The cab pulled up to Kurts old home in Lima and Kurt hesitated for a moment. He hadnt told his dad or Carole that he was coming, not that he thought they would mind. It was just that after this visit, Kurt didnt know how long it would be before he was back here, or if hed ever be able to return. He finally made himself get out of the cab, it was time to bite the bullet, he paid the driver and then wheeled his suitcase to the front door.

Should he knock? Hed never knocked before, he was being silly. He opened the door and walked in. "Dad? Carole?" He called, knowing they might both be at work. Once hed looked around the house and confirmed that they werent home yet, he brought his suitcase up to his old room, passing Finns on the way but not going in. He sat on his bed and pulled out his phone. There was a text from Cooper.

Let me know when you get there.

Kurt smiled. He knew Cooper was anxious for him, and anxious for news about Blaine.

Just got home. Kurt texted back. Still settling in.

They couldnt say much through text message; as far as they knew, the Lifemate Registry would demand to read their texts. But Cooper knew Kurt was in Ohio to find Blaine and he knew Kurt wasnt planning on coming back.

Saying goodbye to Cooper had been harder than Kurt had expected. For all the haughty coolness that had marked the beginning of their relationship, Cooper had become a dear friend, he was family and Kurt loved him. He knew it would be even harder to say goodbye to his Dad and Carole. He hoped they understood.

Kurt sighed at the thought and the fact that it was only Cooper who had texted him. He had been trying to get in touch with Sebastian since he made his plans yesterday, but Sebastian wasnt answering his calls. If Kurt didnt hear from Sebastian today, he was going to go straight to the Smythe estate in Cleveland and hope that someone was there. Finding Sebastian was the key to finding Blaine.

He called Sebastians number again and it went to voicemail.

"Sebastian, its Kurt again," he said, trying to sound friendly but not quite pulling it off. " I wanted to let you know Im in Ohio and I was hoping to see you during this visit." He didnt know what the Lifemate Registry was listening to so he tried to keep things casual. "Call me or Ill just swing by your place."

Kurt hung up and held the phone in his hands for a minute. He was afraid Sebastians silence was more than him just avoiding Kurt; what if he was on the run with Blaine? Or in hiding? What if they had both been discovered and arrested? How would he find Blaine then? Time was of the essence too, they needed to move.

Kurt couldnt just sit and wait for someone to get home; he was too tense, his nerves churning in his stomach. He went downstairs and poked around the kitchen, seeing what he could make for dinner. Hopefully, his dad and Carole didnt have dinner plans and could come home to a freshly cooked meal.

Kurt was just finishing everything up for Chicken Marsala when he heard the front door open. He could tell by the heavy footsteps that it was his dad. Kurt took a deep breath and put on a smile before heading to the hallway. His dad was slipping off his shoes and then stopped when he saw Kurt.

"Hey dad!"

"Kurt?" His dad raised his eyebrows and looked at him in surprise for a minute before smiling and moving forward to wrap him in a tight hug. "Kurt! Oh bud, it is so good to see you."

Kurt held his dad back, feeling better than he had since Blaine left. His dad knew that Blaine was missing of course, but they had never really talked about what Kurt knew and what he didnt, though, Kurt felt pretty sure his dad had figured out more than he let on.

Burt finally let him go and stepped back to look at him. "Youre here, youre home!"

Kurt smiled. "I am. And I made dinner."

Burt sniffed the air a little bit. "Smells good bud." He put his hand on his shoulder as they walked back to the kitchen. "Carole will be home any minute."

They didnt talk much as Burt helped Kurt finish up dinner and set the table; they both knew they were avoiding the big subject of why Kurt was here and what was happening with Blaine, but for just a few minutes, they let it go and acted like everything was normal.

Carole was thrilled to see Kurt when she got home, giving him a big hug and getting a little teary eyed. "Its good to have you here," she said and kissed his forehead. "I wish Blaine was here too." Kurt nodded, his chest feeling tight.

They sat down to dinner and talked about Burt's and Caroles jobs and then Burt told Kurt that he was thinking about running for congress and that took up the conversation until dinner was over. Both his dad and Carole kept looking at him for longer than necessary and patting his back and squeezing his hand. He wondered if they already knew that this trip was a goodbye.

Burt was cleaning up after dinner, insisting that Carole and Kurt take it easy. They were sitting in the living room together when Carole finally brought up the subject theyd been avoiding. "Have you heard from Blaine at all?" Carole asked carefully.

Kurt shook his head. "No. I… I dont know whats happening. I expected to know something by now."

Carole nodded. "You two are meant to be together, Kurt. I believe it will work out, and you know your dad and I are behind you no matter what."

