Burt and Elizabeth Hummel had begun fostering children a couple years into their marriage. They had difficulty having their own child, so as they kept trying, they both decided to continue sharing their home with children who didnt have the luxury of parents for whatever reason.

After five years of marriage and three years of fostering, Elizabeth finally saw the plus sign on the pregnancy test. She and Burt celebrated and decided that during her pregnancy and for the first couple years after their child was born, they would not foster. Kurt was born very early on a Monday morning and took his parents hearts from the moment they saw him. His rosy cheeks and his bright blue eyes captured them, and for the first year and a half of his life, his parents doted on his every need. Though they had thought about more children, with Burts salary at the garage, they decided that for now, they would remain with one and instead continue fostering children when Kurt turned five.

It was a random Tuesday in October, while a twenty-one month old Kurt laid on the couch half asleep in the living room watching an episode of Barney, that Elizabeth washed the dishes from breakfast that morning, but continued to peak back at her son. She smiled when she saw him slip his thumb into his mouth, knowing hed be out cold in minutes. The phone jarred her from watching Kurt and she rushed to pick it up before it disturbed him.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Lizzie?" She smiled when she heard Joans voice, the woman who had brought five beautiful children into their home prior to Kurts birth.

"Joan, how are you? Its been too long!"

"Im fine, and how are you and the family? Gosh Kurt must be almost two by now!"

"Hes twenty-one months! Time is flying, Ill tell you."

"I can only imagine."

"So, what can I do for you?"

"Well…I know you and Burt said you wanted to wait a while to foster again."

"Yes, until Kurt is at least five."

"I know and I totally understand that."

"But?"

"Well, but I know for a fact that your fostering license is still active, that you havent let it expire."

"And?" Her stomach twisted, knowing that if a child was in need there was no way shed be able to say no.

"Well…Lizzie, I wouldnt call you and Burt up if there was any other option, but I promise you there arent. I have a baby, well a three month old, and theres just nowhere for him to go at the moment. The closest placement is in Akron and thats about four hours out."

"What could his family have done already?"

"The mom is nineteen and drank through her pregnancy, the father twenty and refusing custody. The girls parents kicked her out when they found out she was pregnant out of wedlock, ultra-conservatives I think, anyway, he was born early and very small, spent these three months in the NICU while his lungs developed and he got stronger. The doctors say hes ready to leave the hospital now though. Please tell me theres something you can do?"

"Is he still sick?"

"No, no. They say because he was born so early he might have complications as he gets older, higher risk for respiratory infections, ear aches, things like that, but hes perfectly healthy now, if not still a little bit on the small side."

"And his mother?"

"Shes entered a rehab as part of her case plan working with child welfare to get him back."

"Whats the little guys name?"

"Blaine, and Ill tell you hes a sweetheart. Hes not very playful, though spending three months in a hospital would do that to anyone, but hes friendly and you should see the hair on this one, Lizzie, its a big poof of dark brown curls. Hes adorable."

"Ill have to talk to Burt, see what he thinks." She knew that Joan knew that they would be taking Blaine.

"Of course! Please just get back to me as soon as possible, wed like to have him placed by tonight."

Elizabeth, as promised, spoke to Burt. As he listened to her gush about the baby that he knew was already coming to live with them by the way she talked about him, he smiled. She was just as beautiful today as she was when he started dating her in high school and he heart was bigger than ever. He knew hed never regret a day of listening and following anything she told him.

That is how at six oclock that night, after signing paper work and going over formalities with Joan, Burt and Elizabeth found themselves kneeling side by side against the bathtub. Elizabeth gave Blaine his bath as Kurt splashed next to him and showed him his toys while being bathed by Burt.

As Joan had mentioned, Blaine was a little subdued and very tiny, about the size at three months that Kurt had been at about one and a half months. He did not easily smile, and he was not overly chatty with his baby talk. The only exception, of course, was when it came to Kurt. It seemed that every "Bwaine! Bwaine!" that was shouted grabbed at the babies attention. He stared as Kurt had gestured wildly while he showed him different pictures he had painted the day before, and when Kurt tickled him, Blaine giggled loudly. It seemed that Kurt was the secret weapon to break Blaine out of his shell.

After the bath, Elizabeth and Burt attempted to put the two boys to sleep. They were grateful that Kurt had just begun sleeping in a toddler bed so that his crib was available for Blaine. When they put the baby down, however, he began to cry. It seemed that they could not get him settled no matter what they tried.

"Mommy?"

Kurt called from his bed. Elizabeth left Blaine in Burts arms, walked over to her son and took a seat on his bed, "What is it baby?"

"Mommy, Bwaines scared."

"I know, honey, thats why me and daddy are trying to make him feel better. Hell quiet down soon enough."

"Someone should sleep with him like when Im scared and daddy lets me sleep between you."

"Thats a good idea, but Blaine is too tiny to sleep with me and daddy."

Kurt put his hand on his chin and thought. His face lit up after a few moments, "I know! I could sleep with Bwaine! Ill make him less scared!"

