The image of Kurt sitting behind his new desk left Blaine feeling so proud. Kurt was so anxious, but Blaine knew in his heart that this would be so good for Kurt. He needed a distraction, and this was the perfect opportunity. Also, Kurt had been working very hard for a long time, and his hard work finally paid off.

Letting out a shaky breath, Kurt said, "this is really intimidating. I-I feel like Im going to mess something up. Something will go wrong today."

"Youre not going to mess anything up," Blaine came around the desk and cupped his hands around Kurts cheeks. Staring into his blue eyes, Blaine said firmly, "You are going to be the best editor Vogue has ever seen."

"You think so?" The corners of his mouth twitched and Kurt said, "Please just be honest with me. You have to say that, youre my husband."

"Im not just saying that because were married," Blaine said defensively. He kissed Kurt long and hard, before pulling back and adding, "I have faith in you. I really do."

"Thanks," Kurt said quietly. "I remember how nervous you were your first day at the hospital."

"And how I puked when we walked in the door and they thought I was a patient," Blaine replied, causing Kurt to laugh at the memory.

"And when you told them you were working there, they asked, are you sure?" Kurt smiled. "Yeah I guess Im handling this better than you."

"Youre gonna be fine, I promise," Blaine kissed him one more time, and straightened his tie. "I have to get to work though, so this is where I leave you... Good luck, babe. I love you very much."

"I love you too," Kurt said. "Ill see you tonight."

"Ill have dinner waiting for you. Sam and Rachel are coming over tonight to celebrate your first day," Blaine told him.

"They dont have to do," Kurt blushed.

"Well, theyre going to,. We could all use a little celebration," Blaine kissed him one more time. "I love you. Good luck today."

"Thanks. See you later," Kurt replied, sitting at his desk and letting out a long sigh.

Blaine smiled at how adorable Kurt looked at his new desk before heading to the hospital. Kurt was on his mind all day at work. Blaine hoped everything was going well and he wasnt too distracted.

When Blaine got home that evening, he began preparing dinner. The kitchen became a mess, as Blaine worked.

A knock on the front door announced Rachels arrival. "Hey," she smiled as Blaine let her in. "I brought a carrot cake for dessert."

"Oh, thanks," Blaine gave her a hug, taking the pan from her. "You didnt have to do that."

"I had nothing better to do," she shrugged. "Was Kurt excited about his new job?"

"More nervous than anything but I reminded him of my puking story at my first day in the hospital and I think it broke the ice," Blaine told her. "He was born for this job. Hell be fine."

"It probably took his mind off Belle though, and we could all use that distraction," Rachel said. "I cant seem to get her off my mind at all."

"Are you unhappy, Rachel?" Blaine asked, noticing her sorrowful expression.

Biting her lip, Blaine knew she was fighting back tears. "I mean, how could I be happy? This has been an absolute nightmare."

Blaine stepped forward and embraced her. "I know. I feel awful that youre going through this too. Youre not too stressed, are you?"

Pulling away, she shrugged, "I dont know. Im only a third of the way through this pregnancy, and its already been worse than Belles. I only puked twice yesterday and that was a nice break."

"Im really sorry, love," Blaine said sadly. "Of all the times you had to go through this, it had to be a stressful situation."

"You mean like last time?" she smiled weakly. "Are you ever going to make pregnancy easy for me?"

"Were going to work this out," he said seriously. "I saw how happy Kurt looked despite his nerves today. It kind of made me realize that we have to keep moving forward without Belle. I know that seems impossible, but we cant put our lives on hold, you know?"

"I dont know how to move forward," Rachel said weakly. "Im not working. Sam still doesnt want to get married. Im just waiting for this baby to get here, and I miss Belle more every day."

"What makes you think Sam doesnt want marriage?" Blaine asked. "He loves you. I know its hard that you cant work right now but youll be back on stage in no time."

"Didnt you hear his response when he was asked about marriage in that interview on Friday?" Rachel looked at him with big, broken eyes. "He said he didnt know."

"It was live television. What did you want him to do? Get down on one knee and propose right there?" Blaine nudged her with his elbow.

She smiled weakly, "It would have been great for ratings."

"But you would have wanted something more romantic," Blaine reminded her. "I know you. Trust me, I was always worried about the best way to propose to you."

