As much as I would like to own them, all the characters of Glee belong to Fox – I own nothing. All the characters of The Fast and the Furious belong to Universal Studios, I'm just borrowing some of them. All writing belongs to me.
Ok guys, long update but it's kinda making up for there being no update last week. I hope you enjoy this one as I worked really hard on it so without further ado, enjoy!
Thank you to everybody out there reviewing, adding to faves and alerts, it's good to know that people are out there reading and enjoying it!
Santana smiled as she watched the rising morning sun, a cool breeze ghosting over her skin and rustling her hair as she took in a deep breath of ocean air. Sat on the hood of her car she was eating breakfast whilst she watched the sunrise at the docks. It was the Friday of the week when her car was finished and she was enjoying the quiet before she had to head into work. She was broken out of her thoughts when a bear claw was waved in front of her face, grinning as she lent her head forward to take a bite and pressing a kiss to the long slender fingers that were clutching it tightly.
When she heard a giggle she glanced to her left where Brittany was sat next to her, the two of them having decided to get breakfast early and then head to the shop together.
"Hey, that was a big bite!" She protested, seeing the damage Santana had done to her sweet pastry.
"You offered" Santana laughed as she chewed, prompting the blonde to slap her on the bicep playfully before sighing and leaning into her.
When the Latina had finished her mouthful she sat up a little and wrapped her left arm around Brittany's waist, the other woman resting her head on her shoulder as they cuddled together and enjoyed the silence. She heard Brittany sigh in appreciation as she wrapped her arm around her lower back resulting in the blonde cuddling into her even more.
With a kiss to the top of her head Santana decided to question the blonde on something that had been bugging her for weeks. "Britt?"
"Yeah?"
"When I raced Rory, what was that 'I know' line all about?"
"What do you mean?" She asked, taking a bite of her bearclaw.
"I don't know. It's just that it's been bugging me ever since you said it"
"You wanna know what I meant?" Santana nodded. "Well, I knew you had a crush on me"
"You did?"
"Yep, I was just teasing as well but I knew you liked me"
"Even that early on?"
"Yeah. I know Rory likes me but the way you looked at me was different than anybody else before. It was kind and caring. Not like him, he looks at me like a stalker"
She felt Santana chuckle above her. "So I don't look at you like a stalker?"
"Of course not! I like the way you look at me"
"You do?"
"Hmm"
Brittany reached her now-free hand up to cup Santana's jaw and pulled her in for a kiss, the Latina internally smiling at the remnants of sugar left on her girlfriend's lips. When her phone started ringing in her pocket she growled as she was forced to pull away to answer it. Brittany grinned at the other woman's reaction and curled back into her warmth as she reached into her pocket to retrieve the interruptive object.
Sliding her finger across the screen she lifted it up to her ear whilst her other arm wrapped back around Brittany's waist to hold her close as the blonde rested her head on her shoulder. "Hello?"
"Santana?"
"Hey Mia"
"Hey, you're with Britt right?"
"Yeah, we wanted to get breakfast together before we headed over to the garage. What's going on?"
"Letty wants everybody back at the house ready to get out of the city"
"What for?"
"It's training day"
"Ok, when does she need us back by?"
"In the next hour. I suggest you make sure you've got your bag packed. We're not coming back until tomorrow"
"Cool. We'll see you soon"
"Good. Bye Santana"
"Bye Mia"
When she ended the call Brittany pulled away to look up at her. "What did Mia want?"
"Letty wants us back at the house. It's training day"
"When?"
"In the next hour so I guess we'd better get moving"
"But I don't want to. I wanted to enjoy breakfast with you"
"I know you did, I did too, but we have duties and I really don't want to get my ass kicked by Letty for not arriving on time"
"Good point. Let's go"
With a peck to Santana's lips she slid off the hood and made her way around to the passenger side of the Supra. Making sure that she had all of the rubbish from their food Santana placed it in the trunk before slipping into the car with her girlfriend. Once the couple were buckled in the car was fired up and Santana started pulling out of the dock's area.
She smiled with Brittany reached over and took her right hand into her own as she pulled onto the main road.
"So, is your bag in your motel room?"
"Yep, we've gotta stop by there first and then we can head over to the house. Have you packed?"
"Uh huh. We just have to get yours and we're good to go"
"Cool"
With a kiss to Brittany's knuckles she focused back on the road as the blonde played around with the touch-screen media center that had been installed on her dashboard.
5 minutes later Santana pulled into her motel and ignoring the stares at her car from some of the other residents she kissed Brittany goodbye before exiting, grabbing her trash from the trunk and disposing of it then heading up to the upper level to grab her bag. Brittany smiled sweetly as she watched the Latina exit her room and make her way down to place her duffel bag in the trunk before hopping into the driver's seat once more and handed the blonde her blue Nos cooler bag. Their hands interlinked once more and they were on their way again, this time heading back to the house to meet the others.
When they arrived they found a mass of extra cars parked on either side of the street so Santana pulled up into the free space behind Holly's red Ford truck opposite the house.
"Wow, everybody's here" She said, shutting down the engine as they both surveyed the flurry of activity moving in and out of the house.
As Quinn made her way towards her Skyline with her duffel bag slung over her shoulder she glanced to her right to see Santana and Brittany making their way across the street hand-in-hand. Smiling she stopped just as Rachel walked out of the house.
"Hey guys"
"Hey Q" Santana greeted, fist pumping the blonde as soon as they were close enough.
"Hey S. You got your stuff?"
"Yep, all ready to go"
"Hey guys" Rachel welcomed, a small bag dangling from her left hand.
"Hey Rach" Brittany beamed, her best friend unable to keep the smile from forming on her own lips at her cheery mood.
It was then that Mia and Letty exited the house, the crew leader sending her a small greeting before making her way over to her Plymouth to put something into her trunk. Mia turned her gaze away from her girlfriend to look back at Brittany and Santana.
