*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Eleven *-*

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Jean and Storm were in the jet for hours, checking for all things that could be wrong with it. During this time, everyone else was struggling with the many two person tents that had to be erected before the sun went down, which was only in a couple hours. It was certain that they would be staying the night in the woods.

Darkness fell over the camp ground at around eight thirty. John helped to start a campfire where the adults stood talking.

"How is it that I make the fire and the goddamn adults get to use it? I'm freezing my ass off!" John said.

"So make another one," Jackie said bluntly.

"If I burn down the woods, Willow might strangle me with a vine," John said.

"Where is she anyway?" asked Jackie.

"In the middle of the clearing near the jet," John said. "I think I can hear her music." Jackie listened.

"Yep, that's her," she said. "What's she doing?"

"I dunno. Becoming one with nature, probably," John said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "She hasn't got that much further to go, if you think about it." Jackie ignored this last, almost scathing remark. She really did hate him sometimes.

"Willow!" cried Jackie into the night.

"What?" asked Willow from the darkness of the clearing.

"What're you doing?" asked Jackie.

"Looking at the stars, there's billions of them!" said Willow. "Wanna come see?"

"Hell no, it's probably colder out there," Jackie said.

"Suit yourself," Willow sighed. She put her hands behind her head as she lay there. They look like billions of diamonds, she thought romantically. It's too bad they're so far away. In all of Willow's thoughtfulness, she hadn't noticed that a pair of amber eyes were fixed on her at a good twenty yards away. Kurt sighed in a mostly dreamy way, though it had a hint of sadness in it. He liked watching Willow. She was so kind and understanding to everyone and everything around her. She was a rare person. He didn't frighten her at all, and she even gave him that hug in the church. He remembered how he missed her when he watched her leave in the car with the man from the school. He remembered how he thought of her when he was trapped inside his own mind when he was attacking the White House, and how glad he was to see her last night. He wished he could get a little closer to her, but he didn't know if she would let him.

"Hey," said Rogue as she approached him.

"Gute nacht," Kurt said.

"Thanks for saving me earlier," Rogue said.

"Bitte shön," Kurt replied, his eyes never leaving Willow. Rogue tried to see what Kurt was looking at. Willow shifted her weight in the grass and began humming along to the radio. Rogue realized who it was and looked back at Kurt. She became curious. She almost didn't ask, but it was eating away at her ever since the ride over.

"So...do you like her?" she asked. Kurt snapped out of his stupor and looked at Rogue in the face.

"Vat?" he asked.

"Ah said 'do you like her?'" Rogue repeated.

"Oh," Kurt said. "Yes, ve are very good friends," he stammered with a nod and a smile. He turned his attention back on Willow who was now singing to herself.

"No, Ah mean to you like her like her," Rogue said trying to clarify what exactly she meant.

"I'm not sure I understand," said Kurt, puzzled as he looked back at her.

"Ah mean do you ever feel like you might wanna like...kiss her, or somethin'?" asked Rogue. Kurt's face grew hot, though the color of his cheeks stayed the same.

"No!" he cried. Rogue looked at him suspiciously. He looked away from her and down into his lap. "Vell...maybe once...or...tvice," he muttered with a hint of guilt.

"There's nothin' wrong with that," Rogue said. "Have you ever thought of maybe tellin' her?"

"Are you crazy? I couldn't do zat! She vould never-," he started to say.

"She'd never what? Talk to you again? Kurt, you haven't lived with that girl for the past four months. Whenever I ask her what she's thinkin' about when she's lyin' awake at night, she'd always say 'Ah wonder where Kurt is, Ah hope he's okay.' She cares about you more than she probably cares about me, and Ah'm her roommate. Willow's not the kinda person that would just quit talkin' to someone," Rogue told him. Kurt looked a little flustered. "C'mon, Kurt. If you want somethin', you gotta go for it. Ah promise you won't scare her away." Kurt thought for a moment.

"Do you really sink I should tell her?" he asked.

"I think that if you feel strongly about someone that you should let them know," Rogue said. "After all, what have you got to lose?" she asked with a smile.

"Everysing," he said looking at her out of the corner of his eyes nervously. "She is ze only van who has ever seen me as a normal person. I don't vant to lose zat."

"Then go tell her how much she means to you!" Rogue encouraged him. "She'll like it, I promise." Kurt looked at her like she might be insane.

