FIC: Forever Home Chapter 80 of 100
Title: Forever Home - Chapter 80 of 100
Author: Shadowc44
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kadam (Kurt Hummel/Adam Crawford)
Rating: R
Spoilers: AU. If you’ve seen Kurt and Adam interact, you’re good.
Summary: Adam is bored, and realizes he needs a companion. He decides to adopt a hybrid human/cat.
Warning: Mention of past abuse (non-sexual) from other canon Glee characters. This fic is not particularly kind to most canon Glee characters.
Length: About 6,000 words this chapter. About 349,000 words so far.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Glee characters in this story; they're owned by Fox. Any non-Glee characters are my own invention
Chapter 79
CHAPTER 80
When Kurt was ready to change, he took some time to clean up and change his clothes, then helped Adam fix dinner. They talked about April’s impending visit the next afternoon. Adam didn’t want him to worry too much about it, but he understood that Kurt wanted to make a good impression.
“I was going to make some snacks, but I don’t even know if she’s a vegetarian or not!”
“What has that got to do with anything?” Adam asked.
Kurt shrugged. “I guess I can just make sure there’s nothing with meat in it, to be on the safe side.”
“You don’t even really have to provide snacks,” Adam pointed out. “We can offer her a drink of some kind, and maybe put out some chips and dip or something.”
Kurt scoffed. “For April Rhodes? We need something better than that!”
Adam held up his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s up to you. I’ll help in any way I can. Let me know if we need anything from the store, and I’ll pick it up tonight.”
“No thanks, I think we’re okay.”
“In that case, if you can take care of that tomorrow, I was thinking it might be nice to dance for a little while tonight. Unless you have another idea.”
Kurt smiled shyly. “I’m not used to dancing with anybody, just part of group choreography.”
“Well, then, let me teach you a few steps. There might be dancing at this upcoming event of Lily’s, or there might be other occasions.”
Kurt stiffened. “Lily’s dress! I need to get to work on that.”
“I think you’ve still got plenty of time, but if you’d rather do that tonight, that’s fine.” Adam tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
Kurt couldn’t bear disappointing him. Or Lily, for that matter, but Adam was right. “No,” Kurt decided. “I’ll work on it tomorrow, before April comes over.”
“Fantastic! Let me put some music on.” Adam’s smile was worth the little twinge of guilt he felt about Lily.
Kurt didn’t pay much attention to the words of the song, just followed Adam’s quiet instructions on a simple box step. They both had their shoes off, not wanting to step on each others’ toes.
Kurt thought he was beginning to get the hang of it. “Who’s singing?”
“Johnny Mathis, the singer I told you about yesterday.”
“I do like his voice,” he decided. “It’s really smooth, kind of relaxing to listen to.”
The next song came on. Kurt tried to pay more attention to the words.
Adam sang along on the chorus, and Kurt wondered if there was a reason.
"Guess you feel you’ll always be
The one and only one for me
And if you think you could
Well chances are your chances are
Awfully good" *
“I like your voice better,” Kurt told him as the song ended.
“Thank you! I’m not sure how many would say that, but I appreciate your vote of confidence,” Adam joked.
Adam showed him another simple step, and they worked on that through the next song.
On the next song, Adam again sang along with the chorus, so Kurt tried hard to listen to the words.
"Hold me close, never let me go
Hold me close, melt my heart like April snow
I’ll love you till the bluebells forget to bloom
I’ll love you till the clover has lost its perfume
I’ll love you till the poets run out of rhyme
Until the 12th of Never, and that’s a long, long time" **
There seemed to be a theme to the songs Adam was singing to him, if only he could put his finger on it.
He recognized the last one, from “Romeo and Juliet”.
"And with our love through tears and thorns
We will endure as we pass surely through every storm
A time for us someday there’ll be
A new world, a world of shining hope for you and me
A world of shining hope for you and me" ***
“Hey, this sounds like us,” he commented when the song was over.
“Doesn’t it?” Adam grinned and turned off the CD. “Thank you for the dance, kind sir.”
“You’re very welcome…compassionate sir,” Kurt laughed. “I think we’re going to have to dance more often.”
Adam’s eyes shone with amusement. “I think that can be arranged. I feel like playing the piano for a bit. Did you want to sing for a while, or maybe do a duet or two?”
“Sure,” Kurt answered. He started looking through the sheet music.
“Shall I get the camera out, and record us?”
“What is it with you and pictures, and videos? Why do you want to record everything?” Kurt asked.
Adam shrugged. “It’s nice to have hard evidence to back up the memories. We might want to watch these when we’re old and gray, and want to remember our youth, or something.”
Kurt rolled his eyes, but agreed to let Adam film them.
“What do you want to sing?”
“These, I think. “Rose’s Turn”, “As If We Never Said Goodbye”, and “Born This Way.”
“Good choices.” Adam stretched his fingers and sat down at the piano.
“Do you want to do a duet of this one?” Kurt asked, handing him the sheet music.
“Ah, I love this. A medley of “Happy Days Are Here Again” and “Get Happy.”
“And there’s one other I wanted to do, but you don’t have the sheet music,” Kurt said, sighing in disappointment.
“What is it? Maybe it’s one I know by heart.”
“It’s the one I was practicing when you first saw me. “Not the Boy Next Door,” from the Peter Allen bio-musical, “The Boy From Oz.”
Adam laughed. “Okay, I know that one. But, do me a favor…do those gold pants and black shirt still fit you?”
“Yes, I think so,” Kurt answered cautiously. “Do you want me to wear those?”
“Please. Only if you’re comfortable moving around like that. Those pants looked practically painted on.”
“I’ll try them in a while and see.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Adam was amazed by Kurt’s performances of songs that obviously had personal meaning for him. It wasn’t just his gorgeous, three-octave voice, but the passion with which he sang. He recalled what Kurt had said, when they first met, about hybrids not having the same experiences as regular people, and thus not being able to sing with the same meaning. But he’d certainly heard all those songs sung with less understanding, even by very talented people.
“Shall we try that duet?” Kurt suggested.
“Sure. Which part do you want, Judy Garland or Barbara Streisand?”
“Miss Judy. I’ll do ‘Get Happy’. That’s the only time Rachel was willing to duet with me, but of course she had to sing Miss Barbara.”
“Well, the good news is now, you can sing whichever part you want, or any singer you want.”
Kurt flashed him a brief smile, one that still covered his teeth. “Thanks. I know Miss Judy’s part better.”
Adam accompanied them on piano, and was thrilled to hear how well their voices blended together. That one was also being recorded for posterity.
“Okay, are you ready to see if that outfit still fits?” Adam asked.
“Of course! I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
While he waited for Kurt, Adam busied himself moving some of the furniture out of the way, to give Kurt more of a staging area to practice his routine. He moved the coffee table as close to the sofa as possible, and dragged the chairs into the hallway near the door. Now Kurt had several feet to move around in, but Adam wished he had a larger rehearsal space, for Kurt and himself, and the Apples, when they were there.
Adam heard Kurt’s bell before he saw him. He thought it was odd, because he’d gotten pretty used to the tiny sound it made whenever Kurt moved, as human or cat. Was he doing something deliberately to - oh.
Adam’s throat went dry when he beheld Kurt, who was sashaying his way into the room. He was wearing the same outfit he’d worn when they first met, but the pants seemed to be even tighter now. And so was the shirt. But they fit. They fit very, very nicely, in fact. He was relieved to see, however, that his boyfriend was wearing one of his newer pair of shoes, rather than the ones he’d said were too tight.
