Oh My Gawd! I updated! (said in the voice of Cho Chang from AVPM for all the Starkids out there!)

I know it's real, you aren't hallucinating, this story has been updated.

First and foremost I want to send a HUGE thank you to every single person who has sent me messages of encouragement and support, it's incredibly important that you know just how much you helped me.

Thank you to everyone who has patiently waited for this chapter, I hope I haven't lost too many readers with this appalling long wait and I am so very, very sorry for leaving you hanging with the ending of that last chapter.

I do want to take this time, not to garnish sympathy but to warn my readers, but I have a medical condition that for the last two months has decided over rule my daily life yet again. The condition affects my ability to concentrate and focus and therefore my ability to write. This is just a heads up that the chapters may come in sporadically, I can in no way guarantee time frames but I PROMISE (hehe, see what I did there?) that none of my stories will ever get abandoned.

Finally - A HUGE, STUPENDOUS, GARGANTUAN Thank you to my Beta - Brellegenana without her unwavering support, patience and encouragement this chapter may have never seen the light of day.

Now that's out of the way, onto the chapter - I decided to split this chapter into two parts. 1. So you would get an update faster and 2, things are going to get very heavy very quickly and I don't want to overload my lovely readers after such an appallingly long hiatus.

Warnings - Same as before.

Disclaimer - I don't own Glee or any of it's characters I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement.

Previously on I Promise…

"Ruth!" Kurt called jubilantly, "Did you all get my messages? Dad's awake!" He hurried towards the woman who had become a surrogate mother and friend for him as he continued. "Are you back at work? How's Beth? Noah? I've missed them so much…" Kurt trailed off when he got close enough to see the haggard drawn fear on Ruth's face and felt his insides freeze.

"What's wrong – what happened… is Beth…?"

"She took a turn for the worse last night. She's here, in the NICU. She has pneumonia."

Kurt felt like he was doused in ice cold water at the news, his newly constructed castle of happiness crumbling down around him as collapsed onto the floor of the hospital before the world went dark.

That would subsequently become the happiest and most terrifying day of Kurt's young life.

Even now, after four days of constant worry, he can scarcely remember the events of that day after he was awoken by Ruth on the floor of his father's room. He vaguely remembers the confusion he first felt upon wakening to a view of the hospital ceiling with Ruth's anxious face floating above him. He had a blissful moment of ignorance before reality came crashing down. He could remember flying through the hospital, with Ruth struggling to keep up, as he located the NICU before bashing his fist on the sealed doors demanding entry, all the while deaf to Ruth's frantic protests that he wasn't allowed in –

Flashback

"Kurt, Kurt! You can't go in; it's too dangerous for the infants." Ruth had tried to explain calmly. "No! Let me in! I need to see her! I need to know she's okay! She needs me! Where is Noah? He should be here! His daughter is dying, why isn't he here?" Kurt sobbed as he continued to pound the doors.

Ruth finally just grabbed Kurt and spun him around to face her, as she saw two security guards making their way down the hall. Holding the struggling teen firmly she spoke with low determination.

"Kurt listen to me. Noah is inside with Beth. She's not dying; she's just very sick okay? Now you need to calm down or security will remove you, you don't want that right?"

Kurt flung himself into Ruth's arms sobbing unrestrainedly; she patted the distraught teen and gently shushed him as she led him towards the nearby waiting room.

"Why? Why did this happen? Why can't I go in there too?" Kurt asked in a small voice.

"Oh Kurt," Ruth sighed as she continued to pet his head, "I don't know why this happened, but Beth is getting the best possible treatment. She's a Puckerman, so you know she's tough, she'll fight the same way as your dad, and he didn't give up."

Kurt nodded and sniffled. "How come Noah can go in but I can't? Can't I see him at least? I – I, it's just that he was there for me, why can't I be there for him?"

"They only let parents into the NICU, it's too risky to let too many people inside. Normally I wouldn't be allowed to go in, but I'm a nurse here so that helps. As for seeing Noah, well – he doesn't want to leave Beth at the moment, but I am sure he knows you are still there for him."

End flashback

Four days and Kurt still hadn't seen nor spoken to Noah. He'd spent a lot of time for the first couple of days after his father's awakening just drifting between his father's room and the NICU until Burt was released from the hospital. Kurt desperately wanted to continue stalking the NICU, but had to admit defeat. The hospital staff wouldn't let him in and the chances of him seeing Noah were getting smaller and smaller as the days dragged on. He sent messages of love and support via Sarah and Ruth; but even he had to admit there was little he could do otherwise. Besides, now that his father was home, Kurt had to focus as much energy as he could on him. He hadn't forgotten how close he'd been to losing his dad and he wasn't prepared to risk it happening again. And so he'd taken control of his dad's care at home with rather bulldog like ferocity.

