Title: Hi, I'm Santana
Author: Guyana Rose
Rating: T
Pairing: Santana Lopez & Rachel Berry
Word Count: 2,202
Summary: Rachel Berry has had a hard life. After losing all three of her parents, she moves in with her Uncle Jesse. When Santana learns of Jesse's plot against his niece, she steps in to say hi. Pezberry Week, Day 1: AU of any kind.
Prompt: Pezberry Week, Day 1: AU of any kind
Disclaimer: I own only the story itself. Glee belongs to R.I.B.

Please read & review

"You're acting like I'm asking. It's not a question, I'm telling you, this is happening. Boss told me his daughter thinks you're cute, her birthday party is on Saturday, you're her present. Get over it."

Rachel wanted to die. She said nothing to her uncle in reply. She just walked away and locked herself in her room. This was not supposed to be her life. She was supposed to take Broadway by storm, but that dream died a long time ago.

Life used to be good. She lived with her two fathers in New York and she was their sunshine. When she was ten she met her birth mother and she couldn't have been happier. When Rachel turned twelve she lost one of her fathers to cancer. She was sad for a long time, but she still had two loving parents to help her through it. At least she did until a month after her thirteenth birthday. Her daddy was mugged and killed. Again she was sad, but the sadness was bearable. She had her mother. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to keep her. One of Rachel's friends had a sleep over to celebrate her fourteenth birthday. That night while Rachel laughed and had too much sugar and stayed up way too late with her friends, her home was burglarized and her mother was raped and killed. Rachel was devastated. The only family Children Services could find that would take the poor girl was her mother's little brother Jesse.

It was hard at first, but Rachel adjusted. She kept her eyes set on Broadway and reasoned that all the sorrow she'd experienced thus far would make for one hell of an autobiography when she was famous. Jesse was only about six years older than Rachel, so he insisted on her not calling him Uncle. He was nice to her; he even got her a delivery job so she could make her own money. Only problem with that was, Rachel didn't really know what she was delivering. When she found out how many kilos of drugs she had delivered under the guise of sandwiches from the deli she and Jesse worked at, she actually took it pretty well. She was appalled, but being who she was, she appreciated the drama of the situation. It would make her future autobiography more interesting. Trouble only came when she turned sixteen and wanted to quit.

Jesse was furious. During the argument he had grabbed Rachel by her throat and pinned her with his body to a wall. Rachel had never had a reason to fear the man, until that night. He threatened her and told her in graphic detail what he could have her doing to make money. After that night Rachel never said a word about quitting again. When Jesse told her she needed to stop her dance and acting classes to move more product; she didn't question him. When her life outside of school became nothing more than waiting around to make deliveries, she stayed quiet. By the time she turned seventeen, she decided she didn't want to celebrate anymore birthdays.

She had it planned perfectly, right down to the day. She would go to work and make her deliveries; all but one. She would keep the product of her last delivery. She never had to go back to the deli after her last run, so no one would suspect a thing. By the time anyone found her, it'd be too late. Jesse wouldn't be home Saturday night, everything lined up perfectly. But then dear Uncle Jesse told her about the party she would have to attend.

She made her peace with it. She told herself that at least it was a girl and not some of the men her uncle hung around with. Over the past few months Rachel had begun to notice their leering eyes on her at all times and it made her sick to her stomach. Little did she know their eyes were the only things that would ever touch her; she was protected.

When the fateful night came she put on the short skirt, the heels, and too tight tank top. She decorated her ears and neck with shiny jewelry and scented herself with perfume. She dressed her face with make-up that she hardly ever wore and she pulled her hair back into a tight but flattering ponytail. Jesse drove her to the party. She could've taken a cab, but he had insisted. She spent the whole ride pressed against her door. She didn't like the way her uncle had taken to looking at her.

The elevator ride up to the apartment where the party was being held was much more nerve-wracking than Rachel thought it would be. She forced herself to steady her breathing when she got to the door. She knocked and waited. Just as she was about to knock again the door opened and she was greeted by a blonde with a short haircut and the tips of her hair dyed pink. The girl didn't say anything for a few moments and neither did Rachel.

"You must be Rachel," the blonde said.

"Y-yes," Rachel cleared her throat and mentally kicked herself for stuttering, "yes I'm Rachel."

Rachel watched in silence as the girl's eyes roamed over her body.

"San was right. You're hot," the blonde said.

Before Rachel could think of anything to say another blonde with shoulder length hair, just a few inches taller than the girl who answered the door appeared.

"Quinn you're going to freak her out, move so she can come in."

"Sorry babe," Quinn started then turned and pecked the taller girl on her lips, "you know how I get with pretty things."

"Watch your mouth Miss Fabray or you won't be getting any of this pretty thing anytime soon," the taller girl said as she pointed to herself.

"That's so harsh you know I'm joking, I'm all yours."

