Disclaimer: See Chapter 1, etc.

Word Count: 3,183

Maribel Lopez was normally a calm person. Her mother had been a calm person. The last time her family has seen her lose her cool had been when her only daughter, the pugnacious, beautiful, and often difficult, Santana Luisa had disappeared into thin air. She'd channeled that anger when she refused to allow the town to sweep the mysterious disappearance of four of its brightest young women under the carpet, taking up an almost holy crusade to get them back.

She'd never understood why the only Fabray who seemed to care about the missing Head Cheerleader, Quinn, had been her older sister. The one time she'd met Quinn she'd gotten the impression that the girl hid behind an almost impenetrable mask and that for some reason she fascinated her daughter, though in a completely different way than Brittany Pierce, her girlfriend, another one of the missing girls.

She actually hadn't been surprised at the distant reaction of Brittany's parents to her disappearance. They'd always seemed disconnected from her life, from what she'd seen of Brittany through her surprising relationship with Santana. But, their unshakable belief that Brittany would be back had helped solidify her own belief that Santana would find a way home, even if they made no effort to really look for her before returning to wherever they'd come from, a year after the girl's disappearance.

The Berrys, on the other hand, had been visibly devastated by the disappearance of their only daughter and had visibly aged over the past few years. She suspected that, given the attitudes of the Lima residents towards the Berrys, the only thing keeping them from leaving Lima and its painful associations was the belief that they needed to be there when their daughter returned.

She wasn't sure quite what to tell them. Brittany had not said anything about the Berry girl, and Quinn, though from her words she suspected Quinn had been one of the others that day at the Ancestor's city. But, to speak to her daughter again, she would drag them all there if she had to.

After several days of shock following the discovery of their isolation, everyone she came in contact with was talking about the strange situation they found themselves in. Everything seemed to be working as expected, except being cut off from the rest of the world. There was enough food. The electricity still worked, and all of the shops still accepted money. Luxuries like restaurants, movie theaters, and video game parlors were still open.

The aliens or Pretty Girl Soldiers, as everyone had started calling them, once they'd been seen without their helmets and on the beach, had been working with the banks, and mayors and other officials within the occupied zone to make sure the economy still worked. And that law and order prevailed. They'd already been quick to eliminate two drug gangs that had thought there was an opportunity to fill the power vacuum.

They wouldn't say when they could rejoin the rest of the world but Maribel suspected it would be months, if not longer, based on how the economy and government services were being rearranged. It was almost as if they were in a race to create a self-sustaining country before something worse than an earthquake occurred.

Even the foreigners were being encouraged to keep out of trouble. Under orders from the Council of Nine, all of the embassies and consulates were working overtime to document any of their citizens who were in the Zone when the Council annexed it.

She'd heard from various usually reliable sources that non-residents would be allowed to leave soon and that the Nine would be covering the cost of any extended vacations of any unwilling captives. One of her banker friends had quietly indicated that a lot of money was moving around as unknown entities hurried to purchase any property owned by outside companies, and secured ownership rights to large portions of the peninsula. She suspected the Nine were behind it but nothing was being said in public.

Hopefully, her daughter and friends would provide some sort of answers before the day was over, she thought, as she stared at the cabin door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked firmly, twice.

The door opened a crack, and Hiram Berry peaked out, before quickly slamming the door shut, and then reopening it all the way.

"Maribel Lopez!" he said excitedly. "What brings you here?"

"May I enter," she asked formally. "I wish to discuss something with you."

"Sure," he said. "I was just making coffee. Would you like a cup? Leroy is in the shower."

"Yes, thank you," she said.

"What brings you to Cancun?" he asked. "Have you been here long? Are they letting people go home now?"

"My family is from the Yucatan," she told him. "I was here for a family celebration when our gracious hosts arrived."

"So, you aren't being asked to leave when things settle down?" Leroy asked, entering the room. Leaning over, he hugged his husband before taking the cup of coffee offered to him.

