It hadn't been a smooth six weeks, Kurt thought, running his hand nervously down the length of his blazer. There had been considerable ups and downs. Blaine had spent a good few days in a sort of daze, going through moments of anger and self-pity that worried Kurt. He rallied through though, surrounded by the love of his friends, family and of course his boyfriend. It didn't hurt that Kurt's very own psychologist takes Blaine as a patient. He's a bit more good-natured about it (much to Kurt's chagrin), but, he occasionally would agree that the sessions at times could be quite draining. It was beneficial, and, now, whenever Kurt searchingly checked the emotions in Blaine's hazel gaze, he was relieved to see that the pain and confusion in their depths were slowly but surely being chipped away. He, of all people, knew that it would not be the end of the matter, and that, in the future, Blaine would perhaps have moments of depression or stagnation, but, he was certain, that in the end, Blaine would be fine.

Things had looked up in some respects as well. The Ladybugs (and boy had Kurt laughed when he learnt that that was the Crawford girls' team name) had integrated smoothly with the removal of Priscilla and her gang. They had done a number on the Ladybugs though, leaving only a team of freshmen and sophomores - the only ones unaware of the levels of Priscilla's crazy and thus had been naively recruited into the team. That first joint meeting had been interesting, the new head, a petite redhead named Katie, immediately demanding to know what the Warblers had done to rid them of the bane that was Priscilla.

It had been an amusing interchange, the girls considerable kinder than their counterparts, and the resulting practises had been quite enjoyable, the only real hick-up being when Phillip tried to ask Katie on a date and a previous quiet and mostly shy freshman named Bianca seemed to grow claws as she snarled that Phillip better stay away from her girlfriend if he knew what was best for him. It had only taken a few seconds for Jeff to make the connection and declare that Kate and Bianca were Crawford's Klaine and should definitely do a duet together as well. Blushing, the girls had agreed to that suggestion.

That led them to today. The End. Judgement Day or whatever else anyone wanted to call it. In about three hours Kurt, Blaine and their friends would take to the stage to end the show. Kurt, was mostly looking forward to it.

"You're quiet," Blaine murmured, raising his head from where it had been languishing against Kurt's shoulder.

"Just thinking about it all," Kurt responded, knocking their heads lightly together. "It's been quite the ride, huh?"

"It sure has been," he agreed.

They were in the practise room, alone. They had had one last group practise half an hour before, but, rather than go explore the different booths that had been set up around the grounds, the pair had decided to relax together and enjoy their privacy. They'd return to the world when their families arrived.

"You're okay though?" Blaine asked, moving so he could run his hand up and down Kurt's arm, pausing to fiddle with the edge of the sling he had finally presented Kurt with the week before. It had been a surprise; one he had spent considerable time working on to transform it into a classy, bejewelled, embroided delight that Kurt would appreciate. And he had; Kurt hadn't gone a day without it since Blaine had first slipped his arm into it.

His arm.

Blaine pressed his hand firmer against the trembling limb, fascinated by the way it had nearly reached the jerking stage of the process. The sling had been gifted barely in time given how Kurt's arm now tended to just spasm and jerk out unexpectedly. Blaine still snickered, recalling the way Kurt had inadvertently spilled the contents of a container out because of his renegade arm one afternoon. All good signs. Blaine thought fondly. He wasn't happy about the pain Kurt felt, which could be crippling some days, but the fact that his nerves were improving? That if he ran a finger firmly down the appendage, Kurt could actually feel it now? That he could wiggle all his fingers now? Those were things that Blaine loved learning and seeing.

Kurt would be fine with time, he knew. And so would he.

"Do you think they planned this?" Kurt asked with a laugh, leaning into Blaine's side as they headed down to the grounds. Their phones had rung in near tandem, alerting them that their respective families had arrived.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Blaine answered, gently steering them aware from a group of teenagers who were not paying attention where they were walking.

"Momma's always on the phone with Carole lately."

It was true. In the aftermath, Blaine's mother, despite his protests, had re-worked her schedule so that she was home. She had shrugged it off, claiming that it was the benefit of being her own boss and that had been the end of it. She was home so much that Blaine eventually switched his status to day-student because, as it turned out, quite enjoyable to have his mom around so much. As a result she had gotten to know both Kurt and his family a lot better, and had formed a friendship with Carole.

