Chapter 1

“Good morning,” Burt started. The cafeteria was completely silent but the man was grateful for the microphone that was in front of him because he really didn’t feel like shouting. “I know that there is just a small fraction of agents here right now but I still wanted to introduce myself. As you already know, my name is Burt. I have been an agent myself back when I was young and a member of the board for a few years now.”

Burt kept talking but Blaine didn’t listen to him. His attention belonged to Kurt who looked as if he was about to pass out. The boys’ eyes were still fixed on his dad, his hand squeezing Blaine’s mercilessly.

“Baby? Breathe,” he whispered softly into his ear but Kurt didn’t react in any way.

“What the fuck?” Blaine heard Finn’s voice and looked up at him.

The other boy was equally pale. Rachel had one hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe her shocked boyfriend. A few people from their table looked funnily at them. Jeff, on the other hand, looked like it was Christmas. Well, not the last one though.

“For those who have been in the C.A.T. for at least a few years, I want to tell one thing - I‘m not Tom and I‘m definitely not Fred. Things are about to change,“ Burt continued his speech.

“Do any of you know what the hell the Black Squad is?” Noah asked, completely ignoring the man talking.

“Shut up,” Sugar whispered angrily, her eyes never leaving Burt.

The short conversation seemed to nudge Kurt out of his trance. He shook his head slightly and relaxed his hand on Blaine’s.

“Are you okay?” Blaine asked silently.

Kurt looked at him and shook his head lightly. “I can’t believe it… It’s just–” he said but stopped immediately.

Blaine could feel he was arguing about something with himself. “What is it, love?”

At that time Burt’s speech ended and people started talking excitedly. Their table started discussing the new squad issue but the couple didn’t join in.

Kurt’s eyes narrowed in a moment. “You are not surprised,” he stated.

“Lie.”

“I’m not going to lie to Kurt. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“He will be angry.”

“He will understand. I couldn’t tell him. Kurt is smart…”

“In this state he will feel betrayed – he is not thinking rationally.”

“I’m not going to lie to him.”

“I am surprised because I didn’t know your dad would be the new head,” he told the truth hoping to avoid the rest of the story.

But Kurt was smarter than that. “But? What are you not surprised about?”

Kurt was pissed, Blaine could feel. And now the boy was looking for something to take his anger on. Unfortunately, Blaine happened to be his target.

Blaine sighed defeated. “I’m not really surprised to see Burt here. I knew he had been an agent and I knew he had been a member of the board.”

Kurt nodded thoughtfully; his face was unreadable.

“What do you mean,” Finn cut in, breathing heavily, “you knew it?”

“What’s going on?” Tina asked, watching the boys.

Rachel took Finn’s hand. “Honey, calm down.”

“Don’t,” Finn pulled his hand away. “Did you know it as well?”

“Of course not but there is no reason to be angry,” she said softly.

Kurt looked around and didn’t see Burt anywhere so he stood up and with some difficulty climbed over the bench.

“Where are you going?” Blaine asked, turning around quickly, and standing up during the process.

“Don’t,” Kurt said when he saw what Blaine was about to do. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

Blaine’s eyes widened. “What? Kurt, please, talk to me. Let me explain–”

“If you follow, it will add another thing I’m mad at you about,” he said and with those words the boy left. Blaine didn’t follow.

Jeff tugged his arm. “Sit down.”

“Shit,” Blaine muttered sitting down.

He knew he couldn’t have told Kurt the truth about Burt. But in a way he understood the boy and how he felt. He had just found out that both his dad and his boyfriend had lied to him. It must have hurt a lot.

“How did you find out?” Finn asked. His voice was still shaky but Blaine guessed that Rachel worked her magic on him because he was a bit less angry.

Santana took a teaspoon and clinked it a few times on her glass to get everyone’s attention. It worked because everyone looked at her.

“Thank you,” she grimaced. “Now could you, please, fill us in? Most of us just got sorted into some new squad, Kurt walked out of the cafeteria like a drama queen and now you are discussing knowing something. I’m sorry but I’m completely lost here.”

