Kurt yawned as he walked blindly into the kitchen, his hand outstretched as he felt the warmth of the coffee pot and his mug already placed on the bench in front of him. Filling the mug to the brim, he took a careful sip and sighed contentedly as the caffeine started to sluggishly flood his veins. Turning and leaning on the counter, he grinned as he watched his Dad cuddle his daughter close, reading ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’, Alice helping him turn the pages carefully.

Smiling Kurt shook his head softly and pulled out the seat opposite the pair, causing both of their heads to snap up to look at him, identical piercing expressions shooting through the emerald and sapphire eyes respectively. “Isn’t she a bit young for Beatrix Potter stories yet Dad?”

Burt simply laughed closing the book and kissing Alice’s head softly at her shriek of indignation as she tried to reach for the book. “If there is one thing that your Mom taught me Kurt, God rest her soul, it’s that no child is too young for Peter Rabbit.” Looking between his son and his granddaughter the older man shrugged slightly, “So Carol and I brought your whole collection up, I figured you’d want to get started on them. They were always something you and your Mom read together.”

Kurt's eyes watered slightly and he reached out to cover his Dad’s hand with his own, “Thanks Dad.”

“You're welcome Bud,” Burt grinned at Alice and lifted her so that she was standing on his lap facing Kurt. “Ally pally, who’s that?” Holding her steady with one hand, he pointed to Kurt with the other, the younger man pulling a face and waving at his daughter, delighting in the way her entire face lit up to look at him.

Her tiny arms stretched out to Kurt, fingers clasping and unclasping rapidly, “Da-d-dad-dy.”

Beaming, Kurt reached across the table and brought his daughter into his arms, nestling her close to his chest as she let out a little sigh of contentment. “So you are being vocal this morning, huh?” Pulling away from her he nodded his head, laughing as she copied him, “I thought you might have actually tired out your vocal chords yesterday.”

Burt snorted, ignoring Kurt's glare as he stood to refill his coffee, “Yeah right Bud, she is your daughter after all.”

“Hardy har har,” Kurt grumbled, ignoring Burt’s laughter. “Where’s everyone else anyway?”

Burt chuckled walking over to lean on the table beside his son, playing with Alice’s tiny fingers when she happily offered him her hand. “Erm let’s see, Rachel went out for a run with a long winded explanation as to why and how often she goes and something else but I wasn’t really listening to be honest,” Kurt sniggered slightly burying his face in Alice’s hair. “Carol went with Dani to the café to help out for the day because it’s Blaine’s day off and Carol wanted to see what it was like when it was actually open. I’m pretty sure that you’ve already guessed but Finn, Sebastian and Elliott are all still asleep.” Kurt rolled his eyes glancing to the clock and shrugging slightly, not in the least bit surprised.

“They’ll be out of it for at least another couple hours yet, it’s only nine.”

“Fair enough,” Burt laughed picking Alice out of Kurt's arms and hovering her in the air as she giggled before resting her securely on his shoulder, Kurt's worried eyes watching as Alice pulled the cap from Burt’s head placing it over her own, yelping when it fell down over her eyes. “Don’t worry Bud, I got her, you were always on my shoulder at the same age.”

Shrugging again, Kurt carefully collected the coffee mugs from the table. “I'm her Dad, it’s my job to worry, she’s just so tiny and I don’t want anything to ever hurt her.”

“Amen to that Kurt,” Burt sighed, “Now how about me and you go for a walk in Central Park. I'm sure Ally could use some fresh air and you can tell me all about whatever it is that’s bothering you.”

Nodding Kurt glanced up to his father, eyes brimming with tears again. “Dad, I-” Collapsing into Burt’s waiting arm, Kurt couldn’t help but smile slightly when Alice’s miniature hand joined Burt’s in patting the back of his head.

“I got you Bud,” Burt whispered softly, pressing a kiss to Kurt's head. “Now go sort out your hair and I’ll get the little madam ready so that you can tell me all about what’s going around that head of yours.”

