"You want some coffee or water?" Kurt asked, deceivingly calm.

"No thanks. I just had coffee." Dave answered, sitting back and resting his hands on his thighs.

Kurt sat down in Blaine's chair behind the desk, crossing his legs and his arms. He gazed at Dave for a few seconds, trying to gather his courage.

He took a deep breath. "Okay… You said you wanted to make it up to me?"

Dave nodded silently, his expression unreadable.

"Right, well, this is how it's going to go. I'm going to ask you some questions, David, and I want answers; no, I need answers. And you are going to tell me the absolute truth, okay? You owe me that much." Kurt gave him a sharp look. "Swear to me you'll answer my questions truthfully."

"I swear" Dave said without any hesitation. "I swear on the life of my son, Kurt."

Kurt's jaw dropped in shock. "Oh God, Dave… you… you shouldn't say things like that."

Dave shrugged. "Why not? I'm not going to lie. What would you like to know?"

Kurt shuffled in his chair.

"Well… the first thing I need to know is why. Why David? Why did you do it? Why did you do that to me?" Kurt's voice trembled.

Dave nodded with a bitter grin. "That's actually the first question I had to tackle during my counseling sessions. It took me months to find the answer, you know. And the truth is… I hated you. I couldn't stand the sight of you. I just… wanted to put you down so badly."

Kurt's voice broke. "But why? What did I ever do to you? Was it just because I'm gay?"

"Yes and no. It was because you were gay and proud of it. I didn't hate you just because you're gay, Kurt. I hated you because I was jealous of you."

"What?" Kurt spat. "Jealous?"

"Yeah. I was jealous of your confidence. You were proud to be yourself, and your friends accepted you. It was as if you could get away with anything. I hated that I had to pretend to be someone else, when you could just do whatever you felt like." Dave said earnestly.

A surge of anger rippled through Kurt. "Are you fucking kidding me? I couldn't do whatever I wanted. I was harassed and bullied for it every single day. By you, for one!"

"I know that now." Dave nodded. "But still… you were so strong and courageous, Kurt. You held your head up high. I hated you because you did what I couldn't. You had the guts that I lacked. I realize now that I bullied you because I hated myself, for not being more like you." He shook his head. "But I didn't understand that at the time. Back then I just thought I loathed you because you acted like a freak."

"And you wanted to destroy me…" Kurt breathed.

"I didn't want to destroy you. I just wanted to take you down a peg or two. I guess I wanted to make you as miserable as I was. I wanted you to know what it was like to have to hide your true self…" Dave bowed his head in shame.

Kurt swallowed heavily. "So you're saying you made my life a living hell… just because you had some confidence issues?"

Dave sighed, still looking down. "There is no excuse for what I did, Kurt. I'm just trying to explain what made me do it." He raised his head and met Kurt's eyes. "It's what you asked, right?"

"Right…" Kurt felt numb already. This was so much harder than he'd anticipated. He dreaded asking the next question, but he couldn't leave it be.

He needed to know this more than anything else.

"David. You swore to me you'd tell the truth, so I'm expecting an honest answer to this, hard as it may be… If Sam hadn't stopped you that day in the locker room… would you have carried out your threats? Would you have… raped me?" Kurt's voice was quivering again.

Dave leaned forward in his chair and looked straight into Kurt's eyes. "I swore on my son's life I'd tell you the truth. So here it is. Kurt, I did a lot of soul searching during my time in juvie; during my counseling sessions; and in the years to follow. There isn't a simple answer to your question. I can only tell you what I think is the truth…"

Kurt nodded for him to continue.

"No… I wouldn't have raped you. I didn't enjoy what I did to you, Kurt. It was pure anger and frustration. I didn't derive some sadistic pleasure from it." Dave shrugged. "It's all I can give you as an answer. It's up to you to believe it or not. I can't prove anything. But believe this Kurt, if I truly was a potential rapist, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. And neither would Lisa." Dave said sincerely.

Kurt hugged himself. Dave's answer seemed heartfelt. He wanted to believe it, he really did.

