Friday Evening

"Diane, it's six o'clock and I don't smell dinner cooking. You know very well that I expect dinner to be on the table when I..."

Finn watched with narrowed eyes as a tall, broad-shouldered man made his way into the dining room. The other man mirrored his suspicious look and eyed his wife distastefully. She was sitting in a chair in the corner, trembling as she bit at her nails. Her eyes were puffy and she looked uncharacteristically disheveled.

"Hello, Mr. Meyers." Finn was barely able to keep the disgust from his voice.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my home?" The other man asked in a scathing voice, somehow managing to look down on Finn, though he was probably an inch or two shorter.

"I guess it's been a while." Finn said calmly. "I would have thought you'd remember me. My name is Finn Hudson. I'm a social worker back in Lima. Your daughter Brandi was under my care when she was younger... and she is again now."

James looked him over, realization dawning in his eyes, then snorted a little laugh.

"If she's under your care, then what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be there, doing your job, instead of interrupting our home during the dinner hour?"

Finn stared back at Brandi's father, hardly able to believe that this man was for real.

"I am doing my job," Finn responded through gritted teeth, "by coming here to figure out what the hell happened between you. YOUR daughter, YOUR child, was found on the streets! She could have died of hypothermia. She was skin and bones. Her clothing was falling apart." He stepped forward then, his rage practically seeping from him as he took a ragged breath.

"Are you completely forgetting what happened five years ago? I brought that little girl, YOUR DAUGHTER, to your home! She had almost been beaten to death by your ex-wife! She hadn't eaten in a week! I brought that eight-year-old little girl to you, to her father, so that she could be taken care of by somebody who loved her!"

Finn was advancing again, hardly even aware that he was doing so. James attempted to not shrink away, but didn't succeed.

"The last time I saw the two of you, things were going great," Finn's voice almost broke then. "What happened?"

James looked back at him steadily before glancing at his wife.

"She grew up. That's what happened," he spoke in a flat voice. "She became a teenager and decided that she didn't like the way I ran my house, so she ran away."

"Why didn't you report that she was missing to the police?" Finn asked in a voice that said he clearly wasn't buying it. "Seems to me if my child ran away I'd, you know, try to find them instead of skipping town."

The other man's eyes narrowed.

"It was a private family issue. There was no need to involve the police. She was being a typical and angry teenage girl and ran away. I knew she'd return home when she was done being stubborn. There was no reason for you to get involved."

"There was EVERY reason for me to get involved!" Finn shouted. He stared at this man in utter disbelief. He knew very well that he was lying. Not only because Brandi's step-mom had already told him what happened, but because it was obvious from his tone that he was making it up as he went along.

Finn glanced at the woman cowering in the corner. He couldn't betray her by saying that she had told him the truth. After confessing what had really happened, that they had knowingly abandoned Brandi in Lima, she had begged him not to reveal her. James had come home before he had had a chance to find out exactly why she was so terrified of him. He took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking again.

"Your daughter could have died. If you had reported that she was missing to the police, or even responded to us when we tried to let you know that she had been found, I would have given you the benefit of the doubt. You didn't though, so I won't. You don't deserve it."

Finn's tone was cold as he stared Brandi's father down. James tried to stare him down in return, showing that he wasn't intimidated, but the shaking of his hand gave him away.

"Look, if you're going to threaten to take her away from me, just go ahead and do it. Let's not go through the whole charade of me pretending like I actually care and will fight you. I don't want her. Let's just make a clean break of this. She's in your care. Find someone to take her in, if you can, and we'll be done with it."

"Oh, I'm more than happy to put her in someone else's care, especially if I know you aren't going to fight me on it, but you're forgetting one little detail. You abandoned your daughter on the streets. That's not just something I can forget."

"What exactly did Brandi tell you?" James asked with a knowing look.

Finn was silent and James smirked.

"So, she is telling you nothing," he said with a satisfied smile. He turned a leveling look at his wife, even though he was still speaking to Finn. "Unless SOMEONE told you differently, you have only my word, and I'm telling you that she ran away."

Finn flexed his bandaged fingers into a fist, not able to help himself picturing this guy with a broken nose.

"You know as well as I that the state is overwhelmed with TRUE cases of abuse. You can report me, and you probably will, knowing you and your overly developed sense of justice. At the very most though, I'll get a slap on the wrist, because I've DONE. NOTHING. WRONG."

Finn nodded his head slowly, not in agreement, but in realization of the fact that for the moment, this man was right. If Brandi remained unwilling to reveal the truth, and if Diane remained as scared as she was of her husband, Finn didn't really have a leg to stand on.

"Well, we'll see about that I guess," Finn whispered harshly. "I'll be taking the steps to remove her from your custody then. At least we can agree on that one thing."

James smirked again. "You'll get no argument from me. Now, I'd like for you to leave my home. I don't think we have anything further to say to each other tonight."

