Itd been two months since Archer and Hunter had left his parents home and had taken up residence in their own apartment, which was on the seventh floor of one of the towers in the apartment complex. Archer couldnt have been happier with the one that theyd ended up with. Although it was a studio, and was small enough that he could hear Hunter moving around from three rooms away, it made up for its size with what it had in looks. Although the walls were white, Archer had spent the last few weeks painting them a softer tone-a shade between pearl white and ivory. The golden hues of the color matched their furniture much better, as Archer had brought in many brassy colored couches, and a golden lounge chair.

Stepping off of the elevator, Archer hummed to himself as he walked down the hallway, white doors on either side of him. He finally arrived at his room, and he opened the door, hearing his husband scraping around inside. "Hunter?" He called, closing the door behind himself. The entryway, which he hadnt had time to paint, stuck out like a sore thumb against their living room, which had been the first thing to be finished. As he expected, Hunter sat on the off-white carpet, a large canvas set on the floor in front of him. Their living room was quite small, with only one long window that stretched from nearly one side of the wall to the other. Below the window sat a plump couch, and in front of that a coffee table, which had been shoved off to the side. Archer sighed at the sight of unpacked boxes lined up against the wall. A few of them were missing, which meant that Hunter had spent a couple hours unpacking them.

"Hey, babe." Hunter said from the floor, concentrating on a petal of the daisy that he had outlined. "Your lunch is on the counter. I made a cheese and Italian dressing wrap, and small salads." He raised his head when he finished smearing paint over a small crevice in the petal. "How was the studio?"

"Im exhausted." Archer headed into the open kitchen and picked up the wrap. He leaned against the counter and watched his husband for a few minutes, idly nibbling on the food. "Thank you for making lunch, Hunter. Its really good. You know, the children asked of you today. I had to show them a picture, or else they wouldnt stop ranting about you." Hunter smirked at that, knowing that this group of children Archer taught were just old enough to start getting interested in what happened during a relationship. "Its not like I was about to say no to bragging about you."

Hunter shot Archer a sardonic look, "And what about me isnt there to brag about?"

He turned back to his painting, and Archer giggled at him, "We dont have all of the walls painted, and youre already making things for us to hang up. I suppose this will save us money, though. We wont have to buy paintings from the store." Carrying his salad into the living room, Archer threw himself onto the couch with a loud groan. "My arms have never been this sore. After the children left, I practiced some of my dance moves. I think I did one too many handstands. Thats the only downfall about being good at acrobatic dancing."

"But there arent any other problems with you being bendy." Hunter said firmly, standing up and brushing his messy hands on his pants. Archer smiled at Hunter, setting aside his food so he could open his arms for his husband. "I finished another chapter of my book this morning."

Shaking his hair out of his face, Archer twined his arms around Hunters neck and yanked him down. "Ill have to read it after Im done with you."

Hunter snorted, putting one knee on the couch, and resting both of his hands on Archers shoulders. He was about to bring his other knee up when his body suddenly slid, his knee losing its traction against the slippery surface. He tumbled on top of Archer, but caught himself just before he crushed him. With huge eyes, Archer looked over his husband to make sure he was okay, but when he saw that his cheeks had darkened and that his eyes were just as big, he realized he had just embarrassed himself. Helplessly, Archer gave in to the laughter that exploded out of him, his head flinging back. Hunter, who prided himself on never being clumsy, drew himself upright. He grumbled, "Its not funny, Archer!"

Archer shook his head, tears springing to his eyes, "Its pretty funny." Hunter curled his lips and narrowed his eyes, which only made the situation funnier to Archer, who covered his face with his hands. Heaving with chuckles, Archer tried to calm himself down before his belly hurt. Suddenly, Hunter removed himself from Archer, walking away with his fists clenched. Archer grabbed for his husband, "Oh, come on! Come back, Hunter! It was endearing." Archers face lost its humor when Hunter picked up his salad, carrying it to their bedroom. "At least let me have my food, if I cant have you! Im hungry!"

