Cooper, The Vampire Slayer
All That Glitters, Part III
Kurt groaned, glaring at the ridiculous plastic thing in his hands. No matter how often Blaine insisted on him getting one of these, he was sure he'd never see the point of them. But he needed to contact Quinn, and tell her that Blaine was affected too, and more importantly in a different way than anyone else. These things were supposed to be easy to handle, right?
As it turned out, they weren't. He wasn't even sure how long he had fiddled with that thing, but he did know that he needed to talk to Quinn. Why wouldn't this obnoxious device work?
"Stupid goddamn thing," he growled. He was starting to see Sue's point in throwing them against every possible surface.
"What's wrong?"
Kurt looked up in surprise. He had been so annoyed with that thing that he hadn't noticed Blaine waking, and finally sitting up. Fine, they could do it this way, too.
"Call Quinn," he said. "We have new information."
Blaine frowned, obviously not yet awake. "What information?" he asked.
Kurt closed his eyes, trying to gather strength before he answered. "Just... just call her. And switch on that thing where I can hear her talk."
"Speaker?" Blaine suggested. "Alright, gimme." He held out his hand, slowly blinking until he managed to keep his eyes open.
Kurt watched him carefully for any more signs of strange behavior. He seemed exhausted, but he had just woken up.
A moment later, Blaine put the phone in front of him onto the couch and a signal tone ringing. After only three tones, Quinn's voice answered.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," Blaine said. "But Kurt has something to say." He must have noticed the vampire's suspicious look at the device. "Just talk," he whispered, slightly rolling his eyes.
"What is it?" Quinn asked. She sounded tense, as if she was waiting for something.
"I think the hair doesn't always cause the same reaction. Some people might be affected in a different way," Kurt said. He looked down onto the phone, not wanting to look at Blaine directly.
"What? Who? And how?" Blaine asked, clearly confused by this development.
Kurt opened his mouth, not sure what he wanted to say.
"I think he's talking about you," Quinn said, her voice soft.
"Er... no. He's not..." Blaine looked up to Kurt, his eyes widening. "What... Kurt?"
"They're in your eyes. Those... hairs, or spikes. I checked earlier," he said.
"But... I'm not showing any signs," Blaine protested. "I'm not more angry, or more aggressive..."
"You're more tired," Kurt said. "More doubtful, maybe. As I said, you're affected in a different way."
"Have you felt extremely happy lately? I mean, when you were taking care of the unicorn?" Quinn asked.
Blaine's eyes were wide and insecure. "I... I was..."
"It was fulfilling, wasn't it?" Quinn continued. "A safe target for all tat love... you could just pour it onto the unicorn."
Blaine's face flushed. "I...what? What love?"
Quinn sighed. "I know you feel lonely sometimes," she said. "Even though you don't want Cooper to see. But the unicorn was something to focus on. It made you happy. Made you feel useful, right?"
"I... okay, fine," Blaine said. "Focusing on her made other things seem less painful. But what does this even mean?"
"It means you already know exactly what we're dealing with, doesn't it?" Kurt asked.
"Well, I've had a few theories," Quinn admitted. "But this is really helping in narrowing it down."
"So what's wrong with my unicorn?" Blaine asked.
"She's not a unicorn," Quinn said "She's an erisian demon."
"A what now?" Kurt asked, picking up the equally confused look on Blaine's face.
"An erisian demon," Quinn repeated. "They're shapeshifters from a different plane. Listen to this and tell me if it sounds familiar. They're a highly competitive demon species, their mere presence is able to cause strive in those around them. They're born in different planes and abandoned. They believe only those strong enough to find their way back home deserve to survive."
"So at least the part about her being a baby is true," Kurt said. "What happens with them?"
"Well, they have to gather more energy in order to return to their home plane. And Blaine... I think it imprinted on you."
To his surprise, Blaine's eyes widened, and he almost scrambled away from the phone.
"Okay, I did not sign up for that!"
Even as Kurt frowned at him, he could hear a chuckle from the phone.
"Not the Twilight definition, Blaine," she said. "I'm talking about the baby animal definition. You must have been the first person she saw. So she imprinted on you, choosing you as her caretaker."
"So is that the effect of her? That Blaine feels like taking care of her?"
"I doubt she needed much of a supernatural influence for that," Quinn said. "But yes, in a way. She infected you in a different way from everyone else. You're drawn to look after her, and away from the people you loved before. But most importantly... the erisian demon builds a connection."
"What kind of connection?" Kurt asked suspiciously.
"You're not going to like this," Quinn said. "Blaine... she's feeding off you."
Kurt wasn't sure whether Blaine had actually gotten paler or if it was just an illusion. "Feeding? What... you mean she's going to drink my blood?"
"Not blood, no. I'm talking about energy transfer. You wouldn't even notice until she had taken most of your energy. You'll gradually turn weaker, and the thing will grow stronger. At some point, it will have enough strength to teleport back to its own realm – probably when it has taken all your energy. She's killing you, Blaine. "
Blaine closed his eyes, and for a moment he looked just tired. "Quinn? You wouldn't happen to have an idea why everybody is always targeting me, would you?"
"I wish I knew," she said. "But let's focus on what to do with the demon for now, okay?"
"We kill it," Kurt said.
Blaine stared at him in disbelief, as if he had just suggested... well, to slaughter a baby unicorn.
"What? You expect me to sit back and watch while everybody else tries to kill each other and you grow weaker until you fall over and that thing uses your corpse as a raft to hell?"
Now, Blaine looked mostly disturbed. "That's... a colorful picture," he said.
