AN: I'm back and so is my little Hummel-Anderson family. After three years I've decided to pick up this story again, with some new twists and characters. Forgive me, some of the continuation from A Doctors Touch to A California Adventure will be off as I have not reread my old fic.
The timeline is inclusive of the time-hops in Chapter 13, bringing us to the current year in their lives. I have included some background of the last 3 years to bring us up to scratch.
I do not currently have a beta, or know of what schedule my updates will be.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kurt or Blaine, or anything Glee, but I do own this work.
"Come on, out of bed," Blaine's warm voice stirred Kurt away from his dreams, tugging the blankets away from his body.
"Nooo- I don't want to get up-" Kurt whined, pulling the pillow over his head to block the sunlight out. He could hear his husband chuckling as he struggled to once again fall asleep. Too bad he was married to a jerk. A hot one at least.
"Well too bad you have class, Professor Hummel."
Oh, right, he has a class today.
In the last three years a lot of things had changed for the Hummel-Anderson clan. Marriage not only matured the two men; whom once fought over a misunderstanding in regards to a one night stand. Their relationship developed alongside their aging daughter, Belle. Kurt became the second legal guardian of the girl who suffered nightmares throughout her childhood due to the traumatizing death of her birth mother - Blaine's childhood best friend Emma.
Kurt, now 31, had sky rocketed through a successful Broadway career in New York City. It all started with the show _, which happened around the time he met Blaine. It seemed like nothing could go wrong, after one success after another, until Kurt took a fall mid-performance which ended his dancing days and limited his active roles. The sudden drop in work, the feeling of failure, and the depression that stirred within Kurt were one of few reasons the couple fought.
But it wasn't just Kurt who had bad luck. The economy was not Dr Blaine Anderson's friend. With the dollar being weak Blaine, now 34, struggled to keep his fellow employees paid as well as keep the clinic running with the products they needed. Things started to fall apart at the seams. No matter how much they tried to save it Blaine eventually had to sell the clinic. Now with the two unemployed things got rough. Nights were spent split on the couch between the pair, some nights there were no sleep for either of the. Pour Belle still screamed on the occasional night, fearing the demons that haunted her dreams. Unable to live the way they did Blaine found work where he could, even at the local McDonald's for a short time. Kurt went went back to school to try get a degree.
They managed though, and it was never all bad. Blaine and Kurt's relationship started to stitch back together as they worked through the budgets and troubles that came their way. When money came about they put most of it in savings, but occasionally they went out for a family day, or a date ending in heated kisses and tossed aside bedding. Their life seemed to be a pattern of working hard and rolling with the punches - no matter how hard it got leaving each other never came up. Even when they felt like they hated each other, love showed them the right way.
Belle, now 10, made friends easily though she shrugged to keep them. Uncomfortable with sleep overs and an anxiety too big for such a young girl to understand, found her world in books. She could escape the bullies, her parents fighting, and the loneliness for fairy-tales and crime. She excelled in her English and art classes; even doing so well in her other classes her school suggested skipping a grade. Still, there would always be a darkness in her life, left behind by the shadow of her mother she no longer remembered.
Then, finally, opportunity came knocking for the family. Blaine was in contact with his old college friends David Thompson and Wesley Hughes, who each became doctors like Blaine. The duo were coming together with a senior partner for a clinic in California. There was a spot waiting for Blaine, all he had to say was yes.
It took two weeks to convince Kurt a move was the best thing for them. It only took one day to convince Emma. 'An adventure' they would call it as they packed their house away. Blaine was to get a company car - and credit card - he wouldn't be in charge of the clinic but get all the benefits of being a partner. Belle was enrolled into a highly rated school with a diverse arts program, something she would be able to immerse herself in rather than beg the teachers to do. Kurt however, didn't know what to do. That was until he found a job advert online.
Kurt sat up suddenly, his stomach suddenly twisting as he looked at his husband. "I have class..." he breathed out slowly. "Why did I think teaching teenagers would be a good idea? I mean- what-"
"Babe, Kurt- stop and breath," Blaine sat on the edge of the bed. He was already dressed for work, in a buttoned up shirt and formal pants. Blaine started work earlier than Kurt on Mondays which meant Kurt also had to get Belle to her first day of school.
"I just- what if they hate me? I have never taught a class before."
"You've gone over your study plan with the school, and come on- you're a drama teacher! They're the best kind of teachers, no one will hate you. Just play some drama games today, get to know your students and see what your students want from your classes. You'll have fun."
Everything Blaine was saying made sense, sure, but the worry in Kurt stayed. He couldn't help but be nervous, his own high school experience had been quite intense. "Come here, you're tie is a mess," he sighed heavily. Kurt reached forward to fix the knot on the others tie, tisking as he did. It was something he found himself doing more often than not.
"Shh, you know you love fixing my time."
"No I just love the one wearing it-" Kurt was interrupted by Blaine's cooing, which he quickly shut up with a kiss.
Once Kurt started to move about Blaine had to head off. He left with an 'i love you' to both Kurt and Belle, something he did every time he left them so if anything happened they always knew. Kurt thought it was for Belle's sake, but those words meant more to Kurt than he could explain. Knowing Blaine took the effort no matter where he went to say meant more than just a throw away 'goodbye'.
"Princess, you up?" Kurt knocked on the door of his daughter, opening it to check on her. He found her already dresses, curled up reading a book. How did she do that? Kurt still needed a good half an hour to work out the perfect outfit. Maybe it was because she was only 10.