Kurt had spent the last two days completely scrubbing the entire house from inside out; he was not taking any risks regarding his father's health and so any potential germs had to go. He'd also completely cleared out all the cupboards and the fridge and filled them with only organic, heart healthy foods. He'd been nagging his father for two years about the dangers of his diet and while he would normally relish the opportunity to say 'I told you so', he couldn't feel any vindication because the consequences had been all too deadly. But now, now he would have his way regarding their diets no matter what his dad or anyone else had to say on the matter.

He was returning to school tomorrow at his dad's insistence, and felt slightly panicked about it, especially since he knew from Ruth that Noah was already approved for an extended medical leave from school. He didn't want to leave his dad alone while he was still recovering, and despite his dad's insistence that he would be fine, Kurt still had strong reservations towards the whole matter. His dad may have thought he was alleviating his fears when he tried to reassure him he would be fine since Carole would be stopping by on her lunch break to check up on him too; but however much Kurt liked the woman, he didn't feel confident trusting his dad's health and well being to the woman after the whole candle in the hospital room with exposed oxygen incident. Besides, she had gone against Kurt's wishes too, in letting the girls have a prayer circle for his dad in the hospital room. Yes she may be dating his father, but he was his son, and therefore knew his father better than she could ever hope too. What were a few months dating compared to years of living with the man?

Kurt sighed as he looked through his closet for an appropriate outfit for his much protested return to McKinley. He was stubborn, he knew that; but he also knew he got that from his dad, a Hummel trait if ever there was one, and Kurt had long ago learnt to pick his battles when matching mule headedness with his father. As he was searching Kurt couldn't stop his mind from wandering, where it often did these days, to thoughts of Noah and Beth. He hadn't seen Noah or Beth since a few days before Beth was admitted to the hospital, and he was feeling very isolated from two of the three most important people in his life. He missed them and worried about them; both of them, and it felt like there was a gaping hole that had been punched through his chest, the same as he had felt upon learning his father was in a coma. He'd had only a brief few hours of breathability when his dad had woken up before he'd been sucker punched again with news of Beth.

Kurt listlessly grabbed a few essential items out of the closet and laid them out, ready for the next morning. His nerves had been stretched so thin since his dad's heart attack and the strain was definitely showing for any who cared to actually see. His hair had lost a lot of its lustre and his skin was definitely not up to par and he had actually had a few breakouts that he couldn't bring himself to care too much about. His outfit selections of late were another indicator; while they were still much better than the usual 'Hallway Runway' one has come to expect at McKinley (all his clothes were fabulous thank you very much), the construction of each outfit was definitely lacking in their fabulousness.

Once he was done, Kurt returned to the kitchen and prepared an army amount of food read for the week ahead. Soup was made and frozen into individual servings. Large bowls of fruit salad, as well as a variety of salads were prepped. He also made sure the cupboard and fridge held only his approved foods and made a mental note to check daily to ensure neither his dad nor anyone else was sneaking in any prohibited contraband. He got rid of all the coffee and replaced it with decaf. While he knew that decision would hurt him in the mornings, he also knew it was ultimately for the best. Finally, he pinned the medication schedule for his father onto the fridge and ensured everything was set out in easy reach for him. The doctors said he would have to have a stress test in a couple of weeks and if there was anything Kurt was good at, it was preparing and acing a test, well, except physics, but seriously – who in the fashion or Broadway industry needed to use physics on a daily basis?

It had been an emotional few days and Kurt knew the drama wasn't over; he just hoped that with enough preparation he could get through it relatively unscathed.

Kurt turned on his heel and sashayed down the hall with a smile on his face. He couldn't help but feel optimistic about working with the new kid, Sam, on this duet. Sure, he may have to deal with Mercedes' hurt because he didn't automatically agree to work with her, but if he was honest with himself he was secretly glad he wasn't. While he still counted her as a friend, that friendship was slowly dwindling. It had taken a massive blow during the whole mess with Quinn, but he'd hoped that they could re-build it. Her actions and attitude about his dad and the whole 'God' debate made him question her true loyalty. He didn't expect her to agree with him about his beliefs or lack thereof, but he had expected her to extend the same courtesy to him.