Finn could feel himself shaking in anger by this point, and figured it was probably a good thing that he was leaving. He didn't think he'd be able to control himself much longer. He grabbed his coat and headed for the door, but stopped to shoot Diane one last look. He couldn't lose the feeling that leaving this woman here was a bad idea, but he couldn't force her to leave. She was giving no indication that she was looking for an escape. Indeed, she pointedly looked away when he glanced in her direction, cheeks flushing.

The social worker sighed heavily and stalked toward the door. She had his card, he had slipped it to her before James came home. There wasn't anything more that he could at this point. He stepped out the front door and turned back just in time to have it slam in his face.

As he stalked toward his car, intent on starting the process of taking Brandi away from the clutches of this man as soon as possible, he satisfied himself with imagining what it would feel like to punch him in the face... over and over.

Saturday Morning

Kurt blinked sleepily before glancing over to the other side of the bed. He sighed contentedly when he saw his husband's tousled curls resting on the pillow next to him, and immediately scooted himself into the middle of the bed so that he could pull the nurse into his arms. He let out another deep sigh as Blaine immediately flipped himself over and snuggled face-first down into his chest, wrapping arms and legs around him like a koala bear. Kurt laughed to himself as his sleep-heavy eyes fell shut once again.

This. This was what he had been missing. Between their altered schedule, and the fact that Tia seemed to end up in bed with them every other night, they had been missing their morning cuddles. Kurt didn't realize how much he had missed them until he had gone without. Apparently his husband felt the same.

Blaine let out a soft little snore as he rubbed his nose down into Kurt's chest, and clung to him even more tightly. Kurt gasped and gently squeezed Blaine's side.

"Babe? Ease up just a bit. I kinda need to breathe."

"Mmmm, whazzat?" Blaine mumbled against his chest, not loosening his hold even the tiniest bit.

"Blaine. Honey, I've gotta breathe," Kurt grunted in an amused voice. Blaine peeked out of one eye then and looked up in confusion. His cheeks were flushed from sleep and his curls resembled a mini-fro, sticking up every which way. Even in his pinned down position, Kurt couldn't help but melt a bit at how absolutely adorable his husband was.

"Oh, sorry sweetie," Blaine murmured, finally waking just enough to realize that he was suffocating his husband with his hold yet again. This was a regular thing for them. Blaine would cling to Kurt as though his life depended on it while he slept, and Kurt would have to gently wake him up to keep from being smothered.

He was just about the settle himself back down onto Kurt's chest, when the doctor surprised him, flipping him over onto his back and covering him in kisses.

"Mmmm..." Blaine moaned, reaching his fingers up to thread through Kurt's sleep-mussed hair. Kurt groaned at the slight tug before running his tongue lightly over Blaine's collar bone, leaving a damp trail.

"Oooh, god..." Blaine whispered. "Please tell me you intend to keep going."

Kurt pulled back from his husband's neck with a grin, then leaned in to rub their noses together.

"I have every intention of finishing this. I don't know how long the kids will sleep for though, so tell me exactly what you want. I want to get started and make you feel so good."

Blaine shivered a little in anticipation. He loved it when Kurt talked like this. Sometimes it just felt amazing to sit back and be taken care of, and Kurt knew exactly how to take care of him.

"I want you to make love to me," he whispered. "I want you to take me. I want to feel you."

Kurt nodded slowly, his breath catching in his throat as he looked down at Blaine. He quickly rid them both of their pajamas, and pressed himself down on top of his husband, covering him completely.

Blaine sucked in a deep breath as Kurt slotted their legs together and slowly started to rotate his hips, gently grinding down into him. The doctor brushed his lips in smooth, light touches, up and down Blaine's neck and face.

Blaine relaxed completely, soaking up the feeling of being covered and loved. There had never been anyone else in his life who could he could be so vulnerable with, yet feel so comfortable. No matter how long he and Kurt were together, this never ceased to amaze him.

The kisses and light thrusts quickly became intense, and they were both breathing heavily as they grasped at each other, desperate for more.

Kurt sat up quickly to scramble in their dresser drawer and Blaine pulled a pillow underneath his hips, knowing how that little bit of leverage made all difference in the world.

"God, I've missed this," Kurt sighed as he slipped a slicked-up hand out to start prepping his husband. "It's been a while since we've done it this way." Blaine closed his eyes, tipping his head back on the pillow.

"Me too," he breathed, thrusting up a bit onto Kurt's hand. "I'll never get over how much I love having you touch me like this, baby."

Kurt smiled, leaning down to pepper light kisses all over Blaine's chest as he took his time, thrusting his fingers in and out. With each push, he crooked his fingers just a bit, searching for that certain spot. Just as he added a third finger, Blaine broke out in a loud whimper and thrashed his head to the side as his hips jerked forward. Kurt grinned and picked up his tempo, leaning to flick one of Blaine's hardening nipples with his tongue in time with his thrusts.

"Shit, Kurt! Oh shit," Blaine moaned over and over again, repeating himself with every brush against his prostrate. He was practically trembling underneath his husband by then, and driving his hips up and forward.

"Are you ready, baby," Kurt asked in a shaky voice. He was grateful that Blaine seemed to be close already. He was achingly hard and knew that this was probably going to be embarrassingly short for him.

