Walking with Angels

It was dark out, Blaine’s headlamps beaming a path through the empty road with trees passing on either side of him. The heavens had opened and Blaine had to drive extra carefully, the raindrops lashing against the window whilst the windscreen wipers went haywire. Blaine couldn’t help but think about what a lovely day it had been before the downpour as he tapped the steering wheel absentmindedly turning to see Kurt nodding off in the seat beside him. Blaine smiled, patting Kurt’s knee affectionately before turning back to the road.

They were just coming back from a day out with Blaine’s family, picnicking in the park under a bright sun. They had a water fight with Cooper and Blaine’s cousins whilst the adults just watched on amused until they got caught in amid a shootout between Cooper and one of the older cousins. After that there was a cool down with ice cream and packets of crisps, a camp fire that blazed on until it got dark which was when Blaine said he had better take Kurt home. All in all the day had been perfect and Blaine knew they were running out of these perfect days since Kurt was scheduled to leave soon.

With a sigh, Blaine began to fiddle with the radio, coming up to a turn on his left. That’s when Kurt seemed to bolt upright, hand smacking against the passenger window. “Blaine, stop the car.” He muttered, eyes wide and frantic.

“Kurt? What...”Blaine began, confusion spreading across his features.

“Stop the car!” Kurt cried.

Blaine swerved, Kurt unbuckling his seat belt and jumping out the car before Blaine had a chance to fully stop it. Blaine watched, perplexed, as Kurt slid down a muddy bank, not caring about his clothes.

“Shit.” Blaine said under his breath, pulling at his seatbelt, getting it undone with difficulty before abandoning his car and running out into the rain after his boyfriend.

“Kurt!” Blaine shouted through the downpour, the rain making visibility difficult. He wrapped his leather jacket around him tighter as he followed in the direction he swore Kurt had gone. “Kurt! Where are you?!” He continued to call.

He finally spotted muddy footprints leading off into the woods, instantly sprinting in that direction. Blaine avoided branches, ducking where it was necessary, being careful not to trip all the while hollering out Kurt’s name.

“O-over here.” Came Kurt’s shaky voice a little further off into the distance.

Blaine sighed with relief, stumbling through a line of bushes and out into a moonlit clearing. He spotted Kurt instantly, his boyfriend standing there, stock still and drenched through.

“Kurt thank god, you shouldn’t run off like that.” Blaine said with relief, making his way over to Kurt. Kurt wasn’t paying him any attention, only looking off into the distance. Blaine frowned, placing a hand on Kurt’s shoulder making the boy jump. “Kurt? What’s wrong?” Kurt refused to speak, wrapping his arms around himself, eyes flicking to something on the ground in front of them. That’s when he saw it. “Oh my god.”

There, lying in amongst the dirt and leaves lay a little girl of about five or six, her head turned to one side and shoulder length hair covering her face. She wore a dirtied pink summer dress, blood staining the fabric, most of it seeping out into the ground. A single iris had been laid across her chest, the purple flower seeming so out of place.

Blaine knelt down beside her, placing a pair of fingers to her pulse point. “I can’t find her pulse!” Blaine cried. Kurt didn’t react, going back to staring off into the trees. “Kurt? Kurt! Don’t just stand there call an ambulance!”

Kurt shook his head, his breath coming out unsteady. “She’s gone Blaine.”

“What? How can you say that! There still might be...” Blaine was cut off as Kurt grabbed his wrist.

“We have to go.” Kurt’s voice sounded urgent, his hands trembling as he tried to pull Blaine up onto his feet.

Blaine looked shocked. “Kurt we can’t just leave her here!”

“We’ll call the police later okay Blaine!” Kurt exclaimed. “But right now we have to go!”

“Why Kurt! There’s a dead little girl, we can’t leave her here!”

Kurt finally turned to face Blaine, tears streaming down his face. “Don’t you think I know that? Please Blaine we have to get out of here, he’s coming.”

Blaine blinked. “Who’s coming?”

Kurt was shaking, holding in the sobs. “I don’t know but whoever he is he’s not friendly.” Kurt turned his head again, seeing something Blaine obviously couldn’t. “He saw your car Blaine, he knows we’re here, he’s coming, we have to go or we’ll be dead before morning.”

“Kurt you’re scaring me.” Blaine felt his voice waver. “Please, tell me what’s going on, how do you know all this?”

