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A Matter Of Time
Chapter 11
Rachel looks at her reflection in the mirror. She had been waiting for this night all year, but now that it's here, her excitement feels a little forced. A couple of months ago she would have been excited about her senior prom, but as those months passed things had started to change.
She had always envisioned the perfect prom night. She would be wearing a nice dress whilst Finn wore a matching tuxedo. They would dance and just spend the night being in love. Only now she isn't sure if she's in love with Finn anymore.
Things have slowly changed between them and since the arrival of Santana, Rachel's feelings had started to change. She started to pull away from Finn and gravitated towards Santana. There were so many thoughts running through her head, each more confusing than the last, but she was going to put it behind her for tonight.
It was her senior prom and although it wouldn't be exactly how she imagined it to be, she could at the very least try to enjoy herself.
She hears the sound of a car pulling up outside so she looks out of the window and sees Finn's 1950 Opel Olympia pulling up in the driveway.
Rachel takes one last look at herself in the mirror before making her way downstairs.
Finn is standing there with her parents. He's wearing a tuxedo with a matching bow tie.
"You look beautiful sweetheart" Hiram says.
"Thanks Dad"
"I agree Rachel, you look stunning" Finn smiles.
He attempts to kiss her but she turns her head so his lips connect with her cheek instead. If he asks why she didn't let him kiss her later she'll just feed him some lie that she didn't want to be too affectionate in front of her parents.
At the moment though he doesn't seem to mind, he just wraps one of his arm around Rachel's waist.
"I need to get a photo" Shelby beams.
She picks up the camera and takes a photo, the flash momentarily blinding Rachel.
"One more just to make sure" Shelby says and before Rachel has a chance to reply the camera flashes again.
"I think that's enough now Shelby. I'm sure the kids want to get going to the prom" Hiram says.
"You two have fun."
"Thanks Mrs. Berry, I'm sure we will" Finn smiles.
He guides Rachel over to the front door with his arm before stopping to open the door for her. He does the same and opens the door when they reach the car, showing Rachel glimpses of the boy she first fell in love with.
It surprises her slightly that it doesn't have the same effect on her as it used to. She used to get the feeling of butterflies manically flying around her stomach. It took her a while to notice, but she hasn't felt like that around Finn for a few weeks now.
The butterflies in her stomach were now excited over someone else, someone they shouldn't be. Just seeing Santana causes that feeling in her stomach and a smile to grace her face. The feeling was different though and the only way she can describe it, is that it feels more intense.
Rachel had been thinking so much that she hadn't noticed that they had arrived at the school already. Finn opens the car door making her jump since she also hadn't realized he had gotten out of the car.
They walk into the school hand in hand and Rachel can't help but admire the beautifully decorated gym. There was a small stage set up at one side of the room, where the band is already performing and a small refreshment table at the other.
She spots Brittany dancing as best as she could with Artie and despite the difficulty of the wheelchair they seemed to be having a good time. Rachel also sees Quinn dancing with her boyfriend, Brian. They also look like they are enjoying themselves, they look like a happy couple having fun, even if Rachel knew the truth.
"Do you want to dance?" Finn asks.
"I'd love to dance."
Finn leads Rachel over to the dance floor amidst the other couples dancing. Rachel wraps her arms around Finn as they dance to the slow song. She'll also pretend to be a happy couple; it's only for a couple of hours after all.
Santana never thought she would be the type of person that would do something so sentimental. Yet here she is about to hijack the school prom to sing to the girl she had fallen in love with.
It took her a while to think of what song she could sing. All of the songs she knew hadn't been released yet, hell half of the artist weren't even born yet.
She was working at the diner when the perfect song came on the radio. As she listened to it every word replicated what she was feeling for Rachel.
When the band had taken a quick break, she had managed to talk to the lead singer and offered him a cash incentive for her to take to the stage for one song. When she told the band the song she wanted to sing, she was relieved when they told her that they knew it.
It was nearly the end of the band's break and Santana is starting to feel the nerves. It had been a long time since she had sung on a stage and she hasn't performed in front of an audience since glee club in high school and she was never nervous then, but she wasn't singing for something important then. Sure she was singing to win a competition, but that's nothing compared to singing for the heart of the girl you love.
The lead singer of the band signals to Santana that they are ready to take to the stage again. She waits for them to get into position before walking out onto the stage. The band start to play, her hand clasping the microphone starts to shake as she sings the first words.
Hold me close, hold me tight
Make me thrill with delight
Let me know where I stand from the start
I want you, I need you, I love you
With all my heart
It's a shaky start but she soon forgets the nerves and sings likes she had never stopped. Santana scans the room but she can't find Rachel amongst the pairs of couples dancing on the makeshift dance floor.
Every time that you're near
All my cares disappear
Darling, you're all that I'm living for
I want you, I need you, I love you
More and more
She finally finds Rachel in the crowd dancing with Finn, but her focus isn't on her boyfriend her eyes are looking straight at Santana.
I thought I could live without romance
Before you came to me
But now I know that
I will go on loving you eternally
Santana keeps her eyes on Rachel so that she knows that this song is for her and that she is stood on this stage pouring out her heart to her.
Won't you please be my own?
Never leave me alone
'Cause I die every time we're apart
I want you, I need you, I love you
With all my heart
As soon as the song finishes a new song starts and the lead singer of the band takes the microphone back from Santana. With one last look over at Rachel, Santana leaves the stage and exits the gym.
She just makes it out of the school when she hears someone call her name.
"Santana wait!"
She has a quick internal battle on whether to stop or not and in the end she decides on the former. She stops walking and turns to face the person who was calling her name.
"You never told me you could sing."
"It never came up. What's up Artie?" Santana asks.
"You just crashed the prom to sing a love song and you ask me what's up."
