The Alternative Worlds
It had been nearly five years since Finn and four years since Puck had passed, the facts were clear in regards to how they died so from the day it was reported it was never talked about again. Everyone went about life as normal; well as normal as they could while Mr Schuster was telling them about hitting bottom and always being there for them.
But now summer was long gone, everyone had left school, the pep talks slowed and distance got in the way. The cracks started to appear as people started to fall over the edge, there were tell tail signs that could have been picked up had they still been close enough to really care, their anchor men had gone. Mike had moved to China with his family after college, he became some big movie star and never returned to Lima. Kurt seemed to just disappear off the scene one day, without warning, there was no contact and no word so for nearing four years he was presumed missing, the others had drifted apart
"How the hell did we get here?" Sam asked, shaking his head as he sat watching Santana and Quinn arguing, even attempting to knock fists over the bag
"Shut the fuck up, do without if you don't want any" Santana shouted back still grabbing at the note cussing for Quinn attempting to take more than her quota
Quinn's Story
Quinn had got her head together when she finished Yale, she'd professed her love for Puck and he'd grabbed at it as fast as he could, everything was coming up roses for her. There was a call she'd missed because she was busy at a private seminar listening to some classical poetry, and then she forgot to call him back because she'd got involved in the debate that followed. Then time just melted into one as her dissertation, final exams and last assignments came crashing down making her feel like she'd wasted months not doing anything, the pressure was enormous
"Try this" her house mate threw her a bag with some pills in
"What are they?"
"Nothing too strong they'll just keep your eyes open" she giggled passing her a bottle of water
"Thanks" Quinn took the water, opened he bag and popped a pill, one became two, three then four, then something to bring her down, it became a way of life
She'd finished her exams, but the pills stayed, it was summer so there was the usual pending link up with her old classmates, she was looking forward to finally meeting up with Puck, they were on the opposite side to the country most the time, she missed him like crazy a call was never enough. It was two days before her trip was due when she got the news she was floored
"Marge" she smiled at Puck's Mom on the phone, a sure sign that things were heating up at home "Is everyone alright?" she asked laughing at the tales that she knew were about to drop on her "Marge what's wrong?" she asked realising his Mom was crying "What's happened?"
"It's Puck he's..."
"No, don't tell me, I don't want to know" Quinn screamed throwing the phone down, she'd never heard the actual words but she knew it, she felt him reach to her through the phone and grab her hand, she went to her dealer flatmate and by the night she was using hard drugs and drinking heavily she needed to block it out. She didn't get to the funeral she couldn't face it, it wasn't how she wanted to remember the love of her life, it was over four years later that she made contact with any of the old crew, having finally made it home in another attempt to get clean.
Santana's Story
She'd been on a cruise with Brittany at the time when the news came in about Puck, both of them stood looking at the message from Mercy telling them the bad news "Oh my God, Santana I'm so sorry" Brittany held her knowing there was going to be a fall out about this. On several occasions Santana had admitted to her that if they hadn't happened she'd have stayed with Puck, she felt they had a connection that couldn't be broken. It just so happened Brittany was taking pain killers for an injury she'd obtained while on tour in China, they expected spectacular in those parts and in her attempt to give it, she fell funny on her back and the pain sometimes was excruciating.
They attended the funeral, saw some of their old friends there but shocked that Quinn hadn't turned up, Santana sent her a nasty text and deleted her number, she was adamant she wanted nothing else to do with the girl, but when Quin finally came home looking like less than half the girl that had left for a new life, she was shocked
"Quinn" she gasped as they bumped into each other at the cemetery "What the..." she trailed off at the pale, grey face that met with hers
"Santana" she half smiled "I messed up" she told her falling into her arms, eventually telling her story about the pain she felt, the depression that came over her and led her to this place four years on
Santana sent a text out to those she could still contact, and just hoped that as many of the old crew turned up as could
Rachel's Story
There'd been a time when Rachel was ambitious and all she could see what the stage, and she'd gone for it, it was her dream actually it was Finn and hers dream for their life. He'd been there when she got her first lead role, when she'd cried with the pressure of it all being too much, wiped her tears and kissed her lips, the date had been set they were getting married in less than eight months.
Finn hadn't been as lucky as her in his chosen career, they struggled to get him bit parts in films that didn't make it to the screen or even the TV and she could see the will in him dwindling. She'd called Mr Schuster with her concerns for him, begging him to come to New York to talk to him, but the man had his own family to look after, Finn had taken up so much of his life already he was drained
What Mr Schuster hadn't told her was that Finn had developed a dependency because of his stress and so that dreadful night when she arrived home from work to find him in the bedroom, lifeless she went into shock. She went through life on the tail of others, to the outside world she was coping, well even, but inside she was dying fast and hard. She'd hidden what was left of what Finn has used that night, and years later she found herself sitting in the bathroom, with a needle in her hand trying to see if the high he felt that night was as high as she felt when she was around him, of course the first time she tried it she nearly got there and now her life's goal was to get near there again.
