Chapter Six: Swan Song

Sixteen Weeks Pregnant

Kurt watched in horror as Marley Rose collapsed on the stage. The New Directions swarmed around her. Jake scooped her up into his arms and sprinted off the stage with the New Directions following in his wake. Kurt turned to run out of the auditorium but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He looked to see Giordana eyeing him sympathetically.

“Tell Blaine that given the circumstances we're going to go on home,” Giordana requested.

Kurt nodded once and fled the room. He ran into the choir room just in time to see Blaine tossing a juice box to Sam, who gave it to Marley. She refused it stubbornly. Kurt shook his head and turned his attention to Blaine.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I'm fine,” Blaine answered in confusion. “I'm not the one who fainted.”

“Maybe you should sit down,” Kurt said. “All this excitement can't be good for the baby.”

“Kurt, I'm fine,” Blaine repeated. Finn ran into the room.

“Marley, are you okay? What happened?” he asked in alarm.

“She hasn't been eating lunch,” Jake answered.

“Have you been telling her to?” Santana demanded of Kitty. “Are you trying to turn her into an anorexic?”

“What? No!” Kitty protested. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you're a crazy, evil bitch,” Santana snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Marley, are you all right?” Will asked as he burst into the room. “The nurse is on her way. Santana, Puck, Kurt, you guys stay here with Marley. The rest of you guys get back up on stage,” Will demanded. “Leaving the stage during competition is risking immediate disqualification.”

Everyone froze. Not one of them had been aware of that rule. Blaine turned to Kurt who wrapped an arm around him.

“That's a rule?” Finn asked.

“Yeah, it's a rule,” Sue Sylvester answered as she strode into the room. She held up The Official Show Choir Rule Book in one hand. “As all of you were sprinting off the stage the judges declared the Warblers victorious. Congratulations, Finn Hudson. For the first time in its pitiful existence, the New Directions have lost Sectionals. Looks like Christmas came early for one Sue Sylvester.”

Marley collapsed into tears as guilt overwhelmed her. Blaine fought back his own tears but succumbed to them once Kurt pulled him against his chest. The swell of Blaine's belly pressed against Kurt's flat stomach. The rest of the club simply looked at each other in disbelief. Finally, Kurt broke the silence.

“Guys, I'm going to take Blaine home. He needs his rest. Marley, I hope you feel better,” Kurt said as he guided Blaine from the room.

“Thanks, Kurt,” Marley murmured.

“What about my parents?” Blaine asked as Kurt led him towards the parking lot.

“They decided to go home when they saw what happened,” Kurt explained. “We can have them over another day.”

Blaine nodded. He followed Kurt to the Navigator. Kurt opened the passenger door for him and helped him climb in. Suddenly, Blaine felt exhausted. Once Blaine was seated, Kurt stepped closer to press a chaste kiss to his lips.

“Even if you lost, I'm still proud of you,” Kurt said.

Blaine ducked his head and whispered a thank you. Kurt knew it didn't make Blaine feel any better but he had to try anyway.

K/B

Seventeen Weeks Pregnant

“I should stay here,” Kurt said for the umpteenth time as he gazed at his belongings packed in his suitcase. He was to fly to New York the next morning for his NYADA audition.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Blaine chastised him. “It's only for a few days. Besides, I have Carole and your dad here if I need anything. Not to mention Finn will keep a close eye on me I'm sure; after all, you have instructed him to do so.”

“I'm sorry,” Kurt said sheepishly. “I worry about you.”

“I wish you wouldn't,” Blaine replied.

“I can't help it,” Kurt said. He abandoned his packing and joined Blaine on the bed. He pushed Blaine's shirt up to bare his stomach, caressing it gently. “You're carrying my child.”

“Our child,” Blaine corrected.

“Our child,” Kurt agreed. He bent down and pressed a loving kiss to Blaine's lips. “Do you still think we're having a boy?”

“I think so,” Blaine answered, resting his hands over Kurt's on his belly. “Call it father's intuition, I don't know. I just have a feeling.”

“I don't care what we have as long as they are healthy,” Kurt said.

“He will be,” Blaine promised.

“Good,” Kurt said with a smile. He kissed Blaine again, this time pushing him until he fell down on his back. Kurt straddled him, moving his lips to Blaine's throat and nipping at the sensitive skin there.

Blaine gasped, arching his hips up. Kurt chuckled, allowing Blaine to roll them over so he was stretched out over Kurt.

“Make love to me?” Kurt requested. Blaine smiled.

“Always,” he said before capturing Kurt's lips in a heated kiss.

K/B

“I still can't believe the New Directions lost,” Rachel said as she dried dishes after supper the next evening. “That's it then, right? What are they going to do now?”

“I don't know,” Kurt answered as he put away the dishes Rachel handed him. “I just feel bad for Blaine. First, I ruin his senior year by knocking him up and now this. And it's my fault he transferred in the first place. If he was still with the Warblers he'd be on his way to Regionals right now.”

“Should I call Finn?” Rachel asked.

“If you think it'll make him feel better,” Kurt replied.

