Disclaimers: Don't own Glee or Into the woods

Chapter 4

Sam stayed up late to fix the transmitter and woke everyone up to give them the good news as soon as it was working, even if it was the middle of the night. The only problem was that they didn't have any signal. Puck suggested they needed to get higher and away from too many trees and water.

After discussing the situation, they decided to sleep a few more hours and in the morning, they would try to find a way to reach the hill they could see from the beach.

Once again, Puck, Quinn, Santana and Rachel found themselves in the middle of the jungle. It wasn't easy to know what direction to go when all they could see around them were trees but they managed to find the hill.

Rachel was feeling a little better today. Despite following her friends, she didn't entirely agree with their plan. "I still think we should try to find the others first, what if they are injured and need our help?"

"No, the priority is to find help so they can find everyone and rescue us." Santana stated.

"But what if they're too late?" The diva insisted.

"That's why we need to send a message so they know where we are." The Latina argued. "And we'll keep looking for them, it's not like we're gonna start drinking cocktails on the beach while we wait for the search team."

"Maybe we should split up so some of us can search for them." The petite girl suggested.

"Then go." Santana reached for the transmitter as she continued walking higher. She turned it on and searched for a frequency.

"What?" The brunette frowned. "I can't go alone, it's too dangerous!"

The raven-haired girl snorted." Look who isn't so confident now."

Puck and Quinn rolled their eyes at yet another bickering session between the girls and decided to stay behind, knowing Santana would call if there was anything.

"You really want to talk about confidence, Santana, how about the fake kind." Rachel crossed her arms defiantly.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I…" The diva was cut off by a loud clap of thunder.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Santana shouted. A lightning bolt illuminated the entire sky before another clap of thunder reasoned around them. Rachel and Santana looked at each other as they felt drops of water on their faces.

"Guys!" Puck called. "We should hurry."

"But I haven't found a signal yet!" Santana answered before it started pouring.

"We have to go back. We need to find shelter." Quinn said urgently as they all started running back toward the jungle.

It was like the storm was intensifying as they slalomed between the trees. Rachel was running behind, trying to catch up with her friends.

Santana slowed down and looked behind to make sure Rachel was still there. She stopped running and watched as Quinn and Puck started to disappear from her sight. "Rachel, hurry up!"

The diva tried to speed up but she tripped over a rock and fell. She cried in pain as she hit the ground.

"Rachel." The Latina shouted, rushing to the girl's side. "Are you hurt?" The girl's knee was bleeding.

"It's nothing." The diva brushed it off.

"Okay, so get up." Santana tried to help her stand but the girl fell on the ground again.

"I can't…" The brunette murmured as she fought her tears.

"You have to, if we don't hurry, with our luck, a tree could just fall on our heads."

"Then go! Don't wait for me." Rachel was tired and all she wanted was to just lay still and forget where she was. "Just save yourself."

"Seriously?" The cheerleader said incredulously. "You know for someone who keeps telling me to show my 'human' side, you sure think so little of me. You really think I would leave you behind?"

"No…"

"Bullshit! I thought we moved past this but I guess you'll never really trust me, will you?" Santana was hurt by Rachel's words. Sure she had been a bitch to the girl most of their high school years but they had called a truce for a while now, even if they hadn't really said out loud that they were friends.

"I do!" The petite girl cried.

"Whatever, just…" The Latina shook her head, deciding to just drop the subject for now. "Just jump on my back, I'll carry you."

"What? No, what about your wound?"

"I'll live. Now hurry." The raven-haired girl replied coldly.

Rachel opened her mouth to argue but decided otherwise. She jumped on the girl's back and Santana hurried deeper in the forest until she found a little cave to shelter them.

Once the storm calmed down and Rachel had had enough rest to walk again, they made their way back to the beach wordlessly. When Quinn and Puck saw them approaching, they came to hug them.

Quinn broke the embrace. "Where were you, we were so worried and couldn't find you."

"We got separated when I fell. I'm sorry. Santana helped me and we waited until the end of the storm to come back." Rachel explained.

"Are you okay?" Puck inquired.

"Yeah, we're fine." Santana said before moving past them and walking toward Brittany.

Later that night, Santana was heading to her makeshift bed when she heard Rachel crying on her side of the shelter. They had built some separate places to sleep so they could have privacy, it wasn't anything fancy but it was nice.

Still annoyed by Rachel's remark, she decided to ignore it and just got into bed but another sob stopped her in her tracks. She growled to herself, damn her heart and her weakness for crying girls. She sighed before turning around and carefully walked inside 'Rachel's den'.

