Blaine smiled as he watched the rest of the video. There were a few more scenes after the grocery store: quick messages from the Burt's employees and their families, all filmed in the garage. In the background of one, Blaine could see a woman standing beside what was evidently her car, talking to Burt. It was hard to tell, but it looked as if it might be the woman from the grocery store. Blaine hoped it was; she seemed nice and Burt certainly deserved to be happy with someone. I can call him and he can gush about Carole and I can rave about Kurt. No, that wouldn't be weird at all. He decided not to edit the video much; Becca had done a good job and the occasional shakiness just added to its charm. Heidi hadn't specified how she wanted the videos handled, but he figured he would probably be putting them on DVDs that she would hand out at some point. He was struck by a sudden idea. It would be a little extra trouble for him, but he really didn't mind, and it had the potential to be really funny. He buzzed Heidi and explained his idea.

"That's great, Blaine," she chuckled. "Is there any way to tell which ones we catch?"

"I'll have to upload each video individually anyway, so they'll each have a different link. I can set it up so the system notifies us if a video is accessed."

"You realize this is going to be a lot of work for you either late on the 24th or very early on the 25th, don't you?"

"Yes, but I really don't mind. We'd be using our own server instead of YouTube, so I can upload everything ahead of time and just rename the files late that evening. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes and I can remote in and do it from home."

"Okay, set up a new e-mail account in the name 'Heidi Klaus' and send the messages from there. Have any mail the account receives forwarded to you and me. When will you be ready?"

"The video cameras are supposed to come back tomorrow. I was going to say we can do it as soon as your part is taped, but it might be better to wait until I've verified that we actually have a video from each family. So far, all I have are Annie, Marisol, and Kurt. I'd feel terrible if I promised something we couldn't deliver."

"That's a good point. Call wardrobe and find out if they have something appropriate for me to wear, and get Phil or Juan lined up. What do I have on my schedule for tomorrow?"

"As far as I know, nothing unusual is going on. Isaac is coming in to see me at 10:00 and I suggested he bring his daughter with him. I thought she might like to see the office, and it would be easier to talk to her directly if I had any questions about the jewelry."

"See if you can set up filming for 9:30 on the runway set at Parsons. And speaking of Christmas, we need to let the designers have their phones sometime during day. Let's aim for early after... oh, no, we can't do that. That would mean asking someone to work on Christmas day. I'm already asking a lot of everyone to work on the 24th and 26th. Let me think about this a minute."

Blaine hesitated. I don't want Heidi to start feeling sorry for me, because there isn't any need. I'm perfectly happy with my life. But it isn't right to stay silent if I can solve a problem for her. "I can take care of it. I have somewhere I need to be from about 10:00 until 3:00, but if we can work around that, I don't mind at all."

"If you really don't mind, that would be great. I'm afraid the designers will be unhappy about not being with their families on Christmas. I was considering giving them their phones on the 24th and picking them up on the 26th, but I hate to do that in the middle of a challenge. I think this is better. If you can think of anything else that might help them, let me know."

In for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose. "Some of them might want to come with me on Christmas."

"Blaine, you know you can't take the designers to your family Christmas" Heidi said gently. "I appreciate the offer, but it just wouldn't be a good idea."

"It's not my family Christmas. My parents are out of state, so I'll see them after this season wraps. Skyping isn't quite as good as being in the same room with them, but it's pretty close. I'll be helping with dinner at one of the family shelters, and I'll probably stay for a while and sing with the kids or read stories or something. They can always use some extra hands if anyone else wants to come along."

"That's a wonderful idea! Send an e-mail and let me know how many respond. Make it clear that this is completely optional. I don't want people going because they think they will look bad if they don't. And send me the information on the shelter. I can't be there in person, but I can make a donation."

She never ceases to amaze me! "Thanks, Heidi. I know they will appreciate it."

