Kurt was trying to open an old oak door. It was set in a stone wall in the warm summer sun and a big red dog was frisking around him, jumping in excitement as he tried the key one more time. The ornate key in his hand was not easy to manipulate in the ancient lock. Then it clicked and the door fell open. In front of him was a fairyland. It was something out of a story, maybe, the pastel colors of thousands of flowers blending into a faded blur as tears formed in his eyes. All he could smell were flowers, and lilacs were the heaviest scent among them. Their scent was practically visible, tangible. He turned to get his bearings and a warm hand came to take his, leading him into the garden...

Kurt jerked awake, hearing his fathers voice calling to him. He sat up, wiped the sleep from his eyes and was on his feet, searching for his slippers and robe.

“Im coming, Dad!” he called up the stairs and hurried to get to his fathers side.

“Kurt, Im so sorry to have to wake you, but the alarm was going off and you told me how important taking my medication on time was,” Burt said, sad he had to disturb his son when he looked so tired.

“No problem at all, Dad. Thats what Im here for. I guess I forgot to set my alarm last night. Its a good thing you set yours.” Kurt smiled at his father, thankful he was here still and not gone with the other people he loved. He had to admit that his fathers brush with death had him thinking about his mother more and more often.

“Im going to go get breakfast started and then Ill be back to help you get dressed, okay?” Kurt asked, straightening a wrinkle in his dads blanket and patting him on the shoulder before leaving the room. He walked towards the kitchen to make egg-white omelets and toast with cantaloupe.

~ ~ ~ KB ~ ~ ~

“Hi beautiful,” Kurts voice came through the phone when Blaine answered it at lunch.

“Oh, well hello yourself, gorgeous. How is your day?” Blaine answered. He grinned to hear Kurt sounding so chipper today.

“Im fine. Dad is doing well, he ate a good lunch and only complained about the lack of salt a few dozen times. I think hes getting used to it,” Kurt laughed.

“Ah, good to hear. Im on my way back to the dorm to study for Thursdays test. Can I do anything to help you?” Blaine asked, knowing that being 70 miles away was just the worst. He wanted to be with Kurt.

“No. I have a term paper I was going to start. It isnt due for a few more weeks, but it will give me something to do. Call me later?” Kurt asked. He didnt want to sound as needy as he was, but he missed Blaine.

“I will, I promise. Keep your chin up, Kurt. Well see each other by the weekend. Im leaving Friday afternoon as soon as class is done and Ill be there with you,” he said, closing his eyes briefly to stop any tears from forming.

“Okay, I look forward to that,” Kurt said. “Bye for now...”

“Bye.”

Blaine walked slowly back to the dorm room, wanting nothing more than to jump in his car and race to Lima and Kurts arms. But that was not to be. So he changed his clothes and lay down on his bed to study. It wasnt very long before he was sound asleep, his cheek pressed to the open history book on the bed.

Blaine was walking along a path in the woods, seeing a sort of glow if front of him. He didnt know where he was, but it seemed familiar and new at the same time. He could hear singing. Picking up the pace, he began to run to the place in the clearing – clouds and wet branches sprang out of his way as he raced to the sound of the voice.

Kurt was sitting in a willow chair, his feet dangling in the stream as he sang out the beautiful song. He didnt turn to look at Blaine, but Blaine knew he was aware of his presence. Kurts skin was golden – shining and sparkling in the sun. His blue eyes were so dark they looked almost black and stood out with his long eyelashes surrounding them as he cast his gaze on Blaine, his rosy lips still singing that song. The song wrapped itself around Blaine, pulling him closer and closer to Kurt....so close they were almost one. Blaine had never felt such comfort, such pure love surrounding him, entering his very essence, as he tried to think of a way to make Kurt feel the same thing.

He was trying to speak, but his mouth wouldnt work. He made a funny sort of humming noise and Kurt got up and came to him, stroking his fingers down Blaines cheek to catch a tear that Blaine didnt know was there. He looked up, his honey-brown eyes staring at Kurts blue ones and then the world shook. The earthquake made everything fly all around Blaine as he grabbed for some sort of hold so he wouldnt fall off into space....