"What's wrong?"

The diva was startled by the voice but quickly tried to compose herself. "Nothing." She sniffled.

The Latina raised her eyebrow. "So you're crying for no reason?"

"It's…" The diva's voice broke.

"Rachel, come on." The cheerleader replied with a soft tone, almost surprising herself.

"I'm sorry," The petite girl sniffed. "I know you're tired of me crying…"

"That's not what I said…I…" Santana sighed, she was too tired for this. She sat next to the girl. "When I said that it's because you weren't helping, here it's different. Didn't you say it was okay to cry and be scared and shit?"

Rachel gave her a watery laugh. "I did."

Santana smiled. "See, so listen to your own advice."

"Thank you, Santana."

"Yup"

"Believe it or not," The diva added after a moment of silence. "I care about you and I do trust you."

"But not completely." The taller girl declared, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.

"I… You've always been painfully honest with me, so the least I can do is to do the same." The brunette sighed. "I don't trust you completely yet, but I will, in time and… I apologize…"

Santana frowned. "For what?"

"You were right, a part of me did think for a second you would leave me behind," Rachel confessed. "and then I saw the worry on your face and I know you wouldn't…"

"I guess I deserve it after all the shit I've said and done to you." The Latina replied almost dejectedly.

"But we agreed to let the past go and start fresh," The petite girl argued. "So I'm sorry because you're a good friend, loyal and caring. I saw you with Brittany and Quinn, you always have their back and I guess I'm still not used to you having mine. I want to proudly call you my friend."

Santana didn't know what to say so she settled for "Thanks." She stood up. "You should sleep" She got ready to leave but Rachel grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Could you… hum, stay?"

"Here with you?" The cheerleader asked surprised.

"I… I don't want to sleep alone and…" When the diva saw the look on her friend's face she tried to retract what she said. "You know what, I'll be fine, don't worry. Go get some rest."

"No! No, it's okay, I… It just took me by surprise, is all." The raven-haired girl assured.

"I mean, you don't have"

"Rachel, it's okay. Just lay back, I'll sleep on the sand."

The brunette shook her head. "No, you're hurt. There's enough space for us here" She patted the improvised bed made with a seat and some ripped clothes.

"Hum…" Santana scratched behind her ear, suddenly feeling nervous before shrugging it off. "Okay." She lay on her 'not hurt' side and waited for Rachel to settle comfortably.

"Goodnight, Santana."

"Goodnight, Rachel."

The next day, Puck and Quinn decided to go back to the hill to try and get a signal while Rachel and Santana tried to find some sign of the others in the direction they hadn't explored yet. Sadly, it was a fruitless day for both teams as Puck couldn't find a signal and Rachel and Santana didn't find anything worth mentioning.

People were starting to get tired and restless as there was still no sign of the rescue team showing up anytime soon. The food of all the survivors was starting to get low and it was clear they would have to find something else to eat soon. At least the water wasn't a problem since one of the survivors Santana had asked for help the first day had stumbled into a small clearing, with a river passing through one side. The water was drinkable, at least no one had complained so far and they could fill the plastic bottles they already had.

The next morning, Quinn and Santana actually decided to sunbath a bit before doing anything. They were tired from their long walk the day before and weren't ready to rush into the jungle so early.

Quinn gasped when she saw Santana's wound as soon as the girl removed her shirt. The Latina had to listen to the blonde lecture her for almost twenty minutes about how she shouldn't have hidden it and rest instead of going with them. Santana simply rolled her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her skin.

Later, Rachel offered to go look for edible fruit around the clearing. Puck wanted to go with her but Quinn said Santana should go instead while they tried to get a signal with the transmitter at another spot.

The Latina argued, stating she didn't want to play little house on the prairie and would prefer going with Quinn up the hill to find a signal but the blonde wouldn't hear of it, stating that it wasn't good for her wound. So here she was, in the middle of trees, on the clearing side, looking for Berries with Rachel, the Little Red Riding Hood. The girl was fucking singing, it was like being in a Disney movie. Sure it was a nice change from the tears but there was only so much musicals she could take.

"Are you planning on singing all the show tunes relating to the woods, Disney and whatnot?"

"Yes, why? Do you want to duet?" The diva questioned cheerfully.

The cheerleader snorted. "Nope. I'll pass." She tried to look annoyed but when Rachel started singing, she had to smile.

"Wake up! Stop dreaming. Stop prancing about the woods. It's not besseming. What is it about the woods? Back to life, back to sense." Rachel sang.

