Hi! :D This just kinda came to me one day, and I thought it was okay and not something you really read all the time. I don't like writing super-fluffy stuff because I'm just not good at it. Reviews would be awesome because I do wanna get better at writing, just be nice if you have something critical to say :P DISCLAIMER: Clearly, I do not own Glee. If I did, Klaine would have happened years ago. Just saying.
"Anyone home?" Blaine called in the rather large house. He heard the piano playing in the den and smiled to himself.
"In here, dad!" there was a pause in the music as his daughter greeted him happily. Blaine smiled wider and walked into the den, a small room with wooden floors and white walls hosting just a black baby grand piano.
"Willa, you sound fantastic," Blaine walked over to his fourteen year old daughter and kissed the top of her head.
"Thanks, dad," she said semi-softly, her focus on her favorite music piece from Wicked. "Oh, papa called. He finished at the studio early so he went to pick up Indian food,"
Blaine nodded and sifted through the mail that was on top of the piano, "Oh, good. You got Vogue and Nylon by the way." he set the magazines on the bench next to Willa, who nodded and pounded the keys to the final lines of "Defying Gravity".
Blaine made his way to the living room, shedding his jacket on his chair at the kitchen table. He had a read through of the musical he was doing, How To Succeed in Business. It didn't take long, but it was sure exhausting. He hadn't been in a show for about four months, so it was weird to get back into the swing of things. He flipped through his Details magazine as Willa finished her song in the den. She dragged her tired body into the living room and plopped herself down on the couch next to Blaine.
"How was school today?" Blaine asked, tossing his reading material aside.
Willa shrugged and played with the hem of her uniform skirt, "School. It's only November and I'm already so sick of it. Now that we're in high school, Gretchen and Allison are completely obsessed with boys. Even though we're in the same school as before! So I've been hanging out with Cory and Riker a lot. They seemed to mature over the summer," Willa finished with a laugh. She had been friends with Gretchen and Allison since Kindergarten and Cory and Riker since seventh grade when the three were in choir together. "Oh, and they're doing 'Grease' for the fall musical. I can't believe you are my father and put me in a school with such a crappy theater program."
Blaine laughed and put his arm around his daughter, "The academics are a lot better at Dalton than any other school,"
Willa visibly rolled her eyes, "You just wanted me to go to Dalton Prep because you went to Dalton Academy in Ohio, dad,"
"How many times do I have to tell you? It was a coincidence!"
Willa laughed and sat up, "Also, these uniforms suck!" she tugged at the navy blue sweater vest.
"Just live with it. I can guarantee Gretchen and Allison would be wearing miniskirts and tube tops every day if there was no uniform code," Blaine gave his freshman daughter a knowing look.
Willa went to protest but then realized she had no argument, "You win." she stood, pivoted on her heel and walked up the stairs.
"Don't forget the Knicks game tomorrow!" Blaine called after her.
"Yeah, yeah," he heard from the top of the stairs. Willa laughed, it was scary how alike she was to her father Kurt. Just as Blaine settled back into his seat and flipped on the news, his husband came in with food.
"The Indian place is under construction, so I got Sushi. I had no idea Yoko's did take out!" Kurt exclaimed from the kitchen. Blaine smiled at himself and got up to greet his high school sweetheart. "Hey! How was the read through?" Kurt kissed the shorter thirty-seven year old.
Blaine sighed, "You know how much I love read throughs. It was long and boring. Especially since we all know the show by heart. But, you do what you have to. You guys already your spring line?" Blaine helped his husband set out dinner while Willa bounded down the stairs in her bare feet.
"Almost. A couple more stitches, and then we're ready for fashion week!" Kurt smiled and kissed his daughter on the cheek, "Hey Hero,"
"You know, all the other girls in my grade have names like Genevieve, Jessica, Lauren, whatever. And then there's me: Willa Hero. I am so glad for my nerdy parents," she laughed and took a couple of California rolls from the container.
"So my parents come in tomorrow morning, and then you two and my dad are going to the Knicks?" Kurt asked, bringing three bottles of water to the table.
Willa nodded excitedly, "I am so stoked. Cory is super jealous by the way," she pointed a chopstick at Blaine, who laughed.
"Especially since we have court-side seats?"
The teenaged brunette almost choked, "What! Dad, you're the best!"
Blaine shrugged, "I know," he smirked, and high-fived his daughter.
"So what's it like having two dads?" Gretchen asked the next day at their lockers.
Willa glanced at her, "Normal? You can't tell me you're weirded out by the fact that I have two fathers. This is New York. Nothing should weird you out,"
Gretchen shrugged, "I mean, do you even know who your mom is?"
Willa rolled her eyes, "Yeah. She was a surrogate. Hey Gretchen?" she asked, stopping off to the side. Her blonde friend turned around with raised eyebrows, "What's it like having one dad and one mom?" she asked, annoyed.
The rest of the day, Willa stared at her watch, begging the day to be over. All she wanted to do was get to the game and watch the Knicks kick Maverick ass. When the final bell rang, Willa grabbed her stuff and raced to her locker. She made a mental check-list and did a victory fist pump when she realized she had nothing to do for school that weekend. Plugging in her iPod, she walked out of Dalton and walked the seven short blocks to the townhouse she lived with her parents. It took everything in her not to sprint through the door when she saw her Grandpa's truck outside.
"I'm home!" Willa said happily, shoving her iPod into her purse.
"Birthday girl!" her grandfather jogged towards her and lifted her in a bear hug. "You excited for tonight?" he asked once he set her down.
"Of course! Are Finn and Rachel coming tomorrow?" she asked, hopeful of her aunt and uncle's presence the next day.
"Yeah, I just got off the phone with Finn. They're so excited to see you," he put his arm around his granddaughter and led her to the kitchen table, "You got a bunch of stuff in the mail from all your dads' friends," Burt laughed.
Willa hoisted herself onto the counter and started sifting through the mail, "Willa, off the counter!" Kurt said, his eyes not leaving his sketch pad. Willa rolled her eyes and did as Kurt told her.
"Who's George and Maria Anderson?" Willa held up the envelope just as her grandmother, and Blaine came through the door with groceries.
"My parents!" Blaine said, his voice a mixture of anger, surprise and confusion.
"You have parents?" Willa chuckled, putting the envelope on the counter behind her, rifling through the rest of the cards and checks from family members and friends.
"Willa, can you do me a favor and open whatever it is you got from my parents?" Blaine asked, putting the food away in their rightful places.
His daughter nodded as Kurt flitted to her side, just as curious as Willa was.
"Dad why don't you ever talk about your parents?" Willa asked, reading the childish card and not noticing the check that fell to the ground.
"Your grandpa Anderson did not like the fact that Blaine was gay, and he completely cut off contact when we get married." Kurt rolled his eyes while Burt bent over and picked the check up.
"Holy crap!" Burt muttered, his eyes getting wide.
"What is it, Grandpa?" Willa asked. Burt handed the check to her and Willa's eyes grew wide. "Oh my god. Papa, look at this," she handed the check to Kurt who gasped, "A thousand dollars?" he turned to his husband who almost choked on his water and took the check from Kurt.
"Now that we all got over the shock that Willa actually heard from Blaine's parents, can I hug my only granddaughter?" Carole laughed and pulled the short brunette into her arms.
"Hi grammy," Willa laughed and hugged Carole back tightly.
They all stood in the kitchen, catching up on Blaine's show, Kurt's line and Willa's schooling. At about quarter after five, Willa excused herself to get ready for the basketball game. She dug around her closet until she found her skinny jeans, favorite Knicks jersey, and a white t-shirt to wear under her jersey. She slid her black Nike's on and bounced down the stairs from the top level which hosted her bedroom, the office, where Kurt worked in sometimes, a guest bedroom and two full bathrooms, one attached to each bedroom. Blaine and Kurt's room was on the second floor along with a music room and bathroom while the first floor was the kitchen, den, living room and the half-bath.