“Kurt, you look incredible!”
“You like it?”
“I do, very much. I was just thinking, we should probably try to get you a new pair of gold pants, that will let you move around a little better.”
Kurt looked down. “These are fairly stretchy, but if we could find some new ones a size bigger, that would be great!”
“Do you remember your routine?”
“Mm-hm. I’ve worked on it a little bit in my mind, too, so I think it’ll work.”
“Would you like to show me now, or practice for a while?”
Kurt bit his lip, then grinned hesitantly. “Would you mind watching it, to let me know what you think? I was thinking I might rehearse it a few times, before you film it. If you want to.”
“If I want to…” Adam trailed off, his mind filled with inconvenient images. “Yes, please,” he finally said.
“Okay!”
“Just try not to scratch up the piano, if you’re going to try any Hugh Jackman moves.” Please, dear God, tell me you’re going to try some Hugh Jackman moves!
Kurt grinned. “I’ll be careful. Do you think you can play for me? I’ll be careful not to kick you or anything.”
“Certainly, and yes, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t damage me, either,” Adam joked, fully confident that Kurt would never deliberately hurt him.
Kurt leaned close and whispered, “I have no intention of doing that.”
He pulled away before Adam could grab hold of him and kiss him, as he was tempted to do. But perhaps his motives were more transparent than he thought, and Kurt seemed to be in the mood to perform. Not that he minded in the slightest. The night was still young.
Adam sat at the piano, and tried to pay as much attention to what his hands were doing as to what Kurt was doing, but it wasn’t easy.
Kurt sang confidently, and danced his way around the living room. Adam tried not to blink, not wanting to miss a second of the remarkable performance. He’d never seen Kurt so self-assured, or so sensual. When the performance was over, Adam clapped and praised him.
“That was marvelous!”
Kurt’s face was almost comical in its distaste. “It’s not quite right. I need to practice it a little more.”
Adam thought it was fine, but he well understood the concept of ‘marvelous’ also qualifying as ‘not good enough’ for one’s own standards. “Of course. Are you ready?”
They went through the number twice more, before Kurt decided Adam could film it if he wanted to.
“If? Kurt, of course I want to film this! Besides my own enjoyment, I want you to be able to see yourself, as I see you, as others will see you, if you ever perform in front of them.”
“Well, maybe the Apples,” Kurt demurred, “but I don’t think anyone else will see me.”
“Then it’s a damn shame the world will be deprived of that performance,” Adam sighed, shaking his head in mock disapproval.
Kurt performed the song flawlessly, moving about the living room as though it were an actual stage, and Adam was mesmerized.
Kurt started yawning. “I’m so tired!”
Adam was a bit disappointed, but not really surprised. “Well, you did a lot today, and just put in quite a workout. And you didn’t get your nap in,” he pointed out.
“I napped as a cat,” Kurt protested.
“Maybe that’s not enough? Anyway, if you want to go to bed now, you should. It’s a bit early, but we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”
Kurt nodded. “Maybe I’ll change, and you can brush me?” he asked hopefully.
Adam grinned. “Be happy to do that. Are you going to change back before bed, or -“
“Let’s see how I feel,” Kurt suggested. “I probably will, but I might need a few hours.”
“You can always go to bed as a cat, and change whenever you feel like it, even if it’s early in the morning.”
“I don’t want to wake you up,” Kurt worried.
Adam shook his head. “Don’t worry too much about it. Though, um, maybe you should -“
“Take a shower and brush my teeth before I get back into bed when I’m human?” Kurt suggested. He didn’t sound like he was put out by the idea.
“If you want to. I was thinking more along the lines of changing to pajamas after you change back to human. Go ahead and do whatever you want now, though.”
Kurt nodded, and kissed him quickly, before jogging off to his room.
Adam gathered all the sheet music and put it back in order, then stored it inside the piano bench. He played back a bit of the footage he’d filmed, to make sure it came out. Perhaps April would be interested in watching some of it. He wished she’d been more forthcoming about her purpose in visiting them, but he supposed it was best to just try to be prepared for anything.
<><><><><><><><><><>
It had been a fairly busy day at work, but that hadn’t been the end of Gabriel’s responsibilities. He felt much better now that things were settled. He glanced over to Julia, sitting in the passenger seat of his car. “Did everything go as well as I think?”
She smiled as she answered, “Very well. Artie seems like a nice young man. I’m glad you brought me along.”
“Yes, he is, and thank you for coming.” He hesitated, then went ahead with his thought. “I’m glad you see him that way.”
Julia sighed, and looked out the window at the passing scenery. “I do. I can’t help but see them all as people. Ones with a very unusual gift, but I really think it’s a gift, rather than the curse a lot of them are taught it is.”
“We can’t save all of them,” Gabriel sighed. “I have to keep reminding myself of that. But for each one we help, it makes the load a little lighter.”
She turned to see his face better. “The burden of caring about all of them, you mean?”
“Yes. And the obligation to help. At least, for me it feels that way. I can’t know about their situation and just walk away.”
“I agree.”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “When we get back to my place, did you just want to go home from there, or would you like to stay and talk a bit longer?”
“I’d really like to talk longer,” she admitted. “I get so frustrated, because there’s hardly anyone I’ve found who really feels the way I do. It’s hard to find anyone to talk to when I get upset, who’s going to sympathize, and not tell me I need a life. Or a boyfriend.” She glanced over at him. “I’m not the type to want my life to revolve around making someone else happy. I feel like there are already too many people depending on me for that. Not that I don’t get lonely, sometimes, but -“ she broke off with a sigh.
“I think I understand,” he agreed. “I hear the same types of things. Not just from my family, but friends, and even acquaintances. They think a girlfriend or wife will solve all my problems. But I can’t expect to find someone who is willing to take second place to my work.”
“I don’t think too many people really understand what we’re trying to do.”
“By the way, I haven’t had anything to eat since lunchtime. What about you?” He glanced over at her, then away again.
“Me either. I try to force myself to take the time for lunch, but sometimes I don’t get a chance to eat dinner until pretty late.”
“I can fix us something when we get home, if you’d like,” he suggested. “I like to think I’m pretty competent in the kitchen.”
She grinned at him. “That sounds great to me, but please let me help. I don’t want to just sit around and do nothing while you do all the work.” She grew more serious as she added, “I’ll need to call Mandy first, so she doesn’t get worried. She can fix herself something at home, but if I’m too late, she starts to worry.”
“Sure. If something comes up and you need to leave, I understand.”
A few minutes later they pulled up to Gabriel’s home, a ranch-style house in a nice neighborhood. The lawns were well-kept, there were numerous gardens, and some people had swings or playsets outside.
Julia liked Gabriel’s home. She knew he didn’t spend much time there, nor did she at her own home, but it was still comfortable, with three bedrooms and three baths.
“Do you have visitors often?” she asked, when the brief tour he gave her was almost done.
“No, but sometimes my parents come to visit, and it’s nice to have a comfortable place for them. I was thinking, at some point they may need to move in with me, and this way there will still be a spare bedroom.”
“I’m sure Artie will appreciate having his own bathroom,” she commented, when they ended up back in the kitchen.
“Considering the accommodations at the pet store, I think he’ll like it. Usually that’s one thing the hybrids are near ecstatic about, if they have their own bathroom, or only have to share with one other person. I hear that a lot in my practice.”
