Moonlight shone through the thin gossamer curtains of the bedroom, giving the room a calming and serene feel. However, as peaceful and perfect as the night seemed, Blaine Anderson was restless. He lay awake in the dark with the sheets pooled at his hips, and Kurt sleeping soundly on his chest. Blaine craned his neck, trying to see the time on the alarm clock without disturbing Kurt. The LED display on the clock shone in an angry red, practically yelling the time: 1:42 a.m. Blaine sighed, letting his head fall back onto the pillow. He closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep. After a while, Blaine reopened his eyes and checked the clock again: 1:53 a.m. Blaine groaned irritably, angry at himself for not being able to relax. Kurt stirred at the sound of Blaine's voice, snuffling in his sleep and drawing Blaine closer. Despite his frustration, Blaine smiled a little at the sheer adorableness that was an asleep Kurt Hummel. He gently rubbed Kurt's back and placed a kiss at his hair line.
"Mmm…Blaine," Kurt murmured softly before his breathing once again became heavy with sleep.
At least one of us can rest, Blaine thought. Something was definitely wrong. Blaine just couldn't put his finger on it. Trying not to wake his lover, Blaine got up from the bed, and silently put on the clothes that had been thrown haphazardly around the room in a fit of passion. He finished buttoning his shirt, and made his way back to Kurt. Blaine desperately wanted to linger there. He wanted to be there with Kurt when he woke up in the morning, but that wasn't possible. Looking at his sleeping form, Blaine placed a final kiss on Kurt's lips and left the room. Blaine looked around the suite, giving a quick wistful glance back at the bedroom door before exiting to the hallway.
Blaine took the elevator back to his hallway, briskly entered his room, and immediately went to the window. He unlocked the door leading to the balcony and stepped out into the cool crisp air. He looked along the exterior of the building, trying to see any open windows or anything that seemed out of the ordinary. Nothing looked off or out of place. All the rooms Blaine could see were dark and the windows closed. Blaine returned to his room and locked the balcony door just as he heard the smallest of thumps from above. Blaine urgently ran back outside and peered towards the rooftop of the hotel. Seeing nothing once more, Blaine went back inside and closed the door yet again. He headed to his room to attempt sleep when the hallway door opened wide. Blaine instantly recognized the silhouette against the bright light in the hall and smiled warmly.
"Hi Kurt. I'm sorry I left. I was just feeling a little antsy and I didn't want to disturb you. Trust me, I would have loved to stay there all night with you," Blaine explained. Kurt didn't answer, nor did he move from his place in the door frame. Blaine could tell from Kurt's stance that he was upset. Blaine's smile quickly dissipated.
"Kurt? Is everything alright?" Blaine asked worriedly.
"Give them back," Kurt said coldly. Blaine squinted his eyes in confusion.
"Give what back Kurt? What do you mean?" he inquired.
"Rachel's jewels. Give them back, I know you have them," Kurt hissed. Blaine's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly approached Kurt to console him.
"Kurt, I don't have them. Did someone take them just now?" Blaine asked.
"Yes, someone just took them and I'm looking right at him!" Kurt exclaimed. He pushed past Blaine and immediately started rummaging through his luggage. Blaine went over and gently pulled on Kurt's arm.
"C'mon Kurt, stop looking through my stuff," Blaine said softly. Kurt yanked his arm out of Blaine's grip.
"Don't touch me," Kurt snapped, his eyes never leaving Blaine's belongings. Blaine recoiled at Kurt's harsh words, his eyes starting to prickle with angry tears.
"It's funny Kurt, I seem to recall you begging for my touch only a few hours ago," he spat. Kurt whirled around and silenced Blaine with a brutal slap across the face. Blaine cried out in pain and clutched the stinging mark on his skin. He looked up at Kurt, and saw nothing but pure rage and heartbreak.
"Do not, say anything like that to me ever again. I have never felt more cheap and worthless than I do right now. You…you used me Blaine," Kurt said brokenly. "I just want to know why, why you would do something like this."
"Kurt, I promise you, I didn't do this. I didn't take them." Blaine pleaded.
"Bullshit," Kurt muttered. Blaine let out a frustrating yell.
"I can't believe you don't trust me. I thought you had more faith in me than this. I thought we meant something to each other. You certainly mean something to me," Blaine mumbled the last part sadly. Kurt laughed humorlessly.
