Huh, Chris thought dazedly, I always figured there'd be more guys in heaven…  

All around him, smiling female faces were swimming in and out of focus.  Finally, he saw one that he recognized.  “Brittany!”

“Hello, dolphin.  Thanks for coming to visit me again.  How did you know I would be here?”

“Um, I didn't.  Where are we?” Chris asked, feeling disoriented.

“At the bottom of the moat.  My Cheermaids made this air-bubble for you, since your gills don't seem to be working.”

“But what happened to the chair I was tied to?”

“I freed you.  My fingers are magic, you know.  Just ask Santana…  Oh, and also I'm good with knots.”

Chris grinned at her.  There was something very endearing about Brittany.  “Santana's here, you know,” he told her.

“Yeah, that's why I came.  I'll do anything to get her to give me another chance.  Come on – maybe you can help me convince her.”

Brittany grabbed Chris's hand and pulled him out of the air bubble, propelling the two of them rapidly upward with smooth undulations of her powerful tail.  As they neared the surface, Chris could hear a song, but it was difficult to make out the words.  Just as he felt his lungs would burst, they emerged into the fresh air, to find Santana, standing on the edge of the moat, singing.  

I am in misery

There aint nobody who can comfort me

Why wont you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me

Girl you really got me bad, you really got me bad

Im gonna get you back, gonna get you back

Santana locked eyes with Brittany as she sang.

Your salty skin and how it mixes in with mine

The way it feels to be completely intertwined

Its not that I didnt care, its that I didnt know

Its not what I didnt feel, its what I didnt show

So let me be, and Ill set you free

I am in misery

There aint nobody who can comfort me

Why wont you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me

Girl you really got me bad, you really got me bad

Im gonna get you back, gonna get you back

Brittany seemed to be struck dumb by the sight of her.

Say your faith is shaken, you may be mistaken

You keep me wide-awake and waiting for the sun

Im desperate and confused, so far away from you

Im getting here, dont care where I have to go

Why do you do what you do to me, yeah

Why wont you answer me, answer me, yeah

Why do you do what you do to me, yeah

Why wont you answer me, answer me, yeah

Santana reached one hand down toward the water, and Brittany grasped it tightly.

I am in misery

There aint nobody who can comfort me

Why wont you answer me?

The silence is slowly killing me

Girl you really got me bad, you really got me bad

Im gonna get you back, gonna get you back

As the song ended, Brittany at last found her voice.  “Will you be my sand dollar?”

Though Chris had no idea what she was talking about, Santana apparently understood perfectly.  “Of course,” she answered, slipping down into the moat.  The girls' lips met in a passionate kiss, and they disappeared together beneath the surface of the water.

Chris suddenly became aware of his surroundings.  He hauled himself up onto the ground and lay shivering as he tried to make sense of the confusion around him.

Sir Cooper was shouting and pointing more dramatically than ever as he argued with Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, and Froggy a short distance away.  Chris couldn't make out everything that was said, but the gist of it seemed to be that Kurt was under arrest, and that no one was taking this news very well, with the possible exception of Rachel.

Blaine turned to her, with his best puppy-dog expression.  “Queen Red, please…”

Rachel looked from Blaine, to Kurt, and then back again.  She was obviously torn between her desire to please Blaine and her wish to see Kurt rot in prison.  Finally she pulled herself up to her full (but diminutive) height and proclaimed, “I, Queen Red Riding Hood, do hereby pardon Kurt Hummelocks for all of the many, many crimes he has committed.”

Blaine threw his arms around her.  “Thanks, Red!”

Batting her eyelashes, Rachel replied, “Anything for you, Blaine.”

Kurt gave a loud snort.  “While I appreciate your pardon, Rachel, I feel the need to remind you that Blaine is my true love, not yours.  According to the mirror – which never lies – you're meant to be with Froggy.”

Blushing furiously, Rachel glanced over at Froggy, and then down at the ground, stammering, “Um, not to be offensive, or anything, but don't you think it would be a little, um, unusual, for a queen to be with a frog?”

Froggy cleared his throat and began to sing:

Its not unusual to be loved by anyone

Its not unusual to have fun with anyone

But when I see you hanging about with anyone 

(Here Froggy cast a significant glance at Blaine)

Its not unusual to see me cry,

Oh I wanna die

Chris was surprised to hear that although Froggy's speaking voice had been altered by his transformation, when he sang, he still sounded exactly like Finn.