"Quinn, back me up," Kurt said.
"He's right. The only way to weaken her influence over everyone – including you – is to destroy the demon," Quinn said. "Fortunately, I think I know how to do that."
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, we take a stake made from some sort of special wood, bless it with holy water, and then we use it to stab the demon?"
There was a pause, before Quinn spoke again. "Okay, so demon killing isn't exactly creative or individual. Sue me!"
"What kind of stake do we need?" Blaine asked.
"Well, actual unicorn horn would be perfect," Quinn said, "but I don't think we can find some. So we'll take elder wood. Do you have any of that around?"
"Sue has some," Blaine said. "I think that dresser over there is made from elder wood."
"Perfect," Kurt said. He was walking over to it, and before Blaine could even think about protesting, he broke off one of its legs.
For a moment, it looked as if Blaine wanted to scold him, but then he sighed and shook his head. "Regular holy water?" he asked instead.
"Do you still have that holy oil from Jersualem? It should work even better. Just to make sure you take it out right away;" Quinn said.
"Cooper stores some of it at home," Blaine said. "Anything else? Spells or anything?"
"No, that's all," Quinn said. "You have to try and stab it in the throat. Think you can do that?"
Blaine's face turned serious again. "Why does it have to be me?" he asked.
"Because Kurt will burn his hands off if he grabs a sanctified weapon and you don't have anyone else who's unaffected right?"
"Good point," Blaine admitted, but he was clearly uncomfortable.
"Blaine, listen," Quinn said. Her voice sounded calm and comforting now. "I know this is going to be hard. You won't want to hurt her, not with the way she influences you already. But you can do this. I believe in you."
"Thank you," Blaine said softly.
"Get going now," Quinn said. "The sooner you get rid of the demon, the sooner Cooper and everyone else will be free of its influence. Okay? And call me when it's over, or if something goes wrong."
"Okay. I will. Thank you, Quinn."
Kurt watched Blaine carefully as he ended the call, solemnly looking at his phone. It was obvious that he didn't share her confidence in him.
Slowly, Kurt walked over to him, putting a hand onto his shoulder. "She's right, you know? You can do this."
"You don't know that," Blaine said softly. "I might think I can do this. But I also thought it didn't influence me."
"It's been a lot in a short time," Kurt said. "It's not surprising that you feel exhausted, or overwhelmed. But you don't have to do this on your own. I'm coming with you, you don't have to do this alone. I'll be right beside you. We can do this together. I promise."
Blaine looked up to him, still looking doubtful, but eventually he nodded. "Alright. Let's do this."
Nothing brought a shock to you like the realization that you almost just killed a friend. Tina still felt guilty when she thought of Blaine, how he had narrowly escaped.
His vampire had saved him, of course. Apparently the thing was following him everywhere now. Was Tina the only one who still remembered that vampires were supposed to be their enemy?
But not for Blaine. No, he'd rather hook up with a demon than give her the time of a day. And he was surprised she tried to take his blood for a dark magical ritual? He probably wouldn't even have minded to share his blood with Kurt...
Even if Cooper and everyone else was blind to it, it was obvious to Tina that something was going on there. One didn't have to be a witch to get that.
It didn't matter anyway. Didn't she despise the way her friends let themselves be distracted by relationships? Cooper and his whining over Quinn, that whole mess with Brittany and Santana and apparently Sam, Blaine fancying his vampire... She hadn't been that unprofessional when Mike still had been with them.
So she was not going to get pulled down into that mess, no matter how beautiful Blaine's smile was. No, she would be strong and rational, and turn into the hero Sunnydale needed.
All she was missing now, was essence of the slayer. Blood of the slayer, to be exact. Now that she thought about it, it had been stupid to go after Blaine. He couldn't help her. No, she needed Cooper Anderson for that.
Maybe she could go after Santana, too, but she wasn't a real slayer, who knew if her blood would work. Besides, she was scarier.
Hopefully, Cooper was asleep now. If she was fast, she could figure this out and become the hero they needed before the night was over. No time to lose.
Sam started to regret ever coming to Sunnydale. He could have stayed with his family, taking care of them, find a job in Ohio. He would have been fine there. Why did he really need a college degree anyway?
But here he was, in California, in his college dorm, and he was about to die.
This was all Cooper's fault, or Sue Sylvester's for directing everything, or possibly Blaine's because Sam was pretty sure he wouldn't have become involved with the slayer of all people if it had been anyone else but his best friend's brother. And usually, Sam liked the gang, fighting the good fight, saving the world. But lately, it had just become annoying. He knew that he wasn't exactly useful. He was just human. Compared to everyone else, what did he really bring to the table? Cooper was the Chosen One, capital letters and everything. Sue was just scary. Tina was a witch, Brittany was a faery, Santana was super-powered, Kurt was a vampire. Of course, Blaine didn't have any special powers, and he also got into a lot of trouble, but somehow things always worked out for him, while Sam usually felt like thee idiot sidekick to basically anybody else. He certainly never managed to convince a bloodthirsty vampire to let go of a talisman he had hunted for decades, and he never would have gone up against the faery queen to protect somebody who had hurt him.
Well, he might consider going up against the faery queen in order to help Brittany. But he was quite certain that he wouldn't be successful with it. No, Sam was just human, and maybe he wasn't equipped to deal with all of this madness.
Speaking of which...
The hammering to his door had returned. "Open the fucking door, Evans, I know you're in there!"
