Author's note: Okay, so here is another story. I know, I know I barely have time to update "Popstars" but I promise to not abandon that story! It's just that I had the idea for a new story (two actually, but I'll just write this one down for now since 3 stories at the same time seem kind of too much)...

So this is about Rowing. I love sports and I always loved and love to read about Brittana-Sport-Fanfics...I'm in a rowing club myself and my team and I are part of the "Ruder Bundesliga" in Germany...it's like the first sprint league of rowing...if you want to see some videos of us just click on www . youtube channel / UCwlpQzY0gduYTPNUpoOMtuw (remove space and add .com after youtube) :)

So yeah, I got that idea in my head and just had to start writing it down. I hope you'll like it...let me know! :)

Disclaimer: I sadly don't own the Glee characters used in this story...

Chapter 1

It's early in the morning. The peace is what keeps Santana going at 6 AM. She is running her usual 5 miles before the rest of the campus wakes up. She is on her way to morning practice. It's three months into the semester at Stanford University and she is determined to win the championship this season.

As the Capitan of the best women's eight from Stanford she is responsible for their results and she wants to win badly. She is a bitch, yes, but she is the cox and her crew had to respect her and listen to her. She was not here to make any friends. Winning gold is the only thing she has in common with her rowers.

Santana is always the first to arrive and the last to leave practice. Since she is like part of the coaching staff she has no time to keep in shape during practice. She has to observe, drill her team and make sure they are always reaching their limit. Her time is before and after practice. Keeping in shape. She has to make sure to stay at her limiting weight of 110 lbs.

Her coach is the best in the United States. Sue Silvester. She is known for her harsh practice and won 5 championships in a row. That was until Santana took over the position of Captain. It was her second year in Stanford, first year of being Captain and she was sure to win. They were the second best last year. In the eyes of Sue they lost, even if there were 16 teams to compete in the Rowing Championships.

Santana was devastated but was also sure her team lost, not herself. She will make sure to get herself a winning team this year. It is her shot of being on top and she is going to do everything to reach her goal.

Practice starts at 7:30 AM and Santana already had her run through with Sue. The start of the season was three month away and they had another ergometer test today. For the Rowing Championships you had to compete at a sprint distance of 1100 ft. Preparing for the season was crucial and Santana loved it. There were still 20 girls left in their first team and today they would pick their 12 rowers for the upcoming season.

"Do you think we will find our 12 girls today?" Santana stood behind Sue's desk waiting for her to get all their previous test results.

"Of course Sandbags!" Sue stood up and handed Santana the papers. "We are going to win this season. If not it is your fault! And don't look at me like that, if it weren't for your breast implants we would've won last season!" Sue was looking straight at her boobs. She knew it has nothing to do with her implants which she got in highschool. She always had 110 lbs or less (if so she could drink enough water to make the 110 lbs when she gets weighed).

Santana rolled her eyes as soon as Sue turned her back to her. "I still think we should degrade Quinn to bow. She isn't good enough for stroke."

Quinn is one of Santana's "friends". They respected each other but wouldn't care to kill one another to be on top. Since Santana was Captain she was in charge and the position of stroke is essential. In her opinion Quinn wasn't good enough and she didn't care enough either.

"You are right." Santana arched an eyebrow since this was the first time that Sue agreed to her ideas. "That is why I recruited a new rower. We are going to watch her today just to make sure but I'm certain that this girl is going to win us the Championship!"

Santana didn't say anything. First of all she was too surprised that Sue got a new rower for them even if they were already 3 month into their season preparation. Second of all it was Sue. Nobody argues with Sue, not even Santana. "Who is she?"

Sue smirked. "Her name is Bridged or was it Tiffany? I can't remember. But she is tall and athletic and stupid. Simply perfect for the crew." Santana rolled her eyes. She can't believe this.

"If you say so coach." That got Sue's attention.

"Are you questioning my decision Sandbags?" Sue narrowed her eyes at her.

Santana gulped. "Of course not coach. I can't wait to meet her." That wasn't true. She knew what the reaction of the whole team was going to be if they saw a new girl just getting in when everyone else worked their ass of for three month. But she was curious why the coach wanted her after all and followed Sue to the boathouse.

When Sue and Santana arrived in front of the boathouse there were 21 girls gathering around. Santana saw her the moment they stepped around everyone. Blond, tall, blue eyes brighter than the sky, toned legs that went on for days and she stood just a few feet away from all the other girls who didn't want to have anything to do with her.

Santana frowned a bit at that but kept quiet for now. She was skeptical herself so who was she to judge her crew for their behavior.

"Listen up losers, today 9 of you are going to leave my team! I want you to collapse at the end of our 5 sprint test, if not you definitely didn't give it your all. I can only nominate 12 of you incapable infants and it will be hard enough for me to find enough at all. So you better perform or I call Ohio State and buy their whole team since they beat us last season!"