"You mean nothing to me," Kurt said bitterly, his back facing Blaine, effectively hiding the tears streaming down his face. Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep breath to keep from crying. He opened them and stared at Kurt, his eyes full of hate.
"Go ahead Kurt, search this room all you want. You won't find anything here though, except your insufferable pride," Blaine seethed. He left the room, slamming the door behind him, unable to hear the soft sounds of Kurt crying.
Blaine stormed through the hallway on his way to Rachel's room. He made it all the way inside the elevator before completely falling apart. Hot, angry tears sprang from his eyes as he cried uncontrollably, loud ugly sobs wracking through his small frame. The doors opened and Blaine tried his best to pull himself together. He wiped his tears on his sleeve and walked to Rachel's room, knowing he still had a red nose and puffy eyes. He had always been an unattractive crier. He was surprised to see Rachel's door open wide. Blaine cautiously poked his head inside.
"Hello? Rachel?" he called.
"Matthew? Is that you?" Rachel asked from her bedroom.
"Yeah it's me. Kurt told me you've been robbed," Blaine answered. Rachel appeared from her room and gave Blaine a brief hug. Blaine relished in the embrace, pretending for a brief moment that he was in someone else's arms before pulling away. Rachel frowned a little at Blaine's tear-streaked face but decided not to pry.
"Yeah, it did. I just noticed a few minutes ago. All of my jewelry has been stolen," Rachel replied before her face furrowed in confusion.
"But wait, where is Kurt? I'm surprised he didn't show up here with you," she said. Blaine sighed a little.
"No, he's down a floor, looking in my room," he responded.
"Why the heck would Kurt be searching your room? He said he knew where my jewels were," Rachel remarked. Blaine laughed darkly.
"Well, the answer's kind of obvious isn't it? He thinks I have them," he said grimly. "Do you mind if I search your bedroom for a few minutes?"
"Don't you think we should call the police or something like that?" she retorted. Blaine hesitated a second before answering.
"I'd like to take a look first if that's okay with you," he insisted. Rachel shrugged.
"Sure, I don't have any problem with that. In fact, if I can be perfectly honest with you, I'm glad to be rid of them," Rachel whispered. Blaine looked at her in surprise.
"You can't be serious Rachel," Blaine reasoned. Rachel smiled a little.
"But I am! It was getting to be so tiring taking them everywhere. It's much more exciting having them stolen from me. Now I get to solve a mystery! Well, the police do, but I can still be involved!" Rachel babbled happily as she followed Blaine into the bedroom.
"I guess as long as Finn pays you for the jewels, no harm done huh?" Blaine surmised. Rachel's face fell.
"Oh no, Finn. He could lose his job for this couldn't he? Oh, now I feel horrible," Rachel said sadly, placing her head in her hands.
"I wouldn't worry about Finn. He might be put on a short leash, but he won't be fired," Blaine replied as he looked carefully at Rachel's things. He saw no sign of entry. All the windows were locked, and other than the missing jewels, nothing else was disturbed. Blaine then grimaced as he noticed the yellow feather carefully placed on Rachel's nightstand. This was definitely the new Warbler's doing. Perfect.
"Wait Matthew, there's something I don't quite understand," Rachel began.
"What's that?" Blaine asked.
"It's just…why on Earth does Kurt think you have my gems? You, a simple coffee man," Rachel wondered aloud. Blaine stopped his investigation and sighed. He supposed it was time for him to come clean.
"It's because my name isn't Matthew. It's Blaine, Blaine Anderson, and I was a jewel thief many years ago," he confessed. He turned around and saw Rachel wearing a look of joy on her face. Blaine was confused to say the least.
"Well, isn't that just the coolest thing! To think, I'm friends with a jewel thief!" Rachel exclaimed.
"Former jewel thief," Blaine corrected.
"Former jewel thief," Rachel echoed. "So who took my jewelry? Do you know?" she asked. Blaine shook his head no.
"All I know is that I'm being framed for these crimes and the new Warbler wants me out of town. Either that or in jail," he muttered. Rachel looked at Blaine sympathetically.
"Well, maybe you'll find some fingerprints or something," Rachel suggested helpfully. Blaine shook his head again.
"No, the thief wouldn't leave any prints. I never did," Blaine replied. Rachel nodded in understanding. She suddenly smiled smugly at Blaine.
"Kurt must have had you figured out all along," she said slyly.
"He guessed today. He was quite pleased with himself," Blaine replied a little tightly. Rachel laughed.
