A/N Hello readers! Next chapter finally right? So I'm not going into crazy detail as to why I haven't posted because honestly it's a personally life altering situation and I'm a private person. Anywho, so a few things and then you may read on. 'Blonde woman' will be explained in the next chapter.
Security guard 'Moore' in my head I pictured Noah Gray-Cabey the way he looks now I guess. You know, big strong, handsome man that my sister seems to fawn over, lol.
Anyway. Hope you enjoy and to the people who have review asking about 'You are the Mother' and 'Journey' I have heard your cries and take you seriously when you say you need them, those chapters are coming up next but I had to get this chapter out of the way because it was deserved after I put this story on the back burner for so long.
'Wake me up' will also be up soon and so on and so forth. I haven't abandoned anything. I've just been juggling them all. So thank you for your patience, keep the reviews coming because I love to hear your thoughts on the chapter to whatever story you love and hopefully stay with me as I continue. I adore you all more than you ever know and you keep me going.
I don't own glee nor it's characters or story lines.
MARCH 18, 2018.
Shelby feels her head throb as sound comes back to her. The older brunette's eyes flutter open as her head swims a little.
From her perch on the over turned buses ceiling. Her vision is slightly blurry but when it clears, she sees through the front of the buses shattered window her daughter, but she's not alone.
Zombies. Her daughter is fighting them off as she screams for she and Santana to wake up.
Shelby can honestly say her body wants nothing more than to stay laying where it is. Add the pain in her side, her painfully pulsing head, and the fact that she absolutely feels like she's dying right now is understandable but she doesn't.
She grits her teeth and grunts her way to her feet. She staggers a little then turns to a still knocked out Santana.
She stumbles back down to her knees beside the unconscious brunette and grips her arm, shaking her as roughly as her body will allow.
"Santana! Santana, come on!" Shelby says urgently.
The older woman makes the mistake of looking up, through the back door and back shattered windows and sees something that stops her heart.
A large mob of well over a thousand zombies are running toward them from a good enough distance that if she could get Santana up now, the three of them could make it out alive.
Possibly.
Maybe.
A teeny tiny chance of if she can get Santana up in time.
"SANTANA! SANTANA GET UP, NOW! PLEASE SANTANA THEY'RE COMING!" Shelby screamed frantically.
Santana does nothing. She doesn't make a sound actually. If it wasn't for the sign of her chest rising and falling indicating she's breathing, Shelby would think she was dead.
Upon a more concentrated look Shelby can see blood in the dark raven tresses of the brunette's hair and that's when she sees it. The gash, that most definitely meant something bad hidden in the brunette's hair.
"SANTANA, MOM! WAKE UP! PLEASE GOD, WAKE UP!" Rachel screams outside the bus as she takes down walker after walker on her own, feeling herself losing steam but gritting her teeth ready to fight to the death.
You can hear the emotion in Rachel's voice. Shelby can hear the fear and the plea that would be a cry if Rachel weren't trying to be strong for them.
Shelby shakes her head and grits her own teeth. She won't let her daughter carrying this burden alone. She won't let her daughter die saving their asses.
Shelby doesn't know if it's the adrenalin coursing through her veins or the sheer fear of being eaten alive by the oncoming horde or maybe it's her only daughter about to die not twenty feet from the bus but whatever it is, gives her the strength and will to grab Santana's arms, pulling on them to get the girl into a seated position before using all the strength that god gave her to haul the smaller brunette over her shoulder.
Shelby grunts as she struggles a little to her feet than she slightly stumbles her way to the front of the bus.
She crouches as best she can with Santana's weight making it unbearably hard and struggles to crawl out through the front window of the bus.
"Ahh!" Shelby cries as one of her palms get cut by a shard of glass, causing tears to fall as Shelby struggles to keep climbing out of the bus.
Just then she sees Rachel fighting and just seeing her daughter fight for their lives brought the fight back into Shelby and as she crosses through the window causing more glass to cut her and she's pretty sure Santana too, she clenches her jaw and pulls them through.
Once free her eyes widen in shock that they made it through. That she got them out of there on her own.
It may seem small in comparison to what her daughter is doing for them and not a big deal to most but that small victory just filled Shelby with a new hope that just maybe she was strong enough to help her daughter get them through this.
