Ephemeral

by Coco Gash Jirachi

Hell Girl crossover. /AU/. LONG ONE-SHOT. Burt has to enroll Kurt back in McKinley for a little while. While he's there, Kurt learns about the latest of rumors going around the school: the Hell Correspondence. KLAINE. Rated M for themes and mpreg.

Ephemeral

By Coco Gash Jirachi

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or Hell Girl

Claimer: I DO own Katherine!

Summary: Hell Girl crossover. AU. INCREDIBLY LONG ONE-SHOT. Alternate time line. Unable to pay his next tuition payment, Burt has to enroll Kurt back in McKinley for a little while. While he's there, Kurt learns about the latest of rumors going around the school: the Hell Correspondence. KLAINE. Rated M for themes and mpreg.

Okay, before anyone commences on with reading this fic, I would just like to say that this is my first Glee fanfic. EVER. As a matter of fact, it is also my first non-anime/manga fanfic ever. I'm not exactly used to using what I call a "real-world" setting, so I apologize for any out-of-characterness that may occur!

But I would also like to point out that even if this is a crossover with the anime Hell Girl, it isn't the Hell Girl Ai Emna. A few months back, I started wondering what Hell Girl would be like if she were from America and had American clients, because I doubt that Ai would have any American clients.

So I created my own Hell Girl, Katherine.

I'll put up a link to a picture of her in my profile (I made it myself)

So now, without further ado... onwards with the reading!

I hope you all like it! It took me weeks to write...

ONE VERY IMPORTANT NOTE. When I started writing this, it was before the episode Prom Queen came out, so that was when I felt little to no sympathy for Karofsky. I just hated him a passion.

I actually feel a little bad about what I did to him in this. D: Even if this is kinda an "alternate universe Karofsky"...

---

Kurt held onto his backpack with one hand, slowly and cautiously making his way down the hallway.

Tuition had brought him back to McKinley. "Just until we can manage to bring together enough money; I promise. Two weeks tops." Those were his father's exact words. He would take out a bank loan if it meant keeping his son safe, physically, mentally and emotionally, from that Karofsky.

Kurt's left hand occupied his pocket, clutching his cell phone in a death-tight grip. Blaine was just a text or a phone call away from encouraging words and support. "You can do this," he was told. "Facing your fears only make you a stronger person."

There was only one more class left to get through on his first day back, and Kurt could not have been any more on edge then he already was. He had been dreading even just seeing Karofsky out of the corner of his eye; every time he thought he saw him, his heart would jump into his throat, but his head would dare to dart in the direction of the so-called Karofsky. It was a trick of the eye every time.

In all honesty, he was starting to feel like a jumpy, paranoid mess.

Kurt let air in through his nose and then out of his mouth as he entered his final class. He really had to rationalize his thoughts. Karofsky couldn't be lurking behind every corner or know where he was at all times, either; more than likely, his lack of presence meant he was out sick for the day.

At least he hoped.

Kurt shared a short "Welcome back" conversation with the teacher before he was directed to an empty seat.

All day, to calm his nerves and to shut away, he had been listening to his iPod when permitted to. However, just his luck, it had ran out of battery in the hallway earlier. Now here he was; staring forlornly out the window with his head on his hand in the typical teenage-angst fashion.

It made him feel like a drama queen.

"Kurt," His head picked up and the teacher had his attention immediately. "Ashleigh is going to let you copy her notes from yesterday so you can catch up in the new unit."

Kurt nodded once, giving a quiet thank you to the girl next to him as she slid her open notebook to his desk.

"We just started studying the Phylum Porifera yesterday, and we'll be starting on Cnidaria later in the week, too. If you need any help, just as for me; Ashes."

"Okay," Kurt responded as he reached into his backpack for his notebook and a writing instrument.

"So," Ashes leaned her head on one hand, the other tucking her loose black hair behind her ear. "What do you think about the rumors going around?"

Kurt visibly stiffened upon sitting up straight again.

"R-... rumors?" he managed to ask, albeit shaky.

"You know," Ashes went on. "About the Hell Correspondence."

"... What is that, some sort of new TV show?"

"- Are you seriously asking that?" blurted out the girl sitting behind Ashes.

"Dayna, sssh!" Ashes shushed at her blonde friend. She then looked back at Kurt. "What school did you transfer from?"

"Dalton; it's an all-boys school." Kurt responded.

"That explains the spiffy blazer," Dayna said, patting the back of Kurt's shoulder.

"What's..." Kurt raised an eyebrow in confusion. "The Hell Correspondence?"

"Supposedly, it's this website that can only be accessed at midnight." Ashes said.

"And when you type in a person's name and submit it, then the Hell Girl will appear and take revenge on them for you!" Dayna added with a smirk.

"Day, don't you dare scare him!" Ashes scolded with knitted eyebrows.

"Hey, Ashes!" pipped in the girl behind Kurt. "I know this girl at my work who knows this girl from her old job who said that she actually tried it out!"

"Are you serious, Linda?" Ashes asked with disbelief written all over her face. Linda gave a few nods.

"I heard it's kinda sketchy," Dayna said. "They say if you use it, you end up dead."

"But you know what?" Linda went on. "I've also heard that some people have just disappeared without a single trace."

"No. Way." Dayna said with her mouth agape.

"That is pretty spooky, Linda." Ashes said.

Kurt kept his head down, copying the notes as the bell rang to begin the period. The final stragglers rushed to get inside, Finn, of course, being one among them. Quickly, he noticed his gay step-brother... surrounded by pretty girls... with an empty seat to his left.

He sat down and promptly fell asleep. Kurt was used to his snoring so he hardly even noticed.

---

Kurt went home immediately after last period, throwing himself into his very boring Marine Biology research project on the Phylum Porifera - which was, in science talk, more or less, all about the sea sponge. Honestly, was the teacher just asking for kids to follow Finn's lead by falling asleep in the front row? Who would have the attention span to learn about sponges?

Despite that, Kurt was rather impressed to hear that sea sponges were one of the oldest life forms in existence. Especially since every living being is a descendant of the sea sponge, and it didn't even have a brain.

That definitely explained a lot about Finn, for sure. A lot of people wondered how it was possible for him to function properly.

Kurt was a little surprised that he had his and Finn's bedroom to himself for that entire day; of course, with the Phylum Porifera project due in a week, it was only natural for Finn to put it off until the night before it would be due. Ergo, Kurt would be rudely awakened at three in the morning when Finn sits up and realized, "SHIT, I HAVE A PROJECT DUE IN THIRTEEN HOURS!" And Kurt, by now used to Finn's nocturnal outbursts, wouldn't correct him with his number of hours, and would simply put in a pair of earplugs and fall back asleep, facing the wall as Finn rushed and typed half-assed computer research. It never amounted to A-grade material, but at least he never got an F. ("F for Finn!")

Thursday nights were the worst; everyone was anticipating Friday so much because come Friday afternoon, they could get as shit-faced as they pleased without any worry or consequences of going to school with a hangover. There weren't a lot of party boys at Dalton, so Kurt felt more in place there. At McKinley, he felt like one of the only people (let alone guys) who didn't see any pleasures in alcohol. Even at his father and Carole's wedding, when he was allowed to try a glass of champagne (Burt had insisted it under celebratory circumstances) he took one sip and immediately determined that it was most definitely not his palate.

Being sensible, Kurt stayed in that Thursday night to complete his school work so that he would have his weekend free. Temporary or not, he was no slacker. It also seemed to distract him from his all-day fears of Karofsky.

Kurt put the finishing touches on his Phylum Porifera fact sheet, zipped through his French Revolution reading and questions, and braved through Math equations having to do with taxes and such. Only after every last assignment he had was done did he allow himself to finally grab his towel from his bed post and head off to the bathroom for a late-night shower.

He heard the sound of the TV on in the living room and a tell-tale sound of snoring; well, at least he knew that Finn was home.

---

Kurt's thin cotton pajama bottoms clung to the little remaining moisture on his legs.

When he stepped into his and Finn's bedroom, the tell-tale sound of snoring hit his ears; the computer, which he had forgotten to turn off after completing his Phylum Porifera research, had gone to sleep, and now the Microsoft Windows XP logo was sitting idly on the screen of black, changing positions every so often.

With the lights off, Kurt carefully treaded across the floor, not surprised at all by the fact that when he tripped and nearly fell over on Finn's carelessly dropped pants, that his step-brother didn't even flinch in the slightest when he half-screamed, half-yelped, "Shit!"

Able to feel his pulse in his neck beating rapidly now from his mini-scare, Kurt pulled out a T-shirt from his bureau and pulled it on before he sat back down at the computer. With a jiggle of the mouse it woke up and brought him back to Google, which displayed various links he had come across for Phylum Porifera.

His eyes gazed over to the computer clock; 11:59 PM. He'd been up longer then he thought.

"What do you think about the rumors going around?..."

"You know..."

"About the Hell Correspondence?"

Kurt could just feel his ears and the back of his neck go hot, even though, shakily, he dragged the mouse across the pad, moving the arrow to the search bar of Google. He cleared it out, typed in hell correspondence, and hit the search button.

The one and only link that appeared on the list was to none other than hell-correspondence. com. With a small gulp, he clicked on it.

The page was white; black text read 404 Not Found.

He glanced at the computer clock again. Seconds later, it changed to 12:00 AM, and he refreshed the page then.

He felt his body run cold when white faded to black, and either he was imagining it or he actually heard the small whoosh of fire as a tiny flame appeared and subsequently disappeared from the middle of the page. A white, narrow text box appeared with a submit button beneath it.

Red text in a chilling font read across the top of the screen, Thy bitterness shall be dispelled.

