Never Say Goodbye

A week later, Kurt found himself leading a very hesitant Blaine into his childhood home.

"Kurt, is that you?" a deep voice called from the living room.

"Yes, Dad," Kurt replied, setting Blaine's worn, dark brown suitcase down. "We're here."

A loud grunt was the only reply he got, which made him smile as he knew the reason for the sound. He could picture his father struggling to close the footrest on the recliner chair so that he could come see them.

"Hey, Kiddo," Burt smiled at his son as he exited the living room and entered the front hallway. "How's Blaine doing?"

"You could ask him yourself," Kurt laughed, taking a step to the side to reveal the younger shaking boy behind him. Blaine looked up at Burt and his eyes widened in fear. Kurt sighed at Blaine's reaction and reached out to place a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying hard to ignore to painful stab to his heart when Blaine flinched at his touch.

"Blaine, it's okay," Kurt told him softly. "This is my dad, Burt Hummel. You've met him before. You both have spent many a hours talking about cars and football." Kurt smiled at the fond memories of his love bonding with his father.

"How are you doing, son?" Burt asked, extending a hand to Blaine, which he instantly shrank away from.

"It's okay, Blaine," Kurt said again. "He's not going to hurt you. He's always been like a father to you, a real father, one that has hugged you and comforted you, something of which I know your own father deprived you of. He loves you, Blaine. You're like part of the family here. There's nothing for you to be afraid of here."

Blaine mumbled something, but Kurt wasn't able to catch his words.

"What?" Kurt asked, furrowing his brows slightly.

"There's nothing for me to be afraid of?" Blaine repeated, almost bitterly, in a louder voice. "Of course, there's no reason for me to be afraid, you know, since I was brought against my will to a house that I've never seen before in my life that's full of people who I don't know, yet seem to know so much about me. But no, there's no reason to be afraid."

"Blaine-" Kurt started to say.

"No," Blaine cut him off sharply. "Please, just show me to my room, or wherever it is you're keeping me here. I just want to be alone."

Kurt sighed, his heart overflowing with pain as he bent down and picked up Blaine's suitcase again.

"It's upstairs," Kurt said softly. "Follow me."

"Like I have a choice," he heard Blaine mumble under his breath.

Seeing this side of Blaine hurt Kurt. Blaine was putting up walls, pushing him, as well as everyone else, away. Cooper had warned him that this might happen as that was exactly what Blaine had done after his previous hospital trip after the Sadie Hawkins Dance incident. It was only after he had been at Dalton for six months that he finally started to open up and let people in again. It was only then that Blaine started to sing again.

Kurt missed hearing Blaine's beautiful singing voice. It was one of the things that he had missed the most when he had left for New York. When Blaine sang, it was like as if Heaven (if Kurt were to believe in such a place) had opened up and its angels had started singing. His voice was the most magical and beautiful thing that he had ever heard. And now he might never hear it again.

"This is it," Kurt said as he pushed open the door to the guest bedroom and stepped into the room. "The bathroom is just down the hall to the left."

Kurt gently set Blaine's suitcase down again and went about folding back the bed sheets, wanting something to distract him so that he didn't have to look at Blaine. It hurt too much.

"You'll be sharing this floor with my parents and Finn, my stepbrother," Kurt continued. "He's really tall, which can be a little intimidating, but he really is the biggest teddy bear that you will ever meet."

"Where are you sleeping?" Blaine asked suddenly. Kurt slowly turned around to look at him where he was still standing in the doorway and saw a mixture of worry and accusation in his eyes.

"My room is down in the basement," Kurt explained, noticing how Blaine relaxed at his words.

He thought that I was going to sleep in the same bed as him, Kurt realized, which slightly hurt him. Just the idea of sharing a room with me makes him anxious. How am I ever going to help him regain his memory if he doesn't even want to be in the same room as me?

"Okay," Blaine replied, breaking eye contact with Kurt and moving farther into the room, over to the opposite side of the bed. "I don't need your help with this. I can do it by myself."

Is he talking about the bed or his life? Kurt wonder as he took a step away from the bed.

"Alright, well, I'll leave you to it then," Kurt said, taking a few steps towards the door, pausing slightly in the doorway. "Do you want me to come get you when dinner's ready?"

"I think I'm going to eat in here tonight, thank you," Blaine replied curtly, his back to Kurt.

"If that is what you wish," Kurt sighed, leaving the room. As he walked down the stairs, he heard the faint click of a door closing.

How am I supposed to help him if he won't let me? Kurt sighed as he headed for the kitchen. Maybe cooking would help clear his head.

"Hey, Carole," Kurt smiled at his stepmother who was stirring a pot on the stove. "Do you need any help?"

"You can cut those vegetables for me," Carole smiled back, turning slightly to look at him. Her quick eyes took in Kurt's hunched shoulders and sad eyes and her smile faltered slightly. "How are things going?"

