Chapter Four
"I guessed at it," Sam admitted as they sat in the tiny kitchen of the apartment he shared with his siblings. In the background Kurt could hear the soft sounds from the television in the other room. Before Kurt was untouched cup of juice in a faded cup. "About you. Your friends would joke about your time of the month, you were always grumpy around the moon. I was interested, fascinated with you. But then I always wanted something to take me from the ordinary world."
"Don't tell me," Kurt said, "you went seeking-"
Sam shook his head, his blond hair flying about. "It happened last year. A friend of mine heard about a strange wolf lurking in the woods and he wanted to film it. I was along for the ride. We found the wolf alright. He died… and I didn't. I tried to forget and then the first night-"
"Was a nightmare," Kurt said softly.
Sam nodded. "I was lucky no one was around. Once I figured things out, I figured I could hide. I often worked nights so this didn't change things, and I wasn't really settled down anywhere. It was fine until my parents... I've been terrified about what going to happen to my brother and sister, they need me."
Kurt looked over where Stacy and Stevie sat in front to the TV. Stacy looked over with the intelligence of a child who knew something was wrong despite all attempts at trying otherwise.
"I promise I'd take care them, I can't let my parents down."
"Why didn't you," Kurt said steering the conversation so something he could handle, "ask me?"
Sam shrugged. "I guessed that you might be a werewolf, but it didn't mean it was true. You can't always assume something about someone just because of outward appearances."
Kurt eyes darted to Sam's hair, causing him to frown slightly.
"Dude," he said almost wearingly, "I don't dye my hair."
"I'll take your word for it." Kurt said, but Sam didn't seem appeased.
"What do you plan to do about it? With your siblings to look after now?"
"I don't know," Sam admitted burying his face in his hands, "I don't know what to do. It's only once month, but it's always there."
"And you never run away from it."
Kurt put aside his drink to place his hands on top of Sam's.
"But you can," Kurt said, "Look for some outside help."
"I thought they never leave," Mercedes muttered to Rachel. Although she was annoyed to draw the closing with the diva, it was comforting having someone along. Once you accepted the world to have vampire and werewolves you get comfortable to have someone you know at your back.
Picking up the coffee pots she went into the back to start washing, glancing up at the reflective chrome to make a face at her hair. Between everything that was going on with her friends, she hadn't really paid attention to herself. Though admittedly it with three supernaturals as roommates it was hard enough to keep up with them, as she speculated mostly on what they were up to most of the time. Some of Kurt's past was coming clear with this psychic business, and she had glimmer and what caused Artie to quasi-haunt their home, but as for Tina, Mercedes was starting to think her past would never be clear to anyone.
Reaching to turn the tap on, she heard the door ring, and voices in the front.
She looked over her shoulder to see Rachel talking to young man with curly hair. He toyed with his scarf as they spoke. Given how Rachel squealed he probably mentioned Broadway of something.
Rolling her eyes, Mercedes rinsing off the pot, only to drop when something hit her like a ton of bricks. There was only one reflection in the glass.
A scream came from the room. Mercedes ran out with the pot and threw it at the broadway vampire.
It hit him, but didn't stop him as he pulled Rachel closer to him.
Mercedes e pulled the pendant from around her neck, and swung it hat him.
The broadway vampire leapt back from Rachel at the sight of the pentagram but didn't make a move to flee just yet.
"Scram," Mercedes sputtered, "get out of here!"
"I'm not a pest."
"You're sure act like one," she waved the pendant at him, and the vampire hissed. "Say something," Mercedes said to Rachel who was staring clutching her neck, "say something religious. Power of belief weakness them."
"I can't think of anything!"
"Sing something then!"
Quietly Rachel began to sing her voice, something that was vaguely familiar to Mercedes but she didn't have time to think about what it was. Rachel's voice growing stronger as the vampire backed away out the shop.
When he was gone, Rachel abruptly stopped singing clutching her hands to her mouth as she ran into the back room.
Mercedes followed keeping an eye on the door, as Rachel heaved into the toilet.
"What was that, who was that?"
"Would you believe me if I told you?" Mercedes asked.
Rachel still holding her hair up, shook her head, "it's nothing like Twilight."
