Hello Dear Readers! Just wanted to get this story out before the holidays are officially over and life gets back to normal. Remember how the boys plotted to spend the summer together, half with Kurt and Blaine and half with the O'Keefe family? Below, find the story from July, the month with the Hummel-Andersons.

Glee is not mine, just in case there was any confusion.

~oOo~

Kurt flew through the living room, grabbing items and stuffing them in his bag. "I'm late! I am frightfully late. Has anyone seen my keys?" he said to all in earshot.

Gavin put down the morning paper and stood, looking in all the places keys might hide. He spied them on an end table, partially hidden by an open novel. "Found them," he said, handing the keys to Kurt.

"Oh, thank god! I'm so…hey! Why are you here?"

Gavin shrugged his shoulders and said, "I decided to stay home. I thought Blaine and AJ might like to have some time by themselves today." Gavin looked at the floor and then to Kurt. "I just don't want to be in the way, you know?"

Kurt hitched his bag up on his shoulder and looked Gavin in the eye. "Gavin O'Keefe, I've never heard such nonsense in my life! AJ would never feel like you were in the way! You are so thoughtful, but really, son, you are as good as a member of this family, so let that 'I don't want to be in the way' stuff go, okay?"

"Well…"

"One thing you are going to find out by living with us for a few weeks is that the Hummel-Andersons tend to be pretty honest with each other. If AJ didn't want you around, he would have told you, understand?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah. I was just feeling a bit insecure. Thanks, Kurt."

"No problem. Now, I've got to get my sorry self to the theater before I find myself unemployed. Hey," Kurt said, pausing and looking at Gavin, "if you aren't doing anything, why don't you come with me. You can keep me company on the drive, and you can watch the production from the wings. Truly, the best seats in the house!"

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose," Gavin said, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Child, did you not hear anything I just said?"

"Right," Gavin giggled. "I'll leave a note for AJ and Blaine and I'll meet you in the car." He scrawled on paper quickly, grabbed his school bag, and headed out the door.

"Hustle, boy! I can't believe I'm running this late!" Kurt yelled as he made a beeline for his car.

~oOo~

In late June, two days after school got out for the summer, AJ and Gavin took a plane from Ohio to New York. Their plan for the summer was to spend July with Blaine and Kurt and then fly to California to spend the month of August with Pat and Molly O'Keefe and their brood. The boys presented the plan as a chance to get to know each other's families, but deep down, they knew that they couldn't bear spending two months apart. Lucky for them, both families bought into their plan, giving the boys an entire summer to hang out, travel with the respective families, and relax.

After setting some ground rules ("Separate bedrooms, boys," Blaine said upon their arrival. "We've already talked with Pat and Molly and the same rules will apply while you are in California") and getting settled in, everyone fell into the summer way of life, with meals eaten outside, swimming in the pool, running to the village for ice cream, and going to outdoor movies and concerts in the park. The boys stayed up late, slept in, and wore shorts and flip flops. While they both attempted to keep up with their summer assignments for Dalton ("This is cruel and unusual punishment!" Gavin exclaimed, when he first heard of Dalton's expectations for summer study), they usually abandoned their academic intentions for more entertaining pursuits, like Frisbee golf and water balloon fights and lounging by the pool.

A week into their stay, Gavin began to feel like he might be in the way. Although he realized he was probably being oversensitive, he didn't want to be a burden. Obviously, AJ and his dads were used to each other, used to being together. In a quiet fit of insecurity, Gavin decided to back away a bit and give AJ more time with his family. That morning, when Blaine announced that he needed to do a little research for his newest book at a historic site a couple of hours to the north, AJ asked if he and Gavin could tag along. Blaine, thrilled to have the company, told the boys he knew of the greatest restaurant in the town they'd be visiting and that they should mentally prepare themselves to experience the best apple pie they'd ever tasted. Gavin saw this as a chance to give his boyfriend some time with Blaine, so he politely declined, saying he needed to stay behind and study.

A few minutes later, when the boys were alone, AJ asked, "Gav, what's up?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"Well, one, you are willing to miss a field trip with Professor Blaine to do homework and two, apple pie. It's apple pie, Gavin!"

Gavin laughed. "I…you need some time with your family while we're here. This would be a good time for you and your dad to hang out together."

"Gav, please. You are my family too. The dads adore you. Truly, if you were being as big a pain in the ass as I'm sure you think you are, someone would let you know." AJ pulled Gavin towards him and hugged him tight. Gavin reciprocated, and planted a kiss on AJ's lips. "Come on. Join us. Join us!" AJ pleaded, using his very best puppy eyes and pouty mouth.

"I think I'll stay," Gavin said. "Really, I've got work to do because I'm a little behind. Remember that day I fell asleep and you kept reading the work for history? I've got to catch up. Can't have you ahead of me!" He grinned, trying to keep things light.

