Hello lovely readers who are keeping with the story despite the recent horrible events between San and Rachel! I hope, this chapter isn's as bad as most of you expected. I had something on my mind how to deal with Santana being outed, so here it is. And some of you were so right about what happened there and there on the party :)

There are some moments in our lives that seem to happen in slow motion. For Santana it started in the evening after her overheard encounter with Rachel in the school bathroom. Everything in next 24 hours was like painfully slow film.

Santana came home exhausted from the school that evening. But her day wasn't supposed to end then. She made a call and after an hour, the house bell rang.

"You still have hots for me, girl?" the taxi driver asked while leaning on the door.

"Yeah, I actually invited you to come over and you have to take me right here at the door step," answered Santana.

The taxi driver wasn't sure if she was only joking but the image of satisfying this girl was terrifying.

"Ehh...really?"

"No," said Santana and locked the door.

They both headed to the car.

"You were really scared, right? You, the player?" Santana laughed.

The taxi driver let out a sigh of relief.

"Kind of...just watching you handling girls makes me sometimes to ask myself if I'm lesbian enough."

Santana laughed again. "You want to tell me that I'm the biggest lesbian you've ever met?"

"Rather the most manhandling."

Santana slapped the driver's arm.

"Ouch! Okay, you're probably the most scary lesbo."

"Why?"

"Well, extremely hot, wild and dominating. That is dangerous combination. I bet your girlfriend must be able to tame you sometimes and that must be so hot."

Santana went back with her mind to countless times when Rachel had been in charge so far. She wasn't officially supposed to like it (she's always top, duh!..or she wanted to be) but it was secretly her weakness. Being told what to do was sexy as hell after all.

But then another thought stung her insides.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"No? Then I'm probably going to ask her to look at my collection of dildos, you know, collections of butterflies or stamps are so lame today," the taxi driver joked.

Bad move.

"Don't you dare!" Santana hissed through clenched teeth. "Keep five meters distance from my girl or you'll see..."

"Woohoo, calm down, is she your girl? You said, she is not your girlfriend."

"It doesn't mean you can touch her. Hell even thinking about speaking to her is too much so keep your mind away from that."

"Hey, don't worry, I'm always cheering for my friend buddies and their love interests," the taxi driver winked at Santana to which she made gag reflex imagining the two of them being buddies. "And don't be mad at me but just listen...I wouldn't wait too long for making her my girlfriend, girls like her don't stay waiting here forever."

Santana took in the advice with slight nod and sat in the car.

The taxi driver started the engine and looked back at Santana.

"So you eventually admit to me that you're gay?"

"Well, gay and angry," added Santana and laughed when she spotted, the taxi driver froze with fear again.

"Don't worry, I don't have a plan on kicking your ass...well, for today."

An hour later Santana was waiting with tulips in her hand in the taxi. She and the taxi driver parked in front of the gym and waited for the brown-haired girl. She was supposed to leave in few minutes and Santana got nervous.

Calm down, she still cares about you! Even if she doesn't run into your arms right now, you have something to work on. You will continue in your efforts to get her no matter what.

And then there she was!

Rachel came out of the building and headed to the bus station.

Her hair was messy after the work out

God, Santana loved that Rachel when the blood was pumping in her veins and her breath was still slowing down after the workout.

She got out of the car and tried to catch the girl

But when Rachel saw the other girl approaching her, she turned on the heels and continued in the opposite direction.

"Rachel," Santana called after her but Rachel only sped up. "Rachel, wait!"

But it was useless. Santana was still using the crutches and when Rachel began to run away from her, she had no chance in catching the girl.

Santana didn't understand it. What was wrong? Yeah, the morning when she made it clear to Rachel that she didn't want to continue in what they had been doing. But today in the bathroom, Rachel let her know that she still cared. So why?

Santana got back to the car. The taxi driver watched her with compassion.

So this was rejection. It definitely sucked!

"I told you that tulips again were a bad idea," she tried to joke but one look on devastated Santana told her to shut up.

When Santana left the car half an hour later and vanished in her house, the taxi driver noticed, the tulips were still on the backseat.