"Sorry if I interrupted you guys. I know said you wanted to enjoy breakfast alone when you left this morning"
Santana waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, if it's crew stuff we're there. Plus, we managed to have some time to ourselves" She said, glancing to Brittany as she finished and wrapped an arm around the blonde's waist.
Brittany smiled at her girlfriend before turning back to Mia. "Yep. We got some time so it wasn't all for nothing."
Mia nodded. "Well, now that I know I didn't ruin your morning I guess all we have to do now is finish getting ready"
"How many people are there coming with us?" Santana asked.
"The entire crew plus Shelby, Holly, Kitty, Blaine and Kurt. We're also meeting some friends out there"
"Anything you need help with?"
"Nope, we're nearly done anyway"
Santana nodded and watched Mia walked away before turning her attentions back to the three women surrounding her.
"Is your bag in your car babe?"
Brittany nodded. "Yep, done last night"
"Meoooowwww"
Rachel and Quinn followed the direction of their friends gazes and turned around to see Lord Tubbington waddling across the lawn, the bell on his collar jingling as he moved. Ignoring the three other women he only had eyes for one, meowing appreciatively as Brittany broke free of Santana's hold to pick him up.
The others watched as he purred and rubbed his face up against Brittany's jaw, the large cat happy to be in her arms once again. As she clutched him tightly she called Mia over.
"Mia, where's Lord Tubbington staying? Here?"
"No, he can come if he wants"
She nodded and watched as Mia disappeared back into the house.
"He can?" Santana questioned, eyeing the cat as he nuzzled into Brittany's chest. She strangely felt a tiny ping of jealously over the feline who had her girlfriend's undivided attention.
Said blonde nodded as she stroked his head. "Yeah."
"He comes with us anyway. He's sort of our mascot for days like this" Rachel explained, wrapping both arms around Quinn's waist from the side and snuggling into her girlfriend's warmth.
"So does he just hang around with everybody?"
Quinn nodded as she wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulder's. "Pretty much."
Santana nodded as Holly walked up to them. "Hey dudes. You ready to go?" There were various nods and verbal affirmations from the other women. "Good, Letty told me to tell you to get into your cars. We're heading out in a few minutes. Oh, and Brittany Mia told me to give you this"
When Brittany accepted the small cooler bag of cat stuff they all parted and made their way to their cars. As Santana opened her driver's side door she glanced over at Brittany to see the blonde placing Lord Tubbington onto the passenger side seat of her car. Looking down she unzipped her cooler bag and ran across the road, holding out a can.
"What's this for?"
"I thought you might need a drink on the way there"
"Aww so sweet" She beamed, taking the can and leaning forward to connect their lips together.
When they pulled apart Santana smiled. "Drive safe"
"I will"
Brittany watched as she then leaned down to peer into the car. "Bye Lord T"
With a final peck to the blonde's lips she made her way back across the street to her car and slipped inside, strapping herself into her race harness and firing up the engine. She watched as everybody else got into their cars; Blaine in his Porsche, Kurt in Holly's Ford truck in front of her with Kitty, Shelby into her Camaro and Holly into her Jaguar plus the rest of the crew in their own individual cars. Everybody on the driveway pulled out and waited until Letty had started driving, the crew following with the add-ons behind them.
As they pulled out of the city Mercedes and Sam watched from their cars at a gas station out of sight as they hit the highway. "What do you think they're doing?" The dark skinned woman asked, watching as the convoy turned onto the access road.
Hey boyfriend shrugged as he handed her a can of soda. "Don't know. Think we should call Puck?"
"Yeah, we don't know what they're doing. Let's just hope they finally came to their senses and got their ass out of town before we beat their sorry asses at Race Wars. Hang on"
Sam nodded, his sight never leaving the convoy as he took a sip of his drink. Meanwhile Mercedes had speed dialled her crew leader in the hopes that he wasn't busy.
"Yeah?"
"Puck, we just saw Letty and her crew leave town"
"Where?"
"The highway. Want us to tail them?"
"No. They'll notice"
"You sure? It looks suspicious"
"How?"
"They took the whole crew plus Blaine, a pick-up, Shelby and Holly"
"Stick to what I said. They'll notice you following them for sure"
"Ok, well, we just wanted to let you know"
"Thanks"
Puck sighed as he hung up the phone, taking a few moments to ponder something before dialling a familiar number.
"Hello?"
"It's Puck"
"What can I do for you?"
"Ortiz's crew just left town. No doubt they're planning something against my crew"
"Keep calm, everything will be fine. Just bide your time, they can't be doing anything major"
"Oh yeah? They took Blaine and Holly and Shelby!"
"Like I said, play it cool and let them do whatever they have to do. They have it coming to them, you and I both know that"
"Fine, but if this bites me in the ass the blames on you"
"Whatever you say. Stay calm and don't do anything we'll regret. Clear?"
"Clear"
When the person on the end of the line hung up he sighed and spent a few quiet moments pondering over this new information. On the one hand his gut was telling him to round up his crew and follow them but his brain was telling him to wait and bide his time, knowing that he would get them in the long run. All he had to do was wait.
Growling he threw his phone across his desk. "Fucking Ortiz!"
When the crew reached the desert outside of town, just North of a mountain pass, Letty directed them towards what seemed to be a literal ghost town. Minding to stay with everybody else Santana took a few moments to survey the area, everything deserted and probably left that way for a very long time. Whoever once lived here had packed up and left a long time ago and as to what they were there for, Santana had no clue so she just went along with it and continued to follow her boss regardless.
When Letty pulled up in front of the old gas station the rest of the crew followed, all parking in a line next to her including their tag-alongs. Shutting off their engines it was a sight to see in the middle of a barren desert-like area, so many modified bright and unique cars parked up in a line next to each other, it was as if they had just come off a factory production line and hadn't been driven yet.
