“What?” Jay questioned
“What?” Blaine gasped softly beside her. Moving her foot over his, she pressed down gently as if to say ‘keep your mouth shut; I’m doing this for you’.
“You Lindsay? Haven’t you been in New York?”
“I didn’t end up going, something came up” she lied as she stepped further into the room “I was upset and I went to Blaine...”
“How long has this been going on Lindsay?” Jay asked as he ran his hands through his hair. He couldn’t believe that Lindsay of all people would do something like this, that she would break the one rule that would get her fired on the spot.
“Lindsay...” Blaine tried
“Long enough...”
“You know what I have to do now don’t you?” Jay continued. He really didn’t want to do this but it was company policy that agents and tour directors maintained a strictly professional relationship. There was no tolerance for this.
“Don’t we have bigger issues to deal with at the moment?” Wes insisted knowing what Jay was talking about. Even though he didn’t work for the agency, he was still given the same lecture when the Warblers were first taken on by the record company. Relationships only caused drama.
Jay turned to the publicist and sighed softly as he handed her a pre-written statement “Damage control. Keep the name as ‘female friend visiting from Ohio’ and fax this to every outlet that broke this story” he ordered. Scribbling down everything in her notebook, she took the statement as he continued “They don’t need to know any more information”
“We’re not naming Lindsay in the statement?”
“No” he sighed “There is no need when there will not be any more photos. She will be flying back to New York today”
“Lindsay...” Blaine attempted again but was silently by her hand firmly gripping his. She would explain why she was doing this when she could.
Looking up at Lindsay, Jay stood up “You’ll go back to the office and handle all the paperwork from this tour. I can’t fire you Linds but I have to send you home”
“I understand”
“Dammit Linds!” Blaine growled. Taken back, no-one but Lindsay understood Blaine’s need for an outburst like that.
“Are either of us needed here anymore?” she asked Jay calmly. Shaking his head, he watched as Lindsay left the room to go pack her bags. He didn’t want to send her home but he was bound by her contract that she had clearly broken according to him.
“What did you just do?” Blaine burst once Lindsay had pushed him as far from the meeting room as she could. At the elevators, Blaine stared at her wishing she would just say something but the young woman remained silent “Talk to me, what the hell just happened?”
It wasn’t until she had gone to Mitch’s room to get the bags that he had been minding, let him know the basics of the situation and was back at the elevators before she spoke to Blaine again.
“You’re not ready for this kind of life change Blaine”
“I don’t understand, why did you just tell them it was you I was kissing...?”
“I ran into Emily Hammond while I was in New York yesterday, the girl Jay and the publicist were talking about. She’s a good friend of my brother’s” Lindsay began as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder “When she came out, she got a lot of hate mail from fans and stupid religious groups. What was said to her got so bad that she considered killing herself. I bumped into her as she was coming out of her weekly therapist appointment”
Blaine stood there frozen as he listened to Lindsay’s story. He knew of Emily from a small club gig he went to before the tour started, she seemed like a sweet and very talented young woman.
“I couldn’t have that happen to you Blaine” she sniffed and took the teenager’s hands gently. As soon as the publicist mentioned Emily, Lindsay knew that she had to cover this up for Blaine. She couldn’t watch him crumble under people’s ignorance and even consider hurting himself. Lindsay almost lost her brother Harrison to suicide as a teenager; she couldn’t lose another person she loved.
“You’re still confused and you’re finding it hard enough to tell your parents without them having to read it in a trashy gossip magazine first. I did this for you. You need to figure everything out and when you do; you’ll have an amazing support system around you that will help you through it all. I couldn’t let this be the way it all happened for you”
“You didn’t have to” Blaine spoke softly. He didn’t know much about Lindsay’s life or her family but he did know that she was a good person with a kind heart. He knew that she’d take a bullet for someone she loved and this was one of those times “I don’t know what to say Linds...”
“Tell me you’ll cool it with Kurt. Stay behind closed doors if you have to but be careful. Realising who you truly are will be a major step for you so it has to be on your terms. Don’t let the idiots of this world change how amazing you are”
“Lindsay...”
“I should go, there’s a flight that leaves in a couple hours”
“I love him” Blaine spoke up still holding tight to Lindsay’s hands “I love him and I know who I am. I’m a gay man in love with Kurt Hummel and I have the most amazing best friend who just took a bullet for me because I was an idiot. I’m terrified about what my family will think of me but I know who I am and I’m going back down to that conference room to tell your boss”
“You will not do anything of the sort. You are going to stay here on this tour, sing your talented little heart out and when all this is over, you’re going to go home and talk to your parents like the strong, young man I know you are”
“Lindsay...”
“Trust me, you will thank me later” she sniffed and pulled the teenager into a tight hug. Lindsay knew this was all messed up but Blaine would definitely thank her later. Knowing from experience how hard this could be especially with such closed minded parents like Michael and Jennifer Anderson, Lindsay was just giving Blaine the best chance at a happy life. He deserved all the happiness in the world. “I really should go before I start to cry, tell everyone I said goodbye”
“You shouldn’t have to say goodbye, I’m so sorry Lindsay”
“I love you Blaine Anderson. Come and see me in New York when this tour is over”
“I love you too Lindsay James” Blaine chuckled and let her kiss his forehead “But I really don’t want you go. One day without you and I get you fired, what am I going to do in the 6 weeks left of this tour?”
“Hopefully stay out of trouble” she laughed trying to hold back her tears “You have my number, call me if you need anything”
“I’m gonna miss you...”
“I’ll miss you too, please stay out of trouble”
“I’ll try” Blaine laughed weakly as the elevator doors opened and Lindsay stepped inside “Bye Linds”
“Take it easy, B”
Blaine kept a calm exterior until the elevator doors closed and when she was gone, he let the tears fall. Little did he know, Lindsay had collapsed against the wall sobbing softly. She knew leaving Blaine was a risky choice but she would do anything for that kid. If it meant putting her job in jeopardy so he could have a chance at happiness then she was going to do it.
Blaine retreated back to his room as the realisation of Lindsay really leaving sunk in. He felt so incredibly guilty for letting her take the fall but he couldn’t do anything about it. No-one had ever done anything to this magnitude for him before and he didn’t know how to appreciate what Lindsay had given him.
Blaine had never had a ‘normal’ relationship with his parents. He always felt different and never seemed to live up to their standards like his older brother Cooper. When he discovered he was bisexual he knew the relationship would only get worse. Blaine’s parents came from what he would call ‘old money’. Both Michael and Jennifer Anderson were born into wealthy families with a standard that they all must uphold. It was an outdated thought but Blaine was expected to honour his family... being gay would tarnish that honour.
Lindsay understood this because she came from the same kind of family. Her family were wealthy and that only made her brother Harrison’s decision to come out to his parents harder. If he found it hard just to talk to them without having thousands of screaming fans and media watching his every move then how would it be for Blaine?
All Lindsay wanted was for Blaine’s parents to accept him for the amazing man he was much like her parents learnt to do for Harrison. That couldn’t happen with the media ready to pounce at any little thing.
Lindsay just wanted Blaine to be happy. That’s all she ever wanted and sacrificing her job was the only way she could do that for him.