Shelby grunted as she stood up than hoisted Santana more comfortably on her shoulders, she took the first of many steps to getting the knocked out teenager to safety.
Rachel's eyes widen in surprise at seeing her mother carry Santana on her shoulders.
Just as Rachel was about to yell to Shelby to run a zombie rounded the bus and Rachel's heart seized. "MOM!"
The wide eyed fearful look on her mothers face Rachel would never forget but just then the zombie dropped by an arrow being shot clean through the center of it's head.
Rachel's head whipped around just in time to see a blonde woman she's never seen before dressed to nines in combat gear that looked like something similar to her own but not, as it was more new and had the type of weaponry attached that put Rachel's own to shame.
The woman was running at top speed toward them as she took down walker after walker seamlessly from her end only to vanish through a bright electrical light before their eyes shocking Shelby and Rachel who was still fighting but confused as to what the fuck was happening.
"RACHEL!" Shelby screamed as a zombie was about to bite into the brunette's arm but the blonde woman beamed brightly as she appeared once more only this time beside Rachel, chopping the zombies head off clean from it's body.
Only to vanish again than reappear on Rachel's other side taking down another than vanishing again to Shelby's side and taking down the few that rounded the bus.
"SHELBY RUN!" The woman yelled as if she knew Shelby well, taking the second to point in the direction she wanted her to run. Shelby hesitated only a second before doing as she was told.
"RACHEL!" The blonde woman called to the brunette tossing her a gun as it was clear the Rachel had run out of ammo and was using her machete to take down the walkers.
Rachel caught the gun easily and began blowing head after head off it seemed without much of a glance with perfect accuracy.
The woman appeared by Rachel's side and together the two began to take down the zombies faster.
"Rachel, you have to go catch up to Shelby she needs you!" The woman called to the brunette.
"What about you?!" Rachel may not know the woman but she did save not only her mother and Santana's life she saved Rachel's life as well. So of course she cared what happened to this stranger.
"I'll be right behind you, I swear! Now go!" The woman urged.
Rachel nodded than took off after her mother who hadn't got very far considering she'd never run with a person on her back before and was actually only 'running' at a barely there jog and was losing steam quickly. Sweat poured down Shelby's face as her hair matted to her face with the sun beating down on them.
"Ahhh!" Shelby screamed when a zombie popped out from the long stretch of trees on the side of the highway but Rachel was faster and put it down from her distance not too far away with a bullet to it's head.
Rachel caught up to Shelby within seconds and just as the brunette looked back and saw the blonde woman still fighting flawlessly and taking down three zombies at a time, the electric current beamed in a second and she was gone.
"Told you I'd catch up." The woman piped up from the opposite side of Shelby scaring the beejesus out of the two brunette's.
"Holy shit!" Shelby said.
"How the fuck are you doing that?!" Rachel followed.
"Nows not the time, your rondevue pick up is still a few more yards away and I don't know about you two but if we don't get going now, we'll have to deal with that." The blonde woman said as she pointed to the over turned bus and the giant horde Shelby had saw beginning to reach it.
"I don't know how the hell you know that and I want answers later but I agree let's get out of here." Rachel said.
Shelby looked green as she nodded her agreement and the three continued to run slash jog toward the long stretch of trees, knowing full well it be safer in there than out in the open. Shelby still carrying Santana with Rachel and this woman covering her back.
JANUARY 2012.
Hiram Berry likes to believe he's a strong man. He likes to believe that he does well under pressure but this.
This, he doesn't think he's strong enough for this. Not only has he had to try and coax Rachel out of this state of catatonic despair full to brim of depression and isolation but his husband has been missing for a week now.
There are now flyers all over Lima of his husbands gorgeous face. There has been a man hunt done in the woods but nothing. Leroy's car is also missing.
The last time he was seen or heard from was a week and one day ago when one of his surgeries were canceled and he had left early for the day.
Hiram had been in hysterics over it. Judy Fabray has been at his house giving all the support she can. Cooking and helping him with Rachel.
His daughter had taken it hard as she not only lost the girl she's had feelings for, for so long but also her dad in the same week.
