They came home late Saturday morning with Addy and Tia, the latter of whom was now happily medicated. Elliott barely seemed to notice that they had been gone, he was so engrossed in painting pictures with his grandma. Liam, though, seemed to sag with relief when they walked through the door. Burt was building a train track with the toddler in the middle of the living room, and when the two men got home, the boy's eyes lit up and he sighed out loud, looking at them happily. Burt noted the reaction and reached out a hand to ruffle the boy's hair lovingly.

"Happy to see them, huh kiddo?"

Liam just shot him a shy smile in response. Blaine came over and sat down next to them, pulling Liam into his lap.

Burt watched as his son-in-law interacted with the child, asking questions about his morning and telling him what an amazing job he had done building the track. Liam seemed to take on a glow as Blaine lavished him with attention, and the older man nodded in approval, thinking Kurt really couldn't have chosen any better.

Grandma and Grandpa Hummel stayed for lunch, enjoying spending time with their kids and grandkids. Kurt took the opportunity to talk with Carole about starting Liam and Tia at her daycare in a week's time. Blaine was going to take the next week off to be home with the new kids while they adjusted to their new life. Kurt had wanted desperately to take time off too, but it had been harder for him to get his shifts covered on such short notice. There were plenty of nurses looking for shifts at the moment, so Blaine had easily changed his schedule while they were still at the hospital that morning. The nurse was honestly looking forward to the time off, not to mention the quality time with their two newest additions. The only thing that bothered him though was not being there at all for the young girl. He had said as much to Kurt as they left the hospital, and his husband had assured him that he would check in on her as often as possible.

The rest of their afternoon went smoothly. Tia took as long nap, after which she was much happier, her fever having already gone down a bit. Liam looked incredibly nervous though, when Kurt suggested he lie down in the little bed they had bought for him. The doctor squatted down in front of him, smoothing back the blonde hair that come to life with soft waves after being washed last night.

"Would you feel better if I stayed in there with you for a little while?"

Liam nodded his head slowly, clinging to Kurt's finger with a small hand. Kurt didn't think twice, and did the same thing he had done with Elliott at that age. He crowded himself down onto the little toddler bed, curled into a slightly uncomfortable ball, and pulled Liam in so that the child could cuddle onto his chest. The two-year-old collapsed against him happily and was asleep in seconds.

Blaine found them thirty minutes later. He had been spending some time with the two older children, reading books and finishing homework, when he realized that Kurt had gone to put Liam down and not come back. He poked his head through the bedroom door and felt his heart swell at what he found. Kurt was crammed awkwardly into the little bed, with one leg hanging over the foot board, completely passed out. Liam was lying mostly on top of him, small fingers clutching handfuls of the doctor's shirt, sound asleep and breathing out in little sighs. This was the most relaxed he had seen the boy up until this point. The nurse pulled out his phone and carefully snapped some pictures of the two with a smile. He covered them both up with a blanket before going back out to join the others.

An hour later, Liam, Tia and Kurt were all awake, the latter having a major crick in his neck, and had joined the rest of the family. It was a fun, relaxing day, filled only with playing and eating. Kurt and Blaine focused as much on the eating part as they could, without making the youngest of their bunch sick by stuffing them. They were so desperately underweight and the two fathers could barely handle how the little ones were all skin and bones. Both men had happy memories of their own kids being plump, chubby-cheeked babies, and wanted the same for Tia and Liam. Tia adjusted quickly, happily taking anything that was given to her, as though this was how life had always been, though they knew differently. Liam was more hesitant, looking at them in disbelief when yet another little snack or sippy cup of milk was passed his way. He would eye the item cautiously, before looking around him, like he was waiting for someone to snatch it away. Blaine felt a sharp pang every time Liam seemed shocked by things that his own children now took for granted. Food, hugs, a kind word... these were a part of every day life for Addy and Elly. To Liam, it was like he was on a dream vacation and happily soaking up every moment before he was returned to his own personal hell. The nurse made sure to hold him extra long every chance he got.