XXXXX

“Good to see everyone upright and at least looking healthier” Mitch laughed as he walked down the aisle of the bus counting heads. In the three days since Lindsay left, he brought himself back to health as well as the kids who were dying to get back on the stage. Their excitement to perform again mixed with a lot of antibiotics, hot tea and rest was just what they needed to cure their flu.
“Hey, where’s Lindsay?” Nick asked as Mitch made his way back to the front of the bus. Filling Lindsay’s shoes for the rest of the tour would be difficult but he was determined to do her proud.
“Didn’t she go to New York for something?”
“That was like last week...”
Did she even come back from New York?”
“I bet her disappearance has something to do with Blainers’ little smoochie on the front page of all the tabloids” Sebastian chuckled with a sly smirk as he took a seat behind Blaine “Who that kiss was with is yet to be determined. Care to enlighten us B?”
Peering over at Kurt who was sitting directly across the aisle from him, Blaine had no intention of indulging Sebastian Smythe of all people with the truth. Both Blaine and Kurt agreed they would keep their word with Lindsay and maintain a secret relationship. If they told anyone about them then Lindsay’s sacrifice would have been for nothing.
“I bet it was Lindsay, did you drive her away with your bad kissing skills Blainers?”
“Shut up Sebastian!”
“He doesn’t deny it!” Sebastian gasped dramatically
“It’s none of your damn business!” Blaine burst once again as he stood up shaking with fury. He was not afraid to give this weasel a black eye right here on the bus.
“Alright! That’s enough” Mitch growled and pushed both Blaine and Sebastian back into their seats. The whole bus was a captive audience with most of the boys ready in case fists started to fly “For all your information, yes Lindsay went home. A family issue you had arisen and so I’m stepping in for the rest of the trip. Everything you would do with her, you’ll do with me ok? Can we please leave it at that?”
Mitch retreated to his own seat praying as he went that Blaine and Sebastian wouldn’t kill each other on the short journey to the venue for tonight’s show. Jay had filled him in on his knowledge of the situation but Lindsay had also given him her version. He wasn’t too thrilled about why he was taking Lindsay’s job but he had to trust her decision. When it came to the kids though, he thought it best to just blame a family issue without the need to go into any details. It was on a need to know basis and right now they didn’t need to know.
The bus ride was quiet as many of them put their earphones in or read a book or got lost in their phone screens texting.

Incoming Text: Kurt to Blaine
‘I feel physically ill about all this’

Incoming Text: Blaine to Kurt
‘I know me too. When we get back to New York we’ll make this right’

Incoming Text: Mercedes to Kurt
‘Hey Boo, I saw that photo of Blaine. It was you with him wasn’t it? I know your black pea coat anywhere’

Incoming Text: Kurt to Mercedes
‘Please don’t tell anyone. Lindsay said it was her and it got her sent back to NYC’

Incoming Text: Mercedes to Kurt
‘But why?’

Incoming Text: Kurt to Mercedes
‘Because she loves him and wants him to be happy. I think I love him too...’

Mercedes, who was sitting only a few seats behind Blaine, noticed how he and her best friend were looking at one another. She knew those two had gotten together weeks ago but that was just from seeing the change in Kurt. He was happy and only one thing could be attributed to that. Pulling up both Blaine and Kurt’s contacts in her phone, she sent them both the same text hoping it brought a smile to their glum expressions.

Incoming Text: Mercedes to Blaine, Mercedes to Kurt
‘I think he loves you too...’