I have internet for an hour so I've got time to upload this for you! Yay! Even more drama for you here. Enjoy!
No way. Tina.
This is going to kill Mike. He was fighting so hard I could feel the raw pain.
Will this never end? Tina? Really?
No. This can't be happening.
I don't understand.
That was so sudden. How did they even plan that? And get the apple to the right person?
I couldn't help but notice that Blaine passed her the apple… But it can't be Blaine. Can it?
I have to get them back to the cabin. Now!
Tina Tina Tina Tina Tina Tina Tina Tina
This is all my fault. I'm the worst teacher ever.
What?
But how could she die from that apple? Me and Rachel packed that bag. It was a normal apple.
But we didn't even get a fairy tale first.
Oh lovely. The exact person I wanted dead next. I was a little worried it might kill someone else by mistake. I shouldn't have been concerned. My plans are flawless.
…
Their thoughts were reeling as Mike was pulled back and they all stood frozen, staring at the body, at Mike, and at each other. It was awful to see Tina sprawled before them. Dead in a heartbeat from some unknown poison.
"Is there a fairytale?" Artie asked. "Something written by the killer."
Immediately those closest to bags began to search. It didn't take long for Mercedes to shout. "Here we go!"
She pulled out the strip of paper and unfolded it. Carefully she began to read
"Once Upon a Time there was a beautiful princess. Her skin was as white as snow, her hair as black as ebony, and her lips as red as blood. She was meek and mild and loved by all who lived in the Palace. All but one. Many things happened, leading to a defining moment in Snow White's life. This moment occurred one afternoon when she was in a cottage alone in the woods.
Snow White-"
But here, Mercedes' unsteady and tear-filled voice broke. She couldn't go on. So Santana knelt beside her and squeezed her shoulder before taking the paper.
"Snow White saw a person coming, but welcomed them as a friend. When they offered her a beautiful apple, she didn't hesitate to take it. But the moment the first bite of apple passed her rosy lips, she fell back as though she were dead...
Well, in your case she is dead. Don't get your hopes up or anything.
Good luck finding me, by the way. It has been interesting to watch your struggles. The attempt to trace the handwriting was cute. Just a reminder, don't trust anyone.
Until next time, xoxo, the killer."
Santana's voice began to shake as she read the direct message from the killer. But hers wasn't from withheld tears. It was from anger. She whipped her head up and glared collectively at the people around her.
"I hate you." She spat. They all flinched, though her eyes didn't rest on a particular person. "Whoever you are, I hate you."
There was a terse silence. Then Mike croaked "Tina," in a hoarse voice. Something about this spurred Emma into action. Again the side of her that had been trained for dealing with traumatised children leapt to the surface. She turned to Mike first. His heart-break meant he was the most venerable right now.
"Mike, stand up." She kept the commands simple and easy to follow, knowing Mike couldn't deal with much more right now.
"Look at us." He did as she said, looking stunned as he noticed the world around him. "We're going home."
"Tina?" He asked, looking back to his girlfriend.
"She'll be coming with Mr Schuester." Emma said. She shot a look at Will, who jumped at the sound of his name.
"Oh," He said. "Yes, I'll bring Tina."
"No," Mike said, seeming to come down to earth even more. "I'll bring Tina."
"Mike," Emma began, but there was a tenderness and determination in Mike's expression as he walked to kneel beside Tina again. Emma changed her mind mid-sentence. "Of course you can take her."
Mike carefully slid his strong arms under her body. He lifted her gently from the ground and cradled her against his chest. He looked like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold on their wedding night. He turned to the Glee Club.
"Let's go." He said steadily.
The Club shakily followed him and he started down the path. They carefully moved to form a perimeter around him and Tina, looking at them frequently. No one spoke. Mercedes, Kurt and Rachel each had a gentle hand on what parts of Tina they could reach.
…
When they arrived back at the cabin, all thoughts of climbing the mountain gone, people took seats in the main hall again. They sat numbly on couches. It was obvious now that their thoughts had turned away from Tina and on to the topic of the killer. Everyone's eyes darted around, quickly shifting away as they made eye contact with others.
Brittany was wrapped so tightly around Santana that you couldn't tell who the mass of arms and legs belonged to.