"Hell yes!" Blaine reached up to thread his fingers together around Kurt's neck, pulling him down close so that they were nose-to-nose.

Kurt snatched up the lube once more, smearing a generous amount onto himself quickly before lining himself up and entering Blaine with a satisfied moan.

"Oh, Blaine! Oh yes. You feel so good. Oh my god..."

Blaine let out a deep breath and let go of his hold around the doctor's neck. He grasped both of Kurt's hands in his, raising them above his head on the mattress. Kurt linked their fingers together and gently held Blaine's hands as he pressed his entire body down on top of his husband.

"Are you good, baby," his voice was tight as he fought to restrain himself. It really had been quite a while since they'd had sex like this, and he knew Blaine was bound to be tighter than normal. The last thing he wanted was for him to be sore for the rest of the day. Blaine could send his hesitance and opened his eyes.

"God, yes. Don't hold back. I want this. I need you to just fuck me."

Kurt whimpered at Blaine's words, and it turned into a loud groan as he pulled out almost all the way before jutting forward sharply, bottoming out in one thrust. Blaine let out a small cry, pleasure etched across his face. He hiked one leg up and around Kurt's waist, holding him close as they moved in time together.

Kurt gasped and panted, squeezing the nurse's hands down into the mattress as he picked up his pace. He felt himself tense and clench as jolts of pleasure crashed onto him over and over, building in intensity with every hit of skin-on-skin.

He was lying on top of Blaine completely, and could feel his husband's dick being rubbed between their stomachs every time he lunged forward. Blaine was squirming and writhimg beneath him, meeting Kurt with every move in an effort to get as much friction as possible.

"Kurt," Blaine choked out as his body spasmed uncontrollably. His orgasm hit him, seemingly out of nowhere, and he jerked his hips up to meet Kurt's sharply. The feeling of Blaine's tightening around him, becoming impossibly tight around his dick, was all Kurt needed. Something snapped inside and he was coming hard, just as suddenly as Blaine.

He moaned deep in his chest as he stuttered forward, managing one more tiny thrust before collapsing completely on Blaine's chest. They both panted shaky breaths into each others necks, unable to move as they slowly came down from their high.

"Wow," Kurt mumbled, sleepily pulling his head up from Blaine's shoulder and placing lazy, sloppy kisses down his neck. "I think that was a new record. I don't know if we've ever come that fast together."

"Mmmm, I know," Blaine mumbled. His eyes closed and an incredibly sated look crossed his face. "That's what happens when we go for so long without you fucking me. You make me fall apart within seconds and I don't stand a chance."

Kurt laughed as he pulled out gingerly. Blaine made a little noise of disappointment at the loss but stretched as he sat up, kissing Kurt softly.

"I guess we'll just need to do it more often then, huh?" Kurt murmured against his mouth, pulling Blaine's bottom lip into his mouth and nipping at it lightly.

"How about right now?"

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. Let's just..."

A loud giggle and the pattering of footsteps in the hall stopped them in their tracks. Blaine laughed and sighed as he pushed Kurt back off of him.

"I guess our days for twofers have been numbered, huh?"

"I suppose we should just be grateful that we got in a onefer," Kurt grinned as he jumped up out of bed. Blaine quirked an eyebrow and snorted a laugh.

"Um, onefer, honey? Really?"

"Shut up," Kurt stuck out his tongue before ducking into the bathroom for a shower.

Blaine laughed and rolled his eyes before climbing out of bed himself. He snatched up some clothes and joined Kurt in a quick shower before going out to the kids.

Blaine opened the door to Tia's room, and was surprised to find the crib empty. He moved back down the hall and headed toward the kitchen. The sound of clinking dishes and soft giggles, along with the smell of cooking food peaked his curiosity, and he tip-toed quietly to the edge of the hallway. The vision in front of him put the most incredible smile on his face, and he put a hand up to his mouth as he watched his kids in action.

Addy was methodically placing one piece of toast in the toaster at a time and watching it closely, jumping as it popped up before placing it on a plate in front of Elliott. The other six-year-old was waiting with butter knife in hand to carefully butter up each piece.

Liam was standing next to Elliott on a stool, and Blaine laughed when he saw that he had a tiny pink knife and saucer that came from Addy's tea set. The two-year-old was mimicking the older boy's motions with a piece of untoasted bread.

Tia had been set up in her high chair with a sippy cup and small pile of Cheerios, of which she was happily demolishing.

Cara was bustling around the kitchen, wearing the flowered apron over her swollen abdomen, and looking extremely domestic. She was pulling out the cutlery and pouring juice into small glasses that were lined up on the counter. She smiled reassuringly at Brandi as she joined the younger teen at the stove.

Brandi looked at her tentatively, even a little nervously, as she stirred what looked like a massive panful of scrambled eggs. Cara grabbed up a pair of tongs and started flipping some pieces of bacon that were sizzling in another pan. Cara leaned over to peer into Brandi's pan and took an appreciative sniff.