"Into the woods, really?" Santana shook her head

The brunette looked agreeably surprised. "You know this musical?"

"I don't live under a rock, I have some culture, Berry, you know."

"And here I thought you hated musicals. Aren't you full of surprises Miss Lopez?" Rachel grinned before singing again "No one lives in the woods, There are vows, there are ties, There are needs, there are standards, There are shouldn'ts and shoulds…"

"Oh god…" Santana shook her head and laughed. After a moment, she looked at what they had gathered, some berries and a few small coconuts and bananas, it would be enough for a couple of days. It was better to come back and get more later since they didn't have any way of stocking them. "I think we should go back?"

Rachel frowned. "Why? I'm sure they're other edible fruits to find around here."

"Maybe but we can come back later. Let's just fill the bottles of water and go back."

The brunette scanned around her and noticed a huge pile of stones. "Is this a cairn? That's weird. I should go take a look." She didn't wait for the girl's answer and marched toward the river.

"Seriously." The raven-haired girl insisted. "I just want to go back and rest a little."

"It will only take a few minutes, I swear." The petite girl answered.

"I don't care."

Rachel turned around, but keep walking backward as she talked to Santana. "I'm trying to make to best of this exploration, please don't ruin it."

"Don't do that, you're gonna hurt yourself." Santana warned.

"I'm not a baby, Santana, I know how to walk."

The Latina rolled her eyes. "You tripped over some roots the other day." She reminded her.

The petite girl gasped. "Hey, it's not same, I…" She wasn't able to finish when she suddenly felt her foot slip on the ground. Her eyes widened as she realised she was falling backwards into a pit. She screamed but at the last minute, she managed to grab a root.

"Rachel!" Santana ran toward the girl and kneeled down, quickly trying to grab the girl's hand and pull her up.

"I'm falling." Rachel panicked, frantically trying to grip Santana's hand.

"You won't!" The cheerleader was desperately trying to lift the girl despite feeling the ground slowly collapsing under her.

"Please…"

"Fuck!" Santana shouted before the ground collapsed, making them fall 7 feet down.

Luckily the soil cushioned most of the fall. It took them a moment to recover and shake the impact of the fall.

"Are you okay?" Santana questioned. "There's blood on your forehead."

"I'm, I'm a bit dizzy and, and my foot hurts." The diva stuttered.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" The Latina yelled.

The brunette jumped in surprise. "What? What's wrong?"

"You're a fucking magnet for drama! First you tripped, then today, despite my warning, you decided to walk backwards and fall into a freaking pit. And of course I have to be with you every time shit happens as if I'm supposed to save the day. Well guess what? It's gonna be hard this time because we are in a fucking hole, Rachel! A hole!" Santana screeched. "Something that you could have avoided if for once in your life you had listened to me."

"Stop yelling! I'm sorry, okay! I didn't plan for this!" Rachel shouted back.

"Well thank god you didn't!"

"Please, my head is hurting, could you lower your voice?" The petite girl brought her hand to her temple and started massaging it.

"How the fuck are we supposed to get out of here now?" The taller girl wondered out loud.

"Our friends know we're here," The diva reassured. "I'm sure they'll come searching for us if we're not back soon."

"Oh yeah, because you can't miss us here," Santana replied sarcastically. "I'm sure they won't have any trouble finding us."

"I'm sorry." Rachel stared at the ground as she nervously played with her hands.

The cheerleader saw how miserable the girl looked and sighed heavily. "It's… whatever. It happened, we just need a way to get out of here." She spotted some roots that seemed solid enough and jumped to reach them but no matter how many times she tried, she couldn't seem to be able to climb out of the pit. Resigned, she sat next to Rachel and sighed. "We're fucked."

They stayed silent for long a moment, sitting next to each other with their backs leaning on the side of the pit as they tried to come up with ideas on how to climb out in their mind.

"You know what's funny?" Rachel broke the silence.

The Latina scoffed. "Enlighten me."

"You did have a point in your rant." The brunette admitted. "It looks like somehow, the island has cast me as the damsel in distress and for the second time, you're my knight in shining armour."

The tan girl snorted. "You really need to stop watching romcoms."

"I'm serious. If you remove the symbolism, you still helped me every time I was in trouble."

Santana shrugged. "Like you said before we're friend so like, I have your back or whatever."

"It almost makes me feel special." The petite girl confessed.

"Shut up!" The raven-haired girl chuckled. "You're ridiculous."

"Just admit you would have missed me." Rachel bumped the girl's shoulder playfully.

