Chapter Thirteen: Never Been This Happy

Saturday August 9, 2014

They made the drive from Lima to Columbus in record time. When Kurt pulled into a parking spot at the hospital, he looked over to see Blaine was trembling slightly in the passenger seat. Kurt reached across the center console, taking Blaine’s hand in his.

“I’m scared,” Blaine admitted before Kurt could ask.

“I know but I’m right here with you,” Kurt said, squeezing his hand comfortingly.

“You don’t have to stay,” Blaine said. “You really didn’t have to drive me all the way here.”

“Of course I did,” Kurt said. “I love you and I’m going to be here for you whether you like it or not.”

"Kurt, you’ve never met my father,” Blaine said imploringly.

“I’m going to have to meet him sometime,” Kurt responded.

“I was just hoping to put it off a while longer, you know, until the wedding,” Blaine made an attempt at a joke.

Kurt’s breath hitched at the mention of marriage. They had discussed it briefly before but the way Blaine said it like their future marriage was a fact stole Kurt’s breath away. Kurt brought Blaine’s hand up to his lips, allowing his kiss to linger.

"I love you. Nothing your dad does could ever change that,” Kurt assured him.

“Daddy, Papa, where aw we?” Aly asked sleepily from the backseat.

Overwhelmed by the situation and his new title from Aly, tears filled Blaine’s eyes. He pulled his hand away from Kurt and attempted to wipe at them subtly but knew Kurt saw. He didn’t mention it, instead turning to face his daughter.

“We’re at a hospital, Aly Cat,” Kurt answered. “Papa’s brother is hurt and he needs to see him.”

“Papa has a bwudder?” Aly asked, clutching Crystal the cat to her chest.

"I do,” Blaine said with a sniffle.

“Can I see him?” Aly asked.

Blaine bit his lip. Cooper Anderson was in a coma. Even though Aly would be able to see him, Cooper would be unresponsive. How do you explain that to a three-year-old?

“You can but you have to be on your best behavior,” Kurt explained patiently. “He’s sleeping.”

Kurt’s words set something off in Blaine. He scrambled out of the car, not wanting Aly to see him cry. His shoulders shook as his tears consumed him and his shoulders curled forward as he fought for each breath. Kurt was out of the car in an instant, pulling Blaine into his arms. He knew Aly would not be happy to stay in the car with the two adults outside and as much as he wanted to hold Blaine until his sobs receded he contented himself with kissing his tears away before going to his daughter. Kurt unbuckled her from her car seat. Before he lifted her out he whispered to her.

“I think Papa could use a hug,” he suggested.

A serious look crossed Aly’s face. She nodded decisively and Kurt could barely muffle a giggle. He set Aly on the ground, watching fondly when she instantly wrapped her small arms around one of Blaine’s legs, squeezing tightly.

Blaine hastily wiped away his tears, bending down to pick her up. Aly’s arms wrapped around Blaine’s neck and she pressed a wet kiss to his cheek.

“Thank you, Alygator,” Blaine said. He cupped Aly’s head in one hand and pressed a kiss to her hair. Blaine grasped Kurt’s hand in his and together they headed towards the hospital and the Anderson family.

Blaine carried Aly into the hospital, his hand clasped tightly in Kurt’s. Aly laid her head on Blaine’s shoulder. Kurt squeezed Blaine’s hand as they stepped into the elevator and ascended to the third floor. They exited the elevator and followed the signs towards room 313. Once on the right hallway, Blaine stopped to steel himself.

“Aly, can you go to Daddy?” Blaine asked.

Aly lifted her head with a frown but she didn’t ask questions. She obediently held her arms out for her father. Kurt pressed a kiss to her head, murmuring “Good girl” as she settled onto his hip. Blaine drew in a deep breath before starting down the hallway. He stopped outside the closed door of room 313 and knocked.

“Come in,” Blaine heard his mother’s voice ring out through the door.

Slowly, he pushed the door open and stepped inside with Kurt and Aly following him. He had scarcely taken two steps into the room before his mother exclaimed “Blaine!” and had rushed to envelope her youngest son into her arms.

“It’s good to see you too, Mamma,” Blaine said with a fond smile. He flashed a smile at his father. “Hello, Athair.”

“Blaine,” Earnan Anderson said with a curt nod.

"Let me look at you,” Honora said, pulling away to hold him at arm’s length. Her eyes moved up and down his form. “You’re too thin. Have you been eating properly?”

“Mamma, please, I’m a chef. I eat plenty,” Blaine assured her.

“And who is this gorgeous young man?” Honora asked, her eyes shifting to Kurt over Blaine’s shoulder.

Blaine’s eyes flew to his father before they returned to his mother and he smiled nervously. “Mamma, this is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel, and his daughter, Aly.”

“So this is the man who stole my son’s heart?” Honora said with a smile. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Kurt. I’ve heard so much about you, and Aly, of course.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Anderson,” Kurt said, stepping forward with an outstretched hand.

“Please, call me Honora,” she corrected him.

“How is Cooper?” Blaine asked, changing the subject as he noticed his father’s disapproving scowl.

