“Hes my boyfriend,” Blaine said, maybe a bit too loud. He could feel Kurt stiffen, his face a blank mask he used when he withdrew from the people around him. Blaine caught it and a coldness went through his body, a sort of panic going through his own bloodstream at feeling the stress in his boyfriend. People in the lobby of the hotel turned their heads.

“Hush!” the woman said. Kurts arms tightened around Blaine as he pulled the boy closer.

“Mother...” Blaine huffed, scowling at the woman.

“Charlotte!” Blaines grandmother said at the same time, stepping in front of her daughter as if to shield Blaine from her.

“Lets move this over to a quieter place,” Grandfather said, his hand on his daughters shoulder as if to guide her. Cooper followed – almost herding Kurt and Blaine over to an alcove at the side of the room.

They all stood, staring at each other for a moment when they were joined by yet another man.

The new man, not too tall but with a commanding presence, put his arms around Cooper. After a big hug he turned to Blaine. Looking at Kurt, whose arms were still around his boyfriend, he spoke.

“May I hug my son? I promise to give him right back,” TC Anderson said, grinning at Kurt.

“Ah...of course...” Kurt said, a bit in awe of the man. This was Blaines father? He looked so much like Andy it was uncanny. Kurt got a funny feeling in his stomach – of everything being rushed and tangled and confused. He wanted to reach out to Blaine, let his boyfriend ground him for a few minutes before they moved on, but that wasnt going to happen. Kurt was well aware of Charlottes scrutiny as he stood in the lobby, searching the faces in front of him, wondering which would be his ally and which might not.

TC claimed his son, hugging him tightly and dropping a kiss to his cheek just as he had with Cooper.

“Thomas...” Charlotte interrupted. “We havent been introduced to this young man.” Her gaze was not unfriendly, but neither was it welcoming. It was more neutral, as if she were waiting to see if Kurt might be worthy of her time to get to know him. He tried to stand still, to not appear nervous in front of Blaines parents.

“Well, by all means, I think its about time. I am TC Anderson, Blaines father,” he said with a smile, shaking Kurts proffered hand.

“Kurt Hummel,” he said, actually staring at TC.

TC stopped and stared back until his wife poked him in the side. He was at a loss – he knew that name as well as he knew his own, and this boy looked like the Kurt Hummel he knew. “How...?”

Blaine saw the confusion and pain in his fathers eyes.

“Dad, we need to talk. I promise, I can explain everything. First, let me introduce everyone?” Blaine said quietly to his father, sliding a hand into his grip and squeezing. TC looked back at his son and smiled a shaky smile, looking vulnerable. TC stared for almost a full minute, then gave his son a sad smile and squeezed his hand.

“Okay, son,” he said quietly so that only Blaine heard him. His son gave him a nod and turned his attention to the other people in the room to introduce his boyfriend. He knew his father understood what he had asked and agreed to it. He sighed, thankful he had such a good rapport with his dad, even after a few years.

“Grandfather and Grandmother, this is my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel. Kurt, this is my grandfather, Alton Darling, and my grandmother, Genevieve Brock Darling,” Blaine said. Kurt shook hands with both of them.

“And Mother, this is Kurt. Kurt, my mother, Charlotte Anderson,” Blaine said, giving his mother a look that meant she had best be on good behavior. Actually, Blaine wasnt worried, his father was here and he would keep her in line.

“Pleased to meet you, Mrs Anderson,” Kurt said formally, taking her hand and shaking it gently. This seemed to please her and she smiled at Kurt.

“Shall we go into the restaurant and get some brunch?” Genevieve asked. Everyone agreed and they filed through the door and were seated. Blaine sat next to Kurt, holding his hand firmly under the table. He leaned over to give him a quick kiss as he sat down after helping his grandmother with her chair.

TC sat close to his son at the head of the table. Menus were perused and brunch ordered, all very sociable. As they began to eat, TC kept looking at his son, wondering why he didnt tell him what was going on – but not sure if it was something that Blaine wanted to say with everyone there.

