Author's note: you're first thought maybe 'what the hell I thought you died?' or maybe even a slightly more macabre 'damn I thought you had died.' That is totally not the case; I had prac and then the mother of all exam weeks back to back. Also a patient injured me on prac by kicking me- but don't worry I'm totally fine now.

Anyway it's been super difficult to write these characters pre-season one after I got back into season 2 and well keep them in character. But I really want to finish this fic .

Btw glee got awesome again while I wasn't looking and is finally spending time developing friendships (puck/artie friendship is cannon now!) and recent glee totally has me shipping Bartie.

Also the subsequent new friendship groups of season two has forced me to rethink reactions to Tina/Mike, because Mercedes doesn't talk to Tina or Quinn much anymore and my beloved Artie and Kurt had disappeared until it totally came back recently! But anyway I am retconning the original idea of the end of the story… which doesn't really affect you sooo…

Mike was sitting alone. He usually sat with Tina now they had worked out a system of being friends, but she was walking all over camp trying to get reception again, so she could see if Artie had called. Tina was funny that way, she didn't seem to want to talk to Artie, just want to know he was trying to talk to her.

He was really starting to like her though, and it was much better than being alone with no one to talk to. Even if most of the time he was just listening. It was different really, he was usually the one to have to fill up the silences, but now all he had to do was listen.

He thinks it must be refreshing for her too, Artie was great but he dominated conversation like nobody else save maybe Kurt and Mercedes, which meant Tina wasn't really accustomed to people actually listening to her, for her to take over a conversation.

Mike rang his mother, he did everyday, usually at night when Tina couldn't see, he didn't like to admit it but he was a total momma's boy when he was away, and he mother really was like a close friend to him. But since Tina was off trying to make contact with her 'boyfriend' (Some boyfriend really, she'd probably come crying to him later saying he hadn't left her any voice mail) he was safe.

He dialled the number to home; lucky for him his phone had much better range than hers which made calls like this much easier. "Hello" a female voice answered, "Mother?" he asked brightly, "Mike darling! How's camp going" he could here the hesitance in her voice every time she asked. They had a fight when she demanded he go to camp when he had already made plans to go to California with Matt, not that, that wasn't up in smoke since Matt had ended their friendship.

"good, the kids are good and the food's improved" it's basically what he told her every day, his mother made a noise that sounded half exasperated half humorous, "really Michael that's all you ever say, there must be something going on in your life," Mike rolled his eyes, he called his mother everyday but she always expected that he had something new to tell her.

"Have you met any nice girls?" she queried "mother" he whined the exact same tone he did every time she asked, part embarrassed part avoidant part secretly pleased. "I haven't met anyone here" he told her, not a complete lie, he had met Tina little over two years ago; he'd only gotten to know her over the summer. She tutted and he could imagine her shaking her head disappointedly; he wanted to tell her about Tina. How nice she was to him and how he felt a little like his heart would beat out of his chest when she smiled at him. But he couldn't. she's only encourage him, and that was the last thing he needed when he had a crush on someone else's girl.

He looked up to see Tina stomping over her hair array from the effort and her eyes shining with anger rather than her usual tears, "er- could I call you back?" this couldn't be good. She sort of looked like a provoked cat, he was afraid she might hiss or scratch him or something.

"Don't forget to-" his mother started to say but was cut off with a "yeah, yeah love you too, bye." Mike hung up hastily and Tina flopped forcefully in the chair next to him "I hate him sometimes it that possible" she stamped her foot into a cloud of dust and drew in the sand with the tip of her shoe "to hate someone you love."

Mike's heart sank a bit and he knew the wrong words came out as soon as he said them, "no you shouldn't" he winced but continued "I think love is supposed be be simpler than that" he lied so easily, so fluidly that he pretend he actually meant it. "you think?" he bit his lip and shook his head honestly but her eyes were trained to the squiggles she was drawing and missed the omission completely.

She looked up slightly calmer subject dropped, "that your girlfriend then?" she gestured to his phone with and even uncaring tone that sounder rehearsed, Mike shook his head, "nah of course not." He fiddled with his phone, suddenly way more aware that she was next to him, so very close to him.

Mike wondered if it was wishful thinking that produced the look of relief on her face but knew he didn't imagine that she had sat close enough that their hands were brushing and their knees touched. That feeling was something he could never have imagined.

00000

Finn woke up all at once, it wasn't something he was familiar too, he usually woke up slowly with his mother having to come in to his room and shake him awake three or four times.

