Life with Giggles was unlike anything Kurt could have imagined. She still remained quiet, never uttering a sound. It was almost eerie at times. Everyone always said how noisy kids could be, but she never made a peep.
She would play with her toys with pure joy on her face but she never even mouthed words. Kurt began to worry that she didn't know how to talk. If that were the case, what would happen to her, they may never find where she came from. A part of Kurt didn't want to know, and he hated himself for it. The longer she lived with them, the more he loved her.
He knew the Hero Department was still trying to locate her family, and each day he worried they would get the call that she was leaving them. Weeks flew by. Blaine had returned to class after another week of healing and so Giggles accompanied Kurt to work every day. Isabelle had wrangled Kurt into teaching a sophomore unit on costume design and while the students worked Giggles would happily draw pictures in the corner. Kurt could tell her favorite part of the day was when she got to go to the workshop with Kurt. She seemed fascinated by it all, Isabelle most of all. Kurt thought maybe it was because Isabelle could talk all day without need for a reply.
Their time at home was Kurt's favorite part of the day. They would enlist her help in making dinner and setting the table, both jobs she did with gusto. It didn't matter to Giggles if she was stirring the pot with Blaine or carrying plates to the table, to her they were the most important tasks. They would spend the night reading stories together, watching movies or playing simple games and to Kurt it was magical.
One night Kurt was tucking Giggles into bed. She was snuggling under the covers and pulled the turquoise elephant into one arm and a bright purple octopus into the other. Kurt hadn't seen the latter before. "Where did you get that?" Kurt asked.
Giggles of course just smiled at him.
"Well as long as you like him." Kurt laughed.
Later snuggled up with Blaine in bed he playfully scolded him, "You bought her another stuffed animal I see."
Blaine looked at him in confusion, "The octopus?' I thought you got that for her."
Kurt shook his head, "I guess Isabelle gave it to her behind my back. She's a sneaky one."
"She probably snuck it in Giggles bag," Blaine laughed.
"I don't want her to go," Kurt confessed quietly. He held his breath, worried because he couldn't see Blaine's face.
Blaine sighed before responding, "I don't either. I know when we find her parents it is the right thing to do. Doesn't mean it isn't going to hurt like hell though."
A few nights later, Kurt and Blaine were sitting on the couch having just put Giggles to bed, when Blaine's phone rang. Kurt went and fixed them some tea while Blaine was talking. When he came back, Blaine gave him a serious look and Kurt's heart thudded to a stop in his chest.
"That was Agent Monroe," Blaine began and Kurt could feel his bile rise. "Max Wendell was just sentenced to Life in Prison. He can never hurt anyone else again."
"Seriously, he has already gone to trial?" Kurt asked, feeling relief wash over him.
"Villains don't get a jury trial, they are charged with a tribunal. It is safer that way. The tribunal reviews the evidence and reports to make a decision and the villain doesn't have to leave the secure prison to be there in person." Blaine explained.
Kurt worried his lip before asking "How do they keep him from using his quirk to escape?"
"They have an advanced system that monitors the brain and if a villain even thinks of using their quirk they are- neutralized, is the word they use. They also try to make it impossible for them to use it before that. If the quirk requires touch for instance their hands are covered. They limit who they physically have access to as well." Blaine shook his head.
"So he really can't hurt anyone ever again?" Kurt needed to hear it again.
Blaine held him close, "The world is safe from Max Wendell."
They sat in silence for a while, both thinking about this news. Kurt looked up when he heard the soft pattering of running feet. Giggles wasn't there.
Together they walked to her room to find her quietly crying on her bed.
"Did you hear what we were talking about?" Blaine asked gently.
Giggles nodded her head, tears trailing down her tiny cheeks.
"There is nothing to be afraid about," Kurt soothed, taking her in his arms. "He can't hurt you or anyone else again. Besides, Blaine and I are here to protect you."
She held tighter to Kurt, her little body trembling. Blaine wrapped his arms and wings around all three of them and they rocked slowly to an unheard song, taking comfort in the news and each other.
Winter break was fast approaching and Kurt, Blaine and Giggles had spent most of the day before in the kitchen together baking treats for a celebration with Blaine's students. Since learning of her capter's fate a few weeks before, Giggles had come out of her shell a bit, though she still wouldn't utter a word. Kurt was glad to see that she didn't seem quite as wary of Blaine's boisterous class as she had in the beginning. In fact, she seemed to be looking forward to the party as much as the rest of them were.