Stepping out into the hot desert sun Santana glanced over at Brittany who was parked next to her. They had spent about an hour travelling and had about two more until lunch. So, whatever this warm up thing was she was sure they were going to be jumping right into it. Brittany smiled at her and they both made their way over to where everybody else was gathering, Santana just catching sight of Lord Tubbington fast asleep on her girlfriend's passenger side seat.
"So, what's going on boss?" Marley asked.
"We should be starting soon, we just have to wait for our friends to get here"
They weren't kept waiting for long when a large black tour bus and a truck pulling a towable RV pulled up in front of them, a black woman stepping out along with a small honey brunette. As she studied the large vehicles Santana wondered exactly what they were going to be doing today and exactly how they would fit into those plans.
"Guys, you all know Sugar and Unique. Santana, these are our co-organizers, Unique and Sugar. They always hold a warm-up for us out here and they race with us whenever they're in the city. They're from a place not too far from here"
"So these are the people who are joining us?"
"Correct."
Santana stepped forward and shook their hands. "Nice to meet you, I'm Santana"
"Nice to meet you too. You're the new crew member right?" Unique asked, her grin exceptionally wide.
"That I am"
"Don't forget me!"
Santana turned and chuckled at the blonde she called her girlfriend. "I know babe. Britt's a crew member too"
"Finally! Hi, I'm Sugar" The shorter woman announced, pulling Santana in for a hug.
"Hi"
Clapping her hands together Letty grinned. "So now that we're introduced let's get started!"
Once everything was set up and in order Shelby called everybody around the area where people could lounge and chill under the shade and out of the hot sun.
"Ok, there's an odd amount of drivers on the crew so I've asked Blaine to stand in for the day. First thing we need to do is split people up into two teams. To make it interesting it's gonna be couples against couples, with the exceptions of Blaine ans Dani of course" She chuckled, some of the others joining in. "Team one is Letty, Santana, Quinn, Tina and Dani. Team two is Mia, Brittany, Rachel, Marley, and Blaine. Also, we're gonna be racing all types of races. Whoever wins the most of those races overall at the end of the day wins. Now come on, lets move people"
The newly picked teams separated and moved away from each other to talk tactics.
"What do we do first?" Brittany asked.
"I think we should pick a temporary crew leader for the day" Rachel suggested.
"I think that's a good idea. That way we have someone to help lead us. Who should we pick?" Blaine offered.
A few moments later Marley held her hand up. "Mia"
The brunette in question watched as everybody else seemed to agree and hold their hands up, effectively making her the chosen one.
"You guys think I can do this?"
Brittany smiled and nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Of course! Knowing the others they'll vote for Letty and who better to be our crew leader than the woman who knows her better than anyone?"
Mia smiled and glanced over her shoulder to see the others huddled around in a circle like they were. No doubt they were also picking their own crew leader.
"So, what do we do?" Santana asked.
"Maybe have someone in charge?" Tina offered.
"Yeah, I think we've got that covered" Dani smiled, looking over at Letty.
The Latina in question glanced around at the others who seemed to agree that she was the perfect choice, not that she wouldn't have been picked anyway but it was good to see they all put their trust in her to lead them on more than one occasion.
"If you think that's best guys..." With a round of various nods she continued. "Ok then, now all we need is a name..."
"First race: Speedtrap"
Everybody gathered around Shebly as she called out the first type of race. "Ok ladies, first race is a speedtrap. You should know the rules but for those of you that don't it simply means that it doesn't matter who crosses the line, it's who's the fastest in the long run. Like a tag-team race you work together to win. People who aren't part of the teams like me and Holly will be at various points of the course taking your speeds and whoever has the largest total of both drivers combined wins. Unique and Sugar are gonna give you the course maps for your GPS' and then you have to choose who's racing. Unique you're with Letty's team, Sugar you're with Mia's team. Everybody clear? Ok then, let's move it people"
As the two mini crews separated once more Letty was already jumping head first into the task at hand. "Ok guys, speed trap. We need technical drivers who can keep speed. What do you think?"
"Tina's a scout, that's gotta count for something" Quinn suggested, leaning up against her Skyline next to Santana.
"Yeah, I've driven a 350Z, it can hold it's speed and if you're a scout it's even better. You're made for this type of thing"
Letty shook her head in acknowledgement. "Ok, T, you in?"
The Asian woman nodded. "Sure"
"I think it's safe to say now we need a fast car"
"We all have fast cars but who's right for this race?"
"Good point, T. Dani, you're up"
"Cool" The blonde woman grinned and stepped closer to Tina, resting an arm over her shoulder. "What now?"
"We wait until the race starts"
Tina pulled up into the empty space on the end next to Dani's Ford GT, the other crew only just picking their driver's. She was somewhat thankful that Letty was on point, knowing that the boss lady was efficient when it came to things and situations like this. It came as if it was second nature and thinking about it right now she knew it was definitely a plus that they had over the other crew, hence the reason why they were already ready to go.
It wasn't long before they finally made their mind up and Marley pulled up next to Dani in her bright orange Camaro and Blaine pulled up on the end. Now lined up Marley grinned over at her girlfriend through Dani and over to her, smirking and winking at the same time. Rolling her eyes she smiled and faced forwards, revving her engine as she mentally prepared herself to race. Dani did the same and blocked out everybody else as she took in a deep breath and mentally pictured how she was going to win the race. She had to to be careful and fast at the same time, the driving more important than crossing the line in first place. Marley and Blaine did the same and glanced over at Mia who was waiting on the sideline with the rest of their small crew, both driver's giving her a little salute as they waited for the race to start.
All four engine's revved loudly as Sugar made her way to the center of the road and as soon as she dropped her arms which was clutching a white bandanna they were off the line, a large cloud of dust in their wake.
They were presented with their first obstacle as a hard right turn came up fast, Dani not caring and shifting up another gear as she mapped out in her head how she was going to tackle it. People watched through their dashboard cams (a default accessory when you became part of the crew) as she slid around the corner at high speed, not quite drifting as she took the lead ahead of the other three drivers.
