A/N: This story is A/U as you can tell by the read. I hope you enjoy it...it will be fem-slash...Santana/Rachel
I Am a Soldier
Chapter: 1
BeForeverYoung
Lt. Santana Lopez sighed as she pulled her military assigned camouflage bag a little higher on her shoulder as she proceeded out of the airport. She was finally home. This was her third tour in Iraq since she enlisted in the army right out high school and the last year out there had been a hard one. Don't get her wrong she loved her job. As soon as she graduated she drove down and enlisted up. She didn't tell anyone she was doing it either, she didn't want to give them the time to talk her out of it. Her family and friends found a week before she left for boot camp. They were not impressed but she didn't care because she knew she would be good at this. She was strong, in good physical condition, she stayed cool and calm under pressure, sure she had never fired a gun but she was a quick learner. This is why she moved up the ladder so quickly. She was 23 and already a lieutenant.
Sure it was tough being in the army, especially since she was part of a Special Forces unit, the elite of the elite and it was hard for men twice her age and with more experience to take orders from her but just like everyone else that met Santana she demanded respect and earned it quickly.
As she walked out of the airport her men following closely behind her she couldn't help the pain that seemed to make its way into her chest at thought of her unit being 2 men short from when they first left. Her first month she lost two men in a road side bomb when they were canvassing an area. It was her first loss as a leader of the unit and to say that she took it hard was understatement. But she knew she had to stay tough for her men so instead of grieving she put all of her effort into making sure it never happened again.
"Hey LT you ready to go out tonight and get our drink on," said a man to her right and she couldn't help but smile at his words as she turned her head to stare at no one else but Sergeant Noah Puckerman. He enlisted with Santana and since then they have always had each other's backs.
"Really Puck we just got back don't you want to spend the day with your wife?" Santana teased.
Puck she gave her a smirk, "ohh...I will be spending a long time in bed with Quinn when we get home but she wants to see her best friend too'" he smiled.
"I really don't want to know about yours and Quinn's sex life Puck," said Santana scrunching up her nose in disgust. She sometimes still couldn't believe that Puck and Quinn were actually married. Sure she was the maid of honor and was there to witness it the week before they left for boot camp but at times it still amazed her.
"And what about my god-daughter, whom by the way is growing up way too fast, shouldn't you be spending time with your girls?" I asked just as entered the main lobby of the airport.
Puck opened his mouth to no doubt give me some smart ass comment but two squeals stopped him as both me and him turned to see Quinn and Isabella, her and Pucks 3 year old daughter waving at Puck.
"Speaking of my girls," he smiled at me happily before dropping his bag and taking off running towards them.
Smiling Santana watched as he ran forward and grabbed his daughter throwing her into the air before catching her and then leaning down to give Quinn a passionate kiss.
Leaning down she picked up his bags and watched as all her men ran to their wife's or girlfriends. This is the part of coming home that always made Santana smile. All of the pain and hard work she put in was well worth it to return these guys back to their family alive and well. Sure she had no one meeting her there but it didn't make the moment of watching her men kiss and hug their family any less beautiful.
"Aunt Tana!" broke Santana out of her stupor just in enough time to catch the blonde blur that jumped into her arms.
Santana laughed as she was attacked with kisses all over her face as the little girl showed just how much she missed her godmother.
"Isabelle don't hog your Aunt Tana all to yourself you mother wants some love too!" said a voice as Santana looked up to a smiling teary eyed Quinn.
Moving Isabella to her hip Santana motioned for Quinn to come to her other side, "there is always plenty of Santana love to give still Q,"
Quinn walked up to her best friend increase kindergarten and wrapped her arms around her.
As soon as Quinn encircled her arms around her friend she broke down crying. Santana face instantly went from one of happiness to worry as she stared down at her sobbing friend. Looking up to Puck confused he smiled sadly at her before pointing to the scar on his neck trying to tell her what had set Quinn off into such a hysterical state.
