2034

"So you decided to adopt a baby, and then you went to an agency, and then you got me?" Ava wondered out loud.

"Um… no. It wasn't that easy actually." Blaine answered.

Kurt scoffed. "That's an understatement… 2021 was a tough year. We had to wait so long, and we were almost starting to lose hope…"

"But that's when a little Christmas miracle happened." Blaine added with a smile.

"Yeah." Kurt nodded. He still didn't believe in God, but what happened that Christmas was pretty amazing and miraculous…

2021

Blaine hummed happily as he took out his keys and opened the door to the apartment.

"Honey, I'm hoooome!" He shouted cheerily as he stepped inside. "Finished my last workday of the year, woohoo!"

Blaine frowned. "Honey? It's so dark in here. Weren't you going to put up the Christmas lights this afternoon?" "Honey…?" He asked as he entered the living room. As his eyes adjusted themselves to the dimness of the room, he saw a still form lying on the couch.

"Kurt?" He turned on the lights and saw his husband stretched out on the couch and covered by a comforter. He was fast asleep.

"Such a Sleeping Beauty…" Blaine whispered to himself, as he moved towards the couch and perched himself on the edge, reaching out to stroke Kurt's hair. Kurt frowned in his sleep and then his eyes fluttered open.

Blaine's heart sank at the sight. Kurt's eyes were bloodshot and puffy. He had obviously been crying. A lot.

"You're home…" Kurt said with a worn out voice, trying to fixate his eyes on his husband.

"I am, honey. What's wrong, sweetie?" Blaine was caressing Kurt's cheek as he waited for an answer.

Kurt averted his glance and sighed brokenly. "The adoption agency called." He shook his head and squinted his eyes against the tears that once again threatened to fall.

"We got turned down again, huh?" Blaine said matter-of-factly.

Kurt nodded wordlessly. His lip trembled so hard he felt the strongest urge to bite it till it bled.

"Fuck…" Blaine cursed, as he shook his head. This was disappointing alright. But most of all, his heart was breaking for his husband. Kurt looked so miserable and so… small. "Come here you…" He whispered, as he gently helped Kurt into a sitting position and pulled him into a tight hug.

A loud sob escaped Kurt's throat, as he dug his fingers into Blaine's back. "I don't get it, Blaine… I just don't get it…" He pulled back and wiped away his tears angrily. "This is the ninth time we've been turned down. Let's just face it; no woman wants to give her child away to be raised by two gay men."

Blaine brought his hands up to cradle the back of Kurt's head. "That's not true, baby…" He said, but his voice held less conviction than ever.

"But it is!" Kurt cried out. "God, Blaine, what do they think we are? Some kind of monsters? Do they believe we're freaks who can't love a child or take care of it? Just… why? Why?"

"I don't know baby… I don't know…" Blaine shook his head in despair, as tears threatened to fall from his eyes as well. Still; he had to stay strong for Kurt. Even though it killed him on the inside. "Please don't cry, honey... please… it hurts me so much to see you like this."

Kurt took a deep, steadying breath and gulped. "Blaine… I'm done with this… I can't do this anymore. I can't keep getting my hopes up and keep being crushed every single time… I'm sorry, Blaine, I just can't anymore…"

"I know it's been so hard on you, Kurt." Blaine gave him a small, sad smile. "Do you want to give surrogacy a try then?" He asked gently, knowing it was a sensitive subject.

As Blaine had expected, Kurt shook his head vehemently. "No. Absolutely not. I don't want to go through the same thing Jack and Mike went through. I wouldn't survive that."

Blaine nodded in understanding.

They'd become close friends with Jack and Mike over the years. The couple had tried having a child through surrogacy; but it all went horribly wrong when the surrogate suddenly decided she didn't want to give the baby up for adoption. It had taken them two years in court and thousands of dollars to finally get visiting rights. Jack could see his daughter one single day every two weeks.

One fucking day.

Blaine and Kurt knew how much the couple was suffering from it, so they'd immediately ruled out surrogacy as an option.

"You know, honey… maybe we'll have a baby, or maybe we won't… but we'll always have each other." Blaine said, as he pressed a kiss against Kurt's temple. "And if we do end up without children, then I promise you we'll spend the rest of our lives fulfilling every other dream and wish you have. We'll have an amazing life, no matter what."

A tiny smile appeared on Kurt's face. "You do realize one of my dreams is taking up ballroom dancing with you, don't you?"

Nodding slowly, Blaine smirked. "Let's not push it, okay?" He said, making Kurt chuckle.

