Because You Left, Masterpost
Ten years ago, Benjamin Linus killed several of his own people and left the Island on a stolen submarine, with a child that wasn't really his. He and his son have been running ever since, from one end of the United States to the other. But no one can run forever, not even them. For better or for worse, their road ends here: Lima, Ohio.
Title: Because You Left
Pairing/Character(s): The story revolves primarily around Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, and Burt Hummel; other central characters are Finn Hudson, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Brittany S. Pierce, Santana Lopez, Artie Abrams, Wes (Warbler), Holly Holliday, Juliet Burke, Sayid Jarrah, Sun Hwa-Kwon, Michael Dawson, Walt Lloyd, and Kate Austen. David Karofsky and Leslie Arzt have central roles in Part One; in later chapters, Ethan Rom, Hugo Reyes, Ana Lucia Cortez, Richard Alpert, Daniel Faraday, and Eloise Hawking will have central roles. Any character can show up at any time.
Rating: PG-13 overall.
Warnings: Specific warnings will be given for specific chapters -- fic overall will contain a fair amount of violence, death, mayhem, angst, and the ever-present threat of giant smoke monsters. Time travel is a thing.
Word Count: The fic is outlined for four parts of roughly 20 chapters each. Part One is complete at 125,000 words and Part Two is nearly finished and about the same length. Extrapolating from there, I imagine the full story will shape up to be about 500,000 words.
Spoilers: The story starts firmly in Glee canon, at episode 2x06, "Never Been Kissed." It then goes wildly off the rails, and by the time we get to the events of 2x08, "Furt," canon is all but left behind. There are references to some events of Season Three (certain revelations about Finn's father, and the appearance of a specific character), but nothing significant after that.
In terms of LOST spoilers, the story repeatedly references certain properties of the Island that are revealed in later seasons. The nature of the Orchid station is once such reference; Eloise Hawking's storyline is another. The character of Jacob is a third. However, given the amount of changes I've made to LOST canon in general, you might be better off not trying to look those things up.
Author's Notes: This is a Glee/LOST AU crossover. Given the number of non-LOST characters in the story, it shouldn't be totally inaccessible to those who weren't LOST fanatics. And for those who are LOST fanatics -- this fic is massively, massively AU. Massive. Massive AU. So while some things will carry over from the show, others will not, and lots of things will probably be warped all out of recognition.
In short: This is Bat Country.
This fic is a work in progress. Part One is complete, and Part Two is very nearly so. Parts Three and Four have been outlined. I'm posting from a backlog of pre-written chapters, rather than writing as I go, so everything is edited before it goes up. I've been lucky enough to have beta help from several very awesome people as writing has progressed: rena_librarian, specialj67 and seealexwrite (who edited 1.17, and believe me it needed the both of them), the-rainbow-jen, and the indispensable seldnei.
It is perhaps worth noting that the fic actually went on hiatus for about a year between Part One and Part Two. I don't think my writing style changed that much in that time, but there may be some small stylistic differences (although, as the fic gradually shifts away from Lima, those were bound to happen anyway.
Part One: The Catalyst
Chapter One: Man Out of Time (Ben, Sue Sylvester, Kurt, Blaine)
There is a spy at Blaine's school, a spy who could be very, very dangerous to both Blaine and his father (although not quite in the ways they would expect).
Chapter Two: The Catalyst (Ben, Juliet Burke, David Karofsky, Kurt [Karofsky's father mentioned, Blaine mentioned])
Blaine has always trusted his father to take care of things, and Ben always has. If that means he has to look after Kurt Hummel for the time being, well. That should be easy enough.
Chapter Three: Everything In Its Right Place (Ben, Blaine, Juliet, Karofsky [Kurt mentioned, Richard Alpert appearing in flashback])
Ben and Blaine are good at keeping secrets from everyone else, but not from each other.
Chapter Four: The Substitute (Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Juliet, Holly Holliday, Mercedes Jones, Finn Hudson, Rachel Berry, and Karofsky. Other glee-clubbers mentioned.)
Everyone is suspicious, and yet no one suspects a thing.
Enzo Valenzetti
The Valenzetti Equation
Chapter Five: Other Options (Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Karofsky, Holly, Mike Chang, Artie Abrams, Burt Hummel, Brittany S. Pierce [Tina Cohen-Chang mentioned.])
In which Ben goes to a lecture, Burt meets his son's new friend, and Brittany is full of surprises.
Chapter Six: Covert Affairs (Ben, Blaine, Burt, Kurt, Finn, Rachel, Karofsky)
Burt has a box of old memories. Finn has doubts. So does Karofsky. Rachel does, too, but perhaps not as many as she should. And all Ben really wants is a distraction.
Chapter Seven: Will I? (Kurt, Blaine, Kurt's mother)
Blaine tries not to think about the possibility of losing his father. He fails.
Chapter Eight: Contact (Kate Austen, Roger Linus, Ben Linus Anderson, Holly Holliday, Michael Dawson (briefly), Blaine Linus Anderson, Wesley Kim, Sun Hwa Kwon, Ji Yeon Kwon, David Karofsky, Paul Karofsky (aka Leslie Arzt), Sayid Jarrah. Various Warblers. Couple dead people.)
