Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or 'Just give me a reason' by Pink, 'Imagine' by John Lennon
A/N: co-written with Sha22. Dorne9, the last part of 'morning after the party' is dedicated to you ;-). English isn't our mother tongue, sorry for the mistakes. My new job is kind of exhausting right now so I might update on Thursdays if it gets too hard to keep up.
A/N2: I always reply to every review but when you're a guest I can't so, I'm doing it here. Sorry for those who don't care, you can skip it, I won't mind =)
So guest, I agree with you. Santana can be immature too, no one says she's innocent or dealing with things in the best way possible. We don't know what she thinks, we only have Rachel's POV. What we do know is that often, Santana's motto had been "if I ignore something, it doesn't exist or might disappear on its own." Maybe it's what she's doing. Maybe she's afraid of what Rachel could say or do and is just trying to protect herself. Maybe she really wants to trust her when Rachel asks her to. Maybe she's pissed to hide how hurt she is that her wife doesn't desire her anymore. When she tries to talk, she only has "I'm tired, I'm stressed" as an answer, so she feels left out which brings back old insecurities. Maybe something is going to make her lose her s** and it won't be sex. Maybe they are both hurting and denial is easier. Maybe… Maybe, just maybe there is no side to choose but love and happiness. (yeah I'm sappy like that, whatever^^)
Chapter 11: I'm getting sick of it
Saturday morning, Tina and Quinn knocked at their door with beaming smiles. They had decided to eat breakfast together in order to organize their night out. After Rachel had mentioned Shelby's offer, Santana had decided to call Kurt and the girls to suggest a 'girls' night'.
Rachel had agreed to go out with them because she wanted to know more about these versions of her 'friends' and about Santana. An evening with everyone might help her to grasp the situation a bit more easily. She didn't realize how much her distant behaviour was affecting the people around her and especially Santana until the night before.
Somehow, the diva knew it wasn't entirely her fault because technically, she was still seventeen, in high school and definitely not married to anyone. It didn't make her a monster to reject her wif… Santana. But another part of her felt that way because this Santana, the girl she got to know every day and who was so much more than her reputation suggested, was nothing but incredible to her. In a short among of time, the brunette had not only found a friend in her but a supporter, an equal and an ally in this hard world.
But the problem with this world was that it kept changing, or maybe it was her, or maybe it was both. No matter what the answer was anyway, everyone was looking at her differently, they expected her to be Rachel Berry- Lopez when she could only be Rachel Berry, no matter how hard she tried. She could try to be a wife, a mother and a friend but she couldn't convince her 'relatives' as much as she could convince her director or her colleagues because it was harder to lie when someone could see glimpses of your soul. Someone like Santana…
After their romantic dinner, the tension and awkwardness had lessened but it was still there like a sword of Damocles hovering over their heads. Rachel shook her head to focus back on the conversation in front of her.
The group was chit chatting without a care in the world when Tina said out of nowhere. "Oh Quinn, I have a friend you should go on a date with."
The little brunette grabbed her mug and looked at the two girls curiously. She hadn't been able to obtain a lot of information about Quinn's life except from her job.
"Oh god, not again..." The blonde blurted out.
"Yes, yes again." The Asian girl replied proudly. "Her name is Ally, she's a lawyer and…"
Rachel spat her tea, coughing at what Tina just implied about the blonde. 'Wait, since when does Quinn date girls? We fought for Finn, she kind of dated Puck and even had a child with him… But then again, I dated guys too and ended up married to Santana. I'm completely confused right now.' She thought, trying to hide her astonishment while calming her cough.
"Eww gross, Rachel. You have tea all over your face!" Quinn exclaimed, handing her a napkin with a disgusted look.
The diva gratefully took it and wiped her mouth. "I'm sorry, Quinn, feel free to continue."
Santana scooted closer to the diva. "Are you okay?" She whispered in the brunette's ear. The girl nodded as the Latina stroked her back gently. Rachel was starting to grow fond of all Santana's little gestures. She didn't know why but it was always soothing.
"Is she even gay?" The Latina asked her friend. "No because seriously, you have a terrible gaydar!"
"What? That's not true!" Tina declared offended.
"Yes, it's true so I think it's a legitimate question." Quinn insisted.
"Yes, she's a lesbian. Could you two have a little faith in me?" The Asian girl grabbed her phone and searched for a picture of her friend. "Here, look."
