A.N: I know, I suck, but hey... update *Ducks flying fruit* Sorry!

Monday January 17, 2011

10:02 A.M.

Quinn smiled at Santana as the Latina let out an impatient huff, "Where the hell is Britt?"

Quinn shrugged and then smiled a moment later as her fellow blonde skipped towards them in the hall, Rachel's pink bag trailing behind her.

Santana stared at the bag for a long moment and then asked, "Why do you have Rachel's bag Britt?"

Brittany blinked at her before turning to her locker, "Kurt gave it to me."

Quinn cocked an eyebrow, "Why didn't he give it to her during your second period."

The taller blonde shrugged without looking at them, "She wasn't in class." She slammed her locked shut and spun to look at them, "I have to go." She pressed a kiss to Santana's cheek, and skipped down the hall, no doubt headed to her third period, Rachel's pink bag rolling along cheerfully behind her.

Quinn frowned after the tall blonde, "Why wasn't Rachel in class?"

Santana snorted, "Because it's Spanish with Schue? She could learn more Spanish watching novellas with my mom."

Quinn turned to scowl at her, "I wasn't asking for why you would skip Spanish S, Rachel isn't you is she?"

Santana glared right back, "Tone down the bitchy Q, I do not appreciate it."

Quinn deflated a little bit, "Sorry S, I just haven't seen Rachel yet this week."

Santana nodded, "I figured…"

Quinn pouted, "And I won't even see her during lunch… she has her 'special project' going that I can't know about apparently."

Santana laughed at her, "She has been pretty secretive." She shrugged a moment later, "Whatever Q, let's get to class."

The two girls hurried down the hall and though neither could explain, each of them fought the sudden, powerful urge to hunt down Rachel Berry.

12:16 P.M.

Kurt sat down next to Quinn as the rest of gleeks settled themselves at their normal table. Finn was already halfway through his tray and Puck wasn't far behind. Santana was craning her neck looking for Britt and Quinn wore a black scowl on her face as she poked at her lunch no doubt upset that she wouldn't see Rachel for lunch if she hadn't already.

Finn swallowed a mouthful of food and looked up at Quinn, "Hey Quinn?"

Quinn grunted at him, "What?"

He wilted just a little before he seemed to muster his courage enough to ask, "Have you seen Rachel today? She wasn't in first period."

Quinn tensed as she always did when Finn spoke of Rachel but the feeling passed as she frowned, "She wasn't?"

On either side Santana and Kurt tensed as the Latina muttered, "Two classes? No way Berry cuts two classes in one day… no way she cuts two classes in one year."

Quinn nodded, "I…"

Kurt pushed his tray away, "I'm sure she has a good reason, I mean we know she's here, she did leave her bag at school this morning, if she'd forgotten it last week she would have bullied a janitor into opening the school for her."

Santana leaned around Quinn to stare at Kurt, "Did you actually see her though?"

Kurt shook his head slowly, "No…"

Quinn turned on the gleeks and demanded, "Has anyone seen Rachel today?"

Everyone grew quiet as they considered the question before one by one they shook their heads or mumbled nos.

From next to Finn Sam piped up, "And it isn't two classes she's skipped, it's three. She wasn't in AP History either."

Santana spat out, "Where in the hell is she?!"

Quinn stamped down her own agitation as Santana and Kurt coiled next to her, while the rest of the club seemed to tense in slight alarm, "I…"

"Hi!"

The table started as a whole as Brittany waved at them before plopping into the free seat next to Santana before swiping one of the cookies on Santana's tray, "Thanks San!"

Quinn narrowed her eyes at Britt, "Where is Rachel's bag Britt?"

Brittany's brow furrowed for a moment before she answered, "I don't have it any more."

Kurt rubbed a hand over his brow, "Did you see Rachel, did you give her the bag?"

Brittany shook her head slowly, "No…"

Quinn ground down her teeth, knowing that her worry for Rachel wouldn't be seen as legitimate excuse to Santana if she was rude to Brittany, "Where did you leave her bag Britt?"

