Title: Something To Live For
Author: Guyana Rose
Rating: M
Pairing: Quinn Fabray, Rachel Berry, Brittany Pierce, & Santana Lopez
Word Count: 9,657
Summary: The brutalization of the human body has always served as a source of entertainment. Some revel in it, others abhor it, and some are just trying to survive it. Slight mentions of girl!peen & man!gina. Faberrittana Week, Day 7: AU!Faberrittana.
A/N: Faberrittana is usually written with a romantic theme in mind, but let me remind you this is AU; in other words, it's not a romance story. There's a dash of romance thrown in here & there but there's not much fluff in this story.
Google Translate is responsible for the Spanish, so if it's wrong please let me know what the corrections are & I will happily change it.
And special thanks to Air and Water for helping me come up with the title & summary. ~smooches~
Trigger Warning: Mentions of rape & assault.
Prompt: Faberrittana Week, Day 7: AU!Faberrittana
Disclaimer: I own only the story itself. Glee belongs to R.I.B.
Please read & review
Santana hated these places. They were dark and dank and filled with too many men, and some women, that reeked of cruelty and sweat and sex and ignorant behavior. If she didn't have to make appearances here she wouldn't. But her mother was a boss in the industry and she needed to keep up appearances. Her best friend and bodyguard, Tina, walked beside her through the crowd. The sea of people always parted for them when they walked in, but there always seemed to be one who wanted to challenge her. Tina's sharp eyes watched the crowd closely as they walked; making sure no one caught them off guard.
"Yo Lopez!"
The girls turned and smiled as the voice approached.
"Puckerman, thought you weren't going to make it," Santana said as the young man embraced her.
"Yeah well, couldn't let you two walk around all by your onesies and all," Puck replied.
"Such a gentleman," Tina said as she hugged the boy.
"And who's this?" Santana asked looking at the blonde standing behind him.
"My new bodyguard; Sam my girls Tina and Santana, ladies Sam," Puck said.
"Good evening ladies," Sam greeted.
"Remember these two faces dude. If we're ever out anywhere and you hear or see these two calling for help, don't wait for me, you go running guns blazing. Understood?"
"Yes sir," Sam said with a slight bow of his head.
"And quit that sir crap, I told you me and my moms aren't that uptight," Puck instructed.
"So what's on tap for you guys tonight?" Santana asked.
"Nothing really; heard there was supposed to be a fight in the pit, thought I'd check it out. Whoa, hey; all eyes on you chica."
Puck nodded his head in the direction of two girls staring at Santana. The one thing that Santana didn't mind about coming here was almost always getting a good blowjob.
"Which one you want?" Puck asked as they approached the girls; knowing Santana wouldn't want both.
"The brunette," she answered.
"You're so predictable," he laughed.
They took the girls to a unisex restroom and not even a minute after the door was locked, their pants were undone and both girls were bobbing their heads up and down on their cocks.
They exited the restroom just when the lights started flashing and a voice came booming through the sound system. The fight was about to start. The announcer, and owner of the underground club they were in, was calling for twenty fighters from the crowd to go against his headliner. He was offering good odds, and once everyone got a look at who the headliner was, the roster filled up quickly.
Across the room standing under a flashing light Santana spotted him, the current bane of her existence; one Sebastian Smythe. He had that 'my shit don't stink' smirk on his face as he listened to one of his friends talking about something stupid, Santana was certain. She turned away from him as she made her way to the front of the crowd to see the fight.
"Do you want me to put a bet down for you?" Tina asked.
"Yeah sure; how about eight grand on the chick to win," Santana answered.
"Are you crazy?" Puck nearly yelled, "Those guys are two and three times her size; I mean look at her."
"I am looking at her," Santana stated, "she may be smaller than them but she's solid; looks like she was chiseled out of alabaster and marble."
"Still not convinced over here," Puck said.
"Look at her eyes. I don't know what it is, but she's not going to let any of those guys beat her; she may only be a slave but she's got something to live for."
Santana's final statement made Puck think. He took a second look at the girl sitting quietly in one corner of the ring. She must have sensed them talking about her because her eyes were now locked with his dark hazel orbs. While her opponents were all getting riled up outside the ring, she was calm and focused. He saw it then; that barely there spark that Santana had noticed, and he nodded his head and turned back to his friend.
"Alright, I'll take your word on this one. Sam go with Tina and put five grand down on the blonde to mop the floor with those meatheads," he commanded.
Sam and Tina disappeared into the crowd; they made it back just seconds before the fight started. All the lights were dimmed except for the ones that hung over the ring. A moment of hushed whispers could be heard around the room before the crackle of the speaker was heard.
Greetings, earthlings
We have now taken over your radio
If I hit 'em high, hit 'em high, hit 'em high
And you hit 'em low, hit 'em low, hit 'em low
The buzzer rang and the blonde quite literally jumped out of her seat. There was only one man in the ring with her at the moment. Her goal was to put him down as fast as possible.
Goin' straight through the hole, you ain't got no game
I'm breakin' ya out the frame, coming through like a train
Looking to take over the world is my goal
With my unstoppable crew takin' all control
He was faster and more resilient than she expected. The spinning kick that landed on his temple seemed to faze him, but only for a moment. She barely dodged his fists as he aimed for her face.
