"Hey, Finn." Rachel went up to Finn the second Glee Club ended. She had been anxiously awaiting all day for this moment. She needed to get to the bottom of Finn's curious behavior. This was the perfect time to strike.

"Oh..yeah, Rachel?" Completely oblivious.

"Could I meet your family today?" Rachel said, twirling her hair in her finger, batting her eyelashes. Finn looked alarmed, shooting right up at her words.

"Oh, um.." Finn took a deep breath. This could end badly. Very, very badly. But Rachel would get even more suspicious if he said no. She might even have her fathers call the social services to check out his house to see if it was a proper living environment, because she was just that intense.

"Okay." He said, playing with his keys. "Come on," and he led her to his car, opening the passenger side door for her like a gentleman.

The ride to his house was slow and tense. Finn wasn't sure that Rachel would like what she saw, and if she found out about Kurt, the whole school would know. He glanced nervously over to Rachel before his house came into view. He parked on the side of the rode and they got out of the car. Finn mentally prepared himself.

When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was his mother holding a basket of dirty laundry. He facepalmed.

"Oh, hi Finn. And who is this with you?" She said, smiling. She put down the basket.

"Rachel. Rachel Berry." said Rachel, confidently stepping forward and shaking her hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Hudson."

"It's very nice to meet you too, Rachel. Well, welcome to the house. I apologize that it's a bit messy, we weren't expecting company.."

"Oh, that's alright, Ms. Hudson. When I'm a big star and Finn and I are married, you'll have people for that." Carole laughed.

"Well, Finn, just uh..show her around the house I guess..See you later." She walked into the kitchen, to do the dishes.

"Okay."

"So, Finn, it seems to me that you have a suitable living environment. I simply need to see your room, and do you have any siblings?" Finn froze. He hesitated in answering. Should he tell her? Or keep it a secret?..Rachel would be furious if she found out that Finn hadn't told her the truth.

"...Yes. One." Rachel smiled wide, delighted.

"Oh, Finn! Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I have a little brother. He's only one year younger than me, though."

Finn led her to the door that was always slightly open. Inside, a fifteen year old boy lay in bed, soft classical music drifting in the background. Rachel charged toward him.

"Rachel, please be gentle with-" Finn cried uselessly as Rachel forced her way over.

"Hi!" Kurt's eyes widened, a beautiful mixture of blue and green, catching sunight from the window.

"Oh, hello. Who might you be?" His soft, high voice surprised Rachel, but it was not unwelcome. It was very easy on the ears and she rather liked it. He looked like some sort of doll, rosy cheeks and all.

"I'm Rachel, Finn's girlfriend. We've been dating for three months. What's your name?"

"My name is Kurt Hummel. As you could probaby tell, I'm Finn's younger brother." A soft breathy laugh filled the air, sweet and filled with happiness.

Rachel caught the bald spot just above his ear. Why would a young boy have a bald spot? Especially when his hair looks so healthy...Then she took in that he was bedridden, and he was very tiny. So she elbowed Finn in the ribs and whispered to him "Finn, could we talk for a moment?" He nodded.

"Nice meeting you!" She called out to Kurt- but she didn't hear his polite response of "It was nice meeting you, also!" Finn didn't either, and it was a good thing. Finn didn't like it when Kurt yelled. He thought it was too much effort for him.

"Finn!" she hissed, once they got outside the door. "Is your brother sick?"

"Yes.." Finn admitted, eyes becoming pained. He knew where this was going, and it wasn't good. Not good at all.

"Why would you let me go in there?" Rachel hissed, eyes narrowed in Finn's direction as if he had just ruined all of her chances of ever becoming a star. If I show up sick to Glee Club tomorrow, so help me-"

"It's not that type of sick, alright?" Finn yelled, voice full of anger, startling Rachel. "It's not contagious and it won't go away after a few days, no matter how much I pray for it to..." His eyes became downcast. He suddenly found the floor very interesting, as if the carpet held all the answers, if he only just looked at it hard enough...

Rachel's voice softened. She led Finn into the living room, sitting down on the floor with him.

"Finn..what does he have?" She asked, her voice near a whisper, hushed so not even the gods could hear it, could take it as a confirmation that what he had was real.

Finn almost couldn't say it. Saying it acknowledged it. Saying it made it stronger. Saying it meant that he was finally accepting that Kurt was sick with a deadly, terrible illness. He never wanted to admit it, wanted it to stay a secret forever. Never wanted it to be a fact in the first place so he would have to keep it a secret. But he shakily...so shakily..spoke the word.

"Cancer." His voice was weak and full of pain. A hot pressure behind his eyes threatened to force out tears. Rachel's eyes widened, mouth open in a disbelieving expression. She reached up to pat his arm.

"Finn...I'm so sorry.."

