FIC: Forever Home - Chapter 100
Title: Forever Home - Chapter 100 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 6,700 words this chapter. About 458,000 words so far. Completed.
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.
A/N: Please read the epilogue; there will be a link at the bottom of this chapter.
Chapter 99
CHAPTER 100
Six months later…
Kurt was frustrated. He wanted to read all the reviews and everyone’s comments about the book, but Adam was being stubborn and wouldn’t let him see them.
“You don’t need to read them, Kurt. I’ll read you some of the better ones, how about that?”
“I want to read all of them.” Kurt knew he shouldn’t be pouting, but he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t stupid; obviously there were some bad reviews and people who didn’t like the book. He didn’t need to be protected, though, like a child. He could take criticism. He suspected any criticism would be about him and how he’d changed Adam’s life, rather than anything to do with Adam’s writing.
“Are you sure?” Adam asked. Now Kurt heard the worry in his tone.
“I think so.”
“Alright, I’ll read you a random sampling of what I printed out this morning.” Adam was sitting at the far end of the sofa. He held the pages up so that Kurt couldn’t see what was printed on them, from his position at the other end.
Adam took a couple of deep breaths, then began reading. He changed voices for each of the different critics, which amused Kurt more than the comments did.
“Utter garbage! Lies from start to finish. No wonder it’s self-published. It’s obviously fiction, and not very well-written at that.”
“I loved it! It made me want to go out and buy a hybrid of my very own. But then I thought about it some more, and remembered how complicated it can be. I wondered if I’d have the patience that Mr. Crawford had, to help my hybrid get past all the negative training. I decided I’d better give it a lot more thought, because I really would be responsible for that hybrid.”
“Ridiculous! No hybrid is that intelligent. They can’t even speak in complete sentences, and I’ve never yet met one that can sing. It’s a fairy tale, meant to make money for the hybrid pet store industry.”
“I knew it all along! It’s a conspiracy. I knew there was something fishy about the way the government controls the hybrids, and the way they’re sold. They make it sound like they’re giving them a better life, in the pet store and after they’re adopted. They don’t tell us that they’re taking them away from their family against their will. Sure, some of them have it easy, like this Kurt, with an owner like Adam. But some of them end up with horrible people who treat them worse than animals.”
“Now this,” Adam said, interrupting himself, “is an exchange of comments to an online review.”
“What if they’re actually superior to us, you ever think about that, huh? What if they’re supposed to be the masters, and we’re the pets? If you give them too much freedom, and the ability to make their own decisions, pretty soon they’ll take over and make slaves out of us! Then were will we be? I’ll tell you, we’ll be in cages, being sold to a stranger who can do whatever he wants. Let’s keep these hybrids in their place.”
“You mean, before they start treating us like we treat them?”
“Exactly! God knows what they’ll do for revenge.”
“Like castrate you against your will, so you can’t reproduce? Or instead force you to mate with a stranger you might not even be attracted to, in order to create more hybrids? Make you change forms back and forth for the amusement of guests? Loan you to friends to help pay off a debt? Is that the kind of thing you’re afraid of?”
“Hell yes! Aren’t you?”
“Not really. I have a feeling they might be more compassionate to us than we’ve been to them. If they really are superior to us, hopefully they’re more enlightened, too.”
“Ah, now, here’s a concerned mother, worried about the delicate sensibilities of her child.”
“This is a horrible book! It made my little Jenny cry! Now she wants her hybrid cat to have a huge cat tree of his own, and has started asking him for his opinion on things! I have no idea what all nonsense that creature might put into her head, but I will not have my daughter question our beliefs and values! We’ve raised her to understand Trent is her pet, not her equal!”
“Here we go, a religious conservative…” Adam cleared his throat.
“God did not put animals on this earth to have dominion over us. Hybrids are animals, therefore beneath us. They are not our equal, any more than a pig or a horse. Treating them like human beings will only confuse every human who meets them. God didn’t even create these hybrids. They’re obviously the creation of the devil, meant to tempt us into sin. That’s why most of them are so attractive. They have no souls, which is why we don’t allow them to be buried on church property. They don’t belong in our cemeteries any more than they belong in our churches. Let them return to their father the devil, so their souls can rot in hell.”
Adam sighed heavily. “Oh, dear. I’m sorry, Kurt, you shouldn’t have to listen to this.”
“But he just said we don’t have souls. So how can our souls rot in hell?”
“That just proves you’re wiser than this guy! I feel sorry for anyone who listens to him for guidance.”
“How much more of this is there?” Kurt asked warily
“That was only the first page. I have seventeen more printed out.”
Kurt winced, though he was trying to think of the bright side. “Well, at least there’s a lot of discussion, right? It sounds like a lot of people are buying it.”
“It’s selling well enough. I’m just not sure how many are actually reading it with an open mind.”
Kurt rubbed his socked foot against Adam’s knee, as it was the only part of him he could reach easily. “Maybe some of the ones who do like it can persuade their friends to read it.”
“It doesn’t guarantee they’ll like it, but let’s hope there’s as much discussion going on elsewhere as there is on the Internet.”
“I hope so. Well, let’s hear the rest.”
“Would you mind bringing me some iced tea? If I’m going to do this much reading aloud, I’ll need something for my throat.”
Kurt brought in the honey and half a lemon, and a spoon. “If your throat is bothering you, this might help.”
Adam grinned, and contemplated the offerings. “I’m not sure it will work the same as it does in hot tea, but it can’t hurt.” He added a small amount of both to his tea, and stirred it. Kurt watched his face carefully, and though Adam was trying to hide his initial reaction, it seemed like the additions didn’t go over too well.
“Do you want me to bring you another glass, without anything added?” he asked.
Adam took another large sip, and set the drink down. “No, thanks. I’ll be fine with this.”
He started reading again, and Kurt relaxed as much as he could, trying to get a sense of whether more people liked, or disliked, the book.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Later that day, Adam answered the phone, expecting it to be another one of their friends who had read the book and wanted to congratulate him. He was shocked to find out who had interrupted his day.
As soon as he hung up the phone, he told Kurt the exciting news.
“Adam! You’re not joking are you? You’re really going to be on Tammy Talks?” Kurt couldn’t contain his excitement, and was currently bouncing up and down on his toes.
“You misheard me, love. WE’RE going to be on Tammy Talks! She’s booked both of us for her show, airing next week. It will be filmed the day after tomorrow.” Adam beamed at his hyperactive boyfriend.
“But why? It’s your book! You wrote it!”
“But you’re the inspiration. I could never have written it, wouldn’t have even thought about it, if it weren’t for you. I’m just not sure you’re ready, though, for national exposure like that.”
“What kind of exposure?” Now he sounded hesitant.
“National. I mean that people all over the country are going to see you - us - on television. You might get recognized when we’re out in public. People may want to talk to you, possibly even get your autograph, who knows?” Adam stopped smiling as something occurred to him. “But don’t sign anything, including a blank piece of paper. Who knows what someone could try to trick you into signing.”
“Okay, I won’t sign anything. I really don’t think anyone would ask, anyway.”
“You never know. But before I answer this, I want to talk to Julia, and make sure we know all the legal ramifications. And it might be a good idea to talk to your father, too.”
“Don’t you want to be on Tammy Talks? I thought everybody in the world wanted to be on that!”
“It’s not that I don’t want to be, I just don’t want anyone to somehow twist things around in some way that might hurt you. I think we’d better let me do most of the talking, unless Tammy asks you a question. Even then, if you’re not sure you want to answer it, or how you want to answer, look over at me. It’s my job to take care of you, even in situations like that. Especially in situations where someone might take advantage.”
“But it’s Tammy! She’d never try to take advantage of me!”