Saturday Night

After a fun filled day and baths for the kids, all six curled up on Kurt and Blaine's bed for story time. This had become a nightly ritual ever since Addy and Blaine had moved in with Kurt and Elly so long ago. One or both dads would take the kid's favorite stuffed animals and act out a story. Each toy had it's own voice and personality and the kids found it hilarious. The men probably enjoyed it just as much as the kids. Tia and Liam watched with wide eyes as they danced and puppeted the stuffed animals around the bed, telling ridiculous stories with no real plot. After the final tale of the evening, they insisted that all four kids go to bed, as much for their own sake as the children. Both men felt about ready to drop, and the next day promised to be a big one.

They tucked Tia into bed first, Addy and Elly each taking a turn to hug the baby tight and kiss her cheek. Liam stepped up, with the first bit of aggressiveness that the men had seen, and wrapped little arms around his sister. They heard him whisper, "It's ok, Tia. Go sweep."

Kurt looked like his heart was about to break. The fact that Liam had felt it necessary to reassure his baby sister, even in this safe environment, spoke of how unstable their life had been.

The three oldest children begged once again to all sleep in the same bed. Well, the two oldest begged. Liam settled for a hopeful gaze. The dads gave in easily, really just wanting to sleep themselves. When all three kids were tucked under the covers in Elliott's bed, both men sat on the edge to kiss them goodnight, going down the line, one at a time.

Liam watched with his ever present, wide eyes. Addy and Elliott both took turns hugging each father around the neck and saying, "Goodnight, daddy."

When Kurt finally got to the small boy he held him close and kissed the top of his head.

"Goodnight, Liam. Sleep good, sweetie."

Liam watched him uncertainly before glancing over at the other two kids.

"Night, daddy," he whispered, mimicking what the other children had said.

Kurt froze with his breath caught in his throat. They had been referring to themselves as 'Kurt' and 'Blaine' to the little boy, and had honestly expected him to call them as such once he felt comfortable. This turn of events was beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time. He felt Blaine's hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles. He glanced back at his husband and Blaine gave him a reassuring smile. The doctor leaned in to kiss the boy's forehead, swallowing back the sudden emotions he was feeling.

Blaine scooted over and received the same, soft, "Night, daddy." Despite the fact that he was fully expecting it, the words gripped his heart like a vice. He held Liam close for a moment longer than he intended, and kissed the boy's hair.

"Night, honey."

When he stood, he saw that Kurt had already left the room. He flipped the light off and stepped out into the hall. His heart sank a little when he saw his husband sitting on the floor with his back up to the wall, staring blankly. He sank down next to the doctor and took his hand. Neither said anything. They were both thinking the exact same thing.

They were quickly falling for these kids, even after one day. Now Liam had called them both daddy.

This was temporary. They had no real legal rights. They had known from the beginning that foster care wasn't always permanent. They had actually banked on it, knowing what a strain housing foster kids can be on a family.

Now they were silently praying for one of two things. If the kids were going to be moved for any reason, they hoped desperately that it would be sooner rather than later. Even more so though, they were beginning to hope that they wouldn't be moved at all. That they could keep them forever.

Cara leaned back on her pillow, setting her bowl of ice cream on top of her rounded abdomen and reaching for the paper that was sitting next to her on the bed. She scooped a big bite of rocky road into her mouth before reading once again what she already basically memorized.

Kurt Hummel- Age: thirty-three, Occupation: Physician

Blaine Hummel- Age: thirty-three, Occupation: Nurse

Married for two years

She felt happy tingles flow through her as she went over the information in front of her. Both men had a child before they married. The doctor's son had been a foster child that he had adopted. The nurse's daughter was his through a surrogate from a previous marriage, but that spouse was deceased. They had adopted each other's children, so all were legally related. The couple was also registered as foster parents.

