He refused to get out of bed or to even leave his bedroom, until he received a text from Katherine the next day, asking him if he could take care of Kara. He didn't even know how he managed to drag himself to get in the shower and get dressed. It seemed as if all his energy had been drained.

Katherine looked the worst he had ever seen her when she opened the door. She was thinner, paler and looked exhausted enough to pass out.

"Hi, Blaine," she tried to smile. She eyed him apprehensively as he entered the motel room. "Are you okay?" He must look as bad as he felt.

"No," he admitted, sitting on the bed. Kara was playing on the floor with some cubes with animals pictures on them, but as soon as she saw Blaine, she crawled towards him, excitedly. He picked her up and kissed her forehead. "Hey, baby girl."

"What happened to you?" She asked, concerned.

"Burt and I went to see Kurt," he said.

"Oh," Katherine stared at him, waiting expectantly for more. When Blaine didn't say anything else, she nodded, slowly. "I'm assuming it didn't go well?"

A single tear escaped down his cheek. "I'm pretty sure he's going to break up with me."

"Blaine…" Katherine said, hesitantly reaching out to rub at his back, hoping it would be comforting. "Don't think like that. Maybe it's not as bad as you…"

"You don't know Kurt," he cut her off a bit sharply, because he was so edgy right now that he didn't care how he sounded. "I do. And the way he asked me to leave him alone was enough proof that he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

Katherine swallowed with difficulty. "I see."

There was an uncomfortable silence between them, only filled with Kara's pleased sounds as Blaine held her up to jump on his knees. Blaine thought he saw Katherine shaking a bit, but if it was because she was nervous or because she was cold, or because she was only way too weak, he didn't know.

She broke down all of a sudden, leaning down and burying her face in her hands as she started sobbing. "I've never wanted to ruin anyone's life. I've never wanted to hurt anyone. Why did I have to screw everything up so badly?"

"Katherine," Blaine muttered, because she was Katherine to him. She wasn't Mrs. Hummel. Carole was Mrs. Hummel and she would always be. This was Katherine, just Katherine and it seemed weird to Blaine that he was actually getting to know her better than he knew Carole. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"A mother shouldn't make the mistakes I did," she replied, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "A mother shouldn't walk away from her children. With what I did… I don't deserve Kurt. I've never deserved him."

Blaine didn't know what to say. Deep down inside, he knew Katherine was right and he wasn't going to lie to her, to pretend he was okay with what she had done. Kara cuddled against his chest, yawning and he rocked her gently, lulling her to sleep.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Katherine said after a few minutes. "I shouldn't have come back here. I shouldn't be trying to see Kurt. I should just leave everyone to go on with their lives. Burt was right to tell Kurt I was dead…"

"Stop it," Blaine said. He wasn't in the mood to deal with any of this. "You can't change what you did and what Burt did. And Kurt knows now, so there's no use in looking back and wishing you had acted differently. Do what you can with what you have. But mostly, you have to respect what Kurt wants."

Katherine looked at him, as if she was trying to find something in his eyes, something that was hidden deep inside those hazel orbits. "How can you be so young and so wise at the same time?"

"I'm not wise," Blaine answered, running his fingers through Kara's soft hair. "It's just common sense."

"I obviously lack common sense, then," Katherine sighed, tiredly. Then she pulled her suitcase from under the bed and opened it.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked, frowning.

"There's no point in staying here," she shrugged, though her shoulders were visibly tense. "I came back to see Kurt and if Kurt doesn't want anything to do with me, then there's no reason to stay."

"Where are you going?" Blaine was awfully aware of the warm weight of Kara in his arms, of her light puffs of breath and the way she shifted a bit in her sleep.

"Does it matter?" She muttered, walking to the closet and grabbing some clothes. "Somewhere nice, I guess. I'd like to spend the rest of my days somewhere with warm weather and nice beaches."

"And what are you going to do about Kara?" Blaine said, looking at her as if she had lost her mind. "You can't take care of her. You're too sick most days to even pick her up. Who's gonna help you with her?"