Kurt's eyes stared at the screen, wide, his mouth slightly agape. It took him a mere moment to close his mouth, swallowing nervously. However, he bit his bottom lip lightly when his fingers settled upon the keyboard. He knew very well that he was shaking as he pushed down on the keys, one by one, to spell out David Karofsky.

Kurt moved the arrow to the submit button; his heart rate was so nervous and so slow that even he felt confused in the back of his head as to why his forehead became warm and began to sweat.

"They say if you use it, you end up dead."

Even with those words haunting and echoing through his mind and the smallest tears of fear in his eyes, Kurt pressed his lips together tightly, making a small squeak when he shut his eyes, letting out a soft gasp as, with a click of his mouse, he submitted Karofsky's name into the Hell Correspondence.

After a moment, he peeked one eye open. The screen was black; the arrow turned into a rotating hourglass.

And then...

The screen flooded to a blood-red hue, to which Kurt immediately stumbled backward from.

Finn still wouldn't wake up.

The same, chilling font began to appear, letter by letter, across the screen, in the darkest of blacks that Kurt had ever, ever seen.

Thy vengeance hast been heard.

- Hell Girl

A moment after Kurt had read the message, the screen immediately turned white.

404 Not Found.

---

Friday afternoon had felt like it had taken an eternity to arrive. Even longer for Kurt to be able to step inside of the house.

He had barely slept that night; he was too shaken, too out of breath to sleep. He kept on gripping at his sheets in a cold sweat, dozing off for no longer than a few minutes at a time every so often.

He figured that he hadn't any more than maybe twenty minutes of sleep all together; more than likely it was even less than that. Maybe from ten to fifteen.

That entire time, he had been waiting in fear for Hell Girl to appear before him; like Dayna had said. All that happened all night was Finn's obnoxious snoring, a loud snort (also from Finn) every so often, Finn half-waking up from near-suffocation when he was face down in his pillow drooling like a sheepdog, and to top it all off, Finn's nocturnal mumbles that, as of late, all had to do with ponies. Whether he was saying, "Mommy, I wanna ride the pony..." or mumble-singing "My little pony, my little pony~", that was all that happened all night long.

Same old, same old.

Kurt refused to stay home sick; the last thing he wanted was to be left alone after what he had done.

And... somewhere, in the back of his mind, laid a hope that if he didn't see Karofsky again that day, then maybe it was possible that Hell Girl had taken revenge on him for Kurt. Maybe, if he was lucky enough, he would hear something about how Karofsky had disappeared without a trace, just like Linda said.

All hope and optimism soon dissipated from Kurt's spirits halfway through the day; he didn't even have to look to know who had shoved him against the wall. It was all too familiar.

It didn't work... nothing happened. I guess... the Hell Correspondence... was just a story...

However, luckily enough, Blaine had ever-perfect timing. As soon as Kurt felt his phone vibrating in his pants he pulled it out, immediately opening the new text message.

Hey, lets have coffee later? Tell me when to pick you up.

Blaine, XOXO~

P.S.: Have courage.

That was enough to bring his spirits right back up. He may have been exhausted beyond belief, but he was strangely optimistic. So he texted Blaine back.

Sure thing. Pick me up at 5.

Kurt, XOXO

P.S.: Thanks, hot stuff.

He did it with a blush and slight hesitance, but Kurt managed to send the text with "hot stuff" in it.

As he stepped inside, even he felt good enough to think, Hey, at least I didn't get slushied today. He might have been pissed if he did; he was wearing a brand-new shirt.

Carole and Burt wouldn't be home until around 4:30, so Kurt knew Finn was the one in the bathroom when he heard the shower running.

How Finn had beaten him home was beyond him. He supposed it was easy when Finn didn't bother to even think (what else was new?) of going to his locker.

Hell, for all Kurt knew, Finn probably didn't even use his locker.

Kurt decided he would use his time before Blaine would pick him up to rest; he'd done all of the work he had needed to do the day before, so now the weekend was his. He went into the kitchen to grab his box of trail mix and nabbed one of Finn's juice boxes from the fridge.

All in all, his spirits were high.

As he stepped into his and Finn's bedroom he let his backpack fall off of his shoulder, placing it against the foot of his bed. As he picked his head up, he practically screeched (rather girlishly) and dropped his snack, backing up against the wall next to the slightly ajar door. He brought his hands to his eyes, feeling his cheeks heat up.

"FIIIIIIIIINN!" he wailed. "NEXT TIME YOU BRING A GIRL HOME, PUT A SOCK ON THE DOOR OR SOMETHING!"

A few moments later, Kurt peeked through his fingers to the girl sitting on Finn's bed. She sat in silence with her hands folded on her lap.

Kurt lowered his hands, examining her with his eyes, and because he was gay, he managed to do it without getting a boner.

She looked fairly young; old enough for middle school, maybe, but much too young to even be a freshman. Her skin was pale, nearly blending in completely with her white, shapeless summer dress. Her hair was wavy and white, flowing over her shoulders and down her back in long locks, and Kurt took notice to how her feet were bare.

But there was one thing about her that Kurt could not look away from; one feature that brought her together in a hauntingly beautiful fashion.

Her eyes were red.

Kurt stood frozen in place; his eyes were locked onto this strange girl, his breath caught in his throat as he stared; he stared into the red eyes that seemed to stare straight into the very depths of his soul. Those ruby optics had the power to paralyze him.

In time, the silence between then was severed.

"Thou hast called me forth." the girl spoke.

Kurt understood immediately.

"It... it's really you..." Treading carefully, Kurt took a few steps forward. "Hell Girl."

Hell Girl nodded once in acknowledgment. She stood up, keeping her hands down by her sides.

"Mine name... is Katherine."

"... Katherine..." Kurt uttered.

Everything about him felt like it was agape. His eyebrows were raised so high that they felt agape; his eyes were so wide that they felt agape; even his nostrils felt agape. His mouth, however, was only slightly agape.

"I..." Kurt found himself saying, as if Katherine had been waiting for him to speak up. He fisted his hands, which hung down limp at his sides. "I want to be avenged."

Katherine's eyes took on a look of understanding. One of her hands reached into a fold in the side of her dress, pulling out a black straw doll. She held it up, looking down at it.

"Thy name is?" she asked.

With a quick swallow and without a moment's hesitation, Kurt responded, "Kurt Hummel."

A red thread appeared tied around the straw doll's neck, emanating a faint glow for only a moment after it appeared. Katherine then extended her hands out, the straw doll laid across her palms.

"This is for thou." Katherine spoke. "Take it."

Slowly, Kurt stepped closer to Hell Girl, reaching one hand out to take the straw doll. Once he had it, he held it in both of his hands, staring down at the string on its neck.

"If thoust truly wishes to eliminate thy antagonist, ye may untie the red string from its neck." Katherine spoke, her haunting red eyes staring at Kurt. "Removing the string shall mean that thou has officially accepted into entering a covenant with me. I shall then ferry the soul of thy tormentor immediately into the abyss of Hell."

Kurt didn't speak. He simply held the straw doll close to his chest, staring down at it. He tightened his hands around it, which shook slightly.

"However..." Something in Katherine's tone just made Kurt look up at her. "Once thy deed is fulfilled, thou must pay thy restitution."

"Restitution?..." Kurt said barely loud enough for even himself to hear.

"To carry out a curse on one soul digs two graves." Katherine continued. "When ye enter mine covenant, when thoust dies, then thy soul shall also fall into Hell's abyss."

At that, Kurt's body stood completely immobile; his eyes seemed both narrow and wide with shock. Something just itched to come out of his throat.

"Thou shalt never know the joy's of Heaven's paradise..." Katherine went on. "Thy soul shall wander through a land of suffering and darkness, forever and for all of eternity."

Kurt suddenly found himself surrounded by bright yellow hellfire with deformed, red demonic hands grabbing at him. His hands flew up to the top of his head, an ear-piercing scream flying out of his vocal chords.

And then just like that, it was all gone. He fell onto his knees, grasping onto his shoulders tightly as he breathed in and out; in and out, raggedly. He wasn't sure when he started crying, but he was.

"And now..." Katherine's voice rang in from nowhere. "The rest is up to thou to decide. Entirely."

So much for resting.

---

Finn heard Kurt's screams just as he had shut off the water in the shower.

Throwing caution to the wind, he bounded out of the bathroom and ran right into their bedroom, where he found Kurt backed up against the wall on his bed.

"Kurt! What's wrong?" Finn asked.

"THERE'S A FUCKING COCKROACH ON THE FLOOR!" Kurt screeched, pointing one hand down at the carpet, his other arm busy keeping his eyes covered.

It had been just to Kurt's luck that shortly after Hell Girl had disappeared, a small, twitching, brown creature making very recognizable sounds had crawled toward him. Just before it had so much as touched his knee, he let out another scream. He stumbled to get up onto his bed, only just able to stash the straw doll beneath his pillow in a haphazard fashion.

He knew that Finn would be coming. He could just tell.

As Finn laid his eyes on the disgusting thing, it made another sound.

"FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING CHRIST FINN, FUCKING KILL THE DAMN THING! KILL IT UNTIL IT'S DEAD AND UNTIL IT DIES!" Kurt screeched.

"Okay, okay!" Finn grabbed a tissue from their tissue box, dropped it over the roach and then stepped down on it with the heel of his foot. "It's dead."

"GET RID OF IT GET RID OF IT GET RID OF IT!" Kurt wailed in a helpless tone.

"Jesus," Finn ran one hand through his still dripping wet hair before he picked up the tissue and balled it up. He ran back into the bathroom and flushed it down the toilet.

