“There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you

love calling your name.”

~Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

Two Years Later...

“Kurt!” Burt called up the stairs. “Where are the Birthday Kids? Where are those big three year olds?”

“Coming, Papa!” Kurt called down. He and Blaine had just gotten the twins ready for their party. Jordan was wearing blue shorts held up with red suspenders. He had a red pin-striped shirt with a dark blue vest. His shiny black hair was combed to look like his tatay's when it was groomed to hide the curls.

Katura was wearing a matching blue skirt with a red pin-striped shirt and dark blue ribbons in her curly red hair. She held her brother's hand to walk down the long staircase in front of her daddies, turning to grin at them every few steps.

“Hey, you guys are doing so well on the stairs!” Blaine complemented his twins and Kurt grinned, reaching out to hold Blaine's hand.

They reached the main floor and Katie was running, practically dragging her brother behind her. The first person she ran to was her Uncle Noah.

“Unca Puck!” she squealed, knowing he would pick her up. She wasn't disappointed as he swung her up and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. He hugged her and set her back on her feet so he could pick up Jordan, but Jordy was already in Rachel's arms.

The guests were all happy and loudly cheered the twins. Everyone wanted a hug and to kiss their cheeks. There was a pile of presents on the coffee table in the living room and two cakes on the table for later, one blue (Jordan's favorite color) decorated with trains and puppies. The other cake was lavender with pink roses for Katura. Camera's were flashing like paparazzi after a celebrity.

“Let's all go out back where we have games set up!” Blaine called and led the way to the back garden where the party guests could play. There were eight children, some from the neighborhood and some were the children of friends or co-workers. They ranged in age from a few months to seven years old. Kurt was ready with the first game as they all walked into the yard. There were a lot of chairs for the grown-ups set around the large yard. All of the flowers were in bloom, their scent drifting all over. They were a rainbow of colors and Blaine smiled. He was proud of their house.

“Okay, the first game is...Bubbles! I will blow bubbles and you get to catch them before they reach the ground,” Kurt instructed the children. He had a large bubble wand that formed several dozen small bubbles with every swipe through the air. There wasn't really a winner in this game, but most of the children were under four, so they didn't notice. It was just fun to chase the bubbles.

Katie probably caught the most. She and Jordan played this game with their grandpa a lot. After fifteen minutes of chasing bubbles, the kids looked tired and Kurt moved them on to the next game, which was Fishing.

Every child was given a turn with a 'fishing pole' which was a bamboo stick with a string on it. At the end of the string was a clothes pin.

“Here, honey,” Carole said, showing Jordan how to play, “You put your line into the pond over here...”

She showed him how to cast the clothes pin into a large box that had once held their new dishwasher. Kurt and Blaine had covered it in blue paper and drawn fish and seaweed all over it. Jordan threw his line into the box (which he couldn't see inside) and Courtney, the seven-year-old daughter Jeff and Nick had adopted a few years ago, selected a stuffed toy from a pile of them in the box with her. She opened the clothes pin and attached a purple octopus, pulled a few times very gently and Jordan pulled in his 'catch'. He giggled and took his octopus off the line, handing the fishing pole to the next child in the queue. Katura got a mermaid, and so on as each child 'fished' for a prize.

They went on to draw on a large piece of paper, rolled onto the picnic table and taped down to make a birthday poster for the twins. There were boxes of markers, crayons, colored pencils, and pens for doing the artwork. Even the adults got in on this one, everyone writing messages and drawing pictures.

“How is Anthony doing?” Blaine asked as Lenore sat down to draw a greeting for the kids. Her two-year-old was in her lap. He had Puck's dark hair and Lenore's crystal blue eyes.

“We're good, Blaine. I'm glad you and Cooper are now full partners with Daddy. He isn't as young as he used to be and he told me August and Cooper are planning to start harvesting trees on Mount Carr?”

“Yes, we decided that was the better option. Mount Russell is farther away from river access and with Mount Carr, we own the land together, so it will be better for figuring out the profits. I'm glad you decided to stay in the business, Lenore. You deserve it and the land will be there for Anthony and …?” he nodded at her growing belly. He grinned at her and she smiled back.

“We don't know the sex yet, but he or she is due at the end of November. Noah is still intent on keeping the auto shop going. He doesn't want to trade that in for lumberjacking any time soon,” she said, looking over at her husband, who was putting plastic ducks in a child's pool for the next game.

