Who am I to You? (Kaylor/Torlie AU)

11

A half-full duffel bag and a taped up cardboard box sit on Karlie's bed by the early afternoon. It didn't take her long to finish packing, when her possessions were few to begin with. Save for a few clothes and books, the photos she took including certain cameras and equipment comprised everything else she would bring home with her.

Only one item of hers wouldn't be making the journey back home. And she was holding onto it, hoping that somehow a piece of her would remain.

Still, Karlie delayed going downstairs even when she heard the sounds of a car pull up in front of the house. They're here, she says to herself matter-of-factly. As if it would help her accept it any sooner or lessen the anxiety she felt upon hearing the muffled voices coming from beneath her hardwood floors.

Without missing a beat, there comes a light knock on her door and she calls out for the person to come in.

"Hey...you're wearing waterproof make-up, I hope? Mom and Dad've already started crying," Kariann says softly from the doorway with a light chuckle.

"And you left Kimby all alone down there to get smothered?" Karlie jokes, cocking an eyebrow at her sister.

"Eh, she can handle it," answers Kariann. The younger Kloss walks over to the bed and takes hold of the box, already carrying it downstairs to the car. She calls back to Karlie over her shoulder saying, "It's you I'm more worried about. Brace yourself."

When she hears the sound of Kariann's footsteps fade, Karlie takes one last look at her room before grabbing her bag. Taking deep breaths while descending the flight of stairs to reunite with her family, and in a way, her old life.

/

"Karlie, honey! Thank god you're alright!" Tracy cries out as she envelopes Karlie in a hug.

Kurt joined in on his wife and daughter's embrace, "We've missed you so much, kiddo! We've been looking for you everywhere!"

Although Karlie felt happy to be reunited with her family, there was something eating away at that momentary bliss. It was partly confusion at how to respond but also a gnawing in the pit of her stomach; a feeling she'd only experienced once before— on the day of the accident.

"We can never thank you enough for taking care of our girls," Tracy tells Helen in between sobs. "First with all you've done for Karlie and being so welcoming even with the twins!"

Karlie steals a glance at Helen and John as they converse with her parents. "It's been a joy to have them here— especially Karlie. She's real special, I hope you know that," Helen says smiling at her.

The adults exchanged a set of hugs and handshakes before making their way back to the car, with the twins in tow. While Karlie idles behind her family to spend a moment alone with Helen and John.

"I owe you both so much; thank you for taking care of me and treating me like your own daughter," she says seriously, adding emphasis to her words in the form of hugs that lasted a bit longer than they should. "I'm going to miss you both! If you ever find yourselves in New York, you'll always have a place to stay with me, okay?"

Karlie gives Helen an extra tight squeeze when she hears the woman's breath catch and a sob escapes her, "Don't forget, you'll always have a home here with us too."

Finally breaking away from the hug, Karlie reaches into her duffel and pulls out a battered and worn out book— William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet— then pushes it into Helen's hands.