By then, everyone had taken separate paths. Santana, at everyone surprise, was admitted to UCLA, where Brittany followed her to work in a fashion online magazine. Mercedes, Kurt, Rachel, Blaine, Sam and Finn came here to New York. Artie had been admitted to UK, Quinn, left for Boston, and Puck, started to work here and there before finally landing in New York, where he was now working in a entertainment company, and performing gigs around the city for special occasions. As for Lauren, she didn't really kept in touch with the others, and didn't even bother showing up at this party. Last night was really a surprise for everyone, but she just stayed for the show, and immediately left afterwards, saying something about being somewhere with someone. Go figure.

This party was the perfect way to catch up for everyone, remember all the good times, and of course give a proper standing ovation for some of their own, who actually made it after high school.

Which they did, first to Mercedes who showed up, a bit after 10 pm, and who had been positively frightened by the warm and loud, especially loud, welcoming that her friends gave her. Sam was laughing out loud when Mercedes nearly tripped between the shock and confusion that followed her entry. And then it was Rachel's turn. Somehow, she wasn't that surprised, or overwhelmed like Mercedes has been, but maybe it was just because she was Rachel and felt normal to expect such cheering and enthusiastic behavior due to her immense talent. But Finn, who was much more oblivious jumped in shock and hit himself hard on the back of his head with the door.

Everyone burst out laughing to the gag and Finn, started turning various shadows from pink to red, embarrassed by his forever clumsiness and his head aching from the knock.

"Glad to know that some things never really change", said Mike, grinning.

"Rachel, where is Kurt?" asked Quinn, who looked like she was about to deliver the baby anytime in the near 5 minutes.

"Don't know… didn't see him after the show. He was gone before I finished. The security guard said that he was pretty sure seeing him leave at least 20 minutes before me. Looked like he was in a hurry. I thought maybe he didn't want to be late for the party".

"That's weird, because he should have been here by now then… traffic isn't so bad tonight besides." Mercedes looked as confused as anyone else, but in fact, she was much more worried. What if something happened with Blaine again? Because she could have swore seeing him in the audience tonight. Front rows. What was he doing here, besides? Why the hell would he come, expect to torture Kurt. Maybe Kurt, had seen him in the audience. Maybe he had felt bad, and went drinking again. Maybe…

"Damn you, Rachel" Said suddenly out loud Mercedes, before she could refrain herself.

Everyone looked at her with surprise, and then at Rachel, who was clearly not feeling very at ease : "What did I do ?". Quinn sighed because even if she haven't seen her friend in a long time, she just knew that Rachel was not the type to change, especially when it came to fucking things up without really trying or thinking.

But Mercedes would never answer as they heard the door open suddenly for the third time in the past half an hour. Kurt. It had to be. In less than a second, everyone recomposed theirs smiles and happy faces, ready to give him the fright of his life. They screamed at the same time, various things, because no one would agree on anything to say, and Brittany wouldn't say "surprise!" because it reminded of a very unhappy memory she wouldn't share with them. Something involving Lord Tubbington and a hamster, apparently. So they just dropped it, a big grin on their faces, and decided to say whatever would come into their minds at the moment.

"Kurt!" grinned a very conventional Mike

"My baby dolphin", screamed again a very conventional Brittany.

"Porcelain!", shouted Santana, louder than the others, feeling maybe a little bit too nostalgic.

"Fuck." That's all he said. That's all that parade aspired him. Fuck. He wasn't pleasantly surprised, that much they could see. But which was stranger is that he didn't looked annoyed either. Nor sad. He had not real expression his face or in his eyes. He just said "fuck", like it was something as natural as "hello". Which was even stranger because half of the people in the room never heard him say it. He was always so controlled, with his actions or his words. Every word from him had a meaning. A point. And apparently the point here was simply "Fuck".

Everyone looked at him in disbelief as he realized what he just said, his cheeks turning red and embarrassment finally spreading through his face.

"I'm sorry guys, you took me by surprise. Which was the point, I guess. I'm just really tired but glad to see you. Thanks for the surprise part!" he apologized smiling a little.

