Carole had been trying to find out what happened to Blaine and his mood, and why he was so scared of people, from the first time she saw him flinch from Kurt, but every time she tried to get closer to him, Blaine just became even more distant.

She still had to look after the other children, and Blaine was never any trouble, he just wanted to be left alone, so that's what everyone did. Carole didn't think that was a good idea though. She could see he was losing weight, she could tell he didn't even bother trying to look presentable with his clothes any more, and when his mother came to pick him up, she never said a word to anyone.

His mother just gestured for him to come, and he would do so.

Carole just knew something was up. Blaine wasn't the happy, joyful boy she once knew.

She saw the way Blaine would glance mournfully at Kurt when the other wasn't looking, when Kurt was playing with Mercedes and Finn, or during reading time. He always looked at Kurt when he was given the opportunity, but he looked too frighten to go talk to him or do anything about it.

She heard him quietly sniffing in his nap time. He never slept anymore. She knew that he would have nightmares, and he didn't want Kurt going over to comfort him, so he just stayed awake as long as he could, until Kurt was fully asleep.

Kurt never slept either however, he only pretended to, she noticed until Blaine slept.

She always watched when Blaine did sleep Kurt would always crawl over and pull the blanket on him quietly, so it was like he never left, and crawl back into his own space to watch Blaine before he too finally fell asleep from exhaustion.

When Kurt and Finn finally went to school, she noticed Blaine still came to Day Care.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing here?"

He didn't say anything until his mother left.

"Hi," He whispered, he looked like he wanted to go huddle up in his corner again, but she guessed he was tired of not talking to people.

"Why aren't you at school?" Carole decided to start a conversation to keep him there.

"Mommy doesn't want me to go,"

"Why not?" Carole raised an eyebrow.

"She says we can't afford school," Blaine shrugged.

"Would you like me to teach you some things?" Carole suggested.

Blaine looked up hopefully.

"I'm not sure if my mommy would…"

"Don't worry about her Blaine, instead of reading time, I can give you some first grade homework, I'll get Finn to bring me extra worksheets, how about that? You won't have to pay a thing, and if you don't understand I can help you, it's too quiet around here now anyway, I'm sure I got booklets for 1st graders around here..."

"Really?"

"Sure kiddo, we don't want you missing out," Carole chuckled.

Blaine smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Thanks so much!" He beamed.

Carole smiled gently at him and ruffled his hair.

Carole sat down with Blaine since it was so quiet and she had enough people wondering about with the other younger kids inside, in the playground on a plastic table with chairs, and got out some exercise booklets.

She found that Blaine actually wore glasses when he read, and he looked so cute, so she took a photo.

"Hey!" He exclaimed annoyingly trying to fix his hair like Kurt would have, while he did his work she sat out for him on the table.

"Sorry Blainers, you look too cute, and your hair looks even cuter,"

"Not like Kurt's," Blaine mumbled.

"I missed you Blaine," Blaine hung his head down. Carole added to take away the sad look on his face.

She put her finger under his chin when he didn't reply.

"Would you come with me and tell me why you've been avoiding everyone? It'll just be between you and me," Carole added.

Blaine bit his bottom lip.

"I can't,"

"Honey, nobody has to know, you aren't doing anything wrong, by talking to someone,"

Blaine than looked around as if his mother would come by at any minute and nodded.

"Okay," Blaine whispered.

"Good, come with me to my office, so we can chat," Carole held out her hand and he took it.

Day Care was quiet with all the kids gone to school, so she wasn't quite as busy. They walked to her office in silence abandoning his work on the table for him to finish of later.

"Now…first of all, why are you so upset?"

Blaine was surprised. He thought she would get angry at him for avoiding Kurt. He wasn't expecting to be asked about his feelings.

"My mommy hates me, I feel really bad,"

"What? Why would anyone hate you?" Carole asked aloud.

Blaine looked at her like it was obvious, but he didn't want to repeat it.

"It's okay Blaine, you can tell me, I don't hate you, and I'm sure your mother doesn't…"

"She does," Blaine interrupted.

"Tell me why you say that," Carole said letting him sit in the big wheeling chair as she kneeled in front of him and put her hands on his knees.

"I…,"

"Its okay sweetie, you can tell me when you want to, I won't force you into it," Carole added patting his hand as she handed him a glass of water from the table.

Blaine drank eagerly and nodded, wanting to tell someone.

"Well…please don't…get angry but it's because…I…I like Kurt a lot Ms Carole,"

"I know," She replied.

"No…I mean…I like him more than…more….tha…," Carole was still smiling assuring at him to continue.

This wasn't how it went with his mother.

"Mommy I have something to tell you," Little Blaine nervously bit his bottom lip as his mother turned around.

"What is it?" She demanded. She didn't have time for this. His father would be home any minute, and she had to have the house extremely clean for his friends. He had been rather testy with her last night, and she needed everything perfect.

Blaine flinched a little.

"There's this boy…I… I really like him, like more than friends…and I was wondering…can…can there be two princes in a story?"

"NO" His mother yelled stopping immediately to face him with anger.

"…wh…why not?" Blaine didn't understand.

"YOU JUST CAN'T BLAINE, IT'S NOT RIGHT," His mother was furiously glaring at him as he tried not to cry.