Kurt audibly swallowed, seemingly battling with whatever thoughts were going on inside his head. “Becca told me.”

“Becca?”

“Becca,” Kurt nodded towards the body, tears still tracking their way down his pale cheeks. “The little girl.”

9 Years Later

Step one you say we need to talk. He walks you say sit down it's just a talk. He smiles politely back at you. You stare politely right on through...

Blaine roughly kicked down the door, gun clutched in hand as he held it out before him. They were on the thirtieth floor of the block of flats in a high rise building right on the outskirts of New York having received an ominous tip off earlier that morning. All they wanted was to find him.

Some sort of window to your right. As he goes left and you stay right...

The room was oddly bare, a set of French doors leading out to a balcony left wide open, white curtains billowing out from the soft breeze that filled the apartment.

Blaine’s eyes travelled downwards to the wooden floors, the smell of metal finally hitting his nose as his feet landed on the ground with a splash. Dark red pooled across the floor, surrounding a man who was lying on his back, a deep gash opened up in his side as he bled out.

“Shit!” Blaine instantly dropped his gun to the floor, regardless of the fact that the killer may still be in the room. He ran over to the man, kneeling down in his blood as he pushed his hands against the wound, pressing down to prevent anymore of the warm life from escaping.

Between the lines of fear and blame, you begin to wonder why you came...

“Blaine!” It was Wes having finally managed to catch up followed quickly by Santana, both with their hand guns out and bullet proof vests securely in place.

“Don’t just stand there help me!” Blaine shouted at them, moving to place his hands over the man’s heart and quickly pressing down. “One, two, three.” He placed an ear to the man’s chest, swearing before repeating his earlier movement. “Come on!”

Santana and Wes were right there beside him, Santana ripping off the bottom of her shirt to cover the hole in the man’s side as Wes desperately tried to help Blaine. None of them spoke, each silently praying that their partner made it through.

20 minutes in and they knew it was hopeless.

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness...

Wes placed a comforting hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “It’s too late, he’s gone.”

“No!” Blaine yelled, holding back the sobs. “He can’t be!”

Santana looked sympathetic, her face hard yet the emotions swimming behind her eyes just as strongly. “We tried Blaine; we just... weren’t fast enough.”

Blaine sat back on his heels, burying his head in his hands. “He was the best of all of us! Our partner, our friend and now he’s just gone. How are we supposed to catch a killer that can get to us before we even blink?”

Wes and Santana shared a worried look because Blaine was right. They were screwed.

And I would have stayed up with you all night, had I known how to save a life...

Through the confusion and the hurt it seemed everyone failed to notice the purple irises in a crystal vase sat in the middle of the room.

Kurt smiled down adoringly at the small girl curled up asleep on the floor of her bedroom, school books surrounding her. She must have been studying whilst Kurt was at work in order to stay awake. Izzy hated school, but she’d do anything to be conscious when Kurt returned.

Kurt gently shook Izzy’s shoulder, rousing the girl from sleep. “Izzy, I’m home.”

Izzy rubbed at her eyes, blinking away the sleep. “Kurt?” She slowly sat up, looking around dazedly.

“Yeah, I’m here sweetie. How was school?” Kurt asked.

“Where’s Rachel?” Izzy decided instead to respond with her own question. Rachel had been the one to pick Izzy up from school today seeing as Kurt was working until six. Kurt was eternally grateful for the presence of his best friend; when he couldn’t she’d look after Izzy, cooking her tea and making sure she did her homework whilst Kurt was off trying to scrape together as much money as he could.

Kurt just laughed, kissing Izzy on the top of her head affectionately. “She left five minutes ago.”

“I didn’t get to say goodbye.” Izzy pouted. She stretched, letting out a small yawn.

“Come on,” Kurt picked her up, cradling her to his chest. “Let’s get you into your PJ’s and then into bed.”

Izzy just nodded, Kurt placing her onto her feet as he rummaged through the little girl’s closet. He pulled out a pair of pink cotton pyjamas, helping Izzy pull off her clothes and putting her into the soft material. He then told her to go brush her teeth, supervising to make sure she got every last tooth, all the while Izzy chattered away about her day.

Back in the bedroom, Kurt lifted her into bed, tucking the sheets tightly around her before sitting down making the mattress dip. He ran a hand through her hair and then placed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “You’re going to be a good girl for me aren’t you?”

“Kurtie, aren’t you staying?” Izzy frowned.