Now, everyone looked even more worried at their friend. Not only his reaction was way off, but also his smile. Kurt, in a normal state, would have never said that. He would get all bitchy on them for frightening him, which he would also deny because, it was a fact, "Kurt never got scared" . He would have put them trough hell in words the rest of the evening, with a huge grin on his face, and the truth is, they wouldn't have taken it any other way.

But this Kurt was strangely cordial, a fake smile on his face as he hugged and kissed his friends. Kurt, in normal times, would never bother to fake a smile. He wouldn't' bother to fake anything in fact. He was not a faker, he was 100% real. And that's what everybody loved about him. His honesty, his pureness. But this Kurt, who was now, sitting on the couch, his hand above Quinn's belly was everything but true. He looked so absent as Quinn was telling him stories about his pregnancy, but for something's sake, he would just fake a smile, and fake listening. Quinn, wasn't fooled a second by his behavior as she studied Kurt's face, which in normal occasion, she would never have done at the fear of being caught. But Kurt was just off, tonight. Way off. It was like he had been locked into his own thoughts. And they were all pretty sure, they were not pretty thoughts.

Mercedes was seriously concerned by Kurt's attitude and behavior. She knew him better than anybody in the room and probably in the world. Even better than his own parents. Kurt was never the one to be caught doing something wrong in society, even if the society was a group of friends. . He always held himself even if he had had a horrible day, even if he had just broken up with some guy. Well, that wasn't not entirely true. She knew one exception to that rule, and that thought made her shiver. Blaine. Blaine was the only who could turn Kurt's world upside down. Blaine, who put Kurt into depression for more than 6 months. Blaine, who made Kurt drink for the first time. Was it Blaine again ?

That thought was so annoying to Mercedes that she had to get an answer to that. So she pulled Kurt from the couch, not bothered by the protests of her friends, who were clearly frustrated because like they said: "she had him all year, and them, for one night only". Kurt for a second felt like a prostitute.

He followed his friend into the kitchen without really thinking or carrying, until Mercedes asked him :

"Kurt, something is wrong with you tonight. You're clearly in a bad shape."

"It's cool Mercedes. I'm just really tired that's all. From the show and all." Kurt's voice didn't have any inflection, any emotion. It was plain for any signification.

"Look at me Kurt, you know how I am ?"

"You're Mercedes." Again, no exasperation, no anger, no anything.

"The hell I am! I'm you're best friends, for best or for worse. I tell you everything, and you tell me everything. Now, what's going on, is it him?"

"Who is him?"

Mercedes turned away and saw Puck standing in front of the Kitchen's door. She couldn't tell for how long his was standing here, but clearly he had heard enough from her, and wanted now the whole story from Kurt. Puck wasn't someone to let go from anything and she knew that he would not leave them alone before their answers satisfied him in some kind of twisted way. But she had to try.

"Nobody Puck. Nobody that you should know about, anyway. What are you doing here?"

He just shrugged, not carrying to answer. Mercedes was about to tell him to get the hell out of here, when suddenly the kitchen door opened and all the others joined them, in a now very crowded room physically and emotionally.

"What the hell, is everybody doing here?"

"Chill down, Aretha" replied Santana, "Party boy is here, and seriously you don't expect us to just stay still when you're kidnapping him away?"

"Plus" added Artie, "Puck's here, so beer must be."

"And if Beer is here, then we are here" added Mike, and everyone cheered. .

"Yeah, yeah good" shouted Mercedes over all the cries and laughs, "Just take your beer and get the hell…."

But she didn't finish her phrase because Kurt did then something very unusual. Well, ok, more unusual than the rest. Something that worried Mercedes and Rachel, but also surprised everybody.

Without even a word to anyone, he opened the fridge, tossed some beers to his friends, and then took a last one, opened it with a "splash" and started to drink, not carrying a bit at the awry glances around him.

"Kurt, my man, You drink? " asked a very confused Puck.