Blaine growled and despite knowing that he didn't have to worry about coming in first he wanted to be there anyway, the position giving any driver a thrill and a boost in confidence. However Dani wasn't letting up, never giving him an inch to make his way past. When she got ahead, she locked it in and it would stay that way until the end of the race.
Tina watched on in front from her position in third place as Blaine battled to get ahead and despite the fact that her girlfriend was battling her for her own position she knew that if she handled the next corner she could come out fast and hit the first trap with a high number.
Marley smiled as she sped ahead of the Nissan but with her car being all-American muscle she was hit with the handling flaw and was forced to slow down, watching as her girlfriend shifted up a gear and hit the first trap at high speed ahead of her. Growling she put her foot down as she worked to catch up, eventually coming up beside her and restarting their battle for third place.
Up ahead Blaine was still trying to get first place but he was stuck, Dani determined to not let him past even when she was working to maintain her speed. She was a tough driver to go up against and that applied to anybody from Blaine to Letty. She wasn't one to be messed with and when it came to something like this that involved high speed and intricate driving she was the perfect driver. Letty had certainly done a good job choosing her to do this race, it meant that her crew practically couldn't lose.
That being said, even though Blaine wasn't as experienced as the other racers he certainly made up for it in determination, his hunger to win and prove himself outweighing the fact that Dani was making it hard for him to pass her into first. As the blonde slid around the next corner it was a close call to increase speed as she passed Kurt, the painter mapping their speeds and quickly calling them into Holly who was waiting at the finish line.
The next trap was a ways ahead, the last of two remaining before they crossed the line. As Santana, Quinn and Letty all waited at the finish line they observed their driver's through their camera's, not quite sure as to who would win. Blaine and Marley were definitely giving them a hard time.
"Who'd you thinks gonna win?" Santana asked, watching as Dani slid around another corner at high speed whilst still keeping Blaine at arms length behind her.
Quinn shrugged. "It's a close one. I just hope Dani and Tina keep it together."
Meanwhile Tina saw a short-cut and took it, cutting a wide triangular-like corner as she sped down an old dirt road behind houses on either side. As she rejoined the others just behind Blaine on the road her girlfriend was only behind her for a few moments before she was back beside her, the brunette somehow managing to always be on par with her even if they were racing together or against each other. Glancing over at the woman in the orange Camaro she growled as she smirked over at her, Marley having this uncanny ability to annoy the living crap out of her girlfriend when it came to racing against each other. She knew now how other driver's felt when going up against her, she annoyed them to death.
It wasn't long before they were approaching the final turn and Kitty was the last one to mark their speeds. She was positioned not too far away from the finish line and the driver's had one last turn to conquer, a hairpin. That meant that their driving had to be on point if they were going to nail the corner and maintain speed as they made the final run towards the finish.
Kitty watched on as Dani sped at high speed around that last corner, her high powered engine roaring as she put her foot down and sped past her at a speed she was sure would have killed anybody else had they tried to keep control of the vehicle. Blaine wasn't far behind and Tina had just managed to get ahead of her girlfriend allowing Kitty to clock both of their scores before they hit the finish line.
Both small crews cheered for their companions as they came to a stop, all of them eager to know who had won the first race. It was a few tense moments as Unique and Sugar added up the totals and whispered them to Shelby.
"The winner's are Team Kawaii!"
Letty's crew groaned as Mia's crew celebrated, not quite sure as to how they lost. "What went wrong guys?" Letty asked, rubbing her temples.
Dani and Tina shrugged. "I kept Blaine behind me the entire race. There's no way he could have gone round those corners faster than me"
"Marley keep the pressure on me the entire time. We kept going back between one being in front and then the other. That's probably what killed it for us."
"Probably but let's stay positive. It's the first race and we still have strong driver's ready to race. Let's go to lunch and pick this up later"
Santana smiled as she and Brittany finally got away from everybody else. Their hands were gripped tightly together as they approached a small house a few blocks away from where the crew was stationed for the entirety of the day, the two women wanting to be alone after they had been interrupted earlier that morning and forced to head back to the house to start the day. Santana forced open the old gate and let Brittany in first before making her way in behind her, following the blonde over to where she sat down and dangled her feet over the empty spraypainted pool that had seen better days.
She perched herself down next to the blonde and pulled her blue drink cooler bag off of her shoulder, unzipping it and handing a can to the other woman. Brittany smile gratefully and pressed a kiss to her cheek, Santana loving how the blonde was so happy.
"San, you ok?"
"Oh, yeah. Just a little hungry"
Brittany nodded and watched as she lifted up the hot-dog Holly had given her to her mouth, just managing to stop her in time. She took note of the Latina's confused expression before chuckling and leaning in to kiss her, her hand cupping her jaw.
"What was that for?"
She shrugged. "I wanted to kiss you before you got hot-dog breath"
"Good point. So, what is this place anyway?"
"You know it's funny, we've been training here for a while now but I don't actually know. According to Unique and Sugar this place wasn't that full anyway and a while back a big corporation bought up the entire town and was gonna knock it down and build a luxury spa resort or something but it fell through. It's been abandoned ever since and when Race Wars started Letty took up the opportunity and called both Unique and Sugar and we've been racing here ever since"
Santana nodded as she took another bite of her food. "So what's their deal anyway?"
"What? Unique and Sugar? They've been racing with us since we started back in high school. In fact they went to the same high school as us and they're like master scouts when it comes to finding places to race. When they found this place it all fell into Letty's plan of being structured. If they're not finding places to race they're actually driving. Half the time we don't know where but eventually they turn up just to let us know they're alive."
"I guess this whole Race Wars thing gets pretty crazy, huh?"
"It does, especially right before. Letty gets stressed but that's what makes us so good. It puts pressure on us because we have to perform but on the other hand it's what we love to do. Racings in our blood."
"Are you excited to be going there?"
"I am usually but this year it's even better"
"And whys that?"
