Notes: Like the other bits and pieces in this 'verse, this snippet stands alone. The Papa Bear stories are not in chronological order. There may or may not be more stand-alones in this weird bear!Burt universe...

I was actually going to wait another day to publish this chapter, but apparently actually receiving reviews is some powerful motivation. Thanks especially to LexTempus!

Summary: A trip to the supermarket comes with fond memories, and may make some new ones.

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Check out lanes were not made with a bear's proportions in mind. Nor were the entrances or exits. It was also close to impossible for a bear to reach the top shelf, which was fine until you wanted the high-end crackers or the last box of cereal. Naturally, nobody ever thought to help a bear either – shop attendants who would normally spend their time hovering in the background were sometimes conspicuously absent whenever Burt Hummel happened to be in their store.

With all of that in mind it didn't take Carole long to realize why grocery shopping in the Hummel household was classed as a family activity, and why Burt never went to the store without Kurt tagging along (and not just to make sure he didn't buy nothing but artery-clogging, high cholesterol foods). Outings were arranged carefully between their two conflicting schedules, slotted in between Burt's work at the auto shop and Kurt's after-school activities. It was only when Kurt called home one 'shopping day' to say that rehearsals for Sectionals were going to keep him until after eight that Carole realized just how much of a big deal it must be for a bear to go grocery shopping on his own.

"Burt, I'll go with you," she told him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. She could tell, without needing to look at his face, that Burt was thinking about skipping grocery shopping altogether.

'It'll keep until tomorrow.'

Carole knew him well enough now to know that tone. That was his 'avoiding life's difficulties through stoic machismo' tone. It came through even over the natural growl of Bearglish. "Don't be silly," Carole replied. "If we leave it up to you we'll be eating hotdogs into next week."

'There is nothing wrong,' Burt stated, raising one shaggy eyebrow and turning his unusual blue eyes in her direction, 'with eating hotdogs for a week.'

"I'm sure Kurt would disagree, and make our lives miserable in the meantime." Carole patted his shoulder and pointedly picked up her purse. "Now. Are we taking your car or mine?"

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The passenger seat of Burt's converted blue 4WD was surprisingly comfortable, and quite roomy when you considered the extent of the modifications that had been made in order to allow the bear to drive without difficulty. Burt's warm, shaggy fur brushed against her arm, and Carole needed to keep her purse in her lap rather than putting it on the seat between them, but aside from that there was plenty of room.

She was only a little surprised when, after getting out of the car, Burt rose to his hind legs to walk towards the supermarket. He towered over her like this, almost seven feet tall, but Carole never felt intimidated. She knew that Burt was secretly nothing less than a teddybear.

"We need eggs," Carole said as they walked through the automatic doors and into the air-conditioned building, consulting her list. "And Kurt has requested fresh asparagus. After that it's just the usual, bread, milk, fruit, salmon, sausages, tuna steaks, and trout... Should I get the cart?"

'I got it,' Burt told her. Somehow he managed to wrangle a shopping cart from the mess of them out front without too much trouble, and seemed quite at ease walking with it. She supposed it provided extra support, something to lean against.

Carole patted his back, smiled at him, and led the way to the produce section.

She was used to the looks by now. They rolled off her like water from a duck's back. She hardly noticed the few busybodies who made it their business to stare at the inter-racial couple – an oddity in a town like Lima where, even though minorities were accepted, it was practically unheard of for a couple to be of mixed origins.

Personally Carole thought that led to nothing but a very boring town with a very boring outlook in life. If she'd dismissed Burt based entirely on his race she never would have found love again. So if they wanted to stare, let them. Carole would just go on with her life, happy, and enjoying the chance to do shopping with her partner and not on her own.

"Oranges or bananas?" Carole asked, surveying the fruit section with an eye for the nutritional needs of two growing boys. (Mind you, if Finn kept growing he'd wind up with his head brushing the ceiling.) She turned to look at Burt and gauge his opinion, but frowned when she saw the look on his face. She knew what that look meant. "Honey, are you ok?"

'I'm fine,' Burt insisted. 'Lets just get this done and get out of here.'

Carole put her hands on her hips. "No," she said, silently cursing her predilection for falling for stubborn men. "You and I are going to take our sweet time shopping for groceries or so help me I will sentence you to a week on the couch."

Burt harrumphed.

Carole had him right where she wanted him. It was time to break out the big guns. "Now either you're going to tell me what's rubbing your fur the wrong way or I will make this shopping trip as long and painful as humanly possible."

'It's just,' Burt began, speaking to the empty shopping cart, 'I haven't done the grocery shopping with a woman since Kate and it's... bringing back memories.'

"Fond memories?" Carole asked gently, sure that they were.

She knew she was right when Burt smiled. She could hear the fondness even through the natural gruffness of his voice; 'I ever tell you how Kate used to kick up a fuss like nobody's business if she caught anyone staring? Especially after Kurt was born. She used to say that if people were going to stare anyway then she ought to give them something to stare at.'

"She sounds like an extraordinary woman."

'Kurt's just like her.'

Carole smiled. She leaned over and kissed Burt's cheek, and covered his paw with her hand.

'You know,' Burt said after a moment, 'you're an extraordinary woman too, Carole. Oranges,' he added, nodding towards the orange fruit. 'They're sweeter.'

Carole didn't say it, but she couldn't help thinking it. Burt was sweeter than oranges. Much sweeter.