You can't get none of this, we're runnin' this
Well taker, earth shaker, three point gunnin' this
Get out the lane, i'm comin' through
And if you don't wanna move then I'm comin' right through you
He was doing okay blocking some of her hits, until he started paying attention to the crowd. She could smell the alcohol seeping out through his pores as he tried to showboat for the scantily dressed girls that were cheering him on. She put him down with a swift kick to the side of his knee and then another square in the chest. He flew across the ring and landed heavily in the corner; to dazed to even say his own name.
It's like inch by inch and step by step
I'm closing in on your position and destruction is my mission
Though eight is not enough, your whole squad better duck
It's like switch when I bust, now you're whole crew is dust
Normally there's a rest period between each of her opponents, but she stood now in the middle of the ring with three guys slowly circling her. She guessed that the club owner who she now belonged to wanted to show off. The men were no bigger than her previous opponent but now she had to use the imaginary eyes in the back of her head. She knew that the quickest way for them to take her down would be to blind side her from the back.
Comin' through my area, i'ma have to bury ya
The real scream team on your scream scene
It's like showdown on the range, go tell me who wanna tangle with the
Ghetto witch-doctor neighborhood superhero?
As she suspected, the fighter behind her made the first move. She quickly bent down then used his momentum to toss him over her head and into one of the other fighters; knocking them both down momentarily. This gave her time to quickly take out the third man; which she did with a well placed blow to his neck, knocking him out cold.
We want it all (want it all!)
Unstoppable, we run the floor (run the floor!)
You can't take none of this hardcore (hardcore!)
In the game we take you to war (war!)
You ain't seen nothin' like this before
The other two fighters finally made it back to their feet and saw what she'd done.
"You're gonna pay for that bitch," he sneered and yelled as he ran at her.
She stood resolute and watched his approach, waiting for just the right moment. When he was close enough she stepped to the side and the man ran straight into the ropes. As he bounced back and turned he was met with her foot implanting itself to the side of his face. He flipped over the top rope and landed heavily on the floor; instant disqualification.
If I hit 'em high, hit 'em high, hit 'em high
And you hit 'em low, hit 'em low, hit 'em low
If I hit 'em high, hit 'em high, hit 'em high
And you hit 'em low, hit 'em low, hit 'em low
That was pretty much the only rule in the mosh pit; if you get thrown out of the ring and you hit the floor, you're done. However, if you manage to keep yourself from hitting the floor, you still had a chance.
Insane like a runaway train i'm in your lane
Like it's only three seconds to score to win the game
Came to bring the ultimate pain upon the brain
Untamed, you won't like it when I change
She turned around expecting to see one man, but was met with four. One of which sent her crashing backwards into the ropes with a hard fist to her eye. He, however, got a little too happy too fast. He closed in on her intent on picking her up and tossing her out of the ring. She allowed him to lift her legs, which she kept limp, to give him some sense of hope. As soon as her limbs were high enough she spun around using the top rope as leverage and connected her knees with the back of his head; causing him to topple over the ropes. He tried to stop his fall, but he hit the ground anyway.
And you are type strange
Make room, maniacal Monstar in the game
And I got my eye on you
Deadshot aim, as free throws keep comin' down like rain
You feelin' me, I'm feelin' you
The three remaining men in the ring all became victims to a series of high kicks and elbows. Two were knocked unconscious and one was thrown out of the ring. The three fighters that entered after them met the same end as their predecessors.
The Monstar again, i'm tellin' you
Pass me the rock, now i'm headed to the basket
Get up out my way is what you better do
My tactics is unsportsmanlike conduct, you better ask it
"Yo that chick is a beast," Puck yelled over the music.
"I told you. Have I ever steered you wrong where money is concerned?" Santana asked with a smile.
"No ma'am you have not."
That's when she started to hear it. It's one of the reasons she hated coming here. Muffled screams of women and men already forced to live in chains; and now forced to service the vile people that she had to rub elbows with. She was hypersensitive to such things; so even amongst all the other noises, those muffled screams and disgusting grunts always made their way to her ears. It always happened during the fights; when the lights were dimmed to near blackness and the music was loud and most of the eyes in the room were on the ring; including the guards that were charged with watching over the club owner's property until it was time for the selling to begin.
Don't get no better than this, you catch my drift?
You get stripped by ballhandlers ruled by Swackhammer
Danger; you're dealin' with official hoop-bangers
With hang time like a coat hanger
Jump, with thunderous three hundred and sixty degree type dunks
What up doc? The Monstar funk
Most of the human inventory was held in a large locked room connected to the room where the fights always were; but there was a line of about ten cells that were always filled for display purposes on nights such as this. The bars of the cells rose to about twelve feet high. The doors were firmly locked but the tops of the cells were uncovered; and that's how people always got in. All you had to do was scale the bars and jump down. The only people that were usually looking were the people that were watching to make sure the guards weren't coming.
Lightning strikes and the court lights get dim
Supreme competition is about to begin
Above the rim, finessin' and moves is animated
Once I get to ballin', I can't be deflated
There was a boy crying in the cell second to the end of the row. The two men that had just vacated the space he was held in still stood nearby jeering and spitting at him. His cries were near silent, but the two girls in the cell next to him could still hear his sobs. One of the girls wanted to talk to him, but the other warned it would be best to stay silent and unnoticed. They'd seen a few men and women scale the bars of five cells already; but they had been left alone so far.
"Hey pretty girl, I've been watching you."