Brittany turned to look at her and smiled sweetly. "Because I'm finally a full crew member. I've stood in before but I'm racing for real this time. There is also another reason"
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I have a super hot girlfriend who's also pretty awesome behind the wheel"
"Just pretty awesome?" Santana asked, watching as the blonde crawled over so that she was straddling either side of her legs.
"Hmm, more than awesome..."
Before she had a chance to reply Brittany had already wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her in for a kiss, feeling the Latina's arms wrap around her waist to pull her in closer and keep her in place.
And that was just how Rachel and Quinn found them. Hating to break up the happy couple it was time to get back to racing.
"Hey guys"
Brittany and Santana instantly broke apart at the sound of Rachel's voice, looking over and seeing her stood next to a nervous looking Quinn, the blonde definitely giving off the impression that she would rather be anywhere but here intruding on her friend's. Rachel, however wasn't fazed. She had walked in on Brittany and some of her dates as well as her sister and Mia plenty of times before and this was definitely one of the more pleasant sights she had walked in on when it came to her best friend. Not that she enjoyed doing it though.
"Now?" Santana asked, squinting as the sun bore down on them.
The small brunette nodded. "Yep. Letty told me to tell you, and I quote: 'Get your butts back to the gas station now so we can start racing'. Shelby said it's a drag race so the afternoon is about to kick off. We'll see you there"
"Fine, we'll be there in a minute"
Rachel nodded and started walking away, Quinn smiling awkwardly at her best friend. "I'll see you in a minute S"
"Bye Q"
As soon as they were both out of earshot Brittany groaned and lent forward, her head resting against Santana's forehead. The Latina chuckled from beneath her. "I think we need to be careful, it won't be long before people are gonna wish they hadn't walked in on us"
"Yeah, I don't think I can handle the embarrassment"
Santana chuckled. "Me either but I think right now we need to get back before they come looking again"
When they made it back to the gas station Letty was waiting for Santana. "Who's racing?"
"I am"
"Obviously" Dani snorted.
Letty rolled her eyes. "It's kinda obvious. I'm the queen of the drag"
Santana ignored Dani and Tina's giggling and focused back on her leader. "Yeah but have they decided who they're gonna have race you?"
"Not yet but it won't matter. I think we've got this race covered"
Santana smiled and Letty fist bumped her before making her way over to Shelby. It wasn't very long before she was pulling up at the start line on what used to be the main road and Mia pulled up next to her. From her place beside the black muscle car Mia knew what was about to happen but she wasn't about to let that stop her. She was pretty sure if she played it right she had a good chance at winning, she just had to be smart about it. Glancing over at Letty who seemed pretty calm she turned back and readied her Nos tanks, smiling as she revved her high-powered Japanese engine loudly.
Letty rolled her eyes and focused back on the road in front of her, her small crew cheering and drowning out Mia's driver's yells as she revved her own engine, the sound alone enough to put anyone off racing her at all. She smirked at her girlfriend and turned back to the road as Shelby made her way in between them. When she lowered her arms both racers were immediately off the line, Letty's car lifting up a little as she lurched forward.
It was clear to Mia that her girlfriend's car was much more powerful than her own and she knew that this race wasn't going to be easy but she was determined to give it all she had no matter who won. Shifting up a gear she watched as Letty's Plymouth pulled ahead slightly, a small gap between them. The Latina's focus was unbreakable as she pushed her car to go faster, the engine roaring as it was put to proper use for the first time in a while. Despite the fact that she didn't race as much as the rest of her crew the feeling of racing never changed. With the wind rushing in through the open windows she had never felt more free.
She was just about to steer into the middle of the road when Mia's car pulled ahead, making her smirk. Her girlfriend was smart, she'd give her that, but she wasn't that smart. Sure, they didn't have much to go before the end of the race but Letty had a trick of her own, pressing down on both buttons of her steering wheel. Her car lurched forward and she felt the pure rush of speed as she passed Mia's Silvia, the brunette's mouth gaping open as she watched her lover zoom past her towards the rapidly approaching finish line.
She frowned as they crossed it moments later, knowing she had no chance of ever catching up to her. She knew she had lost but watching as her girlfriend's crew surrounded her car, cheering as they evened out the score, she couldn't help but feel a little hurt. It was pretty clear from the start who would win but it still hurt, especially when it was your girlfriend who had beat you.
As Shelby announced that the 'Los Bandoleros' had won Letty made her way through the crowd over to the brunette. She smiled and wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling her nose into her neck and making her giggle. When she pulled away she smiled down at the smaller woman.
"You know it's just a race right?"
"I know"
"You need to lighten up"
"I do?"
"Hmm"
Before Mia could reply she felt herself melting into the kiss that Letty had placed on her lips, everybody else around them not even mattering. That was until Shelby had to pry them apart.
"Ok, enough you guys. We still have a few more races to go"
"What's next?" Holly asked.
"Drift"
"We all know who's racing" Dani smirked over at Santana.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you're racing your girlfriend Lopez"
"Yeah, I think it's pretty clear who's racing who for this one S" Quinn said, clamping a hand over her shoulder and squeezing.
Santana looked over at where Letty was still hugging Mia, her expression asking for confirmation. "Yeah, you're up Lopez"
Mia then looked over at Brittany. "You too Britt"
The blonde grinned evilly over at Santana, clapping her hands together. "Gladly"
"Ok so Unique and Sugar have a course already mapped out for you and today we'll be judging you on three things just as it would be in Race Wars. Unique and Sugar will be judging you on the line of your drift, I'll be judging you on angle and Holly will be judging you on style. We'll give you the map and you have 5 minutes to memorize it. Let's hustle ladies"
As soon as Shelby finished speaking Santana and Brittany were already looking over the map of the drift course. As soon as they were done they were called to the line by Shelby. Confident that she knew the course as best as she could in the given time frame Santana strapped herself into her Supra and watched as Quinn came over and lent in her open driver's side window.
