“When you were born, you cried

and the world rejoiced.

Live your life

so that when you die,

the world cries and you rejoice.”

Cherokee Proverb

Everything was pitch black aside from the odd flashes of purple off in the distance where Others were making portals to the world above. The ground shook under them while the ocean trembled over them, and Blaine could barely breathe with the way Kurt had him clutched against his chest and how Elizabeth had them both wrapped in her arms so fiercely. Yet, despite the impending sense of the end, Blaine didn't feel his heart race, nor did he feel the need to cry out and implore whatever god or gods there might be to save them. Instead, he felt calm. He knew he shouldn't, and he certainly was aware that he should have been panicking, but all the same he felt alright with the knowledge that they were about to die, because, at the very least, he was going to be with Kurt when it happened.

His companions were not as accepting.

Elizabeth was crying, every few seconds stopping her ugly sobs as she apologized to Kurt for bringing him there, lamenting the grandchild she wouldn't see, and asking the rain filled sky for forgiveness for everything she had done wrong.

Kurt was trying to fix things - as he always did; openly wondering if there was a way to plug the leaks above them that were showering them with ocean water and ignoring Elizabeth's words in his effort to solve the problem over them.

Each second that passed led to an increase in the intensity of the underwater rain, such that they were now all sitting in a good foot of water where they had stumbled and fell together when the darkness had come over the realm. Oddly enough, the water was as warm as it was salty, and as far as deaths went, Blaine thought, it wasn't going to be a bad way to go - cocooned in darkness and water, much like a return to the womb. A place he couldn't remember, yet everyone always seemed to revere as a place of ultimate security.

“Strength… family… care…” Kurt murmured above him, and Blaine looked through the darkness for those grey-blue eyes, wanting to see them one last time before they were taken by the waves.  He couldnt see them though, no matter how hard his eyes tried to adjust to the lack of light, but at least Blaine knew where he ought to be looking by following Kurt's voice. His husband, so focused on trying to solve the problem of fixing the wall, and likely because of his panic, had a deathgrip on Blaine, one that would leave bruises on his corpse. After a short time though, the fear must have gotten to Kurt, because instead of verbalizing ideas of getting people to climb up and plug the leaks, he began to utter nonsense that seemed to give Kurt some kind of focus, and while Blaine just wanted one last kiss before their demise, Kurt seemed intent on making his last words as plentiful and as scattered as possible - with nothing to do with Blaine or their circumstances.

“I loved your dad so much Kurt…”
“Power… focus… loyalty…”
“He was such a good man and you take after him so much…”
“Protection… safety… security…”
“He was the only human I ever found love with.”
“Kin… preserve… devotion…”
“I wish I would have found you sooner…”
“Shelter… bastion... “
“You deserved so much better…”
“Aegis…”

The shuddering all around them ceased abruptly, and Blaine, whose body had so quickly gotten used to the vibrations, felt nauseous at the feel of solidity, pinching his eyes and lips closed to try and stem off any bile that tried to rise to his mouth. He was still bound against Kurt, but only now with one of Kurt's arms, the other having left him during the cessation of the quaking. Blaine heard Elizabeth gasp above him, and, tentatively opening one eye, saw that light had returned to the world they were in.

It wasn't perfect though. The ocean above them could be seen fighting to get in as an odd, orange glow hovered overhead, the dark blue swirls pressing patterns over the glass-like barrier. There were still drops of water squeezing their way through the cracks and down upon them too, wherever the leaks were too large to contain. The screaming that had been the background music to this disaster had broken and there was cheering and shouts of joy. Something had stopped, or at least delayed, the danger above them.

“Kurt… you're…”

Blaine followed Elizabeth's voice, looking to his husband who had his freed hand held open and upwards, a soft green and white glow emanating from his fingertips and reaching up, up, up to the barrier over them. Blaine realized, without shock, that it was Kurt who had stopped the collapse, and Kurt who was keeping it from crushing them all.  

“Get… everyone… out…” Kurt uttered, his voice strained as he looked upwards with deadly focused eyes that Blaine could now see the unearthly color of. He could also see the tension in Kurt's muscles, the tears in his reddened eyes, and could hear the heavy, panting breaths he made as he focused his attention on the barrier. What he was doing clearly wasn't easy for him, and was taking everything he had.

