Twenty-eight year old Santana Lopez was at her favorite club in New York City. She had been depressed all day and her best friend, Quinn Fabray, had decided the Latina needed a night out. Their old high school friends, Mercedes Jones and Kurt Hummel, had tagged along. Sighing, Santana reached for her drink, but Kurt (the designated driver) moved to stop her. "You're upset, Santana. I think you've had enough." Kurt said. Santana groaned.
"Oh my god. Kurt, for the last time, I'm only drinking water. How many times do we have to go through this? You don't have to always play designated driver, because I'm not going to be drinking." Santana said.
"But then who would you have to talk to? I mean, carry on a legitimate conversation with, Ms. Lawyer?" Kurt said. Santana smirked. "Seriously, though. How are you doing? I know today is tough for you." Kurt said. Santana shrugged and looked over at Mercedes and Quinn, who were pretty drunk.
"I'm getting by. Its been three fucking years, Kurt." Santana said. Kurt nodded understandingly. "Hey where's Blaine?" Santana asked.
"He had a show tonight." Kurt explained. Santana nodded and opened her mouth to respond when she saw a familiar face walk into the club.
"Holy fucking shit." Santana blurted out.
"What?" Kurt asked.
"Rachel fucking Berry just walked in." Santana said. Kurt turned around and saw her. He started to get up, but Santana stopped him. "Let me go say hi first." Santana said.
"Santana, be nice to her. She's a big Broadway star now. She's not the same diva we all had to deal with in high school." Kurt said. Santana rolled her eyes.
"Hummel, I'm a lawyer. I think I know how and when to be nice to people." Santana said. He smirked.
"Then why don't you do it more often?" he asked. Santana rolled her eyes stood up. "Wait, she's never going to believe a sober Santana Lopez is being nice to her, you know." he said.
"I think I can remember how to be drunk." Santana said, smirking at her friend before walking over to the girl. Never in a million years would she have thought this, but Rachel Berry looked hot. Gone where the argyle sweaters, horrible looking skirts, knee socks, and penny loafers. The girl had clearly used her well-paying Broadway career to upgrade her wardrobe. "I never thought I'd see the day when Rachel Berry was in a fucking club." Santana whispered in the girl's ear. Rachel turned around.
"Santana? Santana Lopez? What are you doing here?" Rachel asked. Santana pointed over her shoulder and Rachel saw Kurt, Mercedes, and Quinn.
"Quinn wanted to go out, so we called up Kurt and Mercedes." Santana said. Rachel nodded and smiled as she waved at Kurt, being stopped by Santana when she moved to go say hi.
"What?" Rachel asked. Santana looked hurt.
"You don't want to talk to me?" Santana asked. Rachel laughed.
"Sorry. How are you, Santana?" Rachel asked. Santana shrugged.
"I've been better, but I've been worse. What about you?" Santana asked.
"I've been pretty good lately. I just finished up a show." Rachel said. Santana nodded.
"You look good, Berry." Santana said. Rachel smiled.
"Thanks. You don't look to bad yourself." Rachel said. Santana nodded.
"I try." Santana said, looking down.
"Santana, are you feeling okay?" Rachel asked, concerned. All of a sudden, all Santana wanted was to leave the place with Rachel.
"Actually, can you take me back to my apartment? I'd ask Hummel, but Q and Mercedes aren't ready to leave yet." Santana said. Rachel nodded.
"Yea sure. Let's get your bag and I can say hi to Kurt, Quinn, and Mercedes." Rachel said, guiding the Latina back to the group. Kurt stood up. "Hey!" Rachel said, excitedly as she hugged Kurt.
"Berry!" Quinn exclaimed. Rachel laughed.
"I see Quinn is a 'happy-girl' drunk tonight." Rachel said as Quinn hugged her.
"We're just all thankful she's not 'stripper-girl' drunk tonight." Kurt said. Santana's eyes widened. 'Dear God, please don't let Rachel bring up Brittany.' Santana thought, glaring at Kurt for bringing up that archetype. Thankfully, she didn't, and Kurt shrugged as if to apologize. "You two heading out?" he asked. Rachel nodded as she hugged Mercedes.
"Santana isn't feeling well. I guess she drank too much." Rachel said.
"What are you talking about? Santana doesn't drink." Mercedes said. Santana's eyes once again widened.
"She's drunk... Mercedes doesn't know what she's saying. You know how Santana is. I believe she was the first one to pass out during the 'Rachel Berry House Party Train Wreck Extravaganza' during our junior year." Kurt said. Santana breathed a sigh of relief. 'Thank God for Kurt.' Santana thought. Rachel laughed as she remembered the party she had thrown.
"Actually, I think that was me." Rachel said. Kurt laughed. "Anyway, I should get her home, just in case. I'll call you tomorrow, Kurt." Rachel said. Kurt nodded and Santana and Rachel walked out of the club.
