Title: Pieces (3a/3)

Chapter Three(A): Disarm You With a Smile

Rating: R(For language and violence)

Pairing(s): Rachel Berry/Santana Lopez

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Summary: Based on a prompt from the PezBerry community. Basically, Quinn refuses to believe that she's gay and sleeps with Puck, getting pregnant in the process. Rachel's heart is broken to pieces and retreats within herself, quitting Glee; Santana comes along, however, and picks up the broken pieces to make her whole again, falling in love with each other along the way. Things quickly become complicated when Quinn begins to pursue Rachel again & Puck chases after Santana. (Paraphrased Summary) Author's Note: I'm actually really sad that this series is coming to an end. I've decided that I might extend it to one more chapter for some…fun time between our favorite ladies. ;) I'm not entirely sure but for some reason, I just want to keep writing about these two forever. This was frustrating to write but I fought tooth & nail to get this done the way I wanted to. I hope you all enjoy.

Author's Note 2: This chapter is entirely dedicated to avadacantare(I hope this doesn't make me sound corny or creepy), who was the one who came up with this fantastic prompt. I also advise everyone to read the lyrics in this chapter because it defines Rachel's feelings so perfectly well. Also, this had to be split into two parts. I'm just a horrible person that loves to tease. Just kidding! I'm actually not ready to end this series just yet. D:

Santana was absolutely exhausted. It was way too early in the morning for any normal human being to be awake at the ungodly hour of six thirty in the morning. She honestly doesn't understand how other people could do it but she supposed it had something to do with the fact that people would sacrifice anything just to make a living. Waking up on a Thursday morning just to arrive early for Cheerios practice so wasn't worth losing sleep over anymore. Not only was she forcefully subjecting herself to further torment by a very pregnant Quinn Fabray, she was now the Cheerios' favorite target to taunt on a daily basis ever since they found out about her public friendship with Rachel Berry. What was the big deal anyway? Rachel was a human being, she deserved friendship and maybe something more if the other girl welcomed it but seriously, these immature high school girls were pissing her off. The typical high school hierarchy shouldn't be allowed to exist anywhere. All it does is bring nothing but pain and humiliation. For Santana, it brought a lot of pain because she had to witness the onslaught of attacks her little gold star had to face on a daily basis from afar.

All of that shit was going to hopefully end soon. Once Quinn loses her position as the Head Cheerleader(it was inevitable, there was no way Sue would ever want a pregnant cheerleader on her squad), Santana will take over as the head bitch in charge. There was no doubt about Santana being able to change things around but until that happens, she had to lie on her back and take everything that was being thrown at her now. It was disgusting but it wasn't as if Santana couldn't defend herself. Oh no. This morning, she woke up feeling extremely prepared for whatever the day threatened to bring her. She was going to put each fucking Cheerio in her place, Quinn excluded since she brought that down upon herself, and if any of them dared to question her authority, then she would just have to make an example out of them. No one messes with Santana Lopez, especially when she is feeling uncharacteristically anxious and excited. Today, she had a purpose in mind and she was determined to make it throughout the day without incident and God help the unlucky son of bitch who got in her way.

The Cheerios were in the locker room, showering and cleaning up after a brutal practice, when Santana finally showed up alongside of Brittany who forewarned her that the girls may give her a bit of trouble today. The Hispanic cheerleader yawned and shrugged it off; if they even shot her a dirty look, they would be met with Santana's foot up their asses. Just as Santana expected, some of the freshman cheerleaders straightened up from where they were sitting and looked the other way. At least the younger ones were readily submissive and more fearful. As for the older ones, they would prove to be a challenge but it would be nothing too difficult for Santana and Brittany to handle. When Santana sleepily approached her locker, she noticed Quinn shyly entering one of the bathroom stalls in order to change. The Latina sighed. That girl wasn't going to be able to hide that baby bump forever. The girl relied way too much on her power and reputation to get through difficult situations but look where that got her. It was enough for Santana to bark out in mock laughter at Quinn, when the blond finally stepped out in a baby doll dress. The other Cheerios appeared astonished that someone would dare insult their fierce captain but they didn't know of Quinn's condition…yet.

As for Quinn, she merely rolled her eyes in response before shooting the other Cheerios a death glare and that seemed to send some of them off so they could give Quinn and Santana some privacy. Great. Now Santana had to deal with Quinn and one of her annoying little pep talks. She just really wanted to get out of here so she could see Rachel again. The blond cheerio ignored the clearly irritated expression on the Latina's face as she casually walked up to her. Brittany received Quinn's glare but she definitely wasn't vacating herself from the locker room just because Preggers told her to. Instead, she backed away from Santana but perched herself on the nearest bench just in case either of them decided to do something stupid to one another. "I need to talk to you, Santana. It's important that you listen carefully." Quinn said through gritted teeth, frustration evident in her tone. The Hispanic cheerleader raised an eyebrow curiously, though in reality, she was feigning interest. She slammed her locker door shut before leaning against it to face her companion. "Since I'm such a convenient target for everyone else these days, you might as well run your mouth since there wasn't anybody else you could possibly go to about your problems." Santana replied sarcastically.