"I wouldn't doubt it. I know Kurt seems very reserved, but he can be very passionate when he wants to be," Rachel declared. Blaine turned his head, divided by tears and smiles.
"Yeah, I've found that out about him," he mumbled. Rachel frowned at Blaine's melancholy and was about to ask him about it when Kurt walked into the room. Kurt's mouth opened in shock at seeing Blaine before his entire face turned into a mask of cool indifference.
"Rachel, don't say anything to him," Kurt ordered. Rachel scoffed and looked at Kurt skeptically.
"Or what Kurt? What are you going to do? Ground me?" Rachel said sarcastically. Kurt simply glared.
"You don't know who he really is Rachel, he's-"
"Blaine Anderson, a former jewel thief, and in my opinion, one of the best men I've had the pleasure of knowing," Rachel said.
"Oh please Rachel, don't be an idiot. He's the one who took your jewels!" Kurt snapped, glowering at Blaine.
"Really? Somehow I find that hard to believe. Where's your proof?" Rachel asked pointedly. Kurt smiled triumphantly.
"You want evidence? I can give you evidence. While looking through Blaine's clothes, I noticed every single item had a French label in it. Kind of odd for an American to have strictly French clothing isn't it? And while I rummaged through his luggage, I discovered his real estate list. Just as I thought, it's a list of all the people in the area that have jewels worth taking. And guess what Rachel, we're on it," Kurt replied, pulling out the green list. Blaine approached Kurt and snatched the list from his hands, tucking it in his pocket for safekeeping.
"I'll take that, thank you," he growled before hearing a slight thump. The same thump he heard when he was in his own room. Blaine darted toward the source of the sound and smiled when he saw a small cabinet that led to the air shaft.
"I've found where the thief entered your room: to and from this air shaft. It's quite a small fit. I hate to admit it, but it really is a perfect entering point," Blaine sighed before closing the cabinet doors. Kurt scoffed.
"Stop coming up with wild ideas Blaine, we both know how you got in here and it was through the door that connects Rachel's room to mine," he hissed. Rachel frowned in confusion.
"But why would Blaine be in your room in the first place Kurt? That doesn't make any-" Rachel's eyes widened in comprehension as she watched both men turn red.
"Oh my god!" she squealed. She smiled a megawatt smile which quickly changed into a look of annoyance.
"Kurt!" she scolded, "How on earth could you think Blaine would do this? He obviously cares about us, you more than me," she added. Kurt rolled his eyes.
"We don't mean anything to him Rachel. We're just obstacles that stand in the way of what he really wants," he stressed.
"Really?" Rachel asked skeptically. "Alright then Kurt, I have two questions for you. One: Blaine obviously doesn't have the jewels now, so where are they?"
Kurt thought a moment before answering, "He must have given them to his accomplice."
Blaine cleared his throat to speak.
"Could I-?" he started to say.
"Shh!" Kurt and Rachel replied, simultaneously cutting Blaine off, before continuing their debate.
"Okay Kurt, question two: if he's already gotten the jewels, what is he doing here now?" Rachel asked.
"Returning to the scene of the crime," Kurt answered simply. Blaine snorted, earning Kurt's attention.
"Find something funny Blaine?" Kurt questioned coldly.
"Actually, yes. I think it's hilarious that so many people believe thieves do that. How dumb do they think we are?" Blaine replied calmly. Kurt just smirked.
"Well, obviously some thieves still do it because here you are. By the way, I phoned the police from your room and I told them all about who you really are and everything that you did tonight," Kurt sniffed. Blaine looked at him in surprise.
"Everything? Oh that poor fellow who answered the phone. I'm sure you scarred him for life," Blaine mused as Kurt blushed bright red again. Rachel giggled and gave Blaine a small thumbs-up.
"Rachel, stop encouraging him!" Kurt snapped as he sat down in a chair across from Rachel's bed. "See, this is why I always have to look after you, to make sure men like him stay away from you!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah well, next time let me run my own life okay? Seems to me like it's the blockers that get to have all the fun," Rachel pouted as she eyed the small bruise on Kurt's neck.
"I can't believe you're taking his side," Kurt muttered, staring at Blaine with distaste. Blaine swallowed hard at Kurt's glare, then looked away to hide his sorrowful expression.
"And I can't believe you aren't. I thought you were kinder than this Kurt. Blaine's heart is obviously breaking right in front of you and you don't even give a shit," Rachel chided, clearly disappointed in her best friend.
