Find Yourself:

Ok here is yet another visit to this little verse I created. Let me take a sec to wave to everyone who is still here…'hi'. Right now my goal is to end this piece when it's memorial day in this verse followed by a brief epilogue which will still leave this verse wide open!

May 7th, 2010:

They were standing back stage before the curtain rose all doing their personal warm up exercises when a familiar face peeked in the room causing Tina to let out a squeal and Kristina to flash a huge smile before placing her hands on her hips.

"While we all enjoy your presence Ethan," she began, "Mr. Schuster's not going to like you here before we go on stage."

"Actually," said the teacher entering, "I don't mind at all. This performance is supposed to be fun and relaxing…" he paused looking over to the other man in the room, a smile crossing his lips, "in fact a little birdie told me you were something of a singer yourself."

Ethan let out a little laugh.

"Now would this little bird happen to have lovely purple streaks in her hair?" he asked as he looked over to Tina, a smile crossing his own lips.

Tina just blushed a bit as Ethan kissed her cheek not caring that the rest of New Directions along with Will was looking on.

"Ok guys," the young Spanish teacher finally said after observing his students interactions for a few more moments, "break a leg."

They all nodded as they made it to their places on stage dressed in the costumes that they had chosen for their opening number.

Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere

Finn's voice rang out as the first act of the performance began. From the audience Michael sat beside Alexis, Burt, Molly, and Ethan looking on in pure amazement. Sure he had seen the videos that had been sent to him from the first invitational back in February as well as from Regionals but seeing his sister sing live even if she was one of thirteen voices ringing out in an ensemble was simply breathtaking.

The song ended and he wanted to give her a standing ovation but he knew it was best to wait and do this when it was intermission.

He (and the rest of the audience) watched as twelve members headed off stage leaving just Rachel Berry to sing her solo.

While Rachel was singing, backstage the other members of the club were doing their own things either watching from the sidelines or prepping themselves for their own numbers.

Sashaying backstage with a triumphant grin Rachel flashed a smile to Tina who was prepping herself to head on stage. A part of the young girl wanted to pull off a bait and switch the moment Mr. Schu mentioned Ethan's singing however she knew that it wouldn't feel right asking him to sing a duet at a club performance no matter how low key that it was, however she did plan to sing with him later in their free time and as she belted out the West Side Story tune her eyes were glued to where he sat in the audience.

Applause filled the air soon as the final performer of the act, Puck headed on stage.

By the time he was done with 'Sweet Angel of Mine,' there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

XXX

The thirteen members of New Directions headed backstage full of their usual mid performance rush despite the fact that only three of them performed something other then their signature opening number.

They chatted back and fourth with one another for a few moments about various things before the second act began.

Mercedes killed it with her solo and as she headed back stage she couldn't help but comment again about how she was robbed from singing it at Sectionals as Mike approached and placed a kiss on her cheek.

Kissing back she commented that she wanted to watch Kurt sing his song to which Mike nodded and they took a spot on the sidelines just as Kurt was saying that although the program said it was a duet he was now doing it as a sole.

He sang 'Falling Slowly' to another round of applause.

Finn was right, it definitely came off better as a solo and as he headed backstage, like Mercedes he had received a kiss from his own 'boyfriend'

"Told you so," Finn whispered as Kristina and Artie took the stage dressed in the clothes that they had on the previous week at the formal.

Ten minutes ago, I saw you I looked up when you came through the door,

My head started reeling you gave me the feeling the room had no ceiling or floor.

Artie began to sing and from the audience Michael watched in awe as the young man in the wheelchair held out his hand for the young girl to take.

Kristina smiled while Artie began to sing his heart out on his verse.

As the song went on Michael listened to his sister join in and sing. Her voice outside the ensemble was simply angelic as she twirled around her boyfriend's chair, casually taking a seat on his lap at one point leading him to twirl the both of them across the stage.

It was like both of them were the only two people in the world and as the song ended they leaned in to a lingering kiss as the music suddenly changed and

Rachel moved onstage singing:

Do you know what's worth fighting for?
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?

Kristina moved off of Artie's lap as they segued into the final number of the evening.

By halfway through the audience was singing along and by the end of the song the gang got a standing ovation.

Will Schuster headed onstage in that moment thanking the crowd for coming before going into a mini lecture about the importance of arts in schools and ending with his hope that his kids would go all the way next year.

There was another applause as family and friends soon began to head backstage and everyone went their own separate ways.

XXX

By late Saturday afternoon Ethan had already taken his leave back to Port Charles and Michael was just about to head off as well.

"You know you could stay," Kristina said as she stood on her front lawn looking at her brother who was waiting for his cab to take him to the airport.

"She's right, Krissy tells me your good with cars, and my dad can get you a job…"

"I don't need your charity," Michael said.

"It's not charity when family is concerned, and like it or not where family now."

Kurt flashed a sweet smile in Michael's direction however the older boy shook his head.

"And that's exactly why I can't stay…Kristina has you now Kurt."

"I thought I told you Michael, that I am not replacing you with Kurt."