Mercedes forced a laugh. "Why don't you try Buffy." She patted her manager on the shoulder, "I'll drive you home."
Though she surmised she didn't she would getting much sleep.
As Mercedes grabbed their purses, she saw another visitor through the window, Tina. She was across the street, but she could see her yelling at Jesse threatening him.
Quite suddenly, Mercedes remembered two things. One that Artie mentioned there was ghost that looked a great deal like Rachel, and two Tina had never stepped foot in the coffee shop after her first time visiting here.
And just as she bought to go out there, Tina pulled back and struck him across the chest. She moved back as the vampire disintegrated into ashes.
Her cell phone rang, the notes of some musical Kurt liked filling the air shattering the silence.
"Mercedes," Kurt said whispering into the phone, "I need you."
"Why?" Mercedes asked watching as Tina stormed away.
"Tonight's the night."
"Okay. I'll be there." Mercedes shut the phone, and braced herself against the counter.
In her mind's eyes she replayed the incident over and over, until she shook herself firmly reminding herself of Kurt's call.
"Do you mind we take a detour first?" Mercedes said as Rachel came in pale and shaken, "I promised a friend I'll be there at a psychic show."
"I can't do this," Kurt paced backstage, pivoting dramatically for the watching ghosts as he pulled at his scarf. "What was I thinking?"
"It sounds pretty crazy," Sam said as he sat on a upturn crate, "tricking your dad with a psyhic."
Kurt gave him a stony glare and Sam was saved when his sister tugged his arm.
"Can we go get sit in the audience?"
Sam nodded and Stacy and Stevie run off into the theater. A matronly ghost trailed after them and winked at Sam.
"I can't believe he didn't show," Kurt muttered, " he promised he show. He's the only one that can talk to the psychic!"
"Keep your voice down," Terri shimmered through the wall, "I looked around the area, he can't be found. You little puppies need to go to the dressing room soon, the ginger is on her way."
"I'm waiting for my friend."
"I'm here," Mercedes entered with a pale looking Rachel in tow. "what's going on?"
"He's not here," Kurt folded against himself, "Artie's not here, and he's not outside in the audience! Tina's out looking for him,"
Sam saw Mercedes flinch, but Kurt was too preoccupied to notice.
"Why do we have to go these hoops anyway," Mercedes cut in , "why can't you just talk to your father?"
"Because he thinks I'm dead, I don't want to give him another heart attack. It's better he thinks I 'm dead," Kurt clutched his chest wringing the fabric of his clothes, "because I can't tell him I ran off because of this …curse."
"I can tell you're scared," Rachel said as she reached out towards him, "but you're living a lie, you can help like medication-they're making improvements on treatments for HIV all the time!"
"Really?" Kurt pulled back from her,"you have gay dads! Stop with the stereotypes."
"If you afraid of the stigma," Rachel asked, "why run away?"
"Sometimes when you're with people like yourself, you feel like you belong."
Tina shuffled in her hands tucked in the pockets of her jacket. "I'm sorry, I couldn't find him."
"Did you have a fight or something," Mercedes asked, "you can always find him."
"I think," Tina said quietly, her voice trembling "I think he's gone."
"What does mean it," Rachel asked aloud as Mercedes went to embrace Tina, as Kurt's expression froze. "What does it mean he's gone, did he go home or something? Can we expect not to see them?"
"I think," Sam tried to interrupt placidly, "it means he-"
"He's a coward!" Kurt snarled.
"Or maybe you are," Mercedes spat, "you won't admit what you are. Not even to yourself!"
"This isn't some AA meeting you're in charge of," Kurt snapped, "You can't cure what we have!"
"I'm not trying to cure you, and it was Tina's idea to get the house, to have all of us live together."
"I'm just as much as human as you, as anyone else is. I'm not ashamed of myself!"
"Then," Mercedes reared back, "say it out loud, say it to me right now!"
"I'm a werewolf," Kurt blurted out as Rachel started, "a flaming gay werewolf, are you happy!"
"No." Mercedes smiled suddenly, "but I'm getting there."
"I'm just like him," Sam said suddenly drawing their attention, "just like him."
"You're gay!" Mercedes exclaimed as Rachel cried out, "you're a werewolf!"
