"Lucy, I'm just nipping to the shop. Is there anything you need, sweetie?"

"No thank you, Grandma." She yelled back, applying a little more mascara.

"Okay. I'll be back soon." The little woman hobbled out the door shutting it behind her. Quinn smiled to herself as she got up and fixed her shirt and grabbing her phone and a book before heading to the living room and taking a seat on the couch, popping her earphones in and pressing play. She opened up her book and began to read.

She got quite a way through the book when her phone beeped. It was a reminder for the party she was going to with a guy she'd met the other day. His name was Lucas, and Quinn was completely smitten with him. He had dark hair but bright, sparkling blue eyes.

And that's when she realized her Grandma still wasn't home. She frowned and pulled her earphones out, when something suddenly caught her attention.

A desperate, blood curdling scream. And it was constant, and there was more than one. The dreadful sound was traveling from the street and through the window.

Worried and confused, she hurried over to the window and stepped out onto the fire escape. Down below, the streets were pandemonium. Quinn's eyes widened in confusion and fear as people ran in random directions, all of the cars abandoned. The screams were horrific and Quinn couldn't pinpoint anything that could've caused this gruesome uproar.

And then she spotted some trip and tumble to the floor. She focused on them for some reason, hoping for a clue on what the hell was going on. He started picking himself up, and from here, he looked oddly like Lucas.

But before he could get up properly, another person fell on top of them. He opened his mouth and let out a heart shattering scream that was cut off as the person seemed to bite into his neck. Quinn yelped and kept staring, sure that she must be dreaming. But there was no way she could deny the blood that was now covering him. The person on top of them continued to rip away at him, more blood spattering the sidewalk.

Quinn stood petrified of what she was witnessing. From where she was, the details were very hazy, especially considering how dark it was, but it was still utterly terrifying.

She rushed back inside, her heartbeat pumping furiously as she slammed the window shut and locking it. She ran through her grandma's apartment and locked the door too. She picked up her phone and started calling everyone she knew. Twice.

No one picked up.

Halfway through her contact list and she started sobbing, her free hand clenching the arm of the chair she was sitting on. The screams never seemed to stop and Quinn was on the verge of a panic attack.

Eventually, she gave up calling, and then passing out from exhaustion just a few minutes later.

She was scared. And alone. Words couldn't even begin to describe just how frightened she was.

Over the course of a week, she had pushed a wardrobe in front of the front door after all the banging on it. The first time she'd heard it that morning, she'd opened it and found several people in the hallway, groaning and bleeding and stinking and she slammed the door shut just as one reach out to grab her. It blocked her from shutting it, but after screaming and slamming her entire frame at the door, the arm was ripped from the owner with a sickening crack.

She'd thrown the bloody limb from the window and never once opened that door again.

She would start sobbing at random times and pace the apartment. She barely slept at night, even when the screams started to ease up, she could still here those… creatures groaning and wreaking havoc in the streets. And on top of that, she'd have gruesome nightmares about the first night. And who could've been Lucas. People ripping each other apart… eating each other. Like crazed cannibals.

What was the world coming to?

It didn't take Quinn very long until she realized she had very little food in the apartment. Once she figured that out, she realized that she couldn't just eat anything and to use it all slowly, but seeing as there wasn't that much to begin with, it still wouldn't last very long.

The electricity, gas and plumbing stopped working within a few days after the outbreak of whatever it was. She found herself barely coping, having breakdowns nearly every day, and losing the will to care about herself and wondering if she should just kill herself so she wouldn't have to face what the world had come to.

She eventually ran out of food, and when she did, she broke down in the kitchen. She passed out there, and she woke, she couldn't find herself caring that she spent the whole night sleeping on the cold floor in the kitchen.

She spent every day for another week searching for more food in the house, hoping that maybe her Grandma had put some in places other than the kitchen, even if it was just something simple like a box of half eaten chocolates.

By the seventh day, Quinn had given up. She had spent the whole day ransacking the apartment hoping to find something to eat. But after only having found a half empty bottle of water, which she downed almost immediately, she just couldn't do it anymore.

