Across The Universe

by AK-DS09

How far would you go to be with someone you loved? How far would you go to keep that loved one from harm? Santana's been having strange dreams but she doesn't know why. She soon learns that her dreams aren't dreams at all; they're memories. Full summary inside...Femslash Sancedes. G!P Santana.

Summary: How far would you go to be with someone you loved? How far would you go to keep that loved one from harm? Santana's been having strange dreams but she doesn't know why. She soon learns that her dreams aren't dreams at all; they're memories. Memories of lives past … lost, with her soul mate. Before she really knows what's happening Santana finds herself in a fight, to save Mercedes and herself, against an adversary that her soul has been battling for centuries. Will she be strong enough … or will she fail … only to have to be reborn and repeat the cycle?

A/N: This has been rattling around in my head for awhile and thanks to a photo prompt from Okamiko Nyothoun, I'm finally doing something with it. I've wanted to do a Sancedes centralized story for some time now and this is what the old noggin came up with.

Not sure how often it will be updated (it will be updated though-I'm having a lot of fun writing this) but I do have a full game plan already mapped out. I just wanted to put this out there and see what people thought of it so please do give me your opinions and thoughts and suggestions please.
For my nerdy friends from that awesome facebook group that might have wandered over here for the first time, welcome :) Please do leave me feedback, whether you like it, or hate it, and more importantly why you feel whatever it is you feel about the story thus far. Honest constructive criticism is always welcome. (And if you happen to paruse any of my other stuff, I have a very dirty mind, so some things you may find … quite explicit. Don't say I didn't warn you; read those other stories at your peril.)

Also, this is a Glee story but I'm a fangirl so some of my other fandoms bled in to this. In other words you might see a character or two mentioned from Pirates of The Caribbean or Once Upon A Time; stuff like that. They won't have major roles just cameos.

This is an AU story & some characters may/will be OOC. Girl!Peen Santana (you've been warned.)

Finally, for my regular readers, updates for my other multi-chapter works are coming. Real life puts up roadblocks unexpectedly and all I can do is roll with the punches as they come.

Trigger Warning: Mentions of attempted rape; not graphic.

Disclaimer: Glee belongs to R.I.B. All other characters that may show up belong to their respective owners. Original characters belong to me. Currently unbetaed; please excuse my bad grammar.

Please read & review

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Chapter 1

Florida - Late 1700s

The day was hotter than most. The sun hung high in the Eastern Florida sky. It was a free day for most on the plantation, so young Santana sat in the shade on a limb of her favorite tree looking out toward the docks. The ships would be coming in soon; then Santana's free time would be over. She was a trainer; one of her masters' most prized slaves.

Some thought her masters to be fools. Teaching slaves to read and write, they had to be mad. But, one only had to look at their wealth to know they were doing something right. The plantation they owned was massive. The docks that were connected to their lands housed three boats that they owned and held space for the many traders that came to do business with the masters. The docks were operated by slaves that were specifically trained to bargain for the best deal possible. There were some merchants that tried to take advantage of the specially trained slaves, but their masters had taught them well. The slaves knew to speak and deal only with the ship captains or the first mates if the captain was unavailable. They were taught the different languages of the traders that regularly came to do business with the masters. The slaves always conducted themselves accordingly and held a business savvy that most of the captains, many who became regulars, had come to respect.

Santana was such a slave; even for her young age. She was in charge of gathering all the youths that arrived on the boats. She would inspect the inventory, give the captains a fair price for the youths she thought her masters would want, and then she'd divide them in to groups for their training. All children six and under were sent to the nannies. Older children between the ages of fifteen and eighteen were sent straight to the overseers to begin training in whatever line of work they thought each slave was capable of. Once their training was finished a small few would be kept to work at the plantation; the majority was sold. The Masters Chang always trained and bred the best slaves and livestock.

*Flashback*
The masters' rise to wealth was very slow going. Seeking to leave the poverty and abuse in their small village, the twins had snuck in to the colonies when they were only fourteen. They barely spoke the language but knew enough to get by; and they learned fast just by listening to others speak. They stole to eat the first few months; they had no other choice. One day they stumbled in to what they thought was an abandoned field with a lone farm house structure. Upon further investigation they discovered it to be the site of a fighting ring; the old farmhouse was semi hidden amongst a large patch of trees.

The man at the door looked at them funny when they asked to sign up. Were they white children he would have given the boy a good box to the ears and told him how careless a lad he was for having his sister out in the woods at such a late hour. But the man didn't care about two foreign looking kids getting a beating so he led them over to the betting booth. The man there took what little money the boy had to bet on his sister winning the next fight.

When she first stepped into the pit the crowd protested and began to complain; all but one man, Old Man Sully. He was the closest thing the little southern town had to a distinguished gentleman. The man could always be found sporting a top hat, the sharpest suit, shiniest shoes, and most elegant walking canes. He was and educated military man that always believed in looking his best. One nod from the old man to the pit boss and the crowd was quieted. The fight was over less than a minute later. The other fighters on the roster laughed at the loser for being beaten so easily by a child; a foreign girl no less. They each stepped into the ring with the girl. With each win the fighter's brother collected the money won and then turned around and bet it all again on the next fight.

By the time the last fight ended, their winnings equaled a few hundred dollars. When it came time to pay up though, the bookie and pit boss only handed the boy half of what was owed. When the boy complained, the bookie tried to have him and his sister removed. The man quickly found that the boy fought just as well as his sister. The ruckus continued for awhile with the crowd laughing at the grown men being tossed around like ragdolls. When his laughter died down Old Man Sully parted the crowd and had three of his boys stop the commotion.

"Well, wasn't that a laugh aye boys?" the old man joked and the crowd chuckled and cheered. "Jimmy what seems to be the trouble here?" the old man addressed one of his boys.

"Seems Reggie here don't wanna pay the boy what's due sir," Jimmy gestured toward the bookie.

"Well now that's not very sportsmanlike now is it? Pay the young man his money Reggie," Sully all but ordered.

"Ah come on now General…" the bookie started to disagree.

"I don't much favor having to repeat myself son. Now; that little miss beat those boys fair and square, we all saw it. She cost more than a few of us a pretty coin too," the old man chuckled, "what kind of man are you to cheat a child anyway?" Give the boy their money."

Reggie stared at the man a moment longer before grudgingly doing what he was told. The boy gracefully took the money and both he and his sister bowed to the bookie and spoke simultaneously.

"Thank you."

"Now would you look at that? Damn it that's what I call good manners. Even after you tried to cheat them they still have enough honor to show you respect; which I don't really think you quite deserve."

The old man turned and regarded the children for a long moment before speaking again.

"From the state of you two it seems like you have yet to experience some Southern hospitality. You follow Old Sully and we'll remedy that immediately."

Sully didn't wait for an answer, he turned and started walking towards the door after giving Jimmy the silent order to wait until the children decided to follow; or not.

The children spoke in their native tongue for a few moments then both turned to look at Jimmy. The young man, who looked to be not much older than them, gave them a kind smile and held his hand out toward the door as if to say, 'after you'.

Once they were all seated in Sully's carriage the man commenced with introductions.

"Glad you decided to join me. My name's Sully. That's George outside directing the horses, Sal sitting next to him, and this here is Jimmy. What do you two call yourselves?"

"I am Ting, and this is my brother Mau," the girl answered.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Pardon my inquisitiveness but, don't the males usually do the speaking in your culture?"

"Yes," Ting answered, "but I am the eldest and as we are on our own, we have made our own rules."

"Well nothing wrong with that at all," Sully stated, "I think I rather you two, I think I like you very much."

Jimmy chuckled next to the old man.

"He's not as much of a crack pot as he seems; he just likes taking in strays. Pulled me and the other two out of the gutter; same as you two," Jimmy explained pointing to himself and the two young men directing the coach.

"Why have you done this?" Ting asked.

"Well, firstly, I just happen to think you two could use the help. Secondly, I've seen you around town for a few months now. You survived this long on your own, in a not too friendly environment to ones such as yourselves so I reckon with the right tools you two would be of sound mind to help me in my future business plans."

"Why not have your current workers do so?" Ting inquired.

Jimmy and Sully both chuckled.

"We're not really visionary types," Jimmy explained, "we tend to work better as tools in the operation; not the brains that tell the tools what to do."

"Your only expectation is that we help you in your business?" Mau asked.

"That's it," the old man clarified, "I intend to invest in your training and I expect to get a return on my investment; same as in any business."

The children spoke to each other in their native tongue for a few moments before telling Sully that they would work for him. In the months and years to follow, the twins found that they were actually working with Sully; not for him. To Sully and his wife, who could have no children of their own, the twins became like their own offspring. The old man hired the best tutors he could find to educate them; he was delighted to see how intelligent they were.

