A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, they're all greatly appreciated, I promise xoxo
Santana was allowed to go back home that Friday, a couple of days after the incident.
"You're not out because of your stellar personality."
The brunette rolls her eyes, "Yeah, I know. It's cuz you're my dad and can make sure I'm not bein' an idiot...allegedly."
Dr. Lopez kisses her forehead and gives her a smile, "Exactly."
Santana grins as he walks out of the room, and sighs as she tries to get comfortable.
"Knock, knock."
Her grin reappears on her face as Santana calls out, "Come in you doofus."
Rachel rolls her eyes as she steps into the room, "You didn't have to go and say that Santana."
"And why's that? That was kinda a doofus-y and dorky thing to say as you come in."
"Whatever"
Santana laughs as best as she can, "That was deep."
Huffing, Rachel plops down in the chair beside her and fixes her with a look before saying, "You're being awfully ridiculous towards someone who is here to help get you home easier."
The cheerleader smirks but decides not to say anything, which Rachel apparently appreciates because she quickly leans up and pecks her cheek in greeting.
"Very well. Now. Mama Lopez has made it quite clear that I'm to be very firm when it comes to handling you."
"Wanky." Santana smirks, absolutely loving that Rachel blushes after hearing her say that.
Rachel however drops her gaze for a second to clear her throat before continuing, "Anyways. Your mom an the girls are all waiting for you at home, they've started making lunch."
Santana gives her a smile, "Thank you Rach."
"Oh look! Genuine gratitude."
Chuckling, Santana rolls her eyes, "Lay off, will ya? I'm in a hospital bed."
"Not for long San, don't be like that. We're going home."
Rachel pats Santana's hand and starts packing up all of her belongings as Santana easily chats with her.
Not ten minutes go by before her father is back with her discharge papers, "Alright mijas. San you're all set, Rach you now have the honor of transporting this one home. Let me know if the pain gets to be too much...although you should be okay, for the most part...if you just listen to me."
Rachel smiles, glad that Santana shouldn't be in too much pain. Dr. Lopez bids his farewell to the both of them before leaving once again to attend to his job.
"Excited to be going home?"
Santana nods her head enthusiastically, "Oh yeah. I've had enough time in this damn hospital room. I'm sick of it. I miss my bed."
"Well good, that means we can get right on out of here."
After getting Santana settled into the mandatory wheelchair to transport her out, Rachel says as they approach the parking lot, "I do hope you don't mind the choice of vehicle. I thought my choice would be easier on you."
Santana rolls her eyes slightly, as she leans her head back to glance at her, "Rach, seriously, I don't care if I end up taking a horse and carriage back home. I'm sure you picked well, s'all good."
Santana pauses as she takes in the car they've stopped in front of.
"See, when I said that, I didn't realize you went out and rented a damn car."
Rachel jumps right in, "No, no I'm not renting it per say...that is, I mean well I am borrowing it obviously, but it's a friend's car and she really wanted to help. It's low enough so I can easily help you in to it, but also high enough to easily help you out without putting too much strain on your body."
Santana laughs easily as she helps Rachel move her into the passenger seat.
"You are something else."
The drive to the Lopez residence was nice and easy, something Santana is always grateful for, and something she isn't going to be taking for granted.
The lightheartedness is something she knows everyone has most probably started feeling after hearing of Finn's arrest. It probably shouldn't be something they feel, or maybe that isn't right, maybe it is exactly what they should be feeling, but it still makes Santana feel a little weird about it. She can't help her feelings of elation though, and of relief. None of them can.
Santana knows he brought this onto himself.
"There are way too many guys like Finn getting away with this kind of shit. Hell, a lot worse even." She finally says after they settle into comfortable silence.
Rachel hums as she keeps her eyes on the road, "Yes. But at least this one isn't getting away with this. That's one man that's going to pay for his actions.
Santana nods, "It's still just very unfair, that's all. The injustice of it all."
