Santana wasn't dumb. No, actually, bellow all the shallowness and intended indifference to other people, she was a quite perceptive person. She read people like open books.

And so, she saw it all coming.

She was watching when Rachel stepped inside the club. She watched as Quinn – who was already there because she had needed to come early to open the club's doors to the forensic team – who was standing next to Finn, engaged in a conversation, looked up to see her coming in and she clearly saw the twinkle of adoration in the woman's eyes. It was no secret that Quinn loved Rachel more than anything in life – even someone as imperceptive as Santana was soft-spoken could see that – but Santana noticed something slightly different. Rachel stared back at Quinn with the same look, before grinning mysteriously, as if they knew something that no one else did. She stopped to chat with Kurt, who was reporting back to work after being let go by the police. You got to admire his loyalty. He was arrested for trying to help his bosses get away with a crime (even if they hadn't commit it) and very next day of that traumatizing and surely intense experience, he was back to the club, ready to work.

Finn also looked up to stare at Rachel – with those characteristic abandoned puppy eyes –, but Santana wasn't concentrated in him, at that moment. Something was up between Rachel and Quinn and it unsettled her that she didn't know what. She had to know everything.

So Santana had her eyes wide open for the rest of the day. The knowing glares they exchanged, the mysterious smiles, the general peace that involved them that she did not remember having felt in them the day before.

~~~~~~~~w~~~~~~~~w~~~~~~~~~w

"Hey" Quinn greeted, as she came inside Rachel's office, when the brunette was checking the profit from the night before. It was huge. One of the club's best nights. When Quinn had told Rachel that the club wasn't going to lose any popularity with the murder story – it was even going to gain it – Rachel had been suspicious, but, once again, it was proved that Quinn knew it better.

Rachel looked up and a foolish smile crept to her lips, as she immediately stood up "hey" she greeted back, her arms involving the blonde's neck as she pulled her in for a lingering kiss.

"I was just here to tell you that the forensic team only found some sort of fibre in the Lost and Found room. They're not sure if Karofsky was ever there" Quinn informed her "they're going to the lab to analyze it. Agent Abrams says that he will keep us informed".

"Right" Rachel nodded and almost felt bad for the sudden change of subject, but she needed to make sure "about the… engagement" Quinn liked how that word produced some sort of twinkle in her fiancé's eyes "we agreed not to say anything, right?".

"Yes. For now. Just until everything goes back to normal".

~~~~~~~~~w~~~~~~~w~~~~~~~~w

It only clicked with Santana at night – right when the club was about to open to public – when she, Finn and Quinn were talking. Rachel approached them, intertwined her fingers with Quinn's and they both looked at each other that way they had been looking at each other the entire damn day.

Realization came to her in form of a shriek "oh my God! You did it, didn't you?" it was for Quinn. Quinn turned her face to look at her, confusedly "you proposed!".

What happened next was too fast for Rachel or Quinn to grasp. As Finn stared incredulously and mortifyingly at them, Santana was jumping on Rachel, involving in a breathtaking hug, Kurt was appearing from nowhere to congratulate Quinn and ask for details about the wedding, Brittany appeared running out of the coatroom jumping, clapping and shrieking. Jesse came down from his DJ booth to offer his services for the wedding while Jacob actually informed them he was going to be offended if he didn't cater for it.

When Rachel felt like she had hugged everyone in the room – twice each – she finally turned to the only person who hadn't yet pronounced himself about the occasion. Finn was still standing there, looking at them, with an impossible to read expression.