Gabriel started gathering what they would need for dinner.
“I’ll bet. It looks to me like your house is already pretty accessible for someone in a wheelchair. It’s not only all one floor, but the doorways are wide, and I noticed the electrical sockets are up higher than usual.”
“It’s called barrier-free design,” he explained. “It’s supposed to be accessible for people of all different ages and different conditions. And this is helpful, too.” He pulled gently on a lever, and the countertop, which was about knee height for him, rose a few inches above the cabinets below them. “It will raise up about a foot altogether. This way it can accommodate someone in a wheelchair, or someone very tall, like my father.”
“That’s great! I guess it’s worth the sacrifice in cabinet space.”
“I think so. I don’t have all that much to put in them.”
“What about the overhead cabinets?”
“Ah. Let me show you.” There was another lever, almost hidden against one of the cabinets. He pressed down on the lever, and the entire row of cabinets lowered about a foot and a half. Then he moved them back up, so they were out of the way.
Julia started clapping before she could stop herself. “That’s fantastic! I’ll bet this way Artie can use the kitchen on his own pretty well.” She went back to chopping vegetables for the salad.
“Right.” Gabriel poured some pasta into a large pot on the stove. “It will be harder to use the stove, but he can reach the oven and microwave. I’ll rearrange the contents of the refrigerator and freezer after he gets here, so the things he’ll use the most will be easy to get to. I know I’ll need to get some hybrid rabbit food, but mostly he’ll be eating vegetables when he’s a rabbit.”
“You seem to have thought of everything.”
“I’m trying,” he admitted. He retrieved some frozen spaghetti sauce he’d made earlier in the week. “But I wanted to have some grab bars added in the bathrooms, and an apparatus above Artie’s bed, so he can pull himself in and out of bed and transfer to his wheelchair more easily.”
“Are you going to take a few days off to help him get used to the house first, or would you even be able to do that?”
“I’ve rearranged my schedule so it will be fairly light the first two weeks,” he explained. “I’ll leave at 2:00 next Wednesday afternoon and adopt Artie, and we’ll have a long weekend to help him get adjusted here, then I’ll bring him to work with me on Monday. I haven’t decided yet if it would be better to leave him in my office, or in the recreation area where the patients usually wait for their owners.”
“But won’t some of the patients need it?”
“That’s what I’m going to have to figure out,” he admitted. “I may see about moving him back and forth a couple of times, but we’ll see what he’s comfortable with. I’ll make sure he’s got what he needs as a human or hybrid. I’m having one of my exam rooms altered to make it into a room where he can spend most of his time, and entertain himself. I’ll try to spend some time with him in between patients. Later we’ll discuss whether he wants to continue doing that, or stay at home. But because of his special needs, I’m not sure that will be possible.”
Julia bit her lip, and looked up. “I was just thinking how much harder his life must be than the average. He seems so limited by the wheelchair.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ll have to see what I can find that might help him.”
They talked a bit about Mandy, and Julia confessed how much she enjoyed her company.
“I love having someone to come home to at the end of the day. I was fine with being alone until I adopted her, and then I realized how much I’d missed having someone around.”
“You said she has some trouble adjusting to being alone?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes. Partly because I think as a dog hybrid, she seems more dependent on having company. Of course she understands I have to work and can’t spend as much time with her as I’d like, but I still wish for her sake that she could get more used to me not always being there.” She took a deep breath. “I was thinking, I’d really like to switch vets. I’ve been taking her to see Dr. Greenway, and he’s been good, but he doesn’t have a psychiatric practice. I was thinking it might be good to bring Mandy to you instead. If you have any openings.”
“I do. Therapy is different for hybrid pets. With a full human, it might take years until they feel they’ve reached their goals, and are ready to be independent of therapy. But with hybrids…for one thing, it’s rare to find an owner who would have that much patience, or want to spend that much money, on therapy for their pet. For another, their lives are usually much simpler, in some respects, than humans. It might take them a while to adapt from living in the pet store to a new home, but it usually doesn’t go much further than that. The owners usually don’t want their pet to become independent, for example, so they only need to make minor adjustments, perhaps, to the training they received prior to being adopted. There are exceptions, of course, when there’s been abuse or some other trauma, and then it usually takes longer.”
“We probably shouldn’t talk about specifics, since we both have confidential practices,” Julia began, “but there are occasional exceptions to that independence issue.”
Gabriel nodded. “True. Very rare exceptions. How independent would you like Mandy to be?”
“Honestly, I don’t think she really wants to go out anywhere without me, because of some issues in her past. So I probably won’t be sending her on errands or things like that. But I’d like her to feel comfortable enough in her own home that I don’t need to worry about her and check in on her every couple of hours. It would be nice if I could take her to see a movie or do something fun outside of the house. It’s hard enough to get her to go for a walk in the park with me. As a human or dog,” she added.
“That might take some time,” he commented, “but a lot of it depends on how cooperative she is in accepting help, and how well she can communicate her feelings.”
Julia nodded. “She’s not as articulate as some of the hybrids I’ve met, but more so than some. I do try to engage her in conversation whenever I can, but she’s more comfortable watching a movie or TV than talking about things. Of course, I have to be really careful to limit what she sees, so she doesn’t come across something that triggers traumatic memories. So we watch a lot of Disney movies, but none of the ones featuring hybrids. Those usually end up being too sad.”
Gabriel winced. “I think the problem is, they’re more meant for human children and their parents, and aren’t really intended for hybrids to watch.”
“True. There’s hardly anything that’s geared towards them in entertainment. But you’d think, because they often have so much time on their hands, they’re more in need of entertainment than the rest of us.” Julia was trying to not get angry. It was a hazard of talking about hybrids in general, because there were so many aspects of their lives that were unfair.
They transferred the food to plates and sat down at the table. Julia noticed the table was a bit lower than usual, and the chairs were well-padded and very comfortable. “Does this raise and lower as well?”
Gabriel nodded. “Yes. Most of the modifications were already in place when I moved in, and I requested that the family sell me the adjustable furniture, since they didn’t think they’d be needing it anymore.”
“I see. This is a great setup for Artie, and you as well, with your parents,” she commented. “Have you told them about adopting Artie?”
“I told them I was thinking about it. They have no problem with Artie being a hybrid. I think they’ll probably treat him as a grandson.”
“That’s good.”
“What about reading?” Gabriel inquired. “Does Mandy enjoy it?”
Julia bit her lip. “I think she’d really like to read more, but you know how limited their reading skills are, unless their parents spent more time on that. And I’ve tried to help her, but she gets frustrated really easily.”
He nodded. “Artie likes to read, but yes, I think it would be better if we could expand their reading skills. It would be easier for them to entertain themselves.”
She hesitated, then plunged ahead. “Kurt seems very articulate, and Adam got him from New Directions as well. Adam has been helping him with his reading.”
Gabriel paused with his fork half-way to his mouth, then set it down. “I wonder if we could work something out. Artie and Kurt were sort of friends, in the store, and maybe it would help them both out to spend some time together. I’ll have to talk to Adam about it, but I wonder if he would be willing to help Artie and Mandy as well, as far as learning to read?”
“You won’t know unless you ask him, but it sounds great to me. Maybe we can pay him for his time.”