Quinn scowled but continued anyway, knowing that she would get nowhere fast if she demanded respect from her teammate. She shyly placed a few stray strands of blond hair behind her ear before she sighed heavily, uncertain on how to begin. Santana, on the other hand, was increasingly becoming impatient because all of this was simply getting in the way of her reuniting with Rachel. She had a goal in mind and she wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away from her grasp. "Santana, I know you and Rachel have become like really good friends and everything but there's something I need to know that I think only you'll be able to tell me…", Quinn said quietly, trying to calm herself down before she lost her temper at the thoughts that were running through her mind. Santana's ears perked up when she heard the other girl mention Rachel's name and right away, the Latina knew this was going to be an unpleasant conversation. Santana lightly pushed herself away from the locker and crossed her arms defensively, glaring at Quinn for having the nerve to speak of her girl as if she had forgotten everything she's done to hurt Rachel. "Okay, but if I am uncomfortable with anything that you say about Berry, I will hurt you, Q. Don't doubt that for a second." She replied with venom lacing her voice and Quinn could only nod at the warning, as if that threat didn't mean anything at all to her.

"I'm not going to lie and say I don't miss her because I do. A lot. The other day, I tried apologizing to her, and you know how bad I am at that, especially with her considering all that I've done but…I just know she still has feelings for me. I think she was trying to cover it all up when she said she was seeing somebody but now, I'm actually worried. Who the fuck is she dating, S? I need to know!" Quinn whispered worriedly, concern etching her normally flawless features. Santana's heart plummeted to the ground. At first, she had been extremely irritated with what Quinn had been saying about Rachel until she mentioned the fact that Rachel was taken. Out of the entire rant, the only thing the Latina caught was that Rachel was unavailable. She was seeing somebody else and she didn't even bother telling Santana about it. Boiling blood immediately rushed over to her face as anger consumed her entire well being and Brittany, who had heard the entire conversation, could see what was happening to Santana. 'Oh dear God, Santana is an idiot if she thinks Rachel is actually seeing someone!' Brittany frantically thought as she stood up from where she had been uncomfortably sitting. It was too late. Santana didn't bother rationalizing why Rachel would say that to Quinn in the first place and allowed herself to be misguided by false accusations.

"No, I would have absolutely no idea, Quinn, since Rachel hasn't bothered mentioning this to me. It's really none of your fucking business anyway since you're the one who threw her away like a piece of garbage. Now if you excuse me, I have somewhere better to be!" Santana yelled a little too loudly, raising Quinn's suspicions but she didn't have time to continue questioning the Hispanic cheerleader as she stormed out of the locker room with a desperately concerned Brittany following closely behind. All Santana could see was red. She wasn't afraid to admit that she was jealous because really, who would push aside Santana freaking Lopez in the first place? Santana was the one putting Rachel back together, not some mysterious douche bag. They were the ones hanging out together most of the time anyway so how was Rachel secretly dating someone behind her back? When did the shorter brunette have time to see someone else anyway when she spent all of her free time with Santana and Brittany? Well, she figures it was about damned time to find out. "Honestly, Santana, do you believe that Rachel is seeing anyone right now? You're only going to embarrass yourself in front of her if you confront her about something she isn't guilty of."

Brittany's voice temporarily broke her out of her reverie and she abruptly stopped power walking in order to turn around to face her best friend. Brittany seemed annoyed with her but Santana couldn't figure out why. Out of anger, Santana shoved Brittany back a few steps but her blond companion only responded back with a light shove of her own. "You don't know anything, B! I need to hear this from her and you're going to stand aside and let me do things on my own. I know what I'm doing!" Santana screeched, earning the attention of the student body. Brittany thought it was almost comical when her friend had said that because all Brittany wanted to do was just point and laugh at the absurdity of the situation. No one knew better than Brittany and well…if Santana wanted to learn things the hard way, then so be it. At that last thought, Brittany shook her head and made sure to cover her face as she grinned wickedly at the idea of Santana trying to handle delicate situations on her own. It was Santana's own fault if she humiliated herself in front of Rachel but either way, this confrontation was actually going to bring the two together. Brittany genuinely smiled at that before she looked up at Santana, raising her arms in defeat. After all, Santana insisted that things must be done her way.