"You've got this S"
"You sure?" She asked, glancing over to where Rachel was talking to Brittany in a similar manner to them.
"You can do this. You and Britt are the best driver's I've ever seen. It's gonna be close, I'll give you that, but you can do this. Stick to the course and hold your own, stay on her like glue"
Rachel glanced over her shoulder as her new girlfriend fist bumped with Santana and turned back to Brittany. "You're gonna wipe the floor with her"
"Yeah but Santana's got better"
"Britt, you're the best drifter I know. At least now I do since you managed to keep this secret from your best friend all these years without letting it slip once. Anyway, you've got this. This race is ours. This is our chance to up the scores and get us back in the lead. I know you can set this course on fire. Kawaii"
"Kawaii"
Rachel stepped back and re-joined Mia's side, looking over as Quinn made her way over to Letty's Plymouth, leaning back on it next to it's owner who looked extremely serious. Then Shelby raised her arms.
"Ok girls, it doesn't matter who crosses the line first, it's who pulls it off the best. You ready? Go!"
In a matter of seconds they were off the line and already speeding towards the first corner. Having installed temporary cameras around the course they were able to watch them, their dashboard cameras gaving them an extra viewpoint.
Despite the fact that they had spent most of their free time that day enjoying their new relationship and being close, when it came to racing the two women in the driver's seats battled as if their lives depended on it. Brittany admired how Santana's skills had improved since the last time they had drifted together and wondered if she had been secretly practising for an occasion such as this. Whatever she had been doing she was giving her a run for her money and even though it didn't matter who crossed the line first, much like the speedtrap race, they enjoyed the thrill of challenging each other for that prized first place.
High speeds mixed with the unique art of drifting, both women seemed to be in sync around every corner despite the fact that they were indeed competing against each other. Santana stayed behind the blonde for most of the race but Brittany wasn't letting up. Speeding around another corner as she threw her RX8 into yet another perfect drift she watched as Santana tried overtaking her by staying close to the inside of the turn. Seeing what she was doing the blonde snapped her car back into a forward facing position as soon as the turn ended and shifted up a gear to stay ahead. Sure, Santana's car was faster than hers but speed meant nothing if you couldn't harness it whilst sliding around a turn at the same time.
Santana watched on from behind as the blonde outsmarted her once again and knew her resistance was futile, pretty sure that she would beat her around every twist, turn, and bend of this course. Something she didn't really mind, except her crew would and that's what made her determined to try and beat her at all costs.
Shelby and her other judges examined Brittany and Santana's turns with precision, just as the Race Wars judges would, and smiled as they both approached the last turn of the course. Although not a really eventful race in terms of driving moves, the technique required was what made it interesting to watch and when it was done right, especially by someone like Brittany, even when judging it it was awe-inspiring.
Watching as the blonde slid around the last large turn of the track, the way she moved her car with complete control and style, was enough to make any driver quiver in fear. She was someone to be messed with and as Shelby examined her in detail she smiled at the fact that she had been able to keep this skill hidden from all of the other's for so long. Though she doubted she did it on purpose to make them jealous. She knew she had probably kept it to herself simply for the fact that it was her thing and she was happy to see the blonde finally coming out of her shell and sharing her talents with the others, no thanks to Santana no less. Shaking her head at the thought of the two women who had recently became a couple she smiled as they both crossed the line, the two of them having outdone themselves. It was going to be tough to call, they were both good.
Telling them that they had to go and converse over their observations Shelby joined her girlfriend and Unique and Sugar in the hopes that they wouldn't keep the two mini crews waiting for very long. When she was ready she rejoined them and clapped her hands together.
"And the winner's are: Kawaii!"
Quinn smiled as she sat with Rachel under the shade of the old gas station. The others were taking part in some drag races but the only thing she wanted to focus on right now was her girlfriend.
"What's that grin for?" Rachel asked, looking over at the woman next to her who seemed to be entranced.
Quinn shrugged. "I guess I just really like the view in front of me"
"In front of you? The great Quinn Fabray likes something other than racing?"
The blonde rolled her eyes, leaning forward and kissing Rachel's neck. She instantly felt the brunette relax, surprised at how easy things were between them considering that they'd only just got together but neither of them minded, it was about time.
Rachel moaned but pushed Quinn back a little so that they could connect their lips together. She grinned as she tasted the remnants of the blonde's lunch on her lips. "You taste like bacon" She whispered breathlessly as they parted lips for a few moments before connecting them back together.
"You like it" Quinn husked back, her arm wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer.
"Hmm, true"
They both smiled into another kiss and pulled the other as close together as possible. When they pulled apart to catch their breaths they let their foreheads rest against one another, both pairs of eyes closed in bliss.
"I'm so glad you're my girlfriend" Quinn whispered, taking in another deep breath of air.
Rachel smiled as she let her hand play with the hairs at the base of the blonde's neck. "Me too" With a quick press of her lips to Quinn's own she stood up and offered the blonde her hand.
"Where are we going?"
"To see what the others are up to"
They walked over to where Santana as lent up against the hood of her Supra next to Brittany talking to Unique and Kurt. It was then that Dani and Blaine pulled up next to them after finishing a drag race against one another.
"Hey guys" Santana greeted as the couple joined them.
"Hey S"
"Hey Santana"
Dani and Blaine then joined them. "Nice race"
Both racers nodded, Dani a little distracted whilst Blaine responded. "Thanks"
Santana frowned at Dani. "D, what's up?"
"Nothing"
"You're staring"
Everybody followed her gaze and watched as she watched Kitty cleaning up some trash from earlier. "Oooh, you've got it bad girl" Unique grinned, turning back to the group.
"I don't!"
"You kinda do D" Brittany said, smiling as she felt Santana wrap an arm around her waist.
"Yeah, you do. Trust me, I've been there" Quinn added.
"Fuck you guys"
Everybody watched as she stormed over to her car and drove away, even catching the attention of Kitty who had been watching the other blonde closely all day. Sighing she just hoped that she came back in one piece.
