Blaine storms up the stairs, a man on a mission as Kurt hurries after him, saying something about going easy on her but he's not really listening and Kurt settles for sitting on the bottom stair to wait instead.

"Consider this knocking, Libby!" Blaine yells as he storms down the hall. "I'm coming in!"

"Go away!" she screams back, but her door is flung open anyway and Blaine stares her down from where she lies on her bed.

"Sit up please, I want to talk to you."

"No."

"You have two options, Libby, either sit up and listen or be grounded for the entire holiday season. Thank you," he says as she sits. "Now, do you mind telling me what that was about?"

"I just want to go ice skating, that's all. And you're making me do family stuff."

"Because we are a family, Lib. I don't mind you seeing your friends, you know that. God knows I drive you all enough places. But I do mind it when we already have plans, plans which you knew about, and you go and ignore that and make other arrangements. Not cool, young lady."

"What plans though?" Libby persists. "I mean, I know you said Taylor and Jules are coming, but other than that, what actual plans are in place? I know Uncle Cooper and Aunt Clare are coming for dinner, and I'd be back for then, but why do I need to be here between the hours of noon and seven just because Taylor and Jules are here?"

"It's not just them though, is it? It's Benji too," Blaine says, excited at the thought of having his great nephew in the house for a week. "He's gonna need a playmate..."

"I am twelve!" Libby shrieks, horrified. "Nearly thirteen! If he wants a playmate get Jacob over! Maddie and Joe will be here in two days, surely he can survive until then? Jayden will keep him entertained all Christmas. What the hell does he do at home? There aren't any other babies there- or nearly thirteen year olds."

"Okay, I phrased that wrong," Blaine says, trying to placate her.

"Playmate. Really?"

"Yes, okay, sorry. What I meant was it would be really nice if you were here to show him around and stuff."

"Well tough, because I won't be."

"Oh you will," Blaine says with a laugh of disbelief.

"What?" Libby screeches, her voice impossibly high with indignant rage. "Why?"

"Firstly, because as I have already told you, we are a family and we do stuff like this together- always have done. Secondly, because you are now grounded for the entire weekend for the way you spoke to us and for not checking your attitude when asked and thirdly, and most importantly, because I say so."

"You're mean, daddy!" Libby yells, even more enraged when angry hot tears begin to fall. "Mean!"

"And you sound like a five year old. Now stop it. You can stay in here until you're ready to apologize and if that takes you all day then so be it. I'll call Ellen and tell her you're not going."

"Daddy!" Libby screams, "I ha..."

Blaine stops in the bedroom doorway, whirling about to face her. "Think very carefully about what you're about to say, young lady," he warns, pointing at her in anger. "Because once they're out there, some words can never be taken back."

"I wanna go ice skating!" she cries, stamping her feet in frustration.

"And I said no!" Blaine roars loudly, and finally having lost his temper completely, he storms from the room and down the stairs, leaving Libby to flop onto her bed and sob at the unfairness of it all.

Blaine keeps walking until he's in the music room where he sits heavily on the piano stool and bows his head onto the cool wood of the lid. "I handled that really badly," he mutters, knowing Kurt is behind him.

"Oh, hey now," he soothes, sliding his arms over his shoulders and kissing the top of his head. "It maybe wasn't the best, but these things happen."

"I just...she...she talks back to me and it annoys me, but she talks back to you and I get so angry and hurt on your behalf, like how can anyone talk to you that way? And I just get all defensive."

"Sweetie...I'm a big boy now," Kurt says softly, sitting next to him. "And she is only twelve, going on thirteen as she likes to remind us. It's sweet that you want to defend me, and by all means feel free to do so, but...okay...look at it from the other side here. You say you hate it when she talks back to me, but think how much it hurts me to hear you yelling at her. If you walked in the door and heard that conversation you just had, you'd be straight up those stairs to defend her, right?"

"Ugh," Blaine moans, letting his head fall forward onto the piano once more. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Kurt says, rubbing a soothing hand over his back. "Let's just...chalk it up to a lesson learned, I guess. You know, you were so good at explaining puberty to her...well now she's hit it head on, hasn't she? And I think we're both gonna need to remember that."

"It's gonna keep happening, isn't it?"

