Loosely (very loosely) inspired by It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol. It is Kurt-centric, but other characters appear. As always, I try to keep Darren out, but he sneaks in sometimes.
I don't own anything.
Kurt swerved to avoid the dog running across the road and felt the back of the compact rental car begin to slide on the icy pavement. "Steer into the skid, steer into the skid," he muttered to himself, gripping the wheel tightly. Almost immediately he realized that he had overcorrected, and the car was now skidding even harder in the opposite direction, but his exhaustion prevented him from reacting quickly enough to do anything about it. He cursed as the car spun out of control and into the deep snow in the ditch. He had reserved an SUV with four-wheel drive but there had been a mix up. Since the drive from the Dayton airport to Lima was only about 40 miles, he thought he would be okay with the smaller car. He was a little shaken and dizzy, but not seriously hurt. However he was stuck in deep snow in a white car, with no possibility of getting the car back on the road and little likelihood of been seen in the dark. The engine was still running so he wouldn't freeze right away but he would have to do something soon.
"This is just great," he thought, "absolutely perfect." If he had spoken aloud, there would have been sarcasm dripping from his voice. It was Christmas Eve. He and Blaine had been fighting frequently when Blaine was home at all, and it was the last straw when his husband scheduled a concert in New York on December 26th. He could still hear Blaine's voice playing in his head.
It's a benefit concert to raise money for the new shelter for homeless families. I know we didn't discuss it first, but the artist who was supposed to perform came down with the flu, and they really need the money. I had to give them an answer right away, and I just couldn't say 'no'. I know we're supposed to leave for the airport in an hour, but can't we visit Burt and Carole after Christmas instead?
It was infuriating. It was just one more example of the way that Blaine's needs took precedence over anything else. Blaine's career had taken off after college. Kurt was still stuck in the job he had taken to support them while Blaine tried to break into the music business. The agreement had been that Kurt would support Blaine for 18 months. If Blaine didn't have a recording contract at the end of that time, he would support Kurt for 18 months while Kurt pursued his dream of Broadway stardom. In a case of right-place-right-time, a music producer heard Blaine perform one of his original songs at a wedding. Three months later, Comfortable was a number one hit and Blaine Anderson (Anderson-Hummel was deemed too complicated) was a household name. Blaine performed to sold-out audiences across the country, and Kurt was always in the front row, at least at first. Now, when they should have been a year into Kurt's turn, Kurt rarely attended a concert unless it was in New York, refusing to accompany Blaine on the road because missing work so frequently would jeopardize Kurt's job. Somehow Kurt's Broadway dreams had gotten lost along the way and he found himself alone more and more often.
Rachel, on the other hand, had taken Broadway by storm, at least to hear her tell the story. Although she didn't get accepted to NYADA (they frowned on election fraud), she had gotten in to the Steinhardt School's Vocal Performance program at NYU. From there it was just a hop, skip and a jump from small off-Broadway roles to more prominent roles on the Great White Way. She hadn't received top billing yet, but it was only a matter of time.
Time was the one thing she didn't have for Kurt any more. At first they were best friends. He gave her advice on auditions, listened when she complained, and supported her emotionally. They would shop together, looking for vintage items she could afford. He would style her outfits for the numerous events she attended in an effort to see and be seen and make connections. She had even worn a few gowns that were his original creations. Now, however, she had a professional stylist and only wore clothes from top designers. He hadn't spoken to her in weeks. He didn't reply to her texts, or even read them, and let her calls go to voice mail, deleting them without playing them back. He was tired of hearing her brag about her success, who she had lunched with, the events she was attending.
Burt and Carole were busy with Burt's political career. Burt had taken his seat in the Ohio Senate in early 2012. Four years later, he had been reelected to his second term. Because of the two-term limit, he and Carole would be returning home soon unless Carole decided to run for the seat Burt would vacate. Burt had secured funding for school arts programs and been instrumental in advancing gay rights in Ohio. He had strong grass roots support, and it was likely that Carole could pick up where he left off. They were leaving two days after Christmas on a fact-finding tour for something or other (Kurt hadn't really listened to the details) so if Kurt wanted to see them, he would have to stick to the original schedule. He didn't bother reminding Blaine of all this – if Blaine had really cared, he would have remembered on his own.
"I'm going to Lima, Blaine, with you or without you. I'm not changing my plans," he stated flatly, leaving no room for discussion, hiding the hurt and frustration behind an angry mask.
The airport was crowded, the flight had been turbulent, the car rental clerk had been unpleasant, and Kurt had a pounding headache. It had just been one aggravation after another, and now he was stuck in a ditch half way between Lima and Dayton. He reached for his phone to call a tow truck.