Author Note: Sorry about the wait, I got stuck on this chapter and it didn't come out quite how I saw it in my head but it does the job =) sorry, as well, for my appalling Spanish! I only know the basics and I suck at languages but I felt the need to put it in so that's where google translator came into play. Though don't worry, the translation (what it should translate to anyway, knowing my luck it's probably just gibberish XD) is at the bottom of the chapter.
Massive thanks, as always, to Becca for being awesome and saving me from making too many mistakes! Love you muchly, my friend =) thank you to all my readers and reviewers as well, you all rock!
**Edit: A giant thank you to TeMy for correcting my Spanish and generally being brilliant =) you have no idea what a lifesaver you are, I shall definitely be requiring your skills in later chapters as well.
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing.
Chapter 29
Don't Look Back
"So you girls have fun?" Leroy glanced in the rear-view mirror at Santana with her arm around Rachel in the backseat. They nodded, the diva sending her father a beaming smile that told the man she would be gushing about it all later.
Leroy turned into their road. As they got closer to the Berry house, he heard Santana let out a low growl.
"Fuck my life."
He glanced back at her, about to enquire about her outburst, when he spotted the gleaming silver Mercedes Benz in their driveway and the question died on his lips. "Oh."
"What? What is it? Santana?" Rachel peered out the front window. "Whose car is that?"
Santana sighed. "It's my father's car."
They pulled into the drive alongside the Mercedes and the Latina was out of the car and half way to the front door before Leroy had turned the engine off.
Rachel and Leroy could do nothing but exchange worried glances and hurry after her.
The front door slammed open making the two men in the kitchen freeze.
"What was tha-"
"What the hell are you doin' here?" Santana had appeared in the doorway, her eyes locked onto the tall, suit-clad man, his cup of coffee half way to his mouth.
When Carlos didn't reply, Hiram cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Your dad came round yesterday to see how you were but since you weren't here I told him he could come back today. And, well, here we are... oh look, here's Rachel and Leroy!"
The aforementioned two appeared in the doorway behind Santana, who hadn't moved and was just staring at her father.
"Santana-"
"Don't."
"But-"
"You shouldn't even be here. Why are you here?"
Carlos set his cup down and took a step towards his daughter, "I wanted to see that you were okay-"
"Bullshit."
"Santana Lopez, don't you dare use language like that! Don't you dare be so rude!"
"I'll use whatever language I like so why don't you just fuck off?"
Carlos gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. "This is neither the time nor the place for this, Santana."
"For what?" she shrugged. "You leavin' an' not comin' back?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Actually, I'm not too sure. ¿Estás hablando del hecho de que eres una mierda de padre? ¿El hecho de que no te importo una mierda? ¿O el hecho de que eres una persona despreciable? Because there never seems to be a time or a place to talk about that kinda stuff so why not here? Why not now?" Santana strode up to her father and prodded him so viciously in the chest that he took a step back. "You never have time for me so I'm makin' time for you right now." (1)
Carlos glanced around the room at the three Berrys stood watching them, each looking as awkward and concerned as the last. "Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I shouldn't have come."
"You think?"
"Umm maybe we should give you some privacy." Leroy beckoned to his husband and started to usher Rachel out of the room.
"No. It's okay. He was just leavin'." Santana hadn't taken her eyes off her father once, she wanted him gone, wanted him as far away from her as possible.
"Santana, no involucres a estas personas. Esto no tiene nada que ver con ellos. Tú eres mi problema." (2)
"¿Crees que quiero que ellos se involucren? Son buenas personas que no merecen ser arrastrados en nuestra mierda." (3)
"¿Entonces por qué estás liada con uno de ellos?" Carlos's eyes flickered to Rachel. (4)
Santana had to use every bit of self control she possessed to stop herself from hitting her father as hard as she possibly could until he bled. "I think you should go. Now. Antes de que haga algo de lo que me arrepienta." (5)
"Uh yes, I have things to do anyway. I'll... try and come back to see you some other time."
"Don't bother. I already have everythin' I need here."
The man nodded. He straightened his tie, brushed invisible specks of dust off his jacket and headed for the door. "Thank you for the coffee, Hiram. I'll see you at the hospital, Leroy." The men shook hands but Carlos hadn't finished. He turned back to look at his daughter for a long moment before speaking. "Sólo porque estás pasando tiempo con esta gente no pienses que has cambiado. No creas que eres mejor que yo. Todavía eres mi hija, Santana, siempre serás mi hija. Tú y yo somos iguales - no somos más que fracasados. Siempre lo hemos sido, siempre lo seremos." (6)
He disappeared then, leaving the Berry house in silence and Santana on the verge of tears. Her whole body shook with rage and the effort of holding back the sobs that threatened to take over. She didn't even notice the Berry men watching her with concern as Rachel stepped towards her hesitantly.
"Santana... Santana, are you okay?" The smaller girl reached out for her hand.
Santana jerked away from the touch, snatching her hand back. "Don't-Don't touch me..."
"S-Sorry! I'm sorry, San-"
"No, I... just need... Puck. I need to see Puck... I'll be back later." She brushed past Leroy and Hiram, grabbed her car keys and was gone.
The sound of her car starting and driving off was like a slap in the face to Rachel, but what could she do? This was Santana's thing – a private, family matter between her and her father so Rachel shouldn't get involved... like that was going to stop her though!
It hadn't taken long before Santana was outside Puck's house banging on his front door, shouting for him to let her in.
"Whoa, Lopez, chill!" comes his voice from the upstairs window. "I'm comin', I'm comin'." She waited impatiently as he reached the door and undid the latch. "Now, what the hell do you- San?" His eyes took in the tear tracks on her cheeks and her red eyes. He reached out for her but stopped when she shook her head.
"I need to get very, very drunk right now, okay?"
He opened the door wider and nodded. "You've come to the right place."
Before he'd even shut the door again she was down the basement steps and peering in his mini fridge. Santana wasn't there because she needed to talk or because she thought he'd understand her situation better than any of her other friends – she was there because of the stockpile of alcohol he kept in the basement. She was there because he wouldn't ask questions, he'd just let her be and that's what she needed more than anything right then.
She needed to forget – and she found that getting completely and utterly wasted was the quickest way to achieving that goal.
1. Are you talking about the fact that you're a shitty parent? The fact that you do not give a fuck about me? Or the fact that you are a worthless human being?
2. Do not get these people involved. It has nothing to do with them. You are my problem.
3. You think I want them to get involved? They are good people who do not deserve to be dragged into our shit.
4. Then why are you fucking with one of them, then?
5. Before I do something I regret.
6. Just because you're spending time with these people don't think you've changed. Don't think you're any better than me. You're still my daughter, Santana; you'll always be my daughter. You and I are the same - we're nothing but damaged goods. Always have been, always will be.
AN: So lemmie know what you thought, okay? Thanks for reading =)
Peace Out.