“I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing, but sometimes talk show hosts, even well-meaning ones, ask a question that might end up with a different answer than they expect. Something that might sound harmless to you, might be interpreted differently by people in the audience. We need to be very careful what we say, and how we say it.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Adam tried to stay as calm as possible, for Kurt’s sake. Kurt would take his cues from him, and he needed to be relaxed and alert. He was grateful to April for her advice; she was the only one he knew who’d been on talk shows before. Including Tammy Talks, the hottest talk show in the history of television. He was still amazed that they would shortly be interviewed by one of the world’s most influential women.
Kurt was bouncing up and down, grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe we’re here!”
Jerry and Daniel had accompanied them, as unofficial bodyguards. Adam had hoped it was an unnecessary precaution, but he’d been grateful for the intimidating back-up as he and Kurt tried to navigate their way through the protestors and into the building. Their bodyguards were seated unobtrusively nearby when they got to Tammy’s studio.
Kurt and Adam were led over to a make-up table, where professionals fussed over them both. Unsure what to do with the leash, Adam just held onto it, allowing plenty of slack. He would have preferred to have Kurt do the make-up for both of them, but that idea was vetoed immediately.
“It’s our policy, the make-up and hair has to be done by our department,” the young woman working on Kurt said. “Wow, sweetie, you have the thickest hair I’ve ever seen! If we had an hour, I’d try out all different kinds of styles, but I like how you had it for the cover of the book, so I’ll do it like that.”
Kurt had been wearing his hair swept up more often, longer on the top than the sides. It made him look older and more sophisticated.
Adam wasn’t too concerned about his own hair, but silently wished his own stylist the best of luck with taming it. He was slightly alarmed when she brought out a huge bottle of product, but she quickly massaged it into his hair and arranged it in waves. It looked rather nice, but he wasn’t sure it would stay in place throughout the show. Between the stage lights, and his nerve-induced sweat, he thought it would be a miracle if his hair looked as good at the end of the interview.
Glancing at Kurt again, he had no doubts about him. He would look fabulous. Suddenly struck by the desire to grab Kurt and run out of the studio and go home, he had to fight against it. They could certainly keep their doors locked; they could refuse to answer the phone till they knew who was calling, but they couldn’t entirely avoid people. After today, even more people would know about them, and would have questions, comments, opinions, and instructions on how to live their lives together. Well, it was too late now.
They’d barely been released from hair and make-up when an assistant came to tell them they had ten minutes before taping would begin. They were invited to watch the beginning of Tammy’s show, the audience warm-up, and the description of the episode. After a short break for commercials, Tammy would come back on camera, and introduce them. They would take up most of the first half-hour of her show. Adam had no idea who the other guests were, but it was likely to be an actor promoting his or her latest film, and a pop star or band shilling their current hit song.
They sat in the green room, and settled into comfortable chairs to watch the opening few minutes. The other guests weren’t there yet, or perhaps had replaced them in getting pretty for the camera. There was a tray of fruit, bagels, and cups of yogurt, but they’d eaten before leaving the house. Adam supposed it was lucky they’d been booked on Tammy’s show, rather than one that filmed on the West Coast or Chicago or somewhere far away.
“Are you alright, Kurt?”
“Sure. I’m fine.”
Adam looked at him carefully, but he really did seem relaxed, except for one foot that was bouncing, probably in time to whatever song was playing in his head. Adam wondered if he were mentally rehearsing the song he would sing, if he was asked to do one. They’d discussed the possibility, and all the dozens of choices that seemed suitable, but Kurt had decided on the one that he felt suited him best.
They heard the familiar opening music, and the thunderous clapping of the audience as Tammy Ledworth stepped onto the stage. She looked gorgeous, as usual. Her hair was medium red today, a particularly flattering color. It was tamer than the colors she sometimes experimented with, but she liked to say that there was nothing wrong with improving on what nature gave you. And since nature had given her mouse-brown hair that in no way matched her vivid green eyes, she liked to give her hair a little help now and then.
“I want to do a make-over on her,” Kurt said, then bit his lip and looked around. No one else was there to hear him.
“Tell you what, put that thought aside for now. You can tell me on the way home, or later today, what your plan is, but not right now.”
“I know,” Kurt sighed. “It’s just one of those things I keep thinking about.”
“Like rearranging the kitchen?” Adam suggested with a smile.
“What?”
“Never mind. We’ll talk about it later. Shhh, let’s hear what Tammy has to say.”
“…guests are Richard Haines, here to talk about his latest film, “Kill Me Deader 7: The Reckoning.”
Kurt shuddered. “Let’s skip that.”
“Like I’ve skipped the first six,” Adam agreed.
“And the sweet vocal stylings of Janet Stephenson, star of the Disney Channel’s “Zombie High” with her latest single. Who would expect such heavenly sounds from a zombie cheerleader?”
Kurt rolled his eyes. “Is she kidding?”
“Oh, no. It gets fantastic ratings every week,” Adam answered. “Not that I’ve ever seen it. But of course, it’s Kara, the character Janet plays, who’s the zombie, not Janet herself.”
“Of course,” Kurt answered, raising an eyebrow.
They focused on Tammy as she spoke again. “And our first guests, a new author who’s book is racing up the bestseller lists, Adam Crawford. He’ll be accompanied by the subject of his book, his hybrid pet cat, Kurt.” She held up a copy of the book, and the camera zoomed in on the dual pictures on the cover. One was Adam holding hands with human Kurt, and the other was Adam cuddling kitty!Kurt in his arms. In both pictures, Kurt’s magnificent eyes were prominently featured. “I’m sure Adam will be telling us some “Tails From A Hybrid’s Life,” she concluded with a grin. The audience dutifully laughed, though the camera panned past some scowling faces.
Adam took Kurt’s hand and stood up. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Kurt not only sounded self-assured, but the hand holding Adam’s was steady. That was fine, he was nervous enough for the both of them. He took a few deep breaths and felt better.
Kurt squeezed his hand. “You’ll be fine.”
The assistant came out to get them, and gestured them out onto the stage as they heard Tammy say, “Please welcome author Adam Crawford, and Kurt.”
Adam waved to the crowd, as he’d seen other guests do on the show. Kurt’s leash was looped around Adam’s wrist, and he led him by the shoulder. Kurt was almost as tall as he was now, just a fraction of an inch under his height. Adam started to shake hands with Tammy, and was rather surprised when she pulled him into a hug. She merely shook hands with Kurt. Adam had signed paperwork earlier, so Tammy could go ahead and speak to Kurt without asking his permission first. Adam and Kurt took the seats nearest Tammy’s ornate chair, which was lovingly referred to as her throne by her fans. Adam left quite a bit of slack in the leash.
“Adam, your self-published book, “Tails From a Hybrid’s Life”, is climbing the book charts. Yet I’m sure you saw the protestors outside.”
“Yes, as with most things, publishing the book was a mixture of good and bad. But mostly good.”
“You weren’t harassed too much, I take it?”
“Not too much. We have some friends who offered to accompany us today, who are very protective of us, especially Kurt.” He was so thankful to Jerry and Daniel. They’d insisted on closing the gym for part of the day. They had very loyal employees, but as Daniel said, it was time to do some maintenance on the equipment and floors anyway.
“Are they in the audience today?”
“No, they thought, and I agreed, it might be best if they stayed backstage so they would be nearer in case they were needed.”
“Well, we have security here, of course, as well. More than usual. They’re hidden amongst the audience members, just in case. And,” she added casually, “much like hybrids, security can come in all shapes and sizes, and appearances aren’t always truthful.”
Adam could see some rather interesting reactions in the audience, with almost everyone turning to look at the strangers around them, but he wasn’t sure who was security and who wasn’t, so he supposed that was the idea.
The talk show host was asking another question. “Tell me, what made you decide to write a book about Kurt’s life and what it’s like living with a hybrid?”
“Well, Tammy, it started out with me just jotting down things I didn’t want to forget. Cute things Kurt was doing as a cat, or funny things he said as a human, just a series of events I wanted to remember.”
