Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Glee
This is the sequel to 'Thinking of You'. It will focus on Brittany and Santana's children and family life. It starts in a somber tone and the chapters will be told through the POV of their daughters.
"Governor Pierce, Zooey is on line 1." Linda's voice echoes in my office. I take one look at the stack of papers in front of me and nod even if my secretary can't see me.
"I'll take it. Thank you, Linds." I pick up the phone, a small smile plastered on my face as my eyes land on the portraits of me and my sisters together with our mothers. On the other side of the desk are photos of my own family - my husband Jack and our children, five-year old William and two-year old Andi. "Hey Zoo!"
"A-Alex." Alarm shoots up my mind as soon as I hear my sister's voice.
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"I-It's M-Mommy."
"What." I clear the lump in her throat before continuing. "Okay. What happened to Mommy?"
"I-I received a call from M-Mommy's secretary. S-She said police officers called the office reporting that two single-engine planes c-collided above a remote desert area in North P-Phoenix. One of the planes is registered in the company's name and..." Zooey completely breaks down at the other end of the line.
"Zooey, I need you to breathe, okay. Take a deep breath with me." I whisper, pressing the intercom for Linda to get into my office. "Okay. One. Deep. Breath. That's great, honey." As Linda's head pops into my door, I held the receiver against my chest to muffle the sounds. "Linds, please tell Dave that I need a lift to Phoenix right away. Tell him it's a family emergency."
"Yes, Alex." And with that, Linda scurries off to make the arrangements.
"Zooey?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Is there an official report telling you that Mom boarded that plane? Any why would they call the office and not our home?"
"Y-Yes. She signed in the flight manifest." I close my eyes, feeling the tears coming. "And maybe Mommy changed it. You know how Ma always get pissed whenever she figures in small accidents."
"Where are you?"
"I'm here at home. I just got home from work. M-Ma...She's in the garden, tending to her plants. I-I a-answered the phone. I-I don't know what Mom was doing. I was just talking to her three hours ago."
"Alright. Zooey, I need you to stay calm. Don't leave the house. I'm flying to Arizona in a while. I'll confirm it personally before I call George, Gabby, Raffy and Toni. Cut all the landline connections in the house. I will contact you on your cell phone." I order, grabbing my cellphone, and bag.
As the eldest Pierce child, my mothers made sure to teach me how to behave in unexpected situations.
As the big sister, you have a huge responsibility to be a good role model to your younger sisters. You have to be brave and calm, Alex. You're like, our partner.
Those were her Mommy's words when I was younger and they stuck.
I took the role seriously (and with pride).
It was super easy, though. Having the best Mommy and Mama in the world surely made everything a breeze. They were with us in every step of the way, making sure that we will never feel alone, while keeping a safe distance to allow us to grow and be our own person.
At 35, I'm the youngest female Governor in the country. My family has been my number one supporter, making sure that they exerted (and exhausted) all means necessary to elect me. Mommy though, almost always went a step further than any of them. With that rare gift of charm and sincerity, she would scout for the 'undecideds', explain my causes and help them personally, erasing any doubt of my willingness to serve.
Of course, that help did not stop when I was elected.
She started to become active in socio-economic causes, raising funds give scholarships and build new schools. Her fights with Ma became more frequent than before because she picked up flying again - rushing to calamity sites to bring in relief goods and the like. She has always been hard-headed like that. In time though, Ma started to acknowledge that Mom really belong up there. In the air. She tried bringing her down to the land with her (and she succeeded), but Mommy eventually came back.
"Madam, we're here." Dave snaps me out of my 'Mommy trance'. He opened the door and escorted me to the entrance of St. Luke's Medical Hospital. As I enter the hospital, a couple of police officers stand up from their seats to greet me.
"Governor, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, officers. Where is she?" I ask bravely, fighting back the tears.
"She's...I- I can accompany you to her, Ma'am." Officer Paul (as the name on his uniform reads) mutters softly. I nod and started walking, lagging by a few steps behind him. We stop by a huge door and he's kind enough to open it for me. As soon as we reach the table, he slowly opens the blanket.
Tears finally fall down as soon as my eyes land on the lifeless body of one of the two women I love the most.
"M-Mommy."