Nobody dared to say a word. After a minute Santana spoke up. "You heard coach Silvester! 9 of you are going to be cut today. 9 you ask? Well, as you all probably recognized already we got a newcomer with us today." All eyes went to the blonde bombshell as Santana spoke. "Come on up."

The blonde hesitated for a second before timidly standing beside Santana. Santana tensed at the short eye contact she had with the girl as much as the close proximity. "What's your name?" Santana asked.

"Brittany S. Pierce." The girl looked around saying nothing else.

"Okay Brittany. I'm Santana, the Captain and cox of the team. Give it your best today if you want to have a shot." Santana tried to sound intimidating but she couldn't quite get it right. But whatever. The blonde nodded and went back to her spot beside the crew.

After a nice warm up all of the 21 girls took their seats on the ergometers. After round 4 were only 15 girls left much to Santana's surprise. She thought she trained them better than that.

Her attention was mostly on the new girl Brittany. Not just because she was beautiful but also because she had the best results of all the girls. It was impressive. She rowed a constant time of 54 seconds like a machine and was at least a second faster than the rest.

"Last round ladies. We are 6 girls down already. 3 more to go. Better make it count now if you want to have a shot!" Santana bellowed at the remaining girls. You could see everyone clench their jaws but nobody said a word.

"Ready?" Sue screamed through her megaphone. "Set. GO!"

And the last track of 1100 feet went underway. Santana was screaming, motivating, threatening and pacing between all the girls. Always having one eye on Brittany. Once again she was the first to finish, once again she made it in 54 seconds.

Santana and Sue shared a look before they stepped up to the girls. Everyone was out of breath and close to vomiting. Santana smirked 'cause that is how she trained them. Always go to your limit or go nowhere at all.

"Alright losers. I'm disappointed." The remaining girls looked up shocked. "I expected all of you to collapse after round 5 but here you are, looking at me like nothing has happened." Sue glared at them and they shrunk.

Santana watched as Sue stepped up to Brittany and looked at her fifth result. "You rowed the same time five times in a row and still look fresh." Brittany looked terrified at that admission. "But since you are way faster than the rest of the team you are going to be the new stroke!"

"WHAT?" Quinn jumped up from her seat on the ergometer in the second row to protest. Santana just arched an eyebrow while Sue glared at her until she sat down again.

"Do you have something to say Fabray?" Santana asked smirking. Even if Quinn and her were kind of friends, she hated her on stroke. They always got into arguments while being on the water. Having to look each other in the eye for every practice sure didn't help their situation.

She saw Quinn biting her lip in frustration and then barely shaking her head.

"That's what I thought." Santana smirked.

"Get out of my sight now!" Sue screamed through her megaphone. "Practice tomorrow at 7:30 AM. Women's eight. Everyone still here now shows up, the list with the starting team will be up at 7 the rest is reserve."

Nobody argued with either Sue or Santana. After they eliminated 3 more girls and decided for their starting team Santana was dismissed and made her way into the gym. Now was her time to practice.

She was 20 minutes in and just changing from the ergometer to the weights when she heard the door to the gym open and close.

She looked up and saw the new girl, Brittany, approaching. "Hi." She said.

Santana arched an eyebrow. Nobody of her crew would dare to disturb her during her own practice. She said nothing and went on with the weights, breathing heavily.

Brittany just stared and decided to speak up again after another minute. "So…you are our cox."

"Well look what we have here. A genius!" Santana rolled her eyes but it seemed like the blonde didn't understand her sarcasm because she beamed at her.

"Awesome. So why are you still here? The rest of the girls left already." Brittany furrowed her brows.

Santana was confused for a second. Did the blonde really just ask that? Sure the other girls talked about their bitch cox in the locker room, didn't they? "Uhm…" Santana shook her head slightly and then continued on. „I need to practice, too, and this is the only time I've got to that including the time before your practice starts though…"

Brittany's mouth formed an 'o'-shape and then she smiled. She simply smiled and it seemed like the whole roomed light up. "Okay, I'll keep you company." Brittany nodded and moved herself behind Santana to help with the weights.

"Uhm, y-you don't have to d-do that." Santana stammered.

Brittany just smiled. "But that is so much more fun. And since you are the cox and my Captain and I'm the new stroke it is important that we get to know each other, right?" She beamed again.

Santana was at a loss for words as she stared at the blonde in awe. She couldn't really say no to her. That was a first. She usually had no problems denying her teammates anything but this was different. "Okay." She whispered.

And with that Brittany helped Santana through her whole workout and even joined her for another 20 minutes on the ergometer to finish it off. They didn't talk much and Santana was more than glad for it since she had to figure out what just happened first.