It had been hours since Hershel had last given them an update on Lucas.
"Do you think something went wrong in there? Why is it taking so long?" Quinn says anxiously.
"The bullet broke down into smaller pieces. Hershel has to take his time on this, my love." Santana says quietly, as Quinn defeatedly puts her head on her wifes shoulder.
The rest of the smaller group had remained in the living room to support Santana and Quinn through this hard time.
"Lucas' is going to be fine, Quinnie. He gets his strength from both of you and once he recovers, which he will, we can continue our search for Ella!" Brittany says as optimistic as ever.
"You guys. We have something you might want to see." Santana says while nudging Quinn to take her mind off things. Santana signals to Quinn to go upstairs and retrieve someone.
Everyone looked at each other a bit confused, but decided to wave it off. Quiet footsteps can be heard coming downstairs and once it was the final step. A timid Ella stood. The little girl's eyes lit up when she saw her Aunt Rachel, Aunt Brittany, Uncle Puck, Glenn, and Uncle Finn. "Aunt Brittany!" Ella cried, rushing forward.
Of course she had a favorite aunt besides Santana.
"Otis found her in the forest," Santana explained, smiling at the reunion. "She was safe and sound all along."
"Sweetheart, we'll bring your dads here first thing tomorrow morning, okay? Oh my goodness, they're going to be so happy to see you, Ellie," Rachel said with a big smile, wrapping Ella in a warm hug.
Meanwhile, Maggie was helping Finn with his injured ankle, advising him to avoid putting weight on it for the next few days. "If it becomes too inflamed, we'll have some medication for you, okay? Just let me know." Maggie smiles at a quiet Finn. The near death experience had left Finn unusually quiet, as if it was a shadow of his former self.
Rachel noticed his silence. "Finn, what happened back there?" Rachel asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Finn's eyes were haunted as he vividly remembers the events at the school.
"The school was completely overrun. There was no way out. We were cornered by them. And we got separated." he said, his voice devoid of emotion. His expression was distant, as if he was seeing the horrors all over again. "I escaped, but I was surrounded by hundreds of them with no ammo and just a knife. I had no way out. I had given up."
Rachel noticed how Finn's hands trembled as he spoke, his eyes wide and unfocused, seemingly trapped in the memory. The air around him seemed heavy, his breathing was shallow and quick. He wasn't just seeing the events; he was reliving them. Every detail being drawn into his mind once more.
"Oh Finn," Rachel said softly, reaching out to touch his arm. He flinched, pulling away as if she was one of the walkers he was trying to get away from. "It's okay, you're safe now. I'm here for you." she continued, her heart breaking for her soulmate. But her words seemed to bounce right off him.
Finn's gaze drifted to a corner of the room. He saw them again, the walkers, their relentless pursuit of blood. Their lifeless eyes. He could hear the growls, moans, and the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. It was as if the room had become the dark hallways of the school.
"I have no way out," he repeated, his voice a broken whisper.
The room fell into a heavy silence. Everyone stared at Finn in disbelief and in heartbreak. Finn, one of the bravest men ever known, who had enlisted in the military for a span of his career to clear his father's name. The glee club's leader. The one who made everyone feel welcomed and loved, was struggling.
Quinn and Santana exchanged a look of shared sorrow. Santana watched Finn's eyes become still. She had always felt a protective instinct toward Finn, and she knew Finn had the same instinct for her too. He was the little brother she never had, and seeing him like this, trapped in his own mind, was killing her.
The silence was broken by a soft creak as the door slowly opened. Hershel's face appeared, a mix of exhaustion and relief were displayed. "Santana. Quinn. I have some news for you both." Hershel said as walked closer to the mothers, with a smile breaking through, "The surgery was a success. Lucas is still unconscious, but will wake up soon. If you want to see him, you can."
For a moment, time stood still. The words hung in the air, almost too good to be true. "H-He's alive?" Quinn's voice cracked, tears now welling up in her eyes.
Brittany let out a squeal of joy, her hands flying to her mouth in disbelief. She rushed to Quinn, enveloping her in a hug as their tears streamed down their faces.
