New York City, September 1972

“Mr. Anderson?” the nurse called to Andy as he was sitting in the blue plastic Eames chair in the waiting room. Buddys father, Mr. Hummel, had gone back to the hotel to shower and rest.

“Yes?”

“Your brother? Mr. Hummel is awake. Hes calling for you,” she said.

Andy jumped out of the chair and hurried to the room with all the machines whining and beeping around Buddy. Hed been here for eight days, and Buddy hadnt so much as moved a finger or blinked an eye the whole time.

“Buddy?” Andy said, his voice thin and quiet, emotion evident in each syllable.

The pale man in the bed opened his eyes, moving them to try to see his lover. His eyes connected with Andys for a moment and a small tear squeezed out and down his cheek. His eyes went back to being glazed, but the nurse told Andy he could stay and try to talk to his brother. It might make a difference, might bring him back.

Buddy seemed to fall back asleep, so Andy sat back in the chair. He closed his eyes and thought about what he was going to do. When...not if...when Buddy was able, he would take them back to Lima and they could live there forever. It was because Andy wanted to be a singer that this had happened. It was his fault for wanting too much. If he hadnt brought Buddy with him to the recording studio offices, he wouldnt be fighting for his life now. He wouldnt have run across that gang of kids that beat him almost to death because he was a homosexual. Andy had thought they would be safer in New York, safer than backwards Lima, Ohio, but he was wrong, so wrong. He put his head down on his arms on the edge of Buddys bed and cried. He sent a prayer to God in heaven that if he allowed Buddy to get better, he, Andy, would take Buddy home where they belonged and would never try to leave again.

He was still crying when he felt someone touch his head. Fingers ran through his hair and he sat up.

“Dont cry, baby,” Buddy said, his eyes wide and so very blue as he stared at Andy.

“Buddy? Oh, Buddy!” Andy shouted for joy as he looked at those blue eyes and felt his heart jump for joy in his chest. He stood up and leaned over, gently putting his arms around Buddy and holding him so gently.

“Andy...” Buddy sighed, looking relieved.

“Are you – are you okay?” Andy asked, searching his face for signs of pain.

Buddy nodded. He reached up to touch Andys face, bringing his fingers down from temple to jaw, and sighing with happiness.

“Im okay now,” he croaked out, his voice cracking from non-use. He looked at the pitcher of water and gave Andy a questioning look.

“Okay, baby. Here,” Andy said, pouring the water into a cup and letting Buddy sip a tiny bit at a time.

“Where?” Buddy asked, moving his hand to show he didnt know where he was.

Andy explained about the gang and finding him in the alley. He didnt go into detail, but if it were him, he would want to know the truth. He and Buddy always spoke the truth to each other.

Buddy closed his eyes for a moment. Andy kissed his cheek, then made sure he was up to hearing more.

“You are in New York hospital. Your dad is here, too. He went to freshen up, but hell be back soon. You had a lot of injuries, and the doctors had to do several surgeries, but they think youre going to make a full recovery. I know you will. Im taking you home the day they let you out and we never have to leave Ohio again. Ever. Well live in Ohio...okay?”

Buddy nodded his head.

“I love you,” Andy said, holding on to Buddys hand tightly.

“Love you more,” Buddy said, closing his eyes and falling back asleep.

~ ~ ~ A+B ~ ~ ~

Over the next few days, Andy almost never left Buddys side. He sat with him, helped feed him and comfort him. Mr. Hummel had to go back to Lima to get back to work, but Andy stayed.

During the long days, Buddy got better. He was weak, but he made strides every day. As he felt better, he began telling Andy an amazing story. He had dreamed they had grown old together, that they lived in Lima for the rest of their lives. Together. When the end of his life came, Buddy left this world with only one wish – that he could be with Andy once again.

Andy was scared of the dreams Buddy told him, but he could see that Buddy needed to get them out, to tell someone what had happened to him when he was in the coma. Buddy thought they were real, that they were a premonition of the future and got upset when he suspected that Andy didnt believe him.

So, Andy listened. He asked questions and added comments, he tried with all of his being to believe what Buddy told him. And maybe in the end, he did think it was true.

Buddy said he would come back, but he was another person. He lived through some tragedies in his life, but each step was a step towards being with Andy once more. Andy would be there, still, and Buddy would meet him again. And when Andy died, he and Buddy would be together again, and their love would be as steadfast as it was now.

Andy was finally able to bring Buddy home to their apartment in Lima. It was a long road to recovery, but they did it together. The stories of the dreams had been told over and over at first. Buddy had to get it out, had to tell Andy every detail. Over time, he didnt have to repeat them as much, and there came a time that Buddy forgot to talk about them any more.

