Blaine pulled into the parking lot of the coffee shop nervously and checked his watch as he parked. 6:10. Good, he had twenty minutes before Alex would show. Exactly twenty minutes. Alex was nothing if not punctual, annoyingly so.

Blaine let out the deep breath he barely realized he'd been holding and went over in his mind, one more time, the events of last night and everything he had discussed with Nick.

"Bye-bye, daddy!" Addy waved brightly as she headed toward the door with Jeff and Elise. Pausing, Elise ran back and wrapped her arms around Nick's legs.

"Love you, papa," Elise whispered. For whatever reason, Nick was the only person that could bring about a soft and shy side to the little girl. He picked her up and held her closely for a moment before setting her back to her feet and gently swatting her backside to send her on her way.

"I love you too, Peanut. Be good for daddy." Elise nodded happily, bobbing the blonde ponytail that was the exact same shade as Jeff's.

"We'll just get some ice cream and play at the park across the street. It should be light for another hour or so." Jeff came over to place a gentle kiss on his husband's lips. Blaine watched unabashedly. Instead of being embarrassed, he just reveled in the beauty that was their marriage. He had known the two since they were sixteen and just barely dating. They had had their ups and downs, just like any couple, but in the end they kept going strong despite so many people in their lives telling them that a high school relationship could not possibly last. Blaine had not been one of those people. He knew from the beginning that they were meant to be. It broke his heart that his marriage to Alex and been a mockery of what these two shared. He wanted it so badly. Maybe someday…

"Off you go to!" Nick playfully swatted Jeff the same way he had swatted his daughter and Jeff yelped with an indignant, "Hey!"

"I love you, baby."

"Hmmm, you're lucky I love you too. Just you watch it though. I may have my lawyer sue you for sexual harassment!" Jeff good-naturedly stuck out his tongue and grabbed the hands of both little girls as he headed out the door.

Nick waited after the door shut. Staring at it with a grin. The door opened again.

"You forgot your…"

"I know! Every stinking time!" Jeff picked up his wallet from the side table by Blaine's door, waving it in the air and disappeared again without even a look at the other two.

Both men sitting at the kitchen table laughed out loud the moment the door slammed. After a moment Nick looked back to Blaine.

"O.k., man. Time has come to spill. What happened? I know we only see each other about three times a year with living so far away, and I know that you and Jeff end up talking on the phone more than you and I, but every time I've seen you and Alex you've seemed fine." Blaine looked across to his friend with a sad and tired expression.

"Did you know that for a lawyer you kind of suck when it comes to being observant about interpersonal relationships?" Nick pursed his lips and looked slightly sheepish.

"Jeff may possibly have mentioned something like that to me a time or two over the last sixteen years. Sorry."

"It's o.k., Nick. I wasn't exactly forthright to anyone about it… anyone at all. Jeff only guessed because he's so good at reading people. I really only just admitted it to him right before we came here."

"O.k., then. So do you want to tell me now?"

"Alright, CliffsNotes version. I'm not sure we ever really loved each other and if we did it was incredibly short-lived. We fought. All the time. He accused me of… you name it. Cheating. Lying. Jealousy. Not loving him. None of it was true although the lack of love became true quickly. It finally culminated with me finding out that he was cheating and probably had been since the beginning of our marriage. We fought again. This time ready to kill each other. He tried to hit me. I stopped him. Addy and I left. You and I are eating crappy Chinese takeout at my kitchen table."

"He… hit you?" Nick sputtered and grabbed Blaine's face with one hand as though trying to find a visible bruise. Blaine smacked his hand away gently and locked eyes with his friend.

"Tried is the operative word here, Nick. He tried but I blocked him. It just happened the one time too. Honestly, I almost hit him back out of instinct from my boxing days, but I thankfully stopped myself in time. Not that it wouldn't have felt good to hit the bastard but we don't need to add accusations of abuse to this whole mess."

"Well, from what you described I think your hitting him would actually have been considered self-defense. And Blaine? There IS the possibility of an accusation of abuse. YOU could be the one to file a report against HIM. You have every right and it could help your case."

Blaine scrunched up one side of his face lightly at the thought. He knew it sounded incredibly sexist, so he hesitated to say it out loud, but he was no girl. He felt weak running to the police over something like this knowing that he had been and was perfectly able to defend himself. Spousal abuse was always a man against a woman, right? He was about to say this out loud when Nick spoke again.

