. “Yeah, we call him the 'mother tiger'.

Finn took half of the Chinese take-out upstairs to have with Kurt and Blaine while Burt, Carole, and Cooper sat around the dining room table. It was a long discussion, what with Burt and Coop being extremely stubborn men, but an agreement was reached at the end of it that would benefit all concerned.

Coop came into the boy's room to get Blaine and they all ended up in the den, to clear the air and discuss details. When Kurt was snuggled up to Blaine on the sofa, blankets tucked around them and Blaine's face in Kurt's neck, Cooper began telling them the agreement.

The Hummel house had been a great house for Kurt to grow up in, but it was small. Carole only had the apartment she had rented before she married Burt. A bedroom upstairs had been split in half to accommodate Kurt and Finn, then the small office had been made into Blaine's room. While they made it work, it was crowded. Cooper's family had a house just a short distance away. Nobody was living there since Coop lived in Columbus and his parents were now living in Europe – so the house was sitting empty. Blaine needed to be cared for and, in Cooper's opinion, would not do well at boarding school for a while. He needed a close family. So, Burt and Carole, Finn, Kurt, and Blaine would move into the large Anderson house, leaving the small one to rent, in exchange for taking Blaine on for the next two years. When the boys went off to college, Burt and Carole could return to their smaller house. One room in the Anderson house would be left for Cooper when he was in town, so he could be near Blaine. It just seemed so simple that it would never work...but nobody could think of anything to say against it. By the time the discussion was all over, Kurt and Blaine were both sound asleep on the sofa.

Cooper picked up Blaine, untangling his octopus arms from Kurt and both boys whimpered in their sleep at being separated. Blaine was helped into bed, but Carole woke Kurt and he went back to his room to shower and change into pajamas. He padded down the hallway and crawled into bed with Blaine, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the lavender scented pillow.

Early the next morning, Cooper was beside Blaine's bed, waking the boys up.

“Breakfast!” he crowed, setting the tray down. The smells of oatmeal with cinnamon wafted out of the bowls, cups of hot cocoa and a bowl of blueberries made the boys sit up faster than usual. They all ate together and Kurt was headed to his room to get dressed when Coop caught up with him in the hallway.

“Kurt...”

“Yeah, Coop? I have to get Blaine's medications, but walk with me.” They fell into step together.

“Kurt, I was wondering if you could help me to know what all Blaine needs every day, where he is in his recovery. I speak with his doctors, but you know they aren't here with him everyday like you are.”

“He's okay. He took five steps yesterday, but I think he feels frustrated. He wants to do things by himself, but he's too weak. It's a delicate balancing act to help him just enough but not make him feel utterly dependent. I'm working with his physical therapy team so I can do things here when they can't. I give him massages, use aromatherapy, watch his nutrition. You know.”

“Well, that's the problem. I don't think anyone knows what all you do. I'm the first to say you are a godsend for my brother. He would never be where he is without you. But, Kurt, I see changes in you. You have dark circles under your eyes, you fall asleep at dinner, do you know we are all worried about you?” Cooper hit him with a concerned look that made Kurt think he was looking right through him.

“But I love your brother...” Kurt started.

“Nobody's disputing that. Nobody. Especially not me. But if you wear yourself out and get sick, I'll have to hire a nurse and you already told me your views on that. All I'm saying is that you need a little bit of help now, and asking for it isn't going to make anyone think you love Blaine any less. Least of all Blaine.”

Kurt didn't say anything. But he knew Cooper was right. He was bone tired and didn't know how long he could keep this up.

“Kurt, I'm going to be here until Wednesday. I took a few days off because I miss my baby brother. I want you to teach me how to take care of him, okay? I don't want to replace you, just spend some time with him.”

Kurt let out the breath he'd been holding. “Okay, Coop. Let me start with his medication chart...”

Finn opened his door when the two had walked past, catching Cooper's eye. Coop nodded his head slightly. Phase one: done.

Just before lunch, Finn came down to the kitchen to find Kurt ladling potato leek soup into a tureen.

“I'll take that up to Blaine, Kurt. I need your help out back. Coop scheduled the movers for next week, so Burt wanted you to get the stuff out of the tree house today.”

“I'll do it after lunch, Finn. What's the hurry?” Kurt was a but miffed at being delayed taking Blaine's soup to him.

“I need help after lunch, too. Can you just go out there and get this done quickly? I am able to carry soup upstairs, you know.” Finn huffed back at him.

“Okay, okay...don't get your knickers in a twist. Blaine's meds are in the little cup, make sure he takes them before he eats, then ask if needs pain meds, those are...”

“I know, Kurt. Cooper is here and he can help,” Finn all but pushed Kurt out the door.

Kurt walked to the tree in the back yard where his dad had built the tree house when he was a little kid. This was the one thing he would miss the most about the house when they moved. He was a little apprehensive about leaving Blaine in the hands of Finn and Cooper, but he really wanted to say goodbye to the house.

He walked slowly under the branches, remembering all the great times he had here. He and Mercedes had played pirates and princesses, had too many tea parties to count. They had shared all their secrets, all their heart's desires here. Nothing would ever take the place of this, and he was sort of lost in the nostalgia. Climbing up the ladder, he recalled painting the tree house a few summers ago. It was not just a place to play and share, it represented some of the changes in his life. His dad built it the summer his mother had died. He would come out here and talk to her, watching the stars and wondering if she still saw him. He came out to Mercedes here, that confusing year when he didn't understand what was happening to him. And they had confronted each other about that night. That Thanksgiving night that seemed a whole lifetime ago, but came back in his dreams. Funny, that was part of the dream the night after he and Blaine had reached the next step in their relationship. Kurt wondered what that meant....

