A new day dawned in Ohio, waking the Hummel household with bright sunshine. Cooper came in bright and happy to help Kurt get Blaine cleaned up and dressed. Kurt did away with the pajamas for the day and Blaine was dressed in khaki board shorts and a loose fitting Hawaiian shirt. He wanted to try to walk to the stairs, so Kurt and Cooper got on each side of him as spotters. Blaine took a hand of each and pulled himself to his feet, shaky and wobbly, placing each foot carefully in front of the other until he had taken ten steps. On the eleventh, his knees were trembling and he started to fall. Coop and Kurt both put their arms out to catch him, resulting in knocking each other to the ground, Blaine landing on top.

Panic started as the two caregivers thought they hurt Blaine, but laughter bubbled out of the dog pile of boys and they all ended up sitting on the floor just laughing their butts off. Coop recovered first, standing and giving Kurt a hand up. They both gave a hand to Blaine so he could pull himself up, but it soon became apparent that he just didn't have the strength. Coop scooped him into his arms and started for the stairs, Blaine leaning his head on his brother's shoulder. Kurt saw the look of defeat in his hazel eyes, but Blaine had composed himself into a smile by the time Cooper sat him at the breakfast table.

Carole was just removing a pan of croissants from the oven, placing them into a basket and covering it with a cloth before setting it on the table. Turkey bacon, egg beaters scrambled eggs, and grated goat cheese were already assembled for do-it-yourself croissant breakfast sandwiches. Blaine leaned over to whisper to Kurt that he needed some pain medication and Kurt got up to get it for him, a concerned look crossing his face. Blaine didn't usually need pain meds this early in the day.

“You okay?” his eyes said silently, to which Blaine nodded. They would talk about this later, but Kurt understood Blaine didn't want it to become the topic of the breakfast table.

“Have you told Blaine the plans for the day?” Mercedes asked. Kurt shook his head.

“We thought you might want to get out of the house, Squirt,” Cooper told him. Everyone at the table smiled at Blaine, knowing his growing frustration with being locked up in the house. Blaine's grin stretched from ear to ear.

“Where are we going?” he asked, but nobody was talking.

The breakfast dishes were quickly cleaned off the table and into the dishwasher as the whole family, including Mercedes, piled into two cars. After picking up Rachel, they headed out of town to Kendrick Woods Park, Blaine sitting in the front of the Navigator, his hand tangled with Kurt's over the console. Kurt was kind of nervous, he and Cooper had discussed what was about to happen and Kurt didn't agree they should spring this surprise on Blaine. But Cooper thought it would be better if there were other things going on to distract Blaine from what Coop thought was inevitable.

They pulled up in the parking lot, Mercedes and Coop climbing out of the backseats. Burt drove in behind them, Carole, Finn, and Rachel getting out. Coop went to the back of the Navigator and opened it, lifting out a wheelchair. Kurt was standing by the open door, his hands on Blaine's knees, getting ready to help him out. Blaine took one look at the wheelchair his brother was pushing and burst into tears. He looked at Kurt, as if to ask if he was in on this. Kurt nodded a tiny fraction and Blaine hit him with such a look of betrayal Kurt physically staggered. Everyone was gathered around and saw this exchange. Everyone started talking at once, trying to comfort Blaine, trying to comfort Cooper or Kurt.

Blaine was just unraveled. He crumpled into a ball, hands grasping his bent knees, head down, sobbing. He saw the wheelchair as a prison he might never leave, a symbol of the illness that had ravaged his life. Kurt was just frozen. He stood staring at the wreckage of his boyfriend, his soulmate, not knowing how he could remedy this, looking at Cooper – who looked stunned. He thought the wheelchair would offer his brother a measure of freedom, a ticket back to the social life he so desperately yearned to get back. Burt and Carole clung to each other, not sure who to comfort, what to do to bring it all under control. Rachel and Mercedes came to Kurt's rescue first, pulling him into their arms, offering themselves as respite to the ugly mess this day had turned into.