Santana sighed and rolled her eyes before turning on her heel, leaving a giggling Brittany far behind her as she continued her search for Rachel Berry. When she turned a corner, at the end of the very same hallway, she found Rachel casually leaning against her own locker as she was engaged in a seemingly important conversation with Tina. The Latina narrowed her eyes dangerously and straightened up before she strode over to where the two girls were talking. When Tina noticed a flash of red, black, and white, she knew it meant trouble for her and attempted to warn Rachel but she was too busy stuttering to get the message out. Rachel noticed the panicky expression on her friend's face and carefully turned around only to be met with the sight of an inexplicably angry Santana Lopez. The Latina glared at Tina with such a great intensity, Tina felt the heat radiating off of the other girl in tidal waves and that was enough for her to start slowly backing away. Santana took advantage of this and forcefully wedged herself between the two girls, but now her attention was focused on Rachel instead. "I-I'll see you later, R-Rachel. Good luck!" She shouted, now running off in the other direction. Rachel furrowed her brows and looked up at Santana with disappointment crossing her features. "If I may please inquire why you so rudely interrupted our conversation in a manner that could only rival a Neanderthal's method, I would greatly appreciate an explanation, Santana."

Santana wasn't paying attention, however, as her eyes were glued to Rachel's distracting appearance. The shorter brunette looked positively radiant and stunning in that shapely black dress that accentuated her curves, legs, and most importantly, her cleavage. Her hair was absolutely impeccable and it all seemed like it was too much for the Hispanic cheerleader to take in. Rachel was definitely unavailable. Why else would Rachel doll herself up? Upon noticing the crestfallen expression on Santana's face, Rachel gasped and immediately placed a hand on the taller brunette's shoulder worriedly. "What's wrong, Santana? You know you can tell me anything." That seemed to snap Santana out of whatever spell she was under and she couldn't help but sound a little insecure as she replied with, "Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone, Rach?" The Latina hated the fact that she sounded so whiny and pathetic but really, after fighting so hard to get with someone she wanted, she couldn't resist. Rachel's eyes actually widened at the tone of Santana's voice but also, she was surprised that Santana would dare think that she'd be interested in anyone else other than…her. Where was she getting this from anyway?

"Santana, I can honestly tell you I don't know what you're talking about…" Rachel paused as she spoke, realizing quickly that what she had been wearing must have given the taller brunette the wrong impression. Before she could cryptically explain why she chose this particular outfit thanks to Kurt Hummel(she didn't want to ruin the surprise she had waiting for Santana in the Glee choir room), Santana pushed her hand away and looked at Rachel with misplaced hurt in her dark eyes. Rachel's heart melted at the sight and for once, she couldn't believe that she was going to be the one to comfort Santana. "Don't lie to me, Berry, Quinn told me what you said to her. You're seeing someone and you didn't bother telling me about it, what the hell is wrong with you?" Santana spat out, not meaning to sound so insulting but she so desperately wanted to know why Rachel couldn't see it fit to tell her best friend anything. The diva, however, ended up looking offended but only because she thought it was ridiculous that the Hispanic cheerleader would actually believe the misinterpreted information Quinn had given her. Oh, and this meant Quinn had confronted Santana about her feelings so she wasn't done with Quinn just yet either. Fantastic. Rachel huffed in annoyance and reached out to cup Santana's face with both of her hands comfortingly, her thumbs caressing her cheeks soothingly.

The students who surrounded the hallway couldn't help but watch the intimate interaction taking place between Santana Lopez and Rachel Berry of all people. It was utterly bizarre yet so fascinating at the same time. Rachel clearly didn't want to ruin the surprise she had waiting for Santana but she was open with her feelings and she didn't think she could contain them anymore, not after all they've been through. "Santana Lopez, you listen to me carefully, okay? The only reason I ever said that to Quinn was because I was thinking of you when I let it slip! I may have unsurprisingly developed some romantic feelings for you-" Rachel had shut herself up then, covering her mouth with her hand unexpectedly. Santana, on the other hand, felt her spirits uplift considerably at the revelation. She stared wide-eyed at the smaller girl standing before her, suddenly transforming from the confident diva that she was to a bashful girl with a crush. Rachel was furiously blushing at this point, not knowing what to say after revealing her honest feelings for Santana so instead of looking up at her to meet her gaze, she looked towards the floor and scuffed her feet against the ground. Inwardly, Santana was grinning victoriously and her heart was celebrating by pounding rhythmically against her chest as hard as it could. She was finally happy and it definitely felt good to know that whatever it was they had together, it was no longer one-sided. Maybe it never was like that in the first place.

