When Kurt got back to the apartment, he saw a small Christmas tree on the end table next to the couch, lending a festive air to the room. According to the note he found on the refrigerator, the girls had gone up to the fitness center and would be back in about an hour. The empty apartment was very quiet, and as he prepared supper for the four of them, Kurt had time to think about the things he and Blaine had discussed. Despite Blaine's words, Kurt was pretty sure that he hadn't met his soulmate yet. After all, if he recognized what special friends he and Blaine were destined to be, it stood to reason that he would recognize the man that would become his entire world. It was so nice to have Blaine to talk to, though. He wasn't planning to dump all his unanswered questions and unresolved problems on Blaine, but it was wonderful to know he had someone with whom he could discuss anything. He was positive that Blaine would never laugh at him, or get embarrassed, and would never judge him. He wondered what it would have been like to have Blaine as a friend when he was growing up. I would have had someone to talk to when Mom died, when I was trying to figure out my sexuality, when the bullying got so bad. We could have been in glee club together, maybe sung some duets, even if we never got the competition leads. Blaine probably would have gotten all the solos, though. He and Rachel would have been cute together, or maybe he would have liked Quinn better, or even Tina or Mercedes. Maybe Blaine would have been my straight guy crush. He laughed to himself at the thought, realizing that he probably wouldn't have been crushing on his best friend. Then he remembered what Blaine said about the frequent moves. If they had met as children, they would have been together for less than a year, and their friendship might not have survived the separation. If they only got one shot, he was glad it was now, when they had more control over their lives. Even if he got kicked off the show on the next challenge, they would stay in touch; he was sure of it.

Blaine felt much happier about his set for the talent show after chatting with Wes. He ran through Never Thought several times, fine-tuning the accompaniment and revising the lyrics. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but he was thinking about including the song on Kurt's CD, so he recorded it. He took a minute to check his e-mail, curious about Wes' comment, but there wasn't anything new, so he continued with the music. He finished the numerous tracks for The Longest Time, then started on The Impossible Dream, doing it as a straight solo with no backup vocals. He was almost positive Kurt would know the song, but he sang it, just in case. Next was Hallelujah. He decided to use Jason Castro's beautiful guitar version for the accompaniment and the harmonies from Espen Lind's rendition.

The second time he checked his e-mail, there was a message from Wes, with a number of jpg files attached.

Blaine -- I thought you might enjoy having these. Sorry it took so long to find them. Call me some time. Wes

The files didn't have descriptive names, just the generic ones provided by the camera. Probably some old Dalton photos. He clicked the "View as Slideshow" button and waited for the images to load. The first was a group photo of the Warblers. Blaine didn't recognize most of them, but he quickly found Kurt and Wes, looking very handsome in their navy blazers. That reminds me. Kurt will probably want to coordinate outfits for our performance. I'd better ask him about that tomorrow. The second was a shot of Kurt, sound asleep, during what appeared to be a Warbler movie night. Blaine could see nearly empty bowls of popcorn and chips, and cups scattered around the rehearsal space. It was impossible to tell who owned the lap that was pillowing Kurt's head, but Blaine realized that even if the photo hadn't cut the guy off above the shoulders, unless he was a senior, he wouldn't know him anyway. His hand was resting on Kurt's hair, as if the unknown boy had been gently stroking it. I like the photo, but I'm not sure if I like that hand. The rest were candid photos, including one of a very annoyed Kurt, still dressed in pajamas, hair uncoiffed, standing in front of a mirror. He's cute in the morning before he gets it all together. I'll have to see if I can be in on it if the camera crew ever does a wake-up call in their apartment. The last picture was his favorite. Kurt was sitting at a library table, lost in thought, staring off into the distance, eyes focused on something only he could see. There was a slight smile on his lips and his chin was propped up on his hand. Unless the picture was posed, which Blaine very much doubted, somehow the photographer had captured the image without disturbing Kurt. I wonder what he was thinking about. It looks like it was something nice. He saved the pictures to his computer, and transferred them to his phone, setting the library photo as his wallpaper. After sending Wes a quick message of thanks, he went back to his musical endeavors.