“That's fine,” Blaine said, thinking that Lenore had matured but still had the long golden hair that she'd had since childhood. “I know Burt is happy with doing paperwork and sitting around the shop in the afternoons. Puck keeps him from doing anything too strenuous, but told me he's happy to get advice on fixing the cars. Burt's even getting excited about fixing motorcycles. Kurt is petrified he'll want to drive one, though!” Blaine laughed.

Burt kept walking to the edge of the yard and looking to the front yard every little while and Kurt caught up with him when Puck and Blaine had directed the kids to the duck-catching game by the kiddie pool.

“What's up, Dad? Are we expecting more guests?” he asked, knowing is dad loved surprises.

“I was just walking around,” Burt lied, looking guilty.

“Okay, Dad, which one of my friends did you invite behind my back? Mercedes and Sam are already here with their new baby. How did you get her to drive all this way with a 3 month old?” Kurt asked, happy his friends cared enough to come all the way from Los Angeles.

“Oh, isn't Olivia a little sweet pea?” Burt gushed, feeling lucky he'd distracted Kurt from the edge of the yard. He steered his son back towards the party with a last look over his shoulder. Kurt let him do it, but vowed to keep an eye on his dad.

“Speaking of Olivia...” Kurt said, smiling as Sam walked closer, the baby in is arms. “Can I hold her?”

“Sure,” Sam agreed, handing the little bundle over to his friend. Kurt snuggled the baby close to his chest so she felt safe and secure in the new arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at Kurt. There was a hint of a smile, and she blinked in the bright sunlight.

“Oh, she is beautiful,” he cooed, then jumped as Mercedes slipped her arms around him from behind.

“Thank you, Kurt. Your twins are just adorable! I love the matching outfits. It must be so much fun to have twins to dress,” she observed, and Kurt rolled his eyes.

“If I didn't have positive proof they are twins, I would never believe it! They are so different in nature, looks, just everything. Jordan is shy, quiet, strong, methodical while Katura is outgoing, talkative, and scatter-brained. I guess they are as different as two siblings can be,” he said, grinning as Katie squealed when she caught a plastic duck in her net. She handed the duck to Puck and he read the number on the bottom and went to the prize shelf.

“You got number six. See, Katie, that is number six. You won a puzzle!” he told her, handing a wooden puzzle to her.

“Thank you, Unca Puck!” she squealed again, making him laugh at her antics. She rushed to Kurt across the yard to show him her prize.

“Oh, did you win that?” he asked, unable to lean down to pick her up.

“Whats ya got, Daddy?” she asked, staring at the bundle in his arms.

“A baby,” he told her.

“I see the baby, Daddy?” she asked. By this time, her twin had followed her and was looking to see what his Daddy was holding.

Kurt got down on one knee, holding little Olivia tight.

“Oh!” Jordan said, gently pulling the blanket open to look closer. A sweet smile came across his face and he looked at his dad for permission before he touched the baby's cheek. Kurt nodded and watched carefully. He could feel Mercedes' tense hesitation, but he gave her a reassuring smile and she relaxed into Sam's arms.

Jordan touched the baby's cheek again and looked at his dad.

“Is she ours?” he asked, wonder on his face.

“Oh!” Katura interrupted, “Does Tatay know?” She stared at Kurt with puzzled astonishment, as if he'd done something underhanded.

“No, honey, she isn't ours,” he told Jordan. “Livvie belongs to our friends, Mercedes and Sam. Remember, they came to your party today?” he reminded his children. Both sets of eyes went up to look at Mercedes and Sam.

“Okay,” said Katie and she was off to join the party again.

Mercedes laughed and Sam had a grin on his face.

“You were in trouble for a minute there, Kurt,” she said, laughing louder.

Jordan shied away, hiding behind his daddy's legs as Kurt stood up. The woman was loud and it scared him a little bit.

“Hey, buddy, it's okay. Mercedes is just happy,” Sam said, seeing his fright and squatting down to be on Jordan's level.

“Okay,” Jordan said, his eyes big as the man spoke to him. He came closer and spoke to Sam.

“Is she yours?” he asked.

“The baby? Yes, Livvie is my daughter,” Sam said. Smiling at the shy boy.

“Can I hold her?”

“Well, let's have you sit down and remember to keep your arm under her head, okay?” he instructed, then took his daughter from Kurt – who sat down next to Jordan.