"Oh my goodness, Brandi! Those look amazing! I don't know how you did that. When I make scrambled eggs they end up as a gooey, inedible mess. Good job! I can't wait to eat those!"

Brandi blushed at the praise and ducked her head. Blaine thought he heard her whisper a tiny thank you and watched as Cara patted her on the back with another bright smile. Not for the first time this week, he was incredibly thankful for the addition of Cara to their lives, for so many reasons. His chest tightened when he considered the fact that she would be leaving them for good in just a couple of months. The thought of not having her around was heavy and unhappy, though he knew that this was ultimately what everyone wanted. He swallowed uncomfortably and pushed away those sad thoughts, aware that there was nothing he could do about that for the time being.

He jumped a little when he felt arms wrap around his waist, and smiled as soap and coconut scented shampoo filled his senses. He felt Kurt's damp hair press up against his cheek as a voice whispered in his ear.

"Why are we hiding out in the hallway?"

Blaine snickered a little and pulled out of Kurt's arms as he placed a kiss on his cheek.

"We're not. Our children were just being extra precious and I couldn't help watching them for a moment."

"Did they cook breakfast?" Kurt asked in surprise, finally observing what was going on in the kitchen. Blaine nodded happily pulling Kurt forward by the hand.

"Come on. Let's go enjoy the very first breakfast that we haven't had to cook ourselves in I don't know how long."

"What do we do if there are shells in the eggs or something," Kurt hissed, but he was smiling, so Blaine knew he wasn't actually that worried.

"Just chew carefully," he winked, before stepping into the kitchen and greeting all of the kids with a cheerful 'good morning'.

"So," Blaine spoke up as he reached out to wipe Tia's messy face with a napkin. "What should we do today? I think this is the first day that we've had in a long time where we haven't had anything planned. It's kind of a nice feeling."

"Wow, you're right," Kurt said in surprise. He reached out help Liam balance a particularly big spoonful of eggs as the toddler brought it up to his mouth. "Well, I was thinking..." he trailed off momentarily when he caught Brandi out of the corner of his eye.

She looked much better this morning, like she had regained some of her life and energy. She had ended up sleeping the entire afternoon and evening through. They had debated waking her to eat some dinner, knowing how badly she needed to gain weight, but when Kurt had gone in to check on her she had been sleeping so soundly. The father in him decided that waking such an exhausted child wouldn't necessarily be in her favor.

Meals at their house tended to be a bit of a free-for-all, with plates and dishes being passed at random, and people helping themselves as they wished, with the exception of the two littlest. Everyone at the table had full plates and were munching away happily, except for Brandi.

She had put a single piece of toast on her plate and was nibbling on a small corner, looking uncomfortable and like she was trying make herself as small as possible in her chair. The only time she showed any interest in what was going on around her was when Tia or Liam expressed the need for any type of help. Blaine and Kurt were taking care of them though. On one hand she seemed comforted and relieved to see her siblings so well taken care of. Outside of her relief though, she just seemed uncomfortable and uncertain.

Kurt wasn't sure if she wasn't eating because she felt unsure as to how comfortable she should make herself, or because she had gotten so used to not eating. Either way, this wasn't going to work. He shook his head, bringing himself back to the moment when he realized that he had been silent for longer than he intended. Blaine was looking at him expectantly, with a questioning look on his face.

"Sorry, spaced out for a minute," he smiled, rolling his eyes at himself. "Elliott, don't you have a science fair project that you need to work on?" He glanced down the table to his son as he stood, grabbing up the serving platter of eggs.

"Yeah," Elliott answered, swallowing a mouthful bacon. "I have to have my idea turned in on Monday."

Kurt walked around the table, scooping a little bit of egg onto everyone's plates as he went. Blaine watched him curiously as he scooped more food onto the nurse's already full plate. Kurt avoided his gaze though, acting like this was perfectly normal, so Blaine said nothing.

"What would you like to do it on?" Kurt asked excitedly. "I've got some great ideas..."

"Actually," Elliott interrupted his father in a gentle voice. "I was hoping daddy could help me with this one," sending a pointed glance down to Blaine.

Kurt paused with the serving spoon in mid-air as he was about to serve up a little more breakfast to Cara.

"But... I always help you with this kind of stuff," he responded, trying his best to not sound hurt, but not really succeeding.

"I know," Elliott said uncertainly. "Daddy Blaine is really good at projects though."

Blaine bit lip and shot his husband a sympathetic look.

"'Sides," Addy piped up, "You're just a doctor, daddy. You don't know stuff about science."

Cara snorted loudly into her eggs, but then looked pointedly away, trying to pretend that it hadn't happened. Blaine buried his face in his hands and shook his head.

"Actually, Adelaide," Blaine spoke up. "You have to be really good at science to be in medicine. Daddy and I both had to take lots of science classes to get our degrees. Daddy even more so than me, and I know for a fact that he carried a 4.0 all the way through medical school."

"What does 4.0 mean?" Addy asked around a mouthful of toast.

"It means daddy is really smart. And don't talk with your mouth full."

