First of all, I'm not the author of the story! This is a translation. The original is in italian and as I read it a couple of weeks ago I liked it so much that I decided to translate it. I want to thank the author, londra555 for letting me translate it. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. I'm sorry for my mistakes. Reviews are appreciated! A special thank to my beta for this chapter, prettylittlebrittanas!
Chapter 1 - Exile
There are moments in life when you wish you could go back in time just to erase all the mistakes you made. Santana was experiencing one of these moments. She was pacing nervously up and down her office, thinking that maybe this was the right occasion to start biting her nails- but those were fake, so she knew better than that. She should check if the material was carcinogenic.
This time, she couldn't do anything to make things better. Sue Sylvester was going to fire her, she was sure about that. She couldn't blame her.
She had been working in Sue Sylvester's small television news company for two years now. Santana had completed her studies in political journalism and she had found herself jobless. To her surprise, The New York Times wasn't looking for a journalist like her. She had been caught off-guard.
Sue Sylvester had been her salvation. Of course, during her interview Sue had been intimidating as hell but Santana suspected these were her usual ways. In the end, Sue gave her the job and she began working as a journalist. She became familiar in following Washington's politicians around and finding out their most hidden secrets. Like a kid, she loved when she managed to expose them.
But this time she screwed everything up. And Sylvester wasn't going to forgive her for this particular slip up.
And this wasn't her first one. It wasn't a tiny error.
Quinn knocked on her office's door. She walked in, her expression sad.
"You can go in, now"
"How is she?"
"Are you really asking me that, San?"
Santana exhaled a long breath while she exited her office. She walked through the long corridor, trying to not care about her colleagues' worried stares. Sue's office door looked more intimidating and bigger each step she took.
She knocked and opened the door.
She entered and sat down, her eyes fixed on the huge leather chair she had in front of her. She turned to the door as she heard footsteps coming closer. Sue Sylvester looked calm.
"Lopez, Lopez, Lopez..."
She didn't say anything more. She wasn't even looking at her. Sue looked lost in thoughts, admiring her office's floor as if she was watching the sun set on a tropical island. Her expression was dreamy.
"How long has been since you've started working here, Lopez?" Sue asked suddenly.
"Two years"
Santana cleared her dry throat while nodding. She could have drank a glass of water before coming in, she chastised herself. Or Scotch.
"And… do you like it here?" continued Sue.
"Of course. Well, I can do what I love, my job is amazing, I have a free hand …" Santana replied.
"Then why are you doing everything to ruin your reputation?" asked Sue looking her straight in the eye
".. I don't think I am… I mean, my last reportage was a success…" she tried.
"A success?" Sylvester barked at her.
"Yes, I mean…" Santana said.
"What exactly did you have to do?" questioned Sue.
"I had to interview senator McLuhan…" said Santana looking at Sue.
"And why?"
"Because of his most recent declarations on the importance of banning divorce…" explained Santana "He stated that divorce ruins the civilian society"
Sue Sylvester smiled. Her smile resembled the one of a hyena.
"And what did you do?" asked her Sue
"Well, I interviewed him!" said Santana
"Yes! And then?"
Santana fidgeted "Well, I mean he's a fascinating man… The youngest senator in all the US..And…"
"And you slept with him!" bawled Sue Sylvester "In his bed!"
"That is not exactly what happened…." Santana defended herself.
Sue arched an eyebrow.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" asked Sue.
"It was his couch and not his bed" said Santana "In his Villa"
"And his wife caught you two in the act!" yelled Sue
"Yes, it's true. But nothing major happened…." Said Santana
"She tossed their 15th century Chinese vase at him and he is now in the hospital!"
"But he is ok now… just 7 stitches" Santana tried
"His wife wants a divorce!" Sue continued, not caring about Santana's excuses
"That's true but you have to admit this is ironic, isn't it?" Santana smirked
"This is all over the news, Lopez!"
Santana sighed
"But at least we had the scoop… I mean I was…" she tried again
"YOU are in the middle of a scandal and you are making me lose hundreds of sponsors each second!" Sue's tone accepted no excuses. Santana, however seemed to not notice this small detail.
"We never had a lot of sponsors, Sue… We're a small television company after all…"
Sue Sylvester lifted her hand to stop her words.
"You know, Lopez. I'm proud to have you. You're one of the best. That's why I'm not going to fire you…" Sue said
Santana let out a breath and smiled a little
"As you said, we are a small company… But I want more. That's why I decided to give you a very important job"
"I'm honored, boss. I will not let you down." She said
Sue smiled at her. A serial-killer-kinda-smile.