“I’ll think about it some more, and figure out the best way to approach it, but yes, that might be a good idea. The only thing is, Adam really wants Kurt to be as independent as possible, and Kurt is taking to it very well. I’d like Artie to be as independent as possible, but I don’t know if he’ll want that. You said Mandy might not.”
“Well, I still think it would do them some good to maybe all get together. Mandy is very - cautious would be an understatement -- around males, even male hybrids, but she might not find Kurt and Artie as threatening as others. They both seem really sweet and considerate, I don’t think they’d make her afraid, at least not on purpose.”
“True. And, I’m sure you know, Kurt is gay, and Artie...well, because of his medical condition, he wouldn’t be seen as dangerous, I don’t think.”
“It’s none of my business, but I’m glad you decided to not have Artie fixed,” she commented.
“I didn’t see any point to it. In some circumstances, it might be best for the pet, but not in this case. He can’t get anyone, human or hybrid, pregnant, so what’s the point in having him altered? I don’t like the idea of any unnecessary medical procedures for anyone.”
“Me, either. Mandy begged me to please make sure she can’t reproduce. I understood her reasons, so I had her sterilized.” She sighed. “I told her it really wasn’t necessary, I would never try to breed her with anyone, but since she’d been told for years that’s all she was good for -“ She stopped and bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t be telling you confidential things.”
Gabriel changed the subject by asking about her home, and whether it was set up well for Mandy.
“I think so. I didn’t really have to make many changes. I just took any breakable knickknacks and moved them to a cabinet where she can’t accidentally knock them over in her dog form.”
“That’s smart.”
“It always amazes me how many people adopt hybrids, without stopping to think whether their home is appropriate. Then they get upset when the pet breaks something or has trouble with things they aren’t used to doing. I’ve heard about that a few times. It’s one excuse people use for beating their pets.”
"People want me to help their hybrid to become less clumsy, when it’s likely a regular dog or cat would do the exact same thing.”
“It’s such a relief to find more people who understand about hybrids,” Julia continued. “It’s bad enough that some men feel they have to compete with my work, but now with Mandy, they just don’t get it. They either come to the wrong conclusion, or they don’t understand at all, and don’t like me spending a lot of my free time with her.”
“Exactly.” Gabriel sounded relieved. “I think it’s only going to get worse, now that I have Artie. I don’t mind, and I’m looking forward to having him here.”
“I’m sure he’ll be much happier with you than with anyone else. He seemed to like you, and I don’t think it was just that he really wanted to get out of that store.” Julia didn’t want to think about the lack of care he would probably receive from most owners, who simply might not understand his needs.
“I think so.” Gabriel sighed. “I’ll try to spend a little time with him between patients, at least check in on him to make sure he’s okay. I already spoke to Sara, and she’s going to check on him as well. If he has a problem, there’s an intercom Artie can use to summon her.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”
He shrugged. “I’ve tried, but I’m sure there will be unexpected things that come up. But I feel like I’ll be better able to deal with any problems than the average owner.”
Julia smiled warmly at him. “I’m sure you will. Do you think you can help Artie regain use of his legs?”
He sighed. “I really don’t know. I’ll need to read his medical chart thoroughly and do some tests. I’ll certainly do everything I can. If he needs surgery, and wants to go through it, I’ll find the best surgeon I can.”
“What was it that first interested you in working with hybrids?” Julia asked, hoping she wasn’t overstepping.
He told her about his family, what it was like to grow up with a hybrid companion, and the pain of feeling like he had let someone he loved down.
Julia felt a deep sympathy, but also realized she felt more relaxed and comfortable around Gabriel than she had with anyone in a very long time.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Kurt didn’t plan on staying in cat form all night. If necessary, he’d spend more time the next day, but he knew both he and Adam needed the human companionship that Adam couldn’t share with him. He knew his needs and human Kurt’s needs were different, but they both tried to be respectful of the other’s part of their shared life. He wouldn’t deliberately do something as a cat that would get his human self in trouble, and vice versa. But in this form, he loved being held, and combed and brushed and fussed over by Adam. He loved listening to his voice, whether he was talking, or singing. Sometimes he didn’t pay much attention to the words, once he’d determined they weren’t important, but would just let himself be soothed by the rhythm of Adam’s voice. He took a short nap afterwards, while Adam was reading, and changed back to human before Adam was ready to go to bed. He did take the time to shower and brush his teeth, for his own sake as well as Adam’s.
“Feeling better?” Adam asked.
Kurt loved it when Adam wore his glasses. The silver wire frames set off his blond hair very nicely.
“I think so. But I’d probably better take a nap, as a human, and get some cat time in, before April gets here. I want to be relaxed and awake for her.”
Adam slipped a bookmark in to hold his place. “Did you want a snack before bed?”
Kurt considered it. “No, I don’t think so. I had some crunchies a little while ago. I’m fine.”
Adam cringed slightly, perhaps at the mention of crunchies. Kurt wasn’t too offended; he’d never had a desire to eat cat food while in his human form, either.
“I was thinking, have you considered whether you might want to, or be willing to, change for April, if she asks?”
Kurt shook his head. “I hadn’t really thought about it. What do you want me to do?”
“Oh, no, my friend, this is your decision,” Adam insisted. “I’ll stand by whatever you decide.”
He thought about it while Adam was taking his own shower. He liked April, and admired her, and it wasn’t as though he was ashamed of his cat form. If she wanted to see that side of him, he was pretty sure she’d be at least as respectful as the various Apples were.
When Adam was ready for bed, Kurt told him of his decision.
“Good. Either would have been fine with me, but it’s more important that you’re comfortable.”
Kurt sighed, and cuddled up against Adam. “I appreciate it. I noticed that Jesse treats Chandler very different than you treat me.”
“Yes. Probably more like you were expecting to be treated.”
“Jesse didn’t seem to realize how uncomfortable Chandler was. Sometimes, if I get overwhelmed with things in my people - my human form, it’s easier to change, because cats just don’t have the same problems people do. It’s an escape of sorts.”
“I figured it was something like that. I’ll admit, Jesse can be pretty oblivious at times. I think he gets too wrapped up in his own problems or thoughts or whatever, and doesn’t pay as much attention as he should. At least, that’s how he was in our relationship. I would imagine that’s one of the reasons he wanted a hybrid, to have someone who wouldn’t be competing with him for attention, or wouldn’t have any ambitions to get in his way.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Kurt said, biting his lip.
“Me either,” Adam confessed, “but it’s really not our problem. As far as I can tell, Jesse doesn’t abuse Chandler, he’s not necessarily harming him, though he’s not giving him the best attention. But I suspect it’s still far better than he might be treated by someone else.”
“I guess so. When Chandler and I played together…it’s hard to explain, we didn’t have a conversation, exactly, not the way you and I do. But he didn’t seem scared or upset, or like he was looking for help.”
“Exactly.” Adam brushed a lock of hair out of Kurt’s face. “If he were being harmed, we should step in and help him. But as it is, we really can’t do anything. On the other hand, it might have done some good for Jesse to see how I treat you, and maybe think some more about how he treats Chandler, and what he really wants from him. Maybe he’ll even stop to think about what Chandler wants.”
“Mm-hm. I hope so.”
They spend the next couple of hours focusing on each other, and showing by words and actions, just how much they loved each other.
