Eleven Years Ago

Blaine ran down the hallways of the hospital, his shoes leaning a trail of mud behind him as he nearly knocked over an elderly nurse pushing a boy with a broken leg. “Excuse me Ma’am!” he called as he continued his sprint toward the birthing center.

After what seemed like forever, he rounded the corner to see Kurt pacing back and forth in the waiting room.

“Kurt!” he yelled and ran over to pick his husband in the air, sending him flailing.

Kurt hugged Blaine tightly while still in midair, giggling and just letting himself let go for a moment. “We are going to be daddies!”

Blaine nearly skipped them over to a chair, “Did they say how long?” he pulled Kurt down on his lap, immediately wrapping his arms around him so he could not get up. “Are they here yet?”

“No,” Kurt laughed and leaned down to press a kiss into Blaine’s temple, “you know it could take upwards of two days, correct?”

Blaine nodded nervously. The surrogate that they had spent nearly six months searching for was about to give birth to his daughters. A c-section had bee scheduled for the next week, but it appeared that the girls had picked up Kurt’s stubborn streak. “They are going to be stubborn like you, aren’t they?” Blaine questioned.

Kurt shrugged, “Considering they don’t actually have my genes in them, I assume that is something I will have to teach them.”

Blaine laughed again and kissed Kurt’s knuckles.

The search for the surrogate had been rough. While they both agreed that their first child (they didn’t know it would turn into children until a year later) would be Blaine’s biologically, it was important to Blaine that they found a surrogate that had similar features to Kurt, specifically his eyes and facial structures.

“Is it going to be my lot in life to be surrounded by gorgeous divas that strive to make me crazy?” Blaine asked seriously.

Kurt nodded, “Yes, actually. It is something you will have to accept.”

“Hmm…I do,” Blaine said, burrowing his face into Kurt’s side.

Kurt eventually fell to Blaine’s side and draped his legs over Blaine’s lap. Blaine fell asleep with his head on Kurt’s shoulder, tired from working with the coffee beans all day. Kurt tried to draw in his sketchbook, but he kept looking up every single time a door opened, hoping it would be the doctor with the news of his daughters.

Blaine eventually woke up, “Do you want a drink or something?”

Kurt nodded and shifted from the sudden coldness and pouted, “Coffee please, and hurry?”

Blaine blew a kiss toward Kurt and hurried down to the cafeteria. When he returned, he held two Styrofoam cups, “Ready for some water with a drop of brown food coloring?”

“Coffee snob?” Kurt joked, sipping the coffee for himself and immediately wincing and placing it on the floor.

“Is mine better?” Blaine asked. He was just starting out in the coffee business and he had a small amount of land, but he prided himself on having great coffee beans that made even better coffee.

Kurt rolled his eyes dramatically, “I’m quite positive I will never be able to drink another man’s coffee.”

“You better not,” Blaine said with mock indignation, “that would just break my heart,” he subtly shifted to a southern accent.

“I married the biggest nerd in all of the world didn’t I?”

“But you love him,” Blaine said, cuddling up and pressing a sloppy kiss into Kurt’s cheek.

Kurt turned and kissed Blaine soundly on the lips, “Hmm…I do.”’

The double doors opened, “Misters Anderson-Hummel?”

Both men stood up and rushed toward the doctor, “Yes?” they asked in unison.

“Your daughters and getting cleaned up as we speak, they are both healthy,” the doctor said with a smile, “congratulations!”

Kurt immediately hugged Blaine and gripped him tightly, “Can we see them?”

“Follow me, we’re taking them to their own room now,” the doctor motioned and allowed them to follow him.

In a perfect world the men would have been present for the birth, but the surrogate was not comfortable with that. She also wanted to be separated from the girls as quickly as possible. She was a sweet girl who simply needed money for college.

Kurt wanted to help her achieve her dreams of going to college, Blaine wanted her because she had brilliant eyes like Kurt.

Kurt nearly skipped down the hall. They walked into the room and saw their two bundles in the bassinets. Kurt stopped short in the doorway and grabbed Blaine’s hand, “Blaine…”

Blaine felt his throat close and he couldn’t move, “Those are ours…”

The doctor smiled at the two men, his own heart warming at the sight of them. “This, is Baby One,” he held the small baby out to Kurt who was grabbing for her, “She was 5 pounds, 14 ounces and she’s 19 inches long.”

