"Annabelle Hummel. Seven years old. Shes about this tall," Kurt placed a hand around the middle of his torso. "Long brown hair with hazel eyes. She usually gets called Belle."

"What was she last seen in?" the police officer asked from behind her desk, writing it all down on paper.

"Um a purple shirt with a unicorn on it and blue jeans," he thought back to earlier that morning when he last saw his daughter. "She had on white sneakers with two pink stripes on the side."

"And when did you last see her?" the woman continued to question.

"At the house," Kurt explained. "I went to lunch with my parents around noon and when I came back at one-thirty, she was gone. Blaine was inside cleaning and he told me she was out in the backyard. I went to look and we couldnt find her. Thats when we called for help."

"Blaine is your husband?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Is there any chance that Blaine had something to do with Annabelles disappearance?" she watched his reaction closely, as she asked this.

"What?" Kurt gaped at the officer. The thought had never even crossed Kurts mind. "No. Absolutely not. Blaine would never do something like that."

"Youre sure?" she continued to watch him closely. Sitting forward, the woman folded her hands on the desk and explained. "You see, Blaine was the last person that we know was with Annabelle before she disappeared. Many people find it hard to believe that there spouse would harm their child but it does happen regardless. So Im going to ask again: Are you sure theres no chance that Mr. Anderson had something to do with this?"

"I - yes, Im positive," Kurt replied firmly. "Blaine loves Belle more than anything. Blaine wouldnt hurt a fly."

"All right," she began writing his words down again. "Is there anyone else you can think of that might have been involved?"

No one else could have been involved. Cooper and Pam had been the only ones around the last two weeks, other than Kurts parents, and they would never do something like that. There was no other explanation. Kurt shook his head, "I have no idea. No one I can think of."

"Thank you, Mr. Hummel. If theres any other information you can share with us, you know where to find us," the officer stood up and guided him out of the room. "You can wait out here for Mr. Anderson."

Sitting down on a bench, Kurt felt his stomach turn. He had been nauseous for the last five hours. The thought of something bad happening to his daughter terrified him. Thats why he had yelled at Blaine when they searched the area and realized she was gone...

"How could you let this happen?" Kurt cried, pulling at his hair. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Blaines jaw dropped, "Let it happen? Kurt, its not like I woke up this morning and thought what can I do to make my life worse than it already is? How about I let someone take my daughter."

"Well, you werent very responsible!" Kurt shot back. He could feel his heart pounding quickly against his rib cage. "Was it really so hard to keep an eye on her?"

"I got caught up in what I was doing, Im sorry. You have no idea how guilty I feel right now," Blaine told him. "I didnt think shed disappear like this."

"Youre right, you didnt think," Kurt said hotly. "Look where that got us."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Blaine snapped, "This isnt going to get us anywhere. We need to do something. Look for her, call the police. I dont know."

"Fine but this discussion is not over," Kurt stormed back toward the house.

They hadnt continued their discussion due to the police showing up and investigating the premises. Once they had concluded that Belle wasnt around, they had been escorted to the station. It had been a long evening stuck at the police station since.

Dialing Sams phone number, Kurt waited for a response. "Please pick up," he mumbled. Nerves running high, Kurt needed something to occupy his racing mind.

"Hello?" Sams voice came through the phone after the fourth ring.

"Hey, its Kurt. Are you with Rachel?" Kurt couldnt stop himself from asking.

"No, I stayed late at school to talk to the parents of one of my students and get some papers graded without distraction. Why? Should I be with her? Is she okay?" Sam pressed, speaking faster as he talked.

"No, no, Sam, Im sure Rachels fine," Kurt interrupted. He hesitated, glancing around the busy room. "I actually need to tell you something that I dont think she should know yet."

"Okay..." Sam said slowly. "Whats up?"

"Blaine and I are at the police station in Westerville right now," he started.

Before he could say anything else, Sam jumped in, "Woah, wait. Why? What happened? Is everything okay?"

