The FLO had been very helpful and Marisol's call to Henri was scheduled for 1:00. Blaine sent e-mails to Marisol and Annie so they would know their phones would be delivered after lunch. He looked at his to-do list and decided to phone Isaac next.

"Isaac, this is Blaine from Heidi's office."

"Hi, Blaine. Has there been a schedule change? I know everything is at sixes and sevens because of the holiday," Isaac asked.

"Actually I'm calling because Heidi heard about your daughter's jewelry and she'd like to see some samples. She’s considering wearing a piece on the show. She mentioned earrings specifically, but bring whatever your daughter makes."

"How did she hear about my Mimi's little trinkets? Nary a soul at work knows about it. I wear the earrings she makes for me, but I don't talk about them."

Kurt does that to people. "Evidently Kurt knows, because he wrote about it in his blog. Heidi said I should be sure to tell you that he didn't mention your name or your daughter's. He just referred to 'one of the makeup artists', but I've seen your earrings and I knew it had to be you. When you come to the office, remind me and I'll show you what he wrote."

"I'd love to see it. My Mimi will be so excited! I could bring in some of her stuff tomorrow morning, if you want."

Blaine considered for a minute. Heidi usually didn't mind having visitors, and maybe the girl would like to see the office. "Bring Mimi along if you want to. Would 10:00 work for you?"

"We'll be there! Thanks, Blaine."

"Don't thank me; I had nothing to do with it. It was all Kurt and Heidi." As soon as he got off the phone, he added the appointment to his calendar and sent Heidi an e-mail so she would know what was going on. He knew she didn't plan to meet with Isaac herself or she would have phrased the request differently, but she liked to be informed.

Amy delivered Mark to Heidi's office right on time, taking his empty coffee cup from him and fixing his collar with a proprietary air before they entered the office. "Hi, Mark," Sandy said with a smile. "You can go right in. Heidi is expecting you. Thank you for bringing him, Amy. Blaine or I can escort him back when he's done."

"I'll just go back to my desk, then, but I would be happy to walk Mark back to the apartment if you'll buzz me." Amy smiled quickly at Mark and departed.

Mark glanced furtively around the office. "Heidi isn't mad at me, is she? She said she wasn't, but maybe she was and just didn't want to say so in front of everyone."

"Not as far as I know," said Sandy slowly, trying to imagine a scenario in which Heidi would be mad at Mark. "She certainly didn't say anything to me about being mad. Why would she be mad?"

She wasn't mad at all, but she might not want Mark telling everyone about it. "She's not mad," Blaine assured the young designer quickly. "Just go on in; you don't want to be late." Mark knocked on the door and entered.

"Hello, Mark. Please, have a seat. As you know, the agreement was for the contestants to stay with us until the episode airs," Heidi began, "but it has occurred to us that if we release you, you will not only be able to complete the spring semester of college, but you'll be able to spend Christmas with your family. We would expect you not to talk about the episode any more than necessary, of course. What do you think -- would you like to go home?"

Mark gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were going to yell at me about the impressions. I'm really sorry about that. It was disrespectful."

Heidi frowned. She didn't want Mark to have any qualms about his performance at the party. "It wasn't disrespectful; it was funny. I said last night that I thought you should do your impressions at the talent show and I meant it. Let's table our first discussion for a minute." She pressed the button on her phone. "Sandy, I need you in here, please." Sandy glanced worriedly at Blaine and entered Heidi's office, closing the door behind her.

"Do you have an MC for the talent show?"

"No, I just thought I'd announce the acts, if that's okay, unless you would be willing to do it."

"I think we can do better than that. Mark, here, has quite an ability. If we can get him on board, you could have a different person announcing each act. Maybe he'll give you a sample. Mark, would you repeat the 'one yard evening gown' sketch again?"

Sandy's mouth fell open when she heard Mark saying such outrageous things in what was clearly Tim's voice. "Now I see why you were concerned, Mark. That was hysterical! Has Tim heard him?"

"Oh, yes. He loved it. Mark does other people, too, including me. Maybe the two of you could work together and figure out the characters and a script. It doesn't have to be exact -- just something to work from. What do you say, Mark? Will you help us out?"

"I guess so, if you're sure no one will mind," he said hesitantly.

