After slowly hauling his suitcase up the stairs, Blaine rolled it into his childhood bedroom. He was back in Ohio for the holidays, staying with his parents. It had become a sort of tradition for both of the Anderson boys to come home for Christmas, but that wasn't Blaine's only order of business in Ohio. His plan was to meet with Burt before he left, sooner was better than later, and get some help with his Kurt and Santana mission. He named it Operation Kurtana.

"Hey, little bro!" A voice called from the doorway of Blaine's room. His face light up, when he saw who stood before him.

"Cooper!" Blaine was happily pulled into a hug by the older man. The boys hadn't seen each other in a year. "How's LA?"

"It's great! My latest commercial aired," Cooper began, hyped with more news of his success. Blaine nodded, excitedly. He had seen it, an advertisement for energy drinks, some of his brother's best work. "And..." He drew the word out, building suspense for some big news, "I got a callback for a movie directed by Steven-"

"Spielberg!?" Blaine interrupted, bouncing on his toes.

"Close! Steven Soderbergh!" Cooper said, with just as much excitement.

Blaine broke out into a huge grin, "Cooper, that's amazing!"

"I know, little bro, and if I get the part, I will be acting opposite Channing Tatum!"

"Like the," Blaine didn't even need to finish the sentence, with a nod from his brother, he had pulled back into another hug.

"Enough about me, Blainers, how's NYADA?"

"It's good, I was the male lead in the Christmas Special."

"That's great! Sorry, I missed." Cooper confessed, "but, I'm sure you killed it." He said, clapping his brother on the back.

"Thanks. I'm sure I did, since I made sure to point and TALK REALLY LOUD!" Blaine shouted. He hadn't actually done any of those things, it would've been completely out of character and weird. But, it made Cooper chuckle.

"Boys," Mrs. Anderson said, ascending only half way up the stairs. "What's with all of the shouting?"

"Sorry, mom. Blaine was just telling me how he killed his part in his school play." Cooper explained. Blaine modestly shrugged and blushed.

"Oh, good job sweetie. But, dinner will be ready soon, so start making your way down."

The Anderson brothers nodded. "Thanks, mom." After Blaine helped Cooper carry his excessive amount of bags to his room, they went down to eat.

Blaine really loved coming home for the holidays, they were always so merry. All of the usual stress and tension that existed in the Anderson family seemed to dissipate for a week or two, filling the house with a blissful holiday hum.

It was a few minutes shy of midnight when Blaine knocked on Cooper's bedroom door. He was greeted with a "come in." He entered, trying to balance two mugs of hot chocolate and candy canes on a tray.

"Hey, can I talk to you about something?" Blaine asked.

"Is one of the mugs for me?" Cooper asked, Blaine nodded. "You've already gotten the sex talk, right?"

Blaine blushed furiously and nodded, "well, sorta."

"So, this is about sex?" Cooper concluded.

"No, Cooper, just no." Blaine said, sitting on his brother's bed, the tray between them. "It's about Robin." He whispered.

"Oh," Cooper sighed, picking up one of the mugs. "You're nightlife."

Blaine hated how Cooper called it that, he made Blaine sound like a stripper or something. But, he ignored the term just this once and went straight to what was on his mind. "Kurt is Catman, I'm positive." Cooper started to say something, but Blaine forged on. "And to prove it, I'm getting Burt's help. So, I need you to cover for me while I talk to him tomorrow."

Cooper just laughed, "aren't you a little old to be sneaking out, Blainers?"

"I'm not sneaking out. I just-if they ask where I am, tell them I'm at like a New Directions or Warblers reunion or something."

"Okay, is that all?"

Blaine began nodding, but stopped. "Should I be doing this?"

"I knew there was more, you wouldn't make hot chocolate for just that." Cooper mumbled more to himself. "You love Kurt, right?"

Blaine made a series of quick, tiny wide eyed nods.

"Then do it. Go after what you love, but not in a creepy stalker way."

The next day, Blaine found himself ringing the door of the Hummel-Hudson household. He waited outside for awhile, seriously regretting coming and considering leaving. It was a stupid idea to do this especially on Christmas Eve, he was telling himself right as the door opened.

"Blaine," Burt said, surprised. "What brings you here?"

"Hi, um, happy holidays!" Blaine said awkwardly.

"You too, come on in." Burt opened the door wider, welcoming Blaine in.

"Thank you. I actually wanted to talk to you about something." Blaine said, seriously.

Burt led Blaine to their couch in the living room, "lets talk." He said. Blaine was almost certain he meant in the nicest way possible, but he couldn't help feel intimidated by the way Burt had said that.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Blaine began speaking. "Burt, I'm going to tell you something that might sound ridiculous. It might sound like a page in a comic book. But please believe me, because would I ever lie to you, sir?"

"I would sure hope not." Burt nodded.

"Right. Burt, I am Robin and Sam Evans is Batman." Blaine said.

Burt snorted, "no you're not. Why are you really here? You having problems at home again?"

"No, not at all!" Blaine said. "I'm telling the truth!"

"Is this about Kurt?" Blaine nodded, "look, kid, I know it's hard to loose someone you love," he began, but Blaine cut him off.

"I am Robin and Kurt is Catman." Blaine said. He tried to sound serious and determined, but it ended as rushed and forceful. "And I can prove it, too!"

"You're still in the denial stage, that's okay." Burt restarted, still looking at Blaine with his usual soft, understanding eyes. They glistened with patience.