"Don't feel sorry for me. I'm not the one who has to fight for my life everyday. I'm not the one loosing my hair and forcing smiles all throughout it. I'm not the angel who might be returned to his true owner any day now. It's him! It's my beautiful baby brother and-" He was cut off by tears. He couldn't help it. He sobbed. Rachel wrapped her arms around him, wishing him all her love through the air, knowing that words were both unnecessary and unsufficient.

"Finn?" called a soft questioning voice from the hall. Finn and Rachel looked up in surprise, hearing quiet footsteps in the hall. Finn tried desperately to wipe away all of his tears and calm himsef down before the boy saw him. His eyes were puffy and his voice was broken. He cleared his throat. He coudn't let Kurt see him like this. He couldn't.

When the boy came into views, legs wobbling like a foal's, he paused. His legs shook as he tried to stand. Evidently, getting out of bed was not something he did often. His leg muscles were very weak.

"Are you okay?" asked the angelic voice. Sea glass eyes shining with concern. "I thought I heard you sobbing." Finn sniffed, mentally cursing himself after doing so. Now it was just obvious.

"Finn, I can tell that you just lied." said the boy, uttering a sad laugh. And that was what was so terrible about Kurt's smile, his laughs, his bright eyes. They all had a trace of melancholy to them, a hint of tragedy. With each beautiful, musical laugh there was a tragic note that blended in with his voice.

And when he laughed, it seemed so wrong to laugh. Because really, what could possibly be funny when your little brother had cancer and his hair was falling out and he was in so much pain all the time? There were days when he just layed in bed, trying to hide the tears that spilled out of his eyes as his suffered through the night. He tried so hard, and he was so strong. Stronger than Finn as a huge football player could ever be. Finn wished his football team members could understand that.

Finn remembered a day when Kurt was wracking with sobs and he he tried to stifle them when he heard Finn walking outside the door. When Finn opened the door, his tear tracks were still visible, but he smiled a wide smile, though visibly in pain. Then, Finn just layed beside him...trying to comfort him and rid him of his pain. Running his hand through his younger brother's hair, until when his hand came back, there were visible strands in his palm. Maybe three, but it was still his hair. And it was still coming out.

Pulling himself out of his memories, he looked up at his brother, who stared at him, amused, with his hands on his wobbling hips.

"I am so confused right now, Finny, but you know, I don't know how much longer I can stay standing, so I'm going to walk-well, wabble- back to my room. But don't be sad, Finny. Be happy, for me. Give me a smile, Finny."

Rachel smiled a wide smile and nudged Finn. Finn looked up at Kurt and gave him a huge, sincere smile, because Kurt being happy was more important to him than anything else.

"Come on, Kurt, let's help you get back to your room." said Finn, grunting as he sat up. He took his brother's shoulders and supported him as his legs trembled all the way to his room. He layed his brother on his bed, and covered him with his blanket.

"Tuck me in, Finny?" A childish sentiment, but Kurt was small and fragile and Finn didn't care if he was fifteen or six.

"Sure thing, buddy." So he tucked in his blanket and pecked his brother on the cheek and walked out to see Rachel before-

"Finny?"

"Yes?" He said, turning around abruptly.

"Your girlfriend seems really nice. She makes you really happy, doesn't she? She's pretty, a great match for my handsome older brother." Kurt said smiling. "It must be nice." Finn picked up on what Kurt was hinting at, which was something rare for him. Neither of them, in fact, picked up the fact that Rachel was listening around the corner, smiling to herself.

"Don't worry, Kurt. You'll find a really nice guy some day, and if he ever does anything to hurt you, just know that I am right here, and can easily get at least six football players to beat him up so bad he'll never want to come back to Lima. Alright?" Kurt laughed, a bubbly sound that caused a warmth in Finn's chest. It ended on a squeak, making Finn smile. Finn leaned on the bed and tickled him, causing more bright giggles to emanate from the mouth of the small boy.

"Finny?" He asked, becoming serious all of a sudden. His eyes were wide with innocence and curiosity. "Do you think that Daddy would still love me if he was here and he knew?" Finn's expression became stony. Why did Kurt worry about what that bastard would think? About what the man who hit him everyday for three years would think? Why did it matter? Did Kurt really have no respect for himself, to not hold the fact that he awoke with new wounds every day against him? Rachel bit her lip. Tears threatening to spill over.

"Kurt," he said, slowly, trying, for once, to be cautious with his words. "I think that if he didn't still love you, he would be a horrible man." Already is a horrible man.

"And.."

"Yes, Kurt?"

"Do you really promise that I'll get out of this bed someday and be free of-of this?" Rachel dabbed her eyes. Finn's eyes looked thoughtful. He smiled. A smile full of hope and promises and a world full of surprises and miracles. And if he didn't make it out of this alive, then surely there was no God up there in the sky looking out. Because Kurt was the angel in its true form, and if he was killed, the only reason Finn could think of, would be because God had missed him. Kurt smiled, too.

"Thanks, Finn."

"Anytime, Kurt."

And he kissed his brother's forehead and left his room.