The bureau sometimes reminded Blaine of a beehive – there were agents coming and going, moving in a hurry through the offices, working on their cases, buzzing in excitement whenever they got a new lead, or in anger whenever things went wrong. He stood by the railing that gave him a view of the floor below and of the conference room where Kurt Hummel and his brother were sitting, waiting for the FBI to tell them what to do. It wasn’t hard to notice how tense and helpless Kurt felt – he didn’t look like the kind of man who liked to leave his fate on someone else’s hands.

Agent Hart walked into the conference room and deposited two steamy cups of coffee on the table for them. Finn smiled and thanked him gently, but Kurt didn’t move. He simply kept his hands intertwined and his eyes fixed on them, as if he could figure everything out just by focusing hard enough. Rachel was standing at a desk on the main floor, talking to Agent Evans, who was an expert on databases. Blaine had them working on trying to find a match to the identikit they had scored the night before, but by the looks on their faces, they weren’t having much luck yet.

Suddenly, a hand rested on Blaine’s forearm. He didn’t need to look up to know who was there. He recognized the long, manicured nails and the gold wedding ring that he sometimes stared at, pretending he didn’t feel a mixture of dread and jealousy.

“Santana, any news?” He asked, straightening up to look at her.

Santana shook her head. “Not yet. I was about to order food for everyone. It looks like we’re going to be here for a while.”

“You can go home if you want,” Blaine offered quietly. “I know you don’t like leaving Brittany alone for so long these days…”

“She’s pregnant, not sick,” Santana replied, and when Blaine looked at her, she shrugged, smiling in that sweet way that meant she was thinking of her wife. “That’s what she likes to remind me of, at least.”

“Still. You can…” Blaine began saying, but she interrupted.

“Look, of course I’d like to go home and have dinner with my wife, and finish painting that fucking nursery before my kid is twenty five and can actually paint it himself. But I also want to catch this asshole, and we’ve never been closer…”

“Do you really think we’re closer? We have nothing, Santana.”

“Well, someone’s pessimist today,” Santana crossed her arms over her chest and studied him carefully. “You look exhausted, Blaine. Maybe you should go home.”

“I’m fine,” Blaine replied dismissively.

“That’s what you’ve been saying for the past year. But we both know…”

“Santana, not now. I said I’m fine, and I mean it.” Blaine looked at her in a way that reminded her he was her boss, not only her friend. She stopped talking, but she pressed her lips together tightly, showing her dissent.

“Whatever you say. Do you want anything to eat, then?” She asked dryly.

“No, I’m good. But make sure to get something for Hummel and his brother. And get them some decent coffee,” Blaine said, looking at the untouched mug on the conference room’s table.

She walked away without another word, leaving Blaine alone with his thoughts again. What was he going to do? He needed a new plan, and he needed to figure out what he was going to do with Kurt Hummel. The poor guy had nowhere safe to go…

As if he knew Blaine was thinking of him, Kurt glanced up and his blue eyes found Blaine’s. They stared at each other for a moment, and Blaine did his best to give him a reassuring smile, but he had no energy left for it.

“Agent Anderson?” A voice behind him said. “My office, please.”

Blaine turned and found Captain Jones standing at her office’s threshold, holding the door open for him. If the bureau was a bee hive, then Captain Jones was its queen.

She was a stunning black woman, currently dressed in a smart navy skirt and blazer. She was the youngest woman to be promoted to such position in the history of the FBI, and everyone knew it was because of how hard she had worked since she had joined the agency. She had been a remarkable agent on the field, but she was even more efficient as a captain. Her agents trusted her, the rate of success in completed cases was off the charts since she had been promoted, and the high powers of the FBI were also aware of the positive impact of having a black woman in charge. Times were changing, and that change needed to be reflected in every single sphere.

Blaine ran his hands down his jacket to make sure it was a wrinkle-free as possible and followed her into the office. She pointed a seat at him, and he took it with a nod.

“I take it we have no developments,” she commented. She stopped at a little table by the window where she kept a tea set. She poured a cup and handed it to Blaine.

Blaine accepted it out of courtesy, but he felt like he couldn’t drink anything. He wouldn’t be able to swallow it with the knot that had found its home in his throat. “Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll have something soon.”

“The situation’s gotten worse, which is something I couldn’t have imagined,” Captain Jones said, as she took a seat behind her desk. She took a sip from her own tea. “We managed to score a witness, but now his security, and his family’s, is being threatened. We need to act quickly.”

“We’re doing everything we can. I have Agent Berry and Agent Evans working on…” Blaine began saying. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he was being judged, and he didn’t like the feeling. He knew he still hadn’t managed to close this case, to catch this killer, but he was a good agent.

“I know,” Captain Jones interrupted, not ungently. She smiled at him softly, as if wanting to calm him. “I know you’re doing everything you can. But we always need to do better, especially now.”

Blaine nodded, unsure of what to say.

“Agent Lopez said you’re looking particularly exhausted lately,” Captain Jones commented then, startling Blaine with the sudden change of subject.