"Thanks B… You always know how to make me smile." He sighed.

Although Blaine had managed to cheer him up, Kurt still felt depressed and sad on the morning of Christmas Eve.

"Let's go out for a walk." Blaine suggested. "Everything is ready for tonight, and our friends don't arrive until six PM. We can go shop?" He offered, hoping the prospect would excite Kurt.

His husband shrugged and nodded. "Sure. I could use some fresh air, I guess."

"Great!" Blaine piped, trying to lift the mood as much as possible. "I've seen something in a shop window on Fifth I'm sure you'll love!"

Kurt threw him a grateful smile. "Well, let's go check it out then."

Half an hour later, they were strolling down Fifth Avenue, arm in arm. Kurt didn't know if it was the crisp, cold air, or the lights and bubbly atmosphere on the streets, but suddenly he felt his spirits being lifted. He tightened his hold on Blaine's arm and leaned his head on his shoulder for a second. Blaine squeezed his arm in return and kissed the top of his head. Kurt sighed happily.

"We are going to be okay, huh?" He said softly.

Blaine nodded. "We are going to be better than okay." He said, and this time, there was no mistaking the confidence in his voice.

The kept walking until they arrived at the corner of Central Park.

"Oh hey look, a children's choir over there." Blaine pointed at the group of children standing next to one of the entrances of the park, singing in perfect harmony. They were being conducted by a young woman, and accompanied by a string quartet.

"That's so cute." Kurt smiled. "Let's go listen."

They sauntered towards the group and went to stand in front of them, a few feet behind the choir leader.

"God I love this song…" Blaine murmured, swaying to the hauntingly beautiful melody.

"Me too." Kurt answered. "It so captivating." Both men continued to listen in silence.

Hark how the bells,

sweet silver bells,

all seem to say,

throw cares away

Christmas is here,

bringing good cheer,

to young and old,

meek and the bold.

Swaying to the music, Kurt felt his eyes being drawn to one of the girls standing on the front row of the choir. She seemed about twelve years old, and had long, curly, dark brown hair; and even from a distance Kurt could tell she had the greenest eyes he'd ever seen.

She had the face of an angel.

Ding dong ding dong

that is their song

with joyful ring

all caroling.

One seems to hear

words of good cheer

from everywhere

filling the air.

No matter how many times he let his eyes roam over the choir, they would always gravitate back to that girl.

Then she chimed in as a second voice to the older girl who had been singing solo up until then.

She was amazing.

The face and the voice of an angel.

Oh how they pound,

raising the sound,

o'er hill and dale,

telling their tale.

Gaily they ring

while people sing

songs of good cheer,

Christmas is here.

Kurt was mesmerized. He couldn't stop staring now. There was something about her, but Kurt couldn't put his finger on it.

All of a sudden, the girl locked eyes with him, and his heart almost stopped as she gave him the most radiant smile and a little wave.

Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas,

Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas.

On on they send,

on without end,

their joyful tone

to every home.

Ding dong ding... dong!

The bystanders clapped their hands as the music ended. Kurt turned his face to Blaine. "Did you see that girl?" He asked.

Blaine looked at Kurt. "The one with the long curly hair? Yeah. She… it's like I recognize her somehow…"

"You too?" Kurt gasped. This was really weird.

They frowned at each other and simultaneously turned their heads back to where the choir stood. The group of girls had gathered around the young woman, as they were preparing to leave.

The angel-faced girl was nowhere to be seen.

A few days later, Kurt and Blaine were at home, relishing the peace and quiet of what Kurt called "the eye of the Holiday Storm". The days between Christmas and New Year's Eve were actually his favorite time of the year.

Blaine was sprawled out on the couch, reading a book, while Kurt was lying on his stomach on the carpeted floor, sketching a costume design for his next musical. Music was playing softly in the background. The only other sounds in the room were the scratching of Kurt's pencil, and the rustling sound as Blaine turned a page every now and then.

Even though they were immersed in their own activities, both men were still silently enjoying each other's company.

Blaine's blaring cell phone interrupted their cozy, quiet cocoon. "Ugh. Now what?" He groaned, as he reached for his phone on the side table.

"Hello? Yes, it's him. Oh, hello. Yes…." Blaine's eyes shifted towards Kurt, and then he rose from the couch and stalked into the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

Kurt frowned. What wasn't he supposed to hear?

A few minutes later, Blaine returned to the living room, silently sitting down on the couch. He looked at Kurt with an unreadable expression and patted the cushion next to him in invitation.