"Rachel…", Santana began, only to be interrupted by Rachel gently placing her finger on the taller girl's lips. She needed this moment to be perfect and if they were going to do this right, Rachel was going to do it the way she had intended in the first place. 'If the attraction is mutual'… Rachel's thoughts ceased momentarily when Santana smirked at her and wrapped her hand around Rachel's wrist before pressing the finger that was placed against her lips more firmly before placing a sensual kiss on the tip of that very same finger. Rachel's knees buckled at the sight and she almost collapsed but Santana was quick and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist and pressed her own body flush against Rachel's so that the other girl knew that she would be kept safe. The taller brunette had mischievous glint in her eye as a wicked smile began to form on her face and Rachel just knew she was done for. "How long, Berry?" She asked, using one of her hands to rub up and down the small area of Rachel's lower back. Rachel was quickly becoming flustered since she certainly wasn't used to such blatant flirting in front of a curious audience. As much as she would love to continue this, the both of them really needed to get to class on time and she wanted to save this conversation for the surprise she had waiting for Santana.

Politely, Rachel pulled away from Santana and the longing in the other girl's eyes almost convinced Rachel to relent but she couldn't. "Um, if I promise to explain everything to you during Glee, will you please be patient with me until then? I know we have a lot to talk about but it needs to wait because I planned something incredibly special for you. Although it was only intended to be thank-you gift, I didn't expect for my feelings to grow for you so strongly…", Rachel was once again cut off by Santana, who was still beaming brilliantly at her. Santana sighed dreamily and simply caressed Rachel's cheek softly, ignoring the various reactions coming from the onlookers in the hallway. She could tell that Rachel was uncomfortable but it was only because the girl refused to be tardy to any of her classes and she still wasn't used to public displays of affection. Santana was going to make sure that changed soon. "For you, I promise to wait. It better be worth it Berry, because I have something I need to ask you. Now come on, I'll walk you to class." Santana told her, grabbing a hold of one of Rachel's hands as she patiently waited for the smaller girl to gather her things. Rachel was bouncing with an immeasurable amount of joyous energy, and now, she was definitely looking forward to how Santana was going to react to her wonderful surprise.

Brittany had been watching the two the entire time and was actually impressed that Santana didn't make too much of a fool of herself. As the two walked hand in hand together, the sea of students parting to make room for McKinley's future power couple, Brittany smiled. Rachel and Santana were finally going to get together after years of Untidy Sexual Timing. Not the other crap Santana defined UST as. 'What was it again? Oh yeah, unresolved sexual tension.' That still sounded completely ridiculous to Brittany. Oh well. To each his or her own. The blond Cheerio merrily skipped down the hallway, humming quietly to herself until she suddenly ran into Azimio. She hadn't seen him since the…incident and she'd been wondering what had happened to the boy. When he caught her glaring at him, he hesitated for a moment before he turned the other way, walking away from the girl as fast as he could. She smiled at the sight of the arm sling and cast he was wearing. After all he'd done to her friends, Rachel and Becky especially, he truly deserved every blow Brittany had delivered that day. Feeling completely satisfied, Brittany continued humming as she made her way to her first period class. It was a good day indeed.


When Glee club rolled around, every single member of New Directions with the exception of Rachel were patiently awaiting Mr. Schuester's arrival. Santana was practically hyperventilating at this point and only Brittany could keep her nerves under control. The Latina was ecstatic, not only because she was certain that the shorter brunette returned the same romantic feelings towards her, but mainly because this was the perfect opportunity to ask Rachel out. She also kept wondering about what Rachel had in store for her and knowing the other girl better than anyone else did, it was probably a grand gesture that will undoubtedly result in Santana becoming an overly emotional blabbering mess. Santana didn't care. As her heart began fluttering uncontrollably once again within her chest at the thoughts relating to Rachel and her surprise, the sound of the choir room door opening caught everyone's undivided attention. Mr. Schue had walked into the room with a sincere smile on his face but that's not what everyone had been paying close attention to. Rachel had been walking alongside him with an adorning smile of her own and it only added to the intensity of her beauty. Kurt and Mercedes had wolf-whistled at the smaller girl before turning their attention to one another, giving each other high fives as though they had accomplished something. Puck remained surprisingly quiet but that was because Santana had shot him a look that told him to keep his inappropriate comments to himself. Finn was just gaping at his partner with an appreciate gaze but Santana was pretty sure he was coming in his pants since she noticed a few twitches here and there. The Latina smirked at everyone else's reactions to Rachel's makeover but when her eyes fell upon Quinn, she immediately frowned and clenched her fists at the sight of her rival's reaction.

