Author's Note: Time for chapter 4! This is the second to last chapter, so it will all be done soon. :( I've sure enjoyed posting this story, though! Thanks to Dualator Nessa-Kate and wickaholic for the reviews! :) (See, guys? Review, and you get an extra special shout-out...) Anyway, enough of my rambling. Chapter time!

Disclaimer: (See Chapter 1)

Aftermath

~Chapter 4~

Melinda Anderson wasn't stupid. She knew that there was a very good chance of finding her son and his boyfriend in the same room. Still, it surprised her when she saw the two of them completely wrapped around each other in Blaine's bed.

"Blaine, what would you like for…oh…"

She coughed when she caught sight of them. Alarm bells automatically went off in her head, but she didn't really think that worrying was necessary. She trusted Blaine entirely not to do anything even slightly inappropriate, and Kurt seemed like a good kid, too. It made complete sense that her son was simply comforting Kurt, seeing as the latter boy was currently lacking in emotional stability– understandably, of course.

"I'll just…come back later, then," she said, mostly to herself.

Melinda saw that Blaine was stirring, and she quickly left the room, not wanting to ruin a perfectly sweet moment.

She couldn't deny it. Those two were absolutely precious.

Blaine yawned, wondering why he was so tired. He tried to stretch, but found that he couldn't move most of his body. Confused, he blinked a few times to clear his vision…and found his face inches away from Kurt's. Last night's events came rushing back to him. Kurt's guilty confession had taken an emotional toll on Blaine, too, so it was no wonder why he was so exhausted.

His attempted movements had apparently woken Kurt up. Blaine watched as his eyelids flickered open, and he copied Blaine's earlier actions, freezing mid-stretch when he noticed the boy next to him.

"Well, good morning, beautiful," Blaine murmured, taking a preemptive strike against any mounting awkwardness.

Kurt gave him a sleepy smile, and then his eyes closed again as fatigue briefly drew them shut.

Blaine, on the other hand, was using the moment to take in his boyfriend's appearance. Even with the dark circles under his eyes, messy hair, and rumbled clothes that were a size or two too large, Kurt still managed to look adorable. How was that even possible? Not that he minded Kurt looking adorable…

"Blaine?"

"Yes?"

"I can't move."

Right.

Untangling their limbs from each other (which, Blaine would admit, was just a little embarrassing), they were finally able to get up.

Kurt borrowed some more of Blaine's clothes for the day (this time, closer to the right size), and they both went downstairs to eat breakfast after they had changed (in separate rooms, mind you). Soon, they were off to the hospital again, with Blaine driving and Kurt seated sleepily in the passenger's seat.

During this length of time, Blaine noticed that although Kurt was still feeling guilty and very upset, he seemed a little less fragile. It would take some time, but he truly believed that Kurt would recover. There would always be a scar, but Kurt would be able to patch the chunk ripped from his heart.

Blaine also happily observed that Kurt was much more open around him, and seemed to be drawing courage from him as well. There were few things in the world that were better for Blaine than being the reason that his boyfriend could smile bravely and face the day ahead of him. As for anything better…it would have to be Kurt-related to come remotely close to that position.

That day at the hospital, Blaine and Kurt reunited with Carole, who filled them in on Finn's situation. He hadn't regained consciousness yet, but his condition hadn't changed– for better or for worse.

They also found out, to Kurt's amusement, that Mercedes had called Carole's cell phone about 20 times while it had been off. Apparently, she's been worried when Kurt hadn't picked up his phone (which had now gone up in flames with the rest of his possessions), and had thus gone all 'mother hen'.

That being said, it wasn't a shock to anyone when she called less than ten minutes after they had arrived.

"Kurt, honey, it's Mercedes," Carole said to him.

"I'd better take it, then."

He pushed a button to answer, stepping away from the others.

Immediately, Kurt heard his friend's voice over the line. "Hi, this is Mercedes. Can I talk to Kurt?"

"It's me."

"Kurt! What happened? I've called you, like, a million times, and you had me seriously worried!"

"Sorry, 'Cedes. I haven't exactly had time to call you, and I haven't had my phone either."

"Don't you ever scare me like that again! Promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

There was a moment of silence before Kurt spoke as he debated how to break the news.

"Listen, Mercedes…something's happened."

"What? Kurt, what is it?" her tone immediately softened, and concern was evident in her questions. Then, of course, she jumped to conclusions. "Was it Blaine? If he hurt you, I'm gonna' make sure–"

"It wasn't Blaine. He's been nothing but a gentleman to me since day one…well, it wasn't very gentleman-like to go on a date with Rachel, and compare me to Karofsky…never mind, that's not the point!"

"Then tell me what's wrong!"

"Well, there was…that is, I…and my dad…umm…"

Kurt found that he couldn't finish his explanation. He felt his walls beginning to fracture once again. Panicked, he looked back over to where Carole and Blaine were talking and made eye contact with the latter. His boyfriend must have already become a master of reading his face, since he immediately came over to stand next to him.

"Let me take it from here," Blaine said softly, and Kurt handed the phone over with relief plain in his eyes, mouthing a silent "thank you".

