AN: This is an odd story, but it got into my head and it's interesting to play with the brother dynamic. Thanks to Jen for helping me believe this little story had some validity. :)

It had been an interesting afternoon with the New Directions.

Mixing the old with the new was turning out to difficult than Kurt realized. They had managed to gather back up Kitty, Marley, Unique, Ryder, and Jake despite Sue's best efforts at thwarting them from bringing back the group to McKinley. It had helped fill out the team more than just Madison and Mason, Roderick, Spencer, and Jane. Even Myrion and Spencer's new boyfriend Alistair had joined the group. Unique and Jane had become fast friends, and he had a feeling that they were going to take Nationals by storm with Kitty and Marley. Working with Rachel and Mr. Schue had bolstered everyone's spirits, but just looking at Rachel only made Kurt's heart ache.

It was draining him, to be honest.

But he was misplacing his feelings, he supposed. Neither Rachel nor the New Directions were to blame for his relationship ending. Blaine was gone. He and Dave were now engaged. Dave had proposed in Scandals during the halftime of the Super Bowl. Kurt thought bitterly of the day at the hospital when he had told Dave that he'd have a wonderful career and future with a beautiful man that he'd be giving up his first love for him.

And again, he was giving up something to his former bully. Everything left him in the end, he supposed. Maybe he wasn't really worth loving after all. Everyone kept leaving. Kurt was fairly certain other than his Dad and Carole, the only people who cared about his life were Rachel and Mercedes. Kurt sighed and put his head down on his arms at the piano. He missed having someone to care for, like he had for Blaine, or even Santana and Rachel in the loft.

"Hey little brother."

Now that was definitely a voice he hadn't heard in awhile. He used to hear Finn's voice all the time at the house right after he died, but never at McKinley. He knew hearing ghostly voices were common in grief, but Kurt was used to death and while he missed Finn, he hadn't been as devastated as Carole or Rachel had been. Her life had spiraled out of control after he was gone, even after she had gotten her dream role. It was a shallow victory.

Kurt looked up wearily, really hoping it wasn't Puck back in town and playing a joke on him. He would finally have to resort to violence and clobber the idiot. But instead a slightly bright version of Finn was standing there, looking like he always did, a lopsided smile on his face.

Kurt blinked, making sure he wasn't going crazy. But no, Finn was still there. He screamed, scrambling off the piano bench, backpedaling several steps as he held his bag in front of his face as a shield.

"Okay, whoever you are, this isn't funny."

The figure standing next to piano looked confused.

"Well, it hasn't exactly been easy on this end. I keep wandering all over the place. Does anyone in the New Directions ever stay still?"

Kurt lowered his bag, looking over at the figure, very confused himself. It looked like Finn, it sounded like Finn.

But it couldn't be Finn. Finn was dead.

"Well, we all want to be stars in one way or another," said Kurt with a frown. Clearly he was hallucinating or something was really wrong here. "We've got to work to earn it."

"Yes, but could one of you like... sit down for one day? It's hard enough following Mercedes, Santana, and Brittany on tour."

"Okay, who the hell are you?" demanded Kurt. "Because this isn't funny. If you've been hired by someone to dress and talk like Finn just to mess with the New Directions before the competition..."

"I am Finn, Kurt."

"No," he said firmly. "Finn died last year. You can't be him."

The person sighed. "Kurt I know... I know you don't believe in things beyond this existence. But can you believe for just one second?"

"No, I'm tired of this hallucination," said the countertenor. "Any minute I'm going to wake up now, and this nightmare will be gone and I'll be asleep on the piano."

"I'm not a nightmare Kurt."

"And you can't be Finn!" he exclaimed loudly. Kurt was glad for once the doors were closed to the choir room. Rachel would have heard him all the way down in the auditorium and Sam probably could have heard him yell from the gym.

"I am Finn. Look, I know you don't believe me. And I don't blame you. After all the Grilled Cheesus stuff, I'm surprised I believe me. But I'm here. I sort of... didn't leave after I... left."

"So what have you been doing?"

"Following... people," Finn frowned. "I watched Puck basically fall asleep at six o'clock after basic training. Like, he was so give out from all the working out. But he was stronger than me, he made it through. He also didn't shoot himself in the leg."