The direction was for Elizabeth, who stood up and rushed to the capital, slopping her legs through the high water, to work on evacuating its people, because Kurt had not released his grip on Blaine one iota. If anything, it was stronger than ever, and Blaine stared, silent in amazement, at the wonder that was his husband. Somehow Kurt had figured out how to save them - something he had a knack for doing, and Blaine wasnt surprised in the least that Kurt had found a way to do it again.

“Kurt... “

“Just stay with me,” Kurt's voice cracked out, threatening to break as the bubble above them was. “I need you.”

“Of course.”  

Blaine gently stroked his fingers over Kurt's arms, so taunt from straining, and gently whispered the best cheerleading phrases he could muster.  

“You can do this.”
“You're strong.”
“I believe in you.”

It was cheesy, but it was the only thing Blaine could think of to help. His worry was directed entirely upon Kurt, knowing his husband would do something stupid like sacrifice himself to save others, and Blaine had already had enough of that. He wasnt able to exist without Kurt anymore. As far as Blaine was concerned, it wasn't even an option.

Others rushed around them, directing an evacuation effort to all corners of the realm. Portal coins were taken and shared, and several constant portals were opened for those that didn't have a contact on the other side to have a private portal. One by one, Others left, until the only ones left were Kurt, Blaine, and a small contingent of Others around them including Elizabeth. By the point that happened, Kurts eyes were dry and the tears had left cheetah streaks down alongside his nose, his skin was red from strain, and his teeth had ground down upon each other. Blaine wasnt sure if it had been five minutes or five hours, but he knew that Kurt was suffering with each second.

“We have to get out,” Blaine finally whispered to Kurt, when it was clear by the way Elizabeth looked at him pleadingly that they needed to make their way out the portal that had been set up near them.

“Everyone else… I'll hold it until then…” Kurt choked out, so strained and forced that Blaine worried if he'd be able to keep his voice afterwards.

“No. Together,” Blaine insisted, pushing his legs up to a standing position and forcing Kurt to stand up along with him, his legs wobbly and weakened such that they were more jelly than bone. One of the furry Berserkers that had stayed behind went to Kurt's left side while Blaine supported the right, helping him stay on his feet as they moved towards the portal, sloshing through the water that was up to their knees. Through it all, Kurt kept his hand up towards the ocean, willing it back and away from everyone despite the obvious strain it was taking on him.

As a group they backed into the portal, letting Kurt's extended arm be the last thing brought through.  Blaine had never consciously been in one of the things before, and despite the need to take care of Kurt, who hunched over, unconscious, the moment they were out of the underwater realm, and the realization that he had escaped death once again, Blaine let himself watch in awe as they walked through a starry field, like something he had seen out of a science fiction show when he was little, to a light on the other end, the less-than-proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, and emerged in a field where hundreds of Others were gathered.  

They were back on the surface, with a real sun shining down on them and a real wind blowing warmth over their bodies. Grass, real green grass that crunched when their feet stepped on it, extended out in front of them, and there were trees in the distance, imperfectly formed. The trees below all looked too perfect to be real, such that Blaine had once questioned Kurt on if they were plastic replicas.  

The portal was snapped shut behind them and Blaine dropped to his knees so he could cradle Kurt in his arms and looked over at Elizabeth who rushed to join them, kneeling down. She laid her hands on her son, so delicately, and murmured softly until the paleness in Kurt's face faded away and his breathing steadied.

“He should be alright…”  

Despite her powers of healing, and her years of experience, Elizabeth still sounded like any worried mother might, and kept watch over her son, whom Blaine refused to move away from his lap, while the Others tried to organize themselves in chaotic herds around them. As some point a blanket was given to them, which Elizabeth wrapped around Kurt, in particular his legs which had their pants glued to them from the water.

“Your father is dead, isn't he?” Blaine finally asked, looking apologetically at Elizabeth who cast her eyes away and nodded once.

“It was all a trap… and in killing him, they destroyed our home.”

