A/N: This is my first Glee story. I prefer to write in OC because I'm perfectly dreadful at writing in ships. Let me know what you guys think! Please be kind...

Disclaimer: I own no one of this fic with the exception of the OCs, such as Samantha Devine and her family.

Summary: In the wake of a school shooting in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Samantha has to move to another state to recover from the tragedy. With many of the people she knows gone, can she move on?

AU Season Two because of an OC

Pairings: Finn/OC St. Berry Brittana Quam

Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

As my memory rests

But never forgets what I lost

Wake me up when September ends

Green Day — Wake Me Up When September Ends

It had started as just another 'Trying to Survive' day or 'TTSD' at Atherton High School. Samantha Devine was in science, taking footnotes for the test the next day so she could cheer with the Atherton Lions. However, the sounds of gunshots took her attention away.

"Everybody, get under your desks!" Ms. Mason instructed sharply. Samantha hid under the desk alongside her sister, Jessica. Their crystal blue gazes met and Sam could read her sister's mind loud and clear.

What the hell was going on?

Some of the boys were helping push desks and furniture in front of the door so they wouldn't be disturbed. The sound of the door being shoved against was a sound Samantha would never forget. Screeching metal, the almost-feral snarls of the gunman as he lunged against the doorframe.

"One of you killed my boy!" he screamed. That was when Samantha knew who he was. Jeremiah Baker Senior, father of Jerry Baker, a homosexual teenager who had committed suicide because of the bullying he had received. The potted fern sitting on top of the filing cabinet fell off with each rock, the black porcelain pot shattering on the tile floor.

"Mr. Baker, please!" Ms. Mason begged. Samantha squeezed her eyes shut as she cowered next to her sister. The sound of the gunshots in the room caused her to flinch and her teeth gritted. Tears streamed out of her closed eyes as sobs wracked her body. Jess's screams were cut short and Samantha's eyes flew open. Her sister was bleeding in front of her.

"Please, don't! I don't know why you're doing this!" she pleaded to the gunman as she pressed her hands to her sister's abdomen. Warm blood soaked her hands and every second felt like years passing by.

"Did you know my boy, Jerry?" his voice was calm and even as he looked at her.

"I knew of him. We had a couple of classes together, but I didn't really know him. Please, don't kill me!"

"Did you ever pick on my boy?"

Samantha was unable to stutter out an answer as she broke down over Jess's twitching body. She finally shook her head.

"Look me in the eye and answer me."

She forced herself to meet his gaze and saw the blood across his face. He was trembling with anger, a gun in his hand.

"I didn't, I swear to you." Her voice was high and squeaky, full of fear as she trembled against her limp sister. "Please don't kill me."

The feel of fire starting in her abdomen spread across her as she slumped onto the ground. She forced herself to stay down, to let him think he had killed her.

The first move she made was to call 911.

But every morning Samantha woke up, scarcely able to believe she was alive. She was one of the fifteen survivors of the tenth grade. Jessica had died, forever leaving a hole in the Devine family. It didn't seem fair. Jessica was accomplished, athletic, sweet, caring...yet she had to die.

It was her first day of school at McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Why her mother had picked Lima of all places to move to, rather than another Army base was beyond her. The bullet wound in Samantha's abdomen had healed nicely, now a small pucker just below her navel. She had been shot with a 9mm and the shot had been a through-and-through, something that was easier to treat. Blood vessels had been hit, major arteries had been avoided. Jeremiah Baker was on death row for the massacre, which was sweet justice.

Six months since the tragedy. That was what America was calling it. 'The Tragedy' or 'The School Shooting'. Adrienne, Samantha's mother, had decided that getting Samantha in a new school was what was best, but Samantha understood what that meant. It was too painful for her mother to see her without seeing Jess as well.

