Chapter One:  History Repeated

Monday October 13, 2031

It was not unusual for Kurt to return home after the school day before Cate and Chloe. So Blaine was not surprised to return home from the park with three-year-old Zach to find Kurt was home alone. What he did not expect was to find his husband digging through Chloe's dresser drawers.

“What are you doing?” Blaine asked, standing in the doorway.

“Is this shirt Cate's or Chloe's?” Kurt asked, picking up a long-sleeved lavender blouse from the bed.

“I don't know. They trade clothes so often I can't keep up. Why does it matter?” Blaine questioned, coming further into the room.

“There is dried blood on the left sleeve, Blaine. Blood!” he exclaimed.

Blaine didn't speak immediately. He took the shirt from Kurt and examined the left sleeve. Sure enough, a long thick line of blood had dried on the fabric.

“This doesn't mean anything, Kurt,” Blaine said slowly as not to anger his husband. “We shouldn't jump to conclusions.”

“How can we not? They know about my past, they know I used to self-harm,” Kurt said. He was quickly losing control of his emotions.

“Kurt, please, calm down. We will talk to the girls when they get home. Now, Zach is waiting for his afternoon snack in the kitchen and he wants his Daddy to make it for him,” Blaine took Kurt by the elbow and guided him from the room.

Kurt hastily grabbed the shirt before following Blaine. They descended the stairs from the third floor of their brownstone townhouse to the ground floor. Zach looked up at his fathers when they entered the kitchen. His hazel eyes lit up at the sight of Kurt and he ran across the room, flinging himself into his father's arms. Kurt couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up from his throat. He ruffled his son's curly black hair and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“I hear someone wants a snack,” Kurt said affectionately as he carried Zach towards the kitchen table.

“I do!” Zach exclaimed.

“How about some apple slices?” Kurt suggested. He put Zach in his booster seat and turned to the refrigerator. Zach watched intently as Kurt rinsed the bright red apple before coring it and placing the slices on a small plate for his son.

Kurt sat across from Zach while he munched on the apple slices, asking him about his day. As Blaine was able to work from home, there was no need for Zach to attend daycare and he stayed with Blaine while Kurt and the girls were at school. It was the same arrangement they had used before the twins reached school age. Kurt looked up when Blaine entered the room.

“They're home,” Blaine said, offering no other explanation. Just then the front door slammed and the sound of teenage giggling could be heard drifting down the corridor.

“Girls, will you come in here please?” Kurt called out. He heard the sound of their book bags falling to the ground before his daughters entered the room.

“What's wrong, Dad?” Chloe asked. She reached across the table to steal one of her brother's apple slices.

“That's mine!” Zach cried out indignantly.

“Zachary, you have to learn to share,” Blaine scolded his son lightly.

Zach ducked his head before shoving another apple slice into his mouth. Chloe ruffled her brother's hair affectionately. He moved out from her reach, making her laugh.

“Whose shirt is this?” Kurt asked before he allowed himself to be distracted by the antics of his children. Chloe's cerulean eyes grew wide and flew to her sister.

Cate nervously tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. Her equally blue eyes met her sister's and Kurt was again struck by how similar the girls were even though Chloe had inherited Kurt's chestnut hair while Cate had his mother's blonde locks.

“Obviously, it's ours,” Cate said, hoping her father would not push the issue.

“I want an honest answer,” Kurt said seriously. “Which of you owns this shirt?”

“It's mine,” Chloe said after several seconds of silence.

Fourteen years of parenting meant Kurt could look at his daughter and tell when she was A) conspiring with her twin or B) lying through her teeth. Chloe kept her face blank and avoided looking at Cate altogether but Kurt knew in an instant she was lying.

“Then you'll be able to tell me whose blood this is?”

“Blood?” Cate asked, her face draining of color.

“Kurt, maybe we shouldn't do this right now,” Blaine said slowly, his eyes drifting to their son.

“Chloe, if this shirt is yours then you should be able to tell me why there is blood on the sleeve,” Kurt continued, ignoring his husband. Neither girl spoke, but Kurt knew he could out wait them. Finally, Cate gave in.

“The shirt's mine.”

“Cate-”

“Chloe, take your brother upstairs,” Kurt interrupted.

“But, Dad,” Chloe began to protest.

“Take your brother upstairs,” Kurt repeated.

Chloe sighed heavily but obediently lifted Zach onto her hip and carried him out of the room. Blaine gently pushed Cate forward until she took a seat at the table across from Kurt. Blaine sat beside her.

“Sweetheart, why is there blood on your shirt?” he asked gently.

“I don't know,” Cate said stubbornly.

“You can lie all you want, Catharine, but that will not do you any good in the end. We will sit here until you choose to tell us the truth,” Kurt said.