"Suit yourself," AJ continued, "but know that I'll miss you. Want me to bring you some of that pie my dad keeps drooling over?"

"That would be great! Go on! Have a fun day with your dad and you can tell me all about it when you get home."

"Okay, baby. I love you!" AJ said, as he went off in search of Blaine.

"Love you too." Gavin said.

~oOo~

"Traffic is mercifully light for this time of day. The driving gods are with us!" Kurt exclaimed.

"How long does it take to get to the theater?" Gavin asked.

"We have around thirty-five more minutes to go. Back in the day, I used to take the train into the city, but, well, I'm a little too recognizable to do that these days. I don't say that to be boastful, it's just…"

"I get it," Gavin said. "People in the village seem to be pretty cool about you, though. I've noticed when we're out and about, people give you your space and are pretty respectful."

"Truly, it's one of the things I love about our community. We've lived here so long and what I do on stage and the whole fame thing doesn't faze anyone in the village. There, I'm just Kurt, husband to Blaine and dad to AJ. I know that not everyone in the entertainment industry is afforded that kind of privacy, and believe me, I'm thankful every single day that I can run to the grocery store or watch a concert in the park without things getting out of hand." Kurt said.

"It has to be kind of cool sometimes, though, right? To be recognized and appreciated for the work you do," Gavin asked.

"You are right, it does. I never mind kind comments from someone who is respectful. It's the ones who go a bit crazy and get a little too pushy that I can't abide. Luckily, over the years I've gotten quite adept at recognizing when an encounter is about to go south. It's a skill, you know, getting out of those potentially difficult situations."

"Yeah, I'd hate that," Gavin said, before looking out the window.

"Gavin," Kurt said, sensing some apprehension on the boy's part, "I meant what I said earlier. AJ adores you; you know that, right?"

Gavin turned and looked at Kurt. "I do know that. Sorry for being kind of weird. It's just…I don't know. I know that AJ told you about the talk we had and that we are pretty serious about our long term plans to be together, like, forever."

"He did tell me. And you need to know that, while both of you are very young to be making that kind of a decision, Blaine and I are delighted to have you as a member of our family. You know our history and that we were in the same situation you find yourself in right now. As long as you keep being honest with yourselves and with each other, and then acting accordingly, no matter what happens, you'll be okay. Does that make sense?" Kurt asked.

"It does," Gavin said and then he paused as he tried to compose what he wanted to say to Kurt. "I guess I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself because this is really the first time we're all spending a whole lot of time together. I want to fit into your family and I want you and Blaine to like me at the end of July just as much as you did at the beginning. I just don't want to screw this up!" Gavin said, looking straight ahead.

Kurt was quiet for a few moments. "Would it help if I told you no one expects you to be perfect? Blaine and I don't expect AJ to be perfect and visa versa. Our family extends the grace to each other that allows us to screw up every once in a while. We see those mess ups as a chance to learn something about ourselves, not as a damnable offense. So, Gavin, relax," Kurt said, reaching over to pat Gavin's knee, "and quit trying to be perfect. We love you just the way you are."

Gavin smiled and let out a sigh. "Thanks, Kurt. That means a lot to me."

"We're just glad you're with us this month. Besides, I've always wanted another son!" Kurt looked at Gavin and grinned. "Hey, we're here! And only five minutes late. Impressive, if I do say so myself. Come on," Kurt said, grabbing his bag from the back seat, "you can hang out in my dressing room while I attend to some pre-show business." Gavin shouldered his book bag and followed Kurt through the stage door. Just inside, Kurt stopped and rubbed his hand on his temples.

"Are you okay?" Gavin asked.

"Uh, yeah. Fine. Must be my eyes adjusting from the light to the dark. Come along, I'll give you a tour along the way. Meet Jimmy, our backstage security guard. Jimmy, this is Gavin, AJ's boyfriend. He's staying with us for the month of July…"

~oOo~

By four o'clock that afternoon, after Blaine visited the sites he needed to see, plus had a very lengthy discussion with a knowledgeable librarian at the public library, AJ and his dad were on the road, towards home. Because Blaine knows his pie, AJ trusted that the dessert at the café would be a pastry experience of a lifetime, and it was. Not looking forward to the long trek home, AJ pulled out his phone to text Gavin, realizing that they hadn't been in contact with each other all day.

As he scrolled through his contacts, the phone rang and Gavin's smiling face appeared on the screen. AJ loved it when this happened, when he was about to call Gavin and Gavin had the same thought at the same time. Grinning, he answered his phone. "Hey, Gavvie! How's studying going?"

