In the middle of the airport, Kurt and Blaine embraced each other tightly. The rushing crowd around them passed by in a blur and neither seemed to notice. The thought of being separated was enough to make both men dread Kurts departure.

"Call me as soon as you land," Blaines voice was muffled against his shoulder. "I need to know that you made it safely."

"Ill be fine," Kurt finally pulled back to see his face. "How many times have we made this trip? Its not a long trip at all."

Blaine smiled weakly, "I know. My nerves are just on edge." His lip quivered and he scrunched up his face to stop himself from crying. "Im just going to miss you so much."

"Im going to miss you too," Kurt pulled him into another hug. "Dont stay too much longer." He released his tight grip on Blaine and forcefully kissed him, feeling a hunger to kiss him endlessly.

Blaine pulled back suddenly with wide eyes and said, "I cant take much more. Im gonna end up dragging you back to the house with me."

"Thats okay... I should get going. Who knows how long security will take," he gave Blaine one final peck. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Blaine replied quietly. The broken expression on his face tore Kurt apart and he so desperately wanted to drag Blaine with him.

Grabbing his suitcase, Kurt headed toward security. He stopped long enough to watch Blaine head back toward the front door before he got in line. Blaine hadnt glanced back at all and Kurt quickly looked away when Blaine disappeared.

Once the plane had taken off, Kurt began to feel empty inside. After all, he had flown to Ohio with Belle. Going home without her in the seat next to him, It felt like he really was leaving her behind. Thats when he realized why Blaine had such a hard time coming to terms with leaving.

Sighing heavily, Kurt stared out the window and scanned the ground, wondering if his daughter was somewhere below...

It was hard to believe that Belle had only been missing for a week. It felt like an eternity to him. Kurt missed the sound of her laughter. He missed her curiosity and her practicing ballet moves or the songs Blaine taught her on the piano. At this point, Kurt even missed helping Belle with her homework. It was hard to believe how much Belle occupied his life until it seemed empty without her.

When he reached the still apartment, Kurt went straight to Belles room and sat down on her bed. Her purple Disney Princess comforter had been perfectly placed on top of the bed. No doubt Blaines work. The night Blaine left for Ohio, Belle had slept in Kurts room with him. Kurt continued to soak in his daughters room. Her dresser was full of figurines of horses and ballerinas. But the thing that brought Kurt to tears was the picture Belle had on her night stand of their family. Belle sat on Blaines lap with Kurt and Rachel placed on either side of them. They had taken the picture in Central Park in front of a fountain.

"Belle," Kurt whispered. His fingertips brushed across her face and he felt tears sting his eyes. He clutched the picture frame close to his chest and fell back on to the bed. He rolled on to his side and curled into a ball. A sob escaped his throat and Kurt buried his face in Belles pillow. Her scent lingering in the material. His sobs wracked his body. For the last week, Kurt had been holding his emotions in, but with no one around, he stayed there until he cried himself to sleep.

His phone began to ring, causing Kurt to jump from his sleep. He had no idea how long he had slept for. Groggily, he slowly sat up and took time to adjust to his surroundings. He set the picture frame on the bed next to him and answered weakly, "H-hello?"

"Hey, are you okay?" Blaines voice was full of concern. "You sound... off."

"Yeah," Kurt cleared his throat. "Yeah, Im okay. Just tired, sorry."

"I called to make sure you landed. I never heard from you," Blaine told him. He waited and when Kurt didnt say anything, Blaine asked, "Are you home?"

"Yeah," Kurt pulled himself out of his daze. He cleared his throat again, still hearing the raspy sound in his voice from sleep. "Yeah, I got home a while ago. Im sorry I didnt call."

"Its fine. I told you I was gonna worry regardless... Im sure you needed to collect yourself first. Its gotta be overwhelming," Blaine reassured him. Again, Kurt didnt say anything for fear of breaking down again. He heard Blaine quietly say, "Pretty silent there, huh?"

"Yeah," Kurt whispered. He rose from Belles bed and moved to the living room. He shut the door behind him with no intention of going in there again. "And I miss you."

There was silence on Blaines end.

"Blaine?"

"I miss you too. I just... I dont know what to do," Blaine admitted. "I knew going home would be hard for you but going with you would have been hard too."

"Its okay. If youre not ready, take your time," Kurt tried to sound stronger than he felt. "Im okay here. Once I get back to work, Ill have something to keep my mind busy."