Silence fell on the room, as everyone waited for his reaction. Quinn was the one who stepped up and hugged him. His expression softened a little bit, even though it still looked utterly perplexed "congratulations" he managed to mumble. Then he turned to Rachel, without knowing what to say or do. Finally, he opened his arms and took her in with a tight hug "I'm so happy for you" and, strangely, he wasn't completely lying.

~~~~~~~~w~~~~~~~~~~~w~~~~~~~~~~~w

Now that Santana had blurted out and let everyone know, there was really no reason why Rachel shouldn't wear her ring. Especially because it was the single most beautiful object she had seen in her life – it was made of titanium and had two bands with diamonds all across them. It was simply everything Rachel had dreamed and more.

So, as Rachel nonchalantly greeted the two officers who were staking out her apartment, she couldn't help but to gaze her ring as she opened her door.

Inside her apartment, Rachel dropped the groceries bags on the kitchen counter – she had planned on making dinner to Quinn that night – and absentmindedly walked to the bedroom, to change into something more comfortable.

It was once inside the room, when Rachel was about to tug her top over her head that she saw something from the corner of her eye. The closet door was slightly opened and Rachel could swear she had seen something… move in there.

Rachel immediately tugged her shirt back down. Panic started to boil inside her, but strangely, so did the adrenaline. Someone was in her closet. She was sure. She had seen a movement inside and now there was that loud silence of someone trying to make as much silence as possible. But maybe she was freaking herself out. But, just in case, Rachel tried to remember what she had learned in that self-defence class she and Quinn had took. She damned the fact that Quinn was wearing those spandex shorts that day and that Rachel hadn't probably heard a word of what the manly looking woman was teaching them.

Rachel bent down and reached for her tennis racket, which was under her bed. It was pink and not very threatening looking, but it was something. She gripped the racket hard as she felt her heart race to a million beats a minute. Slowly, she approached the closet.

"Who's in there?" she mumbled, forcing confidence in her voice. It didn't go through. Her voice was slightly shaky.

"Rachel, it's me" the door opened and a dark haired man stepped out.
"Tommy?".

"Why were you hiding in the closet?" Rachel shrieked, as she continuality punched his arms. Tommy protected himself, but didn't push her away. He actually seemed kind of amused.

"I didn't know if it was you or Quinn" Tommy explained, shrugging.
"God! Do you know the panic you made me go through?" she yelled, as she turned around, crossing her arms, madly, feeling her heart still beating like crazy from the scare.

"I'm sorry" he laughed, as he reached for his little sister, squeezing her shoulder "but it was kind of funny to see how your instincts work. Tennis racket, uh?" he asked, with his mocking tone.

"Grrrr!..." Rachel snorted "you…" she searched for the word

"Lovely brother that I miss so intensely?" he tried, raising one eyebrow.
"Yes and idiot" Rachel replied. She suddenly remembered she hadn't seen him in too long. She hugged him and, in his arms, she felt her body relax "what are you doing here?".

His expression immediately darkened as the seriousness eventually had to come. He stepped back, frowning slightly, as he gestured her the bed "I think you know why I'm here" he mumbled, sitting over it, and sighing.

"Karofsky" Rachel stated, looking at him intensely. So it was true. Karofsky had been after her.

"You were always the smart one, sis" he smiled, sadly.

"So it's true? The mob is back" Rachel asked and, weirdly, she didn't feel more scared than she already was. She always knew that it was it. She was just now having the confirmation "and they're after me".

"I tried my best to keep you out of this" Tommy shook his head, reprehensively, pain transpiring on his voice "I really did, Rach. I hope you know that. You are everything to me. You are my family…" Rachel brushed her hand on Tommy's shoulder "I did everything I could. I did everything they wanted me to do. I paid my dues to them…"

"What happened then?".

"I made the mistake to think that, once I had paid my debt, I didn't have to work for them anymore. I tried to quit but they didn't let me, so I ran away. When I knew…" his voice failed a little and he closed his eyes in an attempt to control the anger and disgust that he felt "when I heard about how they sent Karofsky after you I came immediately. I've been following you around…"
"Why?".

"Because you need protection" Tommy answered, promptly.
"I have protection" Rachel replied, rolling her eyes.
"What, those gorillas at the door?" Tommy gestured, ironically "if the mob wanted to get to you they would, just how I did".

Rachel frowned, suddenly realizing that Tommy was inside her apartment "how did you get in, anyway?".
"I broke in the apartment over this one and jumped to your balcony" he explained, naturally. Rachel cringed just by thinking of her brother performing such manoeuvres "oh, please, trust me, Rach, I've done worst".

Rachel's body suddenly tensed. She looked down and bit her lower lip "so you killed him?" it was difficult to try to understand what she was feeling, at that moment. Of course she was thankful – she would have been dead if he hadn't done so– but just thinking about her brother murdering someone made her utterly sick. She was also supposing he hadn't murdered anyone before, which was probably not wise of her part – he had worked for the mob for two years.

"Who?" Tommy asked, confusedly.

"Karofsky" Rachel looked up, frowning at the fact that he hadn't picked up on that.
"Who, me? No, Rach, I didn't do it" Tommy replied, shaking his palms open in innocence.

"You can tell me the truth. I'm not a baby anymore. You don't have to distort the truth to make me feel good" Rachel protested, testily.
"Rachel, I didn't do it. Make not mistake, I would have, for sure. I wished I had. But I only arrived the day after Karofsky was found dead".

"What? If you didn't do it, how come is dead?" Rachel asked, suspiciously.

"I don't know" Tommy shrugged, dismissively "I'm just thankful".

"I don't understand" Rachel said but her confusion was interrupted by the sound of someone walking inside the apartment.

"Hey" Quinn's voice called, from the living room.

~~~~~~w~~~~~~~~w~~~~~~w

"Rachel, are you crazy?" Quinn's voice was at a controlled volume, but her exasperation was very noticeable "he can't stay here! He's in the damn mob!".

"Not anymore" Rachel corrected, patiently "I told you he left it about a few months ago…"

"Great, he's an ex-mobster. How is that supposed to make me feel better?" Quinn asked, sceptically, as she planted her hands in her hips "besides, let's not forget, he's the one responsible for everything that it's happening! And who guarantees me that he isn't the one they're looking for?".

"They want him to work for them again. They know that my security is the only thing he would tray for that. He wouldn't tray his".

"Rachel, this is insane. He can't spend the night here".
"I would really feel better if you let him spend the night" Rachel informed her, patiently. She knew that with Quinn there was a certain way to put things into perspective.

"Why? He's a big guy, he can take care of himself" Quinn snorted.
"Well, not just about him, but about us too. He's been watching us, Quinn, he's been protecting us" Rachel reasoned, wearily.
"Yes, and I appreciate it. I do. God knows what would have happened if he hadn't caught Karofsky, but, seriously…"
"He didn't kill Karofsky" Rachel corrected her.

Quinn snorted, sceptically "right".

"No, I'm serious, he didn't. Believe me".

Quinn sat at the edge of her bed, pressing her palm against her forehead "baby, I believe that he told you he didn't do it, but…"

"No, he told me he didn't do it and he didn't. He wouldn't lie about it".

Quinn corner's mouth twitched "he would lie to protect you…"

"Quinn, I'm aware of that. But, I'm telling you, I looked him in the eye and I know when my brother lies. He was dead serious. He even said he would have killed him, if he had got to him before… whomever did".
"So we're supposed to believe that there is another charming knight looking after us?" Quinn asked.

"I don't know what happened, Quinn, I just know my brother didn't do it".

Quinn sighed, defeated. Rachel sat by her side, resting her hand in Quinn's thigh, massaging slightly, waiting for the blonde to give her an answer.
"Just for tonight" Quinn finally mumbled. Rachel kissed her, gently.
"Thank you".