When it came time for higher education Sully had to pull a few strings to get them in to school. Mau wasn't too much of an issue but Ting, being female, was. It was unheard of for any female to be educated past basic reading and writing, but Sully was a well connected gentleman. He reached out to his friends across the sea in England. During the end of negotiations one of Sully's friends suggested that the children pick more colonial sounding names, so they would not stand out as much; especially where Ting was concerned. Sully didn't wish this to happen, he rather liked his children's names and he appreciated the culture behind them, but he understood his friend's suggestion. It took a few extra coins, so to speak, but soon enough Ting and Mau - Tina and Michael, were set to be educated at the colleges of Cambridge.

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The twins graduated with high honors and much respect from their peers and professors. When they returned to Florida they soon took up the reigns that Sully sought to hand them. With the old man's connections and the twins' skill for business, it took only four short years for the plantation to become known as one of the best in the south.
*End Flashback*

With her naked eye Santana spied the sails of the first ship to come in for the day. It wasn't long before the other two ships scheduled to appear today came in to view on the horizon.

"Aren't you coming down?"

Santana looked down and smiled at her little brother's scrunched up face. He wasn't her brother by blood, but she'd known him for most of her life. Her parents had found him on the outskirts of their village, when she was four, after a raiding party had torn through and destroyed what little the people of the village had. While her people were poor and looking for scraps to rebuild with, Santana's mother would not see a baby left alone in the wild; so they took the boy in and raised him. It became clear why he'd been tossed aside early on. He was extremely slight and had problems breathing. The boy's people, who had come across the seas in large ships, had deemed him unfit. To Santana's people, all children were a gift; none were ever tossed aside.

When Santana turned nine, more ships came; everyone in the village was taken to a lands unknown and sold to the highest bidder. Santana's family, including her adoptive brother, whose skin had darkened in the sun over the years, was one of few families that were bought by the same owners and allowed to stay together. The Masters Chang sharp eyes recognized that the boy was not of the same lineage as Santana's family. They had tried to separate him, but upon inventory inspection when one of the overseers went to remove the boy, the child clung to Santana's mother just as hard as the woman clung to him. Santana and her older brother jumped in front of the cowering pair and pleaded as best they could in their own language for their little brother not to be taken away; Santana's father had already been sent to the fields. A translator was later brought in but the situation wasn't hard for The Masters to decipher. The boy was not of Santana's blood, but he was family just the same; something they themselves could identify with. So the boy stayed with Santana's family. Some may have voiced their disagreeance with having a born white child, even though you could barely tell by looking at him, as a slave but The Masters did not only trade in African slaves; they had slaves from many different lands and nationalities. It was one of the many things that made them one of the most sought out plantations in the south; their stock of exotic inventory. Upon further inspection of Santana herself, The Masters found that she was a unique find. They'd never owned a girl with the sexual organs of a boy before Santana.

Santana jumped off her perch on the tree and landed with a barely heard tap of her boots to the grassy ground. She took the clipboard that Artie was holding out for her and wrapped her free arm around the boy's shoulders.

"How is your day Half Pint?" she asked with mischief in her smile.

"Mami said you can't call me that anymore; I'm growing," the boy pouted with a playful twinkle in his eye.

Artie, as the boy was named, and Santana had grown to become two of The Masters' favorites. Once Santana had showed her skill for learning languages and other subjects The Masters had trained her in sales; she learned her lessons well. She would always find the best youths and negotiate bargain prices. Her skill and shrewd business savvy was well known to the ship Captains that frequently sought to do business on the Chang docks. At thirteen, she could be considered one of the most influential slaves owned by the Changs. They were always willing to lend her an ear if she asked.

And Artie? He was Santana's shadow. He loved his big sister and always trailed after her. Everything she learned and did, he wanted to learn and do as well. He was still small for his age at nine, but like his mami said, he was growing. He needed a small brace for support on his right leg that ran from his ankle to just above his knee, The Masters had fitted him with thick yet small frames on his face so he could see better, and he still had trouble breathing sometimes; but, he was adapting. The brace helped him distribute his weight better when he ran and it was made of a very light metal so it didn't slow him down. The muscles of his legs and indeed the rest of his small body were becoming more defined everyday. With The Masters' permission, Santana and their father had even begun training him to fight; not to the scale of Santana's training or some of the other slaves that were sold to be boxers, but for Artie, it was enough.

"Do us both a favor and grow faster will you runt. Tired of you following me around all the time," Santana said with a shove to the boy's shoulder.

"Hey, I can take you," Artie replied with a swift punch to Santana's ribs.

Santana giggled and pushed her brother again then ran towards the docks as he gave chase.

"Get back here you fraidy cat!" Artie yelled with laughter.

They chased each other around the field for several minutes while waiting for the ships to dock. The Masters were in their path to the docks but neither child slowed. Master Chang moved swiftly when Santana approached. He jumped at her with his knee raised towards her face; she jumped higher. Without breaking her run she blocked his blow by jumping and stepping on his knee then used her other foot to step on the side of his neck; giving her leverage to jump in to a summersault and flip clear of the man. She landed squarely on her feet and continued to run.

"Well done my girl," Mistress Chang called after her with a smile.

The distracted woman turned back around just in time. Her brother had stooped down and swept his leg out a few paces in front of her to trip Artie; but the boy had copied his sister's move. He jumped over Master Chang's leg and used his left foot to push off the man's shoulder and launched himself at Mistress Chang; he miscalculated the height of his jump however. Had Tina not been fast enough the boy would have crashed in to her, but she swiftly bowed her back and balanced her weight on her palms allowing room for Artie to coast right over her. Once the boy was in the clear she pushed up and righted her body. Artie landed in a tumble, using his hands to break his fall and rolled twice before righting himself and continuing to chase his sister.

"Sorry Mistress!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Any other slave may have faced punishment for their inaccuracy; but Artie held a special place in his owners' hearts.

"She promises to be our finest ever," Mike commented.

"And young Artie grows faster and stronger everyday," Tina added.

"I must say sister I'm quite attached to those three," Mike spoke of Santana, Artie, and their older brother.

"Yes I agree. I've been thinking more and more lately that it would benefit us to relieve them and their parents of slavery."

"I admit I have been thinking the same. Marcial and Maribel would serve us well on our travels oversees. Santana is well trained; I think she could look after Artie in their absence if needed."

"Let us speak more of this inside."

The twins continued their walk to the main house as Santana and Artie reached the docks. The workers under Santana's command were already buzzing about unloading goods and checking cargo manifests. Santana waved or gave a smile and nod of hello to some of the first mates and cabin boys that were speaking to her workers. She wasn't worried about the ships only carrying fabrics and foods; her only concern of the day was the two ships that were carrying human cargo.

"Captain Jones!" she spoke heartily with a broad smile on her face as she approached one of her favorite traders.

Killian Jones was a much younger man than most of the captains that came to the Chang docks; he was also a bit less refined. He was a playful soul but still known to be one of the most cutthroat privateers employed by the English Parliament. Santana had seen him punish a few of his crew members before and the sight was never pretty; but even in her young age she understood that it had to be done. She herself had helped him with one of the men. If you let one person get away with the slightest of indiscretions a domino effect could easily begin. For a captain on the high sees, that could be absolutely treacherous. The Masters had placed Santana in Captain Jones' care two years ago. They wanted her to see other shores and learn the different ways of the world as well as all aspects of the business they were in. The girl already knew the end processes of buying and training a slave; they wanted her to see the process from the very beginning. She stayed with Captain Jones for nine months. The man taught her as much as he could; including the joys of women. Some might have said that she was too young for such activities but Captain Jones was quick to remind anyone who spoke on the subject that were she built like the standard female she could very well have been made to birth one or two children already.

"Young Lady Santana, always a pleasure," Jones said with a playful bow. "I see little Artie isn't so little anymore," the privateer addressed Artie next.

"Nope. I'll be as big as you soon enough," Artie answered with a smirk that very much resembled his big sister's.

"I don't doubt it lad," the captain said with a smile. "I've a good haul today and," the man moved closer the Santana and spoke quietly, "something I've kept the boys off that I think you will particularly be fond of."

"Indeed? By all means then Captain, please unload your cargo. I'll be back to you shortly," Santana said with a smile.

"I'll line them up for your picking in the usual place," the Captain said.

Santana and Artie made their way over to the second ship that held cargo for her to choose from. As she neared the ship a man bumped her shoulder in passing.

"Watch where the hell you're going," the man barked.

The man's attitude immediately set Santana and Artie on edge.

"Excuse you sir," Santana spoke with a clenched jaw, "I'll thank you to mind where you step and ask you kindly to watch your tone."

"Watch my what? How dare you speak to me in such a way slave?"

"Have a care sir. Do you even know who you are speaking to?" Artie asked from slightly behind Santana.

