a/n: Hi all, 

It's been a hard year for me, and i'm still working through a lot of what happened for me this year, still grieving, still healing. So I won't make a lot of promises, beyond this one, I'll update when I can, and hopefully you'll all still be reading. 

Hugs.

Hera

It turned out Chanyeols prediction was right. Things soon turned worse, much, much worse in the city.

But that didn't happen for a few days.  Thankfully. by that time, Matt, Chanyeol, Sehun, and the kids- Jongin and Kyungsoo included- had already left the city. They loaded up in  Matt's van, and Chanyeols truck. They split into two groups. Chanyeol, Matt and Jongin and the kids loaded up in the van while Sehun and Kyungsoo followed behind in Chanyeols truck.

" We'll stop once we're out of town for supplies," Chanyeol explained to Matt when she quietly asked him what they were gonna do about supplies. They thankfully had some, stocked up from the school pantry, and from what Matt had managed to scrounge up from the houses she'd visited, as well as the supplies that Chanyeol and Sehun had brought with them. But with 9 people traveling for what might be a week, and not sure what the situation would be like when they got where they were going, it honestly wouldn't hurt to have more supplies. 

Matt was scared, scratch that, she was terrified. But as they loaded up into their respective vehicles, Matt in the front passenger seat of the school van, Chanyeol in the driver's seat, Matt decided that if she did have to do this whole, escape the pandemic thing, then she was really glad that she was doing it with Chanyeol and Sehun. 

For one, they were officers of the law, which meant they had weapons training, first aid training, and probably all manner of other useful skills that Matt didn't know about. For another, they were both kinda cute, and she really had no business even entertaining that line of thought so she gave herselfa mental shake and took a deep breath. Re-focusing on the fact that they were both safe people to be with right now so she was really, really glad that she was with them, and not alone. 

" Ready?" Chanyeol asked interrupting her thoughts. She smiled and nodded at him, turning to check on the kids, making sure they were all strapped in, then turning to glance at Chanyeol. She found him smiling at her.

" Here we go then," he said softly, the van starting up and backing out the school driveway. 

Matt had been worried that the kids would be fussy, but the kids movie that was playing on Chanyeol's tablet that he'd ingeniously strapped to the back of the passenger side headrest, kept them occupied and mostly quiet for a good part of the morning, until they started to get hungry and needing the bathroom about an hour and a half into the drive. 

" We're going to have to stop soon," Matt said quietly to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol nodded to indicate he'd heard her, then zoomed in on the gps, " I see a rest-stop in about 10 minutes. We'll stop there, re-fuel, use the bathrooms, stock up on what we can, but I don't want to stop to eat there. Do you think they can hold out for another 45 minutes maybe? There's a park with picnic grounds right here," he showed her on the gps, " and I'd feel more comfortable stopping to eat there than at the rest-stop."

He left the " less people, less crowded, less chance of infection" unsaid, but it was understood by Matt and Jongin both. 

Matt pursed her lips in thought, the worry making her eyebrows pinch inwards, " if we give them a snack, yeah," she finally said. Chanyeol smiled and nodded then called Sehun to give him the update. 

The rest-stop was slightly packed, so Chanyeol and Sehun agreed that Sehun would wait in line to get gas while Chanyeol and Matt would take the kids inside to use the bathroom. Fortunately there were a few empty canisters in the truck that Sehun could fill The van was parked and it was decided that Jongin and Matt would take the kids in to use the bathroom, so Chanyeol could stay behind with the van, " just incase" he said, " there's more people than I expected here, and we have supplies in the van. So just in case, i'll stay behind. 

Matt and Jongin took two children each, Baekhyun predictably going with his brother. Chanyeol would have preferred to go in with them, so he could keep an eye on them but he also couldn't risk someone taking their van, so he'd made sure he'd parked where he could at least see as much of the rest stop as possible. While Jongin, Matt and the kids were inside using the bathroom, Chanyeol pulled out a paper map and marked off rest-stops near open spaces like farms woods and parks. He'd already programmed the route into his gps and phone and laptop but just incase something crazy, like an EMP going off, happened, he wanted to be prepared.

He and Sehun had agreed earlier that their best bet for now was to head towards the ocean, the coast, towards the base Junmyeon was stationed at to be exact. They still hadn't been able to get in communication with him, and the more time that passed without them hearing from him the worse they knew the situation was. 