Santana's voice was angry enough that she sounded actually hysterical. The door was locked twice, and he had put every piece of furniture he owned in front of it, but still he was worried that it wouldn't hold much longer. Santana was crazy strong, and this was still a community college dormitory – not exactly the sturdiest material.
"You won't get her, do you hear me?!" Santana yelled outside his door.
He shouldn't have put the moves on Brittany. She was just so... special, and unique. Sam couldn't help but get interested in this girl. He hadn't even wanted to make a move on her. It was just... he liked her. He didn't know how much. And sometimes, he got the feeling she liked him too. And apparently, Santana had gotten the same impression, and she was pissed off.
It was his own fault. He should have held back. But somehow, the last few days, it had been so hard to lock away his feelings. So maybe he had been careless. Maybe he had flirted a bit with Brittany – but she had flirted right back. It wasn't his fault if Santana and her were having problems. If Santana wanted any of her relationships to work, maybe she should stop being such a bitch all the time.
The next blow almost made the door jump out of its hinges. Sam retreaded even further back against the wall. He had thought he could hide in here until Santana got tired or anybody answered his texts. But maybe he would have to get out of here before it escalated. Climbing out of the fourth floor window... certainly nothing here could be going wrong.
As he turned to the window, he heard a crash behind him. Shocked, he whirled around. He had hesitated to long.
The door was broken down, and the furniture in front of it was being pushed aside, as Santana squeezed herself into the room. Once she was standing, she shook the wood dust out of her hair, looked at him, and grinned at him like a wolf.
"Heeeeere's Johnny!"
Blaine wished he could be anywhere else. He didn't want to have Kurt walking him back to Cooper's house, he didn't want to enter the house alone and silent, as if he had to be actually scared that Amalthea could hear him. He hated that his first way was to one of Cooper's weapon chambers where he still kept the sacred oil from Jerusalem that Sue had acquired in ways nobody wanted to investigate too much. But despite what he knew, Blaine really wanted to go into the garden, see the unicorn, and...
And what? Help her? Free her, maybe?
Blaine stopped in the quiet house, oiled up stake in his hand. Amalthea was not a unicorn. She was a demon. She had infected Cooper, and Kurt, and the rest of his friends, and he himself was being fed off even now. And not just that. If even now he could consider freeing her, to protect her even over Cooper's well-being, then her influence on him had to be much stronger than he'd expected.
No, he knew what he had to do. But could he do it?
"Blaine? Is everything okay?"
He could hear Kurt's voice calling from the door, waiting there for him to return. It would be easier to have him come inside, but... A shudder went over Blaine's spine, and he found himself involuntarily touching the side of his throat. If he focused, he could still feel the scars those fangs had left. He remembered how scared he had been, the pain...
He trusted Kurt, had trusted him with his life more than once already. He wasn't scared of being attacked again. But inviting any vampire, even Kurt, into his home?
Not ever again.
"Blaine, what's taking so long?"
"I'm coming," Blaine called back. He'd have to deal with his doubts later. He had a demon to kill. Somehow.
When he walked up to the door, he could see Kurt standing outside, his face full of concern as he was waiting. With every step, Blaine tried to breathe deeply, to fight the feeling of nausea rising up in his throat. He could do this. He had to do this.
"Are you alright?" Kurt asked.
Blaine wanted to speak freely, to say that of course he could do it. But all he managed was a shaky nod.
"So how do we do this?" Blaine asked, turning the oiled stake in his hand.
"I'll hold the thing down and you stab it," Kurt said. "I think I'm stronger than a baby demon."
"Okay, yeah, that sounds good," Blaine said. It sounded entirely too graphic for his taste, but he would do this. Everyone counted on him, and after all he was the one who had gotten them into this mess. Him and his stupid naivety...
Blaine sighed. "Let's get this over with."
He stepped outside, fell into step beside Kurt as they made their way to the backyard. He could see the unicorn – no, the demon – grazing near the garden shed. She didn't even look up as they approached. She looked... peaceful, vulnerable, completely helpless.
She wasn't helpless. She was poisoning his friends.
"You can do this," Kurt muttered beside him. "You know you can."
Blaine nodded again, although every additional step somehow made it more difficult to believe it.
Finally, Amalthea looked up. Blaine froze where he stood, scared of her reaction. She turned her head to Kurt, and there was a flinch, as if she was scared of the vampire.
Blaine found his legs moving before he had even realized it. A few seconds later, he was kneeling in front of the unicorn. His right hand held the stake so tight that it hurt, but with his left, he stroked through her mane. She looked up at him, so trusting, so defenseless. How could she be a demon? How could she be dangerous?
He tried to remind himself of Cooper, who was out there, needing him to end the creature's influence. He tried to think of Tina, pursuing power she didn't understand, of Santana whose temper was unstable at the best of times, of Brittany and her otherness. And there was Kurt, right there with him, who had thrown himself into almost suicidal fights. The demon had to be stopped, not the least because she would feed off him probably to the point of his death. He needed to stop her.
His left hand got a tighter hold of her mane, his right hand was ready to plunge the stake into the exposed throat.
So vulnerable...
Easy. It should be easy.
His hands were shaking so hard, he was surprised he didn't let go of the stake. But still, Amalthea was watching him through her large, silver eyes, completely trusting.
He had to do this.
He could do this.
Gathering all the willpower he could find, Blaine tried to strike...
A sob escaped his throat, as he stopped the stake right before her throat, still shaking. He couldn't. How could he hurt her? He had to find a way, he knew that, but... Oh god, he couldn't.
