Monday morning arrived with more bright sunshine and Kurt took that as a hopeful sign for the journey they were about to undertake. He joined Blaine downstairs for breakfast and then magically disposed of the dishes and the perishable food left in the fridge. Then men then gathered up Blaine's bags and Kurt's samovar and carried them out to the car. As the cold air hit them, it quickly brought to Kurt's attention to the fact that he was only wearing a thin oxford shirt and jeans. He glanced down and the air around his body took on a sharp gleam before solidifying into a navy blue pea coat.

Blaine paused for a moment before continuing on his way. "You know, you will have to stop doing that when we get to Chicago. There's no way I will be able to explain it to my family if you start making things appear out of thin air."

Kurt gave him a slightly chastened grin and nodded his agreement before sliding the samovar into the trunk of the car. "I'll try and do better. It's been a long time since I was around anyone but Peter or another connection and I'm out of practice."

They got inside the car and Blaine turned on the heater and the heated seats. After letting the engine warm up for a few minutes he inched the car out of the garage and turned down the driveway, the snow crunching beneath the tires.

"I'll call Charles later and have him finish everything up," Blaine murmured as the house slipped out of sight, "I've finished labeling the things I want packed and shipped to me. He can handle the donations to charity and the sale of the house."

"You don't want to keep the house yourself?" Kurt wondered. "It seems like you had many happy memories there. Maybe you could keep it and use it as a vacation home?"

"I just don't think I'd be able to get out here more than once a year. This house was meant to be lived in, not to stand empty. I can see a family being really happy here. I think Peter would like that."

They rode in an uneasy silence for a few minutes, neither one knowing what to say. Kurt watched as the scenery flew by. He had seldom left the house while he was with Peter, so most of the countryside was new to him. He marveled at the modern designs of many of the buildings — so different from the houses he was used to in the past.

Finally, Blaine broke the silence with a question that had been nagging at him since the day before. "Why didn't you just heal Peter? If he had three wishes, why didn't he wish to be well again?"

"Genies aren't all powerful," Kurt replied sadly. "There are limitations to what we can do. I cannot alter the way someone thinks or feels or make them do something they don't want to do. And I can't cure disease or heal injuries."

"That is actually kind of comforting to know, actually."

"How so?" Kurt asked.

"It isn't like I really spend a lot of time thinking about fate or anything, but I have always kind of believed that we each have a path and when it is our time, it is our time. I don't think I'd like it if I thought there were people out there who were living only because they happened to come across a magical genie. Also, I can't even begin to imagine the damage that could have been done throughout the centuries if genies could control thoughts and actions. I'm sure not everyone who makes a connection with a genie has pure and altruistic motives."

"No, that's very true. I can't tell you how many times my human connection has wished that I make someone fall in love with them. It's human nature to try and take the easy route, I guess. I can give people skills or knowledge that they don't already possess, so I guess I'm not totally blameless in letting people cut a few corners."

"Skills they don't already possess? I knew it! I'm in the Matrix, aren't I?"

"The Matrix?"

"Never mind." The giant grin on Blaine's face was one of the most beautiful things Kurt had ever seen, even if he didn't understand the reason behind it. After a few miles, Blaine turned to Kurt again. "The drive will take us about 10 hours, so we will probably stay the night part way there so that we can arrive late tomorrow morning. Do you think you will want to drive for part of the way?"

"The last time I drove was in the early 1950s, so I don't think it would be a great idea for me to get behind the wheel. I'd feel obligated to add a 'Beware of driver' sign to the back of the car and I just don't think it would go with your paint job."

"No, it is probably best that I drive then," Blaine chuckled at the thought of a giant red blinking sign on the back of his luxury car. "So why haven't you driven since the early '50s?"

"That was the time of my last connection before Peter. I spent 10 years with a wonderful man who was a mechanic and owned a garage. He taught me how to work on the cars and I often helped out in the shop."

"Your last connection was more than 60 years ago? Where have you been since then?"

