Sebastian sat in the audience dead center about 10 rows back – exactly where he wanted to be. He could barely contain his enthusiasm. He was bouncing leg until the middle-aged lady next to him spoke to him.

"You seem as nervous as I think some of the actors might feel."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'll stop. I'm not nervous. I'm excited. My boyfriend is the lead. He's amazing and I'm just super excited to see him get to do what he loves."

"That's sweet. I'm glad to see that you've come out to support him."

"He's super talented."

"I've heard," she said with a big smile on her face. "My daughter is playing the Cowardly Lion. She talks about your boyfriend. How he's so sweet and why can't she find a straight boy that nice and good looking."

Sebastian chuckled. "I can see that. He attracts girls like flies to honey."

"Boys too, I'd imagine," she teased good-naturedly.

"Well, he's got a knack for ignoring guys that flirt with him like I've never seen. He just goes on like they haven't given him any idea that they're interested. It's kind of funny to watch guys try to hit on him when they encounter an invisible brick wall and their flirting not even being acknowledged."

"You're a lucky guy then. Most people enjoy having attention paid to them too much to ignore it."

"I am lucky, and I know it. I have no intention of screwing it up with him."

"Good for you."

The lights went down and they stopped talking. Kurt came out on the stage looking for Toto. After the commotion died down, he leaned against the wagon and began to sing.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
Way up high.
There's a land that I heard of,
Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
Skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.

When Kurt finished singing, the lady next to Sebastian handed him a tissue. He took it and wiped his eyes and nose discretely.

When the show ended, Sebastian turned to the Cowardly Lion's mother. "She was fantastic."

"She was, wasn't she. Your boyfriend is every bit as good as I've been told. It was nice meeting you," she paused.

"Sebastian."

"It was nice meeting you, Sebastian."

"You too, Mrs. Donovan?"

"Yes. I should have said that."

"Thanks for the tissue. I didn't consider that I'd get so emotional. I'm not usually much of a crier."

"You're welcome, dear. Seeing people we love do what they love is moving. Nothing to be ashamed of. You enjoy your evening. I'm going to go wait where I was told to." She smiled and headed out of the auditorium.

Sebastian did the same and waited where Kurt had asked him to. As soon as Kurt got within a few feet, Sebastian surged forward and wrapped his arms around him and spun him in a circle. "You were amazing! So good." He kissed him gently and put him back down.

"Thank you."

Sebastian took his hand and they went out through the lobby. A few people stopped them and asked Kurt for his autograph on their playbills. Kurt's face lit up as he spent a few minutes talking to each one.

One middle-aged man stopped him before they made it to the door. "Excuse me."

Kurt turned to face the man.

"I just wanted to tell you what a great job I thought you did. My son really wanted to come when we saw one of the posters, so I came to check it out before bringing him. I came here tonight expecting to hate the show because I didn't get it when I saw the poster. I was afraid that it would be a parody or risqué or something, but it was just like the original. I'm bringing him back tomorrow. I didn't see the information about the alternative to trick or treating or I would have realized that it was for kids to start with."

Kurt's smile had grown while the man spoke. "I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Make sure to find me tomorrow and I'll be sure to take a picture with your son if he wants to."

"Oh, I'm sure he will. And I'm sure he'll be dressed as close to your outfit as my wife can manage."

Kurt smiled. "Sounds like me and my mom when I was young. She always helped me dress up each year."

He nodded and pushed the door to head out.

Sebastian caught the door and held it for Kurt to walk through. Kurt stopped to look at the poster in the display case on the outside of the building. He and the Scarecrow were looking towards each other and the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man were as well. Looking at it more critically than he had before, he realized that the look of fun and surprise on the Scarecrow's face could also be interpreted as flirty. The Lion was looking fearful and she was cowered just a bit and the Tin Man was holding the oil can out to her, but the frozen face on the Tin Man from not having been oiled yet did look pretty stern.