*Chances Are by Robert Allen
**The Twelfth of Never by Jerry Livingston & Paul Francis Webster
***A Time For Us by Nino Rota, Lawrence Kusika, & Edward A. Snyder
Next - Chapter 81
Author: Shadowc44
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kadam (Kurt Hummel/Adam Crawford)
Rating: R
Spoilers: AU. If you’ve seen Kurt and Adam interact, you’re good.
Summary: Adam is bored, and realizes he needs a companion. He decides to adopt a hybrid human/cat.
Warning: Mention of past abuse (non-sexual) from other canon Glee characters. This fic is not particularly kind to most canon Glee characters.
Length: About 6,000 words this chapter. About 349,000 words so far.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Glee characters in this story; they're owned by Fox. Any non-Glee characters are my own invention
Chapter 79
CHAPTER 80
When Kurt was ready to change, he took some time to clean up and change his clothes, then helped Adam fix dinner. They talked about April’s impending visit the next afternoon. Adam didn’t want him to worry too much about it, but he understood that Kurt wanted to make a good impression.
“I was going to make some snacks, but I don’t even know if she’s a vegetarian or not!”
“What has that got to do with anything?” Adam asked.
Kurt shrugged. “I guess I can just make sure there’s nothing with meat in it, to be on the safe side.”
“You don’t even really have to provide snacks,” Adam pointed out. “We can offer her a drink of some kind, and maybe put out some chips and dip or something.”
Kurt scoffed. “For April Rhodes? We need something better than that!”
Adam held up his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s up to you. I’ll help in any way I can. Let me know if we need anything from the store, and I’ll pick it up tonight.”
“No thanks, I think we’re okay.”
“In that case, if you can take care of that tomorrow, I was thinking it might be nice to dance for a little while tonight. Unless you have another idea.”
Kurt smiled shyly. “I’m not used to dancing with anybody, just part of group choreography.”
“Well, then, let me teach you a few steps. There might be dancing at this upcoming event of Lily’s, or there might be other occasions.”
Kurt stiffened. “Lily’s dress! I need to get to work on that.”
“I think you’ve still got plenty of time, but if you’d rather do that tonight, that’s fine.” Adam tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
Kurt couldn’t bear disappointing him. Or Lily, for that matter, but Adam was right. “No,” Kurt decided. “I’ll work on it tomorrow, before April comes over.”
“Fantastic! Let me put some music on.” Adam’s smile was worth the little twinge of guilt he felt about Lily.
Kurt didn’t pay much attention to the words of the song, just followed Adam’s quiet instructions on a simple box step. They both had their shoes off, not wanting to step on each others’ toes.
Kurt thought he was beginning to get the hang of it. “Who’s singing?”
“Johnny Mathis, the singer I told you about yesterday.”
“I do like his voice,” he decided. “It’s really smooth, kind of relaxing to listen to.”
The next song came on. Kurt tried to pay more attention to the words.
Adam sang along on the chorus, and Kurt wondered if there was a reason.
"Guess you feel you’ll always be
The one and only one for me
And if you think you could
Well chances are your chances are
Awfully good" *
“I like your voice better,” Kurt told him as the song ended.
“Thank you! I’m not sure how many would say that, but I appreciate your vote of confidence,” Adam joked.
Adam showed him another simple step, and they worked on that through the next song.
On the next song, Adam again sang along with the chorus, so Kurt tried hard to listen to the words.
"Hold me close, never let me go
Hold me close, melt my heart like April snow
I’ll love you till the bluebells forget to bloom
I’ll love you till the clover has lost its perfume
I’ll love you till the poets run out of rhyme
Until the 12th of Never, and that’s a long, long time" **
There seemed to be a theme to the songs Adam was singing to him, if only he could put his finger on it.
He recognized the last one, from “Romeo and Juliet”.
"And with our love through tears and thorns
We will endure as we pass surely through every storm
A time for us someday there’ll be
A new world, a world of shining hope for you and me
A world of shining hope for you and me" ***
“Hey, this sounds like us,” he commented when the song was over.
“Doesn’t it?” Adam grinned and turned off the CD. “Thank you for the dance, kind sir.”
“You’re very welcome…compassionate sir,” Kurt laughed. “I think we’re going to have to dance more often.”
Adam’s eyes shone with amusement. “I think that can be arranged. I feel like playing the piano for a bit. Did you want to sing for a while, or maybe do a duet or two?”
“Sure,” Kurt answered. He started looking through the sheet music.
“Shall I get the camera out, and record us?”
“What is it with you and pictures, and videos? Why do you want to record everything?” Kurt asked.
Adam shrugged. “It’s nice to have hard evidence to back up the memories. We might want to watch these when we’re old and gray, and want to remember our youth, or something.”
Kurt rolled his eyes, but agreed to let Adam film them.
“What do you want to sing?”
“These, I think. “Rose’s Turn”, “As If We Never Said Goodbye”, and “Born This Way.”
“Good choices.” Adam stretched his fingers and sat down at the piano.
“Do you want to do a duet of this one?” Kurt asked, handing him the sheet music.
“Ah, I love this. A medley of “Happy Days Are Here Again” and “Get Happy.”
“And there’s one other I wanted to do, but you don’t have the sheet music,” Kurt said, sighing in disappointment.
“What is it? Maybe it’s one I know by heart.”
“It’s the one I was practicing when you first saw me. “Not the Boy Next Door,” from the Peter Allen bio-musical, “The Boy From Oz.”
Adam laughed. “Okay, I know that one. But, do me a favor…do those gold pants and black shirt still fit you?”
“Yes, I think so,” Kurt answered cautiously. “Do you want me to wear those?”
“Please. Only if you’re comfortable moving around like that. Those pants looked practically painted on.”
“I’ll try them in a while and see.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Adam was amazed by Kurt’s performances of songs that obviously had personal meaning for him. It wasn’t just his gorgeous, three-octave voice, but the passion with which he sang. He recalled what Kurt had said, when they first met, about hybrids not having the same experiences as regular people, and thus not being able to sing with the same meaning. But he’d certainly heard all those songs sung with less understanding, even by very talented people.
“Shall we try that duet?” Kurt suggested.
“Sure. Which part do you want, Judy Garland or Barbara Streisand?”
“Miss Judy. I’ll do ‘Get Happy’. That’s the only time Rachel was willing to duet with me, but of course she had to sing Miss Barbara.”
“Well, the good news is now, you can sing whichever part you want, or any singer you want.”
Kurt flashed him a brief smile, one that still covered his teeth. “Thanks. I know Miss Judy’s part better.”
Adam accompanied them on piano, and was thrilled to hear how well their voices blended together. That one was also being recorded for posterity.
“Okay, are you ready to see if that outfit still fits?” Adam asked.
“Of course! I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
While he waited for Kurt, Adam busied himself moving some of the furniture out of the way, to give Kurt more of a staging area to practice his routine. He moved the coffee table as close to the sofa as possible, and dragged the chairs into the hallway near the door. Now Kurt had several feet to move around in, but Adam wished he had a larger rehearsal space, for Kurt and himself, and the Apples, when they were there.
Adam heard Kurt’s bell before he saw him. He thought it was odd, because he’d gotten pretty used to the tiny sound it made whenever Kurt moved, as human or cat. Was he doing something deliberately to - oh.
Adam’s throat went dry when he beheld Kurt, who was sashaying his way into the room. He was wearing the same outfit he’d worn when they first met, but the pants seemed to be even tighter now. And so was the shirt. But they fit. They fit very, very nicely, in fact. He was relieved to see, however, that his boyfriend was wearing one of his newer pair of shoes, rather than the ones he’d said were too tight.