Amy had thoroughly enjoyed her break. Mark paid for her tea despite her protests, and they had shared a chocolate chunk scone, breaking off small pieces and eating them, Mark insisting that Amy take the ones with large gooey pieces of chocolate. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. He was cute, funny, and attentive, and he seemed to really like her. In fact, the only fault she could find with him was that he would be leaving soon. She wasn't sure if she wanted a long distance relationship, even with someone as nice as Mark, so maybe it would be better to discourage him. The last thing she needed was somebody chasing her around, bothering her with annoying e-mails and texts, but he was awfully sweet. Maybe she would keep her options open until she learned a little more about him, what he planned to do with his life. I need to figure out how to spend more time with him. Someone has to ride herd on the eliminated designers. I wonder if I could work something out with that. Of course, I'd still be stuck with the job after Mark leaves. She decided to think about it a little longer before she made a decision.

Blaine was surprised to get a nearly immediate response to his e-mail about the homeless shelter. Jen must have been in front of her computer.

Blaine All three of us girls are in! Kurt's not here right now but I'd bet dollars to donuts that he'll go along. On a personal note, I want to thank the Runway staff for providing this opportunity. I had a substance abuse problem a few years ago and nearly ended up on the streets myself. Someone gave me a hand up, and I'm glad to have a chance to pay some of that forward, even if it's in a small way. If it's permitted, we'd like to make a shopping trip to get a few things to donate. Do you know if the shelter has a wish list?

Annie wants to know if you're coming for supper tonight. ~Jen

He decided to respond even though he didn't have the answers to most of her questions. He hated to turn down the supper invitation, but he needed to get home. Some of the pressure was off for Kurt's CD, now that he knew he would see the designers on Christmas, but he still needed to finish his song for the talent show. He had most of the verses written --  in fact he had too many verses and needed to cut something -- but he wasn't at all happy with the bridge. I hate it, but I really need to put a little distance between the two of us if I'm going to make it through to the end of February without doing something embarrassing, or worse, completely inappropriate.

Jen -- I'll check with Heidi about the shopping trip, but we should be able to work something out. I know they usually want basic things like body wash, deodorant, wash cloths, toothbrushes, … well, I'm sure you get the idea. As far as supper, I appreciate the invitation, but I've got some things to take care of at home tonight. I'll be up a little before 1:00 with Annie and Marisol's phones, though. B

He forwarded Jen's message to Heidi, removing the last line, not trying to hide anything but because it was not germane, and adding a suggestion that Friday morning might be a good time for the shopping trip. He was about to call wardrobe when another e-mail from Jen came in.

We'll do it another time, then. Jen

Jen looked up from her computer. "Blaine's not coming for supper, but he's bringing the phones, so we need to make a decision do we try to hide all these cookies, make up a story, or just tell him the truth?"

Annie smiled. "Go out into the hall, walk down to the elevators and back three times, then come inside."

"What? I don't understand."

"I don't understand, either, Annie," Marisol chimed in.

"Fine. Both of you do it. Just go. If you don't understand when you get back, I'll explain it to you." Annie laughed as she shooed them out the door.

Moments later, they were back. Annie opened the door and waited for them to figure it out. Realization dawned on both faces almost immediately. The apartment was redolent with the tantalizing aromas of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, coconut and chocolate from Jen's oatmeal cookies.

"Oh! It smells good in here!" exclaimed Marisol. "I guess we got used to it and didn't notice it. Anyone who comes in here is going to know what we've been doing, even if we get rid of all the evidence."

"So I guess hiding the cookies won't work," Jen agreed. "I think we ended up with about nine dozen, right Marisol? What if we hide most of them and put a few out on a plate? We can always claim it was a small batch and we ate the rest of them." They set to work packaging the cookies and stashing them in the pantry.

Kurt was tired from his morning of sewing, but quite pleased with the results. If he could get just one more hour at Parsons, the shirt would be finished. He wished he had bought some of the heart buttons with his personal funds, but he hadn't thought of that when he was at Mood. Fortunately, the sewing machine had a built-in stitch that embroidered a small heart. He didn't know how Blaine would feel about having a heart on the shirt, so he had hidden it on the inside of the left front pocket, placing it on the hem so it wasn't visible from the outside, and using matching thread to make it as inconspicuous as possible. He wanted Blaine to look good in the shirt, but he also wanted it to be comfortable to perform in. With that in mind, he had redrafted the long sleeves to make them easy to roll up to just below the elbow and added a tab to hold them in place. He had also used a concealed placket below mid-chest so the buttons wouldn't scratch Blaine's guitar. He put the shirt back in the Mood bag and stashed it in his area along with the wrapping materials just as Jo arrived to escort him back to the apartment.

