Chapter Six

"Kurt!" Puck's voice cut over the shouts of the packed in people trying to surge against the gates that kept them below. He pushed through the crushing bodies, his eyes looking between the shivering pair, from Blaine's bedraggled dark curls to the shine of metal around each of Kurt's wrists, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, "They're not letting anyone up there!"

"We'll have to find another way!" Kurt yelled over the noise, "Where's-"

His question was answered for him as the hulking form of his brother cut a path through the crowd towards them, "Kurt!"

Kurt found himself swept up in Finn's strong grip, and laughed in relief, returning the hug, "Finn! You're okay!"

Finn pulled back, looking between the three of them, "The boats are all going! I managed to get a look outside before they pulled us back in."

Kurt shook his head, "It's starting to flood badly – we've gotta get out of here, now!"

Finn shook his head, hopelessness written clear on his face, "There's nothing this way." He gestured behind him,

"Alright." Kurt nodded, trying to keep his voice calm, reaching behind him to take a firm hold on Blaine's hand where the other boy had been standing uncertainly, slightly removed from the group, "Then let's go this way. Come on!"

Kurt made to turn and lead the way, his hand tugging tightly on Blaine's to prevent them from getting separated, until he realised the other two hadn't moved. Puck's eyes were trained steadily on their joined hands, before his gaze flicked up to their faces. Finn's muscles were bunched, clearly ready to act in defence of his brother should something happen. Kurt pulled Blaine closer to him pointedly, wrapping his other arm about his waist, "Is there a problem, Puck?" His voice was low and dangerous. They didn't have time for this bullshit!

Puck seemed to shake himself, swallowing harshly before shrugging with a self-disbelieving laugh at his own words, "What the hell. We're all gonna die the same if we don't get out of here! Stop standing around!"

Kurt nodded sharply, and pushed Blaine in front of him to get him moving. The four raced down the labyrinthine corridors, dodging wailing women and lost families as everyone drowned in their own personal terror before the waters claimed them. Blaine dived blindly around a corner, and they found themselves at one of the secondary staircases, an identical set of gates locked tight. There were less people here, and the stewards on the other side were trying to get them all the return to where they had just come.

Blaine ducked up between the other passengers, pushing through to the gates, fixing the men on the other side with a determined glare, "Open the gate."

"Go back to the main stairwell." The man refused.

"Open the gate, now!" Blaine's voice had taken on a stressed, dangerous quality. So much had happened in such a short space of time, and everything was just building up inside him, threatening to overwhelm him.

"Go back to the main stairwell, like I told you!" The man's tone was infuriating, patronising. Blaine turned away helplessly, only to see Kurt immediately behind him, his face resigned, as if he had expected no better from the world.

It wasn't right. The people down here had as much right to live as those above!

A desperate anger burned at him, and he threw himself at the bars, screaming, "God dammit! Son of a bitch!"

"Blaine!" Kurt pulled at his arms, alarmed, trying to get him to calm down. With the help of Finn and Puck, they dragged him back.

"They won't listen!" Blaine yelled desperately, his voice cracking.

Kurt's hands cupped his face, forcing Blaine to meet his eyes, "Then we're through with asking." He turned to the others, "Come on, help me with that bench!"

Puck's eyes lit up as he realised what Kurt's plan was, and quickly the four men began to wrench and rock at the solid wooden seat nailed down to the decking. They pulled it free with a shout, and a couple of the more quick-witted passengers pulled others aside, clearing a run-up to the gate. Realisation dawned on the stewards, "What are you doing? Stop that!"

The first impact shook their bones, but the gate didn't budge. A second try, and the metal caved, twisting at odd angles as the force was too much to hold against, "Let's go!" Kurt shouted, Finn already climbing ahead of them.

Puck pushed Blaine forward, giving him a slight boost over before clambering half over himself, hauling Kurt up behind him. Shouts of success followed them, but they were already running again, desperate to get out onto the deck.

They burst out into chaos and screams. "Shit…" Puck breathed, taking in the horrifying scene.

Kurt shook his head in disbelief, "You and Finn try the other side, see if you can find boats! We'll look this side – meet up if you find anything!"