"Dad! Grandpa! Let's go!" Willa demanded from the bottom of the stairs. She heard laughter and footsteps before they all grabbed their coats and piled into Blaine's Range Rover.
"Nice living you got, buddy," Burt said as they buckled in.
"Thank you, sir. But don't worry, Willa won't be getting a phone until she's sixteen," he smirked at his daughter in the backseat who rolled her eyes. Gretchen's earlier words kept replaying in Willa's head, and Blaine could tell it was bugging her, "You okay, scout?"
The teenager sighed, "It's Gretchen. She asked me what it was like to have two dads. So I asked her what it was like to have one mom and one dad."
Burt laughed and high-fived his granddaughter from the front seat, "That's my girl!" Willa laughed and returned the slap before sitting back again.
"She's just so annoying! She's the first and only person to ask me something like that."
"Sweetheart, some people still don't approve of gay marriage. It's just something you're going to run into for a very long time, unfortunately. Just keep your wit, and you'll be fine." Blaine smiled in the review mirror at Willa, who returned her identical smile.
The car ride was an excited silence until they pulled up to Madison Square Garden. Willa practically jumped out of the car and ran for the entrance. She had been to many Knicks games before, but this was her first court-side game. Blaine and Burt caught up to the girl, laughing at her enthusiasm. "She's a perfect mix of you and Kurt," the older man told his son-in-law as they got into the gate, making their way towards their seats.
"Yeah, I have no idea how that happened. She's soft and gentle like Kurt, with his eyes. But she's witty and determined, with my height. I'm just glad she didn't get my unruly mess of hair. She got my color, but Kurt's texture." Blaine smiled and looked lovingly at his daughter.
"How did that happen anyway?" Burt asked, taking his seat on the other side of Willa, who was way too into pre-game practice to notice the conversation.
"We did samples from both me and Kurt. With the advancement in technology, she only got few attributes from the surrogate. But Lisa looks so much like Kurt, body, face shape, voice, that we weren't worried. We're so blessed with her though." Blaine planted a kiss on his daughter's hairline.
"Dad, let me watch!" she whined, wiggling away from her father. Blaine laughed and let Willa watch the players. The two men and Willa watched the game with great intensity, cheering when they scored and vocally showing their disappointment when they did something bad. In the end, the Knicks took the game 62 to 48. Willa was on a win-high and all she could talk about was the game and how great her favorite players did. Blaine agreed with her whole-heartedly and Burt threw in comments every once in a while. He liked basketball, but he was more of a football fan.
"Willa, it's still too early in the season to be talking about playoffs." Burt said with a laugh as Willa had just started a rampage about how the Knicks would take it all this year.
"I know I know, but I do that every time we win." the three laughed and joked all the way to the car. It was about half past nine, but Willa was exhausted. It was a long week at school full of tests and projects and stupid friends. Blaine shook her awake when they arrived back at their Manhattan home.
"Hey, Willa, wake up sweetheart." Willa rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"Sorry, long week." Blaine smiled and let her get out of the car. She walked into the living room and smiled at her family.
"You look tired, go to bed!" Carole offered, hugging her gently when she walked down the two steps towards the couch.
"No! The Knicks just won and my grandparents are here." she smiled and squeezed herself in between Kurt and Blaine.
"Rachel wants to take you shopping on Sunday!" Kurt said, sliding his arm around his daughter, and setting his hand on his husband's shoulder. Blaine smiled at ocean-eyed Kurt.
"Good! I can blow that grand your parents gave me, dad." she laughed and leaned against Kurt.
Blaine rolled his eyes, "It's their money, I don't care what you do with it."
Kurt and his parents laughed, "Why did they just decide to send money now though?"
Blaine sighed and put his calloused hand on his daughter's smooth and dark hair, "They probably just found out about you."
"You didn't tell them about me?" Willa lifted her head from Kurt's shoulder and looked at her dark-haired dad.
"I don't talk to them, Willa. They cut off contact when I married Kurt." Blaine tensed a bit, knowing Willa was getting upset.
"Dad, I thought your parents died. That's how you act. But they didn't, and you never told them about me? Why?" Willa scooted closer to Kurt, glowering at Blaine. "I'm your only daughter, dad."
Blaine sighed, "I'm sorry. I should have told them, but they wouldn't have listened to me if I had." Willa visibly calmed down and nodded, "I know. I'm sorry, school is just driving me crazy." she sighed and sat back again.
"I understand. But tomorrow, Finn and Rachel will be here, and you get to have the cake grammy and I made, and everything will be fine." Kurt kissed his daughter's head.
"Thanks, papa. I think I'm gonna go to bed. Thanks for the game dad." she kissed Kurt on the cheek, then Blaine.
"You're welcome, scout." Willa hugged her grandparents and trotted up the stairs, yawning.
"We're gonna head up, too. We had a long drive." Carole said, patting her husband's knee. They said goodnight and followed Willa up the stairs to the guestroom.
Blaine sighed and leaned against his husband, putting his legs on the dark leather sofa.
"You okay, Blaine?" Kurt asked, putting his arm around his younger partner.
"Why did my parents decide to contact Willa now? After fifteen years? I haven't spoken to them in since we got married seventeen years ago." Blaine sighed and Kurt kissed his forehead.
"Your parents are idiots. But! You have an amazing career, beautiful daughter and a particularly fabulous husband. You're not too upset about your parents, are you?" Kurt smiled.
Blaine chuckled softly, "No. I'm not. I'm just upset that they treat Willa like a child support case."
Kurt nodded, "I know. But she has my parents, who spoil her enough for two sets of grandparents."
Blaine smiled up at Kurt, "You're always right."
"I know," Kurt moved blaine off his chest, "we have a long day tomorrow, we should probably get to bed." Blaine agreed quickly and the couple made their way up to their bedroom.
"Happy Birthday, Willa!" Kurt shouted, setting a plate of sprinkle-infused-pancakes in front of his daughter, who smiled tiredly. Blaine had woken the girl up playing his acoustic guitar and singing 'Happy Birthday', before he darted off to work for a short dance rehearsal.
"Where are grammy and grandpa?" Willa asked, her mouth full of pancake.
"You are so your father's daughter," Kurt muttered before smiling, "picking up your birthday present."
Willa's eyes lit up at the thought, "Not so fast. You have to wait until dinner tonight." Willa rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast. Ten minutes of watching Keeping Up With The Khardashians later, the doorbell rang.
"I got it!" Willa yelled, running to the front door. She practically shrieked when she opened the door to Finn and Rachel.
"Happy Birthday!" Rachel wrapped her arms around her younger niece and hugged her tight.
"Thanks, Rachel. Hey Finn!" Willa removed herself from Rachel and hugged Finn, who lifted her up and spun her around.
"Happy Birthday, Willa! Is your dad around?" Finn asked once he set Willa down.
Rachael and the fifteen year-old looked at each other, "Which one?" Willa said with a laugh.
Finn blushed a little before laughing along with the two ladies, "Either."
"In here, Finn!" Kurt called over the running water.
"So, what do you have planned for today?" Rachel asked as the pair made their way to the den. Willa situated herself at the piano and played a melody running through her head.
"I'm hanging out with Cory and Riker, and papa rented out a room at the Four Seasons for us for dinner." Willa smiled and her hands jumped into 'For Good'. Without thinking, Rachel took Gelinda's part while Willa took the opposite. When they were done with the song, Finn, Kurt and Blaine were applauding. The two girls laughed and bowed, hugging each other tight.
A few short moments later, the house phone started ringing, "Got it!" Willa exclaimed and jogged to the phone, "Hello?" she said.
"Hey, Willa. It's Cory. I can't hang out today." Cory's voice was annoyed, almost frustrated.
"What? Why?" Willa asked, facing away from her family.
"I just... my parents don't want me hanging out with you anymore, Riker's either, but his parents said he couldn't talk to you ever, so he told me to tell you that we can't hang out with you." the boy practically mumbled his confusing rant.
"You're serious." Willa was past the point of being annoyed, and now she was just mad, "Why?"
