Long Time Coming

by CrazedLunatic

When Blaine gets accepted into Harvard, Kurt and Blaine find out exactly how hard it can be to maintain a relationship when they discover how much their dreams conflict. Sequel to What Brings Us Closer Together. AU.

44. Chapter 34

May 2019

"Look, I love you two to death, but I have no idea what in the fuck either of you are talking about." Bob looked up at Kurt and Blaine from his desk.

"Ugh, Bob." Blaine groaned. "Why not? That's what they said we'd need."

"I have never touched medical stuff with a ten foot pole. It's too dicey."

"Dicey?" Kurt repeated, looking anxious. "Blaine, weren't you supposed to figure this stuff out?"

"The guy said we needed a contract between us and Quinn about compensation and stuff…" Blaine said.

"Bob, Blaine says you know all but apparently you don't." Kurt said, his impatient tone clearly geared towards Blaine.

"Yeah I've been telling him that for three years since he got that idea into his head but apparently he's very hard headed." Bob shrugged. "That or the gel is clogging his ears."

"But… it's literally just contracts, right? I mean you looked over my inheritance contract." Blaine asked, not even addressing the hair gel comment.

"First off, there is a big difference reading a contract and writing a contract. If you don't know what needs to be in the contract… you can't write the contract."

"You write them at least twice a week." Blaine said.

"Okay, yes. I could write you a contract if I knew what any of this stuff meant but I didn't even know reproductive technology law existed until ten years ago and I've been preoccupied with criminal law and five children so… Plus, it won't only be a contract between you and the surrogate for compensation. There would also be a contract for her signing away all rights so she can't decide to keep the baby once it's born—and so you two can't stay she has obligations for the baby. And it will need to state who gets the baby when it's born if you two both die before she's given birth." Bob said, counting off on his fingers. "And I know there's a lot more than that. That's just what I know from hearsay so I'm sure there's a lot more. Clinics won't touch it unless you've got a surrogacy agreement. And then you'll have to enter into a contract with them. I don't think this is going to be an easy process unless you go to somebody who has done it a lot or someone who at least knows how to get what you need."

"That's why I'm here. That person is you."

"Just because I'm creeping closer to the 30 year mark of practicing law does not mean I suddenly know everything. Wait. You really wanted me to write them? I have no idea how to write a contract for this. I barely know what it is. Why wouldn't you mention this? Just saying 'Oh, Kurt and I want to talk to you about something before you leave Wednesday' was pretty dumb."

"You didn't even tell him what it was about?!" Kurt gave Blaine a very dark glare.

"Bob knows all."

"Quit saying that. I probably know 75% less than you seem to think I do." Bob said, giving him a look of exasperation.

"Blaine, you acted like it was going to happen today." Kurt sighed. "Did I leave work early for nothing?"

"I thought it was just one contract… that's what the guy at the HRC said."

Bob let out one quick laugh before covering his mouth.

"What?" Blaine snapped. Because right now he was not lawyer Blaine. At this moment he was somebody very irritated with his 'adoptive father' who apparently did not know everything like Blaine had insisted for three years—even though every time Blaine said this, Bob had corrected him. That wasn't the point.

Bob covered his face and laughed again— the same thing he'd done multiple times when Sam or Emily were just starting to get on his nerve.

"Oh my God. This was a waste of time." Kurt sighed and then added, "No offense, Bob."

"Okay." Bob cleared his throat. "For the record, HRC is nonprofit. He probably doesn't know a whole lot about it. That's like expecting a volunteer at a humane society to know how to do surgery on a monkey, Blaine."

This time Kurt had to stop himself from laughing.

"I've been busy. I'm sorry!" Blaine covered his face as Kurt still fought really hard to not laugh.

Because, honestly, sometimes Blaine and Bob were just too much. Too much alike but also completely different.

"It's okay." Kurt reached over, squeezing Blaine's thigh.

Blaine let out a deep breath, now clearly upset.

"Don't get worked up. It's not like a day or two makes that big of a difference." Bob said gently. "We just need to find someone who knows this stuff. Between everyone in this office, someone in here's done it or they know someone who has. Okay?"

Blaine nodded, still looking stressed.

"Brian!" Bob called when Brian walked by talking to an intern.

"There was a B in that, right?" Brian walked into the doorway.

"Yes. Reproductive technology law." Bob looked at him.

Blaine and Kurt both turned in their seats to look at him.

"Yeah, we don't want kids. Wait! Blaine! Oh my God, are you—"

"Where have you even been?" Bob blinked at him.

"Lunch."

"No. I mean… he's been talking about this for months."

"The only time I listen to anything around me is if I hear my name… and half of the time when I think I do hear it, it's for Ryan... which is why I now ask if there was a 'B' in it before paying attention to anything that anyone says."

"Well do you know anything about it?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'm not getting involved in that. When I was a first year at that other firm I shadowed a guy doing one and it looked like a nightmare."

Kurt looked horrified.

"That was more than ten years ago!" Brian reassured him. "I'm sure it's better now. Everything is easier now… which is another reason why I would be no help at all."

"Easier for you kids maybe." Bob muttered.

"The middle Taggart lawyer did one a couple of years ago." Brian said.

"How do you know that?" Blaine tilted his head.

"His client was thirty minutes late and we had nothing else to talk about." Brian shrugged. "You could call him."

"Excuse me." Ryan came past Brian and went behind Bob's desk. "Can you look at this? I don't know if I should sign it."

"Ryan." Bob gasped.

Ryan stepped back. "Oh God. What did I do? I haven't been in your office long enough to screw something up."

"You had your own babies."

"Well, kind of. I mean honestly we don't know who is who's. We didn't want to know so they did both and we never got a DNA test to verify who the 'real' one is." Ryan shrugged. "Why?"

"Reproductive technology law?" Bob asked as Brian left his office.

"It's basically contract and tort law pushed together with a lot more complicated sentences…"

"You do both of those!" Blaine exclaimed.

"Well I don't deal with torts unless I have to. Why?"

Blaine literally almost bounced out of his seat. "Will you help us?"

Ryan looked between Bob, Blaine, and Kurt. He then said, "Ooooh. You didn't do enough research and you're supposed to be starting soon, huh?"

"Blaine didn't." Kurt said before Blaine could open his mouth. "I did my part."

"Online shopping for nursery stuff was not your part." Blaine scoffed, but relented when Kurt shot him a very irritated look.

"Well I mean I don't have time to do it right now but if you guys come see me after 5:00 I'll see what I can find out on it. But one of Jake's old coworkers has done tons of them if you'd feel more comfortable with him." Ryan shrugged.

"I choose you." Kurt said before Blaine could open his mouth. "Blaine failed at prep so he doesn't get a vote."

Blaine rolled his eyes… but he was not about to argue. There was a reason Ryan got big clients like Verizon and Target. Because he was good.

"Okay. So, come back at 5? Stay until 5? Something at 5? The worst part when Jamie and I did it was really all of the consent forms." Ryan asked and then turned back to Bob. "Did you read that?"

"Shit. No." Bob looked down at the paper. "Sorry."

"Bob, you're useless." Ryan sighed.

"You sound like my sister." Bob said without looking up.

"How long did it take before your surrogate got pregnant?" Kurt asked.

"On the sixth try for our first and the second try for our second." Ryan said as Bob read over his papers.

"How long did you have to wait between cycles?"

"We waited six weeks but some people will do it after four and some after eight. I think it depends on the doctor, though. The worst part was waiting after to see if she was pregnant."

"How long did it take for all of the paperwork to go through?" Blaine spoke this time.

"I'll do the paperwork as quick as I can. Once you and the surrogate both have everything agreed on and signed, you'll move onto the clinic. They'll want proof you each have signed contracts and they'll give you one of theirs to sign. You should ask to take it home to look at it. Come here and I'll look over it, but it's usually cut and dry. Just everyone wanting to cover their butt. If it looks too confusing, I'll go and see the Taggarts."

"The surrogate will have to come here and talk to Ryan too." Bob said, not even looking up from what he was reading. "She should probably have a lawyer so she knows it's legitimate and that she's not being lied to."

"Yeah. We can even have Jake or someone step in when everything is explained. She may feel better if another lawyer is present just because it's another person agreeing… and seeing as Bob and Blaine are so close, it probably wouldn't be a good idea for him to get involved in this anyway." Ryan said. "We all work together in the same office but occasionally we end up opposing each other… usually one of the clients will back down and go with someone from another firm but the firm gets paid the same no matter who wins, so there's really no point in lying… except bragging rights. Bob, are you done yet?"

"Yep. Looks good to me." Bob held the papers out.

"See you guys at 5!" Ryan waved and walked out.

"So, Blaine… how much of 'all of that research' did you really do?" Kurt as sweetly, turning to look at Blaine.

"I don't appreciate your sass this early in the morning, Kurt."

"It's 2:00." Bob said from his desk.

"You are really annoying me today, Bob." Blaine sighed, covering his face.

"Good. It's practice for when you have children that don't do what they're supposed to."

…

"So… how long is this going to take?"

It was 6:30 and they were still in Ryan's office that same day.

"Which part?" Ryan asked and then he sighed and said, "Hang on."

Blaine gave Kurt an excited smile when Ryan answered his phone.

"Every time I stay late you call and ask me to get fast food. Tell your father if he wants Taco Bell, he can get it himself." Ryan said into the phone. "No, but I'm glad you think I actually get to watch TV all day… I am really not getting Taco Bell… Jamie has legs, he can walk or drive… bye."

Kurt and Blaine looked at him.

"Are you sure you want kids?" Ryan looked between them.

"Yes." Kurt said instantly.

"Just so you know you've got at least eight years of cleaning pee off the toilet every time they use the toilet if you have a boy… Honestly, I have a feeling it may never end, though, since it's still happening. We try to tell him to pay attention and he gets more on it. I don't know what to do." Ryan said. "Which part do you want to know how long it will take, though?"

"Getting all of the paperwork done, getting all of the stuff before done, getting to the point where they try…" Blaine said.

"Well this paperwork here is taking about two months off your wait. You're welcome." Ryan smiled sweetly.

"Okay, so then what?" Blaine asked eagerly.

"Once you find a doctor that can take it on, you'll have three consultations. The first one you give like the medical history of five generations of your family—mostly joking there. She will answer as many questions too. My husbands a doctor so he basically had a notebook full of questions which made it twice as long—don't be like him. Then really you just talk about it so you understand the whole process and feel comfortable with it… That one is super boring." Ryan said. "The second is with the clinical person to coordinate everything. You'll basically get the nitty gritty of exactly how everything is going to go from A to Z. And your surrogate will learn how to give herself the shots and medicines to get stuff going. The last one sucks because you get to find out exactly how much it costs to have your baby… and a lot of insurances still aren't very happy to fund that for gay couples, so be aware of that. I was on Jamie's insurance when we did it both times so I'm not sure how ours handles it." Ryan said as several pages printed. "That's all just week one."

"That's the first week?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah. I mean honestly you guys don't have to be there for much else. The next three weeks is birth control stuff, tests, and screens. Fifth week through seventh is taking the fertility meds. Seventh week she'll have to go at least five times. Week 7 it happens… or it doesn't happen. And then you wait again." Ryan sighed. "It sounds a lot simpler than it is and the waiting sucks. Especially when it doesn't take because it's at least 2 months until most places will try again. Skip a period, then on the next one it'll just repeat. The first five times we got nothing and had pretty much given up but she finally got pregnant."

"That's, like, a year." Kurt said.

"A very long year." Ryan nodded. "It's super stressful too. It's waiting 2 weeks to see if it took, if not waiting 2 months to try again, and then when it takes it's waiting to see if it's going to still be positive the next week. I don't want to stress you out but… you're going to be stressed out. It almost makes you wish one of you had a vagina but then you wouldn't be paying $120,000 for a baby hopefully."

Kurt's eyes widened.

"But honestly once you get to the point where she goes to a regular OB GYN time flies by. Those last eight months go very quickly when you've got so much prepping to do… especially when you both have busy jobs like Jamie and I did… well, do. We were still getting stuff set up when our surrogate went into labor." Ryan laughed. "A word of advice is if a store delivers the nursey furniture, pay the extra money and have them do it for you or else you'll be calling your dad to help at ten o'clock at night after seven hours of failed attempts… because your husband insisted he could do it without help and I'm basically useless with anything that would be in a garage or toolbox. I can't even put a nail in the wall without injuring myself."

"Oh, I can put stuff together." Blaine shrugged.

"Yeah." Ryan smiled sweetly. "Jamie could too. Just don't call him when your two day old baby is wailing because it's sleepy and you don't have it done… because he is useless too. He says he's not but he mostly is."

"Well did you try?" Blaine asked pointedly.

"Pfft. I just told you I didn't. I can't plug a computer monitor into a hard drive without messing something up. Do you think I can be trusted with tools and sharp objects?" Ryan gave him a look. He then called, "Bye, Bob!"

