MAY 2013

"You know, Blaine, we never did talk about having kids."
"Well, we're still teenagers, and neither of us can get pregnant, so I didn't know it was something we needed to worry about right now."
"Ha-ha. That's not what I meant. We talked about having kids with Quinn as a surrogate as a joke for the film, but is that something you want? I mean, like, ever?"
"Sure I have. Someday I'd like to have a family, but not really anytime soon. I'd want to be able to be have finished college and be working professionally so that I could help support the whole family along with my partner. But I'd also want to be able to take some time off to be with the kids while they're young. I don't like the idea of sending them off to daycare as soon as they're able to crawl like some parents do."
"Huh. I wouldn't have thought about doing that."
"Really? You wouldn't want to spend a year or two raising them while they're young? It's one of the best parts—watching them experience all their firsts."
"That would be pretty cool."
"Isn't it? But it's also a tough job—probably tougher than any profession you could pursue. So you'd have to be willing to commit to it and stick with it, or else you'll just end up tearing your hair out after a day or two. Maybe less."
"O ye of little faith. I'll show you. Just you wait until we have kids."
"I look forward to watching you try to take care of an infant wearing Alexander McQueen. I'll make sure to have a camera handy so I can upload the video to YouTube."
"You wouldn't dare."
Blaine just chuckled. "Watch me."
"Fine. But seriously, if we're going to do this, when? Right after college?"
"That might be pushing it. Why don't we just wait until the time feels right. We'll both know when we're ready."
"Okay. We'll see when the time comes." An odd look passed briefly over Kurt's face, but Blaine didn't notice.

SEPTEMBER 2019

"Really, Kurt? Are you sure you want this?"
"Yes, Blaine! We're ready. We're getting along well, and we're both dong well career wise," replied Kurt. "It's time—and besides, Rachel's already agreed to be the surrogate. We have everything we need. Let's do this."
"This is wonderful, Kurt! We're going to make awesome parents."
"And now that we've made this decision, why don't we go celebrate our mature, sober decision? I was thinking" said Kurt, trailing off as he saw Blaine pull his phone out of his pocket and head toward the balcony. "Where are you going, Blaine?"
"I've gotta let Sam and Cooper know. They're going to be so excited!" enthused Blaine as he stepped outside to make his calls."
"Of course you do," muttered Kurt to himself. "Don't mind me," he called out to Blaine. "I'll just be in our bedroom waiting. Join me when you're finished."
By the time Blaine had finished his calls, Kurt was long asleep.

LATE JUNE 2021

"Sam! You're here!" greeted Blaine, ushering Sam into the apartment before enveloping him in a ferocious bear hug.
Sam smiled at his best friend. "It's great to see you again. Hey, Kurt! Are you both ready for the big day?"
"We all are," squealed the voice of Rachel Berry, although Sam couldn't see her at first, as she was lying down on Blaine and Kurt's couch and hidden behind some tall pillows. She briefly looked at her watch before shouting. "Guys! I'm going to be late for my doctor's appointment. Why didn't you say anything? Jesse, help me up so we can get going!"
Jesse sprang into action at Rachel's orders, guiding her to an upright position and then pulling her up to her feet. As Rachel waddled toward the door, Sam couldn't help but notice her enormous belly, swollen with the newborn she would soon deliver. Something started teasing Sam's brain, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what that was.
"I hope you'll be staying for a while, Sam," said Rachel as she reached the door. Sam leaned down so she could place a kiss on his cheek without stretching. "We'll have to catch up before my delivery date!"
"When are you due?"
"Next Friday!"
"So soon? Wow!"
"I know, right? Well it's off to the doctor's for one last check-up. C'mon, Jesse." And with that, she left the apartment and headed for the lobby. As Sam went to close the door, he saw Rachel pause, placing her hand on the wall to support herself.
"You okay?"
"Sure, Sam. Just Finn kicking up a storm. Although I swear sometimes it feels like there must be two of them in there." And that nagging sensation was back. "See you later."
"Sure, Rachel. Call me when you get home."
"I will. Bye."
"Bye." As he shut the door and turned to face Blaine and Kurt, everything finally slid into place. Two of them.
"Dudes. You're holding back on me! When were you going to tell me that you're having twins?"
Kurt did a spit take. "What? Rachel's not having twins. It's just one really big baby."
Sam snorted. "Not a chance, Kurt. She's way too big for it to be just one baby, even if it were nine or ten pounds."
"Oh, really. And when did you become a doctor?" sniffed Kurt.
Blaine looked on uneasily as the tennis match continued. "I'm not a doctor. But I do remember my mother's pregnancy. They said everything you're saying now. The ultrasound didn't pick up that she was having twins until the very last few days. One of her friends had a husband who was an OB/GYN; he's the one who told her. We were all scrambling to get ready for two kids instead of one. It was rough."
"Thanks for the cautionary tale, Sam, but we're all ready for the birth of Finn."
"But what about his brother or sister?"
"There isn't one, Sam!"
"You wanna bet?"
Finally blaine tried to step in, albeit meekly. "Guys. . . ."
"What are the stakes?"
"If I'm right, you name the second kid Sam—Samuel if it's a boy, and Samantha if it's a girl."
"That's a pretty big request. So when you're proven wrong, you won't mind paying for Finn's first new big-kid bedroom set, right?"
"Deal. Shake on it." Kurt reluctantly took the proffered hand.
"C'mon guys, that's enough. Sam, why don't we put your stuff away, and then you can help me with the crib."
"Sure thing. Lead on, Macduff!"

