Santana sat up in bed and stretched. She looked at her company next to her still sleeping. She got up and went straight to the shower. She closed her eyes and let the warm water run down her body, washed her face, her private parts and cleaned herself. Jenny had the best soaps, shampoos and creams. She was always perfumed, and that was something Santana admired in her girlfriend. The vigilante dried herself and put on Jenny's clothes, taking advantage of the fact that they wore similar sizes of clothes. Santana's clothes were dirty, smelling of cigarettes, sweat and alcohol because of the rock concert the night before. She stuffed everything and put it in a plastic bag to take to the dormitory and wash afterwards. She chose an old T-shirt (or the older one Jenny would allow herself to keep in the wardrobe) and a pair of sweatpants that Santana used to use when sleeping with her girlfriend. She took some money from her wallet and went down to the cafeteria that was just down the street from Jenny's building. She bought two cups of coffee and two stuffed breads. Jenny was awake when she returned with breakfast. Her girlfriend, still naked, got up, put on her robe without bothering to close it, and went to Santana, giving her a wet kiss.
"Good morning!" Jenny said happily. "Black coffee?"
"No sugar." Santana nodded. Jenny liked her bitter drink, unlike Santana who loved all the mixes that could be put into a coffee: chocolate, milk, whipped cream and everything. "Aren't you going to take a shower? I'll wait for you."
"Are you calling me stinky?"
"I am!" Santana smiled. "That's what happens when you get in a rock concert and go straight to bed."
"Not to mention the orgasm between one thing and another." Jenny kissed her girlfriend's lips and went to wash herself.
Santana sighed as she waited for Jenny to do her own hygiene. She lay on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She thought about the night before. She thought of the discomfort that led to Jenny's encounter with Marley, but above all else, she thought of Rachel. She was back in town apparently with a boyfriend. Santana speculated that perhaps it was because of him that Rachel had stopped responding to the messages, and when she did, they were vague, hurried responses. And so it was until the communications between them ceased to exist. Then, just over a year after the last time she saw Rachel, there was the diva in full splendor back in town. Why?
"Where's my coffee?" Jenny came out of the bathroom with her hair still wet and now properly in her dressing gown.
Santana got up once more to have breakfast with her girlfriend. She was silent as she ate the stuffed bread, and noticed that her girlfriend didn't touch her food.
"Won't you eat?" Santana frowned. That stuffed bread has always been one of Jenny's favorites.
"I'm on a diet."
"Eat at least half of it. You drank too much yesterday and you can't stay on an empty stomach." Santana spread the bread and took the other half. Her body would process everything in an instant, anyway.
"That's why I like you. You're always taking care of me!" Santana shrugged off Jenny's compliment. "What are we doing today?"
"I need to practice. We can arrange something else at night."
"Aren't you going to patrol?"
"Not as a vigilante. My last action is too fresh and you know the police hates me."
"I'd like to go with you this time, if you're going to walk undercover in the city."
"It's dangerous, Jenny."
"But you used to walk with that Rachel, weren't you? Wasn't it dangerous for her too?"
Santana ran a hand over her face and sighed deeply. There was that story again.
"I never wanted to involve Rachel in any of that. The bridge incident was a coincidence."
"But I'm your girlfriend and I know your secret. Shouldn't you include me more?"
"No. Because it's dangerous and because I like you."
"So the fact that you got Rachel involved was because you don't like her?"
"Couldn't we eat in peace?" Santana was desperate to get out of that apartment and the interrogation.
"Since when did you know Marley Rose?"
Santana closed her eyes and prepared for the bomb explosion.
"Grant Fish was a friend of mine. I know Marley because of him. What about you?"
"Common friends." Jenny tossed the coffee. "Did you know she's even aborted?"
"That's none of our business."
"Aren't you against abortion?"
"I am Catholic."
"And lesbian."
"So what? It doesn't change the fact that I grew up in the Catholic church, made first communion, and believed in some of the church's dogmas."
"Some of the dogmas. Not all of them."
"So what? I have critical sense. I don't need to accept everything to be Catholic. And what is the point of this conversation?"
"Tell me, Santana. What your Catholic church says about the commandment not to desire the wife of the neighbor?"
"Do you want me to throw in your face that I slept with Marley? Don't you?"
"Did you sleep with her?"
"Yes!" Santana said in a rush, and it was as if a huge weight had come out of her chest. "I slept with Marley. More than once, if you want to know."
