Two weeks AFTER The Incident

"I like the moose the best." Brittany said.

Santana leaned on one of the sculptures, right beside the 'Don't lean on the sculptures!' sign. She watched Brittany go from painting to painting, examining each one thoroughly. Rachel nervously twiddled her fingers, and made sure no security guards were headed their way. Rachel had already told Santana several times to get up before they get kicked out, but Santana did what she always did; ignore her.

"S-Santana, again, I must advise you against blatantly breaking the law inside this museum!"

"Stop stuttering, Berry, or I will hit you with a broom."

"I'll have you know that- that there are no brooms here."

"Fine. I will buy a broom and I will hit you with it. Better?"

"Absolutely not. I'm actually kind of hurt that you would go through all that trouble just to-"

"I can't stand another minute being next to you, so please, make this more tolerable for the both of us and shut up."

"Hey, guys. This is pretty cool, huh?" Finn said, walking in to the exhibit. Most of the crew were looking at the sculptures in the next room. Brittany didn't like sculptures because they were "too grey". She preferred crazy colors and abstract designs, so she made her way here. Naturally, Santana followed, but much to Santana's dismay, Rachel tagged along, wanting to be as far away as possible from Quinn and her staring.

It was only because Santana knew that Rachel was actively avoiding Quinn, that she let her tag along.

"Oh God, not you, too." Santana rolled her eyes. "Having to be near the hobbit is enough, but the giant tub of lard? Let's just call Wheels in here so we can have a full-on freakshow."

"Brittany, would you please tell Santana to stop throwing insults at everyone?"

Santana pushed herself off of the sculpture. "You did not just ask Britt to tell me what to do. She don't control me."

"San, be nice." Brittany said.

"Fine." Santana muttered under her breath, and crossed her arms against her chest. "But only because you two aren't worth me having to think up insults. We have a whole vacation left for me to do that. Look. Forward. To. It."

"And don't lean on the sculptures." Brittany said, in a sing song voice, as she turned back to the paintings.

"Ugh, I'm going to the decapitated heads of famous warlords' exhibit. It has to be less freakish than this room with you two in here." Santana stormed off.

"Remember! We have exactly thirteen more minutes before we head back to the car! Santana? Santana!"

"She'll calm down in a bit." Brittany said. "Ooh, look at this one!"

"How-how's Quinn?" Rachel asked, as Finn neared her.

He shrugged. "Dunno. She hasn't said anything all day."

"Still not better than the moose." Brittany said, almost sadly, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, that's hardly healthy. Especially with the way she operates. If she's stuck in her head…" Rachel trailed off. "You have to get someone to talk to her."

"Who?"

"I don't know. You, maybe. Noah? She's close with him, right?"

"Uh, I guess so."

"Okay, maybe not. How about Tina?"

"You want me to tell Tina that you told me to tell her to talk to Quinn?" Finn said, with his eyes closed. Rachel knew he did that when he was trying to concentrate.

"Basically."

"Okay." He nodded. "Why can't you just talk to her?"

"Oh, we don't do that anymore." Rachel shook her head.

"What? Talk?"

"Yes."

"Um… why?"

"Because we just don't. Now go on. We have eleven minutes left."

Finn sauntered off, his eyebrow raised, looking confused. But that was the he looked eighty percent of the time, so it was really nothing new.

Rachel wandered into the next room, with various pieces of history; a shawl here, an axe there. She normally had a blast at museums, but she couldn't stop worrying since they left Lima. She was worried about Quinn, sure, but it was more than that. She was worried about the future. She couldn't stop thinking about it. She spoke to her dads before leaving and they said it was perfectly natural for her to worry. It was the main reason they let her go on this little trip (and it was them who practically convinced everyone else's parents). To some degree, everyone was a bit worried about their future. It was only a few months until they were adults, real adults. They would be on their own. They'd have to walk out into the world, and fend for themselves.

Some were ready, of course. Santana, Quinn, Puck; they've been ready to leave home for a long while; they're excited, even. Rachel was, as well, but she couldn't help but worry.

That was always her problem, she realized. She always cared too much.

"I'm sorry."

Rachel took a deep breath before turning around.

"For what?"

Quinn smirked. "Do you really have to ask that?"

Quinn had been slowly returning to her old self, or maybe, just an improved version of her old self. She stopped wearing black and wrist bands, and went back to her spring colored dresses. She smiled a lot more often, now, although Rachel could never tell if it was sincere or not.

