Summary: A school shooting at McKinley threatens the lives of a few members of the glee club. Set in mid-season 3. Brittana.
A/N: Trigger warning: obviously this story contains violence and is focused around a school shooting so please do not read if you're easily put off by this.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee unfortunately. If I did season 4 would be going a lot differently.
Chapter 1
"Maybe we should try and make a run for it?" Puck's hesitant voice filled the silent room.
"Don't be an idiot." Santana spoke up from her spot on the floor, fixing Puck with a hard glare all the while keeping her arms securely wrapped around her girlfriend. "There is someone out there with a gun. The school has these procedures for a reason, Puckerman. Nobody is opening up that door until we know for sure it's safe."
"She's right Puck." Quinn whispered brokenly. "It's too dangerous. There could be how many of them out there for all we know." She sighed. "Our best bet is to just stay put." Her eyes slipped closed after her words faded but she made sure to maintain contact with Brittany and kept her hand on the girl's back, occasionally rubbing soothing circles to help calm her. She was taking it the worst out of any of them and even with Santana's protective hold on her and Quinn's comforting presence she was beyond terrified and trembling uncontrollably, her face hidden in the crook of Santana's neck.
They had all been in the hallway when the first shots were fired and somehow managed to end up in the same classroom. They had been on the second floor so trying to make a run for the exit would have been foolish. So instead they did what the drills taught them and went into the lockdown procedure. None of them ever thought they would be using it for real.
Santana, Brittany, Quinn and Puck were the only members of their glee club in this classroom, accompanied by a few jocks from the football team and a random freshman girl and boy whom none of them recognized.
"I just hate sitting here doing nothing." Puck huffed from his position next to Santana. Everyone in the room sat huddled together against the wall furthest from the door, trying in vain to draw comfort from one another.
"I'm not exactly too fond of it either, Puckerman, but it is what it is. I'm not risking my girlfriend's safety just because you're getting a little antsy and don't feel like sitting here anymore." Santana hissed, staring him down with another glare.
On the other side of her, Quinn was trying to hide the small smile that broke out on her face. She had known Santana and Brittany since kindergarten and it was apparent now more than ever that there were literally no lengths to which Santana wouldn't go in order to keep Brittany safe. It warmed Quinn's heart while at the same time making a flicker of jealousy rise up in her. If she ever found someone who loved her as much as Santana loved Brittany she would be the happiest person in the world.
"At least I'm trying to think of something instead of giving up!" Puck said, glaring right back at Santana. "Our friends are out there and could be dead for all you know and you just want to—"
"Shut the fuck up, Puckerman!" Santana interrupted, her gaze turning back to Brittany when the girl let out a whimper at Puck's words. She curled her arms tighter around Brittany's shoulders and placed a delicate kiss to her temple, whispering soothing words into her ear. When she calmed down a relative amount, Santana turned her attention back to Puck. "What the hell is the matter with you?" She yelled. And if looks could kill then Puckerman would most definitely be dead. Even Quinn was shooting him a look of reproach.
"Seriously, Puck?" Quinn asked incredulously, shooting a glance at Brittany's quivering form. Her best friend was frightened enough without Puck putting those sorts of thoughts into her head.
Puck let out a frustrated sigh, letting his head fall back against the wall behind him.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean that. This just blows."
Santana didn't say anything, just continued to glare at him for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Brittany. She felt wetness on her shoulder and knew her girlfriend was crying. She gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before leaning down to whisper into her ear.
"Shh, baby. It's okay, everyone is fine and we're safe and we're gonna get out of here, okay? Don't be scared, Britt-Britt." She finished and rested her head on top of Brittany's, letting her eyes close as she relished in the feeling of holding Brittany in her arms. She still wasn't over the ice cold terror she had felt this morning when the gunshots went off.
She had just given Brittany a goodbye kiss, saying she'd meet her after first period was over, and turned the corner when the first shots went off. Panic had erupted in the hallways and everyone was running for cover but unsurprisingly the only thing Santana had been able to think of was Brittany.
Despite the gunshots coming from where she had just been moments ago and everyone running in the opposite direction, Santana shoved through the crowd determined to get to her girlfriend.
She had thought she knew what fear felt like bit if she was being honest she never really did until today. Until she rounded that corner and saw the dead bodies littering the floor and couldn't locate Brittany. It didn't even register to her that the shooter was probably still in that hallway because all she could think about at the time was finding Brittany.
She had never been so happy that they were required to wear those stupid Cheerio uniforms every day when she caught sight of the red in the sea of people moving against her. She had managed to make it to Brittany in record time, shoving and kicking people out of the way desperately, and got them both into a classroom just before the door was shut.
She had been thankful to see that both Quinn and Puck were alright when they got into the room, but her thought process was mostly taken over by shock and how easily Brittany could have been taken from her.
Brittany herself was hysterical. She had seen at least five other students gunned down in front of her and she just didn't understand. Santana's heart ached at the fact that she had been exposed to that and put into a situation like this. One of the things she loved most about Brittany was her childlike innocence and her ability to see the world differently than anyone else. And over the years of them being best friends Santana had done her best to preserve that. Now as she was forced to watch the tears leak from Brittany's eyes and her body become wracked with sobs, it was like watching all of that purity she loved so much be sucked out of her.
Knowing how close she had come to losing Brittany in the worst way possible, she had wasted no time before enveloping her girlfriend in her arms instantly upon entering the classroom and still has yet to relinquish her hold. She felt like if she held Brittany tight enough she could preserve what was left of her innocence and keep her safe from the invisible danger lurking in the hallway.
"Do you really think everyone else is okay?" Brittany sniffled.
Santana winced at the question as she laid her head to rest on top of Brittany's. She wanted to reassure Brittany, but another part of her didn't want to lie to her. She didn't know if everyone else was okay and she didn't want to tell Brittany otherwise only to find out that something had happened to one of their friends.
"I hope so, sweetie." She whispered. She knew it was a lame answer, but it was the best she could come up with under the circumstances. She hoped they were all okay, but if she was being honest, in their situation she was content with just having the person she loved most safe and sound with her. She didn't even want to think about the things that would be going through her head if Brittany wasn't with her.
Everyone was so preoccupied with their own thoughts that none of them noticed the small freshman boy in the corner of the room quietly take the small weapon from his pocket and inconspicuously slip it inside his jacket.