"Looks like I do, Noah" replied Kurt. But something had changed within him. Mercedes couldn't say when it happened, or why, but clearly he wasn't off anymore. He was annoyed. Completely annoyed.

The room was silent now, as everyone fixed Kurt drinking, with concern. Kurt finally noticed it and he snapped:

"What's with you and those looks? Never seen anyone having a beer?"

"Not you, anyway." replied Tina.

"Well, that's a first." Stated Kurt taking an other sip.

"and a last!" Said loudly Rachel, who looked like she was going to snap at Kurt at any moment.

"Shut up, Rachel" Cried Kurt.

"Whouw, easy porcelain. She's annoying sometimes, sure" replied Santana, in a vain attempt to calm Kurt," but still, no reason to go all bitchy on her, lady face."

"Who's the bitch, Satan ?" He was mean. Not teasing. Just mean. And he didn't care a bit.

"What's up with you, Kurt? What's your damn problem?" asked Puck, "It's a party, dude. Relax". He tried to take away the beer from Kurt, but he just wouldn't let go, causing the beer to splash everywhere in the counter, and on Kurt's clothes.

"Oh that's just great!" Shouted Kurt "It's Just fantastic. You know how much coasts this jacket Noah? More that you get paid in a year with your miserable little gigs!"

"Kurt, dude calm down!"

Finn, who was looking at his brother for the last 5 minutes with concern, couldn't just take it anymore. He passed in front of Tina and Mike, and squeezed Kurt's shoulder, making him look into his eyes. And what he saw wasn't pretty. It was all anger, and hate, and pain. It was a pretty terrible thing to see for a brother, and he just couldn't take it anymore. So, he took a deep breath, and said:

"It's Blaine. I know it's Blaine."

*******

Kurt jumped in shock. How dare he ? How dare he talk about that in front of all his friends? Why did he say that? It was his damn problem, and he didn't want anybody to know. He shoot one murderous look at his brother, but other than that, he didn't give him any kind of clue to answer his question. But Finn knew. Oh yes, just like Mercedes, and probably Rachel, knew. Because Kurt had been a total jerk to them all. And nothing could justify it. Nothing, besides Blaine.

His friends were now looking at Finn in total disbelief.

'What the hell Blaine has to do with anything?" asked Tina

"Yeah, what's up with that not-so-dapper-boy? Is it someday some kind of anniversary of your relationship? Or the 5 year-anniversary of your break-up? Asked Santana "because, I swear I thought he dumped your sweet ass like in December or something."

"No", finally intervened Mercedes, "nothing like that. Worse. We kinda … met him yesterday."

"WHAATTTTT?" Everyone shouted at the same time causing Kurt to take back a few steps of surprise.

"how ?"

"Where"

"When?"

"What?"

"Where?"

Now, everybody was talking on the same time, shouting stuff, and whispering awful names to qualify the ex. But above all the chaos, Mercedes managed to get them to shut up, because clearly Kurt was in no position to do so, or even to explain himself. In fact, he was looking at his hands, head down, and looked like he was about to start crying. She leaned to him, and whispered in his ear softly " it's going to be ok, baby…."He didn't react, or make any movement that could let her know that he heard her. But she knew that he did. He was just devastated. But she had to do this. She had to let their friends know what was happening. They were their friends after all, almost a family, even if they haven't seen each other in a long time. They were the reason he had survived high school in one piece. they were the reason why, after all said and done, he had wonderful memories from this time. They were the reason that made him feel special. Them and Blaine. And one of them failed. One of them destroyed all that confidence and feelings. He put Kurt through hell once again. And once gain, he had been able to get better only because of his friends. They were all here, available for him when he was down under. They listened to him, and took care of him, and put him back on the right track. So it was only fair now, that they would allowed to do it again. Her baby was broke, and she couldn't do it alone, though Mercedes. He couldn't it alone. Fix it. And the beauty of it, is that he didn't have to. That idea made her feel better about was she was about to do, even though she knew Kurt would not forgive her for displaying in the open his life.

