Kurt couldn't take it in. This just couldn't be real life. This all had to be a hideous nightmare of some sort. Any minute now Kurt would finally break free and he would open his eyes to find himself in the safety of his bedroom. He wouldn't actually have woken up and gone to school. All of that was yet to come.

Kurt waited. Why was he not waking up? He could sense everyone staring at him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He desperately wanted to escape from his nightmare, before any of the New Directions tried to ask him questions. He didn't want to deal with that, even in his subconscious. It would be such a relief to wake up and find out that all of this hadn't been real. He tried pinching himself; something he had read about when one wanted to wake up. Nothing happened. Kurt turned to look at Blaine, needing to grasp some understanding of what was going on. This could not be real. He had to believe that this was not actually happening.

Blaine was watching his boyfriend, tears glistening in his eyes as he saw Kurt frantically trying to deny the reality of the situation. He didn't understand himself how the truth had gotten out. It had only been around twelve hours or so since Detective Park had assured Kurt that he was safe. Clearly the police officer had no idea what he was talking about.

Why wasn't he waking up? He had to wake up. This couldn't be his real life. If it was, that meant that his deepest fear had come true and his secret was out.

"Kurt?" Apparently Rachel was still talking to him, "Kurt? Are you okay? Is this true? I can't believe it! You really should have told us! We all wouldn't have found out like this if you had just been honest from the beginning and told us what was going on!"

"That's enough, Rachel!" Mr Schue suddenly yelled, shocking the girl in question in the process, "I suggest that you stop talking now!"

Rachel looked like she was going to argue, but one glance from her furious boyfriend stopped her from trying.

Kurt took a step backwards, already feeling as if he was under attack. The urge to run was building vastly and he knew that once he started, he wouldn't be able to stop. Blaine seemed to be able to sense this radiating from him, so he too slowly took a step backwards to be next to his frightened boyfriend, keeping their hands entwined. He wanted Kurt to know that he was there for him and that he always would be.

"Kurt?" Mr Schue was hesitantly trying to get his student's attention, "I'm so sorry that this has happened to you. I... I'm struggling a little with what to say in order to make things better, but you need to know that I am here if you ever want to talk. Ms Pillsbury's door is always open and I'm sure she'll want to speak to you after this to offer you some support."

The teacher's words did nothing to comfort the boy at all. Why would he ever want to talk about any of this to a man who hadn't really been there for him in the past? Ms Pillsbury was hardly any better, but she was the better of two individuals who didn't really care and were wrapped up in their own drama.

Kurt didn't react to the words that had been said to him. He felt like he couldn't. It was as if he was paralysed by fear, afraid of what was going to happen next. His whole life truly would never be the same again. To the world now, it was common knowledge that he had been involved in a prostitution ring in New York City for nearly seven months. He would be judged by everyone for the rest of his life and this stigma would follow him everywhere. There would be constant questions, constant stares and he would never be left alone. All of this was incredibly unfair on his Dad, Blaine and the rest of his family. Now they had even more to deal with, thanks to him.

Blaine couldn't bear this. As he stood watching his boyfriend, he could see Kurt's walls building up higher around him. He could only hope that Kurt would still let him in.

The former Warbler just had to do something to help, "Kurt, why don't we head home? I don't think this is the best place to be today."

Finn latched onto that idea, "Blaine's right, little brother. Go home. You don't need to answer to anyone."

At this point, Rachel once again decided to open her mouth, "We do need to talk about this! The truth is out about Kurt and we all need to talk about what we're going to do!"

"What on Earth do you mean?" Quinn inquired, feeling as if she wanted to cry as she kept her eyes on her defeated and scared friend.

Rachel let out a scoff, "I know that Kurt is one of the five original members of the club and all, but should he stay a part of the New Directions?"

"Seriously Rachel? What are you saying?" Sam called out, glancing nervously at a tearful Tina in Mike's arms. She had been crying ever since the group had found out about the article.

"Look, I love Kurt, I really do," Rachel started, smiling at her friend in question, "I just think that his could damage our credibility as show choir group and it could ruin our chances at Nationals. This is my last chance to win Nationals and I want to win. It could help my application to NYADA if I'm part of the top show choir group. I'm saying all of this out of love, of course, but I think we need to put Nationals first."

There was a stunned silence in the room for a moment, before all hell broke loose. Everyone was on their feet, yelling at the Jewish girl.

"Oh hell to the no! You did not just dare to suggest that we kick Kurt out of the group!" Mercedes yelled, appalled at her so-called friend's behaviour.

Brittany had joined in with the yelling, "My Dolphin isn't going anywhere!"

"How could you suggest that my brother leaves the New Directions?" Finn demanded, unable to comprehend his girlfriend's behaviour.

Santana actually had to be held back by Puck and Sam as she screamed profanities at Rachel in Spanish, threatening her with what went down in Lima Heights.

"This is all out of love!" Rachel exclaimed, acting as if she was the victim in all of this, "I am not thinking about myself. I am thinking about Kurt. I love him so much and this is the best thing for everyone. What if all the attention is on him because of this news and no one cares about our singing? You know I could be right!"

"All I know is that you're a fucking bitch," Santana sneered, still fighting to get out of Puck's grip.

"Santana! Language!" Mr Schue reprimanded, uneasy at the language used by his student.