The voice the girls heard made one of them jump; it sounded like the voice of one of the men that had just left the cell beside them. The smaller girl pulled the girl closest to the man's voice away and traded places with her.
"Aww are you playing hard to get or you just shy?"
"It's okay, she's almost done then she'll be back. I won't let him hurt you," the smaller girl whispered.
I'm rugged raw, my Monstars is gettin' money
When clicks get to buggin', I'm snatchin' up their bunnies (Uhh!)
Every step I take shakes the ground
I'll make you break your ankles, son, shakes you down
This is my planet, I'm bout business
The best that ever done it, can I get a witness? (Uhhh!)
Back in the ring the girl that stood to make Puck and Santana quite a bit of money had just knocked out her fifteenth opponent. She hada black eye, bloody nose, swollen lip, and Santana was sure, from some of the heavy hits she'd taken, she would have some very painful discolored marks on various parts of her body. There were already some forming on her bare abdomen and back.
Cumulus clouds bring darkness up above
You in it for the money? Or in it for the love, M.J.?
Twenty three ways to make a pay, loungin' in the mother ship back around my way (Uhh!)
I'm twenty eight light years old, if the refs get political, dribble like Bob Dole
Am I gettin' lyrical? Daddy, I think so
Monstar droppin' flavor fluid so drink slow
"Come on girly don't play shy. Or maybe you just want me to come in there and get you."
The boy in the cell next to them could hear everything the man was mumbling. His knee had been dislocated earlier during his encounter with the man; he quickly decided to endure the pain of popping it back into place. He thrashed around silently for a few seconds before the pain subsided. He knew he could be severely punished for what he was planning on doing, but he wasn't going to sit idly by and let that man touch either of those girls.
We want it all (want it all!)
Unstoppable, we run the floor (run the floor!)
You can't take none of this hardcore
Hardcore!
In the game we take you to war
Turn the music up please
You ain't seen nothin' like this before
Sebastian and one of his entourage scaled the bars of the cell where the two girls they had been eyeing sat. He had instructed the rest of his group to keep security busy if they happened to come back.
If I hit 'em high, hit 'em high, hit 'em high
And you hit 'em low, hit 'em low, hit 'em low
If I hit 'em high, hit 'em high, hit 'em high
And you hit 'em low, hit 'em low, hit 'em low
Four more, that's all that was left. Just four more and she could go back to her cell with her friends. She was starting to get that feeling again; the feeling she always got whenever her quieter friend was really scared. She chanced a glance to the side of the room that her cell was on, but it was too dark for her to see anything; so she returned her attention to the man using her stomach as a punching bag. She shoved him back with a quick jab to his jaw then jumped, her knees landing on his shoulders. She clamped her muscles around his neck then twisted her body and tossed him to the other side of the ring. He slammed into the ring post and surprisingly got back on his feet. Too bad he couldn't actually see straight; he ended up getting tangled in the ropes and flipped himself out of the ring.
Yo, God bless! Pick up your chest
Here's an example, of how I can stress your full court press
With finesse, I bench-press your stress whenever you test
We're speed ballin', on the fast break just like the pony express
The boy from the other cell was at the top of the bars now. He thought again about how he should not be doing this, but there were two of them. The smaller girl could fight he knew that for sure; they had the same owner once. It was years ago, but he remembered her. The girl with her however seemed too innocent; she wouldn't be able to fight or take the pain from the man that wanted to defile her body, so he had to help. He owed a debt to the smaller girl; and even if she'd forgotten, he still wanted to pay it.
She'd seen him; for the briefest of milliseconds their eyes had locked. She got up and stood in front of the girl cowering in the corner. She waited until he was dropping before throwing her first punch. Her fist collided with a cheek bone just as his elbow slammed into the back of the neck of the man that had not so long ago vacated his cell. He hadn't cared much to fight back against the two men to save himself, but he would not see them hurt the innocent looking girl in the corner.
I'm gonna mingle in your face and take the lid off
Just use your head and forfeit the game
You and your team just need to back off!
Get off my block, gimmie the ball; I said it's my rock!
I'm startin' a line-up by gettin' y'all to bring the livestock
Throw all your money in the pot
And make sure you bet all your money on my bank shot
"Something isn't right," Tina spoke into Santana's ear.
"I know, I can hear it; but we can't get involved T." Santana replied.
"She keeps looking back at the cells," Tina explained.
"Think she has a nose for trouble like you do?" Santana asked.
"Yes actually; and she's right, look," Tina pointed behind them where even in the dim lighting their sharp eyes could tell a fight was breaking out.
When we come right through tell me what you really gonna do?
We'll leave your team name in shame and take your talent from you
While you abandon your ship, we take your championship
With nothing left for you to see except the instant replay clip
There were only two now; she needed to end this quickly. She had a move that she knew would take them both down, but they had to get close. She faked hurt and went down on one knee. As predicted they close in on her. Punches and kicks landed on her back, ribs, legs, head; and she took it all; waiting for the perfect moment.
Money spending, goal tending, stay-bending teams like crash cars
Who do they be? They be the Monstars!
It wasn't going well. The boy from the other cell was pinned down and struggling to breathe. The smaller girl managed to break away from the man holding her and landed a kick to the side of the head of the man strangling the boy. Just as they got back to their feet they both were knocked back down; the boy landed in front of the scared girl in the corner, while the smaller girl was pinned down by a large forearm crushing her throat. She couldn't talk; she could barely breathe. She couldn't call for help. The boy backed up until he was covering the cowering girl with his body. He could feel her shaky hands on his bare shoulders as the man pulled a gun and pointed it at his chest.