Kurt simply stared down at the little girl in his arms, “Haley,” he said softly, “Haley Elizabeth,” Kurt’s eyes trailed all over the infant, checking her fingers and toes. “Blaine…she has so much hair.”

It was true, the baby’s hair was already curling where it was drying and it was thick.

“This is going to be hard to deal with when she’s older,” Kurt said with a laugh, his finger trailing gently up and down the sleeping baby’s cheek. “She’s so soft…I need her moisturizing techniques…”

“I don’t think you want it,” the doctor said as he took the second baby out of her crib, “this is Baby Two. She was 5 pounds and 5 ounces and a little shorter at 18 inches.” Blaine held her close, cooing at her as she moved a little in his arms. “Baby Natalie,” he said softly, his eyes filling up with tears, “you are both so beautiful,” he whispered to them, “and you,” he added to Kurt who was trying not to cry at the sight of their little family.

Blaine held Natalie and stared at her in wonder. His heart almost stopped when her little eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes to look up at him, “Kurt,” he whispered in a broken cry, “she has blue eyes,” the was enough to break the dam and he started crying, “she has blue eyes!”

Kurt moved closer and looked down at her with his own eyes watering, “All babies have blue eyes….” He reasoned.

Blaine shook his head and looked over at Haley, “Can I hold her?” he asked.

Kurt nodded, “Of course.”

They traded babies and both repeated their earlier processes of simply staring at the little life in their arms. Both men silently promised to give them the best life they possibly could, not matter what the price.

They were a family, no matter what.
Present Day

“Aunt Rachel!” Natalie yelled as she ran to the head of the group marching toward the north end of the camp.

“Natalie, how are you?” Rachel asked sweetly, “How is your father?”

“He’s well, thank you very much,” Natalie replied, “I think he’s upset that you didn’t bring your husband to him for his suit for the awards.” Natalie bit her lip and knew she said too much.

Rachel laughed, “Jesse and I aren’t going this year, we’re both going to spend our time here.”

“Oh,” Natalie nodded, “Do you think I have a chance to be Dorothy?” she trotted to keep up with Rachel who was moving with purpose toward the cabin.

“Of course, though I cannot play favorites,” Rachel added a wink and turned abruptly, “Alright ladies! This is your cabin, cabin 14 if you forget! Your things should be in your trunk at the end of your bed. Do not try to switch beds ladies, if you do, I will know.” Rachel opened the cabin door and ushered the girls inside.

Natalie wrinkled her nose as she glanced around the cabin. She always hated the way it smelled like dirt and looked like no one had cleaned it since the year before.

Theater girls were notoriously messy.

Natalie immediately opened her backpack and pulled out Clorox wipes and completely cleaned the entire surface of her room, even wiping down her mattress.

“Ladies, we need you down at the fire pit in one hour to start rules and regulations!” Rachel yelled from outside of the cabin.

“Seriously?” Natalie flipped out. She still needed to set up her room and change clothes. Setting out, Natalie put the plastic mattress cover (“protection from bed bugs and ticks” her father assured her”) over her mattress and then slipped her hot pink silk sheets on her bed.

“How do you fit that much into you trunk?” Ashley asked while she fit her own lace appliqu�d sheets over her bed.

“Practice. My dad said he once packed up an entire house in one night,” Natalie threw her pillows onto her bed, scattering them across the top into a pattern that would make it easier to sleep. “What are you wearing to this meeting?”

Ashley opened her trunk and looked through her clothing, “That depends, do you think the music boys will be there?”

Natalie threw her denim shorts back into the trunk and pulled out a red and white sundress. “Do you think Matt will be there? Is he allowed back after he set that tree on fire last year?”

Ashley laughed, “I don’t know, my dad said probably not. But his dad does own that huge restaurant in the city.”
“Money always makes things happen,” Natalie said knowledgably, quoting her father. She set to fixing her hair, making sure it was flat and fell properly down her back.

“Girls! You have five minutes!” Rachel yelled again from outside. “Do not be late or we will make you Teapot!”

“Ugh,” Natalie rolled her eyes and slammed her trunk shut, “I can’t believe she won’t even let us have a little more time. Was she ever a girl?”

The two girls linked arms and walked toward the fire pit.

“Oh my gosh, Natalie! Why is Matt talking to that frizzy girl?” Ashley held her mouth open wide and pointed to the pair. Matt was holding up his guitar and showing her the inside of it.

