Kurt paces the kitchen, gripping his hair tightly with his cellphone pressed against his ear. His heart is pounding and his palms are sweating. He can't believe that this is actually happening. What if Blaine is really in labor? What if the baby really is coming? Not only do they not have nearly enough diapers, but it's too early! He's only thirty-two weeks along; Valorie isn't ready to come out yet! Oh Gaga, what if something goes wrong? What if she's sick? Kurt groans loudly and hangs up the phone, only to redial again. He was calling Carole. She would know what to do, whether he would need to go to the hospital… right? It rings a few more times before he decides to give up. She must have left her phone in her locker at the hospital and doesn't have it with her. Maybe he could try to call the floor she works on… maybe the nurse's desk will have someone there who knows where she is…

"Kurt?" Blaine calls from the living room, his voice high and breathy.

"I'm coming, honey." Kurt walks to the living room and gently sits on the couch next to him, going through the contacts on his phone frantically. "I'm trying to get a hold of Carole, she'll know-"

"Kurt…" He repeats, barely able to speak.

"-what to do. Do you know what floor she works on?" He questions, still not looking up. "Maybe I could call the hospital and they can give me the numb-"

"KURT!"

They look at each other for the first time in ten minutes and Kurt takes a moment to inspect Blaine's features. He looked worn-out, his forehead was glistening with sweat, and his hazel eyes were wide and shining with unshed tears. His chest was rising and falling rapidly and one of his hands was fisting the shirt over his belly tightly. Kurt's heart skips a beat. He hadn't been thinking about Blaine. He was so busy freaking out about everything that he had forgotten that his boyfriend was here, probably freaking out even worse. Plus, he was clearly in pain. Slowly, Kurt moves and gently cups his face, pushing back his sweat dampened curls softly. He leans up and kisses his forehead, hearing Blaine let out a soft breath at the contact and close his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Kurt whispers, wrapping his arms around his middle to pull him against him. "Take a deep breath, baby, and focus on my voice."

"I'm so scared, Kurt." Blaine whispers, his body beginning to tremble slightly.

"I am too." He moves closer, tightening his hold. "I am too, but you've gotta stay calm, alright? Just take deep breaths. Remember our classes? Deep breathing, honey."

"O-okay…" He feels Blaine relax a little and rest his forehead on his shoulder, beginning to shakily take deep breaths. "Keep t-talking to me… oh!" He grips his shirt, his body going ridged as another pain racks his body. "Kurt!"

"Shh…" Tears fill his eyes at his love's distress and he rocks back and forth, stroking his curls. "Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright; no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound…" He sings softly.

"Y-you're singing Taylor Swift…" Blaine chokes out a laugh and pulls him closer. "You must be really worried if you're singing Taylor Swift."

"Hush, you." Kurt smiles and kisses his head, pulling him close just as Burt walks into the house, his footsteps loud.

"Hey, bud. Sorry I'm la-" Burt stops, taking in the sight before him. "What's going on?"

"Start the car." Kurt says, looking up at his dad, still trying to comfort a whimpering Blaine. "We're going to the hospital."

It took fifteen minutes to get to the hospital, then another fifteen minutes for Blaine to be admitted into a room, but that was only because they went to the ER, and if you're not dying, they take forever to get to you (unless you're Kurt Hummel's boyfriend, in which case, it only takes fifteen minutes due to the fact that he makes a scene, much to the protest of his father). As of right now, Kurt is standing outside the hospital room with his dad, waiting for the doctor to finish checking Blaine. Despite everything they've been doing to prepare for the baby, they weren't ready yet. The crib wasn't put together, and neither was the changing table. The room was finally finished being painted because the Glee girls had some times on their hands, but what about formula? And again, diapers?

"Have a seat, kiddo, this could be a while." Burt says as he watches his son pace in front of him, chewing on his thumbnail. "You'd better cool it with the nail-biting. You're gonna hate yourself later for it."

"I don't care." Kurt moans out, turning on his heel and walking back the other way; back and forth, back and forth. "What's taking them so long, huh? He needs me! I should be in there!"

"Well you're not, so just be quiet and let them do their job." He stands up and places his hands firmly on his son's shoulders, keeping him in place. "And stop pacing. You're making me dizzy."

"This can't be happening." Tears fill his eyes and he stares up at his dad. "Dad, I'm not ready… we're not ready! I don't… I don't know how to take care of a baby!"

"Oh, kid…" He frowns and pulls him into a crushing hug.

Kurt hiccups and hugs back as tight as possible. "I didn't know how real this was until I saw him sitting there just… hurting. I can't do this, I'm not ready, dad…!"

"It doesn't matter if you're not ready, that baby ain't waiting." He pulls back and puts his hands back on his shoulders. "She's coming whether you're ready or not, so you've gotta suck it up and face it, kid. And if she's not coming today, then get ready, 'cause she's not waiting forever."

"I know." He swallows hard and takes a deep breath, wiping his cheeks. "I know."