"You're not Finn. Anyone knows that Puck went through basic."

"Did you know that Puck has an engagement ring for Quinn?"

"I... no."

"He does," said Finn. "And Sam still has the worst hangups over Mercedes. He cries a lot when he sees new pictures pop up on Instagram from the studio. Don't mention it to him, though. He'll deny it. Oh, and so he won't be alone tomorrow when he hears it on the radio, go out to the truck with him when he leaves. Santana convinced Mercedes' manager to let her record a R&B version of Trouty Mouth as a single. I think it's going to be a real big hit for like a week."

Kurt's mouth fell open and he tried to fathom the information.

"How did you know... Santana..."

"I've been there, Kurt. I've been everywhere."

Kurt knew this couldn't be real. This was a Sebastian prank, wasn't it? But...

"Finn?" he whispered. Finn shrugged and smiled.

"I'm here Kurt. It's me."

Kurt wanted to rush at his step-brother and give him a hug, but he knew he couldn't hug a ghost. Instead he sat back down on the piano bench. "Oh god, don't let Carole see you like this."

Finn looked sad at that. "I... I can't. I'm not supposed to be in any of your lives. But I... I can't watch Rachel any longer without doing something."

"Rachel?" frowned Kurt.

"She's hurting," said Finn. "So much. She doesn't show it, but with her Dads, me, and her career fluctuating... she's fallen apart." He saw Finn hesitate for a moment.

"I need you Kurt to take care of her."

"If you haven't noticed Finn, my life has sort of fallen apart too."

"No, no it hasn't."

Kurt shot Finn a dirty look.

"You still have Burt and... mom. You're still in your dream school. You still have a chance at a career on Broadway. You still have the potential to love again. She won't let herself."

"But Rachel..." said Kurt, feeling skeptical at his step-brother, quirking an eyebrow.

"I can't explain," said Finn. "I really... can't." He frowned. "There's this really annoying voice in my head that tells me things I'm not supposed to do. I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they're being quiet on you right now."

"So you're dead, you're still following us around, and you hear voices. Gosh, death sounds like so much fun," said Kurt sarcastically.

"Look, I... I'm sorry about Blaine," said Finn with a frown. "But not everyone gets to stay with their first loves. You grow and you change. So do they."

Kurt crossed his arms and laid his forehead on the piano, really wishing he was dreaming. "I know. And I've accepted it. I just hope he's happy."

"You will be too, you know."

"Ugh, I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you," said Kurt. "What happened to all our happy futures we planned for?"

"They are still there," said Finn. "It's just... different."

"But you're not here."

"I was never supposed to be Kurt. I... I had to learn that." Finn sighed and walked around the room. "I was angry a lot, like Rachel used to get when she didn't get the solos. I was demanding my future, demanding my right to be here... but it wasn't my right. My time was gone. So I had to be content to looking on from the distance. And watching you, watching Rachel, watching everyone... it went away, and I was just left with the need to protect all of you. So I follow everyone, even all the new kids. You're welcome by the way."

"Welcome?" said Kurt. "Welcome for what?"

"I convinced Sue that it was a bad idea to mess with you. She thought I was her sister, I think, speaking to her during her nap in her office. She had started planning this grandiose idea of getting you and Blaine back together. There were charts and everything."

"Sue?" said Kurt. He wanted to gag. What the hell was she thinking?

Finn nodded, though Kurt realized it was getting harder to see him. He seemed to be fading away right in front of Kurt's eyes.

"Finn?" he said, frowning, standing up.

Finn closed his eyes and rubbed his hand across them.

"I know, I can't... I can't stay here with you much longer. But Kurt, trust me. Take care of Rachel. She needs someone, and you're about the only person she trusts now."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the only one left here who has faith in her besides Mr. Schue."

Kurt remembered that he, Rachel, and Mr. Schue were going to meet back up again in the choir room shortly.

"Finn... they'll be back. You can't let them see you."

"I won't," said Finn, shaking his head. "I can't stay longer. But please Kurt... I can't do this again. Take care of her, would you? Don't leave her alone."

Kurt went to say something, but he heard someone pull on the handle to the choir room door and he turned his head to see who it was. Rachel came in the door with Mr. Schue.