But she had to do it. So she looked away from Kurt, to the rest of her friends and said :

"Yeah, we met Blaine yesterday, after the party at the Cristal. He was just outside the restaurant, like he was trying to get in, but like I said, private party, so they jerked him off."

"Ohmygod!" Said Quinn holding a hand in front of her mouth "Ohmygod. Kurt are you ok?"She knew that was a stupid question but she was so knocked down by the news, that she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Pitchy", answered sourly Kurt. Clearly it were tears on his face.

"What….what happened… " asked Santana

Everyone turned to look at Kurt but he just shook his head, unable to say anything . So Mercedes answered for him.

"Well… I mean there he was…. You know, just all dapper and all…. With his parents-in-law…"

"Oh my god, Kurt, I'm so sorry" cut Tina

"Dumped for an other dolphin? Sorry Kurt."

"Not so dolphin Brittany…" said slowly Kurt, to everyone's confusion.

"What? In any case, Kurt, he didn't deserve you. You fare more superior than him" said Quinn.

"Hey white boys, Let me finish my damn story! Like I said, he was there with his parents-in-law and.. his… Wife"

" ?"

Now it was total chaos in the small kitchen. But Kurt couldn't care less. He didn't care about the people who were trying to get him to talk, to look at them, shaking him to get any reaction whatsoever from him. Any answer. He wouldn't move because he wanted them to feel as confused, as lost, as he was. He wanted them to try to make sense into things that didn't make sense. Wondering alone into this deep shitty mess. Lost just like he was.

"Like I said, not so dolphin anymore…." Added Kurt. He was satisfied because for sure, they were now as baffled as he was.

"What do you mean? Kurt, are you sayin' that not so straight Blaine, tickle-me-doe-face Blaine, is straight ?" asked a bewildered Santana

"Yeah… pretty much" answered Rachel.

"Wait, you knew ? " asked Quinn

Rachel looked at her, with a mix of shame and anger in her eyes. "Yes I did. And I swear, I was about to kick the living crap out of him, if Wes and Finn didn't stop me…"

"Wait, who's Wes?" asked curiously Brittany…

"Not the time, Brit" sighed Santana

"No seriously. Is he Kurt's boyfriend? Because really, if he is, I mean, it's good, I mean…."

"No" replied Kurt with exasperation. "No he isn't. He is as straight as Blaine" he added with a small disgusted smirk, " He is Blaine ex best friend… ex… like everything else…. He's now our producer".

"Oh!"

"So Rachel, you really hit him? " asked Mike

"You bet your ass, she did! Approved Mercedes. "she was all fury on him. And Finn, I mean, he threatened the life out of him."

"yeah man!" cheered Puck trying to high Five Finn. But Finn wasn't in the mood of high fiving any body so Puck just dropped his hand when he realized how much of a fool he was.

"Kurt… what did you do?" asked Quinn slowly, her eyes locked on Kurt's tortured face.

He didn't want to say a thing. But nobody would answer for him. Because no one knew. No one knew what had happened between him and the love of his life. Not the ex love of his life. Because he knew somehow that he wouldn't be able to love anyone more than that, more than he loved him. But also suffer as much. Nothing, no one could make him suffer anymore like he had suffer. And that was his relief. Because he had seen the worst, he had survived the worst. He could handle anything else.

"I… I just ran away. I couldn't…" Kurt tried to explain without really making any sense or trying to finish his phrases. But somehow nobody cared because they understood just fine. "I just ran away, and he… he caught up with me". Kurt was now fully crying, as he was remembering all that happened that night. Mercedes took him into a fierce hug hoping that he let go. And with that, he did. He just couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't hold himself anymore. Stop pretending. Stop playing. He just had to let go.

So he cried, and cried, without carrying less of all the people watching him with concern feeling his distress, and his pain like it was their own. But it was. Because Kurt had always been one of their own. His pain, his hurt, his fears, were theirs also. And that's what made them a family. They didn't talk, didn't make a move, they just stared at him, crying all the tears of his heart, sobbing into Mercedes shoulder, who was now crying also, and probably everyone one in the room was tearing at some point.

