A Glee Christmas Carol
(I do not own Glee or any of the characters. I do not own any rights to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This story is AU.)
Rachel was sitting in her Senior English Literature class ignoring her teacher as he went on and on about the merits of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Thank goodness she had only one more class that day and it was Glee Club. Being the last day before winter break Rachel knew this excruciatingly slow day would soon be over and she would have two solid weeks to concentrate on Plan B.
Plan B was what to do when NYADA laughed in her face and didn't accept her. She hadn't heard from her NYADA application, but she knew the odds of her being accepted were now very slim. All of her accomplishments dimmed in comparison to the big glaring suspension on her permanent record for rigging the school's senior class president election.
Rachel was drumming her desk with her pencil staring at the clock when Mr. Grayson, her English teacher interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss Berry, if you would kindly depart from your day dreaming and rejoin the class, I asked you what you thought of Mr. Dickens' A Christmas Carol."
Rachel blinked several times and realized that Mr. Grayson had called on her.
"Basically, Mr. Grayson, I think Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a fluff piece," Rachel said without thinking.
The class gasped and Mr. Grayson was caught off guard by her answer.
"Could you explain why you think one of the most memorable stories in English Literature is a fluff piece?" Mr. Grayson glared at Rachel looking like he had been slapped in the face.
Rachel felt the eyes of her entire English class on her as she stammered for an answer.
"Ah-Ah-Ah," Rachel began. If you compare this story to Charles Dickens' other master works like A Tale of Two Cites, Great Expectations, Bleak House, or Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol just seems like a happy little detour compared to his other works." Rachel felt the blush rise in her cheeks.
"I mean it's like he has taken a departure from his other major works to write a little happily ever after short story built around the fantasy of Christmas," Rachel tried to explain.
"Miss Berry, I realized that you are Jewish and do not celebrate Christmas, but we were not discussing Christmas. We were discussing the merits of Charles Dickens'
A Christmas Carol and its place in English literature," Mr. Grayson frowned at Rachel.
Lucky the bell rang and Mr. Grayson dismissed the class and wished them all a safe and happy holiday.
Still feeling the eyes of her class upon her Rachel gathered up her things and hurried out the door on her way to the music wing of McKinley High School. She was annoyed that Mr. Grayson had embarrassed her, but her mind was still firmly focused on Plan B when she reached the choir room.
As soon as she entered the room she was annoyed even further to find her glee mates in the process of decorating the choir room and preparing for a Christmas party. Finn reached for her hand with his right had as he held a sprig of mistletoe over her head with his left hand.
"Finn, you know that mistletoe is a fungus. A parasite that lives off of a healthy tree and kissing under it is just a superstition," Rachel frowned at Finn.
"Rachel, its Christmas. What has got you in such a Bah Hum Bug mood?" Finn questioned.
"I'll tell you what has me in such a Bah Hum Bug mood. Mr. Grayson has been going on and on about how great the story A Christmas Carol is. You would thing it was the Holy Grail of English Literature or something. If that story had not been written by such a famous author as Charles Dickens in the first place, it would have been forgotten. It's all about the likelihood of people turning their lives around over night just because they have some sort of a psychic revelation with ghosts or spirits and it's tied in with the sappiness of Christmas."
"Rachel, I know you. Is that what has you in such a foul mood?" Finn asked concerned.
"You're right; it's not the story or Mr. Grayson. Neither Kurt nor I have heard from NYADA. I'm not going to be accepted, and I may have ruined it for Kurt too. The admissions board is going to take one look at my application and laugh before they throw it in the trash," Rachel sighed deeply.
"You don't know that Rachel. You have worked for this your entire life and your application shows it. Come on, lets have a little Christmas fun with the others on our last school day of 2011," Finn begged her.
"What do any of us have to be happy about," Rachel asked Finn sadly. "In six months most of us will be out of this school, and who knows what lies ahead for any of us?"
Rachel continued talking loud enough for the rest of the Glee club to over hear her. "Ohio State didn't recruit you. Kurt and Blaine, and Santana and Brittany are together, but who outside of this room is going to accept their relationships? Puck is going to be cleaning pools when he's eighty. And why are we having a Christmas party when we should be using every spare moment preparing for Regionals? It comes up in less than two months and we barely scrapped by at Sectionals. The Warblers are waiting to take us down."
