Saturday was unseasonably warm, so Blaine pair a short-sleeved red polo with light weight black slacks, bringing a cardigan in case the temperature dropped. Having only moved to the area a few months earlier (before the school year began), he had yet to nail down the local weather idiosyncrasies.

Rachel had said to arrive at noon, so at 11:55, when he parked a few houses down from her address, he assumed he'd be right on time. Clearly, several other people arrived early. Plate of sugar cookies in hand, he made his way up the walk, hearing voices echo around from the back of the house.

"Evans, you're a cop! At least pretend to be bitter and jaded like the rest of us."

Blaine smiled a little when Sam's voice replied, "Not happening, Santana. Someone's got a smile instead of scaring…Ow! Hey!"

"Not in front of the kids, Satan!"

Having followed the voices around the side of the house, Blaine chuckled to see Sam squirming and trying to dislodge the arm a beautiful Latina had wrapped around his neck in some kind of a rough game. Others scattered around looked on in amusement and the big guy with the close cropped mohawk and a toddler perched on the shoulders was rolling his eyes. "If you're going to fight her, at least try to win!"

"Noah, Sam is a gentleman," Rachel chided, appearing from nowhere. "He isn't going to overpower a lady."

"We're talking about Santana, Rach."

"Still…Blaine! You made it. And you brought cookies. Come meet everyone," Rachel said quickly, and cringed as something crashed inside the house. "Oh no, I left Finn and Brittany in the kitchen…."

She ran off without further explanation and her husband turned to Blaine. "I'm Puck. This is Hannah," he pointed up the toddler. "So…Rachel's playing yenta with you and Sam?"

Clearly, Sam was out to his friends, so Blaine felt comfortable enough to nod. "That's what he said."

Puck eyed him. "Sam's my partner and my bro. I'd say all kick your ass if you hurt him, but you're kinda tiny so I feel weird…and then sick Santana on you."

By this point, Lily had jumped onto Santana's back, giggling and saying, "I'll save you, Daddy!"

Smiling, Santana released Sam. "It's your lucky day, Trouty," she laughed, peeling Lily offer back and settling her onto her lap.

"For some reason, I feel I should fear her," Blaine said quietly and Puck nodded in agreement.

"If you do, it means you're not stupid. She's the girl that had razor blades in her hair in high school and now carries a gun."

"I'll remember that."

"Mr. Anderson!"

Lily had noticed him and was waving happily.

As he approached the table, Sam smiled and Santana poked him with a grin. "Santana Lopez, meet Blaine Anderson. He's Lily's teacher."

"You don't say," the woman drawled. "Where are you sending my girl to school, the Shire?"

Sam shrugged at Blaine. "For her that's actually a very pleasant greeting."

"Mr. Anderson, what are you doing here?" Lily asked. "Auntie Rachel got me a new book. Do you want to see?"

"Aunt Rachel invited him," Sam told his daughter with a smile.

Nodding, Blaine agreed. "She did and I'd love to see your book."

Lily grinned and scampered off. Santana rose more slowly. "Well, I'm gonna go find Britt. I heard a crash earlier."

As she strode away, Sam waved Blaine towards the now empty bench. "Just a warning, our group can be a little…much, sometimes. A lot of big personalities. If it gets to be too crazy for you, just find me…or Mike and Tina or Joe," he nodded over to an attractive Asian couple who were chatting with a dreadlocked man. "They're more mellow than…."

"Noah! Jacob! Do not throw Hannah around!"

Puck and a younger man who bore a resemblance to him were gently tossing a giggling Hannah between them. Rachel did not approve this activity and was waving a spatula at her husband.

Choosing that moment to return, Lily ignored the Puckerman's drama and clambered onto her father's lap, holding out a book to Blaine. "See!"

"Sheet music?" Blaine is expected a storybook of some sort, but instead he found collection of music appropriate for young child. "Are you learning the piano?"

She nodded happily. "Daddy says I'm almost big enough to play guitar like him! Can you play?"

Blaine nodded. "Guitar and piano."

"Overachiever," Sam teased, tickling Lily. "Puck's bound to have a spare guitar lying around somewhere…these gatherings inevitably end in song."

"Sam, Blaine, you've met!" Rachel said, hurrying over with Hannah. "Lovely. Could you keep an eye on her for a moment, Sam? Noah and Finn are about to play with the grill and I don't want her hanging on her father's leg when he lights himself on fire."

"Sure," Sam laughed, sitting Hannah on his knees beside Lily as Rachel tried to be subtle about hovering over by the garden hose.

"So, lunch, music and potential pyrotechnics," Blaine mused. "Interesting."

"A good time will be had by all," Sam replied. "I hope we're not scaring you off."

Blaine grinned. "It will take a lot more than that," he said softly, smiling as Lily and Hannah giggled over a toy the little brunette had pulled out of her overalls.

Sam met his gaze with a smile of his own. "Good."

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