"Were you able to finish," she asked, "or do you need more time?"

"I'm not quite done. Would it be possible to come back at 8:30 tomorrow for about two hours? I don't think I'll need that long, but I want to be sure."

"Of course you can. Do you want to stay longer now? I can come back," she offered.

Kurt stretched his back and shoulders. "No, I'm tired and I want to get some lunch before rehearsal. This is harder than making something for the challenges because it's actually going to be used, so I can't get away with any mistakes. I don't want buttons falling off or a sleeve coming loose while Blaine is wearing it."

"Yes, you wouldn't want to hold anything together with glue or tape, like we've seen on the runway a few times," Jo laughed. "I'm sure it won't come to that, though." She locked the workroom and they headed out.

Blaine was just about to leave for lunch when the phone rang. Sandy answered it, and put the caller on hold. "It's Isaac, asking for you. Do you want me to tell him you've already gone and he should call back tomorrow?" she asked.

"No, I'll take it." He waited while she transferred the call. "Hi, Isaac! What's up?"

"My Mimi is so excited about the jewelry! She's making a pin especially for Kurt, to thank him, you see. We DVR'd the first episode since I did the makeup for a number of them, and she watched all the clips he was in, especially when he was talking about his mama. She's been working on it ever since you called. It'll be finished by the time we come in tomorrow. She really wants him to have it, but I explained that she might not be allowed to give it to him. Can you see if it would be okay?"

"Sure. I'm going to put you on hold so I can talk to Heidi." Blaine and Sandy both had the authority to make most decisions, and Blaine could have refused without consulting anyone. This was clearly against the rules prohibiting outside contact, but Blaine was hoping Heidi would make an exception. He buzzed her phone and explained the situation.

"That's very sweet of her. You're right; it is against the rules, so we'd better have the meeting take place in my office. 10:00 is cutting it a little close for me. Let's reschedule for 11:00. Have Kurt in my office before Isaac gets here please, so the only contact Isaac's daughter has with Kurt takes place in my presence." Heidi frowned. "What is her name? I can't keep calling her 'Isaac's daughter'."

"I'm pretty sure her name is Mimi. Isaac always says 'my Mimi' but I think that's just the way he talks."

As soon as she broke the connection, Heidi placed another call. "Hey, it's me. Can you be in my office a little before 11:00 tomorrow? I have someone bringing some jewelry. I don't know if it's any good or not, but I thought you might want to see it. Kurt likes it."

In the outer office, Blaine reconnected to Isaac. "Heidi says it would be fine, as long as we can reschedule. Will that be okay? She has something else going on first, so she asked that you not come any earlier than 11:00."

"Wonderful, Mon! We'll see you at 11:00 on the dot."

Blaine sent an e-mail to Kurt, picked up the two phones, his laptop and his guitar, bade Sandy goodbye, and headed out to lunch.

The first thing Kurt noticed when he got back to the apartment was the wonderful aroma. "Jen, are those your cookies? They smell great. Do we have any to sample?"

"Here you go." She put one on a plate and filled a small glass with milk. "I guess you're old enough to have your dessert first if you want to. There's chicken salad in the fridge if you want a sandwich. Have you read your e-mail lately?"

"These taste even better than they smell!" he exclaimed around the bite of cookie in his mouth. "Is there something going on?"

Jen told him about the Christmas visit to the homeless shelter and the possible shopping trip for donations.

"That's a great idea. I might not be able to go shopping with you, but I'll make a donation if that's okay. I'm still not finished with my project. And don't be nosy I'm not telling you what it is."

"Hmph. See if you get any more of my oatmeal cookies, then. In fact, I think I'll take that one back, too." She grabbed for it, but Kurt snatched the cookie away and held it behind his back, leaving her with just the empty plate.