At the top of the ladder, he turned to see the table set with a linen tablecloth, lacy placemats, and silverware. He could smell the muffins in the basket and saw a bowl of grapes and a tossed salad. There were cups for tea and a stand for petit fours – like he had made for tea parties when he was a kid. But the best part of the tea party was sitting on a pillow on the other side of the table.

“Mercedes!” Kurt practically fell into her arms. The tears were running down his face by the time he caught his breath and let go of her shoulders. “Oh, my Mercy. How much I've missed you.”

“I've been a phone call away all the time, white boy. I came to visit several times while you were with Blaine in the hospital..”she started. The tears, though she was used to Kurt's tears, the tears today kind of shook her up. She had been feeling neglected when her best friend began his nursing of Blaine. She knew it wasn't fair, but she couldn't help being a bit angry and hurt that this interloper had somehow taken her place in Kurt's heart. Funny, she used to be able to tell Kurt anything, really anything at all. But more and more as they grew, she found herself refraining from mentioning things. But time enough for that later....Kurt was here and thanks to Finn's plan, he was hers for the rest of the weekend.

“I made the muffins with your recipe, Kurt, but I had to buy the petit fours,” she indicated the tiny cakes covered in shiny icing and little icing roses.

“This is just perfect, Mercy. I couldn't have asked for better.” Kurt smiled a dazzling smile at Mercedes, making her heart beat faster.

They fell into conversation as though no time had elapsed at all since their last tea party. They talked about Glee, about their families, Mercedes' upcoming trip to her family's lake house. She had asked Kurt, but he declined this year for the first time.

“I'm sorry you aren't going with us this year to the lake house,” Mercy pouted a bit.

“I know. It was a large part of my life, you know. Your dad taught me to swim there. You peed your pants and I had to throw you in the lake to save you embarrassment there,” Kurt grinned. Mercedes smacked him on the arm.

“That only happened because you tickled me! It was all your fault anyway!” Mercy blustered. “Every time you tickle me, disaster happens. One would think you would have learned your lesson, but no, you never do...”

Kurt looked like she had actually slapped his face. Color drained out of it at the same rate a blush would suddenly color it, and Mercedes thought again how difficult it must be to live inside such a glass face that showed every emotion that crossed your mind. Kurt buried his face in his hands, the memory crowding in to torture him again.

“Kurt? What did I say?” Mercy worried, not sure what caused this turn in the atmosphere of the afternoon. They had just been reminiscing, smiling and laughing over shared memories. Why was she forever wiping the tears off of Kurt's face?

“You know.” Kurt said in a dead voice. Mercedes shook her head in puzzlement.

“I was tickling you that night. The night we... oh.....” he just couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

“Seriously, you need to quit freaking out every time that comes up in conversation. It happened. Okay? You know what, Kurt? I have tried to just 'get over it', but when you say it was a mistake - -that hurts my feelings. I know it wasn't what you had dreamed your first time would be. I get that. It wasn't my idea of my dream, either. But I have never regretted it for one minute. And I never will.” Mercedes blinked back tears. This was NOT how she had planned the day. She missed Kurt something awful. She had spent a lot of time planning this tea party with Finn to give her best friend a rest and a laugh. Now they were at each other's throats.

“Mercy, honey, I am so sorry! NO tears, please.” Kurt backpedaled, “I...I am not angry it happened. I do wish we had thought about it first, talked about it. But, Mercedes, I am happy it was you. But I don't want you to pin any hopes on anything else happening between us in...ah...a physical manner. I am gay, Mercy. I don't know why I had those feelings for you that night, and I'm not ashamed of it, but I am not going to pursue it. I'm sorry....” Kurt sighed.

“Okay. I understand.”

“Hug?” Kurt asked, eyebrows in question pose and arms out.

“Yes,” Mercy whispered, throwing herself into his arms.

“Are we okay?” he whispered into her hair, arms still holding her a few minutes later. “You are still my best friend, and you always will be.”

“Yeah, we're okay. And I know we'll always be best friends. Now, eat your muffins and tea!”

Kurt spent the next few hours in the tree house with Mercedes, telling her about the move to the Anderson's house, all about how Blaine was doing, the research he had done on aromatherapy, just everything. Mercedes told Kurt about her summer, how she would miss him at the lake house, about her family, what she had planned for the new school year. It was just like old times and Kurt finally relaxed and enjoyed himself, finding he could let his fierce protective hold on Blaine ease up a little.

After all the gossip and catching up, the conversation turned a bit more serious again.

“Tell me more about Blaine.” Mercedes asked. She was so jealous that he was in Kurt's heart; she viewed him as competition and hated that he appeared to be taking her place. It was hard to smile and pretend it wasn't eating at her.

Kurt got a dreamy look in his eye. “Oh, Mercy. I really liked him at first, then I thought I had made it all up in my head. Then he asked me out and things got more serious....but when he got sick, I was just terrified of losing him.” Tears were welling up in Kurt's eyes. “I..I...I...” Kurt sniffed, taking a breath to finish what he was saying. Mercy put a hand on his arm in comfort.

“I wouldn't want to live without him, Mercy. I was so scared. I think I know now how dad felt when Mom died. It was like looking into a deep abyss, like my life would be hopeless without him.”

The confession scared Mercedes. She had seen Kurt at all stages of emotion, from his mother's funeral to the ecstasy of orgasm. But never once had she seen the depth of emotion he was showing now. And her heart broke a little. While she was now confident she would be his best friend for the rest of their lives, this was so much more. This was sacred. And she finally understood.

Pulling him into her arms, wiping his tears, she whispered to him, “I know, Kurt. But he's better now. It is a long road, but he came through those fires of hell for YOU. Even I could see he feels the same about you. Nothing is ever going to get between you and Blaine. Nothing. And I'll be there anytime you need me.”

“I know you will, Mercedes, I know you will.”