His whole world seemed to shrink down to Amalthea, and her large silver eyes, staring right into his soul. She knew. It was so obvious. She knew why he had come, but she wasn't afraid. She must have known there was nothing he could actually do to harm her. He was the only one left, and he... he was helpless.
The stake started to slip from his grip...
And suddenly, it was torn from his hand. A sizzling, searing sound filled his ears, as if something was burning, there was a howl of pain... He turned, and all he could see was a creature towering over him, the stake in its claws. Blaine tried to get to his feet, he had to stop this...
A strong hand pushed him to the ground, and all he could do was watch as the stake was plunged into Amalthea's throat. Silver blood gushed from the wound, over the hands of her killer. There were screams ringing in his ears, as Amalthea was twitching on the ground.
And then, there were arms around him, he was pressed against a strong chest, obscuring the picture of he dying unicorn. Only then did he notice that the screams had been his. Tears were flowing from his eyes, as Kurt – of course it was Kurt, how could he have forgotten? - held him through it.
Over his own sobs, he could hardly hear the death rattle. Eventually though, silence fell. He noticed that the tears falling from his eyes felt... rough, as if he wasn't just crying out fluid. Kurt had said the hairs had been in his eyes...
"It's over," Kurt said softly against his hair. "It's okay, Blaine. It's over."
But all he could do was clutch his hands into Kurt's shirt as if for dear life.
It was over. They were safe.
He felt like a wreck.
Santana couldn't have said how long she had stood there, staring at Sam. She did know, however, that his panicked expression didn't make her feel nearly as powerful as it had only a few minutes ago.
She didn't feel powerful at all, actually. She felt...
Weak, tired, and a bit ashamed. Why had she thought it would be alright for her to terrorize a guy who could never beat her in a fight? Why had she thought it would be smart to take out her anger on him, instead of dealing with Brittany herself?
Oh god, she had told Brittany to get out of her life.
What was wrong with her?
"Um... so, do you feel really weird, too?"
Santana looked up in surprise when Sam spoke. "I... I do," she said. Her voice sounded strangely weak in her own ears. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have scared you." Surprisingly, for once the apology wasn't excruciatingly hard to say.
"What was that?" Sam asked.
"I don't know," Santana said. "I was so angry..."
"And suddenly it was gone," Sam said. "I've felt that way, too. It's like there's been this shade over my vision, and it crawled up on you so-"
"So you didn't even notice it was there until it was gone," Santana finished the sentence. She shuddered. "What the hell happened?"
"I don't know... have you ever seen something like this happen?"
"Never," Santana said. She sighed and leaned against the remains of the door. "So we can assume the same thing happened to the both of us. Probably the others, too. And now it's over."
"I guess we should check with the others, find out if they're okay. And maybe somebody has a better idea of what happened," Sam said.
"Right," Santana said. But then, she thought of something else, and she could feel the blood drain from her face. "This isn't going to stay a secret, is it? The Watchers' council..."
"Won't hear a thing about this," Sam said. Although he looked just as spooked as she felt, he spoke with conviction. "I'm not going to tell them, nobody else will. Look, I'm not thrilled over this, but we don't know what happened, I don't think it was your fault. I don't want you to get hauled back by the Watchers' council for prodding or to lock you up or anything. Besides, Brittany would be really upset, too."
"I'm not so sure... I... I told her to get out of my life. I don't even know if she's still here."
"You have to be insane if you believe she actually left you," Sam said. "Come on, we'll find Brittany, and then I think you and her need to talk."
"Why are you so nice to me?" Santana asked.
Sam shrugged. "Maybe I just want to do something nice after this whole disaster. Don't you feel like that too? Now come on, let's go."
The airport was moderately busy, even at this hour. But Cooper had no eyes for other people. He felt tired, almost drained. Only moments before, he had been filled with so much anger, had been anxious to get off the ground... But then, it had just disappeared, leaving him with this feeling of... emptiness. What had he been thinking, really?
There was movement beside him, as someone sat down on the chair next to him. He didn't need to look up to know that it was Sue. Of course she had caught up to him. Although now it didn't even matter anymore.
"What's that you've got there?"
He sighed, not even questioning her presence. "A ticket to Ohio," he said.
"As someone who escaped from there, I can understand why the prospect of going to Ohio might depress you like that," she said. "May I ask what you intend to do there?"
Another sigh. "I... I wanted to see Quinn. I just... I wanted to leave. I wanted to get out of this life, and get back together with her, and maybe she'd take me back and we can build a life together. Ridiculous, hm?"
"Completely," Sue agreed. "You can't run away from slaying. Even if you quit, they'll always find you."
"And Quinn has moved on," Cooper said. "She has a real life. I don't... I don't want to keep her from anything. It's just..."
There was a snort, that made him look up. "Spare me the self-pity," Sue said. "And there's no need for the martyrdom, either. That girl would love to have you in her life, and you know it. But you have to stay in Sunnydale, because if you don't, the world will end. And she has to stay with her daughter, because somebody has to raise that munchkin, and Sunnydale is about the worst place to raise a child."
"I know all that," Cooper said, the feeling of defeat pierced by a spark of anger. "But it's unfair! Why do I have to give up everything? I'm ruining my own life, and my friends'. And what about Blaine? He could be safe if I wasn't the Slayer, and now he feels he has to stay in Sunnydale, where – let's be honest – he'll most likely get killed eventually, and it will be my fault. Can't you see why I want to get out of this?"
"Of course I see that," Sue said. She spoke completely serious now, nothing of her usual snark. "But you've been chosen. I told you, you can't walk away from this. And that's not because I say so, or because of the Watcher's council. It's because of who you are. You have these powers, and they will draw the forces of darkness as long as you live. It's your fate. And those close to you wish to stay with you to help you through the danger."
