I'd like to stress once again that I have no idea how the DEA operates, so anything I write in this chapter should be taken with a pinch of salt. Also, writing Kurt as a DEA agent proved much harder than I thought it would be, so give me a break if it seems a bit unbelievable sometimes.

Enjoy!

How To Save A Life – Chapter 3

For the umpteenth time since getting it back, Kurt pulled out the phone he used for the operation and searched for the picture Sam had made. Steeling himself to look at it once again, he opened the file. He hoped that the more he looked at the horrific photo, the more indifferent he would become to the emotional effects it had on him.

The first time he had seen it, he hadn't been prepared for it to look so real and he had spontaneously thrown up in the nearest dustbin. Since then, the longing to see Blaine and touch him and reassure himself that his fiancé really was still alive and simply brilliant at faking his own death had only grown stronger with each hour they continued to be separated.

Kurt knew he couldn't afford to show his feelings when Luttman was around. Therefore, he kept making himself look at the picture in order to get used to it and condition himself not to display any reaction to it.

He tried to remind himself that all of this would be over soon, that he and Blaine could be together again once Luttman was caught. And Kurt was the person to help the DEA reach that goal; in a way, he was the key to Blaine's safety. Which, come to think of it, was fairly ironic; usually, Kurt worried that his career choice could put Blaine's life in danger at any moment. He still remembered the day he had finished his DEA-training and had suddenly realised how dangerous his job might be for Blaine. His beautiful fiancé – who was still just his boyfriend back then – had assured him that it couldn't scare him off, no matter what might happen. Since then, apart from some injury scares, this was the first real crisis the two of them had had to deal with. Kurt could only hope that Blaine meant what he had said that day and wouldn't run off.

When Kurt went to bed that night, his doubts and nerves were still troubling him. Doubts about what effect this case might have on his and Blaine's relationship, about whether he'd be able to convince Luttman and not get killed, and, most importantly, about whether or not he'd been lying to Blaine when he'd told him they'd be safe once Luttman was behind bars. No matter what he'd told Blaine, he knew well enough that their safety could never be guaranteed one hundred percent; Luttman might still somehow find out they had staged Blaine's death.

All of this brooding only served to make him more nervous than they could afford. Of course, a certain amount of nerves was normal and even necessary when going undercover given that they made him more alert. But now, it was different. These were the kind of nerves that made him jumpy and therefore more likely to make mistakes.

The only solution was to detach himself from his emotions and treat it like any other case: as if it didn't affect him personally. And, just maybe, this approach would allow him to get some much needed sleep. Then again, things like that were always easier said than done.

Today was the day, the day their fate would finally be decided.

From the moment Blaine had woken up, that single thought had been running through his mind and driving him insane.

It had been two days since Kurt had contacted Luttman to inform him that his first task had been completed successfully and had consequently received his next assignment, in his 'profession' as drug dealer this time. Blaine wasn't allowed to know all the specifics, but Sam had told him that Kurt would present the drugs, provided by the DEA, to Luttman today and make the deal, which could lead to one of several possible outcomes. Best case scenario, it all went perfectly as planned and Luttman would be arrested without anyone getting hurt or one drop of blood being spilled aside from some fake blood. But worst case scenario, Blaine could lose everything he cared about. Even now, Kurt could still be found out and subsequently killed, then Luttman might be able to escape with his drugs and drug money, and perhaps even still come after Blaine if he suspected he had been deceived. In that case, Blaine would lose Kurt and be doomed to spend the rest of his life hiding, alone.

Normally, Blaine was an optimist, but when confronted with the last possibility, he couldn't help but think he'd probably let Luttman kill him if that scenario came true. Despite knowing Kurt wouldn't agree, Blaine was absolutely sure he'd never be able to get over the grief Kurt's death would cause if he had nothing else to hang onto.

And the worst thing was that there was absolutely nothing he could do to change whichever direction his life was headed in; he was completely helpless.

"Dude, will you stop pacing like that? You're driving me nuts!"

"I can't help it, Sam," Blaine replied, starting another tour around the living room. "How are you so calm? This whole operation could backfire today and you're just sitting there as if it were just any other day."