They had not seen this man before so they both assumed he was new and needed to be educated on their docks' procedures. Some of the dock workers had taken notice of the belligerent man and looked to Santana for direction. One look silently told them all to stay still and be ready to move if she called.

The man proceeded to pull off his belt and raise his hand. "I'm speaking to an insolent child that has obviously not been taught well by her masters. I'll teach you some manners."

He didn't see the young man coming up behind him. Neither Santana nor Artie flinched as the man's hand began to descend. Before he could move his hand more than a couple of inches his wrist was grabbed and his arm twisted and held behind his head. His other arm was swiftly secured behind his back.

"I'll thank you to refrain from raising a hand to my siblings Mr. Slater."

Arlo, Santana and Artie's older brother, had returned home on the same ship that Mr. Slater was first mate on. Arlo was the captain's cabin boy and had been for the past year and a half while Mr. Slater had only just joined the crew a month ago.

"Oh I knew you were a filthy good for nothing … release me!" Slater yelled as he struggled with Arlo.

"It would serve you well to be still and wait for the captain Mr. Slater," Arlo said with his hold still firm on the man.

Slater struggled anyway.

"Tell me to wait for the captain? You wait for the captain; I told him to get rid of you! It'll be the lash for you this time for sure boy, just you wait," Slater threatened.

The man was sure he was in the right. He made one final attempt to free himself and yelped when Arlo's knee crashed in to his spine, bringing him down to his knees. He finally stopped when Artie grabbed a fistful of his hair and placed a small blade to his throat.

"Were I you sir I would mind my brother's words. Move again and you will become little more than a floating meal in the ocean."

The boy said the words with a dangerous glint in his eyes and such conviction that Slater was inclined to heed his warning. Through the crowd a loud voice was heard.

"And just what do we have here?"

The man with the loud voice quickly walked up to Santana to get an answer to his question.

"Captain Barbosa," Santana greeted.

"Young Lady Santana," the man answered in kind.

"Lady? Captain that slav…" Slater tried to speak but his speech was cut off by Artie's blade pressing harder in to his throat.

Barbosa looked at the scene in front of him. He knew that his still fairly new first mate held no short of dislike for his cabin boy; but he also knew that no matter how much those ill feelings were returned, Arlo would never lay hands on the man without good reason. Before any explanations were given however Santana snatched Artie's bladed hand away from Slater's throat. She was proud of him, but angry at the same time. Arlo could've handled the man alone and Artie knew better than to play with their papi's knives.

"Release him Artie," Santana said while taking the blade out of his hand. "Go and fetch Master Chang."

"But…" Artie tried to protest.

"Now!" Santana yelled.

The boy stomped off with a grumble sounding from his throat. He knew he shouldn't have had his father's knife but he thought he'd done the right thing; he didn't understand why he was being sent away. He didn't know or understand that Slater needed to be dealt with right away; publicly … bloodily. Santana did not wish for her little brother to see such things.

"Now then Mr. Slater," Barbosa had waited until Artie was out of ear shot before addressing the man, "did I not tell you that I was to do the talking when we arrived here? Did I not inform you that these docks are much different from the other ports we trade at? Everything as far as your eyes can see belongs to old General Sully, his wife and their two children; the Master and Mistress Chang. Here, the owners leave dock management to the clever slaves that they train. Here, a young lady like Santana is in charge of certain tasks; and she deserves every bit of your respect. She is not to be tested. She is not to be insulted; especially in front of her big brother."

Slater was too confused to speak.

"Release him boy," Barbosa ordered.

Arlo quickly did as he was told. He roughly pushed Slater to the ground then stepped over the man to stand behind his captain.

"I believe there was talk of teaching someone manners?" Barbosa asked Arlo.

"Yes sir. Mr. Slater thought it best that he be the teacher," the cabin boy answered.

Barbosa looked to Santana and bowed his head then took a few steps back. Effectively showing respect and giving her the lead. A small crowd of dock slaves, ship captains and crewmen had gathered around to see what would happen. Santana tossed her clipboard down and pulled her shirt off; leaving her in a thin snug-fitting cut off undershirt.

"Pick up your belt Mr. Slater," Santana ordered.

"A day's wage on Santana!" Captain Jones yelled.

A betting frenzy started as Slater slowly picked up his belt and stood. Santana stood at ease with her feet planted a few inches apart and hands behind her back. She was the epitome of focus. The crowd, the noise, not even the sounds of the water slapping against the ships could distract her. Slater was twice her size easily, but she'd already brought down bigger. She'd been taught that size was never a factor in a fight. Sure it could be helpful, but fighting with your wits about you and strength of heart were even more useful.

Slater made the first move swinging the belt towards Santana's left side. She easily dodged and slid her body smoothly out of the way. The crowd cheered her moves as she fluidly dodged a few more swipes of Slater's belt.

"Look how pretty she makes it look," Jones yelled and laughed. "Come on men place your bets!"

Slater swung the belt again, and again Santana dodged. She had yet to make a move towards the man; she was toying with him, and her game was working. Slater was already beginning to move slower. Every missed swing took more and more steam from his sails.

"He's tiring hermana take him!" Arlo yelled.

Slater cursed at Arlo then swung again. Santana caught the belt and pulled causing Slater to stumble forward. With the belt now in hand Santana swung at the man's face. The buckle of the belt slammed hard against the corner of his eye. When he looked up a small stream of blood had begun to trail from the now bruised eye. Slater pushed himself up and lunged at Santana. The young girl moved her body in to a back flip and kicked the man square in his chin knocking him back. Santana ran and jumped at the man. A barrage of kicks, punches, and smacks of the belt quickly dropped him to his hands and knees. When the Masters had made their way to the front of the crowd Santana stood behind the man and hooked the belt around his throat. He tried to squirm away and push her off, but she would not be moved. She pushed him and ground her knee in to his spine as she squeezed the belt tighter and tighter around his throat. His face was a shade of dark crimson when the order came for Santana to let him go.

"That is enough my girl."

Mistress Chang's voice was almost always soft spoken; soft, but powerful. She rarely ever used Santana's name; always calling her instead, my girl. It was no secret that Artie and Santana held her favor. Her tone carried over the noise of the crowd and filtered into Santana's ears. Santana let the belt drop from her hands and got off of Slater's back. The man's head dropped with a heavy thud against the thick wood of the docks. He took quick ragged breaths as he struggled to get the belt from around his neck. No one made a move to help him so it took a bit of effort before he was able to stand. There were bruises already forming on his neck from the belt, his eye that had gotten cut was swollen, and he was bleeding from mouth. Santana noticed thankfully that the Changs had not brought Artie with them.

Mike walked up to Slater and stared at him for a few seconds before speaking.

"We were told that you attempted to assault our young Santana; is this true?"

Slater realized far too late that he let his prejudice and quick temper get the best of him. "It was a simple misunderstanding sir, I didn't realize…"

"He lies Master," Arlo interrupted Slater, "he was made aware that this was not a typical port before he left the ship. And he provoked Santana. You know she wouldn't do anything like this without a reason."

Mike looked to Captain Barbosa and silently questioned the man.

"Aye, the boy speaks true. And since Slater is no longer in my employ, I leave his punishment in the capable hands of the Sir and Madam."

Barbosa finished his statement with a flashy bow to Mike and Tina. Mike moved out of the way so Tina could address Slater.

"All of you, new and old, let this be a lesson to you," Tina spoke the words while keeping her eyes on Slater. "Disrespect and misconduct is something that is not treated lightly here."

Slater opened his mouth to say something but Tina delivered a backhand slap to his mouth that knocked him back a step. Before Slater could even try to say anything else Tina reached forward with her right hand and did a series of hard tapping movements on the man's chest. The effect of her movements was immediate.

Slater's back bowed forward and his neck twitched to an odd angle. His saliva began to foam and leak past his bloodied lips. Streams of blood simultaneously began to flow from his nose and ears. Tina's last movement was bringing the tips of her fingers together and pushing slightly at the bottom left of the man's rib cage. His eyes rolled back into his head and he crumbled in to a heap on the docks. He was dead before his body had even begun to fall.

Whispers of Mistress Chang's quiet deadliness and remarkable beauty filtered through the crowd.

"Captain Barbosa, I would kindly pay you a generous fee to dispatch of this carcass when you get back to open waters," Tina said.

"It'd be my pleasure My Lady, free of charge of course," the captain replied.

"All right you lot, back to work!" Santana yelled.

"You can all pick up your winnings when the day's work is finished!" Captain Jones chimed in after her. "And if you owe, don't make me come find you."

The crowd dispersed as two of Barbosa's men moved Slater's body back to their ship.

"Are you alright my girl?" Tina asked Santana.

"Yes Mistress, he could barely keep up with me," Santana replied with a smirk on her young face.

"Good. That man deserved his fate but if anything like this happens again, have Artie or whoever else is close come to us sooner."