The slap that Santana received on her face was even expected. Much better than if Jenny had decided to throw the coffee. Santana didn't react. The slap itself didn't hurt. Her pride, on the other hand, was a little hurt.
"I think that puts an end to our relationship, doesn't it?"
"I think so. You were the one who was trying to get rid of me all this time. Wants to know? I don't need this shit, Santana Lopez. You're free to sleep with all the sluts you want."
"You knew this wouldn't work, Jenny. It hadn't been working for years. The fact that I am sleeping with Marley is a reflection of that. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of this. I loved you once, and I'm sorry that this feeling didn't last."
"Get out of here, Lopez. Get out now!"
"Once I wash, I'll return your clothes." She nodded to Jenny, picked up her cell phone and her bag of dirty clothes.
"Don't bother, Lopez."
"Jenny... about my other identity..."
"Do not worry, I'm not going to tell the authorities you're the dumb vigilante."
"Thank you." Santana nodded before leaving the apartment.
When the door closed, Jenny glared.
"I won't tell... yet..."
...
"Sorry to bother you," Santana said quietly as she got into Marley's car. "But my car is with Fabray and I don't think it's cool to be taking Uber to the cabin."
"No need to justify yourself, Lopez. I'm paid for it." Marley started the car and drove toward the cabin.
Santana shook her head. It wasn't true that Marley was paid to do private favors to any vigilante. Her functions were very clear in the "contract": asset management. The aid in the patrols was at her risk. As much as the favor to get Santana in her dormitory and take her to the cabin.
"Sorry for the embarrassment yesterday. I've never imagined that we would met there."
"I was aware of the nature of our relationship." Marley's voice was as cold as Quinn Fabray's hands.
"What did Jenny say to you yesterday?"
"I'm not in the mood to talk about it."
"Whatever it is, I'm sorry. A thousand apologies."
"Santana..."
"Jenny and I broke up this morning."
"What? Do you want me to give thanks to God? May I fall to my knees and thank for now our relationship is possible or official?"
"I'm sorry. I know we've come to terms, Marley. But I still have to apologize for anything Jenny might have talked to you about. I know you didn't deserve to hear who knows what Jenny said. I know it wasn't a good thing, because I know her very well."
Marley took the stop at the traffic light to close her eyes and squeeze them a little.
"I slept with my friend, Ryder, this morning. We agreed on an open relationship, didn't we? I hope you're not upset." Marley said with such irony that Santana could feel the taste of gall in the words.
Santana was speechless. As much as she'd told Marley that it was all right if she had a relationship with other people, since the vigilante herself already had a girlfriend, it hurt a lot. That too, in a way, caught Santana by surprise. Maybe she was emotionally involved with Marley more than she wanted to. Faced with the mass silence, Santana decided to turn on the car radio. There was a song from Anitta. It made her even more irritable. She changed seasons, but nothing pleased her. The vigilante preferred to turn the sound off. Marley didn't object either. As they reached the cabin, Santana got out of the car and was surprised that Marley hadn't turned off the engine.
"Aren't you coming?" Santana asked. She was surprised because she hoped Marley would at least greet Quinn and Beth.
"No," Marley replied dryly. "Tell Quinn I said hello."
Santana closed the car door and walked away. Marley maneuvered and drive back onto the little dirt road leading to the cabin. Santana was desolate, with no ground. Breaking up with Jenny was harder than she thought it would be, even though she knew the relationship was doomed from the start. Taking a cold shoulder from Marley was also bad, especially because of the state of emotional fragility that the vigilante was in.
There was no need to knock on the door. Quinn was on the porch of the cabin with Beth right behind her. Santana grinned and went to the occupants of the place.
"Good Morning!"
"Things don't seem to go well with you." Quinn raised her infamous eyebrow. "What did you get up to this time?"
"I did nothing."
"And I'm the queen of China."
"China is not a monarchy."
"Exact!"
Santana shook her head in disbelief. It was amazing how the world went around. When she could expect that of all people, Quinn would have become one of the best friends she ever had. A true friend. Even though Quinn had a breathtaking beauty, Santana was more interested in Quinn's unique ability to look around and be frank about it.
"You know, Lopez, Beth and I were having lunch. You can help by setting the table and then we can talk. "
"Thanks."
"Feel at home... by the way... the house is yours."
...
"Come on, Fabray!" Santana blocked another blow from her colleague with ease. "You can give more than that."