Katherine's knees seemed to weaken and she sat on the bed with difficulty. She was pale, too pale, alarmingly pale and Blaine could almost see the life inside her body fading little by little.

"I've been thinking about it a lot," Katherine murmured so quietly that Blaine had to scoot closer to actually hear her. "The best option I can come up with is for her to go to an orphanage. She's still so young, I'm sure they'll be able to find a good family for her in no time. And it kills me to have to leave another one of my kids behind, but I don't know what else to do. Her father disappeared as soon as he knew I was pregnant and I can't keep her until the end. What if something happens to me and then she's left all alone? What if something happens to her? I need to make sure she'll be okay before…"

She couldn't finish. She choked on her words. Blaine stared at her and all he saw was her pain. He knew Katherine probably deserved some of the pain she carried from the guilt she felt for leaving her family. But Kara? Kara was just a baby, a happy, adorable, oblivious baby that had no idea her life would change drastically in maybe a matter of weeks. Days. Hours.

"I can keep her."

The words were out and hanging in the air before Blaine had time to realize that they had come from his own mouth. He gasped, shocked, but then he felt a determination grow inside of him, something so strong taking over him that he had never experienced before but he somehow knew that this was the right choice. He knew it was crazy. He knew it probably made no sense. But nothing did anymore.

"What?" Katherine looked at him with wide eyes. Even her eyes seemed to have lost their color. They didn't look much like Kurt's now. There wasn't much left of the smiling woman Blaine remembered from the pictures in Kurt's room.

Blaine glanced down at the sleeping girl in his arms and that was all that it took for him to make the decision final. "I can keep her."

"Blaine…" Katherine whispered brokenly, shaking her head. "You have no idea how much I'd like that. I don't know anyone that has connected with Kara the way you have. But… I can't. You're just a kid, you're in high school, you're not even eighteen…"

"Yes, I am," Blaine said. "I was held back a year because I was attacked after a dance and had to spend a few months in the hospital. But I'm eighteen."

Katherine said nothing and Blaine felt his grip tightening around Kara, protectively.

"Katherine," he muttered in a pleading tone. "You can't leave her in an orphanage. You don't know what kind of people could end up adopting her. And what if she's never adopted? What if she lives her life in there? She has a family. Kurt is her family. And I know maybe he doesn't want anything to do with any of this now… but he'll open his heart to his sister, eventually, once he's healed."

"But why you?" She asked, without being able to believe it. "Why would you want to deal with looking after a baby when she's not even your sister? When you're not even sure if Kurt will accept her or if you'll spend the rest of your life with him?"

"Because I love Kara," Blaine replied, simply. "Because I don't want anything to happen to her. And because I love Kurt and even though he's stubborn and he's probably so mad at me that he doesn't even want to hear from me now, I intend to fight for him. I know he's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with and if I let you do this, if I let you leave Kara in an orphanage… he'll never forgive me."

"Blaine…"

"And in case you haven't noticed," he continued, arching an eyebrow at her, "we're a gay couple. If we want kids, we'll need to adopt them."

"You're crazy," Katherine said, not sounding very convinced. "You don't know what you're saying…"

"Just… think about it, okay?" Blaine stood up, careful not to wake up Kara. "I'm gonna take her to my house so you can rest. Don't even think about leaving. You're staying here so I can help you."

Blaine held Kara with one arm and hung her bag on his shoulder with the other one. Katherine just looked at him as if she was seeing an angel.

"I can see why Kurt is in love with you," she mumbled as she moved to lie on the bed with the last of the strength she had left. "You're one of a kind, Blaine."

Blaine sighed. He still wondered to himself how his life had turned into this mess. "Just get some rest, Katherine," he said before closing the door behind him.

Kara was sleeping next to him on the couch so Blaine took the opportunity to set up his laptop and do some research. That's how his father found him when he walked into the living room.