"Yes ma'am."

Santana knew that Tina wasn't angry with her, but situations like what had just transpired do always need to be handled with care. It wouldn't do the Changs any bit of good if word got around about fighting on their docks.

"We'll leave you all to your work. Welcome home Arlo," Mike said as he turned to walk away.

"Do make sure to see your mother before long Arlo," Tina said.

"Yes ma'am," Arlo replied.

"Captains," Tina excused herself with a nod to Barbosa and Jones.

"Well now that all the excitement is over let us get a look at the new stock," Jones said to Santana.

The two parted ways with Arlo and Barbosa and made their way to where the children to be bought were usually lined up.

Santana made her choices quickly enough. The last child she chose was a young dark skinned boy. Killian was quite happy that she had chosen him because her 'present' was the boy's older sister. Killian ordered one of his men to fetch the girl from his quarters. When Santana saw her, Killian could tell by the look on her face that Santana was quite pleased.

The girl looked to be the same age as Santana, though her height was a bit shorter. Her shiny dark hair flowed down her back and stopped at the base of her shoulder blades. Her skin was a silky looking dark brown. Her lips were full. Her dark brown eyes were sad as she was lead to stand in front of Santana; but Santana was confident that she could change that in time. When the girl caught sight of her little brother she smiled, showing rows of pearly white teeth; Santana fell in love right then and there.

Not wanting to offend the girl, or embarrass herself, Santana used her clipboard to cover herself when she felt a stirring in her pants. Killian was right in his thinking; she liked the girl, she liked her very much. When Killian saw her covering the front of her pants he started to chuckle. She rolled her eyes and lightly punched his side.

"Still having those pesky control problems are we?" Killian joked.

"Oh shut up," Santana joked. "Where did you find her?"

"She was given to me actually; her and the boy. The crew and I were hunting for some food when we came across a small party of people fleeing an attack on their village. From what I could decipher their parents had been killed. Resources for anything were limited so the leader of the group traded them for some supplies from us. The boys got all riled up when they saw her of course, but I knew we'd be stopping here and I was pretty sure you'd take a liking to her; happy birthday by the way." Killian finished explaining then gave Santana a wink.

Santana stared at the girl for a moment before speaking. She took a few deep breathes to try to calm her racing heart.

"Do you speak English?" Santana asked.

The girl didn't answer, so Santana assumed that English was unknown to her so she tried a different language. It took her four tries to get to the right one. Once she had found the language the girl understood, she asked what her name was.

"Mercedes."

"Mercedes." Santana repeated the girl's name just for the sake of saying it.

When all purchases were made and the ships were back out to sea, Santana asked that Mercedes and her brother not be sold after their training. Because she was so well loved by her masters, they saw fit to grant her request.

---

Eventually Santana's parents were commissioned by their masters to do other works away from the plantation; leaving Artie mostly in Santana's care when Arlo was away at sea. As time moved on Santana and Mercedes became very good friends. Santana helped Mercedes and her brother get adjusted to the new life they had been pushed in to.

By the time the girls were sixteen their friendship had turned to romance. Whatever times they weren't working or caring for their brothers, they were usually seen together. Sometimes they were too busy and their days consisted of rushed stolen kisses in passing or a simple touch of fingers with an exchange of smiles. There was a point where Santana feared her unusual body type might make Mercedes turn away from her; but it never once became an issue.

One night after close to three weeks of barely spending anytime together Santana snuck out of her family's cabin. Her parents and older brother, who were typically away from the plantation, happened to be home. Usually if it was just her and Artie, they would eat in Mercedes and her brother's cabin; it was oddly domestic and Santana loved those times. On this particular night, however, that didn't happen. After her family went to bed for the night Santana went to Mercedes' cabin; and once her brother was safely asleep they walked to their favorite spot in the woods.

It was a cluster of six large trees that had grown in a tight circle. The trees were so close together that the girls had to climb one of the trees and slink through the branches then jump down to get to their sanctuary. It was the perfect hiding spot; and the only place on the land where they were truly alone. Some nights they just lay together, on a blanket that Mercedes had knitted, and stared up at the small amount of sky they could see. Other nights, like this night in particular, things were a bit more heated.

It had started out innocently enough. A few light pecks to each others' lips during whispered conversation; a slight squeeze of a hip and a touch to a cheek. Eventually Santana ended up lying with her body covering Mercedes' left side while her hand was busy inside her girlfriend's underwear as they kissed. Their relationship had gotten physical a few months ago. They hadn't gone all the way yet, even though Mercedes had made it known that she wouldn't mind if they did; they were in love. But Santana wanted to wait until they could be wed.

"I missed you."

Mercedes' voice was a mixture of a whisper and a moan. Santana echoed the words back to her as she kissed Mercedes' neck.

Mercedes loved Santana's family, but she truly missed the alone time that she had with Santana. When Santana's parents and older brother were away from the plantation, Artie and Santana practically lived in the cabin that Mercedes and her brother occupied. In Mercedes' eyes they were their own little make-shift family; and she cherished the time they had together. The past few weeks had taken its toll on her. She'd snapped at her brother, unnecessarily, a few times. She was also unfocused in her day to day chores around the plantation.

Mercedes worked mainly in the large mansion like house that her masters lived in. She'd been caught daydreaming several times by Lady Chang. Tina was never really upset with her because of her drifting off; she showed more concern than anything. Tina had kept a watchful eye on both Santana and Mercedes when they began their romance. She was worried that things might not be going well since Mercedes was so unfocused. Once Mercedes actually explained what the problem was, Tina understood. Mercedes just needed some quality time with her girlfriend.

That was why they had gone to their secret spot. It really wasn't about anything sexual, they just needed to be near each other. Mercedes felt the pressure building in her core. She stealthily slid her hand down Santana's body, but just as she was about to caress the other girl's most intimate parts Santana stopped her.

Mercedes made a noise that sounded like disappointment and maybe anger; the hand that had caused such wonderful chills to roll through her body was now making it impossible for her to touch Santana the way she wanted to.

"Why won't you ever let me touch you?" Mercedes asked.

"I just think we should wait. My … stuff … works differently than yours…" Santana tried to explain.

"I already know that Santana," Mercedes cut her off. "But that doesn't answer my question."

Santana sighed and made to move away from Mercedes, but Mercedes moved faster. She maneuvered her left leg that had been trapped between Santana's legs, and locked her ankles together around Santana's waist.

"What's with you lately?" Mercedes questioned.

"What do you mean?" Santana countered.

"The past few times I tried to talk to you about this you just shut down. Since when do you have a problem saying exactly what you're thinking or feeling?"

Something had been bothering Santana. Their time apart had allowed for a specific thought to fester in her mind.

"I just like giving you that release. I want to wait until we're married to do more that's all."

"That's not all. What aren't you telling me amor?"

Sometimes Santana hated how well Mercedes knew her. She knew that her new found fears were foolish, but she couldn't silence the nagging voice that kept sounding in her head.

"I just don't want you thinking that you have to do anything. You kind of have options now and I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you in to anything."

None of that made any sense to Mercedes. Santana had never asked her for anything more than her heart. When their more intimate encounters happened, it was usually Mercedes that initiated it.

"What options do you think I have?"

"If you wanted to … you could have someone that was … someone that wasn't a weird half-breed."

Santana's words came out in a whisper. Mercedes barely heard what she'd said. Once the words had settled though, Mercedes knew exactly who Santana thought was an option. She shook her head and cupped Santana's cheek.

"First, you're no half-breed. You're my girlfriend Santana. It's never mattered to me that you have parts other girls don't have. I love every single bit of you and I wouldn't change a thing. Second, no matter what may be rolling around in that thick head of yours, I don't have nor do I want any other options. I only want you."

Mercedes placed a kiss on Santana's forehead then connected her forehead with Santana's. They held each other in silence for a few moments before Santana spoke again.

"I really hate how he looks at you all the time. It's disgusting and disrespectful. He knows we're together but he still chases you."

"It doesn't matter. He'll never catch me."

Mercedes kissed Santana then. No more words needed to be spoken. Everything else that she could have said was in her kiss. And Santana answered in kind.

After a few minutes things heated up again. Moans of pleasure were muted by their kisses as their bodies grinded against each other. When Mercedes' hands moved to explore Santana's body, she was met with no resistance.

Santana was in heaven. Sure she was a slave. But even though she was young, she remembered her family's life before they were slaves. They lived far better now; her family was treated more like employees than slaves these days anyway. They actually received wages for their work. She liked working for the Changs. She could easily see the big picture. Had her family not been sold to the Changs, she wouldn't have met Mercedes; and that, she just couldn't fathom.

Mercedes was her everything. She would never look at another woman again.

