"If you need a friend, I'm sailing right behind..."

[jewhawk]

Who? alittletoolegal and jewhawk
What? The aftermath
When? The evening of this
Where? The Klaine beach house, Fire Island.
Rating: Probably highish, given Puck's mouth and the topics of conversation

Comments

[alittletoolegal]

Somewhere upstairs, Blaine was telling Kurt everything that had happened, but so far there had been no yelling. That had to be a plus, right? In saying that, she had no idea how Kurt in his condition would respond to something like this. She had no idea how Blaine would hold up. The guy hadn't said a word to anyone on the drive to Fire Island, so it was impossible to know how he was feeling or what he was thinking. All he had wanted to do was get to Kurt so no one else would get the information to him first. Somewhere towards the back of the large house, the rest of the security team and a few other members of Blaine's entourage were just hanging around for word on what step would be taken next. It was all going to bear on what Kurt and Blaine decided they wanted to do with this.

She gave a small, slow shake of her head. "Not in the age of the internet. It's already going to be out there, just how much truth is in what gets run with is another story. Anything can be constructed from a few little falsities. Needless to say, fans are going to be all over the relationship like a pack of wolves. It's not like Blaine stood there and confessed his undying love for Kurt, but it was a confirmation that there is some sort of link when both management teams had been working to deny it. I just really hope Blaine considers having the charges dropped on that poor lad. We don't know the story there, but he wasn't Sebastian, and I really don't think he was intending to harm Blaine. He said he just wanted to talk to him. He shouldn't take the brunt for this. The poor thing was knocked out! Blaine broke his glasses..." Her maternal instinct was well and truly kicking in with this. For some reason, something was just telling her that this Jeremy intended no ill-will to Blaine and she was feeling upset that he was the one who copped the thump in the face and was now in a holding cell waiting for his twin to bail him out. It wasn't fair. She knew what it was like to be a twin, all the pros and the cons that came with that.

[jewhawk]

There was a part of Puck that was struggling like hell with not being upstairs to support Blaine right now, but he knew that Kurt and Blaine needed to have this discussion alone, even if it killed him what they were having to face. It wasn't fair to have their fucking personal business all thrown out in public without anyone giving a shit what it might mean to them. Then again, Puck supposed this was the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and there wasn't a goddamn thing anyone could do except wait.

"This fuckin' sucks," Puck said, shaking his head. "I don't know what the fuck they can do at this point. I mean, for all we know, the goddamn tabloid's will be headlining their big fat gay wedding tomorrow, and nobody's gonna believe that it's not true. They need to be left alone right now. Kurt's only just now barely starting to get better, and he needs his downtime with B... Not some fucking paparazzi trying to find them and take pictures of them and all that bullshit." He sighed, turning to look at Dani. "B... But B didn't know he wasn't Sebastian... I probably would've punched him, too..." It was his nature to protect Blaine first, though after a moment, he added, "It does really suck, though, if he wasn't doing anything wrong that he got hit so hard. B was so pissed."

[alittletoolegal]

Dani rubbed the back of her neck tiredly and let her eyes slip closed for a few moments. "If that's what ends up in the papers, there's nothing anyone can do about it. Believe it or not, that actually might be the lesser of two evils rather than headlines about Blaine thumping a guy in Central Park. Even at this point it's believed Jeremy was approaching him to intend harm like some scary stalker fan. It's just... I understand Blaine is upset, I really do, but there was just something sweet about Jeremy. He doesn't deserve this. Sometimes it can be tough being a twin with everyone assuming you're not your own person. It's pretty much why Tab and I ended up so different. When we were younger, we got treated like one person because we looked that same, but we've always been so totally different."

"Blaine had a right to be pissed, though. Sebastian had sex with Kurt when Blaine was with him. Blaine saw it, and there were even more painful factors than that. The fact he saw red is understandable. I think it's just my motherly instinct kicking in. I want to bring Jeremy home, tuck him into bed and make sure he drinks plenty of fluids. He distinctly said, even if he was in is concussed state, that Sebastian is his only family in New York."

[jewhawk]

"I thought he was Sebastian... We all did," Puck replied, shaking his head. "I mean, we had no way of knowing, and B... Dani, I hate that Jeremy got hurt, I really do. But I'm freaked out for Blaine more than anything right now. I just... I can't even think what must've gone through his head."