Finn nodded, pulling Kurt into a firm embrace, before drawing back and nodding at him and Blaine with an oddly confident smile, "See you in a minute, little brother."

Kurt swallowed harshly, not trusting his voice. As Finn and Puck disappeared, he turned to Blaine, who had barely registered the exchange, staring in numb terror at everything surrounding them. Kurt grip on his upper arm shook him out it, "Come on, this way!"

Kurt pulled Blaine towards a crowd of men surging towards one of the lifeboats. The boat was being manned by a strict officer, yelling for more women. Kurt tripped forward, colliding with the body in front of him.

"Porcelain?" The figure turned, looking in shock between him and Blaine, and down to their desperately clasped hands.

Blaine stared at the first class woman, perhaps the only one left on the entire ship, "Miss Sylvester? What are you still doing on board? Quick, you have to get onto a boat!"

The tall woman stared calmly at the young pair who had brought life to the ship. She had taken a liking to them. Porcelain had a spark to him, a fire that shined bright and unique, no matter what others thought or said. And the young Anderson boy, who should have been as conceited and stuck up as the rest of his family had somehow found a backbone actually worthy of someone from the upper echelons of society.

Porcelain's face said it all. He didn't expect to survive this sinking. He had a grip on reality that was too strong from a life of hardship and hate. The Anderson boy was clearly scared, but there was still a certain naïve hope to his eyes that they might actually get through this.

"Ma'am, Ma'am! Please, get on the boat!" A sailor grabbed at her arm.

She sneered, elbowing him roughly in the stomach, "I will not be manhandled by anyone! And I will make my own choices, as I have always done!"

Her formidable aura and powerful voice cut through the panic, even causing a few of the more frantically pushing men to desist slightly. The sailor looked annoyed, but determined, "Ma'am, the boat is ready to launch, but we have one place for you. Please, get on the boat."

"Please, listen to him!" She heard Anderson's voice plead behind her, and with one last look at the pair, she made up her mind.

"My son will take that place." The words were out of her mouth, and she stood by them, reaching behind her and taking a tight hold of Blaine's arm, pulling him towards the boat.

"W-what?"Blaine stuttered in surprise. Nevertheless, his clothes were appropriate, if not his physical looks, for Sue to realistically be his mother. He was also comparatively smaller than the rest of the men in the press of bodies.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, women and children-"

"I am the only one left! And I am giving my place to my son! I brought him into the world, and I will make sure he continues to live in it! He's not yet eighteen. That will be enough for you!"

Blaine shook his head in disbelief, twisting to Kurt, voice low and frantic, "No. Don't make me go. Please, Kurt, I want to stay with you-"

The officer had clearly realised that he would make no headway with this cantankerous woman, "Very well. Get the boy on board!"

"You heard him. Blaine, get on the boat." Sue pulled him away from Kurt, but Blaine resisted. She brought him close, "Porcelain and I will go around the other side. There are more boats there. I will get him on, I promise, but I can't get you on together. Now, get on the boat!"

Kurt smiled reassuringly, squeezing Blaine's hand one last time, "You see? I'll be fine. There's another boat for me. You need to go, Blaine."

Blaine was dragged back against the tide of desperate people, and shoved into the lifeboat, despite his shocked protests.

"Lower away!"

Kurt stood at Sue's side, both of them watching as the lifeboat juddered and began to lower with a dazed but safe Blaine on board.

"Thank you." Kurt murmured. "Just…I…thank you."

"You're a good liar." Sue replied, not acknowledging the gratitude.

Kurt didn't look up, quietly agreeing, "Almost as good as you." He sighed, "There isn't another boat, is there…"

Sue shook her head, genuine sorrow in her eyes, "There is for me. But not even Susan Sylvester can get a third class boy like you onto one of those lifeboats. You'll have to try your own way."

Kurt swallowed and nodded, "Then you need to go, quickly. Thank you, thank you for saving him for me."

She nodded, clasping his shoulder, "Good luck Porcelain."

Blaine looked up, watching in confusion as Miss Sylvester disappeared from view, but Kurt remained, leaning over the side to keep an eye on Blaine's boat as it was lowered. Blaine frowned, not liking the look on Kurt's face, as another firework sparkled in the air behind him.