"Because you parents are gay." Cory said quickly and hung up. Willa kept the phone to her ear, mouth gaping open and tears stinging her eyes. She hung up the phone and went back to the den, where the group of friends were talking and laughing.
"Willa, what's wrong?" Kurt asked, putting his hands on her shoulders and bringing his face to eye-level with her's.
"Cory just called. He and Riker aren't allowed to hang out with me anymore." Willa wiped her eyes on her sweatshirt, looking up at her dad.
"What? Why? I've always liked those two!" Blaine asked, looking from Kurt to Willa.
She shook her head and looked down towards her feet, "Cory said it's because you guys are gay and my parents." she wrapped her arms around Kurt and cried into his chest. She didn't sob, but the tears came anyway.
"You're kidding me." Finn muttered, obviously angry. Willa shook her head and pulled away from Kurt, looking from him to Blaine.
"I'm sorry." she said, feeling horrible for her dad and papa.
"Willa, don't apologize to us. I'm sorry you have to deal with this." Blaine smiled a little and took his daughter into his arms.
"Wait, what're you doing home?" Willa asked, glancing at the clock, it wasn't even eleven yet.
Blaine grinned and ruffled her hair, "I faked sick." Willa laughed and Kurt rolled his eyes. "Okay, stop crying about your crappy friends, and go get your nails done!" Blaine smiled and shoved her towards Rachel, "I may be completely gay, but the nails are your job." Rachel laughed and nodded.
"Go get dressed and ready so we can leave." Rachel told her niece. Willa nodded and jogged up the stairs to her room. She stared at her closet before settling on her favorite pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with black flats. After her hair and makeup was done, she jogged back down the stairs and Kurt shook his head.
"I do not understand how I'm a fashion designer, and you are my daughter." he joked, looking at her plain outfit.
"You forget she's my daughter, too!" Blaine playfully shoved his husband, who rolled his eyes in response.
"How's being fifteen?" Rachel asked Willa as they sat in a nail salon, getting manicures. Rachel had chosen a classic french while Willa's choice was a muted sea foam.
She gave a shrug, "It's alright. I just don't understand why everyone at school doesn't seem to like the fact that I'm the kid of two gay guys. It's so annoying!" the nail lady looked at her sympathetically.
Rachel sighed, "It's New York, you'd think people would be more accepting, but they're not."
"Stupid." Willa pushed her hair back from her face with her non-painted hand. They finished their manicures at around three and headed back to Willa's house. They walked into the house to Blaine talking in a frustrated voice on the phone, "This is absolutely outrageous. We've been friends since the kids were in middle school. Why, all of a sudden, do you change your mind about my sexuality? You and your wife have been fine with it up until today. This is New York City, sir, it's not that uncommon." Blaine saw his daughter walk into the kitchen and flashed her a quick smile. Blaine listened intently on the phone as she joined her uncle by the breakfast counter, eating M&M's.
"What's going on?" Willa asked Finn, popping a green candy in her mouth.
Finn sighed, "After you left, Kurt called Riker's dad, and now Blaine's on the phone with Cory's. It's such a mess. They're both completely against their lifestyle, and therefore think you could brainwash their kids. Don't think too much about it, okay? It's not your fault. It's theirs. They're ignorant." Finn smiled and knocked his shoulder against Willa's gently.
She flashed a small smile and sighed, "People are so stupid." she muttered before trudging up the stairs to Kurt's office. She smiled when she heard him humming a song from How To Succeed, and knocked on the door.
"Hey Hero!" Kurt put his pencil down and smiled brightly at the young teenager.
"I'm sorry about Cory and Riker, papa." Willa looked down at her feet and tucked a lock of her long, dark brown hair behind her ear.
Kurt simply shook his head, "Don't apologize. It is not your fault. It's society's. No matter how often we think it's changed, it hasn't. Your dad and I love you so, so much. We are incredibly proud of how talented and smart you are. And not to mention how good of a person you are. At this age, it'll be hard to find genuine friends who accept your life: two dads and all." Willa's face lifted a little as her papa reassured her that she hadn't done anything wrong, "C'mere, beauty." Kurt stood and outstretched his arms. His daughter fell into the embrace and breathed in Kurt's scent. He smelled like Armani and a cake.
"I love you, papa." she muttered into his button-down shirt.
Kurt reached down and kissed the top of her head, "I love you Willa."
"Willa, come on! Our reservation is for eight and it's ten to!" Blaine yelled up the stairs, adjusting his cuff links.
"Coming!" Willa slipped on her beige heels and smoothed her baby pink dress, smiling at her reflection.
"No." Kurt said when he saw his daughter in the kitchen, "You can't go out like that."
"Excuse me?" Willa said, shocked.
"You turned ten yesterday!" Kurt faked sobbed and squished his daughter into a hug.
"Papa! Lemme go!" Willa laughed and pulled away.
"You look beautiful, Willa." Burt planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Guys! Lets go!" Blaine pointed at his watch and led the group out to the sidewalk, where a small limo was waiting.
"A limo? Dad, come on. I turn sixteen next year." Willa rolled her eyes but climbed in nonetheless.
"If I let you live that long!" Blaine winked and let Kurt slide in next to Willa before following his husband. The rest of the family got in after Blaine. The ride to the restaurant was quick and surprising at the amount of traffic there wasn't. They talked and laughed all the way to dinner before getting out.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Kurt muttered, looking out the window at all the paparazzi. Blaine sighed and grabbed Willa's hand while Kurt grabbed the other. They dodged the cameras who were flashing, their hosts asking Kurt questions about his line and asking Blaine about his show. The family simply smiled and ran in the doors.
"I'm so sorry about that, Mr. and Mr. Hummel-Anderson, we couldn't keep them away." the hostess said. The two men smiled and led the rest of the family to their private room, which was decorated with pink balloons.
"Happy Birthday, Willa!" Kurt and Blaine said in unison.
"Thank you!" Willa kissed each of their left cheeks before sitting down. After a few minutes of dissecting the menu and deciding what they want. They gave their orders when the waiter came back and brought their drinks.
"Okay, because I'm a dad, I have to do this," Blaine stood and put his hand on Willa's right shoulder, looking down at her, "Willa, your father and I are so unbelievably proud of you. Everything you do, be it your music, your intelligence, whatever, inspires me. And I'm sure it inspires your papa, too. I'm so excited to see what you decide to surprise us with this upcoming year. I love you, scout." he raised his wine glass as the rest of the table did the same, clinking them together.
"Gotta love having two dads, right?" Kurt winked and stood on the other side of Willa, "I told you this afternoon how much I love you and how proud I am of you. You're growing up so beautifully. I love how much of Blaine I see in you, and how much of me I see in you, as well. You are, and will forever be my princess. I love you, Hero." everyone clinked their glasses together again and took a sip just as the server dropped off their food. They ate in silence with the exception of a few comments about the amazing quality until everyone was finished.
"Do I get presents now?" Willa asked, leaning against her chair. She was completely stuffed from her Cesar Salad and breadsticks.
Blaine laughed and gave a look to Kurt, "At this point I can't tell who she more resembles: you or me."
Carole and Burt both rolled their eyes while Finn laughed, "She's both of you. Always." Rachel nodded enthusiastically.
"I wanna change clothes before cake and presents." Willa laughed when they reached the sidewalk outside the front door of the townhouse.
"I knew there was a reason you and I got along so well, kid." Burt came up behind Willa and clapped a hand on her shoulder, "I gotta get out of this damn monkey suit. What was so wrong with Five Guys or something?"
Blaine laughed once, "Good luck trying to convince Kurt of that, Willa and I were all set for Buffalo Wild Wings!"
"I heard that!" Kurt said, bringing up the rear after Finn and Rachel. The family made their way inside and changed into more comfortable clothes. Willa was the first to come running down the stairs in her sweatpants and a sweatshirt of Blaine's from college. She laughed at Kurt, who was wearing a matching sweatshirt. The only difference between the two was that Willa's was bought during a reunion a year ago, and Kurt's was actually from Blaine's college days when they both attended NYU. "What kind of cake did you make, papa?" Willa asked, trying to look over his shoulder as he finished up the frosting, "Rainbow." Kurt said with a smile. Willa's eyes lit up and she carefully side-hugged her papa. "Go sit in the living room, everyone should be down soon."