Rachel hasn't been to school and people haven't been kind about the situation.
Their home had been vandalized with harsh words of happiness to see one of the 'Faggots' gone.
It seems the police feel the same sentiment but have to by law treat the case like any other.
Hiram only allows himself to cry when he's alone with Judy or in their bed thinking about the last morning he and his husband had together.
It was too much and he isn't sure they'll be able to come back from this.
"Would you like me to set up some tea before I go Hiram?" Judy ask soft and kind.
Hiram looks up at Judy with dark rings around his glassy red, puffy eyes. "No, No thank you. I appreciate it though, Judy."
"Alright. Remember if you need anything, I'm only phone call away."
"Thank you, Judy. Come I'll show you out."
"No, don't you worry about me. Just relax, I can see myself out."
Hiram nodded feeling no fight in anything as he slowly began to die in the lost of sorrow.
Judy sighed as she gathered her things and headed for the door. The older blonde made it outside and to her car in sadness.
Judy hasn't told Hiram everything that has been going on. She hasn't told him that he isn't the only one mourning because she didn't want to cause him more stress.
A week. It's been a week since Leroy, Britney, and older Britney vanished. Peter Pierce and Whitney Pierce, Britney's parents have also filed a missing persons report. The news spread like wildfire and there has been a 'Bring Britney home' walk in honor of the missing teen.
It has been a week since they've heard from older Rachel and Frannie. The hospital had tried reaching Frannie with no answer and the police came looking to Judy for answers and since there was nothing she could do in short of incriminating herself.
She had to file a missing persons report on her daughter to keep herself off the suspect list, having to put on her own charade of loss.
Not to mention the other person that Lima is in an actual uproar over. Santana Lopez is missing.
Santana Lopez of the cheerios and only child of Santos and Marisol Lopez is gone and no one knows where she is. She was suppose to meet her friends at the mall but never showed up.
Her car was found parked outside across the street from another missing person that seems to have vanished into thin air, Shelby Corcoran. Rachel Berry's mother and her oldest daughters girlfriend.
No family has stepped forward for the woman but since one of Shelby's friends whose a teacher at Carmel had stopped in when the brunette hadn't shown up to work for two days with no call about her absence, decided to stop by her house only to find the front door barely ajar. The police were called and a missing persons report was now out for her as well.
Lima is now on national news. Amber alerts have gone out for the missing teens.
Five very important people were missing and no one could answer what happened.
It didn't help that some rumors have been going around that her youngest daughter Quinn had gone 'Psycho butcher' and murdered her two best friends and her former target of bullyings' father Leroy and figured that offing the brunette's mother was icing on the cake before she turned on her own family and killed her father.
Her lawyer is hard at work trying to remove Quinn from possibly being hit with the charges because she has some form association with each victims and is now a suspect in the case.
Judy feels like she's going to combust with the truth but she knows she can't. She isn't stupid. She knows what would happen if she did.
After seeing what happened to Leroy, Britney and older Britney before her very eyes, tells her that maybe just maybe the same thing happened to Santana, Shelby, and Frannie but she isn't sure how.
She knows Rachel had been with Frannie as her body guard, so she could see that happening but she couldn't figure out how Santana and Shelby would have gotten caught up in it too.
The worst part is, is that no one can go to Shelby's house looking for clues and Santana's car has already been towed away as evidence at the scene.
This entire thing has been a mess. Unfortunately Judy has had to stay at her old house again.
The police have been watching everyone for any chance at catching whoever is behind this.
She hasn't been back at the base since filing the report for Frannie under Sues orders.
Sue hasn't stepped foot out of the base since this has happened because she wants to stay off the suspect list.
She had quit William Mckinely a while ago but she was close to Santana and Britney and knew she'd be a suspect.
So they thought it best she stays out of sight since she and jean technically live at the base.
Sam has been staying at Blaine's since Blaine and Sam still have to go to school and no one wants them to unknowingly lead the police to the base.
Since Blaine's parents are never around and Blaine's step mom is going to pop with his little sister soon, they figured it'd be best for all parties involved.
Judy sighed as she pulled into her drive way and walked up to the house that held such horrendous memories for her.