Everyone in the room stopped their party preparations and just stared at Rachel. Kurt was the first to speak.
"Rachel, I haven't heard from NYADA either, but I haven't given up hope," Kurt said to Rachel.
"Why are you celebrating Christmas in the first place? Aren't you an atheist?" Rachel questioned.
"Rachel, I am celebrating the joy and hope that the season brings. I am celebrating being with my expanding family and friends. This time next year most of us will be gone, and this will be the last Christmas celebration that all of us will have together. Whether or not I get into NYADA, it's not the end of the world. There're thousands of other schools out there. NYADA isn't the only school in New York City."
"That's exactly my point," Rachel pleaded with Kurt. "We're already behind schedule. If we're going to apply to other schools then we need to start working on our Plan B. We also need to win Regionals and Nationals to boost our credits. We can't even waste one single day."
"It's not wasting time when you're with the people that you love and they love you," Kurt smiled squeezing Blaine's hand gently.
"I agree," Finn said pulling Rachel into a hug and kissing her on the head. "Come on Rachel. After this we're all going down to the homeless shelter and prepare dinner and sing Christmas songs for the homeless. You remember what it was like for Sam and his family."
Rachel felt her ire rise again. "Finn, why is it that the homeless are only remembered on Thanksgiving or Christmas? Don't you think they would like to be remembered the other 363 days of the year? To me this feels like trying to make ourselves feel better by showing some compassion to someone less fortunate than we are so we won't feel like such hypocrites for over indulging ourselves."
Finn raised his hands in defeat as Rachel continued with her word vomit. "Okay, you do what you want, but I'm going to stay and have some Christmas fun with our friends, and then I'm going to try to give some Christmas cheer to the people and children at the Lima Homeless Shelter. Do you want to come by my house later on? Mom is making Christmas cookies and Kurt and I are helping Burt string lights from the roof."
"I don't think so, Finn. Both of my dads are in Cincinnati for the week and I'm house sitting. Did you know that home break-ins increase during this time of year?"
"All the more reason why you shouldn't be alone. How about it if I come over after we're finished with the lights and keep you company," Finn said with a mischievous smile and a wink.
"If you would like to come over, I'm not stopping you. You and I do need to talk as we're approaching a new year. The year 2012 is going to bring changes for us," Rachel frowned as she went to make her excuses to Mr. Schue before she checked herself out of school for the day.
Finn was speechless as he watched Rachel disappear through the open choir room door. He hoped that it was just a bad mood that would pass, but Rachel's last comment had floored him.
Rachel checked herself out of school but not before she went by Miss Pillsbury's office and loaded her book bag with college catalogues.
New Directions had a great holiday party, but Finn's mind was somewhere else. Within an hour all of the presents for the children at the homeless shelter were wrapped and the group was ready to go.
It was approaching nine o'clock when Finn finally made his way over to Rachel's house. It was easy to spot her house. It was the only one on the block that wasn't ablaze with Christmas lights. The neighbors knew that the Berry family was Jewish and didn't expect them to decorate for a holiday that they didn't celebrate.
Finn used the hidden spare key and let himself in. He found Rachel hard at work at the dining room table. College catalogues were opened and bookmarked. Application envelopes along with audition tapes enclosed were stacked on the table by the door ready for the trip to the post office.
"Rach, it's me! Finn called out as he gazed upon Rachel's college application assembly line.
"Hi," she said never looking up from her computer.
"Are you ready to take a break? You missed a great party and I wish you could've seen the children at the shelter open their presents," Finn said bending to give Rachel a kiss on the cheek.
"Whatever," she said as she continued to hammer the computer keys.
"Rachel, what's wrong with you? You've been in a bad mood all day. Our winter break is just starting and we have two whole weeks to do nothing but spend it with each other and our friends and families."
"Well if you haven't noticed, my family isn't here, as usual," Rachel grumbled as she backspaced to correct a mistake on her computer screen.
