Author's Note:

Eep, I just totally forgot yesterday was Monday, seeing as it was a holiday! Sorry about that, and here's your new chapter. Okay, so, seeing as there are TWO Kurts in this story and that can get confusing, I'm going to tell you each time which Kurt we're reading the point of view of. Chapter 3 is all about 1920s Kurt, who's finding out that he has a doppelgänger and a prospective bride.

Chapter 3: Courting Lieselotte

November 1925

"Kurt?"

His father's loud voice startled Kurt out of his reverie. He'd been stocking the shelves in the storage room behind the store, but his mind had been more on Blaine than on the buckets he'd been stacking.

"Yes, Father?"

Kurt went back into the store to see what his father wanted, and saw that Burt was… smiling?

"Why didn't you tell me about this girl you're seeing? Her uncle was here just now, praising you for being such a good kid, who'd apparently saved his wallet from thieves yesterday and then danced with his niece Lieselotte all evening, treating her like a princess."

Kurt's mouth fell open. He'd gone to bed right after dinner yesterday and cried himself to sleep, heartbroken that his father had forbidden him to go to back to The Dalton, seeing as he never brought home a girl and wouldn't confess why he always stayed much later than the rest of the family.

"I don't get why you've kept mum about this, son," Burt continued. "I know I'm strict and I make you work hard, but I do it because I care about you, okay? I want what's best for you. You know you can tell me about this stuff, right? Mr Hartz said you're thinking about becoming a car salesman, too. I haven't heard a peep about that from you either. What did you think, that I would be mad at you? I wouldn't. I know very well that you won't take over this store once I retire. And that's okay. I'll leave it to Jeremy. If you'd rather sell cars, then go right ahead."

Kurt must have done a very convincing impression of a fish right then. As soon as he found his voice again, he croaked, "You… You wouldn't mind?"

Burt smiled. "No. I know how you are about cars. And hey, if you marry his niece, you might end up running the car dealership and service garage one day!"

Kurt, who now remembered Mr Hartz as an affable man who'd once kept talking to his father at the store for nearly half the afternoon, still didn't understand what had happened, and why the man seemed to think Kurt had danced with his niece. He didn't even know what the girl looked like!

He stammered something unintelligible, and when his father winked at him, he felt his face heat up and cursed himself for it.

Burt seemed to take that as a confirmation that Kurt did have designs on the girl. "You know, I'd never have forbidden you to go dance at The Dalton if you'd TOLD me you were seeing someone. Hartz is a good guy, and I'm sure his family is too, so I really don't get why you kept this a secret. You have my blessing, son. Go court her as often as you like. Bring her home as soon as you've proposed, and I promise I'll be nothing but nice to her."

Kurt, still very confused, managed to get himself together just enough to whisper "Thanks" and then excuse himself to the storage room again.

He had no idea what had happened – did he have a doppelgänger? – but one good thing that had come of it was that he'd be able to go to The Dalton again to see Blaine.

K&B

That evening, Kurt went back to The Dalton. He felt a bit guilty now about the letter filled with despair that he'd left for Blaine only the day before.

He decided to slip into Blaine's dressing room and wait there until his performance was over. He'd brought a book to pass the time, and happily lost himself in the fantasy world it described.

"Kurt!"

Blaine sounded breathless and overwhelmed, and Kurt looked up with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about the letter. It seems like I panicked for nothing. My dad talked to me today and said there was talk of me courting a girl, and if that was the case I could come to The Dalton as often as I liked. So here I am!"

Kurt gave Blaine his sunniest smile, but Blaine continued looking at him as though Kurt were a ghost.

"Blaine? Are you okay?"

Blaine huffed out a laugh. "I hardly know. I… I need to talk to you about something. And I need you to believe me, and not call me crazy."

Kurt nodded slowly. "Okay."

Nothing could have prepared him for the story that followed. A doppelgänger? And not only that, but someone from the future? His own great-grandson? And that was the one who'd been courting a girl for him?

When Blaine stopped talking, Kurt half expected him to laugh and say, "Fooled ya!"

But Blaine looked at him so earnestly and pleadingly that it was clear he wasn't joking. That he truly believed everything he'd told Kurt.

"Wow," said Kurt. "This sounds like something from a Jules Verne novel."

Blaine's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Yes. Yes, it does."

"And so this other Kurt advises me to marry the girl? What's her name again? And what does she look like?"

Blaine described the girl – tall, blonde, blue-eyed, buxom, slender, her hair in a crown of plaits around her head.

Kurt snorted. "Too bad I don't care for women, 'cause she sounds like a looker."

Blaine smiled. "She's really pretty, yes."

"And this other Kurt danced with her? And saved her uncle's wallet from being stolen?"

"Yes."

"And now the uncle wants to recruit me to sell cars."

"Yes."

"I'd like that," Kurt mused, getting lost in a daydream for a moment.

When he looked up, Blaine's eyes were brimming with tears, but he smiled as he said, "Well, it seems like you have a bright future ahead of you."

