AN: HI EVERYBODY!

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SPECIAL WARNING - this chapter is tense. Dave and Kurt are struggling to live their lives and their daughter Carrie is three years old. Things get bad here. Really bad. You've been warned.

We're in the past again and it's approximately 1980. Quinn, Azimio, and Burt are also in this chapter.

ENJOY! Please leave kind reviews!

HAVE A NICE DAY!-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEx3

Chapter 20

"Da da! Da da!"

The little girl waddled over to her dad and he hugged her.

"Good!" Kurt exclaimed. "Good, Carrie!"

The adorable three year old little girl just smiled at him, her teeth white and small. Her brown hair bounced in her short ponytail as she skipped towards the kitchen.

"Daddyyyyy!" She exclaimed happily.

"Hey, baby!" Dave said, throwing a rag into the kitchen sink. And then, he growled his voice a little. "Get over here!"

She giggled and ran up to him. He easily captured her in his arms and he held her tight. After he kissed her on the cheek, he whiskered her. The girl squealed and squirmed in his arms and Dave was loving every minute of it. Beyond them, Kurt stood at the threshold, arms folded and smiling.

"Dave! Let her go!"

"No!" He kept whiskering her and her happy screams drowned out everything else. Finally, he set her down on the floor, towering over her. Her lower lip pouted and she slapped her dad's leg.

"Owwwww…!" Dave exaggeratedly whined. "That hurrrrrt!"

Suddenly, Kurt's eyes went a little wide. "Carrie Elizabeth Karofsky!" She turned to him, her eyes showing fear. "You do not hit your dad. Ever. Got it?"

"O-OK." Carrie said.

"Alright. Now come over here. Your dad and I are gonna take you to a movie soon. Let's get you dressed."

"But," Carrie began, staring down at herself, "I am dressed!"

Dave snickered and Kurt glared at him. He wiped the little smile off his face when he saw his angry boyfriend.

"C'mon, Carrie." Kurt patiently said, "Let's go upstairs. Hurry up! You wanna see 'Fox And The Hound' don't you?"

"YEAH!"

"Well, c'mon!"

Carrie ran to her da da and he snatched her hand. Dave smiled and returned to the sink to finish the dishes. He was trying to scrub out some burnt spanakopita from last night's dinner and the cast iron skillet wasn't cooperating. After quite a bit of elbow grease, he finally got it as clean as it could be. He oiled and heated it and set it back on the shelf. And when he returned to the living room, waiting for them to get ready, he was confronted with an unexpected image.

Carrie was staring up at her da da, her face completely blank. Kurt was standing on the landing, his hand precariously placed on the banister. The cute new father appeared to be staring at the floor or something and Carrie was transfixed by what she saw. But Dave didn't like this one bit. He took a few steps toward them.

"Kurt?"

He didn't respond. Instead, Kurt just kept looking down at the floorboards of the staircase landing. In addition, he was muttering. Nonsensical words came out of his mouth and Dave took another step closer.

"Kurt?" Dave asked again.

Finally, Kurt snapped his head up. He appeared bewildered for just a second until he saw Dave and Carrie staring at him. Then, he embarrassingly smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah. C'mon Carrie. Let's get your orange dress on."

"OK!" Carrie said. She used her hands and feet to climb up the steps and Kurt slowly followed. Dave watched them go, a firm frown on his face.

Days went by like this. Kurt had adjusted quite nicely to farmlife and for Dave it was par for the course. Carrie even helped out the little that she could with some kitchen help. She liked the animals in the barn, but her dad wouldn't let her go there very often. Barns can be dangerous for little kids and he was just being a protective father.

Quinn would occasionally stop by and Paul finished the sale of the farmhouse to his son. The elder Karofsky moved into a condominium on the other side of Lima. He claimed he was done with farmlife, but even parents can see when they need to move on so their children can live their lives.