"Kill that one too Harv; I'll pay the owner more than their corpses are worth when I'm done."
"My pleasure," Harv replied.
We want it all (want it all!)
Unstoppable, we run the floor (run the floor!)
What you talkin' about
You can't take none of this hardcore (hardcore!)
In the game we take you to war (war!)
You ain't seen nothin' like this before
And that's when she heard it. A blood curdling scream that rose above the noise of the fight in the back of the room, the cheers of the crowd, and even the bass coming out of the speakers.
"QQQQUUUUIIIIIIIINNNNNN!"
She didn't have any more time to waste. She quickly did a hand stand and spun herself in a circle while upside down; her heavy combat boots collided with the skulls of the last two fighters she had to defeat. Before their bodies even hit the mat she jumped onto one of the ring's corner posts and jumped again to reach the pipes that trailed along the low ceiling.
"Damn she moves like a bloody battle cat man," Puck said in awe as he watched her bounce from pipe to pipe.
Santana was the first in the crowd to follow where she was going on the ground. Tina made sure to pull Puck and Sam along; staying hot on Santana's heels. The music stopped and the lights came up just as the fighter dropped down into the cell. She easily disarmed the man, who looked more like a boy not much older than herself, and returned the punch that he'd thrown at her. The shirtless boy from the neighboring cell threw his body weight into the side of the man choking the smaller girl. The cowering girl in the corner moved swiftly across the floor to grab the still coughing girl and pull her out of the way. The boy tried to hold his own, but he was easily kicked out of the way by the larger man. The two girls pulled him into the corner with them when they saw their owner coming towards the cell.
"What the hell is going on back here?" the man yelled as he unlocked and then yanked open the cell door.
Quinn took a couple of steps back and positioned herself in a fighting stance in front of the three that occupied the corner.
"I want that bitch's head on a fucking pole now!" Sebastian yelled, "Look what she did," he pointed to his nose that was now broken and streaming blood down his face, "and look what those little shits did to my boy; I want all their fucking heads right the fuck now," he demanded.
"And just what the hell were you doing in the cell in the first place pendejo?" Santana interjected herself into the conversation; stepping into the cell and staring Sebastian in the eye.
"This don't concern you chica so mind your fucking business," Sebastian said through gritted teeth.
"It concerns me if you're damaging my property," Santana retorted.
"Y-your prop-perty?" the large man with Sebastian asked; knowing that messing with anything stamped with the name Lopez was like signing your own death warrant.
"Why do you sound like such a bitch right now, man the fuck up!" Sebastian yelled at the man. "Since when are they your property?"
Santana let her trademark smirk grow on her face as she turned to the club owner, "How much Lee?"
"For the brawler, hmm, she's expensive Lady Lopez I can't lie to you," the older man said thoughtfully.
Santana looked at the fighter's face. She was quiet and still poised, ready to fight if she needed to; but her eyes were what caught Santana's attention. Her intense green eyes pleaded with her, begged her, to not separate her from the others.
"Well good, don't want you to lie; I want a price … for all four of them."
"Bullshit, that blue-eyed whore is mine. I'll give you five grand cash right now for her," he was still determined to get what he wanted from the girl, "come on Lee hook me up."
"Need I remind you Lee that he was going to sample the goods without paying just a few moments ago," Santana started, "and that would have done nothing for you but depreciate her value on the market and he's only offering to buy one. I'm offering to take all four. So, name. A. Price."
"Um, well…"
"I don't have time for this shit, bring me my briefcase," Sebastian said to one of his men outside of the cell.
Within seconds a briefcase was handed to him. He quickly entered the combination and opened it to show Lee the contents.
"Two hundred thousand dollars for the whole fucking litter; cash money in your damn hands right now; she's not going to give you a better deal than that man."
Lee licked his lips looking at the stacks of cash in front of him before turning his gaze back to Santana; the man wasn't stupid. Sebastian was a decent player in the game, even though he thought the boy was a foolish prick, he still held some weight. Just not as much as Santana or her friend Puck who he could see standing behind her. Had it been anyone else that the foolish boy was going against, he might have taken the money; but out of respect he would give Santana the chance to counter the boy's offer.
"What say you to that Lady Lopez?"
Santana actually chuckled, "Lady Lopez is my mother Lee, Santana will be fine. I'll see his price and raise it another hundred thousand."
A series of whistles went through the crowd as the negotiation continued.
"Yeah fucking right, where's the cash then?" Sebastian asked rudely before turning back to Lee. He was not going to let her show him up, "three fifty man. You get the two that's in the case and I'll wire you the rest next week."
Lee's eyes again went back to Santana.
"Five hundred thousand and I get their deeds," she said.
That caused a ripple of chatter to break out in the crowd. Her having their deeds meant that if something happened to her or her family they would not have to return to the 'store' so to speak, they would be free.
"Five?" Lee questioned to make sure he was hearing right.
"She's going to have to wire you that money man and with that amount you won't even get paid 'til like next month or some shit; she's trying to play you," Sebastian pleaded with the man to take his deal.
"A month; is that how your people do business? It's a wonder you keep customers at all," Puck smarted.
Sebastian looked like he wanted to say something but he glared daggers at Puck instead.
"I'll have four in cash in your hands in ten minutes, the rest I'll wire you in the morning," Santana coolly answered.