She was stood in the kitchen, staring out of the window and holding a sharp, silver knife that glinted in the sunlight. She doesn't know why it took her this long to make the decision to kill herself, but she does know that she wants to do it. She didn't want to be in this wretched nightmare any longer. And stabbing herself and bleeding out seemed like a more peaceful way to go than being eaten alive.

She had just positioned the knife against her chest when she heard a yell. A human yell. Someone was alive and in the streets. At first, Quinn was a bit wary because this had happened before. A few soldiers were out in the streets and were calling out for survivors, and Quinn was just about to start climbing down the fire escape when she someone running towards them. That man was shot down within seconds of the soldiers spotting them. They were killing survivors.

But maybe a gunshot to the head would be quicker than a knife.

With that snap decision she dropped the knife with a clang and ran to the other room and flinging open the window to the fire escape and hopping out onto it.

There was a slight breeze and blew her short hair into her face as she looked down. She saw a Chevrolet Silverado manoeuvring slowly through the street and another yell. I sounded extremely familiar to her but she couldn't pinpoint it. She looked up and noticed that the sun was getting dangerously close to setting so she started clambering down the rickety fire escape.

She started having trouble when she got to the bottom because she couldn't get the damn ladder down. She finally got it down and quickly got down it. Once she was on the ground, she mildly appreciated being on some kind of ground that wasn't carpet or tiles. But Quinn noticed that the sun was about to set and she needed to get out now.

The Chevrolet was nowhere in sight, but she ran in the direction it was headed. She assumed it was going out of the city because the place would be overrun by the time the sun has fully set. She was just reaching the last few buildings, and finally had the truck in sight, when a door she was close to burst open and what looked like a zombie from all those horror movies and shows walked out, groaning.

It had half eaten flesh dangling from every inch of skin that you could see. It was covered in what was no way near fresh blood. The things eyes were blank and whiter than they should be, only the pupil and a hint of the iris were the only visible colour left. Clearly, this… this virus was worse than she originally thought. These people were no longer alive. No longer human.

So Quinn did the natural thing that any defenceless human would do. She screamed until her lungs were out of air, and then she ran.

She ran and kept her eyes locked onto the Chevrolet and saw two guys standing either side of it, holding what looked like guns and screamed again. "HELP!" Please for fuck sake help me. She stumbled a little as she looked down, looking straight back up and running as fast as she possibly could.

She could finally see the two guys better now. And they both looked really familiar, but she wasn't going to focus on that just yet. She wanted to be safe before she tried remembering anyone.

She watched and ran as the shorter of the two men opened the door to their Chevrolet and pushed something aside, and then was utterly shocked when he turned back around and yelled. He yelled her name.

"QUINN!"

The utter shock of the man knowing her name and the fact that she knew that voice made her stumble again. She picked herself back up shakily and kept running to who she thought was Blaine. Blaine freaking Anderson. Which she found completely and absolutely impossible.

She was panting for breath and found herself really confused now, because there was no way in hell this could be happening. Any of it. Zombies. The apocalypse. Blaine Anderson. It wasn't possible.

While she was trapped inside of her own head, she didn't notice the crack in the road and found herself falling, but suddenly she was wrapped in someone's arms. They were warm and bare and so was their chest and it was the first human contact she'd had in… a month? She couldn't remember, but she wanted relish in this contact, but it was quickly ripped away from her as she shoved roughly into the backseat of the Chevrolet, the door slamming violently behind her.

Dazed and even more confused than before, it took Quinn a few seconds to collect herself and look up at her saviours, but then the truck swerved off the road and sped way over any speed limit into the middle of nowhere, finally coming to a stop, the wheels screeching against the hard soil beneath them.

Quinn breathed heavily, taking a minute to take in what had just happened. She was out of the apartment. She wasn't dead. She was alive and with… Blaine?

"…Blaine?" Her voice was small, but it still made Blaine jump a little. She watched as he turned around and rested his chin on the side of the seat. He looked terrible. His mass of curls was matty and sticking to his head from sweat. He was filthy, covered in dirt and grime and his eyes were the worst part. She was used to seeing him all happy and cheerful. She could see past the pitiful smile he smile he wore, because his eyes showed just how broken he was. Just how tortured and pained. And then he spoke.