The raven-haired girl took the phone before the publisher could and looked at the picture. "She's cute."
"Hey, do you mind!? It's supposed to be for me not for you." The blonde reminded. "You already have your hands full with that tiny ball of energy here." She added, pointing at the dumbfounded diva.
Up until now, Rachel had stayed quiet, 'enjoying' her tea while watching the girls exchange and bicker like siblings but she quickly tried to interject when Quinn mentioned her name. "Hey! I'll have you know..." She began, trying to make a point. She stopped when she understood they were all so caught up in their conversation that they weren't even paying attention to her. She huffed before grabbing her cup of tea again.
"Please," Santana started, handing the phone to her friend. "It's not because the two hottest chicks around are taken and together that you have to be bitter."
The publisher snorted. "God, cocky much? Even if you weren't, I wouldn't want you."
"Whatever you say, Quinnie, whatever you say…" The tan girl replied with a smirk.
"She is cute but no thanks." Quinn stated after looking at the picture. "I'm good where I am now. I don't want to date boys or girls. I can see Beth often, I'm passionate with my work and I have you guys and the little princesses. That's enough for me right now…"
Rachel spat her drink again. She should stop drinking because this conversation was too much of a shocker to keep a straight face. 'Quinn is bisexual! And she is in touch with Beth and by extension Shelby. What the heck happened in the last decade?'
"Seriously, what is wrong with you today?" The blonde asked, slightly annoyed by the girl's behaviour. "Do you need your kids to teach you how to drink properly again?"
The brunette cleared her throat. "Quinn, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to be rude and I apologize for this lack of manners. I guess I'm feeling a little…"
"Off…" The three girls finished simultaneously, staring at her.
"Yes…" The diva answered, a little uncomfortable under the girls' gaze. Did she say it so many times that they were able to finish her sentence now? Things were getting awkward and it would be a good idea to change the subject. Maybe talk about Beth could be a nice diversion. "When are you going to see Beth?" She questioned nonchalantly.
"Shelby has a date or something next week so she'll stay at my place and we're going to have a movie night." The publisher said excitedly, taking the bait. "By the way, I'll need to borrow some of your DVDs."
"Sure." Santana replied.
"So, what are we doing tonight?" Tina questioned enthusiastically. "I'm so ready to party!"
"You're always ready to party!" Quinn commented amused.
"So?" The Asian girl looked at her friend like she couldn't see where the problem was before talking again. "Anyway, I know this little French karaoke Bar in Carroll Gardens. No one should bother us there."
"You want us to party in Brooklyn?" The Latina asked surprised.
"Moi je dis oui!" The blonde replied, proudly using the French she learned in college. "And I'm sure Kurt will be thrilled too."
"Of course you would…" The raven-haired girl muttered. "I don't care where we're going as long as I can drink booze and have fun." She turned her attention toward Rachel. "Baby, what do you think?"
"Yes, it sounds like fun." The diva answered, still analysing what she heard before.
"Great, it's settled then." Tina concluded.
They talked for another 20 minutes until the girls had to leave.
The night started pretty well, they all ate at a little restaurant before going to the bar. Rachel couldn't help but think back at the party she hosted for the glee club. It was a bittersweet feeling because at this moment, she was still pining after Finn. That night, he treated her like he never loved her, calling her 'Clingy'. All she ever did was give Finn her full attention and adoration. It still hurt somehow even if they were back together now, well in her time… She was starting to wonder why she had forgiven his mistreatments so many times. How could they be back together when she felt more often than not unwanted, pressured, betrayed or ignored? She knew why, because of love. But was love enough to save their rocky ship?
When she looked at Santana seated across from her at the restaurant, smiling at her, it felt different though. The girl was actually paying attention to her whenever she had something to say. Even engrossed in a conversation, the raven-haired beauty would never ignore her. She would caress her hand or absentmindedly play with her fingers. All these things were making her feel even guiltier for what she did the other night.
The diva knew she wasn't perfect in her role of wife and mother but she could at least play the happy and cheerful friend for the night. When they arrived at the bar Tina had discovered, she was almost in a party mode even though she wasn't planning on drinking.
The bar was a nice place with a stage at the back of the room and bistro tables everywhere. They ordered a few shots before Tina decided to start singing, dragging Rachel with her.