Kurt finally recovered after some time. How much, they couldn't tell. But the sobbing had stopped and he was trying to catch a mouthful of air. Mercedes noticed and she let go of him gently, gasping her self for some air. He smiled at them sadly like he was trying to apologize for his behavior, and that, more than the crying, made their heart break into tiny pieces.

"So… he caught up with me… after all that time… and he tried to talk to me…" begun again Kurt

Quinn who was still tearing at Kurt's expression of pain, tried to recompose herself quickly and asked : "What did he say ?"

"Nothing… really… just that he was sorry…."

"Bullshit!" snapped Puck, who's face was infuriated.

"Yeah bullshit…." Sneered Kurt. "He mumbled to no end… and I wouldn't take it. And then Lisa, that's his wife, joined us, and I pretty much snapped at her. I just told her to suck it, her and her parents."

No one had any idea what to say next. They just didn't understand. It didn't make any sense. Any of it. But then Mercedes, who was far more involved than them, turned to Kurt and asked : " But babe, you were kind of … I don't know how to say that… but much less annoyed after you talked to Lisa this afternoon…"

"Oh my god, you saw them again?", shouted Tina

"Just Lisa… " rectified Rachel.

"No Rach, not just Lisa… Blaine came after the show in my loge…"

"OHMYGOD! " bawled at the same time Mercedes and Rachel.

"Oh my god" repeated Quinn, "Oh my… what happened…"

"Fuck," screeched at the same time Sam, Mike, Finn, Artie and Puck.

"Well, Lisa, came to see me before the show… "

"Wait.. how did she manage to do that.. isn't it some kind of security… " started Mike.

"Rachel." Responded in the same time Mercedes and Kurt.

Everyone turned to look at Rachel with irritation and annoyance, but other than that, they didn't say a thing. As for Rachel, she looked like she wanted to bury herself into a whole right here and right now. But the others, just sighed and turned back their attention to Kurt.

"Whatever… Anyway, she just came into my loge, demanding answers, snapping at me because Finn threatened the life out of her husband, because of all the awkward that surrounded our meeting… well for everything that happened."

"Bitch!" shouted Santana

"I just played dumb. What was I suppose to say? The woman knows nothing about her husband obviously, she lived all her life in some kind of fairy tail lie, what was I supposed to do ?"

"Out him Kurt ! That's what u should have done! After all he did to you… you were still playing chivalrous ? really Kurt ?" yelled an enraged Sam.

"I thought about it… and then… " But the next phrase was so hard for him to pronounce, because he wouldn't believe it yet. He didn't want to believe it.

"She told him that they had a daughter…" finished slowly Mercedes.

And there it was, the truth. The whole truth. There was no more running away from it. No more denying. Because everyone knew. They all were now witnesses of the truth and he would never again be able to forget it or rebuff it. It was it.

"I'm sorry Kurt.." whispered Santana. And she was. Everybody was. Because they all knew his history with Blaine. They all shared their dreams of someday becoming a family, getting married, and adopting children. They all had witnessed the love that reunited both of them. A love they thought stronger that anything they knew. That could face up to all the obstacles of life. That's why they were all so confused and truly sad when Blaine left. Because their aspirations left with him. They all hoped some day they would get this same love. This pure, strong, vivid love. But just like the fairy tales of their youth, it was all lies and deception. Their dreams were once again dissatisfied and they were once again disillusioned by life.

"So… what did you say to her then.." inquired after a moment Brittany

"That it was all my fault… that I had fabricated myself some kind of fantasy around him… That I made believe all the people around me that he was leading me one.. when he was just trying to help me… that I was some kind of fool for falling from him…. And that it broke my heart when I understood that it wasn't reciprocated."

"And she believe that? She's really stupid, and that's coming from me!" stated Brittany

Everyone let one chuckle off but the tension wasn't near breaking.