Hunter paused in the doorway, and reluctantly turned his reddened face to Archer, "Im just going to lay down for a few hours and eat my feelings... Maybe when I come back youll have forgotten this happened."

Archer scrunched up his face at Hunter, "Do you have to take my salad, though? Theres ice cream in the fridge. It could make you feel better." Rolling his eyes when Hunter shut the door behind himself, Archer flopped onto his stomach, "I just worked off a few pounds. Im not putting them back on with ice cream. Did he have to take the last of the salad?" Boosting himself off of the couch, Archer walked over to the painting that had been abandoned on the floor and smiled down at it. Turning away from it, he headed into Hunters office and sat down at his desk. Opening his laptop, he clicked on the newest document, figuring he could at least make himself useful while his husband hid himself away and cringed over what had happened in the last five minutes. He shook his head as he thought about his husband, who stretched farther out of his shell with each day.

Hunter took the bag of groceries from the man behind the counter, tucking it under his arm carefully so that he didnt squish the bread. It was finally nearing the evening of a Friday, which meant that he would have Archer home for the entire weekend. As always, Hunter was glad to know of this news. To celebrate it, hed chosen to make a feast that evening, with a helping of a bean stew, the recipe of which hed stolen from Kurt, and a side of French bread. "Thanks." He muttered to the cashier, and then winced as he remembered that hardly anyone in Paris spoke English. As he turned, he corrected himself and called over his shoulder, "Merci." He was going to have to get used to that.

Opening the door of the shop, Hunter started back down the street, having walked to the shop because it was only five minutes down the road. Besides that, he simply preferred walking to driving. Whether or not he had his license, Hunter always felt unreasonably stressed behind the wheel of a car. Heading back to the apartment, Hunter stuck his wallet into his back pocket, and he glanced into his grocery bag. He hoped that he had remembered to grab everything he needed to make the stew, so that he didnt have to go back out later.

His idle thoughts were suddenly interrupted, though, by a clang from a few feet behind him. Turning his head, he noted that no one was walking near him, and then he flicked his eyes to an alleyway. Archer had told him that Paris was littered with alleyways, where most restaurants, stores, and apartment complexes dumped their trash. Although the cause of the noise held no importance to him, Hunter was driven to step back by the curiosity inside of him. It was the writer within him that urged him to explore anything he stumbled upon.

Arching a brow when something-possibly a trashcan-tipped over, Hunter quickly hurried back to the alleyway and looked within. At first, his scanning eyes didnt come across anything but a few cardboard boxes, wilting at the edges, and grime that wriggled up the brick walls. His lowered brows shot up to his hairline, though, when his narrowed eyes flashed over to a feathery tail, wiggling as the thing attached to it sniffed behind a garbage can. Stepping farther into the alleyway, Hunter jumped back when the creature whipped around, a pair of black, beady eyes staring up at him. A pair of floppy ears bounced as the dog jolted backwards, startled by his visitor. The little dog, no taller than the middle of Hunters shin, backed up, his muddy paws scraping over the slightly damp ground. When Hunter took another step forward, the tiny, black dog cowered, his nub of a tail sinking.

Slowly squatting until his butt hit the heels of his feet, Hunter set the grocery bag aside. He clicked his tongue at the dog, "Hey... Hey, boy. What are you doing out here? Are you hungry?" He twisted around, keeping his eyes on the dog as he searched through his bag for the bread. Tearing off a hunk of it, he held it out to the dog, which retreated farther behind the trashcan. "Come here, you scruffy thing. Your fur is matted and dirty. You could do with a brushing, couldnt you?"

As if offended by those words, the dog bristled at Hunter, short, sharp growls filtering through the beard that hung over either side of his mouth. Hunter frowned at the dog, "You want me to leave so you can keep picking through the garbage can? Come on, I have fresh bread." Extending his arm, Hunter smirked as the dog wiggled his black nose at the bread. The dog lowered onto his belly, using his paws to inch his way over to Hunter. "There you go. Thats a good boy. Come on, take the bread."