Kurt felt a little choked up, so he just nodded. He hated the idea of leaving without a way to see Carole or his dad or even 

Cooper again. But he had made his choice. He loved Blaine and he had made the decision long ago that if there were a chance for them to be together, he would always take it.

Burt joined them shortly after that; he must have sensed the somber mood of the room because he sat down next to Kurt, who was now between him and Carole on the couch, and took his ball cap off to rub his head. "Well Kurt, this is it isnt it?"

"Dad," Kurt said, not knowing how to explain.

"Its okay. You dont have to say anything. I get it."

Kurt fought back his tears. "I dont know where he is," he said in a quiet voice. "But Im here to find him and then…"

Burt nodded and cleared his throat gruffly. "I know, Kurt. And Im proud of you. What youre doing is very brave."

"You dont think its foolish?"

Burt laughed a little. "Sometimes love makes you do dumb things, but fighting for the right to be with the person you love? No, I dont think thats foolish."

"Because I feel like Ive made a mess of all of this. Both Blaine and Cooper had plans. They had been doing things to either keep us safe or make a way for us to be together and I did nothing. I guess…. I just so wanted things to work out on their own. But that was naive."

Burt wrapped his arm around Kurts back. "Youre doing something now."

"Yeah… but none of it matters if I cant find Blaine."

"You will," Carole encouraged. "Or hell find you. You two wont be apart for long."

Kurt felt like his heart was tearing in two having to leave his family behind, having to say goodbye like this. He barely slept that night between worrying about leaving his dad and Carole and worrying about finding Blaine.

The next day, after leaving two more voicemails for Sebastian, Kurt was planning on driving out to the Smythes' that afternoon. 

Even if Sebastian wasnt there, it was a place to start. He was downstairs with Burt and Carole, who had both taken the day off, when his phone rang and Sebastians name appeared on the screen. Kurts heart leapt and he answered immediately.

"Sebastian."

"Hummel."

"What took you so long to call me? Didnt you get all my messages?" Kurt said tersely, his heart beating too fast.

"Yeah well, talking to you wasnt high on my priority list."

Kurt felt his cheeks grow warm, he hated that Sebastian was involved in any of this at all.

"Listen, Sebastian, we dont like each other. Fine. Thats in the open and frankly I dont care how you feel about me," Kurt said through his teeth. "But I think that we both care about Blaine, so for his sake, dont make this more difficult than it has to be."

There was a pause on Sebastians end and then a groan. "Fine, Hummel. What do you want?"

"I need to know where he is, Sebastian."

"If he didnt tell you why should I?"

Kurt clenched his fist. "Because this is important and he could be caught by the Lifemate Registry at any minute. Do you want to help him or not?"

"Where are you?"

"What?"

"Where are you right now?"

"Im at my dads in Lima."

"Fine. Give me the address and Ill meet you there. Ill take you to Blaine."

"He... hes in Ohio?" Kurts heart fluttered, he was so close.

"Yeah, are you in or what?"

Kurt gave him the address and Sebastian said hed be there soon. Kurt got off the phone and found Carole and his dad waiting for him.

"You know where he is?" His dad asked solemnly. "You off?"

Kurt swallowed and his eyes began to sting. "I have to find him."

"I know," his dad said, hugging him. "You dont have to explain." He pulled back. "What do you need?"

Kurt shook his head. "I... nothing right now. If the Registry comes to talk to you, you can tell them I was here for a short trip and you dont know anything else." Kurt held back his tears seeing that both Carole and his dad were teary-eyed.

By the time Sebastian got there, Kurt was packed and ready to go. He didnt know if hed be coming back to his dads house later or if he and Blaine would be leaving sooner than that. So he took his suitcase and said his goodbyes, with tight hugs and promises to be in touch as soon as it was safe. Burt had gotten him a car. A beat up old thing from his shop, but it ran and no one would be looking for it so it would be good for him and Blaine.

"Hes staying at the motel outside of town." Sebastian explained. "You can follow me there."

"Thank you," Kurt said. He may not like it, but if Sebastian had helped keep Blaine safe then he was grateful.

He pulled away from his Dad's house and didn't look behind. He'd see his family again someday, he had to believe that. Kurt followed Sebastian to a rundown little town outside of Westerville and to an even more rundown looking motel. This is where Blaine had been staying for the past month? The idea of that made Kurt depressed. Sebastian led Kurt to a room and then knocked on the door. Kurt's heart started beating faster. Blaine was on the other side of that door. He needed to see him so much, to see with his own two eyes that he was safe.

No one answered and Sebastian knocked again. Kurt called through the door. "Hello? Blaine? Its Kurt." But still, there was no answer.

Sebastian looked concerned.