"Youre such a romantic though," Rachel said. She sighed and moved to the stove, preparing a pot of tea. "I dont know. I think Im just bitter about my entire life right now. Damn hormones."

Chuckling, Blaine shook his head, "Are you just going to blame everything on your hormones?"

"Yes," she said quickly.

Blaine placed a hand on her stomach and smiled, "At least you have a good excuse for your emotions."

"Are you doing okay, Blaine? Please be honest with me," she placed her hand on his and stared into his eyes. "Ive dated you for three years. I know how you are when you are overwhelmed. Sam told me about your night out and Kurt told me youve been acting strange."

He shrugged, pulling his hand away. "I just dont know how to handle myself anymore. I know we need to move forward but I dont know how. I feel like we have to find happiness and I cant do that."

Cupping his cheek, she said, "Just please be careful, okay? Im worried about you and I just want you to be okay."

"Rachel, I dont know that any of us are going to be okay until Belle comes back," Blaine stepped away from her and distracted himself by pouring her tea. "I know Kurt tries to act tough for me but Im sure hes hiding a lot from me. Im the same way, and I know Sam feels empty too. Youre just the one thats more bold about your emotions."

"Damn hormones," she mumbled.

"You would be crying openly even if you werent pregnant. Youre a drama queen, Rachel," he handed her a mug full of tea and she smiled.

"Oh, yeah," she said, taking a sip. "But Blaine... do you have to drink? You know it bothers Kurt. It bothers me too. Ever since Finn died, I cant handle it. I told you that the first time you got drunk. Remember that fight we had?"

"Yeah. I had no idea you felt that way. I felt awful for doing that to you," he said.

"So why do you do it to Kurt? This has been hard enough on him," Rachel told him.

"I dont know... Its just the easiest way for me to escape my problems. This has just been so hard, Rachel. I dont know how to handle myself," Blaine admittedl. "I know I shouldnt but how else can I handle my problems?"

"You can confide in me or San, but mostly, you should confide in your husband. I know hes real worried wbout you. He knows youre falling apart," Rachel took his hand in hers. "Talk to him, okay?"

The front door opened and Sam walked in with Kurt. Sam greeted Rachel with a long kiss, wrapping her tightly in his embrace. Meanwhile, Kurt tossed his keys on the kitchen table and went for the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Uh oh,"l Blaine mumbled.

Sam quietly said, "Its nothing, really. He said he had a really busy day at work and it wasnt a bad thing. It wasnt until he walked by the school on his way home that he realized he didnt know if hed ever get to share the news with Belle. It was the idea that she wouldnt be celebrating with us tonight that upset him. I found him outside of the school in a daze and walked him home."

"Thank you, Sam," Blaine clapped a hand on his back. "Ill go talk to him. Will you turn the oven off if Im not back in threes minutes?"

"Sure," Sam nodded, wrapping his arm around Rachels waist.

Blaine tapped on the bedroom door before entering. "Kurt?" he said softly.

Placed on the edge of the bed, Kurt wiped his eyes and cleared his throat. "I just wanted to get changed out of this darn suit."

"You never care about changing after work," Blaine said, sitting down next to him. He set his hand on Kurts knee and said, "Sam told me what happened."

"Oh," Kurt mumbled.

"I know how you feel. I go through it every time I set the table to eat dinner and only set two plates instead of three. I think about it every night at nine when I should be reading about Sleeping Beauty instead of having free time. I think about it when I brush my teeth in the morning and I see that purple toothbrush sitting on the sink unused. Its everywhere, Kurt. Shes everywhere," Blaine squeezed his knee. "You have every right to feel like she should be here for you."

"I just really miss her, Blaine," Kurt said weakly, glancing up at him with sad eyes.

Pulling him into a hug, Blaine whispered, "Me too. Why dont we go talk to Sam and see how much money weve raised. Maybe that will make you feel better."

They went back into the kitchen. Sam was setting the table and Rachel was cradling her stomach as she watched Sam admiringly.

"Hows GoFundMe working out for us?" Blaine asked, the moment they were all seated. "I know you were keeping track on it."

"When I checked this morning, we were at $23, 635," Sam announced.

"We are so far from where we should be," Kurt said, taking a bite of his salad.

