“We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.” -Taoist Proverb

Kurt didn't go to town to get breakfast, nor did he go to his own cabin to eat from the rations he kept in there.  Once he managed to pick himself off and out of the dirt, he returned to Blaine's cabin and curled up on the bed there, Pudding following him and covering his feet with her warm, soft belly.  He didn't worry about hunting, or that he was supposed to be on patrol in the afternoon.  He could try to distract himself with all those petty activities, but he knew it would be futile.  He had let Blaine leave.  Blind to his own idiocy, there had been so many times he could have told Blaine to stay.  He could have even woken him up during the night once he realized it was what he wanted, but instead he had stayed quiet and now Blaine was gone and he was left behind with a dog and memories that he knew weren't going to be enough to suffice.

Growling stomach ignored, he laid there, watching the shadows grow and then shrink on the floor as the sun shot through the cracks in the wall until he couldn't hold his bladder any longer and forced himself up and out, retreating into the forest behind his own cabin where he had a hole dug to relieve himself into.  Once that was over with, he opted to crawl into his own bed since it was so much closer and didn't smell so much of Blaine.  That smell made it hard to fight off the tears forming in his eyes.

But his bed wasn't free for him to just fall into.  On it was a pile of phones and music players, along with a charger and an envelope.  Blaine had left them for Kurt.  All but one.

He sat on the edge of the bed and let his fingers slide over the screens one by one, avoiding the envelope for the moment.  There was one phone that he didn't recognize and that was the one he took in his hand and pressed the buttons on.  It had one file on it, titled ‘For Kurt'.

He pressed play, sucking in a sharp breath as he immediately recognized that sweet, soothing voice.

“Well… this is more awkward than I thought it was going to be and I'm just going to record this and not play it back because that's what I've done with the last few and I ended up deleting them because I just ended up sounding like a total dork… so here goes…

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly

Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly

Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Oh god… I got it all right on the first go around… I hoped you liked it.  I was thinking… well… actually… this is going to sound so stupid… but I was dreaming and you were in my dreams and a blackbird flew up behind you and landed on your shoulder and I was thinking that if you were a part of the Warblers that a blackbird would be totally fitting for your alias… I'm not talking about the giant fat garbage birds that happen to be black… Not sure if they're crows or ravens… anyhow… I'm talking about the blackbirds that are more native to Europe and Africa… according to Trent… yes I talked to Trent about it…. weird I know… Anyhow, Trent says that Blackbird males sing right in the middle of winter unlike a lot of other songbirds who wait until spring and this whole time.. with you here in the winter… Oh shit… I don't even know what I'm talking about… ignore all that.  I'm babbling like an idiot because I don't know what to say.  I thought maybe if I spoke to a phone instead of you directly that I'd be more coherent and I think I'm actually less coherent.”

There was a sigh in the recording, and Kurt forced up a smile.  The recording was so absolutely Blaine that it just made his heart break just that much more.

“I want you to know… that I enjoyed our time together… oh hell.. that sounds like one of those crappy cards my mom used to send out to relatives that visited… I mean, I did enjoy it… even when you were hard on me.  I'm going to miss you… and… well… I wish winter never had to end.”

Kurt winced.  The recording stopped there but he started it over, and then played it again and again until he had all of Blaine's words, pauses, and breathes committed to memory - and even after that he played it if only to listen to Blaine's song to him.  Why hadn't Blaine sung when he had been there?  Why was Kurt only hearing his voice now?

He set up the charger so it sat outside with the cord running under Kurt's door with the phone plugged in inside.  That way it got the solar power it needed readily and the phone was protected from the elements.  He just needed to ensure he put it away when he wasn't around.  

By the time night came, the phone had died out completely and he forced himself to look at the envelope.  On the outside it was plain, a white envelope tinged with yellow from age with his name scrawled across the front.  He let himself focus on how Blaine added curls to the ends of all the letters he wrote and looped the crosses of the K and the T.  Why hadn't Kurt noticed how beautiful Blaine's writing was before?

Oh right.  Because he was an idiot that didn't notice anything good until it was gone.