Blaine took Kurt's hand in his own, holding Carole's cell phone up to his ear with the other. "Mercedes? It's Blaine."

"Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"There was an accident, and a fire burned Kurt's house down. He and Carole are fine, and Finn's in the hospital even though he's stable, but Burt…he didn't make it."

Kurt bit his lip, willing himself not to cry, and he felt Blaine squeeze his hand tighter. He was so focused on keeping himself together, he missed the rest of their conversation.

It wasn't much longer until the call ended. Blaine pulled Kurt into a tight embrace, and even Carole came over to place a gentle hand on Kurt's fragile form. A ghost of a smile appeared on Kurt's face, but he still kept his eyes (and tear ducts, with much effort) closed.

"Mercedes insisted on coming," Blaine spoke up after the moment had passed. "She's bringing the rest of New Directions as well. I told her that I didn't think it was a good idea, but I couldn't change her mind."

Kurt let out a short laugh. "I don't think anyone can." His tone turned serious. "It's fine, though. I missed seeing them everyday now that it's summer, anyway."

"You sure?"

Kurt nodded. "Positive."

Kurt had made the right decision. Truth be told, he'd had serious doubts about seeing everyone again, but those misgivings were soon smashed as the familiar faces began to arrive.

Rachel arrived first, almost out of her mind with worry for Finn. Tina and Mike came together next, followed by the uncharacteristically somber duo of Puck and Lauren, and a frantic Mercedes with Sam in tow. Artie, Quinn, Brittany (who was vaguely confused, but knew to be worried), and Santana (who was surprisingly compassionate) were there soon afterward.

In the beginning, there was an atmosphere of sympathy and comfort. It was as if Kurt's loss was a wave that swept through all of them, and they simply went along with the water.

The fact that Kurt wasn't generally a touch-feely person was well known to everyone there. Instead of smothering him in hugs, there were occasional pats on the back, and light brushing of his arm or shoulder. Because, although the multitude of people in New Directions really had no clue how to handle the situation, they still wanted to somehow express how much they supported their fellow glee club member.

Kurt was touched, and found himself to be deeply moved by their friendship. It wasn't until the club had to come together in mourning that Kurt realized how much of a family they truly were. Granted, they were one big, incestuous family who constantly fought, cheated on one another, and threatened to quit, but there was still a constant, underlying current of unity.

After a while, the pure sympathy morphed into something different– something that seemed equivalent to picking up the pieces and moving on. New Directions was not short in the humor department, and the group in the lobby (later, they moved to Finn's hospital room) settled into a comfortable feeling of simply belonging. Even Blaine, who wasn't well acquainted with most everyone, managed to fit in like a missing puzzle piece.

They all spent a good part of the day there, migrating between the front area of the hospital and Finn's room. Kurt had assumed that they would visit only briefly, but that obviously wasn't the case.

Puck was in the middle of another joke when the machinery connected to Finn's unconscious form changed its tune.

A stunned silence followed this sudden change in events, proceeded by a scramble to his bedside.

"Is he waking up?" Only Rachel voiced the question that everyone was thinking.

There was, however, no one that tried to formulate an answer. Even as the paramedics filed in (followed by Carole) to examine their patient, the high-school students just held their breaths and waited.

"Well?" It was Kurt this time. The word came out more like a squeak, his voice heightened in pitch by anxiety.

That question answered itself when Finn began to stir. Slowly, his eyes stretched open, and he had an expression on his face of utter confusion not unlike the one Brittany tended to wear.

"Guys?" Just one word, and there were smiles all around. "What…where am I?"

Laughs and a hug-fest ensued. Even Finn broke into a hesitant smile, though he was still a little unsure of the cause for celebration.

Finally, Carole took it upon herself to bring her son out of his confusion. "Finn, do you remember what happened?"

"Not exactly…no."

"What's the last thing you can remember, sweetheart?"

"Well, I was at home…and there was food, I remember that. And then…" He suddenly bolted upright in bed. "Where's Kurt?"

"I'm right here, Finn."

Finn's head whipped towards his brother's voice. When he caught sight of Kurt, he visibly relaxed.

"Good. I tried really hard to push you out of the way, bro, but I wasn't sure if I could get there in time."

It was impossible for Kurt not to feel a surge of warmth for his brother's selflessness. He hoped the smile on his face made it obvious enough, even if it was Finn that he was talking to.

Of course, then Finn had to go and ask the one question that no one wanted to answer.

"Hey, Burt's not here. Is he alright?"

That stark silence re-entered the room once again.

Carole turned away, excusing herself.

Kurt swallowed thickly and found that his mouth had gone dry. He threw a pleading look at Blaine– one that said silently, what am I supposed to say?

Blaine nodded discretely and turned to face New Directions. "Guys, why don't we give Kurt and Finn some time to talk?"

Mercedes opened her mouth to protest, but quickly shut it when Blaine gave her a pointed look.

"We'll just wait outside," Blaine continued, looking meaningfully at Kurt, "You can call us if you need us."

The door closed, leaving the two brothers alone.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked softly.

