A/N: Because even though I knew it was coming I cried when Santana was shown the tape, and I felt so heartbroken, and then when she slapped him, I felt SO good even if it was only for a little while. Reason? Because I kind of have a feeling that regardless of the fact that Rachel would most definitely dump his ass for the shit he's been pulling (apologies for the language) she isn't going to leave him on the show and that kind of pisses me off slightly.

"Not just the school, you idiot, everyone!"

"What're you talking abo-"

The resounding slap literally sounds like it echoes because it's so close to Rachel's ears. Everyone is so silent you can hear Santana breathing heavily be it from fear, the number she just finished, the adrenaline of slapping Finn or perhaps even all the aforementioned occurrences.

Rachel for her part doesn't even know what just happened but she knows one thing for certain. It had something to do with something Finn said.

"What did you say Finn?" Rachel asks as she turns in her seat so that she's slightly facing the boy who still has his face in his hands.

"What the hell Rachel? The bitch just slapped me and-and you're just going to ask me what I said?"

Rachel stands up beside the still stoic Santana and asks again, "Finn, please, I implore you. What did you say?"

Finn grunts as he leans forward from his previously leaned back position and shoots her a glare, "I'm really not in the mood right now. Santana just slapped the crap out of me and you're here trying to get answers for something I said in defense!"

Santana prickles but Rachel notices all too quickly and steps in front of her slightly, not sure if she's shielding Finn or shielding Santana, "Finn I'm really at my wits end right now and I would honestly like to get this over with because right now I'm getting a rather strong sense of defensiveness from you…Well Santana as well but that seems to be due to something you've done, so I'd really like to know what is going on so we can end this."

Santana growls, "It's no use. You're all going to find out anyways. It's airing tomorrow night at 7."

Rachel turns to look at her with confusion clearly written on her face but Santana doesn't meet her eyes for longer than a few seconds before she's walking away, followed quickly by Brittany and surprisingly Quinn.

To say that everyone in the auditorium was confused would be an understatement. However not exactly everyone was unaware of what Santana was referring to. Mr. Schue looks torn because his number one favorite student just got slapped to hell and back but at the same time he knows what he did was somewhat deplorable, Kurt bites his lip and has to pinch himself to stop from running after Santana, and Finn looks like he's going to throw up because suddenly he's very aware of the fact that he's done something that will end in Rachel most probably not being the happiest she's ever been with his actions.

Rachel turns back towards him and asks again this time with more determination, her words steely, "Finn. What did you do?"

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Brittany and Quinn caught up with Santana rather quickly, before she was even out of the auditoruim and they were able to get her into a nice quiet classroom where Brittany was able to pull her close finally.

"I-I haven't even told my parents yet…or my abuela! Britt…B she's…they're going to hate me."

Brittany is quick to bury her fingers in dark hair, threading and gently scratching her scalp, "San she wont hate you. Grandma Abuela loves you so, so much. She could never hate you."

Quinn takes a seat beside Brittany and places a hand on Santana's back and gently rubs her back, not saying anything since she's not aware of the whole story but she doesn't really need to know anything to be there for her friends who have been there for her. Besides she isn't that thick. Hearing Santana say what she just did, it isn't hard to connect the dots.

Quinn's anger starts to boil just below the surface but she keeps it there. For now. Santana's breaking down and she's going to do things right this time and be there instead of making it about something else.

Brittany shoots her a tentative smile, one that Quinn returns, before looking somber again as Santana continues to cling to her desperately.

Even though she doesn't really need to know the whole story, Quinn slightly believes she may need to know the whole story for when she's asked to testify on the witness stand, but she isn't about to go and ask right now. Even though she really wants to know so she can get it over with…The Finn-thing not hearing about it.

Having finally stopped crying, Santana lifts her head and self consciously wipes her eyes, Brittany though pushes her hands away and does it herself, leaning in and kissing her cheeks as she does so, not caring that Quinn is around because let's face it Quinn's always been there for them, she isn't about to pull a Finn.

Quinn bites her tongue from lashing out at the big oaf for doing this to her friends and instead squeezes her shoulder letting her know she's there.

Between the two blondes they manage to coax Santana into going home. Quinn drives them in her car, knowing that neither of them was in any shape to be driving anywhere.

Pulling up to the drive Quinn can literally feel the tension in their bodies and she knows she isn't exactly the most lax person right now either.

Santana lifts her head off of Brittany's shoulder and manages a chocked, "They aren't home are they?"

Quinn noticed the absence of cars on her drive into the driveway but she looks again just in case and then she shakes her head no.

Santana nods, "Probably better. I don't want them to be asking questions."