She even got rid of the nose piercing, but she kept the tongue one for some reason. Rachel deduced that she had gotten a little too used to it, as she often saw Quinn fiddling with it when she deep in thought.

Rachel watched as Quinn's attention was drawn to an old stone tablet inside a glass case. She was quiet for a moment, as she tapped the glass.

"So, I'm sorry, alright?"

"I still don't know what it is you're sorry for."

Quinn shrugged. "Pick something, and I'll be sorry for it." She pressed her forehead against the glass to get a closer look. "I'm sorry for… everything, you know?"

"Quinn, there's really no need-"

"Don't say that. You know I've been horrible to you, and I… I think I understand why you haven't held it against me, but even if you won't hate me, or tell be that I've been nothing but the worst to you, I want you to know I'm sorry." Quinn turned around. "Do you accept my apology?"

"I don't know."

"Good." Quinn nodded.

"Good?"

"I'm tired of you always forgiving me."

"But… why?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now. Can we change the subject?"

Quinn leaned against the case, and Rachel was about to tell her not to when Quinn raised her hand. "I heard Finn tell Tina that you wanted her to talk to me."

"Oh." Rachel shook her head. She knew she should've asked Puck or Artie or something. Even Brittany would have been better at being subtle.

"So, I decided to just come and talk to you myself. This is stupid, you know, all this avoiding each other and not speaking… isn't it?"

"It is."

"Okay, so let's not do that, anymore. Deal?"

"Deal." Rachel smiled. "So… can we talk about what happened?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Rachel took a deep breath. "We have to sometime, Quinn. We can't just pretend it-"

"Maybe some other time."

"Is that a promise?"

Quinn looked at her, and shrugged. "Sure."

"Well, this is the most I've heard you talk in a long time."

"Yeah." Quinn said. "We should really get going."

"Of course. Could you get Santana? She's at the decapitated heads exhibit."

"And…" Quinn raised her eyebrow. "You're afraid to go in there?"

"M-maybe. I just might not be a fan of walking into a room full of dead stuffed heads… watching me."

"But… you said it yourself; they're dead."

"That just makes it worse."

Quinn nodded. "Right. I'm on it, then."


It was Puck's idea, so naturally, it was the worst idea ever. None of them had any clue how to set up a tent, or make a fire, or-

"We're going to die out here! We don't know how to survive in the wilds!" Rachel panicked. She was almost done with High School, the worst years of her life, she wasn't going to die now, oh no way she was going to die now.

They were thirty miles near their next hotel room stop, when somehow Puck managed to convince everyone that spending the night in some forest in the middle of Pennsylvania was a good idea. Most of them hadn't been camping before, and everyone wanted this trip to be filled with new experiences so this seemed like an acceptable thought. Evidently when they were actually in the forest itself surrounded by nothing but trees and the sound of birds, they realized that maybe they bit off more than they could chew.

"Dude, calm down." Puck pushed her aside. "We're cool. I've watched enough Man Vs. Wild to know how to do this."

"He just drinks his piss all the time, how is that gonna help?" Santana snapped.

"Hey, your piss has nutrients and stuff, okay? It's smart." Puck said.

"I mean, can't he just ask for water? Like, I understand he's trying to teach us how to survive, but can't he just say 'you guys should drink your pee' and then ask the cameraman for some water, because I'm sure he has some. He doesn't have to do it every single time." Brittany said. "Oh! Unless the cameraman doesn't have any and he's forced to drink his pee, too… does he drink his own pee, or does he drink Bear Grylls' pee? Can you get sick from drinking someone else's pee?"

"Britt, please stop talking about urine."

"I'm stuck." Artie sighed.

"Again!" Santana said, annoyed.

"Let's calm down for a bit." Tina said. "Let's regain our focus, and figure out how to do this. We're all smart, right? We can figure this out. I mean, cavemen discovered fire. We're smarter than cavemen… right? Guys?"

Everyone looked at each other.

"Of course." Rachel nodded, confidently. "We're smarter than cavemen. Noah, how's the fire coming along?"

"Finn, do you have a lighter?" Puck asked, throwing down the bundle of sticks he'd gathered. "I thought all you had to do was rub these sticks together but I've been doing that for like fifteen minutes and nothing's happening."

"I don't have a lighter. Why would I have a lighter?"

"Don't you set your farts on fire, dude? Come on, man, we talked about this." Puck said, sounding genuinely disappointed.

"Okay. I'm done!" Santana said, throwing her arms in the air. "Britt, we're going back to the car."