"Hey, Blaine," he said in a low voice so he wouldn't disturb the baby. "Everything alright?"

Blaine looked up at his father and took a deep breath. "I need to talk to you. And mom, too."

Harry frowned, worried. "What's going on?"

"I just… could you go get her? I'd like to have this talk before Kara wakes up," he said as he felt the nerves growing inside of him.

Harry obliged, and before even two minutes had passed, he was back with Amelia, who was drying her hands on a kitchen cloth.

"What's going on?" She asked with a curious smile.

"I…" Blaine cleared his throat. He needed to make his parents to understand. "I'm going to do something and I need you guys to support me."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "What are you going to do?"

"Before you say anything, let me explain it all, okay?" Blaine put the laptop down, glanced quickly at Kara to make sure she was still asleep and then stood up. He made a gesture to indicate he wanted his parents to sit down and he only started talking once they were seated next to each other on the opposite couch. "I've been talking to Katherine about her plans for Kara. Her health is getting worse and soon she'll be at the point where she won't be able to take care of her at all anymore." He paused to take a deep breath and that gave his father the chance to interrupt him.

"Does Katherine know what she's going to do about the baby yet?" He asked.

Blaine nodded slowly. "She intends to leave Kara at an orphanage."

"How awful!" Amelia said, with a hand right above her heart on her chest. "I can't imagine what it must be like, having to make a decision like that."

"Doesn't she have anyone else?" Harry put his hand on his wife's knee, comfortingly. "No family at all?"

"Just the Hummels," Blaine answered, rubbing his temples. He felt so tired. "Kara's father disappeared as soon as she told him she was pregnant. Burt won't talk to Katherine since she showed up in the garage. I think he's too furious with her right now, because of what happened with Kurt. And Kurt…"

"You still haven't heard from him, dear?" Amelia asked softly.

"No," Blaine's heart clenched in pain at that, but he tried to remain hopeful. "I will, soon, though. I'm sure."

"Of course," Amelia nodded, but the pity in her voice and her eyes wasn't what Blaine needed just then.

"I have a better solution for her," Blaine said, before his courage abandoned him. "I've been reading and researching and since I'm over eighteen, I can be named Kara's legal guardian."

Before he could continue talking, his father cut him off again. "Blaine, that's ridiculous! You've just said it yourself! You're only eighteen. You can't have a child under your custody."

"Dad…"

"Your father is right, darling," Amelia muttered sadly. "Although your intentions are good, you are in no position to take care of a kid. Just think of next year. Are you going to take Kara to college with you?"

"I want to go to NYU and they have a child care service," he cut in quickly, knowing his parents were going to interrupt him again with more objections. "I'm gonna have to get a job to support her, but…"

"Blaine, this is crazy," Harry said, shaking his head. "I know you want to help, but you can't compromise your entire life for someone else's child."

"I love Kara," Blaine muttered, his hazel eyes moving to rest on the little girl's sleeping figure. "I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I don't want to lose her."

"That's very noble, darling, but…"

"Mom," Blaine turned to his mother. He sat on the coffee table and held her hands in his. "I need to do this."

"Blaine, you need to understand…"

"No, Dad," he sighed. This wasn't what he had imagined in his future either. When he had thought of his first year of college, he hadn't imagined he would be responsible for a baby. But right now, he didn't care about that. Life was never what one imagined it would be. Sometimes it was harder, but sometimes it was better. With Kara, it was both. "Look… I'm telling you this because I'd love to be able to count on you guys, to have your support, to accept my decision… but the truth is… I'm going to go ahead and do this even if you don't agree with me."

Kara woke up then, crying softly at first, and then wailing and extending her arms as if waiting for someone to pick her up. Blaine immediately stood up and walked to her, scooping her up in his arms.

"What's up, baby girl?" He cooed sweetly, kissing her cheek. "What do you need? Is it your diaper?"