As they half expected, Pamela Anderson was indeed with Kurt's family - his parents and Finn - but Kurt cocked his head curiously at a strange, tall, rather handsome man. Before he could even ask Blaine about it, his boyfriend let out a surprised, but joyous whoop before releasing his hold on him abruptly. Kurt did not mind too much, following at a more sedate pace as Blaine tore across the remaining distance, jumping into the man's arms before he had even much time to realise that he was about to be assaulted. The man recovered quickly, and Kurt grinned despite himself as the man easily picked up and spun Blaine around a few times, a grin on his face as well. As he neared Kurt got an inkling for who he was. He had only Blaine's description of his brother to go by, and a rather dated picture Blaine had had in his dorm taken when he had been around ten. But, as he reached them, and allowed his dad to wrap a hand around his waist, he acknowledged that the young adult who had had Blaine on his shoulders had grown up to be quite the refined, gentleman.

"Hi Kurt," Blaine's mom greeted, pecking his cheek briefly before rolling her eyes at her sons' antics. "You're okay sweetie?"

"I'm fine," he returned. "That's Cooper?"

"Yes. Since Devon's trip got extended by a next week, Cooper decided that he would come instead."

"So this is Kurt huh? He's a cutey, Blainers."

Kurt turned, only now seeing that the Anderson brothers had reached his side.

"Don't call me that," Blaine grumbled good-naturedly, but Cooper wasn't at all perturbed by that, extending his hand out for Kurt to shake.

"Nice to meet you Kurt With The Dreamy Eyes and The Cutest Face I've Ever Seen and I'm Going to Marry Him One Day I Swear Hummel."

"Cooper!" Blaine protested, blushing and aiming a kick at him.

"Boys," Pamela said herding them to her side. "You promised not to embarrass Blaine, Cooper," she chided, pulling him away. "Now come along. Let's go make sure Samantha sets up the cameras probably. I told Devon I'd tape the entire thing."

"Momma," Blaine half whined, drawing laughs from Kurt and his family, as he trotted after them, giving Kurt a wave of goodbye.

"Dude, she isn't joking," Finn told him, looping his arm around his shoulders. "She really brought her company's PR people to record everything."

Well, Kurt decided, that explained where Blaine got his enthusiasm and occasionally outlandish ideas. Only an Anderson would bring their own media crew to ensure that Blaine's dad didn't miss a thing. Really, wouldn't a few pictures have been sufficient?

He put it out of his mind for now, and instead settled for exploring the festival with his family, knowing that he would be reunited with Blaine by show time.

It was chaos backstage, and Kurt was more than happy to just pull a corner and observe the madness. He was ridiculously glad now that he did not have that much to do. Being the last to perform had its benefits, but the pressure of having to bring the show to a magnificent end had started to set in. The youngest Warblers were nervous for their first ever performance on this scale. The seniors - Blaine included - anxiously wanted to ensure that this performance - their last - would be their greatest ever. And of course, there was him, who was starting to feel nerves as he realised that this indeed was happening. It probably didn't help as well that he had peered out at the crowd and realised that it appeared that everyone in all of Westerville seemed to be here. He had swallowed nervously, and then secreted himself in the corner here.

He managed to smile as a few of the Crawford girls passed him and waved. They were up first, assisted by a few of the Warbler boys as dancers, allowing them to do a routine that was both upbeat and romantic. Kurt snickered as he remembered the looks of chagrin on the Warblers' face. The Crawford girls - probably appropriate for their age bracket - were obsessed with all things Disney and pop. Most of their song selections were covers of the latest musicals and the boys unfortunately had to play a part to fulfil their vision. It was amusing for Kurt to watch seeing that he was thankfully not a part of it.

"Doing okay, Kurt?"

Kurt turned, a bit startled as he had not seen Wes approach. Kurt saw that he bore a slightly concerned expression. Kurt realised that him secreting himself like this perhaps was not the most promising image. He offered him a minutely nervous smile. "I'm okay," he reassured. "Everything's ready?"

"Yeah. The girls are going on in seven minutes. They'll be on for exactly eleven minutes. Blaine's opening is going to come soon after that and then you'll join him."

It never failed to amuse Kurt that, in times of agitation, Wes began very specific with everything.

"Everything will go fine, Wes," he reassured, bumping his chest.

Despite himself, Wes smiled. "Yeah, it will be. You remember the plan though? Nick and Jeff are ready...just in case."

Kurt nodded, relaxing at the reminder. "Thanks Wes. You guys are the best."

"Nah, you're the best," Wes corrected. "If you hadn't agreed to this, who knows what would have happened."

"I'd like to think we'd have found a way."