“He had internal bleeding but the doctors have it under control. He has a broken leg and several broken ribs but he’ll be okay. We’re just waiting for him to wake up now,” Honora answered, taking her youngest son by the hand and leading him to the hospital bed where Cooper Anderson lay.

Kurt noticed Earnan eyeing him disapprovingly. He moved Aly to his other hip and subtly shifted his body so she was further away from the man. Kurt didn’t want him anywhere near his daughter with the way he was looking at him. Thankfully, Aly was completely ignoring the man. Her attention was on Blaine as he slipped his hand into his brother’s. A tear slid down Blaine’s cheek, which did not go unnoticed by Kurt nor Aly.

“Papa, why are you cwying?” Aly asked.

The sight of his brother laying lifeless in a hospital bed had Blaine almost forget that Kurt and Aly were in the room. He jumped when he heard Aly’s small voice. Blaine straightened instantly, wiping away his tears as he reached out both hands to take Aly from Kurt.

“Papa’s just a little sad, Aly,” Blaine answered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Did that brat just call you ‘Papa?’” Earnan asked in disbelief.

“Don’t call her that,” Blaine said in the same instance as Kurt exclaimed, “You will not talk to my daughter that way!”

“She is not an Anderson; she is not your daughter,” Earnan continued, ignoring the outcries of both men.

“She might as well be!” Kurt cried out, shocking all three Andersons into silence. “Blaine, I’m going to take Aly and buy some clothes to get us through until tomorrow. Come here, Aly.”

Kurt held his hands out to his daughter but Aly made no move to go to her father.

“I want to stay with Papa,” Aly protested.

Kurt looked from Aly to Blaine. He didn’t want Aly to be around Earnan Anderson more than was necessary with the way he had just spoken but he didn’t want to take Aly away from Blaine if she wanted to stay with him.

“We’ll be fine, Kurt,” Blaine finally spoke.

“Are you sure?” Kurt asked, looking pointedly at Blaine’s father.

“I’m positive,” Blaine assured him with an easy smile.

Kurt nodded, holding in a sigh. He had wanted to get Aly out of the hospital and away from Blaine’s father but it didn’t seem that was going to happen.

“I love you, Aly,” Kurt said.

“How much?” Aly asked with a giggle.

“This much,” Kurt answered, unable to hide his smile as he held his arms out as far as they’d go.

“I love you this much!” Aly exclaimed, holding out her little arms.

"That’s an awful lot, Aly Cat,” Kurt said. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Purposefully ignoring the elder Andersons, Kurt kissed Blaine chastely. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Blaine replied instantly.

“Aly, be good for Papa,” Kurt instructed as he backed out of the hospital room.

“I will,” Aly promised.

With Kurt gone, Earnan Anderson decided to act like Blaine and Aly were not present and settled into a chair in the corner of the room with The Wall Street Journal. Blaine got Aly settled in a chair with some toys to occupy her before joining his mother by Cooper’s bedside.

“I’ve never seen you so happy,” Honora said, wrapping an arm around her youngest son’s shoulders.

“Honestly, Mamma, I’ve never been this happy in my entire life,” Blaine said with a smile and a turn of his head to look at Aly. “Kurt and Aly . . . they caught me completely off guard.”

“You love them,” Honora said.

“I do,” Blaine agreed. “God, I . . . I didn’t know you could love someone so much until I met the two of them. And not just Kurt, but Aly as well. They completely stole my heart. It’s like I didn’t know there was a part of me missing until they came into my life.”

“That’s how your father and I felt when you and your brother were born,” Honora said with a fond smile towards her eldest child.

“Funny how that’s changed,” Blaine said with a glare to his father.

“He’ll come around, Blaine,” Honora said softly.

“You’ve only been saying that since I came out when I was fourteen,” Blaine said with a scoff.

“He loves you. This is just hard for him,” Honora said.

“Seeing me happy is hard for him?” Blaine asked incredulously.

“You know what I mean,” Honora scolded.

“What aw you weeding?” Aly’s small voice was piqued with curiosity.

Blaine whirled around. Aly was standing beside Blaine’s father, watching him intently.

“Aly-” Blaine began as he strode to her side but before he could finish Earnan had folded his newspaper and was looking back at Aly.

“I’m reading the newspaper,” he answered. With a quick glance up at his youngest son, Earnan looked back at Aly. “Do you like to read, little girl?”

“I love to weed!” Aly answered estatically. “Well, I only know a few wowds but Papa and Daddy aw teaching me. Will you weed to me?”

Taken aback, Earnan looked up at Blaine again. Blaine’s expression was just as surprised. He waited with bated breath to see how his father would react.

“The newspaper,” Earnan finally said, “is not for little girls. Maybe your, um, Papa has a suitable book? Blaine?”

“What?” Blaine asked, jolted back to reality. “Oh right, yeah-yes.”

Blaine went to Aly’s bag and produced a copy of Corduroy. He placed the book in his father’s hand and watched as he lifted Aly onto his lap and opened the book. To Blaine’s continued amazement he began to read. Still stunned, Blaine walked back to his mother’s side.

“What just happened?” he asked.

“I told you. He came around,” Honora said, pulling Blaine into her arms.