Santittany was ALWAYS on—Thanks so much for being my first Chapter 5 reviewer! And I loved what you said about the I feel pretty duet, I FELT pretty ingenious when I came up with that idea. **puffs up chest** And I LITERALLY posted this today for you! Because you reviewed minutes after I posted the last chapter, and I FELT so happy. And then I finished the chapter earlier than I expected, and I was going to wait…but then I remembered how sweet your review was (I love when reviewers really think about what they're going to say) and so I posted today. Am I the best ever, or what? (Plus I also love your username!) And for your Brittana comment: Stand strong, brothers and sisters! (Ps, I LOVE Colorado! It's one of eight states I've been to, WOOO!)
Sweetarts151—You seem like a repeat reviewer, am I right? Thanks for coming back, veteran! I always love it when people take the time to review more than once. And thanks for your sweet comment about the personalities thing. I worked pretty hard to figure out who I wanted with what element and how that element would effect them and whatnot, so it's nice that you noticed. Thanks for reviewing!
Alex sweets—Haha YES there will be Finn bashing. (And your review about smiling when I smiled made me smile. Does that make any sense?) Although he is not the worst of the worst in this story. (He's more just a douche, just like he is in the show!) And I'm glad you liked Mike! I was kind of nervous about how people would respond to me just throwing a glee clubber in there, and you're really the only person who commented on it. So I'll count that as a success! Thanks for being another repeat reviewer! WOOO
TessaDK—Is this ANOTHER repeat reviewer I see? You guys are on the ball today! And thanks for all your comments, I can tell that you actually thought about the story and everything, and that's always great to see. It means I'm doing this right! (And that you're doing this right too.) And you're right, I really didn't explain the whole healing-thing that well. Think of it like our doctors. They can practically work MIRACLES, but they can't do everything, and Quinn's legs are pretty much beyond prepare. (or are they?) And about the whole silver-trails thing….(thanks for remembering that by the way! Obviously you're a serious reader!) that will be revealed SOON…somewhat. Thanks for reviewing, it means so much to me!
Lion Agron—Haha, here you go! I LOVE your username by the way! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave your sweet review, it means so much to me.
Santana was awake most of the night, thinking and plotting. Because no matter how hard her shell was, Santana really cared about those she loved. And no matter what, she was not going to let them get hurt. (And so you can imagine how she felt about stampeding two of her favorite people into the "Fang Woods.") Thoughts churned through her mind, like how much food they needed to bring, where they needed to go to get Rachel in the quickest way possible, and above all, how to avoid getting fried before they got there. (Santana altogether ignored the drastic measure of what would happen when they got there.)
So by the time Sue finally marched in to wake them up, substantially more somber than the day before, Santana already had a plan in mind. Her priorities were in order, and despite the slight guilt of betrayal foaming in her stomach, she knew that she'd made the right choice.
When she looked at Quinn, scowling as usual, refusing to meet anyone's eyes, Santana couldn't help but think about Quinn and the creepy-looking Healing Sanctuary. Quinn had been ready to abandon the entire mission, including Berry, just for some weird fountain thing that she'd seen out of book. And although Quinn hadn't really done anything about it, the sense of abandonment was just as real in Santana's chest.
And then there was Rachel, a girl that Santana knew, but didn't really know. (Though her gay-dar went off like crazy whenever she had a conversation with her.) Yeah, it sucked that she'd gotten gay-napped, and of course Santana was going to do whatever she could to get her back. But compared to…
Santana sucked in a breath, looking across the room to her blue-eyed babe, who was still waking up. Brittany. She looked at Brittany's ice blue eyes, holding so much happiness, but with a wisdom that Santana hadn't been able to explain until the whole Earthshaper-thing was revealed. That was how Santana had first known that she loved Brittany, from those eyes. Santana could always tell immediately how Brittany was feeling, without any words (real or wind-variety) being said. The eyes sparkled and lit up like little dancing flames when she was happy; they froze over and dulled when she was sad. Santana loved everything about Brittany (her long legs, her golden hair, her sunny smile…) but her favorite would always be Brittany's eyes. No matter how much she liked Rachel or…whatever it was she felt about Quinn, Brittany would always come first. And that included now.