The weather was talked about, the plane ride from America, Coopers schooling and internship that was about to come up. Blaine talked about his Jaguar and the house in Lima. TC and Charlotte told the boys how they had heard from Cooper that they would be in Melbourne for the International Show Choir competition over the Christmas holiday, so they had come from Europe to have a family reunion of sorts.

After the meal, Blaine asked his father to accompany him back to his room to retrieve the rest of his luggage for the trip to Dromana to his grandparents home.

~ ~ ~ KB ~ ~ ~

Walking inside the door to the room, Kurt and Blaine sat down on the edge of the bed, TC on the chair.

“I cant get over how much you look like your brother!” Kurt gasped, still staring at TC.

“You....you knew my brother?” TC asked, the surprise showing all over his face.

“He and Andy were good friends,” Blaine told his dad. “He was there when Uncle Andy died.”

TC sat still, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

“By the time I was told about Andys condition, it was too late” TC said, almost to himself as he looked around the room, then down at his feet. “I had just gotten a ticket home to Ohio when I got another call that Andy was gone. I have felt so guilty that I wasnt there. I knew the funeral had been arranged, there was no reason to fly home when he was already gone – I just didnt have the heart to come then, so I stayed in Italy. Its my fault for not calling him more often. Im afraid I wasnt a good brother at the end.”

“He wasnt in any pain, Mr. Anderson, I promise you that,” Kurt assured him, his hand stretched out to give a comforting touch, but at the last moment Kurt was just unable to touch TC. He pulled back, blinking fast to stem the tears and Blaine moved closer, his hand gripping Kurts and his other arm around Kurts waist.

“They called me that evening,” Kurt said, “and my dad took me right away. Andy told me he was cold, but I knew he just wanted someone to hold him. I climbed up on the bed and held him in my arms – he told me he was tired of missing Buddy and it was time to go and be with him. He made me promise to make something of myself. Then he got confused I think. He kept calling me Buddy. There were a few minutes at the end, though, when he was very clear once again. He said hed never leave me. He said he loved me,” Kurt managed to get out before he was sunk into Blaines arms, crying unashamedly, missing his friend.

TC and Blaine were both in tears, also missing Andy. It was a few moments before any of them were able to gather themselves and stop the tears. Blaine had taken out his handkerchief and was gently dabbing at Kurts tears, kissing his face.

“Oh, I am so glad you were there for him, Kurt. So glad,” TC said. “How did you come to know Andy?”

Blaine and Kurt explained the whole story, laughing in the funny moments and being sincere in others.

“You know that Buddys real name was Kurt Hummel, dont you?” TC asked.

“Yes, Blaine told me. I have no idea if Im related to him or not. My dad and mom lived in St Marys when they got married and when I was a kid, but I know Dads family was from somewhere close to Westerville. I asked him once, but all he knew was there there were a lot of cousins. I think there must be some relation, though. Ive see pictures of Buddy and we look a lot alike. No wonder you stared at me when we met,” Kurt said.

“Sorry about that...it was a bit of a shock, as you can imagine – seeing what appeared at first to be my brother and his lover standing there...” TC said, still in a bit of shock over it all. “Where did you see a picture of Buddy? I remember he didnt want one in the nursing home, said it hurt too much to think of him every day.” TC said, shaking his head slowly.

“Oh, at the apartment. Andy left me his apartment,” Kurt said, timidly. He wasnt sure how Andys brother would take knowing a stranger now owned his beloved brothers apartment.

“Im happy you do. Andy and Buddy lived a wonderful life there,” TC said. He glanced down at his watch. “The others are going to wonder whats been keeping us. We better get down there – leaving your mother too long with her parents might spark a bit of trouble. Lets go.”

Back down in the lobby, the boys and TC found Blaines grandparents sitting with their daughter and Cooper.

“All ready to go?” Alton Darling asked, smiling at the boys.

“Yes, all packed,” Blaine answered. “Whats the plan?” he asked his big brother.

