Reunited

Slowly the darkness began to lighten. His ears still rang to the echo of the bang that had ended his life. 'Ended my life,' thought Blaine. 'so I guess that this must be my afterlife.' He stretched his limbs, noticing at once that the cast on his left leg was gone, as was the pain from his bruised ribs. What was also noticeable as the ringing in his ears finally faded was the silence. No noise apart from the faint, distant sound of a bird singing. Nevertheless, there was someone else there, he sensed. Someone watching his movements, waiting for him to lift his head. Someone who now uttered one word. "Dude?"

That one four letter word made Blaine's heart jump in his chest. Only one person would ever say that to him. For months they hadn't been around to say it. "Finn?" he queried. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Who else were you expecting for your reception committee? I'm afraid you're stuck with me - and this guy….."

This guy could only be one person. It had to be. That gave Blaine the strength to lift his head, open his eyes and take in his surroundings. Still in the cemetery in Lima it appeared. A few yards from where he had done it. And there was Finn - the same old tall, slightly awkward looking dude, his face serious, but happy. Moving now to one side to reveal the smaller man standing behind him. He was there; he was waiting; everything was as perfect as he had hoped.

For Kurt, his back turned, eyes closed, fingers in his ears, the moments leading up to Blaine's arrival had been the longest in his life. And some of the most confusing. On the one hand he was getting his Blaine back - on the other, his Blaine was about to die a tragic, violent death. Even with his precautions, he still heard the bang. Ending a life, but announcing an arrival. After agonising moments that seemed to last forever, he felt the promised tap on his shoulder. He removed his fingers from his ears, and suddenly he could hear his voice. That wonderful voice. Then Finn stepped aside and he saw him. His Blaine. Back with him now, forever.

They met in the middle ground, having both started to run to each other. Falling into each others arms, feeling with joy and relief the solid presence of the other. "Missed you Kurt, so much. Without you…"

"I know Blaine. I've been so lonely without you. I had Finn, but…"

"It's not the same. Just like me having Coop. Brother's are great but…"

"They aren't us. We love them, but we can't hold them like this. Feel so much love, such joy."

"And we couldn't do this to them either," Blaine said before locking his lips on Kurt's. He was home. He was whole again. All of it worth it for this moment. He pulled away, noting the look of sheer bliss on Kurt's face. Looked over to where Finn stood awkwardly, a huge smile on his face. "Group hug?" he said. Finn needed no encouragement to run over and enfold the two boys in his arms.

They stood there for some time, wrapped in each others arms. A few happy tears being shed for the reunion. Then Finn remembered what he had to do next. Ask Blaine if he wanted to see what was going on back in the world he had just left. "It's not easy to look at," Kurt joined in, "but I think you have to. It broke my heart to see you fall apart in Sam's arms, but watching all the reactions made me feel so loved. It helped." Blaine nodded, and slowly turned round to face the spot where his body lay.

He saw a sobbing Sue clutching his hand. Such grief from a woman who had once made his life a living hell in an argument over the Cheerios. Then she was letting Coach Bieste, her sworn enemy, comfort her. When he heard her state that she had just been too late, he realised that he had heard running feet; that Sue had been trying to stop him and had as a consequence witnessed everything. His heart went out to her. He started to cry, causing Kurt to wrap an arm around his shoulders. He marvelled yet again at Emma's calmness; felt his heart go out to Will as he mourned the loss of the third member of his glee club in the space of months. And then there was Burt, in the same situation. He realised that by now, Kurt was crying too - Finn was standing and staring forlornly at his mother in the distance. None of this however, compared to the arrival of Cooper.

Blaine watched as his brother ran towards him, his face etched with pain. When he screamed in anguish, his body collapsing to his brother's side, to bury his head on Blaine's chest as he lay cold and unmoving on Kurt's grave, it took all his strength to keep watching. Then he saw Cooper lunge for the gun. "No Coop, no, no, no!" he screamed, trying to break free from Kurt, to run over and stop Cooper. His relief when Sue and Burt managed to prevent him reaching it, when Burt held his brother in his arms and let him sob - he owed Burt Hummel so much. How could he ever repay such a selfless man? He knew the answer - by loving Kurt. "Can we go now, please?" he asked. With a nod, Finn escorted him and Kurt away from the scene, and into the afterlife.

Blaine's first impression of the afterlife was that it was just like life, only brighter, cleaner and quieter. He had found himself lead into a corridor lined with doors - it looked like any administration building on earth. Hushed voices could be heard behind some of the doors. On his own, walking down the long hallway could have been intimidating - with Kurt's hand in his (so warm, so real) and Finn leading the way, he felt almost joyful. Then Finn was knocking on a door marked with a nameplate that Blaine recognised. He entered, and Blaine was suddenly in front of a woman he had heard so much about - whom he recognised at once from the photographs he had seen in Kurt's house. "Hello, Blaine. It's nice to meet you at last, even though the circumstances are tragic," she said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Hummel. Kurt has told me so much about you."

"Please, as my nearly son-in-law, call me Elizabeth. Let's get you settled in."

Blaine could only smile. After years of feeling lonely before meeting Kurt, and after the anguish of the last weeks, he felt that finally, he was home.