“I don't know. It might just make him feel worse,” Rachel sighed.

“This has really made me realize I have to make the most of the chances I have,” Kurt said as he collapsed on the couch. “This is my last chance to get into NYADA and I can't blow the audition.”

“This is not your last chance, okay?” Rachel disagreed. “You can still reapply.”

“No,” Kurt said with finality. “I can't live my life chasing something that the universe is trying to tell me I'm not good enough to achieve. I have a baby on the way and I need to make sure I can provide for my child. Maybe this is a sign that I should focus on something else.”

“I refuse to believe that,” Rachel countered. “The universe is not responsible for anything. It's Carmen Tibideaux.”

“Is there a difference?” Kurt questioned. “Speaking of Carmen, has she handed out invitations to the Winter Showcase yet?”

“No, not that it matters,” Rachel replied. “I'm not getting one. A freshman hasn't received one in seven years and that girl was practically raised on the Broadway stage. Wait, how do you even know about those tickets?”

“I'm very active on the NYADA blogs when I'm not at the shop or at McKinley,” Kurt answered. “I figured the more I know the better I can prepare my audition.”

“You'll be great, Kurt,” Rachel assured him.

But Kurt wasn't so sure.

K/B

The next morning Kurt rose early. He dressed as impeccably as ever and stopped by the nearest coffee shop for a grande nonfat mocha to cheer him up before continuing on to Carmen Tibideaux's office. He heard her voice drifting out of the open door and knocked on the doorframe before he could talk himself out of it.

“Madame Tibideaux,” Kurt said after he knocked. “I hope it's all right that I came by your office. I'm not sure if you remember me-”

“What can I do for you, Mr. Hummel?” Tibideaux cut him off.

“I applied for the second semester,” Kurt began only to be interrupted once more.

“I received it; I reviewed it.”

“And the accompanying video?”

“Of you doing the acoustic version of Wham's ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go?'”

“What did you think?” Kurt asked hesitantly.

“I thought the exact same thing I thought the first time you auditioned for me,” Tibideaux answered. “You are a very talented young man who knows how to sell a number but is devoid of complexity and depth.”

“What?” Kurt asked, shocked.

“You gave me surface when I asked for soul. We are training artists here, Mr. Hummel, performers who are not afraid to show their vulnerability and their heart.”

“Madame Tibideaux, I have all of those things,” Kurt assured her.

“I rarely give anyone a second chance and when I do it is on my terms. Thank you for your continued interest in NYADA but I am a busy woman. Good afternoon, Mr. Hummel.”

Crushed, Kurt turned and left the room. He pushed open the door and walked into the crisp fall air. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he dialed Blaine's number from memory.

“Hey, baby,” Blaine greeted cheerfully. “How did your meeting go?”

“It was horrible,” Kurt replied. He relayed what Madame Tibideaux had said.

“That's ridiculous. There is no one with more heart or soul than you,” Blaine said earnestly.

“Apparently you're the only one who sees me that way,” Kurt said dismally.

“You can try again,” Blaine reminded him. “After all, the third time is the charm.”

“No, there won't be a third time,” Kurt said. “I can't keep pursuing something that is obviously not meant to happen. We're having a baby. I need to focus on our family anyway. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.”

“You don't really believe that,” Blaine said.

“I don't know what I believe,” Kurt replied. “I never thought New Directions would lose Sectionals either and look at what happened.”

“Hey, those were extenuating circumstances,” Blaine protested.

“I wasn't blaming anyone,” Kurt said. “How is everyone?”

“Honestly, it seems like everyone is moving on now that the club is disbanded. Tina talked me into joining the Cheerios,” Blaine replied.

“You did what?” Kurt exclaimed. “Blaine, you're seventeen weeks pregnant! You can't be on the Cheerios!”

“I cleared it with the doctor, Kurt. As long as I don't do anything too strenuous I'll be okay.”

“Isn't cheerleading with Sue Sylvester the definition of strenuous?” Kurt countered.

“What do you expect me to do for the next twenty-three weeks? I'm not going to sit around waiting for labor to start, Kurt. I want to stay in shape now that I'm not dancing with the glee club and Cheerios is a good solution for that.”

“I can't believe Sue let you join when you're pregnant. She kicked Quinn off the squad when she was knocked up.”

“Actually, she seems to think I might have learned something for you,” Blaine informed him.

“How is Finn taking the loss?” Kurt asked.

“He feels guilty, but it wasn't his fault. . . . If you talk to him, don't mention the Cheerios. He doesn't know everyone is joining different clubs now. I don't want him to find out this way.”

“I won't tell him, but someone needs to,” Kurt said.

“I will, but for now I have homework,” Blaine answered. “I love you.”

“I love you too. I'll see you when I get home.”

Kurt sighed as he slipped his phone into his pocket. Could anything go right for once?

K/B

“Our next performer is from the freshman class. Please welcome Miss Rachel Berry,” Madame Tibideaux announced.

Kurt was nervous for her as Rachel took the stage. She had never expected to receive a ticket to the Winter Showcase and now here they were. Kurt had been reluctant to come at first after his disaster of a meeting with Carmen Tibideaux but he knew he had to support his best friend even if it meant putting his own feelings aside.