"I don't care! How can you let Berry try and kick Kurt out? She claims that all this is out of love, but the truth is that the only thing the dwarf cares about is herself. She doesn't give a shit about any of us, including Kurt! She's just worried that the spotlight won't be on her as Berry is a self-centred hobbit. We're meant to be a family and we should all be sticking by our boy," Santana ranted, glaring at the girl who she could barely tolerate on most days.

That was the closest that Santana had ever come to admitting that she loved the Glee club and the people in it. The New Directions couldn't help but smile at the Latina, despite the hideousness of the situation.

"Thank you Santana," Blaine murmured, squeezing Kurt's hand, "This probably goes without saying but Rachel, if you kick Kurt out, I'm going too. I'm sure that there'd be lots of our friends and fellow members following us out of the door!"

The vigorous nodding backed up his argument straight away, showing the solidarity within the group.

"Santana's got it spot on," Quinn stated, drawing the attention of the room to herself, "Rachel, you've made all of this about you. You claim to love Kurt, but you have not asked him whether he's okay or how he's doing. Your 'best friend' hasn't said a word since he stepped into this room, which is extremely worrying, but you clearly don't care. Kurt... please say something. Don't listen to Rachel. I can see how scared you are, but I promise you that we are here for you and that we love you."

Santana nodded in agreement, "Kurt, I told you a while back that I want you to be safe and that I was looking out for you. I... I... God I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through, but Quinn's right in saying that we're all here for you."

It was as if his friends' words were going in one ear and out the other. He wasn't taking any of it in, still caught up in his personal nightmare. He was at a loss with what to do.

The choir room door suddenly swung open and Sue Sylvester marched into the room, practically spitting fire.

"Porcelain! Are you okay? You should have told me what happened to you! I could have helped you and protected you!"

Once again, Mr Schue stepped in, "Sue, please calm down! That's really not the right attitude to have right now."

Sue glared at her colleague, before taking a deep breath, "Fine. It's just... God! I didn't expect this! I've been so worried about what went down for so long now and to find out that this is what happened to you. Well... all I can say is that I hope that scumbag rots in jail!"

"He will!" Puck fumed, thinking back to the previous evening, "Anyone who has ever been involved should be locked up and the key should be thrown away."

Blaine had been paying attention to the adults and his friends, but his main concern was Kurt. His boyfriend still had not spoken a word or even moved at all.

"Please baby," Blaine whispered under his breath, "Please talk to me. Let me know how you're doing."

He knew that there was no point asking Kurt if he was okay. It would have been a stupid question to attempt to ask.

Kurt finally turned to look at his boyfriend, his eyes glazed over. What could he say? He couldn't summon any words to reply to Blaine. He was not okay by any means. Where did he go from here?

"Kurt Hummel!" And so it had begun, "Kurt Hummel! Is the story true?"

Jacob Ben Israel came hurtling into the room, following closely by his cameraman.

"Get out of here!" Puck yelled, taking a menacing step forward clearly indicating that the boy should listen to him if he valued his life.

For the first time, Jacob actually dared to ignore the threatening boy, "Kurt Hummel, can you confirm to your peers that you were involved in a prostitution ring during your disappearance? Can you tell us how you had sex with lots of different people?"

"Jacob Ben Israel!" Mr Schue shouted, unable to believe the nerve of this boy.

The Jewish boy still continued, "Can you tell us how this has affected you? Do you feel like you'll ever be able to live your life without this following you around and being constantly reminded that you were basically a whore for a short time in your life?"

"Get out now!" Sue Sylvester roared as she grabbed the camera and threw it across the room, causing the device to hit the wall and instantly break.

Kurt could see his friends yelling at Jacob Ben Israel and defending him, but for some reason, the sound was all muffled. It was as if he was underwater, struggling to swim to the surface. He could barely breathe as everything was crashing down around him. Jacob Ben Israel had reminded him of his place in the world: he was a common whore.

"Kurt!?" Blaine was trying not to panic as he realised his boyfriend was starting to gasp for breath, almost hyperventilating, "Kurt!"

He had to get away. Kurt couldn't be there anymore. He just couldn't take it.

Kurt tore his hand from Blaine's grip and he took several steps back, his eyes wide as he looked frantically around the room. He could see the looks of sympathy and utter concern sent in his direction. Jacob had been right when he had said that this would follow him for the rest of his life.

"Kurt!?" Blaine determinedly raised his voice as he tried to gain his boyfriend's attention.

Kurt finally looked into his boyfriend's hazel eyes, knowing that he would be causing further pain, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

The former Warbler didn't understand why the defeated boy was apologising to him, but before he could act, Kurt had turned and fled from the room.

"Kurt!" Blaine bellowed as his boyfriend disappeared from his sight.

Kurt ran down the corridor, wildly pushing past the other students and attempting to ignore the mutterings about his ordeal. He didn't know where his feet were taking him, but he just kept running. He knew that it was most likely that Blaine was giving chase, but that didn't stop him running. The film 'Forrest Gump' crossed his mind as he thought about how he just wanted to run forever.

As Kurt turned a corner, he overheard a group of cheerleaders talking about how he apparently had several sexually transmitted diseases from all the sex that he had been forced to have. The girls were startled at the sound of heavy footsteps and they seemed to be mortified at the sight of the boy that had been gossiping about. One of the cheerleaders opened their mouths as if they wanted to say something, but Kurt didn't want to hear it. He practically hurtled past them, desperately needing to get away from everyone. He just couldn't do it anymore.