Cate stayed silent. They sat in silence for several seconds until Chloe reappeared in the doorway.

“If you don't tell him, Cate, I will,” Chloe said.

“Please, don't,” Cate pleaded with her twin.

“I'm sorry but I can't keep this a secret anymore. And if you were a good friend, you wouldn't be willing to,” Chloe said. She sank into the chair beside Kurt and picked up the blouse, examining the blood stain. “The blood isn't ours. Jess wore this shirt last.”

“Jess?” Kurt asked in confusion. “Why is she wearing your clothes?”

Jess Huntley had been Cate and Chloe's best friend since they were in preschool together. They were rarely seen without each other and Jess spent nearly every weekend at the Anderson-Hummel house. Kurt and Blaine had welcomed Jess into their family a long time ago. She even called them ‘Dad' and ‘Papa' as Cate, Chloe, and Zach did.

“We share clothes all the time,” Cate mumbled, glancing at her sister. Chloe nodded in agreement.

“That doesn't explain how blood got on the sleeve,” Blaine said, raising a single eyebrow.

“About a month ago . . . Jess started cutting herself,” Chloe confessed, avoiding her twin's eyes.

“Chloe!” Cate hissed, her blue eyes widening.

Kurt exchanged a look with his husband. Chloe ignored her sister.

“That's not all. Cate did it too.”

“What!” Blaine exclaimed, his hands gripping the table.

“You've been hurting yourself?” Kurt demanded of Cate before quickly turning his attention to Chloe. “And you knew and didn't tell us?”

“I'm telling you now,” Chloe said. “I know I should have told you sooner but she only did it once and she promised she wouldn't do it again.”

“Chloe, go to your room. We need to speak to your sister,” Blaine instructed seriously.

“No!” Cate protested as Chloe said, “I'm not leaving her.”

“Chloe Emerson,” Blaine began.

“Let her stay,” Kurt interrupted. “Cate will tell her everything we say anyway.”

Chloe looked at Blaine, satisfied when he nodded his agreement.

“Why would you hurt yourself?” Kurt asked, reaching across the table to take Cate's hand in his.

“I'm under a lot of pressure,” Cate said. “I'm in AP classes, glee club, gymnastics and dance. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed.”

“She's depressed,” Chloe interjected helpfully.

“Chloe, let your sister speak,” Blaine admonished.

“Is that true?” Kurt asked. His eyes searched his daughter's face for some sign of the turmoil she had been facing.

Cate nodded.

“You should have come to us,” Kurt said. “Major depression is hereditary. You know I've struggled with it for years, and you know I used to self-harm. I can't understand why you would do this to yourself knowing that I went through the same thing.”

“I didn't want to disappoint you,” Cate whispered, staring at her folded hands on the table top.

“I would say you could never disappoint us but I'd be lying,” Blaine said. “But no matter what, you will always be our daughters and we will always love you. We just wish you had told us sooner.”

“It wasn't that long ago,” Chloe interjected.

“When did it start?” Kurt questioned, turning to look at her.

“The depression started about a couple months ago,” Cate admitted. “I only hurt myself last week. I wanted to see if it worked.”

“And did it?” Blaine asked.

Cate nodded. “But I remembered what you told us about your past, Daddy. I didn't want to go through that too so I didn't do it again. I only really did it because it seems to help Jess.”

“You know I'm going to have to tell Jess's parents,” Kurt said.

“Daddy, you can't!” Cate wailed.

“I have to, Catharine. As a teacher I am obligated to inform social services when a child is in danger whether it is from themselves or someone else. My hands are tied,” Kurt said sympathetically. “Don't worry about Jess. We will make sure she gets the help she needs. And you're going to be okay too. I'll call Dr. Sawin and make an appointment for you.”

“Where did you hurt yourself?” Blaine asked.

“My wrist,” Cate answered reluctantly.

“Let me see,” Kurt said immediately.

Cate sighed heavily but obediently rolled up the sleeve of her pink sweater. Kurt closed his eyes when he saw the bright red lines across his daughter's left wrist. Blaine's eyes flew to his husband, half expecting this to cause him a panic attack. Kurt managed to keep his emotions in check. Blaine reached out tentatively and trailed his fingers over the thin cuts.

“Did you disinfect these?” Blaine asked.

Cate nodded.

“Everything will be okay, princess,” Kurt promised.

Kurt was determined to make things better for his daughter, no matter what. He hated to see her hurting and hated himself for not noticing that she was struggling. He felt like a horrible father. Kurt had been so blissfully happy in the life he had built with his husband and their children that he had neglected to notice when something serious was going on with his daughter. The utopia he found was being threatened.