She stepped into the silent house her ears taking in the sound of the front door shutting and echoing throughout the house. Judy stood for a moment before bursting into tears.
It was wrong. All of this was wrong and she was terrified that she'd never see her family again.
Terrified that this wouldn't be fixed and the future was some how screwed and they were all going to die anyway.
Quinn, Older Britney, and Older Rachel had come back to stop this but it seemed that no matter what they tried something seems to always go wrong. Like fate was refusing to allow them to change what is truly meant to happen.
MARCH 18, 2018.
"Behind you!" Rachel shouted as she fought back to back with the blonde woman who had a great advantage of disappearing than reappearing in time, helping to protect Shelby and a now dizzy stumbling Santana as they navigating through the woods on foot getting closer and closer to the rondevue point.
Rachel shot taking down the zombie about to lunge for the blonde woman, as the blonde shot a arrow threw the head of a zombie getting ready to attack Shelby who had Santana's arm slung over her shoulder and an arm around her waist guiding her as best she could.
Just then another arrow flew hitting a zombie from a farther distance.
"Shelby! Run to Britney, We're covering you!" The blonde woman yelled to the older brunette who nodded and struggled helping Santana limp in the direction of the now visible van a few yards away with older Britney on top of it shooting arrow after arrow, taking out as many zombies as she could before they could even take a step in Santana and Shelby's direction.
Shelby's heart beat harshly in her chest. She was exhausted, scared, and hopefully terrified that they had made it this far and the van was literally a few good yards away but now visible yards away nonetheless from them.
She could practically taste their rescue and she fought with her body to keep going.
Santana had been badly injured it turns out. She had a gash in her head and a glass embedded in her right calf that if removed would surely cause quick blood loss, that's how thick the glass was.
"Shelby, I'm slowing you down just leave me." Santana whispered in painful exhaustion as she fought with her body to keep limping forward.
"No, I'm not leaving you. Come on, Santana, just a little more and we'll be safe. I promise I'm going to get you out of here."
"I'm sorry for what I did, Shelby. I'm sorry about Frannie." Santana said as she began to cry in pain. You could hear her begging tone asking for forgiveness and partially to be left to die. Almost like she was going to give up.
"You listen to me." Shelby grunted through gritted teeth as she helped drag the young teen forward. "We are going to make it together. What happened to Frannie was not only you're fault. It was mine too because I should have protected her the way she protected me but remember what Rachel said. We can go back. We can see her again and you can say you're sorry to her yourself but you can't do that if you give up on us now. So please, fight for your life like we are fighting for you. Look up, Santana! Look! It's Britney and she's waiting for you okay?! She needs you to be strong! Now get your shit together and be as strong and stubborn as I know you can! Be as determined as you were to get to her when we were back at the prison!."
Santana nodded in tears and Shelby watched as determination filled the young brunette's eyes.
Santana bit her lip to hold in a cry as she grunted in pain with fresh hot tears pouring down her sweaty face as she put her weight on her leg with the glass embedded in it and with Shelby's help began to jog/slash limp forward faster.
They began closing the distance to the van and just then the van door slid open and Leroy Berry stepped out before calling up to older Britney. "Cover me!"
Older Britney nodded as younger Britney watched from the open door in tears at the state of Santana and the zombie's that seem to be pouring from the trees attacking her friends.
Leroy ran as fast as his long legs could take him. His strides getting him closer to Shelby and Santana.
Thanking Quinn Fabray in his mind for all his training because if this had been a year ago he would have been coughing and bent over, out of shape needing a minute to catch his breath.
He reached them in record time scooping Santana from Shelby's arms and nodding to the brunette.
Shelby sighed in relief as she used her last bit of energy to run herself to safety though she was lagging behind Leroy who had already ran bounds ahead of her.
Shelby was losing steam quickly and if she had paid a little more attention she would have seen the zombie to her right but she didn't.
"AAAAHHHHH!" Shelby was tackled to the ground as she tumbled with the zombie down a ditch.
"MOM!"
"SHELBY!"
Rachel and the blonde woman screamed at the same time as they watched in horror as she disappeared from sight but the two women were surrounded killing as fast they could to get to the rest of the group and hopefully save Shelby before it was too late.