Kurt smiled as Blaine's voice came from his side, and a strong arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him against him.

"Hello," he whispered, as he felt a kiss pressed to the side of his head.

"Hello to you too," came the hushed response.

"Let the mushiness begin," Wes groaned, but there was nothing but fondness in his eyes. "David's bringing your ear-piece in a few minutes," he continued.

"Okay."

"Now," Wes finished, "I shall warn you if this goes as brilliant as I expect it will, operation 'Get Kurt Into Regionals' shall begin."

Kurt laughed loudly, leaning back into Blaine's embrace. "One thing at a time," he requested.

"The songs we can do," he said, almost wistfully, walking away.

"He's not going to take no for an answer," Blaine warned, turning him in his arms before resting his hands lightly on his hips. "You are okay, right poppet?"

"Yes Sir Worry-wart," he teased.

"Yo, Klaine."

Blaine huffed while Kurt laughed as they turned their heads to where Jeff and Nick were passing by.

"Sup Niff?" he called back, snickering at Nick's surprised face.

"Nice one," Jeff crowed. "We're up next, but from the looks of it, we aren't going to have to run out and save the day, huh?"

"Hopefully not," Kurt retorted, and Nick pulled his best friend away.

Blaine re-focussed on him then, moving up to cradle his face, his thumbs rubbing his cheeks in soothing circles.

"I'm not going to give you any pep talks," he murmured, his voice dropping into that lower register that made Kurt feel tingly inside and loved. "I'm also not going to tell you that you can back out if you want. You know that."

"What are you going to tell me then?" he asked, equally soft, his hand reaching up to rest on Blaine's.

"What I'm going to tell you is that I love you very very much and that I am proud of what you've done so far."

"Thank you," he returned softly, raising his head fractionally in invitation.

Blaine took it, closing the distance between them before kissing him deeply. Kurt mewled into the kiss. He was a bit surprised when Blaine's tongue teased, seeking entrance, and immediately, he let it in, their tongues dueling for long moments before Blaine pulled back, giving him smaller pecks until finally they were separated. He released him and stepped back, swiping his thumb across Kurt's sensitive lips, eliciting a shiver from Kurt, before, with a last smile, he walked away, leaving Kurt standing there, slightly gaze.

The feelings Blaine had evoked in him left him more than relaxed, and in a slight daze. That, he decided, as David approached him with his ear-piece, truly was better than any prep talk he could have been given.

Kurt inhaled deeply, hearing the way his voice shuddered even to his own ears. The world had narrowed down to just him and the stage. He didn't see the concerned looks David and Wes shared behind him, couldn't see Jeff angling himself with a spare micro-phone while on the other side of the stage, Nick stood ready to rush out after Blaine just in case it turned out to be too much for Kurt after all. Kurt saw none of this, nor really registered anything until, despite the distance between them, Blaine's warm, hazel gaze met his, and, all of a sudden, Kurt could breathe again, could recall the warmth and affection Blaine had poured into that kiss.

He could easily read the words from Blaine's eyes. "Just you and me."

Kurt nodded, quick and jerky. What did he need to fear if Blaine would be right beside him the entire time? Nothing else mattered, no one else mattered, and, as the curtain lifted and the murmur of the crowd lulled to silence, Kurt still kept Blaine's gaze, watching as he briefly used his free hand to trace a circle around his heart before pointing it at him. Kurt choked back a laugh before pressing his fingers to his lips before blowing him a kiss. Blaine's cue came and he stepped confidently forward, keeping his eyes locked on Kurt until he turned to the audience to begin.

Kurt looked down briefly, concentrating only on Blaine and his love for him. That was the best way to handle the nerves he was feeling. He wasn't scared. Part of him was excited, waiting to relish his first time back before an audience, but it was tempered by the memories of his past. But, with the added dimension of Blaine's love, the balance was tilted, and he looked up, squaring his shoulders. He could do this. Blain was out there on that stage, waiting for him. His family and friends were out there in the audience as well, reading to cheer him on.

He could do this.

Blaine's introductory refrain lulled into its last lines and gathering every ounce of courage he had within him, Kurt tapped the button to activate his mic, singing in a voice slightly above a whisper, "I really can't stay...".

His voice drifted off after that, and he couldn't help the small giggle that passed his lips as Blaine, still ending the first song, started looking around comically, as if in search of the voice gently intruding. They certainly had not rehearsed that. Kurt added "I've got to go away" with just slightly more volume, as the music started its gradual transition as Blaine, 'finding' him, stood with an expression of awe on his face for the benefit of the audience, but his eyes...his eyes showed the depth of his love and pride in this moment, and so, as the chords of their duet song took precedence, Kurt stepped forward, out of the wings, eyes focussed solely on the male in front of him as he started the verse again.

