Chapter 2

Introducing The Past         (Part 1)

"Catch me if you can!" Dani squealed as Blaine chased her down the lawn. Tag was one of their favorite games when it was sunny out and their mothers would allow them to run around freely. "Daniella, Blaine! Be careful! Don't go out on the street, that's dangerous!" Well, a little more free, anyway. Cooper grunted when they ran past him, shooting them a grumpy glare. Dani and Blaine had been wondering what was up with him for a while now. He used to be much more fun. When they were really young, he'd even play along with them, but nowadays he just sat in his room, listening to angry music and playing loud videogames. Dani had asked her Mom what was wrong once, but she'd just laughed and said that that's how boys are. Dani hadn't understood what she meant. Because, Blaine was a boy, and he wasn't like that at all!  When Blaine had in turn asked his mother and gotten the same response, they'd both decided to just leave Cooper be and have fun on their own.

Dani and Blaine ran around for a solid two and a half hours, before returning to their mothers' table where lemonade and cookies were awaiting the exhausted eight-year-olds. Dani stuffed a cookie in her mouth, already grabbing for a second when Blaine only just started nibbling on his first. "Darling, remember to take your calmerdowners." Dani's Mom looked sternly at her daughter who made a face. "But Moooom!" she whined "I don't like them! They make me feel sleepy and weird! Besides, Blaine doesn't take them either!"

"So, I was thinking, for my NYADA audition, I could use.... Ready? Okay, Phantom Of The Opera! I mean, Music of the Night was made for me, and I really think-" Kurt's exited ramble was broken off by a sudden and eardeafening screech that bounced of the McKinley walls. "BLAINEY-BEAR!" Slightly bewildered, Kurt turned around, just in time to see a flash of dark-brown hair and toothy smile before his boyfriend was engulfed by the creature. Kurt was even more confused when he saw the exited smile on Blaine´s face and him returning the hug with even more enthusiasm.

Tina appeared by Kurt´s side, a wide smile on her features as well, Kurt noted with a tad of horror. He could not be the only one disturbed by people launching themselves at his boyfriend, right?! His thoughts were pulled from their current occupation when he got another good look at Blaine's face. His boyfriends' eyes were moist, when he cupped the face of the tiny brunette.

"I can't believe you're actually here! What-How... Dani! Why didn't you at least, I don't know, give me a heads up!" Blaine was trying to give her a stern look, but it'd been too long since he saw those hazel eyes stare up at him, and he bust out in a laugh again, because, only Dani...

Kurt finally took in the girl, in the meantime she'd wrapped herself around Blaine again, and he had to admit she wasn't all that bad looking. Curvy, maybe a bit too much leather and a bit too messy hair, but her 50's flower print shirt somehow worked with her soft pink heels, color matching the roses on her shirt. "Are you really already judging her clothing?" Tina whispered next to him, having caught his gaze. Kurt blushed slightly but shrugged and answered with a grin: "Old habits die hard. Especially when you keep them alive and breathing as best as you can."

Blaine and Dani finally did pull themselves together. Realizing they were already much too late for Glee, they hurried over, letting the introductions for later. Bursting in and interrupting a rant from Rachel about her solo for nationals, Dani froze when she felt all eyes land on her. Mr. Shue stood up, accompanied by a relieved sigh because of the opportunity it gave him to change the subject. "Blaine, Kurt, Tina!" He smiled winningly at the group, lingering on the unfamiliar face. "Who's this?"

Blaine opened his mouth to introduce her, but Dani beat him to it. With a smile he recognized from every prep-school girl he'd ever been forced to spent time with, she extended her hand, brushing a few remaining strands of hair from her face. "Hi, I'm Daniella Anderson, same age as my already familiar to you nephew, Blaine Anderson, safe for a month and a half. I transferred here this morning from Country Crawford Day, School For Young Ladies, and ran into a few of your students while experiencing some-" she shared a secretive smile with Tina "technical difficulties. My deepest apologies for delaying the. I'm sure they had no intention whatsoever to be so late, had it not been for my interruption." Blaine hid a smile behind his hand. Daniella Anderson, Dani's self-proclaimed preppy alter ego, had a way with words. Combine that with the Anderson charm and you had a lethal weapon to say the least. She had quite the overwhelming personality, and once she started talking, there was no choice but go along with her. Her mother had always insisted that if she ever go into business, she'd be a multi-millionaire within no-time.

Mr. Shue, hopelessly dazzled by the information overload he'd just received, shook her hand in silence, snapping out of it when Rachel thrust herself in front of him. "Hello, Daniella, was it? My name is Rachel Berry, star-vocalist, captain of our Glee-club and future NYADA student, one of the state's finest musical theatre schools, and I must inform you that we do not take on members at this very moment, but you are more than welcome to audition next year, when we will need all the musical help we can get. But for now, I suggest you leave this choir room immediately, for we have a lot of preparation to do and because you held back a few of our key members we are already half an hour behind on schedule-" Rachel had a stone cold look in her eyes al throughout the speech, but when she took Dani's shoulder to push her, albeit gently, in the direction of the door, it was a step too far.

Something flashed in Dani's eyes and she grabbed Rachel's hand off her shoulder, squeezing just a little too tightly. "Hands. Off. Understood, little lady?" Finn, who'd been watching with his usual slightly detached expression, reacted at that. "Hey! You can't just-" Blaine stepped in then, and silenced Finn with a look before he could say anything more, turning to his family member. "Dani," he warned, his voice a low rumble. "Careful now." Tensing and relaxing her jaw and after breathing in deeply, Dani released a slightly shocked Rachel from her grasp. A loaded second passed before she took a step back, focusing on the scared brunette in front of her. "I'm sorry, that was very unkind of me. But, err," Another deep inhale. "Just, don't do that again, understood? Don't."

She harrumphed and crossed her small arms, a pout already in place."Blaine still takes them too honey, just not as much because they work better with him." Her mother explained patiently, taking out two stark white pills from her purse. "Now, be a good girl, and take your medicin. You don't want to hurt anyone, right? You remember what happened to Alli." Dani paled considerably, and before her Mom could remind her any more, she grabbed the pills and swallowed them down.