"They'll love it," Sandy declared as she left the room. "Stop by my desk when you get through here and we'll 'make it work'."

"Now, back to our first topic would you like to leave? … after the talent show, of course."

Mark was torn. He did want to spend Christmas with his family, and it would be wonderful not to miss the spring semester, but leaving meant he wouldn't see Amy. "First of all, I want you to know how much I appreciate the offer. I also want you to know that I understood the contract when I signed it, and I wasn't expecting to get special treatment. Maybe we could work out a compromise. Classes don't start until January 7th. Would it be okay if I registered, but stayed here until the 5th or 6th? I live with my grandparents when I'm at college, so my room is available regardless, and that will preserve the secret as long as possible."

"What about Christmas?"

"I'd enjoy spending the holidays with my family, of course, but I can live without it. We'd be going to my grandparents' and I'm there all the time anyway."

"That sounds like the best possible solution," Heidi said. "Thank you, Mark."

After Phil left, Kurt went back to the Mood bag to remove the two two-yard pieces of unisex plaid cashmere that would become scarves for his friends among the designers. The fabric was quite thick so it would be warm, and was the softest thing he had ever run his fingertips across. One piece was an elegant black and dark gray; the other was burgundy and black, with a thin stripe of white to set off the colors. Marisol had left the rotary cutter at his request without asking any awkward questions, and it made quick work of cutting the 12" strips. He ran the 10 scarves through the serger to finish the long edges. He would ravel short ends into a knotted fringe later, if he could figure out a place where he could get away from everyone for a while. I may have to come back here to get some privacy. I can't hide in the bathroom for hours tying fringe. He wasn't making scarves for all the designers, but he wanted something for all three of the girls, and the guys he had bonded with: Ernesto, Jonny, Andrew, and now Chris. That left him with three. It wouldn't be appropriate to give any of the judges anything, of course, but Jo had been very helpful in getting him the use of the workroom. She didn't have any influence on the outcome of the contest, so it would probably be okay to give her a scarf. She would be considered the same category as Blaine, and his gift had been approved, but Kurt thought it would be better to ask. He sent Heidi a quick e-mail. The final two, he earmarked for George and Blaine. He folded them and put them back in the bag, finishing up just as Heidi's reply came in.

That's fine. I'm sure she'll love it. H.K.

Kurt stared at the e-mail, bemused. I never noticed that we have the same initials, just reversed. I wonder if our middle initials match. For some reason, his password popped into his mind again, but he still couldn't figure out what was bugging him, so he began drafting the patterns for Blaine's shirt.

When Sandy and Mark had sketched out the script for the talent show to their mutual satisfaction, Sandy considered sending him back up to his apartment by himself. It wouldn't be against the rules because he was inside the building and they were between challenges, but it was so rare that Amy offered to do anything, Sandy thought it would be a good idea to reinforce the behavior. She buzzed Amy's line, hoping for the best, but preparing herself for the worst a rude, sarcastic answer and using the speaker phone in case she needed a witness later. Heidi insisted on professionalism and courtesy from her staff at all times; people who didn't meet the standard swiftly found themselves unemployed. "Amy, if you have time, Mark is ready to go back to his apartment."

Much to Sandy's amazement, Amy sounded delighted to hear from her. "Sandy, I'm so glad you called. This is perfect timing. I'll be right over. I just need to finish up one little job, if Mark doesn't mind waiting a minute or two."

"I don't mind waiting, Amy," Mark said immediately. "Just take your time."

Amy reapplied her lipstick and ran a comb through her hair. She checked herself in the mirror, and unbuttoned one more button of her blouse, revealing the lace at the edge of the camisole she was wearing underneath. "I'm running a designer up to his apartment, and then I'm taking my break, Matt," she announced as she left. "I should be back in about 20 minutes."

As soon as he heard that Amy was headed their direction, Blaine decided it would be a perfect time to pick up the socks for next week. He told Sandy where he was going and escaped, taking a route that wouldn't cross Amy's path. He wasn't afraid of her, but one unpleasant encounter per day was plenty. It was a beautiful day, crisp and clear, so he decided to walk. Heidi encouraged walking and using public transport whenever possible, both for the good of the environment and the health of the employees, and she never minded if an errand took a little longer because of it, so Blaine walked as often as possible, even when the weather wasn't wonderful, but it was a treat today. He bought 3 pairs each of gray, black, brown and navy socks, choosing pairs with subtle patterns when he could, then headed for the workroom at Parsons, whistling quietly as he walked.

