A/N: First off, thank you to my wonderful beta JayHawkWrites for catching my mistakes. Thanks to all who have liked, followed, bookmarks, and left kudos on this story. Thank you also for your patience, I know it has been a while since I was able to update this story. I am trying to catch up on all of them. Have a wonderful night. TB.

Chapter 25 Surprises

That was done. When Blaine had decided he needed to come and clear out Shey's flat instead of hiring someone to do it, he hadn't expected it to be as hard as it was. He had never known Shey, had no real connection with her other than the little girl they both loved, but that had been an emotional journey of discovery. Shey had been a wonderful mother, and Blaine hated that Sere would never get the chance to know her. Blaine hated that he had never gotten that opportunity as well. He would've loved the opportunity to talk to her, ask her about her hopes and dreams as far as Sere was concerned, about what she had wanted for her, how she was going to raise her. But he would never get that chance, and neither would their daughter, and that broke Blaine's heart.

"You ready to go grab a late lunch," Kurt asked, gently squeezing Blaine's hand, pulling him out of his thoughts. Kurt watched as Blaine gently nodded his head.

"That sounds good, actually. I was thinking, if you're interested, we could go check out Camden Market. We're not that far from it. I was there years ago with Mom and Dad and had a blast. It reminds me a lot of Chelsea Market. I remember how you could get lost in there for hours, and I thought that might interest you. They have a lot of different food stalls, and as you used to call them junk vendors," Blaine said, laughing, looking sideways at Kurt as they walked.

"I never understood why you called them junk vendors though since you never left that place empty-handed. Someone always had something that you just had to have or just couldn't live without. I still don't understand why you thought that lamp you bought would be perfect for our bedroom, though," Blaine said, looking at Kurt with a smile, shaking his head thinking about that hideous lamp. Only then realizing he had reverted back to calling it 'their' bedroom, and the smile slowly slipped off his face, it hadn't been their room in a long time.

"Hey, I love that lamp. It matched the look I was going for," Kurt said with a strained smile remembering that day. Blaine had hated that lamp from the second he saw it, but Kurt had still had to have it. Thinking back now, Kurt couldn't tell you if he had bought it only because he knew that Blaine hated it or because he actually liked it. It still sat where he had placed it that day when they had gotten home on Blaine's side of the bed, right next to the black and white picture of him that Blaine had left behind when he moved out.

Blaine didn't say anything more, lost in his thoughts again. They walked for a while longer, neither saying anything, not knowing where to go from there.

"Umm… Before we go to the market, would it be ok with you if we stopped in and talked to Mr. Hodgson, Shey's Lawyer? That will be the last thing I need to do here, and then maybe we can just enjoy the rest of our time before heading home," Blane said quietly, wishing he knew what to say to fix this. They had been doing so well, and then he had to go and mention that stupid, ugly lamp.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Then everything we came here to do will be done, and maybe you can enjoy the rest of your time here," Kurt said softly, looking at Blaine, trying to smile, hating the look on his face.

"Our time Kurt, our time," Blaine said, reaching out for Kurt's hand again, gently squeezing it.

"Our time," Kurt responded with a slight smile. They still had so much they needed to repair between them. Every day, Kurt was sure something like this would come up, but hopefully, they were strong enough this time to work through it together.

"We'll get there, sweetheart. It's just going to take us time," Blaine said, almost as if he could hear the thoughts running around in Kurt's brain. Leaning over, Blaine placed a kiss on Kurt's cheek and could only smile when Kurt reached out and placed his hand by Blaine's on the handle of the Sere's stroller, helping Blaine push.

"Dada ooo," they both heard Sere say and stopped dead looking at her. She was pointing her little finger at a puppy chasing a little girl who kept falling down giggling, before jumping back up to run away again.

"Did she just…?" Kurt asked with a big grin on his face.