Kurt wanted to back-track and assure Blaine of his love, but before he could get a word out, Blaine continued, "No, no, don't placate me. We both knew it would come to this. All we could ever have is stolen moments, and at one point, that would have to stop. I'm happy for you, Kurt. Truly, I am. You'll have a job that you love, and Lieselotte may not be who you'd pick to spend your life with if you could choose freely, but she's the next best choice. Sweet and pretty, well-connected. You could do a lot worse. So, I'm going to wish you good luck, and goodbye. Have a good life, Kurt Hummel."

As Kurt's mouth worked to get words out that refused to come, Blaine's back straightened, he got up, gave Kurt one last pained smile and a little wave, and left the dressing room.

Kurt's head swam. This could not be happening. This could not be the end. He'd been so hopeful when he came here, so sure that they'd be able to work things out. But Blaine had given up on him already, it seemed.

Kurt didn't dare venture further into the hotel to find Blaine, but resolved to come back and reason with him. He refused to give up on Blaine that easily.

K&B

Kurt, sticking to his resolve, returned the next evening to reason with Blaine, but got the shock of his life when he saw Blaine on the front steps of The Dalton talking to someone who looked just like him.

Kurt hastened to hide himself behind a tree on the sidewalk, hulking in the shadows and peeking out at the duo on the steps.

So there IS a doppelgänger! This is insane. How can this be happening? He looks EXACTLY like me, right down to the cleft in his chin. Even his hair looks the same as mine, though I don't know anyone else with a pompadour as high as mine! Is he really my great-grandson? And what is he saying that makes Blaine look so sad?

Kurt's great-grandson didn't talk to Blaine for very long. He hurried inside the hotel. Blaine looked perplexed at his sudden departure, but shrugged and followed after him at a much slower pace.

Kurt didn't dare go inside, but peeked into the windows of the hotel to see the occupants of the ballroom. His doppelgänger was dancing with a girl that fit Blaine's description.

What was her name again? Something that ends in 'lotte'…

The girl was laughing and chatting a mile a minute. Kurt's great-grandson looked at her fondly, and whirled her around the dance floor with practised ease.

Then, they went to sit with the girl's family, and the doppelgänger struck up a conversation with one of the men. The girl's father? Nah, that was probably the scowling one.

After about half an hour, Kurt's lookalike stood up and left, the girl smiling at him besottedly.

Kurt hesitated but then moved towards the hotel's entrance to intercept his great-grandson and talk to him. Only, as soon as the man stepped onto the sidewalk, a gust of wind enveloped him and he vanished instantly.

Seconds later, the girl came running out of the hotel, spotted Kurt and came to him. "Kurt! This must have fallen off your waistcoat just now."

She held out her hand, and in it was a brooch that Kurt recognised. White gold and intricately detailed, it portrayed a blooming rose, complete with thorns.

"It used to be my mother's," Kurt told her. That was true. There was a portrait of his mother hanging over the mantelpiece at home, and she was wearing teardrop earrings and this brooch. Kurt noticed that it looked a bit older and more worn than in the portrait, but still in good condition.

The girl beamed at him. "Is that why you always have it on your lapel? That's so sweet!"

"She died when I was born," Kurt blurted out.

The girl's eyes grew sad. "And this is how you keep her close to your heart? Well, let me put it back on your lapel, then."

Kurt panicked. His coat was similar to his great-grandson's, but the suit he was wearing underneath certainly wasn't, and she'd know instantly.

"No! No, I'd like you to have it, please," he said, his words tumbling out gracelessly in his haste.

The girl raised her eyebrows.

"Please. I… Forgive me if this is too forward, but…"

Inwardly, Kurt cursed himself. He was SO bad at this. How was he ever to make a girl believe he loved her?

But the girl blushed and lowered her eyes, and then put her hand on his. "Yes. I know. I feel it too. We clicked from the very first moment."

Never mind that it wasn't me… Thank heavens you can't seem to tell the difference!

"Would you… Would you put it on me?"

Kurt looked at her with wide eyes, but when she only smiled at him encouragingly and held out her hand for him to take the brooch, he took it and fumbled until it was fastened to her dress and he was blushing up a storm.

"Thank you," the girl said, and she kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Lieselotte! Come back inside! Now!"

The booming voice startled them both, but then Lieselotte laughed. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

Kurt looked at her like a deer in the headlights, and then nodded, speechless, his cheeks still burning.

"See you then! And thank you for the brooch, it's beautiful!"

She jumped up the steps and disappeared.

Kurt watched her go and then let out his breath in a woosh.

Phew, that was close.

Back home, he opened what had been his mother's closet, and rummaged until he found her jewellery box. The brooch was still there, and in pristine condition.

His heart beating wildly, he took it out of the box and put it in his pocket. Then, he carefully put everything back where it belonged and went to bed.

His last thought before sleep claimed him was, I need to get that brooch back to the other Kurt.