"Yeah, okay... Well, Im glad you made it okay," Blaine said hastily. "Um Ill talk to you later... I love you."

"Love you too," Kurt hung up and tossed his phone on the couch, sighing heavily.

Already feeling like he couldnt breathe in the apartment, Kurt set out to find something to do. He made his way down to the subway with no real idea of where he was going.

His feet carried him to a small coffee shop some distance away from their home. He entered and the bell tinkled over the door to announce his arrival.

"Hello!" the barista called. When he approached the counter, she asked, "What can I get for you?"

"Just a coffee," he grumbled. He was so emotionally drained that he didnt even care. When he got his drink, Kurt sat down at a familiar table and stared at the empty table in the corner.

It seemed so long ago that Kurt stole glances at Blaine in the corner. The place that started it all. Life has been so much simpler then.

Who knew so much could change in eight years?

"Dont you look lonely?" a voice said from behind him, causing him to jump.

Kurt turned on his chair to face the person and he narrowed his eyes at the stranger, "Im sorry. Do I know you?"

"No but youre sitting here alone drinking coffee and I was going to do the same thing, so I thought Id come introduce myself," he said, taking the seat across from Kurt. "Im Elliot, by the way. Elliot Gilbert."

"Kurt Hummel," he replied, shaking Elliots hand. "What can I do for you?"

Elliot shrugged, "I thought Id come introduce myself. I thought you looked like you could use some cheering up... How are you?"

Glancing down at his cup, Kurt shrugged, "Im getting by." What else could he say? He felt awful. He probably looked awful if a stranger thought he looked like he needed cheering up.

"Its not my business, so Im not going to ask but if you feel the need to vent, Id listen," Elliot said casually, taking a swig from his drink. "Sometimes it doesnt hurt to get an outside opinion."

Raising an eyebrow, Kurt studied the strangers kind face and smiled slightly, "Thanks." Since Belles disappearance, no one had bothered to listen to Kurts feelings. Elliot genuinely seemed like he was trying to be friendly and it was a refreshing gesture.

They sat in silence for a moment and Kurt wasnt sure what to say. It was nice that Elliot offered to listen but was he really willing to tell his problems to a stranger? He was going through so much right now. No one would want to hear that.

"Of course, you dont have to," Elliot smiled kindly.

Shaking his head, Kurt stated, "No, I know. I appreciate it, but Im sure you dont want to hear about it."

"Thats cool. No pressure. I was just offering," Elliot said. "If you change your mind though, I come here often enough. Im sure well see each other again."

"Okay," Kurt said lamely, staring at his hands. He felt so stupid but he didnt know what else to do. All he really wanted was to be with Blaine, not some stranger.

Seeing that Kurt wasnt interested in his efforts, Elliot stood up and awkwardly said, "Well, I should get going. Ive got a gig to prepare for this weekend and my band wants to rehearse early today."

"Youre in a band?" Kurt asked, surprised.

"Im actually flying solo but I have a band that backs me up," Elliot informed him. "Ive been playing gigs around the city for a long time."

"Thats cool," Kurt nodded.

"You like music?" Elliot asked.

"Oh, yes," Kurt replied. "I was in glee club for three years in high school and my husbands a musical therapist so hes always on the piano in our apartment."

"Youre married?" Elliot almost sounded disappointed. His eyes shifted to the ring on Kurts left hand and widened.

"Yeah, almost eight years now," Kurt said. His heart ached at the thought of him. "Hes a great guy."

The discomfort on Elliots face made made Kurt stop talking. Elliot had obviously been trying to hit on Kurt and he may have just ruined his chance of making a new friend, something he could really use.

Sucking on his bottom lip, Elliot leaned forward and placed a business card in the pocket of Kurts shirt, "Well, if you ever want to come check me out, all my dates are on my website."

"Great, Ill do that," Kurt nodded.

"Ill see you around, Kurt," Elliot smiled, before leaving the coffee shop.

Sighing heavily, Kurt flopped back in his chair and buried his face in his hands.

All of this was starting to take a toll on life outside of home and he wasnt sure how to handle that.

The clock on the wall seemed to tick slower than usual. The waiting room was almost empty and Kurts nerves were running high.

Rachel sat between Sam and Kurt humming softly as she flipped through a magazine. She had explained before that singing to the baby before her appointments had always calmed her in her previous pregnancy.