"You talk about it like it's easy," he sighed.

"Ah know it's not. Ah've been there before. But if you want her, Kurt, you gotta go get her before someone else does. Ah know about a million gahs at school that've been dyin' to go out with her," Rogue said. "Go on. It's hard at first, but afterwards, you're gonna feel lahk you can fly." Kurt sighed and ran a hand through his short hair.

"I guess...if you sink zat she von't reject me...," he said slowly.

"She won't," Rogue assured him. Kurt stood up and looked down at Rogue. He flashed a quick, nervous smile and nodded. Then he was gone. He appeared behind Willow who was still singing.

"We gotta hold on to what we got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We got each other, and that's a lot," Willow sang. Upon hearing these words, Kurt bit his lip. "Woah, we're half way there, woah, livin' on a prayer. Take my hand, we'll make it I swear. Woah, livin' on a prayer," she sang. How ironic, Kurt thought. Willow lowered her headphones and sat up. She looked back at Kurt and smiled.

"Hi," she said.

"How did you know I vas here?" he asked.

"Because every time you teleport, you make a sort of bamf sound," Willow said.

"Bamf?" he asked.

"Yeah," Willow said. Her cheeks went pink. "At least that's what I thought it sounded like..."

"Oh, no, don't feel bad, it's just zat I don't hear it ven I teleport," he said quickly. There was a pause.

"You don't have to sit way over there, you know," Willow said. Kurt got up and sat down next to her.

"Vat ver you singing?" he asked.

"It's a song by Bon Jovi called 'Living on a Prayer.' It's one of my favorite songs. But I've got a lot of favorite songs, so yeah...," Willow said trailing off. She sighed as she looked up at the stars again. "Aren't they beautiful?" Kurt looked up at the star filled sky.

"Yes, they are," he agreed. "Venever I'm alone I look at zem."

"I wish you could see them this well in the city. There are too many lights, though, so only the brightest ones show through," Willow said a little sadly. A silence came over them in which they could hear the crackling of the fire from where the adults stood and the song of the crickets in the surrounding bushes. Suddenly Willow remembered something from their first meeting. "Remember how you asked me what happened to me when I first met you?" Willow asked slowly. She was afraid to tell him about it, but she felt that she had to eventually. This was as good a time as any.

"Yes," Kurt said with a nod.

"Well, I think I'm okay to tell you now," she said. She took a big breath and let it out. "What happened was...my mom died. In a fire. A terrorist group attacked our house. I was in the back yard trying to grow a lilac tree. Right in the middle of it, I heard this huge explosion, and then I was on the ground. I got up and looked around and my whole house was on fire," her voice cracked, and Kurt looked at her with unbelieving, concerned eyes. So zis is vy she vas so upset, he thought. "I ran into the house, and I knew my mom was in there. I called for her, but she didn't answer me. I looked around and when I found her...," tears ran down Willow's face. Kurt's mouth was slightly ajar as he listened. "When I found her, she was laying on the carpet with her back to me. I turned her over, and her face...it was ruined. Kurt, I could smell her skin and her hair. I could smell it burning. I still see that in my nightmares sometimes." She was shaking. "My mom was one of the only ones to fully except me before the school. She was so beautiful. You should have seen her. You would have thought so too. When I was with her, everything was okay. No one could hurt me. But then when I got to Boston, people rejected me and insulted me, and my mom couldn't come and make everything okay again. I miss her so much!" she sobbed. "But I know I have to grow up. I know I have to leave her behind me. I can't be so dependent for the rest of my life. I'm practically an adult." Kurt looked devastated.

"Everysing vill be fine, mein Weide," he whispered. "You don't have to leave her behind you. She lives on in here," he said touching her chest where her heart was. "And in here," he said gently touching her forehead. She tucked a loose chunk of hair behind her ear and wiped her eyes, but the tears kept coming. Kurt was at a loss. He had no idea how to calm her or to comfort her. Ven I vas miserable, she gave me a hug...zat made me feel better...maybe it vill vork for her? He scooted closer to her and put his arms around her. She hugged him back and cried onto his shoulder. He patted her on the back of the head. He was surprised how soft her hair was. He sighed. "Ze problem vis losing someone so close to you is zat it takes a long time for ze wounds to heal if zey ever do." Willow hugged him tighter and he rocked back and forth, trying to comfort her. "I vish you vern't so sad," he said quietly. "I hate seeing you sad. I prefer your smile over zis face," Willow didn't say anything. Kurt tried to think of something else...something that was true that would make her feel better. "I bet you look like your mother, if she vas as beautiful as you say she vas." He waited in terror for her response. Vat if she gets offended? Or vat if she hits me? Vy did I even say zat?! He thought nervously. Willow didn't know really what to make of this comment. Although she was very flattered by it, she wondered if they were still just friends.