Willa nodded and pranced into the living room, crashing on the couch.
"Don't tell me you're tired already!" Blaine smiled, sitting on her legs.
"Dad! Get off me!" Willa laughed and Blaine obliged. They waited for the rest of the family to enter the living room as Willa eyed the two presents on the coffee table. Once everyone was seated around Willa, Kurt spoke.
"Okay, you know the rules: no scrap of paper left behind or so help me I will ground you into the next lifetime." Willa nodded as Kurt sat on the other side of her.
Blaine handed her a bag slightly on the larger side and Willa looked at the tag, "This is from grammy and grandpa." she smiled at her grandparents and gingerly removed the tissue paper to discover a Louis Vuitton, slouchy, dark purple purse she had her eye on since it came out in the summer, "Oh my gosh! Thank you guys so much!" she hugged the gift and smiled widely.
"You're welcome baby, there's a batch of candy cookies in there somewhere, too," Carole smiled and grasped her husband's hand while Willa scrambled to uncover the treats.
Blaine then handed her a small bag, which his daughter took graciously, "This is from dad and papa." she unwrapped the tissue paper and pulled out a small, blue Tiffany's box. Before she could even open the actual box, she was pulling both men into a tight hug, "Thank you so much!" she cried. Kurt laughed, "Just open the damn box!"
Willa ripped into the delicate blue and her smile grew even wider when she saw the original Tiffany's heart-lock necklace placed gently inside. "Thank you!" she hugged Blaine first, then Kurt before putting the necklace around her thin neck. The rest of the evening was spent lounging around the living room and eating cake before they all decided bed was a good idea. Kurt had to be at work to prep for an upcoming shoot very early in the morning while Blaine had a wardrobe fitting and Carole and Burt left early Sunday morning because of the long drive back to Lima.
"Happy Birthday, sweetheart." Blaine said, holding Kurt's hand as they watched her crawl into bed and mutter a thanks before drifting off to sleep.
Sunday came and went and Willa spent the day with her Aunt Rachel, shopping at Macy's. It was her and Finn's birthday gift to the younger brunette. Monday morning came all too soon for Willa, and she was not looking forward to school at all.
Willa's stomach woke her up at around three in the morning as she sprinted to the bathroom, losing her dinner from just eight hours earlier. When she was done in the second-story bathroom, she curled up on the floor, her cheek on the cool tile. She drifted in and out of consciousness when Kurt walked up the stairs to his studio to grab what he needed for work.
"Papa?" Willa asked, her voice hoarse.
"Willa?" Kurt looked in the bathroom and gasped a little, "What're you doing in here?"
"I'm sick," she mumbled, trying to sit up but grabbing her head and laying back down, "and I have the worst headache ever,"
"Here, let's get you back to bed." Kurt sighed and bent down to scoop his smaller daughter in his arms. He walked her to her room and set her down gently on the bed. "How'd you get this bruise?" he asked, poking it softly on the back of her leg.
"Iono?" Willa muttered before rolling over on her side, ready to sleep. Kurt sighed and walked over to his studio.
"Hey, yeah it's Kurt. I can't come in today, my daughter is super sick. We can do an afternoon shoot, though. Blaine comes home from his fitting at around two... yeah that sounds great! I'll see you then... thanks a lot. Bye." the blue-eyed man spoke into his iPhone and turned to watch his daughter sleep some more before retreating to the kitchen to put some chicken noodle soup on. He hummed gently as he stirred the heating pot. "Shoot. I should call Blaine." he mumbled to himself, grabbing his phone from the counter and dialing the all-too familiar ten digits.
"Blaine Hummel-Anderson?"
"Aw, you're so cute when you're professional." Kurt sighed, putting the man on speaker.
Blaine laughed, "What's up? Aren't you at a shoot?"
"Willa is super sick, so I'm going to the shoot when you get home."
Blaine cooed at the news, "Poor girl. I'll be home early today, they really suck at predicting how long stuff is gonna take." he mumbled the last sentence as Kurt laughed.
"Welcome back to Broadway, my love." Kurt shook his head.
"Right? Hey, I gotta go. I love you." Blaine's voice swooned like it did when he first uttered the three words to Kurt all those years ago.
"I love you too, I'll see you this afternoon." Kurt hung up and turned his head to a soft creak on the stairs. "Why aren't you in bed?" he asked his pale daughter.
"I don't have a TV." even if her voice was hoarse, there was still an obvious 'duh' tone to it. Kurt laughed as his daughter turned the screen on and curled up with a blanket tucked up around her chin.
"I made soup, sit up." Kurt sat next to his sick daughter, who reluctantly sat up and took the steaming bowl from her father.
"I went on the scale right before I came down, I've lost like, ten pounds since my last doctor visit." Willa shook her head and brought the spoon to her mouth.
Kurt's eyes widened in shock, "Willa that was three months ago."
"I know!"
"You've been eating normally, well, like Blaine, anyway. And it's not like you're a super athlete," Kurt's mind raced. "You don't... you don't have an eating disorder, do you?"
Willa laughed weakly, "Papa, I'm related to Blaine Hummel-Anderson. Of course not!"
Kurt chuckled, "I know, I know. But I have to ask these things."
"Oh, and I found another bruise on my hip. It's huge," she put the still hot bowl on the coffee table and lifted the blanket off and pulled her t-shirt aside to show the dark purple bruise the size of Kurt's hand.
"Oh my god," Kurt gasped, "Does it hurt?"
Willa shrugged and resumed eating, "Not really, I just discovered it like, ten minutes ago."
"I'll have Blaine take you to the doctor, you must have caught some bug. And the bruises, well, like I said, you are Blaine's daughter. A fairy touches you two and you guys bruise." Kurt laughed and kissed his daughter's cheek.
Willa spent the rest of the late morning and early afternoon sitting on the couch, sometimes watching whatever was on TV and other times falling asleep. Blaine came home at around quarter to two and quietly approached Kurt, who was sketching at the kitchen table.
"How's she feeling?" Blaine asked, kissing his husband's cheek.
Kurt sighed and set his book and pencil down, "She has two huge bruises, she's lost about ten or twelve pounds in the last two months, she's incredibly pale, and she still has a headache. Ibuprofen isn't helping in the least."
Blaine looked down at his worried partner, "I'll take her to the hospital in a bit, I'm sure it's nothing, honey. Go to your shoot." he kissed him gently and Kurt sighed.
"You're probably right, and yeah, I gotta go. Call me as soon as you know anything," he made Blaine promise and kissed his daughter's forehead which woke her up. "I'm going to my shoot, dad's taking you to the hospital, feel better Hero."
"Bye papa, have fun." Willa smiled and sat up, rubbing her temples.
"Put on a sweatshirt and shoes and we'll go." Blaine smiled, not taking his jacket or scarf off. Willa nodded and slipped her moccasins on her feet and went to the front hall closet, grabbing the nearest sweatshirt from a hanger. She followed her dad out to the car and turned the heat on full-blast. It was getting later in fall and New York was getting colder and colder.
They arrived at the emergency room about twenty minutes later. Once all the paper work was filled out, the young, Asian doctor called them back.
"So, what seems to be the problem?" he asked, looking over Willa's papers.
"I've had this headache all day that won't go away, I was puking early this morning, I've lost ten pounds in like, two and a half months and I have these random and big bruises. One's on the back of my leg and the other on my hip." Willa repeated as Blaine watched her, concern all over his face.
"Can I see the bruises?" the doctor's tone was more reserved now as Willa nodded and showed the purple sores. The doctor nodded and poked around the bruises a little. "Can you lay down? I'm just gonna check something." Willa did as she was told as the doctor messaged the girl's stomach and neck before going back to his clipboard.