"Hey Fabray."

Quinn couldn't help herself. She smiled a little. It felt so good to have someone there that she knew. Someone that was human. But she couldn't deny that was still strongly curious.

"How… You're alive… what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." He sounded tired, but she knew he had a point.

"I… I was in Albuquerque visiting my grandma when it happened. I… I've been alone, Blaine.. I.. what's going on?" She felt like she was pleading him, begging for an answer.

He bit his lip and finally looked into Quinn's eyes. She felt like he was pitying her, and she didn't really like that. Sure they were currently in a hell hole, but she wasn't one to be pitied.

"Something happened. And… I don't really know what's going on myself, Quinn. But… it's basically a zombie apocalypse."

Quinn could tell he was telling her everything he knew. What would be the point in lying anyway? She nodded slowly, her brain working overtime. If this really was a zombie apocalypse, what was the point in even finding a way to survive? Hell, even they did find a way, who would want to keep the human race going? Who would want to bring their child into this rotten, decaying world? Even if they found a way to live through this shitty mess, the human race would eventually die out…

She was broken from her thoughts by Blaine speaking again. "When was the last time you ate, Quinn?"

"A week ago." She replied simply, suddenly feeling the painful ache in her stomach that she'd forgotten about since she'd heard them yelling for survivors. Blaine got out of the truck after that, and moving to the back and shuffling around.

The other man in the truck, who'd sat by patiently in silence, shot a quick, comforting smile. She remembered him. Blaine's older brother, Cooper. She didn't remember much other than that he was in some stupid commercial and had an ego bigger than the sun. After all, they had only met while she was just put into that stupid wheel chair, and she was too focused on getting out of it then.

Blaine came and handed her an apple and a chocolate bar, and her mouth literally watered at the sight of food, and she quickly bit into the apple, eating to quickly to let out a moan of pleasure from finally having something to eat.

"…Why did it take you so long to get to us? We were shouting for survivors… You shouldn't have had to run like crazy away from those things."

"… I was locked in one of the apartments higher up." She replied through her mouthful of food, way past caring about manners because holy fuck fooood! "There were zombies right outside the door, so I had to climb out the window and climb down the building. By the time I got down the sun was setting and I saw one and I screamed. And then I saw the truck."

She wasn't lying exactly; she just wasn't telling them that she was going to kill herself. They didn't need to know that.

She finished her food quickly, before realizing that it was night and dark and she was terrified. What if a… zombie walked out here and smashed the window and attacked while they were asleep? What if they ended up surrounded?

Quinn kept looking outside through the windows, thinking of a million different possibilities that could happen to them out here. Because she wasn't in the safety of her grandma's apartment. There wasn't a locked wooden door and a ten ton wardrobe filled to the brink with any heavy things she could find guarding them from… zombies.

"Quinn?"

She blinks, looking back at Blaine, taking in his look of calm, realizing that he was trying to comfort her.

"You're safe now."

She smiles, grateful for his comfort. She had two perfectly capable men here to protect her. And that's when she let out a few tears. Blaine frowned slightly and got back out of the truck. He got something out of the back and came back and handed it to her. It was a blanket.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Quinn." He said softly. She nodded in reply. "Goodnight."

"..Night."

He shot her one last small smile before turning back around and getting comfortable in his seat, closing his eyes and falling asleep, exhausted. Quinn stayed awake, gazing out of the window at the night sky. At the moon and the stars that were now glistening in the sky. It looked… peaceful. It was odd, to feel this peaceful now... but nice. Definitely nice.

"It's nice to see you can walk." Cooper said softly from his seat, not looking at her but out of his own window. Quinn looked over at him, smiling slightly, slightly wondering why both boys were shirtless.

"I was… in a rough place when we first met."

"More rough than now?" He shot back, finally looking over at her. She sighed and shrugged, bringing her legs up onto the seat, curling up on herself.

It went silent again for a while, and Cooper had thought Quinn had finally fallen asleep when she spoke.

