CHAPTER 3: Extraordinary Glee Christmas

(SEASON 3 EPISODE 9)

{ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS-SUNG BY MERCEDES JONES & NEW DIRECTIONS}

Throughout the song, Haley and Quinn sat wrapping gifts. At one point Haley went up to hang with Sam, wrapping tinsel around him and teasing him while she walked back to help Quinn with gift wrapping.

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"Hey, everybody, listen up. My man, Rory Flanagan here, wants to say a few." Finn announced.

"Thanks, Finn Hudson. So guys, my mummy was going to come visit for the holidays, but plane tickets are expensive, so it's my first Christmas without my family. I'd like to cheer myself up by dedicating this song to them...And the King." Rory said.

"Jesus?" Kurt questioned, confused, as Blaine shook his head.

{BLUE CHRISTMAS-SUNG BY RORY FLANAGAN}

"Gosh, that song was depressing. I may actually be dead right now." Santana spoke up, causing Haley and Quinn to send her pointed looks.

"I-I think, what Santana means is, although that...That was mournfully beautiful, now that the whole glee club is back together, I think that we should focus on the more joyous and the pageant aspect of this holiday season." Rachel reformulated Santana's comment.

"Rachel's right." Agreed Tina. "Last Christmas was super sad. Kurt was at another school, Coach Sylvester trashed everything, and Artie got a pair of magic legs that broke the next day. We were the island of misfit toys. This year is going to be..."

"This year, it's a whole new sprig of mistletoe." Mr. Schue interjected. Guess who's not getting coal in their stockings for once. Us. Rory have a seat. I just got off the phone with Don Borowski, the local station manager at Lima's PBS affiliate. Turns out their annual broadcast of the Yule long burning has been canceled."

"The hell?" Puck asked.

"Yeah, they can't afford the licensing fees anymore. But thank you, Scrooges who own that copyright, because Don came to Sectionals, he loved what we did and he is offering us..."

"A Christmas special featuring all of us? Okay, please say you said yes." Rachel asked.

"Not only did I say yes, but when Don said that they were looking for a director for the special, I nominated you, Artie."

"Me?"

"Yeah. He saw West Side Story, loved your work, and he wants to take a meeting."

"But I...I swore I would never sell out and do television. I'm really going to have to think about this, Mr. Schue."

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{RIVER-SUNG BY RACHEL BERRY}

After Rachel performed, everyone clapped. Although Rachel seemed extremely content and proud of her performance, Artie seemed to think the contrary.

"Rachel, could come see me?" He asked.

"Yes, Artie, of course. And if this about my ears, I know that they're a little naked right now, but that's because I'm waiting for something special. Something that's really gonna sparkle and, you know, catch the light. So what's up?" She asked.

"It's not about your ears, it's about your song. It makes me want to kill myself." Artie explained."

Haley couldn't help but giggle, making Sam watch her fondly. He then whacked her playfully, getting her to stop. In return, she whacked him back.

"I'm sorry, Joni Mitchell is not depressing, she's emotional." Rachel said.

"It doesn't fit my vision for our Christmas spectacular."

"And what is that exactly?" Sam asked.

"We begin in the Swiss Alps, in the village of Gstaad, in the perfectly-appointed living room of Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson's chic swank chalet. The tree towering and opulent. The fireplace draped in garlands. The stockings bejeweled. Kurt and Blaine, the perfect hosts have invited their friends to drop in for an evening of Noel Coward-esque banter and fun, happy, cheer filled songs." Artie explained laying the whole idea out.

"Are you telling me I'm not invited to Kurt and Blaine's for Christmas?" Asked Rachel.

"Not unless you pick a happier song. The evening's festivities conclude with Rory, dressed as the Christmas elf Ity, reciting Frosty the Snowman. Start with fun, end with fun. That's how you do it, kids."

"The Frosty story isn't fun. At the end, he melts and dies." Protested Sam.

"I'm rebooting Frosty. In my version, he doesn't melt. He...Well, new pages forthcoming."

"What's wrong with a story that's a little sad or a song that's a little depressing?" Sam asked, standing up, as Haley stood up with him. "I mean, that's part of Christmas, too, right? It's the sad things that make you remember what's really important."

"Sorry, Sam, but the phrase is Merry Christmas not morose Christmas." That's the vision. That's what you have to buy into." Artie shrugged.

"Well, sorry, Artie, I'm not buying into it. I'm gonna go downtown, see if I can ring one of those Salvation Army bells. Come on, Rory, I'll give you a ride."

