After school that day, the Glee Club was sitting in the choir room, waiting... more like willing for someone to enter the room. Puck, Mike, and Finn sat in the far corner discussing football plays. Tina, Mercedes, Kurt, and Artie were discussing some movie no one else had heard of. Brittany, Quinn, and Santana sat in the back row looking at fashion magazines. Mr. Schue sat in his chair looking over sheet music with Brad, the piano player. The band sat around looking over the sheet music Mr. Schue had given them for a group number he wanted to try. Rachel sat in the front row, away from everyone, staring at the door. Santana looked over and saw her wife looking intently at the door. She frowned as she realized that she hadn't heard a single word come out of Rachel's mouth in over an hour and a half. Concerned, she put her magazine down and walked down the risers to reach the front row. She bent down so she could whisper in Rachel's ear. "Staring at the door won't make anyone come, Tiny." Santana said, expecting to see Rachel smile, like she normally did whenever Santana did that. She frowned as Rachel shook her head. "What's the matter?" Santana asked. Again, Rachel shook her head. Santana pulled back and squatted next to Rachel's chair. "Did I do something to upset you?" Santana asked. Rachel's eyes ventured to the clock and she jumped up.
"I hate to break it to you guys, but it doesn't look like anyone will be joining us so I think we should call it a day." Rachel said, grabbing Santana's hand and attempting to drag her out of the choir room. Santana pulled her hand away.
"Hold up, woman. I have to get my bag." Santana said. Rachel sighed.
"Rachel, there's still ten minutes left." Mr. Schue said.
"What about that Sunshine girl? I thought you said she could sing." Mercedes said to Rachel.
"I guess she doesn't want to hang out with us losers." Rachel said, tapping her foot as she waited for Santana.
"Oh my God." Tina and Mike suddenly said in unison. Everyone turned towards them.
"What's wrong?" Mr. Schue asked. Mike glared at Rachel.
"You're a terrible person, Rachel!" Mike yelled.
"Hey!" Santana yelled, stalking over to where Mike was sitting. "Say something like that again, and I'll make sure you can't dance anymore." Santana threatened. Mike looked up at the furious Latina and backed away a little bit in fear.
"Sorry Santana but if you read what I just read, you'd have the same reaction. Well, maybe not exactly the same, but you know what I mean." Mike said. Santana glared at him and held out her hand for the phone that Mike was holding. He handed it to her and she read the screen. Rachel saw the expression on her wife's face darken and she started to slowly back away, but Mercedes's hand on her shoulder stopped her. Slowly, Santana looked up with fury in her eyes.
"What did you do?" she asked Rachel. Rachel looked at her, before looking down in shame.
"What's going on?" Finn asked. Santana looked at Rachel again before reading out loud.
"'New Exchange Student Sunshine Corazon was seen at a crackhouse in Lima Heights Adjacent. When she asked for directions to the Glee Club audtions, her sheet music was stolen and used as toilet paper. When asked why she went to the crackhouse for the auditons, Sunshine told us that she was using the address given to her by Glee Club co-captain Rachel Berry.' That's from Jacob Ben-Israel's blog." Santana said. All eyes turned toward Rachel.
"I'm not Rachel Berry anymore. Someone should really tell Jacob to get his information correct." Rachel said, hoping to distract from the situation.
"Rachel, that's not the point and you know it." Santana said. Rachel quickly closed her mouth. Santana looked back down at the tiny screen. "Oh and here's the last paragraph of the blog. 'When asked how Sunshine was going to handle being in Glee Club with Rachel after this experience, Sunshine announced that she will be transferring to Carmel High effective at the end of the week. Carmel High is home of three time show choir national champions Vocal Adrenaline and are the rivals of McKinley's New Directions.' Great. So now Vocal Adrenaline doesn't even have to try to beat us, because we gave them another amazing singer." Santana said. All the Glee Club members started yelling at Rachel. Santana was angry as well, but she wasn't going to allow that. "Hey. Hey! Hold up! I know you guys are pissed. I get that, so am I. But if you guys think for one second that I'm going to let you yell at my wife like that, then you guys are insane." Santana said. She looked back at Rachel. "Rachel, I think you should go in the hall for a minute." Santana said. Rachel looked at her wife for a moment before nodding and exiting the choir room. She leaned up against the wall until Santana came out.
"What did they say?" Rachel asked.