"Alright, whatever." Puck shrugged. "Baby mama, I know you got a lighter."

Quinn sighed, and dug into her pocket. She took a few steps toward him and threw it his way.

"Why do you still have a lighter? Didn't you quit smoking?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah." Quinn nodded, curtly.

"So?" Rachel pressured.

"So?" Quinn avoided.

"Does anybody even know where we parked the cars?" Finn asked.

"Over there." Tina, Artie, Mercedes and Kurt said, all pointing in completely different directions.

"Okay, so… nobody panic. Also, nobody check their cell phones and say there's no service because that's the beginning of a B movie horror film." Kurt said, taking a deep breath.

"There's no service!" Rachel practically screamed, her phone in her hand.

Kurt sighed.

"What?" Puck shot up. "So, you're telling me we don't have any phone service, it's getting dark, and we don't know how to make a fire?"

"This was all your idea!" Santana said, flinging herself at him, but Brittany and Tina held her back. She began yelling tons of things in Spanish, all of which, Rachel was sure were obscenities.

"San, calm down." Brittany said.

Santana shook them off her and walked away, angrily muttering things to herself. Brittany followed to console her. Tina looked at Mike, who smiled, weakly, but reassuringly and put his arm around her.

"For now, we should set up camp." Blaine said, confidently. "Try to get a fire going, and use the blankets to build something as close to a tent as possible. We just wait it out, until morning, and then we'll figure it out from there."

Kurt nodded, and slipped his fingers between his boyfriend's. "Yes, let's… just make it through tonight. It wouldn't make sense to feel around in the dark blindly and try to make our way back to the cars. We'll just get through tonight, and we'll be fine, I'm sure."

"Yeah, it's cool." Puck said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

A crackle of thunder erupted, and a flash of light surrounded them, followed by extremely heavy rain. Everyone ran for cover, under trees, or jackets. Within seconds, everyone was soaking wet. They all looked at each other, almost guiltily, as if they knew everyone was to blame for what was sure to be a ridiculously uncomfortable and arduous night.

"What the worst that could happen' he said! Why are you strangling him, Santana? they said!" Santana yelled.

"San, come on! You can't kill him." Brittany said, grabbing her arm. "There are, like, way too many witnesses."

"Okay!" Rachel said, over the sound of rain. "We really need to make the tents now!"

"I'll do it!" Blaine said, running over to the bag of supplies they had brought. "I was a boy scout for a while, so I have a basic idea." He sifted through the bag. "But I'll need some help."

"You were a boy scout? I should've known that. That totally seems like something you'd be." Puck said. "Doesn't he just look like a boy scout?"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Just tell me what to do." She said, walking over to Blaine.

"I wanna help, too." Brittany said.

"You're gonna get sick, Britts." Santana said.

"It's okay. That means I won't have to go to school, and I get a longer vacation." She smiled.

"I'll help, too." Mike said.

"Alright, you two get some sticks; sturdy ones to hold the quilts up, preferably about four feet or higher." Blaine instructed. "Brittany, help me with this blanket…"

The rest of the glee club watched on, as they scattered about collecting supplies and trying to get the tent to stay up. Finn joined in, after he saw some of them were struggling to keep the sticks firmly planted in the ground. Rachel was sat at a rock, near the far right of their improvised campsite and couldn't help but notice that Quinn looked strangely… happy. Like she was enjoying herself, which was odd, considering the circumstances.

But then again, it sort of made sense.

It was very rare when the glee club was in total silence. Someone was always fighting, singing, making a snarky comment, talking about a football game, or their weekend. But when it was silent, they were contemplative. When it was silent, no one could hide behind insults or lies, everything rose to the surface. It showed their true colors. It showed how they could work together, without having to say a word to each other. It was moments like this when Rachel remembered that they were just like a very, very odd, eccentrically dysfunctional, deranged family; but family nonetheless.

They really did love each other.

Another crackle of thunder sent the rain down harder, and Rachel couldn't help but sigh a long sigh.

Rachel saw Puck saunter over from the corner of her eye. He walked over to Finn, who was filtering through leaves to find some more sticks.

"Finn, dude, hold me." Puck said, standing behind him. "I'm scared."


It finally stopped raining, an hour and a half later. Blaine, Mike, Brittany, Quinn and Finn had gotten the tents up in a half hour, and they all waited inside until the rain died down. When that happened, Artie and Mike gave their best go at making a fire in the middle of the three tents. Blaine tried to help, as well. They hadn't figured out the sleeping arrangements, yet, but Rachel was already making a well-thought out list of who would be sleeping where, and who would be on watch.

