Life Unexpected – Chapter 1

Kurt pushed open the door to his apartment, both of his arms loaded down with groceries. He called out, "Rachel! A little help would be greatly appreciated!"

Rachel Berry was a Junior with Kurt at NYADA. They met their freshman year at the co-ed dorms and bonded over their elaborate moisturizing rituals and became fast friends. The summer before their sophomore years, they both took a job as a singing waitress at a little café close to the apartment they now live in together. The two started out with the bare minimum but over time they turned the tiny place into something they liked to call home.

Last year for Christmas, Rachel stayed behind in New York with her two dads for the holidays while Kurt returned to Lima, Ohio where he was from to spend it with his father, step mother Carole, and step brother, Finn. This year though, Rachel's dads were going on a cruise and when she refused to go to Ohio with Kurt, he called his parents and they were beyond excited to travel up to New York for the holiday. Rachel had met both of Kurt's parents, but hadn't once met his step brother in all of the 3 years she had known him. From what Kurt told her, Finn attended college at Ohio State and was busy helping co-teach the local Glee club at the high school he and Kurt graduated from.

"Calm down. Here, let me take those." Rachel said, removing half of the bags from his arms. "Jesus, Kurt. You bought enough food for twelve people. Did you invite the entire apartment complex to dinner?" She joked.

"My mom called to tell me that my brother is bringing his new girlfriend up with him, so I wanted to make sure we had enough. And you have not met my brother….he can eat us out of house and home. He's like 6 foot 537inches tall." Kurt said exaggerating and causing Rachel to laugh.

"Well, then I think you might have to make another trip." She said with a wink. "What time with they all be here?"

Kurt sat some bags on the table as he began to put the veggies into the refrigerator and Rachel did the same with other bags. "My parents will be here around 7:30 tonight, but Finn and 'Quinn" will be here tomorrow morning, early."

Rachel raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Why did you say his girlfriends name that way?" She was curious now.

Kurt rolled his eyes, "It's a long story." He tried to deflect the entire 'Quinn' topic.

"Well, we have a lot of cooking to do, so you have plenty of time to tell me allllll about it."

"Fine. But YOU are peeling the potatoes." He said, tossing the potato peeler at her and she saluted as if she were a private in the army taking orders from her General.

"Quinn, look… I know you want us to stay here with your family, but after my dads heart attack last year—"

"He's your step dad Finn. And this is our first Christmas together and my sister and her kids are coming. My parents want us all together." Quinn whined.

"We can be back the day after Christmas or I can go and we can just see each other when I get—"

"No way. I'll go with you. But we have to be back early afterwards, ok?" She stepped towards him, pulling on his shirt.

"Ok." Finn said and then he kissed her on the cheek before walking out of her apartment to go home and pack.

Finn pulled up at his apartment and walked inside. He tossed his keys on the counter and pulled open the refrigerator, grabbing a beer out and quickly taking a long drink. He was excited about going to New York to visit his brother. He felt guilty for not going to see him sooner, but his classes at OS kept him busy. Football was very time consuming, not to mention the extra workouts and helping Mr. Schue with Glee club. Sometimes he felt like there just weren't enough hours in a day.

The front door swung open and then quickly slammed shut, causing him to spin around to find his roommate and long time best friend, Noah 'Puck' Puckerman. "Sup bro. Where's your chick? I thought you two had some type of surgery to make you attached at the hip." He said, dropping his gym bag down on the floor before sitting at the bar, nodding towards the fridge so Finn would hand him a beer as well.

"Shove it dude. Quinn and I aren't together that much. And she's at her house." Finn said, trying to pretend that he too didn't notice how much time he spent with his girlfriend now.

"She has one of those? I was sort of getting excited thinking rent was fixing to get cheaper split 3 ways." Puck said and Finn's eyes went wide.

"Whoa. Don't even start mentioning that. We are nowhere near ready for that type of commitment. We have only been dating for 4 months." Finn said defensively. The thought of living together made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

"Well maybe YOU aren't ready for that, but I guarantee Quinn has other plans. Just look at how much of her girly shit has taken over our apartment. Do these belong to you?" He asked, holding up pair of high heels that were near his bag on the floor. "Because they sure aren't my size. Or my color."

Finn just threw his beer cap at him before walking into his bedroom and shutting the door. He pulled his suitcase out and started to pack a few things he would need for the trip. He was excited about this trip, but at the same time he knew that in high school Kurt and Quinn weren't exactly friends. Sure we were all in glee club together, but Quinn wasn't exactly 'nice' to Kurt. He only hoped that after 3 years, the two of them could put the past behind them and try to be on a common ground. Just before he was closing up his suitcase he remember to grab his brothers present from his dresser and placed it in on top before zipping it up. He sat the bag by his bedroom door and then went to shower. It was already later than he had hoped to be getting to bed and his flight was leaving at almost 4am. He was thankful that he managed to get a non stop flight at such an early time so he could get there and have the entire Christmas eve with his family, but that meant he needed to go to bed before 9pm and that was SO not like him.