Amelia and Harry looked as their son carefully put Kara down on her changing mat, constantly talking to her, whispering sweet nothings and kissing her little feet every time she kicked. The girl was delighted, grabbing Blaine's hand or face when he leaned closer to her. He changed her diaper quickly and efficiantly, as if he had been taking care of children his entire life.

It was something so natural, so perfect. If they hadn't known better, they would've thought the baby was Blaine's own daughter. They exchanged a quick glance and smiled sadly at each other. They knew they didn't have a say in it and even though they were proud of their son for doing what he thought was right without caring about the conscequences, they wished he didn't have to worry about things like this. Not yet, not while he was so young, not when he was supposed to only think about what his plans for college were or where he wanted to take his boyfriend on their next date. No, this wasn't what they wanted for their eighteen year old son, but if he was sure about it, there was nothing they could do.

It was nice to have some quiet, Blaine thought, as he entered the kitchen and went straight to the fridge to get something to drink. He had just dropped Kara back at the motel with her mother and, after his conversation with his parents the previous week, he had finally convinced Katherine to make him Kara's legal guardian. She promised to take care of all the paperwork and all Blaine had to do was sign them when they were ready.

And then take care of her daughter for the rest of his life.

It should've sounded more terrifying, Blaine was sure of it. But it didn't. He had Kara in his charge almost every day now and he had even kept her overnight last weekend because Katherine couldn't even get out of bed. He knew it was a huge responsibility, but the idea of letting Kara go and never hearing from her again scared him more than anything else.

He downed a bottle of water in less than five minutes. He had to finish writing an essay for his Literature class and he knew he had to start working on it soon. He was considering taking a shower first (Kara had thrown up on him and even though he had changed his shirt, he could still smell it) when the doorbell rang.

He sighed as he walked to the front door, thoughts swirling in his head, a mixture of so many things he had to worry about: his algebra test, buying more diapers for Kara because they were running low, his application for NYU, making some time to check in on Burt, who he hadn't seen since they've come back from New York…

But when he opened the door, everything disappeared, because the one he cared about most in the world was right there in front of him.

"Kurt…"

He didn't look as glorious as he usually did. It was obvious the past couple of weeks had been rough for him. His hair didn't look as soft and shiny as usual. His skin lacked the some of the ethereal glow that had been there since the first time Blaine had seen him. And his eyes… they looked exhausted, red rimmed and a bit swollen. He had obviously been been spending too much time crying and forgoing sleep.

And to Blaine, he still was the most beautiful man in the world.

"Hi," Kurt responded, a bit shyly, awkwardly.

"Hi," Blaine smiled because he couldn't help it. He noticed there was a suitcase at Kurt's feet. "What are you doing here? I thought your break…"

"I couldn't stay in New York any more," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I needed to come back. I needed… I don't know. I don't know what I need, Blaine…"

He looked so sad, so defeated. Blaine had to fight himself not to immediately wrap him in his arms.

"Come on in. Let me help you with that," he grabbed Kurt's suitcase before he could protest and guided him into the living room. "Do you want something to drink?"

Kurt sat carefully on the couch. It was weird being like this, almost too formal, as if they didn't know everything about each other. "Just some water, please."

"I'll be right back."

Blaine took the opportunity to take some deep breaths. He hadn't expected Kurt to just walk into his house today. He wasn't ready for whatever Kurt had come to say to him. but gosh… he had to admit that seeing him was like breathing fresh air after being locked up in a room with the windows hermetically closed, breathing in and out the same stale air.

He grabbed a bottle of water before going back into the living room. Kurt had his hands twisted together on his lap and he seemed so tense that Blaine wished he could kiss his neck and rub his shoulders and make all of the tension disappear. Instead, he handed him the bottle and sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Honestly?" Kurt replied, leaning back against the couch. "I don't know. I've done nothing but think and think and think about it since you and Dad were in New York and I can't seem to make sense of anything."

"Have you talked to your dad again?" Blaine held his hands together tightly to stop himself from reaching out and grabbing one of Kurt's.

