Disclaimer: Not mine, I wish... just borrowing for some fun. No profit is made and no copyright infringement is intended. Only the plot belongs to me...
A/N: Something that's been in my head for a while. I was just waiting for my muse to decide if she wanted to go Pezberry or Faberry... Takes place in the same universe/setting as 'Can I Claim Temporary Insanity' and 'Still Crazy After All These Days', but you don't really have to read them for the story to make sense. Self-edited as usual, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Enjoy :-)
Bring On The Wonder
Rachel's birthday is fast approaching and Santana wonders why is it that the heavens seem to be toying with her. She has the perfect day planned. She has Michael and Daniel's blessings and it's supposed to be a nice clear day. But the timing is all wrong. Santana sighs as she looks at the calendar and the dates that are circled seem to be mocking her. She knows she has no choice but to go through as planned because no matter how messed up the dates are, she knows Rachel will love it. At least it frees up the actual day to be spent with both their families. She shudders at the thought because it won't just be her parents and Rachel's parents. This celebration will include Santana's entire extended family, Quinn, Brittany and Puck. It seems that since their bonding over the World Cup, any excuse is a good excuse to visit and spend time with her Rachel. She'll put up with the crazies if it means Rachel will be happy. She will never admit it, but it makes her ecstatic just how they try to make things better for Rachel, as if they're trying to erase years of bullying with their actions.
Unfortunately, for the regular population of McKinley, things aren't so cut and dry. Whatever frustrations Santana has with The Powers That Be and their timing, is taken out on the poor unsuspecting fools that roam the hallways. By the end of their sophomore year, every one knows that Santana and Rachel are dating. Everyone knows that if they want to stay healthy and alive, Rachel Berry is untouchable. The few morons who tried to prove a point found themselves the victims of 'accidents' that left them hospitalised for a few days. Since then, everyone knows to stay away from Rachel and avoid all forms of contact with the diva. The ones that are too friendly suffer the wrath of the fiery Latina's jealousy. Those who are dumb enough to show their dislike of the diva suffer the wrath of the fiery Latina's all out anger. There seems to be no happy medium, so everyone just agrees to part like the Red Sea for Rachel. There is some sort of unspoken agreement to find out the culprit that has unleashed a cranky Santana upon them.
"Santana, what the hell is wrong with you? Berry not putting out?" Puck asks as he watches the umpteenth student limp away with his tail between his legs.
"What the fuck, Puckerman? Don't talk about my girl like that. You're only getting a warning because you're in Glee with us. Keep it up and you'll be singing soprano." Santana hisses as she smacks him upside the head. Puck just glares at her while he rubs the back of his head mumbling something under his breath.
"I think what Puck is trying to ask in his piggish way is why you're going around putting half the student body in traction." Quinn says with a smirk as she joins the other two by the Latina's locker, before she gives Santana a chance to question whatever it is that Puck is mumbling.
"They looked at Rachel funny." Santana says with a shrug as if that explains everything, before she slams her locker shut and heads to class.
"Maybe she did something stupid and Rachel is angry with her." Quinn says with a shrug of her own before she makes her way to class, leaving behind a bewildered Puck. She makes a mental note to ask Brittany. If anyone knows anything, it would be the taller blonde. It would certainly explain Santana's foul mood all of a sudden.
Quinn manages to get a hold of Brittany but the taller blonde has no clue why Santana is in such a sour mood. Brittany tells Quinn that she is sure Santana and Rachel didn't have a fight of any kind. Maybe whatever it was that happened sometime earlier in the morning or late the night before. She'll just have to go to Rachel and maybe convince the diva that whatever Santana did doesn't warrant whatever punishment she's giving the Latina, because soon, there won't be any students left to roam the hallways. Not that the idea of no sheep is a bad one, she just doesn't want Santana to get caught fighting and get suspended. Given the option, Quinn would always choose a day where contact with the morons is kept to a minimum. She just needs to figure out a way to talk to Rachel and not set Santana off even more. She knows Santana won't do anything to her unless she's stupid enough to harm Rachel, and the odds of that happening are about as plausible as Finn winning the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. They are all lucky the boy hasn't blown up the school yet. Later that day, Quinn thanks whatever deity willing to listen, that the girls seemed to have worked out whatever differences when she sees a very loving Rachel making out with a very pleased Santana in the choir room during their lunch period. Maybe the rest will be safer now. That thought goes down the toilet when the terrorising resumes right after their lunch.