Blaine exchanged a questioning look with Rachel who looked equally not sure what to say. The boy knew that at least a few of them must have heard him saying ‘I didn’t know your dad would be the new head’ to Kurt but maybe it was only Jeff. Nevertheless, it wasn’t something they could keep a secret especially now that Finn and Kurt reacted so emotionally. So even though it might have negative consequences in the future, Blaine decided to tell the truth.

However, he didn’t even open his mouth before Finn spoke. “Burt is Kurt’s dad, my step father. We had no idea he was involved in the C.A.T.”

Santana gasped, her eyes widening. And it wasn’t only her – they all looked surprised.

“Which brings me to the beginning of our conversation, Blaine,” he continued coldly. “How did you find out?”

Blaine shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Rachel for a moment to silently plea her to calm her boyfriend. “He told me when Kurt and I went to Ohio in February.”

“February!” Finn shouted. “You knew it since February! Have you ever thought about, let me think, telling me, maybe?”

Blaine looked taken aback. He really didn’t expect Finn to be angry at him. “Look, it’s not like I could have told you! Burt asked me not to. It was his secret, not–”

“Don’t bullshit me, Blaine!” Finn raised from his seat and lowered to be closer to Blaine. “You could have told me and lied to Burt. Gosh, I’ve known you for years! But no, you chose to lie to me and be on Burt’s side. You don’t even know him. Was it your way to get into his good books? To make him be okay that you are screwing his son?”

At that Blaine stood up as well and now the two boys were face to face. Blaine was focused on Finn so he didn’t feel that Jeff was pulling him away and didn’t see that Rachel was doing the same with the other boy. Everyone else on their table and people close to them fell silent.

For a few seconds Blaine didn’t say anything. A few things went quickly through his mind but none of them were hurtful enough. And once he realised that he was actually planning what to say to hurt his friend, he backed away. He was better than that.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I had my reasons,” he said and shook Jeff’s hands away.

Nobody said another word and Finn stormed out of the cafeteria, Rachel following the boy.

Tina eyed them for a moment. “I hope I get to see when they meet Burt for the first time in here,” she said and looked at the clock. “Which is going to be in half an hours. Well, if Finn and Kurt come.”

“Come where?” Blaine asked confused.

“Did you listen to Burt’s speech?“ Mike asked. Blaine shook his head. “Everyone whose name was on the screen must come to the conference room IV in half an hour. I guess, they are going to give us some explanations and stuff.”

“I will text Kurt and–” Blaine started.

“Don’t,” Tina cut in. “He is angry with you right now. I don’t think he would be happy if you texted him. I will do it.”

Blaine wanted to argue but deep inside he knew that the girl was right. Kurt didn’t want to see him so he wouldn’t want Blaine contacting him in any way. The boy sighed and motioned Tina to do whatever she wanted.

“Do you think he will come?” Wes asked referring to Kurt. “He looked angry. They both did, when I think about it.”

“It makes three of us,” Noah scowled.

Sugar snorted. “What on earth could have the new head done to you? Don’t tell us he is your dad as well.”

“Of course not. I’m mad about that crappy new squad I got into.”

“Why ‘crappy’?” Tina asked, clearly offended. “Aren’t we good enough for you to be your squad mates? Are you so good that we are not worth wearing the same colour?”

“I’m not saying that you are not good. I’m just saying that I’m better than that. I don’t deserve to be lowered to some new fake squad,” Noah said angrily, stabbing the rest of his scrambled eggs with a fork. “Fuck, for the last half a year I have hardly been sent on missions. And the ones I went to were like three days long, tops. I’ve been wondering why and now I see – they wanted to make me look weaker and drag into this shit.”

“So quit,” Tina said equally angrily. “Nobody wants you in the Black Squad anyway. Why would we? You would just keep whining how weak we all are.”

“Babe–” Mike tried to calm her down.

