Chapter 12
"Are you sure this is safe?" Rachel peered over the fence, a flash of terror in her eyes. She had been standing there for at least ten minutes at this point. And Quinn was starting to get tired of it, something Santana was quick to spot.
"It's a goat Rachel! You feed it, pet it and walk the fuck away." The blonde huffed, walking up to her and grabbing her hand. Brittany and Santana were standing off to the side, observing the two. Every interaction between Rachel and Quinn was exciting and no one was willing to miss it.
"One, Language. There are children around. Two, what if it bites my finger off? I'll be hideous for the rest of my life!" Rachel struggled to get her hand free, pulling away with all her might and not getting anywhere. Who knew Quinn was so strong?
"The only child I see is you. And if it bites your finger off. I'm sure Santana would fight the goat back for it. Now just stand still!" Quinn tugged on Rachel after giving her hasty reply. "There! Just.. Stay." She grabbed the shorter girls shoulder with her free hand, planting her to the spot. "Now wait for the goat to come to you."
Rachel's eyes flickered over to the blonde and then past her to land on Santana. Her face heating up instantly, Santana nodded slightly to let her know that it would be okay. She knew Quinn wouldn't let anything happen to Rachel, because Quinn would end up face first in some random pile of shit that she kept smelling. Brittany nudged her gently with her shoulder once Rachel had looked away and focused her attention on the animal now approaching her.
"She has a sparkle when she looks at you." Brittany whispered, feeding a goat that had wondered her way. If Santana's face wasn't hot enough, she was burning now after that comment.
She really hated it when Brittany was right.
"Santana!" A squeal came from behind her, as a small pair of arms wrapped around her waist. "I still have all my fingers and I fed a goat!" breathing deeply to settle her beating heart. Santana let out a chuckle and a sigh of relief when Rachel let go of her.
"Good for you. This mean we can finally get out of this place. I'll be smelling shit for a week."
"What not use to how you smell after Coach Sue's intense workouts?" Quinn smirked at Santana, already taking off down the path way. An angry Latina on her heels.
"I actually like how Santana looks after those work outs..." Rachel's eyes widened once she had realized what came out of her mouth. Brittany chuckled, wrapping an arm around the smaller girls shoulders.
"You know Rachel. I think you might be the right kind of unicorn that Santana has been looking for."
Rachel groaned and slumped off down the path, following the yells of her other two friends. It really scared her how right Brittany could be sometimes. The only thing that was holding her up was... Is she really ready to accept the feelings she might have for Santana? Only time will tell.
The thunder crashed loudly across the night sky, flickering the lights then taking them out completely. The sudden change of having light to complete darkness earned several screams and one loud swear word. Which in turn was followed by a sharp smack and a different swear word.
"Berry! Santana's to your right. Not to your left!" Quinn barked into the darkness, scrambling from the bed in fear of being smacked again.
"oh. I'm so Sorry Quinn."
"OW! Jesus Rachel!" Santana barked into the dark, following Quinn's movement and falling backwards from the bed. "Why do you have to hit me each time I swear?"
"Because, your mouth could be used for better things!" Rachel blurted out, thankful that the lights were out. Even though the heat radiating from her face could light up the entire room. A snickering came from the floor.
"She is very talented." Brittany chimed in, sitting up and trying to find her three friends.
The last thing any of them heard, was a sharp intake of breath, bedroom door slamming shut, a few stumbles down the stairs and the front door being closed forcefully.
Thunder rocked the house, shaking Santana from her daze and pushing her into action. She almost bolted over her own bed, landing on Quinn without even giving her an apology and running after Rachel. Leaving the two blondes alone in her room.
"Hey B?" Quinn cleared her throat, a scuffling sound following after as she located a flash light. She found the childish eyes of Brittany when she switched the light on.
"Yes Quinn?" Brittany replied with some pep, pulling herself up onto the bed and patting the side next to her. Quinn quickly filled that spot.
"Things are different with Santana, right?"
Brittany nodded.
"She knows things even I don't. I think the spirits are talking to her. Telling her to protect us." They way Brittany spoke sent chills through Quinn's body. She had been thinking the same thing.
The rain was falling hard now as Santana frantically searched for Rachel in the down pour of doom. She knew it was pointless trying to call out for the girl, but her heart was breaking and she didn't know if she could handle losing Rachel. She made multiple runs up and down her road, tears mixing with rain as she tried to search for the small brunette. She was just about to turn around and go home when she spotted the girl. Curled up, soaked and shivering under a nearby tree.
Running up to the broken looking girl, Santana dropped to her knees and wrapped her up in her arms. She had made a promise to herself a long time ago to protect Rachel. And she be damned if she broke that promise right now. cradling her head in her shoulder, Santana soothed Rachel over the sound of rain. This action continued for a while, until Rachel's breathing evened out and Santana felt it was safe to pull back.
"Rachel Pl-." suddenly she was cut off by a pair of lips covering her own.
"Do you think we should go look for them?" Quinn lifted her head from Brittany's shoulder and cocked her head sideways to get a good look at her. Brittany was about to open her mouth when both girls heard the front door open and close, followed by one set of soggy foot steps starting to climb the stairs.
Simatamisoluy, both girls sat up on the bed and watched as the bedroom door opened and a soaked Santana sulked into the room. Not making eye contact with either girl, she started to strip off her wet clothing and headed straight for the bathroom. Swearing violently, when the light wouldn't turn on.
"Santana?" Quinn called out, squinting her eyes in the dark to make out the back of Santana's body.
"S?" Brittany slid off the bed, slowly making her way to the girl. She could feel that something was off and Brittany was never wrong. As soon as she reached the girl, Santana crumbled to the ground and stayed like that.