"About Lisa… I always assumed you were gay. I mean, you kissed me, you threatened to rape me, even if you're saying now you wouldn't have… Explain this to me, David."

Dave drew a deep breath. "I'm straight. At least, that's what I figured out for myself. But you're absolutely right. At the time, I was confused about my feelings. I thought I could be gay. And that's why I was so angry and frustrated. That's why I took it out on you."

"But you're not gay." Kurt stated evenly.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm not." Dave shook his head. "I told you that I went to that private school in Pittsburgh, right? Well, I experimented a bit with guys over there. I even had a boyfriend for a little while. But in the end… it didn't feel right. There was always something lacking. I never fell in love with them."

"I see. Are you in love with Lisa?"

Dave gave him a bright smile. "Hell yeah. I was done for as soon as I laid eyes upon her. Love at first sight, just like that!" He said giddily.

A tiny smile made its way onto Kurt's face. "And did she feel the same about you?"

Dave's face fell slightly. "Um… yes and no. We have a complicated history."

"How so? Never mind… it's not my business." Kurt corrected himself quickly.

"Oh no…" Dave raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It is, Kurt. We've had… problems because of what I did to you."

Kurt looked gobsmacked. "Are you serious?" He asked incredulously. "Why did you even tell her in the first place?"

"Like I said, it's complicated." Dave cleared his throat. "I met Lisa during my first year as a cop trainee. There were times when we had to deal with rape cases. She was a volunteer from the local support group for rape victims, so I called her whenever we had a new case."

Dave scratched his hair and continued. "We got talking once, I asked her out for coffee, and we hit it off pretty well. So we started dating. And then one night… She'd made me dinner at her place, and afterwards we were sitting on the couch, just, you know… cuddling and talking. She started telling me about her high school days…"

"I…" Dave heaved a ragged sigh. "She told me about her junior prom. Look, I promised her I wouldn't tell you all the details… But long story short, she caught her date kissing another girl, and she fled outside the building. She ran into three guys, they weren't even from her school; they were just hanging around."

Kurt gasped. "Please, tell me they didn't-"

"They raped her." Dave choked.

"Oh my God." Kurt brought his hand to his mouth. "That's awful. I'm so sorry."

"Lisa is such a strong, brave woman. Those bastards tried to destroy her, but she fought back. She has been fighting ever since… I was the first man she'd allowed into her life, the first she'd opened up to." Dave bowed his head. "And then I had to crush the faith she had in me. I had to confess to her what I did. I couldn't keep it a secret, not after what she'd told me."

Kurt looked at him with wide eyes. "How did she react?"

"Very badly, as you can imagine. She started crying and screaming at me, and then she threw me out. I actually stayed outside, in my car, till her parents got home. I wanted to make sure she'd be all right."

"Damn… How did you two get back together?"

"Well, it wasn't easy. We still saw each other at the police station from time to time. I sent her letters and e-mails, trying to explain everything. I was in love with her, so I couldn't let her go, not like that. And she was in love with me as well. After a while, she e-mailed me back. It went back and forth like that for a couple of weeks. Then she asked me out for coffee. It was basically like starting from scratch, and trying to get to know each other all over again."

"Wow." Kurt nodded. "And now you're married and have a son."

"Yes. It's amazing." Dave smiled. "She and Jeremy are the light of my life. I'd do anything for them."

He gazed at Kurt. "So that's why I said I would not have been able to live with myself if I had been a potential rapist. Not when I've seen what it did to the woman I love. And she wouldn't have been able to deal with it either. In those weeks and months before we got back together, she was basically trying to find out if I was anything like those bastards who raped her, or not. In the end, she told me I wasn't, and that she loved me for who I was."

"Well… that's quite some story." Kurt said meekly. He hadn't expected any of this.

Dave bit his lip. "Lisa was the one who helped me to accept myself, and come to terms with my past… But I will never be able to forgive myself unless you forgive me. I need your forgiveness, Kurt. I know I probably don't deserve it though…"

Kurt looked away and gazed through the window, lost in thought.

After a few minutes, he turned his head back to Dave and looked him straight into the eyes.

