Disclaimer: Glee isn't mine. Just borrowing the characters.

AN: So, this was just an idea that popped into my head. I decided to explore the death of Kurt's mom a little with this story too. There will be at least one more chapter added as my friend wants one written involving Blaine too and I wanted this to just be Kurt and Finn. Hope you enjoy and feedback is always welcomed.

Finn sat alone in the living room of his new house - the bigger house that Burt had promised to find for them. The last few weeks had been hectic, what with his new family moving to this house, Kurt adjusting to Dalton, all of them adjusting to living together, settling in and just the normal pressures of school. Sectionals were behind them now, both New Directions and the Warblers wold be going on to Regionals, their belongings unpacked even if the house didn't have a lived in feel to it yet.

Flopping down on the couch, Finn picked up the remote and pointed it at the television. As the drone of some military documentary filled the room, Burt must have been the last watching it, Finn settled back against the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. If his mom, and possibly Burt too, caught him, she would throw a fit. However, Burt had taken his mom out to a movie and dinner tonight and so he and Kurt were the only two in the house.

Flipping through the channels, Finn soon found a movie that looked interesting. Setting the remote on the couch beside him, Finn settled back to watch the movie, the thunderstorm outside audible over the TV. It wasn't long before an alert sounded, and the warning of severe thunderstorms in the area was scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Reading it, Finn hoped Burt and his mom didn't get caught while driving in one of the storms.

The movie was just starting to reach its climax when a loud clap of thunder sounded, followed by the tv and lights going out, plunging the house into darkness.

"Just great," Finn muttered under his breath as he got to his feet.

Making his way slowly and awkwardly through the living room and to the kitchen, Finn started opening drawers trying to find the one that the flashlights had been put in. Searching mostly by touch, the occasional flash of lighting the only thing casting any illumination on the task, Finn finally found what he was searching for. Pulling one flashlight from the drawer, Finn turned it on. Retrieving a second flashlight from the drawer, unsure if Kurt had one upstairs with him or not, Finn made his way back out of the kitchen, through the living room, and up the steps.

Reaching the top of the steps, Finn found the hallway empty. As Kurt's room was the closest to the top of the steps, it only took a few steps for Finn to reach the partially closed door. Finn knocked on the door, even as he called out, "Hey, Kurt. I brought an extra flashlight up with me."

Finn waited for a few moments. When he didn't receive an answer, he slowly pushed the door open, half expecting to find Kurt asleep in his bed despite the early hour. Instead, a sweep with the flashlight revealed an empty room.

"Kurt," Finn called out, even as he glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the bathroom. As the bathroom door was wide open, Finn assumed his stepbrother wasn't in there.

~Where did he get to? ~ Finn silently asked himself as he took a step into the bedroom. He noticed the closet door was partway opened, and headed in that direction, the beam of the flashlight illuminating the room in front of him.

"Kurt?" Finn called again, even as he reached the door. He pushed the accordion style door all the way open.

Kurt was sitting on the floor of the closet, knees drawn up and arms wrapped around them.

"I thought you already came out of the closet," Finn joked.

Still Kurt didn't respond. Lighting flashed, followed by a rumble of thunder. When Finn saw Kurt jump at the clap of thunder, he regretted trying to make light of the situation. The storm was clearly bothering the other teen, although Finn couldn't understand why as Kurt had been fine during a thunderstorm that had occurred during a game night they'd all had while their parents had still been dating.

Coming to the conclusion that Kurt wasn't going to budge from the closet any time soon, Finn proceeded to sit down next to his new stepbrother. As he was taller than Kurt, he could feel the end of the hanging clothes hitting the back of his head and neck.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have joked like that. I was just trying to lighten the mood," Finn managed to get out, the beam from his flashlight illuminating the closest.

"It's fine," Kurt replied, in a small shaky voice, jumping again as a rumble of thunder reached their ears.

"But apparently you're not. What's wrong? I didn't think you were afraid of thunderstorms."

