A/N: Yay for Chapter 2! Thanks to those who have reviewed and also subscribed to this story. It would be great if you guys could give me some feedback and review, it'll help with my writing and I'll most likely update faster. So, you know ;). One last thing though, this chapters slightly shorter than the last. Okay, that's all. Anyway! Onto Chapter 2!

Leaving turned out to be a lot easier than she'd expected. After handing in her notice at work, all that needed to be done was pack her boxes and organise someone to move all her junk. Luckily one of her friends from the gym, John, who'd always sort of had a crush on her, owned his own moving van. Although he'd offered to do it for free, Santana offered at least paying petrol costs. He let her pay half, and told her his sister lived in New York so it was reason enough to drive all that way by himself, which kept her guilt at bay. Plus, there were already boxes piled high in the spare room of the Berry house, each labelled appropriately after what was inside. When she'd moved out of her and Britt's apartment, she'd not really had chance to unpack a lot of her things, just essentials like clothes and underwear. It had made things a lot easier.

It was strange to think that a day ago she was loading her things into John's truck and hugging the Berry dad's, thanking them for letting her stay and stuff. They'd been great, really, they were always great. Hell, she wanted them to adopt her as well, now that would have made her happy. Clapping her hands together, Santana crouched down on a foot stool she'd found in the corner. The room she was staying in was just a small box room that, until she'd moved in temporarily, had went un-lived in. The air was cold and felt very stale, just by this she knew she'd been probably the first and only guest at 'Casa de Rachel'. Not that she was complaining, of course. Rachel had been a star letting her stay in the room, rent free until she found a job and her own place, it was just a lot different than what she was used to. In the corner, a couple of old christmas decorations were piled high in their boxes, as well as a broken ironing board and a calendar from the year before hung to the back of the door. And underneath the window was an old brown sofa bed she'd recognised from the Berry's basement in Ohio. The apartment was small but cosy, and decorated in warm reds and oranges, and squashy sofas and rustic furniture. Santana adored it already.

Rachel appeared in the doorway, hand bracing the frame and a beaming smile on her face as she presented the plate of vegan chocolate chip cookies in hand. Santana turned at the smell of the chocolate, and grinned. Standing up and crossing to grab a handful. Reluctantly taking a piece of tissue that Rachel held in front of her she lifted it to her lips and took a bite. Groaning with pleasure as the dessert crumbled and delighted her taste buds, devouring it instantaneously. Wiping her mouth, Santana perched herself at the edge of her makeshift bed, patting it for Rachel to join her,

'You know I'm grateful, right?

'Of course. Although those cookies aren't all for you,' jibed Rachel,

'I didn't just mean the cookies,'

'I know.'

Santana smiled and slipped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a body for a sidewards hug. They sat like that for a few moments, appreciating each other silently, before Rachel sat up properly and swivelled to face her,

'I have work, will you be alright for a couple of hours?'

'I'm a big girl, Rach. I'm sure I can find something to do,'

Rachel nodded, briefly hugging her again then leaving the room to get ready. Yep, Santana was enjoying it here. Even Rachel's room mate, Quinn, seemed nice enough. They'd only met the once though; Santana and Rachel were just arriving as she was leaving, so the only words they'd shared were Hello's.

Exhausted from a day of unpacking, she picked up her iPod and snagged a few towels from the linen closet (the ones with disney characters, because they were bound to be Rachel's) then head towards the bathroom. A hot shower before settling in for the night sounded like a perfect first evening in the new city.

A blast of cold water spurted from the shower head, before faltering and losing it's pressure as quickly as it came. Stepping out of her jeans and pulling the tank off her chest she sat at the edge of the tub in the nude as she waited for the water to warm up, admiring the tiny bathroom. It was cute, actually. Not very big as to be expected in the tiny apartment, and very mismatched, but then again it just went with the place. A mint green, rectangular sink with two silver faucets either side, and the matching mint green bath tub with a shower attachment drilled to the wall above. Three walls were covered with white tiles, whilst the one behind the tub was the canvas for someones imagination. In the bottom left corner, perched on a rock sat a mermaid, exceptionally detailed with sunken cheeks and icy blue, deep set eyes. It's hair, thick and a muddy red twisted in it's bony fingers, while she looked timidly over her hunched shoulders. It was beautiful and, from what she gathered, it was unfinished.

A gentle knock at the door pulled her from her daydream, along with a meek call of her name by Rachel. Beckoning her in, the brunettes head appeared between the door and the frame,

'Before I go I forgot to warn you, Finn arrives back home tonight so he'll probably come straight here. Just so you don't confuse him for a burglar and beat him to a pulp, or something,'

Santana rolled her eyes but nodded and wiggled her fingers in goodbye as Rachel disappeared and the door clicked, her attention returning almost immediately to the work of art on the bathroom walls. Even as she showered, she admired it; taking in the tiniest details she'd missed from afar, the intricate design of the scales, dotted with little turquoise jewels, the broken finger nails and tiniest scars faintly stretching across her bony back. Santana almost felt uncomfortable, it was like taking a shower in an art museum; afraid to touch or move a lot incase the water washed it away. Also it's eyes were following her every move, which was very unnerving. Relaxing into the heat she closed her eyes and tipped her head back, and for the first time since leaving Ohio she actually felt at ease, like all the tension she had, melted off her shoulders and circled the drain.

'I just need to grab my purse, then we can go,'

'Well hurry up, I'm fuckin' starved. You're paying right?'