Shelby groaned in agony but her eyes snapped open when she heard a moan that sent a chill down her spine.
The brunette fought her body to get to her feet, slipping on the mud beneath her feet and thanking said mud because if she hadn't slipped.
She wouldn't have lost her balance and accidently dodged the zombie awkwardly that had tumbled down with her, as it lunged for her.
She frantically looked around and when she spotted a thick enough branch she picked it up and spun around just in time for the zombie to tackle her. The wood being the only thing keeping those gory teeth from biting in to her.
Shelby screamed as she fought using the thick branch to press into the zombie's neck, pushing it with all she had away from her face.
Her body ached to give up, her arms burned, and she could feel the splinters of wood pricking into her skin and tearing at the gash she acquired from cutting her hand when she was crawling out of the bus with Santana.
Her face was beet red with fresh hot tears coming down her face.
She fought to get her knees between herself and the zombies and with all her strength kicked the zombies off of her.
She scrambled to her feet as she fought against the mud to stand on shaky legs.
Shelby felt fear and exhaustion but most of all anger. She clenched her jaw, gripped the thick branch and lifted it like a baseball bat.
The zombie already on it's feet charge for her again. She swung with all her might and caught it in the chest causing it to stumble back. The action of the hit giving her confidence. Speaking with every hit in rage and swinging in constant rotation she landed every blow.
"I!-whack-AM NOT!-whack-GOING TO!-whack-"FUCKING"-whack-DIE HERE!" With every hit the zombie staggered back until it fell backwards and Shelby began beating it in the head until there was nothing but mush and mud.
She stared down at the lifeless body panting heavy and trembling with fear and adrenalin.
Shelby looked around than realized if she didn't get her ass moving she might be left behind with the group thinking she's dead.
She ran back the way she fell and looked up the steep incline of the ditched.
She shook her head in pure rage, her lips trembling, her eyes glassy with tears. She wanted to cry.
She was tired. She just wanted everything to stop but she knew in order to get back her life. In order to go back and be with the love of her life. She had to fight. She had to survive and not this fucking ditch nor those piece of shit zombies were going to stop her.
She clenched a fist and with all the force she could muster swung forward punching it into the mud of the incline a little above her height, to get in deeply to have enough grip for the first pull of hoisting her body up.
She began digging her hands into the moist soil one after the other, a clear indication that it must have rained a day before and slowly but surely clawed her way back up the ditch.
Unintentionally covering herself in mud completely. She grunted as her boot slipped several times but as she told that zombie she will not fucking die here.
Her hand slammed down on the lip of the edge of solid upper ground and she hauled herself up with all her might at the level of just her head.
Her eyes bulged as she saw how many zombies had accumulated in the time she had fallen.
Older Britney was still on top of the van only this time with a gun, Leroy was inside the van shooting his own gun threw the passenger window.
Rachel and the blonde woman were surrounded and could barely be seen anymore.
Shelby knew that trying to help would only cause more problems since she barely had any experience. She hoisted herself the rest of the way up but instead of standing, she rolled herself on to her stomach.
She decided to use her now covered in mud body as her advantage and began to slowly body crawl her way to the van using the large trees and low to grown bushes as her shield.
She kept her eyes peeled this time and with patient stealth began making it to the van.
It took longer than she liked but thankfully in that time with the fire power of Older Britney, Leroy, Rachel and the blonde woman, the body count decreased until there was only one left taken down by older Britney.
Rachel and the blonde woman ran to the edge of the ditch frantically in fear covered in mud and blood breathing heavily in a pant. There eyes searching below at the deep ditch.
"Mom!"
"Shelby!"
"Oh god, mom!" Rachel called as her tears welled.
"I'm here!" Shelby's exhausted voice called from behind a large tree, ten feet from the van.
Everyones eyes bulged and Rachel along with the woman ran toward where they heard her voice. They stumbled to a tired stop in front of her, eyes widening at the site of her.
"Are you bit or scratched?" The blonde woman asked.
"No.. Just fucking exhausted." Shelby panted out.
It was Rachel who broke the serious moment with a relieved disbelieving chuckle that was full of emotion first, before dropping to her knees and hugging her mother in a vice grip as they cried in relief together.