"I know," Cooper said. "And I didn't mean those things I said about you. I was just so... angry, and it was easy to project that onto you. I know you're not really the force keeping me in Sunnydale. It's just... it sucks. And it doesn't help that you can be really harsh sometimes."
For a moment, they both were silent, before Sue spoke again.
"There's a reason I'm that harsh to you," she said. "I've seen other Slayers before you. I've been with the Watcher's council for a while, so it's inevitable. When I was chosen to watch over you, I wasn't that impressed with you at first. But when I got to know you, I realized something."
"What's that?" Cooper asked.
"You have a rare ability – you make people want to help you, to use everything they have in order to support you. I'm not sure you understand how important that is. But this team that you grouped around you is your biggest asset. It's what has kept you alive for so long. And when I realized this charisma of yours, I realized something else. Maybe you can actually make it."
"Make it?"
"The fight against evil will go on forever, I'm sure of that. But nobody is the Slayer forever. Most die, of course, but in the history, a few have managed to survive. They eventually lost their powers, passed them on so to speak. From all the Slayer's I've met – you're the first that actually made me believe that's possible. That's why I'm riding you, Charming. Because you're worth the effort."
Cooper looked at her in surprise. "You think I can survive this?" he said.
"At least you have a shot," she said.
"What about my friends? What about Blaine?"
"Some of your friends have already gotten out and are fine," Sue said. "And as far as Prince Gel-head is concerned... maybe you worry about him more than necessary. It didn't seem important at the time, but before I came after you, he and his pet vampire came to see me. They think the unicorn was behind it. I didn't think it mattered, but... something has changed..."
"The aggression is gone," Cooper agreed. "You think Blaine did that? He figured out how to stop it?"
"He's not as helpless as he seems," Sue said. "I have a feeling he has some more surprises for us in store."
"He's amazing," Cooper said. He could feel himself smiling, even through his odd mood. His little brother had saved them. He really could be proud of the kid.
"He's learning," Sue said begrudgingly.
"I just hope he's alright," Cooper said, and suddenly he felt serious again. He had his phone in hand before he had even finished the thought. Before he could do anything else, he needed to make sure his brother was safe.
It took longer than expected until there was an answer.
"Cooper? Are you okay?"
He sighed in relief. His brother was alive, and most likely safe.
"I'm better. What about you? Are you safe? What happened?"
"Demon. The unicorn was a demon. She's gone now," Blaine said. "Sorry, I'm a bit shaken up."
"Did you kill the demon?" Cooper asked.
"Kurt did," Blaine replied. "And um... Quinn told us what to do. I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to ask..."
"It's fine, Blaine, I'm just glad you're okay. And I think I spooked Quinn enough already..."
"It wasn't your fault," Blaine said. His voice sounded hollow, tired, and raw as if he'd cried. He probably felt about as exhausted as Cooper himself. Even Sue seemed a bit deflated. "Where are you?"
"Airport," Cooper said. "But I'll come back. I just wanted to make sure you're safe."
"I am. I'm okay. Um... I'll see you soon."
Before Cooper could say anything else, the call had been ended. He frowned, not sure what to do next. But he didn't have much time to think before there was an incoming call. One look at the display made him freeze.
Quinn.
"What do I do?" he asked, looking up at Sue as if he was a child needing guidance.
Sue rolled her eyes and answered the call for him, leaving him no choice.
"Yeah? Hey. Um... Listen..."
"No apologies," Quinn said. Even through the phone it was too good to hear her voice again. He had hardly been able to appreciate it when he had called her to tell her he was on his way. The anger had been too hot back then...
"I kind of owe you an apology, though," he said. "I shouldn't have called you like this. And I'm sorry, I just-"
"I said no apologies," Quinn repeated. "You were under the influence of an erisian demon. They cause strife and aggression. You weren't yourself, so there's no need for you to apologize. I just heard from Blaine that it's over, and I wanted to make sure you're okay."
"I am," Cooper said. "I'm at the airport, Sue's here too... and Blaine and Kurt got rid of the unicorn. Demon. Thing. So things should go back to normal."
"I'm glad. I hope nobody was hurt," she said.
"I'll find out when I'm back at Sunnydale," Cooper said. "Thank you for helping Blaine with this."
"Anytime," Quinn said. "And you know... I mean it. If I can help you, I'd love to. Look, I know I had to leave quite suddenly. I know this isn't exactly my life anymore. But I can't just let it go either. I hate that we're hardly in contact. I know that's my fault, too. It's just... after that plane crash, I just had to think of Beth. She was left without her mother, and even though Puck kept contact with her, he wasn't really her father... I mean, biologically, yes, we're her parents, but growing up she only knew Shelby, and Puck was the nice uncle who visited sometimes. When Shelby was gone, she needed someone there. Puck couldn't do it. Who else was there?"
"I get that," Cooper said. "You know I do. I've never blamed you for leaving. You know that, right? It's what you had to do, we talked about it."
"I don't think we talked enough," Quinn said. "Not about what it would be like if I actually left. And I wish we had. So... I've been thinking. And I have a suggestion."
"What suggestion?" he said.
"You're at the airport, right?" she asked.
"With a ticket to Ohio," he said. "Do you think I'll get a refund?"
"You won't need it. Take that ticket, fly to Columbus. I'll pick you up at the airport, you stay with me for a few days. You'll get to know Beth, you and me get to talk, and we can figure things out. Sue will manage to deal for a few days."
