The Family Anderson-Hummel (2016 Advent series)

Audience
Kurt sat staring at the fresh evergreen tree from his favorite chair in the living room. It rivaled the trees the kids picked out when they were younger. Big and full and fresh. He and Blaine had gone to pick it out from their friend's tree farm that morning, along with several jugs of fresh apple cider for the holidays. Blaine had gone into the city for work and he'd spent the afternoon lugging the boxes and tubs of Christmas decorations from the attic.

Thatcher was curled up in front of the fireplace like some quintessential holiday postcard. Kurt shook his head with a fond grin when the 6 year old lab-golden retriever mix sighed.

Kurt took a deep breath as he uncurled his legs from underneath him and carefully stood up. He groaned as his joints snapped and crackled in protest. He was getting too old to sit like that.

He set his fourth cup of coffee of the day on the table by the window and carefully fluffed the few branches closest to his hand…a memory coming over him with a pang in his heart. When his daughter, Vivi, was little she would be absolutely transfixed when he would cut the plastic binding on their fresh trees. She would then lie on the floor and watch as it "grew," squealing with delight at the branches gently falling as he fluffed them.

Vivi had moved to St Louis 2 years before and since then they'd only seen her a handful of times. He missed her kind smile and easy laugh. He missed the way her presence filled the house with her brother and sisters.

As if she knew he was thinking about her, his phone lit up with a text message from the table. He walked over and slid the phone open to read what she'd sent him.

Thatcher popped up from the hearth behind him, hearing something Kurt didn't hear yet. Sure enough a few moments later Kurt heard the key scratch in the front door as his husband walked in with a big smile.

"Hi!" he said, setting the mail and the covered plate in his hands on the table by the door while talking softly to Thatch who was winding himself excitedly around Blaine's legs. He shrugged out of his coat and hung it in the closet before toeing off his snowy shoes on the mat.

Kurt was engrossed in the text he was reading from Vivi, a frown on his face even the sweet kiss from his husband couldn't wipe away.

"Joanne sent me home with some coffee cake," Blaine said when Kurt looked up. "She wants your opinion on the recipe."

Kurt nodded. "Viv just text me. She and Claire decided to come here instead of going to Claire's parents."

Blaine's face lit up. "Well, that's great…isn't it?" he asked. "I mean, that's all four of the kids home for Christmas, I don't think that's happened in at least 3 years?"

Kurt groaned as he followed his husband down the hallway from the living room into the kitchen with Thatch trailing after them. "Of course I want Vivi home…but does she have to bring Claire too?"

"Kurt!" Blaine laughed as he checked the coffee pot to make sure it was still hot and poured himself a cup. "You've never even met Claire!"

Kurt plopped down at the kitchen table and woke his laptop up with a swipe against the mouse pad. "No, but both Maya and Ellie have and both of them say she's about as exciting as a wet dishrag."

Blaine took a sip from his cup and sat down at the table opposite his husband with the plate of cinnamon coffee cake between them and Thatcher a hopeful audience at their feet, patiently waiting for any crumbs to fall. "I highly doubt Maya said that…"

Kurt rolled his eyes and reached over for a sip as well. Coffee always tasted better when Blaine made it, and sharing a cup of coffee in the afternoon was something they've done their entire marriage. Blaine really only took a few sips as its main purpose was to warm him up from the cold. Kurt was the one who needed the constant caffeine intake.

"She said she was 'tense', which is Maya speak for she's boring and uptight," he said as he popped a bite of cake in his mouth.

Blaine shrugged and hid a small chuckle behind the mug before taking another sip and setting the mug on the distressed wood of the table.

"It's just…" Kurt trailed off and sighed as he looked at the snow falling softly outside the picture window behind them. "This could be our last year in this house; can you really blame me for wanting it to be just us?"

Blaine reached across the table and held Kurt's hand tightly. "No, but honey, even if Claire wasn't coming, I'm pretty sure Maya will want to bring her husband, Joe, and their daughter."

Kurt sighed and pulled his hand back with a fake annoyance. He knew he was being ridiculous, but a tiny part of him was annoyed that Blaine wasn't feeling the same way about this. Isn't this what marriage was all about, hating the same people together?

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically, draining the last of the coffee. "You know I love Joe…"

Blaine laughed as he stood up and deposited the now empty cup into the sink. "That took years," he countered and Kurt stuck out his tongue.

"Whatever. So what if I think nobody is good enough? Isn't that a good thing, that I love our kids so much I just want the very best for them?"

Blaine walked over and leaned down to press a small kiss against Kurt's check. "Your mother hen qualities are one of the things I love most about you, even if I think they are a little misguided sometimes." Kurt rolled his eyes again but nodded as Blaine straightened up. "Text your daughter back and tell her that of course Claire is welcome here for Christmas, and that we can't wait to see them. I know you know it's the right thing to do."

Kurt groaned as he stood and followed Blaine through to the foyer and upstairs to their bedroom.

"You better do it," Kurt said. "She'll believe it from you."

Bed

Blaine closed the door to their eldest daughter, Maya's, old bedroom. He adjusted the basket of laundry on his hip and headed toward the stairs as their dog Thatcher followed close behind.

Kurt was standing in the kitchen on the phone when he walked in. His face was contorted and pained as he argued with whomever he was talking to. Blaine half listened to Kurt's side of the conversation as he started a load of towels and sheets in the laundry room off the back mud room.

"Ellie missed the last train that would get her here by dinner," Kurt huffed when Blaine walked back in the kitchen. "Her meeting ran late."

Their youngest, Eleanor, lived in Washington DC where she worked for a non-profit program that helped children that were brought into the country illegally expedite their citizenship. She worked very hard and they were extremely proud of her, but her work was very demanding and they rarely saw her. It had been at least a year since she had been home.

"Oh no!" Blaine cried. Kurt set down the phone and walked over to help him fold the basket of freshly dried undershirts and boxers Blaine had brought to the table. "So she won't be here until tomorrow now?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, I talked her onto a flight into JFK this afternoon. She had to run, but she made it. She's landing about an hour after Luke's flight lands, so they are gonna take the bus here together from Penn Station."

Blaine sighed with a smile. "Good," he said with a nod.

"At least we can trust Luke to make his flight on time." Kurt rolled his eyes.

Blaine laughed and tossed a clean sock at his husband. "She gets it from you, you know. If I had a dollar for every time you called begging me to change a flight because you just weren't going to make yours—"

Kurt gasped. "You wound me, sir!" he interrupted as Blaine laughed. "And I called ahead of time, that's the difference."

Blaine winked as they folded clothes in comfortable silence for a few moments, the soft sounds of a Bing Crosby record playing from the record player in the den the only noise.

"Did you get Maya's bed linen changed?" Kurt asked after they had finished folding and he checked on the bread dough rising under a cloth by the oven.

"Yep," Blaine replied, sliding up behind him and kissing his neck. "And Luke's and Vivi's," he mumbled as Kurt giggled at him, reaching behind him to clutch his husband's neck.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Blaine shrugged but continued kissing the soft skin on the side of Kurt's neck. "I changed the sheets on our bed as well," he mumbled.

"Oh no," Kurt laughed even as he craned his neck to give Blaine better access. "No no no. We have too much to do before the kids get here this evening."

Blaine shrugged and pulled Kurt even closer, winding his hands around Kurt's soft waist. "We can be quick."

Kurt pulled away with another laugh. "We may not be as young as we once were old man, but even you can't be that quick."

Blaine put his hand over his heart in feigned horror.

"I have dozens of cookies to bake before Maya and Olivia arrive, and John will be here any minute to help you shovel the drive."

Blaine pouted until Kurt pressed a soft kiss against his lips as he moved to the refrigerator for the cookie dough he'd mixed up the night before.

"Our bed will still be there tonight, promise."

Charm

Luke dropped his bag on the floor at the end of the airport terminal and dropped into a vacant plastic chair.

The big screen in the terminal told him his sister's flight was on time, but at least another 20 minutes away from landing. His phone was dead; he'd forgotten to charge it the night before. He'd managed to email his dads from his laptop on the plane, but it was way too big of a hassle to pull it out now when he was just waiting for Eleanor so they could take a bus to Connecticut together.

She was supposed to have been on a train straight to their childhood home in Greenwich, CT, but she'd missed the last one of the day from DC so Kurt had gotten her on a flight into JFK, and they were meeting up to take the bus together. Now it was his responsibility to get his 27-year-old sister home, like they were 7 and 4 years old again.

He sighed and propped his feet up on the suitcase in front of him, turned up his collar, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. He didn't actually go to sleep, but he had fallen into a doze when he felt someone standing over him. Suddenly the suitcase under his feet moved and he opened his eyes to his baby sister smiling down at him.

"Hey there sleepy," Ellie said with a tilted head. She looked good. Bundled up to ward off the DC and New York winter, with a big bag over one shoulder and an NPR cloth bag stuffed to the brim with papers over her other. Her long black hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head and he could tell she hadn't changed from her work clothes to catch her flight. He was sure she would be in sweats and a Sarah Lawrence sweatshirt before the end of the day and would spend the week complaining of the cold while she covered herself in every throw blanket in the house.

He still couldn't understand why she had chosen DC to live instead of some tropical climate where her constant state of cold would be better suited. But no, his little sister had to go where she could do the most good, and that was working for a nonprofit organization in Washington DC.

"Hey Smelly," he said, standing to pull her into a hug as she rolled her eyes at the old nickname. "You look good."

"Dads will say I look tired," she said as Luke got his things together and held out his hand for her bag.

"Yeah well, you can sleep this weekend."

Ellie shrugged with a sly smile as they walked out of the terminal and toward the tram. "Do we have time for a coffee before our bus? I could use the caffeine boost for the two-hour drive, my treat?"

Luke nodded as they hopped on the train to Penn Station to catch their bus.

They sat at a table in Starbucks sipping coffee and eating muffins while they waited for their bus to start boarding. Ellie was talking a mile a minute about her job, her friends, her tiny apartment that she loved but Blaine had begged her to get something bigger in a better neighborhood all while she turned the snowflake charm on her necklace over and over. It was a habit she'd had most of her life. Ellie never sat still very long.

"Speak of the devils," she said as her phone started buzzing on the table. She smiled and answered it with a—"Hey Papa."

Luke chuckled to himself as he listened to her side of the conversation with Kurt. She assured him they were together and they should be home in a few hours. She told him goodbye and ended the call.

"Pop said to tell you he loves you and can't wait to see you."

Luke nodded, a hint of embarrassment with the rush of affection he felt. He hadn't been home in over a year. He'd met both of them in New York City when he was there over the summer on a comedy tour, but a quick dinner before hitting the road again wasn't much, and he knew how much they missed him, and he missed being home, too.

"So, nobody was home for Thanksgiving, huh?"

Ellie shook her head sadly. "Maya took Olivia on Friday and spent some time with them, but no. I was stuck at work, you were in Chicago, and Vivi was with Claire." Her eyes rolled with the last word and Luke had to laugh.

"You've met our sister's new girlfriend I take it?"

Ellie groaned and rolled her eyes again before crumpling up the bag her muffin was in and sighing. "Yes, and she's awful."

"Come on, I'm sure she's not that bad—" Luke trailed off as Ellie rushed to interrupt him

"No, Luke, she is. I was in St Louis in September, and I called Vivi to get together. I get to their house and she insisted the three of us go out for dinner, even though I would have much rather just spent some time with my sister. She took me to this horrible stuffy restaurant, she talked the entire time and… oh, just wait. She has got this, annoying, throat clearing, tick…Kurt is gonna eviscerate her."

"Calm down there Smelly, you're gonna pop a vein,"

Ellie tossed a crumpled up paper at her brother and he ducked with a laugh. "Whatever, you'll see, just don't complain to me when she's driving you up the wall in 24 hours."

Luke rolled his eyes but looked past Ellie's shoulder and saw their bus was starting to board. "Come on, let's go. I'm ready for a shower and my bed."

Dare

Vivi checked the rearview mirror as she drove down the familiar highway that lead to her hometown. They had another 20 minutes or so before they were at the house, and Claire had been on the phone since they'd picked up the rental almost an hour ago. Some major fire at work that she was on edge about missing.

"That's fine," Claire said into her cell phone in a tense voice. "I was on a plane with no wifi so I didn't get the email, just leave it on my desk. I'll be back on Monday morning and fix whatever…"

Their flight from St Louis hadn't been long, but the two-hour snow delay had put them both on edge, and Vivi was ready to be home.

Claire finally hung up the phone and dropped it heavily in her bag. "Sorry."

Vivi looked over and studied her profile for a moment, her long blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun at the back of her head. The diamond stud earrings she always wore sparkled, but also seemed harsh in the late afternoon light as her sharp eyes stared straight ahead. "Is everything okay?"

Claire sighed and shook her head, looking out the window. "It will be."

Vivi nodded and turned her attention back to the road. Claire was pretty serious about her work, and didn't like to discuss it much, so Vivi let it go. The usual warm feeling of being back home was settling in her stomach, but with it an anxiousness that was new. She knew Claire was picking up on it as she flipped the mirror down in front of her 2 times before shaking her head and flipping it back up.

"aheeeeem"

"Hey," Vivi said as calmly as possible, daring to break the silence. "Don't worry, they're gonna love you—"

"I'm not worried," Claire interrupted.

Vivi closed her mouth and nodded. Claire cleared her throat again and set her hands tightly in her lap as she watched out the window. "Are we almost there? "

Vivi nodded as she flipped on the blinker and slowed to a stop to prepare to turn. "Just a few more minutes."

****

Kurt had been working since he'd woken up that morning. The kids favorite soup was simmering on the stove with fresh bread ready as well. He'd cut out and baked at least 3 dozen cookies for Olivia to decorate, and had set out all the decorating tools, frosting, and candies they loved to use.

The tree was up with twinkle lights wrapped around it and the decorative ornaments hung by him and Blaine in their very specific order. The sentimental family ornaments were saved for the family hanging party that night after dinner. Those ornaments would be thrown up in a hodgepodge way that drove both Kurt and Blaine nuts, but it was tradition.

Blaine was outside with John, the neighbor kid they paid to keep their drive and walkway shoveled. After the heavy snowfall the night before John needed help.

"He's gonna be sore all night long," Kurt said to himself as he looked out the window at the two of them using John's snowblower to clear the driveway. He shook his head and moved back to the oven to take the last sheet of holiday shaped cookies from the oven.

Just as he was setting the cookies on a cooling rack he heard the front door open and Maya call out for him.

A few moments later their 5-year-old granddaughter Olivia was running into the kitchen. "Poppy!" she cried as she dropped her coat on the floor but kept a tight arm around the bunch of fresh white lilies she'd brought with her. He caught her with a laugh and swung her up into his arms to kiss her cheek.