The brunette wheeled Quinn's chair out of the pantry, feeling a slight twinge in her chest. Brittany had always been the priority, but admitting it made it seem more final. If it came to it, could she really desert Quinn or Rachel?
Santana's held her head higher, and gripped the handles of the wheelchair harder. No. It would not come to that. She was going to protect everyone. She knew it was possible…somehow.
They gathered in the main room of the Headquarters. The computers looked surprisingly empty without Mike, Santana noticed. (Despite his friendship with Brittany, Santana actually liked the guy.) Bryan Ryan looked just as tired as Santana felt, leaning against the kitchen counter. He'd even grown on her; he was a surprisingly good fire trainer. Sue joined the group, hauling in a few backpacks.
"Brittany and I packed some stuff for you guys yesterday…" Sue said gruffly, staring at her feet. Apparently the tense atmosphere was even getting to the tough coach. As if she sensed this too, Sue added quickly, "We figured you sloppy babies couldn't handle it." Santana cracked a smile. She was surprised by how much she would miss Coach Sue's guidance when they left.
"I gave Brittany the air Earthshaper book, too." Bryan Ryan addressed Sue. "I assumed you would agree that she would find more use for it than we would." Sue nodded, her grimace not ceasing.
Brittany sniffled, Quinn's frown deepened, and the trainers were even looking deflated. Santana grumbled to herself; obviously it was up to her to handle the hard stuff. "We'd better get going," she said out loud, doing her best to keep her voice steady. "We've got a long way to go." Sue nodded, and Bryan busied himself with gathering backpacks in his arms. Quinn rolled towards the exit, and Santana gave herself a few seconds to feel scared while everyone else was distracted.
An arm delicately draped itself over Santana's shoulder, and she felt energized almost immediately. She looked up into Brittany's blue eyes, and heard the calming words as clearly as if Brittany had spoken them out loud. We can get through this, Santana. I pinky-promise. A newfound drive coursed through Santana's veins; she needed to keep going, for Brittany.
Outside, they clambered quickly into the black car the three girls had arrived in, trying to avoid being seen by any of the neighbors. (They were still technically missing.) Santana looked fondly back towards the ugly little house. She noticed how different the atmosphere was in the car this time. To think, just two days ago she'd just found out about her Earthshaper powers in this very car. During the drive, Bryan Ryan went over the maps with Santana again; Sue tried a few more last-minute attempts to get Quinn's Earthshaper powers working.
They pulled up suddenly in a field, completely surrounded by similar fields. Wherever the hell they were, Santana was certain that this was the destination just by the looks of finality on Sue and Mr. Ryan's faces. She swallowed and gripped Brittany's hand. This was it. They were on their own.
But Sue and Bryan Ryan didn't exit the car, and when Santana reached for the door handle, Bryan shook his head. What was that about? A part of her almost wished they were going to shout "JUST KIDDING" or something, but the better part of her knew this was real.
Quinn was the first to break the silence. "Well? Are we here?"
Bryan shook his head, then changed his mind and nodded instead. "Well—sort of. We're at one of the entrances to the Earthshaper world. After we're done with our" — he exchanged a look with Sue—"discussion, we'll send you there."
Sue took this as her cue, and began to speak. "Skippy and I agreed that it's best you know what you're up against. Don't go scared on me, but you might be a little surprised." Despite Sue's words, Santana was scared. But she knew that no matter what, she had to face this. Squeezing her girlfriend's hand, she prepared herself.
Sue glanced over all of the girls' faces, and then said, "Vacuum's kidnapper is…"
SB-RQ-SB-RQ
Rachel had been experimenting with the cracks in her floor, and she had to say—either something really weird had happened to her, or somebody was using her as some sick science experiment. Because—and don't call her crazy—it was almost like she could control the little plants growing out of the cracks. Weird, right?