"The two planes crash mid air, Ma'am. The details of the crash are being determined as we speak. There were four people who died, two on each plane. Your mother's plane was left relatively intact. The other one has been a charred wreckage."
"She looks so peaceful."
"She is, Ma'am. No noticeable burns or cuts, except for the one on her head. She died from blunt head trauma. We were hoping the passengers from her plane were alive, seeing as it was miraculously intact. The passengers from the other plane are yet to be identified because they were burnt. We did all we could, Ma'am."
"I know. Thank you, officer. Can you please give me a few minutes with her?"
"Yes, Ma'am. Do you need me to call anybody again?"
"No, it's fine. I'll be the one to call my sisters."
"Okay. I'll be outside if you need anything."
"Thank you." He nods curtly, a little emotional himself. He knows them, albeit on a non-personal level. The family is known in the country. They're a privileged bunch, owing to a large chunk of the airline company that their mother inherited. They were also a gorgeous and successful family - a little unconventional, but a family to look up to and respect nonetheless. They were kind and never acted like they were better than the rest. That's why when they learned that one of the casualties was the Lopez-Pierce matriarch, the team made sure that no reporters could get near the site. The family deserves some peace and quiet and some time to make arrangements before the barrage of news reports. They didn't ask for it, but his team will give it to them.
"Mama will be so devastated, Mommy." I chuckle emptily. "And don't even get me started on Toni. That girl adores you. We all do. But we'll be there for each other. You've taught us that. We just have to endure. I just wish you'll be with us longer, Mommy. Your grandchildren will be so sad because they won't see their Mubba anymore. Now I'll go out of here and make those calls. Give me strength, Mom. As you always did." I take one more look at my mother's lifeless form before acknowledging the need to inform my siblings. "I love you Mom. I'll be back."
As soon as I'm out, I fished out my phone from my pocket and called William. He's in Amsterdam for a medical conference.
I called George next. She picked up on the second ring. She's in New York, rehearsing for her Big Apple concert.
Raffy is in London for her book tour.
Gabby, now an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco, is on her way to Phoenix.
I called Zooey back to confirm the news and to tell her that our sisters are on their way back home.
"Did you call Toni?"
"No. I can't. You know how much she adores Mommy."
"Y-Yeah. She still sleeps beside Mommy whenever she's here. How are we supposed to tell her?"
"I think I should." I sigh. "I've already instructed Mom's secretary to make sure that Toni doesn't hear about it from anybody. And to drive her home. God. This is so fucking hard."
"I can't even begin to imagine how she'll react."
"I know." Toni thinks that Mommy is the best thing to have walked the earth since Jesus. She never really got over her separation anxiety. She took up Aeronautics in Stanford, made sure that her classes fit from Mondays to Thursdays so she could drive home to be with our parents during the weekends. After college, Mama didn't allow her to fly planes, prompting Mommy to hand the Aviation Magazine business to Toni (which she proudly accepted). Even if it's actually Zooey who is Mommy's carbon copy, it was Toni who followed in Mom's footsteps. Like, literally. "Have you told Mama?"
"Not yet. I'm waiting for you girls."
"Look, I hate to say this. But can you tell Mama? I'll be here for a while. I need to talk to the police and make arrangements."
"Alex... I don't know how to tell Mama." Our youngest whispers helplessly.
"I'm sorry Zoo. But you would have to do it. You've always been the one to calm her down whenever she's anxious."
"That's Mom."
"Yeah, but Mom can't do it anymore. Gabby will be here shortly. Raffy would have to wait for the next available flight from London. Same with George. I need you to tell Ma and bring her here."
"Okay."
"I'll arrange for a plane to bring you, Toni and Mama here in Phoenix. I'll wait for you."
"Okay."
"Zoo?"
"Yeah?"
"She looks so peaceful."
"I'm glad." Zooey whimpers. "Hey, I gotta go. I can hear Ma."
"Okay. I love you Zoo."
"Love you too sis."
I hate, hate, myself for starting out with this chapter. But I think it's better to just put it out there. This story will be full of flashbacks into their family life. All of their children will have a chapter or two in their POV.
Let me know what you think!
All mistakes are mine. I had this sudden idea and I just had to write it.