"I'm not sure..."
"I am," Quinn said. "Text me your arrival time, I'm picking you up. End of discussion." Even though her words were final, there was warmth in her tone.
Cooper looked at Sue, who rolled her eyes. "Just go. You have five days off, then you're back in Sunnydale."
"Alright then," Cooper said. It seemed unreal, that he would actually get to see her again. But this was happening. "I just... I can't wait to see you."
"Me neither," Quinn said. "Alright, I'll see you in a few hours then. And Cooper?"
"Yes?"
"I... I love you. I still do."
He closed his eyes, warmth running through him. "I love you too. I'll see you soon."
Tina was walking through Sunnydale back to her dorm, too preoccupied to think about how dangerous this usually was. Hadn't she made quite the fool of herself? Trying to become a slayer, attacking Blaine, even thinking about going after Cooper? Now the anger had faded, and she felt...
Exhausted, yes, but it wasn't that which had really hit her. She had been so close to Cooper's house that she had continued the way even after the anger had faded. She had wanted to check if they knew anything about what had happened.
What she had found...
They hadn't seen her, Blaine and his vampire, standing in the garden. Kurt had held Blaine in a tight embrace, and Blaine had been holding onto him as if he was drowning.
They had joked sometimes, her and Sam and Santana, that Kurt only helped them because he was into Blaine, or that there was something going on between them. But that had been a joke. Only when she'd gotten angry, Tina had started to believe it. Now? She wasn't sure. But it was obvious she had witnessed something between them.
What did it mean then, to her?
Nothing. It couldn't mean anything. So she had developed a stupid little crush. She had known before that it would never go anywhere. It was still different to see them together. Were they together? And did it even matter to her? It wasn't as if she'd ever even been an option for Blaine.
It still hurt.
Maybe an hour ago, she would have gone crazy. She could have gotten furious, threaten to tell Cooper about it. But now? She was tired, and sad, and she hated it.
She heard foot steps approaching, and she looked up in alarm. The person walking up to her could have been a mirror of her own emotions – sadness, exhaustion, defeat...
"Brittany?" Tina asked, quickening her step until she was standing in front of the other girl. "What are you doing out here?"
"I've been looking for you," the faery said. "Everyone else is going crazy, because of the baby demon, but now it's gone. That's sad, isn't it?"
"Baby demon? What are you talking about?" Tina asked.
"It doesn't matter," Brittany said with a shrug. "She's gone. Maybe it's because supernatural beings don't belong here. I don't know."
"Why have you been looking for me?" Tina asked, as usual not sure how to deal with Brittany and her eccentricities.
"You're a witch," Brittany said, "and you can perform magic. I need you to do that."
"Do what exactly?" Tina asked.
"I need you to open a portal to my home world," Brittany said. "And then talk to the Queen for me, because she seems to listen to humans more. She let me stay for a human, and maybe for a human she'll let me go home."
"Go home? To the faery world? But... why?"
"It's time," Brittany said, but her face closed down so drastically that Tina could just tell that there was more going on. "Will you do it?"
Tina sighed. "I'm not doing any magic tonight. I need time to recover and to think. And I guess you can use some, too. So let's just go back to the dorm, go to sleep, and figure out everything else tomorrow. What do you say?"
Brittany looked decidedly unhappy with this. She looked at Tina as if she was pondering whether it would be worth it to try some of her faery powers to change her mind. Eventually, though, she resigned and just shrugged. "I guess we can do that."
"Whatever is bothering you might even fade, if this weird anger thing is really over," Tina said.
"Santana's anger thing is never over," Brittany said. Her voice sounded carefree, but her expression was clouded.
"Then why don't you talk to Santana about this?" Tina suggested. "Actually talk. You know, like humans do. And listen, that's part of it, too."
Brittany sighed. "I guess... You humans make everything so complicated."
Tina thought of Blaine, how tightly he had clung to a vampire, as if he was the only thing that made sense in the world. She also thought back on Kurt, how tender his expression had been. It hurt, but even in the moment of hurt, she felt stupid.
"Not just humans," she said. "But yes, us especially." She shook her head. She was not going to discuss this with Brittany of all people. She didn't understand the mere idea of the word secret, and Tina was not ready to have her silly feelings examined by everyone in their group. "Let's just go back."
They were silent the rest of the way. They didn't have much to talk at the best of days, and now at least Tina felt exhausted from tonight's events, and really, the days leading up to it, the rising anger... All she wanted to do was sleep. If it had been Sam, they might have talked about anything unimportant. But conversations with Brittany could become very bizarre, and Tina did not feel awake enough for that particular madness. But at least, with the faery by her side, she didn't need to worry about any vampires attacking.
Though somehow, they didn't encounter anybody until they had reached their dorms. Tina thanked their lucky stars. How easy could something worse have happened while they were all distracted by their private drama...
When they had just reached the of the dormitory, Tina spotted to figures also headed to the building, though from another direction. In the darkness, it took her a moment until she recognized them as Sam and Santana. Now that was a pair she hadn't expected walking peacefully together...
Santana had spotted them too, because for a second she stopped as if frozen – then she ran towards them, as fast as she could. Tina watched as the other girl approached them, ran to Brittany, and threw her arms around the faery.
"Oh thank god, you're still here!"
"I guess," Brittany said, still not sounding very enthusiastic.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it!" Santana said.
"You didn't?" Brittany tilted her head, and Tina thought she heard a note of hope in her usual monotone.
