Growing up with Burt as a father was definitely the best thing that ever happened to Kurt Hummel. The man saved him after all so when Kurt was finally his legally through the system; Kurt tried not to take that for granted. Kurt was 14 now and starting his freshman year at school. His best friends Blaine, Finn and Lucy would be there with him, he was excited. Going to elementary school with them, had shown Kurt that he could face the world.

"It'll be fun!" Lucy had declared as they sat on Kurt's bed reading their newest obsession – Vogue a month before school started. They were an inseparable group and had been ever since Kurt got back from hospital. Now older there were some rules about keeping the door open and how long they could stay up, but Kurt was allowed to have Blaine and Lucy sleep over often because well, they've been friends for a long time. It was pretty hard to get them out of the house anyway so Burt just stopped trying when Carole suggested they let them sleep over instead. Lucy and Blaine's parents agreed because they were tired of trying to pry their kids away from the two brothers.

Blaine was sitting crossed leg next to Kurt and Lucy was next to Finn opposite them looking at a school brochure of McKinley while brushing her hair and showing Finn the cheerleading page and declaring that was what she wanted to do. It was their last sleepover before school started. There was a box of pizza on the bedside table and so long as they cleaned up their crumbs and pizza box afterwards they were allowed to eat it in Kurt's room. Finn had his own room now, but because Lucy also liked hanging out with Blaine and Kurt, he joined them in his brother's room even though he thought his was so much cooler.

"I want to join a Football team," Finn announced and Lucy nodded her approval before looking to Blaine and Kurt "What about you guys?"

"I don't know," Kurt scrunched his nose up, he thought you just went to school and did homework, he didn't realise joining a team was such a big deal. After living with Burt for so long he was getting better around strangers, but sometimes he still jumped and he still felt that wave of fear if something felt uncomfortable, that wave of fear was happening now. Blaine nudged his shoulder and smiled at him sensing his anxiety (Blaine knew him better than all of them, even Burt sometimes) "What about singing? Don't they have glee club?" His eyes sparkled at the idea and Kurt smiled at his best friend thinking yeah – he could see himself in a club that involved singing if it was like the drama class they had in elementary.

"Maybe, not all schools do and usually they're not popular," Finn explained shrugging as he flipped the cheerleading page to the football page. Finn had been researching this because he wanted to be cool in school. He hated being slow at everything in elementary school, he wanted to be on top and be protective of Kurt and he hoped Lucy would always be his friend because he really really liked her, and thought she was like super pretty and nice.

"Don't worry we'll work something out for you," Lucy sympathised with Kurt and then Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand on the bed because he always did that when Kurt needed some support.

It hadn't been easy when his mom left him for dead. He had nightmares for weeks and weeks about the dead baby and his mom wrapping his arms in tight material and telling him not to move and abandoning him to fend for himself. When Burt found him he had to be fed from a machine until his stomach was healthier and could eat better food. Then he was given so much ice cream and pancakes on the weekends to try and gain weight again because he still looked so skinny like a skeleton but he didn't eat a lot. He still didn't eat a lot.

Even after ordering pizza for their sleepover he only ate 2 slices. Blaine tried to get him to eat an extra half of slice by insisting he couldn't eat anymore. Blaine was worried about his friend constantly. "Please take it, I'll feel bad if we have to chuck it out," Finn was about to say something which Kurt imagined it as 'I'll eat it for you' knowing his brother but then Blaine sent him a death glare and he shut his mouth as quickly as he opened it. He almost chuckled aloud at the exchange but then Blaine would know Kurt knew what he was doing, and well Kurt liked the attention if he was perfectly honest. Even though his family gave him plenty; to know that others still cared about him was amazing. He felt really grateful for them all and sometimes he just couldn't believe how blessed he was and he still hugged his bunny at night smiling massively at the thought of it.

Blaine placed the piece on Kurt's paper plate and gave him his puppy dog eyes which he knew always won Kurt over. Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes "I swear Blainers, you need to stop trying to fatten me up or I won't get on any team,"

"Nah you're really good Kurt, and super pretty you'll get something easily" Lucy objected and Blaine nodded at once in agreement. Finn just grunted which he got from Burt when he wasn't in disapproval but also wasn't comfortable around the topic.

Christmas had been the time when he started to get better. They became a proper family then too, the social worker came back right after Christmas day and announced happily that Kurt could be Burt's son officially and that she was sorry for what had happened, but she asked all the relatives and nobody really wanted to claim Kurt. The ones that thought about it didn't want to take Kurt from a place he already felt happy in. So Kurt was Burt's son. After that news, Burt married Carole. He then adopted Finn and Kurt and they were now brothers, Finn got what he wished for. It was his best Christmas ever. It was Kurt's best Christmas and only real Christmas with a real family too. Burt swore to protect and love him till Kurt or he was no longer breathing, no matter what.