"I'm not in the mood."
"Is it Rachel?" Artie asks.
"Why would you think that?"
"I've seen the way you look at her. That song was for her right?"
"Yeah."
"So you're in love with Rachel? How long?"
"It's been slowly building over the past few months. The more time I spent with her, the more I fall for her."
"Does Rachel know?"
"I'm assuming so after that song. She didn't know before I sang it though."
"So you just randomly proclaimed your love to a girl by crashing her prom and singing to her while her boyfriend was there?"
"It wasn't random. She knew that I liked her, god did she know that I liked her. I slept with her."
"What? When?" Artie asks with complete shock.
"After she broke up with Finn."
"They broke up for a day. Damn you move fast. So I'm assuming things didn't go so well if she's got back together with Finn."
"I don't blame her for choosing the easy life with Finn, but I thought that she needed to know how I feel about her. I even told her that I was from the future."
"Was that a good idea?"
"I couldn't really lie about it, she overheard our conversation, but I'm glad she knows. Now there are no more secrets between us" Santana explains.
"Well maybe now she knows how you feel she might change her mind. You're definitely a better choice than Finn Hudson."
"Thanks Artie. I love you, you know. You really are a brother to me" Santana says bending down to give the boy a hug.
"I love you too San."
Santana stands up and turns around.
"Wait, where are you going?" Artie asks.
"To get the time machine" Santana replies as she walks down the street.
Artie watches as she walks away with the feeling that, that could have been the last time he'll ever see Santana. He turns his chair around and makes his way back over to the school only to be intercepted by Rachel.
"Hey Artie have you seen Santana?" she asks.
"She's gone."
"What do you mean she's gone?"
"She just said that she was going to get the time machine" Artie explains.
"That doesn't mean that she's gone."
"She was talking like she was leaving. Look if she was leaving she would have to go to go back to the place she appeared in the first place."
"I didn't get the chance to tell her something important. Where does she have to go?" Rachel asks.
"The park, she only left a few minutes ago, maybe you could catch her."
"Thank you Artie" Rachel calls as she runs out of the gym.
Rachel runs as fast as she can in the shoes she is wearing. She really hopes that Santana is still here and hasn't left to go home yet. Her lungs are burning with the speed she is running.
When she arrives at the park she heads straight for the bench near the pond. She has a feeling that if Santana was here that's where she would be.
When the bench is in sight she sees a figure at there.
"Santana" Rachel yells to get the other girl's attention.
"Rachel what are you doing here?"
"Artie told me that you were going back to your time and I wanted to see you before you went" Rachel says taking a seat next to Santana on the bench.
"I didn't know you could sing."
"I was in my high school glee club" Santana replies.
"The song, was that for me?"
"You know it was for you."
"Did you really mean what you sang?"
"I meant every word. I love you Rachel."
"I know that this is unfair to you, but I want to let you know before you leave. I love you too Santana."
Santana stands up from the bench with the time machine still clutched in her hands. She drops the small device onto the floor and stamps on it as hard as she can. She repeats her action two more times until the machine is mangled.
"What are you doing?" Rachel gasps.
Santana doesn't reply, instead she picks up the battered time machine and throws it in the pond.
"There, now Artie can never fix it again" Santana says.
"Do you realize what you've just done?"
"Yes" Santana replies as she sits back down on the bench.
"You destroyed the time machine Santana. Now there is no way for you to get back to your own time."
"I realize that, but I don't want to go back. I want to stay here."
"Why?" Rachel asks.
"I told you that I would fight for you and the only way I can do that is by staying here."
"Why would you leave your life behind?"
"I didn't have a life back there. I want the life I have here. I have a family here and friends and if you let me then I'd have you too."
Santana goes to reach out to take Rachel's hand but the shorter girl pulls it back before she can.
"Santana, I've told you before that we can't be together" Rachel says.
"Yes we can, especially now that I know that you love me."
"You know that's not the reason why."
"I know that you're scared but trust me we can make it work. Things will get better."
"You don't know that."
"Yes I do. I'm from the future remember? And I'm not saying that that the world is fully accepting, but it gets better. When I arrived here I had to hide who I was, I've never had to do that before."
"Did your parents know?" Rachel asks.
"Yeah, they were really cool about it actually. I admit I was scared to tell them and they said it might take them a while to adjust, but they accepted me and didn't treat me any differently. I won't lie to you, there are still people who are set in their ways. My grandmother is prime example. She told me she never wanted to talk to me again."
"You don't think there is a chance you could repair your relationship?"
"I don't think so. I don't think she would change her mind and even if she did I don't think I'm ready to forgive her. I looked up to her and she didn't love me enough to accept who I was" Santana explains.
"That's probably not true."
"Why else would she find it so easy to give up her relationship with me?" Santana questions.
"I'm sorry. I don't have an answer for that."
"Neither did she and that's the problem. Just because my Abuela acted that way doesn't mean that other people will. There are a lot of people that are open about their sexuality including famous people. We can make things work between us; the only people that need to know what's going on between us is you and I."
"How will that work?"
"People have best friends Rachel, you can be mine. That's all people need to know, as long as I know that you're my girlfriend, then I'd be happy. What?" Santana asks noticing the look on Rachel's face.
"It was just strange to hear you referring to me as your girlfriend. Not in a bad way, it just might take time to get used to."
"So you're considering it?" Santana asks.
"If I wasn't, I would have left a long time ago."
"I know it will be hard but take as much time as you need. I'll wait for you."
"I haven't got that much time Santana. I'm graduating in a few weeks and once I do, I'm expected to follow Finn to Ohio State. I got my acceptance letter last week" Rachel explains.
"We'll figure it out, I promise. Everything will work out" Santana says reaching out her hand again to Rachel who this time accepts it.