"Not good," Kurt sighed, picking up a knife and a tomato, which he placed on the wooden cutting board and started to cut. "Blaine doesn't want to be anywhere near me and is basically shutting me out. I hate feeling like this. Every time he looks at me with a blank or fearful or even accusatory look, it's just like I'm being stabbed repeatedly in the heart."

Kurt realized that his hands were shaking, so he slowly set the knife down and turned to look at Carole, who was watching him with compassionate and understanding eyes.

"I love him, Carole," Kurt told her, trying not to cry. "I was going to forgive him the next time that he called, but he never did. And then when Cooper called, it felt like my heart had shattered in my chest. And that feeling happened again when Blaine didn't recognize me. What do you do when the love of your life doesn't remember you anymore?"

Carole set down the spoon that she was stirring with and went over to Kurt and took his hands in her own.

"You don't give up on him," Carole told him. "You stay with him, every step of the way. I know that it will be hard, but he does love you, Kurt. Love is not something that you can forget. Somewhere inside of him, he knows who you are and how he feels about you. You just need to help him find that place again. It will take time and patience, but be strong and I know that he will find his way back to you."

"Thanks, Carole," Kurt smiled softly as he threw his arms around her, feeling comfort when she embraced him as well.

"Your father and I will always be here to support you, Kurt," Carole replied, trying to blink away the tears in her own eyes so that Kurt wouldn't see them. Why did one so young have to deal with a heartache like this?

"Both of you," she continued. "Blaine's just as much part of this family as Finn and I are and we will do whatever we can to help you and him during this time."

"Thanks, Carole," Kurt said again, pulling away and wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm glad that my dad found such a wonderful woman like you."

Carole's heart swelled at Kurt's words. Though Kurt had always been accepting of her and his father's relationship, she knew that he would never see her as his mother, which she understood and she would never try to take Elizabeth's place, but Kurt's words had made her hopeful that maybe he was starting to see her as a mother-like figure in his life. She knew that she could never fill Elizabeth's shoes, but she wanted Kurt to know that she would always be there for him and care for him as if he were her own child.

"Ouch!" Kurt swore, pulling Carole out of her thoughts. He had returned himself to cutting his tomato and had nicked himself on the knife.

"Oh dear!" Carole exclaimed as she noticed the dark red liquid rolling down the side of his finger. "I'll go get the first aid kit!"

Kurt didn't hear her or notice her leave. He was too entranced by the warm liquid flowing across his skin.

Was this how Blaine felt when he... Kurt wondered. How could he have done that, carved my name... Kurt slowly shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

"You're hurt," a soft voice said, making Kurt open his eyes and turn towards the door. He smiled when he saw Blaine standing there.

"I just nicked myself while cutting up the vegetables," Kurt explained, motioning towards the cutting board behind him.

"Here, let me see," Blaine said, taking a step closer. He reached out for Kurt's hand, which Kurt instantly moved towards him. Kurt didn't watch Blaine's hand though. Kurt was watching Blaine's eyes. The golden honey orbs were full of concern and worry as he reached for Kurt's hand. His fingers were almost touching Kurt's when-

"I've got it!" Carole exclaimed, hurrying back into the kitchen with a small white container. Blaine instantly snatched his hand away and looked down at the ground, his body tensing in the presence of another new person.

"I'm okay, Carole," Kurt attempted a laugh to calm Blaine. "It was just a little nick. Blaine, this is Carole, my stepmother."

Carole looked up from where she was digging through the container at the table and noticed Blaine.

"Oh, Blaine, honey!" she smiled, though she made no move towards him. "We're so glad to have you back. You gave us all quite a scare, especially Kurt. He was worried sick about you."

Blaine didn't respond. He just watched Carole warily as she pulled out a large bandaid from the container and proceeded to bandage Kurt's finger.

"I know this must be scary for you right now, Blaine," Carole continued softly. "But please do know that all we want is to help you. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Our house is your house, Blaine. Whatever you need, it's yours."

"Can I have a glass of water?" Blaine asked after a moment of silence.

"Of course," Carole smiled, moving over to one of the upper cupboards and pulling out a glass. "Do you want cooler or tap water?"

"It doesn't matter," Blaine mumbled, avoiding Carole's eye contact.

Carole just nodded understandingly and moved over to the cooler and poured some water into the glass.

"Here you go, Blaine," Carole smiled, offering the glass to him, which he carefully took. "If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Blaine replied quietly, his eyes briefly flickering up to hers before they returned to the ground again. Blaine turned away to leave, but paused slightly in the doorway and glanced back at Kurt.

"I'm glad that you're okay," he said softly before turning away and leaving the room.

Kurt stared at the now empty doorway, hope filling his heart. Blaine had been worried about him!

Maybe things will work out alright, Kurt smiled to himself. Because somewhere, deep down inside of him, Blaine still loves me too.