"I'm going to tell our director about that conversation. The tag lines 'A New Twist on a Classic' and 'The Fantasy Reimagined' might not have been the best."

"I can see that now that I'm looking at it more closely. I sat next to Marla's mom."

"How did you figure that out?"

"I was bouncing my leg in excitement and she started talking to me. She never said her daughter's name, but she said she was the Cowardly Lion, so looked her name up in the playbill."

Kurt turned and kissed Sebastian. "Thank you for the flower. It was sweet. The girls were jealous."

Sebastian managed to wrap his arms around Kurt before he stepped back. "You're welcome. You were fantastic. Marla was great. I was impressed with the dog."

"Hairy is amazing, isn't he? It seems that he makes the rounds being Toto in different productions around the city. This is his 15th appearance as Toto."

Sebastian chuckled. "That's awesome."

"It made the whole thing super easy. I just had to learn the hand signals and slip him treats at the appropriate time. He's never missed a cue. Very professional and adorable."

"You kept him a secret. I thought maybe you were using a stuffed dog since you never talked about a live one."

"Oh, that's because he just came yesterday. He already knew his part. And I'm in love. I've always wanted a pet, but by the time I got old enough to take care of one, my mom was sick and my dad changed his mind."

"I had two cats. They were fun. When I was a toddler, my dad found them out together huddling in the rain under a bush in our yard when he followed their cries. He put out some food and water in case their mom or other siblings were nearby, but no other cats showed up. I named them Nala and Simba. When my mom took them to the vet, he said that they were both boys, but I didn't care and wouldn't relent to change Nala's name."

Kurt smiled. He imagined a strong-willed toddler with beautiful green eyes standing steadfast about his cat's name.

"They lived until not long before I left for Paris. They lived long pampered lives. I used to build them cardboard mansions in my room when I was little. I made them special cat dinners, which meant that my mom let me pick out a special can of cat food at the grocery store, and I let them sit in the chairs at my kiddie play table in my room and eat off of plates. They loved it."

Kurt squeezed his hand. "They sound like they were fun playmates."

"They were."

"You've never talked about them before."

"They were kind of my guilty pleasure. They used to snuggle up on my bed with me when I'd read. I was already a nerd, I learned quickly not to talk about my cats. I guess I just quit. I'll show you some pictures."

Kurt smiled and began to swing their hands between them. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I loved dressing up, and having a socially acceptable reason to do so made it so much fun. I have pictures from every halloween since I was born."

"I need to see these pictures."

"Okay." Kurt no longer felt the need to hide any of himself from Sebastian.

When they got home, Sebastian unlocked the door and ushered Kurt in. He took Kurt's jacket and put it in the closet with his own.

Kurt looked at him confused.

Sebastian winked at him.

Kurt smiled and waited for him to finish.

Sebastian led him to the table that was set with a table cloth, placemats, flowers, and candles. He pulled Kurt's chair out for him. He grabbed the lighter and lit the candles before went to the fridge and pulled out two Cobb salads and took the plastic wrap off and placed them on the table. He grabbed the pitcher of tea and the salad dressing from the fridge and went back the last time for the glasses with ice from the freezer.

"This is beautiful. Thank you." He kissed Sebastian once he sat down.

"You're welcome. There's an after-dinner massage instead of dessert."

"Ooh, sounds amazing." He reached out and put his hand on Sebastian's thigh. "You give great massages."

The Halloween event was just as much fun as Kurt thought it would be. The man did bring his son back and Kurt took several photos with him, and he was right about Charlie being dressed just like Kurt. The show went as well as it did the first night.

Friday Sebastian's family arrived around dinnertime. He met up with everyone at his grandparents' place and they all headed to the theater to watch the show together. Sebastian loved it as much the second time as he had the first. Afterwards, everyone but Sebastian headed to their apartment. He gave Jillian his keys so they could get in. By the time he and Kurt arrived, the pizzas they had ordered had been delivered and Marley and Jillian were setting everything up for everyone to eat.