Blaine blinked his eyes open, looking around him in wonder as he saw that he was in his bed and there was no earthquake....just his phone ringing beside him. He heaved a sigh and picked it up, his fingers tingling still.

“H...hello?” Blaine breathed into the phone, still trying to get his head on straight. He was dizzy and slightly sick to his stomach.

“Blaine?”

“Kurt!”

“Blaine, are you okay?” Kurt asked.

“Ah....yeah, I think so. I was asleep I think. I must have dozed off studying,” he said, shaking his head a bit. “Why do you ask? Is everything okay with you?”

“I think so. I was reading the section for next weeks French class and I fell asleep, but then I had a dream and it....I guess it shook me up. I just had the feeling I had to talk to you, Blaine, it was that urgent.”

“Oh...I was dreaming, too. You were singing, but it wasnt words to a song, it was....I dont know. Feelings? Then there was an earthquake and I was falling...” Blaine tried to explain, but he knew no words would ever give Kurt the real feeling of that dream, so he gave up.

“Oh. Im sorry....were you scared?” Kurt asked, his voice weak and soft.

“Yeah, I kind of was. It made no sense, and it all happened so fast,” Blaine said.

“Blaine? What would you say if I told you I needed you. I mean, Im okay, and Carole is here with Dad, but I feel so lost without you,” he said, his voice barely there.

“Id say Im on my way. I dont care what the Headmaster says or anyone else, Kurt. If you need me, Im going to be there. Give me a few minutes and Ill be on my way,” Blaine said, his mind made up.

“Blaine? Im going to drive to you and we can meet in the middle. You know the place we stopped at Indian Lake the first time I took you to Lima? Ill meet you at the parking lot by the picnic area. Im leaving now,” he said, his voice a bit stronger now.

“Are you sure? If you arent feeling well, I can come to you,” Blaine offered.

“No, meeting there will take less time. Ill see you there,” Kurt said and hung up the phone. Blaine got up off his bed and put together a quick overnight case, dumping in things he would need for a few days if Kurt needed him. He flung it over his shoulder and was on his way to his car in under fifteen minutes. He set his GPS and slid it into the brace on his dashboard and started off to meet Kurt.

The roadside picnic area had one light, showing the way to the entrance of the parking lot. Blaine swung his car into the parking area and saw Kurts Navigator parked under a tree near the pathway. Kurt wasnt in it. Blaine parked next to the vehicle and got out, looking in the window to make sure it was Kurts. Yes, there was the little crystal music note hanging from the rear-view mirror that Blaine had given Kurt a few weeks ago. They had been looking in shops downtown one day and Kurt had spied the pretty blue charm. It reminded Blaine of his eyes and he bought it on a whim, hanging it in the Navigator the next day from a piece of fishing line. It twisted and spun, making rainbows all over the inside of the car when Kurt was driving and it made him smile.

Blaine was looking over at the dim view of the darkened picnic tables when he felt warm hands grasp his hips, and then Kurt was pasted to his back. He leaned back to get closer, then turned and slid his arms around his boyfriend.

“Oh, my god, I missed you,” Blaine said, his lips close to Kurts warm neck as he snuggled closer. He caught the scent of Kurts sage and carnation soap, the sweet odor of his herbal tea, and his muscles loosened as he fell into Kurts embrace. He hadnt even realized how tightly strung his body had been until it relaxed.

“Hey, whats this? Tears?” Kurt asked, pulling back to look into Blaines eyes.

“No...well, just tears of relief I guess,” Blaine said, suddenly embarrassed at his childish reaction.

“I felt the same way....” Kurt muttered.

“I dont know what is wrong with me,” Blaine said. “I keep having these dreams, these impossible, strange, scary dreams. I hate it – all I can do is think about you, Kurt. Then I fall asleep and the dreams come...”

“Ive been having them, too.”

Kurt stepped back, taking Blaines hand in his and leading him to the back of the Navigator. He unlocked the tailgate and took out two rolled-up sleeping bags and led the way under the trees. The two boys set the sleeping bags out, laying on top of one with the other pulled over them like a blanket. No words were exchanged, they just seemed to know what to do and did it.

Snuggled together, Kurt pulled Blaines chin up so he could look into his honey-brown eyes in the moonlight. They were so clear, so bright as they caught the light from the moon.

