hi guys, i decided to do something different this time,
nothing supernatural or scary, just a friendship (possible romance?) between Santana and Rachel

all of the chapters are named after Evanescence songs that feature in the chapter

deals with abuse and abandonment so you may want to be cautious if you're sensative about that stuff

otherwise, enjoy...
and please review!

FALLEN

Going Under

Santana walked into the choir room that afternoon, head down, arms folded across her chest. She had walked right into Coach Sylvester's office that morning and quit the Cheerios. She had brushed off all of the weird glances and odd comments from her classmates, as well as ignoring all of the faculty members who asked if she was alright. She didn't want to talk to them. She didn't want to talk to anyone apart from Brittany. But she was still with Artie, wasn't she. So Santana would just be alone, for now at least because doing anything else was too painful. She took her seat at the back of the room, her favourite spot because she could watch everyone without being watched herself, and kicked her bag under the seat. She was the first one there most days, even beating Rachel Berry which was an achievement in itself. This is how pathetic she had become, getting to glee early because she had no friends, barely a family and nothing better to do with her time. She was sitting filing her nails when Rachel walked in, a weird look on her face but Santana was used to getting them nowadays. 'Good afternoon Santana.' Rachel shrugged off the odd expression she found herself making and plastered a smile on her face, walking over to the front row and placing her books on one of the plastic chairs.

'Berry.' Santana replied, not looking up from what she was doing. Rachel tapped her feet uncomfortably for a few moments before looking up at the Latina.

'So, any reason why you're here and…..' Rachel stopped, Santana finally looking down at her.

'And what Berry?'

'And not in your uniform?' She asked timidly, Santana's expression changing. Why would Berry care?

'Oh, erm, I quit the Cheerios.' Santana replied matter-of-factly, no emotion.

'Really? I thought you enjoyed cheerleading?' Rachel continued making conversation, annoying Santana to no end.

'I did. Now I don't.' Santana replied, once again filing her already perfect nails. Rachel couldn't help but notice the changes in the other girls behaviour. She hadn't really insulted her yet and she looked almost, defeated, in the way she was sitting. She was wearing dark blue jeans and a white top, the smaller girl not sure what was on it because a black zip-up hoodie was covering the rest of her upper body. The outfit was complete with black and white converse, a look that Rachel thought suited the Latina, in some weird way.

'Have you had a chance to look into Mr Schu's latest assignment?' Rachel asked, now feeling comfortable enough to move up to the second row and take a seat in front of Santana, the squeaking of the chair as she sat, startling the girl, Rachel now looking more confused than ever.

'Yeah, I did.' She replied, swallowing and looking into Rachel's eyes. 'I do enjoy glee you know. I'm not just messing around in here.'

'I know that Santana.' Rachel nodded, never seeing the feisty Latina so sincere, or jumpy. 'I didn't mean to startle you a moment ago.' Rachel assured her.

'No worries.' Santana said, looking back down before whispering; 'I'm used to it.' Rachel was about to question Santana's last remark when the room began to fill, Quinn coming in first with Puck, followed by the football guys and Finn, and lastly the rest of the girls, Sugar and Brittany laughing about something at the end. Brittany immediately placed herself on Artie's lap, and Rachel couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't sitting next to Santana. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen their pinkies linked. Mr Schu was the last to arrive, as usual, throwing his briefcase down onto the piano and walking into the centre of the room.

'Okay guys, who has something for us?' He asked, wanting to kick everything off right away. Lots of hands went up in the air, Rachel of course, along with Kurt and Blaine, Mercedes and Tina. But there was another hand up that surprised everyone. Santana's. 'Let me see… Santana.' He pointed at her and she stepped down, pulling the hood of her jumper over her head before whispering the song to Brad, who then instructed the rest of the room. The rock music began and Rachel had never found herself concentrating harder on a performance.

Now I will tell you what I've done for you,
Fifty thousand tears I've cried.
Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you,
And you still wont hear me.
Going under.

Don't want your hand this time, I'll save myself.
Maybe I'll wake up for once.
Not tormented daily defeated by you.
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom.
I'm dying again.

I'm going under,
Drowning in you,
I'm falling forever,
I've got to break through.
I'm going under.

Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies,
So I don't know what's real and what's not.
Always confusing the thoughts in my head,
So I can't trust myself any more.
I'm dying again.

I'm going under,
Drowning in you,
I'm falling forever,
I've got to break through.
I'm going under.

So go on, and scream,
Scream at me, I'm so far away.
I wont be broken again,
I've got to breath, I cant keep going under.
I'm dying again.

I'm going under,
Drowning in you,
I'm falling forever,
I've got to break through.
I'm going under.
I'm going under,
I'm going under.
I'm going under.

The music stopped and Santana was standing breathless in the middle of the room, a few slow claps echoing around the now silent choir room. Her hood had fallen down at some point, revealing the mess of hair flowing freely around her shoulders. It was sexy messy though, not like she hadn't brushed it in a week kind of messy. She had tears in her eyes which only Rachel seemed to notice, everyone else just thinking that it was such a strange song for her to sing. 'Well, that was interesting Santana.' Mr Schu said, walking to stand next to her. He was about to place his hand on her shoulder but she flinched away, moving a foot to her left so that she didn't come into contact with her teacher. 'Would you care to explain to us why you chose that song? I think we could all use the insight.' He smiled, the Latina shaking her head and putting the microphone down.