Two of the songs he had selected were male/female duets, and he realized he had picked songs he wanted to sing with Kurt, rather than songs he thought Kurt would enjoy singing, but he decided to just go with it. Kurt liked duets, and the songs were fun. It took a while, but he finished the CD before he went to bed. He wrapped it and the gift from Burt and put them in his laptop case. I think I'll give them to him tomorrow. The Christmas trees should have been delivered to the apartments today. He can put them under the tree and unwrap them whenever he wants. After all, trying to guess what's in the package is half the fun.

"Happy Friday, everyone!" Kurt greeted the girls as he returned from the fitness center. None of them had been awake when he left the apartment, but they were all gathered in the kitchen when he got back. "It's funny; Friday isn't as exciting when I'm not working or going to school. Are you going shopping this morning?"

"Sandy's taking us about 9:30," Marisol replied. "I found the money you left on my dresser. Is there anything in particular you'd like me to get?"

"No, just whatever you think they could use. I'm going up to the workroom after breakfast, and then Heidi wants to see me a little before 11:00, so I guess I won't be back this morning. Blaine's e-mail said it was something about my blog. I hope there isn't a problem."

"I'm sure it's nothing bad," Annie said reassuringly. "Maybe she really liked it. Do you want some coffee?"

"I hope that's all it is. I'm going to shower, and then I'll go downstairs for breakfast, so no thank you on the coffee." He headed to the bedroom, humming happily.

Blaine was running a little behind. It wasn't too late when he got into bed, but thinking about Kurt's reaction to the CD and Burt's present had kept him awake into the early morning hours and he had slept through his alarm. He worried that the CD was too presumptuous and that Kurt might not understand what he was trying to do. He also hoped that Kurt would like Burt's present. He started to grab a bowl of cereal but realized he didn't have time. I'll get something at the Atlas and eat at my desk. He grabbed his laptop and headed out.

The lounge was nearly empty when Kurt arrived. The regular tenants had probably all left for work, and the designers must have been sleeping in. The buffet had a good assortment of foods, and a number of healthy choices. I wonder if all upscale apartment buildings offer a free breakfast every morning, or if it's a special feature of the Atlas. I'll have to ask George about that. He stopped at the coffee bar for another cup of the Christmas blend he and Blaine had enjoyed the day before. He could have gotten free coffee with breakfast, but the specialty coffee was worth the money. The barista had just handed him his order when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned in surprise, and a smile brightened his features. "Blaine! Good morning. Are you here for breakfast?"

It is now! "No, I'm running late and I didn't have time to eat. I'm just going to grab a muffin or something and eat it at my desk." I could have breakfast with Kurt once in a while, and I could make it look like an accidental meeting.

"No coffee? You can't survive the morning without caffeine, you know. It isn't possible," Kurt joked.

It's you I can't survive without. "No time," Blaine said regretfully. "I should have been at my desk five minutes ago."

Kurt pressed the cup into Blaine's hand. "Here, you can have this one. I haven't touched it and it's one you like," he hastened to add when he saw Blaine's hesitation.

Putting my lips where yours have been. Yeah, that would really bother me. Don't want to do that! "I don't mind sharing with you at all. I just don't want to take your coffee." Oh, maybe he thinks that's gross. I hope not.

"Take it. I can get another one, and Heidi's going to notice that you're late." Kurt pushed him towards the door. "Besides, you bought me coffee and cake yesterday."

"Thanks! I'm paying next time, though." And there will be a next time. Many next times if I have anything to say about it. He grabbed a muffin from the basket on the buffet and rushed toward the elevators. When he got to the office, Heidi was already there and her door was open. He stuck his head in and began to apologize for his tardiness until Heidi interrupted him.

"Blaine, what time is it?"

He checked his watch. "7:57"

"Sandy's not here yet. Is she late?"

"No."

"Because …."

"Because it's not 8:00 yet."

"So, why are we having this conversation?" She let him think for a minute. "I get it, Blaine. You're extremely conscientious, and to you, 'on time' means fifteen minutes early, but wait to apologize until you've actually done something wrong. And be sure you have something in your hand when you do it."

"Something in my hand?"

Heidi pretended to ponder. "Let's see... Coffee or one of Jen's cookies would be suitable. If your transgression is really bad, you'd better get her to bake another cake."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll keep that in mind," Blaine said sheepishly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"What did you get from wardrobe for my videos this morning?"

