A/N – Thanks for the alerts and reviews and just for reading in general, you're awesome! To you anonymous reviewers, thanks! I would love to reply personally but alas, I cannot. I have this outlined as a 4-shot but I still have a lot to fit in. I don't want to make the chapters so long they're impossible to wade through so I might break it down, we'll see. And again, I don't own anything you recognize. Part One was inspired by The Divide but from here on out it's all out of my head. Oh, and warning, character death, it had to happen sometime.
Part two – Ground Level
But with the water, we'll start anew.
Quinn quickly waived the others up to join her on the ground level. The air seemed fresh and clean compared to the sewage they had been breathing for hours on end even though the dust in the air felt heavy and thick. Everything was covered in a thick layer of the ash and dust. In the back of her mind, Quinn worried about radiation poisoning but not enough to climb back down into that hole.
One by one, they climbed up out of the sewer. No one said much as they finally all stood gazing out over the horizon. Not a single building within sight was still standing. Cars were crushed by the rubble. Quinn thought she saw bones extending from underneath another pile but she quickly turned her head away.
Arguably one of the greatest cities in the world had been reduced to rubble.
xxxx
"What now?" Kurt asked softly, breaking the reverie as they stood gazing over the remains of the city.
They all glanced at each other with wide eyes. Brittany finally reached to Santana and with a single finger, she brushed a large clump of sewage from the brunette's shoulder. The resulting "plop" as the clump hit the ground caused Brittany to giggle.
"Well I don't know about you…actually no, I do know about you, all of you…we all need a bath." The blonde said, still smiling mischievously.
Rachel stared at Brittany for a few seconds before she felt a laugh bubbling in her own throat. "Brittany…Britt, um you've got a little…poop on your chest."
The blonde glanced down at the large clump of sewage oddly enough nestled between her breasts in the tank top she was wearing. Before she could swipe at it, Rachel reached and scooped the clump from Brittany's cleavage and flung it away with another "plop".
"Hey!" Santana exclaimed. "Kindly get your hands away from my girlfriend's chest! Those are mines and mines alone. I will Snix you right out of this apocalypse hobbit, don't think I won't!"
Rachel and Brittany had already doubled over in laughter while Santana continued to glare. Even Quinn and Kurt were chuckling. The Latina huffed and stomped toward them, pulling Brittany away from the other brunette.
Brittany stood upright, still smiling, and threw her arms around Santana's neck. "San, we're free! We're out! God, I love you so much!"
Santana had no further complaints as Brittany crashed their lips together, ignoring the fact that they were still coated in muck. The brunette moaned as Brittany pushed her backwards to lean against a large chunk of debris, still kissing feverishly.
Rachel moved to stand between Quinn and Kurt and looped their arms together. "It's comforting to know that even in the midst of the end of the world as we know it some things will simply never change."
Quinn smiled with a nod as she watched the pair in front of her. With a sigh she realized she had to break up the love fest however. "Um guys, just on the off chance that pile of ash you're humping on is radioactive…we should probably get out of here."
Santana jumped away from the ash covered rubble with a squeak and quickly began to brush her pants off where she had been leaning. "Yeah…yeah we should go."
Quinn smirked as the Latina sauntered off with Brittany's hand clasped in her own. Their light mood didn't last long as they picked their way through the rubble toward what they hoped would be less destruction. They didn't speak much as they walked through what was left of the city. Finally they reached what remained of a bridge leading off of the island and onto the mainland.
While a portion of the bridge did extend all the way over the water to the other side, it looked ready to fall at any moment.
"Maybe we should try one of the other bridges…aren't there like 27 of them?" Kurt mumbled.
Santana shook her head. "We can't backtrack. For all we know moving to one of the other bridges could take us deeper into the bombing territory. If there are any radiation issues, I'd rather get the fuck out of here now, ya know?"
If the water below them hadn't been covered with a layer of soot and ash, the group would have been tempted to quickly clean themselves. The remains of dead fish floating also left them hesitant to step into the water. With a nervous glance down at the water below them, they began to inch their way across the bridge.
Because of the damage to the bridge they were forced to cross single-file and slowly. Santana watched as Brittany gracefully sidestepped a large hole. When the blonde glanced back over her shoulder she smiled at Santana before continuing her way across. The brunette returned the smile before inching further along the bridge herself. Suddenly, behind her she heard Rachel hiss.
"Rachel? Are you alright?" Santana asked, turning on her heel quickly.
The shorter woman looked up surprised. "Oh, yes I'm fine. Just wasn't watching where I was going and scraped my arm on a piece of metal. I'm fine."
Santana rolled her eyes. "All that for a scratch. You scared the shit out of me."
Rachel smiled as Santana glared at her. "I appreciate your concern Santana but I'm fine, really."