Addy swallowed quickly before continuing.

"Okay, but what does cutting frogs apart have to do with making people not sick anymore?" Addy asked, looking genuinely confused. It was Kurt's turn to snort a little laugh before shaking his head.

"There's more to science than cutting up frogs, princess... but El?" He looked over to Elliott who was gazing back guiltily. "It's no problem. Daddy can help you with it. He's good at science too, and you're right. He's really great at projects like this." Kurt walked behind his husband, placing a kiss on the crazed curls as he passed. "Why don't you guys try and figure out what you're going to do and you can work on it later this morning."

The rest of the family dove into a lively debate about the possibilities for Elliott's project, and even Cara joined in with some ideas. Kurt took the opportunity to kneel down by Brandi's side and look up at her with a gentle smile.

"I find it kind of hard to believe that you're not at all hungry, honey."

She glanced at him nervously, and looked off to the side, obviously uncertain. Kurt watched her for a moment, before wordlessly scooping a large spoonful of eggs onto her plate.

"Brandi, you have two jobs right now. Two little rules I want you to follow if you're going to stay with us."

She looked at him with wide, nervous eyes and nodded her head quickly to show that she was listening. She felt her stomach clench, waiting for him to continue. As welcome as they had made her, she felt a bit like she was floundering. She had never once lived in an environment like this, and it was completely foreign to her. She felt almost as if she could say or do anything, and they would still accept her, but that kind of freedom was terrifying for someone who had never truly known it before.

"First of all," Kurt said gently. "You're a kid. Be a kid. Let us take care of you. You get to worry about only yourself for once in your life."

She took a ragged breath and nodded shakily. That kind of thing was easier said than done. She really had no idea how to be a normal kid. She eyed Elly and Addy before glancing over at Cara. She figured if she observed them enough, and then acted somewhere in between she would be alright. Kurt sensed her extreme uncertainty and smiled as he patted her leg.

"Brandi, I'm not trying to put any pressure on you. You don't have to be anyone other than who you are. I just don't want you to worry about anything is all."

She nodded again, this time carefully returning his smile. She would try. She would do anything for these two men who had rescued her. Kurt returned her nod and patted her knee once more.

"Second and final rule, though as a dad I do reserve the right to make up more rules down the road if need be." He gave her a little sideways glance and she broke into a wide grin at that. He grew serious again though, and looked straight into her eyes. "Take care of yourself. Get better. That includes getting lots of rest, which you got a good start on last night... good job (he winked)... and then there's eating. I know that this is all new and probably pretty jarring for you. I also know that when I'm unsettled, I sometimes lose my appetite. I don't want to force you... but honey, as much as you can handle, you really need to eat." He looked at her plate of food pointedly and handed her a fork. She took the utensil from him and swallowed away her nerves.

"I'll try really hard to not disappoint you," she said softly, gently scooping up some food with her fork. She paused though when she saw him crouch back down at her side and felt his hand on hers. She looked up, straight into the confident blue eyes.

"I want to make one thing very clear, Brandi. You will never, not ever, disappoint me. Same with Blaine. You couldn't possibly."

Her eyes widened and he took her thin hand between both of his.

"We care about what happens to you and we want to see you as happy and healthy as possible. That's all we want. You don't ever have to worry about whether you've made Blaine or I happy. That's not your job. Our job is to take care of you, and to care about you, which we do. Your job, is to let us... and to just be you."

Brandi stared back at this man with butterflies going like crazy in her stomach. For the first time in her life, she felt the genuine desire to call someone 'father'.

She wouldn't. It was way too soon, and way too presumptuous. She wanted to though, and for her, that was huge. She felt a warmth swirl around in her chest, and then, for the first time in longer than she could remember... she was really hungry.

She picked up her fork once again and took a tentative bite, smiling shyly at Kurt as she did so. He grinned back and leaned in to press a light kiss on her hair as he stood and moved away.

Blaine had grabbed a piece of paper and was jotting down all of the ideas they were coming up with for Elliott's science project, but was watching the interactions between Kurt and Brandi out of the corner of his eye. When he watched Brandi take the first real bite of food with a smile, his turned back to the rest of the kids. His heart was aching, but in the best way possible. He really didn't think he could love that man any more if he tried.

"K, guys. It's almost lunchtime. Who's hungry?"

"Me, daddy! Me! Me!"

Kurt laughed and whipped Addy up into the air, settling her on his shoulders.

"Why does that not surprise me, princess?"

"Can we get pretzels? 'N can we get Orange Julius to go with them?" She leaned down, long black curls hanging in his face as she peered at him with sparkling hazel eyes. Kurt felt his heart lurch just a tiny bit, seeing in this moment how much she looked like Blaine, and what a little beauty she was turning into. He tipped his head up to give her a little kiss and rub their noses together, causing her to giggle and squirm on his shoulders.

"I don't mind, baby, but you need to ask the other girls if that sounds good to them." He turned back behind him to glance at the other three girls.