The first thought that came to Blaine's mind was that it seemed only fair given how many homes the Others had taken from humans, but he didn't say it. He still liked Elizabeth, regardless of her heritage, and she was Kurt's mother. It wasn't a relationship he wanted to strain, especially now that they were alive and he would likely have to live with her for a long time now. Moreover, Blaine didnt think getting caught up in a cycle of hurting one another was healthy. At some point there needed to be peace and stability for both sides.

“What now?”

Elizabeth glanced up, regarding Blaine quietly a moment with eyes that twinned Kurt's own, rimmed in water. “We don't know.”

Again his mind spat things out that weren't worth saying. He thought of how fitting it was that the Others were now homeless, as humans had once been, and how now they, too, would have to fight to survive. Though, as far as that went, Blaine was pretty sure they wouldn't have to fight as hard given their abilities and magic.

Blaine gently rocked Kurt in his arms as he slept, and in his slumber Kurt snuggled in against Blaine's stomach. Voices around them gave Blaine bits and pieces of information, but only those spoken in English.  

“We could set up a camp…”
“If we settle all in one place, it would make it easier for them to annihilate us.”
“Where are we to go?”
“What stopped the flood?”
“It was the Quarterling.”
“How?”
“Surely he's not as strong as his grandfather.”
“They killed Finavar. We should be retaliating.”
“We can't even figure out where we're going to live now.”
“Maybe the Quarterling can build us a new home.”
“Even if he could, he's mortal. It would be broken within an age upon his death.”
“A temporary safe place is better than none at all.”
“If he could have built one, don't you think he would have just reinforced the old one?”

Off and on Blaine listened, and ignored the stares given to Kurt by Others passing by in search of friends and family. No one was sure what to do, and everyone seemed to be impatient as far as Kurt waking was concerned. The pace of Blaines heart hadnt faltered yet, still not rising to beat too fast or dragging slowly along. If anything, it seemed to time itself along with Kurts pulse, which he could feel through Kurts hand that he held in his own.

Elizabeth had to leave after a while, to tend to those who injured themselves in their frantic escapes. There were only mild cuts, bruises, and the occasional break - but those were considered treatment-worthy nonetheless, since healers could fix them with just a thought.

A perimeter was established, with Halflings and Berserkers at the front lines, there to guard against humans that might try to attack. Blaine overheard that they were somewhere in old California territory from an Other familiar with the land, and even though he had been to the state before to visit his brother years ago, it didn't look like any area he was familiar with. Granted, he had only ever been in the busy metropolises that rimmed the coastline, never in an open area like they were now. To that point, Blaine didn't even realize there was anything but cities in California.

It was funny. If they were in California, this would have been Blaine's chance to see if he could venture out to Los Angeles and see if Cooper's home had survived the Tides, and maybe even Cooper himself, yet the thought was only fleeting in his mind. So much time had passed, and as much as he still loved his brother, the only person that mattered to him was in his arms, murmuring in his sleep and clutching the bottom of Blaine's shirt as he dreamed.  

Kurt didn't wake until the moon was at its apex in the sky and the stars lit up the heavens. Most of the Others had made camp themselves, waiting for their leaders to emerge and tell them what to do next. Elizabeth and her companion Claudius had dozed off on the ground beside the boys, and yet Blaine wasn't tired at all. It was good to be back on land, to smell real air and see the night sky again. His arms were numb and tingly from the pressure of Kurt's body on them, but he dared not move them and risk waking Kurt earlier than necessary.  

“Mm… we okay?”

Blaine dropped his chin down and smiled at Kurt, who was rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a balled up fist. “Yeah. You saved us. Again, for that matter. Regular superhero you are.”

Kurt shook his head as he sat up, stretching his arms up and out with a yawn which allowed Blaine to stretch his own, his fingers burning as the blood returned to them. “No. I saved you.”

“You saved everyone, Kurt.”

As was his husband's way, Kurt shrugged off the comment as if it wasn't a big deal. As if it was something expected and therefore not to be celebrated. Blaine may as well have been been telling Kurt that he had wiped his own bum for the response he was getting.