As Santana looked in to Mercedes' eyes, she knew Mercedes felt the same way. The thin pieces of fabric separating their bodies might as well have been nonexistent. They could feel the heat of each others' cores crashing together like waves breaking against rock. Santana's hands gripped Mercedes' hips while Mercedes' hands tangled in Santana's hair. They moved as one, climbing higher and higher until they both fell over the edge. Their moans of ecstasy muted and swallowed in their kiss.

---

The girls were unaware, but they were not alone. Someone had spied them sneaking off to their special place.

Daniel had come to the plantation nearly six months ago. Santana hadn't liked him from the moment she set eyes on him. Had it been her decision she would have left him to be taken to another port for trading; unfortunately Daniel, being twenty four, was too old for the age bracket she was in charge of and therefore was chosen by someone else. He was tall with smooth dark brown skin and well cut muscles and an average look about his face. At first glance he seemed like a good specimen, but something in his eyes made Santana leery of the man. Her dislike for him grew more and more as she noticed his eyes constantly on Mercedes.

Daniel had intended to surprise Mercedes with some wild flowers that evening; he completely disregarded the fact that Mercedes had already told him, several times, that his advances were unwanted. He was sure that if he wooed her enough, eventually she would say yes. But his surprise never happened because Santana had showed up before he did.

The girl was little more than a menace to him; if he could call her a girl. Her anatomy was no secret amongst the slaves. He'd even heard that there were a few others like her on the plantation; slaves from other places in the world that had been born with the wrong genitals. A person … a thing, like Santana would never even be alive at this age in the village he used to live in. It would have been tossed into the sea and quickly forgotten. In his village he would have simply paid Mercedes' father with whatever goods the man asked for; she would be his without question.

Santana made Daniel sick. The child was arrogant and thought she was better than him. She'd somehow managed to wrap the masters around her finger as well as the other slaves. He dare not speak a word against her out loud or he'd probably end up catching the lash or even be hanged.

Mercedes only thought she was in love with Santana. How could anyone love a thing like that misshapen too full of herself half-breed? He'd tried to make Mercedes see that she should choose him. He'd tried everything he could think of; everything, but one thing.

Mama Sitayi.

Sitayi was found by old man Sully and his wife while they were exploring the Amazon. Some say it was she who found them. The couple had come across Sitayi while on their boat; she was collecting water from the river. Sully's wife took particular notice of Sitayi because she couldn't understand how a woman that looked as old as Sitayi did was gathering water; she should have someone helping and caring for her. Their guide did not want to stop along the banks of the great Amazon River, but Sully threatened to not pay him if he didn't. So the boat was halted and the couple and their guide, along with the two helpers they had brought with them, went ashore to speak to the old woman.

They never found out her true age, but the woman looked positively ancient. Her skin was a leathery dark brown. Her eyes looked clouded with cataracts, yet she was able to see just fine. Her silver hair hung neatly down her back in well groomed matted ropes. She used a walking stick for balance. The couple spoke with her for hours. They learned that her village had been struck with a disease, and she was the only survivor. The couple's tour guide pulled Sully aside when the sun began to set and told him of the stories he'd heard about Sitayi since he was a boy.

According to the guide Sitayi was a powerful witch doctor that was old when his grandmother was a little girl. Natives would seek her out for her potions and medicines. It was said that the woman was well versed in light and dark magic. While most saw her as a force of good; many that had made the mistake of crossing her or harming those close to her would say that she was evil incarnate.

The guide urged Sully to leave. He feared the group would come under some dark spell. Sully would hear none of it. The old man was a good judge of character and his wife had become quite taken with the old witch doctor. They offered to take the old woman away from the jungle to live with them. She would be cared for and want for nothing. Sitayi accepted.

General Sully consulted with her often on business matters. It was she that had told him to take in the foreign children that were living on the street.

Daniel knew of Sitayi's powers. He didn't have money, but he would find a way to pay the old woman whatever she wanted. With what Daniel knew about Sitayi, information that he was sure the Masters did not, he might even be able to get what he wanted for free. Mercedes would be his. No matter what the cost was.

---

Three Years Later

"It can not be done."

Those were not words that Daniel wanted to here.

"You are lying old woman."

Sitayi could not be serious. The woman practically had the universe at her disposal this should not be a hard task.

"What you want is impossible. No amount of magic can make someone fall in love with you. Is the girl not already taken? There are plenty more for you to choose from."

"No! You old hag, stop playing these games with me. This can not be as impossible as you say."

Daniel was beyond desperate. In another week Santana and Mercedes would exchange vows. Daniel had spent the past year trying to convince Mama Sitayi to help him to no avail. He'd had a few close calls at the market, but lucky for him no one ever wanted to buy him. He'd thought that it was Sitayi's doing; but he was wrong. Whenever a potential buyer took a close look at him, they always shook their heads and walked away. There was always something off about his look; something that turned all buyers away.

Sitayi watched him as he paced back and forth. She thought the man's mind had to have been poisoned somehow. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He always came back and asked the same questions with different words.

"They are not even going to stay together…"

"And how do you know that?" Sitayi cut him off. She was growing impatient.

Daniel stood still and took a few deep breaths before speaking. He had yet to play what he thought was his best card.

"I know this can be done. You've done it before Sitayi. In what they call Egypt now I believe. Years ago, your love spell became the direct reason there are scary stories to tell children at night. So you listen to me you decrepit hag, help me or I will tell the Masters all that I know."

The smile that slowly crept across Sitayi's face sent a chill up Daniel's spine. But he stood steadfast regardless; even as thunder roared in the clear blue sky outside.

"Were I you Daniel, I would be much more respectful in addressing me … and I would not speak of things that I know little to nothing about. Just to clarify, Akasha and Enkil offended my people; they needed to be punished. So I did what I saw fit and a few innocents died by their hands along the way. It happens. Now then, what makes you even think that the Masters have not heard such stories already? Old Sully and his wife still have very sharp minds, as do their children. I highly doubt they would believe much less even hear a word against me; especially from the likes of you."

Daniel was smart enough to change his tone.

"I'll … I'll find a way to pay you whatever you want. I can give Mercedes all that she needs. That thing she's with is not natural. Please, help me?"

Sitayi stared at Daniel as her mind put the pieces together. She knew he was on the verge of doing something drastic; whether she assisted him or not. She decided that if she helped him, in the long run, the girls would stand a better chance of ridding themselves of him.

So Sitayi told him she would brew him a potion that would at least get him closer to Mercedes, if he handled things the right way. She was purposely vague on the details. All he needed to do was bring her a lock of Mercedes' hair. She would take care of the rest.

---

Only two days remained until Mercedes and Santana were due to be married. Daniel waited in the shadows of the night for the right time to come. Mercedes was finally alone in her cabin. He stealthily walked to her door and barged in without knocking.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"There's no need for you to be upset. I just needed to speak with you."

Daniel closed the door and slowly walked towards Mercedes.

"I don't have anything to say to you so you can turn back around and leave."

Daniel hadn't expected this to be easy, but he didn't think Mercedes would still be so stubborn.

"This would all have been so much easier if you had made the right decision."

"I wasn't aware that I had any decisions to make Daniel. Now leave." Mercedes' patience was far from gone.

"I will leave, once I get what I need."

Mercedes wasn't sure what that meant but it made her nervous. For every step Daniel took towards her, she began to take a step back.

"I don't have anything for you."

"But you do. Just a lock of your hair and I'll be gone."

"My hair? No. I'm not giving you…"

Mercedes' words were cut off when Daniel rushed her. Her back hit the stone of the fireplace as he grabbed a fist full of her hair and roughly tugged her head backwards so she could look up in to his face. His other hand held her struggling body tightly against his own.

"Oh my sweet, I want so much more than your hair. Can you feel it? Do you feel what you do to me?"

He ground his lower half against her body. He made sure she could feel the hardness between his legs.

"You're going to be mine. Pretty soon you'll have no choice."

Mercedes had no clue what Daniel was speaking of, but she knew she had to get away from him. The look in his eyes was positively animal and his hand that had been around her waist was starting to roam.

"You're so soft," he said as he roughly squeezed her breast.

Mercedes yelled as she knocked his hand away. Her body was slammed back into the wall and she gasped in pain as the hand holding her hair gripped tighter.

"Fighting is unnecessary my sweet. Just say yes and this could all be so much easier."

Daniel had officially lost it. His mind was now engulfed with his obsession of Mercedes.

"When Santana gets her hands on you…"

"Santana will do what! That thing will not lay a hand on me. No more talk my love…"

Daniel didn't get to finish his sentence. Before he could blink his body was ripped away from Mercedes and he was being flung to the floor. He quickly righted himself and growled when his eyes swept over the form of his interruption.

"You."

"Me."

Santana stood in front of Mercedes massaging her now sore scalp.

"Leave now and you might escape the noose. But I promise you, if you touch my woman again, I will kill you."

