Tomas and Kimberley Anderson were standing outside the door of their gay 18 year old sons' room. The sobs were echoing through the thick wood rectangle that separated him from his parents. The death of Cooper, beloved son and brother to the Anderson household, struck suddenly on the whole family, of course they had cried, of course they had mourned, differently and a long long time ago.

The phone call had been the time when Kimberley broke down, the phone crashing on the floor, footsteps running to support her weightless fall. For days she cried, for weeks Tomas grumbled and drank, comforting his wife as best as he could. But Blaine wasn't like them. Cooper's death had brought them all closer, so close.

Blaine and his father were close anyway, when telling Burt his relationship wasn't like his and Kurt's was true but not because his father was a mean man or a judging man, no, he didn't mind his son was gay, sure he built a car with him to try and make his straight but after seeing his son with Kurt it changed.

Blaine would comfort his Mum, hug her when his Dad was at work late, get the tissues out the cupboard when they were watching the old home movies of being in England for their holidays. Never once did he cry. He wanted to of course he did but his eyes wouldn't let him. At the funeral when Kim had stopped crying for a few weeks before was crying again, Tomas was crying, everyone was crying, Kurt, auntie Heather, uncle Paddy, cousin Maggie, even the next door neighbours but not Blaine.

After a year of Cooper being dead and no tears, more closure and time alone and time away from his family and boyfriend and just friends. School grades slipping, not eating, sleeping 16 hours a day Kim called a counsellor. Blaine had seen Dr Criss several weeks ago.

He went in with dessert drought eyes and when he left an hour later his cheeks were flooded with sadness and memories. He arrived home and went to his room and cried. And cried. And cried some more. Kurt had come over to try and comfort him but the more he came the more annoyed Blaine would get. By the very mention of Cooper or anything he did or said or looked like and Blaine would throw stuff against the wall and his face would go purple with rage, Kurt learned this the tough way, he ended up being banned from seeing him and with bruises round his neck where he had been smashed against the wall.*
Mr and Mrs Anderson explained to Kurt about names and things to do with Cooper upset Blaine very much. They didn't know what to do so they went back to Dr Criss. He suggested an animal of some kind would help cheer the young boy up and get him to relax more.

So that's what Kim and Tomas were doing. Standing outside the room of their only son with a Pug in their arms and both too scared to enter.

“Blaine, sweetheart” Kim said through the door “can we come in?” both adults held their breathe outside, the puppy waggling its tail. They heard the boy grab some tissues, blow his nose and a snuffled ‘yes' before the enter.

The sight of the dog for Blaine was shock. He had always wanted a dog but mess was not a thing the Andersons wanted a lot off but I suppose drastic times course for drastic measures.

“Now we all know what a tough time you have been having lately with just about graduating and no collage or future planned-”

“Tomas!”

“Sorry” Blaine looked between them, eyes red from crying and trying his best to rub them dry “Anyway your mother and I went back to the Doctor and she suggested a puppy. We remember how you liked Nana's old pug even though you were about five I mean you and Cooper would not leave that thing alone.” He laughed to himself before realising what he had said. Kim looked at Tomas and then to Blaine, she expected him to scream, to yell, to shout but he was looking at the pug.

“We haven't named her. We thought you might like to.” Kim took the Pug from her husband's arms and placed it in Blaine's. He immediately nuzzled it against his face and the puppy licked his cheek, a loud ‘woof' banging off the walls instead of years of regrets and unfulfilled tasks in tears and sobs. Blaine couldn't help but laugh. He actually laughed for the first time in 12 months. Sure he had had good days when he would get dressed up for a date with Kurt and go out but all he would do is smile, and it wasn't real. But this. This laugh was genuine and Kim would have gladly paid millions for him to laugh like that for the previous year.

*

Kurt of course was jealous because Blaine had cried to the dog for an hour everyday which wasn't healthy but he would get up at 6 in the morning, go for a run with Bailey (the Pug) come back, have breakfast, shower, have a little cry go to Kurt's apologise again and again for hurting him, they would go on dates and shows and when the time was right Blaine opened up to Kurt and he freely answered any questions he had on Cooper.