"Yeah it is," Kurt sighs. "And it will no doubt get worse once boys enter the equation. But she will still have those moments where she's just wonderful to behold. It's just that she'll also have these devil child moments too."

"I should go apologize to her."

"Uh...no. Not yet, anyhow. Give her some time to cool off, and remember that she needs to apologize to us too. Don't let her think this was all your fault because it was absolutely her doing. She made you that angry because of her attitude and she needs to recognize that."

"So what do I do?" Blaine asks sadly, at a total loss.

"You make out with me."

Blaine tries to make amends later, when Kurt goes to the store. Knocking on Libby's bedroom door he receives no reply, so he enters timidly, not really sure how to proceed.

"I uh...made you some tea," he tries, but Libby, curled up on her side with her back to the door, doesn't reply. "I said I made tea."

"Go away."

"Fine."

"Leave the tea."

Blaine tries to hide his smile even though she's not looking at him, and he sets the tea down on her nightstand, running a hand over her hair and pleased when she lets him. "I'm sorry for yelling earlier. I hate fighting with you, Lib. I lost my temper and that wasn't cool. So...I'm sorry, I guess."

"Whatever."

"Okay. Well, Taylor and Jules will be here soon. You gonna come down and say hi?"

"No."

"Suit yourself," Blaine shrugs. "I won't pretend that I'm not disappointed. Maybe later you'll find it in yourself to apologize to me and papa and be sociable with your cousin. I'll see you later."

Taylor and Jules arrive, both beyond excited at their first Christmas with their adorable little boy, whom they've had for five perfect weeks now. Blaine and Kurt are both entranced by him and his dark, inquisitive eyes, the way his little hands run over their faces as he gets to know them, having only met them once before. Jules heads out to the office with Kurt, both on the promise that this will be their one and only business talk over the holidays and Taylor and Blaine settle in their familiar spots at the kitchen table, with Benji on Taylor's lap.

"Weird to think we've both ended up being househusbands," Taylor remarks as Blaine sets the coffee down. "Would you have had it any other way?"

"Nope. You're like me, you'll still work a bit but you'll get to spend a lot of time with this little guy," he says, cooing at the baby. "And that's the best job satisfaction you can ever get. Until they hit twelve nearly thirteen, apparently," he says to Benji who smiles and holds his arms out. "What? You want cuddles from Uncle Blaine, huh? Oh yes, I think so. I do." Taking Benji into his arms, he kisses his round cheeks and bounces him up and down, laughing as he attempts to stand. "Are you gonna walk soon? Are you? Oh Benji. You are just too adorable. Wanna swap for a teenager?" he asks Taylor who shakes his head and laughs.

"I'm good. It took three years to adopt this little guy, I think we'll stick with what we've got."

"You got a perfect one."

"Oh we did," Taylor grins. "So...Libby?"

"Ugh." Blaine's face says it all as he shifts Benji to one side so he can take a mouthful of coffee. "Actually, given all the times you've asked for my advice, I think it's only fair that I get to ask for yours," he says, and quickly fills Taylor in on all that took place that morning.

"So she's still up there?"

"Yes. And she won't come down. Mind you, that's nothing new. She comes in from school and whereas she used to come right to me, or out into the yard to find Kurt, she just goes upstairs. She doesn't even offer a hello unless I call out to her. She does her homework and all that, which is great, but then she's either down the stairs and out to Liv's, or the doorbell goes and Liv is here, and again, they're shut away in her room."

"Can you remember me when I was twelve?" Taylor asks, laughing when Blaine frowns.

"Okay, let me fill you in. Maddie was loud, outgoing and prone to these wildly passionate outbursts and I was...not. I spent so much time in my room that mom threatened to take everything out of there unless I started interacting with the family. I used to eat dinner in silence and return to my room to play video games. I just about came out of hiding when you and Kurt would visit."

"Well she's not playing video games," Blaine says. "That much I do know She thinks they're silly."

"GIrls mature quicker than boys," Taylor points out. "Do you think maybe this is natures way of giving you a little warning of what's to come? Maybe Libby is testing the waters a bit, seeing how much she can get away with before you snap, which apparently is not much."

"Yeah, make me feel better why don't you?" Blaine laughs, turning toward the hallway as the front door is thrown open. "Santana," he explains to Taylor.