"They will deliver a Santa dress red with a fur-trimmed scoop neckline, black Nancy boots and a Santa hat about 8:30. I asked them to send up some appropriate jewelry as well."

"Perfect! There are a few things on your desk that came in yesterday afternoon. Let me know if you have any questions."

Blaine sat down at his desk and sipped his coffee while he sorted through his mail. Several of the cameras had come in and he started importing the videos as he ate his muffin and tried to decide if it was a good idea to 'accidentally' run into Kurt in the lounge at breakfast on Monday. Maybe I shouldn't. At least I'll see him Saturday evening for the talent show and we'll get to spend part of Christmas day together at the shelter. I hope we get some time to talk.

"While I'm gone today," Sandy announced as she came through the door, "don't let Amy anywhere near my desk."

"Good morning to you, too," Blaine teased. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Sandy laughed. "Oh, sorry. Good morning, Blaine. That's all I could think about on the way to work how to keep that girl away from my stuff. I'm taking your designers shopping today, so the least you could do is defend my desk."

"Consider it done. I'll guard it with my life."

The morning passed quickly. Heidi had gone to record the Christmas videos and Sandy was taking the designers shopping, so Blaine was alone in the office when Amy came in. He cringed when he saw her approach. What will it be today rude or suggestive, or maybe both? He was surprised when it was neither. "Hi, Blaine," she said in a very professional manner. "Is Heidi in?"

Now she'll get rude. "No, I'm sorry, Amy. She out and she won't be back for a while. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I guess it would have been smarter to call first. Oh, well, it was nice to get away from my desk for a few minutes. I wanted to ask her if I could take charge of the designers who got cut from the show. Could you make an appointment for me?"

Looks like I'm not the only one who's fallen for one of the contestants. It's too bad Mark is already off the show. I could get used to this Amy."Sure, Amy, but I think you could talk to Sandy. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what Heidi would tell you to do. She's not here right now either, but she'll be back after lunch. I'll buzz you when she has a minute."

"Thanks, Blaine," she said. "I'd appreciate that. Have a great day!"

When Heidi came back around 10:30, she handed him a memory card. "I made a separate video for each designer, and a generic second one to use if they play the first one, but only if you have time. I think if anyone bites, they all will because they'll tell each other about it. Who do you think will be the first?"

"My money's on Brenden or Andrew, but you never know. I wish I could be there to see the reactions. Kurt will be here in just a few minutes, so I'll process these after he leaves." He placed the memory card and the video cameras in his desk drawer.

"Nina should be here shortly. Send her in and hold my calls."

It had been a very productive morning for Kurt, who had not only finished making the presents, but also wrapped them all. He couldn't decide when to give Blaine the shirt. He really hoped he would wear it for the talent show, but he didn't want to put him on the spot. He might not even like it. Suddenly he was very nervous. Maybe it would be better not to give him the shirt at all. Maybe I should just give him the scarf instead.

"Are you finished?" Jo asked as she entered the room. "How did it come out?"

"Okay, I think. I'm not sure if I should give it to him, though."

Jo saw the shirt box sitting on the work table. "Oh, darn, you already wrapped it. I wanted to see."

Kurt slid the ribbon off the box. "I wrapped the top and bottom of the box separately," he explained, lifting off the lid and unfolding the tissue."

"Oh, Kurt, that's lovely!" She touched the fabric gently. "The silk has a nice hand. Blaine will look fantastic in this!"

"I hope he'll like it," he said worriedly.

"You can count on it," she assured him, "but we'd better get going. You don't want to be late." With nimble fingers, he quickly reassembled the present and placed it in the Mood bag with the scarves.

"Papa, do you think he will like it?" Mimi asked shyly.

Isaac examined the delicate pin. "It's gorgeous! I'm sure he'll love it. You're such a good designer, and a beautiful young woman. Your mama would be so proud if she could see you right now."

"I really liked what he said about putting a heart into each of his designs so he could remember his mama. Do you think he would mind if I started doing the same thing?" she asked as she placed the pin in a box and deftly wrapped it in silver paper, securing it with a turquoise ribbon.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind, but you can ask him if it would make you feel better. Are you going to start putting hearts on everything now?"

