Title: The Last Night To Be Brave
Author: an-alternate-world
Rating: M
Characters/Pairings: Kurt/Blaine relationship, Blaine/Santana friendship, Santana/Dave friendship
Word count: 3,515
Summary: He thinks she needs a friend. She thinks he needs to mind his own business. What she doesn't know then is she's going to need him this year more than she ever could have imagined.
Warnings/Spoilers: Angst. There is talk of suicidal ideation and an attempt in some chapters. It's not particularly graphic, but it is there. If you think this might trigger you, PLEASE don't read it!
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Glee, FOX, Ryan Murphy or anything else related to the Glee universe.

Blaine returned to school the next day, much to Brittany's delight and dismay. She was glad that Kurt's dolphin was better but didn't understand why Santana was still sick too. She asked if she could take care of Santana like she took care of Artie but Kurt had said no, Santana wasn't really well enough to see anyone right now. Brittany looked terribly hurt but accepted it and turned back to playing with Artie's hair. Puck sat at the back of the room, alternating between fidgeting and glowering. Blaine shot him a warning glance and he caught it, finally smothering his emotions as Rachel walked in and started handing out sheet music for their Christmas extravaganza.

They rehearsed through first period and when the bell rang for break, Kurt and Blaine had never been more grateful to escape the girl obsessed with cheesy Christmas solos. Kurt switched some books in his locker before turning to Blaine.

"Are you seeing Santana this afternoon?" he asked, returning his History textbook and retrieving his notes for Calculus.

"Of course. Why?" Blaine said, tipping his head back against the cool metal and closing his eyes.

"No reason. I just wanted to check," Kurt replied, shrugging and shutting his locker.

Blaine laced his hands with Kurt and they headed towards English together. Part way down the Geography corridor, Kurt was grabbed from behind and forced into a small alcove, Blaine teetering at the sudden change in direction.

"Alright, I let it go yesterday because you were away," Dave said, tilting his head at Blaine. "But now I'm freaked. Where's Santana?"

Kurt glanced at Blaine, unsure what he should say. "She's in the hospital," Blaine said quietly.

Dave swallowed. "She didn't…" he shook his head. At Blaine's questioning glance, he elaborated. "She didn't hurt herself? Please, tell me tha-"

"I wish I could," Blaine murmured and watched as Dave seemed to close in on himself, turning away to punch at brick wall beside him and not even wincing his knuckles split.

"She fucking promised me," Dave growled.

"Me too," Blaine said. Kurt squeezed his hand. "Look, I'm going this afternoon. You can come as well if you want."

"Try keeping me away," Dave scowled. "I've got a few things to say to her, whether she wants to hear them or not."

"It's hardly easy on her right now," Kurt said as he bit his lip.

"Look," Dave said, peering up and down the empty hallway. "This might have come as a shock to you two but I've guessed it was coming for a while. And I had her promise me shit a few weeks back and she broke it. I'm beyond pissed right now but I'll calm down by this afternoon."

"Fine," Kurt said, looking up at his former bully. "But I swear to God if you upset her like Puck did yesterday, I'll –"

"Puck was there?" Dave said angrily, flexing his injured hand as the blood trickled over his palm. "Fucking Puckerman knew before me?"

"He cornered me after Glee," Kurt said timidly.

Dave sighed. "This afternoon I'm going. I'll see you there. Or I won't." He stalked off down the hallway and Blaine let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

"Well, now we're really late to English," Kurt grimaced, pulling on Blaine's hand.

Dave followed Kurt and Blaine to the hospital. Kurt hadn't really planned on going but he figured that an extra pair of hands may be needed if Dave got worked up again. He was still apprehensive around the larger boy but…he felt they had moved on from the previous year's drama. He knew Dave had been there for Santana. Maybe that was all that mattered now.

Dave walked behind the two, hands balled and lips in a tight line. There were so many thoughts and feelings running through his head. They entered a room and he stopped short, took a deep breath, tried to relax. He counted to ten and stepped inside.

His eyes found Santana and she stared back, her eyes filling with tears as her bottom lip wobbled. "Dave…I…"

But he shook his head, stretching his injured hand again and exhaling. She fell silent and Kurt watched as Dave reigned in his temper. "The two of you," he indicated Kurt and Blaine, "need to get out."

