IT WAS A peculiar feeling, returning to her apartment with not only Kurt, but a newborn baby in tow. Lindy had tediously spent her time imagining what the future would hold once Charles had arrived, but for some odd reason, she had not considered how it would feel to cross the threshold into her apartment carrying her son.

She looked around the apartment with roving eyes, her stare touching every detail of the space in front of her. The entire place felt like it belonged in a different time period, a time in which she was young and unsure of the world. She felt so much steadier now. Gravity had finally found her, or it had at least found her mind.

What a strange feeling. It was the same apartment that Lindy had called home for years, but now, being inside of it felt like stepping into distant memories of the past. It was almost hard to believe that she'd even existed before Charles had come into her life. That lifetime suddenly felt far away.

Her thoughts shattered when she heard the sound of Kurt clunking into the apartment after her, carrying her bag and Charles's carrier. Even Kurt entertained a new persona, one that still held traces of who he once was even though there was evident change. The man that she had seen stand on a million different stages worldwide looked different now, assuming the role of a doting father with the carrier in hand. He pushed his blonde hair out of his face, conscious of Lindy studying him.

"You okay?" he asked, setting the things down.

"Yes. Just a little disoriented," she admitted. It had been only a few days since she'd been home, but it felt like much more time had passed. The only sure sign that made her feel like she was in the right place was the feeling of Freddie twining himself between her legs, mewling contentedly. He would always be a reminder of home.

"I can relate."

Lindy had almost forgotten that this was brand new to Kurt as well. When Frances had been born, she'd been swept away from his and Courtney's arms before they had a chance to enjoy her arrival. Kurt had truly yet to experience the feeling of a bringing a baby home for the first time.

Charles was asleep in Lindy's arms. She looked down at him, feeling strangely independent. There were no nurses to care for him now. Only Lindy and Kurt, released into the world as newly crowned parents (or rather, Lindy being the new parent) and ordered to fend for their baby themselves.

"I'd ask you what we should do now, but that feels wrong," Lindy laughed nervously. Weren't they supposed to know the answer to that?

"Well, first thing's first is we need a new place to live," Kurt grimaced. He gestured to Lindy's bedroom, where they had set up Charles's crib next to her bed. It was a cramped space, and although Lindy wanted him close to her for the first few months of his life, she felt sad that he had no real nursery. And next to that, most of Charles's other baby things cluttered the living room, piled high and positioned in every possible random space.

"We took care of that already," Lindy reminded him. "Now we've just got to move."

"Ready when you are."

Kurt moved to her side, his eyes locking on the still fast asleep Charles. Knowing what he wanted, Lindy carefully transferred the baby into Kurt's cradling arms. Between them both, Charles had never been put down for any extended period of time.

"How will we keep it secret?" Lindy asked hollowly.

Kurt pressed his lips in a tight line. "I don't know if that's possible anymore."

A part of Lindy had always known that she and Kurt could not hide their life forever from the public. Kurt was the icon of the decade and there was a high demand from the rest of the world to understand what went on in his personal life, even if it was none of their business. 

Finally, the media had gotten what had wanted from him. 

Out of all the visitors that Lindy and Kurt had had in the hospital, the most surprising had been Danny Goldberg, who entered their room in a business suit with a grim look on his face. His 'congratulations' had barely meant anything, because all Kurt and Lindy had focused on was the grudge of foreboding that Kurt's manager had seemingly brought with him.

"Everyone knows now," Danny had announced slowly. "We're not sure how it got out . . . but they know. It was in the news this morning that you just welcomed your second child, Kurt."

Kurt had frozen with fear, his jaw sharpening as he clenched it together. Lindy knew what he had been seeing; recollections of the last time that the media had revealed the birth of his baby. It had been followed by child services taking Frances away.

"Call every news station and magazine," Kurt began in a deadly voice, "and tell them that if whatever bullshit they spew hurts my family, I will kill them. I'll do it this time. I swear." 

Lindy had held her breath, too shocked to acknowledge Kurt's threat. It was hard to believe that the world would now know her name, intertwined for the rest of forever with Kurt's. It made her bitter, the thought of so many people scrutinizing not only her and Kurt's relationship but their child as well. And Kurt's past with drugs certainly did not help the situation.

"Nothing will happen, not like last time," Danny reassured, hesitant to speak aloud the reminder of Frances's first few months of life. "You are both more than capable of parenting and we can prove that. My point is, the whole world is talking about this. They know everything."

"Not everything," Kurt had snarled. "I want them to stay the fuck away from us." 

Lindy sighed, recalling the memory sadly as she stood in place in her apartment. It wasn't the end of the world, having everyone know. It would definitely be hard to hear her name picked apart by every popular news outlet imaginable, but Lindy figured she might be able to ignore it. With Kurt retreating from the spotlight, they still had a chance live normally.

"I don't even want to hear what they're already saying."

"Nothing bad," Kurt said grudgingly. "Apparently they're more fascinated than anything. Courtney called earlier while you were sleeping and told me that she's already been asked twelve times for interviews."

"And?" Lindy prompted.

"She swore she wouldn't. Charles is Frances's brother . . . whatever might hurt him could hurt her now too," Kurt said, swaying as he rocked Charles in his arms.

Lindy bobbed her head in understanding, thankful that Charles was the link that kept Courtney from exploding with revenge. She was deeply grateful towards Kurt's ex-wife, as erratic as she was, for not spilling any more private information to the public.