Bob called back, "Go home! Your husband thinks I'm holding you prisoner!"

"Pfft. He didn't even say bye to me." Blaine rolled his eyes.

"It's almost 7:00. He probably doesn't even know where his car keys are by now let alone the fact that you're still here." Ryan laughed.

"Is it all done?" Kurt asked excitedly when Ryan pulled a huge stack off his printer.

"It is."

Blaine laughed suddenly and then said, "Bob said bye."

"Shh." Kurt said. "Ryan finished."

"No, he's not. There's a 'but' coming." Blaine told Kurt.

"How do you know that?" Kurt looked at him, bewildered.

"Because he goes 'It is' or 'they are' and then follows it with a 'but.'" Blaine said.

"You've spent too much time with Bob." Ryan sighed and then repeated, "It is but—"

"See?" Blaine smiled.

Ryan then held his cellphone to his ear. "I am literally walking out the door, Jamie. Yeah, you too."

Blaine tried not to laugh as Ryan set his phone back down.

"But I want to have someone who has done it before look it over to make sure it's right that way you don't get into the clinic and have to wait even longer. Can you give me a day or two and then I'll have you sign it all?" Ryan asked. "It's probably better to wait a day or two and it be right than… the alternative."

"That's fine!" Kurt nodded, despite Blaine's disappointed face.

"I'm sorry. I'll go to the Taggart's in the morning. The one who handles this kind of stuff owes me one anyway." Ryan reassured Blaine. "Hopefully he can look it over and have it to me tomorrow before we leave… if not, he never takes too long with stuff like this."

"Okay." Blaine nodded.

"No glum face! These hundreds of sheets you get to sign is the first step to a wonderful world of disgusting diapers, loud crying, green boogers, and the occasional rogue toddler catapulting out of his crib and ending up in the ER." Ryan said brightly.

"Is that why you were late yesterday?"

Ryan gave Blaine a look and nodded.

"Are you going to have any more?" Kurt asked.

"God, no. Jamie wants to but I'm the one that always has to miss and leave work. Tammy Jo gets annoyed enough as it is." Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Does Bob?" Kurt asked.

"Bob could care less as long as I make it to my cases and he can get through the day talking face to face with as few people as he can." Ryan told Kurt, shrugging. "He's sweet but he has a very low threshold for people-ing."

"Low threshold for people-ing." Blaine laughed out loud.

"Let's be real. It's the truth." Ryan shrugged. "Tammy has a very high threshold for it. Then you've got Bob. Honestly they should have known they'd be at odds once every couple of months."

"Really?" Kurt looked surprised. "But they're both partners?"

"Oh yeah. When CMJ was new it was kind of… a rough adjustment. They'd worked together but not… together. I don't think they knew each other as well as they thought." Ryan nodded. "Okay. My phone is vibrating again so I will run by the Taggart law office on my way to work in the morning and I'll give Blaine an ETA?"

"Thank you soooo much!" Kurt said, standing.

"It's no problem. If I keep Blaine out of trouble, it gets me brownie points with Bob—just kidding, Blaine!" Ryan laughed.

"Do you want us to walk out with you?" Blaine asked, also standing.

"No, I'm good. Thank you, though. You all have a good night." Ryan smiled and waved at them.

As soon as they were out of the office, Kurt gave Blaine one of the biggest smiles he'd ever seen. "Oh my God. It's here. It's really here, Blaine!"

"I know!" Blaine grinned.

"Aaaaah!"

July 2019 – August 2019 (Attempt #1)

"I do not like this." Blaine turned facing the back of the couch, sitting on his knees.

Kurt, who had just walked in, raised his eyebrow. "You don't like what?"

"The first instruction for the, and I quote, 'collection of semen,' is… again, I quote, 'Do not have any sexual activity—in parenthesis 'ejaculation'— for at least two days but not more than five days before obtaining the specimen sample.' End quote."

"Okay, Mr. English Degree." Kurt looked amused. "What is wrong with that?"

"If you give me these stipulations, I'm not going to be able to, you know, perform. I basically need to have sex one of two days and then not have sex for two days. This is a lot of pressure."

"We usually have sex two or three times a week. That sounds like something that shouldn't be an issue." Kurt said, trying very hard not to laugh. He could tell Blaine was very stressed out about it and didn't want to be mean.

"Kurt. If I know that I have to have it on day three or four but not day two then subconsciously I'm going to want to have it on day two and not be able to get it up on day three and four." Blaine's eyes were wide. "I'm going to ruin it by getting a hard on in my sleep and somehow it'll all shoot out and my sperm will be gone. You should have gone first."

"I don't think it works that way, Blaine." Kurt shrugged, smiling at him. Do not laugh. Do not laugh.

"It's not cute, okay?" Blaine let out an exasperated sigh. "Listen to this—which is the least sexy thing ever. 'Private collection rooms are available.'" Blaine glanced up and then said, "Then we skip to 'An alternate to masturbation is a vibrator'?! Yes. I'm going to use a vibrator in some cold room in a doctor's office even though I've never actually seen one in my life. Like, what? Do they provide vibrators? That's disgusting. No. Kurt, what if there are porn pictures in there? Not that it'd even be male porn. Not that I'd look. Aaaah!"

"Babe—"

"And it says to let the lab know if any specimen is lost or spilled. Sorry, I don't think I'll be so excited that I can't get it in your specifically glass jar that you have to provide because I don't know the difference between plastic and glass."

"Blaine—"

"You know what? When I was fifteen I could go whenever and wherever. Car, bathroom, fitting room, whatever. But this is just horrible."

"Honey—"

"Can you come back there with me?"

"Absolutely not." Kurt looked horrified. "They'll know what we're doing."

"They already know we have sex together. That's why we'll be there!" Blaine covered his face. "Maybe it's not worth it."

"We paid a $80,000 down payment so you better pony up in there." Kurt threatened. "She's on the medicine. We don't have time to test mine and do my history and stuff."

"Thanks for the no pressure thing." Blaine groaned. "I get performance anxiety."

"Since when?"

"I can't even masturbate anymore! Literally won't happen. It's like my dick knows that it isn't not your hand or ass." Blaine whined. He then perked up. "Maybe you can take naked pictures of yourself. That might help."

"Nice try." Kurt snorted.

"Oh, come on. We're going to be married next September. You know most wives do boudoir photos. Men can do that too. Maybe it can be an early wedding present?"

"Oh my God." Kurt went into the kitchen. "When do you have to go in and… do it?"

"I guess next Wednesday on my freaking lunch. 'Sorry, Bob. I may be getting back late from lunch because I'll be ejaculating into a mason jar.' Oh God. What if Tammy Jo is there?"

"Well you could just say you have a doctor's appointment." Kurt said. "I highly doubt Bob will want to know specifics. I have a feeling as long as you show up to your cases, he'll not ask you questions."

"I was being sarcastic, Kurt."

"Great. No sex until Saturday night."

"Why?!"

"Because you need to 'get it up' as you so eloquently put it. If we do so beforehand, I can't guarantee you'll be able to on Saturday and I will not be happy if we have to wait longer because you couldn't keep it in your pants."

"Now you're withholding sex." Blaine whimpered. "Kurt, is it really worth all of this?"

Kurt gave Blaine 'the look.' Not just 'a look' but the look Kurt got before getting very angry.

"Fine. It'll be like when we had sex for the first time then didn't for, like, four months." Blaine threw his hands in the air.

"My bad for getting broken ribs and a collapsed lung." Kurt huffed. "Plus, we could have after three month but you didn't want to hurt me."

"I'm really stressed out about this." Blaine sighed.

"I know you are." Kurt handed Blaine a Snickers bar. "Be like the commercials. Eat this and go back to normal."

"Oh my God, I love you." Blaine ripped the packaging open and took a bite. He then said, mouth full, "Fankoo."

Kurt rolled his eyes but smiled.

Blaine swallowed what was in his mouth and then said, "You were joking about no sex until Saturday night, right?"

"I was not."

"I mean can we at least on Saturday morning and night? It's only Monday. What about Thursday and then Saturday?"

"Weren't you and Adrian going to some law seminar on Thursday?"

"Law seminar or sex. Which would you choose, Kurt?"

"I don't know. You're awful dedicated to your career." Kurt teased. "Think you'll be good to go next Wednesday night? I have Thursday off so…"

"Oh my God. I'll use a PTO day on Thursday and we can make up the one night of sex we'll miss by having hours of it." Blaine's eyes lit up.

"See? There is a rainbow after every storm, Blaine." Kurt grinned.

"Are you sure you won't let me take some pictures?"

"Mmmmh maybe after we're married." Kurt shrugged. "We'll talk about it after our honeymoon at Disney and Harry Potter World."

"Kurt, it's the Wizarding World of Harry Potter."

"Isn't that what I said?" Kurt looked at him, confused.

"No. It's not." Blaine said very seriously. "When I accepted your proposal I should have made a stipulation that you had to read all of the books before the wedding day."

"I've seen the movies, Blaine."

Blaine fell sideways into a laying position on the couch and moaned, "Where did I go wrong, God? It was sleeping with the minister's son, wasn't it? I'm sorry!"

"Okay, well, I'm going to take a shower." Kurt laughed. "Have fun talking to a mythical being."

Blaine popped right back up. "Can I join you?"

"If we have sex tonight and Saturday and you can't get it up on Wednesday afternoon, I might kill you." Kurt said as he walked towards the bathroom.

"That didn't sound like a no." Blaine said as Kurt made it to the bedroom's doorway.

"It wasn't." Kurt took his shirt off and let it drop to the floor.

"Have I told you that you're the love of my life recently?" Blaine asked, following him into the bathroom.

"Hmm. Not in a day or two."

"In that case you are the love of my life."

Kurt gave Blaine an impish grin and reached behind him, turning the shower on. "Do you need help taking your clothes off?"

"Nope. I'm good." Blaine said, wobbling a bit as he tried to take his jeans off. "This would have been a lot easier if I hadn't put jeans on when I got home."

"I'll be waiting." Kurt got into the shower.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Long Time Coming

"Did you get Quinn's text?" Blaine asked one afternoon, coming in to their house—
they had bought a house!— and dropping his bag on the floor.

"Yeah. It's okay, though." Kurt gave a sad smile. He squeezed Blaine's thigh when he sat down.

"I was really hoping it would work on the first try." Blaine sighed.

"We know Quinn's able to get pregnant and carry. She's had a baby before." Kurt said confidently. "It's just a matter of time."

"You don't think she and Puck are still having sex, do you?" Blaine asked. "If they are, there's no way to tell whose baby it is until it's born… when she gets pregnant, that is..."

"The doctors said she couldn't have sex with him before two weeks before and after the embryo transfer, so I don't think she would have." Kurt bit his lip.

"Does waiting one full cycle mean we try again next month around her period?"

"I'm pretty sure it means her second period from now. That's what I read online at least…"

"I figured." Blaine sighed a bit.

"We have five more tries before the process starts over again. And if it just so happens none of them take… we'll try again until it does."

"You don't think it's me, do you?"

"It's obviously not. They checked that stuff out before they used it. Your 'swimmers' were fine… I still can't believe they said swimmers. I mean it's funny when you, David, and Wes say it… but he was a medical professional."

"David is a medical professional too. Kurt, I'm a professional lawyer and I eat Lucky Charms in boxers on Saturday mornings. I have learned that professional means nothing."

"You have a point… but, either way your sperm was fine. They already told you that."

"Oh yeah. Good." Blaine looked relieved. "Not that I think it's Quinn's fault but…"

"I know what you mean." Kurt smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too." Blaine smiled back.

"We may be dumb, Blaine."

"What?" Blaine looked confused.

"We just bought a two bedroom house… but we want two children."

"We agreed to move to a bigger house before baby 2, though."

"Yeah." Kurt sighed, leaning back against the couch. "But what if the house loses value? We should have still rented or waited for a bigger house."

"Then it lost value and we'll have been stupid for knowingly buying a house for maybe two years." Blaine leaned back as well and scooted closer.

"At least two years. It was in the contract. We start trying two years after the first baby is born. Theoretically it could be longer if she doesn't get pregnant the first cycle again."

"Are you sure you don't want to look at names?"

"I don't want to jinx it." Kurt admitted.

"Okay." Blaine laughed a bit and nuzzled his shoulder.

"Congratulations!" Kurt suddenly exclaimed, shaking his shoulder after he sat back up.

"Wait, what?" Blaine looked confused.

"This day last year you took your first case to court all by yourself." Kurt beamed.

"Ohhh… I bet that's why Bob and Ryan called me into his office to tell me how many cases I've done and my percentage of wins to loses." Blaine looked thoughtful. "I just had a year-end review and I didn't even know it. Oh my God. What?"

"How does it feel having a year's worth of law behind you?" Kurt asked.

"Crazy." Blaine shook his head. "It doesn't feel like it's been a year."

"I know. The older we get, the quicker everything goes." Kurt agreed.