He looked at the crying women and children around him. Apart from the sailors, he was the only man on board. The husbands, fathers, sons and brothers of these women had not been allowed to come with them. But Blaine had. Blaine was sitting on the boat, having left Kurt alone. Kurt, who he loved. He looked up desperately, vision blurred slightly from unshed tears, and saw that Kurt had been joined by a face he recognised.

Sebastian.

The older man had a horrible smirk on his face, and Kurt's jaw was fixed. Blaine didn't know what they were saying, but he didn't like it. He didn't like any of it. This wasn't right.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't leave Kurt behind.

Blaine's limbs were in motion before he had even completed the thought. The lifeboat was already nearly past the second promenade deck, and after that, Blaine wouldn't have another chance. He was on his feet, climbing over a few women, ignoring Kurt's yell from above and the sailors from the boat. He pitched himself off, his chest smacking into the side of the boat amidst screams. Hands grabbed at his waistcoat and pulled him back on board in a confused heap.

He was already off running, desperate to find Kurt.

They collided at the bottom of the grand staircase, Kurt leaping down the last few steps, drawing Blaine up into his arms, his voice cracking with tears, "You are so stupid Blaine! Why did you do that? Why?" Blaine clung back even tighter, uncaring of the people all around them, unable to think or feel anything beyond Kurt. He was let down as Kurt pulled back slightly, grasping his face, "You are so, so stupid!"

Blaine shook his head, not even bothering to worry about the tears that slid tracks down his cheeks, over Kurt's fingers. He shook his head, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I couldn't do it!" And then Kurt was pressing frantic kisses on Blaine's lips, because damn them all to hell. As Puck said, they were all going to die the same.

Kurt wound his hands into Blaine's hair as Blaine twisted his fingers into Kurt's shirt, "Why did you do that?"

Blaine shrugged helplessly, "You jump, I jump, right?"

"Right…" Kurt smiled with a huff of disbelief, tightly pulling Blaine safely back into his arms as Blaine pressed his face into Kurt's shoulder, still shaking slightly from the adrenaline of jumping.

It was then that Kurt became aware of the mutterings around them; a buzzing that was more than just judgemental gossipers. He drew back from Blaine slowly, still keeping his arms around the other boy. Next to him, he heard Blaine take in a choked breath as he too became aware of the people around them. His arms tightened around Kurt.

The buzzing dropped off sharply, replaced by a cold, staring silence, a silence already charged with the terror and panic of the sinking. "K-kurt?" Blaine barely whispered, asking, pleading, because he had no idea what to do.

"Hummel!" A clear shout shot through the pressure of the atmosphere. Both jerked, looking up automatically, only to see an enraged Sebastian running to the top of the stairs, brandishing a gun.

A stray shot rang out, and screams erupted. A few large men lurched towards the embracing pair, a malicious intent written in their expressions. "Run!" Kurt yelled, pushing Blaine through the weakest link of the terrified, angered crowd as another shot cracked in the air.

They ran, never letting go of the other, pushing past shocked faces and jumping down one of the ornate staircases, taking three, four steps at a time in desperate, stumbling leaps. Another shot impacted water below as Sebastian's anger clouded his aim. Kurt's stomach lurched as the flooded dining room came into view, but he plunged into the icy waters without hesitation, still pulling Blaine with him.

"Blaine! Blaine, you come back here, now!" Sebastian's yells followed them, accompanied with another shot.

Kurt's shoulder strained as Blaine pulled to an unexpected halt in the water, turning, "Stop it, Seb! Why are you doing this? For the love of God, just let us go!"

Sebastian was beyond reason, and it was unclear if he even realised that he was standing waist deep in arctic sea water. He ignored Blaine's pleas, sending off a shot that impacted the glass window worryingly close to Kurt's head, "You give him back to me, Hummel! He's not yours! Blaine is mine, and you will hand him to me!"

Blaine reeled back slightly at the poisonous, possessive words falling from Sebastian's lips. His frozen fingers tightened their grip on Kurt. "W-what?" All force had disappeared from his voice, swallowed by shock.