"I'm not," Kurt replied, his voice telling another story. "At least not of the storm itself."

Finn frowned as yet another bolt of lighting illuminated the room. He wasn't following Kurt at all. He really wasn't any good at this kind of thing. Sharing problems, except when it came to girl troubles, wasn't exactly something the guys on the football or basketball teams did. However, he was pretty sure it was something brothers did and his mom's words during the wedding ceremony had replayed in his mind quite often recently - her saying that she was proud of him for becoming a true brother to Kurt.

"Then why are you sitting in your closet?"

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "It felt safer in here somehow," Kurt replied softly though he knew he would never be able to explain why.

"But you said you weren't afraid of the storm," Finn countered. "So what are you hiding from?"

"I'm not hiding," Kurt said, jumping as another rumble of thunder sounded outside. "It's nothing. Just leave me be."

There was a time that Finn would have done just that and not thought much of it. The two of them had been through too much over the past year though for that to be an option.

"I'm not going anywhere when you're clearly upset over something," Finn told him, reaching out a hand and resting it on Kurt's back between his shoulders. The gesture resulted in Kurt turning his head in Finn's direction, the light of the flashlight revealing how pale and lost the teen was. "Come on. Talking about it might help and it can't hurt anything."

Kurt sighed. "The day my mother died there were a lot of storms in the area. Mom worked part time at the floral shop in town. I don't know if we needed the money or not, but I remember Mom always talking about how much she loved working there. On the afternoons she worked I'd stay with a babysitter for about an hour after school. That particular afternoon it turned out to be longer than the hour. I remember the Sheila calling the store a couple of times and the worried look she had on her face. She wouldn't tell me anything but I knew something was wrong. My mom had never been that late getting home."

Kurt paused a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Beside him, Finn waited patiently, no idea what to say even if he did want to speak.

"It was Dad that came in first. He didn't even give me a hug in greeting like he normally did. I just remember him bursting into the house, speaking quickly with Sheila and then leaving again. It was later that night that he finally told me that my mother had died. She had lost control of the car during the storm, and hit a tree about two blocks from making it home. I know it may sound silly but I worry about Dad not making it home every time there is a storm and he's not here. I can't even tell you why I retreat to the closet but it feels safer somehow."

"It's not silly at all," Finn replied softly. He hadn't known before how Kurt's mother had died. He wasn't sure any of their friends really knew either. Kurt rarely talked about her and no one ever questioned him about it. Just like no one really questioned him about his father. They were part of those awkward topics that kids and teenagers just tended to steer clear of.

Finn let his hand slide across Kurt's back to his other arm, and pulled his stepbrother closer to him.

"Everything is going to be fine. Their movie didn't start until nine thirty so they're probably still at the movie theater," Finn said, trying to reassure Kurt.

"You're right," Kurt said, trying to sound confident but realizing his voice sounded shaky even to his own ears.

"And the storm is letting up," Finn added, realizing that the rain had slowed and the ruble of thunder was lower.

As if spurred on by Finn's words, the electricity in the house turned back on, the room's overhead light brightening up the room. Finn could faintly hear the murmur of voices from the tv that had been left on downstairs.

"Why don't we watch a movie together while we wait for our parents to come home? I'll even let you put on one of those romantic comedies you like so much."

"Seriously?" Kurt questioned, looking at Finn in disbelief. Finn had spent a good twenty minutes making fun of his DVD collection during the moving process.

"Yeah. Wasting a couple hours of my life on a chick flick won't be too bad," Finn said withdrawing his arm from Kurt's shoulders and climbing from the closet. Turning to face the closet, he held out a hand to help Kurt to his feet. ~Especially if it can keep him distracted until Burt and mom get home, ~ Finn added silently.

Kurt took Finn's hand and let himself be helped to his feet. He retrieved his cell phone from his desk, and followed Finn downstairs. Though he wouldn't feel totally at ease until his Dad was home, sharing his worry with Finn had seemed to have lifted some of the weight from his shoulders.