"I'm not giving this up without a fight! These are almost too good to give away. I need this recipe."

Blaine had only a few yards down the hall when he realized that while he could probably manage the two phones and the laptop at lunch, it wasn't a good idea to take the guitar with him, so instead of going out to the street, he stopped at the concierge desk.

"Hi, George! How's it going?"

"Blaine! It's good to see you. I can't complain. What can I do for you?"

"Can I leave my guitar and my laptop in the storage room while I go to lunch?"

"Sure, no problem. I was just about to go to lunch myself. Want some company?"

"That would be great! Pret a Manger okay with you?"

As soon as George's relief arrived, they left, walking the short distance in comfortable silence. It wasn't until they were settled at a table with their food in front of them that George started his gentle questioning. "So, did you get your present figured out?"

"Yes, I did," Blaine replied. "I did the brainstorming exercise that you suggested, and ended up realizing that he likes music, so I'm making him a CD. It's perfect because it's inexpensive so he won't feel bad when he doesn't have a present for me, but it's still personal."

"Are you putting your original songs on it?"

How does he know I compose? This is getting a little spooky. "Okay, George. I can see that maybe you would have known that this was for a 'him' and not a 'her', but what makes you think I compose?"

George laughed. "All the signs are there. Your guitar case is, shall we say, rather worn, so you've had it a while and it's obviously had hard use. You're comfortable carrying it, too. You're bright and articulate, and you use language very carefully. But the kicker is that lately, as you walk through the lobby in the morning, you hum something, then you stop and think, then you hum it again slightly differently, as if you were working on a song in the subway and you haven't quite put it away yet. One of my kids used to do that."

Blaine put his hand behind his head and rubbed his neck. "Okay, you got me. I admit it; I have dabbled with songwriting, but I'm not putting anything original on the CD. I'm just making something he can sing along to. I'm playing the accompaniment so the CD doesn't have any actual value."

"So what's the song for?"

"I'm thinking about performing it at the talent show if I can get it finished by then. Sandy needed one more act."

"Great! I'm looking forward to hearing it." When he saw Blaine's puzzled look, he continued. "Heidi invited me. Margaret and I will both be there."

Blaine got to the apartment a little before 1:00 and found the door open, Marisol and Annie waiting eagerly. Marisol was holding a plate with a cookie and Annie had a glass of milk. "We'll trade you for the phones," they chorused.

"Have fun!" he said, exchanging the phones for the food. "Sandy will be here to pick them up at 1:30," he called after them. He shut the door with his foot, and took his dessert to the table.

"Hi, Blaine. You owe me a donut," Jen said by way of greeting. She waited for the penny to drop.

Blaine looked confused for several seconds before his face cleared. "Oh, Kurt is going to the shelter with us." He took a bite of cookie.

"Got it in one," she confirmed. "How do you like it? Feel free to heap praises upon my head."

"This is your recipe, then? It's really good." He took another bite. "Really, really good. It's like several different cookies at once. The first bite was raisin and coconut, and this one was peanut butter and chocolate." He took another bite and a sip of milk. "And the best part is that there wasn't any torture associated with it."

Jen laughed. "That was fun. It showed me a side of Heidi I never suspected. She's a complex person, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. Just when I think I have her all figured out, she surprises me again. Is Kurt here?"

"He's brushing his teeth, I think. He should be right out. If not, I'll go get him, but I don't want to disturb Marisol if I don't have to. Would you like another cookie? We still have a few left."

"No, thank you. I just had lunch. Considering what all of you put me through with the cake, I shouldn't say this, but I know Sandy would love one when she comes to pick up the phones. Oh, hi, Kurt. Are you ready to practice?"

"I've been looking forward to it all day. I love to sing, and I don't get much chance any more," Kurt said wistfully. "In high school, it was the highlight of my day, and I miss it so much. This is a real treat for me."

"You can still sing any time you want," Jen said, somewhat surprised. "None of us would mind if you sang."