"Kurt, there you are. I was looking for you," said Rachel. "Mr. Schue looked over our set list and he thinks we've got a good chance."

Kurt turned his head quickly to look at Finn, but his step-brother was gone. He blinked, shaking his head.

Maybe he had been dreaming.

"Great," he said. "But I think you're going to have a hard time convincing Jane to give up lead on vocals."

That statement launched a large discussion between Mr. Schue and Rachel, which the latter was totally happy to defend Jane to Mr. Schue, who was quite willing to give the honor to Marley. Kurt watched Rachel, looking for any break in the mask. He wondered if Finn was right, if she was really as broken as she seemed to him.

But did it really matter? His step-brother believed so, and was probably risking some sort of punishment for appearing to him. He was going to take Rachel home that night and have a long talk with her, to see if maybe Finn had been right.

The seats were starting to fill while a small group of 20 somethings were running around getting ready behind the scenes. Bowties were being adjusted, jewelry being fastened, and one lone groom was sitting next to a window in his dressing area, casually looking out the window and wondering about his life. Here he was at 25, marrying the one person he never thought he'd end up with. It had been a strange whirlwind of events after the New Directions had won Nationals again. McKinley had become a school for the arts, he and Rachel had gone back to New York and finished out their schooling. He was still in a bit of shock that Carmen had let Rachel back in, but she had and Rachel thrived. Everyone was doing so well in their lives, really. Both Brittany and Santana & Tina and Artie had gotten married. He laughed to himself, shaking his head. And somehow he had fallen in love with Rachel Berry over the past couple of years. It had been strange, but welcome. She had done her best to be what he needed, and he loved her for that.

"You know little brother, when I asked you to take care of Rachel, this isn't exactly what I meant."

Kurt looked up in surprise. He had a long time ago chalked up to seeing Finn as a bad hallucination that he had when his life was in such an upheaval. But again, there was Finn, looking at him expectantly, still glowing like he had that day.

"I thought you... couldn't come back?"

"They're being nice to me today," said Finn. "But I can't stay long... there's too much, too many. I can't interfere."

"What is it?"

Finn smiled. "I came to say thank you, although part of me would like to punch you. You're really marrying her Kurt?"

"Don't you mean kick over a chair?" said Kurt with a smirk as he crossed his legs at the knee.

"That would work," said Finn. He looked over to the chair and tried to aim, but missed, his leg and foot going effortlessly through the folding chair. He sighed and looked at Kurt, who was chuckling at Finn's actions. Finn laughed.

"I am happy for you two," he said simply, shoving his hands into his pockets. At least, Kurt thought it might have been pockets. "And Rachel is definitely happier."

"I think it helps that her Dads are reunited," said Kurt. "And that she graduated from NYADA and is living out her dreams onstage. We both are, but then you probably know that."

"Without you, she wouldn't have done it," Finn stated.

"She's stronger than you think," said Kurt pointedly.

"She... she is," said Finn. "But not without a little nudge."

"I dragged her kicking and screaming back to New York to meet with Carmen," said Kurt. "I don't think it was a nudge."

Finn smiled at that.

"Go get married Kurt," he said. Kurt frowned at that, thinking how Rachel and Finn had been so happy in high school. Of all days for Finn to appear...

"I'm... I'm sorry Finn."

Finn waved him off.

"It's a good day Kurt. Go be happy. You two are going to be great together."

Finn started to fade again. Kurt tried to call after him, but he had disappeared. He sighed, looking out the window again, wishing he could see his brother somehow on the streets of New York below him. There was a knock on the door, and Mike peeked his head in.

"You ready?"

"Yes," said Kurt, uncrossing his legs and shaking his head as he stood. Maybe he was just imagining Finn. His subconscious hanging on to the idea that he needed his friend's support and approval. But part of him was at ease with the fact that Finn sounded happy with everything. He looked at Mike, who had a boutonniere and was pinning it on Kurt's jacket.

"What do you think Finn would say if he was here right now?"

"Finn?" repeated Mike. He thought for a minute after he finished with the flowers. They walked out of the room and headed down a hallway.

"I'd like to think he'd be up in the front row, happy that everyone was all gathered in one place for a little while, and looking forward to stuffing his face afterwards."

Kurt smiled at that, knowing that Finn was probably thinking the exact same thing.