She zipped up her short gray skirt and cinched a thin blue belt around her waist, showing off the lacy ivory blouse Adrienne had bought for her. Her black lace-covered bow-tie flats laid on the chair and she slid them on. Samantha ran a brush through her raven hair, her iPod blaring Atreyu's 'Another Night' through speakers. She had gotten into their music after the shooting. Their lyrics matched her experience word for word and the power metal band had given her comfort in her darkest hour.

Samantha stared at her reflection in the mirror. On the outside, she looked like any other teenager, but it was the inside that was tortured. Jerking off the nice clothes, she decided to opt for a pair of dark wash jeans and a black vintage top. She shoved her feet into a pair of black Converses and she grabbed her purse and iPod before walking down the stairs.

"What about the nice outfit I laid out?" Adrienne asked from the kitchen. Samantha shrugged before grabbing an apple. She had lost weight due to lack of interest in food and the stress of the shooting, but she was slowly gaining it back.

"I wanted to wear this," she responded as she bit into the Gala. She slid on her wire-framed aviator sunglasses before grabbing her keys and walking out of the house. Her mother had carefully packed her backpack and had laid it in the front seat of the old Charger. While her father, Donald was deployed overseas with the United States Army, he had lent her his car. Samantha knew it was a half-assed attempt to get her mind off of the shooting, but every time a car backfired or a door creaked open, she was taken back to the day.

Six years wouldn't even be long enough.

McKinley was daunting as Samantha hesitated outside of the door. The feel of being hit in the face with the heavy door caused her to stumble back as two girls clad in cheering uniforms stepped over her.

"Excuse me," the Latina cheerleader quipped down to her as they walked away. That was one thing Samantha didn't miss about Atherton. The bitchy, holier-than-thou cheerleaders she had cheered with. She walked into Spanish class, her book tucked under her arm.

"I don't believe we've met." A tallish man with curly brown hair extended his hand. "I'm Mr. Shuester, but my students call me Mr. Shue."

"I'm Samantha Devine." Her voice was quiet as she shook his hand. "I'm the new transfer from Kentucky." She left it at Kentucky and hoped he wouldn't bring up anything else.

"Take a seat in back, Samantha," he instructed and she walked to her seat. It was hard to be confident when it felt like she wanted to bolt every time the door opened. When the bell rang, she bolted from her seat and shoved past everyone in her quest to get out of the room. She knew she had to see the guidance counselor before lunch, but she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Everything in McKinley was confusing and she had to meet with her peer guide.

"Hi, you must be Samantha Devine. That's such a pretty name, like something from Broadway or a stage name. I'm Rachel Berry," a petite brunette chirped. Her bangs hung in her pretty face, muting her rather prominent nose.

"Hi," was all Samantha could muster before Rachel chattered on and on about the school.

"I'm in Glee, which is such a complex club. Where are you from?" she asked.

"Fort Knox," Samantha replied then mentally slapped herself. How would this girl know where that is?

"Oh. I heard about the shooting in the city close to there. It was so tragic..." Rachel trailed off. Dislike curled in Samantha's stomach but she shoved it away. Rachel didn't know about the involvement the new student had.

"Yeah, it was. A few of my friends died," she replied, trying to keep her tone even and light.

"We're looking for more sign-ups for New Directions. We're always looking up for back-up singers," Rachel stated. Samantha chuckled before she could stop herself. She didn't like singing in front of people, backup or not. She could deal with cheering, but that was about it. If she wanted to, she could possibly try out for the Cheerios.

"No, thanks. I think I'll spend this semester getting caught up," she declined politely. In truth, she couldn't wait until her father came home for good from Iraq. Having her father there for comfort made every day bearable.

"It'll help you make some new friends," Rachel offered. Friends who were completely oblivious to the situation seemed pretty tempting. Samantha's therapist, Dr. Ee had said that trying to get back into a normal routine and making friends might help her adjust to life without her sister and her closest friends.

"I'll sit in on a meeting, but I won't make promises," Samantha said quietly. The pretty Jewish girl seemed happy with the thought.