Kurt delayed the process further by sliding the folded piece of paper out centimeter by centimeter until the envelope fell away.  It was just one piece of paper, similarly yellowed from age with the same distinctive writing that the envelope had.  He took in a breath, and read:

Dear Kurt,

    This is the fourteenth letter to you I've started.  Don't bother looking for the others as I've thrown them to the fire.  Like the phone I left you with my message on it, it seems I'm no better at expressing myself on paper than I am in person.  Please don't hold it against me if I end up being a rambling idiot in here as well as this is my last piece of paper and my last chance to write something for you.

    When I came here, I didn't know what to expect.  I was scared and fearful for myself and Trent.  But I came because it was your voice that gave me hope over that transmission back in the autumn, and that continued to fill me with hope as Trent healed - even though you tried to push me away like you do with everyone else around you.  

    For a long time now I've followed.  I've followed orders, I've followed trails and roads, I've followed the sun as it sets.  I didn't question any of it because I thought I was living.  I was wrong though.  You woke something up in me, as awfully cheesy as that may sound.  I've never been more alive, more at peace, and more at home than I have been these past months with you.

    You're nothing like the kind of man I thought I would fall so hard for.  You're tough and straightforward and definitely not the romantic man I dreamed about when I was younger - but don't think that's a bad thing.  Your strength makes me want to be stronger, your honesty is rare, and while you may not be romantic, you clearly care about the people around you and don't look for any recognition for all the things you do.  You just… do what needs to be done.  You're an amazing man and to top it all off, you're gorgeous.  You take my breath away every time I see you.

    I wish I knew if you felt the same, but I've always been afraid of asking because I know how strongly you feel about appearing independant.  I didn't want to push you away so I'm doing the coward's thing and writing you as I leave you to let you know that if there were such a thing as a soulmate, that I believe you would have been mine.  I have never been so happy as I have been in these past few months, and I want you to know, that's because of you.  

    I wish you all the best and hope you find whatever it is you need to feel complete and happy, and I'm sorry that it wasn't me.

    I will love you forever,

        Blaine

Kurt stared at it until the words blurred before him and seemed to merge and stretch into fuzzy black lines.  That asshole.  It was the coward's way out.  He should have told Kurt!  He should have….

Not that Kurt was one to talk.

Both of them were idiots.  Both of them would have to live with it now.  It wasn't like he could pick up a phone and call Blaine to tell him to come back.  He didn't have an address he could send a letter to, and he didn't even ask where Blaine was going to now - not that Blaine necessarily knew that himself.  

He had let Blaine go like a fool, and only chance would let them see one another again - and then who knew how long that would take?  Months?  Years?  Decades?  Everything could change in any one of those time periods.  

Kurt read the letter once more and then knelt beside his bed, counting the pelts up from the bottom.  One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.  At ten he slipped his hand between the hides and felt around for a moment before pulling out a dull, once blue, folder.

He didn't look at it often.  In fact, he couldn't recall the last time he had.  As he flipped the folder open he caught his breath.  It was only a couple of pictures.  One of his mom and dad, so young in their wedding attire, smiling at the camera in unison.  They had been so happy, so full of hope.  His dad wore a black tux with a little red flower pinned on his breast to match the red vest and tie he wore under his jacket and his mother had a gorgeous white gown with red embroidery woven throughout.  Her hair delicately piled atop her head and fastened down with a tiara that reflected the light of the camera flash.  

The second photo was the three of them, right before his mother had so suddenly succumbed.  It was out in the yard of their old house.  Kurt has set up a lemonade and virgin pina colada stand in the front yard and the three of them were posing with it.  He didn't know who had taken the picture, and again, all faces were happy.  

They were the only two photos he had on him when they made their run up north, the family picture had been in his wallet and the wedding picture had been in his dad's wallet.  Now he kept them both, as safe as he could.  He didn't know why.  Neither picture brought him any consolation and it wasn't like he'd ever have anyone to pass them down to.  Once he has finished looking over them, the letter from Blaine was slipped into the folder as well and all of it was slipped back between the tenth and eleventh pelts in the pile.