Kurt burst through the front doors of McKinley, gasping for breath as he charged across the car park towards his Navigator. Once unlocked, he clambered into his car and threw his bag onto the passenger seat. The young boy quickly thrust the keys into the ignition and started the engine. He knew that he shouldn't be really driving in his condition, but he just had to get away.

Kurt reversed the Navigator out of the space, not really checking to see if it was safe to do so, and sped towards the exit. He had to slam on the brakes as another car came hurtling into the car park. Kurt instantly recognised his father's truck as the vehicle pulled up in front of the school. He spotted Blaine standing by the school entrance, obviously looking for him. He watched as Blaine rushed over to his father's truck, probably letting him know about his disappearance. His Dad had clearly rushed to the school to check on him, but Kurt still had to get away. He didn't know if his father had seen him or not, but that didn't stop the young boy from leaving.

The teenager pressed harder on the accelerator as he sped out of the car park, narrowly avoiding hitting a few parked cars on the way. His exit may have drawn the attention of his Dad and Blaine, however there was no way to know. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead as he drove, wanting to get away from it all as fast as he could. Kurt knew that he was running away from everything, but he felt that it was justified in doing so as he had dealt with so much crap in his short lifetime, especially over the last few weeks, that he just couldn't take it anymore. Kurt had always been a private person and he had hoped that he would be able to keep what had happened to him under wraps. He had always hated the thought of people discussing his life and any events that should be considered private. Now everyone he knew, and many beyond that, knew that Kurt Hummel was no longer a virgin. They all knew that his first time was essentially rape and that every time since then had also been forced and non-consensual. At least the moment between him and Blaine was private for the time being, but who knew how long it would be until that became public knowledge and widely discussed.

Kurt frowned as he realised the visibility out of his windscreen was decreasing due to the change in the weather. He gave his head a little shake and focused his attention on what was happening outside the window. The rain was starting to come down heavier, making Kurt wonder how he had missed this fact. He switched the wipers on and watched as the windscreen became clear once again. He slowed down a little, knowing that he needed to be extra careful when it came to his driving due to the weather and his current mental state.

The troubled boy couldn't just go home. He knew that he wouldn't be able to take all the fussing from his parents and their constant hovering. He once again would be faced with all the stress and pain he had put his family through the first time around.

Without realising it, Kurt found himself on the familiar road that led him to the discovery of the small car park he had found during a previous mental breakdown. He pulled into the car park and stopped in a space, switching the engine off. He sat and watched the rain out of the window, just wishing there was a sign telling him what to do next. It was impossible to know what would happen next. Kurt had already known that his life would never have been normal again, but now there would be no privacy in his life at all. No matter where he went or what he did, word would get out about his disappearance and the truth about New York. Was Jacob Ben Israel right when he said that he would constantly be reminded that he had been a whore? What had he ever done to deserve any of this?

Kurt numbly got out of the car and he just started walking, past the park, heading into the woods. He needed to get away and find a place where he could be completely alone. He wanted the solitude to be alone with his thoughts. He ignored the rain soaking his clothes as he headed deeper into the woods, still being careful to watch his footing in his numb state. He just felt nothing.

Kurt eventually came to a stop and he just stood there, finding it difficult to see where exactly he was due to the rain getting heavier. His body was trembling due to the cold and the shock of everything that had taken place in the last sixteen hours. His breath was coming out in heavier gasps as the young boy struggled to maintain control. He needed to stay numb as, if he let his feeling pull him under, he would never resurface.

This was something that Kurt had worried about for so long. All he had wanted was to be okay and find a way to move past what had happened to him. When would this nightmare end? When would something good finally happen to him?

Kurt's knees were trembling so much that they eventually gave up. He just stared at the wet, muddy ground that was ruining his clothes. Anyone with a rational mind would have simply forced themselves to get up off the wet ground and head back to their car. For some reason, Kurt couldn't find it in himself to do that. He just knelt there, his body sagging as he continued to get soaked in the torrential rain. The teenager could feel this build-up of emotion breaking through the numbness of his current state. He tried to fight it, tried to stop himself from being pulled under, but it was inevitable. Something had finally just snapped inside of him.

It was as if he was being attacked by ever negative emotion that he had ever felt during his time in New York and the aftermath. If he had been standing, the tsunami of his feelings would have swept him off his feet. It was as if a monster had been unleashed inside of him and was revealing all the pain it had ever felt. Kurt stared up at the sky, feeling the rain rapidly hit his skin, desperately wanting something to save him and pull him from the darkness.

The young boy suddenly heard an ear-piercing, bloodcurdling scream. It was worse than any scream that he could have ever imagined. The sound reminded him of the feeling connected to hearing fingernails scraping across a blackboard. The scream sounded extremely tormented, as if someone was in the utmost pain. At first Kurt couldn't make sense of where the tortured noise was coming from. The screams were so full of anguish and the teenager found himself wishing that he could find the source, feeling the need to help the suffering creature in any way that he could.

Kurt finally worked out where the screams were coming from. He was the point of the screams' origin. The tortured noises were fulling their way out of his trembling body, needing to be released. It was as if he was screaming for every single second that he had ever suffered. He had spent so long choking back the tears and holding back the need to release his anguish that it had all finally been too much, overwhelming him and causing him to snap. Kurt knew that there was no point trying to pull himself together as the wave of emotion was too strong for him to handle.