She went darker when she heard about Puck a year later, she attended the funeral and stood on the outskirts, for fear of what people would think of her or say to her, smiling as she saw Santana, Brittany, Sam, Mercy and Kurt
Four years on the news that Quinn was in the area pulled her back for a second as she sat reading the text, they'd been through the same thing, they'd lost the love of their lives she made ready to go see this girl that started out as her enemy and now felt like her closest ally
Sam & Mercy's Story
They'd finally got it together after they finished college, she'd come home the day she finished and knocked his door, he was past excited to see her "Just say it" he smiled "Please just tell me you've come here to say the words I need to hear" she smiled before she frowned at his appearance, this wasn't her usual Sam standing in front of her "I've lost everything I can't lose you too"
"Are you sick?" she stepped towards him asking
"A bit just.. just make me feel better tell me what I need to hear" he brushed her question off
"I'm ready Sam" she grinned taking his hug as he almost jumped at her, he felt thin, frail "Are you sure you're alright?" she pulled away from him asking
"I'm fine now" he kissed her temple telling her still unwilling to let her out of the hug
Eventually she moved them into the house, he wasn't doing well at all the place was a mess, she set about cleaning it up, he sat watching her smiling "Do you need these?" she held up a bowl of broken guitar picks
"No, I don't know why I've kept them"
"Maybe because you don't know which ones Finn or Puck gave you" she sat on the couch heavy a feeling of upset flowing over her "I can't believe they've gone"
"Me neither" Sam's face sad as she watched her "I lost two wing men one after the other, just like that, I'm lost Mercy" he held his head in his hands as his shoulders jerked
"Sam" she quickly hugged him, damning herself, she'd have never brought it up if she'd known it was still so raw for him
It took a couple of months for her to work out this was more than grief and finding the powder evidence in his pocket, he didn't deny it, but he begged her not to leave him, she stood wondering where else she was going to go, he was destined to be hers and if anyone could get him out of this rut it was her. After a year of juggling with her career and struggling with his addition she sang her last song dedicated to Sam, she'd built her hopes around the words to that song from the day she'd got back, finally she gave in, she was at her last stop with him and in her moment of madness she thought joining him would make him see the error of his ways, watching him destroying himself was too hard, she didn't know when she became dependent but three years on she knew she was and struggling just as much as Sam to kick this
"Quinn's finally come back" Mercy sat watching him set their next hit up
"We should go see her" Sam told her without looking up from what he was doing
Blaine's Story
Blaine had been all the way to the top, he'd finished NYADA with flying colours, married Kurt, got his first Grammy within 12 months of being in the business, he didn't feel there was any further up he needed to go. He was knocking shoulders with some big names, Kurt at his side for all of it, and he was feeling invincible.
"Blaine" Kurt pulled his arm as he started getting loud again, he might have thought it was all fun but Kurt could see the looks that Blaine was ignoring he was becoming a loose cannon "Please calm down, people are looking"
"So fucking what?" Baine pulled his arm away from his husband asking "If you don't want to be here go home"
"Blaine" Kurt stood trying to work out what the hell was wrong with the man "What his wrong with you?" he hissed at him
"You" he told him "You're wrong with me"
"Me?" Kurt stood away from him looking around at the gathering crowd "Let's go home" he grabbed his arm trying to pull him out of the party
"Leave me alone Kurt" he flashed him off as he spoke "You want to know what's wrong with me?" he shouted "You're not fucking Sam, that's what's wrong with me"
"Sam?" Kurt asked unsure where all this had come from "What's Sam got to do with this?"
"Oh work it out idiot" he hissed at him, watching as Kurt turned and walked out of the hall with all Blaine's colleagues watching, he didn't know at that point that he'd walked out of his life too. He didn't see Kurt again for nearly two years when he came to him for a divorce, of course he was so strung out he ranted for a minute before signing the damn thing, and that was the end of his cosy life with Kurt.
He'd heard about Quinn's misgivings, it was a small town, everyone knew everything they needed to know, so when she'd returned home, although he had never been that close to the girl, Kurt and Sam were, and he was going to jump on the reunion band wagon to get close to Sam or rebuild a relationship with Kurt, whichever came first. He called his usual dealer to get some party spirit and smiled when the car pulled up
"This is the good stuff" Ryder told him smiling
"Thanks" Blaine took it passing over the money and watching him leave before dipping his finger in it to test the quality, smiling as he wrapped it back up and made his way across town in response to Santana's message
Artie & Tina's Story
Tina's acceptance to Browns got knocked back, that was really the first knock for this couple although they didn't even know it at the time. Artie went off to film school and things worked out alright for him there he was popular, charming and talented, he got a job straight out of that and was successful for a few years, there was always a question mark over what Tina was going to find to do but in the end she took up fashion designing in a small way, starting with friends and family with the hope of getting bigger. Eventually she got a contract with a long running production, costumes became her line along with the long hours, time away from home and parties
"They offered me some stuff tonight and I was so tempted to try it" she sat taking her make up off looking at Artie laying in their bed through the mirror
"You should have tried some" he laughed "Maybe that's what we need" referring to their lacking bedroom activity "And yes I think it's all the pressure too but..."
"Next time they offer I'll take a bit, we can try it together"
Of course it was offered many times after that and once they'd tried the first one and had a great night in bed it almost became their foreplay drug, they started looking forward to meeting up again after time away, sinking in the hot bath and setting the musical scene before making that line, rolling that bill and searching for their physical high.
They didn't even realise there was a problem until one evening she found Artie laying on the balcony wall talking about being able to fly, trying to convince her that everything was alright because he had every faith he could fly "Artie" she gasped at the sight stepping slowly towards him, grabbing him so hard he crashed into the balcony floor, his face hitting the railing echoing in the night. After that she didn't think they should do the stuff anymore but they were soon to learn they were already addicted, it wasn't even about the sex anymore
The Reunion
Those that could had made their way to the old Sugar Shack, it wasn't used now a days, it was a derelict building that held a lot of memories for them. It was hard to believe that a group of people that had lived in each others pockets for near on 6 years, knew nothing about each other's lives today, and had spent in total, nearly five years apart, some longer, without communication.
"Rachel?" Blaine asked stepping towards the pale faced girl coming towards him "Is that you?"
"Yes" she squinted her eyes trying to make out who was talking to her "And you are?"