This time Blaine sang, adding his half of the duet to Kurt's. By the time they reached the end of the first verse, Kurt had reached him, and Blaine had taken his hand into his, lacing and squeezing his fingers to connect them before spinning Kurt around, momentarily giving him a look at the audience before pulling him close, waggling his eyebrows at him playfully as Kurt sung a variety of excuses for why they just simply couldn't be together.

With each line they sung, Kurt found himself growing more and more relaxed, and with it, he released himself, moving further and further away from his boyfriend so that Blaine was not just a crutch for him to get through this, but as much a part of the experience as everything else. And then, before it even really registered to Kurt, their song had come to an end, with them face to face, heads inches apart, their eyes locked. Then, Blaine stepped back, raised Kurt's hand up to his mouth, and for long moments, pressed his lips against it in a sincere caress.

Kurt was actually startled by the burst of screams, shouts and applause that erupted. He flinched, but Blaine immediately grabbed him by the waist and swung him up and around, Kurt laughing out as he struggled to find some sort of balance even as Blaine lowered him enough to kiss him before returning him to the floor, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward to the edge of the stage where Kurt could see that indeed the audience – comprised of students, teachers, family and friends - were on their feet cheering for them, cheering for him.

Tears pricked at Kurt's eyes as he looked about the audience for the first time, to his parents and brother in the fifth row. Burt's cap (his fancy one) was clasped in one hand, and Kurt could see, even from here, the wetness around the man's eyes. Carole was openly crying and cheering while Finn...there was an expression of pure pride on his face that caused a single tear to escape from Kurt. He found Mr. Kentwood next; the man bore a satisfied expression, and when their gazes locked, he nodded once, the gesture stating everything, and Kurt's breath hitched. Everyone here was showing their support for what he had done. Even from the wings, Kurt could hear the hollers from the Warblers, and he knew that he would be enveloped by them shortly.

But first, he reminded himself, brushing aside the tear, they had a performance to finish.

"Thank you," he said, his voice a bit lower for all the emotions he was feeling giving a small bow, before turning to Blaine. "I love you," he told him, reaching over to kiss his cheek and ignoring the "awws" and coos that erupted then. "Now bring the show down, huh?"

Blaine nodded, his eyes sparkling as they parted, Kurt running off through the centre curtains, the cue for the Warblers to launch into the second song from their Sectionals routine. They were as great as he remembered, better even, he thought as he returned to the wings watching them, marvelling at the fact that he was now technically one of them. They danced and flipped, twisted and worked the audience into an even greater frenzy. They transitioned smoothly from that to the final performance.

The Crawford girls had returned to the wings, standing on the other side, waiting to enter and finish their grand number. He gave them a thumb up and they waved in return. They graceful danced out onto the stage, effortlessly integrating into the final routine. They did look good together, Kurt allowed, and there was a certain air of regalness to their performance, interspaced with enough modernity to appeal to all aspects of the crowd. Towards the end of the number, in a representation of the freedom that came with the holiday, the number grew less coordinated, more free form.

It wasn't planned, but Kurt really was not surprised when Andrew spun his way over to the wing and held out a hand to him.

Kurt didn't even hesitate. Pausing only to re-activate his mic, he took his hand, and allowed himself to be pulled back out and be spun around. He was traded from partner to partner, sometimes just flailing, other times grinding between two people, and for some moments, just by himself while singing along. Eventually found himself in Blaine's range, and, the older teenager, to his credit, did not seem the least bit surprised as he saw him. He just reached out, pulled Kurt firmly to him and started to lead them in a quick trot for the remainder of the dance.

As per the girls' request, a series of fireworks erupted when finally, they drew the number to a close, but Kurt did not pay them the slightest of details. He was focussed on the person whose arms he was in, the slightly sweaty body that was pressed to him as Blaine butted their heads together before briefly, chastely, kissing him. They did not have privacy for long as the other dancers, swamped around them in a group hug, somehow ending with Kurt seated on Andrew and Thad's shoulders.

If, someone had asked him months ago if he could ever seen himself on a stage again, far less celebrating the end of a brilliant performance like this, he would have laughed and called them delusional. But now, finally set back onto his feet and once again safely pressed against Blaine's side, he couldn't imagine his night, or his life, going any other way.