A/N: Do let me know what you think! This story is set right after the Journey episode.

And as you all know, I do not own any of the Glee characters. Enjoy!

I love you...

Those three little words played over and over in her head. She sees his face as he said those three magic words, the smile he gave her before he stepped into the auditorium to sing. She shook her head, trying to make it stop. She let out a small sigh as she sat on a bench outside of McKinley High, waiting for her dads to pick her up.

I'm forever yours...

I love you...

When you love someone, you are supposed to feel butterflies in your tummy when you think about him. You're supposed to feel an adrenaline rush through your body when you see him in the hallways. You're supposed to feel giddy when he asks you out. You're supposed to smile when he tells you that he loves you...

That's what Rachel Berry thinks love is and how it supposed to feel. At least according to her friends, the books she read, and of course the Disney princess movies she watched when she was little.

I love you...

She didn't smile back at him when he told her he loves her.

And when she leaned into Finn during Glee today while listening to Mr. Schue sing, putting her head on his shoulder and holding his hand in hers, she did not feel the butterflies or the adrenaline rush through her. Nor did she feel giddy when he asked her if she wanted to go get pizza tonight.

She is supposed to be in love with Finn. She IS in love with Finn...right?

I love you...

The vibrate of her cell phone shakes her out her thoughts as she takes the small device out her skirt pocket. 'I'm sorry sweetie, I just got a call and there's an emergency in London and Daddy is still in Toronto. Do you think someone can give you a ride home? I will probably be gone for 2 weeks give or take. I put more money into your bank account, and you have your credit card, so you should be okay. If you need anything you know you can call whenever. Love you darling.'

Rachel threads her fingers through her hair in frustration. It's not the fact that her dads were going away, again. That's normal. It's the fact that her house is quite a walk from here and Finn had offered to take her home, but she politely declined saying her dad will be picking her up on the way home from work. She reluctantly got up from the bench placed outside the school doors, and made her way outside the school grounds, walking with her head down. 'It's just my day today. It's going to be late by the time I get home. I should have driven to school today.' She sighs and kept walking, pulling her pink bag behind her.

Just then someone honks their horn behind her, making their presence known. She turned her head slowly and groans inwardly when she saw the silver Volkswagen behind her. 'Santana Lopez. Just another brilliant addition to my day. I really don't need any of her rude comments today.' Rachel decides to ignore the Latino and kept walking. Santana honks again, and this time pulls her car right beside where she was walking. "Hey manhands, do you need a ride?"

Rachel sighs at the nickname Santana chose to call her by, and turned towards the girl with a fake smile plastered on her face. "No thank you Santana," Rachel declined.

"C'mon Berry, I know you don't live anywhere close to here. Do you really want to walk all the way home? Get in the car, and I'll drive you home."

Rachel narrows her eyes suspiciously at the other girl, "And why would you want to give me a ride home? You don't like me remember?"

"Look I'm trying to be nice here. And I don't not like you. You are just... intense and kind of annoying most of the times."

Rachel's face softens, "Look Santana, it's really nice of you to offer to drive me home. And I can tell that you're really trying, but really it's unnecessary. My house is not really that far from here. I mean I walk more on my elliptical every morning, and I jog twice the length on the weekends, so I assure yo-"

"Shut up Berry. Don't be a bitch and just get in the car," Santana interrupts.

Biting her lip in hesitation, Rachel slowly picks up her bag and opens the passenger car door. She lid inside and smiles, "Thanks Santana."

"Yeah yeah." Santana responds while putting her car intro drive and peels off towards their destination. "You don't mind if I put on music do you?"

"No, not at all." Rachel shakes her head. Santana reaches over and presses play on the CD player. The sound of Journey comes on and Rachel looks at Santana surprised. "Journey?" she asks as she hears the familiar tune of 'Don't stop Believing' filling the small car. "I never knew you were into Journey."

Santana shrugs her shoulders, "They're pretty good and besides I had to practice my solo for Regionals, so I sang along to it in the car."

"You sounded really good." Rachel tells her genuinely.

Surprised at the compliment, Santana murmurs her thanks and hums along to the song. Rachel relaxes in her seat and just sat listening for a bit, before quietly singing along. Santana smiles and joins in with her. The whole entire ride to Rachel's, they sang together to Journey. Soon enough, Rachel points Santana to her house, who manoeuvred the car into the drive way. Santana's face looks surprised when she sees the size of the house. "Holy crap Berry. You're like totally loaded."

"Well, my Dad is a brain surgeon and my other dad is a lawyer. So yes I guess you can say that we are somewhat loaded. Although a big house means nothing really when it's empty. My dads are rarely home."

"Sorry."

Rachel shakes her head, "Don't be sorry. I know their job takes a lot of work and lot of time. And over the years I have accepted that. Besides they save lives, so I can't really tell them to stop what they're doing."

Santana nods. "Well I guess I should go."

"Oh how rude of me!" Rachel exclaims. "Come in! Dad bought this amazing cake yesterday and I was going to have a slice. Why don't you join me?"

Santana thought about it for a bit. "Oh what the hell," she says as she turned off her car. "I can't say no to cake. I haven't had a piece in a long time. Stupid Sylvester and her shakes."

Rachel mentions Santana to come follow her inside as she unlocks the front door. "Welcome to my humble abode."