"She was a lot prettier than me," said Willow, for lack of anything better to say. Kurt calmed down a little and decided to pursue the topic.

"I sink you are very pretty. Very nice to look at," he said. At least I'm telling za truth...I hope Rogue is right about her, he thought to himself.

"What about Storm? You said she was beautiful," said Willow. Before they picked Bobby, Rouge, John, Jackie, and Logan up, he had touched Storm's face and told her 'Someone so beautiful should not be so angry.' When he said that, it made Willow feel empty and sad.

"She is beautiful, but zer are many different kinds of beautiful, you know," said Kurt. "People can have beautiful hearts, and beautiful souls as vell as beautiful faces. Like you." Willow shook her head and choked out a scoffing laugh. "It's true! Anyone could have a nice face, but not as many have good hearts and souls to go vis zem. During my time in ze Munich Circus, I saw many beautiful vomen, but zey ver different underneath. It vas like zey ver vearing masks. I could see it in zeir eyes ven zey vatched me zat zeir faces did not reflect zeir hearts and souls. You don't have a mask on. Your face is as beautiful as your heart and soul. You're a rare sort of person. Zat's vy you're so important to me." Now that he was at it, telling her how he felt about her wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. He wondered how he got so scared of doing it in the first place.

"I'm not that important," she sniffled.

"But you are! You are ze first van to ever except me, to ever see me for vat I am inside. And definitely ze first person to ever even sink about touching me," he said. She looked up into his face with red, puffy eyes and a shaky smile.

"You're not that different from everyone else," she told him. "I think you're quite handsome, actually," she said. Please God, don't make him think I'm weird! Willow prayed as she waited for the response.

"Really?" he asked in a surprised voice. Handsome? I sink she must be crazy! He thought happily.

"Uh huh," she said as she backed away slightly so she could dry her eyes with her sleeve, but hugged him around the chest when she was done. So far so good...Willow thought. That was when the hug began to feel like less of a comforting gesture.

"Thank you," he said quietly with a small smile. Kurt was surprised to find that Rogue was right. Now that he had told her how he felt about her, he really did feel like he could fly. He had never, not even in his wildest dreams, thought that anyone could think that he was handsome. And now that someone did, he didn't know if he believed what was said was really said at all. Maybe I'm dreaming, or only imagining this happening..., Kurt thought. Or maybe it is all true!

The whole time during the conversation, Willow had been completely confused by what was happening. Were they still friends? More than that? If you were good friends with the opposite sex, did they tell you that you were beautiful and important? Were you supposed to tell them that they were handsome? Did they hold you like this when you became upset? Like most of the questions Willow had burning inside her, she didn't know the answers to any of them. All she really knew was that Kurt was something else. From the moment she met him, she could tell that he was different from any other person she had ever met. She hoped that he wouldn't leave her this time. She had missed him so much since November.

Kurt and Willow pulled apart from each other, but still sat close together.

"You know...all zis time I vas so vorried about you rejecting me," he said. "Since ve met, I vas just vaiting for you to vant nothing to do vis me. I vaited for you to leave and never come back. But it didn't happen."

"I don't want to leave you," Willow said. "You're good company." There was a pause for a moment. Willow couldn't stand it any more. She had to know what was going on. "So...so what are we? Are we friends, or are we like Rogue and Bobby?" she asked slowly. She pointed over at the two of them, who were cuddling for warmth. Kurt looked thoughtful.

"I don't know...maybe ve are like zem," he said. "I've actually never really done anysing like zis before."

"Me neither," Willow sighed. Kurt examined Rogue and Bobby. Maybe ve are like zem, he thought. Ve are sitting very close, and a moment ago I vas holding her...Then he realized something. Bobby and Rogue were very close in age, a year apart at the most. He looked at Willow for a moment. She seemed much younger than him. He hoped she wasn't too young.