"Is she bringing Frances over?" Lindy asked, steering the conversation in a different direction, away from the troublesome topic.

"No, but Jackie is. They should be here within the hour."

Lindy took this free time to shower and get ready, all while Kurt minded over Charles on the couch in the living room. It was nice, being in her familiar shower and feeling the spray of hot water drench her still aching body. At least that feeling alone was familiar to her.

As Lindy dressed, she found herself in a hurry to return to the living room. Being away from Charles, even for only a few minutes time, was agonizing. She hadn't had him out of her sight yet and although she trusted Kurt, she wanted to be there. She didn't want to miss a single second of Charles's early beginnings. Even her arms felt oddly empty without him in their safe hold.

When Lindy came out of her room towel-drying her wet hair, she found Kurt speaking in soft baby talk to Charles. His voice was no more than a coo, and Lindy realized that Charles was awake and responding with gurgling noises to Kurt's voice.

"You sleep almost as much as your mommy does," Kurt remarked in his sweet baby speak, tickling the tip of Charles's nose with his finger.

"Heard that," Lindy called from the door of her bedroom. Kurt looked up and grinned. Lindy smiled back, folding her arms and leaning against the door frame.

"He woke up, so I'm entertaining him."

"By telling him lies about me?" Lindy teased, joining Kurt on the couch.

"No, just the good stuff. He's going to have to listen to me go on forever about you and all the wonderful things that make you the most perfect human being."

"He's just going to love that by the time he hits age thirteen."

"Thirteen? Can't we just enjoy him now, while he's small and innocent?"

"That's the plan."

Kurt stared intensely into Lindy's eyes, temporarily turning his attention to the woman who had made him a father for a second time. If she weren't already used to the look on his face, Lindy would have blushed over the amount of love pouring from his gaze.

"I never thought there would be a day that I'd be this happy to be alive," he said resolutely. He meant every word.

"I did," Lindy said back softly. "I always knew that you would eventually feel this way. That's why I never gave up."

"I owe you a lifetime of servitude for that."

"You don't owe me anything. Loving me is enough," Lindy objected. She leaned in close, finding his lips. Her skin tingled with happiness when she felt them lightly touch hers, but the moment was interrupted by a knock at the front door.

"That'll be Frances," Kurt said with an excited smile, pulling away to look at that door.

"I've got it."

Lindy stood and speed-walked towards her front door, shaking off the feeling of nervousness. This would be Frances's first time meeting her baby brother. Lindy hoped more than anything that Frances would love Charles completely. She still hated the position that she had unwillingly shoved Frances into — she was now a half-sibling, a token of Kurt's old love with Courtney that had died before it'd gotten the chance to thrive. Lindy didn't want to think of Frances feeling less than loved in the given situation. She was loved equally next to her brother by both Kurt and Lindy.

She opened the door and was immediately met with a squeal and a pair of tiny arms wrapping themselves around her legs. Lindy felt Frances press her cheek into her thigh, practically purring with happiness to see her.

"You'll drop her back off to Courtney later?" Jackie clarified, handing Lindy Frances's bag of play things and extra clothing. Lindy nodded, bidding the nanny goodbye and shuffling Frances inside the apartment. The little girl quickly went stock still as she drank in the sight of her father, sitting on the couch with what appeared to be, at least in Frances's eyes, a doll.

"Frances," Lindy began carefully, kneeling down to Frances's height. In one of her hands, she was holding her Mickey Mouse plush, its threadbare ears drooping . "This is your little brother, Charles. Remember the baby in my belly?"

Frances nodded her head eagerly.

"He's here now. And your daddy and I gave him the name Charles. Want to meet him?"

Frances nodded again, taking Lindy's hand with wide eyes. Together, they walked over to the couch and Lindy helped Frances up next to where Kurt sat. Kurt smiled lovingly at her, stretching his head forward to kiss Frances's head.

"Hey there, Bean."

Frances, for once in her whole two years of life, paid no mind to Kurt. Her attention was zeroed entirely in on Charles, who was still awake and making wrinkled baby faces in Kurt's arms.

"Baby, baby," Frances said in a voice full of wonder. With a curious hand, she raised her fingers over Charles's face before brushing his round pink cheek. Charles turned his eyes to his sister, studying her in the way that newborns did. Lindy pressed her hand to her mouth, hiding the emotional smile spreading across her lips.

"Can you say 'Charles,' Bean?" Kurt said softly. Frances furrowed her little eyebrows in response.

"How about 'Charlie?'" Lindy suggested. This seemed to resonate with Frances, who spoke right after Lindy did.

"Char-wee."

Kurt beamed at Lindy, over the moon as he watched Frances readily approve of their new addition to the family. He let out a shaking, adoring laugh when Frances, with careful gentleness, leaned in to kiss Charlie's nose.

"I love you, I love you," Frances cooed, earning a wave of tears in response from Lindy and Kurt. Kurt shook his head, probably unbelieving of how perfect his life had become when he was surrounded by his babies.

The rest of the day went seamlessly, turning out to be more ideal than anything Lindy could have imagined. Frances did not require any entertainment from her and Kurt. They helped her settle into the couch, surrounded by a wall of pillows before they placed Charlie in her lap and allowed her to hold him. She refused to let go, even refusing to watch her cartoons. The only thing she seemed remotely interested in doing was studying Charlie's face and whispering at him in her toddler voice, the gentle murmurs of her love for her baby brother being the only sound in the room.