"I don't have super strength!" Quinn raged. She wasn't holding on, because she knew Santana could handle whatever force she put in the blow. The question was really physical and technical. Quinn had trained for self-defense for months, but she still couldn't be as good as she liked to be.
"And neither is Batman!"
Quinn rolled her eyes and Santana saw that the joke had no effect. She then sighed, put her hands on her waist and tried to relax a little. They were in the area near the cabin, being watched closely by Beth. Quinn needed to practice and develop both powers and fighting skills, especially if she wanted to help more with the patrols. But the question went far beyond that: Santana felt responsible for the safety of Quinn and all the others. Everything was much easier and simpler when it was just her hitting some bad guys. How did everything get so complex? Worst of all, she felt a tremendous lack of Grant. And a tremendous anger. How could he leave such responsibility to her?
"Try to cool your body," Santana instructed.
"Why?"
"Because it hurts a lot more if you hit with your frozen hands. Also, I get the impression that you gain physical vigor when you're cold."
Quinn concentrated. Her eyes went gray and a thin crust of ice enveloped her hands. Then she returned to the position of attack and repeated the routine that Santana had taught her. Quinn had to admit that she really moved better when she cooed her own body. It felt like it had gotten lighter and faster. In fact, the contact of Quinn's frozen hand to Santana's warm skin was much more painful.
Santana spent the afternoon training with Quinn. They started with a quick weight-training, then made a quick run around the hut area and finished with the fight training, in which Santana taught a little more the correct way to move, to strike, to defend herself with her own fists.
"Haven't you ever tried to project energy?" Santana questioned.
"It can't."
"But you cool down the environment around you. This is projection of energy."
"It's no use, Lopez. I'm not like Elsa, if that's what you're thinking."
"It would be very useful."
"Do want to know? I'm tired and devil hungry." Quinn walked into the cabin, hugging Beth on the way, raising her daughter and swaying her, teasing the girl. "How about a super waffle, kid?"
"With blueberry jelly."
"Exactly."
Santana watched from a respectful distance the mother-daughter interaction. After a whole afternoon of training, snacking wouldn't be bad at all. Being able to eat at all and without restrictions definitely was one of the best things about having special skills. Quinn kept the promise to her daughter: she made a bunch of waffles while Santana and Beth helped set the table. They ate while chatting amenities such as the Disney movies and Beth's activities at school. The girl seemed to have no need to go back to the old neighborhood, and the fact that she still studied at the same school helped a lot, because she didn't lose contact with her colleagues. Just stopped being their neighbor. In addition, the new "house" had plenty of space, two stories, a new bedroom far larger than the tiny space it occupied before, and the "backyard" was huge.
At the end of dinner, and washing all the dishes, the three went to bathe. Santana always kept two or three changes of clothes in the cabin, stored in her bedroom, along with toiletries. Already in clean clothes and refreshed body, Santana went downstairs and sat down on the couch. She checked her cell phone and answered a few messages from Mercedes, Artie, and from work. She also saw that her friends hadn't advanced in investigations into the main case, but Mercedes made an update regarding the consequences of the Big Sea jail. It looked like the old neighborhood where Quinn lived claiming the neighbor's dealer. Something that Santana would have to take action soon, to stop the rise of a new little crime king.
But there was nothing about Rachel, Marley or Jenny. This frustrated her. Jenny and Marley wouldn't even want to talk to her. But what about Rachel? After the totally casual meeting the night before, she thought her friend would at least send a little message. On the other hand, how to charge if even the vigilante didn't do it? For total lack of time after a busy day, the answer was obvious. Maybe Rachel's day had been busy too.
"Beth is already in her bedroom. She must get some sleep soon enough", Quinn said as she walked down the stairs. "Now we can talk about your love affairs." She sat down on the couch beside her friend. "Just a little recap: you broke up with Jenny, Marley is fucking with you and Rachel is in town. Watching your life makes me thank for my boring and tedious relationship at a distance with Matt."
"I envy you exactly because of that, Fabray. But don't think I'm looking for that kind of problem." Seeing Quinn's face, Santana reshaped herself. "Okay, maybe I've been looking for that sort of problem when Marley and I started this thing. But in my defense, I just agreed to stay with Jenny for all those reasons you already know. You couldn't carry it all any longer. Having a relationship with Jenny was unbearable."
"Is that why you looked for Marley in the first place?"