Kurt was met with a whirlwind of congratulations and he was pulled into several hugs before he managed to get very far into the apartment.

"Kurt, you were just fantastic," Sebastian's grandma said. "I'm so glad to finally get to meet you. I know you know that my name is Cecile, but if you're not opposed, I'd be glad for you to call me Grandma, like Marley."

Kurt nodded.

Sebastian's grandpa stepped closer and offered his hand, which Kurt shook. "I'm Leland, but I'd like it if you call me Grandpa like everyone else."

In quick succession, Isabelle introduced Kurt to her parents, Thomas and Violet, her brother Benjamin, his wife Laura, and their two sons Norris and Randolph, who pointed out that everyone called him Randy.

Alexis pushed her way to Kurt's side. "I'm coming to rescue you from the small talk. Come eat with me." She took him by the hand and dragged him away.

He waved over his shoulder as she resolutely pushed him in front of the table.

"Mom said we can't eat until you go first. So, go already. I'm hungry."

Kurt laughed and grabbed a plate. He took several slices of pizza and made his way over to the end of the sofa closest to the window. Alexis was right behind him and sat on the floor facing him. "You were great. I knew you would be because of hearing you sing this summer. I liked the Cowardly Lion too. She was funny."

"She is funny. Her name is Marla. She's in several of my classes." Kurt realized how well he got along with Marla and decided to ask her out for lunch. "How's school?"

"It's a lot harder than last year, but it's fine. I joined show choir. We'll never beat Vocal Adrenaline or the Warblers, but it's fun. We've been going to elementary schools and performing for them. We don't have to be amazing for 8-year-olds to think we're great."

Kurt chuckled. "That's true. I'm glad it's fun. What are you all planning to do tomorrow?"

"I think I finally convinced them that it's not too cold to go to the zoo. It's supposed to be unseasonably warm with a temp of a balmy 64 degrees and partly sunny."

Marley plopped down next to her. "Trying out weather girl as a potential career option?"

"Definitely," Alexis said, "I can do it with flair and pizazz and look amazing in a new outfit every day. Sign me up."

Jillian sat down next. "You have to learn the names of all of the states."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "As if I don't know them already. Plus, I get to read off a teleprompter. I don't have to know anything."

"I'm pretty sure they actually hire people who study meteorology," Sebastian said as he sat down next to Kurt.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "It might be cool. I haven't decided what I want to study or do. I'm just excited that I have a learner's permit finally."

Randy sat down next to Sebastian and Norris sat on the floor next to Jillian.

Norris said, "I'll remind myself to not drive near your place."

"Shut up, Norris. You know I'll be an amazing driver."

"Because you're amazing at everything?"

"You got it. It's only taken you a few years to catch on."

He rolled his eyes.

The adults spread out on the other side of the sofa and moved the chairs in a little closer so they could all talk more easily.

After about an hour, Sebastian's parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents took off for the evening, leaving his cousins and Marley behind to spend the night with them. Isabelle took Alexis with her, promising an extended evening of playing dress up with things from the vault.

Sebastian pulled out the bed linens that Kurt had customized to fit the two sections of the sofa and got out two blankets and pillows as well. While Kurt made a loaf of bread for all of them to share for breakfast, the rest of them worked together to get the leftovers packed up and the sofa made up for Randy and Norris to sleep on. They sat around in the living room on the floor talking for a while before they went to sleep.

Kurt snuggled into Sebastian's chest. "I know I bought 12 tickets a couple of weeks ago, but it's just still a little mind-boggling that your whole family came to watch me be in a college musical production."

"They all know that I love you, babe. The ones that hadn't met you yet really wanted to and this was the perfect timing. I told you that we all used to come here for weekends. We came this time of year pretty frequently. It's a low interest time for people to rent out my grandparents' and parents' places. We'd see a show, go somewhere cool, eat out, and hang out together and talk."

Kurt started humming "Easy".