She wasn't sure what it was about this couple that she liked so much. She hadn't even met them. They could turn out to be as terrible as the previous couple. Deep down, though, she knew that wasn't the case. One look at the simple facts on the page told her that much. They both had careers that put them in caregiving roles, one father had fostered, both had adopted... she sighed happily, setting the paper aside and digging into her melting ice cream.

This was them. She just knew it.

And if for some reason, they turned out to be wrong for her... well, there was a whole new tub of rocky road in the freezer that she could drown her sorrows in. Sometimes it was the small things in life.

"Hey there. You're awake." Lisa stepped into Brandi's room with a soft smile and moved to her side. She checked her stats and replaced the empty IV bag before pulling a chair up closer to the head of the girl's bed.

"How are you feeling?"

The girl remained silent, staring at her hands.

Lisa pursed her lips, tipping her head to look into the young teen's face.

"Can you tell me your name, honey?"

Silence.

"Who can we let know that you're here? Do you have a number for a family member? Mom, dad, grandparent... anybody?"

Lisa watched as the girl stiffened then, eyes darting quickly to the side and then back to her lap. She remained resolutely silent though. The nurse sighed.

"You don't have to talk to me, honey, but you are going to need to talk to someone. We need to know how to take care of you. Is there anyone at all that I can contact?"

Lisa looked at the girl with caring eyes and waited patiently. Several long moments went by in complete silence. Just when Lisa was thinking that the girl wasn't going to talk, a tiny voice sounded in the room.

"Today..." Brandi whispered, surprised at how rough her voice sounded. She realized in that moment that it had been a long time since she had found a use for it. Lisa watched her expectantly, giving her an encouraging nod. The girl took a deep breath and spoke again, hardly believing her own bravery.

"Two men. Talking in my room. They thought I was asleep."

Lisa sat in surprise for a moment, wracking her brain, trying to think of who the girl was talking about.

"I think they work here. They were talking about doctor things. They... sounded really nice." She blushed deeply, looking down at her hands. A slow smile spread across Lisa's face.

"I'm pretty sure I know who you're talking about. Are you hoping you can talk to one of them?"

Brandi hesitated. It wasn't in her nature to reach out and ask for help, especially from complete strangers. There was something about the voices of those men though, along with the actual words they had spoken, that made her feel safe and comfortable. She swallowed away her fear and nodded quickly. Lisa smiled widely then. This was something she could definitely make happen.

"Okay then. I will try to get ahold of one of them. For right now I want you to try and eat something. Deal?"

Brandi nodded, trying to hide the shaking of her hands in the blanket. Lisa watched her in concern for a moment before patting her knee and going out into the hall. She paused, biting her lip indecisively for a moment before making up her mind. She was too anxious about the girl to wait until the morning. She went straight to the nurse's station and picked up the phone.

"Mmmmm... Oh my god. Ooohhh Kurt, this feels amazing!"

Kurt turned his head in amusement to find his husband snuggling down into their bed with a goofy smile on his face.

"Watcha doin' there, sweetie?" The doctor leaned back on their dresser, crossing his arms with an eyebrow raised.

"Enjoying the comfort of our bed," Blaine sighed contentedly. "I spent most of last night in a hospital chair. I am so sore and tired right now."

"That's all?" Kurt smirked. "Those were some intense sounds you were making. I thought maybe you were rubbing one out against a pillow or something."

Blaine looked up quickly to see Kurt shaking in laughter. He sent his husband a little glare.

"It wasn't THAT erotic sounding..." he trailed off and paused for a moment. "Okay, I see your point," he shrugged. Then he perked up and shot Kurt a seductive glance.

"Now that you mention it though..." he quickly pulled off his shirt and pants, sprawling backward on the bed and reaching his hands out for his husband. Kurt rolled his eyes, but laughed as he strolled over to the bed and climbed on.

"Is this what we've been reduced to?" He asked in low voice, running his hands up Blaine's chest. "Where's the romance? Where's the foreplay?" Blaine shivered involuntarily as Kurt straddled him and ran soft hands over his body.

"We've got four kids now, baby. I think we're gonna have to get used to quickies."