Kurt shook his head. "No. He doesn't know I'm here. I'm sure Finn will tell him, eventually, because he can't keep a damn secret for the life of his, but… I don't want to see him yet."

"He's worried about you," Blaine said softly.

"I know he is," Kurt's eyes finally locked with Blaine's and Blaine couldn't find the words to say how much he had missed those eyes gazing right into his soul. "And I know you are, too. I've listened to your voicemails."

"I'm sorry if I was a little bit… insistent," Blaine tilted his head to the side, uncomfortable. "It's just that I wanted to be there for you. I don't know what else to do, Kurt."

"I love you, you know," Kurt said and Blaine felt a rush of relief and sheer bliss going through him. "No matter what happens, I can't help but love you."

"I love you, too," Blaine said and he could feel the tears falling down his cheeks. He couldn't care less about them right then. "I wish I could just absorb all the pain you're feeling. I wish I could feel it for you…"

"I don't want you to do that," Kurt extended his hand and took one of Blaine's and suddenly Blaine's world seemed to be right again. "Just… be with me, okay? I don't know what I need to do or what I'll do about all of this, but I do know that I need you. I can't handle going through anything without you."

"Oh, Kurt," without being able to stop himself any longer, Blaine practically launched at Kurt, holding him in his arms as if he was scared he would disappear if he let go. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"I know you are," Kurt kissed the top of his head. "And I also know you had no choice but to wait until my dad told me the truth. I don't blame you for any of this, Blaine, and I'm not mad at you…"

"Oh, thank God," Blaine pulled away just far enough to look him in the eyes. "I was so afraid of losing you…"

"You're not going to lose me, Blaine," Kurt managed to smile a bit, even though it didn't reach his eyes. "Especially not for someone else's mistakes."

"Can I kiss you?" Blaine blurted out, almost desperately. "Please, Kurt, let me kiss you. I need it so much…"

Kurt crashed their lips together urgently and their arms flew to wrap around each other and hold on tightly. All the tension seemed to disappear from Blaine's muscles and all he could care about was kissing Kurt, never stopping, never letting him go.

When they pulled away, Kurt rested his forehead against his, as he always did, and smiled again, this time a bit more tenderly. "Do you think your parents will let me stay with you for a couple of days while I try to figure out what to do?"

Blaine smiled brightly. "Of course you can stay here. You know they adore you."

"Thank you," Kurt kissed his cheek and seemed to relax a little bit.

Before Blaine had time to say more, Blaine's phone rang in his pocket. He answered the call without checking the caller ID, too busy staring at Kurt to make sure he was really, really there. "Hello?"

"Hi, Blaine," it was Katherine's tired voice and Blaine's stomach dropped for a moment. "I'm sorry to bother you again, but I can't find Kara's favorite doll. Is it at your house?"

Blaine looked around the living room until he saw the doll protruding from behind one of the couches. It was a really pretty doll, with a pink dress and brown wool as hair. "Yes, it's here. Do you think she'll need it or can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Oh, no, don't worry," Katherine answered. "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't lost. She'll be a bit fussy for a while, but it'll be okay."

"Okay," he nodded although she couldn't see him. "Are you doing alright?"

"Tired, but a little better than these past few days, at least," he could almost hear the smile in her voice. "Thanks, Blaine. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," he confirmed before ending the call.

Kurt was watching him with interest. Blaine decided that there wasn't any more room in their relationship for secrets or lies. He needed to be honest with Kurt.

He walked to where the doll was and picked it up. Kurt frowned when he saw it, obviously confused for a moment.

"Kurt," Blaine started, wishing he didn't feel so nervous. "Remember I told you sometimes your… Katherine doesn't feel well enough to take care of Kara?"

Kurt swallowed and his eyes narrowed a bit. "I remember."

"I take care of her when that happens," Blaine said. He sat next to his boyfriend, but he didn't touch him. He allowed him to have his space. "That is almost every day lately. I pick her up at the motel where they are staying and I come here with her to take care of her so Katherinecan rest enough to look after her at night."

