I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support this story got! Wow! Thank you so much. And after all the reviews I received, I decided I do want this story to have some Puckleberry in it, but I don't want it to be the focus- I still want the story to be about how Rachel and Santana come together as sisters.
Please continue to review, this is one of my newer stories so it needs some work and more ideas than I have at the moment!
Elle xox
Things were a little rocky on that first few days while Rachel and Santana were getting used to being around each other all the time. Paul dropped them both at school early enough that they would not be seen together. Social Services came and Paul and David were listed down as Santana's legal guardian. They had taken her to the Lopez house where she and Rachel packed up her clothes and some of her other belongings. But eventually things calmed down, the girls got used to each others company and Santana started to feel more at home in the Berry household. On Saturday, the unique family spent the day painting and sorting out Santana's room and when they were finished, Rachel helped her unpack her things.
"I like this dress," Rachel smiled as she hung clothes in the wardrobe. She was trying to be polite and involve Santana in her conversations.
"You are welcome to borrow any of this," Santana smiled back, knowing the pair had come to an understanding, "you have been so awesome about everything Rachel… I am never going to be able to thank you enough."
"It's okay. I'd like to think you'd do the same for me… plus, you forget that I am adopted. Yeah, I've been here practically my whole life but that doesn't mean what Shelby did to me hurts any less," Rachel explained.
"I guess I hadn't really thought about that," Santana admitted.
About four weeks after Santana moved in, there was a knock at the door. As Santana had still yet to tell everyone she had moved in with Rachel, Rachel answered the door.
"Uh… Santana," she called from the doorway, "You need to come down here."
The Latina jumped off her bed and headed for the living room, "What's up R…" she froze when she spotted her mother and father sitting on the couch and Rachel shifting nervously across from them, "what are you doing here?" she spat.
"We want you to come home," her mother said, "Our friends are starting to ask where you are."
"And you think I care about that?" Santana gasped, "You disowned me; told me I was a disgrace and that I wasn't normal… nothing has changed."
"We've found a nice Latina boy who wants to date you," her mother smiled, "we can put this all behind us and just pretend it didn't happen."
Santana was gob smacked, "You seriously think you can just squeeze this out of me… that if I date a few guys I'll stop being a lesbian?" Rachel watched as her friend's parents cringed at the use of the word, "Well, I'm sorry… It doesn't work that way- trust me… I tried. You need to grow up! I needed my parent's to be supportive and you can't do that… I'm not part of your family anymore… You don't want me there and to be honest… I'm not sure I want to be there anymore."
The girl got up and bolted for her room.
"I think you need to leave now," Rachel demanded, showing them to the door, "In the future, if you want to talk to her, you need to do it through Social Services or our parents." She slammed the door in their faces and ran up the stairs after Santana.
"San?" she said, pushing the girls door open, "you okay?"
"I'm fine," Santana sniffled, "I think I needed to do that." She shifted over on the bed so that Rachel could lie down next to her. They both stared at the roof.
"You know you belong here now, right?" Rachel asked, "That you're part of this family now?"
Santana nodded, "I know… Sis," she smiled and Rachel smiled back.
Rachel and Santana had fallen into a nice routine. Each morning one of their dad's would drop them at school, they would go their separate ways, only occasionally sharing a glance in the hallway, until pick up time. Usually, Santana had Cheerio's practise or they both had glee club. Either way, Rachel would head off to dancing or vocal lessons and Santana would wander down later, in time to be picked up or to walk home together. From there they did their homework and chores and hung out together.
It was a couple of months later when things blew up at school. Rachel walked into Glee club fuming over the constant banter coming from Quinn, Mercedes and at times, Kurt.
"Oh what are you whining about this time, Man-hands!" Quinn jibbed as she came into the room behind the girl, "someone told you how hideous that outfit is? You know you really deserve the torture," the blonde smirked, "all you are is an annoying, self-obsessed, ugly drag queen with no hope in hell of making it on Broadway," Mercedes and Kurt chuckled from their seats just in front of Santana, "Your fathers should have taken you back to whatever store they got you from," Quinn laughed.
"Hey!" Santana yelled from the back of the room, seeing Rachel look down at her hands as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was unable to watch any longer. Mr Schue walked in just in time to see Rachel wipe the tears from her face and to hear Santana's next outburst, "That's my little sister you are tormenting there." Everyone's heads whipped around to look at Santana.
"Tana, don't," Rachel said quietly, "it's not worth it.
All the teens and the teacher had confused looks on their faces. Sister. What did that mean? And were they imagining things or did Rachel just call Santana, Tana?
"No Rach… enough is enough. I know you don't want to do this right now, but I have too," She knelt down in front of Rachel, handed her a tissue and tilted her head up so she was looking right at her, "You're my sister and I am not going to sit back and watch while they bully you any longer," she turned back to Quinn, "You heard right Barbie… she's my little sister and nobody has the right to pick on her… except me," she added with a smile over at Rachel who gave a small smile back. They certainly did pick on each other like all siblings did.