"Shit. Your house is huge." Santana comments as she took in the gigantic living room, the marble tiles, the decorations and made her way to the big kitchen. "And so fucking nice."

"I enjoy interior decorating in my spare time," Rachel says grabbing the cake out of her stainless steel fridge.

Santana gapes and turns her head to look at Rachel. "You don't mean to tell me you did all this."

"Well my dads have no taste at all. So I took matters into my own hands." Rachel shrugs cutting herself and Santana a piece of cake. She giggles when she saw Santana awing her backyard patio and heated pool. "You're welcome to come over sometime and have a swim. Or watch movies with me in the theatre downstairs."

"You have a theatre?" Santana screeched.

"And a bowling alley too."

Santana looks at her like she has two heads. "Are you fucking serious?"

"No." Rachel giggles.

Santana grins, "Wow Rachel Berry can crack a joke." She laughs when Rachel takes a silly bow. "You know, you're kind cool Berry, when you're not talking all the time and going on about New York and Broadway and shit." Santana says making her way to the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Rachel shrugs her shoulders. "I know what I want."

"You should be like this more often." Rachel raises her eyebrows. Santana waves her hands as she quickly finishes the cake. "You know, normal? Everyone would like you more." Rachel just nods, putting their plates in the sink and proceeds to wash them.

"Hey, uh, look I'm sorry about this past year," Santana starts. "You know the name calling, the slushies, and the myspace comments."

Rachel smiles and wipes her hands with a paper towel. "That's okay. I know how the high school social hierarchy works."

Santana shakes her head, "No it doesn't really matter about the hierarchy. I mean it does, but you know, I could be less of a... bitch."

"Well you're trying now aren't you?"

This time Santana smiles, "Yeah. Now, c'mon show me your room. And your closet."

Rachel laughs and drags Santana up the stairs to the first room on the right. "Holy fucking shit. You lucky ass. Can I have your room?" Santana asks making her way inside the spacious room. Santana walks around the room looking at the hanging pictures and her trophy cabinet before jumping backwards into the awaiting king size bed. Rachel giggles at her new friend's actions before pointing towards a door. "That's the bathroom and that," pointing at another door "is my walk-in closet."

Santana shots up and walks quickly towards the door, flinging it open. "Mother of G-," her voice trails off as she walked further into the closet. "Why don't you ever wear half of these? You have like actually normal clothes," The girl shouted. Rachel shakes her head with amusement and lies back on her bed.

'It's nice having friends over' she decides, happy with her current situation. And then she remembers her current predicament.

I love you...

She lets out a little groan and a frown etches on her face.

"You should wear this on your date with Finn," the Latino girl says bringing a cute mini black dress with her.

Rachel sat up and looked at her friend, surprised. "How do you know I have a date with Finn?"

"I heard you guys talking. Although, you didn't seem that excited when he asked you."

Rachel sighs thinking about the Finn situation and Santana makes her way over to the bed and sat next to her. "Hey, we're friends now, you can talk to me."

"Finn told me he loved me." She blurted out.

"Oh. When was this?" Santana asks not looking surprised at all.

"Before we sang Faithfully at regionals."

"And the problem is?" Santana asks confused.

Rachel got up and started pacing around the room. "Well he said it like it wasn't a big deal. And I couldn't say it back to him. I mean I do love Finn right? I've been pining for him like a dog for a bone since Glee started!" Rachel rants, pouring out what's on her mind. "And if you're in love with someone, you're supposed to be giddy, and smiley, and happy all the times. You know feel butterflies in your tummy, and stuff like that. But I don't feel any of those things!"

Santana gives her a sympathetic look. "Hey, don't get your panties in a twist over this. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe you guys were just meant to be friends. Unless you're still caught up over St. James."

"Absolutely not."

"Well then talk to Finn tonight. Tell him how you feel and work things out."

"I guess I should."

"I've always heard people say that the basis of a relationship is communication." Santana looks at the clock hanging at the wall and stood up. "Well I should be going, or you're going to be late for your date." Rachel smiles and together they walked downstairs and out the door to the car in the driveway. "Thanks B. It's been fun. We'll do it again soon."

"B?" Rachel questions.

"Your new nickname."

"Does that mean I get to come up with a nickname for you?" Rachel teases.

"You could. Just don't make up something stupid." Santana walks over and gives Rachel a quick hug. "Good luck tonight. Hey pass me your cell phone." Rachel takes out her phone from her pocket and hands it to the girl. "Text me and tell me how it goes."

Rachel nods, "Thanks Lo." Rachel says testing out the new nickname she came up with.

Santana grins, "I like it. Hey, thanks for giving me a chance to be your friend."

"Everyone should get a second chance. That means you too. And besides, it nice to have someone to talk. My dads aren't the best people to talk to about guy problems, and I don't really want to get my dance friends involved in any of this."

"Well, it'll be nice having another girl to talk to, other than Britt, since Quinn and I barely talk anymore. Anyways, I'll see you at school tomorrow and at the Glee party." Santana slowly reversed her car out of the driveway.

"You will." Rachel waves as Santana drove away. Rachel slowly trudges her way back into her house to get ready for date. 'Let's get this over with.'

And as she got ready for her date, a new thought crosses her mind. It was a brand new statement that played over and over in her head, replacing the three little words that had changed her outlook on life and her relationship with Finn.

Maybe it just wasn't meant to be...