When Kurt and Blaine returned to collect the girls, they were happily colouring at a table. The two classes were merged, and Julie sat with her sister and Sophie. Lucy was animatedly talking with three other people at the table, but the other two girls were quiet.

Kurt and Blaine approached Miss White, beaming. "How'd she do?"

"Good." She grinned. "A little bit sad when you left, but that was expected. Sophie talked her out of it eventually, though. She's…very quiet…"

Kurt nodded. "She's like that, even when she's comfortable."

Kim nodded. "Very creative, and very smart for her age." Blaine beamed proudly. "She seemed a lot happier when she got to meet up with Lucy, but she kept Sophie nearby. I'm glad we introduced them."

"And how was Lucy today?" Kurt asked.

"You'll have to ask Miss Ross." She smiled.

Other parents had started arriving for their children, but Julie and Lucy hadn't noticed their fathers.

"She's such an animated, hardworking child." Amanda grinned. "You've got a great set of girls."

"Thank you." Blaine beamed, and he silently went forward, giving Lucy a small tap on the shoulder.

She turned, wide eyed, but a bright smile accompanied it when she recognised Blaine. Kurt had crouched next to Julie.

"Daddy!" Lucy exclaimed gently, conscious of Julie beside her. She pulled Blaine into a hug.

Julie spotted Kurt, giving him a small, shy smile. "Hi daddy."

Kurt grinned. "Hey Julie. How are you feeling?"

"G-Good. I-I w-want to g-go home."

Kurt smiled sadly. "Well, you're in luck. We're here to take you home now. Do you want to show us what you did today?"

Lucy nodded, but Julie shook her head.

"I-I just want t-to go h-home."

Kurt glanced at Blaine, who nodded.

"Alright. Luce, can you show Daddy Blaine while I take Jules to the car?"

Lucy looked slightly disappointed, but nodded anyway, taking Blaine's hand. Kurt lifted Julie from her seat.

"Bye Sophie." Julie said softly, and the other girl smiled and waved.

"You seem sad, baby." Kurt said softly, throwing a wave to Kim as they left.

"I-It was s-s-sc-scary."

Kurt nodded. "Was it scary all day?"

Julie hesitated, and Kurt was glad that they had raised honest kids. It would've been a lot harder to gauge her reactions if she exaggerated how she felt.

"N-not a-all day."

"But you weren't comfortable, were you?"

She shook her head and buried her face into Kurt's neck. "I-I don't w-want to g-go ba-back."

Kurt sighed sadly. "I know, I know…but we have to. Just for a month. If you still can't cope, I promise that we can do all that stuff from home."

She sighed into his neck as they reached the car, and he buckled her in, before sliding into the passenger seat and leaning around to talk to her.

"What did you do today?"

"C-c-coloured." She said softly, playing with her fingers. "And we s-sang…and c-counted."

She frowned as she talked. "Daddy?"

"Yeah baby?" Kurt asked, putting a hand over hers to stop her fidgeting.

"Some p-people didn't kn-know h-how to c-count to t-t-ten." She glanced up at him, not quite meeting his eyes. "W-Why?"

Kurt smiled fondly, squeezing her hand. "Some parents don't have time to teach their children."

"Why d-did you and D-daddy have t-t-time?"

"Because we both took time off so someone would always be home with you."

"A-and D-daddy Blaine w-works from h-home now?"

Kurt nodded. "He did that so he'll be around to pick you two up from school."

The car door opened, and Julie jumped in fright. Blaine poked his head in and grinned.

"Hey guys." He lifted Lucy into her booster seat, and Kurt squeezed Julie's hand.

"You guys ready to go get some ice cream and go home?"

Both girls nodded and Blaine shut the door before sliding into the driver's seat.

With a grin at Kurt, he started the engine and they left.

^.^

"How'd she go?"

The house was quiet – the girls had been tucked in – and Kurt and Blaine were getting ready for bed.

"Okay." Kurt replied, pulling on his pyjama pants. "Not great, but okay."

"Does she want to go back?" Blaine asked, pulling back the sheets and sliding in.

"Of course not." Kurt muttered, getting in next to him.

Blaine immediately encompassed him like a strangler fig, wrapping around him and burying his face into Kurt's hair.

"She will."

^.^

The next day, Julie let them leave without too much fuss. Lucy had already skipped off, but Julie was apprehensive. Thankfully, her eyes were dry and she seemed a whole lot calmer than she was yesterday.