"Guys," Kurt said, mouth stuffed with bread. "Rachel's making a list."

Everyone groaned in unison, with mutterings of 'oh god no' and 'why does she always do that?' spread amongst them.

"Now, just hear me out," Rachel said, putting down the half eaten salad they had gotten earlier at the mall on her lap. The lettuce was all soggy, and the tomatoes were, well, to put it bluntly, disgusting, but she was starving at this point. "We need a proper schedule, one that outlines our strengths and weaknesses if we're ever going to survive the night."

Again, everyone groaned.

"We're not gonna die." Santana rolled her eyes. "Now, are you sure you don't want any beans?"

Santana was particularly helpful when it came to making food. Surprisingly, she knew how to cook using just the fire and a tray. No one knew why, but they were grateful for it. Finn had tried to do that earlier, and he ended up burning the last can of Spaghetti O's (much to Mike and Puck's disappointment) and so Santana took over.

"No, thank you."

Santana shrugged. "Q?"

"Not hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything since this morning." Finn said.

Everyone looked at him, incredulously.

"What?" He asked.

"Are you feeling alright, Finn? You actually paid attention to something." Puck said. "Maybe it's the curse of the forest." Puck waved his fingers for added affect.

Brittany looked up. "Curse?"

"Don't start with this shit, Puckerman." Santana said.

"No, it's true. They said there's this curse about these group of kids that came out here, and they slowly went insane. Like some of them started acting real different; people who didn't like each other started, like, falling in love with each other, and people that were best friends, started murdering each other; and by the end of it, jealousy and rage had consumed them all and there was only one person left. And then, after he ate some of the bodies, and hid whatever was left… he killed himself. Slit his own throat with the jagged edge of a top of a can." He flashed his can of beans before stuffing his face some more.

Suddenly, a light 'crack' of a twig was heard behind the bushes, which made a number of them jump up from where they were sitting.

Santana was unfazed. "Shove it up your ass, Puck."

"I heard about that, actually. They were giving a special about it on that channel that talks about unsolved murders, last week." Artie nodded. "He's telling the truth."

"Then you shove it up your ass, too."

"I don't wanna die." Brittany said, frightened.

"Jesus, we're not gonna die. Puck made it up." Santana sighed. "Now, does anyone want these beans or what?"

The rest of their makeshift dinner was eaten in silence, with the couples snuggling up close to each other for comfort or warmth, or both. Rachel could tell the others were actually scared of what Puck said, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't, but that wasn't something she needed to think about right now.

What she needed to think about was where Quinn Fabray would be sleeping.

So the chart looked like this: Mike, Tina, Brittany, and Santana. She figured if she'd put all the couples in one tent, it would get rid of any kind of separation. Also, she knew Santana wouldn't want to be in a tent with Finn and Puck. The second tent would have Artie, Finn, Puck, and… well, there was the problem. There were three girls left, and then another couple. Rachel thought maybe she should just stick Kurt and Blaine in the couple tent, but Santana would complain more than she wanted to handle right now, so she couldn't do that. So, of course, she could stick Kurt and Blaine in with the boys, and although they wouldn't say anything against it, they would be semi-uncomfortable. They would. She knew they would. But if she stuck Mercedes in there… well, maybe that could work. Rachel sure as hell didn't want to sleep in there, considering she's dated two of them, and she was sure Quinn felt the same way. Mercedes dated Puck for a while, but he's been nothing but respectful since, so he seems over it. He still hits on her and Quinn all the time though.

But then that would leave Quinn with Kurt, Blaine and herself. Which was something else she didn't exactly want…

After what had happened between them (and Quinn's reluctance to just talk about it) Rachel wasn't sure if she could handle being in such a close proximity to her. See, if Quinn would just discuss what occurred, Rachel could feel some type of closure, or at least, understand what the hell happened.

"Okay, I've had enough." Quinn said, sitting down beside her. Rachel almost jumped back.

"What?"

"You've been staring at me this entire time, and I'm getting uncomfortable."

"Oh. I was just… well, thinking. Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." Rachel said. "I was just… formulating where would be the appropriate place for you to sleep."

"Well, why didn't you just ask me?"

"That's hardly fair, Quinn. No one else got a say in where they're sleeping, why should you?"

"Technically, Berry, you're making the list, which means it somehow benefits you."

