(INT. The kitchen. Chris is leaning up against the counter, staring at the phone. Ashley is on the other side of the counter, watching Chris. Darren’s and Chris’s parents are at the table.)

ASHLEY
(whispers) What are we waiting for?

CHRIS
Phone call.

ASHLEY
From who?

CHRIS
Brad.

ASHLEY
How come?

CHRIS
He’s trying to get a meeting in with the D.A.

ASHLEY
What about?

CHRIS
Getting Darren out of jail.

ASHLEY
Really?

CHRIS
He could be out by the end of the week.

(the phone rings and everyone stand. Chris grabs it and looks at the screen.)

CHRIS
It’s Brad.

ASHLEY
Pick it up!

(Chris answers it and hold it up, just listening for a moment, then hanging up.)

CHRIS
He’s going in now. All he has to do is just show the evidence and prove they don’t have a case. Given the evidence we have, it sounds like Darren could be out by tomorrow.

(Karyn stands and comes over, hugging Chris)

KARYN
That’s amazing news.

CHRIS
(returning the hug) I know. I just need him home.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Nine: Survivor
Scene 3

(EXT. People are gathered outside the gates of the prison. News crews are all around as well.)

LILA ROBINSON
This is Lila Robinson for channel 6 news. Right now we’re outside with hundreds of supporters of Darren Criss, the accused murderer of Charlie Davis. Criss was spotted with Davis the night he was killed, and Davis was linked back to a hate crime committed against Criss’s partner. Recent evidence however has been revealed and the charges are dropped. Now supporters wait for Criss to be set free after three and a half weeks of imprisonment.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Nine: Survivor
Scene 4

(INT. Darren is standing, his hands cuffed together. The guard grabs his arm roughly and pulls it up, the two of them sending each other angry looks.)

GUARD
(unlocking the hand cuffs) You’re a fuckin’ lucky bastard, Puppy.

DARREN
Yeah, well, I didn’t do it.

GUARD
The way you was acting, you had them all fooled.

(Hands Darren a pile of his clothes he arrived in, and his things. Perched on top of the pile is the small, black ring box. Darren grabs it first and opens it to find the ring is still there. He sighs in relief.)

GUARD
You’re sweetheart stuck around through all this?

DARREN
(smirks) Yeah. He really loves me, I think.

(The guard gives him a look, but Darren simply shrugs and walks through the opened door.)

DARREN
(smiling at the guard) I think I’ll go get changed now.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Nine: Survivor
Scene 5

(INT. Chris and Bradley are waiting nervously. They hear the buzzing sound signaling the unlocking of doors, and they look over. A door opens and a guard walks out, followed by Darren. The moment is silent and tense as Darren looks around, a frown deep in his face. His t-shirt is definitely tighter than when he arrived, accentuating his muscles.)

CHRIS
Darren!

(Chris runs towards him, hugging him tightly. It takes Darren a moment to return the hug. Chris pulls back a bit, his arms still around Darren’s neck.)

CHRIS
I missed you.

DARREN
(Holds Chris tightly around the waist and smiles at him, looking over his face) I missed you more. Your beautiful face was the only thing that kept me sane.

CHRIS
(hugs Darren again, then pulls back, looking down at Darren’s body) Well…you’ve certainly bulked up a bit since I last saw you.

(Darren just shrugs, then pushed him away a bit, grasping his hand.)

DARREN
Let’s get the fuck out of here, ok? I just want to go home.

(Chris looks at Darren questioning him for a moment, already sensing that he was not in the presence of the same Darren he was used to. Instead of saying anything about it, Chris just squeezes Darren’s hand and they follow one of the guards and Bradley through the room, heading outside. The guard sees them to their car, and Bradley gets in the driver side while Chris and Darren sit in the back. They drive down to the gate, where police are holding back all the supporters.)

DARREN
Wow.

CHRIS
A lot of people didn’t blame you if you had killed him. After what he did to me.

DARREN
So they actually think I deserve to get out?

CHRIS
There’s not a person out there who believed you were guilty, Dare.

(Darren lets himself smile at the people through the window as the drive by.)

CHRIS
I love you.

DARREN
I love you too.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Nine: Survivor
Scene 6

(EXT. Chris and Darren are sitting out on a lounge on the balcony. Chris with his head resting on Darren’s chest and Darren’s arms around him.)

CHRIS
I’m so happy you’re home.

DARREN
I’m happy to be here.

CHRIS
(slips an arm around Darren and hugs him tightly) I’m gonna have to get used to this.

DARREN
What?