Kurt had no such trouble, yelling back, "Well, he's definitely not yours! Go to hell, Sebastian!" As he shouted, he pulled on a now unresisting Blaine, once again running at full pelt away from the crazy man intent on killing him and taking Blaine.

Sebastian's desperate, hateful shouts floated after them, slightly hysterical in tone, "Well I hope you enjoy your time together!"

They kept running, only coming to a stop down a small staircase leading to a flooding corridor. They waited, pressed against the wall for any sound of being pursued, chests heaving. Upon hearing none, Kurt let his shoulders relax, only to dive forward to catch Blaine as his knees buckled slightly, "Blaine. Blaine, breathe! It's okay."

"Sebastian… he…" Blaine's wild, disbelieving eyes searched out Kurt's, who simply stared at him calmly, letting Blaine get to grips with what had just happened, "But, his sister… I…"

Kurt shook his head, stroking Blaine's face soothingly, "No, honey, no. I think Sebastian might have had more on his mind than just loving you as a brother…"

Blaine flinched violently, looking ill as he realised just what might have awaited him in his future. "Oh God…"

Kurt nodded, keeping an anchoring hold on Blaine. He knew they needed to keep moving, to find another way, but wasn't sure how to break past Blaine's terrified shock.

In the end he didn't have to.

Blaine blinked, "What was that?"

They jumped down the last few steps into the calf-deep water. A little boy was standing, screaming. They exchanged a look between each other, minds made up in unison. They ran forwards, Kurt reaching the boy first, scooping him up. Blaine's eyes widened, "That door's not gonna hold!"

Kurt turned to where Blaine's eyes were looking, "Go! Go, move!"

They had barely gone ten steps when Kurt was slammed into the wall by a great hulk of a man, yelling in Russian as he pulled the boy from Kurt, running back towards the straining door. Blaine steadied Kurt, before seeing where the man was headed, "No! No, stop, you're going the wrong way!"

Blaine tried to follow and pull the man and his son back, but Kurt's hands snatched at his clothes, "No, Blaine!"

A terrible creaking noise mixed with the sounds of rushing water, and the door cracked against the weight. Blaine slipped slightly as he stopped himself, eyes widening.

The door burst in that moment, a great swathe of water rushing out from the intense pressure of being held by the door for so long. Kurt pushed Blaine down a side corridor, out of the immediate path of the water. It roared and crashed behind them, spraying against walls and tearing at the lights. Blaine's head span as the flickering darkness played with his vision, and he could barely hear Kurt's shouts over the crashing flood.

A yell was torn from Blaine as the current swept his legs from under him, taking him beneath the water and throwing his body into the corridor wall as it pull him with its force. And then he abruptly impacted one of the gates, Kurt's slamming next to him, slightly dazed but otherwise okay. The current twisted and pulled at them, flowing around them through the gates, sweeping through the corridors of the deck. There was a sucking pressure of cold about their torsos as the current eddied and pulled downwards with the obstruction of the gate.

Blaine was sucked under for a terrifying, freezing moment, icy water tearing into his windpipe as he accidentally gasped with shock. His flailing fingers grasped blindly at the gate, and a solid hand helped wrench him back, coughing and spluttering, "Blaine!" Kurt's eyes mirrored Blaine's own terror. He shouted above the roar, "I've got you! Come on – pull yourself along; we need to go back!"

With Kurt's sure movements to help, Blaine struggled against the current to follow his command. They staggered onto the steps of a nearby staircase, half crawling up them to hit a drawn gate, the water still rising behind them. Blaine slumped sideways against it, coughing water violently as Kurt wrenched at the lock without luck. He turned to Blaine, "I can't get through!"

Blaine looked shakily at the lock, and back down at the rising water, before finally fixing Kurt with a hopeless look, shivering from shock and cold, "I s-sup-pose now w-would be a b-bad time to tell you I c-can't s-wim?"

Kurt stared at him, a renewed terror burning through him. Water started to lap at their ankles, and Kurt shook his head, refusing to give up, shouting as loudly as he could, "Help! Somebody help us!"

To Be Continued…