The rest of the day passes in similar fashion. No one seems to be safe from the Latina's wrath. No matter what happens, any interaction with Rachel is wrong. By the end of the day, those who are not Rachel's friends or part of Glee automatically dive out of the way whenever they see the diva approaching. If anything, the lack of the very physical release for Santana makes her mood even darker. The only time she is in a semblance of a good mood is whenever Rachel is near and in some form of physical contact with the Latina. More than one student considers cutting the rest of the day. The entire school body breathes a sigh of relief when the day is finally over. There is a mass exodus as those who are lucky enough to have no extracurricular activities make a beeline for the exits and pray that the next morning things will be better. Those who have to stay behind for whatever reason, say a silent prayer of thanks because now that they don't have to part ways, Rachel is draped lovingly over Santana, thus, calming the Latina down. They all pray that whatever happens, Rachel will not have to separate herself from Santana until they are all safe out of the school and out of the Latina's path. There seems to be an unspoken agreement for everyone to pray to whatever deity they believe in for things to be better the following morning.
Glee practice rolls around. No one is sure what to expect. They reluctantly approach the choir room, preparing to have their heads bitten off by a cranky Santana. There seems to be a reprieve because they walk in on Santana and Rachel making out in the choir room. The situation is bewildering. Rachel is definitely not mad at Santana and by the looks of their kisses and their roaming hands; the diva is definitely not withholding anything from the Latina. There seems to be no real explanation for Santana's sour mood. There's an unspoken agreement that they'll thread lightly around the two brunettes. They don't want to accidentally say something to Rachel that will give Santana an excuse to maim them. Their next competition isn't for a couple of months so there is more than enough time for injuries to be sustained and be healed on time. They make a point to keep an eye on Finn because he's the only one dumb enough to say or do something that might set Santana off. The rest know better. Even Puck knows when to keep his comments to himself. The girls only separate when Will clears his throat a few times, receiving a glare from Santana in the process.
Glee practice crawls because nothing is getting done. Most of them wanted Will to call an end to their torture. With each passing second, Santana's mood just seems to get darker. Every single suggestion that leaves the mouths of the others is met with a sarcastic or cutting remark from Santana. Even Brittany isn't immune to this. The only one who isn't on the receiving end of all things bad of course is Rachel. If someone says anything to contradict Rachel's suggestion, Santana shoots them a glare or twenty before she makes more cutting remarks. Rachel wonders why her girlfriend seems to be the poster child for every cliché about PMS, especially when she knows that Santana's time of the month is nowhere near approaching. She makes a mental note to ask the Latina once she can get her alone. When Santana is in a mood like this, it's better not upset the balance any more than necessary by showing the softer side of the Latina she loves so much. The side only Rachel seems to be able to bring out fully. If anything, it might set the others off and the last thing Rachel wants is for her girlfriend and the rest of her team to start fighting.
Will at long last takes pity on them, or he's just tired of dealing with the ever darkening mood of the Latina Cheerio, and finally calls an end to practice. They all hope that when they meet again on Thursday, things will be better. They join the throngs of praying students and send a few hundred pleas of their own to any and all deities listening.
