After Santana left, Tony went over things with them. Blaine listened intently to Tony's rules and the plan he laid out, trying to find any weaknesses or points that put Kurt at unnecessary risk. He could tell by the way Kurt sat on the couch rim-rod straight,his eyes narrowing when Tony got to a questionable spot in the plan, that he was doing the same thing. 

“Okay, so when we get to the airport with our new passports and everything, you think it is better if we go through security separately?” Kurt asked. “Why? And is it more dangerous to go first or second?”

Blaine held back a smile, realizing their biggest weakness was probably their inclination for putting themselves at risk in order to protect each other. 

Tony sighed, apparently seeing that problem as well. “Honestly you'd be safest leaving the country on different days from different airports,” he said. “The Registry is looking for you, right Blaine?”

Blaine nodded. 

“So if you are apprehended at the airport and Kurt is with you then. Bam! They have you both.” 

Kurt held Blaine's hand tightly.  “We aren't splitting up,” Kurt said. 

“That's the other thing,” Tony continued. “Kurt, you're ‘visiting family in Lima', but the Lifemate Registry isn't dumb, they'll be looking for you two together as a couple. If you would just fly out separately-“

“We aren't splitting up,” Kurt repeated. “If one of us got away but the other one got caught none of this is worth anything. We're paying you a lot of money here, Tony, can you get us out together or not?” 

Tony looked back and forth between them sternly before shaking his head in resignation. “Fine. But you still have to go through security separately, just put a few people between you in line, that's all I'm asking.” 

Blaine nodded. “Okay.” 

Kurt looked at him sharply before sighing. “Yeah, okay.”

“With Santana, we just had to get her into Canada and no one was looking for her yet. You two, though… the only thing you have going for you at this point is that Blaine has been missing so long they may think he's already left the country. I say we skip Canada altogether and try to get you on a plane to France. Once there, the U.S. Lifemate Registry can't touch you.”

Both Kurt and Blaine agreed as Tony outlined the plan. Afterwards, he led them down to where they'd stay for the next couple of days while he got their paperwork ready. “The cellar” was exactly that; Tony brought them to the building's basement. It was dirty and old and smelled of mildew. There was a line of shelves in the back that Tony walked to and then pulled aside. They were easier to move than they looked. Behind them was a hidden door. 

Blaine was relived, if there was another room behind that wall, it had to be nicer and less depressing than the rest of the basement. 

It wasn't much better. The room was small with cement floors, ceiling and walls. There was a florescent lamp on the ceiling, a small sofa that had seen much better days, a mini fridge, a hot plate and microwave. One little corner was sectioned off with a toilet and shower, and lastly, a twin bed pushed against a wall looking old and uncomfortable. 

Kurt looked around and then turned to Tony. 

“It isn't much. I know,” Tony said. 

“It's fine.” Kurt glanced around again. “It's all we need.” 

Tony told them they would have to stay here until things were set up, the mini fridge was full and he'd check on them to see what else they needed, and then he left. Blaine opened the fridge to find turkey, cheese, mustard, some fruit and milk. The counter with the hot plate and microwave had some plates, bowls and a pot and pan as well as cereal, bread and some canned soups. It wasn't much. 

Blaine looked around the room, the overhead light making the whole place seem a little sickly green. He walked over to the bed and plopped down, scooting back to lean his back on the wall. The bed creaked and groaned. 

“Ahhhh, paradise.” He winked, and Kurt, who had been watching him, smiled and sat down on the bed next to him, leaning his head on Blaine's shoulder and tangling their fingers together.

“Four star accommodations for sure,” Kurt said, playing with their slotted-together fingers. 

“But after this, we leave for France.”

Kurt looked up at him. “How do you feel about that?”

“Running away to France with the man I love? Oh, I feel pretty damn good about that.” 

Kurt's face broke out into a wide grin. “I can teach you French. Maybe we can get a little apartment in a big city or a cottage out in the countryside. It isn't New York, but it actually sounds…” Kurt sighed, “really nice.” 