"Doc?" Blaine finally spoke up after several minutes of silence.
"I want to keep her overnight, just to run some tests." he finally said, looking at the older Broadway star.
Blaine nodded and Willa looked terrified, "Can I call my husband?"
The doctor smiled and nodded, "Um, can you tell him my wife loves his line? She'd freak."
Kurt entered the hospital two hours after getting the call and looked around for his curly-haired partner. Blaine was sitting in a chair, waiting for him. The shorter man stood, "They just got the results back, but they wanted to wait until you were here." the joined hands and walked back to Willa's hospital room, where she was laying in bed with her eyes glued to the television.
"How you feeling, scout?" Blaine asked, smoothing back her hair.
Willa sighed, "I'm scared," she said, trying to smile.
"It's okay, we all are. You'll be fine though, I promise." Kurt smiled down and patted the girl's leg. A few quiet minutes later, a different doctor came in and sat on a rolling stool. Kurt and Blaine looked at him, fear washing over their expressions.
"Alright, so I'm going to be straight up with you. When Doctor Gorge was poking around your stomach and neck, he found about seven small bumps, with a bigger one by your spleen. So we tested the sample you gave us from your blood and your urine, and we did find something," he looked around the family. This was the worst part of his job, it didn't happen often, but when it did happen it broke him to pieces every damn time, "We found the early stages of some kind of cancer. We're going to do more tests to find out exactly what kind, but it's very, very early. Almost too early to tell." he looked at the faces of Kurt and Blaine. Blaine had sunk down to a chair, his face ashen, "We suspect Hodgkin's, but like I said, it's too early to tell."
"But-but you know the bumps are cancerous." Kurt said, seeming to be the only strong one of the pair.
Doctor Rhoades nodded, "Yes. If you notice her eyes, they're growing dark. Normally, they're a very bright blue, not unlike Kurt's, but now they're almost navy. The good news is, she hasn't lost her appetite, but the weight loss is alarming."
"Wait, what's Hodgkin's or whatever?" Blaine waved his hand at the word.
Rhoades chuckled softly, "It's a type of Lymphoma, which is very similar to Leukemia, but it can still be aggressive. Luckily, I think we caught it early enough but if she wakes up in pain, we have a problem." he stood and made his way to the door, "I'll give you guys a minute, then I'll be back with a nurse to discuss treatment options." he left then, allowing the family time to process everything he had just dumped on them.
Blaine's jaw dropped, Willa stared at the wall in front of her bed, and Kurt paced. Once Blaine recovered, he took his daughter in his arms, breathing in her innocent scent. This kind of thing just didn't happen to fifteen year olds. After about ten minutes when the family seemed to have digested the news, doctor Rhoades came back in, a petite blonde nurse following.
"So. Treatment. The only option for this type of cancer is chemotherapy. We took a closer look at the tumors, and it's aggressive. So we have to act now." Blaine and Kurt nodded, "You'll feel sick a lot, you'll want to sleep all the time, you won't lose your hair, and it'll do the job in about seven sessions if we're lucky. One session a month for this type of cancer." Willa sighed and looked from her parents to the doctor.
"Okay." she said nervously.
"Great, we'll start the treatment next week!" the male went to stand, but Kurt stopped him.
"Hold on, if it's aggressive, why not start it, oh I don't know, tomorrow?" the designer was obviously frustrated.
"There's more work that needs to be done, more tests to be completed, there's a lot to do before that. We can't just rush her into chemo, I'm sorry, Mr Hummel-Anderson." he apologized and practically rushed out of the room.
"Unbelievable," Kurt sighed before turning back to his daughter, "I'm going home to quickly grab my sketchbook. What do you need?"
"My necklace, magazines, and my blanket please. Thank you papa." Willa smiled a little.
Kurt took Blaine's hand and led him into the empty hallway, "Do it now. Because I know you won't in front of her." Kurt folded the younger partner into his arms. It took a moment, but all of a sudden Blaine started weeping, wrapping his arms around Kurt's thin torso. Around two and a half minutes later, Blaine composed himself and planted a kiss on Kurt's lips.
"Are you okay?" Blaine asked, walking Kurt to the entrance.
Kurt sighed, "I'll do my crying in the car, and then when Willa falls asleep." Blaine smiled softly at his stronger husband before he watched him walk to car.
He went back to his daughter's room, where she was looking down at her feet, silent tears falling from her eyes.
"Oh sweetheart," he muttered, once again pulling Willa into a tight hug, letting her cry silently into his shoulder.
"I'm scared, dad!" she whimpered after her crying had died down.
"I know, I know. We are too. But we'll get through this. I promise you." Blaine was thankful for his acting, because he had no idea what the next few months were to entail.
"Hey Willa! You ready for your first day of chemotherapy?" the blonde nurse asked, overly-happy.
Willa blinked a couple times, "You're kidding right?"
Blaine and Kurt laughed, "She's your's today." Blaine said, pointing at Kurt.
They wheeled Willa into the treatment hall. Blaine was carrying a laptop and several DVDs with him, seeing as her first treatment was going to be five hours.
"You're going to be uncomfortable for roughly the first forty-five minutes, but it'll get easier as you go. And after this session, you can go home!" the nurse smiled and plugged Willa into a machine.
"I don't even want to know how much homework I missed." she sighed, settling back in the chair.
Kurt grinned and pulled up Willa's backpack, "Not much. Four math assignments, two science essays and notes for sociology," he put the bag on the table, "Good luck."
Willa finished her homework in a little more than an hour while Kurt worked on a sketch and Blaine memorized lines. They had both insisted on putting their jobs on hold, but Willa wouldn't allow it. Once Willa had finished her homework, she took Blaine's laptop and slid in the final Harry Potter movie into the drive, sitting back and watching her all-time favorite film.
"Alright, Willa, you are all set. How do you feel?" the nurse came into the dreary chemo room after almost five hours, beaming like she had just won the lottery.
"Tired." Willa mumbled, shutting the laptop.
"That's normal." she unhooked the girl and patted her knee, Willa tensed but then relaxed, nodding her head. The woman smiled at the family before walking out. Though with Lauren, it was almost like she was skipping.
"What's her problem?" Willa rolled her eyes and stood on the linoleum.
"Just doing her job, scout." Blaine muttered, though he was clearly annoyed with the perky blonde as well. The three made their way to the parking lot and drove home in silence. Once they were home, Willa dragged her exhausted body up the stairs to her room, leaving Kurt and Blaine alone in the kitchen.
"Kurt, you've barely talked to me all week, what's going on?" Blaine asked, putting a loving hand on his shoulder.
The older male looked straight ahead with tired eyes, "The last time I spent this much time at a hospital, for this reason, it didn't end well for my family."
"Kurt," Blaine whispered, wrapping his husband in his arms, letting Kurt cry into his shoulder. That week had been hard on all of them. Willa had constantly gotten sick, there were many phone calls and arrangements to be made with the hospital. Kurt had tried telling his parents over the phone, but broke down at the last minute so Blaine had to be the one to say the news. It was going to be an extremely long journey, but they were prepared. They had each other.
The next two months were hell. Willa had gone through chemo, but it wasn't helping. She slept all the time, and had almost stopped talking to her family completely. The teenager was so depressed, it only made things worse for Kurt and Blaine.
"Blaine, I thought I told you a million times that these damn bowls have to be hand washed!" Kurt picked up a blue and white Victorian-styled bowl out of the dishwasher.
Blaine looked up from his paper, frustrated, "I'm sorry. My mind is kind of full to think about dishes, Kurt."
Kurt sighed and put the dish on the counter, "What are we doing? We're fighting about dishes, fighting about what to make for dinner, we've never fought like this."
Blaine put the New York Times down and rubbed his face, scruff taking over his chin and cheeks, "I don't know. I think we're both stressed beyond belief we'll take it out on the closest person. And for me that's you and for you that's me." he looked at his blue-eyed partner, "You know I love you, Kurt."