Kurt, shaking, picked his head up but didn't uncover his eyes when he heard Finn's returning footsteps.

"Is... is it gone?..." he uttered.

"Yes, Kurt, it's gone. It's alright," Finn said, sitting down at the edge of Kurt's bed. He laid a hand on Kurt's back, rubbing circles to calm him down. With a sigh, Kurt let his head down into his knees.

"Thank you, Finn..."

"... Kurt, what's the matter?"

Kurt's shaking seemed to lessen, and he didn't pick his head up.

"You were acting so quiet yesterday... then you barely slept at all last night. Is something bothering you?" Finn's voice sounded so... concerned. But Kurt could not stand to look at anyone right now.

What if he untied the red thread? What if he sent Karofsky to Hell? If it meant spending the rest of eternity in Hell when he died on his own... what would that be like? To never go to Heaven with everybody else he knew; with his father, with Carole, with Blaine... with Finn. The best brother he could have asked for.

Would life even be worth living if he was going to end up in a pit of fire, with his own antagonist, no matter how good he would be in life?

God may never forgive him.

"Kurt," Finn said just before Kurt could say "Nothing..." "Don't lie to me."

He had to get it off of his chest.

"You... you heard the rumors going around school, right?..." Kurt asked.

"Which one; about the basketball team scandal or the Cheerios on acid?"

Kurt blinked in disbelief. Finn, of all people, knew about all of that idle, completely-false-like-National Enquirer-articles, gossip that girls raved on and on about?

"No..."

"What is it?"

Kurt unballed his fists, twining his fingers together.

"About... this website called Hell Correspondence."

Finn's hand became still in the middle of Kurt's back.

"That's been gossip for weeks now..." Finn said. "They don't talk about it at Dal-"

"Finn. How many gay guys do you think are there, really?" Kurt asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"Right, I'm sorry..." Finn took a pause when Kurt remained quiet. "... Oh! I get it... you heard about it and looked it up last night, didn't you?"

Kurt shook his head "no".

"Kurty, even I know that our computer has a browser history-"

"Okay, okay! I looked it up!" Kurt responded. "... It scared the whits outta me..."

Something Finn wouldn't know.

"... Did you type in somebody's name?" Finn asked before he even realized he had said it.

"No... it just... the thought of it all just..." Kurt stumbled over his lies in a believable manner. Wonderful, now that he'd gotten his acting down, he could join Drama Club next year as well!

"Eh, I can't say that I blame you..." Finn responded. "... It spooked you enough that it kept you up all night?..."

"Finn, just, look at me..." Kurt said helplessly. "I'm on edge enough as it is... I just want to get this temporary transfer over and done with soon so that I can go back to the safety of Dalton's walls."

"And Blainey's arms."

Kurt didn't even need to look to be able to whack Finn on one of his bare arms.

"Don't patronize me." he said in a serious, yet still joking tone.

"Ooooow..." Finn whined much like a child as he rubbed the now sore spot. "Kurty, why do you have to be so mean to me?"

"Because being nice is too easy,"

Finn did manage to chuckle, and Kurt finally picked up his head.

It was short-lived.

"FIIIIIIIIIINN!" Kurt shrieked, his face beat-red and his hands over his eyes. "PUT SOME FUCKING CLOTHES ON YOU - JESUS, WHY ARE YOU SITTING NAKED ON MY BED? YOU BETTER CHANGE MY SHEETS FOR THIS!"

Finn blinked and looked down.

In his panic induced by Kurt's earlier screams, he had forgotten to grab his towel.

"Oops," he grinned sheepishly as he stood up. "Sorry."

---

"Something's bothering you."

Kurt sighed, letting go of the spoon he stirred his coffee with.

It had been a long enough day as it was. Of course, he knew how very observant Blaine was, so, he half-expected when he should have fully-expected him to comment on his queer (not in the gay sense) demeanor this evening.

What had started out as a coffee invitation turned into a casual night out, which then turned into the date they were now on.

Blaine, upon picking Kurt up, told him about the clearance sale going on at Borders, and Kurt was lucky enough to have money in his pocket at the moment. So he and Blaine went nuts over all of the CDs and books and movies that piqued their interest.

Upon doing the calculations after their mini-shopping-spree afterward, Kurt estimated that they got about one-hundred dollars worth of stuff for around thirty bucks.

Going-out-of-business clearance really was the bomb.

Their little spree blew through a good hour and a half of their time, so Blaine, rather coolly, suggested that they turn their coffee date into a dinner date.

Kurt agreed. They decided on a small diner, ordered coffee to start with, and were now looking through their menus to decide what to eat.

Kurt had been hungry when he got home from school, but after... those events, he seemed to have lost his appetite and instead decided on abandoning his snack in favor of attempting to take a nap. Finn could tell that he was still on edge, so he stuck around to browse on their computer instead of leaving him alone so he could go watch TV in his underwear.

Kurt didn't exactly sleep, but he wasn't exactly awake, either.

He was grateful that images of Hell didn't flash before his eyes when Finn was around. It was like even when he was in half-consciousness, Finn was still there to defend him.

He did, however, forget about Blaine's invitation, so when he came knocking on the door when he was still in his nap-state, he rushed to get ready and apologized profusely. He said goodbye to Finn and off they went.

And here they were now.

"Kurt, what's the matter? You're... not exactly acting yourself tonight."

Kurt leaned his head on his hands, staring down into his white coffee cup, watching the liquid stir itself around slowly; how a few bubbles caught around the spoon.

"I..." Kurt began. He had the straw doll in his blazer pocket. "Had a long day... didn't sleep much last night..."

"Is it Karofsky again?"

With a bit of a helplessly dramatic sigh, Kurt leaned on his hand.

"Who else would it be?..." he asked.

"Is it anything you could have reported him for? Anything Finn could have done to stop it?"

"I really don't want to talk about this right now..." Kurt said.

A hand closed down over Kurt's, and a thumb rubbed the back of his palm.

"Kurt,"

Before Blaine could even continue on, that simple gesture made Kurt's lower lip tremble, his fingers curled helplessly against the tablecloth, and his shoulders began to shake.

Blaine had his immediate attention.

"Kurt. What did he do?"

Kurt, if he were in his usual senses, wouldn't have believed himself; he would have gotten up and ran into the men's room for doing something like starting to cry in a diner of all places. He lucked out tonight; there weren't many people around them. He and Blaine were in a booth, as well. They could have privacy in peace.

"... There are bigger things going on... than just me and Karofsky... right now..." Kurt responded, feeling his entire being just shaking profusely; shaking so much that he almost couldn't tell that he was anymore.

"Kurt." Blaine stared straight at Kurt's face the best he could. "What's going on?"

Kurt did them both a favor by picking his head up the slightest to stare back at him. He kept his lips, trembling, pressed together, gulped, and shakily opened his mouth to speak again.

"Blaine... if I tell you this, you have to swear to secrecy..." he began. "You cannot tell anybody - you can't even write it down anywhere. Never. Cross your heart, hop to die, stick all of the Lady GaGa CDs we just got in your eyes."

Lady GaGa? This was serious.

"I promise, Kurt. I absolutely swear." Blaine responded.

Kurt stared at him, right into his brown eyes... he took a few deep breaths, and looked from side-to-side, as if in paranoia. A moment later, satisfied, he turned his attention back to Blaine, and beginning to breathe through his nose, he leaned forward.

"Have you ever..." he whispered so quietly. "Heard of... the Hell Correspondence?"

Blaine's eyebrows rose up. He had his attention.

"The Hell... Correspondence?" One eyebrow was arched in confusion. "I can't say that I have..."

"Finn said it's been one of the gossip stories going around for a few weeks now at McKinley..." Kurt responded. "But... this girl in Marine Biology yesterday, she asked me what I thought about the rumors..."

"What is it?"

"... It's this website that you can only access after the clock strikes midnight." Kurt went on, feeling his pulse hot and throbbing in his neck. "And supposedly when you... type in a person's name, and then submit it... then, Hell Girl is... is supposed to appear to take revenge on them for you."

Blaine pressed his lips together, but could not hold back the light chuckle that vibrated his vocal chords.

"I'm sorry, Kurt, but, really, something like that just sounds so silly..."

Kurt forced a half-hearted smile as his eyes drifted off to the side.

"Yeah, well..." A fake laugh. "You know..."

It wasn't even a moment later that Blaine, with a serious, concerned face, was staring right at him again.

"Kurt..." He leaned across the table. "What did you do? What happened? You accessed it, didn't you?"

"Uh..." Kurt gulped, his lips tight together. "I..."

"Kurt." He saw the look in Blaine's brown eyes. "Don't lie to me."

Kurt sat back in his seat and hung his head down low. He could feel the straw doll in his blazer pocket; it made his throat knot up all over again.

"Kurt... did you go to that website?"

Kurt nodded.

"Did you type in somebody's name?"

He nodded again.

"... It was Karofsky's, wasn't it?"

A pause.

...

And then another nod.

"... What happened?"

Kurt's eyes drifted to the side; inspecting to see if anyone was near. He waited a moment before dropping his gaze down to his lap; his pockets. With a shaky hand, he reached into the right pocket of his Dalton blazer, and pulled out the black straw doll. He didn't look as he lifted it up, placing it on the table top.

"... Hell Girl is real..." was all Kurt could muster up to say.

---

SLAM!

Kurt shook, keeping his head down as he heard Blaine locking the door to his dorm room. He held the straw doll in his hands tightly, feeling himself shaking all over again.

Blaine had dragged him out of the diner the moment the waitress came back for their orders. He hastily made up an excuse, paid for their coffee, and left a tip he would later realize was hefty; but his last concerns right now were of money.