Kurt didn't know how long he had been kneeling in the rain when the screams finally died down. He felt completely drained of energy, with absolutely no desire to try and attempt to stand up and get out of the rain. The screaming had actually helped him to feel marginally better, but the agony and the pain of his situation was still dominating his emotions. There was a moment that Kurt thought that he heard his name being called in the distance, but he knew that he had to be imagining it. He knew that he was all alone in his solitude as he finally displayed his true pain to the world.

The teenager barely reacted when he felt an arm suddenly wrap around his shoulders and he was sheltered from the rain. He slowly turned his head to see his boyfriend holding him to him and sheltering the two of them from the rain with an umbrella.

"Do you think you can move?" Blaine inquired, his eyes raking over his boyfriend's form.

Kurt just continued to look at the former Warbler, displaying no evidence that he heard the boy speak as his body started to violently shiver.

Blaine put his umbrella down and tucked it under his arm, knowing that he would need both of his hands for what he planned to do next. He slowly manoeuvred the older boy into a different position that allowed him to easily pick him up bridal style. As he picked Kurt up, Blaine noted how light his boyfriend felt and immediately hated it. He supposed that he was grateful in that moment as he was able to run through the rain in the direction of where he remembered the car park to be. He got Kurt into his Prius as quickly as possible, seating him in the passenger seat, before grabbing a blanket from the boot of his car. Blaine swiftly got into the driver's side and he immediately switched the engine on, allowing the warmth from the heater to start to fill the car. Blaine helped Kurt out of his wet jacket, before wrapping the blanket around the shivering boy. He watched his boyfriend as he snuggled into the blanket, feeling utterly relieved that Kurt was safe.

"Can I hug you?" Blaine suddenly blurted out, needing to be close to the boy he loved, but not wanting to startle him in any way.

Kurt was startled anyway, despite Blaine's intentions. He knew that he was scaring Blaine with how he was acting, but everything still felt extremely raw. However, nothing sounded better than being held by the boy he loved so very much.

Kurt gave a very slight nod, "Okay. I'm a bit wet though."

Blaine let out a soft chuckle, feeling overwhelmed with relief that Kurt was letting him hold him, "I don't care. I just need you in my arms."

The former Warbler managed to eventually find a position comfortable enough to hold the love of his life in his arms. He had been absolutely terrified when Kurt had disappeared from school, as he had no idea where to start looking at first. He had managed to lose Kurt when he gave chase, but he had bumped into a frantic Burt, desperate to see his son. A search party had gone out for the missing teenager, which included several of his friends out looking for him. Unfortunately school was in session, but quite a few members of the New Directions didn't let that stop them and had insisted on going out. Blaine had been the first one out of the door, needing to find Kurt at all costs.

"How did you know where to find me?" Kurt managed to say, stuttering slightly as he was still shivering in his boyfriend's arms.

Blaine tried really hard not to think of those haunted screams he had heard, "I remembered that you had gone to a park just outside of Lima the last time you ditched school. I wasn't sure if you would be here, but then I saw your Navigator. Obviously it was empty and there was no sound of you. I actually found you because I... I heard you. I heard the screams and I followed them. The screams led me to you. Oh God Kurt, those screams..."

"Blaine... please..." Kurt whimpered brokenly.

"Okay, I'll stop. I won't say anything about them for now," Blaine replied reassuringly, "I'll text your Dad that I've got you and then I'll take you home. I'm sure that Burt will pass on to everyone that you're safe. Oh, don't worry about your Navigator as I'll make sure that it gets back to you. I just want you to get out of these wet clothes and warmed up before you get ill."

Blaine held Kurt to him with one arm as he grabbed his phone to text Burt.

From Blaine to Burt 12:35
I found Kurt! I've got him and he's safe. I'm still worried about him, especially as he's soaked through from the rain. We should be back soon. I'll keep you updated if anything changes. Blaine.

Blaine reluctantly pulled away from Kurt and he helped to settle his boyfriend back into the passenger seat. The older boy didn't look too good and Blaine was worried that Kurt was coming down with something. Before he could put his phone away, the device beeped, letting him know that he had a text.

From Burt to Blaine 12:37
Thank God! Thank you Blaine! I owe you big time! I'm so happy my kid's been found after he's been missing for hours! Carole and I should be at the house when you get here. Thanks again Blaine. Burt.

Blaine shoved his phone back into his pocket, before doing his seat belt. The engine was already running so he only had to put the car into gear and turn the wipers onto full speed. Blaine slowly pulled out of the car park, trying to ensure that he was watching the road at all times and not constantly looking at Kurt.

The drive back to Lima took much longer than usual due to the horrendous weather. Blaine was extremely concerned about his boyfriend's wellbeing, especially with the fact that Kurt was in wet clothes and was violently shivering. He just wanted to help Kurt in any way that he possibly could.

Blaine turned into Kurt's road and he immediately pressed down hard on the brakes, causing the car to skid to the right slightly. There were a couple of news vans outside the Hudmel home, with journalists holding umbrellas hovering outside on the pavement. The younger boy felt anger building up at the sight of them. Why couldn't they just leave Kurt alone? Hadn't they done enough by revealing the truth to the world?