Quinn and Brittany want to ask Rachel what is the matter and if she has any idea why Santana is on the warpath, but decide against it. It is very rare for Santana to say anything cutting to Brittany that when it happens, everyone under the sun knows that the Latina is under undue stress. Both blondes wonder what might be stressing the Latina, and figure it has to do with their upcoming midterms. Maybe Rachel is making Santana study more than she normally would. Maybe Santana's relatives are arriving sooner rather than later. They know Santana always dreads those visits. Whatever the case, they'll wait until Rachel has a chance to calm the girl down some before they even think about approaching her. They watch silently as Rachel takes Santana's hand and leads the taller brunette out of the choir room and out of the school for the day. Everyone starts talking at the same time, speculating what might be wrong.
Will half heartedly tries to calm the gossiping down, but even he is wondering what the bloody hell is going on. Another practice like this one and he will probably make Sue a very happy woman, because he will end up pulling everyone of his curly and overly styled hairs out one by one. He takes his sweet time collecting his things in the hopes of listening and maybe finding out what caused this sudden shift back to the 'old' Santana López, the pre-Rachel version that everyone fears because she takes joy in the suffering of others. Eventually, he has no choice but to leave because there is only so much he can delay his departure.
By some sort of silent agreement, everyone in McKinley has made the decision to leave Rachel alone. A happy Rachel means a happy and calm Santana. So one of the morons saying or doing something to upset the diva seem as likely as Sue Sylvester and Will Schuester becoming best friends overnight. Still, an upset Rachel is the only plausible reason for this. All of a sudden, all eyes turn to Finn, causing the boy in question to nearly tumble over the chair he's sitting on.
"All right, Hudson. What the hell did you say or do to Rachel to upset her and therefore get Santana in the warpath and gunning for the rest of us?" Puck asks what's suddenly on everyone's minds. "Maybe it would just be kinder to lock you up with Santana and let her get whatever it is out of her system." Puck adds while a few of the others nod in agreement.
"What? I didn't do anything. Why does everyone assume I was the one to upset Rachel? How do you know it wasn't something that Mercedes or Quinn did?" Finn asks as she lets he looks over to where Quinn and Mercedes are. "Hell, I'm not the one who's always trying to get them into a threesome." Finn adds while glaring at Puck.
"Hell no. You're not pinning this on me. I have pretty much stopped harassing Rachel since she calmed down some…" Mercedes starts to say only to be cut off by Quinn.
"Yeah, we know. You value your life and health, so you stopped. We get it." Quinn says dismissively, not in the mood to hear Mercedes' rant. The day has been long enough without even more drama. "Plus, in case you've forgotten, Rachel and I are good friends now. And Finn, for the record, you're the only one dumb enough to not leave well enough alone. Everyone knows that a happy Rachel means a happy Santana. Yet, you keep trying to break them up. Puck might be a pig, but his comments are just crass and tasteless. He hasn't tried to badmouth Santana in front of Rachel in the hopes of bringing her to her senses, and he hasn't openly flirted with either one of them." Quinn says in her best Head Bitch In Charge tone and attitude.
"That's not fair guys. I haven't done anything since Sectionals. I swear." Finn says looking down.
The little stunt where he blabbed that he had lost his virginity to Santana had cost them a sure win. Instead, they had to share first place with Dalton Academy's Warblers. It was a good think that Rachel already knew about that, because Santana had been honest to the diva about every single one of her romantic liaisons when she was courting her. He can only recall too vividly that the only reason Santana and Rachel hadn't ripped his manhood and spoon fed it to him was Will's timely entrance as they were all arguing and in some cases, physically restraining both girls. The tension of course ended up affecting their performance. Only Rachel managed to keep it professional and only because of her years of training.
"Finn is too afraid of Santana and Rachel to try anything else. I think seeing Rachel trying to rip his balls off just before we had to compete instead of helping calm Santana down kinda told him Rachel doesn't like him anymore." Brittany says out loud what Finn is too embarrassed to admit openly.
"You're right Britt. Even he can't be that dumb." Quinn says.