"How dare you accuse me of being biased? I'm being completely fair."

"Really? So, let's hear it then." Santana said, walking over to them. "Oi! Listen up! Berry's gonna give us the rundown."

Rachel cleared her throat. "Thank you, Santana. Well, then, Mike and Tina, and Brittany and Santana are sleeping in that tent." Rachel said, pointing to the ten farthest from the campsite. "Mike will be starting watch at precisely one a.m."

"Watch?" Mike asked.

"Someone has to watch for bears, Mike." Rachel said, matter-of-factly. "Or, you know… serial killer ghosts."

"You can't be serious." Kurt said.

"Yeah," Brittany nodded. "There aren't any bears in Pennsylvania. Geez, Rachel."

"If I may continue," Rachel shot them a glance. "Artie, Puck, Finn and… Mercedes with be sleeping in-"

"Aw hell no!" Mercedes interjected.

"Look, it makes perfect sense-" Rachel said, standing up.

"How does that make sense? Why don't you just split it up? Boys with boys and girls with girls."

"Firstly, there're only three tents, which means somehow, girls with be meshed with boys."

"But you could split it; two boys two girls." Quinn said.

"Secondly," Rachel continued. "Can you honestly say that you won't be sneaking into each other's tents to check if your significant other is okay? Santana will be worried about Brittany, and Mike and Tina wouldn't probably even sleep if they were separated. You're all bound to each other at the hip."

"Yeah, you're all 'in love', and crap. It's gross." Puck commented.

"So put Blaine and Kurt with Mike, Tina, Brittany, and Santana." Finn said.

"Hell no, Berry, that's way too many people for one tent." Santana said.

"That's why I won't do that. Four per tent." Rachel said. "Mercedes, it's the right choice."

"I don't like it."

"I know." Rachel nodded. "But, if by some bad stroke of luck, or another, and we're here another night, I'll switch with you. Fair?"

Mercedes shrugged. "I suppose so."

"So, that leaves Blaine, and I, and you and Quinn in this tent?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, but…" Rachel said.

"But?"

"But…"

"When do I have to watch?" Quinn asked.

Rachel looked at her. "I- I didn't put you down for watch tonight."

"So, do it."

"Oh, I don't think-"

"I don't sleep very much anyways."

"Am I down for watch?" Puck asked.

"Yes, after Blaine at three."

"Can I switch with Quinn?"

"Puck! You're more than capable of-"

"No, that's a good idea." Quinn nodded. "Switch me with him."

"Fine." Rachel huffed. "I'm first on watch, which started fifteen minutes ago. We should all get some sleep."


"Hey, Berry."

"Quinn? You should be asleep. You only have three hours of rest before it's your turn, and then another two when you're done with you shift, which is only a mere five hours; nowhere near the required amount of-"

"I'm not tired. I don't fall asleep until around three, anyway."

"I see."

"I figured you might need some company, you know, in case the serial killer ghost appears."

"Very funny, Quinn. That isn't something to joke about, I'll have you know."

"So, you do believe it?"

"Maybe."

"Puck is an ass, Berry. He did it because he wanted us to be spooked out. There isn't-"

There was a large gust of wind that rattled the trees, and almost knocked Rachel's beret off her head. She looked at Quinn.

"You're upsetting the spirits." She said, stone-faced.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "It's just wind. It doesn't-"

"Please, refrain from denying the ghosts' existence. It only makes them angry, and then you're the first one to die."

"This isn't some bad horror flick."

"It certainly looks like one."

Quinn smiled and turned away to look at the fire.

"Are you going to let your hair grow out again?" Rachel asked, uncomfortable with the silence.

Quinn shrugged. "Maybe a little longer than this, but… no, not back to the way it was before."

"What about the color? It's going away."

"Well, I didn't exactly bring my pink dye with me on the trip."

"So… you want to keep it pink, then?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Quinn?"

"Hm?"

"What would have happened if we didn't stop?"

Quinn shifted uncomfortably. "Nothing. I would have stopped, eventually."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." Quinn snapped. "I did." She looked away again. "Look, I don't want to talk about this."

"All those things you said; did you mean them?"

"I said I don't want to talk about this."

"If you meant them, Quinn, it's something we can discuss. If something is happening between us, if- if you have any feelings-"

"I'm going to bed." Quinn stood up.

"O-okay, um," Rachel turned to watch her disappear into the tent. "…goodnight, Quinn."

Quinn froze at the entrance. "Yeah. Goodnight."