"Of course I didn't! I'd never want you gone. It's just... there's so much going on in my head, and my life too. I don't know how to deal with it sometimes. I don't mean to take it out on you. It's just too much sometimes."
"So do we have to talk now?" Brittany asked. "Tina said we do."
Santana threw a look of resigned frustration at her. "I guess she has a point," she said. "But... not tonight, okay? Can we just be together tonight, and talk tomorrow?"
Brittany frowned, really seeming to think it through. Eventually, though, she nodded. "Okay."
They hugged again, then walked inside the building their pinkies intertwined. Tina watched them, not sure what to think of it.
"Everybody ends up together," she said softly.
"Really?" Sam asked. "Like... those two and us?"
Tina winced. She had almost forgotten he was here, too, and hadn't even noticed how he had approached the group.
"No, those two and... it doesn't matter. Just... it's neat, isn't it? It all just stops and... everything's sorted out."
"It's not sorted out," Sam said. "But there's a chance for it."
Tina felt the corners of her mouth twitch upward into a smile. "That's a very nice way to think of it," she said. "I like it."
"I'm glad," Sam said. "I'm also glad this is over, whatever it was. Do you feel as tired as I do?"
"Definitely," Tina said. "I need to sleep for like two days."
"Me too," Sam said. "So... um... weird question... Could I maybe crash with you for a few nights? My room isn't exactly... inhabitable."
"What happened?" Tina asked, frowning.
"Have you seen the Shining?" Sam replied. "Never mind. Just... can I?"
Tina rolled her eyes. "Come up, then. What are friends for?"
Kurt didn't know how long they had been sitting on Cooper's porch, Blaine weakly leaning against his shoulders. He ignored the pulsating pain in his right hand from where the holy weapon had burnt him. Vampires weren't supposed to hold things like this. But it had been necessary, and it had worked. The fight was over, the demon was dead, and the effects on the others had faded. By now, Blaine had not only talked to Cooper but also the rest of his friends. Everyone was okay. Nothing bad had happened.
But still, Blaine was sitting there, slumped into himself. He looked exhausted. As he rubbed his eyes. When he touched a hand to his wet cheek, Kurt could see the small, needle-like hairs. They had flown out of his eyes with the tears, a visible proof of the demon's influence fading.
Blaine seemed calmer now. Talking to his brother and his friends had definitely helped. Still, he was sitting there, his arm barely touching Kurt's, and his eyes firmly on the ground, not looking up.
A part of Kurt's mind told him to leave now. He had helped with the threat, had done even more than was necessary. After all, that was his rule, wasn't it? If it's not the apocalypse, he wouldn't get involved, unless his own head was on the line.
And Blaine. No use denying it, he would always help if Blaine was in danger. Hell, that would probably turn him into a permanent member of that damn scoobie gang...
Either way, the danger was gone, and he still couldn't make himself leave.
"Hey," Kurt said softly. "Are you okay?"
"Sure," Blaine said, although it sounded more like a reflex. "I'm fine. Just tired."
"Maybe you should rest," Kurt suggested. "It's been a rough night for you. Of course, you're exhausted."
"What about you?" Blaine asked. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Kurt said. He turned his right hand, so the palm wasn't facing upwards, but the movement had unfortunately not been as casual as he had hoped.
"What's that?" Blaine asked, grabbing his wrist and turning his hand around. "Oh god... what... it's burned!"
Kurt looked at the surface of his palm. It did look bad, his whole palm red except for the center where it had blackened, blisters on it... It still hurt. But he could bear it, and he'd bite his tongue off before he'd admit it to Blaine.
He shrugged. "It's not painful anymore. It will regenerate after I've had some more blood. Don't worry about it."
"Where did you get that?" Blaine asked.
"Vampire. Elder wood covered in holy oil. It doesn't match too well," Kurt said. "It burnt for a moment when I held the stake. But it's fine, just looks worse than it is. As I said, it will regenerate. In a few nights' time, you won't even know it was there. I'm serious, don't worry about it."
"But... it's my fault," Blaine said slowly. "I should have been able to kill her, you shouldn't have needed to even do this. You only got hurt because I wasn't strong enough."
"I'd hardly call this getting hurt," Kurt replied. "And you were under a form of mind control, too. It was foolish to expect you could just break out of it. Let's just be glad it worked out the way it did."
"Yeah, right..." Blaine nodded, but everything from his expression to the way his shoulders slouched just screamed defeat.
"Can I ask you something?" Kurt asked. "Why is this really bothering you so much? There have been demons and other creatures before, you're not the first of us who got fooled, and while this was disturbing, nothing really bad happened. Why are you so beaten up about this?"
Blaine looked at him, hesitation written all over his face. Eventually, he looked down again before he started to speak.
"This whole thing... it's my fault. It only happened because I let a demon into our lives. Because I was... stupid enough, and naïve enough, to believe that unicorns exist, and that one would come to me and choose me. I just... I thought I was special, that I had something amazing happen to me. But it was just a trap, and it only worked because I was so... dumb. Everyone will tell you, I'm too naïve, I'm blind... Ask Sue, or Santana... and where does it get me? That's what gets me targeted all the time, be it vampires, or demons, or faeries... It's just..." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm the kind of person these things happen to, Kurt. I'm someone these things can just be done to, and I'm sick of it. I just... I thought if I stayed optimistic, and if I believed in good things, then they'd happen. But I was wrong, wasn't I?" He looked up now, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears, but his face hard with anger. "Life's not fair. The good guys don't always win, the bad guys don't always get what they deserve. My brother will eventually get killed trying to save the world, and my friends might be too. This is reality. Good things don't happen, and unicorns don't exist. That's why I'm bothered, Kurt. That's why it's eating me up."