At this moment, though, all thoughts of parties and happiness were completely overshadowed in Kurt's mind. He was frantically searching the kitchen with a sick pit of dread firmly housed in his gut.
"Blaine!" He called out tears clogging his voice.
In moments Blaine was standing in the doorway of the kitchen looking concerned, "Kurt, what's wrong?"
"I can't find my ring," Kurt's voice hitched as he admitted that fact. "I took it off yesterday so it would stay clean while we were baking. I put it on the window sill by the sink and now it's not there."
Kurt spun around in his spot hoping in vain for it to appear. Blaine's strong arms held him tight, stopping his motion. "Calm down, We'll find it. It will be okay," he soothed.
"I can't believe I was so stupid." Kurt chastised himself.
"Stop," Blaine said, kissing his cheek.
Together they searched to no avail. It simply wasn't anywhere to be seen
Kurt sat miserably on the floor, his back against the cabinets. "You don't think it went down the drain do you?" he asked.
"I don't know, I guess it's possible," Blaine said slowly.
"I can't believe I lost my wedding ring!" Kurt moaned, "We haven't even been married three months yet."
Just then Giggles walked in the kitchen looking serious. She approached Kurt, who tried to give her a smile. As she got closer she held out her closed fist to him. Curious, Kurt held out his own hand. Giggle's little fist opened and Kurt's ring plopped into his waiting palm.
"Where- where did you get this?" Kurt asked quietly.
"I found it for you." She said, much to the amazement of the couple.
Kurt looked at her in shock for a second before repeating, "You found it? Where?"
"It was lost. So I found it." She said as if that were a better explanation.
Kurt looked over at Blaine who shrugged his shoulders. "I don't understand." Kurt said slowly.
She seemed to think for a moment, before trying to explain. "I'm good at finding things. It's like your clothes magic. If something is lost, I just think about it and it comes to me. It doesn't always work."
Kurt and Blaine shared another look. Blaine pulled his phone out and as Kurt spoke, he knew Blaine was beginning to record their interaction. "Finding lost things is your quirk? Can you tell me about it?"
Blaine propped his phone up before joining them on the floor.
"Like Squiggles my octopus. I missed him, but he was there when the building fell. I wanted him back, so I thought about him and he came to me." She said sitting down.
"Do you find things a lot?" Blaine asked.
She shook her head. "I didn't want to get in trouble. Grandpa would take my toys away if I was bad, so I only found the real special ones."
As fascinating as learning about Giggle's quirk was, there was something else that Kurt needed to know, "I'm so glad you feel safe enough to talk to us. Can you tell us your name?"
She took a deep breath but smiled when she said, "Elster Colleen Wendell."
Kurt's heart stopped at the name Wendell. He knew his smile faltered and tried to regain his composure. "What a beautiful name," he managed to say as his mind began to race.
Wendell. Was she really related to the man who had done so much damage to so many people's lives? He reasoned with himself that that wasn't necessarily true.
Kurt couldn't make his mind focus on what to say next. Luckily, Blaine seemed to recover from his shock quicker than Kurt. He asked, "How old are you?"
"5," She said happily.
"The man at the warehouse, the one we said could never hurt you again. Was he related to you?" Blaine questioned gently.
She nodded, "He's my grandpa. But he wasn't nice like the ones in the stories you read to me. He was mean, kept me locked in my room, unless he wanted me to play with another kid. I didn't like that either, because it made them sad."
"Why would it make them sad?" Blaine asked.
She looked down at her lap, "It wasn't the playing, it was after. I had to play with them, talk to them, so he could see what they were like. If he liked them, we had to go and get them. It was always dark and I was tired. He would use his magic to send both of us to the other kids' rooms. They were always sleeping. He would use his magic again to send them away. Once they were gone he would just send us back to the car. When we got back to the building they would be in the cage crying with everyone else. They never liked me after that."
"When you say send? You mean he would use his quirk to transport you to their rooms? Why did he need you there?" Blaine said with concern.
"He would touch me to send me where he wanted, there was smoke, black smoke and then I would be there. He can't do it to himself. He has to send someone else but if he holds on to them he can go too." Elster shrugged.
Kurt regained his composure and said, "That had to be scary."
She nodded her head again. "He told me if I wasn't quiet he would send me away too. Not to the cage. Like the lady."
"What lady?" Kurt asked.
She started crying softly and she crawled into Kurt's lap. He held her as she spoke. "I tried to get them back. He always told me about them. I didn't want them sad anymore and I tried to get them back. When I knew I could find things I tried, but it didn't work"
"I'm sure it wasn't your fault." Kurt soothed. "You tried. But who were you trying to find?"