Its not unusual to go out at any time

But when I see you out and about its such a crime

If you should ever want to be loved by anyone,

Its not unusual - it happens every day no matter what you say

You find it happens all the time

Love will never do what you want it to

Why cant this crazy love be mine?

As Froggy sang, Rachel's expression slowly transformed from uncomfortable to intrigued to impressed.

Its not unusual to be mad with anyone

Its not unusual to be sad with anyone

But if I ever find that youve changed at anytime

It's not unusual to find out that Im in love with you

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh

“Oh my,” Rachel gushed, “what a lovely singing voice you have, Froggy.  Would you like to perform a duet with me sometime?”

Before Froggy could answer, Sir Cooper cut in, jabbing his finger toward Rachel.  “You may be queen of the Red Riding Hood Kingdom, but you have no authority to pardon Kurt Hummelocks for all of the crimes he's committed in other kingdoms!” he declared, sweeping his arm in a great arc to encompass the rest of the land.  He finished his gesture by pointing dramatically at Kurt and calling out to his guards, “Seize him!”

For a tense moment, Kurt's hands reached for his sai swords, Blaine's toward the hilt of his ax.  A quick look around at the hundreds of soldiers apparently changed their minds, however.  Kurt turned to Blaine with a defeated expression.

“This is one battle we can't win, Blaine.  If I have to spend the rest of my life in a dungeon, at least give me the comfort of knowing that you're free, and safe, and happy.  Go home.”    

Blaine stared at him incredulously.  “How could I ever be happy without you?  You're telling me to go home?!”

And I am telling you 

Im not going 

Youre the best man 

Ill ever know 

Theres no way I can ever go 

No, no, theres no way 

No, no, no, no way Im livin' without you 

Im not livin' without you 

I dont want to be free 

Im stayin' Im stayin' 

And you, and you 

Youre gonna love me, yeah 

Ohh, youre gonna love me

It took a moment for Chris to recognize the gorgeous, stripped down version Blaine was singing as being the same song that Mercedes had performed in season one of Glee. 

And I am telling you 

Im not going 

Even though the rough times are showin' 

Theres just no way 

Theres no way 

We're part of the same place 

We're part of the same time 

We both share the same blood 

We both have the same mind 

And time, and time 

Weve had so much to share 

No, no, no, no, no way 

Im not waking up tomorrow morning 

And finding that theres nobody left 

Chris was struck by how much Blaine was, and was not, like Darren.

Darlin theres no way 

No, no, no, no way 

Im livin without you 

Im not living without you 

You see theres no way 

Theres no way 

Tear down the mountain 

Just scream and shout 

You can say what you want 

Im not walking out 

Stop all the rivers 

Push, strike and kill 

Im not gonna leave ya 

Theres no way I will 

In that moment, with Blaine at his most passionate, Chris knew for certain that his feelings for Darren had nothing to do with character-bleed.  No matter how perfect Blaine was for Kurt (and he was perfect) Chris felt no attraction toward him.  It was only Darren who held a piece of his heart.  

And I am telling you 

Im not going 

Youre the best man 

Ill ever know 

Theres no way I can ever, ever go 

No, no, no, no way 

No, no, no way Im living without you 

Im not living without ya now 

Living without ya 

I dont want to be free 

Im stayin' Im stayin' 

And you, and you, and you 

Youre gonna love me 

Ohhh, youre gonna love me 

Yes you are 

Youll love me, yeah

Love me 

Love me 

Love me 

Love 

Youre gonna love me

“Yes,” Kurt breathed, and in that one word was a promise of forever.

As the soldiers clamped manacles around Kurt's wrists, Blaine tenderly stroked his cheek before surging forward to kiss him.  Chris felt his eyes misting up, and couldn't bring himself to watch as the soldiers dragged Kurt away.

Once the commotion had died down, Chris realized that he hadn't seen Darren anywhere.  Spotting the Huntsman standing at the edge of the moat, staring with concern at the place where his daughter had vanished, Chris stumbled over to him.

“Have you seen my friend?” he asked.

Will took a moment to shake himself out of his reverie before answering.  “Oh, yes.  He was struck in the head by a falling stone and knocked unconscious.  The soldiers are fashioning a litter to transport him to Snow White's palace so that her royal physician can attend to him.  If he survives the journey, there's a good chance that…”

Chris didn't hear the end of Will's sentence.  Shock muted the world, and he sunk to the ground, as darkness claimed him.