The waitress thought as they left, Damn teenagers; they just can't keep it in their pants, can they?

"Kurt," Blaine wouldn't allow Kurt to keep quiet; he grasped him by his chin, albeit a bit roughly, and lifted his head up. "You have to tell me what all of this means. What happened that made you turn to... to... Hell Girl... to get rid of Karofsky? You have to tell me."

Kurt parted his trembling lips, sucking in and out a few breaths.

"Uhm... I..." When Kurt tried to hang his head again, Blaine tightened his grip on his chin. He couldn't bear to look at him; he did all he could to look away from Blaine. "I... I just..."

"Kurt... please, tell me..." Blaine was genuinely frightened now. "What did he do?..."

"He didn't do anything, okay? I just got scared!"

Kurt shut his eyes tightly, hunching over just as Blaine's hand dropped down from his chin.

"I'm tired of being scared of him! Every time I'm anywhere near where he is, I just freeze up!" Kurt brought one hand up to his eyes, wiping at them and trying to hide his face all over again. "My first day back at McKinley was torture! I didn't see him anywhere but I was so on edge that I jumped at every little thing that frightened me - even the slightest! When those girls told me about it I just... I don't know!"

"... I..." Even Blaine couldn't believe that he was left nearly speechless. "I never... I never even knew..."

"... All I have to do..."

Blaine snapped his eyes right back to Kurt, whom, hunched over, held his gaze on the straw doll in his hands.

"... Is untie the thread from its neck..." Kurt went on, as if in some sort of trance, repeating the words that Katherine had told him. "Pulling the thread will bind me into a covenant with Hell Girl... and she will take Karofsky's soul to Hell."

"There's a catch to is, isn't there?" Blaine asked.

Slowly, Kurt gave a nod.

"To carry out a curse on one soul digs two graves." Kurt responded. "... So, if I decide to pull the string, when I die, then... I will go to Hell, as well." He heard Blaine gasp, he heard him take a step back. He tightened his hands on the doll, lessening the shaking just a bit. "But... not until I die on my own, of course."

"... Kurt..." Blaine's hands were on his shoulders now. "Kurt, please... please tell me that you... that you aren't seriously considering this."

"... I... I don't... don..." Kurt leaned forward slightly, his forehead resting against Blaine's shoulder. "... don't... know..."

"... Kurt..." Blaine's arms wrapped around him. "You have to promise me something..."

Kurt nodded slightly; only just detectable.

"... Promise me that... you'll only pull the string if you're... absolutely certain..." Blaine tightened his arms. "You can't back out of this... and... I know that Karofsky makes your life a living Hell, but..." Kurt was surprised to hear him sniffle before he held Kurt closer, his nose brushing against Kurt's hair. "Promise me..."

Kurt curled his fingers against Blaine's shirt, feeling the straw doll sandwiched somewhere in-between their respective abdomens.

"... I promise..."

---

When Kurt entered his and Finn's bedroom well past eleven that night, Finn applauded him.

Kurt was tired, worn out, sore, and was getting fussy about how messy his hair looked now. So he just rolled his eyes, placed down his bags from Borders on his bed, and sat down.

"What up with the dramatically sarcastic slow clap?"

"Because," Finn began with a grin, lowering his hands. "Dear Kurty, you have just done what is universally known as 'the walk of shame'."

Kurt rose an eyebrow.

"Say what?"

"Well, actually, the 'walk of shame' is usually performed in the morning, but this still constitutes!" Finn responded.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Kurt asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"The messy hair," Finn began. "The rumpled clothes, the limp, the coming home at odd hours of the night - odd for you at least, Kurt." A cheeky, even for Finn, grin pulled at his lips, broadening across his face. "Somebody popped their cherry!~ Somebody popped their cherry!~"

It wasn't even a moment later that the smile was wiped right across off of his face by Kurt's eerily scary face. However, he did notice how rather gingerly Kurt had his legs crossed now. Only proved his point further.

"If you tell anyone, I will kill your slippers."

Finn's eyes widened.

"No! Not my slippers! Not my fuzzy bun-bun slippers!"

Kurt gave a slightly devilish grin himself.

"Good boy."

Kurt, a tad bit slowly, uncrossed his legs and rose to fetch his night clothes and a clean pair of underwear before he went to shower.

"So," Finn began as he plopped down onto his side, hoisting his head up with an elbow. "How was it?"

As Kurt stood back up straight, holding his clothes to his chest, he actually... smiled.

"Magnificent." he said, feeling himself begin to swoon. He actually had to sit back down again, and his eyes closed. "The way he kissed me, the way he swept me off of my feet... the way he turned the lights down, the sensual look in his eyes... the way he striped us bare..." He had an expression of euphoria on his face all over again. "... My God, Blaine is just such a charmer..."

"Even in bed?" Finn grinned.

"Shut up, Finn." Kurt said, his voice still elated. "Don't ruin my moment."

"Well," Finn rolled onto his back. "Either way, I think it's great that you two have finally consummated your relationship. The sexual tension that's been growing between you lately has been so bad it's been giving me a boner!"

And yet Kurt didn't know how to feel embarrassed right now.

"And, well..." Finn smiled, staring up at the ceiling. "It was about time, too. It's just so obvious that you and Blaine are perfect for each other."

Slowly, Kurt's eyes opened. His arms eased down, placing his clean set of clothing onto his lap.

"... You really think so, Finn?" he asked.

"Of course!" Finn said, rocking back up to sit on his butt again. "I'm not the only one who thinks so, either. Just ask the girls!" Another smile broadened Kurt's pink lips. "And I can seriously see you two growing up, getting married and having Blurt babies together."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Finn.

"Blurt babies? What, is that some sort of play on butt babies?"

"No; it's a clever combination of Blaine and Kurt." Finn replied.

"Well, it sounds too much like Dad's name to me..." Kurt said.

"... Oh, damn, you're right..." Finn blinked.

"... How about this?" Kurt began after a moment's thought. "We'll grow up, get married, and have Klaine babies together."

"So long as he don't knock you up in high school, now." Finn chuckled.

Kurt smiled again.

"Deal."

---

"I've made a decision."

Blaine called Kurt the next morning to take him out to breakfast. He took him to Ihop, and they decided to indulge in the "all-you-can-eat-pancakes" slogan of theirs.

Both found themselves to be very hungry that morning.

Blaine had just taken a large bite of his syrup-coated breakfast, and instead of wolfing it down like he had all the other bites, his chews were slow as he locked his eyes onto Kurt's face.

Kurt looked like he was glowing this morning. They both had heard that sex, when it was right, could brighten and give vitality to anybody. Kurt could feel it in the both of them, and Blaine certainly did as well.

And for once in his life, the words that Finn had said were sticking around in his mind for more than a few moments.

"I've decided... I'm going to get rid of it." Kurt said, the bright look on his face not fading away for even a second.

Blaine felt like the entire diner could hear him as he gulped down his ginormous bite.

"I was talking to Finn last night when I got home," Kurt went on. "First he said roughly 'Way to go for finally having sex, Kurt!'... and then he went on to say that... even he can see that you and I..." His smile became a little bit smaller. "He says that everyone sees and thinks that we're perfect for each other."

Blaine kept his jaw locked firmly in place to keep it from dropping open.

"... Kurt, I-"

"Blaine," Kurt began. "I... I'm crazy about you." He let his eyes settle into Blaine's gaze. "Every time I need you the most, whether I know it or not... you just do something amazing. Like yesterday, when you texted me for coffee and told me to have courage... Karofsky had just shoved me into the wall. It didn't dampen my spirits once I read that." His hand, tired of sitting still where it was, placed down his fork on his plate, and his hands rested in his lap. "Even this morning..." His smile broadened again. "I don't want to muck up this happiness I'm feeling. If I pull that thread... I can forget about ever leading a normal, happy lifestyle. And... I want to have a happy, normal life... with you."

Blaine's mouth dropped open slightly now. His lips were sticky with maple syrup.

"Kurt..."

"I want to grow old with you..." Kurt bit his lips at this. "I can't think of anyone else I'd allow to see my crow's feet when I get old and wrinkly and senile..." He could not look away from Blaine's ever-so-lovely, enticing brown eyes. "And more than anything... I hope we can have children one day." His eyes glimmered in thought. "Perhaps, a little girl... she'd have your gorgeous hair... and, her name would be Stefani..."

At that, Blaine smiled again.

Stefani. Lady GaGa's name.

"If I pull that string..." Kurt's smile faded. "I'd be making a mess of all that. Our chances of happiness would be slim to none. We'd break up... you'd find someone new, Finn would hook me up with guy after guy until I get tired of it, and keep thinking, 'I'm going to Hell when I die...' I wouldn't see any point in living life without happiness - without you... I would take my own life, and where would I go?... To an eternity of pain and suffering... with Karofsky."

Kurt paused, taking a small, somewhat nervous gulp.

"And, let's face it... it won't end with Karofsky." Kurt said. "There will be more harassers. Some not so bad, and some worse... why should I beat myself up over just one of them? I shouldn't be put down for who I am because of their dense ignorance. I should be proud of who I am... and I am."

Blaine leaned across the table, grasped Kurt by his chin with one hand, pulled him closer, and for the first time, kissed him in public without a second thought. And Kurt let him.

Blaine's lips tasted sweet and sticky. Even Kurt couldn't resist giving them a little lick; pancakes, maple syrup and Blaine. Quite the flavors he had.

Alas, though, all it lasted was a few moments. But when the parted, Blaine said the most romantic thing he'd said all morning.

"Let's get rid of it together."

Kurt pressed his lips together for a moment, and then nodded.

"... I love you, Blaine..." he whispered.