“So I see that Bailey really helped” Kurt mumbled, going in to sip his hot chocolate hoping Blaine did and didn't hear at the same time. They were in Ney York, winter. Perfect time for hot chocolate. It had been a year since Bailey was introduced and in that time Kurt had moved to the big apple, got a job working on the set of Broadway, helping design and set the stage, he had small roles in performances of which he was glad and he honestly thought he wouldn't. He hadn't moved after graduation because Blaine was a year behind but by the time he was ready to leave the incident struck and even though they weren't connected properly they were still together and Kurt wanted to be there for Blaine. Through better or for worse right?

Blaine turned his head to look at his boyfriend of 3 years, the bench was cold and he couldn't feel his fingers, the park they were at was empty apart from the snow around the ground and the occasional sound of a robin. It was only a few days from Christmas.

“Kurt” the boy turned and met his lovers gaze, iris' connecting “I'm sorry I didn't open up to you, or tell you how much it hurt it's just so much easier when someone can't talk back and doesn't judge you-”

Kurt put his free hand up “Blaine do you honestly think I, a person who lost their Mum at the age I needed her most, would judge my, my boyfriend for crying over his late brother?” Kurt's eyes were full on puppy and his eyebrows almost connected in a questioning and confused way.

“No Kurt it's just” he took Kurt's cup and placed it on the ground before turning back to him and taking his hands “I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you, physically” Kurt went to comment but Blaine stopped him “I did and I'm so sorry and you think I don't trust you but I do, I do but without Bailey I would still be a mess, without you right now I would be a mess. The point I'm making is I need you both in different ways. I need you when I can talk, and when I need support and when I want chocolate from the store at 5am” Kurt gave a weak laugh looking at their joined hands “and I need her when I rant, it's stupid but I think she can hear me and I can't thank her or you enough for getting me through this. This is the first day in two years I have gone without crying. Now if you start breaking up with me or crying for some reason then we will break this day.” Blaine laughed and looked where Kurt's gaze was fixed on their fingers, warming each other up.

“I know” Kurt said still fixated by Blaine's hands attached to his “I know it's silly but I kinda wanted to be the person you rant to”

Blaine tilted Kurt's chin up with his hand gently till their eyes met “It's not silly.” He leaned in and kissed Kurt with some passion and meaning before pulling away to rest their foreheads together. During their kiss Blaine's hand had managed to slip round Kurt's neck, lightly stroking the hair there, their foreheads now leaning against each other and looking down trying to catch their breath.

“Move in with me” Kurt whispered, blinking his eyes up to meet Blaine's. He sealed the agreement with a soft peck of the lips followed by

“I'll pack Bailey's stuff straight away” which earned him a well-deserved hit on the arm, and another after knocking over Kurt's hot chocolate all over the snowy ground.

*

“Why does it take so long to put Oscar to sleep. His sister happily totters to bed with her blanket and warm milk, seriously though a six year old shouldn't have milk, what if she was like me, I was obsessed with milk for years after having it in a bottle for years and then_”*
“Kurt stop with the fussing will you.” Blaine was in bed, glasses parked on the edge of his nose, book in hand, under covers.

“I know but I mean they do have the same gene in the mother aspect and-” He was cut off by a dog barking. Bailey.

“Hey Bailey.” Kurt said walking over to Blaine's side of the bed and sitting by his feet “Why all the fuss eh?” He began stroking the Pug from ears to tail several times to try and calm the dog, he was getting very nervous and both men knew why.

“Blaine I think a storm is coming. He always knows. How come you always know?” Kurt asked, puppy talking the last question. Over the years Kurt and Bailey had grown closer, not as close as Blaine and Bailey of course but still very good friends.

