Firstly, I am sorry for the title of this chapter. I know how that song is being replayed a lot now, with Cory in mind (and it has kind of just hit me again that he's gone. Oh. That was not nice...) but I thought it was appropriate for the chapter. Again, I am sorry that this event had to be what I was leading up to when Cory died. Yes, this chapter does focus on Robert, so if you don't want to read it then don't.

Okay, I have had many reviews which I need to reply to. Firstly, my guest reviewers. Gueststaryay, you made me smile. Really smile. I am so glad you like it. And to my other guest reviewer... you're welcome. I wish you had an account so that I could talk to you privately, but thank you for telling me what you did. I'll admit I was really quiet after I read your review, just letting it sink one. One of the warmest I have received. I cannot thank you enough. And jobelle516. Your reviews have left my speechless, your PMs leaving me wondering how someone can treat me so well after knowing me for so little time. Thank you so much also for reading Amy's stuff, because I know she will be so grateful when she gets back.

And whilst I am thanking people, I need to thank each and every one of you for reading this. Be you a reader from the first few chapters or someone who has only clicked on this chapter to skim read the A/N, thank you. To those of you who chose to remain nameless, I would love to get to know you; I accept guest reviews so even if you don't have account you can still say hi. Thank you also to Paul; talking to you today was 'fabulous' ;) And thank you Lyd for acting as the middle man... woman... Special thanks have to go, of course, to my friends back here. I don't know how you put up with me but you do and I am so thankful. Paddy, soul sister, thanks for sticking by me, and for your recent support and advice. Thank you. You know how much I love you. And Amy. Or 'amay' as ff called you yesterday in my signing in code. When you get back you're going to have the biggest hugs possible, okay? You have stuck with me through the worst and I am so happy to call you my best friend. Thank you, darling.

I have a question to ask: would you rather this story lasts for a couple more months and then finishes ready for me to start writing S&B some time in 2014, or would you prefer to have this over sooner, still having S&B in 2014, but leaving me time to write a new fic which, if I start writing it now, should be uploaded about November. Have a think about it and leave me a review at the close of this chapter.

Finally, thank you. You guys are all awesome.

-*T&C*-

Blaine breathed in. He could do this. He could go in and tell everyone. It was fine. Yeah, it was easy. He could do this. One foot... in front of... the other. Yeah, he could do- He put his hand on the handle of the Aviary and pushed the door open. There was a silence inside as fifteen pairs of eyes watched him. Nope. No, there was no way he could do this.

Then Kurt rested a grounding hand upon his shoulder and Blaine calmed a bit. Yes, he might not be able to do this alone. But he wasn't alone.

They had sat at the hospital, waiting. Waiting for news, waiting for everything to be okay, waiting for the end. Peter arrived and they had to calm him down before they sent him in the direction of Mrs Dent. And they sat some more, and waited some more. Neither could say a word. They just sat there. And waited. It was like Robert was their own flesh and blood. To Blaine, the boys really were his kids. If it had been a child of his and Kurt's... No, he didn't let himself think about that. His heart rate increased as he looked about the empty corridors. No, he really could not think about that.

After several hours, Mrs Dent walked down the corridor to where the men sat, huddled into each other and arms holding the other tightly. They had both looked up at the mother with tears in her eyes.

"How is he?" Blaine had asked.

"He's okay," she had replied. "I really cannot thank you enough. What you've done for him..."

Blaine had interrupted her and stood up, putting a hand on her arm as she started crying again. "I have done what anyone else would have done. I am just sorry that I could do no more."

She'd shaken her head at that. "You've looked after him. You have made him smile and forget. I am really grateful. He wants to see you."

And so the three of them went to the boy's room. Both Blaine and Kurt were surprised to see the boy looking so bright and... alive. But they knew they should have expected no different. This was Robert. And Robert never wanted anybody to make a fuss. At his bedside, a tired Peter sat, his hands clutching fists of the sheets on the bed, squeezing them as tightly as he could and leaving harsh creases.