Rachel parks the car in the driveway and turns off the ignition before turning to face the brunette better, "I know. I've been thinking about it as well. And I really think we could do something about it. Maybe have some kind of public service...at least maybe spark some kind of action to be taken. Something to say that we're done sitting idly by as things like this happen."
Nodding her head, Santana smiles at her, "Yeah, that's definitely something we could probably do."
"Creating awareness is the first step. We're not going to stand for this kind of violence anymore, ya know?"
Between the two of them, they managed to get Santana into the house and onto the couch without any issues; which is a rather grand feat for the two of them.
"Mama, I'm home!" Santana grins as she calls out, watching as Rachel zips back outside to bring in her bags.
"I know I heard the car pull up. Welcome home mija." Carmen places a kiss to her forehead and smoothes down her hair, before daintily sitting on the coffee table in front of her, "We've got an amazing lunch for you, my darling. Your favorites."
Brittany then decides to make her way into the living room and bounces over to Santana, plopping down beside her on the couch, "Sorry San, I had my hands full. Q's coming right out, she's just checking on the dinner rolls."
She places a loving kiss to Santana's lips and gently holds her face close for a few beats before slowly pulling back and giving her a tiny wink, "Te amo, mi amore. So much."
Santana gives her a dazed smile, "I love you so very much more BrittBritt. So, so much more."
"Lovey heart eyes 24/7 wasn't what I had initially signed up for at the beginning of this friendship with you two, but if you ask me, I definitely wouldn't want to have it any other way." Quinn says as she wraps her arms around the two of them from behind the couch.
"We wouldn't want you any other way either Q-ball."
Santana laughs as she nods her head at hearing her girlfriend use her nickname for the blonde. She starts laughing even harder when she sees the looks of dissatisfaction and weirdness on both of their faces.
"I don't think I'm ever gonna say that again Q." Brittany says seriously, her blue eyes bearing into Quinn's.
To which Quinn nods her reply, "Yes please not ever again sweetheart. I think we can both do without that. Let's leave that nickname to Santana."
"Well, I'm glad things are going well in here while I move her bags around." Rachel says, a grin playing at her lips, eyes taking in the scene before her with a twinkle.
Quinn is quick to jump back and help the brunette, offering her a sweet, "Hey Rach."
Giving her a peck on the cheek in greeting, Rachel moves forward to say hello to Carmen next, "Hi Mrs. Lopez. See? Delivered all in one piece, essentially."
"Yeah...Hobbes is actually a decent driver, go figure."
Quinn darts back into the room, after having taken the bags up to her bedroom, just in time to see Rachel stomp her foot and turn away with a dramatic flair, "I think I'm going to go help in the kitchen now. I've had enough of this concentrated Santana dose for now."
Santana simply whacks her butt gently as she moves away and says, "Hey! I am a pleasure! Says so on my report cards."
Rachel laughs as she blows her a kiss as she continues making her way to the kitchen.
"So, I hope you don't mind, but your Glee club friends wanted to come by and have lunch with you."
Santana nods at her mom, "Yeah, I'm more than okay with that. But are you sure you're okay with that? I mean you didn't have to-"
Carmen waves her off, "Sweetheart, it's no trouble. My girls have all helped me out. Besides, I don't mind at all. They've also been quite adamant."
Brittany hums as she nods her head and adds, "The Cheerios are coming too. Coach really wanted this to be a bonding exercise, but the girls were all coming anyways."
Quinn nods her head as she places a kiss to Santana's forehead, "They love my lefty. Not as much as I do, but who does, really?" She smiles before going back to the kitchen to make sure nothing catches fire under Rachel's watch.
Leaning back against the couch, Santana let out a contented sigh, "Damn, I didn't realize I was so popular."
Brittany snorts and gently cuddles against her, "You know you are San, don't be silly."
Carmen pats both of their knees before getting up and saying, "I think it's time I start work on the pies now."
