It was the morning after Kurt had suddenly found himself with a horse. Dr Berry and Rachel had turned up incredibly quickly after Kurt had called. The horse was unconscious when they got there and for a while, Dr Berry was worried he wouldn’t make it through but after much coaxing and soothing words from Kurt, the horse finally had opened his eyes.

It took them a while as the horse had a terrible limp but the three of them got the horse back to the yard and Kurt put him in a spare stable and stayed with him all night. He had called Burt to let him know he was safe and to come to the yard as soon as he could in the morning.

“Owww” Kurt said, rubbing his neck as he sat up from where he had been sleeping on the stable floor with the horse. His companion for the night however, was standing up looking a lot perkier. The horse was eying Kurt with curiosity and wariness. “Morning” Kurt said as he went to pat the horse who began shying away from him immediately. Kurt sighed again, he was determined to get this horse to trust him and soon.

Kurt walked out of the stable, shutting the door behind him. Dr Berry and Rachel had stayed in the barn overnight and had made makeshift beds for themselves. “Kurt?” Rachel said sleepily, hearing him walk in. “Hi” Kurt replied yawning. “How’s he doing?” “He’s awake and looking happier but he’s still frightened to death of me” Dr Berry had woken up by this point and said “Kurt, you know this place better than me, you make the horse some food, he’s gonna be hungry and by looking at him, he’s already very malnourished and after he’s eaten, I can take a better look at him” Kurt nodded and headed in the direction of the food sacks at the back of the barn. Rachel followed him.

Kurt picked up a bucket and shovelled a few handfuls of chaff into it. Rachel passed over a sachet of multi-vitamin powder and chopped up an apple for the horse. Kurt smiled gratefully at her before grabbing her hand and they set off in the direction of the stable.

The minute, the bucket was on the floor, the horse’s head was buried deep in it – the food had gone in about a minute. “Whoa, boy, slow down, you’re going to give yourself a stomach upset if you eat that fast” Kurt said laughing.

The horse looked expectedly at him and something inside Kurt triggered a faint memory of Socks. Kurt took a step back and properly looked at the horse. His black hair was matted and muddy, his back leg had an ugly red gash on it, his mane was scraggly but his front right foot had a perfect white sock just above his hoof. The other feet were caked in mud. No…it can’t be him, Kurt thought to himself. “Rachel, can you get me a bucket of water and sponge from outside please?” She nodded and returned a few minutes later.

Kurt took the sponge, wet it and walked slowly towards the horse who was backing further into the stable. “Shush boy, I’m not going to hurt you, I promise, I just want to make you feel better” Kurt said in a calm voice. “Kurt, be careful” he could hear Rachel say faintly but all he was concentrating on was keeping the horse calm.

Eventually, the horse stopped panicking and allowed Kurt close to him. Kurt could feel the heavy breathing of the horse and never took his eyes off him before crouching down and placing the sponge to the horse’s front left foot. The mud was still a bit damp from the rain from the night before and thankfully, it came off quickly revealing perfect white hair. Kurt gasped and moved onto the other feet cleaning them as fast as he could.

“No, you can’t be him…Socks?” Kurt said quietly. The horse, hearing this name, pricked his ears forward and he looked at Kurt, the expression in his brown eyes turning from fear to one of familiarity. “It is you!” Kurt said happily. “Rachel, it’s him, it’s Socks!”
Hearing the name once again, Socks began to move towards Kurt seeing his former best friend again, had made Socks forget all that happened to him momentarily. He nudged Kurt’s arm just like he had done, minutes after he was born and Kurt patted the horse’s neck, a huge grin spreading across his face. Rachel smiled at the pair and slowly backed away from the scene wanting the two to find each other again.

Kurt knew it would still take a while for Socks to fully get over the abuse that had happened to him but he was back in safe hands now and Kurt would never let him go again.

“KURT!” came a cry from the barn. “Julie?” Kurt replied, not wanting to leave Socks.
“GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, HUMMEL!”
I’m guessing she realised we have a new inhabitant, Kurt thought to himself. Sighing, he patted Socks on the neck one more time before sheepishly walking outside.

“Morning, Julie” he said to the yard manager. “What do you think you are doing? Bringing back injured horses in the dead of night? We barely have enough money to keep the horses we have got, let alone one’s who are uninsured and injured!” Julie shouted at him.
“What did you want me to do Julie? Leave him? With those people?” Kurt answered back snappily. “He’s a horse I knew, when I was younger, I refuse to let him stay anywhere but here.”
Julie’s face relaxed slightly, she knew what a caring boy Kurt was, the horses loved him and he loved the horse’s, she wouldn’t find a better stable hand. “Look, Kurt, I would rather him be here too with you looking after him but we can’t afford it, the yard is barely surviving as it is” Kurt had known for a while that the yard wasn’t doing so well with money.

“I will pay for him, I bought him, and he’s mine now. I promise Julie” Kurt said with a confident smile although he knew his dad wouldn’t be so pleased. Julie finally let her face fall into a smile.

“You’re a good boy Kurt, Fine! Fine! Keep him!” Kurt ran to the woman and flung his arms round her

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will even work overtime and I won’t moan or anything!” Julie laughed and hugged Kurt back. “You look after him Kurt, you get me my yard back” she added with a sad smile.

Kurt kissed her on the cheek before running back to be with Socks. “Oh and Kurt, there’s a new groom arriving today to replace Harry, make sure you look after him, His name is Blaine!” Julie shouted after him.

Dr Berry told Kurt that Socks had a fractured rib, a few cuts and bruises all over his body and the one gash on his back leg but he should make a full physical recovery, mentally however, was a different story. “You’re the only one he will even begin to trust Kurt” Dr Berry informed him. “You’re gonna have to spend an awful lot of time with him to help him” Kurt had no problem with this – he couldn’t wait to build up the relationship he and Socks once had.

Kurt had been sat in the stable with Socks for at least three hours, just talking to him, comforting him.

“Erm, Hello?” Kurt heard a man’s voice call from outside. It must be the new groom, Kurt thought walking out the stable into the barn again.

“Hello?” Kurt called out.

He guessed the new guy was stood outside the barn as there was no-one but the horses left in their stables inside. Kurt opened the door to the barn, just as Muffin, the yard cat decided to dart back inside causing Kurt to trip and fall right into the arms of the most gorgeous man he had ever laid eyes upon.