"Hey, there's my girl!" he laughed as the foil around the flowers crinkled and she giggled. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart!"

Olivia laughed and kissed his cheek where he was holding it out for her. "Mommy and I brought you flowers because it's Christmas!"

Maya came waddling in then with a tired, but very warm smile. "Olivia Grace, please pick up your coat before someone trips on it."

Kurt set Olivia down with a "Listen to your mother" look before pulling Maya into his arms as well. "Hi honey, how are you feeling?"

Maya groaned as Kurt took the grocery bags from her arms and set them on the island. Maya was seven months pregnant with their first grandson and both he and Blaine had been a little worried about her driving alone since her husband had to work until Christmas morning.

"Two hours in the car did nothing for my back, and Miss Olivia over there asking me every 5 seconds if we were here yet did nothing for my nerves…but," she sighed with a smile as Blaine came in the back door with a big smile. "We're here and that's all that matters."

Blaine shrugged out of his coat and laid it across the table as Olivia jumped up into his arms. "Hi Granddaughter!"

Maya was walking over to him as well as he pulled both of them close and kissed Maya's forehead. "Two of my favorite people in the whole world."

Kurt rolled his eyes fondly. Blaine always said that when he saw any of the kids. Blaine insisted Maya sit down while Kurt offered to get her some soup, Olivia was much too busy sitting on the floor greeting Thatcher to pay much attention to any of them, but did say she was hungry when Kurt offered her some lunch. She sat next to Blaine while Maya and Kurt unloaded the groceries she had brought in with her and talked about Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner.

Maya had just sat down with her soup and her feet up when the front door opened again.

"Anybody home?" Ellie called as Luke whistled for Thatch, who eagerly came running with Olivia right behind him.

"Hey munchkin!" Ellie sang as she leaned down to kiss the top of Olivia's head. Luke pulled her up and swung her around, before throwing her over his shoulder. She squealed with delight and Ellie laughed next to him as she dropped their bags on the floor to take upstairs later. She reached up and tickled Olivia's side as Blaine came in the foyer with his coat half on and a panicked look on his face.

"I was just leaving to pick you up from the station, am I late?"

Luke shook his head and he hugged his dad, one arm firmly on Olivia who was still hanging over his shoulder and giggling. "Nah, the bus was running ahead of schedule and Miss Lawyer over her convinced him to drop us off at the end of the road on his way to the station."

Blaine laughed as Ellie shrugged and took off her coat and scarf. "It always seemed so silly to me to go all the way downtown when the bus goes right by the end of our street."

Blaine had to agree with her as he held her close and kissed her forehead. "It's so good to see you honey, you look beautiful."

Ellie preened as he put his arm around her and they followed Luke and Olivia into the kitchen.

Early

"Here momma, got a sack of Christmas goodies for ya!" Luke hollered as he dropped Olivia down onto Maya's lap after walking into the kitchen. Maya laughed and accepted the kiss on her check from her twin brother.

After Ellie hugged Kurt and rolled her eyes at his comment that she looked tired, she hurried over to her sister and sat next to her on the chair to hug her tight and talk to the baby.

"I haven't seen you in forever, I need him to know the sound of my voice!" she exclaimed, running her hand down Maya's swollen belly affectionately.

Maya huffed out a laugh but put her arm around her little sister nonetheless and shared the large chair with her.

Kurt was fussing over Luke by the island when Ellie finally stood up and walked over to get something to drink.

"I love you, son," he said fluffing Luke's hair as Luke tried to duck away with a laugh. "And you need a haircut."

Ellie hip checked Kurt as she walked by. "Oh leave him alone Pop, that's how the cool kids wear it nowadays."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that as I write a fashion column every week…but whatever."

"I came home so you would cut it," Luke said to Kurt as Kurt's eyes lit up and he nodded. Blaine winked at Luke.

Luke sat down across from Maya with his soup and Ellie jumped up on the counter of the island with an unfrosted cookie.

"So tell me about Claire, El," Kurt said as he sat down behind his computer and grinned at his youngest daughter.

"Oh my god…" Ellie moaned as she pulled on a sweatshirt over her thick tights and red tunic dress.

Luke and Maya both hid laughs in their soup bowls but Blaine, who was holding Livy on his hip by the hall door, rolled his eyes. "Come on guys."

"No B, you don't even know…I hate her!"

"Ellie!" Blaine cried as he set Olivia down and started unloading the groceries still in bags on the table. "Generosity! " he exclaimed as Kurt mimicked him behind his back. "Generosity of Spirit!"

Kurt blushed when Blaine caught him and blew his husband a kiss.

"As the only member of the family who has actually met her, I think I can tell you that she is…a total phony."

"Yeah, you said that at the train station, Smelly," Luke cut in as he stood up and walked over to help Blaine.

"And it bears repeating!" Ellie shot back at him before turning back to Kurt and Maya at the table. "Look, I was in St Louis, in September—"

"Oh right, with that guy you were seeing," Blaine interrupted as Ellie's eyes glazed over and she huffed out a breath. "What was his name again? David?"

Kurt made a "cut it out" motion with his hands until Blaine pulled a face and backed off with his hands in the air. Luke clapped him on the back with a shrug.

"Anyway," Ellie said as she grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl next to her. "She insisted we all go out to dinner. She took us to this incredibly pretentious restaurant, she talked the ENTIRE time and, she has this grotesque, throat clearing thing. I swear every 2 minutes she was clearing her throat, and when she wasn't clearing her throat she was TALKING incessantly…"

Kurt's eyes were wide and a smile was playing on his lips as he listened to Ellie talk until Blaine broke in again. "Kurt, why do you encourage this?"

Kurt shook his head and shrugged, giving Ellie a look before muttering. "You're going to get me in trouble."

"I find it very odd that you are judging someone for talking when I don't think you took one breath the entire time you were speaking just now," Luke said, rubbing his knuckles on the top of Ellie's head as he walked past.

Ellie ducked and stuck out her tongue at him.

Maya stood carefully from the table and let out a breath. "Where is Vivi, shouldn't they be here by now? It's not like Viv to not be early."

Kurt looked at his watch and nodded as Blaine came up behind him and rubbed his neck. "Any time now I would think."

Ellie popped a grape into her mouth. "Maya you've gotten her on the phone, right?"

Maya turned and grinned, trying to not make eye contact with Blaine as she walked out of the kitchen. "A little tense," she called over her shoulder.

"Did she do that throat clearing thing?"

Maya stopped. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said evasively before shutting herself in the half bathroom off the hallway.

"Mmmmhmmm," Ellie hummed as she and Kurt shared a look.

****

Vivi sighed as she turned into the freshly shoveled circle driveway. They came to a stop and she turned off the car. The cooling mechanism of the car clicked to life as Claire studied the house.

"It's not exactly what I expected," she said finally.

Vivi looked over in surprise. "What do you mean?" She looked up at the two story house covered in snow and ivy. The fresh wreath on the door and the A-H monogram that was there year round, a memory coming back to her and washing over her like a warm comforting shower.

The monogram was the first thing Kurt bought after the wedding and proudly hung it on the door to their first apartment in Midtown. He was so proud of it, and Blaine had teared up when he saw it. That monogram had survived 2 moves, a sleet blizzard, and a hurricane. It was a simple statement, but a big one for their family.

"I don't know…"Claire trailed off as she continued to stare at the house. "Kurt is a fashion writer, Blaine works on Broadway…I was just expecting something a little more…" Claire shrugged again and looked back to Vivi.

Vivi tramped down the immediate annoyance she felt and tried to smile. "Pop did the whole single socialite with a Park Avenue apartment thing once upon a time. But when he met Blaine and our family doubled, a house they could share with us made the most sense. I have a lot of really great memories here."

Claire nodded and reached over to clasp Vivi's hand tightly. "And some not so great ones, I'd wager?"

Vivi looked at Claire for several long moments before finally nodding. She sighed as she let go of Claire's hand and moved to open her door. "We should go in," she said. "They are probably all watching us from the window anyway."

"Wait, what?" Claire asked as she swung her head back to look at the house, a slight tremor in her voice that hadn't been there before.

Fair

Ellie had climbed down from the island and Blaine and Luke had gotten all the groceries put away when Maya came hurrying back into the kitchen.

"They're here!" she cried.

Everyone looked at one another for a moment before they all jumped up and hurried to the front window.

Blaine went right outside to welcome and bring them inside, but Maya, Ellie, and Kurt stood at the window to watch while Luke held Olivia back.

"Someone needs to protect the children," he mumbled and Ellie gave him a dirty look.

Maya held in a chuckle as Vivi walked around the car to open the door and Claire stepped out.

"God, not a hair on that head is out of place," Ellie mused.

Kurt craned his neck to see out the window beyond his daughters. "Well, I can appreciate a well put together woman," he said.

"Be fair, Pop," Ellie shot back as she turned to him. "That's not put together, that's placed together."

Kurt nodded and they all started laughing as Claire stiffened like a pole when Blaine went in to hug her.

"I told you!" Ellie whispered to Kurt when she realized Blaine had left the door open behind him. "Didn't I tell you!"

****

Blaine opened the door before Vivi and Claire could even walk up the stairs of the porch.

Vivi's face broke into a wide grin as Blaine rushed down the stairs and pulled her into his arms. "Merry Christmas, B."

Blaine kissed her cheek before hugging her. "Welcome home, honey."

Vivi reached over for her girlfriend's hand. "Claire I'd like you to meet my dad, Blaine, and B this is, Claire."

Claire stuck out her hand and the gentleman that Blaine was took it graciously, before pulling her into a hug as well.

Claire did not take it nearly as warmly as Vivi did and Vivi could hear her family snickering from beyond the open door.

"Welcome Claire, we've all been so excited to finally meet you!"

Claire nodded. "Thank you for having me."

Blaine grabbed their suitcases from the trunk while Vivi carried the two bags of wrapped gifts and Claire followed them into the house.

Luke was by the door and Vivi dropped the bags to hug him. He lifted her off the floor and she shrieked playfully to put her down.

"Claire," she laughed breathlessly. "This is my brother Luke, and of course you know Ellie."

Luke shook her hand warmly but Ellie, who was right behind him in front of the banister, waved with a short smile.

"Of course," Claire said. "Merry Christmas, Ellie."

"Merry Christmas…" Ellie trailed off as Blaine moved to stand next to Kurt on the stairs. Vivi looked expectantly at him as Kurt shook his head with a grin.

"You remember me right? The father, the one who gave you life?"

Vivi dropped her head with a laugh. She leaned in to the warm hug Kurt pulled her into and sighed when he kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Papa."

"Merry Christmas, my Vivi," Kurt whispered as he held his daughter for a few moments. Blaine stood next to them and rubbed Vivi's back a little. "We're so happy you're home."

Claire stood awkwardly behind Vivi as she looked around the entryway to the house. It was a hodgepodge of items collected over years and years of living together as a family. The pictures Blaine had taken of all of them were framed all over every single wall, and every generations style of furniture was expertly placed together by Kurt's fashion forward eye to make a comfortable home for them.

Ellie stared Claire down, daring her to judge the house she grew up in, but Vivi cut her off when Kurt finally let her go and she reached back for Claire's hand again.

"Pop, I want you to meet, Claire."

Claire stuck out her hand which Kurt took with a sly grin. "It's so nice to meet you, you have a lovely home."

Kurt grinned and nodded. "Well, all the better to entertain you my dear."

Behind them Ellie was scrunching her nose at her sister. She reached over and tugged on the collar underneath Vivi's suit jacket.

"What are you wearing?"

"A suit, why?"

Ellie snorted out a laugh. "Are you going to a business meeting later?"

"Shut up Eleanor" Vivi mumbled as she leaned down to hug Olivia.

Maya stepped in to dissolve the tension between her sisters and held out her hand to Claire.

"Hi, I'm Maya, it's so nice to meet you, finally."

Claire looked taken aback for a moment before she caught herself and smiled shyly. "Good to meet you too."

"And this," Maya said, pointing to Livy in Vivi's arms. "Is Olivia."

"Hello," Claire said.

Olivia stared at Claire for a moment before nodding. "You have nice shoes."

Everyone looked down at Claire's feet except Kurt who rolled his eyes and Blaine who nudged him with a stern look.

"Oh, thank you."

Guess

"Well," Kurt said as he walked down the stairs and up into Claire's space. "Welcome to our home, we hope you will be very comfortable and just let me know if you need anything at all…"

"Kurt," Maya interrupted as she got in between Kurt and Claire, the latter looking like she was going to have a panic attack at any moment. "Comin' on a little strong there."

Kurt rolled his eyes as Maya led him away and Vivi gave her sister a grateful look. "What, I'm just trying to be hospitable," he tried to insist as Blaine clapped his hands together.

"How about we all go upstairs and get settled. Luke can you help your sister with her bags, please?"

Ellie ducked underneath Blaine's arms and clamored up the stairs as Luke turned to his dad. "Got a lot of sisters, dad. Which one do you mean?"

"The one that's pregnant, son."

Maya laughed as she handed Luke her and Olivia's suitcase and followed her brother up the stairs behind Claire and Vivi.

Once all five up them, six including Oliva, were upstairs and out of earshot Blaine flicked Kurt playfully on the back of his arm.

"Hey! What was that for?" Kurt yelped.

Blaine laughed as they walked back to the kitchen. "You know exactly what that was for, husband."

"What? I was nice!"

Blaine gave him a look as Kurt scurried away to get more coffee.

****

Vivi opened her bedroom door and had to smile.

Her room was exactly as she remembered it. The four poster bed with matching dresser and vanity, her shelf of Speech and Debate trophies with posters of music groups she'd long forgotten about still hanging on the wall. The closet still had clothes she only wore when she was home and the shared bathroom with Maya and Ellie that they'd spent an entire weekend in high school painting. The picture of the three of them covered in teal green paint from that day still sat on her bookcase at home.

She dropped her suitcase on the bench in front of her bed and leaned down to unzip her high heeled boots. She looked back at Claire standing in her doorway with a smile on her face.

"It's like I'm getting a glimpse into seventeen-year-old Vivienne Hummel," she giggled softly.

Vivi grinned and dropped her shoes on the floor before walking over and pulling Claire from the door and into her arms, kissing her softly for a moment. She closed the bedroom door and winked.

Claire stepped over to the bed and picked up a white pillow before sitting down. "So, Kurt is your dad, right?"

Vivi stopped from where she was unzipping her suitcase and looked up. "They're both my dads," she said emphatically.

Claire waved her hand. "I know that, I just meant…" she trailed off and held the pillow a little closer to her." I just meant that it was Kurt and your dad Aaron that had you and Ellie, and then Kurt and Blaine married after they divorced."