Hershel's smile widened, but in a matter of seconds it vanished. "Yes, he is alive. He did great during the procedure," he confirmed, "But if you'll excuse me, I have to break the dreadful news to Patricia. Um.. Santana, will you come with me?"
"Yeah, of course," Santana replied, signaling to the rest of the group to come and support Patricia. She then turned and looked at Quinn and saw tears that still raced down her cheek. She kissed them away. "No more tears my love. Our son is alive." Santana sighs, now redirecting her eyes to someone special, "Thanks to you."
She looked back to Finn and walked up to him, giving him the tightest hug. "Thank you Finn. You saved my baby boy, Finn. I love you brother. Thank you." Santana choked with emotion, giving a kiss on the top of his head, but saw Puck quietly standing in the corner. "Puck," she laughs, "How can I ever thank you both?! Thank you too brother." She hugs him tightly, her heart overflowing with gratitude and endless love for the two men who had saved her son.
After the rest of the group left the room to support Patricia and the dreadful news about her husband, Quinn sat by Lucas' bedside. The room was silent except for the quiet breathing from her son. Quinn gently held Lucas's hand and kissed it.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Puck standing hesitantly at the doorway. The sight of him filled her with immense gratitude. She knew that without him, Lucas wouldn't be breathing nor would Finn.
Puck took a step forward, his voice soft and sincere. "Sorry to come in, I just wanted to see your little man. I'm happy he's okay. Really… Well, I'll leave you be."
Quinn looked up, tears forming in her eyes. "Puck?"
"Don't Quinn. Don't." She thought to herself.
"Puck, please stay."
He paused.
"She doesn't mean it. Not the way I want her too," Puck thought.
"Puck, please. Please stay." Quinn repeats. Puck nodded and walked over to her. Quinn reached out and took his hand, her grip firm and desperate. "You saved him. You saved my baby boy."
Puck looked at a crying Quinn and thought to himself. "No one this beautiful should be crying this much." He gently lifted Quinn's face, their eyes locking. Her hazel eyes met his, and his gaze traced down to her lips before returning to her eyes again.The infamous triangle look.
"Come on, Puck, make a move," he urged himself silently. But Quinn beat him to it. She leaned in, their lips meeting in a kiss that was both tender and passionate. Their tongues danced, battling for dominance as the kiss grew more intense. Puck's hand moved lower, his heart now racing with desire, until…
He blinked and reality snapped back into focus. Quinn was still sitting by Lucas, while holding Puck's hand, her eyes still red from crying. None of it had happened. It was all just a figment of his imagination. Puck's heart ached with the unfulfilled fantasy. He squeezed her hand, bringing himself back to the present.
"Of course Quinn." His voice got quiet and serious, "You know, I would do anything for you."
An hour or so later..
After having delivered the news to Patricia, Santana felt as though her heart had been torn apart. The image of Patricia collapsing, the sound of her sobs echoing in the kitchen, haunted her.
Santana wandered through the house in a daze. She can't imagine having to lose someone you love, someone who is your heart. The thought of her losing Quinn- her Lucy, would kill her. She just needed to see her, she needed this awful feeling gone.
Finally, she found Quinn sitting by Lucas's bedside, her eyes filled with relief and love for their little boy. It had been a few hours since Puck excused himself and left the mother and boy alone. The moment Quinn saw Santana, she stood up and opened her arms for her brunette.
Quinn held Santana close, her fingers gently stroking Santana's hair as they both watched their little boy's chest, rise and fall. The soft, steady breaths of Lucas were a fragile light of hope for the two mothers. Suddenly, a small, raspy voice broke the silence.
"Momma?"
"Hi, baby boy." Quinn's voice breaks, as Santana looks at her son's beautiful hazel eyes.
"Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?" Santana says softly.
"Hurts. But it's okay. Ella? Is she okay?"
"She's fine, my love. She's safe. But, please, rest." Quinn says, smiling at how Lucas worried about Ella.
"We'll be right here, okay?" Santana follows.
"Okay mami." Lucas quietly says as he closes his eyes. Santana and Quinn look at each other feeling relieved and joy that their son is alive. Santana kisses Quinn on the hand.
The next morning…
"They're here." Rachel said softly to Santana and Quinn, her voice showing relief.