The former Warbler anxiously turned to his passenger, "What do you want to do baby? I think I can get you into your house without anyone harassing you or you having to say anything."

"Can we please go to yours?" Kurt whispered, snuggling deeper into the blanket in an attempt to stop feeling cold.

"Of course sweetheart," Blaine responded, before doing a three point turn in the road and driving the familiar roads from Kurt's house to his.

Blaine pulled into on his driveway, turned the engine off and he got out of the Prius. He put his arms over his head to try and evade the rain as he ran around to the passenger side. He opened the door and grabbed Kurt's jacket, before draping it over his arm. Once again, he slowly pulled a trembling Kurt into his arms and picked him up, making sure he was still wrapped in the blanket, carrying him through the rain. He managed to shut the car door with his foot, before walking as quickly as he could up the driveway. He was bewildered to find the front door was already open, but he barely paid that attention and focused on the boy in his arms instead. Blaine soon discovered why the front door had been opened when he stepped into the house. Cooper gave Blaine a sad smile, before stepping forward and taking the car keys out of his hands. Blaine returned the smile, before carrying Kurt through the house and up the stairs. He carried his boyfriend straight to the bathroom, knowing that it would be better for Kurt to have a bath as it seemed that he had no energy to stand. The younger boy slowly lowered his older boyfriend onto the closed toilet seat for a place to sit, before he got to work with running a hot bath and adding lotions to the water.

Blaine hesitantly turned to Kurt, "Sweetie... do you need some help getting undressed? All your clothes are wet so it might be hard for them to get off."

Kurt suddenly seemed close to tears, "I don't want my first time to be naked in front of you to be this."

"Hey, hey, look at me," Blaine rushed over to comfort his boyfriend, his heart breaking in the process, "You don't have to be naked. How about I help you down to your boxers and undershirt? I can lower you into the bath and then you can take them off when you're on your own. What do you say?"

The nod from Kurt seemed to be the only answer he was going to get. Blaine turned his attention back to the filling bathtub, which thankfully didn't take too long. The teenager turned the taps off and checked the water's temperature. He added a few last touches to the bath, putting a pillow in place for his head as he just wanted Kurt to relax and warm up.

Blaine made his way back over to Kurt, his heart breaking at the sight of his shivering and defeated boyfriend. He slowly removed the blanket from around the older boy, before helping Kurt stand up. Together, they removed Kurt's socks and shoes, before taking his top off. Blaine didn't touch his undershirt as he wanted Kurt to feel safe. It pained him to see how thin and frail Kurt was. Maybe this incident didn't help in regards to Kurt looking healthy, but Blaine felt that his weight was maybe still a concern. He made a note to bring it up some other time.

Blaine glanced down at Kurt's skinny jeans, "Jeans are hard enough to get off enough as it is. Skinny jeans are nearly impossible, but yours, Kurt Hummel, may prove too much!"

He hoped that his comment might make Kurt laugh, but the boy in question barely managed a smile. Blaine just got to work, helping Kurt sit back down on the closed toilet seat, before undoing the button and zip. He slowly peeled them off Kurt's long, thin legs, taking his time as it was a difficult task. Blaine felt guilty in the fact that he was enjoying handling Kurt's legs when he knew it was definitely not the time to be thinking like that.

Once Kurt was just in his boxers an undershirt, Blaine picked his boyfriend up and slowly lowered him into the bath. He helped Kurt manoeuvre into a comfortable position, his head resting on the pillow, before he let go and took a step back.

"Is this okay?" Blaine asked, eyeing his boyfriend as he started to let himself relax in the hot water, "Is it too hot? Or maybe it's too cold? I can add more hot water if I need to. I've just run the bath the way I like it. I hope you do like it."

Blaine recognised that he was rambling when Kurt just shook his head at him, "It's fine. It's nice. Thank you."

The younger boy knew that was his cue to leave his boyfriend to his bubble bath, "You don't have to thank me. Right, I'll just go and grab you some clothes from my room. I'll bring them in here and then I'll let you enjoy your bath."

Kurt just nodded in return so Blaine left the room, shutting the door behind him and he headed to his own bedroom to collect some clothes. He quickly picked out one of his baggy t-shirts and a pair of joggers, as well as a pair of his boxers for his boyfriend to wear. The joggers were slightly too long for him so there was more chance that they would fit Kurt better than they would fit him. They were the pair he would wear around the house on a lazy day if he wasn't leaving the house. He hadn't wore them in a while as lately he had always gone to Kurt's house.

Blaine returned to the bathroom, knocking before he entered the bathroom. Kurt was just lying in the bathroom, with his eyes closed and for the first time that day looking at peace. The younger boy quietly placed the clothes on the closed toilet and made to leave the bathroom. However, something made him stop. A horrible thought suddenly occurred to Blaine, causing his steps to falter. He wasn't sure why his thoughts had taken this particular turn, but he couldn't shake them out of his mind. Blaine picked up the razors next to the sink and moved to cupboard below the sink, removing any traces of razors. He just felt that he couldn't risk it, not in Kurt's current state of mind. He knew that his boyfriend wasn't suicidal, but he was just being cautious. He couldn't lose Kurt.

Blaine headed over to the door and paused, hiding the razors out of sight as he turned back to look at his boyfriend, "I'll leave you to relax. If you need any help, just yell. I've left you some clothes. I'll just be downstairs if you need me. I love you Kurt."