Sam placed her on Jordy's lap and showed the little boy how to hold the baby so she was supported. A big smile came back on Jordan's face.

“Daddy...look,” he said quietly, “She likes me. She's smiling.”

“Of course she is,” Mercedes said, loving how gentle the small boy was. “I think she will grow up to be your friend like your daddy and tatay are with me and Sam.”

Jordan nodded his head, but his eyes never left Olivia's.

There was a loud ruckus over in the driveway, around the corner of the house. Burt was rushing to open the gate to the garden, holding Katie's hand and looking for Jordan.

The party guests were playing with hula hoops, trying to throw them to land on pool noodles, but stopped when they heard neighing.

Kurt's mouth hung open as several people led five Shetland ponies through the gate into the large yard. All of the children came running and Burt and Finn had them line up.

“Here, Jordy, give me the baby and you can go to Grandpa,” Kurt said, getting up and standing next to Olivia's parent. “I better go see what on earth my dad has done now,” he rolled his eyes and handed the baby to Mercedes. She laughed and patted his back.

“It's never a dull moment with you,” she said.

“Ah, Dad? At what point did Blaine or I decide to have pony rides?” Kurt asked, turning as Blaine slipped his arms around Kurt's waist.

“Did I need permission? I thought we owned this house together?” Burt asked, looking as innocent as possible. Carole, standing with the children to keep an eye on things, rolled her eyes.

“Did you know?” Blaine asked her.

“No, I had no idea, but it is fun, isn't it? Look at Katie's eyes – they're out on stalks!” Carole said, nodding at her granddaughter.

“Aunt Ray!” Katie squealed, trying to get near the pony, but her grandpa was holding her back.

Rachel walked over to her niece, lifting her up. She conferred with the pony's handler and then sat Katie in the saddle. After helping her on with the helmet, the man explained to her how to sit and gave her the reins, but led the horse around the yard. Rachel walked on the other side, her hand on Katie's thigh to be sure she sat quietly.

“You can't be too loud, honey, you might scare the pony,” she warned and Katura quieted right down. She might be excitable, but she loved all animals and knew how to be respectful of them.

Jordan was next, but he looked back to see Mr. Church's granddaughter behind him. She was wiggling, excited to be near a live pony.

“Let Sherry go next,” he offered. Kurt leaned down and kissed his son's cheek.

“That is so kind of you, Jordy. Okay, we'll let Sherry get on the next pony,” he said, lifting the little girl up onto the pinto pony with the red saddle. Mr. Church's son rushed over to help and gave Sherry a nudge. The 5 year old turned to Jordan.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, and Jordan nodded his head. Mr. Church grinned at Kurt.

“Your son is as kind as his daddy,” he said and walked over to chaperon his granddaughter on the pony.

Kurt and Blaine had gotten over their shock of having their manicured lawn being made into a livestock corral and given in. They might as well have fun. Blaine stepped up to help Jordan sit on his pony while Kurt jogged over to walk with Katie and Rachel.

“What's the horse's name?” Jordan asked, happy to be on the black pony.

“Her name is Lulu,” the woman said, helping Jordan on with his helmet and telling him how to sit on the pony. She handed him the reins, but they were just decorative, the ponies didn't wear bits or bridles, they were guided by short lead ropes attached to their halters. She handed the lead rope to Blaine and nodded for him to go ahead. He pulled gently and the pony followed along with him. Two more kids were put on the ponies and the others waited, watching as the birthday twins led the parade around the yard.

The kids took turns and Katura was thrilled that she, along with her guests, got to ride all five ponies. She grabbed her brother's hand, swinging it around as she decided which pony was her favorite.

“I like Caramel. She had purple ribbons and that is my favorite color!” Katie announced as she walked over to see if she could ride once more. Finn came to her rescue, helping her on the pony and making sure her helmet was tight. He led the pony around one more time, grinning the whole way.

Kurt walked up to his dad, leaning on the table next to them. He looked his dad over, loving his new forest green cotton button-down shirt and reddish-brown chinos. At least he wasn't wearing the ever-present Levi's. He smiled at the older man, who leaned next to Kurt and folded his arms across his chest.

“Okay, Dad. Your surprise is the hit of the party. I forgive you. And I thank you for doing this for the kids. I think they're going to remember this party for a long time,” Kurt said, giving his father a hug.

