Author's note: Thank you for the amazing feedback on the first chapter. All the alerts and reviews made me smile.

Also, I just want to say that if you notice any mistakes, please let me know. I don't have a beta and even though my English is pretty decent it's still not my first language so mistakes can slip and I appreciate the feedback.

Warning for this chapter: Minor Character Death

The drive back to Lima was silent. Burt was looking out the window as Kurt drove, eyes fixed on the road and deep in thought. Curiosity and a little bit of concern were still eating him inside as they arrived home.

He went to his room after helping his dad up the stairs and turned on his laptop. He logged into Facebook and quickly searched for Sebastian's profile. They weren't friends, and never in his wildest dreams would Kurt even think about adding him there, but now his fingers ached to just click the 'add friend' button.

Kurt was feeling torn; part of him wanted to know what was going on with Sebastian, but at the same time he was chastising himself inside for snooping. Sebastian wasn't his friend; they didn't even like each other. Sebastian most likely wouldn't want Kurt minding what was none of his business.

Kurt couldn't help but worry about him though, because what if Sebastian was sick? What if... He didn't even want to think about it. The mere thought made him squirm inside. So after staring at the computer screen for several minutes and before he could stop himself, Kurt finally clicked the button, instantly taking his hand off the mouse as if it had burned him. He felt a little nervous, wondering what Sebastian was going to think about the sudden friend request.

Kurt didn't expect Sebastian to accept it right away, but after a while of browsing around mindlessly through his news feed, nothing happened; and that made him even more anxious.

Kurt logged out and went downstairs to prepare lunch for his dad and himself. He really needed to make himself busy and stop thinking about this. It was getting ridiculous.

Soon enough, Carole and Finn came back from work and they were able to spend the afternoon quiet and relaxing. Burt always felt a little weak after each session, but it was nothing crippling. A bit of irritation and bladder issues as side effects were uncomfortable, but bearable. He was lucky he didn't need chemotherapy, at least for now, otherwise he would have been feeling much worse.

Kurt couldn't help but feel disappointed when he checked his Facebook again later that night and realized Sebastian still hadn't accepted his friend request. He went to bed hoping that perhaps Sebastian just hadn't been online all day, and that's why he hadn't seen it. It was unlikely, but it helped calm his nerves a bit.

The next day, Kurt made himself busy around the house and his father's garage. He would stop by every now and then and check things with Arnold, his dad's right hand and manager in charge. Kurt enjoyed being there every once in a while, even if it got his hands dirty whenever he offered to help with some of the simpler tasks. He had so many memories about being there growing up, that he felt right at home.

He spent the afternoon practicing piano; he didn't want to get rusty once he started at NYADA next semester. Music helped him relax and singing had always been a gateway to express himself and let his emotions to run free. It was therapeutic.

They didn't need to go to back to the Cleveland Clinic until tomorrow, so Kurt had the day mostly to himself. His dad spent the day relaxing and recovering, so when next morning came he was ready for his radiotherapy session again.

As they arrived at the hospital, Kurt couldn't help but wonder if he would see Sebastian again. When he got to the waiting room, his eyes immediately searched for Sebastian's father, but he was nowhere in sight.

Seeing as he had a lot of time in his hands while he waited, Kurt decided to log into Facebook again, only to realize he still hadn't being added by Sebastian. Kurt liked to torture himself, or so it seemed.

They went every two days to the hospital, as usual, and for the rest of that week and the next one, he didn't see Sebastian again. Kurt was indignant about Sebastian ignoring his friend request, but he figured he'd been silly to even think that Sebastian would want anything to do with him in the first place. They weren't friends, and Kurt needed to remember that.

.

On Thursday night, Kurt was chatting on Skype with Blaine and Tina about their antics at McKinley and Finn's attempts at keeping the Glee club active and busy now that they weren't competing anymore. Kurt had managed to not think about Sebastian for the past few days, until Blaine brought up the upcoming regionals competition, and how Trent had invited him to come see the Warblers perform.

Blaine said he was uncertain about going, feeling a little uncomfortable since he had rejected their latest attempt at bringing him back, but he said that Trent was insisting he come see them nonetheless. Trent had always been a nice guy, and Kurt suspected he had a little crush on Blaine, but never gave it much thought. To be honest, it seemed like all the Warblers had some sort of crush on Blaine, even the ones who were straight.

Kurt giggled at his own silly thoughts for a moment until he realized something. Going to the competition could give him the chance to see Sebastian and satisfy his recurring curiosity. So he decided to make a move and convince Blaine that he should go, offering to go with him with the excuse that he was bored and missed the old days of show choir competitions.

Blaine immediately forgot about his uncertainty and quickly started making plans to pick Kurt and Tina up so they could go together, but Tina declined the invitation. No matter how much Kurt pleaded her to go with them, and how much Blaine insisted, she said she didn't really feel like going. That it was hard enough to realize she wouldn't have the chance to shine in her senior year without that horrible reminder, and Kurt figured she was right.