"Was it her? On the phone, I mean," Kurt interrupted, obviously without being able to help it.

"Yes, it was her." Blaine studied him in silence for a couple of seconds. "If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I won't bring her here while you're staying with us. You can have all the time you need, Kurt."

Kurt reached out, hesitantly, and took the doll from Blaine. He held it as if he was holding dynamite. "I don't know what I feel about all of this."

"You're not ready yet, and that's okay," Blaine assured him. He put a hand on his thigh and traced soothing circles there. "And I know you may not understand why I'm doing it, but I need to do this. I need to help Katherine with Kara."

It took a few seconds for Kurt to finally nod, but when he did, Blaine breathed out a sigh in relief. "Can we… not talk about any of this for a little while?"

"Of course," Blaine kissed his temple and scooted closer on the couch to snuggle next to him. "Do you want to watch TV? I think there's a Bachelorette marathon on today."

"That sounds good," Kurt smiled softly.

Blaine turned the TV on and let the sound of pointless reality shows drown out the tension still floating in the room. He put his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and didn't comment about the fact that Kurt was still holding the doll tightly to his chest.

Dinner that night was a bit awkward. Amelia and Harry were happy to see Kurt and received him with open arms, but it was obvious there were too many subjects floating around them that they didn't want to mention. Not once did they ask why Kurt was there, nor did they mention his mother or his sister. The conversation remained safe and even dull sometimes, but Kurt couldn't blame them. Blaine couldn't, either.

When they said they were going to bed, Blaine's parents didn't object at all when the two boys went into Blaine's bedroom. Blaine needed Kurt, he wanted to have him close after missing him for so long, and Kurt needed him, too. Their worlds seemed too far apart lately, and they knew that the only thing that could make them feel better was each other.

They got under the covers, wearing nothing but underwear and undershirts and cuddled together, their heads resting on the same pillow. Blaine was sure Kurt had fallen asleep. He was enjoying counting Kurt's heartbeats against his fingers on his chest so Kurt's voice startled him when it broke the silence between them.

"Blaine?" He whispered.

"Uhm?" Blaine hummed in response.

"W-what is Kara like?" Kurt asked, a bit unsure.

Blaine shifted until he was leaning on one elbow and looking down at Kurt in the semi darkness of the room. He studied his boyfriend quietly before he spoke. "She's absolutely beautiful. She has your eyes and your hair and your skin, too."

Kurt swallowed and Blaine traced the outline of his jaw with the tip of his index finger.

"I have a picture, if you want to see it," Blaine offered after a moment.

Kurt hesitated, but finally nodded, so Blaine reached for his phone on the bedside table, and touched the screen a few times until he found the picture he was looking for. It was Kara, the previous day, sitting on the floor in the living room and looking at the camera with a huge smile, that beautiful smile that appeared on her face only for Blaine.

The resemblance was undeniable. Even Kurt could see it and it took his breath away. This was his sister. All of this was really happening. If he'd needed further proof, then here it was.

He felt a tear escaping down his cheek and when he moved his hand to wipe it away, he accidentally touched the screen and moved to the next picture. It was also of Kara, but Blaine was in this one, too. He was holding her in his arms and she stared at him in adoration, as if Blaine was her whole world. Kurt pressed the screen again and the next picture was also Kara. And the next, and the next and the next.

"You have a picture?" Kurt said incredulous. "Blaine… your whole phone is full of pictures of her."

"Uhm. She's… really photogenic," Blaine murmured, awkwardly. He took his phone away and put it on the nightstand again. "I'm sorry if it's weird for you. I just… I spend a lot of time with her and she's so cute… it's impossible not to fall instantly in love with her."

Kurt seemed thoughtful for a few seconds. "Do you… do you think I should meet her?"