"How does it feel that you're actually getting recognized for the pieces you do now?"

Kurt's eyes lit up and then he went back to his calm, maintained expression. "It's okay."

Blaine grinned at him. "You can gloat. I won't tell anybody."

"Oh my God. The stuff I designed is in Vogue and they put my name on it and everything!" Kurt grabbed Blaine's shoulder and shook it. "At least that's what Marc said. It's not out yet so I haven't seen it."

"I'm going to buy twenty copies tomorrow. I'll clear out the checkout aisles at the grocery store tomorrow."

"Don't do that! Then nobody else will get to see the pictures!" Kurt took a deep breath. "I am calm."

Blaine laughed. "How does it feel?"

"I don't know. It's kind of terrifying to have my name attached to it and it not just part of the Marc Jacobs line." Kurt looked thoughtful. "But, I mean… this is the start. If I'm going to make it, it's going to happen within the next few years… but if it doesn't happen in the next few years… I'm always just going to be the first assistant to Marc Jacobs… until someone better than me comes along, that is. Then I'll end up working at a thrift store."

"Shut up." Blaine laughed.

"I am joking but also not. It's… like, it's right there. The next couple of years will shape the rest of my life. My work life, at least." Kurt bit his lip.

"Are you getting that raise?"

"Yes." Kurt beamed again. "It's a good raise too."

"He'll end up sponsoring you." Blaine nudged him.

"I'm not a student." Kurt laughed.

"No. I mean, he'll end up giving you money to help start your own place. He's done it before."

"That was a friend's daughter and, honestly, I think he just wanted her to go away because she was really annoying."

"Which fashion shows are you going to this year?" Blaine asked.

"God. I don't even want to think about it. Last year it was awesome but now I know why all the designers hate them. It's literal fashion hell. Bitchy models walking around mostly naked between outfit changes, people talking about their eating disorders or drugs, and other people talking about what famous photographer is using them next. The models talking about eating disorders is really depressing but everything else is just annoying."

"Are they all like that?"

"I mean, our models aren't… but I bet every other designer says that about theirs too." Kurt shrugged.

"Do you know which ones you're doing though, though?"

"He wants me to go to all four of the spring and summer shows."

"When would you leave?"

"September 5th."

"When would you get back?"

Kurt frowned. "You're not going to like it."

"Oh no. When?"

"October 1st. He told me I didn't have to go to them all if I don't want to but to let him know which ones I do want to go to so he can get someone to cover the others."

"You being gone for a little over two weeks in June was horrible enough." Blaine frowned.

"I know. I don't really have a good excuse out of the New York one but that's at home so I'll be home nights anyway."

"That's true."

"I need to decide which two I want to go to out of Paris, Milan, and London." Kurt sighed.

"Well you haven't done the Milan one yet."

"I know but honestly it won't make a difference. It sucks that now I have a passport but anytime I go anywhere, all I'm doing is dressing people and fixing wardrobe emergencies. There's no time to do anything else. Go figure. Maybe one day I'll get to actually see stuff."

"We'll travel. I promise." Blaine reassured him. "I'm sorry, though. That sucks."

"No. It's okay. I mean, it's exciting and fun to go these places for work but I don't like being away from you. Especially when we are so close to getting pregnant… Well, Quinn getting pregnant. I'm worried I'm going to miss stuff." Kurt gave him a sad smile. "Also, I have a really hard time sleeping when I'm not with you."

"I do too." Blaine admitted. "I just hug Kreacher and Winnie until Kreacher bites me and Winnie goes to hide under the bed."

Kurt laughed and then kissed his cheek. "How many cases are you at?"

"Bob actually told me today! have had 84 cases and 75 wins. Most of the losses were when I first started."

"That is awesome!" Kurt grinned at him.

"I mean…"

Kurt gave him a look.

"Yeah. It is." Blaine smiled, looking embarrassed. "Jake is calling me Brian 2.0 which is really Bob 3.0."

Kurt laughed.

"I could lose my steam, though, so…" Blaine shrugged.

"I think it's good that you're taking so many cases. I'm also glad you haven't taken any big ones."

"Well I had the one big one but honestly they didn't want me to do that. I know I won it but I do think I was in over my head… so they aren't letting me even meet potential clients over anything big for a while."

"Do they still have to approve the cases you can do?"

"The ones that aren't just stupid, yeah." Blaine nodded. "Although it's gotten to the point where I just give Bob a summary and he signs off on it."

"Why can't he just tell you?"

"Because Tammy Jo likes 'everything to be documented.'" Blaine rolled his eyes. "Bob probably wouldn't need an intern if he didn't have to document so much crap."

"Oh no. Didn't he refuse an intern last year?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah… but then he also had that really bad panic attack when he was driving last month and wrecked so I have a feeling they're going to make him."

"Wait, what?!"

"You were in LA. He was fine. I didn't want you to worry about it." Blaine waved his hand in the air.

"He wrecked?"

"Yeah but not into a car. He swerved into a parking lot and hit a church sign… it had a Jesus statue on top of it which fell onto the windshield. Sarah said it's his sign that he needs God in his life." Blaine laughed.

"Was he okay?"

"Yeah. Ryan and I went up to sit with him until they would let him go because he kept texting us anyway. They made him wait two hours at the hospital." Blaine nodded.

"A Jesus statue fell onto the windshield?"

"Yeah. He was like, 'Well I didn't go to church and now Jesus is going to literally do me in.'" Blaine shook his head. "But now he keeps telling people he got into a wreck and saw Jesus coming down to him…"

"He is horrible." Kurt laughed. "Poor Sarah."

"No. He is the best." Blaine argued. "Technically it's true."

"In January, you'll be making $190,000 won't you?"

"Yeah." Blaine nodded. "I can't believe I'm at $180,000 now, though! It's insane. I wouldn't make a small fraction of that in Ohio… and probably not near as much in Cambridge, either."

"When you've got a really good team who always wins, it's easier to pay people more." Kurt said. "Every time I visit you, I see at least four more lawyers I've never seen before."

"Yeah… and we've got some second year interns now too. Tammy Jo wants Bob and Ryan to pick more interns this year for the office and neither of them are thrilled by that."

"I mean going from you and Adrian to people who don't know what they're doing… I wouldn't be excited either." Kurt pointed out.

"Sometimes I still go through and organize Bob's papers." Blaine admitted. "I don't tell him though and he's not asked, so…"

Kurt squeezed Blaine's thigh again.

Blaine frowned.

"What's up?"

"I was really hoping she would get pregnant." Blaine sighed.

"We started now because we knew it could take a while." Kurt reminded him.

"Yeah. I know." Blaine nodded. "What if she gets pregnant with 4? Do we keep them all?"

"No. We'll just hand the extra ones out to our friends." Kurt snorted. "I went to see the baby today."

"I want to see him." Blaine whined. "It's been a week. I was around Scarlett all of the time when she was a bitty baby and I feel like I barely see Oliver."

"Go see him!" Kurt laughed.

"I'm afraid to bug Marcy. I don't know her as well as I knew AJ when Scarlett was born."

"Are you kidding? Marcy handed him over and went to take a shower, then acted like I was the best person she's ever met. It's a real self-esteem booster." Kurt said. "Plus, she spills on stuff David would probably never say to any of us so that's another big perk."

"Spills on what?"

"I… don't know?" Kurt shrugged.

"You can't go and say stuff like then and not deliver, Kurt."

"I… don't remember? You'll have to ask her."

"It was a bad idea having you two be roommates." Blaine sighed. "Now you're his favorite gay."

"I am not his 'favorite gay.'" Kurt laughed again.

"How dumb would it be of me to go to the grocery store at midnight and wait until they put out Vogue?" Blaine asked, beaming.

Kurt shook his head, smiling. "Please don't do that."

"Okay… Can I get an autograph in case we get a divorce and I come on hard times?" Blaine joked. "I need a little insurance here."

"Shut up!" Kurt playfully punched his shoulder.

"Why don't you make me?" Blaine asked sweetly.

Kurt leaned over, kissing him.

"Yep. That worked."

…

"You're doing what?!"

"Calm down."

"Do you not remember how horrible the last two years were?"

"You almost dropped out of medical school."

"This is a horrible idea."

"Are you on something?"

"No, really. Are you?"

David looked at Marcy, who was holding an almost four month old baby. "Why would you bring that up? He just spit up on you."

"Thanks, David. I couldn't feel it on my hand." Marcy rolled her eyes, leaving the room.

"No. She took the baby." Wes pouted.

"You have your own." Kurt looked at Wes. "She's sitting at your feet."

"There is a big difference in a baby and a toddler hellion." Wes said.

As if on cue, Scarlett tilted her head back to look at him and giggled adorably.

"Can't you go back to being a baby, Scarlett?" Wes stuck out his lower lip.

"Noooooo." Scarlett giggled again.

"Fine then." Wes dramatically sighed as Scarlett hugged his leg.

"Listen." David said. "Eric needs help in the pediatrics department because they still need him in both of the ER and peds... Eric offered double what I'm making at the doctor's office. They also have a day care in the hospital for doctors' children so Ollie would be in the same building at all times… it's 50% cost if a parent works in the hospital… if we both work there, it'll be free."

"You two make enough money that you're more than comfortable." Blaine said as Marcy came back into the room wearing a new shirt and now with a burp cloth over her shoulder. "You don't need to worry about daycare costs."

"We're not really… liking his daycare too much. They let sick babies with fevers stay all the time. I don't want Oliver to get sick. The nursery at the hospital is so clean. It's only got kids of the people that work there and doctors don't bring sick kids in." Marcy said and then added, "But if they do take their kid there sick, they get written up."

"And honestly, if I could have stayed upstairs with the babies and kids all day, I wouldn't have left." David added. "I get a nice, healthy dose of NICU, neonatal, PICU, and pediatrics."

"But they're all sick." Blaine pointed out.

"I mean, aren't we all in some form or other?" Kurt asked.

David let out a loud laugh.

Kurt got an adorable smile on his face when Oliver lifted his head, looking right at David. "He's so cute."

"He's okay." David jokingly shrugged.

"See? I told you he's your new favorite gay." Blaine sighed. "I wish you two hadn't been roommates."

"Blaine, you're nuts." David sighed right back.

"In all seriousness, you need to really think about this. You literally almost dropped out. You were always either super angry or super sad. You weren't you when you worked there." Wes scooped Scarlett up from the floor and said, "Want to go see baby Oliver?"

"Baby Oliver!" Scarlett repeated adorably, signing 'baby' with her hands. "Where's Mommy?"

"With her favorite gay." Wes said absentmindedly.

"What's gay?"

"It's a type of ice cream."

"I want gay, Daddy."

Kurt covered his mouth to keep from laughing.

"Let's decide that when we're a little closer to double digits in age, okay?" Wes asked.

"I see babies and kids at work all day now and I love my job." David said, bringing them back on topic.

"Why leave if you love it?" Blaine asked.

"It is double the pay and they're going to try to have Marcy and I work at the same time as much as they can… and when we're both at work, Ollie will be four stories up. Also, the ER is what stressed me out the most."

"Okay. The ER is still there." Wes said from across the room. Marcy was kneeling as Scarlett touched the baby's cheek.

"Eric said I would only be called down to the ER if it was a pediatric case or there was a trauma and they needed help… and that I'd be the last person called down if it's a trauma." David said.

"The only thing is Eric can't enforce it when he's not there." Marcy cut in, standing up straight as Scarlett ran to Kurt and wrapped her arms around his leg. "And if he's not working in ER or PEDS, you will almost for sure be working. That's why they're making the position. I mean… I see what you're saying but I also see what they're saying. They know you and they know how good you were in traumas, David. You are a super quick thinker and the only people you had that died were pretty much guaranteed to die before they made it into the ER. If they need you, they're going to call you."

"I'm doing it. I won't do it forever and if it gets bad I will leave and never practice in a hospital again. Okay?" David held up his hands. "We have a baby. With the extra money we could maybe buy a house."

"Why would we buy a house far away from Mount Sinai if we both work there? It's within walking distance." Marcy asked.

"Then a bigger apartment? I think it would be stupid to turn down a job offer with double pay that is willing to work with keeping me out of the ER and will try to give us the same schedules."

"You're really good and you always were. That's why they're doing this… but you know how you get at the hospital. Your mental health is more important than the money." Marcy sighed, handing the baby to him.

"Come on. Look at this cute baby and quit harassing me." David said to Wes, Blaine, and Kurt. "I will be fine. I am an adult and if I get in over my head, I'll quit. I promise."

"When do you start back?" Blaine asked apprehensively.

"Two weeks from tomorrow." David said and then added, "I may get to be the one to take care of your baby! Oh my God. What if I'm the doctor on duty? That would be so awesome."

"Do you deliver babies?" Kurt looked surprised.

"I have a couple of times but it was more of a 'oh shit, the baby's head is already out and you can't shove it back up' kind of thing." David responded. "It's not my favorite experience for sure."