"Look, I'm a guy. I'm a guy's guy like you. I get it. You'd feel weak, like you were asking someone else to fight your battles. That is not what would be happening." Blaine looked down at the and shook he head ready to argue. Nick reached across the table and took his friend's hand gently before speaking again.

"That's not what would be happening," he stated again slowly. Blaine swallowed hard. "Spousal abuse happens in all forms and it doesn't mean that the one being attacked is weaker. It means that the one doing the attacking thinks so little of themselves that they need to take it out on their partner in order to feel better, to feel bigger. That's why you didn't hit him in response. That's not who you are. That is obviously who Alex is though. And here's one more thing to consider. If you won't file a report for you then do it for Addy." Blaine looked at him in confusion at this. "You don't want him to have custody of Adelaide at all, I'm assuming, right?" Blaine nodded definitively to this. "The bigger case you are able to build up against him, the more likely you are to make this happen." Blaine's eyes closed in understanding. Yes, he would do it for Addy. Anything for Addy.

"Alright then." Nick pulled out his suitcase and reached in for his laptop. "Are you ready to officially talk as lawyer to client?"

"So you're saying you didn't bill me through the incredibly soggy General Tso's chicken?" Nick rolled his eyes in response.

"Let's get to work then." He quickly ran through his standard list of questions when dealing with a divorce and custody case, typing everything onto his laptop as they spoke.

"So, both of you are on the birth certificate? I thought her last name was just Anderson." Blaine ran his fingers through his hair in frustration at this.

"Yeah, we just liked Anderson better with her name. Well, I did. Alex pulled his typical just letting me decide crap, and since she's mine biologically it just kind of made sense. He wanted to be on the birth certificate though, which at the time I thought was SO. FUCKING. SWEET!" Blaine threw the wadded up napkins he had been balling in his hand across the room against the wall. One for every word that he yelled. Nick just looked at him with sympathy. Blaine plopped his face down on top of his folded arms and then spoke in a muffled voice. "That is going to totally bite me in the ass, isn't it?"

"Well, I'm not going to lie. It doesn't make it any easier." Blaine let out a pathetic little groan. Nick leaned back in his chair and crossed his hands behind his head. "Bad news first, alright?" Blaine let out another small and muffled noise of assent. "He's on the birth certificate, he's never been abusive towards her and he's always provided well as far as her livelihood goes." Blaine attempted to groan again but this one ended up sounding much more like a whimper. "Bad news over though," Nick assured. "He's never been there for her emotionally, has always been incredibly distant, letting you make any and all decisions regarding her care and he WAS abusive toward you. Well, an attempt at abuse, but it will still help our cause in a big way." Blaine finally lifted his head up all whimpering and groaning done.

"So I need to report the abuse if I have any hope of gaining full custody," he stated with resignation. Nick simply nodded in response.

"O.k., done. What else?"

"Well, we need to deal with the issue of being in a gay marriage in a state that does not recognize such a union as legal."

"Really, something so small? I was hoping to tackle the really big issues tonight," Blaine snarked with pent up frustration. Nick just looked at him with one corner of his mouth turned up in amusement.

Blaine looked back apologetically.

"O.k., here is the first thing that I can tell you. There is actually a loophole that can sometimes be used where if a state does not recognize a marriage between two gay people they will simply be allowed to walk away and not even bother with a divorce." Blaine felt hope rushing to his heart at these words. "However, what is the likelihood that Alex will simply walk away given his past stubbornness and the now sudden and burning desire to see Addy? Even if he agreed verbally to just let you have her, his name is still on the birth certificate like we talked about earlier. On top of that, if you never got legally divorced then he would still have legal rights as your spouse should you ever travel to states where your marriage is recognized." (Well, there goes the hope.) At the droop of Blaine's shoulders Nick pressed on. "Don't despair. That is but one option and not the best one at that." Nick sat back and drummed his fingers on the kitchen table thinking. Blaine just wanted to curl up and cry. "You were married in Connecticut, right? You actually lived there at the time?" Blaine nodded, wondering how this could possibly make any difference. Nick brightened slightly and began typing furiously.

Tiny flicker of hope.

