Rachel turned her head to look back at Quinn and Beth. Beth was sitting in Quinn's lap, looking out the window and enjoying a bottle of formula. Quinn, however, was sleeping off a migraine. Her forehead looked damp and her features were scrunched as she slept. Rachel wondered if she should take Beth so that Quinn could lay more comfortably, but then again she knew having the toddler close helped her girlfriend relax much easier.
Santana had taken the wheel when they got to a rest area. Quinn had been fighting a headache, so Santana had offered to take over. They were headed North on I-75 after determining exactly where they were going. During a quick breakfast, the group had agreed that Emsdale, Canada was as good a plan as any, and since they didn't have any others they decided to give it a shot. The trip would take them roughly 8 hrs, and there was the unknown of whether the border would be open.. but it was worth a shot.
Santana's information regarding Algonquin Woods was sparse, but luckily the Rav-4's high tech GPS system could at least get them there. The cabin was a privately owned vacation home, jointly owned by her parents and some close friends. She knew it would be available and since it was in a remote and secluded area of the woods it had a well water system and solar electricity grid. The place was an absolute Godsend. If they could just get there safely their only concerns would be to find a steady food supply and secure the home against invasion. They'd finally feel safe.
They'd been lucky thus far that their encounters with the infected were few and far in between. After Lima was hit with the epidemic, they'd left before all hell broke loose. The attacks were contained incidents, but Quinn no longer felt safe and thought it was best if the group could get away and lie low for a while. They'd all been waiting for contact from their parents, but there hadn't been any cellular service for days. They simply had no connection to the outside world other than articles on the Internet, and after Wi-Fi became unavailable they were in the dark. People were afraid, people were being attacked, and people were leaving. They voted on it and decided that hitting a state park might be a good idea for the time being. Van Buren seemed far enough away from the chaos.
They still didn't know where those shots had come from. Honestly, it wasn't important. They knew that either a group of people or those things were bringing hostility to the area and that it was time to go. They'd gotten away with running thus far, and hadn't had to kill anyone, or anything, except small wildlife and fish for food. Mike and Sam were extremely useful to their team in that regard. Santana thought that they were extremely lucky for all of them to have found each other. Because where she and Quinn were tactical, Mike and Sam were resourceful, Rachel was organizational, and Jesse was... practical. He kept them optimistic and strong. He may not have been able to lead them, but he certainly brought a sense of team, optimism, and comfort to the group.
Santana certainly was thankful for his presence. They'd formed a close friendship over the summer, and Santana wasn't stupid or blind, she knew that she was confident and sexy and smart and everything Jesse loved about Rachel. She knew he had a crush on her, and although they both knew that her love for him was strictly platonic, they'd come to rely on each other for comfort. No one wanted to be alone at a time like this, and why should they have to be? Jesse was kind and smart, he made her feel secure by his presence alone, and she was sure to be delicate with his feelings so she wouldn't hurt him. So if he wanted to hold her hand, hold her close to his chest while they slept, or be there to reassure her that everything would be okay.. why would she deny him that? Why would she deny herself? She sighed as she checked to rearview mirror to make sure the Rover was still behind them.
—AiZ—
Quinn was lost. She'd been following Beth and trying to catch up with her for a while now, but her kid apparently had super powers or something. She'd be there one minute going around a corner or into a door and.. Quinn wondered how she was even able to open doors being two feet tall. She didn't remember how they even got to this.. office building? She was passing cubicles and workers who were dressed up in suits and ties. They all looked exactly the same to her.. like the cardboard cut out of the man she was supposed to marry, the man she would have married had she followed her fathe—
"This is unacceptable! You tell that bastard those accounts are his responsibility! And shoulder he fail to do his job he wont have one for long!"
Quinn knew that thunderous yell anywhere. His roar had always been like a lion's when he became upset. She watched as a young secretary backed out of his office and she suddenly knew why she was here. She was supposed to talk to him.. or something. Maybe he knew where Beth went. Quinn shivered at the thought of asking him, but really.. what else was she supposed to do?
She caught the heavy wooden door before it shut, and tentatively smoothed down her dress before entering the office. His luxury leather office chair was turned away from her, but she could see his outstretched hand holding a glass of Scotch, and the smoke trail floating superiorly from his no doubt expensive Cuban cigar. She waited patiently and politely for him to notice her. She wouldn't dare speak without being addressed first. They both knew he knew she was there and would address her when he was ready.
"Who are you?" He questioned condescendingly, the smoke from his cigar irritating her sensitive lungs. He didn't bother to face her.
Quinn wasn't stupid. She knew he was fully aware of who she was, and so she attempted to read between the lines and answer the question that he was really asking.
"I'm.. I'm not sure anymore Daddy. I've been so many people. I was your baby girl, I was head cheerleader.. then I screwed up and I was an outcast, homeless, and a pregnant teen. Then I was lost, a rebel. Most recently I'm a leader... a mother..." Quinn trailed off.