“Kurt, you look incredible!”
“You like it?”
“I do, very much. I was just thinking, we should probably try to get you a new pair of gold pants, that will let you move around a little better.”
Kurt looked down. “These are fairly stretchy, but if we could find some new ones a size bigger, that would be great!”
“Do you remember your routine?”
“Mm-hm. I’ve worked on it a little bit in my mind, too, so I think it’ll work.”
“Would you like to show me now, or practice for a while?”
Kurt bit his lip, then grinned hesitantly. “Would you mind watching it, to let me know what you think? I was thinking I might rehearse it a few times, before you film it. If you want to.”
“If I want to…” Adam trailed off, his mind filled with inconvenient images. “Yes, please,” he finally said.
“Okay!”
“Just try not to scratch up the piano, if you’re going to try any Hugh Jackman moves.” Please, dear God, tell me you’re going to try some Hugh Jackman moves!
Kurt grinned. “I’ll be careful. Do you think you can play for me? I’ll be careful not to kick you or anything.”
“Certainly, and yes, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t damage me, either,” Adam joked, fully confident that Kurt would never deliberately hurt him.
Kurt leaned close and whispered, “I have no intention of doing that.”
He pulled away before Adam could grab hold of him and kiss him, as he was tempted to do. But perhaps his motives were more transparent than he thought, and Kurt seemed to be in the mood to perform. Not that he minded in the slightest. The night was still young.
Adam sat at the piano, and tried to pay as much attention to what his hands were doing as to what Kurt was doing, but it wasn’t easy.
Kurt sang confidently, and danced his way around the living room. Adam tried not to blink, not wanting to miss a second of the remarkable performance. He’d never seen Kurt so self-assured, or so sensual. When the performance was over, Adam clapped and praised him.
“That was marvelous!”
Kurt’s face was almost comical in its distaste. “It’s not quite right. I need to practice it a little more.”
Adam thought it was fine, but he well understood the concept of ‘marvelous’ also qualifying as ‘not good enough’ for one’s own standards. “Of course. Are you ready?”
They went through the number twice more, before Kurt decided Adam could film it if he wanted to.
“If? Kurt, of course I want to film this! Besides my own enjoyment, I want you to be able to see yourself, as I see you, as others will see you, if you ever perform in front of them.”
“Well, maybe the Apples,” Kurt demurred, “but I don’t think anyone else will see me.”
“Then it’s a damn shame the world will be deprived of that performance,” Adam sighed, shaking his head in mock disapproval.
Kurt performed the song flawlessly, moving about the living room as though it were an actual stage, and Adam was mesmerized.
Kurt started yawning. “I’m so tired!”
Adam was a bit disappointed, but not really surprised. “Well, you did a lot today, and just put in quite a workout. And you didn’t get your nap in,” he pointed out.
“I napped as a cat,” Kurt protested.
“Maybe that’s not enough? Anyway, if you want to go to bed now, you should. It’s a bit early, but we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”
Kurt nodded. “Maybe I’ll change, and you can brush me?” he asked hopefully.
Adam grinned. “Be happy to do that. Are you going to change back before bed, or -“
“Let’s see how I feel,” Kurt suggested. “I probably will, but I might need a few hours.”
“You can always go to bed as a cat, and change whenever you feel like it, even if it’s early in the morning.”
“I don’t want to wake you up,” Kurt worried.
Adam shook his head. “Don’t worry too much about it. Though, um, maybe you should -“
“Take a shower and brush my teeth before I get back into bed when I’m human?” Kurt suggested. He didn’t sound like he was put out by the idea.
“If you want to. I was thinking more along the lines of changing to pajamas after you change back to human. Go ahead and do whatever you want now, though.”
Kurt nodded, and kissed him quickly, before jogging off to his room.
Adam gathered all the sheet music and put it back in order, then stored it inside the piano bench. He played back a bit of the footage he’d filmed, to make sure it came out. Perhaps April would be interested in watching some of it. He wished she’d been more forthcoming about her purpose in visiting them, but he supposed it was best to just try to be prepared for anything.
<><><><><><><><><><>
It had been a fairly busy day at work, but that hadn’t been the end of Gabriel’s responsibilities. He felt much better now that things were settled. He glanced over to Julia, sitting in the passenger seat of his car. “Did everything go as well as I think?”
She smiled as she answered, “Very well. Artie seems like a nice young man. I’m glad you brought me along.”
“Yes, he is, and thank you for coming.” He hesitated, then went ahead with his thought. “I’m glad you see him that way.”
Julia sighed, and looked out the window at the passing scenery. “I do. I can’t help but see them all as people. Ones with a very unusual gift, but I really think it’s a gift, rather than the curse a lot of them are taught it is.”
“We can’t save all of them,” Gabriel sighed. “I have to keep reminding myself of that. But for each one we help, it makes the load a little lighter.”
She turned to see his face better. “The burden of caring about all of them, you mean?”
“Yes. And the obligation to help. At least, for me it feels that way. I can’t know about their situation and just walk away.”
“I agree.”
Gabriel cleared his throat. “When we get back to my place, did you just want to go home from there, or would you like to stay and talk a bit longer?”
“I’d really like to talk longer,” she admitted. “I get so frustrated, because there’s hardly anyone I’ve found who really feels the way I do. It’s hard to find anyone to talk to when I get upset, who’s going to sympathize, and not tell me I need a life. Or a boyfriend.” She glanced over at him. “I’m not the type to want my life to revolve around making someone else happy. I feel like there are already too many people depending on me for that. Not that I don’t get lonely, sometimes, but -“ she broke off with a sigh.
“I think I understand,” he agreed. “I hear the same types of things. Not just from my family, but friends, and even acquaintances. They think a girlfriend or wife will solve all my problems. But I can’t expect to find someone who is willing to take second place to my work.”
“I don’t think too many people really understand what we’re trying to do.”
“By the way, I haven’t had anything to eat since lunchtime. What about you?” He glanced over at her, then away again.
“Me either. I try to force myself to take the time for lunch, but sometimes I don’t get a chance to eat dinner until pretty late.”
“I can fix us something when we get home, if you’d like,” he suggested. “I like to think I’m pretty competent in the kitchen.”
She grinned at him. “That sounds great to me, but please let me help. I don’t want to just sit around and do nothing while you do all the work.” She grew more serious as she added, “I’ll need to call Mandy first, so she doesn’t get worried. She can fix herself something at home, but if I’m too late, she starts to worry.”
“Sure. If something comes up and you need to leave, I understand.”
A few minutes later they pulled up to Gabriel’s home, a ranch-style house in a nice neighborhood. The lawns were well-kept, there were numerous gardens, and some people had swings or playsets outside.
Julia liked Gabriel’s home. She knew he didn’t spend much time there, nor did she at her own home, but it was still comfortable, with three bedrooms and three baths.
“Do you have visitors often?” she asked, when the brief tour he gave her was almost done.
“No, but sometimes my parents come to visit, and it’s nice to have a comfortable place for them. I was thinking, at some point they may need to move in with me, and this way there will still be a spare bedroom.”
“I’m sure Artie will appreciate having his own bathroom,” she commented, when they ended up back in the kitchen.
“Considering the accommodations at the pet store, I think he’ll like it. Usually that’s one thing the hybrids are near ecstatic about, if they have their own bathroom, or only have to share with one other person. I hear that a lot in my practice.”
