The Replacement

Chapter 1

My leg was starting to feel like it's on fire. It's one out, runner on first, no strikes, no balls. The second batter walked towards me and I can feel that she's so damn nervous. Santana can see my smirk from behind my mask and she smiled back. I put my mitt over my left knee and gave her a sign for a fastball to the outside.

'if she's a good hitter, you're gonna regret it'

'just give me the fastest ball you've ever pitched'

It was the kind of wordless conversation you have with your pitcher, especially when you've been catching her pitches all of your softball career, in other words, since we were old enough to run around a softball diamond.

Santana put her hand in her glove, griping the ball and closed her eyes, imagining the pitch she's going to throw. She's a very patient pitcher, which doesn't reflect at all to how she is in real life. She began her windup and I lifted my glove to where I expect the ball is going to go. When she released the ball, I knew it was going to be a great pitch because of the sigh she released after the pitch. It means that she's satisfied with the pitch she just threw and knew it was going to be a strike, and it was a great pitch. The ball flew into my mitt and I caught it, feeling my palm sting a bit in the process.

"Strike!" the umpire said and the crowd cheered as they recognized it as a great pitch.

'great job buddy'

'must hurt, that one'

'doesn't matter, give me another pitch like that and I'll gladly catch it again'

The girl in the batter box looked at ball in my mitt, which I threw back to Santana, not wanting the runner on first to steal base, and she looked at her base coach asking for guidance. After a few signs she nodded and I gave my sign to Santana. Curveball to the inside, throw to second.

'want to shine too?'

'get in a line"

Santana took a big breath before she prepared for her next pitch. I got into my ready position and watched as the batter took a step back, thinking it's going to hit her, only to see it curve back over the plate in time, as soon as the ball enter my mitt, I looked from the side of my eye if the runner on first ran and threw to second as soon as I saw that she bolted. My shortstop, Brittany, was already near the second base plate, caught the ball and tagged her as fast as humanly possible. The base umpire lifted his left hand, creating a fist.

"Nice throw!" Santana said from the mound and I smiled as I got into my catcher position. Santana is one strike away from pitching a perfect game and she knows it. I looked around and lifted my right hand, raising my index and pinky finger, signaling to the infield and outfields that we will only need one more out.

"Come on now guys! One last strike!" I shouted and it was met by the roar of the crowd and the encouragement yell from my teammates on the bleachers.

I looked at Santana and I knew Santana was asking for another fastball but this batter looks like she could be confused one last time.

'no buddy. A change-up is a wiser choice'

I can almost see Santana rolling her eyes at my choice but she nodded as I gave her my sign.

'fine'

I cautiously watch as Santana began her windup and knew it was going to be a perfect game for her. Though somehow, the girl swung the bat, too late, the perfect timing for a change-up. She must've been practicing for a change-up all season long. Shit. It's going back to Santana, I hope she ducks. She doesn't. The ball flew right back at Santana and hit her face. She looked in pain before throwing the ball to first and collapsing to the ground. I wasn't even thinking about the runner when I threw my mask off and run towards Santana, I wasn't the only one.

Brittany, who was the nearest to her, quickly came to her to make sure her head doesn't hit the ground too hard. The runner was out but so was my pitcher. I kneeled and looked at Santana's face, the left side of her face was bleeding but I think she's lucky the ball hit her on her cheek. My coach and the medic was quick to come and was relieved when they saw that Santana was still shouting profanities.

"Are you dizzy? How do you feel?" the medic asked and Santana answered all those questions with a clipped tone, she was in pain, annoyed and want to go off the field.

"I would love some ice" Santana said and the coach handed her the cold pack.

"We're taking you to the hospital for CT" He said and Santana just nodded, knowing that a blow to her face is as dangerous as it sounds.

As Santana was taken away on a stretcher as the coach didn't want to risk anything and we all went back to our positions. The game was over and our team won, but for me it didn't feel like a victory. Santana's not going back to the field any time soon.

I knocked on the door of my coach's office and was greeted by a somber come in from inside. Coach Beiste, the head coach for Ohio McKinley, stood up as I enter. I was just finished lifting weights and didn't expect her to summon me to her office.

"You wanted to see me coach?"

"Yes, I want to introduce you to Rachel Berry" Since entering the office, I noticed that there was a girl in the room, other than the coach herself. "Rachel Berry is loaned to us from New York Cheetahs. She will be starting practice tomorrow, to get her get to know the team, and you of course"

"Coach?" I looked at her and she looked back, knowing the question that hangs in the air. What about Santana?

"Lopez will return to us in at least three months"

"Then we can use Tina or Sugar in the meantime, Santana's been out for a day and you're already looking for a replacement. Should I be worried if I injure myself too?" I harshly said and the coach looked at me, she was irritated and I knew it. Should I push again? No. . I've pushed too far.

"Fabray, before I lose my temper, you better show Berry here around" I nodded and the coach told Berry to follow me.

As I walk out of the office and headed to the locker room, she stopped me. "Hey, Fabray is it?"

"Yes" I said, turning around to face her. She is shorter than me but that didn't seem to intimidate her.

"I'm Rachel Berry. I was the relief pitcher in Cheetah. I was loaned here to McKinley because Coach Beiste is a close friend to Coach Schuester and because my team needs money. I am going to go back to Cheetahs as soon as your starting pitcher is well. So as a starting catcher, I do think we need to get along"

I looked at her and took a deep breath. "I know that"

"So can we start clean now?"

"Of course" I said and I led her into the locker room. "This is the locker room, that to the left is the bathroom, to the right is the weight room and if you go out from that door is the infirmary. Now the tour is done, I'm going to take a bath" I said and went straight to my locker to retrieve my toiletries.

"Come to practice early tomorrow" Rachel said and I sighed as I turned the warm water on.

Author's Note: Hey guys! I've recently started writing again because I had a rough few years and am still dealing with personal stuff and lost all my mojo to write. Please try to take it easy on the mean reviews but if you must, leave them :D! Leave reviews, give tips and I'll use them to make the story better. This chapter is supposedly the prologue, that's why it's so short, the next one will hopefully be longer. Thanks ya'll!

*ps: I'm kinda new to the softball so tell things I don't know about