He could go in endless circles thinking about his friendship with Mercedes, and honestly, it was exhausting. Mentally shaking himself to clear his head he swept passed a confused looking Finn without a second thought. After all, Finn always looked confused. Instead, his mind was pre-occupied with thoughts of the duet assignment and wondering what sort of voice Sam had because of course that would be the deciding factor about their final decision. Making a mental note to email him some of the many samples of his vocal talents Kurt was completely oblivious to his surroundings and therefore the shove into the bank of lockers came completely unaware. Getting his balance Kurt looked up just in time for Karofsky to throw a blueberry slushie in his face. Of course the fashion challenged Neanderthal would pick the one flavour that would clash with his outfit. Glancing around, he saw no less than four of his fellow glee-club members in the hall, studiously avoiding making eye contact.

He knew he shouldn't have thought that today would have gone smoothly, but he'd hoped that after the great start getting Sam to agree to be his duet partner that things wouldn't be too bad. After his run in at the lockers and a slushie-wielding Karofsky he'd headed straight for the girls bathroom after a quick stop at his locker for his emergency de-slushie-ing kit and a change of clothes. Having already missed the first half of his next class, Kurt decided to try Noah again. He headed for the safety of the empty choir room and put a call through without any real hope that he would get through. As expected, Noah's voicemail picked up after two rings.

"Go for it, Puck."

"Noah, it's Kurt. Again. I just wanted to check in with you to see how you and Beth are doing. I wish I could be there with you," Kurt quickly wiped his eyes refusing to give into the tears that he could feel pooling. "I – I miss you both and I hope I can see you both soon." He finished with a slight tremble in his voice, quickly disconnecting the call. The last thing Puck needed right now was Kurt falling apart on him.

"Kurt?"

Whipping his head around, he saw Finn hovering uncertainly in the doorway.

"Is everything all right?"

Plastering a smile on his face Kurt nodded. "Yes of course. I was, I was just trying to get an update from Noah, but he must be in the NICU at the moment with his phone switched off."

Kurt watched as Finn's jaw tightened and a flash of pain and anger passed through his eyes and only just managed to suppress a sigh of exasperation. He understood that Finn felt betrayed by both Puck and Quinn, but he was sick and tired of walking on egg shells around the Frankenteen about Noah and Beth. Seriously, he just needed to move on already, after all, it had been nearly a year since the truth about Beth came out.

"Oh. What are you doing now? Aren't you coming to lunch, the bell is about to go?"

"Hmm, oh yes. I was just emailing some song selections to Sam before I forgot."

"Why?" Finn's faced was contorted in confusion at the sudden subject change.

"We're singing a duet together and I was sending some samples over so he could start thinking of song suggestions." Kurt pocketed his phone as he stood up and started walking towards the door, pausing when he saw that Finn had frozen in his place with an unreadable expression. "Finn? Are you coming?"

"Kurt," Finn spoke lowly as if he was telling a grave secret. "You can't sing a duet with Sam."

"What? Why?" Kurt asked confused as he watched as Finn shuffled his feet uncomfortably. He had a strange premonition about what was about to come out of Finn's mouth and he sincerely hoped he was wrong. He didn't have the energy to deal with another big gay freak out of Finn's.

"Kurt, you can't do to Sam what you did to me. It's not fair, we need him."

"And just what exactly are you implying with that Finn?" Kurt asked dangerously. "No, you know what, I don't care Finn. I am singing a duet with Sam and that's final. I don't want to hear it."

With that, Kurt turned on his heel and stormed out of the choir room and headed towards the cafeteria, Finn trailing in his wake trying to get his attention. When he entered the cafeteria he strode towards the lunch line, picking through the limited options available for those who cared about cholesterol, while desperately trying to ignore Finn's words to no avail.

"You're over reacting Finn. I get it; you have issues with gay people."

"Actually no I don't, I have issues with the fact that you don't understand that 'No means No'."

Kurt couldn't stop himself from glancing at him at that. Really, and just when did you ever say 'No' to me? He thought incredulously. He wanted nothing more than to call Finn out on it, but one glance around the crowded cafeteria and Kurt knew this wasn't the place. Though he was surprised to see Brittany in the line behind them, as he was certain that she had a different lunch period...

"I just want to sing with him." Kurt said finally, moving away with the hope that Finn would drop it. Of course luck was not on his side.

"Then you don't care about the rest of us."