"Aha! Here it is. If one or more parties is domiciled in the state at the time of the marriage and returns to the state with the intention of permanently remaining before the filing of the complaint then it is possible to dissolve the marriage or gain a legal separation." Nick looked up triumphantly. Blaine just sat there.

"So, if I want this to happen with as little mess as possible, I need to permanently move myself and my daughter to Connecticut. Better yet, I need to convince Alex to do so before also convincing him to file for divorce and grant me full custody of our daughter," Blaine droned dryly.

Tiny flicker gone again.

"Look, I know it's nowhere near ideal but it's something. I'm not saying you should do this. I'm just laying out all of the options. We will figure this out. I promise." Nick squeezed Blaine's hand.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I keep jumping down your throat when all you're trying to do is help."

"No worries. I bill you double for every time you snap at me," Nick winked.

Blaine let out his first real laugh since this whole conversation had started. "So now what?"

"Well, I think attempting to reason with him might be our next best move. You know him best, what do you think would work?"

"A hammer to the back of the head?"

"As your lawyer I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."

A few minutes later they had a basic plain figured out, and just in time as Jeff arrived back with the girls. After settling them on the couch with blankets and a cartoon, the blonde walked up to Nick and bumped him with his hip so that his husband would scoot and they could share the chair. It was all so effortless. Blaine was sure that neither man was even really conscious of their actions. This is what a marriage was supposed to be like.

Someday…

Blaine looked up as the immaculate BMW pulled into the spot next to his. Deep breath. Here we go.

Both men got out of their cars and met in the middle. For a moment they just looked.

"Where's Addy? I thought you were bringing her?"

"No, I said we needed to talk. I never agreed to handing her over to you."

"You have me come all the way out here and then refuse to give her to me? Why tonight? Why did you change it from when I wanted to come tomorrow morning?"

"No, look, I'm not saying that I'm absolutely keeping her from you but I'm pretty skeptical of it… with good reason! And I have the right to chose a day and time that works for me. If you can give me some damn good explanations as to why you want to spend time with her all of a sudden then I will consider letting you take her."

"You think you have the right to keep her from me? She's my daughter too Blaine!"

"So now she's your daughter? You never call her that! You always refer to her as MY daughter! Every time! And did you seriously think I would just let her go to you without a fight after what you almost did to me?"

"Really, Blaine? Grow up. Be a man. You ducked like a little girl anyway," he sneered. "I didn't touch you."

"That's not the point, Alex. I already filed a report against you. You're not getting away with it and you're not getting Addy. Not permanently anyway." Alex glared and was practically trembling with rage at this point.

"Look, this isn't how I wanted to do this. Fighting like this will help no one." Blaine gestured to the outside picnic table and after glancing at him suspiciously Alex sat down. Blaine joined him and then asked in a quieter voice. "Why do you really want her Alex? I'm not trying to be mean or spiteful right now, I promise. You've just never shown much interest in being a father. You've never even spent time alone together before. Not once in three years. What do you even plan to do if you have her?"

"I don't know. Girl things," Alex shrugged. "Shopping or whatever."

"She's three. She'll get tired of shopping real quick after she's done with the Disney store."

"I'll take her to my mom's then. They get along pretty well."

Blaine sputtered silently for a moment. "You would go to all the trouble of taking her away from me, only to leave her at your mom's and not even spend time with her?" Alex shrugged.

"Why does it matter? What the hell difference does it make? It would be my time with her and I can spend it however I want!" Blaine felt the color draining from his face.

"You really don't love her in the slightest, do you? I thought that maybe your desire to see her might possible have at least the smallest inkling of emotion attached to it, but no. This really is just spite. Pure spite. You want to do anything you can to make me unhappy so you're trying to take away my daughter. You. Can't. Have. Her." Suddenly Alex was lunging across the table and grasping Blaine by the front of the shirt. Blaine attempted to push him off but it was hard to do without causing a scene in the crowded strip mall and Alex had him pinned awkwardly against the table.

