She could remember it like it was yesterday, sometimes. Other times it was muted, washed out and hazy, like he mind was trying to stop her from reliving it. Today it came at her full-force standing over the coffee machine like all those years ago.

“Kurt-“

“No, Rachel, we've had enough. I've had enough. You take and take and give nothing back and this is it. We're done.”

“Kurt's wait, I'm sorry! You can't just- Blaine! Blaine please!”

“Pretty words, Rachel, all he hears are pretty words.”

“He can talk for himself, Kurt, he hasn't said a word about this, he just follows you around like the helpless puppy he always has been.”

“Hey!”

“Oh I'm sorry, is there something wrong about that? You follow him and-“

“Stop it, Rachel. Just stop. I may follow him around but he's my fiancé, Rachel. You remember how you and Finn were and don't say you don't because you do. Kurt and I follow each other's lead and we both got this chance and after this I've had enough myself. It was fun, being your duet partner but I have to choose where I stand and it's by Kurt's side. Actually when the talent scout came to me and Isabelle started talking about LA I convinced Kurt that we should agree so don't call me a puppy. You're angry, I get it but you've got your role but you don't go running after talent scouts singing and trying to get them to change their minds, especially after what happened between you and Santana.”

“Blaine…”

“What do you want, Rachel? You told him to speak and he did. I'm sorry, I love you but you're vindictive, spiteful and childish and we are going to LA. New York is yours, enjoy.”

“Wait-“

She jolted, feeling the years-old door rumble and slam as it closed behind her two best friends. She could understand now. She'd been horrible to them.

A week after the Winter Critique a talent scout had turned up at NYADA to talk to Kurt, asking about the boy who'd sung that tearful rendition of Not While I'm Around and Kurt had told him all about Blaine and the terrible night that had fuelled the song. He'd met with both of them and started talking about LA, deferring, switching colleges if Blaine really wanted it but a record deal, stardom, his chance. Rachel had turned up about halfway through the conversation and tried to insert herself into the talk and in a moment of what she was now sure was insanity, ran after the scout, singing. Kurt had been livid, Blaine mortified and almost in tears. The next day Isabelle had started talking about Vogue LA and taking a few people with her and after a phone call from the scout saying he was still interested in Blaine, Kurt had steered Blaine out of the loft, told Rachel they'd be back for their things and left.

The argument when they'd finally turned up was the last time she'd seen them.

In the five years that had passed all of their stars had grown. Artie had graduated with honours and was busy directing his first movie, Sam was a well-known model, and Mercedes' fourth album was out and at the top of the charts and Rachel herself was starring in Wicked as Elphaba. Blaine had become a bona fide star, topping the charts and Mercedes newest album had a duet with him and Kurt each and one trio. He and Kurt were a Hollywood ‘it' couple with Kurt working his way from Isabelle's assistant to working on his own line and Blaine nearly never wore anything but KHA. They'd been married for four years. She hadn't been invited.

She sighed and looked around. Her apartment now was so different than the one she'd shared with her friends. That one, while warm and filled with laughter, was too small for all of them, constantly had issues with the clanking pipes and water, and of course the curtain partitions did nothing when she got up and the early morning light shone shadows of the boys making love across the sheets. It had been home though, and she missed it.

The coffee maker dinged and she poured it, mixing in the right amounts of milk and sugar then stood and looked out over Central Park. Five years to the day. Things had certainly changed.

She rubbed her gloved hands together and looked around, her breath curling around her in the crisp morning air. There weren't many others around, a couple of families, a few kids and some dog walkers as she made her way through Central Park and thought about the past. A lot of the things she knew about Blaine were through the grapevine, the magazine left open on an understudy's chair, a text from Mercedes or Santana talking about how amazing Blaine was doing owning LA. She knew about the odd disappearance from public he'd gone through nearly four years ago but that was a thing of the past now and she tried her best not to read anything about Kurt and Blaine Hummel-Anderson. It was too hard, but today she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't just let them go, if she'd tried hard and changed and tried to get in touch, if only to say sorry.

She shook her head and looked up at the shriek of a little boy not far away from him. He was tiny, no more than three years old with tanned skin, big green eyes and curly brown hair and was bundled up in bright blue sneakers, black jeans and a padded jacket matching his shoes. He was giggling and running away from a little girl who was obviously his twin sister whose outfit was the same apart from brown boots with blue lining and a matching jacket.