"And you're not alone, not by a long shot." He looks into his eyes. "I'm not going to do everything for you, and you're going to have to figure things out by yourselves, but you and Blaine… you've always got people. If you ever feel like anything is too much or if you need a little break, I'd be happy to watch the kid for a few hours. I don't want you to think I'm not here for you."

"Thank you, dad." More tears fill his eyes and he pulls him into another tight hug. "Thank you so much…"

"No problem, kid." Burt pats his back and slowly pulls away. "Now go on, go for a walk. I'll text you as soon as the doctor comes out to tell us anything."

"Yeah, sounds good." Kurt wipes his face and gives his dad another smile before turning and walking down the hall without another word.

Without really realizing where he was going, he just starts to wander, allowing his feet to take him wherever they may, not questioning it. Kurt continues to walk, and soon he finds himself standing in front of a glass window, looking into the newborn baby nursery. In each of the clear mini-cribs, there were pink and blue bundles side by side, sleeping soundly. Save for one baby, one that was closest to the window and currently staring at Kurt with big eyes. He chuckles and twiddles his fingers at the baby, smiling. His eyes travel around the room and they land on a couple, the wife or girlfriend in a wheelchair with her husband or boyfriend rolling her into the nursery. They go over to their baby and Kurt can see the happy tears in their eyes as they lift him into their arms. He feels a flutter in his chest and a sudden anxiousness wash over him. He couldn't wait to meet his baby girl… finally able to see her, what she looks like, if she's got Blaine's nose or his wild curls. His phone dings and he picks it up, sliding his thumb across the screen. And he's zipping back the way he came in an instant.

"Is he okay?" Kurt questions as soon as he sees the doctor outside of Blaine's room, talking to Burt. "Can I see him? Is the baby coming?"

"Yes, yes, and thankfully, no." The doctor smiles and holds out her hand. "I'm Dr. Jones, but you can call me Charon. His blood pressure is a little high, but other than that, he's just fine. I already explained all of this to him, but the pain he was experiencing was what the medical field calls Braxton Hicks. They're the body's way of getting ready for actual labor. Sometimes they're intense like today, but sometimes they're nothing more than cramps. Usually in the lower back and stomach. They're a lot different from real labor pains, so when the time comes, he should know the difference."

"So… the baby isn't coming?" He asks, his chest deflating with slight disappointment.

"Fortunately, this was just a false alarm." She smiles and pats his shoulder. "Don't worry. It's much too early for her anyway. She'll come when you least expect it."

"That's reassuring." He looks at his dad as the doctor laughs. "I'm gonna go see him. Could you deal with the check-out papers and everything?"

"Yeah, no problem." He smiles and calls as he walks toward the door. "I'm glad you're feeling better, bud."

"Me too, dad." He smiles at him and enters the room, closing the door behind him.

"Oh thank God." Blaine announces as he looks at Kurt. "I was waiting for someone to come back in here. Will you put on my shoes? I can't reach."

"Well, hello to you too!" Kurt laughs and walks over, cupping his jaw before leaning down and pressing a firm but gentle kiss against his lover's lips. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"I'm not; I just really want to get out of here." He closes his eyes and sighs softly. "I hate hospitals."

"What are you going to do when we actually have the baby?" He slowly gets down in front of him, beginning to put on his shoes for him.

"Actually, Kurt… I wanted to talk to you about that." He starts slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't want to have her in the hospital."

"What does that mean?" He looks up at him curiously.

"Well, Charon was telling me about alternatives while she was doing my checkup…" He licks his lips and worries his bottom one softly with his teeth.

"Alternatives? Like what?"

"Like… like a birthing tub."

"A birthing tub?" He looks up at him again, his eyes wide. "Have you gone insane?"

"Of course I haven't." He frowns and runs his hands along his belly self-consciously, looking away as he clears his throat. "Never mind, forget it."

"No, I- baby…" He finishes up his shoes and moves to sit next to him on the bed. "Is this what you really want? To have our baby in the water? In a giant tub?"

"I want to at least look into it." Blaine looks up and meets his eyes. "From what she was telling it, it's comfortable, intimate… I want this to be special, you know?" He frowns and tilts his head. "If I think these fake contractions hurt, what will the real thing be like?"

"Blaine, you-"

"I just think being in a warm tub with your arms around me, making me feel safe… well, I think it would make things easier for me." He slowly stands. "And news flash, Kurt, this is about me. I'm the one who is going to have to push a baby out of my body, so I'd just like a little support from you, if that's not too much to ask."

"Of course it's not too much to ask." Kurt says softly, standing and taking his face gently in his hands, giving him a warm smile. "I'll do anything, sweetheart, as long as you're comfortable."

"Okay." Blaine relaxes and takes a deep breath, smiling back. "Okay…"

"Okay." He leans in and kisses him quickly. "Let's get home. I bet you're hungry."

"Starving." He smiles and laces their fingers together, following him out of the room.