A/N: This is a pre episode 6x10 reaction fic. So basically, it will spoil a GIANT plot point. RUN AWAY QUICKLY if you are avoiding spoilers. Consider this your "I told you so" if you do not heed the warning.


"Excuse me, Mr. Anderson-Hummel?"

Blaine spun around to find Jane, addressing him somewhat hesitantly. He smiled at the sight of the girl.

"Jane, I'm not your glee club director. You don't have to be so formal with me. Heck, I know you call Kurt 'Kurt,' and he IS your director. I think you can safely call me 'Blaine.'"

Jane shuffled uncomfortably.

Blaine, frowning, asked her, "Jane? What's wrong?"

"Well you see, Mr. - I mean, Blaine - I got a text from one of the friends I made at my short time at Dalton on my way to rehearsal, and I thought he was just messing with me because he tends to do that, so I Googled, and... I really think you should see this." She tapped the screen of her cell phone a few times and held the device out to Blaine.

Curious, he accepted the phone and noted that a video was playing. It was of a building entirely overtaken by fire, thick black smoke obscuring the structure's identity.

"I don't - what does this have to do with me?"

Wordlessly, Jane reached out turned up the volume.

"We are standing here today at the site of Dalton Academy in Westerville, which as you can see is completely engulfed in flames. Fire departments from as far away as Dublin have responded to help the WFD control the blaze.

"The four alarm fire started in the sciences area of the building and quickly spread throughout the entire educational area of the school. The dormitories are several hundred feet away from the main building and have not been affected, though fire officials are worried that if today's strong winds continue, they may be in danger. Separate teams are keeping them doused with water in an effort at damage control.

"The Dalton administration believes that all students and faculty are accounted for, but a final headcount is being conducted in the parking area as I speak. The school is expected to be a complete loss. It is unknown at this time if arson is a factor in the blaze, but we will keep you updated as we know more. Back to you, Ken."

Blaine's entire arm went limp, nearly dropping the cell phone. Jane rescued it from him and looked at him with concern.

"Blaine? Are you okay?" She tapped him gently on the shoulder. "Blaine? Oh crap."

Spencer and Roderick came up behind the pair. "Damn, girl, what did you do to him?" Spencer asked. He waved his hand in front of Blaine's face. "It's like he's catatonic or something."

Roderick considered the situation. "I think we need to get Kurt. He's the only one who will know what to do." He spun around and hurried off into the choir room office, where Kurt could be seen talking with Rachel before the rehearsal was to begin. After a few moments of quick discussion with Roderick, Kurt nearly tripped as he hurried out the door into the choir room.

"Blaine? Honey?" He grabbed onto Blaine's arm, trying to get him to respond to him, but the only change came in the form of tears streaking down Blaine's face.

"Oh my god, Blaine, baby, I'm here." Kurt sat in a nearby chair and pulled Blaine into his lap. Something seemed to snap in Blaine and he wrapped himself around Kurt, sobs wracking his whole body.

"Shh, shh, sweetie, it's okay, you're okay." Kurt looked up at the worried faces of the New Directions that had gathered around the two. Rachel had entered the room by then, and for once was keeping a low profile, obviously very concerned about Blaine, but allowing Kurt to care for his husband himself without interference.

"Can someone please tell me what in the HELL happened here?" Kurt asked, his calm facade threatening to break.

The new generation of New Directions had never faced a crisis of this level before and had no idea how to handle the situation. Spencer, being his blunt self, blurted out, "Dalton is toast. Burned to the ground."

Kurt blanched. He couldn't fathom such a thing. Tears immediately began to flow from his own eyes, and he squeezed his husband just a little bit tighter. Like a newsreel, scenes from his time at Dalton played in his head. He was only there for a short period of time, but the changes the school and the people there had made in his life were vast.

The staircase.

The hallway.

The senior commons.

The lounge decorated for Christmas.

The senior commons, again.

The staircase...

Kurt felt a small hand rifling through his pocket and withdrawing his keys. He didn't know who had done it, and he didn't care. Kurt could hear said person mumbling to someone else, and a deeper voice reply, but he could comprehend nothing.

"Come on, Kurt, let's go," Rachel (who must've been the owner of the hand in his pocket) said, gently nudging his arm to catch his attention. He carefully dislodged Blaine from his lap and steadied him on the ground. Blaine immediately snuggled back into his side, and wordlessly, Kurt pointed himself and Blaine in the direction she led them.

As they left the room, Kurt could hear a voice.

"What's the big deal, anyway? It's just a school."

A second voice answered the first. "It's not just a school. Have you not heard the great love story of Kurt and Blaine? They're practically legends at Dalton. It all began in November of 2010..."


After escorting Kurt and Blaine into the tiny little apartment they had rented together after the wedding and settling them into their bedroom, Rachel asked Kurt with a glance if they'd be okay by themselves. Nodding slightly, Kurt dismissed his best friend and she left their home, shutting the door with a nearly silent click.