Sam's smile became affixed even as Kurt was staring at him in a new light, "Yes," he said hesitantly. "I thought it was obvious."
"You're both werewolves," Rachel stammered as she looked around, "and-"
"Vampire," Tina said offhandedly, "since FDR was president."
Rachel shuddered, "and you're a Wiccan aren't you, I saw the pentagram."
Mercedes shrugged. "Guilty."
Rachel steeled herself before she suddenly clapped her hands together in glee.
"This is just like Buffy! This is perfect for my upcoming audition, as the protagonist is shocked by the surprises that her friends bestow on her. Thank you so much for this experience," she embraced Kurt, who all but shrugged her off.
"We're not friends!"
Rachel didn't seem deterred as went to hug each of them. "I can't wait to tell Finn about this-"
"No! You can't!" Kurt calmed.
"I won't be caught lying." Rachel said over Tina's shoulders, "I'm going to tell-"
"Artie." Tina whispered.
"My boyfriend's name's Finn."
But no one was paying attention to her.
Artie sat in the doorway, sheepishly looking at them his hands resting on the wheels of his chair.
"Hey." Sam said.
"Hey," Artie a slight flip of his hand.
Rachel turned her head around wondering what everyone was staring at as Artie wheeled before them.
"You're the friend in the story," Kurt said. "You idiots went looking for werewolves!"
"I wanted to feel alive," Artie said calmly, his words directed at the group but his eyes on Tina, "but it's funny I died one year ago. but in some ways that's when my life began. Fighting over rent, groceries, stupid house rules, bugging each other at work. For all we talk about being monsters, about need to hide, I think with you guys I witnessed the very best of being human. "
Tina sniffed, "I thought you left."
"Not anytime soon. I hope. " he smiled, "if you guys want me around."
Rachel gasped, "is there a ghost here too?"
"What's going on?"
Finn stood in the parting curtain, while behind him was-
Kurt emitted a small sqeak as he ducked behind Tina, but it too late.
"Kurt."
The elder Hummel's voice carried in the room and nearly all the occupants wanting to vanish. The watching ghosts had disappeared and Sam looked rather nervous as the heat of Burt gaze filled the room.
"I just, I ... how much did you hear?"
"Enough for me to feel foolish for thinking you ran off because of something I did, that I wouldn't expect, come on Rachel, you and Finn can watch the show but I think Carole and I will leave early."
"Wait," Kurt sputtered, "I can explain!"
"I thought you were dead, that some of those guys that were bothering got you for good." Burt said without turning around, "I harassed the police to get them to investigate, and the hospital records not you checked in but never out. You didn't leave a note, didn't call. What I'm suppose to think?"
"I was trying to protect you."
Burt turned around, "you're dead wrong about that. I'm your father I'm the one's that supposed to protect you no matter how old you get, no matter what you do. Love you no matter who you are and who you're with."
Kurt swallowed, "I'm gay-"
"I know, I knew since you were four."
"I'm done yet," Kurt said his voice starting to shake, " these are my friends, Mercedes she's a practicing wiccan, Tina's a vampire, you can't see him but Artie's a ghost, and Sam, he's just like me, a werewolf."
Finn's eyes were as saucers in the background "Werewolf?"
"I'll explain," Rachel said, tugging him back to the theather, leaving Burt staring at Kurt and the others.
"Okay," Burt said slowly, "is this some kind of cult?"
"No, no," Kurt said, "they're my roommates, except for Sam, we came together trying to stay human."
"You're though," Burt said, "werewolves right, they change with the moon, and stuff."
Burt didn't seem convinced and Tina strode up to him, drawing out her fangs her eyes darkening to pupiless black. Burt jumped back only to start, when he accidentally walked through Artie.
"What was that a chill, what are-" he sputtered glanine at Tina to Kurt and Sam.
"I know this is a lot to take in Mr. Hummel," Mercedes said, "but Kurt's in good hands."
"I'll take your word for it."
The lights flickered above, "This is Will Schuester and this is my psychic experience!"
"I got to go," Artie said only to stop as the introduction continued on.
"I sense a presence who's looking for someone by the name of Sebastian …."
"Or not," Artie crorrected.