Somehow, whenever she was really hungry or thirsty, all she needed to do was concentrate really hard on (and sometimes even talk to) the soil that was hidden deep, deep down in the ground. Rachel managed to connect with that soil, no matter how far away it was, and persuade it to bring her that little bit of green hope. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep her alive. (Or maybe she was just slowly starving to death, and whatever was happening to her was due to wild hallucinations.)
Besides fantasizing over this odd new talent, Rachel spent her time looking for ways to escape. Testing for weak spots in the wall, checking the ever-locked door handle-it didn't matter how many times she'd done something, it was still better than doing nothing. It helped keep her mind off everything else.
Like how long had she been there? It was hard to tell in the always-dark room, not to mention that she had no idea how long she'd been there while she was unconscious. Surely her dads had started looking for her by now? (And what about Quinn, was she worried?)
Rachel visualized her rescue any time she started to panic—she imagined the police arriving, Mr. Schue getting put in handcuffs, (hopefully they'd find a new show choir director before Nationals, she would hate to get disqualified for such an unfair measure) and Rachel reuniting with her loved ones. Her dads were always at the front of the line, and Finn was next. He'd have to be, he was still her fiancée after all. Next was Quinn, smiling a relieved smile. Maybe she'd forget about whatever Rachel had done to make her angry in light of the kidnapping. In the dream, Quinn was always wearing the yellow-green color of early spring, a color that made those pretty eyes pop. Her hair was pulled back to show off her face, in a messy way, though, of course. Rachel had been missing, after all. Quinn couldn't be wasting time with her hair of all things while Rachel was gone. Mercedes and Kurt were near the front too, their eyes shining with pride for their brave best friend. Santana was there too, surprisingly, next to a giddy Brittany. And then there was Barbra Streisand and President Obama with Rachel's Nobel Prize for bravery in light of tragic events….
It wasn't until after at least a few days in the dark room that Rachel's captor was revealed. She had been experimenting with the plants that grew out of the cracks in the concrete. Suddenly the metal door burst open with a great deal of force. Rachel looked up in alarm, her arm frozen above one of the thicker splits in the floor. Mr. Schuester loomed over her in the doorframe, his eyes still bloodshot like they had been the last time she'd seen him. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she mustered enough courage to stand up and clench her fists. She would fight tooth and nail this time if she needed to, but she was not going to bested by this man again…
They both stood, staring at each other for quite some time. Rachel's heart never stopped racing, and her eyes never moved from Schue's familiar frame. The man looked different than usual—his body was swaying as if he'd been battling a cold. His expression looked distant, his arms splayed awkwardly at his sides as if he was sleepwalking. Still, Rachel refused to relax. She had no idea what this man was up to.
In one swift motion, he swooped. Rachel froze up as he tore towards her, and as much as she tried to resist, he had her arms twisted behind her back within a few seconds. She tried to resist and tear away, but his grip tightened until she was in pain, and then whatever courage she had had before left her. Tears prickled her eyes as a fresh wave of hopelessness took over.
Schuester led her from the room like a policeman leads a criminal, utter contempt spreading from his tight fists onto her skin, hot with pain. It looked like he really cared nothing for her safety. Whatever it was he wanted from her, it wasn't good.
Rachel was too scared to take much notice in the long hallway they walked through, but the door at the other end caught her attention. Unlike the door to her room, it was an ordinary door like you might see in someone's house, wooden and painted a clean shade of white. She didn't dare hope it might lead to a familiar place, and her suspicious were proved correct when they descended it.
The room they entered was fairly plain. It was dark, like Rachel's room, but artificial light filled enough of it for her to look around. A few dark armchairs leaned against various walls, and a fire crackled in the fireplace, the soft sound filling the quiet room. There were a few more doors, but Rachel couldn't have approached them if she wanted to; Mr. Schue still held her tightly.
As if suddenly making a decision, Mr. Schuester wordlessly led her over to one of the armchairs and forced her into it. Instead of sitting down, the teacher stood right next to her chair like a prison guard. She sat down hard, relieved when he finally let go of her arms. Her sudden relief didn't last long.
From one of the unknown doors came a new person, this time a blonde woman that looked strangely familiar, though Rachel couldn't place her. As she approached the two, realization came crashing down on Rachel. But how…what? Who…? A million questions filled Rachel's mind, none of them complete.