Quinn's normally bright Hazel eyes were darkened with obvious arousal, a small pink tongue darting out to wet her lips. The girl was clearly staring at Rachel as though she were a three-course meal and goddamn it, no one was allowed to look at Santana's girl like that. Just as Santana had begun growling at Quinn, Rachel had cleared her throat as she stood before everyone with a confident smile on her face. For the time being, Santana willed herself to relax though she was not appreciating the lustful gaze on Quinn's face as the girl's eyes remained locked with Rachel's legs. "Hey guys! I know we all an important lesson to return to today but Rachel has something special she'd like to share with us first. Take it away, Rach!" Mr. Schue said enthusiastically, handing over the spotlight to the small diva and Santana couldn't help but release a dreamy sigh at the girl she harbored strong feelings for. Brittany noticed this and grinned, nudging her friend playfully. "Keep it in your pants, Lopez." At that, the Latina chuckled but quieted herself down as she noticed Rachel patiently waiting for the side conversations to end.

"Hello, everyone! It is so good to be standing here before you with an irrevocable smile on my face. As I'm sure a few of you may or may have not noticed, I haven't been myself lately and I failed as your captain to keep New Directions together. Well, I have no one to blame but myself for allowing myself to succumb to negative emotions that temporarily changed me as a person because it affected my work habits. Well, you all no longer have to worry about that anymore. Here I am again as Rachel Berry, and I've returned full force with the intention of winning us Sectionals this year." Rachel stated, taking a deep breath after she said this. It was obvious to Santana that she was anxious as hell and it really, really excited the Hispanic cheerleader to see what Rachel was going to offer her in front of the entire glee club. When Rachel turned her head to look directly into her eyes, Santana swore that she felt her heart swell at the sight of the diva's smile growing wider when their gazes met. That was her smile, the only smile that was reserved for Santana Lopez. Rachel kept their eyes locked as she played with her hair for a moment before she gathered to strength to speak again, though if only to Santana and not the rest of the Glee club.

"I wouldn't have recovered quickly enough without the assistance of my really good friend, however, whom I greatly admire for sticking with me through one of the most difficult times I've ever had to endure. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be up here today auditioning in front of you all to reclaim my position in New Directions. I dedicate this number to her because she's the most important person in my life and I truly believe she deserves this. This is a gift to you, and I hope you can accept the feelings that I have for you. Thank you so much for everything." Rachel finished with a proud smile on her face, signaling for the band members to get in their positions and as for Santana? Well, she was squeezing onto Brittany's hand tightly because if she didn't have anything in her reach to hold onto, she was sure she would have already given in to the tears that were threatening to spill. So when Rachel was in position, a haunting melody began playing in the background and immediately, Santana had been disarmed by the sound of Rachel's voice.

I'm here again…

A thousand miles away from you

A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am

I tried so hard

Thought I could do this on my own

I've lost so much along the way.

Brittany sniffed once, before laying her head against Santana's shoulders as Rachel sang beautifully to the Glee club, more specifically Santana. The Latina felt the dam within her beginning to shatter under the sheer force that was Rachel Berry and she could literally feel their feelings for each other intertwining in the air like electricity. She swallowed hard and continued to listen to the heartfelt message Rachel was trying to convey through song.

Then I'll see your face

I know I'm finally yours

I find everything I thought I lost before

You call my name

I come to you in pieces

So you can make me whole

Rachel was on the verge of tears but she promised herself that she needed to execute this perfectly, she wouldn't have it any other way. She felt her whole body buzzing with the same amount of energy she had felt earlier and it only gave her more confidence. Her eyes remained locked with Santana's, trying to gauge the other girl's reaction to this gift she was openly giving her. Even though the other members of the glee club were giving Rachel and Santana odd looks at various points throughout the song, she knew their curiosity meant well. Kurt had actually mouthed off to Mercedes, "I knew it!" Though Brittany had tears trickling down her face, she was grinning at Rachel and nodded her approval. It only increased Rachel's elation and she belted out the next lyrics passionately as she always did with each song she'd sung.

I've come undone

But you make sense of who I am

Like puzzle pieces in your eye

Then I'll see your face

I know I'm finally yours

I find everything I thought I lost before

You call my name

I come to you in pieces

So you can make me whole!

Quinn Fabray had been quietly sitting in the corner, her eyes darting back and fourth between Rachel and Santana. She was fuming at this point. An ember glowing inside of her and the jealousy, the wave of possessiveness, and anger she felt at that moment only fueled the fire from within. There was so much hatred directed towards Santana right now and she didn't know what to do about it. Rachel was serenading the other girl in front of her like it didn't hurt Quinn's feelings at all. Quinn felt herself foaming at the mouth, wanting nothing more than to reclaim Rachel as her own in front of everybody but her desire to physically assault Santana was far more overwhelming. She should be the one in Santana's position instead. It should be Quinn on the receiving end of all the love Rachel had to give but Quinn had that once and she lost it out of stupidity. No. Quinn wasn't going to give up that easily. She's not going to give up on Rachel without a fight and she intended to win.