“I… I’m fine. Just a little stressed, but who isn’t?” He replied, trying to brush her words off.

“I have to admit… I’m worried, Blaine.” The sudden familiarity surprised him. She leaned across the desk to take a better look at him. “I know how hard this past year has been for you, and you refused to take time off after what happened. Anyone would have understood that you needed a break to… get back on your feet.”

Blaine shifted uncomfortable in his seat. “I didn’t need any time off. I like my job. I’m fine.”

Captain Jones smiled sadly at him. “You’re starting to sound like a broken record, Blaine.”

“I just want to do my job,” he said.

“We’re sending Mr. Hummel and his brother to a safe location until we catch the suspect,” she explained. “I think it would be a good time for you to take a step aside from this case, get some rest, maybe go on vacation. You have a very capable team that can handle this in your absence, and I will personally help them with anything they need…”

“No…” Blaine muttered, holding onto the armrests tightly.

“You’re exhausted, you’ve been through a lot, and you still haven’t taken the time to deal with it. I know you don’t like the idea…”

“Please,” Blaine said, leaning forward and placing his hands on the desk. “I don’t need a break. I need to work. I need to be here and solve this case. I’ll go insane if you send me away to sit on a beach for days on end. You think that would help me, but it’s the opposite.”

Captain Jones sighed and reclined against her seat, watching him. “You’re just like your father. He was just as dedicated as you are. I didn’t work with him long, but when you are like this… it’s like having him back in the office.”

Blaine took a deep breath. “Then you know there’s no point in asking me to step aside from this.”

She rubbed her temple as if she was starting to get a headache. “Fine. You Anderson boys are impossible.”

“Great. Thank you,” Blaine relaxed and even grabbed his cup of tea to have a sip.

“But we have to make a compromise,” Captain Jones said. Her dark eyes were determined in a way that told Blaine that whatever she had decided, it wouldn’t be possible to contradict her now. “You can stay on the case, but you have a new assignment.”

Blaine didn’t like the sound of that. He put the tea down and looked at her. “And what assignment is that?”

She smiled at him as she crossed her legs elegantly. “Your family still owns that ranch in Maryland, right?”

*

“You’re making me dizzy.”

Kurt stopped pacing around the conference room and looked at Finn. “I can’t sit still any longer. This whole situation is beyond frustrating.”

“I know. I want to go home, too, Kurt. But we have to wait and see what happens,” Finn muttered, stretching his arms over his head to make his muscles pop. “They want to help us. We have to let them.”

“We don’t really have a choice,” Kurt said. He stopped at the end of the table and placed his hands on it, leaning towards Finn. “I’ve never thought I’d say this, but I wish I could just go back to Ohio and hide with Dad for a while.”

Finn’s grin was crooked and nowhere near happy. “I know, me too. But part of me is glad he and Mom are gone, because it would kill them to think we are even a little bit in danger.”

Kurt closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He thought of his Dad every day, but he had never thought of him as often as in the past twenty four hours. He didn’t believe in Heaven or angels or the afterlife, but he wished he could ask his Dad for guidance, wherever he was.

The door opened and Agent Lopez walked into the conference room, carrying two big bags of Chinese takeout and a carton drink holder. She placed everything on the table and rummaged through the bags.

“Dinner’s served,” she announced. She then handed a Starbucks cup to Kurt. “The boss thought you could use some decent coffee and not the sewer water we’re used to drinking here.”

The warmth that passed through the paper cup right into Kurt’s hands was an unexpected comfort. He smiled. “Thank you. That was very nice of him.”

“Do you know when we’re going to be able to get out of here? My brother’s pretty tired. He didn’t get enough sleep last night,” Finn said, going into protective-mode.

Agent Lopez looked at them apologetically. “I’m afraid not. But I’ll see if we can find you a quiet place where you can take a nap and lay down for a bit.”

“What about…?” Kurt started saying, but his question was cut abruptly by the commotion outside the conference room.

Agent Anderson was standing at the door of an office on the second floor, and he didn’t look happy. He was gesticulating wildly, speaking frantically to a woman who looked back at him like she wasn’t impressed in the slightest. She replied calmly, but it was obvious Agent Anderson wasn’t pleased with what he was hearing.

The entire bureau had gone quiet to watch the scene. From the conference room, Kurt didn’t manage to hear much, except for the last few words, which were spoken in a much louder tone.

“It’s either that, Agent Anderson, or you’re off the case!” The woman snapped. “I can’t have you leading this search when you’re not in your best shape! Now, are you going to accept my conditions or should I just send you off on vacation for a few weeks?”

Kurt was sure that even from the distance, he could see a vein in Agent Anderson’s neck pumping wildly.

“Fine!” Agent Anderson exclaimed, and stormed down the stairs. With one sharp look from him, everyone in the main floor went back to work like nothing had happened.