He knew it would be awhile before he could bring himself to look at them again after this.

No one came to check on him throughout that day.  No one cared.  He could have been dead and the only person who would have been concerned had left him.

He needed to take care of himself.

So, when the sun rose the next day, Kurt forced himself to get up, wash himself, get dressed, and go out into the woods to hunt.  He was sluggish, his reaction time slow, and the only reason he had anything to bring into the town at all when he was done was because he had caught several rabbits in his traps.

No one spoke to him when he dropped the rabbits off at the kitchen.  No one even looked his way.

He was alone again.

Kurt had forgotten how empty it felt to not be noticed.  He wasn't living with all these other people, he was just… mutually existing.  They did their thing and he did his.  How long would it take to get used to that feeling again?  Could he?

“Hey Kurt.”

His head snapped to the side as he walked down the street and saw Trent there, leaning on his cane on the side of the road by the library.  Someone noticed him…

“Hey Trent.”

“Got a moment?”

Kurt nodded and followed after Trent who stepped with his limp inside.  The library had definitely transformed from the bleak, dark, and dusty room with piles of unsorted books it had been months ago.  Now it was well shelved and signs had been put up to help patrons find and sort the books.  Kitty had potted some plants in the windows and entrance to brighten things up, and there was even a kids reading area with smaller chairs and tables.  Trent had done a remarkable job.

“Blaine left yesterday…”

“Yes.” Kurt said, trying to hold back any evidence of emotion.

“How are you doing?”

Kurt looked away and down to the floor, “I'm fine.”

“Liar.”

Kurt couldn't possibly respond to that.  It was true, but acknowledging it meant acknowledging so much else he was trying to keep buried inside him at the moment and he didn't want it to come up.  Not in front of Trent.  Not in town.

Trent didn't wait for a response though.  He just kept talking.

“Look.  I don't know you well enough really to know how much you cared about Blaine, but any idiot could see that you did care to some extent.  You would peek through books under the pretense of making shelves while he was reading stories to the kids, when you'd walk through town your eyes were always searching for him - and I know that because they'd stop searching when they landed on him.  I'd even see the occasional smile on your face when you thought no one was looking and you were listening to him talk.”

“So what?”  Kurt huffed, sitting himself down on an overturned crate that was being used as a seat in the library.  “You're going to tell me to chase him down, tell him my feelings, and hope he reciprocates them?  Kind of pointless now.”

“You're right.”  Trent replied, looking back to Kurt with what could only be pity on his face, “You two idiots should have said more to each other awhile ago but you're too uptight and he's too cowardly and now you're both alone.”

“Why're you telling me this Trent?”

“Because he told me to look out after you, even though you've been doing it on your own well before we came to town.  More than that though… Kitty is pregnant.”

Kurt rolled his eyes.  Every woman was pregnant right around now - the Valentine's dance had only been weeks ago after all.  All that fornicating had to lead to something.  “And?”

“And I convinced Kitty that you should be the baby's godfather.”

Kurt snickered a little, “I hate to break it to you Trent, as honoured as I am that you came to me, delivered this wonderful little lecture about how Blaine and I are fools, and then told me you want me to take care of your kid in case something happens to the both of you - this isn't exactly a Catholic settlement.”

“Doesn't matter… I grew up Catholic and I want there to be someone willing and ready in case something happens to the both of us, someone we've acknowledged as being the back-up caretaker of the baby to the whole town.”

Kurt, despite his better judgement, nodded once, “Fine.  You're not just asking me though because you've heard I've got a magic touch with babies though right?”

Trent laughed softly, “No… that's just an added bonus.”

“You must have missed this part… but why me then?”

Trent leaned back against the wall, his leg could only take standing for so long even now, “Well… if Blaine had stayed, it would have easily been him… but I've seen you with Beth…. what you lack in interacting with adults, you make up for interacting with kids.  You're good with them… and you care, just like you cared for Blaine.  Even if you're trying to hide it, it's always there.  You make sure the people around here are fed and protected, even when they don't seem to care that you do it… and you get up even when the days seem pointless….  Like today.”

Kurt nodded, “Like today.”