So it would be only Blaine and him going to see The Warblers on Friday night. Great. Kurt couldn't help but roll his eyes a little bit, this curiosity was going to be the death of him.

When Friday evening finally came, Kurt was feeling excitement bubble up inside him in a weird kind of way as they entered the Auditorium. He couldn't help but feel nostalgic as he watched the different competing teams getting ready for their performances. The sight of parents and coming to support their children, with handmade cardboard signs they would hold up amidst the audience was just heartwarming.

They found seats in a really nice spot in the center rows; they would be able to watch the performances up close from there. Blaine seemed to be excited and relaxed, and Kurt was pleasantly surprised to realize coming alone had not been awkward after all. Maybe this whole being just friends thing could really work between them.

The first group was from a school in Zanesville; they performed completely a capella, and it was quite impressive. The crowd cheered and gave them a standing ovation after they finished their set. The Warblers had some tough competition, and Kurt was curious about what they were going perform this time.

Soon enough The Warblers were called on stage, and when the music started playing, Kurt immediately recognized the song, but he paid no attention to it as his eyes scanned the rows of blazer clad boys, looking for one particular warbler. The new guy, Hunter, was in the lead, he could see Thad and Jeff beside him. Nick and Trent were in the back row and Sebastian... Wasn't there?

Kurt kept looking for him but realized Sebastian wasn't on stage. Kurt was sure he heard Blaine talk about both Sebastian and the new guy Hunter when he told him about time he went to Dalton the other day, so why wasn't Sebastian performing?

When the music for their second song started Kurt was hoping Sebastian would appear through the curtains and join the group, but that wasn't the case.

Was Sebastian not a Warbler anymore? This was odd. Kurt felt more curious now than ever, but he refrained from making any comments to Blaine while they were there. He didn't seem to notice Sebastian's absence, or maybe he just didn't want to mention it to Kurt.

Once the competition ended and The Warblers were declared winners, Blaine asked Kurt if it was okay if they went backstage to congratulate the guys. Kurt agreed and they went down the stairs together.

"Blaine! You came!" Trent said, giving him a hug.

"Kurt, so good to see you here too!" Nick said as he approached them.

"You guys were amazing... congratulations on the victory." Blaine told them as Thad, Jeff, David and the rest of the guys gathered around them.

"You should've been there with us... would have made it ten times better." Said Hunter, slowly walking towards them, and Kurt couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You could be in your way to nationals with us, but instead you're stuck in the losing side. It's a shame, really."

This guy's pretentiousness waved off of him; if Kurt ever thought Sebastian was arrogant this Hunter guy was so much worse.

Blaine shrugged uncomfortably, "Yeah, well seems like you didn't need me after all. You guys were amazing... but, where's Sebastian?" Blaine suddenly asked, clearly hoping to change the subject. "I'm surprised he's not here."

Kurt felt relieved that it was Blaine asking the question, because he was pretty sure he wouldn't have dared to ask himself. He watched as the guys looked at one another, clearly at a loss of what to say, until Trent finally spoke.

"He left. Transferred out or something. We're not sure..." He said, brow furrowed, "He didn't come back to Dalton after winter break."

"That's strange..." Blaine said, a little intrigued. Kurt decided to just stay aside and listen.

"Yeah, none of us have seen him and I tried calling him a few times," started Nick, "but he never picks up, and he hasn't replied to any of our-"

"Oh he just probably went back to Paris or something..." Hunter interrupted Nick, clearly trying to dismiss the conversation, "It doesn't matter anyway. We're going to nationals!" he cheered.

The guys shared awkward glances, but none of them said anything about Hunter's abrupt interruption. Soon enough the rest of the group who weren't in the small circle around Blaine started cheering along, and Kurt felt an itch in his hand to just smack this Hunter guy, but he refrained.

Apparently Sebastian had just disappeared on them. But Kurt knew for a fact that he was still in Ohio, and as much as he hated it, now he felt more determined than ever to find out what was going on.

He didn't know Sebastian enough to tell if he was close to any of the guys at Dalton, but Kurt figured if he wasn't returning any of their calls and had just left without a word then he probably wasn't.

Sebastian was a mystery for Kurt in so many ways.

.

On Monday morning, Kurt found himself in the waiting room again. His dad had four more weeks of radiotherapy scheduled. Kurt wished he could feel relieved about it, but all it meant was that he was getting closer to his surgery.

It wasn't that he wasn't happy about the progress made. According to Dr. Miller, the radiotherapy was being effective and he was certain that Burt would have a speedy recovery after surgery. However, Kurt knew he couldn't claim victory, not until his dad's cancer was officially gone.

Cancer was just so unpredictable and lethal. Case in point, today there seemed to be more people than usual in the waiting room. He could spot several familiar faces, and many others, probably family members, since they were all sitting together.

Kurt didn't know if it had anything to do with the time of the day, since this particular appointment was scheduled later than usual. They'd always come at 9am but today Dr. Miller had set it up for 10:30, and the waiting room was almost full.