"How old are you?" he asked. He was dreading the answer. With his luck, she would only be fifteen, which would be morally wrong. But he knew she wasn't that young. Her face and her voice were far too womanly. But it didn't hurt to check...

"I'll be nineteen in a couple weeks," she said. Kurt did the math in his head.

"Sank you, God," he sighed in relief. At least she wasn't that much younger.

"Why, how old are you?" she asked with a grin.

"I vill turn tventy four in July," he said. "Zer's five years between us...zat's kind of a lot..."

"Yeah," she said. "But I don't mind." Kurt smiled, showing his pointed top teeth for the first time in a very long while. Willow liked his smile. It was blindingly white, despite the unusual shape of his teeth. Willow looked over at the adults talking. "Can you hear what they're saying?"

"I sink I could take a closer look," he said. "Stay here, alright?

"I'm not going anywhere," Willow promised. He smiled at her and got up. He turned his back to leave, but before he did, he looked back and tapped her affectionately under the chin with the end of his tail. She smiled at him and felt a flock of butterflies take flight within her before he disappeared with a bamf. Willow watched the circle of adults around the campfire, looking for where Kurt might appear. She couldn't see him, but after a couple minutes, she saw the entire circle of adults look upwards. A moment later, Kurt was in the middle of the circle looking guilty. Poor Kurt...such a bad sneak, Willow thought with amusement. All the teachers watched him seriously. Jean stepped forward and put her hands on either side of his head. She was going to read his mind. Ten seconds or so later, Kurt's head snapped back in what looked like pain. Jean apologized and told him he could go if he wanted. Kurt nodded and with a distant bamf, he disappeared. He appeared next to her and sighed.

"I guess I'm not such a good spy," he said as he came down into his normal crouching position.

"You tried," Willow said. "What were they saying?"

"I'm not sure, I came in so late in the conversation," he said. "I never do anysing right for you," he said with disappointment in his voice.

"Everything always turns out okay," Willow pointed out.

"Yes, I know...but I just vish I could tell you zat I'll do somesing for you and actually do it," he said sitting down next to her. Willow could hear someone stomping through the grass.

"Hey, Willow," said Jackie with a sigh as she plopped down in the grass. "Hiya, Kurt."

"Hello," he said a little shyly.

"John's driving me nuts. I had to get away from him before I smashed his face in. He's such an ass sometimes," Jackie said, exasperated.

"What's he doing now?" asked Willow.

"Being himself," Jackie grumbled, her voice soaked in annoyance. "See, that's the whole problem with John. He's John."

"Why do you even hang around him, anyways? He's not nice to anyone, even Bobby, and Bobby's his best friend," Willow said.

"Sometimes he's nice!" Jackie said in John's defense.

"Kinda," Willow said skeptically with a raised eyebrow.

"I dunno...I guess I'm just sort of...attracted to him," Jackie said with a helpless shrug. This was all news to Willow. They way John and Jackie constantly bickered, it seemed impossible. "I mean, sometimes I really hate him. Like right now. But other times he's really nice, and I like him a lot."

"Maybe you should tell him how you feel," Kurt said, trying his best to offer advice.

"Psh, when hell freezes over, maybe," Jackie said with a quick eye roll. She looked over to where John, Rogue and Bobby were still sitting. "All the cute ones are either gay or complete jerks. That's just the way it is."

"Keep looking, Jack. There's a guy out there somewhere with Jacklynn Dunn written all over him," Willow said encouragingly.

"But I don't want to keep looking! I've tried it, and all I can think is, 'well, he's okay, but he's not John,'" Jackie said.

"But John's mean to you half the time! The first time I met you guys you were fighting over his playstation!" Willow cried.

"I know, but I can't help it!" Jackie said miserably.

"But don't you sink you're worth more zen zat? Don't you sink zat you are entitled to kindness?" asked Kurt, confused by Jackie's feelings.

"Well, yeah...I just don't know what to do. I can't just stop liking him," Jackie said. "But I kinda wish I could sometimes."

"I think you're trying to make a decision too fast," Willow said. "If I were you, I'd just hang back and see what happens. No need to make a decision now."

"Yes, Professor," Jackie joked, giving Willow a salute. "Since when are you the expert on males?"

