HELLO! Thank you SO much to all those who have alerted/favourited/reviewed this story! I am so sorry that this chapter has taken so long to get up but it is here!

I now have a beta and an artist for the story! Huge thanks to my beta Jay for coping with my mad writing. My artist Julia has to produce three pieces based on this story and I will give you the link when we get the first piece done!

Anyway, we are now back on track, we find ourselves in the midst of the craziness of Dalton Academy! The official face cast list for this story is on my profile, so check it out!

Enjoy reading!


Chapter 1


The wrought iron gates loomed over the ground, imposing and intimidating, and therefore serving their purpose. The several shadowy figures that could be seen behind gates made the high walls seem like more of a prison than a school. The boys, decked in blue and red blazers, moved with ease, not bothered by the security that surrounded them. Cameras watched every movement in the perimeter of Dalton Academy. The school was there for protection, the handbook claimed. To protect the sons of those who were in high positions of power all over the world and to ensure their total safety. However, the school's real nature was slightly different from the peaceful façade it boasted of.

Inside an elegant looking mansion with Tudor-style decorations, beams crisscrossing the ceiling and a gold and blue striped banner hanging from the highest rafters, a quiet serenity lay. It would have been considered normal if this was not Windsor House. But a certain teenager boy with pale skin and bright blue eyes crept out from behind one of the many closed doors that led to the entrance hall. Under his arm he held a box, a wooden chest with an unusually large padlock bolted onto the side. Gingerly, he placed the box down in the middle of the hall, right underneath the banner. He was nearly silent in his stealth, his shoes barely making a sound as he crept backwards, glancing at the Armani watch on his wrist. His lips moved but no sound came; he was counting.

Creeping back to the door, he slid just beyond the doorframe, keeping one eye outside on the box. He counted silently to ten and then smiled and turned to look. Then suddenly, he saw and heard just what he was waiting for. A voice and a shadow.

"Wes, have you seen Kurt?" Someone said. The voice trailed off and Kurt mentally crossed his finger, hopes rising even further.

A second voice joined him, slight awe in his voice. "No way, Kurt's started the game."

The first voice chuckled. "He's done a good job guarding the cookies. Who would have thought he could access that kind of security."

The second boy, Wes, paused for a second. "Do you think we should sound the alarm?"

A screeching alarm abruptly pierced through the hallways, breaking the soft silence. Immediately the halls turned into a raucous pandemonium as boys came flooding out of hallways and down the grand staircase that ran up the back of the entrance hall. Around fifty boys, all in the standard Dalton uniform, stopped when they saw the box laid innocently under the banner. Eyes widened mischievously as a pair of blonde twin boys with bright blue eyes caught sight of the box.

"Alice." One whispered as they looked at the box.

"Alice brought cookies." The other whispered.

'Alice' smiled and spoke through a walkie-talkie that echoed through the halls. "Greetings Windsor boys. Well done on finding the treasure. Now the question is how to open it and get to your prize." The Twins immediately produced bolt cutters somehow hidden in their uniform but there was a chuckle from the walkie-talkie. "No bolt cutters boys; you're on your own. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour."

There were a few wry smiles at the Hunger Games reference but it was the raven-haired boy with gelled back curls that spoke. "Come on Kurt, why can't you just give us the cookies? Why can't you just give up for once?"

There was a wicked laugh from Kurt who had a wry grin on his face. "Oh Blaine, even you know that the Windsor rules of Finder's Keepers doesn't work like that."

As soon as the words had left his mouth, a sophomore ran forward with something in his hand. "Here let me take a look at it," he said, kneeling down beside the chest.

He was followed soon by the senior in charge who crossed his arms over his chest and sight. "Dwight, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

The sophomore rolled his eyes and snorted. "Of course I know what I'm doing Charlie, stop being such a worrier." He produced a paper clip and unfolded it. "Kurt said nothing about paper clips."

There was an audible groan from behind the door but no response and so Dwight, smirking gleefully, started to fiddle with the lock. The rest of the boys looked on with bated breath, waiting and watching. After a minute, there was a cheer from the small boy who held up the padlock triumphantly. "Game over Alice, nice work but not quite enough to keep us out."