His breathing increasing, heart thumping, blood pounding round his body was enough to make Blaine feel alive as he ran through Central Park, nodding a good morning to other runners and dog walkers enjoying the early morning sunshine. Hearing Usher start pounding through his headphones he quietly sang along under his breath and picked up his pace further. Running was the one thing that let him forget the world even if it was just for a few hours a week, before Santana laid into him about needing to be more careful.

Entranced by the music, Blaine failed to notice the pothole ahead of him on the track. Feeling his foot become trapped, his eyes snapped shut and his arms flew out, bracing him for impact against the solid concrete. Exhaling into the ground, he managed to push himself round onto his back and sit up, inspecting his lightly bleeding knees carefully, ignoring the pink and white trainers that came to a stop next to him, the person they belonged to sighing softly.

“Come on Blainers, let’s get you up.”

“Rachel?” He murmured squinting up into the bright sun just in time to see Rachel roll her large brown eyes, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“No the Easter Bunny,” She laughed as Blaine shook his head, his own smile staring to appear as she bent down and slung his arm around her shoulder gently helping him up. “Come on, you’re going to get trampled over at this rate.”

Blaine continued to laugh as the pair half hobbled half walked to the nearest bench, dodging runners and speed walkers left, right and centre, before collapsing onto it. “Well you’ve clearly been spending far too much time with Kurt.”

Glancing up at him from where she was inspecting his injuries Rachel snickered good naturedly. “It’s been said,” Sitting back on her heels she pulled a sterilised wipe and a couple of plasters from her small bag. “I do not remember you ever being this clumsy though.”

Shrugging, Blaine hissed in pain as she started to clean his wounds, “I’m not usually but I was more interested in my music than in what my feet were actually doing.”

“See now that makes sense,” She laughed slapping the plasters over Blaine’s cuts before falling onto the bench beside him. “You were always so good, more than a match for me, what happened? I thought you wanted Julliard? You were going to be my Tony again but on Broadway, remember?”

Blaine cocked his head and raised an eyebrow pulling his pink sunglasses down over his nose as he studied the grown up Rachel Berry carefully. “Life happened Rae-Rae. I got ill, I got beat up, I lost Kurt and along with that my passion for the arts I guess.”

Rachel sighed sadly resting her head against his shoulder. “I'm sorry Blaine, I wish you would’ve let us be there for you.”

Smiling sadly, Blaine tilted his head to peck the brunette’s forehead, his face wrinkling in disgust as he felt the sweat from her morning run coating it, Rachel herself bursting into laughter. Wiping his tongue repeatedly with his hand he grimaced in revulsion once more before turning and leaning back on the bench, pulling Rachel with him.

“I didn’t want you guys there Rae, that was the whole point of letting Kurt go and I guess you along with that. You had your own lives to lead, your own dreams to make big.”

“That was the stupidest mistake you’ve ever made Blaine Anderson,” Rachel snorted, shaking her head slightly. “We would’ve been there for you every step of the way and made our dreams a reality, hell we’re two god damn stubborn people, I would’ve thought you of everyone would know that?”

Chuckling slightly, Blaine’s face scrunched up as he glanced to Rachel’s annoyed expression. “I knew exactly that, but honestly, if you two were flying back and forth to Lima would you be at the point in your careers that you're at today? Would Kurt be the most well known up and coming designer in well essentially the world I guess? Would you be Liesl and be the understudy Maria in the Broadway revival of The Sound of Music? Because my guess is not.”

Glaring, Rachel shook her head, “That is not the point Anderson!” She yelled shrilly, Blaine’s hand clamping over her mouth as he smiled apologetically to a startled group of tourists hurrying by.

Blaine grinned, snatching his hand away with a yelp when Rachel licked it. “That’s just disgusting,” He whimpered, mortified as he wiped his hand on his shorts.

Rachel sniggered and shrugged smirking smugly at him, “Nobody stifles my mouth Blainers.”

“And don’t we know it,” Blaine muttered, dodging Rachel’s hand as she reached out to hit him. “But, by not backing yourself up, you just made my point for me. I didn’t want anyone to suffer, that’s why I tried to keep everything hidden for so long.”

“But that way you suffered.”