"So eloquent." Marcy shot him a look. "Sometimes I still think you're 22."

"Well sure you can be the doctor on duty when our baby is born." Blaine said sarcastically. "You know, if we ever have one."

"Blaine." Kurt looked at him.

"Don't worry." Marcy said. "A lot of people get pregnant on the second or third try. It may take a while but it'll happen. Before I was in the ER, I delivered a lot of babies that were made in vitro."

"Really?" Blaine asked, looking like he felt a bit better.

"Yes. A lot of people are using IVF now and it's more accurate than it ever has been. The success rates keep going up and up." Marcy looked between Kurt and Blaine.

"I'm not worried." Blaine lied.

"Pfft. Then I'm not black, Blaine." David scoffed.

"Well you aren't green." Blaine shot him a look.

"Can I hold him?" Kurt asked David eagerly after Scarlett moved on to Blaine.

"Sure as long as when he poops, you give it to Marcy and not me." David grinned.

Kurt expertly took Oliver from David—since going through Melody, Scarlett, and Miles he'd gotten plenty of practice. "He looks like a little old man."

"You're the third person that's said that." Marcy shook her head, laughing.

"If you two get pregnant again before we do, can we have your second baby?" Blaine joked.

"No." Both Marcy and David said together. A little too quickly.

"Fine." Blaine pouted.

"It'll happen." David reassured him. "I know you've never been very patient but you're going to have to keep it up right now. It's completely out of your hands."

"Start a baby registry!" Marcy said excitedly. "You can use Babylist and put stuff from all kinds of sites on there. It was a lifesaver just for keeping track of it all. I just set up a new one for—"

David's head whipped towards her.

"Whoops…?" Marcy cringed. "I'm so sorry, David. I got too excited."

"What?!" Kurt gasped. "Already?!"

"This isn't fair!" Blaine whined. "What in the hell? You two don't even try and I want one and I've got nothing."

"Well you're most fertile when you've just had a baby and…" Marcy was still cringing. "I'm sorry, David."

"Will I ever get to tell my friends that you're pregnant myself?" David scoffed as Blaine attacked him in a bear hug. "Last time they knew before me!"

"Well that was Eric's fault. And, I mean… you probably won't get to tell them, honestly. You know I can't keep my mouth shut." Marcy shrugged. "Don't worry. You two are definitely next, Blaine."

"Yeah cause I don't have any swimmers and she can't get pregnant if she's already pregnant." Wes snorted.

"What's a swimmer, Daddy?" Scarlett asked.

"Why don't you ask Mommy when we get home?" Wes asked, scooping her up and hugging her.

"Okay, Daddy!"

"I hope you're getting her a ring since you knocked her up again." Blaine gave David a pointed look.

"Okay, Mom."

Blaine went over to Kurt. "Baby me?"

"Only if you promise to give him back. The last time you had him, you held him for four hours."

"The best four hours of my life." Marcy groaned. "I was able to shower, start laundry, and take a nap. Honestly, Blaine, you can move in."

"I'd miss my dogs." Blaine joked.

"Hey!" Kurt pouted, carefully handing Oliver over to Blaine.

"Just kidding."

September 2019 – October 2019 (2nd Attempt)

"I don't want an intern."

"You may not want one but you need one."

"I'm 46. Do you think I don't know what I need?"

"You had a panic attack driving and murdered a sign."

"That's none of your business."

"You are almost 47 and you have 20 trials left this month, Robert."

"Yeah and I've got 22 next month so far and it'll keep going up." Bob scoffed.

"That's actually proving my point."

"No. No, no, no."

"Have you seen the mountain on your desk? It was even higher but I saw Blaine steal half of one of the stacks when you were at court. I'm pretty sure the immigration lawyer was in here too sorting stuff."

"Her name is Marie." Bob said. "And you're just jealous people don't help you."

Adrian slipped into Blaine's office, clearly holding back laughter. "This is too funny."

"I mean, it really just makes me feel bad. He said nobody could do as well as me." Blaine whispered back. His office was only one wall from Bob's. Honestly, he heard more than he probably should have in most of Bob's conversations. They usually weren't this entertaining, though. Never, actually. They were usually about horrible things.

"You know what? Your second intern was Ryan, your fourth was Brian, and your fifth was Blaine. You love all three of your gay interns dearly."

"Hey, I didn't pick the last 2 gays. You threw them on me. Also, I had no idea Brian was gay at the time."

"The question is… do you love the gay people… or do the gay people love you?"

There was silence but Blaine had a very easy time imagining the glare Tammy Jo was getting.

"Bob, look at how much they helped you. To the point you think nobody else will compare. See? I pick good people for you. You've pretty much adopted Blaine from what I hear."

"Great. Go find me a gay intern that is as good as Ryan, Brian, and Blaine. Then we'll discuss it."

"Well I interviewed this girl—"

"NO. I will never have a girl intern again. No."

"Oh my God. It's been ten years. Just because one female intern was obsessed with you and stalked your wife doesn't mean all women will be. Honestly, shouldn't you have been just as worried about Ryan and Blaine then?"

"First of all, I knew Ryan before he started interning. And honestly I didn't know Blaine was gay until I heard he and Adrian arguing about which of the Thor Chris and the Captain America Chris was hotter."

"The answer is obvious Captain America Chris." Tammy Jo responded thoughtfully. "Although Sarah has a crush on Robert Downey Jr. I bet she'd leave you for him."

"With how much money she has, I'd leave her for him too." Bob said and then added, "Second of all, NO. No interns, no girls, and no trying to find gay boys because honestly Brady just came out yesterday and my gay quota has been met for, like, two years."

"Honestly?"

"She was in my son's nursery!"

"I'm talking about Brady! I knew his roommate was too cute to be straight."

"It's a one bedroom apartment. It's not like we were surprised but still."

"Did you get a rainbow cake?"

"No, we didn't get a rainbow cake!" Bob exclaimed. He then asked, "Should I have gotten a coming out cake? Is that a thing?"

Blaine heard Ryan walk down the hall and saw him before he went into Bob's office. He hadn't noticed Blaine and Adrian in Blaine's office since he'd been looking down at his phone. He'd barely made it into Bob's office when he spoke.

"Ryan, when you came out did your dad get you a rainbow cake?" Bob blurted.

"Aww did he finally come out?"

"Honestly it's about damn time."

"Don't get him a cake. That would be stupid. Just get him a bunch of condoms."

"Really?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Can we not talk about my best friend's son getting tons of condoms for gay sex from his straight father?" Tammy Jo asked.

"You know what? Just get a cake." Ryan said impatiently. "And Tammy, shut up. That intern girl literally stalked his wife and broke into his house. She took Brady out of the crib. That's fucking creepy. Give me the names of all the guys you interviewed and I'll find out which one is gay via social media. Problem solved."

"Do you think he was so traumatized by that girl that it made him gay?" Bob asked thoughtfully.

"Bob, please. Don't ask stupid questions." Ryan sighed.

"Well, how you'd tell your dad? How did he react?"

"He at least acted surprised. Who just goes 'I know?' Do you know how long it takes to get the courage to do that? 'I know,' Bob? Really."

"But I did know!"

"Moving on," Ryan interrupted, raising his voice. "You're all wrong. Chris Pratt is obviously the hottest Marvel Chris'. Move on with your lives."

"Ryan." Bob snapped. "You are not helping."

"You're past help right now, Bob. Go take a Prozac." Ryan laughed.

"I actually take offense to that since I've been on it since I was eleven. You try living with my three older brothers and not getting a social anxiety disorder. Thanks."

"Well, did you take your pill today?"

"Ryan, I hate you."

"I don't know why anyone would want to break into your house. You may be attractive but you've always been an asshole. Your body wouldn't be worth it with your grumpy attitude." Tammy Jo said.

"You can't just make comments about my body in front of me and to me. Are you crazy?"

"For the record, though," Ryan interrupted. "I'm pretty sure Brian had a crush on you when he first started."

"Oh my God. Why do you people even like me?"

"Nobody said we liked you, Bob. We said you were attractive." Tammy Jo scoffed. "The two do not have to correlate."

Adrian took a deep breath—trying so hard not to laugh or cry… or both.

"I did. Blaine probably did too." Ryan said.

"I never had a crush… but I did think he was cute." Blaine whispered.

"I'm going to be sick." Bob groaned.

"Adrian probably did too…." Ryan continued.

"I actually just thought he was an ass... but I like blondes better, so I might be biased." Adrian whispered to Blaine who had to try not to laugh out loud again.

"The redhead admin in Cambridge was totally in love with you." Tammy Jo added.

"I don't even know her name!" Bob exclaimed. "What redhead?"

"Six years ago. She didn't last very long. It was after your concussion when Ryan would have to wake you up all the time at your desk because you refused to stay home on FMLA... The only reason Sarah stopped fighting you on it was because your office was across from Ryan's so he could watch over you." Tammy Jo said. "Also, just because the gay guys and two girls had a crush on you does not mean all girls find you attractive. Eventually your fountain of eternal youth is going to run out and you'll join the rest of us in the land of the walking old, as your wife says."

"You're three years older than me… and you're fifty."

"You did not just say that." Tammy Jo scoffed.

"Yep. I did. What are you going to do about it?"

Blaine and Adrian saw Mallory walk by—Bob's office was at the end of the hallway. There was nowhere else she could be going.

"It's about to get ten times better." Adrian whispered.

Blaine nodded eagerly. "I'm ready."

"NO. Mallory, get out. Nobody invited you into this very important executive meeting."

"You used to run around the house naked until you were seven… sometimes even in the front yard. You pretended to put out the fire ants with your pee. Excuse me if I don't take you seriously, Robert."

"Told you." Adrian whispered.

"Did he really?" Ryan asked before letting out a loud laugh.

"Yeah. I mean, he was the fifth child so by that point our parents were numb to it all and they let him do want he wanted… until he brought an alpaca home. Technically he was grounded and couldn't drive, so Jake brought it home. That night was hilarious. I'm pretty sure he was drunk when he got grounded and when he got the alpaca." Mallory chirped. "Dad made him sit in there with him. He just kept laughing so hard he was crying until he fell asleep in the chair. We're talking tears. Dad did it every time Bob would get drunk and Dad found out… and every time Bob didn't even care. He'd laugh, cry, laugh, cry, and then pass out until morning. I honestly don't know what Sarah saw in him."

"You are all fired. Especially you, Mallory."

"Tammy, I heard Bob being difficult and you pointing out his flaws. I would just like to add that he's always been this much of an asshole. And he murdered my rabbit."

"I was four and you gave it to me when I was in the bathtub unsupervised! What did you expect? I thought it would know how to swim, okay? Why would you give a four year old a bunny in a bath tub?!" Bob exclaimed, sounding upset. "All four of you were just jealous because all of you had to wait until you hit your twenties to look mildly attractive and I was attractive from the beginning. Sorry you four took up all the ugly."

"Sorry you four took up all the ugly." Adrian whispered, making Blaine nearly laugh out loud. They were reaching dangerous territory, here. "The youngest siblings are always the best."

Ryan let out a loud laugh and then snorted—a real snort, not just a 'blow air through your nose' snort.

"You just said bunny. That's so cute." Tammy Jo said.

Mallory then added, "Yes. I know. The not pretty people need love too, bubby."

"You just pet his hair. I'm dying." Ryan gasped out. "I don't have time for this. I'm leaving. Good luck, Bob."

"When he was younger, we all had bets on when he would lose his virginity because he was so quiet and shy when he wasn't with Jake or Sarah. He used to be so precious. I remember driving him to his first dance." Mallory told Tammy Jo.

"I am in literal hell." Bob sighed.

"Your parents were in on the bet too?" Tammy Jo asked.

"Oh, yeah. They were the ones who started the bet with our aunts and uncles… and then all our brothers and cousins wanted in on it. He was the only quiet one out of the whole family— even our cousins— so we figured he wouldn't lose it until he was 20… even though he started dating Sarah when they were eleven."

"Eleven? Oh my God."

"If God does exist he can smite me now." Bob said loudly. "Please."

"He had a crush on her since he was seven, though." Mallory continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"I want to cry right now. This is all so cute. How old were you when you lost your virginity?" Tammy Jo asked Bob.

"That is none of your—"

"Seventeen. Isn't that cute too?" Mallory interrupted. "He proposed to her the beginning of his senior year and he lost his virginity that day."

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT?"

"Dear, it was because ever since that night you'd always come home way too happy and with messy hair. That's how we knew who won the bet."

"This is sexual harassment." Bob said, making both women laugh even harder. "I could sue you."

"He's going to kill them all." Adrian whispered. "I don't think they know we're in here."

"No. Mallory wouldn't have said that if she knew we were. She's not that mean." Blaine agreed. "She's actually the only sibling he likes."

"He likes her? They bicker all the time."

"He told me so."

"Is this how they treat him when he's not around other people? No wonder he can't stand his siblings."