Rachel was in Finn's lap, his lips in her hair as his eyes followed hers with each turn of her head.
Mike's hands ran over the arms of the sofa and back again. Up and down. Up and down. Usually Tina's hand would reach out and still them, clasping his hands in her own. She wasn't there to do that anymore.
Kurt and Blaine were more subdued, but they were still close. Kurt's arm was around Blaine's shoulders, and Blaine's hand was on his leg. Every now and then they would look at each other and communicate with small twitches of their facial muscles or the tightening of their hands where they rested on each other.
Emma was sitting on the edge of her seat beside Will. He was running his hands though his hair as if he might rip it out.
Sam had wheeled Artie's chair in and now sat at his feet. Mercedes was beside Artie, holding his hand for support, and Sam leaned his head back to rest in on her knee.
Puck and Quinn shared a sofa. They were trying to look as if they didn't gravitate toward each other, but their arms still brushed and their knees touched. When a tear escaped Quinn and ran down her face, Puck reached to brush it away.
…
After a while people began to stand up and walk back and forth from the kitchen. Somehow they had reached dinner time. The walk down the mountain and the silent sitting in the Hall had lasted until 5.30. Though it was earlier than they would usually eat, most needed something to do. Quinn and Puck even cooked up some mince so people could make tacos and tortillas with the other ingredients they found in the cupboard.
After they ate they decided they wanted to go to bed early. Even if they just talked quietly and didn't sleep, they wanted to be in bed. They were just quite tired after the walk up the hill and the shock they had faced. Their bodies needed rest.
So people filed out their separate ways and went to their rooms, though Mercedes moved her things to Quinn and Rachel's room because she no longer had Tina to share with. Both Kurt and Brittany had to cross the main hall so that Brittany could go to the girls' bathroom and Kurt to the boys'.
…
Blaine had finished getting ready for bed, along with most of the other boys. He went back to his room and started digging through his bag for his book to read before bed. At the bottom of his bag, his finger brushed some crackly plastic.
Blaine was confused. He didn't remember packing anything plastic in his bag. He carefully pulled it out and found it was a large heavy shopping bag. After holding it in his hands for a moment Blaine still couldn't remember putting it in there at all. So Blaine opened it.
He couldn't quite make out what was inside.
Blaine pulled it out by its long wooden handle and stared at it. It was an axe. And not only that, but it was covered in dried blood.
Blaine turned it over in his hands. Why was there a blood stained axe in his bag? Blaine didn't have time to think on it before he was interrupted.
Suddenly the door clicked open and Brittany walked in.
"Hey Blaine are you-" She stopped without finishing her question the second she saw him with the axe.
Then she started screaming.
"Britt, it's okay. Please don't," Blaine said quickly. He tried to put the axe back into the bag and calm Brittany, but she just kept screaming and he was rather put off. As he fumbled with the bag, not wanting to touch the bloody end of the axe, more people were appearing in the doorway.
Santana was first, and she pulled Brittany back towards her at the sight of the axe in Blaine's hands. With a final shake of the bag he managed to get the axe inside. He raised his hands in a peaceful gesture and tried to step towards them.
"Don't even think about it." Santana growled. Behind her, Finn was standing numbly, staring at the bag. Someone else was trying to push through.
"What's happening?" People were asking in the hallway. Blaine noticed one voice above the others.
"Is Brittany okay? Is Blaine okay?" Kurt asked. He received no answer, so he yelled. "Blaine!"
"Kurt!" Blaine replied.
Then Kurt managed to shove through the barrier of their worried friends.
"Thank goodness you're not hurt!" Kurt gasped as soon as he saw Blaine. "You scared the life out of me, Blaine Anderson."
He tried to step towards him, but Santana's arm flew out and blocked his path.
"Don't go near him." She warned. Kurt's large blue eyes turned to meet Blaine's brown ones.
"What did he-" He started to ask.
"Blaine's been found with a murder weapon. I think it's the one that killed Sugar." Santana started to say. "It's the kind of thing he'd do, to add some irony to his bloody fairytale idea."
Kurt still looked confused.
"It's an axe." Santana elaborated. "Like the axe in Little Red Riding Hood. And since Sugar was hacked apart, I bet that's what he used."