'I hope you haven't forgotten that you still owe me from when I whipped your ass at Pool,'

'We weren't playing for money, Fabray,'

'It's funny how we never play for money when you lose,'

'Coincidence, I guess,'

Quinn rolled her eyes and pushed her way through the door, carelessly slinging her messenger bag onto the sofa. Puck swaggered close behind, kicking the door closed behind him. Quinn, who was crouched by the fridge in the kitchen whistled to Puck, throwing him a can of Coke when his attention was hers. The mohawk sporting man's eyes bulged happily, and he leaped from his spot to catch it in both hands, cracked it open, then moaned in appreciation as it hit the back of his throat.

'Love youuuuuu,' he sang while she flicked her wrist and disappeared into her bedroom. He sloped lazily around their kitchen area, running his fingers over the breakfast bar that separated it from the living room, fingering the random tea doilies and tea cosies that littered the kitchen, that age old thought that came to him every time he visited: Did everything need to have knitted cosy? And how many pictures of birds did two people need? It was like one of those holiday cabins you'd find in the snow mountains of… Canada or something, "How long you gonna be? I'm wasting away over here,'

'Shame, I was just beginning to like you,' Quinn feigned,

'You got anything to eat over here?'

'Try the cupboard above the sink, there should be a granola bar there or something,'

With a turn to the left, and a turn to the right, he spotted the aforementioned cupboard and opened it curiously. One bar left in a packet that once held 5, score.

'Take your time, Quinnie! Take your time,' said Puck, his mouth full of the delicious and chewy, oaty bar. He moved into the living room and let himself relax into the couch cushions, grabbing the remote and surfing through the channels, before settling on an old western movie that involved horses and guns and shootings and shit.

Meanwhile, Santana murmured to herself contently the the tune of a song from Godspell; partly cursing Rachel for getting the damn song in her head, partly cursing herself for enjoying it so much. She wrapped the towel that was hung over the rack around her body, then tousling her damp hair with a smaller towel. The rumble in her stomach reminded her she'd had nothing much to eat in the past couple of days; a bit of left over pasta last night when she arrived, and a packet of skittles she kept in her bag for emergencies. Even though Rachel had explained she'd not had chance to get groceries, Santana was sure there was something in the apartment, in fact she was certain she'd seen a granola bar hidden away in the cupboard above the sink.

Leaving the bathroom and rounding the corner towards the kitchen, she was startled by the stranger reclining back into Rachel's sofa, munching on.. wait, was that her granola bar?

She screamed; binding herself tightly in that ridiculous Little Mermaid towel she'd borrowed from Rachel, she pushed back her wet and tangled hair, careful to keep her naked self covered from the strange guy making himself at home in an apartment that wasn't his.

'Shit! What the fuck?' Puck hollered, his mouth open slightly as he looked her up and down, then closing his eyes tightly and covering them with his hand just incase. Clever man. Quinn dashed out of her room soon after, and arrived wielding a polkadot umbrella in the air like a spear, her pink hair dishevelled and hiding her eyes. Swiping it back with the palm of her head, her arm dropped at the sight of Puck cowering and Santana's attempt of hiding behind the couch,

Breathing a sigh of relief, she bent forward exhaustedly,

'It's alright, it's just Santana,'

Just Santana? Who the hell was this guy, and why did Quinn think it was alright to reassure him instead of her? And why the hell was she drifting back into her room with no introduction? And who the hell told him that haircut looked cool? Santana's brows furrowed as she took in the image of the cowering guy in front of her.

'It's okay, I'm decent,' she called, and he parted his fingers that covered his eyes, half smirking nervously, obviously being careful to look anywhere other than her face, 'You must be Finn,'

He shook his head,

'Puck,' the man introduced, holding out a hand before reeling it back at her glower, raking his fingers through the most ridiculous haircut she'd ever seen; A strip of curly black hair running down from the front of his hairline to the nape of his neck. So this wasn't Finn, and as far as she knew, Finn was the boyfriend, wasn't he? So what the hell was this Puck dude doing making himself at home? Her eyebrow ticked as he stood awkwardly, unsure wether he should sit down again or just wait for Quinn so he could get the hell out of there. The latter seemed to be the safest option.

This chick was crazy scary. Like, even by just her scowl she was terrifying. Puck was not frightened, he wasn't, he was just didn't wanna get on her bad side. How the hell did Rachel know her? And why in the world was she looking at him like that, her lips all pursed and eyes squinty, s'creepy,

'Never seen a woman in a towel before?'

Puck snapped out of his gaze and glowered in her direction. Santana's eyebrow, seemingly attached to a fish hook, was raised ridiculously high on her forehead. Where the hell did she get off thinking he'd never seen a woman in a towel before? He'd seen lots of women in towels, lots. He'd seen lots of women without towels, and why the hell was he concentrating on that? Puck grunted,

'Kinda playing fast and loose, calling yourself a woman and all.' That didn't make sense, she had a smokin' body, he'd totally tap that. Well, not now he knew she was Grade A crazy but still, she was tappable.

'What are you, twelve?'

Just before Puck opened his mouth Quinn entered, smiling pleasantly at the both of them. Noticing their hard expressions, she reeled back. What the hell had these two talked about the five minutes she'd been out of sight.

'You've met Puck before, right?' Quinn asked cautiously. Wordlessly, Santana shook her head, and the lightbulb went off in Quinn's mind, Oh right, 'He lives across the hall from us. Santana is Rachel's best friend, she's staying with us for a while,'

Freakin' perfect. She hide her distain as well as he did: Poorly. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife, the pink haired girl thought, then clapped her hands together and stepped between them awkward, 'Wellllll, we're going for lunch, Santana. Would you care to join us?'

What? It was only polite.

'I'll pass.' Quinn nodded, standing awkwardly hooking her arm through Puck's and hauling him out of the door with her. The minute the apartment door clicked shut, Puck mumbled,

'S'wrong with that chick? She's crazy,'

'She's a friend of Rachel's, what do you expect?'

She had a point there.