“You're welcome over at our home anytime you like by the way Kurt… I owe you a lot and it appears I'm short a good friend now.”

Kurt chuckled, “I'm sure Kitty would just love that.”

“Kitty actually likes you.  Says you're one of the few people that can meet her level of sass and she has to respect that.”  

“Really hey?”

“Wouldn't lie when it comes to my Kitty.”

“Well I guess I could do that now and then… especially when baby is born.  Thought of any names yet?”

Trent let out a small chuckle that told Kurt that yes, they had spoken and they probably weren't on the same page when it came to names.

“I'm old school Kurt.  I like plain, strong names.  James and Sarah and Marcus and Mary….”

“And she likes?”

“Weird names!”  Trent's free hand suddenly became animated as he expounded, gesturing all over, “Frances, Stella, Maddox, and Lucille….”

Kurt couldn't hold back the laugh that erupted, though he tried with one hand to cover his mouth to hold it back until he could speak again.  “Those are perfectly legitimate names Trent… they're not weird.”

“But they're not traditional!”

“To whom Trent?”  Kurt looked up to meet Trent's gaze, “We're making new traditions these days.  Last year the names of the babies born ranged from John to Jijuglo and no one batted an eye.”

Trent grimaced at the second name Kurt said, and inwardly Kurt couldn't blame him.  Everyone but the parents of that poor child just called her Ji-ji.

“What would you suggest then?”

Kurt furrowed his brow.  He'd never been asked for advice on names, let alone a baby's name.  “I don't know… I guess I'd probably name a kid after either one of my parents… Burt and Elizabeth.”

“Elizabeth is nice… but Burt… eh….”

Kurt snickered, “Yeah.”

“And they named you Kurt?  Honestly?  Burt and Kurt?”

“Terrible right?  Anyhow… yeah…. I would pick a name that has personal meaning to me I guess…”

“Good advice… think she'll take it?”

“Not if she has her heart set on Stella.”

“Ugh.”

Kurt and Trent talked for awhile longer, about the weather, the library, about the baby, and everything except Blaine.  They had already spoken too much about Blaine for Kurt's heart to take.  Little by little he'd have to deal with Blaine's departure until he could handle thinking about him more than a few moments at a time.  Eventually they went their separate ways and Kurt went to collect his dinner, ignoring when Sam tried to wave him over to the table he was at in favour of taking his meal home where Pudding was waiting with a wag of her tail.

“Hey girl.” He said softly, tossing her a piece of stew soaked bread which she rapidly snapped up without chewing.  At least he had someone to come home to at least - though Kurt figured that Pudding's loyalty was more dependant on his willingness to share his his food rather than true love.

The phone had charged throughout the day and once Kurt had finished eating his meal, he laid back in bed with the phone sitting on his chest, looping Blaine's song and message over and over again.  Kurt wanted to go to sleep listening to that silken voice, even if it meant he would fall asleep with a heavy heart.

But he didn't fall asleep because after the fifth repeat of Blaine's message, Pudding lifted her head up and looked at the door with perked ears.  Kurt's eyes flitted over to her, to see if she had caught scent of something or someone, but what Pudding had picked up became apparent to Kurt quickly.

Yelling.  Screaming.  Something that sounded like the sky was being torn apart.  Quads… lots of quads.

Kurt bolted out of his bed and jumped into his boots, grabbing his bow and arrow pack in one fluid motion and running out the door with Pudding on his heels.  The screaming and the motors of the ATV engines got louder as he ran towards the town… which was lit up in flames.

He ran in as children, the old, the sick all ran out, around him.  Some were crying, some where trying to calm those with them, while others looked back in shock as they ran, eyes all wide and distressed.  Pudding ran away from Kurt there, helping to herd the humans to safety.

Kurt didn't stop to ask anyone what was wrong.  They were afraid - that much was clear.  He'd figure things out once he got to the source of the engine noise.

Though that noise made his heart leap and plummet at the same time.  Quads… if it was the Warblers, it meant they had come back, which meant they knew where the town was, which meant…

No.  He couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way of what he was running into.  He needed to be ready for anything.