"I don't thin-"

"Blaine," Santana said softly, silencing him. Her eyes never left Dave's and Blaine glanced between the two before Kurt took his hand and led him from the room.

Once they were gone, Dave moved to Santana and pulled her into his arms. There were tearless sobs and whispered curses and mumbled apologies as he cradled her to his body and she sank against him. Blaine was a wonderful boy to hug, but Dave was more of a man. He was solid and firm and he knew the places to hold her to make her feel secure and she had been so scared of his anger when he found that she wasn't sure what he'd do.

When he leaned back slightly, he cradled her cheek as she chewed on her bottom lip. "What were you thinking, Sanny?"

Her eyes dropped. "I just didn't want it to hurt anymore," she repeated again. "I was so tired of aching and pain and…I don't know. It just…it seemed like the only thing left."

"It's never the only thing left," Dave shook his head. "I thought you were going to call me."

"I was but…" She thought back to what she'd said to Blaine the day before. She'd gotten so upset and she needed Blaine because he was soothing and calm and rational. But she couldn't tell Dave that. "I…I don't know what happened…I just got so upset and I just wanted the screaming in my head to stop and I'm not sure who was screaming and…I'm sorry." Her eyes flickered to his. "I know it's not enough. I know it will never be enough. But I'm sorry."

Dave pressed his forehead to hers, his stubby fingers carding through her hair. He cared so deeply for her and to see her so broken made him feel like some sort of pansy-ass for being so upset over it all. He wished he could have been there. He wished he could understand. He wished he could have given her some sort of understanding father like Kurt's. She didn't deserve any of this.

He heard the click of the door and the soft whoosh of air and drew away.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt," a small-ish girl in a white lab coat said, eyes darting between them. "I'm here for the psych eval. Santana, right?"

Santana nodded and pressed her lips together. She had been dreading this. She released her grip on Dave and he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'll be just outside," he murmured, slipping past the blonde psychiatrist.

Blaine glanced up at him from his place against the wall. "How'd it go?"

Dave shrugged and slid down the opposite wall from the two boys. "We didn't say much. Words aren't always needed with her. I don't like when she gets riled up and angry so it's easier just to hold her."

Blaine nodded and tilted his head to rest on top of Kurt's, who had his eyes closed and appeared to be dozing lightly on the smaller boy's shoulder.

"Look, I…" Dave glanced down the hallway. "I apologised to Kurt but I never apologised to you I don't think. I'm sorry about…what happened. Last year. I was confused and messed up and I know it really upset Kurt."

"It's okay," Blaine said as Kurt snuffled into his shoulder. He rubbed a soothing hand along his boyfriend's arm. "Well, I mean, it's not okay. What you did really scared him." He looked fondly at the boy on his shoulder. "But I can see you aren't the same person who pushed me into the fence last year so I can forgive you for that. And you've helped Santana this year so you can't be all bad."

Blaine softly kissed Kurt's hair as Dave looked away. He might have come to terms with their relationship and him being gay, but that didn't mean he could stand the lovey-dovey crap of two boys yet.

They fell into silence after that, neither knowing quite what to say. Dave pressed his head back into the wall and shut his eyes, listening to the soft rustlings of the hospital ward: the occasional beep or squeal from a machine, the squeak of doors, the nurses chattering and laughing. He wondered what Santana was telling the shrink. He wondered what exactly had happened to lead her to be here. He thought she was getting better. She'd perked up a bit in recent weeks after she'd told him the hobbit had sung to her. But then this happened.

He must have dozed off because when he felt the hand on his shoulder, he had already gripped the wrist and heard the soft gasp before he opened his eyes, looking at the shrink. He dropped it quickly and muttered an apology as Blaine shook Kurt awake.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," she said quietly, rubbing the injury. Dave apologised again and she waved it off. "I wanted to let you know that she seems to be doing alright, given what's happened. I'm going to recommend she's out of here by the end of the week and continues to see a therapist on an on-going weekly or fortnightly basis for a while." She glanced between Dave and Blaine. "Can you make sure she follows through with that?"