"Blaine, it's Blaine" he smiled opening his arms for a hug "It's been a while"
"A long while"
"Hey" Artie smiled as Tina wheeled him in catching their attention
"Artie" Rachel smiled walking fast towards him, leaving Blaine hanging, truth be tod she only knew it was him because she remembered the wheelchair "It's great to see you" she looked up at Tina standing behind him "Hi Tina"
"You remembered me because I was the only Asian female, right?" Tina huffed at her already pissed off, Artie was one of the few boys this bitch hadn't kissed or tried to take from someone else and it wasn't happening now
"No you went off to ….. em …" she stood trying her hardest to remember and prove this girl wrong "I know you went off to college somewhere"
"We all went off to college bitch" Tina spat
"Okay we're not here for all that" Artie held is hands up before parting the two women with his hands "Distance please"
"Already?" Sam's voice entered the room, he was already on a high dancing his way into the crowd and giving Mercy a kiss when they got there, both stood giggling at whatever they found funny "Long time" he hugged everyone, waiting for Mercy to finish saying hello before he grabbed her hand again
"So Quinn's back" Mercy smiled
"Yeah it will be good to catch up, finally" Tina smiled "It will be like old times again"
"Not quite" Blaine brought the mood down with his reminder
"Not quite" Sam echoed "Anyway where's Quinn?"
"I guess she'll be here with Santana" Rachel told him
"Talk about ghosts from Christmas fucking past" Mercy snapped, more at Sam asking the question than the answer, and all these bitches he'd been around at school being in the same room once again. She didn't mind it when they were at school but their relationship had moved on fast after college and as far as she was concerned, regardless of his problems, they were still meant to be together forever.
Sam pulled her to him, put her under his arm and kissed her forehead "The only Christmas' that matter to me are the ones we've had together, you know that"
"I know, I'm just jealous I guess" she smiled up at him as he squeezed her to him
"So here's the guest of honour" Santana walked in with Quinn's hand in hers
"Quinn" Rachel set off towards her
"Rachel" she smiled her eyes searching the room as Rachel wrapped her arms around her "Mercy" she gasped as tears fell down her face "Sam" she looked at the two of them standing together "I missed you guys" she left Rachel and quickly walked over to them for hugs before her attention was drawn to Artie and Tina, more crying and hugging after a while she finally said a sombre hello to Blaine
The get together started with what they'd achieved in the past five years, everyone happy to talk about the peak in their lives when things were as they'd planned. Blaine soon brought the conversation down when he started talking about the split between Kurt and him, everyone enquiring as to Kurt's whereabouts, the only thing they knew for sure was that Brittany was off doing choreography for some artist in Washington
"So this is my new best friend now" Blaine pulled the bag of powder out of his pocket, he'd only told half the story he hadn't mentioned the fact that he'd thrown Sam in his husbands face
"That shit ruined my life" Quinn told him
"Puck's passing ruined your life" Blaine told her "My regular dealer ensures me this is the purest stuff on the street" he told everyone excited
Sam and Mercy looked at each other "We just this morning decided to try life without it" Sam told him
"Tomorrow can be day zero can't it?" Blaine asked shaking the bag impatiently
"I've made no promises" Artie held his hand out for the bag, Blaine threw it over to him, they sat in the circle watching Artie prepare two lines, licking their lips it was hard to resist with the shit sitting right there
"Here goes" Artie took the $20 bill and rolled it up, taking his line in one go "God that shit's good" he told them passing the rolled up bill to Tina to do the same "Shit" his head went back he was enjoying the buzz "Lay down babe" he told her watching her snort "This is going to blow your fucking mind"
"Me next" Rachel grabbed the bag and quickly took her portion before passing it to Quinn
"Is it good?" Quinn asked a nodding Rachel
"Yeah" she told her before she fell back
Quinn" Santana shouted at her attempting to enter the bag twice "Pass the fucking shit" he dived at the bag telling her
"How the hell did we get here?" Sam asked, shaking his head as he sat watching Santana and Quinn arguing, even attempting to knock fists over the bag
"Shut the fuck up, do without if you don't want any" Santana shouted back still grabbing at the note, cussing for Quinn attempting to take more than her quota
"Santana" Blaine shouted alerting her to the fact that it actually belonged to him, he didn't like the way she's spoken to Sam either, she passed the bag to Blaine, he took his share and passed it to a reluctant Sam
"Should we?" he asked Mercy
"Whatever you do I'm going to do it" she told him as they both sat looking at the bag
"This is the very last one" he told her
"The very last" she echoed, watching him open the bag and prepare their lines
"I promise" he told her before bending to take in the magic powder, she followed him, it was something she'd promised she's do a while back when their relationship took a funny turn
"Sam" she grabbed his hand as she involuntarily fell back onto the hard ground before she'd finished the line "Sam, somethings wrong" she didn't know if she was thinking or say that, but she knew it was happening, she felt him squeeze her hand, relaxing to let the feeling take over
The High
"Finn" Rachel screamed at him suddenly standing in front of her
"Rachel" he smiled "What are you doing here?"
"Never mind all that is it really you?"
"Of course it's me" he laughed "It's been a while" he held his arms open for her to fall into "I really miss you guys" he told her as he picked her feet up of the ground
"I don't believe this, you were..."
"You can't say it because that word doesn't exist here" he smiled at her
"Can't say what?"
"Never mind" he laughed
"At least we can be together again" she hugged him tighter
"Together?" he pulled her off his chest asking "That's not how things are here, I shouldn't have come, I just wanted you to see a familiar face, sorry"
"Finn" Puck walked up to him from nowhere, there was nothing but space behind them some parts bright others totally dark
"Puck" Rachel gasped "You guys are together?"
"Puck?" Quinn appeared from nowhere asking
"Quinn" he smiled, "Really good to see you, look after yourself" he pulled Finn with him, it looked like they were having a disagreement as they walked away but they couldn't hear a word they were saying, even though they were just inches away from them
"What the fuck" Rachel gasped as they linked hands and what looked like tails linked together behind them as they walked into the mist
"They're fucking Avatars" Sam walked towards Quinn and Rachel dazed "They've connected" he laughed in disbelief
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Santana tutted "Get the fuck out my buzz" she told him
"What did they say?" Quinn asked Rachel, ignoring the conversation, everyone stopped to listen as she relayed the conversation
"Artie?" Rachel stopped talking to ask "What's happening?"