"Oh yeah, she did," Blaine said, laughing, stepping in front of the stroller to pick Sere up, holding her up so she could see the little girl. "What did you see, my baby girl? Huh, what did you see?"

"Ooo," Sere said again, grinning. She put her hand on Blaine's cheek, looking at him like he had just lost his mind. Couldn't he see the miraculous thing she was seeing? Laughing, she pointed her little finger again.

"Is she saying look?" Kurt asked, watching her, laughing.

"I think so. She's been mumbling a lot lately. I kept waiting for her to sing me a sonnet one day. She wants to talk so bad," Blaine said with a proud smile on his face.

"She's kinda young for that, isn't she?" Kurt asked. He had babysat when he was younger and couldn't remember anyone he had watched speaking at her age.

"A little yeah. I've been waiting for her to start trying to walk, but so far, all she does is crawl. She surprised me the first time she said 'dada,' but this was almost a sentence," Blaine answered, watching Sere as she watched the other little girl.

"Looks like you have a smart one on your hands," Kurt said, also watching Sere.

"This is when it would be helpful to know stuff about her mom," Blaine said, putting Sere back in the stroller and continuing their way to see the lawyer.

"Well, if you think about it, she has Anderson blood in her. You were always good at school. You always had straight A's, and senior year didn't you have one of the highest GPAs? Cooper might be a total nut job, but he was academically smart, too. I read about that back when I was younger and was crushing on him. And before you ask, that was before I met you," Kurt said, laughing.

"I guess you're right, and dad was top at his law school. Who knows, I might have a baby genius on my hands," Blaine said, laughing, but inside feeling like one proud papa. Blaine didn't know how she managed to do it, but Sere always seemed to know when he was feeling down and always managed to do something to put the smile back on his face.

Holding hands, they continued on their way to the lawyer's office. It was a beautiful day and not a cloud in sight, so they took their time, talking, laughing, just being them. When they got to Mr. Hodgson's office, Blaine held the door open so that Kurt could push Sere's stroller in and then followed. With a smile to Kurt, Blaine walked up to the receptionist's desk and smiled at the woman sitting behind it.

"Hi, I'm Blaine Anderson, and I am here to see Mr. Hodgson. I have some papers to give him," Blaine said when she looked up at him.

"One moment please," the woman said with a smile. Blaine knew instantly that she knew who he was but still acted professionally. She picked up the phone to call her boss to let him know Blaine was there, but never once took her eyes off him. "Mr. Hodgson will be right here."

Blaine wasn't kept waiting, within a few minutes, Blaine saw a middle-aged gentleman walking towards him, with a smile on his face.

"Blaine, it's good to meet you finally," Mr. Hodgson said with a smile, holding his hand out to shake Blaine's. "If you would like to follow me, we can talk in my office."

"Nice to meet you as well Mr. Hodgson, and thank you for all the work you've done on my behalf," Blaine said before turning to Kurt and Sere. "Sir, I would like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Kurt Hummel, as well as my daughter, Sere."

With a smile, Mr. Hodgson turned to face Kurt reaching out his hand to shake hands with him as well, "Mr. Hummel, it's nice to meet you, and I have actually met your beautiful daughter Serene on more than one occasion, isn't that right, Sere?" Mr. Hodgson said, bending down to talk directly to Sere before straightening up and looking at Blaine. "Now, if you would all like to follow me."

Mr. Hodgson leads them down the hallway that he had just come from and into his office, motioning for Blaine and Kurt to sit before walking behind his desk and sitting down as well.

"Mr. Anderson, first off, let me say that I'm sorry for your loss. Your father advised me that you had no idea about your sister's existence, and that is such a shame. I got to know her pretty well over the last few years, working as her lawyer. She was a remarkable individual that I was proud to say I got to know. Not because of who she was, but because of the person she was. She was one of the most genuine individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I have something that she left for her daughter that I need to give you. When Shey first came to me, she was a few months pregnant. She said she knew she needed to get her affairs in order. She was so afraid that what happened to her when she lost her mother would happen to her child if she didn't and the thought of that happening terrified her. She wanted her child to be protected should something unforeseen happen to her.