"Thank you."

"For?" He asked, even though he could take a guess.

"Saving my life."

"It's no-"

"I mean it. If you guys hadn't drove past when you did… I'd be dead. I was two seconds away from killing myself." Cooper frowned, turning back around. One look at her face and he knew she wasn't lying. "I was scared, Cooper. And so alone. I didn't know what else to do. No one knew where I was, I was out of food and water and locked in an apartment, I was hardly living anyway. But you saved me."

It went quiet again, and Cooper didn't know what to say, so he just put a comforting hand on Quinn's leg and attempted a smile. It was a long while before either of them spoke again.

"…You know… Quinn's not even my real name. It's my middle name." he raises an eyebrow, curious. "My real name is Lucy. And I have a daughter too."

"… A daughter?"

She nods. "Beth. You remember the guy with Mohawk from our glee club?" he nods. "He's the dad. But we um… I gave her up to someone called Shelby Corcoran. She's nice, I guess. But she is Rachel Berry's biological mother so… who knows?" Cooper cracks a small smile at that, noticing that even Quinn was smiling slightly. "I'd just… I'd give anything to see Beth again."

Cooper smiles and they go silent again. Quinn just starts nodding off as Cooper speaks softly one more time.

"Lucy… I like it."

~X~

Quinn was woken very abruptly next morning by three loud gunshots and Cooper yelling Blaine's name. She found herself still really tired, but she was worried. What was going on with the gunshots and the yelling?

She opened her door, stifling a yawn, shocked to see Blaine lying on the ground. She cocked her head when Blaine just pointed to the underside of the truck, raising her eyebrows when Cooper practically fell to the floor to look under it. He made a face and muttered something before pushing himself back up, and then helping Blaine up.

"We need to leave now if we plan on getting to Lima by tomorrow." Blaine said, brushing himself off. Quinn frowned. Why in the world would they even think about going to Lima? The town would just be filled with disappoint and even more zombies. What was the point?

"Lima? Why are you going to Lima?" She asked, resisting the urge to scowl at him. She narrowed her eyes when Blaine's only reply was a sigh.

"Because of Kurt." Cooper supplied for her, gaging her reaction.

"Really? Why?" She was confused. What was the point in going back just to search for one person? They were most likely to be dead. Just because they had survived thus far, didn't mean any of their other friends did.

"Why do you think, Quinn?" Blaine asked, looking and sounded hurt.

"…Blaine, you shouldn't bother. He's probably dead."

She felt bad for being so blunt, it was harsh. And she hated the way she was almost bringing Blaine to tears just by stating facts. But she had a point, she knew that. And by the way he looked, he was fighting with himself to try and ignore her words.

"Blaine… Why would you torture yourself like that? Either you're going to find his dead, mangled, rotting body and cry for years, or you'll see him as a fucking zombie, or you won't find him at all. Going to Lima is going to make you depressed and hopeless. And if you don't find him, you'll be searching forever. You're torturing yourself, Blaine… why?"

Deep down, Quinn wished she could have what little hope Blaine clearly still had. She wished that she could believe the people she loved weren't dead. Her mom, Beth, even Puck. But she couldn't allow herself to do so. It was unrealistic to cling onto something like that. Unrealistic and painful.

None of them spoke for a long time after that, and Quinn felt an urge to comfort Blaine as a few tears fell from his eyes, but she was the one who brought those tears on.

"It's better than spending my life wondering whether or not he's alive."

Quinn frowned as she heard the crack in his voice. But she could see Blaine's point of view now. It was reasonable to a certain extent. Because honestly, she couldn't see herself going back to Lima. Not now, not ever. She couldn't face the heartbreak of seeing her loved ones dead. She'd kill herself before even thinking about going back.

"Where are we?" Quinn asked later that day. They had been driving for a while in silence, the only thing easing the awkwardness was the music Cooper had put on. She had felt really bad because Blaine had spent half of the time they'd been driving crying. He had clearly tried to be quiet, but both Quinn and Cooper could hear him loud and clear.