Blaine smiled again.

"I love you, too."

That beat "Let's get rid of it together." by a long shot.

After they finished their breakfast, Blaine drove them to a lake, where they threw the black straw doll into the water.

They spent the whole day together after that. The entire weekend.

They could not leave well enough alone.

---

Burt lived up to his promise to Kurt, and a week later, Kurt was having a Farewell and Good Luck at Dalton! party in Marine Biology.

He almost laughed at how insignificant his seven-day transfer to McKinley was, but he had to admit, it was nice to return to his roots, if only for a little while.

Blaine was especially proud of him, as well. For getting through the transfer with his head up high, and for finding out who he really was on a deeper level.

For that reason itself, Blaine decided he would take Kurt's entire family out for a nice dinner to celebrate. He knew as much as Kurt and Finn did that Burt and Carole had worked hard to save up the money needed to pay for Kurt's tuition payment.

"Next year," Burt promised. "We won't have to pull you out of school, okay? I'll make sure that we have a fund saved entirely for your tuition."

So Finn, with his greatest idea of the day, put an empty water jug on the coffee table and labeled it Kurt's Tuishun.

Props for the idea, points taken off for the spelling. Just like most of his school work.

The teacher had arranged for students to bring in treats and snacks, and herself brought in an Entemann's cake.

Students may have always looked for an excuse to not do work in class, but Kurt didn't mind. The party was a nice way to unwind at the end of a Friday at school.

Nearly everyone left the class late that day; well over a half-hour after school had ended. Kurt stayed behind to help clean up, while Finn stood outside the class to wait for him.

"So," Finn said with his hands in his pockets as he and Kurt made their way down the hallway. "Did you like your party?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it my party, per se..." Kurt responded.

"You're wearing the prom queen crown."

"Don't judge me." Kurt said, lifting his nose up into the air. "And you know I make it look fine~"

"Let's see..." Finn began to think. This time without hurting himself. "You cleared out your locker, right?"

"Yes."

"Returned your textbooks?"

"Yes."

"... Did you clean out your gym locker?"

Kurt fumbled in his steps a bit, bending over as he let out a groan.

"Damn it... I forgot to get my gym clothes yesterday!" He straightened up and rolled his eyes. "Now I have to go all the way to the locker room and back up again..."

"I'll drive you home," Finn said just as Kurt's phone went off.

Kurt pulled it out immediately, opening up his next text message.

Hey there, I'm coming by to pick you up. You home yet?

~Blaine, XOXO

"Blaine," he smiled.

"Did he just ask for a quickie before dinner?" Finn grinned.

"Shut up, Finn. He's just going to pick me up."

"Oh. Guess that means you don't need a ride?"

"Well," Kurt mused for a moment. "I wanted to change my clothes for tonight, so, I'll just tell him to meet us there."

"Okay," Finn halted at the staircase for a moment. "Do you need help?"

"Finn, it's gym clothes, I'll be fine." Kurt said, but couldn't help smiling. "I'll be all of ten minutes. I'll meet you at the car."

"Alright," Finn nodded.

---

36, 37, 38, 39...

41.

It was funny how there was no locker 40 in the boys' locker room. Screw-ups like that happened sometimes in schools; a number or two gets skipped when lockers are being installed.

He twirled the lock, entered his combination and took out his gym clothes.

"Well," he said as he closed the locker. "Goodbye, old friend."

He gave 41 a pat on its door.

He never would see it again.

"Well, well, well,"

Kurt felt himself freeze up at the sound of his voice. However, silently, he took in a slightly shaky breath through his nose and let it out.

"What have we got here?"

Kurt closed his eyes and turned to leave, however, he grimaced when his lithe body was shoved roughly against the row of gym lockers. He almost hated to, but he opened his eyes, trying to keep his defiance as he laid his gaze on his attacker.

None other than his dishonor, David Karofsky.

"Have courage."

Kurt did his best to keep his head up as Karofsky came too close to him for comfort. An arm on each side of him kept him backed against the lockers.

"So..." Karofsky leaned his face downward; toward Kurt's. "I heard that you're running away again."

"Not that it's any of your business." Kurt replied.

"Oh. It is my business." He leaned closer; Kurt could feel his hot breath over his face, and squinted his eyes shut partway. "Because you are my favorite fun bag."

"You have a funny way of showing it." Kurt replied. He then turned his head away. "Now, if you don't mind letting me go, I have a date tonight."

"Not so fast, pretty boy,"

Karofsky shoved Kurt against the lockers using his own body this time.

"You haven't received my farewell present yet."

Kurt gave out a loud yelp immediately following Karofsky pressing their bodies closely together.

"No!" Kurt shrieked.

"Yes."

Kurt thrust his hand into his pocket and speed-dialed Finn's number quickly, only to have his hand yanked out of his pocket and have the phone plucked from him. Karofsky let it drop behind them.

"No no no,"

Kurt's wrists were grabbed forcefully and he was pinned against the lockers without mercy.

"No!"

"Shut up, you faggot."

Kurt shut his eyes tightly as Karofsky pressed him tight against the metal surface of the lockers.

He had one chance to get out of this in as few pieces as possible. He prayed that Finn had picked up. He prayed that his phone was still able to work.

He was backed into the corner he never wanted to be in, but this time he would not run away.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!" he shouted. "HELP ME! HE'S IN THE LOCKER ROOM AND HE'S GOING TO-"

Kurt saw nothing but white when Karofsky's fist struck him square across the cheek. He didn't feel himself drop down to the floor like an empty doll. He couldn't hold back the little whimper that came up his throat as he cracked his eyes open again, heaving to breathe already. Karofsky's shadow casted over him like the figure of a devil in disguise, and his fingers curled helplessly against the floor.

He's going to do it this time... he's going to kill me...

He's going to kill me!

Kurt shut his eyes again as Karofsky leaned down and grasped him by the front of his shirt.

He hoped it would be quick and painless.

Suddenly, he was dropped again.

A few moments passed where he couldn't hear anything but his own cowardly sounds. When he dared to crack his eyes open again, he felt his pupil dilate.

Karofsky was nowhere to be seen.

"... What?..." Kurt pushed himself up onto his knees and looked around the locker room. "Where... where did he go?..."

"Ye don't know?"

Kurt felt his breath catch itself in his throat again, and slowly, he rose onto his feet and laid his eyes on Katherine.

"Hell Girl?..." he asked. "Why... why are you here?"

"Someone else hath requested it."

"... What?"

"Someone else..." Katherine went on. "They accessed Hell Correspondence just last week... they hath just untied the thread. That is why I have appeared."

"And..." Kurt's eyes widened. "What does that mean?..."

Katherine held out her hand.

A black straw doll with a red thread around its neck rested there. It was soaked with water.

Kurt watched as the thread disappeared.

"Thy antagonist hast been eliminated by another who has officially entered themselves into a covenant with me." Katherine responded.

Kurt felt his eyes narrow.

"Ka..." He felt his jaw trembling just so slightly. "Karofsky is... going to Hell?"

Katherine nodded her head once, and with a whirl of wind around her, she disappeared.

"I hear and grant thy vengeance..."

Kurt could hear her voice echoing through his ears, and saw where Hell Girl once stood a lone scarlet thread. Slowly, albeit cautiously, he stepped over to it and squatted down. His fingers grasped the thread like a pair of forceps, and he pulled it off of the floor. He stared at it, losing himself within the red shade of the string.

"To carry out a curse on one soul digs two graves."

"When ye enter mine covenant, when thoust dies, then thy soul shall also fall into Hell's abyss."

Kurt threaded the string between two of his fingers.

This red thread of fate would have sent his soul to Hell when he died... had he been the one who untied it.

Someone somewhere else had a grudge to bear against David Karofsky... if only he knew who.

Kurt slipped his eyes closed, and quietly said, "Whoever you are... thank you."

"I hear and grant thy vengeance..."

---

Karofsky blinked, looking around at his suddenly dark setting change.

The football field looked empty and barren. The field lights were out, the bleachers were empty, and the grass beneath his feet looked dried out.

"How did I get..." he wondered aloud. "On the field?..."

Suddenly, the field lights turned on, and upon turning around, he saw the bleachers filled with cheering people.

"Dave Karofsky! Dave Karofsky! Dave Karofsky!"

Karofsky felt a smug grin pull at his lips and he stood proud with his chest puffed out. His arm felt his football helmet beneath his arm; he could feel the weight of his shoulder pads and his familiar jersey.

"Dave Karofsky! Dave Karofsky! Dave Karofsky!... You're a homo! You're a homo! You're a homo! You're a homo!"

Karofsky snapped his eyes open in an instant, stumbling backward.

"What the fuck?"

"Davy, my sweet hunk~"

Kurt's voice sounded raspy from behind him as he felt thin arms wrap around his hulking torso.

"You've got this game in the bag~" Karofsky could feel Kurt's breath, which was cold, on his ear and neck. "I'll be cheering for you like always~"

"Hummel, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Karofsky shouted as he shoved Kurt off of him.

"Sweet hunky~" Kurt went on as Karofsky dared to turn around.

"HOLY SHIT!" Karofsky shouted and stumbled backward.

Kurt stood before him dressed in a Cheerio outfit... completely void of any and all flesh from his waist down. His hands were folded behind his back, and he had an almost taunting smile on his face.

"Once you win this, we can go back to your place and celebrate~" Kurt's voice rasped. "My sweet hunky~ If it means anything to you... I'm not wearing any panties, either~"

Karofsky gagged in his throat.

"Yo, Dave! Quit flirting with your woman and get the fuck back over here!"

"Good luck, Davy~" Kurt said, giving a wink.