Sam kept eyeing Kurt suspiciously around Rachel. It was like he was wondering if Kurt was really going to tell Rachel anything about Belle.

"Rachel Berry?" a nurse entered the waiting room and smiled as Rachel got to her feet, setting the magazine down in her chair.

Kurt stood up and gave her a hug. "Good luck," he smiled weakly, kissing her cheek.

"Thanks," Rachel bent over and pecked Sam on the lips. "Love you."

"Love you too," he smiled.

Kurt sat down again and reached for Rachels magazine. She had been reading an article on first time pregnancies and Kurt quickly shut the book. It wasnt anything he wanted to read. After being there for the labor and delivery last time, Kurt knew more than he ever wanted to know.

When he set the magazine aside, Sam asked him, "Dude, so when are you going to tell her?"

"I was thinking of telling her after this... I thought we could go out to eat from here and talk," Kurt suggested. "If we get good news today, shell be in a decent mood."

"And if you find out shes not pregnant?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Are you still going to tell her?"

Kurt hadnt thought about that. The last thing he wanted to do was think about was finding out that she wasnt pregnant and he really had lost everything. Kurt already had such an empty place in his heart where Belle and Blaine should have been. This appointment was his last hope.

"Kurt, honestly, you need to tell her. She needs to know," Sam told him.

Nodding, Kurt agreed, "I know."

They waited in silence for a long time. Kurt was beginning to wonder if something was wrong. Was it supposed to take that long? Several other women had gone in before Rachel returned.

When she finally entered the room, Rachel slowly approached Kurt and gazed into his eyes with an expression he couldnt read. It took a moment before a smile broke her stare and she announced, "Im pregnant!"

"Yes!" Kurt exclaimed. He lifted her into the air and spun her in a circle. "This is great! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Rachel laughed as Kurt set her back on the ground and kissed her cheek. "Im really happy for you, Kurt," she said. "Youre gonna make a great dad all over again."

"I couldnt do it without you," Kurt hugged her in return. He did his best to ignore the pain in his chest at the thought that he really hadnt been a great dad the first time around or Belle would still be with him. Shaking the thought, he said, "Thank you for giving up everything once again for me and Blaine."

"Only because I love you so much," Rachel kissed his cheek. "I wouldnt do it for anyone else... I mean, until I have my own kids." Her eyes shifted toward Sam and she blushed, quickly looking away.

"Should we go out to celebrate?" Kurt asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam raise an eyebrow in anticipation of what would happen.

"Of course," Rachel stepped in between Kurt and Sam, taking each of their hands. "Maybe we can even call Blaine and give him the news."

Sam and Kurt exchanged nervous glances. Sam shrugged, "Its up to Kurt."

"Wait. Okay, what was that look?" Rachel stopped in her tracks. "Am I missing something here?"

Sam shrugged, "Ask him." He pointed at Kurt.

Running a hand through his hair, Kurt sighed heavily, "Why dont we talk about this over lunch." He shot Sam a "thanks for nothing" look behind her back.

Turning on him, Rachel placed a hand on his chest and ordered, "Kurt, if theres something going on, tell me. Is it Blaine? Is he okay? Is that why he couldnt make it today?"

"No, no, it.. its not Blaine," Kurt said slowly. He hesitated before asking, "Cant we talk about this over lunch?"

"Tell me right now," Rachel narrowed her eyes at him. "I dont like being kept in the dark."

Glancing at Sam, Kurt sighed. He met Rachels eyes and said, "While we were down in Ohio... Belle, uh, she..." he paused. The way Rachels eyes filled with concern over her anger made Kurt feel his throat go dry. He couldnt find the words to say it. He struggled to make any words come out.

Sam placed a hand on Kurts shoulder and finished, "Belles missing. They cant find her."

Staring with wide eyes, like a deer caught in headlights,, Rachel looked like she hadnt understood what Sam said. After a moment, her eyes shifted to Kurt and she said, "Excuse me?"

Kurt shrugged, feeling guilty for not telling her before. "Blaine was alone at the house with her. She went to play in the backyard and... then we couldnt find her."

Tears formed in her eyes and she asked, "So, what? Thats it? Youre here and shes just gone and thats all there is to it?"

"The police are investigating the case and Blaines still there. I just couldnt stay any longer. I was going crazy. A week without her had already felt like an entire year," Kurt explained.