"I love you too," Kurt murmured softly as he opened his eyes, "I'll call if I need anything."

With that, Blaine nodded and left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He slumped against the door for a second, needing to pull himself together before he went downstairs and faced Cooper's inquisition. He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, trying to find the strength to get through the rest of the day. He needed to be strong and be there for Kurt. He couldn't let himself get worked up.

He quickly hurried along the landing to his bedroom, needing to put the razors away. He just placed them in his bedside drawers, mentally making a note of their place and that he needed to put them back in the bathroom when it was safe to do so.

Blaine made his way downstairs and into the living room. Cooper was already sitting on one of the sofas in the room, watching the doorway for his brother to come in. He gestured to the two cups of tea that sat on the coffee table and Blaine picked one up, before sitting down on the opposite sofa. Having a cup of tea to help unwind was something that Sarah Anderson had introduced to her family. It was now the done thing in the household to de-stress with a cup of tea.

Before attempting to talk to his brother, Blaine knew that he had to let Burt know what was going on. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted the father of his boyfriend.

From Blaine to Burt 14:04
There were journalists and news vans outside your house waiting for Kurt to appear. For Kurt's safety, we left and we're now at my house. Kurt's having a bath to warm up and try and relax. Do you need my address? Blaine.

Blaine finally took his damp jacket off and got up to drape it over the radiator, hoping that it'd dry quickly. By the time, he picked up his cup of tea again and sat down, he had a text message.

From Burt to Blaine 14:06
Thank you for keeping my son safe. I've already instructed the journalists to move and used my authority as a Congressman to ensure that they listen. Carole has your address in her address book, so we'll be there as soon as we can. Burt.

Blaine placed his phone next to him on the sofa and took a long sip from his cup, taking pleasure in the hot liquid running down his throat.

"How you doing, squirt?" Cooper softly asked, unsure of what to say.

"I'm a mess," Blaine replied honestly, running a hand over his face, "I need to pull myself together before Kurt gets out of the bath. I need to be strong and be there for him."

Cooper sighed, "This shouldn't be happening. Kurt doesn't deserve any of this and neither do you. I know I only met your boyfriend once and I was a dick to him... oh my god! Oh God, I remember what I said to him! All I was thinking about was using his situation to advance my acting career and I was incredibly insensitive! I said that I should play the man who kidnapped him! Oh God! Oh God! I'm the worst person ever! No wonder you wanted to punch me! You should have punched me!"

Blaine actually snorted at that, "Yeah I did, and I probably should have. You're not usually one to think about others when acting is involve, but it's okay. Don't worry about it."

Cooper shook his head, "I won't worry about it after I've apologised to Kurt. I need him to hear it."

The younger boy acknowledged his big brother by nodding his head as he slumped back on the sofa, before taking interest in the teacup in his hands.

The sofa next to him suddenly dipped, "I am really sorry. I know I've put my acting before a lot of things in my life, especially you. I know I haven't made things easy for you."

"Coop, it's fine, really," Blaine replied, giving his brother a brief smile, "I know you're sorry and it's all fine. I just hope now that you might take others into consideration, instead of just thinking about yourself and how you are affected. That might make things easier for everyone."

Before Cooper could reply, the door to the room started to move, indicating that a force was being applied to it. Kurt slowly stepped into the room, his eyes wide as he looked around. He was dressed in the t-shirt and sweatpants, sadly looking slightly like a child dressed in an adult's clothes. Blaine couldn't help but grimace as he was once reminded of how skinny Kurt was. He could barely believe that his boyfriend had weighed a lot less only a couple of months beforehand and had been severely underweight.

Kurt shuffled into the room, his head down, and sat down next to his boyfriend on the sofa. The bath had helped to warm him up and it had been relaxing to a degree, but it hadn't really helped him solve any of the big problems that he was facing. Blaine immediately wrapped an arm around the older boy's bony shoulders and gently held him to him. Neither of them said anything as the pair revelled in the other one being there.

Cooper was the one to break the silence, "Kurt? I just have to tell you how sorry I am for what I said to you at Christmastime about writing a screenplay and a character that I would play. The comment was incredibly insensitive of me to begin with, but I would never have even dreamed of making such a comment if I had even the slightest idea of what had happened to you. I am so sorry for what I said and I do hope that you will forgive me."

Kurt gave Cooper a kind smile, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder in the process, "It's really okay, Cooper. I know that you didn't mean any harm and you weren't to know."

"I'm still incredibly sorry for my actions," the actor explained, needing his brother and his boyfriend to hear him out, "Blaine's right. I need to think about other people and I was so rude to you when I first met you. I promise you, the both of you, that I will be here for you and I will do my best to help you in any way that I can."

"Thank you," Kurt whispered, appreciating the sentiment but wanting the conversation to come to a conclusion.

"That means a lot, Coop," Blaine replied, offering his boyfriend a genuine smile this time around, "Thank you."

Cooper smiled at the couple, "Okay, I'll let you two have some privacy. I'll in the kitchen if anyone needs me. Oh Kurt? Would you like a cup of tea to help warm you up?"

Kurt shook his head, "I'm good, thank you."

The actor smiled at the two boys, before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. He knew that Kurt and Blaine had important issues to discuss and deserved total privacy.