Closing his eyes, Kurt took a deep breath, when he spoke, it all came tumbling out in a fast pace, "Belle went missing this afternoon, Blaine was alone with her. He was packing at his dads house and she went to the backyard to play and that was the last he saw her. I came back and she was gone.."

There was a pause before a response. "Holy crap. Are you serious?" Sams tone became more serious. He had a very strong relationship with Belle and Kurt knew this would be hard on him.

"I wouldnt joke about that, Sam," Kurt told his friend. "But listen, dont tell Rachel yet. Given the circumstances, I dont want to stress her out too much."

"Belles her daughter. Dont you think Rachel has a right to know?" Sam pointed out. "Eventually shell figure it out when you come home without her."

"Im hoping its not going to take that long," Kurt said. "We were supposed to leave on Saturday but if shes not found, I dont know what were going to do," Kurt let out a long sigh. He placed his hand over his forehead and pleaded, "Just give me a couple days to find a way to tell her. Hopefully Belle wont be gone that long. Please, Sam. Im just not ready yet."

"Im supposed to keep this huge secret from my girlfriend?" Sam sounded more on edge now. "Look, Kurt, I really think she should know the truth."

"I do too but at the right time," Kurt said what had been on his mind for hours. "I dont want her stressing out too much and... something happening to the baby. Weve already had a horrible couple of weeks."

"Dude, they cant even fully confirm shes pregnant until she goes in for an appointment," Sam reminded him. "I know youd like to think this surrogacy thing is working but right now, she needs to deal with her daughter that she knows exists."

Resorting to begging, Kurt felt tears sting his eyes. He fought to keep them from falling and pleaded, "Sam, please. Just a few days. I need some sort of reassurance and I cant worry about the baby too."

Silence filled his end of the line. Sam didnt say anything for a long moment. When he did speak, it was short and to the point, "Fine, give it a few days. But if you dont tell her in the next week, I will."

"That sounds fair. Thank you," Kurt felt relief wash over him. "Ill call you as soon as I know more."

"Sure," Sam said. "And Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"Keep an eye on Blaine. Losing his dad was hard enough. Who knows what this will do to him, look after him, okay?" Sams tone softened.

"Always," Kurt said quietly, just as Blaine was led out of the room he was in by an officer. "Ill talk to you later."

"Bye, Kurt," Sam ended the call.

Pocketing his phone, Kurt rose from the bench and approached Blaine with caution. "Are we free to go?" he asked the officer.

"Yes, well be in touch with you," he replied. "Thank you for your time, gentlemen."

When the officer walked away, Blaine bowed his head and bit his lip nervously. His face was pale and he looked frightened. "I really am sorry, Kurt," he whispered.

Stepping forward, Kurt placed his hand under Blaines chin and lifted his face to meet his gaze. The look in Blaines eyes was enough to make Kurts anger fade away. "I know you are and Im sorry I yelled at you. I was just really scared," Kurt said quietly.

"Im still really scared," Blaines voice cracked and he scrunched up his face against the tears that began rolling down his cheeks.

Pulling his small frame into a tight embrace, Kurt soothingly rubbed Blaines back and said, "Me too, sweetie. Me too."

(5:56) Rachel: Hey, babe! I thought you guys were supposed to come home Saturday. I just went to your apartment, thinking youd be home from work and you arent here. Whats up?

(6:02) Kurt: Blaine wasnt ready to come home yet, so we took a few more days off.

(6:04) Rachel: I didnt know he was going to take this so hard... When will you be home? I was so excited to tell you something today.

(6:07) Kurt: Whats that?

(6:08) Rachel: Ive been really nauseous the last two days! ...Okay, that may not sound thrilling to some people but it gives me hope about my doctor appointment next week!

(6:14) Kurt: Have you taken a home pregnancy test?

(6:16) Rachel: No... I was waiting for you and Blaine. When are you coming home?

(6:44) Kurt: Not sure. End of the week, I guess.