His eyelids had no flesh, either. Just his eyelashes.

Karofsky backed away, turned around and bolted in the other direction.

"Dave, the ball is coming your way!"

Upon picking his head up, Karofsky then turned his body and ran again to catch up with the flying football. He reached his arms up and grabbed it before he ran across the field. However, when he picked it up in one hand to throw it to a nearby team mate, he wasn't holding a football anymore.

It was a skull.

Without looking, he threw it away from himself.

"David! What the fuck? You're letting them win!"

"G-O D-A-V-Y!~ Go Davy, go!~ Go Davy, go!~" Kurt cheered from the sidelines, pom-poms in hand. When he jumped into the air, Karofsky could see very clearly that he was, in fact, not wearing any panties. Or anything for that matter.

"What the fuck was the coach thinking, letting a faggot like Dave on the team?"

"I'm not gay, you fucking assholes!" Karofsky shouted.

"Yeah right, man."

"You're a homo! You're a homo! You're a homo!" the crowd in the bleachers began to chant again.

"I AM NOT A FAGGOT! I BANGED A GIRL LAST FUCKING WEEK!"

"Hummel in a skirt doesn't count!"

"Well, not unless he's an actual girl, of course. Which wouldn't be too far from the truth."

"Go Davy!~ Go Davy!~ Go Davy, go!~" Kurt cheered, performing flips, handstands and cartwheels.

"Admit it already, Dave, we all know. We saw you fucking with Hummel in the locker rooms last week."

Karofsky didn't want to hear any more. He turned and bolted down the field, only to have the ground cave in beneath him. As he slipped and slid down, he grabbed onto a ledge on the earthy cliff, and cautiously, he looked down. Pits of fire and boiling lava were beneath him.

When he turned his head back so as not to look down again, he saw Kurt's face staring at his.

"I wonder how long ye will be able to hang on..." Katherine's voice spoke from Kurt's mouth.

"Hummel... what the fuck are you doing?" Karofsky growled. "You little bit-"

"Will ye confess to thine sins yet?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Will ye repent for what thy hath done to Kurt Hummel?" Katherine asked.

"... What are you talking about, Hummel?"

"Poor innocent Kurt..." Katherine stared straight into Karofsky's eyes. "Doth ye hath any idea how much ye hast made him suffer?"

Karofsky's hands tightened their grip on the ledge he held onto. His teeth gritted.

"I am going to fuck you up so badly for doing this, Hummel!"

"Demeaning him and torturing him every day just to take out all of your pent-up frustration..." Katherine said. "What a filthy soul you have."

Her face was suddenly as close as it could get to Karofsky's.

"Repent for what ye hath done."

"Why the fuck should I apologize for what's happened to him?" Karofsky snapped. "Because of him I'm forced to live my life in a complete lie! That little bitch prances around with his head held high like there's nothing wrong with him! Why can he just go crawl away into a ditch and die already? Why can't he just stop fucking reminding me that I wish I had his life?"

Katherine was silent for only a moment. Then she rose, and her Kurt-skeleton body transformed into her own. She lifted one hand, pointing it down in Karofsky's direction.

"Thy sin is..." she began as a red glow formed on Karofsky's forehead. "Denying thyself."

Karofsky gritted his teeth as the glow suddenly burned an inverted red cross onto his forehead, only allowing himself to let out one, sharp grunt of pain. When he looked back up toward Katherine, he saw her irises glowing red, and his pupils narrowed at their sight as they entranced him.

"Oh, pitiful shadow lost in the darkness, bringing torment and pain to others... oh, damned soul drowning within thy sins..."

Karofsky felt his body go numb and felt himself stop breathing.

"Perhaps... it is time to die."

Karofsky's hands, out of his control, let go of the ledge he held onto. As he felt head-first toward the fiery lava, his mind registered what was happening.

He screamed and blacked out before he hit the burning flames.

---

His head felt like it was spinning as his eyes cracked open. Above himself, he saw nothing but a shroud of a dark, black, blank sky. As he lifted his shoulders so he could sit up, he found that his hands were bound behind himself.

A tad on the weakened side, Karofsky lifted himself onto his knees and picked his head up. He looked to the side; he was in a gondola, being ferried through a river of dark, black, foggy water.

He looked to the other end of the boat and saw Katherine, donned in a blood-red Gothic-Lolita dress complete with matching gloves and high heels. She stared ahead of herself, steering with the oar.

"Hey..." Karofsky spoke up. "Where do you think you're taking me?"

Katherine nodded her head in the direction she stared.

Karofsky turned his head, and saw before them black, barred gates. His eyes glanced up at the inscription above their doors.

Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here

"Where are you taking me?" Karofsky demanded as he turned back to Katherine.

"You have died, David Karofsky." Katherine spoke.

His eyes narrowed in shock.

"... D-died?..." He shook his head. "No... no, no, no! That can't be! That can't be! I... I was just - and Hummel - and, and... I was just about to make him mine!"

"Ye shall not hurt Kurt Hummel any more." Katherine said. "Your destiny now is to spend an eternity within the abyss of Hell."

Karofsky's eyes narrowed again.

"H-Hell?..." He tried to lunge toward Katherine in desperation, only to fall over onto his front side. "Please, help me! Don't bring me there! Tu-turn this boat around!"

Sword blades rose up to form a circle around Karofsky, keeping him from moving out of his spot.

"Vengeance shall..." Katherine spoke. "Ferry thy soul to Hell."

The chimes of bells rung throughout Karofsky's ears, sentencing him permanently to eternal damnation.

---

About Ten Years Later...

---

Was what I did that day the right thing to do?...

... I don't know...

"Here, Kurt! This one next; open this one next!"

Kurt did the best that he could to hold onto the present box as he tore the paper off. It nearly slipped out of his grip after a moment, but he caught it before he had to bend over too far with his bulging stomach.

"Careful now, don't get over-excited."

Kurt placed the box down beside him so he could take off the lid. He unfolded the tissue paper within, and his cheeks reddened at what he found inside.

"It's a preggy teddy!"

Kurt held up the short, semi-see-through lingerie and then held it against himself.

"I thought you could use something sexy and alluring to get Blaine in the mood."

"I am wearing this tonight!"

Finn snorted, covering his mouth with his hand and spitting out the bite of sandwich he had been chewing.

"I think I just lost my appetite..." he mumbled.

"Finn, use a napkin..." Carole said, handing him a napkin.

"YOU DON'T LIKE THE IMAGE OF ME WEARING SOMETHING SO REVEALING BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT WE ALL KNOW I'M GETTING STRETCH MARKS?" Kurt shrieked, his face turning red as sobs began to shake his body.

"Kurt, you're my brother and I love you, but I'd rather not imagine you in lingerie." Finn responded.

"I KNEW IT! YOU THINK I'M UGLY!"

"Kurt, you're just overreacting because of your hormone-imbalanced mood-swings." Finn said. "Yesterday you nearly tore off my ears when I asked you if you were hungry."

"THAT IS NOT TRUE!"

"Kurt, honey, calm down," Carole said as she placed her hand on her step-son's back. "Finn didn't mean it. You look marvelous."

"Yeah," Burt managed to say in as cheery a voice as he could muster. "You look like a supermodel who swallowed an orange whole."

"That sounds like I'd choke!" Kurt said, his eyes wide.

"... Swallowed a giant marshmallow?" Burt said.

"That sounds sticky and gross!" Kurt cringed.

"... Swallowed a brownie." Burt said.

"... That's better." Kurt said, rubbing the hand on his stomach. "... God, I could go for something chocolate now..."

"What would you like, my dear?" Blaine asked, at Kurt's side within a second. "We've got chocolate cake, brownies, brownies with frosting, chocolate chip cookies, double chocolate cookies, chocolate chip muffins, double chocolate muffins, chocolate milk, cupcakes, chocolate syrup - whatever you want I shall get it!"

"... I can't decide."

"I'll just bring you one of everything, then!" Blaine responded, patting him on the back. "I'll be right back, and don't you stop being beautiful!"

"Oh, Blaine you are just too good to me~"

"Nothing is too good for you." Blaine said with a wink before he departed for the kitchen.

"Does he think you can eat all of that?" Finn questioned.

"STOP CALLING ME FAT!" Kurt shrieked, and would have gone on but suddenly he placed both of his hands on his stomach. "... Finn, he's kicking, come feel it!"

"Promise not to rip my face off?" Finn asked, taking a cautious step forward.

"I'll rip it off and eat it if you don't come feel your unborn niece or nephew kicking around inside of my man-uterus like I'm their own personal wrestling ring!"

"Yes sir!" Finn squeaked before he slinked over, cautiously placing his hands on his brother's stomach.

"You know," Burt whispered into Carole's ear. "If I was told on the day he was born that one day Kurt would bear me a grandchild, I probably would have said, 'What'chu talkin' 'bout Willis?' See, the doctor who delivered him was Dr. Willis."

"So I see," Carole responded with a bit of a smile. "But just think of it, honey; any day now, we're going to be grandparents!"

"Rachel, this is far out! You gotta feel this!" Finn said.

On the cautious side, Rachel approached and stood at Finn's side, laying her hands on Kurt's stomach.

"... Oh my God, it feels so... alien..."

"You think that's weird?" Kurt asked. "You should have felt him going crazy last night after Blaine and I-"

"And now it's disgusting." Finn said, pulling his hands away.

"Oh, Finny, lighten up." Carole chuckled. "You know, you used to give your father applause, too."

Finn cringed. "I did not need to know that, Mom..."

"Well, now you know."

"Speaking of," Rachel began. "I know you've been pining on the name Stefani Elizabeth if the baby's a girl, but have you even thought of a name for it if it's a boy?"