A cheer rose up from the Windsor gallery as Kurt Hummel came out of his hiding place, watching as Dwight opened the chest and grabbed the Tupperware box of chocolate chip cookies that the boys had come to love almost as much as they loved him.

"VICTORY!" He shouted at the top of his lungs and raced towards the common room. A hoard of boys rushed after him but Blaine stood to the side, smiling beside Kurt.

Wordlessly, Kurt produced a small Tupperware box of cookies and offered one to Blaine who took a large one with a smile. "Knew you'd keep some spare." He spoke after the noise had moved into the common room.

Kurt smirked. "I've been here far too long Blaine, I know to leave some for those who are willing to wait." He jerked his head towards the stairs. "You want to go and finish the rest of that movie we started last night?" Blaine's smile was enough of an answer and so the boys moved away, letting the pandemonium that usually rested in Windsor House stay away from them.

It was not until another half an hour had passed that shadowy figures appeared in the grounds of Dalton, moving towards the buildings. The voices of the Windsor Warblers rose up as Kurt's lilting voice unknowingly carried the sound from the kitchen. Some epic bass from David and the Twins tried, and ultimately failed, to top Kurt's countertenor notes, supplemented his natural harmonisation of The Buggles' 'Video Killed The Radio Star'. Blaine smiled as he sang just under Kurt's range, echoing the complaints of a world being taken over by modern technology. Kurt's voice soared happily as he finished making his cup of coffee, hitting the last note effortlessly as he topped off the cup of coffee and kissed Blaine affectionately on the cheek.

He turned unflinchingly as an explosion suddenly rocked the building, taking care to balance his coffee cup before simply rolling his eyes and throwing an extinguisher towards a junior with spiky hair who raced out of his room milliseconds before another explosion rocked the first floor. "Why have I grown used to that?" He asked as he and Blaine walked out of the corridor and into the entrance hall, cups of coffee in hand.

The raven-haired boy smiled with a shrug. "People get used to things like that pretty quickly around here."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "'Things like that' pretty much everything that goes on in Windsor?"

Blaine laughed. "Pretty much." His gaze darted down to the wristwatch Kurt had given him for Christmas. "Come on, we better get to class. Newman was threatening a pop quiz AND an extra paper as well as detention if a single one of us was late."

Kurt shuddered delicately. "Then let me help us reduce that possibility." He took a deep breath and Blaine, sensing that if he didn't do something soon that his eardrums might burst, covered his ears. "THOMAS DWIGHT HOUSTON AND REED ALEXANDER VAN KAMP! IF YOU TWO DON'T GET DOWN HERE IN TEN SECONDS - "

The rest of the sentence didn't need to be finished as the sophomore hunter and junior fashionista were at the top of the stairs in a flash, the former with a frown on his face. "I swear if you call me by my full name publicly again Hummel, I will bring my crossbow instead of class notes."

Blaine raised an eyebrow. "The one that the faculty doesn't know about for a reason?"

Dwight merely shrugged but Kurt saw the fire in the young boy's eyes and nodded, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, whatever you say. Let's just go before we give Newman an excuse to eat us alive."

Their messenger bags, of varying degrees of neatness, flapped against their legs as the four hurried across the grounds, shoes clacking against the gravel paths that separated the award-winning gardens from the laws and helped boys cut routes in the labyrinth of a school they attended.

They slowed their pace as they entered the main building, composed of the classrooms and the facilities resided in by the teachers who chose to remain on campus. The teachers' quarters were barred to all students and even the daring Brightman twins wouldn't go near those doors. It was practically a death sentence if you were even within breathing distance of there.

"Kurt! Blaine!" The four boys turned to see the choirmaster, Greg Harvey, walking over with a small smile on his face. The four boys stood respectfully as he looked down at them, despite Kurt and Dwight being nearly his height. "I hear you two have been working on a potential dueling number for the fair next month."