"Rachel, turn around and talk to me. These applications can wait at least another hour. What you said earlier and your down in the dumps attitude has me worried."
"What did I say earlier?" Rachel asked looking up from her computer.
"You said that 2012 was going to bring changes for us. The last six months have been the best for us, and I don't want anything to change," Finn said sadly.
"Finn, you know that we're going to graduate in June and go our separate ways in August. When you kissed me in the library last June, you asked me what I was doing until graduation. I love you, but this relationship has to be temporary. We're making the most of our last year together," Rachel said seriously. "I'm going to New York even if it's not NYADA. Broadway is my dream. It's not your dream."
Finn was so stunned that he was speechless for a few moments. "Is that what this is?" He finally managed to say. "A temporary fling that's going to run out when you leave. You've told me over and over again that you love me. You gave your virginity to me."
"Yes Finn, I know. We still have until August. Let's not ruin the time that we have left together," Rachel said reaching for Finn.
"You already have," Finn said solemnly. "I'll leave you to your applications and your plans for a New York future."
Rachel barely noticed when Finn closed the front door behind him. She was absorbed in college catalogues and applications. She still had to search for possible songs for the upcoming Regionals competition before she went to bed.
Later that night Rachel made herself a dinner of left-over Hanukkah latkes and cold beef briquette before she headed to bed. Sleep didn't come easily as her mind was still racing with plans for the future. Sleep finally settled upon her sometime after midnight but it was a fitful sleep. She was startled from her sleep suddenly as a cold blast of air blew the comforter from her small body.
"Darn it Finn," Rachel said to herself. "I'll bet you didn't lock the front door behind you when you left."
Rachel pulled the comforter back over her bed and noticed that there was a full moon outside. Between the snow and the moonlight, it was almost as light as day outside. Turning around she was frightened to see what looked like a small child standing in her bedroom door way.
"Who are you?" Rachel demanded. "Where did you come from? Did you leave my front door open?" Rachel reached for the child but her hand seemed to pass through the misty shape.
"What are you?" Rachel screamed as she jumped back.
"I'm the Spirit of Christmas Past," the child-like figure said to her.
"How can that be, I'm Jewish. I don't celebrate Christmas!" Rachel managed to say stepping backwards toward her bed reaching for something to defend herself with.
"Everyone looks to this time of year as a time of hope and a time for second chances. You don't have to be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Atheist or any other belief to feel the yearning for new hope and new beginnings. I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to take you on a journey. A journey to your past."
"But I'm not dressed, and it's cold outside," Rachel protested.
"You don't need to be. Just take my hand and close your eyes. I'll handle the rest," the small child like figure said to her.
"I'm not so sure about closing my eyes and holding hands with a total stranger who just broke into my house. Why shouldn't I call the police?" Rachel argued.
"If I were here to harm you, I wouldn't have appeared to you as a small helpless child. I wouldn't have awakened you first. I'm only here to help you before it is too late."
"Too late for what?" Rachel asked.
"You'll see, just take my hand."
Rachel slowly grasped the extended hand and discovered it to now be solid and warm. Feeling some what reassured, Rachel held the hand tightly and closed her eyes.
The spirit of Christmas Past snapped his fingers and immediately Rachel was witnessing a scene from her childhood. She was about seven or eight, and she and her dads were at the mall.
"Daddy, please may I sit on Santa's lap? I know what I want to ask for," Rachel begged pulling her dads toward the line of waiting kids and parents.
"Rachel we've discussed this before. Santa Claus is a mythical tale that doesn't exist. That myth is also part of the Christmas tradition. We don't celebrate Christmas, and we're here at the mall to get some new tap shoes for you. Nothing more," Leroy said pulling Rachel in the direction of a shoe store.
Rachel watched as she saw a younger version of herself being pulled away from the Santa display.
The Spirit of Christmas Past snapped his fingers once again and now Rachel was seeing a young girl all alone in a room that looked a lot like her own. As the girl turned around, Rachel recognized a younger version of herself, about thirteen or fourteen years old. She was surrounded by eight animal print sweaters, eight plaid skirts, and various hair bows and new shoes. They had been her gifts from her fathers for Hanukkah.