The two Glee club members sat in silence, just enjoying the feeling of being in one another's company. Blaine had absolutely no idea about how to approach the topic of the screams he had heard out in the woods. He didn't want his boyfriend to shut him out when all he was doing was trying to help him.

Kurt wished with everything that he had that he could stay in this particular moment forever. He was so comfortable in Blaine's embrace that he felt that there was a chance for him to be safe. Everything was calm and happy in that moment. Once it was over, the happiness and calmness would fade, with his anxiety taking over in fear of what he would be asked. Kurt knew that Blaine was etching to ask him about what he saw in the woods. What could he say? How could he tell his loving boyfriend that he was screaming because he needed to release all the emotions that he had held inside and hidden away from everyone, including said boyfriend? Blaine would be devastated and Kurt did not want to be responsible for that.

"Kurt..." Blaine couldn't take it anymore. He had to say something, "Those screams... I know that you probably don't want to talk about it, but oh god baby, I've never heard someone sound so pained. Where did they come from? I hear that this morning was horrendous, but that can't have all been from today!"

"I needed to let out everything I felt," Kurt whispered, already feel drained from talking about it, "I needed to scream."

Blaine hated how Kurt was avoiding meeting his eyes, "Can you tell me how you were feeling? You can talk to me."

Kurt simply shook his head, "I can't. Blaine, please don't make me!"

The younger boy could sense how upset his boyfriend was getting so he knew that he had to let it go for now. He definitely couldn't push the issue as there was a high chance that he would drive his boyfriend away and there would be a loss of trust between them.

"Okay sweetheart, I'll drop it. I would never make you do something that you didn't want to do. I just... I just want to do anything I can to help you," Blaine said dejectedly, hoping that his boyfriend knew this.

"I know, Blaine and I know that you would never hurt me," Kurt replied, moving slightly on the sofa so that it was easier for him to rest his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and lean more into his embrace, "I just want to forget."

Before Blaine could even think about saying anything in response, there was a knock on the living room door. The door slowly opened and Cooper stuck his head around it, "Hey you two. Sorry to disturb you. Kurt, your parents are here. I asked them to wait so I could check on you, but I have some impatient adults here."

Cooper pushed the door open wider once seeing that the two boys seemed to be doing okay to accept company. Burt Hummel had not been too happy to see him again in the first time, but the anger seemed to grow when the eldest Anderson son had stopped him from rushing in to see his son.

"Kurt!" Burt ran over to see his son and knelt down in front of him, reaching up to cup his face, "Are you okay? Oh God, I was so worried kiddo!"

Kurt lifted his head off Blaine's shoulder and he seemed to just stare back at his father, unblinking as he took in the scene in front of him. This caused Burt to worry even further as he looked at his son, wanting an insight into how the boy was feeling.

Carole crouched down beside her husband, watching her stepson anxiously, "How are you feeling sweetheart?"

The young boy simple gave a shrug of his shoulders, his face still void of emotion. He didn't want to be in this situation. He wished in that moment that he could disappear. Kurt had never been one for talking about his feelings and why he felt like that. Why couldn't he be left alone? So Blaine found him when he was screaming himself hoarse? So what? None of this was going to change anything. No one could help him.

Blaine felt like he had to intervene, "What's happening? How did the news get out? What are the police doing?"

Burt took off his hat, scratched at his head, before replacing the hat, "The police say that they're doing everything that they can to ensure Kurt's safety and that includes the removal of the reporters from outside our home. The news came out because some idiotic reporter connected the dots and she decided to write about what she had discovered, in hope that she would be promoted. She's ruined so many lives by writing this article. Haven't Kurt and those other kids gone through enough?"

That captured Kurt's attention, "My friends are going through this as well? Everyone knows about them too?"

"I'm sorry, kiddo," Burt said sadly, glad that his son was saying something, "This horrid woman named all of the teenagers taken by that bastard and his men. I have no idea what she was thinking! How can someone being prepared to knowingly ruin lives just to produce a story for a newspaper? It's sick!"

"I know honey, I know," Carole said soothingly, placing her hand on Burt's arm, "Some people aren't good people and we have to accept that. We will do our best as a family to deal with this and come out of this the other side. Right now, our priority is making sure that Kurt is okay. I'm just so glad that he's been found and that he's safe."

Burt turned his head to look at his son's boyfriend, "Blaine... I'm so incredibly grateful that you found him. I'm glad you know him so well. Where did you find him?"

Blaine was slightly hesitant to answer, "I found him in the park outside Lima. I remembered that Kurt said that he went there when he had previously left school."

"Was he okay when you found him?" Burt asked, glancing at his once again emotionless son, "Was he acting in a way that concerned you?"

"Umm..." Blaine hated doing this. He felt caught between a rock and a hard place as he looked between his boyfriend and the adult, "Kurt was... was screaming."

Burt and Carole looked horrified and distraught at this piece of information. Cooper, who had been hovering in the background, looked as if he didn't know how to act.

"Screaming?" Burt managed to finally say, "Screaming? Oh Kurt!"

Kurt suddenly stood up, startling the other occupants of the room, "I think I need to lie down. I'm feeling quite tired."

"Kurt..." Burt started, before he was quickly interrupted by Carole, "That's okay, sweetheart. We'll be right down here if you need us."