“You and Kurt are going to Dromana for a few days, Im staying here with the rest of the Warblers,” Cooper said, “Mum and Dad are going to open their apartment. Everyone is meeting here for the competition, then Mum and Dad have asked us all to have Christmas with them at their apartment.”

“You can fit all twelve of the Warblers plus the chaperons?” Kurt asked.

“Of course. You let us worry about that,” Charlotte smiled. Kurt was quite surprised by the smile, considering her earlier remarks, but decided to just let it go. He was hoping Blaines parents would like him.

~ ~ ~ KB ~ ~ ~

The drive to Dromana was picturesque. It was summer in the southern hemisphere and Kurt couldnt get his head straight about it – it just seemed so strange to him. Blaine noticed his silence and pulled him closer, letting Kurt lay his head on his shoulder.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“I was just trying to make myself believe its Christmas time in spite of no snow,” he told his boyfriend. “It does seem strange to me – but then, snow on Christmas probably sounds strange to you.”

“No – Ive lived in enough places that nothing like that is strange to me anymore. Im fine with any weather. I was thinking you might be missing your dad,” Blaine said, knowing how close Kurt and his father were.

“Ive never had a Christmas without him,” Kurt said, sounding sad.

“You can call him. That might make you feel a bit better?” Blaine asked, stroking his fingers down Kurts cheek. There were no tears to wipe away, but he did sound so forlorn that Blaine wanted to make it all better.

“Yeah, I will call him. On the other hand, your whole family is going to be together!” Kurt smiled.

“For the first time in....ah....six years. Yeah, I hope it turns out to be as special as Im imagining,” Blaine said, hope in his voice.

“Will all the guys fit in their apartment?” Kurt asked. Blaine giggled.

“Oh, yeah. I am fairly sure they will – and about half of Dalton, too. Lets just say -its a big apartment.”

“Do your parents live in Dromana, too?”

“No, they live in Melbourne. We lived in an apartment in Eureka Towers. Youll love it. Are you scared of heights?”

“No...not that I know of. Why?” Kurt asked.

“Youll see...” Blaine answered with a smirk on his face. No matter how much Kurt tried to get the story out of him, Blaine would not budge.

As the boys talked, they kind of forgot the two people riding in the front seat of the car and let their language slip.

“Im glad were spending our first Christmas together, baby,” Blaine said, kissing Kurts cheek. Kurt leaned his head on Blaines chest, snuggling into the spot he felt most comfortable, his face buried in Blaines neck.

When the car rounded a sharp turn, Kurt sat up again. Blaine could just reach the outside of Kurts neck by leaning forward and he nipped playfully before kissing him gently on the tender flesh. Kurt moaned just a tiny bit, down in his throat but covered it with a sort of fake cough.

“Im glad, too, my love. I hope never to miss Christmas with you again for the rest of our lives,” Kurt cooed back, his whisper a warm breath in Blaines ear.

Genevieve let her hand over near her husbands and he took it, smiling at her as they drove along the road.

~ ~ ~ KB ~ ~ ~

“Here we are, boys!” Alton announced as he brought the car to a halt.

Blaine sat up. He was cuddled with Kurt in the back seat of the car where they had fallen asleep. He put a hand to Kurts shoulder and woke him up, too.

Kurt sat up and gazed out the window, startling as he saw Buddy smiling back at him from the grass outside the car. He rubbed his eyes, then looked again – but there was nobody there. It must have been a dream. He wondered how hed fallen so deeply asleep, then looked up at Blaine and a slow smile crossed his face.

“Hi, baby,” he whispered, winking at his boyfriend. Blaine winked back and gave him a hand up.

The boys got out of the car and looked around. Blaine was familiar with the vista of the winery and could really appreciate Kurts open amazement as he looked a the grape arbors that ran down the hills in straight rows as far as the eye could see. In the far distance was just a slice of the ocean between two hills covered in green. Blaine took Kurt by the shoulders and turned him to the side so he could see the stables. Farther away behind those were the buildings housing the winery.

