Santana tuned out as soon as Rachel started talking. I mean who wouldn't. If she wanted to listen to the hobbit speak then she would wait until..., no scratch that she'd never want to listen to her speak. She took the opurtunity instead to look around the room. Even though everyone was smiling and trying to look happy for Kurt's sake she could tell that some of them we're struggling to keep up the act. You could practically feel the tension in the boy's shoulders, especially Puck, as though all they really wanted to do was hit something or somebody. She could definitely relate to that feeling. Mike had his arms around Tina and she was grasping his arm tightly where it lay across her neck. Brittany just looked even more confused than normal and Santana sent her a small reassuring smile. She looked back to Kurt to see him looking with concern at where Blaine was sitting unobtrusively at the back of the room. She followed his gaze and frowned. Blaine didn't look good. Well that was a given what with all the bruising but there was something more. He had a sheen of sweat coating his face and he kept darting his eyes around the room. She looked down at where his hands lay in his lap and noticed that they we're trembling.

It still took her by suprise though when she saw him shoot up from his seat and head for the door. She didn't think, just acted on instinct as she followed him. One last quick look into the room gave her chance to let Kurt know she was on it and then she went after him. She watched him bolt for the nearest men's restroom but stopped when she got to the door.

She hesitated only slightly before saying "screw it" and pushing the door open.

The smell of vomit was the first thing to hit her and she wrinkled her nose up at the stench. Then she saw him sprawled out on the floor and she dropped to her knees next to him.

"Blaine" she shook his arm, she would have slapped his face a couple of times but with all the bruising decided against it.

"Blaine" she said again and was rewarded by seeing his eyes flickering slightly.

"Come on Blaine. Crap". She didn't know what to do for the best and just settled for holding onto his arm and waiting for him to come to on his own. She watched him open his one good eye slowly and was taken aback by the pain and confusion she saw there. He pulled away from her hand sharply and then groaned as if the movement pained him. She decided not to take offence at the fact that he didn't want her touching him, knowing it wasn't personal.

"I'll get someone" she started to stand and was stopped when he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down to his side again.

"Don't" he said the word harshly.

"Blaine you need to get checked over" she argued back.

"Please" oh my god he was pleading with her now. Looking into those beautiful honey eyes of his how could she resist.

Shaking her head at her own stupidity she made a decision.

"Ok fine let's get you somewhere else and then we'll talk about it" Blaine slumped in relief and let go of her hand. "Can you at least stand up? Because I tell you now I'm not carrying your midget ass".

She watched as he struggled to get to his feet, grasping the sink for support. When she was satisfied he wasn't about to fall on his ass again she opened the door to the restroom to make sure the coast was clear. She still couldn't figure out why she was doing this instead of just getting some help, but something about the way he'd looked at her when he'd said please had gotten to her, plus she was curious if she was honest. If she fetched someone now she'd probably never find out what was going on with him.

Seeing there was no one in the hallway she pointed Blaine in the direction of a room she knew was empty. She followed his unsteady progress and was glad when they made it into the private room without him collapsing on her.

"Sit down" she pointed at the bed and Blaine didn't even try to argue with her just sank down onto the bed with a sigh.

"Okay are you going to tell me what's going on?" he flinched back from her angry tone.

"I'm just tired I guess" he said but he refused to meet her eye as he said it.

"There's more to it than that" she refused to let him get away with it that easily. She stood and looked at him, really looked at him. The way he was holding himself got her to thinking.

"Are you hurt Blaine" he shook his head but again refused to meet her eyes. She decided to act on a hunch and gently poked him in the side, the same one she was pretty sure he was favouring. He pulled away from her with a sharp hiss, pain flaring across his face.

"Take your top off Blaine" she put her hand on her hip and set her jaw.

"No" but the word was whispered and full of desperation.

"Well you've got two choices, either you let me take a look or I'm going to go get a real doctor". She could see how terrified he was and she felt bad for threatening him like this but what other choice did she have. Now that she knew he was hurt she couldn't just leave it.

"I'm fine Santana" and damn if he didn't look at her with that charming smile of his. What he didn't realise though was that Santana was a master at putting on a mask for people and she could spot them a mile away in other people.

"Okay let's start with what I know. You're not sleeping or eating" he started to protest this. "Don't even try to deny it I've thrown up enough times to know what it smells like when your just bringing up bile, plus have you looked in the mirror today, Kurt could go shopping with the bags under your eyes. Even under all the bruises I can see them. Now I want to know what your hiding under that sweatshirt of yours and neither of us is leaving until you let me take a look." Normally all sorts of dirty jokes would have sprang to mind at a time like this, but even she knew that wasn't really appropriate right now.