“I don’t know, but she is not going to be my friend this summer,” Natalie said as she walked toward the pair, dead set on ruining their conversation.

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Haley walked along the cobblestone path that led to cabin 15, the cabin she would be spending the next few weeks in, the cabin that would become her new home.

“Hi! I’m Lisa!” a tall girl with red hair and a purple streak held out her hand.

“Haley,” the girl shook her hand and smiled widely, “Is this your first time here?”

“No,” Lisa fell into step beside Haley, “This is my third summer.”

“Are you from Texas?” Haley questioned, trying to figure out the accent.

“Georgia,” Lisa corrected, “and you are from California.”

“How do you know?” Haley quickly looked down at herself and tried to determine what screamed California.

“I saw your trunk,” Lisa said easily as they passed a group of boys in an alcove. “Oh! The musicians!”

Haley looked at the group and immediately saw the most beautiful boy she’d ever seen. Not that it said much, she went to an all girls school so she really didn’t see that many. “Who is that?” she pointed to a boy with sandy blonde hair that flipped up at the ends. He was tall and tan. Haley could have sworn that he caught her eye and smiled as soon as she walked by.

“That is Matt,” Lisa said with disdain in her voice, “don’t even think about it. He belongs to Natalie Hummel.”

“Who?” Haley was starting to wonder if she should be keeping notes about the different people here.

“Natalie Hummel,” Lisa said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “she is kind of the queen bee around her. She’s been going here forever because her dad is some designer. She’s a theater girl though, so she automatically thinks she’s better than the rest of us.”

Haley nodded like she understood, “So I have no chance?”

“Oh you might,” Lisa thought for a moment, “You have that whole “California Girl” thing going on.”

“Oh,” Haley was excited when they got to their cabin because it meant she would finally have something to do other than think about missing her father and her house.

“Okay girls,” their counselor with the Mohawk turned around, “I’m Puck just in case you forgot on the walk over here. This is your cabin. I’m here to unclog your toilet and fix your lighting. I’m not here to help you with fights over boys or over costumes. You each have a bed, you can have chicken fights over them. Also, ladies, NO PAINT,” he paused and looked at them all, “on the walls. I will figure out who did it and you will scrape them until they are clean, got it?”

The girls nodded and then rushed into the cabin. Haley quickly sprinted in front of the group and claimed one of the beds. Lisa claimed the one next to her with a smile. “This is really nice,” Haley remarked to Lisa as they started unpacking their things.

Haley pulled her sheets out of her trunk and started stretching them over the corners of the bed, making hospital corners just like Santana had showed her.

“Those are awesome!” Lisa pointed to Haley’s blue and green tie-dyed sheets.

“My dad and I made them last week,” Haley smiled at the memory of her father coated in dye. His skin was still slightly stained and Haley had a mark on her knee cap she was sure would always be there.

After she made sure her bed was free of wrinkles she three her pillow on top. She added a stuffed bear that she’d made on her trip to New Mexico with her father the previous summer.

The artist cabin had an extra wing that allowed the girls to set up easels to paint in their spare time. Haley immediately settled hear easel by the window for the best lighting and claimed her space.

“Ladies, in ten minutes you have to be at the fire pit for rules,” Puck yelled through a megaphone from outside of the cabin, “If you are late, you Teapot!”

“Teapot?” Haley asked Lisa, a worried look on her face.

“They make you sing “I’m a Little Teapot” if you’re late or break one of the major rules.” Lisa rolled her eyes and lounged on her bed, “It is totally stupid.”

Haley agreed and started changing, “What should I wear?” she slipped on her denim shorts with frayed edges and then held up a tank top with the word “love” on it and a plain blue V-neck.

“The tank top, especially if you have a crush on Matt,” Lisa said as she stood, “We need to get there soon though.”

Haley wished she had more time to fix her hair, but she ran her fingers through it a few times before following Lisa through the door and down to the fire pit.

A few people were already waiting around the fire pit, but they only person she had eyes for was Matt, who sat on a log with his guitar in his hands.

“Follow me,” Haley ordered and they marched over to the log and sat down. “Hi,” she said softly to Matt.

“Hey,” he said and continued playing the same three cords on the guitar.

Haley bit her lip and looked over at Lisa who shrugged.

Matt continued playing those cords, sometimes hitting the wrong strings, Haley noted.

“You are really good,” she said quietly, hoping to start up some conversation.

“You play?” he smiled widely at her.

