So what in God's name are you doing in Montana? a small voice asked her, but she ignored it to focus on the little girl in front of her.

Sunny was one of the reasons she had been able to talk herself into coming here. Aside from that fact that the beautiful child was her god-child, Rachel had instinctually known that the toddler would be a calming presence in her suddenly confused and out-of-joint life. If she just stuck by her, she knew there would be no questions about what she was doing, no trying to explain how she had come to such conclusions, and no need to be anything other than what she was. She knew, though, that the minute she let herself out of her presence, everything she was avoiding would come raining down upon her.

To say that her arrival that morning had been a surprise was a bit of an understatement. Brittany had been confused and then ecstatic upon seeing her, especially when she saw the cake that Rachel had picked up at the Albertson's bakery she stopped at just before getting there. Because cake equalled party in Brittany's dictionary, Rachel had found herself pulled into decorating, putting up streamers and tossing around confetti, and though it had been weird, it had also been exhilarating and fun, especially when Sunny had woken up from her mid-morning nap and joined them as they sang and danced around the living room.

Kurt's entrance had led to a calmer environment, the music turned down, and though he had hugged her and welcomed her warmly, there was a look in his eye that said they were going to talk asap, and she better be ready for it. As it was, he was still in whispered conversation with Brittany as he went around the living room taking down their celebratory decorations and bemoaning the fact that they would be cleaning up the glitter until they moved out.

"What do you mean, Britt? I can't keep up with you right now," she heard him say as she finished braiding Sunny's hair.

"There you are, princess. You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Aunt Rachel," she beamed at her as she turned around, and Rachel smiled back. Despite sharing Brittany's eyes and nose, there was still so much Kurt in her. Her smile was a mirror image of his, and though she still obviously had her baby fat, Rachel could tell that the little girl had inherited Kurt's regal bone structure and she carried herself the same way, also. Even in the few short hours she had been in her presence, Rachel could see some of Kurt's quirks matched in the toddler's, and she briefly wondered what she would be like when she grew up.

"She said she's here to stay for awhile," Brittany said, her whisper suited more for the stage than the private conversation that Kurt had likely meant it to be, but Rachel didn't mind hearing it, as she was worried about Kurt's reaction. "I told her to stay as long as she wanted. That was okay, right? She looks sad, Kurt."

Rachel's eyes widened briefly at the comment. She hadn't realized the blonde could see that, and she chastised herself for once again underestimating her old friend.

"Of course, Britt, but I don't think--"

"Can I try on your necklace, Aunt Rachel?"

She blinked at the question and refocused on those bright blue eyes beaming up at her. She glanced down at the gold star around her neck and smiled.

"Of course, princess. Gold stars are kind of my thing, you know," she added as she unclasped it and then hooked it around the little girl's neck. It was a lot longer on her than on Rachel, the star falling to mid-torso, and Sunny picked it up to frown contemplatingly at the simple charm.

"Can they be my thing, too? Daddy says we should always share," she added earnestly, and Rachel grinned.

"That's absolutely right, princess. And I would honored to share my gold stars with you."

The toddler squealed happily and jumped up and down, causing Rachel to laugh, and she almost missed Kurt asking, "Did she say why she was here?"

She went still then, and, if it wouldn't have alerted them to her eavesdropping, would have cautioned Brittany from responding, "She said her friend Lucy told her to come."

~ + ~ + ~ + ~

"Who's Lucy, Kurt? Was she in Glee club with us?"

Kurt tried to focus on Brittany's words, and forced a smile as he replied.

"Um, no, Brittany. She's just an...old friend of Rachel's. Do you mind cleaning the rest of this up while I talk to Rachel?"

Brittany nodded solemnly, and then looked sadly around the room.

"I liked the streamers, Kurt."

"Me, too, Britt," he said gently, smiling for real now as he patted her hand. "But it's kind of a mess. I'll send Sunny to help while I chat with Rachel, okay?"

"Can I turn the music back on?" she asked, hope lighting her eyes, and he grinned then.

"Of course, Britt. Just not too loud, okay? I need to hear myself think."

She nodded again, saying "I like hearing thoughts."

"Me, too," he replied and walked over to the kitchen area where Rachel was sitting with Sunny in her lap.