The fire was spreading out from the opposite end of town along the edges of the buildings and jumping from rooftop to rooftop.  He could see quads racing up and down the main street, kicking up dirt in their paths.  Another pair of quads was encircling one part of the road and making a storm of dust between them where Kurt could vaguely see the silhouette of someone trapped inside their paths.

Across the road, Noah was engaged in a fight with one of the Warblers… a member Kurt remembered seeing in the fall but never heard speak during their brief encounter.  A quad lay on its side nearby, suggesting that the Warbler had fallen or been pulled off by Noah and now they were throwing punches back and forth, neither one of them seeming to have the upper hand.

Kurt heard the whiz of a arrow fly nearby and looked up to find Quinn, on one of the balconies of the old brothel, trying to hit the tires of the quads in motion.  Below where she was, Santana was directing elderly community members out of the building and between the alleyway to escape, Azimio watching her back.  

“What the hell are you doing?!” Kurt's head snapped the other way, spotting Trent standing at the edge of the street and yelling at his former comrades.

“Laying a claim!”

One of the quads stopped short in front of Trent, forcing him to take a step back or be hit.  Kurt recognized the man on that machine painted with a red cardinal… Sebastian.

“You can't!  This is insanity!  People and families live here!” Trent spit back, looking at his former friend in shock.

“And now we do.  You get the choice though.  Are you still a Warbler?” Sebastian said, offering Trent a hand which the other man pulled away from.

“I have a wife now… a baby on the way… and you're threatening the only safe place for our family to be together because you think you deserve it more?  Fuck you Sebastian!”

The man on the quad's eyes shrunk from forgiving to vengeful, and he kicked out a leg, hitting Trent's cane out from under him and making him stumble without the support he needed to stay upright.  “They you can run or you can die.”

“You're mad…”

Kurt had had enough by this point and launched the arrow he had readied.  It sailed smoothly into one of the front tires and by the time Sebastian had looked up to realize what had happened, Kurt had sent a second arrow into the other tire on that side.

“Hey Robin Hood.  Someone should have told you that it's the 21st century now and we use guns.”  Sebastian pulled a pistol out of his belt and aimed.

But Kurt wasn't worried, because at that moment Karofsky ran out from the side of the building where Kurt had seen him creeping forward earlier and launched himself at Sebastian, taking him completely by surprise as the much bigger man forced him off the quad under his weight and made him lose hold of the gun which fell to the ground by Trent who hastily reached down to grab it.

With Sebastian down, Kurt turned to help Quinn stop the other troublemakers and between the both of them, they downed the quads one by one while the guards fought them and brought them each down.  The Warblers had been prepared to put up a fight, but they obviously hadn't been prepared to deal with a small army that had been vigilant for years, all trained to use different weapons.  

And they definitely weren't prepared to meet that army that would go to any lengths to protect what they had put so much time and effort into creating - their community.

By the time the dust had literally settled, the Warblers were all tied up and guarded.  There were ten of them, which mean that some were still unaccounted for - including Blaine.  Workers were running mad trying to put out the fires with blankets and buckets of whatever water they could find while the core group of guards tried to figure out what to do with their prisoners.

“They need to be locked up.”
“Where? For how long?”
“We should just kill them.”
“How?”
“That's not right.”
“They would have killed us!”
“They may of well have… look at my house!  It's gone!”
“We could punish them…”
“And then what?  We can't keep them locked up forever.”
“That's why we should just kill them.”
“Are you going to be the one to do it because I couldn't bring myself to it.”
“What about making them slave labour and fix up the mess they made?”
“That might work…”
“Until they spot a chance to get free and finish what they started…”
“And how would we even enforce it?”

Kurt only half listened in, his eyes darting around, trying to see if he could see Blaine somewhere…. maybe he was hiding… maybe he was preparing an attack with the rest of the group…

That's when he caught Sebastian staring at him.

“Wondering where our little Canary is?”

Kurt's eyebrows flattened as his eyes narrowed.  Before he could even speak though, Trent spoke up from where he had been standing off to the side. "Yeah. Where is Blaine and Nick and Jeff and Wes and -"

"Theyre a little bit tied up at the moment."

