Author's Note: Fortunately I found my notebook with the next few chapters written in! I have maybe 1/2 more chapters written after this one, and then I gotta start writing it again so you may have to bare with me as I am very rusty - not written much in the last year =/

This is just a short chapter to tide you over (I have Carpal Tunnel in both hands/wrists so it's hard to type for long periods of time) and prove that the last chapter wasn't just a one off! Unfortunately after today I will be working nonstop until my next day off next week sometime, so I'm not gonna have much time to type but I will do my best for you guys =)

Anywho, thank you so much to the lovely people who reviewed and favourited the story. It means so much to me, guys =)

Much love,

Maxx

Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing! Except the warm feeling I got when I helped my best friend to get her douchebag of an ex-landlord off her back yesterday =)

Chapter Thirty Seven

I Can't Forget - Part 2

As Prom loomed, more and more Santana found herself remembering the argument with her mother. She hasn't even put her name down for Prom Royalty and was more than happy to let Puck and Lauren, or even Quinn and Frankenteen win. But her mother's words still stung like a slap across the face whenever she saw the campaign posters or heard someone talk about it – which, seeing as it was right around the corner, was often.

But who the hell would vote for her anyway?!

The week leading up to Prom flew by in a blur of Glee rehearsals and dress shopping. The latter being avoided like the plague by Santana. Leroy had been the first to notice Santana's growing anxiety and hesitation. He had pulled her aside an hour into her first forced mall trip on the pretense of a coffee run, leaving Hiram to deal with the girls and Kurt.

"So…"

"Uh I hate it, Leroy! I haven't worn anythin' close to a dress since Regionals an' I'd really like it to stay that way. Years of cheerleadin' uniforms have scarred me for life!" The girl had practically thrown herself into a chair as they waited for their coffee. "Please don't make me go back there. I'm beggin' you, dude!"

Leroy couldn't help the laugh that slipped from his lips. The sound made her scowl but when their order was called the Berry man steered her away from where a giddy Hiram wouldn't noticed their absence for a while and towards a different kind of clothes shop.

An hour later, with a carefully packed shopping bag in either hand, Santana followed Leroy back through the mall, her Prom outfit bought and an ironclad excuse to get out of the rest of the shopping - she told Rachel that she wanted to surprise her, and be surprised in return - Rachel was, of course, sceptical, but Leroy reassured his daughter that he had it in hand. Quinn called Santana out on her bullshit outright – but Brittany, Tina, Mercedes and Kurt were all more than happy to commandeer the shopping trips.

When the day finally arrived there were two people more excited about it than anyone else – and they weren't even students! Hiram and Leroy had slowly been getting giddier as the week had gone on, practically tripping over each other to help the Prom committee and taking Rachel and her friends to clothes shop after expensive clothes shop.

"Santana! Rachel! Come on, you're going to be late!" Leroy called up the stairs. "And your dad still needs to take copious amounts of photos of you both!"

Hiram stood by the door fiddling with a camera as Leroy paced. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you're not careful, dear," the smaller man commented without looking up from where he was figuring out the zoom on his new, expensive, bought-just-for-the-occasion camera.

"I'm just nervous, aren't you nervous? It's our baby's first dance! First official one with Santana too! They can't be late!"

"And they won't be. It is our daughter we're talking about here! She even came out of the womb early, she is not going to miss this-"

The men were stopped short by the sound of approaching footsteps from upstairs. Santana stopped about halfway down the stairs, uncertainty clouding her face.

"What do you think?" She spread her arms wide for the men to inspect her.

Hiram's mouth dropped open, his eyes taking her in – from her freshly polished combat boots, up the perfectly pressed and tailored black suit trousers, to the crisp white, fitted shirt and skinny light pink tie (to match Rachel's dress, Leroy had hinted). Her hair fell loose onto her shoulders, dark and silky, she tucked it behind her ears while she waited for the verdict.

"Wow… Santana, you look…" Hiram could do nothing more than gesture wildly.

His husband smirked, patting him lovingly on the back as he disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. Leroy returned with the matching black suit jacket he had been ironing for her and a single short stemmed rose that he slipped into the pocket of it over her heart. She reddened but smiled her thanks. "You look perfect, Santana," the taller Berry bent to press a kiss to her cheek, his smile matching his husband's. "Don't worry, okay? Everything will be perfect tonight."

Hiram squeezed her arm before stepping back, brandishing his camera. "Alright, first picture of the night!"

"Oh, come on!" Santana tried to escape but Leroy already had a vice-like grip around her shoulders. "Fine! Just get it over with then."

"Smile!"

The camera flashed a good dozen times before they heard Rachel's bedroom door open and close. The girl in question appeared a moment later, making her way carefully down the stairs – it wasn't until she was nearly at the bottom that she realised she had three pairs of eyes on her.

She blushed, her eyes immediately finding Santana's. "What do you think?"

Santana's eyes raked up and down the tiny diva, her jaw dropped and she floundered, searching for the right words to describe exactly how she felt about Rachel in that moment. But that would have to come later…

A flash of light drew her out of it - Hiram bounced on the spot, taking photo after photo.

"You'll catch flies if you're not careful," Leroy nudged the girl's chin with his finger, eyes sparkling.

Santana elbowed the man, a crooked grin now in place to shrug the moment off. But the way her heart thumped hard against her rib cage and her mouth had run dry could only mean one thing. "Fuck," she ran her good hand through her hair, her right hand was still bandaged, albeit only lightly so now.

"Come on, come on, come on! I need photos of you love birds together now," Hiram ushered Santana towards the bottom of the staircase where his daughter waited, smoothing down her prom dress.