Daniel laughed at Santana's declaration. He laughed and then he lunged at her. She met him head on and they tumbled to the floor. Mercedes stood frozen as she watched the struggle. After several blows Daniel got a lucky shot in and his fist crashed heavily in to Santana's jaw. The blow spun her to the right and caused her to hit the wall head first. She fell to the floor dazed and dizzy. Daniel turned his attention back to Mercedes. She tried to run but it was no use. She was easily trapped once again by Daniel's groping hands.

This whole process had taken longer than Daniel had anticipated. Santana showed up when she was supposed to be at the bridal gathering the Masters were having for her. A lot of the cabins on this side of the plantation were empty as a result; that's why Daniel had thought this would be the best time. Santana's interruption had disrupted his plans; but he was determined to see his plan through none the less.

Mercedes struggled as best she could. She yelled for Santana who was still trying to push through her dizziness so she could stand. Daniel tried to cover Mercedes' mouth to keep her screams from being heard. She sank her teeth in to the webbing between his thumb and index finger. He growled in pain and slapped her across the face. She fell to the right knocking her temple on the edge of the fireplace mantle.

This all could have been easy. He hadn't meant to hurt Mercedes. All she had to do was cooperate and this could have been so simple. But she still chose to want to be with that unnatural creature over him. He wouldn't stand for it. He would keep Santana from taking Mercedes away from him. Mama Sitayi held the power of the universe in her palm, if she willed it, anything was possible. Daniel had convinced the old woman to help him, so in essence as he understood it, he controlled Sitayi's will in this matter. If he couldn't have Mercedes in this life, he would have her in the next. He reached behind him and retrieved the revolver he'd stolen from one of the overseers. Before he could properly aim the gun was knocked from his hands and he found himself flat on his back starring up at Santana.

He reacted quickly by spinning his body and sweeping Santana's legs from beneath her. They both struggled to get to the fallen revolver. Daniel won out by delivering a heavy knock to Santana's brow with his elbow. He stopped to take a quick breath as he got back on his feet. He could hear dogs barking outside; meaning someone had heard the commotion and alerted the Masters. He knew he needed to move fast. He picked up the revolver and instead of aiming at Mercedes, he aimed it at the back of Santana's head.

Santana had managed to make her way over to Mercedes. She could hear the dogs as well, she knew help was coming. She just needed to keep Daniel away from Mercedes for a little while longer. She found it hard to stand though, due to the blows to the head she'd taken.

"Santi?"

Mercedes' voice was a whisper as she cupped Santana's cheek. She hadn't seen much of the fight since she'd gotten knocked down. A gash on the side of her head leaked blood down her face. Santana had a swollen jaw and a heavy stream of blood flowing from the side of her hairline.

"I'm right here baby."

Santana answered even as she heard the gun cock behind her. Mercedes' eyes looked past her and saw what was about to happen. Her brown eyes grew large with fear.

"Look at me. Mercedes look at me!"

Santana yelled when she got no response from Mercedes. When their eyes finally met she leaned forward and gave Mercedes a soft kiss. It meant I love you … I'm sorry … goodbye … so many things were said in that one simple kiss.

"You will not have her." Daniel stated.

Mercedes pressed her forehead to Santana's just as the gun went off.

Thunder rolled through the skies as Daniel inspected his work. The bullet had gone through the back of Santana's head and pierced Mercedes' head; wedging itself in the brick at the base of the fireplace after exiting the back of Mercedes' skull.

The dogs were getting closer and Daniel thought he could hear the echoed voices of people now as well. He rushed to pull his knife and blindly reached for some of Mercedes' hair. His attention had gone to the door; he could hear scratching on the other side. He pushed the hair into his pocket and scurried through the side window of the cabin then ran as fast as he could to Sitayi's lodgings. He knew he barely had precious moments to spare. It wasn't long before he heard yelling and heavy footsteps chasing behind him.

"I have it here!" Daniel yelled as he burst into Sitayi's cabin.

The old witchdoctor sat in front of her fireplace stirring a boiling purple liquid in a large black pot. He quickly shoved the hairs in to Sitayi's hand as he tried to catch his breath. Sitayi examined the locks and a broad smile grew on her face.

"You have to hide me now." Daniel demanded.

"Hide you?" Sitayi chuckled as she twisted and bound the strands of hair together. "Why would I hide you?"

"I did not intend for my life to end this night woman."

"And you're so sure that you're supposed to get everything you want tonight aren't you."

Sitayi spoke as she dropped the twisted hairs into her pot. She wasn't asking a question, simply being sarcastic; though her wit was rather lost on Daniel. She continued to stir the potion, which had turned a bright red, mixing in a few hairs that belonged to Daniel as the man ranted on behind her.

"Of course I am to get all that I want, was that not part of the deal? You give me what I want and I keep my mouth shut about who … what you really are."

Sitayi chuckled as she rose from her seat. She held a hand over the boiling liquid and the fire under the pot went out. When the liquid stopped bubbling she chanted a spell in a language Daniel had never heard before.

"It is done then?" Daniel asked when the chanting stopped.

"Done?" Sitayi laughed at the man as she turned to face him. "It is only beginning. When the Masters come for you, you may tell them what you wish about me. But it will be nothing they have not heard for themselves already from their father's own mouth. Dear old Sully knows exactly who I am; what I am as you say. His grandfather's father had struck a deal with me quite a long time ago you see and it was Sully's job to make sure I received payment; and he's paid me back ten-fold. He's a sweet man really; he's the reason you are even still alive. He couldn't bear to see a man die for things he hadn't done yet. He was so sure he could help you; change your thoughts. And you've proven that all he's done these past years was waste his time. Do you notice anything Daniel? Rather, do you notice something that isn't really there to be noticed?"

Sitayi laughed at the look of confusion on Daniel's face as he shook his head.

"Of course you don't. You're a person that doesn't see beyond your own needs. You can't see the whole picture of the world; you can only see what you want to take from it. You've made some rather fatal mistakes this night. Santana and Mercedes may or may not have found each other in their future lives; thus giving you uninterrupted opportunities to try to win Mercedes' hand. But in your haste in cutting her … or rather their hair, you have made it so they will always find each other."

Daniel looked like he was trying to work out what Sitayi was telling him, but he was coming up blank.

"You cut strands of hair from both their heads, therefore forever entwining their souls." She explained. "The way they died … the way you killed them has insured that their hearts will always call for the other."

Sitayi again chuckled at the confusion in Daniel's eyes. "Did they not declare their love for each other?"

"I heard no such words?"

"Ignorant. Child." Sitayi clucked her teeth as if to say tsk tsk. "Words are not needed for a conversation to be had. Though you did not hear it, sentiments were exchanged none the less. Killing them was the worst thing you could have done; it only made their bond stronger. I could go on explaining but it makes no difference in the end, because the worst mistake you made was thinking that you had me under your control. Have you still not noticed what isn't there to be noticed? You're not as smart as you like to think you are Daniel."

What was there to be noticed? Daniel decided he didn't have time for that. He needed to get away, the Masters' guards had been close behind him when he entered Sitayi's cabin.

That moment was when he noticed what wasn't there to be noticed. The recognition was crystal clear on his face. Once again, Sitayi laughed at his foolishness. All the time that Sitayi had spent talking, was time used to keep him from running. He'd had a lead on his chasers, but they weren't that far behind him; he should have already been hauled away.

"I think he's ready now," the witchdoctor said.

The door burst open and in walked Mike followed by Tina who had Sully leaning on her shoulder. Three other men, security guards, walked in with them. Daniel said not a word. No amount of pleading would do him any good. He kept his eyes on the floor knowing that his life would soon be over.

"Tried to help you boy," old Sully stated in a wheezing voice. "But you just couldn't get right and leave the girl alone could you. Now, you've doomed yourself in this life … and the next. I surely hope your soul finds greener pastures in the future."

"The dogs have not had their dinner yet Father," Tina spoke through clenched teeth as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She wanted Daniel to suffer as much as possible. Santana was very dear to her heart. She couldn't even imagine what the girl's mother was most likely going through at this moment.

"Well then, can't leave the animals hungry," Sully replied.

The three guards roughly took hold of Daniel and drug him outside. He tried to run when they let go of him, but the dogs easily caught him. His death was ugly. Bloody. Painful.

No less than what he deserved.

---

Lima - Present Day

The Lopez house was quiet and still. All occupants but one slept peacefully in their beds. Santana tossed and turned endlessly. The scenes she saw played out in her dream was confusing and disturbing.

"Santi?"

"I'm right here baby."

What the hell was she doing in a cabin with Mercedes? And why did she call her 'baby'?

"You will not have her!"

"Aaahhhhh!"

Santana screamed and half tumbled half leapt out of her bed.

"Pinche cabron!"

She yelled and cursed as she curled up on her knees. One hand gripped the back of her head and the other pounded on the floor. The searing pain she felt at the back of her head had come out of nowhere and instantly pulled her from sleep.