The grin that takes over Santana's face causes Brittany to laugh.
xoxoxoxox
The day was a hit.
In the sense that the food was wonderful. The company was even more so, and the mood was all around high.
"Miss Lopez."
Officer Moore walks further into the backyard easily, wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, "I hope this is alright? I just-your mom called and invited me and I wanted to come by too and make sure you're okay."
Santana nods her head as she smiles up at him, "Of course. Welcome to casa de Lopez. Make yourself at home."
Rachel thought things would have gotten a little weird but she was pleasantly surprised that things didn't.
Puck was on his best behavior, even managing to get Officer Moore to laugh out loud.
At around five though, after everyone was fed and tired out for the most part, and ended up lounging and gathered around the patio with ice teas and chips, one of the newer Cheerios quietly speaks up during a lull.
"Finn...isn't getting away with this, is he? I mean, really, he isn't going to be back at school, right?"
Moore nods his head to himself, knowing it was a matter of time before talks turned to this, "Finn is not going to back to school. We're not going to let that happen. Especially when someone who was assaulted goes there. It wouldn't be right."
Quinn lets out a breath as she watches Santana. The brunette's face had turned hard the second Finn's name was mentioned, her eyes cold as she takes in the conversation occuring.
Another Cheerio speaks up, "Why did it have to take someone, San, getting hurt before something could be done?"
Rachel folds her arms across her chest, curious herself as to what the answer to this could be.
"Things...aren't perfect, I know. And it's scary, for you girls especially, I'm sure. Boys who do this, anyone who does this, who thinks that hurting people to get what they want is okay...they need help. People who turn their heads away from the things these people do, aren't helping things. It isn't easy when it's someone you know who does these things. Sometimes, it takes something really, really serious, to get the attention deserved. It sucks, and I wish it wasn't so, but sometimes...sometimes the little things don't do much without an enormous amount of evidence, solid, hard proof. And sadly, a lot of the times, even with a mountain of evidence, until something so serious happens, nothing gets done, because a lot of people hope to close their eyes and have it go away."
Brittany is the next one to speak, "Finn did lots of bad thing, for a long time. It wasn't always big things, but he always wanted what he wanted and no one else mattered but him. It started small...like silly things really, but everyone kept letting him act however way he wanted, ya know?"
Officer Moore nods his head solemnly, "Understood Miss Brittany. And sometimes, that's how these things start. Really small like. For example, this is going to be really far out but it's to get the point across, if he really wanted to be the one in the white bumper car because it's supposed to be the best one on the track, but someone else got to it first. How'd her react to that? Well not prettily. Because he's built it up in his mind. He thinks it's the best, and at the same time he believes he deserves the best of the best always. He's going to want it, and he doesn't care that he can wait or have another car, because he wants that one...So instead of taking his turn in another car, he decides to hold up the line, and tell the ride conductor that he's going to wait on the side until this round is over. It's selfish, and causes some trouble initially, but he ends up getting his way."
Rachel turns to look at Quinn, who is still watching Santana carefully, and whispers, "It sounds exactly like something he's done before, doesn't it?"
Quinn snorts as she gives her a tiny grin and nods her head, "That's because he probably has. Puck's told a similar story before about their time at Cedar Point."
Rachel simply rolls her eyes as she lets out a quiet laugh in disbelief, before focusing once again on the conversation.
"We're working on making this not happen so often. I promise that not everyone likes to cover their eyes. I hate that girls especially, have to be so careful all the time."
Officer Moore, looks each of the young women in the eyes as he says so, "It's not easy trying to make sure shit-heads, crap, sorry, excuse me...it's not easy trying to make sure individuals like Finn don't run amok, but I can promise you that there's at least one guy on your side."
Puck speaks up, "Two."
Artie and Mike both raise their hands and Matt nods and says, "Five."
Santana can't help smiling at the boys. They've grown quite a bit in her eyes. By leaps and bounds.