“Put him in the music room it's sound proof he won't hear a thing” Blaine said turning over a page in his book.*
“Fine.” Kurt went to pick up Bailey but the dog ran to Blaine, his face blocking the paper.*
“Bailey, you're kind of in the way. Look I'll take you ok?” He knew she wouldn't answer but over the years of two children and a dog neither men cared if the other spoke baby or asked a dog a question or talk to her. Some days, only some, about twice a year Kurt would come home to Blaine on the sofa with Bailey, crying into her fur, the children screaming somewhere in the house. These days were the anniversary of Coopers death and one or two odd dates in the year. But Kurt never judged when Blaine would talk to Bailey like a human just like he was then.*
He picked up the beige pug and carried her to the music room on the bottom floor. “It's for your own good Bailey” she whined a few times but for the past few storms over the last three years the men had discovered the music room held wonders for Bailey in storms.

He entered the cushioned walled room, shut the door and took her bed from the cupboard, put down a bowl with some biscuits in and then left while she was busy munching.

“She is a silly dog” Blaine commented when entering the bedroom, Kurt was just pulling on his pj bottoms when Blaine danced his arms around Kurt's waist and hummed words of joy in his ears “you know the dogs down stairs, Oscar and Jessica are sound asleep, I wouldn't bother putting those on if I were you.” The words were purred.

“Mm, well I have my top on already and taking my bottoms off-”

Kurt was interrupted by the sound of glasses smashing downstairs, the vibrations moved up through the house to the landing in less than a jiffy and the walls, the floor, everything was shaking.

“Kurt get the kids” Blaine let go of Kurt and followed him down the stairs, the family pictures falling as they went, glass dug into Kurt's foot but he limped his way quickly into Oscars room, pulled him out his cot and back to the landing, shielding his sons head he called out to Blaine.

“Blaine! Blaine do you have Jessica?” Right then Blaine came out of her room with Jessica in blood.

“Kurt it's ok it's my blood” Blaine shouted over the crashing gesturing for them to hurry down the stairs.

Kurt shoved open the front door, breathing the air tightly while running far from the house, roof tiles were falling off quickly and sharply. Once both men and children were away from the house the ground was still shaking, a whole minute had passed, when was this going to stop?

“Bailey?” Blaine said, looking to kurt, his hand was covered in blood which had dried on Jessica's head. The shaking stopped. Crashing was still to be heard all around.

“Jessica stay with your dad ok, I'll be right back” He put down his daughter and looked at Kurt.

“Blaine you can't go baby it's not safe, after shocks, wall damage, I bet she's fine you can't risk your life for her!”

“Kurt she saved mine. I have to try and save hers.” He grabbed Kurt's face and kissed him quickly before running back through the open door. The kitchen wall had collapsed, causing dust to paint the whole house.

“Bailey?” Blaine covered his mouth, choking. “Bailey!” He scrunched up his eyes trying to make his way through the living room to the door on the other side.

He pulled the door open quickly, his baby dog was cowering in the corner, her eyes wide with fright and looking straight at Blaine. “Bailey.” He began to move closer but the door slammed shut behind him, the walls trembled again, not as much force but the piano began to rock, the cupboard swung open, all his kit falling on him.

“Dad, what's Father doing in there?” Jessica asked, taking his other hand that wasn't supporting a crying baby boy. His and Blaine's crying baby boy.

“He's saving Bailey Jess.” Kurt swallowed his tears. Be brave, you have to be brave for the children.

“What just happened?” She asked looking at the house, head tilted to the side.

Kurt didn't have a chance to answer as an aftershock rode through the ground. Kurt bent down, covering Jessica's and Oscar's face.

The piano was sliding…it was and Blaine knew what was going to happen, it began to tilt, to fall, the shadow looming on Bailey…the last thing he saw was his Bailey look him straight in the eye. All the years all the tears they had gone through together, she was only ten, she still had five more years to go. All the hate they had gone through together, everything, it was like Cooper. Sudden and not enough time to say goodbye, just one second of apology in his look. He filled his love in his eyes, the second seemed to go on forever. The eyes just pleading, the eyes forgiving before Blaine's eyes blacked out, Bailey looming in his brain before it switched off.

Kurt held his babies in place until the 10 second after shock had finished, more dust has escaped from surrounding houses and his…old home. He looked up, tears were about to fall as he whispered “Blaine”