In which we see dead people.
Chapter Nine: The Threat (Burt, Finn, Ben Linus Anderson, Coach Beiste, Sue Sylvester, David Karofsky (briefly), Kurt, Dr. Juliet Burke, Leslie Arzt [AKA Paul Karofsky])
This is what happens when Ben tries to color inside the lines for a change.
Chapter Ten: With Friends Like These (Sam Evans, Finn Hudson, Mike Chang, Noah Puckerman, Artie Abrams, Rachel Berry, Quinn Fabray, Ben Linus Anderson, Leslie Arzt [aka Paul Karofsky], Holly Holliday, Dr. Juliet Burke, Blaine)
Finn has a plan. Sam and Quinn have their doubts. Ben has too many friends. And Blaine has a decision to make.
Chapter Eleven: The Incident (Part One) (Burt, Carole, Blaine, Kurt, Michael Dawson, Holly Holliday, David Karofsky, Emma Pillsbury, Will Schuester, Ben Linus Anderson)
Warnings (highlight to read): shots are fired in a school setting
For the first time in a very long time, Kurt Hummel is genuinely, purely happy. It isn't going to last very long.
Chapter Twelve: The Incident (Part Two) (Santana Lopez, Kurt, Blaine, Karofsky, William Schuester, Sue Sylvester, Ben Linus Anderson)
Warnings (highlight to read): student bringing a gun to school, threats of violence, shots fired in a school setting, descriptions of injury, one character (literally) asks to be killed.
A frightened dog is the most dangerous kind
Chapter Thirteen: Special (Burt, Kurt, Ben, Blaine, and Walt Lloyd)
They're not quite ready for explanations, not yet. Right now it's enough that no one's died.
Chapter Fourteen: The Other Side of the Story (Charlie Pace, Kate Austen, Ben Linus Anderson, Roger Linus, Kurt Hummel (briefly), Burt Hummel (briefly), Leslie Arzt, Jennifer Karofsky (very briefly), Walt Lloyd, Michael Dawson, Grandma Dawson, Wesley Kim, Sun-Hwa Kwon, Juliet Burke, Sayid Jarrah, and Charles Widmore (via telephone). Ethan Rom mentioned.)
"So. What do we do now?"
Chapter Fifteen: After Shocks (Carl Howell, Emma Pillsbury, Tina Cohen-Chang, all the Hudmels, Sue Sylvester, Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce, Will Schuester, Holly Holliday. [All other Glee kids are at least mentioned.])
Sometimes, there is no right thing to do, no way to fix it. Sometimes, the best you can do is make sure that no one's left thinking that they're going through this all alone
Chapter Sixteen: Ask Me No More Questions (Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Carole Hudson, Leslie Arzt (aka Paul Karofsky), Burt Hummel)
Carole visits the Andersons at the hospital. And so does someone else.
Bonus Feature: Previously on GLOST (part one)
(a white rabbit disappearing into the jungle, a man with dark, sad eyes, his father's voice terrible in the nighttime, the sound of whispers, a hand pushing him forward)
Room 23 (Note: This description of Room 23 comes complete with a link to the Room 23 video on YouTube. Please be advised that that video should absolutely come with a seizure warning, and will make your brain feel funny even if you don't have a seizure-causing condition. You probably shouldn't watch it if you've had a couple of drinks or are, say, adjusting to new glasses. Yes, I say this from experience.)
Chapter Seventeen: ... and I'll Tell You No More Lies (Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Burt Hummel, Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson, Kate Austen, Charlie Pace, Shannon Rutherford, Annie, Roger Linus, Charles Widmore, Richard Alpert, Tom Friendly, and Eloise Hawking.)
WARNINGS: Kidnapping, shooting, several murders, one mass killing, torture and severe psychological damage, psychic events, more murder, implied parricide, and theft of a submarine. And then more murder. Ladies and gentlemen: Ben's backstory.
Ten years ago, Ben Linus killed several of his own people and left the Island on a stolen submarine, with a child that wasn't really his. This is why.
"Born in an unremarkable suburb of Jersey City, Leslie Arzt soon demonstrated the kind of promise that could only herald a doctorate from an unremarkable university in the state system. Though not a particularly patient or didactic man, Leslie Arzt soon parlayed the staggering lack of interest shown him by employers in the private sector into a long-term career teaching science [...] While neither a student nor faculty favorite - and in brazen defiance of brusque personal style that rendered him unfit for the job - Dr. Arzt (as he insisted on being called by everyone from students to school board administrators) courageously expanded his activities from mere teaching into teachers' union politics. After giving decades of his life and sacrificing - by his own account - three marriages to his activities, Dr. Arzt finally took a vacation to Sydney, Australia. The cataclysmic crash of Oceanic 815 left Dr. Arzt one of 48 survivors stranded on an uncharted island. On the island, Dr. Arzt soon went about making friends and influencing people in his own indomitable style..." (quote originally used on the packaging for the Dr. Arzt action figure and excerpted from LOSTpedia, my one true home.)