The dog stared at Hunters hand, and then flitted his eyes over the rest of Hunter, who remained very still. Abruptly, the dog stretched his neck and snatched the bread away. He gobbled it up before Hunter blinked. "That wasnt so bad, was it? Its good bread. Ill bet youve never taken food from a humans hand before, have you? Youve always been a stray. You dont even have a collar."

Slinking up to Hunters legs, the dog nosed at the bag. He popped his head up and tried to stick it into the top of the bag. Hunter chuckled and dragged the bag away, but ripped off another piece and gave it to the dog, this time out of his palm. "What do you want to do, buddy? Do you want to go back to that garbage can, or do you want to come with me?"

The dog blinked up at Hunter, trying to understand what his intentions were. Holding his hand out, Hunter lowered it to the top of his head and scratched between his fluffy ears. He ran the tip of his finger along the remains of an old scar, which he couldnt identify the cause of. "There we go, pup. Im not a bad person. I wouldnt hurt you." Sliding his hands under the dogs thin belly, Hunter started to remove them when the dog snapped his head to the side. But when the dog didnt bite at him, Hunter cautiously scooped him up, nestling him against his chest. The dog trembled, as if worried of Hunters purposes for him, but so desperate for food that he was willing to go with him.

Boosting himself back up, Hunter carried the dog and the grocery bag back to the apartment. When he got through the sliding doors, a few disinterested gazes greeted him. He shut himself inside one of the elevators and sent it up to his floor. Shushing the dog when he started growling again, Hunter rubbed his hand over his belly. "Ill let you down in a few minutes." He hooked the bag over his wrist and fumbled with one hand for his key, and then stuffed it into the lock and opened the door.

Having heard him come in, Archer hollered from the other room, "Was the store busy? I was starting to think you werent coming back." Hunter kicked the door shut, watching his husbands dark form walk into the room, head lowered to a list he had written to make sure all of the items theyd packed up went into their rightful places. Lifting his eyes to Hunter, Archer gasped at the sight of him, windblown and spotted with mud, and a dog clasped to his chest. "Hunter... what happened? Why do you have a dog?"

Hunter put the bag of groceries down with a thud, "I... found him. He was in an alleyway, eating from a trashcan. Hes half-starved, and covered in filth."

Archer, looking more frazzled than Hunter had ever seen him, shook his head hopelessly. "Oh... bring him in here. But take off your shoes. Theyre covered in mud. And dont put him down yet. Ill... run a bath for him. But, Hunter, once hes cleaned, you have to take him to a shelter. He cant live here."

After he slid out of his shoes, Hunter tightened his grip on the dog and followed his husband into the bathroom. Archer plopped onto the edge of the tub and turned the faucet onto a lukewarm temperature, then started the water. The blast of it made the dog struggle to free himself from Hunters grip, which only became harder as he pressed the dog into his jacket. Archer stopped the water when it was only a few inches high, and Hunter bent, lowering the dog into the shallow pool. Quivering, the dog sat on his rump and gazed up at Hunter with pleading eyes.

"Poor thing." Archer murmured, cupping the water and letting it slip through his fingers over the dog. The dog shook the trickling water off of his back. "Hunter, could you grab a cloth? Well have to scrub some of this dirt off of him. Its thick and clumpy."

"Yeah, here." Turning around and grabbing the closest cloth, Hunter pressed it onto the dogs back and started to work the dried muck off of him. "What a good boy youre being. I think he understands that were trying to help him." A sliver of a pink tongue poked out of the dogs mouth, and he nervously licked at Hunters hand, as if trying to beg him not to hurt him. "Its okay. Were almost done."

A few minutes later, the dog was jittering under all of the attention, his wavy fur as clean as both of them could make it without any shampoo to wash him properly. Sighing at the layer of brown that had painted the bottom of the tub, Archer pulled himself back up and wiped his hands on a towel. "I think thats all we can do, Hunter. The shelter will be able to bathe him with soap." Using Hunters leg to support him as he stood, Archer gave the dog a pair of pursed lips, and then shook his head again. "Im going to call the shelter now. Get him dried off, please."

