Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, nor would I care to with the current writing.

Non-Kurt scenes following "Dance Alone".

Dance Me to the End of Love

Lauren Zizes

Friday – Graduation day

"Mr Hummel?"

The man – so unlike his son on the surface – turns, and gives her a piercing stare. One that would have suited his son just fine.

"Yes?"

There is hostility there, and Lauren really isn't surprised. She left Glee club, sure, but that doesn't mean she stopped keeping an eye on them. The shitfest Hummel junior found himself in during the last months of school hasn't escaped her, and neither had the way the other Gleeks had stared at the spot behind Hudson – the one that should have housed Kurt Hummel – while waiting to get their diplomas.

She'd be hostile and careful too, in his position.

"I'm Lauren Zizes, I was in Glee club with Kurt and Finn last year..."

"Yeah, I recognize you from the competitions. You didn't come back this year though."

"Ah, no. I had enough on my plate as it was, between school and wrestling." Plus, she'd only joined because Puckerman had begged so prettily, and she'd liked being needed.

With Kurt back, and his boyfriend tagging along, she had no longer been needed for numbers. Meaning, or so she had been pretty certain, she wouldn't exactly be welcomed. Add the fact that she'd no longer been dating Puckerman... Once she'd noticed where things were headed with him and Fabray – good Lord, why? – well. Lauren Zizes was not going to be another girl dumped, or cheated on, by Puckerman. Better to do the axing herself.

With the amount of reaching out the other club members had done – zero, except for Kurt – Lauren knows she made the right choice. Still stings a little, but. So many things in life does. She's a big girl. She can deal.

"But, I'm not here to talk about me. I noticed Kurt didn't show up," and just like that the man's hostility is back in full force, "and since I have something for him, I was hoping you'd agree to pass it along."

She holds out the flash drive – it's not wrapped, because why bother? – and huffs when Mr Hummel gives it a suspicious stare.

"Back in sophomore year Rachel Berry paid me to put up microphones in the choir room. She wanted, well, a lot of things. Point is, I did it, and I didn't bother to take the mics down afterwards.

"Also, I'm– sorry, I was in the AV club, and we filmed a number of the Glee club's performances. This? Contains every song, and every performance, I could get my hands on that Kurt can be identified in. Classroom assignments, assemblies, competitions... There's a copy of the Cheerios' Nationals performance as well.

"I thought Kurt might want them. Rachel Berry is running around telling everyone he didn't get accepted to college" and Mr Hummel's eyes flash with anger "and I mean, I don't know if it's true or not, but I thought maybe he could use this if he needs to reapply. Even if she's wrong, which by the way? I totally hope she is. It never hurts having a record of what you've done."

Lauren practices what she preaches. Not only does she have a copy of every article covering her wrestling career, and video of all her matches, but she has recordings of her Glee performances as well. No one else is getting that though – because she's not sharing. Not with those undeserving brats.

"That's...decent of you, especially since as far as I know you and Kurt aren't exactly friends. Which makes me more than a little suspicious, to be honest. How do I know that this is actually songs, and not a virus or something?"

Lauren bristles, because she would never– okay, yeah, she would, but not without good reason. Which there isn't in this case. And then she deflates, angry words dying on her tongue. Because there's a reason Mr Hummel's saying that. With everything McKinley, and Lima, has done to Kurt, well. A lot of people would hand over a virus, just to try and fuck shit up.

The fact that she is actually trying to do something good, doesn't change the fact that others would only try to get one more laugh on Kurt's expense. Some, she suspects, even being people Kurt has called friends.

"We might not have been friends, no, but Kurt always treated me decently . He never made fun of me for who, or how, I am. That doesn't happen nearly often enough for me to forget about it. He never laughed at me for not being able to sing like the others, or mocked me for how I look." Which, even though she knows her value, had hurt. Kurt's silence, on the other hand, had helped. The compliments he'd handed out on occasion had helped even more – because it had always been so obvious that he meant them.

If Kurt Hummel tells you a hair style, or a top, looks good on you, then it does. End of story. (Except for how it's not, because those compliments? Helps you figure out what to pick in the future, earning you more compliments.)

"You know, he thanked me for joining, so that the club could still perform after he left. No one else did that. He helped me find a dress for prom last year, and this year even though I wasn't one of the Glee girls anymore.

"He treated me with respect, and that means something to me. So yes, we weren't friends. Doesn't mean I don't respect him. Doesn't mean I don't think he deserves being treated with the same decency he showed me. This isn't much, but it's what I can do."

She holds out the flash drive again, and this time Mr Hummel takes it. Takes her hand too, and squeezes it a little, before giving her a small smile filled with respect.

"I'm glad to hear that. Sounds like the two of you have been better friends to each other than you think. I'll make sure he gets this, and that he knows who gave it to him. Thank you, Lauren."

She nods, and goes off to find her own family. On the way she passes Hudson, who's still got that hurt/pissed expression on his face. He walks straight by her, without a word or even a nod, and so she does the same.

And if there's a sneer twisting her lips for a moment? Totally deserved.

Finn Hudson has no right to look like that – to act like Kurt being gone is something done to hurt, or anger, him. From what Lauren can tell Hudson had his chance to do something, but didn't, just like when Kurt ran scared all the way to another school. Hudson acted the same then, as if Kurt should have stayed for his sake, risking his safety just so his stepbrother wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. That time it was popularity and jocks. This time it's Berry.

Well, fuck that. If Hudson worries more about what his fiancé will think than about what his brother – yeah, sure – feels? He deserves everything he'll get. Because while Berry seems happy at the moment, all lovey dovey and eager to get married, Lauren is certain she'll soon change her tune.

Soon enough being married to her high school boyfriend won't be enough for the annoying diva, and she'll end up either leaving him in the dust or stabbing him in the back. Or both, more likely.

Hudson's not nearly as stupid as he comes off as, so he should know this too – if he would only take a minute to think. Instead he's choosing to stay on Berry's leash. Lauren has no respect at all for that kind of attitude.

It is, in fact, kind of a testament to why she did what she just did, and why she didn't give the others the same "graduation gift". Kurt Hummel would never have walked past her like that. He would have stopped, asked how she was, and given her a compliment – a true one, designed to make her feel appreciated and beautiful inside out.

Just like him.

Where ever he is, she hopes he's okay. It's the least he deserves.

~ TBC ~