The double entendre was definitely purposeful, making Trent and Kurt look to one another with raised brows before looking back to Sebastian while some of the other guards began listening in, interest peaked.

"Where?" Kurt asked plainly.

"Let me go and Ill show you."

"Not fucking likely." Noah snapped. "You cant just roll in here, start shit, burn down our homes and expect us to comply with your demands in exchange for some of your accomplises."

"Oh no." Sebastian looked to Noah.  "You wont.  They..." He looked back to Trent and Kurt, ".. However...will."

The guy thought he knew him, Kurt thought to himself.  Yes, hed do most anything to ensure Blaine was safe, but he wouldnt do anything that put everyone else at risk, even if it meant he has to scour the countryside for weeks to find out where Sebastian had Blaine.

Trent hesitated, everyone looking to him, but he was confident too.  "No.  I love those guys but I have a family I need to look out for now and if theres anything Ive learned about you over the years Sebastian, its that I cant trust you."

Sebastians lips curled up at that, clearly not expecting be rejected so quickly and overestimating the collateral he had invested in the missing Warblers.  

"Put them in the old sheriffs office until we figure out what to do with them." Kurt ordered, and several of the guards complied, pushing and prodding the bound Warblers to where they at least had a couple jail cells which, up until that point, had only ever been used for storage.  Theyd have to figure out how to lock them up without a key, but at least they could be more easily guarded in a confined space.

Sebastian glared at him when he was pushed past.

Once they were out of sight and earshot, Trent look to Kurt, "I honestly didnt know aching about this I swear!"

The thought hadnt even crossed Kurts mind but it must have for several others because Santana was up in Trents face right away, "How the hell can we prove that?!"

"He gave up knowing about the rest of his friends in order to protect Kitty Santana.  I think its pretty clear his loyalty is with us now." Kurt interrupted, shooting a glare at her.

"Oh, and we should trust you on that?  Its not like you werent heavily involved with Blaine while he was here."

Kurt and Santana continued to exchange death stares until Quinn imposed her own opinion.  

"Kurt has never done wrong by us Santana. Its been the other way in fact...  He wouldnt sell us out to find his boyfriend."

A flush rose in Kurts cheeks.  How did Quinn know?  A quick glance around to check for reactions in the small gathering only to find a complete lack of surprise in their faces.  They knew he and Blaine had been together even though he had tried to hide it.  Was he that transparent?  Did someone share their secret?

Or was it really as obvious as Trent had said it was earlier?

"Do you think theyre actually bound up somewhere or did that guy say that to throw us off?  They could be ready to plan a second attack...." Noah asked, effectively shutting down the topic of Kurt and Trent being traitorous.

Trent shook his head, "Theres always been a division in the Warblers.... Sebastian... Hunter... All those guys that we caught... Theyve always thought we should be more aggressive... But the rest of us didnt want to upset anyone elses living situation which  is why we never joined any other communities on our travels.  Adding two guys to your huge community caused enough of a stir.  The smaller communities weve been to would have outright refused twenty guys joining them - except for renegade groups, which most of us have always been against.  Thats just suicidal."

"Well how did they know our location then?" Santana snapped.

"I think I can answer that." Karofskys voice interrupted as he walked towards them, returning from the sheriffs office and holding out some kind of device in his hands and then offering it to Kurt.

Everyone watched as Kurt turned it over in his hands and pressed what looked like a button, making the screen light up and a digital map enter his sight.  "What the...."

Trent peered over and shook his head, "A renegade group gave that to us about a year ago.  Said if we could get it working it would show us current maps because the satellites up there apparently still work and that thing was linked to it somehow."

"Well it looks like they got it to work..." Kurt mused as he drew a finger over the screen, watching as the map zoomed in and displayed, much too clearly, their town, including a red hue overtop of it which Kurt could only assume indicated activity somehow.  He knew how to fix cars, not deal with technology of this level.

"It shows us?!" Noah wakes over and looked.  "Damn..."

"They must have used it to find our location once they got close enough..." Trent offered.

