‘Hey’ he says urgently and places a hand on her back, ‘Are you..?’ but he’s broken off by a loud sniff
‘It’s fine ‘ she says ‘I’m fine, we’re fine’ and she places a hand over her belly and strokes gently.
‘I’m not going today…’ Blaine begins but she waves a hand,
‘We’re fine’ but seeing the look on Blaine’s face she says ‘I’ll call if I need anything’
‘Anything’ says Blaine and looks at her earnestly. She laughs a little and pats his knee, and he takes this a sign to leave the issue. He kisses the top of her head and brushes his hand over the hand she still has pressed over the bump as he makes his way to the bathroom.

He’s consumed by thoughts of her, the baby and, he hates himself a little, of Kurt. He doesn’t notice dressing until she says ‘Ooh, what are we all dressed up for?’ from the bed and he has to lie to her, tell her he’s going to the Senator’s press conference, not to see a beautiful man with eyes so like her own and a laugh that makes him want, need to know have more. He leaves, after making her promise to call him whenever, about whatever, even if she just wanted a foot massage, he’d drop everything and get to her.

He’s early in the office, no one generally gets in before 11, seeing as they often don’t get home until 1 o’clock after the proof print has been passed around. He has three emails, one offering cheap flights to Chicago, one offering hot girls from Russia and the final one from his brother, asking about staying at some point in the near future. He replies with haste, he misses Cooper dearly, telling him he’s welcome anytime and to just turn up whenever. Once he’s done that, read yesterday’s paper, lingering over the fashion column slightly longer than anything else (although it’s really just Kurt introducing himself), the office is full and Kurt is there in person.

‘Morning’ says Blaine with a smile, Kurt smiles in return. ‘How you?’ he asks,
‘Oh fine, fine.’ Says Kurt, ‘You?’
Blaine remembers the worry all over again but forces a smile ‘Fine also’ there’s a pause as Kurt smiles again and turns back towards his computer, ‘Still up for coffee later?’ Blaine asks, pretending he’s not too bothered about the whole thing.
‘Sure!’ smiles Kurt, and Blaine is extremely relieved.

It’s 2 o’clock when Blaine suggests a nice Caf� round the corner. He and Kurt walk there in a slightly awkward silence. Blaine buys, after a little protest from Kurt, and they sit by the window. ‘So,’ says Blaine, desperate to uncover this man, find out his secrets, find a flaw in him, ‘Tell me about yourself, tell me about Ohio’ he sees Kurt’s face fall a little and feels he’s made a mistake but Kurt smiles and although Blaine enjoys hearing all about Kurt’s Father and His Stepmom and her son, McKinley, the glee club, how he came to New York, he feels there’s something Kurt’s not telling him, a little dark patch in Kurt’s otherwise happy existence. Blaine senses a little loneliness too and he’s glad he invited Kurt for coffee. They’ve just started on their second drink when Blaine’s mobile rings shrilly from his pocket, he’s worried but it’s a number he doesn’t recognise, not his wife’s caller ID. ‘Sorry,’ he says to Kurt, pointing at the phone, ‘I gotta get this…’ Kurt just smiles and waves a hand, telling Blaine it’s fine, he’ll wait here.

Blaine accepts the call just as he leaves the little shop, ‘Hello’ he says ‘Blaine Anderson speaking’
‘Mr Anderson,’ says a woman’s voice, with an edge of forced calm to it ‘I’m phoning from the hospital, your wife is in labour, she was against calling you, but as her next of kin we need you to be here, it’s not going to be easy for her or the baby and we think it’s probably best you get here as soon as you can’

Blaine’s mind clouds over. It’s a few minutes before a voice breaks his daze and a firm grip shakes his shoulder. At some point he must have slid to the ground because he can feel cool pavement through his trousers. ‘Blaine’ says the voice ‘Blaine, tell me what’s the matter?’ and Kurt’s there, helping him to his feet. ‘Baline, you need to tell me what’s wrong’
‘My wife…hospital called…baby’ Blaine chokes. He needs taxi, but Kurt’s already hailed one. He gets in in a daze, ‘Blaine’ says Kurt, urgency in his voice, ‘Blaine, which hospital?’
‘Peninsula’ mumbles Blaine

It feels like a week before they reach the hospital, Blaine doesn’t know how it happens but he hears voices, urgent voices and Kurt is running with him down the corridor, shoes squeaking and his vision unfocused. They hurtle through doors, past nurses and rooms. They come to an abrupt halt when someone calls Blaine’s name through a door ‘Mr Anderson?’ Blaine turns and sees a woman. There is blood on her latex gloves. ‘Would you like to step this way, Mr Anderson, bring your…friend’ they enter a small room, one wall is glass and looks over what can only be an operating theatre. Blaine hears Kurt talking to the woman in the green gown, he is desperately trying to see past them, see into the theatre.

The ‘We’re so sorry, Mr Anderson, we did all we could’ takes a moment to register with Blaine. And when it does a pain sears through him, one he’s never felt before, and his world caves in.