Kurt nodded with a laugh as Blaine reached up to undo his pants. Before he could slide them off though, Kurt's phone started to ring.

"No! No no no..." Blaine grabbed at Kurt as the doctor started to sit up with a sigh. "Just don't answer!"

"I have to, honey." Kurt zipped his pants back up and hopped off the bed. "That's my hospital ringtone and I'm on call."

Blaine groaned and pulled a blanket over to cover himself as Kurt answed his phone. The nurse quickly went from irritated to concerned though when he saw his husband's expression. Kurt listened carefully before responding with a quick, "She's still awake then?... Okay, I'll be there in ten minutes. Thanks, Lisa."

"What happened?" Blaine sighed.

"The girl is up and talking... somewhat," Kurt answered, tucking his shirt back in and leaning down to kiss his husband goodbye. "Apparently she was partly awake when we were talking in her room earlier and heard us. Lisa said she seems really skittish but mentioned how nice we sounded. I guess she only wants to talk to one of us. I'm dressed, and on call anyway, so I'll go. I'm sorry, sweetie."

Blaine looked up in surprise as Kurt pecked him quickly on the lips.

"Wow." He really didn't know what to think about this turn of events, and honestly, he was so tired that his mind wasn't making much sense. It was probably a good thing that Kurt was the one who was going.

As Kurt pulled away, his hand accidentally brushed up against Blaine's still decently-hard erection. He walked backward as he headed out the door, looking at his husband with a grin.

"Looks like you'll need to rub one out after all, baby. Do me a favor and please do it in the bathroom, or at least grab some tissues. I just washed the sheets."

Blaine glared at Kurt once again as the doctor disappeared down the hall. The nurse sighed heavily and drummed his fingers against the comforter, waiting for the front door to shut. He laid there for a moment, seriously debating about waiting up until Kurt came home. After about ten seconds, he shook his head and grabbed some tissues from next to the bed.

Who was he kidding?

He pulled up his best mental images of Kurt, shirtless, and groaned contentedly as he sank below the covers.

Kurt pulled his winter coat closer around him to ward off the chill as he stepped quickly through the hospital doors. He felt a little sick to his stomach when he remembered that Blaine had found the young girl only last night in this cold weather. He shook his head, trying not to think of how things could have ended, had Blaine not found her.

When he got to her room, Lisa was waiting for him with chart in hand. The night nurse smiled sympathetically.

"I'm so sorry for having to call you in right now, Dr. Hummel. I know how crazy things are for you guys."

"It's part of the job," Kurt winked at her. "I'm really glad you called though. She's obviously been through a lot and if she feels like she can trust Blaine or I... well, there's no way we'd ignore that."

Lisa smiled, and surprised him by leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"I know. That's what makes you guys so special."

He blushed a little as she walked away, before flipping through the chart and entering the room.

"Hi," he said kindly as he walked in. The girl watched him nervously as he settled into the chair next to her bed.

"I'm Dr. Hummel," he said with a smile, offering up his hand. She glanced at him cautiously before lightly placing her small, thin hand in his. He squeezed it gently before placing it back down on the bed and patting her arm.

"I'm so glad to see you awake. We were pretty worried about you."

She didn't respond, just kept watching him carefully. He leaned back in his chair and opened her chart once more.

"Can you tell me your name, honey?"

She just stared at him. He stared back.

"Can you tell me how you ended up outside the hospital last night?" He spoke softly then.

She still continued to stare. She didn't look nervous anymore though. She didn't seem too upset. She looked like she was contemplating and observing. He smiled then. A child who didn't like to talk that much. This was something he was a pro at.

"So," he crossed his legs and threaded his fingers together behind his neck, taking a relaxed pose. "I have a little boy, who didn't talk when he was little. For three years, he didn't say a word. Three whole years. Everyone around us was freaking out about it, and I have to admit that I was too by the end. Then, one day, he just opened his mouth and spoke. Just like that."