"April 15th is next week. How are we going to come up with the money in time?" Blaine asked the question that has been on everyones mind.

"Well figure something out," Sam said.

"No, we cant just be optimistic about it," Kurt set his fork down. "Thats a serious problem. We arent even close. What are we going to do?"

"Talk to our families about it?" Rachel suggested. "I havent exactly asked my parents yet and neither has Sam. Weve been trying to come up with the money on our own."

"I should talk to Cooper too," Blaine nodded.

"Even then, its not going to be enough," Kurt protested. "We have a long way to go."

"Were just gonna have to take what we have and hope thats enough," Sam decided. "Theres not much else we can do. We cant force people to help."

"Well work something out. Dont worry," Blaine said. "We will get Belle back."

Entering the school auditorium two days later, Blaine could feel his heart beat quickly against his ribcage.

"Would you like a program?" a young girl handed him a pamphlet.

"Thank you," Blaine said, searching for a seat. He found one near the back of the auditorium, where he wouldnt be recognized by any parents.

The ballerinas came on stage right at seven oclock. They did a dance that ended with flowers being thrown to a picture sitting on an easel near the back of the stage. Blaine squinted at the back of the stage. The moment he saw Belles face, his heart skipped a beat.

A small girl with blonde hair tied back in a bun stepped forward with a rose in her hand. "We would like to dedicate our performance tonight to our classmate, Annabelle Hummel. We hope they find you soon Belle, because we feel a step behind without you here." She stepped forward and placed the rose at the bottom of the picture on the tray.

Tears stung Blaines eyes and he tried to fight them back. But as the girls continued to dance, and Belles picture sat behind them, Blaine couldnt hold himself together. He thought of all the recitals they had attended, all the hours rehearsing, and Belles love for dance. Thoughts consuming him, Blaine leapt to his feet and left the auditorium. He ran into the hall and leaned against the wall, burying his face in his hands.

After a moment, someone touched his shoulder, causing him to jump. "Woah, sorry," Elliot stepped backward. "Didnt mean to frighten you."

"What are you doing here?" Blaine asked, already annoyed. He still didnt like Elliot.

"My niece is performing," Elliot reminded him. "I stepped out to take a leak." He studied Blaines face. His eyes widened, "Are you all right?"

"Hm? Yeah, Im fine," Blaine crossed his arms over his chest. "I shouldnt have come here."

"Do you want to grab a cup of coffee?" Elliot asked. "Take your mind off it."

"Dont you want to see the rest of the recital?" Blaine asked.

"Ive been to every recital. I think I can miss this. Her parents are here. Its fine," Elliot clapped a hand on his back and walked with him outside. "I havent heard from Kurt in a couple weeks. How are things going?"

"They could be better, I guess," Blaine shrugged. "Were just trying to take things one day at a time, you know?"

"Sure, I can understand that," Elliot nodded, holding the door to the nearest Starbucks open for him. "I feel bad. I told you guys I would donate and I never contributed."

You dont have to," Blaine replied. Turning to the barista, he said, "Can I just get a coffee, please?"

"Will that be all?" she asked.

"And one for my friend," Blaine motioned to Elliot. "Its the least I can do for your comfort."

"Thanks," Elliot smiled. They got their coffee and soon found a table near the back.

"Are you guys prepared for your deadline?" Elliot asked, taking a sip from his drink.

"You know about that?" Blaine asked.

"Hm? Yeah, Kurt told me. Thats really awful. How could they do that to you?" Elliot asked, gripping his cup of coffee.

"I dont know," Blaine sighed, shaking his head. "Why did we ever do to the kidnapper to deserve this? I cant think of anyone. Is this really someone so heartless?"

"You think you know the person then?" Elliot said. "You think they want revenge?"

Blaine shrugged, "Truthfully? I dont have a clue. Its not like I have any enemies. Not to sound conceited, but Im fairly kind to people, or I try to be. Theres no one I have a problem with. My relationship with my father was strained but he passed away a few months ago."

"Well, what about Kurt? Is there someone he has issues with?" Elliot tried.

"No one crazy enough to do this, as far as I know," Blaine tapped the table. "Weve had this conversation more than once and we just cant figure it out."