"I really don't know" he looked down at himself "But I'm fucking walking" he laughed "Man we usually see like flying people, vivid colours, black out, feel sexy and shit this is way out" he smiled nodding his head in acceptance "I think it's cool that you guys are in my buzz"
"You guys are in my buzz" Blaine told them "Unless we're dead"
"Dead?" Sam asked "So where are we?" he looked around at the nothingness "And where's Mercy?" he looked to his side "Did she take that shit?" he asked looking at Blaine
"I think so" Blaine told him
"She couldn't have, she'd be here if she had, wouldn't she?" he asked everyone, his soul hoping that she hadn't, if they were dead he couldn't have that on his conscience
"Here they are" Artie laughed at Tina and Mercy walking towards them
"Sam" Mercy smiled running towards her man
"I think we're dead I wished you hadn't followed me, just this once"
"Whatever this is..." Quinn trailed off as a stranger came into their midst "Who are you?"
"The gatekeeper" the face replied while the body seemed to wonder off "You have four choices, choose wisely" it told them the face becoming mist as they stood watching it disappear before they felt a pull sending them off down a worm hole screaming and shouting as their feet left the ground involuntarily, they stopped in a square with a door on each wall
Choice 1
"This is..." Santana looked around at the Gay Pride decorations bobbing her head to 'Mamacita' by Jason Derulo & Farruko pumping, everyone was dancing the vibe was as she's expected fun and free "This is great" she wondered into the crowd pulling Quinn with her to dance
"Come on" Blaine grabbed hold of Sam's arm and pulled him into the crowd too, Sam looked back and grabbed Mercy's hand to bring her with him, all five standing on the dancefloor "This is alright isn't it?" he asked Sam taking a sneaky look at Mercy
"It's alright" Sam nodded pulling Mercy closer to him, as she moved to the music
"Loosen up" Artie tapped Sam's shoulder as Tina and him went to find a spot on the dancefloor "Come on Evans dance"
"Come on Mercy" Tina grabbed her hand as everyone except Rachel stood dancing
"Guys" Rachel called getting their attention "The walls are moving"
"It's your fucking brain Berry, it's the high" Quinn snapped at her, Santana grabbing Rachel's arm to join them dancing
"And I suppose I'm just seeing things when I tell you that Finn and Puck are over there?" Rachel pointed to the two men dancing together, Quinn gasped at seeing them again and hurried over to them with Rachel hot on her heels
"Puck" she smiled as she got close to him happy he held his arms out for her to run into this time "I miss you so much" she kissed his cheek before pulling away from him to grab a kiss, frowning when he pulled away from her "What?"
"I'm with Finn now, we chose each other, he's my person"
"But you're not gay" she told him
"There was no going back for me, this was my only real option"
"Well I'm here now, I'm your option" Quinn told him grabbing hold of his face
"You get one choice Quinn, and it lasts for eternity"
"So what we can never be together again?"
"No we can't, you need to live your life if you get the chance or make your choice"
"Did you hear that?" Blaine whispered in Sam's ear "You know I've always loved you, we can have a normal life here, one where no one will judge us, be with me Sam"
"What?" Sam jerked looking at Mercy stood beside him, wondering how he was hearing Blaine's voice in his head
"What's the matter?" Mercy asked him
"Nothing I was just..." he looked around the noisy room, finally finding Blaine's smiling face "Stop it" he hissed at him
"Are you alright?" Mercy tugged at his arm asking
"Yeah I'm fine I just need to get out of here, the same music's been playing for the last 10 minutes and everyone's still dancing, it's fucking weird"
"Sam" he heard Blaine's voice again "Don't go please stay here with me, I love you"
"Well I don't love you" he hissed feeling Mercy jerk away from him
"What did you say?" she looked up at him
"I wasn't talking to you" he turned to grab her arm "Sorry I was just thinking aloud" he looked over at Blaine stood smiling at everything going on
"Leave me alone" he mouthed at the man
"Come on lets get out of here" Santana butted into the conversation telling everyone
"Where are we going?" Tina asked
"I don't know, I just know we need to stick together" she replied "Through here" she stepped through another door
Choice 2
"This actually looks more like my kind of heaven" Artie smiled looking around at the tables of whatever stimulant one would fancy, naked women sitting around, some even having sex with men or women as 'Antisocial' by Ed Sheeran & Travis Scott played 'Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me, I came to vibe, yeah, on something, on something, on something, I wanna riot...' rang out forever
"What is this place" Mercy asked looking around the room
"Who gives a shit, we can get a free hit here" Blaine walked over to the table with his preferred stimulant on it "Do you mind?" he asked the guy sitting there with two girls working him
"It belongs to everyone, it never ends" the guy told him nodding at the stash
"Fucking heaven" Blaine smiled sitting down to partake
"Move over" Artie joined him on the couch "Shit this is heaven" he rested back on the chair taking in the buzz "A hit within a hit" he smiled
"Is it any good?" Tina asked
"The best" he replied aware she was sitting next to him to do the same "Stay close girl"
"If Finn isn't an option I could live in a place like this" Rachel told everyone sitting to partake
"Sounds like a plan" Quinn sat next to her
"Guys we're going to pass on this one" Mercy told them looking up at Sam "We made a promise to each other"
"Promises are made to be broken" Santana laughed, sitting to take her share
"Not this one" Mercy told her "Lets look around" she suggested "See you guys later" stepping off with Sam as she spoke
"What the hell?" Sam gasped as they walked further into the room "Where's his fucking foot?"
"God" Mercy gasped looking at what he saw "What is this place?"
"Blaine called it heaven, I don't think so" Sam stepped back from a face approaching him
"We need to get out of here" Mercy turned grabbing his hand tighter "Where's..." she trailed off seeing black behind them
"Just walk come on" he pulled her with him into the unknown "It's clearing" he told her smiling as the couches came into view "It's the right way" he turned to smile at her "Let's get everyone out of here" he walked towards the couch "Guys we need to go, this isn't what it seems"
"Stop being such a fucking buzz kill" Blaine snapped at him
"Buzz kill?" Sam hissed "There are people down there with no fucking limbs, is that what you want for yourself?"