Archer left the room, so Hunter glanced back down at the dog, which fluttered his tail as soon as Hunter met his gaze. Smiling, Hunter reached back for a towel and wrapped it around the dog. He picked him up once more and placed him on the floor, scrubbing the towel over his fur. "You already look better. Youll feel great when they get you soaped up."

Peeling the towel off of his fur, Hunter furrowed his brows when the dog bowed forward, his rump pointing up at the ceiling. Hunter held his hand out to scruff his head, but the dog suddenly spun around in a circle, his tail wagging frantically. "Are you thanking me for getting the dirt off? Come on, pup. Lets go see what Archer is doing." Rising to his feet, Hunter waved for the dog to follow him, but was startled to find that the dog pounced on his feet, instead, his tail still beating. Hunter chuckled, "Youll have plenty of people to play with at the shelter."

Hunter walked in to the living room to see Archer with the phone at his ear. He chewed on the tips of his nails as he listened to what the person was saying, and then he nodded, "Yes... I understand. No, that wont be necessary. Well... come up with something else, Im sure. Thank you for your time." Clicking the call off, Archer let out an annoyed sound as he put the phone on the table. "The shelter has a waitlist thats about two months long."

Scratching the nape of his neck, Hunter looked back down at the dog, which was leaning against his leg, tail still flicking from side to side. He was oblivious that the tense conversation was about him. Bending down, Hunter scratched one of his ears, feeling his soft fur slide between his fingers. "Babe, why dont we put him on the waiting list? There are no other shelters around. We dont know anyone who would be willing to take a dog. We can keep him here for a little while, and then give him up when the shelter calls for him."

Archer held a hand up to his forehead, his body slumping into the couch behind him. "Hunter, we cant keep him here. Were trying to bring a baby into our family. When we filled out the forms for the adoption center, we told them that we had no pets, and had no intentions of getting a pet. If they want to visit our apartment, what would we tell them? Besides, what if we suddenly get called to take a baby home? What if hes aggressive around children?"

Leaving the dogs side, Hunter headed over to his husband and sat down beside of him. He slid an arm around his waist, "Honey, I think youre worrying over nothing. Itll be another year or so before we get called to take a baby home. And the adoption agency never said we couldnt have a pet. We could let someone take a look at the dog. If they think hes okay to be around children, then we can call the agency and get the forms changed." He scooted toward the back of the couch when the dog, which had been smelling around the corners of the room, hurried over to them and paced in a circle. "Come on, pup. Get up here." Hunter placed his hands on the dog when he hopped onto Hunters lap and instantly curled himself into a ball. "Hes a sweet dog. He might even be good for any children that we have." Archer sucked his lips in as he stared at the dog, so Hunter bumped him with his shoulder. "What are you thinking?"

"I-I dont know." Archer shook his head, "He is a nice dog. But... he just got here. Since we have no other options, I guess well keep him here for now. Well have a get him food, a collar, and a leash. And hell need to be vetted as soon as possible. Hunter... I-I have to work during the day. Youll have to be the one to take care of him. Take him to see a trainer... Find out if hes aggressive toward anything. If hes not okay with children... well have to take him somewhere else. I wont have anything that could be harmful to my children anywhere near them. But... I guess, if he can be a good dog, well keep him. Theres not much else we can do with him. Well need something to call him."

The dog had become relaxed under Hunters stroking hands, and had flipped onto his back, his twitching paws resting against his chest. Archer smiled at the snoring dog, rubbing the backs of his fingers against his belly. "I wonder if hes ever gotten to have a deep sleep before. He was an uneasy, twitchy thing when I found him." He pinched one of the dogs bean-sized toes. "What about Bet? When I first held my hand out to him, I bet that hed never felt the touch of a person before. We could call him Bet."

"Thats a good name for him." Archer brushed his fingers underneath the dogs chin, "I bet that all he wants is a family to play with him, and a warm bed to curl up on. How about you stay here and look after him, and Ill go out to the pet store?"

"You dont have to do that. I could go out and get what he needs."