Sehun and Chanyeol figured that even if they didn't find Junmyeon at his station, even if they weren't able to get in touch with him, they would at least be near the ocean, which meant boats, which meant if they really  needed to get the hell out of dodge, then they could put a boat on the water and sail away. They figured that would be better than being stuck inland with no way out. 

Once Chanyeol was done mapping out their route, which he estimated would take them a week to drive if they didn't hit any complications, he put the map away then glanced in the rearview mirror to check on Sehun and was glad to see that he'd managed to move up the line and was one car away from getting his tank filled. Then he glanced back inside the rest-stop and saw Matt coming out with Jaye and Mina. He watched her get as far as the door then tensed as a big beefy man blocked the exit. He didn't seem like he was doing anything, but the way he stood in front of the door, his body turned to the side as he rifled through a rack by the door made it impossible for Matt and the kids to get out. 

Chanyeol watched her say something to the man, reading her lips he could just about make out , " I'm sorry, could we get by you please."

The didn't move. Pretended he hadn't heard her. 

Chanyeol watched Matt repeat herself, one eye on her, the other eye scanning the area, his body tensing more as he noticed 3 more men dressed similarly to the big beefy man. The three men were around two pick-up trucks, one of them leaning against the outside of the truck, while the two others just kind of.... loitered. The pick-up trucks looked loaded with.... things. Groceries, supplies,cases of water. And Chanyeol knew they hadn't stocked up at the this tiny little rest stop. Not unless they'd raided the storage, but even then, Chanyeol doubted all that could have come from here. Chanyeol didn't like it. 

He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Sehun filling up the canister. He grabbed his phone and called Sehun, knowing Sehun had his bluetooth piece in so he could answer without having to stop filling up the canister.

" Yeah," Sehun said on the first ring.

" Watch the van," Chanyeol said, " I need to get our girl and the kids out of the rest-stop, there's brewing trouble at m 3'o clock."

Chanyeol saw Sehun glance in the mentioned direction inconspicuously. 

" Ok, got you. Go" Sehun replied as he capped the canister and got back into the truck, then pulled out of the line to drive over and park next to Chanyeol. 

Chanyeol didn't wait for Sehunt to get to him. As soon as Sehuin told him to go, he went. He jumped out of the van, then walked up to the rest-stop and yanked on the door. 

It was locked.

" Mother fuc..." he hissed under his breath. 

He could see Matt looking terrified, holding onto a child's hand in each one of hers. By this time Jongin was also out of the bathroom. Holding Baekhyun's hand in one of his, and one of the Luhan's in the other. 

He had two choices, he could either try to force his way in, or he could make the big beefy dude open up for him. 

Sehun parked the truck then turned to Kyungsoo and said, " can you drive?"

Kyungsoo blinked then nodded, " I'm... I haven't done it alot.... but I can get us where we need to go in an emergency."

" Good this is an emergency. As soon as I step out of this van, I want you to slide into the drivers seat and keep the car running. Keep the doors locked. There's a gun in the side of the door, if anyone you don't know steps up to this truck, hold the gun up and look scary. Got it?"

Kyungsoo blinked again then nodded slowly. 

Sehun didn't tell Kyungsoo that the gun wasn't loaded. He figured if anyone did step up to the car, they'd see a nervous looking teenage boy with what they would assume was a loaded weapon, and if they were smart that would enough of a deterrant til Sehun could take care of any encroachers. 

Sehun stepped out of the truck and walked to the door where Chanyeol was standing.

" It's locked," Chanyeol said, " I count 3 out here and 2 inside."

" What do you want to do?" Sehun asked, " We could force our way in, but the kids and our girl"

" Yeah," Chanyeol drawled, then he sighed, as he felt more than saw the 3 men that he'd seen outside start heading for the door where he and Sehun were standing with their arms crossed.

" I really don't need this this early into our journey," Chanyeol growled under his breath.

Sehun's response to that was to bite back an amused snort, " Come on big guy, let's get this over with." So saying he turned around, one arm by his waist where he hand a pistol and raised his eyebrow at the big men that were now crowding he and Chanyeol.

" I'm gonna cut right to the chase," Sehun said before any of the men could say anything, " We don't give two flying s what you're doing in there. But my wife and kids and his sister is in their so I'm going to need you to get your men to open this door, let our family out and we'll be out of our hair."

" You want your family out?" the man threatened, leaning over Chanyeol and Sehun while the other two crowded them into the wall, " give us your supplies and we'll let them out."

Chanyeol inhaled slowly, and Sehun sighed slowly, " wrong answer gentlemen," 

And then a little bit of hell broke loose.