"Whoa. Whoa. Wait. A week?!" Rachel squealed, holding up a hand to stop him. "Shes been gone a week? And Im just now finding out about this?"

"A week and a half, actually," Sam concluded.

Rachel whirled on him, "And you knew about this? Why didnt you tell me?" A harsh edge shifted in her voice. "What the hell?"

"Kurt asked me not to tell you," Sam nodded at his friend. "I wasnt going to break a promise."

"I thought it was for good reason," Kurt said defensively. Clearly, he saw now that it was a mistake.

Storming over to him, Rachel slapped Kurts cheek and shouted, "You didnt have the balls to tell me that my daughter has been missing for a week and a half?! You selfish asshole!"

"Its not that simple," Kurt defended himself. "Blaine has already been through enough and I was worried about you and the baby and - "

"Are you really going to use the baby as an excuse? You didnt even know if I was pregnant!" she shouted. "How could you use that against me?"

"We had hopes and Blaine would be devastated if something happened to it! I was just trying to protect him and you," Kurt shot back. "I was going to tell you when the time was right."

"When? After I have the baby? While Im in labor and too distracted to really notice?" Rachel crossed her arms over her chest. "You should have told me, Kurt."

"Im sorry. I wanted to," Kurt stepped closer to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, Kurt begged her to understand. "This has been hard enough, Rachel."

"No shit? I wouldnt know because you didnt bother to tell me!" Rachel said, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "I cant believe how selfish youre being. I have a right to know when my daughter goes missing. Yes, I wouldve been upset but at least I couldve trusted you."

"Im sorry!" Kurt replied. "I didnt know what to do."

"I know what to do," Rachel turned on her heel and walked away.

Sam gave Kurt an apologetic half smile and ran after Rachel, "Baby, wait!"

"Get away from me!" Rachel shoved him backward. "You kept this from me too."

"Kurt made me promise not to say anything," Sam said. "I was going to tell you soon. I wanted to give him a chance to tell you first."

"And you should have known better. You should have told me anyway. I cant believe you lied to me," Rachel moved swiftly toward the door and left without another word.

Sighing, Sam walked back toward Kurt and said, "Well, the worst is over. At least she knows now. Shell get over it."

"Yeah..." Kurt whispered, knowing the worst wasnt over. She wasnt going to forgive him so easily. It was just another person that was slipping through his fibers. What made Kurt feel terrible was that Rachel being angry with him was the least of Kurts problems.

Kurt dove into his work as the week wore on. Rachel was no longer speaking to him, Sam was distant because of Rachel, and he had hardly heard from Blaine.

He was starting to get lonely. Without Blaine, Kurt always felt empty. But the silence in the apartment without Belle was unbearable. He missed her so much that his chest felt tight. And he couldnt talk to his two best friends about it because they werent on speaking terms.

He was starting to think maybe he should have taken up Elliots offer to talk.

"You look really tired," Isabelle said, when Kurt entered her office at the end of the work day.

"Something like that," Kurt mumbled. He set a stack of papers on her desk and added, "You look a little too perky for my mood."

"I am in a good mood. I just applied for a higher position over at Forbes magazine and I have a really good feeling about this," she smiled, flipping through the stack of papers.

"What? Why?" Kurt felt his stomach drop. On top of everything, getting a new boss was not something he needed. Isabelle had been such a good friend over the years.

"Its just time. They had a position open and I really think itd be good for me, you know? This jobs getting stale for that Lance and I finalized the divorce, I need to make changes in my life." Isabelle stood up and came around her desk. Grabbing his hand, she said, "Youll be fine. Im sure theyll find you a better boss than me."

"No one could replace you," Kurt smiled sadly.

"Aw, thanks," she squeezed his hand. "But dont worry, I dont have the job yet so you might still have to put up with me."

"Well, I cant be selfish and say I hope you stay here, so good luck with that," Kurt said. In truth, Kurt was hoping he could stay friends with her after she left. The space in his heart was growing bigger every day and Kurt wanted to hold on to some part of his life.

"Do you want to grab a coffee or something? You really look like you could use it," Isabelle asked. "Ill buy you something."

Shaking his head, he said, "Thats okay. I think Im going to try to call Blaine. I havent heard from him in two days and Im getting worried."

"Okay," she smiled weakly. "Ill see you tomorrow. Have a good night, Kurt."

