A/N: Okay, so... I suck. I couldn't wait a week to post this! I don't know all of the right terms and expressions, but I did my best, and as I failed to mention in my previous author's note, this is unbeta-ed. The next chapter is going to be longer. And better... But I hope you enjoy this one as well! Thank you for reading! Do review, it would make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or its characters.

Kurt Hummel was now a name most people in the world would know. Kurt found that slightly scary, even though he couldn't be happier with the way his career had turned out. He had always thought that he would end up on Broadway – as his high school rival, Rachel Berry had done – but instead, here he was, about to perform on one of the most prestigious arenas in America. Hell, one of the most prestigious arenas in the world. Lady Gaga had sung here. That was what made it so real for Kurt. He was about to sing in front of thousands of people the same way Lady Gaga, music icon of his generation, had done some years before.

He looked into the mirror in his room backstage, and let his makeup artists – plural – put the finishing touches on his look. His blue eyes really popped with the black eyeliner and faint eye shadow applied around them, and his lips were covered in a sort of lip balm that made them look naturally redder and a little bit shiny. Kurt was confident with the way he looked, and he loved the glittery shirt he was wearing.

"5 minutes, Mr Hummel," One of his managers told him.

Kurt took a deep breath, and checked his mobile one last time before he switched it off. He guarded his cell phone number like a hawk, so only a handful of people knew it. He had two messages wishing him good luck. Well, one of them said 'break a leg' but that was from Rachel so he wasn't surprised. The other was from Finn. Finn, who used to be his brother.

"Go see him," Blaine told him, looking heartbroken, but determined to be strong.

Part of Kurt desperately wanted him to go with him, at the same time he didn't want to worry about anyone but his father. He didn't want anything else to have his attention.

So, Kurt nodded and gave Blaine's hand a squeeze, before he followed his step-mother through a set of double doors just around the corner.

They got to the room where the doctor had said his unconscious father lay, and Kurt and Carole looked anxiously at each other. Carole took his hand and they went in together.

Kurt gasped as he saw his father laying on that bed, tubes sticking out from his throat and his arms, looking more pale than he had ever seen him. He walked slowly over to him and grasped his hand in his. "Oh, dad," he said weakly. Carole went over to Burt's other side and took his left hand lightly in hers.

"A lot of people love him," she said to Kurt. "You, me, Finn and Blaine. His sister and... your mother did." She reached over the bed and held Kurt's hand in a comforting grip. They made a circle. Kurt was holding Burt's hand, Burt was 'holding' Carole's, and Carole was holding Kurt's. They made a family. And all Kurt could think about as he stood by his family, was that he might lose it any minute. "I love him so much," he said, ignoring the way his voice broke.

"I know, honey," Carole said in a similar tone. "Me too."

She watched as Kurt bent down to kiss his father's cheek carefully, as if he was made of glass.

"Time to go, Mr Hummel," the manager hustled him up out of his chair and hurried him along to the edge of the stage. Kurt looked timidly out at it. Faced with such a large stage to fill, he instantly felt like the ultimately insecure boy he had been back in high school and college.

"You can do it, Kurt," Blaine nudged him gently onto the stage, and a hesitant applause sounded through the auditorium. It was his freshman year in college. What the hell was he thinking, going out there intending to sing to every student and teacher involved with the esthetics program he was taking? As he walked up to the microphone and tried to conjure up some confidence, Blaine's words echoed through his mind. "You can do it."

He grabbed the microphone and cued the music to start. He knew he could.

At the edge of the Madison Square Garden stage, just out of sight for the audience, Kurt Hummel heard the same words echo through his mind, as real as they had been that night in college. He didn't mean to use Blaine's words as courage, he really didn't, but he couldn't help it if his former boyfriend's voice popped up in his head every time he was feeling nervous about doing something. The light started flicking. That was his cue. He walked confidently out on the massive stage, microphone already in his hand, and started the show of his life.

"Hi, everyone."

The show was over, and Kurt was back in his room backstage, cleaning off the makeup and changing into some more comfortable clothes. When finished, he made his way outside, so used to the bodyguards that he barely even noticed them anymore.

The fans were lined up outside two partitions on either side of him and they all demanded his attention. He smiled and let them take his picture, he signed almost all of the notepads, arms and pieces of clothing(except the more risqué ones) held out to him. It was important for him to be close to his fans, because that's what he had wanted from his idols when he was younger. He was just about to enter his limo and close the door behind him, when he thought he spotted a familiar face among the crowd. Kurt caught his eyes for a second, golden, hazel eyes that brought back many memories. Kurt inhaled sharply.

Blaine.

"I'm sorry, Kurt," Doctor Pedersen said earnestly. "But Burt's heart stopped two hours ago. Your father is dead."

Kurt fell down onto the seat he had been resting on before the doctor came. Tears instantly found his eyes and Kurt started hyperventilating. I'm never going to see my dad again, he thought. What was the last thing I said to him? I love you? Take care of yourself? See you soon?

Kurt sobbed at the last thought and buried his face in his hands. It felt like the world had stopped.

Blaine stared at him with an expression like a deer in the headlights.

Kurt kept his face schooled into an expression of nonchalance, even though he was starting to panic. He took one last, calming breath, looked Blaine squarely in the eyes and attempted to smile. Blaine's features softened in response. He looked like there were so many things he could say.

Kurt got into the car, closed the door, and made himself forget who he just saw. He convinced himself that he had imagined his high school sweetheart staring at him, his ex-boyfriend who had been so good to him, who he had all but abandoned when his father had died. Ten years ago.

A/N: I apologize for the bad ending, I really do. Also for the ruler things. I hope they're not too annoying.