Burt hugged him back, just glad his son wasn't upset with him. He didn't tell him ahead of time because he knew Kurt would have said no. He just wanted his grandchildren to have the best of everything.

After the fun afternoon, the ponies were taken back to their trailers and the wranglers cleaned up the yard of any pony droppings and the children all waved good bye, tired but happy.

“It's time for....ice cream and cake!” Kurt announced. “I have vanilla cupcakes and you get to decorate them yourselves.”

Rachel and Mercedes came to help, followed by the rest of the parents. There were cupcakes on serving plates at each end of the table and the guests got to pick a frosting – five flavors, each a different color that the helpers smoothed onto the cupcake. Then the guests went down the table and chose what to sprinkle on top.

“Could I have those polka dots?” Katie asked politely, pointing at the multi-colored sprinkles. “And then some Butterfinger crumbs?”

“Of course,” Carole said, helping her to decorate her cupcake. She took a small scoop of raspberry sorbet and went to sit at the picnic table with her brother.

Kurt placed two candles, in each of their cupcakes and lit them.

“Let's all sing Happy Birthday to Katura and Jordan,” he announced as soon as everyone had their desserts. The whole party sang to the kids, and they blew out their candles.

The party wound down from there. Most of the guests left, carrying tired children clutching the prizes they had won at the games.

It was only half an hour later when they were all gone except Rachel and Finn, Mercedes and Sam, Carole and Burt, and Noah and Lenore.

Kurt and Blaine took the twins up for baths and bed. It was late afternoon, but they needed naps after the party.

“Good night, sweet girl,” Kurt said after he'd laid his daughter down in her crib, “Happy birthday, I love you.”

“Love you, Daddy. Can I tell my wish?”

“Of course, honey. What did you wish for?”

“Caramel and Lulu. I loved the ponies and they would be good to have. One for me, one for Jordy,” she whispered, not understanding the cost or care of having ponies.

“We need to think about that, honey. Ponies need to have a lot of care. They need a large place to run and we don't have that,” he explained.

“Oh. Then I want a dog for me and a dog for Jordy,” she smiled. Kurt thought there was never a cuter smile than Katie's.

“We have a dog, up at the other house,” Kurt reasoned.

“But we can't play with Balto. You told us we can't play with him, so he isn't for us, right?” she countered.

My daughter is going to grow up to be a lawyer, Kurt thought.

“No, that's true. Balto is kind of wild for you to play with. I guess I'll have to ask Tatay what he thinks, baby girl. Now close your eyes and take a nap. Okay?” Kurt said, kissing his daughter on her cheek.

He went over to Jordan's room and met Blaine in the hallway as he was coming to kiss Katie.

“She wants a dog,” Kurt said, warning his husband before he encountered their daughter. “I talked her down from a pony though, so I guess that's progress,” he laughed.

Blaine looked a bit pale and Kurt put his arms around his husband.

“What's wrong?”

“Jordan told me his wish and I think it trumps a pony or a dog,” Blaine said. He pulled Kurt close and whispered in his ear. “Jordy wants a baby.”

“He what?”

“He told me his birthday wish is that he wants a baby sister or brother. He promised to take care of the baby himself,” Blaine whispered.

“He was rather taken with baby Olivia, so I guess I'm not surprised. I am not sure I want another baby right now, though. What do you think?” Kurt asked Blaine, who just put his head down.

“I don't know, Kurt. I hadn't even thought of it since we got Jordan. I guess we have to talk about it.”

“Okay, we will,” Kurt promised, suddenly thinking of what a joy his twins were and if adding another baby into the mix would be good for the whole family.

Later that night, after all of their guests had either gone home or were in bed downstairs, Blaine and Kurt finally slipped into their own bed in the west wing of the house.

Finn and Rachel were in their bedroom. They were still living in the house in Philomath where they had moved after Rachel's heart attack.

“That was some party, huh?” Finn asked, smiling.

“Yes, it was. So many kids – oh, and Mercedes' baby! How darling was Olivia?” Rachel gushed, so excited that she got to hold the new baby.

“She was cute. She looked a lot like Mercedes, but she has Sam's eyes,” Finn said, walking in from his shower in the en suite, wrapped in a towel.

“Finn! I never knew you noticed things like that,” Rachel said, her face puzzled. Finn wasn't exactly the sensitive type.

“I heard Mercedes tell Mom,” he admitted. “Did you notice Olivia's eyes aren't blue like Sam's, but they still look like his, at least more than Mercedes.”