"I'm not in denial!" Blaine blurted. He sounded insane, maybe he was.

"It's okay to be."

"You're son kicked my ass trying to rob an art gallery about a week ago!" Blaine was borderline hysterical.

"Get out." It was a low grumble. A warning before the thunder rolled so great, it shook the window panes.

"Wh-what?" That pulled Blaine right back to sanity.

"I said, get out of my house." Burt was still calm, still warning Blaine about the certain eruption.

"Why?" He asked, a small voice, as he tried to shrink into the couch.

"Why!?" Burt shouted, rising off the couch to tower over Blaine.

Blaine realized he had two options- cower into the couch and take what ever rant Burt was building up to, or rise to the challenge- he chose the latter.

"Yes, why?" He asked, standing tiptoed and chest puffed, a failed attempted at making himself as big as Burt.

"Because," Burt seemed taken aback by Blaine's sudden back talk. "You can't come into my house and mock me with the idea of my deceased son being alive. And then go on to tell me that he's stealing art dressed as cat!" Burt's face was red, a vein popping from his neck that Blaine didn't even know existed. He had never actually seen Burt get mad, just upset, never mad. His brave facade cracked and he was again the scared little boy, trembling in the Hummel-Hudson living room.

"What is going on in here?" Carole asked. She had just appeared in the room, one christmas tree earring on and hair brush still in hand. She must've heard the shouting. Queen Elizabeth must've heard the shouting.

"This," Burt pointed to Blaine as he charged towards Carole. "I want this out." He growled. Blaine stood statue still, hands clenched at his side as tears rolled past his trembling lip.

"Blaine, sweetie," Carole said approaching him, her hand on his back triggered him to move.

He began bolting out of the house, after a sheepish, "Merry Christmas." He barely heard the "you too, sweetie." As he slammed the door behind himself.

Blaine took off running, sprinting straight across the street. He was almost inside the house across the street, when he collapsed in their yard. The snow slapped him im the face, like a slushie. Where was he running? All he knew was that he wanted to go back, not home, just back. To junior year, he resolved. Their was Kurt and Santana, the entire Glee club together and happy for the last time ever. But, he can't go back anymore. He got up, dusting the snow off, and began slowly walking home.

"Blaine! Blaine, wait!" He didn't make it far, before he heard a voice calling after him. Turning, he saw Finn, running towards him, arms waving. Blaine stopped, letting the tall boy catch up to him.

"Burt send you here to yell at me?" He grumbled.

"No, uh, I think I can help you." Finn had been standing in the kitchen, listening Blaine and Burt's entire conversation. He had waited until his mom led Burt back to their room, before running outside after Blaine.

"How?" His voice was incredulous.

"I know about Kurt." Blaine's face lit up at his words. "Well, I don't, but Rachel and Mercedes do. The last time Cedes came to visit us in New York, her and Rachel went shopping and when they came home they looked like they had seen a ghost. And I never got a straight answer, they just kept rambling about Kurt and Santana and cats and I don't know..." He rubbed his neck, trying to remember.

Blaine was grinning ear to ear, "Finn, that's amazing! Where is Rachel? Is she here with you?" Blaine began charging back to the house. But Finn grabbed the hood of his jacket to pull him back.

"She stayed in New York, but I'm going back in two days, I'll talk to her, see if she can help you."

Blaine pulled Finn into a hug, "thank you! Thank you so much, Finn!"

Finn just whispered into Blaine's ear, "are you gonna bring my brighter back?"

"I'm gonna try." Blaine walked home with a huge grin.

Kurt hates Christmas, or at least what it's become. The holidays used to be full of merry songs, giving and getting, beautiful decorations, and great big tree in the living room wrapped in twinkling lights. He remembers the smell of cookies Carole made, but even more he remembers the pie his own mom had made many years ago. His misses both of them. He longs for Carole's gingerbread families, decorated around the house Kurt and Finn would make, frosting oozing from the walls. He wishes he could again taste the warm, melt-in-your-mouth apple cinnamon pie his mom was famous for. If he could've taken one thing with him from his old place with Rachel, it would be that recipe.

Christmas morning, Kurt found himself watching The Grinch in Italian on a fuzzy TV. They don't even have a couch, so him and Santana huddled in blankets on the floor, sipping their coffee and eating stale cereal. Santana was still furiously jamming buttons on the remote, trying to fix the language. Whereas, Kurt gave up months ago. Maybe watching TV in Italian could teach him a few things.

In the corner of their small dwellings, Santana hung her green dress and Kurt contributed his white hat to top off their makeshift Christmas tree. Only four lonely presents sat beneath it; Kurt and Santana always manage to find something for one another, the other gifts were to them from Him.

Aside from a place to live and their fair share of the money, He only gives them two things a year each- birthday and Christmas gifts. For awhile they managed to convince Him they were Jewish, earning something for each night of Hanukah, but that didn't last long.

The Anderson's had all gathered around their giant, white tree. Blaine always wished they would get a real tree for once. But, his complaints always vanished when the presents started going around. A new guitar from his parents, comic books from his grandma who still thinks he's ten, not that he doesn't want the books now, and a batman bowtie from Cooper. The bowtie was actually perfect.

The next morning, he had managed to sync his flight with Finn's, allowing them time to plan. When they touched down in New York, Blaine would go home with Finn and get Rachel's side of the story.