"He told me what happened when it happened, and he thought Kurt couldn't have sex or something, and it was just this whole explosion of shit, and..." Her last statement hit him hard, though, and he stopped, turning to meet her gaze. "Shit," he finally said. He knew what it was like to be alone in a big place. Granted, the only biological family he had in New York was Benny, but the truth was that biology had never weighed heavily into who Puck considered his family. He had his family right here with him in the people he'd chosen to love. But without these people here? He'd probably not have lasted very long off drugs, and he would've been in deeper shit than ever now. He couldn't imagine being alone like Jeremy was. "He probably needs that, to be honest. But it's... It's a weird situation, that's for sure."

[alittletoolegal]

"It wouldn't have been a lot going through his had at that point. Just sheer anger that Sebastian had the gall to come anywhere near him after what he did. It was after the fact everything would have been playing on him. I need to speak to him about dropping those charges on Jeremy. There wasn't any intent to harm him, and Blaine isn't a vindictive person. He'll hate himself after the dust settles and he realised he could severely damage Jeremy's career or reputation. He's not thinking clearly now, and I think he does need to focus on Kurt at the moment, but it's just such a mess of a situation. All I keep thinking of it was Benny falsely accused of something like this?" Dani shook her head a little. Maybe she needed to try to talk to Sebastian to see how Jeremy was holding up.

She splayed her hands out on the table before her, trying to get her mind to think on an even keel, but that was getting harder and harder lately. "There's no point trying to convince Blaine of anything tonight. He's angry and he's hurt and he's scared this could all lead to losing Kurt. They just need to be together tonight, and hopefully figure out the best solution for this. I wish I could go visit the guy, though. Make sure he's doing okay with that concussion."

[jewhawk]

"He saw red... That's all it could've been. There's been too much shit going on for him to have even really been sure what was going on, aside from the fact that, for all he knew, here was Sebastian fucking Smyth walking up in his business, and he'd done what he did with Kurt... I'm sure once he knows what's going on, B'll drop the charges. He doesn't want anybody to get hurt... Well, at least not anybody besides Sebastian, I guess." He watched Dani carefully, giving a curt nod. If it was his little boy, albeit grown up, who was copping getting punched like that over something he didn't even do, and then probably facing jail time for it if charges weren't dropped? Puck's heart would ache for him.

As Dani tried with all she was worth to hang on to common sense in this whole situation, Puck watched her and wished he knew what to say to somehow make it easier. "No. No way. He's scared to death. It's too much, Dani. Nobody should have to deal with stuff like this, and with B's condition, it's a wonder he's not out in a serious fit already. Are you allowed to do that? I mean, since you're Blaine's lawyer?"

[alittletoolegal]

Dani listened to the quiet of the large house briefly. It was peaceful here, it seemed wrong to have so much drama under this roof. The sound of the beach in the distance was just soothing. "It makes me wonder why Jeremy was trying to approach Blaine to start with. Blaine swears he never knew Sebastian was a twin, so there must have been some reason the guy was trying to talk to him. I don't think it was in a fan capacity. I think he really wanted to just talk to Blaine... and it was probably about his brother. Maybe to try and convince Blaine to clear the air? Which means, Jeremy probably knows what went down with Kurt and Sebastian. He possibly even know about Kurt being an addict, or more... meaning he could use that information anyway he sees fit and no one wants that public. But a thump in the face, a record for assault, and a concussion might leave the guy more than a little bitter."

"I know... I know..." She scooped her hair back out of her face and tucked it behind her ears. "This is not a zone he needs to be in this soon after being in hospital. It was hard enough on him just coming to New York to sort the case out with the face-raper you dealt with when he was supposed to be on downtime with Kurt. And no... I'm not... not as Blaine's lawyer. It's conflict of interest. Maybe someone can go see him on my behalf?"

[jewhawk]

Every time it seemed like something was going right, they hit another snag in the road. Something would blow up somewhere, and it was a whole different mess again. Puck watched Dani, almost seeing the wheels turning in her head as she tried to slot everything into place somehow. "So... If he knows, and this goes south, he could seriously screw things up for Blaine and Kurt... if that hasn't already been done. This is messed up, Dani... It just doesn't make sense."