They all do a double take at that. In what universe is Brittany not only right, but making perfect sense? They speculate some more, but once again, everyone comes up empty. When it's clear there is nothing more to be said that can shed some light to the current situation, they all leave and hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Sam walks over to Quinn, but the Head Cheerio sends a glare at him, and he leaves with a frown.
"Britt, are you ok?" Quinn asks worried once they're alone. To most, the taller blonde seems ok, but Quinn can see that having Santana snap at her earlier has saddened her.
"Yeah. I'm just not used to Santana like that. I wonder what's really wrong." Brittany answers.
"I'm sure she didn't mean it and it was just her stress talking. She hasn't been like this in a while so it just seems worse than it really is." Quinn says taking Brittany's hand. "Come on. Let me drive you home and we can watch a Finding Nemo." Quinn adds, cursing that it's winter and all ducks have flown south for warmer weather.
Brittany smiles brightly at that and all but pulls Quinn out with her. "Can we get some ice cream first?" She asks hopeful.
"Of course Britt. Whatever you want." Quinn says with a smile, glad she is able to lift the taller blonde's spirits.
"Santana, Baby, is everything ok?" Rachel asks as they walk to Santana's car.
"Yes, Preciosa. I'm sorry I've been in such a bad mood." Santana says looking everywhere but at Rachel. There is no pointing lying or denying anything. The trail of limping and crying students the perfect proof that something is indeed up.
"Don't shut me out please." Rachel says.
"I'm not." Santana starts to say, but stops once she looks at Rachel's sad face. "It's just that I had the perfect plan for your birthday and well, things aren't going as planned." She adds sadly.
"Oh Baby. I know that it's not the ideal setting, having to spend it with everyone, but at least you get to spend the entire week at my place." Rachel says understanding things a little more now.
Truth be told though, as much as she would love to spend the entire day alone with Santana making passionate love, she is also very excited that for the first time ever she gets to have a celebration with someone more than just her dads. She makes a mental note to make things up to Santana because she knows how much teasing her girlfriend gets from all her extended relatives and their friends.
"Don't worry about me, Mi Cielo. I don't mean to get you down over things out of our control. This entire week is about you. I just want you to be happy." Santana says. She only wishes the timing for what she has planned could be better instead of four days early. She pulls Rachel closer to her and captures the diva's mouth in a searing kiss that leaves them both breathless. "Come on Preciosa. We need to get going." Santana says as she reluctantly pulls apart and resumes their trek to her car.
The drive to Rachel's house is done to Rachel's favourite music mix and the occasional talk about what to expect over the weekend. They talk about the events of the day, and as much as Rachel wants to feel bad for the sheep's misfortunes, she has to admit she honestly doesn't really care. All she cares is that Santana didn't get in trouble and she tells the Latina as much, causing her mood to lift a little. So the timing is all wrong, Santana just hopes that the experience itself will more than make up for it.
The evening is spent doing homework and making out until Rachel's dads return from work. The four of them cook dinner together and joke about the events of the day. Michael and Daniel shake their heads, actually feeling sorry for the masses that roam the halls of McKinley. Both men are happy at the change they have seen in Santana and as much as the girl is prone to violence, they can't argue with the fact that the Latina absolutely adores Rachel with everything in her.
The girls, at Santana's insistence and Rachel's bewilderment, call it an early night. While Rachel goes through her night time routine, Santana goes back downstairs with the pretext of getting them each a glass of water.
"Everything is set. All you need to do is make sure you won't freeze." Michael says with a warm smile.
"Stop frowning. I know the timing is a bit off, but she's not expecting anything like that. She'll love it. We'll make sure to say out of the way." Daniel gushes.
"Thank you so much for all the help." Santana says as she gives both men a hug. She then heads to the cupboard and grabs two glasses and fills them with water before heading back up to Rachel's room.
"Hey. Perfect timing Baby." Rachel says as she exits her en suite and pecks Santana's lips.
"I'll be right back." Santana says as she enters the en suite to get ready for bed.