"I wish I had popcorn." Blaine laughed quietly.

"There there, Bobbert. It's okay."

"Don't you follow me!" Bob announced and then left his office. He saw Blaine and Adrian at Blaine's desk, looking amused. "For fuck's sake. Blaine and Adrian were in here."

Tammy Jo and Mallory burst out laughing again, this time louder than before.

"Ugh! You all suck." Bob called as he left.

"Did Sarah really wait until they were seventeen to jump his bones?" Tammy Jo asked.

"She thought it was sweet that he wanted to wait. The adorable thing acted like he wanted to wait until marriage but they did after he proposed the beginning of his senior year."

"Aww oh my God, he's so precious."

"Sarah was the bad influence. She usually still is." Mallory walked out with Tammy Jo.

"I can't stop crying." They heard Tammy Jo sniffle. "I wish I'd known him back then."

"Don't wish that on anyone, Tammy. Even yourself… he was really adorable back then, though. Now he's an ass."

"He's still kind of adorable outside of work."

"I know." Mallory sighed.

"Hey, Bob looked kind of irritated. I saw him on his way out. He still smiled and waved, though." Kurt said, popping into Blaine's office. "I have both of your lunches."

"You're the best!" Adrian took the bag, handed him a $10 bill, and scurried off.

"Why do you look like you've been crying?"

"Because Tammy Jo and Bob's sister were teasing him and talking about when he was younger. Mallory called him 'Bobbert.' I can't even." Blaine wiped his eyes again. "I love this office as much as Bob hates it."

"They did that where you and Adrian could hear?"

"I think they thought we'd left for lunch. Adrian came in right as it started and we've just been sitting here silently laughing for, like, ten minutes." Blaine wiped his eyes again as more tears came. "Adrian needed that more than me but that was the best thing ever."

"Why did they even do that?"

"Tammy Jo wants to get him an intern but he doesn't want one. I think I spoiled him or something." Blaine took a deep breath. "It all kind of snowballed from there. Okay. I think I'm done."

Kurt shook his head, smiling and sitting in the chair that Adrian had been in.

"Then Tammy Jo brought up that the only interns he's kept has been Ryan, Brian, and myself and he won't work with a woman. I need to find out more about that. But he was arguing and Ryan comes in and is like, 'Just give me the names and I'll find out which one is gay.' Once Ryan was in there Mallory came and it was just gone from there. He's probably going to kill her."

"Poor Bob."

"He'll be alright. They don't pick on him that much and never in front of people they aren't close to." Blaine took a sip of his drink. "Did you hear from Quinn yet? If you did, I'm assuming it's a no since you didn't call me."

"Yeah. She's not pregnant." Kurt sighed a bit and took a sip of his drink.

"Damn." Blaine frowned.

Suddenly everything from earlier didn't seem so amusing.

"I guess we should call and break the news to Dad and Carole tonight when they get here."

"Yeah." Blaine nodded, attempting to force a smile.

"Don't get discouraged!" Kurt said cheerfully. "We have four more tries before starting over… and if it doesn't happen, we get our money back."

"It's not about the money, Kurt." Blaine sighed.

"I know. That was a joke."

"Are you not upset?" Blaine asked.

"I am but I don't get as excited as you do so I don't get quite as let down as you do." Kurt's voice was soft.

"I know. I just… wouldn't it be nice if we already had a baby when we got married? And the baby could be in the pictures and everything?"

Kurt leaned over and kissed his cheek. "It would be. But it will be just as nice with only us up there too."

"Yeah." Blaine nodded. "Did the doctor say anything went wrong?"

"I think it just… is nature. I don't think anyone is doing anything wrong. It just… hasn't happened yet."

"Did you know Eric's dad is, like, a billionaire? He created some heart tool thing or something for surgery." Blaine asked.

"Yeah. Alec told me a while back."

"It makes sense that they had such a nice place before he even began his residency."

"Yeah… and Alec's dad is some high up there general or something." Kurt nodded.

"I can see that. Alec is a military brat. That makes so much more sense." Blaine said.

"What makes more sense?"

"He's very urgent about getting to things on time." Blaine shrugged. "And he's kind of odd socially."

"Pfft. That's rude." Kurt gave him a look.

"I like him. I'm just saying… it makes more sense now. It's so weird. David and I have been trying to figure out who tops."

"Oh my God."

"Before I just assumed it was Eric but the more I'm around him I could kind of see it being Alec. I guess now that I know about Adrian and Matt's status I had to move on to the next one."

Kurt covered his face with his hand.

"You know, don't you?" Blaine asked excitedly.

"I'm not answering that."

"Does he know about us?"

"Do Wes and David know about us?" Kurt asked sweetly.

"True facts… does Rachel know?"

"Rachel knows everything. You don't even have to tell her. She's like a fly on everyone's wall." Kurt laughed.

"That would not surprise me." Blaine nodded and looked at his watch. "Ugh."

"Ugh?"

"I have to be at court in an hour for an arraignment. I've represented this teenager five times now. I wish he'd get his shit together." Blaine sighed. "Mainly because I'm sick of hearing his whiny voice… and his mom's… Mostly his mom's."

"Yeah. You've complained about him once or twice." Kurt teased.

"Did you take off all of the days Burt, Carole, and Melody are here? How long are they here?"

"I took off Monday through Wednesday but they said I can take Thursday and Friday if I want. And the half day today, obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"I really appreciate you bringing me lunch… and Adrian's food too." Blaine smiled.

"You've brought me lunch a lot." Kurt stood and walked behind the desk. His smile grew when he saw a picture of he and Blaine.

"Don't judge me." Blaine whined.

"There are so many better pictures of us is all." Kurt laughed.

"But you were so cute when you were sixteen. Look at that face." Blaine pointed.

"Look at your cheeks. And your eyes."

"Yeah." Blaine sighed. "The cheeks aren't going away."

"I wouldn't want them to."

"Well thanks." Blaine smiled. "You don't have to stay while I eat if you don't want to."

"I do!" Kurt sat on his lap. "I feel like we've barely seen each other in two weeks between the new line and you getting ready for yesterday's trial."

"I know. But this weekend will be here soon… and then it'll be Christmas next month and the office is closed December 23rd until after New Year's unless someone just wants to come in… which I do not."

"Yeah. Marc Jacobs is only closed Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day." Kurt sighed.

"That's why we're all having it at Paige's! I can find some stuff to entertain them when you're at work. I've already started making up a list of stuff Melody might like to do." Blaine said, perking up. He threw his lunch container in the trash. "Usually Burt and Carole just want her occupied anyway."

"When do you think you'll be home tonight?"

"Hopefully by 6:00 or 6:30. I've got some paperwork to catch up on from yesterday and what I'll be doing today." Blaine shrugged. "So not too bad considering I came in two hours late."

"I'm just glad your stomach is feeling better." Kurt looked at Blaine carefully.

"What?"

"I know what you're thinking." Kurt said. "But it's going to happen."

"What if it doesn't? What if she doesn't get pregnant? Do we give up or try to find another surrogate or… what?" Blaine asked.

"It' going to happen."

"You say that but, Kurt, this is the third time. Which means 50% of it is gone. There's 50% left." Blaine sighed. "50% is failing."

"Babies, eggs, and sperm aren't grades, Blaine." Kurt laughed. "You are usually so patient with everything but with this…"

"Everyone around us is so happy with their cute little families. I want us to have our own cute little family."

"First of all, you and I both make our own cute little family. We don't need a child to be a family. Also, not everyone has kids. Adrian and Matt don't. Alec and Eric don't."

"The difference is they don't want kids."

"It's going to happen when it's meant to happen. Worst case scenario we go through the stuff again and have more time to save for the baby." Kurt gave him a little pout. "Plus, aren't I enough for right now?"

"Of course you are." Blaine nodded. He then added, "But I still want babies."

"Baby. Singular. We want a baby."

"Well, yeah. But we eventually want two."

"Yes. We want them two years apart." Kurt nodded. "Baby one a cute girl with your cheeks and baby two a cute girl with my everything because clearly I'm perfect and beautiful."

Blaine laughed again and then said, "Well, you are."

"I don't know what I'll do if it's a boy. Oh God." Kurt looked up at the ceiling. "Little boys are such brats. Literally are brats from toddler years until, like, college. Sometimes they're still brats after that... I peed in Dad's face so many times. Oh God."

"I think a lot of people even out during or after college."

"Yeah. I guess. That's still eighteen years of being a brat, though." Kurt sighed and looked back down. "That won't happen, though. Girls. It'll be a girl. They'll both be girls. At separate times."

"Kurt, remember I told you that multiples run in my family and there hasn't been a girl born in—"

Kurt covered his ears.

"I'm just saying that it's a pretty big possibility. So, you may want to be looking at little boy nursery stuff soon in case."

"On this note, I am going to leave to clean up before Dad and Carole get here. Melody too but she's a given." Kurt kissed Blaine quickly. "Tell Bob I said hi. I love you."

"I will." Blaine kissed Kurt back. "I love you. Bye."

"Bye!"

…

"Listen, honestly you two ought to take this as something positive. Once Quinn does get pregnant your life is over."

"Thanks, Dad." Kurt scoffed.

"No. You're responsible for so many things. The food Quinn eats if you want her to eat a certain way, you gotta pay for her clothes, for the medicines and vitamins, any work she has to miss because of the baby." Burt was raising a finger with each one. How much are you paying Quinn? I know you're paying the doctors out the butt."

"Well… Quinn is getting $70,000 and we're going to pay for literally everything. Health insurance, tests, doctor's visits, any lost wages due to bed rest. If we end up with twins it goes up $5,000 or $10,000 if it's triplets." Blaine was looking at the ceiling trying to remember everything.

"So… how much is this going to cost you out the door?" Burt asked.

"Out the door?" Carole glared at him. "It's not a car."

"What? I'm curious."

"If nothing goes wrong… $130,000. Ballpark." Blaine said. "I think."

"So, what if it doesn't happen?" Burt asked.

"Burt!" Carole punched his arm. "Stop. Blaine's upset."

"I mean… it's a valid question. What if they go through this for a year and she doesn't get pregnant? Are they just out $130,000 with nothing to show for it?"

"Compensation starts when there is a fetal heartbeat… We'd be out her healthcare for the baby but we wouldn't have to pay the clinic anything. It's free if she doesn't get pregnant after a year which would be six cycles." Kurt said.

"And if it doesn't happen?" Burt asked.

Blaine crossed his arms over his chest and took a deep breath.

"Then we try again until it does." Kurt said, making eye contact with Blaine.

"Hon, don't worry!" Carole, who was sitting next to Blaine on the couch, wrapped an arm around him. "You two are going to have a little baby running around here soon. This is such a nice house."

"Yeah," Burt interrupted. "About that… didn't you want two kids? 'Cause I don't know how well a two bedroom house will do with four humans."

"Could you be any more of a Negative Nancy, Dad?" Kurt asked impatiently.

"I just think it's a lot of trouble to go through when you could go adopt one today. They're cheap in Asia."

Carole literally covered her face with her hand. "Burt."

"I just think that's a lot of money. Paying doctors and surrogates and having to prepare for a baby and—"

"Dad, Blaine is really upset that she hasn't gotten pregnant yet." Kurt sighed. "We just want our own kids. This is the way to get it. If it doesn't work, we agreed we would adopt. But we will go for at least another year after the sixth cycle this time before we do that. Two years. We're giving it two years total."

"Oh God. What if it's two years?" Blaine groaned.

Carole wrapped her arm around him again. "It won't be. I bet by next Christmas, you two will have your own baby."

"Hint. Just wrap empty boxes. They don't touch the toys anyway." Burt said.

"Boys, I just really hope that if it's a little boy it looks exactly like Blaine. I remember seeing your nephew and he was so cute with that mop of curls and that nose." Carole said excitedly, giving Blaine a squeeze. "And I really hope that if Kurt's baby looks exactly like him because, Kurt, you were so precious in all of the photos."

"Yeah. I know." Kurt joked.

"I mean honestly I'd be surprised if any of them turned out ugly. Quinn's really pretty too." Burt said.

"Yes, she is… but thank God that wasn't Finn's baby." Carole said. "Sometimes I still worry about him home alone with those two girls."

"Don't." Blaine shook his head. "He's great with them."

"Yeah." Kurt scrunched up his nose. "It's kind of adorable… although he has called me for help before… even though I don't have a child…"

Burt chuckled and shook his head. "Well I hope it happens for you boys. You'll make good parents to anybody—your DNA or not."

"But hopefully your DNA." Carole glared at him.

"Dad, how have you been feeling?" Kurt tilted his head.

"Kid, it's been over a year. I'm still doing good. A little bit tired but I've also been a little bit tired ever since chasing you around the house in a diaper so I don't think that has anything to do with being sick."

"Aww." Blaine got a goofy smile. "He was such a cute baby in the pictures."

"Well, thanks." Kurt beamed.