"Well, now what? Where do we go from here?" she asked sadly. At that moment a sharp knock sounded at the door in the sitting area. Kurt stood up from the chair and brushed himself off.
"To prison," Kurt answered briskly and went to the hallway door. Kurt returned to the room with four policemen, to find Rachel sitting up in her bed with a journal in her hand and no Blaine Anderson in sight.
"Why, hello officers! Is something the matter?" Rachel questioned innocently.
"Oh, cut it out Rachel. Where is he?" Kurt asked impatiently.
"Where is who, Kurt?" she inquired.
"Blaine Anderson," one of the officers replied as they all swept the room, looking for the man in question.
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I was just about to do some journaling when you all came rushing in here," Rachel explained. Kurt took a closer look at Rachel's journal.
"Rachel, you're journaling with red lip-liner," Kurt deadpanned.
"Really? Oh yeah, I guess I am. I couldn't find a pen, isn't that silly? Well anyway, Kurt, as you can see there's nobody in my room so you can all just leave now," Rachel said cheerily. The men finished their search and begrudgingly left the room. Kurt left right behind them, casting one final glance around the room and a final glare in Rachel's direction before closing the door shut. Rachel jumped out of bed and went to the open bedroom window, looking along the rooftops.
"I sure hope that was enough time Blaine," she whispered into the darkness.
XXX
"Rachel, you're journaling with red lip-liner."
Blaine laughed quietly at Rachel's quick thinking from his perch on the rooftop of the Vertaine. He certainly owed her one for helping him out of this situation. Of course, Blaine couldn't pay back any favors he owed if he was caught now. Blaine snuck toward the other end of the rooftop and skillfully leaped across to the adjacent building. He paused, taking a deep breath to smell the crisp night air. Even after all these years, Blaine still felt at home on the rooftops.
His eyes swept his new surroundings, trying to determine his next move. He spotted the building's fire escape and approached it quietly. He quickly climbed halfway down the rickety structure before jumping off onto the next roof. Blaine turned around and gave one last look at the Vertaine. From where he was standing, Blaine could clearly see Rachel looking out her window. He saw her mutter something, but Blaine was horrible at reading lips. He turned to go, but some movement he caught from the corner of his eye caused him to stop. Blaine watched with a heavy heart as Kurt Hummel emerged onto the balcony outside his room. He had a drink in his hand which Blaine watched him down in one gulp.
So much for not needing to drink tonight, Blaine thought sadly. Blaine finally turned around, unable to stare at Kurt without feeling a sick sense of betrayal. He then made his way toward the rooftop's side, stealthily shimmied down the drain pipe and disappeared into the night. What Blaine failed to see was Kurt throwing his glass down in a rage and collapsing onto the railing, his shoulders shaking with sobs, as the broken remains of the glass reflected the state of both of their hearts.
XXX
Kurt Hummel woke up from the worst night of his life with the worst hangover he'd ever had. He slowly opened his eyes only to close them again after finding out that the excruciating sunlight only caused his head to throb. He managed to make it to the bathroom with his eyes shut before he finally had to open them again. He groaned when he saw his reflection. His eyes were puffy and swollen from crying himself to sleep and his face was still flushed from the amount of alcohol he consumed after Blaine disappeared. He scowled when he noticed the dark bruise on his neck, an ugly reminder of Blaine that he couldn't simply wash away. Kurt sniffed as he remembered the moment when he woke up alone to the sound of Rachel's shrieks. Blaine never cared for either of them; he only wanted Rachel's jewels. Kurt was just a bonus prize that he couldn't pass up.
"God, you're an idiot," Kurt muttered angrily at his reflection.
The bathroom lights only intensified Kurt's headache and Kurt rubbed his temples to try to stop the pain. He needed coffee…or a cold shower…or a cold coffee shower. Whatever worked. Kurt decided he wasn't fully awake enough yet to try a shower so he shuffled out of the bathroom and to the door that led to Rachel's room with the hopes that Rachel had already brewed come coffee. He tried the door handle, only to find that it was locked. Kurt frowned. Rachel never locked this door. Kurt knocked lightly, but received no response from Rachel. He knocked a little louder.
"Who is it?" Rachel called. Kurt stared at the door in disbelief.
"Rachel! Who the hell else could it be? This is the door that connects our rooms!" Kurt yelled. There was a pause before Rachel responded.