The bodice of the strapless pink gown showed off the smaller girl's figure – a silk ribbon synching in the waist to tie at the back – while the skirts of thicker material and sheer netting worked together so it flowed elegantly without making it impossible to move in.

Santana couldn't help her staring as the Berry men snapped away happily. "You look beautiful," she whispered into her girlfriend's ear. "Actually, you look… I don't know, somethin' so much more than beautiful but I don't think the right word has been invented yet."

Rachel shook her head, 1000 watt smile lighting up the room. "You're crazy. You're the one who looks incredible."

"Shut it, Tiny, an' just let me compliment you, okay?"

"Ah there's the Santana I know," she teased, reaching up to kiss the girl softly on the lips.

Hiram squealed with delight at the photo op.

"Hold that thought, okay?" Santana pulled away and vanished into the kitchen, returning with a corsage to match Rachel's dress. She slipped it onto the girl's wrist, bringing her hand up to her lips for a sweet kiss. "Now you're ready for Prom."

William McKinley High School was already awash with light and sound when they arrived, students streamed in from the parking lot, past the unlucky staff that had gotten stuck chaperoning, and into the transformed gymnasium. A stage had been set up at the far end – the band all ready for the Glee club's performances. Along one side of the huge room a table with snacks and a punch bowl was guarded tirelessly by one Sue Sylvester, her best tracksuit freshly dry cleaned for the occasion.

Strings of lights and long red and silver banners swooped from the centre of the ceiling to every wall. But it was the students themselves in elegant dresses and dashing suits that brought the whole thing together. It was cheesy and over-the-top (especially the photography station that had naked bulbs forming a giant star as its backdrop), everything Santana hated. But when she saw Rachel's eyes light up and felt the girl grip her arm in excitement, she found she didn't care so much anymore.

"Come on, there's Tina and Mike!" Rachel tugged Santana through the crowd, weaving her way over to their friends.

"You guys are here! You look amazing!" Tina threw her arms around Rachel, the two girls almost bouncing in each other's grip.

Santana exchanged a smile with Mike, bumping fists as their girlfriend's chattered away.

"Damn, Rach."

"What?" Rachel followed Tina's eye line to find her friend very obviously checking out her girlfriend. The diva couldn't stop the smile that appeared at Tina's tone of voice.

"Santana's always been hot but this… this is on another level…"

"What'cha gawpin' at there, T?" Santana's eye glittered. "Careful," She sauntered up to the black haired girl, a wicked grin in place. "Don't wanna make your boyfriend jealous!" She pressed a kiss to the girl's cheek before taking Rachel's hand. "Let's dance, Tiny."

Rachel could only laugh as her smoking hot girlfriend led her away from a flustered Tina and confused Mike and into the middle of the crowd, wrapping her arms around her. It didn't take long for Rachel to forget everything else and fall into Santana's rhythm. Their bodies moved together, the up tempo music getting the whole place on its feet. There was something about dancing with the beautiful Latina – the girl's hands taking this golden opportunity to wander freely – that made her feel both hyper self-aware and completely out of control all at the same time.

They danced together – all hands and heat and laughter – their friends fitting in around them, not daring to interrupt and face Santana's wrath. Not that she even knew there was anyone else but Rachel there…

It wasn't until the music faded out and a familiar voice came over the speakers that either girl looked about them to find the place packed and all eyes on the stage.

"Welcome to your Prom, Students of William McKinley. I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight, but not too much! Couch Sylvester would like me to remind you that we still have a couple weeks of school left. So party responsibly!" Principal Figgins paused to watch the students evenly.

Will coughed pointedly beside him.

"And now, for your entertainment, I give you the New Directions!" Figgins swept an arm wide, stepping away from the microphone as Tina strode onstage to the first notes of Avril Lavigne's "What the Hell" – the rest of the Glee girls, bar Rachel and Santana, backing her up.

"You say that I'm messing with your head,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
All cause I was making out with your friend!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Love hurts whether it's right or wrong,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
I can't stop cause I'm having too much fun!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah!"

A huge cheer went up from the crowd, Santana and Rachel joining in as their friend rocked her heart out, a huge grin on her face the whole time. The pair pushed their way to the front to dance with Mike – who couldn't look prouder of his badass girlfriend, or more love struck, if he had tried – and the rest of the Glee guys.

Puck shot Santana a wink and an approving nod, the two slapping a high five when Rachel wasn't looking. "You sure about this, dude?" the boy spoke into her ear as loud as he dared, his eyes on the tiny diva singing along between Mike and Kurt.

"You gonna try an' talk me out of it or somethin'? After you an' Q spent the past month tryin' to get me to stop bein' a douche an' tell her?!"

"Course not! I just wanna make sure you're doin' this because it's what you wanna do, not 'cause Quinn an' I guilted you into it!"

Santana rolled her eyes. "At least you have the decency to sound like you feel bad about it. Unlike Quinn."

"You know she's just lookin' out for you, it's how she shows love," he bumped their shoulders together making her laugh. "Now, to business! Operation Dranks is a go!" He opened his jacket to reveal a flask tucked into the inside pocket.

"You're a dipshit! If Coach Sylvester catches you she's gonna hang you from the roof by your underwear!"

Puck sent her a wicked grin, a "Good luck to you too, Lopez!" and disappeared into the crowd.

Santana could only shake her head before turning back to her gorgeous girlfriend, slotting in seamlessly next to her to dance like she had never been gone.

AN: I really hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, the next one is gonna be a big 'un with lots of drama, some violence and a whole lot of love ;)

Keep on reviewing, I love to hear from you guys!