Elizabeth smiled and pulled her son into a tight hug, "Thats very sweet honey, but hes too tiny to sleep in your bed and the two of you cant fit in his crib. Hell feel safe knowing youre in the same room as him. You wont let anything happen to Blaine, right?"

At that moment, Burt placed Blaine back in the crib, he began to fuss a little bit, seemingly on the verge of tears, but Kurt jumped out of his mothers arms and off the bed and made his way over to the crib. He stuck his hand through an opening and held Blaines hand.

"Bwaine, you dont have to be scared. I sleep in here too and daddy says there are no monsters." He looked up to Burt who shook his head in agreement. Blaine was staring quietly at Kurt, "You can wake me up if you need to." His eyes began getting heavy. "Night night Bwaine." Kurt said in the whisper of a child and walked back to his bed where Elizabeth began tucking him in. Blaine made no more noises and slowly fell asleep as Burt stared in disbelief between the baby and his son.

"Mommy?" Kurt asked tiredly as she tucked the blankets around him.

"Yes?"

"Is Bwaine my bwother?"

She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled, "No, baby, Blaine has his own mommy but she is feeling sick so Blaine is going to stay with us for a little while until his mommy feels better. Is that ok with you?"

"Yea, I like him. Hes going to be my fwiend." He closed his eyes.

Elizabeth leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, "When he gets a little bit bigger Im sure youre going to be great friends."

Burt kissed him as well and they walked to the doorway, shutting the lights. The room still had an orange glow from the nightlight, but all was quiet. On one side was a crib with their foster son, sleeping soundly. On the other side, Kurt lay in his bed, the safety bar keeping him from rolling off and his thumb had found its way to his mouth. They both were laid on their backs with their faces turned towards the other.

"I think this will be good for both of them," She leaned into Burt and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek, "I dont think well ever regret taking him."

As time went on, Blaine seemed to be catching up to where other babies were in their development. He seemed to miss his milestones by three or four months, but the pediatrician continued to assure Burt and Elizabeth that it was nothing to worry about given his birthing history.

Kurt continued to help Blaine make strides. Because the younger boy seemed to be enthralled whenever Kurt spoke to him, Blaine began to talk back by making noises that kept Kurts attention on him. Holidays passed and months went by and though the Hummels had to bring Blaine on many visits with his mother and social workers, they began to feel as though Blaine was one of them, was theirs. It was on the day after Blaines third birthday that Elizabeth received the call she had been dreading.

"Im sorry Lizzie, but the judge made the ruling."

"That girl should not be anywhere near him! Shes a mess, have you seen her lately?" She asked angrily, raising her voice and catching the attention of Burt who sat on the living room floor with the boys watching Kurt paint Blaines toenails but mostly all the skin around the nails while Blaine giggled loudly, both boys oblivious to what was going on.

"I know, I know its not ideal, but Lizzie this is how it works. Rebecca is clean now, no alcohol or drugs in the past year, she got her GED, and shes completed all of the parenting classes. Theres nothing else we can do, we knew this day was coming for a while now."

Elizabeth sniffled a little looking over at Blaine who seemed so happy and care free. Any time they had taken him to a visit with his birth mother he withdrew and became nervous and shy, "I just...hes been here for so long, its hard."

"I know it is, were going to keep watching her though, Ill make sure hes ok."

Thats how, the next morning Elizabeth and Burt found themselves explaining to Kurt and Blaine what was going to happen.

"But I dont wanna live with mommy Webecca," Blaine looked at them with big wet eyes, his lower lip began to tremble, "Did I do something wrong?"

Elizabeth squeezed him tight where he was sitting on her lap, Kurt sitting on Burts next to her, "Of course not honey! We all love you so much and we love having you here, but Rebecca is your mommy and she loves you too and wants you to live with her now."

"Can Kurt come too?"

"Sorry, kiddo, but Kurt has to stay here with us." Burt said sadly.

"But...but...pwease dont make me go!" He began to cry then, hiding his head in Elizabeths chest, "Pwease!"

The whole family had tears in their eyes, but after Blaine, Kurt was crying almost as hard. Elizabeth knew that the hardest part was that they didnt really understand what was happening and why. Kurt wiggled out of his fathers lap and scooted in front of Blaine. He took Blaines hand but said nothing. After a moment, Blaine turned and looked at Kurt before getting out of Elizabeths hold and attaching himself to Kurt. They squeezed each other tightly, "Dont worry Bwaine, Im not gonna say bye, your my best fwiend!"

Blaine nodded but said nothing. They stay in each others arms for a while but eventually the tears dried up. The family watch The Little Mermaid together and ate lunch, but then Joan was at the front door and it was time for Blaine to leave. He was given tight hugs by Elizabeth, Burt, and an especially tight one from Kurt, and then Blaine was out the door and in a silver car. Elizabeth watched the car drive away next to Burt who was holding a crying Kurt.

"Im not sure if Im supposed to wish to see him again or hope we never do because then his mother did a good job. Neither seems like the right choice."

Burt put his free arm around her, "He knows were here no matter what."

After a few minutes of staring at the place where the car had disappeared, they went back inside and found that they were no longer sure how to function as a family of three anymore.