Kurt laughed. "I can tell you never sang as part of a group. It's fine to sing alone or with a song on the radio, but there's something about blending your voice with that of another person that's … I don't know … it's hard to explain..." Kurt's voice trailed off as he struggled for words.

"It's a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, both figuratively and literally," Blaine explained. "Adding harmonies to a melody strengthens it and supports it and makes it much richer than any of the sounds alone, and working as a group to produce something beautiful is a wonderful feeling. You end up being really close to people you sing with on a regular basis."

Kurt looked at him in awe. "That's it, exactly."

"Okay, enough of this. I've had my dessert, so let's go make some music!"

Since they were working on Christmas carols, Blaine decided to leave his guitar in the storeroom and use the keyboard in the lounge. He turned the volume down so they wouldn't disturb anyone, and Kurt opened his notebook. They began to prepare a set list, starting with easy songs like Jingle Bells and Joy to the World, occasionally adding a slower song like Silent Night. Blaine told Kurt what Heidi had said about allowing the designers to sing a sad song if that's what they wanted, so they made a separate list of upbeat songs to do afterwards to get everyone back in a joyous mood.

"What's your favorite Christmas song, Blaine?" Kurt asked when they took a short break to rest their voices.

Blaine didn't even have to think about it. "Silver Bells. I like to sing the echo part. What's yours?"

"Carol of the Bells, but that one's hard to do as a sing-along. Most people don't know the words and I don't think the two of us could carry it," Kurt said regretfully. "What do you think about O Holy Night?"

"That's so pretty, but not so good for a sing-along. You could perform it as a solo, though, and maybe some people would join in."

"The English version or the French version?"

"I didn't know French was an option. You are a man of many talents, Mr. Hummel."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Anderson. I'm glad my high school French class impresses somebody. Are you ready to sing a little more?"

When Sandy got to the apartment, all three girls were waiting in the living room. "I'm sorry, Ladies, but I have to pick up your phones now," she said gently.

"Here you go," said Annie cheerfully, handing her both phones. "Thank you for coming to get them. Jen's been baking. Would you like a cookie?"

"That's why it smells so good in here! I'd love one!" Sandy said enthusiastically. "Heidi won't mind if I'm gone a few minutes longer, as long as I don't tell her I've gotten more of Jen's cooking.

"Blaine said you might like one," Jen laughed. "Sandy, do think there's any chance we could arrange a little shopping trip? Kurt's got some mysterious project going that he won't tell me about, and I'm afraid it might involve Christmas presents."

"Oh, that sounds just like him! I'd like to get him something anyway; he's such a nice person," Annie said.

Marisol's mouth dropped open. "I've got several gifts I need to buy. It really would be nice if we could get to a store."

"I'll tell you what Heidi's already approved the trip to get things to donate to the homeless shelter for tomorrow morning, and we have a car so you won't have to carry a bunch of stuff back. I'll see if she'll let us make a few more stops. Think about where you'd like to go and e-mail me a list. This cookie is wonderful! Do you share the recipe, Jen?"

"What if Kurt wants to go along?" worried Marisol.

"He'll be busy all morning, so that won't be a problem. He asked me if I would buy some things for him to donate if we went without him," said Jen.

"Perfect! That's settled."

"Here's a cookie for Heidi." Jen handed Sandy a small plastic bag. "I'll e-mail you the recipe."

"How about some coffee? It's my turn to buy." Blaine turned off the keyboard and replaced the dust cover.

"I'd love to, but don't you have something you want to do with the rest of your afternoon off?"

Yes, have coffee with you. "Heidi didn't give me much warning, so I don't have anything special planned. Do you want your usual or are you in the mood to try something new?"

"My 'usual'? We've only had coffee once," Kurt teased.

"I told you the first day we met I know all the big designers' coffee orders."

"You remember that?"

The moment we met? Are you kidding? "Of course I do." Blaine's voice was lower and full of meaning, but Kurt didn't notice, or if he did, he didn't react. "It was right after you finished judging my apparel."

"'Judging' is such a harsh word. Let's say 'appreciating'. You have quite the sense of style."

Blaine inclined his head in mock humility. "Thank you kindly, Sir."