"But Blaine isn't the killer." Kurt said, as if it was obvious. He tried to move toward Blaine again, but Santana jerked him backwards again.
"I think Kurt's right." Brittany said. Santana looked at her as if she were crazy.
"You found him with the axe, Brittany." Santana said. "You screamed the place down."
"Yes, because I was surprised. But Blaine knew I'd be back in the room soon. Why would he take out the axe? Maybe someone planted it on him." Brittany's logic actually made sense for once.
"What's going on?" It seemed Ms Pillsbury had arrived on the scene. Finn quickly moved back from the doorway, shoving Puck out of the way as well. Emma entered the room as Santana moved Kurt and Brittany inside; still holding them back from where Blaine stood as pressing them against the opposite wall.
Blaine looked like a lost puppy. His entire face was laced with pain and desperation. He was still holding the plastic bag.
"It wasn't me." He choked. "It wasn't, Ms Pillsbury, please."
"I'm not accusing you, Blaine." Emma said. She was looking warily at the bag in his hands. "Can you please hold that open?"
Blaine did as she asked.
"It's not mine." He whispered again as she peered inside. Emma saw the dried blood and had to squeeze her eyes shut to collect herself again.
"Everyone gather in the Main Hall. William, I know you're out there, so come in and stop being so cowardly." Emma finally said.
The Glee Club moved quickly through to the Hall and Mr Schue pushed past them to the room. Only Santana, Brittany, Kurt and Blaine remained inside with Emma. Mr Schue didn't particularly want to face the idea that they might have found a killer.
"Blaine, give Will that bag please." Emma said. "Then the rest of you, go and sit in the Hall with the others. Me and Mr Schue need to talk for a moment."
Blaine left with the other three teenagers, but Santana wouldn't let Kurt go near him, no matter how much he tugged. She stood beside Blaine and watched him suspiciously out of the corner of her eye.
When they reached the Hall all of the suspicious and arguing whispers that had been happening without them immediately died down.
Blaine sat gingerly on an arm chair that was a little way away from the others. Santana tried to move Kurt and Brittany away to sit near their other friends, but the two of them finally broke free and went to sit beside Blaine. Brittany sat on the sofa beside him and Santana quickly joined, keeping Blaine in her line of sight. Kurt leaned a hand on either side of Blaine and stared into his eyes.
"Blaine, does that axe belong to you?" Kurt asked.
"No," Blaine's tone was pleading. Kurt stared at him for a moment.
"I believe you." He said. Then without further question he sat at Blaine's feet.
It was only then that the silence in the room became apparent. This pause was loaded with suspicion and panic. It was very unlike the earlier silence, which had contained a certain sense of companionship.
"Finn says you had an axe." Artie finally broke the silence.
"I wasn't his." Brittany said. "Kurt knows Blaine better than anyone and Kurt says he believes him."
"Kurt's in love with Blaine. He'd hardly want to think Blaine was killing people." Santana scoffed.
"I hope that if Kurt's safety was in danger, he would get over any love he had for that person and save himself. His life is more important than any of that." Blaine said softly.
"Whatever Blaine. Those are pretty words, but that doesn't mean we'll buy them." Santana snapped. "If you really are killing his friends, you obviously don't care about Kurt."
"Unless they're accomplices," Rachel said it sarcastically but people still glared at her.
"Shut up," Quinn said. "Kurt's not helping Blaine kill anyone. Blaine's probably not killing anyone. I don't think he's the killer."
"He has known us all for the least amount of time. He's a new Glee Clubber. He doesn't have the same bonds." Santana was still watching Blaine. "And he's a charismatic guy, capable of fooling us."
"I still don't think it's Blaine. He's too smart to get caught with the axe." Sam spoke now.
"Wasn't that axe Puck's axe?" Rachel asked instead.
"What?" Puck asked.
"Mr Schue gave you an axe to cut firewood with. The morning before Sugar died. What if you used that and then dumped it on Blaine to throw us off your trail?" Rachel continued with her new theory.
Puck looked dumbfounded. She was seriously accusing him again? He thought Finn was going to make Rachel part of their team.
"Then again, the killer could also be Santana." Rachel contemplated. "She's pretty adamant in proving that it's Blaine."