"Rachel."

"Kurt," she nodded, and he sighed before smiling down at his daughter.

"Hey, baby. Would you mind helping Mommy clean up the decorations while I talk with Aunt Rachel?"

He watched as she wrapped her mouth around the word 'decorations' and then she grinned and slid down from Rachel's lap.

"Okay, Daddy." She turned to face Rachel, and said, "Thanks for doing my hair, Aunt Rachel."

"You're very welcome, Sunny," she grinned down at her, and they both watched as the toddler ran over to her mother. "So I suppose you're wondering why I'm here," she said after a moment, and Kurt looked down at her.

"That's only one of many things, Rach," he sighed and pulled out a chair to sit across from her. One of the first things he had done when they moved in back in August was to troll the garage sales in town for a table and chair set. It didn't matter that their kitchen area was pitifully small, and that the heavy oak table made any kind of cooking a cramped affair; he refused to have supper in the living room like a bunch of dumb college kids. Though, he admitted that's what they were, but they didn't have to act like it. "So Lucy told you to come, huh?"

Rachel blushed prettily, and looked down at her hands, twining her fingers together nervously.

"I know you think I'm stupid--"

"Rachel," he cut her off, and put his hand on hers. "I am the last person to ever call anyone stupid. You know that."

"Yeah..."

"But I am worried that you decided to take the advice of your imaginary friend."

Her gaze snapped up to meet him and she scowled.

"She's not my imaginary friend, Kurt."

"I'm pretty sure, Rach, that a person that only shows up in your dreams counts as imaginary."

She flushed again, and nodded, looking down again.

"I get that, Kurt, I do. But she's been there for so long, and I...I love her. And I trust her more than anything," she added when he started to protest, and Kurt shut his eyes a moment before she went on, "She's my best friend, next to you and Fi--next to you," she said again, flushing awkwardly, and Kurt shook his head.

"So why are you here?" She shrugged a little, and he sighed. "Rachel Barbra Berry." She winced at the full name as he continued, "You are a beautiful and, despite the fact that you follow a figment's advice, intelligent young lady, in your third year at one of the greatest performing arts schools in the country, playing the lead in a show that you adore, and you're engaged to one of the nicest guys in existence, barring a few misguided years in high school when he tossed yours truly in a dumpster on a weekly basis." She laughed a little at the description and he went on. "You have the world at your fingertips, and you can do anything you set yours sights on. So why are you here now? What could Lucy have possibly said to you to make you, with less than a month left in the semester, and until your show goes on, drop everything to come and see me and my family?"

She sighed, and eased one of her hands free to brush a dark strand behind her ear.

"I don't know, Kurt. I just felt...empty."

"Empty?"

"There was no spark. Nothing in my life that was interesting."

"Rachel. You're playing Maureen in RENT. I think that's far beyond interesting."

"I know, I know. I just...I couldn't stay."

"So you drove to Montana."

"Well, technically, I took a train and two buses. And then I walked the last few blocks from the bakery."

"You walked. With an over-stuffed duffel bag and a cake."

She smiled and shrugged.

"I was feeling athletic."

"You're crazy, Rachel."

"I know. I just really needed to see my best gay."

He rolled his eyes at the term, and then asked, "Have you called Finn?" He noted her sudden stillness, and went on gently. "He's worried sick about you, you know. Keeps asking me if I'd heard from you."

"Kurt..."

"And you left without a note and everything."

"I can't--"

"Fine, fine," he cut her off, noting the stirrings of panic behind her beautiful brown eyes. "I'll call him. Though before I do, I should ask, how long are you staying? He'll probably want to know when you're coming back."

She looked unaccountably nervous, and Kurt frowned trying to make sense of her attitude when it hit him.

"Oh. You're not going back, are you?" It was slow in coming, but she finally shook her head, and he sighed. "Oh, Rachel, sweetheart. Come here," he said, pulling her in for a hug, and she went into his arms immediately. He decided not to point out how insane she was being, or what an idiot she was for leaving school like that. And he refused completely to comment on the tears that were soaking into his vest. He simply settled for rubbing soothing circles on her back, and whispering gently, "It's going to be okay, Rach. I'm here for you. I love you. It's going to be okay."