"I told you that genies don't really exist without a human connection. Ever since then I was just…waiting."

"That seems like a really long time to be in limbo."

"It was difficult. Being without a connection can damage us. The longer the time, the harder it is to recover, to become part of the world again. I know many genies that have gone much longer and some were never the same again."

"So why did your connection with the car guy end? Did you mutually part ways or…"

"I'd rather not discuss it, if you don't mind." Kurt turned his head to look out the passenger window and crossed his arms protectively across his body.

"Of course. Why don't we listen to some music for a while?"

"Oh yes, please! Peter and I always listened to music at home and I've really missed it. Peter told me that you're a musician. I believe he said you had all the makings of a rock star. What kind of music do you like?"

"I like all kinds of music, really. I played a kind of rock/pop mix when I was performing, but I like to listen to all types. Here," Blaine hit a button on the steering wheel to activate the sound system in the car, "This is a playlist of my current favorites. Most of this is probably very different than what Peter listened to. Let me know if you hear anything you especially like."

The playlist was ordered chronologically, so it started out with The Beatles, before continue on through Roxy Music, Bryan Adams, and George Michael before ending up with current artists like Katy Perry and Maroon 5. Kurt listened silently for most of the time, tapping his foot along to some of the songs, tilting his head is puzzlement to others. He recognized a few of the songs from hearing Peter play them and to those he hummed or sang along softly. Blaine could feel tension melting away from his shoulders at the sound of Kurt's voice. It was angelic sounding, with a range that was amazing. Blaine promised himself that he would take Kurt to karaoke once they were back in Chicago. Together they would wow the crowd and clean-up in some of the contests at the local bars.

After the last song on the playlist finished, Kurt leaned his head against the headrest and turned to Blaine. "Most of those were really good, but if some of those last songs are personal favorites I might have to revoke your potential rock star status. Are you sure those people were really even singing? They sounded so false, like the robot voices in science fiction movies I used to see back in the '50s. I just don't see how they can compare with Elvis or Rosemary Clooney."

"Current popular music is much more produced and processed than back in the 1950s. It's often more about the image now than the voice, but that doesn't mean the songs aren't enjoyable. To enjoy Top 40 music you just need to let go of your musical snobbery and have fun."

"Yes, well I think you can keep your Top 40 and I'll stick with the more 'real' stuff for now." Blaine glanced over and saw Kurt's eyebrow lift slightly, obviously judging Blaine for his horrible taste in music.

As they cycled through a few more playlists and talked more about music, it became obvious to Blaine that Kurt had little knowledge about current events or pop culture, despite having been back in the world for over a year. Peter had never been one to keep up on celebrity happenings, even when he was in the music business and it sounded like he had spent his last year watching classic movies and listening to his favorite songs of the past. If Kurt was going to survive in the modern world he would have to get up-to-speed quickly. Nothing would make him stand out in a crowd more than not having a clue about who Lady Gaga was or thinking Old Navy referred to the Armed Forces.

A few minutes later Blaine pulled over to fill of the car up with gas. While the pump was clicking away he noticed that the gas station mini-mart had an unusually large rack of magazines lined up against the wall. He told Kurt he would be right back and ducked into the shop. He grabbed several magazines that covered the subjects of news, gossip, fashion and counter-culture and paid for them along with some drinks and snacks for the road. He returned to the car, put the gas nozzle back on the pump and slid back into the driver's seat.

"Here, I got you some magazines to help catch you up on our confusing modern times. I have an iPad in my luggage, but since I assume you don't know how to operate a computer or a tablet we had better start the old fashioned way."