They were all joking and laughing carelessly, especially Tina who was giggling like a teenager. Just like Rachel, Kurt wasn't really drinking, claiming he had some work to do in the morning. The brunette could feel his questioning eyes on her and she knew he wanted to stay sober to keep an eye on her. He wasn't the only one though because Quinn also seemed to watch her closely.
They took turns at the karaoke machine with drinks flowing endlessly until a very inebriated
Quinn dragged a very plastered Santana on the stage to sing a song. When Pink 'Just give me a reason' started, the Latina glared at her friend. "What the fuck Q! Are you serious?"
"Shut up and go with it. You should have said something already! I'm just giving you an opportunity here."
"Bitch." Santana mumbled.
The blonde rolled her eyes and started singing. She knew her friend needed a little push or she wouldn't start singing. Somehow, it wasn't a bad thing because what Santana wanted to express was more in the second verse.
"Right from the start you were a thief, you stole my heart and I, your willing victim. I let you see the parts of me that weren't all that pretty and with every touch you fixed them."
Rachel didn't know the song but the way the blonde kept looking between her and Santana made her tense. It was like a warning and she could tell the sweet beginning of the song was about to change. It was clear that she needed to listen because it was a targeted message to her, from her wife. She tried to act unaffected but she felt panic rise inside of her.
The publisher stopped singing and motioned or rather nudged for Santana to continue.
The Latina took a step closer to the microphone and looked briefly at her wife before focusing on the lyrics. "Now you've been talking in your sleep, oh, oh. Things you never say to me, oh, oh. Tell me that you've had enough. Of our love, our love."
The diva's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. That was it, that was the moment when Santana was laying her feelings bare and just like in glee club, well the few times she did it, she was using a song to express them. The girl could already feel the tears starting to form in her eyes. The Latina's voice rang through her ears. 'You know it won't be enough, right?' These words were stuck in her head since their romantic dinner, preventing her from sleeping peacefully.
"Just give me a reason. Just a little bit's enough. Just a second we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again. It's in the stars. It's been written in the scars on our hearts. We're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again."
The hurt in Santana's voice was evident and it was accentuated by Quinn's soft voice. Rachel felt her heart break a little. 'A romantic dinner can't fix this…' She could hear the girl's voice in her head again.
Quinn smiled at Santana and let her sing the next verse. "I'm sorry I don't understand where all of this is coming from. I thought that we were fine."
The diva could feel everyone's eyes on her and all her friends seemed to be on Santana's side on this one. She was starting to feel cornered and it was getting harder to breathe. In glee club, she could always storm out when it was too much but here she couldn't, it would hurt the Latina even more and she refused to do that.
The raven-haired girl looked at their friends before locking eyes with Rachel. "Your head is running wild again, my dear we still have everythin'. And it's all in your mind. You've been havin' real bad dreams, oh, oh. You used to lie so close to me, oh, oh. There's nothing more than empty sheets between our love, our love. Oh, our love, our love."
'I don't even know what the fuck 'this' is.' Another flashback of their dinner came back into the brunette's mind. 'You need to tell me what's wrong; you owe me at least that…'
The publisher joined her friend again for the chorus. "Just give me a reason. Just a little bit's enough. Just a second we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again. I never stopped. You're still written in the scars on my heart. You're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again."
The two friends finished the song before going back to their table. Rachel was at loss for words, something that was happening a lot in this world much to her dismay.
After the performance, Santana, Quinn and Tina kept knocking back drinks while Kurt and Rachel were talking, catching up on their respective lives since they last talked. The diva could tell the boy was trying to get information but without asking too many questions, afraid she would feel interrogated. It was clear by Kurt's face that her answers weren't convincing although the boy was doing his best to hide it. She was a good actress but she guessed having to fill a blank of ten years was harder than she thought, especially with close friends or a wife…
They were interrupted by Santana asking Rachel to dance. The diva accepted and rushed to the dance floor, glad to get away from Kurt's inquisition. They danced in silence, afraid to ruin the moment.
'This is nice.' The brunette thought. Santana's warm embrace felt nice and it made her feel safe and loved. She was getting used to the girl's affection, every hug, every compliment, every smile and soft kiss on her cheeks. It was also frightening because she was expecting them and sometimes, oh sometimes, after a hard and tiring day, she would even crave for them. But she wasn't ready to admit it.
"Why don't you want me anymore? Do you think I'm fat or ugly? Is it because of your co-star?" The Latina finally spoke, breaking their silent dance.