“There are quite a few pictures in here, too. Kurt, you don’t always look too happy in them. How did you feel about your owner documenting your life this way? Did it upset you?”
Kurt’s brow creased. “Upset me? No. I don’t really like having my picture taken. When I was younger, my dad took lots of pictures of me, ‘cause my mom wanted to keep a scrap book. I didn’t mind. But when I was at the processing center, before they sent me to the pet store, they took a lot of pictures. I mean, um, every inch of my body. In both forms. I didn’t know why, and they wouldn’t tell me, but it felt - intrusive. I didn’t have any privacy there at all. But it was just a few days. When I got to the pet store, they took a few pictures, from different angles, in both forms, to use for ads. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t as bad; I mean, I had all my clothes on when I was a human. But when Adam adopted me and started taking pictures, it was different. It’s more like the way my dad did, to remember, not to study.”
Before the interviewer could ask anything further, Adam interrupted. He took Kurt’s hand in his.
“Kurt, I’m sorry, I didn’t know any of this. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I forgot. Until now.”
Adam could see he was distressed, but he was handling it well. He squeezed Kurt’s hand, and held on.
Tammy looked intrigued. “Well, it sounds like you’ve had a bit of a break-through. We’re going to take a brief break.”
As soon as they were clear of the cameras, she demonstrated how to cover their mics with their hands, and quietly asked,
“Adam, is Kurt alright?”
He almost snapped at her that Kurt could answer for himself. But he was more concerned for Kurt than angry at this foolish woman. “Kurt, sweetheart, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” Adam could feel the tremor in his hand that showed him Kurt was nervous, despite what he said. He looked outwardly calm, but Adam could see that his eyes were wider and darker than usual.
“He’ll be fine, I think. I really hadn’t heard about that before.”
“No, I could see that was new information. But it’s fabulous. It’ll be a ratings goldmine!”
The show was taped before a live audience, but not broadcast until a couple of days later. Adam knew it gave Tammy and her producers time to edit as they chose, and determine what angle to take for the promotions.
“No, I don’t think - could you maybe cut that bit out?”
“Absolutely not! It’s the best part of the interview so far!” She shot them a look, and removed her hand from the mic, so they did as well. “We’re back! For those of you just joining us, we’re here with Adam Crawford, author of the new book, “Tails From a Hybrid’s Life.” She held the book up again so the camera could show the cover.
“There are a number of things in your book, Adam, that will probably be a surprise to most people who don’t own hybrid pets. Maybe some things that will surprise other owners. Now, I know this is published as non-fiction, but it’s not unheard of for authors to write fiction and say it’s based on true events, or outright lie and say it’s completely non-fiction, thinking it will get better publicity.”
She was watching him carefully, so Adam tried to keep his temper in check.
“I can assure you, everything I wrote about in that book actually happened. That’s why I started writing it almost the first day I brought Kurt home. I wanted to document the exact words and circumstances. First it was just for myself, but once I realized a book like this might be very informative for other people, I wanted it to be as accurate as possible. I knew there would be people who doubted it, based on their own experiences with hybrids, or things they’d heard or read, which might not be true.”
“Have you heard from the Department of Hybrid Control yet? I haven’t read an official announcement from them.”
“No, nothing.”
“Do you have any idea why not?”
“I don’t presume to know why the DHC does anything.” He hadn’t meant it to come out as snarky as it sounded.
Tammy’s eyes lit up. “But what about others who think you’re trying to encourage people to buy hybrid pets, who otherwise wouldn’t? Or the ones who say the opposite, that you don’t want anyone to adopt any pets, and that might lead to them being euthanized. What do you have to say to them?”
“I’d like to encourage people to really think carefully about their motives for buying a hybrid pet. Whether it’s for themselves or someone else. They need good homes, yes. But I think sometimes people don’t realize how much it’s going to change their life. It’s not the same as adopting a regular cat or dog. Think of how much time and trouble a regular pet can be. Now consider that the pet is human part of the time, that you’re responsible for another human being. Probably for about 50 years, as opposed to maybe 20 for a regular cat or dog.”
“Yes, we get the concept. But what’s different about Kurt? A lot of people seem to think he’s smarter than the average hybrid, and they’re wondering if maybe there’s more human in his ancestry than is usual.”
“No, I don’t believe so. In fact, both his grandparents were hybrids, so he’s a bit more catlike, in some ways, than some hybrids who might have only had one hybrid ancestor in each generation.”
“What about his singing voice?”
“That’s natural. I understand his mother sang well.”
“We’ve read in your book what a phenomenal voice Kurt has. You said he’s a countertenor, is that right?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Would you explain that, for those in the audience who aren’t familiar with that term?”
“Yes, a countertenor is a man who’s trained his voice to sing in the female soprano range, as well as the male tenor range.”
“Perhaps he can sing us a song.”
“Ah, yes, I do have some sheet music here.” Adam started to reach into his bag.
“Or I can sing it a capella,” Kurt suggested.
They hadn’t discussed this ahead of time, but he knew Kurt wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t feel confident.
“That would be fine,” Tammy agreed. “It will also make it easier for the audience to hear that nothing is being done to alter or enhance Kurt’s voice.”
Kurt rolled his eyes, but didn’t sigh.
Adam only let a little of his anger show, but he didn’t say anything. Kurt was handling things just fine.
“Do you want a microphone?” she asked.
“No, ma’am. I can project.”
That did concern Adam a bit, as Kurt hadn’t had any practice in singing in such a large room, as far as he knew. But he also knew he should trust Kurt’s instincts.
Adam stood as far away as he could, holding Kurt’s leash.
Kurt opened his mouth and sang the opening lines. Adam had never heard him sing this loudly or confidently before.
“Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m tired of playing by the rules
Of someone else’s game.”
Adam had heard him sing it often in the past couple of days, and was still amazed how much more powerful Kurt’s voice was than it had been when he first heard it. He thought it amazing how much confidence Kurt had gained in less than nine months. He watched the emotions play across Kurt’s face, and knew they weren’t there for show.
When Kurt finished, Tammy was blinking her eyes rapidly, as the audience clapped. “Kurt, that was lovely. I’m not sure we’ll have time to fit another song into the show, but we did a poll with the audience before we started. We gave them a list of five songs mentioned in the book, and asked them to vote for their favorite. You just sang the second vote-getter, but would you please do the first? “Memory”, from Cats.”
There was some tittering from the audience, but Tammy glared at the offenders and they shut up.
“Yes, ma’am.”
He cleared his throat, then sang, in a beautiful, clear voice,
“Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan.”*
Kurt managed to convey the sadness and longing more befitting someone Lily’s age, as though he’d lived it himself. He may not be old enough to have a lot of memories yet, but Adam hoped his future ones would be even better than those of the last eight months. He was startled to realize he had tears running down his own cheeks. He glanced at the audience, and wondered if Kurt was the only one not tearing up. As the song ended, though, he saw the shy smile he gave everyone.
When Kurt finished, not only was the majority of the audience clapping wildly, but they were also getting to their feet and cheering.
Tammy was wiping her eyes with a tissue. She beckoned for them to come back to their seats.
“Kurt, that was beautiful. You really do have an amazing voice.
“Now, I’ve got some more questions for both of you. Adam, let’s get right to the heart of it. Do you think Kurt is special, or are there a lot more hybrids like him?”
Adam knew it was a loaded question, but he’d suspected something like it would be asked. “I think Kurt is special, in some ways, but there are so many different situations out there. I think so much of it depends on how each hybrid is raised, how their family treats them, if they have any talents that are being nurtured. The way they’re treated in the pet store is significant, certainly, especially if they spend years there. I honestly believe that all hybrids have more potential than most people realize. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, for many reasons, but one reason I wrote the book was so that others could see what might be possible. I can’t guarantee that all hybrids can sing, or draw, or whatever, but I do firmly believe their capacities to express themselves creatively are stunted by the way they’re treated, how they’re taught in school, and the way society as a whole looks at them.”