Blaine never forgot, though, and years later, when he lost Buddy, he thought again about Buddys stories of the new lives they would have in the next life. He hoped with his whole being that it was true. He missed Buddy and was only waiting to the day he could be reunited with him.

Then one day he was sitting in his room at the nursing home and he heard Kurt singing. This was the proof. Buddy had been right all along.

~ ~ ~ KB ~ ~ ~

Westerville, Ohio - Memorial Hospital - January 2014

Burt sat in the cafeteria of the hospital. He was drinking a hot cup of decaf and eating a plate of chicken with steamed vegetables. Hed been here for almost 24 hours now and he was tired. Carole had insisted that they get a hotel room close to the hospital so he could rest, but he hadnt gone there yet. Hed napped off and on over the long night, waiting for Kurt to wake up.

Trent had called him, practically hysterical as he tried to explain that hed found Kurt at the bottom of the stairs. Burt hadnt really heard much after that – he tugged on his boots and was on his way with Carole before hed given it any thought.

Burt recalled the drive to Westerville. It seemed to take twice as long as usual, and thoughts had been going through his head all the time: Why didnt Blaine call him? Werent Kurt and Blaine together at the apartment?

About half way to Westerville, his cell phone rang. As he reached to get it, Carole gently took it from his hand. It was Cooper. Blaine had been in a roll-over accident. He had been driving his jaguar at a dangerous speed and hit a truck. He was still unconscious. There had been several classmates that told him the boys had been fighting. Cooper warned Burt to drive safely, they did not need another casualty, Kurt was going to need him.

Walking into the hospital, Burts knees were weak. He hated hospitals. They reminded him of all the times he was there with Elizabeth. He let Carole speak to the volunteer and then she led him down the long corridors to the ICU. Cooper met them there with the doctor.

Kurt had fallen down the stairs as he left his apartment, probably tripped on his dogs leash. Hed hit his head several times, plus he had a lacerated liver and a broken clavicle. They were going to do surgery as soon as Burt signed the consent. They had put his arm in a sling, but the clavicle needed to be assessed. The thing worrying the doctors was the danger of his brain swelling. They might need to open his skull to relieve that.

Burt was swaying as he stood there and Carole led him to the chairs. She held his hand as Cooper went on to tell him about Blaine.

Apparently he had been at school and became worried when Kurt didnt show up for his second class. They had been arguing that morning, according to Trent and Sebastian. Blaine had left school to go home to Kurt, Trent following to make sure everything was all right. He lost Blaine and went a different way. Blaine had hit a truck and rolled his precious jaguar.

Now Blaine was in a hospital room, having not regained consciousness. He had a severe gash on the back of his head from the broken windshield. He had similar gashes on his arm and back. He had been wearing his seatbelt and his body turned as the car rolled, leaving him with deep wounds but still in the drivers seat. He was lucky the car landed on its side – if it had landed upside down, hed have been crushed.

It was now the next day. Burt walked down the corridor after exiting the elevator and saw Cooper walking quickly towards him.

“Burt! Blaines awake,” he shouted, “I just got a page.” He waited to walk with Burt to Blaines room.

“Hey, sport,” Burt said, walking slowly up to his sons boyfriend. Blaine held out a hand and Burt took it.

“Burt...” Blaine said, his eyes filled with unshed tears. “Coop.”

Cooper was on the other side of the bed, holding his other hand.

“Hey, Squirt. How do you feel?”

“Kurt? Why didnt he come with you?” Blaine asked. He was very obviously in pain, his muscles stiff as he held himself very still. Cooper leaned over and pushed the button for the nurse.

“Do you know where you are?” Coop asked.

“Hospital?” Blaine asked. He looked down to the IV in his arm and back to his brother.

“Yeah. Do you know why? What do you remember?”

“I was going home to Kurt. He was upset with me and hadnt come to school. I was going home to make things right,” Blaine said.

The nurse came in, looking at her charge. She adjusted the IV and then shot some medication from a syringe into the tube.

“There, Blaine. You should feel better in a few minutes. Call me if you dont,” she said and patted Cooper on his arm.

“Thank you, Nancy,” Coop said as she left.

“You were going home to get Kurt and...” Cooper prompted.

“I think I missed a stop sign? All I could think was that I had to get to Kurt and make up with him. I guess he is still angry – too angry to come see me?” Blaine asked, the tears now making their way down his cheeks. He closed his eyes, too distraught to look at anyone.

“No, Blaine. You know he would be here if he could,” Burt said. He looked at Cooper to ask silently if he should tell Blaine what had happened. Coop nodded and took Blaines hand once again.