"I should memorize my part, Sam." Rory responded sheepishly, as Sam sighed.

Haley took a deep breath before speaking up. "You know what? I'm going with Sam too. Plus that offer from Sue still remains open. I am going to go help out at the homeless shelter, sing them some songs and brighten their evening." She marched out right after Sam.

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"Sam wait up! I have short legs and I can't run that fast." Haley yelled after Sam, who stopped as she caught up to him.

"I decided to help out at the homeless shelter. I didn't want to participate in the Christmas special." She explained.

"I'll join you then. And maybe after we can ring some Salvation Army bells." He suggested as she nodded.

"Yes... and that reminds me, I know we said we wouldn't do gifts, but I have something for you." She said as she made a detour to her locker.

"While you were away, I wrote many original songs, and culminated them into a book." She explained handing him the songs. "And of course, if you ever want to play them, I've also included the music down. I can sing them sometime for you." She finished.

"I love it Hay, thank you." He brought her into his arms. "That reminds me, I also have two things." He pulled out a book and handed it to her. "It's a memory scrapbook and has some of our inside jokes inside." He explained.

"Oh my god, I love it so much. Thank you.." She smiled.

"And this." He said holding up mistletoe, pushing her against the locker as he leaned down to press his lips to hers.

"Honestly, you were my gift this Christmas. I'm so lucky." Haley stated as they pulled away, but still kept their foreheads touching.

"And your mine." He assured her. "Well, let's go help out at that homeless shelter now." He said, as they intertwined hands and walked towards the entrance of the school.

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"Shortstacks go sing a song, or might have to cut my ears off or commit a crime, which I really don't want to do, because it's Christmas." Coach Sylvester said to Haley.

"Why? This is not school or Cheerios." Haley frowned, as she stood by Quinn and Sam.

"I don't care shortstack, go now.." Coach Sylvester pushed her to the piano, as Quinn and Sam giggled.

"Fine. Fine." She gave in going over to the pianist, and asking if it was alright if she played. Once she was given permission, she sat down and looked at everyone in the room.

"Hey everyone, my name's Haley, and I've been asked by a very persistent woman to play a song. Would that be alright?" Everyone nodded and two kids came to sit by her as she giggled. "I take that as a yes."

{WINTER WONDERLAND & IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR-SUNG BY HALEY ALDRIN}

As she was singing, Sam watched her with a proud smile, while Quinn sent her a thumbs up. As Quinn noticed Sam glance at her, she laughed.

"What?" Quinn asked.

"Everyone's just been telling me you've been having a rough year, but you seem pretty good to me." Sam said to her.

"I'm better. Think I was just stuck focusing on everything I didn't have and none of the stuff that was good. Stuff in the future." She explained.

"I'm glad you turned it around. You deserve good things, Quinn." He smiled at her.

"I'm trying." She assured him.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah! Portion control, Bee Sting. Come on." Coach Sylvester said, grabbing the spoon from Sam. "Guess you're just not used to being on this side of the serving line."

"Seriously though, I don't think we have enough food for everybody." Haley muttered as she glanced at the line of people in front of her.

"Yeah. Economy gets bad, people give less." Coach Sylvester sighed.

Just as Haley was about to say something, the doors were pushed open. Ms. Pillsbury entered pushing Artie who had a massive pan on his lap, and the rest of the glee kids trailed behind.

"Hey! I know we're late, but we were all hoping there's still time to help. We brought the turkey from the special with all the fixings." Artie said.

"Thank god." Haley let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, it's a prop but it's real." Mr. Schue assured everyone.

"Why don't you put it on the table over there, kiddo?" Coach Sylvester smiled at Artie.

"You guys finally came around." Sam smiled, while he put his arm around Haley who also smiled.

"Well, you can thank Rory for helping us see the light." Finn said.

"I was just following my Christmas sponsor's lead." Rory said, smiling at Sam and Haley.

"Would it be weird if I made myself a plate?" Puck questioned.

"We have a song, too. We were gonna perform it as our final number for our Christmas special, but we lost the final ten minutes of airtime when the station reached a last-second agreement with those Yule log people." Artie explained.

"As long as it's not Jingle Bells. It seems it's the only song our janitor knows how to play, and I'm bleeding from the ears." Coach Sylvester said.

{DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?-SUNG BY THE NEW DIRECTIONS}

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Thoughts??

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Yes/No and Michael are coming tonight:) a little spaced out depending on how my writing time interferes with my scene study class tonight for the next 8 weeks:) I have a plan though.