Kurt's heart was pounding so loudly that he didn't hear his own reply. "Blaine…"

Blaine's beautiful eyes were gazing up into his; barely open, eyelashes quivering and flickering, but open. "I…" his mouth parted again, tongue dry and thick, "I heard you…"

Kurt's mouth creased as he held back tears and shone a watery smile. He tightened his grip on Blaine's hand.

"And I could…could feel you…" Blaine's free arm quivered and rose a few inches, his hand turning slowly towards his own head, gesturing. "Kurt…" His voice broke painfully.

"Sshhhh," soothed Kurt, running his thumb over Blaine's cheek. Karofsky turned away in embarrassment, felling like the intruder.

Blaine seemed to notice the movement in the darkness, although he didn't look up. "Kurt…are…you're ok, aren't you?"

Kurt gave a breathy laugh, smiling again, "Yeah, I'm ok, silly. You're the one who ran out looking for trouble…" This time it was Kurt's turn for his emotions to get the better of him. He choked, eyes streaming once more, holding for all his worth to Blaine's warm hand. "Why did you do it? Why?"

Blaine considered the question, eyes half closed, for a second. "Does…does it make any s…sense if I just…just say…I love you?"

To Kurt it made all the sense in the world.

One more shot rang out above them and all three boys flinched. Kurt's stomach clenched in second fear; how the hell had he let himself forget his friends? He listened. This time it sounded like there were no screams, but he could no longer hear the running feet of the police officers. Kurt shuddered. Karofsky edged slightly back towards the pair, grouping back together. "Listen," he said in a low voice, eyes fixed in all seriousness on Kurt, "We have no idea what is going on up there. For all we know Finn, Sam, Rachel and the others, they all left the building an hour ago and are all waiting for us outside, yeah?" Each name was like an icicle sliding down into Kurt's chest. Karofsky reached out his good hand and lightly touched Kurt's shoulder. "Don't jump to conclusions."

"Kurt?" muttered Blaine. "Yes?" Kurt replied, turning his gleaming eyes back down on that vision of a face. Blaine's eyes were fully closed now and he scrunched them in pain as he tried to lift his arm again. Once more the fingers flicked towards his head, and this time Kurt saw they were coated in dry blood. "It…it hurts…"

"I…I know," Kurt's insides felt like they'd be ripped in two, as panic twisted around fear. "The…the…the people, the people that help, they're on their way Blaine, ok?" His words scrambled on his tongue and lost all sense.

"Ok…" was the sincere, innocent reply, like a child's trusting belief in a fairytale. Kurt's mind raced as to what he could do. An echo of more running came from overhead, then began to move away, towards the stairs, growing in volume.

"Kurt? Did I…did I say that I love you…?"

"Kurt? Kurt! Kurt?" Finn's voice echoed along the empty hallways, as he sprinted, leaving the police he didn't have hold of behind him. Those two whose hands he had seized ran beside him, clawing at his arms and trying to slow him down, shouting, but he would not stop.

But then they tore to the top of the stairs and Finn looked to his right. The cafeteria was a ruin, tables overturned, broken glass littering the floor. Through the open doors he could see clear through to the windows on the far side, overlooking the quad. All but one were smashed, ribbed with fissures and cracks radiating from pinprick holes. Water was dripping onto the floor from overhead somehow, the sound magnified in the quiet. Finn had stopped, staring at the sight. Was Kurt somewhere in among that mess?

"Son!" One of the two officers spoke up, a man, middle-aged, still trying to free his hand from Finn's vice grip, his other hand coming to rest on Finn's shoulder to try and hold him back should he decide to run again. "What do you think you're doing?" A voice on his other side spoke up, a woman this time. "Love, come on. You've obviously had a huge shock. Let us take you outside, ok? Your parents are probably sick with worry." She too placed her free hand on his arm, but stroked it sympathetically. "Come on, come back with us." Ordered, pacing footsteps came towards them from behind. Finn glanced round. More officers were following them down the hall. "No." He almost shouted it, staring at the floor now. "No; I need to find my brother."

The woman's eyes creased in concern; she looked at lot like his mum when she did that. "Your brother?" Finn felt the man's grip tighten on his shoulder and saw him mouth something secretly to the woman over his head. "You know something?" This time he did shout, accusingly, spinning around, wheeling the woman after him as he turned to face the man. The second group of police had reached them in the corridor now, and stood watching slowly. The older man looked Finn in the eyes for a moment, and for the first time Finn realised he had a gun holstered at his waist, poking out from beneath his vest. He didn't reply, but turned slowly to the leader of the second group. "Where was the call from?"

The helmeted man spoke with respect, he was obviously this man's junior, "Downstairs sir. We were almost there when the orders changed."

"And is this building secure now?"

"Yes sir, as far as we can tell."

"Ok." He turned back to Finn, wrenching his hand from his grasp. "You can come." He lifted his own vest over his head and passed it around Finn's shoulders, forcing him to let go of the woman's hand as well. "But go slow. No more running off." He turned back to the small group. "Where did the call come from, again?"

"The boy's locker room, sir. They need the area secured for the medical team." Finn's mind began to rock at the words. The senior officer's eyes flashed towards him. "Alright, let's go. Form out across the corridor." He turned to Finn again. "Do you know the fastest way there?"

And Finn turned on his heel and cannoned through the open door to the stairwell.

Blaine's eyes were still closed, though he and Kurt continued their whispered conversation in the quietest tones. Kurt was desperately trying to distract him from any pain, any fear. "So..." he mumbled, still tearful, "I guess this is a dinner you owe me?" The corner's of Blaine's mouth rose. "Nice try. Ev...everyone knows on the third date you split the bill...or the boy pays...which is just too confusing..."

Karofsky was watching them now, no longer feeling such awkwardness. In fact he had to admit that the strongest emotion within himself was jealousy; how had Kurt managed to find such happiness, after all the pain Dave had put him through? They were so close, not in the way any of the football jocks were with their girls, mindless and uncaring about anything other than sex and trophies. No, they were properly in love, it was all over them. His arm twinged. Leaning back he saw the spear of light from the door suddenly shadowed, and in two more seconds heard the sound of running feat, pounding down the corridor, and a breathless voice. "Kurt?"

Once again the broken shards of glass squealed as they were drawn over the floor, and then, for the fourth time, the door was thrown open.