Hypocrite much? Kurt thought watching the taller teen walk away. The number of times Finn had put himself and his reputation ahead of the Glee Club was staggering. He was furious that Finn would accuse Kurt of not caring about the club after all the 'quit/rejoin' bull that Finn had pulled last year, but more than that, he was hurt. Because once again, it has been made painfully obvious that he will always be treated like a second class citizen in this school, hell in this town. Having lost his appetite, Kurt dumped the tray of food and headed for a seat in the corner of the library and tried to lose himself in the new Patti Lupone biography while trying to ignore the not so quiet whispered argument between Tina and Mike about their duet.

"Hey Sare-Bear," Kurt greeted when the call was answered. He was currently sitting on his bed, glad that the school day was finally over, his homework spread out before him waiting.

"Kurt! I miss you! How's your dad?"

"He's getting better. He's home now, still lobbying for the return of his junk food of course. I'm pretty sure he's threatened to contact his lawyer for 'torturous and unfair treatment' about a dozen times since he came home."

"Tell Uncle Burt that he better listen to the doctors or I will come over there to kick his ass." Sarah threatened.

"Language." Kurt admonished. "Anyway, I was calling to see if there has been any news about Beth."

"Haven't you spoken to Noah? Well, he came by this morning real quick to grab some more of her clothes and stuff. Said she's about the same. It's weird and way too quiet without him and BB home."

Kurt smiled fondly at the nickname Sarah had given Beth; BB, short for Baby Beth. His heart clenched painfully at the knowledge that he had missed Noah on one of the rare occasions he was out of the hospital. His arms constantly ached with the need to hug his friend.

"I'm sorry I missed him. Can you let him know I'm thinking of them both?"

"Sure, but why don't you just call him?"

"His phone has to be turned off in the hospital Sarah" Kurt gently reminded.

"Yeah, but you can just leave a message for him like we do and he'll call you back, he always does."

Kurt felt his breath hitch, "I'll – I'll do that, thanks Sarah. I better go."

He ended the call before the sobs threatening to overpower him could alert the young girl to his woe. Noah was getting the messages and just not replying. Kurt didn't know what was the lesser of the two evils; the thought that Noah just didn't want to talk to him, or the previous assumption that he just wasn't getting the messages because he never turned his phone on.

Kurt allowed himself the luxury of weeping in solitude until he heard his dad stirring upstairs from his nap. Giving the thought of homework up Kurt closed his books and quickly washed his face before heading upstairs to check on his dad and make dinner.

"First course is served; Heart healthy vegan carrot soup with whole grain croutons – and you better eat all of it – do you know how hard it is to find saffron in this town?"

Kurt purposely kept his tone as cheerful as possible and only just managed to restrict himself to an eye-roll when his dad asked for salt, thus spoiling a perfectly tasty, healthy meal before he even tried it, grabbing the fresh bouquet of flowers to place at the coffee table. Just because he was making his dad stay on that couch as much as possible didn't mean that the view had to be boring. Besides, Martha Stewart always said that the home decor was just as important as the food when it comes to healthy bodies and minds. And that's a very good thing.

"How's Beth? You seen her yet? How's she doing?"

Kurt tucked a napkin in his dad's neck to give himself time to formulate a response.

"She's still in the NICU, so I haven't seen her. I spoke to Sarah this afternoon; she said she's about the same."

"How's Noah?"

"Holding up – I guess."

"You haven't spoken to him?"

Kurt avoided his dad's questioning gaze in favour of smoothing out the non-wrinkles in his cardigan. He wondered, in passing, what his father truly thought was happening when he left for school daily in one outfit, to return in another. Perhaps he believed Kurt changed frequently for a fashion reason, rather than out of necessity?

"Um, no, I've left some messages for him."

"Kurt - " Burt spoke in a warning tone.

"He's busy dad. I mean his daughter is sick in the hospital, it's not like I'm expecting him to just ignore her to return my calls or anything."

"Come on Kurt; don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. What's really going on?"

"Absolutely nothing," Kurt plastered a big smile on his face. "Beth's about the same and taking it positively means she's no worse. I'm sure it will just take some time. But you," and here Kurt fixed a glare on his father, "you shouldn't be wasting your energy worrying about this."

Burt sighed and placed his bowl on the coffee table.

"Kurt, I'm fine, you - "

"No, you are not fine," Kurt hissed. "You had a serious arrhythmia dad. The doctors said until your stress test in two weeks you need to take it easy. Now, eat."