Brittany smiled at her, "I didn't leave it anywhere Q."

Quinn nodded, "Ok…"

Brittany finished with a bright smile, "I gave it to Karofsky!"

Quinn tensed as she snapped, "What!?"

Brittany shrank back, "Well yeah, I saw him it the hall outside the auditorium getting a water and he said he'd give Rachel the bag."

Puck muttered darkly, "After he filled it with dog crap or something."

Brittany turned to frown at him, "He was just being nice."

Santana patted Brittany's hand and mumbled to Quinn, "She didn't mean anything bad Quinn, and if he did do something bad to the bag Puck and I will kick his ass."

Quinn nodded slowly, "Yeah alright."

The glee club returned to their lunches though there was an air of unease around the entire table now that hadn't been there before.

Santana took a bite of her lunch before asking Kurt, "Where did Rachel leave her bag anyway?"

Kurt swallowed the bite of salad in his mouth to answer, "In one of the girls' restrooms, the one with the broken toilet and sink."

Quinn chanced a glance at Santana and so she had a perfect view of the blood draining rather impressively from Santana's face as the Latina lurched to her feet, "Dios…"

Quinn placed a hand on Santana's forearm, "S?"

Santana grabbed her hand and yanked Quinn to her feet, "My… my…" She choked around her words as their friends grew alarmed.

"Santana?" Mercedes set her fork down.

"San?" Puck stood halfway.

"What's wrong?" Finn blinked at the both of them.

Santana finally mastered her words again as she gasped out, "My nightmares Q, that's how they end… with Rachel's bag in that restroom." She turned on Kurt, "Was it outside the handicapped stall?"

Kurt nodded, "Yeah… so?"

Santana swayed on her feet and Quinn steadied her as she whimpered, "S… Rachel dies in your nightmare…"

"What?!" Puck exclaimed as he stood fully.

Santana and Quinn exchanged a loaded look before they turned almost as one entity and bolted from the table. Puck was hot on their heels as the rest of the club scrambled to follow.

The entire club charged through the halls of McKinley, Kurt bringing up the rear as they hurried towards the girls' first floor bathroom near the choir room.

Santana and Quinn slammed through the door first as the rest of the club poured in behind them, the boys hulking forms taking up much of the space that was usually large enough for the glee girls. Santana rushed the handicapped stall and pressed a trembling hand against the door.

Quinn felt her heart lodge in her throat as the door stuck, locked from the inside.

Santana's face, already pale, went completely ashen as she backed away from the door with her hand clamped to her mouth, "No no no…"

Quinn came up to Santana's side, "San…"

Santana turned to look at Quinn, "Q… I… in my dream the door is locked. I can't. She was so cold Q… she was alone and cold and Kurt…" She paused as she shook her head, "No… he got the bag, he picked up the bag, that isn't right, in my dream he doesn't, he picked up the bag." She turned on Kurt, "She was screaming, in my dream she screams through the duct tape, did you hear her?!" She seized his jacket and shook him.

Kurt flinched away from her, "I…" He looked terrified of Santana, "I had my earbuds in Santana, I didn't hear anything but Rent."

Santana let him go abruptly as she shook her head again, "But… you picked up the bag…"

Quinn placed a hand on Santana's back as she ordered, "Puck, breakdown the door."

Puck looked at her, before shooting a terrified look at the door, "Q…"

She all but shrieked, "Now Puck!"

Santana pressed her face into Quinn's neck to mumble, "It's too late Q… if she… it's too late by now."

Puck set his jaw before he charged the door, shoulder first, and smashed his weight into the door, his formidable size more than enough for the flimsy lock. He stumbled into the stall as Quinn and Santana froze.

Quinn didn't believe in prophetic dreams but she remembered the terror in Santana's face, how much the dreams had horrified her friend.

From the stall Puck called out, "What were we supposed to find in here S?"

Quinn knew the answer, Rachel, bound and gagged, "Rachel."

The mohawked boy turned around, blocking the entrance to the stall, "Well… this stall is empty. I think the lock was just stuck."