"AJ, listen very carefully. Put me on speaker." Gavin's serious tone made AJ stop breathing. He pushed the button so Blaine could hear what Gavin had to say. "I'm with Kurt and we're at the hospital. I went with him to the theater today and while he was running through a quick rehearsal, he passed out on stage. He hit his head on the set staircase, and he's still unconscious."

"Oh my god!" Blaine yelled. "Is he okay? What is happening right now?"

"The doctors are in with him. They haven't come out to tell me anything. How fast can you get here?" Gavin asked.

Blaine looked at the time and took a guess. "An hour, if I speed. Which hospital?" Blaine asked, obvious concern in his voice.

"Our Lady of Perpetual Mercy. The one closest to the theater. He's on the third floor, but I'm not sure which room. The doctors said they'd be out within the half hour to let me know what's going on," Gavin said.

"Gav," Blaine said, gently, "they probably won't let you know anything because you aren't technically family."

"Well, uh, I hope you don't mind, but I kind of lied and told the paramedics that I'm Kurt's son. It was the only way they'd let me ride along to the hospital. I'm sorry if that offends you or causes any…"

Despite his worry, Blaine grinned. "Gavin, you did the right thing. Hold on, son. We'll be there as soon as possible. Call AJ's phone when you know more."

"Okay. Will do. AJ?" Gavin asked.

"Yeah?"

"I can tell by how quiet you are that you are freaking out inside. Don't worry, baby. Kurt's going to be just fine, okay? I'll take good care of him until you get here, okay?"

"Thank you," AJ whispered.

"I love you AJ. You too, Blaine." Gavin said.

"Thanks, Gavin. We love you too. See you soon."

Fifteen minutes later, AJ's phone rang. Immediately, he put Gavin on speaker. "Good news!" Gavin said. "I just talked to the doctor and he said Kurt is awake and everything seems fine. They are talking to him now, trying to figure out what happened, but from what they can tell, there's nothing to worry about."

Blaine and AJ sighed so loud that Gavin could hear them, and laughed. "Relief, right?" he said, laughing.

"No kidding. Hey Gav, we're still a ways away, but thank you for being there and taking care of everything. We'll be there as soon as possible; the rest of our ride will a little less stressful, right AJ?"

"Totally!" AJ said. "Thank you, Gavin. You are…you…just, thank you."

Gavin laughed at his boyfriend's loss of words. "No worries. You'd do the same for me. No big deal. See you in a few."

~oOo~

"Gavin Hummel-Anderson?" A nurse stood at the edge of the waiting room. Gavin grinned to himself over his new name.

"Right here," he said, standing.

"Hi, I'm Renee. I'll take you back to see your dad, if you're ready. Follow me." As they walked down the hall, Renee filled him in. "Your dad is fine except for a big bump on his head. The doctor is just finishing up with him and he'll give you more details. Do you have a way to get him home?"

"Yeah, my… other dad will be here in thirty minutes or so."

"Here we are. Come on inside," Renee said, as she opened the door. Gavin peeked around the curtain to find Kurt sitting up in bed, a bandage on his forehead.

"Hi son!" Kurt said, brightly, winking at Gavin to let him know he knew.

"Hey, Dad!" Gavin moved forward and hugged Kurt.

"You are a smart, smart boy," Kurt whispered into Gavin's ear as they hugged. Gavin grinned and nodded his head.

"Gavin, is it? I'm Dr. Ammundson. Your dad and I were just talking. After running some preliminary tests, we're pretty sure this was a freak accident, if you will. The headache he had prior to entering the theater, plus a bit of stress and some dehydration created the perfect storm. We're running some blood tests just to make sure. As soon as we have those results, you are free to take him home."

"Well, that's good news!" Gavin said, grinning at Kurt. "Dad and AJ should be here any minute."

"Well, I'm going to go check to see if the blood work is back. I'll let you know as soon as I know something, one way or the other. Any questions I can answer?" Dr. Ammundson asked.

"I don't think so. Thank you, doctor. I appreciate your care and concern," Kurt said.

"The pleasure is mine. I still count your performance in West Side Story about, what, fifteen years ago, one of the best I've ever seen. It's been a delight treating you," Dr. Ammundson said.

"Thank you very much," Kurt said, shaking the doctor's hand. After the doctor left the room, Gavin looked at Kurt and they both started laughing.

"What happened? I was reading my English novel in your dressing room and suddenly Jimmy was yelling for me to 'Get your ass out on the stage!'" Gavin said, imitating Jimmy's deep voice.

"The last thing I remember is squinting towards the house because the lights were on, trying to see the director as we were conversing. My eyes did that weird telescoping thing, and that was that! I woke up here," Kurt said, touching his fingers to the bandage on his forehead.

"When I got to the stage, you were sprawled out on the floor. Moments later, the paramedics arrived and prepared you for transport. They looked at me and asked, 'You family?' I looked at Jimmy and he gave me a little nod, so I told them I was your son."