Kurt sorted through the pile of magazines before coming to an abrupt halt. "Vogue! Oh my God, oh my God," he held the magazine to his chest like a baby and cradled it, "Oh Vogue, how I have missed you!" He proceeded to bury himself in the magazine, reading it cover-to-cover before moving on to devour the next one in the pile. When he had finished a fourth magazine he set it aside with a satisfied sigh. "I think I have missed fashion most of all. There is so much variety now, I just can't believe it. Of course, not all of it is good. How is real fur still a thing in this day and age? Don't people know where that fur comes from? Why…"

Blaine listened to Kurt as he continued to comment on the current state of fashion — the good, the bad, and the 'Oh my God'. Finally he wound down on the subject and Blaine took the opportunity to jump into the conversation. "You seem pretty passionate about fashion for a guy wearing dad jeans and a plain button-down shirt."

Kurt looked down at himself with a slight grimace and look of disdain. "Peter tended to wear these types of clothes, so I dressed like this to make him more comfortable."

"Kurt… if I say something will you promise not to be offended?"

"Of course! You can always be honest with me, Blaine."

"So, I've noticed that since we have been talking today that you have seemed…different than before. Today you have been —and please don't take this the wrong way, because it isn't meant to be bad — snarky and sarcastic and opinionated. Even your speech patterns seem different. You were so formal before, but today you are so much looser. Is it just that you are becoming more comfortable with me?"

Kurt paused before replying, gathering his thoughts. "Making a successful connection is dependent on being what the human expects a genie to be." He grimaced as he looked out the window. "I sometimes have problems meeting those expectations. I try to blend in and to remain in the background, but something inside me just seems to cry out for attention and I can't control it. I guess what you are now seeing is the real me. I'm sorry."

"No! Don't be sorry. I want you to feel comfortable and to be yourself. Please don't feel as if you need to change to please me or be accepted. In fact…," Blaine drew a deep breath, absolutely sure of his course of action, "I wish you would be yourself around me."

"You wish...? Did you mean..."

"Yes, for my first wish I would like you to act like yourself, dress like yourself, talk like yourself..."

There was a long stunned pause from the passenger seat. "Well, I did see some things I liked in one of those magazines." The air around Kurt glistened and suddenly he was clothed in tight black pants covered with straps and silver d-rings and a black and silver asymmetrical sweater that fell slightly off of one shoulder, topped off with a new spiky hair style that flattered his face. "Your wish is granted."

"Thank you. Much better," Blaine smiled, happy with the outcome of his first wish. They passed a few minutes in silence, with Blaine making a few quick side-eye glances at his companion. Finally, he could contain himself no longer. "Kurt... are those bondage pants?"

"Eyes on the road, Dapper Dan."

Several hours, countless songs and 5 magazines later Blaine turned off the highway and pulled into a hotel parking lot. "It's about dinner time, so why don't we stop here for the night, then start again in the morning. We only have about 3 hours left to drive, so that will get us home about lunch time."

Kurt agreed to the proposal, so they checked into the hotel, taking two rooms on the tenth floor. They decided to meet in an hour for dinner and while Blaine took a shower and changed his clothes, Kurt spent his time flipping through channels on the TV. He couldn't believe what a great day it had been. He had loved the time he spent with Peter, but their lives had been pretty isolated. Peter had never been an especially social man, but his illness had made him even less likely to seek out company. Add to that the protectiveness he felt towards Kurt and he had practically become a hermit. He had also become extremely nostalgic, so the music, television and movies they watched were all older ones that reminded him of his youth. Kurt had had little opportunity to learn about the new world he had stepped into. So much had changed since the 1950s that he felt like he was on an alien planet with advanced technology and strange looking creatures.

Today Blaine had introduced him to that world and he would be forever grateful. The music might take a little while to get used to, but for some reason he had embraced the fashion whole-heartedly. His mind raced with all the colors, fabrics and styles that filled the magazines and he couldn't help but close his eyes and start re-arranging the items he had seen into new and different combinations.