The tears had since stopped coming, but the grief in the room was palpable. So many wonderful memories had been formed at Dalton, and the fact that they would no longer be able to visit there whenever they wanted to remember them in person was unthinkable.

Both men laid in silence in their gradually darkening room for what felt like days, each drawing comfort from the other's embrace. When only a sliver of daylight remained in the sky, Blaine finally spoke up.

"I have to go there, Kurt," he croaked, his voice scratchy and rough from crying. "I have to see it."

Kurt hesitated. "I don't know, Blaine. It's going to be really hard to see Dalton just... not existing anymore. I don't know if I'll be able to handle it."

For the first time since he had heard the news, Blaine became animated. He sat straight up in the bed, shrugging himself out of Kurt's arms, and looked at his husband pleadingly. "Kurt, you don't understand. I have to go. I know the place meant something to you and a LOT to us as a couple, but you're forgetting that I was there for a couple of years before you." He crawled into Kurt's lap and grasped both of Kurt's hands with both of his own. Looking Kurt directly in the eyes, he went on. "I healed from Sadie Hawkins there. I came out of my shell and was HAPPY there. I met so many people there that I will be proud to call friends for the rest of my life. The Warblers were my surrogate family. And then the most beautiful boy I had ever seen came through Dalton's doors and stole my heart for good..." Blaine smiled wistfully. "For those years of my life, Dalton meant EVERYTHING to me. It was my life. And now..." He took a deep breath. "I need to go, Kurt. And I need you to go with me."

Kurt couldn't help but see the combination of determination and anguish in his love's eyes. There was no way he could deny whatever Blaine needed for the grieving and healing processes to begin. Dalton wasn't a person, but Blaine was mourning the loss just the same. And Kurt knew he was too, so he acquiesced. "Okay, sweetie. We'll go. As soon as we hear that the fire is totally out, we'll go."


It was several days later before Blaine and Kurt felt emotionally ready to make the trip to Westerville and see Dalton's final resting ground. Kurt made it a point not to look until he had parked his Navigator around the corner out of immediate sight of the building. He cut the engine and walked around to the other side to open Blaine's door for him.

The first thing that hit him when he exited the vehicle was the acrid smell of burnt... well, everything. The odor completely overpowered any scent that the flora around them would be able to produce. It would permeate every fiber of the clothing they wore that day, not allowing them to forget that horrible scene any time soon.

Kurt felt a cold, clammy hand slip into his, and grasping it tightly, they walked around the corner and through the trees that had been obscuring their view of the school. The moment they laid eyes on Dalton, they stopped dead in their tracks. Kurt gasped, covering his mouth with the hand that was not currently in Blaine's death grip, and Blaine choked out a sob that broke Kurt's heart.

Both men had heard that the situation was grim, but neither were quite prepared for the sight before them that day.

Dalton lay in a pile of what was little more than rubble. Wisps of smoke still lazily curled up into the sky. Kurt could see the remnants of what was a study table in the senior commons; he couldn't breathe for a moment when he wondered to himself if that charred piece of wood was their table. A pile of ornately scrolled wrought iron and glass shards was all that was left of the beautiful glass domed ceiling over the circular staircase.

The staircase...

Kurt couldn't help but fight back tears when he thought of everything that just that stairwell meant to both of them.

Kurt made to move a little closer but found himself anchored in place by Blaine, who still seemed to have no intentions of letting go of his hand. Blaine's jaw was dropped slightly as he stared at his former home in disbelief.

"It's... it's gone, Kurt." He bent down to pick up a burnt, black stick at his feet and turned it in his hand. He gulped when it literally crumbled in his grip. "It's just... gone."

Kurt gently but firmly removed his hand from Blaine's and pulled his husband into his arms. "I know, baby."

"This place was my whole LIFE. This school saved me in so many ways, and I feel so goddamn helpless that I couldn't do anything to save it." Blaine buried his face in the crook of Kurt's neck, where the warmth and comforting scent of him was the strongest. Yet another round of tears made their way down his reddened cheeks; he was so tired of crying, but he didn't feel as if he would be able to stop any time in the near future.

"Maybe you can," a familiar voice behind the two men said. Kurt and Blaine spun around only to find Nick Duval, one of their fellow former Warblers.

"Nick!" Blaine said with just the teeniest bit of excitement in his voice. It was the first spark that Kurt had seen in his husband since the day Dalton caught fire.

"I know it seems a bit crass to say this right now, but it is so good to see you. I'm sorry I missed your wedding, but as I understand, it was kind of spur of the moment?" Kurt and Blaine both nodded. "I wish you both a very happy life together."

"Thanks," Blaine said sadly. He turned back to the disaster in front of him and sighed a great big sigh. "What a mess."