Kurt scrambled to his feet and quickly went to sit beside him. "Blaine, what was that all about? What's wrong? Tell me now." He demanded.

Blaine shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. That was Miranda from the adoption agency."

Kurt huffed in response. "What did she want this time?"

"She's coming over in half an hour." Blaine said.

"Why? Another inspection of our home? The last one was only two months ago." Kurt was getting fed up with all of this crap.

"No. She's bringing someone along. An future birth mother. Apparently the lady in question wants to meet us to discuss the possible adoption of her baby." Blaine breathed, still a bit shocked by the call himself.

Kurt went slack jawed. "But- What? That's not the standard procedure… How?"

Blaine shrugged. "I don't have the full story, but it's some kind of exceptional situation. The woman is five months along. Miranda is going to explain as soon as they arrive."

"Oh God…" Kurt tried to suppress the sudden surge of hope he felt. It would probably end in tears again. As usual. But then again, they'd never gotten this far either. Most of the times, they were rejected by the birth mothers as soon as their file was presented to them; or so Miranda had told them.

"What if, Blaine?" He sighed.

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand. "We'll see, honey… we'll see."

Kurt quickly tidied up the living room while Blaine made coffee.

When the doorbell rang, they gave each other a quick hug and kiss, as if to wish each other good luck.

Kurt opened the door. Next to Miranda stood a tall, dark haired woman with a protruding belly. Kurt guessed she was in her thirties.

"Hi, Kurt." Miranda greeted him, as they stepped inside. "Sorry to barge in here on such short notice, but Katherine here was dying to meet you guys." Katherine gave him a warm smile.

Kurt smiled back. "No problem!" He shook hands with both women and lead them into the living room, where Blaine greeted the women as well.

"Please, have a seat. Would you like some coffee? And a home baked Christmas cookie?" Blaine said.

Kurt mentally cheered as Blaine mentioned his cookies, thus advertising his homemaking skills to the women. Bonus points to Blaine.

"That would be lovely!" Miranda said enthusiastically. "Yes, thank you." Katherine added, speaking up for the first time.

Blaine hurried into the kitchen and came back with the coffee and cookies in no time.

"Thank you so much, Blaine." Miranda said. "Okay, I'll get straight to the point here. This isn't the way we usually handle potential adoptions, but then again, this isn't a typical situation either. But perhaps it's best if I let Katherine explain everything?" She gestured towards the woman at her side.

Katherine studied Kurt and Blaine for a second before she started to talk. "Well… my name is Katherine Ellison, I'm 37 years old, married and a mother of three wonderful kids."

Kurt and Blaine turned to look at each other, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I know, not what you expected probably." Katherine said. "Here's the deal. I'm pregnant because I was a surrogate for a befriended gay couple. One of them is the biological father, obviously… or rather…was the father."

"Was?" Blaine asked warily.

"Yes… was. Five weeks ago, my friends were driving home after a night out. They lived in New Jersey. Anyway… their car was hit by a truck. Neither of them survived it." She told them in a sad voice.

"Jesus Christ…" Kurt hissed as he slapped his hand against his mouth in shock.

"That's terrible…" Blaine said, equally shaken by the story.

Katherine nodded. "I'd just told them about the pregnancy a couple of days before. They were overjoyed by the news. The first couple of weeks after their death, I was too blown away to even think about the baby. But last week, I started talking about it with my husband, and in the end we both agreed that we wanted our friends' baby to be adopted and raised by another gay couple." She shrugged. "It just feels like it's the right thing to do."

Blaine grasped Kurt's hand as Katherine continued talking.

"So I contacted this adoption agency, and Miranda told me all about you guys." She smiled broadly at the men. "And I must say, from what she told me, I get the very strong impression that you two would make excellent parents for this little girl." She rubbed her stomach in emphasis.

Kurt gasped. "A girl?"

"Yes, a girl." Katherine answered. "How do you feel about having a daughter?"

It was Blaine's turn to smile. "It's all we've ever wanted."

They kept talking for almost two hours. Katherine asked them about their family, their work, their hobbies, their hopes and dreams, and so many other things. Kurt and Blaine happily answered every one of her questions.

At last Miranda and Katherine left the apartment. Katherine promised to give them her final answer as soon as she'd talked about it with her husband.

As Blaine closed the front door, he turned around to face a very bewildered looking Kurt.

"Did that just really happen? Or was it all just a dream?" Kurt said under his breath.