"You know, Dave, this wasn't how I expected this talk to go. I wanted to give you a full recount of everything I had been through as a result of the assault. I was going to confront you with every little detail about all the pain, all the suffering, all the fucking nightmares you caused me…"

Kurt's lips curled into a bitter grin. "But I don't need to tell you… do I? You've witnessed it all firsthand with Lisa. You already know what it's like."

"I do." Dave said softly. The broken look on his face tugged at Kurt's heartstrings.

Kurt stood up from his chair and walked around the desk. He pulled back the other chair next to Dave, and sat down. Dave turned towards Kurt, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Dave… I want to forgive you. I really need to forgive you." He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "I want to put this behind me for good. It has caused enough heartache and misery… to both of us… and to the people we love. And I… I just want to erase it."

A glimmer of hope appeared on Dave's face.

"I know you're sorry, and I believe that everything you just told me is the truth. So yes… I forgive you."

"Thank you." Dave said under his breath; as his face crumpled and he dissolved into tears.

Kurt gulped, taken aback by the sudden outburst. He tentatively placed his hand on Dave's shoulder.

"Dave. Listen to me." Dave took a steadying, deep breath, and raised his eyes, as Kurt continued speaking. "This is it, okay? I'm done with it, and so are you. This has been our final conversation on the subject, got it?" Dave nodded silently as Kurt withdrew his hand. "I want you to forgive yourself too, Dave. You're obviously a great dad and a good husband. Which makes me believe you're a good man."

Dave wiped away his tears and nodded. "Thank you, Kurt, just… thank you."

Kurt smiled. The burden had finally been lifted from his heart, after all these years. It felt incredible. He felt liberated. Cleansed almost. "It's funny, in hindsight, I'm actually glad we've met again in that hospital room." He chuckled softly.

"Me too, Kurt, me too. Thanks for being so wonderful to Jeremy, by the way. He likes you, you know? Whenever you're off shift, he asks about you." Dave smirked fondly.

"He's such a brave kid. I guess he takes after his mother; from what you've just told me, they're both fighters."

"They are." Dave pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Kurt. "Listen, Kurt, I want you to have this."

"What is it?" Kurt looked at the phone numbers scribbled on the note.

"Those are my phone numbers, cell and fix, and Lisa's cell. If you ever need anything, no matter what, call us… I mean it. I'll do anything to help you out. The same goes for Dr. Anderson."

"Thanks Dave. I will." Kurt put the note into his breast pocket.

Dave rose from his chair. "I'm going back to Lisa and Jeremy now." He reached out his hand. "Kurt…"

Kurt got to his feet and shook Dave's hand. "Take care, Dave."

Kurt was making his way back to the staff room when he heard a familiar voice calling his name.

He turned around and smiled as he saw Blaine striding towards him. The doctor stopped in front of him and studied his face. "Everything alright, Kurt? I saw you leaving the cafeteria with the Karofsky's… Did you guys talk?"

"Yes, we did." Kurt looked around to see if anybody was watching. He took Blaine's hand and pulled him into the staff room.

"Well?" Blaine asked, as he entered the room and went to lean against the table.

Kurt sat down on the chair closest to Blaine, and looked up into his worried, hazel eyes. "It was an interesting conversation. I'll tell you the whole story tonight, but suffice to say that what he told me was enough for me to forgive him. So we're okay now."

"Are you sure, baby?" Blaine reached out and caressed Kurt's upper arm.

"Yes. Absolutely." Kurt smiled reassuringly. "You'll understand why when you know all the facts, believe me."

Blaine let out a relieved sigh. "I'm glad, honey. I really am." He grasped Kurt's hand and pulled him up to stand between his legs. With his other hand, he cupped Kurt's face. "I love you."

"I love you too." Kurt murmured, before they melted into a tender kiss.

One week later

Kurt peered through the oven door. The apple cake was almost ready. It had been a tricky operation, because Blaine's so called high tech oven was actually one complicated piece of junk.