When Rachel began crooning out the last few words to the song, she felt a heated blush tinting her cheeks though it was not of out of embarrassment. It was pure, hedonistic bliss that she thought at one point she'd never experience again. The brunette looked bashful again at this point as she tried to meet Santana's eyes again and the girl in question was struck absolutely speechless. The sound of applause seemed to drown out any coherent thought Santana may have had at but she didn't care. Santana needed to take advantage of this moment right now before any other ridiculous obstacle got in their way. When she stood up, her first step may have been hesitant but she continued walking towards the other girl with a fierce look in her eyes. Rachel beamed at what was coming her way and met Santana halfway, allowing herself to be embraced in the most intimate hug anyone had ever given her. The Latina lifted the smaller girl up in the air effortlessly and spun them around with a crooked smile on her face. "That was so beautiful, Rach. What did I ever do to deserve a girl like you?" She asked, burying her face against Rachel's neck. She wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist possessively and pulled her closer to her body, which only made Rachel giggle. "I should be asking myself that very same question. Here I am feeling like I'm not good enough for anybody yet here you are holding me, making me feel like I'm special." She replied, slightly pulling back in order to attempt to look Santana in the eyes though she failed miserably. Rachel kept staring at Santana's lips and the taller brunette seemed to have been thinking the same thing as Rachel.

It was the perfect opportunity to seal their love with their first kiss. Just as Santana had begun to descend her lips in order to claim Rachel's mouth with her own, closing her eyes in the process, Rachel stood up on the tips of her toes to provide much of her own effort to prove her feelings. Rachel felt her eyes slipping shut but then the sound of somebody angrily kicking their chair aside warned the girls that their moment was about to be interrupted. Quinn Fabray had never looked so angry before in her life and Rachel was terrified. "Santana, watch out!" Rachel's shriek immediately alarmed Santana but she didn't have time to react as she felt a strong hand fist around her ponytail before it yanked her hair away painfully hard. The Hispanic cheerleader had been caught off guard and therefore, groaned in pain before she looked up to meet the face of her mysterious attacker. Quinn didn't give her a chance to blink as the infuriated girl growled at her and threw a hard punch straight onto Santana's right eye. The tall brunette stumbled backwards, gasping at the sensation but the moment her back hit the nearest wall, she felt Quinn throwing herself at her while clawing, scratching and kicking the unguarded girl. Santana successfully kept her right eye shut since the immense amount of pain still stung pretty badly but she had to focus on blocking off Quinn. She fisted her own hand in Quinn's blond locks and pulled before she used her other hand to push away from the violent girl.

Santana honestly didn't want to hurt her because Quinn was pregnant and even though she was tempted to knee her in the stomach, she would feel absolutely guilty. Instead, she focused on slapping the hell out of Quinn and it managed to slow her down, but only momentarily. Quinn rubbed her cheek from where she had been smacked by Santana and lunged at her again until she felt small hands roughly grabbing at her arms and pulling her back. "Quinn, you reserve no right to harm Santana! You're not yourself, please calm down!" Rachel's shaky voice forced the taller blond to turn around and she almost relaxed for a second until she remembered that Rachel was defending Santana, not her. Quinn released herself from Rachel's vice grip but gripped onto the straps of her black dress and pushed her all the way back until they hit the piano. The singer groaned in pain but tried fighting off Quinn who was actually trying to attack her lips with teeth and tongue. The sight of Quinn forcing herself on Rachel was enough to distract Santana from soothing her own wounds in order to pull the pregnant girl away from the object of her affections. Brittany had gotten to her first, pulling and holding Quinn back by putting her in a fierce headlock. "Don't make me hurt you!" Brittany whispered angrily, Quinn still attempting to free herself but to no avail.