The look of innocence on his face broke Kurt's heart all over again.

Avoiding the question, Kurt asked, "Can I sit down?"

Finn nodded, moving his legs so that Kurt could sit facing him with his legs crossed.

Kurt took a deep breath. Just cut to the chase– no point in avoiding it.

"Finn…Burt didn't make it."

There was a freeze in Finn's expression, and then his face fell completely.

"…What?" The question barely came out, sounding more like a whisper.

It suddenly hit Kurt that Finn was not only losing Burt, who he had grown close to, but Finn was also experiencing losing his father all over again.

"Both of you were put in the hospital, but he was injured too badly. He died yesterday morning."

Finn's reaction was not what Kurt expected.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt. I…I don't know what to say–"

"Don't be sorry! I don't deserve your sympathy!"

Kurt wasn't sure where that burst of emotion had come from. The guilt coiled in his chest had picked this moment to spring out, provoked by his brother's empathy.

Finn looked a little startled, but asked, completely lost, "What are you talking about?"

Deciding to go for it before his courage failed him, Kurt closed his eyes and spoke his guilt out loud.

He didn't want to see the look of disgust on his brother's face.

He didn't want to see the accusing glare.

He didn't want to see him move away to avoid any contact with him.

However, when he worked up the nerve to open his eyelids, Finn surprised him once again. He was looking back at Kurt not with hate in his eyes, but pure concern.

"I don't blame you, Kurt."

Why won't he understand that it's my fault?

All Kurt could find to say was "I'm sorry." He said it over and over again: "I'm sorry." He said it until the words barely had any meaning left in them. If he said it enough, maybe then Finn would realize how disgusted he should be.

He felt a hand on his knee, and then Finn was moving over, patting the empty part of the bed next to him.

"Come here, bro."

Kurt stiffened a bit when Finn pulled him into a hug, not used to any physical show of affection from the other boy. He relaxed after a moment, though, finding a feeling of safety in his brother's embrace much like Blaine's. Normally, Kurt didn't consider himself to like hugs or touches, but he was starting to doubt that sentiment.

"Listen, Kurt. I don't blame you at all." Finn saw said boy about to protest, but kept talking, "At all. Got it? It was a mistake, just like you said, so you can't blame yourself." Taking Kurt's sigh to be one of resignation, he continued on, "It's just the two of us and Carole now, dude, and we have to be strong for her. I know it's gonna' be hard without Burt," his voice wavered, "but he would've wanted us –wanted you– to move on and keep on living."

A few lone tears ran down the face of the boy next to him.

"When did you get so smart?" Kurt asked, a sad smile adorning his face.

"Since I've been hanging around you, I guess."

Laughter.

And the two brothers were content.

It wasn't long until Kurt called his friends back inside so that they could all celebrate Finn being alive and well. It also wasn't long before Finn was released. He had mostly healed during the time he had been unconscious and he seemed to be doing fine, so he was cleared to go.

The day began to morph into evening. As the remaining Hummel-Hudson family left the hospital, the others departed as well, exchanging goodbyes and parting words of encouragement.

Blaine remained, not willing to leave Kurt's side for anything in the world. After the last member of New Directions was gone, he decided to address the question that had been hanging over his head for some time.

"So what now?"

Finn shrugged, Kurt whispered, "I don't know", and Carole said wearily, "We'll manage somehow. I'll rent an apartment or maybe buy another house…we'll bounce back eventually."

Blaine didn't want to give Carole the impression that he looked down on her– he really didn't. So, with this in mind, he worded his question carefully.

"The thing is… my parents would be fine with you staying another night or two. It'd be no trouble, and you could take some time to get adjusted before worrying about a place to stay."

"Blaine, that's a very generous offer, but I don't want to put you through that trouble."

"Really, Mrs. Hudson, it wouldn't be a problem at all."

"It would be much less hectic that way, I must admit." She paused, thinking it over. "Alright, then, but only if we won't be a burden!"

Blaine internally fist-pumped. His practice with persuading people must really be paying off, because he was seriously on a roll.

They took both cars to the Anderson's house, with Carole and Finn riding in one, and Kurt and Blaine in the other. Mrs. Anderson lived up to Blaine's promise. She welcomed them with open arms. Everyone seemed to get along considerably well, and the tension that had been there last time (when just Kurt was visiting) had all but disappeared.

That night, Carole, Finn, and Kurt slept in the guest bedroom. Kurt had insisted on sleeping on the air-mattress and giving the other two the bed. This was partly out of kindness, but partly because he didn't plan on sleeping in this room the entire night.

Two hours later, when Finn's snores and Carole's steady breathing had begun (and figments of a nightmare that had once seemed distant began to return), Kurt crept back down the hall, careful this time not to squeak the door handle. His boyfriend gladly complied with the change.

Kurt decided that night that he could get used to falling asleep in Blaine's arms.

Author's Note: So, what did you think? I didn't write a lot of stuff for the rest of New Directions because there were just so many people, but I think it still turned out pretty well. Thanks for reading! The final chapter will be posted tomorrow. Review and make my day! ;)

~KlaineFangirl4life