(6:45) Rachel: Oh... Okay.

Sighing Kurt set his phone down and buried his face in his hands. He knew he had to tell his best friend that her daughter had been missing for four days but it was a delicate topic and he didnt know how to break it to her.

"Hi," Blaine walked in through the front door and set down a bag of groceries on the kitchen counter.

"Hey," Kurt smiled weakly. He had done his best to be strong for Blaine the last few days but it hadnt been easy. Blaine had been through the death of his estranged father and the disappearance of his only child in the span of two weeks. He was on the verge of breaking and Kurt didnt even know how to carry on a conversation with him.

"I stopped by the store," Blaine said.

"Okay," Kurt walked over and kissed his cheek. Blaine cringed slightly and Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Whats wrong?"

"I got a call from the police station a while ago. They want me to come down for more questioning tomorrow," Blaine rolled his eyes. To Kurt, it meant that Blaine was trying to pass it off as nothing but he couldnt hide the fear in his eyes.

"Why?" Kurt asked, reaching for Blaines hand and squeezing it tightly.

He shrugged, "I guess its suspicious that she disappeared while I was alone with her." He bit his lip and yanked his hand from Kurts grasp. He strolled to the other side of the kitchen and leaned against the counter. Bowing his head, Blaines voice cracked as he said, "Like this hasnt been hard enough, you know? Now Im being accused of doing this. I didnt want this. I never wanted anything bad to happen to her."

Kurt rushed to him and wrapped his arms around him. A sob escaped Blaines throat and he clung to Kurt tightly. "Shh. I know. I know. Its not easy... Im right here. Its okay."

"I just miss her so much," Blaine cried. He buried his face in Kurts shoulder and his sound was muffled. "I would never do anything to hurt her. I didnt mean to ignore her. I just feel so damn guilty."

Pulling back, Kurt took Blaines face in his hands and brushed a tear away with his thumb. "I know you wouldnt, sweetie. Its just a precaution they have to take." The broken expression on Blaines face caused tears to sting Kurts eyes. He blinked furiously, determined to be strong for his husband.

"What if they decide I did something wrong?" Blaine said quietly. "I cant sit in jail."

"They arent going to come to that conclusion because you didnt do anything wrong," Kurt reassured him. He stroked Blaines cheek with his thumb. "Belle could be anywhere. We just have to take this one day at a time."

"Okay," Blaine whispered, nodding.

Gently kissing Blaine, Kurt felt Blaines body relax at his touch. Blaine deepened the kiss, his hand sliding into Kurts hair. "Take my mind off of it, please," he said quietly.

"Blaine," Kurt said firmly, placing his hand on Blaines chest to push him back slightly. "We cant just avoid the problem."

"But you said take it one day at a time," Blaine whined.

"I know," Kurt shook his head. "But I wanted to address the issue of going home."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Blaine narrowed his eyes at this.

"I mean, we cant stay in your parents house forever. We have jobs to go back to and - "

"Stop!" Blaine almost shouted. He took several steps backward and said, "How could you even think about leaving when Belle is missing?"

"Because we arent just going to find her wandering on the street. This is a job for the police," Kurt shot back. "What are we going to do here? Sit and stare at the walls until we go crazy with worry?"

"Ill get a job down here! Im sure the hospital has something available," Blaine tossed his hands up in the air in frustration. "Weve been in New York for so long. Maybe we need a change."

"And what about my position at Vogue? Am I supposed to throw that away because you now think our life has gotten stale?" Kurt placed his hands on his hips. "I love my job, Blaine."

"I like my job too but my daughter is more important to me. I cant leave her behind," Blaine turned on his heel and went toward the stairs.

Kurt followed, "You dont even know that shes in the city. What if someone kidnapped her and took off? She could be in Indiana or Alabama or -"

"Stop it!" Blaine hollered from the third step, banging his fist on the railing of the staircase. "Why do you insist on talking like that?"