"Should we go after her?" Santana asked, watching as Dani's Ford got smaller and smaller the further she drove away.
"No, she'll be back. She just needs to cool off" Quinn answered, turning back to the group.
Unique shook her head. "She's got it bad. When did this start?"
"We don't know exactly but I think it was the night of Santana's initiation"
Unique frowned over at Rachel. "You do?"
"Yeah, how come?" Brittany added.
The brunette shrugged. "I saw Dani rush out of the kitchen for no reason and then Kitty joined us. Everyone but them was in the living room, except for Letty and Santana that is"
"What do you think happened?"
Rachel shrugged again over at Unique. "I don't know but right now I think we'd better focus on racing instead of relationships. We can figure out a way to get Dani to talk later but for now we've gotta race"
"I like how you think" Santana smiled, standing up straight.
The smaller brunette laughed. "I'm glad you do"
Once everybody was ready Shelby explained the rules of the next race, a sprint, and they chose who was racing. Letty smirked as she clapped her hands together.
"Fabray, Lopez, you're up"
It was then that Mia announced her racers. "Pierce and Berry"
Knowing that this would be an interesting race everybody was excited for it to begin. It would be girlfriend against girlfriend and luckily Dani had arrived just in time to see the start. Despite the fact that she was mad about the whole Kitty situation she was still a crew member and they came first. She had put her anger behind her in favour of supporting Quinn and Santana so with a pat to the shoulder from Letty she smiled and focused on the race.
"We can do this, this race is in the bag. We're both technical drivers, they aren't"
Santana frowned. "What about Britt? She's a good drifter"
Quinn laughed. "Stop worrying so much, we've got this. Come on, let's go"
The two women made their way over to their cars and made their way to the race start a few blocks away. Quinn pulled up on the end whilst Santana pulled up in the middle between her best friend and Rachel. Brittany was on the end mirroring Quinn. Taking a deep breath Santana focused on the road in front of her, knowing that she had to win this race for her team. Quinn felt the same way, this would be the first time she would be racing with Santana properly and not against her like the race involving Brody. In a way she was both calm and excited to get the show on the road. She was gonna show why her and her new best friend kicked ass.
Rachel felt the same way about her and Brittany. She glanced over at the blonde and winked before turning back and glancing over at Santana. She smirked as she faced forwards once more, a determined look on her face. She was gonna win this if it killed her. She knew her girlfriend was feeling confident and that only made her more eager to prove her wrong. She had Brittany on her side and she was feeling more confident than ever. Brittany felt the same way. Even though she had won against Santana earlier she wasn't gonna be cocky about it. She'd seen what that did to people and she wasn't about to let it happen to her. Taking a deep breath she cricked her neck from side to side and gripped the steering wheel tightly hoping that they would get this thing started already.
Holly moved to the center of the road and stepped in between Rachel and Santana. All four engines revved loudly as she raised her arms and it was moments later that she was dropping them.
"Go!"
All four cars sped off the line and down the road and the race began. Santana pulled ahead as her engine was much more high powered than the others, not even needing Nos to take the lead early on. Quinn smiled as she watched the Latina pull into the center of the road and shifted up a gear, pushing her Skyline forward and steering behind her. Santana smiled in satisfaction as she watched Quinn pull up behind her and Rachel growled at the fact that the opposing team had already taken the lead.
As the first corner came up speed took a back seat as Brittany threw her car into a tight drift, laughing as she overtook both Quinn and Santana. "Too wide girls!"
Santana growled and shifted up a gear, already knowing what to do. As Quinn dropped into third place Rachel smirked from behind her, knowing that her girlfriend would be determined to get ahead but keep her in last place at the same time. As they hit another corner she pushed forward and tried to get past the blonde only to be blocked as they hit another corner immediately after.
"Not today Rach!"
"Damn it!"
Up ahead Brittany was easily managing the corners and twists thrown at her but Santana was keeping the pressure on her, the front of her Supra only feet away from her rear bumper. Gripping the steering wheel tightly she struggled to keep ahead and maintain her control at the same time. In the car behind Santana had her own steering wheel gripped tightly in her hands as she tuned herself into the movements of Brittany's RX8, not letting her out of her sight for even a millisecond.
"Come on mamcita, what are you thinking?"
Brittany took a glimpse up at her rearview mirror and managed to catch the determined look on Santana's face. Growling she steeled her expression and focused back on the road and the upcoming turn. She wasn't gonna let Santana past if it killed her, literally.
Behind them Quinn and Rachel were neck and neck, both women fighting for third place. Even though Quinn could keep Rachel behind her with ease the brunette wasn't giving up. Just like Santana she wasn't letting up on her assault to gain a place and she was going to keep the pressure on Quinn as long as it took to make her crack and give it up. However Quinn wasn't having it. Even if she was her girlfriend now she still wasn't about to let her driving skills go out the window just to let her get ahead. Right now she was racing and her and Santana had to win, that was all that mattered.
As they came side by side on a long straight Quinn took one glance to her left over at Rachel before pressing down on one of her Nos buttons. Her car immediately shot forwards and set a space between her and the purple Honda S2000, making the usually calm brunette driver behind the wheel curse as she was put into last place once more.
"Fuck you Fabray!" She yelled, pressing down on one of her own Nos buttons but failing to overtake her in time for the next corner.
Quinn laughed as she sped around the turn and deciding to play with her a little she waited until the other driver had just caught up with her before slamming on the brakes. Just as she had anticipated Rachel served at the last minute, sending her car into a wild frenzy as she struggled to gain control. Laughing she shifted up a gear and pushed forwards to catch up with Brittany and Santana who were still battling for the coveted first place spot.
Santana watched as her girlfriend easily handled the corners but knew she had to get control over this race if her and Quinn where ever going to win for their team. It didn't matter if they both crossed the line at the same time, only one of them in first place needed to in order for them to win overall. So she kept the pressure on right up until the moment she saw Brittany finally crack and slip up.