“Sweetheart?” Elizabeth had woken on hearing Kurt's voice and swiftly sat up and crawled over to hug him. “Oh sweetheart.”

“Uck. I'm okay, mom,” Kurt grumbled, though appeased her with a brief hug back, clearly no more interested in public displays of affection from his mother than he was when Blaine tried it. “Hey… can you do something for me?”

Elizabeth nodded quickly on pulling back from Kurt. “Of course, sweetheart. Anything.”

Kurt didn't explain what he wanted, just turned back to Blaine and took his hands in his own. “I'm not sure if you'll feel anything Blaine… just… know it won't hurt.”

Blaine's brows went up just as Kurt murmured something under his breath, a glow passing between him and Kurt over their joined hands. Something in him felt cooler, though he couldn't quite explain what, or why, and his heart started thumping faster in his chest. He had lost something, or rather, Kurt had used his magic to take something from him.

“Heal him now, mother.”

Then Elizabeth's hand was on his chest, palm and fingers spread flat across his shirt, and a sharp stab of heat hit him from between his lungs, spreading out through his body and out to his fingers and toes. It made him quaver, yet he did not try to pull away or fight back. Instead, he took in a gasped breath as he felt the soreness in his knee ebb out of him, the constant tug of tightened scars in his back smooth out, and a general feeling of well being flow through him.

Kurt had figured out how to take whatever spell he had put on Blaine off, and as Elizabeth pulled away, and took the heat of her healing with her, Kurt snuck around Blaine and lifted up the back of his shirt without permission, releasing a happy cry. “It's gone!”

A forced smile crept its way onto Blaine's face and he turned to look back at Kurt, who let his shirt fall back down, knowing quite well that Kurt was talking about the accursed scars on his back that he had never been able to look at. “You figured out how to use it…”

“Yeah…”  

Kurt returned to Blaine's front side and took his hands in his own again, and within moments Blaine felt the piece Kurt had pulled away from him be put back into place - snapped in like it was always meant to be there, and ensuring that he would be protected from the magic of Others.

“How did you figure it out?”

Kurt shrugged his shoulders up a little, though he kept his hands on Blaine's even though he was done with whatever spell or incantation or whatnot he had set out to do. “I just… I just remembered what I did when I protected you before… it's always been about protecting you… the magic kind of works out of that… I wish I could explain it better. You might as well ask me how I figured out how to eat or drink… I just did it out of a need to.”

No more words were shared after that. Blaine didn't want to press it and Kurt seemed disinclined to speak about it. Together they curled up, Kurt wound up in Blaine's arms and Blaine in Kurt's, face-to-face, laying on the ground as they had done before on so many runs in order to rest for the night. Kurt was still tired and recuperating from the energy he had used up to utilize his magic, and Blaine, finally feeling like he didn't have to worry about protecting Kurt as he slept, was able to rest in turn. It didn't seem to matter how many voices spoke around them, or how many footsteps fell within earshot, both of them were exhausted, grateful to be alive, and with one another - and so they let sleep come over them.

When morning came, it was with the amazing feel of real sunlight blanketing their bodies, warming their skin where they were exposed to it. Kurt was already sitting up when Blaine finally relented to consciousness and joined him.

Only to discover they had an audience in front of them.

“What's going on?” Kurt said, brows lifting as he regarded the group of Others sitting in front of him, looking to him, and patiently waiting for… something.

“They want to know what the next step is,” Elizabeth said from their side before setting a bowl of what looked like oatmeal in front of them, clearly ready for them to be awake.

“Well, I don't damned well know,” Kurt grunted, looking to his mother and then down to the food given to him. “Why don't they ask the council?”

“They ARE the council, sweetheart.”

Blaine watched as Kurt did a doubletake, his eyes open and disbelieving at first, but then narrowing as he seemed to recognize individuals. “What the hell…?”

“You saved the people. You are foretold and -”

Kurt held out a hand to stop the man at the forefront of the group from talking more, and Blaine couldn't help but smirk as his husband shook his head. “No, no, no, I don't want to hear it.  Don't start telling me I'm some chosen one too. I saved my family. That's the end of it.”