"You are all so quick to tease her or make cruel comments about the clothes she wears, when in reality… she only wears them because you and half the jocks throw slushies at her on a daily basis… She has a fucking awesome wardrobe but is scared to death to wear any of it because it all comes home ruined. In fact," Santana looked down at herself and pointed to her stylish outfit, "I think I stole these jeans and this top from your wardrobe, didn't I Rach?"
Rachel looked up from her hands to see what Santana was wearing and nodded, "Yeah… but dad said you have to ask before you steal my stuff again." She said quietly with a smirk.
"Whatever," Santana rolled her eyes playfully before turning back to the group, "Rach has just as much, if not more, attitude than I have. If any of you got off your high horses for more than two seconds and actually listened to what Rachel had to say… you would see that she is not the person you have all made her out to be… did it ever occur to you that the fact she's adopted might be a sensitive issue."
Everyone was silent for a few minutes, "fuck this shit!" Santana threw her hands in the air, "Come on Sis… let's go home while these morons think about what I just said." She grabbed Rachel's arm and both of their bags and the two started their walk home.
The teens and teacher left in the room sat in stunned silence.
"What was that all about?" Tina said slowly, "What did she mean they are sisters? Did you know, Mr Schue?"
The teacher looked through his file that he kept all glee paperwork in and looked down the list of contact details. Sure enough, Rachel and Santana had the same phone number, address and emergency contact listed.
"No… I didn't, but they do have the same contact details," he said pointing to his piece of paper, realising he didn't know his students as well as he thought he did.
There were several quiet members in the Glee club that afternoon as they all were feeling guilty and a little confused. Everything Santana said really put things into perspective.
"You didn't have to do that," Rachel said while she and Santana walked home from school.
"Yeah, I did," Santana smiled, "I should have done it a lot earlier. You're my sister, Rach and big sisters are supposed to stick up for little sisters… at least I think they are… I've never had a little sister before."
The pair laughed and made their way in the door of their house.
"Screw homework today," Santana tossed Rachel's bag into her room, "get changed and we'll watch movies in my room… I'm going to make some popcorn."
The girls put a movie into Santana's laptop and were sitting back watching when the doorbell rang.
"Are you expecting anyone?" Santana asked Rachel. The girl shook her head, "I think I know who it'll be… you wait here, I'll get it." She grabbed a handful of popcorn, bounced downstairs and threw the door open.
"What do you want Quinn?" she sighed, shoving more popcorn in her mouth.
"Please, I just want to talk to Rachel and apologise," Quinn replied, "I got your address from Mr Schue."
"If you make her more upset… I will kill you," Santana reluctantly stepped aside, "She's in my room. Follow me."
When Rachel heard her sister coming back up the stairs she called out, "Tana! Can I borrow these heels?"
"Get out of my wardrobe, Midget!" Santana yelled back with a laugh as she and Quinn walked down the hall. Quinn saw what she assumed was Rachel's door, covered in gold stars and the open door the next door down the hall, "You have a visitor," Santana told Rachel as she walked into her room with Quinn following.
"Oh," Rachel said turning towards the door, "Quinn, hi."
"Hi Rachel," Quinn gave a little smile. She looked over the outfit Rachel was now wearing and realised how right Santana had been about them judging her.
"Uh… can we finish the movie later, Santana?" Rachel asked. When the girl nodded and shoved more popcorn in her mouth, Rachel led Quinn through the adjoining bathroom to her room.
"What can I do for you?" Rachel sat on her bed.
"I just wanted to say sorry. I know it doesn't really mean much… and that I don't deserve forgiveness, but I really am sorry about everything I've ever done or said about you. It wasn't fair and you didn't deserve it," Quinn said quietly.
"Then why did you do it?" Rachel asked, "It's not like you ever really took the opportunity to get to know me."
"Honestly, I'm jealous of you Rachel," Quinn admitted, "You are so sure about what you want to do with your life and I can't even decide what subjects to take next semester. It scares me. What Santana said today, really knocked some sense into me. We didn't know you two were sisters."
"We've had our reasons for keeping it quiet. But… It shouldn't matter whether you knew we were sisters or not. You should have come to a realisation without my sister making you," Rachel said.
"You're right, I should have," Quinn said.
A silence passed over the pair.
"I'm not sure how I feel about this all yet," Rachel explained, "I appreciate you coming to talk to me. But I think you should go now and I'll see you at school tomorrow."
"Okay," Quinn agreed, "Thanks for letting me say what I needed to say. I'll just say goodbye to your… uh, sister."
Rachel nodded and indicated that she could go through the bathroom door. Quinn walked straight into Santana's room.
"You know, I really am sorry," she said to the girl who was doing her homework.
"Maybe… now you have to prove it," Santana said, "You don't know the number of times over the last few months I've been in here and heard her crying in her room because of something that happened at school or some comment you've made on MySpace," she didn't mention that she only learnt it herself over the last few months, "there is a lot more to this whole situation that you don't know… one day, we'll explain it all."
Quinn nodded, "I'm gonna go. Thanks for letting me talk to her."
Please review! I hope you liked this chapter=)