CHRIS
You’re all…muscle-y. I mean…you were before but now you’re more. (chuckles)

DARREN
(shrugs) Well, there wasn’t much to do there besides work out and survive.

CHRIS
Did you?

DARREN
Work out? Obviously.

CHRIS
Survive.

(silence before Darren answers)

DARREN
Without you? Barely.

CHRIS
Did anyone…hurt you?

DARREN
Not really. My nickname in there was Puppy, because they said I have big puppy eyes. But I pretended like I really did murder Charlie and they respected me. It was disgraceful and disgusting and I felt horrible, but I had to do something to keep from getting beaten or…worse.

CHRIS
(rubbing his hand softly across Darren’s chest and looking up at him) Well, you’re none of those things and you’re still here and you’re mine. That’s what counts.

DARREN
Yeah. I guess.

(Chris sits up and hovers over Darren, smiling down at him. He brings one hand up and cups Darren’s jaw in his hand, then leans down and kisses him softly, slowly, and then getting more and more passionately. It gets more and more heated and Chris moves to straddle Darren. As he tries to take Darren’s shirt off, Darren stops him.)

DARREN
No…Chris…we can’t.

CHRIS
What? I thought you’d…it’s been a month, Dare.

DARREN
I can’t…Chris…I can’t. Not right now.

CHRIS
(pouting, he climbs off of Darren and sits up, facing away) I knew from the moment I saw you that you’d changed.

DARREN
Chris, it’s not that I don’t want you, because I do. So, so bad.

CHRIS
Then have me.

DARREN
I can’t. And before you tell me that’s bullshit, just hear me out.

(Chris turns to look at him skeptically.)

DARREN
I just…I don’t want to give you anything, ok?

CHRIS
(looks worried) Why? Did something happen to give you something? Oh god…were you…you weren’t raped or something were you?

DARREN
No! No. I wasn’t. God, no, I wasn’t raped.

CHRIS
Then why would you be afraid of that?

DARREN
Chris…you don’t understand just how disgusting it is in there, ok? I feel like I should take a million showers before I even let you touch me.

CHRIS
You’re not dirty, Dare. You’re not disgusting. I promise.

DARREN
Look…Chris…I had to spend a month living with a man who smelled like rotting cheese and had every sexually transmitted disease and infection you could imagine. I probably got something just from being near him.

CHRIS
If the guy didn’t even touch you, than what does it matter?

DARREN
Because I’m not risking it. I…I’m not even going to touch you until I get tested, ok? I just…I can’t risk it. I can’t taint you like that, Chris. I can’t.

(Chris looks at Darren, his eyes sad as he puts a hand on Darren’s chest.)

CHRIS
I don’t know what to say.

DARREN
Just say it’s ok. Just say you’re just happy with me being home.

CHRIS
I am. I’m so happy.

(Chris moves to lay down beside Darren again, resting his head on Darren’s chest. Darren visibly tenses before wrapping an arm around Chris. He looks up at the sky, frowning.)

CHRIS
Dare?

DARREN
Yeah?

CHRIS
Are you gonna be ok?

(Darren doesn’t answer right away. He reached up and strokes Chris’s hair softly and sighs.)

DARREN.
Yeah. I’m gonna be ok.

. ~ . ~ .

When Kurt awoke, he was staring at the off-white ceiling of his and Blaine’s room. He smiled slightly and reached an arm out. He’d spent the entirety of the night cuddled close to Blaine’s side, trying to get lost in Blaine’s arms and forget about everything that had happened. As he reached for Blaine again, he found the bed empty.

He looked towards the bathroom, seeing the door open and the light off. He sighed and closed his eyes, only to be startled by loud banging sounds coming from the other room. His brow furrowed and he pulled himself out of bed, tossing the bedcovers aside. Tugging on a t-shirt, he made his way out of the bedroom and frowned as he heard another bang. He moved into the music room, where the sound was coming from, and found Blaine on the bench press he’d gotten off Craigslist when he heard that Darren was going to have to bulk up on the show.

Kurt stood in the doorway, watching Blaine struggle to lift up what looked to be twice his bodyweight. He hurried over and wrapped his hands around the bar, helping Blaine lift it up and set it back on the pegs.

“What are you doing?” Kurt asked. “You’re not supposed to do this without a spotter.”

“You were asleep and I need to work out,” Blaine said, sitting up and wiping his forehead with a towel.

“Not anymore. We’re done filming the prison scenes. You don’t have to work out any more than usual,” Kurt told him, sitting down beside him on the bench.