Vivi looked at her girlfriend as she slipped out of her suit jacket and hung it in the closet.

"Claire," she finally said as she searched through her vanity and found a loose hair tie to pull her hair back into. "They are both my dads." Claire looked as though she wanted to interrupt but Vivi kept going. "Pop met Blaine when I was 7 and they were married by the time I was 9. They've been together longer than they've not been for me."

Claire nodded.

Vivi sat down next to her on the bed and leaned against the headboard. "My dad, Aaron," she corrected herself with a sigh. "He basically checked out when I was in high school and he moved back to Ireland. Our relationship is sporadic emails and the occasional Sunday phone call. Blaine…" she paused as she shook her head and sighed. "Blaine has been there for me and Eleanor through everything.

"Every single debate, honors society pinning, school dance…When Aaron wouldn't help Pop with Ellie's college tuition, Blaine didn't even give it a second thought." Vivi stopped and smiled. "He does not go more than two days without some kind of contact, a text, a phone call, something, with any of us. It's not his kids and his kids…we are their kids. And always have been."

The only steps in this house are the ones at the front door. Blaine's voice rang in Vivi's head.

Claire looked down at the pillow clutched in her arms and sighed. "I guess all this is really new to me," she said looking up with a self-deprecating smile. "This isn't easy for me, you know. I don't have the relationship with my parents that you have with yours. We're not really close at all."

Vivi nodded as she leaned into Claire's space. "I know. You can be close to me," she whispered with a smile.

Claire grinned back and nodded to accept the kiss Vivi was offering, but pulled back after only a few moments. "So," she said, slightly breathless as Vivi sat back against the headboard. "Where am I staying?"

Vivi laughed and patted the bed next to her before waving around her bedroom. Claire looked taken aback.

"No, Vivi," she said. "That wouldn't be appropriate."

Vivi snorted as she crossed her legs and sat forward a little bit. "My dads do not care at all, babe," she insisted.

Claire was adamant as she shook her head and stood up.

"Claire," Vivi laughed and moved to the end of the bed. "When Maya and Joe were dating, he spent almost every holiday break from school here because his parents are never home. I promise you, it's no big deal."

Claire stood by the door and crossed her arms while she shook her head.

****

Kurt laughed as he walked down the hallway and into the living room at the front of the house. "So are you saying you two live together, but never sleep together?"

Vivi groaned and put her hands on her face as she followed her dad out of the kitchen.

"Do you have two beds, like Lucy and Ricky Ricardo?" Kurt chuckled at his own joke as Vivi rolled her eyes.

"Really Pop? Do you really need to go there?"

"Viv," Kurt said after he shooed Olivia away from the piles of presents under the tree and upstairs to wash up for cookie decorating. "This is just silly!"

"She's uncomfortable sharing a room in my parent's house, and she's our guest." Vivi shrugged when Kurt turned back to her. "Isn't it always you saying that we need to be gracious hosts?"

Kurt narrowed his eyes as he folded the chenille throw blanket that was lying on the couch and dropped it in the open trunk where they kept the extra linens. "Throw my own words back at me?"

Vivi shrugged. "Do you have to make this more difficult? She's not comfortable."

Kurt walked toward the kitchen again. "Well why should she be comfortable?" he asked loudly enough for Ellie, who was in the kitchen with Blaine and Luke, to hear. "Putting Ellie out of her room and all!"

Ellie slid into the walkway with milk from the bowl of cereal in her hand sloshing over the side. "What!?" she cried.

Luke peeked around the corner as well with a wicked grin on his face.

Hello

"I hope I'm not putting anyone out?" Claire asked as she carefully stood in Ellie's attic bedroom. The ceiling was sloped on this side of the room and she had to crouch in her heels.

"Me, Claire," Ellie said incredulously. "You are putting me out."

"Ellie," Kurt scolded gently as he helped her gather her things to take down to the den. "Everything is fine and we are happy to accommodate any need you may have, Claire."

Claire stood awkwardly as she watched Kurt and Ellie pack while Olivia went through her open suitcase.

"Why aren't you and Aunt Vivi sleeping in the same bed?" Olivia asked as Ellie snorted and Kurt elbowed her. "She's your friend, right? Did you get in a fight?"

Claire stood there with her mouth open for several seconds until she seemed to catch herself. "Of course not…Ellie we can switch or—"

Thankfully the ringing of her phone saved Claire and she reached into her pocket. "Oh, it's my sister."

Kurt grinned. "That's nice."

It wasn't until Claire motioned to the door that Kurt realized she wanted them to leave.

Kurt raised his eyebrow and motioned for Olivia to follow him, calling for Ellie as well. Ellie glared Claire down as she picked up her pillow from the head of her bed and followed her dad and niece down the stairs.

Claire put the phone to her ear just as Ellie let out an exaggerated aheeeeeeemm from the stairs and slammed the attic door.

"They hate me!" She was quiet for a few moments as her face fell. "Yes I'm being myself!"

****

Blaine was in the kitchen alone when Kurt walked back in.

"Did Claire get settled?" he asked when Kurt walked up to the coffee pot to pour himself another cup.

"Mmhmm," Kurt hummed before taking a sip. He had just opened his mouth to say something else when Maya walked in.

"Cookie time?"

Kurt nodded. He gave Blaine a quick peck before he sat down across from her and Blaine bundled up to go out to the shed for more firewood.

They started chatting about work and Maya's latest case when Ellie trickled in from the den with a deep scowl on her face. She sat on a stool by the island and picked up an unfrosted cookie as Olivia came running in with a strange clomping noise and climbed up into Kurt's lap.

Luke was next as he walked in the kitchen, his hair still wet from the quick shower he'd taken and in fresh comfortable clothes.

"Maya, where is that husband of yours?" he asked as Maya laughed good naturedly.

"What husband?"

Luke shook his head with a chuckle and Maya sighed. "He'll be here Christmas morning."

"Hey Luke," Kurt asked as he helped Oliva spread red icing on a cookie shaped like a stocking, wanting to change the subject. "I meant to ask, did you get together with Mercedes when she was in Chicago a few weeks ago. She said she was going to call you."

Luke nodded as he ate his second bowl of soup standing up by the swinging door. "Yeah, she sent tickets to her show and we met up afterwards."

"Tickets? As in plural? Who did you take?" Ellie asked waggling her eyebrows until Vivi and Claire walked through the swinging door and her smile dissolved as she scowled again.

"Just a friend," Luke mumbled evasively as he sat down next to Kurt and Olivia and picked up a cookie to smear frosting on as well.

"Speaking of," Maya cut in as Vivi sat down next to her and Claire hovered nervously behind her. "Are we going to have any guests this weekend? Mercedes and Sam…or Rachel and Jesse?"

Kurt shook his head. "Nope, Mercedes and Sam are in Ohio for the weekend, and Rachel and Jesse decided to go on a cruise this holiday."

Claire looked down at Vivi. "Rachel is your mom, right?"

Vivi looked uncomfortable as she shook her head. "She's our Aunt Rachel."

Kurt rolled his eyes. It wasn't the first time someone had been obsessed with finding out where Vivi biologically came from, and it always made her uncomfortable.

Claire wasn't paying attention to either of them as she caught sight of what Olivia had in her hand. Her, now broken, pink pumps.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry," Maya said as she attempted to stand up. "I think we may have some glue."

Claire shook her head. "I think I have another pair that will match that outfit." She took the shoes out of Olivia's hands and gave Vivi a look before leaving the room, the door swinging in her wake.

Vivi seemed unfazed as she crossed her legs and picked up the twine to continue stringing popcorn and cranberries. Kurt studied her carefully as Luke came up behind her and ruffled her hair.

"Hey Vivi," he started after she knocked his hand away and patted down her long ironed straight hair. "Claire seems pretty great."

Vivi smiled and nodded. "She is pretty great."

Maya sat back down after reprimanding Oliva gently and nodded. "She does seem pretty incredible."

"Incredible is a good word," Luke mused. "Very incredible."

"Not exactly the word I would choose," Ellie mumbled from her perch at the island.

Vivi eyed her siblings critically but before she could say anything else Blaine walked back in the door with snow covered firewood.

"Hello family!"

He was met with a chorus of "hey dad", "hey B" and, "hi grandpa!" as Ellie rushed over to take the wood from his arms and put it next to the fireplace in the den.

"What are we talking about?"

Kurt looked up at him with a sly grin. "How incredible Claire is," he answered.

Vivi rolled her eyes and stood up to go back to the refrigerator and Blaine put a hand on her shoulder.

"So how did you guys meet?"

Impact

Blaine watched his entire family sit in almost complete silence as Clare recounted her and Vivi's entire story from start to finish during dinner.

Meeting in The Tube in London while they were both on business trips. Realizing they both live in St Louis just miles from each other ("I mean, talk about fate, right?"), and the numerous mutual friends they share, and yet they had never met.

Blaine had a feeling that had something to do with the fact that these two women were completely different people and wouldn't have much cause to have a lot of interaction, but he kept his opinions to himself as they demolished 4 pizzas in the living room later that evening.

Kurt and Maya were both having a harder time keeping their faces straight, and Ellie wasn't even trying.

The sarcastic scowl seemed to be permanently fixed to her face as she bit out little comments here and there to get a rise out of Claire, and her sister for that matter. She sounded so much like Kurt he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as Ellie reached over attempting to "fix" Vivi's collar for what seemed like the 12th time and Vivi swatted her hand away.

"Not that I can't appreciate a well-tailored suit, honey," Kurt cut in as Vivi adjusted herself on the loveseat again. "But wouldn't you be a little more comfortable in something else…"

Vivi shook her head and looked over at Claire with her perfect hair and pencil skirt, sitting with her legs primly crossed. "I am comfortable."

Kurt opened his mouth to say something but Blaine put his hand on Kurt's inner thigh and Kurt sat back in the chair with a sigh.

"We were just lucky," Claire said as she reached over and stroked Vivi's hand slightly, before pulling back and clearing her throat. "Both in the right place at the right time."

Vivi nodded and took a sip of her water.

What Blaine couldn't get over was the way Vivi was just sitting there nodding along. She looked less than invested in the story, stoic and straight faced. It was like telling their love story had no impact on her at all.

Blaine couldn't help but remember that whenever he or Kurt were asked how they met, even all these years later, they would get those stupid grins on their faces and couldn't help but get closer to each other as they told their story.

And everyone is different, he told himself…but this Vivi was so opposite of the girl and woman he's known since she was 7 years old. Since she was a child she had always been so vivacious and playful, goofy and so quick to laugh. He had to wonder what had changed that made her so set on making this relationship work.

"Well I think a chance meeting in London sounds very romantic," Maya cut in, breaking Blaine from his thoughts. "Joe and I met in college over cold pizza and messy hair. It was during midterms of my freshman year and I don't think I had showered in at least 2 days."

Everyone laughed, even Claire smiled tightly.

"'Every story is a love story'," Luke sang quietly and Ellie jumped up.

"AIDA!" she cried giving him a high five.

"Well done, El!" Kurt praised. "Ten points to Slytherin."

Claire looked lost and Vivi leaned over with a grin. "We play this game where someone will spout off a musical lyric or song name and then everyone has to guess which show it comes from."

"Fortune favors the brave!" Olivia sang as Luke pulled her over and tickled her.

Vivi did laugh then and it was like the sun came out over her face as she watched her niece play with her uncle. She turned to Claire with another wide grin. "It inevitably leads to a sing-along in which we become the stereotypical Broadway family people accuse us of being."

Olivia had segued into "My Strongest Suit" from Aida as Ellie twirled her around and Luke shrugged. "If the shoe fits and all that."

"Slytherin?" Claire asked Kurt and Ellie with a timid smile. "Doesn't everyone want to be in Gryffindor?"

The room got eerily silent and Blaine actually felt really bad for the woman as she shrunk back and Vivi closed her eyes. Ellie looked like she wanted to fire off a million reasons why that was wrong, and was physically keeping herself back as Maya put her hand on Ellie's shoulder.

"I mean, that's what Harry Potter was…right?" Claire added trying to dissolve the tension.

Nobody said anything and the silence was as deafening as Kurt sat forward. "Well, I should get this cleaned up."

Claire stood up as well. "Let me help you."

"No no," Kurt said quickly with a polite smile. "You are our guest; I'll take care of it."

Claire looked taken aback as she was already standing. "I guess I'll just go…wash my hands, then."

Vivi stood and lead her to the bathroom, throwing a glare over her shoulder at Kurt as they walked by.

Journey

Maya sat on the couch with the box of family ornaments on her lap and passed them out for everyone to hang on the tree.

She grinned as she watched Luke hold Olivia up to hang her own baby ornament at the very top of the tree…and felt a little on the outside looking in.

She was nearly 8 months pregnant and her walk was more of a waddle, it was harder for her to get back up after sitting down, her back was killing her, and her ankles were swollen from being on them all day long. But she could sit here on the couch and watch as her family put up all the Christmas ornaments they'd collected over the years

She handed a popsicle stick art monstrosity to Vivi.

"Ten bucks says this one was Luke's," she said quietly as Vivi chuckled and winked, before walking back to the tree where Claire was standing.

Maya's heart ached a little as Vivi walked away. She didn't know who this woman was anymore.

Maya and Vivi had always been close. They were best friends as kids, close confidants as teenagers, and sisters who never went more than a day without talking while in college.

Maya always had a pretty strong bond with Ellie too, but Ellie had always been really close with Luke, and she'd always been close with Vivi.

But then she'd met Joe, and Viv moved farther away, and they'd grown apart.

Now Vivi was dating someone who seemed so wrong for her in all kinds of ways, and Maya didn't know how to approach her about it, because she felt like she didn't know her sister anymore.

She had a feeling Ellie was feeling similarly, but Ellie being Ellie, went more for the sarcastic comments and snide jabs. Ellie tended to lash out more, while Maya tried to understand they why before she got too emotional.

That is, unless she was pregnant. Hormonal tears were already leaking from her eyes and both Kurt and Blaine had walked over to her asking if she was okay.

"I'm fine," she had insisted both times. "Knocked up at Christmas was always gonna be a little emotional for me."

Both of them had laughed and Blaine had kissed her forehead and made her promise to tell him if she needed anything.

Maya sighed as she watched Ellie roll her eyes at Claire and Vivi adjusting the string of popcorn and cranberries next to her. Maya had a feeling a major blowup was coming; she could feel it in the air around her sisters.

Hopefully it wouldn't be as bad as that weekend years and years ago, when their dads had been out of town and the two went postal on each other, Maya couldn't even remember why. It had taken her, Luke, and Joe, who was home with her for the summer, to get them separated.