Kurt left the office and made his way home. He called Blaine when he left and had to leave him a voicemail. "Hi... Its me. Just feeling like youre ignoring me at this point. Please call me back when you get this... Love you." He hated sounding so whiny but Kurt was beginning to feel like everything was leaving him and the least he could do was talk to Blaine about it.

When he walked up to the apartment door, Kurt saw a dozen roses sitting outside with a note attached to it. Surprised, he scooped it up and smelled the flowers. He then grabbed the note, unfolded it, and read:

Happy Valentines Day!

I miss you like crazy and Ive been thinking about you every minute of every day. Theres a couple more things I have to do before I come home but I want to take you on a Valentine date. Meet me at the address below at 7 oclock sharp. Love you! - Blaine.

A smile spread across Kurts face and he quickly entered the apartment. He took a shower and changed into a different outfit.

When he arrived at the address Blaine had listed, Kurt found himself near the edge of Central Park. He glanced around and tried to find a clue as to why Blaine was leading him here.

A sudden vibration in his pocket made Kurt jump. He reached for his phone and pulled it out. He answered Blaines FaceTime call and finally laid eyes on his husband. "What are you up to?" Kurt answered the call.

"I told you that were going on a date," Blaine told him. "Go into the restaurant across the street.

"I - what? No. Im not going to sit in a restaurant by myself. Ill look stupid," Kurt protested. He didnt move an inch in that direction.

"You wont be alone. Youll be with me. Look," Blaine turned the phone so Kurt could see the inside of a different restaurant. "Were on a date, remember. I told my waitress, Lucy, and she thought it was cute."

"This is silly. We never spend Valentines Day together anyway," Kurt pointed out. "Our first year together, we forgot and went out to dinner a couple weeks later. I proposed to you and you turned me down."

"The next year, you were in Ohio because Carole had knee surgery," Blaine continued. "And the following year, Rachel decided we were having a lame party at her place and I forgot to go."

"That was your excuse... The next two years were my fault. I had to stay at work late the following year," Kurt continued. "Isabelle dragged me to some ballet the next year and I couldnt turn her down. "

"Then we spent the next year in the emergency room because Belle broke her arm," Blaine listed. "And she ruined it the next year because her class had a party she begged me to go to."

"And last year, you went down to visit Savannah because you forgot that was the week of Valentines Day when you made plans with her," Kurt blamed him.

"And look where we are this year," Blaine said. "Were on a virtual date, so it counts."

"No, you should be here," Kurt said bitterly, missing Blaines physical presence too much. "I really wish youd just come home."

Blaine frowned, "Babe, I told you how I felt. I just... I just cant leave. I know shes here somewhere. I have this gut feeling."

"Are you sure thats not your gut just convincing you that shes there?" Kurt asked. "Honey, I know you want to believe Belle will turn up tomorrow but its not that simple."

"Why do you always have to tear down any hope I have?" Blaine said hotly. "Are you trying to make sure I stay miserable the entire time shes gone?"

"Of course not! Why would you say that? All I meant was that I want you to come back here and be with me," Kurt said defensively. "Arent I allowed to miss you?"

"Well, sure, but Im tired of fighting about where I need to be. We obviously have different opinions here. You cant be away from work and I cant leave Belle," Blaine said. "I just dont need you pressuring me to come home before Im ready."

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Ugh, Blaine, Im not trying to pressure you into doing anything. I want whats best for you. Im just worried about you being down there."

"Well, dont worry. I can take care of myself," Blaine said shortly. He had stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"Well, I wasnt going to sit in there and have everyone listen to our argument," Blaine retorted. "You clearly didnt want this date anyway."

"Im not trying to argue with you. Im trying to be reasonable," Kurt snapped. "Sweetie, you have to understand that you have responsibilities here. Your job, the apartment, the baby we are having, and me."

"I know that," Blaine said, not even catching that Kurt mentioned theyre having a baby. "I told you before I didnt know if I wanted to go back to my job anyway."

"So youre just going to stay there and leave our life here? I told you I cant do that," Kurt felt his breath catch in his chest.

Shrugging, Blaine said, "I dont know what I want anymore."

"Fine, if youre willing to divide our family more than it already is, thats your choice but dont think Im happy with you about it," Kurt ended the call and shoved his phone in his pocket.

Fighting back tears once more, Kurt rushed down the street and headed back toward his empty apartment. If he was going to be alone, he might as well get used to it.