She had been possessed by her own emotions, turning into a wild territorial animal in the process. She could feel the anger fading away, mostly because the sight of a frightened Rachel softened her expression. The smaller girl held a hand close to her chest, as if it were trying to calm her wildly beating heart. Rachel should have known better. Quinn had always had a problem when it came to maintaining her jealousy issues and Rachel figured after watching that performance, something snapped within Quinn. She didn't mean for any of this to happen, she just wanted to express herself…Santana clutched the side of her head because it was now throbbing with pain but that didn't matter to her. She made her way over to Rachel and the smaller girl wrapped her arms around the taller brunette and they sighed against one another. Quinn felt her heart clench painfully at the sight and that alone angered her even more but Brittany wasn't going to loosen her grip anytime soon. "What the hell is going on? Quinn, in your condition, I'd expect better from you. Santana, are you okay?" Mr. Schuester had finally snapped out of his trance and made his way towards the girls, stepping in between Santana and Quinn. The rest of the glee club members were in shock, just staring dumbly at the two girls who were this close to ripping each other's throats out moments ago. No, Santana was not okay. She was caught off guard and had been attacked by a coward during what was supposed to be the most important moment of her life. She, however, remained calm and collected as she tried to process what had just taken place. Rachel was cooing in her ear, trying to soothe the scratches and bruises Quinn left on her. "I'm fine, Mr. Schue." She replied hastily, setting a firm thin line with her lips and Rachel could tell she was truly, unbelievably angry.

"I don't know what got into either of you but I'll have you know, this incident has to be reported. You girls aren't going anywhere until you explain why this happened to me." He warned them, trying to placate Santana by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder but she harshly shrugged him off. She was going to retort back but Rachel stepped in for her. "Mr. Schue, I can assure you that this was an isolated incident. I will not allow you to write any of us up for something that can easily be solved through our own means. For now, I am taking Santana home because someone needs to tend to her injuries. They may be serious. Now if you excuse us, we'll be on our way. You can deal with Quinn however you want." The emotionally frustrated diva said, gripping onto Santana's hand before leading her to the choir room door. She glanced over to Brittany and called her over, the blond Cheerio handing Quinn over to a very confused Puck in a not-so-gentle manner. Mr. Schuester angrily called out after them but the three girls clearly ignored him as they stormed out of the choir room and eventually, out of the school. Santana looked like she was going to have a breakdown and despite Rachel blaming herself for everything, she was determined to take care of Santana after everything she has done.


"Stop crying, Rachel, it's not your fault. Don't be sorry for publicly declaring your feelings for Santana. At least you aren't ashamed of what you feel." Santana could hear voices coming from Rachel's bathroom just straight across from the diva's bedroom and she wasn't sure whether to be terrified or thrilled that Brittany was able to make sense of everything. She was laying on Rachel's comfortable bed holding an unbearably cold ice pack directly on the right side of her face. Santana didn't want to worry her parents by coming home with bruises so they all agreed that they would spend the night at Rachel's for the time being. She sighed, wondering how the day ended up becoming like this? Santana was exhausted and all she wanted to do now was sleep but at the same time, she was forcing herself to stay conscious. She felt horribly guilty for the events that transpired today but it already happened and she no longer wanted to dwell on the past. Her plans may have been ruined but that wasn't going to stop her from feeling the way she does about Rachel. Speaking of which, the girl had finally come out of the restroom with Brittany in tow and she looked miserable.

The singer was dressed casually now, sporting slightly loose black sweat pants and a tight fitting black camisole and this look appealed to Santana far more than it should have. She cleared her throat and sat up straight against the headboard, beckoning Rachel to join her on the bed. Instantly, the shorter girl jumped onto the bed, crawling over to Santana to sit on her lap while reaching out to cup the hand that was holding the ice pack. The shorter brunette kisses the top of Santana's forehead and sighed, with a hint of sadness that was clearly evident to the other girls that were in the room. "I'm sorry this happened to you. You didn't deserve it. I'm not worth the trouble, Santana. I don't know what you could possibly see in me…" Rachel began, loosening her grip on Santana but the other girl held her closely. She couldn't believe what Rachel was saying about herself, it was almost enough to grate on her nerves but she was tired and she was going to be gentle as she can about this. The Hispanic girl cupped the singer's chin and carefully tilted her head so she could look into her eyes as she said this. "What happened today wasn't your fault. Shit happens. That's not going to stop me from wanting you though. You're worth everything to me, Berry. Why don't you get that?" Rachel furiously blushed and slightly pulled away to analyze the serious expression on Santana's face. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to her but still, she pressed on since she desperately wanted to hear more of Santana's feelings. It was nice to be the one on the receiving end for once. Actually, as surreal as the experience was, having such an emotional conversation with somebody she cared about was refreshing.

"You could do better than me." Rachel insisted with a sly smile on her face, thus daring Santana to push forward. It was actually working.