Chapter Eighteen: After All I've Been Through (Burt Hummel, Carole Hudson, Leslie Arzt, Claire Littleton, Tom Friendly, Dr. Juliet Burke, Ben Linus Anderson, Matthew Abaddon. [Nikki Fernandez and Boone Carlyle appear briefly; several other LOSTies are mentioned by name or reputation.] Warnings for brief, soft-focus descriptions of the aftermath of a plane crash, drugging, kidnapping, and lots and lots of threats.)
I need to introduce you to a man named Leslie Arzt. (Or: in which we learn a few things about Karofsky's father, and Burt and Carole attempt to put the pieces together only to learn that a few of them have been left out.)
Chapter Nineteen: Furt (Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel, Burt Hummel, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Artie Abrams, Brittany S. Pierce, Mike Chang, Tina Cohen-Chang [Santana Lopez and Will Schuester briefly].)
In which Finn explains his decision with some help from Tobey Maguire and Marvel Comics (and Kurt), and Ben and Blaine do a few things that they have never done before.
Chapter Twenty: The End is the Beginning (is the End) (Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Finn Hudson, Sayid Jarrah, Artie Abrams, Brittany S. Pierce, Lord Tubbington, Santana Lopez (and her Abuelita), Ethan Rom. Warnings for description of a panic attack/night terror.)
It's this dream. Every time I have it, I know that something's going to happen. Something bad.
Part Two: The Variable
Chapter One: The Beginning is the End (Is the Beginning) (Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Finn, Santana, Holly Holliday, Rachel, Artie; Shannon Beiste (briefly), all New Directions members (briefly), Roger Linus (briefly), Horace Goodspeed (briefly); most McKinley faculty members mentioned, all Warblers mentioned, Tom Friendly mentioned, Amy Goodspeed mentioned, Ethan Rom)
Ten years ago, Ben Linus killed several of his own people and left the Island on a stolen submarine, with a child that wasn't really his. They've been on the run together ever since. But no one can run forever. Eventually, there comes a time to stand and fight.
Chapter Two: The Shape of Things to Come [Blaine, Ben, Burt, Kurt, all members of New Directions, Will Schuester, Holly Holliday, Penny Widmore (via phone)]
It's Blaine's second day at McKinley, and everything's already starting to fall apart.
Chapter Three: Special Education (Sayid Jarrah, Jill, Ben Linus Anderson, Kurt, Finn, Blaine, Rachel, Santana, Emma, Will, Holly, Artie, Brittany, Eloise Hawking, and Ethan Rom. Juliet Burke mentioned.)
What we know, what we don't know, what they know, what we know they know, what they know we know, and what we don't know they know we know.
Chapter Four: The Sky Apart From the Earth (Jin Soo Kwon/Sun Hwa Kwon, Juliet Burke, Ethan Rom, John Locke, Walt Lloyd, Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Warbler Wes, Warbler David, Shannon Rutherford, Sayid Jarrah; Rachel Berry and most of the midsection LOSTaways are mentioned.)
The last words Sun's husband said to her were, "Don't come back." But he of all people should know that she was never a very obedient wife.
Chapter Five: They Also Serve [Burt Hummel/Carole Hudson-Hummel, Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Noor "Nadia" Abed Jaseem, Sayid Jarrah mentioned, Chris Hudson mentioned. (Also -- past Nadia/Sayid mentioned, and past Carole/Chris Hudson mentioned).]
When Chris Hudson left his family, he left his responsibilities with them. And now it's their job to finish all the things he left undone.
Chapter Six: Shall Not Walk Alone (Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Brittany S. Pierce, Artie Abrams, Santana Lopez, Mercedes Jones, Tina Cohen-Chang, Kurt Hummel, Rachel Berry, Will Schuester, Finn Hudson, Quinn Fabray, Holly Holliday.)
Things fall apart.
Chapter Seven: All the Best Daddies Have Cowboy Issues (Michael Dawson, Walt Lloyd, Jin Soo Kwon, James "Sawyer" Ford, Ana Lucia Cortez, Elizabeth "Libby" Smith, Mr. Eko, Bernard Nadler, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), John Locke, Ben Linus Anderson, Holly Hollliday. Most other midsection survivors mentioned, Cindy mentioned, Juliet mentioned, Penny Widmore mentioned, Charles Widmore mentioned. Blaine Anderson present for one scene, but unconscious.)
Then he showed up in Australia to come get his son only to find a sulky kid entering a brutal phase of adolescence who didn't remember him, who'd never gotten any of his letters or cards, who didn't want to go to New York or see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or eat anyone's cornbread stuffing. And he couldn't seem to talk to the boy and the boy definitely didn't want to talk to him, and he was already having some serious second thoughts by the time they got to the airport to catch Oceanic 815 back to L.A. Like, sending the boy to Ohio to be raised by his grandma kind of second thoughts. And then, on top of everything else? The damn plane crashed.
Chapter Eight: Landslides (Brittany S. Pierce, Artie Abrams, Santa, Finn, Rachel, Blaine, Kurt, Holly, Ben, Carole, Walt, Kate, a man in a suit.)
We can be scared together.
Chapter Nine: Do No Harm (Kate Austen, Charlie Pace, Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Burt, Ethan Rom, Carole, Sayid Jarrah. Mentions Shannon Rutherford, Vincent (the dog), Annie, Charles Widmore, and Roger Linus.)