"Why does that make me the killer?" Santana asked.
"Because you're framing Blaine. Maybe you planted the axe in his bag." Rachel replied.
"You've always been jealous of me, but isn't this taking it a little far?" Santana's lip curled as she looked at Rachel.
"This is not about me!" Rachel yelled.
"Maybe it is!" Santana shouted back. "You're awfully good at deflecting attention away from yourself all of a sudden! Since when did the world stop being all about Rachel Berry?"
"Shut up, Santana! I'm only trying to work out who the killer is, same as all of you!"
"And so am I! What if I think you're the killer!" Santana snarled. She was so riled up she had leapt off the couch.
"So you don't think it's Blaine anymore?" Finn asked.
At the interruption of their argument Santana and Rachel seemed to realise where they were, and they shrank back a bit.
"Okay yes, I still think it's Blaine." Santana conceded.
"I hope you're going to apologise then." Rachel sniffed.
"That's it!" Santana yelled, leaping up from her seat and starting to fling herself at Rachel.
As the room erupted into commotion the door opened with a bang and Emma entered. The Club fell silent as she walked across the room with her head held high, and then took a seat on a spare armchair. Mr Schue entered shortly after and stood before them.
"So, New Directions," He said. "We need to sort out this situation. Blaine, I don't want to believe that you're killing people, but all evidence points to you right now."
"Actually, it doesn't," Artie said, wheeling forward a little and folding his hands in his lap as he made his case. "Blaine was found with the axe in his possession, so it could be him. The axe was one that you gave to Puck, meaning it could be him. If you'd heard Rachel and Santana yelling and accusing everyone you'd agree that it could be them. As for the rest of it, anyone could really have planted that axe and be pleased at how it's working out. There's something to incriminate anyone."
"True, but-" Will began.
"It's not fair to blame Blaine. Though keeping a close eye on him is a good idea." Artie said. "Everyone in a suspect. Everyone could be blamed. Well, except for me."
It had been added as an after though, but there was a low hiss in response.
"Why do you not count, Artie?" Rachel asked. "What makes you free of blame?"
Artie rolled his eyes.
"Really guys?" He gestured to his wheelchair. "You think I have been wondering around the forest out of your sight to kill people? Like I could manage that on my own,"
There was an awkward pause as everyone considered one possibility and disregarded it. Artie was right. There was no way he could really be killing people. Not in that wheelchair. Everyone sighed and turned away. Except for Rachel. Without thinking she voiced what everyone else had considered.
"What if you're faking?" She almost whispered it. "Do we have proof you need a wheelchair?"
"Rachel!" Quinn was the first to break the shocked silence that followed these words. "You can't just say things like that!"
"Do you think I would fake this?" Artie's voice was shaking. "You think I would choose to spend every waking moment of my life stuck in this chair, or on my bed, or anywhere I have to be lifted to? You think I'd willingly go through the daily humiliation just to kill a bunch of people?"
Everyone was glaring at Rachel, though part of it was because they didn't want to look at Artie and see the pain in his face. They could hear his voice break as he began to cry.
"You think this isn't terrifying for me?" He continued. "To know that any day now the killer will go for me. And when they do, there's nothing I can do about it. I can't run if they find me when I'm out of my chair. And even in my chair it's so much easier for them to grab me than anyone else. That's why I have to find out who it is. I have to."
The silence that followed was heart-breakingly long. They could hear Artie trying to collect himself.
"I'm so sorry, Artie." Rachel said "I didn't think-"
"Yeah, that much is obvious." Quinn said, glaring at Rachel. "You aren't very good at stopping to think."
"Now, Quinn," Emma warned gently. "Don't be so hard on her."
Quinn rolled her eyes.
"Artie if you ever need to talk…" Emma began.
"I'm okay." Artie interrupted "I'm used to this."
Emma still looked sympathetic and worried.
"Please don't-" Artie shook his head "Don't feel sorry for me."
"Well," Mr Schue said after another small silence. "I think there's something else we should talk about too. Artie, we're going to respect you and give you equal treatment, so don't think this change is because of what you just said. I was already going to change things."
"What change? Sam interrupted, looking worried.
