6 months later

"Claire, get down from there," Kurt yelled, pressing the phone to his shoulder for a second before lifting it again. "I'm sorry Michael, what were you saying?" Kurt closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath. "We need to have the final pages ready for publishing by Monday." Kurt nodded, even though Michael couldn't see him. "Yeah, I know, I'll work on it tonight, I promise."

"Hey, Kurt, are you okay?" Michael asked, sounding worried. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Kurt said absentmindedly, watching the other side of the room where Claire was trying to climb onto the sofa. "How's Claire?" Michael asked, pressing further. "She's good."

Kurt wasn't especially interested in sharing stories about his private life. His life was way too stressing right now. "Are you sure you don't need a break? I mean, I could watch Claire, you know, if you wanted to go out, or something. Just say the word, and I'll be there." Kurt sighed.

"I don't really feel like going out," he said, somewhat coldly. "Yeah, I get it, man, I do, but I really think you need a break, just for one night. You've been tense at work, and I know how kids can be when they reach that age, and having to take care of her all on your own –" "I'm not in my own," Kurt said. "Blaine's coming back soon. Things will be easier then."

"Oh, you talked to him?" Kurt was about to answer when Claire hit the carpeted floor with a soft thump. He looked over abruptly at the noise, words stuck in his mouth. Claire stared back at him for a second, eyes wide and confused, before they filled with tears and her cries filled the room.

"Shit." Kurt rushed to the other side of the room, crouching down and picking up his daughter, rocking her comfortingly as he balanced his phone between his ear and shoulder. "I'm sorry, Michael, Claire fell. I swear to god, she is acting just like her father, climbing all over the furniture."

Michael laughed quietly. "Shh, honey, it's okay, it's okay, calm down baby, it's gonna be okay." Kurt whispered softly into Claire's ear, stroking her short hair as she calmed down. "I think I've got to go, Michael, Claire's upset, and I should get started on those final pages anyway. I'll talk to you later."

Kurt hung up, dropped his phone onto the couch and reached up to dry Claire's tears. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Claire nodded, sniffling. "Is there anything I can get you? Your teddy? Some orange juice?" Claire shook her head. "Papa," she said, and Kurt sighed.

"I know you miss him, Claire, I miss him too, but he'll be home soon. Just a few more months, and we'll have our papa back. Okay?" Claire nodded, and burrowed her face in Kurt's neck.

"All better now?" Kurt asked, and Claire nodded again. Kurt smiled, kissing the top of her head and lowering her carefully down to the floor. "Now let's go get you some food, before we starve to death."

Claire looked up at him with a toothy grin, and Kurt couldn't help but smile back. Despite all the stress going on in his life, he couldn't help but enjoy it. His daughter was growing up, right in front of his eyes, and Blaine would soon be there to see it too.

When Kurt had skyped with Blaine a few days earlier, he had told him that he was going on one more mission, before being sent back home in a few months. Kurt had had to keep his excitement reigned in, seeing as Claire was asleep in her room, but Kurt had been bursting with happiness on the inside.

He was going to have his fiancé back. For good this time. They would finally be able to get married. And then they'd live happily ever after, maybe getting another kid. Nothing would separate them again.

Kurt put Claire to sleep after dinner, leaving himself alone to ponder over his thoughts. He found himself smiling stupidly to himself.

A knock on the door a few seconds later pulled Kurt back to reality, though his smile stayed on his face as he went to open the door. Outside stood two men, dressed in uniforms, one of them holding a folded flag. Ice filled Kurt's stomach. No. This couldn't be happening.

"Mr. Hummel?" one of the men asked, voice serious. Kurt nodded slowly, not trusting himself to speak. "I'm afraid your fiancé, Blaine Anderson, is missing in action. He went on a mission a few days ago, but something went wrong. They were exploring an abandoned building when the roof collapsed. Your fiancé's body has not yet been found, but there haven't been any survivors yet."

Kurt felt as if his ears were stuffed with cotton. As if he was hearing it all through a thick wall. As if he was somehow separated from the entire situation. He had to be, because this could not be his Blaine. They couldn't be talking about him. They just couldn't.

"I – I talked to him just a few days ago," Kurt whispered. "He said he was coming home." One of the men reached out to grip Kurt's shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. "I'm very sorry for your loss Mr. Hummel," he said, moving to hand over the folded flag.

Kurt accepted it with shaking hands. The other man pushed a hand into his coat, digging around for a few seconds before pulling out a necklace with two tags attached to it. Blaine's tags, Kurt realized. The man dropped them on top of the flag, and Kurt stared at them.

As their words started to sink in, Kurt's breathing sped up. Blaine was gone. He was assumed dead. He wasn't coming back. "He promised he's come back," Kurt whispered, staring at the items in his hands.

Kurt's knees gave out, and he fell to the floor, tears finally forming in the corners of his eyes. The flag was in a small heap on the floor, the tags next to it. Kurt buried his face in his eyes and cried, paying no attention to anything else. He didn't even notice when Claire started crying from all the noise he was making. He didn't notice anything.