And we're back! Yayyy...cheers. Anywho, Kurt strikes me as the kind of person that gets an idea in his head and then just has to do it. Maybe I'm projecting that trait on him, but hey it's happening. Nothing can be done about it now. My LGBTQQA/Women's seder was super fun. I had to go to about four grocery stores before I could find a coconut in Ohio, though (on the seder plate the coconut was supposed to represent people who are still in the closet). It was an adventure to say the least. I felt like Kurt attempting to find Saffron. Also, I posted a small preview of this chapter on tumblr (practical-amanda). Should I keep doing that? I don't know if any of you people even use tumblr...

Well anyway, I hope that anyone who celebrates Easter has a wonderful holiday tomorrow (today?)!

Saturday morning, when Kurt made his way up to Blaine's studio, the other man was already hard at work, bent over his sketch book. He looked up when he heard Kurt's bag drop to the floor and gave him a wide smile, "Hey! I didn't hear you come in. Have a seat," Blaine said gesturing to the stool next to him. "I hope you don't mind, but I already put together a few sketches based on what you told me last night, but of course feel free to veto any or all of my ideas."

Kurt looked down at the sketches in Blaine's notebook. Last night they had talked a little bit more about the tattoo. Kurt had disclosed that he had wanted to include a canary in honor of his mother and his passion for music, but he wasn't really sure about anything else.

"I looked up canaries and besides what we already talked about, I found a few other interesting meanings attached to them," Blaine pulled a print-out, from the internet, out from under his sketch book. "This site says they also represent finding your home after a long journey. This one talks about living life to the fullest before you run out of air, you know the whole canary in a coal mine thing I think."

Blaine continued chattering away about the different meanings and possibilities, but Kurt had all but tuned him out and was staring intently at one of Blaine's designs. The one in question was a canary, delicately drawn, almost like a Monet painting, perched proudly on a branch in the light of the moon.

"That one," Kurt said suddenly, cutting Blaine off. "I want that one. It's perfect. There's an expression-my dad always used to say it, but I suspect he got it from my mother originally. 'Some canaries fly at night.' He used to say it on days when the bullying and the teasing were at its worst. He used too say it to make me feel better about being different."

Blaine smiled warmly and took Kurt's hand under the table, "I'm so glad you're different. It's the best part about you," Blaine said. "When do you want to get this thing done."

Kurt thought for a moment. There was a look of thought on his face that quickly morphed into a look of determination, "Today, let's go today. Do you think we could make an appointment and then drive into Nashville?"

Blaine thought about protesting, telling Kurt to sleep on it a little, but he knew him well enough to know that once Kurt decided on something, very little could change his mind. Instead Blaine nodded and sent Kurt back down the the main house to get ready while he made some phone calls to a friend he knew, who worked in a good shop.

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They both stumbled back into the main house at around nine that evening, drunk on life and spontaneity. Kurt was now the proud owner of a beautiful canary tattoo on the inside of his left forearm. It was bandaged up since it was new, so Carole looked a little concerned when she walked into the kitchen to great the two men, who were giggling over milk and cookies at the table.

"What the heck happened to your arm?" Carole said in a motherly tone of concern.

Kurt became momentarily nervous, almost like he was a teenager who had gotten some body art without permission on his eighteenth birthday, but the expectant and excited look on Blaine's face reminded him of reality. "I got a tattoo this afternoon. I'd been thinking about it for a while and Blaine drew the perfect design."

"Jeez, Hon! You had me worried for a second traipsing in here with a giant bandage on your arm," Carole said pouring herself a glass of milk and sitting next to Blaine and across from Kurt. "Well, let's see it then!"

Kurt carefully pulled back his bandages to reveal the still slightly red, but delicately done tattoo, "It's to remind me of my Mom and of the home I've found here at Moon Shadow. I don't know where life will take me, but I never want to forget the people that took me in at my lowest."

"Well, no matter where life takes you, you'll always have a home here," Carole said, gingerly re-wrapping Kurt's arm for him. "So, I'm excited for this upcoming weekend. I can't wait to meet the famous other Carole."