Santana quickly settles beside Rachel and both girls immediately gravitate toward the other. Santana automatically opens her arms and Rachel settles nearly on top of the Latina as she drapes her body over and burrows her face in the crook of Santana's neck to inhale and breathe in that scent she loves so much. What starts as a 'kiss good night' soon turns to more. Once again, both girls are ecstatic that Rachel's room is soundproofed. After an impromptu lovemaking session, both girls fall asleep exhausted. Santana makes a superhuman effort to make sure the alarm on her iPhone is set and prays that she'll hear it go off before it wakes Rachel.
By sheer luck alone, Santana actually hears her alarm go off at four a.m. and with a sigh, she turns it off before it actually wakes Rachel. With another bout of superhuman effort, Santana manages to detangle herself from Rachel without waking her and with a light peck on the diva's lips, she proceeds to get dressed in warm clothing. She's glad Michael had enough sense to talk her into getting thermal base layers for the occasion. She sifts through her bag and grabs her iPod before she exits the room with one last kiss on Rachel's lips. She smiles when the diva unconsciously returns the kiss before she burrows herself in the pillow that Santana used earlier and pouts slightly. She's tempted to crawl back in bed and pull the diva flush against her body, but reminds herself there is a reason she's up this early and that this is something she planned weeks in advance.
Santana makes her way downstairs to grab the things that Daniel had help her stash the night before and with a sigh and a smile, she heads out to the backyard. Her smile broadens as she takes in the sight of the lounge chaises that are normally put away until late spring set up and ready for her. She also notices how Michael was kind enough to set the fire pit out as well. He even had the sense to put all the proper parts and grills so that it will pose as a makeshift fireplace and keep them as warm as possible. Santana quickly lights the wood that's already inside, and once she has a roaring fire going, she adds layers upon layers of duvets on the lounge chairs. When everything is ready, she looks at what she has done and wonders for the umpteenth time how she can be so happy that she's whipped to the point that she willingly wakes up in the middle of the night on days she has no Cheerios practice. She shakes her head at herself as a goofy smile appears as she makes her way back inside and up to Rachel's room.
Santana stands by the door and looks on with adoration at the still sleeping diva still clutching the pillow. One look at the sleeping girl and Santana knows that she will willingly do anything and everything for that girl if it means she gets to see her eyes light up with excitement and that smile that Rachel reserves just for her. She takes a quick look at her watch and notices that Rachel's iPod dock will be going off in about ninety minutes. She silently crosses the threshold into the room and sits down beside the diva. She caresses the side of Rachel's face before she leans down and peppers the diva's face, and neck with kisses. Rachel for her part returns the kisses that land on her lips, but she's still out to the world. Santana always marvels how deep of a sleeper her girlfriend is. She actually wonders why she was afraid of waking the diva with her alarm earlier. She awkwardly manages to dress a still sleeping Rachel in the same layers of warm clothing as she's wearing. After making sure everything is ready, Santana lifts Rachel and carries her bridal style down the stairs and out to the backyard. She sets the diva on the cocoon of down duvets and slowly coaxes the diva up.
"Hey Preciosa. Come on, wake up for me." Santana says softly as she strokes Rachel's face.
Rachel snuggles closer to Santana and after a few minutes of soft caresses and kisses, the diva finally opens her eyes, the cold air aiding Santana's quest of waking her. Rachel sits up slightly disoriented as she peels her eyes open. She wonders if the furnace has died on them as she takes in her surroundings. She's startled to find herself curled on top of Santana outside in the backyard.
"Am I dreaming? Is this real life?" Rachel asks as she nuzzles Santana's neck.
Santana giggles at the questions. Ever since Rachel's last dentist visit where she had to be sedated under general anaesthetic, the diva always asks those questions whenever she's confused or just waking up to an unexpected situation.
