Chapter 2: America
A/N: From now on German with be in [brackets] English will be as is.
Please remember that this took place a fair few years ago, before 9/11, so security is still a bit more lax.
Marie tucked Kurt's head under her chin as they got off the plane. The little boy was fast asleep even as sun shone down brightly on airport.
Carefully shifting her sleeping son on her hip, she followed the crowd down through customs and then to baggage claim. She only had to wait a few minutes before spying her large black suitcase containing both hers and Kurt's things. She'd had all other amenities shipped to her new apartment.
Hefting her bag off the slowly turning conveyer belt of luggage, she popped out the handle and tugged it behind her, balancing Kurt with one arm, to head to the air-port parking. Having Kurt out in public was making her jumpy, even if he was covered from head to toe in baggy pants and a deep hooded sweater. She had gotten him through customs and security with a hell of a lot of luck and about a million lies. Saying her son had a skin condition and was allergic to the sun was the best thing she could think of for keeping them from pulling down his hood. She swore she'd never been so lucky in her life.
Several sliding doors and one elevator ride later, she reached her car and unlocked it. Putting a still sleeping Kurt in the backseat, she tossed the suitcase in the trunk before going to buckle Kurt in properly.
He woke up at the snap of the buckle.
"Mama?" he scrubbed at one hand with a small fist, "Vhere are ve?" over the last eight or so months, she'd been teaching him English and he'd managed to catch on with surprising ease.
"We're in America, sweetie. And we're heading home to see Oma."
Kurt perked up and his hood fell back, revealing a healthy boy of the age of nearly five, "Oma?"
She nodded, "Yep, Oma Irene, remember?" he nodded excitedly. For someone so young, he'd been incredible travelling. He'd sat calmly as the plane took off, then curled up on her lap and listened to her read quietly to him before falling asleep.
"Ve're going home now?"
She laughed lightly and nodded, "Yep. Just a couple hours of driving ahead of us."
Kurt nodded and watched intently as she closed the door and climbed in the driver's seat. The car rumbled to life and he sat back in his seat and turned his head to the window. He was content –and excited- to watch America pass him by on the drive home. Marie fully expected a flurry of questions to start as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot.
And she was right.
oOo
Marie pulled into the small house that she'd grown up in. Knowing Irene, the blind woman was waiting for them.
The engine came to a stop and Kurt clumsily unbuckled himself to stand on the seat and look out the window, bouncing up and down with excitement.
Marie glanced over her shoulder and smiled. She was extremely nervous, but watching Kurt she wondered how someone couldn't love the little boy.
"C'mon baby, let's get inside."
Kurt nodded and pulled his hood up before opening the door and jumping out. He landed on his feet with ease and closed the door to run around the back of the car to her.
"Come on Mama!" he tugged on her hand and Marie laughed.
She let her son drag her to the front door before he stopped and looked up at her expectantly. Taking a steadying breath, she rung the doorbell and waited. The door was opened by a slim, short haired brunette woman with dark sunglasses on.
"Anna?"
"Hey Irene." Marie then found herself enveloped in a warm hug from her foster mother.
"I missed you child."
"Missed ya too." She whispered, she hadn't realized just how much she'd missed her own mom until now.
They pulled apart and Irene gestured them inside and to the living room.
"Now...who is this little one with you?" she sat in a comfy looking armchair, her walking stick being put to the side.
Kurt jumped in surprise; he hadn't thought she'd been able to see him.
Marie licked her lips, "This is Kurt...my son." She waited for the flurry of yelling.
Irene smiled, "Well then come here Kurt, I want to see my grandson."
Kurt grinned and bounded over to the woman on all fours. He stood once he reached her and placed his hands on her knee. Irene laughed and pushed back his hood to playfully mess up his hair.
"Well, he is an exuberant one isn't he?"
Marie smiled and laughed as she sat on the couch, "That's one way ta put it."