The council members looked at one another, and began to babble along in their language, allowing Blaine a moment to sneak some bites of breakfast and peek at Kurt who wasnt touching his own, just looking irritated by the fact that he wasnt able to wake up in peace.

Finally the councils murmurings went down and they looked all at once again to Kurt, and the leader again spoke. "It has been so long since we have all been up top... this has not been our home for generations. As a product of both worlds, and the one who has saved us, we want to know what you think we should do. Take over the humans? Try to rebuild our underwater world?"

"Neither of those," Kurt spat quickly, and both Elizabeth and Blaine were taken aback by the ferocity of Kurts speech and the fact that he didnt immediately disinvolve himself from the decision making. "You coexist."

It clearly wasnt the response they were expecting, and the number of wide eyes and shared glances between the council members were in the dozens by Blaines count.  

"But -"

"No buts," Kurt insisted, breaking in. "You want my opinion - here it is. You figure out how to live with humans. Your history books showed that it was that way before and the only reason that changed was because you got too elitist and went into isolation. Screw that. Youre not killing any more humans, and hiding under the water is clearly a safety issue. Even if I could create a new bubble for you all to live in like my grandfather did, it would only last as long as I live, and Im mortal. Youd have to come out eventually. So stop being such whiny babies and deal with your problems in a mature manner. Make things work with humans. Stop treating Halflings as less important - especially since youre obsessed with making more of them. You want to survive? Do it then, but not at the expense of more lives."

"Whiny babies..?" one of the council members in the back repeated, and Blaine lifted a hand to cover his mouth which tried to let out a giggle.

"But... we attacked them..." the leader member uttered.

"Yes, and they attacked you back. Let it be over."

Solemnly, the group looked down in unison as they considered it individually before chattering once more. Blaine wasnt sure why they kept darting between English and their own language, and felt like it had something to do with his presence, but, since this conversation didnt include him, he didnt know why they would bother.

"What about us?" Blaine asked quietly, looking over to Kurt when it became clear that the conversation between the council members was ongoing.

"I dont know... I guess we find a new place..." Kurt whispered back, eyes warily on the Others before them.  

"Where though?"

"I have an idea..." Elizabeth said just as softly, looking to them both as they turned to look at her. "A place I went once with Kurts father... and a place I passed through after the Tides..."

The mention of Kurts dad made Blaines husband perk up a single eyebrow and purse his lips together thoughtfully, and Blaine made sure they all knew that, "so long as Im with Kurt, Ill be happy."

"... and my grandbaby of course," Elizabeth added on.

"That too," Blaine said, a grin crossing over his face at the thought. They would still be parents. They had survived and so they could still raise their baby.

Their future still looked like a happy ending.

"Shes not far from this location you know... the surrogate. Once we figure this all out, we could travel that way, hopefully in time for the birth, and then make our way to a place of our own."

Blaine nodded, while Kurts eyebrows bunched and furrowed as he kept his thoughts to himself, thoughts that were put on hold as the council redirected their attention his way and spoke again.

"We fear dying off, becoming no more... if the humans kill us, that could easily happen."

Kurt's attention was pulled back to the council. "What do you think humans go through all the time? Look, Im not going to give you a whole sappy speech on using your time on earth wisely or how you live on in the hearts and minds of others. You guys have been around long enough to all wax poetic about it all, but I will tell you that working with the humans is still your best bet to be able to live as long as you can. Start shared communities, work on developing, or rather, redeveloping this world together... you guys have power and humans have the grit and strength... its why Halflings are so valuable to you, right? The best of both worlds... yet you dont acknowledge their voices in council. Change that."

Silence, and Blaine watched as Kurt scanned to faces to see if any of his words had the desired effect, and it took a minute, but finally they began nodding.

"Yes... we will try."

"Good."

The council members waited a moment, watching Kurt as if they expected him to say more or do more, but he was clearly done with them, turning back to Blaine and his mother.  

"Okay... lets plan."

The Others became their more typical, organized selves after that. Guards were still posted, but over the next several days, the guards were more typically Berserkers and less Halflings as Halflings left. Most went to return to the places of their human origins, while others grouped together to settle in places they knew about from their travels. They were the emissaries, the ones that would create safe havens for the purebloods to travel to, and the ones that would work on making peaceful connections with the humans they encountered.