"It was casual. All those patrol nights with her being the watchtower... it ended up happing. But she always knew about my relationship with Jenny, and we agreed to keep this relationship... casual and open. That I would never blame her if she got involved with someone else. But yesterday we had this rock festival in the park. Jenny pointed out that there was an atmosphere of embarrassment between Marley and me, and she turned on the stitches. I don't know what she said to Marley, but it must have been something very bad for her to start feeling so angry at me and to end the night sleeping with a guy."
"Oh!" Quinn made a face of pain. "You screwed up everything. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if that mess of yours didn't risk splattering on me. But if you want to know? You're not the victim here. In fact, none of you are. Jenny stayed with you even knowing all along that you didn't love her. Marley agreed to sleep with you knowing about Jenny. And you're an arrogant womanizer. In fact, you need to act like any normal person and learn to live one relationship at a time."
"Believe it or not, Fabray, but the time I want to sleep with a lot of girls in college has gone. I do not think about it anymore. My priorities at this moment are, in this order, the vigilantes, our mission, practicing, my job, because otherwise I can't pay my bills. Relationships are not even in the top 10 of my list."
"I'm glad I'm a priority for you since I'm on the team."
"Why do you think I gave you my car?"
Quinn nodded and thanked her silently for the vote of confidence.
"If you want to know, Santana, here's what I would do. I would call Jenny and take all the blame. I would make it clear I wouldn't want to come back, but it's a matter of making her think who's on top. Then I would call Marley and invite her to a conversation in an interesting place. I'd play fair with her. I mean, if I wanted to continue this roll, I'd take up the courtship and get rid of this open relationship jokes. I'd stay away from Rachel too."
"It's not that simple. Rachel is one of us."
"Just because she has powers doesn't mean she's one of us. It's been a year since she stopped being one of us."
"It's not that simple. It's not black on white."
"Of course it's not simple. But there comes a time when you need to make demarcations. Either Rachel is a team or she is not. If you want to know my opinion? She is not. Rachel spent a year trying to be an actress while we spent a year grating our asses to make this city less dangerous."
"I think you're right."
"Obviously I am." Quinn winked at Santana. "Would you like a beer to end the night?"
...
Kurt couldn't stop looking sideways at Brody. He stirred impatiently with his cup of coffee. He turned from one side to the other, as if trying to make the ceramic cup absorb all the discomfort he felt. Blaine, beside him at the table, talked about the metropolis, and how he himself wanted to venture out into the city in the summer. Blaine decided to spend a gap year before going to college. He and Kurt lived together in a small apartment, not unlike the one Kurt shared with Rachel. Kurt began to invest in the career of personal stylist, worked part time as a salesman in a clothing store and, finally, went to the amateur theater twice a week. It was a life different from Blaine, who became a regular, weekly attraction in a town bar, and tried to invest in his own music. From a wealthy family, Blaine still traveled whenever possible to any part of the world, and was still able to bear the cost of his boyfriend.
"Many of our friends also sing in pubs to supplement the income." Brody was talking to Blaine. "I even have a very close colleague, an exceptional guitarist, who every Sunday at the fair. He even gets some nice tips."
"I wish this were more common here. I know some guys who invest in this kind of thing, more for the pleasure, but the potential audience is too small."
Kurt finally knocked the cup down, spilling the contents across the table, which, to his own misfortune, fell more into his clothes. The others began picking up napkins to contain the damage. Rachel didn't. She could be a million years without speaking to her best friend, but she would never forget what lay behind certain mannerisms. She needed to talk alone with her friend, without Blaine and without Brody.
"Kurt, if we go a little outside, it'll help dry our clothes a little." Rachel made up the excuse and the friend agreed.
They left Blaine and Brody at the table and left the cafeteria that was close to community college. It was possible to see the bookstore where Quinn worked, as well as the movement in front of the college of all young people who either weren't accepted in better universities or simply didn't have the money to pay for one.
"Is everything okay?" Rachel asked her friend.
"Yes, it is."
"You hated Brody, didn't you?" Rachel gave a small smile.
"Oh, my God, Rach, what are you thinking? Surely, he is handsome, and I don't doubt he has other attractive qualities between four walls, but you have nothing in common with each other."
"Brody is just my friend. The only one I did in that city... "
"Is he only your friend?"
"What difference does it make, Kurt?"
Kurt didn't have an answer. Maybe he was in such a position because he didn't like Brody, and also because he wasn't used to seeing Rachel with anyone other than Finn (or the vigilante).
"Excuse me. I think I'm a little bitter because you didn't let me know you were coming back. We always talked to each other, and when you left without me, it really hurt. I confess that I twisted a little so that you failed miserably."