"Because it could happen! We cant just assume shes happy and healthy. If she turned up dead tomorrow, Id at least have the understanding that it was a possibility," Kurt shouted. "Why delude yourself to believing shes fine? No one took her to hand her toys and treats."

Blaines tone was strained, "I never said Belle was fine, but that doesnt mean I want to think about her lying somewhere in a ditch either. Im already going crazy, Kurt. Thinking about it only makes me crazier,"

"But staying here isnt going to make her come back any sooner," Kurt argued.

Running his hands through his hair, Blaine groaned loudly, "Ughh. I know that. But she was last with us here. If she comes looking for us, Belle would look for us here."

"Shes seven. Its not like she knows the address here. If Belle could tell an authority figure where to find us, shed tell them our home address," Kurt reminded him.

Coming down a step, Blaine said, "I just feel better about being down here, okay? If you want to go back to New York, do it. Im not leaving."

"Blaine, I cant just stay here," Kurt protested. "What about Rachel and the baby? She has a doctor appointment next week to make sure our plan worked. I cant be away from her and my job and everything Ive known for the last eight years."

"And I cant be away from Belle. Im sorry you dont feel the same way," Blaine trudged down the few steps he had climbed and whipped the front door open.

"Belles not here! Dont you understand that?" Kurt cried in exasperation. He was no longer able to hold back his tears. "Shes gone, Blaine. Shes gone and we might not get her back."

Shaking his head violently, Blaine hissed, "I really thought youd be the one person to understand this but I guess I was wrong." He turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

"Blaine!" Kurt cried after him. He felt his legs tremble beneath him and sank to the bottom stair. Leaning against the railing, Kurt let out the emotions that had been building up for days.

He had already lost his child. The last thing Kurt needed was to be separated from his husband too.

Pam came home from work an hour later. She found Kurt still seated on the bottom stair in a daze. "Honey, what are you doing?" she sat down on the step next to him.

"Blaine and I had a fight and I just havent had the energy to get up. Im so emotionally drained," he told her. "I just dont know what to do."

"Come with me. I know what will clear your mind," Pam took his hand and led him into the kitchen. Since the three of them were staying in the house, the kitchen had yet to be torn apart and packed away. She began pulling things out of the cupboard and setting up a makeshift bakery on the island. "Tell me about your troubles while we bake some cookies."

The next two hours were dedicated to baking. It took Kurt back to his childhood, when he used to bake with his mother. It took his mind off of the events from the last two weeks. He told Pam about the situation with Blaine and going back to New York.

"Follow your heart," Pam told him. "Theres not really a right or wrong answer. I think you both make good points." The advice did nothing to ease Kurts mind.

When they had finished baking, Pam went to bed and Kurt sat in the living room with a magazine. He was growing worried about Blaine and decided to wait for him.

Another hour passed before Blaine stumbled in. His eyes were unfocused and he looked unsteady on his feet. "Oh, youre up," he mumbled.

"And youre drunk," Kurt commented, setting his magazine on the couch. "Is that all youve done for the last three hours? Drink your problems away."

"I knew if I stayed, you were gonna keep yelling at me," Blaine slurred.

"Right because its all my fault," Kurt rolled his eyes. "Forget I waited up for you." He clambered off the couch and turned to the stairs.

"No, wait," Blaine grabbed his arm in a tight grip. "I was going to tell you that Im not me... I mean, I am me but Im not... Im not me... myself."

"Id rather have this conversation sober," Kurt shoved his hand away.

"Kurt, come on. Just listen," Blaine seized his wrist. "Im just a mess."

"I can see that," Kurt said flatly, grabbing Blaines hand and removing it from his wrist.

"I just dont know what Im doing, okay?" Blaine said. "Ive never had a kid missing before."

The corner of Kurts mouth twitched. "I know you havent. Neither have I. This is territory that many parents never reach." He grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and led him to the couch. "Well talk about this when youre sober. Get some sleep."

