A couple of days later Blaine is driving himself and Kurt to his grandmother’s house. “I called her the other day and asked if we could come today; and she said she was prepared.” he states as he parks the car beside the truck.

“Uh-huh.”

They walk up the stairs and Blaine knocks on the door before turning to Kurt, who looks really worried. “Are you nervous?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Don’t be. I’m sure she’ll be able to figure something out.” Blaine pats Kurt reassuringly on the shoulder.

“Hello boys.” They turn to Lily who’s just opened the front door. “How are you two today?”

“Fine, grandma.” Blaine says. “But Kurt’s a little nervous.”

“Oh, don’t be, darling. It’ll be fine.” She leads them into the house and they sit down on one of the sofas while the little lady walks into the kitchen to make them tea.

Kurt scoots closer to Blaine. “What if it doesn’t work? What if I’ll never be able to see my mom?” he whispers, meeting Blaine’s eyes.

Blaine sees the tears about to form there and flips his hand over on his knee. Kurt hesitantly entwines his fingers with Blaine’s, which start to tingle with warmth. “Then I’ll translate for you as long as you’ll let me. But don’t worry. I can see you, and I couldn’t at first. It’ll be fine.” But Blaine is secretly trying to reassure himself as much as he’s trying to reassure Kurt. How would Kurt react if he for the second time during his existence found out that he could never talk to his mother again? And what would Blaine do to comfort him?

“Thank you.” Kurt whispers as Blaine’s hand starts to sting from the warmth. Blaine scrunches his nose up a little and Kurt looks confused for a second before letting go quickly. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, no!” Blaine says, torn between the relief of not feeling like his hand is in scolding water and the emptiness of not being able to physically feel Kurt’s presence. “It just-“

“It’s the warmth you were talking about when we were in Columbus, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Blaine admits, rubbing his hands together carefully. “When you touch bare skin it starts to sting after a while.”

“I’m sorry.” Kurt says sadly.

“It’s not your fault.” Blaine assures him. “I will get used to-”

“Here’s the tea.” Lily walks back into the living room with the tray.

Blaine stands and helps her put it down on the table before they both get seated. Kurt and Blaine share a glance as Lily leans back in the opposite sofa with her big mug of tea.

“You don’t want tea, darling?” she says and raises an eyebrow at Blaine.

“Um…” Blaine hesitates. “I’m too nervous. And it’s really warm. I’ll drink it in a minute.”

“Well, then.” Lily takes a slow sip of her tea and both boys watch her quietly. She puts her mug back on the table and pulls something out of a small wooden box beside the tea-tray. “Are you ready?”

“No.” Blaine says, barely audible.

“As I’ll ever be.” Kurt says and moves to sit on the edge of the sofa, as close as he can get to the table between him and Blaine’s grandmother. Blaine does the same.

“Okay. You’ll have to go one at a time. Kurt, Blaine told me this was one of your Christmas gifts, so you get to go first.” She smiles and opens her hand to reveal a very dark blue crystal on a silver chain. Blaine for a second thinks that she’s going to swing it back and forth like when they hypnotize people in movies. But she holds it still, the stone glistening in the last rays of sunlight filtering in through the window. “Just look at the stone and concentrate all of your being on it until I tell you otherwise, okay?”

Kurt nods once and then leans forward a little bit further. Blaine watches Kurt watch the crystal for several minutes before-

“Close your eyes.” Lily instructs and Kurt does. “Exhale and hold until I tell you.”

Blaine starts panicking after Kurt’s held his breath for more than four minutes, even though he keeps thinking that Kurt’s dead. Not breathing won’t do him any harm. And if it would, Blaine’s grandmother wouldn’t make him do it.

“Open your eyes.”

Blaine lets out a breath as Kurt’s eyes open.

“Oh.” Kurt says, looking at the empty space beside Lily. “Hello, sir.”

When Kurt opens his eyes again there is a man sitting beside Blaine’s grandmother. A surprised greeting escapes him before he realizes who it is.

“Hello, boy.” the green-eyed man says calmly with a deep voice.

It’s Blaine’s grandfather Rolf, who’s been dead for years. His ghost. Another ghost.

Kurt grabs a hold of Blaine’s knee, digging his nails into the fabric of his jeans. “It worked.” he whispers, moving his gaze from the red-haired man to Blaine.

“Let’s go visit your mom then!” Blaine looks ecstatic.

“Always so eager.” Lily whispers to Rolf, but Blaine doesn’t react.

“No.” Kurt says firmly. “It’s your turn now.”

“But what about-“

“No.”

“You ready, darling?” Lily says and holds the crystal out like before.

“Yeah.” Blaine smiles at Kurt. “If I can just have my knee back.”