They had decided shortly after breakfast, that Kurt would spend the rest of the morning with the four girls and take them to the mall. All four were in need of new clothing, and that type of thing was exactly what Kurt loved. They had bought Tia several things before they took her in, but they were going to need a lot more now that they knew she was going to be with them long term. Liam also needed a few things, but Kurt could just pick that up along with Tia's. Addy had gone through a growth spurt recently, and most of her pants were too short, plus she needed a winter coat. Cara had consented to Kurt buying her a few maternity items, of which he was super excited about, and Brandi really needed everything.

Cara was pushing the stroller which contained Tia and was completely laden with bags from 'A Pea In The Pod', 'Express', 'Buckle', 'Justice' and 'Gymboree'. There were also a couple of bags from 'Victoria's Secret', which Brandi was trying to discreetly hide behind her back. Kurt was being a good sport and pretending not to notice. When it had come to that store, Kurt had floundered for a moment. He had no qualms about shopping in a place like that, but to a teenage girl, a dad was a dad. It didn't matter if he was gay or not, so Kurt had slipped the older two his credit card and taken Addy and Tia to shop for the littlest ones.

Besides, by then Brandi looked like she was being quickly sapped of energy, and he figured if they split up he would be able to get her home and resting sooner.

Now he was thinking that getting her to sit down and consume something might be the best idea. There were still things they needed for her, but he figured they had done enough for one day.

"I'm up for pretzels and smoothies!" Cara piped up with a grin. She turned to Brandi. "How about you?"

Brandi glanced at them nervously, "I-I just don't have any money, and you've already spent so much on me. I can't ask..."

Addy interrupted her with a giggle.

"Brandi, you're so silly. That's what Daddy's for! He ALWAYS buys us a pretzel when we go shopping. He's the best daddy ever!" She finished her sentence by wrapping her arms around Kurt's face and hugging him tight.

"Daddy needs to see where he's going if he's going to buy you anything else, love." Kurt reached his arms up to hug her before setting her back down on her feet. She skipped along beside him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight.

"Um, daddy?"

"What is it, baby?" Kurt looked down at his daughter in concern. She suddenly sounded serious and a little sad, which was fairly out of character for her. Adelaide was a happy-go-lucky child a majority of the time. She spent her days skipping, bouncing and laughing, causing everyone in her path to smile lightheartedly along with her.

She was also incredibly sensitive though. When something sad struck her the right way, it was very disturbing and upsetting for her. It was always heartbreaking for him to see his vibrant little girl turn melancholy.

"Are you mad at me that I said you didn't know about science stuff earlier?"

Kurt held her to his side and smiled then.

"Not in the slightest, princess."

"'Cuz I know you're smart. You're like the smartest daddy ever. You're way smarter than all my friend's daddies," she said earnestly. "Sometimes I say things and they come out all funny. Elly says I just need to think more before I talk. I try to, really, but I can't help it. Sometimes I feel like if I don't say words I'll just explode. I don't have time to be all quiet and thinkful like Elly."

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the word 'thinkful'.

"Well, thank you. That means a lot to me... and Addy? I don't want you to be Elliott. I want you to be you. Yes, there is something to be said for thinking before you speak, and as you get older you'll figure that out. For right now though, try your best to be loving to your friends and family while being exactly who you are. That's all I ever ask of you."

The little girl grinned and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

"Okay, daddy. I love you lots."

"I love you lots too," he smiled, leaning down to hug her close.

Addy squeezed him back, before skipping back to Cara to "help" push the stroller. Kurt laughed at her ever-changing personality, and took the chance to scoot back next to Brandi. He offered her his elbow and after only a tiny hesitation she took it with a smile. He was immediately concerned when he felt most of her weight sag against him.

"Do you need to sit down right now, honey? Because we can. Whatever you need."

She smiled up at him, sure that this man's thoughtfulness would never cease to amaze her.

"I'm good, I think. It will feel good to sit down soon though... and I'm a little hungry," she finished shyly.

"Then, sweetheart. I will feed you to your heart's content."

She blushed and tipped her head down a little, but couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across her face. She didn't think she had ever been happier in her life. She was starting to think that at any moment she was going to wake up and find out that this was all a dream... but oh, what a dream.

Saturday Afternoon

A grin spread across Kurt's face when he walked through the door an hour later, arms laden with shopping bags, to hear Blaine singing along with his guitar. He absolutely loved it when Blaine sang. There was something so beautiful and natural about it. He rarely did it though, for whatever reason. Kurt would ask and ask for his husband to sing to him sometimes, only to be denied with an embarrassed shrug and a blush. Kurt always wondered deep down if his hesitation to perform had something to do with Alex somehow, but it seemed like a poor reason to bring up such a sore topic, so he always let it go.

Addy rushed inside with her own handful of bags to dive on her father's lap, excitedly showing him her new clothing. Brandi and Cara followed behind Kurt, helping Tia walk along between them with shaky steps. Kurt relieved the girls of all the bags and set them in a huge pile on the living room floor.