Sometimes, Quinn looked a little sad. She never said why publicly but Dave could guess what it was – that damn ex-boyfriend of hers had been bothering her lately and she was trying to move on with Azimio Adams. Dave's blood would boil every time he'd see his best friend depressed.

But almost every evening, it was just Dave, Kurt, and Carrie. Their happy little family sung disco songs, which Dave pretended to hate. Sometimes, all three of them danced in the living room, but not very often. One night was a particuarly fun night. Dave was never much of a dancer, so Kurt and Carrie would take the dance floor and Dave thought Kurt always looked hot and that Carrie was the cutest thing he ever saw. He was a proud father and boyfriend. And whenever Dave tried to put one of his Russian symphonic records on the stereo, Carrie and Kurt would groan and Dave would reluctantly replace it with the Bee Gees.

"Come on Dave! Get up and shake your booty!" Kurt extended his hands to grab his boyfriend but Dave sat where he was, refusing to move.

"I am fine right here, babe." Dave took a swig of his beer while Kurt huffed a little in annoyance. He wanted his way and would not be ignored. Suddenly it him like lightning and Kurt had a plan. An evil (but not really) plan. And by God, he WOULD get his way. He knew EXACTLY how to make Dave do what he wanted. Kurt mischievously smiled.

"OK, are you sure you don't want to dance with me? Your loss..." Kurt began to swing his hips very slowly and almost seductively, trying to be as sexy as possible. Kurt even pretended to drop a pen, pick it up, and angle his ass right in Dave's eyeline. To some this might've looked silly and at first it felt silly to Kurt but then he turned around slowly, craning his neck and what he saw didn't surprise him at all.

God, he's SO easy! I knew this would work, Kurt thought as he looked at Dave who immediately had a hungry, dazed, drunken look in his eyes. His mouth slightly opened, Dave couldn't stop staring at his boyfriend's beautiful body.

It took everything in him not to attack Kurt right then and there.

Oh he's good! Kurt, you sexy genius! Dave thought as he snapped out of his state of seduction. Dave knew what Kurt was doing and he cursed himself that it worked EVERY. DAMN. TIME. He winked at Kurt and Kurt swore his heart fluttered. Dave suddenly got up and swooped him in his arms. Neither said a word. Dave kissed him hard and Kurt didn't mind this at all.

The music continued to play in the background when Dave and Kurt finally parted, panting out of breath. Passion taking over.

Meanwhile Carrie continued to dance her heart out in her own little world not paying attention to her parents.

.

And then there were the nights. Carrie was sawing logs into her own pretty sky and Kurt would caress Dave's facial scars. The bigger boy would scoop Kurt up in his arms and just stare at him, completely befuddled that this amazing boy truly loved him. They'd hold each other in that dark bedroom, surrounded by ugly Edwardian wallpaper and some moldy odors. Kurt's arm languidly lied on Dave's neck and soon lips would connect.

"I'm so happy right now." Dave whispered. Kurt smiled and stroked the side of Dave's face. The bigger boy closed his eyes, falling into the caress. And when they made love, it was always gentle and loving until the tension would push them over the edge into tender aggression. And when that was over, they'd hold each other and sleep, waiting for dawn to invade their eyes.

One morning, Kurt was preparing breakfast, Carrie was trying to help, and Dave was getting a list ready of his daily tasks. They knew farmlife would be hard and it never promises to be easy. But crops were good, livestock were fed, and the boys talked about preschools for Carrie.

"Maybe we should just start waiting until she's ready for kindergarten." Kurt said.

"I suppose." Dave said. "But she'd have a better start in life to-"

"Fuck, fuck, orange, cocksucking, motherfucking, commie bastards…"

Dave's eyes widened. Silently he studied Kurt who was looking down at the kitchen table. Then, Kurt's eyes flashed back up at him.

"Well," Kurt said, "we could always homeschool her and see how she'd do in preschool. Or kindergarten."

Dave couldn't speak. He just stared at his boyfriend and Kurt finally noticed.

"What?" Kurt asked. "I mean, it would be good for her, wouldn't it?"