Archer looked at him uncertainly, "Hunter, I appreciate you offering... but I dont think you would know what most of the stuff in a pet store is. Stay here with Bet, and cook us some dinner. Ill be back within the hour." Kissing his husband, Archer got to his feet and slid his own wallet and keys off of the counter. With one last goodbye, he shut the door behind himself, leaving Hunter with the dog.

Hunter lowered his gaze to the snoozing dog, "I hope that you understood all of that, Bet. You only get to stay here if you can keep your behavior up. As much as Im concerned about you bothering any children we have, what I want almost more than anything is for you to not have any accidents. Archer wouldnt be the one to clean them up. Got it?" Bet answered him with a snort, so Hunter rolled his eyes, pushing the dog to the side as he stood. He busied himself with putting dinner on the stove while he searched for the number of a dog trainer. As much as Hunter had wanted to get a pet, he had been hoping that it would be during a time when they were more prepared, and when his husband was on more agreeable terms to bring one into the apartment. When he twisted around and looked at Bet, he found the puppy still flopped onto his back, and a small smile quirked at Hunters lips. "Make yourself at home, Bet."

On a day when crashes of thunder had roused him from his bed, and then kept him alert for the next ten minutes as he tried to bury his head in pillows and go back to sleep, Archer stood at the stove, stirring a pot of foaming tea. A gray shadow loomed over the room, puffy, ominous clouds floating like slow blimps in the sky. Split, yellow hairs branched out of their engorged bellies. Left in the apartment by himself because Hunter had gone out to the adoption agency to change the forms they had filed, and had insisted that Archer stay put because the weather was so hazardous, Archer fixed tea for himself, intending to curl up on the couch with the new chapter of Hunters book and impatiently wait for his husbands return.

All at once, a tiny blur skidded into the room, paws flying in all directions as Bet tried desperately to slow himself down before he banged into one of the cupboards. Flopping onto his butt, Bet stopped just short of smashing his nose, and was right back up on his feet, weaving in and out of Archers legs. He squeaked his squishy bone up at Archer, who raised his brows at the floppy, top-heavy dog, who was so young that he hadnt quite grown into his bean-shaped head. "What is it, Bet?" Bet quirked his ears at the sound of his name, and he suddenly lowered the front half of himself, his butt wiggling in the air. "Let me see your toy." Archer made a swift grab for the toy, only to have Bet whip his head to the side. Eyes gleaming, he frenziedly tossed it from back and forth. "Dont shred this toy, Bet. Youll make a mess."

Yipping, Bet dropped the toy by Archers feet and stuck his nose to the floor, sniffing out the cause of a scent that he found particularly fascinating. Rolling his eyes at the playful puppy, Archer turned the burners onto a lower heat. He jerked his hands back at the sound of a soft knock on the door. "Who could that be?" He wiped his hands on a towel as he padded over to the door. Cautiously prying it open, Archer widened his eyes at the sight of a glowing form, which was wrapped snuggly in a golden shawl. "Pére!" He cried out, flinging the door open and throwing himself at his small body. "What are you doing here? Wheres Daddy?"

His pére smiled softly, unwinding the shawl and revealing a silvery dress with two pieces of fabric that crossed over each other for a bodice, and a skirt that wrapped around his legs and showed off their shape. "May I come in? I dont mean to intrude. I wanted to call you, but the storm knocked out the service." Archer stepped back, shutting the door behind him as he stepped inside. "Your dad had to go to the other side of the city to find a certain music store." Turning around, his pére gave him a winning smile, "If its alright, I thought the two of us could sit for a while. I heard that Hunter was going to the agency for a few hours. The two of us havent had any time to ourselves since before your wedding. I wanted to meet your dog, too."

Hooking his fingers through his pointy elbow, Archer drew his pére into the living room, which had bones and balls scattered over nearly every inch. A plump, red dog bed, indented with the shape of his small body from the hours hed spent sleeping there while his owners worked, laid next to the TV. "I dont know where the little scamp went, but, as you can see, hes already taken over our apartment. Bet, come in here! Someone wants to meet you."

Almost instantly, a furry body came bounding into the room. His pére laughed at the silly dog, whose ears flew above his head with each leap. Delighted by the visitor, Bet threw his paws onto his legs and hopped up and down. Archer bent and nudged the dog back. "Sorry, Pére. Were still training him. Thats naughty, Bet. What did we tell you about jumping onto peoples legs?"