But today was different, mostly because he wasn't in his own bed. Finn took this as strange, he didn't normally wake up and not know where he was, except for when he and Puck were still friends and would go out drinking and end up sleeping in front of a library, dumpster or some equally disgusting place.

Finn woke up with a start, unsure where he was. He felt the weight of a warm body half on him. Oh God! Was this Rachel's house? Had he gone all the way with his girlfriend and been so happy he had gotten a case of amnesia? Was that even possible? But no.. that wasn't right, where was he?

He was on Artie's couch- plaid with green and orange, apparent taste did not run in that family at all, and Artie laying sort of on top of him but his feet planted on the floor showing he had once upon a time been sitting and slipped down.

It was a completely different feeling, no one had ever fallen asleep with him besides his mum. Rachel wouldn't be caught dead sleeping over and Santana… well it hadn't been night or anything, and both had wanted to be far away from the other after.

This was different; it wasn't a girlfriend or a not-a-girlfriend. Just a friend, it was kind of a novel feeling, that he could say that. He was draped with a garnish pink blanket- probably Artie's sister's- which certainly hadn't been there last night, but it was too out of character to think anyone in Artie's family did it.

He was starting to ache from the weight; Artie wasn't heavy or anything, probably closer to kurt's size or… Rachel's. Finn sat up rather hastily, now was not the time to be thinking about Rachel sleeping on top of him when someone else is- well was.

"What the hell man!" Artie screeched from the floor, hitting Kurt levels of whine that frankly terrified him. "If you wanted me to get up you could have just woken me you know" the top half of Artie's head appeared over the couch looking annoyed, glasses askew. "Sorry man didn't see you" Finn lied unconvincingly and gathered up the pink blanket, "need help up?"

"Its fine" he slipped seamlessly back into easy to please, nice Artie. It sort of annoyed Finn now that he made the connection that Artie wasn't naturally nice all the time, but it was also sort of a relief that that person didn't really exist. Because super nice, understanding Artie could be a little unnerving.

Artie pulled himself up it his chair, contorting in a way that reminded him of the Olympic gymnasts from TV, which he had totally only seen because his mum made him. "Go take a shower or something you look half dead" it wasn't a command so much as a statement and Finn didn't need more permission than that, things felt a little bit weird since he had woken so he prayed to Jesus, Jew God, girl God or any other type of God people considered praying to that he never made the connection of Artie and Rachel's similar body size again.

Cause he wasn't sure what Artie would think but most guys he knew would consider that a friendship breaker.

00000

Tina sat cross legged and barefoot on the floor of the dance hall, she had her back pressed up against the wall and her eyes trained to her laptop which was sitting in front of her. Every few moments her eyes would dart up and she would catch Mike spinning or twirling around the room and she would hastily train her eyes back to the computer screen.

She hadn't planned to be in the hall, certainly not with the obvious temptation of shirtless Mike Chang in front of her, but the internet seemed to be down everywhere else, and she couldn't very well kick him out. He had been there first.

The last few weeks had been painful. She liked Mike, really she did, and well that was the problem. She hadn't realised that Artie had stopped giving her fluttery feelings until she started feeling them for Mike. There was just something about him.

She felt bad it wasn't Artie's fault he wasn't here, and it certainly wasn't Mike's fault that he was.

She hit her keys harder than strictly nessisary, it wasn't like the fluttery feeling was love. She stilled LOVED Artie, it just her attraction to him had been very fleeting, it was a bigger lover than sexual. It was something else, but she wasn't sure where a grown up, forever kind of love left her at sixteen.

Mike was all about attraction, he was sweet and nice and stuff but that's not what drew her to him.

It was the body she was embarrassed to say, he was really good looking, and toned and he had… had… abs! She never used to dream of Mike like she did now. It seemed so unrealistic. Artie was realist, so realist he was in fact her boyfriend even if he did never call. Mike was a football player, with a dancer's body and great abs. Artie didn't have great abs, his chair didn't really lend to that kind of definition. When he came over she'd run her hands over his chest, he had a strong upper body- built differently than any other male she knew. He'd touch her tentatively and she tried not to think that his hands would only skim her skin tentatively, he was the only guy she knew who wanted to take things slow.

Sometimes she used to even dream of him in bed, on her bed looming over her, kissing her lips, her cheek, her neck. Legs wrapped tightly wrapped around her waist pulling her close- and then she would stop because even when she dreamed she liked to be realistic. Which is why she only ever dreamed of him; twirling her around the dance floor on their wedding day every other night.

