Christmas Shoes, a glee fanfic

Disclaimer: I would if I could but I don't so I won't.

AN: Song Fic kinda but not really, sadness, and Kurt being immortalized through song.

He had been at the store for a very short amount of time. It was Christmas Eve and, like the other customers, he had forgotten to buy a few presents and was here for some last minute shopping. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a small figure weaving in and out among the customers. He turned his head to look closer and saw the figure was a boy who looked about six years old. He was small and held a jar filled with change.

As he watched the boy make his way to the shoe section of the store he could see the boy was actually closer to eight and it was only his height that made him look younger. The boy looked pensively at the rows of shoes for a long time, and the man walked away, determined to finish his shopping and get back home.

Thirty minutes later with the last few presents in hand he made his way to the single open register and found himself behind the boy he saw earlier. Up close the boy was rather a mess, his clothes were dirty and they looked like he had slept in them, all in all he made a rather pitiful picture. There were quite a few people in line in front of them and the line seemed to move very slowly. The man shifted rather impatiently like the other customers who were anxious to get home, but the boy in front of him was practically vibrating with his impatience.

Soon it was the boy's turn to make his purchase, and to the man's great amusement he placed a pair of red heels with bows on the counter and announced he wanted to buy these shoes for his mother. The cashier scanned them and informed the boy it would be seventeen dollars and thirty-two cents. The boy opened up his jar and began to put the coins on the counter. The expression on the cashier's face became frustrated as she realized how many pennies there were and the boy began to count out the coins. He could hear customers behind him grumble in annoyance and the boy glanced at the clock. It took quite a while for the boy to finish counting out the coins, and when he was done the cashier shook her head. He did not have enough money.

The boy's face fell and he searched his pockets for more coins, but he couldn't find any. He looked at the shoes desperately before his frantic gaze turned to the man. He met the boy's eyes and the boy let his plea flow out.

"Mama made Christmas good at our house, though most years she just did without. Tell me sir, what am I going to do, somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes," The little boy's face grew rather earnest as he continued, "Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please, it's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size."

The man considered the request for a while, It's Christmas, he reasoned, I could just give him the money. Before he could say this the boy's voice cut through his thoughts, responding as if he had read the man's mind.

"Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time. You see, she's been sick for quite a while and I know these shoes would make her smile and I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight."

The man couldn't resist the boy's gaze and handed the money to the cashier. A smile flashed on the boy's face and he said, "Mama's gonna look so great." When the cashier handed the boy back the shoes he grabbed them and ran out, heading in the direction of the hospital. As he watched the boy leave the man felt like he remembered the meaning of Christmas for the first time in a long time.

Eight years later Kurt Hummel was sitting in the choir room waiting for Glee to begin and playing on his cell phone when Mr. Schuester walked in. "Alright guys, now that it's the holiday season I thought we'd do some holiday music!" Kurt rolled his eyes, he'd never been a fan of the holidays, not since he was little and his mom died, but everyone else was perked up and fairly excited. And that was how the Glee Holiday Wars began.

Kurt stayed as much out of the excitement as possible. The Glee Club was actually going a little too crazy with holiday cheer, especially for someone who avoided recognizing the holiday as much as possible. They set up a huge Christmas tree in the choir room. Rachel and Quinn became involved in The Great Present War, which involved whose boyfriend could give the best presents, and they soon pulled Tina and Brittany into the battle as well. A Secret Santa was set up which soon went over board when a contest for who could give a better gift began. And finally, Puck, with Santana's help, started a plot to sing carols for money. Yes, Kurt thought, I am going to stay out of this holiday crap.

Finally as the week grew to a close Mr. Schue had had enough, "Honestly, you guys," he said standing in the middle of the red and green garnished room, "I'm disappointed in you. Everyone has gotten so off track this week, and this isn't what the holidays are supposed to be about." The Gleeks were quiet for a while before Rachel stood up.

"Mr. Schue is right," she said as Kurt's eyes burned from the garish and disturbing Kwanza sweater she wore, "We have forgotten what holidays are about. But don't worry, I have the perfect song to remind us." Ignoring the groans from the other Gleeks she handed some sheet music to Brad and the band, "Now, this may not be my exact faith it mentions, but it does have the right message," And she cued the band.

The music that began was from a song that Kurt had never heard, and he braced himself for the Christmas song he knew was coming, but to his surprise what he heard was quite different.

It was almost Christmas time, there I stood in another line
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two,

Not really in the Christmas mood
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiously
Pacing 'round like little boys do
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes

Kurt realized he had never heard this song before, but it struck some chord deep inside him, like it all was familiar and called to a memory he had buried deep down.

His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

At those words Kurt was drawn into a memory, almost like a dream. All he could see were flashes of images, his mom lying in a hospital bed while he and his dad sat next to it, doctors passing in and out of the room, watching the snow fall from a hospital window, standing at a Christmas tree in the middle of a waiting room with his parents. Everything was jumbled up in his mind

He counted pennies for what seemed like years
Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"
He searched his pockets frantically
Then he turned and he looked at me
He said "Mama made Christmas good at our house
Though most years she just did without
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes."

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said
Mama's gonna look so great

And suddenly it made sense. This wasn't just something that seemed familiar, this was something he had definitely lived. Kurt could see the shoes in his head, they were beautiful, with bows, and they were the perfect size. He had wanted to get his mother something pretty for Christmas, because his dad had just opened up the garage they didn't have a lot of money, so his mom hadn't ever gotten something really nice for her lately. And dad had said the cancer was getting worse, that she might not make it.