"No," she said. "Families with Mayan blood are not being asked to leave, though no one has explained the reason to us."

"Interesting," Hiram said. "Rumor has it that one of the Mayan gods unexpectedly appeared last month, on the 21st, and has decided to take the entire peninsula back from the Spanish. Though, since the Spanish don't claim it any longer that might be difficult."

"Governments have always had a difficult time with my people," Maribel said, with a small smile.

"What brings you here?" Leroy asked, putting down his cup.

"How did you happen to pick this month to visit our fair land?" she asked, instead of answering him.

"There was a contest," Hiram said. "The hotel was recently purchased and remodeled and the new owners gave away a month's stay to several lucky couples."

"Though I don't recall us entering it," Leroy added. "But we needed to get away from Lima and this was the perfect opportunity," he said squeezing his husband's hand.

"Clever," Maribel said, under her breath. "Do you know who else won?" she asked.

"The Fabray girl's older sister and her girlfriend," Hiram said. "We ran into them down at the beach yesterday."

"Not her parents?" Maribel asked in surprise.

Leroy frowned. "They're on some pilgrimage to Israel," he said. "Or so Lima gossip claims."

"And the Pierces?" she asked.

"We haven't heard from them since they moved away from Lima," Hiram said.

"Ah," she said, nodding to herself.

"Why do you ask?" Leroy said, after refilling everyone's cup.

"My family has had connections to the ruling family of Chichen Itza since the founding of the city," she said. "My niece is High Priestess of the family Dragon cult, as my daughter would have been," she said. "We went to perform a ritual at our temple in the city, and were prevented from doing so by our recently arrived hosts."

"That's fascinating," Hiram said. "What was the ritual for, and how do you hand it down between the generations? Written or oral?"

"Hiram, not now," Leroy said. "He's fascinated by Mayan history," he told Maribel. "Legend has it that one of his ancestors was a Mayan princess."

"Really? Do you know her name?" Maribel asked. "My niece's doctoral thesis is about the Mayan diaspora after the Spanish conquered Mexico."

"No, she changed her name, or it was changed for her when she married into the family. She did leave behind several documents that no one has ever been able to translate," Hiram said.

"I would like to see them, if possible," Maribel said, trying to conceal her excitement at the thought of unknown original Mayan documents surviving the Spaniards.

"That could possibly be arranged," Hiram said, "after we are allowed to return home."

"Of course," Maribel said.

"You were saying you attempted to visit one of your family's holy places?" Hiram said, excitedly. "What happened?"

"Several of the young women soldiers employed by our hosts were there," Maribel said. "They told us to come back another time."

"What do they look like up close?" Leroy asked. "We've only seen them from a distance. They seem impressive but they looked a little like characters from a cartoon."

"In person, they do look like something from a movie, but there's a certain hardness, a realness to them," she said. "There were two others there. One of their leaders, called the Hands of the Council of Nine, was there, though they did not remove their helmet."

"Interesting," Hiram said. "What does that mean? Hands of the Council?"

"One of our earliest legends is of a group of Nine Gods of the Underworld who would come to remake our world. The leader of their army, one of the gods, was referred to as their Hands."

"So, coincidence?" Leroy asked, interested in spite of himself.

"I believe we met their war leader," Maribel said.

"Do you think the eight others are here?" Hiram asked. "I wonder what they could be? We know they look partially human."

"Partially?" Leroy asked.

"Humanoid head, arms and legs and a torso. Of course, we haven't seen them without their armor so the rest is pure speculation," Hiram said.

"My niece has been asked to return to Chichen Itza this afternoon to meet with those of the Nine who are present," Maribel said. "Your presence has also been requested."

"Our presence?" Hiram said, squeaking in surprise. "Why us?"

"There was another present at the city," Maribel said. "My daughter's friend Brittany made her presence known."

"Brittany Pierce?" Leroy said, standing up excitedly. "Did she say anything about the other girls? Have they been found?"

"I know my daughter will be there today," Maribel said. "She did not mention the others, other than to tell us to bring you to this meeting."