“No, but my dad does,” she looked at his guitar, “that’s really nice, what kind is it?” she had no idea what she was saying, but hoped he did have a nice guitar.

“Matt!” a high voice said, “How was your school year?”

“Oh hi Natalie,” Matt gave her a grin and Haley wanted to slap him. “I had a great school year. Only got suspended twice so my dad got me a go-kart. How about you?”

“It was great,” she said with a slight shake in her voice. Haley could tell the boy had the same effect on her, “I got the lead in our school play, Aladdin Jr.”

“Awesome,” he said and then nodded toward the center of the fire pit, “Looks like it’s starting. I don’t want to teapot.”

Natalie pushed her way onto the log, which made Matt move closer to Haley.

Haley tried not to turn beet red and hoped if she did she could blame it on sunburn.

Puck, Rachel, and a few other counselors stood in the middle of the circle. “Welcome to camp for another spectacular year where you can hone your talents and become the great artistes you will one day be,” Rachel said with a huge smile.

“Who is ready to have a great time?” Puck yelled into his megaphone.

Everyone cheered, Haley stuck her fingers into her mouth and whistled.

“That was completely unrefined,” she heard Natalie remark to Matt.

Matt didn’t respond but bumped his shoulder into Haley’s a few seconds later.

Rachel tried to calm everyone down, “Okay, we have some rules. Number one, no fighting amongst campers. Leave your fighting for tryouts and competitions! Number two, no pranks! Last year we had a camper get hurt when someone,” she looked pointedly at Matt, “tried to pull him up the flagpole by just his ankle.”

The rules continued for the next fifteen minutes until Haley was about to fall off the log from fatigue. She just wanted to get a good night’s sleep.

“Ugh! Is this ever going to end? I’m going to die!” Haley complained, “I’m so tired!”

Matt laughed and leaned back further on the log, almost horizontally, “The rules don’t matter. As long as your parents pay for camp, they don’t mind what you do.”

Haley forced a laugh, “Well, my Daddy paid for it, so I should be okay.”

“Daddy,” Natalie said with disdain, “How old are you, seven?”

Haley looked at Lisa, “Is that Natalie?”

“I’m Natalie Hummel,” Natalie stood in front of Haley, “I take it you’ve heard of me,” Natalie glared at Lisa.

Haley rolled her eyes, “Yeah, I’ve heard of the girl who is completely stuck up!”

Natalie’s eyes flashed and she put her hands on her hips, “Well at least I’m not a frizz ball!”

“Please,” Haley stood now, “I know the look of chemically straightened hair.” Haley had no idea where the words came from, but they were on the tip of her tongue so she had to say them.

“You did not just say that,” Natalie hissed, “my hair is naturally straight, unlike your skin.”

“My skin is because I go out in the sun,” Haley remarked, “maybe if you wouldn’t be so pale, Matt would like you.”

Natalie let out a shriek, “He doesn’t like you! You are just a new girl here who cried when her daddy left her.”

“Girls!” Rachel was stalking over toward them, “Are you fighting?”

Haley’s eyes went wide and Natalie rolled hers.

“Natalie, I expected better of you. You both have to Teapot together because you broke one of the rules.”

“I am not Teapotting,” Natalie said.

“Do you want me to call your father?” Rachel threatened, “He can come get you tonight.”

“I’ll Teapot,” Haley muttered, “My dad can’t come from California to pick me up.”

“Are you going to do it with her or are you going back to the city?” Rachel asked Natalie, clearly not giving the girl special treatment.

Natalie groaned but pulled Haley up to the front of the circle.

“Everybody shut up!” Matt yelled, “TEAPOT! TEAPOT! TEAPOT!”

Haley felt her face turn red for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Natalie stood there completely calm, “I’ll just use this as another practice performance,” she said to seemingly no one.

Haley wanted to crawl into a hole and never leave.

“One, two, three,” Natalie said quietly.

I'm a little teapot, short and stout
Here is my handle, here is my spout
When I get all steamed up, hear me shout
Just tip me over and pour me out!

The girls were linking arms and both tipped to their side. Haley was sure her face could fry an egg, but Natalie just grinned and curtseyed in front of the group.

They walked back to the log together, both trying to get to Matt first.

“You two kind of look alike,” he said.

“You obviously need to take your sunglasses off,” Natalie said, “because we look nothing alike.”

“Ew,” was all Haley said as she grabbed Lisa and headed back to the cabin.