"Exactly. All of the mazes and the madness in your mind. I do know you and love you. And you're not hard to love. Not at all." He kissed the back of Kurt's neck. "I told you that my family would accept you. And that means treating you like family."

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That means something different to you than it does to me, but I'm realizing what it means to you."

"I'm glad. Everyone had a great time tonight and we'll keep having a great time tomorrow at the zoo."

"Mmm hmm."

Sebastian could feel Kurt drifting off to sleep. A smile came to his lips as he thought back to how much trouble Kurt had falling asleep back when they first met. He knew that he was the source of comfort that Kurt drew from to fall asleep so peacefully and it made his heart swell. He sometimes still struggled with self-recrimination over the things he had done in high school when he had first come back from Paris, but Kurt lying in his arms absolutely relaxed and at peace, his demons kept at bay by Sebastian's presence – that pushed those thoughts farther and farther to the recesses of his mind. He fell asleep still smiling.

Saturday afternoon, Kurt was sitting in his dressing area, staring at the four different orange flowers in the vase he had on his section of the long vanity – a carnation, a cosmos, a dahlia, and a Gerbera daisy, one for each performance.

"My mom said your boyfriend was super cute opening night," Marla said as she stepped up behind Kurt.

He smiled at her, looking in the mirror at their reflections. "He is super cute."

"And sweet too, I see."

He could see her eyes locking on the flowers. "Yep. That too. I was wondering if you want to eat lunch with me one day this week."

"Yeah, sure." She took her phone out of her pocket and showed him her schedule.

He looked it over. "How about Tuesday at 11? Is that too early?"

"No. That's fine. I usually eat after our Shakespeare class, but I can eat a lighter breakfast, eat an early lunch, and then have a snack after class."

"Perfect. I have to work at 2 or I'd say we could do it after class."

"Marla!"

"Sorry. Gotta go get dressed as a farmhand." She waved as she scurried off.

Kurt's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it and smiled.

-We're here.

He met up with his parents in the lobby after the show. He signed a few playbills and they headed out to meet up with Sebastian's family at a nearby restaurant so Kurt wouldn't have to risk not making it back on time for the evening show.

Carole hugged him first. "You were amazing!" She left him go and gave Burt a chance to hug him.

"That was a lot of fun," Burt said when released him from the bear hug. "You've loved this musical since you were so young. You sang all the songs, but you always were sad that you'd never get to sing them in a show, but you did. You got to sing them and you were great, bud."

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Let's talk while we walk." He led them outside and towards the restaurant.

Carole said, "I thought the whole thing was really well done. The props looked really good. Everyone was really talented. Even the dog was good."

"This is Hairy's 15th time playing Toto. He's by far the most experienced cast member."

Carole and Burt both laughed.

They talked about the show the rest of the way to the restaurant. When they got there, they quickly found where the Smythes and the Wrights were seated and joined them. The server took their orders before she walked away.

Kurt did the introductions. It didn't take long for the group to break into conversations around the table. Their food was served quickly considering the size of their group. Once they finished eating, Kurt excused himself and headed back to the auditorium.

After the evening show, Sam and Mercedes were waiting for him in the lobby.

She pulled him into a bear hug. "You were fantastic. I loved it."

"Thanks. I'm so glad you came."

"Well, I have some news to share with you that I saved to tell you in person. I'm going to be moving here for the next month to work on finishing up my album."

Kurt could barely contain his excitement. "No way! That's amazing that you're so close."

"I know. I know. Anyway, the studio rented me a place for a month and we can hang out when I'm not in the studio or working with the musicians and writer I've been paired with by the label."

Sam said, "That's awesome!"

"I owe it all to you, Sam. If you hadn't posted that video of me, it would have taken me longer to get started on the climb up the ladder. I know I thanked you back then, but I want you to know how much I appreciate that you believed in me."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I still do."

She smiled at him. "I'm so close. It's exciting. Enough about me for now. There will be good reviews about this show. I know there will."