"We worked together to create her will. She wanted to have everything left to her child straight out, but should she die while the child was still minor, it could cause trouble. She opted to list Mr. Mitchell as the child's guardian until the child came of age, and then it would go straight to said child. When she first came to me, she hadn't yet found out the sex of the baby. Once she knew she was having a girl, Shey came to me, and we changed the wording of her will, leaving her full estate to Serene Elizabeth Mitchell. If, at the time of Shey's death, Serene was still a minor, then it would go to Mr. Mitchell for Serene as her guardian.

"Mr. Anderson..."

"Please call me Blaine," Blaine said, interrupting him.

"Blaine," Mr. Hodgson said with a smile. "Throughout her pregnancy, Shey made several videos chronicling everything going on in her life. She recorded every little change, every ultrasound, and everything she felt throughout. Shey intended to show Serene the videos later in life, maybe on her wedding day or something along that line. She was so in love with that child before she ever got to meet her, she wanted Serene always to know that she was not only wanted but was very much loved.

"Shey filmed the flat she purchased, and then all the changes she made to it, from selecting the paint for the baby's room to the border she hung on the walls. She said she sat her camera on a table to get a good angle when she put Serene's crib together. Shey told me she had never laughed and cussed so much in her life trying to figure out the instructions for doing so. She said that everything needed to be recorded. I don't know if she somehow knew she wouldn't be around to watch her baby grow or what," Mr. Hodgson said with a sad smile.

"Once Serene was born, she would record the two of them together several times a day, once again so that if anything were to happen to her, her daughter would have some way of knowing her mom. Shey called me to the hospital the day she died. She had recorded her last video with her phone from her hospital bed. She said she didn't know if Mr. Mitchell would make it to her in time, and she had some things she wanted to tell him. When I got to the hospital, she was almost gone. She handed me her phone and told me where to find her laptop that had everything on it. She asked me to later pass it on to Mr. Mitchell. She said she knew he would be hurt and upset when he found out, so she asked me to wait a while before passing it on to allow him time to grieve. I was getting ready to mail everything to Mr. Mitchell the week he died," Mr. Hodgson said, bending down to his bottom desk drawer, pulling out a laptop and a cell phone, and slowly slid both to Blaine.

"When I heard of Mr. Mitchell's death, I didn't know what happened to Sere. I knew that the two of you had gotten married, but I didn't know then if you had adopted her so she was with you, or if she had gone to live with her grandparents, Mr. Mitchell's parents. I didn't know until after speaking with your father that she was still with you.

"At the end of the last recording she made, she talked about all the things she had planned for Serene. Shey had planned to eventually move back to the states so she could introduce Serene to her father. She loved that little girl with every breath in her body, and I'm just glad Sere ended up with you. I've done a lot of research on you, Blaine. I promised Shey that I would watch out for her precious daughter. I feel comfortable with you raising her. From what I have seen, you will love her the way her mother did, and you will keep her safe. I know that is all Shey ever wanted for her," he said, discreetly wiping a tear from his eyes. He had come to care about Shey and little Sere like he would his own children if he had ever been blessed to have any.

Blaine slowly reached out and took both the phone and the laptop, his hand shaking as he did so. Just the thought of what might be on them had him feeling like he was going to break down. "Umm…, it's funny, on the way over here I was telling Kurt I wished I knew what she wanted for Sere. Now… maybe I will know. Thank you so much, Mr. Hodgson, for caring about Shey and my daughter. They were both lucky to know you. I will never be able to thank you enough."

"You taking care of that little girl and being the best father you can be will be thanks enough. If, however, you ever felt like sending me a picture of her, I would not mind at all," Mr. Hodgson said, clearing his throat. "Now then, back to what you came in here for.