Without hesitation, Santana replied. "No, I couldn't. Rachel, you're the one for me and I want you to be with me. Only if you'll have me, that is" It was Santana's turn to smirk as Rachel was stunned into silence. The singer could stare openly at the other girl before her and suddenly, the desire to respond with a kiss overwhelmed her and so she did. Rachel grasped onto the collar of Santana's blouse and pulled her in for the most searing, passionate kiss neither girl experienced before. The Hispanic cheerleader's eyes fluttered for a moment before they finally settled on staying closed, and she seemed to relax as she sighed into the kiss. Rachel surprised her with her strength, her tongue peaking out through the seam of her lips to lick across Santana's full bottom lip and the said girl couldn't help but release a small moan at the feel. The bold singer took this as a sign to deepen the kiss and so she did, her tongue slipping into Santana's mouth and both girls simultaneously groaned. Santana dropped the ice pack that was in her hand and allowed her hand to freely explore Rachel's body over her clothes. She used her free hand to lightly tug on Rachel's ponytail, which elicited an interesting reaction.

Rachel pulled away from the kiss to gasp, exposing her throat and perfectly sculpted collarbone and Santana knew that she just had to take control. She growled as she pushed the smaller girl onto her back, stretching her body along until she was perfectly comfortable hovering above Rachel. She roughly grabbed the diva's thighs and forced them open so she could lay in between her legs and the singer fought back by wrapping her legs around Santana's waist like a spider and pulled Santana down for a heated kiss. The Cheerio thoroughly explored the other girl's mouth and enjoyed the teasing feel of Rachel's tongue sliding against the roof of her own mouth. Kissing Rachel felt like heaven to her and even though she didn't mean for this to get as far as it did, at least she knew the other girl clearly reciprocated her feelings. The singer's fingernails dug slightly painfully into her skin but Santana liked it rough and she let Rachel know she appreciated her actions by thrusting her hips forward against the smaller girl's pelvis. Rachel unexpectedly broke away from the harsh kiss and moaned quite loudly, which only encouraged both girls to pause momentarily after they heard a familiar voice in the room.

"Yeah, Santana, make her hit that high F!"

Oh crap, they had forgotten about Brittany. Both of the embarrassed yet still aroused girls turned their heads to find Brittany fiddling with Rachel's camcorder and apparently, she was filming them. Mortified, Rachel squealed and rolled out from underneath Santana's body and leapt up in order to convince her friend to stop recording such a personal scene. Brittany was only laughing even harder, lifting the camcorder above her head and enjoyed the sight of Rachel bouncing up and down to reach her equipment. "You guys forgot I was in the room again but it's okay. You two were making out and it was hot. Now keep doing it." The taller Cheerio teased, eventually giving in to the shorter girl's request to 'give it to me, give it to me now, Brittany!' Rachel had the decency to blush and began replaying what Brittany allegedly recorded them doing just a few minutes ago. "Sorry, B, we got caught up in the moment. That was pretty hot though." Santana replied sheepishly, playing with a few loose strands of her own wild hair. Rachel could only smile shyly back at the other girl but when she turned to face Brittany, she pouted.

"I apologize for excluding you, Brittany. I'm actually quite embarrassed with myself…" Rachel was going to start ranting and the simple Cheerio shushed her by pulling her into a spontaneous hug while murmuring, "It's okay, I sometimes forget how to leave a room anyway." Rachel relaxed into the hug as she laughed wholeheartedly against the taller girl's chest. In the meantime, Brittany was mouthing off to Santana and gave her a look that reminded Santana of what she had been wanting to do all freaking day. She wasn't sure how Rachel was going to respond but clearly, they had chemistry and…well, fuck it. She had nothing to fear. They just made out so the answer should be what Santana expects. She stood up from where she had been laying and walked over to Rachel, turning the other girl around as soon as Brittany released her.

She gazed adoringly into the smaller girl's sparkling dark brown eyes and smiled. "Rachel Berry, will you do me the honor of going out with me? It's not even a question if I will treat you right because you know I will. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy and I don't care if other people know about us because it's none of their business. I just want people to know that you make me happy and that I deeply care about you. What do you say?"

Rachel could see the anxiety dancing behind Santana's normally confident eyes but she didn't have to worry, not when she already knew the answer anyway. The singer grinned and nodded her head violently before jumping on top of Santana, wrapping her legs around the girl as Santana caught her. "YES! Yes! Yes!" She screamed, laughing along with Santana as Rachel placed light and gentle kisses all over Santana's face. Brittany bounced up and down as she celebrated with two of her best friends. She enveloped them all in powerful bear hug and kissed the both of them out of respect for their newfound relationship. Santana sighed, trying not to wince when somebody's shoulder rubbed uncomfortably against the right side of her face. Her heart was swollen with happiness and pride, she honestly couldn't think of a better way to end a day that had started out pretty badly. Rachel Berry was hers and she didn't plan on ever letting her go.

Author's Note 3: The final installment to this series shall be posted next week. T_T For now, I am still taking ideas as to what the first date will be like for both of our ladies. I'm playing around with everyone's ideas so I do hope you've all enjoyed with what's happened so far. Thank you for everything!