Of course, the day hadn't been exciting only because of the music and fashion. There had also been Blaine himself. Kurt couldn't remember the last time he had felt this type of connection with a human. Had he ever felt this way? He could still see a glimmer of doubt in Blaine's eyes—not much about Kurt being a genie, but more about how he was going to make the situation work— but despite that the ease with which they talked made it seem like they had known each other for much longer than three days. Kurt grasped his hands together and brought them up to his mouth, leaning his lips against his knuckles as he thought about how Blaine had used his first wish to free Kurt to be himself. He couldn't remember anyone caring about him like that so quickly. There had been other connections who had one what they could to make Kurt comfortable, of course, but it usually took some time to get to that point as they slowly got to know him and got used to the idea of a genie. His feelings were not usually the first thing on their minds.

Kurt noticed that the hour was almost up, so he quickly fabricated a change of clothing for himself. His motorcycle style jacket was color blocked, with the sleeves and sides of the body in gray flannel and the main body in black. The off-center and slightly diagonal zipper was zipped half way up over a black button-down shirt with a white placket and collar and black buttons. He finished off the outfit with tight black jeans and soft leather boots. The jacket was nice enough to fit in wherever they were going to dinner, while still being edgy and fashionable. He smiled at himself in the mirror and gave his hair a final nudge before heading out the door.

He met Blaine in the hallway and admired his white jeans and gray round-neck sweater with black stripes at the neck, cuffs and hem. He could see Blaine's personality showing in the pink shirt and black tie that he wore beneath the sweater — both playful and formal at the same time. He caught himself admiring the fit of Blaine's jeans a little too closely and snapped his eyes back up to meet Blaine's. Thankfully, the other man seemed oblivious to his ogling and simply nodded in the direction of the elevator before starting off down the hallway.

They rode the elevator down to the lobby level and checked out the dining options in the hotel. The hotel's restaurant was Japanese, which neither man was in the mood for, so they walked across the street to an Italian restaurant and were quickly seated. While they ate Kurt told Blaine more about how he and Peter had met. Blaine watched as he described Peter's reaction the first time Kurt had appeared to him. Kurt's face was so expressive and every emotion played out there for everyone to see. When Kurt described his excitement in finally re-joining the world after the long period without a connection, Blaine felt his elation, mixed with a little sadness for the time lost. As he told funny stories about the differences between the 1950s and now, Blaine felt his amazement and when he spoke about Peter's illness and the final months Blaine grieved along with him. He couldn't help but wonder if the reason he was so drawn to Kurt was because of the magic. He had never experienced anything like it before in his life. Kurt had said that some people were drawn to the samovar. Maybe that draw extended to the genie within it and nothing that he was feeling was real.

Besides, Blaine didn't even know if Kurt was gay. Maybe genies don't even have a sexual orientation. Were they sexual at all? Did they even choose to interact with people like that? If Kurt was human, Blaine would say it was obvious which team Kurt played on, but maybe all genies were slightly flamboyant and it meant nothing at all. After arguing with himself back-and-forth on the subject for several minutes he decided to broach the subject. "Kurt, have you ever been in love?"

"No, not really. A few crushes maybe, but never anything real. Genies have to be very careful about falling in love. When we love it is forever and it tends to consume us. We lose many of our powers. And if anything should happen to that love, well, let's just say it doesn't end well."

"What do you mean 'doesn't end well'?"

"We die. We just kind of fade away. It is very sad actually. I have seen it happen a few times and it definitely makes me think twice about ever allowing myself to get to that place."

The solemn moment passed when the waitress arrived with their bill. As Blaine reached forward to drop his credit card on the tray, his hand brushed Kurt's and it took all of his strength not to linger. There was something both innocent and sensual about holding hands and the softness of Kurt's skin would only make the experience more thrilling. Better not to even start down that road. The men left the restaurant and walked in companionable silence across the street back to their hotel. As they got off of the elevator on the tenth floor, Blaine couldn't help but ask one last question. "But if you were going to. Fall in love, I mean. Who do you...which...do you have a type?"

"Hm...I was always partial to Gene Kelly, but today I saw this picture of a guy named Taylor Lautner…" Kurt trailed off with a contented humming sound. He opened his room door with his card key and turned with a smile to say goodnight. As the door closed, Blaine's face broke into a wide smile and he glided happily down the hallway to his own room.

