a279;Eva almost wouldn't let go of Blaine's hand as they loaded her into his car. Kurt sat beside her in the back seat, cheek resting against her head of curls, smiling to himself. Blaine drove slowly through the deserted streets so as not to jar the little girl.

"I've never seen that," Kurt whispered reverently, looking at Blaine through the rear view mirror. "I've never seen her touch anyone like that...talk to anyone like that."

"What does it mean?" Blaine asked. "When she says 'all the time, everyday, all morning'?"

"It's her way of telling time," Kurt answered. "But when she uses them all together, we think it means 'forever'."

Blaine felt the broken pieces of his heart start to stitch back together.

"How does she know my name?" Blaine smiled slyly. He had a feeling he knew the answer. He just enjoyed watching Kurt shift uncomfortably in his chair, his eyes rolling upward as he looked anywhere but Blaine's eyes.

"Um...we...well, they're...you know...big fans of the show..." Kurt looked out the window, flushing red.

Suddenly, Kurt frowned.

"Crap!" Kurt barked louder than he intended, causing Eva to whimper in her sleep.

"What?" Blaine thought maybe Kurt had forgotten something back at the emergency room.

"What am I going to do tomorrow when she wakes up and you're not there?"

Blaine had to tread carefully.

"It would probably be helpful if I was...you know...around more."

Kurt wanted to be pissed, but he couldn't help the smile that was growing on his lips.

"Blaine Anderson!" Kurt's whisper was harsh but barely angry. "Do not try to get to me through my kids. That's low and cheap."

Blaine bit his lip, trying not to smile.

His swan was back.

Kurt sighed, smiling out the window.

"You know I'm most likely going to say yes, don't you?"

"Take all the time you need, my love," Blaine said as he turned down Kurt's street. "I'll wait for you as long as you need."

Dave was waiting in the car port when Kurt and Blaine pulled in. Dave lifted Eva from the backseat as if she weighed no more than a leaf, and carried her inside. Blaine stood with Kurt, staring at him thoughtfully.

"Can I have your shirt?" Kurt asked, looking Blaine over up and down. Blaine raised his eyebrows.

"Um..." Blaine narrowed his eyes.

Kurt shook his head, laughing.

"For Eva," Kurt said. "She attaches meaning to things. She saw you wearing that shirt...and it smells like you. If she could borrow it, she might not be as upset when she wakes up in the morning."

Blaine didn't have to hear another word before he shrugged off his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and slipped it off, handing it to Kurt. Kurt held it to his nose a breathed in deeply.

"Yup," Kurt said with a dreamy look on his face. "I think that'll do it."

Kurt looked up at Blaine, staring at Kurt with the softest expression he had ever seen in Blaine's beautiful honey gold colored eyes. Blaine hooked a finger beneath Kurt's chin, lifting Kurt's lips to his and kissing him gently. Blaine sucked Kurt's upper lip tenderly between his, moving his hand behind Kurt's head and massaging his neck. Kurt hummed against Blaine's lips. smiling. Blaine broke their kiss, but didn't move away from Kurt, nuzzling his cheek.

"I'll wait for you forever," Blaine said against Kurt's skin. "But please, for my sake, don't make me wait too long."

Kurt looked up at Blaine quizzically.

"Why?" Kurt asked, rubbing their noses together.

"Because," Blaine said. "When you finally find what you want to do with the rest of your life, you want it to start as soon as possible."

Kurt laughed a little incredulously.

"So, you want to spend your life with me and four kids?"

"Yes," Blaine said, without a thought.

Kurt's face suddenly went serious.

"And Dave?"

Kurt held his breath, waiting for what, he didn't know. An argument, most likely. An ultimatum? A groan?

"Yes," Blaine said. "You, and the kids, and Dave...all of it."

Kurt stood back a little, lips parted, not entirely certain that Blaine wasn't making fun of him. Blaine's eyes were clear, honest, serious.

Blaine hugged Kurt tight.

"Go talk to Dave," Blaine said. He kissed Kurt on the forehead before climbing into his car and driving away, leaving Kurt standing in the carport, hugging Blaine's shirt, Dave watching from the window.

As soon as Eva woke up in the morning, she asked about Blaine. Kurt tried to explain that Blaine had gone home, but she wouldn't hear of it. She was upset that she couldn't get up and walk from room to room looking for him. Kurt eventually gave her Blaine's shirt, which she held to her mouth while sucking her thumb and repeated, "Blaine's white shirt. Blaine's white shirt."

Kurt had Eva set up in the family bedroom, propped up against pillows, surrounded by various different bowls of food, and a portable DVD player showing non-stop episodes of Sing...mostly the ones that featured Blaine.

Dave scoffed when he saw her, holding the shirt for dear life and trying her best to sing along with the words to the songs.

'Just another person in my house obsessed with Blaine Anderson,' he thought with a silent laugh.

It seemed the tiny family had overcome another tragedy and had come out unscathed, with a glimmer of hope hanging in the future.

Another unexpected visit brought unpleasant news right to their backdoor.

Kurt heard a loud rapping at the door and smiled, wondering if it was another impromptu visit from Mr. Blaine Anderson himself.

To Kurt's absolute horror it was Ms. Delilah Cooper, known to Kurt Hummel as the bane of his existence, known professionally as an agent of Child Protective Services.

