Once again, nothing is mine. My bad son.

I guess, in a way, Santana not calling me was a good thing. It meant nothing too terrible was happening. Even if Tony was around, he wasn't one to do something awful and just stand around after it happened. That was something I learned very early on. If he does something bad, he gets the fuck out as quickly as possible and doesn't come back until it's over.

So when Santana finally called, I already knew there was something was wrong. It was April 27th, about a week and a half before Elieana was due, and I could hear Santana screaming the second I answered the call.

"San… San what's wrong?" I dropped the book I'd been reading, and it fell to the ground with a thump. I reached over for my roommates phone, dialing the Lima County Police Department, and silently thanking my mother for making me memorize that number at such an early age.

I could only make out a few words that Santana was saying, and I repeated them to the cop as I explained that my very pregnant friend was in need of help immediately. I rattled off her address from the card she'd sent me on Valentine's Day, then hung up and used the same phone to call my mother and tell her to meet Santana at the hospital.

Never once during any of these calls did I hang up on Santana. All I knew was that the was "a lot of blood" and she kept saying "she's dying" over and over again. I could hear the sirens when the ambulance arrived, and the medic took the phone from Santana and explained to me that she appeared to have fallen.

"Is she going to be okay?" I asked, gathering up my purse and throwing my shoes on without a second thought.

"We're not sure mam. She appears to be stable, but we can't very well account for what's happened to the baby yet. We'll have to wait and see."

I didn't want to talk to this man. He didn't know anything important. I hung up on him and called a cab. I didn't think about school or work or anything else that would happen if I left. I was only worried about Santana.

My plane arrived at two in the morning. I'd lucked out and managed to talk myself into a first class flight leaving about 20 minutes after I arrived at the airport. Of course, that took a lot of begging, some crying and some yelling, but the point is I made it.

I took a cab from the airport straight to the hospital, silently praying that my mother wouldn't notice that there was nearly 800$ missing from her savings account, or that I could at least figure out a way to feign innocence and blame it on her barely-legal boyfriend.

I found Santana in less than 5 minutes, and thanked God for the fact that I still remember where everything was from when I was here back in high school. I practically broke down the door to get in the room, irritating the nurse that was sitting at the front desk, and surely waking up at least 6 other new mommies'.

Santana rolled over when she heard the noise. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was very clearly not-pregnant anymore. My mother was sitting in a chair by the window, half asleep. No one else was there. Not Tony or his mother, or his bitchy little sister.

"What happened?" I asked, rushing over to Santana. She reflexively curled up in my arms and started crying again. She looked so small again, so defenseless, and in the moment if you didn't know her you would think Santana Lopez was the farthest thing in the world from a fiery Latina with a bad attitude and a potty mouth.

"Did she… Is the…" I tried to make the words come out, but they wouldn't. I could feel my eyes starting to water too at the possibilities. "Where's… what about…"

"The baby is fine." My mother said finally. "She's a healthy 8 pound, 7 ounce baby. Fat little thing… if you didn't know it, you'd never be able to tell she's a preemie."

"She could have died…" Santana whispered in my ear.

"She's fine San. Everything's fine. Where is she?" I asked.

"I haven't got to hold her yet. She's in one of those box thingy's. They said she should be okay in a few hours, and we'll be able to go home on schedule…" Santana started crying really hard again. I knew there was something she needed to tell me, but there was no way she'd say it in front of my mother. I gave her a look, and Mom understood right away, excusing herself to go find a vending machine.

"What is it babe?" I asked.

"I knew something was wrong…" She sobbed into my hair. "I knew it, but I didn't want to say anything… make him mad, you know? He was cheating on me. She called the house and started cussing at me…" Santana stopped for a moment to take a big breath. "So I was like 'Tony, what the fuck?' and he got mad, but I didn't care. I said 'Why are your bitches calling me? If you're gonna cheat, at least do it right.' He got really mad then. Pushed me down the stairs and left me there. I called you. You saved me Quinn. Me and Elieana are alive because of you… Tony left me to die Quinn… Just left me there."