Kurt made his way out of the room without looking back to see if anyone was watching or if he was being followed. He knew that Blaine was probably debating whether he should follow him, but he hoped that he wouldn't. The older boy knew that Blaine would fill his Dad and Carole in on everything, before coming and checking on him. He would be worried and he would come and lie down next to him, holding him to him. Kurt knew exactly how it was going to go.

Without realising it, Kurt had made his way to Blaine's room. He immediately climbed up onto the bed and crawled under the covers, sheltering him from the cruel world. The need to scream was building up inside him once again. Apparently earlier hadn't been enough for the young boy. He thought back to everything Jacob Ben Israel had said to him earlier that day. It was true that he would never be able to forget that he had been a whore. He had been a drug taking whore, whose virginity had been ripped from him. All traces of innocence and purity had been tarnished the moment he had been grabbed from the streets of New York.

Now everyone knew the truth. The story was out and there was no way to change that. The truth coming out had shattered the fragile life Kurt had been trying to live. He had no idea what to do or where to turn. It felt like he was being dragged underwater, with any trace of oxygen leaving his body and no hope of ever resurfacing.

Kurt moved further down the bed, pulling the duvet securely over him. He wanted to shut out the world and try to forget for a while, but he knew that it was an impossible task.

(break)

Sally Jenkins practically skipped as she made her way into her editor's office. She was so proud of her story and she knew that it had been a hit. She knew that she was most likely being called into Katherine Bright's office to talk about her promotion. It was surely a day of celebration. Maybe she could see if her friends were free to go out tonight, wanting to party in style. She wasn't bothered about dealing with a hangover in the light of good news.

Sally knocked on the office door and entered the room. She didn't notice the tension in the room as she took note of the man sitting on one of the chairs at Katherine's desk. Sally simply took a seat in the chair and waited for her editor to speak. Maybe this man had come to offer her a job at his newspaper and her editor didn't want her to go. Sally couldn't wait to see how this played out.

"Sally, glad you could join us," Katherine Bright started, sounding slightly nervous as she spoke, which puzzled Sally, "You have someone who would like to speak to you."

Sally turned to look at the man beside her and waited to see what he would do.

The man glared at her, seeming infuriated at her very presence, "Sally Jenkins? I am Congressman Hummel. I also go by Burt Hummel. Probably better known to you as Kurt Hummel's father!"

Sally felt the blood drain from her face and she immediately felt lightheaded. How had this missed that? Hummel! Congressman Hummel! It was his son who had gone missing! She had thought Kurt's surname had sounded familiar, but somehow she had missed that connection. That meant that she had written an article releasing private details about the Congressman's son and what had happened to him during his disappearance. Any hopes of a promotion quickly went down the drain.

Burt continued to glare at the journalist, "Oh yes. I see that you know who Kurt is. Let's see, an article was published today all about what happened to my son and a few others in New York. You wrote all about how these underage children were forced into a prostitution ring, naming and shaming them to everyone who reads this shitty newspaper and beyond. I know that there isn't an official rule that you can't print the names of those underage, but it is frowned upon. In the process of you publishing your article, you have ruined several lives. How do you feel? Are you proud of yourself? Well done for ruining lives!"

Sally didn't know what to do. She could feel her face growing redder as the embarrassment and shame seeped through. She had never actually expected to meet anyone who she had written about in the article.

The young woman decided to say something, "I did have a moment where I felt guilty about the article and I did wonder if I would be disrupting lives by publishing it."

Burt let out a harsh laugh, "Well done for being actually human for a brief moment. God you people make me sick! You don't care about anyone as long as you get a good story! You must have thought about all that these children had been through, but you didn't care! You are a heartless bitch, all of you are! I would never dream of talking to a woman like that, but right now, I can't think of anything else to say."

Sally immediately started to panic. What was going to happen to her?

Burt looked Sally Jenkins square in the eye, "Listen to me. I have talked to Miss Bright here and I have informed her that I would do everything possible to destroy this newspaper company if she didn't fire you. Due to my position, I have a lot of power and connections to make this happen. You can probably work out what she opted to do."

Sally turned to gape at her editor, who couldn't meet her eyes.

"You made a big mistake when you decided to put wanting a good story before the welfare of my child and the other victims. No one pushes the Hummels around and I intend to make sure this is true. I am thinking about involving my lawyer in all of this. I am a man who loves his child and is prepared to do anything to make sure that he is safe and okay. After the article, he feels neither of those things. I will do whatever I can to change this!" Burt declared, wishing that he could wring this girl's neck for all the pain she had caused.

Burt stood up and straightened his jacket, "I'll leave your editor to continue with the rest of your dismissal. I'm sure that we'd all be in touch. Good day."

The father of Kurt Hummel strolled out of the office, leaving the two horrified women in his wake. He couldn't help but feel extremely pleased with what had just happened. Those two were heartless monsters and he wanted to take them down for all the pain they had caused his son. When he had left the Anderson household, Kurt had been sleeping in Blaine's arms in Blaine's bed. He knew that tomorrow would be most likely even worse than today had been.

Burt exited the building and headed over to where his truck was parked. He got into the vehicle and shut the door. The older man immediately put his head in his arms and let out a sob, unable to hold it back any longer. He wished that he could protect Kurt from all of this. What kind of father was he? He had failed his son. Kurt was slipping further and further into a dark place and it seemed that he might lose his son. He couldn't cope with that, he just couldn't.