"Why it's me!" Rachel exclaimed. "I remember when this happened. It was only four or five years ago."
"Do you remember why you have that tear in your eye?" the Sprit of Christmas Past asked.
"Yes I do," Rachel said holding back tears of her own. "My dads had left me alone again while they were out of town on business. We had a marvelous Hanukkah, but I missed them, and I didn't get what I had wished for. I had wished for my mother to come looking for me."
The Spirit of Christmas Past snapped his fingers again, and now Rachel was watching a more recent scene from her past. Rachel was running up the stairs in her home with Noah Puckerman in tow. She was angry and hurt. Santana had announced to everyone that Finn was lying to her. Santana had taken Finn's virginity. Finn was not her knight in shining armor any more, but was now one of Santana's many spoiled cast-offs. Rachel had saved her self for Finn, and she believed that he was doing the same for her, but it was a lie. To make matters worse everyone but her knew about it.
Her humiliation was only made worse when Santana bragged about Finn buying dinner for her afterwards. She didn't know that it was a quick hamburger at a drive-through. Now Rachel was dragging Finn's ex-best friend up the steps to her bedroom. She felt like she was in the depths of hell, and she wanted Finn to hurt as badly as she did. It started with a kiss, but it could have gone further. Finn had thrown away his virginity, and she could do the same thing too. Thank goodness Puck couldn't screw his childhood friend over that way again.
"What happened here?" The Spirit of Christmas Past asked already knowing the answer.
"I wanted to hurt Finn as badly as he had hurt me. I wanted to pay him back, but I only made things a hundred times worse," Rachel said with remorse. "Why are you showing me all of hurtful things from my past?"
"The Spirit of Christmas Past didn't answer her but snapped his fingers again, Now Rachel was back in her own bedroom.
"I must leave you now, but before this night is over, you'll be visited by two more spirits like myself," The Spirit of Christmas Past told her as his figure began to fade.
"Wait!" Rachel begged, "You didn't answer my question! Why are you doing this to me? Is there worse things to come? Is this like the story A Christmas Carol? Am I going to be visited by the spirits of Christmas Present and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come? Is there a Tiny Tim? Oh no! Is Artie Tiny Tim? Is Artie going to die?"
The Spirit of Christmas Past was gone and now Rachel was shivering in her night gown. She pulled her comforter around her and wondered if it was all a bad dream. Maybe it was indigestion from the cold latkes and beef briquette that she had eaten for supper. Maybe it was all of the stress from the college applications. She thought about calling Artie to see if he was alive or dead, but then thought better of it. If something had happened to Artie, the Glee phone tree would have called her by now and it was after midnight.
Holding her knees tightly to her chest in the middle of her bed, Rachel was soon overcome by sleep. She awoke later to the sound of the smoke alarm going off and a big happy looking fellow standing at the foot of her bed. He was dressed in red and fur and had a circle of smoke rounding his head from his pipe.
"Who are you, and why are you smoking in my house?" Rachel demanded angrily as she ran to shut off the smoke alarm.
"I do believe you had a visitor like myself earlier tonight who told you that I was coming. I'm the Spirit of Christmas Present," the large happy fellow laughed.
"Well kindly put out that pipe!" Rachel said as she opened the window to let the smoke out. "I don't need to know about my present. I'm living it- remember!"
"Not all of it," the Spirit of Christmas Present scolder her. "You had a chance to use your gift today to lighten the hearts of people living on the edge and you didn't use it."
"New Directions has Blaine, Kurt, Mercedes, and Santana who can all sing as well as I can. They didn't need me. They don't even like me!" Rachel fumed as she fanned the smoke out her bedroom window.
The Spirit of Christmas Present snapped his fingers and Rachel was witnessing the party that she'd chosen to skip earlier in the afternoon. Everyone was singing and wrapping presents and having a great time except for Finn. He was there, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere until Mercedes spoke to him.
"Where's Rachel? We need her on those high notes in Joy to the World," Mercedes asked.
"Yeah where's the midget? She maybe small, but no one can sing Christmas carols the way she can," Santana asked.