"Rachel?" Hiram whispered. "Will they take us to see her? Is she okay? Does she still sing?"

"I can't answer that," Maribel said softly, "but please come with us. We'll pick you up around 1PM."

"What should we wear to meet such important people," Hiram said, looking worriedly at his husband and then Maribel.

"We shall dress as befits the occasion," she told them. "It's a long drive from here and you aren't used to this kind of weather. Wear something comfortable but dignified."

"We'll think of something," Leroy told her, as he watched Hiram flit about the room in a panic.

"Good, good," Maribel said, putting down her cup. "We will be back for you in several hours."

"1PM, yes," Leroy said, showing her to the door.

"Do you think we'll finally see our little girl again?" Hiram said, his voice carrying through an open window.

"I hope so," Maribel whispered to herself. She still had to talk to the Fabray sister, which was going to be difficult, since she'd never really spoken with her. The other cabin was near the water, in a private location. She wondered who had picked it out. She suspected that it had been Brittany. Her Santana would have never thought of something this subtle. It would have required a lot of planning, but then, the entire annexation of the Yucatan by the Council of Nine showed a keen mind. In fact, she was surprised that Santana hadn't appeared on her cousin's doorstep as soon as she found out.

Maribel recited a prayer to the Nine under her breath before approaching the door. She knocked several times but there was no answer.

"We're not in," a husky voice said from behind her. Startled, Maribel turned around. Two younger women, dressed in see-through beach shawls over colorful bikinis, stood on the walk. One was clearly a Fabray, with the distinctive family hair color, thin figure, and model-like features. The other was older, though no less beautiful, and vaguely familiar to Maribel, though she couldn't place her.

"Miss Fabray? I am Maribel Lopez. I don't know if you remember me, but your sister was a friend of my daughter, Santana," Maribel said.

"How could I forget," the blonde said. "You're the only person who seemed to care that my sister was missing, when even my parents couldn't be bothered."

"It wasn't that bad, was it Francine?" the other woman asked. "I'm sorry, we haven't been introduced," the older woman said. "I'm Shelby Cocoran. Rachel Berry is my daughter."

"Ah," Maribel said, nodding. More machinations by Brittany, she suspected. Hopefully, the Berry men wouldn't be upset if she was included. They hadn't mentioned her when they mentioned meeting the elder Fabray daughter. "You both came together?" she asked, curious.

"Let's take this inside," Shelby said, gently guiding Francine around Maribel to the door.

Maribel followed them inside, taking careful note of their body language.

"Drink?" Francine asked Maribel, before turning to Shelby. "Your usual?"

"No, thank you," Maribel said.

"Water is fine," Shelby said.

"We both received invitations to stay here several months ago," Francine said, handing Shelby a bottle of water. "Shelby and I became friends several years ago, completely by accident. I had no idea that her daughter had been one of the four."

"Leroy and Hiram have been kind enough to keep me updated on their search for Rachel," Shelby said. "As their surrogate, we'd agreed that I wouldn't play a major role in her life until she was eighteen, though we had been in contact for several months before the girls disappeared. When they arranged for the Choir room to be named after Rachel, they asked me if I would join them."

"We bumped into each other at the school the next day," Francine said. "I was there finishing the paperwork for a scholarship in Quinn's name, since my parents refused to have anything to do with it. We became close friends, and when we both received invitations, we decided to share a cabin." She blushed when she finished.

"How much older are you than your sister?" Maribel asked, curious.

"A decade," Francine said, frowning at her.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to offend you, I was just curious," Maribel said, quickly.

"Curiosity goes both ways," Shelby said. "What brings you to our door?"

"I do not know how much you both know about our current situation?" Maribel said.

"Just rumors," Francine said. "Neither of us speak the language so we've had to rely on the local papers for translations."