Burt and Carole do their best to hold down the fort while Ben is in surgery, and Blaine prepares to help his father heal, just like he has before.
Chapter Ten: The Greater Good (Finn Hudson, Sayid Jarrah, Holly Holliday, Ben Linus Anderson. Christopher Hudson, Mikhail Bakhunin, and Desmond Hume seen briefly in flashbacks. Nadia, Blaine, and Carole mentioned.)
Finn knows that he's in just as much danger as anyone else. What he doesn't know is that he's just as brave and just as necessary and just as useful as everyone else.
Eloise (rat)
Chapter Eleven: Collisions, pt. 1 (Brittany, Artie, Kurt, Blaine, Ben, Holly, Rachel, Finn, Santana, Sayid, David Karofksy, Carole, Puck, Will, Wes, Jesse St. James, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes.)
Kurt spends Christmas in a hospital. Rachel is a spy. Ben plays Santa Claus. And something has begun.
Chapter Twelve: The Adventures of Hugo and Jesse (Jesse St. James, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, Ben Linus Anderson, Mike Chang, David Karofsky, Sayid Jarrah, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Holly Holliday, Brittany S. Pierce, Artie Abrams, Leslie Arzt, Michael Dawson, Noor Abed-Jaseem. Lots of other people mentioned.)
Jesse St. James would much rather be back in L.A., singing Driveshaft's Greatest Hit on street corners and waiting tables, because he is a coward at heart. But there is a reason the fat Mexican stepped in front of his car this morning, and Jesse doesn't get to be a coward today.
Paik Heavy Industries
Chapter Thirteen: House of the Rising Sun (Santana, Brittany, Warbler Wes, Wes's father, Blaine, Ben, Sun, Juliet, Hurley, Walt, Ethan, Eloise Hawking.)
Wes doesn't really reach out to anyone, but he made an exception for Blaine. Sometimes he wonders if he hurt more than he's helped.
Chapter Fourteen: In Portland (Juliet Burke, Ethan Rom, Ben Linus Anderson, Will Schuester, Emma Pillsbury, Holly Holliday, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Brittany S. Pierce. Rachel, Jesse, Hurley, and Jill (the Other) appear briefly. Sun mentioned.)
All Juliet ever really wanted to do was to go back home again. She should have known he would find her.
Chapter Fifteen: Go Ask Alice (Ana Lucia Cortez, Michael Dawson, Charles Widmore, Ethan Rom, John Locke, Mikhail Bakhunin, Sayid Jarrah, Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Hugo Reyes, Eloise Hawking, Not-Tom.)
All roads lead to Lima, Ohio. Ana's road has had more turns than most.
Chapter Sixteen: Collisions, pt. 2 ( Brittany S. Pierce, Eloise Hawking, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Ana Lucia Cortez, Ben Linus Anderson, Hugo Reyes, Sayid Jarrah, Sun Hwa Kwon, Michael Dawson, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Burt Hummel, Juliet Burke, Holly Holliday, Santana Lopez)
Everything Ethan has fought for, he has lost. Everything he has ever wanted has slipped through his fingers. And now Ben is about to step in and claim it all, and there is nothing Ethan can to do to stop him. But at least he can make it hurt.
Chapter Seventeen: The Variable [Brittany S. Pierce, Horace Goodspeed, Eloise Hawking, Annie Hummel, Kurt Hummel, Holly Holliday, Ben Linus Anderson, Will Schuester, Artie Abrams, Blaine Anderson, Burt Hummel, Theresa Spencer, Juliet Burke, Santana Lopez, Mike Chang, Tina Cohen-Chang, Rachel Berry. Most other glee club members mentioned. Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom) mentioned briefly.]
The question is not how did Brittany build a time machine. The question is: why?
Chapter Eighteen: Turning Tables [POV characters for this section are: Blaine Anderson, Burt Hummel, Ben Linus Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Ana Lucia Cortez, Santana Lopez, Juliet Burke, Sayid Jarrah, Rachel Berry, and Finn Hudson. Holly Holliday, Brittany S. Pierce, Sun Kwon, Michael Dawson, and Noor Abed Jaseem all feature prominently; Carole Hudson-Hummel, Hugo Reyes, Eloise Hawking, and Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom) are all in the mix as well.]
Everyone has a choice to make. Some are easier than others.
Chapter Nineteen: Exodus [Richard Alpert, Jacob, John Locke, Ben Linus Anderson, Eloise Hawking, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), Juliet Burke, Blaine Anderson, Sayid Jarrah, Kurt Hummel, Burt Hummel, Hugo Reyes, Brittany S. Pierce, Cooper Anderson, Will Schuester, Emma Pillsbury.]
Ben's return to the Island is the start of something that absolutely none of them are ready for.
Chapter Twenty: There's No Place Like Home [Bernard Nadler, Rose Nadler, Ana Lucia Cortez, Hugo Reyes, Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Cooper Anderson, Sun Hwa Kwan, Burt Hummel, Kurt Hummel, Juliet Burke, Brittany S. Pierce, Eloise Hawking, Finn Hudson, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), Rachel Berry, Kate Austen, Jack (a doctor). Roger Linus (in flashback)]
Everything is where it's supposed to be.