"Yeah, I know. D'you... You want me to go? Or maybe Tab? I don't know who'd be the best person... I mean, if I went, I was one of the big dudes who dragged the poor guy away, so... that may end up counterproductive anyway."

[alittletoolegal]

"He could," Dani confirmed quietly and rested her head on her hand. "I'm not saying he automatically will, I'm just saying that if the twin has a devious streak, you know don't what might come out in his brother if he's pissed off enough. And he is innocent. I know what it's like to get mistaken for things your twin does, good and bad. Tab and me don't look alike now, but we used to when we were younger. There is just something about being a twin, and I think that's what I'm empathising with. That and the maternal instinct that seems to want to kick in on me at the most awkward times now I'm a mom. I can wholeheartedly understand Blaine's viewpoint and his feelings on this whole thing. But at the end of the day, no one is at fault here... it's all aftershocks of Kurt's severe addiction, and he cannot be blamed for that. Nor can anyone be blamed for how they reacted to that ordeal. Not even Sebastian. He just... went along with it. We can't judge his involvement until we hear his story directly."

She thought on it for a moment, staring at her hands blankly. "I don't know. I can't think of what the best thing is right now. Getting Blaine to talk to Sebastian would ultimately be the best solution, but it could also be the worst too. Blaine suffered the ultimate hurt and betrayal there. He might just be incapable of thinking rationally on it. He's already been dragged through the shit pile enough, and he's coping with Kurt. He might not feel like cleaning up anyone else's messes right now."

[jewhawk]

There was a part of Puck that longed to reach out and just take Dani in his arms. But he wasn't an idiot. They weren't a couple... Well, legally, he guessed that wasn't entirely true, but in the grand scheme of things, Dani wasn't his girlfriend, and she wasn't his wife in any way but legally. And his embracing her may not be as welcome or as helpful as he might want it to be. Instead, he just sat there in silence for a long time, letting her talk.

"Well, what say we give him a little time to get his head straightened out again, and we talk to him about it. It's really the best we can do at this point. Dani..." he said carefully, leaning down so that he could catch her eye. "Dani, I know you're having a hard time with this, but as much as you want to, you can't do it all... Just your job and raising Benny alone would be enough to keep anybody else busy all the time, but you still find time for your friends and everybody else. But as much as I know this hits home for you, there's only so much you can do right now."

[alittletoolegal]

It was times like this that Dani really struggled with the different parts of her heart. There was the lawyer, and there was the mother, the two pieces that were always over-reaching, and then there was the everything else. When the mommy in her started to clash with the lawyer in her, the mommy always won out. It was the strongest part of her, but Blaine and Nick both needed her to keep her lawyer head straight. They were relying on her, but it was exhausting. When all of this was over, and Nick's case was signed, sealed, and delivered, she was going to take a couple of months off work and just focus on her family and taking a well-earned break from anything legal. This was the first time in her entire career she was just drained and felt like she needed to step back for a rest.

"But at the same time, I'm not stopping until everyone is okay," she resolved, holding his gaze so he could see how serious she was with this. She would not go down without a fight, especially not for Nick, and it was going to be an epic fight. Her case was water-tight right now with all the evidence she gathered on Nick's husband and Leslie's brother. It was just a matter of getting up there and tearing the opposite down, no holds barred. "And Benny is the reason why. Because for me, everything filters back to him. I need to make sure Nick gets off free as a bird, because Benny needs him. And with Blaine, Kurt needs him. And I keep thinking that what if one day my son gets to a place like Kurt, I would want him to have whatever love and support he needed to be okay. That's why I'm doing all of this."

[jewhawk]

"I know you're not," Puck replied. And he did know. This was no joke to her, and so many lives and futures were relying on her getting it right. Puck couldn't imagine the stress she had to be under. These weren't just clients. These were people who meant something to her personally. Each and every one. Nick was her cousin, and like an uncle to her son. So it wasn't just Nick relying on her to get this particular case right. It was Nick, Benny, Jeff, Tab, and even Dani herself. And then there was Blaine's case that could throw everything with Kurt and Blaine into a dangerous place. It was too much for any one person.