"Yes, Mi Cielo. It's real life and you're not dreaming. Come on, open your beautiful eyes for me, please." Santana says softly. "I have a surprise for you." She adds as she pulls Rachel impossibly closer to her so that the diva is actually on her lap as she lies against the lounging chaise. Santana's hand once again finds itself softly caressing the diva's face. She's glad the fire pit/make shift fireplace is giving off much needed heat.
Rachel finally opens her eyes fully and focuses her eyes on Santana's dark caramel coloured eyes, a thousand questions reflected from her own chocolate gaze.
"I found out there's a meteor shower today. I knew there was going to be one in December. I had hoped that it would be on your actual birthday, but it seems the heavens decided to make things interesting for me. It should start pretty soon. I wish I could have given you this on Saturday instead of today." Santana says softly as she cups Rachel's face and leans in for a languid kiss.
When they separate, Rachel's eyes scan her surroundings. She can see all that Santana has done to make things happen. She wonders when the taller brunette had the time to set everything up considering their previous night's activities. She smiles at all the effort the Latina must have gone through, and then things start to make sense. Santana's words register in her slightly sleep dazed brain and she finally realises why Santana has been in such a sour mood. This is part of her birthday surprise. She looks around and turns to face the Latina, who is looking expectantly at her. Rachel falls in love with Santana even more.
Santana looks at Rachel's face as the diva processes everything. She is not sure what that looks means and she starts to get nervous that she maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all. Rachel has never expressed any overt love of stargazing. "I know I'm disrupting your usual routine, but I really wanted to share this experience with you. I know it's early and you need your sleep and…" Santana starts to ramble before she is cut off with a soul scorching kiss.
"No one has ever gone through the trouble of doing something so wonderful and romantic for me before. I feel like the most special person under the sun. Thank you Baby. I love you so much." Rachel says as she pulls apart breathing hard, her eyes filling with happy tears.
Rachel leans in for another kiss just as the first meteors start to paint the still darkened sky with streaks that vary in colour from bright yellow, orange, red, blue and green. Both girls turn to watch the light show. Santana sits with her back to the chaise and opens her legs so that Rachel can settle herself in front of her. Once she's leaning back on Santana's chest, the Latina wraps her arms around the diva's tiny waist. Rachel stares in awe at the meteor shower while Santana's gaze alternates between what is happening in the sky and Rachel's face as it lights up to match the show above them. Santana places the occasional kiss on the back of the diva's neck and sighs happily as Rachel's leans closer to her, giving the Latina's hands a kiss every once in a while.
Rachel thinks she's the luckiest person in the entire known universe. No one has ever done anything remotely close to what Santana did. Thinking back, it would explain Santana's odd behaviour the last few days. The early bedtime and how her dads were the first ones to encourage them both to go to bed early. She wonders again how long it took Santana to set everything up and how much her dads helped. She melts a little more into the embrace once she remembers their activities just before they passed out from exhaustion. The fact that Santana managed to get up and still do this with so little sleep, makes Rachel fall deeper and deeper in love with the Latina.
"I love you so much. I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Baby." Rachel says as she turns to capture Santana's lips in another searing kiss. She lets her hands roam all over the taller girl's body and somehow she manages to pull one of the duvets to cover them. She rains kisses along Santana's jaw line and eventually moves to place open mouthed kisses on her neck.
Rachel has never been much of an exhibitionist, but she combination of the very colourful streaks of light that fall intermittently all around and above them, combined with the warm cocoon they're in and the roaring fire, the soft music playing in the background and Santana's natural and familiar scent make Rachel dizzy with need.
"I need to feel you against me." Rachel purrs as she slowly starts to peel the layers off of them. Rachel's warm chocolate eyes are nearly hidden by the intensity of her desire. It makes Santana gasp and it sends a shiver of anticipation to travel through her body. She's sure her own pupils are mimicking Rachel's now as a wave of desire shoots through her body.