"Were you expecting her?"

"No. She just suddenly appears like a bad dream," he says with a smile, turning to greet her as she comes into the kitchen and stops dead.

Santana looks at Benji, who stares back with his big brown eyes. She takes in the way he blinks like an owl, the way his hair tumbles into thick dark curls and she looks to Blaine in astonishment before looking back to the baby then back to Blaine once more. "Did you procreate and not tell me?"

"No," Blaine laughs. "This is Benji, Taylor and Jules' son."

"Did you donate to this project?"

"We adopted him from a childrens home in New York," Taylor explains. "He's fifteen months old."

"Blaine...were you in New York two years ago?" Santana asks, still fixated on the baby. "And if you were did you accidentally sleep with a woman?"

"No!" he laughs.

"He is you!" Santana says in disbelief as she crouches down to greet Benji who smiles happily. "He looks so much like those pictures that used to be on the walls in your parents house. Oh my god!"

"Actually," Taylor says with a grin. "He looks like he could feasibly be the product of both of you. Are you sure you two never..."

"Get out," Blaine snaps at the same time as Santana pulls a face.

"Ew no. Gross. Just don't go there. Anyway Blaine, your daughter."

"That's why you're here?"

"Yes." pouring herself coffee, Santana sits at the kitchen table giving Blaine the death glare until he crumbles.

"I said I was sorry! Did she put you up to this? Ask if you'd come around and talk to me?"

"No," Santana says with a small incline of her head. "But she did call me quite upset. Not about you yelling at her, because she can see that she talked back to Kurt and made you angry. She's upset because you wouldn't let her go ice skating."

"It's not that I wouldn't let her! She can go anytime, but she couldn't go because Taylor was arriving and I wanted her here for that. I don't get what the big deal is."

"The big deal, Blaine, is that Libby wants to feel like an adult here."

"Well she's not one."

"I know," she says, reaching out for his hand. "But she is nearly a teenager, and you can't expect her to want to do family stuff all the time. She said she would be here for dinner, so really, what difference does it make if she's not here when they arrive?"

"But...I don't get it," Blaine cries in frustration. "That's what I don't get. Lib's always done everything with us. She's always come grocery shopping, helped do the dishes, come for ice cream...anywhere we go, one or other or both of us, she always wants to come too, even if it's just to the post office. Now suddenly she doesn't want to do any of that stuff at all, and when I ask her to it's like it's the end of the world."

"Bottom line, Blaine?" Taylor says with a sigh, "Parents are embarrassing. Even ones as awesome as you and Kurt. Libby doesn't want to drag around everywhere with you because that's not seen as cool. Having the freedom and independence of being able to go out with her friends is what's important to her right now, and you just have to use your judgement on that and pick your battles. Sure, sometimes, like dinner tonight, you want her here but you do know that we wouldn't have minded if she'd been out when we arrived. We haven't seen her yet anyway."

"Yep, what the nephew said," Santana adds, taking Benji in her arms. "You're lucky, Libby adores you and Kurt. She's never gonna run away, or take drugs or do anything that she knows would upset you because she respects you both so much. You have to look at this as lots of separate things here, not just one big mess. Libby is pushing boundaries because she's growing up. On top of that, her hormones will be all over the shop right now. She'll start her periods soon if she hasn't already." As Blaine hides his head in his hands, Santana laughs and ruffles his hair, "And on top of that, she is- despite the growing up- still a little girl. A little girl who doesn't know how to really express all she's thinking and feeling and so she ends up seeming petulant and rude. She doesn't mean to be, Blaine, but you do have to accept that from now on, she's not gonna want to be glued to your side all the time."

"But..."

"Were you? Did you follow your dad everywhere he went all the time?"

"Well..." Blaine thinks back trying to remember. "I did, actually, yeah. Or Cooper. I didn't have any friends so... And Kurt," he adds as he thinks back. "Kurt has said time and again how he always used to be in his dad's garage."

"Yeah, and yet by the time you knew him, which was only three years later, the only way he would set foot in there was if Burt paid him to work there. Plus you went to boarding school when you were fifteen- you were always around your friends then, when you made them."

"I hate this," Blaine moans. "I don't want a teenage daughter."

"Go upstairs and talk to her," Santana urges gently. "She needs you."