"Best move all day," Kurt said, smiling.

"Well, I'd like to say that was my first ambulance ride, but I've been the passenger-in-question for two others. I had to ride up front for your ambulance ride, but the paramedics were really good about telling me what was going on. They asked me all kinds of questions and I answered them, best I could," Gavin said.

Just then, the door to Kurt's room opened. Blaine and AJ rushed forward, showing Kurt with hugs and are-you-okays and we-were-worrieds. "Thanks to Gavin, everything is fine. The doc says I can head for home if the blood work comes back fine. I've been officially banished from performances for the next eight shows, so you boys are stuck with me at home."

"I'm just relieved it was nothing serious," Blaine said, kissing the bump on Kurt's head. As he pulled away, the door opened again.

"Dr. Ammundson, come meet the rest of my family!" Kurt said. After introductions and handshakes, the doctor delivered the good news.

"Everything appears normal. You are good to go home. I suggest you take some time off to rest up. Drink lots of water and keep your stress level down. Do you need a note to excuse you from your work?"

"Already banned," Kurt sighed.

"Good! You've got people looking out for you! Call me if you have any questions or if you experience any more fainting spells. Other than that, I think we're through." With that, Dr. Ammundson excused himself. Moments later, Renee entered the room with discharge papers and Kurt's clothes. Half an hour later, Kurt and Blaine were in the Range Rover; Gavin and AJ took Kurt's car.

As soon as they were on the freeway, AJ grabbed Gavin's hand and squeezed. "Thank you," he said, briefly looking at Gavin. "As sad as I was that you didn't go with us today, I'm glad you stayed behind and then went with Dad. I felt much better knowing you were with him."

Gavin sighed and looked at the ceiling of the car. "Who knew this would be such an eventful day! Hey," he said, turning to AJ, "I'm sorry about this morning. I was feeling totally insecure and in the way. I didn't want to take anything away from your time with your dads. Kurt gave me a good talking-to on the way into the city, and I think I see things pretty clearly now."

"Good!" AJ said, squeezing Gavin's hand again. "Like it or not, you are a part of the family."

"Well, I like it. Hey," Gavin said, "have you ever wondered how we're going to handle the whole last name thing after we get married? You've got two names. I've got one with an apostrophe. Using all three could be a mouthful and take about a million years to write out."

AJ laughed. "What brought this on?" he asked.

"The nurse called me Gavin Hummel-Anderson before she took me to Kurt's room. It took me by surprise…and I kinda liked it," Gavin said, blushing.

"Huh. Well, we have a couple of options and we've got some time to figure it out. Would you really give up your last name?" AJ asked.

"Yeah, I think I would. Would you?" Gavin asked.

"If it was important to you, in a second," AJ replied.

"Maybe, maybe we could come up with a totally new name. Something ultra-cool and edgy, like Danger. AJ Danger, Gavin Danger," Gavin said, laughing.

"I've said this before and I'm saying it again. YOU are a dork," AJ said, lifting Gavin's hand to kiss it.

"Ah, yes, but I'm your dork," Gavin said.

"And how lucky am I?" AJ asked.

~oOo~

The boys arrived home just a few minutes after Kurt and Blaine. Amid Kurt's protests, he was ensconced in the family room, charged with the task of choosing a movie for family movie night. Blaine was in the kitchen, popping popcorn in the microwave. AJ took drink orders from everyone and carried the glasses in on a tray. Gavin went to the laundry room for extra blankets and pillows. Soon, the lights were out, everyone was settled in with snacks and pillows.

"Have you seen this one," AJ asked Gavin.

"Well…"

"Let me guess, you've seen the beginning and the end, but you fell asleep…"

"Bingo!" Gavin said, starting to laugh.

"Shhhhh! The Peanut Gallery needs to be QUIET," Kurt hissed, causing everyone but Kurt to start giggling.

"Sorry!" three voices chorused, as Kurt voiced his disappointment at having to start the movie again to catch the first lines.

"If you miss the first lines, the rest doesn't make sense," Kurt explained.

"Annnnnnd, we've only seen this movie a dozen times?" Blaine countered.

"Hush, you. You are increasing my stress level. You wouldn't want me to faint again, would you?" Kurt asked, smiling at Blaine.

"Not at all, baby, not at all," Blaine said, kissing his husband.

"Hello! Children in the house!" AJ protested. "Please, keep the kissing to a minimum." Gavin giggled and stole a kiss from AJ.

"Hello! Parents in the house! Please keep the kissing to a minimum." Both Blaine and Kurt said together.

"Are you sure you want in this family?" AJ asked Gavin.

"Totally sure," Gavin replied, resting his head on AJ's shoulder.

~oOo~

There you are!

Have a beautiful day tomorrow! And every day, for that matter!

GirlFromTheWest xxoo