"Oh, I know you won't, Lopez. It's a documentary" said Sue
"Awesome! A documentary! I'm sure that…." She paused "Wait. A documentary about what?"
Sylvester beamed at her. Was it possible to have so many teeth, thought Santana.
"It's a nature documentary"
"Are you telling me I have to do a documentary about animals?" asked Santana puzzled
"No! Better than animals!" replied Sylvester "I want a fantastic reportage on the black smokers!"
Santana's mouth hung open. She was almost sure that Sue was making this up.
"The … what?" she asked
"Don't worry. You'll find out soon since you have to do this reportage. There will be scientists with you, they will explain everything. You'll have time, don't worry." Sue explained
"But I don't…" Santana said
"I know what you're thinking, Lopez. You can't do it by yourself!" said Sue
"Of course, I can't. I need a camera man…. If I can chose I'd like to work with Puckerman" she said
Sylvester bursted out laughing. As if she had just heard the funniest thing ever.
"Forget it, Lopez. Do you think I don't know what you and that idiot do when you work together?" asked Sue "I don't want you to repeat the same mistake … I've decided to let you work with another person"
In that exact moment someone knocked.
Santana turned and saw Kurt Hummel's pale familiar face. He was elegant and impeccable as always. Santana thought that he looked like a corpse ready for its funeral.
"You wanted to see me?" He asked Sue timidly.
"Come in, Hummel" Sue said. Her tone indicating she was having a great time
Santana threw a quick glance at Kurt and their eyes met. Why was he there too?
"Here we are! Now that you both are here, I'll explain…" Sue began "You will take care of our new special project: extreme nature documentaries!" she finished
Kurt's eyes widened.
"So you weren't joking before?" he asked
"Do I look like a woman who likes to joke to you, Hummel?" she replied
"We both know nothing about nature!" protested Kurt "I mean… I don't even think I've ever seen a cow! Once I found a spider in my bed and I slept on the couch for a week… And another time I found a bug in my corridor's building and I moved out!"
Santana was speechless. She found ridiculous that she had to do a reportage on those black… whatever animal they were. Plus with Hummel-Queen of drama, this was too much! I mean, Kurt was a fashion expert. He wasn't even a real journalist. Who cares if ochre yellow is not fashionable in Manhattan but still popular in Brooklyn?!
Santana closed her eyes, thinking about the reason why Kurt was here with her. He must have done something if he was here to take Sue's punishment.
"Hummel, Lopez. You'll be leaving in three days. Have fun!" Sue Sylvester said
"We-we are leaving?" asked Santana, she was confused.
"Of course! I need you to film on the field … Don't you know how documentaries work?!" she asked
"Ehm … not really" Kurt tried again
"Good. You have three days to learn how. Then you will leave with the oceanography ship New Directions"
"The what?" Kurt and Santana said in unison
"And now get out of my sight! I've already wasted a lot of my time… I don't wanna see your faces. Fabray will give you all the details. Do what you have to do if you two don't want to be fired!" Sue yelled
The two sat up quickly and ran out from their boss'office. Kurt grumbled.
"What did you do, Kurt? Cause everyone knows why Sue punished me…" Santana asked him
"Me? I didn't do anything! How can you say…?" Kurt exclaimed without looking at her
Santana sneered.
"Who did you sleep with?" she asked
Kurt blushed furiously. His face resembling a well-matured tomato.
"How can you…. I… uff ok. With that handsome French couturier. I had to interview him and you know how these things go… We began talking about pastel green and how it will certainly become this summer's color….and.."
"Stop it. I don't care about the details…. It's disturbing…" Santana said
"Guys! Here you are… Are you ok?" asked Quinn appearing suddenly
"Yes, we are alive. And she didn't fire us!" Kurt said happily
"I see you took it well" Quinn said, lifting her eyebrows
"I mean, It could be worse! It's just a stupid documentary…" Santana said "We will ask a couple of questions to those crazy scientists and that's all!" she shrugged
"You have to do a documentary on the black smokers!" Quinn said, astounded
"yes, doesn't matter what they are…" said Kurt
"But… they are at the bottom of the ocean!" Quinn insisted
"It's ok, I don't care where they are" Santana replied. She didn't understand why Quinn was so worried.
"You will be on an oceanographic ship. It's an expedition!" Quinn was losing her patience with those two.
"Well, it won't be like going on a cruise but I can survive for a couple of days!" Kurt shrugged
Quinn put her right hand on her face and shook her head. She looked at Kurt and Santana. "The expedition will last three months." She said
Santana turned her head towards Quinn, her mouth hanging open. She was speechless.
She would have said something but the sound of Kurt's body hitting the floor stopped her.