“She has Mercedes mouth, though,” Rachel added, hanging up the dress she'd worn and taking a clean nightgown from her dresser drawer.

“Her skin color is like a blend of the two of them, and her hair is more silky – like Blaine's almost,” Finn grinned.

“I loved how excited Katura was! I got a bunch of pictures of her and Jordan on the ponies. “That Burt, what a surprise,” Rachel said.

“Kurt looked fit to be tied, didn't he!” Finn laughed at his fastidious brother.

“The wranglers fixed it back up, though. They went around picking up after the ponies and fixed the places where their hoofs tore the grass. It looked fine when they left.”

“It did. I think Burt had the best idea of all. I wonder what he'll cook up when our kids have their birthdays,” Finn said, pulling on his pajama shorts but leaving the shirt off. “Come here, honey,” he said, taking Rachel in his arms.

“Yes?” Rachel asked as she put her hands on Finn's chest. She couldn't help but smile as he put his arms around her and held her close.

“Are you still thinking about having a baby before you go back to Broadway?” he asked.

“I am if you think that's a good idea?” she wondered. “I'm not working yet and while we still have a lot of money in the account, it won't last forever. I have tried to get Kurt and Blaine to take rent money, but they refuse and I'm not comfortable just living off of them,” she told Finn.

“I think it was smart of us to have such a small wedding at Christmas, that saved a lot of money. So, we're doing okay. Taking classes at Oregon State and getting my social work degree will help if we want to stay here. We can buy our own house,” Finn interjected, giving his wife a kiss.

“So, you want to stay and take the state license exam for becoming a social worker? Instead of going back to Broadway to direct plays? Finn – you were so successful! That was our life,” Rachel frowned.

“I could go back if that is what you want, I was just thinking we could have options,” he offered, hugging Rachel closer and kissing down her neck. She responded by pushing him to sit on the edge of the bed and sitting on his lap.

“Which would you rather do? Directing plays pays a lot more money,” she said, weighing the pros and cons in her head, “But I am making money with royalties from the album I put out last year. That was such a good idea, Finn. It is work, but not stressful in the way a play is,” Rachel said, her arms around Finn's neck and her head on his shoulder.

“I can't believe nobody asked you to record before,” he said, slipping her bra strap down and kissing her naked shoulder.

“Oh, they asked, ever since I did Funny Girl wen I was at NYADA,” Rachel answered as Finn unhooked her bra and helped her off with it. “I just never had the time.”

“I'm glad you have the time now. How about we stay here for another year – maybe find a house and live there. We can always keep it for when we retire, right?” Finn suggested, “Then we can see what happens. I can get my license to be a social worker or guidance councilor and see what its like. You can record the other two albums in your contract. We don't have to go anywhere to do that. Then if you want to go back to Broadway – or even go to some place like San Francisco – we can do that at the end of the year,” Finn finished, looking at Rachel to see her reaction.

“Okay, that sounds good. And if I get pregnant during that time, we can take a little more time?”

“Yeah, that sounds even better,” Finn said – and didn't say any more as he pulled his wife under the covers, their clothes in a neat pile on the blanket chest at the end of the bed.

~

“Is she asleep?” Sam asked, having watched Mercedes breast-feed Olivia. Mercedes smiled at her husband.

“Yes, she fell asleep eating,” Mercedes said softly. Sam came and picked up his daughter, laying her in the crib and tucking her in.

Mercedes was glad to be able to give her daughter this start in life, but was shy to feed her in public. So far she had been able to feed Olivia in private or use a bottle of breast milk she'd pumped. A few times she put a blanket over Olivia as she ate so nobody could see and cause her any trouble. She had an abundance of milk and had even donated some to the breast milk bank in Los Angeles so babies that needed it could get it if their mothers were unable to provide it.

“Yeah, she was really tired. She ate a lot, and then I burped her and she spit up some on my favorite purple shirt. I put her in the crib and went and found Kurt. He helped me clean it up and then laundered the shirt for me,” Mercedes said, a smile on her face.

“I bet he turned green when you told him it was breast milk she spit up!” Sam laughed.

“Oh, Sam! I didn't tell him that. Besides, he had two little children. I bet he cleaned up a ton of formula and other baby things,” she laughed, too.