Part Three: The Problem
Mysteries of the Universe: The DHARMA Initiative
Title: Because You Left
Pairing/Character(s): The story revolves primarily around Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, and Burt Hummel; other central characters are Finn Hudson, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Brittany S. Pierce, Santana Lopez, Artie Abrams, Wes (Warbler), Holly Holliday, Juliet Burke, Sayid Jarrah, Sun Hwa-Kwon, Michael Dawson, Walt Lloyd, and Kate Austen. David Karofsky and Leslie Arzt have central roles in Part One; in later chapters, Ethan Rom, Hugo Reyes, Ana Lucia Cortez, Richard Alpert, Daniel Faraday, and Eloise Hawking will have central roles. Any character can show up at any time.
Rating: PG-13 overall.
Warnings: Specific warnings will be given for specific chapters -- fic overall will contain a fair amount of violence, death, mayhem, angst, and the ever-present threat of giant smoke monsters. Time travel is a thing.
Word Count: The fic is outlined for four parts of roughly 20 chapters each. Part One is complete at 125,000 words and Part Two is nearly finished and about the same length. Extrapolating from there, I imagine the full story will shape up to be about 500,000 words.
Spoilers: The story starts firmly in Glee canon, at episode 2x06, "Never Been Kissed." It then goes wildly off the rails, and by the time we get to the events of 2x08, "Furt," canon is all but left behind. There are references to some events of Season Three (certain revelations about Finn's father, and the appearance of a specific character), but nothing significant after that.
In terms of LOST spoilers, the story repeatedly references certain properties of the Island that are revealed in later seasons. The nature of the Orchid station is once such reference; Eloise Hawking's storyline is another. The character of Jacob is a third. However, given the amount of changes I've made to LOST canon in general, you might be better off not trying to look those things up.
Author's Notes: This is a Glee/LOST AU crossover. Given the number of non-LOST characters in the story, it shouldn't be totally inaccessible to those who weren't LOST fanatics. And for those who are LOST fanatics -- this fic is massively, massively AU. Massive. Massive AU. So while some things will carry over from the show, others will not, and lots of things will probably be warped all out of recognition.
In short: This is Bat Country.
This fic is a work in progress. Part One is complete, and Part Two is very nearly so. Parts Three and Four have been outlined. I'm posting from a backlog of pre-written chapters, rather than writing as I go, so everything is edited before it goes up. I've been lucky enough to have beta help from several very awesome people as writing has progressed: rena_librarian, specialj67 and seealexwrite (who edited 1.17, and believe me it needed the both of them), the-rainbow-jen, and the indispensable seldnei.
It is perhaps worth noting that the fic actually went on hiatus for about a year between Part One and Part Two. I don't think my writing style changed that much in that time, but there may be some small stylistic differences (although, as the fic gradually shifts away from Lima, those were bound to happen anyway.
Part One: The Catalyst
Chapter One: Man Out of Time (Ben, Sue Sylvester, Kurt, Blaine)
There is a spy at Blaine's school, a spy who could be very, very dangerous to both Blaine and his father (although not quite in the ways they would expect).
Chapter Two: The Catalyst (Ben, Juliet Burke, David Karofsky, Kurt [Karofsky's father mentioned, Blaine mentioned])
Blaine has always trusted his father to take care of things, and Ben always has. If that means he has to look after Kurt Hummel for the time being, well. That should be easy enough.
Chapter Three: Everything In Its Right Place (Ben, Blaine, Juliet, Karofsky [Kurt mentioned, Richard Alpert appearing in flashback])
Ben and Blaine are good at keeping secrets from everyone else, but not from each other.
Chapter Four: The Substitute (Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Juliet, Holly Holliday, Mercedes Jones, Finn Hudson, Rachel Berry, and Karofsky. Other glee-clubbers mentioned.)
Everyone is suspicious, and yet no one suspects a thing.
Enzo Valenzetti
The Valenzetti Equation
Chapter Five: Other Options (Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Karofsky, Holly, Mike Chang, Artie Abrams, Burt Hummel, Brittany S. Pierce [Tina Cohen-Chang mentioned.])
In which Ben goes to a lecture, Burt meets his son's new friend, and Brittany is full of surprises.
Chapter Six: Covert Affairs (Ben, Blaine, Burt, Kurt, Finn, Rachel, Karofsky)
Burt has a box of old memories. Finn has doubts. So does Karofsky. Rachel does, too, but perhaps not as many as she should. And all Ben really wants is a distraction.
Click to viewChapter Seven: Will I? (Kurt, Blaine, Kurt's mother)
Blaine tries not to think about the possibility of losing his father. He fails.
Chapter Eight: Contact (Kate Austen, Roger Linus, Ben Linus Anderson, Holly Holliday, Michael Dawson (briefly), Blaine Linus Anderson, Wesley Kim, Sun Hwa Kwon, Ji Yeon Kwon, David Karofsky, Paul Karofsky (aka Leslie Arzt), Sayid Jarrah. Various Warblers. Couple dead people.)
In which we see dead people.
Chapter Nine: The Threat (Burt, Finn, Ben Linus Anderson, Coach Beiste, Sue Sylvester, David Karofsky (briefly), Kurt, Dr. Juliet Burke, Leslie Arzt [AKA Paul Karofsky])
This is what happens when Ben tries to color inside the lines for a change.