Kurt laughed at that, "I'm sure the two of you will get along well. She's a nurse and I've been telling her a bit about your herbalism. Don't be surprised if she decides to pique your brain about it," Kurt added as he absentmindedly wiped a cookie crumb off of Blaine's cheek. "I'll never understand how you can make eating a cookie messy, honestly Blaine," Kurt said fondly.

Carole looked on, amused at her two boy's closeness and comfort with each other. She polished off the rest of her cookie and decided it was time to make herself scarce, "Well tell her to pique away. I'd be happy to talk to her about it, but I'm afraid it's time for us old folks to go to sleep." With that Carole gave them each a kiss on the head and retreated to her and Johnny's bedroom.

"You know, I've been lucky enough to have three mothers in my life. Two of them are named Carole. What does that say about me?" Kurt joked, finishing off his last swig of milk and moving to put the dishes in the sink.

"I really hope that's a rhetorical question because I don't think I have the skills to psychoanalyze such things about you. I'm much better at analyzing other things," Blaine said, giving Kurt a light pat on the butt as he put his dishes in the sink as well.

Kurt let out a small squeak and quickly batted his hand away, "You're such a doof, Blaine. What am I going to do with you."

"Hopefully invite me over for a Saturday night sleepover. I promise we can read vogue and talk about all the cute boys," Blaine said batting his eyelashes dramatically.

"I could be persuaded of such things, but I'm going to hold you to that plan."

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Kurt didn't actually have Blaine over that night. Instead, the two were curled up in Sweat Gum, taking advantage of Blaine's extensive vogue collection. Kurt had lost his entire back catalogue in the break up, but Blaine was still fully stocked. Kurt hadn't spent much time in Blaine's hut since they had somehow gotten in the habit of spending time in Earth Shag, but it was homey and smelled like Blaine.

It was also much bigger than Earth Shag, definitely big enough for two people to live fairly comfortably, a thought that made Kurt's chest tighten unexpectedly. The outside looked just like Earth Shag, but there was a second level built underground. There was a sitting room with a desk for sketching, a battery operated radio, and Blaine's instruments: a guitar, a mandolin, and a keyboard. A wooden spiral staircase led down to Blaine's bedroom.

Much like his office, Blaine's room had shelves lined with books, plants, various nicknacks, and different herbs for tea. The walls were dotted with pictures of Blaine and various other commune members. One picture by Blaine's bedside table caught his eye.

"You had this printed?" Kurt said pointing at the picture in question, it was of the two of them the day that they had gone swimming in the lake with the kids. Their cheeks were pressed together tightly and they both had wide cheesy grins on their face as Blaine held the camera out in front of them.

"Yeah," Blaine said, looking fondly at the picture. "I love that one I had to make a copy. I love having pictures of my friends around. I think it's the best way to remind yourself that you're not alone."

Kurt smile, kissed Blaine on the cheek, and then went back to his magazine.

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The next week was a flurry of preparation, excitement (on Kurt's part), and anxiety (on Blaine's part). Kurt and Zippy decided it might be best to hide the baking ingredients until after Burt and Carole left to avoid another "incident" as they had taken to calling it. The part that was freaking Blaine out the most was Friday afternoon, when Burt and Carole were due to arrive. Kurt would still be in lessons for the day and as the general manager of the commune it was Blaine's job to greet guests if their hosts weren't available. His job was to explain their living quarters and make sure they understood all of the unique eco functions that the community used in bathrooms and the like. This meant that Blaine would have about two hours to entertain Kurt's parents without Kurt there. It was the first time Blaine had ever had to "meet the parents" and this was a hell of a way to start.

He essentially spent all of Friday morning sitting on the couch fidgeting and pretending to read a book. The Hummel family was due at noon and he was way too worked up to spend that time in his studio. He was manically going over all of the things that Kurt had told him about his Dad and step-Mom, mentally checking and re-checking his list of conversation topics should there be an awkward silence.

When he heard the distinct sound of a car door slamming outside of the house he leaped up, knocking his barely touched book onto the floor and sprinted over to the front. He took a minute to breathe and plaster on his best smile before opening the door to greet his boyfriend's family