As it turned out, they didn't have long to wait at all. An hour later, Sam and Blaine could hear Kurt hysterically shouting "What?" at a pitch no man should ever be able to reach. "You're joking!"
Blaine came running into the kitchen to investigate, followed closely by Sam. "Kurt? Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not. Apparently Sam here is some sort of psychic."
"What?" a puzzled Blaine answered.
"I told you!" said Sam, as he raised his arms in a triumphant gesture.
"Rachel's doctor found something weird in the ultrasound, so he went to repair the ultrasound He saw the second heartbeat. He said the babies must have shifted position, allowing the second heart to be detected."
"That's pretty amazing, Sam!" enthused Blaine. "So, Kurt. Is the other child going to be Samuel or Samantha?"
"Samuel," grumbled Kurt.
"That's so cool!" said Sam as he high-fived Blaine. I'm going to be the best godfather to Finn and Sam, Jr.!"
"Godfather? What are you talking about?"
Uh-oh, thought Blaine. "Kurt, we talked about this. Since Rachel is going to be godmother, we agreed it was fair that I should ask Sam to be the godfather."
"I don't remember this!"
"You were too busy picking out color swatches for the nursery, I guess."
"Guys!" interrupted Sam. "There's no need to worry about this right now. Not when we have something much more important to take care of!"
"Like what?" asked Blaine. The manic glint in Sam's eye worried him.
"Shopping! We need to get you guys ready for two little tykes!"
At the word "shopping," Kurt showed his Pavlovian response to the idea, and started getting excited. The matching, glassy-eyed grins that both Kurt and Sam wore on their faces sent a shiver down their spine. If the two of them ever learned to get along, they would be absolutely terrifying together. Well at least he wouldn't have to find out any time soon, Blaine mused wistfully.

EARLY JULY 2021

"Hey, I got here as soon as I could," panted Sam, as he found Blaine in the neonatal unit.
"Hey, Sam," whispered Blaine. "Your timing is perfect. They just brought Sam and Finn in a few minutes ago. I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you—I kind of had to be here to keep Kurt and Rachel from having a meltdown in the delivery room. They're together right now, if you want to go see them."
"Nah, right now I'd rather be introduced to my namesake and his older brother."
"Sure. The one on the left, that's Finn, and the one on the right is Sam. Say hi, boys." They wouldn't hear him, being on the other side of the plexiglass partition, but they did seem to raise their tiny fists in an approximation of a wave.
"Hey, Finn! Hey, Sam! Good to meet you! I'm looking forward to spoiling you two rotten!" Then he turned to Blaine, throwing an arm around the smaller man's shoulder. "They're perfect, just like their dad."
"Thanks, Sammy. I just can't believe I'm a father now."
"Yes, you are, and you're going to be the best dad in the world. And someday I hope I'll be able to be just as awesome a dad as you'll be."
"And you'll find the right person to settle down with, and you'll probably be an even better father. And our kids will grow up and play Little League together and start a band. Either that, or become evil overlords and take over the world. Probably a 50-50 call either way."
"And your kids and mine will be the best of friends, just like their dads."
"From your lips, Sam," said Blaine quietly as he rested his head comfortably on Sam's shoulder.
Standing in silence facing the new additions to Blaine's family, neither noticed Kurt looking in at the two of them from outside the observation area, disappointment filling his features as he realized he'd have to adapt his plans yet again.