Only she didn't dream about Artie all that much anymore, not even in the non- sexual way. She didn't dream of Artie dancing, not when she had dream Mike who could dance with her, she could imagine it clearly because in real life he could do the same. And in real life there was a lot of things Artie couldn't do.

Like call for instance.

So this was really all his fault she sulked. Her eyes trained to Mike as his dance slowly picked up in pace, his spins becoming more frequent, his turns sharper and the movement of his body becoming more fluid and natural every second that passed. She looked back down, remembering what she was doing, what she shouldn't be doing. She hesitated; it could wait for a minuet right?

She placed her computer down next to her, watching the rapid movement and lines of her friend's body. He didn't notice her, so there was no harm right? She was a dancer too right? It was more professional curiosity than anything.

The music hummed hypnotically and it wasn't until later she realised the internet connection had timed out again. She save a half finished email to drafts. It could wait right? After all a little time didn't hurt anyone.

00000

Mercedes bounced up and down excitedly, she was back in Lima! She was actually excited to be back in Lima, and who would have thought, right?

It's not like she hadn't enjoyed the time away… though secretly she really hadn't. Quinn had slimmed down from her baby weight from working out fanatically, doing crunches, sit ups and mile runs with her mum while they were supposed to be on holiday.

She was more or less the old Quinn but a little nicer, which was a problem, because Mercedes had never been friends with the old Quinn, Mercedes and old Quinn had never liked each other and sure as hell never had anything in common.

What Quinn had said about being beautiful on the inside was bullshit, unless she thought her insides would be pleased with their new diet of apples and water. And when she wasn't starving herself or working out her and her mum were praying, or talking about school.

Mercedes could ever sort of admired Quinn she was certainly the most focused person Mercedes had ever met, so but now that she was back to her self but not quite a bitch or all up in herself with baby drama the ex-cheerleader was incredibly boring. Mercedes and Quinn had nothing in common and her mother might be the most grating person she'd ever met. And that includes Rachel Berry.

She shrugged it off, Quinn had sensed there incompatibility and graciously stepped back. So now she had time with her two best boys before her girl Tina came back from camp. She didn't let on to Kurt that her summer had been awful when he called. Artie had called once, typical Artie really- he needed someone on him constantly to get anything done, so it hadn't even come up. So she wasn't really in the loop with anyone at the moment and she was dying for gossip- not that anyone would supply any because really Kurt was in an isolated area and Artie and Tina were the most drama repellent people she knew.

Her boys would be coming over today and things would come out they always do, after all Artie was surprisingly attentive in one on one situations and Kurt would smell gossip on her before he even saw her. She stumbled into the bathroom, showering quickly before staring in the mirror.

Now would be the important hour long make up and hair routine she usually completed every morning but instead she just stared. She stared and stared. She wasn't sure what to make of herself thanks to Quinn's insane fitness regime and diet, Mercedes had sweat off pounds and was looking down right skinny.

That wasn't just it either she felt different all over, like she was turning so kind of corner, like something had happened and it was written all over her. But nothing had happened, not to her anyway. But something was wrong, she felt off kilter like something had gone down.

She pushed herself away from the mirror, staring wasn't doing anything for her unease. She took a shower and changed and scrolled down her phone but couldn't will herself to push in any number, she threw her phone on her bed and went back over to her mirror.

She carefully spread foundation evenly on her face trying to hide any hit of how horrible she felt. She spent extra long on her eyelid with eyeliner, dark blue eye shadow and cream trying to make them so heavy her eyes wouldn't open and look at her in the mirror.

She painted her lips and pulled her hair up painstakingly, relieved she didn't actually look as over done as she felt.

By the time there was a knock on the door Mercedes felt heavy and stiff. She walked slowly down the steps and traced the door knob before opening it. Artie, Kurt and surprisingly Finn all stood smiles on there faces and assortments of flowers in hand.

Mercedes had never understood the term let your troubles melt away, but under the eyes and grins of people she loved, she felt light as air.

00000

There was noway of knowing how Mercedes had known something was going terribly wrong but at the time she had been laughing and catching up with her friends, listening to Kurt laugh and Artie tell an amusing joke he'd obviously heard from Finn the beginning cords of 'getting to know you' struck up on a piano at a camp much to far away from her living room.