"But four large tonight?"
"As long as I get their deeds tonight and walk out of here with them it's yours."
"Sold."
Sebastian was livid. His whole face burned red. He threw the briefcase at his guard and grabbed the gun that the man had strapped to his back. Before Tina could react and before Sebastian could even fully take aim Quinn twisted his hand behind his back, forcing him to drop the gun. Then she pushed him forward and kicked him in the back shoving him into his guard, causing both of them to slam into the hard metal bars of the cell. She picked up the gun and quickly unloaded the clip and the chamber then tossed the weapon; hitting Sebastian in his still bleeding nose.
"OOOOWWW FUCK! Your new fucking toy just assaulted me Lopez. I want her head as my new hood ornament," Sebastian seethed.
"Dude what the fuck are you the Queen of Hearts or something? You might as well walk around saying 'off with their heads' all the time, dumbass," Puck interjected and was met with another glare from Sebastian.
"Look, Smythe no disrespect kid but what the fuck is wrong with you?" Lee asked, "You know the rules. You just pulled a gun on her owner; what did you think was going to happen huh?"
If looks could kill, Santana might be dead right now.
"This isn't over bitch," he mumbled as he walked out of the cell.
Just as he exited one of Lee's guards brought a woman through the crowd.
"Mercedes your timing is always so on point," Santana said with a smile.
"Well that is what you pay me for isn't it," Mercedes replied as she handed Santana a rather large briefcase.
"Indeed," Santana replied to her friend, "here you go Lee, count it if you want."
"Oh I trust you Santana no worries there," he paused to open the case and smiled when he eyed the crispy new bills, "if this is your version of ten minutes we need to do business more often," he laughed.
"You know where to find me. How fast can I get their deeds?"
"Give me fifteen let me update my files and they're yours."
"Groovy."
"Alright kids I'm out," Mercedes said.
"Baby," Tina reached out and grabbed her hand, "come to the house with us."
She didn't trust the men that continued to stand near the cell eyeing her girlfriend's assets. Mercedes had seen the same looks that Tina had, but she didn't feel a need to worry.
"Come here," she cupped Tina's face and gave her a quick peck, "that's sweet of you but I'll be fine. Calm down," she said taking a hold of Tina's hands.
Sam saw the movement first but Puck gave him a silent order to stay put and just watch.
"Yeah that ass is real fine."
It's not really what the man said, but what he did that set Tina off. He smacked Mercedes' ass and then gripped the cheek under his palm.
Puck chuckled and moved back a few steps, pulling Sam with him.
Santana grimaced and shook her head at the man as she moved back a few paces as well, "Bad move dude."
Mercedes sighed and shook her head; she really had hoped to keep her girl from fighting tonight. As soon as she let go of Tina's hands she moved quickly out of the way to stand by Santana.
"What bitch you got a problem?" the man rudely asked.
Tina grabbed the man's hand and twisted it roughly at the wrist. He screamed in pain as he felt his bones snap. She kicked him in the knee making the joint bend at the wrong angle and clamped her petite but deadly hand around his throat, making it harder and harder for him to make a sound or to even breathe.
"Santana."
"Tina."
"Would you be a dear and permit me the use of your new merchandise?" Tina asked through clenched jaws.
"Go for it," Santana replied.
Tina tossed the man in Quinn's direction. Quinn immediately raised her leg and connected her boot with the man's face, sending him crashing back into the metal bars with a loud clang. His mangled twitching body slid into a heap on the floor.
"Is it fucking clear to you assholes TO KEEP YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY WOMAN … or do you need me to repeat myself?" Tina yelled.
Everyone miraculously found somewhere else to go or something else to look at.
"Well, that was fun," Puck said with a laugh.
"Please go calm your girl down before she tears this whole place up," Santana begged Mercedes.
"You know I got you," Mercedes said.
Santana turned her gaze then to her newest expenditures. Puck came to stand next to her as Quinn motioned for her three counterparts to get into formation. They all knelt down in a line and waited for Santana to tell them what to do next.
"Hey Lesbro," Puck says as he nudges Santana, "let me have the pretty boy."
"You know better than that Puck," Santana chuckled, "Mami's going to want to see them first."
"Fuck I forgot, she's totally going to say no."
"Yeah she likes the pretty ones just as much as you do."
"Maybe I can use my charm to convince her to share," Puck joked.
"Names, starting with you Pretty Boy."
"Artie, Mistress," the boy answered.
"Uh uh, my mother may possibly require you to call her Ma'am; but you address me as Santana. Not Ma'am, Madame, Miss, Mistress, My Lady or any of that nonsense. Just Santana. Understood?"
"Yes Santana," Artie and two of the girls answered.
Santana noticed the fighter's silence and stared at her. Just as she was about to address it she heard Lee's voice behind her.
"Don't get mad at her Santana she don't talk," Lee explained.
"Really?"
"She kicks ass but she never utters a word. Um … you didn't know that before I'll give you some funds back if you like," Lee said, he didn't want to be known as someone that cheated a Lopez.
"Appreciate it but no, speech or not she's still worth full payment. Everything set?"