Blaine listened to Addy's narration of their trip with a smile and complimented her on her fabulous taste with every new outfit she showed him. He looked over at the enormous pile of shopping bags in amusement. He normally would have made a joke about Kurt buying out the entire mall, but didn't want to do anything to unintentionally make Brandi feel like she was a burden, which he knew she would be prone to do. He just grinned at the rest of them while still strumming at the strings.

"You guys have fun? Get everything you need?"

"Mostly," Kurt said, peeling off his coat and coming over to give his husband a kiss. "Liam needs a few more things, but I'll probably need him with me to match sizes. Also, Brandi needs a few more basic items, but we can do that another day."

Blaine glanced over to see the young teen sink gratefully onto the couch and fight to keep her eyes open. He smiled and set his guitar aside, going over to gently push her into a lying position. He slipped a pillow under her head and tucked a throw blanket over her. She blinked at him sleepily as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, whispering for her to go to sleep and stay there for as long as she liked.

She was sound asleep in about thirty seconds.

Kurt watched his husband tuck their newest charge in with a smile, before glancing over at Cara. She was looking incredibly worn out herself as she sank down onto their love seat with a sigh. The doctor felt a pang of worry and quickly stepped over, sitting down on the edge of the sofa.

"Are you alright? Was today too much for you? How are those braxton hicks contractions? Oh gosh, we pushed you too much. You seem so comfortable and confident all the time and I forget that you should be taking it easy. What do you need?"

Cara looked at him with eyes continually growing in amusement.

"Dr. Hum-Kurt? I'm perfectly fine. I seem comfortable most of the time because I genuinely am. Since you picked up that special pillow for me the other day I've been sleeping like a log, and I really do have tons of energy. Today was just big, but in a great way."

Kurt visibly relaxed and sank into the couch next to her with a smile.

"Thank you, again, for buying all of those clothes. You really spoiled me. I can't believe I let you get ALL of it!"

"You're quite welcome," he said with a happy sigh. "It was my pleasure. Like I said before, this kind of thing is so much fun for me, so you really did me a favor by letting me go nuts."

She nodded with a smile before squirming uncomfortably and kicking off her shoes.

"I think my ankles may be starting to swell," she said regretfully, attempting to reach down and massage her ankle. She couldn't quite reach though with her belly in the way. Kurt eyed her cautiously.

"I'm not trying to be creepy or weird, but can I help? If you prop your legs up here I can rub your ankles for you. Having them elevated will do a lot of good, and then the massage just feels great. I did it for my sister-in-law all the time when she was pregnant with her first baby."

Cara looked at him like Christmas had come early and eagerly plopped her feet onto his lap. He laughed and began gently massaging her ankles over top of her jeans. She let out a huge sigh of contentment and let her head fall back onto the arm rest.

"How'd the science project go?" Kurt asked his husband, who had picked up his guitar once again and sat down on the coffee table on front of Kurt and Cara. He glanced at Cara questioningly, who laughed with an "Of course!", before placing both hands on her stomach. He glanced over his shoulder at their son, who was building a block tower for Tia in the corner, and turned back with a smile playing at his lips.

"Um, he decided that he wants to do it on waterproof mascara."

"Waterproof mascara?" Kurt looked at him in disbelief.

"Yup," Blaine replied, still reigning in his smile and moving his hands slightly to try and feel the baby move. "He saw a commercial after you left advertising it, and asked me if it really works. I told him I didn't have any idea, seeing as I've never worn makeup. He told me he didn't think that it did, because every time Aunt Rachel cries, she has black marks on her face."

Kurt shook with laughter.

"Sooo..." he encouraged Blaine to continue.

"So, we went to the drug store and bought a bunch of different types and made a chart of how we are going to test them and find out which ones really work."

Kurt looked at Blaine with a smirk, and they proceeded to have one of those conversations where neither had to say a word out loud. They didn't really want to talk about something sensitive in front of Cara. They knew each other so well, that facial expressions and body language were usually enough for them to know the gist of what the other was thinking.

Kurt raised an eyebrow at his husband and looked at him skeptically.

So, our son, who is being teased at school for having two gay dads, is doing his science fair project on make-up?

Blaine raised both eyebrows and shook his head a tiny bit while lifting his shoulders.

It was his idea! Would you have wanted me to stop him?

Kurt cocked his head to the side and smiled lovingly while shaking his head slowly.

Of course not. You did exactly what I would have done.

He shrugged then, looking a little uncertain as he gestured to himself.

I just can't stand the thought of him bringing on any more teasing. God knows I know what that's like.

Blaine reached out to rub Kurt's knee and gazed into his eyes.

Yes, and look how amazing you turned out.

Kurt smiled then and leaned over Cara's legs to kiss Blaine softly.

"I love you," he whispered.

To which Blaine whispered back, "I know."

Kurt looked over at Elliott then. Quiet, confident and loving Elliott, who was patiently attempting to teach Tia how to stack some blocks.

"God, I love that kid," he whispered next. Blaine grinned.

"I know that too, and so does Elliott."