"I'm sorry Kurt, but I cannot let you in at the moment. I'm too upset with how you acted last night," she said swiftly. Kurt replied by giving the door a brutal kick and letting out a scream of frustration, which didn't help his headache one bit. He leaned against the wall and slowly slid down until he was sitting on the floor with his forehead resting on his knees. It wasn't long until the tears that Kurt thought he had run out of last night came back. Kurt heard the door unlock, but he didn't look up, not even when he heard it open. Rachel kneeled down in front of him, a look of concern etched across her face.
"Kurt?" she asked timidly, gently grabbing one of his hands. Kurt lifted his head and stared at Rachel with a miserable expression.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Kurt shook his head.
"Not really, no" he whispered in a way that made Rachel's heart ache. She gave him a small hug and stood up to leave.
"Do you at least want some coffee?" she offered. Kurt nodded. Rachel smiled sadly and left to get some. She returned quickly and gave Kurt a full coffee mug. Kurt accepted it immediately and drank it greedily. He finished the cup in a few seconds and leaned his head back against the wall with a sigh.
"Kurt," Rachel began. "Don't you think that, maybe, you were a bit too harsh with Blaine last night?" she suggested. Kurt snorted.
"No Rachel, I really don't. He played us both. Don't you see that? I mean, you didn't even know his real name until he had no choice but to tell you. We didn't mean anything to him," Kurt said bitterly.
"I don't know about that Kurt. Blaine seemed extremely upset last night and I don't think he was acting. And trust me, I know when someone is acting," Rachel finished.
"He played us both for fools," Kurt replied sorrowfully.
"Kurt, they were my jewels. I don't care that they were stolen. I'm sure Blaine didn't do it, but why should you care if he stole them anyway?" Rachel asked.
"Because he didn't just take your jewels Rachel," Kurt whispered brokenly. Rachel immediately enveloped Kurt into another hug and held him tightly.
"Oh Kurt, I'm so sorry. I should have noticed how upset you were last night and been there for you," she said, berating herself.
"S'okay," Kurt mumbled into Rachel's shirt.
"No, no it's not," she sighed, still holding Kurt as he stained her blouse with tears. Rachel looked toward the windows and hoped that wherever Blaine was, he would clear his name and eventually come back to the man whose heart he had stolen.
XXX
Police commissioner Louis Dujardin hated noise. Absolutely abhorred it. In fact, his favorite part about being commissioner was not the pay or being in charge. No, the best part about being commissioner was his quiet office, with a nice and very useful door. However, not even his office could cancel out the chaos that was currently happening at the station. And all this bedlam revolved around one person: Blaine Anderson. He had disappeared after he pulled the Berry heist and hadn't been seen for two days. Well, he hadn't been seen officially. All day the phones had been ringing with people who called in to say that they had spotted the thief, and every single person had called from a completely different part of the Riviera. Needless to say, the commissioner was frustrated. He tried to block out the sound of the phones and get back to writing the statement he was going to release to the press. After about five minutes, he finally gave up trying to get any work done and grouchily marched out of his office.
"May I have everyone's attention please?" he called, his voice towering over all the noise. Every officer stopped and looked at their boss.
"Alright, so I know that it's been hectic these past couple of days and I just want to thank you all for bring so focused on this case in addition to the other cases you are working on. That is why I'm making our number one priority catching Blaine Anderson. I need half of you guys manning the phones and recording possible leads. I need the other half out on the streets and asking civilians if they've seen him. If we don't catch him in the next 72 hours, we may as well give up. I highly doubt he's planning on sticking around for very much longer," the commissioner finished. The officers then returned to work, with most of them leaving the station in hopes of catching the criminal themselves. The commissioner sighed and went back to his office. Wherever this guy was, he hoped his officers would nab him and quick. If there was anything the commissioner hated, it was an unsolved case, and he was determined to close the Warbler case and put the perpetrator behind bars.
XXX
Business was bad.
Will Schuester blamed it on the constant police presence and the fact that very few customers came to dine other than his regulars. Will knew the cause of his problem; and that "cause" happened to be missing for three days. Will swore, as yet another police officer entered his restaurant. How many times did they have to show up until they realized Will wasn't hiding Blaine in the pantry? Will begrudgingly left his office to greet the man.
"Hello sir, what can I do for you today?" Will questioned, shaking the officer's hand.
"Hello Mr. Schuester, I'm sure you know why I'm here. Has Blaine Anderson turned up lately?" the man asked. Will scowled.
"Not since you guys came in around ten minutes ago," Will replied sharply.