"Oh GOD that smells delicious!" Blaine piped as he walked into the kitchen. "You are going to seduce my daughter with cake, aren't you?"

"Seduce your spawn with succulent sweets, that's my evil plan." Kurt smirked, as he walked towards his boyfriend and slipped his arms around his waist. "When can we expect them?"

Blaine checked his watch. "Their plane landed thirty minutes ago. They should arrive in an hour or so. They're stopping by before they go to Liz's parents." He planted a kiss on Kurt's lips.

"You're nervous aren't you?" Kurt asked, raising one eyebrow slightly.

Blaine stepped back and leaned against the sink. "I am… It's silly, I know. It's just… I haven't seen her in eight months. Will she even know who I am anymore?"

Kurt moved towards Blaine and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Of course she will, baby. She sees you on Skype every week. She knows who her daddy is." He smiled and ran his hand through Blaine's curls. "I can't wait to meet your daughter; and to see you two together. It's going to be adorable."

Blaine pulled Kurt into his arms. "You know what I can't wait for? The three of us together; being a family… for a little while." He pressed a kiss below Kurt's ear. "Sounds a bit crazy, right?" He chuckled quietly.

Kurt pulled back and rested his forehead against Blaine's. "No it doesn't. It sounds wonderful."

Blaine sprinted to the door as soon as he heard the doorbell ring. Kurt waited inside the living room.

A few seconds later a loud "DADDY!" sounded from the hallway; followed by Blaine's laughter. Kurt's heart fluttered at the sound.

And then his heart melted at the sight of Blaine carrying his daughter inside the living room. The curly haired blonde girl was giggling and hugging her dad tightly, while Blaine was peppering small kisses all over her little face.

"My sweet little Lily. Daddy has missed you so much."

Liz and Paul followed Blaine into the living room, and stepped forward to greet Kurt.

"Hi, Kurt." Liz reached out her hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Blaine has told me so much about you."

"It's my pleasure, and I hope he hasn't been boring you to death about me." Kurt smiled, while he studied Liz discretely. She was very petite and curvy, partly due to the pregnancy. She had the prettiest face and a dazzling smile. Even as a gay man, Kurt could see the appeal. Plus she seemed good-natured and smart.

Liz laughed. "Oh no, never boring." She gestured towards the man standing next to her. "This is Paul, my fianc�."

"Nice to meet you." Kurt shook his hand as well. Paul was clearly different from Blaine. He was at least 6 foot tall and rather thin. He had short black hair with grey streaks, and icy blue eyes. Liz had a great taste in men, that much was obvious.

"Hello." Paul said cordially. "It's very nice to meet you."

"KURT! KURT!" Lily shouted, pointing enthusiastically from her spot on Blaine's arm.

Kurt grinned and moved towards the little girl. "That's right, Lily. I'm Kurt. You remembered my name, you're such a smart girl!" He tickled her below the chin, causing her to collapse into a fit of giggles.

Blaine beamed at Kurt, then turned to his ex-wife and Paul. "Please take a seat, coffee will be ready any minute. Did you guys have a good flight?"

Liz shrugged. "Good enough. The transfer at JFK was a bit hectic, but we managed. I'm dreading the jetlag though. It's no fun to wake up and feel ready to start your day, when it's only 2 AM."

"God no, I can imagine." Blaine answered, still swaying Lily in his arms.

"Daddy? Where is Mr. Bunny?" Lily asked, plucking at Blaine's curls.

"Mr. Bunny? I don't know Lily?" Blaine answered.

"Oh, right, we left him in the car." Paul said. "I'll go get him." He rose from the couch and walked to the front door.

"I'll go check on the coffee and the cake." Kurt winked at Blaine and went to the kitchen.

Blaine lowered himself on the couch, next to Liz. Lily struggled herself free from his arms and started to skip around the living room.

"You're already showing." He murmured, gazing at Liz' stomach.

She smirked. "That's putting it mildly. I'm only four months along and already people are asking me if it's almost time to give birth."

Blaine chuckled. "That's a bit harsh. It's not that bad really. But you definitely look pregnant. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"A boy." Liz whispered.