"What? No, of course not. You are a beautiful woman, Santana, inside and out." The brunette assured genuinely.
"Then why?" The raven-haired girl asked before breaking down in tears.
"Oh no, sweetheart, don't cry, please." Rachel said helplessly. That was exactly what she wanted to avoid.
"I… I can't …help it…" Santana stuttered between sobs.
The brunette kissed the Latina's cheeks gently, hoping the gesture would comfort her before taking her hand and leading her back to their table.
Kurt saw the upset girl and exclaimed. "Wow, it's been a while since we saw the weepy drunk!"
"Yeah, I'm wondering why…" Quinn spat, shooting daggers at Rachel.
"What does that mean?" The diva asked defensively. "If you have something to say then speak up, Quinn, otherwise keep your snarky comments to yourself."
The blonde rolled her eyes. "Oh please, everybody can see you're acting weird, don't play dumb!"
"I am not acting weird." The brunette defended herself. "And this is none of your business."
"Do you think I enjoy it? I never asked to be dragged into this!" The publisher yelled straight to the girl's face.
"Me neither!" Rachel yelled back without backing down.
Quinn raised her eyebrow. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
Santana who was still crying, approached the two girls. "I love you both. Why are you fighting? It makes me sad." She said, crying even more. "No one loves me."
"I love you!" Tina hugged the Latina and tried to make her dance. "Now, come on, dance, it will make you feel better."
Kurt decided to intervene before things got too far. "Okay, okay ladies. I can't deal with happy drunk, weepy drunk and angry drunk at the same time, so please, let's all calm down shall we."
"Are you on her side?" Rachel questioned, ready to storm out.
"What side? I'm not taking any side, there's not even a side to take. I'm trying to avoid a disaster right now. So Rachel, since you're practically sober, you should go home with your wife." The boy grabbed Santana and pushed her gently into Rachel's side.
Quinn looked at Rachel before studying Santana's state. "Do you need help to go home?"
"Did you seriously ask me that question? So what? You suddenly care if the evil and uncaring wife needs help." The diva snapped, holding Santana by the waist to keep her balanced. "Or perhaps you trust me so little that you're afraid I could abandon Santana somewhere on a sidewalk?"
"God, why do you have to be so dramatic all the time?" The blonde said before rolling her eyes.
"Are you serious?" The brunette cried exasperated. "Everyone has been questioning me all night like I'm plotting something and I'm sick of it."
"I didn't say anything." Tina informed her, trying to not be included in their cat fight.
"I'm just asking you if you need help with Santana, not if you're planning the world domination, jeez." The blonde clarified. "Besides, I was supposed to go home with you."
"No, I don't need your help, thank you very much." Rachel stated coldly. "And I think it would be better if you stay with Kurt and Tina tonight."
"What? Are you kicking me out?" The publisher asked in disbelief.
"I can't kick you out, we're not even leaving together!"
Quinn growled. "No shit, smartass."
"Wow, peace and love." The Asian girl shouted before singing. "Imagine all the people,
Living life in peace…"
"Tina, honey, shut up!" Kurt demanded. The girl pouted, sad to be interrupted. "Rachel, are you sure it's okay?"
"Yes!" Rachel replied fuming. "Despite what you all seem to think, I am capable of taking care of my wife and I don't need advice from a single woman who thinks she knows better than anyone else!"
"Oh, you did not!" Quinn barked before surging toward the diva.
Kurt stepped in front of her, holding her back. "Quinn calm down. What is wrong with you tonight, ladies?" He sighed wearily. "Rachel, just go, we'll talk later."
Rachel held Santana closer and got out of the bar to hail a cab. Before leaving, she heard Quinn shout. "I don't know what's wrong with you but I will find out eventually!" She sighed, going out with everyone might not have been a good idea after all…
The next morning, Rachel was about to take her breakfast alone in the kitchen when she heard the doorbell. She moved to the door and saw Quinn through the peephole. She opened the door with a stern look. "Good morning Quinn. May I ask what you're doing here?"
The blonde handed her a coffee. "Peace offering." She stated with a smile.
The diva stared at the girl for a moment before moving to the side. "Come in."
They went to the kitchen and sat on the stools. "So…" The publisher started. "I'm sorry about last night. I haven't drunk that much in a long time and I guess my old high school self came out to play…"
"Apology accepted." The brunette replied. "And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have lost my calm and refused for you to come back home with us."