"Kurt?" Dave so, so softly asked. "Are you OK?"

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?" Kurt was just as confused as Dave was.

"You…you just… Drifted off right there." Dave almost started crying but held back.

"No, I didn't." Kurt laughed a little, shrugging. He had no clue what Dave was going on about and frankly Kurt was a little annoyed.

"Yes, Kurt. Yes, you did." Dave said, scratching his acne-lined neck.

"I did?"

"You did."

Kurt looked away, thinking for a second. Then, he smiled. "Dave, I'm fine. I told you I am. Why don't you believe me?"

"Because I can't believe what I just heard…" Dave wanted to scream but held back SO many emotions. This was truly scaring him but he had to be brave for his own sanity.

"What?" Kurt asked, getting up and crossing the kitchen. "That I want Carrie to have a good education too?"

"No." Dave said, staring hard at him. "You just said…what I said to you…when I was carrying you out of the jungle when we were wounded." Dave briefly flashed back to that awful time in his life.

"No, I didn't." Kurt was still in denial at this point.

Dave gave up. He looked down at the table without even staring at it. Kurt came over with a teacup and offered some to Dave, who declined. The smaller guy went on and on about more education options for their daughter and Dave barely listened. Carrie played with her dolls in the other room, completely unaware of their discussion.

Over the next few days, things got worse. Dave would drive Kurt to the Veterans Administration building for counseling and other services. Quinn would always babysit and that's when the little girl was introduced to Azimio. Kurt would sometimes zone out and never completely be himself. But they never lasted long and Dave was told countless times that it was 'combat fatigue'. Dave scratched his acne-laden neck every time he was told.

Others took notice. Quinn, Azimio, even Paul. Carrie seemed oblivious to everything and Kurt's parents suddenly started visiting. There were roundtable discussions where Kurt would get angry with everyone and tell them to leave him alone. But that didn't stop the Hummels – they could be a frustrating, stubborn lot. Almost as bad as Dave.

Kurt finally started getting better. He found himself loving getting back to work in a routine that felt familiar and safe. And whenever he would study art pieces to sell or feed the pigs, he always felt more comfortable with his surroundings. Gone were the horrible flashbacks and he and Dave were happier. There were occasional cramps in Kurt's lower right side, but they went away. Dave always noticed and offered to take him to the doctor. Predictably, Kurt refused.

More time passed. On a Saturday late afternoon, Dave was working in the barn. Kurt had been preparing a bath for Carrie and he was considering what to make for dinner. The Russian soldier fought his own battle with the compost mixer and swore from time to time. And when he got to the shed for more tools, he was surprised to see some of the pigs making A LOT of noise.

He marched over towards them, hating how the late afternoon sun blinded his eyes. The pigs were in a total uproar and even bouncing up and down on their hind hooves. Dave walked right up to them and saw they weren't fed.

"Awwwww, Kurt! Why didn't you feed-?" But he stopped. He looked over at the trough down at the end of the row. His worst fear had been realized.

Carrie was drowning in the drinking water!

He'd never run so fast in his life. The girl was splashing as the pigs circled the metal trough. Dave ran to her and pulled her out. Her eyes fluttered and her hair clung to her pretty orange dress. Dave screamed and screamed!

"Carrie! Carrie!" Dave's world was spinning and spinning, he himself couldn't breathe. His worst nightmare came true. Dave didn't want to feel powerless so he sprung into action. He screamed her name again.

She didn't respond. He did it again and then he turned her over, feeling the cool water fall off her body and onto his rough arm. Almost cruelly, he hit her back over and over. Still, there was no response. Her eyes now were closed and Dave started to panic. He picked her up and started to carry her towards the house.

"Kurt! Kurt!" Dave's voice boomed as he ran with the dying girl in his arms. Carrie's skin was sickly pale and her cheeks were a faint blue. He cursed as he continued running toward the farmhouse. It was a good forty yards away and a terrified tear fell down his cheek. Step by step by painful step, Dave ran screaming his daughter's name over and over…

A cough. Then a violent cough. Dave came to a stop and set her down on the ground, about ten yards away from the front porch.