“Can you give me an example of that?”
Adam leaned forward slightly. “Well, some of the other hybrids we know have just recently realized they can use their own imagination to entertain themselves. Most haven’t been taught to think for themselves, or even imagine what their lives might be like, outside of belonging to someone. They read a very narrow selection of books, which don’t encourage creative thinking or problem solving, as much as they enforce rules and regulations and acceptable behavior. It’s not a lack of intelligence holding them back, so much as a lack of education and belief in themselves.”
“But doesn’t that go against everything we know about hybrids?”
“What we’ve been told, or what’s been generally accepted, perhaps,” Adam hedged.
She turned slightly and looked at Kurt. “I’d like to ask you some questions, Kurt, if I may.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Kurt hoped she wouldn’t ask anything that might really throw him off, but, after looking at Adam and receiving a nod, answered, “Yes, ma’am.”
“What do you think about the idea of hybrids being treated like everyone else? Do you think your fellow hybrids are ready for that?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am, not quite yet. Like Adam said, we need more education. We’ve been told our whole lives that we’re only good for being pets. We’ve been told we can’t work, or earn our own money, or support ourselves. We can’t choose who we end up with, whether we want to have children. In some cases, we’re not allowed to have anything to do with raising our own children, or children who are half ours.”
“Do you think, if you had the proper education, and were told it was alright to do those things, you could get by on your own?”
Kurt bit his lip, then slowly responded. “Not just yet, but soon, with the right education and training. I think some of us are perfectly capable of working, and others would need a lot more self-confidence and training before they could do it.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“We’re frightened, ma’am,” he explained. “We’ve been told all our lives we’re inferior, we’re not much better than full animals. We’ve been told so often that we can’t, that it’s going to take a lot of being told we can, before some of us believe it. But maybe, if they know others are trying to do as much as we can, to live up to our full potential, more hybrids will want to do that.”
“It seems to me, though, it’s not a matter of what the hybrids want, at this point. It’s more what the human owners want, or potential owners. If people who are thinking about adopting hybrids are hesitant, because they want an obedient, traditional pet like they’ve always heard about, they might not adopt. And if we didn’t before, we know now what happens to the ones that don’t get adopted.”
“I have some ideas to help the ones who seem unadoptable, but I’m not ready to talk about them just yet.”
He wasn’t sure what he expected from her, but hopefully at least compassion. She had to hide her amusement, however. “Well, Kurt, this might be your best opportunity to tell a large group of people about your ideas. You might never have this kind of platform again.”
Kurt glanced at Adam, who shook his head.
Adam responded, “It’s something we’re working on together, and I think we’d best wait till we get some responses back from some other people. Hopefully, if it does come to fruition, you’ll have us back on so we can spread the word.”
Kurt wasn’t going to hold his breath for that to happen.
“Well, we’ll see about that.” Tammy didn’t sound unkind, just pragmatic. “In the meantime, I’d like a demonstration of Kurt’s reading ability. Do you have your glasses with you?”
Of course he did. He put them on.
Tammy handed him a book. “I doubt you’ve read this one before. It’s my autobiography, which came out last year, so I know every word in it. Can you read a little bit, starting from the first chapter?”
He knew she was trying to throw him off, with a book written for mainly an adult audience. He took a deep breath, then began reading. The page was shown on a large screen behind him, so the audience could read along with him.
His voice was smooth and melodic; he’d been told that enough times that he believed it, even if it didn’t sound quite that way to him.
The first page was pretty easy. It was basically Tammy introducing herself, what she did, and starting to talk about her upbringing. He stopped when she told him to.
“Very good. Now, can you turn to Chapter 15, and start reading that?”
He humored her, and flipped back to the Table of Contents to go directly to that page. He read about the origins of Tammy Talks and why she wanted so badly to do a talk show. He read smoothly, and didn’t have to ask for clarification on any words. He didn’t think it was necessary to mention that by now he’d read the first two Harry Potter books, and often read parts of them aloud to Adam.
“Thank you, Kurt, you can stop now. And please, keep the book. Either you or Adam might find it intriguing.”
“Thank you, Tammy. I do want to find out how you went from conceiving the idea of the show, to funding and producing it.”
She raised an eyebrow, and he smiled placidly back at her. Score one point for Kurt, he thought.
She looked out at the audience. “Now, I know some of you are skeptical. Even if you think Kurt couldn’t read those pages, and had them memorized - do you think you could memorize them that well? The fact is, I think we’ve all made some incorrect assumptions about hybrids and their mental and intellectual capacities.”
She turned back to Kurt with a reassuring smile.
“Now, Kurt, if you can tell us, in your own words, what it was like to meet your father again after almost six years of being apart. I think that’s something the audience should hear about, from your perspective. It’s such an unusual situation, and normally discouraged.”
After a quick glance at Adam, Kurt went on to talk easily about his father, and his emotions on seeing him. He didn’t need to be prompted to talk about what it was like from the cat side of himself, either. He wondered how the audience was reacting, but he’d taken April’s advice, and instead of focusing on just a few people, he kept his gaze somewhat unfocused as he looked at them. He couldn’t see anyone’s expression clearly.
“That was quite moving, Kurt. I think it’s something that we parents of fully human children should think about for a moment. I know how I’d feel if someone tried to take my daughter away when she turns 13. Even if I knew it was coming, I’m not sure I could adapt well to the idea that I’d likely never see her again. Maybe this is an area we need to think about, encouraging hybrid pets and their new owners to have some contact with their birth family, if everyone is agreeable.
“I don’t have a hybrid pet myself, but I have friends who have them. I’ve never heard anyone, hybrid or owner, talk about their thoughts or feelings in their animal state. Some will talk about things they did, activities or what they ate, but this is the first I’ve actually heard a hybrid express, in their own words, what their thought process is like.”
Kurt nodded, unsure whether he was supposed to respond.
“I wonder if other hybrids think about things that clearly, and remember them so well? Or do you think that’s just you? Like the way some people have a photographic memory, for instance, and others don’t.”
He laughed. “I know I don’t have a photographic memory. I forget stuff if I’m not reminded, sometimes. But I’ve tried talking to some of my friends about it, and…” He sighed heavily. “It’s a very personal thing. But even with other cat hybrids, I think our thought process is individual, so I can’t say for sure if I’m unique, or if other hybrids remember what they do, what’s said to them, and how they feel in their animal state. But I’m certain,” he stressed, “it’s more than most owners would like to think they feel and remember.”
He looked more carefully at the audience, and saw a lot of people shifting uncomfortably, and looking away.
He was amazed that Tammy kept talking to them, for hours, it seemed. Finally, the show was over, and Tammy informed the studio audience that they would each be going home with a copy of Adam’s book.
He knew Adam was grateful for the extra sales. Hopefully, anyone in the studio audience who already had a copy would now have a spare to loan out or give away.
<><><><><><><><><><>
They watched the show as it aired, the following week, with April, Lily, and Nancy. Most of the rest of their friends had to work, but they’d all promised to record the show and watch it later. Burt called to congratulate them. He and Carole had talked a neighbor’s child into programming the show for them.
They were shocked to find both Richard Haines and Janet Stephenson had been bumped to the next day. The entire show was Adam and Kurt, with both of Kurt’s songs included in their entirety. The order of some of the questions was altered a bit, but it seemed to make everything flow smoother. Nothing important was cut, that Kurt could recall, and nothing was edited in a way that made him look or sound bad. He still wasn’t entirely sure Tammy was a hybrid sympathizer, but he had the feeling she’d been at least a little swayed by some of the things he and Adam had said. It was a start. He knew it would take a long time, but Kurt felt good about what they’d accomplished so far.
*Memory - lyrics by T.S. Eliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber
EPILOGUE
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 6,700 words this chapter. About 458,000 words so far. Completed.