"Apology accepted." The blonde looked at her friend before laughing.
The diva smiled despite her confusion. "What's so funny?"
"It's just…I don't even know why we fought! It was like we were both back in high school, acting like crazy bitches."
"Yeah..." Rachel forced a laugh but nothing was funny about Quinn's statement. She was still that girl from high school. She was this 17 year old senior trying to escape Lima and all the Neanderthals to succeed in New-York.
Quinn moved closer and hugged her before sitting back. "Anyway, I'm sorry. I guess sisters in law are meant to fight now and then, especially when it's us." She joked.
This time the diva really laughed. "I guess you're right. And it doesn't help that we are both under pressure because of work."
"Preach! I have this huge book deal with a writer and he's completely obsessive about everything. But at least I wasn't on my period because if I were, one of us would have had lost a limb."
Rachel chuckled. "I'm sure Santana would have had helped me."
"Yeah or she would have said 'Wanky' and asked for a boxing ring and some mud."
They giggled, glad to ease the tension between them. They kept talking for a while until Rachel got a call from Shelby asking her if she could come and get the girls.
A few days had passed after the bar incident and things seemed to have calmed down a bit. It was just another morning in this reality and Rachel was quietly sipping her tea while staring into space.
The diva could feel it was just the calm before the storm. It was clear that Santana was boiling inside and all the brunette could do was brace herself for the moment when the Latina would reach her breaking point.
Since the party, Santana had stopped cuddling her at night, leaving a space between them. Rachel should be relieved because it meant the Latina wouldn't try anything sexual but somehow, she missed cuddling and having Santana's warm, feminine body curled up against her at night.
Her cell phone chimed, drawing her attention back to the present. Rachel reached for it and saw a text from Kurt. 'Did you eat breakfast yet?'
The diva frowned at the text and glanced at the banana in her hand before looking back at her phone. She put her banana on the counter and started typing. 'Hello to you to Kurt. I just ate some fruit, why?'
The brunette bit her lip. Since Saturday night, she was trying to be more careful about what she was doing or saying. She needed to stay in character as much as she could but she was very aware now of all the things she didn't know about Future her. It wasn't just memories, it was her tastes and the way she acted around people too. She sighed as her phone chimed again. 'Great! Meet me at Tiffany's for a coffee and shopping date.'
After what happened at the bar, Rachel was in no mood to face Kurt but before she could reply her phone vibrated. 'Don't try to bail...'
The diva sighed again. She didn't have the energy to argue with the boy so she gave in. She typed a quick response. 'I'll meet you there at 9'
After an hour with Kurt, Rachel began to warm-up to the situation. It was nice to spend time with her best friend and enjoy the tea and cupcake he had bought for her. She was also glad to discover that they made it a tradition to eat breakfast in front of Tiffany's, the place they once visited during Nationals.
The diva knew it was naive to think Kurt wouldn't mention the night at the bar but she had hoped anyway and when he finally broached the subject, she realized her fun would be over soon.
"Rachel, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Kurt reminded her.
"Yes, I know that but I'm fine, Kurt. Santana and I are fine, Quinn apologized and I apologized too. We are all okay." Rachel quickly assured him, hoping it would avoid another conversation about it. She needed to distract him. "What do you think about going to the mall now? I want to buy something new. I feel like my wardrobe needs something shiny and fresh."
Kurt smiled and clapped his hands in agreement. He locked arms with the diva before leading her to the closer mall. 'Crisis averted.' The petite girl thought as she listened her friend talk about a fancy jacket.
Rachel had seen some pretty nice clothes since they started their shopping trip but she didn't want to buy anything, even if she knew she had the money for it. Her head was too clouded with thoughts to fully enjoy the moment.
"Are you sure you don't want to buy anything?" The designer asked while looking at the diva's empty hands. "You're the one who said and I quote 'I need something shiny and fresh.'"
"Yes and I haven't found anything 'shiny and fresh' yet." Rachel replied nonchalantly.
"Oh please, you were practically drooling in front of the Prada shoes and you just walked away from them. How can you walk away from Prada?!"
"Well I can, just like I'm walking away from Chanel now." The brunette answered, making Kurt gasp loudly. It was kind of funny to see Kurt still getting worked up over fashion. Somehow, it made her miss her Kurt, the younger version of him who in her time wasn't even talking to her.
