As soon as the judges had disappeared, Blaine was out of his seat in a flash. Kurt grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Going to talk to Cooper." Blaine glanced at Mr. Schuester. "I won't be long."

"Then I'm coming with you." Kurt stood and grabbed his hand.

"Kurt --"

"Blaine, I'm coming with you." Kurt's tone was final, his eyes narrowed. He tugged Blaine out of their row and up to where Cooper was seated. "Hi Cooper."

"Hi Kurt." Cooper grinned at both boys. "You guys were great up there."

"Thanks," replied Blaine, and then he let out a cry of surprise when Cooper stood and pulled him into a quick hug. "Man, we just saw each other --"

"Can we talk for a minute in the lobby?" asked the elder sibling.

Blaine opened his mouth to respond, but another voice stopped him.

"Cooper?"

The feminine voice made Cooper freeze, arms still partially wrapped around the seventeen year old's shoulders.

"Hey Mom?" Cooper pushed Blaine gently behind him, watching as their mother read the paper. She'd been quiet all day -- dinner had been awkwardly silent.

"What?" he flinched at the tone of her voice.

"I was wondering...Friday night, there's a dance at school, and I --"

She looked up at him skeptically.

"What?"

"I just wanted to know if it'd be okay for Blaine to...stay the night at Lydia's, and I could pick him up in the morning --"

"No."

"I'm sorry?" Cooper stared at his mother in disbelief. "I just want one night with my friends. Please?"

"You're not going. I've got a date Friday night and I'm not leaving Blaine with a woman I've never met."

"Because I'm the one who found her, and who can be thankful she watches my little brother for nothing." Cooper muttered, reaching down to ruffle the little boy's curls. Blaine wrapped his arms around his big brother's leg, hazel eyes curious as he watched their mother.

When Jenna stood, the teen knew what was coming, as he hastily pushed the toddler away -- just in time too, as her hand struck him across the face.

What he wasn't prepared for was the smashing of her travel mug against his head. He crumpled to the floor, arms flying up to protect his head from further blows.

Blaine screamed and tried to come to his brother's aid. Cooper shook his head, regretting the motion as it made him feel like vomitting and made the pain in his head worse.

"Blaine go to your room!" he screamed. "Now!"

"If your brother knows what's good for him, he'll stay here and watch what happens when you talk back to your mother!" Jenna shouted.

Blaine looked up at his mother frightened, and curled up in a corner of the kitchen, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He remained in that position for the next forty minutes, until Cooper picked him up off the tiled floor, ignoring the hiss that came from bruises and cuts and who knew what other injuries, and cradled him against his chest, singing softly to him.

A small arm curled around his neck as the fingers of the hand connected to it threaded into brown locks, gripping them firmly -- only letting go when he apparantly pulled harder than he meant to, and his brother yelped in pain.

"Sorry!" Blaine panicked. "I sorry, Coo. I --"

"Sshh. It's okay. I'm okay." Cooper struggled to stand. Then he carried Blaine up to the bathroom and wiped the toddler's face with a warm cloth. "You want to watch some cartoons?"

Blaine sniffled, and nodded slowly.

"Okay. Let's go in my room, alright?"

When he saw the tiny nod, he helped his little brother off the rim of the bathtub and made sure Jenna was gone before ushering him into his bedroom.

"Coo?" Blaine looked up at his brother aprehensively.

Cooper had gone rigid, arms dropping from Blaine's shoulders, his eyes narrowed as he turned to stare at their mother.

Jenna stared at her sons curiously. She wasn't like Blaine remembered at all -- she didn't have that insane look she used to get prior to beating the shit out of Cooper. Her big blue eyes (which Cooper had inherited), were wide, as if she seemed genuinely surprised by her eldest son's reaction -- like she'd forgotten the pain she'd caused.

"Hi Blainey," her eyes flicked to the dark haired teen when she couldn't get anymore of a response from Cooper. "I'm sorry I scared you the other day --"

"Blaine we're leaving." The brunette man's hand was suddenly gripping his bicep so hard it was painful. "Come on."

"Cooper --" Jenna looked at him again. " -- I just wanted to see him, I didn't hurt him --" She reached over and grabbed Blaine's hand, earning a gasp from both brothers.

"You did mom, whether you believe it or not." said Cooper coldly. "Let go of him before I yell for one of the security guards here to detain you."

Her grip on Blaine's hand became so tight it was painful, and a soft whimper left his throat.

Kurt looked at his boyfriend, alarmed. Blaine let out a strangled sort of gasping noise. His face went white, and his eyes filled with tears. He started hyperventilating.

Oh God. He's having a panic attack.

"Cooper get him out of here," he said urgently.

Cooper reached over and literally pried their mother's fingers off of his little brother.

"C'mon Blainey," he said soothingly. "Let's go get some air, okay?" he looked at Kurt. "I'm taking him back to my hotel. I'll call you with where and what room number -- can you tell --?"

"Excuse me, what's going on here?"

Mr. Schuester, accompanied by the Cheerio coach, Sue Sylvester, and a burly woman Cooper didn't know had come to see what the commotion was.

Cooper quickly explained the situation (purposely leaving out major details. He mentioned the fact that their mother had been neglectful, and had lost custody of them at a young age. He did not want her around Blaine.) The burly woman -- who introduced herself to him as Shannon Beiste, the coach of the McKinley High football team -- gave Jenna an angry look.

"Cooper go ahead and take him with you. Kurt can call with how we place...As for Ms. Anderson, you need to leave. I won't have my students in unsafe situations." he glanced at Cooper, who had his arm protectively around Blaine's shoulders. Kurt held back a snort, feeling the weight of how hypocritical their glee coach was. "Have him back in time to get his bags and get on the bus with us. We leave at eight in the morning."

"Will do. Come on, Blaine."

He led his brother out to the parking lot, where Blaine bolted for a trashcan and commenced vomitting into it.

Cooper rubbed his back in a soothing manner, and once the teen had finished clearing his stomach, he collapsed against the older man's chest, crying.

"I don't want her to hurt you. Please God -- if she does, I'm sorry -- it's my fault --"

"Woah, hey Blaine. Look at me, okay?" he gripped the teen's arms gently. "She can't do that to me anymore. You're at fault for nothing, you understand me?" he cupped Blaine's cheek and smiled softly when he nodded. "Okay, let's go."