Brittany gets out and takes Santana's hand once she's out of the car and they make their way inside. Santana stays oddly quiet not entirely certain about anything at the moment because if she had to be honest, she'd say it all felt like it was a dream. There couldn't be any way that Finn actually said that out loud, in the middle of a crowded school hallway in a known homophobic school. There couldn't be any way that someone heard him. There couldn't be any way that that someone went and told 'The Sauce' about it and in response to that he launched a smear campaign against Sue Sylvester using her as a pawn in their own weird shit flinging contest. There's just no way.

And then it hits her that sadly there is a way. It did happen. Finn did publicly shove her out of the closet, in the middle of a pretty crowded school hallway in a known homophobic school. Someone did hear what he said. Someone did go to 'The Sauce' and he did launch a smear campaign against Sue Sylvester using her as a pawn in their own weird shit flinging contest. The fucking rumors weren't just going to be following her around the damn school now. She'd get recognized everywhere she went in Lima. The hate that Kurt went through would just be the beginning. At least he was ready to come out on his own. She wasn't even able to do that in her own time. Finn, with his lumbering limbs and stupid big mouth, Finn with his mightier-than-though persona, Finn with his golden-boy beliefs, Finn with his 'I can do no wrong' ideal…Finn was the one who dropped kicked her into being out.

Santana doesn't remember falling to her knees, but suddenly she's aware of the fact that she's being held by two pairs of strong arms and she realizes that regardless of whether she remembers it or not, she did fall to her knees.

She lurches forward and buries her head into Brittany's neck and holds on tighter, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Xoxoxoxoxox

The brunette knows she isn't being her usual self, but she can't really help it. She literally had her worst nightmare come true and it's all she can do to stay sane. She wraps Brittany's arms tighter around her own body and she smiles just a little bit, because no matter what as long as she has Brittany she's okay. What does Finn know anyways? 'Brittany does love me back.' She thinks as she feels the blonde snuggle her nose into her hair and taking a deep breath.

The front doorbell rings and Quinn holds up her hand letting them both know she's got it without even saying a word.

"I-Hello. I-want…I…Santana?"

At the sound of Rachel's voice Santana raises an eyebrow and quickly stiffens slightly but Brittany's relaxing touch on her arm calms her down and allows them both to sit up slowly, still wrapped in each other's arms.

Quinn leads Rachel into the living room where they were all sitting and the tiny brunette locks eyes with Santana and Santana is immediately thrown by the absolute fire that's in her eyes.

"I cannot even begin to tell you how absolutely sorry I am Santana." She pauses but quickly adds, "I know you hate me, and hate that I tend to talk a lot but…I only do so because I need to make sure I get my point across and because I don't want people to misunderstand."

She stops again and she doesn't notice the slight wince that crosses all three faces before her. They don't hate her, they really don't.

Rachel grabs hold of her hands and clasps them in front of her as she stands right before Santana, she's grabbing so tight that Santana notices the knuckles have gone white, "What Finn did, whatever the scenario that led up to it, was wrong. He had absolutely no right to do what he did, or to call you a coward for it either. I just…my dads…if you ever need anything, I mean they're here for you. And uhm I was actually thinking about it while on my way over here…I think there's a chance that…the campaign might be illegal. I mean you're…a m-minor and. I'm just really sorry Santana."

She kneels at her feet, much like she did during their 'A Boy Like That' number, and she looks up at her with big brown eyes, but she isn't begging her at all, and it doesn't seem like she is either. She looks like someone who really cares and wants to show her that they're equals. She's kneeling so that Santana doesn't have to look up at her nor does Rachel have to look down at her.

Quinn takes a seat sitting Indian style beside the tiny brunette while Brittany continues being the supportive girlfriend that she is.

"Whether it airs or not, I just. I came here to let you know that, even though it truly isn't your first choice or anything, but if you ever need someone to talk to or someplace to stay, my door is always open. My dads, being the only two openly gay married couple here in Lima, even though it isn't actually recognized as a marriage, they…we'd never judge you, and they can help you. My father was outed by his best friend at the beginning of high school, so I assure you he…he's got insight."

Rachel takes a breath and finally sighs and relaxes her shoulders slightly, "I just wanted to let you know. I just…I'll see myself to the front door."

The tiny brunette lifts herself up and Quinn quickly follows behind, going so far as to walking her to her car.

The blonde watches her intently before finally speaking for what seems like the first time in forever, "What happened?"