What surprised everyone was Finn. He calmly went to Blaine, sweeping him into his arms and walking into the woods to a picnic table away from the crowd, away from the wheelchair, away from the noise. He sat down, shifting Blaine to be more comfortable, and held him tightly. Blaine was as shocked as anyone, not used to Finn being so demonstrative. But Finn had been the one to help get Blaine into the ambulance, had visited him and read to him. He knew Blaine and Kurt had some sort of magical connection – a connection Finn was sure would last the ages – and he had come to think of Blaine as another little brother. He felt very protective of him.

Finn waited for Blaine to settle down, wiping his tears away with his handkerchief.

“Better?” he asked in a calm voice.

“Ah...yeah. A little bit. Oh, Finn, what have I done now? I caused all of that. Will they ever forgive me? Why do I keep ruining everyone's life?” Blaine uttered, shaking his head in misery.

“Well, I am pretty sure you haven't ruined anyone's life. Kurt didn't want Cooper to surprise you like that. He wanted to suggest it to you and let you come to terms with it.” Finn explained.

“That wasn't Kurt's idea?” Blaine asked. He'd thought it was.

“Here, can you sit at the bench okay now?” Finn asked, moving Blaine to sit beside him. “No, I heard Kurt arguing with Coop last night. Coop thought you would have a different reaction. He saw it as you gaining a little independence.”

“Oh. Well. I guess I panicked, When I saw it, I just thought about Artie, about how he'll be in his chair the rest of his life. It scared me.” Blaine sniffed, trying to hold back any more tears. “Now look what I've done. Kurt and Cooper have done nothing but take care of me, they give and give and I repay them with wild hysterics. Shit.” Blaine put his head down on his arms, resting them on the picnic table.

Finn very hesitantly reached over to rub Blaine's back. He was not used to comforting another boy and it felt strange. But he could see it relaxed Blaine, so he took courage and rubbed a little harder. Blaine sighed, but seemed to take strength from the touch.

“Do you think I can fix this? I mean, everyone was looking forward to having this picnic.” Blaine said in a monotone, not holding much hope.

“Of course we can.” Finn put a little emphasis on the 'we'. I will leave you here and go get the picnic stuff. We can get this show on the road, you know. But before I go, I do have to ask, are you willing to use the wheelchair, just temporarily? They really  got it more for Kurt. No offense, but you're kind of heavy for him to lug around, and he will be able to get you out more and do things if he has that.”

“Oh, my...how selfish could I be? Of course, of course,” Blaine's eyes threatened to overflow again.

Finn just gave him a mild punch to his shoulder. “I knew you'd understand.”

Back at the parking lot it looked like a funeral. Every eye looked up at Finn as he walked back to the cars. Mercedes and Rachel were comforting Kurt, each holding a hand, each patting him and babbling comforting noises. Kurt's nose was red, his eyes were swollen with crying. Carole had her arms around Cooper as he sat there, shaking his head. Burt clapped a hand on Finn's back when he came close enough. “Is it okay?” He was probably the only one not surprised that Finn stepped up to diffuse the situation by removing Blaine. Finn nodded and gave Burt a smile. It was good to have a man in his life, one of few words that understood him.

“Yeah. He was just a little overcome. He's fine. Mostly he's just embarrassed he caused such a ruckus.” Finn turned to look at Cooper. “He feels bad he didn't understand it was to just help him temporarily, I guess having it sprung on his like that he thought you were saying he was going to be in it permanently. But he's okay now.

“I'm just worried he might expire from hunger...” Finn continued, “You know how much food that kid can put away? He gives me a run for my money when he's hungry. How about we set up the picnic?” Finn said, looking toward Mercedes and Rachel, who jumped up to help. Carole gave Coop a kiss on the cheek, Burt added a pat on the back and everyone went to help get the supplies and troop into the woods to the picnic clearing to set up the feast. Kurt was still sitting on a rock at the edge of the parking lot when Finn walked over.

“He's going to be okay, you know. He was just overwhelmed.” Finn offered. He sat down next to his brother, putting his hand on Kurt's knee for a moment.