"What happened?"
"She just fell over and-"
"We don't know if she hit her head."
"God, please Santana be alright."
"Santana?" A voice called out to her. "Santana, come to the land of the living." A snicker. "Well I guess not the living. But get your ass up. People are worried."
She groaned, slowly lifting her eye lids and having the worst feeling that she had died again. And sure enough, she was back again. Looking at the sky of gray and digging her hands into the grass underneath her.
"What the fuck happened now? Struck by lightning?" She sat up slowly, sending a glare to Runic, whom to her, looked like he was having the time of his undead life.
"You passed out. And I can assure you, that you are not dead. although you came close too. Missed the corner of the sink by inches." He grabbed her arm and lifted her to her feet. "I sent you back to fix things, not have accidents every five seconds."
Santana glared at him even more.
"Yeah well, I'm starting to think that sending me back has just fucked more shit up." She pulled her arm free of him and dusted her clothing off.
"Oh really? You think that? Well since you're going to be knocked out for a bit. Would you like to see how life would have been after you died?" He raised a brow, his eyes burning into hers. Santana let out a deep sigh.
"Don't have much of a choice do I?" Runic chuckled up at the sky.
"You always have a choice, it just depends on which way you look at it."
"Right right, blah blah. Find my path, save people I love. Can we just get on with this?" She sighed, taking a step towards him and planting her hands on her hips.
"There is so much fire in you Santana. That's why I sent you back." He raised his hand and placed it on her forehead.
"We are gathered here today to lay rest to another young lost soul. We send our prayers up to you Lord, to watch over Santana as she is in your care now."
The Preachers voice carried on in the background as Santana watched her own coffin being lowered into the ground. It was an eerie feeling, knowing that that was her. That was the end of her life right there. She looked up at the people surrounding her grave and was surprised to find that there were many people mourning over her now lifeless body. Her heart twinged when they landed on three special girls.
Rachel, Brittany, and Quinn were all standing together and the foot of her grave. Quinn was completely shut down, staring off into the distance and rotating her cross necklace between her fingers. Next to her, Brittany was holding tightly onto Rachel as both girls shed harsh tears, unable to face the reality of it all.
And just like that the scene changed.
Choir room. Glee club. Not so Gleeful as before.
Mr. Shue was propped up against the piano, his head resting on his hand and silent tears hitting the wooden surface. It was silent, as if watching a black and white movie with no sound. Santana turned from her former Teacher and scanned the room. It hit her hard. No smiling faces, no talking. Just each kid lost in their own thoughts. She wanted to call out to them. Tell them that they could move on, that she would never be truly gone. But even she knew. How can you move on from something like that?
Rachel's room.
The girl was sitting on her bed, swinging her feet back and forth over the edge of her bed, a piece of paper in her hands. Santana walked over to the girl, ignoring the painful look on her face and started reading. Her face fell. She always knew Rachel was struggling with something inside. But never this. She reached out for the girl and cried in pain when her hand just went right through her. Holding back her own tears, she watched as Rachel leaned over and open a drawer on her bedside table. The pain intensified when she pulled back and brought out a bottle. Popping the cap off, Santana could do nothing but watch as Rachel swallowed half the contents and fell. Her own note floating to the ground, signifying the end of another life.
Brittany's Room.
Santana was shaking now. If Brittany decided to take the same road as Rachel. She would be completely broken. The blonde always held a special part in her heart and Santana always made it her goal to keep the girl happy. Brittany was bent over her bed, saying her last goodbyes to Lord Tubbington, a suit case sitting next to her. Something passed through Santana. Brittany's mom. She wrapped her daughter up in her arms and just held the blonde as she broke down once more. That's when Santana noticed, her room was empty, nothing was left in it. Her best friend couldn't even stay. She was moving to another life.
Quinn's room.
Quinn, was sitting on her bed, legs curled up to her chest and her Father leaning over her, reading to her from the bible. Silent tears were streaming from her face as he lowered the book and stared at her hard. Santana knew what was going to happen next. He placed the book on her bed and raised his hand, pulling it back, he placed a hard slap to her face and Santana snapped.
"Get me out of here! Runic!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and all went black.
"Why? Why would you show me that?" She fell to her knees, her eyes burning with tears that she didn't want to fall. Her chest was on fire and her breathing was coming in short and few. Runic was standing over her, his face in a fallen state.
"Because Santana, that is how life was without you. You see now, what I mean about choosing the right path. How do you think they felt? How all of them felt after you were gone?" He leaned down and forced her too look at him. "It is time now Santana. Time for you to return. I am always here."
"Santana.. Please come back.." Rachel's voice broke through to her, she could feel a warmth in her hand and she knew Rachel had to be holding her hand. It lit her up inside and she never wanted that fire to die.
"I'm here.." her voice came out rough and slow, startling the brunette next to her. Rachel instantly tightened her hold on Santana's hand.
"Oh Santana.. I am so.. I'm just.."
"Rach.. Please, I'm okay." Santana opened her eyes to find she was laid up in a hospital bed, curtains drawn and the sun setting off in the distance. Rachel was the only one there, holding onto her as if she was her only life line and those chocolate eyes were starting to glisten. "Don't cry Rachel. It's not allowed."
The smaller brunette let out a small, shaky breath at that and nodded.
"Can I.. Is it safe for me to.."
"Get in here shorty. We both need it." Santana scooted over in the bed and held an arm up for Rachel.
"I'd die without you."
That was the last thing Santana heard as Rachel curled up into her and fell asleep.
"I know you would. If only you knew..."