"Yes, dear Rachel, I have." Kurt said with a grin. "And it is for me to know, and for you all to find out once he's born."

"Keeping us in suspense, huh?" Burt asked.

"You should wear suspenders, then!" Sam said.

Everyone stared.

"Say, where do babies come from anyways?" Sam asked.

"... Belly buttons." Kurt responded.

"I wish." Carole said.

"You and me both." Kurt said.

"I've got fooooooood!~" Blaine sung out as he spun around upon entering the living room, effortlessly carrying a tray crammed full of everything chocolate he could find. "But more specifically, I've got sweets for my sweet~"

"Aw, Blaine~" Kurt said, hugging him around the neck.

"I need to use the potty." Finn said.

"Why? Are we nauseating you again, Finn?" Blaine chuckled as Kurt pulled away and nabbed a double chocolate muffin from the tray.

"No, I gotta go potty." Finn responded, beginning to do the potty dance.

"Bathroom is upstairs, to the right-"

"Yeah yeah, the room with the potty!" Finn cut Blaine off as he bolted in the direction of the stairs with his hands between his legs.

Carole chuckled. "Such a child and yet so grown up at the same time."

"I'm just glad he washes his hands and doesn't pick his nose." Rachel said. "What more could I ask for?"

"Speaking of the subject while it's still up," Kurt said, having the courtesy to cover his mouth with one hand while he spoke and chewed at the same time. "Since you two are getting married next year, are you making any plans to have a baby yourself?"

Rachel blinked, taken a bit aback. "O-oh, more than likely we're going to be waiting quite a while to have a baby... but some day! Yes, some day soon, hopefully, we will!"

"Here's what Kurt and I did," Blaine began. "We didn't plan it, per se; we just stopped with birth control and protection and went the whole, Que será, será route. When it happened, it happened."

"When the day comes for you two, I'll be in charge of your baby shower." Kurt said.

Rachel was quiet for a moment before she smiled and responded, "That would be simply wonderful..."

"... What's the matter?" Kurt asked. "You look like you might cry."

"Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing..." Rachel said as she turned to the pile of the presents. She picked up a yellow-wrapped box and turned back to Kurt. "Here, open the one from Finn and me next! I bet you're going to love it!"

---

Kurt has been smiling so happily and at ease... that alone is enough for me.

... I think that's enough to keep me happy for right now... it might be enough to keep me happy for the rest of my life...

Finn ran his hands cupped beneath the running cold water before he splashed it onto his face.

But I know some day...

Finn picked his head up and looked in the mirror, glancing down at the reflection of his chest.

On the day my life finally comes to an end...

He lifted one hand up to unbutton his top button, then pulled the collar of his shirt down to look at the little black, flame-like mark branded onto his chest.

The mark that would damn his soul to Hell when he died.

... I'll have to face the consequences of what I did...

Finn slipped his eyes closed.

And every time I see the mark on my chest... I'm reminded of that...

"I hear and grant thy vengeance..."

Finn let his hands down and shut off the water before he dried his hands and face.

"Come on, Finnegan..." he told himself in the mirror. "Pull it together. This is a happy occasion." He gave himself a smile. "You're about to be an uncle... can you believe it?"

Knock knock knock.

"Finn could you please hurry up? I gotta pee so badly!" Kurt called through the door.

"Oh, sorry!" Finn called back. He opened the door and Kurt bumped into him in his hurry and winced. "Kurt! Are you alright?" he asked, laying his hands on his brother's shoulders.

"Fine, fine..." Kurt said as he cracked his eyes open again and laid his hands on his stomach. "I just hope the baby didn't-"

Suddenly, Kurt stood frozen in place, his eyes frozen and staring.

"... What?" Finn asked.

"... Finn..." Kurt began, his voice shaking and on the verge of tears; thank the wonderful world of procreation for that.

"What's the matter?" Finn asked. "Are you getting a little hormonal again?"

"... It was you..." Kurt completely broke down and suddenly cried into the side of Finn's neck for two reason; he couldn't cry into his chest because his own stomach prohibited it, and because he simply didn't want to.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid with me!" Kurt exclaimed and pushed Finn away from him suddenly. "I know what the mark on your chest is! It's the seal of Hell Girl's covenant!"

Immediately Finn gasped and went wide-eyed, his hands flying up to his shirt and feeling it was unbuttoned at the top; the mark on his chest was still exposed. He looked down and confirmed his suspicions. He could see the top part of it and he made quick work of buttoning up his white shirt to conceal it once again.

"Finn, how could you? Why? How?" Kurt sobbed into his hands.

"Kurt, please, just calm down..." Finn whispered, laying his hands on Kurt's shoulders again. "Kurt, Kurt please-"

Kurt suddenly caught his breath in his throat, and made a soft choking sound, his hands curling against his large stomach.

"... Kurt? Kurt, what's the matter?" Finn asked, shaking his shoulders lightly.

"... Either I just wet my pants or..." Kurt was quiet for a moment before he closed his eyes and shouted, "BLAAAAAAAAAAAAINE!"

"KURT?" Blaine's footsteps were heard darting up the stairs at an impossible speed. "KURT, WHAT'S WRONG?" he shouted as he came their way.

"Blaine, it's time!" Kurt seethed out through his teeth.

Blaine's eyes widened marginably.

"The baby's coming?"

"The baby is coming!" Kurt shrieked.

"GUYS, CODE RED!" Blaine shouted as he effortlessly lifted Kurt into his arms in a bridal carry. "KURT'S IN LABOR! WE'RE HAVING A BABY!"

"DADDY, GRAB MY OVER-NIGHT BAG!" Kurt shouted as Blaine descended the stairs with Finn right behind them.

"Carole, the car seat!" Blaine added. "Finn, the keys!"

Finn grabbed the car keys from their place on the table in the foyer, "I got 'em!" he said.

"You get him to the hospital, Blaine, we'll follow!" Carole said.

"Finn, c-come along with me!" Kurt managed to say.

"What?" Finn blinked. "What for?"

"Don't ask, man, he's in fucking labor! He needs someone to hold his hand!" Blaine said.

"I'm coming, too!" Rachel insisted as she followed the three boys to the door. "Finn won't be able to take the pain of you squeezing his hand for too long!"

"Rachel, car seat!" Carole said urgently as she handed over the car seat.

"Finn, the over-night bag!" Burt said as he handed over Kurt's bag.

"Shit, the diaper bag! I left it up in the nursery!" Blaine scolded to himself.

"Get Kurt to the hospital and we'll grab it and bring it, okay?" Carole said as she opened the door for them.

"It's by the changing table, thank you Carole!" Blaine said as he rushed out the door. "Finn, get the car door!"

---

"- HOLY SHIT! Blaine! Are you trying to get us killed?"

Blaine kept his eyes on the road as he responded to Rachel's shriek: "I would like to get my very-in-pain husband to the hospital before he gets worse! He told me last week if I don't get him there in time for an epidural he's going to make sure we never have sexy time again!"

"Too much information!" Finn exclaimed as he continually held Kurt's hand in his hands.

"Blaine, it was Finn!" Kurt managed to say in a strained voice.

"Kurt, I don't think that now is the time to-"

"SHUT UP!" Kurt shouted before he bit down on Finn's hand.

"- FUCK! KURT KURT KURT STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!" Finn shrieked.

"Kurt sweetie, you know I love you and everything, but please don't eat your step-brother's hand right now!" Blaine said after the quickest glance to the rear-view mirror.

"Blaine, Finn's the one who accessed Hell Correspondence and got rid of Karofsky!"

"I never verified that!"

"Well did you or didn't you, Mr. I-Have-The-Covenant-Seal-On-My-Chest?" Kurt shrieked.

"... Okay, I did!"

Blaine was just about to run through a just-turned-red stoplight, but upon hearing that short conversation he stopped short, making Finn and Rachel hold Kurt by his shoulders to make sure he didn't lose his balance.

Blaine was silent for a mere moment, staring straight ahead before he spoke, "You did... what?"

"So what if I did?" Finn asked.

"... Finn..." Blaine said. "... Why... why did you-"

"Because he was going to rape him and we all know that!" Finn exclaimed. "I heard you on the phone that day, Kurt! I couldn't stand there and do nothing! I..." He tightened his hands on Kurt's hand. "I had to pull the thread..."

"... But Finn... why did you turn to Hell Girl in the first place?..." Blaine asked.

"I'm not as dense as I look... at least, sometimes..." Finn responded. "You told me about Hell Girl like a week before, Kurt, how you accessed her website... and when you came home that night, I saw the doll in your blazer pocket... I put one and two together. So... I went to Hell Correspondence when you were in the shower and submitted Karofsky's name. I knew that if there was something with Hell Girl and you, it would have been about him... and you didn't do anything. The next day you just seemed so much happier and free... like nothing could bother you anymore. I thought that it passed... but, I decided to play it safe and keep the doll on me at all times in case something ever came up..."

"And it did." Rachel finished for him. "He couldn't stand the thought of something so traumatic happening to you, Kurt... so that's why he pulled the thread."

"You've known all along, Rachel?" Kurt asked.

"Of course I knew... he told me all about it after he was given the doll." Rachel responded. "He had to tell someone... or he'd burst."

The light turned green; Blaine pressed onto the gas pedal and began their route to the hospital again.

"That's why the thought of bearing a child for Finn is bitter-sweet for you..." Blaine concluded. "Because no matter how good he is in life, he's going to end up in Hell."