The Latina muttered something under her breath before turning her back to the shorter woman to continue her way across the bridge. She only took a few steps before she sighed and turned back around to face Rachel. "Look Berry… I totally had things under control with Ethan back there but…thanks."
Rachel wanted to tease Santana for uttering a word she had been certain was not in the Latina's vocabulary but instead she just smiled and nodded. "You're very welcome. But Quinn is the one who kept you from being shot by Liam. She's the one you should thank."
Santana turned back to look Rachel in the eye. "I know Quinn has my back. I've always known that. It was just nice to know you do too. I'm trying to thank you here so don't fucking argue with me…I hope you don't feel guilty or upset about killing someone…I mean…"
"I don't." Rachel interrupted. "Maybe I should but I don't."
Santana nodded. "Well thank you. But this doesn't mean I'm going to be nice to you."
"I wouldn't dream of it." Rachel replied with a smile, causing Santana to smirk.
They continued the rest of the way across the bridge in silence. All breathed a sigh of relief when they finally stepped back to solid ground.
Still without a clear plan they simply walked. They weren't certain how long or far they walked. They simply noticed the ash and destruction seemed to diminish the further from the city they moved. While they still did not come across any sign of life, at least the dust and fear of radiation faded the longer they walked. The friends let the city horizon fade as they wandered out into the wilderness that used to be the suburbs.
xxxx
Finally, they were near exhaustion when they stumbled across a small lake somewhere in rural New Jersey. "Oh God," Quinn muttered. "It looks clean. Please tell me I can belly flop right in the middle of that."
Without wasting another moment, the friends ran straight into the water. They splashed and laughed as if the world as they knew it hadn't just ended. Santana and Brittany helped each other out of their clothes to clean them the best they could in the water with the others quickly following suit. Quinn saw the pair edging away from the others, smiling at each other tenderly.
"Just don't go too far ok guys?" the blonde said as she waded past with a smile. "And yell if you…ya know…need help or anything."
"Quinnie," Santana replied with a seductive smirk. "Are you asking to join us? I mean, I know it's been a while for you and you probably have cobwebs all up in there but…really?"
Brittany giggled as Quinn blushed furiously. "That's not-I didn't-no!"
Santana laughed and splashed the sputtering blonde as she and Brittany leisurely swam away. When Quinn turned back to Rachel and Kurt, both were trying hard not to laugh.
"Oh shut up." She grumbled before diving beneath the refreshing water.
xxxx
"Oh God, it is so nice to be clean!" Santana exclaimed as she and Brittany swam lazily in the sun.
Brittany was currently circling the Latina and practicing her backstroke, leaving the brunette quite happy with the view. The blonde came to a stop and dipped under the water, slicking her hair back as she emerged. Santana could only stare as the sunlight glinted off her wet skin.
"No kidding." Brittany replied. "You taste awesome all the time, but I think lake water just adds a certain…something."
Santana swallowed thickly at the sultry look on Brittany's face as she waded closer. "In fact," the blonde purred, reaching for Santana's hips, "I think I'm ready for seconds."
"Don't you mean fourths?" Santana whimpered as the taller woman began trailing kisses down her neck.
"You know I hate geography San." Brittany replied without breaking contact.
Santana didn't even try to hide her swoon as Brittany gripped the underside of her thighs and hoisted the smaller woman up out of the water. Santana wrapped her legs around the blonde and allowed Brittany to carry her back closer to the shoreline.
"Shit baby, I love it when you do that." She mumbled, nuzzling the taller woman's neck.
Brittany chuckled as she gently deposited Santana onto the ground and hovered above her, raking her eyes down the brunette's nude body as if trying to decide where to begin. In less than five seconds, Santana's back was arching off of the ground, her hands buried in blonde locks.
xxxx
A while later, the two sauntered back to their friends hand in hand in their washed out but still damp clothes. Rachel and Quinn were repacking the supplies in the canvas sack they had brought. The sack and most of the items inside had been cleaned in the lake as well. Kurt glanced up at the returning pair with a smirk.
"Well that little tryst should keep you two satiated for, oh I don't know, another hour or so."
Santana was still gazing lovingly at Brittany when she raised her middle finger toward Kurt without even sparing him a glance. "Ignore them B. Jealous bitches, all of 'em."
Brittany laughed as she dropped to the ground next to Quinn, pulling Santana down with her. The brunette settled between Brittany's legs and leaned backwards against the blonde's chest. The taller woman wrapped her arms around Santana and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
Quinn smiled before turning back to the canned goods in her hands. "What do you guys think of staying here for the night? We could build a fire and warm up a couple cans of…whatever this is."
"Like a campout!" Brittany exclaimed. "That sounds awesome. And we can sleep under the stars…and moonlight skinny dipping!"
"And I stand corrected." Kurt mumbled. "Try 15 minutes."