Realizing what her friend was so upset about Santana nodded before passing Isabella to her father to pull Q even closer to her body.
About two months prior her and her team was assigned to a mission which involved them taking out a small group of insurgents. The mission went without a hitch and as her unit was searching the premises Puck was attacked from behind by a man. The man had a knife to Pucks neck and was screaming at them. Santana could still remember the fear she saw in her best friends eyes at the thought of never seeing his family again. The small trickle of blood seeping from her friend's neck is what unfroze Santana as she pulled her pistol out and pointed. This only sent the man into a greater rage causing the knife to dig deeper into Pucks neck.
"Try not to move," whispered Santana to him as she waited for him to give her a slight nod as he closed his eyes tightly. Taking a deep breath she squeezed the trigger and a bullet was perfectly placed between the man's eyes killing him instantly.
Puck knew she saved his life that day since nobody else could have made that shot and when he got the 7 stitches in his neck a couple hours after it was hard to hide the bandage from his wife on that night's video chat and now his wife knew that Santana saved his life too.
Santana heard small whimpers which sounded like "thank you" and "I love you" being mumbled into her neck as Q cried.
Santana stood their holding her friend for a few more seconds before pulling away from her to stare into the tear filled eyes of her best friend.
"There is nothing to thank me for Q," Santana whispered to her brushing the tears falling done Quinn's face, "as long as I am breathing I will always protect him, you got that?"
Q leaned into her touch before nodding at Santana's words.
"Good," said Santana smiling before pulling her friend in for one last quick hug, "now no more tears today is a happy day!"
Quinn smiled before nodding and pulling back, "Noah told me that you are trying to get out of coming out tonight and just thought I should inform you that you are going out, no excuses...everyone is going to be there," said Quinn giving me that don't-even-try-and-argue-with-me look.
Santana gave a loud exaggerated sigh just to get her friend a little riled up.
"Don't you sigh at me young lady," scolded Quinn as if she were talking to her 3 year old daughter. "Your friends and I haven't seen you in 11 months…so yes you are coming out tonight…you hear me and I don't wanna hear any com…." Quinn's voice faltered as she stared at Santana who couldn't seem to keep the smile of your face, "why are you smiling?" asked Quinn confused.
Santana's smile it was even possible got even bigger.
"No reason," replied Santana.
"You were purposefully trying to get a rise out me weren't you," said Quinn narrowing her eyes at her friend.
"Maybe," smirked Santana before leaning down and grabbing Puck's bag before swinging into his chest.
"Umphh…" groaned Puck as the bag knocked the wind out of him.
"Let's get out of here Puckermans, I want to go home," smiled Santana reaching down to grab her bag.
"I get it Aunt Tana!" shouted Isabella pulling on Santana's strap and grunting quite loudly as she tried to pick up the bag.
Santana couldn't help but smile at the sight of her god-daughter struggling with the bag, "Hey Bella-Bug how about you help me carry it," asked Santana reaching down to grab the straps faking trying to pull the bag up adding her own grunts and groans to match Isabella's.
"Come on Bella I know you got bigger muscles then that," teased Santana as she watched Isabella pull up with all her might. Deciding it was time to help her Santana pulled the bag easily letting Isabella thinking she picked up.
"Geess…musceles when did you get those pipes?" smiled Santana reaching over and gibing Isabella's forearm a squeeze, "because we both know you didn't it from her father," teased Santana.
"Hey," protested Puck who overheard the conversation, "I will have you know that the great state of New York has once requested that I get a permit for these guns," smirked Puck flexing his very large biceps.
Isabella stopped walking, which in turn made everyone else stop walking as she stared at her father, "thats….waz wreally lame daddy," she said in quite possibly the most serious 3 year old voice Santana had ever heard.
"Wow…well at least I know where she got the diva from," teased Santana smirking over at Quinn who was staring down at her daughter as if she had grown an extra head.
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