"I just try to remember that nothing has gone wrong so far. Kurt didn't lose his cover when he told Luttman he murdered you and showed him our 'proof'. Who knows, our luck may hold out a bit longer."

"So it's just a matter of getting lucky?"

"No, that's actually only a small part of it. The rest is being prepared, and I can assure you that we are, even if something does go wrong. This isn't the first drug lord we've dealt with, remember. This case just got a bit more personal, which – admittedly – also makes it more dangerous. But trust me when I say that that keeps Andy and all of us even more on our toes. So it's not just a matter of preparation and luck, but also of trust."

It was the most eloquent Sam had ever been as far as Blaine could recall. His little speech actually made him stop in his tracks for a minute before he resumed his pacing.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"Isn't there some way you can get this stress out other than pacing? Like stress baking, or something? 'Cause it's, like, seriously driving me crazy."

Blaine laughed.

"You know well enough that Kurt is the cook in our relationship. Don't you remember what happened four years ago when we were going to cook for a change? We nearly set the apartment on fire."

"Oh yeah," Sam recalled with a sheepish smile. "Okay, maybe that is a bad idea. What else can you do? Um... Mark some papers. That'll keep you distracted."

"They're all done."

"Prepare your classes for next week."

"Done that too. And I don't even know if I'll have classes to go back to."

"Then, um... I don't know, write a song."

Blaine shook his head.

"I tried. But I can't focus."

"Well, I don't care what you do, just do it somewhere else. Before I make you stop pacing." He started to leave the room, but stopped in front of Blaine first and forced him to stand still by putting his hands on the latter's shoulders. "It'll work out fine, you'll see."

"Well, Mr Williams, I have to say I'm impressed. You did an excellent job. Congratulations."

Kurt nodded with a small smile of appreciation.

"Thank you, Mr Luttman."

"Call me Paul."

He eyed the drugs he had just bought from Kurt.

"I have a feeling this partnership is going to work out very well. You and I have a very bright future ahead of us," he said, grinning widely. "Okay, so now that you've proven your worth, we're going to take this a step further. But not to worry, you just do what you do best and I'll do the same."

"Which is?"

Kurt knew he was taking a huge risk, asking a question like that so directly. If he pushed Luttman too hard, this whole case could blow up in his face. But he had to try. So far, they had gathered enough evidence for another trip to prison, but not to keep him there for the rest of his life, especially if his lawyers had a say in it. They needed undeniable proof that Luttman was linked to the major drug deals he arranged.

"Oh, you know, boring stuff like maintaining our business contacts. After all, we need someone to sell this marvellous product to. And rest assured that many of my old contacts are still loyal to me. I'm sure you and I can make it back to the top in no time."

He'd said enough. All they had to do now was find his list of contacts and take this whole operation down.

"With some luck, we'll be able to retire to Fiji in just a couple of years," Kurt said.

Luttman laughed.

"Retire? Retirement is for old people, my boy. I may be fifty-five, but I don't feel nearly old enough to be thinking of that yet. Especially when I see this." He gestured at the bag he was holding, which contained the drug supply.

A few seconds later, chaos erupted.

Luttman cast an accusing glare at Kurt – who managed to look like he was just as shocked as Luttman was – while people in bulletproof vests with 'DEA' written on them barged into the room. They easily overpowered Luttman's accomplices, who had been guarding the entrances. Luttman himself, however, refused to go down without a fight. He started firing shots all around him, obviously hoping to take down as many as he could.

Before he could do much damage, one of the agents shot him in the shoulder, effectively stopping the attack. Somehow, Kurt had been able to remove himself from the line of fire, so he was unhurt. But not everyone had been so lucky; one of the agents was lying on the floor holding his leg, while another used his hands to put pressure on the wound. As some agents moved in to arrest Luttman, Kurt let himself be cuffed as well – making a show of resisting a bit –, knowing he needed to keep up his cover even now.

To anyone watching the scene, it would seem like Kurt was one of the criminals and therefore treated the same way as his 'colleagues'. But Kurt himself could feel that the agents manhandling him were being as gentle as they possibly could without raising suspicions. They were all taken away in separate police cars, so the agents could undo his cuffs as soon as they had driven off.