Kurt turned a bit further, facing away from Blaine now, and saw the house. It was made of gray stones with a wide wrap-around porch and gardens in bloom all around the house and the paths.

“This is so beautiful, Mr and Mrs Darling! Its like a fairy tale come to life,” Kurt said, his eyes looking everywhere at once.

“Thank you, Kurt dear. How nice of you to say. We do find it comfortable,” Genevieve said, “I hope you find it comforting, too.”

“I know I will, thank you for inviting me,” Kurt said politely, smiling at the woman with soft gray hair pinned up in a bun on her head. She smiled back, a gold tooth gleaming in her mouth.

Blaine took Kurts hand.

“Is it okay for me to show him around?” Blaine asked, a big smile on his face.

“Of course, Bee. We were planning a picnic of sorts out under the red eucalyptus trees. Can you be back in about an hour?” Genevieve asked, gazing at Blaine.

“Yes, maam. I think Ill take him down to the lower vineyard, then over and back by the south trail. That should bring us back here right on time,” Blaine calculated, then took Kurts hand.

“Have fun, boys,” Alton said and waved as they walked towards the grape vines.

“There sure are a lot of grapes,” Kurt said, looking around himself. The weather was so nice, warm with an salt-smelling breeze. “Are we close to the ocean?”

“Yes, its just over those hills at the end of this vineyard. Were going that way, so well pass by the best view,” Blaine assured him.

They strolled along a path between the uniformly growing vines, each attached to the framework behind it to keep them growing properly. Kurt was in awe of them, looking around it seemed there were enough grape vines to reach half across Melbourne. He commented on that and Blaine laughed.

“Actually, this is a fairly small winery. Since its family owned, there can only be enough planted that we can tend. The company-owned wineries are much larger. Grandpa grows three kind of grapes here, and they make four wines from them. Later we can go into the buildings and theyll let us taste some of the different kinds.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun,” Kurt said, looking forward to learning something new. “So, since this is family run, do they expect you to come back when you get out of school?”

“I dont think so. Neither Cooper or I were very interested in living here or running it. My cousins that live near here will probably inherit it, which is fine with me. My uncles have been working here since they were little kids, and now their kids work here. Youll meet them – probably at lunch.”

“Oh, more people? Im glad to meet anyone that youre related to – are they as cute as you?” Kurt giggled.

“No, I get most of my looks from dads side of the family – not so much from my mom. They all have straight blond hair. I got this curly mess straight from Dad,” Blaine said, running his hands through the unruly curls and inadvertently causing them to fluff up even more. Kurt grinned, but pulled Blaine close so he could coax the curls into behaving.

“Thank you, baby. I was in such a hurry this morning I forgot to put the gel in my hair,” Blaine admitted. Kurt thought it must have been something big for Blaine to forget his gel. He smirked, looking at his boyfriend. Blaine could see the hidden smile and scowled at Kurt.

“No teasing, baby, or Ill leave you alone in the maze and youll never find your way out.”

“What maze?” Kurt asked.

“Oh, darn it. Me and my big mouth. It was supposed to be a surprise. Im taking you to The Enchanted Adventure Garden tomorrow,” Blaine said, clearly irritated with himself. He had meant it to be a Christmas present.

“Oh? Whats that?” Kurts eyes sparkled. It sounded like a wonderful place to go.

“You, my dear, will see it tomorrow,” Blaine said, placing a soft kiss on Kurts lips as they stopped in the middle of the vines.

Walking around the vineyard, Kurt got the feel of the place, as if it had been there for a thousand years. It just felt old, but still alive. He had only gotten that same feeling when he visited the redwoods in California.

“You look like you have a million thoughts in that head of yours, my love. Whats going on up there?” Blaine asked as they walked quietly between the vines. They were full of big leaves which blocked the sights and sounds of the vineyard around them. It was like being in a private, enclosed space away from other people, isolated but not in a negative way, it also felt alive in every sense of the word.

“Blaine? Do you feel it, too?” Kurt asked, knowing Blaine would understand what he meant.