Santana chose to ignore him. "Yeah, that sounds good to me. We don't really have any other plan anyway and I don't really want to walk anymore today."
"No wonder." Quinn said with a smirk. "I'm surprised you can walk from what we heard coming from around the bend there."
Brittany had the decency to blush but Santana simply burrowed further into the blonde's arms and winked at Rachel who looked scandalized. "Jea-lous" she replied with a smirk of her own.
After quite a bit of fumbling, they managed to build a fire next to the lake. They each warmed a can over the small fire and ate contentedly. Each seemed unwilling to worry about what the next day would bring and instead enjoyed the company and scenery.
When the moon was finally high in the sky and glinting off of the lake, Santana and Brittany were wrapped around each other and whispering softly, the others having fallen asleep hours ago. Santana traced her fingers down Brittany's cheeks before tucking blonde strands behind her ears. She leaned in and pressed their lips together softly.
"This is nice." Brittany whispered when they parted.
Santana smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I could get used to this."
After a few more lazy kisses, Brittany's face turned thoughtful. "San? New York City is like huge right?" At Santana's curious nod, the blonde continued. "Well, why didn't we see anyone else? Are we really the only ones alive…Out of like seven billion people? What about our families?"
Santana sighed. "I don't know babe. Maybe others got out, I don't know. What I do know is that I still have you. And Quinn. And even Kurt and Rachel I guess. That's pretty damn lucky so…maybe we're also just lucky enough our families are back home waiting on us. Look at what we survived…bombs, Creasy's cellar, those bat shit crazy brothers. I don't know what we're going to find tomorrow…but as long as you're here with me it can't be all bad."
Brittany smiled finally and scooted closer to Santana. "You say the sweetest things sometimes." She pulled the brunette flush against her and kissed her solidly. "Bring on the end of the world."
xxxx
When they woke the next morning, they were hesitant to leave the calm of the lake but knew they would have to move on eventually. They decided to make their way to Lima to see if they could find their families. After opening another few cans and sharing breakfast, the friends gathered their few belongings and headed out.
"You know what we need?" Brittany asked after hours of walking. "A car. We need a car. It would be so much faster than walking."
Quinn and Santana exchanged a knowing smile while Kurt just sighed. "Yes, well you just shout when you see one with the keys in it Brittany."
"I don't need keys." Brittany responded.
The four stopped when they realized Brittany had also stopped. They followed her gaze to where in the distance they could see what looked like could possibly be a few buildings. Santana smirked and stepped closer to the blonde, draping an arm around her shoulder.
"Baby, let's go get us a car."
xxxx
They stopped on the edge of the surrounding tree line and warily eyed the remains of the small shopping center. Instead of a few buildings, they were gazing at mainly rubble. However, a few buildings on the outskirts looked relatively untouched, as did a few vehicles still littering the parking lot.
"Looks quiet." Quinn said softly, squinting against the sunlight. "Maybe we could even look around and find some supplies. What do you think?"
Santana nodded. "Ok, but let's stick together, it's probably not a good idea to split up. At least not until we know what we're dealing with in this nuked shithole."
"Alright." Brittany said glancing at the rest of her friends. "We hit up like a Walmart and then pick a car. Seems easy enough."
They all nodded and moved into the rubble. The last building at the end of the complex was still standing and looked to be a small all purpose store. The glass doors had been busted out and the inside of the store was dark.
"Ok." Quinn said quietly as they stepped over the threshold. "Santana, Brittany, you guys start on the left and work right. Rachel, Kurt, we'll start on the right and meet in the middle…only the necessities. And maybe we should pick up a change of clothes or two?"
They split off and began to wander the isles looking for anything that could be of use. Santana and Brittany had each picked up a backpack and were loading various items into it when they met up with the others in the middle of the store. The other three were pushing a cart with clothes and what few canned goods they could find.
They only managed to find a few food items but each had picked up one of the larger kitchen knives remaining in the store. Unfortunately the sporting good section had already been picked through.
They made their way back outside with their new supplies. Back on the street, Brittany began walking toward the few cars left still scattered in the lot. "Baby, which one do you want?"
Santana followed along behind the blonde with a small smile. "Well, probably the SUV, just because it's sturdy and big enough to fit all the extra baggage. And by baggage, I mean you Berry."
Rachel sputtered. "Baggage? I beg your pardon Santana? I don't recall you shooting anyone yesterday. I saved your life! Which you thanked me for on the bridge!"
Brittany turned back to the others with a smile while Santana just continued to smirk. "Rach, don't take her so seriously. Snark is like Santana's love language…well except when she's with me of course. Then its sweet lady kisses and sweet nothings and-"
"Alright, that's enough B." Santana interrupted. "Show us how awesome you are and get this car going. And let me save at least a little of my badass image."
Brittany nodded sheepishly and in less than ten seconds of hopping into the seat the engine turned over.