"Rachel is busy. Busy planning her future," Finn said with a far away look. Rachel wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she was in one time line and he was in another.
The Spirit of Christmas Present snapped his fingers again and Rachel was now witnessing a scene from the Christmas party at the homeless shelter. Everyone was there except for her. Artie was there and seemed to be in perfect health. Surely Artie wasn't going to be their Tiny Tim.
"You see all of the happy faces that your glee club made possible this afternoon?" the Spirit of Christmas Present asked. "Your beautiful voice and your loving heart would only have made it brighter, but you chose not to attend. See that young man over in the corner pretending to be happy? He's missing you and wondering if he's losing you. Finn Hudson may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I can tell you that he has a heart of gold, and he loves you with every once of it."
Once again the Spirit of Christmas Present snapped his fingers and Rachel found herself witnessing a scene in the hallways of McKinley High. She had just given Finn her list of things that she wanted for Christmas. She told him that she just wanted what she deserved. Any five things on the list would do. She then saw her present day self walk away with a big smile on her face not seeing the hurt in Finn's eyes. How was going to afford even on thing on the list? She sees Finn reach into his locker and take out his beloved letter jacket. The one that he had worked so very hard for. The one that had cost him blood, sweat, and tears to earn. She knew in her heart what he was going to do, and it made her ache with shame for her greed and self-centerness.
"Did you see the sacrifices that others are willing to make? You have been blessed with so much, but are you willing to sacrifice something precious to you for someone else? Before I go, I must tell you of one more visitor that will visit you before the sun rises," The Spirit of Christmas Present said as his image began to fade.
"Is it the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come? Is Artie going to die?" Rachel pleaded as the shadowy figure disappeared.
Totally stunned, Rachel pulled the comforter over her and waited for her next visitor. Dozing, she awoke with a start as she heard what sounded like a heavy door slamming. The sounds of footsteps stomping up the stair case could be heard. Rachel was frozen with fear as what looked like the angel of death approached her and stood at the foot of her bed. He was dressed in a black cloak with the hood pull down over his face. He wasn't a small child or a happy, jolly fellow like the two previous spirits. His fingers were long, pale and boney with yellow fingernails at the tips.
"Are you the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come?" Rachel squeaked. "Is Artie going to die? If I don't look, will it not happen?"
"Rachel tried as hard as she could to keep her eyes closed, but as the Spirit snapped his fingers, she was seeing her future. She was standing on a Broadway stage surrounded by the applause of the audience. She made her bows and kissed her cast mates on their cheeks as they and the audience soon left. With in minutes her cast, her fans, her audience was melting away like a spring snow on a warm day. Soon she was standing alone on the stage as the stage hands cut off the stage lights and the janitors began to sweep up the empty theater that was growing colder by the minute. There in the dirt and dust on the floor lay playbills from that night's performance, discarded by the audience as it left.
Rachel watched her future self as she turned to go to her dressing room. Almost all of her cast was either gone or on their way out. They had been greeted by either a spouse or a lover to take them away from this place and to the warmth of their lives beyond the theater. Rachel had no one waiting with flowers at her dressing room or at the stage door. She was at the peak of her career, but had no one to call her own.
The future Rachel had had many suitors over the years, but all of them loved her for her fame and fortune. Not a one of them had loved her for herself the way Finn Hudson had loved her.
The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come snapped his fingers again and Rachel found herself watching what looked like a twenty-eight year old Finn. Apparently he had married Quinn and they were fighting.
"If you could get yourself out of that garage maybe you wouldn't smell like grease all of the time! Maybe we would have the money I need to buy the things I want!" Quinn screamed Finn. "My mother told me not to marry you. I wish I would have listened to her."
"Well my mother begged me not to marry you too! She begged me to apply to other schools after Ohio State turned me down, but I didn't listen! I settled for working in the garage and I ending up settling for you!" Finn screamed back at her.
"Why do we always seem to end up fighting about her? She's been gone for ten years for crying out loud!" Quinn spewed back, her words dripping in venom. "I picked up the pieces when she left you for New York!"
