Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 20th cycle. Now cycle 21! (I realized I didn't fix this line throughout the whole of cycle 20! *smacks forehead*)

So as I did it last year (days 52 through 63), I wanted to do something Christmas-y, but not overly so. Last year I used the song of "The Twelve Days of Christmas", and this year I used... Santa's Reindeers! So the stories in and of themselves aren't Christmas-themed, just the title that inspired them is ;) You'll see :)

"Dancer"
Mike (& New Directions, Mike/Tina)

He had been made alive by them… He'd always loved to dance; that wasn't even something he had to think about, except… for the longest time it was just him and this thing he loved, locked up in his room. He hadn't let it out for so long, but now he had, and it was all over his world – the waking one and even beyond…

His dreams had never been anything special, nothing to remember. But now they had changed, little by little. It had started simply enough… There'd be someone dancing in the background… then it had become that the 'background' was traded in for the foreground, with one little dancer, looking exactly like his younger brother Joey, who would follow him on whatever activity his dream featured… dancing, always dancing. As time went on, Joey's presence seemed to have influence; others in his dreams would start dancing, too. He knew he had to be dreaming when one time Finn showed up, tapping like a pro… that would never be reality. And soon it wasn't just a moment here and there: his whole dream was like one big musical dance sequence. On a good day, it usually went something like this…

Mike would step out into the world, Joey at his side, and they would take a light tapping pass toward the bus stop… what else, on a sunny day? The bus ride would always be the real kick off… part on wheels! Mild-mannered businessmen and women who would usually sit there, reading a book or newspaper, would suddenly be ringleaders in making sure everyone joined in, whether they were sitting or standing. Mike and Joey would climb on, and everyone would welcome them. And then there was McKinley High…

There was always music in the air, always changing with the times, and here it was… well, mixed. For the most part it would be as any day was… background dancers. But then there were some breakout acts.

With a dramatic flourish, Coach Sylvester would come strutting down the hall, flanked by her Cheerios who were as cool and collected as she was, somewhere between Madonna and 'All That Jazz.' The seas of other students would part, never to come in contact with any of them… well, they wouldn't. But Mike and Joey, they'd share a look, a nod, and they would change the beat, liberating the poor Cheerios. Mike would lead Brittany away, by the hand, while Joey would wave his arm for Santana and Quinn to follow.

The five of them would explode in dance until they reached the gym, and another company piece…

His fellow Titans were oddly enough still dedicated to their one experience in dance, 'putting a ring on it' with Single Ladies. If that wasn't enough, there they were, not in their uniforms but in the all too famous costume. If there was even more to scar his mind, there was Beiste, front and center. Once again, there were some looks shared by the five of them watching, and a moment later the girls moved forward. Their Cheerios uniforms had turned into the Beyonce costumes and, like the Pied Piper, they lured out the tranced players. Their group of five was joined by Finn, Puck, Sam, and Artie – here on his feet. In the blink of an eye everyone had regained their regular clothes, joining their big dance, back down the hall.

Now it was clear, the eight of them –and Joey – were seeking their fellow Glee Club members. With another costume change, they were in their color-coordinated outfits – this time in violet and black – looking for four more like-minded dancers… following their very own choreography, breaking from the pack, from the background.

Going down these halls of McKinley, which for some reason were not in the right order, they still found their way, and soon they also found their missing members.

There was Rachel on the left, joining the pack at Finn's side. There was Kurt, always, even when he'd leave them for the Warblers – he was still one of them. There was Mercedes, sliding in right alongside Kurt. And last but not least… There was Tina, like an angel. He'd reach out his hand, she'd give him his, and off they'd go.

The walls of the halls would fade away and they'd be on the auditorium stage. And there… New Directions went to town. There were no classes in his dreams; his waking mind was always on this stage anyway…

And just as his dream self would hoof it back home after a satisfying day, he would awaken, happy, rested, and ready to go. This was his world, so much better than before, and he wasn't going to let it go… No matter what went on around him, he had one place to be worry-free, joyful… Gleeful… The fantasy of it was proof enough. Maybe it was silly, but that was how he liked it. This was the kind of life he wanted to live… one where he listened to his heart.

THE END

A/N: OH! Almost forgot! Currently planning the Valentine's cycle and, for no reason I can reveal at the moment,
I need to gather up some great love songs, so if you have suggestions, let me hear 'em! :D

A/N: This is a one-shot ficlet, which means that signing up for story alert will not bring you any alerts.
In the event of a sequel, the story will be separate from this one. And as chapter stories go, they are
always clearly indicated as such [ex: "Days 204-210" in the summary] Thank you!