“Yes, I do. I always have – I used to come out here when I was depressed from school and the bullies. I felt brave here, somehow protected? I dont know how to describe it. I never brought anyone here, Kurt. It is so private to me, as if its a part of me. As if the grapes can feel that I belong here, you know?”

“But you told me you didnt want the winery? How could you turn it down when it gives you that feeling of belonging?” Kurt asked, confused.

“Its...well, I do feel that way here, but I dont feel as if the wine is in my blood. I can feel good here, but I wouldnt lose any of that if my cousins owned it. They would have no problem with me coming to visit and I could walk out here any time I liked,” Blaine tried to explain.

“Yeah, I get it. What do you want to do with your life then? Have you given thought about your future?”

“Yeah, I think about it all the time. I try on different occupations in my head, like trying on hats to see which one fits the best. I havent come to any conclusions, though. Not yet. I have plenty of time to decide, right?” Blaine asked, his eyebrows climbing up his forehead in such a sweet way, Kurt was distracted for a moment as he looked at Blaine.

“Yeah, I guess we do....or not? We are a semester away from graduation, Bee. Havent you given anything a serious look-over? College time will be here before you know it,” Kurt reminded him.

Blaine just lowered his shoulders in defeat. He wasnt sure how he could bring up the subject of him moving to New York, he knew Kurt wanted to go to college there, so Blaine had planned to move there, too.

“Im going to run ahead, Kurt. Catch me if you can!” Blaine shouted before dodging into a group of vines and then off down the rows, Kurt in hot pursuit. The question of college left far behind - at least for now.

“Blaine?” Kurt called, not sure if it was allowed to shout in this place that was half-sacred to Blaine. He leaned over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He studied the dirt path, seeing so many footprints in the damp ground and wondering if he could pick out Blaines from all the rest.

As Kurt looked down, Blaine sneaked up behind him, swatting him on his butt and took off again in the other direction. This time Kurt paid closer attention and caught up to him, neatly tackling Blaine in a the middle of an intersection of paths.

“Oooffff!” Blaine huffed as he landed on his hip with Kurt on top of him. He turned, cat-like, as he fell and Kurt found himself wrapped in Blaines arms on the ground.

“Mmmmm...” Kurt hummed as Blaine kissed him. The kiss went from gentle and soft to more urgent before Kurt struggled out of Blaines arms and was up and gone down a different row of uniform grapevines. He was careful not to step on any plants, worried about squashing any of the good-smelling fruit.

“Kurt!” Blaine called, looking around to see if he could determine any plants moving to indicate where his boyfriend had fled. He stood stock still for a moment, listening, then sprinted off in the direction of some heavy breathing to the south. He pulled up short, having lost the sound and was looking around when he was tripped from behind, once more landing with Kurt on top of him. This time instead of kisses, Kurt was administering tickles and Blaine writhed on the ground underneath him, struggling to stop giggling and get some revenge. Kurt was up and running away once again...

They ended up chasing each other through half the maze of vines towards the South Path - until Blaine fell and broke a branch on one vine. He got very upset with himself, knowing he was in trouble once again for rough-housing in the vineyard.

He began thinking he should go see if Kurt was doing okay - he hadnt heard the boy stop, so he was probably still working his way away from Blaine.

“Kurt, come back,” he called and was startled when he saw Kurt had doubled back and was standing behind him.

“You okay, Bee?”

“Im fine, but I broke a branch on one of the vines. I need to go tell someone – I feel awful about it,” Blaine said, taking Kurts offered hand and walking towards a truck parked at the end of a neighboring row.

“Blaine!” a girl shouted, jumping off the truck and swinging Blaine around in a circle.

“Hi, Ronnie, how are you?” he asked, hugging the girl close to his chest and kissing her cheek loudly.

“Fine now that youre here. I was beginning to think you were never coming back to Dromana,” she said, holding him at arms length to get a good look at him. “Now, who do we have here?”