He remembered waking up with Finn on that first Christmas morning with Burt and Finn telling him to hurry up so they could go open their presents and then his dad telling Finn that if the social worker let him keep Kurt, there might be hope for them being a family and his letter coming true. Finn had squealed so loudly that Carole had to step up and not let his hopes get too high "Sweetie we need to find out what happened to Kurt's mom first,"

Kurt's eyes widened with fear and he ran from the room. "Kurt?" Burt called with concern and could hear Kurt's door slam. Carole went to follow him but Burt shook his head "I'll go, he thinks were gonna send him back to her if she's still even around,"

Carole nodded in understanding and even Finn picked up on it "But she hurt him, he can't go back!"

"He won't sweetie, he's not going back there,"

"Then why do you need to know where his mommy is?" Finn sounded confused as Carole cleaned up the presents wrapping paper. Finn watched her with his arms over his chest like she was being the bad one and Carole sighed.

"You know Mister Burt isn't really Kurt's daddy right?" Finn frowned "But Kurt calls him daddy all the time now and Mister Burt doesn't tell him to stop,"

"That's right, Mister Burt wants Kurt to be his baby, but he can't do that until he knows about Kurt's family, do you understand what I'm trying to say sugar pie?"

"If his family doesn't want him, can he be our family?" Finn was trying to understand but Kurt was happy there, why couldn't he just stay forever?

"Yes Finn, but we need to find that out first okay?"

"Oh, so like if Kurt's mommy had a sister or something you mean?"

Carole nodded grimly "That's right Finn, you've gotten so smart sweetie," she ruffled his hair and he moaned "Mom!"

"How about you help me bring out the dinner plates for lunch?"

"Okay," Finn said happy to help. He wanted to say something to Kurt, but he wasn't sure what.

He might think of something while helping his mom. Burt had been on the staircase listening and smiled at the conversation before finishing his way up to Kurt's room. Carole was so much better at these conversations. He definitely was going to propose to her. Kurt was nowhere to be found.

"Kurt?" He heard a sniffle and smiled sadly. "I know you're in here. So I'm just going to talk, and you can come out when I'm done if you want. You're not going back to your mother Kurt. I promised you wouldn't ever have to go through that again, and I meant it. You're my son Kurt, I love you and I'm not giving you up that easy you hear?" Kurt poked his head out from under the bed and Burt looked at him sternly. "I know that sounded bad to you kiddo but we need to find out who your family is so nobody can take you away from us," Kurt carefully crawled out from his hiding and went up to Burt and lifted his arms. Burt immediately picked Kurt up and sat him on his lap hugging him tightly and kissing his tears away.

"I'll always be your daddy you hear?" He pressed his lips to Kurt's forehead as Kurt gripped his t-shirt tightly sobbing quietly. Kurt nodded hiccupping. "I will fight to make sure I'm always you're daddy," Kurt nodded again and put his head on Burt's chest. Burt rubbed his back up and down "I'm so sorry baby. I'm sorry you've been hurt so bad, but you're my son and I love you. Since you've come into my life Kurt, you've made me happier than I've ever been baby boy. Finn asked for us to be a family for Christmas, and I really want to make that happen, and I will try my best to make that happen, that's why I said what I said down there okay? We need to make sure no one will try take you away from us again,"

"I love you daddy," Kurt said openly crying now and Burt gently wiped the tears away. Kissed his forehead again and waited till he was calm. "I love you too son. Now Carole made a nice lunch, how about we go have some and I can help you play with your bike later?" Kurt nodded eagerly and got up from his lap "You can wash your face and come down okay?" Burt knew Kurt well enough to know he liked to clean his face after he cried. Other than that incident Kurt was finally so happy, and he couldn't imagine his life any different from what it was like now. He even forgot about his time with his mom when he was with his family.

The last sleepover before school was coming to an end; the 4 kids cuddled up on Kurt's bed deciding to watch a movie with Kurt next to Blaine still. The covers pulled up over them and the remote between them because sometimes they liked to turn it up or pause it when one of them needed to go to the bathroom. They had already cleaned up their rubbish and brushed their teeth and had a shower each so they could enjoy the movie. Blaine leaned over and kissed Kurt's cheek when Finn got off the bed to turn off the light and Kurt blushed in the darkness. His hand searched for Blaine's soft ones and Blaine's hand found his immediately under the covers. Kurt squeezed it and Blaine squeezed back soothing circles on his knuckles. Kurt couldn't be happier.

Except little did he know that was all about to change quicker than he expected.