"The pretty angel and her husband. He sent them to another world. He said he just meant to send the man but the angel went too. He wanted her to know how it felt losing someone special." She wailed.
Kurt held her as she cried and shared a look with Blaine. Could it really be? Was this little girl the reason Kurt was even here right now?
"Do you remember when this was?" Blaine asked gently.
Elster sniffled, "After I played with Grace. Grandpa was mad at me because I was crying. Grace had a little sister and I knew she was going to be sad that we sent her away."
They sat in silence on the kitchen floor, Elster clinging to Kurt while he and Blaine thought about what she had revealed. After a while, Blaine stood up and grabbed his phone. "I am so proud of you Elster." he said, "That was a lot of talking. Do you still feel like going to the party?"
"Uh-huh" She said rubbing her eyes.
"Why don't you go wash your face and get dressed? We have to leave in a little bit." Blaine urged.
She stood to go.
"Thank you for finding my ring." Kurt told her.
Once they heard her go upstairs Kurt asked, "Do you think she did it? Do you think she is the one who brought me here?"
Blaine helped Kurt to his feet. "I think it is possible. I should call Monroe and let him know."
Kurt fell into Blaine's arms. "If it is true, if she is related to Wendell, what is going to happen to her?"
"I don't know." Blaine whispered against Kurt's neck. "As far as we knew, Wendell was the last of his family."
"I don't want her to go away." Kurt admitted.
Blaine kissed his cheek, "I don't either."
Kurt left the kitchen so Blaine could make his phone call. He checked on Elster before going and getting ready himself. Once he was dressed he peeked into her room again. She was coloring on the floor.
"Why don't you play here until it is time to go?" He suggested.
"Are you mad?" She asked, looking frightened.
"Of course not honey. I am so glad you told us." He reassured her.
"Will I go to prison like grandpa?" Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"No. They don't send little girls to prison. And besides, you didn't want to help your grandpa." Kurt picked her up and held her. "I love you and I am not going to let anyone hurt you or make you feel sad again. Okay?"
She nodded against his shoulder.
He gently put her down. "I'm going to make sure Blaine is getting ready. I'll come get you when it is time to go."
Kurt could hear Blaine in their bedroom and went to join him.
"I told Monroe what she said, and sent him the video." Blaine announced as soon as Kurt entered the room. "He said he would see what he could find out about Elster and would get back to me."
"She's scared they are going to send her to prison too." Kurt told him. "I'm just glad she is still talking."
Blaine shook his head as he went to his closet to retrieve his clothes. "I still can't believe she actually talked at all. It's been months without a single peep from her and then everything comes out at once."
"And she still wants to go to the party. She is a pretty resilient little girl." Kurt pointed out.
At the party, Elster proved just how true that statement was. She thrived at the party, smiling and laughing at the students' antics. It was like telling her secrets had finally freed her from whatever had a hold on her for so long. Blaine's student's relished in her new found interest in them and Kurt and Blaine beamed with pride at the whole lot.
That night as they tucked Elster into bed, tired from all the excitement of the day and finally coming down from her sugar high, Kurt handed her Squiggles her octopus and asked, "Why did you finally decide to talk to us? We adore it, I'm just curious."
Elster thought for a moment, "You said Grandpa couldn't hurt me. I thought a lot about it after. I knew you would keep me safe. Then I saw you were sad and I wanted to make you happy like you made me happy."
"You always make me happy." Kurt said before kissing her forehead.
Kurt stood in the doorway as Blaine sang her to sleep. His heart ached at the thought that they could lose her soon. He swiped away the tears before anyone could see.
The day before Christmas Eve Blaine received another call from Monroe wanting to meet with them. Kurt quickly called Isabelle and wrangled her to babysit Elster. Since coming to live with them, Isabelle was the only other staff member she had warmed to. They had yet to introduce her to Sam or Elliot who she would be meeting the next night. Kurt was just glad Isabelle hadn't left for her parents' house yet. Elster was all smiles and Isabelle was amazed to have the little one talking to her so freely.
"We've got this," She soothed the men before hustling them out the front door.
Kurt was a mess all the way to the Hero Department offices. Not only was he worried about leaving Elster with someone else, he was terrified about what Monroe would tell them. The building was quiet with only a few staff members around when they entered. Monroe greeted them in the lobby and led them to a small conference room not far away.