Next morning Santana entered the school. The night had been weird. She hadn't slept at allrolling from one side to the other.

Now she put her bitch stare on and headed to her locker.

"Hey Lopez," some bloke screamed over the whole corridor, "you should ride my stick! Then you'll understand what you're missing, a real man."

Santana rolled her eyes.

"If I wanted a real man, I wouldn't go to pick him up in a monster house where you belong," she snapped back.

The bloke said something but it didn't reach Santana's ears.

As the day before she spotted the petite girl at the other end of the corridor and the rest of the world stopped for her.

The petite girl headed to the bathroom.

Santana saw it and jumped with the crutches in one hand after her.

She took a deep breath and entered the bathroom.

This time there was no Rachel waiting for her. This time she really went to the bathroom without the intention of meeting her.

Santana strategically blocked the door and waited.

After a minute she heard the only occupied stall to open.

There was no flush so what had been Rachel doing there?

When she came out of the stall, Santana knew in instant.

Rachel's puffy eyes and dark circles under them were clear sing. Rachel had been crying there and probably the whole night considering her appearance.

When she spotted Santana in the bathroom, she ran to the door but the other girl stood in her way.

"Rachel," Santana pleaded, "can we talk? Please!"

Rachel tried to avoid Santana and run away but the other girl rushed in her way again.

"Rach," whispered Santana and wanted to caress Rachel's cheek. But the petite girl flinched away.

Santana wanted to ask what had happened with the girl that had kissed her and given her a hope yesterday.

Before she had a chance, the door to the bathroom opened and Santana tripped how five Cheerios entered the room.

"Well, well, well," said one of them with long blonde ponytail, "isn't it our Head Queerio?"

Santana turned around and saw five of them grinning at her. But it wasn't the kind of grin you get from your friend. It was like the grin when a raptor corners its victim.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Santana snapped at them oblivious to the hint the Cheerio had made.

"Us?" the blonde Cheerio spoke for all of them again "Definitely not the same thing, you were doing here. Which was?"

"None of your business!" screamed Santana back.

The blonde Cheerio leaned to another one and whispered something in her ear. Two Cheerios left the bathroom but the blonde one turned back to Santana and continued.

"Too late, Lopez. It became business of the whole school now since we don't want any other, umm, encounters, attacks,...? Whatever."

"What?"

"I think, we have to take some precautions so no one from this school has to face you again."

Santana only stared at them. She didn't have any idea what was going on.

"Tell me, Lopez," the Cheerio said, "how long have you been ogling all of us in the showers after the practice?"

Santana's face contorted more full of exhaustion now.

"What? What are you talking about? Are you crazy? Look, if the Coach finds out, you were smoking some shit...," Santana tried to make sense of this conversation.

That was when Rachel dropped her handbag and all Cheerios and Santana looked at her.

"I guess, this is like the best confirmation of the rumours ever," the blonde Cheerio said and focused her attention back to Santana.

Then she turned her head to Rachel once more.

"Go away...you, whatever is your name. Don't worry, she won't bother you again, we'll take care of that. I bet, these emergency times require the weirdest alliances...even if it is between us and scum. Because we have to face the worst scum together..."

And she looked back at Santana.

"You're so going to regret it, you're over the line," snapped Santana. Her eyes were throwing daggers in the Cheerio and she was clutching her fists trying to hold her anger.

"I think, I'm perfectly at the point when we compare it to you and what you have done. Lopez, spit it out, how many girls have you forced to screw you?"

Santana thought that she had misheard.

"Well, considering this bathroom situation, the dwarf here is definitely on your score list. And then we all know that you fucked Sarah this weekend," the blonde Cheerio said.

At that moment, the slow motion of Santana's life slowed down even more.

She felt how the realization hit her.

They knew.

She looked up with horror at them and they were laughing at her.

God, they knew!

But then it hit her harder.

When they knew, it also meant that...

Rachel knew!

Santana painfully closed her eyes and tried to breathe but her lungs didn't respond.

Her throat was too tight.

Then she eventually forced her eyes to open again and she looked at the petite girl standing behind Cheerios and there it was.