Maya shook herself from the memory as Luke started singing and she started laughing. The sing along that had gotten started during dinner never really stopped, they just kept throwing out songs to make sure the rest of the family knew the words and chastising them when they didn't.

"When the lights, go down, in the cittttty," Luke sang as he "airplane'd" Olivia down on the couch next to her.

"Ugh, no," Kurt said as he finished hanging the stockings above the fireplace. "No Journey. I had enough Journey in high school Glee club to last me my entire life."

Blaine giggled as he slid up behind him and kissed Kurt's neck and Maya grunted as she attempted to stand up. It took her more than one try.

"Well," she said breathlessly and held out the empty box. "That's the last one!"

Everyone walked back to get a good look at the now fully decorated Christmas Tree and Kurt shook his head with fake annoyance.

"And once again you kids have ruined your dad and I's perfectly trimmed tree with all your half hazard decorating!"

Maya rolled her eyes while Luke and Ellie laughed, but Claire looked taken aback. She obviously didn't realize Kurt was playing around.

"Just you wait until we have another toddler and can't decorate in his reaching range," Maya said, attempting to soothe the mood.

Kurt turned to her and his eyes softened as he put one arm around her shoulder and set his other hand on her tummy. "I can hardly wait."

Maya grinned and kissed Kurt's cheek.

"Alright," Blaine called as he picked up his camera from the mantle. "Let's get a picture of all of you around the tree."

The half-hearted groans of protest did nothing to sway Blaine as Kurt shuffled them all around the tree and Blaine called out who he could and couldn't see.

It wasn't until after Blaine had snapped a few pictures that Maya realized Claire was standing over by the fireplace and nowhere near the rest of them.

Kiss

Vivi followed after Claire when she ran from the kitchen and Luke and Maya looked right at Ellie.

"What?"

"Why you gotta be like that, Smelly?" Luke asked.

"IT'S A SONG!" Ellie cried. "From a pretty popular show that was even made into a movie!"

After they'd finished decorating the tree and living room, Kurt and Blaine had gone upstairs to bed, and Maya had sent Olivia along as well. The four Anderson-Hummel kids and Claire were supposed to be looking for a movie to watch, but Ellie had started singing a song from Wicked and insisted that Claire knew it and to keep guessing.

The end result was Claire storming off and Vivi shooting dangerous looks at her sister as she chased after her girlfriend.

Maya sat down at the table with a box of leftover pizza and sighed. "Yeah, but did you have to keep pushing her like that? She obviously didn't know the song and it's supposed to be a fun game we play. You aren't exactly making it easy for her."

"And why should I?" Ellie asked as she grabbed sheets and blankets from the laundry room. "Don't even pretend like both of you aren't thinking the exact same thing!"

Luke hopped up on the counter and swung his legs back and forth while he munched on a cookie. "We aren't the ones— "

"You aren't the ones who got kicked out of your bedroom!" Ellie cut in as she stomped off toward the den. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. On. The. Couch.

Luke looked at his sister and shrugged. "I don't think she's that bad?"

Maya rolled her eyes.

****

"What did I ever do to her?!" Claire yelled as she paced back and forth from the bed to the closet, hanging up clothes and straightening up pillows.

"You can't…" Vivi started before sighing. "You can't let her run you off like that. She's just getting you back for taking her bedroom."

Claire scoffed. "Yeah, a lot of help you were in that department."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I am not a completely ridiculous person, Vivienne!" Claire whipped around. "I can see you starting to look at me the same way they do."

Vivi shook her head as she stood up. "Claire…"

Claire stopped and bit her lip as Vivi came over to her and put her arms around Claire's shoulders.

"Tell me you aren't at least a little bit sorry you brought me here?

Vivi shook her head as Claire stepped out of her embrace and walked back over to the closet. She faced away from her girlfriend as she said in a small voice. "I wouldn't want you to be that 'good' person, who got caught up in something and couldn't find their way out."

Vivi wrapped her arms around Claire from behind and pressed a kiss against Claire's shoulder. "I'm not that good of a person."

Claire turned and studied Vivi for a few moments before turning and walking away. "Yes you are."

****

Blaine was already in bed looking over sheet music when Kurt turned off the light in their bathroom and walked toward the bed.

"She's gonna ask me for that ring, I know she is."

Blaine didn't look up from the stanza he was going over. "Ring?"

Kurt pumped some lotion into his hands and arms before climbing into bed.

"My mother's wedding ring? My dad gave it to me years ago for Vivi and Carole gave me hers for Ellie. I told them both that when they were ready to come ask me for them."

Blaine nodded as Kurt settled down next to him, still rubbing his hands together and staring off into the distance.

"She intends to give that woman my mother's wedding ring."

Blaine nodded again with a sigh as he took off his glasses and set aside his music. "What I don't understand, is what Viv sees in her."

Kurt looked at Blaine with wide eyes and a grin. "I knew it; I was on to you Mister Manners."

"No I mean," Blaine waved his hand. "She's an attractive, smart woman."

"Oh please," Kurt mumbled.

"She has better manners than any of us."

"Come on," Kurt moaned. "Any idiot can be taught to say please and thank you, the girl has the personality of a wet dishrag."

Blaine nodded with a shrug. "What worries me, is that she doesn't seem to know or trust herself very well…which means, unfortunately, our Vivi may not either."

Kurt nodded sadly as he leaned down for a kiss goodnight. Blaine turned over to flip off the lamp before they settled into the bed and in each other's arms.

Laugh

Christmas Eve morning was quiet as Kurt left Blaine in bed snoozing away. When he walked into the kitchen he spotted Ellie in the den on the couch, covered in blankets and snoring lightly. He kissed her forehead and covered her with the blanket that had fallen on the floor.

Kurt was still the only one awake as he bundled up to take Thatch out for his morning walk. The neighborhood was quiet as another few inches of snow fell around them in the early dark of the morning.

The sun was up by the time he made it back home and he heard Ellie stirring as he stomped the snow off his boots in the alcove they called a mud room and peeled off his layers. He started the coffee pot to make sure they both had hot caffeine to face the day with.

She was so like him in so many way it almost made him laugh at times.

He expected her to shuffle in behind him, but as the kitchen door swung open a soft aheeeem told him who actually walked in behind him.

"You're awake," he said, his words a little colder than he meant for them to be. He blamed it on not being caffeinated yet.

"Yes," Claire said softly. "Is Vivi up yet?"

Ellie came in then and effectively silenced Claire. "It's so cold in here! Is there coffee?"

"Comin' up."

"Good morning, Ellie," Claire said. Kurt could tell she was trying to be a little bolder as her voice got a little louder, but Ellie just breezed right by her.

"Morning," she sighed as she sat down at the table where Kurt had laid the paper.

The kitchen was quiet for a few moments, the sounds of the coffee maker percolating the only noise.

"Oh," Kurt said, turning to his youngest daughter. "Ellie, I completely forgot to tell you. I got a Christmas card from the Stevenson's!"

Ellie looked up with a glare.

Kurt turned to Claire, who was still behind him. "Ellie was head over heels in love with Brad Stevenson in high school. His mother still sends us a Christmas card each year, isn't that so sweet?"

"Pop." Ellie warned.

Kurt ignored Ellie as he poured himself a cup of coffee and turned toward Claire fully. "She's much too busy now to date, but Brad stayed around here after college. I think he's hoping to catch a glimpse of El."

Claire looked back and forth between Kurt and Ellie, not sure what to do or say.

"If you ask me," Kurt said as he took a sip. "He still holds a pretty bright candle for our Ellie."

"KURT!" Ellie cried. "Could you not?"

Kurt shrugged as he shuffled out of the kitchen to head upstairs for a shower. "Milk's in the fridge if you need it."

Ellie rolled her eyes as she stood up from her chair. She almost crashed into Claire at the refrigerator.

"Do you take milk, Ellie?" Claire asked as she offered Ellie the carton.

"Yeah, but I can do it."

Claire stood there for a moment and watched Ellie walk away with the carton of milk.

"I really didn't mean to kick you out of your room, Ellie," Claire started. "I was thinking we could, maybe switch off nights, or…"

Ellie sighed as she took a sip of her coffee. "Don't sweat it."

Claire stared at her as Ellie made like she was going to walk out of the kitchen.

"I don't know what I did to you, Ellie, but…" Claire took a deep breath and Ellie turned to face her. "But I don't really care if you like me or not."

Ellie narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Oh…of course you do."

With that the door swung shut behind her and Claire dropped her head, defeated.

****

Kurt sipped his coffee as he walked up the stairs meeting Blaine on his way down, freshly showered and dressed.

"What's that grin for?" Blaine asked. "You look like you just found a major deal at Tom Ford…" Blaine's face fell as Claire walked from the kitchen, visibly upset.

"What did you do?" Blaine hissed after Claire passed them on the stairs.

Vivi came out of her room just as Claire passed her on the hallway,

"Claire?"

Claire ignored her as she hurried upstairs.

Vivi glared at her parents before running after Claire again.

Music

Luke sat on the bench by the stairs putting on his boots and sipping from his cup of coffee while the rest of the family crowded around the front window watching Vivi pack Claire's suitcases back into her rental car.

"She's checking into the Inn?" Ellie asked as Kurt stood behind her.

"That's what Vivi said…"

As soon as the words left Blaine's mouth, Vivi turned around and glared at the window as she made her way toward the front door, and everyone else hurried back to the kitchen.

Luke sat right where he was and Vivi didn't even spare him a glance as she stomped her way down the hall.

Vivi pushed open the door and rolled her eyes at her scurrying family. Everyone turned to her.

"I just wanna know who said what to Claire?"

"I don't think anyone said anything, honey," Kurt tried as Vivi held up her hand.

"Save it," she said evenly. "She's upset, and that's all I need to know. And now, she wants me to take her to the Inn, and her sister is coming too."

"Her sister?" Maya asked from where she was sitting at the table.

"Yes," Vivi answered. "Her sister, that I've never met, is giving up Christmas with her family to come here to be with Claire."

Ellie rolled her eyes and mumbled something under her breath. Vivi turned on her with fire in her eyes.

"ENOUGH!" she yelled and everyone jumped. "I don't want to hear it anymore!"

"Viv," Blaine started but Vivi could not be stopped at this point.

"No! I get it, okay? We never want to let anyone into our little 'club'," Vivi said the last word with air quotations. Kurt dropped his head and Maya bit her lip. Blaine was still standing next to Vivi with a pained look on his face.

"And I knew bringing her here wasn't going to be easy…but, god, I thought you'd at least give her a chance before you all wrote her off as not good enough! She's trying, which is more than I can say for any of you."

Vivi looked around the room at the stunned silence and shook her head.

"Whatever any of you may think of her," she started with a wobble in her voice that hadn't been there before. "Claire is someone who means a great deal to me."

Maya nodded, as did Blaine. Kurt and Ellie still wouldn't make eye contact with Vivi.

"So here's what's going to happen," Vivi looked around the room again as she took a deep breath and tucked a strand of straight hair behind her ear. "You're all going to take your fangs out of her, remember that you profess to love me, and give her a goddamned chance. If for nothing else, do it for me."

With that, Vivi turned and fled the kitchen.

****

Luke listened as his sister gave their family an ultimatum on Claire and pulled on his jacket. Before she finished he walked out to the car where Claire was waiting and knocked on the window.

"Yes?" Claire asked as the window rolled down.

Luke leaned down and held out the cup of coffee. "Oh, well, the coffee's not too great at the Inn, so I thought I'd bring you a cup before you go."

Claire looked up in surprise and took the red cup with black music notes painted all over it. "Thank you."

Luke nodded. "You're not leaving, right?"

Claire shook her head. "No, I'm just checking in. I think it would be better if Eleanor had her room back."

Luke nodded. "Good."

Claire held the cup in her hand awkwardly and stared ahead.

"Listen," Luke started after a few moments. He paused as Claire looked up at him.

"Don't stress about it too much, you'll get there."

Claire nodded as the front door slammed shut and Vivi came tearing down the porch stairs.

"Are you coming along?" Vivi asked as Luke stepped back.

Luke shook his head as Vivi started the car and just as Claire was rolling up the window he leaned down again. "Oh! Don't forget to bring back the mug, it's Kurt's favorite."

Claire looked at him with an open mouth as Vivi pulled away and Luke waved.

New

Blaine called everyone into the living room after Vivi left with Claire. He paced in front of them for a good three minutes before he finally started talking.

"We have let one of our own down, and I can't handle that."

Ellie was standing near the door eating a bowl of cereal not looking at any of them. Luke was on the couch with Olivia and Kurt was sitting on the ottoman in front of Maya.

"So, when Claire and Vivi return to us," Blaine continued. "We will welcome Claire into our home, without judgment. We will be kind, we will remember that this is Christmas, and we will remember to treat others the way we want to be treated."

Everyone nodded and Maya spoke up. "She is sticking it out, you gotta give her credit for that."

"Exactly. Generosity of spirit?"

Everyone sighed as they chorused back to him. "Generosity of Spirit."

"We will behave like a civilized family would…right Ellie?"

Ellie looked up from her bowl. "Why do you keep singling me out?"

"Ellie," Blaine said with a pleading look. "Please just be the sweet child I know you can be."

"Can I say something?" Luke asked and Kurt shook his head.

"No way son, I know you gave her my mug!"

Ellie looked at her brother and laughed into her cereal while Luke tried to look offended, but Kurt's words had too much playfulness in them to be taken seriously, and he just chuckled as he held Olivia in his lap.

"Guys, she's not quitting," Maya repeated. "She's sticking it out even after everything. I think that's pretty commendable."

Ellie snorted out a laugh. "Let's vote Maya off the Island."

"HEY!" Maya cried and tossed a pillow back at her little sister, both of them laughing as Ellie ducked.

"Nobody's getting voted anywhere," Blaine said as he flopped down on another chair.

"Well I'm ashamed of all of you," Luke cut in before looking down at Livy. "Especially you Tiny Tim."

Olivia just giggled while Kurt, who had been pretty quiet through most of Blaine's speech, shook his head with a sigh. "She's going to ask me for that ring, I know she is."

"Wait," Ellie said. "The ring?"

Luke put down his bowl and shook his head. "Vivi can't marry her."

"THANK YOU!" Ellie cried. "Where have you been all this time?"

Blaine set his head in his hands and groaned.

"They don't even love each other."

"And how do you know that, oh wise one?" Maya asked as Kurt sighed again.

"I just do."

"The ring…"

"KURT!" Blaine cried even though his head was down in his hands. "Enough with the ring."

****

"What ring?" Kurt asked as Vivi shut the door to Blaine's music room behind them.

"Grandma Hummel's wedding ring?" Vivi asked as she sat down in front of him. Kurt plastered a smile on his face.

