Rachel's final night of Hanukkah was only ruined by the fact that Blaine didn't come home with them right then and there. It took her dads the entire car ride home to explain why Blaine had to stay at the orphanage for now, and then explain that it would be a while before he was officially part of the family. And while Rachel had huffed, whined, and begged them to go back for the little boy, who spent the last hour of their visit debating with her over which Disney princess was the best, they refused to budge on the matter.

So while the rest of her classmates at school were starting to get excited over Christmas, Rachel, instead of moping and being sad about being the only Jewish child in her class, focused all of her time on drawing pictures for Blaine, recording her favorite songs for Blaine, and deciding what his room was going to look like. By the time school let out for holiday break, Rachel was getting annoyed. It had been almost two weeks of steady visits to the orphanage so they could all spend time with Blaine. They'd progressed to spending the afternoon together, going to the movies and out to eat, but she wanted Blaine at home with them now.

The Thursday before Christmas her dads sat her down in the kitchen and told her that Blaine had agreed to spend the weekend with them. Tomorrow afternoon they'd go up to Westerville to pick him up and on Sunday the adoption agency lady would come take him away again. But Rachel didn't even hear the second part. As soon as they'd said Blaine was coming to the house she screamed – a long, high, piercing note that she'd perfected when she was three – and proceeded to race around the house singing Don't Rain on my Parade at the top of her lungs. Only three furious calls from their neighbors, with threats to call the cops if the noise didn't stop, make her shut up and go to bed.

Rachel was up at dawn the following morning, grinning broadly throughout her little aerobic workout tape and breakfast with her dads. After a fast bubble bath, she picked out her favorite dress and hair bow and piled into the car even though they weren't supposed to leave for another hour. Exasperated at her enthusiasm her Daddy ended up sitting out in the car with her until her Dad finished shaving and getting ready.

She listened excitedly as her dads told her some of their plans for the weekend, including going to the store to let Blaine pick out his own bedding, toys, and clothes if he seemed to be happy there. There were some other things they mentioned, something about ice skating or playing some boys sports game, but she ignored those. Picking out clothes and getting to dress Blaine up like she did with her dolls was the only thing she was excited about.

They arrived at the orphanage half an hour early, but the lady her dads always talked to didn't seem to mind. Compared to how grouchy Rachel had thought she was the first time they'd come here, she looked thrilled to see them.

"Blaine's so excited," she told her dads as she ushered them out of the front entry way and up a staircase they'd never been to before. "He's been packed and ready since I told him he was spending the weekend with you at breakfast Tuesday morning."

Her dads grinned nervously, clutching each other's hands a little tighter as they turned down another hall and stopped outside of a room with six different name plates on it. Daniel, Gabriel, Trevor, Blaine, Mark, and Brian. Rachel crinkled her nose. Why did Blaine have to share a room with so many boys when she had a room all to herself?

"I hope he wants to stay permanently," her Daddy told the lady. "We've all gotten quite attached to him these past few weeks."

She smiled kindly at them, and rubbed her Daddy's shoulder. "He's rather attached as well. I couldn't ask for a better home for him to go to. I just wish I could find one as good as you three for all of my boys."

The lady knocked on the door and then pushed it open. The laughter and shouts of the boys inside quieted instantly as she stepped into the room.

"Blaine, the Berries are here to pick you up," she called out as Rachel peeked around her dads knees to look into Blaine's room. It wasn't much bigger than her own room, but it was much more plain and boring. There were three sets of bunk beds, all covered in the same dark blue bedding, a little toy box and rug under the window where half a dozen boys were horsing around, and a few little desks and lamps. She didn't understand why the room was so not Blaine, and why these other boys had to share a room with Blaine.

"Oh, boy!" Blaine squealed, pulling himself from the dog pile of boys on the rug and climbing up the bunk bed to the left of the window. He snatched up a little backpack and coat from the bed before hopping down and racing over to them. As he dropped his bag on the floor and twirled around as he tried to pull his coat on, Rachel took in his outfit for today. It wasn't nearly as fancy as his little bow tie had been on their first meeting, but it was still nice for a boy. Dark jeans, a beat up pair of sneakers, a dark blue thermal shirt and a big broad grin.