"Look Mr. Schuester, we know you helped him escape a couple of days ago. That's enough for us to pop in once in a while. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check your kitchen and maybe interrogate a few of your employees," the officer said gruffly. He pushed past Will and looked in every nook and cranny of the kitchen. Seeing no sign of Blaine, the man huffed angrily and walked back to Will.
"Find anything?" Will smirked. The man shook his head.
"Not now, but don't think we won't be back," the officer declared before exiting the restaurant.
"Oh, I wouldn't dare," Will muttered under his breath. He went back into his office to try to determine how long his business could last with Blaine Anderson at large.
XXX
"Oh, for the love of God!" Santana shouted as the doorbell rang for the third time this morning. She marched over to the front door and flung it open, surprising the two young officers that stood outside.
"What?" she snapped, causing both men to flinch.
"Erm, a-are you Miss Lopez?" one of them asked timidly. Santana quirked an eyebrow and said nothing in response.
"O-okay well…if you are, we're just here to see if we can come inside and ask you about-" the same man continued before Santana held up a hand to silence him.
"Let me guess, you're here to ask me about Blaine, right? Well, let me answer all of your questions with this statement: I don't know where Blaine is, I haven't known for four days. No, he hasn't called me, and no, he hasn't shown up at all. Now I realize saying all of this is pointless considering you're just going to show up again in about two hours, but what can I say, I'm a generous person. Now, I know you don't have a search warrant or any proof that he's here, so if you could kindly get off this porch before I use up all of my hospitality and decide to remove you from the premises myself, I'd greatly appreciate it," Santana said cheerily, the fake smile on her face clearly stating she meant business. The men paled and shifted uncomfortably at Santana's warning.
"Okay ma'am, we'll go. Just make sure you call the police if he turns up," the other officer ordered.
"Don't worry, you'll be the first to know," Santana assured them before slamming the door in their faces. She went to the window and warily watched them return to their car and drive away. Santana let out a breath in relief, glad she was able to scare those particular officers away. She doubted she was going to be this lucky next time. She walked over to the kitchen and began unpacking the groceries she had just set down before she had been rudely interrupted. As she was removing the bag's contents she noticed a slip of paper attached to the second bag. She delicately removed the note and read it.
Blaine, stay away from the Jones residence tonight.
It's my night to perform, not yours.
Santana dropped the note in surprise. Who had attached this note? It hadn't been there when she left the kitchen to answer the door. Whoever left that note must have snuck in the house in that short amount of time. The question was: who?
At that moment Santana heard a rustle coming from the living room. She frantically looked for anything she could use to defend herself. She picked up the small frying pan that had been in the sink. Santana tiptoed through the kitchen and cautiously poked her head into the living room.
"Hello?" she called out. She received no response.
"Well Santana, what did you expect? For the crazy dangerous intruder to suddenly jump out and introduce himself?" she muttered to herself. She stepped into the living room and noticed the door to Blaine's room on the second floor was slightly ajar. Santana frowned. She definitely remembered closing that door before she left this morning. She slowly made her way up the stairs and grasped the doorknob. She exhaled slowly and swung the door open, raising the frying pan with full intent of using it.
"No, Santana! It's me!" a familiar voice panicked. Santana gasped in surprise and instantly dropped the frying pan.
"Blaine!" she exclaimed before enveloping him into a tight hug. She eventually pulled away, but not before giving him a sharp smack on the head.
"Ow! What was that for?" he complained.
"That was for not letting me know that you've been alright these past four days. I've been worried sick about you Blaine! It's been terrifying reading the papers and wondering if your death is going to be the top story!" Santana yelled. Blaine smiled at Santana's concern and hugged her again.
"It's good to see you too Tana," Blaine said. Santana chuckled at her friend before remembering why she had entered Blaine's room in the first place.
"Wait, so was it you who was making those noises I heard earlier?" she wondered aloud. Blaine's cheery face changed into a more serious one.
"So you heard that noise too huh? Glad it wasn't just me," he said.
"Blaine, do you think someone was in the house?" Santana asked. Blaine nodded before exiting his room.
"Whoever it was must've escaped through my bedroom window. Has anything been taken?" Blaine inquired.
"No, not that I've noticed," Santana answered. Both surveyed the rest of the house and found everything accounted for. Blaine huffed in frustration.
"Did they leave anything?" he asked. Santana thought a moment before snapping her fingers.
"Actually, yeah. I found this note attached to one of the grocery bags. C'mon, it's on the kitchen floor," Santana said urgently. The two quickly made their way to the kitchen. Santana picked up the note and handed it to Blaine, who read it thoroughly.