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.
A/N: Please read the epilogue; there will be a link at the bottom of this chapter.
Chapter 99
CHAPTER 100
Six months later…
Kurt was frustrated. He wanted to read all the reviews and everyone’s comments about the book, but Adam was being stubborn and wouldn’t let him see them.
“You don’t need to read them, Kurt. I’ll read you some of the better ones, how about that?”
“I want to read all of them.” Kurt knew he shouldn’t be pouting, but he couldn’t help it. He wasn’t stupid; obviously there were some bad reviews and people who didn’t like the book. He didn’t need to be protected, though, like a child. He could take criticism. He suspected any criticism would be about him and how he’d changed Adam’s life, rather than anything to do with Adam’s writing.
“Are you sure?” Adam asked. Now Kurt heard the worry in his tone.
“I think so.”
“Alright, I’ll read you a random sampling of what I printed out this morning.” Adam was sitting at the far end of the sofa. He held the pages up so that Kurt couldn’t see what was printed on them, from his position at the other end.
Adam took a couple of deep breaths, then began reading. He changed voices for each of the different critics, which amused Kurt more than the comments did.
“Utter garbage! Lies from start to finish. No wonder it’s self-published. It’s obviously fiction, and not very well-written at that.”
“I loved it! It made me want to go out and buy a hybrid of my very own. But then I thought about it some more, and remembered how complicated it can be. I wondered if I’d have the patience that Mr. Crawford had, to help my hybrid get past all the negative training. I decided I’d better give it a lot more thought, because I really would be responsible for that hybrid.”
“Ridiculous! No hybrid is that intelligent. They can’t even speak in complete sentences, and I’ve never yet met one that can sing. It’s a fairy tale, meant to make money for the hybrid pet store industry.”
“I knew it all along! It’s a conspiracy. I knew there was something fishy about the way the government controls the hybrids, and the way they’re sold. They make it sound like they’re giving them a better life, in the pet store and after they’re adopted. They don’t tell us that they’re taking them away from their family against their will. Sure, some of them have it easy, like this Kurt, with an owner like Adam. But some of them end up with horrible people who treat them worse than animals.”
“Now this,” Adam said, interrupting himself, “is an exchange of comments to an online review.”
“What if they’re actually superior to us, you ever think about that, huh? What if they’re supposed to be the masters, and we’re the pets? If you give them too much freedom, and the ability to make their own decisions, pretty soon they’ll take over and make slaves out of us! Then were will we be? I’ll tell you, we’ll be in cages, being sold to a stranger who can do whatever he wants. Let’s keep these hybrids in their place.”
“You mean, before they start treating us like we treat them?”
“Exactly! God knows what they’ll do for revenge.”
“Like castrate you against your will, so you can’t reproduce? Or instead force you to mate with a stranger you might not even be attracted to, in order to create more hybrids? Make you change forms back and forth for the amusement of guests? Loan you to friends to help pay off a debt? Is that the kind of thing you’re afraid of?”
“Hell yes! Aren’t you?”
“Not really. I have a feeling they might be more compassionate to us than we’ve been to them. If they really are superior to us, hopefully they’re more enlightened, too.”
“Ah, now, here’s a concerned mother, worried about the delicate sensibilities of her child.”
“This is a horrible book! It made my little Jenny cry! Now she wants her hybrid cat to have a huge cat tree of his own, and has started asking him for his opinion on things! I have no idea what all nonsense that creature might put into her head, but I will not have my daughter question our beliefs and values! We’ve raised her to understand Trent is her pet, not her equal!”
“Here we go, a religious conservative…” Adam cleared his throat.
“God did not put animals on this earth to have dominion over us. Hybrids are animals, therefore beneath us. They are not our equal, any more than a pig or a horse. Treating them like human beings will only confuse every human who meets them. God didn’t even create these hybrids. They’re obviously the creation of the devil, meant to tempt us into sin. That’s why most of them are so attractive. They have no souls, which is why we don’t allow them to be buried on church property. They don’t belong in our cemeteries any more than they belong in our churches. Let them return to their father the devil, so their souls can rot in hell.”
Adam sighed heavily. “Oh, dear. I’m sorry, Kurt, you shouldn’t have to listen to this.”
“But he just said we don’t have souls. So how can our souls rot in hell?”
“That just proves you’re wiser than this guy! I feel sorry for anyone who listens to him for guidance.”
“How much more of this is there?” Kurt asked warily
“That was only the first page. I have seventeen more printed out.”
Kurt winced, though he was trying to think of the bright side. “Well, at least there’s a lot of discussion, right? It sounds like a lot of people are buying it.”
“It’s selling well enough. I’m just not sure how many are actually reading it with an open mind.”
Kurt rubbed his socked foot against Adam’s knee, as it was the only part of him he could reach easily. “Maybe some of the ones who do like it can persuade their friends to read it.”
“It doesn’t guarantee they’ll like it, but let’s hope there’s as much discussion going on elsewhere as there is on the Internet.”
“I hope so. Well, let’s hear the rest.”
“Would you mind bringing me some iced tea? If I’m going to do this much reading aloud, I’ll need something for my throat.”
Kurt brought in the honey and half a lemon, and a spoon. “If your throat is bothering you, this might help.”
Adam grinned, and contemplated the offerings. “I’m not sure it will work the same as it does in hot tea, but it can’t hurt.” He added a small amount of both to his tea, and stirred it. Kurt watched his face carefully, and though Adam was trying to hide his initial reaction, it seemed like the additions didn’t go over too well.
“Do you want me to bring you another glass, without anything added?” he asked.
Adam took another large sip, and set the drink down. “No, thanks. I’ll be fine with this.”
He started reading again, and Kurt relaxed as much as he could, trying to get a sense of whether more people liked, or disliked, the book.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Later that day, Adam answered the phone, expecting it to be another one of their friends who had read the book and wanted to congratulate him. He was shocked to find out who had interrupted his day.
As soon as he hung up the phone, he told Kurt the exciting news.
“Adam! You’re not joking are you? You’re really going to be on Tammy Talks?” Kurt couldn’t contain his excitement, and was currently bouncing up and down on his toes.
“You misheard me, love. WE’RE going to be on Tammy Talks! She’s booked both of us for her show, airing next week. It will be filmed the day after tomorrow.” Adam beamed at his hyperactive boyfriend.
“But why? It’s your book! You wrote it!”
“But you’re the inspiration. I could never have written it, wouldn’t have even thought about it, if it weren’t for you. I’m just not sure you’re ready, though, for national exposure like that.”
“What kind of exposure?” Now he sounded hesitant.
“National. I mean that people all over the country are going to see you - us - on television. You might get recognized when we’re out in public. People may want to talk to you, possibly even get your autograph, who knows?” Adam stopped smiling as something occurred to him. “But don’t sign anything, including a blank piece of paper. Who knows what someone could try to trick you into signing.”
“Okay, I won’t sign anything. I really don’t think anyone would ask, anyway.”
“You never know. But before I answer this, I want to talk to Julia, and make sure we know all the legal ramifications. And it might be a good idea to talk to your father, too.”
“Don’t you want to be on Tammy Talks? I thought everybody in the world wanted to be on that!”
“It’s not that I don’t want to be, I just don’t want anyone to somehow twist things around in some way that might hurt you. I think we’d better let me do most of the talking, unless Tammy asks you a question. Even then, if you’re not sure you want to answer it, or how you want to answer, look over at me. It’s my job to take care of you, even in situations like that. Especially in situations where someone might take advantage.”
“But it’s Tammy! She’d never try to take advantage of me!”