Blaine closed the distance between them and pulled him into a crushing hug. "It's real baby…" He whispered into Kurt's ear. "It's real. I think we might have a belated Christmas miracle here."

"God I hope so…" Kurt murmured.

As it turned out, it was a miracle. That same evening, Miranda called them with news they'd been waiting and hoping for.

They were going to be parents.

Four months later, Kurt and Blaine were sitting in the waiting room of the maternity ward.

Katherine had called them at 2 AM to inform them that she had gone into labor, and that her husband was going to take her to the hospital.

It was the fastest Kurt had ever gotten dressed in his entire life. He'd thrown on a pair of sweat pants and a sweater, and hadn't even bothered to comb his sleep tousled hair. Blaine was in a similar state.

"I can't believe she's almost there, B…" Kurt wrung his hands nervously. "By this time tomorrow, she'll be home, with us… sleeping in her crib…" He said with a faraway look in his eyes.

"I know." Blaine said. "It's hard to grasp, isn't it?" He smiled tenderly at his husband. Kurt glanced at Blaine and returned his smile.

"So are we certain about the name?" Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded decisively "Yes. Ava Helena." They'd each picked a name. Kurt had chosen Ava, meaning 'bird', in honor of the late Pavarotti, who had unknowingly played such a significant role in bringing them together. Blaine had chosen Helena, meaning 'shining light'.

"She's not even born yet, and I already love her." Blaine said.

Kurt leaned in and rested his head on Blaine's shoulder. "Me too." He whispered.

As they waited in silence, each lost in thought, a song softly played through the speakers of the waiting room.

Hmmm my Baby

Heaven sent You to me

All the worlds been praying

Who will Save?

Kurt frowned. "Isn't that a Christmas song?"

Blaine nodded. "I think so. They need to update their playlist..."

But who am I

That here tonight

I hold the One

Who'll bring us life

Hallelujah! We've been found

A Child is born

To save us now, Jesus!

Hallelujah! Light has come

A Savior who will set us free

A Promise for those who believe

Do You hear the Angels

Sing for You my baby

Men and kings have come to

Bow to You

But here in my arms

So close to me

The Son of God

Now all can see

Hallelujah We've been found

A Child is born to save us now, Jesus! Halleluiah Light has come

A savior set us free!

So praise to God on high

He has heard our cry

He has heard our cry

Hallelujah We've been found

Joe, Katherine's husband, entered the waiting room. "Kurt? Blaine?"

Hallelujah We've been found

Both men looked up at Joe. They straightened their backs in anticipation.

A Child is born to save us now, Jesus!

"She's here. She was born five minutes ago." Joe said with a broad smile.

Halleluiah Light has come!

Kurt squealed and jumped off of his chair. Blaine followed suit and drew his husband into a sideways hug as he grinned happily at Joe.

"So… how about you follow me to meet your daughter?" Joe offered merrily.

A Savior who will set us free

A Promise for those who believe

Hmmm my Baby...

As soon as Kurt set eyes on his daughter, he started shaking and crying. Blaine wasn't faring much better.

Katherine was sitting up in her bed, holding a tiny bundle in her arms. She gave the men a tired smile as they entered.

"Kurt, Blaine, meet your little girl. It was a lot of work to bring her into this world, but she's worth it…" she laughed softly. She lowered her eyes to the baby. "Hey baby girl, your daddies are here."

"Look, Blaine, just… look." Kurt said in a shuddering voice. Blaine was so choked up he couldn't even answer, so he just nodded and squeezed Kurt's shoulder.

"Kurt, come here please…" Katherine said quietly. Kurt moved towards the bed. Katherine locked eyes with him. "I'm going to give her to you now." She said, with a solemnity that made it impossible for anyone in the room to miss the implication of her words.

"Thank you, Katherine…" Kurt breathed as he reached out his arms to hold his daughter for what would be the first of many, many times.

As soon as she lay in his arms, Kurt felt something shift inside his heart. Blaine hugged him from behind and laid his chin on Kurt's shoulder, to sneak a peek at the baby.

And suddenly, unbeknownst to each other, they both knew.

They both recognized her.

This was their daughter.

This was Ava Helena Hummel-Anderson.

2034

"What do you mean? You recognized me? Don't all baby's look the same?" Ava frowned.

Kurt shook his head. "No they don't. Besides… there was something really special about you…"

Blaine and Kurt looked at each other and then turned their gaze back to Ava.

Beautiful, angelical Ava with her bright green eyes and her long, curly brown hair.