"What the hell?" Kurt exclaimed. "Brittany, you can't turn on a computer but you can hotwire a car?"
"Bananas and grapes." The blonde replied with a shrug. "And I totally can but…this one had the keys in it still."
Kurt looked thoroughly confused while Santana and Quinn just looked smug. He simply shook his head and climbed into the back seat of the SUV. "I think you mean apples and oranges."
The blonde turned around from the driver's seat. "Nah, I don't really like apples or oranges. I think peaches are my favorite." With a wink she turned back to the front.
"You do that on purpose don't you?" Kurt replied with a sigh.
Quinn laughed as she hopped into the back seat, Rachel following her. "That little talent came in handy whenever Dr. and Mrs. Lopez were away for the weekend and we couldn't find keys to the Beemer. You need a car jacked or a lock picked…Britt's your girl."
"That's right; I spent just as much time in Lima Heights as Santana did…more actually because Santana moved when we were ten. I still go hang with my home boys in the hood sometimes." Brittany said before turning thoughtful. "I don't siphon gas though; I'm not a very strong sucker."
Santana looked up from the map she found in the glove compartment of the car and smirked. "Don't worry BrittBritt, I'm sure Kurt can handle that…right Kurt?"
Kurt quirked a brow when Santana turned back and grinned at him. "Classy Santana."
"Always." The Latina responded in a sing-song voice as they pulled out onto the deserted roadway.
"Hey, try the radio, maybe there's a broadcast or something." Quinn interrupted before the two could continue squabbling.
The brunette turned the dial and static filled the cabin of the SUV. Hitting the scan button produced nothing but further static. Santana turned the radio off before reaching and entwining her fingers with Brittany's over the gear shift as they drove on.
xxxx
After driving a few miles on the highway they were forced off the road. The entire highway ahead of them had been blown out and burned cars littered the pavement on both sides of the crater. Brittany pulled the car to a stop and they all gazed out the front window toward the destruction.
"I think we should go around." Brittany said softly.
"Good call B." Santana replied.
From that point on, they decided to stick to smaller roads and to stay away from the major highways, hoping the map would help them make it to Lima on back roads. As they drove, even from a distance of any towns, it was clear Washington DC and New York City were not the only two cities bombed. Quinn figured it was safe to say Philadelphia was in the same state of ruin as New York from the looks of the destroyed skyline. At least she assumed the remains of the city were that of Philadelphia.
xxxx
"We're going to need to find more gas soon." Brittany said after about another hour and a half of driving.
"We could stop and eat something when we find another car." Quinn added. "And I don't know about you guys but I really need to pee."
The friends considered themselves lucky when they came across a utility truck sitting on the side of the road a short while later. Brittany pulled the SUV off the road in front of the truck and they all piled out of the car stretching.
Santana and Kurt wandered to the utility truck to see if anything of use could be found. The Latina yelled in triumph when she found plastic tubing in the back of the truck to help siphon the gas. Kurt smiled up at her and extended a hand to help her down.
"Come on Satan, I'll show you how this whole sucking thing is done."
Santana grimaced. "You do remember I'm gay right?"
"Well maybe that's because you never learned the proper technique." Kurt laughed at the furious look on Santana's face. "Or…maybe it's because you haven't been able to keep your hands or at the very least your eyes off of Brittany since we were all twelve. You can put the razor blades back in the weave."
Santana finally gave a nod as they got to work on the gas tank. Brittany and Rachel began sorting through the bags to prepare a makeshift meal for the group while Quinn finally relieved herself by the road. The blonde was just rounding the truck to rejoin the others when she saw a group of seven guys walking toward them. Even from a distance, she could still see the men were armed with axes and some had handguns on their hips.
"Guys, heads up." Quinn hissed.
As the men came closer, Rachel gasped and reached for Kurt's arm. The men looked sickly with their pale skin and dark circles under their bloodshot eyes. The two men in front had bald patches in their hair.
"The fuck…" Santana mumbled. "Please tell me we did not survive a nuclear apocalypse to wander into a zombie one. B, where are the keys?"
"Still in the ignition." Brittany responded quietly, eyeing the newcomers.
"They're behind us too." Quinn said, stepping away from the car. She squared her shoulders and took a few steps toward the first approaching group. "Stop right there."
The men glanced back and forth, a few of them smirking. One man in the back of the group began coughing. Quinn cringed as the man straightened back up after spitting a mouthful of blood. They each thought of Creasy's warnings and graphic descriptions of those affected from radiation poisoning.
"Hey there honey." The lead man called. "Just the five of you there? Whatcha got in the truck?"
"None of your fucking business." Santana called from next to the driver's side door.
Rachel closed the back hatch of the SUV hoping to shield the contents from the men. Brittany nodded to her as she came to stand next to her, keeping an eye on the group approaching from behind them. They too were similarly armed with baseball bats and one with a shotgun.