"It appears that, on the date of the Mayan Apocalypse, which I thought wasn't a real apocalypse, some aliens, who look remarkably human, appeared and claimed the Yucatan," Shelby said. "They are letting anyone who doesn't live here go home. Eventually. We went to the US Embassy and registered with them. Now we're just waiting for permission to leave."

"That is reasonably close to the truth, as I am aware of it," Maribel said. "The reason for the aliens claiming a large portion, not all, of the peninsula has not been fully explained. We do know that part of the reason involves the peoples of the peninsula who lived here over a thousand years ago. You would know of them as the Mayans, though that is not what we called ourselves back then. It is possible their claim to the land is valid."

"And no one can argue with them because they have the firepower to enforce their will," Shelby said, nodding.

"Correct."

"What does this have to do with us?" Francine asked, grabbing Shelby's hand.

"One of the locations claimed directly by the aliens is a sacred site," Maribel said. "It has been used by my family for many centuries."

"Oh, so you are from here?" Francine asked.

"Very much so," Maribel said, nodding in agreement. "When we went to perform a yearly ritual in our temple, we were prevented from doing so by these aliens. They have granted us an audience today where we hope to plead our case."

"What does that have to do with me?" Francine asked.

"One of the so called aliens is apparently my daughter's girlfriend," Maribel said.

"How is that possible?" Francine asked. "Does that mean the others are still alive?"

"I do not know," Maribel said. "I hope to receive answers to that and other questions today. And you have been invited to join us."

"I have?" Francine said, before turning to Shelby. "What about Shelby?"

"She was not mentioned, but I believe her presence would not be unwelcome," Maribel said.

"Are you sure?" Shelby said.

"It cannot be a coincidence that both of you received those invitations," Maribel said. "Or that the Berry's also received them."

"So, someone planned for us to all be here when this happened?" Shelby said.

"I believe so," Maribel said. "Can you join us?"

"Of course," Francine said, speaking for both of them.

"Good. We will be here shortly after 1PM. It will be a long trip so please dress in something comfortable but not ostentatious."

"Thank you for including us," Francine said, as she showed Maribel out of the cabin.

"The Council of Nine, the alien leaders, insisted on your presence," Maribel said. "You may not be thanking me later."

"Any information about my sister and Shelby's daughter would be worth any price," Francine said. "Just knowing what happened to them would be more than we have now."

"We shall see," Maribel said, before leaving.

"Are they here yet?" Rachel said, barely able to control her excitement.

"Cool your jets, Berry," Santana said, leaning against the back wall. "They are at the drop-off point now."

Quinn shook her head, leaning towards Brittany. "What did you give her," she asked.

"San? Nothing. Just the usual," she said, smirking.

"That, I didn't need to know," Quinn said, sure she was blushing. And glad her helmet was hiding it from the others.

"I'm sure Rachel would help you out if you asked," Brittany said.

"Not happening," Quinn said. "You know neither of us are into that."

"Really?" Brittany said. "You forget who you're talking to. I've seen your diary."

"Brit!"

"It's my job," Brittany said. "I need to know everything that motivates our people, including the Nine. And that means your deepest, darkest secrets. Fortunately for you, I can keep a secret."

"And you've read Rachel's diary?" Quinn asked.

"She doesn't keep one, exactly. The Memory of the Nine has no true privacy. Everything she thinks and experiences is recorded," Brittany said.

"Does Rachel know this?" Quinn asked, surprised.

"Yes," Brittany said. "She is able to designate certain memories be kept confidential until her death, preferably a long time from now. But some day, future Memories will have access to all of her thoughts about the things we do."

"That's strange to think about," Quinn said.

"You do remember that all of our memories were recorded and used to train our people," Brittany said. "What do you think that means?"

"I haven't really thought about it," Quinn said. "I don't think it's the same thing."

"No, but it's close. Our memories were treated like programming, while hers is really just a recording."

"Huh," Quinn muttered.

"And they're here," Brittany said. "Everyone stay here! Remember who you are, part of the Nine." she said. "We don't want to frighten them. They have no idea anyone except San and myself will be here."

Next: Reactions/Reunions