"Why would a renegade group gift your something like that?" Quinn asked, also asked as she maneuvered over to take a look as well.

"I dont know.  I wasnt in on that discussion." Trent shrugged.

"Maybe we could find Blaine and the others with this...." Kurt said softly, dragging his finger around to see if he could figure out how to use it.  God he hoped he could.

"We need to get things in order and calmed down here first." Santana asserted.  "Then well look for them."

Her statement and eyes were directed to Kurt, who just nodded in compliance.  As much as he just wanted to grab a horse and rush out to find Blaine, make sure he was okay, he also needed to make sure things were taken care of in town and needed some time to figure out the device in his hands before he tried to use it to find Blaine.

As if he were reading his mind, Trent hobbled up beside Kurt and held out a hand, “I can work on figuring that out while you help out around here since I'm not as able to move around as fluidly as you…”

Kurt nodded and handed it over, ignoring the questioning look Santana was giving him.  Despite what she thought, Kurt did trust Trent.  He had to trust someone around here after all.  If Trent was going to trust Kurt with his unborn child as a godfather, than Kurt didn't see any reason not to reciprocate that trust.

The next several hours was chaos.  The fires were put out and the damage was assessed.  People were moved around in the surviving, safe homes.  Some apartments had beds lined up in rows because they needed to get as many people in as they could.  Mercedes drafted up a new work plan where half the workers would be dedicated to building new homes.  It was generally agreed upon that everyone would be putting in a lot more hours and time to make it all work.  

Among the guards, a new schedule was also drafted up by Santana where there would be three people on shifts at all times to watch the Warblers, who were also packed into the little cells tight.  Guards would have to double shift - one shift for helping the work and one for protecting the town until they knew what was going on with the other Warblers.  

Then there was the water issue.

Once the fires were out, it was solemnly announced that most of the water they had stockpiled from the winter snow had been used up.  Rations would have to be reduced and there would be an effort to take the big barrels out to old drainage ditches to try and increase their stock.  

A lot of crying happened too.  To an extent, Kurt got it.  People had worked hard to make this new home after losing their last one, and now a new invasion had reduced many of their homes to ash.  Children were devastated.  This was their first real encounter with another big group and it left them with fear.  How could they ever feel safe again?

Kurt spent most of his time running around where people needed support.  He helped knock down some burnt pillars, brought the elderly and infirmed their meals, swept dust out of homes that hadn't been on fire but had gotten covered in the ashes of other homes, and made beds for children who needed to sleep but their parents were still busily working.  By the time he got back to Trent, it was the middle of the night and he was covered in soot, sweat, and exhausted.  

“I think I've got it Kurt….”  Trent didn't need to be woken up.  He had stayed in the library where several beds had been set up and children were sleeping under his supervision.  “... let me show you.”

It was relatively easy to use once Trent showed Kurt a few times.  The range was limited though so they could only check so far away.

“Best bet is if we go towards the meeting place because I'll wager anything they're somewhere between here and there.” Trent noted.

Kurt nodded.  It made sense.  Admittedly he was worried.  He didn't know if they had food or water wherever they were.  If they were bound up such that they could be in danger if wild animals passed by, or if Sebastian and his goons had hurt them and they needed medical attention.  Mike had been attending to the main transmitter while checking people for smoke inhalation, just in case they were able to send out a message, but so far no luck.

“You should take a nap… get some rest… I don't imagine many other people will join you and I on this quest, and I'm kind of feeble so it would be good if you were at your best.” Trent stated after the pair of them decided to go out in the morning light.

Kurt sighed and nodded, “Yeah… just… “

“It'll be hard to sleep when you're worried about him… I get it.”

Kurt looked down between his feet.  That was exactly it.  

“Well.. try… and wash up.  You shouldn't go to him looking like hell.”

Kurt chuckled and gave Trent a quick nod as he exited, making his way out of town through the throngs of people still busily working and feeling guilty about leaving them behind while he had a nap.

Everyone else had cleanup well underway though, and he needed to find Blaine.  He had gotten his second chance and he wasn't going to screw it up, even though it had come at a high price.