“The moment where you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever being able to do it.”

~J.M.Barrie, Peter Pan

“Blaine?” Kurt called, walking up the stairs to the nursery. He opened the door and peeked in, but Katura was still sound asleep. He started back down the stairs, walking into the kitchen just as Blaine came in the back door – the phone in his hand and tears running down his face.

“Blaine - -what's wrong, baby?” he asked, the loving nickname coming naturally. Kurt rushed to his husband's side, his arms already around Blaine's shoulders.

Blaine held out the satellite phone to Kurt, his hand over the receiver.

“Kurt....It's JoLinda Charles, the family social worker from Adoptions for Love. The one that helped us adopt Katura. She needs to talk to us.”

Kurt stood still, frozen to the floor. He stared at the phone and glanced at Blaine, seeing his fear reflected in his husband's face.

“Kurt, she wants to talk to both of us. I can put it on speaker if you're ready,” Blaine said, although Kurt could tell by his face that he was not ready himself.

“Well....” Kurt stalled, looking at Blaine's hand over the receiver so the woman couldn't hear them.

Blaine took his hand off of the receiver and spoke into the satellite phone.

“Mrs. Charles, ah.....okay, JoLinda, I am still trying to find Kurt. If you could wait a brief minute?” Blaine said, looking at Kurt once again, “Okay, just hold and I'll get him.”

He covered the phone again.

“Kurt, we need to speak to her. I cannot imagine it is bad news...our lawyer was very thorough, I don't think they can take Katura away from us, honey. Come here.”

This was so surreal. It was like an out-of-body experience. Kurt could very clearly smell the rabbit pie wafting in from the kitchen. He could almost taste the rich savory gravy that it was baked in. He could see the polished wood of the furniture around him, crafted by his husband and Cooper long ago. He felt the cold wind as it crept in the open door and into his clothing, making him shiver. Time was standing still, like a painting. He blinked his eyes.

“Babe?” Blaine asked, moving to put an arm around him.

Kurt sagged against Blaine, feeling the tremors in his husband's muscles. Was this going to be as awful as his imagination was conjuring? Surely not.

“Okay, I'm ready,” Kurt said, “Put it on speaker.”

“Hello, Mrs. Charles...I mean JoLinda....Kurt is here and you are on speaker,” Blaine said, his arm around Kurt as he led him over to the settee in front of the fire. They sat down and waited to hear what JoLinda had to say.

“Kurt? I'm glad you were able to join the conversation because this affects you, too.”

“What? What affects me? Do we need to call our lawyer?” Kurt got out, his voice reaching a higher register as the anxiety increased. His hand was beginning to hurt as he clutched the arm of the settee.

“Ah...not right now. I just want to ask the two of you a question. We usually send a packet as we did when you adopted your daughter, but this case is...ah...different,”

“Okay?” Blaine said, confusion clouding his face. Kurt's anxiety had reached a peak and he burst forth:

“Can I ask you something? Are you telling us that you're taking Katura away from us...because we won't let that happen...” Kurt said, the tension in his voice soaring.

“No! Oh, no...we would never do that. No,” JoLinda said, flustered. She was silent for a brief minute, but it seemed a very long time to the men.

“I have a case that requires a delicate touch. I will trust that what I say to you now must stay between us. Is that agreed?” she asked.

“Yes,” Blaine and Kurt said together.

“I have a baby boy that has been through too much in his young life. He is small for his age and he's had some health problems in the form of respiratory problems and tummy issues. He has been in three homes and I'm afraid he is going to end up in foster care,” JoLinda said, her voice sounding as if she were trying to cover up her pain.

“Why are you telling us this?” Kurt asked.

“Well, I was reading through some paperwork and I remembered that when you had originally applied for a child, you had been open to adopting more than one child and the age was negotiable. I called to see if that is still true?,” she asked.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

“JoLinda, I think you haven't gotten to the point,” Blaine said, sensing JoLinda was being apprehensive.

“I wondered if you were open to adopt a second child?” she asked more bluntly.

“Ah...that's kind of out of the blue...are you just recruiting parents, or....I mean, we came to you to adopt Katura. Your agency goes looking for parents, too?” Kurt asked.

“Not exactly. It's just this baby....,” she said.