“But....did you see his eyes? He hates me. He thinks I conspired against him or something.” Kurt said in a voice so quiet Finn could barely hear him.

“No, Kurt. He told me. He looked at that chair and thought of Artie, thought he was sentenced to live in that chair. He was just scared,” Finn reassured him.

“Oh my god, Finn. How awful. He must have been terrified.” Kurt babbled. “I better go..”

Finn's hand on his arm stopped him. Kurt turned to his brother, a question in his eyes.

“Ah....Kurt....can you just wait a minute?” Finn asked. Kurt nodded his head. “I just want you to catch your breath a minute. Blaine is okay, he'll have everyone there in a minute. Just give him a minute to do that, then go to him.”

“Okay...?”

“Kurt. I'm not good at this warm fuzzy stuff, especially not with another guy. But even I can see you're struggling to keep up. I do know how important Blaine is to you. But …..well,....just remember to take care of yourself, too. I'm here if you need me. I've got your back, no questions asked. I just wanted you to know that.”

Kurt dropped his head, almost afraid to look at Finn. Tears were too close, and he knew they made his brother uncomfortable. He took a huge breath, held it and blew it out before lifting his head. He looked right into Finn's eyes. “Thanks, Finn. That means the world to me,” he said simply and got up to put his arms around the bigger boy, pulling him in close and hugging him in a strangling embrace. “I do love you, Finn. You are the best brother.” Finn hugged him back and they got up to walk to the picnic together.

It could have been really awkward, but with everyone trying to make it better, the picnic turned out pretty well. Great food made for a great time. There was the ever-present bowl of fruit, a variety of brightly colored melon balls: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, crenshaw, San Juan, and canary. Burt and Finn started the grill and made turkey burgers, the girls had brought salads and deviled eggs. Kurt had gone all out and made two blueberry pies. When everyone was just stuffed, they made a quick job of cleaning up and then broke up to hike some of the trails.

Blaine asked Cooper to help him into the chair, he had seen a trail marked for handicapped persons and he wanted to get some fresh air. Burt and Carole had left to walk the first path, Finn and Rachel not far behind, though they took the right fork when they saw Burt and Carole had taken the left. Cooper and Mercedes thought they would give Blaine and Kurt some time alone after making sure the wheelchair would be easy to handle on the paved path. Both feeling kind of like fifth wheels, Mercy and Coop wandered down a still different path, chatting about shared interests of music and books.

The paved path led to a waterfall in among trees shadowing a small clear space. Kurt stopped the wheelchair, putting on the brakes. He first got a backpack that was strapped to the back of the chair, taking it through the trees to the clearing and laying out a blanket. Then he returned for Blaine, picking him up and taking him to the clearing, settling the two of them on the blanket. Blaine just looked at Kurt, a small smile on his face, but not knowing what to say. Kurt scooted closer, his arms automatically going around Blaine and pulling him closer. Without a word, they had a whole conversation: the shared kisses saying 'I'm sorry”, “You know I'd never betray you”, “I know, I never should have doubted you”, and finally, “I love you”.

When Blaine pulled back a fraction of an inch, looking into Kurt's wild blue-green eyes, he sighed. “I was just scared, Kurt. I was thinking of Artie – he'll never get out of that chair. Ever. Sometimes, late at night, I dream I am trapped in one, too. I know this is different from Artie, my nerves still work, but it's been 10 weeks now, and I can only walk eleven steps, and that just about kills me.”

“Oh, Blaine. You know it will be a long road. I see improvements, but I also understand the frustration. You remember the doctor said your recovery might be a little...erratic? I think you're doing great. And even if you ended up in a wheelchair, Blaine, I would never leave you. You're my soulmate.”

“Kurt! Now who's making a Dawson's Creek reference?” Blaine laughed, trying to lighten the serious mood. Kurt laughed, too. But Blaine put his hand on Kurt's cheek, kissing him with soft, warm lips; drawing him closer and deepening the kiss until Kurt had to break away to breathe. Blaine put his lips closer to Kurt's ear and whispered, “Yes, Kurt. I do believe we're soulmates. We'll be together until the end of time.” Kurt clutched him close and kissed him again.