Blaine flashed the choir director his trademark smile. "We don't want to come to a Warbler rehearsal unprepared sir."

Harvey nodded in approval. "Well I mustn't hold you from getting to class but I expect something spectacular when the duel comes. Reed," He turned to the other Warbler. "Are you thinking of entering?"

The smaller boy smiled with a small nod. "I know I may not stand a chance but if there is an offer for a duel, then I would be a fool not to take it."

Harvey nodded again. "Good lad." He nodded his head towards the crowds of students filing silently through the halls. "Don't be late for class gentlemen."

The four boys murmured their thanks before moving away. Kurt raised an eyebrow as they headed into the classroom, a count of heads told him that there was one person who, if they didn't arrive in the next fifteen seconds, was going to land them all in huge trouble.

As he slipped into his seat, painfully aware of the clock's countdown that would announce Mr. Newman's entrance and the start of the class, he glanced towards Blaine.

"Where's Mikey?" He hissed under his breath.

Mikey Campbell, the resident sports columnist in the student newspaper and occupant of Hanover House, was the cause of approximately 70% of the detentions they were graced with. It wasn't that he tried to be late, he just couldn't help it. According to him, at least.

The door was flung open and there was a general deep sigh of relief as the Hanover rushed in, his hair all spiked up and books clutched haphazardly under his arm. He slid into his seat at the last possible moment as their teacher strode into the room, the bell ringing briefly. They could have heard a pin drop in the room as he frowned at the blonde Hanover for a moment. Were they going to suffer again or had they just escaped the jaws of detention?

After a moment's pause, the teacher turned around and an almost audible sigh of relief escaped the lips of the class. "Take out the essays I set you last week. Van Kamp, collect them."

As Reed stood up, taking his own essay from his bag, Kurt sat back, offering a small smile to his boyfriend. They had escaped the jaws of strict discipline this time. Who knows if they would be lucky next time?

..

As class ended for the day, boys split from the classrooms in every possible direction. A tall brunette waiting outside caught the eye of one of them, gesting him over to stand by the wall.

"Justin." The pair wandered away from the busy hall and out one of the many side doors.

"How goes Hanover, Spencer?" The taller boy smiled slightly. "Any problems?"

Spencer snorted. "In Hanover when you're king? Not likely. Laura still wants to go to sophomore classes, says that freshman classes are boring."

Justin snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course she does; she's bored because she doesn't know any of them except Oliver. And Laura will only sit still and read for so long."

Spencer shrugged as they walked towards an elegant building that looked like a miniature castle, complete with ivy trailing up the marble white columns and spilling towards the balconies above. He could see the occasional dart of Justin's eyes from side to side as they walked inside, the slight twitch in his hands.

"What's the matter?" Spencer broke the silence after a second, waving away the boys who were loitering in the lobby. "What's going on?"

Justin sighed, one of annoyance more than anything. "Riley just happened to mention that House Head's are doing checks today."

Spencer sighed and rolled his eyes. "Really? On a Friday, when people are planning on going home?"

Justin shook his head. "Just send the message around. We have fifteen minutes to get this boat in tip-top shape for inspection." His voice darkened slightly. "And every single member of the house will be present."

Spencer nodded quickly, knowing better than to contradict the fiery Englishman. "Yes sir." He mock-saluted before moving away. There wasn't much work to do but it needed to be done.

Still in the building, a tall junior walked with his head held high, the hints of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. On the ground floor of the main building, he passed through a side door and out into the main courtyard where many of the boys he was in charge of, looked up from whatever they were doing. A few even stood ip out of respect for their fearless leader.

He looked over, a mental headcount speeding through his head. "We have a house inspection in 15 minutes. I want it perfect, and you all need to be in top condition." He spoke without the need to raise his voice, total command seeping through in his tone. "I expect everyone to be there."

A boy raised his hand and stood, catching the prefect's eye. "Riley, we're missing Russ and Terry."

Riley cursed under his breath. "Isaac, get them. Now." Another boy stood up and ran off, typing rapidly into his phone as he went. "Anyone else missing, needs to be present at Lancaster in 12 minutes, I will meet you there in ten." He called over his shoulder as he strode calmly away. "Don't be late."

