"Rachel! Hey Rachel!"

Rachel hears the frantic girl calling her but she doesn't think it's a good idea to stop.

"Hey...please..." Rachel feels a hand on her elbow. She stops and turns to look at a panting Mackenzie. Mackenzie was determined to talk to Rachel so she ran to catch up with the other girl.

"Mac..."

"I just want to apologize!" Mackenzie interrupts. "Just give me a minute to apologize, please?"

Rachel looks at the desperate girl. There really is no reason for Mack to apologize again. It's not going to change anything. It's not like they can just forget about it and go back to being friends.

Rachel sighs. "Mackenzie I forgive you. You don't need to apologize again..."

"I do." Rachel rolls her eyes when she's cut off again. "Sorry. I just...I didn't mean to mess up our friendship. My...I guess I just got in my feelings and..."

"It's fine. But I really need to go." Rachel tries to end the conversation.

"I..okay." Mackenzie sighs. "I hope we are cool. Are we?"

"I can't be your friend, Mackenzie."

Mack frowns. "Why not?"

Rachel gives her a duh look. "You tried to kiss me. I have a girlfriend."

"Look...it was a mistake. I really am sorry. I..."

"What the fuck is this?"

Rachel and Mackenzie both jump. Standing beside them is a very angry Santana Lopez.

This is what Rachel was trying to avoid. The whole reason Rachel didn't want to stop and insisted on cutting the conversation short. Rachel knew Santana would be waiting on campus for her so they could go get lunch together. Rachel didn't have any desire to talk to Mackenzie and she definitely didn't want Santana to see them talking.

"Nothing. Mackenzie was jus..."

"I should beat your ass." Santana steps between them and into Mackenzie's face.

Mackenzie doesn't back down though. "I was just apologizing. Relax."

"Who th..."

Rachel grabs Santana's hand and yanks her back. "Stop."

"Don't fucking talk to my girl again." Santana growls. "Don't even fucking look at her."

"Santana stop." Rachel starts to drag her away. "Someone's going to call campus police if you keep it up."

Santana allows Rachel to pull her away but she makes sure to glare at Mackenzie over her shoulder.

Rachel releases Santana's hand once they get off of campus.

"Where do you wanna go to eat?"

Santana frowns. "Are we really just going to pretend like that didn't happen?"

"I guess not." Rachel rolls her eyes. "She just wanted to apologize. It wasn't that serious."

"She likes you, Rachel. Do you not fucking get that?" Santana huffs. "Excuse me for being upset that you're spending time with someone I clearly don't like for a good reason."

"Don't talk to me like that." Rachel frowns. "And that was the first time I've had any kind of communication with her since that accident. That happen a month ago. Get over it."

"Get over it?"

"Yeah," Rachel throw her hands up. "It's called trusting me and knowing that I wouldn't do anything to disrespect you or our relationship."

They just stand there, having a staring contest. Santana looks away first.

"I do trust you." Santana sighs.

"Please act like it." Rachel says. "The jealous act is only cute sometimes. I don't want it to be a issue in out relationship."

"I know." Santana pulls Rachel into her arms. "I'm sorry. That won't happen again. I just got ahead of myself."

Rachel finally smiles. "It's fine." She pecks Santana lisps and grab her hand to start walking again. "Come on, let's go get something to eat."

-/:-/-

"Can't you see I'm trying to pretend like your not there? Please stop with the sound effects." Quinn says when Rachel sighs for the tenth time.

They've been sitting side by side in the living room doing homework for the past hour. Ten minutes ago Rachel put her book down and started to try to get her best friends attention. So far Quinn has been actively ignoring her in favor of her school work.

"Seriously, Quinn?" Rachel huffs. "I need some attention."

"Rachel...I really need to finish this paper before we leave."

"So we won't go until you finish your paper." Rachel shrugs. "Just take a break for a few minutes please."

Quinn huffs but closes her laptop and set it off to the side. "What's up?"

Rachel jumps right into it. She tells Quinn about what happened with Santana at the bar and on campus. Rachel also explain how things are just weird with their relationship right now.

"It's like...I don't know. It's like one minute we are great and then the next she's distant and working all the time." Rachel sighs. "It just sucks because I'm going to start my teacher assistant thing again. That's going to be stressful because it's like when are we going to have time for each other?"

Quinn takes a second to process her friends words. "I think you shouldn't worry about it too much. At least until something actually happens or whatever. You don't wanna cause problems when there really isn't any. All relationships go through something and I know this is your first time in love, so maybe you are reading into everything a little more then it needs to be."

"Yeah," Rachel understands what Quinn is saying but she still have concerns. "I guess. I mean...I think she's going to let go of the Mackenzie thing. That definitely will help because I can't deal with a jealous Santana."

Quinn laughs. "I can just picture it...she probably growled at the girl."

"She serious did." Rachel laughs.

"I think it'll be okay. San's just madly in love with you and that really is the first time she had to deal with someone hitting on you. I mean she probably is just feeling some type of way because she knows you've been upset about her working. She felt threaten. That'll happen." Quinn shrugs.

Now that she stops and think about it, what Quinn is saying makes perfect sense. It always seemed like Rachel and Santana were in their own little bubble. So caught up in each other. But now they face the challenges of Rachel finishing school and needing to study between working and Santana trying to adjust to her job. Plus they haven't really had issues with someone trying to insert themselves into their relationship. Sure they've both had their fair share of people hitting on them but those were easy blow offs. They didn't have to see that person around like they see Mackenzie. But Rachel is sure they have worked that issue out and they will work out whatever else life decides to throw at them. Together.

"Right."

"Okay are you good? Need any more advice from dr. Q. Fabray?"

Rachel rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Go back to your paper dork." Rachel press a kiss to Quinn's cheek before getting up to go to her room. "Thanks babe."

One finished paper, three hours and too many drinks later, Rachel finds herself sitting at the bar with Quinn and Mercedes, watching Santana and Brittany play pool on the other side of the room.

Santana looks up and Rachel catches her eye. Santana gives her this look. Five minutes later Rachel feels Santana pressed against her back, arms holding her.

"Stop looking at me like that." Santana whispers into her ear.

"Like what?"

"Like you want me to take you to the restroom and do some nasty things to you."

Rachel opens her mouth to answer but gets cut off by Mercedes. "That's...you do see us sitting here, right?"

Santana rolls her eyes. "That's why I was whispering."

"You thought you were."

"Whatever. Get yourselves a shot." Santana takes a fifty dollar bill out of her wallet and sits it on the bar next to Rachel's empty glass. "Rachel and I are leaving. Have a nice night ladies."

Rachel drunkly giggles and takes Santana hand.

"I don't think I'm coming home tonight Quinn."

"Obviously."

Rachel laughs and follows Santana out of the bar.

Tbc

A/n: hey guys. Drop me a line or two. Thanks for reading!