The older male smiled sadly, "I love you Blaine. But we have to get over our stupid little arguments. Willa really needs us, seeing as her 'friends' haven't been there. We are all she has," Kurt walked over to his husband and kissed his forehead. Blaine closed his eyes and sighed, wrapping his arms around Kurt's thin waist, "You've lost weight." he mumbled, eyes still shut.
"So have you."
"Touche." Blaine was so emotionally exhausted he felt like he could have fallen asleep right then and there.
The week before Christmas break was a hard one for Willa. All she wanted was to be out of school for twelve days and be in Ohio with her family. She wanted to rest and not receive weird looks from her classmates and teachers. Her family actually treated her normally, unless she was sick. She was ready to be far away from doctors and chemicals until the fourth of January, when she had a check-up to see where the cancer was and if it had done anything new.
Willa stared at the clock until the final bell rang and she was the first one out of there. She didn't even bother bringing her backpack home, because she had nothing to do for school the entire break. She kept her head down and hurried to the lobby, where Blaine was picking her up before heading home, packing, and then going to the airport to go to Lima.
"How was school?" Blaine asked, helping Willa in his car.
"Can I graduate yet?" she whined, adjusting her beat-up baseball hat.
Blaine laughed and pulled out of the parking lot, "Nope, sorry." they drove home in silence except for the radio, which played Christmas music. "Hey, what's wrong?" Blaine asked Willa as they entered the warm, inviting house.
"I'm just scared. What if it spreads? Or gets worse? Or if there's nothing they can do about it anymore?" Willa whimpered, looking up at Blaine.
He sighed and ran a hand through his unruly hair. He dropped out of the show a month ago because the hours were getting long and he couldn't stand being away from his daughter for that amount of time, "You can't think like that, Hero. You gotta stay positive." Blaine lowered himself slightly so he was eye-level with her.
Willa looked down and nodded, "It's just hard." she whispered, wiping her eyes.
Blaine hugged the fifteen year old and sighed, "I know, believe me, I know." his voice was quiet and he tried hiding the tears that sprang to his eyes. He saw Kurt approach the kitchen, a basket of laundry on his hip and he smiled at the pair, "Come on, let's finish packing." Blaine wiped his eyes and led Willa up the stairs after kissing Kurt softly.
Packing took a little longer because Willa was tired and getting frustrated. She finally had everything she would need for a week in Ohio and changed out of her uniform and into sweats. While she had always been into looking cute, since her diagnosis she just didn't care. They left for the airport shortly after everyone was packed and were relieved to find out that their flight wasn't canceled. A bad snow storm had blown through the midwest days prior, but the only travel it had managed to affect was auto.
They took a taxi to the airport and arrived about an hour later, thanks to holiday traffic. It was a long and tiring flight from New York City to Toledo, Ohio. Burt was picking them up while Carole stayed home with Finn and Rachel, feeding them and making sure they were comfortable.
"How's my girl?" Burt asked, hugging his granddaughter tightly.
Willa shrugged, "Fine." her voice was quiet. Burt looked at the couple, who sighed.
The drive was, needless to say, awkward. No one knew quite what to say because this was their first time seeing each other since the dreaded phone call back in October. They arrived at the house less than an hour later, the newcomers greeted warmly by the rest of the family.
"Hey, sweetpea." Rachel hugged Willa gently.
"Hi." the younger one muttered, burying her face in the singer's shoulder. For whatever reason, this is just what she needed. Rachel led Willa into her and Finn's room upstairs, so she could cry without people staring at her.
"I... I'm going to go unpack." Blaine muttered, jogging up the stairs with the suitcase he and Kurt would share for the week.
"Is he okay?" Finn asked, looking after his brother-in-law.
Kurt sighed and ran his hand through his dark blonde hair, "I'm not sure. Sometimes he's super strong, other times I just watch him fall apart. I know he's stressed about Willa, we both are. We just want her to be better, but she's always sleeping and sick and she doesn't talk to me or Blaine."
Burt put his hand on his son's shoulder, "I know how stressful this can be. You just gotta be there for each other. It's gonna put a strain on your marriage, but you two have been through so much that I know you can come out on top. Willa is going to be okay. She's your daughter." Kurt nodded and looked at his snow-clad boots, trying not cry. But the tears came anyway. Burt hugged his son tightly. He knew exactly what he was going through. Burt's first wife had died of cancer when Kurt was just nine years old.
Burt let go when he heard Blaine come back up the stairs from the basement, his own eyes red.
"My boys." Carole sighed, pulling both Blaine and Kurt into a hug. Finn stood there awkwardly. He had never known what to do when someone was hurting, so he decided to retreat up stairs to his wife and sick niece. He knocked on the semi-closed door until Rachel said to come in.
"Hey," Finn said quietly, leaning against the door frame.
"Hi Finn," Willa smiled shyly, wiping the tears from her eyes while Rachel did the same.
"Look, Willa. I know you're scared. We all are. But you have to believe that everything is going to be okay. You're strong, like your dads. I don't know anyone stronger than Blaine and Kurt. They've been through everything together and always triumphed. You have to keep a smile on and talk to your parents about what you're thinking. If you don't want to talk to them, you can talk to me or Rachel. I swear to you, we will always be there for you." Finn sat next to Willa, his wife seated the opposite.
Willa nodded and looked down at her lap, "Thank you." she whimpered, looking up at Finn and hugging him tight.
"You're welcome," he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Finn's voice had grown hoarse. The one person Rachel knew never cried, had tears leaking out of his eyes. Rachel looked at her husband in awe before putting her hand on his head, rubbing his scalp gently.
Around four in the morning the next day, Willa woke up with a coughing fit. Blaine could sleep through anything, so Kurt was the one to go to her aid. She was sleeping on an air mattress in Kurt's old basement bedroom so if anything happened, her parents would be close.
Using his phone as a flashlight, Kurt made his way over to his daughter, "Willa, you okay?"
She rolled over to face her father with a groan, "Papa, your phone is really bright."
Kurt chuckled, "Sorry. You were having a coughing fit, and-" he stopped, noticing the blood on her pillow case. "Sweetheart, sit up for me, okay?" Willa did as she was told, tiredly rubbing her eyes as Kurt made a dash for the light switch, flicking it on and waking up his sleeping husband.
"Hmph!" Blaine put the covers over his face.
"Blaine, wake up, it's Willa." he whispered, shaking the curly-headed man awake.
"Papa, why is there blood on my pillow?" Willa's voice was drenched with fear. Blaine became wide awake at the mention of blood and hurried over to his fifteen year old while Kurt dialed numbers on his phone.
"Rhoades..." a tired voice chimed in on the other end.
"Doctor I am so sorry to call you at this hour, but you said to do so if there was an emergency. Willa just had a coughing fit, and there's blood on her pillow case. It's not a lot, but it's still there nonetheless." Kurt said, almost breathlessly.
"Is it dark blood or light blood?" the man was completely awake in an instant.
"It's like a razor cut, almost. That kind of color."
Dr. Rhoades sighed and took a moment, "It's probably from her lungs. If that's the case, it means it's spreading to her lungs." Kurt's hand flew to his mouth and his husband looked at him with worried eyes while cradling their daughter. "I hate to ask you this, but she needs to be in my office on Monday morning. I know that cuts your vacation short, but we need to run tests and monitor her and everything. Is that going to be a problem? I just don't want her going to a doctor in Ohio that doesn't know her or her case."
Kurt nodded, though he was aware Dr. Rhoades couldn't see, "Yes, that should be fine. Thank you." he hung up and tossed his phone on the dresser.
"Papa, what's going on?" Willa asked as Kurt sat in front of her and Blaine.
"He thinks it's spreading to your lungs. He says you're okay, but we're flying home on Sunday so you can be at the doctor's on Monday morning." Kurt sighed, looking from Blaine to Willa.
"Kurt, Sunday is Christmas day." Blaine muttered, still tired.
"Blaine I know, but if this is getting worse we need to kill it before... before it kills her." he glanced down at his daughter and the look on her face broke his heart. She looked scared. Not even scared, but absolutely petrified. Kurt took his husband and daughter into his arms, planting a kiss on her dark hair while Blaine gripped his shoulder.