As soon as she caught the moment she shifted up a gear and slid around the blonde on one of the corners, her drift giving Brittany a run for her money. Holding the car in position as it quickly drifted around the corner she snapped back into a forward facing position and hoped that Quinn took the initiative. It wouldn't be very long until Brittany recovered and her window was closing rapidly.
Luckily Quinn had seen the change in position and thanked whatever God was looking over them for letting her be a few feet behind her. It wasn't long before she squeezed her way past Brittany, shifting up a gear and speeding forwards into second place as another corner fast approached. Brittany cursed in frustration as she watched the blonde speed ahead and knew she couldn't give up just yet so she shifted up a gear in the hopes that she could regain her place behind Santana and give her and Rachel's team a chance to still win this.
Santana yelled out in happiness as Quinn pulled up behind her and smiled up at her rearview mirror, just catching the blonde's matching grin as they finally took the full lead. Both Brittany and Rachel couldn't deny the obvious natural team work between their girlfriends, their unique driving styles coming together and making the perfect combination of precision needed to handle this course and eventually win the race but just because they were out in front and they were behind didn't mean that neither her or Brittany would let them win that easily.
With three turns left in the course they had to think quickly, both shifting up a gear as they fast approached the first of those three corners. Unfortunately both Quinn and Santana were way out front, their high powered cars showing their true capabilities. Luckily Rachel caught up as soon as she was out of the turn and pulled up behind Quinn next to Brittany, signalling over at the blonde that it was time to put combined pressure on her girlfriend in the hopes that she would crack and make a mistake.
Unfortunately for them she had already seen this coming as soon as the purple S2000 started coming up alongside her along with Brittany and knew she just had to keep them off Santana's back for two turns more and this race would be in the bag. Santana saw this through her rearview and as if in a silent confirmation between each other it was decided that if they held them off long enough they would win this.
They fast approached another corner and easily handled it, Brittany almost overtaking Quinn in a sly drift but the blonde in the Skyline caught it just in time, enough to snap her car back and shift upwards. Brittany growled as she was forced back, both her and Rachel knowing that there was only one turn left before the finish line. Just as they were both about to try and take over Quinn once more Santana slowed down and blocked the both of them in as they entered the turn, Brittany unable to drift or overtake as she had planned.
Looking over at one another both Santana and Quinn nodded before facing forwards, each shifting up a gear. Just as they hit the straight they pressed down on their Nos buttons and rocketed forward, now even giving Rachel or Brittany a chance to overtake or catch up to them.
The rest of their team cheered loudly as they crossed the line at the same time, Letty, Tina and Dani surrounding both cars as they came to a stop. Shelby laughed as both Santana and Quinn highfived each other.
"I think we know who's the clear winner here. Los Bandoleros!"
Letty's team cheered loudly again as they congratulated the two winning drivers and it wasn't long before they broke themselves free of their winners circle to go and check on their girlfriends who looked pretty upset they had both lost.
"You're mad aren't you?" Quinn questioned, studying Rachel's downtrodden expression.
"No..."
The blonde rolled her eyes, gripping hold of her girlfriend's arms and pulling them out from where they were defiantly crossed over her chest. "You are"
Rachel sighed. "Ok, I am. It's just that it was our first race as a couple and I kinda wanted to win"
"Rach, you always wanna win!" She laughed.
"I know but..."
"I know"
Not giving the brunette any more room to reply she wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.
"I'll give you a rematch someday, I promise. Just you and me"
"I'm holding you to that"
Santana smiled over at the couple before looking over at Brittany, shoving her hands into her pockets as she sheepishly approached the blonde. "You're not gonna break up with me for this are you?"
Brittany laughed, wrapping her arms around Santana's neck and pulling her close. "Don't worry, I'm not breaking up with you"
"Thank God, I was worried there for a second"
"And so you should be. No ones wins against me and gets away with it!"
Santana raised an eyebrow and was about to throwback a witty comment when Brittany pulled her forwards and crushed their lips together in a searing kiss.
"You'll pay for it later Lopez, trust me"
Later that night after they had all eaten and were huddled around a small bonfire just after sunset Shelby was ready to tell them who had won after a day full of heated racing. Other than the big races there had been many more and it had all added up.
"Ok, so we've added up all the wins and losses and the winners are...Kawaii!"
Mia's team cheered as they celebrated their win, Rachel highfiving Brittany and Marley fist pumping Blaine. Letty's team sighed as they realised that all their hard work hadn't paid off.
"How the hell did we lose?" Letty said aloud to no one in particular, scratching her head in confusion.
"I don't know, but don't worry, we'll get them back next year" Quinn sighed, unable to keep up her sad façade as Rachel wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.
Noticing the sad expressions plastered over team Bandoleros' faces Holly decided to speak up. "They may have won but today was much more than winning. It was about warming up. You all gave your all and I'm pretty sure when it comes to race day you'll bring even more to the table. I'm impressed at how well you worked with our two new additions, Santana and Brittany, and I think you all did a really good job. How about we end the day on a good note and share our favorite races?"
"Of all time or today?" Marley asked from her place in Tina's arms.
Holly shrugged. "Any. How about you go first?"
"Sure"
As Marley talked Brittany snuggled up to Santana even more so that she could whisper in her ear. "You did great today"
"Thanks. Congrats on winning by the way. You guys deserved it."
The blonde smiled, cupping the Latina's jaw with one of her hands and pulling her in for a quick peck of the lips. "Thank you"
"It just means I've gotta beat you the next time we race"
"Oh, you're on Miss Lopez."
Santana had no comeback as Brittany kissed her way down her jaw, the blonde smiling in satisfaction as she pulled away. Pressing one last kiss, this time on the lips, she smiled and snuggled back into her arms. Santana just rolled her eyes and kissed the top of her head as she tuned back into the animated story Marley was telling.
Even if she was undercover, she had finally felt like she had found a home with this group. She just wished it could last forever.
TBC