“Wherever we are, we will be together and won't have to pretend to not be with each other,” Blaine said. “I can't… I wouldn't care where we lived if it meant I got to walk down the street hand in hand with you and kiss you whenever and wherever I wanted.” 

Kurt laughed and gave him a little nudge.”That sounded dirty.”

“Mmmmm, maybe it was.” 

“Two days,” Kurt said, looking back down at their hands. Then he sat up from Blaine's shoulder abruptly.

“What is it?”

Kurt shook his head and then slid his wedding ring, the one that said he was married to Cooper, off of his finger. Then, he took Blaine's ring and put it on the ring finger of his left hand. He held it up for a moment, looking at it. Blaine just watched his face, happy and open. 

“That feels much better,” Kurt said with a smile. 

Blaine switched his ring to his left hand as well and held it up next to Kurt's. “It feels right.” 

The two days that Tony had promised became three and then four. On the afternoon of the forth day, Blaine asked Tony if he could make a phone call. 

“I was hoping that once Kurt and I got to France, we'd be able to somehow reach out to our families and let them know we were safe. If we need to stay here any longer, couldn't we somehow just… I don't know, let them know we're okay?”

Tony didn't like it, but he eventually got them a prepaid phone that would be hard to trace. “You have one phone call and three minutes,” he told them.

“Call Cooper. He can get in touch with my dad,” Kurt said and Blaine kissed him. 

“Thank you.” 

Cooper answered on the first ring. 

“Hello?”

“Coop?”

“Oh my god. Squirt!”

Blaine smiled. “Listen I can't talk long and I don't know what I can say…”

“No one is listening in,” Cooper said. “If that's what you're worried about. I can't stop them from getting the phone records, but they can't hear our conversation. I know a guy,” he said proudly and Blaine's heart ached with how much he missed his brother.

“Good, I… I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. And Kurt. We're okay.” 

“Thank god. And you're… somewhere safe?”

“We're working on it,” Blaine said, glancing at Kurt who was watching him. “We're going to France.”

“France? No way?” Cooper said. “Blaine, their Lifemate laws are much better.”

“We're going over as a matched couple too.” 

“Oh god Squirt. I'm so happy for you.” Blaine could hear the excitement in Cooper's voice. They talked a little longer, Cooper wanted to know more about their plan, but too soon Kurt was giving him the signal to wrap things up. It had been three minutes. 

“You'll make sure the Hudson-Hummels know we're alright?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks Coop.” Once Blaine hung up, he felt relieved. He could go to France now feeling much better, even though he hadn't been able to say goodbye in person, knowing that Cooper knew they were okay.

Tony had promised the next day was “The Day”. He came down to the cellar that evening with a manila envelope in his hands. 

“Well, are you ready to start your new lives?” He asked, and Kurt and Blaine both hopped up from the couch where they'd been sitting. 

Tony handed them the envelope. Kurt opened it and Blaine saw his hands shaking a little. He pulled out everything that Tony had promised. Canadian issued passports, birth certificates, I.D., SIN card. Kurt smiled as he looked at Blaine's papers before handing them to him. 

“Michael Armstrong,” he read and looked at Blaine. “You don't seem like a Michael, but I can get use to it.”

“Who are you?” Blaine asked. 

“Alex Bower.” 

“That sounds like a spy name. Bower. Alex Bower.”  

Kurt laughed a little nervously. Blaine understood the nerves, this was it; with their papers here, it made it all real. Tomorrow, they'd be leaving the country and maybe never return. They would have new names and new lives. Blaine looked over at Kurt's passport. Michael and Alex. This just needed to work.

Kurt barely slept that night. He and Blaine were squished close on the twin bed together and Kurt couldn't turn his brain off. By this time tomorrow, either they would be safe in France starting their new lives, or they'd be caught. He burrowed closer into Blaine's warmth. They couldn't come this far only to be caught at an airport in Detroit.