Blaine opened his eyes.

“If he could?”

“Yes. Hes down the hall in another room. Your dog somehow tripped him on the stairs. He fell and hit his head. Hes in a coma right now, son,” Burt told him.

Blaines eyes got huge and he tried to sit up. The narcotic had made him groggy, but he tried to get out of bed anyway.

“No, no, no...you need to stay in bed, Squirt. Let me arrange things and you can go see him. Okay?”

Blaine glared at Cooper, but he knew it was true. He couldnt walk right now. Cooper left the room.

“Is he going to be okay?” Blaine asked.

“I dont know. The doctors dont know yet, either. He hit his head pretty hard. They had to operate to sew up a gash in his liver and thats doing well. He broke his clavicle, and that is doing well, too. Now they are waiting for the swelling to go down in his brain. Then theyll let him wake up.”

“Let him?” Blaine asked, confused.

“They are giving him drugs to keep him asleep until his brain stops swelling,” Burt said. He didnt know how long he could stay here and watch the misery on Blaines face – but he knew Kurt would want him to take care of Blaine.

Cooper returned with a wheelchair.

“Your carriage awaits,” he said, trying to smile at his brother.

Blaine just looked at him for a moment, then said his thanks. Coop and Burt helped him into the wheelchair, hanging his IV on the rack and tucking a blanket over his knees.

“Kurt? Baby? Im here. I know youre sleeping, but maybe you can hear me?” Blaine whispered to his boyfriend.

Cooper and Burt had left him next to Kurts bed when he asked for some privacy.

Blaine took Kurts hand in his, looking at the bandages around his head. He couldnt even see his hair – the white bandages covered his whole head, even under his chin. He looked pale and thin in the bed, like a small child. Blaine was scared, he didnt want to lose the love of his life, his soulmate. Big, hot tears made their way down his cheeks, slowly making his hospital gown wet.

“Baby? I love you, Kurt. I love you so much...” he said, hoping with everything in him that Kurt could hear him. He sat beside Kurt for over an hour before Cooper came to take him back to his room.

“No...I want to stay here!”

“Im sorry, Blaine, but you need to rest. You can come back, but now you have to get back to bed. I really am sorry. Burt will stay with him, okay?”

Blaine didnt answer. He stopped fighting and sat quietly in the chair. Cooper wheeled him back to his room and helped him to bed. Blaine turned his face to the wall and closed his eyes. He would go to sleep and when he woke up, hed go back where he belonged. Back to Kurt.

~ ~ ~ KB ~ ~ ~

“He doesnt want to leave Blaine,” Andy said to Buddy as they looked down on Kurt. “That must be why hes holding on so hard.”

“He was going to die, but hes hanging on to stay with Blaine, youre right. I dont think its their time to be parted,” Buddy said, taking Andys hand.

“Maybe if we asked....?” Andy said. “It was only a few years that I had to be without you, Buddy, but it seemed an eternity. I dont want to know what Blaine will do if he loses Kurt

now, at such a young age.”

“I agree....” Buddy said, then kissed Andys cheek. “Lets fix this.”

~ ~ ~ KB ~ ~ ~

Blaine was sitting beside Kurts bed, a place hed been as much as he was allowed for three days now. He held Kurts hand, stroked his face, kissed his cheek. He was out of the wheelchair now, and taking pain pills instead of the IV. He needed to stay a while longer, but he was definitely on the mend.

“Hey, Baby, Im still here. I love you,” he said for the hundredth time today. He had been talking to Kurt, but when he was tired and his brain felt as if it were unable to think of one more thing, he resorted to just telling Kurt how much he loved him.

“How about if I sing?” Blaine asked. He didnt expect an answer, and just went on to sing quietly in Kurts ear.

Ill walk in the rain by your side
Ill cling to the warmth of your tiny hand
Ill do anything to help you understand
and Ill love you more than anybody can.

And the wind will whisper your name to me
Little birds will sing along in time
The leaves will bow down when you walk by
And morning bells will chime

Blaine had sung this song to Kurt every day. It was their song – the song Andy had written for Buddy all those years ago. If anything got through to Kurts brain, Blaine was sure this would.

“Can I come in?” he heard from the door. Blaine whipped around to see his father standing there.

“Dad!” he yelped.

His father came over to wrap his arms around his son.

“What? Why are you here?” he asked, confused.

“Where else would I be, Blaine? You got hurt – my place is with you,” his father said, still holding him.

Oh, thank you for coming, thank you, thank you,” Blaine babbled. He was overjoyed that his dad had come all this way. He hugged his dad tightly, not willing to let go for even a moment. Tears ran freely down his face, unchecked as Blaine let out all of his pent-up anxiety.