Santana shoved past him a second later, "What?" Quinn rushed to grab her friend as Santana's knees buckled, "She…" The Latina let out a sob, "She isn't in here!" She beamed at Quinn and caught the blonde in a hug, "She isn't in here Q!"

The glee club eyed Santana as if she was crazy as Mercedes drawled, "Yay?"

Santana scowled but didn't respond as Quinn ran a hand through her hair, "Alright, but where is Rachel?"

Finn furrowed his brow, "Maybe she didn't come to school?"

Kurt shook his head, "She wouldn't have left her bag over the weekend Finn."

Quinn led the club from the bathroom and eyed them as they milled about, "We can look for her."

Her friends nodded and looked ready to split up to do just that as a teacher strolled past them and paused, "If it isn't the Glee club…" He offered them a small smile before a frown creased his face, "Isn't one of you missing?"

Quinn nodded, "Yeah, our captain, Rachel."

He lit up, "Oh yes, that's who missing. She's in the auditorium if you need her for something. I stopped in there to pick up something from backstage; she was with one of the football players." He shrugged, "He seemed upset about something."

Quinn watched as Finn's brow furrowed as he looked at the boys, "But all the football players Rachel knows are right here…"

Quinn nodded slowly, "But she was in the auditorium, she was alright?"

The teacher nodded, "Sure."

Next to her Kurt narrowed his eyes, "What do you teach? I've never seen you before."

The teacher turned to stare at Kurt before he whispered, "Sure you have Kurt, you probably just don't remember." The man shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled from the group.

Puck rocked on his heels before demanding, "Are we going to the auditorium or not?!"

Quinn started, "Yes. Let's go."

The club turned and hurried towards the auditorium, but when Quinn chanced a glance back the teacher was watching them with a pleased smile tweaking his lips.

12:44 P.M.

The club turned into the hallway that housed the entrance to the auditorium just a shout tore through the otherwise silent hallway, "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"

The club rushed forward and burst through the doors of the auditorium only to stall at the tableau that awaited them. On the stage, cradling a gasping Rachel Berry in his arms was David Karofsky.

He looked so relieved to see the club that he must have missed the murderous looks on just about every face as he yelled out, "Something is wrong with her! She can't get enough air to tell me how to help her!"

Almost as one every member of the club blurted out, "Asthma!" Before most of them exchanged slightly befuddled looks.

Finn mouthed the word before muttering, "Rachel has asthma?"

Quinn ignored them all as she sprinted for the stage, "Where is her bag?"

Karofsky pointed to the first row of seats and Quinn seized the bag before vaulting the stage and nearly face-planting. She slid to her knees at Rachel's side as she fumbled with the bag.

"Is your inhaler in here baby?" Rachel nodded through her gasps as she tried to smile at Quinn. Quinn shoved her hand in to the bag and after what seemed like an eternity she pulled the inhaler from the outside pocket and pressed it Rachel's lips.

She pressed the metal tube housing the albuterol and Rachel did her best to draw the medicine into her inflamed lungs. Three more pumps had her lungs expanding a bit more and three more after that had the panicked look in her eyes fading as she stared up at Quinn.

Quinn let out a relieved gasp as she leaned forward to press a kiss to Rachel's forehead, "God Rach…"

The diva pulled the inhaler from her lips and mumbled, "Sorry Quinn…"

Quinn shook her head as tears welled against her will, "I'm just glad you're ok." She smoothed Rachel's hair back and nodded to Karofsky, "Can you pick her up? We should take her to the nurse."

The boy nodded and with little effort scooped Rachel into his arms. The two of them hurried down from the stage and moved past the glee club.

As the club followed them from the auditorium, intent on the nurse's office Kurt brought up the rear once again and came face to face with the teacher that had told them where to find Rachel.

The man was smiling, and looked pleased with himself as he stated, "Good riddance to this day." Kurt's eyes widened as memories rushed through his mind, so disorienting were they that he nearly missed the man's next words. He nodded to Kurt as he walked past him with a mumbled, "I guess the third time really is the charm."

Read and Review