Rachel looks up at her and frowns deeply, looking so heartbroken for Santana, "My…" She pauses and coughs lightly before shaking her head as if to rid that word and starting again, "Finn, he outed Santana in the middle of the hallway. He says it was only because she was insulting him, and be that as it may, he should not have said and done what he did. That was most definitely not the kind of behavior he should be partaking in." Rachel frowns and looks back up into hazel eyes, "M-Mr. Schue said that someone obviously heard what Finn said and now someone is using the fact that since Santana is a lesbian and is on coach Sylvester's cheerleading team then that's something Sylvester should have made clear to the public…"

Rachel looks down at her feet and continues, "I don't think I've ever been so utterly mad in my life. I was furious. How could he be so callous when his own brother who's been through so much worse with Karofsky hasn't even thought about outing the boy? Kurt who has literally been shoved into lockers, slushied, thrown into dumpsters and ridiculed on a constant level hasn't once thought to out David, but Finn…he has single handedly started something that cannot be undone. I'm in no way condoning Santana's behavior with her mean jokes, but there is a rather large difference between a few insults thrown around and being outed. Did you know that 1 in 4 teens get kicked out after coming out to their parents? It's a scary thing to do when you're ready, but when you get shoved out? That's terrifying."

Rachel's eyes start to brim with tears, and even though she isn't looking at Quinn, the blonde can hear it in her voice. She gently reaches out and tentatively places a hand on her shoulder, "We're just going to have to make sure she knows that she doesn't have to be so terrified because we aren't going to let anything bad happen to her."

The blonde shrugs her shoulders slightly as she continues, "Being kicked out…I know what it's like. Santana…All I know is, I'm not about to leave her alone when it happens. And I'm pretty damn sure Brittany wont let her go through it alone either."

Rachel bites her lip and nods her head seemingly in understanding.

Quinn however continues, "She's going to need all the support she can get."

Rachel looks up at her, tilting her head slightly, and the blonde shrugs, "You're a good friend Rachel. One that perhaps we should learn to appreciate more, because not everyone would do what you just did. Especially not to someone who has quite literally helped me make your life a living hell."

Rachel frowns and shakes her head, "You're my friends. She's my friend. Granted albeit in the most roughest of ways but I do think of you as my friends and you're my family. Although I know Britt and Santana aren't in New Directions anymore, they will always be a part of the family and I know not everyone really acts like it but I take it seriously. If she needs anything, would you remind her that…well I mean to say, my fathers and I…"

"I wont need reminding Ber-Rachel."

Quinn and Rachel's heads shoot towards the voice of Santana, to find her standing beside a teary eyed Brittany.

Rachel stammers and trips over her words. Quinn clears her throat, "How long…?"

Santana shrugs and even though she isn't really smiling, she's at least got herself to stop crying for now and she's standing straight again with pride, "Long enough to hear pretty much everything."

Brittany nudges Santana slightly and the brunette bites her lip before folding her arms, not tight against her as if protecting herself but more in the sense to give her a tough look for what she's about to say, "I just…I thought. I wanted to thank you for what you said."

Rachel really does trip over her feet as her body subconsciously moved forward to try and hear that part clearer, Quinn catches her quickly before she face-plants though.

Santana rolls her eyes slightly and nods, "I'm not weak. And shit like this…it isn't supposed to happen this way. But…I guess what I mean is, thanks for not like being a total hypocrite or whatever and siding with your boyfriend."

Rachel shakes her head, "Ex."

Santana furrows her brow, "Ex what?"

The shorter brunette shrugs, "My ex-boyfriend."

Brittany smiles at her approvingly and Quinn just grins knowingly. She totally knew that there was no way in hell would Rachel stay with him knowing what he did. She knew it.

"You broke up with him?"

Rachel nods her head seriously, "Of course I did. As a proud supporter of LGBT rights, and a daughter of two gay parents, this isn't something I take lightly. And to top it all off he wasn't even sorry? I don't think we'd have stayed together much longer anyways regardless."

After an extended goodbye, Rachel finally gets into her car and drives home, after which she notices she has four new texts. Two of those four were from Santana, and then one from each of the blondes.

'Dnt expct 2 hav lots of hart2harts or watev bt…thnx. S'

Rachel nods her head to herself and checks the next one from Quinn, 'thank you for doing what you did.'

Rachel plays with the thought of her meaning a number of things before shaking her head and reading the one from Brittany, 'U made Santana cry again. But like happy-ish tears. Is it too soon to say I love u? Cuz I want to make santi happy and I thnk with ur help I can! :] xx'

Rachel quickly rattles off a reply to Brittany reassuring her that it certainly wasn't too early at all and that she's certain that Brittany already makes her incredibly happy without any help from anyone. She sends a text to both Quinn and Santana as well before she realizes she still has an unread text from Santana.

'Thank you. For…well you know. S'

Rachel knows that there's going to be a long road ahead, but she's pretty sure Santana is going to be okay. Not because of her, but because she's got the love of her life by her side. Just look at her own parents.