“You can't catch me, Talia!”

She laughed at the little boy, weaving to outrun his sister then froze when she heard the little girl shout back.

“Finn! Daddy said not to run! Slow down!”

The name made her heart beat quicker and a memory of her Finn's wide smile and Kurt's voice mumbling that his first child would be named for his brother but she took deep breaths. Plenty of people were named Finn. She buried the memory inside and looked over then the boy stopped. He looked at her and smiled and she leaned down to talk to him.

“Hi there. Where are your parents?” She asked, reaching out. The boy stepped back, looking conflicted then stepped forward as his sister joined them, her head cocked in curiosity that was vaguely familiar.

“'M not s'posed to talk to strangers.” The boy – Finn – mumbled but his sister spoke up for him.

“They're back that way,” She said, pointing back down the path. “We're on holiday and we're not s'posed to run either, Finn.” She said, looking at her brother who looked slightly chastised.

“Oh? Where are you on holiday from?” She asked and the boy smiled a little.

“California, it's-“

“Finn!” A familiar voice called and Rachel froze again. “Come here, both of you.” Blaine's voice called and Rachel turned to look at her old friend.

He looked taller, but maybe that was the years between them in the same place at the same time. He looked more handsome, no longer a teenager, but a strong, handsome man and his curly hair styled, not gelled. The twins ran to him and he looked at Rachel warily. “H-How are you, Blaine?” She stuttered, cursing herself for not being prepared for this and stumbling over something she'd thought about for years.

“Fine, Rachel, and you?” He asked, his fingers curling around Finn's hand as it reached up to grab his and pulling the boy in tight to his side, it made her think of a dark night and a deep, broken voice singing between beeps.

“I'm okay. You look…you look…” She trailed off as she watched the little girl run away from Blaine and be swung up into Kurt's arms as he joined them on the path. “Kurt.” She breathed out and the man just looked at her.

“Rachel,” He replied evenly and looked at his daughter, straightening her jacket as he spoke. “How are you?”

“I'm fine, as I was telling Blaine, I-“

“Care for a walk?” He cut her off and she nodded, falling into step as he kissed Blaine's cheek and they started walking, the three of them. Kurt and Rachel with Talia in his arms.

“You have beautiful children.” She blurted out, glancing back to where Blaine was with Finn, kneeling now and pointing out the different plants.

“Thank you.” He replied and she watched as Talia put her head on his chest and watched her through thick eyelashes.

“Were they-“

“Blaine got pregnant just after his first tour. We had talked about it, hadn't entirely planned it but the best things never are, are they Princess?” He said, tickling Talia's tummy and drawing a shriek of laughter out of her before looking back at Rachel quizzically. “You don't know that?”

“I kind of shut myself off from news about you two. I knew the barest things. It…it helped.  I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so sorry. I know what I was like back then and I'm not like that now, I promise. I'm a good person now.” She gushed, biting back the tears that threatened to fall.

“I know,” He replied softly and then moved his arms around his daughter. “Would you like to hold her?” He asked and she nodded desperately. He passed the three year old over and she gasped on her tears, wishing she could have held her, both of them, when they were babies.

“Hi there Talia.” She whispered and Kurt laughed softly.

“It's Natalia, Finn just calls her Talia. Always has.” He said as the three year old nodded.

“Oh I'm sorry, Natalia,” She said grandly and the little girl giggled. “Do you know what that means?”

“Uh huh,” She nodded, grinning over at her dad. “It means Christmas Day. Daddy says me and Finn were the best present ever!”

“Finn and I, sweetie.” Kurt corrects gently and the little girls nods, her soft wavy curls flowing around her face.

“I bet you are.” Rachel replies and hikes her a little higher as they turn to walk back.

“A gift that keeps on giving,” Kurt mutters after a minute and Rachel looks at him with wide eyes, hope soaring in her heart. He smiles at her and speaks again as they walk up to Blaine and Finn and Blaine takes Natalia out her arms to tickle her and cuddle her close and she spies the faintest of bulges as the girl wraps herself around her daddy. “Maybe it's time to be a complete family again, before too much more time passes, don't you think?” He says with a sly look and she nods eagerly.

“Perfect.” Blaine said happily and they walk through the park, talking and filling each other in and she's amazed at how much the kids know about Auntie Rachel and happiness explodes again inside her when she turns and sees Kurt kiss his husband, their fingers linked across his stomach.