“Shit,” Agent Lopez murmured under her breath. She turned on her heels and left the room to join Anderson. She tried placing a placating hand on his arm, but he jerked away from her.

“What the hell is that about?” Finn mumbled, his mouth already full of Chinese food.

Kurt frowned as he watched them. Lopez and Anderson were standing very close together, even though it was obvious he wasn’t happy with her at the moment. It was almost intimate and Kurt felt compelled to look away. He wondered if there was something going on there beyond a professional relationship.

Casually, Kurt walked towards the door, trying to catch whatever they were saying.

“I did it because I care about you, you know that,” Agent Lopez was saying very quietly.

Anderson was breathing heavily, like it was the most difficult thing he had done. “I’ve been working my ass off for this case… I can’t believe she…”

“It’s not like she’s removing you from the case. You’ll still be involved. And it’s a very important assignment…” She watched him intently. “Blaine… we’ve all been worried. This will be good for you…”

“I’m not a child that needs to be looked after! I can take care of myself…”

The same woman that had been arguing with Agent Anderson just moments ago reappeared on the second floor landing. She walked down the stairs and headed straight for the conference room. Kurt moved closer to Finn so she wouldn’t notice he had been eavesdropping.

When they saw her entering the room, both Lopez and Anderson followed her. Kurt leaned against the table, still holding his coffee, and Finn put down his food, distracted.

“Hi, I’m Captain Mercedes Jones,” she said with a pleasant smile. “I’m very sorry we had to have you waiting here for so long. I understand how frustrating that must be…”

Agent Anderson walked past her and towards the ceiling high window. He stood there, watching the city on the other side of the glass, with his arms behind his back and his muscles stiff. Agent Lopez leaned against the door, a slight frown on her beautiful face.

“But we have determined it would be better if you were transferred to a safer location,” Captain Jones continued.

“A safer location? What do you mean with that?” Finn asked.

“We consider it would be better for the two of you to leave New York for the time being,” she explained calmly. “You would move into an FBI-approved location, and one of our agents would stay with you, until the suspect is caught.”

But Finn was already shaking his head. “I can’t leave New York.”

Kurt wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea either. He knew he had just told his brother he wished he could go back to his childhood home, but this was not what he had had in mind. “We both have jobs. We can’t just abandon everything and leave the state…”

Captain Jones’ face was gentle and understanding, but there was a sharpness lying just underneath that told them it wouldn’t be of much use to argue with this woman. “I understand, but this is a serious situation, Mr. Hummel. We’re trying to keep both of you safe. I think that should be your priority now, too.”

Kurt deflated. Just the day before he had been complaining about being in the ensemble, and now he was being told he couldn’t go back to work. Even if it wasn’t the most perfect job he had ever had, he still loved it. He didn’t want to jeopardize it.

But that monster had been in his house, in his brother’s house… if he stayed, if he wasn’t safe… how long would it be until this psycho found him? How long would it be until his whole life derailed again?

“God, this is insane,” he mumbled, hiding his face in his hands. He was so tired. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“I’m not going,” Finn said, making Kurt turn around sharply to face him. “I’m sorry, Kurt. I can’t. I’ve worked too hard to be where I am now, and I can’t risk it. If you had the lead in that musical, would you walk away from it, just like that? I could be the new quarterback before the end of the year. I don’t want to screw it up…”

Kurt felt like he was choking. “Finn…”

“Please,” Finn muttered desperately. “Don’t ask me to do it. If you ask me to go with you, I won’t be able to say no. Please, Kurt.”

“But what if something happens to you?” Kurt dropped in the seat next to his brother’s and held onto his arm. “He was in your apartment. What if he…? Finn, you’re all I have left.”

“I’m going to be okay,” Finn assured him, but the anguish grew bigger and bigger in Kurt’s chest. “I’ll take care of myself.”

“We can assign an agent to stay with him,” Captain Jones interrupted. Her eyes fell on Kurt. “You’re the one he’s after, Mr. Hummel. You’re the real target.”

If Captain Jones thought those words were going to comfort him, she was wrong. Kurt held onto Finn’s arm even harder, and looked at his brother with tear-filled eyes.

“You have to promise you’ll be here when I come back,” Kurt pleaded. “I’ll come back, and I’ll go to one of your games, and you’ll be the quarterback, and this will be over.”

“I promise,” Finn smiled weakly at him, before looking up at Captain Jones. “Where are you taking him?”

Captain Jones shook her head. “That is classified information. The less people know about it, the better. But we’ll take care of your brother. I give you my word.”

“Of course,” Finn accepted sadly.

Captain Jones turned to Agent Lopez. “Get Agent Berry. We’ll set everything up.”

“Is Agent Berry going to be with Kurt?” Finn asked nervously. “Is that who’s going to take care of him?”

“No, Mr. Hudson,” Captain Jones replied, glancing back at him. “But I’m assigning my best agent to take care of your brother.”

“And who is that?” Finn wanted to know.

Finally, Agent Anderson spoke from his spot by the window. “That would be me.”

*