He sent one last 'goodnight' text to Quinn and then climbed into bed and dozed off rather quickly.

"She sounds….interesting…but that was 3 years ago Kurt. Maybe she has grown up. I mean, you can hope at least." Rachel said after Kurt finished telling her all about the infamous Quinn Fabray. "I mean you said your brother is a really stand up guy, and if he is dating her, then he must see something in her that is good, right?"

"I have no idea what THAT could be, but I'll try to keep an open mind. And what about Broady? Will he be able to join us tomorrow after all?" Kurt asked wiggling his eyebrows at the mention of Rachel's newest love interest.

"I have no idea. We aren't officially an item, so I can't expect him to spend his Christmas with me." Rachel said trying to seem as if it really wasn't a big deal.

"Oh come on. Rachel Berry, I know you better than anyone else on this earth, and I have seen the way you look at him and the way he drools over you. You are SO an item. So call him already and ask him if he wants to come! I insist!"

Rachel smiled shyly. She did really like Broady, and he seemed to like her too. She just didn't like the idea of rejection. And the thought of inviting him to Christmas and him turning her down terrified her. "I don't know, maybe if I- KURT HUMMEL WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY PHONE!" Rachel yelled as she saw Kurt texting away on her iPhone.

"I'm inviting him. As you, of course. There…sent!" He said pumping his fists in victory.

Rachel rounded the table in an attempt to snag her phone back but it chimed in Kurt's hands and she froze. Knowing that it was inevitably the answer she was terrified of getting. Kurt saw the panic look on her face and decided to read it for her.

Instead of answering, he walked past her towards the cabinet, Rachel's mouth wide open in confusion. "Well? Oh my God Kurt, what did he say?"

Kurt pulled down another set of dishes and said, "Set another place, because Mr. Broady Weston will be in attendance tomorrow as well." He beamed his smile as Rachel jumped into his arms.

"Have I ever told you that you are the best friend a girl could ask for?" She said kissing his cheek and looking at her phone in shock.

"Yeah, I've heard it a time or two, but never get tired of hearing it."

"Oh my God. I have to pick out something to wear! I can't wear what I was planning on wearing now that he's coming!" Rachel ran towards her bedroom and Kurt shook his head. He knew that the rest of the cooking would be left to him. He didn't mind though, knowing that he was going to have all the people that mattered to him in the same room for his favorite holiday and that was enough for him. He only wished that Quinn Fabray wasn't on that list but for his brother's sake…he was going to try to give her a chance. Who knew…maybe after these years past, Quinn may have found a way to defrost the ice that once surrounded her heart.

The rest of the evening was spent visiting with Kurt's parents after their later than expected arrival and Rachel laughed as they told stories of her best friend and his brother when they were in school. It was hard for Rachel to picture the Kurt from their stories, as she had only know NY Kurt, but she knew that everything he went through in high school had made him into the great guy he was today.

"So son, how are things going on the dating front?" Burt Hummel asked his son and Rachel almost choked on her wine when she saw the look of panic on her friends face.

"Uh, dad? We don't have to talk about my love life. OR should I say lack there of." Kurt tried to dodge the conversation but Rachel stepped in, just as he had with Broady.

"Oh come on Kurt. Tell them!" She pushed and if looks could kill, she would be dead from the glare she was receiving.

"There's nothing to—"

"Don't even try. His name is Blaine. Blaine Anderson." Rachel began, but Kurt quickly threw a couch pillow at her and his parents laughed at the pair.

"Kurt, honey." Carole began. "You can tell us. If you are seeing someone we would love to meet him. Knowing you are happy the way Finn is makes a mothers heart swell."

Kurt rolled his eyes at his mothers words but knew she was right and also knew that there was no point in trying to avoid this conversation. If his parents and Rachel didn't get it out of him, his brother most definitely would.

"Ok, ok. I am seeing someone. But it's NEW, so there will definitely not be any meeting him on this trip. I don't want to push things. We are still in the beginning stages and he's someone I would love to hold on to if possible and no offence mom…dad… but you guys could scare away anyone."

"Kurt how could you think we would embarrass you? Are you ashamed of us?" His father asked, but the slight smirk on his face let Rachel know that this was normal behavior between the parents and their son.