“How old is he? What kinds of health problems are we talking about?” Blaine asked.

“He was born on June 19th last year....” she said to herself, counting how many months old he was, but the men heard her.

“What? That's Katura's birthday,” Blaine said, startled when he realized what JoLinda had said.

“Oh...” she moaned, knowing she'd slipped up.

“Mrs. Charles, I think you had better just come out with the whole story if you want us to even entertain being a part of it. Now, start at the beginning. Katura was born on June 19th, 2015. Go on from there,” Kurt demanded, his patience unraveling.

JoLinda sighed.

“Okay, the truth is that this boy is your Katie's brother. They are twins and the boy had been adopted right away. They didn't want the girl and you did, so everything was fine. But the couple that were going to adopt the boy changed their minds when his health became too much for them to handle. Because of that, he went to two care homes and now....well, I thought I would ask you if you might want Katura to grow up with her brother?” JoLinda sighed, knowing she was going beyond her duty and revealing things that she mustn't.

“I don't know what to say,” Kurt sighed. “I almost feel as if we'd been lied to...”

“Oh, I am so sorry,” JoLinda said. “We are not allowed to reveal details about the siblings of the children to be adopted. I was just....maybe I shouldn't have bothered you. Please forgive me.”

“JoLinda, give us a chance. This is coming out of the blue and we had no idea Katura had a brother....no wonder she had such a low birth weight,” Blaine said. He looked at Kurt but his husband just looked stunned. “Can we call you back? Kurt and I need to talk this over.”

“Of course...but there is one more thing,” JoLinda said and by the tone in her voice the men knew it was something they weren't going to want to hear.

“I should have called you sooner, given you more time, but I didn't think of you until a day or so ago and I had to get up my courage to ask you. I am not supposed to give this kind of information out to potential parents. If you decide not to adopt this boy, it isn't fair that I have given out his information. But there comes a time when I have to follow my heart. Did I ever tell you why I am doing this job?”

“No, please tell us if it would make you feel better,” Kurt said, his voice full of empathy.

“I was adopted – by a wonderful mother and father. I knew I was adopted and it was not a problem for me until I was fifteen. I went online to see if I could find my birth mother. I found her and met with her – with the blessings of my parents. It was a good meeting at first, but she told me that I had a brother. Further research over a few years finally let me know who he had become and I connected with his adoptive mother. I found that my brother had died just months before I found him.

“I was too late. He'd had kidney problems and was on a donor list, but died waiting for a match. I vowed then that I would be a family social worker for an adoption agency and help other people connect with their birth families, JoLinda said.

“Oh, JoLinda, how awful. I am so sorry...” Kurt said, his hand over his heart. She obviously felt guilt because she might have been a donor for her brother. That had to weigh on her.

“Anyway, when little William came back and then came back a second and a third time...well, I just had a feeling that I had to call you,” she admitted.

“William? His name is William?” Blaine asked. The boy was becoming a person in his mind's eye the more he found out about him.

“Yes, that is what his birth mother called him. With the first couple, the adoption papers were never filed. She found out she was pregnant and with all of William's medical issues...well, it wasn't the right fit. The problem now is that William is slated to become a ward of the state on Monday. He will go into foster care and getting him back, even if we eventually find a couple willing to adopt him, will take over a year if he's in the system. That is just the way it is now with all of the children who end up in foster care. I can't help those kids, but if I can help one, if I can place William before he goes into the system....well, you understand?”

“Yes, we do,” Kurt said, holding Blaine's hand and looking into his eyes.

“If you could possibly call me back with your answer tonight? Even if it is very late, I only have two days to do the paperwork and get this sorted before Monday morning. If you can't, well, I know this was just grasping at straws – but I had to risk telling you. I would have done anything if I'd been able to grow up with my brother,” she sighed.

“Okay. We will get back to you soon. Thank you for calling,” Blaine said and hung up.

“Kurt....what do we do?” Blaine asked. He knew what was in his heart and probably what was in Kurt's, but he wanted Kurt to say it.

“I want Katie to have the opportunity to know her twin. I wonder now if that is why she was so hard to calm down when we first got her? I thought it was her illness or that we were new parents, but now it makes sense. She shared a womb with her twin for nine months, then she not only lost her mother, but the brother she had always been with. How cruel is that?”