"Except for that hair."

I know all these awful curls. "Hey! What's wrong with my hair?" demanded Blaine playfully, his lower lip jutting out into a pout.

"You use entirely too much gel. Hair isn't supposed to be glued down like that." Kurt poked gently at the stiffened curls. "How do you expect some cute girl to run her fingers through that? She'd probably break a fingernail."

I'd like to have your fingers tugging at my hair. Blaine was momentarily lost in the vivid images his imagination was painting Kurt's hand sliding over his jaw and fisting into his curls as their lips pressed together in a heated kiss. He was pulled back to reality by Kurt's chuckle.

"Wow, your eyes got so dark just now! I must have triggered a really good memory. But seriously, Blaine, why do you mistreat your hair like that? What's it ever done to you?"

Get a grip, you idiot. "I have to gel it into submission so it will stay professional-looking. For some reason, people don't take me seriously when my hair is all wild. But back to our coffee discussion do you want your usual or something different?"

"I'm always open to new experiences. Surprise me. I'll get us a table."

Oh, I've got a bunch of new experiences for you. Just say the word. "Are you sure you trust me?"

"Well, it's just coffee, right? We're not jumping off the roof of a building."

"Is that another Aladdin reference? I like that you just cast me as the hero. Okay, I'll be right back." They separated, Blaine approaching the counter and Kurt finding a table in a quiet corner.

When Blaine joined Kurt at the table, he had a cup in each hand and a plate with a slice of cake and two forks balanced on top of one of the cups. "Let me help you with that," Kurt said as he took the cake and set it on the table. "Which coffee is mine?"

There's a lot of stuff you could help me with. "It doesn't matter; they're the same. Do you want me to tell you about the coffee or would you rather just taste it?"

"Taste first, please." Kurt inhaled the steam rising from the cup, smiled in appreciation, and took a tentative sip. "This is nice. It's mild, and there's a hint of cinnamon, I think."

"It's their special Christmas blend. They only have it a few weeks every year. I asked for non-fat milk, by the way."

"Thank you. I like to watch what I eat. I want to avoid heath problems if at all possible."

"I noticed that. I hope that doesn't mean you won't share this cake with me."

"I'm careful, but I'm not a fanatic about it. That cake looks delicious. What is it?"

"It's another of their special Christmas items, and I think it goes perfectly with the coffee." He used one of the forks to pick up a bite from the lighter top layer and offered it to Kurt, who opened his mouth obediently. You want me to feed you? Do you know how hot that it? Are you torturing me on purpose? I can't do this. I can not do this. Bad idea! He gently placed the cake into Kurt's mouth, trying not to stare at Kurt's lips as they closed sensuously around the fork.

Kurt savored the cake before swallowing. "Yum! Spice cake with a cinnamon icing. That does go well with the coffee. What's the other layer?" The tip of his tongue flicked out and caressed his top lip.

Can you be any more sexy? 'Cause this really isn't doing it for me. Blaine loaded the fork with a bite of the dark brown bottom layer and placed it in Kurt's waiting mouth.

"Oh, that's good too! Dark chocolate, not too sweet." He closed his eyes and took a sip of coffee.

Okay, here goes. I hope you laugh this time. "So, how do you want to divide this cake up? Top, bottom or switch?"

Kurt's eyes flew open. "You're never going to put that joke to bed, are you?" he snapped in annoyance.

Put it to bed? Seriously? He gazed steadily at Kurt, struggling not to laugh, waiting for him to realize what he'd said. It didn't take long. Kurt's cheeks turned bright pink as his hand flew to his mouth and he dissolved into giggles.

"I can't believe I said that! What is wrong with me? I'm not flirting with you, Blaine, I swear. I don't even think I know how to flirt with someone."

Talk about running fingers through his hair, ask him to feed you, do that tongue thing -- that's a pretty good start. "See, I knew that I could make you laugh about this. I know you're not flirting with me, and even if you were, I told you I'm completely comfortable with my sexuality. I'd just take it as a compliment and enjoy it. Now, if you want any more of this cake, you'll have to feed yourself."