Blaine wonders if Libby has actually moved all day, seeing as she's still not dressed and is lying in the exact same position as when he left her room two hours ago, but then he notices the tea is gone and a neat pile of homework sitting on her desk and he sits down on the edge of her bed and reaches for her hand.

"I just came to say sorry again," he says quietly. "I was maybe a bit unreasonable. It wouldn't have been that much of a problem for you to go, I guess. Certainly Taylor and Jules would have understood. I'm just... I don't know. I don't ever want you to be ashamed of me, or embarrassed. And I look at you growing up and I just think...not yet. Please don't let my baby grow up so fast. I don't feel ready. And yet you are, whether I like it or not. And I know it's a big deal for you to be allowed some freedom and not be tied to being with family all the time. I'm really sorry I yelled, Lib. I just got angry and I should've walked away and..."

"I love you daddy." Libby flies into his arms with a sob and he holds her tight, trying not to cry with relief. "I'm sorry too," she mutters into his shirt. "I don't ever want to fight with you. I know I was out of line the way I spoke to papa and I just...I'm really sorry. I'm not embarrassed by you at all though, so please don't think that. I just want to be able to see my friends on the weekend, that's all."

"I love you, Libby, don't cry, sweetheart," Blaine says, smoothing her hair as he holds her. "It's okay."

"I don't know why I'm crying!" she wails, pulling back to rub her fists into her eyes. "It's dumb to cry just cause I couldn't go!"

"It's not dumb...It's..."

"I just feel all bad inside," she continues over him. "Like, bad for being horrible to you and papa. Bad because I was about to say something awful to you earlier but you stopped me."

"I didn't stop you," Blaine corrects. "You stopped yourself, and that's important. You could have carried on despite my warning but you didn't, and you should feel proud of that."

"I don't feel proud of nothing," Libby pouts. "I feel sad for making you sad."

"And I told you it's all okay. There's a very cute little boy downstairs waiting to see you when you're ready- and Santana." Cuddling her close once more he kisses into her hair. "Would you like papa to come up?"

"Yes please," she sniffles. "I need to apologize and I don't want to do it in front of everyone."

"Okay. And would you like to see your friends tomorrow?"

"Can I?" Libby asks excitedly.

"Sure. Liv will be here for brunch anyway, but you can do what you want in the afternoon."

"Can I see if Jamie wants to go to the mall?" she asks. "I need to get christmas presents for you and papa. Oh, and I'll need your credit card. And a ride."

Blaine laughs, disentangling himself from her limbs and standing up. "Yes. Just Jamie?"

"Uh...yeah, if that's okay?" Libby says, and Blaine thinks maybe he imagines the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Sure," he smiles. "Call him now and ask."

A week later and Blaine and Kurt stumble into bed, slightly tipsy after their New Years Party, but respectfully so, not wanting to get sloppy in front of Libby. Still, Blaine pulls out a bottle of champagne and two glasses once Kurt has kicked the door closed, grinning like a fool.

"Where d'you get that?" he asks, sliding under the covers.

"Um...the fridge?" Blaine laughs.

"Will we need glasses?"

"Oh Kurt," Blaine moans, the very idea making him swell in his pants. "Fuck, I love you."

"Ha! I love you too." He squeaks when Blaine lets the cork go, and ducks as it hits the opposite wall and flies back onto the bed. "Oh my god!"

"So, Libby's better, don't you think?" Kurt asks as Blaine swigs from the bottle.

"Hmm, well, I don't know about better, I think she's gonna be swinging back and forth but she's been okay for the holidays, yes." He passes the bottle to Kurt, eyeing him warily. "Why are you laughing?"

"Swinging," he giggles. "That word always makes me laugh."

"You're insane," Blaine laughs. He takes another mouthful of champagne before pulling Kurt's lips against his, running his tongue into his mouth until Kut feels the fizz on his tongue too. "I like it when you suck me with champagne in your mouth," Blaine says, a mischievous grin appearing on his face.

"I know you do," Kurt grins back. "Which is exactly why I said no glasses. And also..." He trails off, jumping up to rummage in the closet. "We may be parents to an almost teenager," he says, his eyes darkening as he holds up a pair of handcuffs and a vibrator, "But we're not to old to play with toys."