The reports suggested, and it wasn't a surprise, that their attempts to bring peaceful tidings to the human groups they had encountered were less than successful. Kurt had had to explain to the council, who were speaking to him almost daily despite his insistence that he didn't want to be involved, why humans wouldn't suddenly just accept the words of the people that had been responsible for the deaths of millions and millions of their kind. It would take time, work, and generosity on behalf of the Others before humans would come around - and even then it would be suspiciously.  

Time was something Others had though. They would live long enough to see the fruits of their efforts, even if it took a few generations for it to occur. That's where the generosity came into play. Others would have to use their magic for the benefit of humans for the humans to see how working with them was advantageous. To that end, Halflings with different abilities were clustered so that they could present their abilities as gifts for human assistance in the struggle to survive. Healers, those that could help food grow, those that could speak with animals, ones that could create things at alarming speeds - they were sent to all corners.

Elizabeth was the only healer who stayed, as Kurt made it clear that she would be accompanying him to wherever he settled, and the council seemed alright with that as far as Blaine could tell.  While Kurt dealt with council business, Elizabeth showed Blaine on a map she had found their intended destination - a place near the Rocky Mountains, further south than where the community was, and close to both a river and a lake.

“I went by there only a couple years ago during one of my stints above land. It was still untouched,” she explained, trailing her finger over the map back towards their location.

When Blaine showed Kurt later on, Kurt was quiet, eyes clouded over in thought until he finally let his adam's apple bob and looked to Blaine. “If you want… we could go back to the community…”

To that, Blaine let his brows furrow in confusion. “Why Kurt? Why would I do that to you?”

“Because I'm okay with being an outsider… I got used to it… but I know how much our friends mean to you, and the kids…”

Blaine couldn't help but smirk a little, and at Kurt's alarmed reaction he quickly explained. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to stay here, with the Others.”

“Why would I do that to you?”

“Because you're accepted here. They're looking to you for guidance now. No matter what your bloodline… you're one of them.”

“I'm not doing that to you. I might be accepted, but you'll only ever be seen as a novelty among the pure-blooded.”

“So… your mom's idea…?”

Kurt nodded. “Fine.”

Of course, planning to go there was one thing, but before they could move along they had to wait. Kurt was still in demand as something of an expert on humans, and the woman carrying their baby was en route with her Halfling lover. Blaine bustled with nerves over that detail, especially since they were no longer as prepared as they had been below the water. He and Elizabeth tag-teamed getting whatever they could in preparation for the baby - a sling for carrying while they were on the road, bottles, blankets, changes of clothing, some kind of concentrated formula-like stuff Others had which was made from real breast milk, and diapers.

It was clear that each one of them would be carrying a bag dedicated to the baby itself while they were on the road, and Blaine had to wonder how responsible it even was to go out into the world with a baby given that they had no certainty the place Elizabeth had in mind was still livable.  

And… Blaine and Kurt hadn't even settled on a name yet. The list and notes he had made were probably soaked through and fish food, and Blaine was in a panic trying to remember all the names and why he had selected them.

“I don't understand why this doesn't upset you more, given what your mom told us about the importance of names…” Blaine muttered to Kurt one evening as they lay under the stars despite the fact that most of the Others had set up tents for their temporary housing.

“I think you're worrying enough for all of us,” Kurt grunted back, his arm slung over his eyes to block out any light.

“But it could happen any day now and the name is something that'll be theirs forever… what if they hate it?”

“All kids hate their name at some point,” was Kurt's huffed response. Blaine knew he was trying to sleep, and was being purposely dismissive of Blaine's concern as such, but Blaine wasn't backing down.

“... but I don't want them to hate it when they're an adult… I just wish you'd chip in a little.”

“Fine. Olga for a girl and Sergei for a boy.”

That earned Kurt a jab to the side from Blaine, who made sure to put on his best glare when Kurt yelped and then scowled back at him. “Come on.”

“It doesn't matter what we call the kid, so long as it knows it's loved.”