“I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing, but sometimes talk show hosts, even well-meaning ones, ask a question that might end up with a different answer than they expect. Something that might sound harmless to you, might be interpreted differently by people in the audience. We need to be very careful what we say, and how we say it.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Adam tried to stay as calm as possible, for Kurt’s sake. Kurt would take his cues from him, and he needed to be relaxed and alert. He was grateful to April for her advice; she was the only one he knew who’d been on talk shows before. Including Tammy Talks, the hottest talk show in the history of television. He was still amazed that they would shortly be interviewed by one of the world’s most influential women.
Kurt was bouncing up and down, grinning from ear to ear. “I can’t believe we’re here!”
Jerry and Daniel had accompanied them, as unofficial bodyguards. Adam had hoped it was an unnecessary precaution, but he’d been grateful for the intimidating back-up as he and Kurt tried to navigate their way through the protestors and into the building. Their bodyguards were seated unobtrusively nearby when they got to Tammy’s studio.
Kurt and Adam were led over to a make-up table, where professionals fussed over them both. Unsure what to do with the leash, Adam just held onto it, allowing plenty of slack. He would have preferred to have Kurt do the make-up for both of them, but that idea was vetoed immediately.
“It’s our policy, the make-up and hair has to be done by our department,” the young woman working on Kurt said. “Wow, sweetie, you have the thickest hair I’ve ever seen! If we had an hour, I’d try out all different kinds of styles, but I like how you had it for the cover of the book, so I’ll do it like that.”
Kurt had been wearing his hair swept up more often, longer on the top than the sides. It made him look older and more sophisticated.
Adam wasn’t too concerned about his own hair, but silently wished his own stylist the best of luck with taming it. He was slightly alarmed when she brought out a huge bottle of product, but she quickly massaged it into his hair and arranged it in waves. It looked rather nice, but he wasn’t sure it would stay in place throughout the show. Between the stage lights, and his nerve-induced sweat, he thought it would be a miracle if his hair looked as good at the end of the interview.
Glancing at Kurt again, he had no doubts about him. He would look fabulous. Suddenly struck by the desire to grab Kurt and run out of the studio and go home, he had to fight against it. They could certainly keep their doors locked; they could refuse to answer the phone till they knew who was calling, but they couldn’t entirely avoid people. After today, even more people would know about them, and would have questions, comments, opinions, and instructions on how to live their lives together. Well, it was too late now.
They’d barely been released from hair and make-up when an assistant came to tell them they had ten minutes before taping would begin. They were invited to watch the beginning of Tammy’s show, the audience warm-up, and the description of the episode. After a short break for commercials, Tammy would come back on camera, and introduce them. They would take up most of the first half-hour of her show. Adam had no idea who the other guests were, but it was likely to be an actor promoting his or her latest film, and a pop star or band shilling their current hit song.
They sat in the green room, and settled into comfortable chairs to watch the opening few minutes. The other guests weren’t there yet, or perhaps had replaced them in getting pretty for the camera. There was a tray of fruit, bagels, and cups of yogurt, but they’d eaten before leaving the house. Adam supposed it was lucky they’d been booked on Tammy’s show, rather than one that filmed on the West Coast or Chicago or somewhere far away.
“Are you alright, Kurt?”
“Sure. I’m fine.”
Adam looked at him carefully, but he really did seem relaxed, except for one foot that was bouncing, probably in time to whatever song was playing in his head. Adam wondered if he were mentally rehearsing the song he would sing, if he was asked to do one. They’d discussed the possibility, and all the dozens of choices that seemed suitable, but Kurt had decided on the one that he felt suited him best.
They heard the familiar opening music, and the thunderous clapping of the audience as Tammy Ledworth stepped onto the stage. She looked gorgeous, as usual. Her hair was medium red today, a particularly flattering color. It was tamer than the colors she sometimes experimented with, but she liked to say that there was nothing wrong with improving on what nature gave you. And since nature had given her mouse-brown hair that in no way matched her vivid green eyes, she liked to give her hair a little help now and then.
“I want to do a make-over on her,” Kurt said, then bit his lip and looked around. No one else was there to hear him.
“Tell you what, put that thought aside for now. You can tell me on the way home, or later today, what your plan is, but not right now.”
“I know,” Kurt sighed. “It’s just one of those things I keep thinking about.”
“Like rearranging the kitchen?” Adam suggested with a smile.
“What?”
“Never mind. We’ll talk about it later. Shhh, let’s hear what Tammy has to say.”
“…guests are Richard Haines, here to talk about his latest film, “Kill Me Deader 7: The Reckoning.”
Kurt shuddered. “Let’s skip that.”
“Like I’ve skipped the first six,” Adam agreed.
“And the sweet vocal stylings of Janet Stephenson, star of the Disney Channel’s “Zombie High” with her latest single. Who would expect such heavenly sounds from a zombie cheerleader?”
Kurt rolled his eyes. “Is she kidding?”
“Oh, no. It gets fantastic ratings every week,” Adam answered. “Not that I’ve ever seen it. But of course, it’s Kara, the character Janet plays, who’s the zombie, not Janet herself.”
“Of course,” Kurt answered, raising an eyebrow.
They focused on Tammy as she spoke again. “And our first guests, a new author who’s book is racing up the bestseller lists, Adam Crawford. He’ll be accompanied by the subject of his book, his hybrid pet cat, Kurt.” She held up a copy of the book, and the camera zoomed in on the dual pictures on the cover. One was Adam holding hands with human Kurt, and the other was Adam cuddling kitty!Kurt in his arms. In both pictures, Kurt’s magnificent eyes were prominently featured. “I’m sure Adam will be telling us some “Tails From A Hybrid’s Life,” she concluded with a grin. The audience dutifully laughed, though the camera panned past some scowling faces.
Adam took Kurt’s hand and stood up. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Kurt not only sounded self-assured, but the hand holding Adam’s was steady. That was fine, he was nervous enough for the both of them. He took a few deep breaths and felt better.
Kurt squeezed his hand. “You’ll be fine.”
The assistant came out to get them, and gestured them out onto the stage as they heard Tammy say, “Please welcome author Adam Crawford, and Kurt.”
Adam waved to the crowd, as he’d seen other guests do on the show. Kurt’s leash was looped around Adam’s wrist, and he led him by the shoulder. Kurt was almost as tall as he was now, just a fraction of an inch under his height. Adam started to shake hands with Tammy, and was rather surprised when she pulled him into a hug. She merely shook hands with Kurt. Adam had signed paperwork earlier, so Tammy could go ahead and speak to Kurt without asking his permission first. Adam and Kurt took the seats nearest Tammy’s ornate chair, which was lovingly referred to as her throne by her fans. Adam left quite a bit of slack in the leash.
“Adam, your self-published book, “Tails From a Hybrid’s Life”, is climbing the book charts. Yet I’m sure you saw the protestors outside.”
“Yes, as with most things, publishing the book was a mixture of good and bad. But mostly good.”
“You weren’t harassed too much, I take it?”
“Not too much. We have some friends who offered to accompany us today, who are very protective of us, especially Kurt.” He was so thankful to Jerry and Daniel. They’d insisted on closing the gym for part of the day. They had very loyal employees, but as Daniel said, it was time to do some maintenance on the equipment and floors anyway.
“Are they in the audience today?”
“No, they thought, and I agreed, it might be best if they stayed backstage so they would be nearer in case they were needed.”
“Well, we have security here, of course, as well. More than usual. They’re hidden amongst the audience members, just in case. And,” she added casually, “much like hybrids, security can come in all shapes and sizes, and appearances aren’t always truthful.”
Adam could see some rather interesting reactions in the audience, with almost everyone turning to look at the strangers around them, but he wasn’t sure who was security and who wasn’t, so he supposed that was the idea.
The talk show host was asking another question. “Tell me, what made you decide to write a book about Kurt’s life and what it’s like living with a hybrid?”
“Well, Tammy, it started out with me just jotting down things I didn’t want to forget. Cute things Kurt was doing as a cat, or funny things he said as a human, just a series of events I wanted to remember.”