Kurt shook his head. “I’m sorry sweetie, I’m working tonight but I promise I’ll be home tomorrow. I’m coming to your school to help out remember?”

Izzy beamed at that. “I love Tuesdays, that’s when I can show off to all my friends.”

“I’m not a prize Izzy.” Kurt chuckled, flicking the girl on the nose.

“But everybody loves you, but you are just mine isn’t you?”

“Aren’t you Izzy.”

“Aren’t I what?”

“Never mind.” Kurt rolled his eyes. “Now Mrs Tilbury will be here soon so I want to make sure that you know the rules.  No getting up unless you need the toilet or a glass of water. No giving Mrs Tilbury grief; she’s our landlady and it’ll be pretty hard to find someone who gives us such great rates if she kicks us out.”

“Okay Kurtie, I promise.” Izzy agreed, kicking her feet up from underneath the covers before a random question popped up in her head. “Are you going to see Charlie tonight?”

Kurt outwardly grimaced. “No, we won’t be seeing Charlie anymore.”

“Why not? We liked Charlie, he was nice not like Marcus.” Izzy suddenly looked so sad.

Kurt had to admit, Izzy liked all his boyfriends after Marcus... it was just that none of the nice ones seemed to like to stick around. “Yes well, unfortunately Charlie decided he didn’t like me.”

Izzy moved to fling her arms around Kurt’s neck, rubbing her cheek against his. “I like you Kurt.”

Kurt smiled. “Then that’s all that matters.”     

Blaine knew he should be out with the rest of his department, drinking, celebrating the life of a partner and friend along with all of his work mates, but Blaine had a job to do. These chains of murders had them running around in circles, the only lead being all the victims were random, found in random places and all killed differently; the solitary clue being the purple iris left at the scene. No, murder weapon, fibres, hair, nothing.  They were running out of options and this was Blaine’s last ray of hope. It had taken him a while to track him down; Blaine’s only lead being a bar in the cheaper part of town.

The bar itself was dimly lit, wooden chairs and tables set out before a stage, a single lit candle in the middle of each along with a menu of some sort. The bar could be found towards the back with British style bar stools and shelves of alcohol. The place was near enough full with a pianist playing out soft jazz to complete the warm atmosphere. Why then did Blaine feel so cold?

Blaine had picked a table off to one side, slightly hidden away in the shadows. He didn’t want to be noticed here, not yet. To tell the truth, Blaine was nervous. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to see him again but Blaine did. Kurt. They hadn’t talked for about eight years now, not since Kurt had moved out to New York to study. Sure they had kept in contact for a while but then something happened. Last he heard, Kurt had dropped out of college, ignoring Blaine’s emails and messages until neither of them spoke anymore. But now Kurt was vital to this investigation, he and Blaine had been the ones to get caught in the middle of it all those years ago after all.

Blaine thought back to that night, the night he had discovered Kurt’s secret.

The rain still pelted down and Blaine was currently talking to a couple of police officers, his eyes drifting over to Kurt now and again. His boyfriend was sat in the back of an ambulance, the doors wide open and his legs dangling over the edge. A blanket had been wrapped around his shaking frame and it was obvious he wasn’t in the mood to talk.

Blaine remembered Kurt pulling him through the woods, the only words he kept repeating being ‘he’s coming’ or ‘Becca, what way do I go now?’ Blaine would be lying if he said he wasn’t freaked out, suddenly someone he thought he had known was revealing something totally terrifying. But Blaine had to pull himself together, yanking out his mobile to dial 911.

They had sat by the roadside until the emergency services showed up, lights flashing and sirens wailing. It was Blaine who directed the way to the body knowing Kurt was in no fit state to do so. He was half expecting the girl to be gone but when they arrived she was still there. The area was quickly sectioned off and Blaine was taken away for questioning. He felt better for it; there was no way he could stay there for a second longer.

“Is that all Mr Anderson?” The officer asked, snapping Blaine out of his thoughts. That’s right; he was talking to Inspector Collins and Gracie, his partner. Apparently she preferred to use first names.

“Yes.” Blaine replied, swallowing audibly. He knew all the colour was gone from his face, whether it be from the cold or the current events he wasn’t so sure.

Inspector Collins nodded. “I just need to get a statement from your friend, erm...”

“Kurt, Kurt Hummel.” Blaine offered. “Just... he’s a bit traumatised by all this.”