"Blasphemy!" Kurt cried. .
The diva rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic!"
"Says the Queen of Drama!"
"In case you haven't notice, I don't fuss over clothes." Rachel argued. She couldn't believe they were bickering about fashion.
"Oh really? So all those times you panicked over what dress to wear to your award show, it was just my imagination?" The designer questioned amused.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." The brunette said. It sounded like she was too proud to admit anything but in fact it was the truth. She had no idea what Kurt was talking about because she never went to an award show, Future her did.
"If you say so… Let's try another shop, shall we." The boy suggested, linking their arms as they walked toward another store.
After wandering around the mall in a comfortable silence for a moment, Rachel stopped in front of a shop window full of dresses. "So, I've been thinking about buying Santana a dress, or maybe you could design one for her?" The diva had this idea stuck in her head since her 'romantic' dinner with the Latina. It could be a nice gesture to show the girl that despite everything, she cared about her.
The boy looked at her and smiled softly. "What's the occasion, Rachel?"
"There is no occasion, Kurt. I just want to buy a dress for my wife. Since when do I need a reason for that?" Rachel inquired as she dragged Kurt into a vintage clothes store.
"Well, 'random gifts' are more Santana's thing, you're more 'random romantic gestures'. When you buy things for your wife, it's either for a special occasion or to bribe her because we all know that witch is a tough one to crack." Kurt smirked when he saw Rachel wrinkle her nose before adding. "Or it's for a hot date night and you plan to get into her pants which is … eew."
"Kurt!" The small girl whisper-yelled, slapping his arm while blushing at his comment.
"Jeez, I'm kidding, let loose a little would you?" The boy exclaimed as he absentmindedly grabbed a shirt on display. "Besides, if you want to get into the witch's pants, you should just buy a nice pair of lingerie and wear it, you know, to make her all hot and bothered." Kurt shrugged before frowning at the distasteful tee-shirt in his hand.
"Oh my god!" The diva hid her face in her hands. 'Why are they all talking about my sex life, well my Future self's sex life? First my mother, now Kurt, did they all get a memo about embarrassing me?' She thought before clearing her throat. "Would you stop that! It's not funny, we are in public!" She looked at her friend who seemed clearly amused by her embarrassment. "Since when do you know anything about girls and lingerie anyway?"
"I know enough my dear." The blue-eyed boy stated. "Also, you know Santana, she doesn't have a filter for those things. Really, it shouldn't surprise you at this point."
"Oh god, I have a headache…" Rachel mumbled.
"Okay, sorry about that. How about I make it up to you by creating a dress for your evil wife…" Kurt offered.
"She's not evil." The diva interjected. She might have thought that before but since she arrived in the future, she knew it was far from true.
"Your evil wife." He insisted playfully, not caring that Rachel was shooting daggers at him with her glare. "In exchange though, you do a photo-shoot for my new casual chic line of clothes … with Santana?"
The brunette sighed wearily. She didn't know if she could decide on her own but she would figure it out later. "Fine! I'll do it but it better be a fabulous dress."
"Excellent!" The tall man exclaimed, clapping his hands with joy. "Now, what are you looking for in this store? Better yet, why are we even here? I could say a lot about these clothes and tasteful isn't a part of it."
"There are some nice clothes here, Kurt." The diva objected. "I like this style."
"Yeah, when you were in high-school." Kurt pointed out. "Your tastes have greatly improved since then. I'm still proud of the New York makeover I did. Darling, it's one of my best memories with you because you finally got rid of those awful sweaters."
"I'll have you know, Kurt, that I still like those clothes. Besides, if there is a store which sells them, it means that I'm not the only one. So for the last time, there's nothing wrong with them even if you make it sound like wearing them is an embarrassment." Rachel snapped.
"Rachel, I didn't mean it like that…"
The diva stormed out of the store, quickly followed by Kurt who was trying to apologize. She was trying to be more like her 'future' self but there was only so much she could take. She walked a little faster to make some space between them. A light tap on her shoulder made her stop and turn around. She expected to see Kurt but to her surprise, she was met by a young teenage girl, slightly taller than her, with dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a scowl on her face.
The brunette raised her eyebrow questioningly. "May I help you?"
The girl smiled politely before saying. "You're Rachel Berry, right?"