“There are quite a few pictures in here, too. Kurt, you don’t always look too happy in them. How did you feel about your owner documenting your life this way? Did it upset you?”
Kurt’s brow creased. “Upset me? No. I don’t really like having my picture taken. When I was younger, my dad took lots of pictures of me, ‘cause my mom wanted to keep a scrap book. I didn’t mind. But when I was at the processing center, before they sent me to the pet store, they took a lot of pictures. I mean, um, every inch of my body. In both forms. I didn’t know why, and they wouldn’t tell me, but it felt - intrusive. I didn’t have any privacy there at all. But it was just a few days. When I got to the pet store, they took a few pictures, from different angles, in both forms, to use for ads. I didn’t like it. It wasn’t as bad; I mean, I had all my clothes on when I was a human. But when Adam adopted me and started taking pictures, it was different. It’s more like the way my dad did, to remember, not to study.”
Before the interviewer could ask anything further, Adam interrupted. He took Kurt’s hand in his.
“Kurt, I’m sorry, I didn’t know any of this. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I forgot. Until now.”
Adam could see he was distressed, but he was handling it well. He squeezed Kurt’s hand, and held on.
Tammy looked intrigued. “Well, it sounds like you’ve had a bit of a break-through. We’re going to take a brief break.”
As soon as they were clear of the cameras, she demonstrated how to cover their mics with their hands, and quietly asked,
“Adam, is Kurt alright?”
He almost snapped at her that Kurt could answer for himself. But he was more concerned for Kurt than angry at this foolish woman. “Kurt, sweetheart, how are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” Adam could feel the tremor in his hand that showed him Kurt was nervous, despite what he said. He looked outwardly calm, but Adam could see that his eyes were wider and darker than usual.
“He’ll be fine, I think. I really hadn’t heard about that before.”
“No, I could see that was new information. But it’s fabulous. It’ll be a ratings goldmine!”
The show was taped before a live audience, but not broadcast until a couple of days later. Adam knew it gave Tammy and her producers time to edit as they chose, and determine what angle to take for the promotions.
“No, I don’t think - could you maybe cut that bit out?”
“Absolutely not! It’s the best part of the interview so far!” She shot them a look, and removed her hand from the mic, so they did as well. “We’re back! For those of you just joining us, we’re here with Adam Crawford, author of the new book, “Tails From a Hybrid’s Life.” She held the book up again so the camera could show the cover.
“There are a number of things in your book, Adam, that will probably be a surprise to most people who don’t own hybrid pets. Maybe some things that will surprise other owners. Now, I know this is published as non-fiction, but it’s not unheard of for authors to write fiction and say it’s based on true events, or outright lie and say it’s completely non-fiction, thinking it will get better publicity.”
She was watching him carefully, so Adam tried to keep his temper in check.
“I can assure you, everything I wrote about in that book actually happened. That’s why I started writing it almost the first day I brought Kurt home. I wanted to document the exact words and circumstances. First it was just for myself, but once I realized a book like this might be very informative for other people, I wanted it to be as accurate as possible. I knew there would be people who doubted it, based on their own experiences with hybrids, or things they’d heard or read, which might not be true.”
“Have you heard from the Department of Hybrid Control yet? I haven’t read an official announcement from them.”
“No, nothing.”
“Do you have any idea why not?”
“I don’t presume to know why the DHC does anything.” He hadn’t meant it to come out as snarky as it sounded.
Tammy’s eyes lit up. “But what about others who think you’re trying to encourage people to buy hybrid pets, who otherwise wouldn’t? Or the ones who say the opposite, that you don’t want anyone to adopt any pets, and that might lead to them being euthanized. What do you have to say to them?”
“I’d like to encourage people to really think carefully about their motives for buying a hybrid pet. Whether it’s for themselves or someone else. They need good homes, yes. But I think sometimes people don’t realize how much it’s going to change their life. It’s not the same as adopting a regular cat or dog. Think of how much time and trouble a regular pet can be. Now consider that the pet is human part of the time, that you’re responsible for another human being. Probably for about 50 years, as opposed to maybe 20 for a regular cat or dog.”
“Yes, we get the concept. But what’s different about Kurt? A lot of people seem to think he’s smarter than the average hybrid, and they’re wondering if maybe there’s more human in his ancestry than is usual.”
“No, I don’t believe so. In fact, both his grandparents were hybrids, so he’s a bit more catlike, in some ways, than some hybrids who might have only had one hybrid ancestor in each generation.”
“What about his singing voice?”
“That’s natural. I understand his mother sang well.”
“We’ve read in your book what a phenomenal voice Kurt has. You said he’s a countertenor, is that right?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Would you explain that, for those in the audience who aren’t familiar with that term?”
“Yes, a countertenor is a man who’s trained his voice to sing in the female soprano range, as well as the male tenor range.”
“Perhaps he can sing us a song.”
“Ah, yes, I do have some sheet music here.” Adam started to reach into his bag.
“Or I can sing it a capella,” Kurt suggested.
They hadn’t discussed this ahead of time, but he knew Kurt wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t feel confident.
“That would be fine,” Tammy agreed. “It will also make it easier for the audience to hear that nothing is being done to alter or enhance Kurt’s voice.”
Kurt rolled his eyes, but didn’t sigh.
Adam only let a little of his anger show, but he didn’t say anything. Kurt was handling things just fine.
“Do you want a microphone?” she asked.
“No, ma’am. I can project.”
That did concern Adam a bit, as Kurt hadn’t had any practice in singing in such a large room, as far as he knew. But he also knew he should trust Kurt’s instincts.
Adam stood as far away as he could, holding Kurt’s leash.
Kurt opened his mouth and sang the opening lines. Adam had never heard him sing this loudly or confidently before.
“Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m tired of playing by the rules
Of someone else’s game.”
Adam had heard him sing it often in the past couple of days, and was still amazed how much more powerful Kurt’s voice was than it had been when he first heard it. He thought it amazing how much confidence Kurt had gained in less than nine months. He watched the emotions play across Kurt’s face, and knew they weren’t there for show.
When Kurt finished, Tammy was blinking her eyes rapidly, as the audience clapped. “Kurt, that was lovely. I’m not sure we’ll have time to fit another song into the show, but we did a poll with the audience before we started. We gave them a list of five songs mentioned in the book, and asked them to vote for their favorite. You just sang the second vote-getter, but would you please do the first? “Memory”, from Cats.”
There was some tittering from the audience, but Tammy glared at the offenders and they shut up.
“Yes, ma’am.”
He cleared his throat, then sang, in a beautiful, clear voice,
“Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan.”*
Kurt managed to convey the sadness and longing more befitting someone Lily’s age, as though he’d lived it himself. He may not be old enough to have a lot of memories yet, but Adam hoped his future ones would be even better than those of the last eight months. He was startled to realize he had tears running down his own cheeks. He glanced at the audience, and wondered if Kurt was the only one not tearing up. As the song ended, though, he saw the shy smile he gave everyone.
When Kurt finished, not only was the majority of the audience clapping wildly, but they were also getting to their feet and cheering.
Tammy was wiping her eyes with a tissue. She beckoned for them to come back to their seats.
“Kurt, that was beautiful. You really do have an amazing voice.
“Now, I’ve got some more questions for both of you. Adam, let’s get right to the heart of it. Do you think Kurt is special, or are there a lot more hybrids like him?”
Adam knew it was a loaded question, but he’d suspected something like it would be asked. “I think Kurt is special, in some ways, but there are so many different situations out there. I think so much of it depends on how each hybrid is raised, how their family treats them, if they have any talents that are being nurtured. The way they’re treated in the pet store is significant, certainly, especially if they spend years there. I honestly believe that all hybrids have more potential than most people realize. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, for many reasons, but one reason I wrote the book was so that others could see what might be possible. I can’t guarantee that all hybrids can sing, or draw, or whatever, but I do firmly believe their capacities to express themselves creatively are stunted by the way they’re treated, how they’re taught in school, and the way society as a whole looks at them.”