"That's nice… a little brother for Lily…" Blaine said wistfully.

Liz grasped Blaine's hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Blaine, honey… I'm sorry if all of this makes you uncomfortable. I mean, the wedding and the pregnancy…"

"It's fine." Blaine shrugged. "It is what it is, right? I'm happy for you, and I'm glad you came over. So when is the big day?"

"Friday. We'll be bringing Lily over on Saturday, if that's okay for you, and then our plane leaves on Sunday morning. It's not a big day, you know. We're just going to town hall, and then we're having dinner with our parents. I don't even have a wedding dress, it's just a formality."

"Well that's not very romantic." Blaine raised his eyebrows.

"Oh, we'll save the romance for our honeymoon. Neither of us really wanted a big fuss for the wedding itself." Liz said, as she watched Lily bounce into the kitchen.

"Lily! Come back here! Not in the kitchen!" She called after her daughter.

"It's okay, I got her!" They heard Kurt shout back.

Kurt smiled at the little girl. She was standing on her toes and clutching the table top with her tiny fingers, watching Kurt as he cut the round cake into pieces.

"Pie! Yummy! I like to eat pie! Mommy and daddy like pie too. Are we going to eat pie?" She chattered happily.

"It's not pie, sweetie. It's apple cake. Do you like apple cake?" Kurt placed the knife in the kitchen sink, so Lily couldn't reach it.

"Yes." Lily nodded.

"So you're going to eat a slice?" Kurt smirked.

"Yes." She nodded again.

"That's great! I hope you'll like it, because I made it myself." He ruffled her hair. "Now, would you like some chocolate milk?"

Lily gasped and looked at him with sparkling eyes. "YES!" Kurt chuckled. Liz had told them it was Lily's favorite drink.

"Everything alright in here?"

Kurt and Lily turned their gaze to Blaine, who was watching the heartwarming scene from the doorway. He was looking at both of them with such a fierce love in his eyes, it made Kurt blush.

"Yes, perfect." He breathed, staring back at Blaine.

Blaine waved a small stuffed plush bunny in the air. "Guess who's here?"

"MR. BUNNY!" Lily shrieked and she jumped forward to grab her furry little friend.

Kurt laughed quietly. "Well then, now that we're finally complete, we can have coffee and cake."

All in all, the afternoon passed in a much less awkward fashion than Kurt had feared. Liz and Paul were genuinely nice people. Paul had the kind of dry wit Kurt liked.

Liz… she was special. The longer Kurt observed her, the more it made sense to him. She and Blaine had been a perfect match once. There was still a tiny spark of chemistry between them, and it was obvious to Kurt that they still cared deeply about each other.

True love never died, right?

But apparently, Blaine and Liz were just another example that true love alone was never enough. A relationship needed more than love to survive. Life wasn't a romance novel after all.

As for Lily, well, she was just all kinds of cute. And smart. She amazed Kurt with her bright little mind and humorous remarks.

Blaine's eyes were glued to his daughter the whole time. He hung onto her every word and move like a smitten puppy.

Kurt had been right.

It was adorable.

That night, Kurt cuddled up next to Blaine, who was lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you thinking about? Or should I say who?" Kurt teased.

Blaine smiled. "You know who…"

"I do." Kurt smirked. "She's so freaking cute. Oh, and she's so well mannered. The way she told me she liked my apple cake… I just melted. We are going to have so much fun together."

"Yeah." Blaine sighed. "I wish it was Saturday already."

"Well, at least you've got to spend some time with her this afternoon. And like I told you, she knows who her daddy is." Kurt moved closer and rested his head against Blaine's chest.

Blaine hummed as he draped his arm around Kurt, and started to rub his back.

"So Liz is nice…" Kurt said hesitantly.

"She's a sweetheart." Blaine answered. Then his hand froze. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Kurt shook his head reassuringly. "No… I know where you two are coming from. It's like you said to me last week… true love can be found in more than one person. I'm glad you two get along."

"But…?" Blaine offered.

Damn.