Soon both girls are naked and sigh with relief at the familiarity when they feel their bodies touch. Hands start to roam and kisses get deeper as their moans and whimpers of pleasure mix in with the soft sounds of the music coming out of Santana's iPod. They make love under what seems to be hundreds of shooting stars of all colours. Words of love and promises of eternity to be spent in each other's arms are exchanged as they reach their climax at the same time. They swallow each other's cries with hungry kisses in the hopes that they won't wake up the rest of the neighbourhood with their cries of passion.
"Thank you for the best present ever." Rachel whispers once she comes down from their mutual high. Santana just smiles and places another languid kiss on the diva's lips.
"You're welcome. I just wish I could have given this to you on your actual birthday." Santana finally replies once she regains her breath.
"Don't. This is perfect. I'm glad it's early because I don't have to share this with anyone else. It's just the two of us." Rachel whispers back, snuggling impossibly closer to Santana.
They don't bother to get dressed yet. They want to enjoy the feel of each other's skin as much as possible as they continue to watch the show all around them. They just make a point to pull the duvet over them as much as they can so that only their heads are visible. When it's apparent the show is over as the streaks painting the sky come at longer intervals, they reluctantly get dressed. Santana at first insists on tidying up by herself because it's not right that Rachel should help since it's supposed to be her birthday present. Rachel quickly points out that the quicker they put everything in order, the quicker they can go back inside and shower together to 'conserve water' as they get ready for school. The prospect of a shared shower and what it implies, has Santana giving in. After a very long shower that lasts until the water starts to run cold, both girls get dressed and make their way to the kitchen to start breakfast. They know they will both be dragging their feet while at school, but neither of them really care. They are both still high from their morning. Too bad they have to go to school at all. Rachel absently thinks that hopefully it means that the halls of McKinley should be safe for the rest, that is unless the morons and sheep are stupid enough to antagonise a sleepy and tired Santana.
Both brunettes are pleasantly surprised to find that Michael and Daniel are already up and have breakfast ready and waiting for them. Rachel spends a big part of it talking about the PG rated moments of her morning. The Berry men listen on with a mischievous glint in their eyes. When Rachel is done speaking for the time being and resumes eating her breakfast, Michael starts teasing them that maybe they should have had the insight of soundproofing Rachel's en suite as well. Santana blushes the shade of a ripe cherry and Rachel nearly chokes on the piece of strawberry she is chewing. That would certainly explain why both men are up and about this early on a day when they're both supposed to be off. Both men feel bad about nearly killing their daughter and both promise to wait until there is no food or drink being consumed next time they choose to tease them. The girls make a mental note to watch their volume while doing certain things in areas of the house that are not soundproofed. Rachel and Santana are both thankful this happened in the Berry household and not at the López-Aragón home. They would never hear the end of it there.
On the way to school, they make a stop at the local Starbucks for their daily caffeine hit. Santana gets Brittany and Quinn's favourite drinks. There is also a double chocolate chip cookie for Brittany and a blueberry and white chocolate scone for Quinn.
"If you recall, I was kinda short with them during Glee." Santana says once she sees Rachel's confused face.
"Ah. Maybe I should bake them each a batch of my 'I'm sorry cookies' and bring them to school tomorrow as well." Rachel says in understanding actually feeling bad for them.
"It's not your fault Preciosa. I was the one that was ready to strangle the Pope himself had he decided to show up in Lima yesterday." Santana says feeling bad. That's yet another way in which the Latina has changed for the better since being with Rachel. In the past, she would have never admitted to even making a mistake, let alone apologise and bring presents to the affected parties.
"Not directly, but it was my surprise that had you in a bad mood. I don't mind and it will make me feel better. I'll throw in a batch of your favourite brownies as well." Rachel says as they make their way back to the car.
Santana smiles at how thoughtful Rachel is. She knows it's a lost cause to argue the point.