"Need I remind you of my prom? My SENIOR prom where my parents decided to sign up as chaperones?"

At this, Rachel couldn't hold back her laugh. "You chaperoned his senior prom?" She asked towards Carole and Burt who smiled and nodded.

"Yes! And they even insisted on taking a photo with Finn and I. It was horrifying." Kurt added, taking a long gulp of his wine.

Kurt's phone began to ring from the kitchen counter and he jumped up, knowing who it was that was calling.

"Hang on guys, I need to take that." He said before walking into the kitchen, leaving Carole and Burt to talk.

"Thank you for having us Rachel. I know it's not ideal to have a house full of people when you are used to it being just the two of you." Carole said, patting Rachel's knee next to her.

"Oh no. It's great having you guys here. It makes Kurt extremely happy and I love having a house full of people. I come from a very small family, just my two fathers and myself, so I never had that. And…it's nice. You both are welcome here anytime. Any family of Kurt's is family to me." She said with a genuine smile and Carole had already begun to fall in love with her.

"Well likewise. Kurt has told us so much about you over these past few years and even though we have met before, each time is a joy. We don't worry about Kurt nearly as much as we did when he first moved out here since we know he has you. I know he get's homesick sometimes, he calls me late at night and tells me. It breaks my heart… but when I try to get him to come home for a visit he reminds me that this is his home now…you are this place are his home."

Rachel smiled and before she could respond Kurt reappeared into the living room after hanging up with whom she knew was Blaine.

"Well we better head off to bed, Finn's flight will be here early tomorrow and I was wanting to take mom to this little bakery around the corner because they have THE BEST bagels in New York and I know how much you love bagels." Kurt said with a smile.

"I am rather sleepy. The trip always takes it out of me. And we have done so much traveling with your fathers new job that my body never knows what time zone I am in anymore. You two have a good night." Carole said as she and Burt hugged both Rachel and Kurt before disappearing into the guest bedroom.

"Your parents are great Kurt. You're so lucky to have them." Rachel said with a weak smile.

"What's wrong Rach?" He asked, not missing the look of sadness in her eyes.

"I just wish my dads were here. I mean I know Christmas isn't a holiday to us, but it still would be nice to have them here, you know?"

Kurt moved to sit next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"I know love. I know. But you're just as much a part of this family as I am, so no matter what your Christmas will be spent with your FAMILY." He winked at her and they shared a smile before sitting back, staring into the fireplace in silence.

The next morning Kurt came out of his bedroom to find Rachel, Burt and Carole all sitting around the table, cups of coffee in each of their hands.

"Good morning son." Burt said, but noticed the look of unease on his sons face. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"Ok, so Finn's going to be late." Kurt began to explain but was quickly cut off by his father.

"What? He specifically told me he was taking the 4am flight so he would be here early enough to spend the entire day with us since he has to leave to early the following morning for Quinn's family." Burt said, clearly confused.

"Well something happened this morning and it caused him to miss his flight, and the only other one available on such short notice is putting him here at 5pm. So I for one think we should push our Christmas lunch to a Christmas dinner. I can't imagine doing this without Finn."

"Of course we will wait for him honey. Did he say what happened? Is he alright?" Carole asked, worried about her son. Finn was always on time…hell he was always early. So she knew that something major had to have happened to keep him from making his original flight.

Kurt poured himself a cup of coffee before joining the trio at the table. "He asked me no to say, but you guys will figure it out when he shows up without Quinn…." He began but this time it was Carole who interrupted him.

"What do you mean without Quinn? She isn't coming? What? Why?" Carole asked and Kurt cocked his head to the side in amusement. He was getting the vibe that his step mother was…. Was she…happy? Happy that Quinn wouldn't be coming?

"She decided last minute that she and Finn would be spending Christmas with her family instead of coming and expected Finn to just go along with it as if he never had plans and well…it blew up in her face. He told her to stay there and enjoy her family and he would do the same with us." Kurt said, a smile beaming on his face.

"Kurt, don't look so happy. I'm sure your brother is very upset about this." Burt said.

"Oh don't play this game dad. We all know that none of us want Finn to be with someone as evil as Quinn Fabray. I don't care how much she or Finn say she has changed, I know better. Her evil runs deep, and it doesn't disappear over night."

"Well whatever happened in high school, lets try to leave in high school. For your brothers sake. Ok?" Burt said seriously and Kurt knew that this is where he had to leave it. He couldn't keep voicing his distaste for the blonde that tormented him throughout high school. His parents were right. But he knew that Quinn and Finn were not meant to be and after hearing the way his brother sounded this morning, he was pretty sure that relationship was over with. At least, for his brothers sake, he hoped so.