“He was the one who first discovered the body yes?” Gracie questioned.

Blaine nodded. “Err yeah... he erm... is it alright if I’m there too? When you talk to him?”

The two cops gave each other knowing looks. “It’s not technically protocol; not to offend you but it’s possible you could influence his answer.”

Gracie watched as Blaine worriedly turned his attention to Kurt. The boy did not look right, with a far off expression, blinking rapidly out of it every now and again mumbling as if he were talking to someone who wasn’t there. “Maybe we can bend the rules, just this once.” Gracie suggested.

Inspector Collins was about to disagree when Gracie gave him a warning look. With reluctance they allowed Blaine to follow them, stopping in front of Kurt. Kurt didn’t even look up only wrapping his arms tighter around him looking as if he were about to be sick. One of the paramedics caught on, passing Kurt a bag in which Kurt promptly emptied his stomach. Blaine was instantly there, climbing up to sit beside him and began to rub circles into Kurt’s lower back. “Shhh, it’s okay, you’re alright.” Blaine murmured making sure Kurt knew he was there.

Kurt finally stopped retching, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Eurgg...”

“Are you okay? Are you going to be sick again?” Blaine looked panicked, searching around for another bag.

Kurt waved Blaine’s concern away, shaking his head. “No, that always happens when the presence is stronger.”

Blaine frowned, a look Gracie and Inspector Collins both shared.

“Presence?” Blaine said, puzzled, although he could sort of work out what Kurt meant.

Kurt’s eyes widened, realising his mistake. “It’s nothing, just forget I said anything.”

Inspector Collins had a feeling this conversation would be going in a direction where he wasn’t going to get any answers so decided to quickly take the reins. “Mr Hummel, can you tell us exactly what happened this evening.”

Kurt seemed to be somewhat relieved by the question yet still found himself snuggling into Blaine’s side for comfort. “Yeah, we err; we were driving back from the park. It had been a long day and I was falling asleep when I erm... I asked Blaine to stop the car.”

“Why?” Inspector Collins jumped in.

“I just... I don’t... I don’t know.” Kurt stuttered, pushing further against Blaine.

“Kurt honey, from what Blaine said you had seen something. He told us you cried out, running directly into the woods.” Gracie said. She shivered. When did it get so cold?

“Which leads me to believe you knew exactly where the body was.” Inspector Collins remarked.

Kurt began to chew at his lip. He couldn’t tell them, they wouldn’t believe him.

“Kurt is not a murderer.” Blaine glared at them, squeezing Kurt tighter. “Besides, he was with me all day and you can’t go accusing him of anything, look at him, do you really think he’d be in this state if he killed someone?”

Gracie took on a sympathetic look. “No! No, of course we aren’t accusing him of anything, we just want answers. There’s a body of a little girl in the woods...”

“Becca.” Kurt automatically supplied.

“Sorry, Becca... wait, you know her?” Gracie looked surprised as did Kurt.

“Well erm... as of the past hour and a half yes.” Kurt hinted.

Inspector Collins furrowed his brow. “But from the looks of it the girl has been dead for over three hours.”

“Half a day, actually.” Kurt corrected. “She told me.” His voice became quiet as he refused to make eye contact with anybody.

“Sh-she told you?” Inspector Collins was now beyond confused.

Kurt took a deep breath. “Yes, she told me. I- when we were driving I saw her, stood by the side of the road as clear as day. I told Blaine to stop the car because what six year old would be out at this time of night? Anyway, I got out of the car and she told me to follow her. So I did.

“In the end she led me to her body.” Kurt choked back a sob. “Sh-she told me that it was her birthday. She went to the zoo with her parents when she got lost. H-he found her a-and told her he’d help her find them. But he lied.” Full blown tears where cascading down Kurt’s face now as he buried his head in his hands.

Gracie placed a hand on Kurt’s knee, speaking in a lowered tone. “Kurt, it’s okay.”

“Please.” Kurt’s voice came out shaky and uneven making Blaine’s heart break. He wrapped his arms around Kurt’s shoulders, allowing him to fall back against his chest and bury his face in Blaine’s already damp T-shirt. Even for Blaine this was all a bit much to take in, but the questions would have to come later because right now Kurt needed him.

Seeing as they weren’t going to get anymore out of Kurt the way he was, Inspector Collins and Gracie decided to call it a day. They said their thanks, Blaine giving them an apologetic look.