Smiling at the dog, his pére knelt down and held his arms out. He bundled the dog up and brought him to his chest, giggling as he licked his cheeks. "Oh, no harm was done, Archer. Hes just a pup. Youre too little to do any damage, arent you?"

Archer shook his head at the sight, helping his pére back up when he made to stand. "You should have seen him when we gave him his first toy. He had pieces of it all over the place. I think he was just excited, though. He hasnt done it since. He really is a good dog."

His pére carried the puppy over to the couch, where he laid him in his lap and watched him flop from side to side. Small grunts rumbled out of his throat as he thrust his belly up. Scratching his nails over the surface of it, which was lightly dusted in black hair, his pére grinned fondly at the dog, "Your dad and uncle would love to meet him, Archer. Perhaps we could come over for dinner sometime, and let Blaine and Keegan spend some time with him?"

"Pére, you dont have to ask to come see us. Hunter and I miss you." Pinching one of Bets paws, Archer snickered as the dog nipped at his fingers. "Hunter thinks that Bet is a riot. He lets this dog get away with everything. He even sleeps in our bed. Ive reminded him that when we bring children into the home, were going to have to be stern with Bet."

His blue eyes softened as he thought about something he didnt say. Flitting his gaze up to Archers face, his pére whispered unsurely, "It simply doesnt seem true, that you are now married and preparing for a family of your own. Archer, when you... when you adopt these children, do you think that we could be there on the day that you bring them home? That... your dad, Keegan, and I could meet them?"

Archer unexpectedly lurched toward his pére, his eyes becoming moist. "Oh, Pére, I wouldnt have it any other way. I love you, Daddy, and Uncle Keegan so much. I want you to know my children." Lowering his head, Archer pursed his mouth, "Youll be a gift to them, since they wont know, or be aware of, Hunters side of the family. Maybe theyll learn when theyre older... but, Hunter and I have spoken about it, and neither of us wants our children to know about Karofsky, or anyone who was associated with him."

It seemed as if several seconds, or minutes, passed, before his pére slid his hand on top of Archers, and squeezed. "Its okay, sweetheart. At least its all over now." Looking down at their clasped hands when Bet wriggled toward them and pressed his nose to his palm, his pére laughed and stroked the tiny dog again. "Bet must think were all rather silly, for worrying over something that isnt there anymore. We should all live as Bet does, careless and excited about the world. There doesnt have to be anything bad in it."

"I guess youre right, Pére." Archer rose when the oven beeped, "You always are. Its time that Hunter and I stop sweating the small things. Although I wont go out of my way to inform my children of what our family was once like, I wont hide things from them if they ask. Keeping secrets has been whats gotten our family into trouble." Stretching onto his toes, Archer grabbed another mug from the cupboard. "Would you like some tea, Pére? With milk and sugar?"

His pére stuck his hands on his hips, "Have I ever turned down tea, Archer?"

Archer laughed, watching Bet roll himself over and thud to the floor. Shaking himself off, the dog scampered over to Archer and sat on his rump, his beady eyes pleading and large. "You cant have any tea, Bet. It would upset your belly. Here, have a biscuit." Digging around in the treat bag that theyd left on the counter so that Bet didnt feel excluded when they were getting snacks, he held one out to Bet. "Will you give me your paw? Shake, Bet." Bet, still clueless about many things he was being trained to do, licked the backs of Archers fingers. "Hm... close enough. Thats a good boy, Bet. Lay down on your bed. Let us have our drinks in peace."

Holding the biscuit in his mouth, the dog darted back into the living room and collapsed onto his bed. He dropped the biscuit between his paws and started munching on a corner of it. His pére giggled at the dogs antics, "The puppy will be a joy for any children you have. Theyll want to play with him for hours."

Archer carried the drinks into the living room, giving one of them to his pére before he settled back into the couch. "Hunter found the poor thing wandering through an alleyway. He was probably born a stray. So little, with no parent to look after him."