"Chill" Artie told them, his voice slurred
"You know what?" Mercy looked at them all sat on the couch "I don't usually get involved in your shit but this is real, Sam's telling the truth, get the fuck up we're getting out of here" she stood with her hand on her hip looking at them all "Now!" she shouted "Get the fuck up"
"Fuck" Santana got up "Mercy your pissing me off"
"My foot up your fucking asses will piss you all off in a minute" she told her watching them slowly get up "Tina" she shouted at the girl laying all zonked out "Artie deal with your shit" she pointed at her watching Artie pick Tina up
"Sam" Blaine went up close to him "Hold my hand" he grabbed at his empty hand
"What?" Sam pulled it away looking at Mercy's shocked face
"We need to stay together don't we?" Blaine asked
"What's going on?" Mercy asked suspiciously
"Like what?" Blaine asked
"Nothing" Sam said at the same time, rolling his eyes at the man making this look bad
"Not the right answer" she pulled away from him and walked away
"Mercy" he called after her
"Let her go" Blaine told him laughing "If she thinks I'm a threat there must be something there" he whispered
"There's nothing there" Sam snapped going after her
"Come on grab someone, lets go" Mercy grabbed Santana's hand, turning for a second to look at Sam as he grabbed her hand, and led them out of the room
Choice 3
"What the fuck?" Artie asked struggling to move his head "I can only see ahead"
"Me too" Tina told him
"Rachel" he tugged at the hand he was holding "Rachel" he tugged again, getting no response "What about you can you see Santana?"
"Santana" Tina called shaking her hand as she called "She's not responding"
"What do you reckon this place is?" he asked getting no response "Tina?" he shook the hand that she was holding "What the fuck?" he asked as the black space in front of him filled with what he could only describe as a vision. He sat watching himself sitting in his wheelchair at a bus stop, a minibus pulled up and he was suddenly on it, by the time it dropped him off it was night time, the driver took him off the bus and wheeled him into a low rise property, turned the light on and let himself back out. He sat looking around the space for the longest time, then suddenly it was daylight and the same man was letting himself in to grab his chair and wheel him back on the bus "Fuck" he hissed when he realised he was sitting at the bus stop again, this was no life
Quinn was enjoying the solace in her beautiful flower garden, she sat at her garden table with paper and pen writing her next blockbuster novel "Hi" she smiled at the man walking towards her, leaning up to take his kiss "I got another chapter done" she told the man. She was more than happy in this environment, she'd had a very sheltered secluded life due to being wheelchair bound, her only friend, whose name she couldn't quite remember just now visited on a daily basis with food his wife cooked he also made sure her wheelchair was charged, she was content "I could stay here" she smiled at the birds singing
Everyone sat having their idea of perfection play out in front of them, they were all holding hands, the link was still very much there, but right now they couldn't connect to each other they were being shown how life could be if they didn't know each other at all.
"So" Quinn pulled everything back breaking the chain by losing Blaine and Santana's hands "I choose here" she told them "I haven't had much to do with you guys in the past few years I could live like a recluse"
"Really?" Rachel, along with everyone else, suddenly stood in front of everyone asking
"Yeah Puck's made his choice, if I had to choose I'd choose here I don't really want to watch the two of them together for all eternity" she told him
"When you put it like that" Rachel frowned "I'm torn"
"No question, I'm going back to the first one, if Britt ever comes she'd expect me to be there" Santana announced
"How do you know how long you can wait around?" Tina asked "I love Artie, he knows I do, but we're toxic together I think I'm going to try life alone, I don't know what lays ahead but I can only think it's going to be better"
"Are we splitting up?" Artie asked
"Everyone splits up" Blaine hissed, looking at Sam
"Kurt and you split up Blaine" Rachel told him cutting her eye at him "And it seems like everyone has to suffer for it"
"Not everyone" he looked at Sam again
"What's he on about?" Mercy looked at Sam asking
"Nothing" Sam told her
"So what are you going to do?" Quinn asked looking at Sam
"I don't like any of them" he looked around the group "But if I had to choose one in guess it would be this one, I'd love to be a rock star" he laughed
"I choose none, I want time" Mercy told him letting his hand go
"If that's on the table that's what I want too" he threw his arm around her waist
"Link hands let's see what the next one is" Blaine announced
"The voice said four choices" Quinn reminded them
"I've made my mind up" Santana said "I'm going through this first door" she walked off towards the door and faded
"We suppose to stay together" Mercy shouted after her
"If everyone's jumping ship, I'm not going back to a wheelchair, I don't want to be tied to someone I don't love for the rest of my natural, I guess I'll stick to the high" Artie told them walking backwards as he spoke
"Artie" Tina grabbed after him "Don't leave me" she pulled herself to him and floated off with him
"Love" Quinn smiled "I'd love to wait around for another Puck, but there isn't one, I'm staying here" she told them backing away into her mist
"Sam" Blaine pulled at his sleeve "This is your last chance"
"Last chance for what?" Mercy asked
"He's in love with your boy" Rachel told her
"Is that true?" Mercy looked up at Sam, his head bent unwilling to own up to the truth "Sam, is it true?"
"Yes but I've never reciprocated any of it"
"So why didn't you say, why did you have to hide it?" she looked at Blaine stood smiling "Do you want something to happen between you?" she asked before he could answer the other question "Sam?" she stood in front of him waiting for an answer
"Because I just want him to leave me the fuck alone, it's embarrassing" he hissed "He's harassing me, he's in my damn head, his eyes are all over me, he knows I'm not into him but he's trying to wear me down"
"Did Sam have something to do with why Kurt left?" Mercy asked Blaine, looking between the two men
"It's all out now" Blaine rolled his eyes "Yes, because he knew I'd never love him as much as I love Sam"
"Well Sam doesn't love you" Sam rolled his eyes at his word "What the fuck am I saying?" he asked Mercy "Blaine" he stepping towards him "I don't know how many ways I need to say this, leave me a fucking lone, I am not and will not ever be gay, and even if I was, it wouldn't be with you"
"That's a horrible thing to say" Blaine wolfed
"It's true, please leave me, us" he looked back at Mercy "Alone"
"Whatever happens after this is your fault" Blaine backed away from them, tears in his eyes as he walked through the second door and became mist
"Great job Sam" Rachel hissed "How the fuck are we going to get back now, everyone's gone their own way"
"I need to think" Mercy backed away from Sam
"Mercy" he grabbed her hand "We made a promise"
"I need to get off this damn high, this is the very last time Sam, my life changes when I get up from this"
"Mine too, we promised that didn't we?"