Belle surely had grown up. Belle was a blessing in Kurt's life. Since the first time he babysat her to all the days after. Sure, there were little fights they had and times she picked Blaine over Kurt that stung just a little but that was natural. They were fighting their place together as a family. It'd taken a while for roles to form and lines to be drawn but they'd gotten there soon enough. Kurt liked to think he had a certain bond with the girl he often called 'Princess'. There were some things she liked to talk to Kurt about instead of Blaine. It was those moments he always treasured.
"What's for breakfast?" the girl asked, looking up from her thick novel.
Belle wasn't a little squidgy thing Kurt had once carried around. Now, she was all lips and blue eyes. Her hair was half way down her back. She ditched the fake Princess dresses for stylish cardigans and cute shorts. Always beautiful in Kurt's eyes, even that time she was in the hospital for her tonsils out and drawl was going everywhere.
"How's oatmeal pancakes sound? I'll throw in some pancakes too. Just give me like.. half an hour to get dressed. You can watch TV if you like." Kurt didn't need to say it, he already knew her response. Yes to oatmeal pancakes, with a side of blueberries, and no to TV because her book was more interesting. Honestly, she was a little odd for her age but he wouldn't have her any other way. "Oh and make sure you packed that form you dad signed, you'll need to give it to the office today."
One hot shower, four wardrobe changes, a round of oatmeal pancakes and gossip with a ten year old, later they were on the road.
"Are you excited?"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Kurt looked to his passenger side of his car as he came to a stop light.
"I'm ten. I'm the new kid. Am I suppose to be excited?"
"I'm 31 and going back to high school. I think I drew the short straw this time."
"But it's your choice-"
"Enough about me. Come on, talk to me," Kurt focused back on the road. "What do you want to happen today?"
Belle went quiet for a while, she seemed to be thinking her answer over. Kurt didn't push though. Sometimes Belle just needed to get insider her own head and sort the puzzle out before she could tell the world. Kurt could understand that, his anxiety got to him at times too.
"I just don't want to be... the weird kid who sits alone." Her voice was so little it made Kurt's heartache. The temptation to pull over and drag Belle into his arms like she was three again was overwhelming. "I also hope they have the book I want in the library!" That's the Belle he knew.
Kurt put his blinker on as he joined the line of soccer mums and impatient dads dropping their kids off. Unlike them Kurt had to find a parking spot so he could take Belle to the office and get her settled in, before he would do the same at the high school nearby.
"I'll make you a deal."
The ten year old surely perked up at that. Kurt didn't make them often, but deals were usually beneficiary to the young child.
"Make it through today and we'll stop off at the bookstore on our way home, and if I make it through the day I get cake. How's that sound?"
"But what if i-"
"If you want to call me you can okay? If I don't have classes I'll come pick you up, if it's bad, and we'll try for the bookstore another day. I'm not going to force you here if you're unhappy, but you're going to try right? I promise you, it's scary now but this school is better. There will be kids like you in there."
"Are you sure?"
"As sure as I am about that lady and how she should not be wearing an orange one piece - ever."
That caused the girl to laugh. "Okay. Deal." Their pinkies wrapped together as Kurt finally parked the car, sealing the deal.
Getting Belle to class was easy compared to getting himself to class. His nerves were going crazy. He was in control of 20 teenagers who were all energetic, knew each other, and smelt fresh meat as soon as they saw Kurt. Take control, he told himself as he pulled out the attendance sheet. The school was, like Belle's, specialized in arts. Kurt having a successful career in Broadway with grades above average somehow got him the job of drama teacher. He was sure the other applicants were just super bad and he got the job by luck.
"Okay class, I'm Mr Hummel-Anderson but you can just call me Kurt. I'm going to be your drama teacher this year. I just moved here from New York with my family. I've been in a lot of stage shows over the years but this is the first time I will e staring as a teacher. I'm sure we're going to have a lot of fun in here- so lets start off with an introduction game. Can everyone get in a circle?" And so it began.
"Come on, off to bed." The moment of deja vu stroked Kurt's interest enough to open one eye and stare his husband.
"I was napping," he grumbled as he wiped away drawl from his cheek. The TV hummed quietly in the background as he sat up from the couch. Today had been long, tiring and full of excitement; for every one of the Hummel-Anderson's.
Blaine had worked with new patients, impressed by the clinic's higher end merchandise and the paycheck that would come from the hours he put in even if they were long.
Belle made three new friends, each one a little unusual about herself. It was her first day though, the promise of more friends lingered ahead of her. Finally she was excited for school again, the bullies in New York forgotten for now. Kurt didn't receive a single phone call from a worried ten year old, and had rewarded her with the book like he promised.
Kurt made it through his classes, and found the other teachers in the drama department quite entertaining. They were big on gossip, which made Kurt feel like he was back in New York with Angel. He'd even sent her a text saying they should Skype at some point this week. There were some kids he could tell were serious about acting or the behind the scenes, some even spoke up about directing. Others used drama as an 'easy subject'. They'd learn soon enough that drama may look easy but you didn't just remember lines after reading them once.
"Belle is asleep, I'm ready to crash- harry up and join me before I find some other guy to strip down and kiss all over."
"Ohhhh-" Kurt sat up, grinning. "Promise me you'll do that and I might even run there," he purred.
"Promise."
Kurt stood up and slowly jogged to the bedroom, swagging his hips as he did. Kurt couldn't actually run with the injuries to his knee but that didn't matter right now. Not with Blaine playfully slapping at his ass whenever he could.
Life in California wasn't so bad.
Right?
AN: So, there you have it. There is a lot to come that I have planned for these two. The first chapter does not give away the main storyline just yet! We will be having some interesting interactions/emotions coming from Belle, who looks like a 10 year old Thylane Blondeau. I will be posting story related things on my Tumblr (capturing-me) including photos and headcanons of the family.
Feedback, thoughts, reviews?
- Jen
PS: Good to be back.