"I know that, it's just that I need to be back in Port Charles to be Morgan and Jocelyn's big brother and since I can't be in two places at once…"

Kristina instantly understood while Kurt commented he was up for the task at hand.

"I wish Artie were here, cause I would of liked to tell him again how lucky he is to be your boyfriend and tell him that if he screws it up he's a dead man."

"I promise I'll pass on the memo," Kurt said with a smile.

The trio talked some more before the cab came and took Michael on his way.

Once the cab flew out of site Kurt let out a sigh.

"What's wrong, do you feel that Michael tossed too much responsibility on your shoulders."

Kurt shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair.

"No, nothing like that, it's just I realized what tomorrow was."

"Sunday?" she replied absentmindedly for as smart as she was she was totally drawing a blank.

"Mothers Day," Kurt replied.

"Crap, I totally forgot…maybe if I cook mom breakfast tomorrow she'd not care that I didn't buy her a gift."

Kurt just glared at her for a moment after she made that comment however it was kind of easy for the girl to say something like that considering she had experienced eight more mothers days then he had.

"Do you mind if I help?" Kurt asked, "I mean it's been a long time since I actually had a mother to celebrate this holiday with and I'm kind of a little rusty."

She tossed a half smile in his direction. Man she felt stupid of coarse that was why he had brought the significance of tomorrow's day up.

"Of course I don't mind you helping," she said as there was a small silence and he let out a sigh.

"Man I miss her," Kurt said, a tear falling down his cheek, "there are still spots back at our old house that even eight years later her sent still lingers."

"Can I ask how it happened?"

"Cancer," he replied, "I mean we all knew her time was coming it's just I was so young I really couldn't process it until the first mothers day without her when we were making macaroni art in class for out mothers and it hit me that she was gone.

Silence.

Kristina's arm soon fell around him.

"Maybe we should go shopping for something special, and something for Sam and Quinn while we're at it."

He smiled.

Retail therapy…Kristina was definitely his sister in every way that mattered.

"I'll go grab my keys," he said with a smile.

XXX

The following morning Kristina and Kurt headed into the kitchen, dragging Molly along in the process to work on their special breakfast.

The trio were laughing and chatting along as they went so deeply that they hadn't heard footsteps entering the room.

"Something smells good," Burt said from the doorway, the Sunday paper held in his hands as he eyed his son in particular knowing what day this was.

Kurt looked at his father silently confirming that he knew what day it was and for the first time in eight years it wasn't bugging him.

"We're making breakfast for mom," Molly said in her sweet tone.

"I see that," Burt said with a smile as he let out a sigh, "though I should of told you that I kind of made reservations."

"Reservations?" his son asked.

The older man took a seat at the kitchen table flipping open the paper before looking back up.

"Yea, for brunch you know just the five of us, Sam, Dani, Quinn, Puck, Puck's mom and sister, Rachel and her dads, and Finn and his mom."

"What you didn't invite the Abrams's too?" Molly asked insulted that the Hudson's were invited and not her sister's boyfriend and his family. Meanwhile Kurt replied with.

"Sixteen people is hardly an intimate affair."

"Besides Burt, if you thought my cannoli and my eggplant parm were mouthwatering just wait till you taste my pancakes…I swear you'll want me to cook Sunday breakfast every week."

Burt just nodded, as a silence seemed to fill the air.

Finally he nodded as he stood up from the table and spoke up.

"You know kids your right…sixteen is a crowd and you've already put so much effort into all of this and…"

The trio looked at him as he smiled.

"Do you want me to start brewing the coffee."

They smiled nodding at him and they continued to work.

Some more time passed and as they were putting the finishing touches on the tray they had planed to bring into Alexis's room she entered the kitchen.

"You guys look busy."

They noticed her presence.

"Mom," Molly said, "go back in your room, this was supposed to be a surprise."

"It's alright Mol," Kristina said.

"Your sister's right..I am surprised…" she paused looking to Burt, "I thought we were going to Brunch with…"

"We still are," he said pulling her over to the side just out of the kids ear shot, "it's just this is Kurt's first mothers day since his mom died that's given him cause for celebrating and I…"

Alexis nodded.

Say no more.

She gave the older man a kiss on the cheek before turning to the young man who was hard at work freshly squeezing some Orange Juice.

"Kurt can we…"

Kurt nodded and stepped out into the hall with Alexis.

"Yes Alexis."

"I know I'll never be able to replace her Kurt but I'm honored your letting me in to be your mother figure."

She wrapped her arms around the young boy who smiled whispering to her 'Happy Mothers Day,' the first of what was sure to be many of the times he'd say that line to her that day.

Getting back into the kitchen they saw that five place settings were set at the table by now with Burt and the girls waiting their arrival.

"Kristina you weren't kidding," Burt said, "These pancakes are heaven on a plate."

The young girl blushed as they shared the perfect family moment to kick off the day.

TBC

Ok so how'd you like it. Should I of dragged Mother's Day out more in this chapter? Should I add more of this day in the next installment? And as this particular fic winds down, what characters/interactions/plotlines would you like to see more of? Also lyrics used in this part were from 'Don't Stop Believing, 10 Minutes Ago, and 21 Guns.