Chapter Ten: With Friends Like These (Sam Evans, Finn Hudson, Mike Chang, Noah Puckerman, Artie Abrams, Rachel Berry, Quinn Fabray, Ben Linus Anderson, Leslie Arzt [aka Paul Karofsky], Holly Holliday, Dr. Juliet Burke, Blaine)
Finn has a plan. Sam and Quinn have their doubts. Ben has too many friends. And Blaine has a decision to make.
Chapter Eleven: The Incident (Part One) (Burt, Carole, Blaine, Kurt, Michael Dawson, Holly Holliday, David Karofsky, Emma Pillsbury, Will Schuester, Ben Linus Anderson)
Warnings (highlight to read): shots are fired in a school setting
For the first time in a very long time, Kurt Hummel is genuinely, purely happy. It isn't going to last very long.
Chapter Twelve: The Incident (Part Two) (Santana Lopez, Kurt, Blaine, Karofsky, William Schuester, Sue Sylvester, Ben Linus Anderson)
Warnings (highlight to read): student bringing a gun to school, threats of violence, shots fired in a school setting, descriptions of injury, one character (literally) asks to be killed.
A frightened dog is the most dangerous kind
Chapter Thirteen: Special (Burt, Kurt, Ben, Blaine, and Walt Lloyd)
They're not quite ready for explanations, not yet. Right now it's enough that no one's died.
Chapter Fourteen: The Other Side of the Story (Charlie Pace, Kate Austen, Ben Linus Anderson, Roger Linus, Kurt Hummel (briefly), Burt Hummel (briefly), Leslie Arzt, Jennifer Karofsky (very briefly), Walt Lloyd, Michael Dawson, Grandma Dawson, Wesley Kim, Sun-Hwa Kwon, Juliet Burke, Sayid Jarrah, and Charles Widmore (via telephone). Ethan Rom mentioned.)
"So. What do we do now?"
Chapter Fifteen: After Shocks (Carl Howell, Emma Pillsbury, Tina Cohen-Chang, all the Hudmels, Sue Sylvester, Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce, Will Schuester, Holly Holliday. [All other Glee kids are at least mentioned.])
Sometimes, there is no right thing to do, no way to fix it. Sometimes, the best you can do is make sure that no one's left thinking that they're going through this all alone
Chapter Sixteen: Ask Me No More Questions (Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Carole Hudson, Leslie Arzt (aka Paul Karofsky), Burt Hummel)
Carole visits the Andersons at the hospital. And so does someone else.
Bonus Feature: Previously on GLOST (part one)
(a white rabbit disappearing into the jungle, a man with dark, sad eyes, his father's voice terrible in the nighttime, the sound of whispers, a hand pushing him forward)
Room 23 (Note: This description of Room 23 comes complete with a link to the Room 23 video on YouTube. Please be advised that that video should absolutely come with a seizure warning, and will make your brain feel funny even if you don't have a seizure-causing condition. You probably shouldn't watch it if you've had a couple of drinks or are, say, adjusting to new glasses. Yes, I say this from experience.)
Chapter Seventeen: ... and I'll Tell You No More Lies (Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Burt Hummel, Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson, Kate Austen, Charlie Pace, Shannon Rutherford, Annie, Roger Linus, Charles Widmore, Richard Alpert, Tom Friendly, and Eloise Hawking.)
WARNINGS: Kidnapping, shooting, several murders, one mass killing, torture and severe psychological damage, psychic events, more murder, implied parricide, and theft of a submarine. And then more murder. Ladies and gentlemen: Ben's backstory.
Ten years ago, Ben Linus killed several of his own people and left the Island on a stolen submarine, with a child that wasn't really his. This is why.
"Born in an unremarkable suburb of Jersey City, Leslie Arzt soon demonstrated the kind of promise that could only herald a doctorate from an unremarkable university in the state system. Though not a particularly patient or didactic man, Leslie Arzt soon parlayed the staggering lack of interest shown him by employers in the private sector into a long-term career teaching science [...] While neither a student nor faculty favorite - and in brazen defiance of brusque personal style that rendered him unfit for the job - Dr. Arzt (as he insisted on being called by everyone from students to school board administrators) courageously expanded his activities from mere teaching into teachers' union politics. After giving decades of his life and sacrificing - by his own account - three marriages to his activities, Dr. Arzt finally took a vacation to Sydney, Australia. The cataclysmic crash of Oceanic 815 left Dr. Arzt one of 48 survivors stranded on an uncharted island. On the island, Dr. Arzt soon went about making friends and influencing people in his own indomitable style..." (quote originally used on the packaging for the Dr. Arzt action figure and excerpted from LOSTpedia, my one true home.)
Chapter Eighteen: After All I've Been Through (Burt Hummel, Carole Hudson, Leslie Arzt, Claire Littleton, Tom Friendly, Dr. Juliet Burke, Ben Linus Anderson, Matthew Abaddon. [Nikki Fernandez and Boone Carlyle appear briefly; several other LOSTies are mentioned by name or reputation.] Warnings for brief, soft-focus descriptions of the aftermath of a plane crash, drugging, kidnapping, and lots and lots of threats.)