At breakfast the next morning Kurt appeared wearing skintight black jeans and a simple black cardigan buttoned up over a white t-shirt. Blaine was about to comment on the ensemble's conservative nature compared to the previous day's look when Kurt turned around to show that the back of the sweater was knitted in a loose, open pattern that left inch-wide spaces through which Blaine could see that the white shirt had been slashed to ribbons. The peek-abo sight of so much pale skin, even slightly obscured by the knitwear, left him frozen in his tracks.

Kurt's smirked when he saw Blaine's stunned expression. "I have over 60 years of fashion to catch up on. Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

The two men quickly their meals, though Blaine would have been hard pressed to recount exactly what it was that he ate as he was so preoccupied by thoughts of Kurt's hide-and-seek clothing. They returned to their rooms to prepare for check-out then met again in the hallway. Unlike the previous day, Kurt now toted a large suitcase and a smaller carry-on size bag.

"It would look off if I arrived with no luggage, wouldn't it?" he volunteered at Blaine's questioning look. Blaine was impressed at Kurt's proactive thinking, but then remembered that he had probably experienced many situations over the years where he would have had to fool people into believing he was something other than what he was. They made quick work of checking out and getting back on the road, anxious to get to the Anderson home now that they were so close to their destination.

When the signs for Chicago indicated that they had only 10 miles left to go, Blaine realized he hadn't yet told Kurt what to expect once they arrived.

"Did Peter tell you much about my family?" Kurt shook his head at the question, so Blaine prepared to give him the slightly abridged version of the Anderson family history. "My great-great-great-grandfather, Henry Anderson, founded Anderson Steel back in 1865 after the Civil War. He became enormously wealthy — no income tax back then, you know — and married the oldest daughter of the spectacularly wealthy Van Allen family of New York and the Anderson family dynasty was born. The family was pretty good at producing sons, so an Anderson has run the company ever since, though now it's called Anderson World Wide.

My father became CEO when I was 10 years old and it was always assumed I'd follow in his footsteps, but once I discovered music I knew that wasn't where I wanted to be. It's funny, it was harder to tell my father that I didn't want to join the family business than it was to tell him that I was gay. It was harder on him too. We had a rough patch while Peter and I worked on convincing him that I wasn't throwing my life away to become an itinerant musician. He accepted it eventually though and luckily his brother's son Evan was more than happy to step into role of heir-apparent. I moved to New York and really threw myself into the music scene — open mic nights, coffee house gigs, private parties. You name it, and I performed at it. It took a while, but I started to get noticed. I had just signed a record deal last year when Evan and my father were killed."

He paused for a minute, needing a moment to gather his thoughts. "Mom was devastated, of course, but she was soldiering on. Then the funeral happened. In the middle of the ceremony dad's secretary burst in and threw herself on the casket, sobbing. Turns out my father was having an affair with her. You wouldn't believe it if you had seen it, Kurt. It played out like a soap opera. The other woman crying hysterically and screaming about their 'eternal love' and my mother frozen in her seat, too shocked to even get up and leave while her so-called friends were already spreading the gossip and enjoying every minute of it."

Blaine was driving with one arm sitting on the arm rest, so Kurt reached over and covered that hand with one of his, giving it a squeeze of support. Blaine sent him a grateful look before continuing. "Mom hasn't really been the same since that day. I guess 'brittle' would be a good word to describe her. She begged me to come home and take dad's place at the company. I guess recent generations haven't been very prolific, so I am the only Anderson left now and over 140 years of tradition are depending on me. So, I got out of my record deal, took a job at the company and moved back to Chicago. I'm too inexperienced to take over now, but I need to start working on the current board of directors to gather their support. They will need to vote me in, when the time comes."

