The next day found Blaine lying in bed for several hours. He hadn't slept at all after the officer had left, too wired to even think of sleeping. The officer had stayed a while longer, assured Blaine that his niece was in good hands for a few days, and gave her the address to the place she was staying to right now, told him that whenever he was ready, he could come and pick her up. Never, thought Blaine. I'll never be ready for such a responsibility. Blaine was 22, he still had a year of college left, he was living in a small apartment in the middle of New York, with two other guys in their twenties. How could he take care of this little girl? How could he even consider taking her in? Where would she live? How could he raise a child, when he was still a child himself? It was true that Blaine was rather responsible for his age, he never got excessively drunk, he managed to study, and keep a stable job at the local music store, he didn't spend his time partying, he kept up his grades, he was a good student. But that's all his was, a good student. That didn't mean he was cut out to be a parent, and it certainly didn't make him a good parent. When the officer left, he had decided that he would do good by this little girl, who like him, was alone in the world right now. However, after several hours of lying awake in bed and thinking, he wasn't so sure. What had been evident the night before was now really uncertain.

Isaac suddenly came crashing in his room, and threw himself on the other side of Blaine's bed. “Dude, you will not believe the night I just had! So I went to this party at Marta's place you know where? And there was this beautiful girl there, she was sitting by herself, and you know how shy I can be, but still, I did it man! I actually went to talk to her, and it was epic and…. Blaine, are you listening?” Blaine was still lying on his bed, and hadn't moved a muscle since Isaac entered his bedroom. He was watching the sealing with empty eyes, and completely silent. Seeing the state his friend was in, and how tense his entire body seemed to be, Isaac started to worry.

“Blaine, are you ok? Are you sick or something?”

Blaine still didn't react, or say anything. He was so far out in thought, thinking about Emily, that he didn't even hear Isaac until he gently shook Blaine's shoulder. “Blaine…?” he said uncertainly. Isaac touching him prompted Blaine into movement, and he turned his head towards Isaac on the bed. “Sorry, sorry…. What did you say?” he questioned. Isaac still looked at him with concern in his eyes, Blaine seemed so far away, so lost, and it wasn't like him at all. Usually when Isaac came to talk to Blaine, the man was always so dynamic, and enthusiast and always willing to listen and give praise or advice to his shy friend. The unusual reaction worried Isaac, and he didn't know how to act with a Blaine that wasn't full of life.

“Did something happen? Do you want to talk about it?”

After another long moment of silence, with Blaine just lying there looking at Isaac as if he wasn't even there, Blaine finally stated in a blank tone: “My sister died last night, and I have a niece.”

“I'm sorry, what?!” cried Isaac. “Could you please repeat what you just said?”

“My sister died last night, and I have a niece” Blaine repeated in a calm voice. He couldn't deal with his emotions right now, he was still in shock, and wouldn't allow himself to think about the loss of his sister, and the pain in his chest. He couldn't process everything at the same time. First, he had to process the fact that he was an uncle, and would now be responsible for the life of another human being. Another human being who was so small, and innocent, and wasn't equipped to deal with the world around her yet. This thought prompted Blaine into jumping out of his bed, and he started pacing and talking very quickly.

“My sister died last night and I have a niece. I have a niece, and an officer came in last night and told me that I was her last known living relative. I am now responsible for the life of a tiny human being who isn't even one year old. I can't do it. I don't know how they expect me to take care of a kid when I'm still a kid myself. I have to finish my last year of college, and then become a music teacher, that was always the plan, that was what my life was supposed to be. This can't be happening, I can't do it. We live in a small apartment in the middle of New York; it's not the place for a little girl to live. I live with two roommates for god sakes. I neither have the time, nor the money to take care of her, I can't do it. I…”

“BLAINE CALM DOWN!” suddenly screamed Isaac. The scream finally ceased Blaine's ranting, and he stopped pacing. Isaac was standing in front of him, and had both of his hands on Blaine's shoulders. “Sorry, I needed to get your attention, and you weren't listening”, he said. “Let's start from the beginning ok? Just tell me everything”.

“Last… last night, an officer came at about 1 o'clock in the morning” stuttered Blaine. “He wanted to tell me that my sister was found dead in her apartment, and that she had a daughter, who is now in the care of child service, and is all alone. Who is depending on me to take care of her and…”

“Blaine” Isaac said when he could sense that the man was building up into another rant of massive proportions. “You have a niece?”

Blaine looked at Isaac with eyes that were full of fear, and just nodded.

“What's her name?” asked Isaac.

“Emily. Her name is Emily, and I didn't even know she existed until last night.”

“Ok. Ok. That's pretty bad, and I can see why you're freaking out. I understand, but you need to calm down, and breathe”. Blaine nodded at his friend's words, and took a big breath.

“You have to listen to me carefully because this is important Ok?” Isaac asked, and when Blaine nodded again, he continued “I understand what you're feeling. Yes, you're still in college, and yes, Emily was not part of the plan. You feel like you can't do that, you're not responsible enough, not capable enough, and all of these. And trust me, I can understand that. But Blaine, if anyone can do it, it's you. No let me finish ok?” He said when he saw Blaine was about to protest. “If anyone can do it, it's you. Yes, you're still in college, and yes, you're young. But you're also so kind, and loving, and nurturing. Just look at how you're always there for me and willing to defend and reassure me whenever. I know you can do this, because I know you have it in your heart to put this little girl's needs first, and do what's best for her. Yes, she wasn't part of the plan. But Blaine, plans change. They evolve, and they develop as time goes, and this means yours is going to have to change. You might not have expected her, but she's here now, and you can't change that. I am so terribly sorry for the loss of your sister; I cannot begin to express how sorry I am. But right now, there is a little girl that just lost her mother. And in this tragedy, she got lucky. Because she gained you as an uncle and I know you are going to be amazing. You're going to take care of her, and love her, and be there for her, and that's what she needs right now ok? That's what she'll need most of the time. Money, Time, don't matter for the moment. You'll find the money, and you'll make the time for her, I know it. As for the apartment, I think we need to talk to Kurt”. 

Blaine's shoulders had slowly started to relax as Isaac speech went on, until he mentioned Kurt and then his shoulder tensed all over again. “Kurt?! Why would we need to talk to Kurt?”

“Blaine… It's his apartment as well; don't you think it's important we talk to him about this?”

And Blaine didn't have anything to say to that. Isaac was right. It was his apartment as well, and even if Blaine didn't like him, he still deserved to be consulted in this situation, he still lived there, and whatever happened would also depend on him. Everything Isaac had said made sense, and the fact that they were all living together in this apartment only meant one thing right now. Blaine was going to have to talk to Kurt, even if the idea of facing him with this made him uncomfortable.