And then it happened. Mrs. Darcy, one of the women that Kurt had once or twice spoken with, came out. Her face was flushed and her eyes red from crying, her husband was standing next to her, holding her tightly as they delivered the news to the group that was sitting together in the waiting room.

"Joshua just passed away... he's gone."

Joshua? Kurt thought to himself. Twelve year old Joshua? Oh no.

It was impossible not to notice how the atmosphere in the waiting room instantly shifted at the sound of their words, sorrow and despair infecting everyone around them.

Little Joshua was one of the kids under treatment for Leukemia. The family was devastated as they cried and hugged and comforted the couple for the loss of their son. Kurt could feel a painful knot forming in his throat, tears pooling in his eyes and threatening to spill at the sight of the broken family before him.

It was so unfair, so terrible and sad to see people suffer like this because of this terrible illness. It was unbearable. Kurt wished he could stand up and walk across the room to give Mrs. Darcy his sympathies, but he just couldn't even move. Not when he could see her breaking down with her family around her, trying their best to be supportive while they all mourned the loss of little Joshua.

Joshua was gone; he lost the battle against Leukemia. Could his dad really win against his prostate cancer? Kurt could feel his hands shaking from where he was holding the book he was reading, and decided to close it.

Right then, a woman sitting next to him touched his shoulder gently.

"Here..." she said softly as she handed him a tissue. Kurt hadn't even realized the tears had spilled and were running down his face. He could feel himself blush as he thanked her for the kind gesture. He looked into her eyes and realized that she was crying as well. How could anyone not?

They were all there for the same reasons, after all. Every person in that waiting room had family members or friends going through cancer, and somehow witnessing how that family suffered through a loss that they all feared could also happen to them was incredibly upsetting.

"It's just horrible... isn't it? That poor family..." she said, and all Kurt could do was nod.

"My son has leukemia, you know? He got diagnosed just the day before Christmas eve..." she wiped a few tears that slipped down her cheek as she tried to smile.

"I'm so sorry." Kurt said sympathetically, because what else could he possibly say?

"He is so strong though. Half the time I feel like he is the one comforting me, when it should be the other way around."

Kurt sighed. "That happens to me as well... with my dad. He has prostate cancer, and he acts like it's nothing, while I'm worried sick every single day." He shook his head as he smiled, wiping the rest of his tears.

The small conversation was comforting in a weird way, even if it was just for a few minutes. They briefly exchanged a few stories about how they helped his dad and her son respectively to cope with the treatment side effects and how it affected them as a family. It was interesting and Kurt appreciated the company.

They were so lost in their conversation that Kurt didn't notice when his dad came out and walked towards where they were seated.

"Hey Kurt... ready to go?"

"Yes..." Kurt said, a little startled. He slowly started getting up from the chair and gathering his things, before turning back to the woman. "It was very nice talking to you, um..."

When Burt realized Kurt was with the lady beside him, he looked between them awkwardly, kind of waiting for Kurt to introduce them, and that's when Kurt realized they hadn't even introduced themselves properly.

The woman must have picked up on this, because she quickly stood up and said: "I'm Vivienne... Vivienne Smythe."

"Burt Hummel."

They shook hands and smiled politely while Kurt just gaped in complete disbelief.

"I'm uh... Kurt... my name is Kurt." he blurted out, still in shock of what he'd just heard.

"Well, thanks for keeping me company Kurt." She said before turning back to Burt, "It was nice meeting you. Good luck with everything, you have a very special son."

"Thank you." Burt replied, putting his arm around Kurt like a proud father. Kurt felt himself blush and smiled nervously. Suddenly he felt like he really needed to get out of there.

They said their goodbyes and soon Kurt and Burt were on their way back home. Kurt was feeling conflicted. He didn't know what to make of all these things he'd suddenly realized about Sebastian's situation. It was just baffling.

Of all the people he could have met in that waiting room, Kurt had ended up meeting Sebastian's mom. It was just surreal. He just couldn't believe it, but he didn't mention anything to his dad, he just didn't know what to make of the whole situation.

It was time for lunch when he and his dad finally made it back home. Luckily for them, Carole was already back from work and in the middle of cooking something that smelled absolutely delicious. Kurt was relieved to see that he wouldn't have to cook this time. He didn't mind doing it at all, in fact he loved cooking, but not when he was really hungry and desperate to eat.

After lunch, Carole asked Kurt to go with her to get some groceries, and so he spent the rest of the afternoon out of the house, going to the grocery store and running some other errands Carole needed to take care of.

Once he came back and got to his room, Kurt decided to check his email. His stomach did a little flip once he realized Sebastian had not only finally added him on Facebook but had also sent him a message.

Kurt could feel his heart picking up speed as he logged in and checked the message, which was only 4 words long, but very direct.

From Sebastian Smythe:

We need to talk.

Author's note: Next chapter will be told from Sebastian's POV, so stay tuned!