"Okay," Blaine replied, as Kurt placed a blanket over him. "Can I sleep with you?"

"Not tonight. Youre sensitive and horny when youre drunk and Im not in the mood for that tonight," Kurt bent down to kiss his forehead. "Good night."

"Night," Blaine mumbled.

Staring at the picture frame in his hand, Kurt freely let the tears roll down his cheeks. Without Blaine around, it was harder to hold himself together.

When Blaine had woken up with a hangover the next morning, he refused to talk about their argument from the night before. Apparently "Im a mess" was no longer his excuse. He stood his ground that Kurt was wrong and that was it.

Feeling like he couldnt breath after the continuous tension, Kurt took a drive that led him to Lima. Once there, he decided to stay to give Blaine a little space to clear his mind. .

Here he was two days later feeling incomplete without Blaine...

He didnt know how long he sat in his late step-brothers room that Thursday afternoon before someone interrupted him.

"Kurt?" A soft knock came on the door. Carole poked her head in. "Blaines here."

"Great," Kurt sighed. As much as he missed Blaine, Kurt wasnt sure he was ready to face him again. It meant facing reality.

"Hi," Blaine entered the room and sat on the bed next to him. He sat there a moment, before he said conversationally, "Thats a good picture of Finn,"

"I miss him," Kurt admitted. He stared at Finns crooked smile and his lip quivered. "You know, when my mom died, I thought there was no feeling worse than that... And then Finn died and it was heart breaking to see someone so young go before they even got to live... But seeing a girl twelve years younger than Finn was, a girl I love more than anything disappear... to think I could lose her..." he trailed off. Setting Finns picture back on the night stand, he closed his eyes.

"Thats the worst feeling, I know," Blaine said quietly. He placed his hand on top of Kurts and said, "I didnt think things could get worse after my dad died and I was proven wrong... Ive been a terrible mess, Kurt, and Im really sorry."

Sighing, Kurt placed his free hand on top of Blaines, "Well, Im sorry too. I havent been fair to you. I know youve been dealing with more than me."

"I just want to get through this with you," Blaine admitted. "Its just hard. You know I tend to shut down when Im upset... But then you left and I realized I needed you."

"Im just tired of this. We need to make a decision. What are we going to do?" Kurt asked.

"I dont know," Blaine shrugged.

"We cant be in two places at once," Kurt shook his head. He turned his body to face Blaine. "I know how hard it is to think about being further away from Belle, but we have a life in New York. We cant just put our lives on hold. Belle could be missing for six years or sixteen years. We cant stare at these walls for that long."

"Its only been a few days. Its still fresh, you know?" Blaine said quietly. "I just keep hoping shes going to show up at the door and admit that she was just playing hide and seek... I think thats why Im afraid of leaving."

"Thats my problem. I need to keep busy. I need something to take my mind off of it. If Belle is all I can think about, I might go crazy," Kurt told him. "Thats why I need to get back into a routine."

Sighing, Blaine ran a hand through his hair and said, "So what do we do?"

"If you need time, you can stay. I cant make you come home if you arent ready," Kurt stated. "But I cant just sit here and wait for her to walk through the door. Its not going to be that easy."

"I just hate the thought of being separated from you. Youre my anchor," Blaine said quietly. "The last couple days were already hell."

Leaning forward, Kurt pressed his forehead to Blaines and stared into his sad, hazel eyes. "Its gonna be okay. You can always come home or I can come here if you really need me to."

"Okay," Blaine whispered.

"But please dont drive yourself crazy, okay?" Kurt pulled back to look at him better.

"No, I know. And Im sure the hospital wont give me too much more time off. I just... Im not ready to face it yet. Im not ready to face those kids or our empty apartment."

He wasnt going to admit that facing the apartment and Belles empty room was a chilling thought, so Kurt simply said, "I understand."

"Ill be right behind you. I just need a couple more days," Blaine frowned. "Youre sure this is the right decision for us?"

Kurt shrugged, "Im not sure of anything anymore."