"Here's hoping," Kurt said. "So, where to?"

"Let's just grab dessert somewhere we can walk in and order, not a sit-down place," Mercedes suggested. "I know your parents are waiting for you back at your place. We can catch up this week since I'll be in town."

"Works for me," Kurt said. "I know this great bakery not far from here that's open late on the weekends."

"I'm in," Sam said. "I think I can hear a cup of hot chocolate calling my name."

Sunday morning, the eldest members of the Smythe and Wright clan went out to breakfast together while Burt and Carole joined everyone else on a quick visit to Kurt and Sebastian's favorite flea market followed by brunch together before they met back up with the other four to go to the American Museum of Natural History at 11:00.

Kurt and Sebastian walked through the galleries hand-in-hand. Kurt was pleased to see that his parents got along with Victoria and Antony and Benjamin and Laura. At the end of their visit, they all said their goodbyes and everyone headed back to the airport.

Santana, Dani, Elliott, Chandler, Jace, and Landon were all in attendance for the final show. They arranged to meet up in the lobby afterwards, but when Kurt came out, he saw Dani without Santana. As he scanned the lobby for Santana, he saw Rachel standing off to the side by herself. She approached him before he reached the others.

"I know you don't want to be friends anymore, but we promised each other that we would attend each other's first major role. I thought you were really good. The whole show was really good, but you and the Cowardly Lion were the stand-out performers. To be honest, I'm glad she's an alto or we'd be competing for the same roles some day."

Kurt chuckled. "She is very good. And a lot of fun to work with. Thanks for coming."

Rachel nodded. "I'll be on my way now. I know that your friends are here and they don't want to have anything to do with me either."

"You could change that."

"I don't know that I can, but it's a nice thought." She slipped her coat on. "I'm going to hug you." She stepped forward and gave him one of her super quick hugs. "You were really fantastic." She turned and left.

Kurt made his way through the lobby to the group waiting for him. They were all quiet, which seemed odd, but he just assumed it was because of Rachel, but then he looked over his shoulder in the direction that Elliott was looking and saw Madame Tibideaux. He turned, crossed the lobby, and approached her.

"Good evening, Madame Tibideaux. I didn't expect to see you here."

"I would assume not, yet here I am. Your performance was outstanding, as I would expect. Our loss is CCNY's gain."

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show."

"As am I." She looked across the lobby, towards the direction Kurt had come from. "You have people waiting for you. I'll let you get back to them."

"Thanks you for coming tonight."

She nodded and took her leave.

Kurt crossed back through the lobby and was stopped a couple of times to sign playbills. When he made it back to everyone, Chandler was the first to speak.

"The show was great! I loved it."

"Thanks."

He was congratulated by everyone and at some point Santana had rejoined the group and was the last to hug him.

"You were amazing. I have amazing news as well." She let go and stepped back and took Dani's hand.

"What's that?" Kurt moved to Sebastian's side and wrapped his arm around his waist and leaned into him.

"Rachel talked to Mr. Green and I'm up two weeks from Tuesday. She told after the show this afternoon. She's giving me enough time so that I can invite people like my mom and dad."

"Oh, my God, Santana. That's fantastic! I'm so jealous, but you absolutely deserve a chance to perform in front of an audience. I'll be there."

"We'll have to see if there are any tickets left or whether or not Mr. Green is feeling generous at all and will comp me any."

"Let us know," Elliott said.

"I will."

"Where did you vanish to, babe?" Dani asked.

"Oh, I saw someone that I knew, so I hurried after them to talk to them for a minute."

Chandler said, "I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

Sebastian stopped everyone. "Wait. I want to get a picture of all of us here by the poster." He asked someone standing nearby to take a couple of shots. He thanked the man and took his camera back. "Okay. Now we're ready." He turned to Kurt. "We narrowed down the choices. That pancake house not far from here or tacos."

"Tacos. Definitely tacos."