Glenn had raced back to the highway, hoping to reunite the family that had been apart for too long. He returned with Kurt and Blaine, along with the rest of the group members, bearing the precious news: Ella was found.
As soon as the car cam to a halt, blaine and Kurt sprinted out from the vehicle, their faces etched with desperation. They sprint down the driveway, both becoming out of breath. The door to the house was already open, and they bursted inside, their eyes searching for their daughter.
Santana and Quinn stood in the hallway, patiently waiting for the two parents.
"Santana, where is she?" Kurt cries, his eyes filled with an almost unbearable mix of hope and dread.
"Wait here," Quinn said as she moved swiftly toward the kitchen, "Okay, sweetheart, they're in the living room."
Ella had been running for what felt like forever. Her small body shook with sobs as she was a few seconds away from her dads. As she rounded the corner into the living room, her tear-streaked face lit up with the sight of her parents.
"Daddy! Papa" Ella's voice cracked as she shouted, her small body collapsing into their waiting arms.
Blaine and Kurt fell to their knees as they reached out for her. The room exploded with sobs and gasps as they pulled Ella into a protective hug. Blaine's body shook with sobs as he buried his face in Ella's hair, while he whispered, "We've got you, sweetheart. We've got you. Nothing bad will ever happen to you again, okay?"
Kurt's tears fell freely, his hand gripping Ella's, "We thought we'd lost you Ellie," he choked out, now feeling much more relieved.
In that moment, the living room was filled with the sounds of a family's reunion - sobs, whispered reassurances, and the rhythmic beating of hearts that finally found each other. Meanwhile, upstairs was filled with the sounds of a family's grief - sobs, whispered reassurances, and the lack of rhythmic heartbeats of a family that was torn apart, now having to prepare a funeral for their family member.
"Blessed be God, father of our lord. Praise be to him for the gift of our brother Otis, for his span of years, for his character and natural protective instincts. Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset." Hershel says, looking at the headstone, "Puck, will you speak for Otis?"
Puck's shoulders sagged as he stared at the ground, "I'm not good at it," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "I'm sorry."
Patricia, her eyes brimming with tears and her voice choked as she pleaded with Puck. "You were the last one with him. You shared his final moments." Patricia cries, "Please. I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning."
"Okay." Puck said softly, "We were about done, almost out of ammo. The walkers kept coming and coming, now getting closer and closer. We were fighting just to hold them off." "Otis had told me, 'We gotta save the boy.'"
The growls and moans start to echo in his mind. The sounds seemed to close in on him, so he looked around to see if anyone else could hear them. As he turned his head, his eyes fixed on the distant silhouette of the school.
He could see it all so vividly: the scene unfolding around him. His hands shook as he turned and fired at a walker that was nearing Otis.
"How much ammo do you have?" Otis's voice echoed in Puck's mind, filled with both urgency and fear.
"He gave me his backpack and shoved me ahead." Puck said, his tone heavy with the weight of the lie he had just given. He paused, trying to steady his breath, his eyes reflecting the flashback that played in his mind once more.
"Only one left. You?" Otis had asked, his voice a strained whisper.
"Me too." Puck says, realizing what has to be done to save Lucas's life, "I'm sorry."
Otis looks at him confused, as Puck aims his gun at Otis's leg and fires his last bullet. Otis screamed in agony, clutching his leg as he writhed in pain, while the walkers closed in. Puck tries to take Otis's bag from him, before the walkers close in on both of them.
"'Run, ' he said, 'I'll take the rear and cover you. Go!'" Puck's voice charged with emotion and anger, "And when I looked back…"
Walkers begin to bite and rip Otis' face and limbs apart, as he screams. Blood running down what was left of his face. Otis's screams start echoing in Puck's head, as he reverts back to the funeral.
"If not for Otis, I'd never make it out alive. And that goes for Lucas too." Puck says, his gaze intense as he looks at Santana and Quinn. "It was Otis. He saved us both. If any death ever had meaning, it was his."
A/N: Hi everybody! I hope you all are doing amazing. Missed you all. I first wanted to apologize for this extremely long delay. Life got pretty busy all of a sudden. But, I will definitely try and post more and more chapters soon. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to review.
Thank you for everything and still sticking with me. Love you all!