"Sorry Rachel, my girlfriend's a little tipsy right now. Please come in," the taller blonde said as she moved herself and Quinn out of the entrance way.

Rachel walked into the apartment and surveyed the area. It was spacious and decorated in earthy tones. There was a blonde boy with a cute smile and a boy with a mohawk playing video games in the living room to her left and she thought she heard the voices of two maybe three others in the kitchen to her right.

"I'm Brittany," the taller blonde said as she wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulder. Rachel smiled and tried to hide her nervousness at the girl's close proximity.

"This is my girlfriend Quinn," Quinn twirled her hand and did a fake bow before joining the boys on the couch, "the boy with the mohawk is Puck and that's his boyfriend Sam," Brittany continued.

"Hi Rachel," the boys greeted simultaneously.

Brittany led her into the kitchen where she's introduced to Tina, Mercedes, Mike, and Blaine. They made small talk then took the food and drinks that were being made in the kitchen to the living room. Rachel had calmed, but she was still on edge. She still hadn't met the Boss' daughter and even though they were friendly, she didn't know these people.

Tina offered her a drink and she started to politely decline but Tina smiled and shook her head. She leaned close to Rachel and whispered in her ear.

"I know why you're nervous, but trust me, you're safer here than in your own home right now. No one here is going to hurt you."

Rachel had no response for what Tina had told her so she took the drink and quietly sipped as they continued to talk and take turns playing video games.

Across town Uncle Jesse was not having a good night. He was holding his ribs and coughing up blood onto his living room floor. His boss sat on the La-Z-Boy recliner by the window eating popcorn as he watched.

"Stop," the man ordered with a heavy Spanish accent.

Jesse took the time to try to catch his breath. His assailant took the time to stretch her fingers out and readjust her clothing.

"Do you know why this is happening to you boy?" the Boss asked.

"No s-sir," Jesse stuttered and his boss laughed at him as did his assailant.

"You really are that stupid," she said, "Did you think we wouldn't find out?"

"I don't," Jesse had to stop talking because he was coughing up more blood, "I don't know what you mean." He thought this couldn't be happening. He was so careful.

"You stole from me Jesse and you've been using Rachel to help you. She's such a sweet girl. I can't believe what you were planning to do to her."

Jesse started to say something but was kicked in the jaw before he could form the words.

"You obviously didn't get the message when I broke your hand for leaving that handprint around her neck."

"You really should have known better Jesse, my Santana can be very protective when it comes to things she loves," Jesse heard his boss say; and he began to realize that he may not live through the night. He managed to get to his knees and let his gaze fall on her.

Santana Esmeralda Lopez. Beloved daughter of Mario Lopez, Columbian drug lord, and the second ranked assassin in the drug lord's empire. Santana had first set eyes on Rachel when Shelby, Rachel's mother, showed her a picture of the girl. Her father was good friends with Shelby. Santana was quite taken with the tiny brunette and vowed to protect her from anymore harm when Shelby died. Santana never liked Jesse. The only reason she or her father tolerated him was because of their love for Shelby. The woman had begged Mario to help her brother out with a job. She knew what the man did for a living, but she also knew he could keep her hard headed brother in line.

Jesse thought he was a smart man. He'd been skimming off the top of the deliveries he had Rachel make. The more deliveries she made, the more money there was for him to steal. One of his buddies had taken to constantly telling him how hot his niece was and as time went on, Jesse began to take notice. He was planning on taking the girl's virginity a few nights from now; him and some of his friends. He thought he was a smart man, but in reality he was careless and too cocky for his own good. He didn't notice how his friends all seemed to disappear throughout the week. And he thought nothing of the boss' daughter bumping her birthday celebration up one week. Nor did he think anything of her requesting Rachel's presence.

"You stole from my papi. And you were planning on harming my future esposa. No me gusta."

That was the last thing Jesse would ever hear. Santana pulled a knife out of her back pocket and in one fluid movement slit his throat. Her father called in their clean-up crew to handle the mess as she took off her latex gloves and washed the blood off her knife. She walked out of the house after kissing her father on the cheek and sped to her apartment. She didn't have time to worry about traffic laws, she was meeting her future wife face to face for the first time and she was already late for her own party.

When she walked through the door the raven-haired assassin was greeted with smiles and hugs. She accepted them all, she loved her friends. She gave Tina a silent command to usher the group out onto the balcony so she could talk to Rachel by herself. Rachel stood as Santana approached. She was trying to think of something to say but she was rendered speechless by Santana's beauty.

They stood staring at each other for several moments before Santana raised her hand and caressed Rachel's cheek. Rachel closed her eyes at the small touch and felt her face flush. When she opened her eyes, Santana was smiling at her. She didn't know why, but she knew she wanted to stay with this girl.

"Hi, I'm Santana."

"Rachel."