"Let's just say you're incredibly lucky that I stuck up for you. Otherwise the Glee Club would be marching down to the student store to purchase slushies and give you a code red. They're pissed. And they have the right to be. You just made Vocal Adrenaline that much stronger. They didn't need any help from us." Santana said.
"I didn't do it on purpose." Rachel said. Santana raised an eyebrow.
"So you didn't mean to send her to a crackhouse?" Santana asked.
"No... well, yes I did, but I didn't know that she'd go to Vocal Adrenaline." Rachel said.
"Did you expect her to just stay at McKinley and join Glee Club, but not volunteer for any solos?" Santana asked. Rachel nodded. "Rachel, that's insane. I sure as hell wouldn't stay in a school where someone sent me to a damn crackhouse. I'd get the hell out." Santana said. Rachel looked down in shame. If something like that could send Santana Lopez running, then what she'd done was worse than she thought.
"San, I..." Rachel trailed off.
"What you did was really bad Rachel. You put yourself before the team. You were selfish. You can get mad at me for saying it all you want, but we both know that you didn't chase Sunshine off to protect the team dynamic. You did it to protect yourself. With Sunshine, we could have easily taken Nationals." Santana said. Rachel looked up to meet her wife's eyes.
"I'm so sorry." Rachel whispered. Santana nodded.
"Look, I'm beyond pissed at you. And as far as right or wrong, I'm on their side. But when it comes down to it, I'm gonna defend you." Santana said. Rachel nodded and stepped a little closer to Santana. Noticing Rachel's hesitation, Santana hugged Rachel and softly kissed her. "But you do need to apologize to them, Rachel." Santana said. Rachel nodded again and allowed Santana to lead her into the choir room. Everyone started yelling the moment they walked in the room. "Hey! Everyone shut the hell up! Rachel has something to say and you are going to listen!" Santana said. She stepped back and let Rachel talk.
"I..." Rachel whispered, trailing off.
"Rach, they can't hear you." Santana said gently. Rachel looked up at her wife with tears in her eyes. Santana gave her a nod of encouragement.
"I'm really sorry for what I did. It was selfish and really mean. I know you guys are mad at me and I understand. But I do hope that, like in a family, you guys can eventually find a way to forgive me. I'll do anything." Rachel said.
"Can you get us a twelfth member who can sing like that?" Mike asked. Santana glared in his direction.
"Watch it, Chang." Santana said warningly. The boy instantly shut up and Santana gave Rachel another encouraging nod.
"I'll do whatever it takes to get us an amazing twelfth member." Rachel said. The ten members in front of her nodded their heads. Mr. Schue stood up.
"Well... I think we can call it a day. Rachel, thank you for apologizing. See you guys tomorrow." he said. Everyone got up and left. Soon, Santana and Rachel were the only two in the room, neither one having moved. Santana frowned as she heard Rachel cry.
"Are you okay?" Santana asked. Rachel shook her head and Santana walked over, pulling her into a hug. "It's okay. They'll forgive you." Santana said.
"But what if you don't?" Rachel asked.
"Did I or did I not just defend you?" Santana asked quietly. Rachel nodded.
"What if I don't forgive myself?" Rachel asked.
"Tiny..."
"No. She could have gotten hurt. That was really stupid of me. I'm such a bitch." Rachel said.
"Stop right there. No you aren't. You are one of the sweetest people I know. You just made a mistake." Santana said. Rachel nodded. "Now, come on. We have to go pick up the two people that can cheer you up faster than I can." Santana said. Rachel nodded.
"I'm sorry, S." Rachel said.
"I know you are, Rach." Santana said.
"I love you." Rachel said.
"I love you too, Rachel. Now come on. Isaac is probably at my car." Santana said. When they reached her car, they noticed Isaac with bruises on his face. "What the hell?" Santana asked.
"A couple of football players said that since they couldn't hit girls, then they'd settle for me." Isaac said. Santana raised an eyebrow.
"This was about Rachel and I being married, wasn't it?" Santana asked. Isaac nodded. "I'm going to kill them." she said.
"Who do you think it was?" Rachel asked.
"Azimio and Karofsky, probably." Santana said.
"San, you can't. They'll just say I need my sister for protection." Isaac said.
"Hell no. This isn't gonna fly. I'm going to talk to them tomorrow. Besides, Karofsky is no place to be judging people, considering what Kurt found out over the summer." Santana said.