Too much drama for one morning, Blaine thought eyeing them but didn’t say a word – it wasn’t his fight.

“Don’t babe me,” Tina snapped. “I know I’m not a Purple Squad type but I’m proud to be in the Black Squad no matter what it is. And I won’t let this piece of crap ruin my day with his whining!”

Noah snorted. “Ruin your day? You’ve been ruining a few months for me with your whining! ‘Oh, Noah, I feel so guilty’, ‘I can’t believe I killed him’, ‘I still see him in my nightmares’,” he said in a high pitched voice, mocking the girl.

In a few seconds Mike was out of his seat and next to Noah, dragging him out of his seat.

“You will not speak like that to her, asshole!” Mike said and punched the boy, who was too surprised to defend himself. “You are not–”

The two boys didn’t notice how Tina stood up, her eyes full of tears, and made her way to the door. Wes and Nick stood up quickly and separated the fighting boys.

“Where is Tina?” they asked in unison.

“She left,” Santana answered, still a bit shocked by what had just happened even though it wasn’t uncommon for someone to fight in the cafeteria or in random places but it had never been her friends.

“I need to find her,” Mike and Noah said and looked at each other.

Mike narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at Noah. “You will not go anywhere near her. Understood?”

“Stop me,” Noah grinned and walked away.

Mike growled and followed, shouting at Noah all the way. Wes and Nick exchanged a worried look and went after them just in case.

“So dramatic,” Sebastian giggled. “Apparently we have three drama queens. Bow to the royalty!”

“Shut up,” Jeff rolled his eyes.

“Or what?” Sebastian asked with a wide smirk on his face. “What are you going to do to me?”

Jeff opened his mouth to answer but Blaine was faster. “If you don’t shut up, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“I’m so scared,” Sebastian laughed. “See, I’m officially better than any of you now.”

“Do you want to see who is really better?” Blaine asked grimacing.

Sebastian pushed his plate away and stood up. “Sorry, I’m not going to make a scene in the middle of the cafeteria. Especially with someone who is not my level.”

Sam’s eyebrows rose. “So now, that you are in the Purple Squad, you are going to just ignore everyone who is of the lower level?”

“You were a good… helper,” Sebastian said, “but I don’t see why I should continue to pretend that I’m your friend. Sorry.”

With that Sebastian turned around and left. Sam cursed and left not long after.

Jeff cleared his throat. “Um, anyone else has anything to say?”

“Besides that this morning was way more interesting than any soap opera?” Sugar laughed.

“I think I should make a dramatic exit right now and you, Sugar, should follow me,” Santana giggled. “And then you, guys, should do the same.”

Sugar laughed and nodded.

“I can’t believe you just ate that piece of bread! How could you?” Santana shouted, her face furrowed in sorrow.

“I’m sorry!” Sugar shouted dramatically and grabbed her upper arm. “Please, love me!”

“I can’t!” Santana said and ran away.

Sugar stood up and looked longingly. “No! Come back!”

Santana turned around in the middle of the cafeteria. “You don’t deserve my love!” she shouted and ran through the doors. Sugar followed her shortly.

“Well, that went well,” Jeff summed up the morning with a grin.

Blaine sighed afraid to even think about the meeting with Burt.

“Our turn!” Jeff shouted excitedly. “Do you want me to follow you or will you follow me?”

Blaine thought for a second. “I will follow you.”

“Great!” Jeff grinned. “Oh my god, how could you cheat on me? And with nobody else but Kurt! I thought you were better than that!”

Jeff stood up and stormed out of the cafeteria. Blaine rolled his eyes and checked his phone for any new messages even though he knew there was nothing new. He debated calling or texting Kurt but decided not to.

When Blaine looked up he saw Jeff coming back. “You should have followed me,” he said, his arms crossed over his chest. “But I forgive you. But not for cheating. I will never forgive you that!”

“Well, you cheated on me with Kurt as well. Remember, during his birthday?” Blaine smiled. “Consider this my revenge.”

“You are mean,” Jeff complained.

“That I am.”