"Listen you little bitch. You don't get to just go off and be happy and take everything away from me. I provided for the both of you while you played mommy and made a measly salary as a nursemaid. I'm the reason you are driving your precious little Prius over there. I'm the reason we were able to afford surrogacy in the first place. I'm the reas…"

"Papa, stop it!" Blaine looked over in a panic and saw Addy standing next to them with tears streaming down her face. Without another thought for causing a scene he pushed Alex off roughly and leaped to Addy's side, scooping her up into his arms and whispering in her ear that everything would be just fine. Jeff and Nick ran up to them from the pizza place across the street, looking both upset and guilty. Nick was holding a visibly shaking Elise and trying to soother her. Jeff stepped next to Blaine and put a comforting hand on both his and Addy's backs while trying to explain.

"I'm so, so sorry, Blaine! Everything was fine and the girls were eating when she noticed the both of you over here. She was so excited and she slipped out of her seat and out the door before either of us could stop her. I'm just so glad this is a small road and there was no traffic."

"It's okay. It's okay." Blaine repeated softly. Jeff was fairly certain that this was meant for the little girl and not him. Alex chose that moment to lean in towards Addy and start talking.

"Hey, honey. It's time to go home with papa, alright?"

Addy just snuggled deeper into Blaine and was literally shaking at this point. Blaine opened his mouth to reply angrily but never had a chance.

"Listen, you." Jeff walked straight up to Alex until they were almost nose-to-nose. "You will get in your car and you will leave. Now. Not only is that little girl absolutely terrified of you, we saw you physically abuse your husband with our own eyes. Leave or I will call the police. Oh, and you remember my husband, right? Did you forget that he is a lawyer? That's right, the best one in the state of Ohio and he is perfectly capable of making your life a living hell so I'd suggest you watch your step." Alex stared at Jeff in disbelief, almost as much so as Blaine and Nick. Jeff never lost his cool. It was fairly awe-inspiring. After pushing Jeff away from him, at which Nick looked like he was ready to commit murder, Alex jumped in his car and sped off.

Blaine shakily sank down onto the cement bench again and continued to rock and soothe Addy. Jeff and Nick looked at each other in concern and sat down on either side of him, Elise still in her papa's lap.

"I need to go." Blaine stood suddenly carrying Adelaide to his car. "I need to take her home."

"Are you sure?" Jeff and Nick glanced at each other skeptically and Jeff moved to stand beside his friend as the curly haired man settled his daughter into her car seat. "Why don't I at least come to your place with you. I don't think you should be alone right now." Nick was already nodding his agreement when Blaine, in turn, shook his head roughly.

"No, I appreciate it. I really do. I appreciate all you guys have done and are doing for Addy and I. I just need to be alone right now. We need to be alone together." The other two men nodded their silent agreement and backed away as Blaine climbed into his car without another word and drove off.

The moment he was on the road he lost it. Tears streaming down his face and body shaking silently with repressed sobs. He hated this. He hated feeling weak, like he couldn't even protect his own daughter. She had been so scared and it was because he had been stupid enough to have her within the same vicinity as Alex. He couldn't comprehend why he had even entertained the thought of letting Alex taking her, even for one night. It was the compassionate part of himself that always desired giving someone a second chance.

Not again. Not ever again.

Suddenly fear overwhelmed him. What if Alex had found out where he lived? What if he went back there and Alex was waiting? He wasn't afraid for himself. He could handle himself. He was afraid for Addy. He thought briefly of going to Nick and Jeff's but they had done more than enough for him this week. Plus he was feeling so lonely and heartbroken right now that being a third wheel all night around a loving couple was less than appealing. He suddenly knew where to go. Reaching into his wallet he pulled out the slip of paper with an address scratched on it. He quickly entered the address into his GPS and found himself pulling into the driveway of a cute little ranch-style house with an immaculate yard on the far side of town only minutes later. He regretted not calling ahead for a moment and then pushed the thought away knowing that this was the only place he wanted to be, rudely showing up on the doorstep and all. Addy was sound asleep by now, exhausted from her emotional evening. He picked her up, carried her to the door and knocked lightly. The door opened and he took in the sight of Kurt looking cute and homey in flannel pajama pants and a Columbia University t-shirt, Elliott's small face poking out from behind his father's legs. Kurt wordlessly held the door open wide and welcomed them in as he looked back in surprise. His surprise quickly turned to concern when he took in two sets of red and puffy eyes, one closed in sleep. When Blaine spoke he barely recognized his own voice, as it was so thick with emotion.

"Can we stay here tonight?"