'Think what you like. I have nothing to say.' She said, before throwing her hood back over her head to cover most of her face and moving to sit back in her seat. The rehearsal continued in a normal fashion after that, everyone who had a song prepared went up to sing, getting a round of applause and a standing ovation. This then led Rachel to wonder why they didn't do the same for Santana? Sure it was an odd song to pick, but she sang it well enough, she was great actually, but they only saw how weird it was. Just then the bell rang everyone getting up and leaving with smiles on their faces.

'Rachel, we'll start with you next time alright?' Mr Schu called as he was on the way out.

'Sure Mr Schu.' She replied, but she wasn't really interested. All she wanted to do was talk to Santana, but as she turned around she saw an empty chair. She must have left when everyone else did. Rachel sighed and picked up her things, walking out of the choir room and bumping into Quinn and the rest of the girls, plus Kurt. 'Woah Quinn, sorry I didn't see you there.' Rachel apologised.

'That's okay Rachel, we were actually coming to find you.' Quinn smiled.

'Oh really, why?' Rachel asked, slightly bewildered.

'Well, it's our last year all together. We need to stop being enemies. So we're all going to grab coffee and start the term right. Would you like to join us?' She asked, Rachel scanning the group and noticing everyone minus a certain Latina.

'Sure Quinn, I'd love to, but where's Santana?'

'What do you mean?' Quinn asked.

'Well, you said about not being enemies, I assumed we were including everyone in that.' Rachel said as she walked beside the tall blonde as they headed out of the building.

'Oh right, Brit, did you invite her?' Quinn turned to the other girl.

'I couldn't find her.' Was Brittany's response, the rest of the group taking that as s good enough reason but Rachel wasn't convinced.

They were sitting in the Lima Bean about half and hour later, all with their choice of hot beverage, or in Mercedes case, a chilled mocha smoothie, and chatting about the upcoming year. Rachel was still hung up on this Santana thing, not being able to get her head around it. She was off the cheerios, she sang that song, and was generally acting strange. She couldn't sit on it any longer, she had to say something and try to get to the bottom of it. 'Have you guys noticed anything strange about Santana lately?'

'What?' Tina asked, all of them looking over at Rachel. 'Strange how?'

'Just anything really, I mean, Brittany why did she quit the team? You're still on it.' Rachel pointed out, picking up her drink and making sure it was cool enough.

'San didn't really like the Cheerios when she was one. I think she wanted to quit ages ago.' Brittany informed them.

'I know what you mean.' Quinn added. 'Especially the last few months last term, she was so, I don't know, far away all of the time. Like she wasn't interested.'

'Okay, but why?' Rachel asked, still slightly bewildered.

'Why what? She probably just got bored of it.' Kurt suggested. 'That girl is always looking for better things to do.'

'Is that why no one invited her?' Rachel whispered. 'Because you thought she had something to better to do?'

'No, Brit said she couldn't find her.' Sugar reminded her.

'Did you even look Brit?' Rachel asked, looking over at the blonde who looked into her lap.

'No, but she always has something else to do these days. So eventually I had to give up trying.'

'That's great. You're meant to be her best friend Brittany.' Rachel said, her voice raising.

'Chill out Rachel, why are you yelling at Brit?' Quinn defended, the brunette putting her hands up in apology.

'I'm sorry, okay, but haven't you noticed the other things?' Rachel asked.

'What other things? Apart from the clothes she seems like her normal bitchy self.' Tina said, Rachel shaking her head.

'I mean the things like how skinny she is. And that she's trying to hide it with the baggy hoodie. Or the fact that she moved away from Mr Schu's touch, like she was scared of him or something. Or the fact that she sang an incredibly painful song in glee today, and all we could muster was a pathetic slow clap because we thought it was so strange.' She said, taking a breath finally to study their faces. 'Or how about the fact that when she finished singing, she was close to tears. Seriously, did none of you notice that?'

'No, I… I guess we didn't.' Quinn said, looking slightly ashamed of herself along with the rest of the group.

'What about over the summer? Quinn you said she was acting strange before summer, but did anything major happen?' Rachel asked. 'What about her parents, siblings?'

'Santana only has a dad.' Brittany informed them, no one knowing anything about Santana's home life except Brittany and Quinn.

'No brothers, or sisters? Where's her mum?' Mercedes asked.

'No, no brothers or sisters.' Quinn said. 'And the only thing she told us about her mum was that she left.'

'San doesn't like to talk about it.' Brittany added.

'Well I think we need to see what's going on with her.' Rachel said, swallowing the last of her drink.

'Don't you think she would have told us, if she wanted us to know.' Kurt wondered out loud.

'No.' Quinn said firmly. 'She's Santana. She will wait until it eats her alive and then she will break.'

'Well then we need to help her, talk to her and find out what's going on before that happens.' Rachel said, standing up and expecting everyone to follow her lead. When no one moved she was confused again. 'Come on then.'

'Look Rachel, I know you think we're horrible friends. But we have tried.' Quinn assured her. 'We have tried so hard to get through to her but she never listens.'

'So,' Rachel put her hands on her hips. 'You will just wait until she breaks and then what? Pick up the pieces.'

'It's what always happens Rachel.' Brittany said quietly.

'Not this time it isn't.' She said, picking up her bag and heading out of the door.