"Yeah here you go," Lee handed her a folder with four deeds as well as medical and owner history for the four purchases, and a payment receipt, "the pretty boy's named Artie; I know you like the skirts but you may want to give him a run," Lee said with a wink that caused Santana to quirk her eyebrow, "the little one is named Rachel; she's a decent fighter too don't let her small size fool you, the princess is Brittany; she's a little quiet but she's a good worker and has good eyes and ears too if you know what I mean, and the beast of the hour is Quinn. Not to tell you or Lady Lopez how to run your house but I'd put her and the half pint on your security detail if I were you."
"That's actually what I was thinking," Santana said as she read through the file, "Artie?"
"Yes Santana?"
"Why were you in the cell with these girls?"
"I," he paused fearing the punishment that he was sure would come, "I owed Rachel a favor Mis … I-I mean Santana; apologies for my stuttering."
Santana looked at Rachel and sees her eyebrows crinkle together. She didn't seem to know what the boy is talking about.
"Explain."
"We had the same owner when we were younger and my legs weren't very strong back then so I couldn't work as long as everyone else. Some older field boys were jealous because they thought I was getting special treatment so they tried to take from me what they weren't allowed to take from the female slaves. Rachel saved me."
"That's what I was trying to hint to earlier. If you'll permit me some direction," Lee asked.
"Sure," Santana answered.
"Hey Princess grab a blanket and hold it up to Artie's side," Lee directed Brittany, "step over here," he said to Santana.
"Show her," he said to Artie.
Artie opened his pants and pulled his boxers away from his body. His hand shook slightly because he had been returned once before for having the body that he did. The buyer that time wanted a fully male body slave; Artie was male, but he was born with a vagina instead of a penis. The person he was given back to was not happy about it.
"Okay, cover up let's get out of here," Santana said.
Artie visibly exhaled and tried to contain his smile; but his smile quickly turned into a frown and his movements paused as he looked to his left. The boy looking back at him had tears rolling down his cheeks. He gave Artie a small wave and mouthed 'bye' then moved away from the bars and sat against the back wall.
Sebastian saw the small exchange and smiled to himself. He made a show of walking over to the crying boy's cell.
"Hey Lee aren't you done yet? Let's talk some business, how much for this one?" he smiled evilly as he looked at crying boy, "hey you, assume the position; you're coming home with me tonight. And cut the water works you're gonna love this when you get it," he said as he cupped his crotch.
The boy wiped his face and did as he was instructed.
"Escúchame; habla espanol?" Santana directed her question at her new slaves.
"Si Santana," all but Quinn, once again, answered.
"Does Quinn understand it?" Santana asked directing her attention to Rachel.
"Yes Santana, she can also sign; in both languages," the girl answered.
"Well aren't you all a load of talents," Tina said reentering the cell with Mercedes.
"Quién es ese chico?" she asked Artie who the boy was.
She asked in Spanish because she knew Sebastian was close enough to hear them; but Sebastian didn't speak Spanish.
"Es mi hermano Santana; mi gemelo," Artie answered telling Santana that the boy was his twin brother.
"Se construyó como si," she asked if the boy was built like he was.
"Si Santana," he answered.
Just as she was about to turn and ask Lee about pricing for the other boy, she found the man walking back into the cell. She hadn't even noticed he had slipped away.
"I thought you might want that one too," he said with a smile, "just add on an extra two thousand to the wire tomorrow and don't forget to pick up your winnings."
"I got you," she said to Lee, "let's go you lot.
Lee walked down to the cell that held Artie's brother and unlocked it. Sebastian tried to move past him but was met with a very angry looking Quinn.
"Lopez tell your bitch to back off," Sebastian seethed.
"No Smythe you need to back off," Lee said, "he's already been bought."
"What is your name?" Santana asked the boy.
"B-bl … B-blanie Mistress," he answered.
"What? No way man, what the hell?" Sebastian yelled.
"Quinn, bring Blaine," Santana commanded.
"You sure you want to go to war with me Lopez?" Sebastian asked as he stepped into her personal space.
"Whoa Smythe, man you're still relatively new in town. Let me do you a favor and tell you to back the hell up. I'm pretty sure your uncle would disapprove," Lee said.
"Move out of the way before I get the notion to move you," Tina said.
Sebastian showed some common sense and moved away from the group, but he was already plotting. He didn't like being shown up; especially in front of a crowd, by a girl no less.
In the parking lot Santana loaded her new cargo into her SUV and drove to her home along with Tina and Mercedes. Upon her arrival she sent a servant to notify her mother. It wasn't long before Santana had filled her in on everything that happened.
Maribel Lopez used to be a slave herself; until one of her owners fell in love with her. He gave her her freedom and married her. When Santana was five he was killed; leaving Maribel with a small drug empire to run. Thanks to her cunning and careful displays of ruthlessness, the empire had tripled in size.
Maribel walked behind the new slaves, who were on their knees, her daughter had brought home while telling them how their lives would now work.
"First thing to know is my daughter and I don't much care for titles. You will address her as Santana and address me as Maribel unless we have company. Then you are to address me as Lady Lopez and Santana as Miss. Secondly, we don't truly keep slaves here. Everyone owned by myself and Santana gets paid small wages after you pass your first year; and if that information is ever repeated I will not hesitate to cut out your tongue and make you eat it. You will find that you'll like being here. My guards will never mistreat you and neither will I or Santana; however, if you give us cause, we will punish you. At any given time this complex could be turned into a battlefield; stay loyal to us, and we'll always keep you safe and take care of you."
"Yes Maribel," the slaves said in unison.
She took the folder with their information from Santana and walked down the line inspecting all of them. When she got to Quinn, she paused.