Rachel stared at her in bewilderment. On the next shelf, she burst into laughter. Obviously Kurt would turn against, because in the game of divas, deep down one always wants the other to twist the ankle. Rachel's laughter made Kurt confused for a second. But only for a second. Then he began to laugh along with his longing friend. They ended up hugging each other, showing each other how much they missed their company. And on the roller coaster of emotions, Rachel wept on Kurt's shoulders.
...
"Finn is happy. He's with the football team this weekend. Coach Marion became officially part of the technical team. He and his girlfriend started dating not long after you left. I don't know if he forgot you, but he's at least trying to move on." Kurt said as they talked through the streets. "The others are fine. Puck knocked a girl up, Sam has returned to college, Tina... is out there. She graduates this year, I think. Schuester continues to teach at school."
"How's the new theater group?" Rachel asked as she took the ice cream.
"It's weaker, if you want my opinion. There's only one girl, Jane, who's promising. The others won't pass amateurism. There is no one else like us."
"Things really change."
"Yes... that's why I ask you and I demand a sincere response this time, Rach. Why did you come back? Don't insist on saying that it is the break between the seasons. I know you. You would never cry on my shoulder if you were not feeling miserable."
"Shelby's company is really very professional, despite being small. The money sucks, but at least it's a salary. The work is hard, Shelby is a tremendous director. I improved 100% under her command. But staying there is not easy. In the first week, one of the company's members, the director of dance and choreography, took me to Christ, to be an example of forced humility. Then came Jesse... whose problem was not exactly him sleeping with me a few times before he dismissed me. What hurt me was that he made me feel special and then crush me on the bottom of his slipper. That's when Brody came to my rescue."
"What's your bid with him?"
"Friendship with benefits."
"Rachel Berry, I never imagined."
"I would get involved with Brody, but he's a tricky guy in that area. In a way it's impossible to try to have a real relationship."
"But you like him?"
"Yes and no. Yes, I do like him, but no, I'm not in love with him. Brody's a good friend, Kurt. He may be a bit full of himself, but he listens to me and tries not to judge me. That's refreshing."
"Are you saying that I judged you?"
"All the time!" Kurt shook his head. To his own shame, he couldn't disagree with his friend. "Brody came with me because he wants to help me with one thing. I need a ground, a balance, and he's here to help me find myself again."
"I'm sorry Rach, that you've been through this. I can't say that I myself am fully happy with Blaine. I mean, Adam left me and Blaine was right there. He's smart, ambitious, talented. I know he's going to leave me soon because I'm an anchor, just as Finn was your anchor for a long time. I don't want to be an anchor for anyone, especially Blaine."
"You should go back to the metropolis with me."
"I don't know, Rach. What would I do there?"
"The question is, what are you doing here? At least there you would be trying, rather than moaning about never having even tried. This is a regret I'll never have."
Kurt pondered for a moment and did a quick review of the mediocre life he wore in town. He might be too comfortable to go anywhere. When did he get to that point?
Kurt and Rachel entered a music store just because they had nothing better to do. Rachel flipped through some scores and didactic material for singing. There was nothing there that couldn't be found in the metropolis. That store was one of Finn's favorites, which left Rachel a little anxious about the possibility of finding her ex-boyfriend. Instead of Finn, she ended up bumping into someone else. One she wouldn't even think about.
"It's not possible!" The woman said rudely. "I must have broken a mirror and thrown the pieces on the cross."
"Oh... Jenny..." Rachel stared at the young woman who was wearing sunglasses. "How are you?"
"You must be enjoying yourself, shouldn't you? All you had to do was show up in the city to make her all confused."
"What? Who are you talking about? Santana?"
Jenny approached Rachel dangerously.
"Don't play dumb. By the way, it's good for you to get out of my way, loser. I know Santana's other identity and everybody knows you're an associate. You'd better keep your both eyes very open or I'll take you both to the hole."
Kurt, who was at a distance that allowed him to observe and hear everything, took the lead of Rachel, even without knowing exactly what Jenny was talking about.
"I think you'd better go away, bitch. Or I'll scratch all your perfect face and make a new cut of your hair with my own nails."
Jenny made a small mention of facing Kurt, but then she stepped back, put a small cynical smile on her face, and turned her back. Kurt sighed and turned to his friend. Rachel was paralyzed.
"Rachel..." Kurt whispered. "Your eyes..."