"No need to get nasty." He called again. "We don't want any trouble. Just can't be too careful now a-days."
"Yeah, we feel the same way." Quinn replied. "So…are you guys ok?"
"Ok?" Brittany asked quietly. "They're practically glow in the dark."
Santana snickered.
"What did she say?" The lead guy yelled. "What the fuck did she say? Here we are just trying to be friendly and you have to go be a bitch."
"She didn't say anything." Santana yelled in reply. "And you better watch who you're calling a bitch."
Quinn raised her hands defensively, hoping to ease the tension. "Alright, let's just relax ok? What can we help you with?"
One of the men in the back coughed again and the leader glanced over his shoulder quickly before gazing back to the group by the SUV. "Well, as you can see…we seem to be fighting off a little bug. We need all the supplies we can get our hands on. And that car sure would come in handy…"
"Yeah, it's come in pretty handy for us too." Santana called, feeling her muscles tense in anticipation.
"Well you're on our road and that bitch insulted us so as payment we want your car." The man replied, pulling a handgun from the holster on his hip. "Give us the car and we'll call it even."
As the others in the group pulled out the pistols as well, Santana growled. "That's it, get in the car. Get in the fucking car!"
The brunette hopped into the driver's seat with Quinn quickly sprinting for the front passenger seat leaving the rest to scramble into the back. The men yelled and some ran toward the SUV while others stood their ground. The leader was the first to fire shots at them.
As soon as Santana heard the doors slam, she stomped on the gas pedal. Dirt and gravel sprayed behind the car as they sped towards the men. The men continued to fire at the car and the sound of the bullets dinging the metal of the car left them flinching.
When the back windshield shattered, even Santana had to swallow a scream. When she heard Brittany cry out, the brunette quickly glanced over her shoulder. "Brittany? Are you ok?"
"Shit Santana, just drive!" Quinn screamed.
Santana turned her gaze back to the road ahead of her, once again smashing the gas pedal. She cringed when one of the men bounced off the side of the car as she barreled down the road. Bullets continued to hit the vehicle until finally they veered around a turn, tires squealing.
"Oh my God." Rachel cried. "Kurt? Kurt! He's bleeding. Kurt!"
It was then that they noticed the passenger window he was leaning against had a small hole through it. Kurt was slumped forward with a hand clasped against his neck.
"Shit, shit!" Santana yelled, frantically glancing back and forth from the road in front of her and the rearview mirror. "Fuck, what do we do?"
"Rachel," Quinn exclaimed, turning in her seat to get a better view. "Rachel, keep pressure on it. Keep going a little further San, we can't let them catch up to us."
Brittany helped Rachel lay Kurt across the bench seat when he seemed to collapse against her. Santana drove for another few miles before pulling the car off onto a smaller dirt road. She continued on until they came to a fairly secluded spot and she felt relatively safe that they were far enough away from the group of men. As soon as the car came to a stop, they all scrambled to pull Kurt out and onto the ground.
Blood was still flowing out of the wound to his neck. Rachel grasped his hand tightly and dropped to her knees next to him, tears already streaming down her cheeks. "Hang on Kurt, please!"
Quinn pressed her hand to the hole, trying in vain to stop the bleeding. Brittany whipped her white tank top off and threw it toward the other blonde, hoping it would help as well. Kurt released a gargled cough and blood spewed from between his lips. He gagged slightly which only made him cough more. He squeezed Rachel's hand once before moaning out a sigh as his grip released and his eyes slid closed.
"No." Rachel whimpered. "Kurt? No! You can't leave me here please! Kurt!"
Rachel collapsed on Kurt's chest, fisting his shirt in her hands as she sobbed. Quinn and Santana simply stared in shock. Brittany finally gathered Rachel into her arms and rocked her gently, her own tears falling freely.
The friends were too stunned to move. Finally, after nearly a half an hour, Santana cleared her throat before speaking softly. "We…we can't stay here. Those guys aren't that far behind us."
"We can't just leave him here!" Rachel cried, fresh tears beginning to flow. "We have to bury him!"
"Of course we'll bury him Rachel." Brittany interrupted firmly, leaving no room for argument. She glanced back to Santana who had a pained look on her face. "We're not going to just leave him here. We're not animals; of course we're going to bury him."
"I'll see what I can find to dig with." Quinn said quietly.
Santana nodded and rose to help the blonde when she noticed blood still trickling down Brittany's arm. "Brittany, you're bleeding!"
Even Rachel looked frantically at the blonde as Quinn and Santana swarmed her. "It's nothing you guys." Brittany insisted. "It's just a scratch."
Santana scrambled closer and gently pulled Brittany's arm to her. It appeared a bullet had grazed her upper arm, leaving a gash. It was still bleeding but didn't appear to be too serious. Still, Santana felt her heart pounding in her chest.