"Come on" Rachel held her hands out for the two of them to grab "Fourth choice?"
"Fourth choice" Sam and Mercy looked at each other, before he grabbed her hand and they both grabbed Rachel's to re-enter that door
Choice 4
Mercy
"Where am I?" Mercy asked watching all these shapes standing around her "What's happening?" she asked the blurred faces, the mumbling not making any sense to her "Sam" she called trying to look around
"Lay still" the words springing her back on her back
"Sam" she called again her head moving as much as it could to find him "Where's my boyfriend?"
"Lay still" came again with attitude
"Where the fuck am I?" she tried to jump off the moving bed, shocked to find she was strapped to the metal rails at hand and foot "Why am I chained up?" she asked again to still no response
"It's for your own safety" she looked around for Rachel and Sam, if she couldn't find them she couldn't get back, this was the worst one so far
Sam
Sam lay on what felt like a cold metal slab with no sheets, pillows or covers he was shivering he knew that much, the room was silent, so much so you could hear a pin drop, His eyes were moving but the lids weren't open and he couldn't get them open, it felt like they were sown together "hello" he opened his mouth, said the word but although he could hear it in his head he knew it hadn't left his body "Help" he shouted trying to get his body to move to get help "Somebody help" his foot finally moved nudging something off the side of this slab like thing he was laying on
"He moved" a voice shouted and suddenly he was aware there were people hurrying around him
"Help" he shouted again this time his eyes popped open "What's happening?" he was speaking but no one was responding
"Get that" he heard as something stabbed into his body, and everything went blurred quickly
Rachel
"What did this one say her name was?" a doctor walked into the room looking at Rachel sat on the bed
"Rachel Fabray" the nurse told him "But we can't find any details for her in the system"
"So we can't treat her until we know who she is?"
"Technically no" the nurse frowned at the doctors disapproval
"I need to get home" Rachel huffed restlessly ignoring their conversation
"What did you say your friends names were?" the doctor asked her
"I told you already, I know my fucking rights"
"Your friends are dead Rachel, do you understand, they're all dead and we need answers, the police are on their way, this is serious" he turned to his colleague "She's as high as a kite, what was that stuff has anything come back yet?"
"I'll chase it up" one of the nurses walked off quickly to chase the results up
Sam
"Doctor Francis" a nurse burst into the room "Bed three's woken up"
"I'm on my way" he turned with a nurse in tow "Maybe we can get some sense out of him" they burst through the door watching Sam's head turn "Did you find out his name?"
"No..."
"Sam, my names Sam, where's my girlfriend?" he mumbled shaking his head to get the blur out
"Who's your girlfriend?"
"Mercy, where is she?" he asked looking at the two people standing over him
"Sam could you tell us who your friends are, the people that were with you?"
"Mercy my girlfriend" he told them
"What does she look like?"
"Like Mercy, weave" he told them flinching at the pain in his chest "Where's my girlfriend?" he rubbed his chest wondering why he was feeling pain
"She's in a room down the hall, that's all I can tell you right now" the doctor smiled at the relief on Sam's face "What did you guys take?"
"Blaine brought the party I really don't know exactly what it was, the next thing I know we're all on the same trip, seeing our dead friends and stuff, it was sick" he laughed "I guess this is the shit behind the 4th door" he looked at the guy looking clueless in front of him "I'm not choosing this one if Mercy isn't in it"
"What?" the doctor asked "Do you think this is a joke?"
"It's a trip" Sam told him smiling "It's cool"
"It's cool?" the doctor hissed "People are dead and you think it's cool?"
"Dead?" Sam gasped "Who's dead?" he sat waiting for an answer watching the doctor walk out "Who's dead?" he asked the nurse
"Where are you Sam?" the nurse asked him
"Technically I'm in the old Sugar Shack, but I guess for this choice I'm in a hospital, why?" he looked at her puzzled "Why?"
"You're actually in a hospital" she told him "Lay down get some rest"
"Not until I've seen Mercy" he told her "I need her hand to get out of here"
"Her hand?" the nurse asked puzzled before walking away
Sam lay wondering why they'd tell him his friends were dead, he knew Puck and Finn were, maybe that was who they were on about, but the others went to test out those rooms, everyone would be coming down soon and they'd be talking about the group buzz for a long time to come. Well Mercy and he may not be because they'd agreed that was their last hit, they were moving away to start a new life and remember thier friends in differnt ways, they still had dreams to fulfil
"Sam" he heard Mercy screaming, he knew something was wrong "Sam" she screamed again, she was scared, he attempted to jump off the bed to get to her and fell to the floor, he was much weaker than he thought but her screams wouldn't let him give up he dragged himself to the door and climbed up it holding onto the walls and railings as he shuffled down the hall towards the none stop screaming
"Mercy" he pushed the door open, shocked to see her strapped to the bed "What have they done?" he asked but he wasn't looking for an answer as he shuffled his way over to her "Why have you got these on?"
"I thought you were ...God" she closed her eyes as her stomach jerked with her sobs of relief "Get me out of here" she wriggled the straps on her hands and feet, Sam was going as fast as he could but he was still weak on his feet and a little disorientated "Help, Sam" she shook the straps telling him
"I'm going as fast as I can" he told her anxiously
The Come Down
"Sam this isn't a joke" she told him as he loosed her straps "I think the others are dead"
"What?" he stopped to look at her "What do you mean dead?"