Kurt realizes he’s still gripping Blaine’s leg hard. He lets go and blushes. “Sorry.” he mumbles and Blaine grins at him before turning to look at the crystal.

They try it four times, but it still doesn’t work. Blaine still can’t see his grandfather.

“It’s not gonna work, grandma.” Blaine sighs as he opens his eyes after the last try.

“It will.” Kurt says softly. “We’ll just have to try something else. There are other things we can try, right?” he turns to Lily with a pleading and slightly desperate look.

The woman looks thoughtful for a moment before smiling. “Of course. But it’ll be a little while before I have it ready.”

“What is it?” Blaine asks, glancing at Kurt for a moment before looking back at his grandmother.

“You’ll have to wait and see, honey.” She picks her cup up again and empties it. “It’s late. You boys should head back to school.”

“It’s not bedtime for another few hours, granny.” Blaine chuckles.

“I’m old, Blaine. It is for me.” The woman winks at the boys before standing.

Blaine gets up and helps her carry the tray of tea back to the kitchen. “I’m sorry I didn’t have any tea, grandma.” Blaine says apologetically as she pours the contents of his cup down the drain.

“Your palm hurts, doesn’t it?” she says as she rinses the cups out. Blaine nods when she looks up at him. “It will get better.”

“Are you sure?”

“Rolf could barely touch me at all for the first year. But you seem to be handling it a lot better than I did and it’s been what, two months?”

“Yes.” Blaine blushes slightly. “I like to be able to actually feel that he’s real.”

“Is that so?” Lily smiles softly.

“If I couldn’t I’m not sure I could actually believe he’s real. He’s so… unreal.” Blaine sighs. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I understand, darling.” She pats his arm before leading him back into the living room.

Kurt is smiling and finishes a sentence just as they walk in. He must be talking to Rolf.

“You ready to go?” Blaine smiles and Kurt stands.

“It was nice meeting you, sir.” Kurt says to the empty sofa opposite to him before walking over to Lily and bending down to hug her. “Thank you so much for the help, ma’am.”

“Any time.” She pats his back before ushering the boys toward the door. “I don’t want you to drive in the dark, Blaine. It’s dangerous.”

“See you soon, grandma.” Blaine hugs her too before they exit the house.

They walk silently to Blaine’s car and get in. Blaine notices that Kurt fastens his seatbelt, even though he doesn’t have to, and it makes Blaine smile.

“I hope you’ll be able to see next time. Your grandfather is a very nice man.” Kurt says and smiles as Blaine starts the car and drives slowly onto the road.

“What did you talk about?” Blaine looks at Kurt for a second, just long enough to see him blush slightly.

“Um… Well, he told me that he’s been visiting you sometimes and that you seem very happy now.”

“I am.” Blaine smiles to himself.

“Oh God, I am SO not ready for this.” Kurt fidgets in his seat when Blaine parks a few houses down from the Hummel residence.

“You are. I know you can do it.” Blaine turns in his seat and smiles that adorable encouraging smile, holding his hand out between them.

Kurt grabs it and Blaine squeezes it tightly, making Kurt’s stomach flip. “What do I say to her?”

“I think it will come naturally when you see her. Do you want me to go get her or do you want me to stay in the car and wait?”

“No, no.” Kurt closes his other hand over their linked ones in slight panic. “You have to come with me.”

Blaine too closes his other hand over their linked ones. “We’ll go whenever you’re ready.”

Kurt closes his eyes and inhales deeply as Blaine runs his thumb over Kurt’s knuckles. He lifts his head a bit and lets go of Blaine’s hands. “Let’s go before I chicken out.”

“We really don’t have to do it now. No rush.” Blaine says softly as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

“No, I want to see her. I’ve waited for this since I was eight.”

Kurt’s family doesn’t seem to be home, and a memory gnaws at the back of Kurt mind. Had his father told him they’d all go to see family over new year’s week? Probably.

Kurt reaches up to get the key down from the lamp and hands it to Blaine. He takes a deep breath and hesitantly touches Blaine’s hand. Blaine grips it at once, puts the key in the lock with his other hand and looks at Kurt. “You ready?” Kurt nods and Blaine opens the door. They step inside and walk into the living room.

“Mom?” Kurt looks around the room, his heart pounding hard against his ribs and his hand still squeezing Blaine’s tightly.

“Hello boys!”

Kurt stops breathing. His mother is standing in the doorway they just entered through. Her long hair is flowing down her shoulders and she’s wearing a lavender dress. That dress was her favorite; the dress she was buried in. She looks just as she did when he lost her almost ten years ago, except that the sparkle that she had in her eyes before she got sick is back. “Mommy?” Kurt whispers.