"Ready, Mark?" Amy asked, leaning on the door frame and sticking just her head into the office. She wasn't dressed inappropriately, but Sandy was a little bit of a prude and she didn't want to listen to any comments. "How was your meeting?" she asked as they waited for the elevator.

"It was great! I'm going to be the MC for the talent show. Are you planning to be there?"

"I wasn't going to, but if you're performing, I wouldn't dream of missing it. I have a 15-minute break right now. We could go sit somewhere and you could tell me all about it."

"Are you hungry?" Mark asked shyly as the elevator doors opened. "We could get some tea and split a muffin or whatever you like."

"What a lovely idea! Why didn't I think of that?" She pushed the button for the lobby. He really is a sweet man.

The burgundy silk shirt was rapidly taking shape under Kurt's skillful hands. He had worked alone for a while after Phil left, but Jo had returned to the workroom to arrange Marisol's winning look on the mannequin along the wall of honor. Kurt was using the sewing machine, so he was in the other room, but he left the door open so he and Jo could converse as they worked. He was just getting ready to start attaching the rather tricky front facing when he was panicked by the sound of Jo's voice raised in greeting. "Blaine! What brings you here?" she asked loudly.

"Are you okay, Jo? You're yelling at me."

Kurt was thinking fast. I can just keep very quiet and hope he doesn't come back here, but he probably will. I could just say the shirt is for Lars or myself or Dad, but I'd rather he not see it at all. He swept all the shirt pieces back into the Mood bag.

"Am I? I'm so sorry. My ears are stopped up. It must be allergies. Is this better?"

Blaine just looked at her. "No-oo," he said, drawing out the word. "You're still yelling."

Kurt looked frantically around the room. Why am I here? I need to pretend to be doing something. His eye fell on the last four gift bags. He had finished them hours ago, but Blaine didn't know that. He seized one, turned it inside out, aligned it under the presser foot and began to sew over the existent seam. The thread was the wrong color, but Blaine probably wouldn't notice, and it was just a gift bag so it didn't matter much. Oh, I should go out and say 'hi'. With any luck, he won't come in here at all. He stopped the machine and pushed his chair back.

"Is that Blaine?" he asked cheerfully as he entered the workroom. "What are you doing here?"

"I got some socks for next week, but I'm sure you won't like any of them. Heidi says you can still request what you want, but we'll have these available for anyone who wants them. What are you up to?" He turned to the accessory wall to find a place for the socks.

As soon as Blaine couldn't see him, Kurt mouthed 'thank you' to Jo. She nodded and grinned, enjoying their shared secret. "If I tell you, Heidi will have to kill you, so please don't ask," he said with a wicked grin.

"Oooh! A secret? That's a switch! I guess I'll just have to search the room from top to bottom," Blaine replied, looking just as devilish, laughing in delight when Kurt blushed.

Jo looked from one to the other. Okay, the 'Heidi' remark is obvious, but what is this top/bottom thing, and how is it that they have private jokes, anyway?

"I guess I'd better get back to the office. Are you ready to go? We could walk back together," Blaine offered.

Jo glanced swiftly at Kurt, who shook his head. "I'm having trouble getting this skirt exactly the way I want it. It's such a beautiful dress; I want to do it justice," she said. "I think I'll be here a while."

"Are we still on for 1:00 Blaine?"

"Absolutely! My guitar is in the office. I'll pick it up and meet you at the apartment. I have to bring Annie and Marisol their phones." He turned to Jo and added, "We're practicing for the talent show. Kurt has a beautiful voice." He walked out, humming as he went, moving to the music and doing a Warbler-esque turn as he went through the door.

When Blaine had disappeared down the hall, Jo handed Kurt a large black plastic garbage bag. "I brought a few things I thought you might need. That's not the most elegant container, but I didn't want anyone to see what was in there."

His curiosity piqued, Kurt opened the bag. "Oh, Jo, thank you so much! I hadn't thought this far ahead." He pulled out a tape, scissors, a shirt box, white tissue, two rolls of wrapping paper, coordinating ribbons, a package of gift tags and some pre-made bows.