"I mean a bad hit dead, I can't prove it until we get out of here"
"Can you walk?" he asked helping her off the bed "I don't understand why they strapped you down"
"I don't know either but I think we need to get out of here, have you told them anything?"
"Our names, they asked who we were, I thought it was the buzz"
"Shit, come on lets get out of here" she sat up on the side of the bed "Fuck my heads spinning"
"It'll be fine it wares off after a few minutes, come on lets go"
"Is there anyone else here?"
"I don't know" he grabbed a stick for her to hold onto
"Rachel, I think I was holding her hand, who's were you holding?"
"Yours"
"Lets see if we can find her"
Sam grabbed her around her waist and pulled her with him "Rachel" he whispered as they walked past the rooms Rachel" he called as they went past rooms "Can you walk yet?" he asked Mercy
"Let me try" she pulled away from him "I'm good" she rocked a second before nodding she was alright "Rachel" she shouted loudly down the corridor
"Mercy is that you?" Rachel's voice came back at them
"She's down here" she walked quicker to get to her "Rachel" she pushed the door gasping with relief "Please tell me this isn't a damn dream?"
"I'm here and I'm real" Rachel laughed with relief "I thought everyone was dead"
"They told me that too" Mercy smiled
"Come on" Sam held his hands out for them to grab "Let's get out of here" they held hands waiting
"Are we moving?" Mercy asked
"I don't think so" Rachel looked at the door "No we're not"
"I told you this was it" Mercy looked at Sam wanting to scream "All our friends are dead"
"Mercy" he called her calmly "You're fine, I'm here" he squeezed her hand while letting go of Rachel's as they walked
"Mrs Fabray" Rachel gasped coming face to face with Quinn's Mom
"What were you kids doing?" Mrs Fabray rushed towards them shouting "You killed my fucking daughter"
"What?" Sam stepped in front of Rachel and Mercy before she could get to them
"Sam is it?" she stopped in front of him "She used to love you didn't she?"
"No" he replied
"We brought her back home because we thought she'd be safe, and now this"
They stood watching Blaine's Dad coming towards them wondering how they were the victims and getting the blame for all this "Look before everyone starts blaming us, Blaine bought the party and we were all taking one last blast before we stopped, none of this is our fault, if you need to blame anyone blame Blaine" Sam told them
"You're all to blame" Mercy Dad came towards them his face angry "Come with me" he pushed past Sam and grabbed his daughter's arm
"No" Mercy pulled away from him "I'm staying with Sam, he needs me"
"Being with Sam is going to kill you, don't you see that?"
"We promised each other" she looked up at Sam, standing quietly shocked, he knew her Dad was telling the truth, right now he had nothing to offer her, he couldn't fight for her like this, if he'd got one, he wouldn't allow his child to be with someone like him
"Mercy" he sighed ready to give her up
"Sam we promised" she stopped him carrying on, he looked at her and there was no one there "You promised" he heard her voice as if she were standing next to him, he was alone and now all he could hear was her singing that song she'd dedicated to him, everyone's parents stood in front of him their mouths moving but he couldn't hear a thing except her singing "Mercy" he shouted as 'Later' by Amaal played loudly in his ear
I was slowly, breaking my own rules, thinking I could usually find
The words you told me, saying we'd be fine, that you just need the time, and I
Waited on ya, gave it over, said it'd only bring us closer, lost your love and held my own hand
Thinking, thinking...
"Mercy I... I'm sorry" his head turning in every direction as he tried to find her
"Is she who you really want?" Blaine's voice laughingly tormenting him
"Sam come stay with me I'll look after you" Quinn's voice came at him suggestively, his head jerked to look for the face
"Come with us" Tina sat with Artie, both of them laughing uncontrollably "It's so much fun"
It's like you taught me how to love myself, when nobody else could
We were blindly keeping up the fight, now you don't even try and I
Waited on ya, gave it over, said it'd only, bring us closer, I lost your love and held my own hand
Thinking, thinking
The lyrics of Mercy's song getting louder as his mind wondered back to where he wanted to be "Mercy I choose you"
"Don't leave me Sam, please come back to me, I love you, you promised" her voice like sharp daggers hitting his ears, he knew she was crying but he didn't understand why if she'd walked away
"Mercy where are you?"
"Sam can you hear me?" she asked like she hadn't heard him calling her "If you can hear me open your eyes"
"My eyes are open"
"Rachel help me, help me" Mercy screamed "Stay with me Sam please, stay with me"
"I'm choosing you" he told her feeling her grab hold of his hand
"Look at me Sam, please open your eyes and look at me, please Sam do it for me, please Sam"
"My eyes are open" he widened his eyes flitching at the bright light that came at him
"Sam I'm here, oh my god he opened his eyes" she gasped in relief "Can you hear me"
If I love you now, you'll love me later, if I wait it out, you'll love me, right? Later
If I hold us down, you'll change your behaviour, so I'll wait it out, and you'll love me, right? later
If I love you...
Her singing was piercing his ear drums "Stop singing Babe"
"Turn the phone off" Mercy ordered quickly turning back to him "You're just as eager to fulfil that song as I am" she laughed hugging him in her lap with relief "You came back to me" she said over and over again as she rocked him in her lap, oblivious to what was happening for everyone else around them
"Where did I go?" he asked opening his eyes again
"I don't know but you were talking about gay pride, naked women, being a rock star and then you sort of stopped breathing"
"Weren't you there?"