Burt eyed the stubborn set of Kurt's mouth and picked his bowl up with a sigh. He wanted to push the subject more, but he could also read the fear in Kurt's eyes.

"So, what else is up? How's school?"

"Fine, I guess." Kurt sighed and then hesitantly elaborated when his dad just stared at him and raised one eyebrow in a classic Kurt Hummel style (patent pending). "There's this new kid, Sam, in Glee Club, we're singing a duet together." As much as Kurt loved his dad, he still didn't really know how to talk to him about certain, delicate, issues.

"Is that a problem?"

With an exasperated sigh Kurt resigned himself to admitting the truth. "Finn practically begged me not to. He said it would 'ruin' Sam's reputation if I did." Okay, well partial truth, but his dad is still recovering from a heart attack and he really didn't want to cause friction between his dad and Finn, not when he and Carole where just starting to get serious again. Besides, Finn might not have meant it that way, so why cause more drama between Finn and his dad when it's unnecessary?

"Is this Sam kid – you know, does he play for your team?"

"Undetermined" Kurt admitted thinking back to the slightly awkward conversation he first had with Sam.

"Maybe Finn has a point."

Kurt felt like someone had hit him in the face with a plank of wood. His father, someone who he thought would always have his back just said that? After all the homophobic bullshit he had to put up with in school, hell in this town, he never thought he would have to worry about it coming from his dad. It was bad enough when Finn brought it into his home, his own bedroom, his only sanctuary.

"You're siding with him? After what he said in our basement?"

Kurt could barely keep the incredulity out of his voice. He could feel his temper rising and he quickly stood up and walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water just to try and calm himself down.

"I was talkin' to Carole, and you weren't completely honest with me. She said you had a crush on Finn, and that you weren't afraid to show it. Is that true?"

Well so much for trying to calm down Kurt thought. Because seriously? That excuses Finn for saying that? Kurt took a deep breath, remembering that his dad was sick and tried to defend himself without causing more stress onto his already unwell father. After all, his dad didn't know about all the crap that Finn pulls at school and now is certainly not the time to bring it up.

"So, a gay guy can't be friends with a straight guy without it being predatory?"

"Listen Kurt, you gotta understand how hard it is for guys to be, you know, dealing with that."

'That'? Kurt could feel a scream of frustration building in his chest. 'That' – Even from my own father Kurt thought bitterly. No matter where I go, or who I talk to – it's always going to come down to 'that'. Obviously, sexual orientation is the only identifying factor to anyone in this town.

"Dad, you have no idea how hard it is for me. I'm the only out gay kid in the school – hell, in this town. Why shouldn't I be able to walk down the halls holding hands with someone I like? Why can't I slow dance at my prom without worrying about what a couple of homophobes think?"

Kurt could feel the tears pooling in his eyes. He was sick of tears. For weeks, that's all he had, tears with a side of sobbing hysterically. He watched his dad as a look of pity came over his face. Great. Pity – thanks dad, that's what I really needed.

"Kurt, come here -"

Kurt sullenly flopped down onto the couch besides his dad completely drained. There was no good arguing with his dad about this, especially not in his condition. He would never understand and it sounds like he doesn't want to understand.

"You think I don't want those things for you? I do. But until you find someone who is as open – and brave as you, well – you just gotta get used to going it alone."

Burt rubbed his hand up and down Kurt's arm in what he thought was a comforting manner, completely oblivious to the dejected thoughts running through Kurt's head. Because he was alone; more alone than anyone knew; Mercedes' isn't an option for confidences anymore and Noah is, understandably, preoccupied with his sick daughter, though Kurt couldn't help but feel a stab of hurt at being ignored and kept out of the loop. And now, it's apparent that he doesn't even have his dad in his corner. He took a deep breath to fortify himself with the knowledge of what he must now do.

Now finally, on a side note, I have been having computer and internet issues (yet again) and because of that I am forced to wait for Glee to air based on the Australian tv schedule, which means that I only just got to see the Yes/No episode last night (ridiculous and a crime against all Gleeks I know!). As such, please don't ask me to comment on my thoughts on recent episodes, normally I love chatting with my readers and debating the merits or lack their of of the writing this season, but until I'm caught up, all it will do is make me depressed and then angry and then I might put a foot through my computer because I just want to watch Glee. And I really, really need this one! :)

As Always - Love it? Hate it? Review and let me know why!

Mischievous Gleek