He was quiet for a long time, examining the options in his mind for what he could say or do to help her feel better, but nothing seemed to be enough. This was all too much, and no matter what he did, it would never be enough to make her feel better. So instead of saying anything, he reached out to rest his hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, but saying nothing. He'd be here if she wanted to talk, and if she didn't, he'd understand.

[alittletoolegal]

Dani didn't even have a response to that, so she just fell into silence. If he wasn't going to talk, she wasn't either. She spent her whole fucking life doing the talking for everyone else, and she didn't want to do it right. Blaine was Puck's friend, and he was Nick's friend. This was a favour to both of them while his own legal team was back in England. She had agreed to be his New York representative the face-raper attacked him but this turn of events happened so quickly that no one could ever have seen it coming. Even as an identical twin who could sympathise, she knew having the same face as someone else could really cause problems sometimes.

She looked at her phone, wondering if she could call Leslie to see how Benny was, but just left it. Leslie promised to call her if anything was worrying or urgent. Benny knew Leslie and liked her, and Dani knew she could trust her. Then she wondered if she should check on Nick, who had been emotionally deteriorating since the court case got postponed. She was beyond worried about him and worried if he could ever come back from this. There was a tiny glimmer of hope, but it was so small, she knew it could be extinguished at any moment. She had no idea what she would do if Nick if had a complete breakdown he couldn't recover from. He was a huge part of her life and it would devastate her.

[jewhawk]

Puck swallowed hard. His intent to remain silent was a tough resolve to keep, and he ended up breaking it within a moment or two. "Dani," he said softly, so softly, in fact, that he wasn't sure if she could hear him or not. "This... might be an awkward thing to ask, but... Can I hug you?" If this had been another place and another time, Puck wouldn't have even asked, but Dani was under a shit ton of stress, and he just wasn't willing to risk upsetting her. "It's okay if you don't want me to..."

After he'd asked her, he almost regretted it, if only because of not knowing how she would respond, and what she'd think of his asking that. But it was too late now. He couldn't un-ask it. All he could do was wait for an answer.

[alittletoolegal]

Dani looked up at him, not sure why the question surprised her so much. But it did, and felt foreign to her ears. Goddamnit, she was so used to going everything alone. She always had the support of her parents, but when her twin skipped the country and hardly ever kept him touch, and then she found herself facing the scary prospect of single motherhood, she hardened herself to everything. She knew she had to be a fighter and she had to protect her son. Then she got her law degree and that fight only increased. When she felt vulnerable or fearful, it was only when she was alone and never let anyone see it so they didn't think she was weak. All this was difficult for her, and she knew she was struggling. But she would keep pushing through until it was over, and then God only knew. Hopefully she wasn't headed for a nervous breakdown. Oh, great. Now she had the Stones Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown running through her head because she knew she was out of her comfort zone and letting her mind veer off into a hundred different places to scramble to keep her protective shields up around her.

But this was the father of her son. He had a piece of her that no one else ever would. Maybe it would be okay to relent just a tiny bit right here where everything hurt and was so goddamn exhausting. She was exhausted beyond belief, maybe more than she ever had been in her entire life. She didn't understand it. "... I'd really like that," she finally responded softly.

[jewhawk]

Her reply surprised him just a little. He'd been expecting a no, but when he didn't get it, he stood up straight from his chair, watching her closely. She was always the one taking care of everybody else, but there was no one taking care of her. Granted, she didn't really need it as far as most people could see. From the outside, it looked like she had it all together. But Puck had seen the other side of things... He'd seen the heartbreak in her when Benny had been so upset about what he'd seen happen to Nick, and all the times Nick had fallen apart and she'd been so strong for him through it all. But she deserved to have someone to stand by her, and regardless of whether or not that meant their ever being together, Puck wanted to be there for her.

Reaching out, he took her hands and gently tugged Dani up from her seat. Once she was standing in front of him, his arms wrapped securely around her waist, head resting against hers. He realized after a moment or two that he hadn't even been breathing, and managed to gulp in a deep breath. "I'm here, Dani. I know I can't fix everything, and I'd never even pretend I could. But I'm here if you need me." He fell silent, holding her slender form close to him and tenderly rubbing her back.