“How long have you been having the dreams?” Kurt asked.

“Since we met. They started out just little ones...Id see you in the distance, maybe overhear you talking or something. As we got closer, the dreams got bigger,” Blaine said. He didnt want to tell Kurt all of the scary things in them, but he had to find out if they were the same ones Kurt was having.

“I only have them when were apart,” Kurt said. “The one this afternoon was the worst. I could hear you calling to me, but when I would turn a corner, you were gone again. I was so confused...then there was this huge bird attacking me,” Kurt took a big breath. “It made no sense, but I knew I needed you. I called you when I woke up.”

“Im glad you did. I missed being with you,” Blaine confessed. He hated to ask the next question, but he had to know the answer. “How long before you can come back to Dalton?”

Kurt thought about it. He wanted to come back right away, but he also felt the obligation to be with his father.

“Its okay, Kurt. I know your father needs you. Im sorry I asked.....you need to be with him as long as you can. I didnt mean to put pressure on you.” Blaine turned over, his back to Kurt. He felt sad that he had even mentioned Kurt coming back, he knew that was just selfish.

“I dont know what to say, Blaine. My dad has been my whole world for so long, I cant just abandon him. What kind of person would I be if I put my wishes above my obligations?” Kurt asked.

That made Blaine feel even worse and he wished he had stayed in Westerville. Kurt reached over and put a hand on Blaines shoulder, but the curly-haired boy shrugged it off. He got up and brushed the dust from his jeans.

“Ill be back in a few minutes.”

“Where are you going?” Kurt asked, but Blaine was already gone. He walked quickly into the trees, not paying attention to where he was headed.

Kurt sat for a moment, stunned. What the hell? He came all this way, left his dad for the night – well, Carole and Finn were there, but he did leave. Now Blaine was off in a fit of temper because he, Kurt, had put obligations to his family above his love life. He was irritated: a little at himself, more at Blaine.

Why did Blaine leave, though? Kurt asked himself. Maybe Kurt had been a little short with him? Well, sitting and waiting for Blaine to return was getting him nowhere. The best thing to do would be to talk it out. Going on assumptions wasnt the best option in any case.

Kurt decided to go look for him.

“Blaine?” Kurt called. It had been twenty minutes since Blaine had left. At first Kurt thought he was going to the restrooms, but when he didnt return Kurt decided to follow him. He walked back to the parking lot, but it was empty of everything but the two vehicles.

Back at the sleeping bags, Kurt was at a loss. He didnt know if he had said something to make Blaine angry or if the boy was lost. He decided to call out to him as he walked in a circle around the clearing and then down the path. He hoped Blaine had kept to the path.

In a hollow under a tree, Blaine was sitting, fuming at himself. He had walked just to get his head straight before he went back to clear up this misunderstanding with Kurt, but he had somehow left the path and was wandering in the dark forest, the moon unable to shine in the dense foliage. After an hour he was sleepy and stumbling. Morning would bring light and he could find his way back to the path and to Kurt. He curled up next to a large oak tree to think before starting out again. He began to think about the dream he had the night before.

“I think I saw him go down the alley,” the woman said. Blaine didnt know who she was, but somehow he knew she was talking about Kurt. “Better look out for him, this is a mean city.”

Blaine rushed down the street and then heard a crack. It sounded like a baseball bat hitting a watermelon. He rushed to the alley entrance and saw a collapsed body, the blood seeping out of his head and onto the pavement, seeping into his socks as he knelt beside the body. It was Kurt, but it wasnt Kurt. This man was older than Kurt, maybe in his mid-thirties. But he had Kurts face. It was ashen, the lips blue, but the blood was still running so he must still be alive.

“Blaine! Blaine! Where are you? Dont be angry with me, come back and talk, please!” Kurt pleaded into the night sky. He was very worried about his boyfriend. He didnt think Blaine would hide from him, so he must be lost or hurt. Kurt hurried down the path, calling at intervals as he searched. They had set their cell phones down next to the sleeping bag and Blaine forgot to take his with him when he walked away. It was getting on to morning and Kurt sighed in relief. Pretty soon the sun would make it easier to find Blaine.