Chanyeol let an elbow fly into a gut, a fist into a chin. while Sehun smashed a head against a window while twisting an arm behind a body. 

Chanyeol brought a body down onto the ground, knee on a neck while he lifted his fist one last time hard and gave a big dude a bloody nose and knocked him unconcious. 

Sehun grabbed his gun from his holster and used it to knock on the glass door. 

The man inside turned around, and Sehun pointed his gun at one of the pick up trucks, as he said, " I happen to be an excellent shot ex-special forces, sniper. Let my family out or I will shoot your gas tank and set your truck and many stolen goods on aflame. After which I will put a bullet in bubba here's skull. I'm going to count down from 5....4...3...2" the door opened and Matt, Jongin and the kids rushed out. 

" Get in the car," Chanyeol said softly, I'm right behind you.

Matt nodded and ran to the car, Jongin right behind her. Chanyeol had to reach over and kick a man in the face one more time when he started to rouse in the time that it took Matt and Jongin to get the kids in the van and strapped in. 

Once Chanyeol and Sehun were sure that Matt and the kids were strapped in, they finished handling business by punching the 3 men outside unconcious, then Chanyeol grabbed the one man that had been on the inside by the door and punched him unconcious while Sehun strolled inside all, business and extremely pissed and delivered one hell of a blow to the last man standing inside the rest-stop. 

Sehun turned to the frightened cashier and said, " you might wanna get the hell out of here kid. You got a car?" The kid nodded. Sehun pointed his thumb at the pick-up truck.

" Then be quick, grab some of that, load your car, go home, and get somewhere safe." Sehun said, " come on we'll watch these idiots while you do that."

The kid grabbed his keys from under the cash register then run out and to his car. 

He didn't take much from the pick up truck, just a case of water, and a case of some form of canned food, then drove off and drove home. 

Chanyeol and Sehun also availed themselves to some of the supplies in theback of the pick-up truck, then hopped into their respective vehicles and drove off.

" You ok?" Chanyeol asked Matt, and the kids, " is anybody hurt?" as he put the van in gear and drove out of the rest-stop.

They all shook their heads, " we're... we're fine," Matt said quietly " just... shaken up, but nobody's hurt."

" Good, I'm glad nobody's hurt," Chanyeol said, " I'm sorry that happened, but I'm glad no-one's hurt. We're gonna drive for little bit and then we can stop and rest in a safer place ok?" he smiled at Matt then smiled at the kids through the rear-view mirror.

They all nodded. He could see that Baekhyun and it looked like Mina had been crying, going by their streaked faces, but Jongin was holding Baekyun's hand and Mina was holding a stuffed animal that had previously been in Luhan's possession. 

And seeing that renewed Chanyeol's resolve. If he did nothing else during this craziness, he would keep his family safe.

It took him a good 3 seconds to process that he'd just referred to them as his family. His lips twitched in amusement.

He wondered how long it would take Sehun to realize he'd called their girl  his wife. 

At the time he'd thought Sehun had done it intentionally, but now that he wasn't running on adrenalin, and had time to think about it. Sehun had sounded just slightly more threatening when he'd called Matt his wife. The growl in his voice extremely possessive.

Yeah, now that he thought about it, Chanyeol really didn't think Sehun had knowingly called her his wife.

Chanyeol snorted softly. 

And in the truck, Sehun had switched with Kyungsoo, taking the driver's seat and the gun from Kyungsoo. 

" Are you ok?" Kyungsoo had asked quietly.

" Yeah," Sehun had replied, reaching over to ruffle Kyungsoo's hair, " I saw you glare super menacingly with that gun in your hands. You did good. Later, it might be a good idea for me to show you how to load it and use it. But we can get to that later yeah?"

Kyungsoo nodded and exhaled slowly, " I was terrifed of accidently setting it off," he admitted.

" I know, but it wasn't loaded. I figured you'd look scarier if you thought it was though. If nothing else," Sehun said, " I promise you Chanyeol and I will do our damndedest best to keep you safe. And keeping you safe means not endangering you in anyway, including arming you with weapons that we havent't taught you how to use. This was an emergency situation so I apologize."

Kyungsoo blinked, then nodded " it's ok. Thank you. And yes, I'd like to learn."

" Then we'll teach you" Sehun said, " but first, we drive. What do you wanna listen to kid? You can have the music for the next hour."

Kyungsoo grinned and grabbed a cd from the pile then slotted one in.