They were now very near their destination and so Blaine got into the details Kurt would need to know. "Mom should be home when we get there. She's on the board of several charities and stays very busy, but Tuesday's are her day off. Rachel will probably also be there. Rachel is my cousin and has lived with us for about 13 years now, since she was 5 and I was 14. Her mother is my mom's sister and when my aunt and uncle divorced they discovered that neither one of them really had any interest in being a parent. My mom stepped in immediately and demanded that they send Rachel to live with us. She is the pain-in-the-ass sister I always deserved. Very bright, very talented and…challenging. Yes, I like that word. Rachel is challenging. I have no idea how she will react to you. I can imagine everything from becoming your new best friend to discreetly looking into a hit man who can take of our new little 'family problem'." Blaine gave Kurt a big wink at the last sentence to show he was kidding…he hoped.

Blaine turned the car up a long driveway, stopping only when he reached a large solid metal and wood gate. As he reached into the glove compartment for the electronic gate opener a thought suddenly stuck him. "Kurt, do you have a last name? It will make it very difficult to introduce you to my mother without one. It will be the first thing she asks about – she will want to try and figure out if she knows your 'people'."

"No, I don't have one, but you can…you can use 'Hummel'."

"Hummel? How did you come up with that?"

"It's the name of my last connection before Peter. I think it is fitting to use it. I think it would make him very happy. He always treated me like a son." It wasn't the first time that Blaine had seen the sad little smile on Kurt's face. It was amazing how well he was getting to know Kurt's expressions, despite the short amount of time they had known each other. He hoped that one day Kurt would be comfortable enough to tell him the story of his connection with Mr. Hummel.

The gate finally opened and Blaine edged the car up the circular driveway, parking in between the large stone fountain and the front door. Kurt exited the car and leaned back against the door, running his eyes over the exterior of the house. It was huge and seemed much like some of the chateaus he had seen in the Loire Valley in France. It was constructed of cream stone and marble, with a gray slate roof that featured several fairytale-like turrets. Intricate wrought iron railings covered the bottom halves of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor and a covered walkway off of one end led to a multi-car garage with what looked to be an apartment overhead. Caught up in his study of the house, Kurt barely noticed when Blaine joined him, along with their luggage. "This is where you live?"

"Yes, is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that this is the kind of house that people ask to get with one of their wishes. No, wait, I take that back. No one has ever asked for this much before."

"Come on, it's not that big."

Kurt pinned Blaine down with what could only be described as a 'bitch please' look. "And pray tell me, what is the square footage?"

The sheepish look on Blaine's face said it all. "Um…around 30,000 I think."

"I rest my case."

With a laugh Blaine picked up the luggage from the sidewalk and headed to the door, which seemed to magically open as he neared. As Kurt passed through he realized it hadn't been magic that had opened the door, but rather a neatly dressed woman in her 40s. "Mr. Anderson, welcome home," she smiled, obviously happy to see Blaine.

"Thanks Kathleen. Kathleen this is my friend Kurt, who will be staying with us. Kurt, this is my mother's assistant, Kathleen."

As Helen and Kurt made their polite 'hellos', Kurt couldn't help but be distracted by the amazing space he had just entered. The foyer was enormous, a two-story rotunda with white and cream pattered marble floors that led up to a dramatic white marble double staircase. The meticulously landscaped backyard and swimming pool could be seen between the two staircases on the main floor, which continued up to a landing before combining to reach the second floor. The entire room was covered with a dome painted in cream and gold, from which hung a spectacular chandelier that Kurt knew could only be Tiffany. He suddenly felt like Dorothy waking up in the bright Technicolor world of Oz after the black and white of Kansas. This was going to be interesting.

While Kurt gaped at the spectacle in front of him, Blaine sat the luggage down and moved off to the left, through the formal living room into the library. At this time of day his mother would most likely be found finishing up some paperwork at her desk there. She looked up as he entered and a pleased smile lit up her face.

"Blaine, we didn't expect you back so soon. What a pleasant surprise."

Blaine crossed to the desk and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Closing up the house went faster than I thought it would, so there was no reason to stay any longer."