"You kids know there is a killer among us. Emma and I have been talking and we don't think that it's safe for there to be two children in every room. If the killer wanted to kill their own roommate, or someone else's, it would only be too easy to make the kill or place the blame. It's not a safe environment to have. So, because most rooms can sleep three or four if needed, we're combining people's room groups. So everyone has two or three roommates and no one is left alone."
"And some of you can just stay in the groups of three you already have. And then the rest can combine pairs to make groups of four. How does that sound?" Emma added.
"Sounds fine," Was the general agreement.
So Sam, Mike and Artie stayed together. Santana grabbed Blaine's upper arm in a grip so tight he yelped.
"Me, Britt and Kurt are sharing with this loser. That way I can keep an eye on him, because Kurt and Britt are going to be far too trusting without me." Santana announced, glaring at Blaine. "You have a problem with that, Gollum?"
Blaine shook his head, a little scared of Santana. It was almost funny that as he'd gone from friend to killer in her eyes, his nickname had changed from Hobbit to Gollum.
Mercedes, Rachel and Quinn were standing together and Puck and Finn were standing in front of them, looking baffled. They weren't sure how they'd arrange themselves.
"Well," Puck said. "If you ladies want, we can kick Finn out and have our own little room. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves just fine. We'll be 'Puckerman and his three fine females'."
He winked at them and Quinn hit him.
"What?" He protested.
"Why don't you girls take a room together and we can arrange for Puck and Finn to join Mike, Sam and Artie? We can manage five in the biggest room at the end." Emma suggested.
"Fine," Puck looked disgruntled. "But if you ever want me to join you ladies…"
Quinn hit him again and he shut up.
…
They found that they could fit one extra bed into the room Mike, Sam and Artie were in. It left just enough room to wheel in Artie's chair, so all the bags were moved to Finn and Puck's old room. They all decided to move down the girl's corridor because there were now only three groups, and so room enough for them all, even with one room taken up by the boys bags. They felt it was best to move away from the boys corridor, which had Joe, Sugar and Tina's bodies in one room.
So the boys had the last room which had been empty before, the second last that used to belong to Tina and Mercedes had their bags. Quinn, Rachel and Mercedes had the next room, which had belonged to Quinn and Rachel. The first room down the corridor was the only one left, so Kurt, Blaine, Santana and Brittany would share it.
It had been Kurt and Santana's room, so they needed two more beds for the other. But after pulling in the first bed, they found that there was only room for one more bed. Their room wasn't as big as the boys. Like Quinn, Rachel and Mercedes' room, it would only fit three beds with a narrow space to put their bags at the end.
"Someone will have to share." Emma said, looking in to see them standing in front of the bed they'd just pulled in.
Santana nodded and stepped forward. She shoved the middle bed against the bed to the left of the room, leaving the one on the right isolated by a metre gap between them.
"Blaine, that's your bed." Santana said, jabbing a finger at it. "Kurt and I will share the middle one."
Kurt blushed and opened his mouth the protest.
"Neither of us can share with Brittany because she wriggles like mad in her sleep." Santana said. "So you're sharing with me and you can't pretend you mind, because I know you'd prefer that to being alone and having nightmares. And from what we've discovered, sleeping with me keeps the nightmares at bay."
"I hope you won't get cramped." Brittany said.
"Santana are you sure-" Kurt said, obviously not keen to share.
"We'll stuff the gap between beds with pillows. If you get sick of me just roll over and suffer Britt kicking you all night."
Kurt sighed. "Okay. I just wish you'd let Blaine sleep near us too. I don't mind sharing with-"
"A killer?" Santana interrupted.
"He's not-"
But before Kurt could protest, Santana turned and dug in her bag for her pyjamas.
"Let's go and get ready." She demanded, stalking out of the room.
As soon as she was gone, Kurt and Brittany turned and hugged Blaine.
"We're sorry," Brittany said.
"We believe you." Kurt said.
But right now, they could not change Santana's mind.
So who do you think is the killer now? I've had guesses on Artie, Tina and Mercedes so far and I'm curious to hear more guesses. Emma is dealing with the kids very well I think, because Mr Schue is to scared of the idea that one is evil to try and help the rest. But Emma might not be around forever...