The first thing they notice is that even in the parking lot, the students who are there already literally dive out of the way to hide behind and under whatever cars they can find, not really caring to check to see if they're parked or not. Santana smirks at that and has to fight the urge to laugh out loud. Rachel just shakes her head and tries to hide an amused smile by bringing her travelling mug to her mouth. She is however, very thankful that all the cars are safely off and parked. The same thing happens once they are inside McKinley, the memory of the day before still very fresh in their minds. Everyone jumps out of their way into whatever open space they can find, be it an open classroom, an open locker, a washroom or even an open window.
Santana and Rachel spot Quinn and Brittany chatting by the taller blonde's locker and make a beeline for it, holding up their peace offerings.
Quinn can see that Santana and Rachel are both in very good moods, but it means nothing. The true test will be when they have to go their separate ways. She's glad that Tuesdays is a day where both brunettes share the most classes together, so even if Santana is still on the warpath, Rachel will be able to calm her down a bit more.
"Hey B, Q. I, uh, wanted to say sorry for how shitty I was yesterday. You guys didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of my frustration. Please forgive me." Santana says as she hands over the coffees and sweets, along with a small container with two bagels, one with cream cheese and grape jelly, and the other one with bacon.
Both blondes look at the Latina and her peace offering with an expectant look. They then move their gaze at a sheepish looking diva and somehow they know that whatever it was that happened is fixed. Quinn's eyes perk up once the smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee hits her senses. Brittany is just happy Santana is in a much better mood today. They both want to give the Latina a hard time because they really didn't deserve having their heads bitten off, but they also know that before Rachel, Santana would have just dismissed the entire incident and act as if nothing happened. They take the proffered peace offerings and pull Santana into an awkward hug since all their hands are busy. Rachel smiles happily at the sight.
"So, what had you so pissy yesterday?" Quinn asks after she swallows a mouthful of bacon goodness.
Santana looks like the proverbial deer caught in headlights at the question because since dating Rachel, she has been doing a balancing act of maintaining her badass persona while still be the doting girlfriend to Rachel. Brittany immediately recognises the look on Santana. She knows it's something that will make her look even more whipped so the taller blonde takes pity on her best friend.
"You can tell us San. We won't tell anyone and we won't tease you about it." Brittany says sweetly.
"Speak for yourself. I can guarantee we won't tell anyone about it, but I'm entitled to a bit of teasing after what happened in Glee yesterday." Quinn says with a raised eyebrow.
Santana sighs and nods her head. Rachel grabs Santana's hand and laces their fingers. She then lifts their joined hands and gives Santana's fingers a kiss and a reassuring squeeze.
Santana squares her shoulders because she knows Quinn is right. Taking a bit of teasing is the least she can do. She launches over a fairly detailed explanation of the events that culminated with an edited version of what happened earlier that morning. By the end, both blondes are having a hard time containing their smiles and laughter. Quinn spends the time it takes for them to reach homeroom teasing Santana while Brittany gushes and awws over everything. Quinn makes it very clear that the Latina should expect quite a bit of teasing for at least the remainder of the day.
The rest of the masses think that the sight of the laughing and joking quartet means that maybe their prayers have been answered. The true test will of course be when Rachel and Santana go their separate ways. There is a collective sight of relief and another mass prayer session, this time in thanks because Santana definitely isn't going on the same rampage as the day before. If anything, that extra bounce in her step means that whatever it was that set the Latina off yesterday is all but gone today. They chalk it up to it probably being the Monday Blahs. They still make it a point to avoid all non-necessary contact with the Cheerios' second in command and they redouble their efforts to make sure that Rachel has nothing to complain about them. In short, everything is back to normal.
The End.
A/N 2: I didn't want to put this at the beginning of the story because I didn't want to spoil it for anyone. The meteor shower I mentioned is/was real. It took place on the morning of Dec. 14/2010 at around 5-6 a.m. EST. It was visible in my neck of the woods (GTA). I'm writing under the assumption that it was also seen in Ohio.