“Blaine!” Kurts voice came echoing into his head, but how could it when Kurt was lying in this alley, beaten half to death? Blaine tried to pick him up, but he was limp and heavy. Blaine called out for someone to call an ambulance. He heard the sirens in the distance, but they never came closer.

“Blaine!” Kurt called, his voice getting weak from shouting so much. He thought he heard a sound and stopped, alert to anything. There it was, someone sobbing. He followed his ears, stumbling through the foliage until he saw him – Blaine. Sitting under a tree. Kurt rushed to him, skidding the last few feet as he fell down next to him.

Blaine startled, his fingernails cutting into his hands where he held them too tightly. He blinked and saw Kurt in front of him, a sad look on his face.

“Kurt...youre okay?” he asked, touching his cheek to be sure he was really there.

“Yeah...you are the one who got lost, Im fine,” Kurt said.

“It was...oh. It was just a dream again, one I had last night. I was thinking about it – it was just so real. Can I hold you?” Blaine begged, turning to grasp Kurts sleeve and pull him closer.

“Of course. Tell me about the dream. You look so scared, Blaine. Was it that bad?”

“Yeah, it was. We were in a big city – New York maybe. I was following you and I found you bleeding in an alley. I called an ambulance, but it never came. Then I heard you calling. That must be when you found me because I woke up.”

“Oh...Im sorry. But it was just a dream. Its all over now, lets walk back to the campsite and get warm?” Kurt suggested.

Blaine got up and took Kurts hand. He was still feeling the pain and fear from the dream, but he walked on beside Kurt. This was too strange for words. He wanted to talk to Cooper. He really wanted to talk to Andy, but that was impossible.

Back at the campsite, they once again lay down on the sleeping bags.

“I had that same dream,” Kurt said in a small voice.

Blaine looked over at Kurt.

“You did? Was it me in the alley?” Blaine asked.

“No. It was me, I was chased by a gang of men, they hit me and then after a while you came. I was in the hospital...it hurt so much, then you said you were never leaving Westerville again. I felt guilty that it was my fault, but so happy that we werent going away. I didnt know two people could have the same dream,” Kurt said. That didnt make any sense at all.

“Kurt, I think there is something going on – so many times I dream and it is like Im remembering, not dreaming. It is all so strange...”

“I was thinking the same thing. And it isnt just the bad dreams, either. I have had the ones you and I talked about, too. The one in the woods hunting mushrooms, the one in the walled garden...they have been my dreams, too. What do you think it is?” Kurt asked.

“I dont know. Kurt, is it possible that we are more than just boyfriends who met at the school? I am beginning to wonder if it is more. Like we knew each other before?” Blaine asked.

Kurts eyes got wide as he looked at Blaine. That was exactly what he had been thinking.

“But...how?” Kurt asked. Blaine closed his eyes and shook his head.

“I have no idea,” he said. “Maybe it has something to do with my uncle? I mean – I only got to know him for a short time, when I stayed with him that summer. He and Uncle Buddy were my idols practically – they were so happy together and I couldnt help but feel that I wanted to have that kind of life. To be so in love with the man in my life, to be able to lean on him, share with him, love him...it occupied my whole world for the next few years. Then I was back at a boarding school, this time in Italy, and I was busy with music and school and singing...I kind of let the dream go.

“It wasnt until I met you at Dalton that I thought about my dreams of being with the love of my life. Kurt, I know weve only known each other for a few months, but I feel like Ive always known you. These dreams were having – I dont know what they mean, but it must mean something?” Blaine said, his eyes looking into Kurts, searching for something.

“I agree. Ever since I met you, Blaine, Ive felt like we were always together, like we knew each other. I sometimes slip and almost call you by your uncles name – you remind me of Andy so much. Well, I guess that is not so strange, you are related – but it is more than that. I dont understand the dreams, either...but I dont think I want them to go away all together,” Kurt admitted.

“Kurt, I know this maybe isnt the time, but....I just want you to know that Im in love with you.”

Kurt sat still on the sleeping bag, hadnt they said they loved each other before? Or was it so natural that he had taken it for granted that they did say it? His eyes locked on Blaines. He felt a warmth glowing from his heart and quickly filling him with joy. He leaned forward, catching Blaines hands in his own.

“Im in love with you, too, Blaine.”