"I just got off of the phone with your dad. Hattie Fowler, the realtor I found for you, said she thinks she has a couple interested in the flat. I have a couple, also interested in it as well. They have checked with me multiple times to see if you were still interested in selling. From what they have told me, they need to move as soon as possible, due to a situation going on where they live now. They seem very motivated to buy, but they have asked about the possibility of you taking a £5,000 reduction in the price. However, the couple that Hattie Fowler has spoken with is willing to pay the flat's full asking price. It would seem that they like the idea of living in a place that was owned by a famous actress," Mr. Hodgson stated.

"How much are we asking for the flat?" Blaine asked. He had left the negotiations with Mr. Hodgson since he knew the market in the area better than Blaine ever could.

"We started with £330,000. They are very interested in it. I showed them the flat last week, and they liked the idea that the furniture would be included in the price. They also really like the location. They said the school they wanted to send their son to was just a few blocks away," Mr. Hodgson said.

"What about the other couple? Did they have any other reason for wanting the apartment other than the fact that Shey Alexander once owned it?" Blaine asked, hating the very idea of that.

"From what Hattie said, that was their main reason for purchasing the flat," Mr. Hodgson answered.

"Ok, easy decision. Sale it to the couple with the child. I would rather cut the price and let someone buy it that will enjoy living there versus selling it to someone who would enjoy living somewhere that was once owned by someone famous instead," Blaine answered.

"Perfect! I will inform the couple of your decision and get all the paperwork taken care of for you. Here are the sale forms I need you to sign. Your father has already reviewed them. Once the sale goes through, do you want me to send the check and the receipt of the sale to your address in California?" Mr. Hodgson asks as he passed the paperwork to Blaine that needed to be signed for the sale.

"Actually, if you don't mind, send it to my father's address. I am in the process of moving, and having it sent to Dad would just be easier," Blaine said, signing the forms that had been passed to him. Once they were signed, Blaine passed them back to Mr. Hodgson, along with the paperwork his dad wanted Blaine to bring to him. Blaine took a deep breath. One property down, he thought.

"Thank you, once again, for your help with this and everything else," Blaine said, standing up and shaking Mr. Hodgson's hand one more time, placing the laptop on the bottom rack of Sere's stroller, and Shey's phone in Sere's diaper bag.

"It was a pleasure, Blaine. I hope everything works out for you with the legal issues you are facing. If you need anything else from me, don't hesitate to call," Mr. Hodgson said before walking up to Sere and placing a kiss on her forehead, hating that this would be the last time he would probably ever see her.

Blaine, Kurt, and Sere slowly made their way out of the lawyer's office. Blaine was in his own world, thinking about what might be on the laptop Shey had left for Sere.

"Are you ok?" Kurt asked Blaine softly when Blaine still hadn't said anything five minutes later.

"You know, I actually think I am. I can't believe Shey thought to create videos for Sere. Almost as Mr. Hodgson said, she knew she wouldn't be there to watch Sere grow up. I understand her recording something in the hospital when she knew she was dying, but to have made one from the day she found out that she was pregnant…?" Blaine answered. Still a little lost in his thoughts.

"That just shows you how very much Shey loved her daughter. She wanted a way to show Sere that she was loved, even if she couldn't be there to show her herself. Not many people think to do that, you know?" Kurt answered.

"I guess so," Blaine answered, shaking his head to clear his mind. "If you don't mind, before we go to Camden Market, let's go back to the motel and drop off the laptop. It is too precious to take a chance of someone taking it while we aren't looking," Blaine said.

"We can do that, or if you're interested, since it is so late, we can save the market for tomorrow when we will be rested and will be able to enjoy it more. I know today took longer than you expected and was really hard for you," Kurt answered.

"Have I told you today just how much I love you?" Blaine asked, pulling Kurt into a hug. Kurt's idea sounded perfect. After the day he had, he just wanted to go, eat something, and then spend the rest of his day snuggling with Sere and Kurt.