"Nearly at Amarillo. Why?" Cooper replied, turning the music down a few notches to hear her better.

"Because if you haven't noticed, my clothes are filthy, disgusting and too big for me. They're torn and covered in sweat. And so are yours and Blaine's." Well, what little clothes they were wearing. "And these are the only clothes we have."

"Are you serious, Quinn?" Blaine said, turning around in his seat, looking angry. "We're in the middle of the apocalypse and you're thinking about clothes!?"

Well, his mood changed quickly. Quinn supposed Blaine was angry at her for making him cry for so long. For destroying a bit of what little hope he had.

They debated this for a few minutes and Quinn was satisfied when Blaine finally agreed, not caring about the death threat he'd added onto the end.

~X~

When they finally found a small clothing store, Quinn started thinking as Cooper and Blaine made strategies on how to clear the place. She didn't want to go to Lima, and she knew there was no convincing the two of them otherwise, seeing as the slightest hint of Kurt being alive was keeping Blaine sane. She didn't want to live in this hell hole of a planet. Everything had gone to shit anyway. Maybe it was best if she just got out of their way, but the mere thought of being alone again was terrifying to her. More terrifying than the thought of death.

And that's when they handed her a revolver and said to shoot anything that moves.

Could it be that easy? To just put the gun to her head and shoot? To end it all now so she wasn't in anyone's way?

When the boys turned and headed to the shop, she put the end of the gun to her temple, her finger on the trigger. But then her hand started shaking. She couldn't do it. She didn't have the guts to kill herself. Even now.

She dropped her hand and followed the boys as if nothing had happened, forcing herself to look completely unfazed by anything. She silently helped them clear the shop, flinching every time she… it wouldn't class as killing someone, would it? Because they're already dead?

"That should be the last of them." Cooper said, slipping his gun back into place. Quinn sighed silently before plastering on a fake smile and walking over to what she assumed was the girls section of the shop, noticing Blaine shaking his head as he walked past her. She heard scraping as Blaine grabbed a bunch of clothes and muttered something before leaving. Had she made him angry?

Quinn started to think that she was really just getting in their way. She was slowing them down, and making Blaine more depressed than he already is. She was pathetic, dragging them down just because she couldn't be as strong as them.

She let out a quiet sob, unaware that Cooper was still there.

"..Quinn? What's wrong?" He asked, looking over at her with a frown. She froze, her hand clenching onto a coat hanger.

"I… I'm d-dragging you down… I.. I don't even w-want to be al-alive, Coo-" And then she screamed.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw something move and had turned to look, and realized that she was just inches away from a live zombie. The thing had a gunshot wound in its neck, probably Quinn's faulty aim. She started breathing heavily, finding herself paralyzed to the spot and unable to back away.

"Quinn…" It was Cooper. She knew he was standing a few feet away, most likely with his gun loaded and aimed. She knew he could just run around and get a clear aim right now instead of just standing there. It was because of what she said; he was at a loss for what to do.

And they both heard Blaine rushing in, and Cooper knew that Blaine would find it odd if he didn't do anything, so he shot randomly a few inches away from Quinn at the same time as Blaine tripped over one of the bodies.

But that made things worse as the zombie leapt at Quinn, biting her fiercely in the neck. She screamed because the pain was so intense and was like nothing she'd ever felt before. A million times worse than her crash. And it kept going, biting and chewing and ripping. Her screams became a garbled mess, and she started choking on she assumed must be her own blood.

Then she heard a gunshot amidst her own screaming. The zombie fell away and Quinn took a step back, unable to breathe and she could feel the blood gushing from her neck. She toppled to the ground, clutching her wounded neck, tears springing back to her eyes.

Everything became hazy from there. She sees Blaine's outline and tries to beg him to make the pain stop, but nothing comes out of her mouth. She heard a buzzing noise and tried to speak again, and she started to convulse and it hurt so much. It felt like blades slashing all of her insides apart, tearing and incinerating her entire being.

But there was something warm, soft and gentle pressing against her forehead; the only speck of light in the darkness that is her pain. It was almost like a kiss. And then more pain, right where that soft touch had been, and everything went black.