Dave looked at Blaine and the two nodded. "Wonderful," she smiled at each of them. "I'm headed off now but you might see me again in a day or two." She dipped her head and then walked towards the nurse's station.

Kurt stretched his arms and rotated his neck, groaning softly. "I should probably get home. Dad's going to be furious."

"He doesn't know?" Dave asked.

"Not yet. Haven't really seen him and had a chance to explain," Kurt said, clambering to his feet and pulling Blaine up. They hugged tightly and Blaine said he'd call him that night and Kurt gave a small wave to Dave before exiting the ward.

"Shall we?" Blaine said, extending an arm to the closed door of Santana's room. Dave rolled his eyes.

Santana was curled up in the bed, facing away from the doorway and looking out the window. Her eyes were glazed and she looked so small and lost.

"San?" Dave said and she jumped, snapping her head around.

"Stop pitying me. I can see it in your eyes," she said when Blaine opened his mouth. "This is my shit and I got myself into it so now I need to get myself out of it. Blondie said I can go home by the end of the week. That's all that matters."

"What about how you feel?" Dave questioned, pulling up a chair and motioning for Blaine to sit and be quiet.

"What about how I feel?" Santana spat. "Who gives a damn? Puck screamed at me yesterday and I don't want to tell anyone else in freak club."

"You know they adore you."

Santana snorted. "I've been in relationships with most of the boys, which the girls hate me for. Honestly, there's no one who gives a fuck."

"Santana, shut up," Dave said firmly. "I'm here, and Blaine is next to me, and Kurt just left. Puck wouldn't have come if he didn't care and you know if the rest of them knew, they'd be here too."

Santana shrugged but didn't respond.

Blaine had never been quite sure what to do with an argumentative Santana so he kept quiet. Dave clenched his hands but stayed silently watching Santana as she kept her back to them. When it became clear that she was done for the day, Dave indicated they should leave. He placed a hand on Santana's shoulder and she tensed before he moved towards the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Blaine whispered, following Dave out.

As promised, Santana was discharged at the end of the week. Blaine had been in to see her every afternoon after school but she had refused to speak to him or even roll over on the bed to face him. He knew she was awake and, frankly, his calm veneer was beginning to crack under the walls she was building around herself. He silently wheeled her from the hospital and Kurt met them at the car, smiling brightly and trying to look enthusiastic, letting his face fall when Santana couldn't see.

"I'm sorry, I told you what she was like," Blaine whispered as Kurt hugged him.

"It's okay," Kurt replied and let go. "Let's just get her home."

Things with Kurt had been a bit strained the past few days since he had arrived home and pulled Burt aside to explain what had happened. Burt was, naturally, horrified and upset but also still angry with Kurt for staying out with Blaine with little to no warning. But he had been pretty lenient, saying Kurt needed to give him more notice next time, which Kurt assured him he would do, wordlessly tacking on 'If I even can…'

The relatively short trip to Blaine's apartment was tense and awkward as Santana steadfastly glowered at the window and picked at the light bandages that remained on her wrists. Kurt fidgeted and Blaine tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel absently, which was starting to drive Kurt a little crazy if he was being honest. But he knew it was Blaine's 'thing' when he got stressed so he shut his mouth and continued knotting and unknotting his fingers.

And then they were there and Santana was slamming the door shut and walking up the stairs without a backward glance. Blaine sighed and Kurt slipped his hand inside of Blaine's, squeezing it gently.

"Come on, you know this is going to suck but it's got to happen," he said.

"Courage, right?" Blaine smiled weakly.

"Courage," Kurt replied, kissing Blaine's cheek.

Santana's door was closed when they entered the apartment but Blaine had destroyed the locks throughout the house earlier in the week so they no longer worked. He wanted to claim it wasn't because of Santana, but he couldn't and she knew it. Kurt squeezed his hand again and he knocked on her door.

"Are you decent?" he called.

He took the lack of response as an affirmative and pushed the door open, where Santana had curled up on the side of the bed furthest from the door and facing the wall.