"Sorry you had to leave right after getting there." Santana said as they walked to Rachel's car.
"Don't even worry about it. That was the sixth club I'd been to tonight. We started off as a big group, but the group grew smaller with each club, so they won't even notice I'm gone." Rachel said. Santana nodded as she opened the door to get in Rachel's BMW. Rachel paused. "Uh... this car is new, so can you try to avoid throwing up in it?" she asked. Santana smiled and nodded. She gave Rachel her address.
"Wait... you aren't drunk are you?" Santana asked. She'd been through that before. She did not want to go back. Rachel shook her head.
"I haven't drank since the horrible performance of Tik Tok we did at the assembly our junior year." Rachel said. Santana nodded and enjoyed the free ride home. Once they were in the Latina's apartment, Santana did something else she never thought she'd do. She pushed Rachel up against her door and kissed her. Shocked, Rachel took a few minutes to respond before gently pushing the Latina back. "Wow. You must be more drunk than I'd thought." Rachel said. Santana shook her head.
"Not even close." she whispered before trying to kiss Rachel again. The smaller girl ducked out of her grasp.
"Wait what?" Rachel asked.
"I don't drink anymore." Santana said. Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"Well this certainly doesn't sound like the girl I knew in high school." Rachel said. Santana shrugged and moved to sit down on her couch. Rachel quickly followed suit.
"She grew up. You know how you said that getting thrown up on with that grey shit you made us drink before we performed Tik Tok was enough to stop you from ever drinking again?" Santana asked. Rachel nodded. "Well, mine was a bit more serious than that. About five years ago, I was with a friend. I had called him for a ride home because my designated driver had gotten wasted and ditched me. On the way back to my apartment, some other drunk person ran a red light and broadsided us. The car flipped down a hill and I was too injured to be able to get out of the car when it finally stopped, plus I was drunk. My friend pulled me out of the car and carried me away from the car. Literally thirty seconds after we were away, the car blew up. Apparently when it was rolling some oil had leaked or something and it blew up. I don't know. All I know is that drinking - and drinking and driving - almost killed me. That day, I gave up drinking and I haven't had a drink since." Santana said. Rachel nodded.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Santana. However, I think its admirable that you stopped drinking." Rachel said. Santana shrugged again.
"Yea well, I'm a respected lawyer now. I was going to have to give that shit up anyway. Going to a club and drinking water is one thing. Going to a club and risk my clients seeing me wasted is another. And frankly its unacceptable... wait. Hold up. Was that a short sentence that just came out of your mouth?" Santana asked.
"Is this a height joke?" Rachel asked. Santana shook her head.
"You don't speak in paragraphs anymore." Santana said. Rachel laughed.
"So how's Brittany?" Rachel asked. Santana winced and looked down. "Santana? Are you okay?" Rachel asked.
"Britt went on tour as a backup dancer three years ago. We haven't talked since." Santana said quietly. Rachel smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry, Santana. I know you loved her." Rachel said softly. Santana nodded.
"I had to let her go. I couldn't hold her back and she didn't exactly put much effort into it when she said she would stay. I could tell she didn't want to be here with me, so I let her go. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but it was better for both of us." Santana said. Rachel nodded.
"I understand. That's how I was with Jesse." Rachel said.
"You got back together with St. James? What happened to Hudson?" Santana asked.
"Finn moved to Miami for his job. I can't exactly leave New York, considering Broadway is in New York and I work on Broadway. Long distance just wasn't working out, so we broke up. Jesse and I ran into each other at an audition and we dated for about a year and a half before he got a job to go tour with a Broadway company. That was the end of that relationship." Rachel said. Santana nodded. Rachel smiled and stood up. "I should get going. It was great seeing you, Santana." Rachel said. Santana frowned.
"You don't have to go." Santana said. Rachel nodded her head.
"I should get home." Rachel said.
"Do you have someone waiting for you?" Santana asked. Rachel laughed.
"Yea... my bed. If that's your way of asking if I'm seeing anyone, then the asnwer is no." Rachel said. Santana smiled.
"You can stay here tonight if you want." Santana said.
"I don't know if that is a good idea, Santana." Rachel said.
"If I were drunk, I'd be weeping now." Santana said, smiling. Rachel laughed.
"Oh yea. The 'weepy hysterical' drunk. You were one of the few Glee members who never changed archetypes." Rachel said. Santana laughed.
"Seriously, though. I want you to stay." Santana said.
"But you hate me." Rachel said.
"Ok first of all, I never hated you. We hooked up, remember?" Santana said.
"We never hooked up, Santana." Rachel said. Santana frowned.
"Shit. That was a fucking dream." Santana whispered. Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"You had a sex dream about me?" Rachel asked.
"Mulitple. Anyway, I'm not the same girl I was in high school." Santana said. Rachel nodded before kissing Santana.
"I guess I can stay the night." Rachel whispered. Santana smiled and kissed the girl again.