"This is very interesting," Blaine mused, before pocketing the note.
"Well? Are you gonna tell me what it's about?" Santana wondered.
"I'm afraid I can't Santana, but can you do me a favor? Call Finn and arrange a meeting between the two of us, maybe we can meet on the Swift? That would probably be best," Blaine remarked.
"Blaine, I'm not doing anything until you let me know what happened at the Vertaine," Santana stated. Blaine sighed and bowed his head.
"That's not something I really want to talk about Santana," he said.
"It may not be something you want to talk about, but it's something you should talk about. So spill," Santana ordered.
And Blaine did. He told her everything that had happened at the hotel, from the moment he met Rachel and Kurt, to Kurt figuring out who he really was, to finally ending with the theft of Rachel's gems and Kurt's accusations. He may have been a little vague on the events that led up to the theft, but Santana wasn't fooled.
"Come here," she demanded, holding her arms out. Blaine didn't hesitate to accept Santana's hug.
"I don't understand Santana, how could he not believe me?" he whimpered, his eyes beginning to tear up.
"I wish I could tell you Blaine, I really do," she whispered. She held him for the longest time, allowing Blaine to let out his sorrow. They eventually broke apart and Blaine laughed a little as he wiped his eyes.
"I'm sure this is exactly what you were expecting when you woke up this morning," Blaine joked. Santana laughed lightly and gave Blaine a playful shove.
"No, not exactly. But I've never been a fan of routine, and neither have you," she teased fondly. Blaine laughed a little, a bit happier after talking to his best friend.
"Soo, can you make that telephone call for me or what?" Blaine asked.
"Sure thing Boss, when do you want to meet the clueless wonder?" Santana inquired.
"In a few hours if that's possible, and don't forget: have him meet me at the Swift," Blaine ordered. Santana nodded in understanding.
"Gotcha. You'd better go now Blaine, I would say you have about half an hour before the next round of policemen show up," she warned. Blaine nodded and gave Santana a friendly peck on the cheek and dashed toward the back door.
"Thanks Santana, I owe you one!" he called out before exiting his home.
"You say that a lot, you know that?" she replied loudly. Santana then headed toward the telephone to make an important call. Little did she know how important it really was.
XXX
Finn stood awkwardly at the end of one of the many many docks of the Riviera, waiting for Blaine to show up. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other while looking at every passerby to see if he recognized a familiar face. No such luck. Finn sighed and checked his watch. Blaine was twelve minutes late. This worried Finn. Blaine was nothing but punctual, and for him to miss a meeting that Blaine himself requested would be very unlike him. At that moment, Finn heard a cough from behind. He turned around to see Blaine standing on the deck of a small sailboat. Finn's eyes widened in surprise. How on Earth had Finn missed a sailboat pulling into the dock? He gazed at the pearly white boat with the word Swift painted on in a brilliant red.
"So this is what you meant by meeting on the Swift. I was really confused until Santana told me to just wait here on this dock," Finn said.
"Yeah, sorry for being a little vague. Couldn't afford to say exactly where I was going to be," Blaine explained.
"I understand man. I'm just glad you're all right. I never really believed you pulled off that heist," Finn stated as he stepped onto the boat and gave Blaine a friendly slap on the back.
"Thanks Finn, I really appreciate it. So umm…" Blaine paused and took a deep breath. "How's Rachel doing?" he inquired, not really asking the question he wanted to. To Blaine's surprise, Finn started chuckling.
"Rachel's just fine, Blaine. She's loving all the publicity this theft is getting her. Plus, she gets even more attention since she's saying that she doesn't believe you did it. She sure is something else," Finn finished with a grin. Blaine laughed, easily able to picture Rachel gladly giving statements to countless reporters.
"Kurt's been better though," Finn said suddenly, causing Blaine to look at Finn in surprise.
"W-what makes you say that?" Blaine stammered.
"C'mon Blaine, I'm not an idiot. I know you're dying to ask about him," Finn remarked. Blaine sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Finn frowned, concerned by Blaine's melancholy behavior.
"Listen man, I believe you. I really do, but I can't imagine waking up with you nowhere in sight and discovering Rachel had been robbed like Kurt did. You really hurt him dude. And I know you're going to say that he hurt you too, and I'm not saying he didn't. All I'm saying is that both of you may have to swallow your pride and apologize, even if it's not anyone's fault," Finn finished. Blaine pursed his lips and eventually spoke up.