Blaine's shoulders slumped "Can't you just leave it?" he sounded so worn down that her resolve wavered, who was she to force him to do something he didn't want to.

Actually screw that, he wasn't getting off that easy.

"No I can't. Now I know you don't know me very well, but if you did you'd know I'm a nosy bitch and you've got me curious" she tilted her head on one side at him. "And another thing you should know is that I always get what I want in the end."

She watched as he ran a shaking hand through his messy hair and waited for him to take in what she's just said.

"If I let you look you need to promise me that you'll keep this between us".

"Why?" her tone was softer now, she couldn't understand why he was hiding this from everyone anyway, didn't he realise that people we're worried about him.

"Because that's the way I want it to be". Santana shook her head at that, really that was all the explanation he was going to give her. She started to say something else but looking at him sat there, trying so hard not to fall apart, she couldn't think of what to say.

"Okay" she agreed, because what other choice did she have?

He reached down and pulled his hoody off and put it over his knees as though not able to give up his hold on it completely.

So Blaine sat there in just a t-shirt and even without him taking it off Santana could see that there was something more than just bruised ribs under there. She could see where blood had seeped through the thin material in places. She tried not show what she was feeling as he very slowly removed it, reavealing the mess underneath.

One side of his body, the same side she had poked a moment ago, was just one big ugly bruise and she was unable to stop herself frm running her fingers lightly over the area. Unsuprisingly Blaine flinched away from her touch. She moved her hand away quickly.

"I don't think they broke any ribs, they're just sore" Blaine said.

Santana didn't say a word, just continued to look at the rest of his torso. It was like a patchwork of cuts and bruises. She could see that a couple of the cuts we're pretty deep and even still oozing in a few places. She guessed that the some of the same glass that had ended up embedded in Kurt's thigh had also been responsible for them.

"These look like they might be infected" Santana pointed at some of the nastier cuts. "You need antibiotics Blaine".

"No doctors" Blaine insisted.

"I don't understand. Why don't you want..."Santana trailed off because as she'd been talking her eyes had been wandering over the different cuts and bruises, her brain trying to find a pattern to the mess. Then the puzzle pieces came together all of a sudden. Her fingers once again moved of their own accord, trailing light brushes along the clearly visible fingerprint marks that sat on either side of his hips disappearing below the waistband of his jeans.

This time Blaine gasped as he pulled away, but she knew she hadn't pressed hard enough to hurt him. Looking up at his face her heart broke to see the tears that we're running down his cheeks.

"Oh Blaine" she reached a hand out to brush away the tears."What did they do to you?"

"Don't" the word came out as a half sob as he pulled even further away from her. "Just don't. I can't...please".

Santana watched him curl in on himself and let her hand drop to her side. She was completely lost as to what to do now. This was so messed up, what was she supposed to do. She just stood there.

Blaine cleared his throat and wiped a shaking hand across his face. "Can you just, I don't know clean these up or something?" he looked at her with those adorable puppy dog eyes of his and she kind of hated him for it. How dare he put her in this position, how dare he ask her to keep this to herself. This was too big, there's no way she could go along with this. She needed to tell someone so he could get the help he really needed, doctors, police, parents, someone. But she'd made a promise. Okay when she'd made it she hadn't realised how serious this could be but still she couldn't go back on her word. He needed someone to trust right now.

Anyway whose to say what had happened, maybe she was jumping to the wrong conclusions. So what if it looked like someone had gripped him by the hips so tight they'd left bruises, that didn't have to mean what she was thinking happened was true, she'd always had a dirty mind. She found herself staring again trying to find some other explanation for the marks that covered his stomach and chest. Her eyes lingered over a row of circular bruises that ran from his chest across his collarbone and she fought down a wave of revulsion because she knew what those marks we're. Lovebites.

She wanted to run from the room, run from the reality of what must have happened to this kind, gentle sweet boy. Run away from Blaine.

But how could she. How could she leave him alone. Leave him to deal with this by himself. He needed help and if she was the only one who he would let help her for now then she wasn't going to run and hide like a little girl. She knew that there was no way this could stay just between them forever but for now maybe that's the way Blaine needed it to be.

She was going to clean him up, get him something to eat and let him rest. Then when he felt better she was going to do everything she could to persuade him to tell someone.

"Okay stay here I'll go grab some stuff" the relief she saw in his eyes was almost worth the sinking feeling in her stomach.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------