"Hi, Rachel!" he greeted, finally stuffing his arm into his coat sleeve and pulling it on. Behind him one of the other boys giggled and started up a rousing chorus of "Blaine and Rachel sitting in a tree".

"Shut up," Blaine called over his shoulder as her dads dropped down to greet him. "Hi, Mr. Berries!"

Blaine toppled over into her Daddy's arms, giggling loudly as he was squeezed tight.

"It's good to see you, buddy," her Daddy said happily as Blaine turned and hugged her Dad tightly, too. "You ready to have lots of fun this weekend?"

"Uh huh!" Blaine said, nodding vigorously. "Bye, guys!"

A few of the other boys came over and high-fived or hugged Blaine goodbye. Then they were back out in the hall, and listening to the agency lady telling them when she'd be by on Sunday and what to do if Blaine wanted to come back before then.

Once they were outside and in the car, Rachel started babbling away, taking control of the radio and demanding that her daddies put in the new CD she'd made for Blaine.

"Wow, that lady can sing!" Blaine exclaimed, looking awed by the fantastic vocals echoing around the car. Rachel smiled brightly as her dads sang along to Barbra. Barbra was her favorite and she wasted no time telling Blaine that. But by the time they pulled off the highway back in Lima, Blaine seemed to be getting irritated with her constant talk.

– and then she was on – "

"Does she always talk this much?" Blaine asked with a small huff, his bright eyes shifting over to Rachel in annoyance.

Both of her Dads laughed loudly. "I'm afraid Rachel's very fond of the sound of her own voice, Blaine," Daddy explained and Rachel pouted at his words.

"We're gonna run our usual errands, Blaine," Dad said. "Let you see how our weekends are and such, okay? We're going to get you some things to keep at the house for when – if you visit again."

"I want to!" Blaine said excited. "You guys are the best! Even Cooper would like you!"

"Cooper?" Rachel asked uncertainly, a hint of jealousy creeping into her voice. Did Blaine have another best friend she hadn't been told about?

"My big brother," Blaine told her. "He's at Dalton. He's big and strong and funny. Someday when he graduates he's gonna come find me so we can be a family again." Blaine kicked his feet against his car seat and hummed a little. "Hey, maybe all five of us can be a family then!"

"That... that's a great idea, Blaine," Daddy said from the front seat. Blaine didn't seem to notice the sadness in his tone, but Rachel did. She'd heard it before whenever her Daddy mentioned his own parents. Rachel wasn't sure why he was sad about them. She'd always been too scared to ask.

A few minutes later they pulled into a parking lot. Her Daddy helped her out of the car, while her Dad helped Blaine out.

"Oh, wow! Look at all the Christmas trees!" Blaine shouted as he was hoisted up onto Leroy's shoulders, pointing towards the roped off section of the parking lot. "They're so big and pretty and they always smell really good!"

Leroy smiled up at him as they headed up towards the store. "I definitely miss the smell of those every year," he agreed.

"What?" Blaine gasped in horror. "You don't have a tree?"

"Uh, no, buddy, we're Jewish," Hiram told him carefully. "We already celebrated our winter holiday."

"Oh," Blaine said in a hollow voice. "But... do I have to be Jewish then?"

"Of course not," Leroy said quickly. "I just converted because of Hiram, but I don't think any of us will mind celebrating both."

"But everyone celebrates Christmas," Rachel complained. "Why have one day when you could have eight nights?"

"Because of Santa, Rachel," Blaine called down to her. "He's the best. He brought me a puppy last year. I miss him."

"A puppy?" Rachel squealed, making heads turn as they entered the store. "I want a puppy." She turned to her dads as they grabbed a cart with a bus shaped front for her and Blaine to sit in. "Why hasn't Santa ever brought me a puppy?" she demanded as Leroy set Blaine down and let him climb into the kid seat.

"Because you don't celebrate Christmas, sweetheart," Hiram reminded her.

"Well, I want to," Rachel decided. "Let's do both this year."

"Do we get a tree?" Blaine asked hopefully.

Her Dads exchanged a hopeless look, and seemed to silently debate between themselves for a moment.

"I... all right," Hiram finally said. "Since Blaine missed our Hanukkah this year, we'll do both. Maybe next year you'll get to celebrate it with us."