"Carrie! Breathe baby! Breathe!" Dave shakily but gently swiped a hand over her face to get her hair out of the way.

Dave pressed his mouth to hers and forced air down her throat. That's when his mouth was invaded by the contents of her lungs and stomach and he quickly spit it out. Carrie now violently coughed and started to cry. He turned her on her side so she could breathe better.

"There ya' go, baby… There ya' go…" Relief washed over Dave's body like an ocean.

He soothed her back and held her as still as possible. Kurt was nowhere to be found and Dave felt so alone. But Carrie was alive. Struggling, but alive. He picked her back up and her eyes were now open, albeit with tears. She was OK. She would live.

A huge brick was lifted off Dave and he held his child so close to him, he wasn't letting go.

Dave ran into the house with his daughter in his arms. Cradling her on one side, he wildly kicked the door open with his foot and ran into the house, not caring if he broke the damn thing or not.

"KURRRRRT! KURRRRT!" Dave's voice was almost giving out.

No response. Dave ran into the living room. No Kurt. He cried up the staircase. Nothing. Then, he ran into the kitchen, the crying girl still in his arms. And there, he found Kurt.

"Orange… Orange… Orange…"

Kurt was methodically painting the ceiling with orange paint. His arms casually expanded with the long paintbrush and he had a strange, ethereal smile on his face. Dave stared up at him, his distressed daughter in his arms and now his boyfriend doing God knows what.

"Kurt! What are you DOING?!"

Kurt didn't respond. So, Dave ran with Carrie into the bathroom and grabbed at least four towels. He quickly took off Carrie's pretty orange dress and completely wrapped her like a papoose. Then, he took her upstairs and briefly considered taking her to the hospital. But when you're a gay couple and your child has an accident, he couldn't even consider the possibility of losing her. So, he took her to her bed and set her down.

"Sleep, baby." Dave haphazardly said. "You've…you've had a big day." He quickly kissed her and then ran downstairs.

Kurt was still painting the ceiling as if nothing else in the world was happening. Dave couldn't take it anymore. He screamed. He screamed like an animal that was caught in a trap and couldn't escape. Over and over, he yelled, fists raised to his hair, knees bent, doubled over, back up again, screaming and screaming and screaming!

"KURRRRRT!" Dave roared. He couldn't do it anymore. There's only so much one human can take and after what just transpired a moment ago... Dave was at his breaking point. Dave fell to his knees and silently sobbed while watching Kurt, powerless to stop whatever was going on with his one true love and almost losing his daughter.

Meanwhile Kurt studied how far he progressed with the ceiling. Then, he slowly descended off the kitchen table and looked up, staring at his handiwork. A pleased smile crossed his face and he wondered if he should make spanakopita again for dinner. Kurt never even noticed or recognized the man crying on the floor. Kurt ignored this strange man and continued to go make dinner for himself.

.

"Who the fuck are you to take him away?!"

"Dave, listen," Burt Hummel said, "my son is a danger to himself and his family. We're taking him somewhere he can get the help he needs."

"And you," Dave roared, "didn't even think of talking to ME ABOUT IT?!"

"Frankly no." Burt mildly replied, "We talked to municipal court and got an injunction for Kurt to be safely-"

"He's an adult, Burt." Dave coldly said.

"Mr. Hummel?" Quinn softly asked. "Are you sure this is the only way? There must be other-"

"There are none." Burt sadly said.

Quinn felt a strong, supportive arm around her shoulders and she looked up into the eyes of her large boyfriend, Azimio. But the big boy was glaring at Burt.

"He could still," Azimio said, "get outpatient treatment."

"And then what?" Burt said. "Have another accident? We don't want what happened to…" Burt didn't finish. He looked away.