Blaine knew him too well. Raising his head, Kurt looked at Blaine and shrugged. "It's strange, seeing you two together. I mean, not because she's your ex, just because…"

"She's a woman." Blaine added.

"Well… yeah." Kurt propped himself up on his elbows. "Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly okay with your bisexuality. It's just… it hit me this afternoon that you are not like me. We are different. You're not gay, and I am. It just feels odd, that's all."

"I am gay for you, though." Blaine grinned.

Kurt let out a breathless laugh. "Glad to hear that."

"I understand that it feels weird to you. But you do realize we're actually more alike than Liz and I don't you? She's a woman. We are both men. And think of straight couples. A man who likes women and a woman who likes men? Talk about opposites there!" Blaine said.

"Oh thank God I never had to deal with that!" Kurt laughed. "But you're right. Look… it's stupid. Forget about it."

"No it's okay. You can tell me or ask me anything you want, honey." Blaine turned sideways and gazed at Kurt with amusement written all over his face.

"Well then…" Kurt pursed his lips in thought. "What's it like having sex with a woman? Is it different? I mean, I know it's different… Do you like it better than having sex with a man?"

Blaine frowned in thought as he ran his index finger back and forth over Kurt's clavicle.

"Hmmm. Well; the mechanics are slightly different. Men don't have boobs and vagina's, and women don't have penises."

"Obviously." Kurt chuckled.

Blaine licked his lips and tilted his head. "But the lovemaking part is pretty much the same, at least that's how I feel about it. And to answer your last question; no… I have no preference."

He leaned in and grazed his lips against Kurt's cheek in the most sensual way. Reaching Kurt's ear, he whispered hungrily. "I love fucking the person I fucking love…"

He nuzzled his nose into Kurt's hair. "And the person I fucking love… is you."

Kurt threw his head back and moaned loudly as Blaine latched his lips onto the sensitive skin of his neck. "Blaine!" He cried out, as he wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist, pressing him closer. Their hips met, and the delicious friction made them both gasp.

Kurt tangled his hands in Blaine's curls and pulled him back. Both men stared at each other with a mixture of love and lust in their eyes.

"I'm so crazy about you…" Kurt whispered. He brought his hand to Blaine's face and brushed his lips with his thumb.

Blaine let out a impatient whimper. Kurt's eyes widened at the sound, and the next thing he knew, he was straddling Blaine and kissing him with a fiery passion. Their kisses were hot and sweet and deep and greedy all at once, and left them both panting for breath as they finally broke free.

Kurt quickly got rid of his boxer briefs and almost tore Blaine's pajama pants from his body, before straddling him again. Blaine's hips thrust up involuntarily at the renewed touch, and soon they were rocking into each other. The heated touches and kisses were driving them to the brink of ecstasy all too soon.

Kurt slowed down and pulled back, leaning over towards the night stand to grab a small tube from the drawer.

"What… why did you stop?" Blaine breathed heavily.

Kurt moved back on top of Blaine and kissed him soundly. "Remember our first time, in New York?" He asked in a husky voice. Blaine hummed in approval and closed his eyes.

"Remember how perfect it was?" Kurt purred. He pressed soft, lingering kisses all over Blaine's face and shoulder, while gently preparing himself.

"Yes… it was. You are." Blaine croaked.

"No, we are." Kurt breathed. He leaned back and positioned himself above Blaine.

"Oh holy fuck!" Blaine exclaimed between gritted teeth, as Kurt sank down on him in one move.

Kurt drew in a shuddering breath as he waited for the slight sting to go away. He took Blaine's hands, lacing their fingers together, and started to roll his hips.

He smiled blissfully down at Blaine, who watched him through hooded eyes.

Before long, Blaine started to yearn for more. He released Kurt's hands and gripped his hips tightly, causing Kurt to topple forwards and land on his hands. Blaine took advantage of the altered position to quicken the pace.

Kurt surrendered to Blaine's hard and fast thrusts, crying out at every move, because the angle was just right.

And as he felt the final tide wave of pleasure approaching, he locked eyes with Blaine, while two words kept replaying in his mind.

Fucking perfect.