"You said this one doesn't talk Santi."
"No Mami, but she is a remarkable fighter."
Maribel looked through the girl's file and gasped. She knelt down and put her hand under her chin to lift her face. It was customary for a slave or servant to not look at their master unless told to, so Quinn still kept her eyes down.
"Look at me child."
Quinn's eyes immediately looked up and Maribel's filled with tears.
"Mami, what's going on?" Santana asked.
"You don't recognize her mija?" Maribel asked.
"No, should I?"
Maribel didn't answer; she kept her focus on Quinn. The girl seemed to see her, but not really see her.
"Do you remember us?" she asked.
Quinn shook her head in answer.
"You don't remember the stories your mother and I would tell you; or the songs I sang to you when I would braid your hair? You don't remember running around the house for hours with Santana?"
Quinn's face remained blank, but it was clear to see that she was trying to piece together the things that Maribel was telling her; but it wasn't clicking in her mind yet.
"Mami?"
"Her mother was killed protecting me the same day your father died. When those bastards stormed the complex, Judy got me to safety; but she sacrificed herself in doing so. She was my personal guard and my most loyal friend. You were at school so I didn't really have to worry about you when the smoke cleared. But I looked for this little one," Maribel paused and cupped Quinn's face, "I thought you were dead," she whispered.
Maribel began to hum a Spanish lullaby and towards the end of the song, Quinn's scratchy voice was heard humming as well.
"Ma-Ma-Mari?"
Quinn's voice was whispered and strained; proof that she hadn't used it in quite sometime.
"Yes," Maribel said and wrapped her arms tightly around the girl.
"T-they hurt d-daddy and t-t-took me," Quinn stuttered into the woman's neck as she cried.
Brittany and Rachel looked on sadly but in slight awe as well. For as long as they'd been under the same roof as Quinn, they'd never seen her cry or heard her speak.
"Lucy."
"Yes Santana," Maribel spoke as she pulled away from Quinn, "her parents had named her Lucy. I suppose her name was changed by the people that took her," she sighed and looked back at Quinn, "no one will be taking you away from here again; unless you choose to leave. Okay?"
"Ok…" Quinn couldn't finish the word, she started coughing. The few words she'd spoken had already made her throat sore.
"Maribel?"
Maribel looked to her side and saw her male servant holding a glass and a pitcher of water.
"Yes, please Kurt; always so thoughtful, thank you."
"You're welcome Maribel," the boy said with a smile as he handed her the now filled glass and stepped back a few feet to wait until he was needed again.
Maribel handed the glass to Quinn and said, "You'll have to take small steps with your voice dear."
Maribel rose from the knee she was resting on and looked at the line of young people again.
"Why are they so bruised?" she asked.
"Quinn took on about twenty guys in the pit and Rachel and Artie were fighting to keep Brittany safe."
"Judy was an exceptional fighter as well. Who were they protecting the girl from?" Maribel didn't like the sound of that.
"Smythe and one of his cronies," Tina answered, "not sure what happened to Blaine though."
Everyone looked over at the boy.
"One of the ladies and her son came into my cell and…"
"Stop right there," Maribel interrupted him shaking her head, "does no one have any sense of honor these days?" Maribel said more to herself than anyone else, "and William really needs to get a handle on that boy," she said with nothing but disdain in her voice.
Santana's phone began to ring and she answered when she saw Puck's name on the screen.
"What's up Puckerman?"
"Get your guards and dogs in the yard. Me and my boys are turning down your block right now so open the gate. You got a hell of a lot of heat coming your way."
Maribel grew worried watching her daughter's face, "What's wrong Santi?"
"Tina have Tony open the gate," she ordered, "Smythe?"
"You guessed it. Be inside in a minute."
"Get your teams in gear. Apparently Sebastian is a bit upset about being out bid."
Seconds later Kurt was bringing Puck, along with some of his guards, into the large front room. Puck walked over to Maribel first and gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Sorry this isn't under happier circumstances Tia," he said.
"It's the life we lead my boy," she stated.
"This is my new guy Sam and you guys already know Mike, Matt, Rory, Dave, Jacob, and Joseph. Boys, this is Tina's turf so you take your orders from her. We don't know exactly how large a number Smythe is bringing so Mom has half our guards a block away on stand by. Sam also has some freelance friends in the area that are already on alert; if we call they'll come running."
"Groovy. Kurt, you have five minutes to take Blaine, Rachel, Artie, and Quinn to get…" Tina didn't even have to finish the sentence.
Kurt yelled for the group to follow him as Tina made sure to tell him to bring her and Santana's gear as well. She got on the radio with her second in command and quickly dealt out her orders. By the time she was done Kurt and the group that had left was back.
Tina dealt out her final orders as she and Santana put their gear and weapons on, "Kurt, Maribel is your responsibility. Blaine, Brittany's yours. Artie, Mercedes. Kurt will take you all to the panic room. You'll be able to monitor everything from there. If this goes badly, use the emergency exit and get to the safe house. Quinn, Santana is yours to protect. San, no playing hero; if Quinn tries to pull you away get out of here and meet everyone else at the safe house. Puck, you and your boys just fall in line with us. Rachel, you're my shadow."
Maribel hugged both Santana and Quinn before she walked away, "Be safe my angels."
"We will Mami," Santana replied.
Tina started to walk away but turned around when her hand was grabbed.