"Did you give Kurt that same speech?" Blaine questioned. Finn nodded and Blaine asked the second part of his question.
"And…how did he react?"
Finn laughed darkly.
"He "kindly" told me to get out of his room and to not bring you up ever again," Finn said. Blaine winced at Finn's words. There were a couple beats of silence before Blaine spoke up again.
"So I guess you're curious as to why I called you," he began.
"You could say that," Finn agreed.
"I need your help. For the past three nights, I've been watching this villa that was on the list you gave me," Blaine began.
"Yeah? And did you discover anything?" Finn asked urgently.
"Yes, I did. Someone else has been watching it too. I've never seen this person up close, only from a distance, but I just know it's the new Warbler," Blaine insisted.
"Has he spotted you during these nightly excursions?" Finn questioned.
"I wasn't sure until Santana gave me this note this morning," Blaine stated, handing Finn the note. Finn let out a low whistle as he read the threat.
"So what do you want me to do about this?" Finn asked.
"I want you to contact the police and set up a trap for whomever's threatening me. Naturally I can't speak to them," Blaine muttered.
"But Blaine, this note is obviously a trap in itself. I'm sure that whoever left it means to kill you," Finn cautioned. Blaine drew his mouth into a tight line.
"Well Finn, I'm afraid I don't have any other options," he muttered darkly. Finn sighed and squeezed his eyes shut.
"Okay Blaine, I'll try to set it up, but what if the police refuse to cooperate?"
"That's the one aspect I'm not worried about. The worst that can happen for them is they catch me. I don't think you'll have trouble convincing them," Blaine assured. Finn stepped off the boat and shook Blaine's hand.
"Be careful man. I'm counting on you to come out of this okay," Finn declared.
"Don't worry Finn, I have every intention of making the police catch the right guy this time," Blaine promised. Finn then left, leaving Blaine alone to figure out how he was going to catch his doppelganger in only a couple of hours.
XXX
Night fell much faster than Blaine anticipated, and before he knew it, he was positioned at the edge of the Jones's property, anticipating the Warbler's arrival. Sadly for Blaine, this only meant a lot of waiting. He glanced to his right from his position on the low property wall and looked down the cliff side upon which the estate was located. Blaine gulped at the distance to the ocean below. It wasn't that he was afraid of heights, because that wasn't true. No, it was more of a fear of falling to his death. Blaine looked away and refocused his attention on the house.
Silence filled Blaine's ears and he waited to hear any rustle that indicated the Warbler was here. For the longest time Blaine saw no movement or anything that indicated that anyone was going to show up. Just as he was about to call the whole thing off, he heard something stir from the left side of the gardens. Blaine stealthily jumped off the wall and snuck toward the source of the sound. When he got there, Blaine was disappointed to find nothing to suggest a person had just been there. He turned back around to resume watching the house.
Suddenly, Blaine felt a strong pair of arms around his neck, slowly trying to cut off his air supply. Blaine struggled against his attacker, squirming and kicking as he tried to escape. But it was no use; the aggressor easily overpowered him and Blaine felt his eyes begin to droop as he gasped for air. Another figure suddenly appeared next to his assailant, raising a rock to finish Blaine off. Blaine closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. However, instead of feeling a staggering pain in his skull, Blaine heard his attacker cry out and felt him loosen his grip around his neck. Blaine managed to scramble away and he watched as his attacker, clutching his head, stumbled backwards and tripped over the low-bearing wall, falling down the cliff and into the shallow water below.
At that moment, pandemonium struck and dozens upon dozens of police officers emerged from all parts of the grounds and dashed down the steps to identify the body. Blaine sat in the grass, taking in huge gulps of air so he wouldn't pass out. He noticed that the other attacker, the one who had unintentionally saved his life, was nowhere to be seen having escaped just before the police arrived.
When he finally felt strong enough, Blaine stood up and headed down the steps, pushing through the growing crowd in order to see the face of his would-be killer. Blaine gasped as he stared at the water and looked upon the lifeless face of Jesse St. James.
Hi guys! I know there was a slightly longer wait for this chapter. But, to make it up to you, this chapter was my longest yet! I'm sorry for making Kurt and Blaine angry at each other, it was a necessary evil I'm afraid. I also apologize for the cliffhanger, I just couldn't resist! Anyway, I love you all for reading and reviewing! Thank you so so so much!
Best Wishes, Vintage Vagabond
I still do not own Glee...