Brandi was looking at him in surprise. Clearly this wasn't what she had expected. She watched him uncertainly as he kept talking, pretending like everything was normal and that she was participating in the conversation.

"He's six now, and if you talked to him, you'd never even know that he went for so long without speaking. The point," he looked at her directly then, "is that there was nothing wrong with him. We just needed to be patient and wait until he was ready." He took a deep breath and pulled his hands away from his head, reaching out to take her hand once again. "When he finally decided to speak, do you know what I said to him?" She was so caught up in what he was saying, it didn't even occur to her that she was actually interacting with him by shaking her head, eyes wide and focused on his. He smiled at her and cupped her hand between both of his.

"I told him that I was so excited to hear him speak, but that he didn't need to do it to make me happy. I told him that when he felt that he had something important enough to say, that I would be there to listen."

They looked at each other steadily as the impact of this sank in for the girl. Kurt rubbed a thumb lightly over top of her thin hand.

"I waited for three years for him to speak and I would have waited for three more. That is the kind of patience I have. That is what you're up against, honey."

His grin spread further as her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open just a bit.

"Now," he sighed, leaning back in his chair once again. "I know that you CAN talk, because you spoke with Lisa. Good choice, by the way. She's awesome." He winked at her and she blushed. "Also, I really would prefer it if you didn't make me wait that long. I could do so much more for you if I knew something about you, but..." he held his hands up in the air, "it's completely your choice. I'll be here either way."

She had glanced down at her lap then back at him, suddenly looking nervous. Kurt still just smiled at her softly, looking completely unfazed.

"I'll make you a deal. When you decide you're ready, we can trade questions. You can ask me anything and I have to answer it. It goes both ways though. A question for a question. No pressure, just an idea for when you're ready."

He propped his chin onto his linked fingers and watched her steadily. He was seriously ready to sit there all night if necessary, so it shocked him when she opened her mouth and spoke only seconds later.

"Who was the man that you were talking with, here in my room earlier?"

"My husband. His name is Blaine and he's a nurse here. What's your name, sweetie?"

A slight pause.

"Brandi. How exactly did I get in here?"

"My husband found you and carried you in. He helped to save you and then sat by your side all night so that you wouldn't be alone."

He watched as her bottom lip trembled and a look of disbelief crossed her face. He forced himself to hold his emotions in check, reaching out to hold her hand once more before asking his own question.

"Is there a family member or a guardian, someone who takes care of you, that we can call?"

She shook her head vehemently, looking just past him at the wall. He nodded slowly.

"Who do you live with then?" She snapped her face toward him, and he saw something akin to typical teenage attitude in her expression.

"It's my turn," she said quickly. He snorted a laugh but then nodded in her direction.

"You are absolutely right. I apologize. Ask away."

She thought for a moment, trying to come up with something good.

"Do you have other kids besides your little boy?"

"Yes. We have a little girl, who is also six, and we actually have two brand new foster kids staying with us who are two and eleven months. Now, tell me, Brandi. Who do you stay with if there isn't anyone taking care of you?"

She looked in the opposite direction when she answered in a quiet voice.

"I don't live anywhere."

He swallowed hard then, knowing that it would be necessary to involve Social Services.

"Did you mean it?"

He cocked his head and looked at her in confusion. She had spoken again, but was refusing to look his way.

"Mean what, sweetie?"

"I heard what you said this morning." She turned bravely then, and met his eye. "You and your husband were talking and you said that if I didn't have anywhere to go that you would think about taking me home."

He felt his heart race and he had to work incredibly hard at not reacting. He knew that he should avoid answering something like this. There were too many variables, too many unknowns. Sometimes giving false hope to a child was worse than temporarily letting them down. He looked her in the eye, and what he saw there felt like a punch in the gut.

Her life was hanging in the balance, waiting for his answer. Whatever he said next could make or break her. For whatever reason, this girl's hopes and dreams were pinned on him and Blaine. He looked into those wide, anxious eyes and gave the only answer he could. An honest one.

"Of course I meant it. Every single word."