Irene chuckled and lifted Kurt onto her lap; the little boy immediately decided he liked this woman. He tucked his head under her chin and nuzzled his furry face against the skin of her neck, eliciting a laugh from his new grandmother.
"Well, when my daughter went off to Germany I didn't expect her to come back with a grandson for me to spoil." As she spoke, Irene could sense that the little boy was smiling happily.
~Well, I guess my vision was right. Give her a child and her powers are under control. I wonder why... ~
oOo
The sun was setting as they entered their dark apartment. Kurt was -unsurprisingly- still awake having slept for the majority of the day, but Marie was exhausted.
The young mother yawned and locked the door before pulling off her shoes and tossing them to the side.
"C'mon munchkin, tahme for bed." Kurt followed her obediently to the bathroom where she quickly washed him up before taking him to his new room and put him to bed.
"See ya in the mornin' hun." She kissed him on the forehead and pulled the covers up.
The little boy nodded and curled up under the blankets of his new bed. The room was bare aside from the bed, dresser, closet and the curtains covering the window. This was the same for pretty much every other room in the apartment as well; they'd have to go shopping in the next few days. Or she would, Kurt would stay with Irene.
"Nacht Mama."
oOo
(1 Year Later)
Six year old Kurt Nathanial Di'Ancanto was not happy. It was snowing, he was stuck inside and his Mama was still gone. It wasn't that he didn't love Oma Irene, he did, he was just missing his mom.
"Come on sweetie, she'll be back soon enough." Kurt only sighed and went to sit at the kitchen table, dinner was simmering in a pot on the stove and scent of chicken, potatoes and carrots filled the small room.
Irene could tell her grandson was upset. Normally he would be in the backyard doing routines of flips and jumps that had her daughter terrified, and yet not once had he hurt himself. But with the snow coming down continuously outside he was stuck indoors.
A sudden blast of inspiration hit her and she went upstairs and started digging through her daughter's old things. Finally, she laid her hands on a box of crayons and a package of paper.
"Kurti, come here." She heard his soft footsteps come into the living room.
"Vhat is it Oma?"
"Here, why don't you draw something for your Mama for when she comes home?" she could tell Kurt started smiling as he took the things from her.
"Okay!" he said happily before setting up everything on the floor.
Kurt spread out the papers and lay on his stomach as he started drawing.
When Marie entered her mother's house several hours later, it was oddly calm. The news was playing, supper was cooking but her baby wasn't racing to the door.
"Hello? Anybody home?"
"Mama!" she smiled as Kurt came reeling around the corner to hug her legs. She laughed and went down to hug him back.
"Were you good for Oma?" she asked.
"He was wonderful. In fact I do believe he has something to show you. Don't you Kurti?"
The little boy nodded excitedly, "Yeah, yeah! I drew you pictures Mama! Come see!" he tugged her into the living room.
Marie smiled as she sat on the couch and Kurt jumped onto her lap with a small stack of papers. He then went through page by page, showing her his pictures of her, Oma, the living room and other things.
"These are wonderful baby." She kissed the top of his head and he smiled happily.
"Good, now you two want dinner?" Irene asked, already knowing Kurt's answer.
"Yay!" he jumped from his mother's lap and ran to the kitchen.
Marie giggled and put the pictures to the side, "Thanks for watching him Ma, I know he can be a handful sometimes."
Irene brushed it off, "No worries honey. I love the little ball of fur."
"Mama, Oma, come on it's time to eat!"
The two women laughed and followed the little boy's voice, knowing if he didn't get food they wouldn't hear the end of it.
oOo
A/N: Okay, I'm insane, sleep deprived, and have been sufficiently goaded into updating WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY earlier than normal. (within 48 hours of the last update...wow, I'm crazier than I thought)
Thank TopHat () because I laughed so hard in reading that review (remember, I'm sleep deprived, don't judge me) that I had to update. You're welcome.