I need to introduce you to a man named Leslie Arzt. (Or: in which we learn a few things about Karofsky's father, and Burt and Carole attempt to put the pieces together only to learn that a few of them have been left out.)
Chapter Nineteen: Furt (Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel, Burt Hummel, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Mercedes Jones, Artie Abrams, Brittany S. Pierce, Mike Chang, Tina Cohen-Chang [Santana Lopez and Will Schuester briefly].)
In which Finn explains his decision with some help from Tobey Maguire and Marvel Comics (and Kurt), and Ben and Blaine do a few things that they have never done before.
Chapter Twenty: The End is the Beginning (is the End) (Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Finn Hudson, Sayid Jarrah, Artie Abrams, Brittany S. Pierce, Lord Tubbington, Santana Lopez (and her Abuelita), Ethan Rom. Warnings for description of a panic attack/night terror.)
It's this dream. Every time I have it, I know that something's going to happen. Something bad.
Part Two: The Variable
Chapter One: The Beginning is the End (Is the Beginning) (Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Finn, Santana, Holly Holliday, Rachel, Artie; Shannon Beiste (briefly), all New Directions members (briefly), Roger Linus (briefly), Horace Goodspeed (briefly); most McKinley faculty members mentioned, all Warblers mentioned, Tom Friendly mentioned, Amy Goodspeed mentioned, Ethan Rom)
Ten years ago, Ben Linus killed several of his own people and left the Island on a stolen submarine, with a child that wasn't really his. They've been on the run together ever since. But no one can run forever. Eventually, there comes a time to stand and fight.
Chapter Two: The Shape of Things to Come [Blaine, Ben, Burt, Kurt, all members of New Directions, Will Schuester, Holly Holliday, Penny Widmore (via phone)]
It's Blaine's second day at McKinley, and everything's already starting to fall apart.
Chapter Three: Special Education (Sayid Jarrah, Jill, Ben Linus Anderson, Kurt, Finn, Blaine, Rachel, Santana, Emma, Will, Holly, Artie, Brittany, Eloise Hawking, and Ethan Rom. Juliet Burke mentioned.)
What we know, what we don't know, what they know, what we know they know, what they know we know, and what we don't know they know we know.
Chapter Four: The Sky Apart From the Earth (Jin Soo Kwon/Sun Hwa Kwon, Juliet Burke, Ethan Rom, John Locke, Walt Lloyd, Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Warbler Wes, Warbler David, Shannon Rutherford, Sayid Jarrah; Rachel Berry and most of the midsection LOSTaways are mentioned.)
The last words Sun's husband said to her were, "Don't come back." But he of all people should know that she was never a very obedient wife.
Chapter Five: They Also Serve [Burt Hummel/Carole Hudson-Hummel, Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Ben Linus Anderson, Noor "Nadia" Abed Jaseem, Sayid Jarrah mentioned, Chris Hudson mentioned. (Also -- past Nadia/Sayid mentioned, and past Carole/Chris Hudson mentioned).]
When Chris Hudson left his family, he left his responsibilities with them. And now it's their job to finish all the things he left undone.
Chapter Six: Shall Not Walk Alone (Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Brittany S. Pierce, Artie Abrams, Santana Lopez, Mercedes Jones, Tina Cohen-Chang, Kurt Hummel, Rachel Berry, Will Schuester, Finn Hudson, Quinn Fabray, Holly Holliday.)
Things fall apart.
Chapter Seven: All the Best Daddies Have Cowboy Issues (Michael Dawson, Walt Lloyd, Jin Soo Kwon, James "Sawyer" Ford, Ana Lucia Cortez, Elizabeth "Libby" Smith, Mr. Eko, Bernard Nadler, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), John Locke, Ben Linus Anderson, Holly Hollliday. Most other midsection survivors mentioned, Cindy mentioned, Juliet mentioned, Penny Widmore mentioned, Charles Widmore mentioned. Blaine Anderson present for one scene, but unconscious.)
Then he showed up in Australia to come get his son only to find a sulky kid entering a brutal phase of adolescence who didn't remember him, who'd never gotten any of his letters or cards, who didn't want to go to New York or see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or eat anyone's cornbread stuffing. And he couldn't seem to talk to the boy and the boy definitely didn't want to talk to him, and he was already having some serious second thoughts by the time they got to the airport to catch Oceanic 815 back to L.A. Like, sending the boy to Ohio to be raised by his grandma kind of second thoughts. And then, on top of everything else? The damn plane crashed.
Chapter Eight: Landslides (Brittany S. Pierce, Artie Abrams, Santa, Finn, Rachel, Blaine, Kurt, Holly, Ben, Carole, Walt, Kate, a man in a suit.)
We can be scared together.
Chapter Nine: Do No Harm (Kate Austen, Charlie Pace, Ben, Blaine, Kurt, Burt, Ethan Rom, Carole, Sayid Jarrah. Mentions Shannon Rutherford, Vincent (the dog), Annie, Charles Widmore, and Roger Linus.)
Burt and Carole do their best to hold down the fort while Ben is in surgery, and Blaine prepares to help his father heal, just like he has before.