It was an uncharacteristically sappy remark from Kurt, and one that made Blaine's melt a little, as well as his expression. “Oh…”

“Now let me sleep, damn it.”

He gave Kurt his space on the issue, even when the child they were going to have became more real the day a human woman was escorted into the camp atop of a horse and accompanied by a Halfling on another horse. They were brought straight to where Kurt and Blaine had set themselves up and Blaine nearly jumped out of his shoes when he realized the human woman came off the horse to reveal her round belly. This was the mother.

She could have been either Kurt or Blaine's sister. She had curly hair, pulled back into a tight ponytail, but it was brown instead of black. Her eyes were amber like Blaine's, and she was taller than most women, even standing taller than Blaine who cursed his short stature internally. Her partner was her opposite, blonde, lanky, and blue-eyed - always watching her human mate with the same adoring eyes Blaine knew he had on Kurt.

“I carry your kid for nine months and I don't even get to go to what I was told was Utopia,” the human woman snarled by means of greeting, waddling her way towards Kurt as she was pointed in his direction.

Blaine wanted to reach out, touch her belly, and feel the baby, but instead managed to hold himself back and instead watched Kurt, whose eyes went from that bubble to the woman's face and back down again. His eyes widened slightly, and Blaine knew from his expression that then, and only then, the baby had become real for him.  

“I'm… sorry?” Kurt offered awkwardly as he stood up from where he had been crouching by the firepit and offered a hand. “Kurt.”

“Chelsea,” snarked the woman in response, taking the offered hand and giving it a brief shake. “Whatever. Just make this kid come out faster. I'm done with this.”

That seemed to be the cue for Elizabeth to come squealing down from among Others, and doing what Blaine had resisted - namely setting her hands on Chelsea's belly and her ear for that matter despite Chelsea's scowl. “My grandbaby!”

Kurt put his palm up to his face and groaned. “Off, mother. Let her be…”

“But... my grandbaby.”

“Off.”

Blaine couldn't help but chuckle and shared a look with Chelsea's Halfling mate, both smirking and keeping off to the side through the otherwise awkward interaction between Kurt and Chelsea, with Elizabeth having forced her way between them.

Chelsea was escorted by Kurt and Elizabeth to the makeshift clinic and Blaine and the Halfling followed quietly until the woman uttered, “sorry. My girlfriend is fairly aggressive. I hope for both your sakes that's a trait the kid doesn't pick up.”

“I hope the baby does,” Blaine responded, offering the woman a smile. “You have to be a fighter to get by in this world. Besides…” He nodded towards Kurt's back and dropped his voice, “my husband isn't much better with social niceties.”

“Do you know where you'll go once you have the baby?”

Blaine nodded slowly. “Yeah… We think so anyhow. What about you two?”

“Somewhere warm and remote. I had to make her promises when our world was flooded. She doesn't like crowds, or the cold… and she's had to put up with both for many years.”

It sounded familiar, and Blaine had to hold in a smirk at how much this couple seemed to be akin to himself and Kurt. It almost seemed serendipitous that they would be the ones who had taken care of their baby for its first nine months.  

Inside the clinic, Chelsea was laying down, Elizabeth now in healing mode and less ‘aggressive grandmother' mode, accompanied by a couple other Others, including one of those white-eyed things that Kurt referred to as Ilu. Together they were producing various glows that all came together at Chelsea's belly in a rainbow spectrum. Chelsea didn't seem like she was in any pain, which must have been nice considering how agonizing the birthing process was for the human women Blaine had helped through delivering their babies, and Kurt stood off to the side, watching it all with his breath held and his face even more pale than normal.

“Excited?” Blaine whispered, coming up beside his husband.

“Scared as hell,”  Kurt murmured back, never taking his eyes away from the proceedings where Chelsea's partner had crouched beside her and taken her hand.

“I think that's normal.”

Kurt snorted at that, and Blaine felt his hand being taken and squeezed. “Blaine… the only thing normal in this world is that nothing is normal.”

Days ago Blaine was okay with dying, now he got to experience life in its finest moment, so he couldn't help but agree, especially when the voices of everyone around them fell silent at the cry of a baby amidst them. Their baby.