"Should we toast o Judge Lockhart?" Kurt held up his beer, clinking glasses with her red wine.
"Aren't you being a bit hasty?"
"I don't think so, just trying to bring good luck." Kurt took a sip of his beer and looked over at his fiancée. Even through the smile and the make-up, Kurt could see how tired Diane had become. All week the woman had been on edge about this campaign, and for good reasons. She would rush home from work to catch the polls on the news and every morning wake up early to see if there was any change. Constantly she was being pulled left and right by Kalinda or Eli as they dug up her past. Some nights she had not been able to sleep at all due to the worrying and stress. One percentage drop for Peter and she would act like it was the end of the world. Not to mention having to fire her house keeper for writing fanfiction, Diane was heartbroken over that.
He stayed in his place, on the sideline. Kurt would help out when he could and as the Election Day came closer and closer, he was needed more and more. Some days it would be nothing more than making dinner, taking Justice on a walk, or running errands. Other days he would have to leave his work or a case behind to console her. It was nothing major, but for the past few months he made sure he was there for her, helping her through the rough patches. Finally though, only one more day of chaos, and finally they could both relax.
"Remember to vote early tomorrow," Diane reminded him as she looked over the menu, deciding on what to order. But then, she paused and locked eyes with Kurt. "Who are you voting for?"
"That's personal."
"You're not really going to vote for Kresteva…are you?" The worried look was back in her eyes again, that same look she had when watching poll updates on the news.
"Diane, who do you think I am?"
"Oh my god, you are!"
He was not sure whether to laugh or stay serious. "I can honestly say for the first time in my life, I'm voting for a democrat." He must really love this woman. Obviously voting for Peter because was a vote for Diane, but Kurt actually liked the guy too. He seemed much less of a fake compared to Kresteva.
"I'm sorry, I'm…," she looked flustered, a bit dazed from lack of sleep, "I've been waiting a long time for this-"
"I know," he leaned forward, taking her hand in his, squeezing it gently to reassure her. Suddenly going out to dinner seemed like an idiotic idea. "Do you want to head back to the apartment? Order Chinese or something?"
"Sounds wonderful." Kurt could not help smiling after hearing her tone becoming more relaxed. However, as they put on their coats and Kurt paid for their drinks, Diane's blasted cell phone went off.
"I hate that thing," Kurt pointed to the small object in her hand.
"It's probably nothing," Diane quickly pulled the phone to her ear, "Alicia? Wait, what about voter fraud? You'll have to speak up." For a moment, she looked over at Kurt and he knew there was trouble. "Yes, right…call Kalinda…and Will." She hung up the phone and did not say anything for a moment, but Kurt could see she was figuring out a way to apologize to him.
"Go, be a good lawyer," Kurt came over and helped her pull on her jacket.
"Thank you," she straightened out her coat and took a deep breath, already preparing herself for the court room battle. And then, just like that, she was off, practically running out the door. Kurt grabbed his own coat and left the other direction, to their apartment.
It was long past midnight when the house phone rang. Kurt was standing in the kitchen, keeping an eye on his dinner in the oven while listening to the radio. He had no idea what this sudden case was, something to do with voter fraud. It worried him that Diane rushed out the door so quickly without explaining what was happening. Then, for her to still be in court for over three hours. Something had to be terribly wrong. After another sip of his beer, he placed it on the counter and reached for the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Hey."
"We have a bit of a problem. It's going to take longer than I thought."
"Okay."
"It doesn't look like Peter is going to win." Kurt could hear Diane let out a long sigh on the other end of the phone.
"Where are you?"
"In my car. I'm supposed to be at another court room with Will and Alicia but…I needed to call you." Now the sighs turned into sniffles. Kurt rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. He wanted to be there with her, to help her in some way.
"Are you going to be okay?"
"What? Yeah, I-I'm fine…tired and I have a pounding headache," she paused for a moment, "and now I need to freshen up my make-up." It was obvious she was trying to hold back a sob.
"Okay."
"Okay, love you."
"You sure you don't need anything?"
"No, no." Diane cleared her throat, a sign to Kurt that she was putting her battle shield on again, "I have to go now."
"Bye." Kurt placed the phone down. He felt the urge to quickly call her back or get in the car and drive over to her. He wanted to force her to come home and call it quits for now, let Will and Alicia handle this case…but he did not do any of those things. No, Kurt took a sip of his beer and went back into the kitchen. They only had to go through twenty-four more hours. Just this last day and no matter what the results are, it would be over with and things could readjust again.
Sometime into the night, he heard the front door open. It had to of been her. Kurt lifted his head, the clock read five AM. Five hours since he last heard from Diane, and when they last spoke she was near breaking point. Now, he could not imagine the state she was in. When he realized she was not coming upstairs, Kurt pushed away the covers and planted his feet firm on the ground. He reached for his robe, pulling it over him before leaving for downstairs.
"Diane?" No answer. He scratched his head and walked into the living room. There was not a single movement. He could have sworn he heard the door open.
Then, he saw a pairs of heels, kicked off to the side of the room, followed by a purse, and finally a coat draped over the couch. Kurt walked further into the room, discovering Diane Lockhart passed out on their leather couch. Her hair was covering her face and she was clutching onto a pillow tightly as she slept so soundly. He thought about leaving her there, she looked too peaceful to disturb.
"Diane?" he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, however she did not budge. With a sigh, he walked over to the other side of the couch, sitting next to her. Once again he repeated her name, this time brushing a lock of hair away from her face.
"Mmhmm?" she opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the darkness.
"I'm taking you to bed."
"Aren't I in bed?" she asked, closing her eyes again.
"Not yet."
"We lost," Diane mumbled, not moving an inch.
"The polls don't open-"
"In court…we lost." He stayed quiet, knowing there was nothing he could say. Slowly, Diane sat up and let Kurt help her off the couch. He wrapped his arm around her as they walked up the steps, her head resting on his shoulder. Once she was in bed, he pulled off her stockings and dress, throwing them onto a chair. Diane found her way under the covers, instantly falling back to sleep again. Tomorrow they would talk about the case and the campaign. For now, he would get back into bed, wrap his arms around Diane, and let her sleep.