She could see the hurt in the girl's eyes. And it hurt her, too, seeing so much pain in Rachel's expression.

Now everything clicked from the previous day. Rachel knew what she had done.

Santana let the first tear stream down her face.

And another.

And then her view became a blur.

She didn't see Rachel or Cheerios anymore.

She just blankly stared in front of her because all of this probably meant that...

The whole school knew!

That was when she heard the door to close. She tried to concentrate on what was going on in front of her.

All five Cheerios united again, now holding slushies in their hands.

"You know what, Lopez, you were good Head Cheerio," the blonde Cheerio was obviously still talking to her, "bitch to everyone, that is what I consider good. But now, you're screwed up because you're just a dyke. And you know what is our routine how to treat such freaks?"

And with that all five of them broke into laugh and they laughed and laughed when the blonde one winked at others and they all threw their slushies in Santana's face.

It was cold.

It hurt.

And then Santana eventually realized what was the worst part about being slushied.

It was not the coldness and stickiness.

It was the humiliation, the slushied person felt at the moment.

Santana gasped for breath and covered her face with her hands. She just sat on the floor, waiting for flood of insults and probably more slushies or even some kicks.

That was when she heard a voice.

"What is wrong with you?"

Santana was still hiding in her hands but she was sure, she didn't misheard the voice.

That voice belonged to the girl she'd hurt so much.

And it was the same girl that she hadn't supposed to stand for her after what she had done to her.

But she did it.

Rachel was now standing in front of Santana and faced Cheerios all by herself.

She didn't care about them being bitches that tortured her for years. She didn't care that she was signing her own treaty for being in much worse hell now in the school for screaming at them.

But the most important thing about this situation was that she was going to defend the girl that hurt her so badly.

But she didn't care now.

"I said," she hissed because her clenched teeth didn't allow her to make audible words, "what is wrong with you? Why are you such idiots? You are just poor creatures desperately trying to get attention. But you know what? You'll end up as losers as you are. You can throw at us as many slushies as you want and you can laugh at us. But I'm not loser and neither is Santana. It's you and always you. And you know what else? Just for the record, I loved being fucked by Santana. And even that slutty friend of yours definitely had to enjoy it. I bet that Santana was the best fuck she's ever had."

And then there was silence.

Rachel was desperately trying to take a breath while the Cheerios were a little shaken by such daring.

But then all of them did what they could do the best – they laughed.

"I think that the word 'slut' only suits the freak behind you. And you are obviously the same admitting that you enjoyed your dyke session with Lopez. I guess all of you have to be treated the same then...so watch yourself. And for the Sarah part, she would never..."

BAM!

The blonde Cheerio didn't finish the sentence. Another blonde and much taller Cheerio kicked out the doors to the bathroom and she was soon followed by another tall blonde girl with shorter hair.

"Sarah what?"screamed Brittany and stood up in front of both Santana and Rachel.

"Yeah, Sarah what?" asked Quinn and stood by Brittany's side.

The Cheerio stuttered but gained her confidence back.

"Brittany, leave us alone, it has nothing to do with you. And for you Quinn, you are not a Cheerio anymore, you have no power over us."

"Okay, first of all," Quinn began, "Sarah is such whore that she had to start sleeping with guys from other schools so she wouldn't have to take third round in our school. Second, you all are going to apologize to Santana sooner or later because if you don't then I personally deal with you."

"Yeah, and it will be my pleasure to join Quinn. Plus you know how boys all over the school are drooling over both of us. You don't stand a chance with them against us. And I guarantee you that one word from me and they will treat YOU like the scum! And you won't be desired Cheerios anymore," added Brittany.

Quinn smiled and continued instead of Brittany.

"And third, just because I don't wear the Cheerio skirt, it doesn't mean I stopped being bitch. Losing the skirt doesn't mean losing my memory. And I so remember right now, that you," and she pointed at the blonde Cheerio, "you crashed your car drunk and ran from the accident and accused the 'mysterious men' that he took it from your garage. I still don't know why I didn't report you. And you," Quinn moved to another Cheerio, "you have been giving coach the urine from your twin sister because you can't get rid of your obsession of marijuana, am I right? And should I continue with the rest? I'm sure that all of you are aware of what I know about you...don't let me talk about it because you three are just weird and I can't even say it out loud what you've been doing together with the old janitor like from the first year here which is just ewww."