"Hello, Rachel." The woman smirked, setting herself down delicately in the chair nearest Rachel.
"But—" Rachel began, then forced herself to slow down. She took a deep breath, then began again. "Holly Holliday?"
The woman smiled, and the sight made Rachel's stomach twist. "That's the name you know me by, yes." She confirmed.
"What's your real name?"
Holly's smile only got bigger, as if Rachel's question was funny. "Nice try. Usually my victim's attempts are a little more sneaky, but of course I'm flattered that you tried." Rachel's face must have betrayed her confusion, because Holly continued with, "It's a well-known fact that the only way to kill me is by saying my name." She leaned in close, so close that Rachel could feel her cold breath on her cheek. "So don't even think about trying anything." Rachel couldn't stop herself from trembling.
Holly's eyes flickered to Mr. Schue, and without any words being exchanged, he walked over and sat in his own chair. The exchange was so brief, but seemed so odd… "You're controlling him." Rachel realized.
Holly looked towards the fireplace as she answered, as if the question bored her. "Yes. I've gotten quite good at mind manipulation, but this mind was particularly easy to take over." She looked back in Rachel's direction. "Reminded me of the days when I was just learning to puppeteer rats." She spat.
Rachel looked at her hands, and the conversation stopped. Holly—or whatever her name was-was letting Rachel lead the conversation. Why? Rachel snuck a look back at her captor. Holly was looking right at her, smiling her creepy smile. Rachel looked back towards the floor. It seemed like Holly just wanted to intimidate her. But if Rachel had something that Holly wanted, why didn't Holly just control her like she controlled Mr. Schue? No matter how much she tried to wrap her head around it, Rachel only felt more lost.
She forced herself to address Holly again. "Why did you come to my school…pretending to be a woman named Holly Holliday?"
The woman looked pleasantly surprised that Rachel had finally chosen to talk to her. "Well, you're more cooperative than most of my victims. This should be fun," Her eyes sparkled maliciously. "I came for you." She paused, and then added as an afterthought, "and for some other girls. But I needed you the most, and so you were the first I went for." She studied Rachel like a lion would its prey. Rachel's skin prickled, but she didn't look away. "The others might come later if I need them." Holly finished.
"Who are the others?"
"You don't know?" Holly's eyes widened in surprise, and she cackled like Rachel had said a joke. "Well, Sue Sylvester has certainly lost her touch. I would've thought you would at least know by now." Her eyes glittered with delight, and she clasped her hands together. "I suppose no harm can come from me telling you now. You know Quinn?" Rachel nodded eagerly without thinking about it. "Yes, you do, don't you? And what about Santana? And Brittany?"
"But what about them?"
"Oh, now you've got to be pulling my leg!" Holly exclaimed, grinning widely. "No?" She laughed again. "My, my. And to think I once considered Sue a worthy opponent. I suppose she just proved me wrong."
"About what?" What did the cheerleading coach have to do with anything?
"This should be even easier than I expected." Her face darkened, and she leaned in close to Rachel again. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, her expression wild and unreadable. "All you need to know for now is to do everything I say. If you don't, I will hurt you and everything you care about." Her voice had dropped to a whisper so low that Rachel had to concentrate to understand everything she was saying, but somehow the words were just as threatening. "If you don't," Holly's cold hand stroked the side of Rachel's face, "blood will be spilled. Not yours," The woman's crazy smile flickered back, "yours is much to precious, and I need it for now. But what about Santana? Or sweet Brittany? Or Quinn who you know so well. I could use some more of you around anyway, and I don't care if we need to—" she paused dramatically, the light from the fire dancing across her face, making her expression look even more bizarre. "break some of them first." She exited the room, but not before winking over her shoulder one last time, a wink that made Rachel's blood go cold.
Mr. Schue led her back to her cell, leaving her with more questions than she had had to begin with.
You might notice there's no flashback in this chapter—mostly because it was long enough already, and I figured I'd just post it.
I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but PLEASE review. It means so much to me, and it literally takes TWO SECONDS. Please please please please please?