"I know that's a lot, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to go fun or elegant with the gift wrap. That's some stuff we had at home, so just return what you don't use and feel free to use all of it if you need to."

"Jo, this is fantastic, and you really saved my life just then when Blaine came in. May I give you a hug?" She held out her arms with a smile, and he embraced her.

When Blaine got back to the office, there was a box on his desk. Oh, Burt's video is here. He wants me to watch it. He unpacked it. I have to transfer the video to my computer anyway for editing. I'll do that now and watch it at the same time.

The video started with a tight shot on a woman Blaine didn't recognize. Oh, that must be Becca.

"Hi, Kurt. Merry Christmas. We all miss you, and we're looking forward to seeing you on television. I'm helping your dad make this video and I wanted to say 'hi' in case you were wondering who was holding the camera." The picture swayed and shook as Burt handed the camera to Becca and she focused on him.

"Hi, Kiddo. Merry Christmas! I don't know if you've opened your present yet, but I hope you like it. Be sure to thank Blaine. He went to a lot of trouble for me. I know you're worrying about my diet, so I thought I'd take you along on a trip to the grocery store." Becca zoomed out so the entrance to the store was clearly visible behind Burt. Blaine watched as Burt got a cart and went through the automatic doors, Becca evidently walking backwards in front of him. "Okay, here we are in the produce section. Let's see what's on our list. Becca, watch out!" There was a bump and the picture shook again. Apologies could be heard from Burt and Becca, and the woman with whom Becca had collided was laughing and reassuring them that she was fine. "Okay, Kiddo, let's try this again. We need broccoli, baby carrots, yellow onions, and sweet potatoes." Burt quickly located the items and placed them in his cart. "You'll notice," he said with a grin, "how quickly I found everything. That's because, as I've told you many times, I know how to take care of myself!" Burt and Becca moved into the fruit area. "Next, we have apples and oranges." Burt filled a bag with half a dozen oranges, then turned to the apples. To Burt's evident dismay, the counter was filled with a multiplicity of varieties: blushing Pink Lady apples, enormous Jonagolds, bright green Granny Smiths, red and green Braeburns, pink and yellow Galas, and dark red Winesaps. "Good grief! How am I supposed to know which ones to get?" he muttered to himself. After thinking a minute, he looked at the prices and decided on the most inexpensive of the group, placing several shiny Granny Smiths in a bag.

"Excuse me," said a tentative voice. It sounded like the lady they had bumped into on the way into the store. Becca swung the camera around to reveal a pleasant-looking woman, a little younger than Burt. "Are you planning to eat those apples or cook with them?"

"I'm going to eat one with my sandwich at lunch every day. Is that important?"

"Granny Smith apples are very tart. They're great for pies, but not good for eating raw. I think you might like these better." She handed him a Gala.

Burt's face broke into a broad smile. "Thank you. The last time I bought apples, they had two kinds. This was a little confusing."

"I couldn't help but overhear what you were saying earlier. Is your son in the military?"

"No, he's in New York filming a television show. It's called Project Runway."

"I love that show! I remember I was so excited that there was a contestant from Lima. Let me think … oh, Kurt, right? His interview was great. I remember he talked about you. I especially liked the way he puts his mother into his designs. I'm Carole, by the way. Carole Hudson." She extended her hand.

Burt shook it firmly. "Burt Hummel. It's nice to meet you. This is Becca. She's a full-time mechanic at the garage, part-time videographer, and a good friend."

"It's nice to meet you, Becca. I won't offer to shake hands since you have the camera. What garage -- oh, silly question -- Hummel's Tires, right?"

"The best in town! If you ever have a problem with your car that you or your husband can't fix, come see us. We'll take care of you." Even though the video was for Kurt, Becca wasn't going to pass up a chance to promote the business.

"I'm a widow," Carole said quietly. Becca started to apologize, only to be stopped by a gesture from Carole. "No, it's fine. My husband died a long time ago, and you didn't know. I can fix some things myself, but it's always good to know a competent mechanic and a garage you can have confidence in. I especially like the idea that my car would be worked on by a woman. Listen, I'm messing up the video for your son. I'll get out of the way now. It was nice meeting you both." With that, she was gone.