Pulling out a checkbook from his bag, Elliot said, "I want to help contribute something. I feel really bad about this. I think of my niece and how awful I would feel, and shes not even my daughter."

Blaine waited, while Elliot wrote out a check for four hundred dollars. "Elliot, really, thats too much," Blaine said, when Elliot tried handing it to him.

"I dont care. This is something I really want to do. Please take it," Elliot forced it in Blaines hand and stood up. "I should get back to the theater. Thinking of my niece reminds me that I really dont want to miss anything."

"Sure, I understand," Blaine nodded. He stood up and held out a hand, "Thank you, Elliot. Seriously. This means a lot to us."

Shaking Blaines hand, Elliot said, "its my pleasure."

The aroma of bacon filled the apartment. Blaine reached over in the bed next to him and felt empty sheets. "Kurt?" he sat up quickly.

After a beat, Kurt appeared in the doorway. "Did you call for me?" he asked, spatula in hand. At the sight of Blaine, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. Just tired," Blaine said, rubbing his eyes. "Are you making breakfast?"

"Yes. Pancakes are on. Theyll be ready shortly if you want some," Kurt smiled, before disappearing again.

Burying his face in his hands, Blaine moaned. He didnt want Kurt to know that he was shaken from the nightmare he just had. This wasnt the first. All of the dreams he had in the last couple weeks were about Belle. She was always in peril and just out of Blaines reach. She called for him, and no matter how he tried, he couldnt get to her.

This time, she was dangling from a tall building that didnt seem to have any stairs or elevators. He tried climbing the building. Every time he tried, he kept sliding back down. She just let go of her grip when Blaine woke up in a sweat.

Hands shaking slightly, Blaine went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. He studied his pale expression in the mirror and sighed heavily. He looked so haunted these days. It was no surprise that Kurt was worried.

"Ive got some pancakes and bacon here for you, babe," Kurt announced when Blaine entered the kitchen a few minutes later, setting a plate on the table. "Do you want milk, juice, or coffee?"

"Milk is fine," Blaine mumbled, taking a seat. "Dont you have to be at work soon?"

"Im not too worried about it. Isabelle isnt there to yell at me anymore" Kurt smiled, placing a glass of milk in front of him. "I do have some good news though."

"Whats that?" Blaine asked.

Reaching for his phone, Kurt pulled up the GoFundMe page and told him, "We hit 79,000 this morning."

"Woah. Really?" Blaine snatched the phone out of his hand. "I wasnt sure we were going to get that far. I didnt think we were gaining that much interest."

"Well, I hope we gain more interest, because we only have 55,000 more to reach that 150,000 by next week," Kurt smiled. "I know that seems like a lot but compared to what we have raised, we might be able to do it."

"Do you really think?" Blaine asked. He picked up a knife and began spreading butter on his pancakes, before drowning them in syrup.

Sitting down next to him, Kurt set his phone down. "I keep telling myself we can," he sighed. "Im trying to be more positive. Its just really hard. Yes, we might be able to cover this amount, but can we cover all 500,000 of it."

Feeling like he lost his appetite, Blaine stared down at his plate and bit his lip. "Ive been thinking the same thing. I just dont know how were going to pull it off when were only a fifth of the way there."

Taking Blaines hand, Kurt squeezed it. "Were just gonna have to fight as hard as we can."

"Do you think we were wrong to keep this place?" Blaine finally met his eyes.

Shaking his head, Kurt replied, "She knows were here. If she was ever able to look for us, she would look here. She has to be able to contact us. Well just have to work harder to earn the money we could save by moving.""

"I guess youre right," Blaine said.

"Weve got most of our bills paid for the month. Im ready to throw some money into our savings. With my new job, I think we can throw an extra two hundred in there this month," Kurt rubbed his thumb along Blaines knuckles. It was a comforting gesture that made Blaine feel slightly more relaxed.

"Okay," Blaine nodded. "It certainly makes it easier that you have that new job."

"I know," Kurt said. "It came when we needed it most. We needed some sort of hope with April 15th hanging over our heads."

"Im really dreading next week," Blaine admitted. "Im just so scared that this isnt going to go the way we plan."

Pulling him into a hug, Kurt said, "I feel the same way. No matter what happens, well get through next week together."