“Can you give me an example of that?”
Adam leaned forward slightly. “Well, some of the other hybrids we know have just recently realized they can use their own imagination to entertain themselves. Most haven’t been taught to think for themselves, or even imagine what their lives might be like, outside of belonging to someone. They read a very narrow selection of books, which don’t encourage creative thinking or problem solving, as much as they enforce rules and regulations and acceptable behavior. It’s not a lack of intelligence holding them back, so much as a lack of education and belief in themselves.”
“But doesn’t that go against everything we know about hybrids?”
“What we’ve been told, or what’s been generally accepted, perhaps,” Adam hedged.
She turned slightly and looked at Kurt. “I’d like to ask you some questions, Kurt, if I may.”
<><><><><><><><><><>
Kurt hoped she wouldn’t ask anything that might really throw him off, but, after looking at Adam and receiving a nod, answered, “Yes, ma’am.”
“What do you think about the idea of hybrids being treated like everyone else? Do you think your fellow hybrids are ready for that?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am, not quite yet. Like Adam said, we need more education. We’ve been told our whole lives that we’re only good for being pets. We’ve been told we can’t work, or earn our own money, or support ourselves. We can’t choose who we end up with, whether we want to have children. In some cases, we’re not allowed to have anything to do with raising our own children, or children who are half ours.”
“Do you think, if you had the proper education, and were told it was alright to do those things, you could get by on your own?”
Kurt bit his lip, then slowly responded. “Not just yet, but soon, with the right education and training. I think some of us are perfectly capable of working, and others would need a lot more self-confidence and training before they could do it.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“We’re frightened, ma’am,” he explained. “We’ve been told all our lives we’re inferior, we’re not much better than full animals. We’ve been told so often that we can’t, that it’s going to take a lot of being told we can, before some of us believe it. But maybe, if they know others are trying to do as much as we can, to live up to our full potential, more hybrids will want to do that.”
“It seems to me, though, it’s not a matter of what the hybrids want, at this point. It’s more what the human owners want, or potential owners. If people who are thinking about adopting hybrids are hesitant, because they want an obedient, traditional pet like they’ve always heard about, they might not adopt. And if we didn’t before, we know now what happens to the ones that don’t get adopted.”
“I have some ideas to help the ones who seem unadoptable, but I’m not ready to talk about them just yet.”
He wasn’t sure what he expected from her, but hopefully at least compassion. She had to hide her amusement, however. “Well, Kurt, this might be your best opportunity to tell a large group of people about your ideas. You might never have this kind of platform again.”
Kurt glanced at Adam, who shook his head.
Adam responded, “It’s something we’re working on together, and I think we’d best wait till we get some responses back from some other people. Hopefully, if it does come to fruition, you’ll have us back on so we can spread the word.”
Kurt wasn’t going to hold his breath for that to happen.
“Well, we’ll see about that.” Tammy didn’t sound unkind, just pragmatic. “In the meantime, I’d like a demonstration of Kurt’s reading ability. Do you have your glasses with you?”
Of course he did. He put them on.
Tammy handed him a book. “I doubt you’ve read this one before. It’s my autobiography, which came out last year, so I know every word in it. Can you read a little bit, starting from the first chapter?”
He knew she was trying to throw him off, with a book written for mainly an adult audience. He took a deep breath, then began reading. The page was shown on a large screen behind him, so the audience could read along with him.
His voice was smooth and melodic; he’d been told that enough times that he believed it, even if it didn’t sound quite that way to him.
The first page was pretty easy. It was basically Tammy introducing herself, what she did, and starting to talk about her upbringing. He stopped when she told him to.
“Very good. Now, can you turn to Chapter 15, and start reading that?”
He humored her, and flipped back to the Table of Contents to go directly to that page. He read about the origins of Tammy Talks and why she wanted so badly to do a talk show. He read smoothly, and didn’t have to ask for clarification on any words. He didn’t think it was necessary to mention that by now he’d read the first two Harry Potter books, and often read parts of them aloud to Adam.
“Thank you, Kurt, you can stop now. And please, keep the book. Either you or Adam might find it intriguing.”
“Thank you, Tammy. I do want to find out how you went from conceiving the idea of the show, to funding and producing it.”
She raised an eyebrow, and he smiled placidly back at her. Score one point for Kurt, he thought.
She looked out at the audience. “Now, I know some of you are skeptical. Even if you think Kurt couldn’t read those pages, and had them memorized - do you think you could memorize them that well? The fact is, I think we’ve all made some incorrect assumptions about hybrids and their mental and intellectual capacities.”
She turned back to Kurt with a reassuring smile.
“Now, Kurt, if you can tell us, in your own words, what it was like to meet your father again after almost six years of being apart. I think that’s something the audience should hear about, from your perspective. It’s such an unusual situation, and normally discouraged.”
After a quick glance at Adam, Kurt went on to talk easily about his father, and his emotions on seeing him. He didn’t need to be prompted to talk about what it was like from the cat side of himself, either. He wondered how the audience was reacting, but he’d taken April’s advice, and instead of focusing on just a few people, he kept his gaze somewhat unfocused as he looked at them. He couldn’t see anyone’s expression clearly.
“That was quite moving, Kurt. I think it’s something that we parents of fully human children should think about for a moment. I know how I’d feel if someone tried to take my daughter away when she turns 13. Even if I knew it was coming, I’m not sure I could adapt well to the idea that I’d likely never see her again. Maybe this is an area we need to think about, encouraging hybrid pets and their new owners to have some contact with their birth family, if everyone is agreeable.
“I don’t have a hybrid pet myself, but I have friends who have them. I’ve never heard anyone, hybrid or owner, talk about their thoughts or feelings in their animal state. Some will talk about things they did, activities or what they ate, but this is the first I’ve actually heard a hybrid express, in their own words, what their thought process is like.”
Kurt nodded, unsure whether he was supposed to respond.
“I wonder if other hybrids think about things that clearly, and remember them so well? Or do you think that’s just you? Like the way some people have a photographic memory, for instance, and others don’t.”
He laughed. “I know I don’t have a photographic memory. I forget stuff if I’m not reminded, sometimes. But I’ve tried talking to some of my friends about it, and…” He sighed heavily. “It’s a very personal thing. But even with other cat hybrids, I think our thought process is individual, so I can’t say for sure if I’m unique, or if other hybrids remember what they do, what’s said to them, and how they feel in their animal state. But I’m certain,” he stressed, “it’s more than most owners would like to think they feel and remember.”
He looked more carefully at the audience, and saw a lot of people shifting uncomfortably, and looking away.
He was amazed that Tammy kept talking to them, for hours, it seemed. Finally, the show was over, and Tammy informed the studio audience that they would each be going home with a copy of Adam’s book.
He knew Adam was grateful for the extra sales. Hopefully, anyone in the studio audience who already had a copy would now have a spare to loan out or give away.
<><><><><><><><><><>
They watched the show as it aired, the following week, with April, Lily, and Nancy. Most of the rest of their friends had to work, but they’d all promised to record the show and watch it later. Burt called to congratulate them. He and Carole had talked a neighbor’s child into programming the show for them.
They were shocked to find both Richard Haines and Janet Stephenson had been bumped to the next day. The entire show was Adam and Kurt, with both of Kurt’s songs included in their entirety. The order of some of the questions was altered a bit, but it seemed to make everything flow smoother. Nothing important was cut, that Kurt could recall, and nothing was edited in a way that made him look or sound bad. He still wasn’t entirely sure Tammy was a hybrid sympathizer, but he had the feeling she’d been at least a little swayed by some of the things he and Adam had said. It was a start. He knew it would take a long time, but Kurt felt good about what they’d accomplished so far.
*Memory - lyrics by T.S. Eliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber
EPILOGUE