"Oh, I see." Dave angrily said. "I see. You don't want him to kill your granddaughter, is that it? Or you don't want two guys raising a child? Which is it, Burt?! Because I HAVE TO FUCKING KNOW!"

"THAT'S MY SON!" Burt screamed. "I don't care that he's gay! I've always loved him! And…I don't want him to hurt anyone…"

"Then," Dave painfully pleaded, "let us work with him! He was getting better! He really was! And if he leaves Carrie now, who knows what that'll do to her."

Burt wiped his face. "I'm sorry, Dave. It's been decided. Kurt has to come with us to get the help he needs."

Dave suddenly lunged at him! "I always liked you, but right now? I fucking hate you for taking Kurt away from me!"

The angry Karofsky launched out of the seat and blasted through the front porch door. Dave took a few steps on the porch, seeing the police car that escorted Burt Hummel. He stared off into the distance, unable to see anything in the horizon that could provide hope or happiness or anything. He was so angry!

And when he felt a soft, feminine hand on his shoulder, he couldn't help but feel just slightly calmer. He whirled around and was suddenly captured in Quinn's arms.

"I'm so sorry, Dave…" Quinn painfully whispered, her voice slightly trembled. A tear fell down her cheeks.

Dave slammed his arms around the girl and held her tight. He refused to let tears fall while her own fell on his chest. Azimio stepped out and joined them, creating a bear hug. They were cocooned together against a world that just wasn't fair. The police officer in the car looked away.

"Daddy?"

The big guy turned and looked down at his daughter, who looked afraid. Dave pulled away and squatted down to her.

"Yeah, baby?"

"I'm scared."

"Of what, baby?"

"There's too many yelling people and they don't like each other. And they scare me."

"Ohhhh, baby." Dave gently clasped her shoulders. "We're just worried about your da da."

"Why are you yelling at each other? I hate it. I hate it! I hate it!" Her own tears came and Dave didn't know what to say. So, he just did what all loving fathers should do – he held her in his arms. She cried from lack of understanding and trauma and Dave finally let one tear fall down his wartorn face. Azimio put his arm around Quinn and she let her head fall on his shoulder. Around them, there was activity in the house while the police officer still wouldn't look at them. A soft breeze blew by and they all knew a change was coming.

"We should go."

Everybody turned to see Burt escorting his son out of the house. Kurt looked dazed with an odd smile and he had a suitcase in his hand. The police officer finally took a few steps towards the farmhouse and Dave angrily glared at him.

"We got this." Dave warned. The cop slowed his pace but didn't stop advancing. Then, Dave turned his attention back to them.

"Da daaaaaa!" Carrie whined.

Kurt looked down and didn't alter that strange smile on his face.

"Well, hi there sweetie!" Kurt looked down confused. Who was this little girl and why was she crying? She was a cutie he thought but he didn't know who this little girl was.

"Da daaaa! Where are you going?" Carrie pleaded.

Kurt looked down at her. "Just remember one thing. Orange." Then, he bent down and hugged the cute little girl that he no longer knew. She clung to him like a Christmas present and wouldn't let go. Suddenly, he was pulled back by the police officer and Dave nearly decked him.

"Daaaa daaaaa!" Carrie kicked and screamed.

Kurt was lead away and Dave pulled her into his arms. She wailed and wailed unable to understand what was happening. Her dad squeezed her even tighter as Kurt tried to pat her head. But he was unable to do that. All too quickly, Kurt was escorted down the porch.

"No! NO! NOOOO!" Carrie screamed over and over. Hiccups engulfed her small frame. Her face was bright red from crying so much and she was struggling to breathe and calm down.

The others couldn't watch or couldn't move either. Kurt, Burt, and the officer all walked towards the police car and got in. And when Dave finally braved looking up in their direction, he mouthed the words 'I love you, Kurt'. Kurt just kept smiling.

.

AN: THAT WAS TOUGH. :(

So, now that we all know sort of what happened to Kurt... What are your predictions? What did you think of the chapter?-ILOVESMESOMEGLEEX3-