“Do you believe any of this?” Inspector Collins said sceptically once they were out of ear shot.

Gracie looked back over to the two boys. She could see this turn of events was new to Blaine too. “I’m, not particularly into the supernatural Brad, but I have to admit, the kid doesn’t look like a killer.”

“Maybe he’s just out of his mind? But then it wouldn’t add up; how else would he of been able to find the girl, the body wasn’t exactly in an obvious place.” Collins pointed out.

“It could have been an accident? But you have to admit there was one thing that seemed a bit odd.” Gracie stopped, looking up into an ebony sky.

“And what’s that.”

“Being around that boy; the temperature, didn’t you notice it? It was extremely cold, freezing to be exact.”

Inspector Collins halted in his movements. Gracie was right. It was the middle of summer and the nights were notably hotter but Collins couldn’t deny the atmosphere around Kurt. It had been suffocating almost... dead.

“Inspector Collins!” Blaine shouted, running up to them. “Kurt said... Becca said there’s a picture in her desk draw at home. She drew it for her dad, he doesn’t live with them you see and she wanted him to have it.” He ran a hand through his hair, obviously mulling over what he was going to say next. “I know... I know it’s probably hard to believe Kurt... even I didn’t know what to think, but, maybe, if you find that drawing you’ll know that he was telling the truth.”

“Thank you.” Inspector Collins said bluntly. “Is there anything else?”

Blaine scuffed his feet back and forth, thinking. “Yeah... Kurt... he’s been through a lot just... please, he’s not crazy.”

“We don’t think Kurt’s crazy.” Gracie reassured him. “You do get people who are clairvoyant from time to time but I’m guessing this is news for you too?”

Blaine nodded. “I always turned my nose up at people who claimed they could talk to the dead, I just... Why didn’t he tell me?”

“Because he’s scared Blaine. To some it’s not exactly normal and not many people believe it’s real.”

“Do you?”

“I... no.” Gracie answered truthfully. “What about you?”

“I don’t know.”   

        Blaine sighed, the memory fading back into the recesses of his mind. After that Kurt had confessed that ever since he could remember, he had the ability to see the dead, sometimes even talk to them. Blaine hadn’t been sure what to think; sure sometimes he felt something was there, but that being a ghost? Either way Kurt had been honest with him, and Blaine knew he had to treat Kurt just as he normally would.

To think, what would Blaine’s colleagues say if they found out Blaine was asking a medium to help him solve this case? They’d probably laugh in his face. But Blaine knew this was his last chance; without knowing it he and Kurt had been placed in the middle of this from when the case first began and Blaine was determined to end this. He needed Kurt’s help. That and he really wanted to see him again.

The piano player finished his piece, the lights rising to fall on the middle of the stage as a man appeared at its centre. He was dressed in a simple black suit, a white pocket hanky at his breast and black tie tucked into his closed blazer. His hands gripped a microphone, his other gracefully tracing up it’s stand as music burst into life. He then opened his mouth to sing, a smile on his face. Kurt.

It was a full house once again and it made Kurt feel happy; it seemed he was very popular here and he loved singing, he even saved up and bought this suit especially for the nights he worked here. Albeit the suit had been a bargain but it was still Armani.

This bar was actually owned by Puck; he was the one who had offered Kurt the job. Kurt couldn’t help but think Rachel had told him Kurt needed the money. She herself had offered to pay some of Kurt’s debts; she being a Broadway star and Finn in a stable job but Kurt had politely declined.

“Somewhere, beyond the sea, somewhere waiting for me,” Kurt sang, his voice filling the room as his eyes traversed the audience. “My lover stands on golden sands,” He had to make a double take when he spotted him, his voice wavering slightly but he quickly righted himself before anyone noticed. “And watches the ships that go sailin’.”

That was definitely Blaine Anderson, or rather, detective Anderson if Kurt’s informant served him right. He may be older, more muscular, his curls more unruly, but that man there was most certainly Blaine. Oh, but who was the other man with him? Kurt watched as the man raised a gin glass to Kurt, Blaine having not yet noticed Kurt had caught him out. Who was he? The man winked. Then it clicked.

This can’t be good, Kurt thought. There must be a reason Blaine was here and Kurt was positive Blaine hadn’t just happened to pop in by chance. Nope, Blaine knew Kurt worked here if the ghost sat next to him was anything to go by.