His mother was about to say something else when she noticed Kurt hesitating in the doorway. "Blaine, have you brought a guest? Introduce us, please."

"Mother, this is Kurt Hummel, a friend of Peter's who I have invited to come stay with us for a while. Kurt, this is my mother, Helen Anderson."

Kurt moved forward to shake Helen's hand and the two smiled and made their polite greetings to each other, though it was obvious that Kurt felt ill-at-ease. Helen motioned toward the living room and the two men followed her into the room, which was decorated in cream and pink silk wallpaper and delicate French provincial furniture. She gracefully sank onto an embroidered loveseat and Blaine and Kurt each took a seat on a facing side chair. There was an awkward pause as the three of them looked at each other, no one quite sure of where to start. Helen looked as if she was just about to ask Kurt a question when Kathleen appeared and asked if there was anything else the men needed from the car before the chauffer moved it into the garage.

"Yes!" Kurt stood up quickly and took a few steps toward Kathleen before turning back to Blaine and Helen. "I have a few…personal items still in the car. If you will excuse me, I'll just go get them and be right back."

Blaine was puzzled for a moment, before remembering that Kurt's samovar still rested in the trunk of the car and it was definitely not something that he wanted other people handling. He turned back to his mother to find her staring after Kurt. He could see the moment that she took note of what Kurt was wearing. Her eyes ran over the cut-outs in his sweater and shirt and widened slightly at the flashes of pale skin. She was too well mannered to make a comment out loud, but Blaine could feel the temperature drop, as she began to wonder what kind of man her son had brought into the house. She ignored the topic of their unexpected house guest for the moment and instead asked him about his trip to the lake and the closing up of the house. Blaine answered while keeping half of his attention on the doorway, wondering how long he should wait before going to check on Kurt.

Kurt hurried back to the living room about five minutes later, looking much more comfortable now that he knew his samovar was in a safe place. He found Blaine and Helen where he had left them, talking about the road conditions on the drive from the lake. They both looked up as he slipped back into his chair.

"Kathleen had already a bedroom picked out for me, so I carried my luggage up. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not, dear," Helen replied. "Now, tell me a little about…"

Helen's question was interrupted when the living room doors were thrust open dramatically and in rushed a petite woman with long dark hair. The tiny pixy threw herself at Blaine, hugging him tight around the neck and speaking a mile-a-minute, her body practically bristling with indignation.

"Blaine! I am so glad you're back. You won't believe what is happening with my food bank charity committee. I know exactly what we should do for a fundraiser this year — you know I always have the best ideas. I have a real talent for fundraising — but the others are completely ignoring my superior plans. They won't even listen to me. I was just beginning to give my presentation — you will be happy to know I took your advice and had pared it down to just 30 minutes — when a motion was made that we should vote right away on the ideas already submitted. At least 10 people seconded the motion and they —."

"Woah, woah! Rachel, please slow down. I can hardly understand you when you talk so fast. I want to hear about your fundraising committee, I really do, but I want to introduce you to our houseguest first." Introductions were made once again and Blaine was pleased to see that Rachel seemed to be on her best behavior. He loved her dearly, but was well aware that she was not the most diplomatic or self-aware person and her tendency to say whatever came to her mind had often landed her in awkward situations, no matter how hard Helen tried to control her. He was just about to begin to spin the tale that he and Kurt had concocted to explain his presence when he saw that someone else had followed Rachel into the room. The gorgeous blond woman with a sleek shoulder length bob handed her coat to Kathleen, smoothed her hands down the front of her dress to remove any wrinkles that had dared appear during the car ride and walked gracefully towards the group already gathered there.

Blaine was a little surprised to see the new arrival, but recovered quickly. "Quinn, I didn't know you were going to be here."

"I came to have lunch with Helen and Rachel. We weren't sure when you were coming back, since you didn't bother to call any of us, so we decided we would keep each other company."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. I have someone I'd like to introduce you to. Kurt, this is Quinn Fabray. She is —"

"I'm his fiancé."