As soon as the three of them were sitting at the table Monroe spoke, "I wanted to fill you in on what we have learned. It seems like her timeline checks out. Grace Newport disappeared from outside of Lake Placid, New York in the early morning hours of March 13th. From what we could tell that would put Elster and Max Wendell possibly on the road near the camp where Mr. Hummel was discovered that morning. It would appear that when she tried to bring Kathryn and Burt Hummel back, she actually brought their son instead.
Kurt and Blaine let this information wash over them. Without Elster none of this would ever have been possible.
"Why was he targeting these children?" Blaine inquired.
Monroe looked tired as he answered. "One of his lackeys said he was gathering them because of their quirks, that their quirks were the most desirable on the black market for quirk marriages. He took them young in the hopes of making them more submissive and less likely to run once a deal had been made. This seems to check out as they had all recently had their quirk registered. Apparently all he needed was a simple hack job to get all the information he wanted."
"Is Wendell really her grandfather?" Kurt asked.
"We knew Max Wendell had a daughter who had been estranged from him for years. As far as we knew, she never had any children. However, it appears she was pregnant when she disappeared over 5 years ago."
Kurt worried his hands in his lap, "Disappeared like my parents?"
"I'm afraid not," Monroe shook his head sadly. "Her body was discovered 2 years later. Examination of the remains determined her cause of death to be a single gunshot to the back of her head."
"Didn't the doctor find evidence of her giving birth?" Kurt asked, he had watched enough crime dramas to know this was something that could be determined by something to do with the pelvic bones.
Monroe shook his head again, "There wasn't much to examine, wild animals unfortunately found her before we did. A necklace found with what was left of the body matched a description from her missing person report and her dental records were the only way we were able to identify her. We tested Elster's blood sample from the hospital when she was admitted and compared her DNA with DNA from the remains. Margret Wendell was Elster's mother."
"And Elster's father?" Blaine asked.
"He died in a car wreck a month before her mother disappeared." Monroe told them.
"Does she have any family left?" Blaine asked.
A war was waging inside Kurt as he waited for Monroe to answer; part of him wanted Elster to have somewhere she belonged and a larger part wanted that place to be with them.
"Wendell is her last living relative. There was no birth certificate, she was never registered anywhere. As far as we knew she didn't exist until Mr. Anderson found her in that building." Monroe stated.
"It's Hummel now actually," Blaine added at the same time Kurt spoke.
"What's going to happen to her?" Kurt asked with bated breath.
Monroe shrugged, "I suppose she will go into the system and then be put up for adoption."
"What if we kept her?" Kurt blurted out. His heart leapt when he saw Blaine nodding along with him.
"Mr. Hummel, are you sure that is what you want to do?"
"Why wouldn't we?" Blaine asked.
Monroe looked at them with actual compassion as he spoke. "Are you sure this wouldn't be too much too fast for you. Let's look at this logically, Mr. Hummel only arrived here nine months ago. In that time, you two have met, moved in together and got married. Don't you think adding a 5 year old child to your home may be a little much?"
Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand, took a deep breath and said with conviction, "Agent Monroe, I grew up in a world where people would meet someone and it seemed like they knew almost instantly that they had a connection. I'm not talking just about soul mates, at least not only the one with your name on their chest. Everyone around me would meet people and sometimes they just knew that that person would be in their lives forever. There was a bond between them, friendships formed so deeply and completely. It was fascinating to watch, but it never seemed to happen to me. Even before I failed to receive my soul mark, I felt like maybe I was broken, because I never felt that connection with my friends. Not until I came here. Almost instantly I connected with people. First Elliot and Sam, I trusted them in a way that wasn't logical, then Blaine who even without his name on my chest, I think I would have known that this was meant to be. The same thing happened with Isabelle, we clicked like I never had with another colleague."
Kurt sighed. "When Elster came along, I felt the same pull to her. I tried to deny it, I wouldn't acknowledge it because I was sure that she would be taken away, that she had family waiting for her. I loved her almost instantly. All the time she has been living with us, it hasn't felt like we were watching her, or just helping her, she has been family. So this may seem fast to you, Agent Monroe, but all of this feels like a long time coming to me. Love doesn't have a timeline."
Kurt looked over at Blaine, his eyes were wide with shock and his mouth gaped open slightly. Kurt added, "If it is okay with Blaine, I want us to adopt Elster."
Blaine beamed at him and said, "I would love that, but I think we need to ask Elster if this is what she wants as well, because, yes, I feel we are family too."
Monroe looked at the pair with fascination before replying, "I will make the appropriate phone calls to get the ball rolling."