"Since right now," Willow teased. "But seriously, don't do anything dramatic that might spoil it," Willow advised.

"Mmkay," Jackie said with a sigh. She looked back at her friends. "I think I'm going to go back over there."

"Sure you don't wanna stick around?" asked Willow.

"Nah. I don't wanna make it so I'm scared of him, or anything," Jackie said.

"Alright," Willow said. Jackie hoisted herself to her feet with a small groan.

"Thanks for the help. I'll see you guys later," Jackie said.

"Your velcome," Kurt said. Jackie took a deep breath and headed back over to John, Bobby and Rogue. "Vell, at least you are not mean to me," Kurt sighed.

"I don't think I could be mean to you," Willow said. She stuck her headphones on her head and pulled one of the earpieces out so she could still hear Kurt. "Lets see what's on the radio...," she muttered. She flipped stations for a minute. "Ooh! This is such a good song!" she said, stopping on 'Stand By Me' by the Temptations. "Here, listen to this," she said giving her headphones to Kurt. He took them and looked at them for a second before sticking them in his ears.

When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see

No, I won't be afraid

No I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

So darlin, darlin'

Stand by me

Oh, stand by me

Oh, stand

Stand by me, stand by me.

If the sky that we look upon

Should tumble and fall

Or the mountains should crumble into the sea

I won't cry

I won't cry

No I won't shed a tear

Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

So darlin', darlin'

Stand by me

Oh, stand by me

Oh, stand

Stand by me, stand by me...

Kurt smiled softly when he heard these words. It made him feel sort of peaceful in Willow's presence.

"I like it a lot," said Kurt, giving Willow back her head phones.

"Me too," Willow said. "It always makes me less lonely."

"I guess ve are both less lonely now," Kurt said with a smile.

"Guess so," Willow said, nodding and returning the smile.

"You really like music, don't you?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, yeah, music's great," said Willow. "I play a little upright bass, but I'm not really any good."

"Really? I'd like to hear you play," Kurt said.

"Seriously, I'm not any good," Willow assured him.

"You know, I don't sink you give yourself ze credit zat you deserve," Kurt told her.

"I don't deserve any credit. I haven't done anything," Willow said.

"Yes you have. You took care of me ven I vas veak after teleporting. You bought me food. You made ze ground more pleasant to sleep on," he listed off.

"It was only moss," Willow said.

"But it vas soft moss," Kurt said seriously. Willow giggled a little at this. She couldn't wait to get home so she could spend more time with him.

"Know what we should do?" asked Willow, flying on a random tangent.

"Vat?" asked Kurt.

"Have a Kurt and Willow movie night," Willow said. "We'll watch a bunch of great, timeless movies like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Rocky Horror and The Princess Bride all in a row with snacks and soda until it's ridiculously late." Kurt smiled and chuckled at the thought.

"I vould like zat a lot," he said.

"Willow!" yelled Jackie.

"What?" called Willow looking over in the direction that Jackie's voice was coming from.

"You gonna come sleep?" asked Jackie.

"What time is it?" asked Willow.

"How the hell should I know? I don't got a watch," Jackie said sarcastically. "All I know is that it's dark, I'm tired, and I'm sharing a tent with you."

"I'll be there in a sec'," Willow said. She turned back to Kurt.

"Are you gonna sleep out here all by yourself?" asked Willow.

"I sink so," Kurt said.

"Sure they didn't put up a tent for you?" asked Willow.

"I'm fine out here," said Kurt. "But sank you for caring."

"D'you want some more of that soft moss to sleep on at least?" asked Willow.

"Yes, please," Kurt said happily. Willow's eyes glowed a soft green as she cast her hand out over the ground. Her favorite feathery moss came up out of the grass in a cushy mat. "Sank you," Kurt said as he felt it with his hand.

"I'm glad you like my moss," Willow said in an amused voice. She got up and brushed off the back of her pants. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Träume süß, mein Weide," he said as he curled up on his bed of moss.

"What's that?" asked Willow.

"It means 'sveet dreams,'" he told her with a small smile.

"Oh…well, sweet dreams to you too," she replied. Her cheeks went pink and her lips curled into an almost sheepish smile as she walked away from him.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Well, how was that? Pyro fans should probably cover their eyes and ears, cuz John's a HUGE ass-hole in the next chapter. You've been warned…