“Let's get ready for bed. We can watch a movie or something if you want,” Sam offered, taking off his clothes. He waited for his wife, helping her hang her things in the closet. It was good to be here, he thought. He hadn't seen Kurt, Blaine, Puck, Rachel or Finn in years – since high school - and Mercedes hadn't seen them since Kurt and Blaine's wedding.

“So, is Rachel still your competition?” Sam asked, a joking smile on his face. Mercedes rolled her eyes.

“No, not that she ever was,” she said in a sassy tone.

“She just released that new album, though,” he poked at her.

“Sam! My R&B album is not in competition with her Broadway show tunes,” she laughed. “And neither is your pop album,” she added with a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Sam grinned and leaned over to give her a deep kiss.

“Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night.”

~

Burt opened the blanket to let Carole in their bed. She was wearing the new nightgown he'd gotten her for her birthday last week.

“That was the best party, Burt. I know Jordan and Katie loved it,” she smiled at Burt.

“Did you see Jordan's face when the ponies came off the trailer?” Burt practically squealed. His face was lost in his huge grin.

“I did. I think all the kids loved the ponies – what kid doesn't?”

“And did you see how brave Katie was? She was the first one out the gate trying to pet a pony. I had to hold her back!” Burt laughed, delighted at his grandchildrens' actions.

“Burt, you should have asked the boys before you rented the ponies,” Carole said, a slight frown on her face.

“Aw, Carole, it's our house, too. I bought half ownership when we moved in here, and the ponies didn't ruin the grass. They didn't even eat the geraniums,” he scoffed.

“It isn't that. Kurt and Blaine worked so hard on planning it with all the games and prizes and all. You kind of stole their thunder,” she accused her husband, shaking her head.

“Did I? Oh. I guess I did. I owe them an apology, I didn't mean to. I was just so excited to see their little faces when they saw the ponies. I'm sorry,” he wilted. Carole was sad to see him deflate after all of his excitement, but he did owe the boys an apology.

“Don't worry too much, they didn't look too upset and they both enjoyed seeing all the kids having fun,” she tried to make it better. Maybe she had been too harsh on him. She wanted to make it better.

“Come here, sweetie,” she coaxed and Burt scooted over on the bed, opening his arms to pull his wife closer. Carole smiled and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his cheek.

“I love you, Carole. I thank God for you every day you know,” he smiled.

“I love you, too,” she said softly and turned out the bedside lamp before cuddling up to Burt.

“Good night, honey.”

“Sweet dreams.”

Upstairs in the back west corner of the house, Kurt and Blaine were getting ready for bed.

They looked out the French doors to see the night sky.

“Isn't it beautiful, baby?” Blaine asked, looking over at his husband but barely being able to see his outline in the dark night.

“You mean the sky? Of course. There's...Orion's Belt,” he said just as Blaine said the exact same thing.

“I love it. I will never get tired of searching the night sky,” Blaine said and pulled Kurt closer. He kissed down his neck, then up to the sensitive place behind his ear, enjoying the shiver on his skin. Kurt giggled and kissed him back.

“So, do you think the kids had a good birthday?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, it was great. The games, the food, the presents, all great. Oh, and the PONIES,” he said, “Did Burt tell you about those ahead of time?” Blaine asked.

“No. I was kind of upset at first, but those kids are going to remember this the rest of their lives I think, they were that excited,” Kurt said, grinning, “So I forgive him. He takes being a grandfather almost as seriously as he did being a father.”

“He was a great father – I loved living with you during high school, and Burt was a big part of that,” Blaine said.

Figaro, the cat, jumped on the bed and snuggled up at the end, making a nest of their blanket.

“Both of the twins love animals. I was thinking....they really can't play with Balto. As much as I love him, he isn't really appropriate for a house pet for them. I wouldn't trust him alone with them,” Blaine started, and Kurt knew exactly where this line of conversation was going. The funny thing was, he didn't have any objection to getting a dog. With the kids, they had one or the other of them at home all the time, so it wouldn't be any trouble to take care of a dog.

“What kind do you want to get for them?” Kurt asked, striking his husband speechless. Blaine thought he'd have to fight to get Kurt to agree to having a dog.

“Ah...I hadn't thought that far...” Blaine admitted.

“I have done a little research when I was bored and playing on the internet over the past year. I narrowed it down to three breeds,” he said, enjoying the shocked look on Blaine's face.

“Okay...do tell?” Blaine asked, ready to let Kurt take over. He smiled and put out a hand as if to say, 'Go ahead'.

