Daphne had gotten dressed first this time. And opened the door when Will knocked. "Everyone ready?" He asked. "The boys are already downstairs."
Marley came out of the bathroom. "Everyone is ready Mr Schue."
"Great let's go." They walked to the elevator and Will noticed how Daphne intentionally stayed away from him. He sighed, he hurt her feelings again. He tried to walk next to her on their way to the beach but she hung back, walking alone instead.
"Mr Schue?" Marley asked. "Are we going to have dinner on the beach?"
"Maybe, it all depends." He smiled at her. "If everyone is having a good time and it stays nice outside, we just might."
"I'm so excited for this whole thing." Marley smiled brightly.
Will smiled again. "That's nice Marley, I hope you aren't let down."
"I'm sure it'll be great."
They walked onto the beach. "This will be our space for the next hour or two." He opened his bag and grabbed his towel, watching Daphne place hers far away from him. She'd barely looked at him since he send her away on the plane. "I'm going for a swim, anyone want to join me?" Everyone shook their heads. "No one? Marley? Jake? Kitty?" He glanced at Daphne, but she was looking straight ahead.
Marley got up. "We'll join you, come on Daph."
Daphne sighed but got up. "Sure." She took off her shirt and shorts and looked up to see Will take his shirt off.
"Great, let's go. Anyone else coming?" Everyone shook their heads. "It's just us then. We'll be back soon guys, please don't leave without letting me know." They walked to the beach, Marley placed in between him and Daphne.
"So this guy," Marley started again. "He knows you're here?"
Daphne nodded. "He does."
"How does he like that, you being away with all these boys?"
Daphne laughed. "I think he knows he has nothing to worry about there.."
"So, you going to get together again after graduation?"
Daphne shrugged. "I don't know anymore." Will looked up, surprised. "He's been acting all kinds of weird lately. I don't know what he thinks, how he feels, what he wants from me. Remember how I told you we talk almost everyday?" Marley nodded. "We haven't talked for a couple of days." She knew Will was listening and since he didn't seem to want to talk to her she decided this was a good way. "He keeps dismissing me every time I try. I've had a lot of time to think on the plane, and the walks here." She shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't love me anymore, I just don't know."
"If he said he did I'm sure he still does, he'd be a fool not to." They stepped into the water. "You're great Daphne, if he doesn't see what's right in front of him he's an idiot."
Daphne laughed. "Yeah I guess." She looked at them both. "Race you to the buoy" Before anyone could even acknowledge her she was gone. Will passed her and touched the buoy first. Daphne followed and they watched Marley arrive a second later. "You're a pretty good swimmer Marley." Daphne laughed. "Even if I cheat."
Marley laughed. "I used to have a friend with a pool when I was really young, they taught me how to swim. If you don't cheat next time I'll beat you."
"Can't beat me Marley." Will joked. "And I don't think Daphne will stop cheating. If she does that she wouldn't win." Daphne splashed him with water. "What, can't handle the truth?"
"Oh please, you're a guy. I needed to cheat if I wanted a shot."
Will laughed. "Let's go back, can't leave them alone too long." Will started swimming back, Marley and Daphne following him. He looked back as he got out of the water to check Daphne and Marley were following him.
…
Daphne laid in bed but couldn't sleep, again. She laid very still, not wanting to wake up everyone. She could always give up and go to the roof, but chances were that Will was there and she would probably only be dismissed again. She checked her phone, 2 am. No way he was still up there, right? She sighed and got up, softly opening and closing the door behind her. She climbed the stairs to the top floor and tried the door, open. She walked up and opened the outer door to the roof. She took a couple of steps before she saw Will, she turned around and walked back to the door.
"Wait." Will said, he'd turned around to see who it was. "Please stay Daphne."
"Oh, now you want me to stay?"
Will sighed and walked closer. "I love you, I do." He stroked her cheek. "Everything you told Marley today, on the plane, on the beach.. It hurts me too, physically hurts me. I'm struggling, but please don't think I don't love you."
"But you've been so mad the last weeks."
"At myself mostly, and yes I take it out on you sometimes."
"Why?"
"Why do I take it out on you? I don't know, you're around."
She shook her head. "No, why are you mad at yourself?"
"Because I want to do all kinds of things with you, but I can't. If I hadn't allowed myself to fall in love with you-"
Daphne laughed. "You didn't, we both didn't. It just happened Will, you know we tried not to."
"Plus I'm frustrated." Will smiled. "I want you so bad, my fantasies aren't cutting it anymore."
"Then take me."
Will shook his head. "Daphne.." He warned. "Don't dangle that in front of me."
"I'm here, we're alone, I'm on birth control. I'm game, it's up to you."
He growled, it would make things better, at least for a day or two. "You.." He shook his head and kissed her. He pulled back after a while, breathing hard. "Do you want to go back to my room?"
"We could do it here if you want, we've got walls, and even a small ledge over there which seems to be the perfect height." He lifted her and put her on the ledge. "See, perfect."
He kissed her, taking off her shirt and throwing it on the ground. She slowly unbuttoned his and he took it off. "Be quiet though." Daphne nodded. "You sure you don't want me to get a condom?" She shook her head as he took off her pyjama pants and underwear. "You are the love of my life." He whispered softly in her ear as he entered her.