"Morning, boys! Where's Willa?" Burt asked the tired couple later that morning while Carole cooked breakfast.
"We let her sleep some more. Where's Finn and Rachel?" Blaine asked, taking a seat.
"They went on a coffee run, should be back-" but he was cut off by the other pair coming through the door.
"We got Willa some hot apple cider, I know how much she loves it." Finn held up a to-go cup and smiled.
Kurt shot his step-brother a sad smile, "Thanks Finn."
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked, shedding her outdoor layers.
Kurt and Blaine looked at each other before Blaine spoke, putting a hand on the older man's knee, "Willa had a coughing fit in the middle of the night. She was coughing up a little bit of blood, so Kurt called her doctor right away, and..." Blaine trailed off, trying to compose himself enough to finish the sentence. Kurt swallowed and waited for Blaine to get a grip, "And, um, he told us that the cancer has most likely spread to her lungs, but sh-she should be okay. For now," when he was finished, he broke down in tears for what seemed like the millionth time during this journey. All Kurt could do was put a comforting hand on Blaine's shoulder while the rest of the family took in the news.
"So we're flying out Sunday night instead of Wednesday. He wants to see her on Monday morning. I'm sorry dad, Carole." Kurt looked apologetically at his parents.
"Don't even think about apologizing. This is not your fault. We'll still get to spend the most of Christmas together, and then we'll be up for Easter before you know it." Carole put her arms around Kurt in a hug while he tried to control his tears. Finn and Rachel looked at each other, not believing what they had just heard. It was silent for a while until Willa came up the stairs, crawling into Blaine's lap.
"I think you're getting too old for this, scout." Blaine laughed but put his arms around his daughter anyway.
Willa smiled, trying to break the obvious tension. "Here, we got you a hot apple cider." Finn offered the cup to Willa, who took it graciously, "Thanks!" she sipped it gently, which seemed to calm everyone down as they each took their respective drinks and Carole served up a mass of pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs. The conversation was light and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
"Grammy, can I watch a movie?" Willa asked once her plate was cleared.
"Of course!" Carole smiled and Willa walked off to the living room, putting The Little Mermaid in the VHS player
Kurt recognized the beginning right away and laughed loudly, "Oh my God. Blaine, she is all around your daughter today. I had nothing to do with that!" he pointed in the direction of the TV and picked up his and Blaine's plates.
Blaine laughed, "The other day she was dancing around her room listening to The Sound of Music."
"I will forever take credit for her amazing taste in Broadway shows," Kurt smiled from the sink.
The rest of the family laughed and enjoyed a second cup of coffee, catching up on what had been happening with their lives. For once, everything seemed completely normal, and Blaine and Kurt were beyond joyous for that.
"Grammy, this was so good. Thank you," Willa sat back in her chair after dinner, feeling completely stuffed.
Carole smiled, "I'm glad you liked it!"
"I have to go wrap presents, so I'm gonna go downstairs. Don't come down!" Willa called over her shoulder as she ran down the stairs.
Blaine and Kurt looked after her with complete adoration in their eyes, "She seemed okay today." Finn noticed, helping his stepdad clear the table.
Blaine nodded and stood to help with the cleaning, "Some days she is, other days she just sleeps all day. I don't know." he sighed as he set his plate in the sink. Rachel came up behind him and rested her hand on his back.
"It's going to be okay. She's a tough girl."
"I hope so. I really hope so." Blaine sighed. They finished cleaning the dishes while Carole and Burt headed out for some last-minute Christmas shopping and Finn and Rachel went to meet up with some old high school friends. Blaine and Kurt were invited, but they turned down the invitation to have a quiet night while Willa was still working downstairs, happily humming to herself. The two wrapped around the other on the couch while Kurt flipped through the TV, finally landing on something they could both agree with: Real Housewives of New York City. After about forty-five minutes of watching TV and somewhat drifting off in each other's arms, Willa came up the stairs, fiddling with her sweatshirt pocket.
"You okay, scout?" Blaine asked, untangling himself from Kurt so there was room for her to sit in between the two. Willa settled down on the couch and just stared straight ahead at the TV until Kurt turned it off. He could tell Willa was trying to figure out what to say.
"Did you know everyone stopped talking to me when I went back to school after the diagnosis?" Willa still wasn't making eye contact, "Everyone treats me like this disease is contagious, which it isn't. At first I thought it was because of you two, but then rumors started flying around that I was gonna die in a few days, a week, a few weeks." she took a moment to breathe, "I'm completely alone at school. No one talks to me, or even makes eye contact. And then I come home, and you guys are always worrying about me so I feel like I can't cry in front of you when I get upset." Willa swallowed the tears that were threatening to spill out of her eyes. Blaine and Kurt exchanged a glance before Kurt grabbed Willa and hugged her tightly. The pair let her cry for a while, tears coming out of their own eyes.
"Where is this coming from, Willa?" Blaine asked when she recovered enough to sit by the two silently.
"When we got here yesterday, I was talking to Rachel and then Finn came in and he said I should tell you guys what I'm thinking and not hold it in." Willa said, wiping her eyes. She felt exhausted, but she felt so much better after telling Kurt and Blaine what she was thinking.
"I know your papa and I are always stressed and worried, but that doesn't mean you can't talk to us, okay?" Blaine tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she nodded.
"I'm sorry, I should have told you guys this was all going on." she laughed once and shook her head.
"We want to know when you're upset. I know we're your parents, but now that we know what's going on at school, you need to talk to someone about it, okay?" Kurt sighed softly.
Willa nodded and stood again, "I will. I think I'm gonna go to bed. I'm tired." she kissed both men on the cheek and went downstairs. Kurt and Blaine sat in silence for a while before smiling at each other.
"I think she's gonna be okay," Blaine said, sliding his arm around his husband.
"Yeah, me too." Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder, feeling better.
"Surgery? Is it that bad?" Blaine asked in Dr. Rhoades office the day after Christmas.
"Quite the opposite. The mass in her lungs is still small enough that we can remove it without any long-term side-effects. We're also going to operate on some of the bigger ones, and try and kill the smaller ones with chemotherapy. She'll continue her regular sessions, but it won't be for too much longer. I have to warn you, though. There is a possibility she'll go into a coma. And with every coma, there is a possibility that she won't wake up. But if everything is fine, she could be cancer-free in two months. Your daughter is all for the surgery, but I need for you two okay it." the doctor finished.
Kurt and Blaine looked at each other for a moment, "Do the surgery." Kurt said and Blaine nodded in agreement.
About two hours later, Willa was sedated and being wheeled into the operating room. The surgery itself would take about four hours. Blaine spent the first quarter of that pacing in front of Kurt, who was on the phone with Finn.
"Yeah, she just went in about an hour ago... if you guys wanna come, that'd be great... Finn you are the best. I will take an italian, and Blaine likes turkey on rye... yeah, see you soon... bye" he hung up and grabbed Blaine's hand. "Blaine, you are going to make yourself dizzy. Sit. Finn's bringing Jimmy John's, and Rachel has rehearsal until seven, so she'll be here in about three hours."
Blaine sighed and sat down next to Kurt and kept his leg bouncing.
When the doctor finally came to the waiting room where the now four of them were seated, he looked jaded.
"How is she?" Kurt asked, standing right away.
Dr. Rhoades sighed, "The surgery went well. We were able to remove the mass in her right lung, and remove the bigger tumors without causing permanent damage, but she isn't waking up. We don't know when she'll wake up or... or if she'll wake up. You can go see her anytime, I'm sorry." Blaine and Kurt stared after the doctor, mouths hanging open.
"We'll let you guys see her first." Rachel said softly. Kurt nodded and led a still shocked Blaine to her hospital room.
"Why is this happening to our daughter, Kurt?" Blaine whimpered, turning away from the pale body that was their Willa, but wasn't at the same time.
