"Quinn, you know her?" Maritza asks.
"Yeah," I nod. "Shelby Corcoran, she was with our group but she stayed behind in Michigan. She's Rachel's mother."

"Oh Quinn," She cries, falling into my arms.

"She looks like she's about to collapse, we better get her to a doctor," Maritza replies.
"She can stay with us right?" I inquire.
"Well there's two extra room's in the house where Noah is living right? We'll get her through medical now and you can declare who she is in the morning, it's getting late and she clearly needs rest."

"Is everybody here?" Shelby asks, breathlessly, clasping onto my hand. "Is everyone safe?"

"Yes Shelby, "I whisper. "Come on, there's something I need to show you that you won't believe."
We escourt in side the gates, but she's very weak. "Quinn, I can't walk much further," She whispers.

"That's okay," Maritza says as we stopn outside the admin building, "wait here."
"Beth," she whispers.

"She's with Puck or Santana and Brittany, she's been so brave," I tell her, making her tired face crack a smile. "Everything is great here, I'll explain it to you later."

Luckily,Maritza comes back wheeling a wheelchair in our direction.

"Shelby you sit down here, Quinn and I will take you for a checkup."

We bring her to one of the doctors' offices where she is examined privately before the doctor calls Maritza and I in. "She's exhausted and dehydrated, but apart from that she's okay, she has nothing contagious, I've given her some water but she'll need sleep as soon as possible and food as soon as she wakes up."

"Thank you Doctor," I reply, helping Shelby back into her chair.
"I'll go get a car," Maritza tells me as we wheel Shelby to the exit.

"Thank you," Shelby croaks, fighting hard to keep her eyes open.

The journey in the car seems to be difficult for her, I doubt she's gotten to sit this long in a few days. "Shelby," I whisper. "What happened to the others?"

"We ran," She tells me in gasping breaths. "Just before the hoard hit, you were right, it was too big, some stayed behind, but the building was surrounded Your dad and I got lost from the others after a while, but we kept running. He insisted. But just before we got here," She freezes, her eyes begin to water and I know what she's about to say.

"Ssh Shelby, it's okay," I tell her. "Don't think about it."

"He died," she whispers through tears. "It was horrible. Ripped apart."
So he's actually gone, he doesn't even have the chance to change. And how typical, it was him who tried to steal our truck, to save himself before anyone else, what type of Christian was he?

"We're here," Maritza announces, bringing the car to a stop.
"Here?" Shelby asks.
"This is home," I tell her. "This is where I sleep. " I point to the lit up house, and through the windows I can see all the others gathered inside, as if they knew I needed them to assemble. "And the empty one over there is where you'll stay, with Puck and Beth."

She looks and smiles. "Wow," She whispers, her expression is the same as all of ours, how did we get so lucky, to have such a comfortable, secure place to live.

"Come on," I tell her, "You really need to come inside."

"I'll bring some food for her to eat after she gets some sleep," Maritza says once Shelby and I have exited her vehicle. "Quinn, you're coming with me in the morning, we're going to get some of the infected and bring them back here."

"Come on Shelby," I smile. I can't wait to see her be reunited with Rachel and Beth. I knock on the door to the small concrete building, it is swiftly opened by Puck.
"Quinn," He says, "You're back."

"Quinn?" Rachel calls excitedly from inside, she runs over and jumps into my arms, smothering me with kisses.
"Wait!" I laugh, trying to make my way in the door. "I have a surprise for all of you."

I look behind me, Puck is standing motionless at the door, already having seen who is standing there.

"Momma!" Beth is the first to cry as she runs in the direction of the door.

I help Shelby step inside and her arrival is met with a gasp, Beth wraps her arms around her distracted mother's leg, whose eyes are fixed on the brunette at my side.

"Shelby," Rachel whispers.
Shelby reaches out a hand to stroke her face. "But how? How is this possible? Is she really here?"
"It's a long story," I reply. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow."
"Oh my god," Shelby whispers, suddenly wrapping her arms Rachel, causing the tears to start flowing. "My daughter."