"What do you mean 'a mother'? Explain yourself!" He sneered.
"I.. I can't explain myself, Sir. So much has happened. Its surreal and overwhelming." Quinn whispered.
"It's not."
Quinn stood stunned by his dismissal. She narrowed her eyes at the back of his head. "I've.. been through a lot. It is to me!" She growled shortly.
"You! Who are you?" Russel laughed. Quinn seethed.
"Me? Who the hell are you, huh? Where the hell are you? You left! You disowned me and abandoned me! I needed you! I needed my Daddy!" Quinn yelled. Her vision was blurred with tears but her glare was trained on his Blond head. His hair was perfectly trimmed as always, not a hair out of place. He was unfazed by her outburst and his relaxed posture showed it.
"Why?" He responded. Quinn was furious. She could feel her fingernails digging into her palms with how tight her fists were clenched. Fuck this, she didnt need this. She turned on her heel and stormed over to the wooden door. She grabbed the handle before his thunderous voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Get back here Lucille," he roared. "I'm not done talking to you."
Quinn had always been frightened by the fact that his voice was so powerful. It made him seem so much bigger than he was. His ability to harbor such a commanding presence always had her obeying his orders, regardless of whether or not she wanted to. She turned around and walked back over to his desk. He hadn't turned to look at her once, and that fact just made her angrier.
"Watch your temper." He demanded. Quinn didn't trust herself to speak so she nodded. "So you think you've changed, do you?"
She was caught off gaurd by this question, but answered it confidently anyway. "I know I have. I'm a better person than I was before. I'm stronger. I have friends and family who love me and that I love back. I'm there for my.. for Beth. I have Rachel."
"So who are you?" Russel asked again, finally spinning his chair around to face her. He looked as smug and sure as her reply.
"I'm Quinn Fabray."
—AiZ—
They both heard Quinn groan in her sleep. Rachel looked back in concern, but Quinn for the most part was still leaning against the door, with her head resting on the window. The position looked uncomfortable on her neck, but the only other option for positioning would be dangerous for her and Beth should they hit a hard stop. Rachel fleetingly thought that maybe they should invest in a car seat. She mentally added that to their list.
It had only been about an hour since they'd set off from the rest stop, but Quinn had been exhausted from the nights events and had fallen asleep instantly. Rachel knew that the migraine probably had a lot to do with it too. She had seen the signs of discomfort in Quinn's face as she drove but was surprised when Quinn was actually honest about her headache at the rest stop. It was just in her nature to power through distress, and although that worried Rachel, she knew it was something they'd had to work on, and wouldn't change overnight. Beth seemed to have heard the noise from Quinn too and lifted her head off of Quinn's shoulder to investigate. She inspected Quinn's face, but when she realized she was sleeping, she wondered how she'd make the noise if not awake. When she noticed Rachel looking at them, she smiled.
"Quinn sleeping?" Beth asked Rachel, lifting a tiny hand to Quinn's nose and not noticing when Quinn scrunched her face. It was truly amazing and heartwarming yet frightening how Beth retained her innocence while the world around them was literally rotting. She was only a baby, after all. And so far they'd all vowed to protect and distract her by any means. She often vocalized missing her Mama, but otherwise was comfortable with the girls and Jesse. She was even warming up to Sam and Mike.
"Yes sweetheart, Quinn is dreaming." Rachel smiled.
Beth's little face scrunched up in confusion. "Dreaming?" She questioned.
"Mhmm, its when you see a story while you sleep." Rachel explained, watching Beth absorb the information. Beth apparently thought that this was fascinating and turned her awed stare back to Quinn.
"I want storytime" she told Rachel.
"I don't have a storybook right now, honey.. but how about some music? You like music, right?" She smiled at the baby, knowing if she showed enthusiasm, Beth would follow suit.
"Want music Waychoo!" Beth yelled. Rachel laughed at the pronunciation and excitement.
"Okay sweetheart, but be quiet okay? You don't want to wake Quinn, do you?" She whispered conspiratorially.
"No. No wake Quinn." Beth matched her volume. She then put her two little fingers to her lips and shushed Rachel. Rachel giggled with her and reached back to caress her chubby cheeks. She didn't know where Shelby was, but she hoped she was okay so Beth would see her Mom again. Shelby was probably worried sick. Rachel reached into her jeans pocket and pulled put Jesse's ipod, setting it on a playlist she'd created of songs appropriate for Beth. She placed the ear phones on her little ears, adjusted them to their smallest setting and hit play. Beth smiled as the music started and rested her head back on Quinn's chest. When Rachel turned back around in her seat, she shared a secret smile with Santana.
Santana then looked to the rearview mirror, and saw Quinn give Beth a tiny squeeze as her features softened.