Santana didn't say much else after that. She just cried for a really long time. Eventually the doctor came in to check on her, and asked her to lift her gown so he could see how her stomach was healing. I guess it had been really swollen from the fall. "Miss, I think it would be better if you would step out for this part." He said to me.

"NO. Hell no." Santana said, with that insistent fury that made me smile. The doctor looked taken aback by her outburst, seeing as she hadn't said much the whole time she'd been there.

Santana's stomach was gruesome. It was bruised everywhere, and the doctor said he was surprised they didn't have to do a C-Section. He also said that from what he could tell, she probably wouldn't be able to have any more children. She just shrugged and pulled her gown back down. "When can I see Elieana?"

"Actually I came in to mention that too. She's doing great, and I can have to nurses bring her down whenever you're ready." He smiled at her.

"Well tell them now! I want to see her now!" She sat up, struggling a bit. "Vamanos! Why are you still here?"

I laughed at her enthusiasm. She smiled widely, and within a few minutes a nurse came in with a chubby little girl, wrapped in a pink blanket. She had a head full of dark hair and these beautiful grey eyes.

Santana practically snatched her from the nurses arms. She was so precious and beautiful, and she was cooing to no end. "She's gonna be a talker." Santana said.

"Yeah, just like her Mama." I commented. And then after a while Santana made me hold her too. She wrapped her tiny fingers around my pinky, and babbled cutely. I smiled at her, and a warmness settled all over me. Santana was smiling too, and she curled up against my side so she could fall asleep soundly.

It was the day before Elieana was supposed to go home that San got a call from Tony. He was talking a lot, and she wasn't saying anything at all. Just making those affirmative "Mm-hmm" noises and stuff. I wasn't sure what was going on, until I heard her give him the hospital address. My heart sank into my stomach, and I felt my hands shaking as she hung up with him, saying "Okay, see you soon… Love you too…"

She put the phone down and looked at me. I wasn't crying yet, but I could feel it coming. Her eyes looked dead and tired, and her face looked hallow. "I think you should go."

Her voice didn't even sound the same. Moments ago she had been my Santana, and in seconds she was suddenly his again.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked quietly.

"Elieana needs her Mommy and her Daddy. A stupid little fight shouldn't change that."

"He pushed you down the stairs Santana. And then he LEFT you there. And you're just going to take him back?"

She sighed. Her entire demeanor was different. Elieana started crying from her little crib next to the bed, and Santana lifted up. She was silent almost immediately. I swear San was meant to be a Mom.

"I don't expect you to understand okay? I don't have a rich mommy and daddy to take care of me. My family left me. He's all I have. Without him I have no job, no income, no help." She wouldn't look at me now.

"But I can help you San. I'll be there for you until you get back on your feet Santana. We can make this work." I knew she wasn't going to believe me now. Not when Tony was already on the way.

"Make it work how Quinn? The same way you made it work? Well here's some news for you Quinn. I'm not like you. I'm not going to just give up my child like a puppy. I love her, and she needs a family. I'm not going to lose her because I'm the one with a bad temper. Now get out."

My face was red now. I couldn't cry anymore. I was so tired of crying and feeling sorry for Santana when she didn't even care for herself.

"That's not fair Santana. None of it is. And that's not what I meant at all."

"Quinn I don't care! Okay? I don't. Get out. Now. I don't want you here anymore." Her voice never changed. Not even a little. I doubt she even believed herself.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't help her if she didn't want to help herself. I wanted to tell her how I felt, but it wouldn't matter now. So I left. And just as she was closing the door I heard her say something, really quietly. "No one knows but you."

It wasn't a request. It was just a statement. But I knew what she wanted. She wanted me to keep her secret, just as I had been. I looked back at her, but all I got was those dark eyes. My Santana was gone. This was the one Tony created, and I didn't stand a chance.

"I love you." I said quietly. I don't know if she even heard me, or if she even cared to.