He finally let go, exhausted.

“I spoke to Cooper, he has kept me updated while I was on my way here,” Thomas Anderson said. He took out a clean handkerchief and handed it to Blaine to wipe his face. “Now, what can you tell me about Kurt?”

Blaine explained about the argument that had happened the morning of the accident. He cried fresh tears, wiping his cheeks as he told his father everything.

“And now we just wait to see if the swelling in his brain gets better or if he will need surgery. I want him to wake up, but that is just selfish on my part and I know hes better off like this for now,” Blaine concluded, looking at his father.

“But its hard. I understand, son. Sometimes we have to live through the hard things in order to have the good. That is a harsh reality, but it does seem to work that way,” Thomas said to his son, putting an arm across his shoulders. “Is it okay if we go and get something to eat? You look as if you need some nourishment.”

“Yeah, Burt just went down to the cafeteria, we can join him. I just need to stop by the nurses station to tell them Im leaving,” Blaine said.

Father and son walked down the corridor, Thomas arm around his sons shoulders to help steady him. He glanced over to see the bandages on the back of Blaines head. They had shaved a section of his hair and Thomas missed the wild curls. He could see the bruises on his arms and a few on his face. There was a round one on his neck and Thomas blushed, knowing that wasnt from the car accident.

Entering the cafeteria, Blaine spotted Burt sitting by himself at a table near the window.

“Thats Kurts dad,” he pointed out to Thomas.

“Why dont you go sit with him and Ill get our food and join you?” Thomas offered.

“Okay, thanks, Dad,” Blaine said, grateful he didnt have to stand in line. He was still weary and he tended to get a headache if he pushed himself too far.

“Burt,” he acknowledged as he sat down across from the man.

“Blaine....is it Kurt? Has something happened?” Burt asked, searching Blaines face to see if there was a telltale clue to his sons condition.

“No, no....hes the same. No, I came down to eat a little. My dad is here, he came when Cooper called him,” Blaine explained.

“Oh, that is nice. Im happy for you, Blaine,” Burt said, a hint of a smile on his sober face.

“Thanks, Burt.”

They sat in silence until Thomas Anderson came over, carrying a tray with food.

“I got you a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup, son,” Thomas said, setting the tray down. Hed gotten the same for himself.

“This is Kurts father, Burt Hummel,” Blaine introduced. “Burt, this is my father, Thomas Anderson.”

The men shook hands.

“It is good to meet you, Mr Hummel. I enjoyed your sons company when they came to Melbourne,” Thomas said, a smile on his face.

Burt was taken aback for a moment, Thomas looked so much like his brother, Andy. He shook his head a little and smiled.

“Its Burt. Im happy to meet you, too. We consider Blaine to be family, its good to meet his father,” Burt said. “I hope you dont mind me saying so, but you look so much like your brother, its uncanny.”

Thomas smiled.

“Thank you. I was so glad to find that Andy had you and your son in his last days. It was a true blessing,” Thomas told the man. “And, please, call me Thomas.”

They ate their lunch, making small talk about the boys time in Australia, then about the car accident.

“I had Cooper tow Blaines car to my garage. I havent had much time to go over it, but from the looks of it when we went to see the accident site, I think its fixable. There isnt too much body damage and the engine is fine. Time will tell if I can restore it to its former glory,” Burt told the Andersons.

“Im so grateful, that would be brilliant,” Blaine said. “I was afraid to ask what happened to it. Grandfather would be so unhappy if the car was demolished.”

“He would forgive you, son,” Thomas comforted Blaine.

Their lunch was interrupted as Cooper came into the cafeteria, looking anxiously around to find Burt. He spotted them, then did a double take upon seeing his father.

“Dad!” he shouted, walking briskly over to the table and holding out his arms. Thomas stood up and hugged his son.

“I told you I was coming,” Thomas said, searching Coopers eyes for what was going on. He could tell his son was agitated.

“You did, I thought it would take longer. Italy is a long way from here, after all.”

“I was lucky to get a direct to New York flight, then the plane to Ohio was leaving and I managed to get it just in time,” Thomas explained. “But you came looking for Burt?”

“Yes. Burt, Kurt is doing better. His swelling in his brain has gone down significantly and they are going to wake him up soon. I thought you and Blaine should be there. Kurt will need the two of you when he wakes up,” Cooper told them.

“Is he doing all right now?” Thomas asked.

“We wont know if there is significant brain damage until hes fully awake,” Cooper said, his face a sober mask.

“Then lets hurry,” Burt urged, standing up and starting towards the cafeteria door.