"Hi," Robert spoke, looking from his teacher to his teacher's boyfriend. "I'm sorry."

Kurt had blinked in shock as Blaine stepped forwards and took the hand that lay on top of Robert's sheet. "No," he had insisted. "No, you don't get to be sorry for anything. None of this is your fault and I refuse to let you apologise. We are here for you because we want to be, okay? Because we care about you."

Robert had swallowed and dropped his gaze to his bedclothes. He tightened his grip on his mentor's hand; a silent thank you. For the first time, Blaine saw the cracks. He noticed the dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep and increase of worry. He saw how the boy was struggling to breathe. At just fifteen, nobody should have to go through this. And as much as Robert wanted to argue that he was fine about everything, Blaine knew that he wasn't.

"You know, everyone really cares about you. And you keeping them in the dark... I am sorry, Robert. But I think you need to let them know. You should let them grieve while you're still here. It might make it easier."

Robert had slowly trailed his gaze up again, looking into the kind eyes which he had sought relief from so many times. They were the eyes which had relit his hope. But that hope was over, just like his days. He nodded, too afraid to speak in case his voice cracked.

"Thank you." It was two words which Blaine spoke, but they said it all. Blaine smiled sadly at him and closed his other hand over his child's.

The door had opened then, quietly and respectful of the situation, and Greg had poked his head around the door. "How is he?" he asked.

Mrs Dent beckonned him in. "Come and see him, Mr Jones."

The headteacher slipped into the room, Gina following. She felt highly awkward. She didn't know Robert very well. Or at all, really. But then she caught sight of Kurt standing alone at the back of the room and approached him. His arms had curled around his body protectively, as if something in the room more than the present situation made him very uncomfortable. Wordlessly, she approached her friend and hugged around his stomach. Instantly, he flinched into her touch and embraced her tightly. Tears started to run down his face, but the pair remained silent as Mr Jones spoke to the patient lying in the bed.

"You, um, gave us quite a scare there, Robert."

"Sorry," Robert apologised again and Blaine squeezed his hands to remind him not to apologise for things which weren't his to control. "Sorry," he apologised for apologising, then again said "sorry." He smiled. "Um." He and the two teachers started laughing, and Mrs Dent found a smile creep to her lips too; she loved seeing her son happy and even so close to his death, she wanted him to enjoy life.

"Mr Jones?"

The headteacher turned to smile comfortingly at the mother. "Call me Greg," he offered.

"Greg," she nodded. "Um, can we talk about... about school."

"I want to go in," Robert interrupted.

His mother turned her worried gaze upon him. "Oh, Robert, are you sure that is wise?"

"I want to go in, mum," he insisted.

"Can we... how about half days?" she compromised.

Robert huffed but nodded. It wasn't like he had much choice.

As the two of them and Greg started to discuss things, Blaine turned around and saw Kurt with Gina. Firstly, he had smiled at the girl. Then, he had seen his boyfriend's tears. He dropped Robert's hands carefully and had gone over to the back of the room. He'd put a hand on both of Kurt's shoulders, waiting whilst Gina pulled herself out of his grip. She kissed his cheek softly before stepping away and letting Blaine take care of him.

"What's wrong, Tears?" Blaine whispered.

Kurt leant back into his boyfriend's hold, resting his head backwards onto his shoulder. Kurt kept his eyes closed as soft tears slipped down his cheeks. "It... um... memories."

Blaine exhaled and dropped his arms from around Kurt's shoulders to hug his waist from behind. "He got better," he reminded Kurt, not needing to ask what the memories were about.

"I know," Kurt replied at a whisper, finally blinking his eyes open. "It just... hurts. It wasn't easy."

Blaine kissed his forehead softly. "I know. But you have me now, okay?" He cleared his throat, dislodging his tears too to stop them from falling and mixing with Kurt's. "We can go, okay? Let me just say goodbye to Robert and then we can go. Let's just go home."