Gabriel started gathering what they would need for dinner.
“I’ll bet. It looks to me like your house is already pretty accessible for someone in a wheelchair. It’s not only all one floor, but the doorways are wide, and I noticed the electrical sockets are up higher than usual.”
“It’s called barrier-free design,” he explained. “It’s supposed to be accessible for people of all different ages and different conditions. And this is helpful, too.” He pulled gently on a lever, and the countertop, which was about knee height for him, rose a few inches above the cabinets below them. “It will raise up about a foot altogether. This way it can accommodate someone in a wheelchair, or someone very tall, like my father.”
“That’s great! I guess it’s worth the sacrifice in cabinet space.”
“I think so. I don’t have all that much to put in them.”
“What about the overhead cabinets?”
“Ah. Let me show you.” There was another lever, almost hidden against one of the cabinets. He pressed down on the lever, and the entire row of cabinets lowered about a foot and a half. Then he moved them back up, so they were out of the way.
Julia started clapping before she could stop herself. “That’s fantastic! I’ll bet this way Artie can use the kitchen on his own pretty well.” She went back to chopping vegetables for the salad.
“Right.” Gabriel poured some pasta into a large pot on the stove. “It will be harder to use the stove, but he can reach the oven and microwave. I’ll rearrange the contents of the refrigerator and freezer after he gets here, so the things he’ll use the most will be easy to get to. I know I’ll need to get some hybrid rabbit food, but mostly he’ll be eating vegetables when he’s a rabbit.”
“You seem to have thought of everything.”
“I’m trying,” he admitted. He retrieved some frozen spaghetti sauce he’d made earlier in the week. “But I wanted to have some grab bars added in the bathrooms, and an apparatus above Artie’s bed, so he can pull himself in and out of bed and transfer to his wheelchair more easily.”
“Are you going to take a few days off to help him get used to the house first, or would you even be able to do that?”
“I’ve rearranged my schedule so it will be fairly light the first two weeks,” he explained. “I’ll leave at 2:00 next Wednesday afternoon and adopt Artie, and we’ll have a long weekend to help him get adjusted here, then I’ll bring him to work with me on Monday. I haven’t decided yet if it would be better to leave him in my office, or in the recreation area where the patients usually wait for their owners.”
“But won’t some of the patients need it?”
“That’s what I’m going to have to figure out,” he admitted. “I may see about moving him back and forth a couple of times, but we’ll see what he’s comfortable with. I’ll make sure he’s got what he needs as a human or hybrid. I’m having one of my exam rooms altered to make it into a room where he can spend most of his time, and entertain himself. I’ll try to spend some time with him in between patients. Later we’ll discuss whether he wants to continue doing that, or stay at home. But because of his special needs, I’m not sure that will be possible.”
Julia bit her lip, and looked up. “I was just thinking how much harder his life must be than the average. He seems so limited by the wheelchair.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ll have to see what I can find that might help him.”
They talked a bit about Mandy, and Julia confessed how much she enjoyed her company.
“I love having someone to come home to at the end of the day. I was fine with being alone until I adopted her, and then I realized how much I’d missed having someone around.”
“You said she has some trouble adjusting to being alone?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes. Partly because I think as a dog hybrid, she seems more dependent on having company. Of course she understands I have to work and can’t spend as much time with her as I’d like, but I still wish for her sake that she could get more used to me not always being there.” She took a deep breath. “I was thinking, I’d really like to switch vets. I’ve been taking her to see Dr. Greenway, and he’s been good, but he doesn’t have a psychiatric practice. I was thinking it might be good to bring Mandy to you instead. If you have any openings.”
“I do. Therapy is different for hybrid pets. With a full human, it might take years until they feel they’ve reached their goals, and are ready to be independent of therapy. But with hybrids…for one thing, it’s rare to find an owner who would have that much patience, or want to spend that much money, on therapy for their pet. For another, their lives are usually much simpler, in some respects, than humans. It might take them a while to adapt from living in the pet store to a new home, but it usually doesn’t go much further than that. The owners usually don’t want their pet to become independent, for example, so they only need to make minor adjustments, perhaps, to the training they received prior to being adopted. There are exceptions, of course, when there’s been abuse or some other trauma, and then it usually takes longer.”
“We probably shouldn’t talk about specifics, since we both have confidential practices,” Julia began, “but there are occasional exceptions to that independence issue.”
Gabriel nodded. “True. Very rare exceptions. How independent would you like Mandy to be?”
“Honestly, I don’t think she really wants to go out anywhere without me, because of some issues in her past. So I probably won’t be sending her on errands or things like that. But I’d like her to feel comfortable enough in her own home that I don’t need to worry about her and check in on her every couple of hours. It would be nice if I could take her to see a movie or do something fun outside of the house. It’s hard enough to get her to go for a walk in the park with me. As a human or dog,” she added.
“That might take some time,” he commented, “but a lot of it depends on how cooperative she is in accepting help, and how well she can communicate her feelings.”
Julia nodded. “She’s not as articulate as some of the hybrids I’ve met, but more so than some. I do try to engage her in conversation whenever I can, but she’s more comfortable watching a movie or TV than talking about things. Of course, I have to be really careful to limit what she sees, so she doesn’t come across something that triggers traumatic memories. So we watch a lot of Disney movies, but none of the ones featuring hybrids. Those usually end up being too sad.”
Gabriel winced. “I think the problem is, they’re more meant for human children and their parents, and aren’t really intended for hybrids to watch.”
“True. There’s hardly anything that’s geared towards them in entertainment. But you’d think, because they often have so much time on their hands, they’re more in need of entertainment than the rest of us.” Julia was trying to not get angry. It was a hazard of talking about hybrids in general, because there were so many aspects of their lives that were unfair.
They transferred the food to plates and sat down at the table. Julia noticed the table was a bit lower than usual, and the chairs were well-padded and very comfortable. “Does this raise and lower as well?”
Gabriel nodded. “Yes. Most of the modifications were already in place when I moved in, and I requested that the family sell me the adjustable furniture, since they didn’t think they’d be needing it anymore.”
“I see. This is a great setup for Artie, and you as well, with your parents,” she commented. “Have you told them about adopting Artie?”
“I told them I was thinking about it. They have no problem with Artie being a hybrid. I think they’ll probably treat him as a grandson.”
“That’s good.”
“What about reading?” Gabriel inquired. “Does Mandy enjoy it?”
Julia bit her lip. “I think she’d really like to read more, but you know how limited their reading skills are, unless their parents spent more time on that. And I’ve tried to help her, but she gets frustrated really easily.”
He nodded. “Artie likes to read, but yes, I think it would be better if we could expand their reading skills. It would be easier for them to entertain themselves.”
She hesitated, then plunged ahead. “Kurt seems very articulate, and Adam got him from New Directions as well. Adam has been helping him with his reading.”
Gabriel paused with his fork half-way to his mouth, then set it down. “I wonder if we could work something out. Artie and Kurt were sort of friends, in the store, and maybe it would help them both out to spend some time together. I’ll have to talk to Adam about it, but I wonder if he would be willing to help Artie and Mandy as well, as far as learning to read?”
“You won’t know unless you ask him, but it sounds great to me. Maybe we can pay him for his time.”
