A/N: This is my first fanfic, so please be kind but reviews are welcome. English is not my native language, if you spot anything incorrect, don't hesitate to point it out. While some bits stay faithful to the original, I am changing the course of the story and altering details that I didn't find realistic on Glee. I have incorporated some of the real lines, especially in the early chapters but the story will focus mainly on Santana's future (personal and professional), which we didn't get to see much on the show. In this story, Santana and Brittany never broke up and are still dating, even though Santana is in New York and Brittany is in MIT. The other Glee characters will all be featured, when relevant.

Disclaimer: I do not own Glee nor its characters.

CHAPTER 1

Santana is now in New York and moved in with Rachel and Kurt. She decided not to go to college but has no career prospect and doesn't know what to do with her life. Despite the fact that she hates her job, she's currently working as a waitress. Brittany is living in Massachusetts, studying and working at MIT. She happens to be in New York for a few days, to visit Santana. Meanwhile, Rachel's dream is about to come true as she got the lead role in the Broadway Funny Girl revival. In a desperate attempt to find a new opportunity, Santana decides to audition to be Rachel's understudy. After finding out, Rachel is furious and accuses Santana of betrayal, in front of Brittany and Kurt.

Santana POV

After auditioning for Funny Girl, I had lunch with Brittany. I didn't tell her about the audition, she's going to find out soon enough as I'm pretty sure that Rachel is going to go all psycho on me the minute we get home. For now I'm just trying to relax, I always feel so peaceful when I'm around Brittany. I'm really happy that she could come for a visit even though she's in town only for a few days. I miss her so much. This long distance relationship is not easy but I'm glad that she convinced me to give it a try, I realise now that it's better than not being together at all.

After a short walk in the sun, we come back home and I immediately notice that Rachel is on the war path, she's yelling and gesticulating dramatically while Lady Hummel is desperately trying to calm her down.

"Hey roomies, talking about me?" I say as innocently as I can.

Rachel's killer eyes lay on me as she starts one of her neverending monologues: "Why did you audition for Fanny Brice, Santana? Why that one, aren't there enough roles in New York? How could you even do this to me? The sole purpose of an understudy is to hope that the lead never goes on. You just can't let me have my dream without trying to steal it from me? This is my big break and you are poisoning it!"

Before I can interject, Kurt surprisingly defends me. "Come on Rachel, even if Santana never went on that stage, this could be a very important job for her and I am a little disappointed that you can't find the generosity -"

"You're so naive, Kurt" Rachel cuts him off. "You really think that Santana Lopez is perfectly fine with being an understudy and won't go for more? PLEASE. She just can't handle that I have made it. And you know as well as I do that she would not hesitate to sabotage me, she would sell her own grandmother if that could get her in the spotlight".

That last comment of Rachel sets me off. I'm not sure if it's her sarcastic tone when she said my name, if it is because she unfairly described me as an evil master mind that would sabotage her at all costs or if it's the mention of my Abuela. Rachel knows all too well that my Abuela still refuses to speak to me and that it's a sensitive matter. Before I know it, I follow her into her bedroom yelling back at her:

"Okay you know what? I don't know if they will pick me to be your understudy but it has nothing to do with you Berry, the world doesn't revolve around you. It was an opportunity, the only serious opportunity I could find in the past few months. I'm not stealing your lead role so how am I sabotaging you? Someone HAS to be your understudy whether you like it or not, so why on earth it cannot be me? If roles were reversed, you would have done the exact same thing! And the truth is that I killed it at the audition and that's what you can't stand. Just admit that even with all your years of singing lessons, I'm just as good as you! Unlike you, I can be popular in high school and still make it big after graduation. Because I was better than you then, and I'm always going to be better than you! You are short, you are awful and that is never going to ch -"

Before I can finish my sentence, Rachel slaps me with all her strength and I'm almost knocked out.

I bring my hand up to my cheek, in disbelief. What the fuck just happened, did Berry actually dare to SLAP me? Are you freaking kidding me?

It takes me only a second to see red and I am more than ready to finally go all Lima Heights on her sorry ass. I'm about to slap her back and make her regret being born when I hear Brittany's sweet voice behind me. "San... please don't".

Brittany. In the heat of the fight, I forgot that she was there. She can't stand violence, and as I turn to her and see her sad expression, I can tell that she already took more than she can bare for one day. Kurt also looks highly uncomfortable and worried, they are both silent. Even if it takes everything I've got to resist the urge to kick Rachel's ass, I decide to rise above and just send her a death glare.

"Come on Britt, let's go for an ice cream" I say in my sweetest voice. Ice creams always cheer her up, and I can't stay another moment in this apartment with crazy Berry. Right when I take my purse to leave, my phone goes off. It's a number that I don't know but I quickly pick up while everyone in the room is looking at me.

"Hello? ... Yeah, good... Ok... Well thank you for letting me know so soon... Bye".

I hang up, trying hard to keep my composure. That was the Director of Funny Girl.

I take Brittany's hand and before heading out, I tell Rachel as calmy as possible "I'll see you at rehearsals, Berry. I'm your new understudy".

A/N: I never understood why Santana didn't slap Rachel back in the original scene, that reaction didn't fit the character. To me, the only reason that would explain this is if Brittany was there. Please tell me in the reviews if you want me to continue, my idea is to further develop Santana's personal and career paths.