Chapter Ten: The Greater Good (Finn Hudson, Sayid Jarrah, Holly Holliday, Ben Linus Anderson. Christopher Hudson, Mikhail Bakhunin, and Desmond Hume seen briefly in flashbacks. Nadia, Blaine, and Carole mentioned.)
Finn knows that he's in just as much danger as anyone else. What he doesn't know is that he's just as brave and just as necessary and just as useful as everyone else.
Eloise (rat)
Chapter Eleven: Collisions, pt. 1 (Brittany, Artie, Kurt, Blaine, Ben, Holly, Rachel, Finn, Santana, Sayid, David Karofksy, Carole, Puck, Will, Wes, Jesse St. James, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes.)
Kurt spends Christmas in a hospital. Rachel is a spy. Ben plays Santa Claus. And something has begun.
Chapter Twelve: The Adventures of Hugo and Jesse (Jesse St. James, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, Ben Linus Anderson, Mike Chang, David Karofsky, Sayid Jarrah, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Holly Holliday, Brittany S. Pierce, Artie Abrams, Leslie Arzt, Michael Dawson, Noor Abed-Jaseem. Lots of other people mentioned.)
Jesse St. James would much rather be back in L.A., singing Driveshaft's Greatest Hit on street corners and waiting tables, because he is a coward at heart. But there is a reason the fat Mexican stepped in front of his car this morning, and Jesse doesn't get to be a coward today.
Paik Heavy Industries
Chapter Thirteen: House of the Rising Sun (Santana, Brittany, Warbler Wes, Wes's father, Blaine, Ben, Sun, Juliet, Hurley, Walt, Ethan, Eloise Hawking.)
Wes doesn't really reach out to anyone, but he made an exception for Blaine. Sometimes he wonders if he hurt more than he's helped.
Chapter Fourteen: In Portland (Juliet Burke, Ethan Rom, Ben Linus Anderson, Will Schuester, Emma Pillsbury, Holly Holliday, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Brittany S. Pierce. Rachel, Jesse, Hurley, and Jill (the Other) appear briefly. Sun mentioned.)
All Juliet ever really wanted to do was to go back home again. She should have known he would find her.
Chapter Fifteen: Go Ask Alice (Ana Lucia Cortez, Michael Dawson, Charles Widmore, Ethan Rom, John Locke, Mikhail Bakhunin, Sayid Jarrah, Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Hugo Reyes, Eloise Hawking, Not-Tom.)
All roads lead to Lima, Ohio. Ana's road has had more turns than most.
Chapter Sixteen: Collisions, pt. 2 ( Brittany S. Pierce, Eloise Hawking, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Ana Lucia Cortez, Ben Linus Anderson, Hugo Reyes, Sayid Jarrah, Sun Hwa Kwon, Michael Dawson, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Burt Hummel, Juliet Burke, Holly Holliday, Santana Lopez)
Everything Ethan has fought for, he has lost. Everything he has ever wanted has slipped through his fingers. And now Ben is about to step in and claim it all, and there is nothing Ethan can to do to stop him. But at least he can make it hurt.
Chapter Seventeen: The Variable [Brittany S. Pierce, Horace Goodspeed, Eloise Hawking, Annie Hummel, Kurt Hummel, Holly Holliday, Ben Linus Anderson, Will Schuester, Artie Abrams, Blaine Anderson, Burt Hummel, Theresa Spencer, Juliet Burke, Santana Lopez, Mike Chang, Tina Cohen-Chang, Rachel Berry. Most other glee club members mentioned. Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom) mentioned briefly.]
The question is not how did Brittany build a time machine. The question is: why?
Chapter Eighteen: Turning Tables [POV characters for this section are: Blaine Anderson, Burt Hummel, Ben Linus Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Ana Lucia Cortez, Santana Lopez, Juliet Burke, Sayid Jarrah, Rachel Berry, and Finn Hudson. Holly Holliday, Brittany S. Pierce, Sun Kwon, Michael Dawson, and Noor Abed Jaseem all feature prominently; Carole Hudson-Hummel, Hugo Reyes, Eloise Hawking, and Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom) are all in the mix as well.]
Everyone has a choice to make. Some are easier than others.
Chapter Nineteen: Exodus [Richard Alpert, Jacob, John Locke, Ben Linus Anderson, Eloise Hawking, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), Juliet Burke, Blaine Anderson, Sayid Jarrah, Kurt Hummel, Burt Hummel, Hugo Reyes, Brittany S. Pierce, Cooper Anderson, Will Schuester, Emma Pillsbury.]
Ben's return to the Island is the start of something that absolutely none of them are ready for.
Chapter Twenty: There's No Place Like Home [Bernard Nadler, Rose Nadler, Ana Lucia Cortez, Hugo Reyes, Ben Linus Anderson, Blaine Anderson, Cooper Anderson, Sun Hwa Kwan, Burt Hummel, Kurt Hummel, Juliet Burke, Brittany S. Pierce, Eloise Hawking, Finn Hudson, Carole Hudson-Hummel, Ethan Goodspeed (Ethan Rom), Rachel Berry, Kate Austen, Jack (a doctor). Roger Linus (in flashback)]
Everything is where it's supposed to be.
Part Three: The Problem
Mysteries of the Universe: The DHARMA Initiative