"We have to clean this…and maybe it needs stitches." She said, trying to keep her nerves calm.
Brittany shook her head and reached for one of Santana's hands with her own free hand. "Not until after we take care of Kurt. I'm fine Santana…we have to bury our dolphin."
"Here." Quinn said quietly, kneeling next to the women. "At least let me tie this around your arm to stop the bleeding."
Brittany nodded and Quinn began tying what appeared to be a sock around her upper arm. "Sorry, but it has to be tight." She said when the taller blonde hissed as she tied it.
Santana helped Brittany to her feet and the three moved to the back of the SUV to see if anything would be helpful in the task of burying their friend. She helped her into a new t-shirt they picked up from the store, her hands still shaking.
They finally settled on using the knives to loosen the dirt and their empty food cans to shovel bits at a time. It was slow going even with the three of them. Rachel finally left Kurt's side to aid in the digging.
By the time the hole was deep enough to allow them to fully cover Kurt; the four were drenched in sweat and covered in dirt, not to mention the dried blood. No one complained however.
Quinn cleaned Brittany's arm with a bit of their bottled water and tied a clean sock around the wound as a bandage. Santana stood over the two anxiously chewing on her nails while Quinn worked. They were all silent except for Rachel's sniffling as they finally pulled away from the site, their hearts heavy at leaving behind a friend.
xxxx
They continued heading west, doing their best to avoid major cities and towns. Rachel for the most part was withdrawn, even quieter than the others had become. They started looking for a place to stop for the night when Brittany's stomach rumbling from hunger could be heard over the engine of the car.
"If we stop soon we'll still only have a few more hours until we get to Lima tomorrow." Quinn said softly. "Or I guess we could just drive the rest of the way tonight."
Santana shook her head in the front passenger seat. "I'm not sure we should get there after dark. I mean…after today…I think we should stop for the night. B, what do you think?"
She glanced back to where Rachel was resting with her head in the blonde's lap while Brittany played with her dark hair. She met Santana's worried gaze and smiled softly. "I agree with you San. Seems safer to stop for the night. Is that ok with you Rachel?"
"It's fine." Rachel replied with a sigh, her voice thick and raspy. Brittany squeezed her shoulder once before returning to playing with her hair.
As luck would have it, they came across a small farmhouse with a rundown fence around it. There were no animals in the fields and the barn doors were hanging off the hinges. The house itself was similarly rundown and no vehicles could be seen.
Quinn pulled the SUV to a stop at the end of the dirt driveway. Seeing no movement ahead, she slowly inched the car forward before parking just outside the small house.
"Santana and I will check it out." Quinn said. "Brittany, you and Rachel stay here. Keep the car running in case we need to make a run for it. If you see anything or anyone, just honk the horn ok?"
Brittany nodded and helped Rachel pull herself to a seated position. "Take Liam's gun. And a knife."
Santana and Quinn slipped from the car, armed with the handgun and a knife. The sun was sinking low and they had to squint against the brightness as it shone from behind the house. "Well let's go. It'll be dark soon."
Before Santana could step further away from the vehicle, Brittany reached for her hand, linking their pinkies. "Be careful ok?" She glanced from the brunette to Quinn making both nod in agreement before she let go of Santana's hand.
Brittany and Rachel sat in tense silence while Quinn and Santana disappeared into the house. The blonde was fairly certain she didn't breathe until she saw Santana step back out onto the porch and wave the two inside.
"It's empty." Santana said as they stepped inside with them. "Like completely empty. No food or clothes, not even any furniture. But at least we'll be inside."
"Maybe we should put the car in the barn." Quinn said from the doorway. "And maybe there's something in the barn that'll be useful."
"I'll come with you." Rachel said quietly. "No time to mope right? We are in the middle of the end of the world right? I can make myself useful."
Brittany frowned from her spot next to Santana. "Rach…don't do that. You can be sad…we all are."
Quinn nodded in agreement. "She's right Rachel. None of us really have any idea what's going on and now Kurt is gone. We're all struggling."
Rachel said nothing further and simply headed outside with Quinn to move the car. Brittany glanced to Santana who had remained silent. "San?"
The brunette was staring at the ground, her jaw clenched. She then moved through the house to where she could see the barn in the back field without answering the blonde. She watched intently until she saw Quinn and Rachel walking back to the house.
"Guess what we found." Quinn said smiling. "A gas generator…and a can of gas. I just bet since this place is out here in the country that it has well water. Which means we just need to hook up this generator to the pump and hot water heater and we can take a hot shower!"
Brittany's brow furrowed and Santana cocked a lone brow. "You say that like it's an easy thing to do."
Even Rachel chuckled at the evident confusion from the pair. Quinn just shook her head and smiled wryly. "You two better be grateful to be riding out the apocalypse with me. Seriously, what would do without me?"