Kurt wiped his eyes and embraced the shorter man, "I don't know," he said over and over. Once the two recovered, they sat on either side of her, holding her hand. Once in a while one of them would glance at the other. A few minutes of silence later, Finn and Rachel came in. The four of them sat together, mumbling a conversation for a while until visiting hours ended and Finn and Rachel got up to leave.
"Stay strong, guys." Rachel muttered while hugging Kurt.
"We're trying." he replied weakly. And they were. Kind of.
"Hey, I grabbed mail and some food, you hungry?" Blaine asked, entering the familiar hospital room seven days later. Willa was still in a coma, and the couple had sickeningly gotten used to being in the room with their comatose daughter.
"Yeah, kinda." Kurt shrugged and took the paper bag from his husband.
"How is she?"
"The same."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
This is how all of their conversations went lately. Neither had the energy for deep conversations anymore. So they centered around their daughter. It's not that they were fighting, they just weren't speaking. They still loved each other, but the pair had put their marriage on hold for this girl.
Dr. Rhoades came in just then, clipboard in his hand. The fact that Kurt and Blaine were now on first-name basis with Craig spoke wonders of the time they had spent in this wing. Craig checked Willa's vitals as usual, but when back to her heart for a second time. He ripped the stethoscope out of his ears and rushed out of the room.
"Either that is very good, or very, very bad." Blaine muttered, looking at Kurt.
"Let's hope it's good." Kurt grasped Willa's hand. He retracted quickly when her index finger curled around his hand.
"What is it?" Blaine asked, glancing at his husband.
"She moved."
"Guys I'm sorry, but I need you out of here," Craig returned with another doctor.
"What? Why?" Blaine demanded, frustrated.
"Because she's waking up and we need to start the tests as soon as she's conscious. People don't just wake up after this kind of coma."
Blaine and Kurt hurried out of the room, "Oh my god," Kurt muttered, turning to face his husband.
"What?" Blaine searched Kurt's eyes.
"She's waking up!"
Blaine laughed and took Kurt's face in his hands, kissing him passionately. Kurt returned the kiss with just as much force before pulling away, "No. You know us. Once we start, we won't be able to stop."
Blaine laughed loudly and hugged Kurt tightly before Craig came to the couple, a smile on his face, "I don't know why or how this happened, but she's awake. And she's doing well. She thought it was Monday, which is normal for a coma patient, but she remembers more than we expected her to."
"Hi," Willa smiled as the two men walked into the room.
"How're you feeling?" Blaine asked, unable to keep the smile from his face. He knew she had been gone for only a week, but he had never spent more than a weekend without his smiling daughter. A week was almost a year to Blaine.
Willa shrugged, "Oddly good. But I'm hungry. Dr. Rhoades wants me to take it easy but I just really want some pizza from Vito's."
Kurt laughed and hugged his daughter gently, "You are so Blaine's daughter."
"Finn, over here!" Blaine smiled as he spotted the couple walk through the door, Rachel carrying a huge orchid.
"How is she?" Finn asked, hugging the short male tightly.
"She's really good. We're waiting for the results to come back, so she's pretty nervous. We think we know the outcome because she hasn't done any chemo yet. The cancer is probably still there, but we get to find out how weak it is now." Blaine rushed through the explanation, still excited at the fact that Willa woke up when so many people thought she wouldn't. The three adults made their way to Willa's hospital room, where she was sitting cross-legged on the bed and Kurt was behind her, fish-tail braiding her hair.
A couple minutes passed until Craig walked into the room, scratching his head and looking down at the ground.
"So we got the test results back." he started, looking around the room.
"And..." Blaine pressed, growing very impatient.
"Um," Craig laughed and covered his mouth with his hand for a moment before dropping it on his side with a soft thwack. "I have absolutely no explanation for this, but the cancer is gone." Blaine's mouth opened and closed a few times and Kurt's hands stopped working in Willa's hair.
"Wait, are you joking?" Finn asked, shocked.
"No. No, I'm not. We ran the same test five times. What we think happened is when we took out the bigger masses, the smaller ones died. But we have no idea what actually happened." Craig was still smiling.
"But, it could come back, right?" Willa asked, and the excitement died down.
Craig nodded, "It could, but it's unlikely. Willa, you don't have cancer anymore."
That summer, late June
Willa was running around the backyard playing soccer at the Hampton home her parents owned with her two best friends. Blaine and Kurt transferred Willa out of Dalton and to Manhattan Prep before second semester, because she was completely unhappy at Dalton. She made friends quickly and joined the soccer team right away, much to Kurt's surprise. She was on her way to a scholarship at University Of Michigan, which Kurt made sure to tell his co-workers about all the time.
"Girls, dinner!" Blaine said, shutting the grill and carrying a plate of chicken to the outdoor table.
"Dude, you're dribbling is super good, but you have to work on your passing!" Willa told Andrea, who rolled her eyes.
"Willa, I'm a goalie. I don't need to pass!" the two girls laughed and Molly rolled her eyes, just like Andrea had.
"Guys, can we maybe stop talking soccer for like two minutes?" Kurt laughed at Molly.
"Are you three going to do the musical this fall?" Blaine asked, dishing out potato salad and grilled asparagus.
Molly and Andrea laughed out loud, "Like either me or Andrea have a chance," Molly said, slicing her chicken, "Everyone knows Mrs. Spooler picked The Sound Of Music just so Willa could have the lead."
Kurt choked on his lemonade, "Why am I just now finding out Manhattan Prep is doing The Sound of Music?"
Willa stopped chewing, "Because I knew you'd freak out...?"
"Willa don't talk with your mouthful!" Blaine scolded. Willa rolled her eyes and finished swallowing.
"Well of course I'd freak out. Now that I'm retired I have nothing better to do than obsess about the musical theatre program at Manhattan." Kurt said, flinging a piece of asparagus around as he talked.
"Papa, you're going to smack me with the vegetable. Stop it."
"Sorry," Kurt put the accused food in his mouth and chewed. They ate in silence for a while until Blaine spoke.
"I was kind of watching you play out there, you're pretty good. You have good foot-eye coordination. What did coach Anners say?"
Willa took a sip of her water before composing her answer, "He said I've got good form," she muttered, avoiding her friends' dagger eyes.
"What?" Kurt asked, looking at the three teenagers.
"You didn't tell them?" Molly asked.
"Oh my god if you don't, I will." Andrea laughed and took another bite of her potato salad.
"Tell us what?" Blaine was growing anxious.
"I made varsity. Starting. Sweeper." Willa shoved a large amount of chicken into her mouth to avoid further questioning.
"Sweeper? Willa, that's fantastic!" Blaine said excitedly, "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"Iono?" Willa said, her mouth full.
"What's a sweeper?" Kurt asked, thoroughly confused. Kurt listened as the four others explained the position of a sweeper, and Kurt tried to be excited, but he couldn't get excited. The conversation died down from soccer and moved on to the two older men.
"My mom said that your summer line was your last one, why?" Molly asked Kurt as they sat back in the chairs, enjoying the warm New York weather.
Blaine smiled at his husband and put a hand on his thigh, "It got to be too demanding. I love being a designer, but I like being with my family a lot more. And now that Willa is officially cleared of not going into remission, I just want to be at home. I'll miss it, but I'd much rather be her stay at home dad." Kurt said with a smile. He leaned over and kissed Blaine's cheek.
"Come on guys, let's get in the pool before these two start making out." Willa laughed and led her friends to the deck, where they shed their tanktops and shorts and jumped into Willa's parents' huge pool.
"I love you," Blaine said as Kurt cuddled up next to him, the two still seated in their chairs at the outdoor table.
"I love you, too." Kurt smiled and planted a kiss on his husband's lips, who returned it with a growing smile. The first few months of the year had been extremely hard on all three of them, but things were getting better. Kurt was loving being at home, Blaine had just finished one of the most successful runs of Hairspray had done in the history of Broadway, Willa was on her way to a soccer scholarship, and she loved her new school. Yes, things were definitely going very well for the Hummel-Anderson family.