"Santana what's wrong?"

She heard her mother's voice but she couldn't answer. Her mother rolled her body over until she was cradling Santana in her arms.

"Tell me what's wrong mija?"

"Head … hurts."

Santana could only manage two words through her tears. She heard the voices of her grandmother and father next. Her mother repeated to them what Santana had said. Her father made to get an ice pack from the kitchen but her grandmother stopped him.

"The pain will pass soon. It's already lessening isn't it Santana?" the elder woman asked.

Santana nodded her head against her mother's chest.

"I'm going to go downstairs and make some tea. When you're able, bring me my old brown photo album and we'll talk in the kitchen."

Santana's parents shared a look.

"Alma you can't be serious."

"I'm more than serious Maribel," Alma replied as she turned to leave.

"Mama, its four-thirty in the morning can't this wait?"

Santana had a feeling her parents knew what her grandmother wanted to tell her. She pulled away from her mother but stayed seated on the floor. The pain was passing quickly.

"She has to be up in forty five minutes for that crazy coach of hers anyway does she not!" Alma was quickly losing patience. "She needs to know who she is. Now is as good a time as any."

"I'd appreciate if you all wouldn't talk about me like I'm not sitting right her," Santana said. "What are you talking about abuela?"

"Bring me my photo album."

Alma exited the room without another word. Santana looked back and forth between her mother and father.

"What's going on?" Santana asked them.

Maribel only sighed before exiting the room herself.

"Do what your abuela told you to do. We'll talk downstairs," her father said as he helped her to her feet.

Santana took her time composing herself. The boxers and sports bra that she had slept in were soaked through. It would take at least ten minutes for the water her grandmother needed for tea to boil so she took a quick shower. While she dressed she was suddenly thankful that she hadn't had morning wood to worry about. That would have been embarrassing. She went downstairs partially dressed with her grandmother's photo album in tow. Her spanks covered her special padded underwear that hid her not so girly parts, her pleated cheerio skirt sat snuggly on her waist, her red socked feet were in flip flops, and her cheerio red halter top completed the set. She didn't quite like the solemn faces that met her in the dining room.

"Come sit next to me Santana," Alma said.

Santana sat down then handed her grandmother the album. She pushed away the cup of tea that was set in front of her. Her guts were in knots. She couldn't fathom eating or drinking anything anytime soon.

"Tell us about your dream 'Ana," Maribel said.

Santana took a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap. She was too nervous to look at anyone so she kept her gaze on the dining table. No matter how vivid, she usually never remembered much about her dreams; maybe a gist of something to recount in conversation with a friend, but not this time. This time, she remembered everything down to the minutest detail. She could still feel every touch, and more importantly, every emotion that the Santana in her dream had felt.

"We started out as slaves…"

She told them everything. Mostly everything; she left out the more intimate moments of her dream.

"He shot her … us. I couldn't save her."

Santana paused and wiped away a lone tear that had managed to escape her eye. She stared at the moisture on her hand in surprise. She didn't understand why she was so emotional over a dream?

"That's … that's all I remember. Why did I wake up feeling like he had actually shot me?" she asked.

"Because he did," Maribel answered with a sad sigh.

"What?" Santana could only blink at her mother; she had to have misheard her.

"Let's just, start at the beginning," Alma said, sensing her granddaughter's oncoming panic attack. "Ana, have you ever heard anyone use the expression 'he, or she in this case, has an old soul'?

"Once or twice. Coach has actually told me that before; that she thinks I have an old soul," Santana answered.

"That damn near says it all, I told you it was her," Marcial said.

"Who is her?" Santana asked thoroughly confused.

Alma gave her son a look that clearly said be quiet. He was getting ahead of her and making Santana even more confused than she already was.

"We'll get to that in a moment. As I said, we start at the beginning."

"I've already seen all your old pictures abuela…"

"Trust me when I say you have not."

Alma opened the photo album and pointed to the first picture. It was a large black and white picture with at least one hundred people from end to end. The picture looked extremely old. The edges were cracked and frayed and had yellowed over time.

"Does anyone here look familiar to you," Alma asked.

Santana scanned the picture slowly taking in all the faces. The first face she recognized made her eyes grow large.

"Th-that's the old man from my dream. The head master."

"Do you recall his name?" Maribel asked.

"Sully; b-but only a few slaves were allowed to call him by his name. The majority called him, um General."

"That is correct," Alma said. "Keep looking. Who else do you see?"

"The … wait," Santana looked closer at the picture. She'd thought that it was simply her mind putting faces she knew in her dream. "Mike and Tina," she whispered.

"You know them now as Mike and Tina, your peers at school. But back then, they were several years older than you; twins who had run away from their village in China and stowed away on a ship. They were taken in by Sully and his wife. Keep looking."

"Mami and Papi. Artie. He could walk; but he had braces on his legs. And…"

Santana paused as her eyes came to the image of Mercedes. The next image she saw was her own. She was smiling and standing directly behind Mercedes with her arms wrapped around the other girl's waist. Mercedes' smile was as bright as Santana's. The image of the shorter girl had one hand over Santana's hands and the other reached back and partially wrapped around Santana's neck.

"They look so happy," Santana said as her fingertip gently glided over the image.

"You were happy. Until Daniel came along." Alma said.

Daniel was the next figure that stood out to Santana. He was the only person not fully facing the camera; the only person in the whole picture not smiling. His face was turned to his right side. His gaze was on Santana and Mercedes.

"The stories say that he was a problem from the start. Sully tried to…"

Alma stopped speaking when Santana shot back away from the table, knocking her chair over and almost falling over herself.

"What the fuck!" Santana exclaimed.

"Language Ana," Marcial chided.

"What happened? What did you see?" Alma and Maribel asked simultaneously.

"He ffffuummm … he freaking moved." Santana barely managed to stop herself from cursing again. "First, he was looking to the side then I swear I saw him turn and look at me."

Marcial snatched up the album but he only saw the picture as it originally was.

"I didn't just make that up," Santana stated thinking that her family didn't believe her.

"No one is disputing what you saw 'Ana. Come sit back down and I will tell you everything that I know." Alma said.

---

Daniel bolted upright in his bed. The dream had come sooner than he thought it would. He cursed in the darkness of his room; he wasn't ready. He'd just managed to rid himself of his wife and nagging mother-in-law a couple of months ago. Since Mercedes had no other family, he finally had the girl all to himself. Even though the girl was still grieving the loss of her mother and grandmother and hadn't really spoken much to him over her summer vacation, he was confident that he would soon drop the title of comforting stepfather for the more appropriate title of lover.

He was confident, until the original events that lead to his soul never being able to settle crept in to his dreams. The dream to him was like a personal alert button. It signified that that wretched he-she had begun to remember who it was. He would not let the cycle restart itself; this was his time, he was sure of it.

He got out of bed about an hour later to go and check on Mercedes. It was the first day of school after all and he didn't want her to over sleep. He panicked when he found she wasn't in her room.

---

Getting through Cheerio practice was not an easy task for Santana. She was co-Captain this year so she had the added responsibility of giving the orders while doing the drills with her squad. Unbeknownst to her until she arrived at school for practice that morning, Coach Sylvester had done some recruiting over the summer; Quinn and Mercedes were back on the squad. On any other day neither of the girls' presence would bother her. Her and Quinn had patched up their friendship last year so she knew Quinn was there as support, not to be a threat to her. Practice should have been smooth, but flashes of her dream kept hitting Santana every time her eyes strayed to Mercedes' form.

Santana almost hadn't recognized her. Mercedes looked drastically different from the last time Santana had seen her; it was at the dual funeral a few months ago. Mercedes had still looked like herself to Santana then, but seeing her at first glance at practice, Santana was inclined to think the girl looked a bit sick. The diva was slimmer and her hair was shorter and seemed thinner. It flowed in tiny waves against her head and stopped just above her shoulders. Hair was always a big thing to her classmate, so it was easy to note the differences.

As Santana watched the girl during practice she concluded that it wasn't the slimmer size that made her think Mercedes looked sick, it was the sadness in her face; particularly her eyes; Mercedes just looked … off. Once she really started paying attention, Santana liked what she saw; even though she worried that perhaps the diva had lost the weight too fast, that was never healthy. Her main concern was that Mercedes' smile never seemed to reach her eyes. Her eyes looked beyond sad and lost. Santana could only imagine what the girl might have gone through after the funeral. She wondered if depression was the reason for the diva's weight loss. The more Santana thought about it, the more she worried. Especially since to her knowledge, the only family Mercedes had left was her stepfather.

She didn't make the connections in her head until after practice though. Mercedes' stepfather had stormed down the hallway looking for her. Santana couldn't hear the conversation but she watched from her locker down the hall. She didn't like what she saw. Mercedes' body language screamed for the man to get away from her. The man must have felt Santana staring through the crowd because he turned and glared at her for several seconds. It was then that Santana recognized him.