All Cheerios stood frozen on their places. None of them had the courage to look at others.

"Get out," Quinn said much calmer now.

But no one moved.

"Are you deaf?" screamed Brittany. "MOVE! NOW!"

In a second all Cheerios were out of the bathroom.

All girls, that remained in the room, turned around.

Santana was still on the floor with her head hidden in her hands.

Brittany moved first towards her but was stopped by small arms.

She looked up at Rachel who only nodded telling her that she will take care of Santana.

Brittany was looking at her suspiciously when Quinn grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of the bathroom.

"Come, Britt, we have to talk to coach. This is so not happening again. And she will want to talk to you as well when I'll be reporting these bitches to her."

Brittany gave Rachel last look.

When the smaller girl eventually smiled at her reassuringly, Brittany smiled back and left after Quinn.

And then Rachel and Santana were in the bathroom alone.

Rachel closed her eyes painfully and then turned around to face the other girl left in the room.

She took in the sight in front of her and gulped heavily.

Where was supposed to be the bitchy girl who had never had fear and faced everyone with her chin up, there was now the broken person.

Rachel managed to lift up the other girl and with arms around her shoulders and waist she led her out of the school.

When they both appeared in the parking lot, Rachel found the keys in Santana's bag, opened the car for them and drove them away.

Santana was no longer covering her face but put her hands in her lap.

She was trying to process what had happened just few minutes ago.

Brittany and Quinn had stood up for her.

They'd gotten rid of the Cheerios.

They had been so brave.

But wasn't it just peak of iceberg?

They could face Cheerios for her but what about whole school?

Everyone knew now.

Everyone knew that Santana was gay.

Everyone knew that she had slept with Rachel.

And that she had slept...with that Cheerio.

And Rachel knew about it as well.

Oh, Rachel.

The girl had stood up for her as well.

Why had she done that?

Santana didn't have the courage to look at Rachel who was now driving them wildly to Santana's house.

And so she drifted back to her blank stare and let the thoughts full her mind again.

After a while Rachel stopped the car and said:

"Come."

Santana obeyed and followed the other girl to the house.

Rachel led them to the living room and motioned Santana to the couch.

They both sat on it but Santana noticed in spite of her state that Rachel kept the distance between them.

So she looked back at her hands and decided to play with her fingers.

"I'll make a tea," Rachel broke the silence and stood up. Then she stopped.

"Or do you want some coffee?"

Santana only shook her head without making an eye contact with the girl.

She knew what she could see there and the hurt in Rachel's eyes...it was too much to bear the thought that she was the reason of it.

"Okay," nodded Rachel and headed to the kitchen.

And Santana was alone.

She didn't know what was going to happen.

She expected Rachel to come back and yell at her for sleeping with the Cheerio. She expected her to slap her and vanish from her life for good.

But when Rachel came back to the living room with the kettle and two cups few minutes later, she didn't do anything that Santana had expected.

Santana took the offered cup of tea and took a sip.

"Britt wrote me a message," Rachel eventually said, "she will be here in half an hour."

"Mhm," Santana only managed to mumble that she understood what Rachel was saying.

"Then I'll leave you two. But I'll wait here with you till Britt's here."

And Santana couldn't hold the question any longer.

"Why are you here?"

Rachel's answer took too long for Santana's taste and her nerves lost the battle when she looked up at the other girl.

She met Rachel's eyes and saw the other girl staring at her disbelievingly.

"Why am I here?" Rachel spoke. "You're serious? Santana, I'm here because you were outed in the school and got treated in the worst possible way. What is this question anyway? You think I could stand there watching them treating you like they did?"

"But..." Santana tried to say something but was interrupted by Rachel still speaking.

"I'm actually sorry that I didn't step into it much sooner."