Moments later, a furious blonde stormed towards the elegant white building that housed his own members. His face was curled in disgust, a frown creasing his brow and his eyes narrowed as he tried to keep his composure. Why couldn't they give them a little more time? It wasn't as if the problem was with the tidiness of the house, that was all Windsor's problem. It wasn't even that he would have to rush and pick up the rest of the common room himself. It was that the administration expected him to have every member of the house present, immediately.

Throwing the door open and ignoring the crash that resounded through the entrance hall, he stormed into the common room. Silence fell as people glanced to their prefect and then quickly looked away, not wanting to incur his wrath. The click of his shoes could be heard on the polished floor as the blonde glared at everyone in sight, save for the boy who was frowning at his friend.

"Calm down Logan before you explode at one of the freshman." The boy held out his hands as if surrendering. "Speak quickly and calmly."

The tall blonde took a deep breath, directing his harsh glare at the boy. "I'm the Prefect Derek, you can't tell me what to do."

Derek merely rolled his eyes. "I can when said Prefect is going to destroy the property he's supposed to be in charge of."

Logan huffed angrily. "We've got about ten minutes now until Murdoch is doing a dorm inspection."

"Ugh." Derek shuddered. "But what's the problem?"

Logan grabbed his iPad from the desk, flipped it open and tossed it to Derek, who caught it easily. "That's why. How do you expect me to get 35% of Stuart back in here in ten minutes and make sure their rooms are neat enough to pass Murdoch's inspection?"

And there Derek had to admit, Logan had a point. As studious and neat the Stuart occupants were, they did have a tendency to run for the hills on Friday, hen surprisingly no one was in a good mood. "Call Justin and have him kick Nick out of Jeff's room. And for that matter, get any other Stuarts out of Hanover. I'll call Riley and see if anyone's around Lancaster."

Logan looked at his friend. "And anyone who isn't here?"

Derek smirked. "If there are no students hanging around, someone's bound to figure out that there's someplace to be, and if we add a message from you to that I guarantee that we'll have the whole house back here in under five minutes, tops. No one wants to risk your wrath, dear Prefect."

Logan merely huffed and stalked towards the stairs before pulling out his phone to send a message to the entirety of Stuart House. If this didn't work, Murdoch was going to eviscerate him.

Across campus, Charlie Amos was running for his life to his house, the prospect of failing yet another inspecting driving his feet forward as fast as he could go. He directed every Windsor he saw to head back to the house immediately, pausing to grab one sophomore boy by the shoulder and shook him urgently.

The boy jumped but relaxed as soon as he saw who it was. "Charlie, do you really need to scare me like that?"

"Sorry, sorry," Charlie was tripping over his words, "I didn't meant to sneak up on you or anything. It's just we have a house inspection in twenty minutes and I need you to contact all the freshmen, make sure they're in the house. We need to get the place cleaned up, and fast."

Todd nodded. "Got it Charlie, I'll see what I can do." He turned away and then hesitated before speaking again. "Um, we might have our work cut out for us in Windsor."

Charlie face-palmed, a glower spreading across his face. "Exactly how much work cut out for us Todd?"

Todd looked sheepish. "Drew and Satoru were mixing stuff in the kitchen and I might have overheard the Twins planning something?"

There was nothing except an exasperated groan from Charlie as he sighed, nodding a quick thanks, then picked up the pace and sprinted back to Windsor.

He prayed that Todd was wrong, and that for once there wouldn't be much work to tidy up the house in an impossible time. But this was Windsor and the chances were very slim indeed. He just hoped that whatever it was his housemates were planning, they could get rid of it before Harvey arrived and that it wasn't so big as to make things even harder on him. But that probably wouldn't happen. After all, it would take something monumental to make things much worse than they were right now.


What did you think? Was the portrayal of the characters fairly accurate? Please let me know what you think and I hope you enjoyed it!

See you next week and happy writing!

PenMagic x