The boys got quieter, just holding each other and breathing each other's breath, occasionally kissing. They listened to the waterfall, in perfect bliss as though they were the only two left in the world.

An hour later, Finn and Burt found the two, octopus arms all tangled together, sound asleep.

“I hate to wake them up,” Burt said. “But we need to get back. You take Blaine, I'll wake Kurt.” Gentle shaking and calling soon brought the boys back to the world, a little embarrassed they had fallen asleep, 'Like Hansel and Gretel' Kurt murmured.

“Oh, then that makes me the wicked witch or something?” Burt grunted. Kurt laughed.

“No, Dad. Not at all,” Kurt returned, brushing himself off and folding the blanket they had been sleeping on. Burt lifted Blaine up and took him back to the chair and they all returned to the cars. Just as they were loading the wheelchair into the back of the Navigator, Coop and Mercedes returned from their walk, hand in hand. All eyes were on them and they dropped hands like they were on fire, blushes moving up Cooper's face, Mercedes looking decidedly uncomfortable. Kurt and Blaine just smirked, exchanging looks.

The evening was quiet, Burt gave Mercedes a ride home after supper, Finn went over to Rachel's to watch a movie, planning to be home later that night. Cooper went out to stay with a friend until the next evening, and Burt and Carole went to bed. They had the bedroom in the basement that used to be Kurt's. Kurt helped Blaine up to his bed.

“Are you as tired as you look, Blaine?” he asked. It had been a stressful day. It was really the first time Blaine had been out for more than a doctor's appointment since coming home from the hospital. The added stress of the wheelchair incident hadn't helped.

“I hate to admit it, but yeah, I'm just tired to my bones, Kurt. And I'm hurting. I have a headache and my joints hurt.” Blaine didn't complain often, so Kurt knew he was in a lot of pain. He went to the locked medicine box and got out the narcotic the doctor had ordered. Blaine had been so reluctant to take even a single one, but the doctor had explained that maybe he shouldn't watch so much Oprah. He was not going to get 'hooked' if he was only taking the prescribed dose when he was in pain. It was better to take them at the first sign of pain. In doing that, one pill would often bring it under control. Waiting until he was in agony just to appear strong would result in taking many doses to try to control the pain.

“Thank you, Kurt, “ Blaine said, swallowing the big white pill. He closed his eyes, gathering strength to change his clothes.

“I'll do that, baby. Here, just let me unbutton the shirt, then I'll get the pants.”

“Can you warm some of that oil? The scent of the sage and geranium is nice.”

“Okay.” Kurt left Blaine in just his boxer briefs, lighting the oil warmer and pouring in the essential oils. He also got the massage oil and added a little lavender, ginger, and jasmine to it. Taking the thick blanket he used for massage, he put it on the bed, Blaine moving over to help and lying down when it was spread. Kurt put a flannel sheet over Blaine's body to keep him warm while he got the massage.

“How are your knees today?” Kurt asked. Blaine flinched as Kurt touched his right knee.

“Okay, I'll be careful there. Any other joint I need to be careful of?” Kurt inquired.

“Just my right hip.”

Kurt turned off the room lights, leaving on the desk lamp across the room. He lit a few candles closer to the bed and put on his MP3 player set to the Gregorian Chant playlist. Blaine took a deep breath in anticipation and tried to relax. He began the massage, lightly touching Blaine, rubbing a little more intensely on cramped muscles, just ghosting his fingers across sore places like his hip and knees. When he was done, Blaine did seem a little more relaxed. His eyes were closed and he was breathing shallowly.

Kurt leaned over and kissed his cheek, murmuring “I love you, Blaine”. Blaine opened his eyes in complete adoration and said it back to him. Kurt helped Blaine get his pajamas on, then pulled his own on. He put out the candles, shut off the lights, and crawled under the covers with his soulmate. They fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.