"He was pretty cute the whole time… except for the day he acted like a dog and bit the mailman. They all knew. All the mailmen that came after that were super anxious until Kurt was eleven or twelve. It was so embarrassing. I still get anxious when I think about it now." Burt covered his face.

Blaine laughed loudly, covering his mouth when his hand.

"I mean, I would apologize but you've gotten so much enjoyment retelling the story twice a year that I'm not even going to bother." Kurt shrugged. "Plus, didn't you say I was sick and on cough medicine? I was basically drugged."

"God, you just had to see him leap off the couch and run out the door on all fours. Oh God. I can't think about this right now or I'll laugh so hard I'll cry." Burt took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm good."

Blaine made a barking noise and Burt lost it.

"Oh my God. I still think Blaine is supposed to be his son." Carole shook her head as Melody came in, rubbing her eyes.

"What's wrong with Daddy?" she yawned.

"The mailman story." Kurt sighed.

"Daddy, it's stupid. It's not even that funny. Not since the billionth time." Melody sighed, going and sitting so she was half on Blaine and half on Kurt. She then leaned back.

"Could you not decide?" Carole laughed.

"Nope." She giggled.

"Mel, did you know they're trying to have a baby?" Burt asked.

Melody flailed her arms and legs excitedly, falling sideways onto Kurt.

Blaine laughed loudly again and reached over, tickling her belly since her shirt had risen.

"Bad Blaine!" She sat up and glared, looking very much like Kurt.

"Oh, there it is. See? I told you." Burt pointed.

"Okay. I do see it now since I saw Kurt glare earlier." Carole nodded. "See? There is some of you in there, Burt."

"Which one?"

Carole shot Burt a look.

"The only one here who likes me is Blaine right now." Burt laughed.

"Give it time." Blaine joked.

"Yeah, it doesn't take much right now." Kurt said very seriously.

"I'm sorry. I know I've been moody. I just really want her to get pregnant." Blaine sighed. "I mean I'm going to be 27 in April. It would be nice if we had both babies before thirty."

"Yes. Then we'd still be in our forties when they graduate from high school." Kurt nodded.

"You two are making me feel really old right now." Carole sighed.

"Yeah. Every time I see Kurt I do too. But that might be just because he's so tall now. I know he's my height but he was always a little runt until his sophomore or junior year. Then he shot up overnight." Burt sighed. "You're not a runt anymore, kiddo."

"Let's hope not." Kurt shrugged.

"Kurt, Momma and Daddy bought a lot of your magazines!" Melody said. "The stuff is pretty."

"Thank you." Kurt smiled at her.

"When are you getting married again?" Melody looked at him.

"September 4th of next year."

"How far away is that?"

"Too far." Burt sighed. "You two would have a long engagement. Honestly, I should have expected it. You all take forever at everything. Almost being together in the not-really-friends way, getting together, breaking up, getting back together, getting engaged… and now getting married."

Blaine got an excited smile on his face and he looked at Kurt.

Because they were engaged.

To be married.

He was marrying Kurt Hummel.

"And having a baby." Kurt said, smiling adorably at Blaine. "Date to be determined."

Blaine looked at Kurt. "I can't wait to marry you, Kurt."

"Look at them, Carole. See? I told you." Burt said. "I told you we'd be here one day when they had hearts popping out of their eyes. Look at that. Look at how excited Blaine is to marry Kurt. And Kurt to marry Blaine. I told all of you all. You should have just got married when Kurt graduated high school."

"Yeah, that would have been a really bad idea." Blaine winced.

"Horrible." Kurt agreed. "Honestly, I think the break up really—"

"Don't mention that. It's like the Plague. We don't discuss it." Burt interrupted him.

"Oh my God, Dad." Kurt shook his head. "But, seriously, I think the break up really brought us closer together than we ever were. We had to work hard to get where we are today and… I don't think we would have split up if we got married younger… but I think we are going into happily ever after a lot stronger than we would have at eighteen and nineteen."

"What he said." Blaine pointed at Kurt.

"I'm just saying, I told all of you all. You tried your hardest to prove me wrong but here I am. Right again. Okay. Maybe I was pretty pissed at Blaine at first when he was hungover in Kurt's bed but honestly, he can be hungover in your bed every night and I'll still think he's the best thing to happen to you."

"That would make me an alcoholic." Blaine whispered loudly.

"But I would still love you." Burt pointed at him.

Blaine made a heart with his hands, prompting giggles from Melody.

"Yeah. As you cried and drugged him and took him to a rehab facility." Kurt laughed.

"Drugs are bad." Melody chirped.

"Yes." Kurt nodded. "They are."

"Excuse me." Melody stood. "Three Christmases ago you promised me I could be flower girl. I hope you haven't forgotten that because I haven't. I was flower girl in Rachel and Finn's wedding. I have to be your flower girl."

"Aren't you worried you'll be too old?" Burt looked amused.

"Daddy, it's not my fault they made a promise and took so long to follow through." Melody shrugged.

"Of course you can still be a flower girl but you'll have to walk with Finn's babies." Carole said.

Melody looked up at the ceiling. "Why? They weren't born when they promised, Momma. I'm too old for that."

"You take that up with your brother." Burt said.

"I am." She looked at Kurt.

"I think she meant your other brother."

Melody turned to Blaine.

"Yeah. Not me. The other other one. The tall one."

"Daddy, he'll say no. Can you make Kurt let me be the only flower girl?" Melody whined.

"Hate to break it to ya, Mel, but Kurt hasn't listened to me for a very long time." Burt chuckled. "You'll have better luck with Finn."

Melody groaned and then turned to face Blaine. "And you."

"Oh God. What?" Blaine asked.

"You quit calling me your pumpkin and it's rude. Am I too old for you? Because I'm still a pumpkin. Your pumpkin." Melody pouted.

"I'm sorry. I thought you wouldn't want me to anymore since you're so big." Blaine shrugged, pulling her onto his lap. "Do you want me to?"

Melody looked thoughtful and said, "Not in public. But yes."

"Okay." Blaine laughed.

Melody gave him a look. "Okay, what?"

"Okay… pumpkin?" Blaine asked slowly as Kurt burst out laughing. "What, Kurt?"

"You are letting her bully you." Kurt said after calming down.

Melody smiled sweetly. "I wouldn't do that, Kurt."

"Yeah. To me or Finn." Kurt scoffed. "Blaine is too nice."

"That's why he's my favorite brother." Melody said cheerfully. She then stood on the couch between them and began to play with his curls. "And this too."

"I knew I should have gotten it cut before you came, Mellie." Blaine sighed.

"But you didn't. Mwahaha."

"Where did she get this from?" Kurt asked.

"The bossiness is from you. The weird part is a mixture of Blaine and Finn." Carole laughed. "We have weekly discussions."

"Told you that you were bossy." Blaine singsonged.

"I am not weird." Kurt said, looking shocked.

Melody look at him. "You are so, Kurt."

"How?"

"Well you're marrying Blaine." She giggled. "And you drive weird because you won't let anybody drive but you go too fast… but Blaine's the one that's wrecked… so maybe we should drive fast?"

"No." Blaine said.

"What do you mean, Kurt drives fast?" Burt asked, looking at Kurt.

"He's an aggressive driver too. Weaving in and out. That's why we get places so fast when we drive." Blaine said. "It really isn't fair that I'm a careful, law abiding citizen and I've been in, like, three accidents that weren't even my fault… Coincidentally all by people who drive like Kurt."

"I don't know what he's talking about." Kurt maintained a straight face.

"I kid you not, Burt, he got to 96 miles per hour on the interstate."

"Kurt!"

"You know what, Dad? That is the pot calling the kettle black." Kurt gave Burt and then Blaine a look.

"Daddy, it looks like speeding is safer." Melody chirped.

"You were going 96 hours per mile!" Burt exclaimed.

"There weren't that many people around and I've never gotten a ticket. I actually cried my way out of one."

"I was there. He was driving fast then too. It was in high school." Blaine said. "But, Kurt, you totally just jinxed yourself."

"I know." Kurt sighed. "I thought that as soon as I finished saying it."

"My work here is done. I'm going to go find food." Melody said before heading into the kitchen.

"Ah, see, Burt? There's the Finn in her." Carole pointed.

Everyone laughed when Melody turned to look at them and glared.

November 2019 - December 2019 (3rd Attempt)

Plesae come out back to the lto.

Blaine sent the text, his hands shaking.

Surely he would know something was wrong. Blaine never made typos—especially to Bob.

Not that Bob would have cared if he did..

But still, Bob was his boss. And that looked unprofessional.

1, 2, 3, 4… 1, 2, 3, 5, no 4, 6, 7, 8

No, he'd skipped the middle one.

Now, Blaine typed out.

And another, Please. Now.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

No.

1, 2, 3, 4

No. No. No.

"What's going on over here?" Bob rushed over as a man backed Blaine against the side of a car, stepping between Blaine and his father.

It was Brian's car— the closest car to the back door to the building because he almost always made it in first. The car was the closest thing his father could block him in with so he couldn't get away.

"Please help me." Blaine said, meeting Bob's eyes, his own hazel eyes wide and his face pale.

Bob spun back around to face the man. "I asked you what in the hell going on over here."

"It's none of your business. Get away from my son." The man said.

Bob turned back to look at Blaine who looked frozen.

Because how had his dad found him? How did he know he lived in New York City? That he worked here?

"'Your son?'" Bob echoed slowly.

"This has nothing to do with you so why don't you get away from my son and mind your own goddamn business?" Blaine's father said as he went to side step Bob so he could see Blaine.

Bob held his arm out. "No. You don't take one step closer to him."

Blaine's father looked past Bob and over to Blaine, clearly amused.

"You're such a disappointment. We should have left you in public school. Maybe next time those boys would have hurt you enough to kill you and I wouldn't have to be here right now. I can't believe you would trash our families name and reputation by coming out on TV. Is this your new boyfriend? He's too old for you but at least he doesn't look like a ten year old girl."

"Please. Just leave me alone." Blaine's voice was quiet.

"Leave you alone?" His dad laughed. "Give me the money and I'll never bother you again. I don't give two shits about you, Blaine."

Bob stared at Blaine's father, not speaking. Which Blaine knew could not be good… because the Bob he was used to would be yelling by now.

Blaine could practically feel Bob's anger rising with every word Blaine's dad said even though he kept a straight, very composed expression on his face. Maybe it was because he knew Bob so well, though. His father, however, knew nothing about Bob. Or about Bob's temper when he was really pissed off.

"I don't care where you work, who you work for, what you do. You're always going to be a faggot from Westerville, Ohio who had to run away to a fag school so you wouldn't get beaten up again by your own friends. It's too bad four days by yourself in a hospital didn't fix you. I was really hoping you'd do the job right when you were fifteen and kill yourself so I would never have to see your face again."

Something flashed in Bob's eyes and he went to lunge at Blaine's father when he was roughly pulled back by Jake who seemed to have come from nowhere.

Then again, Blaine had only been watching Bob and his father. So who knew when Jake had come out?

"Let me fucking go!" Bob growled as Ryan gently moved Blaine to the other side of Brian's car, putting more distance between he and his father.

"This is pathetic." Blaine's dad laughed. "Really, Blaine?"

"I've got you, We're fine." Ryan said, voice soft.

Blaine watched, gasping for breath. Every second it got harder to breathe.

This wasn't happening.

This wasn't happening.

He was going to wake up because surely this was just a nightmare.

"Shh." Ryan said, hand going up and down Blaine's arm as Blaine gasped again. "Shh. You're okay. Calm down."

Blaine watched Bob struggle against Jake, even elbowing Jake hard in the chest in an attempting to get loose.

"I can't breathe." Blaine gasped out.

Because this really was happening.

"Yes, you can." Ryan said gently, hand still going up and down his arm. "You're okay."

"Oh my God." Blaine gasped again twice, back to back.

"Calm down. You're okay." Ryan repeated. "Take a deep breath."

Blaine attempted to but it turned into a gasp as well.

Blaine's dad walked around the car as Brian rushed over to Jake who was struggling to keep a hold on Bob.

"Send me a check for that money or I'll make sure you finish the job and actually kill yourself next time, Blaine."

"Shh, shh, shh." Ryan whispered as Bob now struggled against Jake and Brian—nearly getting free twice and fighting harder against them each time he didn't get loose. Bob was 5'10 and thin but he was by no means weak. Ryan wasn't sure how much longer they would be able to keep hold of him. He was not relenting. Not one bit.

"By the way, get a younger boyfriend. He's probably got AIDS and will die soon anyway." Blaine's dad looked Blaine in the eyes and gestured towards Bob. "You disgust me."

"You're repulsive and pathetic." Ryan said slowly, a tight grip on Blaine's arm. "You don't deserve to breathe the same air Blaine does. Get the hell out of here."