Sighing, Blaine wrapped an arm round her shoulders, “I did, but you lot were safe and getting on with the important parts of your lives, and that is all that mattered to me then and matters to me now. That the people I cared about are safe and happy.”

Rachel shook her head again, “Not really, I still worried about you.” Chewing her lip nervously she glanced at Blaine through her eyelashes, her eyes watering slightly. “It’s kind of why I was just so mad at Dani for letting you back into our lives, and I kind of tried to convince Kurt not to let you back in to. You left me without a word Blainers, sure you gave Kurt an explanation as such, the whole cheating fiasco thing.” The pair each winced heavily as she mentioned it, “But what happened to our skype time and phone calls? You just stopped everything when the two of you broke up and for a long time, I was just so mad at you, and then the worry set in because it wasn’t you to just shut up and become silent like that. I even tried to coax information out of Finn but he was damn useless, and then he left McKinley for good like a month after the whole break ups disaster stuff so I didn’t get a look in.”

Smiling sadly Blaine cuddled her closer still, “I understand that Rae-Rae, believe me I do and for what it’s worth I'm sorry.”

“I still just wish you’d told us,” Rachel sighed, jumping with laughter when Blaine started to tickle her sides.

“No more sad thoughts ok? I'm back now and going nowhere,” Blaine winked at her as Rachel set off into peels of laughter again.

“Blaine Anderson, you are incorrigible,” She giggled, wiping happy tears from her eyes as she pulled out of his grasp and turned to face him, sitting cross legged on the bench. “Blainey, can we erm, can we go out for dinner or something at some point? Just the two of us? I really miss my little brother,” She admitted blushing scarlet as Blaine himself turned an even shade of pink.  She stared at Blaine, grinning slightly and couldn’t help but wish he’d actually been her brother, at least that way she’d have been able to keep track of him over the past few years.

“I’d love that Rae-Rae,” Blaine beamed, raising his head to meet her eyes, “I miss my big sister too you know, but I kept tabs on you over the years. Awesome performances in Chicago and The Sound of Music by the way,” He snickered as he stood and started to walk away from her, Rachel’s brow furrowing in confusion.

“Wait a minute,” She murmured, her head snapping up to stare after Blaine’s retreating figure. “Son of a bitch,” She breathed out under her breath, leaping up from the bench and charging after him, “Blaine Anderson, how in the world did you see those shows?” She yelled diving onto his back as his arms wrapped around her legs, spinning them in circles as Rachel shrieked.

“Chicago was your first big role off Broadway and The Sound of Music is your first Broadway role, you really think I’d miss them?” Blaine grinned, staring into her incredulous expression as he dropped her to the ground once more.

“But…but what? How?”

“Well let’s see, Chicago was when you were fresh out of NYADA right?” Seeing her nod, he smiled softly, “That places that around three years ago, so I dragged Santana kicking and screaming out to New York and Mike wanted to come to see the dancing in the production so we got tickets far enough back so that we wouldn’t be seen, and we avoided the first three weeks when Burt let on Kurt and the others were attending.” Grinning as she tried to process it, he carried on, “Then Britt has a weird obsession with The Sound of Music, believe it or not, so I happened to get her tickets to opening night for her birthday. Do you know my fear when Dani told me you’d be injured and should be missing opening night Rachel Berry, do you?”

Laughing, Rachel reached up to peck his cheek, “I wasn’t supposed to be in it but thankfully my ankle healed in time, stupid damn ‘sixteen going on seventeen’ number, it almost ruined me being in the first week of the show. But thanks Blainers, it means a lot knowing you were there.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” He beamed linking her arm, “Now, I'm not about to offer you dinner because well it’s like ten am and we’re both disgusting, but how about some ice cream?”

“Ooh, I never say no to that, it better be chocolate though.”

“Of course,” He chuckled before glancing at her again, a serious expression flooding his face. “Rae?”

“Yeah Blainers?”

“How did you and Finn sort everything out?”

