Prologue:
Two little brunette girls sat together playing in the sand at the park. Other children were running and playing around them, but both were content to quietly play together.
"Lizzie," five-year-old Annabella La Grace looked at her four-year-old little sister, Elizabeth. "When I'm growed up, I'm moving far away from here. Going to live in a big, big city with lots of peoples. I'm gonna have tall buildings and everybody's gonna have to do what I tell 'em cause I'm the boss."
Elizabeth smiled at her sister. "Of course you are, Bella. You'll be the bestest boss ever cause you're the bestest sister ever."
"That's true, Lizzie, that's very true." Bella looked around the playground before noticing her sister staring at a group of little boys over by a tree playing.
"What are you gonna do when you growed up, Lizz?"
"Oh! I'm gonna marry Burt Hummel cause he's the cutest boy ever. We're gonna have pretty babies, Bella, lots of pretty babies. I'm gonna be the bestest mommy ever, too." Elizabeth's bright blue eyes glowed as she watched Burt chase after the other boys in a game of tag.
"Burt Hummel! Why you gonna marry him? He's always dirty, Lizzie," Bella huffed.
"S'not dirt, Bell! He works with his daddy sometimes at their car shop. He's gonna build me a car someday, he told me." Lizzie shot her sister one of her patented 'you're stupid' looks.
"Whatever, Lizz." Bella rolled her eyes. "I guess I can come back for your wedding, if you ask me nice and all. I might even come back and see some of your babies but mostly you can just send me the pictures. I'm gonna be super busy bossing peoples around, ya know."
"Okay Bella."
Seventeen years later…
"Burt! Burt!" Bella yelled out as she hurried down the hall. "Where the hell is my sister, Hummel?"
"Calm down, Annabella! Elizabeth's just gone into labor early. It happens. I just came out here to wait for you so we can go back together."
"She better be fine, Hummel. I'm holding you personally responsible for the care of my sister and godchild. So help you God if anything ever happens to either one of them!"
"Bella," Burt groaned, "Do we have to do this every single time we see each other? I love Elizabeth, I'm not gonna let anything happen to her or my child."
"You just see that you keep your word on that." Bella narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her nose as she looked around the hospital waiting room. "Well? Don't just stand there being useless! Take me to my sister!"
Burt rolled his eyes before leading his sister-in-law down the hall to the maternity ward. Not even Annabella La Grace was going to overshadow his happiness today.
Several hours later, Burt gently kissed his wife and told her what a good job she did on their baby boy. They both looked over at Bella who was holding the baby by the window.
"Little boy, I'm your Auntie Bella." She stared down at the precious little face, as pretty as a flower, and smiled. "I'm going to buy you lots and lots of things to make up for the awful name your parents have given you, don't you worry."
"Bella!" Elizabeth gasped in fake astonishment. "There is nothing wrong with his name. Now bring me my son. I want to hold my pretty baby."
Bella placed her godson in his mother's arms and his eyes immediately opened wide.
"He's got your eyes, Lizzie." Burt kissed the boy's downy head softly.
"That's okay honey, everything else he got from you." She smiled down at her son. "That's right, my beautiful baby Kurt, you got your daddy's nose, didn't you?" The baby smiled or had gas – you never knew with babies.
"Alright, Elizabeth," Bella stood near her sister, fidgeting. "I'm off. Places to go, people to see. I'll be back to see you both in a month or so. You have the computer and camera equipment I sent you hooked up, right?"
"Yes, Bell." Elizabeth smiled up at her big sister fondly.
"Good. So, lots of pictures and videos of this little one. Don't forget!"
"I won't. Be careful out there."
"I'll be fine. You just take care of you and the boy here." Bella placed a kiss on her nephew's head and then on her sister's. She smirked and rolled her eyes at Burt. "I got my eye on you Hummel! Take care of my family."
"My family, too," he muttered under his breath. Burt brightened as he watched his sister-in-law leave. Turning back to Lizzie he smiled hugely, "I thought she'd never leave!"
Elizabeth laughed. "Honey, I know my sister can be… rough around the edges, but she loves us in her own way. Be nice."
Eight years later…
Burt waited as the phone began to ring. This was not a call he ever wanted to make and his heart was already broken. Now he had to break the heart of the only woman he actually feared in this world. He heard the line pick up.
"Go for Bella… who is this?"
"B-Bella… it's B-Burt," his voice broke and tears streamed down his face. "She's gone, Bell," he whispered. "She's gone… I'm all alone… me and K-Kurt, we don't… don't know what to do…" Burt sobbed.
"I'll be there in an hour, Burt. Just-just go hold Kurt. I'll be there."
Burt nodded his head even though she couldn't see him. When the line disconnected he put the phone down and climbed the stairs. Kurt was lying on the big bed and he turned a splotchy, damp little face to his dad as he came into the room. Burt crawled onto the bed next to his son and held him tight. The two of them cried themselves to sleep.
….
It must have been a few hours later because Burt could tell the sun had changed position in the sky. He reached for his son but Kurt was not there. He heard voices downstairs.
Managing to drag himself down to the kitchen, he stopped short when he turned the corner. Kurt was sitting on a chair eating a sandwich while Bella was heating up some soup on the stove. In that moment she looked so much like his Lizzie, he didn't realize the sobs breaking free where even coming from him.
Annabella heard the intake of breath and turned to watch Burt crumble completely. Her normal, stoic facade faltering as she reached for him before he hit the ground. Angling her body so that Kurt wouldn't see his father like this, she started to lead Burt into the living room.
"Eat your sandwich, Kurt. I'll be right back, okay?"
"Yes, Auntie Bella."
Once Bella had Burt seated on the couch, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Alright, Hummel. You're gonna have to pull yourself together, you hear me?" She waited for him to nod before she continued. "You've got a terrified little boy in the other room who needs you to get it together."
"I don't know how…" he whispered.
"Well, we'll have to figure it the hell out! I'm assuming you're moderately intelligent since you're not living in squalor, so use your damn brain." Her voice was a little harsher than she intended but she took a deep breath before saying, "That boy needs his father more than ever. You're gonna have to be his everything now, and then his champion later. Lord knows this backwards ass town isn't gonna treat him well. He needs to learn to be strong, and you're gonna have to teach him."
"I can't…" Burt whispered, despairing. He looked at Bella as if she had all the answers… and maybe she did. "I can't do this without…"
Bella cut him off quickly. "Yes you can, damn it! My sister saw something special in you since she was four years old and you are not going to prove her wrong. Now, I'll give you twenty-four hours. You go upstairs, lock the door, and exorcise your demons however you need to. But at the end of that time, you're gonna come down here and take care of your family."
Burt looked at Bella, really looked at her for the first time in forever. He could see the resemblance between her and his beloved Lizzie, but he could see the differences, too. Burt knew Bella had tremendous love for her sister and was just barely keeping it together herself, but shouldering the job of forcing him back on his feet showed strength of character he didn't know she possessed.
Burt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed as he turned to go back upstairs.
Once in his room, he stripped down to his boxers and tee shirt before crawling under the covers. He hugged Elizabeth's pillow tight, burying his face and inhaling her scent.
"I'm gonna cry now, Lizzie, and then I'm gonna take care of our baby. I won't let you down, I promise. But… if you could help keep me from doing something stupid, ya know, I'd sure appreciate it," he said out loud to the empty room.