"The police are on their way. I would listen to him if I were you." Jake grunted, still holding Bob back because Bob was still not giving up. In fact, he was only getting angrier and more forceful against Jake because Blaine's father was right in front of Blaine and implying that he would kill himself. That was not okay. Jake was getting the brunt of the push back from Bob although Brian would probably still have a bruise or two from where Bob's elbow had jabbed him. "Expect a summons from this angry guy right here. He really likes restraining orders and throwing criminals in jail. Especially deadbeat parents. Judges love him. He also really likes Blaine. Who the judges also love. You picked the wrong lawyer to fuck with."

"I look forward to it. I'll see you soon, Blaine." Blaine's dad said, glancing at Bob with an amused expression, before calmly getting into a car and driving off like nothing had happened.

"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT?!" Bob screamed once Jake and Brian let him go. He literally shoved Jake, looking angrier than even Ryan had seen him—and they'd worked together almost 17 years. He'd seen Bob pretty pissed off.

"CALM THE FUCK DOWN!" Jake yelled right back. "DO YOU WANT TO GET ARRESTED? WHO DOES THAT HELP, ROBBIE?"

"Bob!" Ryan said from behind Brian's car.

Bob, Jake, and Brian rushed behind it. Blaine was sitting on the ground, back against the car, and now sobbing so hard he was gasping for breath.

Bob moved past Ryan and bent down. He put his hands on either side of Blaine's face and made Blaine look at him.

"I— I can't breathe." Blaine gasped.

"Shh, shh." Bob whispered, taking some Kleenexes Brian had gotten out of his car and was holding out. "You're okay. We're okay."

"Go on in." Ryan whispered to Jake and Brian without leaving Blaine's side. "Get a police officer out here."

"No." Blaine whimpered.

"Blaine, look at me. Breathe." Bob said.

"Yes." Ryan's voice was firm.

Blaine shook his head and let out a sob.

Because what?

"Shh, shh." Bob repeated.

"I can't breathe." Blaine gasped out again.

"Blaine, do you want us to call an ambulance?" Ryan asked, kneeling as well.

"N-No." Blaine shook his head. "I c-can't breathe."

Bob sat down on the ground next to him. Blaine didn't even think about it. He gripped some of Bob's dress shirt and then sobbed hard into his chest—maybe even harder than he had when telling Bob about his parents and wanting to kill himself.

Blaine heard Brian's voice again. After several seconds Ryan knelt back down. "Brian brought you some water, Blaine. Drink some for me, okay?"

"I've got him. It's okay." Bob said, reaching for the bottle of water. "Find out which receptionist or admin clerk let that guy get as far back as his office. He didn't have any appointments today so they clearly aren't doing their job. They're gone."

"Bob…" Ryan said.

"If they let that guy in, they'll let any other criminal in too. I'm firing whichever one did it." Bob said. "It's a safety issue. You know about Adrian's ex. I'm not putting up with this. Something like this is not happening again."

Ryan bent down by Blaine. "Blaine?"

Blaine looked up, face swollen and red from crying.

"He's wrong. Everything he said is wrong. You know your worth… and the only opinions that matter are from people who love and support you." Ryan squeezed his arm. "Okay? And, I mean, you've got four really good lawyers in this office who know a lot of people—especially Bob. Your dad will never win against you. In anything. Okay?"

Blaine nodded, sniffling.

"We're going to get a PPO and if he ever tries to see you again, he will go to jail." Ryan then added, "Unless Bob gets to him first. Then he'll probably be six feet under."

Blaine let out a half laugh, half cry when he felt Bob squeeze his shoulder.

"He's really good to have on your side in court. Trust me." Ryan gave him a sad smile and then walked towards the building.

"I've got you." Bob whispered, hand going up and down Blaine's back rhythmically.

Blaine shook his head.

"Yes. I do." Bob whispered. "I'm right here. We'll sit here all night if we have to."

Blaine let out a choked sob.

"I've got you. I've always got you. He won't get in again. He won't. I promise you."

Blaine pushed himself into a sitting position. More tears welled up in his eyes when his eyes met Bob's. Bob didn't look mad anymore. He just looked sad.

"I'm right here. You're okay." He said again, touching Blaine's cheek again. His other hand still went up and down, side to side, and up and down. "Catch your breath and we'll go somewhere. Okay, honey? We'll go somewhere."

Blaine nodded, tears falling.

"You're okay. You're okay." Bob whispered.

"Thank you." Blaine burst into more tears.

"Calm down. I've got you. You're safe." Bob didn't look away. "Look at me."

Blaine did, trying to stop the sobs and watery hiccups he was now getting.

"You're safe."

Blaine nodded, burying his head in Bob's chest again.

Bob ran his hand up and down Blaine's back for several minutes as he cried, not speaking.

Twenty minutes later, Blaine pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Okay?" Bob asked, watching him carefully.

"No." Blaine shook his head and took a deep breath. "Can we go?"

"Where do you want to go?" Bob asked gently.

"Anywhere but here. Oh my God. Everyone probably knows." Blaine tilted his head back, looking up at the sky. He took a deep, shuddery breath.

"None of those three will say anything to anyone." Bob said slowly. "They wouldn't. I can't vouch for any of the people new to us but nobody that came from Cambridge would ever do anything like that. For all anyone else knows, you're at court right now. I didn't hear anyone else come out and that door is loud so I don't think anyone else knows."

Blaine lowered his head and wiped his face. "Oh my God. I can't believe this. How did he find me?"

"I don't know but I know he shouldn't have been brought back to your office."

"He wasn't. He walked back on his own." Blaine covered his face.

"What?" Bob asked sharply.

"He just came in. He let me know how easy it was to find where I worked, to walk in, and to get all the way to my office without anybody stopping him." Blaine angrily wiped at his eyes. "I think Becca was on lunch. Jessica was probably taking someone to the civil law guy's office. I know he had a meeting."

Bob took a deep breath.

"I'm so sorry." Blaine's lip trembled. "I can't believe this happened here. Oh my God."

"No." Bob shook his head. "Don't you dare. This is not your fault."

"It kind of is." Blaine took a deep breath. "He was looking for me."

"No. It's not." Bob said, moving his head when Blaine moved his own so they were still looking each other in the eyes.

"Thank you." Blaine whispered.

"Don't." Bob said.

"Thank you for checking your phone and coming out and trying to keep him away from me." Blaine sniffled.

"If Jake and Ryan hadn't come out that would have ended much quicker and he wouldn't go up to you ever again. I can promise you that."

Blaine didn't know what to say so he just watched Bob.

"Not a single syllable he said is true, Blaine. You are not a disappointment. If you were my biological son I would be so proud of you—and I am so proud of you even though you're not. Achieving all you have with that as a father." Bob said. "I don't know what happened in public school but he is disgusting wishing you'd been killed… I don't even know what to say."

Blaine opened his mouth.

"No. I'm not done. I'm addressing it all. I am so proud of you for not letting that camp out you—on TV, news, even if you'd done it by snail mail I would still be proud. But you let people see your face. If anybody is ruining your family's reputation it is him and your mother and anyone else who looks at you like you're anything but what you are—kind and loving." Bob continued.

"But—"

"You let me finish and you listen to every single word." Bob looked him in the eyes. "Where you work, who you work for, and what you do does matter. CMJ here is getting to be just as good as the one in Cambridge. You work with some of the best lawyers I've ever met—Jake being the best by far. You work for me and that does matter because I am going to make sure that one day, you're twice as good as me. I am going to teach you everything I can. I'll send you to other people for what I can't teach you, and I will put all my faith in you as a lawyer and a person and as someone I love very much. You are such a beautiful, wonderful person and you've overcome so much."

Blaine swallowed.

"You may not have your birth family but you've got so much more. Your best friends' families. Especially Kurt's family because they know exactly how special you are and both times I met them, you could just tell how much they love you." Bob said. "And you've got me for whatever that's worth. Sarah loves you and all the kids love you too. Especially Miles. So fuck them. That's at least four families there not to mention you've got Adrian and by proxy Matt who will knock someone three times his size down in ten seconds flat with or without both kidneys. Which is probably what that asshole needs."

"It's worth so much." Blaine's lip trembled.

Bob pulled him into a big hug. "Good because I feel the same way about you. Okay?"

Blaine nodded, actually believing him.

"And please never, ever, ever want to end your life. You have such a long, beautiful life ahead of you. It's really only just beginning." Bob put his hand on Blaine's cheek and held it there. "Okay?"

"Yes." Blaine nodded.

"Promise me."

"I promise." Tears filled Blaine's eyes. "I wouldn't. Not anymore. Not since Kurt. Never."

Bob pulled Blaine roughly to his chest again, not letting go for at least two minutes.

"Thank you." Blaine sniffled when Bob let go and he scooted back.

"You're welcome."

Blaine took a deep, shuddery breath.

"You are such a wonderful addition to my life. I want you to know that. I love you and I would do anything for you."

"Like try to kill my dad?" Blaine forced a laugh.

"Yeah. See? I almost went to jail for you. It would have been worth every cent of bail money." Bob joked but at the same time he was very serious. He then added, "I would really like time alone in a room with him. Even one minute."

"Thank you… Although I feel bad for Jake and Brian."

"It's not the first time Jake's gotten injured in the battlefield. It's all good." Bob forced a laugh. "Plus, I've been on the other end stopping him from fighting too. It happens when you've been friends for more than 30 years. We've stopped each other from a lot of stupid things actually."

"Really?"

"That's a story for another day." Bob stood and held out an arm to help Blaine up.

Blaine stood, wiping his face off again.

"Let's see if Kurt can take an early lunch, okay?"

"My stuff is still in my office."

"That's okay. I'll go grab it so you don't have to."

"What happens now?" Blaine asked nervously.

"We get an EPO in the morning and then we get a PPO for you, Kurt, and your future children." Bob pulled his car keys out. "Go sit in the car. I'll be right back out."

"Are you sure?"

"If you steal my car, I know where to find you." Bob winked at him and then headed towards the back door.

Blaine let out a shuddery breath, getting into the passenger seat and pulling out his phone. He then typed out a quick text.

Kurt, I need to see you.

…

"I can't believe he just… walked in like that." Kurt said later that night, sitting on the couch next to Blaine later that night. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm just mad at myself for getting so upset." Blaine sighed, looking at him. "I'm almost twenty-six, yet I was so close to a panic attack because of my dad. It's stupid."

"Don't be mad at yourself. He showed up unannounced, snuck through four hallways to get to your office, entered your office, forced you out of the building, and backed you into a car. He was threatening you over money that was never, ever going to be his." Kurt said slowly. "He is a horrible person who has threatened and forced you into horrible situations ever since you were eleven years old. Blaine, he's crazy. That's crazy! I am talking certifiably crazy."

"I know." Blaine bit his lip.

"The point is, you're not being stupid. Every single time you've been in a room with him since you were eleven, he has put you down mentally or physically— most of the times, both. Everything you're feeling right now and what you were feeling then was 100% valid." Kurt looked him in the eye. "How did he even know we were in New York City?"

"I don't know." Blaine took a deep breath.

"Hopefully Bob fighting two grown men to get to him will scare him off." Kurt sighed. "Would you want to fight him? No. You wouldn't."

"Oh God." Blaine covered his face. "I can't believe this happened at work."'

"At least it didn't happen here."

"If he knew where I worked then he probably knows where we live too."

"That's not necessarily true, Blaine. All of you lawyers are listed on the website by first and last name and with email information for contact." Kurt said.

"Are there pictures?" Blaine questioned.

"I don't remember. I can look. The only reason I know is because I kept checking to see when your name would be added as a lawyer." Kurt admitted sheepishly.

Blaine gave him a small smile. "I love you."

"I love you too." Kurt smiled back.

"Are you sure you want to marry me even though my dad is crazy?"

"I don't think you have to worry about your dad anymore, Blaine."

"Yeah. I thought that before today too." Blaine scoffed. "How do you figure?"

"Because it sounds like Bob was going to beat the shit out of him."

Blaine looked thoughtful, tilting his head. "You should have seen it. He looked like he wanted to kill Jake for holding him back after my dad left too. He shoved him and everything."

Kurt leaned against Blaine, resting his head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad you have him now."

"Me too." Blaine said softly. "Burt, Carole, and Melody are still coming here for Thanksgiving, right?"

"Yeah. I guess they're trying to decide if Taylor and Paige's house is better or ours. Well, not better. Honestly, I really hope that Taylor and Paige want it at their place. The Thursday and Friday will be my only days off for ten days after that." Kurt sighed. "I hate this. I'm used to being free around holidays and being able to help cook and bake and… everything."

"I'm sorry." Blaine frowned. "I'm going to be so bored until I go back to work. Wes, AJ, Adrian and Matt are all going to Boulder. David and Marcy will be in Ohio."

"Matt is going with him?" Kurt looked shocked. "He literally hates Adrian's dad."

"I mean, since they started dating they've only stayed in Cambridge with Matt's family for the holidays... and Matt's family is going to have a mini dinner on Tuesday before they leave so the whole family can at least be together before the holiday. I'm sure Adrian's parents have been complaining about them only doing stuff with Matt's family even though he never went before... He probably mostly agreed to go it to shut his dad up."