The lockers and hallway disappeared. The students vanished. Santana stood in a cabin, the same cabin she'd seen in her dream. Mercedes stood behind her while Daniel stood only a few feet in front of her smirking.

"Welcome back half-breed. Mark my words; this will be the last time we meet like this. This time, she will be mine."

Santana blinked and she was back at school in front of her locker in the busy hallway. She shook her head to clear out the cobwebs and looked again at Mercedes. The diva looked annoyed and on the verge of anger. When her name was called, Santana looked away.

"Earth to Lopez."

Santana turned her attention to the other end of the hallway. She saw her best friends approaching her locker, at first. Then she blinked. She then saw the Artie from her dream running towards her. She clamped her eyes shut and shook her head. When she opened them again Artie sat in his wheelchair with Brittany in his lap.

"Are you okay Sanny?" Brittany asked.

"Um, yeah. Just, kind of having a weird day," Santana replied as she returned her attention to Mercedes.

"The day's barely started. Oh, I see what the problem is. Still lusting after the chocolate huh?" Artie asked with amusement.

"What?" Santana replied as she looked at the laughing couple.

"Come on San, you've always had a thing for Mercedes," Brittany stated. "She doesn't really look like herself this year though. I guess that happens after you lose someone though; two someones in her case." Brittany concluded sadly.

"Yeah, I think you're right babe," Artie agreed. "It may seem bad to capitalize San, but you know, she might need some comforting. A shoulder to cry on, maybe someone to cuddle with."

Santana rolled her eyes as Brittany and Artie laughed. Had she always had a thing for Mercedes? She remembered getting on some bullies for picking on Mercedes and saving the girl from a slushy or two but did that mean she had a crush on her before she knew what their connection was? Santana was not sure. But what she was sure of in that moment was that she could feel every ounce of love and care that she felt in her dreams towards Mercedes coursing heavily through her veins. She didn't want Daniel near the other girl any longer. She had to protect her.

"You know; you might be on to something with that thought. Follow me," Santana said to her two friends.

Santana gathered everything she needed for her next couple of classes and walked with purpose to Mercedes' locker.

"Hey Mercedes!" Brittany waved excitedly from Artie's lap.

"Sup Diva," Artie greeted.

Mercedes managed a small smile in greeting while her stepfather's mood seemed to grow darker. She didn't like nor did she completely understand the intense feeling she was getting from him lately. She unknowingly shrank back against her locker when his gaze returned to her.

"Not sorry to intrude on what I'm sure was not an important stepdad lecture, but we're about to have a squad meeting so Mercedes needs to be getting a move on." Santana boldly spoke to Daniel before turning to Mercedes. "And by the way, morning Sweet Cheeks," Santana said with a wink. "You about done here?" she asked the speechless Mercedes while tucking a lock of the divas hair behind her ear.

Without thinking about where they were Daniel raised his hand to snatch Santana's away but found his own hand in a vice grip before he could get too close.

"Is there a problem here?" Coach Sylvester asked.

"Yes. This rude … girl," the word pained him to say, "is interrupting…"

"Interrupting? I believe you're the one interrupting. These girls have things to do so you should be on your way. Now, Daniel." Coach Sylvester stated.

Daniel opened his mouth to argue but a flash in the Coach's eyes made him falter. He squinted and looked deeper in to the woman's eyes and grunted.

"So then, you're on their side now?" Daniel asked.

Artie, Brittany, and Mercedes all exchanged looks. The way Daniel had asked his question seemed a bit off to them. Santana on the other hand, figured out quickly what the man was referring to.

The blonde coach smiled, "I have always been on my girls' side. Now leave, or I will have you removed."

Daniel took a deep breath as he clenched his jaws.

"This is not over Si…"

"Sue," the coach cut Daniel off, "It's Sue."

"Whatever." Daniel grunted and then turned his attention back to Mercedes, "we'll finish this discussion when you get home after school."

"She'll be in late. First week of school means double long practices on weekdays and triple long on the weekend. Pretty sure she also has Glee; that's really nothing new. But you're her parent, you should've known that." Sue stated.

"Legal guardian."

Daniel glared at Santana.

"You're not her parent, you're only her legal guardian. For now," Santana matched his glare.

Sue tried hard to hide her smirk. Santana might as well have staked claim to Mercedes with her declaration. It was a clear threat for any that understood the situation; it did not go unnoticed by Daniel.

"We will speak about your choice of friends when you get home young lady," Daniel said to Mercedes with a finger pointed at her.

"Get your finger out of her face," Santana said with a smack to Daniel's hand. She even went as far as to step in front of Mercedes and push the man back.

Just as Daniel looked like he was going to retaliate Sue snapped her fingers and two security guards showed up behind Daniel.

"Excuse me sir I think it's time for you to leave," one of the guards stated.

Daniel walked out of the school quietly fuming.

Santana turned her gaze to her friends only to see Artie and Brittany going down the hall. The pair had wanted to give her some privacy to talk to Mercedes on her own. She looked to Mercedes next. The girl had a look that was a mixture of relief and confusion. Santana had somehow managed to be her savior at times when she least expected it.

"Are you okay?" Santana asked.

"Um … that remains to be seen but … thank you," Mercedes replied.

"I don't care who people think they are, nobody messes with my squad," Santana said. Or my lady, she added in her head.

"Why don't you head to class Jones, Lopez, with me," Sue ordered.

"I'll see you," Santana said.

"Yeah, later," Mercedes replied as she closed her locker.

Santana had to jog a few steps to catch up with her coach. The moment she did, the space around them changed. Santana recognized the scenery; it was the docks on the edge of the plantation in her dream.

"You're moving fast this time around Santana."

Santana took the time to look at her coach before she replied. Gone was the red track suit and whistle from around the woman's neck. Short blonde hair had been replaced with neatly twisted graying dreadlocks held together in a ponytail. The face Santana had known as Sue Sylvester was gone and completely replaced by Sitayi. Santana's own Cheerio uniform was gone; she wore a simple shirt and trousers.

"My papi was right," Santana stated.

"About?"

"You. He saw through your disguise."

Sitayi chuckled.

"Well, he was always a rather insightful man; that's not very surprising."

"What did you mean when you said I was moving fast?" Santana inquired.

"There has been a time or two when you didn't accept who you were. And then other times where you did, but you were slow to move towards Mercedes. I wonder, what happened to push you to take the first step this time around?"

"I don't know … I guess, when he looked at me earlier, I saw him as we were on the plantation and he said this was the last time we'd meet like that. I don't know what he's planning, but he sounded really sure of himself. And when I look at Mercedes, I just … I don't know, I feel so much and I have no idea how to make her remember who she is, or how to make her remember me."

"Well, if it's any comfort to you, it usually doesn't take much where she is concerned; a longing look, a comforting hug, a loving kiss if you're feeling bold. I'm quite sure snippets of memory have already found her because of your actions just now. Your souls are bound together, as such, your energies respond to each other; crave each other. Stay close to her little one, I do not think it will be long," Sitayi explained.

Thunder sounded loudly in the darkening sky.

"Is that … is that something you're doing?" Santana asked.

"No, nor is it a natural occurrence. You see, we're still at school, I have simply shaded us from the view of others while allowing us to take in more pleasant sights. Perhaps this is part of what Daniel was alluding to," Sitayi guessed.

"Do you think he could have found someone else; someone like you that was sympathetic to his cause?"

"My dear," Sitayi laughed, "there is no one like me. My best guess is that Daniel's found some sort of potion or spell that he thinks will aide his efforts. Be wary child."

"I will, but…"

"But?" Sitayi pressed.

"Why? Why do all of this? Why us?"

Santana had to know. She couldn't stop herself from asking.

"You ask that every time you know," Sitayi said with a smile, "it was the only way to save you both Santana. Daniel would have taken action against you whether I had been involved or not. And you my girl, have a protective heart. And Mercedes is the thing that keeps you going; she's your will, so to speak. The world will always need its champions."

"What if I'm not strong enough and he wins? If this is the last time like he said it is, if I fail then she's trapped with him."

"Where there's a will, there's a way Santana. He might get close, but my money is and has always been on you. And if you think you need more strength, call on the lives of your past. All the skills and traits that you saw in your dream are all still inside you; you just have to tap in to them," Sitayi stated.

"Why do I feel like this is going to end in a very bloody fist fight?" Santana jested.

"It just might. But since when has thee Santana Lopez been afraid of a fight."

It was more of a statement than a question. Santana smiled and looked up at the old witch, only to see the face of Sue Sylvester and the familiar hallways of her school.

"Get to class, and don't be late to the field today," Sue said as she opened her office door.

---

To be continued…