Shelby never thought she'd live to the day of being hugged by her daughter like this. Full of familiarity, overflowing with love, affection, Like a mother and daughter would.
"Not that I want to break this up but can we get the hell out of here before more of those bastards come." The woman spoke up with a knowing smile.
Everyone chuckled but nodded their agreement. The three women rushed to the van, everyone piling in at once with older Britney at the wheel. The group pulled off, finally heading back to base where they could finally try and figure out where the fuck did everything go wrong?
JANUARY, 2012.
Quinn has gone through the motions of being incarcerated as they took her fingerprints, mug shot, strip searched her before she could change into the orange jumpsuit that would be her clothing for possibly the rest of her life.
She didn't know yet whether there'd be a trial or not. She's been told she won't be allowed a visitor for another day or two.
She hasn't gotten to speak to her mother since the first day of being arrested. Quinn is still in shock and is still trying to convince herself that she did the right thing because she saved not only her own life but everyone else's.
Quinn has been on suicide watch for a week now. That's the first place they placed her as soon as she was incarcerated. She supposes it's to make sure she's at least a little mentally stable before going into prison society.
It's nothing out of the ordinary for her because she's already lived over two decades alone during a zombie apocalypse.
That doesn't stop the images that plague her or the new nightmares of her father that tell her she's a murderer. It's all very morbid and psychotic so you can imagine just how little of sleep she gets.
The blonde is brought out her musings when she hears a faint whistle that makes her furrow her brow. The whistle is extremely familiar. A melody flowing in a way that reminds her of her mother.
It's an old Frank Sinatra song only in whitsle form. 'Fly me to the Moon.' For the first time in over a week the blonde's lips quirk into a barely there smile.
The whistling continues and progresses louder as the person stands outside her cell door.
She hears keys jingle than a heavy metal key slip into the slot before the lock clicks and the old heavy metal, rusted door squeaks open.
In walks in a tall, strong built man with bronze skin and a gorgeous face. He looked to be around 5'11.
He looks like he could be African American but also like he could have another ethnicity in him. His eyes are so familiar in their round chocolate and his smile knocks the air from her lungs as he smiles down at her.
So familiar but she can't place where she knows this man from but she feels like she's seen him before but also not.
The man is actually a security guard for the prison and out of all the security guards that have come to bring her breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the pass week.
They have all just shoved the tray through the slot spilling some of it's contents on the floor without a care and a sneer on their face thrown at her through the small square window.
Not this man. This man smiles this soft understanding smile that says so many things of the 'Your not a monster to me' kind. It makes Quinn's eyes fill with tears.
"Good evening, Ms. Fabray. How are you feeling today?" The man asked his voice deep but honey like.
Quinn looked at the name stitched into the mans uniform shirt. 'Moore' it read.
"I'm okay, Mr. Moore, thank you for asking. How are you?" Quinn didn't know if the man was being genuine or not but she had manners. Just because she is considered a murderer didn't mean she was an animal.
To Quinn's surprise the mans smile exploded widely as his eyes shined with happiness.
"It's going great, thank you for asking. Now Ms. Fabray, if you could stand against the far wall please." Moore said as he pointed to where he wanted her and stepped into the room shutting the door behind him.
Causing Quinn to become alert with wariness but she didn't feel uncomfortable with the man.
It was hard to describe. She felt she could trust him instantly when he asked her to stand against the wall but she didn't understand why he was closing them in when it's against protocol with inmates.
"I don't understand." Quinn said as she stood.
"Don't worry, Quinn. I knew you wouldn't." He replied with a smile in his tone.
Quinn furrowed her brow and felt her body lock in reaction ready to fight this man even if he was huge from hurting her if her first assessment was incorrect.
The man turned to her and chuckled with a shake of his head.
"Sorry, Quinn. I forgot I was suppose to take this slow so you wouldn't become combative."
"Excuse me? Take what slow?" Quinn asked with a edge in her tone full of warning.
"This."
The man said with a smile as he stepped into her personally space below the camera in the room out of sight completely and pulled her into a hug before engulfing them both in a large electrical current and vanishing within a millisecond from the room.