Blaine had released Kurt when he was sure he wouldn't start crying again and said what he hoped would not be his last goodbye to his student. He took Kurt's hand in his as they left, leaving everyone to talk about school and the, short, future. And when they had arrived back at their apartment, neither felt hungry enough to eat but knew they should. Blaine had found a second can of alphabetti spaghetti and then poured it into a mug with two spoons. Against Kurt's persistence that they shouldn't have food in the bedroom, they lay in bed and shared it, falling asleep with tears drying on their cheeks, holding each other close.

And that brought them to where they were now. Robert hadn't made it in, but Blaine had had a call from his mother only half an hour ago informing him that she'd won her battle at least for the day, then Robert would be doing as many half days as he had after the weekend. Peter wasn't in either, and Kurt very much suspected that the pale boy was either with his best friend or just couldn't face coming in to hear Blaine tell everyone.

Blaine looked about the group, a lump in his throat. "Um," he began. Then he stopped. This was going to be hard.

"We missed you yesterday, sir," Paul offered.

Blaine looked at the boy that he knew he'd miss when he left at the end of the year. He had just been given the perfect opening. He... He looked at Kurt, who was watching him. The visual merchandiser stepped forwards and offered his hand. Blaine took it gratefully.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, Paul," Blaine replied. "I was... at the... the hospital."

Blaine heard a gasp but couldn't locate its source. Even though it had seemed pretty real yesterday, the reality continued to come crashing in. He looked at Kurt, who nodded at him, understanding.

"I'm figuring that most of you knew about Robert's cancer," Kurt took over. He got nods from around the room from faces with wide, scared eyes. "I- I need to reassure you that he is... um... alive. But... oh."

Blaine knew he should take over. He knew it. But he couldn't. He turned away from everyone, keeping his hand in Kurt's as he felt a tear slip down his cheek and he brushed it away before anyone could notice.

"He didn't want anyone to know just how bad his situation was. He didn't... He hated the idea of everyone worrying about him. But yesterday he collapsed, here, in the Aviary. He is back at home now and resting but he is now saying it is okay for you to know. You need to know. He, er, he... He doesn't have a lot of time left." Kurt struggled as he continued to talk, watching various Warblers start to cry. It broke his heart but he had to go on. He ignored his own tears which now slipped again. "It's good that you now know. Because this is, um, allowing you time to... come to terms more. With it. It means you can say your goodb- your goodbyes. You are going to get that chance. You're lucky. Sometimes when somebody dies it can come as a total shock and... You can say goodbye."

The whole room was now crying and Blaine had broken off from Kurt to stand at the front of the room, facing away from everyone else. Behind him, Kurt could see students holding on to each other or crying on their own. He turned around and spied a box of tissues on Blaine's desk which he picked up and handed to Chris to pass around. Everybody needed one.

Quietly, through the sound of sniffling, Kurt heard a voice speak up. "Um, how long does... how many weeks?"

Kurt closed his eyes and shook his head, grabbing a tissue from the box which had now done its rounds. "It's... not. He has days. He won't make it to the end of the school year."

The sobs which sounded at that moment were heart wrenching. The one which hit Kurt the most was from behind him, where Blaine was now sat against the wall, biting his nails and a hand covering his face from the boys. He left the boys to digest the news together as he went back to protect his boyfriend, just as Blaine had done for him the previous day.

Because that is what they did. When everything else went wrong, they still had each other. They always would.

Thank you if you did read this, and for your continual support. I know I have been less talkative lately, but (major life insight) hopefully that will be changing starting tomorrow. I can never be too thankful for the support you have all given me; for believing me, for reminding me that I can actually do this writing thing, for making me smile with your kind words, for feeling what my words should make you feel, and mostly for giving me the confidence to keep sending these chapters out for the wide world to read and judge. Thank you.

-* Don't forget to check out luspeak. wordpress. com for updates, deleted chapters and spin-offs! *-

Let's change the mood. Tell me one of your happiest memories; what happened, who did you share it with, why was it so great?