“This is Kurt Hummel, my boyfriend,” Blaine grinned, putting an arm around Kurt to pull him close. “Kurt, this is my cousin, Veronica Darling.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Kurt said, smiling. He had felt a tingle of jealousy run down his back to his stomach when the girl and Blaine were hugging. He should have known this was a relative – Blaine had told him they were running the winery.

“Lucky Blaine!” she crowed and hugged Kurt – who froze, never having had a girl hug him like this since he and Mercedes were friends back in 7th grade. “Good to meet you, Kurt.”

Blaine lowered his head, looking very guilty – like a whipped pup.

“Ronnie, I was running through the rows and chasing Kurt and...well, I tripped,” Blaine confessed.

“You broke a branch,” Veronica said, looking sternly at her younger cousin.

“Yeah.”

“You know what Grandma Genevieve would do?”

“Yeah. I can cut it and make it okay – no need to worry her, right?” Blaine asked like a little boy.

“What?” Kurt asked, now curious seeing Blaine acting so out of character.

“She would take the broken vine and switch him with it,” Veronica told Kurt. “Im surprised he doesnt have scars after the summers he spent here, he always broke a vine and she always switched him. He never learned, apparently,” the girl explained with a small grin on her face. She tried to wipe it off, but it just kept coming back.

“Hey, I never got switched as often as Cooper and you know it,” Blaine said, looking haughty. Ronnie bent over in a belly laugh.

“Please tell me he came with you – right?” she asked.

“Yes, hes one of the chaperons of our show choir. Hes back in Melbourne with them until the competition on Saturday, but you know hell come see you before we go back to Ohio.”

“He better!” Veronica grinned. “We need to head up to the main house for the picnic – want a ride in the truck?”

“Nah, but thank you. I want to show Kurt the South Path by the ocean. Well be there in time for the food – I can smell the pork cooking from here,” Blaine grinned. He gave his cousin another warm hug and took Kurts hand to show him the path. Veronica got a cute smile on her face, her eyes dancing as she looked at her younger cousin.

“Ah, well – dont let me get in the way of romance. Ill check that broken vine and see you in a little while.”

“It was good to meet you,” Kurt said, minding his manners. He knew he was going to like Ronnie a lot.

“You, too, Kurt. Take good care of my baby cuz, he tends to need watching over, but you probably already knew that, eh?” she said.

Kurt laughed.

They parted ways, Kurt following Blaine back into the vines along a crushed seashell path that led to the back of the vineyard and around a hill before turning back to the house. The air smelled more and more like the salty sea and Kurts eyes were full of the beautiful view of this arm of water as they walked around the hill.

“Is that the ocean?” Kurt asked, looking out across the azure blue water. They were up on a hill and the water was shining in the sunlight at the base of the land. It was about a quarter mile to the beach, but it felt closer.

“Well, not really. That is Port Phillip Bay, the harbor. Its sheltered from the ocean here, but thats where the water comes from,” Blaine explained, sweeping his hand to the northwest, towards the water.

“Oh...its beautiful here,” Kurt said in awe.

“Just to give you some bearings, Tasmania is to the south of us. You cant see it from here, but it lies about 350 miles to the south,” Blaine informed him.

“I wanted to visit there when I was a kid! I dreamed about the lemurs and finding my own Tasmanian devil,” Kurt gushed, his eyes bright as he remembered his childhood dream. Blaine watched him, delighted at the sudden animation in his face.

“Ive been a few times. Cooper and I went with some of the cousins to the wildlife preserve. We got to see baby Taz devils – they are sooo cute. Not as cute as baby wombats, but close. I wish we had time to go over and see them.”

“We wont? I thought we werent headed home until the day after Christmas?” Kurt asked.

“Yes, but Cooper and I planned some other things we thought youd like.”

Kurt grinned, knowing they were probably great things knowing the Anderson brothers.

The two took hands and walked towards the house, swinging their arms and singing Christmas carols. Coming around a bend, they saw the picnic set out under the huge red eucalyptus trees. Blaine squeezed Kurts hand and pulled him along, anxious to introduce him to his extended family.