"I think she really wanted to believe me. So she did." Explained Kurt

"I'm so so so so sorry Kurt… " said Santana, because she couldn't think of anything else to say. She was just feeling sick to her stomach and really confused. She needed answers, something that could make her feel not better, but just a little less worse. Something he could wrap her head around. She felt like everybody was also, so she just asked: " But Kurt, you said you talked to Blaine also… did he explain anything…"

Kurt snorted and said : "Ah if only! He came to me after the show… looking like hell… saying that he had to talk to me … to explain… but he didn't… she just started weeping like a little girl… like I'd care! "

"But did you let explain ?"

"What do you mean Sam…"

"I mean, no offense…. Kurt…. But you tend to be a bit overactive, and don't always listen to people… "

"Oh it's my fault then!" snapped Kurt

"It's not what he said dude…"

"Don't take his side, Finn. Are you seriously all saying that's my fault ?"

"We didn't say that Kurt!"

"Yes you did Santana. I can't believe it. Even my friends won't believe me, that's just great!" Kurt shouted at them before opening the fridge once again, taking a bottle of Vodka, slamming back the door, and before anyone could stop him, he ran out of the kitchen to his bedroom where he locked himself in.

**********

They were all frozen in shock.

Finally, after what seemed forever, Puck snapped out of his numbness and said :"Well, that was intense…"

"No kidding, Noah… My water almost broke back there" sniffed Quinn

"For how long, had he been drinking?" asked Santana

"It's started last night" replied Mercedes "After the whole debacle. We found him in the morning in the theatre totally hammered after drinking an entire Tequila bottle. He was a wreck."

"God…" whispered Tina.

"Fuck. We have to do something"

"Good thinking Mike…" replied sarcastically Santana

"Listen guys… I think we have done enough damage already…"

"You're the one to talk Rachel! I don't know what's keeping me to rip your head off!" Shouted Mercedes.

"Easy guys… It wont' help Kurt if his two best friends start fighting…" said calmly Brittany.

"Yes, Brit is right. But Mike is also. We can't just stand there, when he is in the next room, drowning his soul into some cheap vodka… "

"What's your genius and devious plan, Satan?" asked Mercedes.

"Listen Aretha…. You know what… Fuck that, I'm not even gonna bother…. The thing is we have to help Kurt , and in order to do that, we have to make him talk to Blaine."

"What? What kind of stupid plan is that? " snapped Finn." You want to kill my brother, don't you? Have you seen what happened after his last two encounters? Hell, are you blind or what, because I could have swore you saw exactly like us Kurt crying his heart out and lock himself with that vodka. Is not enough? You want him also to jump for the roof or what? Because, really Santana, if he sees Blaine one more time, I'm pretty sure that he won't survive it, and me neither. And neither are you!"

"Wow relax Fankenteen!" said Santana, holding her hands in the air in some kind of defensive way. "Far from me the idea to hurt Kurt any more."

"You're stupid or just playing dumb?" barked Tina

" Mercedes tell me something… do you think seriously that Kurt is over it? I mean that his last meeting with Blaine was it for him? Don't you think he would wanna know what happened back there? Understand? Find some closure…"

"He said he had closure the minute Lisa told him that they were parents…"

"You really believe that?" asked Santana

And everybody understood what Santana was getting at. Of course she was right, and of course, they couldn't believe that Kurt had found some closure with Lisa's words. If any indication, Kurt locked in his room with vodka was proof enough. They all were aware now of the fact that Kurt wouldn't not ever get over it, if he didn't understood it at the first place. Neither of them would, for that matter. Kurt had to see Blaine one last time, even if it would hurt him again. Even Finn, recognized that. He had to see him, listen to him and then he would eventually get over it. Because no one could get over something he didn't understand. Human logic was just a bitch.

"Okay… But how? " Asked Mike, now fully aware that everyone was on the same page.

"My fellow friends… I guess I'm talking for everyone here… but the Blainevention operation is officially a go!"

"Not so fast Mercedes" said suddenly Quinn

"Oh you're such a pain in the ass, Fabray, I think we all agreed that it's the best for Kurt. What's you excuse, miss Bossy Pants? " inquired Santana with a annoyed look toward her friend.

"My water just broke."