"You better come back to me," Mercedes said before kissing her and watching her walk away. Tina never spoke at these times; but her eyes always said one thing to her girlfriend, 'take care if I don't see you again my love'.
Santana noticed Brittany turning around and looking at Quinn as she was led away.
"Kurt wait," she said then looked at Quinn, "we don't always know if we're coming back, go say bye."
Quinn started to walk towards Brittany, but Brittany ran to her and tightly wrapped her arms around her. Soon Rachel, Artie, and Blaine were all wrapped around them.
When they pulled apart Brittany still held on to Quinn, "You're not allowed to leave me," she whispered.
Quinn nodded her head then followed Santana outside.
It started quickly; the squeals of tires turning the corner, engines growling loudly as they were pushed to their limits; car after car driving into the complex and skidding on to the lawn. Sebastian and his men exited the vehicles. Had he been a bit smarter he may have noticed that the gates were left open or that all the flood lights in the yard were on and concentrated right where he and his bunch were all now standing. It should have been a dead giveaway that he was not in any way surprising the Lopez' like he'd planned on.
"Lopez! Get your bitch ass out here!" he said as he banged on the front door.
"And why would I do that?" Santana's voice echoed through a loud speaker in the yard.
"Oh what you gonna hide now? You were so brave and bold not too long ago," he retorted.
"You know Sebastian, there's a reason Lee told you to step off. Leave now, and we'll forget this even happened."
"What, are you too scared to face me now?"
Seconds later a hail of bullets erupted from the trees. Snipers hidden in the tall branches shot out all the tires on Sebastian's cars. One of them blew up because someone "accidentally" put some rounds in the gas tank and engine. Sebastian and his men jumped behind the closest things they could; a long line of bushes on either side of the front steps. When the bullets stopped a loud clang was heard at the end of the long driveway; the front gates had been closed.
Santana's voice was heard through the speaker again, "Now, you can't leave."
Barking was heard in the distance. The men all looked at each other wondering what was going to happen next. Before they knew it dogs were jumping through the bushes scratching and biting at them. The men didn't hesitate to shoot at the animals as they quickly vacated the bushes. Sebastian and a handful of men kicked in the front door and ran into the darkened house; but it didn't take long to catch them.
At the end of the whole thing all but Sebastian and three of his men were dead. He found himself on his knees handcuffed in his uncle's front yard as Maribel pulled out her phone.
"Hello."
"Buenas noche Señor Schuester."
"Lady Lopez. And what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"I have something that belongs to you; come outside."
Maribel ended the call and waited. Soon after the front door was opened and out strode William Schuester with three guards behind him. He surveyed the scene in front of him before speaking.
"What happened?"
"Your boy disrespected my daughter then had the audacity to come onto my property when she put him in his place. There are several cars parked in my front yard that I expect to see titles to by next week. He also thought it was a good idea to kick in my front door as well as break several expensive vases and works of art in my living room. Luckily for him the girl that caught him wasn't trigger happy or I'd be delivering you a corpse."
Will looked at his nephew and frowned. He knew he should have let the boy rot in the correctional school his father had sent him too. He'd heard the stories of the boy's erratic and irresponsible behavior; but his wife had a soft spot for rehabilitating wayward children. She thought she could save him; so Will told his brother he'd take the boy. He'd been trouble since day one. Will and his wife had a good business. They were honest in their dealings and unlike many in his position; he actually got along with Maribel and the other Bosses. If he didn't handle this correctly though, he'd likely end up dead himself.
"Permit me to take my boys back inside. They need to be retrained; I hear their behavior this evening has been tainted by my nephew."
"You would be right," Santana said.
The three guards were uncuffed and roughly pushed into the house. Only one guard stayed outside with Will; a tall blonde that positioned herself to Sebastian's left side. Will stared at his nephew who looked back at him with tearful pleading eyes. It seemed like only now the boy had realized he'd gone way too far.
"Your father almost talked me out of letting you come live with me. I can pretty much guarantee you when I tell him about this…"
"Please don't send me back there; I swear I won't cause anymore trouble Uncle. I let my temper get the best of me, it won't happen again," Sebastian cut him off.
Will chuckled humorlessly, "You're right, it won't."
He snapped his fingers and the sound of a gun shot echoed through the yard; Sebastian's body now lay lifelessly on the ground.
He looked at Maribel without any remorse for his now dead nephew, "We square Lady Lopez?"
"Once the vehicles are taken care of we will be."
"I'll have Holly here bring you the titles tomorrow afternoon."
"Goodnight William," she said as she started to walk away.
"Sorry for the trouble he caused you Santana."
"No worries," she said as she and her entourage exited the man's property with her mother.
In the following days Maribel gave Quinn her freedom.
A few months later she gave Blaine, Artie, Rachel, and Brittany their freedom as well; though they all still stayed to work for her.
Over time the girls became very close to Santana, eventually opting to forge a relationship together. Maribel didn't quite understand poly-love, but as long as her girls were happy she was happy.
Santana still hates having to go to clubs like Lee's; her girlfriends don't much like it either, but she continues to make the appearances she's expected to. Someday her mother's empire will become hers, and like her mother, she plans to save as many as possible. She can't stop slavery, nor will she try, but if she can give a few something to live for; well, she'll put it on the books as a job well done.
Song Disclaimer: Hit 'Em High belongs to: B-Real, Coolio, Method Man, LL Cool J, & Busta Rhymes