"Oh…right, that ring."

"Ellie was to get Grandma Carole's ring, and I was to get your mother's ring."

Kurt bit his lip as he nodded.

Vivi sighed and took Kurt's hand. "Papa, when Grandpa passed away, you told Ellie and I that when the time was right, for us to come and ask you…I'm coming to you and saying the time is right. I want to propose to Claire tomorrow."

"Honey…"

"I really love her, Papa, I know you don't think too much of her—"

"Vivienne," Kurt interrupted. "It's not that I don't think much of her…as long as she made you happy, it wouldn't matter what I thought of her."

Vivi timidly smiled and Kurt's face fell. He cupped her face with his hands and shook his head.

"No…honey, I'm sorry."

"No?"

Vivi pulled her hand away and Kurt tried to grab it again, but to no avail. "Viv,"

Vivi shook her head. "What do you mean, no? You told me…"

"I know what I said, but I just don't think, I don't think you are a good fit."

"Tough shit!" Vivi exploded and Kurt reared back. "It's not your life, it's mine."

"Vivienne Elizabeth," Kurt warned but Vivi was already up.

"You are making a choice right now," Vivi told him, anger dripping from her voice. "A choice that you may not be able to take back."

Kurt looked taken aback as his sweet, kind, thoughtful daughter was replaced with one who just looked angry and sad. He reached out for her again but she shook her head and stormed out of the room.

He dropped his head to his hands and groaned. "That could've gone better," he mumbled to himself as he stood up and left the room as well.

He needed more coffee.

He walked into the kitchen to Blaine flitting about getting things ready for dinner that night. He ignored everything as he made a beeline for their coffee maker, only to find it empty.

"Are you kidding me?!" he exclaimed. "Who took the last of the coffee and didn't make more?"

"Kurt…" Blaine started as he looked nervously at Claire behind him with a clean coffee pot. Kurt paid no attention.

"There's supposed to be a new pot right there!" Kurt cried again. "Who doesn't know the rules!?"

"Aheeeeem"

Kurt composed himself as he looked at Claire behind him. "You're back."

"Yes, I was just washing the pot…"

Blaine stepped in then and took the clean coffee pot from Claire. "I'll make more," he said in a soothing voice to Kurt as he gently pushed him toward the table that also doubled as Kurt's desk. Kurt took another deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

(Opportunity)

"I hope they gave you a nice room at the Inn," Kurt said as he sat down behind his laptop.

Claire nodded as she continued to unload groceries from a bag on the island. Kurt stared at her for several confused seconds when Blaine piped up.

"Claire's making us breakfast, isn't that nice?"

"What?" Kurt asked as he looked at the clock. It was past noon.

"It's for tomorrow," Claire said as she paced from one end of the kitchen to the next putting away food and checking cupboards for what she needed. Kurt and Blaine followed her back and forth without moving. "It's strata, a Morten family tradition. I know you and Blaine pretty much have dinner covered…" she paused and stood a little straighter. "But my sister is coming and I wanted to contribute something."

"Well, that sounds…nice."

Blaine shot Kurt a look and Kurt shrugged as Claire turned back to the island.

****

Kurt left the kitchen after a few minutes. He still hadn't showered and there should be some hot water now that everyone was done. He ran into Luke and Olivia bundling up to take Thatch on a walk as he headed upstairs.

Once he was showered and dressed, he put on a brave face and started to make his way back to the kitchen to help Blaine, when Maya in her bedroom caught his eye. She was sitting on her bed wrapping a few presents and crying.

"Honey," he said as he knocked on her half open door. She looked up and nodded.

"I had a few things for Liv that still needed to be wrapped before tomorrow morning," she said with a sniff. "Figured I'd take the opportunity to get it done while she was out with Luke and Thatch."

Kurt nodded as he moved to sit next to her on the bed. "I could've done it for you," he offered as she shook her head with a sad smile.

"I'm nearly finished."

Kurt nodded as he studied her for a moment. Her long brown hair curling softly around her head and her soft green eyes that, again, were filling with tears.

"Is this a 'Maya is pregnant and hormonal' thing? Or…" he asked with a slight chuckle as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear and put his hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head and took a deep breath before setting the freshly wrapped present at the end of the bed.

She shrugged and looked over at him. "Joe just called."

Realization washed over Kurt.

"He was supposed to get in late tonight, but had to push his flight back and now he won't be here until tomorrow afternoon or evening," she paused and Kurt nodded again as he moved his arm around her and rubbed his fingertips on her shoulder. "So he's going to miss Christmas morning with Olivia and…" her breath caught and she put her hands over her face as Kurt pulled her even closer.

"Oh Maya," he soothed as she cried softly into his shoulder for a few moments.

She pulled away slightly and bit her lip before looking up at him again.

"When did you know it was over with you and Aaron?"

Kurt stared at her for a few long moments before he shrugged. "I just knew," he told her. "We were fighting all the time, I hated going home and only did because the girls were there. It was over long before we called it quits."

Maya nodded as her eyes filled up with tears again and she took a deep breath but didn't move away from Kurt's protective arm around her.

"But," he started and she looked at him. "I don't think I ever loved Aaron as much as I loved the idea of him."

She quirked her eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" he started and then huffed out a laugh. "I was the only out gay kid in a town full of homophobes, and then when I got to college, all the gay men around me just wanted to hook up, and I didn't want to do that. It was like, it was like dying of thirst and then finally finding a vending machine that only has soda in it."

Maya eeked out a small chuckle at that.

"You drink it because you have to, but it doesn't actually hydrate you in the way you need it to. And then I met Aaron, and he was a romantic person. He took me on dates, wooed me, made me feel…special." Kurt paused as he got lost in a memory for a moment before shaking himself out of it.

"But it was all soda…because I didn't love him the way I was supposed to love someone, and the cracks in our relationship eventually drove a wedge between us."

"And Dad?" Maya asked as Kurt's eyes softened and a knowing smile played on his lips.

"Meeting your dad was like finally getting that drink of water I had been searching for."

Maya did laugh at that and so did Kurt.

"I love him more every day," Kurt said as Maya grinned through her tears. "And being married is hard, hard work. But with him, I want to work at it, because he is worth it, and I love him enough that the hard parts are worth it."

Maya looked down and sniffed again.

"Do you love Joe?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do," she stopped and shook her head. "But I'm so tired," her voice cracked and Kurt's heart broke for her again.

"I feel like I'm holding us together with scotch tape and a prayer, and…" she paused. "What if it's not enough? What if I'm not enough?"

"Maya…"

"He's barely ever home, and when he is he's distracted. I work, Olivia is four going on forty," she stopped and put her hand on her growing belly. "And now this little guy is coming, and…" she trailed off again and Kurt held her tighter.

"What if loving him isn't enough?"

"Oh honey," he said as he pulled her into his arms and let her cry against his shoulder.

A million suggestions ran through his head for her. Therapy, offering to keep Olivia for the weekend so they go be on their own for a bit, kicking Joe's butt into realizing he was going to lose her if he didn't wake up…but he just held her for a while. He let her cry and hold on to him and know he was there for all the advice in the world when she needed it.

When she stopped crying and sat up, he put his hand on her cheek. "Come on, I'll finish wrapping these for you later. Let's go see what's going on downstairs because apparently Claire is cooking in my kitchen."

Maya laughed at that and hugged him one more time.

"I love you, kiddo," he said. "Always have, always will."

"I love you too, Kurt."

Part

"So the eggs just go in here," Claire said as Blaine looked over her shoulder. "And then you just whisk the egg and milk together."

"Wow, you're really fast," Blaine said as Claire's wrist moved the whisk against the stainless steel bowl over and over and over. "You must make this a lot."

Claire smiled. "Every Christmas."

Kurt rolled his eyes at Maya who was sitting across from him at the table peeling apples for pie.

Maya hid a giggle in her hand as Vivi came into the kitchen and looked only at Maya.

"Hey," she said very obviously ignoring Kurt. "Can you come with me? I need to run an errand."

"Uh," Maya said as she looked back and forth from Kurt to Vivi. "Sure…"

Blaine looked up from where he was chopping potatoes. "Bundle up girls, it's cold outside."

"And you're picking up Allison, right?" Claire said as Vivi nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Kurt moved to say something as Maya stood up, but then thought better of it and watched them walk out of the kitchen. Blaine and Claire started laughing about something and Kurt wanted to throw the bowl of apple peels at them.

****

"A jewelry store?" Maya asked as Vivi helped her out of the passenger side of the car. "This is your errand?"

Vivi nodded as they walked in the door and a bell twinkled.

"But…don't you get—"

The rest of whatever Maya was going to say was cut off by a young man rushing over to them and asking if they needed assistance.

"I need to see an engagement ring. A big one."

Maya closed her mouth and moved over to where the salesman had set out an assortment of different diamond engagement rings. He held one up and started babbling on about quality and cut.

Maya just stood there and watched, nodding when Vivi held up one she liked.

"Oooo," Viv cooed as she picked up a particularly large diamond ring and studied it in her hand. "This one is really nice, don't you think?"

Maya stared at her sister for several long moments before she looked back at the salesman who was going on and on again about quality and cut and "Oh I think I have all the specifics on that ring in the back room, let me go grab it."

"Viv," Maya whispered before shrugging. "What are we doing here?"

"What do you mean what are we doing here? We're picking out my engagement ring."

Maya eyed her sister carefully. "But, why?"

"Come on Maya," Vivi pleaded. "Please, not you too."

Maya shuffled from one foot to the other and sighed. "Viv, you know, that as long as I knew you were happy then I would support you."

"I am happy," Vivi rushed to assure her. "And I am getting married, I'll be even more happy then."

"Vivi…this, this is the easy part," Maya said after several tension filled seconds went by and Vivi stared at the ring in her hand. "The, 'we're so in love, nothing can touch us' part."

Vivi looked up.

"It fades, and the hard part comes," Maya continued as she bit her lip to keep from crying. "And you wonder how everything got so hard and complicated. And if you're lucky, you have a strong foundation to fall back on…but if you don't…" she trailed off and shrugged, putting her hand over Vivi's on the counter.

"Just really, really think about it, okay?"

Vivi nodded as the sales man came back with a binder full of information and that same annoying smile on his face.

****

"And then it just bakes in the morning for a little while and voila!" Claire exclaimed as she poured the egg mixture over the bread and vegetables.

Kurt and Blaine both stood next to her nodding.

"Wait," Kurt said as he suddenly realized something. "Are those mushrooms?"

Blaine closed his eyes as Claire nodded. "Yeah, they add a really meaty tasty without having to add meat."

Kurt walked away hiding a smile as he moved to take the roast out of the oven and Blaine set his hands on Claire's shoulder.

"Isn't Vivi allergic to mushrooms?"

Claire looked up in a panic. "She is?"

"All hail the conquering hero!" Luke called as he carried Olivia in the back door with Thatch at his heels.

"Where have you been?" Kurt cried as he took Olivia in his arms. "Did you walk to Mars?"

Olivia giggled and shook her head. "We went to the playground to play in the snow with Thatch!"

Kurt rolled his eyes at Luke and patted Olivia's back. "Come on honey, let's get you into a warm bath before getting dressed for dinner."

Luke shrugged and hung up his coat before walking over to the island where Claire was meticulously plucking every mushroom out of the two casserole dishes.

"What do we have going on over here? Can I help in any way?"

Claire glanced up at him before turning right back to the strata. "I think I'm all set."

"Now, are those mushrooms?"

"I DIDN'T KNOW!" Claire cried as both Blaine and Luke jumped back at her outburst and Thatch let out one large bark.

Quirk and Rain

Maya sat with Vivi on a bench outside of the main building of campus waiting for Allison, Claire's sister.

They had been quiet since they left the jewelry store, especially since Vivi hadn't bought the ring and had told the salesman she needed to think about it.

As they sat there, Maya didn't say anything. She reached over and held Vivi's hand in her own and the two were silent as a greyhound bus pulled around the corner. Vivi helped Maya to her feet as they watched the bus pull in front of them.

"What does she look like?" Maya asked as the doors opened and people started to disembark.

Vivi shrugged. "I only saw a picture once…"

Her words were cut off as a woman stopped into view. Vivi's breath caught in her chest as she studied this woman. Her long strawberry blonde hair framed her round face and bright green eyes. She was bundled up in a creamy looking leather jacket and hound's-tooth scarf, two patterns that shouldn't go together, but somehow complemented her hair and eyes.

Allison quirked her eyebrow but smiled when she spotted Vivi. She started to make her way down the stairs, but her bag strap got caught on her foot and as she stepped down, she actually fell forward and right down onto the concrete sidewalk.

Viv dropped to the ground to help her as the bus driver hurried down the steps as well. "Are you okay, Miss?"

Allison seemed stunned for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, yeah…I'm okay."

Vivi, crouching down to look Allison in the eye, took her hand. "Are you sure?"

Allison locked eyes with Vivi and smiled the tiniest of smiles before she caught herself and nodded again. "Yes, yes I'm fine. I just…I lost my footing."

Maya looked back and forth between the two of them, completely oblivious to the rest of the world as the driver was holding out Allison's bag. Maya took the bag from him and tried not to grin too hard as Vivi helped Allison to her feet.

"I'm Vivienne," Vivi said shaking Allison's hand. "And this is my sister, Maya."
****

Kurt hummed as he sat on the edge of Maya's bed with Olivia right in front of him. He ran a comb through her still damp hair and sectioned it off to braid.

"What are you singing, Poppy?" she asked as Kurt wound a hair tie at the end of one braid and clipped in a bow that matched her dress, then started the next.

"I'm siiiiiiinging in the rain, just singing in the rain…" Kurt sang as Olivia giggled. "What a glorious feelin', I'm happy again!"

"You're silly," Olivia told him as Maya walked in the bedroom door. "Hi Mommy!"

Maya's face lit up when she saw that not only was Olivia bathed but also dressed and ready for dinner.

Kurt finished the second braid, pinned in the second bow, and kissed the back of Olivia's head before gently pushing her toward her mom.

"Luke decided to keep Liv out in the snow for a ridiculous amount of time, so we did a warm bath before getting ready for dinner."

"Thank you, Kurt," Maya said gratefully as Olivia hugged her legs and looked up at her with a smile. "You look very pretty, honey."

Olivia swung her braided hair back and forth to look at the bows and grinned. "Poppy braided my hair like you do!"

Maya nodded as she walked over to the bed and sat down carefully. "Poppy would do mommy's hair when she was a little girl, that's how I learned."

Kurt beamed before he took in how tired Maya looked and pushed Olivia toward the door. "Come on Livy, let's give mom some time to rest before dinner and go see what's going on downstairs."