Rachel stopped, sighing as she moved herself so that she was stood in front of Blaine. “Blainers look at me,” She whispered softly, placing two dingers under his chin and guiding his face up so that she could stare into his golden orbs. “Our situations were so different Blaine. Sure Finn and I were engaged, but it was you and Kurt that everyone expected to last forever and a day,” Chuckling softly she let his forehead fall to rest against hers. “I was always so jealous of that. But you and Kurt, you guys go together like apples and oranges, pb and j, hell Winnie the Pooh and Piglet,” Laughing at Blaine’s look of indignation, she pulled away before continuing. “You guys are meant to be, that’s something that I've always known. You’ll find your way back together before too long, it’s how it was meant to be, that much I know. Now did you or did you not promise me ice cream?”

“Ou-Ou,” Alice cried, leaning over in her pram and trying to reach the floor as she struggled against her restraints, throwing both Burt and Kurt dirty looks whenever she caught their eye.

Sighing in exasperation, Kurt glanced to his daughter, “Shortly little girl, this is just too dangerous for you.” Crossing the road along with the hoards of tourists and other New Yorkers, Kurt breathed a sigh of relief as an entrance to Central Park loomed into view.

Alice shrieked again and started to cry, “No-No-No.”

“Well, there’s no denying she’s your kid Kurt,” Burt sniggered holding the push chair upright as Kurt lifted the little girl from it, resting her on his hip as he shot Burt a dirty look to rival Alice’s.

“I was never this bad,” Kurt sniffed, holding Alice close as he dug her baby reigns from the back of the push chair, roller bladers and skateboarders holding Alice’s interest as they flew by in brightly coloured outfits.

Burt snorted, “No you were worse about staying in a Push chair.”

“No-no, sto-” Alice whined as Kurt tried to wrestle the baby reigns onto her squirming body. Burt watched, humour dancing through his eyes as both Kurt and Alice grew more and more frustrated with their battle of the wills, Alice’s shrieks getting louder as Kurt looked about ready to start yelling himself.

“Although you were better at taking the baby reigns,” He laughed softly, stepping around the pram, “Pass her here Bud, give me a go.”

Muttering under his breath, Kurt hoisted his daughter and the reigns straight into Burt’s waiting arms, before attempting to find his sunglasses in the baby bag. Looking back up expecting to have a reason to be smug, his mouth dropped as he saw Alice snuggled into the crook of Burt’s neck, her large blue eyes watching him closely from her red tear stained face and the reigns securely in place.

“How did you? I mean what the-” Kurt's mouth opened and closed as he stared at the two, his facial expression only softening when Alice made grabby hands for him, a little whimper escaping her mouth. “Come here baby,” He whispered, pulling her into his arms and kissing her temple, smiling as she buried into him, Burt taking control of the pram so they could carry on walking.

“You were taking your frustration at yourself out on her Bud,” Burt mumbled quietly. “You’ll never get anywhere with a one year old with that attitude, believe me I learnt that the hard way,” Burt raised an eyebrow which made Kurt chuckle softly, a serene smile flooding his face as Alice cuddled closer still. “She’s going to be a stubborn one just like you, and for that end, you need to take out any frustration elsewhere. So, lay it on me. What’s wrong?”

Kurt took a deep breath, his eyes flickering to Burt as the pair continued to walk through the leafy park. “Blaine told me he still loves me, and that this time he’s not giving up.”

“So isn’t that a good thing?”

“I-I don’t know Dad, I mean there’s more than just me to think about these days,” Glancing at Alice, he kissed her curls lightly. “She’s my whole world Dad, I don’t want to do anything that would ever hurt her.”

“And do you think that Blaine would ever hurt one tiny hair on that baby’s head? Or do you think he’d be right alongside you and Dani, ready to kill anyone that ever dared hurt her? Because I know already from watching them interact yesterday which one I’d say.”

“It’s not that simple. Dad I-” Kurt frowned, struggling to find words when Burt stopped metres from him, a slow smirk forming.

“Do you love him Kurt?” Burt asked nonchalantly as if he was asking about Kurt's day or how big Alice had gotten, unable to stop himself, a grin formed over his face and Kurt's stunned gaze.

“I- what?”

“Do. You. Love. Him?” Burt punctuated slowly, watching the conflicting emotions rage on Kurt's face.