"But why would you do that?" Santana managed to cried out. "You know what I d-did. You're supposed to hate me and throw slushies at me with all of them!"

Rachel's disbelieving look changed back into the hurt look.

"I-I probably should. But when I saw you that you only found out about them knowing in the bathroom today and then I saw the fear in your eyes, I couldn't let you to stand to them alone."

"Rachel."

"No, let me finish. There are moments like this one when I have to forget that I had never wanted to be in your presence again. God, I wanted to yell at you to make you feel what you had done to me. But it would be against humanity to let them humiliate you without standing for you. Plus I would have to do it for anyone."

Santana felt tears coming from her eyes.

"Rach, why...tell me, why are you so perfect? Why are you so selfless and generous? Why did you have to stand up for me? I could live with them making me feel like shit but when I know that I hurt you and you're still able to do this for me, then I'm feeling worse and I can't live with the feeling that I did...what I did."

"Sometimes, Santana, you have to swallow your pride when you love someone. You have to sacrifice yourself, you have to forget yourself and do what is right. You can't help it anyway. Even if I wanted to leave you there, I wouldn't be able to do it."

Rachel's voice cracked at the moment when she finished and first tears also escaped her eyes.

"You what?" Santana asked too scared that she might have heard right.

Rachel understood the question and sighed.

"You see? This wasn't supposed to happen. And it's always the same. I wasn't supposed to sleep with you in the closet while being chased by the freaky women. I wasn't supposed to lose my virginity to you in the gym. And I wasn't supposed to talk to you about love for the first time ever when you fucked someone else only two days ago."

And Rachel was out of breath. She was crying properly now and didn't try to hide it.

Santana wanted to say something and save herself from the feeling of the most awful person in the world.

"But...but I saw you. I wasn't so drunk that I didn't notice you and Finn being naked in the bedroom. You had to know what I was thinking and you didn't stop me which meant only one thing – I was right what you two had been doing."

"Santana, how can you? You really believe it? God, we spilled our drinks on our shirts when some guys ran into us thinking, the kitchen was the right place for rugby."

Santana's heart stopped.

"So...you d-didn't?"

"No!"

Then there was a long pause when Rachel spoke in the smallest voice again.

"But you did..."

Santana nodded.

"Yes."

And Rachel couldn't hold it anymore. She started sobbing harder and harder.

"Rachel, you have to believe me, it didn't mean anything to me. I was wasted, I thought that you and Finn... I wasn't thinking. Please, you know that sex doesn't mean anything for me!"

"Yeah, I know. And you know that sex actually means a lot to me! And you still believed that I slept with Finn only ten hours later after you had broken my heart here in the next room."

Santana wanted to say something and excuse her actions somehow.

But she was lost.

Then they both heard a car parking in front of the house.

"Britt's here," Rachel said, "I should be going now."

She grabbed her things and headed to the house doors.

Santana wanted to call something after her.

She wanted her to stay.

But how could she expect her to do that?

It was more than enough that she even looked at her, talked to her and had stood up for her in the school today.

Santana felt so not worthy that girl.

And then it happened.

Santana didn't know, it was coming.

But then it just came out of nowhere.

"Rachel," she called after the other girl.

Rachel turned around already with the hand on the doorknob.

She locked eyes with Santana.

"I love you!"

Santana said it.

She didn't think about it, it just happened.

She wanted Rachel's eyes to soften again as they had been so caring and loving last weeks.

She wanted her to feel better.

But instead of that Rachel's eyes were even sadder than before.

Santana saw last tear streaming on Rachel's cheek and with that the girl left the house.

This was not how the love was supposed to work.

See? It wasn't that bad, was it? Of course, it's not over but thank god for good friends and Rachel's generosity.

Tomorrow I'm leaving to Granada for more than a week, then I have to pass all my exams in like 3 days (2 exams every day, yay! I will be sooo studying in Granada, I can see it, haha) because I'm moving to Norway in January and have to get clear score at my home unviersity, so, please, don't forget the story, the update will be unfortunatelly in like two weeks...but I promise you that it gets better then...only if you want it to, ha ;)