“No. I have to. Patrick said that he’s writing it in so Darren keeps it up.” Blaine stood and grabbed a bottle of water, twisting it open forcefully and taking a long drink. He turned to look at Kurt, seemingly studying him. He had that serious look on his face. The one he usually only got when they were acting and he was pretending to be Darren in a serious moment. Blaine never looked like this.

“What’s wrong with you?” Kurt asked, standing up and stepping towards Blaine, putting hand on his chest and fisting his t-shirt.

“Oh, I don’t know, why don’t we just start with the fact that you almost got raped by your stalker ex-boyfriend and I got alcohol poisoning and could barely save you,” Blaine snapped as he set the water bottle down and moved around Kurt, who looked after him in confusion.

“What the hell are you talking about? Save me? Why do you always have to save me?”

Blaine threw up his hands and turned around to respond, raising his voice gradually until he was yelling. “I don’t know. Maybe because I go off on my own for ten minutes and turn around and you’re gone. Maybe because if I hadn’t hit Karofsky over the head and knocked him out then you’d be lying in bed right now, miserable and telling me not to touch you because some asshole took advantage of you.”

“Stop yelling at me,” Kurt snapped, folding his arms over his chest. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Maybe if you could take care of yourself instead of getting into trouble, I wouldn’t have to feel like I have to protect you all the fucking time!” Blaine threw up his hands and turned away, going to leave the room.

“No!” Kurt shouted. “You don’t get to fucking walk away from me in the middle of a fight!”

Blaine stopped, facing away from Kurt. He stood there, just waiting, and Kurt moved to stand behind him, pulling a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. He softened his voice as he spoke to Blaine.

“What’s wrong? You weren’t like this last night. I thought we agreed to move past this.” Kurt stroked his hand down Blaine’s bicep and then moved his arm around Blaine’s waist.

“I just can’t stop thinking about it, Kurt. You were just lying there and you didn’t even know and he was going to rape you. It makes me sick just thinking about it and I’m not strong enough to protect you now so I have to get strong enough.” Blaine looked down at the floor, refusing to meet Kurt’s gaze.

“Blaine, honey, look at me.” Kurt lifted Blaine’s chin up a bit so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “Don’t you dare change. You wanna know why? Because you, Blaine Anderson, saved me. You saved me. You were strong enough, and if you can’t see that, then shame on you.”

“What do you mean?” Blaine looked at him, triangular eyebrows furrowed.

“You got Dave off me. You were sick and intoxicated, yet you still managed to find me, save me, and get help for me. That seems pretty strong to me,” Kurt shrugged. He leaned over and kissed Blaine’s lips softly. “You do an amazing job of keeping me save. Don’t change.”

Blaine sighed, nodding and taking Kurt’s hand.

“Now, let me make you breakfast?” Kurt asked softly.

Blaine smiled. “I think I could let you do that. But only if I help.”

“It’s a deal.”

. ~ . ~ .

“This is insane.”

Kurt, Blaine, Lauren, and Patrick stared down at the table filled with newspapers and tabloids. There were pictures of Kurt and Blaine together on the cover of every single one of them. Patrick had his hands on his hips as he looked down at them. Blaine was rubbing the back of his neck, Kurt was running his hand through his hair, and Lauren was attempting to stifle a laugh.

“This is not what I thought they’d be reporting on.” Blaine turned away and shook his head.

“Drunk gay celebs at a gay bar, maybe, but this.” Lauren nearly snorted with the effort to contain her laughter.

“Just…be glad they didn’t report on the worse aspects of that evening,” Kurt said. “They could’ve had pictures of us in ambulances.”

“How are we supposed to plan our wedding now? We’ll have people stalking us at every turn! And I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of creepy stalkers.” Blaine held up a hand and walked to the window of Patrick’s office, leaning up against it, pressing his forehead against the cool glass.

“Actually, it’s kind of funny,” Kurt chuckled. He picked up one of the magazines. The headline read:

Bring on Tomorrow stars getting married!

“Who told them?” Patrick asked.

Kurt and Blaine shrugged and exchanged looks. Neither of them knew.

Kurt flipped open the magazine and browed the article, seeing pictures of him and Blaine together going to the dinner for Blaine’s album release party. They were holding hands and waving at the people around them. Kurt could clearly see the glint of the ring on his left finger.

“Seems like they just kind of deduced for themselves,” Kurt shrugged, tossing the magazine back on the table. “What makes me wonder is why?”

He pointed to the subheading that was on nearly every magazine. The words that had them all laughing over this.

Reward offered for picture of the couple’s first kiss

From across the room, Blaine sighed and turned back toward them, shaking his head.

“Planning our wedding is not going to be easy,” Blaine smirked.

“No,” Kurt agreed. “It definitely is not.”