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about.

Kurt's eyes started to water, but they weren't the only ones. All around the choir room his friends' eyes had begun to leak tears, and Quinn was openly sobbing. The memory was almost overwhelming, like it was swallowing him whole, and he couldn't breathe.

Flashback

"Mommy! I found these shoes! Aren't they pretty?" An eight year old Kurt asked as he bounded into the hospital room, red shoes in his hands.

"Yes sweetie," A melodic voice came from the worn out body lying on the hospital bed, "They look beautiful."

"They're for you! I bought them for you for Christmas!" His mother smiled, and his dad entered the room.

"Thank you Kurt. Look at them Burt, aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes Katherine, yes they are." He helped her carefully put the shoes on her feet and once they were on she looked at them with a bright smile.

"Thank you, Kurt," She said, holding her arms open for him to climb into. He crawled up onto the bed and curled up into her arms. Burt sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around them both.

End Flashback

As Rachel finished everyone clapped, and Mercedes said, "I love that song, I always cry when it comes on." Quinn agreed and added,

"It's so sad, I just wanna hug the little boy."

Kurt couldn't move. He remembered the man who gave him the money for the shoes, the cashier, everything. How did someone else know about it? A comment from Rachel caught his ear.

"Did you know it's a true story?" The Gleeks shook their heads, most of their eyes widening in shock, "Yeah, apparently the writer was in a store and this happened to him. He doesn't know what happened to the little boy or his mom though."

The Glee Club was quiet for a while before Quinn spoke up.

"I'm sure she got better, the little boy was probably just confused," She said, the other Gleeks seemed to agree with this statement, which caused Kurt to frown.

"I don't think so," He whispered, "I bet she died that night." Puck was the only one who heard him and he turned to look at the pale boy.

"What did you say?" His question drew the others' attention, which caused Kurt to grow defensive.

"I said I bet she died."

"Kurt!" Mercedes exclaimed in shock, "How could you say that? That's so horrible!" This seemed to be the general consensus among them.

Kurt stood up, "I just know, alright!" He yelled at them, and he grabbed his bag and left the choir room quickly. His friends stared at each other in confusion.

"Well we can't just let him go like that," Artie pointed out causing everyone to get up and move to the door quickly, trying to catch Kurt before he left, but they arrived at the parking lot just in time to watch him pull out quickly.

"I know where he lives," Mercedes said, "Just follow me, and we'll catch him at his house." Everyone piled into the available cars, which was some doing since they had to fit Artie's wheel chair somewhere, but they managed.

As they drove through Kurt's neighborhood they passed house after house decked out in Christmas lights, each one seemingly more bright than the last. And then Mercedes pulled into the driveway of a house completely bereft of any Christmas decoration.

Everyone climbed out of the cars as Puck said, "Well at least we know why he said what he said, look at this place, he's a Christmas Grinch."

"It's always been this way," Brittany said. When the others looked at her she shrugged, "I live over there," She said, pointing across the street, "Kurt and his dad haven't decorated the house for Christmas in years, not since the pretty lady left." Her friends took this statement to be a typical Brittany thing, not really worth their attention, and they marched up to the front door. Mercedes rang the doorbell, and as they waited they heard a yelled conversation before Burt Hummel opened the door.

"Hey kids," he said, "What do you want?"

"Kurt was acting weird in Glee today," Mercedes informed her best friend's dad, "We just wanna check on him."

"Come on in," Burt said, stepping out of their way, "He's with his mom." The Glee Club looked at each other in confusion, but Finn walked down the hallway and down a flight of stairs. When no one moved to follow him he glanced back.

"His mom had a dresser and it still smells like her, when me and my mom moved in again we moved the dresser to his room," Well that made sense to everyone so they followed him down the stairs and into Kurt's domain. They found their friend curled up by a dresser with a pair of red heels in his hands.

"What are those?" Santana asked, causing Kurt to look up at her. He stared at the group of people gathered at the bottom of the stairs before looking back at the shoes in his hands.

"They were my mom's," He whispered, "I gave them to her the night she died. Christmas Eve."

No one really said anything, because they didn't quite make the connection, at least not until Brittany broke in, "Wow! Was that song written for you?"

The Gleeks exchanged bewildered glances before Tina asked, "What song Brittany?"

"The song Rachel sang today. Normally I don't really like the songs she sings so I don't listen, but this was a really pretty song."

Everyone was quiet after she said that, although Rachel's face started turning red and she looked like she wanted to say something because her mouth was opening and shutting without any sound coming out.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was," Kurt whispered quietly, "At least everything sounded way too familiar for it to be a coincidence."

"Man that sucks," Puck said with a frown.

"Yeah, it's why we don't celebrate Christmas," Kurt said, "It's not much fun when your mom died Christmas Eve in the middle of the night."

Mercedes stepped up to Kurt and pulled him into her arms, "I'm sorry boo," She said, "No one should have to go through that." Kurt tried to smile at her but it didn't reach his eyes and his face started to scrunch up and he began to sob. No one really knew what to do when that happened, but Burt came thumping down the stairs and pulled Kurt from Mercedes' arms into his.

"I've got this," He told them, "You can go home." The Glee Club nodded and headed up the stairs. Kurt tucked himself into his dad's arms and Burt tightened his grip, "I know son," He whispered into Kurt's hair, "I know."

AN: So, what did you think? Review and tell me.

~Scarlet Letters