Thanks a ton for your comments, follows, favorites, etc. I'm glad to see there are still some Klaine fans out there reading about our boys and I'm thrilled you'll let me try to entertain you for a little while.

Can I ask a huge favor from you? I know we all have our busy lives and everything. I'm just asking for a moment of your time for purely selfish reasons. I have two friends who are going through really rough times right now. One is dealing with anxiety and depression and everything that comes with it and another is battling cancer and will start chemo tomorrow. I'm asking for your well-wishes, your good karma, your prayers...anything you can throw their way. I hope that's not too much to ask. I love 'em both and I need for them to know I'm thinking of 'em and sending hugs and all the positivity I have in me. Please and thank you in advance.

Now go read. :)

Chapter 2

"There's my son!" Burt boomed as he enveloped Kurt in a huge hug in the middle of the airport. "Man, have I missed you, kid!" he grinned.

"I've missed you, too, Dad. It's good to be home. Where's Carole? I thought she was coming with you."

"She'd planned to, but her Aunt Penny, you know the one who lives in the assisted living home? She fell last night and broke her hip, I guess, and she had surgery this morning to fix it. Penny doesn't really have anyone else, so Carol went to sit with her. She'll be along later, though."

"Aww, that's too bad, I like Aunt Penny. She's a hoot. She's the first person in Carole's family that I ever met and she took to me like a fish to water. It was a refreshing change after…well, at the time, after everyone else around me looked at me like I was diseased. Crazy ol' woman," he grinned. "I hope she's ok. Maybe I'll go visit her while I'm in town?"

"I think she'd love that. She calls to ask about you now and then," Burt grinned, grabbing Kurt's luggage from the carousel as it spun by.

"So what's his name decided not to come with you this time, eh?" Burt asked with a smirk, not meeting Kurt's eye. Kurt almost dropped his bag but grabbed it tightly just in time.

"No, Dad, Lars decided to head home to Germany for the holidays this year, and that's just fine. I needed some time away, you know? Everybody needs a little time away—"

"You start singin' something from my generation and I'm gonna sing along with you, Kiddo. You know I love me some Chicago," Burt grinned, bumping shoulders as he and Kurt exited the terminal. "After all that we've been through…I will make it up to you…." Burt sang quietly, serenading Kurt. This was the playful side of Burt Hummel that Kurt hoped would resurface eventually, and he was secretly thrilled to see it.

Kurt rolled his eyes and actually laughed for the first time in what felt like forever. It felt…good.

"Where'd you park, ol' man?" he teased, eyeing the brightly decorated entrance/exit of the airport with its garlands and bows in red, gold and green.

"Oh, I didn't. I was chauffeured here in style, actually," Burt grinned, nodding toward a rather large truck approaching at the curb. The windows were darkened and for a moment Kurt wasn't sure if it was their ride or someone about to run him down.

"What the he—"

"Good to see you, little bro!" Finn said as he nearly tumbled out of the hulking vehicle. He grabbed Kurt up in a hug that almost had his feet leaving the ground and Kurt found that he didn't even care. At some point in their lives he would have snarked at the fact that Finn seemed to manhandle him like a ragdoll, but it was so good to just be with them…to be home…that he didn't even give a token protest before wrapping his arms around Finn and squeezing back.

"Still two months older than you, Finn," Kurt teased, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Still a foot taller than you, Kurt," Finn teased right back.

"You're still a foot taller than everyone on earth, Finn. What issss this thing!?" Kurt asked, eyes wide.

"I've been saving for it for a while. I thought it was time to buy myself something nice, something I actually fit into," Finn answered, proud of his rather large 4x4 truck. "Crew cab, 4 wheel drive, and I got the tinted windows just for you," he said, winking at Kurt as he did so. "Can't be too careful when I'm chauffeuring around a celebrity, now can I?"

"Oh my God, Finn, I'm not a dang celebrity," Kurt laughed.

"Close enough…and you have to admit it looks pretty cool," he grinned like the overgrown kid he still was.

"Very cool. Now take me home in this…monstrosity," Kurt teased back.

"Thelma's for lunch?" Finn asked with a knowing smirk.

"OH MY GOD, YESSS!" Kurt all but shouted. "Onion rings…I really want onion rings!"

"Nobody tells Carol, now, you hear me?" Burt warned, rolling his eyes.

"Not gonna be anything to tell, Burt. You're having a salad and tea," Finn replied, hauling Kurt's suitcase into the back seat of the huge vehicle.

"I think I'm allowed to splurge a little now and again, don't you?" Burt argued.

"You are, by all means, and that second piece of pecan pie you had after dinner last night was it for a few days," Finn winked. "Yes, I noticed."

"Spoilsport…" Burt huffed but climbed up into the truck rolling his eyes.

"So tell me what's been going on, bro, and where's uh…where's Lars?" Finn asked, shooting a questioning look at Burt while Kurt stared out the window as they pulled on to the highway.

"He decided to go home this year," Kurt said quickly. Too quickly. Burt and Finn shared another look but didn't push it. "Did Rachel make it in okay ?" Kurt asked, changing the subject.

"She did. She's home with her dads, snug as a bug in a rug, I'm sure," Finn grinned as he drove.

"And you'd know that because?"

"I dropped her off there after I picked her up from the airport yesterday," Finn replied, and his grin was peeking out.

"Oh God, we're not gonna do this again, are we, Finn? I mean, every time you guys—"

"Nothing's going on, Kurt. We're past it, over it and just…friends. That's all, just friends now, ok? You should try it sometime…you know, just being friends with people you used to know in high school. It's still entertaining to see what people are up to, right? Like…being famous and—"

"Enough. No, Finn. We've been through this, talked it to death, discussed it until rigor mortis set in and then some…you, Rachel, Mercedes…DAD. I know you all think you're being cute or whatever it is you're doing, but that's history and I don't…I don't need that in my life right now. In fact, I've gone to great measures to make sure that part of my life doesn't seep out into the present," Kurt continued, obviously flustered. "It'd do more harm than good with him being who he is and me being…me. We're not the kids we used to be. I'm thrilled for Blaine, but I think we all know - in fact the whole damn world knows - that Blaine is a successful singer, songwriter, performer, PARTNER to…what's his name…that guy…his…um…anyway. There's really no point in badgering me, Finn. You, either, Dad. So can we just…not?" Kurt was definitely flustered. He knew he was, and could feel his cheeks turning pink as the truck barreled on down the highway toward Lima. Finn glanced back to make sure Kurt wasn't looking and then gave Burt a look that clearly said: "Geez, what's up with him?"

Kurt just wanted to be home. Home was Ohio…his family…Carole's cooking on Christmas Day…picking out the tree…exchanging gifts…baking cookies…and always, without a doubt, every single time…comments about Blaine. Because obviously, Kurt didn't have enough of his own thoughts about Blaine.

Chapters get longer as the story goes on, I promise. :) Thanks for reading!