"Courage." She whispered to herself, and Blaine grinned.

"That's right, my girl. Courage. You'll be fine today. You know where everything is, and you know who the people in your class are."

"C-courage." She said again.

Kurt bent down, giving her a hug. "Do you want us to come in with you again?"

She looked determined to say no – the word even forming on her lips before she gave in and nodded.

"Y-yes p-please."

Kurt smiled and took her hand – Blaine taking the other, and the three of them walked into the room.

Kim greeted them warmly, and as soon as Julie saw Sophie, she brightened.

"Go see your friend." Blaine prompted. "We have to go now though."

Julie nodded timidly, receiving hugs from Kurt and Blaine and saying goodbye before approaching Sophie.

"Did everything go okay last night?" Kim asked, her eyes on the children as she talked.

Kurt nodded. "She seemed alright.

Kim smiled. "Good. Hopefully she can keep that attitude up for a little while longer."

Blaine nodded. "Once her brain recognises this as routine, she'll stop being so sad." He rubbed Kurt's back sympathetically and Kurt nodded.

"I know…it's just…hard…"

"It won't get easier." Kim said softly. "I know it's a bad thing to say, but there's going to be so many new things come her way. The only thing you can do is just be there for her and help her through it."

Kurt and Blaine nodded sadly. They knew. They'd read the pamphlets and they'd talked to the professionals. Hell, they could probably write the book on Aspergers. As she got older, medication was an option, but there was no cure.

She'd have to deal with this forever.

^.^

Julie was fine when they picked her up. Fine when they got home. Fine when she played with Lucy, and fine when they were eating dinner.

The girls were playing, and Kurt and Blaine were reading when Lucy suddenly ran into the room.

"Daddies! Daddies…Julie's crying!"

Kurt's eyes went wide and he stood immediately, dropping his book.

"Is she hurt?" Blaine asked, standing.

"She's just crying!"

"Show us baby, take us to her."

They couldn't hear her – that's what surprised Kurt and Blaine the most. Lucy led them to the playroom, where Julie sat curled up, sobbing into her knees.

"Julie, Julie…what's going on?" Blaine reached her first, scooping her up and rocking her gently.

She gave a semi-audible cry, cuddling into him and burying her face into his neck. Kurt turned the light off – Julie felt safer in the dark – and the moon glowed into the room faintly.

"Why's she crying?" Lucy asked softly, pulling at Kurt's pant leg.

"She's just sad." Kurt said softly, pulling Lucy into his arms. "How do you think we could make her happy again?"

Lucy bit her lip thoughtfully. "Ice cream and a movie?"

Kurt nodded. "Good idea. Come on, we'll go set it up."

As much as he wanted to stay, there was nothing much he could do, and abandoning Lucy was something they had tried to steer clear of. He patted Blaine gently as he left, and his husband nodded, still rocking their crying daughter.

"You scared, baby?" Blaine asked gently, and she shrugged.

"It's okay to be scared. You don't have to be brave all the time…"

"L-Lucy's b-br-brave…" came a whisper, muffled because she was talking into his shoulder.

"But you're not Lucy." Blaine said softly. "You're Julie, and you can be scared if you want to be."

Julie took a shuddering breath. "I-I-I d-don't want…t-to be…sc-sc…s-scared."

Blaine held her tightly as another round of sobs took over.

"You're okay." He whispered, kissing her head. "It's okay."

He couldn't help her. At all. It was one thing being able to control yourself, but she was so little and she couldn't deal with the change – the stress – sometimes he probably didn't even know why she was scared. It was just too much.

Kurt appearing in the doorway, and Blaine beckoned him over.

"Julie…" he said softly. "Luce and I have got some ice cream and 'The Lion King' ready. We're going to have a sleepover in the living room. How does that sound?"

She nodded into Blaine's shirt and Kurt sighed.

"Courage." Blaine whispered. "Courage is all inside you baby. All you have to do is find it."

Julie pulled back, her face tear-streaked. "I…I-I c-can't…"

"Yeah you can. It might take some time, but you'll find it."

Blaine took her into the living room, Kurt following. They had pulled out a bed, and used the blankets and pillows from all the rooms to create a comfy nest. Lucy sat in the middle with her ice cream, looking up at Julie.

With the girls in their laps, they started the movie.

Simultaneously, Kurt and Blaine turned to each other with pained expressions. Just was quietly sobbing into Blaine's chest, and he stroked her hair comfortingly.

Even ice cream and her favourite movie wouldn't calm her down…