"Look San," he began. He'd rehearsed this with Kurt, he knew what to say, but now he was here and it fell through his grasp like sand. "There needs to be a few changes around here about the ground rules." When he received no response, he sat on the edge of her bed while Kurt hovered in the doorway. "No closed doors, except in the bathroom. You can only use the bathroom for twenty minutes at a time unless you call out to me or say something. You aren't to be alone, except when you want to sleep. There'll be me, or Kurt, or…Dave or Puck with you just to…make sure you're okay. The locks are wrecked so privacy will be restricted to knocking. And I'll take you to and from your therapy appointments every Wednesday afternoon when we've finished with Glee."

He could see Santana scowling and he waited. He knew she would explode eventually. She couldn't keep silent long.

And he was rewarded, five minutes or so later, when she sat up and started shouting. "What fucking right do you have to interfere in my life, hobbit? I could take my shit and leave here, right now, and you couldn't have a say in anything! I don't need a babysitter and I don't need to be babied and mollycoddled and I hate you, I hate you because you're all perfect and have your boy and I've got fucking nothing!" She was hysterical and screaming and her nails had been filed down but she was still trying to scratch at her face. "I'm the bitch, I'm the queen of this fucking place and you don't get to order me about when you don't even have the balls to look at me and ran away to Dalton in the first place!"

Blaine sucked in a breath and tried to ignore how much his chest hurt. It was okay, he could do this.

"You know what, Santana?" Kurt spoke up hotly from the doorway. "Take your shit and leave. Get out. Go to…oh wait. Where? Where the hell are you going to go?" He crouched in front of her. "You can't go home, you can't go to mine, you say you've got no one so where the hell are you going to go?"

Santana launched herself at Kurt but he stepped sideways and she ended up sprawled on the floor, broken sobs escaping her lips.

"I just don't want to be so alone," she whimpered.

Blaine's heart ached but in an entirely different way now. He watched as his boyfriend wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. "We keep telling you San, you aren't alone. And if you'd just let us show you, you could have the whole Glee club too again." He looked up at Blaine, biting his lip. "This is killing Blaine and Dave and I, and I know Puck is struggling too because it's freaking Finn out and he's wondering if he's a bad best friend and should have played more Halo with him recently," Santana choked back a laugh and stared up at Kurt, who gently wiped away her tears. "Please San, let us in."

Her bottom lip wobbled as fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. She cried for losing her family because she had declared she was a lesbian. She cried because she still didn't have Brittany. She cried because she finally had people who cared and she was throwing it back in their faces and she didn't even know why they stuck around anymore. And somehow, in all the tears she shed over Kurt's designer t-shirt, she started to let go and accept what had happened and realise that she did have Kurt and Blaine and Dave and…maybe Puck. She was a bit scared of that one still. And maybe she could still have Britt and Quinn and Finn. She missed feeling needed.

When she felt she had sufficiently bawled her heart out, she mumbled an apology to Kurt and Blaine and Kurt relaxed his arms so she could be cuddled by Blaine. He was so warm and firm and he wasn't Dave but she could smell him and it was the smell that lingered around his apartment, their apartment, and it comforted her enough to believe that maybe it would be okay.

The weekend was been fairly uneventful. Santana wasn't willing to go out so Blaine had offered to Santana that Dave could come over on the Saturday night. Although a bit unsure of letting the boy into his apartment, the way Santana's eyes lit up when Dave agreed led Blaine to believe he had made the right choice. He invited Kurt over and explained Dave would also be here. Kurt had to dig deep for the courage that Blaine kept reminding him of the previous year and picked up the pizzas on the way over.

At first, there was a bit of tension and unease. But then Santana muttered something about a 'big gay sleepover' and Dave was the first to start chuckling and the mood relaxed. Kurt and Blaine curled up on the couch while Santana sat on the armchair with Dave resting his head on her leg. They ate pizza and watched lame Christmas movies that were on early, singing along if they knew the words and pointing out poor editing mistakes. It was relaxing and what Santana needed and when Dave left, she had kissed Blaine's cheek and thanked him before heading to bed. Kurt had smiled and resumed snuggling Blaine before he too announced he needed to leave. It took a while before Blaine would let go of his hips and stop kissing him, but finally he did leaving Blaine to crawl into his own bed, feeling better about Santana than he had in a while.

A/N: Approaching the end now...