“I know, honey. I am a little worried, though. I think you are stressed to the max. I see it in your eyes, in the way you are trying to do everything and the panic in your every move. Kurt, I was so scared when you just ran this afternoon. My first thought was to go after you, but then I thought you just needed to go and get any relief from the stress that you could,” Blaine said, stroking Kurt's hair.

“Yes, that's true. I just went to the top of the ridge and thought for a while. I'm fine. I am stressed – having to be by myself and take care of everything, well, I miss you. I love Katie, I love that we live in this beautiful house on this beautiful mountain, and I love that you have the perfect career for you. I love that my design for the State Park Visitor's Center was the one picked. What I don't love is that I....damn it, I just miss you, Blaine,” Kurt said, leaning forward to kiss his husband.

“I know – I am gone too much. It was so important that I get this new harvest of Mt Russell started right, that the guys respect me. It was so hard to begin with. Here I was, just Sterling Anderson's baby, Cooper's kid brother - the little kid that grew up on the mountain. The guys were used to thinking of me like that and it is hard for some of them to realize that I know what I'm doing,” Blaine lamented. It had been a difficult transformation and he never told Kurt how hard it was. Maybe that was a mistake.

“Anyway, now that they are beginning to see the results, I think it's going to work. I can stay home with you on the weekends and I will probably be home for supper most nights, too,” Blaine said, leaning forward for another kiss.

Kurt didn't know what to say – he was glad to hear that Blaine would be with him more often, but he didn't know what to say about Katie's twin. That sounded so strange to say – Katie's twin. And what sort of health problems would William have? Would they even call him 'William'? Could they cope with more?

Both men were thinking about what they would do, worried about all the contingencies, but most of all, they were both worried about what the other one was thinking. Kurt glanced at Blaine, but he had his head down thinking hard. Kurt squeezed his hand and took breath to speak but they were interrupted by a high-pitched squeal from the baby monitor. Katie was awake.

“I'll just go...” Blaine started to say just as Kurt said, “I'll run up to get....”

They smiled at each other and Kurt held out his hand, taking Blaine's hand as they climbed the stairs. They walked into Katura's room together.

“Hi, Baby Girl. Did you have a nice nap?” Kurt asked as Blaine put his hands out. Katie was standing, holding on to the edge of the crib. She launched herself towards her Tatay and he caught her and brought her up into his arms. Katie was now seven months old and starting to stand with help, holding on to things like the railing on her crib. It seemed like overnight that she had done this, having been able to merely sit up by herself just two months ago.

Kurt was at the changing table, a diaper and wipes ready. Blaine laid her down and Kurt changed her. She coughed and both daddies looked at her, ready to do something if need be, but the tiny girl smiled and cooed, touching her toes as Kurt chose a dress and matching panties to go over the diaper. After slicking down the curls on her head, Kurt sat her up, pulling a white T-shirt on for her to wear to eat. He carried the pink gingham dress in his hand.

Pausing before he picked up his daughter, Kurt looked at Blaine. They locked eyes and knew in that instant what they had decided.

~

“Let's eat this marvelous supper and then call JoLinda with our decision,” Kurt said, setting Katie in the high chair her Tatay had made for her. The little girl gave them a gummy grin and opened her mouth wide when Kurt began spooning mashed carrots into her mouth.

After supper, as Blaine was holding his daughter, Kurt had smoothed down her curly red hair into a cute pixie style and she looked so darling. He got out his phone and snapped a picture, sending it to JoLinda Charles with the message:

“The answer is: YES! Katie can hardly wait to be reunited with her brother!”

It wasn't more than a few moments before they received a message in return:

“I knew you were the answer to my prayers. Thank you. Can you meet me in Corvalis tomorrow morning at 8? Or I can come to you?”

Blaine picked up the satellite phone and dialed. He arranged for them to come to JoLinda's office although it was Saturday morning. There was no time to call the family, no time for much of anything except to think of where they would get another crib and things for the new baby.

“Kurt, don't worry so much, honey. You know we can roll with the punches, we can get all of that tomorrow,” he said, smiling at his husband. They were laying in the hammock on the little balcony with Katie. She was being lulled to sleep as they looked at the stars. Blaine smiled as he looked up at Orion's Belt and turned his head to kiss Kurt.