—AiZ—
Quinn knew this hallway. She'd strutted down these halls in her cheerios uniform and kept her gaze trained forward as students parted to let her pass. She remembered only compromising her stare to glance in the direction of Rachel's locker every morning, only to see Finn fucking Hudson towering over her and smiling like an idiot. She was jealous of him... no.. she was annoyed by him. She'd often wondered how the hell he kept ending up attached to Rachel when he brought absolutely nothing to the table for her. She sneered in his direction but he never looked, too busy being a life suck and draining all the potential from Rachel's body.
Only now, Quinn realized her clothing was.. normal. Well, normal now. She was wearing a dark, thin Strokes tee with safety pen accents, and those dark cargo pants from their court yard performance of Empire State of Mind. Quinn always liked those pants. They made her feel in control, and were a direct snub at the baby doll dresses her mother would always choose for her during back-to-school shopping trips. They had now become part of her Skank attire and she loved them. The chains were a nice touch too. And the pink hair was a strawberry on top.
Her leisurely stroll was interrupted by a white blur at the end of the hall. "Beth!" She called out, and sprinted down the corridor till she reached the auditorium. She heard singing coming from inside.
Quinn made her way down the isle. It was dark and she couldn't see where the baby had gone. "Beth?" She called out, "Where are you baby?"
"She isn't here," she heard. "Take a seat, Quinn"
"Shelby?" Quinn called. "What are you doing here? And where are you?" She asked, grabbing a chair in the darkness and lowering herself as instructed.
"I'm up here." She grinned. Quinn could see the whites of her teeth glowing. She was higher up than Quinn so she deduced that she must be sitting on the edge of the stage. "How are you Quinn? How's Beth?"
"She's safe. I'm really trying Shelby. Its so hard without you. I don't know what to do or where to go." Quinn pleàded. Quinn loved Beth but she knew she still wasn't ready to care for her. Shelby was the best for Beth, and would always be her Mom. Beth reminded Quinn of that fact everyday.
"That depends a good deal on where you're trying to get to" Shelby stated calmly.
"I don't care where. Anywhere far away from those... things."
Shelby grinned again, startling Quinn when she noticed Shelby was now right beside her. "Then it doesn't matter where you go—"
"As long as its somewhere safe." Quinn could see the outline of Shelby's features now that she was so close, but when she blinked, Shelby vanished. Her voice was resonating from the stage again.
"Oh you'll get there Quinn." She was seated at the piano bench and started softly playing Moonlight Sonata. "If only you drive far enough."
"Will there be other people there?" Quinn asked.
"Certainly, but they're hiding too Quinn. In the direction you're headed, there are normal people. From the direction you're leaving, they've gone mad." Shelby sang.
Quinn took this to mean that maybe they were right about going North. She wasn't aware that Shelby was only in her head and was only certain about the things that Quinn thought she was certain about. She would agree with any of Quinn's decisions. Shelby didn't mention any of this. "I have to keep her away from them Shelby. I'm trying to be what she needs until you come back. I'm trying to stay calm about all this—"
"Oh you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." Shelby grinned again, alerting Quinn to her whereabouts. She wasn't anywhere near the piano, yet it was still playing.
"What do you mean by that? How am I mad?" Quinn asked shakily.
"You must be, or you wouldn't be here." Shelby giggled.
Quinn didn't know what that meant, but she was feeling more than uneasy about it. "What do you.. where's here? Can we turn on the lights, please?"
A single stage light shone brightly down upon Quinn, and she realized that she was now standing on stage, Shelby down in the audience where Quinn just was. Of course, that made her visible to Shelby, which was the opposite of what she was hoping for.
"Look at you," Shelby said, amused. "You're so very beautiful. I bet you hear that all the time, huh?"
Quinn looked down at herself and noticed that she was now wearing a white baby-doll dress, with a yellow cardigan and sandal wedges. Her hair was long and blond again, and she had a braid up top to hold her hair back. "Shelby.."
"You know, you try your hardest to be the best at everything, so people wont just write you off as a pretty face. But you haven't even been able to convince yourself that you're more than that yet, have you?" Shelby continued in a more serious tone. Quinn dropped her eyes to the stage floor and Shelby could see tears start to shimmer down her cheeks. "Quinn, I know that everything that's happened has been a lot to place on your shoulders.." Shelby stated, startling Quinn yet again when she entered stage left into the light with her. "But you are such an extraordinary young woman. If anyone can survive this, you can. And you aren't alone, honey. You don't have to do it alone." Shelby pulled Quinn into her embrace, and let Quinn sob into her neck for a moment before pulling away and holding her at arms length.
"Keep going honey, don't ever give up. You'll see me there." Shelby smiled.
A/N: Again, I can't thank you guys enough for your continued support. A lot of the dialogue in this chapter was tweaked from the book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland so it might be a bit choppy. I didn't want to change it too much but I had to make it relevant to Quinn, so. Shelby's dialogue was from the book, but the scene itself was based on the Disney movie adaptation Alice in Wonderland because it fit better. I didn't want you guys likening Beth to a pig baby, hahaha. Review? :)?