Kurt was screaming.

Ms. Anderson was hitting him. It hurt so badly...He lifted his head, saw Blaine fighting against a unknown person's grip, heard him screaming for her to stop.

But then she turned. Blaine was no longer being restrained.

Then his boyfriend started screaming.

"Kurt! Wake up, man!"

His eyes flew open, and he flung out an arm, which was immediately grabbed and pushed back.

"Woah! Come on, Kurt it's us -- Finn and Sam!"

Kurt looked around, panicked. Then he saw his step-brother and one of his friends bending over him.

"Finn." he said, trying to regain control of his breathing. "Sam. Oh."

Sam looked scared.

"You okay?" he asked.

The countertenor nodded shakily as he sat up and threw the sheets back. He was still trying to purge Blaine's screams from his head.

"N-Nightmare." he said. "I -- I'm fine. You two go back to bed." Neither boy moved, and it irritated him. He just wanted to be left alone. "Go!"

When they had finally gone, Kurt glanced at his alarm clock. The digital numbers read 4:40 A.M. He collapsed back onto his mattress and began to cry.

---

Blaine couldn't sleep.

After watching their father storm out of the house, and an unusually silent dinner, Cooper had pulled him upstairs for a couple video games, neither of them choosing to talk about it (an unspoken agreement between the two). Then the two had gone to bed -- Blaine opting to sleep in Cooper's room like he had when they were kids and both brothers had been terrified of their mother coming into their rooms at night, dragging one of them out.

He'd only shared a room with his brother twice now since their grandparents had eased them into accepting having separate rooms: after he'd come home from the hospital following Sadie Hawkins and tonight.

He looked over at Cooper, who showed no signs of waking. Blaine really wasn't surprised; even when he was three it took two or three shakes to pull the elder sibling out of slumber.

The dark haired boy sat up, carefully pushing the covers back and sliding out of bed to grab his phone.

He had a new text from Kurt.

From: Kurt
Call me.

Blaine glanced back at Cooper before slipping out of the bedroom and downstairs to the kitchen before he dialled Kurt's number. He sighed in relief when his boyfriend picked up.

B-Blaine.

He sounded like he'd been crying. The junior gripped his cell phone just a little tighter.

"Kurt. Are you okay?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

N-No...nightmare. The countertenor's breathing hitched. I saw her, B-Blaine. I saw her -- she was hurting me...and then she was h-hurting you, and I --

Blaine tried to stay calm. It was just a nightmare, Anderson...come on. She didn't really hurt him, and she can't come near you. Come on, don't lose it. Kurt doesn't need that right now. He eased himself down onto one of the chairs at the table and ran a hand through his curls.

"I'm so sorry." he said. "I -- This is all my fault --"

How is it your fault?

"I --"

It's not, Blaine. I don't know w-why you keep blaming yourself.

He frowned. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he didn't know either. He knew he hadn't made his mother leave California and come to Chicago. He hadn't caused her to attempt an attack on Mr. Schue...and he hadn't caused Kurt's nightmare either.

He changed the subject.

"I'm okay," he murmured. "She can't hurt me...and I won't ever let her hurt you. Alright?"

Kurt sniffled, but he heard the 'uh-huh' in there somewhere.

"I love you." he said quietly.

I love you too. Blaine?

"What?"

Would you want to go to the Lima Bean after school?

Blaine smiled.

"Yeah sure. We can head over after glee club."

Okay. I'm gonna go try to sleep. You should too.

He chuckled a little.

"Okay. Good night. See you at school."

'Night.

---

When Blaine got up for school later he found Cooper already up and in the kitchen (weird, as his brother was not only a deep sleeper, but he also hated waking up prior to eleven in the morning).

"Hey." he greeted.

Blaine just stared at him.

"Did hell freeze over or something?" he asked, trying to stifle a yawn. "I thought you'd still be in bed."

Cooper rolled his eyes.

"Get yourself some coffee, squirt. I'm taking you to school." he stated.

"I can drive, you know." Blaine grabbed a purple coffee mug out of one of the cabinets and turned toward the machine.

"Yeah. I do. Put it in a travel mug man -- we gotta go." his brother said impatiently.

Blaine frowned. Why was Cooper in such a rush?

"You got a hot date? Or an audition I don't know about?" he asked, replacing the mug and reaching into the cabinet for the travel mug their grandfather had given him on his last birthday and pouring the coffee into it instead.

"No, and no. I told you, the last one I had wasn't successful, and I'm here for the week." Cooper leaned against the counter as he watched the teen grab his school bag and sling it over his shoulder. "Let's go."