“She's asleep, babe. Let's go put her in her bed. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.”

After settling Katura under her bunny blanket, the daddies went to their own bed and snuggled as they watched a movie and talked for a while about their jobs and what was happening with each of them. Blaine called Cooper to ask if he could help out tomorrow with getting all the supplies they needed for the new baby. He was thrilled to be getting a new nephew and promised to meet them in Corvalis with a truck to bring home the furniture.

Just Kurt and Blaine turned out the lights, a message came through from JoLinda.

“I found a picture of Katie (l) and William (r), I thought you might like it.”

“Blaine! Oh, how cute are they?” Kurt giggled, taking hold of the phone to see the picture better. “Who could separate them?” he asked rhetorically.

“I don't know, babe. Who could adopt that darling boy and then just take him back, as if he were a shirt that didn't fit?” Blaine shook his head.

“Well, we can make up for lost time. They can share a room for now, but we're either going to have to give up the office or build an addition,” Kurt said.

“I know an architect....” Blaine laughed, reaching over to tickle Kurt, delighted at his husband's giggle. He pulled Kurt closer, kissing down his neck and nibbling on his collarbone.

“Oh, Blaine....what are we getting ourselves into?” he sighed.

“Don't you want William? I'd understand if you have second thoughts, babe,” Blaine started to say.

“No! I want him. It just feels right, like Katie felt right as soon as we saw her picture, didn't she?”

“Yes, honey, she did. If people waited for the right moment, they might never have children. But I think this is one of those cases where we just need to jump, trusting we'll land in a soft place, isn't it?” Blaine said quietly, kissing Kurt's neck in between words.

“We have love enough for both of them...” Kurt smiled.

“Yes...” Blaine agreed and said no more as he was busy holding Kurt tightly for a moment.

“I love you, Blaine,” Kurt whispered in his ear.

Blaine stopped kissing Kurt's neck for just a moment.

“And I love you, too....”

The breeze came through the open balcony doors, bringing in the scent of the late fall flowers. The smells mingled with Kurt's own scent – a warm smell that evoked in Blaine security and lust in equal measure.

“Kurt...” Blaine murmured, his hands rubbing along Kurt's back, down to cup his bottom cheeks and Blaine once more thought his husband was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen.

“I want to make love tonight, babe,” Blaine said, stroking Kurt's hair as he looked into his blue eyes in the moonlight.

“Where do you want me?”

“I want to top...but we should get each other ready in case we want to switch,” he answered, reaching for the bottle of lubricant.

Later, after half an hour of kissing and fondling, he slid his finger into his husband's body and trembled as he felt and heard Kurt moan quietly.

“Mmmm, yes, baby, right there,” Kurt murmured, his legs quivering as he opened and relaxed for his lover. Kurt's fingers touched Blaine's hard erection, his fingertips caressing the silky skin. Blaine could hear Kurt's breath quicken as he added another finger, then another until Kurt grasped Blaine's wrist. He could hear the sounds of the night, almost as if they were making love in the wild forest.

“Stop there, honey, or I'll be gone...let me get you ready.”

It was a dance, slow and rhythmic, as Kurt made Blaine feel as if he was being cared for in every inch of his being. The lovers breathed into each other, gasping and moving to make it last. Blaine's breath came fast as his muscles burned with effort until Kurt placed his hands on his chest to stop him. Blaine's body protested as he pulled out, reluctant but generous enough to let Kurt have a turn to top.

“Come take me, my love,” Blaine whispered, his hands out to catch his husband as he moved on top.

Kurt could feel the heat and the velvety softness envelope him as he pushed gently forward, Blaine's soft noises his reward for each thrust. He opened his eyes, the moonlight from the window highlighting Blaine's warm golden eyes as he saw his love returned.

“Blaine...” he moaned, the warmth heating up as friction and emotion combined to carry him more quickly to the end. He leaned over to kiss his husband, his mouth opening for Blaine's soft tongue.

There was no rush to a firework explosion, not this time. They moved slow as starfish, closer and closer in small increments until it came down on them like thunder, rocking them together with small gasps and tiny kisses.

Later that night they were sleeping cuddled together and both dreamed of what was about to happen, how their little family would grow by a quarter in one day.