Nick nodded. "Well, the good news is that Dalton can and will be rebuilt. I'm part of the Dalton Alumni Council, and we actually just had a meeting in the dorms to discuss what is to happen now. Obviously the kids will have to find other schools - Kurt, your New Directions may end up seeing a surge in membership since I'm sure some of them will end up at McKinley."

Kurt hadn't thought of that. That was definitely good news for his team.

"But anyway, we also had an opportunity to scan the debris and see if there was anything salvageable. As you can guess, there really wasn't anything substantial to save, but as a good friend of you both, there was one thing I was able to grab that I think you might want. Can you guys come with me, please?"

Intrigued, Blaine and Kurt followed Nick to the front entrance of the dormitories. He stopped them right at the door and leaned inside. "John?" he called out. "Can you help me with that thing real quick?"

Nick and John carried out a large slab of tan... something.

Kurt frowned as he stared at it. After a few moments, a look of recognition slowly crossed his face. "Is that...?"

Nick nodded. "Yep, it is!" he said with a grin.

Blaine looked a bit lost. "I don't get it."

"It's a step from the staircase, honey."

"It's the fourth step from the bottom. And if I listened to you retelling the stories often enough, it is the same exact step that you stood on when you two met and when Blaine proposed," Nick added.

Kurt was so blown away by this incredible find that he didn't immediately notice the strangled gasp or the look of pain coming from his husband.

"Oh my god, that is incredible! Blaine, isn't that - Blaine?"

Blaine turned and walked quickly away from Kurt and Nick, obviously fighting the tears that threatened to break loose.

Before Kurt went to his husband, he discreetly handed his keys to Nick and asked them to load it in the back of his car as inconspicuously as possible. He had no idea what he would do with it, but he knew that there was no way he would leave such an important memento of their history together at Dalton behind.


Several Years Later

"Kurt, I still don't understand why you wouldn't let me help with the remodel of the foyer. I've seen it before - I helped you pick out the house, remember?"

Kurt stood outside the door of the house that he and Blaine had just purchased together. They were doing well in their chosen careers and had finally been able to make the leap into home ownership. Kurt, being the design diva that he was, had to make sure it was just so, and while Blaine was very interested in doing his part to make their new house their home, he was just as interested in saving his own skin, so there were times where he deferred to Kurt. And this was one of those times.

But he was done waiting.

"Trust me, Blaine. This was something I needed to do for myself. I think you'll really like what I've done with it, though. Come on!" Kurt held out his hand, which Blaine, as always, was happy to take.

With a flourish, Kurt opened the door to their home and gently tugged Blaine over the threshold.

"Wow, Kurt, it's beautiful!"

And it really was. The foyer, which in its previous life was painted a country blue with mauve accents (and made Kurt cringe every time he thought of it), was painted a warm beige with just a hint of texture. The wainscoting and moldings were a rich cream color, and the mirror above the bench was trimmed in a dark stained wood for contrast.

"You did an incredible job, honey. I think this is some of your best work yet."

Kurt looked at his husband expectantly, bouncing on his feet the whole time. "Don'tcha notice something?"

Blaine scanned the room again. The coat tree, the table with the small bowl for keys, the bench...

The bench. The seat was made from the granite step he and Kurt had been presented with at the Dalton site. He breathed in sharply and ran his hand over the cool, smooth surface.

"You saved it," Blaine said, slightly awed.

"I did," Kurt affirmed. "You were in a fragile state that day, so I had Nick and his friend put it in my Navigator where you wouldn't see it while I went after you. I couldn't leave it behind, it was just too important. When we got home I put it away in Dad's garage until I figured out what to do with it. And this was it. What do you think?"

Blaine was floored. "I - I don't know what to say..."

Worried, Kurt began to fidget like a child who wasn't quite sure if he had done something wrong. "But you do like it, don't you?"

Blaine reached out and pulled his husband into his arms. "I do. I really do. You've done some wonderful things for me over the years, but this has got to be one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. I'm kinda dumbfounded..."

"Did you read it?" Kurt asked, a bit nervously.

"Read it?" Blaine broke away from Kurt to take a closer look and saw that the hint of gold he had seen earlier was actually an engraved plate attached to the top of the step.

Better than I was,

More than I am,

And all of this happened

By taking your hand.

November 9, 2010

"The date, it's the - "

"Day we met," Blaine finished. "I took your hand and led you down that - "

"Non-existent shortcut," Kurt interrupted.

"And fell in love with you right there. If only I had known then."

"Thank goodness you didn't. I think we're better people for having done this in exactly the way we did."

"I do too."

Kurt draped his arms over Blaine shoulders and drew him close. Blaine snaked his arms around Kurt's waist and squeezed tightly.

"Welcome home, Blaine."

"Welcome home, Kurt."


A/N #2. So...a third fic from me. Amazing. Three might be it for awhile, now, though. And apologies for what will surely become a cliche' title once the episode actually airs. I'm crap at coming up with titles for stuff so I just kinda grabbed it and ran. I hope you liked the actual fic itself.