In the end, Kurt was glad he came. Rachel's performance of “Being Good Isn't Good Enough” was flawless. Rachel sprinted to him as the crowd rose to their feet and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kurt couldn't help but smile in pride for his best friend.

“Rachel, that was wonderful,” Tibideaux said as she stood in front of the crowd. “No, it was superb. Now we will have a brief intermission and when we return, if he is ready, we will have a performance from Mr. Kurt Hummel.”

Suddenly, the room was too small. There were too many people and he fought to breathe. Kurt fled from the room, ignoring Rachel's calls for him to stay.

“Carmen Tibideaux is insane,” Kurt exclaimed as he ran down the stairs with Rachel on his heels. “I can't believe she's doing this. Why is she doing this?”

“She's giving you a second chance for your audition. She just wants to see how you perform under pressure,” Rachel tried to soothe him.

“I'm going to fail,” Kurt said dismally. “I have nothing prepared.”

“You have an entire repertoire,” Rachel reminded him.

“I guess I could do “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,'” Kurt said.

“No Phantom, not in front of this crowd,” Rachel disagreed.

“'Being Alive,'” Kurt suggested.

“Yes,” Rachel said breathlessly.

“But I think that's a song Carmen hates,” Kurt interjected. “And I don't have a costume or props.”

“You don't need any of that stuff,” Rachel said. “Kurt, you said it yourself. That is exactly what Carmen doesn't want to see. You know when you were your absolute best? My favorite performance ever, when you sang ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand' in the choir room. It was so simple and emotional. I get chills every time I think about it. Do you remember that?”

“Of course I do,” Kurt replied. “That was different though. My dad was in the hospital and I dedicated it to him. Who am I supposed to dedicate this to? Carmen?”

“To yourself,” Rachel answered.

Kurt drew in a shaky breath and nodded. Brody came to inform them the intermission was over. Kurt hugged Rachel tightly before taking the stage.

“Hi, I'm Kurt Hummel,” he said, addressing the crowd. “And I will be auditioning for the role of NYADA student. Tonight I'm performing a song that I've loved since I was six. I think for the first time in my life I really understand what it means.”

Kurt launched into “Being Alive.” He did his best to ignore his nerves and the further he got into the song the more they evaporated. He poured his heart and soul into the music, hoping that Madame Tibideaux would finally see it. When the song came to an end the room erupted into applause. Kurt wiped the tears from his eyes, hoping it had been enough.

K/B

When Kurt finally walked into his house in Lima, he was glad to be home. He had missed Blaine terribly. Kurt dropped his bags by the door and went in search of his boyfriend. He found Blaine searching through the refrigerator.

“Kurt!” Blaine exclaimed happily when he caught sight of him.

“Oh, I missed you,” Kurt said as he hugged Blaine tightly. He pressed a kiss to his lips before falling to his knees and pushing up Blaine's shirt. He kissed the swell of his belly, caressing the taught skin. “Both of you.”

“We missed you too,” Blaine answered. He pulled Kurt to his feet and kissed him again. “I know you just got home but if we want to make my doctor's appointment we need to leave soon.”

“Just let me change and we can go,” Kurt replied. He took his bags upstairs and changed his clothes. When he returned to the kitchen he found Blaine eating a sandwich.

“Do you want something to eat?” Blaine asked.

“No thank you, honey,” Kurt said. He wrapped his arms around him from behind.

“I'm going to be the size of an elephant before I have this baby,” Blaine said as he moved away from Kurt to throw away his napkin. “It seems like I'm hungry every couple of hours.”

“You're eating for two,” Kurt reminded him. “Are you ready to go?”

“Let me grab my coat,” Blaine answered. He retrieved the article of clothing from the hall closet and with Kurt's help slipped it on. He was grateful he had not yet outgrown his outerwear as winter was in full swing.

They chatted amicably on the way to the doctor's office, both excited to see their baby once again. In no time at all, Blaine was laying on the examination table with his shirt pulled up as the ultrasound technician spread cool gel across his belly. A picture of their baby appeared on the screen and both boys held their breath as the doctor entered the room and pointed out the fetus's hands and feet.

“Did you want to find out the sex today?” Dr. Thompson asked.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look before Blaine answered, “Yes.”

Dr. Thompson pointed to the screen and smiled, “Congratulations. You're having a girl.”

K/B

Blaine was ready for a nap by the time they made it back to the Hummel house. Kurt led him up the stairs and into their bedroom. Blaine was set to collapse onto the bed when he noticed an envelope on Kurt's pillow.

“What's this?” he asked, picking it up. His eyes widened when he saw the return address and he gave the letter to Kurt.

“It's from NYADA,” Kurt said needlessly.

“Open it,” Blaine urged him.

“What if I didn't get in?” Kurt hestitated.

“You won't know until you open it,” Blaine answered.

Kurt nodded. He slid his thumb under the flap and ripped the envelope open. He unfolded the paper inside and read over it silently.

“Well?” Blaine implored when Kurt didn't speak.

“I got in.”