They got up early the next morning and neither of them felt like eating. Tony came down with some coffee for them both. It wasn't good. Kurt drank it anyway, it was warm and had caffeine, and that was enough for a morning like this. 

Tony gave them each a prepaid phone. “These are for emergency use only; ditch them after you've used them. Just don't get me messed up with the Registry, got it?”

Both Kurt and Blaine agreed. Tony called them a cab and gave them their tickets. “Just act normal,” he instructed. “Don't be overly friendly, or look at the security guards too much. But don't avoid eye contact either. You are just two Lifemates going on an extended trip to France. Nothing to worry about.” 

Kurt's stomach was doing nervous somersaults, but he nodded and took the ticket from Tony. 

They got into the cab and kept quiet on the drive to the airport. What was left to say? Blaine reached over and took Kurt's hand, holding it all the way to the airport doors before letting go. 

They got in line and checked their bags before Kurt turned to Blaine. “I go first,” he said, repeating Tony's plan. “Once you see that I've made it through security you go… and then… and then we just wait for our flight.”

Blaine nodded and smiled but his eyes looked worried. He leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Kurt's lips. Kurt kissed him back briefly, wanting more but knowing they shouldn't draw attention to themselves. “See you on the other side,” Kurt said. 

Blaine cleared his throat. “See you.” 

Kurt clenched the handle of his carry on and got in line. The security moved pretty fast; Kurt glanced back to see that Blaine was about 5 or 6 people behind him. Kurt got up to the security worker. 

“Hello,” Kurt said with a smile and the woman behind the stand just held out her hand. 

“Ticket and identification,” She said. And Kurt reached for his new passport. 

It should have been fine, he should have given her his passport and ticket and gotten through, but he didn't even get the chance to try. 

“Hey!” Someone shouted and Kurt looked over to see an armed security worker coming towards them. “Detain that man!” He said, pointing at Kurt and looking at the woman in front of him. 

Kurt's stomach plummeted, and it took everything in him not to look back at Blaine. But if Blaine had a chance to get out, he didn't want to give him away. 

“I'm sorry is there a problem?” Kurt asked, trying to keep his voice calm. 

“There is an APB out for this guy,” the security guard said. “I just saw his picture up in the break room. You're Kurt Hummel.” 

Kurt slipped his fake passport in his pocket. 

“I… I…” He looked back and forth between the guard and the woman. There was nothing he could do. In moments Kurt was pulled out of line and his arms were pressed behind him. A couple other guards joined them and Kurt was put into cuffs. 

Panic was rising in his throat and Kurt wanted to cry, they had been so close. He was shaking from head to toe as the security guards took him away from the gaping crowd. Run Blaine, run. Get out. Was all that Kurt could even think as they led him to the closed off back room used to detain security risks.

Blaine watched in horror as a security started shouting about Kurt. He stood frozen as Kurt's real name came from the guard's lips. Then it got worse as more security guards surrounded and cuffed Kurt. No. No no no no no! Not Kurt, Kurt was supposed to get through fine. It was Blaine that ran from his letter. Blaine that was missing. This couldn't be happening. 

He watched as the guards led Kurt back, he so wanted to go after Kurt or at least make eye-contact with him, but Kurt didn't look back once. Blaine was nudged by the person behind him and he realized the line was moving again. 

Kurt was out of sight with Blaine left behind feeling like he was being torn apart. What should he do? Go through the line? There was no way in hell he was leaving for France without Kurt. 

“Excuse me,” he said to the person behind him, his voice unsteady as he worked his way out of the line and back to the front of the airport. What now? Did he just wait? Wait for the Lifemate Registry to come for Kurt, to come for him? Or did he run, try to get away? But what would he do if he got away without Kurt? 

He collapsed in a chair and covered his face with trembling hands. Kurt had said it himself, if one of them got away and the other one got caught, none of this is worth anything.