"No I was here" she kissed his forehead
"I swear, I promise" he looked at her "This is the first day of the rest of our lives"
"I believe you" she kissed his forehead smiling
"Is he alright?" Quinn asked
"He's fine" Mercy smiled holding him up, she was still praying but there was no reason for everyone to know that
"He's a fucking amateur that's what's wrong with him" Blaine laughed
"Fuck off" Mercy snapped at him "You don't know anything" she told him cutting her eye at him
When they'd decided to stop using he'd gone back to the doctors to get his Dexedrine prescription, he'd only taken it in the last 24 hours it must of reacted to the mix in his system causing him to stop breathing, it was only for a few seconds, but they were the scariest few seconds in Mercy's life so far, she was sweating, cursing the day she'd suggested they meet up with these fucking people
"What's happening?" Sam lifted his head at Mercy shouting
"You had a bad one babe, I didn't think you'd make it"
"Are you alright?" he moved to look at her better
"I'm fine, I didn't take any you went down too fast"
"I don't feel well babe" his eyes rolling as he tried to focus on her face "I want to choose you babe"
"Choose me then" she grabbed his head
"But you were there with me, you all were" he looked around the room "There was..." he smiled to himself, it really was the buzz, it was so real and it made his mind up for him "I choose us babe, of everything there is on offer I choose us"
"Are you sure about that?" Blaine asked
"Look Blaine" he pulled himself up to look at the man "I know you and Kurt split up because you think somewhere in that head of yours there's a chance for us, but it's never going to happen I love Mercy you know that, I know you do because you were my best friend, so please stop chasing me and find someone who you know will love you back"
"He..." Mercy looked at Blaine her mouth dropping open at Sam's words, but before she could say anything he was talking again
"And Rachel, Quinn" he turned to see them giggling at what he'd just said "Finn and Puck were our anchor men, there's no denying that, but this isn't the life they'd expect you to live, they are where they are, trying to enjoy life, but with us acting like this, they can't rest, they're not proud of us, they're scared, they want to kick us into next year and they want change" he sighed "That's what they want to see, change"
"Make that change" Artie smiled remembering "That was a proud moment"
"Do you think they see this as a proud moment?" Sam asked
"No" Tina the only one that replied
"There was a time I'd have gladly sat on the side lines and watched you guys kill your damn selves with that shit, but last night I had.. call it a divine intervention from my big bro telling me to come shake the shit out of you guys, especially you, troublemaker" Kurt looked down at Blaine frowning "Apparently the voice of reason needs some back up so..." he looked at Sam "Junior Quarterback, I guess you should take the floor"
"Thanks Kurt" he sat up looking around these people who used to be close friends "I know you guys won't believe me on this, think I'm still living inside my self or something but I saw our futures, we were all there and all of us wanted to settle for a second rate life, except Mercy" he looked at her smiling "We're better than this, Mr Schu told us about that thing, I just fucking lived through mine" he looked around at the blank faces "I know Quinn's just lived through hers too, that's why she came back, to clean up. I think that's what we all turned up here for, trying to get something back that made us better people" he looked around the room "We helped each other be better people once, we can do that again" he looked at the faces looking back at him "Can't we?"
"I want to" Quinn told them
"So do I" Santana admitted
"We want to" Mercy grabbed Sam's hand smiling as he squeezed hers
"I'll give it a try, my best try" Rachel hugged Blaine telling everyone
"We" Artie looked at Tina, smiling as she nodded agreement "Want a better life"
"I.." Blaine looked around the room "I'm scared, I think I might die if I stop"
"I guess until you know you will die if you carry on, there's nothing anyone can do, it has to be your decision Blaine" Quinn told him
"I need time to think" Blaine told everyone getting up
"Wait, I remember some of us being here, at this point before, remember Finn wrote us this inspirational message, it started with Dear Glee Club, I remember we'd just lost sectionals and he told us about Rachel winning the winter showcase or something, he was so proud, it was something none of us had ever done, he said it reminded him why he joined Glee Club in he first place, it was about music, he told us no one could take that away from us" Sam reminded them all
"He said he wasn't giving up on us" Blaine smiled
"And that Marley had found this place where we could rehearse and he wanted us to be there at..." Tina smiled
"5pm" Artie looked at his watch "It's 5pm"
"And it was Santana that suggested this place for us" Santana reminded everyone
"That's got to mean something" Rachel told them
"The point is, we sang here every valentine's day" Sam told her "That's what we have in common and no one can take that away from us, we need to hold on to each other with music, it brought us together, it got us all here, now, we all need to make that change"
"We loved each other enough to do that once" Tina looked up at Blaine
"I still love you all" Mercy announced
"I guess we all do, otherwise we wouldn't have made it here" Rachel agreed
"Yeah in the middle of all this mess going on in our lives, we made this" Artie agreed
"Even you" Blaine looked at Kurt smiling
"Surely that alterative is better than this?" Mercy looked around the group asking Blaine, her stare paused by Quinn bursting into song singing 'Sorry' by Mali Koa
Quinn: I miss laying in the park, Tina: I miss the walks out after dark
Mercy: You were my first and you'll be the last, Rachel: I miss the rhythm of your heart
Santana: I miss your head laid on my chest, Kurt: you always said that I was the best
Rachel: No one ever spoke to me like you did, and I miss you babe
Quinn: And it's hard to take, and I can't be saved
Chorus: All: I'm sorry, that I didn't give it all to you, I'm sorry, don't look away cause I got to say, I'm sorry
Just hold me close, the words will fail I'm sorry, that I didn't give it all to you
Blaine: I miss the way you say my name, I miss the sofa at your place
Sam: We always said that we'd never change, I miss the lines across your face
Santana: I miss your head laid on my chest, Artie: You always said that I was the best
Kurt: No one ever spoke to me like you did Mercy: Maybe you still care.
All: But we can't repair I guess life's no fair
Chorus: All
Quinn & Rachel: Had to let you go, I had to learn to live alone,
Santana & Tina: I know I couldn't stay but it's the hardest thing I'll ever say that...
Chorus x 2: (Mercy) All
"I guess everyone's sorry then? Santana asked smiling
"Yeah sorry that we didn't take care of the best asset we ever had"
"Our friendship" Artie nodded his head in agreement
"Yeah" Quinn smiled
"We gonna do this then?" Sam asked, watching everyone break into a smile before the infectious giggle roared through the empty space
"I'd say that was a yes" Blaine smiled
"Our work here is done" Kurt smiled clapping his hand and smiling at Sam as the two men looked up knowing their wing men had everything to do with this
The End