"But…mommy…he's really nice, he never gets dirty, or anything like I do, you'd like him momma," Blaine tried to insist.

"I would not. He's a filthy animal like you,"

"He isn't mommy please don't say that,…he's perfect,"

"Do not disagree with me! I'm telling you, that both of you are going to hell, so do not talk about him ever again!"

"But…I think I have feeli….,"

SMACK …Blaine stumbled back and immediately retreated to his room crying.

"You really really like, like him don't you," Carole took him out of his thoughts.

Blaine nodded.

"I don't know what it means…I like him the way I'm meant to like girls and…wait how did you know?"

"Well not many boys sleep together to be friendly Blaine, even if it was just innocent, I just knew straight away that you two were meant to be together, so I let you be together,"

Blaine's eyebrow shot up.

"I thought you'd hate me, my mommy says its wrong to like boys, and I…don't know if I do, I just really like Kurt…like I think his eyes look so pretty because you don't know what colour they'll be, and his hair is always so perfect, and his skin is like an angel, and he…I think…I think he is beautiful," Blaine admitted quietly.

"Your mommy is wrong, a lot of people think that Blaine, but that doesn't mean its true, you can like whoever you want, and nobody has a right to say you can't,"

Blaine went quiet.

"I miss Kurt," Blaine said truthfully.

"So why don't you talk to him? He feels lonely without you,"

Carole replied gently.

"I… I was mean to him, he…I hurt him, I made him cry," Blaine looked really upset, like he committed a crime, his curls falling over his eyes, glasses falling of his face as she took it of for him and placed it on the table.

"You can apologise, Kurt will forgive you," Carole said softly.

Blaine bit his bottom lip.

"I thought, if I stayed away from him, he won't feel the same way I do, and that his father won't…hate him, because his father is really nice, and I don't want to be the cause of his father hating him," Blaine explained.

It had been so hard not going to Kurt when he was upset.

Carole shook her head.

"Blaine, ignoring people won't change the way they feel about you, it'll just cause them to be confused, and maybe a little hurt, but it won't change how they feel, because they'll always remember who you were, and Burt won't hate Kurt sweetie, he isn't that kind of guy, and there is no reason for him to hate him because you are like his son to him,"

"So…it's okay…for me to like Kurt?" Blaine needed to be sure.

"Yes sweetie, your mother might not think so, but people like me and Burt do believe its okay, I'm not going to lie Blaine, liking boys is not going to get you the same reaction I gave you, there will be people like your mother who do not agree with it, but you can fight for yourself Blainers, you need to learn that being yourself, is okay, don't let her think she has more power than you, because you are a special little guy, and if you like Kurt, than I can't be more than happy for you,"

Blaine lit up.

"Really?"

"Yes really,"

"You know how… in Beauty in the Beast, Belle loves the Beast….," Blaine asked.

Carole nodded raising an eyebrow.

"Do you think…Kurt could love me too?"

Carole chuckled.

"Blaine, anybody would be stupid not to love you, and you are not a Beast, you are beautiful just like Belle, in a young man's way,"

Blaine couldn't find words to say.

Carole lifted him of the chair and pulled him into a hug and just held him.

She let him cry on her shoulder, while she patted his back and held his legs against her stomach.

"You're special Blaine, don't forget that,"

Blaine snuggled his head into Carole's neck. She sat down still holding him, and refusing to let go.

"I want to apologise to Kurt, I feel so bad about that Ms Carole, I don't like him crying, I don't want him to cry, but I was scared cause of my momma,"

Blaine finally replied once she put him down and wiped his tears.

"Well… Burt asked Finn to go over to Kurt's place, so would you like me to take you over too, I'll ask Burt first of course, and it can be a surprise for Kurt,"

Blaine nodded eagerly.

"I miss him,"

"I know sweetie, he does too, believe me… alright! I'll text Burt to let him know, this will be very good news,"

Blaine grinned, colour started to come back into his tiny face.

Guess who wants to visit Kurt after school… he has curly hair…golden eyes…his first name starts with a B…and shhh don't tell Kurt. :p

Blaine? Really?... Finally! Kurt has been miserable ever since they stopped being friends…the only time he is happy is when he talks about Mercedes or Finn… this is great! What do you mean surprise?

Well…they haven't talked in a long time, and Blaine wants to come over and apologise to Kurt, I found out why he has been avoiding him, and well…it's not good Burt, Blaine really is fragile…I'll tell you in person… but yeah his face brightened at the idea of talking to Kurt again.

Sounds serious…hope the kid is okay, say hi for me yeah Carole? Alright then… When should the playdate hold place?

Hold on let me ask him!

"Sweetie, what time would you like to visit Kurt?"

Blaine played with his hands nervously. Blaine had forgotten about his mother hating him the moment Ms Carole said it was okay to like Kurt.

"My…mom wouldn't let me, I'm afraid to ask…"

Carole frowned forgetting that his mother disapproved of him being gay.

She got her phone out again.

Do you think he could come back here before 7? He won't be able to go after Day Care…

Well….I guess, yeah I don't see why not….but he'll be suspicious…

Just say Finn wants to play with him at my work

Alright…how does 4pm sound?

That gives them 3 hours…plenty!

See you at 4.

See you…