"That's exactly what kept me from pulling the thread, Finn..." Kurt said. "- FUCK HE JUST KICKED MY APPENDIX!" He cringed and then turned his head back to look at Finn. "It's Hell, Finn! E-even if I had the doll on me when he attacked me, I wouldn't have pulled the thread! I would... I would have rather been raped then wind up in Hell one day! Or to have you wind up in Hell one day too! I would have gotten over it because I've always had Blaine by my side! Why did you do that?"

Finn wound his arms around Kurt tightly, using one hand to pet his brother's hair in a brotherly manner to both calm him down and sooth his contractions. Surprisingly enough, he found Kurt grasping at the front of his shirt.

"Kurt... you're my brother, and I love you... even if I had gotten to the locker room to try and stop him, he would have busted my jaw open, taped my eyes open, tied me down and... he would have made me look on..." Finn shook in slight anger at himself. "Karofsky was a sick, deranged man... I couldn't let him hurt either of us anymore. It..." He tightened his arms around Kurt. "It was worth it."

"... But... you're going to Hell, Finn!" Kurt sobbed into the side of Finn's neck again. "It's Hell... you'll never get to see your father again..."

Finn's shaking died down slightly, but he went on.

"Maybe not, but... I couldn't bear the thought of you... never getting to see your mother again." He pulled back and laid one of his hands on Kurt's tear-soaked cheeks, picking his head up. "And, really... I've done my grieving. I can cry all I want, but nothing I do can bring my dad back to life..." With a few tears visible in his eyes, he gave Kurt a twitching smile. "Besides... I can proudly say that now, Burt is my father... I'm glad I have you and him..."

Kurt's lips wouldn't stop quivering, his eyes wouldn't stop tearing, and his body wouldn't stop shaking. It was strange; as if the pain of grief was overriding the pain of labor.

"... Finn..."

---

They all waited in the waiting room. Aside from Blaine's absence there was also the absence of Carole. Burt would have been by his son's side for this as well, but unfortunately he found that he didn't understand anything about the pain and shrieking of childbirth, so Kurt preferred that he not see him in such a horrible condition.

He did get to check in on Kurt shortly after he was given his epidural, and saw him more at peace, and was glad to see that. However, earlier on, upon returning to the group after mistakenly stepping into the room at a bad time, he told them: "Jesus Christ, it's like Baghdad in there!"

Of course, Burt also made sure he told Blaine the most important advice he could give to any man just about to stand beside his spouse as they go through childbirth: "No matter what, don't look. Never look. I'll tell you this much; when Elizabeth was having Kurt, it looked like her vagina was blowing a bloody, hairy bubble. And then I fainted. But then her screams woke me back up."

"I'll..." Blaine cringed. "Take your word for it." his son-in-law responded.

It wasn't until past nine o'clock that night when Carole entered the waiting room, immediately catching everybody's attention. Finn, who had been falling asleep against Rachel's shoulder, was shaken awake and at full attention in no time at all.

Which was a first.

"How's he doing?" Burt spoke up.

Carole's expressionless face stared from face to face in the room for a few long, agonizing moments. Then, her face broke out into a wide smile.

"It's a boy."

---

"Aw, Kurt... he's so beautiful..."

Kurt rocked his newborn son in his arms, keeping his cheek rested lightly upon the top of his head. Every now and then, he gently would turn his head slightly so as to give him a kiss.

"He has your beautiful curls..." Kurt said.

"And your wonderful eyes." Blaine's arm wrapped around Kurt's shoulders, and he settled down atop of the blankets beside his husband and baby. "Thank you, Kurt, for giving us such a beautiful child."

Kurt smiled, leaning his head against Blaine's cheek.

"I couldn't have done it without you..." He turned his head and nuzzled Blaine's cheek a bit tiredly. "I love you..."

"I love you, too..." Blaine laid his hand on Kurt's cheek and kissed him. When he pulled away just a few brief moments later, he kissed their son on his forehead. "He looks like his mother... his beautiful, most amazing mother..."

"You know..." Kurt began as his lips trembled, happy tears in his eyes. "I can see a little of my father in him..."

Knock knock knock.

"Come in," Blaine said just loud enough to be heard from the other side.

The door opened, and Burt, Carole, Finn and Rachel walked inside, Rachel quietly clicking the door shut behind her.

"Hey," Kurt said in a quiet, slightly hoarse voice, picking his head up a bit. "I wasn't expecting you guys to stay here so late."

Finn smiled broadly and said, "We wouldn't miss this for the world. It's not every day you become an uncle."

"Or an auntie," Rachel said.

"Or Pop-Pop," Burt said.

"Or Nana." Carole finished.

The baby hummed and cooed, his hands wriggling out of the top of the blanket to rub at his eyes. Rachel's face brightened up in an instant at the sight.

"He's so beautiful, Kurt... he looks just like you." Rachel said.

"Blaine just told me the same thing..."

"How are you feeling?" Burt asked.

"Exhausted..." Kurt said with a slightly exasperated sigh. "And luckily enough, I still feel rather numb."

"You looked like a wreck earlier," Burt said with a slight smile. "But I'm glad you're alright now, Kurt."

"I'll try not to shriek at you and throw a bed pan in your direction the next time I'm in labor, too." Kurt responded.

"Thank you."

"And I didn't look." Blaine said.

"Smart boy." Burt praised.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, actually," Kurt mused aloud. "Once I was far in enough for the epidural to last long enough, it was all a breeze."

"Must have felt like you were passing a marshmallow, not a big baby." Blaine chuckled.

"... That sounds sticky and uncomfortable..." Kurt said with a slight squirm.

"... Passing a unicorn." Blaine said.

"... That's a..." Kurt's eyes widened. "Giant horse with a big horn..." He cringed.

"... Passing a rainbow." Blaine said.

"... That's better." Kurt replied with a sigh of relief.

"So," Rachel began, sitting down at the edge of the bed. She turned her head to the new parents. "Are you going to keep us in suspense forever, or are you going to tell us this little guy's name?"

Blaine chuckled and replied, "Yes, Rachel. Of course we're going to tell you."

"Good." Rachel grinned. "Because everyone else is still out in the waiting room, on the edge of their seats waiting to hear it."

"They're all still here?" Kurt blinked, taken aback.

"We couldn't just leave," Finn said. "None of us."

"Plus, Carole's my ride home." Burt joked.

"Oh, Dad," Kurt giggled.

"So!" Rachel went on. "His name, Kurt?"

"Yes, yes..."

"Kurt and I actually decided on this name quite a few months ago." Blaine said. "It was the only one that we could fully agree on. What felt right to us both."

"So... his full name is..." Kurt began. "Finnegan Burt Junior Anderson."

At the look of surprise and shock on Finn's face, Blaine's grin widened. "Finn Junior for short." he said.

"... You named your son after me?" Finn asked, staring at the two.

"Of course," Kurt responded.

"... But... but why me?..."

"Finn," Kurt began. "Ever since the very beginning... you've been both protective of me and supportive of us... and I never forgot that you were the first person who told Blaine and I that we're perfect for each other."

"And for all of that," Blaine continued. "We want Junior to know how wonderful of an uncle he has... how blessed he really is."

"... And even if I don't exactly believe in it..." Kurt went on. "... We would also like you and Rachel to be his godparents."

"Oh, Kurt..." Rachel said, her hands covering her face; her eyes in particular. With a sniffle, she uncovered her face and looked at him, giving him a large smile. "Kurt, this is... such an honor."

"... Can I..." Finn took one cautious step forward. "Can I hold him?"

"Of course," Kurt said with a smile.

Finn slunk down onto the side of the hospital bed by Rachel's side, turning in Kurt's direction as his brother carefully reached his arms out, settling his newborn son into Finn's arms. The baby's head laid in Finn's elbow to support him, and Finn held him effortlessly in one arm, his other hand reaching up to pet little curls of brown hair.

"Hey, there..." Finn whispered. "Hey, handsome..." Two fingers gently stroked the baby's cheek. "Welcome to the world, Junior..."

Finn Junior hummed and rolled over a bit in his blue blankets, resting his head against his uncle's chest; unbeknownst to him, just next to the seal on his chest. With a bit of a saddened smile, Finn stroked his cheek again.

"Junior... we only have one life here on Earth..." he began with a slight hint of uncertainty in his tone. "But, I promise you, that I will do the best I can for you while I am here... I'll make you proud to have me as an uncle... and as a godfather..." He leaned down and planted a kiss onto Junior's forehead. "... I promise."

With a loud sniffle, Kurt brought a hand up to his face and tried in vain to wipe away the never-stopping tears.

"God, Finn... that's so beautiful..." he managed to say in a hoarse whisper. Blaine wrapped his arms around his husband's shoulders, laying him against his side, rocking him a little to hush him down.

Kurt would be asleep against his side within minutes.

... A few months before the wedding... I'll stop taking birth control...

Rachel reached one hand over, caressing the curls atop of her nephew's head.

Que será, será... whatever will be, will be.

Eighteen months later, Finn would be promising a little girl named Stefani Elizabeth the same thing he was for Finnegan Burt Junior.

---

Within a darkness filled entirely by candles, a new flame ignited, further brightening the nothingness just a little further. A small bit of wax began melting off of the top of the candle, and it streaked down the side of the candle like a teardrop of wax.

"Your grievance... shall be avenged."

The name inscribed onto the candle in black writing was Finnegan Hudson.

---

THE END

---

For those of you who stuck around long enough to read this entire fic, I thank you all very much!

Reviews would be greatly appreciated! I would love feedback on my first Glee fic.

Karofsky's torture scene was inspired by nit-picks of various torture scenes from Hell Girl.

As I said in the beginning authoress notes, I will post the link to a picture of Katherine on my profile very shortly.

Thank you for reading! Once again, reviews would be very appreciated. :3