"I wish that I had followed her to New York! I wish that I had applied to more colleges! At least she encouraged me instead of always tearing me down all the time!" Finn yelled back.
"Is that what I am? Your second choice?" Quinn asked coldly.
"I hate that I did this to you, but yes, Rachel was always my first choice. After she left, I was so broken. I love you Quinn, but not the way that I loved her. We both settled when our dreams didn't come true. You settled for me, and I settled for you," Finn said calming down.
"Finn, there was a story about Miss Rachel Berry in the Lima Times this week. She is headlining a revival of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway. Why don't we end this sham of a marriage, and made it isn't too late for you to chase her to New York," Quinn said through glistening tears.
If you're asking for a divorce, then I won't contest it. It's too late to follow Rachel to New York. She's a big deal now, and I doubt that she'd remember an old high school flame," Finn said unable to hold back his breaking heart any longer.
The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come snapped his fingers one last time and Rachel found herself once again in her upstairs bedroom clutching the comforter. She was all alone as she ran to the window to see that the sun was just coming up. Had it all been one long dream? Was Artie okay? What about her beloved Finn?
Grabbing her phone she called Artie's cell phone.
"Woman, there had better be a good reason for you to call me so early on our first morning of our winter break. It's not even six o'clock yet," Artie yawned into the phone.
"Artie are you okay?" Rachel freaked. "Are you dead?"
"Of course I'm not dead. I wouldn't be talking to you if I were," Artie yawned again. "In fact if you'd been kind enough to stay for our party yesterday I would've told you about my family's plans for Christmas. My mom and dad are taking me to Europe to look into some new research into stem cell treatments for spinal cord injuries. It's not a fix, but its hope."
"Oh Artie I'm so happy to hear the good news, but better than that, I'm glad that you're not dead!" Rachel gushed into the phone.
"I don't know what you're taking about, but please fill me in when I get back in January," Artie yawned again before he said good bye and hung up the phone.
Rachel looked at the clock and then jumped into the shower. Pulling on her newest reindeer sweater and pants, she dressed and brushed her teeth in record time. Grabbing an apple she was soon out the door and in her car on the way to Finn's house.
At seven o'clock she was frantically ringing the door bell when Burt answered the door.
"Merry Christmas to you too," Burt greeted Rachel.
"Is Finn here? I've got to talk to him," Rachel asked trying not to panic.
"Where else would he be?" Carole said as she joined the conversation at the front door. "Finn's upstairs asleep, but Burt and I were just on our way to work."
"I know that it's early, but may I please go up and speak to him? It's very important," Rachel begged.
"If you don't mind waking up a hibernating bear, then be my guest," Carole offered. "And remind him that he and Kurt have to finish the Christmas lights today."
Burt and Carole left for work as Rachel ran up the stairs and then tip toed into Finn's room. She had to stop and watch him sleep before she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.
"Please mommy, just a few more minutes. I don't want to go to school," Finn mumbled as he turned over in his bed.
His back was now to her so she took off her jacket and crawled in under the covers behind him. Rachel was kissing his neck and bare shoulder when Finn's eyes suddenly flew open. He turned over onto his back and saw a pair of giant brown eyes staring into his own.
"You're not my mommy," Finn smiled wiping the drool from his mouth.
"I had better not be. I asked Santa Claus for you for Christmas, and I'm here to collect," Rachel smiled before she kissed him deeply.
Breaking the kiss, Finn pulled away. "What's happened to you? Yesterday you were full steam ahead on your New York plans, and I was just your high school fling."
"Finn, you'll never be a fling to me."
"Well let me first run to the bathroom and then lock my door. I'll be right back," Finn smiled wickedly at her.
"I'll be right here in this warm cozy bed waiting for you. I'm never going anywhere without you Finn Hudson. We are soul mates no matter what," Rachel smiled as she plopped down into Finn's pillows admiring his Santa Claus pajama pants as he headed for the bathroom.
-/-/-/-
The End. I hope that you enjoyed my remake of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol using our friends from Glee.
Happy Holidays everyone from your friend, Whistler Nights. Your reviews would be most appreciated!