"Oh, boy!" Blaine exclaimed, turning the little wheel in front of him and making driving noises.

Rachel climbed in the seat next to him. Her Dads did all of their usual grocery shopping, bickering back and forth over different items as they went. Usually Rachel whined and moaned and started singing loudly, but with Blaine as company she was having too much fun to even notice how much time was going by. It was nice having her little brother there to have fun with instead of a bunch of boring adults.

"Hey, Blaine," Leroy called as they turned down an aisle Rachel wasn't very familiar with. "Can you hop out, buddy?"

Rachel looked out of the front of the cart, glancing at the rows of blankets, pillows, and bedding. They rolled past a purple and pink butterfly set, and stopped right in front of a pretty blue one with Ariel on it. Blaine pulled himself out of the side, looking curious.

"What kind of bedding do you want to get?" her Dad asked Blaine kindly, kneeling down and pointing at the row of options. "There's lots to choose from."

"I get to pick?" Blaine asked in amazement. Her Dads nodded, and Blaine gaped at them.

"Whatever you want. It's going to be your room after all."

"Wow," Blaine breathed, edging around the cart and staring at the row of brightly colored bedding. "Do they have Batman?"

As Hiram helped Blaine look to see if there was a Batman set, Rachel poked her head out of the cart. "Batman? Ew, why would you want Batman when you could have pretty princesses?"

"Because Batman is the greatest superhero to ever- ever- ever super, " Blaine informed her.

"I don't think they've got a Batman one, buddy," Hiram said after a few more minutes of searching. "We can always check somewhere else– "

"No," Blaine said quickly, biting his lip. "I don't wanna make you go somewhere else just for me."

"It's not a problem– "

"I'll get something else," Blaine insisted, tilting his chin up and trying to sound serious. "I'm a big boy. I don't whine if I can't have what I want." He turned to Rachel. "What kind of princesses do they have?"

"They've got Ariel and Jasmine and Belle– "

"They've got Belle? Lemme see!"

Blaine scrambled over to her and bent down to examine the comforter closely. "Belle's so pretty, and she loves the Beast. I bet– holy gee whiz! Are those Star Wars sheets?"

Without a second glance at the princess sheets Rachel had been hoping for, Blaine darted around her and dropped down next to Leroy to look over the blue sheets with weird ship designs.

"Look, Rachel! It's the Millenium Falcon! Isn't that so cool?" Blaine jabbered excitedly. He tugged on Leroy's pant leg. "Can I get these? Look it's got lightsabers, too!"

"But what about Belle?" Rachel demanded angrily, her bottom lip poking out. "Belle is better. Those are boys sheets."

Blaine looked over at her and rolled his big eyes. "Duh, I am a boy," he said simply. "Besides, Star Wars has princesses, too! Princess Leia even sorta looks like you!"

"I don't– she does?" Rachel said in surprise.

"Yup," Blaine said happily. "She's got long dark hair and big dark eyes. Leia even has a brother!"

Rachel stared at him thoughtfully for a few moments. That didn't sound too bad. There weren't a lot of princesses that looked like her. Snow White and Jasmine had her dark hair, but they just didn't look right. Not like her. This Leia girl seemed to have it right if what Blaine said was true.

"Okay, I guess you can get them," Rachel decided as she climbed back into the cart.

Her Dads pulled out all the different sheets and comforter sets for Blaine, setting them in the cart and then heading to the toy section. Rachel got really excited when she saw the bright pink aisle where she got all of her dolls, but Blaine, who hadn't gotten back in the cart, skipped right over her favorite aisle and raced towards the action figures. Ugh. Why did Blaine have to like so much boy stuff?

Then it hit her as she recalled what Blaine had just said. Duh, I am a boy. She felt kind of weird for thinking it when she'd wanted a brother, but Blaine's interests weren't like the interests of the icky boys she went to school with. At least she hadn't thought they were. As Rachel watched Blaine bounce around and start rambling on about some Batman action figure and some car she crinkled her nose.

Maybe she'd gotten a little ahead of herself when she'd said she wanted a brother. She hadn't realized that by wanting a brother she'd end up with a boy.