“Yes, God yes, with all my heart,” Kurt breathed out, eyes widening at his own admission as Burt chucked softly.

Smiling sadly, Burt shook his head, catching Kurt's eyes with his own once more. “I think you just answered all of your questions Bud. Now sit down and try and process what you’ve just figured out and I’ll get us some ice cream.”

Kurt groaned, “Dad, that’s just empty calories.”

“Well, I know I’m getting peanut butter flavour and Alice will have cookie dough, but what you having Bud?”

“Peppermint,” Kurt grumbled collapsing onto the bench and letting Alice stand in front of him, her hands on his knees as she bobbed up and down in time to the music the brass band close by were playing.

Burt chuckled, shaking his head at part of his little family and wandered over to the ice cream truck.

“What are you doing little one?” Kurt laughed as Alice continued to bob around before looking at him and pursing her lips. Grinning, he bent down and kissed them with a large ‘mwah’ sound that made Alice giggle. Letting go of her reigns, Kurt watched as Alice started to spin in circles, still dancing away to herself. Accepting his ice cream from Burt, he smiled at his Dad, “She’s a little insane huh?”

“Nope, she’s exactly like you were,” Burt laughed, watching Alice stop her twirling momentarily to watch a nearby puppy jump around before starting up with it again. “Except the curls, those are all Dani’s side.”

Kurt laughed, leaning forward as he ate a mouthful of ice cream, “Dad, is this peppermint and cookie dough?” He murmured pulling a face.

“Of course, I figured you’d rather share with Alice than me get her a full one.”

“Good call,” He chuckled, turning back to Alice. “What are you doing silly girl? You’ll get dizzy.”

“No no no,” Alice giggled still spinning. Her attention catching on something in the distance, the little girl tilted her head, a large beam spreading across her face as she side eyed Kurt quickly.

“What are you doing?” Kurt murmured curiously, leaning back as he watched her.

Alice let a small smirk flicker at the corners of her mouth, glancing to Burt and Kurt one more time. “Blaaaaaaay!” She shrieked taking off through the park as Kurt yelped, diving up and sprinting after her.

“Damn she’s fast,” Burt muttered, tilting his head and grinning when he saw who his granddaughter was headed for. “That’s my girl, work your magic little one.”

“Blaaaaaaay!” At the cry Rachel whipped around, Blaine’s eyes trebling in size as he bent down, a little pink bundle filling his arms as he stood back up, Alice’s giggles ringing out in the area.

“What the? Alice, where did you come from?” Blaine muttered bewildered as Kurt sprinted up to them, panting slightly.

“Alice Elizabeth Blaine Hummel!” He fumed and the little girls mouth dropped open from where she was happily sat in Blaine’s arms.

“Uh oh,” She murmured, turning her back to Kurt and burying into Blaine with a whine.

“Uh oh is right,” Kurt muttered darkly, both Rachel and Blaine staring at him wide eyed.

“Erm, I'm just going to go get ice cream,” Rachel muttered, practically running away from the scene, joining Burt when she saw him watching the scene unfold carefully.

Blaine prodded the little girl slightly, “Ally, turn around and look at Daddy.”

“Noooooo,” She moaned pressing her face into Blaine’s neck.

“Ally, now,” He muttered, his tone becoming more authoritative, causing the baby to instantly whip her head around to face the still furious Kurt. “And Kurt, you have to calm down. Look I know she ran away from you in a ridiculously busy area but she’s still high as a kite from yesterday and she’s one year old, she’s still learning.”

“But she…” Kurt seethed, running a frustrated hand through his hair, “I just don’t want anything to happen to her.”

“They look like a family,” Rachel whispered as she and Burt watched Blaine expertly calm Kurt down while the blue eyed man reprimanded his daughter.

Burt sighed softly, placing a hand on the young woman’s shoulder, “They will be one day Rachel, they will be one day.”

The pair watched Blaine and Kurt crack up at something Alice muttered before both tickling the girl at the same time, Kurt wrapping his arms around both of them before leaping back almost nervously. “They’ll notice eventually, they're pretty much meant to be.”