"Hell do very well here." His pére watched the dog nibble on his biscuit, his body flopping onto its side and making his tail bump into a toy. Suddenly flipping around, Bet attacked the toy, his paws digging at it and making it bounce against the bed.

Archer looked affectionately at the little puppy, "Yes... he certainly will. Hell fit right in with our family, Pére. He already seems to be a part of it. I was hesitant to take him as ours, but I couldnt bear to part with him. And I think he likes it here, too. Eat your biscuit, silly boy. Youll forget its there if you dont snatch it up soon."

Both of them glimpsed up when the front door slid open, and Hunter wormed his way inside so that the dog didnt slip out. "Hey, babe." Hunter, setting aside the bags that hed carried in, shrugged off his coat. When he turned around, his eyes widened at Kurt. "Oh, hi, Kurt. I wasnt expecting you." Bet, whose head had popped up at the sound of Hunters voice, scampered over to him and wagged his tail excitedly. "Hi to you, too, Bet! What have you been doing today, you little rascal?"

Hunter scooped the dog up and smacked kisses to his whiskery face, making Bet bark with enthusiasm. Archer grinned at his husband, "Oh, dont get him riled up. I actually had him laying down for once." Putting the dog down, Hunter picked up the bags and brought them over to Archer, who he kissed on his lips before he turned to his in-law and pecked his cheek. "Whats with the bags, Hunt?"

"I wasnt sure if the power had gone out, so I grabbed dinner on the way home." Hunter opened one of the bags and handed a container with a baked potato to Archer. "Kurt, do you, Blaine, and Keegan have enough to eat tonight? I would offer for you to eat here, but I only bought enough for myself and Archer."

"No, its alright." His pére waved him off, "I should be going, anyway. I do have dinner planned for tonight. Blaine will be home soon. Ill let the two of you eat." Picking himself up, his pére rested against Hunter, and then embraced Archer very gently. "Thank you for the conversation and tea, Archer. It was lovely." He turned toward Bet and cooed at the small dog, who was back to gnawing on his biscuit, "I enjoyed seeing you, Bet! Be good for your parents, okay? Ill drop by again soon. Maybe youll get to meet Pavarotti and Everett."

Bet barked at him, getting to his feet and stretching up to his hand when he patted his head. With one last wave, his pére exited the room. Hunter, calling after him to drive home carefully, shut the door, and then turned back to Archer. He gave Archer a funny look, "I like your pére."

Archer chortled, "Everyone does... especially Bet. Bet, you made a new friend today." The dog wiggled his tail in acknowledgement of that fact. Leaning against his husband when he lowered onto the couch, Archer shut his eyes, "How was the adoption agency? Were the forms fixed?"

"Yeah." Hunter nodded, "The agency didnt have a problem with it. They just had to call Bets trainer to confirm that he was good with children." Scooting away from Archer, Hunter took both of his hands and looked him in the eyes. Archer uncertainly fidgeted. "And, honey... while I was there, a woman who had taken an unusual amount of interest in our application spoke to me. I didnt get many of the details. We would have to make an appointment to see all of his paperwork. But, kitten, there was a match. The woman said that she couldnt guarantee that well get two children at once. But we could have one."

Archers mouth fell open, "What?"

Hunter shook his head, smoothing Archers frizzy curls off of his face, "Wed have to get someone to check our apartment. Theyd have to meet Bet. There are more meetings wed have to go to, and more paperwork wed have to sign. But, sweetheart, we could have a baby within the next five months. The woman said they just had an urgent case brought in. The mother was... raped. She said she didnt want any contact when she brought the baby in. Its a little boy, of Swedish and French descent. The woman said that hes a beautiful baby, with emerald eyes, and copper red hair, and skin like honey. And he could be ours. Theres another family thats interested, but-"

Archer rapidly shook his head, "No... Hunter, I want the baby. We have to do everything we can to make sure that hes ours."

"I thought youd say that." Hunters eyes glinted. Rubbing his forehead against Archers, Hunter kissed the tip of his nose and whispered, "This could be our little Zabe."