Rachel was ready to correct the girl and say 'Berry-Lopez' – which was kind of a shock since she forgot it more often than not– but she had a feeling the girl didn't really care so she let it go. "That would be me, yes." She replied instead.
Kurt finally caught up with the diva and looked at the teenager suspiciously. Usually Rachel's fans were squealing and jumping in joy to meet their idol but this one didn't seem too thrilled. He decided to move closer to his friend just in case. He squeezed her shoulder to let her know he was here and the diva briefly smiled at him before paying attention to the girl.
"So, uh … My girlfriend idolizes you like, a lot. She sings your songs and she's really good at it. She wants to be a singer and actress like you. She's really, really good but she's not here … Also I'm more of a fan of your wife, I thought I should try to get your autograph or Vicky would talk my ear off…" The girl explained, looking at Rachel who was listening to her rambling. "Actually, I was just buying her birthday present when I saw you. I thought that if I had an autograph from you, it would be like, the best gift ever or something."
Kurt brought his hand to his chest and 'awed' at the girl's words. It was a really cute gesture and the petite brunette couldn't help but smile.
"So, I … I bought her a DVD set of your musicals." The teen's demeanour seemed to change when she shyly handed the DVD for the diva to sign. "Would you mind…Would you mind signing it for her?"
"What's your name?" Rachel asked softly, grabbing a pen in her purse before taking the DVD.
"Just sign it to Victoria please." The girl replied quickly before mumbling. "And hum, thank you."
The diva signed the set and handed it back to the girl. "There."
"Thank you." The teenage girl smiled politely before walking away. She stopped when Rachel called her. "What?"
"Can I see your phone?" Rachel asked the confused girl. When she saw her hesitate, she added. "Just trust me." The teenager nodded and handed her phone to the diva. "Kurt, could you record a video please? Thank you." The little brunette quickly positioned herself beside the blue-eyed girl and waited for her cue.
Kurt rapidly understood what his friend wanted to do and happily pressed record on the phone. "We're on." He said.
"What are you doing?" The girl asked, slightly embarrassed about what was happening.
"Relax would you." The diva answered before facing the camera and flashing her 'Rachel Berry Mega Watt Smile'. "Hi Victoria, I believe your girlfriend said you're a fan of my work and more importantly that it's going to be your birthday soon." The Broadway star nudged the girl to make her talk but the teen only smiled and waved at the camera. "She refused to tell me her name but she was so sweet when she explained why she wanted me to sign your 'present'." The brunette winked at the camera and the blue-eyed girl blushed a little, mumbling 'I'm not sweet ' under her breath.
"So, happy birthday Victoria and remember, never give up on your dream. Never. Give. Up." Rachel put a hand on the teen's shoulder and added. "And take care of this one because she reminds me of my Santana." She saw Kurt hand the cell phone back before her eyes widened in realisation of what she just said. 'My Santana?' She quickly composed herself when the girl hugged her as thank you. She watched her leave before looking at her friend.
"Wow, I haven't seen that kind of fan in a while now." Kurt said as they began walking.
"She really reminds me of Santana. She had this half annoyed-half angry scowl on her face; it's the same thing when Santana is wearing her 'urghh face'." The small girl said with a dreamy voice.
"'Urghh face'?" Kurt asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Yes, you know, when she's like 'I can't believe I'm doing this but if it makes you happy then let's do it, preferably quickly if possible'. Rachel explained without looking at Kurt. "Anyway, behind it, there is an actual sweet, soft, gentle and caring girl. She's like a marshmallow… Oh no better, like a hard candy with a soft inside." She smiled, remembering all the sweet things Santana did for her.
"Oh my dear, it always amazes me how you keep gushing about Santana after all these years. You're still in love with each other, I think it's sweet." Kurt said with a grin.
"What? I'm not gushing." The brunette argued, trying to hide her surprise at the boy's statement.
"It's okay Rachel, you don't have to pretend. People already know that you two have the kind of love that lasts forever. To quote Quinn, it's disgustingly cute."
"We are not!" The diva replied a little too forcefully. When she saw the shock on Kurt's face, she tried to back-pedal. "I mean, Santana is mad at me right now, so we're not..." She sighed. Now that the cat was out of the bag, Kurt would never leave her alone.
The boy tried to speak but Rachel's phone chimed at the same time. She looked at it before saying. "Kurt, my chauffeur is here. I have to go to rehearsal. I'll talk to you later." She kissed the boy goodbye before walking toward the exit.