Olivia nodded happily and skipped away before Maya thanked Kurt again as he shut the door behind them. She glanced at the clock and decided that she had enough time to close her eyes for 20 minutes before getting dressed and going downstairs. She set her alarm and closed her eyes, fast asleep as her head hit the pillow.

****

Kurt and Olivia walked into the kitchen to everyone crowded around Allison sitting by the table.

"Are you sure you're okay? That looks pretty deep." Blaine said as Luke and Ellie stood behind her and stared at the cut on Allison's knee.

"No really, I'm fine. Just a bandage will be okay."

"What happened?" Kurt asked as he walked up.

Vivi looked over at him after telling Ellie to go get the first aid kit from the bathroom. "She fell getting off the bus."

"Oh my gosh," Kurt cried as he knelt down to look as well. "Do you need some aspirin? Does it hurt?

"Really, I'm okay…you all need to stop," Allison said with a chuckle. "I'm really okay."

Ellie came running in with a box of band-aids and some antibacterial spray. "I can't even tell you how old these are, but it should help."

"Geeze," Vivi said as she snatched them out of Ellie's hands. "Took you long enough, Ellie."

Ellie rolled her eyes and just as she was turning away Allison looked up at her.

"So this is Ellie," she said, crossing her arms with a smile. "The mean one?"

Both Luke and Vivi laughed. "You got that right!" Luke cried as Ellie walked away in a huff.

Claire, who had been standing at the sink broke in then and yanked the band-aids and the spray from Vivi. "Here Allison, I'll do it. Let's go to the bathroom."

Allison stood up and followed Claire to the bathroom off the kitchen as Kurt walked up to Blaine with a smile. "What a great kid, huh?"

Blaine nodded as he handed Ellie the bowl of mashed potatoes. "Yeah, she seems sweet."

****

Allison gaped at her sister as Claire closed the door behind them and wet a washrag in the sink.

"Claire, what am I doing here?" She demanded. "You're cooking? 'everything is fine, now'?"

Claire looked at her and shook her head as she ripped the paper and gently placed the band-aid on Allison's palm. "Well…" she trailed off. "They certainly like you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Sign

Maya walked into the dining room just as everyone was settling down to eat. She took her spot between Olivia and Blaine and dropped her napkin in her lap as everyone started passing the plates of food around.

Kurt and Blaine had outdone themselves with a large roast, mashed potatoes and roasted garlic red potatoes, greens, and butternut squash soup with a leafy green salad, with chocolate cake and apple pie for dessert. Everyone complimented them profusely as the food was slowly devoured and the conversation stalled because of full mouths.

"I'm just saying," Ellie laughed around a mouthful. "We all know Pop wanted another baby!"

Kurt nodded and held his wine glass up. "It's true. I wanted one more. A boy, Tracy."

Blaine laughed as he rolled his eyes playfully. "And I maintain that we had more than enough to deal with just with our four."

"Yeah," Luke cut in with a laugh and looked at Blaine. "That's why you brought home our first dog, Jasper!"

Kurt groaned. "I hated that dog."

Maya almost spit out her water as she laughed. "Yeah all of 2 days until you fell completely in love with him!" she countered.

"Jasper was always your dog, Pop," Vivi laughed. "More than any of ours."

Kurt shrugged but winked at Vivi.

"Why did you want another baby?" Claire asked.

Kurt stared off dreamily. "I just really love babies. They are so dependent on you. The love you and never leave you or let you down."

Kurt was, of course, kidding again, but Claire still hadn't caught on and looked horrified as the rest of the family chuckled into their food. Even Allison grinned as the light dinner conversation moved on from there.

It wasn't until Olivia asked to be excused to go watch a movie in the den that a real conversation picked back up.

"So, what do you do Maya?" Allison asked as Claire nodded to Vivi for a refill on her wine.

"Oh," Maya said as she shook her head. "Well, technically I'm a lawyer."

"Technically?"

Maya nodded with a smile. "I have a law degree, but I actually work as guardian ad litem."

"What does that mean?"

"Allison," Claire said looking around like Allison was imposing on them and asking too many questions.

Allison looked taken aback as Maya laughed and waved her hand. "No, it's okay. Basically what I do is give kids in the system a voice in their legal proceedings. Divorce custody cases, emancipation…that kind of thing."

"Oh wow," Allison said as Blaine beamed with pride and rubbed his hand on her shoulder. "That must be really rewarding."

"It can be…" Maya nodded. "It can also be very frustrating."

Claire, who had been sitting quiet for quite some time, spoke up. "So, the receptionist at the Inn told me you are putting the house on the market, where are you planning on moving?"

The table got quiet and everyone looked to Kurt and Blaine.

"Wait," Luke started.

"You're selling the house?"

"Our house?"

Blaine looked at the kids and sighed, trying to get Kurt's attention who was staring daggers at Claire. "Guys," he started.

"When?" Ellie cried. "When were you going to tell us!?"

Kurt looked at Ellie who was sitting next to him and moved to put his hand over hers. "We were going to tell you after the holidays…telling you at Christmas dinner was not exactly in the plan," he added in tense voice.

"Kurt…" Blaine warned.

"But," Luke cut in. "Why?"

Blaine looked over at Luke and attempted a smile. "It's just time, guys. This house is too big for just the two of us…and I was offered a job on the West End to be the musical director for a new show. We are taking it as a sign and moving to London for a while. And when we come back we'll rent somewhere smaller."

"Is it too much?" Maya asked quietly. "The house and…everything?"

Blaine gave her a tiny nod and looked at the other kids. "I know this may be kind of hard, but you are all grown up and out living your lives. And you will always have a home with us, it just may not be this home."

Luke nodded sadly and Ellie looked around the dining room with a longing look.

"I imagine it would be hard to continue paying for such a large house while still paying off college expenses."

Vivi shot Claire a look as Blaine's head snapped up. Kurt looked like he wanted to reach across the table. His knuckles were actually turning white from where he was gripping the ends of the table.

Ellie looked at them all and shook her head. "What does that mean?"

"Claire…" Vivi started.

"I just mean I understand that it would be hard to continue to pay for such a large house when Ellie…."

"Stop!" Kurt cut in as he looked over at Ellie staring at the tablecloth in front of her.

"Why are you still paying for my college?" she asked as Kurt looked across the table at Blaine helplessly.

"Honey…" Kurt started.

"I mean," she said. "You and Dad set up my college fund years ago…you told me not to worry about it because it was taken care of."

"We did," Kurt started but Ellie was too upset by then.

"I realize I went to an expensive school and I know grad school wasn't exactly cheap, but Dad was helping you and…" she trailed off and Kurt looked down.

"Oh…so Dad wasn't helping. Not surprising since he uses all his energy on his 'new family'," she bit out sarcastically before she stopped dead in her tracks and her voice cracked. "Are we losing our house because of me?"

"NO!" Kurt and Blaine rushed to assure her. "No El, we are not losing our house because of you. We aren't losing the house in the first place, we are just selling, that's it."

"Why?" Ellie raged as she stood up. "How the hell does she know, and I didn't?" Ellie jabbed her finger in Claire's direction. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Vivi told me," Claire said as Vivi put her head in her hands. Claire looked at Vivi when she didn't speak up. "I thought everyone knew…I wasn't trying to…I just know how expensive college can be and I know Ellie just graduated so I thought—"

"Enough!" Blaine hollered and everyone stopped to look at him. Blaine never yelled.

Ellie bit her lip and pushed her chair away as she quietly left the room.

"Eleanor…" Kurt trailed off as Ellie shook her head and walked right past him.

Maya stood as well. "I'll go," she said as Kurt nodded. Once Maya was out of the room as well he turned on Claire.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Kurt," Luke said but the fire in Kurt had been started and he could no longer contain it. He was physically shaking he was so angry.

"What possessed you to say something like that to her? At Christmas dinner?" His icy voice was worse than Blaine's yelling and Claire sat there not able to make words. "Why?"

"I…"

"You?"

Claire looked back from Kurt to Vivi. She stood up and fled from the room as well.

Vivi dropped her napkin on the table and went after her, but it was too late. She was already in the bathroom with the door slammed shut.

Tacky

Vivi stood at the bathroom door for a few moments but when Claire didn't come out, she walked back to the table and sat down. Kurt and Luke were the only ones still sitting and Kurt had his face in his hands.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked.

"Would you be?" Vivi asked as the three of them heard the front door slam and a car starting. Not 30 seconds later they heard the car smash into the tree out front and Vivi sat still as a stone.

Luke stared at her as he got up. He grabbed his coat from the closet and rushed out the front door.

Claire was sitting in the car, hunched over the steering wheel, crying. Luke knocked on the window and she screamed. He held up his hands and opened the door.

"Come on," he told her. "I know a place we can go."

****

Ellie's door was open when Blaine walked up to it and he called out softly to her as he walked up the stairs to her attic bedroom. Maya was sitting next to her on the bed with her arm around Ellie's shoulder. Both of them looked up when he walked into the room.

Maya gave Ellie one more squeeze and took Blaine's hand to stand up. He kissed her forehead before she walked down the stairs and softly closed the door behind her.

"Hey kiddo," Blaine said as he sat down next to Ellie on the bed.

Ellie sighed and shook her head. "You have to promise me, Blaine," Ellie told him. "You have to swear that you are not giving up the house to pay off my school tuition."

Blaine shook his head as he wrapped an arm around her. "I swear Eleanor. Your Pop and I had some rainy day funds that we cashed in and sold some of our investments. We are not giving up the house for your school tuition."

Ellie sighed but nodded her understanding.

"And I'm sorry we kept it from you," Blaine said as he hugged her a little tighter. "We never wanted you to find out like that, that was soooo tacky," he joked to make her laugh.

Ellie snorted out a sarcastic laugh and rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry I blew up like that at the dinner table," Ellie said after a few moments of comfortable silence passed. "And I'm sorry that you had to do all that to pay for my tuition. If I had known I would have…taken out loans, or something…"

Blaine shook his head. "That's exactly why we did it, so you wouldn't have to start your life in debt. Not everyone gets that opportunity, honey. Be thankful, and then put it out of your head. We would have done it for any one of you kids if we needed to. You were just the one who needed it."

Ellie nodded again but bit her lip. "Well, I'm sorry I needed it…and that you had to pick up where someone else should have been."

"Ellie," Blaine started as he chuckled and cupped his hand on the back of her head. "I have been completely enamored with you since the night I met your Papa and you were fast asleep in his lap," he joked as he nudged her. Ellie let out a watery chuckle and looked over at him with a smile. "Four years old and cute as bug."

Ellie rolled her eyes but leaned in a little more to Blaine's side.

"I love you Eleanor, and when your Dad couldn't— "

"Wouldn't," Ellie interrupted bitterly.

Blaine nodded but didn't say anything about Aaron. "I was more than happy to step in and make sure that you were taken care of."

Ellie bit her lip and sighed. Blaine hooked his finger under her chin and brought it up to look her in the eye. "It has always been my job to make sure you and your brother and sisters get everything you need, and for me to work hard to make sure you have things you want as well. If you are happy, then I am happy."

Ellie leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're a good man, B. I love you, too."

Blaine sighed. "I don't know how good of a man I was tonight; I was pretty harsh with Claire."

Ellie shrugged. "Whatever, she had it coming."

"Ellie," Blaine scolded gently with a laugh before nodding toward the stairs. "Come on…I need cake."

Universe

When Claire followed Luke into O'Flannigans, Luke was about 99% sure she was going to take one look and turn right back around and out the door.

But she didn't. She nodded when he asked her if she wanted a beer and sat down across from him in the booth at the deserted bar.

"Where are we?" she asked as Tony brought over the beers and Luke thanked him.

Luke laughed. "My buddy in high school, his dad owns this bar. We used to sneak beer out when we were way too young to be drinking."

Claire nodded again. She took a swig from the bottle and shrugged out of her coat.

****

Vivi paced back and forth in foyer by the front door. She stopped and looked out the window and sighed as she rubbed her eyes.

"Where are they?" she asked herself quietly. Luke had driven off with Claire over an hour ago…and no one had heard anything from them since then.

Vivi's stomach was in knots. She felt so much guilt for not saying anything at the dinner table, but she was so angry with Claire for not only spilling something she had told her in confidence, but also on Christmas eve and at dinner. Something that hurt her sister, and something she would have never wanted Ellie to know in the first place. It was all so frustrating and hard.

Why was Claire making this so much harder for both of them?

Vivi shook the thought from her head as she walked back to the den where Ellie, Maya, Allison and Olivia were.

Allison looked up from where she was reading to Olivia as Vivi walked in.

"I'm going looking for them," Vivi announced as Blaine walked up behind her from the kitchen where he and Kurt had been cleaning up. "They've been gone too long."

"I'll come with you," Allison said as she gently picked up a now fast asleep Olivia and laid her in Maya's lap.

Vivi stared at her as Blaine handed over his car keys. "Here honey, be safe."

"Let's go," Allison said.

Vivi nodded as she followed Allison to the front door.

****

"WHAT DID I EVER DO TO HER!" Claire cried two beers in. "I took her to the nicest restaurant I know, and she didn't speak to me one time, NOT ONE TIME! But, I tried…and…" Claire trailed off as she took another pull from her bottle.

Luke sat in stunned silence. Apparently the way to get Claire to open up was to ply her with alcohol until she was feeling loose enough to talk without thinking. This probably wasn't the best plan, he thought to himself as he realized Claire was staring at him, staring at her.

"Look," he said sitting forward in his seat a little. "The thing you have to realize about our family…" he started but then shook his head. "You have to understand the world we grew up in, and the people we were, well are."

Claire set down her beer bottle and stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Luke sighed. "Well, we grew up in a world that was changing…but sometimes not fast enough. We had people telling us that the universe our parents were creating for us, was wrong…and sometimes even sinful and unnatural."

Clare dropped her eyes and nodded as Luke continued.

"I mean…think about, even today, how many discussions you see in politics, on TV, everywhere…now imagine growing up with parents who are vocal and fight hard."

Claire looked up at him again and sighed with a slight nod.

"It teaches you to be strong, to fight for what's right…but it also fosters this…" Luke paused and shook his head. "It creates this mentality of 'protect what you have' and, 'don't let anyone in' because how can they understand the same way we understand?"

Claire stared at him, realization washing over her face.

"And it's not right, I would even venture to say it's probably a little unhealthy…" he paused again and shrugged. "But for better or worse, it's the way we love one another. It's the way we communicate our love for one another. By fighting and yelling, and coming back at the end of the day and knowing that even if the whole world is against us, we are there for each other. No matter what."