"I'm assuming Matt does not want to go?"

"The only two times he's gone since they got married, he didn't really talk to anyone except one of Adrian's brothers. Obviously the one that can talk because he has not learned any more sign language… I don't know why he'd want to learn it after how they were to him when he went to Boulder to ask for their blessing. They're staying the nights with AJ's family, though. Matt's only stipulation was that they had to stay somewhere else." Blaine said and then added, "He never leaves Adrian alone in Boulder, though."

"So, Matt has been there with him?"

"Last year they went up for two days… I think this March they did too. Adrian never goes up there very long."

"I don't blame him after that crap his dad pulled two years ago." Kurt said. "But what would he do if Adrian's ex showed up anyway? It's not like he can use the cop thing. It would be really bad if they got into a fight and he got hurt."

"Have you seen Matt lately?" Blaine laughed. "He may be down a kidney but he goes to the gym five days a week and runs five miles the other two days even though he's in school. Hell, even if he's in a smaller t-shirt you can still see his muscles. I don't think he's lost any muscle at all. He still looks like he did when he was 22 and leaving to save the world when I first met him. Matt could definitely kick almost anyone's ass."

"Way to be an overachiever." Kurt laughed and then said, "I think it's been three months since I saw him last. Adrian and he always come over on the weekends I'm at work." Kurt sighed. "Is he liking school?"

"I don't think he's enjoying the math and science stuff but, I mean, who does? Wes is helping him in chemistry and AJ is helping him in biology. Otherwise he seems to like it, though."

"They are so sweet."

"Matt is so cute that I think anyone would have a hard time not being sweet to him."

Kurt sat up straight, looking at their Christmas tree. He tilted his head.

"What?"

"I'm glad we put it up last night since we both had time together earlier than seven at night." Kurt smiled. "Next year there will be a lot more presents under the tree. Almost none of them for us."

Blaine forced a smile and then leaned over, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked.

"What if my dad…" Blaine hesitated. "What if he finds out where we live?"

"He won't."

"What if he does?" Blaine asked, sounding annoyed.

"Then we deal with it. Just like we'll deal with anything else to do with your family, anything else to do with my family, or anything to do with us. We deal with it and we stay together and at the end of the night, we still have each other… no matter what chaos is going on around us." Kurt reached over, running his fingers through Blaine's hair.

"What if he does something to you?" Blaine asked.

"Then he'll have Bob and my dad after him." Kurt pulled back, shaking his head. "But that won't happen. He won't come near me. He only does this stuff to you because he always has. If he was going to do something to anyone else, he wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to go at Bob since he was clearly trying to get to your dad."

"Yeah. He thought Bob was my 'boyfriend.'" Blaine scoffed.

Kurt burst into laughter. "What?"

"Yeah. I guess every male I'm within ten feet of is my partner or something." Blaine shrugged.

"What did Bob say to that?"

"Honestly I think he was so pissed that he probably heard nothing after my dad said he was hoping I'd 'done the job right' when I wanted to kill myself at fifteen or something like that."

Kurt swallowed hard, looking at him.

"It's fine. It's… it is what it is. And I'm nowhere near that mindset anymore." Blaine bit his lip. "He did say if I didn't send him a check for the money he'd make sure I did it right."

"Oh my God."

"The whole thing was horrible. And the worst part is I'll have to see him to do the permanent protective order. He has to be present since it's a permanent one."

"You are not going by yourself." Kurt pulled back to look at him, facial expression very serious.

"Technically I could go by myself but… I think Bob or Jake will go with me. They both know so many people and I feel like it'll be taken more seriously coming from one of them." Blaine sighed and then added, "Plus, I really don't want to be alone. Bob was saying he wanted it against my mom too which is probably a good idea."

"So, he can't have contact with you?"

"With us. He has to stay away. He can't threaten or harass us. No contact in any form or he goes to jail." Blaine took a deep breath.

"When we have kids…?"

"Yes. They'll be included." Blaine nodded. "The only thing is if they'll grant it from the beginning. Some judges are great about protective orders and others aren't."

"Bob or Jake are going to go with you for the permanent one too, right?" Kurt looked worried. "I'm going to go regardless, but still…"

"Bob said I wasn't going alone to either of them. Bob thinks he's obsessed over the money and will try anything at this point. I mean… he literally had all those people out there and still said that horrible stuff to me in front of them. He was always very much behind closed doors any other time he'd do stuff like that before… I think he's getting desperate." Blaine sighed. "Which is really terrifying."

"I really wish we were still in the apartment right now. All we would have to do is give them a picture of your parents and they'd call the cops if they came in." Kurt bit his lip.

"I wish Quinn would text us and let us know either way about the transfer. I'd rather hear a 'no' than just sit here wondering." Blaine sighed again. "Shit, Kurt. Shit. We're about to have a baby and my family is just—ugh."

"You need to call Alex, Blaine. You all always talk once a week anyway."

"We try to not talk about our parents as much as we can." Blaine looked around the room anxiously. "I don't want him to worry."

"Blaine…. He probably should worry. He has little kids. If your dad goes to his house and pulls that stuff with Alex, not only will Danny be terrified but Elena and the twins are pretty much still toddlers. They'll be scared too. Plus, you know he makes comments about Mia to Alex all the time… honestly, she's probably scared of him too." Kurt watched him. "If it were reversed, wouldn't you want him to call and warn you?"

"I don't even know if Dad knows they're back in the states." Blaine stood up and went to grab his cell phone off the kitchen counter. He looked at Kurt, expression serious. "Kurt… If he shows up here, we are selling this house. "

"Blaine…"

"No. He can't know where we live. Not if we're going to have kids. This isn't even about me or you anymore. We— I— have to protect them from him… from all of them. I don't want our kids to ever find out what my family is like. Or think that they aren't worthy of their grandfather's or uncles' love. Or that my grandmother turned into a corrupt shitty politician as soon as my grandfather died." Blaine frowned. "I don't want them to find out everything I've been through. I just want them to be normal and have a normal family and a normal life."

"Blaine… You know they're going to ask about their grandparents." Kurt watched him, making eye contact.

"I don't want them to feel like they're worth less than they are. Burt and Carole are more than enough to make up for it."

"I know… but, babe… they're still going to ask eventually." Kurt took a deep breath.

"You only grew up with one set of grandparents and you didn't ask."

"I didn't have to. I was seven when my mom died and I looked so much like her that…" Kurt shrugged. "I really only saw them on like elementary and middle school graduations or 'milestone' birthdays… I haven't had contact since I was fourteen. I probably won't even invite them to the wedding, honestly."

"Really?" Blaine looked surprised.

"We've been together this long and they've never met you or even seen me or talked to me on the phone in at least that long. It is what it is, honestly." Kurt shrugged. "It's fine. I am happy and don't feel like I need to have a relationship with them to be happy. Everybody wins."

"Yes. You're happy not seeing them. This is helping prove my point."

"Not exactly." Kurt said. "I am happy now but when I was younger I had a hard time understanding why they quit seeing me all of the time. That was horrible. Imagine if our kids only have one set of grandparents and everyone else has two. They're going to ask questions."

"Then we will improvise around it or lie."

"Blaine." Kurt sighed. "I am not lying to our children. If you don't tell them, they will figure it out. They will be mad at you for not telling the truth when they were old enough to understand. That will make them feel worse about the whole thing."

"Kurt."

"I agree with heavily sugar and syrup covering it until they're 8 or 9 and then… being a bit more honest later… and when they're teenagers, telling them the truth." Kurt said. "I'm not going to lie to our children when they ask about their family. I don't think that's healthy for us or them. Dad never lied to me and I trusted him. I want that for us and our kids too."

"Why would you want them to eventually know?!"

"Because if they don't, they may pull a Parent Trap move and try to find them their self. That is a lot worse than sugar coating it and agreeing to tell them the truth when they're older."

Blaine bit his lip.

That was a valid point.

Did he want his child heading to Westerville, OH and knocking on his grandparents' door?

Absolutely not.

"I know. And I know you want to protect them from getting their feelings hurt when they're little but I don't think it's worth losing their trust. My dad didn't sugarcoat it and I think it made it easier knowing the truth. I went to him with stuff. Plus, Dad and I were closer because of it."

"I still disagree." Blaine shook his head.

"Then we'll have to agree to disagree until the time comes… I usually win arguments anyway." Kurt smiled sweetly.

Blaine gave him a look.

"I'm joking!" Kurt laughed.

"I'm just not in a joking mood." Blaine frowned.

"Come on. Go call Alex. After that we're going to go kidnap David and Wes, all go out, and maybe get a little bit drunk. We're all off tomorrow." Kurt grabbed his hand.

"I still haven't seen you more than tipsy." Blaine pointed out as Kurt pulled him towards the door.

"That has to wait until after the wedding or you might return the ring." Kurt joked.

Blaine smiled a bit.

"See? I told you I'd always make you smile." Kurt beamed.

"I love you, Kurt." Blaine leaned over, kissing Kurt's cheek.

"I love you too, Blaine."

…

"Please don't have the white or ivory discussion again. I can't. Do whatever you want." Blaine sighed two weeks later, closing his laptop as Kurt approached him. "I told you it's all you."

"I wasn't going to." Kurt smiled and sat next to Blaine on the couch. "How are you?"

Blaine forced a smile.

Kurt relaxed against the back of the couch and squeezed his thigh.

"She's not pregnant, right? I know you've been avoiding telling me."

"Right." Kurt looked at him.

"It took her a while to tell us this time compared to the last two and if she was pregnant, you definitely would have told me… I kind of figured." Blaine let out a sad sigh. "Okay… Three more tries, right?"

"Right." Kurt said again and then admitted, "She told me the day everything happened with your dad… You were already so upset and I just… couldn't bring myself to do it."

"I understand… but waiting two weeks?" Blaine asked.

"Sorry." Kurt said. "I just kept waiting for the right moment… but there isn't one for that."

"I had a feeling, honestly. By that Thursday I realized there's no way she wouldn't know by then since it had been two weeks."

"She told me the day everything happened with your dad… I thought if there was a time to go against open communication, this was probably it."

"Next time just tell me. I'm fine." Blaine gave him a smile.

"How did it go today in court?"

"The judge granted it. Every five years we have to go renew it."

"We?" Kurt asked.

"Well, I will. But you're on there too… and when we have the babies, they will be too. The judge that signed off on it is a total badass too. She used to be in the air force… but she really likes me too so honestly I probably could have gone by myself. Jake and Bob went too so we got lunch after and we talked a bit more about the whole picture around Dad, I guess… After talking to her, I do feel a lot better. She'll be the one when we meet for the PPO too. She said any child we have is automatically under it. As long as our kids don't seek him out… they'll never have to meet him." Blaine let out a deep breath. "Thank God."

"Oh. I didn't know I'd be on it since we're not married yet." Kurt looked surprised.

"Well, we will be soon. It pretty much goes with household in general." Blaine explained. "If he abides by it, that is."

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked. "With Quinn not…?"

"I mean, I'm sad… but I had a feeling anyway." Blaine shrugged. "I did… open a Pinterest account and pin a bunch of parenting things, though."

"You opened a Pinterest. David and Wes would die." Kurt laughed loudly.

"Yeah, so don't tell them! It was slow at work yesterday." Blaine laughed. "You can't judge me because you have home stuff on boards… and nursery stuff."

"How do you know that?"

"Your phone." Blaine smiled sweetly.

"Looking at that stuff doesn't make you sad?" Kurt asked.

"I mean it does… but it also makes me really excited, too… because it will happen eventually."

"Too bad Quinn isn't like Bob's wife and can get pregnant all the time." Kurt joked.

"Right?" Blaine laughed again. "Third week in January is the next transfer, right?"

"Yes. The 21st."

"I really hope it happens this time, Kurt."

"I know. Me too."

"It's going to happen, right?" Blaine asked.

"Of course it will. Our future child is somewhere in a petri dish waiting to be transferred." Kurt said. "It's going to work and we are both going to be the most adorable parents in the world. At least, that's what Carole said."

Blaine scrunched up his nose adorably and then nuzzled Kurt.

"I am serious about this white and ivory thing, though, Blaine." Kurt pulled back. "You need to help me. They're so different. It's important."

"The napkins and table cloths don't matter. We do." Blaine reminded him.

"Yeah, I know." Kurt sighed.

"Good." Blaine leaned forward, grabbing his laptop off the coffee table and opening it.

"So… which chairs do you like better?" Kurt tilted his head and gave what he hoped was an adorable smile.

"Oh my God, Kurt."

"You thought letting me handle everything gets you out of hearing about it every step of the way? Sorry, pal, but it is our wedding so you are going to have to help."

"Ivory. Okay? Ivory."

"The white looks cleaner."

"Then white!"

"But… the ivory is very in right now."

"Oh my God, Kurt."