"I think you should take your time to think about it and do what you think is best for you, Kurt," Blaine cupped his face affectionately. He leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. His one last secret was pushing inside of him, trying to resurface and Blaine knew he couldn't keep it in for much longer. "There's something else I need to tell you."

"That never ends well," Kurt said, warily.

"I'm not sure you're going to like it, but…" Blaine closed his eyes. He was still risking a chance of losing Kurt. It all could end now. "Your mother didn't have anyone left who could take care of Kara once she..." he let the words hang on the air for a moment before continuing. "She was considering leaving Kara at an orphanage so…" He swallowed. This was hard. This was too hard, but so necessary. He let his hands trace the outline of Kurt's sides, just in case it was the last time. He wanted to remember everything about him. "I'm going to be designated as Kara's legal guardian."

Kurt blinked, just staring at Blaine as if he was seeing him for the first time. Then he sat up on the bed, against the pillows, slowly. "Blaine…"

"I know what you're going to say," Blaine interrupted, anxiously. "You're going to be upset and you're going to break up with me because I'm getting too involved in your family's business. But I know that one day, maybe not now, but one day, you're going to want to have a relationship with your sister, you're going to want to meet her, to be part of her life, and if she goes to an orphanage, we may never see her again." He took a breath, trying to calm down, but unable to do it. "You must think I'm crazy and maybe I am, but if you spend just ten minutes with her, if you hear her laughing, if you see her extending her little arms to you waiting for you to hold her, then you'll understand why I need to do this." Kurt was silent and Blaine couldn't tell if that was good or bad, so he just kept talking, because he couldn't stop now. "And I know that what your mom did to you was terrible, but it isn't Kara's fault and I don't want to see her suffering because of her mother's mistakes."

"So let me see if I have this straight," Kurt muttered when Blaine paused to breathe. "You're telling me that… you'll be practically adopting her? My s-sister?"

Blaine nodded slowly. "I am. And I'm sorry if this is weird or if you don't agree with it… but I can't leave a baby girl completely helpless with no one who loves her." He was shaking, but his voice was firm when he continued. "And I know this may cost me my relationship with you, but I need to do what's right, Kurt."

Kurt was silent and still. Blaine shifted so as not to be too close, to give him space. He braced himself for what was about to come, for the heartbreak, for Kurt getting out of bed, grabbing his stuff and leaving, not looking back…

"Have you thought this through?" Kurt asked instead. "Is this really what you want?"

Blaine studied Kurt's darkened profile, carefully. "Yes. I know it won't be easy, but… this is what I need to do. I know I'll never regret it."

"And what's going to happen with her when you're in college?" Kurt still didn't look at him, but at least he was talking, at least he was still there.

"I'll take her with me," Blaine answered simply. "I'm only applying to schools with day care services. NYU is one of them."

"You can't live in a dorm with a baby," Kurt whispered.

Blaine shook his head. He knew that and he was so grateful for his parents' understanding him and for helping him. "I know. I'll live in an apartment. My dad said he'll help me financially, but I'll still need to get a job, too."

"Do you realize that we'll have our hands full?" Kurt muttered as he moved to rest his head on Blaine's chest. Blaine stopped breathing for a moment. "The things we've been dreaming of doing for so long won't be the same. We'll have to adapt…"

"Kurt, are you saying…?" Blaine gasped.

"You're stuck with me, Blaine Anderson," Kurt murmured, nuzzling against his collarbone. "There's nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you. Even if that means my life will be turned upside down by raising a baby."

"Kurt…" Blaine cupped his face and leaned down to kiss him. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Kurt sighed. He threw an arm around Blaine's waist. "And you're right. It isn't Kara's fault, what my mother did. I can't punish her for my mother abandoning me. I can't let the same thing happen to her, too."

Blaine rubbed his back up and down. He smiled. "You still surprise me everyday. You still zig when I think you're about to zag."

"What can I say?" Kurt said around a yawn. "You bring out the best in me…"

They fell asleep tangled together, breathing together, because they didn't know what else to be, what else to do, but be together.