“I’ll think about it some more, and figure out the best way to approach it, but yes, that might be a good idea. The only thing is, Adam really wants Kurt to be as independent as possible, and Kurt is taking to it very well. I’d like Artie to be as independent as possible, but I don’t know if he’ll want that. You said Mandy might not.”
“Well, I still think it would do them some good to maybe all get together. Mandy is very - cautious would be an understatement -- around males, even male hybrids, but she might not find Kurt and Artie as threatening as others. They both seem really sweet and considerate, I don’t think they’d make her afraid, at least not on purpose.”
“True. And, I’m sure you know, Kurt is gay, and Artie...well, because of his medical condition, he wouldn’t be seen as dangerous, I don’t think.”
“It’s none of my business, but I’m glad you decided to not have Artie fixed,” she commented.
“I didn’t see any point to it. In some circumstances, it might be best for the pet, but not in this case. He can’t get anyone, human or hybrid, pregnant, so what’s the point in having him altered? I don’t like the idea of any unnecessary medical procedures for anyone.”
“Me, either. Mandy begged me to please make sure she can’t reproduce. I understood her reasons, so I had her sterilized.” She sighed. “I told her it really wasn’t necessary, I would never try to breed her with anyone, but since she’d been told for years that’s all she was good for -“ She stopped and bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t be telling you confidential things.”
Gabriel changed the subject by asking about her home, and whether it was set up well for Mandy.
“I think so. I didn’t really have to make many changes. I just took any breakable knickknacks and moved them to a cabinet where she can’t accidentally knock them over in her dog form.”
“That’s smart.”
“It always amazes me how many people adopt hybrids, without stopping to think whether their home is appropriate. Then they get upset when the pet breaks something or has trouble with things they aren’t used to doing. I’ve heard about that a few times. It’s one excuse people use for beating their pets.”
"People want me to help their hybrid to become less clumsy, when it’s likely a regular dog or cat would do the exact same thing.”
“It’s such a relief to find more people who understand about hybrids,” Julia continued. “It’s bad enough that some men feel they have to compete with my work, but now with Mandy, they just don’t get it. They either come to the wrong conclusion, or they don’t understand at all, and don’t like me spending a lot of my free time with her.”
“Exactly.” Gabriel sounded relieved. “I think it’s only going to get worse, now that I have Artie. I don’t mind, and I’m looking forward to having him here.”
“I’m sure he’ll be much happier with you than with anyone else. He seemed to like you, and I don’t think it was just that he really wanted to get out of that store.” Julia didn’t want to think about the lack of care he would probably receive from most owners, who simply might not understand his needs.
“I think so.” Gabriel sighed. “I’ll try to spend a little time with him between patients, at least check in on him to make sure he’s okay. I already spoke to Sara, and she’s going to check on him as well. If he has a problem, there’s an intercom Artie can use to summon her.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.”
He shrugged. “I’ve tried, but I’m sure there will be unexpected things that come up. But I feel like I’ll be better able to deal with any problems than the average owner.”
Julia smiled warmly at him. “I’m sure you will. Do you think you can help Artie regain use of his legs?”
He sighed. “I really don’t know. I’ll need to read his medical chart thoroughly and do some tests. I’ll certainly do everything I can. If he needs surgery, and wants to go through it, I’ll find the best surgeon I can.”
“What was it that first interested you in working with hybrids?” Julia asked, hoping she wasn’t overstepping.
He told her about his family, what it was like to grow up with a hybrid companion, and the pain of feeling like he had let someone he loved down.
Julia felt a deep sympathy, but also realized she felt more relaxed and comfortable around Gabriel than she had with anyone in a very long time.
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Kurt didn’t plan on staying in cat form all night. If necessary, he’d spend more time the next day, but he knew both he and Adam needed the human companionship that Adam couldn’t share with him. He knew his needs and human Kurt’s needs were different, but they both tried to be respectful of the other’s part of their shared life. He wouldn’t deliberately do something as a cat that would get his human self in trouble, and vice versa. But in this form, he loved being held, and combed and brushed and fussed over by Adam. He loved listening to his voice, whether he was talking, or singing. Sometimes he didn’t pay much attention to the words, once he’d determined they weren’t important, but would just let himself be soothed by the rhythm of Adam’s voice. He took a short nap afterwards, while Adam was reading, and changed back to human before Adam was ready to go to bed. He did take the time to shower and brush his teeth, for his own sake as well as Adam’s.
“Feeling better?” Adam asked.
Kurt loved it when Adam wore his glasses. The silver wire frames set off his blond hair very nicely.
“I think so. But I’d probably better take a nap, as a human, and get some cat time in, before April gets here. I want to be relaxed and awake for her.”
Adam slipped a bookmark in to hold his place. “Did you want a snack before bed?”
Kurt considered it. “No, I don’t think so. I had some crunchies a little while ago. I’m fine.”
Adam cringed slightly, perhaps at the mention of crunchies. Kurt wasn’t too offended; he’d never had a desire to eat cat food while in his human form, either.
“I was thinking, have you considered whether you might want to, or be willing to, change for April, if she asks?”
Kurt shook his head. “I hadn’t really thought about it. What do you want me to do?”
“Oh, no, my friend, this is your decision,” Adam insisted. “I’ll stand by whatever you decide.”
He thought about it while Adam was taking his own shower. He liked April, and admired her, and it wasn’t as though he was ashamed of his cat form. If she wanted to see that side of him, he was pretty sure she’d be at least as respectful as the various Apples were.
When Adam was ready for bed, Kurt told him of his decision.
“Good. Either would have been fine with me, but it’s more important that you’re comfortable.”
Kurt sighed, and cuddled up against Adam. “I appreciate it. I noticed that Jesse treats Chandler very different than you treat me.”
“Yes. Probably more like you were expecting to be treated.”
“Jesse didn’t seem to realize how uncomfortable Chandler was. Sometimes, if I get overwhelmed with things in my people - my human form, it’s easier to change, because cats just don’t have the same problems people do. It’s an escape of sorts.”
“I figured it was something like that. I’ll admit, Jesse can be pretty oblivious at times. I think he gets too wrapped up in his own problems or thoughts or whatever, and doesn’t pay as much attention as he should. At least, that’s how he was in our relationship. I would imagine that’s one of the reasons he wanted a hybrid, to have someone who wouldn’t be competing with him for attention, or wouldn’t have any ambitions to get in his way.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Kurt said, biting his lip.
“Me either,” Adam confessed, “but it’s really not our problem. As far as I can tell, Jesse doesn’t abuse Chandler, he’s not necessarily harming him, though he’s not giving him the best attention. But I suspect it’s still far better than he might be treated by someone else.”
“I guess so. When Chandler and I played together…it’s hard to explain, we didn’t have a conversation, exactly, not the way you and I do. But he didn’t seem scared or upset, or like he was looking for help.”
“Exactly.” Adam brushed a lock of hair out of Kurt’s face. “If he were being harmed, we should step in and help him. But as it is, we really can’t do anything. On the other hand, it might have done some good for Jesse to see how I treat you, and maybe think some more about how he treats Chandler, and what he really wants from him. Maybe he’ll even stop to think about what Chandler wants.”
“Mm-hm. I hope so.”
They spend the next couple of hours focusing on each other, and showing by words and actions, just how much they loved each other.
*Chances Are by Robert Allen
**The Twelfth of Never by Jerry Livingston & Paul Francis Webster
***A Time For Us by Nino Rota, Lawrence Kusika, & Edward A. Snyder
Next - Chapter 81