"No, because I love Mama, but I don't think of hearts when I think of her. Remember how she used to write me notes so I could practice reading? She always signed them with just the letter 'M'. She said it stood for 'Miriam' and 'Mama' and sometimes we would play a game where I thought up new words that it could stand for, like 'monster' at Halloween and 'mermaid' when we went swimming." She smiled happily at the thought. "And now it stands for 'miss', because I miss her, and 'memories' because I have so many. I put both on Kurt's dragonfly a heart for his mama and a letter 'M' for mine. Do you think that's okay?"

Isaac swept his daughter into a hug so she wouldn't see the tears forming in his eyes. "I think it's perfect. Are you ready to go?"

When Kurt reached Heidi's office, he greeted Sandy and Blaine with a worried smile. "Heidi wants to see me about my blog? I hope I didn't do anything I shouldn't have. I thought I followed all the guidelines. Can I put this bag somewhere? I don't want to take it into Heidi's office."

"Heidi will explain, but there isn't a problem. You can put your bag under my desk. Do I get to see what's inside?"

"No peeking, Blaine!" Kurt said firmly, just as Heidi buzzed Sandy's phone.

"You can go in now," she said with a smile, "and I'll make sure he stays out of your bag."

Kurt was surprised to see that Heidi wasn't alone in her office. "Hi, Heidi, Nina. I hope I didn't cause a problem."

Nina smiled at him as Heidi began to explain. "Not at all, Kurt. Please sit down." She indicated the only remaining chair. "I'm sure you realize that a staff member approves all blogs before they are posted." He nodded, and she continued. "I occasionally read them myself, especially in the beginning. The jewelry designer you mentioned interested me. Isaac and his daughter are bringing me some samples this morning. As you know, one of the purposes of the show is to encourage young designers, and you've given us another opportunity to do so. I thought you might like to see her collection."

"I'd love to! I've only seen the two earrings Isaac was wearing, but they were both interesting and suited his personality."

"I'd also like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog, and I think the fashion advice you gave was spot on. If you can, please continue including a little fashion-on-a-budget advice in each one, at least for the next four. We won't know how people react until the blogs are posted after the first episode airs, and we start getting comments, but I suspect this will be a popular feature. You'll be able to see all the comments, so you'll know if you should continue or not."

There was a knock on the door, and Blaine stuck his head in. "Excuse me, Heidi, but Isaac and Mimi are here." When she nodded, he opened the door wide and gestured for them to enter. "Heidi, Nina, you remember Isaac, and this is his daughter, Mimi. Mimi, this is Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia, and Kurt Hummel."

Kurt got to his feet immediately. "Please, sit here Mimi. It's nice to meet you." She smiled shyly at him.

Oops! I missed that one. I wonder if I need to see Jen about a cookie now. "I'll be right back with two more chairs," Blaine said. He grabbed two chairs from the waiting area and brought them into Heidi's office.

"Thank you, Blaine. Now, Mimi," Heidi said, turning to the girl, "I believe you have some things to show us."

"Yes, Ma'am," she said quietly. She opened the plastic tub she was carrying and began to put samples out on the desk as Isaac looked on with pride.

Heidi picked up a pair of beaded earrings. "I like these and I know exactly what I'd wear them with. How long have you been making jewelry, Mimi?"

"That's part of a set. Let me … oh, here they are." She handed Heidi a necklace and bracelet. "I started playing with beads when I was ten. A friend gave me a kit for my birthday."

"That's very clever, Mimi." Nina spoke for the first time. "It's obvious that the items go together, but they're not identical. I like that."

"I learn a lot from you, Ms. Garcia. When you critique the clothing on the show, I try to apply what you say to my own designs. 'Matchy-matchy' is not so good. I learn from you, too, Ms. Klum," she added.

Nina picked up another pair of earrings. "Are these guitar picks?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. I started using them because they come in numerous colors and they're very inexpensive. They're light-weight, too, and some people like that. I apply the decals myself, so I can make a wide variety of different looks."

Nina looked at Heidi. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Would it work?"

"I think it might." She considered for a moment. "Oh, wait. We can't discuss this in front of Kurt. Kurt, thank you so much for coming in."