"Nope, not gonna happen." The Latina laughed.

"You know what's also funny?" The diva continued. "Kurt told me once that he was pretty sure you liked me before we were even really friends."

"Wait, what?" Santana frowned in confusion.

"Well he said you were acting like a boy pulling on a girl's hair because he has a crush on her and…"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." The cheerleader interrupted her, anger rising in her chest as she stood up. That waswhat she had always been afraid of before coming out, people talking about her sexuality behind her back, but the fact that Rachel and Kurt were one of the first to do it made her mad. "One: if Kurt isn't dead, I'm gonna kill him myself for even suggesting this,"

"Come on, Santana I was just joking..." The petite girl tried to calm her friend. "And even if it was true, which I don't think it is, there's no shame in that. I would be flattered."

"Which leads me to my point two: don't flatter yourself, I can barely stand you as a friend half the time so I don't see how I could even want you as a girlfriend, just imagining you yapping 24/7 about Broadway and musicals and me me me me me, makes me want to just grab that root and hang myself with it to avoid that misery. You're short, you're self-centred and loud and that's never gonna change."

Rachel swallowed hard and tried to hold back her tears. "Alright." She sniffled and tried to move away from Santana as much as she could.

Santana puffed some air as she realised her words. She opened her mouth to say something but she heard someone calling their names. She waited, wondering if she had imagined it but then she heard it again.

"San, Rach? Did you find anything, I'm starving?"

"Puck!" The Latina exclaimed before shouting. "Puck, we're here, help us!"

"Where are you?" Quinn asked.

"Quinn thank god, we fell in a hole, we can't get out." The raven-haired girl explained.

"What? How the hell did it happen?" The blonde started to worry.

The tan girl glanced at Rachel who didn't look in the mood to participate and sighed. "We were making our way back to the beach but the ground collapsed under us and we fell."

The diva looked up and raised a questioning eyebrow, wondering why the girl hadn't told the truth.

"Rach, are you alright? Why aren't you talking?" Puck questioned loud enough to be heard.

"Yes, I'm alright." Rachel shouted.

"Okay, keep talking so we can find you." Quinn ordered.

After 10 minutes, Puck and Quinn were able to find the two girls. It wasn't an easy task but with the help of a big stick of wood, they were able to pull Santana and Rachel out of the pit.

Since Rachel was limping a little, Puck carried her back to the beach.

Rachel had ignored Santana for the rest of the day and it was starting to annoy her. She knew she shouldn't have snapped at the girl but seeing the situation they were in, it wasn't the right subject to bring up.

At dinner time, Rachel didn't join everyone at the camp fire so the Latina decided to bring her some fruit and a chocolate bar.

"You hungry?" The tan girl asked as a way of greeting.

"Why do you care?" The petite girl said flatly, not moving from her spot.

The cheerleader sighed and moved closer. She sat on the sand next to Rachel's bed and put the food on it. "Are you planning on being mad at me for long?"

"I don't know Santana, are you planning on being awful to me every time I say something you don't like."

Santana ran a hand through her hair. "I brought you a peace offering, you should eat."

"If it's your way of apologizing, you should try harder." The diva declared.

"You should know by now I never apologize." The taller girl reminded her.

"It's never too late to start." Rachel stated.

"Whatever just eat your fruit, you need the strength."

The brunette shook her head. "I'm good."

"Oh my god," Santana exclaimed frustrated. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"And why do you have to be such a bitch sometimes?" Rachel snapped before her eyes widened at the realisation of the words she said. She looked at Santana, almost scared of what the girl would do.

Santana blinked, surprised by the outburst then smirked. "Well, damn, Berry, who thought you had it in you." She chuckled.

"I'm sorry I…"

"No don't, I deserved that one to be honest." The Latina interrupted her. She stayed silent, playing with the sand for a few seconds before saying. "I didn't mean what I said, well except that you're short," She smiled. "But it isn't a bad thing. I felt attacked and I lashed out. I may be out but I'm still learning to be confident about it, okay?"

"Okay…"

"And, don't repeat this to anyone but you can be pretty rad when you want to." Santana confessed. "I was actually having fun for the first time since the crash before you fell."

"I guess this is your apology. You're actually not so bad at it." The diva teased.

"Shut up!" The cheerleader laughed before throwing sand at her.

The brunette smiled tiredly. "Apology accepted."

"Good, now eat." Santana stood up. "I'm glad your foot is okay." She smiled. "Goodnight, Rachel." She said before leaving.

"Goodnight, Santana."