"Looks like the show's starting," Tina said a proud smile, "let's go watch."
"Forget about the show," Burt said staring at his son, "I don't think it'll be half as exciting as the story you're about to tell me."
"See, he took it rather well," Mercedes said they all pulled up to the house much later, "no pitchforks, no tar and feathers, you could have told them from the start."
"But then," Tina said, "none of us would have met."
"A grand community of the lost we are." Kurt said sarcastically, "we're such a great group of people that we're spending the evening watching movies and eating greasy popcorn."
"You forgot scrabble," Artie interjected.
Kurt cut his eyes at him and exited the car.
As Mercedes headed after him, into the house, Tina hung back for a moment and subsequently so did Artie.
"I'm sorry you thought I left."
Tina looked away from the lights in the house, back to Artie.
"Well it's going to happen eventually. Getting your affairs in order, making peace and all that. You can't stick around like a shadow for all eternity."
"I can if you're here."
If Tina's heart could still beat, it would have skipped. If she had pulse it would have starting thumping faster. Suddenly the incident at the hospital came into greater focus. But she knew he meant every word, but she couldn't, she just couldn't allow herself that feeling. "No you can't, Artie. This is different, I'm a vampire, and you're a ghost."
"That's an excuse."
"I've killed people, murdered them in cold blood, gave people this," she gestured at herself, "no matter how long I stop feeding on human blood, it will never change that." She turned away from him, "So I can't have you hang on my account."
Crack.
Artie appeared in front on her, and appeared solid enough to stop her from leaving.
"You've been dead over fifty years," Artie said fiddling with his glasses, "I know what you're about to say, watching our friends die, watching the world change drastically, seeing all the suffering that people do over and over without learning anything, but no one should go through life alone."
"It," Tina stuttered, "it's just that it can't last. We want it to, but it can't. It's just can't. Our friends, this house, this arrangement, is going to be gone one day. They're going to die, you're going to pass through the door, and maybe if I'm lucky I'll get staked. All this is temporary. It's not going to last, and maybe it shouldn't."
"Isn't that what being human's all about?" Artie asked quietly.
"I suppose," Tina said a smile pulling at her lips despite her mood, "next you're going to tell me we need to enjoy things while they last or tomorrow they will be gone?"
"Well there's no trick to being human."
"You know," Tina said bending forward resting her hands on the wheelchair that felt so solid and real, "no matter how hard you try you aren't going to save me. I doomed depending whatever higher power you're hoping for behind the door."
He grinned slightly, "You can't blame a guy for trying can you?"
"No," She leaned forward kissing him, feeling something maybe not quite solid as she pressed her lips to his, "but thank you for trying."
He didn't say anything, but smiled broadly and it made her feel giddy with something akin to happiness.
"Hey, you two," Kurt leaned out the doorway, "stop trying to prove the ghost-vampire barrier and get in here. I invited Sam over and he wants to see Avatar but Mercedes wants Titanic, and I don't know what I want to torture myself with more."
Artie rolled up the doorway, "We could watch Lord of the Rings instead."
Kurt scowled. "No."
But Artie had already disappeared, and from the sounds inside had commandeered the DVD player with his third option.
Fussing, Kurt ran back inside.
Standing in the doorway Tina could them around the TV, Mercedes trying to reasonably argue her way, Kurt ignoring her as he shoved the DVD into the player, and Artie messing up the TV in way none of them could fix. Eventually she figured they'll pick a solution none of them like and Mercedes refuse to talk to each of them throughout the movie, Artie would make coffee again just to tick Kurt off. The evening was probably ruined yet Tina found herself smiling anyway. Maybe Artie was right, maybe it was just enough to enjoy things as they were. Life, especially an immortal life was very boring and if she let them maybe they can be the support to keep her from becoming like Jesse or any of the vampires she had fallen out with. There wouldn't be any more Shelbys, there wouldn't anymore close misses like Mike, just Tina. Simply Tina and her somewhat eccentric roommates.
She liked how that sound, arguments and all.
"If you can't make your minds," she said as joined them, "let me pick!"
A/N: Thank you for all your kind feedback! This was a crazy idea from the start and I loved how well received it was. Thanks!