Watching the two being reunited, as though they have both returned from the dead, is overwhelming for everyone. I look around, noticing that everybody has tears in their eyes too.

"I was afraid I'd never see you again," Rachel whispers to her mother.

Shelby bends down and picks up Beth in her arms, "And Beth, oh my goodness, I just can't believe you're all here, espeicially you Rachel."

"Shelby you really should get some sleep," I advise, afraid she will faint any second.
"Let me take her," Puck suggests, "She can sleep in the spare room with Beth."

"Thank you Puck," Shelby whispers, giving Rachel a kiss goodnight.

As we watch them leave, I feel Rachel sneak her way into my arm, I look at her, she's crying with happiness.

"So that's who tried to steal our truck," Santana mumbles. "I wish we hadn't shot at them now."
"I know," I reply. "I'm sure Puck feels the same."

"How was your day?" Santana inquires. "What's it like being in the military?"

"tiring," I reply. "I've been running around all day, the only time I got to sit down was for dinner in HQ, but Maritza says I can go eat with you guys any day I'm not training or busy. How was your work assignment?"
"Surprisingly interesting," Santana replies. "Brit and I just got to help these little kids learn about math. It's amazing that this place has been created to make the outside world so unknown to the children inside. We also found out we get a type of salary for this, we get food from the farm which you can trade for other goods at any store, there's even an upholstery and jewellery store. It's crazy. This place is better than anything on the outside, well apart from not having our own bathroom but I can live with that."

Blaine and Kurt nod agreeing. I know she's right, we're safe here but with this whole work assignment I barely get to see Rachel.

Tiredness begins to kick in and I find myself longing for my small and creaky but comfortable bed. It must be the training and from what Maritza is saying, tomorrow may be even more tiring. I grab Rachel's hand and pull her with me towards the bedroom.

"Oh jeez," I hear Santana comment, and I know she is rolling her eyes, "Not again, I actually want to sleep tonight if that's okay with you two." The others around her giggle causing Rachel to blush but I just stick out my tongue at them before closing our bedroom door, so it's just the two of us again.

I pull Rachel onto my bed so that we are both sitting. "Quinn," she whispers. "I don't know what to say. You've given me more than I can ever give back. You gave me my life, all of this, my mother."

"You've given me enough Rachel, I've got you and that's all I need."

She snuggles into my arm. "I missed you today, I was helping the doctor and she said that you guys have to go get some people who need to be treated."

I've noticed how she says "people" or "infected" rather than "zombies" since she's been cured, she's not classifying them as a different species and it's probably because she's been there. "You should try get some of the ones living in that town, like I said, they're smart, the cure will work quickly on them, then the town could be cleared up and used as another safe place like here."

"Wow," I whisper impressed. "You should tell that to Jackson."
"I said it to Taylor already," She replies. "She thought it was a good idea. Do you really have to go outside tomorrow Quinn?"

"Rachel, there's honestly nothing to worry about, think about how many zombies we've avoided just to get this far."
She frowns with uncertainty. "I just don't want to lose you."
"You know I'll never leave you," I reassure. "We're going to ge tthe cure out there and before we know it, this country will be infection free."

"Quinn?" She asks tiredly.
"Yeah?"
"What are we going to do when all this is over? Where will we go?"
"You know what I want to do?"
"What?"
"I want to go away for a while, go exploring and find some place where it's just the two of us and we can forget about everything, the virus, the horror, the world, we'll just have each other because that's all we need." I know how unrealistic that sounds but it's something I've been dreaming of, ever since we got stuck in McKinley.

"I'd like that," Rachel smiles. "Let's do that."
"Okay," I smile kissing her forehead.

"You better get some sleep," She kisses my cheek before she moves over to her own bed. "I love you."

"I love you too," I whisper before I place my head on the soft pillow which allows me to drift into peaceful sleep where I can dream about a bright, painless future with Rachel.


A/N : Yes this is a short chapter that doesn't significantly add anything to the plot but my next chapter is going to be set a few weeks later so I said I'd cut this short, thanks again for all your support. Unfortunately the next chapter may be the last or second last followed by an epilogue, I'm so reluctant to end this story!