…
Will and Daphne were still panting as they got dressed again. "Better?" She asked him.
"Better." He smiled and kissed her softly. "I'll try to take it out on you less."
"Thank you, that would be appreciated." She stroked his cheek. "Next time you can't handle it anymore, just give me a call. Chances are pretty good I'm struggling too."
"Booty call you?"
Daphne shrugged. "Why not, it's only another… month or so."
"I think I can handle one month with a shower and my fantasies."
Daphne laughed before kissing him. "Well, if you don't you know where to find me." She ran her hand over his chest. "God I hated you when Marley told me we were going to beach."
"Yeah, I'm starting to think I like torturing myself."
"If you didn't we wouldn't be here right now." She grabbed his hand and looked at his watch. "I'm going to bed now, should be able to sleep a lot better now."
"Me too." He opened the door for her. "See you in a couple of hours."
…
"And first place in this years competion goes to… Aural Fixation!" Will was handed a second place trophy. They all looked confused at each other, Aural Fixation? How could they win, they weren't even in the expected top three. They slowly walked of stage, nobody said anything.
"Second place in the country is also great guys." Will said. "You all did great today, no doubt about it." Daphne smiled at him, always the positive teacher. "I'm so proud of all of you. I don't want you to forget that."
"But we lost." Kitty said. "How could we have lost?"
"I don't know." Will said honestly. "Maybe the judges were looking for something else."
"Yeah pitchyness and off-key." Jake said. "We were ten times better, hell most of the groups were better."
Will nodded. "I'll go talk to one of the judges." He handed Jake the trophy. "Hey, excuse me. I'm Will Schuester, coach of New Directions."
"Yes congratulations on your second place."
"Thank you, my kids and I were just wondering how Aural Fixation won."
She sighed. "Don't ask me, I had you down for number one and them in fifth."
"How does it work?"
"All the judges have a sheet with all the groups on it, we write down things during performances and afterwards we write down scores. We don't see each others' sheets and hand them to an assistant who brings them to an official. Then we hear the results."
"So you don't know what the others voted?" She shook her head. "Ok thanks, know where I can find them?"
"Dressing room." She pointed down a hallway. "Good luck."
"Thank you and have a good day."
The coach of Aural Fixation walked up to him. "Just give it up, you lost fair and square. Accept it and try again next year."
"I just want to know what we need to do better next year." He lied, if one of the four judges put them fifth and his club first then there must have been a miracle for Aural Fixation to win. He walked towards the judges dressing room. He knocked before entering. "I'm sorry but I have some questions." He smiled when he saw 2 judges there.
"Sure, what is it?"
"I was just wondering what I needed to do better next year with my club to be first. I'm with New Directions."
"Don't ask me." One of them said. "I put you up first."
The other juror furrowed his brow. "Me too, frankly I was surprised you didn't win."
"So if three out of four jurors put my group first, how could we have lost?"
"Did you talk to both the others?"
"No, just the woman."
"I don't think Dave, the other juror, put you anything below the top three." One of them said. "So, I don't know what happened. You'll have to ask the official."
"Any idea where I can find him?"
"Down the hall on your right, but you better hurry."
"Thanks" Will said before running off, it wasn't long before he found him. "Hey, you're the official?"
"That's me." He didn't look up from packing his briefcase.
"We were second-"
"Congratulations."
Will shook his head. "I think something went wrong and we were supposed to be first."
"If I had a penny for everyone who said that."
"No, I'm serious. I just talked to three out of the four jurors. They put us in first place."
He opened his briefcase again. "No they didn't." He showed him the ballads. "Here. You came in a solid second everywhere."
"I don't think that's right, is there any way they could've switched them?"
"I don't know, we'd have to launch an official investigation. Call in the jurors, ask them if these are in fact their sheets."
"How do I ask for that?"
He sighed deeply and handed him a form. "Here, fill it in. It'll take two weeks. But let me tell you in advance you'll most likely be disappointed."
"I'll take the risk, thanks."
…
"And?" Ryder asked when he saw Will. "What did you find out?"
"Not much, seems we really did get second." Daphne looked at him, he was lying. The kids started talking all at once. "Guys I know you are all disappointed, but it will be fine. Lets go, the bus is waiting to take us back to the hotel." They all walked outside and got in their designated bus. Everyone sat in the back, except Daphne and Will.
"Liar." She said, making him turn his head.
"About what?"
"You found out something."
He shook his head. "No, I didn't. We came in second."
"No we didn't, tell me."
He quickly looked back, making sure no one could hear them. "Promise me you won't tell them, I don't want to get their hopes up." She nodded. "I think we were cheated. I talked to three of the four jurors and they all voted us first."
"Ok, so now what."
"I filled in a form to start an official investigation. I should hear in two weeks."
Daphne smiled. "That's good. What happens to us in the mean time?"
"What do you mean?"
"If we didn't end up first Sue would disband glee-club, right?"
Will looked stunned. "How do you.."
"Don't you know by now that I know everything?"
"I'll tell Sue about the investigation, she probably won't make any decisions until after the results come in."
Daphne nodded. "We came in second, but they all look like someone ran over their dog."
Will smiled. "They see coming second as losing, and they don't even know what will happen because of it. Have you applied to colleges yet?"
She shook her head. "I have no idea what I want from my life. I'll take a year to make a good decision."