“I don't want anything too tiny, nothing Balto could make a snack of,” he started and Blaine rolled his eyes. It was true that Balto, being half wolf, would eat any smaller animal he encountered.

“And nothing too large. I would love a Great Dane or a St Bernard, but I don't want them knocking the kids over,” Kurt went on.

“I also want a nice looking dog – no Bedlington terrier or Chinese crested in my house,” Kurt laughed.

“How about a mutt?” Blaine asked, “We could get one from the shelter.”

“I love that idea, but I want to know what kind of temperament the dog is going to have, and that is easier to predict with a purebred.”

“Okay, good point. So what have you narrowed it down to?”

“I don't want something like a Labrador, something everyone has. I want something kind of unique,” Kurt went on, looking at Blaine for approval. Blaine just nodded. That wasn't too surprising – it was Kurt Hummel-Anderson after all.

“First, a Keeshond. Flat-coated retriever, or a boxer. All three are great kid's dogs,” Kurt said. Blaine smiled and got his ipad out. After checking out each of the dogs, he ventured his opinion.

“I like the flat-coated retriever. They are so pretty and I think they'd be the best with the kids. It mentions on several sites how patient and kind they are.”

“Okay, I will look for breeders tomorrow,” Kurt said, happy to think his twins would have a new puppy.

“Actually, Kurt, I found a breeder near here with puppies for sale while I was looking them up. Should we go see them tomorrow?” Blaine asked, his eyes sparkling. Blaine loved animals, especially baby animals.

Kurt stood up and began removing his clothes, slipping into bed and looking over to Blaine.

“Are you tired, honey?” Kurt asked.

“Not too tired to love you,” Blaine said, his eyes looking into Kurt's.

“Join me?”

Blaine removed his clothes and followed Kurt into the bathroom as Kurt started the shower. They had remodeled this part of the house in the last year, turning the three extra bedrooms into two bedrooms for the twins. They remodeled the bathroom to add a jacuzzi and a larger shower with side body sprays and a rainshower head.

“Is it warm enough for me?” Blaine asked and Kurt grinned. He liked his shower a lot hotter than Kurt did, but they compromised when they showered together.

Kurt held out his hand and Blaine took it and stepped in the shower and into Kurt's arms.

“It was a good day, baby,” Blaine cooed at Kurt as he pushed himself gently back against Kurt's chest. “I think it's going to be a good night, too.”

Kurt whimpered as Blaine turned and kissed him before he knelt down to stroke along his husband's thighs. The shower head rained down on them, it's warmth taking the chill from their skin. Blaine leaned forward and licked up Kurt's cock, holding him and stroking. He slipped the head into his mouth, rolling his tongue around the ridge under the crown. Kurt moaned and slid his hands into Blaine's hair, holding on as his hips moved him in and out.

“Yes, baby, that's good,” Kurt said, probably not thinking as he felt his husband sucking a little harder. Blaine's hands were busy, one holding as he sucked and the other on Kurt's back to keep him from pulling back too far. Kurt was over protective of Blaine, not wanting to choke him. Blaine wanted him to go too far, to shove hard for once – but he knows it will never happen.

“Too good, Blaine. Come up here. I want this to last for a while,” Kurt plead and Blaine gave in. He stood and hugged Kurt, then took the shampoo and poured a bit into his palm. He scrubed Kurt's scalp and then pushed him gently under the shower, rinsing.

He soaped up Kurt's loofah, taking in a deep breath. He loved the scent of Kurt's shampoo. It was like a spring day and Blaine snuggled close to kiss his neck, arms around his waist.

Kurt took the shampoo from the shelf and returned the favor for Blaine, washing his hair and then his body. He rinsed under the rainshower and then Kurt soaped his hands again for friction and took Blaine into his hand, stroking quickly, then slowly so his husband couldn't get into the rhythm too much. He had plans for going back to the bed.

Kurt turned off the water and handed Blaine a towel, helping him pat himself dry.

“Ah...” Blaine sighed as he slid into the freshly made bed.

“It was a long day, wasn't it?” Kurt commented, glad to be beside Blaine in their bed.

“So, we will go camping next week?”

“Yes, I already asked Dad and Carole if they will watch the twins for the week. Cooper and August are going to join us the next day to see your dad's grave,” Kurt said, snuggling close to Blaine's chest and kissing along his collar bone.

Nothing more was said as the men made slow love and then fell asleep.