****

Vivi parked the car at the Inn and Allison went in to make sure Claire wasn't in their room. When she wasn't they set out on foot to walk around downtown. Everything was closed for Christmas eve, but as they started walking, there was more talking and less looking for someone both of them knew they probably weren't going to find.

"So," Allison started. "I know Claire told me you are in publishing, but…"

Vivi laughed. "Well, kind of," she said. "I work for a company that publishes textbooks for elementary and high schools."

Allison nodded.

"I actually moved to St Louis because they offered me the job, and it was too…" Vivi trailed off and she shrugged. "It was too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Allison nodded again as they walked in silence for a few moments.

"Does it bring you joy?" Allison finally asked.

Vivi looked over at her. "I like that I am helping kids, and getting them things they need."

Allison nodded. "I just know that writing grants is hard and sometimes tedious work, but seeing the finished product and knowing I played some small part of bringing it into the world…it's beyond rewarding."

Vivi continued to stare at her.

"Are you rewarded in what you do?" Allison asked as they stopped walking and she put her hand on Vivi's arm.

Vivi shrugged and the two looked at each other for several long moments before Allison broke the contact and pointed to the Inn. "I should be getting back."

****

It was way too cold outside to stay in the car, but as Claire pulled her hair out of the tight bun and looked at him from her dark eyelashes, he didn't feel much like going inside any more than she did.

"So," Claire said as she tightened up her scarf. "Tell me? How do I get them to like me?"

Luke shook his head and rubbed his fingertip under the sock cap resting on his head. "I don't think there is a magic formula, Claire. Just be yourself."

Claire shook her head. "No, I am being myself and that's not working."

"But are you really?" he asked and she looked up at him. "In our family, we wave our freak flags high," Luke said as Claire stared at him with big eyes. "And you have a freak flag, Claire…you're just not flying it."

Video

After the kitchen was clean and the last few presents had been wrapped, Kurt said goodnight to Ellie and carried Olivia upstairs for Maya. Once he had said goodnight to both of them, he started his nighttime routine. Blaine had gone off on a not-so-secret mission a little while after Vivi and Allison had left, so he crawled into bed alone and picked up his leather-bound notebook where he kept random notes for whatever he happened to be writing at the time.

He'd been working for a while. He left their bedroom door open for Blaine and had watched Maya head downstairs after tucking Olivia in and then Ellie run up to her bedroom a few minutes later to change into pajamas and then back down with a wave.

"Gotta help Maya be Santa!" she whisper-cried and Kurt held a finger up to his mouth with a laugh.

As Ellie ran back downstairs, she passed Vivi on the stairs. They didn't say anything, but Vivi did stop her and hug her goodnight before they split paths and Vivi walked toward her bedroom.

Kurt looked up and called out to her as she walked by.

"Vivienne…honey, I know you're upset with me…."

Vivi huffed and shook her head but Kurt sat up a little and kept going.

"But I just wanted to say…" Vivi looked up at him and he could see the pain in her eyes. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, for everything. I'm sorry."

Kurt bit his lip as Vivi stared at him for several tension filled moments.

"You know," she started. "I really wish I could believe you," she finished before shaking her head again and walking to her bedroom. He door shutting the final word on the subject.

Kurt dropped his head and sighed.

****

Allison had changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. She was standing at the window staring at the street, willing her sister to come back. The door knocking brought her out of her daze and she threw on a sweater before opening the door.

"Mr. Anderson-Hummel," she said with surprise.

Blaine smiled. "Blaine, please."

Allison nodded.

"I was hoping that Claire was back," Blaine continued. "I was hoping I could apologize to her for my behavior tonight….and I was hoping I could apologize to you as well."

Allison opened the door to let him in, but Blaine shook his head. "I don't want to impose, I just wanted to say that…" he paused and sighed. "And, our family, it may take us a while, but when we love, we love hard."

****

"It's a YouTube video, Maya!" Ellie exclaimed when Blaine opened the back door and walked in the kitchen. He could hear the two of them playfully bickering from the front of the house and it made his heart feel full. "It's like Santa's snow boot prints!"

Ellie mimed what she was trying to explain on the floor by the front door.

Maya laughed as she hung up stockings. "I understand the concept, El. I just think it's a little silly and unnecessarily messy."

Ellie dropped her jaw in feigned horror and shrugged. "Whatever, I'm going to get the powdered sugar."

Blaine laughed as Ellie passed by him to the kitchen and Maya called after her that she would have to deal with the mess in the morning."

Blaine walked over to Maya and adjusted a few presents under the tree. "Do you guys need any help before I head up to bed?"

Maya shook her head with a laugh. "Nah, we're almost done and then I promised El we could watch Charlie Brown in bed."

"Awww," Blaine cooed as he kissed her forehead. "You guys used to do that when you were little."

Maya smiled and neither of them addressed that Vivi was always in bed with them…and wouldn't be there tonight.

Ellie came back in the living room with the bag of powdered sugar and a smile.

Blaine sighed. "Well, goodnight both of you," he said as he pulled them both into his arms. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," they chorused back to him as he walked up the stairs and laughed as they continued playfully bickering back and forth about the sugared Santa prints.

Kurt was sitting up in bed staring into space when he walked in their bedroom.

"Hey you," he said closing the door behind him and pulling his bowtie loose.

Kurt looked up with a sad smile. "Hey you."

Blaine leaned over and kissed him before he moved to their bathroom to get ready for bed.

Ten minutes later as he was climbing into bed next to his husband, Kurt was still staring off into space with a pained look on his face.

"She's so mad at me."

Blaine leaned over and set his head in Kurt's lap. Kurt started rubbing his temple and sighed. "And you know…it's not her…"

Blaine turned and looked up at him. "Claire?"

Kurt nodded. "It's not her, it really isn't. It's the person Vivi is with her. I actually feel sorry for Claire, because she doesn't know who she is."

Blaine sighed.

"And the person Vivi is when she's with Claire…I don't recognize her, and I feel like…I feel like Vivi doesn't recognize herself either. And that really scares me."

Blaine reached over for Kurt's arm and held it over his chest.

"I don't want her to make the same mistakes I made."

"Kurt," Blaine murmured as he sat up and pulled his husband into his arms.

Winter

Claire woke up and stretched. She didn't think the Inn bed would be this comfortable but as she wiggled back down into the blankets that smelled like fresh laundry she sighed and smiled. She could hear the shower going and assumed Allison was already up and starting her day.

When she finally opened her eyes, it was not the old fashioned décor she was expecting, but instead a room full of Marvel posters and crammed with bookcases stuffed to the brim with books and papers.

She gasped as she sat up in bed, memories from last night washing over her…and one big hole where nothing was sure and OH MY GOD WHY DID SHE DRINK SO MUCH BEER?! She does such stupid things when she drinks beer.

She looked down and thank god she still had the majority of her clothes on, but what did it matter. She had slept with Vivienne's brother!

She jumped out of bed and hurried into her shirt and pants, pulled her hair back into a manageable ponytail and was just about to open the door when Luke opened the bathroom door wearing just a towel.

She had never been so mad in her life as he smiled and said "Well, Merry Christmas! It's a cold winter morning out there!"

She fought everything in her to slap him across the face and gave him her dirtiest look as she opened the door and stomped out.

****

"Good Morning Grandpa!" Olivia cried as she jumped up into his arms when he walked down the stairs. "Merry Christmas, Poppy!" she laughed to Kurt who was right behind him.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," Kurt said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Maya walked in from the kitchen with a glass of water and winked. "Just stockings for now little Christmas elf."

"Just stockings," Blaine repeated as he set her down and pushed her gently toward the living room.

****

Vivi was standing in front of the coffee maker when Kurt walked in the kitchen. Blaine had gone straight to the tree behind Olivia, but Maya had pointed to the kitchen when Kurt walked in and he followed her advice.

"Merry Christmas," he said softly as he walked up behind her. She was still in her pajamas with a red terry cloth robe thrown over them, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. It was the least put together he'd seen her all weekend.

She didn't turn to him.

Kurt took a deep breath and set the red ring box he'd pulled from his hope chest that morning on the counter next to her hand.

Vivi looked down, but didn't turn around. She picked up the box and opened it to reveal his mother's wedding ring.

"It's beautiful."

Kurt nodded as Vivi finally turned around. He could see her eyes welling up behind the brown glasses on her face. "Yeah, I always loved it. One of my favorite memories is how…" he paused and swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. It didn't matter how old he got, he always got emotional thinking about his mother.

"She used to bake bread every Saturday," he walked over to the table and sat down. Vivi followed and sat next to him on the table, both of their slippered feet on the chairs in front of them. "And when she would knead the dough, she'd slip off the ring and set it gently in a little dish she kept by the sink."

Vivi smiled warmly and Kurt chuckled. "Grandpa Burt was always afraid it would go right down the sink…but it never did."

Kurt got lost in the memory for a few moments before he sighed, looked at his daughter and smiled softly. He reached over and cupped her face with his hand.

"You inherited so many wonderful things from me," he started and Vivi rolled her eyes with a grin. "My eyes, my thick hair, my amazing sense of style."

Vivi laughed at that and Kurt grinned.

"I just wish you hadn't inherited my bull headed stubbornness."

"Papa," Vivi started but Kurt kept going.

"I'm sorry for the past few days," he said and Vivi looked him right in the eye. "I've always told you since you were a little girl, that I would support you no matter what. I broke that promise this weekend, and for that I am truly, truly sorry."

Vivi nodded and looked back down at the ring as Kurt let his hand drop from her face.

"But I also think, and you can be mad at me for this if you want…" Vivi looked up at him warily. "I think you are taking a little of your own frustrations out on us, and that isn't fair either."

Vivi looked down and sighed.

"If you love her, if you truly love her and want to be with her…then I will try to get on board. And I will support you and be there for you, no matter what happens…"

Vivi looked up at him expectantly.

"Honey, I," Kurt paused and bit his lip. He reached over and took Vivi's hand in his. "I don't want you to live your life chasing some idea of perfect, because you feel like it's what you have to do. I lived that life, I don't want it for you. It ends in nothing but heartbreak for everyone."

Vivi's eyes welled up again and she looked straight at Kurt.

"If I could wave a magic wand and go back…I wouldn't change my decisions, because they are what got me you, and your sister, and inevitably led me to Blaine, whom I love more than I could ever put into words."

Vivi grinned as a single tear dropped down her face and Kurt thumbed it away.

"But if I could save you and Ellie from the heartbreak of my decisions, I would do it. And I don't want you going through anything like that ever again."

Vivi sighed out a tiny sob and leaned into Kurt's arms. She sniffed out a few more tears as he held her and kissed her forehead.

"No matter what though, honey," he said as she sat back and he wiped her face with his thumb again. "It's your ring."

Vivi nodded and took a deep breath as she closed the ring box.

"Thank you, Papa."

Kurt smiled and nodded. They both looked up as Allison came through the kitchen door and made a beeline for the coffee maker before realizing they were both in the room as well.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. I'll come back."

"No, no…" Vivi said as she hopped off the table and walked toward Allison. "I want to show you something."

Allison stopped and looked down as Vivi opened the ring box. "It's beautiful."

"Try it on?"

"What? No."

Kurt came up behind them as Blaine walked into the kitchen. "Is the coffee ready yet?"

Kurt nodded to his husband as he looked back and forth between Vivi and Allison.

"Just try it on, I want to see how it fits."

"No," Allison insisted with an uncomfortable laugh. "Claire's hands are bigger than mine anyway."

"Isn't that bad luck?" Kurt asked as he handed Blaine a cup of coffee.

"Yes!" Allison insisted as Vivi took the ring from the box and held it out. "It is, it's very bad luck."

"Naaaah," Vivi insisted. She held up Allison's hand and Allison shrugged as Vivi slipped it on her finger.

Kurt, Blaine, Vivi, and Allison all stood in shocked silence as they looked down at Allison's hand.

"Okay, well…" Allison started as she attempted to pull of the ring, which was now stuck on her finger. "Oh god."

Young

Kurt and Blaine stared as Allison desperately attempted to pull the ring off her finger and Vivi stood there trying not to smile.

"Hey, it's okay, no big deal," Kurt soothed as he led Allison over to the sink and poured soap over her finger and turned on the water. "We'll get it off."

"Is it stuck?" Vivi asked.

"Well yeah, of course it's stuck!" Allison shot back and sighed as Kurt went to get butter from the refrigerator.

"Hey!" Maya called as she walked into the kitchen where everyone was crowded around Allison and Kurt at the sink. "Are we gonna open some presents or what?"

"I hate to say this," Kurt started as Allison's face crumpled. "But, please be careful of the setting."

"Oh my god."

"Kurt…" Blaine trailed off as he looked nervously at Allison and Ellie stormed into the kitchen.

"What is going on in here?!" Ellie cried before getting a good look at Allison. "Why is she crying."

Everyone looked over at Allison who hid her face and pulled her hand away. She shook her head and headed off to the bathroom.

The door closed just as Claire walked down the last step with Luke following close behind.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Claire asked as Vivi stepped back from the bathroom door.

"Where were you last night?"

Claire faltered and just as Luke was about to speak up she cut him off.

"Wait, is Allison in the bathroom?" And she was behind the closed door with her sister before anyone could say another word.

Vivi eyed her brother carefully as Kurt and Blaine pushed them all toward the living room.

****

"What the hell is going on, Claire?" Allison asked after she had closed the door. "Where were you last night?"

Claire blushed and looked away. She finally noticed what Allison was doing. "What is that?"

Allison sighed and lifted up her hand in defeat. "It's your wedding ring."

"Vivi is going to propose?"

"Yeah, if I can ever get it off."

"Why are you wearing my wedding ring?"

Allison fumbled her words before she looked back up at her sister. "Wait, where were you last night?"

"I…I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me? Oh my god, Claire. What did you do?"

Claire dropped her eyes and shuffled her feet before looking back up at her sister. "I'm so ashamed."

****

"Alright!" Blaine cried as he clapped his hands together. "Let's get some presents handed out."

"This one is for Uncle Luke!" Olivia announced proudly as she carried over a large box. "Mommy and me pickeded it out."

"Aww," Luke said as he tore into the wrapped present. "Thank you so much, squirt!"

Olivia beamed as she climbed up next to Maya and helped him unwrap it.

"Wooooow," Luke said as he pulled out a tweed jacket. "This is awesome!"

Kurt nodded. "Tweed is coming back."

"Phsshh, it never left." Blaine insisted as Kurt winked at him.

"Sure honey."

"Thank you so much," Luke gushed as Olivia preened and Maya grinned.

Everyone stopped as Claire and Allison walked back into the room and Vivi stood up.

"Claire…"

"Oh hey!" Claire called walking right by Vivi. "It's present time huh? Me next!"