The six-year-old chose that moment to look up and grin widely at both of his fathers. Blue eyes shining on either side of a lightly freckled nose. Kurt held out an arm, and Elly dashed from the floor to scramble up against Kurt's side. Tia crawled after quickly and Kurt pulled her up onto the couch next to him, settling the little girl on Elliott's lap as he squeezed his son against him.

Addy, who had been happily laying out her new outfits and contemplating what she would wear to school on Monday, saw that her family was gathering in one spot and quickly hopped over to join them. She kneeled down between Blaine and Cara, joining her dad in trying to feel the baby move. Liam followed, climbing down from where he had been snuggling with his older sister. He pressed up against Blaine, looping his small fingers into the nurse's pocket and sighing in contentment.

"How come the baby isn't moving?" Addy asked, the disappointment obvious in her voice.

"I guess it's just sleeping now, princess," Blaine responded, nuzzling a kiss down into his daughter's curls.

"But Cara has to go home soon," Addy said softly, with a little pout. "I wanted to feel our new sister move once more before then."

"Uh-uh!" Elliott piped up in uncharacteristic defiance. "It's gotta be a boy. We already have more girls than boys."

"Not if you count daddies!" Addy argued.

"Daddies don't count," Elliott argued back. "They're grown-ups. Only kids count!"

"Sometimes daddy is like a kid!" Addy patted Blaine on the knee. He snapped his head up so fast his curls bounced, and shot his daughter an offended look. She didn't notice. "Like when he plays games with us, or is super silly and dances in the kitchen..."

"Oookaaay," Kurt interrupted. "Let's just decided that we're going to love this baby no matter what. Deal?"

Addy and Elly both had the grace to look a little chagrined, and nodded to their father agreeably. Kurt glanced at Blaine then, noticing that he still had his guitar in hand, and quickly spoke up.

"I've got an idea. Maybe Daddy will play for the baby, and sing. That might get it to wake up and move for us." He glanced down at Cara first, to see if she had any objections. She nodded eagerly though and looked to Blaine expectantly. Addy and Elliott both jumped and cheered for him to sing too. Liam got an excited look and tugged on Blaine's pocket eagerly, even though he didn't quite understand what was going on. Blaine just looked at Kurt with a grin and shook his head.

"Only if Daddy will sing with me."

"Whatever you want, baby," Kurt grinned.

Blaine looked down for a moment, strumming a few random chords while the rest of the family looked on expectantly. He looked up intently at Kurt when he seemed to make up his mind, and started the song. He smiled at his husband softly, waiting for him to realize what he was playing. They had only heard the song together once actually, but it had hit a pretty significant chord with them.

A slow smile spread across Kurt's face and he blinked a couple of times, willing himself to not get all teary. This really was the most perfect song for their family, and the most perfect song for them to sing to the new baby. Blaine looked down at Cara's baby bump then, and started softly.

When one became two, well the two of us knew

That whatever will be's gonna be

And what was to be was that two became three

It's beginning to look like a family

Blaine looked at Kurt then and nodded. Kurt smiled and started to sing next.

I still remember that day in September

When I heard that three would be four

It gave me the spins when I heard it was twins

We were jumping for joy, for a new girl and boy

(he tapped Tia and Liam each on the nose as he sang this line)

And so what was to be

Was much bigger than three

It's beginning to look like a family

They looked straight into each others eyes then, and sang together. Cara watched, feeling happy tears sting the corners of her eyes, thinking she couldn't possibly have gotten any luckier.

If we burst at the seams

We'll put beds in the beams and the rafters

It'll fit like a glove

Little house full of love and laughter

Blaine was about to go on, still smiling at Kurt, when Addy interrupted his playing with a little screech.

"The baby's moving! She's moving!"

"Yeah!" Elliott yelped excitedly. "He's moving!"

Both six-year-olds grasped onto Cara's abdomen with two hands, giggling at every little bump and ripple. Blaine slung his guitar around to his back and snatched Liam to his lap, helping the little boy feel too. Kurt reached in a hand next to Elliott, holding Tia into place with an arm around both kids.

Cara realized that she probably would have felt smothered, had it been anybody else.

It wasn't anybody else though.

It was the most loving, accepting and amazing family in the entire world. A family who was going to adopt her baby. A family whom she loved dearly even after one week. A family who would absolutely rip her heart out when it was time to break off contact. A tiny tear trickled down her cheek, and she was thankful that no one noticed. It was a tear that held just the tiniest bit of sadness, knowing how much it would kill her to say goodbye, but it was also a tear of joy. A much bigger portion of joy. She couldn't have found a better couple. She couldn't have been more thankful.

Addy and Elly were quietly and good-naturedly arguing back and forth again about whether it was a girl or a boy, until Blaine shushed them and told them to just enjoy the moment.

Kurt jumped slightly when the baby sent a solid kick, right to where his hand was. He grinned brightly, and Cara heard him whisper softly.

"Baby, I don't care who or what you are. I just can't wait to meet you. Daddy and I are going to love you so much, you won't hardly be able to stand it."

Yup, Cara thought again, this time letting the tears flow freely. I really couldn't have found anyone better.