"Let's just see you get this thing up and running before you get all cocky Fabray." Santana replied with an eye roll.
"Come on Rach, give me a hand." Quinn said in reply. The two slipped back outside then and headed back to the barn to bring the generator closer. A half an hour later, the friends cheered in triumph as the water from the spigot turned warm. The generator was only strong enough to run the water but no one complained about taking a warm shower in the dark.
"Ya know San," Brittany said softly. "We could save hot water if we shower together."
Quinn smirked as she stood toweling her hair dry while Rachel showered in the next room. Santana had seemed withdrawn since stopping for the night. When her only response to Brittany was a small nod, the blonde knew something was wrong.
A few minutes later when Rachel emerged, Brittany took Santana by the hand and led her out of the room. Quinn watched them go, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Brittany asked softly when they were finally alone in the bathroom. "I mean other than the obvious end of the world stuff and Kurt..."
Santana sighed wearily. She suddenly seemed so tired and small in front of the taller woman. When her bottom lip began to quiver, Brittany quickly threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly.
Knowing she needed time to gather her thoughts, the blonde allowed Santana a few moments to compose herself before pulling back slightly. She gently thumbed the brunette's tears away and then leaned back in to press a kiss to Santana's forehead. She then silently helped the smaller woman undress before guiding her into the shower.
Santana seemed to relax as warm water washed over her for the first time since the bombs dropped. Brittany helped wash away the dirt and sweat and tears the day had brought.
"Ready to talk to me?" the blonde asked as she wrapped her arms tightly around the brunette from behind.
Santana sighed. "I just…what if I hadn't opened my mouth? What if I hadn't been an ass? What if we had just given them the truck?"
"Santana," Brittany said, firmly gripping the brunette's shoulders and turning her so they were finally face to face. "Those guys would never have just left us alone and you know it. Everything is different now and we can't change what happened. We just have to keep going. What happened to Kurt was not your fault. I started it by saying they were like glow sticks…do you blame me?"
"What? Of course not!" Santana exclaimed.
"Ok. So how can you blame yourself? Baby none of this is your fault…none of it."
Santana felt tears welling again and stepped closer to Brittany, dropping her head on the taller woman's shoulder. The blonde held her tightly, letting the warm water continue to wash over them. Finally, Santana glanced up into bright blue eyes. Brittany leaned down and pressed their lips together.
"Can we please have shower sex now? It's been months."
Santana snorted out a laugh and buried her head in Brittany's neck. "I love you." She said softly.
Brittany squeezed her again and pressed a kiss to the brunette's temple. "I love you too baby. I'm going to do everything possible to take care of you and you will too. We'll be fine as long as we stick to that."
Santana finally smiled and with a nod, she pulled the blonde back into a kiss.
xxxx
The friends took turns keeping watch through the night while the others slept. When morning came, they put the gas left from the generator into the back of the SUV to use later. About two hours later, they pulled to a stop on the outskirts of Lima.
"How do we want to do this?" Quinn asked softly, leaning forward and peering over the steering wheel.
Santana popped her head up between Quinn and Brittany in the passenger seat. "B and I live like right around the corner. We could go to our places first and then move on to yours and Rachel's. Maybe two go in and two stay with the car. I'm not sure we should leave it."
"That's smart San." Brittany replied.
Santana smiled gratefully, beginning to feel more confident after Brittany's pep talk the night before. The blonde had been complementing Santana off and on all day, hoping to keep her spirits up.
"Ok, well, here we go." Quinn said warily. "We'll park out front of B's place first and keep the car running. If anything happens, and I mean anything, get the hell out of there."
Santana and Brittany nodded and each slipped from the car as it came to a stop in front of Brittany's modest two story house. They rounded the side of the house heading for the back door. The blonde reached for the door knob, somewhat surprised when she found it locked. She bent down and pulled a stone up out of the walkway, pulling the buried key out from under it.
They slipped inside after sharing a quick, shaky smile. Brittany exhaled sharply as she stepped into what used to be her kitchen. The cabinets doors had been ripped off the hinges and the dishes were shattered all over the floor. The refrigerator was tipped over and the kitchen table looked as if an ax had been taken to it.
Santana slipped her hand into Brittany's and urged her to follow her further into the home. The rest of the downstairs was in the same condition. They slowly walked up the staircase to where the two Pierce girls' rooms were.
Brittany squared her shoulders before pushing her way into her old bedroom. What few items of clothing she hadn't taken to New York were strewn all over the floor and her desk and drawers ransacked. Santana slipped in past her and bent to pick up a few items of clothing.
"We can take this with us."
Brittany just shrugged before stepping back out into the hallway and heading to her little sister's room. It too had been ransacked. Seeing her little sister's room in such a state made the blonde's heart twist.