"It was my pleasure. Mimi, I love your work, and I'm so happy I got to see it. Isaac, I guess I'll see you on Wednesday." He started to leave.

Isaac nudged his daughter gently. "Ms. Klum," she began hesitantly.

"Yes?" Heidi said encouragingly. "What is it?"

"I have something for Kurt. May I give it to him before he goes?" When Heidi nodded her assent, she handed him a small package.

"For me?" he asked, puzzled.

"To thank you for the nice things you said about me. If you hadn't mentioned me, I wouldn't be here right now," she explained. "You can open it now. It isn't a Christmas present."

He untied the ribbon and carefully removed the paper. He opened the box, revealing a beautiful silver dragonfly pin. The wings were a tracery of fine wire work, the body, a wire cage encasing tiny pieces of turquoise. "Oh, Mimi, it's beautiful!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe you made this for me. No one's ever done anything like that for me before."

"The dragonfly symbolizes power and poise, and I saw both in you when I watched your interview. In Japan, dragonflies represent courage, strength and happiness, and living life to the fullest, and a number of cultures consider them to be good luck. The turquoise gemstone is for protection from evil, connection to the spirit world, and for good luck. I went through all my stones to find the ones that matched your mama's favorite color. Did I get it right? Turquoise comes in a bunch of different shades."

"It's perfect! Oh, and look! There's a heart in the wing."

"That's for your mama. There's a letter 'M' on the other side that stands for my mama. I hope you don't mind that I stole your idea. I'm putting an 'M' in my designs from now on."

"My Mimi and I lost her mama three years ago," Isaac explained quietly.

Kurt found himself suddenly teary, and judging from the amount of blinking going on, he wasn't the only one. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly, "and it's not really 'my idea' but I'm so glad you've found a way to honor your mother in your work. I think this calls for a hug." He looked at Isaac for permission. When Isaac smiled, he held out his arms and Mimi stepped into his embrace. "Thank you so much! I'll treasure this always. Will you pin it on for me?"

The first thing Kurt did when he left Heidi's office was show Sandy and Blaine his new pin. "Isn't this beautiful? Mimi made it for me. I've never had anyone design something just for me! I feel so flattered. You should hear all the things the dragonfly represents, and the turquoise, too. I feel a little guilty accepting it, though. It obviously took her a lot of time and expense to make."

Sandy admired it avidly. "I wonder if she could make a honey bee for my sister. It's probably too late for Christmas, but her birthday is in January and it would be the perfect present. She collects bee jewelry."

"You should ask her, Sandy," Blaine said. "I think she started on the dragonfly yesterday, so she must be pretty fast. Kurt, are you ready for the talent show? Oh, and I wouldn't worry about accepting the pin. I think that Heidi may wear some of her jewelry on the show, and the only reason she even knows about Mimi's jewelry is your blog. From what Isaac told me, it made Mimi really happy to make the pin for you."

"That makes me feel better. I certainly wasn't angling for a gift when I mentioned her in the blog. I love Isaac's earrings, but I don't think I could carry them off. I feel pretty good about the talent show, but I wish I could practice You've Got a Friend a little more, since we didn't go over it yesterday."

"You don't need to practice. You were perfect last time but I'd be happy to come back tonight."

"Absolutely not! You've given up far too much of your free time for me already. I just don't want to let you down."

All right, I won't push, but it would have been nice. "You could never do that. You'll be fantastic." Blaine hesitated, a little nervous now. "But if you really want to practice, you could open your Christmas present early." He reached into his laptop case and extracted a small neatly-wrapped package. "It's not much, just something I thought you would enjoy."

A brilliant smile lit up Kurt's face. "You got me a Christmas present? Thank you! I've got something for you, too. Could you hand me my bag, please?" Blaine reached under the desk and retrieved it. Kurt took out the shirt box and handed it to Blaine. "Should we open them now?"

"Kurt! You didn't have to get me anything. Thank you! Maybe we shouldn't open presents in the office. It's almost lunchtime; why don't I run up to the apartment with you and we can open them there." He turned to Sandy. "Is it okay with you if I go to lunch now?" he asked.

"Go ahead. But I want to see what your present is," she said with a laugh.