"Mr. Hummel," the straight laced and severe little woman began, "let me be perfectly plain. My office has received dozens of complaints about you, and this...house...you live in." Kurt couldn't help but roll his eyes as he lifted Elphaba higher on his hip. "Your source of income is questionable, your living environment is detestable. If I pursue opening an investigation, it won't take much for me to remove all of your children and put them into foster care, guardianship or no..."

Kurt gritted his teeth and wondered how was it possible for his blood to go hot and cold all at the same time. He was aware that Ms. Cooper was still talking, but he had tuned her out entirely. He wanted to call her out. Removing his children wouldn't be as easy as she was letting on. Kurt wondered how many other poor families she had threatened this way. He didn't know what she wanted from him. He and Dave were trying their best. Did she really think they wanted to live this way?

And their neighbors...what would be a fitting punishment for their constant interfering? Boiling bunnies...or in this case, their twin precious Chihuahuas, seemed like a reasonable option. Kurt recognized that to a degree Ms. Cooper was right. Their living environment was horrendous. The kids deserved better. He wanted to give them better.

Kurt was standing on a precipice. He had to make a decision he didn't want to be shoved into making. He had asked Blaine for time, and Blaine had given it to him. It seemed the universe, however, didn't agree. Kurt sighed.

"...and since you are on public assistance..."

"Well, actually, Ms. Cooper," Kurt interrupted, "we're not going to be living here much longer." Kurt shifted Elphaba to his left hip. Dave, who had been watching the proceedings silently from the hallway, hidden from view, peeked around the doorway, his face a solid mask, trying not to betray his confusion. Ms. Cooper's face was a bit more obvious.

"You're not?" she said skeptically.

"No," Kurt said firmly. "Dave and I have been offered an opportunity by a generous friend. We're moving by the end of the week."

"Where?" Ms. Cooper said.

"I don't feel comfortable telling you that." Kurt held his head up high, defiantly.

"What?" Ms. Cooper asked, looking as if Kurt had just spit in her face.

"Well, as we will no longer be in San Diego, or receiving public assistance, I don't see how our whereabouts will be any of your business."

When Kurt refused to tell her anything further, she simply stood and stared. Kurt stared back, silently challenging her to speak.

"Well," Kurt said, "as lovely as this has been, I have a move to plan, and as this is still my property for a little while longer, please get off of it."

The woman huffed and sputtered a couple of times, like an old car trying to start, before turning on her heels and stomping off.

Kurt watched as she tromped swiftly to her government vehicle and drove away. Then he slammed the door, apologizing furiously when Elphaba threw her hands over her ears and whined at the noise. When he turned around, Dave stood there.

"You're going to take him up on his offer?" Dave asked quietly. "You and the kids...are going to move?"

Dave liked Blaine. He hated to admit it, but he did. He knew that Blaine was willing to try and make things work with the kids. He just wasn't sure how he fit into all of this. He didn't want to stand in Kurt's way, but he wasn't looking forward to losing his family, either.

Kurt went up to Dave. He put a hand on his shoulder and rested his own head on it.

"We, Dave," Kurt said with emphasis. "We are going to move. We are taking him up on his offer. This is going to be good. I feel it."

"But..."

"Dave," Kurt said firmly. "Tell me you're happy here. Tell me you're happy selling car insurance for minimum wage, not going to school, not following your dream, living in this shit house, and being threatened by that woman every other day. Tell me you want all of that, and I won't call him."

Dave looked down at his feet and shook his head.

Kurt hoped he sounded convincing, because to his own ears he wasn't exactly sure.

Ring.

Kurt's stomach flip-flopped.

Ring.

He prayed Blaine would answer.

Ring.

He needed Blaine to answer.

"Kurt?" a surprised voice said.

"Blaine?" Kurt cursed the slight tremor in his voice, overwhelmed by his feelings of relief. He hoped it wasn't too noticeable.

"Kurt? Is that you? Are you okay? Is it Eva?"

Kurt cleared his throat.

"Everything's okay." Kurt composed himself. "I just---I just have a question to ask you."

"Anything." Blaine sounded so sincere, Kurt's heart melted.

"Is that offer for the house..."

Kurt could hear Blaine's breath hitch suddenly.

"I mean, it's real, right? You'd let us move in?"

"Of course," Blaine rushed. "Of course, it's real. Whenever you want to move in, it's there waiting."

"Okay," Kurt said, breathing a sigh of relief. "We need to move as soon as possible, if that's okay with you."

On Blaine's end of the phone he stood up from his chair and started dancing like a thirteen year old girl at a One Direction concert.

"Yes." Blaine realized he was so busy dancing he had forgotten he was still talking to Kurt. "Yes, immediately, or sooner is great."

Kurt giggled through his tears.

"Will it be alright if I come up tomorrow to take a look?"

"Yup," Blaine said, almost answering before Kurt had finished with his question. "Oh, do you need any help, hiring movers or anything?"

"Uh, no." Kurt smiled at Blaine's apparent enthusiasm. "I have suddenly come into a great deal of money and I think I'll be okay getting that done."

Blaine's heart melted. He closed his eyes and spun around.

Kurt took the money. Kurt was moving to L.A.

Blaine would get his Kurt.

Suddenly, Blaine wanted to scream.

He may have squealed.

Kurt laughed.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then."

Blaine was so excited he didn't know what to do with himself. He had to call his best friends and tell them the great news. Oh, Nick will be beside himself...better wait on that.

He had to go air out the house.

He had to make all sorts of arrangements.

But first, he had to run around the block.

So that's what he did.