Vivi stood dumbfounded as Claire zipped open a suitcase and pulled out five identically wrapped presents. "Here, Vivi help me pass them out."

Vivi nodded as Claire handed Kurt and Blaine one to share, then a present to Maya, one to Ellie and one to Luke. Vivi stood with one in her hand as Claire turned back to her. "That one's for you."

Vivi nodded and everyone stared at Claire until she finally rolled her eyes. "Well open them."

Everyone tore in but Kurt and Blaine were the first to fully unearth the gift. The picture of all six of them on the beach where they met. The picture had been blown up and framed in beautiful oak frames. Maya, Luke, and Vivi were just 7 years old, and Ellie was barely 4. Kurt and Blaine weren't even dating yet…but they always considered it their first family picture.

"Claire…" Kurt began as Blaine rubbed his back.

"Viv keeps the small copy on her desk at work. I thought it was so beautiful, how the two of you met and blended your family together. I just, I wanted to…" she shrugged as she trailed off.

Maya put her arm around Ellie who was covering her mouth and crying quietly. "Claire," she started before clearing her throat. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you so much, Claire," Blaine said, nodding as both Luke and Maya echoed their thank you's as well.

Vivi sat up and reached over for Claire's arm. "Claire," she started.

"Who's hungry?" Claire asked the room as she completely ignored Vivi.

"We need to talk."

Claire shook her head as she tried to move beyond Vivi. "No, I know what you are going to say."

"That's just it I don't think you do."

"I'm gonna go pop the strata into the oven!" Claire called as Vivi finally gently took hold of Claire's arm.

"Claire…"

"No, Vivi, no," she yelled. "No Vivi I will NOT MARRY YOU!"

The room was silent as Vivi stared at her.

"I didn't ask you."

Claire dropped the hand Vivi was holding. "You didn't?"

VIvi shook her head and Claire looked at Allison. Allison dropped the hand with the ring on her finger and shrugged, she opened her mouth but not knowing quite what to say closed it again.

"That's great," Claire said. "That is just perfect."

Claire stopped and shook her head with her hands up in the air as she shrugged again. "Like I haven't been humiliated enough?"

"Claire…" Ellie started but Claire cut her off.

"Oh I know what you all think about me."

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other and Luke was looking anywhere but at his sister and her girlfriend.

"I know what you see when you look at me…spoiled, uptight, bitch!" Claire stopped and looked down as she crossed her arms. "Not good enough for Vivi, not good enough for us."

"Claire that's not—" Kurt started but Claire shook her head again.

"Do you really think it's anything I haven't heard before, or things I haven't said to myself?"

Maya sighed and sat forward. She felt like she needed to step in and say something, but also like it wasn't exactly her place and closed her mouth before she did.

"And now, she comes all the way here to ruin our Christmas and she sleeps with her brother?!"

All the heads in the room shot up as Claire looked horrified. She clearly hadn't meant for those words to come out and now she couldn't take them back.

Kurt and Blaine looked over at Luke who was staring at Claire.

"Wait," Luke said. "Claire we did not—"

"Hang on, what?" Vivi stuttered as she stared daggers at her brother.

"Vivi, wait…" Luke broke in. "Claire, we did not sleep together."

Claire looked up from where she was hiding behind her hands. "What?"

Vivi looked as if she wanted to jump across the room but didn't know where to jump first.

"We did not, Claire we did not sleep together."

Claire stared at him for several seconds before she broke down crying and tore off to the kitchen.

Kurt and Ellie looked at each other and both stood up to go after her as Blaine immediately stepped in between Vivi and Luke. Maya did stand then to support Blaine as the two of them started yelling at each other.

"What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything!" Luke yelled back as Vivi chased him into the dining room.

"Are you two serious, what are you 9 years old?" Blaine called after them.

"She certainly thought you did something," Vivi yelled as the two of them stood on opposite sides of the table.

"Well we were pretty drunk," Luke laughed as Vivi's eyes bugged out.

"Oh you're dead."

Vivi ran around the table and chased Luke back through the kitchen.

"What is the matter with you two?" Blaine called again as Maya stood behind him trying not to laugh.

Kurt and Ellie were busy with Claire who was crying and covered in spilled strada when Vivi finally made contact with Luke and took him down. The two of them wrestled around on the floor under the kitchen table until finally Luke got ahold of Vivi's hands.

"Nothing happened! I swear. We went out for a few drinks, came back home and I slept on the floor."

Vivi worked her hands free and tried to get Luke to fight back with her, but he refused.

"What is it with you this weekend and taking out all your aggression on us? You don't even love her Viv, why are you acting like this?"

Vivi stared at him before she finally gave up. She dropped her hands, rolled off her brother and onto the floor. She looked over and Kurt, Ellie and Claire had heard the whole thing. She covered her face with her hands.

****

Claire was sitting on her bed when Vivi walked out of the bathroom fresh from her shower. She stopped and stared as Claire fought to find the words she wanted to say.

"I never meant to hurt you, Viv."

Vivi looked back from where she was combing out her wet hair and snorted out a sarcastic laugh. "Well you did a real good job of that, let me tell you."

Claire stood up. "That's not fair and you know it."

Vivi looked back and all her resolved disappeared. She shrugged and watched as Claire sat back down carefully on the edge of her bed and hold out the ring Allison had finally gotten off her finger.

"I think we both know what I'm about to say…" Claire started as Vivi sighed. "Can you honestly tell me, after everything this weekend, you really want to give me this ring now?"

Vivi pressed her lips together and moved to sit next to Claire on the bed. She took the ring and set it carefully on her bedside table. She put her hands on her knees, took a deep breath, and shrugged.

"Vivienne," Claire started. "I think you and I have been working so hard for so long, just…trying to make this work, that we forgot what being happy really feels like."

Claire stopped. "Are you happy?"

Vivi finally looked up and met Claire's eyes. "No," she said shaking her head.

Claire shrugged. "Me neither."

"Do you love me?" Claire asked almost as if she were afraid of the answer because neither one was what she wanted to hear.

Vivi didn't say anything for a few tension filled moments. "Yes…but I'm not sure what that love means anymore."

The two sat in silence for a long time before Claire finally spoke up. "I think Allison and I are going to head home."

VIvi looked up and her face dropped. "You don't have to do that," she started but Claire nodded her head.

"Yeah, I think we do. We'll make it home just in time for Christmas dinner. I think you need to spend some time with your family, and I need to spend some time with mine. We'll figure everything else out in the new year."

Vivi nodded as she pulled Claire into one last hug goodbye.

"No matter what else," Vivi mumbled into Claire's shoulder. "I really did love you."

Claire nodded but didn't say anything else as she pulled away quickly and left the room, softly closing the door behind her.

****

Vivi sat in the armchair as her family continued Christmas morning. Allison and Claire had left a while ago and her dads had just wanted to get their day back on track.

She was staring at Olivia opening a present when a cup of coffee appeared in front of her face.

"Peace offering?" Luke said.

Vivi took the cup with an embarrassed smile as Luke sat in front of her on an ottoman.

"I'm really sorry Luke," she said softly. "I don't know what came over me, I'm so embarrassed with the way I reacted."

Luke shrugged. "I'm just glad to know you can still defend yourself."

Vivi laughed in spite of herself and shook her head as she took a sip.

"Still," Vivi insisted. "I was immature and downright stupid. I really am sorry."

Luke nodded as he watched Kurt and Blaine laugh about whatever gift Blaine had given Kurt and then kiss softly with smiles shared just between the two of them.

"Sometimes it's hard to grow up in a house with two people who feel so strongly about one another."

Vivi furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

Luke nodded to their dads who were now up and dancing to Baby Its Cold Outside. "It's great, and healthy we had a great childhood and bla bla bla," he laughed. "But it also kind of fosters this mentality of nothing ever being able to measure up. I compare every single relationship I have to them, and none of them are good enough."

Vivi nodded slowly as Kurt laughed in Blaine's arms. She fought back tears. All she had wanted when she was young was for someone to look at her the way her dads look at each other.

Luke turned back to her and suddenly she realized she'd said that last part out loud.

"You'll find it, little sister…and even if you don't, you'll still be okay. Great, even."

Vivi smiled as Luke stood up and walked back to the pile of presents still to be opened. She stared at her dads one last time and sighed. She was pretty sure she had found it…she just didn't know if she had also blown it completely.

Vivi sat in the chair long after the presents had been opened and everyone had moved on to different parts of the house. She could smell Christmas dinner cooking as she stared at her phone.

She jumped when she felt Kurt come up behind and kiss the top of her head.

"Dinner's almost done," he said as she nodded.

He looked her over her shoulder for a few moments before he chuckled and kissed the top of her head again. "Well, are you going to text her, or not?"

Vivi looked up but Kurt was already walking away.

She took a breath, typed out a text and waited for a response.

"Hi, it's Vivienne. I know I acted like a child this weekend, and maybe I completely blew any chance I may have had with you…but, I was just wondering if you had any plans for New Years?"

She set down the phone and just as she was getting up to help set the table, her phone buzzed with a response.

From Allison-What did you have in mind?

Epilogue

Kurt watched as the Immigration officer stamped his passport and then nodded that they were free to move on. He looked at his watch as he followed his husband out of customs and into the main terminal.

"What time is Luke supposed to be meeting us?" Kurt asked.

Blaine turned back to him. "He should be here. His flight landed 30 minutes ago."

Just as Kurt's mouth opened to answer Blaine, his eye caught on Luke standing from a chair and waving at him, Jo Anna next to him.

Blaine followed Kurt's eyes and his face broke into a smile as well as Luke and Jo Anna made their way over to Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt enveloped Luke in his arms before passing him over to Blaine.

Luke stepped back and took his girlfriend's hand. "Jo, you remember my dads?"

Jo Anna smiled when Blaine pulled her into a hug as well. "Of course, Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Kurt said as he gave her a quick one armed squeeze. He wasn't completely sure about Jo Anna yet. She seemed nice and sweet, but was also pretty quiet. He was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt as Luke was clearly head over heels in love and lit up when he was around her.

"So," Luke said. "Are we waiting on Smelly as well?"

Kurt laughed. "No actually. Ellie got in last night!"

Luke pretended to look shocked. "Whaaaaaa?"

Blaine chuffed him on the arm. "She wanted to get in early and help Maya."

Luke nodded as they gathered bags and started walking through the terminal. "She could probably use the help," he said. "Is anyone sure how this is going to work? I offered Jo and I stay at the Inn, but she said it wasn't necessary."

Kurt nodded. "Us too, but she was insistent we all be together this Christmas."

"It'll be fine," Blaine said as he pointed toward the rental car bay. "Come on, Kurt and I rented a car so we don't have to deal with the trains and busses."

After an hour in the car Blaine turned down the familiar street and pulled into the same driveway he'd pulled into every day for almost 20 years.

The wreath on the door was different, there were two snowmen standing proudly in the front yard, and the name on the mailbox now read Marzden…but as the car came to a stop, five-year-old Olivia came flying out the door with Ellie at her heels.

"Poppy!" Olivia cried as Kurt caught her when she took a flying leap into his arms.

"Omph," he laughed before kissing the side of her head. "Merry Christmas sweetheart."

"We've been waiting and waiting for you!"

Kurt chuckled as he set her down to go hug Blaine and he pulled Ellie into his arms.

Maya was coming down the stairs with 10-month-old Jamie on her hip when everyone walked in the front door and her face lit up. "Hey everyone!"

Blaine was the first one to get to her and pulled her into a hug before taking Jamie so she could hug Kurt as well.

"He's gotten so big since you were in London 2 months ago!" Blaine cried as he held him up and kissed his chubby cheeks.

Maya nodded as she walked down to greet her brother and Jo Anna. "He is enormous. He's already wearing 9 month clothes!"

"Good!" Jo Anna laughed. "Cause that's what we bought him."

Kurt looked around the house with a smile. Everything was different, but it still felt the same. The walls had been painted a creamy white color, and the furniture was brown with accents of red and blue. The pictures on the walls were different, but many were similar to the ones that had hung for years.

Their flat in London was home now, but this house would always be home as well. And now a new family would grow up in it and make memories, just like his and Blaine's kids had. Maya caught him staring and looked expectantly at him.

"We changed a lot," Maya's husband Joe said as he walked in from the kitchen with firewood under his arm.

"But," Maya interjected. "We also kept a lot too. I wanted it to be a mix of both."

Joe nodded as he set down the bundle of wood and put his arm around Maya. "It's a great house."

Kurt and Blaine nodded and Kurt pulled Maya into another hug. "We missed you guys, so much."

"Where's Viv?" Luke asked as he swung Olivia around on his arm.

Maya looked down at her watch before Jo Anna brought Jamie over to her. "They should be here any time."

"Can we put up the tree now?" Olivia asked excitedly. "Mommy made us wait till Grandpa and Poppy got here."

Maya laughed and nodded to her daughter just as the back door opened and Vivi called out. "Anybody home?"

Excited shouts and hugs greeted Vivi and Allison as they walked in from the back of the house. Kurt and Blaine got first dibs on both of them, but soon Vivi was being bombarded by her siblings and everyone was laughing.

"Maya," Vivi cried as she hugged her sister. "The house looks amazing! You guys did a great job."

Maya sighed and thanked Vivi before hugging her again. "I'm so glad you guys made it."

Kurt came up and gave Allison a quick hug. "How's Claire?" he asked.

Allison nodded with a laugh. "She's doing really great. She's actually living in China!"

Kurt's eyes got wide as he smiled.

"Really?"

"Yeah, she went there for work and absolutely fell in love with the country. She moved there permanently a few months ago and actually met someone as well. I think she's doing really, really well."

Kurt sighed as he nodded. "When you talk to her, will you tell her we said Merry Christmas?"

Allison put her hand on Kurt's elbow briefly. "Of course."

Kurt nodded again before turning back to Blaine and rested his shoulder against his husband's. Blaine rubbed his back a few times and kissed the top of his shoulder.

"Alright!" Luke called as Olivia hopped up and down next to him. "Can we get some ornaments on this tree because I think Olivia may explode if we don't."

Olivia giggled and everyone else laughed as Maya turned on the stereo and pointed out which boxes were which. Ellie came up to her with a wink and took Jamie to "help" him put ornaments up as well.

Blaine kissed her cheek before walking over to the tree and Kurt followed him with a wink to Maya.

She stood there for a long time, just watching, until Joe came up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You okay?"

Maya turned to him and nodded once before pressing a kiss against his lips. "I just got what I wanted for Christmas."

Joe grinned and gave her another quick squeeze before he walked over to join the commotion as well.

Maya sighed once more before following suit, telling her siblings that their hodgepodge decorating only worked if Kurt and Blaine did the organized decorating first.