"Maybe hes out," Kurt suggested.

"He doesnt really go out, not with the Lifemate Registry looking for him." He knocked on the door again, as Kurt started getting a bad feeling deep in his stomach.

"I dont know whats going on," Sebastian said and his face held an expression that Kurt couldnt quiet read. "He better not have left."

"Left?" Kurt said in a small voice. "Why... why would he leave?"

Sebastian gave him a look but didnt answer.

"Should we ask at the front desk?" Kurt suggested.

Sebastian nodded and headed that way.

A young man with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail was working the counter. He was looking at some sleazy magazine when Kurt and Sebastian approached him.

"Excuse me," Kurt said and the man looked up lazily. "We are trying to get in touch with the man staying in room 112?"

The guy behind the counter looked back and forth between him and Sebastian, and for a moment Kurt thought he wouldnt help them. But then, he slowly stood up and tapped on a few keys of his computer. "112?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, that guys gone."

Kurts heart plummeted.

"What?" Sebastian asked, obviously surprised.

"Yeah, checked out a day ago. The room's empty if you two want it." He gave them a suggestive look that made both Kurt and Sebastian grimace.

"No, we were just hoping he was still here," Sebastian said, his voice cold. He didnt ask him any more questions and just left the building.

Kurt turned back to the guy. "Did he say anything or… I dont know…" Kurt trailed off, hoping to get some kind of information. Blaine couldnt just be gone.

"Yeah, yeah. He left a forwarding address and a fat tip," the guy said sarcastically. "Your buddy is gone and he didnt tell you where he was going. Get over it." He then sat back down and started flipping through his dirty magazine again.

Kurt was left stunned, not that the guy working a job he clearly hated was rude to him, but that Kurt had come all this way and missed Blaine by a day. Just a day earlier and he would be with Blaine right now. Kurt spun around and marched to the parking lot where Sebastian was waiting.

"Where is he!" Kurt shouted.

"I dont know."

"Where would he go? What was the plan?"

"I dont know!" Sebastian yelled and then seemed to deflate. "I dont know. I… I… screwed things up but I didnt think he would just leave."

A cold chill went down Kurts back. "What did you do?"

"I just… I may have implied that after waiting for him so long you probably had decided to stay in New York and not give up everything for him."

"You… what?" Kurt felt a little sick; surely, Blaine wouldnt ever believe that.

"And then I suggested that he and I…" Sebastian didnt finish his sentence, but just crossed his arms across his chest and looked away. "Lets just say he and I had a disagreement."

"You came on to him," Kurt said, and it wasnt a question. He could picture the whole thing all too clearly.

Sebastian shrugged. "I had to try."

"Hes gone because of you! He… he could get caught! And I have no way to find him!" Kurts hands had started to shake and he had to lean against his car for balance.

"I just..." Sebastian looked down to the ground, not meeting Kurts eyes. "I also suggested that he would be better off if he turned himself in. I had a contact that fell through and I thought… I still think he should just give this up."

Kurt could barely breathe, no no Blaine wouldnt do it, he wouldnt give up and turn himself in. "Sebastian, the Registry people after Blaine areintense, they are zealots and… theyll make an example of him. What have you done?"

"Im worried about him too you know," Sebastian said, looking up at him angrily.

Kurt huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "I cant… I cant even be here with you." Kurt wanted to say so much more, but what good would it do? Kurt got in his car and slammed the door, turning on the engine and quickly pulling out of the parking lot.

His heart was thrumming and his head hurt, he knew he was close to having a panic attack and that he should just slow down and breathe, but he couldnt. He couldnt calm down when he had been so close to finding Blaine and lost him again. He just drove; he didnt even really know where he was going. Autopilot took over until he was going down familiar roads and then finally pulled up to a familiar driveway. He stopped the car and looked at the house for a minute before getting out.

He didnt know what he was doing here, but maybe he could just be still for a minute and get his head on straight. He needed a plan. He unlocked the front door with a key from his keychain and then took a long breath as he looked around the house.

It was the Andersons house. The one he and Blaine and Cooper had left when they went to New York. The lights were out and the furniture left behind covered in sheets. A lump formed in Kurts throat. This was the place he had fallen in love with Blaine. The home where theyd confessed their feelings for each other. Upstairs was the room they had first made love.

Kurt covered his mouth to try to hold back a sob, but it didnt help. Tears pooled in his eyes and spilled over to his cheeks. His breathing was ragged through his tears. He didnt know what to do. He was about to go farther into the house and maybe collapse in the living room when he heard movement behind him. He turned to see what it was.

"Kurt?" A beautifully familiar voice called and relief washed over Kurt as he looked up the stairway to see Blaine standing at the top.