Kurt felt cold to the core. This was a side of Blaine he hadn't seen so far, apparently one the boy had not only been trying to hide, but actively fight against. Was this what Sunnydale had done to him? Or had there been roots to this defeatist attitude before?
Either way, he would not stand for this. Blaine's optimism and faith had been impressive, humbling for him. He had wondered just how the boy managed to keep his sunny attitude in spite of everything. He was not going to stand by and let Sunnydale or any demon drag Blaine down.
"You're wrong," he said. "So this wasn't a unicorn. You were tricked. But that doesn't mean that unicorns don't exist, or that there's nothing to believe in."
"What ever good came out of me believing?"
Kurt bit his lip. He could step back now. But what was his pride even worth, compared to Blaine so deeply miserable? Nothing.
"There's me."
Blaine's face immediately softened, and a shadow of confusion appeared. "What do you mean?"
"You believed in me," Kurt said. "Nobody else did. And you had no reason to, either. Sure, your brother approached me for help on occasion, but he knew I wasn't one of them, that he had to be careful around me. But you? You started to trust me, even after I gave you every reason not to. I attacked you, and still, you managed to see beyond that. You believed I could be better. Me, a vampire. It's about as likely as a unicorn."
"I was awful to you, though," Blaine said softly. "I told you that you'd ruined my life."
"I did ruin your life," Kurt said. "After that night, it couldn't have been the same. I had no right to do that, no right to hurt you at all."
"You know I forgave you," Blaine said.
"Yes. Because you believed in me. And look at me now. I'm helping with freaking bunnies! Without being forced! Face it, you've completely changed my life as well."
"But you hate it. You keep saying so." There was a smile starting to sneak into Blaine's face. He knew exactly how much truth was behind these complaints.
"Blaine, the truth is... When I say I have other friends except you guys... that's a lie. I don't. The friends I had before you are all long dead, or vanished... And Sebastian is not my friend. I used to hang out with him and Hunter, but that wasn't friendship. Actually, those have been some of the darkest times in my life. But you? You believed in me, when nobody would have, and you became my friend. I guess even the rest of your brother's ridiculous gang qualify as friends. But I wouldn't even have been a person ready for friendship, if it hadn't been for you. If you hadn't believed in me... I would hang around the graveyard every night, fight with those ridiculous high school neanderthals, and... I'd be so lonely, I wouldn't even notice how miserable I was. Instead, I'm fighting for a good cause, I have people who'd have my back if I was in trouble. And you. So don't say your faith never accomplished anything. It has changed my life for the better. Honestly – I don't want a world where you don't believe in unicorns. And I'll kill a hundred more demons, I don't care if it burns my hands right off – if only that allows you to keep believing unicorns exist."
Blaine looked at him, wide-eyed and hopeful. "You mean it?" he asked softly.
"Every word."
He wasn't quite sure what to do next, but fortunately, Blaine made the decision for him, by throwing his arms around Kurt's neck.
Kurt held him close, burying his unhurt left hand into his hair. He hoped his words would be enough to help Blaine get out of this low point. They probably wouldn't. Kurt knew a thing or two about self-doubts, knew how deep they ran. He thought back on their first meeting, the things Blaine had said back then. He had been lost, almost depressed, and thinking back, Kurt could see that the roots had been there even back then.
He couldn't make sure his words would stay with Blaine forever. But he could try to be there and remind him when things got too dark.
"Do you want to get some rest now?" Kurt asked.
There was a moment of silence, as Blaine thought about it. "I... Actually, I don't think I want to be alone right now," he said.
"Well, I can't exactly go inside, and you should definitely not stand in the cold all night," Kurt said.
Blaine frowned, hesitant and uncertain. It would be the easiest way to just invite Kurt into the house again, but it was obviously asking too much. He shouldn't have brought it up. Looking around, he suddenly had the perfect solution.
"That one's your room, isn't it?" Kurt asked, pointing to a window on the upper floor.
Blaine nodded. "It is," he said.
"Why don't you go up to your room and grab a blanket or something, and I'll meet you on that balcony you have there? That's outside the house, it should be no problem."
Blaine looked up at him in amazement, then he nodded. As he disappeared into the house, Kurt climbed up the house wall until he had reached the balcony. A moment later, the room lit up and Blaine joined him, indeed bringing blankets.
They sat together for a long time, not talking much, just sharing the space, looking outside at the stars and the night sky. When they did talk, it wasn't about the demon, or what had happened. It was everything and nothing. They sat there long after Blaine had fallen asleep, and he could already feel the night drawing to a close. In a few moments, he would have to wake Blaine, send him inside to sleep properly, and then return to his refuge. But not right now.
Right now, he kept an arm around Blaine's sleeping form, allowed himself to breathe in the smell of his hair. It was going to be hard to suppress his feelings, harder if he planned to be around more. But he was still dangerous, and more importantly, what Blaine needed was for him to be a friend. The danger of the demon was passed, but Kurt had seen something darker tonight. This... bitterness wasn't something he had noticed in Blaine before, and it worried him. Killing demons and holding speeches was easy, but Kurt knew it wasn't enough to keep self-doubts and fears like this at bay. Time, and patience, and friendship might have a chance.
So he would do what he could, be a friend, be there. Be what Blaine needed. And if that meant he was going to spend more time with the slayer and his gang, to help fighting other vampires, demons, witches and other things...
He looked at the boy leaning against him.
Well, maybe this wasn't such a huge sacrifice.