"Where are they?" She asked. "They wouldn't just leave without taking Ally's stuff would they? They didn't even take her inhaler…or Mr. Snuggle britches."
Santana clenched her jaw as she saw Brittany picking up her little sister's favorite stuffed animal. "I don't know baby. Maybe they had to leave in a hurry."
The blonde turned back to Santana with a sad expression. As she glanced past the brunette, her jaw dropped slightly. She rushed back to the doorway where tacked randomly to the wall was a photo. Brittany reached and gently pulled the picture from the wall. She smiled at the sight of the last family photo the Pierce's had taken the year before. She flipped the photo over and on the back was written 'Fort Drum'.
"I wonder what that means." The blonde mumbled before flipping the photo back to the front and lovingly tracing a finger over the smiling faces of her parents and sister.
Santana stepped closer and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Maybe that's where everyone went and they wanted to let you know. Your mom would totally do that!"
Brittany glanced back to the brunette hopefully. "You really think so?"
"There's no reason not to think that babe."
Brittany seemed slightly more upbeat as the two made their way back out to the awaiting SUV. They hopped in and explained their findings as Quinn pulled away toward Santana's home.
They only had to drive a few streets over before they arrived in the obviously wealthy subdivision where Santana lived. The electric wrought iron fence surrounding the property was still in place; in fact as the friends came closer, the hum of electricity could be heard.
"The fuck." Santana mumbled. She sauntered to the keypad and typed in the code. As the door opened, Quinn pulled forward around the circle driveway.
Santana and Brittany nodded back to their friends as they slipped inside the large house. Where Brittany's home was in disarray, Santana's seemed as if nothing in the world was out of order. As they slipped through the main entryway, the brunette felt uneasy.
"Stay behind me." Santana whispered, clutching her knife tightly.
Brittany nodded as they slipped further inside. The living room and den showed no evidence of anything amiss and the two edged back toward the kitchen. As they stepped over the threshold into the room, Santana tensed. It was clear someone had been taking advantage of the Lopez pantry. Dishes were scattered over the counters and empty food containers were stacked near the trash can. A steaming cup of coffee was still sitting on the kitchen table.
Santana scowled and stepped further into the kitchen. Before she could react, a body came rushing from inside the pantry and had her pinned to the refrigerator with a forearm pressed to her throat. She coughed and gagged as she tried to pry the assailant off of her. Both Santana's and her attacker's eyes widened as they were only mere inches apart.
She felt the pressure on her throat lessen as Puck pulled away surprised. Before they could address each other, Brittany came flying at him, a frying pan in her hand. She swung with a growl, landing a glancing blow to his shoulder and the side of his head.
Puck fell to the floor with a howl of pain and Brittany stepped between Santana and his prone form.
"Shit! Brittany, it's ok, it's Puck!" Santana exclaimed.
Brittany just raised the pan menacingly and stepped closer to her old classmate. "What the fuck are you doing Puckerman? Did you get microwaved from the bombs too? Don't think I won't lay you out if you touch her again."
Puck raised his hands defensively. "Easy Britt, Jesus! I swear I didn't know it was you guys. Santana, are you ok, I didn't hurt you did I?"
"I'm fine." Santana replied. "Seriously Britt, I'm ok." She reached to soothe the blonde, feeling her tense muscles beneath her hand.
At Santana's urging, Brittany lowered the pan. But not before narrowing her eyes at Puck and pointing at him. "I'm watching you Puckerman."
Puck smiled, relieved the blonde had lowered her impromptu weapon. He hopped to his feet and with a 'whoop' he threw his arms around them both. "You don't know how happy I am to see you guys!"
Santana laughed and hugged him back. "Way to squat in my house and eat my food…just like old times!"
Brittany finally relaxed enough to pat him on the back before he released them. Puck seemed to forget all about being smacked with a frying pan, his excitement at seeing his friends alive his only thought at the moment.
"I should have known!" Puck exclaimed. "If anyone could survive a damn nuke apocalypse it would totally be you two."
"It's because we're awesome." Brittany replied evenly. "And Quinn and Rachel too."
"Quinn is with you?" Puck asked, a soft look passing over his face. "And Rachel too? Holy shit, this is amazing! Sam and Tina are with me…just out on a supply run. Wait, what about Kurt, he was in New York with you guys wasn't he?"
Santana and Brittany exchanged a sad look before the blonde sighed and kicked at the ground with her foot. "Some microwaved guys attacked us and Kurt didn't make it." She said softly.
"Fuck." Puck sighed, finally understanding the blonde's earlier reaction and statements. "Well, we're going to stick together and kick ass. The end of the world has nothing on us!"
Santana and Brittany had to smile at their friend's enthusiasm. When Quinn and Rachel burst into the Lopez home dragging a laughing Sam and Tina behind them, the friends once again felt hope in the midst of the devastation.