"Well done, Hummel," Andy said from the front of the car, where he was turned in his seat to look at him, beaming. "We've got him now. Not only can we charge him with several crimes, some of which even his lawyers can't talk him out of, but if we can find that list, we can roll up his entire business and maybe even get one of his contacts to confess about Luttman's involvement. That will make our case even stronger."

"I'm glad," Kurt sighed and leaned his head back, suddenly feeling tired.

Andy had obviously noticed the movement. He patted Kurt's knee comfortingly.

"You can get some days to relax soon. We just need your statement first and then we'll take you to the safe house until we've tied up all the loose ends."

"Thank you," Kurt smiled.

Blaine had long stopped pacing – or rather, he had eventually run out of steam – and was now pretending to be watching TV, although he had no idea what he was actually watching. He hadn't heard anything about Kurt yet and either Sam didn't know anything or he was keeping what he knew from Blaine on purpose.

Outside, he could vaguely hear a car stopping and the movement of one of his guards. He found it strange because it was way too early for a change of guard, but he didn't really pay too much attention to it. Considering that Sam hadn't stormed into the room yet to get him to safety, he figured that all was well. It wasn't until he heard the front door open and Sam tell someone where he was that he sat up straighter, curious as to who had arrived.

When the newcomer finally appeared around the corner, he jumped to his feet and ran to his fiancé, throwing his arms around him.

"Hey, there," Kurt chuckled, gleefully returning the bear hug. "I take it you missed me?"

"So much, you have no idea," came the reply, slightly muffled by Kurt's shoulder.

"I do, actually."

Blaine was glad Sam and the other agents had subtly cleared out, considering how several days' worth of separation significantly heightened the passion in their kiss. By the time they pulled away to take a breath, they were both panting.

"God, I missed that."

Blaine lifted his head from where it was leaning against Kurt's forehead and looked his fiancé up and down.

"I'm fine, Blaine. Not a scratch on me."

"You look tired, though," Blaine retorted.

"I just didn't sleep very well, that's all."

Kurt decided not to specify the reason for his insomnia. His fiancé could probably guess anyway, and he didn't want to ruin their happy reunion.

"Neither did I. I'm glad you're okay. I was so afraid–"

"Ssh," Kurt stopped him. "Let's not talk about this now, okay? Let's leave it for tomorrow."

"Yeah, of course."

They spent the rest of the evening cuddling in front of the TV without paying much attention to it, although this time for a different reason. The only interruption came from Sam entering the living room with a pizza box and a bottle of wine "to celebrate the happy ending".

The following day found the trio around the kitchen table, enjoying the delicious breakfast Kurt had made. Afterwards, Kurt gave a general account of how the op had gone, leaving out his feelings on the matter.

"So it's all over now?" Blaine asked cautiously, as if he didn't dare hope.

"Almost," Kurt said. "The bureau is finishing things up, so the two of us will have to stay here for a few more days until it's all done." Kurt turned to Sam. "But that doesn't mean you have to be stuck here with us. Andy has given you a few days off as well, to recover from having to babysit Blaine all week."

"Hey!"

"Awesome," Sam beamed, ignoring Blaine's protest. "I mean, you're my bro, and all, and you know I don't mind hanging out with you, but I'm kind of glad things can finally go back to normal."

"Thank you for staying with me, Sam," Blaine said sincerely.

"You're always welcome, dude."

An hour later, Kurt saw Sam to the door.

"I also wanted to thank you, Sam. For looking after Blaine for me."

"Hey, he's my best friend. It's part of the job description," he said jokingly.

"Still, it means a lot to both of us."

"Anytime, man." He gave Kurt a quick hug. "Now go and take advantage of this little vacation. Heaven knows you deserve it."

"Thanks, Sam. See you next week."

"Yeah, see you. Have fun!" he added in a sing-song voice, winking meaningfully.

"Bye, Sam," Kurt laughed, closing the door in Sam's grinning face.

He returned to the living room, where Blaine was patiently waiting for him.

"So," Kurt said teasingly. "We have all this free time on our hands. What on earth shall we do?"

He sat down on Blaine's lap, kissing him very slowly. Blaine hummed contentedly in response.

"I'm sure we can think of something."