Her smile disappears and she turns her eyes to Blaine. “Did you visit your grandmother?”

“Yes.” Blaine whispers.

Anette takes a step toward them and lifts a hand hesitantly toward her son. “Kurt, honey?”

“Mommy!” Kurt lets go of Blaine’s hand and throws himself into his mother’s arms.

Kurt doesn't care if he's acting like he did back when he was eight, as he sobs and clutches at her. He's taller and broader than her now and he hugs her tighter than he ever would have dared when she was alive. She doesn't feel thin and fragile anymore, but firm and steady. 

Her arms are wrapped around his ribcage and her cheek is pressed against his neck. Kurt buries his nose in her hair and she smells just like he remembered. Like berries and candy and sunshine and safety. It triggers a bunch of things in Kurt's brain. Except for all the memories flashing in his mind, feelings wash over him and hit him like a brick wall. Relief, happiness, love, worry, sadness, horror, pain and sorrow. His skin is on fire from the contact with hers, but he refuses to let go as tears stream down his face and into her hair. He whimpers her name and holds her even tighter, terrified that she might disappear from him again. 

"I'm so sorry." he whispers and lifts a hand to the back of her head. 

"Don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong, baby." She smoothes her thumb against his back. "Shh. I won’t disappear again. I promise. I'm right here." 

Kurt loosens his hold on her and leans back, looking at her gorgeous face. She doesn't look older than when he saw her last, younger rather. The lines of worry she used to have are gone, as are the hollow cheeks her sickness had caused. 

"You look beautiful." he says and smiles softly at her. 

She still has an arm around him as she lifts the other high to wipe tears off his cheeks. 

"You've grown so much. You're not a little boy anymore." She giggles and Kurt closes his eyes, reveling in the sound. How he'd missed it. "Let sit." she says softly, and they move to sit on the couch, still holding hands firmly.

Kurt looks around and realizes that Blaine isn’t in the room anymore. “Blaine?” he whines.

“He gave us some space.” Anette says softly. “Wait right here.”

Before Kurt can tell his mother not to leave, she’s gone. He’s gripping the cold air and looks around frantically. His flesh is relieved, the burning sting now being absent. Just as he is about to get up Blaine walks through the front door with Anette behind him.

“You left.” Kurt says sadly, and Blaine flinches at the hurt look in his eyes.

“I wanted to give you two some space. I sat on the front porch the whole time. I’m here.” he smiles at Kurt and sits down beside him on the couch.

Kurt grips his hand and Blaine can see him release a breath. Anette sits down on Kurt’s other side, and he turns to her. “So…”

“I’m so glad your grandmother could help, Blaine.” Anette smiles at them.

“Me too.” he replies, moving his eyes from her to Kurt.

“I have something I want to ask you.” Kurt says and looks at his and Blaine’s joined hands on his leg.

“You can ask me anything, honey.”

“You said you’ve been here since you died.” Anette nods so Kurt continues. “Were you with me when I died?”

“Oh, honey.” she replies, smoothing her thumb across his jaw. Kurt grips on tighter to Blaine’s hand, and he tries to ignore the stinging. “For my own sake I’m glad I wasn’t. But oh, how I would have wanted for you not to be alone when it happened.” This time it’s Blaine tightening the grip on Kurt’s hand. “But I felt that something was wrong, and I got to you before your father did.”

“They caught the guy, didn’t they?”

“They did. He’s going to jail for a long, long time.” She sighs and moves a lock of hair behind her ear. “Do you remember anything from that night?”

“I have tried not to think about it. The only things I’ve remembered so far are sounds. First that I screamed, then something cracked and then everything went quiet. Then I woke up at Dalton.”

They’re all quiet for a while and Kurt shudders. “Were you ever around when I went to school?”

“Almost every day. I saw the things some kids put you through …” Anette admits. “I’m glad you’re safe now. No one will ever hurt you again.”

“And I have Blaine.” Kurt states, and both boys blush.

The old grandfather-clock in the hallway chimes, and Kurt stiffens. “It’s late and you still haven’t eaten anything, Blaine.”

“You boys go. Have an amazing New Year’s Eve.” Anette stands. “I’ll be here whenever you want to see me.”

Kurt stands too. “I’ve missed you, mom.”

“I missed you too. But now we have eternity.” Anette says, and both spirits smile and hug each other close.

Blaine’s heart hurts and he feels like crying. But he just bites his lower lip and stands too. “Let’s go, Kurt.”

They leave Anette in the living room and the car ride back to Dalton is very quiet. Blaine watches Kurt out of the corner of his eyes occasionally, but leaves him alone to process the day.